bluegoblinzz

[bluegoblinzz]

The buddies

so... I started making an ogre conlang. And for this ogre conlang: I made an ogre guy on Heroforge JUST for inspiration/ for reference... but I did too good of a job because I made an ogre blorbo who won't leave my mind!

[bluegoblinzz]

Every time I see news coverage of a protest I remember this image of a single overturned trashcan in front of The Washington Post building

[bluegoblinzz]

I named this ogre the other day: his name is Gumbo

so... I started making an ogre conlang. And for this ogre conlang: I made an ogre guy on Heroforge JUST for inspiration/ for reference... but I did too good of a job because I made an ogre blorbo who won't leave my mind!

[bluegoblinzz]

writing reflections

Hey guys! so earlier today, while walking to work and while I was at work, I did some reflecting on my writing, and I wanted to talk about it here, today. Some of it is very generalized stuff about my writing process, and some of it affects what I do here (not really in a negative way, though.)

Just to get the most relevant thing part of the way: I currently don't enjoy writing TFs just for the sake of writing TF. right now: I feel the need to tell a story beyond a simple transformation of a character. Furthermore: I tend to write characters with... basically no personality TFing into a character with tons of personality, because that's what people like, and ultimately: bland flat characters are just really TFable, if that makes sense. the thing is: It's really hard for me to cultivate a story to match up with a species TF. So in the future: I think I'd wanna do more of the opposite: coming up with a story or a character first and then matching up the species with them. Either that, or maybe I'd have some story planned out, post TF, and a character must TF in order to fulfill a given plot point. 

The TL;DR of the above paragraph is: I just wanna put more feeling into my TFs, and write from the heart a little bit more. Not sure if I'm gonna start doing that right away and I won't guarantee that the next TF will be super deep and emotional, but I predict it's gonna end up being a trend for me. 

You probably saw this coming from my last lion story. I meant for it to be an amusing story (and perhaps: a kinky story for those of you who are into that) about two strong lions being hypnotized and pacified, as they took on the personalities of harmless kittens. But then it ended up getting into emotional territories as there was just this thing I felt the need to express. Whether or not that story was well written, and whether or not you liked it: I cried a little bit when writing it. 

Okay so now onto the less important stuff (for you guys): I reinforced this idea with myself that I can pick up and put down any story I want to, whenever I want to, but also: I realized that I can change things when I'm feeling intimidated by an old story, which is something I never thought of before. For example: there was this bear TF I started to write a month or two ago. I kind of put it off to the side as I began having problems with it. I'm not in the mood to go back to it right now, but I've also had the thought that I don't wanna return to it in general, which is a shame because it's a good concept. But the reason why I don't wanna return to it is because of one element of the story just didn't feel right to me. so I thought to myself: "I don't need to keep this in the story, I can take it out, or rewrite that particular part." 

This is pretty big for me, because I sometimes drop a story and say "I'll finish it later!" only to never look at it again, ever, but I think part of the problem is: I look at the story as a whole, including the problem that made me quit in the first place. 

I think, whether or not I "quit" a story, it's important for me to just write whatever I'm feeling or thinking on any given day. I should strive to see stories through to the end, but if there's some other idea that's nagging at the back of my mind: I should definitely look into that one!

If you read this far then I appreciate it! I don't know why I'm sharing this, or why I felt the need to do so, but I did think this was a necessary reflection for me, as I frequently do get stuck with my writing, and I needed to think about what I'm writing for. Last year: I realized that I REALLY wanted to write more TF stuff as I thought it was more fun. Now: I just need to remind myself to write what I think is fun, whether or not it's TF related, in that given moment. When I get so far along with my art, whether it's on one story or if it's with my journey as a whole: I often lose sight of my goal. so I'm glad that I could find it again, and I'm glad you guys are so patient with me while I reflect like this.

[bluegoblinzz]

Time for revenge ⚔️ artfight! I had to pick this handsome blue man 🩵 (belongs to jennlikesthings)

[bluegoblinzz]

OCs, fighting the heatwave (also on Bsky!)

