#ough i love drawing bodies

[a-man-of-questionable-morals]

anatomy, yum.

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

a slightly scribbly Eddie for @akemima's promptlist, day one - cool outfit! well, i don't know if its Cool, but it sure is an outfit!

[whaliiwatching]

hm. them. also ding ding

[wing-rain]

hi did you know that Drew from Dislyte is best boy

[razzafrazzle]

ooughh my beloved.

[image description: a messy sketch of an original character named venus. venus is a fat young woman with freckles, afro puffs, and round glasses. she is wearing an off-shoulder sweater and a friendship bracelet, and she is laughing so much that tears are welling up in her eyes. end id]

[virulentvoidarts]

Goretober day 1: Stitched together

Together forever!!

Featuring Hex (orange) and his husband, Ozzy (blue)

Ozzy belongs to a friend. Sickly_madames on Instagram and Twitter

ITS THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR GUYS LETS GOOO

I’m only planning on doing 14 drawings since I need to leave time to finish up my Censor costume, so that means 14 days of spooky, gory goodness!

[spaceratprodigy]

was drawing faith and max smooching and I've decided I need to draw them kissing each other's scars for the millionth time

[johnmalevolent]

for spotify wrapped drawing game: my best friend homura akemi + song 66 or 44, your choice

66- Shrike / Hozier

[ID: Pencil-on-paper fanart of Homura and Madoka from Puella Magi Madoka Magica. A part of Homura's face is overlaid by a clock, showing an expressionless eye, entirely detached from the rest of the crying face she's making as she holds Madoka's lifeless body close to her chest. There are digital, hand-written styled texts that say "remember me love, when im reborn, as the shrike to your sharp, and glorious thorn." End ID]

my best friend also 👍 i hope nothing bad happens to her and she has a fun time defeating evil in cute mahou shoujo clothes

[factual-fantasy]

TUNA I'VE FAILED YOU OH YOU DELICIOUS PIECE OF MY HEART HOW'VE YOU BEEN MY DEAREST PUREST LITTLE GUY??!??

Since the last post you made about him I've been wanting to ScReAM my love for him but I never had the time and the energy at the same time! D: until now >:]

BECAUSE WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS?!

THE SMILE! THE FONDNESS! THE "I KNOW IM LOVED" THAT THIS DRAWING SCREAMS IS MAKING ME SO INSANE I LOVE SO MUCH HERE

Now, continuing to be an acceptable member of the Tuna Lover society.

TUNA YOU'RE THE ABSOLUTE BEST THING EVER.

Hold yourself because I have 0 self control when it comes to ramble about my specialist little guy and I'm afraid I wrote quite a lot.

Tuna looks like he is so tired. Look at him! His whole body language is screaming "I'm so tired but i dont really think sleep cluld help me". What did this rascal do that he's so tired? I wonder, but for some reason he looks more like being emotionally tired than anything. Poor bean! Did he had a rough week? A bad day? Is he feeling down? Maybe he's just tired for no specific reason, it happens sometimes. I wish I could cup him in my hands and pat his head softly as I rock him to sleep because he's so my baby :'[ <3

Ellie oh you heart of gold woman how lucky is the crew you're a part of it! Like seriously. She looked at this sad teen and said: not under my watch young boy. And went to cook his fauvorite rolls??!? She's so grannie coded I need her in my daily life you have no clue (oh no I got nostalgyc-). She's trying to hype him up and she's not just silently sliding the rolls under his hands. She's actually talking with him and something about physical contact. WAIT. IS THAT IT? IS TUNA SO VERY TOUCH STARVED THAT THIS IS HIS REACTION? OOOUGH MY HEART CANT HANDLE IT. I'll follow this train of thought later. (🚂)

Like. She's so gentle, so careful, so... She's really making sure she does all she can to lift up the spirits of that young man!

