#i'll keep working on it

[naffeclipse]

Tried my hand at some chocolate fudge cupcakes with butterscott frosting! Not super neat but they turned out yummy 🧁

[delta-orionis]

Some more TSAC region mod wips

[seahorse-steedy]

a compromise between black hair and red hair jason todd

[vivaciouscynner]

Yesterday I peeled a transphobic sticker off an airplane bench

In my mind, i thought people were going to give me trouble for it and start a whole thing. I was scared of the confrontation and the arguments and my inability to form sentences when I'm angry.

But no one even looked at me. No one cared about what I was doing.

And I realized, I could probably do a lot more without anyone noticing.

What I'm trying to say is:

I was so scared about what would happened if I scraped off that sticker that I really almost didn't do it. We can all be a little less scared now. I'm proof. We can, together, clean up the garbage. No one will applaud you, but it sure does make the area a lot better. And we really just need to make our areas better and bigger.

LGBTQIA+ aren't the ones that should be hiding

[refinedstorage]

it's a WIP! it's not very Daud-y atm 🥃🚬

[tinysnailtales]

Yona of the Dawn Chapter 12

The Valley that The Voice of God Calls

Enter Ik-Soo and (more officially now) Yoon! Previously Soo-Won rejected the gods in favor of the power of the people, establishing an ongoing theme of gods/heavens vs. humans + old ways vs. new.

"I want the power of people, not god" 

"I will restore the Kingdom of Kouka to the strength and glory it possessed...anything that stands in my way...even the heavens...will be crushed"

Now–through Ik-Soo, the subject of priests, and the prophecy–we get more about these topics. Ik-Soo presents himself as someone who shares the voice of god–who knows all that is happening and will happen in the world–with the people. In learning more about why the priests were kicked out of the palace temple and arrested or executed, Yona is told that the priests were once deeply involved in political matters with "an authority even the king couldn't overrule," meaning they could pretty much do anything and justify it as "the wrath of god." Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

We’re told Soo-Won's father was focused on expanding Kouka and perceived the priests as a threat to that goal and the crown's power in general, so he got rid of them. Is the expansion of Kouka by annexing other countries' territory a good thing or a bad thing?

As with the once authority of the priests, this information is presented somewhat neutrally rather than ascribed a moral position. Interesting! As it is, Ik-Soo is seen as "good" while Soo-Won and his father are more aligned with "bad," but they are also clear individuals not representative of entire groups. Arguments both in favor and against their point of views and actions are easily understood. Right now this feels more like an exploration of an idea instead of a definitive stance, but we shall see where it all goes.

Expansion of Kouka's territory and power seems like a good thing for Kouka but that does not necessarily mean it is morally  good. And the tangled history of priests and war (and what we haven't learned yet) has led to a country in which "the towns are packed with poor people" and "a few folks in the capital are the only ones who're well-off." Things are not good.

This history lesson comes from Yoon, whose resentment of royalty and nobility is something he takes out on Yona. But though ashamed of her ignorance and saddened by the state of Kouka, Yona takes Yoon's criticisms in stride and actively seeks out the knowledge she lacks. 

Ik-Soo and Yoon's personalities and characters are made very clear to the reader through their words and actions–this is a very good introduction to them–and likewise, Yona's character and growth are made clear through hers. After her symbolic death, she is like a small child learning about the world for the first time. Her tiny world was shattered and now she's learning about the larger world that her father and her status kept from her.

Along with death/rebirth, the hair symbolism also continues for Yona. Cutting her hair was like a rebirth and an establishment of distance from Soo-Won and her past. But as Hak notes, she is still holding on tightly to the hairpin–she is surely growing but hasn't fully let go. She also can't completely shed how her past and upbringing shaped her. She crossed over to a new world but is bringing some baggage!

And speaking of Hak, their dynamic continues, but with their near-death experience and all that has happened, that dynamic comes with an increased closeness and care. Yona's expression of that closeness and care gets to Hak, but she remains oblivious to his feelings. But even if she doesn't get things on the romantic end, Hak is intensely important to her and part of her goals.

