#self‑insert: clawed heron (ardea)

[void-kissed]

"When I look to the night sky.. All I can think about are the others. The rest of our kind. They have taken their places at last, and will shine there eternally. ..We were meant to have joined them there, once. We were meant to be stars - but now, beneath those starry skies, we're still, and will always be, together."

(Anyone is welcome to comment on and reblog my work if desired, as long as my DNI is respected! Tag list and description are under the readmore.)

Tag list: @sol-rbs | @dragonsmooch | @bugsband | @sunlight-ships | @friezaforce | @hallowed-nebulae | @stargazer-sims | @potionomic | @detective-with-one-arm | @deepsea-loves | @sunshimm | @artificervaldi | @thatslikesometaldude (To be tagged in my work in the future, please see this post!)

This is a render that I've been working on this evening - it's my first one using Ardea's new outfit, which was a bit of a pain to try and approximate through MMD but I'm happy with how this piece turned out in the end! It maybe isn't the most outwardly romantic of renders, but I still think the vibes are good ^-^

I've had the phrase "we who were meant to be stars" in my head for a while, which describes Pavo and Ardea perfectly, so.. I wanted to make something based aroud that. The reason for it is that both of us are Celestrians, whose eventual fate is to become stars in the sky once the World Tree Yggdrasil bears fruit. When fyggbloom does finally happen, it unfortunately coincides with the Observatory being attacked, which is the incident that causes Ardea to fall out of the sky and lose her wings and halo. However, once the game comes to a close, the Celestrians finally achieve their prophesised fate to become stars - with the exception of Pavo, who remains on the Protectorate due to her work with the Rapportal. The player also stays on the Protectorate due to having become mortal by this point, but in their (and also Ardea's) case they are also tasked with continuing to directly be a Guardian and protect the mortals from monsters. That's why the phrase fits them both.

(It also applies to my other DQIX self-insert, Linaria, who is also a Celestrian - but, the reason why she doesn't become a star is either due to having left the world entirely by that point in her normal course of events, or it is the same as Ardea's - i.e. being tasked with staying on the Protectorate to continue helping mortals directly - in AUs where she replaces Ardea as my "player character replacement" for the game. It was through RPing as her that I came up with the phrase, actually.)

Thank you very much for taking the time to read all of this!! It means a lot to me that you have done so ^-^

[tiny-cloud-of-flowers]

hi arii !! have u ever thought of xenoblade aus with ur other f/os? 🤔 i suddenly started imagining luna as a driver LOL but since uve been thinking abt xbc a bit more lately i wanted to ask since the concept is soo cool

Hello Clara!! Thank you so so much for sending this in, it really means a lot to me~

Ooh, I am not sure I have considered Driver Luna before, but I am now absolutely going to try to. Azami was my instant first thought for who she would resonate with, but that's more of an aesthetic thing. However, I also think Luna would work well with many healer Blades, though I can see her wielding Bitballs moreso than I can Knuckle Claws. (Which is perhaps ironic considering that there are no dark-element healer Rare Blades in XC2!) Did you have anyone else in mind from your sudden imagining (either in terms of who Luna would resonate with or perhaps how any other Reborn characters would be put in the game)?

Regarding Xenoblade Chronicles AUs with other F/Os, I have considered something like this in the past, but only for my selfship with Aqua, as far as I can remember. In that, the idea was less of an outright AU and more simply that Aqua and Aria had come to Alrest (hey, that's you) at some point after KH3, probably as part of their search for new potential Keyblade wielders in different worlds (partially because, while there's definitely scope for Heartless invasion, I'm struggling to think of how that would actually play out from like a game perspective). As part of their investigations, the two would pose as Blade and Driver, with Aqua pretending to be a Driver and Aria pretending to be her Blade, since - despite Gormotti being a thing here - Aria sort of has a few too many inhuman traits to properly pass as one, I think. Like the wings, and the seams, which may or may not be able to be mistaken for ether lines. She'd specifically be pretending to be a dark-element attacker Rare Blade of some kind, perhaps even being assumed to be Legendary considering the unique nature of her "Blade weapon" (which here would, I suppose, just be Aqua using whichever Keyblade she can summon that looks most like something Aria would have given her..?)