Because the way he's looking at her... the fondness.. the care and gratefulness????? Oh dear momma fish I'm dying. He's looking at her so sweetly! So gratefull! He's screaming "thanks for being a part of my life" without his mouth. He's screaming "I am so gratefull you love me" with his only one eye and I'm so down for it. I need more of them. They warm my fish heart so much... She's the grannie he never asked for bur always needed! Y'know? He's capable of looking at someone like that after all he's gone through and if that doesn't make me want to cry I don't know what does. Because that's just... OUGH I CANT WITH THEM HE HAS SUCH A TRAGYC BACKSTORY AND FEELS LIKE NO ONE LIKES HIM AND THEN THIS OLD LADY IS LIKE: YEAH, ILL BAKE HIM SONETHING SO HE CHEERS UP??!??! I NEED THEM HUGGING I NEED THEM BONDING I NEED THEM BEING A MEANACE TOGERHER BECAUSE OHMYGOD WHAT I WOULDNT GIVE TO SEE THIS TWO BEING LIKE THIS EVERYDAY.

A tiny part of me kinda wants to see one of them hurted really bad and the other protecting, but the other part of me is terrified of the mental implications it would have. Especially if it's ellie the one hurted. Oh no, no, let's end that thought there for my own sake 🫠

BECAUSE ELLIE IS JUST... SHE JUST BAKES HIM HIS FAUVORITR, I REPEAT, FAVOURITE THINGS WITHOUT HIM ASKING FOR IT.

Ok, returning with that train of thought (🚂)... I probably have alredy rambled about this before, but... When was the last time someone hold this guy gently? I mean, not even hold, but just... touch him without meaning harm? Or more precisely, when was the last time someone touched him with care? With fondness? With the intention to lift his spirit? To make him smile, at least a little tiny eety beety winesy bit?

She puts hers hand on his shoulder and he jumps, freezing with his mouth full of delicious food. It's her. Of course it's her, they were chatting alone in the kitchen, although it felt more a monologue as Ellie cooked than an actual conversation. He was too in his mind to really listen. The sudden contact was what made him blink with his only eye, staring at the caring old eyes of the lady at his right. It was nice. Warm and rough hands squeezed his arm softly, fully aware that she had startled him. She looked at him with a fond smile and placed the fresh rolls in front of him. "There, you better enjoy them boy!" She may or may not say. Thing is, his eye goes to the hot, delicious food, and then he realizes. The hand is still there. Gentle. Almost can't feel it. It's. Why? It's strange. It should hurt. But it didn't. Of course it made sense, but why? Of course it didn't! It was Ellie! And then the realization hits. All in a matter of seconds. Ellie would never lay a harming hand on him. And he felt... He felt.

"You can't eat literally with your eyes, you do know that, do you?" He forgot he was eating. He smiled. And seeing that smile made her smile too. After all, how couldn't she? That wasn't something she saw everyday! Much less in such a sincere way! He was just... smiling at her. Oh she felt so happy! "I'm glad you like those! If you want more just tell me!" Oh wasn't he in the verge of tears? Happy tears! Him! Oh. The realization hitted like a truck. (Or like a ship? What's the equivalent? Idk, like a punch of Louis if you please.) He was cared for. He was loved. There were hands in this world that weren't meant to harm him. He just smiled, fondness burning in his chest like a wildfire because how this woman can change a man via kindness/food.

What is so crazy is that maybe he's just staring lovingly at the lady that cares for him. Because he feels like he's a rock on the boots of the crew most of the time but he's good at what he does so they bare with him. Maybe he feels they don't want him around but... but this lady does. And isn't he gratefull for it? Isn't he so happy she's around? She touches his only arm in such a gentle way? The other won't feel kindness never again, did it ever felt it? Not punches, not grabs, no, just... placing her hand there. Like he isn't an animal with the rabbies but actually a just really fucked up little guy who is terrified of people because people gave him reasons to and barks and bites but is, at the end, very lonely and afraid because he pushed everyone away. Except for this lady. He tried. He bited and barked until he realized she doesn't care, that she alredy saw the scared guy he was and didn't cared. She didn't cared. She cared so much more than anyone that she didn't cared! She wasn't afraid! She wasn't going away! If anything, she sitted closer as time passed. And suddenly, a pet on the head. A so waited, so dreamed, so strange, so scary! Pat on the head. Gentle. Not like those who grabbed him to calm him down and only made him bark and bite with more energy. No. Gentle. It was new. It was nice. But he was afraid. Afraid. How long until she hits? He thinks. But she never hits. She brings him treats. Suspicious. But... not so... Why? It's just that he isn't used to see someone care. But she cares. And she doesn't goes away. And she doesn't turn her back. If anything, only to take the rolls out of the oven!