"I need you right here with me"

"I wanted to live. I wasn't going to let anyone take away my life, or Hak's. That's all I wish for right now"

(they are also just adorable here)

Seeds of a larger goal to help Kouka and its people have been planted, but for now, Yona has shifted from barely surviving to wanting to live and her focus is on preventing the death of another loved one. Like Soo-Won, she rejects god in this moment. As she has decided what she wants, she does "not see much point in asking god" what her path should be.

However, as Ik-Soo states–for Yona, "living means calling up a storm that will shake Kouka to its very foundation." Her "burning blood...can't be controlled"–if she is to live, she cannot live a normal life. There is something inherent to her that makes it impossible; her very existence will cause change. So along with Yona's personal goals, there is a larger fate being established for her.

[cultivating-wildflowers]

🎤

[chipthekeeper]

may I offer the name Bona for the baby

trying hard to make a dirty joke out of this but it's very early and i very have a headache so it's not coming to me yet

[graduatebard97]

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[ohmygillygoshoppler]

Had a weird dream, but I dont remember all of it

[captain-astors]

Redraw of that one variant cover for Uncanny X-Men #3. I love Nightcrawler dearly.

[sinkfood]

did you know there aren't any god-like powers of indigestion

[mroddmod]

everyone be quiet i'm manifesting

[tinysnailtales]

Yona of the Dawn Chapter 14

The Chosen Door

Welcome to Yoon's backstory and an elaboration on how he fits with Hak, Yona, and the story as a whole. Also an explanation for his overall behavior and rudeness towards Yona.

This chapter always trips me up. Whenever I do a reread and try to articulate my thoughts, it makes me pause. And not in a good way. I'm sorry, Yoon! I love you, truly I do! And I recognize that his backstory is important. It can just really emphasize the pitstop energy of this section. I love a good backstory, I love backstory woven into the story and how it adds context to or re-contextualizes the present, but a pattern has been set here. We saw this in earlier chapters with Hak and Yona too–the ball gets rolling, shit is happening and then: pause, backstory time.

THAT BEING SAID there is good stuff in here. And following Yona's decision to embrace her fate/utilize the path it offers her, we get Yoon embracing what is essentially framed as his fate. So once again: welcome to Yoon's backstory and an elaboration on how he fits with Hak, Yona, and the story as a whole.

Hak is an orphan but was raised by the General of the Wind Tribe and Yona the sheltered princess of Kouka. Hak is positioned below Yona, but he is still from a prestigious family. As a kid, he declared that he hates royalty and the nobility and all the selfish motives and sneaking around they do, but he ends up as Princess Yona's bodyguard and the leader of the Wind Tribe.

His tribe and status as a warrior means he has been exposed to more of the realities of life, but he has still spent most of his time, at least in the past three years, at the castle. Yoon echoes Hak's sentiments towards royalty and nobility, but his exposure to their behavior is different. Hak saw it up close, while Yoon faced its effects as a poor orphan child in the Fire Tribe. Furthermore, the harsh realities Yoon experienced as a child are things Yona only experiences after having to flee the castle.

Previously, Yona's dreams centered on Soo-Won, really only desiring his happiness and being by his side. She never sought anything beyond the palace. Hak likewise dreamed of Yona's happiness, wanting to spend his life dedicated to her and Soo-Won. Their dreams weren't very ambitious and were focused on individual people. Yoon is a different case.

"I want to get out of this town as soon as I can. I want to see the capital and foreign lands!"

He is used to a kill-or-be-killed mindset and the daily struggle of survival, yet he dreams big.

He has a kind heart but has only been exposed to hardship. That is, until he meets Ik-Soo, who responds to his rough behavior and violence with baffling, unaffected kindness (kind of like how Yona will react to his jabs 👀).

More than that, Ik-Soo teaches Yoon skills and brings him knowledge and all of this flips Yoon's world upside-down.

"I learned something from him...'Pay me back by teaching me more things.' That was so much fun. I wanted to keep talking to him. There were questions I wanted to ask him. I'm used to being alone. But ever since we met...I can't shake this lonely feeling."

Through Yoon's backstory, we learn more about the people of Kouka and how they suffer as well as what drives and comprises Yoon. He is in part a result of his circumstances.

