#no sharp pointy angles/lines

[cainternn]

evil art style challenge!!

[drowninginseaofstars]

Kisses

cw: Ghost lowkey being a creep, brief illusion to Ghost's backstory, death, blood, spit

Before Simon could trust you enough to pull up his mask, his kisses were always through the damn mask. It didn’t matter if the material scratched your skin or felt uncomfortable against your lips; nor did it matter if it leaves a dark damp spot around where his lips would be. He liked it even, leaving his mask on just to wear the smell of you like a cologne.  

He huffed like a quiet silent laugh when you pointed it out, said he was being weird.

He shrugged.

There was something strangely intimate yet frustrating in the way he’d insist on kissing you through the mask at every opportunity he got. To your surprise, he does, in fact, love kissing, maybe even too much.

Sometimes he would open his jaw before he kisses you, holding your chin in place so you can see the way the wool stretches opened, his eyes are half-lidded but they’re focused on you.

Like a beast showing his fangs, except you don’t see them.

You feel them.

It pulls against the fabric, itching and struggle to fight against the barrier of the mask, sharp pointy surfaces dragged along your skin. He unhinges his jaw far enough to devour your lips whole, love it when you gasp and tried to pull away, only for him to grip your neck, palm squeezing your waist like a silent warning.

He growls and rumbled deep in his chest, the vibration sending shivers down your spine, he makes sure you feel it, pressing his body close to you, and he drags his head up and down across your face, huffing and nibbling your skin, leaving a wet trail behind. 

Like a satiated wolf.

The day he finally lifted the mask to kiss you properly, you almost laughed from disbelief. For all the secrecy, for all the teasing his friends—the rowdy military bunch, his family, had thrown your way about the horrors his mask might conceal, his face was almost... ordinary. He looked like a regular bloke from Manchester, the kind you’d pass on the street without a second glance, often the ones who had the stare that makes your hair stand up. Sure, there were faint scars—a thin line across the bridge of his nose, a small nick on his forehead—but nothing like the grotesque imagery you’d imagined. His chin carried a hint of scruff, spiky and coarse, the kind that scratched against your skin when the angle was just a bit off. You stared at him, insulted by the simplicity of his appearance, and he gave you one of those smirk, the corners of his eyes crinkling as if he knew exactly what you were thinking.

“Disappointed, darlin’?”

When Simon kissed you after months away on deployment, it was as if he’d been wandering a desert, parched and hopeless, finally stumbling upon an oasis, a fresh pond of sweet nectar. You don't get a warning before his lips crashed into yours with a force that bordered on desperation, his hands slipping through your hair, tugging and pulling gently as if to tether himself to reality. All groans and grunt, all growls and bites, pulling away, watching the strings of saliva connecting them. He kissed like the world might end the second he pulled away.

It would. Something in his head said. Voices buzzing, repeating, leaking out his ears, the syllabus tightening around his neck, mumbling something like they'll end up like you, like your mother, you're pulling them into death, always ruining the lives of others—

When he had his fill, when the adrenaline, the noises in his head quiet down enough, he leans down and lays a gentle peck on your forehead, purring something like an apology.

Indeed, there are other times when his kisses were featherlight, tentative, as though afraid he might break you, that he was handling a precious glass sculpture that was you. It was this maddening duality that made you dizzy—the gentleness of a man who’d seen too much pain, juxtaposed with the raw hunger of someone who’d been starved of touch, of sweet things like you. 

Then there was the peculiar way Simon fixated on your lower lip. You’ll know it when he pauses a few second too long, eyes blown out and his breath are slow and deep, heavy. He’d tug it gently into his mouth, rolling the soft flesh between his lips lazily. He’d hold your jaw, drifting his bare rough palm down the side of your jugular, squeezing, holding you still, guiding you into the position he wanted, breaking into a mean smile when you protest weakly and writhe around. Sometimes he’d suck on it like a pacifier, his tongue tracing its contour, making you squirm under his touch. Inevitably, saliva would gather and trickle down your jaw, but Simon never seemed to mind. 

“Makin’ a mess f’ me, hm?” He grumbled, like he didn’t spit on your lips just seconds ago, mixing your taste with his, slobbering, sticky and disgusting. 

Bastard, you think of him, the way he found a quiet kind of joy in this indulgence. Perhaps it was the way your lower lip would puff up, rosy and swollen, making you look extra pouty. Or maybe it was how your nose would scrunch in mild annoyance, your cheeks flushing under his teasing smirk. He loved riling you up, alternating between gently pulling your lip and giving it a playful bite, pulling it like a puppy with its favourite bone. His teeth would graze the tender flesh, leaving the faintest sting, just enough to make you gasp. He’d laugh at your reaction, his voice low and gravelly with a teasing lilt in his tone. For shits and giggles, he’d let you feel the faint scrape of his canines, murmuring something cheeky about marking you.

“My favourite chew toy.” he coos when you whined, clicking his tongue and tutting lowly, shaking his head before he goes back to biting your lips.

You try not to remember the feral glint in his eyes when he tasted copper one time, how he let out a guttural moan, licking away the red slowly, only stopping when you nudged him away.

You catch the same stare sometimes when he sunk his canine just a tad bit deeper, watching your reaction, as if waiting for your permission for him to draw blood again.

Maybe one day you’ll indulge.

[neominthe]

Practicing character design with some novel's MCs. Here are my headcanons:

Cheong Myeong

Bulky and beefy body. Big arms and hands, which can't be seen as his robes are too big on him

Tanned skin as he trains in the sun a lot, but only on the hands, face and neck since they aren't covered by his Mount Hua robes

I headcanon him as short since he started exercising from an early age in unhealthy amounts, stunting his growth

Super curly hair which Cheong Myeong keeps constantly in a ponytail. At one point in time he will pull in a bun to keep it from tangling

Sharp eyes with extremely long eyelashes

Han Yoojin

I'm a sucker for gaining weight representing character is in a safe and happy place for them

His nose is like a button, a feature he shares with Yoohyun

Yoojin has curlier hair than Yoohyun, though does not care for it. As a result, it's constantly messy and tangled, adding to the 'single mother who has two jobs' look

In the novel (I can't remember which chapter) it is mentioned that Yoojin gained a bit of skin color, making him look healthier. I followed the webtoon skin color (which was like white paper) and darkened it a bit, to look healthier but still very light

Yoojin has pieces of Sung Hyunjae's wardrobe on him. The guy has a lot of money, surely he won't be missing his 100k dollar suit right? (Hyunjae allows it since it is Yoojin stealing and it kinda "marks his territory". You know, like a dog)

Park Moondae

After receiving Idol Inc' sweather, he always wears it as Moondae is too lazy to go buy his own clothes (and to save money)

He got the shoes from Seon Ahyeon, which were one size bigger than his. Moondae doesn't bother telling Ahyeon he got the wrong size, so wearing it causes blisters

Moondae has "dead fish eyes" and a small mouth, making him look like the emoji '-' Fans find it adorable, though