[bluegoblinzz]

Lulling a Lion's Pride

So this is a story idea that felt very compelling to me a day or two ago... You may notice it's just a hypnosis story, and doesn't really involve any kind of TF. In addition: it got a little bit more emotional than I thought it would... I don't know how well this story will be received, I don't even know how big of an impact, or how little of an impact it has left on myself. I just know I'm glad I wrote it, and I hope you enjoy it too. ******* “My king,” the jackal said, kneeling in front of the throne, his tail and ears lowered in a subservient manner. Avu stood next to the king, staring straight ahead, but watching this jackal in his peripheral vision. He had his axe drawn, his face straight, seldom blinking, breathing slowly, not even a twitch of a whisker or an ear, making sure he appeared still as stone. 

“What business do you have here?” The king asked. His voice was quiet yet stern, his expression steady yet angered, as he looked down upon the jackal, the setting sun hanging behind him, the halo around the sun blending in with the king’s mane. 

“I’ve come to offer you my aid,” the jackal stated. Upon looking at the jackal, Avu knew where he had seen him before. He was a mage that performed on the streets. He often wore a hood and carried many gems with him. With his magic he summoned shadows, delved into dreams, danced with spirits… raised the dead. Because the jackal wasn’t harming anyone with his magic and with his performances, and merely dazzling crowds, he never paid him much mind, but as a guard to The Sun King, Avu knew that, at best, this jackal was an adversary and at worst he was the enemy. 

“We do not need your magic,” the king stated. “We already have plenty of well trained mages in our guild, all of whom are trained in more… savory magic.” 

“Respectfully, my king, I must disagree. I want to warn you that without a dark mage: your forces may be vulnerable.”

That response made Avu want to scoff but he remained still. Vulnerable, the jackal had said. Avu knew he wasn’t vulnerable, as he had trained for years to become a fighter, a soldier, and now a guard directly standing by to protect the king. He felt immense pride and joy for the honor of being one of the king’s guards. To be in the presence of such a great fighter, a great leader, a great lion in general, and to not be looked down upon, but rather, to be selected as one of the king’s most trusted fighters… it was an incredible feeling. It wasn’t so much that he was starstruck, as the old, beaten up lion had spoken to him many times in the past, and had been a very encouraging, kindhearted role model to Avu. It was more so that he meant something more to the king than just some other brazen boy wishing to fight for him.

The wise king, Avu’s role model, disagreed with Avu’s sentiment, however. 

“Vulnerable,” the king repeated, a curious smile overtaking his face. “How so?” 

The jackal lifted his head, a look of concern on his face as his ears remained tilted back. However, as he spoke, a glimmer of mischief sparked in his eye before disappearing again. Avu felt his stomach get tight. This wasn’t a trustworthy sign. 

“The magic of the sun and of the shadow have each grown separately from each other, where innovations in one do not account for innovations in another. I have no ill intent toward this kingdom or these lands, but a dark mage, more rotten than I, could overpower your mages and your fighters, if they don’t have the proper defense.” 

“Mmm…” the king grumbled shifting in his chair. He looked to Avu, then he looked to his other guard, Kahaz, and then smirked. 

“Demonstrate,” the king stated.  

The jackal went wide eyed, his tall ears sticking up and his maw wide open. The jackal’s expression exactly matched Avu’s feeling of surprise. 

“M-my king?” the Jackal asked. 

“Beside me are two of my greatest soldiers, so much so that I trust them as my guards. They are strong, courageous, sharp, and have unbreakable wills. If your spells can overpower each of them, then this is a threat worth considering.” 

Concern bubbled inside of Avu, but it was quelled by determination. Now was yet another chance to prove himself to the king, to show both his physical and mental fortitude, to show that he would not be overpowered and instead would stay vigilant and loyally carry out his duties for the king. Despite his expression remaining outwardly blank, and possibly even irritated, his pride grew within him. 

The Jackal stood up, looked back and forth between the two guards, offering a friendly smile at the two of them.

“Hello,” the jackal said with a wave. “I’m Arik. J-just know that: this is for the demonstration, I don’t want to attack you. Both of you seem really nice.” Kahaz’s eyes narrowed as he bared his fangs ever so slightly, his throat emitting a low rumble. 

