cak3o

[cak3o]

I do, sometimes, actually draw Robots. Shocking yeah? Here's some doodles

[cak3o]

in regards to my previous rb

[cak3o]

Felt extremely soft lately, managed to channel it (I think) into another fish snippet. In which Dr Thomas Light tries not to become too attached to the eight little things he's currently watching over. He fails.

Thomas had always wanted children, at least a little subconsciously. A little bundle of joy, a darling little baby to hold close. To watch them grow, to act as a guiding hand as they come into their own. He’d take them around town, he’d show them art and music and culture. He’d show them his blueprints and his plans, and maybe, if they were interested, they could even help around the lab. He’d keep them safe, bandage them up when they scraped their little knees, kiss them on the forehead…

It just wasn’t in the cards, it seemed. Too busy with work, too busy with life, never feeling like the time was right. 

And so it remained as a soft, warm thought in his chest whenever he passed by a baby in a stroller, or seeing a child propped up on a parent’s shoulders, both of them smiling, looking so happy…

Maybe…maybe one day.

As his 4 AM alarm began to incessantly beep, Thomas couldn’t stop the tired little sigh from escaping him. He missed sleep. He missed sleep a lot.

But his little…guests needed him.

Putting on his slippers and a robe, he shuffled into his lab, although one might be hard-pressed to assume this was the laboratory of esteemed Doctor Thomas Light, what with the large fish tank in the middle table.

And inside the tank were eight, wiggly little things, peeping and peeping and peeping the moment Thomas came into the room.

“Hello, little ones.” he said with a tired smile, leaning down to look at them. He counted all eight - thank God, the octopus didn’t escape again - and they seemed to be active and ‘normal’, as normal as…this could be.

Thomas had found them on the beach over the course of a few weeks, having been washed ashore. No doubt from the terrible winter storms they’ve been having. At a brief glance, they resembled aquatic creatures of all shapes and sizes. But the colors were…wrong. Little rays should not be bright yellow, or little porcupinefish shouldn’t be orange.

Then there were the little hands, their little faces, their little eyes (still shut tight) that could cry real, almost human tears…

They weren’t fish. Thomas…wasn’t sure what they were. He knew very little about them.

But he knew that they needed him.

…and that they needed to eat every few hours.

He walked to the fridge in his kitchen area, pulling out an assortment of bottles and powders. Learning what the little creatures would eat was a challenge in itself; they were clearly too young for solid foods, so after some trial and error, a mix of heavy cream, milk, and fish oil seemed to satisfy them.

Thomas filled a small container with warm water, placing in the bottles of his dairy concoctions to warm.

“Whooo’s hungry?” he asked, walking over to the tank and starting to lift the lid. The eight little fish peeped louder, and even though their eyes were still closed, they clambered at the glass wall closest to him.

The tank was a rushed job. A quick container for these little things cobbled together from a pet store and the baby section of the local superstore. Filter, heater, a little sand at the bottom. They had little interest in plants or rocks - and part of him feared they’d try and eat it - so instead he laid in soft towels and some of his less nice blankets for them to cuddle up against.

Rolling up his sleeves, he reached into the tank. He could feel their little paws clambering on him, some even nibbling on him experimentally. Finally, he carefully wrapped his fingers around one and pulled it out of the tank for the first feeding.

“Ah, 008.”

The newest rescue, a little ray of some kind. It had a dark backside, but a bright yellow underside save for its red chest, and a little yellow ‘mask’ on the face. It mewled in his hand, protesting its empty tummy as loudly as it could.

All of the creatures had numbers for identifiers. He didn’t want to name them, then he’d get attached…and really, he was just. Just…looking after them. This wasn’t long-term. Surely there was a rescue center of some kind…surely.

“So dramatic.” Thomas cooed, holding 008 to his chest. Instantly, it started to settle, little paws starting to knead against his clothes, its starved cries shifting to whining croons. “So dramatic.” he repeated, rubbing its back.

He was just glad 008 didn’t zap him again. Befitting of its appearance, 008 also had the mild electrical abilities just like an electric ray. Evidently it was either used to his presence or too hungry to do so.

With the bottles at a nice, warm temperature, he grabbed one and offered it to the little creature in his arms. It took a moment to latch, but once it did, it immediately - and greedily - started to drink. Peeping cries silenced and replaced with quiet, content little noises. 

