#ramyeonguksu

[ramyeonguksu]

Estober 3rd Sun: Fishing

[johnnylandslide]

You know I had to ask Estinien

I wouldn't have expected anything less! Alright, here goes:

Estinien had been lingering awkwardly near the Warrior of Light for several minutes now. There was a question that needed to be asked, but he could not for the life of him conceive of a way to ask properly. To make matters worse, when he'd voiced his concern to Aymeric earlier today, the man had actually told him off and warned him that his question might even offend.

That brought up even more sinister implications. Estinien both needed to ask this question, and ask it in a way that made sure it never found its way back to her. He felt a faint chill run down his spine.

"Alrighty, let's do Shinryu next! This was first song of his I heard, and it's still one of my favorites!" Johnny called out to the Seventh Heaven tavern, gesturing for his bachelor party guests to give the Wandering Minstrel a round of applause.

Estinien put his hands together for the bard along with everyone else. As Johnny headed back over to his seat, though, Estinien saw his chance, closing the distance and placing a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Johnny."

"Yes?"

Estinien went silent, hand still on Johnny's shoulder. He was fumbling already. He had to ask indirectly.

"How is your... financial situation?" he settled for.

"Well, this wedding has been a nightmare-"

Estinien's eyes went wide, and he tightened his grip on Johnny's shoulder. Right from the start, this was worse than he'd thought. "A nightmare?!"

"Financially, I mean! We invited way too many people, and we didn't exactly pick a cheap venue, either. Nanamo did give us a discount, but there's only so much she can do. We've burned through a lot of savings. Tataru's happy to spend it though; a huge royal wedding was always a dream of hers."

There was still plenty of room for sinister motives here. Estinien had to inquire further. "Are you paying for it, or is Miss Tataru?"

Johnny laughed outright; the question seemed bizarre. "We're getting married, Estinien! We've had a joint account for months already. What are you getting at?"

"I am curious if this is putting you into debt," Estinien said. That was how the woman had ensnared him the first time, and if she was using the same strategy once again, then he needed to do what he could to rescue his friend from it. "You, personally. If someone is gaining leverage over you through this union."

"I don't understand what you mean," Johnny said.

This wasn't working. Next time, he'd ask Alphinaud for help with subtle implications. For now though, he asked directly. "Are you marrying Tataru out of love?"

"...I thought that was pretty obvious," Johnny said, confused.

"That's good," Estinien said. He just needed to check one more time, keeping extra close attention to Johnny's expressions for any signs of coercion. "You truly love her?"

"Yes!" he said. "Tataru is the kindest, sweetest, cutest girl in all Eorzea, and I still cannot believe she's going to marry me. We were together through some of my hardest times, but also some of the best times! She's always been there for me, ever since the first time I walked into the Waking Sands."

Estinien slowly nodded.

"The first time I actually noticed how cute she is was back then, actually. I was leaving on a mission, and I looked over her desk to see what she was up to, and on the Scion roster she'd drawn this little flower next to my name. I should have just proposed to her right there and saved us both half a decade."

"Ah. I understand."

"Then there was Ishgard, which was really rough. Every time we got back to the city, though, she was there in the Forgotten Knight waiting for me, ready to tell me about all the stuff she'd gotten up to while we were out. She really livened that place up, made it feel like a home. That's what Tataru is to me; she's my home."

Estinien nodded again.

"She made this shirt and cape for me, you know? These boots, too," Johnny said, pointing to them. "That white suit I have was the first outfit she made for me. I didn't really put much thought into what I wore before that, but she took such care in making it match the rest of the Scions that it made me feel like part of the group for the first time. She made an entire suit to help me feel included. She's the best."

Estinien hoped this would end soon.

"Also, I just can't believe I'm dating her. Engaged to her! I'm marrying her tomorrow, Estinien! She used to do this thing to get my attention where she would raise both her hands and hop up and down, and it was so cute that I had this urge to just pick her up and kiss her, and now I can! She likes to ride on my shoulder when we go shopping because she tells me it makes her feel like a princess, and when we hug I can pull her so close."

By the Fury, how much longer was this going to go? Estinien could clearly see his initial worries could not possibly have been more misplaced; the only worry remaining being how he was going to escape this.

"She called me her hero when we got back from the big thing, by the way. People have said that to me before, but never like she has. You know?"

"That is... good," Estinien said, eyes flitting about the room looking for an exit.

"Also, her hair is the color of a sunset-"

The sound of a spoon clinking against a glass rang out, Thancred at another table getting Johnny's attention. Estinien gave silent thanks to the Twelve for the reprieve.

