Gem And Impulse On The Gamers Outreach Stream Right Now Have Me CRYING LAUGHING

This this this! The pattern of her scales is absolutely stunning! I wonder if she’s constantly making her appearance as intricate as possible where the other Rainwings just let their colours flow. It would help her stand out as more refined and queenly in a crowd, though I do imagine she could stop if she wanted to blend in.

This makes me think that in making her patterning so intricate, she unintentionally takes references from the other DoD and the things that remind her of them. We all know she’s a big softy for them under that harsh exterior.

Love this design and the thought that went into it. The art is so gorgeous as well. <3

Omg I’d love to see Tsunami or Glory redesigned!! Your Peril design is so clever I love it 💕

two people ( @emeralddragonparagon and indigo) requested Glory this week, so here she is! thank you guys so much for the overwhelming support for these designs :3 they really took off!

Glory's design was a little difficult but very rewarding! I wanted to design her to fit with the present day in wof, where she's been queen for a little while and had time to settle in + grow into her role. She has a green/brown crown that fits under her ears, as well as some layered beaded jewelry which are inspired by the Uth Duna outfit from Monster Hunter Wilds. I wanted to make her look more regal/royal than she currently does, so I used a lot of patterns on top of the accessories.

For her scales, I liked the idea of Glory's pattern alluding to her somewhat prickly personality from the first arc, as well as leaving traces of her friends in her design - a sun on her shoulder, water-like patterns on part of her wing, amber/brown talons etc... it would be nice if Glory presented her scales with them in mind, considering she doesn't get to see the other DoD often.

as always, my askbox is open! I'm hard at work going through your requests - check back every so often to see if your favorite character has been done yet, or feel free to leave a request!

Writing Grief Without Romanticizing It

Grief is raw, messy, and deeply personal. It doesn’t follow a neat arc or fit into tidy narrative beats. While stories often use grief as a dramatic device, romanticizing it can cheapen the emotional reality. Writing grief authentically means embracing its discomfort and unpredictability, not sanitizing or idealizing it. 

What Romanticizing Grief Looks Like

Characters who seem emotionally wrecked but always manage to look graceful in their suffering.

Overly articulate monologues that sound more like a eulogy than a real moment of loss.

Depictions of grief as a singular, cathartic event instead of a long, jagged process.

Romanticized Grief:

“Every day without you is like a piece of me fading away into a tragic, beautiful void. I’ll carry this pain forever, for it’s all I have left of you.”

This might be poetic, but it lacks the authenticity of how most people actually process grief.

Realistic Grief:

“I forgot your birthday. I didn’t mean to, but when I remembered, it was already too late. And then I hated myself because forgetting felt like erasing you.”

Writing Grief Authentically

1. Show the Physical Toll

Grief isn’t just emotional—it’s physical. Insomnia, headaches, exhaustion, or even the inability to move can be part of the experience.

“She woke up in the middle of the night again, choking on the air. Her chest felt like a cinderblock had been wedged inside, heavy and unmoving. It was three days since the funeral, and she still hadn’t slept longer than an hour.”

2. Let Grief Be Messy

Grief isn’t a perfectly linear journey. There’s no logical progression from denial to acceptance—there are setbacks, breakdowns, and even moments of denial long after healing has started.

“He yelled at his mother for throwing out the cereal box. ‘It was his favorite,’ he said. She didn’t remind him that it had been expired for months. She just handed him the trash bag and walked away.”

3. Avoid Glossy Sentimentality

Sometimes grief isn’t poetic; it’s ugly, blunt, and devoid of grandeur. Characters might lash out, shut down, or isolate themselves.

Romanticized: “I’ll cry every day, but I’ll keep going because you’d want me to.”

Realistic: “They said time would heal it. But it didn’t. Time just put more space between me and the life I knew before.”

4. Let Grief Manifest in Small, Unexpected Ways

Grief isn’t always about sobbing—it can show up in mundane moments: hesitating to delete a voicemail, holding onto an old sweater, or instinctively setting the table for someone who’s gone.

“She turned to tell him the joke, the one about the broken lamp, and stopped halfway through. The silence hit harder than the punchline ever would.”

5. Highlight the Absurdity of It

Grief can be absurd and disorienting. Characters might laugh inappropriately, obsess over trivial details, or feel disconnected from reality.

“At the funeral, all she could focus on was how crooked the flowers were arranged. She kept wanting to fix them. If she didn’t, she thought, none of this would feel real.”

6. Explore How Grief Changes Relationships

Grief doesn’t happen in isolation—it affects relationships, often in unexpected ways. Some people pull closer, others drift apart.

“Her friends stopped asking how she was doing after the first few weeks. She didn’t blame them; she didn’t have an answer. ‘Fine’ wasn’t a lie—it was just easier than saying, ‘I still can’t breathe when I see his empty chair.’”

7. Show the Longevity of Grief

Grief doesn’t end when the funeral does. Let it linger in your story, showing how it ebbs and flows over time.

“It had been five years, but she still called his number when something exciting happened. She didn’t know why. Maybe it was just habit. Or maybe it was hope.”

8. Allow for Moments of Respite

Grief isn’t constant agony. People still laugh, find joy, and go about their lives—sometimes feeling guilty for it.

“She smiled for the first time in weeks, and then immediately hated herself for it. It felt like betrayal, like forgetting.”

this is problematic of me (joke) but i really enjoy the splashing of french into english speech or writing. just adds a pizzazz

I have been staring at this, mouth open, just gaping in awe, for at least 5 minutes now and I plan to do so for the next hour. Do not contact me in that time. I am feral.

Here's some desertduo angst <3

“Certain sounds can soothe us. Listening to gentle music, for example, may be relaxing. In fact, this entire chapter was written while listening to classical music.” DBT book writer is a certified classical music enjoyer.

Keep in mind that I am a classical saxophone major in uni.

Grian and Jimmy having exactly the same reaction to JoeHills just being JoeHills is absolutely killing me

who are you?

ignore me have a little tiny baby freak out over hoffen seeing my art of their sunflower scar skin for scar's secret life series *scream*

I’m being bullied by the chocolate pudding cup. The little pull tab thing broke off and I’m not sure if plastic utensil is strong enough to stab it.