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[enquire]

(late) Pride Kinjomae

Yeah, it's no longer pride month, I know. But I still wanted to get around to this so here it is. This is a redraw of the one I did last year.

This time, I included a trans flag for Yuki as well, because I've gotten attached to the trans man headcanon for Yuki and Utsuro. Otherwise, it's same as before, ace flag for Tsurugi since I tend to hc him as an asexual guy with an interest in men, and a bi flag for Yuki.

Fun fact, the ace and trans flags apply to me as well. Also, I wanted to do this traditionally like last time, it's always a little weird posting stuff that's more messy, but I can tell I've improved since last year by redrawing this, so that's nice to see.

Anyways, that's all I've got in terms of DRA, gonna leave some of my own thoughts below the cut, since I imagine most folks are just here for the art haha.

But before you go, as I said last year, this goes out to everyone else who had a quiet pride. Also to my fellow disabled queer folks. I know times have been difficult lately, but we deserve to be here and take up space.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 |🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵 | 💜��🩶🤍

In all honesty, like last year, I felt pretty gloomy during and about pride. For the most part, I still honestly feel like I'm stuck on the outskirts. I haven't really been able to muster up the courage or well, frankly, social/medical/financial ability, to transition or be more honest about who I am.

I've been feeling pretty down about it all lately. Maybe it's because it's the period between pride month and disability month again, and the state of things where I live is just, an ongoing thing so there's that too...

I think doing little things like this is my way of trying to reclaim pride for myself? Not sure how to word it. Art and writing can be very powerful when it comes to things like this.

Reflecting on my time since last year's pride though, there have been some positive things. I've been able to spend time in online spaces with others like me, and having a little circle of other queer people (weirdos like me /aff) does help a lot. It made me feel comfortable enough to try using he/him pronouns alone instead of they/them/he/him and I think after some time I can say that fits better. 🧡

Anyways, maybe next year I can come back to this again. If you've read all this, thanks and hopefully something resonated with you. I try not to go into personal stuff too much on this blog, but well, I think it's important to be visible right now if that makes sense. And it helps to process and leave notes for myself haha.

[enquire]

Blingees again. Making these is surprisingly zen... Anyways, these were for friends. (The Haru one also uses a sprite edit from one of them I cannot take credit for)

Also throwing in this Junko one from months ago that I guess I never posted here.

Anyways, I've been a bit obsessed with gifcities and pixel sharing sites lately. I'll probably have something more significant to post eventually. Been struggling to write for Looking Glass but I will get back to it.

[enquire]

Sweet Heart, Sweet Mind

Had this one in the works for a while. It's time to hit Kokoro with the pony bullet. This one may seem a bit out of left field, but this is one of the characters in SDRA2 I've wanted to include for a while, thanks to a friend of mine. (Our brainstorming led to some great names and motivated me to finally come back to and finish this)

I feel pretty happy with how this one turned out. It was neat altering the design for both versions and I got to draw an okapi which was fun.

Note: as with some of my other EDP ramblings, the background given here may reflect (or spoil) canon. But if you're down for that, let me get into the backstory.

Long storytime below:

For as long as she could remember, Sweet Heart was praised for her talent. Her skill with magic and intelligence often landed her at the top of her classes, and her teachers and parents expected great things from her. 

However, though she excelled when it came to science and applying her magic, friendship and emotions seemed to be something she could only understand in theory. And even as she grew and learned, she still never gained a cutie mark. It didn’t come to her; not when she worked as a medical researcher, and not when she graduated from Celestia’s Academy for Gifted Unicorns with exceptional grades. It did not come even when she received an incredibly esteemed position as a royal scientist.

Though there were some whispers and gossip about such an accomplished scientist being a blank flank, one benefit to supposedly not feeling emotions was being somewhat immune to others’ opinions. So, she continued on, obsessively learning about the world and ponies around her. This drive, especially when directed into various projects by her lab partners and superiors, led to a lot of new studies and knowledge, all of which, for the most part, benefited everypony.

However, there was always something nagging at her that she couldn’t shake. It was something everypony had that she believed she was incapable of replicating. Friendship, love, and the emotions that came along with them. And when such things had been proven as some of the most powerful forces in Equestria, Sweet Heart felt as though this was the last remaining area she’d yet to truly explore. Perhaps, it was even her purpose. 

To this end, she carried out many of her own projects and experiments on the side, hoping one day she would crack the code. She followed lead after lead and conducted test after test, until one particular year, when she discovered something new. After chasing down many rumors, and reading book after book, she finally found it, sealed away in a large cavern system not far from Ponyville.

The Mirror Pool. 

As though enchanted, she stepped closer, and closer. The surface drew her in, completely and utterly, and before she knew it, she’d taken the plunge.

It was then, surrounded by tens of copies of herself, that she finally began to see a way through the last barrier she longed to pass. Naturally, her companions all wanted the same thing she did.

So when it first started, all those years ago, it started with consent and a shared interest. 

It began with simple experiments, and more hooves around to help with her personal projects. With time, though, Sweet Heart became more and more focused on this, to the point that she began to give less and less thought and time to her work as a royal scientist. This was much to the dismay of one lab partner in particular; a loyal and intelligent okapi named Outlook, who had grown quite close to the unicorn.

Over their shared time working together, they’d developed something of a relationship, to the point that he was one of the few to notice little changes in her behavior. He was the only one to take notice when she grew more and more focused on her own projects, and less present at work. Still, he mostly put this aside, believing it to be due to her drive to gain a cutie mark, and satisfied with her continued interest in spending time with him. 

The years passed. Though she wasn’t exactly the most loving pony, Outlook showered Sweet Heart with affection and care, and supported her as a partner by both definitions. To his delight, she slowly chose to spend more and more and more time with him, and eventually offered to become more than the semi-professional relationship they’d had up to that point.

Outlook, smitten, agreed wholeheartedly. When things started getting more serious, and they began talking about having a family, he was overjoyed.

However, maybe things looked a little different from the other side… When Sweet Heart at last gained her cutie mark, it seemed to come almost unceremoniously, when nopony else besides herself was present to see. 

