lolo3hwriting

[lolo3hwriting]

I was messing around with the miitopia mii maker and decided to make my ocs. I might do a full playthrough of them later

[lolo3hwriting]

I’m a few days late on this, but it’s been a year since I made this writing sideblog. Happy one year anniversary to me!

[lolo3hwriting]

A TV Date Night

Summary: Izanagi and Jiraiya have a date night in the TV world and watch their favorite show together

Words: ~1.4k

Additional Notes: I would like to thank @/frog-with-a-knife for giving me inspiration for this story. I referenced quite a few scenes from Yosuke's social link, so if any of it seems familiar it's because I poured over ~30 minutes of their scenes together

From the moment that Izanagi manifested from Yu’s consciousness, he quickly recognized his other self’s fondness for the other boy close to him, Yosuke. He had been first summoned to save him after all, and ever since then their closeness only grew. From the back of Yu’s mind, Izanagi had witnessed the growth of their relationship, from their mutual promise to find the truth, to spending small moments with him that make Yu understand Yosuke more, their relationship was deepening every moment they spend time together. Their relationship, stemming from a deep and genuine friendship, was evolving into something else.  

Of course, Yosuke himself would never admit to such a thing. His persona on the other hand…

“Heeeeey! Over here!”

As soon as Izanagi stepped through the doors of the TV world’s Junes, he saw Jiraiya waving enthusiastically at him with his shuriken-studded hands. 

Izanagi still remembers the moment they first met fondly, despite the situation. When Yosuke’s shadow emerged from the twisted shopping district and transformed into its more monstrous form, Izanagi had little time to think about it at the moment, focused on following his other half’s commands. But looking back on it, it really was an enlightening experience. Izanagi had learned about his partner’s darkest side, and it allowed him to understand him on a deeper level more than what words could express. Izanagi was glad that he was able to knock out all the lies out of his friend and gain a treasured ally from it.

Izanagi gave Jiraiya a friendly nod before meandering their way through the dark aisles of the store.

“So did you set everything up?” 

“Of course I did! I wouldn't want to miss our favorite show.” Jiraiya slung an arm around Izanagi’s shoulder, and Izanagi couldn’t help but lean into him.

It was an interesting situation, Izanagi thought distantly, that the two of them would be able to spend time together like this. 

Although Izanagi was a part of Yu’s mind, that didn’t mean that he was always tied to Yu at every given moment. The TV world was a culmination of the public’s unconscious, and because Yu was also included in that group, Izanagi could manifest without his other part when he was alone. 

As they rounded a corner, Izanagi saw a mass of pillows strewn out across the floor in front of a large TV, presumably dragged over from another part of the store. Since they were too large to fit onto any of the couches, they had settled for this. 

As they settled into their seats, Izanagi grabbed the TV remote and pressed the power button. The screen lit up, its glow a harsh contrast to the darkness of the surrounding dark store, as the TV emitted a crackling sound. TV static filled the screen before slowly clearing up after a few moments.

It revealed a classroom in Yasogami high, the walls covered in colorful paper decorations and the chalkboard filled with heart shapes. It was the day of the culture festival, and this class seemed to be decorated as a date spot. 

There were only a few students sitting at a table, most of them were the investigation team looking uncomfortable to varying degrees. The only exception was Yu, who was sitting in his seat perked up and holding his hands daintily in his lap, looking like the spitting image of an anime schoolgirl.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Yosuke speaks up in a shaky voice.

“Well… let’s get started, okay?”

Another awkward pause

“Do you, uh…” Kanji started, “Have any hobbies?”

Chie laughed off something about kung fu while Yukiko mentioned something about defeating shadows, to which Yosuke quickly and loudly brushed off as not a real hobby, shooting a pointed glance at their other non-investigation team classmate Daisuke.

“It isn’t?” Izanagi wondered out loud.

“I don’t know, but I do think it’s kinda fun.” Jiraiya said while still watching the TV.

“Well, what do you do when you’re not battling?”

“Waiting for you to come over.” 

Izanagi could almost imagine Jiraiya winking at him with that statement, and he had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. 

