alias_sqbr

I am very very slowly learning how to draw kimono-y sleeves.

Original art, Venom, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation/The Untamed, Heaven Official's Blessing, Hakuoki, Samurai Love Ballad: Party
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I've been vaguely pondering Hakuoki fic about the protagonist Chizuru as a vampire/Fury for a while, but kept getting tangled up in logistics the way I often do with AUs. It wasn't until I got this ask that it occurred to me I could draw it. Which sounds like fun!

So, who should I draw her being shippily vampirey with? Votes from people who have not played the game are entirely welcome, you can see what everyone looks like here. Also, anonymous comments are enabled for anyone not on dreamwidth to argue their case. The result isn't binding but I did only include characters I might plausibly draw.


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So I wrote an honest to goodness EIGHTY FIVE THOUSAND WORD novel-length fic over a period of *checks* a month and a half? Maybe two months, I think I waited a little after I'd written the first two chapters before posting. It was like this intense fever dream, I was just SO INSPIRED, and then today I finished it and now I want to just be DONE and NOT THINK ABOUT IT ANY MORE.

A Braid of Bamboo and Steel (85772 words) by sqbr
Chapters: 15/15
Fandom: Hakuouki
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Nagumo Kaoru & Yukimura Chizuru, Nagumo Kaoru/Sanan Keisuke, Toudou Heisuke/Yukimura Chizuru
Additional Tags: Fanfiction, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Trans, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Disturbing Themes, casual transphobia, Getting Together, Sibling Bonding, Happy Ending, Drama & Romance
Summary:

Nagumo Chizuru escapes her demon captors, and Yukimura Kaoru finds himself the prisoner of the Shinsengumi. They're both determined to be reunited, but the reunion isn't quite what they expected.

An AU where Kaoru and Chizuru have swapped bodies and backstories but not genders.

I even made a cover image! (using other people's art) See, it's an AU because Chizuru is an INCH TALLER rather than an INCH SHORTER.

And naturally I got this inspired about TRANS FIC FOR A TEN YEAR OLD OTOME GAME. With an age gap and lots of violence, just to scare off anyone who's looking for ~wholesome Issue Fic. But one commenter left really lovely heartfelt comments on almost every chapter, and a couple of other people said nice things, so I'm going to hug those comments and all fifteen kudos to my heart and feel happy regardless.

And now to ramble about it a bit. Especially since I imagine some of you are looking at the tags going "Wait...you wrote trans shipfic about the serial-killing baby-eater and the cross-dressing evil twin?".

YES. YES I DID.

AND I REGRET NOTHING.
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Background information and links to previous posts

I got a fic idea involving Sakamoto so time for his bad ends! I expect these to be medium level depressing, I didn't LOVE him the way I did some of the others but he's pretty endearing. I'm guessing at least one will be how the real dude actually died.

( Spoilers and oblique rape references )

Background information and links to previous posts

So I was, uh, indisposed this weekend, and decided Sanan's bad endings would hopefully make an enjoyably bizarre distraction. And they did, in a sad sort of way.

Also I have a ridiculous yet persistent yen to write Heisuke/Merrill crossover fic I wish to distract myself from (I don't even have a plot!), especially since playing the Heisuke bad endings will DESTROY ME.

( Spoilers )

Not much, really, but it's been a while.

Writscrib died. I don't have great hopes for Pillowfort, either.

I bought a juicer! It's a bit of a hassle to clean considering the juice doesn't keep long, but watching it go WHIZZ is fun and Cam and I were both pretty happy with the results from a bag of Coles juicing apples. I have two apparently unrelated intestinal conditions(*) that mean I can't digest most raw fruit and vegetable fibre and have to go on a clear fluid diet once a year, so being able to drink fresh (and thus more nutritious) juice whenever I like is pretty appealing.

I signed up for remixrevival's Madness, right now I'm focused on my main assignment but intend to poke about later for fun stuff to illustrate/riff on. Anyone can sign up and remix other people's works/offer to be remixed.

The latest manifestation of my continuing Hakuoki obsession is a monster Chizuru/Saito/Okita WIP currently up to 31K words, which is longer than anything else I've written except Wedding is Destiny. And that took me 8 years, while I've been writing this for a couple of weeks? Turns out I have a lot of feelings about chronic illness and polyamory and gender (and vampire samurai)

Speaking of which: moonvoice finished their radiotherapy, and while it was pretty awful it's over and they're still around so that's great :) Also Cam and I decided we can't be bothered being so careful about mentioning that we're poly on social media disconnected from the more conservative people in our lives. So, I have been dating moonvoice for about 8 months now and they are wonderful and amazing.

....hmm. While chucking a bunch of random things in the juicer was fun my stomach is a bit "Did I really have to digest 3 pears an apple and some celery sticks all at once??" YES STOMACH YOU DID STOP WHINING.

(*)Irritable bowel syndrome and polyposis, since I know I'm always curious when people make these sorts of vague comments.

Background information and links to previous posts

AND NOW, WE COME TO THE FINAL LOVE INTEREST: the good natured, fun loving meathead Nagakura Shinpachi.

It was super cute, like dating Joey from Friends.

( Spoilers )

Background information and links to previous posts

Time for the MYSTERIOUSLY ABSENT Sakamoto Ryouma, who I literally would not have realised existed if I hadn't looked up the list of love interests.

Overall I really liked it! He turned out to be an Imperialist revolutionary rogue with a heart of gold, which gave a very different perspective, and Chizuru was kind of tsundere which was a different and fun dynamic.

Downsides: he was sometimes a bit sleazy, and there was some unfortunate transphobia.

( Spoilers, blood )

Background information and links to previous posts

Souma Kazue is a very earnest, emotionally volatile young man who cares A LOT about being a GOOD WARRIOR. I went in knowing that (a) he spends a chunk of the first half thinking Chizuru is a guy (b) he calls her "sempai" (senior/mentor)

Which sounded pretty appealing! Alas this game is too committed to heteronormativity to really have fun with stuff like crossdressing confusion, and this path in particular felt a bit tired and underwritten. So it was ok, but not great.

( Spoilers, death )

Background information and links to previous posts

Time for the cute little mullet ninja Yamazaki Susumu!

My main concern was that he might be a bit too much like Saito and then I realised it is impossible to be too much like Saito.

And it was fairly enjoyable!

My new icon is Nishima from Kiss Him Not Me crying over the grave of the historical figure who is the basis for the anime character she writes yaoi about. Seemed appropriate :)
( Spoilers )