innerbeast

[innerbeast]

BEHOLD THEM..... and my normalcy over this commission, the high from this picture is gonna keep me kicking for a while. this was done my milketali on bsky!! they also keep a carrd with other places to reach them and i highly recommend if they've got spots open!!!

[innerbeast]

"father's day. right, sure--" anyway.

[innerbeast]

"stickin' with favorites ain't ever a bad choice!"

"though it does mean i'm gonna be houndin' ya to branch out afterwards," with an elbow, lucia is given a playful nudge. "if ya end up likin' it, of course. i've plenty o' recommendations to give, never too sweet, either!" actually -- "better yet, i'll get another of my own, ya can try a bit."

Lucia curiously notes the familiarity between Dar'khol and the employee, coming to the correct conclusion that Dar must be a regular at this shop.

"Oh, my," Lucia hums, leaning in to read the menu of different boba varieties. "It says the tapioca variety is 'classic'; perhaps I should try my usual favorite sort of tea with that?"

[innerbeast]

"how do we feel 'bout a pastel yellow? mint green, perhaps, instead?" he questions, a handkerchief of each color held within a hand. "figured quiche could use a lil' somethin', everyone else has an accessory o' sorts. 'sides, their plumage is comin' in nice, our bloated lil' kidney bean might be set for take off soon!" dar follows that comment with a quiet 'hm', "...whichever one they don't get i might need if i gotta say farewell to the bloody thing."

@darkenforcer

[innerbeast]

"here." nonchalance smothers his tone as the warrior holds a hand, a small, green balled held within his fingers. there's a second one just like it, for himself, in his other hand. "ya've been skulkin' around long enough, figured ya'd want somethin', too! i never mind sharin', go ahead. it's called a catsfoot chew, havin' an odd cravin's sorta night."

@spiderstaff

[innerbeast]

"somethin' like this," a pause, the miqo'te adjusting his posture. his arm bends in a little more, wrists allowed to loosen. he's certainly trying to mimic this so-called iconic pose recently learned. "--right? this is how ya were doin' it, aye? ...er, or was it a lil' higher -- this, maybe?"

@moraypower

[innerbeast]

"heard my fair share o' complaints towards it, but what in the seven hells' would ya even consider brawlin' music? don't see much wrong with what i've got, ain't really the main focus, and yet..."

[innerbeast]

"funny ya say that, 'cause 'normal' tea is the base of it all." stepping in, the employee at the counter is given a small wave ( let's quietly ignore the fact he was just here already ). "see, ya can have any tea o' your choice -- black, green, oolong, matcha, and so forth. ya can have it milky or not, give it a certain sweetness, then finish it all off with what really sells it!" his arm outstretches, a finger pointing towards a smaller menu, "the boba! or pearls, as some call 'em. could even have jellies, or puddin' bits, or --!!" ( sorry, lucy )

"No, I haven't. Clearly it's different from normal tea, I've gathered that much." Lucia allows Dar to guide her into the shop, eyeing him curiously. "But what makes it different from, say, iced tea? I know that's rather popular as well."

[innerbeast]

"--have ya not had it before? lucy, doll, you're missin' out!" without another thought, an arm is tossed around the woman's shoulders, an inward tug to follow. "th' possibilities for it are endless, c'mon! best way to explain it is t' show ya!"

Lucia stared at the sign above the shop, considering. "What exactly is... 'boba' tea?"

[innerbeast]

please look at this incredible daryuri commission i just got back from the wonderful @mewnia ( highly recommend, she's so lovely to work with! ) !! this piece came out so good, SO GOOD! i'm not going to be over it. love is real!

[innerbeast]

"a fanboy, am i?" there's a brief laugh huffed against yuri's neck, the warrior's head gently adjusting in place. just enough to help guide those fingers against his ear into the right spot, thanking them with a low rumble.

"if that's how ya wanna put it, i'll be sure to stay number one," he adds, tail springing into a playful fit of twitches.

or, at least, they were mere twitches until yuri's vocalized agreement. what a silly thing to get so excited over, but there was meaning behind how he wanted to go about it. so, to have his partner willing to go through with it sent both his tail -- and his heart -- into a happy flutter.

there's a grin returning to the miqo'te's face, as well, offering a nuzzle against the other before pulling back.

"whaaaaaat?" ignore his attempt to bite back a snort. "come on, ya wouldn't want this beautiful mug etched onto ya? really?" no, never mind. it has him laughing outright, anyway. but, it's just the right amount of uplifting he's been needing. short absence or no, he can still say he's missed this.