“So what type of girls are you into?” Yukiko’s voice piped up from the TV, drawing Izanagi’s attention back to the TV

“Ah, straight to the point. I do like that… Let me tell you what I’m into…”

“Okay Kanji you’re next.” Chie butted in

“I’m still talking here!”

“It’s Yu, by the way.” Jiraiya answered on Yosuke’s behalf.

Out of the corner of his eye, Izanagi caught Jiraiya staring intently towards him.

“Thanks for letting me know… but what’s that look for?”

“Just wondering what you would look like if Yu was actually a girl.” Jiraiya answered casually.

Despite how surprised he was at Jiraiya’s outlandish statement, Izanagi decided to respect it and took a moment to seriously consider it.

“Even if Yu was a girl, they would have the same soul, so I can’t imagine me being too different.” Izanagi thought out loud.

“But even so, what do you think would be different? Longer hair? Eyelashes? A skirt?” 

Izanagi closed his eyes and tried imagining it, a version of him with a long skirt instead of a trench coat, and a ripped up shirt that exposed their midriff like a crop top. A true image of a girl gang rebel, ready to rule over the shadow world. 

“Do you think I would look good as a girl?”

Jiraiya shrugs. “I think I would like you in any form… But I think I prefer you as a guy.”

“Huh…thanks.”

They turned their attention back towards the TV, where Yukiko prompted Yosuke for the next question. After a moment of thinking, Yosuke blurted out, “Which one of us would you choose for your boyfriend?”

Yosuke’s eyes gravitated toward the other person sitting across the table from him. He locked eyes with Yu, and time seemed to slow.

His destined partner, the one person who saw him for who he was, saw the darkest parts of him and acknowledged it. They had been together for months, but it seemed like they had known each other for all their lives. Yu’s expression seemed serious, cold, but Yosuke knew better than that. He was so much more tender, so much more adorable than he lets on.

Youske’s face flushed pink as he realized that he was considering Yu in that light.

They were already so close with each other, how much farther would they have to go in order to be considered together? The two of them had already sworn to stick by each other’s side in order to find the truth of the mysteries of Inaba, but is that the only reason Yu hangs out with him? Why he puts up with Yosuke’s nonsense? Yosuke didn’t want him to go. He really likes him.

As the realization struck him, Yosuke suddenly stood up.

“AW HEEEEEELL NO!”

Izanagi flinched at Yosuke’s exclamation and the sound of his chair scraping the wooden floor as he pushed it back.

“Is something wrong Yosuke?” Yukiko asked innocently.

“Very wrong! I don’t know what happened, but I think I just went somewhere that I could never come back from…”

“Aw come on!” Jiraiya shouted as he gestured wildly towards the TV screen. “Why don’t you just tell him how you really feel?”

Izanagi chucked fondly at his friend’s reaction. As playfully exaggerated Jiraiya’s response was, Izanagi could still tell that he was peeved off. Although his other self had resolved to face the truth inside himself, he was still denying some parts. And that apparently irritated Jiraiya, who was manifested from Yosuke’s resolution to face the truth, to the point where he was now slamming his fist on the floor.

“Hey, he’ll admit it eventually,” Izanagi tried comforting his friend, “He just… needs to build up his courage.”

“Yeah, but he wants to hug Yu so bad, it’s almost embarrassing.” 

“Uggggggh,” Jiriaya groaned as he brought his hands to his face, “He’s such an idiot.” 

Izanagi blinked in confusion “But aren’t you technically a part of him?”

“Yeah…”

Izanagi huffed in amusement and patted his friend gently on his back, trying to soothe him. The gesture seemed to work as Jiraiya stilled, until he suddenly moved towards Izanagi and wrapped his long arms around him in a smothering embrace. 

“He just means so much to Yosuke…” Jiraiya mumbled out. 

“...He means a lot to Yu as well.” 

Izanagi knew it in his being, he could feel what his other self feels, and he was certain the same applied to Jiraiya. So if Yu couldn’t show his affection to Yosuke, perhaps he could to his other self. 

Izanagi wiggled his arms out of Jiraiya’s grip just enough to return his hug. 

