#I drew this a while ago but I still think about them daily

[endondodon]

do you see the vision? DO YOU SEE THE VISION???

[kur0m1sblog]

If you are okay with writing this, do you think you can write a Miguel x F!Reader (whose a Spider) oneshot where Miguel finds out the reader is pregnant due to his hearing, and the reader reveals she kept it a secret because she didn’t know how to tell him.

Not Meant To Hear Yet.

summary: Miguel had came back from a meeting with the spider-society and overheard you panicking in you’re shared bathroom. He continued to overheard something he wasn’t meant to hear yet…

characters: Miguel O’Hara. Jessica Drew.

warnings: crying. reader having a panic attack. angst. implied smut. little love confession.

genre: angst. romance. fluff.

reader: fem! spider-woman! reader

REQUEST ARE OPEN!

❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎

This was not what you wanted to happen, you didn’t want a to have a child this young. You were 24, your boyfriend of 4 years, 27. And a couple months ago, you’d found out you were pregnant. At first you didn’t believe it, until all the test you took all came back positive. You didn’t want this, well you did want a child, just not this early..

And how were you going to tell Miguel this, you were sure he wouldn’t take the news good. You’d thought at the time you were for sure on the birth control..

He was at a ‘meeting’ with some members from the spider-society while you decided on staying home. After he left you did your normal routine, house chores, out chores. Miguel always insisted that you didn’t have to do that whenever you stayed home, he didn’t want you to be worked up and more tired then you normally should.

After your ‘chores’, you rush to your shared bedroom that was up the stairs. Dialing your phone, you call Jessica. She answers in a calm tone, while you answer in a worried tone. “Hey are you okay? What is it you need help with? You seem worried..” She said, a version of her showing up infront of you, she was on her motorcycle on a street in her universe.

You clack your nail repeatedly on the counter repeatedly, deciding to tell her what happened once she’d stop at a light. “Okay don’t get to excited or anything since your riding your motorcycle, but.. I’m pregnant..” You say waiting for her response and reaction.

As Jessica sat at the light, she started asking you a dozens of questions, “Do you know the gender yet?”, “Top 5 names if it’s a girl or boy?”, “Does Miguel even know yet?” You didn’t say anything after that question. Just from a minute of silence, she knew you hadn’t. “You haven’t told him have you..?”

Miguel had teleported into the house, he took his costume off and replaced them with comfortable clothing he’d left from the previous night before on the couch, while doing so, he heard you talking to someone. He figured it was important so he shrugged it off and started taking the ingredients out for dinner you were going to be cooking on this bittersweet night. “I just don’t know how to tell him that there’s a baby on the way.” He paused his movements. Had you just said what you said was truly real. It seemed seemed specious, but it wasn’t. It was true, real. “I don’t know how he’ll take the news, I want him to be happy about it and all but, what if he’s not, what if he’s angry about it..” That made him feel egregious and compunctioned. You thought he wouldn’t react well or good to the news..? He frowned and sat on the couch, still ‘eavesdropping’, but not on purpose of course.

After the conversation you had with Jessica, you pranced down the stairs to see Miguel on the couch, you froze halfway on the stairs panicking, you hoped he didn’t hear that whole conversation with her, and that he’d just gotten home. You continued your way down the stairs, he looked up to see you. God, he thought you looked so seraphic. “Hello Mi Rey, how was your day?” You say as you walk up to him and give him a sweet kiss onto of his forehead, after you ran your hands through his hair and smiled sweetly at him.

It took him a second or more to respond to your daily question, “It was good baby, do you feel okay right now? Your red..” He says. He knew what he was doing, he already knew what happened now.

You look in his eyes, look down and chuckle. “Yes dear I’m fine, I’m going to start dinner now.” Kissing his cheek, you walk to the kitchen to see he put what you needed out. “Aww, thanks for putting everything out, thank my hombre guapo. Would you like to help me with dinner tonight?” You say peaking your head out of the kitchen into the living room.

He stands up and walks over to you, “Only if that means we can play music?” He says as his large hands wrap around the small of your back and butt. Whenever he meant “play music”, he meant while the food was cooking and the both of you had time to waste to dance around in the kitchen and plant gentle kisses on one another.

You look to the side and frown for a second, debating your words of choice. “Miguel?” You say looking up at him.

After you just saying his name, he got quite worried. “What is it mi amor?” He said looking deep into your eyes.

“Whatever happens, I just hope you know I love you, so so much.. Your the best thing that’s ever happened to me..” You say, feeling different waves of emotions coming over you.

He was surprised. He thought that something bad was going to happen, but surprisingly it wasn’t anything bad. You were having one of your moments where you just wanted to say that you loved him. “God I love you too y/n..” He says shoving you into his broad chest.

❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎

After making dinner the both of you sat down at the table, across from eachother. It was quiet, that weirded you out a little, he was always the one to start a conversation at the table..

You clear your throat and look up at him, “Soooo, did anything interesting happen with them today?” You say, taking another sip of your soup. Your mind was racing with random question and things you had to finish after eating.

He looked up, didn’t say anything, until a couple moments later. “Nope not really.. But there is something I’d like to talk about with you.” He said in a significant tone, as he pushed his soup bowl to the side, with his glass of water.

You took note of this, his tone was never like this unless there was something wrong or serious we needed to talk about. “Okay…” You drag out as you do the same gesture as him, pushing your glass and bowl out of the way.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant..?” He asked. His shoulders were tense, as he stood properly in his chair.

Oh god, he knows..? But how, that shouldn’t have been unless he heard me upstairs, is that why he was so tense when I came down the stairs.. “Look Miguel, I’m sorry, I just didn’t know how to break the news to you.” You felt a sense of compunction rush over you. “I didn’t know how you would react, or how you felt about having a child.. I just..” You didn’t finish anything, tears ran down your cheeks, as you didn’t look at him but at the cleared area in front of you on the table.

You didn’t see him, but he got up and started walking towards you. He wrapped his strong and well-knitted arms around you, you cried and cried in his chest. You felt horrible, you were gasping for air at this point from crying.

He let go of you and took your flushed face in his hands. “Look Hermosa, I’m not angry, I’m just a little sad that you’d think I’d feel that way. I’m happy that you are okay?” Staring at you, he waited for you to nod. When you did he gave you a kiss, picked you up, and carried you to the bedroom where the both of you would go to sleep. And clean up the both of you made from cooking tomorrow. “Goodnight, Mi Amor.”

❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎

notes: Thank you so much for requesting, I truly hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Have a great morning/afternoon/night!

June 4, 2023

9:30am

[nymph-ette111]

pls write Simon henriksson headcanons I’m gnawing at the walls of my enclosure 👩‍🦲

WARNINGS; SUBSTANCE ABUSE (SMOKING/DRUGS) MENTIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS (DEPRESSION/ANXIETY) MENTIONS OF INTERNALIZED MISOGYNY, UNHEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS (SELF-HARM)

AUTHOR'S NOTE; FIRST CRY OF FEAR REQUEST LET'S FUCKING GOOOO !1!1!1!1!1!!1!! kind of short, still new to the fandom so my headcanons of the characters might change overtime.

-it was confirmed that Simon is a fan of heavy metal and DSBM :3 personally I am not an avid listener of this genre, I think it's pretty cool. I'd like to headcanon specific bands that I think are suiting for Simon but I barely know anything so I don't really have a say on this.

-probably has some sort of internalized misogyny. he grew up all alone, his mother being quite overprotective didn't help with that at all and seeing no mentions of his father in the game makes me think his parents were divorced quite early in Simon's life. being exposed to such settings at a young age might have messed with his perception of love and healthy romantic relationships. despite that, he doesn't care much about gender norms now that he's older. left that mindset long ago.

-picked up on his coping mechanisms in his early teens. he was a bit scared at first of trying something like self-harm, it took him him a lot of time and internal conflict but then decided to just fuck it, he had nothing to lose. felt guilty at first, dropped it for a bit and then picked up on it again. he knows it isn't a healthy way to deal and cope with his negative thoughts but he couldn't care less at that point.

-isn't unfamiliar with drugs but not that crazy about it. not as much as cigarettes, although he does it occasionally, he could still smoke like a pack in one sitting if the situation really called for it. usually just sticks to 2-3 cigs, thinks it's a good enough amount.

^ can you tell I have no idea what I'm talking about.

-you'll never get that crusty ass grey hoodie of his off of him. it's like a cartoon where the character's never change outfit throughout the entire show. besides the fact that it's a literal video game, even in his daily life he almost never switches things up. not necessarily dirty, just worn out and stained with stuff that doesn't want to come off no matter how many times he washes it.

-has a mini fridge full of energy drinks in his room. and by full I mean like two cans because the rest have been consumed and thrown somewhere onto the ground.

-cannot save money for the life of him. as soon as he gets his hands on some cash, it's immediately spent on either a pack of cigarettes or some useless shit. he doesn't even remember what he spends it on, it's just gone.

-hadn't picked up his camera in quite a while, he's slowly loosing grip on his interests. not necessarily because he is starting to dislike them, just doesn't have the motivation.

-but it's usually full of recordings of him on the train, lonely streets of Stockholm or some stray cat that has grown a liking to Simon for some odd reason.

-one time Sophie took his camera without telling him and recorded a small video of herself, just doing something simple like a peace sign or showing off a little doodle she drew in her notebook. despite trying his best to move on, he watches that video from time to time.

[imorphemi]

Hermitgals but its a PRISM Corps au! Because I haven't stopped thinking about it

if you don't know, PRISM Corps is a magical girl universe created by ActuallyRea/Ginjaninjaowo. I drew Pearl as a prism magical girl a while ago for a daily pearl doodle, and later Gem as well, but now here's all of them!

These are still just sketches and rough ideas of what they'd look like because I'm bad at designing clothes, but I'm pretty happy with most of them :D

Notes about the gals and their weapons under the cut :3

I know that the girls change their hair color when they transform, but for the sake of keeping them more recognizable I did keep their hair colors the same as how I would usually draw them, plus sometimes some colorful streaks. Also their hair colors just happen to go pretty well with their color schemes anyways

Pearl - Weapon: Broom, has the ability to make anything it sweeps over disappear. Objects can be resummoned at a later time and will reappear once the prism is deactivated. She's usually part of the cleanup and damage control crew. Her Prism's name is Robbie!