He got a soft jawline and a thin face, as well as a pointy nose

It's possible to determine Moondae's emotion by the glint of his eyes, but only his close friends can do it precisely

Kim Dokja

I didn't intend to make him look like a corpse, but as I kept drawing it felt more and more right for him to be that way. He was an office worker and only had one happiness: a webnovel

Dokja spends most of his time indoors, so he is very pale and lacking of vitamin D. As he became a constellation and Demon King, his complexity worsened and looked inhumane, turning grey ash

He is able to retract his wings, but not his horns. They are constantly out and a burdensome, since Dokja often forgets they are there, making him hit the doorframe several times

Dokja's hair covers a part of his face (an ode to the damn censorship Bihyung added) and is choppy because he cuts his own hair. If cared and brushed almost every day, it would be like his mom's: flowy and soft

He has long eyelashes, especially on the lower lid, and downturned eyes, which makes him look gloomy and teary-faced

I imagine Dokja having a bit of a hunchback from all the time he spends in his phone and working in a computer

Dokja also has long legs, which he keeps hidden under his tattered coat

Cale Henituse

The man has a thin and tall body, to the point he seems both elegant and fragile at the same time

Cale has light skin due to his time spent indoors or under every shade he can find whenever he has to go out

Cale's features are mostly pointy, with sharp angles and straight lines running down. His nose is upturned, has arched eyebrows and sharp eyes

The straight hair was inherited from Deruth's parents, Cale's gradparents and red obviously from Jour

[pursuitseternal]

Can I get “Do your worst” for Ascended Astarion x f!tav please? Bonus points if you can get some bdsm in there 🥵

“Do your worst…”

Also now published as: “Choke Me” update for “The Rogue You Were”

Ascended Astarion x f!Reader | Smut Ask fill

CW: BDSM, collar and leash, breath play, choking, spanking, Elven erogenous zones

It started after dinner, you decided to spend your evening in the library tonight, a roaring fire in the grate and books pressed to your faces. Lounging on top of one another on the couch, you stroke his soft silver curls as he rests his head in your lap.

You can feel his warmth through your thin silk skirt, his fingers tracing the seams of your skirt. His book rests in his hands, propped up on his belly, his back resting between the length of your extended legs.

If you close your eyes and ignore the fact your heart barely beats and your skin is corpse cold, it’s almost as if you’re back in the camp on those long, star-kissed nights. Just you… and your Rogue, curled by the fire in the comfort of his tent.

Every soft ambient sound is identical, the crackle of the fire, the whisper of pages as they turn, the soft wash of breath as he sighs and settles tighter against you.

For that moment, you forget that he is your Sire, the Vampire Ascendant.

You swallow, your throat pulsing against his latest gift, a tight fitting necklace that hugs every sinew of your neck. Black velvet ribbon and shining mithral chains. Costly. Precious. And dear.

Just like you, Astarion had said as he closed it around your neck, adjusting that encrusted ring between the chains just so…

Your fingers fidget with those chains now, the sharp, small metallic sounds making Astarion’s pointy ears twitch. “Enjoying your newest gift, little love?” he purrs, eyes still scanning the page of his book.

But somehow you can feel every tendon and sinew in his body coiling, readying to pounce.

“It’s elegant,” you reply, slipping a finger beneath the heavy chains. “But it is a bit tight.”

“Just tight enough to remind you,” he trails off, eyes flashing their crimson gaze towards you, upside down, before turning back to his page.

“Remind me of what?” you ask, almost absentmindedly, your eyes focused on the next few lines of your novel. You raise its soft little cover up in one hand, the plot thickens the more you read… and you can sense a nice smut scene about to unfold on your pages…

You didn’t hear his low voice through the cover…. Until he clears his throat with a noise, almost a snarl. An unamused one.

“Oh, my darling, please don’t tell me you’re ignoring me for some… fictional romance,” his voice whines in silken tones to shroud his suspicion.

Your heart leaps into your throat as he snaps his book shut. Pale fingers curl over the top of your novel as Astarion pulls it, revealing your now blushing face. White hot shame at being caught colors even your undead complexion.

You look down at him, his face upside down as he lies nestled in your skirts. From this angle, his smile is uncanny, that sly fang-glinting smirk that instantly makes you wet. And by the way his nostrils flare, he can scent it already.

It only makes that insufferable grin twist all the more rakish.

Deft fingers pry your smutty novel from your eager hands, setting it on the expanse of his belly. “I said…” he begins, that tone already low and threatening in the best possible way, “your necklace… your collar is to remind you to whom you belong, my treasure.” He frowns, pouting, at least you think he does, it’s disorienting to look at him topsy turvy on your lap. “Tch, not off to a great or convincing start, little love.”

You roll your eyes, reaching for your book… only to have his fingers snap shut around your wrist. He keeps you there, hand suspended in one grip. His other hand reaches slowly to stroke the sensitive flesh of your neck, teasing and dipping beneath the soft ribbon and hard links of your necklace.

Your collar, he called it.

“Ah, ah,” he mocks in that chiding tone. “You haven’t earned your little escapism back yet. You might not ever,” he warns. “You think I’m happy letting your mind dwell on some dashing hero that lives on a page?” He pouts his thick lips before he licks them. “Are my words not enough for you?”

You blush, staring at him teasing at you from the middle of your silken skirts.

“Your blush betrays you, little love,” he purrs. “Seems you need reminding that what you have with me will satisfy you better than any man in your mind.”

“I don’t know,” you can’t help but tease back, “I have a very vivid imagina—”

That last word is swallowed as his fingers find the ring in your necklace and pull.

Hells… that tight little necklace locks around your throat, a steely caress of velvet and precious metal that makes your slow undead pulse pound in your ears. You gasp for air you don’t need, panic setting in regardless.

Astarion gives that low, wicked, rolling chuckle. “Should we test my imagination, darling?” he croons, pulling your collar just a smidge tighter as he sits up. He towers over you, pinning your thighs beneath his legs as he straddles you. “All that reading… I hope you can keep up with what I have planned for you in reality,” he taunts, tugging on your collar on the last word.

Your stomach blazes with need, hot desire running through your veins at breakneck speed. Even though you technically don’t need to breathe, your eyes are wide with the thrill of being controlled, your lungs burn at the foreign sensation of being stifled so thoroughly.

He pulls you by your collar, stopping only once your nose presses against his. That paper bound novel of yours in his hand, he waves it next to your head, pinching its offending existence between his fingers. “Perhaps we can repurpose this as a part of your reminder?”

“Hmm,” you feel bold, invincible, now that you have settled into the dull ache of pain and let it inspire you, making your hungry nerves crave more. “Do your worst…”

“Oh you know me, my treasure,” he growls, lips pressed into your ear, fangs scoring on your neck, “I only give you my very best.”

His rumbling laugh, low in his belly, inundates your senses. Yanking you by your collar, you gulp and gag at the force. Eyes shut from the pain, you slowly realize he’s laid you out over the couch’s arm. Vauguely something metallic clicks behind your head, and it’s only after he pulls you taut, bending you back by your collar do you realize he’s attached something to that ring.