He doesn't thinks all that in the moment. He just wants. Oh. That felt nice. But was kinda unexpected. It's later at night that he thinks, if his three neurons decide to work. Mayne this is how his complex being feels but his tint neurons don't know how to think. He just loves and cares about the lovely woman that cares and loves back. I need more of them. They mean everything to me at this point factual I'm descending to madness.

AWROROOGOOGGHHHHGGGGG YOUR LOVE FOR TUNA FUELS MY SOULLL!!!! 😭😭THSNKYIUUUUU!!!😭😭💞💞💞💞

[autisticaradiamegido]

Hey since your requests are open, could you maybe draw Hal? Doing anything, I don't really care what (only if you want)

day 96

YES i actually got 2 thinking about hal today thanks to this post (and my tags even passed peer review yippee thank u) ANYWAY. in addition to all of that. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT he and aradia would be friends.

ok i wrote all this out and it got long and kinda rambly bc im tired so im putting it under a cut lmao HALRADIA FRIENDSHIP RANT IN THE READMORE

i think there would be.... maybe a little tension given that aradia eventually ended up in Her Own Flesh And Blood Body and hal would presumably not have that option?

but overall i think after the way her friends treated her as a robot, and the experience of going from experiencing life as a living breathing organic person to a bodiless entity to HAVING a body but that body not being the same as the one you remember.... idk! it's like EXTREMELY EXTREMELY SPECIFIC AND MORE THAN A LITTLE TRAUMATIC and they could share it with each other!! how fucking lovely is that.

not to mention they both kind of have a history with equius?? (assuming this is post arquiusprite in some way. i certainly have an extremely self-indulgent "everyone lives" au for this scenario where they're able to safely separate into their pre-sprite components and then hal and aradia become buds.)

REGARDLESS i think it would be interesting for hal (who has ostensibly nothing but positive shit to say about his connection to equius) and aradia (who has some truly fucked things to say about her experiences with equius) to Talk Through All That.

not 2 mention the parallels that can be drawn between dirk/hal's perception of their relationship with jake being this kind of... Manipulative Pining Weirdness, and aradia being on the other side of somebody else's Manipulative Pining Weirdness and sharing that perspective without even knowing about all of that dirkjake backstory OUGH im tellin u it is all a very complex and wonderful scenario to consider and like, im not even much of an alpha kid aficionado tbh. hal experts chime in on the comments i know youre out there and i wanna hear your takes.

[ropes3amthoughts]

I LOVE HIM SO MYCH 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 YOU GIUS DONT UNDERSTAND I LOBE HIM SO MUCH I DEEL LIKE MY HEAD IS FOING TO EXPLODE AND IM GOONG TO THROW UP 😭😭😭😭😭 I LOVE HIM SO DEEPLY AND OVERWHELMINGLY 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 MY LOVE FOR HIM IS GREATER THAN THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA MULTIPLIED BY EVERY STAR IN EXTISNTVE ALL IN PARENTHESES AND THEN THE WHOLE THING IS RAISED TO THE POWER OF HOW MANY GRAINS OF SAND THERE ARE 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭I LOBE HIM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH YOU GIUS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I DONT KNKW JOW TO EXPRESS IT PROPELRH BUT HE IS SO DEAR TO ME I LOVE HIM SO SO DEARLH I HOPE I CAN DO HIM JUSTICE WITH EVERY RANT AND DRAWING AND WRITIFN OUGH KABRU 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I JUST WROTE THIS HUGE ASS RANT ABOUT HIM ANMY BODY FEELS WEIRD LIKE IM ITCHING TO WRITE MORE LIKE IM GOING TO BE SIXK LIKE I NEED TO TELL EVERU SINGLE PERSON WHAT I YHINK ABOUT HIM OR I WILL EXPLODE I FEEL LIKE OLL EXPLODE EITHER WAY I FEEL SO OVERWHELMED WITHH FEELINGS FOR HIM 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 KABRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 KABRU MY HEART IS POINDINH I FEEL LIKE IM GONNA BE SICK IM SHAKING I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO HE MEANS SK MCHH YO ME OUGHHHHH KABRU 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 KABRU 😭😭😭😭😭 KABRU I LOVE YOU

