#i ever so slowly get better at coloring digitally

[hurricanes-art]

I can't help myself. I see any romantic, intimate pose and I have to draw it with Murtagh and Orrin. But it's okay because it's what they deserve!

(image ref under cut)

(from this post)

[in1-nutshell]

Hey, sooo could you do buddy as drifts sibling/sparkling (which ever you want) and knew him when he was deadlock with him leaving them on accident with them running into each other again with buddy still being a con would drift try to have them join the lost light?

We are going with the twin route because not even I'm ready for an abandoned sparkling one. Also added some extra things, hope that was okay!

Personally, I don't think he would ever willingly abandon his sparkling or twin under any circumstance

Hope you enjoy!

Drift's twin the Con who was left behind on accident

SFW, Platonic, Familial, Slight Angst, Romance, Cybertronain reader

MTMTE

Buddy had been by Drift/Deadlock side since the beginning.

From the overdose.

Meeting Ratchet and Orion Pax.

Meeting Megatron and joining the ranks.

Being one of the best snipers compared to their twin.

“I bet you 50 shanix you can’t hit the bot over there.”--Deadlock

“The one behind the rocks with that horrendous color scheme? Please, I’d do it for free, but since your offering…”--Buddy

Buddy closes their optics and fires the round hitting the bot on the shoulder.

“Non-lethal. Doesn’t count.”--Deadlock

Buddy holds a digit in the air.

The bot suddenly explodes.

Deadlock smirks.

“Compression rounds?”--Deadlock

“You know me Deadlock, I have to make my presence known one way or another. What better way with an explosion.”--Buddy

Deadlock reading his rounds.

“Always one for the grand entrances.”--Deadlock

Buddy smirks back.

“Always.”--Buddy

Drift/Deadlock was their entire world and vice versa.

Buddy was his light in this dark world.

The only rocks in the world they had were each other.

Through the fun times and worst times, they stayed loyal to each other’s side.

But then the accident came.

It was the two of them and a small group of Cons on a stake out.

No one knew about the bombing raids.

Drift remembered the screaming and grabbing Buddy’s servo trying to get to safety.

He remembered the feeling of violently getting flunked into the air and blacking out.

He remembered waking up to nothing but scraps of metal and holes in the ground.

He remembered screaming and yelling for Buddy, realizing they weren’t holding his servo or anywhere in sight.

He remembered clawing the dirt around him trying to find them, hoping that they had been partially buried and safe.

He found nothing and went back to the base empty handed and empty hearted.

Buddy’s death was one of the turning points for Drift when he thought about his purpose with the cons and eventually joining the Autobots.

He would later tell the life of his beloved twin to his closest allies on the Lost Light.

Not a day goes by when he doesn’t say a little prayer to Buddy. It was a way of coping with the loss for so long.

Obviously, Buddy isn’t dead.

As it turned out the explosion took them much farther than everyone else.

Their signal had gotten jammed with the surrounding fauna and injuries didn’t help.

They remembered blackout out for a while before a group of Decepticon’s stumbled across their stasis frame. After an accidental reactivation Buddy was brought back to their ship for repairs.

A group they called the Scavengers.

Krok, the unofficial leader welcomed them to their group.

Buddy ended up joining the group as they added more members slowly as they tried to get back in contact with everyone.

The Scavenger couldn’t count the number of times they found Buddy try and contact Deadlock.

They tried to get in touch with Deadlock, but soon it became clear to Buddy that there was no possible way to communicate with him or anyone without the specific equipment for it.

It was now hope that fueled Buddy to one day see their twin again.

It was never a dull moment with the Scavengers and Buddy liked it.

The addition of Fulcrum and Grimlock just added to the fire.

The war may have been a loss… but it wasn’t a loss for everyone.

Krok looking at Buddy who had fallen asleep at the main console again.

He sighed before going over and gently picking them up.

Buddy stirred a bit in their sleep but didn’t wake up.

“They fell asleep at the console again?”--Spinister

Krok just nods as he moves to get Buddy to their habsuite.

“How many times has it been this week?”--Misfire

“Its none of our concern Misfire… They’re just tired.”

“Maybe they should start actually recharging at a decent hour.”--Fulcrum

“Maybe…”--Krok

“They need to let loose a bit you know. Maybe, I don’t know, take them out?”--Misfire

Krok stops in front of the door.

He feels his face plate warmer than usual.

“They won’t be interested.”--Krok

“You could always shoot them.”--Spinister

“No!—I mean—Spinister we don’t shoot team mates.”--Krok

“Krok I think we all know you and Buddy are a little pass the ‘Team mates’ phase.”--Fulcrum

“What makes you say that?”--Krok

Crankcase points at him.

“You carried them to bed and actively tucking them in.”--Crankcase

Krok paused for a moment before walking to the doorway.

“Listen, they are just another valuable member of the team. Anyways—”--Krok

“Krok.”--Crankcase

“Who in their right mind would want to go out on a date me?”--Krok

“Krok.”--Spinister

“They’re smarter, they’ll find some one else to settle down with.”--Krok

“Krok.”--Fulcrum

“Even if they do want to settle—"--Krok

“Krok.”--Misfire

“What?!”--Krok

The four Scavengers point behind him.

He turns and is face to face with Buddy.

“GAH!”--Krok

Krok trips backwards but Buddy grabs him and pulls him flush to their chassis.

Krok feels warmer than usual.

“Buddy… I thought you were asleep?”--Krok

“When your one of the best sniper of the Decepticon army and Deadlock’s your twin, you learn how to sleep lightly and play robot-opposum.”--Buddy

Krok chuckles nervously.

Buddy smirks at him.

“You know… there’s a planet that’s Cybertronain friendly coming up. We could go do some site seeing, what do you say?”--Buddy

Krok tries to speak but he just dumbly nods.

All the Scavengers behind him face palm at the interaction.

Buddy’s smirk turns to a genuine smile.

“All right then, see you in a couple hours then Krok.”--Buddy

They wink and close the door.

Krok just stares at the door.

“What did we just witness?”--Misfire

“That Buddy clearly has more game than Krok?”--Spinister

It was no surprise that Krok had feelings for Buddy.

But when Buddy reciprocated them, that took them all by surprise.

They worked perfectly with each other like a well-oiled machine.

They worked together determined to stick with each other through thick and thin.

“Krok, you’re doing it again.”--Buddy

“Doing what?”--Krok

“The clicking…”--Buddy

Krok looks down at the clicker and slowly sets it down.

Buddy comes to his side and slips their servo into his giving a loving squeeze.

Krok just rest his helm on their shoulder sighing.

“Do you want to talk about it now?”--Buddy

Krok shakes his helm.

Buddy moves their servo and pulls him into a side hug.

“Is this okay?”--Buddy

Krok vents and nods.

They stay on the couch for a bit.

“Buddy?”--Krok

“Hmm?”--Buddy

“Thanks… Thanks…”--Krok

Buddy reaches and hugs him properly.

He responds immediately.

“No, thank you Krok…”--Buddy

The pair end up cuddling in Krok’s room for the rest of the night.

The pair had often danced around being Conjunxes, but both were too shy to bring that up.

The rest of the crew has their own romantic drama to watch now, and they don’t even need a TV for it.

One night the WAP’s engine broke down.

They sent out an emergency pin for repairs.

They received one back.

From the Lost Light.

The ships captain had offered a temporary stay on the ship while their ship was being repaired on the condition that they would be on their best behavior.

The team agreed.

Now The Scavengers were walking to the entrance port as the giant ship had latched onto it.

“Hey Misfire, who did you say the captain was again?”--Fulcrum

“Rodium? Rod? Hang on its on the tip—”--Misfire

The doors open.

“Guess we’ll find out.”--Krok

Buddy takes the lead.

Krok gives them a questioning look.

They walk in and nearly have a spark attack when they see the Co- captains, Ultra Magnus and a familiar felicon.

“Buddy? Your online?”—Megatron and Ravage

Buddy walks forward to the big grey mech.

They stick their servo out.

“Megatron. Its… been a while.”--Buddy

Megatron wordlessly takes the servo.

“It has…”--Megatron

“That’s Buddy? I thought they offlined a while back.”--Rodimus

“Well, they’re not.”--Grimlock

“Grimlock!?”—Rodimus and Ultra Magnus

“This day is just full of surprises isn’t it.”—Ravage

Upon remembering Buddy’s infamously and realizing that the ship was practically crawling with Autobot bot, the Scavengers formed a protective circle around Buddy as they continued to walk with the three other bots.

Ravage took this chance to leave the group.

He knew there was someone that needed to see this.

The group made it to Swerve’s and Buddy instinctively went on guard.

They were honestly glad they brought Grimlock as he gently pushed them forward when they wanted to stop.

Buddy felt uncomfortable knowing full well that many bots had recognized them, ye they weren’t doing anything.

As the group sat down in one of the larger booths, Buddy reached under the table and grasped Krok’s servo.

He sent out loving squeezes trying to soothe them a bit.

“How are you feeling about all… of this?”--Krok

“…Could be better honestly…”--Buddy

“At least Misfire and Grimlock seem to be having fun.”--Krok

Buddy looked over to see Misfire and Grimlock happily chatting with the red minibot bartender.

“Good for them—”--Spinister

BANG!

Buddy immediately moves in front of Krok upon hearing the noise.

There at the entrance of the bar was a white and red mech.

Behind him another white and orange mech panting behind.

“Drift… I swear if you ever do that again…”--Ratchet

Drifts optics frantically searched the bar until they found Buddy.

Buddy felt their spark stop for a second.

Their frame slightly trembled.

“Buddy?”--Drift

Buddy quickly moved across the bar and tackled the mech down in a hug.

Ratchet quickly moved out of the way of the tender reunion.

Drift latched onto Buddy.

They were both slightly teary optic.

“Drift… Oh Drift…”--Buddy

“Oh, Thank Primus… You’re here! You’re here!”—Drift

There was a lot of catching up between the twins as they left to a more private place on the ship.

