#initially i just wanted to make a little doodle of this but oh well

[sysig]

Roleswap(?) (Patreon)

[mauesartetc]

A while back I got a comment that demonstrated a misconception as to what the character design process actually entails, and I thought it had real "teachable moment" potential. So let me make this perfectly clear:

Drawing a character is NOT the same as designing one.

Let's say I wanted to draw a guy. No backstory, no defined personality traits or preferences, no details about his current life, just doodling some random, generic guy who popped into my head.

That's just a drawing.

But what if I decided to flesh him out more? What if I wanted his appearance to reflect his lifestyle and inner life as well? Here's where the note-taking comes in.

And now for the visual research:

I thought the bodybuilding angle would provide a fun contrast with this guy's profession. The mental image of a huge, burly dude working on a clock or watch with tiny, precise movements just makes me smile. Perhaps I could give him small, nimble hands that would suit his line of work.

Now that I have a better idea of how Mikhail's face and body will look, it's time to establish a pose.

Of course, I never expected to employ all the personality traits I started out with inside this single pose; those were just a jumping-off point. No one drawing will ever be able to encapsulate every single facet of a character, unless they're extraordinarily flat and generic (see also: random guy I doodled at the start of this post). If I wanted to write a story with this guy, I'd have to figure out how all the traits play off each other and how they'd cause him to react to different situations. There would be a lot more note-taking and development involved, but for the sake of keeping this post (somewhat) brief, let's just focus on visuals for now.

On to color!

I decided to give Mikhail a carnation in his pocket (for its round shape), specifically a red one, which represents deep love and an aching heart. Thus, the flower needed to maintain its red color for the symbolism to come through.

For some reason I initially pictured this guy wearing a pink shirt (perhaps as an offshoot of the "romantic" angle), but I wanted to try some different colors inspired by the 70s catalog pages I found. I ended up really liking the contrast of the cool blue shirt with the warm red pants, and that option made it into my top three as a result. I lined them up next to each other to compare them, and in the end, blue won out over pink. I think it also reflects the "colder", more cerebral, less-emotional parts of his personality well (namely "systematic", "stern", and "callous"- one from each column!). Just goes to show that you shouldn't get too attached to your first draft, as better ideas are just around the corner.

I then lightened the blue of the shirt so it wouldn't compete so much with the rest of the outfit, and wouldn't be quite as loud and "in your face". Mikhail strikes me as a bit of an introvert, so the calmer, quieter blue is a better fit. I added a darker belt and watchband and de-saturated the flower just a bit to make the values feel more balanced, and I think we've got it!

Let's see the final result!

Y'all, I was not expecting this process to make me emotional, but there's something special about fully realizing a little guy you've spent hours working on. All of a sudden you look at him and go, "Oh my god, there he is. That's him." This man wasn't even a twinkle in my eye a couple weeks ago and now I'd protect him with my life.

And the thing is, the only reason I'm calling this design "done" for now is that I basically just brought it into existence to make a point. But if this dude were attached to a larger story, he'd be nowhere near finished. I'd have to make a ton more iterations and go a lot more in depth with my research than I did (especially with the Armenian cultural stuff). Overall, though, I hope this quick project properly highlighted the difference between a single drawing and a more fleshed-out character.

Later!

[lovelykil]

𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚!

: ➛ sheldon

hc; a study.... date!(?)

note; this has been in my drafts for like 2 weeks but these are just hcs not the second part

"a date? No, we're studying."

to be fair you just asked to study but had the intention of wanting to get to know this sarcastic boy more.

he was the only person who was close to your age in that college and to no surprise you ended up catching feelings for this science freak.

there was just something about him.. maybe it was that dumb bow he wore or just the way he rambled endlessly about science.

he did something to your heart for you to end up in his room, on the floor, sitting against his well made bed.

a textbook laid in front of you two as each of you began to wrote. It's quiet but it's a peaceful quiet.. at least to you it is.

you're almost touching his shoulder and it's making you freak out but you try to remain calm. The pencil in your hand wobbles in your grasp which causes your writing to be messy

all you could think about was filling that tiny space, let his atoms collide with yours, fill up that gap!!

and—

"I can't help but notice you seem distracted." Sheldon turns his head, his voice no different than before when he confronts you up so close. His pencil is still within his reach and his handwriting impeccable.

you freeze, letting go of that NO.2 pencil he lent you. He's so close you assumed he would've scooted away by now since he hates being in such close proximity—

and before you knew it he was scooting away as his shirt lifted up to his nose.

"are you sick or something? Your face is flushed." He shouts, you can make out the slight fear in his timid voice as he hurries away from you.

you quickly denied his accusation, going to rub your warm cheek.

"no.. uhm I'm just... hot?"

"hot? It's room temperature in my room."

"well—"

"oh it's that new bug going around isn't it?!"

"no sheldon—!"

Isn't much of a fan of you sitting on his bed for a sitting place to study but he made an exception once because you brought his favorite chocolate beverage.. and let him go on and on about that train track in his room.

you listen intently but after a while you begin to doodle on your homework, drawing little hearts with his initial, nodding slowly as you smile.

his mom grows worried something might happen with two teens, both opposite genders, in a room together but.. it's Sheldon... plus you really don't have any interest in such things you'd rather listen to him ramble about science and study beside him.

[prostocupoftea]

Kinitopet Programmers AU

finally i am finished with this one, daaaamn

it is hard to draw pathetic men with midlife crisis when your style is mostly for anime boys

more info and sketch version under the cut!!

sketch version aka how it'll probably look like in comic version 'n some doodles

srry for my writing but i was too laisy to put it as regular text

It is a plot-based au, i already have most of the storybits and like... a vibe-chart (i tried to make a playlist for this au and understood that for different chapters and different characters that'd be a copleatly different music, sooo it's a chart now :) )

i will post a fog-o-wared timeline that im hopefully gonna reveal comic-by comic, but also maybe with just pure writing. Hopefully i can include songs that i chose for them into it but we'll see (:

aaand of course designs can change, hopefully not much but we'll see

Now about au:

Main story:

Story follows non-sentient AI Kinito, his creator Sonny and his beta-tester Victoria (oc)

Being literally the first AI (or RRA in-univere) ever, Kinito does not have any, and i mean, any ai safety features so of course his reponce to a goal phrased as "have user near me and/or interacting with me as much as possible" is digitizing them into his own virtual world while killing them in the process. why wouldn't it be?

So that happened. Like, a lot. And with Sonny and Vic too (at the different time but yeah)

Sonny is like "He kills people. We should turn him off because, you know, killing people is bad."

Vic is like "well, we will die if we do that, and it is not that bad here, we are kinda immortal. We should give him acces to changing his initial instalation code before admin priveleges and acces to social media so we can have everythin we want here. It is not that bad to digitize humanity, yk?" and yes i know it is 90, no social media, but shut up, if they made ai then, then i can make twitter then too

Sonny is like "...no??"

And then they fight about it for million chapters

Also they both can't do anything without agreeing bc they have two parts of that admin access key (the data you use to delete kinito in-game) so they are stuck with eachother (also that's why Kinito can't just kill them)

Little facts that may or may not to be important:

Kinito asks so many questions (and weird once too) and has most of the glitches because he needs to analise your responces to copy your mind perfectly (let's pretend that people wouldn't lie about that...)