Gem - Weapon: Still deciding on this one! Originally I put her weapon as twin swords but I'm reconsidering it. I also slightly changed her outfit design. Suggestions are very welcome for what her weapon should be, and feel free to be as creative as possible :D Her Prism's name is Mackenzie!

Stress - Weapon: Pandora's Box. A box that contains...something. We're not sure what it is, but it's some kind of spirit that is able to possess and take control of other people. There might even be multiple spirits. She can also trap other people in the box. Her Prism's name is Mochi!

Cleo - Weapon: Puppet Crossbeams, has the ability to control inanimate objects. Is also pretty decent at wacking people. I'm the least sure about Cleo's current design, I had a lot of trouble with it and would appreciate some suggestions and feedback because I am not a Cleo watcher haha. Her Prism's name is Stheno!

False - Weapon: Feather Blades. She can pluck the feathers off of her skirt to use as blades of any length. The amount of feathers she has is pretty decent and more than enough to get her through a standard fight, but it is limited. She'll have to wait for her prism to recharge again after using all of them. This is probably my favorite concept because it is dramatic as heck. I haven't decided on her Prism's name yet, but it'll probably be some kind of bird.

Storywise, False and Cleo joined the Corps around the same time, Stress some time after, and Pearl and Gem joined together later on. Out of this lineup, False is easily the most powerful, prism-wise and skill-wise, out of all the gals here. Maybe False gets to coach Pearl and Gem or something hehe

Oh! And this isn't all of them. A prism has gone rogue and there seems to be an independent magical girl in the city as well...

[5iyoomi]

When Henry and Jasper were kids, they made a promise that if they were both still single when they turned thirty they’d marry each other. Henry remembers that day like it was yesterday, back before they’d even met Charlotte and started to hang out as a group. 

Jasper had brought up some hypothetical about the future while he swung back and forth on a tire swing, jumping off to meet Henry at the end of the big red slide and saying that he didn’t wanna end up alone one day. 

The two had done everything together, had the oddest of conversations on the daily that mostly ended with Henry dismissively agreeing to whatever Jasper suggested, so the question he’d thrown at him in itself wasn’t all that weird. At least in comparison.

Henry had half-heartedly interlocked their pinkies, thinking the boy would forget about it at some point later, but he didn’t understand what the warmth that spread through his chest like a wildfire at the sight of that all too familiar toothy grin meant. 

Jasper only grasped the blond's hand in his own when Henry didn’t make a move to pull away, repeating something that Henry had likely been too spaced out to hear the first time. 

You promised, okay? Jasper whispered, both of them still knee to knee as people rushed by them in a flurry of laughs, playing tag from what either of them could tell. 

Henry blinked once, then twice, wondering for a moment if two guys could even get married, before the expectant glare of blue eyes urges him to look anywhere else. He pretends he’s more interested in the floor, giving a small nod in response and kicking up some bark dust beneath his feet.

Alright. He reiterates.

Henry realizes he’s not the only one who hasn’t forgotten when he’s shoulders deep in a tank full of water and Jasper calls himself his best friend and soulmate, holding his hand up to the others as if he was showing off a shiny silver band. 

A ring of all things, something Henry would never admit he’s spent countless hours looking into. Picking and choosing designs based on Jasper’s favorite color, wincing at the prices of pairs that were pretty but not too flashy. 

None of the stories the group told to try to scare him were working, but the realization paired with having Jasper that close to him; even if he couldn’t see him, was enough to get his heart racing. 

The bet wasn’t even on his mind anymore, Ray’s taunts about the steak and Schwoz’s comments on his levels going through one ear and out the other.

All he could think about was what he was gonna do. He sat with it for a few weeks after that, tossing and turning at night and fidgeting during missions whenever he had to talk to his friend. 

It took some prodding from Charlotte and Piper to get him to stop avoiding Jasper altogether, and it came out eventually considering he wasn’t exactly Swellview’s best liar, a series of back and forths of ‘are you sure you really like me?’s driving everyone else crazy before they finally settled on calling each other their boyfriends.

Despite some of the ugly feelings that word stirred up in Henry, some of the irrational fears that drew him away from confessing in the first place, he couldn’t help but feel happy. He knew he had a place in the man cave if the worst came down to the worst.

Now, he’s sitting with his back against his headboard with Jasper hovering over him when he realizes, again, he might really, truly be in love with him. 

His bed dips with both of their weight, Jasper’s knee right in between Henry’s thighs with his hands lingering awkwardly at his sides. 

Henry can smell the shampoo Jasper uses like this, a faint tea tree scent that he gave him some time ago. Jasper slowly leans in, watching for any sign of hesitation, and he stops the second Henry tenses up.

“Uhm-”

“Do you not want to?” Jasper asks softly. “We can do something else, I don’t mind.”

And that’s why he just doesn’t get Jasper. How could he be this calm when Henry was freaking out so bad? His bottom lip quivers in a mix of nervousness and anticipation, his palms uncomfortably sweaty and his tongue sitting uselessly in his mouth. 

Their faces are mere inches apart, but he can hardly speak, his brain struggling to come up with something mildly coherent.

Henry quickly grabs the cuff of Jasper’s shirt just as he’s about to scoot back. Jasper looks at him, one of his eyebrows quirked in question. “No, no, I do- it’s just-” he starts, subconsciously messing with the piece of fabric held tight in his hand. “I’m nervous, I guess. I’ve never done this before.”

“Haven’t you kissed like….” Jasper makes a show of counting on his fingers, chuckling at the embarrassed blush on Henry’s face. “Four girls before? Besides, you’ve known me since we were five.”

“Oh shut up, dude. You know that’s different.”

“Okay, dude.” Jasper smiles and closes back in with Henry following his lead. It goes about as well as Henry expects, both of them somehow knocking their foreheads into each other’s and muttering under their breath about how much it hurts. 

If it weren’t for his sister being out for the night, and for the fact he triple checked he locked his door anyways, he knows she’d come bugging them about something dumb right about now, her phone glued to her hand as she runs back downstairs while she calls them gross.

Henry laughs at the thought, rubbing circles against his head. “Sorry.”

“Nah, don’t worry. That was me.” Jasper says.

He tries again, this time being careful not to hit Henry. They both tilt their heads at an angle, noses brushing against each other’s. Henry can feel his heart ready to beat out of his chest, those bright eyes he’s dreamed about on more than one occasion burning. 

Jasper presses his mouth against his, and Henry jumps. He feels dizzy, tasting vanilla on his lips, and Jasper’s gentle but insistent, moving as if he’s waited his entire life for this.

Jasper cups Henry’s cheek and he feels him relax, his thumb tracing soothing shapes into his skin and his other hand resting on his hip. He pulls the boy closer to him, sighing as Henry combs his fingers through his hair. 

It lasts for a few minutes, or maybe a few hours; Henry’s lost count, but he hesitantly pushes at Jasper’s chest when he needs a break. Jasper doesn’t want to part from him, either, evident in the way he peppers a few more kisses to his cheek and the tip of his nose.

Both of their chests heave, Henry’s eyes blown wide and his lips slightly red and swollen, still tingling a bit from the kiss. Jasper’s the same but even more disheveled, his once smooth hair messy and cowlick sticking up in odd places. 

They stare at each other in awe for a few minutes before bursting into laughter, Jasper taking the opportunity to lace their fingers together. Henry thinks he might be floating on cloud nine.

“Another one?” Jasper breaks the silence, squeezing Henry’s hand.

“Y-yeah,” Henry stutters, almost breathless. “Yeah.”

[captn-trex]

technical devotion, part nineteen: safety

a/n: I remembered I have a taglist this time lmao so yay. also just fyi, there's gonna be seven more chapters (after this one), which is funny to me in and of itself because this fic was originally only supposed to be like 10 chapters in entirety but... I have no chill apparently

warnings: mentions of blood & injuries, traumatic weight loss

last chapter | next chapter | master list | join the taglist

Echo’s day so far had been particularly monotonous. Every day had been for a while now.

He had skipped breakfast after another sleepless night, instead opting to stay in Kan’s office and monitor Imperial long range comms on the off chance he heard anything about rebels or prisons or anything else that they never talked about. After hours of tuning in and not finding anything, he dragged himself to the mess, and grabbed some caf before continuing on with his previous activity.

This had been his daily routine for a few weeks. He couldn’t bring himself to do much else.

When he walked past the command room on the way back to Kan’s office, he heard people speaking in hushed voices. He turned his ear to the door with a frown, but failed to hear what they were whispering about. He opened the door, and the two people hunched over the holotable shut their mouths when they saw him, looking very caught as they switched it off.

“What’s going on?” He asked, looking between Rex and Spider as they scrambled for something to say.

“Nothing” Rex said quickly, standing up straight, “What brings you here?”

Echo gave them a sceptical look, “I heard you two… whispering”

“Ah, right” Rex rubbed his neck awkwardly, not adding any further comments.

Spider gave him a look, “I think you should just tell him Rex”

“Tell me what?” Echo frowned, stepping into the room.

Rex sighed deeply, “Please don’t be angry when I tell you this, I just wanted to make sure our intel was correct before I got your hopes up”

Echo waited patiently for him to continue, trying to quell the irritation that was already bubbling up. Rex looked to Spider and nodded for him to leave the room. When the door closed behind him, Echo was growing impatient.

“What is it?”

Rex took a deep breath before speaking, “We know where Kan is”

A range of emotions washed over Echo. He was relieved, yes, also angry like Rex had predicted, but his worry was still taking over. Knowing where Kan was didn’t make her safe.

“How?” Echo asked.

“Senator Chuchi did some digging, one of the descriptions of the prisoners matched her perfectly, so we’re pretty certain”

“How long have you known?”

“Since… two rotations ago”

“And you didn’t tell me?” Echo crossed his arms, but Rex jumped in before it could escalate.