Drift really owed ravage this one.

Throughout the next few days Drift and Buddy hardly left each other’s side. It soon was made official that The Scavenger’s would be a part of the Lost Light, the twins were overjoyed.

“Drift! I haven’t properly introduced my team.”--Buddy

Drift smiled at them.

It was almost hard to believe that this mech was once one of the most feared mechs in the Decepticon armada.

“You’re the ones who saved Buddy?”--Drift

“Yes.”--Krok

Drift shook their servos.

“Thank you doesn’t even cover it.”--Drift

Buddy slides next to Krok and holds his servo.

Drift looks at this interaction and gives Buddy a smirk.

Buddy looks at Ratchet behind him yelling at a poor bot that decided to play with his equipment.

They mirror his smirk.

“Who would have thought you fell for the one mech that saved your sorry behind all those years ago.”--Buddy

“You aren’t one to talk. At least he’s my Conjunx, is he yours yet?”--Drift

“Not yet—KROK!”--Buddy

Krok fainted in Buddy’s arms.

“DANG IT NOT AGAIN! SOMEONE CALL A MEDIC! OR GET SPINISTER HERE!”--Buddy

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN AGAIN!?”--Drift

[ghosthunterbuck]

these tangled threads

(buddie) (2.3k words) (6x11 spec) i've been back for five minutes and immediately decided i needed to write some spec fic so uh, here we are, have some coma!buck :)

Evan picks at a loose thread on his sleeve and stares at the screen in front of him. His latest in a long line of temp jobs has him feeling disquieted. Even more lost than usual, somehow. He wonders if it isn’t because he’s back in California.

It’s been years since he graced the west coast with his presence, and it’s hard to explain why he’s back now. 

It certainly isn’t for the work. Digitizing old files might be the worst job he’s ever had, and that includes the summer he spent digging drainage ditches in Florida. 

He’s felt restless, though, as of late, an itch beneath his skin that he can’t seem to scratch. Evan pulls at the thread again and a little more of his sleeve unravels. He lets the red string dangle and returns his attention to the file in front of him. 

June 22nd, 1985. 

Evan sighs quietly and flips the folder open. He arranges the sheets nestled inside by color. Red for fire, white for police, yellow for medical. He pulls the stack of red towards him and begins the process of painstakingly typing in each detail all over again. 

Twenty years of files and he hasn’t even made it through the first. 

…

He’s just begun working on the 26th when there’s a soft knock on the slightly ajar door to his closet-turned-office. A young woman pokes her head in and immediately wrinkles her nose. 

“Wow, I don’t think they could’ve found a darker room to put you in if they tried.”

“It’s uh– it’s… fine?” Evan ventures. 

The young woman snorts and pushes the door further open, allowing a small sliver of natural light to stain the carpet. 

“I’ll have to ask Eddie to find out for sure, but I’m pretty sure this is a fire code violation,” she says with a wry grin. 

Evan smiles, a little cautiously. “You’d know better than me,” he says, tapping the file in front of him, “my knowledge currently ends in 1985.”

The woman chuckles softly. “Anyway, a couple of us are going to grab lunch from the food truck across the street. You want to get out of this cave and come with?”

Evan bites his lip and glances at the stack of files to his left. 

“I’m May, by the way,” she says. 

“Evan,” he replies, but even as he says it, something about it feels wrong. Like the shape of his own name is unfamiliar to his tongue.

“Come on,” May says, backing out of the room but leaving the door wide open, “you’ll go crazy sitting in here all day.”

Evan stands before he’s consciously made the decision to do so. “You’re right,” he says. “Can’t stay here forever.”

…

The food truck reminds him a little of a postcard Maddie sent him a few years back, a generic one with no location and no return address. It’s funny, the way she’d flipped the script on him when she finally left Doug. 

He hasn’t gotten a new one in a few months, but who knows if the long string of forwarding addresses he’s kept is still intact. 

There’s a small group of blue and maroon polo-clad individuals huddled beneath a large beach umbrella nearby, and May leads him to them. 

“Hey guys! This is the new temp Sue mentioned yesterday, Evan,” she introduces him. 

Another wave of discomfort hits him and he frowns a little. He tries to wipe the expression off his face before anyone catches it, but at least one of them notices. His eyes narrow ever so slightly, but he doesn’t say anything. 

“Evan,” May continues, “this is Linda, Josh and Eddie.” She points to each of them in turn. 

Linda and Josh both offer him a warm greeting, but Eddie simply nods. He’s got dark circles under his eyes and a seemingly permanent furrowed brow, and Evan finds himself picking again at his frayed sleeve under the man’s scrutinizing gaze. 

Evan wants to look away, but finds that he can’t. 

The moment seems to stretch and pull into something more akin to molasses than time, slowly crystalizing into a shape that feels recognizable. Evan feels the urge to reach out, the inexplicable need to pull Eddie to safety. 

Eddie’s phone rings, and the moment shatters. 

“Excuse me,” he says, and Evan would swear he’s heard that voice before. 

…

By the time Eddie returns, Evan’s halfway through a taco and a story about his time as a ranch hand. The others seem interested enough, but Evan’s boring himself. He knows how the story ends – another place he couldn’t stay, another set of fraying loose ends. 

“Have we met before?” Eddie suddenly interrupts. 

Evan’s certain they haven’t, certain he would remember if they had, but there’s a nagging sensation in the back of his head that begs him to reconsider. “I’m not sure,” he says after a moment. 

“On a call, maybe?” Eddie presses. 

Evan shrugs helplessly. “I’ve never called 9-1-1,” he says. 

Eddie shakes his head impatiently. “I’m not a dispatcher,” he says. “I used to be a firefighter, though.”

An image flashes through Evan’s mind. It’s Eddie, but he looks younger. Or – maybe younger isn’t right. Less burdened. His posture is straight and he’s wearing turnouts and a warm smile. He has the look of someone who’s settled in his skin, someone who knows exactly who he is and isn’t afraid of that knowledge. He’s so incredibly familiar, but Evan knows they haven’t met. Not in this lifetime, anyway. 

He shakes his head again. “I’m sorry, I don’t think so. I haven’t been in LA in years.” Evan feels like he’s lying, even as he knows he’s telling the truth. 

Eddie’s lips twist into a small frown, a painful expression Evan is suddenly desperate to wipe away. 

“Who was on the phone?” he blurts. 

The question works, and Eddie’s frown fades into something closer to a tired smile. “My son,” he says, “Christopher.”

“Whoa, you got a kid?” Evan’s voice seems to echo in his own ears. 

Christopher, he’s seven. 

And super adorable. 

“One that’s growing up way too fast,” Eddie says. His tone is light, but the guilt in his expression says everything he doesn’t. 

He doing okay?

Better than me. 

Evan turns his attention back to his frayed sleeve, and realizes it isn’t just one string, it’s two, tangled so tightly together he’s sure they’ll never unwind. 

…

“Buck,” someone says, and Evan’s head snaps up so fast it hurts.

There’s no one there. He’s alone in his dingy longstay motel room, picking at a plate of microwave lasagna that makes him wish desperately that he’d learned how to cook somewhere along the way. 

The room shouldn’t feel silent, not with the buzzing air conditioner and thin walls, but it does and it’s oppressive. Evan flips on the TV and hopes it’ll be enough. 

A red headed reporter fills the screen, and something like anxiety twists in his chest. He reaches for the remote but freezes when the image changes. 

“...three alarm blaze that displaced multiple families was extinguished early this morning by multiple teams of firefighters. Incident commander Robert Nash commented at the scene.”

“Our team performed admirably tonight. We just wish you were there with us.”

Evan’s brow furrows and he sits back, watching as the camera pans to two paramedics bandaging the arm of a young firefighter with dark skin and a pained expression.

…

In the morning, a postcard from Maddie arrives. 

Strangely, the image on the front is of a small, nondescript house with three pairs of shoes set neatly by the front door. 

Evan flips the card over to read the inscription. 

We miss you. Please come home.

There’s no postage, and no return address. 

Evan shivers and grabs his hoodie from the bed. It’s only when he pushes his knuckles through the end of his sleeve that he notices his two strings have turned to nine, all varying degrees of tangled, though none as long or as tightly woven as the first two he’d noticed. 

His head aches, and he wishes more than anything he could follow Maddie’s instructions. 

Home though… he doesn’t know where that is. 

…

Evan finds himself at the pier with no memory of how he got there. It looks familiar but wrong, dotted with rides and attractions he knows are long gone. He looks to his left and finds a young boy staring at him, no older than eight. 

“You ever think about what you want to do with your life? What you want to be when you grow up?” the boy asks him. 

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Evan replies. 

The boy ignores him and continues speaking. “I hope you do find something you love,” he says. 

“I did,” Evan replies instinctively. He hesitates. “Or I thought…”

The boy looks at him, and suddenly he’s older. “It’s gonna be okay, Buck. The doctors can fix you.”

Evan gasps and stumbles back. There’s a roaring in his ears. He turns just in time to see the wave that swallows him whole. 

…

What am I supposed to do if you– you promised, Buck. Chris needs you, and I–

…

Evan sputters and coughs until a river flows from his mouth. He’s standing in a bathroom, in front of a mirror, covered in blood. 

The strings from his tattered sleeve wrap around his fingers now, difficult but not impossible to distinguish from the horrible stains on his skin. 

The door behind him swings open, and a man walks in. 

Immediately, Evan is comforted, though he doesn’t know why. 

“Everyone’s out there,” the man says. “Waiting.”

“Why?” Evan asks. 

The man frowns. 

“I was just the guy standing there when it happened,” Evan continues. 

“I need you to open your eyes, kid,” the man says. 

Evan blinks– once, twice, and he’s back in his office. 

…

The door swings open. 

“None of us are better off, you know,” a woman with a shaved head says as she steps into the room. “I know you think it sometimes, but we’re not.”