That is the only sort of AU-adjacent thing I can really think of having come up with beforehand, and even then it's more "XC in KH" than anything else. However, here are some other considerations, if you'd like them:

Calanthe and KOS-MOS getting thrown into XC1 instead of XC2 may not be overly feasible, but it's a concept and a half for a number of reasons. Like, imagine being Shulk and co. right after Citri and Fiora get captured at the start of the game - setting out to save them both and taking the fight to the Mechon, and then all of a sudden encountering someone who looks way too much like Citri and has a lot of her same interests (like tech!), alongside a potentially-mechanical? other woman who is incredibly powerful but whose abilities sometimes seem a bit too Mechon-like. Who are both apparently not from this world. And then starting to learn about Faced Mechon and their pilots. And then finding out that Citri and Fiora got turned into Face pilots. There's so much potential for an interesting up-and-down dynamic there, I feel!

My selfship with Zero feels like it could be pretty easily ported into XC2 with how Blades work there and how that can potentially be paralleled with voidsent pacts. You could either make Zero a Flesh Eater given her hybrid nature in FFXIV, or go down the route of her being a Blade that Zenos manages to steal and forcibly resonate with, then maybe Lorenza somehow restoring her memories to her after re-resonating with her? I feel like Lorenza could also fit well as a Blade, though, so hmm.. There are ideas there, but i'm not settled on either one yet.

I'm thinking about the recent Clio rambles.. I'm thinking about the whole "preserving her heart" aspect.. I'm thinking about how I literally described that as being able to take "the Sora route or the Jin route" (if you know then you know) and settled on something more like Sora's for KH.. I'm thinking about Aria taking the Jin route in XC2 and subsequently occupying a position like his in the story.. Yep, nope, that can fit, can't it

Both XC2 and DQIX have an Yggdrasil, and angel equivalents, and so on. I therefore really want to put Pavo and Ardea in here somehow. Maybe, Pavo and Aquila as the Aegis Blades (twin symbolism there would be fun), and then other Celestrians (so, including Ardea) as other Blades.. maybe Ardea becoming a Flesh Eater to represent her loss of wings and halo in DQIX? I feel like this could make Corvus Amalthus (he’s Aquila’s mentor, Amalthus is Malos’ Driver), but surely King Godwin would fit there better given how Indol is.. unless I say the Gittish Empire replace Torna..? Maybe Corvus would be better as the Malos equivalent (final boss and all), so maybe Pneuma could be Celestria - but then where do I put Pavo and Aquila, just ordinary other Blades like Ardea? Or would he be her Driver who then also pretends to be Ardea's despite her not needing one?? There is absolutely something here, I think, but I feel like I may be the only one with enough knowledge of both games to try and make it work. And I currently am not able to make it work, so.. take what you can make of my attempts, I suppose =P

It is now gone two o'clock in the morning and I have to be in the lab tomorrow (though thankfully not until the afternoon), so I should probably leave it there for now. Still, thank you very much for sending this in, friend, and I hope that these are alright as novel concepts ^-^

[moved-to-void-kissed]

Here is my piece for today, which is the twenty-sixth day of the month! It's just a little thing featuring Pavo and my self-insert Ardea - I know that Ardea's reference model is still in-progress, but it works for the moment! I played around a lot with effects and stuff for this, so hopefully it looks okay, it's just a simple little piece I had fun messing about with ^-^

Tag list: @catake | @vampking | @wazzuppy | @cherry-bomb-ships | @call--me--home | @xenobabble | @beeon | @coralward | @crosshairswife | @pandapup | @altamont498 | @mercuryships | @lemonloven (to be tagged in what I make, please see this post!)

Comments on and reblogs of my work are always okay, and appreciated, but are by no means required!~

[void-kissed]

..Okay so these were not the ideas I was having before but take this WIP anyway

[void-kissed]

💬 + Pavo, with "concerned" as the emotion! — @edencantstopfallininlove

Sure thing, friend!! Thank you very much for sending this!!