"Wrap it up, Landslide! We're all waiting on you," Thancred called out.

Johnny swallowed the rest of his sentence, realizing that seven other people were waiting on him so they could listen to the next song.

"Oops, sorry about that. Okay, I'm ready!" he called. Before the Minstrel began to play, he whispered quickly to Estinien, "Yes, I love her. There's no funny business going on. Thank you for checking, though."

Estinien sighed. Whatever hallucination this bard's next song brought on would be a welcome change of pace from listening to this newlywed. He seemed to be truly happy, and if he happened to find that happiness with the Scions' terrifying pink menace, then Estinien was not one to judge.

[shiratamako]

Other than your own characters’ relationships, can you give an example of someone who is particularly good at writing or otherwise portraying romantic and/or sexual relationships? What is it about their work that really stands out for you?

I'll put what I've been reading / have read as recommendations since I'm still newly established with mutuals here.

A Shelter from the Storm by Constellarium Focus: Haurchefant/WoL, slow burn, friends to lovers Summary: The Warrior of Light, weary from her flight from the ill-fated banquet in Ul'dah, seeks sanctuary and finds it in the kindness of an old friend. Thoughts: Constellarium is such a fantastic writer, especially for Haurchefant fans. Words cannot speak highly enough of each thoughtful interaction and dialogue choices, especially in intimate scenes.

Somewhere in Between by BiscuitSticks Focus: Estinien/WoL, angst and romance, hurt/comfort Summary: The first time Estinien saw her, he was a young lancer and she was but a speck against the enveloping Coerthan snow, fleeing the massacre of her people at the hands of the temple knights. He felt justified as they were, exterminating the heretics who indulged in dragon’s blood, apparent by their horns and tails. Thoughts: This is the fic that sold me on WoL/Estinien honestly, especially as an Au Ra Xaela player. I still think about the possibility of Estinien hunting down a six-year old Shira and it lives rent-free in my head.

Shoutout to the people who enable my yapping:

@johnnylandslide: everything with Johnny and Tataru is so adorable, sweet and wholesome. Definitely recommend checking out the fics and drabbles! Tataru Taru has become referred to as Mrs. Landslide and nothing will change my opinion on this

@ramyeonguksu: Ah, my biggest enabler of Estinien Brainwyrms. I unfortunately can't read his fics until I finish Shadowbringers and Endwalker, though the brainrot has severely affected me and I've started having weird dreams about Estinien. The fic about Haurchefant was sweet, delicious pain too though (:

[pathetic-gamer]

Lyndis von FE7 in the style of FE3H (aka the style of Chinatsu Kurahana)

I followed a tutorial by @ramyeonguksu on twitter to get the style right :)

[moonlightleafs]

I tried to make a game portrait for Spathi, my fe3h oc, in Kurahana's style following @ramyeonguksu's amazing tutorial and analysis (ty so much for making it!! and ty ty @peachiehambo for sharing it with me!!) It was a really fun challenge to try and imitate this style for Spathi, especially the shading and their eyes (love fe3h eyes). Overall I'm pretty happy with it even if it's not totally accurate to the style, and would love to try doing some expressions sometime too!

[ashwithane]

fe3h oc drawcember day 15: free space

using the free day as an excuse to post rowan’s new portraits! i definitely wanna do their timeskip and hopes portraits soon

i followed @ramyeonguksu’s tutorial for these, highly recommend! it was very helpful :)

[decayedstarfruit]

I haven't posted in some time. Life's been really kicking me in the butt and I haven't really drawn in several weeks because I've been sick. Decided to start making OCs for no reason.

trying my hand finally at properly making a character. (using @ramyeonguksu's tutorial) it's proving more difficult than originally thought, but It's going better than my 2020 attempt at mimicking the artbook style. (2020 art below)

[coucou-art]

oh dear here we go

influenced by @ramyeonguksu

[nidstiniens]

tagged by @mynewoldfriend ♥️

— this or that

coffee or tea | early bird or night owl | chocolate or vanilla | spring or fall | silver or gold | pop or alternative | freckles or dimples | snakes or sharks | mountains or fields | thunder or lightning | egyptian mythology or greek mythology | ivory or scarlet | flute or lyre | opal or diamond | butterflies or honeybees | macarons or eclairs | typewritten or handwritten | secret garden or secret library | rooftop or balcony | spicy or mild | opera or ballet | london or paris | vincent van gogh or claude monet | denim or leather | potions or spells | ocean or desert | mermaids or sirens | masquerade ball or cocktail party

— top 5 songs on repeat

"you and i" - pvris

"one headlight" - the wallflowers

"how did it end?" - taylor swift

"rap god" - eminem

"(coffee's for closers)" - fall out boy

tagging @ramyeonguksu, @lilbittymonster, @xiapet, @anneapocalypse, @sundered-souls, @pavus (but absolutely no pressure to do it of course!)