[lolo3hwriting]

Oneshot: Just Flowers

Summary: Wildflower Cookie gets asked to help out with the florals for a wedding. As she helps set up the arrangements, she reflects on her own opinion of love and romance

Words: ~1.8k

Additional Notes: This is partially a character exploration of Wildflower Cookie, and partially me projecting my own thoughts onto her. And yes, Wildflower Cookie is aromantic, just like me

Wildflower Cookie was fully intending to leave, all things considered. She and her mercenary group had just wrapped up a successful shipment of some rare plants to their client, and as much as Wildflower Cookie wanted to inquire about the stunning plants they had delivered, her mother Dandelion Jelly Cookie advised against it as in their line of work it was customary not to pry, as long as they were paid that was all that mattered.

But fortunately for Wildflower Cookie, it seemed like the client wanted to talk with them further.

A slender but elegant cookie walked through the back door of the establishment and stepped down into the delivery area, where Wildflower Cookie and her mother hung back. She introduced herself as Wedding Cake Cookie with a bright smile. 

“I must thank you fine folks once again for the delivery! There wasn’t a petal out of place, I’m sure the bride will adore these flowers!”

Dandelion Jelly Cookie nodded politely. “Of course miss, just doing our job.”

As her mother was conversing with the client, Wildflower Cookie took a closer look at the other woman. She was wearing an elegant dress with a truly massive skirt, it made Wildflower Cookie wondered how she made it down the stairs without tripping, especially wearing heels. 

“Oh, and I must thank you as well!” Wedding Cake Cookie turned her attention to Wildflower Cookie. “You seem like someone who enjoys flowers as well, right?”

Wildflower Cookie blinked in slight surprise, and caught that the other cookie’s gaze was on her flower crown that she wore every day.

“Yeah, I like to  grow them in my free time.” Wildflower Cookie said simply

Well, there’s a bit more to it than that, Wildflower Cookie thought to herself. I also study about them, but I don't want to ramble about all that to a stranger.

Wildflower Cookie was tempted to leave the conversation at that, but she couldn’t ignore her lingering curiosity about the plants she saw. Wedding Cake Cookie seemed friendly enough, so Wildflower Cookie decided to test her luck.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find those roses? I heard that there was an outbreak of rose rosette disease, so a lot of growers stopped selling them.”

“Oh, you know about that?” Wedding Cake Cookie leaned her head against her hand. “It’s really unfortunate, I had to search for ages to find someone who could supply them. But I’m glad I kept looking and found someone, I would never want to disappoint the bride!”

Wedding Cake Cookie let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping.

“But it’s just one thing after another! First the venue was double booked so I had to reschedule, then the contractors backed out so I had to scramble to find someone else, and now nobody has shown up to help install these floral arrangements! I’m glad this delivery was on time at least…”

Wildflower Cookie winced in sympathy. “Yikes… I’m sorry about that miss.” 

Wedding Cake Cookie laughed softly and waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh it’s alright, I’ll make it work, I always do.” 

A brief silence settled among them. Wildflower Cookie and her mother glanced at each other and stood silent for a few seconds, unsure about what to say. Just as they were about to turn away, they stopped in their tracks as they saw Wedding Cake Cookie quickly clasped her hands together. Wildflower Cookie barely stopped herself from flinching.

“Wait a minute! You know your flowers, right?” Wedding Cake Cookie’s eyes lit up in excitement, "Would you mind helping me? I can pay you extra!”

Wildflower Cookie’s eyes widened in surprise at the offer. She shot a look towards her mother, silently asking if she should. She was interested in it, she had never experienced this side of floriculture before. 

Dandelion Jelly Cookie let out a huff of amusement and patted her daughter on her shoulder. “I don’t mind, I know you’re always looking for an opportunity to expand your horizons and gain more experience about this kind of stuff, so go ahead. We don’t have any more jobs lined up at the moment, and the extra pay would be nice.”

Wildflower Cookie nodded at her mother in thanks and turned back to Wedding Cake Cookie.  “I would love to help out if you’re willing.” 