“Look, the plan was that Spider was going to go and get her, and she’d be back here before you knew anything about it. Like I said, I don’t want to get your ho-”

“Send me instead” Echo interrupted him, his voice firm as if it was a command.

“Echo” Rex said in a sigh, rubbing his hand over his face, “Spider was an ARF in the 41st elite corps, he’s got this”

“And I was an ARC in the 501st, I’m not seeing the relevance”

“It’s not about that. You know what I mean” Rex gave Echo a pointed look.

“Rex, please” Echo begged, his tone a little desperate, “Please send me instead”

“Echo, we… we’re pretty sure it’s her, but you need to be prepared for it not to be”

“I know, I know. I just-” He looked to his feet, “Please, I- I need to do this”

Rex didn’t want to give in, he really didn’t, but the pleading, broken hearted man in front of him was a hard one to disappoint, even when he wasn’t in this state.

“Fine” Rex conceded, “But I’m trusting you to be objective about this. I don’t want you ending up captured too”

Echo nodded, “Of course”

“Alright” Rex turned the holotable back on, revealing a map, “This is the place”

Echo drew his ship out of hyperspace, the blue streaks pulling back to reveal a planet that made it seem he hadn’t even pulled the lever. The surface was painted by swirling blues, punctuated by large white clouds, and for a moment it reminded him of Pabu.

A stern voice crackled through the comms, interrupting his thoughts and demanding clearance codes for landing. Echo obliged, transmitting the codes that Senator Chuchi had acquired. He waited with bated breath as they verified the authenticity of them, and his body relaxed when they let him know he was cleared for landing.

He brought his ship into the upper atmosphere, going over the plan in his head, trying to remain calm. He’d done things like this before, it would be fine. He was prepared for Kan not to be here, but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t scour the entire building until he was sure she wasn’t.

His ship touched down on the landing platform and he took a deep breath, opening up the door and adjusting the stormtrooper armour that he was wearing. He stepped out of the ship, his eyes scanning the platform for anyone taking note of him, of which there were only a few mechanics glancing over as they worked on other ships.

Echo walked slowly, calculated, trying not to look suspicious by rushing about. He followed the map that he'd burned into his brain, heading for the detention block of the base. He nodded to the troopers that were stood just down the hall from the door he needed to access. Ordinarily, an access card would be needed, but Echo was able to bypass that necessity by way of his scomp.

He kept glancing over his shoulder, making sure the stormtroopers were still faced away as he cracked through the door's encryption. The door zipped open, and Echo pulled out his scomp, quickly darting through the door and putting his cybernetic arm back into place.

The cells that lined the hall were only ray shielded, so he could see through and into them. He peered into every cell as he passed, his eyes narrowing in on the figures inside to identify the one he was looking for. He made it though a few corridors before he came across a cell that made him stop in his tracks.

The person inside was curled up on the bench that lined the back of the cell, their knees pressed to their chest and their head resting against the wall. Echo almost didn't recognise her. Her frame was a lot smaller than the last time he'd seen her, her skin clinging to her bones in a way that made Echo’s heart lurch.

Once he had recognised her, he immediately slammed his fist into the control panel to lift the ray shields, ripping off his helmet as he rushed inside.

“M'aira”

Echo fell to his knees in front of Kan’s rigid form, taking her face in his hands. Her eyes fluttered, but didn’t open fully, as if she couldn’t, or didn’t have the strength to.

“Who- What…?” She muttered, an edge of fear and uncertainty.

“It's Echo” He spoke gently, not wanting to frighten her. Her eyes opened a little more at that.

“Echo” She whispered, “You’re here”. She sounded relieved.

“I'm here” Echo confirmed, leaning his forehead against hers, enveloping her in his presence, his safety. “I'm going to get you out of here Cyar'ika. Can you stand?”

As he guided Kan's feet to the floor, Echo noticed a small trickle of dried blood down the side of her neck, and bruising around the tiny wound from which the blood had spilled. Echo decided to put it to the back of his mind, focusing on getting Kan out of here before he dwelled on the state she was in.

Kan’s knees crumbled beneath her as she tried to stand up, and she slumped back onto the bench.

“I’m sorry, I can’t-”

“It’s okay” Echo assured, a hand on her shoulder, “Can I pick you up?”

Kan chuckled at her own joke before she told it in a weak voice, “I don’t know, can you?”

Echo shook his head with a small disbelieving laugh escaping his lips, “Still got a sense of humour I see”

Kan shrugged a little, her eyes fluttering closed at the same time. Echo took that as his sign that it was time to go, and hooked an arm under her knees and across her back, lifting her far easier than he would have liked. She had certainly lost a lot of muscle mass, which explained why she was so weak. Once again, Echo tried not to think on it for now.

Echo promptly made it out of the cell, making his way back through the halls that he had used to find Kan. They didn't make it too far before being intercepted, but Echo wasn't going to let up until Kan was safe again. An Imperial officer was walking along the same corridor as them, and looked up from their datapad as they were about to pass by.

“What is going on?” The officer asked, utterly perplexed by seeing a stormtrooper carrying a barely conscious woman.

“Prisoner transfer, ma'am” Echo responded, his voice unwavering

The imperial frowned and gave Kan a look of what seemed to be disgust, “Why are you carrying her?”

“She doesn’t have the strength to walk, Ma'am” Echo answered her, though he was aware that this situation was certain to become more of an issue soon enough.

The officer gave him a sceptical look, “Show me”

Echo’s arms instinctively tightened a little, staring down at the Imperial through the visor of the stolen helmet.

“That's an order, trooper” She said sternly, her brow furrowing further.

“Just do it Echo” Kan whispered into his shoulder.

He grimaced under his helmet, nevertheless obliging and bending down to place Kan on the ground. She was wobbly on her feet and gripped onto Echo's arm for some stability, ending up just leaning on him to stay upright. Echo did his best not to touch her in a way that would give them away, only letting her use his body to hold herself up.

“Hm” The Imperial hummed, “Okay, pick her up. I shall escort you to your shuttle.

“That's really not necessary Ma'am” Echo countered, immediately taking Kan back in his arms.

“I'll decide what's necessary” The officer snapped back, and Echo couldn't help but wince and roll his eyes at once. He'd figure it out, he knew he would.

He followed the woman out onto the landing platform, then directed her towards his ship. She didn't say anything at first, and neither did Echo, in his mind it was all going according to plan. He was climbing the first steps into the ship when she finally spoke.

“What kind of ship is this?”

He didn't bother answering, instead pushing her back onto the platform and rushing aboard to close the door.

He placed Kan down on the bunk at the back, as gently as he could in a rush. He immediately went about getting the ship in the air, ignoring the blasterfire that was now being directed towards the ship.

He made his getaway, pushing the lever to send them to hyperspace and sitting back, abundantly relieved. He let out a long breath, rubbing his hands over his face to bring himself back to the new reality that Kan was safe. He looked back at her, his heart breaking just a little to see her sat up and looking down to her lap with a despondent expression.

She looked so different, a shell of her old, ever-cheerful self, and it was almost too much for Echo to cope with. He approached her slowly, making himself known but not trying to startle her too much, then knelt in front of her. Her eyes flicked up to his, and they looked empty, such a stark contrast to the eagerness, the life, he usually saw swimming in them.

“Oh Cyar'ika” He brought his hand up and gently stroked her face with his thumb, “What did they do to you?”

Kan didn’t respond, and looked down to her fiddling hands, feeling a little embarrassed of the state she was in.

“M'aira?”

She then turned and laid down in the bunk, facing away from him and staring out of the back window. Echo sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed and bringing his hand to her arm to gently rub it back and forth, reminding her that he was there, that she was safe. He could feel her relaxing more and more under his touch, and when it seemed that she had reached the point of sleeping, he took his hand away.

Kan reached out and grabbed his hand, “Don't leave”

Echo’s heart ached at how small she sounded.

“I’m not” He reassured her, squeezing her hand gently before taking it away again.

Echo stood up and went about noiselessly removing his armour, his eyes never leaving Kan as he stacked the pieces on the floor next to the bed. Once he was stripped down to his blacks, he laid down behind her. He could see how rigid she was, and continued to stroke her arm.

“You're safe, Cyar'ika, you can relax” He murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

He once again felt her body ease under his hand, though this time she turned to look at him. Her eyes searched his for a moment, some unknown emotion fighting its way out to reach for him.

“Thank you for coming to get me”

Echo gave her a small smile as he brushed some hair from her face, “Of course M'aira, I'm just sorry it took so long”

Kan let her mouth form a small smile to mirror Echo's expression, just as a violent shiver wracked her body.

“Are you cold?” Echo asked immediately.

Kan nodded.

“Come here” Echo gave no room for argument, and pulled her body into his.

Kan relaxed immediately, the feel of Echo's body pressed against hers confirming that she was safe, that he was really here.

“You're always so warm Echo” She muttered into his chest, which brought a fond smile to his face.

He held her even closer, burying his face in her neck and taking in the scent that he had been missing for months. Kan did the same thing, taking in his presence in every way she could, gripping at his clothing with one hand, the other placed over his chest to ground herself to his heartbeat.

“I've missed you so much”

Echo's heart ached at the cracking of her voice, “I've missed you too Cyar'ika”

Kan lifted her head to look up at him again, “You keep saying that, Cyar'ika, it's Mando'a isn't it?”

“Oh” Echo blushed a little at getting caught, having been only half conscious of himself using it in the first place, “Yeah, it is”

“What does it mean?” Kan asked.

Echo cleared his throat, “It's like… sweetheart, or darling”

Kan let out a contented hum, her head coming to rest against his chest again. “I like it” She asserted, turning it over in her mouth again, “Hm. Sounds better when you say it”

Echo's chest filled with warmth, his heart feeling full, almost bursting at the seems as Kan fell asleep in his arms. This time, he'd make sure that's where she'd stay.

taglist: @darthnihila @cdblake1565 @bunny7567

[demigodsanswer]

Prompt idea: all the other dancers gossiping about Percy and Annabeth being together over the duration of Sleeping Beauty and when they realize they aren’t together and when they find out they actually are

((This is just the first part of the prompt because I had an idea, and wanted to run with it! Some of the second part (people finding out they aren't together yet) will be in part two of Variation!))