It was only when Sweet Heart submitted the mark during paperwork for a name change that Outlook even knew it had happened. When he asked, she almost entirely brushed over it, and acted as she always did.

However, staring down at the name ‘Sweet Mind’ she had signed, Outlook felt a sudden sense of foreboding. That sinking, horrible feeling was not assuaged, even when they found out she was expecting.

If anything, the addition of a foal into the equation-for suddenly, it felt more like an equation than a family-just made him more uneasy. As Sweet Mind began revealing more and more of her projects, and the underground lab she’d made in the caverns below, still connected to the Mirror Pool, his anxieties grew more and more, but he had no choice but to stay.

When their daughter was born, Outlook’s worst suspicions and fears were confirmed, and he vowed to himself that this was not where his daughter would grow up. The okapi bided his time, waiting, and doing his best to hide his intentions. 

When the moment came, he took his daughter, and ran, leaving Sweet Mind, and the life he’d thought they’d have, behind. However, maybe Doctor Mind had been less oblivious than he’d thought.

In the end, Outlook did what he sought out to do. His daughter escaped, and grew up somewhere far, far away from that lab, cared for, and loved.

However, it wouldn't be with him, for the okapi was never seen again.

-

Of course, there’s another side to this story. The clones born of the Mirror Pool watched on from the other side of the glass, or, more accurately, crystal.

Though it had started out benign, Sweet Heart’s experiments grew more and more complex, and her clones went from willing participants to objects. Each one was given an ID number, and sealed away in crystalline stasis until the time came to make use of them. 

So while Sweet Heart grew up, countless versions of her younger self remained. Some of them were frozen indefinitely, unaware of the years passing them by. Others were taken out, given simple tasks to perform, before being placed back into stasis. 

Some suffered more than others. And out of them, a few watched Sweet Heart become Sweet Mind, through the little windows they had into her life. One such clone, tagged number 43, had a first row seat. She watched herself grow taller, more intelligent, and more dedicated to her cause each time she was woken up. However, she also witnessed her mane go uncared for, her coat dulling. She watched as her caution and care for anypony, including herself, drained away. The years passed in jumps as she was taken out, then put away, as though she was nothing more than a toy.

Number 43 wasn’t the only one whose view of their original began to shift; but their fear and distrust, if anything, just made Sweet Mind more interested. However, as more and more trials passed, Sweet Heart #43 began to fear and resent their creator to the point that she eventually decided to rebel.

Her plan was simple; the next time she was released, she’d use an illusion to disappear, and leave a decoy behind to be crystallized in her place. She could only hope this would buy her enough time to escape, and get as far away as possible before Sweet Mind needed her again.

After so long underground, it must have been strange to see sunlight again. Sweet Heart remained on the lam. She only spoke to others cautiously, and never gave her real name, even when she would have liked to have become closer. 

However, eventually, so long had passed that her original must have discovered the ruse. Yet, Sweet Heart was still free. 

Was it really just by chance that Dr. Mind hadn’t drawn her number for so long? Could luck be that kind?

Regardless of the reason, it gave Sweet Heart a chance.

But maybe, just maybe, she could claim her own life, and bonds, far away from Sweet Mind. 

Maybe, one day, she’d choose her own name, and path. Surely, the future she’d seen in Sweet Mind wasn’t preordained for her, too, right?

Even if her path had already diverted from that, and she’d managed to gain things the original Sweet Heart never had, namely, actual bonds and connections-a big part of her still expected the same symbol to appear on her flank one day as she’d seen belong to Sweet Mind.

When eventually, a chocolate heart appeared on her flank, she started to believe that maybe, things would be alright. It had happened just when she’d finally chosen and accepted a new name, Cocoa Heart. So in a way, it was validation of her own ponyhood. 

And maybe, it meant everything would be okay.

-

Characters involved this time: Kokoro Mitsume, Sojiro Kurokawa, Mikako Kurokawa. Hanzo and Yamato are here, offscreen. And maybe someone else by implication lol. Can you guess? /silly

And there we have it! The story of Sweet Mind and Cocoa Heart! As with SDRA2 Yuki, Kokoro's story is interwoven with the DRA cast, so it made sense to me to include her, too. However, the main reason I wanted to was because of a friend of mine, whose characterization of and love for Kokoro has slowly made me more and more fond of her. I'll try not to get into too many details about canon Kokoro for the sake of not going into an sdra2 focused ramble, but my friend's characterization of the ...let's say, versions, of Kokoro are the main inspiration for what I did with her here.

This is also why she has more of a role in the story like SDRA2 Yuki does, and why she might just happen to cross paths with some of the main characters later on.

[enquire]

EDP update

There's a couple little changes I've been waffling over, so making a little post. First off, I've decided to swap the stardust siblings a bit. Gizmo is now a unicorn and not a pegasi. I also have been playing around with giving Gizmo's patterns a bit. And he's more fluffy now, just because. Moonshade's unicorn horn has also been taken away. Honestly, it was kind of busy on her head with both the ossicones and a horn.

Second, for anyone who read the Cold Steel and Saber Frost post ages back, I initially had this guard be something separate from the existing royal guards; I've changed my mind! Saber and Steel are now prominent members of the Night Guard, which had been running independently until the return of Princess Luna. In fact, her return led to some discontent within the Night Guard, as let's say not all of their protocols and actions are ...in line with the Princesses' MO and the Night Guard is very different from Celestia's Day Guard / Royal Guard in this AU.

Luna's presence leads to a shift in the Guard which Steel is resistant to, along with a lot of the force, but he holds on to most of the power he and his predecessors have had in her absence. Also, as the guardian of the night and dreams, Luna has visited Saber's dreams on occasion and has attempted to soothe some of his worse nightmares. I imagine his dreams are on the worse end of her nighttime wanders, and she probably over time learns a bit more about him than his compatriots in the Night Guard because of this.

I like to imagine he would occasionally wake up with a lavender sachet hung nearby.

[enquire]

Silent Frost - Part 1

I've been wanting to share some stories for my pony AU for some time. Though it's been, a really long time since I started working on this, (see the prior comic panel post, oof) I have something to share today! I've never posted writing like this on tumblr so here goes nothing. Consider this like an episode for Enquire's DRA Ponies / Another Pony Project!