A leash, a simple chain of matching shining bright metal he’s still fishing entirely out of his pocket. The links jingle merrily, your only warning before he pulls it tight. “My pretty consort,” he purrs, “I don’t like to see worry cast so on your face. Fear not,” his warm touch lifts your skirts up to bare your ass, “you are mine.”

The metal tugs your head to the side as he bends down, reverencing your ass cheeks with a few blunt-toothed kisses. Nothing to break the skin. Just enough to make you sigh some strangled moans.

Warm, dexterous digits slide their way beneath the gusset of your underwear to tease out that slick he’s been smelling. “Mmmm,” he purrs, “I hope this is all for me and not from that filthy smut you’ve been indulging in without me.” You hear it, that wet slick of his fingers crooking inside you, aiming for that spot that makes your thighs tremble instantly.

“Now, pet,” he sniggers at the moniker, easing your leash to give it a waggle. Just for effect. “Let’s repurpose this novel of yours. After all, if you can find enjoyment in its pages, perhaps I can too…” He tests the weight of it in his grip, the other hand pulling you by your leash and collar to make you strain upwards just slightly. “You asked for my worst, but you are only worthy of my best, darling…”

Smack. Your body jolts, pain-pleasure racing up your spine as the book connects with your rear. A little moaned grunt slips from your lips.

“What was that, my dear? Good enough for you?” he purrs, rubbing the reddening mark on your backside.

You hang your head, laughing breathlessly. “If I said no…” you leave the question unfinished.

He gives a little growl of disapproval, arm swinging back to land your little novel square on the other cheek. Harder this time, you yelp as your body lurches forward.

A smooth tug on your leash guides your face next to his, your lithe back bending as he whispers in your ear. The wash of his warm breath tickles. “Now, little love, good enough at last? Or does the man on these pages still hold sway?”

Leaning against his mouth you sigh, “It’s very good, but I think I’m missing something. My void is aching to be filled… I feel desperate with wanton need… pulsing, throbbing, leaking…”

“Hells below, my dear, is this the kind of drivel you’re consuming?” He chides you as he tosses the book down on the couch. “Well, if you’re wanton hole needs serving, I’d be a cad not to comply. No fictional man will get the better of me,” he chuckles.

You hear it, feel it. His free hand easing his trousers open enough for his cock to spring free. Your hands brace on the arm of the couch, your clothing too tight. You curse that silk on your torso, the bodice that pinches your breasts and irritates your skin.

Only your legs and ass are bare, free for his touch and his tongue. Warm breath washes over your cunt first, and you know he’s pulling out all his tricks to impress you, to distract you from your smutty little novel. Fingers tease at your clit, his skilled tongue lapping in and out of your channel, while you let out a string of colorful curses and florid language.

His laughter vibrates into your cunt, wetness dripping down your thigh. Spit… slick… you can’t tell any longer what’s seeping as his tongue fucks in and out, in perfect rhythm with his fingers as they circle your bud.

Heat coils in your belly, flooding your muscles with ungodly fire and need. Close, so close, you pant as just the right teasing pressure grazes your clit….

…until it all disappears. You scream in frustration. Your hips buck and grind into nothing

Hirrrk… you gag and groan at once as he pulls you by that jingling leash until you land, splayed on your back. Satisfied as you catch your breath he grins at you. You are a mess across the couch. A small mercy, he lets go of your leash and tosses those metal links to rest beside you. “Be a good pet,” he purrs, “and spread those legs for me again….” He cages you in, a wicked smile and arching brows as he hovers over you. “Unless you’d rather enjoy your… fictional pleasures?”

His finger slips inside your necklace, easing the chain apart as he settles comfortably between your thighs. Finally you can swallow and take a deep gulp of air. The relief on your face makes him leer, capturing your softly smiling lips in a kiss. He’s tender and slow, the warm tip of his tongue tracing your lips. As you part them, you taste the tang of your own slick. A hum escapes your throat, and you match the daring darts of this tongue with your own. Your hunger for him eagerly rises, hands pulling on the soft velvet of his breeches, gripping the backs of his thighs to bring him closer.

To guide his cock where you are aching for him.

“You haven’t even asked me once what I was reading about,” you rasp, taunting him with a mischievous tone. “You didn’t even notice its main hero is an elf…”

Those silver brows twist, canting in all their rakish glory. “Is that so?” he purrs, grinding the long shaft of his cock up and down your seam. “Was my little love being a quick study? Care to share your…”

Your fingers brush the shells of his ears, both at once. His cock twitches so hard between you, you can feel the precum leaking onto your belly.

“Hells,” he groans. But you’re not done. One hand at the back of his head, you turn him quickly, taking that soft flesh of his earlobe and sucking it loudly between your smirking lips.

The whimper from his mouth is divine, the shudders that race down his spine ripple in time with the jerks of his cock again.

Quickly, you slot him inside you, eliciting the loudest snarl from him you have ever heard. His hips move quickly, snapping into you, already so close to his release. “Godsdammit, darling,” he hisses even as you keep your lips tracing the shell of his ear. “I’m the one who should be…”

You suckle the soft curve of his ear again, nibbling your way to the tip. The faintest brush of your tongue on his precious, pointy ear has him shuddering and slamming into you with erratic abandon. “I… can’t…” he pants, breathing through his fangs clenched tightly. With one last curse on his own choking breath, he thrusts home, warm cum spurting deep inside you as he convulses and crushes you, the throbbing of his cock in your walls enough to throw you into your own orgasmic oblivion.

Pleasure tears through you, blistering hot as every muscle goes taut. Shaking, panting, you grip around his head, careful not to bite his ear in your fangs.

With one final graze of your teeth on his fleshy earlobe, you relax. You feel him shiver and swallow one last exhausted whimper as he lays all his weight on you.

A few breaths, and all is again as it once was—a warm, post-coital embrace. Wet. Hot. And wordlessly brimming with love.

Something prods at your hip beneath you, and fetching it, you realize it’s your novel. Reaching around his mussy curls, you find your page, fully aware that he’s still hard and seated deep inside you.

He makes no complaint now as you pick up right where you left off. Only his breathing grows steady, his head nuzzling into your neck as his fingers trace the fine metal of your collar. He mumbles something into the hollow of your throat. “What was that?” you reply, as if this was the most mundane evening in existence.

His voice is slurred, worn out from the intensity of his pleasure, and it makes you grin as he rasps, “You certainly did your worst, my darling, and I loved it…”

[doobledabbadoo]

Hii! You fucking ate with the TDI redesigns and it wanted to know if you'd make a guide as to how you mimicked the TDI style?

hihi !! tysm !! glad a lot of ppl like em !!

as for the style guide, i am far from an expert at replicating art styles, but having a neo-UPA inspired art style really made this easier for me, even if i did struggle on getting used to some design choices.

DISCLAIMER: I do not condone tracing over other people’s artwork to claim as your own final product. I only trace the shapes from the total drama characters to break down and analyze the art style for educational purposes.