“Go on,”  the king coaxed. “You wouldn’t make conversation with your enemies, now, would you?” 

Avu was ready to attack when necessary, but the guards never struck first, unless outwardly threatened. For the time being, he simply needed to stay alert and ready to fight, watching and listening to the enemy’s every move. Little did he know: the jackal wanted him to watch and to listen. 

Arik pulled out an amethyst orb, about three inches in diameter, and held it in both palms. He looked downward, staring into it for a moment and began muttering incantations under his breath. As he whispered, the orb appeared brighter in color and then began to emit a soft glow. The glow grew more and more intense, giving off a radiant purple light, but also sending rolling waves of shadow at the two guards. The manes of all three lions blew backwards, as if a gust of wind was being emitted from the orb. 

“Now,” the king grunted. Both guards snarled, and simultaneously raised their axes but the jackal put up a hand both guards stopped. Avu found that, while he could move, he couldn’t approach the jackal, or swing his axe. Kahaz roared, shifting himself as if trying to push past some invisible force, but then the jackal slowly lowered his hand, making Kahaz quiet down, his expression softening, and making both guards both lowered their axes against their will. The orb dimmed and stopped emitting the gust, but in its place the orb began to emit a pleasant warmth. 

“With this I can see your past, and I can see your future,” Arik stated. “I can dig deep into your heart and I can tell that you’re afraid. And I can tell that you carried this fear from your past, ever since you were a kitten.” Kahaz tried to snarl again, but faltered, his mouth twitching, and then his eye. Avu, on the other hand, stayed completely still. Arik’s words were true, as he felt something reaching into him, as if one was gingerly holding his heart, keeping it safe and providing it with nourishment, which made the fire of pride and bravery within dwindle. He wouldn’t need to be brave if he would be taken care of…

“You want to be safe,” Arik continued. “You want to feel secure. You want to feel loved again. So let us tie the past and the present together. Take off that mask and become what you always were.” 

Kahaz’s axe fell to the floor with a deafening clatter. His eyes narrowed and his nose wrinkled as if he was about to sneeze. His whole upper body tensed up and his arms shaking as he slowly raised hands up near his chest, straining as if he was trying to use all of his strength not to. Arik slowly made his way over to the lion, wearing a friendly smile. 

“How tense,” Arik said. “There’s no need to be that way. You want to become what you’re meant to be. Give in.” Arik’s smile contorted with mischief with those last words. 

The sides of the lion guard’s mouth curved upward as he opened his mouth wider and stuck out his tongue, bringing the back of his hand to his face. Kahaz’s ears lowered and his eyes rolled back in his head, before they fell closed. He slowly licked the back of his hand, grooming his fur, before bringing up the other hand to his face and doing the same. Arik gently touched the side of the lion guard’s face and he let out a loud purr, nuzzling up to the dark mage’s hand. 

“Good kitty,” Arik whispered. 

Kahaz meowed in response, pawing the air. The big lion used the upper register of his gravely voice, making himself sound small and helpless. Arik waved his hand downward, and Kahaz knelt down, getting on his hands and knees, and stretching his back out like a cat. 

Avu was shocked at how quickly and how easily his fellow guard gave in. He always thought of Kahaz as the stronger one, the tougher one, but apparently he had less mental fortitude than Avu did. He couldn’t completely downplay his fellow guard’s efforts, however, as he felt the spell constantly eating away at him. The spell restricted his movements, keeping him standing still. His mind felt softer and fuzzier, his thoughts changing from determined aggressive and strong, and turning passive meek and small. To be a kitten, to let go… it sounded so much easier on both his mind and his heart. 

No, he told himself, Giving in isn’t an option! I must stay alert,  I must keep standing guard, for the king!

The jackal looked from Kahaz over at Avu, and smiled. He walked right in front of Avu, reached up his hand and began scratching him under his chin. Avu’s mouth twitched as he fought off a smile, his eyes falling closed. 