Here's a preview, but the story and accompanying art are below the cut.

One week ago, a mysterious illness had struck Moonshade, giving her sleepless nights and exhaustion until it seemed she barely had the strength to speak. And four days ago, Gizmo had gone in search of a solution, leaving his friends behind with little to go off of beyond a hastily written note. 

When the unicorn had failed to return within the three days he’d promised, it became clear that something had gone awry. So, Saber Frost forms a search party consisting of Radiant Ember, Clover Shores, and Thrift Twinkle, and leads them on. They head into the mountains, hoping to find the plant Ember had identified as a potential cure, and in turn, find the unicorn who had disappeared in search of it. 

After a day of trekking through the snowy wilderness, Saber discovers what appears to be a trail. Though it seems somewhat abandoned, the presence of such a thing in a place that was recorded as being uninhabited is strange in itself. With no other leads, they decide to follow it, deeper into the mountains. Home grows further and further away, and the temperature continues to drop, but Saber presses on relentlessly…

A familiar-sounding argument has already begun by the time Clover catches up to his two friends. 

“I don’t remember ever asking for your assistance in the first place.” Saber’s voice replies coldly as Clover approaches. He finds his two irate friends standing above a large outcrop near the trail, tempers rising despite the frigid weather and the cold water rushing along below. 

“Of course. And I suppose my research, or Thrift’s supplies count for nothing, then.” 

“I never said anything of the sort.” He snaps, hoof pawing at the snow impatiently. “This isn’t up for debate.”

“Well.” Ember rolls her eyes, snorts, then steps forward, horn raised, cornering him against the cliffside. “Fine, go freeze to death, then. If it’s an order, what else am I supposed to say?” 

“Since when do you care?!” Saber seethes, meeting her horn-to-horn. “I can handle myself without being slowed down by the rest of you.” 

“Guys-” Clover attempts. Behind him, he hears snow crunching, and a yawn, as Thrift has already sleepily plodded over. 

“Oh, you’re a different kind of dense, that’s for sure…” Ember grins, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. 

“What would you have me do?” Saber’s voice is louder now. He glances over at Thrift and Clover, but doesn’t stop his tirade. Tiny little sparks are starting to glow at the tips of his ears and mane. “There’s no time to play around! In these temperatures-” 

“If you keep going like this, you’re the one whose stubborn hooves will freeze off!” Ember interrupts. “And then we’ll have to drag both of your idiotic asses back home.” 

“GUYS.” Clover raises his voice, and calls forward angrily, stomping one hoof into the snow. “This isn’t helping.” Next to him, Thrift nods, looking very much like he’d rather be back in his tent and asleep.

“That, we can agree on,” Ember meets his gaze, and turns to face them, planting a hoof lightly on Saber’s chest. In response, he doesn’t budge, eyebrows furrowed and the hints of sparks still rippling across his mane. 

“Can we go back ta camp…?” Thrift asks quietly. Saber’s eyes close, and when they open, Clover meets his eyes, until the stubbornness fades into indecision. 

“What do you say, Frosty?” Ember nudges him teasingly, eyeing the snow melting around his hooves. “Why don’t we roast some marshmallows over that righteous flame of yours?” Saber looks over at her, exasperated, but before he can open his mouth, an ominous creak echoes around the clearing. Saber and Ember’s eyes widen, but there’s no time to react. With a sharp crack, the snow and ice below Saber’s hooves falls away, and he disappears over the edge. 

Below Thrift’s panicked yelp, Clover hears a distant, cold splash. He races over to the outcropping and stares downward, searching the river below anxiously. For a second, nothing can be seen but dark, rushing water. But then, a blue head surges above the surface, gasping for air. Saber’s mane is soaked, pressed against his neck, and he spins in the current despite his attempts to break away.

“Saber!” Clover’s voice is panicked as he leans over and s cans the cliff for a way down. He stumbles down a rocky path, and manages to reach the riverside, with the others close behind. By the time he makes it, their fallen friend is shambling through the shallows across the river. Clover squints, trying to make out his expression as he steps uneasily onto the shore, and drags himself out of the frigid waters. “Are you okay?!” He shouts, and a head turns toward him, still hard to make out. 

“Clover, don’t.” Ember’s voice calls out in warning as he lowers a hoof to the water. “It’s too cold to-” 

Before she can finish, a familiar red shield flickers briefly into existence, pushing Clover back and away from the water. His hooves displace several pebbles, but the shield soon evaporates into a cloud of misty red sparks. 

“Hm.” Ember observes. Clover shoots her a dirty look. “What? It’s not like I pushed him. Frosty melted himself off that cliff.” At the look on his face, and Thrifts, she frowns. Clover’s glare doesn’t temper, but he shakes his head, and focuses on more pressing matters instead. 

“He’s not doin’ anything, or coming back,” Thrift whispers worriedly. Ember gazes across the river, squinting, and her eyebrows crease. Saber stands there, somewhat pathetically, with water still dripping from his soaked body.

“I thought he’d have more than enough fuel to warm himself up by now,” She mutters, then lifts her head to shout. “HEY FROSTY! HOW’S THE WATER?” Saber’s head lifts slightly, but he doesn’t respond, and though it’s hard to make out, his expression doesn’t change. At this, even Ember seems to get a little concerned. 

“Ember-” Clover begins urgently. 

“I know, I know. Don’t get your hooves in a twist, Snores.” She lowers her head in concentration, and an orange glow snaps into place around her. With a sharp zap, she disappears, before reappearing on the distant shore. Thrift and Clover watch on as she approaches their sodden friend, unable to make out any of the words they might be exchanging. 

Eventually, Ember shakes her head, and her horn glows once more. In a bright flash of orange sparks, a large magical construct-in the shape of a hair dryer-appears above them. With a flick of her head, she aims it at Saber, and starts it up. A huge gust of air assaults Saber’s clothes, mane, and coat. When it disappears again, it leaves his mane a turbulent, fluffy mess.

He shakes it out lightly, but shows very little response, even at Ember’s amused smile. As Clover paces back and forth along the shore, the two of them disappear in a crackling flash of sunset orange, and reappear between Thrift and Clover.