(source: this post by queenieboo22)

send me 💬 and a character and I’ll give you a line my self-insert would say if in a canon interaction with them. Bonus if you give me an emotion! - Alright, I think I can work with this! For context to those who may not know, Aquila is Pavo's twin brother, whose unknown whereabouts (in my version of events) are Pavo's main motivation for travelling the Protectorate alongside my self-insert, Ardea (whose own main motivation is trying to find a way to get her Celestrian powers back).

"Angel, please.. No-one could be expected to keep up a brave face the entire time we've been travelling together. You're allowed to express the way you feel. To let your worry be apparent. You're not going to be judged for it, or anything. I know that it's been far too long since either of us saw Aquila, and the circumstances I last saw him in were not exactly ideal. But we will find him, alright? I swore it to you, and I'm not going back on that. And that doesn't change the fact you're allowed to be worried about it on the way."

I hope that all that was alright!! Thank you very much again for sending this ask~

[void-kissed]

So far my attempts at Ardea's outfit are turning out far too modern in appearance but then that shirt is a placeholder and finding something close to her actual in-game top will probably make things look more fitting, so it should be fine

(As a reminder, this is what Ardea looks like in the game:)

[void-kissed]

🌹 🌹 🌹 three roses for you!

Thank you kindly for these, Hope!~

(source: this post by discocritic)

for every “🌹” received in my inbox i’ll post one random piece of a random WIP i’m currently writing - these excerpts come from a Pavo/Ardea piece I started back in December!

Iris and Avalon were still standing next to each other, watching out for Pavo in particular. They both knew she would be strongly affected by what was about to happen, as she was much more of a fully-fledged Celestrian in the first place compared to Ardea, who had already lost many of her powers when she fell from the sky.

The silver-haired angel took another deep breath, and then after a long pause.. her mind seemed more determined.

Slowly, slowly, she brought the divine fruit closer to her mouth, closing her eyes as she prepared to consume it-

-only for Ardea to snatch the piece out of her hands and bite into it herself.

"What are you-"

Before anyone else could move or even react, Ardea then had her claws to Pavo’s throat - the shock of this caused her to stumble and crash to the floor, and yet she remained right on top of her all through that movement, keeping Pavo's body down on the ground with her knee.

There was one terrible moment of stillness.

I hope that this was alright, hehe - thank you very kindly once again for the roses~

[tiny-cloud-of-flowers]

a celestial rapport (Pavo/Ardea)

setting: Dragon Quest IX romantic F/O: Pavo self-insert: Ardea Volucris names for the selfship: a celestial rapport, pavardea, ardavo selfship start date: 8th April 2021

Content for this selfship: on this blog | on previous blogs

Some more things you may wish to know about this selfship are under the readmore!

Pavo is a Celestrian who dwells on the Protectorate with the power to open the Rapportal, allowing Celestrians from multiple different worlds to journey together. Ardea is another Celestrian who formerly resided in the Observatory before being stripped of many of her powers when she fell down to the Protectorate as the Observatory was attacked.

The two meet in the Quester's Rest inn in Stornway, shortly after Ardea lost her wings and halo, and are very surprised to see each other. Pavo decides to accompany Ardea on a quest across the Protectorate to try and find a way back to the Observatory, as well as to locate Pavo's brother Aquila. Pavo fights as a sage wielding a bow due to still retaining her Celestrian magic and powers, whereas Ardea acts as a martial artist wielding claws due to her fall from the Observatory causing her to lose her powers alongside her wings and halo.

The two eventually start to catch feelings for each other over the course of their journey. They are accompanied by a pair of adventurers who found Ardea after she fell - Avalon, a stalwart warrior who uses both knives and spears, and Iris, an energetic luminary who wields fans and magic.