Thomas took note of how it began to slowly wag its tail and how its ears wiggled as it drank. Signs of contentment? Happiness? Perhaps he should write that down. If these were a new species, documentation could be helpful.

It was foolish of him to assign human emotions onto an animal, of course.

In no time at all, 008 had drank nearly the entire eight ounce bottle. With just a few drops left, it pushed the bottle away with a small huff. It was honestly astounding how much these little things could eat in one sitting.

Using a soft tissue, Thomas carefully cleaned around its mouth and face. It barely put up a fight, small paws sleepily waving in the general direction, but mostly nuzzling into his arm. “Don’t get too comfortable-” he muttered, setting the tissue down and placing the creature over his shoulder to try and burp it.

(He had no evidence this was a necessary step in the process, but dozens of parenting books that he had skimmed over the years floated to the surface of his mind as he did so. It felt right.)

Thomas gave 008 a final look-over and a final clean with another tissue, then carefully returned it to the tank. Sleepy and full, 008 let out a big yawn and curled up to sleep off its meal.

Finally. One had been fed. Seven left.

Each of them had their own little quirks and issues.

001 - small, purple jellyfish - was the most impatient of the bunch, with small tentacles that could cause a bit of pain if Thomas wasn’t careful. 002 - blue-grey octopus - was slippery and sometimes squirted ink on him. 003 - small, orange lionfish - was very sharp and could definitely hurt if he wasn’t careful. 004 - very large, almost prehistoric looking fish - was twice the size of the others with twice the appetite. 005 - small white seal - was very clingy and was difficult for him to put back in the tank. 006 - orange and yellow porcupine fish - was also a little sharp, but not nearly as much as 003. 007 - a little orange and grey fish - was honestly…the easiest of the bunch, if slightly warmer.

After a little longer than two hours, all eight of them were fed, cleaned, and quietly sleeping in their tank. All cuddled up with one another in a big pile, some of them kneading against the towels and each other.

Thomas had about four or five hours before they’d need to be fed again. The work was…exhausting. But the work had to be done, they depended on him for everything right now, completely helpless…

Almost like an infant.

Thomas blinked at the thought. He hadn’t really made that comparison before.

(At least, not consciously.)

He tried to shake the idea from his head. Lots of young animals were helpless at birth…right? He was a doctor of robotics, not tiny baby animals. In no time at all they’d be independent animals, fully capable of supporting themselves, and he’d release them back into the ocean like a good person doing their best to help.

Just a blip in his life. Maybe he’d create an aquatic robot to check data inspired by these creatures. Study their movement for robotic movement underwater. Maybe if he produced something like that, he could make the government happy enough to leave him alone and end their contract.

Speaking of, he really should get to work. He only had a few hours before the little ones woke up.

Instead of opening up his work, he instead found himself browsing shopping websites. If he was going to care for them, he should probably get them their own blankets, not just towels, might as well add some special burp cloths and some gentle cleaning towels. And he should probably buy some more bottles, and maybe experiment with kitten formula and milk powders. And maybe they might benefit from a pacifier to suckle on, so he better buy some. And if he was going to document their behavior he should get a good quality camera for pictures and a photo album to store them in-

[cak3o]

baby wants uppies! baby is also teething and full of tetrodotoxin :)

[cak3o]

2025 Megaman Summer Fanart Contest - Rules Thread

Sorry for the slight delay, but it is once again time for a new Megaman Summer Fanart Contest!

Two categories, in which you are allowed to submit one entry for each category, if you would like. If you place higher in one category, you will be automatically disqualified from winning in the other, for reasons of fairness, and to give other people a chance to win a prize.

This year, on top of the usual cash prizes, physical participation prizes are back once again! Everyone who submits a pic will be entered into the raffle for a chance at one of three awesome items! If you submit an entry into both categories, you can double your odds for one specific item of your choice.

This year is not being separated into Talent and Humor categories, so do your best at drawing to fit the theme of each category and showing off your creativity. All rules and info will follow, after the break:

CATEGORY 1: Ariga Amalgamix

The first category this year won't necessarily be summer-themed, although you can try if you feel like it. But I wanted to have one category with a little bit of Ariga flavor to it, so we are going to turn this into a sort of Ariga tribute category of sorts. For this category, I would like you to try to create a tribute to Hitoshi Ariga's style and manga influence, but in sort of a unique mixture.