“Saber!” Clover immediately rushes forward, unraveling his large scarf with an unsteady green glimmer of magic. It hovers between them, before settling around Saber’s neck, where Clover wraps it securely into place with one hoof. Satisfied only once it covers his ears and part of his face, Clover steps back, and tilts his head. “...Are you alright?” He asks, suddenly realizing Saber has hardly moved an inch the entire time, only listlessly watching him. Saber nods slowly.

“Why didntcha get fired up, and stuff?” Thrift asks, stepping a little closer. Saber shakes his head. 

“That's what I'd like to know,” Ember cuts in. “Wait…” She scrutinizes him, but before she can voice her theory, Clover frowns, and speaks.

“Are you hurt?” He asks worriedly. “You haven't said a word…” Saber shakes his head. He points to his mouth, then repeats the motion again.

“Oh, this is golden,” Ember, clearly having already put the pieces together, grins, and pokes the blank-faced unicorn in the chest. “Sweet silence! No more orders or ravings from you for a while.” She laughs, but even as Clover's glare meets her eyes, the amusement fades. 

In the face of her ribbing, Saber remains still and unaffected. He simply stands there, without a hint of irritation or exasperation or disdain on his face. Then, he simply walks slowly away, up the ridge, and back towards their camp.

“Hm.” Ember frowns quietly, all mirth extinguished, “Perhaps this isn’t an improvement, after all.” Clover trots off in pursuit, and after exchanging uneasy glances, Thrift and Ember follow close behind.

Though it should have been a relief that Saber relented and rested with the others, the night passes by in an uneasy atmosphere. Clover sticks close to his friend, hovering and offering him help whenever the opportunity arises. However, when Saber accepts all assistance easily and without complaint, the orange unicorn’s anxiety only seems to deepen.

“Do you think this is what happened to Moonshade?” He murmurs around the reignited fire at breakfast. Ember studies Saber thoughtfully. The half-kirin shrugs, but gives a nod. “Is that a probably?” Clover asks, and Saber nods again. 

“I agree that it seems likely.” Ember frowns. “But the ways you two must have caught… whatever this is… aren't the same.” Thrift listens to her, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, clearly trying to stay ahead. “And the symptoms aren't quite the same, either…” 

“What if he gets just as sick as she did…?” Clover shifts a little closer to his silent friend. Saber watches him without much concern or attention.

“Mystic hasn't spoken for ages…” Thrift mumbles worriedly. “It'd be bad if he got that bad all the way out here, too…” Ember stands up with a sigh, and Saber follows, stamping gently at the ground with one hoof.

“As I'm sure Saber is dying to say,” she begins, whisking the fire out with a quick brush of magic, “That's all the more reason to keep going, and find what we're looking for as soon as possible.” Saber dips his head in agreement, already disassembling their tents.

“But…” Clover’s gaze flits between Ember and Saber. “The cure might not even be here…” 

“If it's not here, it might not be anywhere,” Ember begins, looking back at him. “Between that flower being found here, and Saber's symptoms after getting dunked, that's more evidence towards Gizmo being on the right track than anything else so far.” The others turn towards them too, listening. 

“But still…” Clover plants his forehooves into the ground, and looks at both her and Saber in turn. “Shouldn't you go back…? It took us a whole day just to get this far, and if you get worse…”

Saber lowers the sleeping bag roll he'd been carrying down to the ground, and walks over to him.

“I think it'd be better if, while the others find Gizmo, Thrift or I took you back for help.” Clover’s worried expression isn't assuaged much by Saber’s hoof on his shoulder, or by the half-kirin returning his scarf to him with a shake of his head. Ember frowns, but quickly seems to come to a conclusion. In the background, Thrift quickly gathers up their supplies, and sorts them back into their packs and piles for magical storage. Thanks to his efforts, their camp is broken down in minutes.

“I’m with Frosty on this one,” she sighs. “Going back now won't fix him any more than it'd fix Mystic.” 

“It'd be better ta stay together, too, right?” Thrift puts in nervously. “I mean, especially with Saber like… this.” He finishes the sentence awkwardly, watching the half-kirin struggling to perform a storage spell on a pile of tent stakes. 

“Okay…” Clover relents, eyes fixed on Saber’s unperturbed face as he gives up on the magic and returns his full focus to the conversation. Ember takes over, and the tent stakes disappear with a flash. “That's fair… at the very least until we find Gizmo.” Saber nods, and gives him a small nudge forward as he heads back onto the trail with Ember leading. 

“If you start feeling worse,” Clover whispers to him as Thrift adjusts his pack, and trots to join them. “You better tell me, okay? Just… tap my back, or signal me, or something.” Saber dips his head agreeably, and walks forward into the woods. Clover stays close, looking over his shoulder to make sure Thrift has caught up before increasing his pace.

Several hours later, the trail before them appears just as decrepit and disused as the length they'd traveled the day before. But to a trained eye, something stands out. Saber halts suddenly, focus narrowing to the ground. 

“What is it?” Clover is the first to react, followed by Ember, still leading at the front, and Thrift. Saber lifts a hoof, angling it into the brush, and lifting a branch upwards to better showcase the target of his attention.

The broken twigs he'd spotted are mostly covered by fresh snow, but something more urgent calls everypony’s attention forward. With a bright flicker of orange magic, Ember draws the tiny burst of color forward, until she can hold it in one hoof for them to see.

“Is that… hair?” Thrift asks, wide-eyed. 

“Well spotted.” Ember replies drily. “By the length, I'd say mane.” Saber takes the small yellow strand with his own magic, shaking his head after touching it. “It looks like the expert thinks it's tail hair,” Ember grouses. Saber nods quietly. 

“Well ya got my hopes up for nothin,” Thrift sighs. “I was hopin’ for good news-like it bein’ blue?”

“It is good news,” Clover argues. “It means somepony else has been here.” Ember and Saber glance at him approvingly. Suddenly, the orange unicorn stiffens. “Look!” He says, racing ahead, and pawing at a small purplish indent in the snow. In seconds, something red and round reveals itself.

“An apple…?” Thrift stares up at the branches above squinting. 

