(Yes... her name is first name Blue last name Bell... her parents clearly loved puns) She has lots of flower motifs as a result and I am a particular fan of her uneven hair and bun.
I actually redesigned her -- the first sketch I drew of her had red accents. I really like how the sketch turned out tbh -- she looks so cute and soft here!!!
But alas, the main reason she was redesigned was because she needs to match with a certain other NPC in the Selenia campaign -- Charlotte :3 (see below). Also since she has flowery motifs (being her entire name is BLUE BELL) I wanted to give her more green accents to be fitting. It's too bad flowers wither so fast... (ominous music)
The above sketch is from Dec 2024 that's crazy 💀
Charlotte!!! Spoiler but she's actually Blue's cousin :3 I'll probably redraw Charlotte again at some point this sketch is from 2024 T_T
Squeezed in a chibi merwolf Nova for this year's mermay :') I wish I did more but I've been too busy and the prompts this year haven't spoken to me as much as they did last year.
I guess I don't have to draw mermaids only in Mermay? 🤔
I tried to draw Nova without the wolf ears but it didn't look Nova enough T_T so weird merwolf Nova was created. I think the blue and pops of yellow really really super marine hehe :3 Even made her peekaboo dye a bit darker~ I didn't originally plan to give her the seashell bra but my sister convinced me to do so 😅 Let's say that the bra is padded inside so it's not too uncomfy for her
I wonder what mermaid au! polaris would look like? XD would he just be a fish? My friend showed me that there's actually a fish called the wolf fish so... 🤔
I may have made an oopsie and stayed up too late trying to finish this piece. I have work tomorrow 🤡🤡🤡 In my defense I had a brainworm and don't have enough time for my hobbies these days
I was going to draw her canon universe cyberpunk katana. But the ref I used had a cool katana and she's wearing a kimono in this anyways so I thought I should go with a more traditional setting to match the vibes.
I've been wanting to draw more Umbra because I don't get to draw her a lot T_T I think shes intimidating to draw because she has so many details especially in her hair. But I really like how sharp and narrow her features are. I'm trying to make her look less baby-faced like some of my other OCs and give her some more sharper distinctive features! When she puts her hair into a high pony I think those features stand out more :3
Also have a version without the dramatic light to better see her colours.
Lei in her med school fit which is totally lab safe. Definitely /s
I really have been in a Lei mood and wanted to draw her while there was time on this long weekend (but I'm actually so behind on work T_T pray for me) Anyways I don't think I've drawn her university fits. At least digitally. How she styles her hairstyle is the main way you can tell what era she's in XD
As for why there's a sunset BG? I just googled random balcony BG reference images and ne with a sunset looked good... so I went with it. I think it's been a while since I've drawn a sunset BG anyways.
I don't know what she's pointing at T_T but I wanted to include a hand and I didn't want to draw her holding her nth cig LOL
She did probably start smoking in university due to bad influences from her ex :')
I hope I captured her tired / exhausted vibes. I didn't even include an eye shine to truly depict how her work / classes are making her feel soulless :D
I'm going to pretend it's still April cuz I did the majority of this in April (I need something for the April month orz)
ANYWAYS I realized I didn't draw any illustrations this month. So I decided to indulge myself and draw a sad Lumi. I've already drawn a sad Lei ... multiple times. So I thought I'd give her a break and let someone else take the negative feelings for once 😤
The concept is kind of queen of hearts. But sad. As in, it's hard to want love but need to let yourself become vulnerable. Because you risk getting hurt. And it always suck to get hurt :'(
I also gave her a peekaboo just for this concept XD Also to match Lei and Nova who have peekaboos XD I actually dyed my hair basically like this LOL
I drew some stickers of some fave girls in sailor uniforms for my birthday gacha. I think they turned out pretty cute so I wanted to share. I tried to make every one of them have unique socks / ties / acessories!
Trying to beat artblock with my comfort pieces - busts of pretty girl OCs XD
This is my OC Ashlynn, who is the daughter of Lumi and Mazin. She specializes in water magic (cuz fire + ice = water) and healing and NOT interested in the throne at all. She wants to be a doctor (healer). Unrelatedly she is a certified girl kisser ™
She has a lot of resemblance to her aunt Nyx (Mazin's sister), but she definitely has her mother's eyes. She has a bit of a complicated relationship with her mother (Lumi).
Description: A short story featuring original characters from my cyberpunk campaign in a modern AU. Vail is convinced to go to Gigi (best friend of his girlfriend Lei) 's winter holiday party where he doesn't really know anyone. He is then abandoned for a brief period of time where he is approached by her friends -- Ceres, Elise, and then Gigi herself bearing gifts. They also seem to have prepared a "special surprise" for him.
Well, he had suspected he would be when he was convinced to go to a Christmas party hosted by his girlfriend Lei’s best friend Gigi, instead of going drinking with the boys.