[catsburgers]

i cant believe mumbo was brought back to life and proceeded to carry the mounders to victory....... wow...

full bodies under the cut, will break down their designs for fun too

bee double oh one hundred!!

moss on shoulders from his moss skin

compass became a lives count

dinnerbone nametag in pocket is a reference to his upside down house, and the red is specifically referring to what life hes on. if he was green it would be green etc

earth keychain referring to his house

2 zombie bites referring to how he died to a zombie twice LMAO

shovel for the mounders BAYBEEE!!

mister mumbo jumbo

i already posted this design but didn't include any info so

im obsessed w/ the robot hcs iv seen so i decided fuck it why not. redstone powered cyborg. he had his parts replaced during lastlife after all the time he tinkered w/ end crystals

the knot of his tie is a heart, and his tie is burnt after he died in the lava

heart cufflinks. idk man i loved sneaking in hearts wherever i could on the designs

sewn on patches on his book bag. redstone, a book and an apple (god i WISH i remembered why i put an apple on that??)

heart bookmark!! like bdubs, it shows what life he's on :3. his tie would also change colors

monster shoes stolen from a pin on my pinterest feed. idk hes a vampire he'd have funny shoes.. like its in the contract did u not read it

ANVIL. comedic anvil squash sfx. yeah

shovel!!! mounders!!

umbrella looks like the deep dark :^)

pearl pearlescentmoon my aus bff

fanny pack. like a true aussie.

keeps her book in there!!

AND THONGS (flipflops). she'd wear them i just know it

moth wings too ykyk

SHOVEL BABYY!!!!!

enchanted flame bow!!

wearing tilly's collar too

joel small beans

listen bro didnt give us anything to go off so i just went basic

heart on shoes, red streak and red eyes yk how it goes

pumpkin patch for lizzie... ough..

diamond shovel!! the only mf to have a damn diamond one in this whole group...

dumb lil antenna i FORGOT TO COLOR but im too lazy to fix.. srry

he keeps his book in his pocket bc i was too lazy to draw another book

yeah thats all rlly :P

[sea-lanterns]

Thinking about sweet Ningguang in the Empress AU! About how she was the Empress' first within the harem. Listen, Ningguang, with her clawed finger accessories, marking up the Empress beneath her clothes is just. Ough. Chefs kiss.

Plus lbr, I think Ningguang definitely makes it a point to "test" her new shades of lipsticks that the Empress has gifted her, on the Empress!

Anyway I'm Ningguang's number one fan, I'll say it

-🦅

Ningguang is definitely one of the most possessive courtesans in the harem, even if it’s subtle and not noticeable at first. The lipstick thing you mentioned is totally something Ningguang would do to you, as she loves the idea of her lipstick marks all over your body underneath that robe of yours 🩷

To imagine her empress, her sweet and beautiful empress, walking around the palace with her marks hidden in places you can’t see but feel, makes her feel at ease. It’s not uncommon to have Ningguang enter your chambers in the early dawns of the morning and draw kisses to your skin while she helps you apply your makeup. She makes sure to mark you up with her own lipstick, kissing you over your stomach, chest, shoulders, and even collarbone if she’s feeling daring. All to make sure you know she’s yours, and yours alone…

And if you ask why she does this, Ningguang just chuckles and uses a clawed finger to tilt your chin up to her, a whisper that held both seduction and possessiveness underneath that gentle beauty.

“i just wanted to test my new lipstick on you, my empress.”

[thunder-wolf64]

hiiii wasn't sure if i should but!! can i request to draw my oc, the apprentice, with the hunter? if not it's okay!! have a great day!! :]

(context and reference here bc im unsure how to explain(sorry if that's bothersome!!): https://www.tumblr.com/t00nyah/754418305634336768/aaand-finally-posting-my-rw-au-i-promised-au-where?source=share)

ough, this is such a cool concept

The Apprentice still loves their mother, even as the rot slowly sucks the life from Hunter's body.