“It's winter, twig-brain,” Ember rolls her eyes. “Do you seriously think it came from a tree?” 

“Ponies have definitely been here!” Clover trots back to them with the apple.

“Oh.” Thrift looks a little flustered. “Right. I knew that.” He steps sheepishly back onto the trail with the others, and they continue on. The further they go, the more the gloomy energy fades. More and more signs of life appear, alongside a steadily babbling sound gently rising in the distance. As the noise, surely from a stream or brook, grows, so too does the evidence of other ponies’ presence.

Saber is the only one who seems unaffected by the change in atmosphere. As Clover and Thrift get more and more excited, and Ember picks up the pace, he continues trodding along without a word. Soon, a stone wall appears along the path, half covered in snow. A row of unlit lanterns follow, until Ember stops just below a massive wooden arch, carved with various flora and fauna in swirling patterns. She studies the surface, one hoof hovering over a carving of a pony with a large, splitting horn.

“Hey, isn't that-” Clover takes notice too, but before any of them can continue, the conclusion comes to stare them right in the face. 

Somepony appears around the bend, carrying a large bucket in her teeth. Her coat is a pale green, and her mane is a vibrant yellow, with some streaks of soft, tawny brown. She stares at them, tilting her head upwards to look up the slope. This angle makes it even harder to ignore her prominent, forest green horn, which is split into a shape not unlike a tree branch, and along with some plated scales to match and a whispy tail, marks her clearly as a kirin.

“Homly horshmmmoes!” She exclaims, words completely muffled by the bucket in her mouth. Immediately, she drops it, and tries again. “I-I mean, Hello!” She lifts a hoof to wave, and Thrift returns the gesture. 

“Hiya!” He greets her, trotting up with a grin. “It's great to see a somepony out here!” 

“I can imagine!” She shakes his offered hoof with a smile. Her gaze drifts over to the others, friendly and open. However, her orange eyes do pause for a moment on one of them, and a bright curiosity flickers into her expression. The emotion disappears before Thrift even takes notice. 

“Uh, I'm sure you've been traveling for a while, so let me take you back into town,” She gestures forward, through the trees, and leads the way, picking the bucket back up with magic, instead. “I’m Acorn, by the way.”

“Thrift Twinkle!” Thrift says with a proud grin, before turning to face his friends. 

“Radiant Ember,” Ember dips her head politely, before moving a bit to the left to allow Clover and Saber more space. 

“I’m Clover,” Clover offers a little hesitantly. “And this is Saber Frost. He can't really introduce himself right now…” Acorn stares concernedly over her shoulder at them. Saber stares placidly back.

“I see,” she frowns, something curious glowing in her sunny eyes for a moment.

“Actually, we could really use your help,” Clover continues in a bit of a rush. “We're looking for somepony, and then… well, Saber fell in the river, and…”

“Don't worry,” Acorn says kindly. “I know what happened-he’ll be just fine.” Clover sighs with relief. “And I'm pretty sure we might be able to help with your other problem, too,” 

“That’s great ta hear!” Thrift beams. Clover draws back a little, staying close to Saber as they pass through a particularly dense cluster of pines. He moves a few branches out of the way, and waits for Saber to pass by before releasing them again. When Thrift passes along too, he stumbles slightly amongst the thick branches, and fails to push some of the higher ones aside. His movements dislodge a thick drift of snow from one of the larger trees. Unfortunately, the pine sheds cold snow over the group. After the brunt of it narrowly misses Clover, it lands directly over Saber’s shoulders, leaving him blanketed in white. With a yelp, Thrift bounds over, and starts brushing snow off of him, aided by Clover. Meanwhile, instead of shaking it off, or glaring, or telling Thrift off, Saber just stands there placidly. Clover’s frown deepens as he removes one last clump of snow stuck behind his large horn. Ahead of them, Ember stops, and turns back. 

“Have you three had enough messing around, yet?” She gestures ahead, where Acorn is waiting expectantly with a proud look on her face. “We’re here.” 

“Sorry,” Thrift whispers to Saber before racing after the others. Ember gives the other two a glance before lifting a hoof to shade her glasses and get a better look at the town ahead. 

“Well would you look at that,” She says lightly.

“Nice place you've got here,” Thrift whistles. “Love those hanging lanterns… I bet the atmosphere’s great at night.” 

“Oh,” Clover finally catches up enough to take in the view.

Before them is a cozy valley, surrounded on all sides by cliffs filled with pine branches and pale, spindly birch trees. Nestled among the boughs and stone, various buildings are arranged in clusters, inset into the cliffs and caves encircling the village. Though most of them are ensconced with curved, wooden exteriors, and all are adorned with hanging lanterns and colorful woven lengths of rope, some are simply carved into the stone. As the group draws closer, more and more horned and fluffy heads turn to spot the newcomers. 

The largest groups are gathered in the center of the village, where a small and half-frozen waterfall babbles lightly into a large pool. The area is paved with various large, carefully placed terracotta pieces in various colors and shapes. Steps and carved stones lead down into the water in places, but with most of the surface frozen, nopony is anywhere near them now. 

The Kirin around them don't appear hostile, and most of them are more focused on each other than the guests. Clover starts to relax just a little as he watches them exchanging everyday pleasantries, and mostly warm words. Some of them greet Acorn as she goes to meet them, and ask about the strangers she has in tow. 

Slowly though, before Ember and the three ponies following make it far, something odd ripples through the crowd. Several pairs of eyes remain fixed on one pony in particular, and whispers murmur through the crowd. Almost instinctively, Clover gives Saber a quick glance and draws closer to his side. 

Perhaps not unexpectedly, Saber doesn't react much to the attention. He simply observes it quietly, and keeps walking without hesitation. Though Thrift is too caught up with their new surroundings to take notice, the look Ember gives back at Clover and Saber makes it clear she had definitely seen what they had.

“Thrift, this is our village elder, Pine Shadows.” Acorn’s bright introduction recenters the group’s attention. Thrift cranes his next to meet the much taller, forest-green kirin’s gaze. 

“Nice to meetcha!” He says brightly. Pine Shadows gives him a warm smile.