Yeah the whole “bros before hoes” thing? Great idea in theory, but how could Vail say no to those pleading gemstone-like green eyes of hers? The boys would understand. (Or they wouldn’t, but that didn’t really matter to Vail).
Still, now it left him for the most part alone among the throng, nursing his drink to pass the time. At least the drinks were good. He didn’t know how, but Gigi managed to get a hold of part-time bartender Kasper to attend the party and make drinks for everyone. Vail had considered making conversation with the red-haired man, but Kasper seemed very happy surrounded by mostly ladies and making drinks.
Wait. That’s totally how Gigi convinced him. Vail realized. Kasper couldn’t help but love to be surrounded by ladies.
Smirking to himself behind his chocolate whiskey, he tapped his fingers against the extended windowsill he was perched on, to the beat of the jazzy christmas music that was playing. Gigi had stolen Lei a few songs ago with promises to return her soon but at least fifteen minutes had passed since then. He was about to go and look for her himself when he noticed a humanoid shape slinking up to him from the corner of his eye.
“Yeah?” He said, turning his body to face the perpetrator.
Ceres jumped with surprise when she was noticed and quickly tucked her hands behind her back. “S-sorry,” She stuttered nervously, “I was trying to be quiet… t-to not d-disturb you!”
Stalking me like a predator ends up being more disturbing, Vail thought to himself.
When Vail didn’t say anything, Ceres decided that it was safe for her to continue. “Gigi wanted me to come tell you that she’s still using Lei’s help. S-she’ll be back in maybe f-five or so minutes…”
“Thanks for telling me.” Vail said simply, planning to return his attention to his drink but Ceres did not move from her spot.
“A-A-Also- here!” In a flash of movement, Ceres revealed what she was hiding behind her back — a small package that was wrapped in dark blue paper with silver foil snowflakes. Vail recognized the pattern because he had accompanied Lei when she was shopping for wrapping paper.
“I-it’s a gift for you…” Ceres explained, although no explanation was needed. “T-thanks for always t-taking care of Lei so well. A-anyways I’ll go and help them out now… bye!”
And without waiting for a response, the small girl ran away and disappeared into the crowd.
Feeling curious, Vail decided to go ahead and open the carefully wrapped package to see what was inside. Unwrapping as gently as he could, he found that underneath the paper was a box of assorted Lindt chocolate truffles. In addition, there was a hand-illustrated card that depicted a cute black cat with green eyes lounging languidly by a fireplace.
It looks like if Lei were a cat… Vail thought to himself fondly.
Written on the back was a simple note. “Lei often speaks about your sweet tooth so I thought chocolates would be a safe choice. I hope you enjoy them! I also painted the black cat on the card. Doesn’t it look just like Lei if she were a cat? She’s told me that you like cats just like her. Anyways, Merry Christmas and I hope you continue to be a good boyfriend to Lei next year!”
Her note on the back seemed to contain more words than she’d said to him all year. It seemed that despite being rather shy and quiet, she was able to communicate her thoughts in writing.
I’ll have to thank her later, Vail decided. The illustrated card would end up being pinned to his fridge for months to come.
He was next approached by another from the trio of Lei’s friends — Elise.
“Here. Your Christmas present.” Elise said simply, handing him a small package wrapped in red plaid paper.
Vail looked quizzically at her. It was a bit strange that all of Lei’s friends were suddenly giving him presents. Of course, he had also chipped in something for the gift exchange under the tree — just bubble tea gift cards for the three of them, but he didn’t expect anything back.
“Gigi didn’t want you to feel left out when you’re accompanying Lei today, so she suggested that we all get small gifts for you.” Elise explained helpfully. “Go ahead and open this.”
At Elise’s insistence, Vail ripped through the wrapping paper and found a cardboard box filled with black kinesio tape inside of the KT brand inside.
“Lei often speaks of being worried about you since you train so much. Since you’re an athlete, you are extra prone to any musculoskeletal or joint issues, so it’s important to use preventative methods.”
“Thank you.” Vail says simply. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“Oh, no, not at all.” Elise said politely. Then after a pause, she added, “No seriously, I would like you to not get injured so that I don’t have to listen to Lei talk about it all the time.”
Vail laughed, a genuine one. It seemed that the common theme was that Lei couldn’t help but talk about him to her friends and he was honestly very happy that he even occupied a bit of her thoughts.
“I’ll do my best.” He promised.
Elise nodded sagely. “That would be much appreciated.”
As Elise began to walk away, she paused and turned around slightly, throwing Vail a cheeky smile. “I think you’ll be happy with Gigi’s gift when she gets here, so please just hang on for a bit longer.”
Obviously, Vail had no idea why Elise was being so mysterious and cryptic but perhaps it was just because Elise’s brain was on a different and superior wavelength than Vail’s that he didn’t understand her genius. He would find out later, he supposed.