IN GENERAL

total drama’s art style is heavily stylized and takes inspiration from clone high and many UPA-inspired cartoons in the late 90’s to early 2000’s. it uses very thick and bold outlines to define its characters and their individual shape language. a lot of designs use a variety of sharp angles, straight lines, and curved arcs to achieve a balanced character design that works in the total drama universe.

because the shape language is very geometric and simple, it’s surprisingly easy to recreate the total drama art style & reimagine some of your favorite characters in the universe!

BODY TYPES: THE “TYPICAL” WOMAN

a lot of the women in the show follow this base, even more than the “typical” male body type. compared to the men, the women of total drama have cat-like eyes, stylized lips, skinny necks, an hour-glass figure, longer and thicker legs, and pointy fingers. head shapes & features may vary depending on character and/or ethnicity. not all women in the show look like this, though! there’s a decent handful of women with very unique body types, such as beth, macarthur, & emma from the 2023 reboot! it also helps to reference characters from different seasons to get a better idea of the shape language in the show’s universe!

BODY TYPES: THE “TYPICAL” MAN

the “typical” body type for men isn’t as well defined as it is for the “typical” woman, so there aren’t as many examples of what defines the “typical” male body type. However, based on the handful of characters we collected, we can determine that the “typical” male body type in total drama is top-heavy. compared to the women, many of the men have broad chests and shoulders, thicker and longer arms, thicker necks, thinner waists and hips, and shorter, thinner legs. they have flatter, more boxy fingers comoared to the pointy fingers the women have. head shapes and features may vary depending on character and/or ethnicity.

BODY TYPES: THE PLUS SIZED WOMAN

plus-sized women follow some of the same rules & principles as the “typical” woman does, from more cat-like eyes to sharper fingers however, in contrast to the more common body type, these woman have much thicker body proportions and use rounder, smoother lines to emphasize either fat or muscle. head shapes and other features may vary depending on the character and/or ethnicity.

BODY TYPES: THE PLUS SIZED MAN

there’s a pretty good variety when it comes to drawing plus-sized men. while some of them, like ripper, follow some similar principles to the “typical” man, others offer a new, unique design base to work with. their features are generally rounder and wider to emphasize their weight. head shapes & other features may vary depending on character and/or ethnicity.

BODY TYPES: THE LANKY MAN

unlike the “typical” man, the lankier men don’t usually have the same broad shoulders and chest. their limbs are much thinner, & they sometimes don’t have any pronounced calves. it’s more common for the lankier men to have their feet facing in the same direction as opposed to the other, though the latter isn’t an uncommon design desicion either. head shapes and other festures vary depending on the character and/or ethnicity.

BODY TYPES: THE BEEFY MAN

Of all the body types presented to the male characters, this one is the closest and most similar to the “typical” male body type. the difference is that the broadness of the shoulders and chest are exaggerated more, and the shape of the arms can vary between being wider to having more lumps. head shapes and other features may vary depending in character and/or ethnicity.

HAIR STYLES

a hairstyle can tell people a lot about a character. theres a lot of different ways to draw hair on characters, though in general, the appeal to total drama’s art style would be the simplicity and angularity in its shape language and character designs, so you don’t have to give your character thousands of spiky hair strands to make them appealing.

im not good at explaining how i replicate art styles so i really hope these help!!! also im sorry this ask took forever to compile lol i just wanted an excuse to study the shows art style more. heres another helpful video to help understand the process of character design !!

i also recommend checking out harry gold’s channel. he does a lot of art style replication videos & this one explains art style replication exceptionally well!

tysm for ur ask & tysm for ur patience!!

[artbysconnor]

My design of Superstitional Realism for #horseracetests in the style of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby.

Which one is your favorite?

.

Design thoughts and notes under the cut, as always!

Her color is white and her sprite has a sharp point so I wanted to lean into the angle of her as a distant and cold “ice queen”, which led to me adding blue to her design’s palette and a pointy diamond to her shape language. I also wanted her to have bright blue to connect her to Cyan, the character she spends the most time with, and gave her a long tailcoat-like skirt in both designs for an elegant silhouette without being too flouncy or restricting her movement.

Overall, I wanted to give a conservative, buttoned-up look with clean lines and stark shapes, all to give the feel of a cold and sometimes harsh character, especially in reference to her betrayal of Cyan in the 1v1 races in order to earn her name. I also liked how the diamond shape could be seen as a dagger (to stab Cyan in the back with). While the left one went a very sharp, almost fantasy or sci-fi angle, I wanted to explore an option with a long coat and historical, almost military, undertones with her alternate.

[wordsfrombudha]

Chitra Male Appearance

Chitra men have a modelesque look to them. In my research, they appeared in media more than any other Nakshatra.

Their faces tend to blend a balanced, somewhat rectangular structure with a hint of a triangle, supported by a strong and well defined jawline. It is not the dramatic, chiseled jaw you find in some nakshatras, but it is definitely tapered, sharp, and noticeable, adding a sculpted edge without feeling overly domineering. They usually have foreheads that are medium to large in width, framing their features and giving their face a certain openness.

The eyebrows are thick, dark, well defined, nearly straight with just a slight lift toward the outer edges, adding a touch of confidence and character to their expression. The eyes are medium sized, deep set, and spaced evenly across the face. The color falls somewhere in that rich, neutral spectrum of blue, green, or gray, making their gaze intense. Their upper lids fold distinctly above the lash line, adding depth and a piercing, dramatic look as well, and their eye tilt is usually medium to slightly positive, but they have very heavy eyelids that can make their eyes look somewhat droopy. Of all their features, the eyebrows and eyes are what people tend to remember most. They bring a vivid soulfulness to their face and become the center of attention. Personally, I find them a tad creepy because they remind me of spider eyes for some reason.

The nasal bridge is medium in width and shows a slight bump or bony projection. The nasal tip is well proportioned and either sharply pointy or mildly fleshy, with a neutral or downward angle. The lips are medium in thickness, with a smooth vermilion border and a subtly defined cupid’s bow. The upper and lower lips are nearly equal in fullness, although the upper may curve downward slightly, giving the appearance of a slightly smaller upper lip.

The chin is strong and mildly squared or triangular, adding structure to the lower face. Their hair is usually medium thickness but high density and falls within a light brown to blonde spectrum most of the time (Mars men dye their hair blonde a lot), with a slight wave and texture. It is frequently kept neatly styled and close to the head. The skin is clear, smooth, and of a warm, fair to medium tone. They also appear to care about fitness more than average. Even in their later years they will be adamant on exercising.

[smosh-fessions]

Damien Haas looks like an elf. Let me explain.

His ears are angled in such a way that they look pointy. Especially when he has the white/silver hair and it covered the tops of his ears.

The apples of his cheeks are so round and a little plump and when he smiles they're more pronounced. His smile lines prop up his cheeks when he smiles making them look deeper and his cheeks more pronounced, giving him that elf-like quality I see in his face.