“It's rare we have so many visitors, especially this time of year,” he offers genially, shaking Thrift’s offered hoof. “Welcome to Snowfall.” 

“Thanks,” Clover gives him a small smile. 

“Any chance we’re not the first this season?” Ember adjusts her glasses after giving the elder’s hoof a firm shake. 

“Actually, yes,” He says. “And perhaps it would be best if, before anything else, you four followed me?” 

“Alrighty,” Thrift nods and follows eagerly, Ember walking at his side. A bit more cautiously, Clover tags along behind, Saber close at his side. The group follows Pine down a narrow path leading away from the center of town. Just beyond the nearest cluster of houses, a small dwelling juts out of the rock. The elder ducks, and the others follow him in, hooves clicking against stone as they pass through into a small cave just beyond the wooden exterior.

Thrift sighs in appreciation as warmth meets their coats. At one end of the room, a small wood stove emanates enough heat to warm the entire space. But that isn't the most interesting thing. Nearby, somepony is curled up in an impressively large bundle of blankets topped with a large quilt. 

A blue head, topped with a messy indigo mane and a pale blue horn, rises slightly from the fabric.

“Gizmo!” Thrift bounds forward, and nearly topples into the unicorn huddled up on the floor. “You're alright!”

“Hey everypony,” Gizmo’s voice is a little hoarse, and he responds with a lot less energy than usual, but his eyes are bright and warm. “It's good to see you guys.”

────────────────────

And that's the end! For now, anyways.

Before I go, I'll throw in the page drafts for when I was still trying to do 3 comic pages and a story instead of just one and a story haha. It seems a waste not to share the scraps considering I'm not going to line any more panels.

This is my first time posting any writing here, actually. (maybe I'll add some of these to my Ao3 if I do more of them) Also this is not beta read so apologies in advance for any mistakes. Also, if I do more episodes like this, they definitely won't include this many illustrations, that was very much a special thing and it made this take a very long time haha. Anyways, if you've made it this far, thanks for reading. The pony posting continues!

See you later!

-bugquire

[enquire]

inside you, there are two bugs

The enquire vs Erie_Enigma experience.

This might be an excuse to mention more directly that these are both me and draw something silly.

Yes, this blog filled with pony posting, red string rambles, shitposts, and other shenanigans is run by the same person who wrote Yamato experiencing disability grief and 2 (so far) attacks involving sharp objects /silly

Honestly, I've been considering posting some of my another pony project fics over there with an attached alias but I feel like it might be a bit of a sudden departure for anyone following only my fics there haha.

Also, I'm still working on it but I do have a story for the mlp au which I plan to share here. It's just been a bit difficult writing lately so for a while I've been neglecting it and The Other Side of The Looking Glass. Apologies!

[enquire]

The DRA brainrot is real right now.

[enquire]

Okay I'm jumping on this bandwagon.

[enquire]

I LOVE YOUR DRA PONIES THEY ARE ALL SO COOL!! I don't know the MLP lore that extensively but they're still very fun to read about :3 my favorites are thrift (I love all his little pins on his scarf, him having pins of his friends cutie marks is so cute) and kismet because his design is super cool and I like the thing where his cutie mark affected the patterns he has + his contrast with the two clover shores

Thank you!!! And I appreciate the ask. Here's a little Kismet doodle to go along with my rambling answer.

I feel like I must be doing something right if people who aren't necessarily into the mlp half of the project are interested haha. I'm still very happy with how Thrift came out, which is kind of crazy considering he was the first pony I completed. (though not the first one I sketched or named) I didn't have the others done at the time but he definitely has pins for Gizmo and Moonshade as well. (Probably also Mourning Dove and Sunshine Shot). The scarf was a gift from his father, Phoenix Hotcakes, to call back to canon. As for Kismet, thank you! The cutie mark affecting him in this way is still an idea I find neat. Though this isn't something we've seen happen in MLP per se, it was certainly a bit inspired by Luna's cutie mark and Troubleshoes' episode, which explores the idea of a pony having a cutie mark which affects them rather than the other way around, and undesirable cutie marks. It just made sense to me for Kismet to have an undesirable cutie mark which is more of a curse than anything. As for the clover shores, and their differences, I just can't help but differentiate them in my AUs and art, I love doing it. Just in general, it makes me happy that other folks are enjoying EDP. (or untitled pony project, another pony project, whatever I'm calling it lol) It's a combination of stories that are close to my heart, and it's been wonderful coming up with all the ways things can slot together-mlp just has so much world building to dive into and it suits a crossover really well. It itches my brain. Anyways, I know I haven't been posting much of it in a while (honestly, kinda got stuck on something I was working on for it for a good while but I'm starting to pick up some momentum again) but I have a lot of ideas and things I'd like to share. I appreciate the little group of people that are still tuning in a year later haha.

[enquire]

Dancers in the Dark

Notes and other versions below the cut.

I've been working on this one for ages but finally got back to the computer and had a great time finishing it up once the lineart was done. Honestly this one was pretty challenging, but I'm pretty happy about the results, I think I captured the vibe I was going for.

Here's the first one I started with (so glad I didn't give up there when I wasn't liking it... after I kept going and did something more deep-sea and ethereal it helped the mood a lot...) and a version I did while just messing around.

[enquire]

Mermay 2025

Managed to finish the last couple ones at the very tail end of May. I wanted to make some mer designs for all the guys!

If you're curious, here's all the aquatic creatures they're based on:

Yamato- Mantis Shrimp / Various Shrimp: Yamato, Peppermint

Yuki - Arowana / Utsuri Koi / Goldfish

Tsurugi - Swordfish

Kakeru - Whale Shark

Haru - Flying Fish

Kinji - "Sea Serpent Jellyfish" Sea Nettle

Mitch - Various Tangs

Teruya - Rainbowfish

Also, another artist has done a lovely piece with some of the ladies for a prior mermay if you're curious.

[enquire]

Happy birthday Yuki 🎉

Quick post of some miscellaneous Yuki art I went scavenging around for. I wanted to post something day-of besides the analysis post and don't have the spoons for art today, so why not post some stuff I've had for a while.