“You’re very strong,” Arik whispered. “You’re doing such a good job. I’m so proud of you.” Avu opened his eyes wide and stared at Arik. His mouth twitched some more and his eyes began to water. A deep rumble came from his throat. He felt two different contradictory sensations at once. One sensation was a burning joy he felt in his stomach, one that made him want to shout, dance, celebrate. The other was a lump in his throat and a tightness in his chest.  Avu was refraining from speaking that whole time, as he was not told he could do so. He didn’t want the jackal to break him, but he didn’t care, he was already broken at that point. 

“You’re trying to humiliate me,” Avu whispered, “you’re trying to take away my honor.” 

“Humiliate you?” Arik asked. The lion narrowed his eyes

“I’m a guard selected by the king. I am not your kitten,” Avu hissed. 

The jackal hushed the lion, putting a finger up to Avu’s mouth. Avu’s anger and sadness faded to the background, chills running down his spine. Then, he rubbed the fur on the lion’s nose with his finger making Avu’s eye fall closed yet again. 

“In the darkness no other lights can blind you,” Arik said. “So your truth shines through. Do you see it now?” In his mind’s eye, Avu saw himself. His square jaw, his snub muzzle, and his tired, angered eyes, with slit pupils and sapphire blue irises. He stared at the image of himself for a while and wondered if he liked what he was seeing. The vacancy in his own eyes captured his attention, made him unable to look away. His chest felt tighter, the lump in his throat returned, his pulse quickened… 

Why do I feel this way? He wondered, why am I afraid of my own reflection? 

As Avu continued to stare at this dreamlike specter of himself in his mind’s eye, he watched as it grew younger and younger, his mane becoming shorter, his face becoming rounder, and his eyes becoming bigger, more filled with hope and with joy. He saw his father beside him, his arm around his shoulder and he was able to see the two of them smile.

The image shifted. Now he and his father were sparring, his father giving him pointers, correcting his technique with an axe, putting up a good fight, but occasionally leaving weak points open on purpose, allowing young Avu to win. Then another memory came into view, and Avu saw as he and his father chatted and laughed with each other, both of them drinking a warm cup of chai from a pot. When the conversation came to a lull, his father scratched him under the chin, to which the boy smiled and purred. In another memory he saw himself spar with another young lion in front of a group of soldiers, knocking the other kitten to the floor. Young Avu snarled and growled at his opponent, daring them to get up. Upon seeing the boy’s success, the soldiers took Avu away, gave him a badge and began fitting him for armor. The boy looked back at his father, to find him frowning, holding back tears, but as soon as the two of them made eye contact: his father faked a smile.

The image shifted one last time, and Avu saw his younger self staring up at him once more, his eyes shining, but as Avu began grow older and older, they grew dimmer and dimmer, going from the color of the warm tropical sea, to an icy blue. Cold. Vacant. Defeated. 

When the visualization dissolved, and Avu was left alone with his own thoughts, he let out a deep growl, tears streaming down his face. Arik was right. He was still a kitten, and he was still afraid… but more importantly, he was alone. 

The jackal caressed the side of Avu’s head, and the lion purred, nuzzling up to the jackal’s hand, a smile finally overtaking his face. The jackal began lowering his hand, but Avu kept nuzzling up to it, getting down on his knees so he could stay with Arik. With Arik’s gentle touch, he felt loved for the first time in a while, that cold lonely look that he saw in his own eyes and felt within his heart began to dissolve. Avu began to feel smaller and smaller, feeing more and more love for Arik, and he allowed himself to feel this way, to allow himself to be like a kitten. The jackal could protect him, feed him, take care of him, so he wanted to become what he used to be back when his father was there. 

Once the jackal stopped petting him, the lion stared up at him with his big blue eyes, and let out a high pitched meow, putting his hands together in a begging pose. He stuck out his tongue in a “blepping” expression and allowed all of his coherent thoughts to dissolve and fade into the background, his intentions shifting away from protecting the king, and toward being comforted by this kind jackal. The more he felt like a real kitten the safer he felt. The fewer thoughts he had, the happier he felt. 

Arik pet Avu one more time, before he snapped his fingers, two bowls materializing at his feet in a flash of purple light, one full of dried meats, the other full of milk. Kahaz padded over to the food bowl, on all fours and began eating out of it without his hands, while Avu bend down and began lapping up the milk from the bowl. While the two former-guards were distracted, the Jackal knelt down and strapped collars around each of their necks, first Kahaz then Avu. Then he stood and looked to the king, who did not appear disturbed or angry, but rather amused. 

