#drawing feathers is my arch nemesis

[shittybundaskenyer]

My blood beats so alive, might tear right through my skin <- me while drawing this in a frenzy

[gwennafran]

Pale Lights, Book 2 chapter 14 - Scholomance Students  

Lots of new or reworked students. Some with minor updates I won’t bother going into.

Also lots of updated descriptions under cut.

I’m still missing three minor students. Kasigo, Patli and Anaya just have to be added at a later date. Maybe they’ll even have more characterization on page at that time.

Vivek: I did not mean to make him handsome. But I guess he just really rocks that beard.

Fourth Brigade: Oh look, Adarsh no longer is pretty much all by himself.

Tupoc refused to cooperate with the perfect expression. I’d say it’s on point, but… “Sigh”.

Expendable: Those eyes really do stand out. I just want to pat him on his head and tell him it’ll all be all right.

Alejandra: Well, she got a cool hat.

Acceptable Losses has me reading way too much into one single sentence. I figure she normally hides more behind that hair. Only, perfect Tupoc picked her. So now she’s no longer hiding. And giggles too much whenever he gives her attention. And probably will die horrible over a dumb crush. Hey, I had to look up burn scars for this one. Let me have my fun. Also, my guess is on AL being a tinker. Causing a few too many explosions for others to want her on their team.

-

Cressida is out of numbers order so I could fit her in where there is room (damn single groups). She is now Tristan’s declared arch nemesis. Just look at her wearing a tricorn with feathers and pretty bows attached. The heresy.

Eleventh Brigade: They just broke the “all of them are Malani” theory.

Imani: Redid her hair and clothes. Damn… I liked her old hair. Maybe I’ll reuse it on a minor character. Preferably one I don’t plan on drawing too often, because it was a lot of work to draw too.

Salvador: Maybe I’ll rework the scar at some point.

Forty-Ninth Brigade: I slightly resized everyone to fit the rest of the image.

Muchen: Now more muscular.

Huang: Now with a bit more rounded face.

[corndoggod]

Vic’s Birthday, Part 1: Alligator’s Lounge

“Last minute pivot! We’re meeting at Alligator Lounge instead,” Vic texted the birthday group chat.

I looked at Celina, why the hell would she choose Alligator Lounge? That’s where you go when you first move here and you want to drink your dinner.

Celina shrugged and walked off to get another plateful of cheese cubes, crackers and fruit. We were in New Jersey for a baby shower and I was four beers deep. I was no longer interested in talking, but I was interested in partying when someone fork-tinked their glass calling to attention a crowd of dressed-up parents and casual peers. The toast was unremarkable, but the bird-shaped sugar cookies with watercolored feathers were magnificent.

I didn’t know anyone aside from Celina and the parents-to-be, and even they I barely knew. But I felt a fast-tracked closeness with them that I privately enjoyed, though I’m unsure if it was shared. The only small talk I could make was housing-related since we’d gone through the meat thresher of apartment hunting for the last six months and emerged tattered, exhausted and demoralized. We wanted more payoff for our struggles than a garden unit sublease with a rat racetrack in the backyard.

I had spent Friday night scrambling for last-minute gifts and learned Whole Foods is not actually that expensive. It was cheaper than the fancy deli, and better quality too, though not always organic. The inflation markups have gone unchecked in bodegas and they’ll never come back down.

But anyway, I wandered to the soaps and vitamins aisle and facetimed Celina to advise me on what to get. I spent a good hour nosing around for a body brush, bath bombs, moisturizer, face oil, fern and moss candles and more.

Then I biked to Greenlight to get On Immunity by Eula Biss and Lost Words by Robert MacFarlane, a gorgeously illustrated book for toddlers.

The parents of the father-to-be handed out cards for us to pencil in our best guesses as to the baby’s stats including time and date of birth, weight, name and qualities from each parent. I guessed Marsh Mallow for the name and put down Nicky’s birthday and gave a punishing 4:35am birth time.

That concluded the party. We all got in line for the bathroom and bid farewell and the sky clouded over and began to weep. We loaded up on gas and ventured back toward the Lincoln Tunnel where we sat in traffic for an hour.

We met the VIP crowd at a Dominican restaurant and I ordered a chicken sandwich with crust so hard it cut my mouth like a machete. Bloodied and full, I finally took my bump, which put me in higher spirits.

We packed into the car and drove back in time. The whole backroom was reserved. We had one set of tables and were the first to arrive of the three parties. Within ten minutes, we had exhausted all the amenities -- Duck Hunt, ski ball, a broken photobooth -- and karaoke, my arch nemesis and greatest fear and the reason we were there, was still two hours away. The drinks were strong and I wanted to pace myself, but I was bored and uptight.