While he has done art for practically all the Mega Man series in some capacity, the majority of his manga and projects have focused on the Classic series, with a little bit of X. Aside from some cameos, like EXE characters in Gigamix, for example. So, while showing tribute to the characters and manga stories he is best known for, I would like you to also mix in characters from other series who have not been a part of Ariga's manga universe, while trying to best represent them in his style. How you pull that off is up to your imagination.

For example: Skull Man digging for dino bones with Volnutt and other diggers. Star Force Mega Man fighting off the Stardroids. Battle and Chase franchise crossover, but with reporters Neige, Midorikawa Kero and Gyroman.EXE taking the place of Plum, Chest and Ripot. A 4-Koma of Maverick Soccer, using Bubble Crab as a soccer ball. Dr. Auto Number 008 Sexy Man judging the Megasexy Man/Woman contest. Or Ariga-styled versions of the Mega Man 11 Robot Masters interacting with the Hourly Part-Timer Pay Squad. Take something, be it a character/story/format you love about Ariga's works, and mix in something he has not drawn before, with it.

Content Requirements: *Tribute art to manga artist Hitoshi Ariga, drawing Mega Man characters replicating his unique style and design *A mixup of something familiar from his manga and something new featuring characters that he has never included in them *Must contain a minimum of at least one character from a game/series that Ariga has already drawn in his manga before AND one character drawn in an Ariga-style that he has NOT drawn in his manga (excluding minor cameos)

CATEGORY 2: Mega Mannequins

In most years the summer contest focuses on enjoying the warm weather at, or in, the water, this year we're going to focus on purchasing that summer fashion and modeling it for prospective buyers.

In some shape or form, most Mega Man games have often had some type of shop where you can purchase goods and upgrades. From Big Eddie's or Higsby's to Dressmaker Hip Bone or Macy's-parody Nacy's, there are a bunch of unique shops to choose from. In the case of this category, you are going to take some type of Mega Man shop and turn them into a typical fashion retail store, if they aren't already one. This store has set up a window display to show off it's new summer fashion line, be it summer tanks and shorts, dresses, swimwear, or watermelon-painted reploid armor.

What is unique about this store display, is they have decided to use real live models (or sort-of-living robot ones) to show off their fashion line. You know, like, "it's your mom, in a swimsuit on an igloo in the store window...It doesn't fit."

So, it is up to you to draw your favorite Mega Man characters acting as Mega Mannequins, in their summer fashion, modeling in this retail window display. Be creative with your displays with fun and flashy design and additional background details that scream summer. For some small help at actual summer retail window display inspiration, check out this link.

Ask if you aren't sure about a store choice, but this can include/is not limited to the actual store design or creating your own storefront based off of actual in-game shops:

Big Eddie's, Light Lab, Reggae's, Saffron/Cumin/Jasmine's, Junk Shop, Dressmaker Hip Bone, Tailor Chinos, The EXE anime shady Chinatown salesman's shop, Higsby's, Net Navi/Bugfrag Shop, Nacy's, Big Wave, Cerveau's, RiCO's, etc.

Content Requirements: *Mega Man character(s) of your choice modeling summer fashion in a retail store window display *Must use a shop name/logo from the vast Mega Man shopping universe somewhere in the pic

PRIZES:

The winners for each category will receive the following:

1st Place: $125 USD

2nd Place: $75 USD

3rd Place: $50 USD

Participation Raffle Prizes:

Over the past year, I swiped a couple rare things that perhaps many of you never got a chance to be there for or purchase. And I thought they might be nice little sweeteners to get people to want to participate this year, especially with how quiet the fandom and franchise is right now. Those who place for the cash prizes are also still eligible for participation prizes.

If you enter into either category, you will be eligible for a chance at all 3 participation raffle prizes. If you enter into both categories, you can get your name entered a second time for one specific item of your choice. I will draw for prize #1 first, and whoever wins that will then be ineligible for the other two, and so on down.