“An ill intentioned mage would have done more to manipulate them,” Arik stated. “They would have used a stronger spell, and used fear or arousal to play with their minds. I chose to use truth.” 

“And do you have anything to combat these types of spells?” The king inquired. “Or did you just turn my guards into pathetic kittens for fun?” 

“There are ways,” Arik said, nodding. “In general, your forces will be more equipped in dealing with dark magic if they are familiar with it. But more specifically: there are some shield spells I can offer to prevent this from happening to everyone.” 

“I’ll have you show this to my mages first thing tomorrow morning,” the king stated. “An aid will escort you to the guest room for now.” 

“Thank you, my king,” Arik said, bowing one last time before turning away from the king. He began to walk away from the throne, but then he felt heavy paws on his back, followed by a high pitched meow. 

He turned around to find the guard Avu looking up at him with big watery eyes, his tail swishing back and forth.

“Oh no,” Arik said. “You can’t come with me right now. You need to stand guard!” 

The king chuckled to himself shaking his head. 

“You may take your new kitten with you. He looks like he could use a break, anyway.” 

[bluegoblinzz]

you can differentiate me from weevilwizard via subtle variations in our proboscis

[bluegoblinzz]

Joke's on you I don't have a current project! Ahaha!

Hahaha! Ahhh... :C

If you're reading this...

go write three sentences on your current writing project.

[bluegoblinzz]

Senshi?

Dnd background that gives you the flaw "eats people"

It's Chef

[bluegoblinzz]

My managers at my new job: You're doing so well! Me: thanks! it's all thanks to my intense fear of being disliked, causing me to work extra hard, because my anxiety interprets any amount of disapproval as hatred! :D

[bluegoblinzz]

RAT KING RAT KING RAT KING RAT KING

some fairytale ideas. i needed a rat king

[bluegoblinzz]

Shocking revelations down at the golf course today.

[bluegoblinzz]

This is a sign for you to write that self-indulgent fic

[bluegoblinzz]

Lulling a Lion's Pride

So this is a story idea that felt very compelling to me a day or two ago... You may notice it's just a hypnosis story, and doesn't really involve any kind of TF. In addition: it got a little bit more emotional than I thought it would... I don't know how well this story will be received, I don't even know how big of an impact, or how little of an impact it has left on myself. I just know I'm glad I wrote it, and I hope you enjoy it too. ******* “My king,” the jackal said, kneeling in front of the throne, his tail and ears lowered in a subservient manner. Avu stood next to the king, staring straight ahead, but watching this jackal in his peripheral vision. He had his axe drawn, his face straight, seldom blinking, breathing slowly, not even a twitch of a whisker or an ear, making sure he appeared still as stone. 

“What business do you have here?” The king asked. His voice was quiet yet stern, his expression steady yet angered, as he looked down upon the jackal, the setting sun hanging behind him, the halo around the sun blending in with the king’s mane. 

“I’ve come to offer you my aid,” the jackal stated. Upon looking at the jackal, Avu knew where he had seen him before. He was a mage that performed on the streets. He often wore a hood and carried many gems with him. With his magic he summoned shadows, delved into dreams, danced with spirits… raised the dead. Because the jackal wasn’t harming anyone with his magic and with his performances, and merely dazzling crowds, he never paid him much mind, but as a guard to The Sun King, Avu knew that, at best, this jackal was an adversary and at worst he was the enemy. 

“We do not need your magic,” the king stated. “We already have plenty of well trained mages in our guild, all of whom are trained in more… savory magic.” 

“Respectfully, my king, I must disagree. I want to warn you that without a dark mage: your forces may be vulnerable.”

That response made Avu want to scoff but he remained still. Vulnerable, the jackal had said. Avu knew he wasn’t vulnerable, as he had trained for years to become a fighter, a soldier, and now a guard directly standing by to protect the king. He felt immense pride and joy for the honor of being one of the king’s guards. To be in the presence of such a great fighter, a great leader, a great lion in general, and to not be looked down upon, but rather, to be selected as one of the king’s most trusted fighters… it was an incredible feeling. It wasn’t so much that he was starstruck, as the old, beaten up lion had spoken to him many times in the past, and had been a very encouraging, kindhearted role model to Avu. It was more so that he meant something more to the king than just some other brazen boy wishing to fight for him.