Francesco rolled up with a friend he met at his architecture firm who also happened to be Italian. Like me, he worked on the business side dealing with contract negotiations and logistics when he’d prefer to be at the drawing table penciling designs like Francesco. I understood deeply and shared my own inferiority complex.

It was nice to meet someone who shared my unique predicament. There’s a low but constant ache being that close to what you want to do. Many of my friends had made it in some way. In attendance that very night was a video journalist, an Oscar-nominated film editor, a painter, an architect, a musician -- all with varying degrees of success and security, but all appeared to have solid footing.

And my friends were really talented at singing as well. Emma’s opener devastated us. The room was already full but her voice lured in stragglers from the bar and by the end it was packed, running five bodies deep.

“This is a better crowd than SKORTS shows,” she beamed. A couple of jabronis took the mic and butchered a Sheryl Crow song, but the crowd was massively supportive, headbanging and singing along.

Cale arrived wet and not smelling of puke. He sang an all-time classic, Sunday Morning by Maroon 5 from the album Songs of Jane, which I actually love. And Cale was tickled by the fact that it was actually raining and it was technically Sunday morning, a fact that tickled Cale. That, and it was his birthday now. The handoff was complete.

[dinosaurtsukki]

[ it takes two to tango ]

pairing: chuuya nakahara x f!reader

word count: 2.4k words

contains: enemies but they flirt a lot basically, so much sexual tension and teasing, flirty!y/n, fight scenes and dance scenes basically carry the same amount of sexual tension and i will die on this hill

summary: chuuya runs into you, his arch-nemesis, again at a masquerade ball on a mission and reluctantly allies himself with you to fulfill the same goal

a/n: okay here’s ANOTHER chuuya fic from your resident chuuya fangirl. this is my first time writing an enemies to lovers-ish fic and i had so much fun with the setting and sexual tension here so i hope you guys like it 

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chuuya was being watched, he could feel it ever since he walked into the large mansion on undercover mission that mori sent him out to do. at first, he didn’t think much of it since he was going to a masquerade ball, after all. of course there would be a few girls or two who’s eyes he managed to catch. 

except, when he went off on his own inside the mansion to search for info on the enemy faction’s leader, who also happened to be hosting the party, he could tell he was now being followed.  chuuya wasn’t particularly alarmed, he could handle anyone by himself. but he was pretty pissed off when he realized who those familiar footsteps, that grew nearer than ever, belonged to.

without hesitation, chuuya pulled out his knife and whirled around to face a pistol directed at his face. even with the black, feathered mask covering half your face, chuuya would recognize his arch-nemesis anywhere. 

he watched your red lips curl up in a smirk. “fancy seeing you here, nakahara,” you purred.

“fuck, you again?” chuuya growled, not lowering his knife. 

“try as you might, i’m afraid you just can’t avoid me,”  you said, lowering your gun. “so, you’re looking into boss tanaka too, huh? i’m afraid i already searched his office before you came in.” 

“that so?” chuuya snorted, mentally cursing himself for not coming earlier. but then, you were always just one step ahead of him.

you and chuuya had been arch-nemeses ever since you crossed paths at a mission a few years ago. he had never heard of you at all and knew very well that you weren’t part of any organization. rather, you worked alone as a paid criminal: assassinating anyone or stealing information all depending on who your boss was. if you were from an enemy organization, chuuya would have thought better of you. 

“unfortunately not,” you sighed, raising the skirt of your scarlet dress and tucking your gun away in the holster strapped to your thigh. chuuya tried not to let his eyes linger too long on this show off skin and realized, with a lot of discomfort, that you looked really good tonight. the dress you wore complimented the color of your lipstick and fit you like a glove, hugging your curves in all the perfect places. your hair was even done up too.

“like what you see?” you smirked at him, causing chuuya to blush and dart his eyes away, only for you to chuckle at his response. “don’t worry, you’re not the only one enjoying the view tonight,” you winked. unlike chuuya, you were a tad bit more, upfront, about your attraction to him. after all, he was an amazing fighter and ability user, a port mafia executive, and very good-looking to top it all off. and tonight, he was especially stunning in his dark gray suit and the white mask that covered his eyes and part of his left cheek.

oh, if only you two weren’t enemies. but then again, sometimes working together had its benefits.

“boss tanaka’s downstairs mingling with the guests. i recognized a few of his co-executives there with him,” chuuya said, walking ahead down the hallway and back to the dance floor.

