#...idk how else to tag this. anyway

[thewhumperinwhite]

WKW: The Rose Queen, Part 1

WKW Masterlist Here

sorry for the, like, Actual Year Between Updates, and then this one is just set up. I've Been In Hell. Anyway, here are some Plans and Schemes.

...who is my taglist for this. are they still active. who knows. dm me if you wanna be tagged in WKW updates please

TW for: manipulation, just bc of Morden and Thorne's Whole Deal, but honestly it's pretty mild in this one.

--

The first letter arrives a week after the taking of Colomur Castle. It is written in delicate flowing script on silk-weave paper, scented with rose oil. The envelope is filled with rose petals.

To he who has Called himself the King in Colomur:

You have slaughtered the Lion in his Den. It is a Feat, whether Good or Ill.  No doubt the Nobles of this country—none of them Lions themselves—now trip over their each other to be the first with his Tongue on your Boot.

I wonder if you might wish for finer company.

My messenger will wait three days for a reply.

Yours in Anticipation,

The Rose Queen

Morden’s eyebrows practically disappear into his hairline when he reads the signature at the bottom of the finely-printed letter. He paces in his chambers, alone except for Thorne, who knows best how to soothe his sudden, unproductive fit of rage.

He sends Tern out the next day, to find out who the hell this Queen might be. He doesn’t tear up the letter, as is his first impulse. Instead he sits at the Lion’s desk and spends far longer than he will ever admit crafting a letter clever enough to match.

To She Who May Call Herself A Queen, Morden writes, and then crumples the paper and throws it over his shoulder. It is too direct; this woman—claimer of a title as high as his own—will read the address and see the depth his pen has carved into the paper in his too-tight grip and know that she has angered him, and he will not give her the satisfaction.

My Dear Lady Rose, he writes instead. That seems subtle enough.

He thinks about cursing the letter. He could; could sprinkle black dust inside that would coat this woman’s throat and eyes and nostrils with choking smog as soon as she broke the seal; send her and her claims at Title to the Ice Under the Earth where he sent the Lion of Colomur. He doesn’t, though. He is, above all, curious.

The second letter arrives even before Tern’s return, delivered by an identical messenger in red livery with gold roses embroidered on the breast. The color is troublingly similar to the Lion’s royal crest. Morden glowers at the messenger almost without meaning to; the man, with some visible effort, does not wilt under Morden’s gaze.

My Dear White Crane, the letter begins, and Morden almost (almost) admires the elegance of the address—a clear response to his own, and subtle enough in its disrespect (she has still not called him King, a title he has earned and is due, and he has to consciously stop himself from grinding his teeth).

You Honor us with your Interest, the Rose Queen writes. We Thought to offer your Messenger Tea, but he Disappeared into the Brush before any Courtesies could be Extended.

My messenger will Wait three days for your reply. Prudence might suggest your reply be sent through this channel, lest others of your men also become Frightened.

Morden realizes that he is crumpling the edges of the paper in his fists, and forces his fingers to relax.

Yours in Hospitality,

The Rose Queen.

At the bottom of the paper, someone has made a small but elegant ink sketch of Tern, in his Falconer’s livery, seen from behind as he leaps into what appears to be a thorn bush.

Morden smooths the paper down on his desk. He gets calmly on his feet. Then he kicks the chair over and shouts for someone who can give him news of who the hell this woman is.

Tern arrives the next day, looking harassed and with his Falconer’s cloak slightly torn, but otherwise none the worse for wear. Morden meets him in the entrance hall with literal storm clouds gathering at his shoulders and his hands sparking with electricity. Tern has been a Falconer long enough not to be unduly alarmed by this; he knows that Morden is too clever to vaporize as talented a scout and spy as Tern for one failure, no matter how embarrassing that failure may have been. It helps, of course, that Tern is not returning empty handed.

Technically, Morden learns, first from Tern and then from three days of frantic shuffling through volumes of badly kept records and histories in Colomur Castle’s library, Hyacinth of House Rose has no more claim to the throne of Craetalia than he himself does. Or not much more, anyway. She has no blood connection to the Lion; is only leftovers from the Lion’s wife’s previous marriage.

“Of course,” Morden says aloud that night, in Thorne’s direction but really to himself, “none of that will matter if she is clever with her tongue and looks pretty enough riding her war horse toward my castle.” He runs his hand through his hair, not for the first time, and it catches on a knot he has worried into it. “People love a Princess,” he says, laughing bitterly.