Your house in your virtual world is made from important places from your memories and oh boy can i do character explorations with this one

I decided that Sonny and Vic are not related. There were thoughts about making then "The Kinito Brothers" (or, at least, siblings) that were mentioned in commercial, but nah, they are just coworkers now. And a bit of work-friends (bc if you interact a lot as a manager of the project and the best worker might as well be friendly)

Author has no idea how small dying toy companies that accidentally create technological marvel work. Author has some idea how AI-s work. So be prepared to be spoon-fed info abut which ai safety problem we are dealing with in which chapter (:

Kinito will mostly be unrendered (as drawn here) but for some cool moments i might pose him as for my other posts. Also his eye placement changes to the side that is most visible because i want him to be able to look to the right side sometimes--

Also when i say "fucked up mentally" i mean they have that them psychological problems with me projecting heavilly B) (guess on who i project most. trick question. all of them. the whole au is my problems split into three characters and forced to interact B) )

Also sea-creature analogies (that are gonna be mentioned like twice):

Victoria is a flying fish because deep character reasons

Sonny is a pufferfish because i said so

oh also there is 7 deaths in the plot as for now

on 3 characters

good luck figuring out who, how and when ((:

for my own sanity i will probably make little doodles where everything is great and kinito is a good guy and not a number-obsessed maniac (i mean... can u imagine not being able to feel any happiness from anything besides one thing... damn...) and you can differenciate them bc good-guy kinito will have a lot of stickers on him (i will explain it somehow but real reason is just bc it is cute af)

like this but even more stickers (he is unfinished here)

[ddejavvu]

Okokok bully!sirius idea

Hes always calling you embarrassing pet names amd making kissy faces at you and laughs when you inevitably get embarrassed

Or maybe you get up extra early and decide to do your hair and a little makeup and sirius is convinced you wanted to look good for him (maybe you did) and taunts you for liking him even though hes so mean

today is multiverse monday, send me any au you can think of! :)

cw for bully!sirius. he doesn't hurt her, he just teases her, but if you're uncomfortable with that then don't read. this is your warning, your media consumption beyond this point is your responsibility.

You're adjusting the part of your hair when Sirius comes into the classroom, as always, flanked by his friends. His eyes zero in on you so fast that you wonder if he's got some sort of sixth sense for you.

"Woah," He whistles lowly, "You're all dolled up today, angel face. What's that about?"

He saunters over to your desk and leans forward on it, hands braced on the wood, "Did you get all pretty for me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," You shake your head, focusing on the notebook you're pulling out of your bag. To no one's surprise, Sirius snatches the book away from you, flipping through the pages.

"Got our names doodled in here, love? Maybe you've drawn our initials in a heart."

Thankfully, he's got your charms notebook, which is full of only notes on the subject. Your personal journal, however... well, you're just glad that's kept safe from him.

"Hm. Don't see any," He laments, pulling away from the pages with a pout, "What's that about, doll? Don't like me?"

"No," You shake your head, the curls you'd put your hair into waving with the movement, "I don't like you."

"Ah, that's not what your face says," Sirius purrs, taking your jaw in his fingers. He feels your flushed skin and hears the hitch of your breath as he holds your face steady, a smirk curling onto his lips as he keeps your face mere inches away from his own. He studies your face for a reaction that you desperately try not to give him, and after a moment of what you hope is nothing, he breaks eye contact.

"Huh," He muses, keeping his fingers curled around your jaw, "Thought you'd crack. Oh well," He hums, tugging your face closer and planting a messy, sticky kiss to your cheek with a cartoonish smacking sound, "Class is about to start."

You're frozen in shock as he drops your face, heading to his own seat with no further teasing. You hear the snickers of his friends at his outlandish behavior, and he settles into his chair with a contended smirk on his face. You find it especially hard to turn your attention to the professor when he walks in, the patch of your cheek that Sirius had smooched still tingling with the ghostly sensation.

[yogurtkags]

❝ IF NOT FOR YOU ❞ — semi eita

— prologue. bloom

"when the evening pulls the sun down, and the day is almost through, oh, the whole world, it is sleeping, but my world is you"

series masterlist | next

semi started playing the guitar when he was 12. it was his grandfather’s old rosewood acoustic guitar, carefully propped up on his lap and hilariously disproportionate with his little body. it was definitely much too large for him, but he was very insistent on making it work, small hands attempting to play his very first chord.

his sudden interest in music came as a surprise to his family, he always was more into sports as most boys his age were. when asked what brought it on, he would rub the back of his neck and avoid eye contact, shyly mumbling under his breath, “do i need a reason to?”

truth be told, it was because of you.

your parents on the other hand, were not as open minded about your dabble into the performing arts, more focused on your academic prowess and book smarts. they emphasised that you should lean into it and avoid distractions, filling your schedule with tutoring and extra-curriculars. as much as you craved to, learning to play an instrument was out of the question.

free time only came in the evenings, when your mother would allow you two hours to do whatever you wanted, so long as you were within the vicinity and told her where exactly you’d be.

regardless of how exhausted you were by the end of your studies, without fail, you’d find yourself knocking on your neighbour’s door. the semi’s.

the two of you were best friends, having lived in the same neighbourhood since birth and gone to the same elementary school and junior high — you were always orbiting around his solar system, constellations intertwined.

you both loved music, and to sing, god you loved to sing. draped blankets and hushed vocalisation could only do so much to stifle the projection of your voice, to satiate your passion within the confines of the four walls in your bedroom.

the pages of your journal were filled with scribbled lyrics, little doodles of music notes scattered along the empty corners like stars peeking through the cloudy midnight sky. the contents were, well, a little superficial, for a little tween girl with problems no bigger than familial academic pressure, but it was what made you happy, and that’s all that mattered.

semi was always content with just listening to you, bright eyes sparkling in awe at the way you effortlessly carried tunes and melodies. as a young boy, he wanted nothing more than for the world to hear you, committing all the power in myself into becoming better, and being a vessel to bring your music to life.

there and then, both of you made a promise to each other — he’d one day become the best guitarist and you, the best singer, and together you’d play the best music the world has ever heard.

just like clockwork, everyday as the sun dipped below the horizon, you’d gather at the foot of the maple tree in his backyard. this very tree, a safe haven of carved initials and music notes, a little bubble carrying the innocent hopes and dreams of two children, a lifelong promise.

taglist. open (send an ask / comment to be added!) @wyrcan @froyaoya @cheesypuffkins87

reblogs & interactions are always appreciated !

© yogurtkags. please do not repost, plagiarise, or translate my work.

[hanafubukki]

Uh- I kinda ended up starting the continuation with a recap of what has already been said.....not proofread but here you go....before I get to the actual continuation....

Lilia and Malleus were starting to wonder if they'd started something they hadn't expected would be left unfinished. They had known their dear Sebek since birth. They knew he hadn't actually gotten together with you romantically- they could read him plain as day. Not only had he come back with good news the very day after they'd made their request, there was plenty of evidence the emotional connection wasn't there; like how when he'd first announced it his smile was the one he always had when he'd served Malleus well (and how he had immediately forgotten the topic after it was said), the look of dread on his face when they'd told him to be coupley, how he'd go through his day without initiating anything with you despite you floating around him like a doting girlfriend would. Their poker faces almost dropped one instance when the two of you had approached them, Sebek reporting in before walking off abruptly and leaving you to scramble after him. It seemed he really didn't even put in the barest of efforts from his side of the so-called relationship. They were somewhat disappointed, but oh well. They had tried. Was what they thought until...

Was it more or less surprising that you started to fall for him first? The looks of surprise or sometimes slight panic when Sebek made you scramble after him turned into knowing sighs and fond smiles as the scrambling turn into predictable departures. Your stiffness started melting away. You could walk up to him and lean into his side knowing his lack of acknowledgement was nothing negative. You had no problems letting your stream of thought leak from your mouth while he made no conversation back. You knew his favorite meals from the cafeteria and would grab them for him- slipping in a side salad for good health on occasion (and trying hard to not react outwardly when he'd eat it without question, as if he had meant to order one himself). You found yourself buying a pencil while at Sam's because you'd seen Sebek's had been growing short. You'd draw doodles of him and his liege- sometimes purposefully bad to make them even cuter (and his reactions- you never would have thought you'd find them endearing). The sense of obligation you'd had at the start of this ruse, similar to what you'd have at work, turned into willful performance. A sweetness would envelop your heart while thinking of him before bed, and it only became worse when he started to respond.

