#sprite's scribbles

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

I'm baaaack!

Thanks for being patient with the radio silence there for a bit, everybody! I'll be getting to asks shortly, but in the meantime ...

Linked Seas update coming tomorrow!

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

If you have a moment, thoughts and prayers would be much appreciated--there's some HUGE stuff for The Inklings in the works right now (good stuff) and I'm hoping and praying everything goes smoothly! If everything works out, I'll be able to share the news before the book comes out this fall. We'll see!

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

Hello!! I love the idea of a LS ask hour!

I don’t have any specific asks right now, so take this as a free pass to yap!

I had 2 different ideas for this, so I'm going to go with the one I think is less likely to come up in an ask!

*puts on "game show host" voice*

Thaaaat's right, it's time for ...

Yapping About Mer Scales!

At this point, I think it's pretty well-established that young mer in the Linked Seas AU have soft, delicate scales that are prone to damage and disease. That's a big part of why tribes get ultra protective of their young.

But! There are tons of differences in scale types between mer, and the differences come with their own advantages and disadvantages. Similar to how you'd see animal species adapting to their specific habitat over time, certain styles of scales tend to be more common in different parts of the ocean/different tribe lifestyles. The Chain and Wisdom Tribes are unique for their wide variety of scale types/colors. What a mer's scales look and feel like can tell you a lot about them. Two examples ...

Warriors: Metallic, ultra-hard scales are rare, but more common in predator-infested parts of the ocean. Wars's scales indicate that he's a natural fighter, but they require more upkeep than most. His skin/connective tissue underneath his scales is unusually sensitive and vulnerable. Strength on the outside, kindness on the inside. He's also less flexible than other mer and has to work harder to keep up speed-wise because of his scale weight.

Legend: He's a special case because the genetics for his scales do not accurately reflect his habitat or lifestyle. His scales are designed to be flashy and gorgeous, which helps some with making social connections. If his life had gone differently, his scales would have been supple and flexible, great for warm, near-coastal waters with lots of hiding spots. Scales like his also tend to indicate artistic mer (particularly in the performing arts). The tradeoff is that he's more visible to predators and his large fins can slow him down. As he is now, Legend's tail indicates that he is (was) a scavenger; lots of scars, faded color, and brittle/patchy scales that haven't grown enough to support him. His health has improved thanks to the Chain Tribe, but Legend will always look small and tattered around the edges compared to other mer. He grows to accept and even enjoy it--it's proof he survived and made a better life for himself. Plus, his size makes enemies underestimate him and gives him access to more hiding/sneak attack spots.

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

Pick any LS cast member, for non-suspicious reasons :)

Ooh, non-suspicious, huh? How about Warriors?

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

I finally caught my moonvine blooming on camera!!!

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

Currently measuring when I need to take a break from writing by counting the times I write "explooded." XD

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

Tumblr maybe-scam help?

I just got an ask from someone who said they accidentally reported my account. I haven't noticed anything reported/restricted on my end, and I've never seen this person on my dash before (even in likes). They said they could show me the ticket Tumblr sent them after the report.

Does anyone have experience with this kind of thing, and if so, is it a scam (it feels scam-ish to me)?

Is it more likely that this person had their account hacked, or that they're the one putting out this ask (their account looks legit on the surface, but I know bots/hackers can make things look legit)?

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

Care to spill some lore/headcanons (is it a headcanon if you’re writing the character?) about the Zeldas in Linked Seas? I love the series so much, your writing is always a joy to read!

Thanks so much for being patient with this one and for your kind words, anon! Have some fun facts about the Zeldas in LS (in order of age):

Lullaby: Prior to founding the Wisdom Tribe, Lullaby lived in a small costal tribe. Few mer know this (Artemis, Dusk, Sun, Time, and Malon), but Lullaby once had a mate who she loved very much in her birth tribe. Lullaby and her mate were close with Malon and Time, and they even helped Time transform into a mer so he could be with Malon.

Artemis: The best fighter of the Wisdom Tribe. She can even defeat Warriors in a spar (they keep a tally of who’s won their matches, and it’s always close). She’s the most natural leader of the bunch, given that she was next in line to be chief of her birth tribe and started a revolution before winding up with Wisdom. She secretly loves jewelry, and wishes she could find more pieces that wouldn’t interfere with her movement in a fight.

Dusk: Tries to hide how protective she feels about her tribe. Fails miserably. Best friends with Artemis, but they differ on how they think the young ones should be raised—those fights go to Lullaby for the last word. Enjoys cooking in her spare time, keeps the kitchen and her living spaces hyper-organized. She and Wild swap recipes.

Sun: The most skilled at crafting, especially when it comes to textiles. It’s her favorite hobby! Almost every piece of clothing the Wisdom and Chain tribes wear were made by her at some point. Out of the entire LS cast, including Dark and the rest of the Demise Tribe, Sun is the one sitting on the most secrets. Not even Sky knows all of them.

Flora: An unapologetic mad scientist. Wild is her oldest and dearest friend, but Groose comes in a close second place for Flora’s bestie—she and Groose can talk for hours about contraptions and machines. Wild still refuses to get anywhere near sea cucumbers because of one memory he regained where Flora made him eat one raw “for research purposes.”

Fable: While not the physically strongest of the Wisdom Tribe, Fable is the most athletic/interested in athletics. She’s always the first one to suggest a game, which has made her very popular with the younger mer in her tribe. She’s also the most open about her emotions and is a good negotiator when the others squabble.

Hilda: Hasn’t fully come out of the scavenger mentality yet. Because of this, she’s the fastest to act in a crisis. With mer, one twin (normally the first born) tends to be slightly larger and more protective of the other. Hilda fits that role very well (Ravio and Four are the larger twins in their pairs, in case anyone is curious). She wants to be good at some sort of art, but finds it hard to stay still and focus on something not related to survival.

Aurora: Learning weaving from Sun, but she doesn’t quite have the patience for it yet. She and Dawn both have secret little crushes on Hyrule—Aurora knows Dawn has feelings for him, but Dawn doesn’t know how Aurora feels. Aurora would be willing to step aside and let her sister court Hyrule if that would make the two of them happiest, so she makes sure Dawn never finds out about her own feelings.

Dawn: The most timid member of the Wisdom Tribe, and the least interested in combat. If mer had a term for ‘precious cinnamon roll,’ Wisdom would all use it to describe Dawn. Dawn is the only mer in the tribe who is fine with being coddled and even enjoys it at times (some of the others will accept coddling under certain circumstances). Despite being a new arrival to the tribe, she’s already become their glue. She and Dot enjoy playing together with their dolls—they always come up with super elaborate and confusing storylines that only they understand/can remember.

Dot: The most composed of the Wisdom Tribe after Lullaby, which is saying something. She has a passion for interior decorating, and turned both the guppies’ and adoles’ grottos into comfy masterpieces. She’s one of the most open about her love for the others in her tribe. She also knows a ton about magic, even some of the adults will ask for her advice on spells.

Tetra: Her tail looks like a neon tetra’s! Wind thinks that’s hilarious and teases her about it all the time (when he knows he can make a quick escape, of course). Tetra constantly pesters Flora to make her one of those cannon-thingies she’s seen on human ships. Tetra was a bit jealous when the Chain got Aryll instead of Wisdom, but she wants the best for her little friend, and she knows it was right for Aryll to be with her brother. Unknown to anyone, Tetra will be the largest/most muscular of the Wisdom Tribe when she’s fully grown.