“Not the way they love a King, Master,” says Thorne, who always knows what to say. Morden looks down at the bed, where Thorne is sitting anxiously upright, looking back with big, concerned eyes.

Morden laughs, feeling his shoulders loosen, and plops down on the settee with his back to Thorne, who immediately begins working the knots out of Morden’s hair, clearly relieved to be serving instead of speaking.

“Quite right, pet,” Morden says, reaching back to pat Thorne’s knee.

(Thorne sighs at the touch, the way he always does: somewhere between pleasure and relief.

(People do not touch him very often.)

Morden writes back the next day, over about an hour of dithering over wording. (There’s no one he can ask for help; Raven is too aggressive, Swan is too disdainful, and Thorne is too stupid.) The final draft is carefully crafted; a polite but distant declaration of some slight interest in further correspondence. He decides, after much internal debate, not to ask her what she wants. She wrote first; she won’t wait long before making her intentions clear, and he doesn’t her to think him too interested.

He's right, of course; she declares her intention within the month. Morden is not often surprised; he prides himself on reading people easily, on anticipating any and all schemes his opponents might attempt.

He will admit this, though, to Thorne if no one else:

The Rose Queen’s proposal does surprise him.

[lotus-pear]

ace detective more like ace DEFECTIVE

[ierodiate]

here's a thingy i screenprinted to commemorate when mcr opened for a7x in 2004 at fitzgerald's in houston (which can be watched here in all of its entire 7 pixel glory). it also kinda glows in the dark i cant get any good pics of it though so you'll just have to trust me

[phosphorus-noodles]

a chimera oli for artfight, cheers :3 @10piecechickenmcnugget

[makingshortstorieslong]

A little zine about how I (still) have trouble saying the word aromantic.

I've never made a zine before! I was inspired to try it because @queerliblib mentioned a zine making night in an email. That hasn't happened yet - its on June 26th - but once I had the idea, I couldn't wait, lol. It was nice to put something down on paper and have the finished product to hold onto.

Image descriptions under the cut:

Page 1: Three tiny speech bubbles say: "Do you have a bf? Do you like anyone? What's your type?" A big speech bubble says, "Oh, I don't date." The big speech bubble comes from a heart colored like the aromantic flag. 

Page 2 says: I could say: "Actually, I'm... ...aromantic." ...aro." ...aromantic asexual." ...aroace."

Page 3 says: But there are a few problems:

aromantic: Has been misheard as "A Romantic".

aro: Opaque if you don't already know the term.

aromantic asexual: A mouthful! And sounds...scientific?

aroace: shares The Big Problem: it may require a vocabulary lesson!

Page 4 says: It doesn't actually come up too often! Which is fine. My coworkers, my neighbors, and strangers don't need to know I'm aroace. I just wish I could say it sincerely when I do want someone to know. 

Page 5 says: I always have to smile - laugh - hedge. "Oh, well, actually, I'm kind of like, aromantic? Basically just not interested."

It's been more than 8 years since the first time I said it out loud!  I'm certain of it, but I still can't say it like I mean it!

Page 6 says: The most memorable time I said "I don't date" the guy I was talking to asked "Oh are you asexual?" and I said "Yeah, actually. And aromantic." And we moved on.

That was nice. 

Page 7 says:

The times I've lead with "I'm aromantic" -- well, there's only one I really remember:

"I didn't use to think that was a real thing." 

Other than that time -- even if I use the word, I always explain what it means first! 

Page 8 says: I just hope that one day I'll feel like I can say, simply, confidently: "I'm aromantic" and "I'm aroace."

The words "I'm aromantic" are big and dark green, the color of the top stripe of the aromantic flag. The words "I'm aroace" are big and bright orange, the color of the top stripe of the aroace flag. Three hearts below the words are colored to look like the aromantic, aroace, and asexual flags. 

[plightofthecentipede]

ROADKILL / SHRINE

an homage to a dead deer i was driving past a few weeks ago and thoughts of becoming earth.

mixed media installation // ko-fi

[calamitoustide]

oh so when troy bolton decides he can do sports and art no one bats an eye but when regulus black does it society goes wild

[dyed-indigo]

so @wyyvoren's dtiys huh. here's my take!

[tubbytarchia]

I don't mean to post/spoil everything for the WIP animatic but mmgrr I like these shots...