[void-kissed]

Hmm

I was messing about on a save file that has every possible obtainable item in the game for (dress-up purposes), and I came up with this as a potential new outfit for Ardea. I still haven't finalised the outfit on her reference model, and characters' in-game appearance in the actual game changes based on what they currently have equipped so they all end up dressed differently over time in the game anyway, so.. maybe I might use this as her "canon" outfit from now on!

(bonus attempt at Pavo as a playable character, plus Pavo in Aquila's outfit because I forgot his outfit was a thing you could actually equip in the game, under the readmore):

I really couldn't get very close with her outfit unfortunately .w.

The ethereal armour is mostly there because it's also black and red, while the stellar stockings are the only things that get close to her long socks. I think the shoes are also a costume item based on a character from an earlier game (like Ardea's top is). And I know she canonically uses the seraph's bow in.. I think it was Dragon Quest Rivals?, but that's literally the ultimate bow of the entire game, so she's holding a blustery bow here because in my actual playthrough she had that when I took down the final boss, I'm pretty sure. It was one of the three that share its appearance, anyway.

[void-kissed]

Echo's romantic selfships: A Celestial Rapport (Pavo/Ardea)

"let them act as they wish to, for we know the paths that are best for us"

==============================

romantic F/O: Pavo (Dragon Quest IX)

character tag: love: winged watcher (pavo)

selfship tag: selfship: a celestial rapport (pavo/ardea)

paired self-insert: Ardea

self-insert tag: self-insert: clawed heron (ardea)

selfship start date: 8th April 2021

comfort sharing romantically: fine with sharing!

==============================

Pavo is a Celestrian who dwells on the Protectorate with the power to open the Rapportal, allowing Celestrians from multiple different worlds to journey together. Ardea is another Celestrian who formerly resided in the Observatory before being stripped of many of her powers when she fell down to the Protectorate as the Observatory was attacked.

The two meet in the Quester's Rest inn in Stornway, shortly after Ardea lost her wings and halo, and are very surprised to see each other. Pavo decides to accompany Ardea on a quest across the Protectorate to try and find a way back to the Observatory, as well as to locate Pavo's brother Aquila. Pavo fights as a sage wielding a bow due to still retaining her Celestrian magic and powers, whereas Ardea acts as a martial artist wielding claws due to her fall from the Observatory causing her to lose her powers alongside her wings and halo.

The two eventually start to catch feelings for each other over the course of their journey. They are accompanied by a pair of adventurers who found Ardea after she fell - Avalon, a stalwart warrior who uses both knives and spears, and Iris, an energetic luminary who wields fans and magic.

[void-kissed]

✨✨✨ !!!

Hehe, sure thing, friend!! You're why I reblogged the game in the first place, so, thank you very kindly for sending these~

(source: this post by dragonsmooch)

Send me ✨ for a random thing about one of my OCs! (Optional: You can specify one!) - Let's go with Dragon Quest Iris for these, if that's alright with you!

I'm.. not actually sure if I've ever shown what Iris looks like before? So, in case you were wondering, here she is! The armoured appearance is her actual current equipment set in my game right now as I've loaded it up, whereas the set with the dress was put together from some extra equipment pieces I had in my inventory; it seems more like something she herself would choose to wear, having such a style-focused vocation and all.

Speaking of her vocation, Iris is a luminary! This is.. not to be confused with the Luminary, which is the name of the Dragon Quest XI protagonist. Luminaries (or, in the Japanese version, Superstars) are the sole postgame-exclusive vocation in Dragon Quest IX. They are.. kind of seen as not great combat-wise, because they have such mixed-up stats other than their high charm, which only means they might occasionally cause enemies to skip their actions or get paralysed by style slightly more often. But they have some neat vocation-exclusive outfit pieces, like that tint-tastic tutu Iris is wearing. They can use fans, whips, and boomerangs by default - as can be seen in the screenshots, Iris wields her fan in combat, as well as wind magic spells.

And on the note of combat, when it comes to the party as a whole, Iris is arguably the most versatile character in terms of what she can do - however, she mostly tends to play a more supportive role due to the strength of Ardea and Avalon's physical attacks compared to hers. She can use Reverse Cycle using her fan to reflect breath-based attacks, which is very helpful for certain bosses, and she also knows some healing spells which is advantageous if Pavo alone isn't able to keep up with the damage being dealt. Similarly, her wind spells are good against groups of enemies!