It didn’t take too much time after for “later” to happen. Vail had finally finished savouring his drink and began to walk toward Kasper’s makeshift bar to get another when there was a flash of movement to Vail’s left and instinctively, Vail reacted, catching a small but hefty item with his left hand. It was specifically a canvas bag that contained some sort of rectangular-ish item that was small but rather heavy for its size, and rather firm. Just like… well, it would be best for Vail not to finish that intrusive thought.
“Hmph. I missed.” Gigi pouted, a look that would usually look unbecoming to most people (except Lei, of course), but Gigi could get away with anything with her confidence. “That’s your holiday gift, by the way.”
“Thanks…” Vail said simply. “Where’s Lei?”
Gigi didn’t answer his question right away. Instead, she smiled and stretched out her well-toned arms. “It took a bit more time than I thought, but I managed to get it accomplished. You can have your girlfriend back.” Gigi had an inexplicable smirk on her face.
Vail tried to peer behind the tall girl, but he found no Lei waiting for him. “That’s great, but where is she?” He asked again.
“Open your gift first, and then I’ll tell you.”
Although suspicious, there wasn’t really anything Vail could say in reply so he mumbled his thanks again and released the drawstring to open the canvas pouch. Inside, he found a dark blue swiss army knife, complete with multiple foldable tools. Just by the sleekness, weight, and feel of the tool, he could tell it was a high quality one that Gigi didn’t skimp out on.
“Thanks.” Vail said for the third time, this time genuinely. “I don’t have one of these yet.”
“Oh, you’ll use it well indeed. Lei is upstairs in my guest bedroom. You’ll see the… other part of my gift with her.” Gigi said, her grin growing.
“... Thanks. I’ll go find her then.” Vail said, immediately moving toward the staircase.
Gigi waved him off and as he entered the hallway, he saw Gigi throw a friendly arm around Kasper. Standing beside each other with their red hair and tall stature, they even looked like siblings.
Gigi had declared the upstairs off-limits for the partygoers so there was no one else on the second floor when Vail climbed the staircase. The first door he tried was locked, but the second door was slightly ajar with a sliver of warm light spilling into the hallway. As he approached, he heard soft, feminine grunts that sounded far too familiar. He quickly ran to the door and threw it open, seeing a Lei right before the artificial fireplace.
“Oh my god, thank goodness it’s you, Vail!” Lei cried out. Her face was flushed red and her eyes looked shiny, as if she was on the verge of tears.
Lei was wearing her green holiday dress (as she had explained to him before) and sexy, sheer thigh highs with little bows, but now, there was a dark green satin ribbon that was going up and down her torso, bunching up the fabric and accentuating certain parts of her figure. Furthermore, her wrists were bound with the same green ribbon, going up and down her arms, and knotted at least twice. She strained against them, trying to loosen the tight knot.
Now Vail realized why everyone was being so mysterious and why it took Gigi so long to get Lei’s “help”. As it turns out, Gigi was busy trying to wrap Lei into a present for him. Gigi had even somehow gotten Lei’s ankles tied together, probably so that Lei wouldn’t run away.
“Vail, can you help cut me out of this, please?” Lei pleaded.
Vail was pretty sure he could have torn apart the ribbons with his bare hands, but to keep even a little bit of restraint, he slowly and carefully pulled out the knife that had been recently gifted, pulling out the mini scissors of the tool.
Vail swallowed to give himself some time before responding, and found his throat rather dry, so he had to clear his throat before he spoke. “What a coincidence that Gigi’s given me this new gift that can help you out.”
“Oh, of course she did!” Lei said indignantly. “Gigi always plans her pranks elaborately.”
Knowing that she must have more to say, Vail knelt down on the rug and began to cut dutifully at the smooth ribbon, patiently waiting for her next words.
As expected, Lei continued her rant. “I know she didn’t mean any harm… but this is so embarrassing!”
Vail bit his lip, trying to decide if he should say anything now or keep his mouth shut. He was pretty sure that he had once had a dream where Lei had appeared almost the exact way she did, wrapped up in ribbon. Although, the circumstances in that particular dream were much more favourable as Lei was much more willing than in this situation.
“It wasn’t nice of her to prank you like that. But it did make my mind blank out when I first saw you looking so enticing.” He admitted sheepishly. Then, he added hastily, not wanting to sound too creepy, “Not that I would ever make you do something like this if you didn’t want to.”
Lei didn’t say anything, but glancing up cautiously from the scissors, Vail noticed that a flush had crept on her face and a smile on her lips.
“You really think it was sexy?” Lei asked.
“Oh, yeah, definitely.” Vail nodded. Then with a grin, he added, “We could recreate it at home if you’d like?”