Animal crossing villager Yuki

Butterfly/moth collage piece on a paint sample from a few months back.

Misc sketch dump with some other characters also below the cut

Misc AU(s) doodles + AC wolf Tsurugi

Utsuro sketch + an older hollow hearts (Kokoro & Utsuro) piece I never showed here.

And lastly, a mermay sketch I may or may not finish haha.

[enquire]

Yuki Identification Guide (Part 1)

Now that May 28th is here again, I wanted to take the time to make something I've been thinking about for a long time. You see, Yuki is one of my favorite characters of all time, and it's his birthday. What better time to sit down and discuss him (and any gingers who may or may not be related) and spread the Yuki propaganda? I've had this one in my drafts for a while haha.

So, without further ado, I present to you my unhinged, red-string bulletin board ramblings about them.

This is such an old meme, but I couldn't resist okay.

Over my time being a DRA1 Yuki enjoyer, I've been met with confusion plenty of times. There's a fair amount of (understandable) confusion around this issue. A lot of this is just a result of it being intentionally mysterious; the Yuki Question is at the center of both game's mysteries and overall plot, and there isn't exactly a clear-cut explanation for everything. It also seems to me that, at least in the english-speaking fandom, a lot of folks have more familiarity with SDRA2 and tend to prefer it over DRA1. I've also noticed there's definitely a non-zero amount of people who played SDRA2 first or didn't play DRA1 at all. I think this might exacerbate the "Wait, aren't they the same person?" question with these characters.

It's always a little complicated whenever multiple characters share names and appearances, but hey, I'm a KH fan too so this isn't my first rodeo. /silly Yes, I'm leaving out the elephant in the room, but trust me, we will get to that eventually. I also am very aware that not too many people are as insane as me and have not spent a questionably long amount of time thinking about this. Very reasonable, of course.

If you'd like to join me in this deep dive into the deep end, please continue. But please be aware that massive spoilers for both games will be included in this analysis. So if you don't want to have major twists and plot points ruined for you I'd recommend clicking off now. Please play dra1 it's wonderful and sdra2 as well.

For the sake of clarity:

The Yuki Maeda that appears only in DRA1 and serves as a protagonist will be referred to as DRA1 Yuki. The Yuki Maeda who cameos in DRA1 and is part of the cast in SDRA2 will be referred to as SDRA2 Yuki.

This post will be focusing on our two Yukis, because, believe it or not, I have plenty to say just about them even without the other guy. First off, let's start with some background info:

As you can see, we have some differences just within their circumstances here. Though they have nearly identical profile info, I've always thought it could be possible that May 28 is not DRA1 Yuki's birthday at all. He/Utsuro might have a completely different birthday from Yuki Maeda and we just... don't know when it falls.

Also, I was surprised to find that DRA1 Yuki is actually lighter than SDRA2 Yuki (or at least, SDRA2 Yuki was given this info via Linuj's blog) Though it is subtle, SDRA2 Yuki's sprites and cameo image in DRA1 do look like they have (slightly) wider shoulders to me. And comparing the two, SDRA2 seems to have a wider waist. This can be seen more easily by comparing the Utsuro sprites, where the jacket is off.

But we'll get into that guy later. For now...

The difference in eye shape was something I was aware of, and tend to push more when I draw them, but I was surprised to find it noted in some concept art, too.

It's also worth noting that some of the color changes may be due to DRA1's sprites being a bit overly saturated. As Linuj improved, color balance for the designs did as well. However, when I compared their sprites more, surprisingly, some elements were the exact same color as before, like their shoes and sweater. So there's definitely some intentional choices about which colors got used for SDRA2 Yuki beyond just making a less saturated redesign.

The two design differences which always distinguish them from each other in both games are SDRA2 Yuki's ahoge and jacket. DRA1 Yuki is never portrayed with an ahoge in either game or any of Linuj's art. This can also be said of the jacket, which appears in SDRA2 Yuki's profile cameo in DRA1, and returns in his SDRA2 design.

Though this detail may have been an oversight initially when designing DRA1 Yuki, it ended up being a little nod to his status in the game, and given that Linuj chose to make that the noticeable difference between them when SDRA2's profile is revealed, I think it's an important thing to note and something that works to reflect DRA1 Yuki's status as something of a 'false protagonist.'

This is why I personally don't like to draw DRA1 Yuki with one, or at least, I'll give him something subtle or a little hair sprout instead haha.

Poor little fake protagonist, doesn't even have his own ahoge... He'll show up to the protagonist meeting with a hat on and Hajime will give him a hard time. /silly /j

And with that, I'm wrapping up part one of this analysis. Maybe next time, I'll get into the other ginger elephant in the room, and do some diving into the more interpretive and speculative stuff. Maybe some headcanons too, later.

Here are my sources for some of the info not found in-game:

Linuj's Blog - DRA1 Character Profiles w/Extra Info

Linuj's Blog - SDRA2 Character Profiles

Linuj's Blog - SDRA2 Yuki and Utsuro Concept Art

Fan Wiki - Korean Translations Thread (Source for the translated name of Yuki's high school)

[enquire]

Hellfire

Can I do the right thing for the wrong reason? Is it bad that I'm making friends with my demons And living by a couple deadly sins Just to make sure I finish what you began And I ain't afraid to lose a life or ten If it means that I get to win in the end

I would rather die alone Oh, I would rather die alone Oh, I would rather die

Full art (SDRA2 Spoilers) below the cut:

Don't look if you don't want to be spoiled. This means you... Or do. I'm not your dad /silly.

So I'ma do this on my own, step into the danger zone Pull the pin and watch it blow

(versions without framing / extra elements)

===

Hellfire has been stuck in my brain ever since I finished watching season 2 of arcane a ways back. At some point, I started drawing connections between it and SDRA2 - specifically, the 'behind the scenes' parts of the plot - which eventually led to finally drawing Kinjo in a piece heavily inspired by this part of the respective sequence in Arcane Season 2.

The art direction in that show is godlike and I've never attempted to replicate in any way but damn it actually kinda turned out pretty much how I wanted??? Anyways I've been working on this one for days so I'm excited to show it off.