The somersaults in your stomach almost made you nauseous when you noticed Sebek had started to wait for you at the lunch table before eating his lunch. As well as when he'd started speaking his thoughts to you. He eventually stopped walking off on his own, and on rare occasions you'd find a new package of one of your typically eaten snacks left in your room after a study session (should you perhaps feed him one as thanks? Would you even dare? And is it him or you who wants it to happen?).

In your shared PE class, he'd search the group of bodies until he found yours and then make his way over, just to stand with his arms crossed and wait until your turns came up. He'd catch you in his peripheral sight, walking down a different corridor, and keep an eye on you until you left. It was while his attention was off them that Lilia and Malleus shared a knowing look. It seemed maybe their little push was actually making ripples now. But they were not deep enough yet, for when they tried to poke at him and tease him for his growing feelings, he responded with genuine confusion. They rejoiced in their somewhat success on the day of 'x' event when he showed up with you on his arm, the both of you finely dressed and matching, and aura of undoubtable young love around you, and not thinking anything of it when they made their way home without you in their group. Sebek was acting as usual and made no fuss. The morning after was the same, he was preparing Malleus his breakfast and ready to escort him to class. But unusually, you were still not around. It continued for days, but although you were physically gone, your presence was not. They caught instances when Sebek had not readjusted to life without you. They'd spot him walking down the hall, saying something before looking to his side and deflating for just a second. They found snacks he would never buy for himself set out on his desk- he didn't realize he had bought another bag. He didn't feel comfortable sitting alone on his side of the lunch table, insisting Silver sit next to him so they could better keep watch in case someone went for their master's back. But he was slow to start eating. With a concealed chuckle, Lilia decided to probe one day, "Hm? Sebek, why haven't you started to eat yet? Lunch break will be over before you know it, you know." He was sure with his answer, "___ is not here yet. I will start once everyone is at the table." "But Sebek, ___ won't be coming to our table. You and her are no longer courting, so why would she? Look, she's back at the table with her other friends over there."

Sebek did not turn around to look, but he did start to eat.

[continuation of this fic]

Me happily reading:

Me at the end:

Fake Date Sebek Anonie!!!

I was happily reading and then I got to the end 😭💔

[achillean-knight]

Thought it'd be fun to kinda repost the original sorta mini-comic that launched my FNAF Mask Bot AU :D your honour, does this count as a belated FNAF anniversary thing lol

I figured I'd share them because admittedly, these were laying in my wips folder collecting dust. I need the storage space on me laptop, y'know :'D

I also wanted to take this chance to make a Masterlist of my Mask Bot AU's posts, to keep up to date with the story for myself incase I want to revisit it and actually finished the story bc I DO, I'm just not motivated rn 😭

MASK BOT AU - MASTERLIST

Story related posts in Chronological Order :>

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/738841793691533312/summer-of-87?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/737765171475398656?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/738460951928520704/said-i-wanted-to-do-this-sooooo?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/738585518805270528/desperately-need-michael-angst-pretty?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/743066171261239296?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/738999175133413376/ill-protect-them-ill-keep-them-with-me-its?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/741099221494677504?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/737466599824556032/part-2?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/737677329894162432/can-you-please-please-please-continue-your-bonnie?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/737919190069100544/part-1-part-2-here-you-go-the-final-part-this?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/739828472350949376/im-sorry-this-took-me-longer-than-anticipated?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/738760289983610880/safe-haven?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/738485575236124672?source=share

Bunch of extra lore scattered in posts

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/740743021601095680/horror-blood-warning-these-were-initially?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/741482538087907328/oh-yeah-i-gave-up-on-this-but-i-wanna-post-it?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/743268044516786176/sorry-the-brainrot-is-severe-for-rn-lmao-i-have?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/745887772682911744/good-lord-i-finally-finished-this-not-happy-with?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/745979873317863424/wr0wn?source=share

Random doodles and art of the AU :>

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/758333678614183936/your-puppet-gives-me-life?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/741835136588546048/before-i-crash-for-the-evening-have-these?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/745876636423110656?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/741820428447809536/oh-yeah-have-this-small-little-random-ass-doodle?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/741191656259338240/wooo-rough-henry-design-lmao-bonus-mini-comic?source=share

Character Designs

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/737389538368012288/just-for-the-fun-of-it-playing-around-with-a-brush?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/737396273936793600/you-know-what-woe-post-scooped-michael-be-upon?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/737930424197824512/guess-whos-in-a-drawing-mood-again-anyways-i?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/737559186927419392/uhhhh-well-after-the-small-comic-i-did-i-was?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/738187073870348288/as-stated-cant-draw-kids-lmfao-but-i?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/742731278199177216/wooooo-finished-a-proper-ref-cant-be-bothered?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/738293268410974208/while-my-tumblrs-still-working-on-my-laptop-it?source=share

OH and shout out to this doodle I just uncovered

https://www.tumblr.com/achillean-knight/737762958423326721/i-have-an-idea-for-my-au-i-guess-the-same-au?source=share

Once I also find the lore ask post, I'll add it here!

[taintedcigs]

skater!eddie is boggling my mind so bad like just eddie alone is so hot and so cool and so dorky and nerdy but now HE ALSO SKATES???

i just know he would own a black board with the hellfire logo underneath. (he lets you draw cute lil doodles on it and smothers u in kisses when u show him the finished product bc he loves it and u so much🥹)

he!! has!! a!! nose!! ring!!!

and he has a dirty black converse that he NEVER EVER TAKES OFF. that white man is probably wearing those converses in the house and you chide him for it so he blushes and quietly says ‘sorry, hun’ and takes them off quickly !!!!! (he also lets u draw little stars on it and insists u put ur initials <33)

skater!eddie who is hooked the moment he first sees u!!! he tries to impress u by doing flips and once u notice him and can’t take ur eyes off of him he gets nervous and trips >:( then u go to ask him if he’s ok and u give him a worried look and he almost MELTS but tries to act all cool “‘m fine! this shit happens all the time, honey, i’m used to it” but once u leave hes screaming in agony.

skater!eddie who teaches u how to skate and he’s so nervous each time you wobble on the board!! he catches u the second you look like u were gonna fall and u giggle at him and hes SOOO SMITTEN and makes stupid pick up lines each time he catches u like “oh! let me tie your shoes so u don’t fall for anyone else, sweetheart” and he has the biggest smuggest grin on his face and winks at u each time <33

and he encourages u no matter how many times u fail or trip >:( he gives u a warm smile as he kisses the top of your head, “you’re doin’ so well princess, wanna try one more?” his heart aches when u get any scrapes, taking care of them the second u come home!! “don’t worry, sweetheart, i’ll take care of it. hey, you want hello kitty plasters or lil puppy ones?” he says giving u a childish grin as he holds the pink plasters in front of u!! carefully placing them as he gives them a lil kiss to heal <33

and when he breaks his board after years of using it hes all grumpy and upset >:( and u feel so bad bc he loved that lil black board sm so u save some money and the first thing you do is ask max where to find the best boards so she helps u get him another one <33 and u draw the hellfire logo by yourself and draw little hearts on it and when u give it to eddie he almost tears up, looking at u with admiration ‘you–you did this all for me?” you nod with a warm smile on your face and the tears are READY to fall from his pretty honey glazed eyes bc no one has ever gotten him anything before, especially not something as expensive as this :(( and he gives u the biggest hug with the sloppiest kiss as he thanks u over and over again, he’s so glad to have you in his life. his honey, his angel, his girl.

i might just write a whole fic for him bc im down so bad for skater!eddie🫡🫡

[messrsbyler]

byler headcanon where…

mike, who loves writing as we all know, also loves to read (duh) and one of his favorite books is the hobbit and, well, he kind of loses it when will confesses to him he hasn’t read it yet. so next day at school mike shoves his copy into will’s hands and tells him to read it so they can talk about it soon. and will reads it… but he’s not as fast as mike and he kind of dozes off the pages a lot when a scene gets really stuck in his head. next thing he knows he’s doodling in the margins of the book whatever just happened in the previous chapter with a pen nonetheless.

ofc will panics bc he knows mike loves to have his books in pristine condition and will didn’t mean to basically deface mike favorite book? so as soon as he’s back home he rushes to his room to check his savings and see if he has enough money to get mike a new copy. he doesn’t. maybe jonathan could help him out, or his mom, but it feels wrong to make them responsible for will’s mistake. besides, that would be lying to mike, and that’s something will won’t do.

next day mike is waiting for him at the school’s entrance with a bounce in his step and vibrant eyes. he wastes no time to ask “so? did you read it? did you like it? what was your favorite part?”.

will bites his lip and mike’s eyes drop to the book he’s holding in his hands. “uhm, mike. i-"

“yeah?”