[acoraxia]

i lied have some refs

Sonic

He has a weird thing going on with his outfit but we can excuse it. It's a sleeveless bodysuit with thigh-highs and this is mostly for fashion purposes and so he's not entirely naked under the hoodie and shorts. It's my favorite weird fashion choice for most designs so what can I say he gets it because he's my favorite. I typically make him wear reds with some brown for Shadow and Tails respectively, the brown tying to Tails' goggles and red because. come on. He can wear whatever though, I sometimes have him wearing sports fits or streetwear so play barbie with him and dress him up however idc <- me at my brain

Shadow

BUILT.... LIKE BULLET TRAIN. or something. His outfit is. weird. but whatever. I just needed him to wear something. I mainly draw him in hanboks (modernized or traditional) and I tend to go for more fashionable trends for him since I like to think Rouge drags him out clothes shopping whenever he gets a minor growth spurt and suffers growing pains. He loves styling his hair, though, it's the best thing. He prefers wearing it up in a make-shift bun or smoothening it down. He wears dark blues similar to Sonic's quills and black to blend in better during recon missions for Zavok and with Rouge. he doesn't wear anyone else's colors because everyone else is dead to him. literally. i personally think he would rock KDA's fits

Chaos

I decided to go for a more humanoid attempt at him and. God of Destruction who is always crying and mourning the loss of his freedom whilst being angry at the world, yes, Tikal you brave girl look what you have to deal with. I like to think his body blends in with nearby rivers or lakes so it starts flowing downwards like a long stream of hair. Yes he's the one tormenting Sonic. Yes he will never let him go. Yes weird "you don't know me. but i know you." dynamic ass. Paralysis demon.

The End

This is Molly. Molly wanted to kill Sonic. Molly did not succeed. Molly now sticks near Shadow to give him bad omens of things. Molly is an allegory for PTSD. Molly wants to protect you. Molly will end up hurting you instead. They will cry about it and make you feel bad even though you are in pain. Molly.

Light Gaia

Imagine if a god looked at you and said "Be Not Afraid" and you trusted them and suddenly you are over run with emotions and instability and the Chaos Emeralds hate you and you cannot outrun this and you want to stop dreaming of all the timelines you've gone through and Why Are You Still Here and also Light Gaia is trying to warn you about an incoming doom but won't elaborate. Ruh Roh.

Dark Gaia

They like Shadow.

[sunnymainecoonx]

I know damn well I misunderstood the assignment but we roll, I'll understand it some day

It's killer and dust btw. If you couldn't tell. Which you probably couldn't.. forgor to say but shhh 🤫 Killers having a convo with himself..

..I kinda wanna change my url but idk to what

[arolesbianism]

Oh god is that a comicfrin drawing where they have whimsy quick someone throw that guy into a decades long timeloop

[emioliravioli]

happy birthday to this guy and the franchise that refuses to leave my brain 🎉🎉🎉

[gatoburr0]

Been thinking about it

[sengenism]

The Ishigamis and The Gifts of Science

Dr. Stone is a love letter to humanity and its sciences. The main character, Senku, often acts averse to all forms of affection, and the only love he doesn't deny is his love for science. But Senku is so so full of love. He just expresses it in a way other than physical touch or words of affirmation. He gives.

But let's go back to the one who taught him so– Byakuya Ishigami, his father. The love of Senku's life.

Byakuya is introduced in the tenth chapter of the manga as a dotting father who sells his car to present Senku with scientific instruments he will need for a more efficient research. This car is Byakuya's means of transportation, and given that he is crying and shaking in this scene, it could not have been easy for him to lose it. But his love for Senku is so big, that he wants to support his son's passion even if it means sacrificing a great convenience for him.

And Senku? Senku truly fell in love with science at this moment.

If there is anything that Senku is, he is Byakuya Ishigami's son through and through. They may seem like two very different people, as Byakuya is an openly affectionate guy while Senku is more closed off with showing his true emotions. But Senku takes more from Byakuya than not, and one of them is by showing his love and/or care for others through giving the gifts of science.

And it starts with Byakuya.

[Bodysuit Acquired!]

Byakuya had failed his first attempt at being an astronaut ten years back, but he doesn't give up and tries again. Senku then creates a bodysuit that manipulates muscle movement to help Byakuya pass his swimming test. And while the bodysuit doesn't quite help Byakuya to swim, the thought Senku had put into it had motivated Byakuya more than ever to pass the test. This is one of the fundamentals of gifting– sometimes, it really is the thought behind it that matters.