The wise king, Avu’s role model, disagreed with Avu’s sentiment, however. 

“Vulnerable,” the king repeated, a curious smile overtaking his face. “How so?” 

The jackal lifted his head, a look of concern on his face as his ears remained tilted back. However, as he spoke, a glimmer of mischief sparked in his eye before disappearing again. Avu felt his stomach get tight. This wasn’t a trustworthy sign. 

“The magic of the sun and of the shadow have each grown separately from each other, where innovations in one do not account for innovations in another. I have no ill intent toward this kingdom or these lands, but a dark mage, more rotten than I, could overpower your mages and your fighters, if they don’t have the proper defense.” 

“Mmm…” the king grumbled shifting in his chair. He looked to Avu, then he looked to his other guard, Kahaz, and then smirked. 

“Demonstrate,” the king stated.  

The jackal went wide eyed, his tall ears sticking up and his maw wide open. The jackal’s expression exactly matched Avu’s feeling of surprise. 

“M-my king?” the Jackal asked. 

“Beside me are two of my greatest soldiers, so much so that I trust them as my guards. They are strong, courageous, sharp, and have unbreakable wills. If your spells can overpower each of them, then this is a threat worth considering.” 

Concern bubbled inside of Avu, but it was quelled by determination. Now was yet another chance to prove himself to the king, to show both his physical and mental fortitude, to show that he would not be overpowered and instead would stay vigilant and loyally carry out his duties for the king. Despite his expression remaining outwardly blank, and possibly even irritated, his pride grew within him. 

The Jackal stood up, looked back and forth between the two guards, offering a friendly smile at the two of them.

“Hello,” the jackal said with a wave. “I’m Arik. J-just know that: this is for the demonstration, I don’t want to attack you. Both of you seem really nice.” Kahaz’s eyes narrowed as he bared his fangs ever so slightly, his throat emitting a low rumble. 

“Go on,”  the king coaxed. “You wouldn’t make conversation with your enemies, now, would you?” 

Avu was ready to attack when necessary, but the guards never struck first, unless outwardly threatened. For the time being, he simply needed to stay alert and ready to fight, watching and listening to the enemy’s every move. Little did he know: the jackal wanted him to watch and to listen. 

Arik pulled out an amethyst orb, about three inches in diameter, and held it in both palms. He looked downward, staring into it for a moment and began muttering incantations under his breath. As he whispered, the orb appeared brighter in color and then began to emit a soft glow. The glow grew more and more intense, giving off a radiant purple light, but also sending rolling waves of shadow at the two guards. The manes of all three lions blew backwards, as if a gust of wind was being emitted from the orb. 

“Now,” the king grunted. Both guards snarled, and simultaneously raised their axes but the jackal put up a hand both guards stopped. Avu found that, while he could move, he couldn’t approach the jackal, or swing his axe. Kahaz roared, shifting himself as if trying to push past some invisible force, but then the jackal slowly lowered his hand, making Kahaz quiet down, his expression softening, and making both guards both lowered their axes against their will. The orb dimmed and stopped emitting the gust, but in its place the orb began to emit a pleasant warmth. 

“With this I can see your past, and I can see your future,” Arik stated. “I can dig deep into your heart and I can tell that you’re afraid. And I can tell that you carried this fear from your past, ever since you were a kitten.” Kahaz tried to snarl again, but faltered, his mouth twitching, and then his eye. Avu, on the other hand, stayed completely still. Arik’s words were true, as he felt something reaching into him, as if one was gingerly holding his heart, keeping it safe and providing it with nourishment, which made the fire of pride and bravery within dwindle. He wouldn’t need to be brave if he would be taken care of…

“You want to be safe,” Arik continued. “You want to feel secure. You want to feel loved again. So let us tie the past and the present together. Take off that mask and become what you always were.” 