Wedding Cake Cookie seemed delighted at her response.

“Wonderful! Right this way, dear.”

Wildflower Cookie waved her mother goodbye and followed Wedding Cake Cookie into the venue.

It was absolutely beautiful in Wildflower Cookie’s opinion, with a wall of windows that stretched from floor to ceiling that showed off the garden vista. Even without the flowers in place, Wildflower Cookie could tell the venue would be breathtaking once the decorations were finished. 

Wedding Cake Cookie introduced her to the one other florist who showed up, and they quickly set up a table for them as a workspace. Wildflower Cookie fell into a rhythm, removing the lower leaves and snipping the flower stems, preparing them for the florist who arranged them. They were an experienced cookie, putting all the bouquets and boutonnieres together with practiced ease, all the while making casual conversation. 

“These flowers are in perfect condition even after such a long trip! I’m surprised that they’re still in bloom.”

“Yeah, me too. It seems like they were sprayed with some type of growth regulator to stop the flowers from dropping.” 

“I’m so glad, it would have been such a waste if these flowers wilted. They have such wonderful meanings behind them.”

The meanings?

That comment made Wildflower Cookie pause, and she took a second to glance down at the flowers she was holding. They were red roses.

Right, roses usually mean true love.

She had known this intuitively, but she supposed it just didn’t register for her until now. Roses themselves weren’t unfamiliar, she had handled roses dozens of times before, mostly just to sell them, but this time the context was different.

These flowers are meant for romance.

Wildflower Cookie looked up from the table and took in her surroundings, and that’s when she was hit with a wave of confusion. 

She didn’t understand any of it. 

Wildflower Cookie knows about romance in a broad sense, people love each other because they make each other feel special, they buy flowers and gifts, they go on dates, and maybe even get married. But she’s never thought about any of it being personally relevant. And even now as she was thinking about it, her mind just blanks.

It’s not like she opposes or hates the idea of romance, it’s just that she’s never felt the same desire or pull that other people seem to have. If the opportunity presents itself and she finds a compatible person then maybe she’ll engage with it, but even then she wouldn’t know what to do. 

You would go out on dates, right? But what even makes something a date? That you call the other person you’re hanging out with your significant other? But romance is supposed to be an extension of friendship, right? So if you were already friends beforehand you should have wanted to spend time with them already. Why would you define it differently? What changed when you slapped the title of ‘relationship onto it?

Wildflower Cookie frowned to herself. The more she thought about it the more confused she became. The title of significant other just seemed like an arbitrary label to her. 

People in relationships are supposed to be extra affectionate towards each other, right? But that seems like a dramatic shift in behavior from when they were friends. Where does it come from? Do people already have the urge to act this way and need a relationship as an excuse to act on it?

That explanation made the most sense to Wildflower Cookie, even if she didn’t grasp it fully. She personally never felt the need to be touchy with someone else, but knew that other people wanted to.

As Wildflower Cookie absentmindedly reached for the next flower, she found her hand grasping at nothing. She shook her head slightly, trying to snap out of her own thoughts and focus on what was in front of her.

The table was empty, she had gone through all of the flowers while she was lost in her own thoughts. Wildflower Cookie glanced over at the florist and saw she was just finishing tying the last bow on a bouquet. They motioned for Wildflower Cookie to help carry the various arrangements and place them on the tables scattered around the venue. 

Wildflower Cookie took an armful of floral bundles and brought them towards the tables. As she put a bundle down at the table, she took a moment to admire the centerpiece. It was a painted mason jar, colored pastel and decorated with little images of ladybugs and butterflies. She had overheard from the florist that these jars were hand painted by the couple, a project that they had planned leading up to their wedding. Wildflower Cookie’s first thought was that it was cute, maybe even romantic. 

That’s what all of this is, right? Romantic? A special ceremony that showed how close they are with each other?

She thought about her surroundings, standing in the middle of all this carefully arranged romance.

People pour so much time, money, and effort into this stuff. They spend months, sometimes years, for a single day to show off how they feel. It seems like so much trouble just to prove that they like each other. All the grand traditions and ceremonies, the emotional speeches and vows, it’s almost like their love has to be shown off or else it doesn’t count. 