Your participation prizes are the following:

Prize #3 - UDON Mega Man Robot Masters Limited Edition Metal Card Set from the 2024 SDCC (featuring Fire Man, Elec Man, Ice Man and Bomb Man)

Prize #2 - UDON Mega Man Bass and Treble Limited Edition Gold Metal Card, from the 2024 SDCC, signed on the back of the card by Hitoshi Ariga

Prize #1 - A shikishi board artwork of Mega Man drawn and signed by Hitoshi Ariga from the 2024 SDCC, verified through the CGC Signature Series

(yes, I'm still keeping my bought version with the "To: Jaz" personalization on it, and giving away this cleaner piece to a lucky one of you! ;p)

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

When you submit, I would prefer if you could include the following information in this format, along with your entry:

(Your name/preferred alias) As much as I usually know who you are, there's always someone new or somebody who has a different preference from what their email name says.

(Category this entry is for) You can either say 1/2 or the category title

(Participation raffle) Let me know if you are in for all of the prizes, or if you want to decline from being entered for a specific prize. If you enter into both categories, let me know the one prize you want your extra chance to go towards.

Only submit your own work, as usual. AI artwork is not allowed. Any character, major or minor, from any series is allowed. OCs are allowed, as long as your art contains at least one canon Megaman character.

As always, participants are allowed to submit from all over the world. As long as the US Postal Service/FedEx will send to your country, and the state of the world doesn't get worse, I hope to be able to send the participation prizes to anyone around the globe. But if your country does not accept mail from the US, there will sadly be nothing I can do.

Paypal is still the preferred method for cash prize payouts. Please have a valid account to receive your winnings.

Kids, get your parents permission before entering.

Entries do not need to be colored, but it is preferred. The more effort put into things as always, the better chance you have!

Entries can either be e-mailed to me at rock2125[at]hotmail[dot]com, or you can just PM/note me a link to your pic.

DO NOT post your pics publicly here, in other galleries, social media, etc. until the contest is over. This is the fairest way for competitive reasons. I prefer to keep them all secret until the deadline has passed.

I'll edit a confirmed entry list in this thread when I receive them. So you won't be in the dark about whether or not I've received your entry.

DEADLINE:

The deadline for this contest will be Tuesday, August 26th, 2025 by 11:59PM, global end of day. This gives you well over 2 months to finish your entry!

MISCELLANEOUS INFO:

As usual, If you don't plan to enter, but would like to help me judge, please let me know through DM, or mention so here. Never hurts to have extra opinions on all the entries.

Bug me with questions if you have any. Everyone is welcome to join in and good luck to everyone who enters!

CONFIRMED ENTRIES:

Cat. 1: ??? Cat. 2: ???

[cak3o]

some fish notes; mainly their diet (most everything), how much they need to eat (a lot) and some behaviors

[cak3o]

kanade - carnation melody cookie

mafuyu -snowy plum cookie

ena - brown butter cookie

mizuki - cherry blossom cookie

machinedramon chugging corona light while retail grunt fireman tirelessly keeps his noodles warm, feeling his autonomy wither away

machinedramon throws a bottle at fireman demanding more beer

[cak3o]

I was given access to the manga and noticed this particular pannel. ;3

HEH

THIS IS MY ULTIMATE VICTORY!!!!!!!

[cak3o]

making my fuckass toys and playing with them

[cak3o]

Please pay attention to the baby

[cak3o]

Another little Megamer writing, mostly to practice non-human feelings and senses. Takes place during the Emerald Spears arc from the Archie comics lol

Fear doesn’t have a scent, not exactly. And in this aquarium, in this strange environment with fish and people and other mers, he isn’t sure how he can even pick up the smell; but Rock is terrified.

He had every right to be.

It started as a demonstration to other scientists, one with a speciality in the field of aquatic animals, not just two men who happened to be scientists that stumbled upon merpups. And it was going…well enough. Elec was still unsure of the whole thing; the strange new people that stared at him, the strange other mers that were there, the strangeness of the aquarium in general-

It was going well.

Until it wasn’t.

There were humans in the room, humans with guns and armor and loud voices, demanding the monsters be put in a tank, or else something bad will happen.

(Elec notices when Rock looks around, confused. There were no monsters, only them.)

There was screaming. There was panicky, jerky movement from all around, from everyone in the room. There was the flash of silver of a gun, of multiple guns, pointing at him-

Somehow, somehow, through all the panic, all the chaos, all of the stimuli, Elec, Rock, and the two other mers (Pharaoh? Tempo? He wasn’t sure) were unceremoniously dumped into one of the aquarium tanks, and left there.