I hope that these answers were alright, friend! Thank you very much once again for sending these sparkles~

[void-kissed]

How about 3, 6 and 10 for the end of the year asks? (Dragonsmooch)

That sounds like a good idea to me, dear dragon! Thank you very much for sending these questions in!~

(question source: "✨ end of the year selfship ask game ✨" by interstellarboyfriend)

3. did a relationship with an F/O change in a major way (i.e. you started dating a platonic F/O or realised you prefer a formerly romantic F/O to be a friend, got married/engaged to an F/O, etc)? if so, did it happen more spontaneously, or was it something you had planned for a while? - This requires me to remember what happened in the year, haha. Um.. I don't think anything concrete actually took place that would apply for this? There were a couple of instances of crushes becoming romantic F/Os, the most prominent example of this being SOLARIA at the start of the year, but that's more starting a selfship than changing an existing one.

6. talk about any special/memorable moments you had with your F/O(s) this year! Which stood out to you the most? - When I read this, my first thought was playing through the finale of Pokémon Reborn for the first time, and hearing Luna's voice together with all the others when everyone comes together to help save the player. Luna is the only character who speaks in that scene who isn't currently present in the world at that time (as, canonically, she had stayed within the Void that appeared at the Glass Workstation), so it was a very unexpected - but welcome - surprise.

10. have you bought any merch of your F/O or other items that remind you of them this year? - Yes, actually! Specifically, I went to a convention-type event with one of my old friends from school (and one of her old friends from school) for the first time, and while I was there I picked up a number of items of my F/Os! Specifically, I bought a badge of Aqua,a smaller badge of Kirby (who is a platonic F/O), a sticker of Eula, and I also won an Umbreon print that reminded me a lot of Luna because it's of an Umbreon. I'm trying to remember when it was that I bought my small Wayfinder necklace and received my other necklace with the gold and silver wings on it; if those were in 2022, then they count as well, since the Wayfinder obviously is Aqua's and the winged necklace represents both Pavo with the silver wing and Ardea with the gold wing, to me anyway.

I hope that all of those answers were alright, friend!!

[moved-to-void-kissed]

..I'm not sure how else to format this other than like a changelog, and today is Hatsune Miku's birthday, so.. I suppose pretending things are software that has just been updated will do for the moment. I have been feeling a bit like a robot recently at times, so it's only fitting.

"31-08-22 Changelog":

Reworked the selfship information carrd to free up some more elements, so that hopefully I can make it look how I want to when I'm less tired. No information is changed, but please feel free to come and have a read if you'd like!

Cleared inbox due to ask stagnation and inability to come up with answers, plus subsequent guilt. If those who sent the asks really did want them to be answered, you are definitely welcome to resend the asks.

Finally added images for Camille after completing her reference model, plus a reference model render for Ardea, onto my self-insert information carrd. Ardea's reference model is definitely not finished yet outfit-wise, but I like how the render turned out.

Updated Aria's images on the self-insert information carrd to reflect the fact she has a mask again now, even post-KH3. It's just something that feels right for her design; having a mask or scarf on is often a bit of a comfort for me in a way, so that reflects that!

Although I don't have anything particularly directly selfship-related to show, I hope it's alright if I post some of the self-insert renders I've made, as I've found that they have been a helpful distraction to make recently.

I hope that everyone has been well, and I hope to be able to create more selfshipping content soon ^~^

[moved-to-void-kissed]

What Can and Cannot Return

In a quiet moment shared while Pavo is healing Ardea’s combat injuries, the two share a nervous exchange about Ardea’s loss of her Celestrian powers in the face of the fact that Pavo still retains hers. (1091 words)

tag list: @thatslikesometaldude | @garchompp | @beeon | @tex-treasures | @catake | @tartaglialovemail | @catcao | @vilehusband | @dragonsmooch | @childrenofmeyneth | @lilacslovers | @blackbirdcrime | @kalliopi-ships | @strawberryshipz (to be tagged in what I make, please click here!)