Lei seemed to think about it for a moment, making a thoughtful sound. Then with a grin that matched his, she said, “I do think it would be nice for you to be tied up like a present for me.”
That’s not what I meant… but… whatever makes her happy… Vail thought to himself. “Sure.” He agreed amicably, then with a final snip, he was able to say, “There you are, all free.”
Lei rubbed her wrists before she took Vail’s hand and got up.
“Anyways, what did my friends get you? I heard Gigi talking about her grand plan when she got me to ‘help’ her.” Lei curiously looked at what Vail
“Eh, some sweets from Ceres and some KT tape from Elise. And you know what Gigi got her.”
“My friends are the best, aren’t they?” Lei smiled. “So thoughtful and kind… Well, except for Gigi today.”
“They’re pretty cool.” Vail agreed. “But not as cool as you.”
“Oh, you sweet-talker!” Lei lightly patted his arm. “Wherever did you learn how to talk like that?”
“My girlfriend~”
Lei giggled again, and Vail inwardly sighed in relief seeing her mood lifted. Then she went on to say, “Since you’re behaving so well, I’ll let you in on another embarrassing secret.”
Vail leaned his head closer to her, nodding thoughtfully. “I’m all ears.”
Given that Lei was no longer in her heels (Gigi also had a no-shoes household), Vail bent even further down so that she could directly whisper into his ear. Her cupped hand against his head and warm breath made him feel a bit tingly, but he tried his best to ignore the feeling and focus on her words.
“I did initially agree to be tied up for you — Gigi snapped some spicy pics meant for your eyes only.”
It was unnecessary to say, but Vail couldn’t wait to see.
As the two of them were preparing to walk out the door of Gigi’s guestroom and join the rest of the partygoers, Lei tugged on the sleeve of Vail’s sweater and pointed upward.
“Oh look, there’s a mistletoe on the door.” Lei murmured.
There, hanging on the top of the doorframe where neither he or Lei could reach, was the green plant tied with a red ribbon.
Of course, Gigi and her teasing. Vail mused. Although, she’s been particularly helpful today.
“Well, I suppose we have to follow tradition.” Vail replied, already beginning to cup Lei’s face toward him.
“I suppose so.” Lei agreed promptly, closing her eyes and leaning in.
Well, the rest doesn’t need to be told. But you can be certain that they took their sweet time before returning to the party.
NOTES:
Kasper is a character from this card suit story I never finished but I decided he’ll be Gigi’s cousin in this universe. Specifically, he is the illegitimate son of Gigi’s uncle.
Those spicy pics Gigi took? Well you can see the slightly less spicy version as I drew it in 2023 (?) so canonically that picture I drew has lore now LOL. As for the spicy version? Maybe one day LOL for now it’ll be for Vail’s eyes only
I started writing this in December 2025 meant to finish this for Vail’s birthday but it’s March 2026 now T_T There’s also a 3 year old story meant for Ceres + Lei… Maybe I’ll try to finish it up for Ceres’ bday? Who knows T_T
Description: Approximately a month after the mass kidnappings and forgetting has happened within the city of Mertalline, life has gone on. Lei struggles with coming to terms with her loss of her best friend Ceres and own helplessness and spends time speaking with her lover Vail in scenic place inside the city. Written for a commission concept.
Word count: 1763 words
“Bye, Elise!” Lei called out to her co-owner as she neared their clinic’s front doors with her coat in hand. “Don’t stay too late.”
At the receptionist’s desk, Elise simply smiled and didn’t reply, which did not make Lei feel reassured about Elise’s work-life balance. Even though they had hired a few more doctors and nurses for their newly-opened clinic, work was always busy in the slums and people were always dying. Just simply looking at her reflection in the glass doors, Lei could see her worn-down expression and unkempt hair.
Lei shivered as she stepped out of the clinic, instantly regretting not wearing her coat. She put it on hastily as she waited out on the curb for her boyfriend.
Boyfriend. It was a weird and unfamiliar word for her. After her first failed relationship back in university, she had accepted that perhaps she was not worth loving. She had dedicated herself to her studies and then her job. Only recently had she had looked death in the eye and realized that life was too short not to chase dreams.
Lost in her thoughts, Lei didn’t even notice when someone pulled up very close to the curb in front of her. She also didn’t notice as the person called her name. She only realized when he was right in front of her and tapping her shoulder.
“Lei? You okay?” Vail’s warm and familiar voice drifted into her consciousness and she was suddenly aware, as if she had been submerged underwater and only now did surface.
“I’m sorry… I was lost in my own thoughts.” Lei said sheepishly.
Vail nodded, as if he understood. “Is there anywhere you wanted to go today? Get a drink to relax? Get dinner?”
Lei paused for a moment, pondering the options, but she wasn’t hungry, nor did she particularly feel like drinking. She still had work tomorrow and she was not good at holding back when she let herself loose.
