Making Preparations For Next Year's Resolutions. I Really Need To Strengthen My Arms For Health Reasons,

Chapter 4: Something for Xie Lian

This story is complete! Right in time to alleviate the void left by the ending of season 2 of the donghua (what will be of our Wednesdays now?)

One of my goals for 2024 is to write in a more relaxed and spontaneous way, and here's my first step in that direction.

Summary: After a series of unfortunate events, Xie Lian’s old friends allow him to crash their couch for a few weeks. Upon arrival, Xie Lian is amazed by the amount of online shopping Feng Xin and Mu Qing do, and even more by the extremely awkward timing of the local postman who brings their parcels. How is it possible that this man only rings whenever Xie Lian is in the shower?!

Hello, I’m back! ☺️

This is a birthday gift for my dear friend Tenkosh, illustration for her wonderful fanfic “Лисьи оборотни не умеют медитировать (и вить гнезда)”

Xie Lian and fox Hua Cheng!

A note to all creatives:

Right now, you have to be a team player. You cannot complain about AI being used to fuck over your industry and then turn around and use it on somebody else’s industry.

No AI book covers. No making funny little videos using deepfakes to make an actor say stuff they never did. No AI translation of your book. No AI audiobooks. No AI generated moodboards or fancasts or any of that shit. No feeding someone else’s unfinished work into Chat GPT “because you just want to know how it ends*” (what the fuck is wrong with you?). No playing around with AI generated 3D assets you can’t ascertain the origin of. None of it. And stop using AI filters on your selfies or ESPECIALLY using AI on somebody else’s photo or artwork.

We are at a crossroad and at a time of historically shitty conditions for working artists across ALL creative fields, and we gotta stick together. And you know what? Not only is standing up for other artists against exploitation and theft the morally correct thing to do, it’s also the professionally smartest thing to do, too. Because the corporations will fuck you over too, and then they do it’s your peers that will hold you up. And we have a long memory.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking “your peers” are only the people in your own industry. Writers can’t succeed without artists, editors, translators, etc making their books a reality. Illustrators depend on writers and editors for work. Video creators co-exist with voice actors and animators and people who do 3D rendering etc. If you piss off everyone else but the ones who do the exact same job you do, congratulations! You’ve just sunk your career.

Always remember: the artists who succeed in this career path, the ones who get hired or are sought after for commissions or collaboration, they aren’t the super talented “fuck you I got mine” types. They’re the one who show up to do the work and are easy to get along with.

And they especially are not scabs.

*that’s not even how it ends that’s a statistically likely and creatively boring way for it to end. Why would you even want to read that.

ABCDMXTX - Day 18: Ruoye.

From all spiritual devices, Ruoye is the one that feels the most like an extension of its owner. In a way, it's Xie Lian main and last line of defense.

I used this photo reference.

List of prompts.

Yknow what while I’m here I know we as a website agreed to oppress the business majors but all the bullshit that comes around every April over ao3’s business practices makes me think we should’ve kept at least one to explain to people how nonprofits, despite their name, still need money to function and do not in fact run on rainbows and dreams alone

ABCDMXTX - Day 7: Guoshi.

Guoshi Fang Xin's mask and sword. I almost always stick to the default brushes, but I wanted to experiment with textures this time, and here's the result.

List of prompts.

On his way to university, Hua Cheng sees a missing cat sign that has… a photo of his own cat? How can this be? And who’s this person called Xie Lian that’s looking for it?

A Hualian meet-cute caused by feline shenanigans to celebrate @tiiracotta's birthday!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43631044

Art by me. Beta-read by Citronverveine.

A Lucanis 🧅

Just finished the cover for 2024 MXTX Food Zine!

@mxtxfoodzine contains 55 recipes going along with art and fanfiction as well as a printable no-title version of the cover. Releasing this November.

My cosplay summary 2022 (that I made and immediately forgot about, lol)

Cosplayers: -BotW Link, OoT Link, Xie Lian, Wei Wuxian, Zagreus: Me. -Lan Zhan: Zhuun. -Nyx: Vestahygge

Photo credits: -All Link pics, Zagreus and Nyx: BunKatz. -Xie Lian and bunny Wangxian: Frost. -Flute Wangxian: Kuma.