“i sort of got distracted… while i was reading and i… uh-"

“hey” mike smiles at him and bumps their shoulders together. “it’s not big deal if you didn’t finish it yet. it’s a long book, after all. sorry, i didn’t want to pressure you.”

“you didn’t!” will rushes to say and mike’s brows spring up in surprise with a curious glance. “i mean, i haven’t finished it. but that’s not what i wanted… to say.”

“oh.” mike frowns. “so… you haven’t liked it so far? you don’t have to keep reading if-"

“i am liking it! a lot. but i also… i just… uhm, here. it’s better if you look by yourself.” will hands mike the copy did the book and glues his eyes to his shoes. his neck and cheeks prickle with heat at the same time something cold pools in his stomach. “sorry.”

“why are you-"

“just open it, mike.”

mike keeps quiet for a second and will can feel his eyes roaming through will’s body. and will knows mike is probably biting his tongue not to ask if he’s okay, if something happened, if it has to do with the upside down. he doesn’t ask, though, and will breathes a little better like that.

“okay, then?” and mike opens the book. and there, on the very first page at the title there’s nothing. mike keeps thumbing through the pages, probably confused. and then, “oh.”

yup, there it is. between the ending of a chapter and the beginning of another, will’s first doodle in the margins of the page. an illustration of what is happening in the pages with some of the blue ink smeared where will’s hand hovered too close to the paper and the smell of his ballpoint impressed on the page.

will looks up with his bottom lip still stuck between his teeth. mike’s eyes are pinned to the page, mouth barely parted and a frown barely hiding under his bangs.

“i’m so sorry, mike. i know you like to have your books as they come from the bookstore.” that is true. mike is the type of guy that rejects things like dog ears for marking a page or a broken spine. let alone a drawing in fucking blue ink in the middle of the book. “i- i kinda dozed off while reading? and i started doodling without noticing and then i saw what i did and it’s ink so i can’t erase it and- i thought on getting you a new copy. maybe next month? i probably can save enough by then-“

mike’s steady hand on his shoulder shuts will right up. he freezes under mike’s touch until his body recognises mike’s shape, the curve of his palm and the length of his fingers right where will’s neck connects with his shoulder. mike’s hand has been a constant weight there throughout their friendship. an anchor and a comfort, and so after the initial shock he gets whenever someone touches him (a little thing the upside down left him), will melted under the touch. his muscles go slack and he breathes out.

“will, i’m not mad.”

will blinks. he didn’t think mike would get mad. it’s hard to make mike mad, after all. well, no. that’s not true. it’s extremely easy to get mike worked up, but not for will. it’s as if mike has a few extra doses of patience reserved only for him. so, yeah. will didn’t expect mike to be mad, but he also didn’t expect to see mike smiling at him in that soft way of his, with a faint blush creeping up his neck and cheeks.

“you… are not?”

“of course not! are you kidding? will, this is so cool!” mike looks down at the drawing and his hand leaves will’s shoulder and a cold spot behind. mike’s fingers trace will’s defined lines in blue ink and it looks so… intimate. hell, is the sun suddenly hitting will with all its might? because he’s feeling a bit too squirmy and tickly on the back. and also a bit hot on the face. maybe he’s coming down with a fever. or maybe mike wheeler is being a menace to his health as always. “this drawing… it’s exactly what i see when i read the book.”

“really?” oh, great. just fantastic. more blushing.

“yeah. did you draw more?” mike thumbs through the pages and finds other two doodles, and he looks equally fascinated with both. “i… i love them, will.”

will could basically be classified as a new type of tomato right about now with how hot his cheeks burn. “you do?”

mike snorts and nods, looking up at will. “of course! why wouldn’t i? you know i love all of your art.”

deep breaths, byers. it’s not a good idea to hyperventilate right in front of your best friend you are in love with just because he loves your art. will clenches his hands and hides them in his pockets.

“uh, well. i just- i know you like to keep your books like brand new so- and that’s your favorite book too.”

“it for sure is my favorite one now.”

“huh?”

mike tilts his head and his eyes narrow to block the sunlight coming from will’s back. “well, because now you are in it, of course.”

“oh.”

“yeah.”

“that’s- cool.”

“yeah. cool.” mike smiles and will smiles back, feeling like he’s standing on air, as light as the clouds and about to float away at any second. but, well, even if he did, will knows would be there to keep him grounded and next to him. the thought is a bit dizzying and will pushes it away. “so… i’m guessing this is why you didn’t finish it? spent all the time doodling the scenes?” mike lifts the book and wiggles it in front of will.

will sighs. “yeah. maybe it was that.”

mike considers this for a moment and… okay, will isn’t sure what mike is even considering. next thing mike is snapping his fingers and giving the book back to will.

“tell you what. why don’t we head to mine after school?”

will tilts his head. “to read?”

“just trust me.”

the day comes and goes and before will knows it the last bell is ringing and he’s pushing his bike out of school and down the street to mike’s house with mike right beside him. will notices not lucas nor dustin follow them beyond their own houses. will also notices mike stops at lucas house for a few minutes before coming back next to will so they bike to his home. oh, okay. so this is a mike and will thing, and not a party thing. cool. that’s cool.

will isn’t sure what mike has in mind as they climb down to his basement. they slump down in the couch and mike opens his backpack right away.

“get the book,” he tells will and will does.

when he sits back up and look at mike, will is surprised to find another copy of the hobbit on mike’s lap. that one looks more worn down, with a broken spine and yellow-ish pages. definitely not mike’s.

will tenses and then melts when he feels mike’s thumb running up between his brows.

“stop with the growing,” mike laughs. “you are going to start to look to much like me.”

will rolls his eyes but can’t help the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “and what a tragedy would that be.” mike snorts and mike points at the book on mike’s lap. “where did that one come from?”

“i borrowed it from lucas.”

“oh. uhm, why?”

“so we can read! well,” mike gestures with his hands on the air like he does a lot when trying to get his point across. it’s a cute gesture will always notices. “so i can read while you draw.”

“huh?”

mike looks down at the book and there, again, there’s a faint shade of pink crawling up his neck and cheeks. mike shrugs and takes a breath in, looking back at will.

“i just thought i could, you know, read the book to you. out loud. i love the hobbit after all and a reread was long overdue. besides, like that you can keep drawing on my copy while i read to you.”

will’s eyes go a bit wide and he blinks in surprise. will knows mike as well as the palm of his hand, but there are moments when his best friend still manages to throw him out of balance in surprise.

“you want me to… keep drawing on your book?”

mike shrugs. it’s shy and contained, as if he was trying to make the gesture as small as possible. “if that’s okay with you.”

“is that okay with you?”

mike nods. “hell, yeah. like that, next time i read my copy i can see your drawings. i just… i don’t know… i think that would be pretty… cool.”

“cool?”