Kahaz’s axe fell to the floor with a deafening clatter. His eyes narrowed and his nose wrinkled as if he was about to sneeze. His whole upper body tensed up and his arms shaking as he slowly raised hands up near his chest, straining as if he was trying to use all of his strength not to. Arik slowly made his way over to the lion, wearing a friendly smile. 

“How tense,” Arik said. “There’s no need to be that way. You want to become what you’re meant to be. Give in.” Arik’s smile contorted with mischief with those last words. 

The sides of the lion guard’s mouth curved upward as he opened his mouth wider and stuck out his tongue, bringing the back of his hand to his face. Kahaz’s ears lowered and his eyes rolled back in his head, before they fell closed. He slowly licked the back of his hand, grooming his fur, before bringing up the other hand to his face and doing the same. Arik gently touched the side of the lion guard’s face and he let out a loud purr, nuzzling up to the dark mage’s hand. 

“Good kitty,” Arik whispered. 

Kahaz meowed in response, pawing the air. The big lion used the upper register of his gravely voice, making himself sound small and helpless. Arik waved his hand downward, and Kahaz knelt down, getting on his hands and knees, and stretching his back out like a cat. 

Avu was shocked at how quickly and how easily his fellow guard gave in. He always thought of Kahaz as the stronger one, the tougher one, but apparently he had less mental fortitude than Avu did. He couldn’t completely downplay his fellow guard’s efforts, however, as he felt the spell constantly eating away at him. The spell restricted his movements, keeping him standing still. His mind felt softer and fuzzier, his thoughts changing from determined aggressive and strong, and turning passive meek and small. To be a kitten, to let go… it sounded so much easier on both his mind and his heart. 

No, he told himself, Giving in isn’t an option! I must stay alert,  I must keep standing guard, for the king!

The jackal looked from Kahaz over at Avu, and smiled. He walked right in front of Avu, reached up his hand and began scratching him under his chin. Avu’s mouth twitched as he fought off a smile, his eyes falling closed. 

“You’re very strong,” Arik whispered. “You’re doing such a good job. I’m so proud of you.” Avu opened his eyes wide and stared at Arik. His mouth twitched some more and his eyes began to water. A deep rumble came from his throat. He felt two different contradictory sensations at once. One sensation was a burning joy he felt in his stomach, one that made him want to shout, dance, celebrate. The other was a lump in his throat and a tightness in his chest.  Avu was refraining from speaking that whole time, as he was not told he could do so. He didn’t want the jackal to break him, but he didn’t care, he was already broken at that point. 

“You’re trying to humiliate me,” Avu whispered, “you’re trying to take away my honor.” 

“Humiliate you?” Arik asked. The lion narrowed his eyes

“I’m a guard selected by the king. I am not your kitten,” Avu hissed. 

The jackal hushed the lion, putting a finger up to Avu’s mouth. Avu’s anger and sadness faded to the background, chills running down his spine. Then, he rubbed the fur on the lion’s nose with his finger making Avu’s eye fall closed yet again. 

“In the darkness no other lights can blind you,” Arik said. “So your truth shines through. Do you see it now?” In his mind’s eye, Avu saw himself. His square jaw, his snub muzzle, and his tired, angered eyes, with slit pupils and sapphire blue irises. He stared at the image of himself for a while and wondered if he liked what he was seeing. The vacancy in his own eyes captured his attention, made him unable to look away. His chest felt tighter, the lump in his throat returned, his pulse quickened… 

Why do I feel this way? He wondered, why am I afraid of my own reflection? 

As Avu continued to stare at this dreamlike specter of himself in his mind’s eye, he watched as it grew younger and younger, his mane becoming shorter, his face becoming rounder, and his eyes becoming bigger, more filled with hope and with joy. He saw his father beside him, his arm around his shoulder and he was able to see the two of them smile.