“I don’t understand,” Evan says. 

“Bobby’s a wreck. And Eddie… I’ve never seen him react like that to anything. Reminded me of you, actually.”

“You know me?” Evan asks, feeling more and more desperate. The walls around him feel like they’re closing in. 

“Point is, we don’t work without you. So I’m going to need you to wake up and come be a firefighter again, okay?” The woman turns on her heel and leaves. 

“Wait!” Evan calls, but it’s too late. 

He blinks again and finds himself in the middle of a grocery store, clutching a box of cat laxative to his chest. 

…

“Buck?” A man asks, striding towards him. He’s wearing a firefighter’s uniform and has a scar in the middle of his forehead. “Man, what are you doing here,” he says. It doesn’t sound like a question. 

“I'm just here to– to do some... some shopping,” Evan replies. 

The man shakes his head. “This isn’t right,” he says. “It isn’t supposed to happen like this. You need to come home.”

“I want to,” Evan whispers. “I don’t know how.”

The box falls from his hands, tearing at the red strings that no longer seem to come from his sleeve but from his skin instead. 

“Maddie’ll be back soon,” the man says. “She stayed with Jee overnight, but she’s on her way now. I know you’re not going to wake up for me, but maybe you could wake up for her? She needs you.”

The man claps Evan on the shoulder and spins him around, and suddenly he’s face to face with the sister he hasn’t seen in years. 

…

“Maddie!” Evan cries, throwing himself towards her. She catches him in a tight hug. 

“I miss you, little brother,” she says sadly. 

“I’m right here,” Evan says. 

“What happened to you,” Maddie whispers. 

Evan shakes his head. Tears begin to pool in the corners of his eyes. “I don’t know, Maddie. I’m scared.”

…

He’s flatlining again! 

Ma’am, please step back and let us do our jobs. 

That’s my brother!

And we’re doing everything we can to save him. 

…

Evan gasps awake in his motel room, alone again. Or maybe– he was alone the entire time. Just dreaming. It always feels so real. 

The TV is still on, but now it’s the weather. A grim meteorologist addresses him. 

“High winds and rain are in the forecast tonight, but the real danger is the lightning. Shelter away from tall trees and poles, and whatever you do, don’t go climbing any ladders.”

Evan shudders. The hair on the back of his neck stands on end. He’s in danger. 

The door swings open, and Eddie walks in. 

“Buck,” Eddie says, and though it isn’t his first time hearing the name, it’s the first time he understands that it’s his. 

Buck stands. 

“You have to open your eyes,” Eddie says, “okay? You have to.”

“I’m looking right at you,” Buck says softly. 

Eddie shakes his head and the meaning is obvious. You’re looking right at me, but you still don’t see.

“The doctor’s,” Eddie says shakily, “they say you might never wake up. But I don’t believe that, Buck. I know you. I know you better than they do and I know you’re not going to give up on us like that.”

Buck reaches out on instinct and lays his string wrapped hand over Eddie’s heart. 

In an instant, it all comes rushing back to him. 

“You have to wake up,” Eddie says. 

“I’m trying,” Buck gasps. 

“You have to, because I can’t do any of this without you, Buck. I don’t want to.”

Buck remembers the moment lightning struck him. He remembers the moment before the pain, remembers feeling, just for a moment, like he might be immortal. He remembers Eddie crying out his name. 

Eddie’s hands encircle his, and the red string tangles them together. 

“Please, Buck,” Eddie says, squeezing his hand. “Come home.”

With a herculean effort, Buck squeezes back.

[starker-raving-mads]

For You: Part IX

im so sorry this took so long but everyone can thank @madeforstarker for kicking me in the ass to get it done. Thank you, princess <3

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX

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Peter didn't see Tony for three days.

This was partially his fault. His initial reaction to The Bedroom Incident, as he was calling it, was to flee the entire building, his feet scurrying him to May's apartment early the following morning. He spent a good few hours with his aunt - something he didn't actually regret, though the reason for the new time together soured it a little for him - and when she left for work he left for patrol. It was probably his longest patrol yet, capping off at 6 hours, and while it felt good to stretch his muscles and help the people of Queens, his mind constantly drifted back to The Bedroom Incident.

He couldn't face Tony after that.

And yet he couldn't not.

After weeks of living in the penthouse, it felt like home. It was the only place he felt well and truly free and comfortable, and Tony being there just made it even better. Even with the - awkwardness that now surrounded them, surely they could get over that right? It's not like he'd said Tony's name. Out loud, at least.

So, exhausted and starving, he swung by a 24/7 deli and grabbed two sandwiches. They wouldn't be as good as Mr. Delmar's but Peter was starving so he'd take what he could get. He ate one of them on the walk home in his street wear, taking his time by taking a circuitous route back to Stark Tower. It was just delaying the inevitable but Peter couldn't bring himself to speed up the awkward conversation he was no doubt gonna have once he got home.

And yet, once the elevator doors opened and revealed the penthouse, no one was there.

"Fri?" he called.

"Yes, mom?"

"Where's, uh - where's Tony at?"

"Boss has been dematerialized and operating within the bounds of his cognitive digital space, which I am unable to access. Would you like me to get him for you?" she asked, tone colored with curiosity. Peter had to wonder what she thought of the situation, but also did not want to know. He could only imagine the leaps in logic she would make that would hit too close to home.

He dawdled around the living room for a little while before heading down to the labs, half expecting Tony to be there, blue and glowing and insubstantial but present and, for lack of better words, alive.

This was not the case.

Tony was nowhere in the confines of the lab. Peter sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, slowly making his way toward the elevator. He stopped before he entered it and turned around, speaking aloud, "I, uh, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I - yeah. I'll be around." He felt like an idiot speaking to an empty room but he wasn't sure what else to do.

He spent the rest of the night in the penthouse doing his online course work in silence. When he went to bed, he had Friday tell Tony just in case he wanted to know where Peter was, and then fell into a very tense and restless sleep.

The following two days were much like the first. Peter woke up, had Friday tell Tony what he was doing or where he was, visited his friends or May, patrolled, and did his online coursework. He'd come home, have Friday update Tony - not that she ever got an affirmative response - and he went to bed. He slept like shit, he felt like shit, and it was really starting to drain him.

On the fourth day, when he'd about lost his patience and his nerve, Tony finally popped into existence in the middle of the living room. It scared the hell out of him but he didn't do much more than look at the older man, dumbfounded and slightly stupefied.

"Tony?"

"Yeah, uh," the simulation ran a hand through his hair, messing it up in an impossibly cute way, "hi."

"Hi," Peter replied, lame as fuck.

They stared at each other in silence, brown eyes meeting blue ones, before Tony finally broke the tension.

"I'msorryforintrudingandseeingyoucum."

It was only Peter's enhanced senses that made the jumble of words make sense and he blushed immediately, grimacing and trying to hide it.

"It - uh, it's okay."

"It's really not, this is your place and I should give you privacy and I didn't and - " Tony paused, looking at Peter again. " - and I really should not know you have a daddy kink, kid."

"Oh god," Peter groaned, grabbing a pillow and shoving it over his face. "You heard that?"

Tony chuckled and it somehow broke the tension in the room despite the topic. "Kinda hard not to when you're all breathy and moaning. Plus," he shrugged, still grinning, "I have this kickass new memory since it all gets stored and fragmented and saved now."

"Please, please let's change topics before I pass out from blood loss," Peter begged. And, suddenly, everything felt right with the world again. This was their thing. Teasing and being teased, having fun and making jokes between all the serious stuff. It felt good, like a breath of fresh air after three very long, very lonely days.

Peter tried not to analyze what that meant for the future of his sex life.

Long and lonely, he sighed.

But, they moved topics like Peter had wanted, only to something he had not really expected.

"You what?" he asked, perplexed.

"I sent Pepper a Cease & Desist," Tony said as if it made any sense at all.

"How? Did you tell her you were - "

"Oh no, no way," the older man shook his head. "I figured neither of us were ready to pop open that can of worms. I sent it through Friday on your behalf - which," he grimaced, "I probably should've asked first, but what's done is done."

"It's fine, I guess, just - why?" That was what Peter couldn't understand. Why would Tony be sending C&Ds to his wife of all people? And on Peter's behalf no less.

"Listen, kid, I fucked up when I made my will - and before you start thinking it was about your part, it wasn't that," he cut Peter off when he saw the protest in his eyes. With a firm glare, he continued, "She had no right doing a lot of the things she did and is still doing. I had plenty of time in the last three days to think about it, analyze data, check on sources - it's amazing what having all that extra time I'd normally be sleeping can do - and I'm very unhappy with her, Pete."

"Just, why?" Peter asked again, feeling like a parrot or an NPC who had no other dialogue.

"She shouldn't have taken your blanket," the older man glared. "And she shouldn't have said what she did in that meeting room, or any of the tactics she's employed since. I know Pepper, kid, like I know the back of my hand," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand. "That means all the good and the bad. I know that I loved her, or something like that - I must have, to have gotten married and had a kid and everything," he waved his hand like this was not a tremendous thing to be admitting. Might have loved his wife. Oh boy. "But she's taking my decisions out on you and it's not right and it's not fair."

"I don't - "

"If you say you don't mind, kid, I'm gonna figure out a way to kick your ass," Tony swore. "You matter, your persona matters to the public and the shareholders, your favorite things matter even when they're just blankets, and you matter enough to me to be able to see your own god daughter."

"I - thank you," Peter replied softly, curling into the couch with a not-as-cozy blanket draped over him. "I don't know what to say to that."

"Just accept it."

Peter chuckled. "I can do that."

A sweet smile was spread across the space between them, warm and something. After a moment, Peter asked, "So what exactly did your C&D say?"