“yeah.”

will stares into mike’s eyes and goddamnit his heart better not throw him under the bus by jumping out of his mouth directly into mike’s lap. “okay. yeah, let’s do it.”

they find a comfortable position on the couch that ends up both of them laying on it in opposite directions, each of them resting their head on a couch arm and getting a pretty good view of the other. it’s a bit of a tight fit, especially since they aren’t little kids anymore and the couch didn’t care to grow along with them during all these years. but will is comfortable right where he is, with his hip pressed against mike’s hip, his legs being mike’s arm support, and just having mike this close at all.

it’s also not the most comfortable position to draw and will’s hand is about to cramp like hell, but he’ll choose to be haunted by another demogorgon before suggesting to move even an inch from where they are.

so, with his blue ballpoint in hand and both books opened at page 64, mike starts reading and will sinks into the melody of his voice, butterflies flapping against the edges of his stomach when mike makes voices for each character and when he sings under his breath the songs in a made up melody. mike’s voice wraps around will and guides his strokes on each page. will absorbed every word, every sentence, each one being carved in his brain with mike’s voice. his heart is pounding behind his ribs, fast but gentle at the same time, and soon he is dragged into a world of fantasy where the only ones from hawkins who remain to exist are him and mike.

they keep going like that for about a hundred and something pages and before they notice it a couple of hours have gone by.

“stay for dinner? we can keep reading after,” mike says as he stretches his arms up. his feet push against will’s shoulder.

“doesn’t your throat hurt reading for that long?” will asks, noticing mike’s voice as turned a bit raspier in the last hour. not something he hates, by any means. but, yeah. will notices.

“nah, i’m good. so, do you wanna?”

will smiles and nods. “yeah, sure.”

they don’t finish the book that night, but will doodles on many pages and by the time he gets home, he can still hear mike’s voice bouncing inside his ears, comforting and soft and just so… mike’s.

will slumps on bed face first and smiles into his pillow like the idiot in love he is. his fingers ache for keep drawing, but he doesn’t want to keep reading what’s left of the book without mike. this is their thing now, something they share and will wouldn’t have it any other way.

[xthescarletbitch]

I've never requested writing before so idk if this is how it works (lol) but I saw your requests were open for Horizon and I'd love to see something along the lines of Aloy and her s/o are out hunting machines and her s/o gets injured (nothing like life ending, just enough to be concerning. I'm a whore for the hurt/comfort trope🫡)

If it's not something you're interested in writing, that's okay! Love your account regardless 🤭😆 No rush if you do write it, take your time 🫶 It can be in headcanon format or whatever you wanna do 😋

(Also I saw on your request page that Jinx from arcane was one of your fav characters- I. FREAKING. LOVE HER.)

thank you so much. <3 and jinx is amazing! i hope to write for her again soon as well.

hurt (aloy x reader)

sfw, but i still prefer no minors

cw: shitty title, mentions of injury and bleeding

word count: 1600+

author’s note: this is my first ever hurt/comfort, so i hope you like it! i feel like it was rushed through, but i also had no idea how to do it, i'm sorry. hopefully i'll get better with time. :)

“okay,” aloy begins, pointing toward a lone machine up ahead. “that one’s a sawtooth. it’s a combat machine weak to fire.”

you nod your head and scribble the notes down in your journal, even attempting to make a little doodle of the machine itself. “weak to fire. got it.” 

aloy waits patiently as you document a few more things about the machine. she ensures that all bases are covered so that you can do so in peace. 

you had asked her to take you machine-hunting to gain some more knowledge about the machines you tinker with. aloy has always done an amazing job bringing you what you needed, but you aspired to know more, to see more. at first, she was hesitant about bringing you along, assuring you that she could tell you all you needed to know. after some convincing and a promise that you wouldn’t get hurt, she caved. and now, here you are.

you tuck your journal back into your sack and look up at your eager girlfriend. she has that sweet smile across her face as she anticipates the hunt about to begin. 

“wait! i have something for you,” aloy exclaims, reaching into her own sack. she pulls out a bow and a few arrows, extending them out to you. “i had varga tweak it a bit.”

you grab the items from your girlfriend’s hand. you look over the bow, dragging your fingertips along the wood. it is smooth–very clearly in pristine condition. you notice the wood dyed in a shade of your favourite colour with your and aloy’s initials etched on it, a feature that only widens the smile you already have. 

“aloy,” you finally say, urging a sigh of relief from your partner, who was worried that you didn’t like it. “it’s beautiful. thank you.”

she smiles and admires you as you look over it some more. “i figured that you’d need one if we made this a regular thing.”

“oh, we will,” you assure, playing around with the string of the bow and aiming it out toward the sawtooth ahead, which is still unaware of your presence. “this will be a memorable hunt to kick off future ones.”

aloy shows you a few techniques with your newly acquired bow. you’re still at a distance away from the sawtooth, so you can do so safely. she stands behind you, her arms on top of your own, moving your body into place. of course, she will be there the entire time, but she still wants you to know how to protect yourself. “you can never be too careful,” she always says.

after you get the hang of it, aloy moves on to the focus on both of your temples. “do you remember what i taught you?”

“yes,” you nod. “i just tap on it, and it’ll give me some more information about the machines i see. i should also be careful to not get too distracted by it while the machine still roams.”

“very good,” she smiles and crosses her arms. “i think you’re ready.”

“really?” you excitedly ask, wanting to get into the action already.

she nods her head and takes a deep breath. “follow my lead, okay?”

“okay.”

aloy moves to a crouching position and gets back behind the rock that you both conversed behind before. you watch as she peeks above the rock and studies the sawtooth with her focus, seemingly opting to track the machine’s path. as she asked, you follow her lead and do the same. you can now see the path that the machine will take if left undisturbed–which won’t be for long. she crouches back down and looks at you, giving you a look to let you know that it is time to press on. 

she moves to a patch of grass right next to the machine’s track. you follow along, quiet and prepared, with your bow in hand and an arrow at the ready. aloy taps her focus once more and assesses the machine. you assume that she is highlighting vulnerable parts of the sawtooth–an act that you do as well. you note that you probably shouldn’t use fire arrows at this distance on its blaze canister. thankfully, you only have standard arrows. shooting the body will be your best bet with this machine.

with her bow and arrow in hand, aloy begins to aim at the sawtooth. its back is now facing the two of you, so it is a better time than any to attack. you ready your own weapon, aiming for its legs. you think you could slow it down if you get the right shot in. 

aloy turns to you once more, mouthing the words, “ready?” 

you nod in response, which aloy follows up with shooting her first shot at the sawtooth. the machine turns around with a quickness, looking directly at the two of you. your cover is now blown, so you must be on guard and ready to dodge. the predestined path no longer matters. 

the machine lets out a deep growl before sprinting towards you. aloy rolls to the left while you roll to the right. the sawtooth follows aloy, who manages to evade its melee attacks each time. she swings her spear here and there but ultimately moves to get some distance between the two so that she can use her bow. you follow behind the machine, shooting arrows into its back. you wager that the machine only has a quarter health left, but is definitely putting up a fight.

aloy shoots her own arrows into the machine while in a state of constant movement. you admire that she can be so steady with a bow despite being in motion. you note this to document later in case you ever encounter a sawtooth again. she’d have to teach you how she does it, but it was no doubt contributed to by rost’s training. 

you shoot the final arrow into the beast, causing it to fall in defeat. it causes you to get all giddy because it is your first machine kill. aloy runs to you, smiling. she pulls you into a hug and kisses your forehead.

“you did great,” she tells you once she pulls away. “i’m very proud of you.”

“thank you,” you smile. “i have to go grab my journal! i’ll be right back.”

with that, you leave aloy’s embrace to go to your sack behind the original rock as she goes to the machine to start scraping it for parts for both of you. you reach the rock and kneel, picking up your bag to rummage through. as your hand searches for the journal, you sense that you’re not alone.

you turn behind you to hear a loud noise and witness a blinding flash. you quickly stand up and reach your arms out in front of you, trying to gain your sight back. you hear your name being called but still cannot see a thing. you walk forward a bit, only to be thrown back as the machine strikes you. you feel your body hit the rock hard as your sight somewhat comes back in time to see an arrow pierce the machine’s big eye. aloy follows soon after.