~

Clarisse was glad to see that Annabeth's rehabilitation in Virginia had been successful. When she told the PT team at City Ballet that she'd be handling her recovery privately, far away from New York, all they could do was ask her to check in on occasion.

The Sleeping Beauty had Annabeth making daily visits to the PT room to check on her newly-healed foot. But her alignment looked great, and the strength was back. The goal now was to prevent future injuries to the already delicate bones in her feet.

A healthy foot didn't seem to be the only thing that had changed since last spring.

As she gathered her things to go back to rehearsal, Clarisse caught Annabeth smiling and giggling (giggling for fucks sake) at her phone.

"Anything good?" Clarisse asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "No, just Percy being Percy," she said, before grabbing her bag and typing her response on her way out.

As she left, Chris entered. Clarisse had healed him from a nearly career-ending neck injury, a process that took over a year. Since his return to the stage six months ago, he also made frequent visits to the PT room. Chris's neck wasn't in pain anymore.

Still, he sat down on the bench as she examined him.

"She seems happy," Clarisse mused.

Chris nodded. "Rumor has it ..."

"Oh?"

He lowered his voice. "Rumor has it she and Percy Jackson have been sleeping together since she came back."

"Isn't it a bit soon?" Clarisse asked. Chris had been Luke's friend once, she knew, but Luke had done something to rupture that. Chris's neck injury and extended absence from the ballet only kept them apart more. Clarisse wasn't sure she'd heard Chris say a nice thing about his ex-friend in two years.

"I say, good for her," Chris said.

She thought Jackson was annoying personally, but he had to be better than Luke.

~

"Alright so, they're sleeping together for sure," Jason proclaimed as he and Piper left for the day.

"Gotta be," Piper agreed. The way the two of them looked at each other, flirted shamelessly ... if Percy wasn't getting it in, she'd almost have to laugh at him. Annabeth stared at him like she was ready to eat him alive. Piper knew Percy had zero self confidence, but he had to be able to see that at least.

A week later, Piper triumphantly texted Jason: Percy slept over Annabeth's last night! She told me herself

Jason responded: Do you think that was the first time?

Now that was a good question.

~

Katie had been firmly on the "they're not going out" side of the company-wide debate. She knew Percy. He didn't do casual hook ups, and when he was with a woman he wasn't very good at keeping it a secret. Sure, he'd given Annabeth flowers opening night, and then they were seen leaving together after Annabeth violently rejected her ex. But that ...

So maybe they were together. "But newly," she said to Drew, her dressing room mate, "no way has it been going on longer than a few days."

"How can you be so sure?" Drew asked.

"Percy loves a public display of affection. Hand holding, kisses goodbye, that sort of thing."

"It's been like five years since you went out. Maybe he's not into that anymore," Drew said, "maybe she's not into it."

"Maybe ... but I still feel like they wouldn't keep it a secret if they were together," Katie said.

"I don't know. The timeline is a little suspicious. Maybe they're trying to hold off for a little while," Drew suggested.

"What do you mean the time line is suspicious?" Katie asked.

"She was dancing with Percy when she called off her wedding. And she and Percy had serious chemistry during Jewels," Drew said.

"You think she cheated?" Katie asked. That was certainly not Percy's style. And it didn't seem like Annabeth's either.

"Who knows. All I'm saying is it's not totally unbelievable."

~

Ethan wasn't exactly sure what had happened between Annabeth and Luke. All he knew was that things ended suddenly and badly. He'd been called into Chiron's office and asked if he knew anything about their relationship. He'd kept his mouth shut about the pictures; Luke had promised him Annabeth knew. He wasn't into them, personally. Annabeth was hot, but not his type. Still, whatever she'd told Chiron about their relationship had been a good enough lie to get Luke to "retire."

"I think she was sleeping with Jackson," Luke told him after his move back west.

"What?" Ethan asked.

There was an unfortunate logic to Luke's claim, though. Sure, Annabeth had been so in love with Luke the entire time he Ethan had known her. But in the months leading up to the wedding ... she seemed so sad. She fiddled with the ring constantly, leaned away from most of Luke's touches, and rarely expressed excitement about the wedding. Ethan thought it was cold feet or just the stress of wedding planning. Or maybe she'd just been depressed. But maybe ...

"You saw the way they hung around each other during Jewels," Luke said.

Ethan still had a hard time believing Annabeth was cruel enough to cheat on him and get him fired.

But then she just about jumped into Percy's arms at the end of The Sleeping Beauty, kissing him behind the curtain as if they'd done that a thousand times. Neither hesitated to hold onto the other; there was no surprise in their body language. Just pure comfort.

Okay, Ethan conceded, they were definitely together.

[loggiepj]

FORBIDDEN

Part 6 | Part 7

Part 8

Winter finally came. Temperature dropped down degrees below zero. The lake solidified in two days; the eerie sound under the waters filled the silent hours of the night as it turned into ice.

Most of the population anywhere in the world would stay indoors at a time like this. But the Avengers' camp wasn't like any other normal village.

The pavilion and other facilities of the camp remained tolerable, even warmer, enchanted by numerous spells to keep the cold away. Most of the campers carried on with their daily tasks as if it was any normal day, as if it wasn't just snowing an hour ago.

Winter would mean less attacks from Deviants. It was as if the two divisions had agreed on a temporary truce, a festival, an occasion even, to celebrate the entire season without touching any weapon, without unnecessarily shedding more blood.

The snow was already ankle deep, yet it didn't stop the children from starting snowball fights against each other. The sun had now begun to set; the night sky more visible like a mirror magnifying a painting of an entire universe. The stars even looked like salt accidentally sprinkled on a dark veil.

The older ones stayed comfortable in their seats, watching the young have the time of their lives while drinking hot cocoa served by Bruce.

"This doesn't even taste that good," Vision said, catching Y/n's attention. She looked at where said witch was sitting, irritatingly close to the beautiful witch who had occupied most of her thoughts.

Y/n's grip around her mug tightened as she witnessed the scene before her, immediately looking down once Vision seemed to chase Wanda's lips with his own, not seeing how Wanda aggressively shoved him away.

Y/n was too stupid to think that whatever was going on between her and Wanda would end up to be something more.

Who wouldn't? Ever since that night the two had shared under the stars, they became fast friends. Y/n entertained the witch with myths, fables and even folklores about the universe every night and Wanda would savor every second of it. The barrier between them was completely broken. Wanda even built Y/n an archway without a door to give the human a grand welcome.

Y/n had taught Wanda some of the constellations she knew and how to find them. Wanda was a good listener. She had never been attentive to any of her classes when she was a kid. But with Y/n as the teacher, it would be impossible to stray her focus away from the human.

"What's your favorite?" Wanda asked in a whisper, face so close to Y/n as they laid on the cool grass. It was still nearing Winter that time, and the perfect weather made the stars more visible like a clear painting in full display.

Wanda had performed a spell around them to keep them both warm. Y/n had never been more grateful, even though she didn’t need warming up. The lack of distance between the two of them was already heating up Y/n's entire body, heart skipping a beat whenever their gazes met. And their gazes would always meet.

"Orion," Y/n answered. She gently pulled and held the witch's hand as she drew the constellations up above. These were the times Wanda love the most. The human's touch ignited a spark within her that no amount of magic could ever explain. "Those three bright stars in the middle are its belt." Y/n held Wanda's fingers, tracing the constellation in the air. "Orion is known as the Hunter, with the way the stars are perfectly aligned like someone ready to attack with a bow and arrow."

Their heads pressed together so their eyes would be looking at the same thing. Wanda's scent infiltrated Y/n's nostrils and she couldn't get enough. Y/n could breathe her in forever.

"Like you," Wanda muttered. A small smile crept unto Y/n's face, blushing.

"I doubt that. I'm not much good of an Avenger compared to anyone here. And my archery skills would be far in comparison to Orion," Y/n replied, putting both of their hands down on the ground where they laid.

Wanda smiled, knowing the human was being modest. "I find that hard to believe. You know, campers here look up to you."

Y/n swallowed a lump in her throat before she gave a nervous laugh.

Before the normie could respond, Wanda went on. "How did Orion end up in the sky?"

"There are stories in Greek mythology, where Orion the Hunter was killed by Artemis, a goddess, daughter of Zeus. Zeus, being the king of all gods, immortalized Orion by putting him in the sky and maybe to honor him. . . ."

Y/n then began to tell a story about the goddess Artemis and other gods she could remember. All the time, Wanda listened. Her eyes focused at the way the color of Y/n's eyes change when her gaze travelled between the witch and the sky.

Wanda suddenly found herself praying the human wouldn't let her hand go, skins molding as one as if Y/n was a part of her. And Y/n didn't let go the entire night they spent together.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into a month.

Both of them, unconscious of what the other was concerned, always looked forward to the end of the day, where they could spend time together talking about the moon and the stars and everything else. Even Pietro grew wary of this sudden change of behavior, wondering what his sister was up to.

And when Y/n thought about seeing Wanda during the day, she'd always stopped on her tracks because of the other man's presence. Vision.

Y/n needed reminding that Wanda wasn't a free soul. She was promised to be married to that awful man Y/n had only encountered seldom times.

Vision never apologized for his behavior. Y/n thought he should had been grateful at least for getting sanctuary when he needed it the most. What Y/n couldn't understand though was what Wanda had ever seen in that man.

Y/n had considered the possibility that Wanda could like a woman like her. But if that possibility didn't exist, she was sure there were other far better men than Vision out there in the world, better and worthy for someone like Wanda.

Most times, Y/n would understand. She'd tell herself that maybe underneath all those arrogance Vision was showing off, was a kindhearted sensible person only Wanda knew.

But one night, Y/n had enough. That night was the time Vision made fun of Bruce's hot cocoa, making the anger in the human's body boil, which brought her back to the present.

"This doesn't even taste that good," Vision said.

The scene made Y/n retire early for the night, not even waiting for supper.

