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Snowflake Challenge 2026 #10

Challenge #10

Choose something you love and create a mini mood collection of three (or more) items that evoke your feelings about it. You don't have to limit yourself to visual media, or collect the items into a special format like a square (though you can if you'd like).

Subject: In Stars and Time (indie video game)

Moodboard:

A moodboard for the game In Stars and Time. It is in black and white, and has themes of time, timeloops, stars, acting, and pretending to be alright

A moodboard for the game In Stars and Time. It is in black and white, and has themes of time, timeloops, stars, acting, and pretending to be alright

The same moodboard as before, with an image of Siffrin overlayed on top of it

Playlist (click the "play" button):

ENCORE!

1:07 / ∞

▶︎

THE RECORD PLAYER SONG ☆ Daisy the Great

"i need a dictionary
someone look me up and define me
please remind me who i'm supposed
to be around you
so you will do what i want you to
i'm always winning the wrong game
i don't remember my real name"

FLIGHT OF THE CROWS ☆ Jhariah

"well, i think that i've gotta go and i don't know why
but i need you to promise me that you won't cry
'cause you'll be fine and so will i
so, just let me out of your mind
in the morning, you'll learn i disappeared off into the night so quietly
that your love for me will vanish, too."

LOVE LIKE YOU ☆ Steven Universe OST

"when i see the way you look
shaken by how long it took
i could do about anything
i could even learn how to love like you
love like you
love me, like you"

code

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Snowflake Challenge 2026 #9

Challenge #9

Talk about your favorite tropes in media or transformative works. (Feel free to substitute in theme/motif/cliche if "trope" doesn't resonate with you.)

Since I already talked about my all-time favorite trope last year, internalized homophobia, I'll talk about another favorite: character studies!

"Character Study" is actually my most-used tag on AO3 (if we're not counting "Betaed", which I don't), and that's because I absolutely adore both writing and reading them. The name of the game is exactly what I love about fanfic: getting into a character's head.

In writing, it's a very fulfilling exercise. It's an exploration of the character in question, and how you (you, specifically!) interpret their actions, their motivations, and their mental state. And, in reading, it's a fun way to explore how other people interpret the character, helping you appreciate your faves through a fresh set of eyes!

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Snowflake Challenge 2026 #8

Challenge #8

Talk about your creative process.

I could've answered with a few different creative processes (art, editing, coding, essay writing, etc), but ended up going with fanfic writing, because it's definitely the most uniform!

1) Inspiration
Sometimes, the ideas that pop into my head get added to my big document of fic ideas to write at a later date! Other times, it takes over my soul and torments me until I exorcise it via writing.

~~1.5) Make sure that you take your attention medication on the day(s) that you're planning to work~~

2) Outline
Basically every writing community I've joined seems to expect outlines to come in paragraphs. My outlines, however, have always come in bullet point lists. This stage is extremely informal, to the point that I will often slip in little jokes for myself. (Probably my favorite example: a bullet point dedicated to the statement, "KEEP IT LIGHTHEARTED, YOU ANGST-LOVING FUCK!!")

Sometimes, I'll have multiple bullet point lists. The one that I always have is the plot outline. Other, optional lists include inspiration for the intended tone (lines from movies, poetry, etc), ideas I'd like to touch on at some point without knowing where they would fit (for example: "I'd like to imply that this character has (XYZ disorder)," when that's not the focus of the fic), and/or notes on the research I've done for the fic. (Research is a part of the outlining phase, as well, when applicable!)

( Continue? )

Current Mood: jubilant

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Foremost Thought on the Cookie Run Leaks

FOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE HAS CHRISTIAN-CODED DOUBTS AND HE STRUGGLES WITH HIS FAITH!!! I WIN!!!!

I used to prayyyy for days like these... and it's so much more explicitly about struggling with religious faith than I thought they would make it!!! Clicking my heels and skipping and whistling a lil tune in response to my guy being psychologically tortured the way I'd hoped

Current Mood: discontent

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Snowflake Challenge 2026 #7

Challenge #7

LIST THREE (or more) THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF. They don’t have to be your favorite things, just things that you think are good. Feel free to expand as much or as little as you want.

I did this all on my own. I definitely did nooot need my husband to help me come up with these. Nope. 100% naturally Azure-grown! *Lying*

1) I like being an artsy person
2) I like that I can make my friends laugh
3) I like being tall

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: Q&A - ぴーなた

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Snowflake Challenge 2026 #6

Challenge #6

Top 10 Challenge.