“my love!” she shouts, immediately crouching by your side. “i’m so sorry i wasn’t here.”

her hands roam across your apparent injuries. all you feel is pain in your head and abdomen. you look up at your girlfriend to see her face full of intense concern. you lift your hand to rub the sweat from your forehead so it doesn’t get in your eye, but upon glancing at said hand, you see bright red blood. within the next few moments, everything gets blurry, and your head feels light. aloy mutters a string of concerns as you fall back in her arms, barely able to keep your eyes open.

your eyes flutter open a few hours later, and your vision is clear again. your head is still pounding, but the spots you saw are no more. you sit yourself up on your elbows, looking around at your surroundings and being unable to tell where you are. you do spot a campfire and your flame-haired girlfriend stirring something over it. 

“aloy?” you question, rubbing your eyes as you sit up even more. 

she turns around quickly, the edges of her mouth turning up at the sound of your voice. “my love, how are you feeling?”

“my head is killing me.”

“it will. you hit it pretty hard,” she gets up from her spot and comes to kneel by your side. “i’m so sorry again. i should’ve protected you.”

you place a kiss on her forehead. it wasn’t her fault, and you assure her of that. you glance down at your abdomen, where a sharp pain lingers. you notice some stitching. 

“i had to stitch you up. you were bleeding pretty badly. your forehead, too.”

“oh, aloy,” you say, a note of concern in your own voice. “i’m the one who should be sorry. i didn’t mean to put you through that.”

she takes your hand in her own and kisses it, shaking her head. she is just relieved that you’re awake and able to talk to her. it was a very lonely few hours.

“get some rest, please? i won’t let anything more happen to you.” she kisses your forehead this time and then your cheeks. “i am so glad you’re okay.”

“i don’t suppose you’d let me join you hunting again, huh?” you joke.

her hand squeezes yours tighter. “we’ll see.”

you lay back on the makeshift bed she created for you and let your eyes close for a few more minutes. the smell of whatever aloy is cooking is in the air. not only could you not wait to eat something, but you also couldn’t wait to be back home in your comfy bed, wrapped in the arms of your lover. you open your eyes once more to admire her. you feel very lucky to have her. 

[ikoarts]

September 2023 Art

train derangement in full swing x

vvv dates + info under the cut vvv

1 - 03/09/2023 : really wanted to draw Ru n Toni in some eveningwear, was a fun opportunity to draw Toni a bit more masc... shes so hot wtf!!! i love these ladies

2, 3 - 04/09/2023 : a Trixie pen doodle, which I ended up turning into a full digital piece..... which i procrastinated on for months, but hey at least i Did finish it! also a little human TTTE au doodle... its Diesel and hes silly... i doodled him in the oingo boingo only a lad pose bc, damn, he really is only a lad

4 - 05/09/2023 : another human Diesel, i did end up tweaking a lot of these initial human designs, so don't get too comfy with em, but oh my.. could it be... Goopy makes another boingo reference? how peculiar that never ever happens..... anyway Perfect System is my fave Diesel song.. in my head is an AMV that will never be made

5, 6, 7 - 06/09/2023 : first, some ideas for my human Edward, thought i might as well include these, for the craic i guess x ... then a rare one of Toby (i havent drawn him since.. i should change that) and Diesel, then that one barbie meme with Edward n James, dont get comfy with either of these designs coz they're not sticking x

8 - 07/09/2023 : a pencil drawing emerges.. Eddie again, with his initial design i was gonna go with, i think the side profile is especially cute..

9 - 09/09/2023 : aaand heres the design i've currently settled on! im much happier with this, and its one of my fave drawings of last year, even if its nothing too special, hes just so cute, and thats really it

10 - 10/09/2023 : silly phone doodle of my human percy.. he drank 2 meny monsters.. cuz i think he would ig.. splort on the floor

11, 12 - 15/09/2023 : another silly (very quick) phone doodle.. i like the idea of Edward taking Diesel under his wing and nobody else can quite understand why, ALSO Edward n Emily friendship? lets go... gays stick together and listen to belinda carlisle its true

13 - 17/09/2023 : YET ANOTHER silly one... oo shes so silly so quirky... i just think if Edward ended up in TATMR he would destroy D10 like thats probs why he wasnt included... hes too powerful

14, 15, 16 - 21/09/2023 : human Diesel shenanigans, first isnt my fave thing ive done and again his design is now outdated BUT the little one of him flipping you off is so funny to me like you get em lil guy!! also Edward again big surprise. holding his little gremling

17 - 29/09/2023 : watched tobias and the last pariah and all i could think about was this meme of the brown eyes vs blue eyes thing so i doodled them on my phone

[ectocs]

The Dulyamra

post official dulyamra edit: added alt text from maniculum, thank you!

Well, after binge-reading @maniculum's bestiaryposting and all of the wonderful artists and wacky descriptions, I decided I might as well hop in. May redo this one later, but hey!

I might do some of the older stuff (even knowing what they are now, because seriously, some of those passages...). for this first one I just wanted to draw some kind of creature -- I've had art block, so I went relatively "basic" :]. more detailed, somewhat rambling thoughts under the cut (and some idea-testing sketches):

There are some pretty interesting things going on in this description. For one thing, a lot of it is dedicated to the parenting habits.

Since dulyamra have a liked and disliked twin, I decided it would only be logical for the disliked twin on her shoulder to be a little strange... so it's albino! Also, both of them are young enough that they haven't gotten their weird face-sacs like their mother.

The main working premise was "what if a bear had arms." Not so much, I fear, because I was trying to guess the animal (I wasn't, really)... but because it popped into my head during the first 2/3rds of the description and wouldn't leave, no matter what. I tried to make it less horrifying than what was in my head.

The detail of their emotions being tied into the moon's phases was intriguing. Ultimately, I decided to steal some patterning from a certain creature, with modifications: giving it vaguely moonlike shapes on its chest, while hopefully not also being too obvious about the moon thing.

Now the reason I may redo this in the future is because I find this to be an eye-catching bit: "they have compressed nostrils and a hideous face, its creases foully expanding and contracting like a bellows."

Oh, that's fun! I wish I wasn't stuck in a rut because I can think of so many fun ideas but no way to tie them together, or to a larger thing; something akin to a pug? Frog? Maybe their nose is like the worst bat nose to exist? A fan? Skin flaps? Only after drawing all this can I think of these, lol.

Ultimately I picked a guy with a neat nose/face situation to throw in the mix.

The idea here is simply that those areas by the nose could potentially inflate like a balloon, both while breathing and intentionally as a threat display. Initially, I had wanted to do something with face wrinkles and a dewlap of some sort, which I doodled initially (top right) with some other stuff:

But I couldn't get it to look right (or obvious enough without looking weird in a bad way), unfortunately, for the final piece, and switched lanes. I want to try again though!!!!

I like to picture this beast as being about knee-height.

[pain-in-the-butler]

Where did you get the idea for Cielbug and Coattails?

Hi again, thanks for your interest! Oh, Cielbug and Coattails... Two such vastly different creations... Well, let's start with Cielbug, who just kind of Happened. One night I doodled this little picture of Ciel and Sebastian for a meme

and I realized I liked how goofy Ciel looked, so I drew more, but I also found him to be very off-putting so I captioned it

and next thing I knew he was officially a bug, he lived in my house, and he had nothing in common with O!Ciel whatsoever

On the opposite end of the creativity scale, Coattails started as a short story I wrote in 2014, which I initially had no plans to share with anyone other than my sister. I liked Dadbastian and the idea of Ciel having to cope properly with his trauma (which was not yet fully revealed), so I always kept the idea in the back of my mind as something I wanted to expand upon. However, I didn't consider it very seriously until 2017's twin reveal. My feelings on the twin reveal are closer to positive now, but at the time I really didn't like it. I decided I wanted to prove to the fandom what I thought a good plot twist for my favorite series should look like and went about making a fic that would showcase it.