And all they could do was wait.

Fear didn’t have a smell. Not one that could be described with words, at least. But as Rock curls up underneath him with a frightened chitter, he can smell the terror coming off the pup - his pup - in sickening waves. It sends an uncomfortable tingle down the back of his neck down his spine, makes his teeth and claws itch.

Elec brought Rock closer with a careful nudge, a deep purr rumbling in his chest. He hoped his presence could bring comfort, because words were currently failing him.

A plan. He needed a plan.

Dr. Light, Dr. Cossack, and Dr. Lalinde were currently being held hostage by the scary people with guns. Roll was MIA (having gone off with a little blonde girl he believed to be Cossack’s daughter…? Elec was unsure.) and Rush was sitting outside the tank, just as lost and as stuck as they were.

There was Pharaoh, another adult mer who was slowly pacing the aquarium walls, as if looking for something. Elec…didn’t know him well. Perhaps it was just his past experiences talking, but he was immediately suspicious of another adult he didn’t recognize.

There was Tempo, a relatively young mer, she must’ve only been a few years older than Rock and Roll. She was being…amazingly calm, all things considered. It was taking all of his willpower not to drag her over and start preening her, replacing her unfamiliar scent with his own. He did not do that. That would be rude.

He wished someone else was here with him, someone else to shoulder the burden of being the metaphorical rock to…Rock. He’d take anyone, Fire, Bomb, Guts, Time, he’d even take Cut, really, just someone else he knew, someone familiar in this tank of strange fish and strange mers and strange smells. Even the sand under his claws felt almost hostile and unknowable.

Elec felt another uncomfortable shiver down his spine, all the way down to the very tip of his tail, and he hoped to whatever God that was watching that he didn’t start sparking electricity in such a confined space.

“You are not used to tanks.”

Pharaoh was staring at him, Elec curled up in a corner, guarding a terrified pup with the quiet ferocity that threatened to bubble over with just the mere presence of the unfamiliar mer.

He forced himself to remain calm. It was just a question. “No, I don’t. Dr. Light didn’t have much space, so having large tanks isn’t possible. This is…different from what I’m used to.”

The other nodded. “Waters are too cold, where we live. During the winter we stay inside large tanks.” Pharaoh paused, glancing around. “This tank is small. But all tanks are the same. There are two layers. The bottom layer, with the glass, and the top layer, to allow people access.

Pharaoh then grew silent. One of the armed humans began slowly walking around their tank, watching them closely. Elec could feel the enraged snarl in his throat, something he struggled to swallow. (It tasted like bile.)

Either satisfied with his patrols, or wary of the two (three, counting Tempo) mers watching him, the armed human turned back to where he came, ducking down a corridor.

“They want us in the tank.” Pharaoh finally continued, gaze lingering on where the man disappeared. “They want us visible. To keep a better eye on us.”

“They’re scared of us.” Tempo finally said, speaking for the first time since all of this started.

They should be scared. Came a venomous hiss in Elec’s head. He felt himself bristle at the thought, but did nothing. Instead, he asked, “What are you suggesting?”

“We leave the tank.”

“That sounds like sui-” Elec paused, glancing between Tempo and Rock, who was now peeking at the others, wanting to be part of the conversation. Selecting his words a bit more carefully, he tried again, “That sounds like a poor decision.”

“You can say suicide, I know what that is.” Tempo muttered.

“There are only twenty-five of them.” said Pharaoh, almost smug and matter-of-factly. “I counted, before we were sent into this tank. If they want to cover the most ground to find us, their numbers will be thin. Easy to…hm.” He finally glanced away at nothing in particular, tail twitching in thought. “...in-ca-paci-tate them.”

This was a risky plan. A risky, risky plan. Elec knew for a fact that he was not graceful on land, nor was he very stealthy. He doubted the other three would be better.

He had no doubt he could easily take on a human, perhaps two. But with a quick glance at Rock, his resolve wavered. What would Rock think of him? The thought of Rock fearing him felt like a knife right through his heart.

Roll was still unaccounted for, Dr. Light was in danger, and to his utter dismay…Elec wasn't coming up with any better ideas. Instead he was curled up, practically bristling with pent up anger and fury.