Wildflower Cookie paused, humming to herself dismissively.

No, that’s not necessarily true. Some do it just for themselves, all of this makes it feel like their love is more real, to do something to prove to themselves that their love is solidified. 

…But why? It couldn’t just be for the tax benefits or for the convenience of living in one house. Shouldn’t love itself be good on its own? If two people loved each other, wasn’t that enough? What does it matter if you put on a dress or a suit and throw a celebration over it? 

Is love really that important to others? 

She sighed, shaking her head slightly. Wildflower Cookie grabbed another bundle of flowers and stared at it for a few seconds. 

I know I work with flowers often but… what would it be like if someone gifted me flowers as an act of love? Would it ever feel different? Would I see past the petals and stems? Would it mean something more to me?

Would I ever want it to mean something more?

…She couldn’t think of anything to say about that question.

Wildflower Cookie stepped back from the table to look at the floral centerpiece. It was pretty, she could appreciate that much at least.

Even if at the end of the day, they were all just flowers to her.  

[lolo3hwriting]

The Cake Wolf and the Cream Sheep

Summary: A fairy tale about a cake wolf wanting to become friends with a cream sheep. 

Words: ~1k

Additional Notes: When I read that description for the sheep’s clothing cake hound my head immediately filled with ideas. I wrote out an initial idea but I changed it a little bit and took inspiration from a few different fairy tales. There’s also a few quotes from Pure Vanilla and Shadow Milk sprinkled in for fun. There’s a guest appearance for two of my cookie run OCs, but all you really need to know about them is that they're a mother and daughter.

Once upon a time, there was a young cake wolf who lived in the wilderness of the Vanilla Kingdom. Still young, the cake wolf harbored an innocent curiosity for the cream sheep that roamed the meadows he lived in. He had encountered them before, saw their fluffy bodies and tails peeking out from the grass and heard their soft bleats when they wandered into fields. 

Yet the cake wolf also knew that the cream sheep were weary of those like him, with his dark fur and pointed ears that the cream sheep lacked. 

The cake wolf thought and thought on how to approach the cream sheep without scaring them away, lying awake many nights pondering on an answer. One night the cake wolf went out on a stroll, and a brilliant idea came to him. He saw some fleece snagged on a nearby rose bush and crafted a fluffy cloak, hoping to trick the other cream sheep and disguise as one of their own. 

The next day, dressed in the cloak, the cake wolf strolled into the meadow where the cream sheep were grazing. As he glanced around, the cake wolf was delighted to know that his ruse worked, as none of the other cream sheep were sparing him a glance. Soon, he spotted a lone cream sheep nestled among a patch of flowers and curiously padded up to it.

The cream sheep looked up and gave him a warm smile.

“Greetings,” the cream sheep bleated out, “It’s such a lovely day.”

“It is,” the cake wolf responded smoothly. He glanced at the patch of flowers the cream sheep was admiring. “How pretty the flowers are here.” 

The cream sheep smiled back. “Would you help me pick some?” 

And so they wandered through the meadow to look for flowers. Whenever they had picked one, they saw a prettier one in the distance, and wandered further.  

By evening, the pair had gathered plenty of flowers to share with the rest of the flock. As they decorated each other's wool, the cake wolf found himself in fold with the flock, the other cream sheep accepting him as one of them. 

The cream sheep turned towards the cream wolf with a heartfelt smile, “Thank you for a wonderful day.”

The cream wolf responded earnestly, “I’m glad I was here to brighten your mood!”

The next day, the cream sheep sought him out and asked once again for help collecting flowers. The cake wolf obliged, and the two wandered off once again. This became their little game together, wandering through the meadow to see who could spot the next flower. As the days went on, the two grew ever closer together.

One lazy afternoon as the two were lying in a meadow, the cream sheep peered at him curiously. “My, what big eyes you have.” The cream sheep commented playfully.

“All the better to spot flowers with.” The cake wolf simply answered. 

But such peaceful days could not last forever, as the truth always prevails. 