Anyways, Hellfire has a lot of sections in the lyrics you can apply to different characters, and the same goes with my thoughts for how it suits the game. The longer time has gone on the more I've started thinking of this song alongside SDRA2. Kinjo's a focus, obviously, but these parts for example suit some other characters:

Mikado: (and the Voids by extension)

Everybody killing, ain't nobody really willing To think of all the chaos and the blood spilling But when you live for the thrill that death's giving I'd rather have some fun than to be forgiven

Syobai:

Where you gonna hide when it's on sight When the dogs start feeding? You should pick a side, maybe you could die Go down with some all star heathens

Anyways... I've been drawing more lately so I haven't been writing as much but I'm really happy with this so the side quest was worth it. Also, Arcane is rad, the music, the animation, the editing, cinematography? Chefs kiss.

Also I may or may not have started getting more invested in Caitlyn when she started going psycho-enforcer on us. /hj

[enquire]

3 years...

Okay I know I should be finishing up art but I just had to get some rambles outside of my brain alright.

I recently finished replaying Tsurugi's FTEs, and that brought me right back into thinking about the absurd state of this man's childhood.

Spoilers for Tsurugi Kinjo FTEs (and long-winded ramblings) below the cut:

First; Tsurugi Kinjo is an actual police officer from the first time we meet him. He describes himself as one, he mentions past experiences, and it shows in his abilities during the killing game. I feel like this is all common knowledge for those who have been inflicted with DRA.

However, I've done some thinking and research about the chronology of the incidents brought up in his FTEs before, for writing purposes, and just because this guy lives in my mind rent free.

I've tried to do the math before, and the implications are... well... Not good.

But what I had forgotten until replaying recently was that there's actually an explicit time frame given for the hostages incident in his third free time event. (If you don't know or remember, this is the event in which Tsurugi tells Yuki about a bombing incident at Tokyo Tower he was involved in. One which ended when he sacrificed the lives of his team members to stop the terrorists from escaping.)

I went to double check the original, just to see if this was present and the same in the Korean dialogue, too, and well, sure enough:

[Tsurugi Kinjo] 그건… 3년 전 쯤이었을거야. 마에다도 알걸? 도쿄 타워 폭파테러 사건…

It's probably pretty obvious where I'm going with this, right?

First off, when Tsurugi says this, he is (as far as he and the others know) just starting at HPA. So, as far as I know, secondary school in Japan tends to be split into lower (grades 7-9) and upper (10-12) levels. So high school would be just 10-12, which starts at age 15.

This actually kind of opens a can of worms about HPA and everyone's ages in general whether it's canon or the fangan casts, but I'm fairly certain we have no confirmed ages for anyone in THH, except for Yasuhiro, whom is already older than the others given he was held back?

Though, I think it is the case that anyone attending HPA has to be 16 minimum, as they've all been attending high school elsewhere prior to being scouted?

Anyways, 16 is a bit better than it could have been because of this; but still.

I just want it to be known that (assuming that enrollment age is correct) Tsurugi Kinjo was part of a team assigned to respond to a bombing incidents / terrorism at 13.

At thirteen, (at the latest) he carried a gun, and was trained to use it.

At thirteen, he carried a firearm of unknown specifications, one that had come from the military for use in this case.

At thirteen, he sacrificed ten of his teammates lives in order to kill ten terrorists who were using them as human shields.

When he was thirteen, Tsurugi shot and presumably killed 20 people, for the 'greater good.'

That's horrific enough by itself. But I'd also like to point out that this absolutely was not Tsurugi's first time on active duty. I think it is reasonable to assume that he was involved in many cases before this and other duties, as well as training and other things that should have been left to adults.

Also, we have the (other) bomb incident in which his best friend Kouhei is killed. I feel like it makes more sense for this to have occurred beforehand, personally, given their relationship and the way Tsurugi's dogma would have progressed... But, hey, it's possible this happened the same year as the Tokyo Tower incident, or after.

It's also possible it occurred when the two of them were twelve. Or younger. As far as I am aware, there is no evidence one way or the other.

So... At least where I live, child endangerment is a crime; either a felony or misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances.

I'm pretty sure it's also common for child labor laws to prohibit children below 15 from working. And beyond that, dangerous jobs are usually illegal for those under 18. I feel like we can say the talent-obsessed world of Danganronpa definitely has led to more kids besides Tsurugi being harmed, too.

In conclusion:

Even excluding any other... things... which may or may not happen outside the events listed in Tsurugi's FTEs, my verdict is that Juu Kinjo is a criminal. /silly

[enquire]

Tsurugi Kinjo Sheet

woah break from the regularly scheduled horse posting everybody. I can draw people (sometimes)

I just realized I meant to post this here like three or four times and never got around to it... oops. Anyways, here's some headcanon-y outfits for I did for Tsurugi a while back!

We have a more casual off-duty outfit (though he's still of course prepared with his favorite pocket knife and a pair of handcuffs) The second one is just my take on his original outfit, while the last is a more direct police uniform. I wanted to see what he might look like wearing one.

I've also included a version with another member of the TMPD; Shuri. She's Tsurugi's partner and pet. (and unofficial emotional support animal in a lot of ways I imagine...)

The idea of Shuri originally came from a fic (well, in one that has yet to be shared lol) but I've come to enjoy this little headcanon/alternate universe dog more thanks to some friends of mine haha. Tune in next time for Jynx the cat. /silly /hj

Also, I always imagined Tsurugi would have a lot of scars cause... well, you know. Most of these don't have a particular story behind them, but the scars on his left hand and arm are from bomb shrapnel; I wanted to play around with him having physical scars from that particular incident.

Though this art was made with a peaceful college AU in mind originally, I feel like all of this is general enough to represent my own general headcanons and design for the guy.

Honestly, not a lot of changes here, just playing around with outfits and considering scars a little. It was actually quite fun dressing him up like a paper doll, I'd love to do this again with some of my other favorites at some point... I have some EDP stuff in the works right now though. It's a bit of a bigger project so I'm struggling with it a bit but I'll get there eventually haha.

[enquire]

Riverside Trail

Finished up a color version of something I'm working on! Consider this a sneak peak?

Now where could they be journeying off to...