[fishytheegg]

A surprise Hillevi for @ramyeonguksu 🤗

[ramyeonguksu]

We're finally able to upload our pieces for @hubertlovezine!

I wanted to explore what his family might have looked like and his sentiments for a very specific member 👁️

Leftovers are open, check out their account for more info!

And here's the Vestra family portrait alone!

[johnnylandslide]

How confident are you in writing angst or portraying conflict or tension within a relationship? Or is this something you avoid? If so is this because it doesn't much interest you? Or because you're unsure how to approach it?

Oh god, oh man, I uh, think I have to be somewhere? Wait, WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE-

In all seriousness, I'm really not sure I have it in me LOL. The shippy stuff I've made for Johnnytaru so far is exclusively either sweet and wholesome stuff or comedic scenarios, so something angsty would definitely be undiscovered ground. I'm not sure what kind of angsty scenario I would even inflict on them though. Do you want to make Tataru sad? I don't want to have this to contend with.

[shiratamako]

Questions 2 and 7!

2. How important is your OCs relationship(s) to their story? Would it still make sense without it? Or is their connection to this other character integral to their development?

A story without Shira's relationships I developed thus far would just be A Realm Reborn and Heavensward without the extra pain, angst and drama. So, it would still make sense plot-wise in the grand scheme of things...

Did Haurchefant and Shira need to fall in love? Not really, but also it's Haurchefant: your staunchest supporter and also maybe really down bad for you depending on what language you play in. If it was Aymeric or Estinien who first knew about Shira's circumstances I think it would probably go fairly differently. Aymeric would probably be fairly clinical about the procedures of handling it. Estinien... I don't think he could really offer that much emotional support.

As I said before, Shira needed Haurchefant. I found the guy likeable though I didn't instantly latch onto him. In Before the Dawn and Divine Intervention, he really warmed my heart.

If there was no Haurchefant, Shira would probably not have survived. She would have not been able to continue her story.

7. How important is other people’s investment in (or enthusiasm for) your character’s relationship? Was this a consideration when you were planning it? Have you ever changed a character’s relationship(s) due to other people’s response to it?

Listen.

I have many hands and a brain that can make a lot of ideas if you give me the right fuel (generally of the angst or hatefuck variety).

I also didn't really find Estinien that attractive in the beginning, though his interactions in Heavensward had me laughing even if the humour is unintentional. The guy might be my favourite little jester right now. By the Fury... As long as I have a little gremlin feeding me more Wolstinien Propaganda, I can see this continuing forseeably in the future.

I have not posted my Aymeric drabbles up on AO3 yet, though I am very surprised and pleased at the positive feedback I got on my Aymeric fics. I find him very interesting to write as a character. I want to try to convey the nuances of his personality and upbringing without falling head over heels in love with Shira. If that's of interest to people, then I'm definitely willing to explore more with Aymeric.

Right now I am keeping all my options open in multi-shipping and seeing what sticks. When I try to lock in for a pairing and devote all my time to it, I find that I often fail to develop something robust. I've had my eyes and mind opened to a polyamorous lifestyle after befriending people in the community (I remain monogamous, however). So an OT3 could definitely be a possibility as well... Or a polycule, even.

Oh, and I go feral for evil old men. Even if only me and one other person like Ilberd, I will continue to write 20+ chapters just to cover Ilberd's effects on Shira.

[resident-cake-anon]

[fe artscuffle] portrait dump #2 -w-

aka cake anon is bad at consistency anyways ty for letting me draw your lovelies <3

@astaraxion @lustrous-dreams @yulgurr

@gcastelini @starrryknight @ramyeonguksu

taglist! dm for removal or addition :)

@justrandomselfships @impurra @punkcollar @bioexorcizm

moots add me to your taglists immediately!

rbs greatly appreciated!

[hubertlovezine]

🖤 NSFW COVER REVEAL 🖤

We’re excited to debut the cover for our digital NSFW zine: Motivated by Lust. Thank you ramyeonguksu for illustrating the stunning art for the cover!

[loola-a]

some in game portraits for my ivory swans hehe

obligatory shout out to @ramyeonguksu ‘s google doc it’s genuinely a life saver… also please don’t look too close at the clothes i get bored coloring them LOL