"The majority of it was just getting her to stop her public and private attacks on you," Tony started. He sat on one of the couch cushions and it was weird seeing it not sink in with his weight. "There was a second petition as well, to get visiting hours with Morgan. I hope, uh," he looked truly nervous here. "I hope you don't mind. I really think you'll love her, Pete." His eyes were earnest as he said this, not really looking for acceptance to an apology that wasn't given. Tony wanted Peter to know his daughter and Peter wanted that too.

"Of course I will," Peter smiled. "She's part you, remember?"

[lovergonebad]

Circulation ~ *Huening Kai*

Summary: You have poor circulation which makes your fingers turn purple. However you neglected to tell your bosses, aka TXT. How do you think they’ll react when they see your purple fingers? What would your crush say?!

Pairing: Huening Kai X Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluffy Drabble

Word Count: 962

Warning: Poor circulation

Masterlist

Taglist: @foxwinter​

“Purple.” You mused to yourself, looking at your fingers. You flexed them in a vain attempt at changing their purple hue to a more healthy color. You weren’t necessarily surprised when it didn’t work, as you can equate the purple to your poor circulation. Nevertheless, it’s the thought that counts, you suppose.

As you continued to flex and wiggle your fingers, the boys made their triumphant return into the green room, congratulating each other on another successful performance. You smiled towards them, ready to help them pack up and head out. But first, you had to take off all their stage makeup. However, although you were pretty fast at taking their makeup off, they did have a tendency to make the task difficult for you.

Taehyun stepped up to you first, sitting in the chair before you while handing you a packet of makeup wipes. “For you.”

You smiled at him through the mirror as you took the packet. “Thank you.”

As soon as your fingers touched the wipes, Yeonjun gave the biggest, most dramatic gasp before pointing at your hand. “Your fingers are purple!”

Glancing down, you gave a strained chuckle. Right, you never did tell them about your poor circulation. Well, there’s no time like the present, you suppose. “Oh, yes, that. Well, I’m a little cold so my fingers are turning purple. It’s just my poor circulation, that’s all. Nothing to worry about!”

Leave it to them to only hear the word cold in that sentence. Within an instant, the boys were running around the green room like chickens with their heads cut off, trying in vain to get you to warm up. Soobin was asking another staff member to see if they could turn down the air conditioning while Beomgyu had raced out of the room, saying he was going to go get you something warm to eat.

“Guys, really, I’m okay-” You tried to stop them from freaking out.

“Take my hand.”

Looking up to see who spoke to you, you could feel yourself flush at Kai’s sincere smile as he offered out his hand to you. However, your response went along the lines of, “Wha-what?”

He gave a small laugh before repeating, “I said, take my hand, please.”

Slowly, you gave him my hand, which he started to rub and caress gently and soothingly. You felt the heat rise to your cheeks as he continued to work the blood flow back into your once purple fingers. Thanks to him, your digits were starting to regain their healthy hue. Well, this is not what you had in mind when you imagined your crush holding hands with you, but who were you to complain about it? I mean, your crush is holding your hand for goodness sake! Take it and run with it!

“Feel any better?” Kai asked, looking at you with the cutest smile ever, making your heart flutter.

You nodded, trying to get your mouth to speak. “Yeah, thank you.”

“Of course. My mom used to have poor circulation too, so I learned all the tips and tricks to make her feel better.” He explained, still administering his hand massage. You were too in love with the sensation to tell him to stop.

“That’s sweet of you.” You mused, trying to regain control of your blush.

“I think it’s working too well, Kai.” Yeonjun teased, pointing at your flushed cheeks. “She’s all red now.”

You ducked your head, in a vain attempt to hide your blush as Kai smiled at you sweetly. “Do you want me to stop?”

Shaking your head, you tried to get your hair to cover your face. Great, being awkward in front of your crush. Did you have to make it so obvious that you liked him? Besides, you’re not necessarily supposed to fall in love with your boss, so if he found out about your feelings, you’d be in hot water. The thought alone, made your cheeks burn brighter with a blush.

“You two are so cute together.” Beomgyu gushed before Soobin shoved him with a laugh, as he had returned a few seconds prior.

Taehyun nudged Kai before whispering in his ear. You watched as his cheeks burst into a bright red, his ears redder than his cheeks. A small voice in your head said he must be as red as you are right now before he cleared his throat to speak. “Y-you know, another way you can bring the circulation back into your fingers would be getting something warm to drink. You, you wouldn’t want to go and get coffee with me later, would you?”

Everything in your head was screaming loudly to say YES, so you said, “S-sure.”

Nailed it.

He smiled brightly, squeezing your hand affectionately. He opened his mouth to say something else when-

“Yes, yes, you’re both very cute and I’m about to vomit from the sweetness, but I wanna take care of my makeup before you two go on your little date.” Yeonjun whined, a teasing lilt in his voice.

The both of you blushed while the other three boys laughed. Kai spoke up, trying to defend the two of you by saying, “If you’re so worried, do it yourself! It’s not that hard and you’re not a child anymore!”

“Hey!”

You laughed, standing up and pulling out one of the makeup wipes. “Don’t worry, Yeonjun. I’ll help you.” You assured him, patting his cheek for extra measure.

Even though you had to withdraw your hand from his, you still blushed brightly when he pressed a feather light kiss to your knuckles. While the others pretended to gag, you couldn’t help but laugh. Now you had to clean up their makeup even faster than usual just so you could hold hands with Kai again.

[hugsandchaos]

Final chapter of Caregiver N

N pounded hard against the window of the escape pod, but it barely did a thing. The glass was made to withstand intense blows, and he was injured and exhausted from the previous events, so the fact that his blows aren’t doing much wasn’t surprising. Although it did make N’s situation worse for him. Digital tears rolled down his screen.”NO, NO, NO, NO!!! MOM, PLEASE!!!” He screamed desperately.

His mom, who was actually a lifelong friend the same age as him and their other friends and often acted like a mom, fired another bullet with her only remaining arm at another human’s head. She glanced back at him with tears of her own threatening to break free from her yellow eyes and smiled at him. It was both a sad and hopeful smile.”Listen, N. I know it’s scary, being the first real time, but I think you’ll have to be on your own for a while. But don’t worry, it’ll all get better.” She said, trying to comfort him.

A human grabbed the disassembly drone from behind, but she was able to break free by shooting her broken wings out of her hatches. The torn metal pierced through the soldier’s body and they fell down when she brought them back into her back. She spotted a human trying to stop the launch and shot them multiple times so they wouldn’t prevent N from escaping. Hearing more soldiers coming, N’s friend knew she couldn’t beat them all. Not with her injuries. But she could enough time for her friend to escape, and that was all she wanted now. Meanwhile, N tried using his tail to stab through the pod, but the acid was working so slow that he knew that by the time he could tear a hole through, it’d be too late. He was helpless. His last friend, his only remaining family, was going to die and he couldn’t do anything. N could barely control his emotions and watched as his mother figure glanced at the hallway, and then back at him again.”Please, don’t go!!!” He cried out.

EMERGENCY POD LAUNCHING IN 10...

9...

“Don’t let them ever catch you,”

7...

6...

She turned back to the hall and her tail swished angrily,”And thank you for being in my life.”

3...

2...

1...

N shot awake and frantically glanced around the small room. He sat up in the odd structure of surprisingly soft and cool fabric things. He could see through the darkness of the basement with his advanced senses and noticed the papers with sloppy drawings and weird colored pens on the floor nearby. The walls, floor, and ceiling appeared made of stone and felt cool. Everything that happened after the incident came flooding back to him.

Somehow surviving a black hole, crashing on Earth, finding a mansion that had tons of barrels of oil in a shed, and meeting Cyn, V, J, and Tessa. The fact that his first family was still gone.

As he recounted the nightmare, N slowly began to feel like... He began to feel small. That was the best way to describe it. He felt like he was a droneling again, but this time, there weren’t any of his family members to hug and comfort him. There was no one to hide behind, there was no one to protect him. He reached a hand up and tried rubbing the faux fur on the collar of his coat in an attempt to calm himself down like he did so long ago, but it wasn’t working as well as he would’ve liked. He could practically hear the soldiers screaming and shouting. N moved into a fetal position and opened the hatches on his back, wrapping his large wings around himself to hide.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

J held the cup of oil carefully as she opened the trapdoor to the basement, trying not to spill it even though it had a lid on it to prevent it. As she turned and descended into the dark room, she was surprised to hear something. She paused to listen, and soon realized it was crying. She turned around and only barely saw N’s wings in the far left corner of the room with the limited light. J hurried her descent and placed the tall cup on the floor before she began walking towards N. Unexpectedly, his tail rose up from between his wings with the stinger pointed at her. J stopped and looked a little scared.”...N? Are you alright?” She asked. His tail slowly lowered and disappeared. His wings moved, but just enough for N to peek out at her with one of his eyes.”J?” He mumbled.

His tone reminded her of when V or Cyn regressed. At that point, it would take an idiot not to tell that he was upset. She walked closer and knelt down in front of him to be closer to eye level.“Yes, it’s me. Are you okay?” She asked. N stared at her for a moment before glancing down at the floor. At that moment, J noticed the small pink blush on his screen. Her eyes briefly widened in surprise, but then she blinked and brought herself back.“I don know...” N replied quietly.

J hummed and turned around. She didn’t notice N looking at her a little hurt as she stood and walked towards where she left the oil, or him moving his wings more to reach out as if to stop her. He didn’t say anything as he brought his arm back and frowned. Then he noticed J coming back with the cup and perked up. She sat down next to him and offered him the oil.”Here. Drink this, take a deep breath, and you can tell me what’s wrong, little buddy.” She said, speaking in a softer and sweeter tone than she usually does. N wiped the digital tears from his screen and lowered his wings down to the floor.”’M not lil.” He said as he accepted the oil.