The human was oblivious to Wanda waiting for almost an hour in their spot after dinner, wondering if Y/n forgot about their nightly rituals, if Y/n forgot about how they were going to talk more about Aurora Borealis.

The Aurora Borealis was the most beautiful thing Wanda had ever witnessed in her entire life. It only appeared during Winter. Green strings danced into the night sky, giving light and wonderful aura to everyone looking.

Wanda kept thinking about that night Y/n told her the beauty of it wouldn't compare to the green wonders found in the witch's eyes, making her blush the entire night even as they parted their separate ways.

When Wanda found out some time later, that Y/n had already gone to bed without even telling her, the witch cursed to the silent night and to the ugly sky above. Damn her heart for trusting humans!

 

BACK WERE the days the two had begun ignoring each other. It was only until they were sent to a mission together with Yelena and others, which was to meet with Steve, the leader of a neighboring camp bordering along the town of Wakanda where the latest attacks had happened, when Y/n and Wanda finally spoke a word to each other.

They met at one of the distinct taverns across town, one where Deviants seldom visited. It was a safe place for both normies and witches alike. But witches preferred to hide or pretend, just to avoid any casualties. The place was known to serve the best ale in town. The Avengers conducted some of their meetings in the place, known for its atmosphere of not minding every drinker's own business.

Steve also talked about the recent developments of the weapon they were making. Yelena took note of the chemicals to use. They even exchanged supplies under the table, slipping inside the satchel Yelena had beside her foot.

When the conversations turned to somewhat light, what with the amount of alcohol involved, they began talking about the female witches Steve and his team had rescued and how they were a master of seduction and love spells on certain nights. Yelena laughed at this, asking whether she could visit some time.

Wanda, on the other hand, was fuming, when Steve suggested to bring Y/n along with her too, for Y/n might find the women exhilarating and fun to be around with.

Y/n only shook her head, laughing, before turning to look at Wanda, who had not even touched her pint of ale.

"Do you want to drink something else?" Y/n asked, ignoring the ongoing conversations beside her.

"I'm fine. I don't drink intoxicating liquors," Wanda complained. "Need I also remind you that we shouldn't be even drinking right now."

"Wanda, relax. You deserve to have a little bit of fun. And their ale is the best, aged perfectly well," Y/n retorted. "A bit malty and strong but sweeter than lager—"

"I said I'm fine."

"Oooh, lovers' quarrel?" Yelena asked, hearing their heated exchanges. Y/n and Wanda only glared back at her.

"Did you know that ale is more flavorful than lager?" Y/n went on to convince the witch to start drinking. "They tend to be fruitier and aromatic, whereas lager is just plain and dry."

But the information only sent Wanda into spiral.

"Why can't you stop being a know-it-all?"

Yelena erupted in laughter, while Y/n scoffed. But they abruptly stopped talking when the conversation in front of them became louder.

"It's completely barbaric," the bartender, an old bald man with a protruding belly, said in a low yet noticeable voice. He placed the half-empty pint glass of ale hard on the table. "They capture and burn these innocent witches as if they're nothing. I know they're scum in the earth. But burning them until they turn to ashes is a bit beyond the works of the devil, don't you think?"

The other customers he was talking to in the tavern agreed in murmurs. Y/n turned to look at Wanda beside her, who was trembling in rage.

Wanda couldn't bear to listen anymore to the outrageous cruelty being done by Deviants to her own kind. Burning witches? What did they ever do to them? Why couldn't they accept witches as equals?

The witch's heart thudded so loud in her chest, heated blood surging through her veins as her mind almost lost it. No. She can't get out of control. No.

Her sight began to appear blurry; noises surrounding her echoed inside her head like low pitched maniacal sounds.

And then she could hear the helpless cries and agonies of those hunted, of her own kind, mercilessly tortured by heartless humans.

Help! They cried, children, women and wounded men. Wanda felt she'd explode any moment now as the screams grew louder.

And then it was gone all of a sudden. As if someone blew the flame of a lit candle. Wanda could see clearly again, the voices gone, replaced by the noise inside the tavern.

Wanda wondered what happened, as if someone miraculously performed a magic to calm down the wild beast in her. Then her eyes travelled to her lap, where a hand was enclosed hers. Y/n's hand.

Y/n gave her another squeeze before linking their fingers together. When she looked at Y/n, the human's eyes were filled with concern and sincerity that warmed the witch's heart. Relief flooded into Wanda, hoping it would be enough to keep her uncontrollable power at bay.

Wanda survived the entire night, listening to other updates that she couldn't bear to listen, trying to remember that they're good humans too. Not just the evil Deviants.

It was a hard task.

 

WHEN THEY got back to their camp, Y/n broke the silence. "Are you okay?"

Yelena had already left the two to give some of the supplies she received from Steve to Pepper.

Wanda shrugged her shoulders. "Why wouldn't I be? Witches around the world are being slaughtered every second."

"I'm sorry," Y/n said. She didn't know what to say to make the witch feel better.

"Why can't you save everybody?"

"Wanda—"

"Never mind," Wanda scoffed, walking past the human.

"Look, we're doing the best we can—"

The witch stopped as she turned back to face Y/n. "Well, it's not good enough! We shouldn't be even sleeping peacefully right now if witches out there won't witness another day in their lives."

Wanda broke into a sob. She was trying too hard to stay silent so as not to wake the sleeping campers, but she found it difficult to breathe without making a noise.

Y/n slowly approached her, wrapping her arms around the shivering body. The witch calmed down, letting herself be hugged as she buried her face into her chest.

"We're going to save them, Wanda," Y/n promised. "All of them. Day by day. I swear to you."

Eventually, Wanda's arms slithered around Y/n's body, underneath the coat the latter was wearing, feeling the human's heat as the source of life she needed to breath. The hug tightened. Wanda could hear Y/n's heartbeat, the sound calming the storm brewing inside of her.

"It will be okay," Y/n said. And Wanda believed her.

Taglist:

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Author's note:

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[serial-serializednovelreader]

Nova’s Notes - Dracula Daily - June 24

Another horrifying day in the life of Jonathan Harker. Let’s get to it, shall we?

So it seems that Jonathan and Dracula are still having their little chats, but Dracula, in a rare move, called it a night early and locked himself up in his room. But, Nova, he’s a vampire — I thought vampires went out at night??

I know right? Jonathan thinks something’s up as well because he immediately goes up to the South window (recall this is where he saw Lizard Fashion for the first time) because he knows “there is something going on”. He also knows the Szgany are actually working on something inside the castle — which he obviously can’t see, given his locked-in status — but he knows it’s not good because he can hear sounds of mattocks (like a pickaxe, but wider) and spades.

“I had been at the window somewhat less than half an hour, when I saw something coming out of the Count's window. I drew back and watched carefully, and saw the whole man emerge. It was a new shock to me to find that he had on the suit of clothes which I had worn whilst travelling here, and slung over his shoulder the terrible bag which I had seen the women take away. There could be no doubt as to his quest, and in my garb, too! This, then, is his new scheme of evil: that he will allow others to see me, as they think, so that he may both leave evidence that I have been seen in the towns or villages posting my own letters, and that any wickedness which he may do shall by the local people be attributed to me.”

So….yeah this isn’t good. Not only is the Count stealing his clothing to prevent him from being comfortable enough to get home, he’s stealing his identity too!!! Another way to isolate Jonathan from the villagers and spread rumors -- only this time they will be ones of horror, not ones to laugh off The worst part is, Jonathan doesn’t even know what Dracula is going to do when he gets to the village, he just remembers that bag had a child in it and he knows it’s not good.

It’s interesting that this is what causes Jonathan to kind of wake up a bit. For the past few entries, he’s described everything matter-of-factly: first the initial joy of escape, then when plans go awry — numbness. He doesn’t get mad, he doesn’t show complete despair (except for that one time), he just kind of — doesn’t mention how he’s feeling. Which is unusual for Jonathan because he, unlike other protagonists of his time, does tend to mention how he’s feeling.

Here, he sounds angry. Whether it’s because Dracula is off to steal another child, because he’s disguised as Jonathan or a mix of the two, one thing’s for sure: Jonathan is angry.

“It makes me rage to think that this can go on, and whilst I am shut up here, a veritable prisoner, but without that protection of the law which is even a criminal's right and consolation.”

Yep, rage! Also, I know this is serious and he’s totally right to be mad that he’s locked up and can’t even be protected by law or whatever — but I can’t help but laugh a little bit at the fact that he’s thinking in lawyer terms even now. Like, of course he is, but still: lovable nerd behavior and I’m here for it.

On the serious side though, it’s sad that he’s having to think of himself as a criminal here when he didn’t do anything wrong. He was literally here to do a job — which he finished a month ago — and he’s now a prisoner. Of course he would be righteously indignant!!

So while Jonathan waits for the Count’s return, he notices some specks flying around and is soothed by them in a…hypnotic way. Hmmm…

Also if you’re wondering what “embrasure” means (I did!) it’s basically the recess of a window. So he’s kind of just chilling in the alcove of the window while this is happening. As for “gambolling” (usually spelled gamboling, I think), it’s a fancy word for running about or jumping about playfully. Thanks for making me break out Merriam Webster, Jonathan!

However, the sound of howling dogs makes him start to struggle from this dreamy hypnosis and as he does, he notices that the dust motes are making weird shapes almost like those three women that almost bit him a while back…once he realizes this, he’s broken of the spell. He screams and runs back to his room where he can’t be taken under again.

A few interesting things of note here:

I wonder if this is why Jonathan felt so sleepy last time when he was in the room with the three women. Perhaps they put him under a bit of a hypnotic state and he just fell asleep before he was able to see the dust-transformation thing. He was probably also just tired though, lol.

It shows that these vampires can transform into phantoms as well, which we saw a bit of when Jonathan literally saw through the Count that first night on the way to the castle. I wonder if it takes time for them to make this transformation though, since it seems he’s watching them for some minutes before this happens to the point where he can distinguish their shapes.