[poems-of-a-lover]

things boys do that make me go insane

i said id do this yesterday and i forgot so sajfhksjdfhkjs also yes i do some of these dont think abt it

when guys need to just jump up and hit. every. single. doorframe. esp if they miss. i love u ur so silly sajfhskjf

boys who lean into u when theyre laughing incredibly hard, like barely breathing face red kinda laughing

building off that, when they laugh really easy and laugh with their whole body. like they laugh hard and genuine and its juafsjkdhfjsdfkjds g o d theyre so cute

boys who are always trying to throw things but miss. like socks into a laundry basket or a wrapper into the trash, especially if theyre incredibly confident about it. show me a guy getting incredibly excited and hyped up abt throwing something into something else then missing? hilarious.

BUT IF THEY MAKE IT AND THEY GO NUTS AND CHEER AND JUMP AROUND AND FHSKGHSKHG anyway i gotta move on from this

boys who get so incredibly excited to talk abt their special interests that they cant even get the information out in a coherent way bc theyre moving too fast and thinking too quick. ough.

when theyre focused on writing or drawing or cooking or whatever and theyre listening to music and theyre humming along with it until it gets to their favorite part of the song and they break out in full air concert <333

when they talk to pets in that stupid high pitched baby voice and everything but then turn to u and switch into their normal voice so quickly that shits so cute

boys who hear ur sick or tired or something and immediately come in with. arms full of snacks and blankets and pillows and everything. just so deadset on helping and taking care of u. or if ur sick and u need some space or something when u feel like that and they understand that and make sure u dont need anything before leaving u to urself. just guys who know how to take care of you the way u need <33

goin off this more, knowing how to take care of u in general. ESP BOYS WHO TAKE THE TIME TO LEARNNNN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF U. THEYRE PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING AND CALM AND AJGHJKHGAKJDJ PLEASEEEEE

thats all i can think of rn ill make a part 2 to this eventuallyksjdhfjks

[villruu]

Accidentally kidnapping a mafia boss murderer/stalker + Brian and Alex?

I loved this prompt so much ough (this is just over 2K,,, this was meant to be a drabble lmao). Ended up including Tim (bc how could I not???)

On AO3

Anyways, have the beginnings of the Worst Road Trip, Ever.

This is an alternative ending to Entry 67

⸻

Brian held the gun loosely, staring at the weapon, flicking the safety on, off, on, off, on, off.

It was just the two of them alone now, on the building. 

Tim was probably far away enough by now, Brian thought, he had been too dazed, too lost under the grip of that fucking thing to refuse. For the better, anyways, Tim was always loose and stunned in these moments, and while he always followed Brian’s lead, it was better to not let an unknown variable in a situation as delicate as this one.

He should be just arriving to his car, probably, if he hasn’t collapsed yet, Brian’s inner clock told him if it wasn’t broken beyond repair thus far. 

Maybe, Brian thought almost fondly, this time he would catch a ride with Tim back into town. Maybe this would be finally the time he allowed Tim to see his face during the day again.

Safety on, off, on, off, on, off, on, off.

Alex’s struggles had finally stopped, Brian noticed once he entered the room again.

The other man just laid on the floor, a drying track of blood down his nose, a blooming bruise on his cheek where Tim had punched him particularly hard.

He looked pathetic.

Good, he thought viciously, good.

If Brian could speak normally, if he could speak, he would viciously tear into Alex, dismiss and rip every little thought the bastard had, make him die in distress, knowing that everything he had worked for was all in vain, a fool’s errands, the crusade of a man who knew he was in the wrong and still tried to comfort himself with lies.

Safety on, off, on, off.

But he can’t. At least, Alex will die just like his other victims did, without a single word to excuse the crime, dying without even the grace of knowing.

He can’t help the grin under the mask and he levels the gun at Kralie’s face. His eyes are tired but frowning, both accepting and rejecting what is about to happen. Coward, he thinks bitterly.

Safety on, off.

The gun feels light in his hands, but Brian knows that it is heavy with all the blood it has spilled.

He draws the hammer back with his thumb, watching how Kralie’s pupils shrink at the sound. 

His hands are steady, the most steady they have been ever since this asshole decided to hit him with a metal bar. He wonders if Alex remembers this place, if he remembers that six years ago he found Brian wandering this dilapidated room dazed after the encounter from that thing, if he remembers how he pretended to comfort Brian, if he remembers holding the metal bar, if he remembers leaving his fucking body beneath a bush.

…He doubts it, but he likes to imagine the other remembers.

It makes this whole thing fit better. An irony, a metaphor, a final fuck you to Alex Kralie’s pretentious ass.