He took a sip from the cup after opening it and J put a hand on his shoulder.”Sure, N. Don’t drink too fast.” She said. N continued drinking until it was halfway empty and set it down. After that, he tried to take a deep breath, but it was shaky and a little shallow. He took another to try again and J waited patiently.”Take your time.” She said. N tried a third time and wrapped his arms around himself again.“...I jus wanna stop tinking about it.” He said. J gave him a warm smile and leaned forward a little bit. She was really worried about what happened before she came down to the basement, but she also didn’t want to push him when he’s already upset.“That’s okay. Would you like me to go grab a book so we can read instead?” She asked. N waited a moment before nodding. J stood up.

She walked over to the ladder.”Alright, I’ll grab one of the Clifford books. Those are your favorite, right?” She asked. She turned around to see N looking a little embarrassed.”N-No!” He said. J tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow at him.

“...Yes, it is my favowite...” He admitted.

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

(CW FOR CHILD DEATH i liked the red light green light ask so i made something to celebrate christmas eve-eve ^_^)

Tonight was the night.

Asher promised to himself he would stay up until santa came with the presents, so here he was, barely keeping his eyes open as he stared at his digital alarm on the nightstand.

It was a losing battle, at this point he was barely awake. His eyes closed as he almost fell into a deep slumber, until.

A thump from downstairs.

His eyes shot open as he bolted up out of his bed with excitement, he was here he was here he was here he was finally here-

He walked down the stairs as quietly as he could in his excited state, careful not to slip in his lucky socks.

He rounded the corner, expecting to see a jolly old man with a red fluffy hat eating the cookies he and his parents set out for him, a sack full of the presents he’d written down on his wishlist, except there was no one there. The only light came from the tree which he had decorated the week before, strung with colorful blinking lights and DIY snowflake ornaments covered in glitter.

His smile disappeared as he realized santa wasn’t here, and he begrudgingly turned around to go back to bed.

There was something blocking his way.

As he looked up to see who he bumped into—maybe his dad heard him coming downstairs?—and his face shifted from disappointment to fear.

It was not the face of his father that greeted him, it was a face with a smile that was too wide and eyes that were almost completely black.

It was completely still, if he didn’t know any better he would think it was a weird statue his parents had gotten without telling him.

He was frozen in fear for a moment, before he turned away and started to run. Run for his life.

He didn’t get very far, the thing ran in front of him and stopped, blocking his way again.

“I didn’t say you could leave.”

Asher’s eyes started to tear up, he would have said sorry to maybe make the alternate let him go, but he kept choking on any words he tried to say. So he just remained silent, staring up at the malevolent creature.

“P-please,” Asher managed to whisper through his tears.

It seemed to be restraining itself from laughing, before it feigned thinking over his words.

“Fine. If you win, I’ll let you go,”

“huh?”

“When I say green light, you can run. When I say red light, you stop. If you get to your parent’s room without messing up, I’ll let you go,”

Red light green light…he’s played that game before. He’s good at it. He’ll win. He’ll hug mommy and she’ll make the monster go away. It’s gonna be ok.

“Green light.”

He ran and ran, still trying his best not to slip in his lucky socks.

“RED LIGHT.”

Asher stopped cold. He didn’t want to find out what would happen if he broke the rules.

“Greeen light.”

He started running again, and he made it to the stairs this time. Mid-run, he turned around so when he stopped he could make sure the monster wasn’t breaking the rules.

“RED LIGHT.”

creak.

The monster moved slowly, very slowly, if Asher wasn’t so afraid and watching the thing’s every move he wouldn’t have noticed it. But still. It moved ever so slightly closer. Asher could still outrun it though. Right?

“Green light.”

Asher turned around again, running up the stairs, he made it all the way to the hallway where his parent’s bedroom was.

“RED LIGHT.”

He didn’t turn around this time, but he could still hear the monster slowly inching its way towards him, it sounded like it was going faster this time.

“Green light!”

He ran down the hallway, his parent’s room had never seemed so far away. He reached out for the doorknob-

“RED LIGHT.”

He was frozen.

He couldn’t break the rules.

Creeak.

This red light was really long, and the monster didn’t seem intent on letting him run again.

It creeped ever closer.

Asher felt white hot tears of fear run down his face, he still tried to stay still as he sobbed for his life.

He could feel the monster’s hands constrict around his head, he knew it was still smiling its too-wide smile.

He gives up on this game, the monster cheated.

“MOM!! MOMMY!! MOMMY HELP ME!! MOMMY THERES A MONSTE-”

a sickening snap echoes through the house, and Asher collapses to the ground.

What was once a young, energetic five year old is nothing but a limp corpse, with a look of fear permanently etched onto his face.

He would never find out what he got for christmas the next morning.

Oh NOOOOOO /lh

Oh SHIT dude.

Adam you fucking BITCH-

[clawsextended]

@ataviisms

"do you love her?" barbara, he means. selina's never been the careless type when it comes to how she feels about another person. she either loves deeply or she doesn't love at all, and the list of people in the former category is pretty fucking short. waylon plunks his head down in her lap, tail swishing slowly across the floor. "i like her. she's nice."

“ daphne met her when we were filming barbie together and i couldn’t get her out of my mind.”

and it wasn’t your usual sense. it wasn’t sick with obsession, days on end spinning. it wasn’t dying to touch her until your hands could burn and turn to ash. it wasn’t need that starts in your head and sets you on fire with an all-consuming necessity to devour. no, it was nothing like that.

it was quiet.

like you could breathe for the first time. like you could hear the way the leaves rustles in the trees. like colors were newly bright, newly hued. like the world was never the world before. you’d never said words before you spoke to her, you’d never heard sound until her voice tinkled with the soft brush of chimes in the wind. she stops your heart. she is everything to you. you yearn to wrap your hands around her every inch to memorize it all with the fingertips you’ve so cruelly maimed — maybe it’ll bring back the innocence you yearn to share with her.

she makes you feel. before night was black and now it’s blue; before the sky was blue and now it’s azure.

you welcome him with a careful touch when he edges into your space, rests a hand atop his head to trace the scales carefully. you think they’re the most beautiful color. you wish color didn’t make your stomach churn — you’d love a tshirt a little like him, but most things with a shade become difficult to bear after a couple hours. you get too self-conscious. you hum absently.

“yeah. she makes me want to be a better person. i was — so scared when she told me about the barbie thing. I’m a monster, way, and if i—“

your throat starts to pinch closed. so do your hands. you blink a couple thousand times. you have to stop touching him to softly press nails into your palms. you swallow. why is thinking so hard?

“—yeah. no. i — i was so scared she’d hate me. like. she’d get to know me and she’d hate me. daphne is lovable. she’s easy to know. and i’m —

….she likes me more. like, she tells me. all the time. because i’m real. isn’t that fucking crazy? she thinks i’m real, way. she doesn’t even think it’s dumb when i’m sad because i can’t get a fucking license. she’s, like, the bravest person I’ve ever met. she literally decided to be human. like, she learned every shitty thing about the world and still said ‘i wanna live in it’. holy shit.”

you can’t help yourself. you’ve returned to tracing scales, each groove etched into your skin as you alternate pressure. you’re fascinated by it — you think it’s the coolest thing in the world. he is literally a man but is also an alligator but is also actually just a person, and you are constantly telling him on an evolutionary spectrum he’s kind of the definition of human advancement?

your moods break your own neck. you constantly want to be sick about it — you’re happy then sad then angry then happy again in the blink of an eye. he’s used to you — he knows you’re harmless, declawed, raw pads of those digits enough evidence to prove. you’d break yourself for anyone you love.

but that’s the thing, she never wants you to.

“she just loves me. like. me. like, me covered in blood in a catsuit, and me at a gala in pink, and me in a sweater sitting on top of the banister. yeah. i love her.

—like, if she was still a barbie and i was a barbie we’d be a set.”

[yakeisoda]

Hello, just wanna start this off by saying that I love your art. I've decided to ask my favourite artists for art tips as I wanna get into it, but no matter what I do it never looks right. So, any tips?

HELLO TYSM!!! ngl i dont think im the best 4 this question im also kinda in a rut rn where im not really satisfied w my art n craving more progress and improvement but im getting there somewhat but very slowly! (ive been this way for a rly long time naow) this might be long but im gna try n throw in the things ik, sorry if my thoughts r messy im not the best in articulating stuff :')

i think a good way to start off is to find out what skill you lack the most or what you want to improve the most on, say for ex: u wna focus on getting better at composition for illustrations, then a good way to improve them is to learn about the composition rules (ex: rule of 3rds, etc), look for any scenes in films/animation or photographies and storybooks , study them and recreate it! go crazy !! ive done a study on a friend's picture before, and have asked my friends if i can use their photographies as practice!

looking for inspiration will also improve ur visual library, they can help u find what u wna put in ur art ! like perhaps certain color palettes or styles, it's best to look at different mediums of art instead of focusing only on one, sometimes u can find techniques meant 4 u! (ex: of this is my friend who used to be a watercolor artist, ive observed them using watercolor techniques when they were still new to digital art! basically mix n match whatever feels good/convenient 4 u :] )

disciplining urself is also good to have more improvement! i have trouble w this the most ever since bc its hard 2 focus if no one is like there to monitor u (in my experience), if u rly wna make progress u have to squeeze in some art practice time in ur schedule, it can be around 15-30 mins or even 3 hrs, completely up to you! (rmb to take breaks!). you can give urself deadlines if that will help n maybe timers too!

my prof always said "Proper practice makes perfect", so it's also best to practice with a clear goal in mind, take notes on the things u lack and if ur watching any art tutorials/speedpaints, take notes of those too! it's good to have something specific in mind so u wont get lost n u wud know what u wna do! it helps u retain info as well so u can look back on stuff, to avoid overwhelming urself u can just focus on small bits first, ex: in anatomy, u can focus on the head area first, break it down to drawing eyes and noses, etc! then u can move onto the torso area!

USE REFS!!!! make use of pinterest or any other refs u can find, cannot stress this enuf go crazyyy w references, make a moodboard full of referencess n go crazzyy w them!! i used to not like doing this bc i just head straight in to drawing bc thats what i was used to but art college trained me 2 use refs bc they help so very much, theyre like ur guideline for what u wna make so u have a clear goal in mind, also photobashing seems like a great practice too never tried it but yes it can help when ur planning an illustration/concept art!