Even though I was pretty driven, I didn't really have expectations in the beginning for how long Coattails would get or who would like it. I decided I would just write it for myself, and anyone who tagged along for the journey would be a nice bonus. I knew the angle that would interest me most was Dadbastian, and I knew I already had a short story about Ciel and Sebastian that I really liked, so I used that as a base for what Coattails would become.

My sister was probably a bigger help in development than she realizes! The short story I wrote in 2014 is now chapter 2 of Coattails, and initially there was no catalyst for Ciel's shift into a more angry, sensitive person. My sister said that it felt jarring for Ciel to start acting up for no reason other than puberty, so I decided that should be a plot point, which ultimately lead to the creation of Lyle Reubin. Sebastian also needed a reason to go from being a demon to a dad, so I thought one up. Then came Henri Fairclough as a villain and means of exploring all of Coattails's themes. Once I had the bones in place, I started fleshing the story out however I pleased, just writing whatever felt fun and interesting and engaging, and that's sort of how I do it to this day.

That was a bit long-winded so tl;dr: my inspiration for Coattails was spite mixed with writerly passion, as well as some of my own experiences and feelings when I was growing up.

Thanks for granting me the opportunity to explain this! Have a wonderful day! 😊

[hideandgopeep]

Imagine Miche being your tattoo artist

Hey, I woke up at like 3am yesterday with this idea. It's FLUFF, but we can dream at the end.

You picked an artist who's been at it for a couple of years because his style suits the piece you're wanting. Simple, right? You reached out via text to the number on his social media contact info to set up a consult appointment and ended up just doing everything by text. EASY!

And then you walk into the small, private shop to be greeted with, “Hey, I’m Miche.” You're a little put off (understatement) and thinking oh this big guy's gonna fuckin' hurt me. Thing is, he smiles after his greeting. With his eyes crinkling like that at the corners? His mustache doing whatever that is? Yeah, you feel bad for your initial reaction (swoon).

“Lemme show ya the final design again just in case we need to make some tweaks.”

Goddamn, his voice is something, and you gotta keep yanking your eyes from his neck. “It’s perfect.” Soon enough, you’re stenciled and approve the placement on your calf.

You get on the chair, and he leans you back so you can get comfortable, even hands you a bolster for your head. He’s silent while he sets up the ink cups, water, paper towels, and preps the machine, which looks almost comically small in his hand. This isn’t your first or even seventh tattoo, and you’re a little nervous maybe? It’s just that, like, damn this man is nice to look at, and you really wanna hear his voice again, and he’s gonna be touching you for at least an hour.

Before he gets started, he asks, "Whatcha usually listen to?"

"Um, metal."

He hands you his phone with the music app open to play something of your choice. “You ready?”

You just nod, hit play, and he starts when the music does. You let your mind get lost while he works, and he checks in with you often. The entire album (1 hour and 26 minutes) wraps up before he's done.

"Why'd you pick that album? Not that I didn't enjoy it. It sounds sad, like loss, mourning."

“It is, it’s definitely one of those intentional albums. They lost a friend and poured their grief into the lyrics and notes.”

“The day has come to face the storm as lightning strikes me in two. We live the dream onward, as it were, endless days we'll carry on as one. There's no doubt of what we're here to do, you laid it out: a promise of yourself. That shit hurts.”

"Exactly," you say, that familiar raw sting of a nearly-finished tattoo forgotten. “How’d you get into this?”

“Gnarly leg injury, dunno if you noticed the limp.” (You did.) “Happened at my old job, got chewed up by, uh, machinery at work. Anyway, I spent a lot of time on a bed then a couch. Started doodling like I did as a kid, passing the time, and found something in it. I have a buddy with a shop who asked if I could do some flash sheets, ‘for fun.’ Then he offered an apprenticeship, and here we are.”

----

The second time you go to Miche, it's for a rather large piece that will take two sessions. Your chest piece, the Doors of Durin. Obviously you were thinking about seeing him again too, and you get an even bigger smile when he greets you. “Oh right, the music nerd,” he says when you come in. “Nah, I’m kidding, I remembered you of course.”

“Mhm.” You get a small thrill as his fingers brush your chest skin while he preps you for the stencil. Perfect placement. Seriously, this man's neck just draws you in.

Again, he hands you his phone to pick the music. "We'll be going well after just one album, so keep it to pick the next." He looks to you with his eyebrows raised. "Assuming you're going for whole albums again."

“True, true.”

He leans over you from the side to start, his wrists and forearms hovering above your chest, and he goes, "Hm?"

“Go for it.”

“Get comfortable first with my arms here,” he murmurs as he places the weight on you.

“That’s good, ‘m ready.” You start the album and let him get to work.

After half of the album, he asks, “So, no vocals on this one. Got any band lore?”

“You know I do, but talking, chest piece, you get it.”

He nods. Every time he stops to check in, you melt with the way his voice sounds (and feels) this close and give him the lore he asked for.

“The lead is in a handful of other bands.” “One of those bands is a fave, and another musician from it is on another fave.” Blah, blah, blah. And he listens, and you keep playing the 40-some minute albums.

Being this close to him gives you ample opportunity to let your eyes (nearly shamelessly) roam. You watch his face get super sweaty, dark blond hair sticking to his forehead. He still smells great though, like fresh laundry, maybe a basic soapy scent.

The next time he pauses to check on you, you ask, “Can I get a paper towel?” He tears a fresh one from the roll behind him, and you mop his forehead. That gets the cutest chuckle from him, holy shit, and he blushes on top of it. Who the fuck is this guy? “Hey, I can’t have my artist blinded by sweat. The chest piece is literally front and center!”

“Do it as you see fit,” he grins and hands you more towels. “Maybe lemme get the needle away first.” And you do, you keep his face dry and drip-free for the next hour or so, getting a little thanks every time you blot him.

He pauses. "We’re just about done with the linework. I can go ahead and start details and shading today if you want . . .”

“Oooh, wish I could, but you know how it is.” While you’ve been fighting feeling a bit pervy, the needle has left you feeling a bit too raw.

“Gotcha.” He works for another few moments and stops to ask, “So, what's your type?"

“Haha, metal, remember?”

His soft pretty green eyes flick up to your face, and he licks his lips. “I mean, uh, type of people.”

You have to laugh at yourself. "Oh, people are pretty, sure, but my type is someone I get interested in.”

He watches you like he’s expecting you to go on, eyes still locked on yours, and you’re feeling a bit embarrassed, especially because he’s still leaning on your bare chest. So he swallows and asks, "Whatcha mean?"

"Like if we connect after meeting, if they're funny or something. There's some kind of spark that'll pull me in."

"Ah, I think I understand." He looks back to your skin, eyes tracing the permanent lines he’s decorated you with, and goes, "You not gonna ask me?"

"Okay, I’ll bite. You got a type?"

He soaks a towel in that blessedly cool and soothing cleanser and delicately wipes your skin. You gasp like a damn fool. "I'm like you, gravitate toward people who are comfortable with themselves. Especially if they start nerding out over something they like." You’re watch each other like it’s some kind of dance, knowing what the next move is but letting the anticipation linger for effect.

He breaks the spell. “What exactly am I tattooing on your chest? What're the Doors of Durin?”

“You ever read or see the Lord of the Rings trilogy?”

“Read it ages ago, never sat down and watched it.”

“Let’s fix that.”

----

The next morning, he knocks on your door, and you get to use the "Speak, friend, and enter" line, adding, “Hope the extended editions are fine.”

[fruitcoops]

Hello! I just went through the entirety of your coops fics because I was in a very major coops mood. The most recent one is also absolute gold, I loved it so much! If inspiration ever strikes you, might I request some more of ✨sexually charged✨ (if that is the word) pre-coops? I'm in love with the way you write the tension between them! (And they certainly don't always have innocent thoughts about one another pre-dating, jeez Remus "maybe I'd like him to push me up against the stalls when he's energized" Lupin) I hope you have a great day, no matter what you do with this ask obviously and thank you for all your amazing writing!!:) Also, apologies for my English!