“Do you… know anywhere quiet and scenic where we could just get away from it all for a bit?”
Vail scoffed. “Quiet in the slums? Yeah, right.”
But then seeing her crestfallen expression, he cleared his throat. “Well, I don’t know if it’ll be up to your standards, but I might be able to think of a place. You probably don’t mean one of our apartments, huh?”
Lei shook her head. “No, I just want to really take a whole look at the city. The way I used to do Downtown.”
He nodded thoughtfully, then passed her a bike helmet. “Hop on.”
He got on his bike, putting on his helmet quickly and waited for her to carefully slip on her own helmet and sit behind him. She wrapped her hands around his firm waist and let herself relax against him as he vroomed away into the city streets.
He always drove fast and this night was no exception. Despite the wind cutting through her thin tights and into her exposed skin, she didn’t mind. The pain reminded her that she was alive and present. Unlike all those who had lost their lives less than a month prior. Unlike the ones that they had lost.
-
It was a bit of a longer drive than usual. Mertalline was pretty large, fitting 34 million in all three tiers of the city. The middle slums where they were was the second largest region and there were clearly places that Lei didn’t know about yet. Before getting arrested, she had barely explored the slums. She had gone to work, gotten groceries and supplies, maybe went out to eat or a salon or shopping and that was the extent of her exploration. She had been advised to keep her head down and not draw too much attention to herself and she lived that to a T.
They went through many suspicious-looking streets, and after a few winding back alleys, Vail finally slid to a stop in front of a rundown looking building with a railing in front. There was quite a lot of rubble surrounding the building, but there didn’t seem to be many (if at all) people around.
“Watch your step.” Vail told her, offering her his free hand. He had taken off his helmet, revealing his slightly sweaty blue hair. Lei could only imagine how terrible her hair situation must be by now. But still, she took his hand and gingerly stepped around the rubble.
He led her to the edge as she tried to brush out her hair with her free hand. She stopped once she caught sight of the view at the railing.
It was the city. The stupid, horrible, dirty, shitty city. But further away from it all without the constant screeching of cars and people, she could objectively see the flashing neon lights and all the buildings and skyscrapers. She could even make out the bright white and sky-tall elevators that led into Up/Downtown and also eventually Paradise. Maybe this city was shitty, but it was her city.
“This really is nice, thank you for bringing me here.” Lei murmured to Vail.
“No problem. I’m just glad it lives up to your expectations.
“Am I the first person that you’ve brought up here?” Lei asked, as she let go of his hand, leaned over the railing and gazed back at Vail.
Vail hesitated for a moment before responding. “No, I’ve brought Rose and the others here before.”
Lei turned away and sighed softly but not inaudibly. She knew it wasn’t her place to feel disappointed, but she still couldn’t help it. It was nice to feel special, you know?
“But,” Vail continued as Lei turned her attention to him again. “This is the first time I've brought someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” Lei was even more confused now. Should she feel offended? Or something else?
He smiled then, his signature almost smug, cat-like smile. “Someone special like you.”
Oh. Lei felt all air whoosh out of her and heat crept up her cheeks as she stammered out a thank you.
I’m being silly, she thought to herself once she had regained her ability to breathe. That’s such a textbook example of a cheesy line.
But still despite telling herself that, she really, really liked it. She really enjoyed being someone’s “special”.
-
“Do you ever think about how Rose is?” Lei asked him as he joined her in leaning on the railing. “All the way in Adamawa, doing who knows what?”
Vail shrugged, his back resting against the railing as he folded his arms. “I guess I’ve thought about it a bit. But Rose has been a runner for a long time. He’ll be fine.”
Sure, Rose was probably doing fine. Despite Lei’s distaste for the tall, older, tattooed runner, he had been around for a pretty long time, so he was definitely skilled. But Lei wasn’t worried about Rose. She was thinking about Rose’s secret younger sister, Ceres.
“Are you thinking about Ceres again?”
“Yes.” Lei spoke honestly.
Vail didn’t speak back. He had learned, over the two years that they had known each other, that sometimes she just wanted someone to listen.
“I just… miss her sometimes.” Lei said. But that wasn’t quite right. Missing her didn’t describe the full range of emotions she felt when she thought about Ceres. She worried about Ceres, the last image of Ceres floating in a liquid-filled glass cylinder the way she already suffered before. She felt desperate, but helpless at the same time, unable to do anything for her best friend.
“I just wish I could do something to help…” Lei’s voice trailed off, unable to put her thoughts into words properly.
“You’re doing plenty already.” Vail said. “Keeping safe here and helping the people here is enough.”
“Hmm… and to think that you were the one encouraging me to go to Adamawa when the first opportunity arose.”
“Well, that was before the situation changed.” Vail replied. “Back then, I thought it would be a good opportunity to fulfill your dream.”