I wonder too if part of the reason Jonathan is safe in his room from the women is because they need the moonlight to teleport and his window isn’t facing the moon. Jonathan describes his room as having “no moonlight” so perhaps? We do know that Dracula probably banned them from the room (since he warned Jonathan that was his only safe place), so that’s the more likely explanation. He just feels safer since it’s away from the moon's view. Just an interesting thought on this vampire lore!

“When a couple of hours had passed I heard something stirring in the Count's room, something like a sharp wail quickly suppressed; and then there was silence, deep, awful silence, which chilled me. With a beating heart, I tried the door; but I was locked in my prison, and could do nothing. I sat down and simply cried.”

:( So I assumed Jonathan had ventured out again to explore again (which would have been very brave of him, considering what just happened), but considering he says he was "locked in [his] prison", I think this was just something he could hear through the door of his room.

A few points here:

The Count's room has to be very close to Jonathan's room in order for him to hear that. I don't know if we had gotten that bit of lore before, but good to know that the Count has intentionally positioned Jonathan's room close to his own in order to know every move he makes.

Did Dracula lock him up just because he ventured out after dark again? Perhaps, but if Dracula goes into a bit of a frenzied state when he feeds, he might actually be doing this for Jonathan's protection.

It's very courageous that Jonathan, after the encounter he just had and knowing what was probably going on in the Count's room, nonetheless tried to open the door at all. Would he have been able to save this child from their fate? No, I doubt it. The child had gone silent by the time he tried it. But it speaks to his bravery nonetheless. And I know that he wanted to do something, because he uses the words "could do nothing" before he begins crying. At this point, Jonathan's breaking point is not about himself: he's used to having horrible things happen to him. But hearing what is likely another child subjected to this horror with him helpless to do anything but hear it? It's too much for him.

After a time, Jonathan has to go to the window again because he hears the cry of a woman. Sure enough, a woman who looks like she's been running is in the courtyard and what does she do when she sees him?

"she threw herself forward, and shouted in a voice laden with menace:— 'Monster, give me my child!'"

This proves Jonathan's entire theory correct. Dracula went into the village -- disguised as Jonathan -- and stole a child!!! He didn't make this subtle, either, just for this reason. He wants them to see. He wants the blame to go to Jonathan.

This leads into another horrifying situation. So we know that Dracula needs to feed, right? And this is the second time we've seen him take a child. Is he exclusively feeding on children?

Well, maybe, but not because he exactly wants to. Here's the issue:

We know the villagers know how to protect themselves against Dracula. The fact that they give Jonathan all of those vampire-repellent gifts is evidence of that. It would be hard for him in this case to just take an adult from the village because they likely know what he looks like and they constantly wear the equivalent of Vampire Raid on their person.

However...children are easier to fool. Of course, the parents will warn them and teach them about Dracula, but there will always be the few kids who don't listen. All it takes is one moment of them dropping their guard and...well, you can imagine what comes next. I also imagine Dracula occasionally tries to build trust in the younger children who might have not seen him before when their parents aren't looking. Contrary to popular belief -- Dracula in this iteration CAN go outside during the day, he just loses most of his powers. So, if he does see these kids, he can ask them for a small favor here or there. That way, when he approaches them at night (which could be done in a multitude of ways), perhaps they're not scared before he grabs them. Perhaps they don't scream. It's hard to say exactly how Dracula plays these games, but I think he does. Because he seems to think of conquering humanity as a game and feeding on children is just one of the steps.

That's my logic for why he might be feeding on just children here.

But Nova, you may be asking yourself, that's absolutely ridiculous! Why wouldn't the villagers rise up against Dracula if this was happening? Well, a couple of theories:

Perhaps they take on the attitude of "as long as it isn't my child, I won't worry about it." A depressing and rather cold attitude, to be sure, but a survivor's attitude. Dracula has forced them into this because in order to survive, they can't question or rebel against him. That makes the innkeeper's wife who gave him the crucifix hold even more meaning if the rest of the village holds such an unfeeling attitude. To my second point...

Who's to say they hadn't tried that before and failed? Remember, Dracula's castle is guarded by wolves that he controls at will (shoutout to that one scene in Dracula 2020 where he asks nuns to choose between him or the wolves...chilling) and there is the possibility of his castle having a spell over it that causes people to pass out (still not sure if that's how it works or if Dracula himself made Jonathan sleep that night in the carriage). Either way, just getting to the castle itself is difficult to navigate, not to mention breaking in, finding Dracula with his locked doors and the Lizard Fashion. Plus there are the roommates to consider. Even if they're prepared for all of that, it would be all but impossible to successfully put an end to his reign of terror.

All that said, back to the present.

"She threw herself on her knees, and raising up her hands, cried the same words in tones which wrung my heart. Then she tore her hair and beat her breast, and abandoned herself to all the violences of extravagant emotion."

This is painful to read. Jonathan knowing that he's not the cause of her pain, but being blamed for it and seeing her in agony over the loss of her child. While I know it wouldn't do much good, I think it says a lot about his character that he doesn't attempt to point her to the true culprit. He knows she's in pain and lets her be angry at him. And for the woman to see what she thinks is the man who's taken away her child watch her from the window must be an agonizing experience! How much pain she must be in! She takes it a step further by running out of Jonathan's view and banging her hands on the door. That's when things get worse.

"Somewhere high overhead, probably on the tower, I heard the voice of the Count calling in his harsh, metallic whisper. His call seemed to be answered from far and wide by the howling of wolves. Before many minutes had passed a pack of them poured, like a pent-up dam when liberated, through the wide entrance into the courtyard. There was no cry from the woman, and the howling of the wolves was but short. Before long they streamed away singly, licking their lips."

I suppose Dracula has had enough of this display of genuine human emotion (the terror! /s) and calls in the wolves. It's a testament to how strong the woman is that she doesn't give the Count the satisfaction of screaming in pain. I have nothing more to say here except Dracula, sincerely, I hate you and everything you stand for!!!!!!

"I could not pity her, for I knew now what had become of her child, and she was better dead. What shall I do? what can I do? How can I escape from this dreadful thing of night and gloom and fear?"

While this first part is understandable, it's quite unlike the Jonathan we've come to know. It's darker, more...cold. I'm not saying it's bad, but it shows how far he's been pushed emotionally that he's saying this. It's almost scary and it won't be the last time we see him this way.

As for the second part, I believe when he references "thing", he doesn't mean the place -- he means Dracula. I think it's good that he's back to this questioning like he was when he first starting seeing the Horrors because it means he's back to feeling emotion again, which might kick him back into gear for escape. He's going to need it.

[uucest]

Hi! yes that’s the one :D the only thing i realized is that it is/was called lady english au

yes okay! that was vivi's lady english au; vivi was an important figure in early uUcest/cherry limeade fandom, she was one of the central figures of the ship and created a lot of the early social spaces we found each other in, and she was the original owner of the uUcest url. a lot of us referred to her as the "ship captain." she disappeared from tumblr years ago (hence me claiming this url for my sideblog), so i like telling people about her. credit where credit is due and all that, and i feel somewhat responsible for bearing the torch with everyone having dispersed for other fannish shores and no-one else really left who knows about how important she was in this pocket of fandom.

anyway, since she left tumblr without archiving any of her blog or giving any notice of where she went, i don't have any of the original materials for her au and can't track them down, save for a few art posts ive already reblogged here. however, i was really into it in 2013ish, and here are the details i can remember:

this was an au where a dead calliope went to join lord english postmortem

caliborn was in his pre-english form

they lived in the felt mansion in the dream bubbles together

calliope underwent a sort of corruption arc where she became a lot less fixated on protecting the humans and a lot more fixated on staying with caliborn at all costs

while it was called the lady english au, i also sometimes referred to it as the "maid au," because once vivi drew a piece of kink art for it where calliope dressed up as a maid to tease caliborn, but also because she did a lot of the cleaning etc overall for him as a part of their dynamic

their dynamic had a lot of bdsm overtones and overall it was a very sexually charged au

the au was a delight and so was vivi herself. she was really a charming and wonderful person, there's a reason we all coalesced around her/her blog for so many years, she was such a friendly and enthusiastic soul and i genuinely miss her and think about her often to this day. i still think about the lady english au almost daily because of how enthusiastic she was about it and how much it fucked as a result. i hope she moved on to better pastures and is having a great life out there.

[gornackeaterofworlds]

did you know that it’s hard to get anons when you have anon turned off lol

but. when did you start drawing? writing? what’s your creative journey? 👀

I do, I turned them off when desceros did and for the same reason. I tend to see "anons" and "asks" as interchangeable. I can turn them back on if you'd like

Oo that's so funny actually. I was writing before I was drawing, funny enough. I mean, I've drawn traditionally forever. But digitally it was very sparse and usually tracing, and I'd never post it

I got into call of duty in the fall of 2022, and started writing fic for it soon after. I orphaned everything. A few headcanons, some fics I immediately deleted but the ideas are still very tempting....and a long fic called If I Could Be Vulnerable. I had forced myself to write every day for it, and lost steam pretty quickly. I got really embarrassed of how bad I think it is and orphaned all my works. The fact it was ever popular astounds me and I'm proud of my numbers, even if I still absolutely hate the fic

I drew nsfw of CoD here and there, but deleted it all soon after out of embarrassment. But then an incredible artist and friend convinced me to put my OCs on artfight last July, and I drew almost daily during artfight. This was massive for me, I only drew like once a month at most before this. I didn't really color my AF works then, despite coloring past works, because I didn't really know how to render and was afraid. But after art fight, I watched tutorials. I learned things about ibis paint. I found the brush I use for rendering to this day. I started coloring, then rendering. I slowly stopped using references(nothing against them, but I was very dependent on them for a while).

These are pieces from a year ago, and surprisingly I hadn't used references for these, I didn't use them for a lot of my old AF attacks, which confuses me why I grew dependent on them after this.