This motivation is what Byakuya credits during his interview with JAXA for passing the tests. He understands that Senku might not have given him any words of encouragement, but this bodysuit was all the words that were needed between them. Senku wants Byakuya to achieve his dreams just as badly. It's the way Senku shows his love for his father.

And it's the way Senku shows his love for others too.

[Glasses Acquired!]

One of the primitive aspects of the Ishigami village is that it considers bad eyesight as a type of "disease". Fuzzy disease, to be exact.

Suika wears a melon mask at all times to help clear her eyesight, which Senku later reveals is due to the pinhole effect. She, however, has never told Senku or the others about having the fuzzy disease. Senku himself notes how odd it is for her to wear a melon around, and confronts her about it once he decides to create glass. This is one of the most beautiful scenes in Dr. Stone, as Suika finds out that her disease was never a disease, and is finally able to see as clearly as the others. Senku basically gives her perfect eyesight, something she didn't even know was possible before.

[Antibiotics Acquired!]

One of the most beloved people in this village is the priestess, Ruri. Two of Senku's new friends, Kohaku and Chrome are deeply affected by her unknown fatal disease. Senku is such a person who would help a stranger even if there is no benefit to do so (though he would never admit to it), what more a person who his new friends truly love and care about. He cures Ruri of pneumonia, giving her a chance to live a life without the worry of it being her last day every day.

[Cola Acquired!]

Senku forms an alliance with Gen, who plays the role of Tsukasa's spy, for the promise of a bottle of cola. Both Senku and Gen are aware that the cola is only a front for Gen's loyalty to Senku and the Kingdom of Science, for Gen needs his superficial reputation as a comfort and cannot simply join them if there is no personal benefit for him to do so.

This cola is also the first gift post-petrification that Senku brands himself on, probably because it represents the first gift that is not out of necessity and leans toward a comfort/luxury that they both used to enjoy in the modern world.

For a modern man such as Gen, drinking his favourite soda in the stone world might have been one of the happiest days in his life.

[Cotton Candy Acquired!]

Senku cares about people so much, even if the people in question have tried to kill him. Senku sees Homura as a soldier who is merely following the orders given by her leader, but he also sees the Homura as a lonesome girl sitting by herself on trees day and night.

As usual, Senku hides his kindness and care by showing an evil ulterior motive, such as turning Homura to their side using the cotton candy, but Ruri points out that this is a facade. Similarly to Gen, a person with such an ego is unable to seem as if he is doing something good out of the kindness of his heart.

[Stove Acquired!]

As winter approaches, the elders in the village are worried about losing people to the cold. Senku hears about this and creates a stove which has a multi-purpose of cooking and also radiating heat for the people to stave off the coldness of winter. And speaking of winter...

[Christmas Acquired!]

Senku hangs up lights in the tree for the "light bulb test" on a random night. Except the date isn't random at all and he drops enough hints for Gen to catch on that it is the night of Christmas. The significance of the day is only appreciated by Gen and himself, as they are the only modern timers in the village. It is for the sake of nostalgia, but Senku would rather be caught dead than admit that he is a sentimental guy with such irrational feelings.

And well, it all comes back to that scene with Byakuya, doesn't it? If you recall, Byakuya calls himself "Santa" while giving the scientific presents to the young Senku. This indicates Senku received them during Christmas. Which means... Christmas is a sentimental day to Senku and his father. An anniversary of Senku receiving his Christmas presents from Byakuya, which led to his deeper dive into his science obsession. The beginning of it all, one would say.

And even though he's dead and buried, Byakuya never stops giving. He gives Senku the Ishigami village to provide Senku with allies. He gives Senku Lillian's music, because he believes in the light of music and understands the importance of media to society. He collects platinum till his last breath, because he believes that Senku will need it someday. Byakuya keeps on giving to Senku, because his love for his son is so huge and unconditional. And because he promised.

Surely, there is no greater love in the manga than Byakuya's love for his son and Senku's love for his father. Byakuya could easily win ten billion best father awards... well, not like there's much competition for that in shounen mangas.

[milkamel]

Never drew these guys before so here's some variety >:3 They turned out so vibrant omg

Swad and Swan belong to SONG_A