“But now?” Lei pressed.
“Well, I do think it’s easier to protect you in a familiar town where I know people and know where the resources are.” Vail replied simply.
“Hey, I thought we agreed that the protecting would be equal between the two of us!”
Vail smiled at her, and continued. “I know Lexi and us will figure something out, Lei. We always do.”
“Promise?” Lei held up her hand for a pinky promise out of instinct.
Although it was a bit childish, her pinky promises were a tradition and something special that she did with Ceres, back when Ceres was still in Mertalline.
Without any hint of hesitation, Vail reached out obediently to link their pinkies together, but Lei quickly pulled her hand away at the last second, leaving Vail with a bewildered expression.
“I’m sorry… That’s… I…” Lei tried to explain, but failed to do so. She then took a breath and tried again with her eyes closed so that she didn’t have to look at Vail’s expression. “Pinky promises are a special thing I did with Ceres, is all. And I… wish to keep it something between Ceres and I… at least until she comes back.”
Instead of getting mad or perhaps even hitting her, Vail simply said, “ No problem, I get it. That just means we’ll need to have our own tradition, right?”
Lei finally dared to open her eyes. “Such as?”
“You know, I didn’t think that far yet.” Vail admitted.
Lei laughed then, comforted that Vail was still as cute as she thought he was. “Well, if you’re taking suggestions, I don’t have a tradition with anyone giving me kisses yet. Perhaps a kiss on the cheek… or even the hand?”
He obliged then, reaching for her hand and grasping her bare fingers gently with a soft smile. He pressed his lips against her knuckles, merely a butterfly’s touch. “Anything for you, milady.”
-
Afterwards, they stood together against the railing, her head against his neck and shoulder as they held hands and watched the city’s neon lights flash. Lei pretended those flashing lights were like the stars she used to occasionally see through Paradise’s transparent roads on clear nights.
“Is there anything else you want to do tonight?”
“Oh, I think you already know.” Lei said, with a teasing lilt in her voice. “But for now… let’s just stay like this for a while.”
“Alright.”
And as they stood there together in companionable silence, Lei felt, just in that moment, that everything might turn out to be alright.
[AUTHOR'S NOTES]
DON'T WORRY I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN OVER THEM MY OTP VAILEI ILYSM
To provide more information (in case it was not already clear) I'm ordering a commission from a friend (because they're an amazing artist) and despite their SUPER AMAZING CONCEPT ART I WISH I COULD SHARE they wanted to get a better idea of the vibe or sort of interaction I wanted to see. So instead of IDK thinking of ideas like a normal person I decided I wanted to write A WHOLE ASS FANFICTION about my OTP. I am slightly insane about my OCs which I think is maybe okay.
It's crazy to think I did Lei's campaign 3 years ago and it still has such a strong and lasting impression on me. I just really grew to love my green girl even though TBH in her conception she was kind of a stitched-together idea. I still think about her journey and her aftermath, which I don't suppose is yet over, so I cannot fully dot the final period to her story.
The general vibe I wanted to convey in this story (as I always do when I write canon universe vailei) is a sort of misty, dreamy mood. I want to imagine even though the universe they live in sucks and always tries to come up with ways to make it suck more with them, that in the time they spend together, they find a way to dream together.
[NON IMPORTANT NOTES]
I had so much trouble deciding if Vail would call Lei "milady" or "princess". For some reason "princess" sounds kind of condescending if not used right so I went with "milady" to go with a knight sort of connotation due to all the "protecting" ideas. BUT LIKE PRINCESS AS A PETNAME IS STILL CUTE IN CONCEPT (clench fist)
Also I love how I just shoved in Ceres when it was supposed to be a vailei fic LOL WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!??!!?
I didn't proofread this (in detail) so if you see any typos no you didn't
My job has made me SOOOO Busy but I really wanted to draw her... I really wanna do some OC art in my short break 🥺🥺🥺 Got some WIPS / ideas I'm hoping to explore!
I drew Lei maybe taking a selfie after she gets her hair chopped and dyed at a salon. I imagine she must have been so happy with her looks for once in her life. Based on her outfit this is probably more modern AU than canon XD but she def got her hair dyed in her canon cyberpunk universe after going to the slums. She totally changed her fashion style to fit in better.
Hopefully more Lei pieces soon 🥺🥺🥺
(Slightly related note I'm very excited to get my hair dyed for the first time 🥰🥰🥰 I give so many of my OCs peekaboos so I'm hoping that it'll look good when I get my own 🥺🥺🥺🥺 pls pray for my never-before-bleached hair)
I wouldn't have been late if I didn't spend too long realizing I had no idea for the BG... I should plan things better next year (I say every year)
Of course I had to draw pink /strawberry / cupid Nova for the special occasion~ This is the 3rd one I've drawn of her -- in 2023, 2025, and now 2026! *
It's sooo fun to play with the red/pink scheme~ I love the lovecore aesthetic so much! My sister was trying to convince me to draw her a new fit and buy into the consumerism but I don't have many pieces with the fit I designed her last year so I decided to keep her in it!