“oho? are you suggesting we team up for a bit?” you raised an eyebrow at him.

“only until we get what we need, l/n,” chuuya flashed you a look. “after that, it’s free for all, like always.”

“you got it,” you mused as the two of you entered the ballroom of the masquerade ball. you were thankful for the theme giving you an opportunity to look less inconspicuous after you snuck in uninvited. the two of you scanned the sea of masked guests before spotting the unmistakable large figure and bald head of your target in the middle of the dance floor, chatting with a few of his associates.

“alright, follow my lead,” you said, holding your hand out to chuuya. 

“your lead?” he said, looking at your hand with more than a hint of suspicion. you rolled your eyes at him.

“how do you expect us to get close and listen on him without drawing attention?”

chuuya looked from you to the dance floor and understood what you were talking about. still, “no way am i dancing with you.”

“how come? don’t know how?” you mocked, grinning at the infuriated look on chuuya’s face as he grabbed your hand and pulled you with him to the dance floor. 

“you’re following my lead,” he said lowly, placing a hand behind your back and pulling you close. you two were inches apart and up close, you could smell chuuya’s usual cologne and the faintest hint of cigarette smoke. then slowly, the two of you began to move with the music. 

chuuya had only happened to learn dancing, from koyou-san of course, when he realized it was useful for certain missions and mingling with a crowd. he was confident with his skill and maneuvered the two of you effortlessly through the dance floor and getting within earshot of boss tanaka. the whole point of dancing with you was to get in close and overhear his plans. 

except, chuuya was unbelievably distracted by how close you were to him. everything from your the intensity of your gaze as you listened into your target’s conversation, to the warmth of your bare arm against his, to the scent of your perfume, was enough to make him feel more than a little warm. damn it, was he attracted to you now?

“one a.m., tonight,” you suddenly leaned in to whisper in his ear. with a start, chuuya realized you were relaying the info you just heard. “they’ll leave for yokohama tower and conduct the trade there. they’ve got a buyer for the information we’re after. about no less than a billion yen, would you believe?” you chuckled.

“good,” chuuya nodded, leading you away to the middle of the dance floor when he felt your grip tighten.

“you’re not thinking of leaving me here, are you?” you narrowed your eyes at him.

“why? so that you can screw me over sooner?” 

“there’s still a few hours until one a.m, it would be strange for us to leave, don’t you think?” you said innocently, smiling when the live orchestra began to play a livelier music piece. “we’ve got time to kill.”

talking to you constantly felt like making deals with a devil. previous experience told chuuya to drop you here right here and now. but the need to be kept on his toes around you was terribly exciting. it was a different kind of rush that chuuya couldn’t get from fighting even the strongest of opponents.

and you were the only one who could give it to him.

chuuya noticed the shift in the music at the same time you did and without warning, moved his hand down to your lower back and dipped you close to the floor. reading his movements, you smirked and wrapped your leg around his as chuuya lowered you.

“good choice, nakahara,” you said, drawing out the syllables of his name and leaning in to whisper in his ear. “it takes two to tango, after all.”

...

years of running into each other in missions and having to fight only made you and chuuya familiar with each other’s movements. when you danced, you were in complete coordination that you didn’t even have to think about where to move your feet. the fact that your faces were partially hidden by masks did nothing to remove the intensity behind your gazes and by the end of the dance, both of you were breathless.

dancing was almost no different from fighting. of course there was movement involved, a whirlwind of limbs but this time with weapons in hand. and then, there was trust involved. but the trust you placed in your dance partner to lead was very different in the trust you placed with a rival who happened to be fighting for your side momentarily.

“well, well, guess we have no choice but to beat all these guys up,” chuuya smirked, shrugging out of his jacket and draping it carefully against the fire exit ladder. he wasn’t sure if he was going to get a chance to fight some people tonight but the chance presented itself when you two barged into the trade-off on top of yokohama tower. 

“i’m sure you enjoy that immensely,” you sighed, eyeing all the mafioso members surrounding boss tanaka that now had you and chuuya surrounded on all sides.

“why, tired?” he taunted you.

“no,” you snorted, taking out your pistol and loading a new magazine. “i just bought this fucking dress.” 

“do you two really think you could get out of this situation?” boss tanaka sneered. you and chuuya broke in right before the trade-off actually happened and he tucked the USB containing the information you two were after into his pocket. maybe he was right to think that, after all he had one of the largest organizations in yokohama second only to the port mafia itself. he dealt in the illegal weapons trade in the city and you could bet that your new client and the port mafia were hoping to take over that. 

but you were a highly-paid mercenary for a reason  and chuuya nakahara was the port mafia’s best fighter. this was child’s play at most.

chuuya rolled up his sleeves and got into his fighting stance beside you. “try not to drag me down, l/n.” 