His lips curve in a way that reminds me of mystical creatures when they are happy to see you and his teeth just give me elf vibes too idk how to explain it. But the way he holds his face when he gets excited is very elf like. Like his bottom lip his fuller than his top lip and the way his lips come out from the cupids bow and arches at almost a point on both sides before dropping into almost a cat-like curve of the lips towards the corner. And when he gives you that toothy, childlike grin and you see the gap in his teeth and how he hold his mouth.

His eyebrows are quirked in a mischievous way over his glittering eyes that make him seem so happy and youthful. His eyes hold secrets of olden times that make him wise and yet there's a childlike sense of wonder in them like he's exploring the world for the first time.

His nose is just that perfect shape that brings his face together so well. The little bump coming down from the bridge of his nose to the almost pointed tip. Making his features look both sharp and soft.

The elf-ness of Damien is only amplified when he wears his medieval/Renaissance clothes and when he laughs.

It's honestly so fucking adorable.

You're right and you should say it louder.

[assassiowl]

Outer Wilds OC Species - concept doodle - The Knight Owlk Ok, here's the concept, and I mean it's bare bones, not sure if it was just a passing thought or if it's going anywhere. It's a threatening take on the owlk, they're based on the Stygian owl (known for their bright red eyes and dark feathers, sometimes referred to as the devil owl). Imagine a castle filled with these guys dressed in armour and holding sharp weapons. Patrolling the premises. They're pretty ruthless and tend to fight alone. It's a militaristic group that favours the strong. The best rise as leaders, the weakest are shunned to the outskirts as fodder. They have short sharp horns and tend to have lots of cloaks, metal armour and pointy weapons. How they fight matches the individual personality of the wielder. These guys would be the elite guards hatchy would fight to get to the leader. Just floating the idea for now, I'll probably end up lifting elements from this later down the line instead of fleshing it out. We'll see, it's just a fleeting idea for now. --- [ID: Red eyed figures based on stygian owls. Black cloaked figures with bright red glowing eyes are arranged around the page. Figures include an outstretched hand, head tilting down, stood at a 3/4 angle looking left, mouth agap with sharp teeth and looking upwards while covered in black.]

[where-does-the-heart-lie]

Can we have a deeper analysis in Sabo's shape language study please? It's amazing how you make him give different vibes with just his hair and I like to understand how does that work.

Oh. I'm SO glad you asked.

(The Post In Question)

Okay so this isnt the first post ive made about shape language,

Here are the others:

ASL Shapes Strawhats Shapes

i'm just gonna copy and paste the definition i have for shape language from those posts here so i dont have to write it all again.

Shape language is defined as “a concept used in art and animation to communicate meaning based on shapes we are familiar with” (source). This concept uses circles, triangles, and squares to convey an idea of the “personality” of the design without using any words.

In designs, using circles and rounded edges in your silhouette and detailing gives the design a soft and squishy look. They tend to be harmless, approachable, or changeable.

Designs using squares gives the design a solid, sturdy, and strong look. They are supportive, reliable, and inflexible

Lastly, triangle designs are sharp and directional. They are dynamic, dangerous, and unpredictable.

That's base level but here's more in depth description of each design for ya:

this one is up first!

You may notice how in this design, his hair isnt in large clumps like the others are. His hair falls delicately and waves gently with little to no hard angles.

In this design, i was trying to convey the idea of "he wasnt born to fight, but he's molded himself into someone who will." I tried to depict that by making his hair all light and feathery, his facial features soft and rounded, but also showing how he's modified his body in a pointy and aggressive way.

I didn't want to only go hard edges with the piercings though because much like he's strayed from his mold of being delicate, he's also strayed from his mold of being a cruel noble. so some of his piercings are rings, AKA: Circles.

You may also notice the different in how I've drawn the collars of these guys. the collar of this Babo's black coat falls softly, and its' arc is rounded. The shoulders don't have any padding and it rounds at the corner.

This Man Is Round.

Next up is this Freak

This is supposed to be Triangle Him.

His hair is in larger, hard angled clumps. Indicating that he probably cut his hair himself. He did... greattt. I already headcannon him as someone who cuts his own hair, but i dont think this one ever gets any better at it.

The hard angles on his teeth, his scar, his jaw, his collar, that line i forgot to erase on the left, and his coat all give indication that this guy is Dangerous and you probably shouldnt mess with him.

I didn't have any real deeper meaning to this version, I just wanted to make him look as opposing as I could. this guy is "what you see is pretty much what you get."

Even though he doesn't have a lot of deeper meaning, I think this one is my favorite of the designs. I really love these colors on him and his hair was really fun to draw. I think I wanna draw him again at some point. I think this version of him would be very funny paired with Koala. I'm chuckling thinking about it:

Koala and her Armed and On Fire kindergartener

And lastly this guy

Sabo's base design is very rectangle coded. From his Hat, to his face shape, to his coat. So this version was very easy to make as I didn't actually need to change that much!

I think maybe I could've made his design a little more complex? But also I think there is a beauty in simplicity for this one. He looks straightforward, reliable, and kind. He seems like the kind of guy who gets his hands dirty, not because he likes doing it, but because he does what he must for the greater good.

I really love his hazel eyes, too. I think it brings a nice warmth to his design that is really nice.

Additional comments:

I love talking about this stuff. I love designing. I love art. I love drawing so much it's so fun

Everytime I get to sit down and make some funky doodles my brain feels like 🧠🤸🧘🧜🧚🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🧚💃💃💃💃💃💃

If you got this far thanks for reading :)

I usually have a description for my designs and my choices and stuff and I forgot to do one for this post, it makes me happy to see that it was missed :)

[gattnk]

Raf and Sulfus, Sulfus and Raf.

I finally finished my AF main cast redesigns for my rewrite project! I've had these two for a while, but I didn't want to post them until the rest of the gang was also ready for some reason. Anyways, here's my design notes for the main duo:

I wanted to treat this entire project the way I would if I'd been actually hired to reboot the IP as a professional. With this in mind, I kept the designs simple enough for serialized production while also doing my best to make them "fashionable" like the original material.

The comic's motifs for both characters made me decide on the moon and star as their core design elements early on. I simplified these shapes even further to their most basic form: angels will be represented by/associated with circles, and devils with triangles.

I designed Raf with a crescent moon in mind: she's very curvy but there's still some pointiness to her shapes. Sulfus was modelled after a 5-point star instead: all points, sharp angles and straight lines.

Since both the comics and series had Raf characterized as a go-getter (she's the leader and main character), I dressed her in some casual but sporty clothes to reflect this; I envisioned her as the "speedster" of the group, someone who's quick to jump into action once a goal or "finish line" is set. This Raf likes running and jogging as much as flying, so she sports (ha!) a nice tan as well.

Sulfus is the quintessential bad boy: he listens to heavy music, rides a motorbike, his snake mascot's resting mode looks like a tattoo, he surfs lava just for fun... I took his hobbies into account more than his previous emo/scene or classic rockstar looks from the series/comic, and came up with a healthy mix of functional speed biker fashion with melodic/power metal band influences.

Raf's main colors are blue, gold and white, a high contrast to the red, grey and black colors of Sulfus. Since Raf has a bright red spot in her design, it was only fair to give Sulfus gold eyes and blueish black and grey tones in turn.