As the sun was setting, the pair noticed it had gotten late and decided it was time to return to the flock. As they were running back, the cake wolf’s cloak had snagged on a rose bush, tearing his disguise clean off.  

“Ah,” The cream sheep said softly, “you’re a cake wolf.” 

The cake wolf froze, his heart pounding with fear. He could sense the familiar feeling of loneliness creeping up on him, engulfing his body whole

The cake wolf turned around to flee, only to stop when he heard the cream sheep say something else. 

“Cake wolf, please wait.” 

The plea stopped the cake wolf mid step, but he dared not turn around.

“You don’t have to be so lonely, I’m right here.”

The cream sheep’s voice was steady and warm.

“Please, let me be your friend.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Dandelion Jelly Cookie entered her small house and made her way to the living room, she found her daughter, Wildflower Cookie, curled up on their couch with a book in her lap. It seemed worn, the pages yellowing at the edges, and the watercolor pictures looking faded.

“What’s that you got there? Aren’t you a little too old to be reading fairy tales?”

Wildflower Cookie glanced up at her mother, barely stopping herself from rolling her eyes.

“It was a freebie from one of the merchants in town,” Wildflower Cookie responded, “I’m not going to refuse a free gift. And anyways…” 

Wildflower Cookie traced the edge of the page idly. 

“It was an interesting read.”

Dandelion Jelly Cookie walked over to sit besides her daughter on their couch.

“Really? If that’s the case, then would you mind telling me about it?”

Wildflower Cookie sighed, her hand brushing over the last lines of text of the book.

“It’s about a cake wolf,” she started, glancing up at her mother. “He wants to be friends with a cream sheep, but he knows the sheep will be afraid of him. So he makes a cloak out of wool to blend in.”

Her mother gave a small nod, listening.

“But eventually,” Wildflower Cookie continued, “the sheep finds out. The disguise comes off. And instead of running away, the sheep says he still wants to be the cake wolf’s friend.”

Dandelion Jelly Cookie hummed, leaning back into the couch and crossing her arms. She didn’t say anything at first, just stared thoughtfully at the floor.

Wildflower Cookie watched her mother for a moment, then turned her gaze back to the book. 

“Do you…” Wildflower Cookie started, unsure if she should ask her mother such a childish question.

After a moment, she gathered her courage, “...Do you think the cake wolf would accept to be their friend?” 

Dandelion Jelly Cookie tilted her head. “Hmm… I don’t know," she admitted to her daughter earnestly. “The cake wolf may just think the cream sheep is lying, since he lied to the cream sheep.”

“Maybe…” Wildflower Cookie murmured, glancing away. “But I hope he stays anyway.”

[lolo3hwriting]

Wait a minute, I have a writing blog

This cake hound’s description is so cute.

Like imagine this little cake hound finding this cream sheep in a field, seeing how it was so friendly it is to the other sheep and showing them where the prettiest flowers are, and the little cake hound wanting to be friends with it but knowing that most sheep are afraid of wolves, so it collects some wool left behind on a thorny bush the sheep passed by and covers itself in it and walks towards the cream sheep with a flower it found in its mouth, and the cream sheep accepts the flower despite knowing that this ‘cream sheep’ is actually a cake hound but still wants to be friends.

Man… I would totally read a fic about this

[lolo3hwriting]

A Horticulture Student’s Analysis of Hollyberry Cookie

So in many of my horticulture classes, holly plants were talked about frequently because they are used so much in the industry, or more specifically the ornamental and landscaping parts. All of this discussion constantly reminded me of hollyberry cookie, who is one of my favorite characters in cookie run kingdom. In addition to explaining the symbolism of holly plants, I wanted to give a different perspective of hollyberry cookie’s connection to the plant she is named after.

A lot of this is based on my prior experiences with my horticulture classes and internships/volunteering at gardens, and some of it is supplemented by university extension papers.

Holly is known to be tolerant of many different environmental conditions and still be able to thrive. Hot and cold climates, humid or dry, full sun or shade, poor and compact soil, sandy or clay, it can survive all of it. Of course, different holly varieties have their own individual preferences, but as a whole hollies are remarkably hardy. This could reflect in her combat style as she is a defense-type and in the lore has high endurance.