Totally not cuz the new fit I designed for her didn't have colours picked...haha... definitely not... **
I wonder what she's thinking as she's looking at you (the viewer) like this 🤔
*2024's valentine day drawing was the Love Lei teaser.... it's been 2 years and my progress for the game is almost the same as its inception 😭 why am I so stupid busy 😭😭😭 Maybe this summer??!?!! I lied as naturally as I breathed (that's what I said last year).
** I might draw 2 more of these sorts of pieces for the QUE3NS concept. Cuz I designed their outfits. But also like I never did the holiday photocards so we'll see 😂😂😂
Happy (VERY BELATED) birthday to my son(-in-law) Vail whose birthday was Jan 1 😭😭😭
I drew him two versions as compensation... not because I couldn't decide the colour scheme or anything...ahaha... It's "light-mode" and "dark-mode".
I've had some INSANE artblock the past month but I couldn't finish the month without drawing him some proper birthday art. I've been wanting to draw him for a while anyways to practice drawing men... I love drawing ladies so much but I should give my sons some love 😭 It was honestly such a struggle because I don't draw them enough and then when I do they look ugly... because I don't practice them and draw them enough (It's an ENDLESS CYCLE!!!)
Anyways my original plan was to redraw the 2025 flower series... that I did not finish because I'm missing SOOO many characters from it but also I feel like that's a lot of pressure to draw them for their birthdays. I might just have fun with whatever I come up with and not pressure myself!!!
Although I think I DO want to go back and finish those flower series pieces eventually ^^ maybe a goal for 2026 would be to just do those at my own pace~ I think for the actual birthday series this year if I can accomplish some of the pieces within the month (being generous LOL) would be to dress them up in fancy-ish fits :3
I didn't do as much as I'd hoped this year towards the end of the year and during this winter break but such is life :') At least it's not that I don't ever have a chance to draw those pieces I'd envisioned ever -- I can still do that toward the future! : )
Overall, I'd say I continue to work on drawing hands and using more references! I didn't get much chances to work on things I wanted to this year, so that's a goal to continue to work on. I also didn't really get a chance to work on "Love, Lei" 😭😭😭 why am I so busy 😭😭😭
I think my main goal for next year is to understand I'm a busy person with too many hobbies and not to stress things too much. I had an ambitious "birthday flower" series this year that I didn't really get to finish and I think I won't really get to do it "on time" in 2026 either cuz Vail's birthday is... tomorrow LOL. Drawing is a hobby and something I'm meant to enjoy and that's my goal to remember in 2026 so I shouldn't have to "Beat myself" over deadlines~
Going through the months:
January: Umbra vaping - piece I drew because I hadn't drawn my purple girl in a while and I wanted to draw her in a suit back in her corporate days when she was just her mother's dog : D I really liked the whole mood of this piece and I think this is where I solidified the fact that she is always wearing gloves lol. In addition, I was really proud of how I made the smoke/vapour curl into the shape of a dragon which hints at what she becomes ^^
February: Lovecore / Cupid Nova - One of my fave pieces of this year because she just looks soooo cute!!?!?!?! I'm also proud of the new additions to her hair (the ribbon and the angel wing hairclip) and how the background makes it look like she's in the crosshairs :D
March: I was on vacation overseas during the majority of the month so I was unfortunately not able to draw 😔😔😔
April: Idol AU NOVA - April was a VERY productive drawing month -- I returned from vacation so I drew a LOT this month. But my favourite piece is definitely the idol AU Nova I drew in prep for my birthday karaoke. I light how the lighting turned out and also the BG with the lightsticks being waved around. Using refs really helps LOL
May: Mermay Lumi - I think this is also one of the greatest pieces I drew this year in terms of lighting, mood, and background. I'm really proud of how the crescent moon reflects into the water. I think the only weak part is her hand... I did NOT look at a ref for that LOL
June: Lumi pfp - also not a productive drawing month since I was wrapping up another contract 💀💀💀 The only decent piece is this Lumi headshot I drew in prep for Art fight. Speaking of art fight she was really popular LOL possibly due to her simple design 😂😂
July: Yuna at the shrine - new purple girl!!! and a fox girl!!! Most of my July pieces are art fight pieces but I wanted to make this art summary all OCs and this is the only piece I drew that's an OC XD but the idea of Yuna and her sister has been there for a while -- at least since 2023 ish and I only got to designing her seriously this year.