All rational thought briefly left his head as Rock fully left his side, now open and exposed to every possible threat-

Absolutely not. Absolutely fucking not.

“Where do you think you're going??” Elec asked, grabbing Rock’s tail and starting to drag him back.

“I-I’m going with Pharaoh!” Rock squeaked. “I need to find Roll!”

The undeniable smell of fear was palpable and near overpowering. And from the way Pharaoh gave Rock a pitiful look, the others could smell it too.

It wasn't safe. It wasn't safe. Returned the hissing voice. Rock was so small and so frail, far too gentle and far too kind, and the thought of him getting hurt was physically nauseating.

Every fiber in his being wanted to scoop up his pup and hold him close to his chest. Tucked right under his chin and next to his throat, where nothing with even half a brain cell would dare to come close. Safe, safe, safe…

But looking at the little pup's determined eyes, Elec managed to reign in all of those thoughts. That was what he wanted…not what Rock wanted.

He sighed, feeling his shoulders slump and his ears droop. His hands were shaking, so he crossed his arms over his chest to try and hide it. “...alright. Just, please promise me you'll be safe?”

Rock nodded, “I will! I promise I will!”

This…was satisfactory. It did not quell the tingling down his spine or the aching in his claws, but it was good enough to quiet such feelings. “Do not leave my side, unless-”

Elec looked up to see Pharaoh and Tempo were gone.

“What the fuck-?!” he spat, before quickly adding, “Do not repeat what I just said.”

“Oh, I won't!” Said Rock, with a coy smile that meant he absolutely would.

Elec could deal with that later. He'd much rather have Dr. Light alive and scolding him than not.

“We're up here.” Came Tempo’s monotone voice from the top of the tank. She was mostly outside, but had stuck her face back into the water to talk. “We wanted to give you two a moment. Pharaoh is ready to go.”

Rock needed no further encouragement, swimming right up and allowing Tempo - a complete stranger to him - to help him out of the tank.

Elec had no idea how Rock was so…brave in the face of such adversity.

…perhaps Rock was the bravest out of all of them.

[cak3o]

lets go insane about fireelec....together!!!

[cak3o]

If i may ask.. what brushes do you use?

hiya! For line art, I use a slightly modified "fountain pen" brush from the Jing Sketch set. I think the most I did was get rid of the texture and manipulate the flow to make it a bit stiffer.

For those more painterly strokes you may be seeing- I use the Flat Painting streamer (and stream) from the Jing Paint set. This one I haven't modified at all.

I hope this helps!

[cak3o]

i was so proud of myself for remembering megaman and bass that i forgot about megaman 11... looks into the mirror....a fool....

[cak3o]

If you don't mind the question, who's your favorite robot master from each game?

Hi! Not at all ☺️ thanks for askin!~

Hm. I have actually been asked this before, but I think some of them have changed- so its a good tike for an update.

1-Fireman (lol)

2-Crashman or Flashman (they are duking it out in my head)

3-Topman or Sparkman

4-Brightman

5-Hm. I don't really have one still (very sorry

6-Centaur...probably. (Hes very fun to write, I have a thing with him and guts)

7-ERM...this ones tough. Junkman or Turboman tho.

8-Searchman...(I like his design and quirks)

9-ALSO TOUGH....Splash..or hornet.

10-Uhhh I'll say chill for now.

MM&B-coldman nods (I think he's cute and also I like that hes a lil dumb)

Hm. much to think about. Majority are admittedly chosen purely cuz I've drawn them the most in their group...time will tell if they get swapped out hehe.

Thanks again for the ask ☺️✨️

EDIT:

she was so proud of herself and then she forgot thr fucking 11th game

11- Imapctman...teehee or blast hes working his way up

[cak3o]

now he matches cut :D

(regarding this comic)

HEHE YEAH!!! Its especially cute since I imagine those two getting along quite well ☺️🩷~~

I have a drawing coming up showing up all their casual outfits that im excited to finish hehe

[cak3o]

your use of colors is soo pretty!! your style is also so gorgeous in general <3 i got back into mm recently and I've been having so much fun looking through your art. thank you for posting!!

Ah thank you so much☺️!!! and welcome back~! Many more mm images to come, so keep an eye out 😌✨️✨️✨️