"guess i'll have to reconsider gettin' yours on me, then. settle for somethin' a lil' more symbolic, i suppose."

"jumping ahead? there's an understatement," he says, as if a scoff's gonna fool anyone.

a hand raised to comb through russet hair stills; heavy words against his neck bringing him to a breathless halt. that wasn't the first time yuri left -- a shorter departure than the last, but he didn't have so much to lose then. didn't feel panic seize his mind as he came to, repede the only thing keeping him from stumbling on his dazed return to golden.

it still unnerves him. how much he knows his presence can mean to a single person here; how much theirs means to him. a person so sentimental, too...

but neither seem willing to linger on it for now. nothing yuri could say would change what happened, anyway.

"oh, are you now? you wouldn't be the first." his fingers have since reached his partner's scalp, traveling further to gently rub at an ear, "guess i don't mind having a fanboy if it's you, though." maybe it goes both ways.

"but i'll admit... much as i wanna tell you to look before you leap, you weren't wrong," his absent affection continues as yuri's voice softens, eyes drift to a close, and the hold upon dar's waist tightens, comforting and protective, "let's do it. that permanent sentimentality or whatever... if that's what you want, i'm all in."

"one condition: there's no way in hell i'm getting your face poked on me. don't ask."

[innerbeast]

even fi agrees pink suits ya! i stay winning <3

[innerbeast]

yuri wins himself a puff of laughter with that, dar'khol taking that squeeze as an invitation to make himself more comfortable. drawing closer and eventually separating their hands after a brief squeeze of his own, arms slipping around the other's shoulders.

"bondin' beyond our usual methods, then," head comes to a tilt, as if to make up for his already slanted smile, "since ya wanna be cheeky."

" 'tis also soundin' like someone else doesn't mind it all that much, or perhaps i'm merely jumpin' ahead?" the pressure of lips against his jaw cause the warrior's smile to widen, stretched into giddy, toothy display as a chuckle shakes him.

"saw flyers for a new place offerin' such services, thought it nice if we went together." as dar's tail rises into a curl behind him, his head is brought forward to gently bunt against his boyfriend's. "seemed nice to possibly get somethin' a lil' more permanent... a touch more sentimental..."

slowly, dar lowers his head, tucking it away between his own arm and yuri's neck. a nice little place to hide that returning shade of pink, and offering him a means of muffling his next words, "...somethin' nicer than a cold bracelet if ya go and disappear on me again."

between them, a beat of silence fills the space, then, a sigh ( exaggerated, too, so as to roll the mood back ).

"or, perhaps, i am a lil' obsessed."

yuri only fills the lull in dar's (valid) argument with a low 'hm', busying himself with the sight of interlocked fingers, matching bracelets, and a welcomed closeness.

"...extra bonding? we've already been doing plenty of that, dude," yuri chimes in with a squeeze of dar's waist. innuendo aside, it's bizarre how unfazed he's become of that word. 'forever'. it still throws an anxious kick in his gut, but if dar said it even just a couple months ago he would've gotten a well-earned scoff. or an eye-roll. or both.

"yeahh, i'm not so sure," yuri is rolling his eyes, actually. damned miqo'te and his lashes. "take enough 'small doses' and it might add up to..." uh. forever-forever...

he regrets opening his big mouth, though. sheepish, deflective habits die hard.

sigh. "well, sounds like someone's already got his heart set. 'theoretical', he says," a laugh leads to a kiss against the other man's jaw, thumb brushing across his waist. "what brought this on, anyway? it's like you're obsessed with me or something."

[innerbeast]

he thought it a joke. an ugly, twisted jab thrown his way with what history had been written between himself and the angel in which this stuffed figure of cloth was made to resemble. it had no place within dar'khol's ( continuously growing ) collection, let alone his home. how it ever found its way in, he wished not to know.

what truly mattered... was how he would rid himself of the putrid thing.

he'd half a min to merely tear it up; release pent up frustrations in a flurry of stuffing and discarded stitching. yet, it failed to hold the level of satisfaction he desired for the stuffed-general's demise. chopping it to bits seemed too kind a gesture, as well.

dar'khol offers breathy 'hm' as he considered his options, the plush tossed and caught over and over as he went down a mental list. eventually, eyes shift towards a different room -- boo could kick it around until it fell apart. that may take some time, given her short interest in dar's gift giving. mayhaps a game of tug-o-war with repede, plushie in place of a rope. that earned a snort out of the miqo'te, at the least. a solid option ... if repede were home. he had followed yuri out for the time being not long ago, scratch that off.

which leaves... oh! he's got it!