August: This sakura Umbra was actually a WIP from May that I finally got to finishing in August XD I was so busy in May / June and I was also a bit art blocked / burnt out in August after art fight and my summer course T_T But I'm very happy with this piece over all and how the lighting and pose turned out (again followed a reference -- do you see the trend here?) She's usually dressed in black / purple / orange so I'm glad to have put her in a pretty pink for a change : D I hope I get to play her some day soon hehe
September: Flower Series Bday Lei - I got sick in September so not a lot of time to draw but it was imperative that I finished the flower series Lei bday art to also match Vail's ;w; I think next year if I get to redraw them I'll have them match a bit more :3 This was the last piece of this year with a decent background where I tried cuz I got so busy after 😭😭😭
October: Aeriyn - Didn't draw much this month cuz I started my contract :'D This was the only piece I have with a background that's decent and a nonchibi... sigh... I like her new hair/ bangs a lot tho!!! makes her look more elvish I think ^^
November: Nova 2025 business card - wanted to update the Nova on my business card and this was my chance to do it~ I had a market this month and my business cards didn't come in time for it but at least I can maybe use them next year? ;w;
December: Holiday Idol Nova - to fit the holiday idol gacha stickers I drew with my main girls~ I drew Nova a photocard and if I have time I plan to draw Lei and Lumi one too! I think it would be cute if they all have the "L" in their fingers for their pose but I'll have to find some ref photos first lol. Unfortunately didn't have much time to draw since I was finishing the term and then recovering but I did start some WIPs during this break that I hope to finish ^^ I also drew lots of OC stickers and stickers alike LOL
Happy Holidays! And Happy (Belated) Birthday to Nova
I drew her in her holiday idol AU outfit! I think she's SUPER cute in pigtails!!! I know the hands aren't great but it's a work in progress T_T I swear I followed a reference LOL but my hand game is weak
I really like how this looks like a photocard and how I made her signature on her finger as if she manifested her signatures. I want to try drawing the other 2 in QUE3NS but we'll see cuz the year is ending and there's some more things I would like to draw before the year ends 🤔🤔🤔
As for the 2025 flower series... I failed spectacularly so I'll try to redraw it for 2026 XD It was also since I wasn't sure what flower to do for Nova 🤔🤔🤔 She's so important to me that there's not one perfect flower that represents what I want to portray with her 😭😭😭 I'll have to think about it for next year.
It's been a hot minute since i was able to draw cuz the end of the term has been killing me with my job 😭😭😭 I did make these gacha stickers for my friends' potluck tho so we could gachaaaa
I decided to make it a series with my top 3 main lady OCs 😤😤😤 this is the QUE3NS AU / IDOL AU where the 3 of them form an idol group that is more k-pop esque. I put them in holiday fits and although its hard to tell all of them actually have plaid in their designs :3 It was also very integral to their design that they all have slightly diff hair styles / hair accessories than usual. ALTHOUGH MY SIS SAID THAT LUMI DIDN'T LOOK LIKE LUMI AND LOOKED LIKE UR AVG IDOL GIRL HEAD IN HANDS
As another note I think Nova in twintails is SOOOOOOOOO CUTE 😭😭 AND AND AND it was really important that they all have fur in their designs, although I wish I gave Lumi a bit more fur in her design... maybe I'll revamp it next year
Which design would you have wanted to pull? :3
MORE YAPPING ABOUT THE IDOL AU
Nova is the main singer OFC she has the vocalization, range, and PIPES!!! I imagine her singing voice is kinda like Wendy Red Velvet ? 🤔 She's prob also the centre most of the time
Lei is the oldest and as such the mature leader. She's also the main dancer and I imagine she studied ballet cuz her fam is very traditional but later fell in love with more hip hop esque dance.
Lumi is the youngest (maknae) and also the main rapper. I imagine she can sing somewhat too but likes to spit bars. She probably comes from a more affluent family -- maybe even almost chaebol cuz she's royalty in her og world LOL
new nova pfp 😎😎😎 It's been a while since I've drawn a good Nova bust to use and I have an upcoming art market so I wanted to update my business card design!
I feel like business cards are mostly for collection / backing cards XD but still!!! I want to collect my business cards in my photocard binder and watch as my art improves !!!! I've been doing Nova business cards but maybe one day I'll do a Lei one too 👀
I really LOVE how adorable her face turned out here 🥺🥺🥺 She's such a cuuuutie!!! The sketch looked even better but that's just what happens when you line things orz
Haven't drawn in a hot minute cuz my job has been killing me and also I've been trying to prepare for an art market 💀💀💀🤡🤡🤡 I'm still really underprepared for that market HAHAHAHAHA
Butttt while I had a little bit of time I wanted to finish up this ADORABLE pink Nova sketch I had in my WIPS 🥰🥰🥰 It might be a bit wonky cuz I did in a bit of a rush but I think she still looks very cute. Nova is good in all aesthetics 😤😤😤