“speak for yourself, nakahara.” 

and with that, the two of you sprung into action. chuuya, not letting his ability to give an unfair advantage, dodged bullets left and right before sending kick after kick, knocking opponents down to the ground. he easily dodged a punched aimed at his jaw and gripped a man’s arm before throwing him over his back. once he pulled out his knife to use it, he was even more deadly.

as much as he hated to admit it, you caught up with him with easily. you had both pistols out at ready, firing them at your opponents without missing a single shot. your movements were practically seamless, filling in for each other’s blind spots and hitting targets with just the briefest of signals.

at one point, chuuya whirled around to find one of your pistols pointed at him. without a second thought, he moved his head a fraction to the side as a bullet whizzed past his cheek to hit someone behind him.

“that was a bit too close, don’t you think?” he growled at you.

“you really think i’d be dumb enough to kill you with a bullet?” you snorted, walking past him to where boss tanaka now lay on the ground, bleeding from the gunshot wound. 

“im- impossible. those were my best fighters,” he coughed, staring up at you.

“well, rest assured, they did put up a fight,” you smiled sweetly before reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out the USB you were after. “what do you think’s in here?” 

“trade routes, probably,” chuuya said, taking his jacket and slipping into it again before stuffing his hands in his pockets and addressing you. “so, how are we going to do this?” 

“well, i was the one who killed boss tanaka,” you raised your eyebrows at him, tossing the USB up and down in your hand. 

“yeah, but i killed more of his henchmen,” chuuya reasoned.

“those are henchmen. everyone knows it doesn’t end until you take the boss.” 

“any one of those henchmen could have killed you if i hadn’t taken them out first.” 

you sighed. “i really don’t feel like fighting you tonight, nakahara.” 

“let’s just get it over and done with then, l/n,” chuuya cracked his knuckles and before you knew it he had you bent over backwards against the railing of the rooftop with his hand wrapped around your neck. you tried to move but the red glow around chuuya’s body and the heaviness around you suggested that it was futile.

“no... fair... ability,” you choked out. now it was chuuya’s turn to smirk as he had you right where he wanted you.

“l/n, you’re the last person who gets to talk to me about what’s fair,” he said, plucking the USB out of your hand and tucking it into the pocket of his shirt before finally letting you go. you gasped for air, massaging your throat as you glared at chuuya. “that’s what you get for double-crossing me last time.” 

“guess i kinda deserve it after slashing your motorcycle tires,” you laughed. 

“go to hell, l/n.” 

“are you asking me out on a date, nakahara?” 

“you wish.” 

“one last thing,” you sauntered up to chuuya, your bodies as close as they were earlier while dancing. he braced himself for anything else you might pull. you raised a hand and for a moment, chuuya thought you were going to make another grab for the USB, only for you to lean in and plant a kiss on his cheek.

he was beyond surprised and it took all of chuuya’s willpower to appear uninterested when he could feel his cheeks burning from the contact. the amused smile playing on your lips only aggravated him more. 

“the hell was that for?” he scowled.

“just wanted to see how you’d react,” you shrugged nonchalantly, sliding your pistols back into their holsters. “until next time, nakahara,” you waved before stopping by the door that you two came in and looking at him over your shoulder. “maybe sooner than you think.” 

...

chuuya shrugged out of his jacket and took off his mask as soon as he got into his car. it had been a long night, especially after running into you, and he wanted nothing more than to get home, take a long, relaxing shower, and get as much sleep as he could before going to the office later that day. 

but before all of that, chuuya took out the USB that he had spent all night trying to get and opening his laptop to check its contents. however, when he finally opened it to find a single .txt file inside, he knew something was wrong.

“fucking bitch,” he cursed under his breath, realizing that you must have swapped out the actual USB for one that you brought with you when you kissed him earlier. it was even more frustrating when chuuya remembered that he was caught completely off-guard by it. 

after collecting himself, he finally opened the .txt file, even though he knew it would just contain a gloating message from you. but the message was just two words, typed beside what appeared to be your phone number.

chuuya could almost hear your voice as he read it: call me.

▸ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ◂

taglist (check out my post for details on being part of my taglist): @waitforitillwritemywayout @atsumu-brainrot​ @laure-chan @goodfoodxoxoxo ​ @guardianangelswings @ah-kaashi @amberalisa @whootwhoot​ @liz-multifandom-hotel​ @kac-chowsballs​ @violentfarewll​

[gabriulio]

Persona World’s Demon Encyclopedia - Days 7-10

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Twitter thread

All entries can be found in my blog, tagged as “demonic compendium.”