^above also applies to art styles! go crazy n experiment w them!! i think its so very fun to explore diff art styles n not stick to 1, again this depends on u but having a different range of artworks is rly fun, u can go from very pastel soft colors n style, to smth very vibrant n sharp, to smth like dark n chalky-sketchy kind of vibe if im making sense T__T, basically go wild!! go crazy!! dont let urself sit in 1 box! hop into other boxes !! or wear all of them!! or poke holes in the box n add stuff to the box or wear a circle!! trust me it looks so fun if u put different artworks uve made side by side n go wow i did that!!

also create small thumbnails 4 illustration! its really best to plan ahead art too, as i said i used to just head straight in n not plan but ive learned to absolutely enjoy planning making art! collecting refs n seeing what kind of composition goes n what colors wud work is so very fun actually! it rly helps a lot

theres also this one post i lost the link, but basically it shows how much progress u can make if u make loose sketches vs full on rendered illustrations vs a mix of both, again this depends entirely on u bc things r different for everyone! i think that post is really good for teaching abt art progress (if any1 knows where it is pls do link!), i think focusing on sketches n practice is better tho bc it helps u draw more freely n loosely! i think that speeds up ur process more as well n doesnt make u lose interest immediately compared 2 focusing on finishing 1 big rendered illust (talking from experience) but then again its different for every1 so honestly just experiment n see what feels right for u!

i wna say tho that although it is good to make sure ur drawing looks right its also good to just let yourself draw freely, i think what matters is that u understood the structures of something and as long as ur able to apply that in ur own way i think thats gud! i think drawing freely helps u draw more fluidly? like having more expression is what i mean. ive gotten into the "i have 2 make this look right" hole before n i noticed it made my art look stiff, so highlyy recommend doing gesture drawing n life studies! rmb to have fun when practicing n learning,

dont pressure urself too much! enjoy the experience :] ! messy sketches r good!! not everything has to look good or perfect! my sketchbooks from way back were just doodles, pencil sketches no color mostly, theres an occasional lined one w markers , ballpen, n some highlighters, n my drawings were either smth funny that happened w me n frens with our personas or making ocs for my faves or ocs for me in general!

ur sketchbook doesnt have to look pretty its like ur diary but its art ykno! ur thoughts in visual form for the day! (again all up to u as long as u have fun! its all different 4 everyone!)

anw tysm again!! sorry if this was all over the place HAHSAW i tried my best but these r the tips i keep in mind most of the time or the ones i hold closest to me n that i try to apply as much as i cud! if u need anything else clarified just lmk! not the best w words but hopefully it helps :'')! most of the stuff i mentioned here i also need to take into practice HAHWHAW so mb its gud 4 me to write this down so i can finally push myself to do stuff,

[cafemagie-magie]

Howdy! First I just wanna say you're a really great artist, one of the best I've ever seen, and I love every single one of your LWA fanarts! And if you don't mind, I just wanted to ask how you learned to draw? I've always wanted to learn, but I'm not sure how to learn the fundamentals and progressively get better until I'm as great as someone like you. If you know any books, videos online, exercises/habits, or any resource to look up and learn how to draw and slowly get better, that'd be great!

Hi! Thank you very much, I’m touched by your kind words ^^

I give you Diakko but theyre motivation coaches to wish you the best ! Have fun with drawing, it's one of the best thing on Earth!

It took some time to answer because I wanted to write a document with a lot of resources, so you and other fellows can use it :

To answer the first part of the question, I always loved doodling with a pencil and replicating manga panels like Dragon Ball, Naruto... also I love scientific illustration and fashion design! Never took art classes, but went to an art club in high school^^

I have a pencil and watercolour self taught art background, drew since 9 but with a lot of art breaks (the most recent one lasted 4 years because of pharmacy studies), digital art came very late when I hit 23 (January of this year, got an iPad!🥳🎂) and I learned it with the resources stated in this shared document :D

Now for the second part, let's say every artist have their own art planet, like the Little Prince 😊

You have your art home,  and realism is the house foundation to you build up other skills on it. The first skill associatied with foundation is observation : when you look at something...how does it work? Why is this moving like that? What are the simplified shapes of it? 

Near you home, you can plant your favourite artists seeds from other art planets in your own art garden to be inspired by them. They'll bloom into different flowers, scents and colors... they'll inspire your work as you progress :D it's like pretty things to admire and look up to! To keep you on the go and learn from them! (It works with the library metaphor too, like having a collection of your fav artists, subjects, reference...)

 Then you build up solid walls for your house, by learning/practicing technical things like figure drawing, life drawing, drapery... with these, you can already have a lot of fun!

Adding windows will bring you some fresh air as you'll explore colour theory, light and shadow... at this stage, traditionally or digitally, you'll be able to create really cool sketches/llustrations! You can always use references and observe them to understand the light source, a particular scenery, or some tricky anatomy position, etc...so you can incorporate it in your drawing.

Then you can make your house bigger by adding new rooms: learning how to draw specific things like detailed backrounds, animals, weapons, machinery, everything you'll be interested in...if you started with humans only for example.

Later on, you can decor your house with things like art style, aesthetics, that little somtheing that makes people recognize your works...these come naturally as you progress so dont worry too much about it!

Building a comfy house takes time but it's your home and even if there will be struggles/frustration... enjoying the process is key to a happy artist journey ^^

Hope this helped, and you can always dm for more specific things, if needed (or ask anonymously again, I’m shy so I’ll understand lol)

[skrunklybf-archived]

want you so bad

the vaccines

*+:｡.｡　armin a　｡.｡:+*

summary: he's tired of watching you get used. he's tired of picking up the pieces that shouldn't be broken in the first place.

tags: college au, friends to lovers, pining, comfort, fluff

Unnecessary -- every stroke of his wrist, every soft hum he lets slip into your ear -- he knows he shouldn't be doing this right now. But when you showed up at his door, face flushed and shoulders trembling, Armin couldn't not sweep you into his chest. He couldn't help but run his fingers through your hair, slightly damp from sweat, and guide you to his couch like a gentle shepherd.

This has been his place for so long. The boulder, the fixer, the shoulder to cry on when you inevitably get your heart thrown back at you over and over again. You had a pattern of doting on assholes with brain cells peaking in single digits.

Armin feels selfish, he decides, as he runs his palm over your back.

As much as he hates nights like this, there's some small part in him that anticipates the closeness. Revels in it. You always turned to him for comfort, and he always obliged -- how could he turn you away?

"I'm sorry," you breathe against his sweater, your voice low. Armin tucks some of your hair behind your ear as he gazes down at you, slumped on his chest. Your tears had slowed from gushing rivers to a misty haze in your eyes.

"You don't need to be sorry."

"You tried to tell me, Armin, and I didn't listen." A hiccup. "I never listen..."

No, you didn't, but he wasn't about to throw it in your face like that.

"I just hate seeing you like this," the blonde feels you tighten your grip on him as he speaks, "I hate when you cry," and he places a brief kiss atop your head, "but I'll always be here for you."

Suddenly, you straighten, watching his face illuminated by the silent TV before you both. His eyes are all encompassing, nearly drowning you in shades of blue as he takes you in. An air of understanding seems to fall over you and your breath catches hastily in your throat.

Nobody else had ever treated you with such raw kindness. For the better part of your young adulthood, Armin Arlert was a constant voice in the back of your head, smooth tones overpowering your own rather dreary monologue.

Part of you knows the obvious: you're desperately in love with your best friend. His compassion stands completely unparalleled, unwavering. The only thing keeping you from completely devoting yourself to him as he so gracefully did to you was fear.

What if you fuck something up?

You could so easily lose the most fantastic person you've ever met.

Did you even deserve a man like him?

Sensing a shift, Armin slowly lays his palm on your clammy hand. His lips let your name drip from them, soothing, like honey overloading your senses. The way your eyes seem to scan his face sends shivers down his spine.

"Is everything okay?"

"Armin, I think I love you."

And he pauses. Heat pricks under the skin of his cheeks and the blonde is suddenly at a loss for words. Bright flashes of color crash against your features in the darkened room and he can't seem to concentrate anymore. "I love you too, [Y/N], you know that." You're my best friend. Warmth radiates from your hands as they encompass his larger ones.

"No, I mean... I love you, Armin. I think I have for a long time."

Circuits fried, the man searches you for any sign of trickery. A tug of the lips, a twitch of the eye, anything -- to his surprise, he only finds a sense caution. A boulder forms in his throat and he chokes it down. Minutes ago you were bawling your eyes out in his chest, now you're telling him you love him?

He pulls you in, burying his face in your hair, some animal clawing viciously at his insides. "I love you too. I always have." Utter relief makes the man feel weightless. Tingles and stars run rampant through his veins. Armin feels his body relax once your arms snake around his torso, clutching to him like a lifeline.

Minutes feel like hours as you two mold together like this on his couch; years of movie nights, fire-tinged trivia and study sessions imbedded themselves in the downy fabric beneath you. Now, you smile gingerly as Armin places delicate kisses across your forehead in the low light. An utter sense of belonging drapes over you as he holds your form against his, and for the first night in ages, you fall asleep feeling completely at ease.

[shamefulsho]

𝐜. 𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 || 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐒 ♫

genre: slice of life?

requested: no

pronouns for y/n: she/her

EDITED?: ☑️

wc: 705

warnings: swearing, fire, alcohol, drugs —— ⌫

           clicking of ice against glass pulses in unison to the beat of the slow jazz. the dim light of the bar, lupin, illuminating her (e/c) eyes. she rakes her fingers through her (h/c) hair as she taps her toe impatiently.

           as if on cue, the awaited ginger calmly, almost arrogantly, descends the stairs.