I struggled for a looong time on what subject to use for this, but I finally settled on my top 10 favorite vocal synth songs released in 2025! (With links!)

( Bonus: Top 10 under the cut... continue? )

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Shocking No One, Azure Once Again Talks About Gender in Cookie People

Was not a fan of the new Shadow Milk costume at first, but it’s slowly growing on me, specifically as a potential alternate universe where Shadow Milk fell into repression.

First, there’s the outfit itself. Shadow Milk, as we know him, is obviously associated with Satan (the snake form referencing Eve and the apple, opposing Jesus/Mary figure Pure Vanilla, the tree of knowledge, etc etc). He abandoned his duties as a religious figure. So, why does his crown have a cross on it? Plus, the fact that he is now a king with a sword, as opposed to an androgynous jester with theatrical associations. He’s so much more traditionally masculine — his hair is even cut short.

Which is kind of horrific, in and of itself, right? We know that his hair is alive; would that not be akin to cutting off a limb? And he looks so tired… Shadow Milk has bags under his eyes in his usual form, of course, but it’s the eyebags in combination with the small smile, upturned eyebrows, and the scar.

We can assume that this version of Shadow Milk is some sort of soft roleswap with Eternal Sugar. Perhaps, in this universe, Shadow Milk feels he is unable to be loved unless he scrubs all of his traditionally-queer forms of self-expression away?

... What does that say about Eternal Sugar, and her relationship to gender expression?

Current Mood: grateful

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Snowflake Challenge 2026 #5 & #11

Challenge #5

In your own space, create a list of at least three things you'd love to receive, a wishlist of sorts.

I'm sooo happy to see a version of this challenge back! I loved fulfilling people's wishlists last year~ As for myself, I have a couple! (Don't mind the soft-recycling of my holiday_wishes list...)

1. Help me move! I'm currently saving up to move out of my parents' home! They forbid me from going on HRT, so I'm trying to move ASAP. Plus, I live in a red state with lots of anti-trans legislation.

My Paypal.me is here, and my Ko-fi is here!

2. Comments on my fics! I am AzureMist on AO3, and some fandoms I've written for include Dungeon Meshi, MILGRAM, Splatoon, and Pokémon, among other things! If you're familiar with any of the fandoms I've written for, from 2021 onward, I'd really, really appreciate it if you could spare some kind words!

3. Digital giftcards! Specifically Nintendo eShop, Steam, Pokémon Center and DoorDash gift cards! I have a long gaming-related wishlist, so if you could help make even a dent in that, it would be very appreciated. The Pokémon Center is the official Pokémon merch store, and Pokémon is my one true fandom, so it makes sense why I would love some items from there (especially Pokémon plushies, as I collect them)! And lastly, DoorDash cards will be used for yummy treats~

4. Support for my art accounts! A share, a kind comment, or maybe even a follow for any of my art accounts would warm my heart!! It's brutal out here for us artists online in this day and age... I am primarily active on Tumblr and Bluesky!

5. Paid time on Tumblr and Dreamwidth! I'm azuremist on Tumblr! Tumblr is my main online platform of choice, so I'd get a ton of usage out of it, and I'd love to get more icons on Dreamwidth!

6. Spare my beloved's site some kind words! This one's a secret, okay? Don't mention that I sent you! But my long-suffering husband has a simple website! It contains things like some of his art, and a work-in-progress guide to shiny hunting. Pup often gets discouraged with pups site, and hasn't updated it in a while because of it. So, please consider looking around, then signing the guestbook at the bottom of the homepage with some kind words!

7. Steam games! Steam gift cards too much of a hassle? I understand. (What kinda digital store doesn't let you send an e-gift card by email? In 2026??) Then maybe consider gifting me a game more directly with Humble Bundle! I have a lot of visual novels on my wishlist; specifics include Canvas Menagerie, Love Curse: Find Your Soulmate, Afterlove EP, Necrobarista, Heart of the Woods, and Letters From a Rainy Day -Oceans and Lace-.

8. Consider joining and posting to my Dungeon Meshi comm if you're a fan?

dunmeshi I try to keep the community active by doing reoccuring posts, but I don't think anybody else has ever posted to it except in the comments. Rec something (including self-recs), post your meta, art, anything at all!

My email is azures.mist@protonmail.com, and my Steam account is azuremists! Much love~

Challenge #11

In your own space, grant someone's wish from Challenge #5.

I decided to combine Challenge #5 and #11 into one post, as, upon Challenge #11's release, I found that this was something that I actually already did, and kept track of, in my original post for Challenge #5!

( Wishes I've granted )