Holly plants are dioecious, meaning they have male and female plants. Most hollies planted are female because only they produce the characteristic bright red berries. I thought that this could tie into Hollyberry’s motherly attitude and her very feminine appearance (with the big dress and pink colors).

Hollies are also famously evergreen, retaining their green foliage year-round. This constant vitality could symbolize Hollyberry Cookie’s ever-present energy, optimism, and nurturing spirit. Like the evergreen holly she brings life, hope, and warmth to those around her.

Sources:

https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_ilop.pdf

https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/shrubs/holly/

https://hles.unl.edu/holly-0

https://extensiongardener.ces.ncsu.edu/gardening-publications-2/extgardener-previous-newsletters/extgardener-past-features/extgardener-deck-the-landscape-with-hollies/

https://extension.psu.edu/holly-legends-customs-and-myths

[lolo3hwriting]

all debates abt the artistic merits of fanfiction fail to recognize the purpose of fic. you don’t write fic to be published or to learn how to construct a narrative although you can use it to develop style. you write it so that your friends will message you “bestie you’re utterly deranged for this one im eating dirt” 

[lolo3hwriting]

Botanical Names Part II

Names you can choose for your characters. Taken from the little signs in a botanical garden. So they are names of plants.

Nemophila

Artemisia

Phacelia

Tamarix

Luzula

Alliaria

Wisteria

Actaea

Carlina

Lilium

Inula

Aralia

Prunella

Larix

Magnolia

Daphne

Alyssum

Jacaranda

Achillea

Rosa

Camellia

Nymphaea

Victoria

Acaena

Crassula

Elodea

Adonis

Narcissus

Bellevalia

Calathea

More names!

[lolo3hwriting]

If they would meet I think that they’d be good friends.

Sure, both of them would be a little quiet, but they would have good company with each other

[lolo3hwriting]

I don’t know which sock/skirt combo I like more…

[lolo3hwriting]

I finally got around to making Wynn and Victoria in sword/shield.

I was contemplating on whether or not Victoria should wear a jacket or not, I might change it later

[lolo3hwriting]

I was messing around with the customization options in legends arceus and tried to make my OCs Wynn and Victoria

Some additional notes for their appearances under the cut

Wynn would have darker skin and Victoria would have some paler skin. But since you can’t change the skin tone in the games, I’ll just have to stick with this for now

Victoria would wear a skirt and either leggings or high socks

[lolo3hwriting]

I don’t think I’ll perfectly recreate Wildflower Cookie via the MyCookie in the game, but this is the closest recreation I could do. I’d imagine this is her off day/vacation outfit

[lolo3hwriting]

I really like NG+ AUs in persona and I really want to write one but I’m not sure which way to go. I have 2 main ideas:

Angst NG+ based on the time loop based on the anime episode No One Is Alone. Yu spends too much time in the time loop, and by the time he wants to get out it’s too late to go back. Margret and Igor allow Yu to go back to the beginning when he first came to Inaba, but something’s wrong as there’s a persistent fog that won’t go away no matter what he does

Or

Comedic NG+ where just before Yu beats Izanami, as a last ditch effort she resets the timeline and sends him back to the beginning. However, everyone touched by Izanami remembers (Yu, Adachi, Namatame). They agree to conspire against Izanami, with Yu essentially speed running the game with overpowered personas and trying not gain suspicion from his friends

[lolo3hwriting]

The Squid Orange in Kelp Dome - What is it? How would it be grown?

The Squid Orange in Kelp Dome - What is it? How would it be grown?

Within The Art of Splatoon artbook, we see a lot of concept art for ideas and worldbuilding of the splatoon world. One of these concepts that I found the most interesting was the fruits and vegetables that would have been grown in Kelp Dome. They are all based on real life fruits/veggies with a few differences and usually squid themed. One of my favorites was the squid orange because of my personal interest in citrus production and because my family has tried their hand at growing citrus trees before. It got me wondering, what is it based on? And how would it theoretically grow in a greenhouse in kelp dome?