Since Raf is more romantic and very sincere, her red ladybug (symbol of luck, new beginnings and love) is very bright and eye-catching, contrasted by Sulfus' soft, cool hues. His ring-necked snake (which is much more subtle than his original green rattlesnake/coral snake) represents Sulfus' more secretive side.

I'd go into more depth about their updated personalities and backstories, but this post is long as it is :V If any of you is interested in seeing more of this pair in action, here's my AFapril comic challenge thing.

I'll Fly With You (rewrite fic) Art masterpost

[artaxlivs]

"Stop moving or you're gonna get something somewhere that you're not prepared for."

Steve groans, dropping his face into the pillow, "yhr dshginin."

Adjusting to get a better angle, Eddie tells him, “As much as I love listening to you groan into a pillow, I can't understand you.” He leans down to Steve's back again, letting his tongue poke out of the corner of his mouth in concentration.

Steve lifts his head just enough to clear the pillow, over enunciating, "You. Are. Disgusting." He flops back down but twists his head so he isn't talking directly into the pillow anymore, "and you're not sticking anything anywhere right now."

Oh, hell no, don't challenge him. Not in this position buddy.

Sitting up, Eddie tucks the pen across his mouth, holding it just behind his fancy new fangs. Huh, that's actually very helpful, thank you pointy teeth. With his now free hands, Eddie squeezes Steve's ass through his scandalously short gym shorts, spreading the cheeks apart with his thumbs just enough. Enough so that when Eddie scoots up from where he’s straddling Steve's thighs and presses his hips against Steve, the hard length of him nestles into the space Eddie’s made for it.

Steve groans again, rolling his hips first down against the bed and then back up into Eddie, "Don't be a fucking tease, Munson."

"Don't be such a slut, Harrington." Eddie smirks, snapping his hips forward a few times but pulling back when Steve arches his back up with a breathy please. Retrieving the pen from where it's clutched behind his fangs, Eddie ignores him, leaning back down to continue connecting the moles on Steve’s back with constellation lines.

For the most part, Steve lets Eddie finish his work, complaining only twice more in the next few minutes and getting a sharp smack to the ass for each. Eddie knows he likes it, though, the kinky little shit.

Who would have guessed that Steve Harrington, the Steve Harrington, likes to be spanked and told to mind his manners? Not Eddie that's for sure. But who'd have guessed that Eddie would end up a blood sucking vampire who almost brought about the destruction of the world...okay, yeah, that's fair, odds would have be better for that one.

Whatever.

"Okay, it's finished!" Eddie says with a flourish, accidentally flinging the felt marker across the room without recapping it. It bounces off the wall and then the desk before rolling to a stop on the carpet. Whoops.

Struggling to unseat Eddie so he can go look in the mirror probably, Steve starts to get up but Eddie pushes him back down. "No way, dude, you have to see it in all it's glory. Not all twisted up over your shoulder in the mirror. Lay flat." Eddie scrambles off, grabbing Steve's old polaroid camera off his desk and then climbs back onto Steve's back, straddling his hairy thighs again.

Distracting hairy thighs. All that tan hairy skin trapped between Eddie’s pale legs. God. He always just want to like, lick Steve.

The little gym shorts have ridden up so the curve of Steve's ass is peaking out on each side. The material pulled up tight against his body, showing every curve and bulge and crevice. Maybe Eddie can blame it on his vampire instincts that he just wants to stick his face in there and nuzzle around. Just hold Steve down and rub all over--

Focus.

Barely managing to stifle his groan, Eddie waits while Steve lays prone again. Then he sits up on his knees for a better angle and takes a picture of Steve's naked back.

Refraining from yanking down Steve's shorts and including that beautiful hot ass of his in the shot should earn Eddie brownie points. Really, Eddie should be commended for his level of self control.

He sets the camera down on the side table and leaves the exposed bright white photo on the pillow next to Steve's head to wait it out. Then Eddie runs his hands up Steve's back and along his arms, loving the way the muscles bunch as his fingers glide over them.

Encircling Steve's wrists with his own long fingers, Eddie pins him down. "You can't look at it until I kiss every single star," He says, voice husky as he dips down to kiss one of them on Steve's lower back.

Steve sucks in a breath, laughing softly, "That's a lot of moles. Might take awhile." Eddie feels the shiver run through Steve. He can always feel Steve now. Feels everything that Steve is feeling. A blood bond. They'll never know if it was because Eddie had almost drained Steve in the Upside Down or if it was because Steve had let him.

Because that was what had brought Eddie back. Whether it was the act of Steve sacrificing that which is so precious - his own life's blood - to save Eddie's humanity. Or the act of Eddie stopping himself from taking it all before it was too late.

"Good." Eddie kisses another mole, "I like," he keeps kissing the moles between words, "to take my time with you." Kiss. "You're worth it." Steve whimpers, strains up against where Eddie's holding him down on the bed. But Eddie doesn't even pause in his ministrations, he just keeps kissing, following the lines of the constellations he'd drawn.

By the time Eddie has kissed every mole and freckle, Steve is writhing under him, sweat has collected at the divot in his neck and the small of his back. Eddie's boxers are damp where he's been grinding himself against Steve between, and sometimes during, kisses.

"Please, Eddie, fuck," Steve gasps, trying to hide his face in the pillow again, "I can't, please."

Snatching the polaroid from the pillow where it has long since sat developed, Eddie turns it toward Steve to show it off.

"Oh my--" Steve swears under his breath, yanking his arms free and struggling to overpower Eddie who goes over onto his back willingly, cackling, in a spastic display of skinny arms and legs. "Are you kidding me? You're such a dumbass!" Steve's laughing though, biting at whatever bits of Eddie that his mouth can reach as they grapple for dominance, his shoulder, his collarbone, his soft belly. Steve finally pins Eddie's arms down to the bed and lays flat on top of him.

Eddie allows it. Because he's a good sport. And they both know which one of them has superior vampire strength here.

"You don't like it, sweetheart?" He laughs, easily taking the weight of Steve on his chest.

“Eddie! I thought you were drawing something sweet or romantic or like, a nerdy dragon thing.” Steve rolls his eyes, huffing, “you drew a dick on my back!”

“A dick constellation! Which was not easy to do!” Eddie argues, mock offended, “How is that not romantic?”

Grumbling, Steve sits up, straddling Eddie’s thighs and giving him the patented Disappointed Dad look but then it dawns on him - Eddie sees it happen - “Oh. My. Fucking. God.” Steve swears, shocked. Eddie bites his lips, barely restraining his wild giggle. “You’re expecting to look at it while we—while you—from behind!”

“It’s art!” Eddie protests, throwing his head back to laugh as Steve swoops in, complaining into the soft skin of Eddie's exposed throat.

It’s fine, Eddie not worried about his chances about getting laid today, he can feel through the blood bond just how much Steve actually loves the humiliation, the kinky bastard.

Check out my masterlist for links to my fics and drabbles. Hope this started your weekend off just the right amount of kinky and playful💜

*edited a few hours after posted because apparently I’m not good at finding my own grammar mistakes and typos while writing semi-smut in the parking lot of opera camp. Yikes.