The image shifted. Now he and his father were sparring, his father giving him pointers, correcting his technique with an axe, putting up a good fight, but occasionally leaving weak points open on purpose, allowing young Avu to win. Then another memory came into view, and Avu saw as he and his father chatted and laughed with each other, both of them drinking a warm cup of chai from a pot. When the conversation came to a lull, his father scratched him under the chin, to which the boy smiled and purred. In another memory he saw himself spar with another young lion in front of a group of soldiers, knocking the other kitten to the floor. Young Avu snarled and growled at his opponent, daring them to get up. Upon seeing the boy’s success, the soldiers took Avu away, gave him a badge and began fitting him for armor. The boy looked back at his father, to find him frowning, holding back tears, but as soon as the two of them made eye contact: his father faked a smile.

The image shifted one last time, and Avu saw his younger self staring up at him once more, his eyes shining, but as Avu began grow older and older, they grew dimmer and dimmer, going from the color of the warm tropical sea, to an icy blue. Cold. Vacant. Defeated. 

When the visualization dissolved, and Avu was left alone with his own thoughts, he let out a deep growl, tears streaming down his face. Arik was right. He was still a kitten, and he was still afraid… but more importantly, he was alone. 

The jackal caressed the side of Avu’s head, and the lion purred, nuzzling up to the jackal’s hand, a smile finally overtaking his face. The jackal began lowering his hand, but Avu kept nuzzling up to it, getting down on his knees so he could stay with Arik. With Arik’s gentle touch, he felt loved for the first time in a while, that cold lonely look that he saw in his own eyes and felt within his heart began to dissolve. Avu began to feel smaller and smaller, feeing more and more love for Arik, and he allowed himself to feel this way, to allow himself to be like a kitten. The jackal could protect him, feed him, take care of him, so he wanted to become what he used to be back when his father was there. 

Once the jackal stopped petting him, the lion stared up at him with his big blue eyes, and let out a high pitched meow, putting his hands together in a begging pose. He stuck out his tongue in a “blepping” expression and allowed all of his coherent thoughts to dissolve and fade into the background, his intentions shifting away from protecting the king, and toward being comforted by this kind jackal. The more he felt like a real kitten the safer he felt. The fewer thoughts he had, the happier he felt. 

Arik pet Avu one more time, before he snapped his fingers, two bowls materializing at his feet in a flash of purple light, one full of dried meats, the other full of milk. Kahaz padded over to the food bowl, on all fours and began eating out of it without his hands, while Avu bend down and began lapping up the milk from the bowl. While the two former-guards were distracted, the Jackal knelt down and strapped collars around each of their necks, first Kahaz then Avu. Then he stood and looked to the king, who did not appear disturbed or angry, but rather amused. 

“An ill intentioned mage would have done more to manipulate them,” Arik stated. “They would have used a stronger spell, and used fear or arousal to play with their minds. I chose to use truth.” 

“And do you have anything to combat these types of spells?” The king inquired. “Or did you just turn my guards into pathetic kittens for fun?” 

“There are ways,” Arik said, nodding. “In general, your forces will be more equipped in dealing with dark magic if they are familiar with it. But more specifically: there are some shield spells I can offer to prevent this from happening to everyone.” 

“I’ll have you show this to my mages first thing tomorrow morning,” the king stated. “An aid will escort you to the guest room for now.” 

“Thank you, my king,” Arik said, bowing one last time before turning away from the king. He began to walk away from the throne, but then he felt heavy paws on his back, followed by a high pitched meow. 

He turned around to find the guard Avu looking up at him with big watery eyes, his tail swishing back and forth.

“Oh no,” Arik said. “You can’t come with me right now. You need to stand guard!” 

The king chuckled to himself shaking his head. 

“You may take your new kitten with you. He looks like he could use a break, anyway.” 

[bluegoblinzz]

During the "Tall Trunk's Purple Coin Slide" mission of Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario must make his way down the slide and collect 100 out of 140 Purple Coins on it.

Since the track is curved inward and many of the coins are in the middle of the track so that Mario collects them without any active input, it is actually quite difficult to purposefully avoid every single coin.

If Mario makes it to the end with 0 coins, the Gearmo will question whether the player did this on purpose (which is exceedingly likely), admit that this is impressive, and then kill Mario anyway.

Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Source: mecha-togekiss, footage

[bluegoblinzz]

Could you draw more Madhouse Mike pretty please with a cherry on top 😇 /nf

he’s trying to look cute for the camera