I should say that most of my knowledge of citrus production is based in America (since that’s where I study) so my writing may not reflect Japanese production styles. From what I read the general concepts are mostly the same, but intricacies like harvesting techniques may be different.

Design Origins

(A picture of a kumquat, image taken from here)

Although it is called an orange, the squid orange may be based on many different fruits in the citrus family (Rutaceae). The edible peel made me think of kumquats because they are commonly eaten fresh with the peel. However, while the peels are sweet like what was shown in the picture, the rind is often soft and rarely bitter. However, other citrus peels do fit the description of being bitter and hard, so the squid orange could be something of a hybrid between kumquats and other citrus species. 

The albedo portion reminds me of navel oranges because of the similar belly button, or navel structure. Just for clarification, the albedo is the white and somewhat papery/spongy portion of citrus fruits, considered part of the peel. Navel oranges have a primary and secondary ovary when they grow. The primary ovary gives rise to most of the fruit while the secondary ovary is reduced and becomes a bump that looks like a navel. This part is technically edible, but not preferred and is often thrown away with the rest of the peel. 

For the sake of simplicity, I’m just going to consider the squid orange under the sweet orange group (Citrus x sinensis) as opposed to other citrus crops.

The Orangery

(An orangery, from Kew Gardens in London. Image take from here)

Oranges and other citrus crops have a long history of cultivation indoors. Orangeries have existed since the 17th century were structures built specifically to grow citrus crops, usually in places where they wouldn’t naturally grow. Although orangeries can be considered distinct from other structures like greenhouses and conservatories, the terms are used interchangeably and as such I will be using the term greenhouse to describe orange production within indoor structures. Also, I will be talking about citrus production in general as opposed to specifically oranges because most of the cultivation practices are the same for many citrus species. 

Greenhouse Production

(A Valencia orange tree in a greenhouse. Image taken from here)

Citrus plants are subtropical to tropical fruits, and as such they do not tolerate the cold at all. Many fruits will be killed below freezing, and the entire tree will be killed at temperatures below 28F. However, there are some citrus varieties and rootstocks that are more cold hardy, but even then it's quite marginal. The minimum temperature to avoid damage is 50 F, but some greenhouses won’t go below 65 F. The average temperature for ideal citrus production is around 75 F, but most varieties can tolerate up to 90 F or even up to 100 F. 

Citrus trees can grow in most soils, but prefer sandy soils because they have better drainage. Most of them will not tolerate flooding and overly saturated water, so most greenhouses will do infrequent watering and soil/potting media with good drainage. Citrus require moderate humidity (around 50%), which shouldn’t be a problem in most greenhouses but they may need to supplement it with a humidifier if it is particularly dry.  Pests and diseases may become a problem in greenhouse production, especially if trees are packed close together. Proper monitoring and sanitation, like using insecticidal soap and removing infected plant material, will help ensure these problems stay to a minimum. 

The art book says that it would be eaten around June-November. While this aligns with harvesting for some cultivars of oranges, since the oranges are being grown inside a greenhouse their harvest time may be different. Oranges can be stored for about a month under the right conditions, so they could be realistically eaten any time of the year.

Just as a final note, most citrus trees in orchards grow up to 15 feet tall. Although I’m sure a big greenhouse like Kelp Dome can house a tree that tall, they may use dwarf varieties or prune the trees to make them more manageable. 

Other Concerns with the World of Splatoon 

Both inklings and octolings dissolve when submerged in water, so irrigation might be a concern. Although I mentioned beforehand that citrus trees are usually only watered sparingly, they do need to be watered eventually. I’d imagine greenhouse workers would need to wear some protective equipment when watering plants, or non-inkfish species would handle the watering. Also, I don’t know what pests would be around since a lot of the insects would be wiped out from the drastic climate change that takes place in the splatoon world, after the humans are wiped out.

Sources

[lolo3hwriting]

Yknow it’s so funny that when I try and give my OCs hobbies that are different from my own, I have no idea how to write them engaging in those hobbies because I (mostly) just like plants and video games.