           "you're late again," y/n grumbles, sending a glare his way.

            "and you're on time. again. what of it?" he replies with a smirk.

           "just sit your ass down, you cow," she scoffs, taking a sip from the light booze.

           after exchanging words with the bartender and sitting on the plush cushion of the stool, chuuya fiddles with the cup before him, the content of the cup was identical to y/n's.

           "why'd you get something so light? can't handle your drinks?" he teases as he brings the cup to his lips.

          "i could probably handle them better than you ever could. did you forget we have an undercover mission tomorrow afternoon?" y/n sigh while digging through her pocket for a small rectangular box.

          she reveals a cigarette, tucked into her index and middle finger, "want one?"

          in response, he plucks the dual-colored stick from her hand. "got a lighter? left mine at home."

          y/n reaches into the box and drags one out between the pad of her thumb and index finger.

          "you're holding it wrong, dumbass!"

           with a smirk, a small flame appears between the two digits. "oh? am i?" with that, she blows out the fire and place the orange section between her middle and index fingers. she drags her s/c hand to her mouth and inhales the chemicals.

          "i forgot you even had an ability, you barely use it,"

           "if you insist, i can light your hair up! that'll help you remember!" she chuckle while reaching to light the cigarette held between his fingers.

           "lay one finger on me, i'll make sure your body ends up on mars," he hisses through clenched teeth with a hint of forced playfulness.

           she chuckle at his empty threat. though, they both knew, if he did end up killing her, mori and kouyou would have his head on a platter. not his head, per se, but perhaps his ears, for he was too valuable.

           y/n was the main interrogator and the most efficient with undercover missions. the port mafia was filled with impulsive workers; certain missions require an abundance of patience. yet if things went south, her ability could easily return the tides to bend in her favor.

           silence washes over them, the slow jazz music replacing their banter. puffs of smoke cloud around them. the sting of the alcohol and the warm, stale steam dulling their senses.

            the stick slowly melts away in their hands. even though a puff or two was left in her cigarette, y/n crushed it into the ash tray the bartender had so kindly put in front of them.

            in one swift movement, she grabs a fistful of his shirt. chuuya grasps her wrist with a hostile glare. "give us away tomorrow, and, i'll light everything within a kilometer up. whether you make it out won't be a concern. i suggest watching your mouth."

            "that won't be a problem, flame brain," he snarls at her. with a scoff, she releases him with a light push.

            raising the cup to her lips, the last stinging sips of the booze drips down her throat. y/n slides a handful of dollars to the bartender with a smile. "keep the change."

             "the night's still young, l/n," chuuya sings.

           "yeah? i got a mission at 4 last night. doesn't help i drank three cups of coffee, my head is pounding. not exactly pleasant to drink and smoke until 3 a.m. with a massive headache. up for next week?" y/n dusts her outfit and rests a gentle hand on his shoulder.

           "my answer is the same as always," he turns, azure eyes locking with her e/c ones.

          "i'll see you then, dear,"

[ruki--mukami]

You have a classmate who is very kind and smart, you and she are doing schoolwork together, it's a full moon tonight and you're horny and bloodthirsty; you couldn't resist and you bit her, she hugged you and said "It's ok, you can bite me, your secret is safe with me,stay calm and keep drinking my blood"

"Oh? What's this...? A willing sacrifice... How exciting. Does this not torment you? I can taste it in your blood... Both trepidation and the utmost arousal courses through your veins, sweetening your essence. Haah... I can't get enough of this... Livestock, you taste like heaven even when you don't resist. Far better than I imagined you to taste," praised the Vampire as he buried his fangs into her shoulder, exulting in the surprising warmth of her embrace. "How does it feel when your master claims you as his? If you let me take this much then I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back anymore. Tonight I shall make you mine."

With rekindled thrill, Ruki withdrew his sharp ivories to sink them in a new area, this time her breasts. The buttons of her shirt came flying, the ribbon once neatly tied at the collar quickly shredded, and his head soon lowered to inhale the comforting scent of fresh adipose. Lips besmirched in crimson, he repeated the same vociferous bite as before into her chest, moaning upon entry from the rich metallic flavor igniting down his throat.

"Yes... You taste very sweet indeed, sweeter than you could ever imagine..." he laved his wet muscle along the incision, "it's made even sweeter from not only how long I had to wait for this opportune moment, but also from how willing you are...! Just look at yourself," his steel-blues glanced upward, "you look like you want me to ravish you until we've both lost our senses. Even now, you don't seem too bothered by my actions... What an eager prey I've acquired."

Full moon shining high overhead, crepuscular rays filtering through semi-opaque curtains, Ruki swiftly scooped his dear classmate into his strong arms after draining several pints of the sanguine fluid. Towering over her, laying her flat across the bed, he separated fangs and flesh with a thin bridge of bloodied saliva. Rather than sating his fill a third time, their lips met in an open-mouthed kiss long enough for the young woman to taste her own blood on his tongue, long enough for the Vampire to explore her warm cavity with his unyielding, agile movements, and long enough for him to undo his own tie and uniform, bare chests pressed together atop the mattress.

"The way you squirm below me when I bite and kiss you is so cute."

Adrenaline and rapture intoxicated Ruki from the crown of his cinerous strands to the soles of his feet as he pinned both his classmate's hands above her own head, a sinister smirk gracing his visage.

"Since you've been such a good girl for your master, I shall take more than just your blood now. Engraving myself into you, again and again... Look forward to it. The rest of your life will be spent slowly withering away at my disposal as my personal livestock... But don't fret. In exchange for your blood, I will offer something precious of mine as well. I'll give you a hint: it's the color of the moon, it will fill you to the brim, and it has nothing to do with my fangs. Let's see if you will still take all of me of your own volition then. No matter how badly you want this, surely you can't deny how much it hurts."

Several frigid digits slowly traced the punctures he just inflicted on her skin in admiration, earning a faint chuckle from him as he relished in the marvel of his own bite marks on his newly branded possession.

"From here forward, you belong to me and only me."

[yukipri]

Hi there, I'm so in love with your art is really stunning, I would like to know if you have any coloring tutorial or any tutorial/tips on color and lineart at all?

Thank you so much for liking my work!

Uh, so I don't really have the time to make full tutorials, but I post all of my WIPs on my Patreon so people can see some of my steps as I work!

As for general tips, "color and lineart" is very broad, so I can't really give you anything but incredibly broad responses. But to throw a few tips at you:

Color

Remember that color is oftentimes very subjective. There is no color that will look the same in every environment, and the human eye is very prone to interpreting things wildly (remember the striped dress...). Oftentimes, what's more important than the exact colors you choose are how they look proportional to other things in their environment. So if, say, someone is in a location with cold blue lighting, then their skin tone, which may naturally be tan, may look more purplish/gray, etc. Different surfaces will also reflect light differently; a dark fabric may not reflect light as much as, say, hard white armor or skin, and therefore the colors will also be different.

That's only if you're doing more environmental art of course, and idk what you're asking about specifically. It's entirely possible to do simplified art where there really isn't "lighting" per se. If you're ever stuck on how to make art look cohesive, try some pre-made color palettes! Sites like Coolors can be a great place for inspiration.

Also another general digital arts tip, but remember that digital art always looks different depending on the monitor. I always check how my art appears on my wacom mobile studio, where it tends to look more desaturated; my macbook pro (2014) where it tends to look more saturated; my iphone which is newer than my mac and looks even brighter. When I've seen my art on my mother's newer mac, it looks different there too. And if I were to print any of my art, that would look different too! (and also just, your eyes can see differently when you're tired. So my art looks different to me after an all nighter than after I get some sleep lmao) So just a thing to keep in mind!

Lineart

Have Patience. That's really the main thing. I used to be absolutely HORRIBLE at lineart, I couldn't really do it, and my sketches were "hairy" aff and looked terrible even when cleaned. If you scroll back far enough in my archive, you'll find them, lmao. Lineart takes a very, very long time to improve, years and years and years. I'm still working on it, will probably continue working on it the rest of my life. You won't get perfect lines overnight.

Generally, I find the tip to making sure lineart doesn't look flat is to think about line depth and variation. Not everything should be the same width. Lines that are where the shadow should be can be thicker. Ink in some shadows at the darkest corners even before colors. This advice, of course, works better if you have a more stylized lineart-based/comics based art style like I do, and should not be taken as general advice to be applied to every style. In fact, everything about lineart should take into consideration what you want the final art to look like. Will the lineart be stylistically prominent? Or hopefully look merged with the colors? Or is the lineart only a base for you to do your flats, which you'll eventually paint over?

In knowing you won't make perfect lineart overnight, it's okay to focus on improving parts. I did this by: 1) Slowly practicing doing cleaner sketches. The cleaner the sketch, the easier the lineart. Some people don't even need lineart bc their base sketch is clean enough. I am not there yet. 2) Practice doing "clean" lineart, but accept that it will take forever. If you practice enough, you will likely get faster. I used to spend 50~100 hours on lineart that I whittled down to ~10 hours, that I can now sometimes do in ~5 hours if I'm on a good roll. Took me around ten years, but eyyy progress??

Hope these tips helped! If you want advice on very specific things, I can try again, but this is the best I can say given your questions!

❀ ❀ Send YukiPri an Ask! ❀ ❀

[padfootastic]

I wanted to share this headcanon with somebody who won’t digitally assault me like people in the past who for some reason are really offended by it. You don’t have to agree or like it or anything of course it’s just nice to share it with somebody who’s nice.