Brian moves slowly, to savor these final moments. Over six years of this, finally coming to an end. Finger resting on the trigger, watching how Kralie’s eyes follow each movement. Every hour spent seething, hating, living out in the wild, living as a ghost, forced to ignore every missed call from Tim, forced to ignore his mom’s unanswered texts, forced to live on scraps and hate.

All of that, to finally end in this. Holding the guy responsible for everything.

(Tim may be the origin but Alex Kralie is the truly one at fault. He can manage Tim once he gets this done with, but for now, he gives his everything in his hunt for Kralie. And it has finally paid off.)

It feels a bit weird that Tim is not here, watchful presence behind him ready to attack as he commands, loyal guard dog ready to bite whoever he is directed to. But it feels more real like this. 

Just him and Kralie, alone. 

Only one of them is walking out of this alive, and they both know it.

And as much as Kralie may be doing that thing’s bidding, Brian is the one who knows how to escape the Operator’s realm. He is the one who has spent six years giving parts of himself to escape the Ark, he is the one who knows how to escape that thing’s grasp. As much as Kralie may have unknowingly worshipped that creature, it will not save him once he is left in the Ark.

The camera he holds on his other hand. He isn’t sure what he will do with the tape, just yet, but he will figure something out.

Maybe upload a part of it for the channel, maybe leave it for Jay, maybe simply burn it. 

A way to make this real, perhaps. If it’s filmed, if it’s recorded, then it can’t be forgotten. It can’t be hidden.

(Like Sarah’s, like Seth’s, like his—)

Just as he finally aligns his sight, the gun pointing straight between Kralie’s eyes, is when all goes to hell.

First, the camera stops working properly, screen lagging behind and pixelated.

The humming in his bones grows louder, louder, louder. 

And then, the sensation of something watching.

Brian turns around, and he can see it, can see it slowly leaning out the doorway, still far away enough to run away, but close enough to make fear and surprise fill his body.

Safety on.

Put the gun away in his jeans, shut the camera off, prepare to run away.

Brian’s eyes land on Alex’s figure and he hesitates.

If he leaves, Alex Kralie will get away again.

If he leaves, who knows Alex Kralie is gonna hurt next?

It’d be so simple to just kill him now. Quickly pull the trigger and bolt away.

But he didn’t want the Operator to take the body. The lighter in his hoodie weighs heavily in his mind as he quickly tries to think of what to do.

It shifts closer.

If he leaves, Alex Kralie lives.

If he stays, he will die again.

(Brian can’t go to the ark again, not this soon. He doesn’t have enough to give, he doesn’t have enough, the ark takes and takes and takes and Brian is a husk, he can’t go, not again, not so soon. He needs time, he just needs more time)

Static grows louder.

Everything is normal, he reassures himself, despite how he can feel himself shaking, everything is fine.

It gets closer.

I worry about nothing, Brian tries, but he can feel the static, the blankness slowly creeping on him, cause nothing’s…

Static.

Nothing’s…on…

The shift of rubble. A tilt of it’s head. On the floor, Alex Kralie whimpers in fear.

Fuck this, Brian thinks, crouching down and with shaking hands pulling out the small knife he keeps on him.

Alex tries to rear back at the sight of it, but Brian focuses on quickly cutting the ties, mind going into overdrive as he tries to ignore how he can feel that thing getting closer, closer, cLOSER—

Quickly, before Alex can react, Brian whacks him as hard as he can on the head with the butt of the knife.

Ignoring Kralie’s pained yelp or the way he slumps, Brian grabs him and with a strength purely fueled by adrenaline, holts him up and starts running. He can hear the Operator grow louder, it’s displeasure easy to tell by the way reality almost seems to warp around him, but Brian has long grown used to this.

Without hesitation, Brian keeps running, as the environment shifts around him. 

Hospital, forest, hallway, his house, forest, hospital, forest.

As much as the Operator may try to keep him here, Brian’s sheer adrenaline is enough to keep him going. The longer it goes on, the less intense the shifts are, until he is left alone in the forest, a few miles away from the abandoned building. He’s in Rosswood, fortunately, so it’s easy to orient himself and keep running towards where he knows the park ends.