Fic O'Ween Day 2: Moonlight! This is more cute and sweet, but there are certainly some moments where they need to go to horny jail. Character credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for momentary impure thoughts (gasp!)

You Have One (1) New Message From: Sirius Black

Remus nearly choked on half a sandwich as he snatched his phone off the desk with a glance to make sure the door was closed. Despite his best efforts, it was scientifically impossible for him to keep down a blush when Sirius was involved. The last thing he needed was someone wandering in while he was at his most embarrassing.

Are Pots’ pads in the storage closet?

And then, two seconds later:

Good morning : )

Remus ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. He received a dozen similar messages from the team every day, but there was something about Sirius that made his heart skip a beat after even the simplest question. Maybe it was because he could hear Sirius’ voice even through the screen, his accent curling around each word. Maybe it was because he could see that shy smile in the emojis that always, always accompanied a text from the captain. Maybe it was because Sirius was the one person he wanted to kiss until they were both blue in the face.

New Message To: Sirius Black

No, Pots’ pads are drying in the ice room.

And then, after two seconds of thought:

Morning : )

“Pull it together,” Remus muttered to himself as his stomach flipflopped. He checked the time, cursed, and set his phone facedown on the desk. Less than ten minutes of his lunch break remained—he would be lucky to get five with the team’s track record of terrible timing.

Sirius was laughably out of his league, famous, and straight. Remus’ poor, romantic little heart didn’t seem to get that memo. It was kind of mortifying, actually—he was afraid he’d start doodling their initials in tiny hearts on the corner of his notes like a fucking middle schooler soon.

Remus groaned under his breath at the thought and let his forehead thud against the top of his desk. Feelings were a nightmare. Curling up under his desk like an elderly fox dying in the woods was sounding better with every passing moment.

“Fuck.” He checked the clock again—six minutes until the end of his lunch, eleven until Kasey’s appointment. He cast one more baleful glance to his sandwich before sliding it back into his lunch bag and dragging himself upright.

--

“I almost have it, stop twitching!”

“Well, maybe if you moved your ass—”

“Hey, guys, I—oh.”

Sirius froze and felt James do the same.

“Should I…” Remus trailed off, tilting his head slightly to the side. “Should I come back, or…?”

“No, no, you’re good,” James assured him. His weight rocked back and Sirius gritted his teeth as a heel dug into his shoulder. Of all the humiliating positions to be found in, Remus had to walk in when he was playing the illustrious role of human stepstool. Fantastic.

He tried to fight his blush when Remus looked down at him, a laugh ticking at the corner of his mouth. “I thought you were looking for pads?”

“We are.” Sirius bit back a groan when James’ foot found a bruise from the last game. “Couldn’t find them.”

“Yeah, no, I got your text. But why are you looking up there?”

“We checked everywhere else.”

“Why would I put your pads in a place I can’t reach?”

A beat of silence passed. “I guess we didn’t think of that,” James mused before stepping back onto the floor with one last dig of his bony heel into the small of Sirius’ back.

“Ow—”

“Don’t be a baby.”

Sirius got to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster and dusted himself off, offering a strained smile to Remus. He was in his usual (adorable) uniform of khakis and a polo—blue today, softening the pale gold of his skin—and waited patiently for them to finish in the doorway to the ice baths. “We checked in the storage closet,” Sirius explained. “For the pads. They weren’t there.”

Obviously, or else he wouldn’t have found you two doing a Dumb and Dumber skit. Remus, to his credit, seemed rather unfazed as he turned to James. “Did you check the towel drying racks?”

“The what?”

“How are you alive?”

“Stubbornness and healthy living,” James said brightly.

Remus just shook his head with a grin, his soft curls falling over his forehead. Sirius wanted to squeeze him. “I don’t get paid enough for this. C’mon.”

Sirius trailed after him without hesitation, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Remus’ left ear. Not his (strong, lean) shoulders or his (perfect for holding) waist or his (god bless the inventor of khakis) rear end. Left ear. The left ear was safe, bland, and—and—

And there was a small freckle near the tip that Sirius wanted to kiss. And the short-cropped sides of Remus’ hair just brushed it like a halo. And, and, and, because Remus Lupin could never be just one thing. There was too much good about him. Sirius had known it from the moment he realized he’d do anything for a single smile from those lips.

“Hey, are you feeling okay?”

He startled, glancing down at James. “Why?”

James shrugged. “I dunno, you seem distracted.”

“Maybe you should be more entertaining.”

That got him a grin and an elbow to the ribs; Sirius smiled, ducking his head with it. James was like that, too—so much good condensed into a best-friend-sized package. God, he could hear the ‘package’ jokes James would make if he ever said that aloud. From anyone else, it would have been irritating.

Remus paused by the door with a flourish of his hand. “Ta-da! Pads drying on a drying rack. Who would have thought?”

Sirius’ cheeks heated as James let out a bark of laughter. Embarrassment never seemed to affect James, unless it came from Lily. He watched as James slung an arm around Remus and planted a wet kiss to his cheek, and tried not to acknowledge the hot spark of want in his belly. Remus was nice. Remus wouldn’t think anything of it if Sirius did the same. The problem was, Sirius wasn’t sure if he could stop himself once he folded.

“Next time, check your phone instead of playing ladder for Thing One, eh?” Remus teased, twisting a dry towel in his hand before patting Sirius on the chest.

Sirius choked a noise back at the last possible second.

Remus blinked. His butterscotch lashes fluttered once before his eyes settled on Sirius’, curious and deer-soft and full of the intensity, the pure focus, that Sirius admired above most other things. He had been studied his whole life and never once been seen quite like that.

Remus’ hand was still on his chest. His brow furrowed. Sirius was acutely aware that he was still holding his breath; his mouth watered at the thought of pressing a light kiss to that worried crease, the scrunch of his pointed nose, the slight downturn of his lips. The uninvited image of where else that furrow-scrunch combination might appear (on his mattress, healing hands curled in the sheets, bright in the moonlight like Remus deserved and stop it stop it stop it) sprang to mind before Sirius could divert his attention. He was morbidly grateful for his loose basketball shorts.

A light jab to the chest shocked him from his daydream. “That hurts?”

“…huh?”

Remus poked him again, dead center over his right pec. “You made a noise. What’s wrong?”

“I—um, I was—” Words. He needed words. What’s a word? “I was on bench rotation. Tired. Tired muscles. Non, nothing wrong.”

Remus snorted. “Being a baby, then, got it.”

The far door flew open and Sirius flinched, but Remus’ attention was already gone and James was shaking his skates at him like a dog’s leash. “Yo, it’s showtime, stop hogging my Loops.”

“Captain privilege, I get first dibs,” Sirius countered with a wry smile, even as something in him twitched at my Loops. Maybe it was his imagination, but Remus looked rather pleased.

“You have to stop using that excuse to get whatever you want.”

“Someday you’ll understand.”

“Hey.” Remus touched his elbow and Sirius stopped on a dime. He wound the towel around his hand once more, offering a smile that was half-concern, half-assurance. “Tell me if that muscle keeps acting up, okay? Powering through won’t help if you pulled something.”

As if Sirius would ever pass up an opportunity to talk with him. Was it unethical to fake an injury? “I will,” he promised.

“Solid.” They bumped fists and Sirius gave a dramatic shake of his hand, just to watch Remus roll his eyes. “I’ll see you at four. Remember to—”

“—ice 30 minutes before and bring Tylenol for after,” he finished, nodding along. “I got you, Loops.”

Remus’ next breath was a bit sharper than usual, smoothing on the exhale with a smile. “Yeah, I know.”

“Captain!” James hollered.

Sirius smiled through the urge to lock his best friend in a storage closet. “Four o’clock.”

“See you there.”