I started drawing backgrounds sparingly a few months ago. I only learned what clipping was maybe two months ago maximum. I found lens blur, which I use for rendering also and allows me to be lazier

I tried to force myself to write fic since I moved into a hotel a year ago, and it's just not happening. I don't think it'll happen for another two months at least. My comics are also on hiatus until that point, despite how tempting it is to get the arc over with, I just can't do it. I love to write, so so much, even if it's really hard for me and I don't think it's good. So no hiatus will be permanent unless things are truly at their lowest

I think my art has grown a lot 😭 that is my journey, and I'm proud of it

[malakhim]

13. Do you think the era you got into or discovered Lolita influences your style? No, not directly. I think I already liked styles I like now before I realized what lolita was but the problem is my memory is too bad to really recall exactly what I was looking at at the time. I actually think discovering lolita fashion as it existed in the West in the early 2010s put me off from wearing the fashion longer than it should've.

When I first discovered the term lolita fashion, I was very young.. I think I was around 10-12 between the years of 2013-2015. Deerstalkers was still lolita focused and there were actually lolitas with a following and they didn't have to aim all their content towards non lolitas to get high amounts of views. Lovely days. Most of them were sweet lolitas, and basically everyone I followed was a sweet lolita . I also drew lolita as a kid based on my perception of it, and it's not really the stuff I like to draw or look at now. I looked through my tumblr blog and found some reblogs from years ago, when lolitas had a larger presence on tumblr. Unfortunately a lot of my pink days have been purged.. Remnants.

Seeing this stuff and rationalizing the fact that if I bought this stuff, I wouldn't be comfortable enough to wear it is what made me kind of give up on buying lolita and just stick to drawing it because I came to the conclusion I just liked edgier fashions and didn't know when I'd wear lolita in my daily life. I knew I liked striped socks, thick platforms, collars, and interesting silhouettes. The idea of lolita in my mind (the cupcake dress, the bows, the prints, the patterned socks, you know) was an overwhelming concept for me back then. I yeeted it to the back of my mind. I also should add I liked other dresses too. I decided that if I didn't like pinks, I liked blue and purples and the things with night time themes and my favorite brand was baby the stars shine bright. I liked high waisted ops that made you look kind of like a tent. I'm struggling to find lots of examples because I deleted everything from my Pinterest board from back then but here is something I definitely would've saved and drawn something inspired by at that age.

It just gets more complicated because.. All along, perhaps before I'd even discovered lolita fashion itself, I'd been saving Old School, gothic, and classic dresses without even knowing exactly what I was looking at. I randomly find things throughout my life that have old school in them, and every time I'm like "whar" I think my pinterest just also has random pictures of old schoolers I talk to now who I did not know at the time. As a young teen to me they were just.. random tumblr bloggers. Imagine if I'd known about blogspot and the low old school prices at the time! It's nice to reflect on all of that. Lolita was always around even if my introduction to it was rocky. I probably would've always ended up here in the end even though it took 10 years! Ha! Also sidenote for those wondering about a specific dress I mention rather often: I did looove Nameless Poem as I mention in many of my lolita writings, but there weren't any other dresses I liked as much as it and I didn't see it as something I'd wear everyday at the time. I also liked it for a variety of reasons. While I was aware it was a lolita dress, I viewed it as more of something to add to my gothic wardrobe. My memory is pretty spotty, but I just know I discovered Nameless Poem from a very young age but i thought it was some rare difficult to find piece that i'd never have. when going through my pinterest boards, i found nameless poem pictures and many replicas/ripoffs of her so i do know she was on my mind.. it's just all so blurry now.

[candymothster]

Dante-| I want to hold you close

what if it was Dante instead of Vergil? Read Part 1

Summary: After the Sparda twins return from hell almost a year later, you and the others push the two to relax after having to fight demons for a long time. Beforehand, you were in a confusing relationship with Dante. He was, clearly head over heels for you, everyone knew, yet he never was able to tell you. Now, you want to help Dante relax, which ends in the two of you cuddling in your bed, he can be quite the clingy one when he’s exhausted.

Content Warning: None Content: Fluff Gender neutral reader Words: 1391

Masterlist💙 Buy Me A Kofi💙

Since the Qliphoth had fallen, the Sparda brothers were trapped in hell. And with the falling of the tree, has left Red Grave City to slowly rebuild itself over time, leaving the business of Devil May Cry to be quiet. Some jobs here and there from Morrison but otherwise, demon attacks seemed rare now. To Nero, it was a great way to relax for the DMC crew finally. It seemed like a good idea not to stress over demons daily.

But now, it has been a year since the events of the fifteenth of June. Nero has been more stressed about trying to find a way to bring his father and uncle back. You’ve promised to help him but today, you’ve sent him on his way to get some groceries. This was to help get his mind off things and keep him busy. The girls, Trish, Lady, and Nico were also doing some small jobs of their own. Trish taking care of a small demon issue on the other side of the city with Nico and Lady out with Nero.

Lying on Dante’s old couch in the DMC office. You’ve been staying there in your room. Small? Yes. But it was homey for you. With a book in hand, and a warm apple cider steaming away on the coffee table, it was yet another slow day. With the warm smell of cinnamon and a decently clean building, it was Lady’s idea on cleaning the place up while the brothers are gone. In her words Suprise them with a clean home when they get back.

It was getting close to 5 and you had done some dishes an hour ago. A proud smile on your face with the office feeling a lot more like home. But it still felt lonely. The oven beeped, notifying you that dinner was ready and like that, you were back to work. It was strange: too quiet not having Dante joking around and being, out of character around you. You, and well, everyone knew he was head over heels for you, hell thinking about it makes you smile, yet, breaks your heart.

“Don’t worry doll, we’ll be home by dinner time.” He smiled before leaping off the edge of the dying demon tree.

You still get shivers thinking about it, his voice echoing in your mind. The only thing that snaps you out of your thoughts was the door opening. This prompts you to look back from the newly set dining table with a soft smile. “Nero!” You smiled towards the young man and the women who stood beside him. “I’m glad you two weren’t out so late, dinner is ready--” Your sentence drew out a bit as two more bodies walked through the door. At first, you thought it was some illusion. Whipping your hands on your apron you slowly walked up to the gruff-looking man. “Just liked I said doll, just in time.”

Two hours. Of screaming from Nero and Dante. From, what you could gather in between the yelling. Was that Dante and Vergil had found a safer way of returning without the risk of demon hordes slipping through? You were quite amazed by that fact, all though. One thing couldn’t pass you too easily about the two. They looked like they went through hell. Literally. Both seemed so exhausted. “Dante,” You spoke up, catching the attention of the two. Looking at the two, glancing at Vergil and then back at the Uncle and Nephew.

“You and…Vergil seem. Horrible.” This earned a tired chuckle from him. “When are we not?” You only gave him a look of worry, which causes the elder twin to sigh. He gave Vergil a Come on look and the two started walking upstairs before Dante stopped beside you, smiling. “Thanks for cleaning the place up.” He fidgets with his hands as he looked down at you, you only smile softly at him. “It’s no problem. Just don’t mess it up again.” He only laughed it off and headed upstairs to clean up.

You couldn’t remember the last time you watched Dante eat like a starved dog. The building was, finally lively again. Yet Lady and Trish kept nagging and nagging the brothers to relax the next few days before going on jobs. Dante only argued like a child but you could tell he needed to keep himself busy after a year of fighting for his life. You kept a good eye on him. Even after that shower, he looked…tired. Heavy eyebags hung under his warm blue eyes. He glanced over at you, which earned a soft smile. His face warmed and he went back to his light-hearted argument with the girls.

After that wonderful dinner, you stood in the kitchen cleaning up, the dishwasher running, and the rest of the pots being cleaned by hand. Movement caught your eyes as you looked past the doorway noticing the youngest twin heading up the stairs. Shaking water off your hands you followed him upstairs.

Wanting to check on him, making sure he’s calling it a night early you follow him to his room. Just standing there. The room was, clean. He was surprised. “I wanted to make sure your…hopeful return was comfortable” He looked back, “You did this, for me?” His eyes were soft. Warm.

They just stared at yours, his soften gaze getting ever warmer the more they looked at you. “I wanted you to relax…you and your brother. I wanted to,” Gently, not wanting to startle the man, you slowly walk up to him, taking his arm in your hands. “Take care of you, while you regain your energy and strength.” He let out a huffed chuckle. “All for me huh?” You smiled.

“You should rest.” The younger twin chuckled softly, only to freeze when you put a hand on his cheek. His face warmed, blood flowing through his face. It caught him off guard but slowly, he leaned into your hand, eyes closing in pure bliss, something he dreamed of, a hope that one day he’d pop the question but he’s always worried about dragging you into his mess. “D-Doll…I--”

“I know.” Your heart fluttered as his eyes shot open, confusion (and worry) plastered all over his face. His larger hands cupped yours, as he melted back into your touch. “I’ve known since you left…I love you too…do you understand?” He nodded in your hands which prompted you to gently take his arm, leading him around to the bed. Sliding under the warm comforter, you held your arms out to him. Dante slid in, burying his face into your chest, and wrapping his strong arms around you.

A long, low grumble came up from his chest, as he sighed. “That lifted a load off my shoulders.” He joked, inhaling your scent. You chuckled softly, putting your hand on his head, and gently combed your fingers through his hair. “I know you worried about me getting hurt being your fault.” He looked up at you, a stern look on his face. “Am I wrong?” you chuckled.

“Heh..no.” Your hand slid down, meeting his cheek. “You don’t have to, trust me.” Your voice changed to a whisper, as you leaned closer to him. “Let’s not worry now doll…right now, I want to hold you close and never let go.” His lips meet yours, you sighed into the kiss as you wrapped your arms around him. It felt like forever till you broke the kiss. You slid down under the comforter and leaned up to his chest.

“Let’s get some sleep darling, you deserve it.” You smiled warmly. Dante groaned as his hold on your body strengthened, mumbling softly before he fell asleep. You thought for a moment. When was the last time the brothers had gotten sleep? Well, a good comfortable sleep. Getting lost in thought, the slight creak of a floorboard caught your attention in the doorway. There stood the other Sparda brother, looking to the side before back at you. Slowly, you lift the comforter, showing the white hair of his brother. He smiled and nodded before leaving the two of you in the quiet room.