Here is my piece for the twenty-sixth day of sapphic September - I was originally going to portray the scene as a render using MMD, but the models just were not cooperating nicely, so I spat out this little bit of writing instead. I hope it's still alright, even if it may or may not have been slightly rushed, haha!~

Comments on and reblogs of my work are always okay, and appreciated, but are by no means required! If the link to the document doesn't work properly, then there is also a transcript of it under the readmore.

“..Do you mean it, when you say it does not faze you?”

It was a quiet and peaceful night as the two young women sat next to the flickering campfire. Although the party had been too tired from fighting to travel any further that day, the faint glow of torches - and with them, people - could be seen on the edge of the horizon; they would be able to properly rest in an inn soon, but for the moment, they had to make do in the open air for another night. A short distance away from the pair, a girl with bright teal hair was curled up in sleep with her extravagant dress blanketing her in a thousand colours, while a much taller individual was resting with their back to a tree stump, and even now their spear and knife still lay within easy reach.

The question was not an accusatory one, instead settling quietly into the scene, but it still made the blonde-haired girl look away and out into the darkness for a moment. She was dressed in the textbook attire of a martial artist, with a red and gold top emblazoned with the logo of a dragon over a fitted black shirt and slick slacks. Her hands were wrapped with black fabric, and the kite’s claws they usually carried were tucked away safely in her equipment bag. Her left arm was raised and in the grasp of the other girl, whose short white hair fell over her face slightly as a glow of teal magic emanated from her palms.

“What do you mean by that?” asked the martial artist, whose gaze had now flickered back to her partner.

“I believe you know what I refer to, Ardea.” she replied, still focusing on healing the wound on Ardea’s arm. It was not a serious injury, and even now was healing rapidly thanks to her spells, but it was nevertheless something that required attention. “The fact that we once shared the same abilities, and now, you have lost what you once wielded as second nature.”

“Mmm..” was all that Ardea said in response, glancing over to check that the other two were definitely asleep before continuing. “Well, it’s true that it was difficult to adapt to at the beginning, but.. We’ve come quite far now, haven’t we? So I’ve had time to adjust to the situation.”

This brought a smile to Pavo’s face, but there was still a sense of unease in her expression. “So, it is not true that you are.. jealous of me, or- anything of the sort?”

“What?” At this, Ardea turned around with a start, causing Pavo to lose hold of her arm. “Ah- My apologies!”

“Do not worry - I had already dealt with your injuries.”

“Ah, yes, I realise that now.. Thank you kindly..” Ardea muttered, moving her now woundless arm without difficulty. Then she returned to the matter at hand. “But, Pavo, whatever do you mean?”

The Celestrian looked away at this, and her wings instinctively curled closer to her body in a large sheet of white feathers. “It is just that.. You have lost the ability to use any of the magic of Celestrians, as well as both your wings and your halo, and the boons that they bestow upon you. When we happened across the carriage of the Starflight Express in that forest, it did not even react to your presence at first. Thankfully, the benevolessence we have acquired by you offering our assistance to those in peril has restored that final aspect, but.. not any of your other abilities."

She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, then continued before Ardea could interject.

"As for myself, on the other hand.. Though the long time I have spent upon the Protectorate has weakened my connection to the Observatory, and rendered my presence visible to mortals, all other characteristics that Celestrians bear, I have retained. The story we tell that I am a mortal sage appears satisfactory to explain my powers, at least to our adventuring companions-” - she glanced over at the sleeping pair upon saying this - “-it nevertheless does not change the fact that I wield my powers on a regular basis in combat, as I have always done since my teacher imparted these skills to me, while you have had to take on an entirely unfamiliar vocation in order to maintain appearances. So, at times, I have feared that you having to witness me freely use the selfsame powers you once shared, yet no longer can use, would perhaps be unfair.."

An expression of surprise mixed with confusion clouded Ardea’s face. "Pavo, I- I don't understand.. How long have you felt this way?"