"biiiiib~! bibii !" further pushing open an already cracked window, dar pokes out his head with an outstretched arm. "ya've got a soft spot for tearin' things up -- how's 'bout this lil thing? promise i don't need it."

the chocobo's eyes almost seem to sparkle once lifting its head, offering a pleased 'kweh!' before leaning in. dar'khol rarely ever offered him a plush, this was not an opportunity to skip out on!

but, before his beak can clamp shut on cotton temptation, something ruffles his back feathers that cause the birds head to turn -- dar'khol's as well. "another one!? argh, that bastard's doin' this on purpose! ya can eat that one, too. i don't need more of' em!"

another squawk leaves bibidi's beak, a sound of confirmation as head swivels backward to redirect a snapping beak to the newly gained -- and unwanted -- delivery.

「✶」 Being shrunken meant Aurelius had to get creative about getting around the city to find his plushie selves. Of course, Klaus had offered to teleport him anywhere he wanted, but Aurelius was also insistent on taking care of this himself—the experience was humiliating enough without his partner to witness his struggles.

This time he dangles from an expertly made doll holster suspended off a remote-controlled drone directed by his trusty virus-zapper Uzi. The plan was to zero in on his stray plushie self, assimilate, and wait for her pickup afterwards.

He ends up flying over an unfamiliar bungalow, unblinking eyes peeled for the familiar glimpse of gold or red that made up his plushie body—only to spot the unwelcome sight of a certain cat leaning out a window, offering his toy self to the biggest chicken (?) he's ever seen.

There was no time to waste. Using his cotton nubs to press a button on the straps around his chest, Aurelius releases himself from the drone at the perfect moment to fall from the skies, landing squarely on Bibidi's back even as he opens his beak to pick up his other self.

giant challenge starter @innerbeast ໒꒱

[innerbeast]

[innerbeast]

blasted, no good, bloody twinkle-footed shites! one would assume a lesson learned within the fields of il mheg and its denizens; their slew of tricks and sweetened words. he'd been warned, then. thancred's words being quite clear -- yet dar'khol found himself stumbling even after such clear instructions.

much as he was now, in fact. pushed, pulled -- lead astray for the mere mistake of believing a purchasable good true. hard earned dust down the drain, relished y a sea of giggling pixies that now sought to make him their plaything.

"feo ul, now would be a perfect time to need you..." words uttered that, for once, would go without answer. he can already hear what form of scolding he'd receive for remember to call them now.

" -- ... ?" hold that thought.

familiarity tugs at the miqo'te's ears, lifting them up to catch a voice that matches the face coming into view. a few blinks are spared, wondrous if he should believe that which stood before him. of all that could be glamoured within these woods -- why him? no chance this were just a mere trick.

"could go askin' the same of yourself. i take it pixie powder for your bubblin' brews didn't go so swimmingly?" his transaction sure as hells' didn't.

"by the by, rather cute ya talk like ya know me so well."

after  the  first  bell ,  hjek  no  longer  cared  to  wonder  the  diverse  yet  false  flora  and  glamours  conjured  within  his  sights  like  garish  lures.  winged  little  shites ,  these  pixies.  now  closing  onto  the  second  bell ,  he  STALKS  down  twisting  paths  for  an  exit ,  while  muttering  something  fierce  about  razing  down  this  part  of  the  forest  in  a  hail  of  fire.

led  by  the  odd  sound  of  padding  and  crunch  of  nearby  twigs ,  hjek  tears  through  another  hedge  and  finds  himself  near  stumbling  into  a  small  clearing ;  swiveling  ears  a  guide  to  . . .  a  rather  familiar  face.

"  oh  fantastic.  another  headache  has  reared  up  —  "

as if on cue ,  sourceless  laughter  echoes ,  and  he  squints  toward  the  clutter  of  green  boughs  above.  if  he's  fortunate ,  the  sight  of  dar'khol  here  would  be  a  mere  mirage  —  a  strange  one , yes ,  but  a  mirage  nonetheless.  yet  when the warrior  remains ,  hjek's  nose  twists ,  lips  cinching  up  like  the  strings  of  a  coinpurse.  full  judgement.

"  LOST ,  dar'khol ?  venturing  so  far  from  the  fray  is  very  unlike  you.  "

@innerbeast / 🪄

[innerbeast]

" as bright as the moon itself, shining down upon us like a loving ray of light -- my little moonbeam. "

never will let me live past that, will ya?