As a lover of the Marauders era especially (almost solely) Prongsfoot I’ve pretty much abandoned canon if I’m honest. I have this headcanon that James is a metamorphmagus. Like for no good reason other than I think it’d be really funny. Like he could still be an animagus cause as for as we know metamorphagus don’t turn into animals. He keeps it’s kind of a secret for prank purposes of course. So in my mind he either has really good control over his hair changing color with his emotions or none at all. I lean towards having really good control over it expect for when it comes to Sirius and his parents. Like one day he’s just hanging out waiting for Sirius with his messy jet black hair in all its glory and looks up to his main man coming his way and just BOOM the pinkest hair anybody has EVER seen. And everybody around him is all 😱😱😱 the others guys are trying to tell him but he’s all 😍😍😍 at Padfoot, Sirius turns and looks behind himself all 🧐 cause he knows that rich almost (for a lack of a better word) sensual pink means romantic love but when he doesn’t see anybody behind him he turns back to James and it hits him making him trip over himself that holy shit James his looking at HIM like that with THAT pink hair and now he’s all 😳😳😳.

Also when James gets going about his parents his hair takes on this soft almost pastel pinkish purple for familial love. He just can’t help it he loves them SO MUCH. He’s just start spouting off “they’re just so great! and warm! and funny! and give the best hugs! and give me lots of treats! Mum makes the best cakes in the world! Dads always coming up with these crazy inventions! did I tell you about the time they look me flying in Switzerland! Cause it was great! You should have seen dad! You have to come next time pads you’ll love it!” and Sirius is both astonished by the love the Potters have for each other and so so extremely fond of the flaming ball of love and energy sat before him.

OMG ANON I LOVE THIS????? who is out here making u feel bad about such a wonderful headcanon, tell me i’ll beat em up (ง •̀_•́)ง

like listen, i’ve seen the ‘potters have a metamorphmagus gene’ hc before for harry (usually because of his sentient hair lol) and i’ve always liked it but this just takes it one step better!! the concept of ur hair giving away ur emotions is so cute and james not being able to control it,,,esp in front of sirius and re his parents (three of THE most important people in his life) is the absolute best. i can totally see it happening too.

i can also see james not realising this happens at first, but when he does he’s like,,,a bit insecure at first before he shrugs it off w his usual confidence like ‘yah i’m a sap so what?’

also!!! can u imagine his hair only changing for sirius and that putting to rest any doubts re his feelings for lily bc it’s never done that for her?

i can also see like—maybe a dark green? for envy/possessiveness/jealousy. emotions that he’s never felt until it comes to one sirius black. and seeing him hit on by others or, more importantly, taking up his time when j wants attention and his hair slowly bleeds into green and it’s just hilarious all around how often it happens lol.

and james loving effie and flea so much help 😭😭 it’s the cutest thing ever. i adore it sm. anon, will you write this fic for us, pls? i’ll leave the most gushing review ever. i wanna read this so bad now.

[gender-buddies]

Artist Commentary Post

Let's talk about Phase One and where I got the inspiration for the very first set of Gender Buddies.

Agender - This one needed to be something not animal-like not for ambiguity, but a sense of unalignment. The original idea was just a rocky little critter who was an Earth type that could camouflage, and it was literally just a rock without the body segments. Then it slowly turned into having the ability camouflage in volcanic areas, but I wasn't sure how that green color would fit in with the design. I went with sulfur and changed the Buddy to a Fire type to better match its environment and balance out the many Earth types yet to be released. The body segments and random other details were added later because it looked a little too plain even for a Level 1 Buddy.

Nonbinary - This was originally a blobby slime creature that would stick to everything and then that idea became a slug that would leave nonbinary-colored slime everywhere - the slime color was changed to one color because it looked better. The sluggy body was meant to be sort of ambiguous, like a liquid but not quite. I wanted it to be flexible. Then as I was actually sketching it out digitally and looking at references to get the slug shape just right, I saw this cute little snail terrarium on Etsy where the plants were inside a clear shell. The liquid-filled clear shell was an obvious choice for design, especially if I were to keep the Water typing. It almost became a Plant type with plants inside the shell, but this set already had two Plant types scheduled for release. If I decide on a variant, like using a recolored nonbinary flag or making it nonbinaryflux or something, I may bring back that idea.

Ambigender - I knew right away that this Buddy would have two bodies merged together, but this slot in the phase was actually supposed to be for Maverique - it would have been a Fire type as well. But I'm having trouble finalizing the design for Maverique, so I replaced that with another Fire type. The color and pattern took some thinking because I wanted it to be seen as two separate critters rather than having a perfect blend between them to show the static nature of the ambigender identity. I made sure to have an obvious split between the two and make sure each half had its own color palette - one blue and one red. I have no idea why I came up with a salamander, but fiery salamanders are a pretty obvious go-to in art and design. The patterns are based on a tiger salamander and a spotted salamander, but the final design ended up looking more like a cartoony dinosaur.

Genderera - This one is based on my redesign of the genderera flag and is a counterpart to gendervir in its design and coloration. The difference is the big flower on the head and the lack of belly color, which is hard to see with its pose. It also has more spots. I really tried not to make it a warm-color replica of the gendervir design. Why I went with a froggy critter is beyond me. It just seemed to look really cute.

Gendervir - This was the first Buddy I ever designed, first on paper and then digitally when I was ready to start the project. I wanted it to have much more foliage on the body and even a leafy tail, which is where the Plant typing came from. Nonbinary was already a Water type, so I didn't end up changing this one's typing to fit the frog look. The tongue and feet webbing almost didn't make it into the final design, and the spots and belly color were a very last-minute addition. Gendervir is an important term for me so I wanted to make this critter before the others and really make the design something unique. The colors are based on my redesign of the gendervir flag.

Neutrois - This sounds bad but I didn't like this one! I knew I wanted it to look robot-like but I didn't know how I wanted the face or details to look. It originally had plain circular eyes and simple round ears, which made it look like a bear almost. Then I started trying to incorporate neutrois symbols into it - you'll notice it has eyes that look like one type of symbol and antennas on the head that look like another. The electrical nature of the critter just made sense, so it's always had the wire tail and magnet since I sketched it out on paper. The mouth looks almost ghoulish so if there's ever a chance to make something like... maybe neutroisfluid, I kind of want it to look like there's a ghost-like thing inside the body, which is hollow. It'd be fun to play around with.

Abinary - For some reason, I was so determined to make this a Light type and it took a while for me to figure out how to make it work. I almost went entirely ambiguous and made it look like some alien creature no one has ever seen before - basically a little fuzzy sprite. It didn't look interesting enough, so I kept adding buggy body parts to try and figure out something that looked cute. Eventually I landed on an aphid, which fits with the word "aphorian" (another word for abinary.) Aphids are known to make honeydew, so I gave it a big honeydew drop on its back. The antennae were going to be pointed forward with glowing balls on the ends, but then I leaned more into the aphid design and changed the antennae accordingly.

Cassgender - When imagining indifference, I simply thought about sleeping. This turned into the idea of sleeping with a teddy bear. I really wanted it to look comfy and cozy and really cutesy, which really works well with how soft the cassgender flag looks. Making it a Lunar type would have been too obvious (since bears are tied to the moon) and I'm lacking in Shadow types, so it made sense to make it a type that reflects the nighttime rather than the moon.

Magigender - Magigender manekineko! That's the lucky cat from Japanese culture that brings fortune and luck. I wanted so badly to make a lucky cat somewhere in this project and thought that the magi- in magigender reminded me of magic, so the manekineko was used here. I imagined it being a Metal type because of gold and silver, so that's the type I went with. Gold and metal works well with the magigender flag. I was determined to write the kanji on the belly myself instead of just finding an image, and I needed a shorter phrase so that I could write it properly. I went with "shine" (or "brilliance") to reflect (heh) the shining quality of metals. The fan in its hand spells "nya", the Japanese word for the sound a cat makes. The fan is one of the few times I added my own color, made to be orange instead of the Japan-flag-red because it fit the palette better. I almost combined the manekineko with the daruma doll, an item Japanese people use to make wishes by painting eyes on it, but I am going to reserve the daruma doll for another Buddy in the future.

Aesthetigender - For aesthetigender, I wanted to actually choose one aesthetic to represent but I didn't want it to be aesthetically pleasing if that makes sense? I really love pastels, and I like music, so I originally chose the city pop aesthetic as a basis (which may not sound familiar to some people, but it's the predecessor to the vaporwave aesthetic.) It needed to be something urban, so I went with both a rat and a pigeon, and I wanted to make it nocturnal. I really wanted the city pop aesthetic to be the main part of this design, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make the star into that iconic vaporwave sun. The heart-shaped thingy on the pigeon beak was turned into a cool visor to make it kind of tech-ish. With it being another night-themed critter, I chose for it to be a Shadow type. I almost made it into a tanuki because I was watching Pom Poko when I was sketching it, but I'll save that for another critter design.

Outherine - I've always had a space critter design that is very rodent-like in its design and I wanted to find a spot for it, so I just went with it on a whim. It ties in gerbil and rat body parts with a whimsical space aesthetic on top. The starry eyes made me think of stargazing and I thought it was really cute, so I made it the Stellar type instead of the more obvious Cosmic type. That type comes in the next phase!

Omnigray - As with all Mythical Buddies, this one is a term I coined myself. When thinking of shades of gray, I thought of something kind of cold and stormy. This design was almost a Storm type but I feel that I have too many of those right now, and this was an easy way to introduce the Air type. I thought of mythical creatures that call on storms and landed on the peacock, which is how phoenixes are usually depicted. This one, however, needed to catch followers by surprise. Fire peacocks are just too obvious, so I went to the exact opposite. The idea of ice and storms made it easy to figure out that I wanted this critter to sit on a dark cloud. As a Mythical Buddy, it needed to look majestic and beautiful, so I really leaned into the flowy look of peacock feathers. It has a sort of Elizabethan style to its "dress", which you can see by the feathery collar.

That's all! I think this phase had plenty of healthy stumbling as I figured out how I wanted it to turn out. If I could, I would totally redesign a lot of these Buddies - maybe in the future if I turn this into a huge, long-running project that I dedicate more time to! I'm excited for the next batch of Buddies to be released and there are so many of them that I want to draw RIGHT NOW, but I really need to stay on track and do these in the proper order. Let me know what you thought!

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