Sorry for not posting anything in the past few days. Real Life™ has been hectic, but here’s all the profiles that should have been posted if everything went according to plan. Since I missed four days it should’ve meant 12 profiles, but 3 of those are stuff I’ve already translated in the past so they don’t count. Which means here’s a whooping FIFTEEN profiles in total. Enjoy!

Ah Puch

Mayan death god. He looks like a white skeletal figure with protruding ribs and patches of decayed skin. He wears bells all throughout his body and is accompanied by a dog and an owl.

Ah Puch is the leader of the Bolontiku, a group of nine gods who govern Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. He also presides over Mitnal, the lowermost layer of Xibalba.

Abe no Seimei

An onmyōji who lived in Japan during the Heian (794-1185) period. It is speculated that he’s a descendant of Abe no Musaki, but his mother’s identity is unknown, though some believe that his mother was the fox spirit Kuzunoha.

Seimei’s name has also been recorded in multiple manuscripts, some of them depicting legends that stray from reality. In the Konjaku Monogatari, Seimei was a pupil of Kamo no Tadayuki and learned the secret arts from him. It was also said that he had outstanding abilities, such as being able to divine the cause of the Emperor’s illness, and also employ a total of twelve shikigami.

Seimei’s arch nemesis was Ashiya Douman. The two of them once competed to see who was superior and Seimei won. In retaliation, Douman assassinated Seimei’s father, but Seimei was able to revive him using his power.

Nowadays, the Seimei ward of Kyoto houses the Seimei Shrine, which celebrates the anniversary of Seimei’s death every year with a festival on September 26.

Apep

Egyptian snake god born from the primordial sea. He embodies chaos itself, and is also called “The Great Serpent.” He’s also associated with Ouroboros, the giant serpent from Greek mythology that surrounds the world.

As his name suggests, Apep’s body is gigantic. Every day, the sun god Ra carries the sky from West to East, and Apep attempts to swallow it. As a result of Apep’s actions, the day-night cycle exists.

Apollo

A Greek god. He and his twin sister Artemis were born from Zeus and the goddess Leto. He was fed nectar and ambrosia, the drink and food of the gods, and thus grew into an adult in only a few days. He performed many heroic deeds, such as slaying the giant snake Python and the giant Tityos.

Apollo was a young and beautiful god, and so there are many legends that talk about his love life. However, he was repeatedly deceived and betrayed, and so his love was never returned.

Amatsu Mikaboshi

Also known as Ame no Kakaseo or Hoshi no Kakaseo, he is the Japanese god of stars.

In the Nihon Shoki, the gods Take-Mikazuchi and Futsunushi tried to subjugate Ashihara no Nakatsu Kuni during the Tenson Kōrin, but Amatsu Mikaboshi resisted them until the very end, granting him the epithet of "disobedient fierce god." However, in the end he was defeated by Shitsuri and Take-Hazuchi.

Maihime Amano

An original character appearing in Eternal Punishment.

She is a daughter from one of Kiyotada Sumaru’s branch families and Maya Amano’s ancestor. She and her lover Tatsunoshin Suou assassinated Kiyotada Sumaru, the tyrant who wanted to take over all of Japan. Even after Kiyotada’s death, her mummified remains keep watch over the city of Sumaru.

When summoned as a Persona, she has the appearance of a red-haired woman sporting two horns and wearing long-sleeved clothes.

Ameretat

One of the seven archangels from Zoroastrianism, the Amesha Spenta. She’s a daughter of the chief god Ahura Mazda and her name means “Immortality.” She’s the guardian angel of plants and responsible for governing the spiritual power of the sacred tree Haoma.

She often appears in conjunction with the god Haurvatat, whose name means “wholeness” and “satisfaction,” as the two of them are associated with water and plants. By uniting their powers, the two of them are capable of sending forth rain. Flowers are given as offerings in rituals that worship Ameretat.

Ame no Uzume

Japanese goddess of kagura and performing arts. When the goddess Amaterasu hid herself inside a cave known as Ama no Iwato and darkness fell over the world, Ame no Uzume danced in front of it with her breasts and crotch exposed, attracting Amaterasu’s attention and drawing her out of the cave.

“Uzume” means traditional Japanese hair ornaments, also known as kanzashi, which she wears when performing a kagura. It’s also believed that Ame no Uzume was originally a mortal woman who became deified.

