#smooth as ink

[not-rude-ginger]

Last year you said you hoped to be posting Smooth as Ink again around the end of Dec 2023 and well that didn't happen (which is fine!! take your time please don't take this as rushing you) but with a little over 2 months left in 2024 do you realistically think you will have the fic finished by the end of the year? I'm just curious more than anything, I will gladly happily wait as long as needs be!!

So. So, so, so sosososooooo....

Ink is still in progress! Basically a combo of post work burnout, and deciding to do the MDZS Big Bang (which I am still working on too) completely soaked up most of my attention. I have been working on Ink, even if my brain is like 'you haven't touched it in years!' I have! It's 30k longer since the start of this year, and currently sitting at almost 214k words total.

I am this close to finishing the BB fic, and I need to prioritize that out of respect for my artist and beta before I can get back to Ink. So realistically I don't think I'll have Ink finished by the end of the year. However, I've been doing quite well lately, averaging about 2k a day so I live in hope.

You can also blame Mr Passivity incarnate Jiang Fengmian because he's the biggest reason I've been struggling. I just don't know how to write him without him being more proactive than he actually is. He's a weight on my neck I've been trying to deal with, and since JC's got to deal with him and Yu Ziyuan in this fic, I need to have him turn up a few times. He brings every scene to a crashing halt.

Anyway!

If it's any consolation, the BB fic is also a ZC fic, though very different to Ink. It's definitely not the soft rom-com Ink is.

I feel very bad about the delay but I have much of the story planned, and I've made some edits to previous chapters (just tidying) so hopefully when I get it done I'll reupload all the currently posted chapters and then start posting the rest regularly.

[lord-prey]

Kinda wanna make a fish stamp collection

[sweeetsh]

sinegard four hand hcs

[quixoticornithologist]

some dealer doodles from today and a few days ago

[forged-in-kaoss]

[magicicephoenix]

If you're still taking requests: palette №118 "wild dogs" for Tom and Buddy Boris

the duality of boris the wolf…

tom and buddy boris with #118 - wild dogs

[the-east-art]

The tango Maureen Sora

[dreemurr-skelememer]

i got a ruled notebook instead of a blank one and im really mad. cuz i really like the paper. but its ruled. so

[h3lian]

༝ Wanted to practice drawing his face more 💥🔨⚙️

[not-rude-ginger]

Was thinking about Smooth as Ink today, would you mind sharing any trivia about it? (About a character, a scene, the writing, anything is okay.) I know you're working on it, I just miss it a bit. (Still, take your time, I can be patient.)

This is very sweet, I've been working on it a little this week, trying to fix an issue in the plot so I can get the boys further down their path in a satisfying way, and it's really nice to know people still want to see the rest even though it's been ages.

Let's see, Trivia, Trivia ...

I won't give the details away, but I had to spend some time trying to find a way to translate the Lan parents' story into a Modern AU that would follow the canon in spirit, even if not in detail. It ended up being kinda interesting to develop, as I didn't want it to be a straight victim!Madam Lan -- she did kill someone in canon and we don't know why -- I thought having something messier and confusing and would also tie into LQR's determined dislike of JC was much more satisfying. LQR has seen this film before, and he didn't like the ending.

JFM continues to be the hardest character for me to write, EVER. Odin Borrson, who I think was the originator of the tag 'X's A+ Parenting', was easier to write than Jiang Feckin Fengmian! He's the reason it's been such a slow process, I cannot figure out how to present him because he's so, so passive. I know he loves JC, I know he wants whats best, but Oh My God he's infuriating! I keep having to remove him from scenes because he just turns the scenes to sticky treacle.

LWJ runs away from home -- but he doesn't know how to book a hotel so he runs to the Nie because Dage will know how running away works!

Something I'd like to go back and fix before I post new stuff is small details like JYL and WWX's lives outside of JC -- JYL's wedding, her career as a YT chef, maybe some stuff about her chronic fatigue, JL being on the way before the wedding, etc. I feel I didn't give them enough thought for how important they are to JC, which is kinda normal for the story I'm writing, but I feel it would just add to the overall story to add a few things in.

NSFW trivia under the cut

I'm planning for JC to realise he has no idea what the standards are for gay virginity loss (is it sharing an orgasm, penetration, hands, mouth, what?) so he can worry to NHS that he might have taken LWJ's without making it special like he wanted. He assumed they were building to penetration as "The Deed" but thinking about it, that makes little sense (what if neither of them want to be penetrated?), and now he's not sure whether they've already crossed the line or not. NHS finds this very cute.

[acheronist]

yayyy bones !!! so this was on my own leg…. AND its my own design ! wheeeee !!

9rl/7rl/11cm and took just over an hour. this is the right leg and the plan is to mirror the same design on the left leg so its symmetrical lol but i wanted to see how sitting thru the first one While Also doing the tattooing was gonna feel

[goldenstorm0]

preview of the simple guide I'm working on. I am putting too much work into this, but I'm pretty happy with this diagram

[blackxxmagic91]

Butt cheeks and bare feet 🖤xx

[finzphoenix]

A big thanks to @toxic-toon who commissioned his OC, Damon, to be drawn in a ruin-like setting and thus helped with the fundraising! You're the best! 🖤🤍

Damon, OC (c) Toxic-toon Art (c) FinzPhoenix

[iiinkos]

oh hey it’s sasha! wow what a nice lady i’m sure nothing bad will—

SASHA?????

(normal sasha design based on @ollieofthebeholder’s brief description in their fic and if thou wilt forget go check it out!!! notsasha is just me lol)

[hirazuki]

A tall Elf of a high kin of the Teleri, noble though grim of face; and his eyes could see deep into shadows and dark places.

A commission by @naarisz of Eöl -- LOOK AT HIM!!! Absolutely gorgeous work; the rendering and the colors and textures and the lines and the reflection and writing on the blade and his face ♡♡♡ I literally cannot stop staring at this and am far too incoherent with happiness to express myself properly; thank you so, so much!!

(psst everyone who can should go commission her, in addition to being insanely skilled she is also lovely to work with)