[hyuburt]

*Epic rock bass solo*

[ID: A colored digital drawing of Fig Faeth from Dimension 20's Fantasy High. She is drawn in the cartoonish style of Total Drama Island, with sharp angles highlighted by curved lines. Fig is a tiefling teenage girl who is drawn with horns and pointy ears jutting from the sides of her head. Her hair is long and braided, with messy princess cut bangs that frame her face. The bangs on her forehead are dyed a bright purple, along with the tip of her braid. She is wearing a grey leather jacket with spiky cuffs, dark red fingerless gloves, a light grey t-shirt with a horned skull on it, a thick black belt over a checkered dark red skirt and black leggings, and a pair of dark grey mid-calf boots. She also has two piercings in her right ear and has a choker around her neck. Her right calf has a fishnet poking out of her boot, coming up to just under her knee. She is strumming a maroon and pink bass guitar that is shaped in a spiky way with the top of the base resembling lopsided horns. She is standing with her knees bent inwards and stance wide as though she is jamming out. Her eyes are closed and she has a big trouble-making smile on her face. End ID]

[aversiteespabilas]

Do you have any tips for drawing the Rottmnt style? I've seen that you draw it very well and you get amazing results.

Thank yoouu!! Your ask brought me so much joy cause to be honest, all I've been doing these last couple years has been studying the rottmnt artstyle, I'm OBSESSED.

I have some tips, but I do encourage you to first grab your copy of the show, get screenshots (of the things you find the coolest-looking or the hardest, of simpler, more idle scenes, of action shots and comedy shots and domestic shots), and look at all of it with full intention, not to copy what you're seeing, but to understand what the artists did, what they were thinking. Forget what you know or what you're used to doing with your own art, and notice the litte things about THESE drawings that always repeat themselves. The patterns, the broad shapes. Assume you have not a single clue how to draw a mouth and you're learning how a mouth is drawn from this show, and only this show. You need brand new eyes in order to emulate a brand new style. Look at it and imagine you need to explain to another person how every single part of it was drawn. Everything from the shape of certain body parts to the amount of detail to the thickness of the lines is a factor in the show's particular look and feel.

Here's some things that I have learned to consider very important, and have trained myself to do, to get you started:

Use bold, crisp black lines, and mind their thickness. One of the style's most defining characteristics is the linework. I will admit mine is a bit cleaner and lately it's leaning thicker than the show's lines are, but the most important thing to mind is that the lines should be completely black, very clear and noticeable, and they should look like confident, straight strokes. They are thicker in places where it's important to stress a broad gesture, like the long defining lines of arms or legs, or to add a feeling of depth. They are thinner on smaller details like clothing seams, nails, teeth, plastron patterns, etc.

Everything is sharp. I feel this is absolutely essential to the rottmnt look. This artstyle heavily favors angular shapes, which gives the designs a very striking, graffiti, action hero appearance. You think heads are round? Wrong. They're square-like, and angled on the top instead of having a soft curvature. You think human ears are round? Wrong. Look at April again and you'll see her ears are square and her fingers are pointy, kinda like claws. Look at Leo's muscles and you'll see he could poke someone's eye out with how pointy his knees and elbows are. None of the characters' eyes are full circles either, they're sharpened on the sides like almonds. This is not to say that there are no round/circular shapes whatsoever in rottmnt; there are, but they're reserved for more specific design choices and used lightly. Even Mikey's unusually round head has certain subtler angles to it (which is why he's the hardest to draw for me), and Mayhem's fully circle head is framed by two enormous, pointy, brush-like ears. You're probably going to have to unlearn many of the body shapes you were used to doing and reimagine them as sharper, more angled shapes.

Black out shadows in lineart stage. You'll notice that when you draw a character holding stuff, wearing stuff or doing gestures, you end up creating little nooks and crannies in certain places. That armpit space between the arm and where the plastron begins? Color the whole thing completely black, same as your lineart. Add a little black shadow where the chin meets the neck. Your character's got their mouth open? Make it black. If your clothing or gestures result in tiny little blank spaces that would otherwise be obscured by shadow, you probably should black them out. At your convenience, and especially if it would make your drawing clearer to read, you should already be making some black shadows in the lineart stage. This way you'll end up with a drawing that already has a lot of depth and richness even before you start coloring.

Go easy on the details. I feel like this is something to take into account for any artstyle that's meant for animation, especially 2D. When you design a character for a cartoon show, a lot of different animators are going to have to tirelessly draw that same character in the same positions thousands of times. You do not want them to have to draw a bunch of tiny patterns and garments and trinkets a thousand times cause they would strangle you to death. You also want the audience to be able to recognize each character and their expressions with absolute clarity even if it's a wide shot. PLUS! It pushes you to get creative too! The less detailing you do, the more intentional and wild you have to get with your shape language so the design differences are clear. A big reason cartoon characters look as fun as they do is that they manage to get the design and expressions across while being super easy on your eyes. You can do SO much to guide your audience's sight with just a couple of intentional lines. If you're drawing Splinter, for example, do not bother drawing every little hair on his body, focus instead on nailing his broader shapes. What's more, when you DO draw finer details on the characters, you can make sure they stand out and transmit something relevant. In the case of Splinter's hairs, maybe to show he's scared or unusually ruffled in that particular drawing.

I think these are the best tips I got! If you'd like to see more about my thought process with emulating the rottmnt style, you can check out the RRCU character design notes I've been slowly putting together. The notes are specific for drawing my rabbit characters and integrating them with the other Rise designs, so some of it may not apply to what you specifically want to do, but it may serve as inspiration for how you could also make this artstyle yours.

Hope it helped, and thank you for the ask!

[ofgoldandfear]

Physical differences between Margot and P

Hi I'm back - a bit late, a sorta-flu has been kicking my ass since last week, the New Year happened, then I got back to work and my sorta-flu decided to get worse - ANYWAY, get yourself some tea and check out one of the new tracks from Margot's playlist while reading that post.

While I'm slowly starting to write my fic, I've decided to show some differences between Margot and other characters. If there's a thing I LOVE in this game, it's how varied the characters look, the devs didn't shy away from giving them specific traits that makes them very unique in a "would see them in the street" sort of way.

I've been picturing specific traits for Margot in that aspect, and found a fitting model for her as well last week - Olivia Hussey. Her parents also have models, I'll show them later. Let's just say Margot is a proper mix of the traits both of her parents present.

Anyway, here is the quick rundown of the facial differences between Margot and P.

If you can't read my handwriting, here are the explanations:

Jaw: Margot's jaw is v-shaped with a pointy chin, P's jaw is squarish with a wider chin;

Eyes: Margot's eyes are almond-shaped with a rounded inner corner, P's eyes are droopy and semi-hooded;

Lips: Margot's lips are downturned and her lower lip is notably fuller, P's lips have a more balanced fullness between the upper and lower lip.