You smiled to yourself and kissed the top of Dante’s head, before falling asleep. Knowing, tomorrow: will be even more amazing with what you have planned for the two of you.

[marshallpupfan]

Marshall Merchandise Update!

Ha ha... Walmart made a liar out of me. I was there not even a week or two ago, and they had no Jungle Pups toys, whatsoever. I stopped in today, and look at what they're finally stocking on their shelves! The selection was quite small, however. They just had the Deluxe Elephant vehicle, the Marshall & Skye set, and the Chase & Tracker set. For the usual-sized vehicles, they only had Rubble's and no one else's.

You know, when the Mighty Movie toys slowly trickled in, I recall my stores only got Rubble at first, too. What's up with that? It's like they expect his merch to fly off shelves, so they always stock it first. I wonder how true that is...?

The "Deluxe Elephant Vehicle" is certainly the star attraction this time around. Unless I'm mistaken, Marshall's the only one to get one of these larger vehicles, so way to go, spotted one! To be honest, outside of Tracker, I'd say he might've had the second-biggest presence in Jungle Pups, which after season 9, I was very glad to see.

...Which makes it all the more a shame that Nickelodeon USA shoved all of the episodes out in less than a week here. I really wish they'd taken their time with this subseries. :(

In any case, this thing's trunk is supposed to launch plastic water balls (three are included), which is pretty neat. You can place the unused ones in that tube on top, and I believe you can press a button somewhere to release a little latch to have the next water ball roll into place to get launched. There's also a container on the back where you can store them. The driver's seat has the usual clip so the Marshall figurine won't fall out, though I sometimes dread using those, as I'm always afraid it might scratch the paint on the figurine. 😅

Overall, I'd say it's pretty cool! Hopefully the kids will like it, too.

Next, the "Marshall, Skye & Elephant" set. As I mentioned before, there's another set just like this, except it has Chase, Tracker and a tiger. Admittedly, I wish they'd included Chase and Marshall together. Skye fans would've been happy with Tracker, right? lol

Similar to the vehicle above, the elephant also launches a projectile, although this one's more of a splat of water. Also, I compared the two figurines of Marshall, and they're virtually identical... save for his pup pack being yellow and there's less silver paint. They didn't always used to do that, but I think, ever since the pandemic, they've been cutting costs by just using the same mold and painting them a little differently. I'm not sure how to feel about that. 😅

That's it for the Jungle Pups toys for now. Marshall also has a smaller, more traditionally-sized vehicle, but my Walmart didn't get any in yet. Naturally, I hope to add that at some point... and any mini-figurines, plush dolls and/or True Metals, if they end up making any. Currently, I've no idea if those are coming or not. No doubt the Jungle Pups line of merchandise won't be as big as what came before it.

But while this is all I have to show of Jungle Pups... I've got one more item recently that I'm especially happy to finally own!

Behold! A Christmas ornament of Marshall's hat! As some of you might remember, or if you recall the Daily Marshall Pic I posted last Christmas (click here to see it again, as I hand-drew the strand and animated the lights myself and I'm still rather proud of it), the TV series actually featured this ornament in one of its episodes! Season 7's "Pups Save a Bah-Humdinger", to be precise (which aired back in 2020). They made some of them into actual ornament soon after, and I've been trying to get a hold of one for a few years now.

...However, they only ever showed up on Amazon, and they only sold Marshall's ornament in a set with Chase and Skye's ornaments (pic below). I kept hoping they'd sell them separately, so I waited and waited for them to show up either in stores or on Ebay. Strangely, no such luck. The only option was Amazon.

However, over time, the price started to drop more and more. They started around $23, and they recently dropped to around $12. I figured why not finally go for it, especially since a relative of mine was able to get me free shipping through her Prime membership. I wasn't sure if I was going to get the one I was looking for, as a review stated that when they bought the set, the only got one. Fortunately, they sent me all three, so that made me happy.

...Except they used bubble wrap to ship them, and Marshall's ornament arrived broken. The part on top, with the yellow ball and mistletoe (?), had snapped off, due to it being rather thin and all. Still, a little super glue fixed it right up, so it's practically good as new. It's disappointing that happened, but hey, I'm glad I finally have it. :)

And that's all for now! Geez, I didn't mean to type so much in this post. I'm a bit long-winded, huh? Ha, I guess I don't know the meaning of the word "brevity". To wrap things up, hopefully my stores will get the other vehicles in soon enough, and anything else of Jungle Pups that's yet to come. I'll let you all know what I find!

[muchmuch-xii]

Morine is a character I created a long, long time ago. I was still in secondary school. Since then, I've grown up, but she hasn't. And I abandoned her for a long time.

I was focused on other things, my friends, my family, other projects. Then during the lockdown I came back to her. I drew her, rewrote her story and drew her again. It was the first time I'd drawn a character I'd created. Before that, I'd only made copies or fan art. I was proud. I realized for the first time that I was capable of drawing something myself.

Well, with hindsight today I find her very ugly, but that's not the point !

Thanks to her, I met a friend with whom I've been in daily contact ever since. She inspired me to write again. She gave me the courage to create other characters that I love do much.

And then I abandoned her again. My studies took up a lot of space and, above all, another character occupied all my thoughts. After rewriting Morine's story, I decided to take on a much older character. I rewrote her whole life, her history, her past, her design, her way of being, her relationships. It took time, a lot of time, and energy. I couldn't think of Morine and this character at the same time. So I left her out.

Then, a little over a year ago, I decided to focus on Morine again. And I couldn't believe how lame the character was ! She was flat ! No depth ! A real Mary Sue... Normal ! She had been written by a 15-year-old girl. And when I rewrote her, I didn't yet have the creative tools I have now.

So I started all over again. I've changed her name : back then, she was called Kabune, which meant "cub" in japanese. You can make the connection with the wolfhound in the old drawings. I changed her character, her story, her interactions with the other characters. As a result, Morine is hardly the same character as Kabune.

There were a few hitches too. For example, I had trouble coming up with a new name. In Noragami, names are important, so the author often plays with kanji to make them interesting and meaningful. But I don't speak Japanese. So I had to rely on online translators... Big mistake !

Morine means Forest + the suffix Ne, which is significant to the Yato group. All his Shinkis have a name ending in Ne. Yukine, Kazune, Tomone. Since Morine has a special connection with the woods, I wanted a name that meant that word. Quite simply ! Except that in French, we have a homonym between the word for wood and the verb to drink, conjugated in the present tense. Can you feel the problem coming ? My translator translated the verb to drink in Japanese instead of wood, so I ended up with a name that, while very pretty, didn't really mean anything ! Nomune…

I realized this when talking to someone who was learning a little Japanese. I was disgusted! So I settled on the word Forest, and here I am with Morine. Which I think is beautiful and suits her perfectly.

Another problem : spoilers at the end of Noragami.

I wanted Morine to transform into a deer. Since Shinkis have the ability to transform into either an object or an animal, I thought it would be interesting in terms of the story I wanted to tell with her ! Except that in the meantime, the final chapters of Noragami have been released, and guess what ? Yukine has unlocked this ability ! This little rascal turns into a wolf. It's very stylish, but I was pissed off. Fun fact, in her first version, Morine (Kabune at the time) also turned into a wolf.

But despite all that, today I think I've found a story that suits me. A story that suits her, coherent and interesting. I'm missing a few details that will come in time, but I know what I want to tell. And even though no one gives a damn, no one reads these posts or cares about my work, I can't wait to write it so I can say to myself again : I did it ! I created her by myself.

[raptorian]

Day 🎉 78

AAI2 COLLECTION RELEASE DAY!!!! As a celebration I compiled most of the images I made from the daily series all on one canvas. I left out some doodles (mostly the W.I.P. pics for the plane. Never doing perspective again.) so these are mainly the highlights! I also went back and counted each separate doodle/image I drew of Sebastian/Eustace, totaling to: 49. Forty freaking nine in 78 days. And yes, I am still, not normal about this character (technically I drew him 50 times if you count the doodle on this image).

In all seriousness though I had a lot of fun doing this daily series, and if you wanna hear me ramble more about it you can find it under the cut, otherwise I hope you enjoy playing AAI2 as much as I did!

Welcome.

This won’t be too much about AAI2, so if you’re looking for that then I’m afraid you’re in the wrong place and you should look to my past posts for that!! If you’re still here, thank you for taking the time to hear me reminiscing about all this 👍

For starters, I never expected for me to go as long as I did. After watching the trailer live during the Nintendo Direct I decided that I’d just hop onto my tumblr account I hadn’t used in years to share my hype with everyone else. I had played the fan translation a few years back, and while I certainly enjoyed the game, I wasn’t really crazy about it. So coming out of a bit of a creative burnout, I posted a few doodles and thought that I’d probably stop after a few days.

And then I kept going and going until I just decided, what the heck, why not post something everyday until the game came out? It’d be a fun little thing I could do over the summer + it’d actually get me to practice drawing humans (which I had avoided like the PLAGUE). I genuinely thought that I would last at most 2 weeks.

While I still think I have A LOT I could improve with when drawing people, I’m genuinely happy with how much more comfortable I am drawing them. Here’s just one example of me struggling to draw heads ages ago, god forbid drawing the rest of a person lol.

Honestly the biggest takeaway I want to leave with this is just taking a break every now and then to draw the things you enjoy. And I know, practically every artist says this, but you hear so often how people experience burnouts, have a lack of motivation to draw, or feel like it’s a chore now. Personally for me, I started learning how to draw because I REALLY loved the Wings of Fire series. Similar to now, I’d draw dragons everyday and it pretty much led to me deciding I wanted to become an artist as a career.

I genuinely loved every bit of drawing, but it sort of diminished as I stopped drawing for fun and took it more seriously, leading to me feeling constantly unmotivated for months at a time. Obsessing over the silly Ace Attorney characters reminded me of why I wanted to learn to draw in the first place: so I could create whatever I wanted and be as self indulgent as I wanted lol.

TL;DR: My AA obsession/hyperfixation cured my burnout and brought back my love for drawing, and I recommend anyone who feels the same way to take the time to draw the character, show, game, etc. you love the most!