Amon-Ra

The chief god of ancient Egypt. His name means "he who is hidden," and he's commonly depicted in murals as a person wearing a large feather hat.

Originally, Amon and Ra were two separate gods, but once the capital was moved to Thebes during the Middle Kingdom, the two gods were merged into one. They became Amon-Ra, sun god and supreme deity of Egypt. He's also the guardian deity of the pharaohs, and according to legend the pharaohs are his descendants.

Pride

An original demon from Ibunroku with the shape of a mask. It represents the human emotion of believing oneself to be superior and looking down on others. Other names for this emotion include: arrogance, haughtiness, and insolence.

Alastor

From Greek mythology, he’s the official in charge of performing executions in Hell. Alastor is also known as “the executioner” in Zoroastrianism.

He was originally the son of the sea god Nereus, but Alastor had his wife stolen by his step-father, which prompted him to take revenge. Ever since the Middle Ages, Alastor came to be seen as an executioner who follows the orders of the devil. Because of this, the name “Alastor” itself means “avenger.”

Arianrhod

A Welsh goddess worshiped as the guardian deity of the Corona Borealis. She’s the daughter of the mother goddess Don and sister of Gwydion. Her role is to keep the silver wheels representing time turning for all eternity. Aside from turning the wheels of time, Arianrhod is also responsible for ferrying those who die in combat to the afterlife in a large boat. She’s also called the mother of the Aryan race and believed to be the same entity as the Greek Ariadne.

Alice

A mysterious girl. Her name and features resemble the protagonist of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

She's an original demon in the Megami Tensei series, first appearing in Shin Megami Tensei. Afterwards, she kept appearing in other games of the franchise as a rare demon.

Arachne

Greek goddess of wisdom, crafts, and weaving. She was the daughter of the famous dyer Idmon and possessed exceptional skill at weaving. However, Arachne’s pride grew too big, which made her challenge the gods to a weaving contest. In the contest, she weaved various depictions of scandals committed by the gods in a tapestry, which drew their ire. As punishment, the goddess Athena transformed her into a spider.

Artemis

One of the twelve Olympians from Greek mythology. She is the goddess of the moon and hunting. She can always be found running in the woods, carrying bow and arrows and accompanied by a group of nymphs and hunting dogs.

Artemis is fastidious and merciless. She once transformed Actaeon, a hunter who caught a glimpse of her naked body, into a stag and then had his own hunting dogs kill him. She also transformed a woman who broke her vow of chastity and got pregnant into a bear.

Her Roman counterpart is the moon goddess Selene.

Wow, this was a lot!

TOMORROW: Alecto, Ares, and Aonbharr.

[adxmparriish]

make you sing like birdsong - read on ao3

writer: lizziebxnnet / godgavemelou words: 1671 rating: explicit

“My dearest Jude,” Cardan breathes, his mouth moving closer to her, the hot air of his breath causing her to shiver, “I’m going to make you scream. Your voice will be like birdsong to the folk of Faerie.”

Written for Day 12 of Folktober.

@jurdannetrevels @jurdannet​ @slightlyrebelliouswriter23​ @clockworkgraystairs​

-----

Jude’s mask weighs heavy on her face as she scans the room, hundreds of people milling about, dancing, and making conversation. Wine flows from every cup, laughs and merry energy floating through her skin and bones, making her feel light.

Her dress is extravagant. The deep burgundy of the fabric dips in a low a-line, showing off the caramel color of her skin. It’s sleeveless but bears a sheer cape, falling down her arms and down her back, the bottom of it grazing the floor. Her mask is the same deep red, with flecks of black, and feathers off the side. Her hair is swept back from her face, twisted in an elegant knot as the base of her neck. She looks lethal, like she’s swimming in the blood of all her enemies, the blood of people who met the blade of Nightfell. She’s never felt more beautiful.

Cardan is the one who decided on having this masquerade and yet, Jude hasn’t met his eyes in over an hour. A full moon’s light filters through the windows of the hall, casting beautiful shadows as all of Elfhame dances the night away. Jude moves with grace through the hall, the dais lingering at the front, taunting her with Cardan’s empty throne.

As if he’s heard her thoughts, Cardan’s hand meets her hip, his fingers playing with the soft fabric of her gown.

“How is my High Queen?” he drawls, the smell of wine heavy on his lips. Jude smiles.

“She’s busy wondering why her King has abandoned her,” she whispers back, twirling in his grip so their faces are close, nose to nose.

He’s stunning, beyond breathtaking, the black ink of his eyes twinkling as he grins back at her. His hair is messy, the crown sitting on his head at an angle, as it always seems to be. The black of his outfit makes his eyes shine even more, velvet covering the lapels of his jacket. Jude runs her hands over it, feeling his heartbeat beneath the fabric, before falling to his free hand, gold rings covering every finger.