"..It was not a recent fear." she admitted.

"Oh, in the name of the Almighty-“ In one movement, Ardea had shifted her position and launched herself with considerable vigour into the unsuspecting arms of her girlfriend. Pavo’s brief sounds of uncertainly were quickly dulled, and she instinctively clung to Ardea in return.

“Angel, listen to me for a moment, please. That is not at all how I feel, and it never has been, either - if anything, seeing you use your Celestrian abilities is part of what motivates me to find a way to get mine back. Besides, I haven't lost everything - my reflexes and agility are still leagues above those of the mortals, regardless of not having wings anymore. Isn't that right?"

"..Yes, I suppose that is very true."

"And, anyway," she continued, "I still think of myself as a Celestrian, because I am. That's what I have always been, and that will never change, regardless of what happens to me. The same is true for you, too - even after we ascend to the Realm of the Almighty, we will still be Celestrians, no matter what becomes of us. And we will still be together, too, no matter what becomes of us. Does that help?"

"Ah, that.. That does bring some relief, I admit." She turned to face the campfire with a soft and grateful smile. "Thank you, Ardea, my love. I truly appreciate your words.."

"It's never a problem, angel. I'm just sorry I didn't realise you felt that way, so I could help sort things out earlier on."

"Please, do not worry. I apologise for not confiding in you before now." she replied.

"There's no need to worry about that now, Pavo. Come on, let's get some rest."

And as the moon shone overhead, the pair settled comfortably into each other's embrace to rest by the fire.

[moved-to-void-kissed]

“You know, Pavo, I really don’t think the other two would mind if you told them what you were.” “..That may well be correct, and yet.. I still do not feel comfortable admitting such to them. Regardless, I- I appreciate your assistance, with helping me care for my wings in this way.” “Hehe.. Any time, angel.”

tag list: @dragonsmooch | @childrenofmeyneth | @catake | @thatslikesometaldude | @tex-treasures | @blackbirdcrime | @kalliopi-ships | @tartaglialovemail | @garchompp | @beeon | @lilacslovers | @vilehusband | @strawberryshipz (to be added to this list, please click here!)

This is my piece for the seventh day of sapphic September - I’ve made it a week in, yay! - showing my self-insert Ardea helping Pavo brush out her wing feathers. I created it with the “intimacy” prompt given by @sapphicseptemberhub in mind, since I like to think a Celestrian’s wings are something very personal to them, and they don’t usually allow many (or any) others to touch them.

Reblogs of this post are appreciated, but by no means required! I also had to construct both of our reference models myself (since Pavo only has a sprite in her source game), so I’ve included some clearer looks at both of them under the readmore!

So, putting together Pavo’s reference model was probably trickier than Ardea’s, mainly because I didn’t know how well I could actually make her look like Pavo in the styles of MMD models I’m most familiar with. But, it turns out someone had ported the character models from Dragon Quest XI into MMD, so I was able to use those as a basis, and for being a rather hasty construction I think it ended up being okay? Here is a comparison between the model I put together to represent her, and her official art from her source:

The fact she doesn’t have her halo is deliberate even if it doesn’t completely match canon, since I’m pretty sure her source game (Dragon Quest IX) establishes that having the halo is what hides Celestrians from mortal perception. But I want her to make friends have a bigger role in the story, so I say that that trait has waned as a result of her spending so long on the Protectorate.

Then, here is the reference model I made for Ardea, compared to how she looks in DQIX itself. Her model isn’t finished yet (mainly since I forgot to give her any shoes, but then she’s kneeling on a bed in the render I made above so I guess it makes sense she isn’t wearing any on there), and my appearance in-game also keeps changing, but.. since she’s supposed to be a martial artist and everything she’s currently wearing is exclusive to the martial artist vocation in-game, I figured it made sense to keep that as her outfit for the time being. She wants to make sure she looks the part of what she’s meant to be so she can fit in better around other people, after all.

Thank you to anyone who has seen all this! It means a lot ^-^