He can feel Kralie struggling weakly in his hold, but it is easy to keep him subdued, the other too weak from the hit, probably too dizzy to act. Brian would know, he was in that situation once.

As the woods start to thin out, Brian finally spots the parking lot. 

Blessedly, Tim is still there, standing dazedly by his door, mask in place, looking slightly confused about Kralie’s presence but waiting for his cue to know how to react.

Good. Things would be more complicated if the conscious Tim was awake.

Struggling for breath, Brian slams the rear door open and practically shoves Alex inside, quickly climbing in as well.

He gestures sharply for Tim to get in the front seat, and the other does.

Brian struggles to speak, trying to make his mouth say the word drive, but it is useless, still too agitated and filled by adrenaline to take the proper time to force himself to speak. After a few tense seconds, he throws his hands in the air and simply waves at Tim to drive.

The white mask tilts to the side confused, like a dog trying to figure out a new trick, but before Brian can try again, with a burst of static, the Operator appears at the edge of the forest, frighteningly close.

Tim startles, jumping, but thankfully quickly gets the idea, turning the car on and slamming onto the reverse, the tires screeching loudly as Tim absolutely floors the accelerator.

As Tim quickly starts driving away, Brian focuses back on Alex.

Kralie looks sweaty, with a vaguely nauseous look on his face, trying to move as if he were wading through molasses.

It is easy to manhandle him, pinning him to lay on his side, seatbelts easily serving as restraints as Brian tries his best to tie him up as strongly as possible. A few zip-ties still left in his hoodie pocket help him tie his hands together behind his back, quickly tying the feet together as well, as Brian realizes he could still kick.

He does make sure to tie him up while laying on his side. It’s very probable that he throws up from the injury, likely soon, and the last thing Brian wants is Kralie choke on his vomit. He’d rather kill the man himself than let some vomit do the job for him.

After making sure it’s as safe as it's gonna get, Brian climbs into the front passenger seat, dropping with a tired sigh.

Alex can’t see him from the back, so Brian takes off his mask with a sigh, passing a hand through his sweaty forehead. Tim tilts his head slightly towards him, still somehow keeping the eyes on the road, but clearly waiting for an order.

And Brian… Has absolutely no idea what to do now.

After what feels like an eternity, watching the trees blur together through the window, Brian shrugs.

“...House,” He manages to slur out, voice as loud as a whisper, hoarse and gritty. The word is almost incomprehensible.

Tim nods sharply, however, easily understanding him, and something like fondness swells up inside Brian.

Despite their differences (liar, liar, LIAR, FILTHY FUCKING LIAR, IT’S HIS FUCKING FAULT—) Brian can always trust on Tim to understand him, somehow, through the slurring of his voice and the codes in his works.

After regaining his breath, Brian pulls his mask on again and sighs.

Maybe it is time that Brian brings Tim (the real Tim, the awake one, the conscious one) back on board. It would be difficult to shake Jay off, if Brian manages to convince Tim to go fully off-grid with him for a bit, but it wouldn’t be that hard if they’re lucky.

Moving the rear back mirror, Brian looks at Alex.

Once they get far away from the Operator, they can take care of him… Hopefully. It shouldn’t take long to shake that thing off their tails.

…At least, that’s what he thinks until he sees the Operator appear under the nearest streetlight at the red stoplight.

With a startled noise, Brian whacks Tim’s side, the other startling as well once he notices the thing nearby, pressing down his foot on the accelerator and crossing the red light without a single care as to any possible other cars nearby.

Okay, Brian thought calmly and firmly ignoring his wild heartbeat, maybe Tim’s house is not a viable plan.

…

Fuck.

He just waves at Tim to continue driving, and drops his head on his hands. 

Okay, alright, he can adjust to this, no problem. Alright.

Brian grimaces under his mask, trying to ignore the Operator reflected on the rear back mirror.

He’s just currently trapped… In a moving car… With a nauseous Alex Kralie in the back… And a Tim Wright in the front seat who is very close to “waking up”... This is, this is fine.

He did always want to go on a road trip, Brian thinks a bit hysterically as he notices Tim starting to seize up and urging him to move to the side.

Quickly switching seats with Tim, Brian gets back onto the road and tries to ignore the anxiety creeping up on him.

This is gonna be just fine… He’ll… He’ll figure something out.

Surely.

Yeah.