“I would never allow myself the displeasure of abandoning you, my sweet villain. I was merely mingling.” Cardan’s eyes wander, following the deep cut of her dress. Jude feels her skin heat up under his gaze.

“Besides,” he grins, pulling her even closer, “if I had indeed abandoned you, I would be doing myself the dishonor of not seeing you in this dress.”

Despite the company around them, Jude suddenly feels as if they’re alone, darkness swallowing up everything but herself and Cardan. His hands are heavy on her hips, his gaze burning into her own. He lifts their intertwined hands, kissing her fingers. Jude’s heart races in her chest at his touch, Cardan’s lips moving from her hands as he leans forward, finding her neck. Despite the fact that they are in the hall, eyes finding them in the middle of the masses, she tilts her head, allowing him better access. She can feel his grin against her skin.

“Cardan,” she gasps, her hands gripping his jacket. She’s so warm from his touch, she fears she might catch aflame.

“Yes, my darling?” he ponders, his mouth sucking a bruise into the delicate skin of her neck.

Jude pulls back from him, gazing at him with heavy eyes. He frowns slightly, his enjoyment delayed. However, as she grabs his hand and pulls him from the hall and out the side door that leads to their chambers, his smile returns. Jude wonders, as she guides them through the winding halls of the palace, if this wasn’t his plan the entire time.

The guards by their doors nod at them as Jude swings open the door, pulling Cardan inside before slamming it shut. His hands find her body quickly, pulling down the zipper that lines her side. He brushes the cape of her dress aside as he pulls down the dress, careful not to rip it. Jude isn’t sure she even cares about the gown as she steps out of it, completely bare when she rips the mask from her face. Cardan’s eyes watch her as she steps forward, pushing his jacket off his shoulders. Before she can grab the bottom of his silk shirt, he grabs her and kisses her, the press of his lips against her own urgent and rough.

Jude pulls on him hard, the delicate fabric of his top ripping in her grip. She opens her mouth and breathes him in, his tongue dancing against her own as they kiss. They both kick off her shoes as they move towards their bed, the movement of their mouths and hands never stopping, clothes falling to the floor of their chamber. Cardan spins her and her knees hit the mattress, causing her to fall against the sheets. Cardan is wearing nothing now, both of them naked, moonlight dancing through the windows and on the milky white of his skin. He’s so devastatingly beautiful that Jude fears her heart may burst.

Cardan’s hands meet her thighs, pushing them apart as he falls to his knees before her. She props herself up on her elbows, watching him as his hands graze her legs, his long fingers hot against her skin. Her own hands shake, the nerves in her system at an all time high. Every time with Cardan is like this, the emotion flowing through her like a rushing river. Oh, how she loves him.

“My dearest Jude,” Cardan breathes, his mouth moving closer to her center, the hot air of his mouth causing her to shiver, “I’m going to make you scream. Your voice will be like birdsong to the folk of Faerie.”

Jude shakes as Cardan’s tongue finds her core, licking a slow, hot stripe. Her teeth bite down hard on her lip as she moans, her shaking hands gripping their sheets.

Cardan’s hands pull her hips closer, his fingers pressing bruises into them. Like a man starved, he feasts on her. Jude is dizzy with heat and pleasure, her lungs unable to find enough air. He tongues at her clit with fervor, making her tremble and whimper. Her mind is a constant thrumming of his name, his tongue, his everything. Cardan stays buried in her, his tongue driving her wild as time ticks on.

Jude’s heart stutters in her chest when his teeth pull lightly on her clit, the pain delicious, and a groan falls from her lips before she can stop it. Cardan grins viciously against her, pulling back so he can meet her eyes. His wicked mouth is glistening and Jude’s eyes roll back in her head.

“I said I’d make you scream. Don’t make me break that promise, my Queen.”

At that, he dives back in, this time his fingers finding her core, two digits entering her along with his tongue.

“Oh god,” Jude moans, her hands shoving his crown from his inky hair so she can grip it with her fingers.

She pulls him closer and Cardan moves gladly. Her hips move on their own accord as she practically rides his mouth. His tongue and fingers move inside her, curling up as he pumps them, finding her sweet spot and causing her back to arch. Despite her teeth drawing blood from her lip, they do nothing to drown out her moans. Her skin is on fire, the pleasure in her blood thrumming all through her.