Both of them have a dark lash line with long eyelashes though lol However P's hair is dark brown while Margot's hair is black, and P's eyebrows are more angled than Margot's. Margot's cheekbones are a bit more pronounced than P's, he has a bit more roundness at the cheeks. P has striking blue eyes while Margot's are dark brown. Margot has an even porcelain-like skin with a beauty mark under the left eye and particularly red lips, while P has freckles and two notable beauty marks above his upper lip and on his lower lip.

Overall, while both of them seem to physically be about the same age, there's some sharpness in Margot's face that contrasts with her rather delicate and youthful features, while P's face retains some dainty roundness (and some neotonous features like his freckles and rounded forehead) that contrasts with the otherwise typically boyish traits such as a square jaw and hooded eyes.

[sommerregenjuniluft]

@jegulus-microfic june 4 - knife - 1170 words - cw: knife, blood, sibling angst?, post apocalypse

and welcome to part 3 of lune generating random dates for the jegulus microfic prompts she hasn't done yet

this was supposed to be a little flirty held at knife-point banter but ngl this became somewhat of a character study i think, emjoy?

Regulus retracts the blade and with one swift motion, hauls the stranger around, throwing all his body weight into pressing him into the near wall, and snaps his fist up to hold the knife against their throat.

He goes with a surprised grunt, body tensing under Regulus’ grip but immediately slacking when the smooth brown skin of his neck presses against the cold blade.

There’s a faint shadow of facial hair over a strong jaw and a round nose peeking out from under the hood and everything Regulus can see under the dim light of the candles.

“You move a muscle without me telling you to and you die on the spot,” Regulus warns.

“Woah, now,” the other boy attempts, ducking his head but Regulus just presses the sharp knife in further, eliciting a hiss and a bared throat.

“What did I just say?”

“Yup, got it,” the boy rasps.

Regulus sneers. “Hands up,” he orders, “Slowly.”

Luckily for him, he does as told.

His palms are a few shades lighter and his long sleeve is equally dotted with holes and patches as Regulus’ is. There are holsters on both of his upper arms that are currently empty.

Regulus leans closer when he moves to push back the hood of the boy’s practical vest.

There’s a truly awful bird’s nest of hair underneath, black hair tousled and knotted and so long it flops down over his forehead. Thick eyebrows, a dark freckle above the right and then big doe brown eyes, framed by metal wire glasses.

Regulus swallows a bit.

The taller boy grins. Regulus doesn’t like it.

He angles his knife so that the pointy tip dents slightly into the thin flesh, “Who are you? How did you find our camp?”

The grin turns a bit lop-sided then and the boy cocks his head when he responds, “James.”

“Well ok, James, how did you find our fucking camp?”

James simply looks at him like he’s a bit stupid. Regulus doesn’t appreciate it at all.

“Hey, by the way,” James mumbles off-handedly, leaning into the blade—he’s going to get blood on Regulus freshly washed clothes, “That a gun in your pants or are you just really happy to—”

“Keep fucking around and find out,” Regulus snarls, not particularly concerned with the state of his clothes anymore. Puts more pressure behind the handle and watches it break the brown skin of James’ neck, a line of red that leaks a drop of blood at the end.

James hisses a pained chuckle. Regulus can see his hands tensing and unclenching in his periphery. 

Sirius always tells him he’s naive but Regulus is mildly aware of the fact that James could probably overpower him with pure muscle strength alone if he wanted to. Maybe he’s injured? Regulus frankly doesn’t fucking care, he can go find medical supplies elsewhere. They’re nearly out as it is.

James scans his face, licks his lips before he speaks again, “Sirius didn’t tell you, huh?”

Regulus’ eyes narrow, his grip tightening at the lapel of the other’s vest, “How do you know about Sirius?”

“I met him out hunting a few weeks back, I helped him shoot a feral stag. We’ve been meeting up almost daily since, we’re friends.”

Regulus is fuming. 

Of course, Sirius wouldn’t tell him. Of course, Sirius wouldn’t want to share. Introduce Regulus, let him be involved. Fucking bastard, Regulus hates him. He’s never going to speak to him again.

James tilts his head again, tearing Regulus from his thoughts, regarding him closely. “Though when he told me about his ‘little brother’ I definitely didn’t picture this.”

There’s something about the combination of James’ sharp, scrutinizing gaze and his soft, slack features that’s dangerously addictive—being subjected to such unfiltered attention.

It makes Regulus kind of want to gag him, tie him up and lock him in his room. All for himself. Finders Keepers. Have a little play date with Sirius’ shiny new toy and then toss it back to his brother over his shoulder when he’s done, when he’s lost interest. Oh and how Regulus would make sure to play with it. Use and abuse, scratch and pull and throw until it chips and threatens to break. See how his brother fucking likes it.

James looks vaguely willing and Regulus is confident he can be persuasive.

His eyes flit back down to the straight cut adorning James’ throat and the corners of Regulus’ lips lift into a smirk.

“Reg, I’m back,” chirped from the front of the greenhouse and Regulus growls. Feels the anger simmering right back up when he catches James’ eyes flitting in the direction of his brother’s voice.

Doesn’t pull away from James when he calls out, “Guess who’s visiting?” Satisfaction coiling low in his gut when James’ gaze lands back on him again.

It’s quiet for a few moments, none of them moving, none of them saying anything. A tense silence, filled with anticipation.

Which Sirius breaks with a sigh, Regulus hears him rounding the corner to come into view, “Listen Reg, I– shit, Regulus!” He storms over and forcefully rips Regulus back by his shirt.

He goes stumbling, catching his bearings as he watches Sirius pat James down as if scanning for more cuts, concern written clearly over his face.

Only turning to Regulus once James has verbally confirmed that he’s okay.

Sirius looks furious, “The fuck do you think you were doing?”

Oh, he has to be kidding.

Regulus scoffs a humorless laugh, “Protecting our home! What did you think you were doing, inviting a stranger to our camp?”

“James is my friend, we can trust him!”

“I literally caught him stealing!”

Sirius gives a frustrated groan, stomps over to the table James had been mucking about and wags the fern that was laying there into Regulus face, “He was bringing plants with healing properties.”

Regulus follows the movements of his brother where he goes to place it back down on the tabletop next to the bowl and mortar. 

He’s going to rip his fucking hair out.

“Still that doesn’t mean you can just invite anyone you like over! Did it even cross your mind once to ask me first?”

“I don’t have to! I’m your older brother, I know what—”

“Fuck you,” Regulus explodes. Can’t help himself when he throws the knife into the pillar besides James’ head.

“Regulus!” 

“No! Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you get to decide everything by yourself and treat me like a goddamn child—”

“This isn’t even about James anymore, you’re just being a petty idiot right now. If you would just listen—”

Regulus simply turns on his heels and marches off. Snatching an additional coat from the makeshift rack and two more guns.

Sirius sighs heavily, “Where are you going? It’s nearly nightfall.”

“Fuck if you care,” Regulus spits and ducks around the tarpaulin to the exit.

“Maybe I should–”

“No, leave him. He’ll be back.”

Little did his brother know it would be years before he saw Regulus again.