He is kind but not always nice. He is sassy. He thirsts for knowledge and picks up skills easily. And he is extremely dedicated to the people he cares about. All of this was clear before this chapter, but Kusanagi loves a good elaboration in the form of a flashback. I think she is very good at establishing character without the flashbacks, but even if they can be frustrating in how they impact story momentum, they show up at appropriate times and are used effectively.

Living one's life for another is something Yona explores over and over again. Hak is our first example and then we get Yona dedicating her life to him in turn, wanting to protect him. And now we get Yoon, who decides to join Ik-Soo even though, as Ik-Soo says: "But...I can't travel much. I can't go to the capital. I-I don't even have any books..."

"So? That's fine! I don't have to go to the capital! I don't need any books! You can teach me. Besides... it's too dangerous to let you wander around on your own!"

It's the idea from Chapter 13 stated again.

"You really know everything, huh?" "Can't help it. I'm a genius. I automatically memorize everything I read. But there are so many books out there, and I've read so few. There are tons of books I've never even heard of. It's annoying. But...for now...this ratty old book is all I need."

Yoon will take one ratty book over all the books in the world to be with Ik-Soo. He has all this untapped potential but puts Ik-Soo first.

But it's not like he gets nothing out of being with Ik-Soo, Ik-Soo becomes his guardian and gives Yoon perhaps what he really needs–companionship and love. And now with Yona and Hak, Yoon is presented with the opportunity to experience both companionship and a chance at his dreams.

Ik-Soo telling Yoon that he should go with Yona and Hak, in addition to Yoon's reflections on the past, lead him to realize he's been somewhat unfair to Yona:

"I told that princess that she's ignorant about the world. But the truth is, while I have a lot of knowledge...I probably don't know the first thing about the real world."

Though on opposite ends of the spectrum, both Yoon and Yona have been isolated and sheltered. And like the reader, they need to learn more about Kouka and the world (and become our vessels to acquire that knowledge!)

And then again, Yoon overlaps with Hak and the idea of dedicating oneself to another, Yoon tells Ik-Soo "You might not realize this...but I'll always act on what you tell me. So if you...order me to go...I will." This is reminiscent of Mundok's farewell to Hak as well. There are lots of interesting plays on hierarchy and family dynamics and the blurring lines between serving and caring for someone.

Yoon's backstory also adds more to the exploration of religion within Yona. We've got Yona, who will accept the existence of the gods, going as far as using their power and not being against doing so, but embodies Ik-Soo's statement of "heaven can only show you the path. You must choose to walk it," perhaps working as a happy medium in the arena of gods vs. humans. Hak, meanwhile, thinks all this god stuff is a myth. He won't believe it until he sees it. Soo-Won, of course, rejects the gods in favor of the people and Ik-Soo "[trusts] what the gods tell [him]" and uses that information (or did previously use that information) to "help [people who need encouragement] rediscover the courage to live their lives."

Yoon, upon learning about Ik-Soo's occupation, reflects "'But God...doesn't exist.' God isn't real. But...[Ik-Soo] doesn't seem like a liar." He's again more in the Hak camp, but seems to recognize that at the very least, the existence of god functions as a truth in Ik-Soo's eyes. There's also something to be said for how Yoon's life thus far has factored into his lack of belief in a god. And even if he doesn't believe in a god, he believes in Ik-Soo (which overlaps with the Soo-Won religion camp a bit).

Yoon meeting Ik-Soo spotlights priests specifically as well and expands on the exploration of humankind. Ik-Soo traveled and tried to help people, but people were selfish and stole from him. As he tells Yoon, "when I had that gold, it brought out something ugly in the people around me." That, the persecution of priests, and his inability to help everyone he wanted to pushed Ik-Soo into hiding. It harkens back to the story of the Crimson Dragon King and is something of note in the conversation on the morality of gods and humans.

[tempo-takoyaki]

"It would be my pleasure to give you a proper tour and introduce you to everyone."

Here is my full illustration for @svsssbigbang for the fanfiction Night at Cang Qiong Museum by @adventure-waffles! An incredible Night at the Museum x Scum Villain AU! Don't hesitate to also check out the other two artists incredible pieces for this fanfiction: dustmeadowx and qiye!

And since I know that tumblr tends to destroy the quality of my illustrations, here are some close-ups under the cut:

[forgettable-au]

Working on something....