When Cardan’s teeth find her clit again, Jude has to clap a hand to her mouth to stop the scream erupting from her throat. Part of her, ever wanting to defy Cardan, wants to keep the sounds at bay. She knows she’s only biding time.

Unsatisfied, Cardan pulls back and jerks, moving them both backwards onto the floor. He falls to his back and pulls on her hips, her knees meeting the floor beside his ears. He looks up at her as she hovers over him, her bright pink cunt glistening, waiting for him to dive back in. Jude looks down at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears of pleasure, every nerve a livewire under her skin. She lingers over his face, watching as he lifts up, his tongue licking slowly up her folds, teasing her.

With nothing to grab and find purchase, her hands find her breasts, pulling at her nipples as she rides him. Cardan’s eyes have closed now, immersing himself in the taste of her. Warmth bubbles at the base of her spine as he tongues at her, pulling on her clit and sucking, pulling noises from her throat as he does.

After several more minutes of slow torture, Cardan’s mouth leaves her for only a moment. His long fingers brush against her clit with fervor as his black eyes find her own.

“Come, my dear Jude. Scream for me, my darling nemesis.”

At his words, Jude’s climax slams into her with the force of thunder and lightening. A scream tears from her, her orgasm shaking her to her very core. Her vision whites out as she rides his mouth once again, his tongue finding her to maximize her pleasure. Her hips stutter and then slow as she comes down from the high, her thighs giving out as she falls forward and rolls off of Cardan.

The softness of their rug welcomes her, her body exhausted from the ordeal Cardan just put her through. A smile graces his mouth as he turns towards her, pulling her closer to him. She smiles back at him, delirious with happiness, her love for him blooming like a wildflower in her chest.

“I love you,” she murmurs, her body curling into his.

“You are my everything,” Cardan returns, his voice heavy with sleep.

Jude’s thoughts are slow and relaxed as she stays curled into Cardan’s embrace, his tail finding a place wrapped around her calf. As she drifts off, Cardan’s lips find her temple, planting a kiss there.

She will return the favor, she thinks, as she finally drifts off into nothingness.

[theink-drinker]

Melanin March Day 25 - New Caledonia⁠ 🇫🇷 ⁠ ⁠This man was photographed on Lifou Island, one of the Loyalty Islands in the New Caledonia archipelago and is an oversees territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. ⁠ ⁠ I had a lot of fun rendering the face paint on this one and his hair was the best thing to draw. Also featuring my arch nemesis - feathers *shudders*.⁠ ⁠ Melanin March is a drawing challenge created by @bianabova where you draw a POC every day for the month of March.⁠ ⁠ 📸: @blaineharringtonphoto⁠ ⁠ •⁠ ⁠ •⁠ ⁠ •⁠ ⁠ #art #myart #illustration #drawing #procreate #digitalart #digitalillustration #digitaldrawing #digitalartist #digitalpainting #ipadart #artistoninstagram #artist #illustrationartists #illustrationart #procreateart #procreateillustration⁠ ⁠ #portrait #portraitpainting #portraitdrawing #portraiture #digitalportrait #melaninmarch #melaninmarch2021 #bianabova #portraitsoftheworld #lifou #lifouisland #newcaledonia #france https://www.instagram.com/p/CM2f14Nspm4/?igshid=hx9hkus6nzl0

[iveonlyeverseenliketwoanimes]

Hawks: Day Off (Part 2)

A/N: I got a couple of requests to do a second part to this and so I tried my best to come up with something! Sorry if it's not great, I wasn't planning on turning this into a multi-part story but hopefully you enjoy! :)

PART 1     MASTERLIST

It had been a couple weeks since that shitty day in the office, you weren’t all that mad because you got paid overtime, but still, it wasn’t exactly how you wanted to spend your day off.

Everything had calmed down a little in your work life, nothing too interesting had been happening in the land of Heroes, just small crimes and a ton of paperwork. The big mission you had been working on with Endeavor and Hawks had come to an end last week, it all went smoothly, and you’d managed to take down a huge part of a current crime syndicate that was trying to illegally sell power enhancing gadgets.

Obviously, the end of that mission would mean the disbandment of the team, or rather meant that Hawks should go back to spending time at his own agency rather than annoying Endeavor on a somewhat daily basis, but that didn’t appear to have happened. You assumed that the pair had become friends after working with each other for so long, but the look on your boss’s face every time Hawks entered the building seemed to debunk that theory.

Every time Hawks came to visit he always made an effort to swing by your desk and wish you a good morning or afternoon, which ultimately ended up turning into a lengthy conversation about anything and everything, one time you spent a solid hour debating whether or not Die Hard was a Christmas movie and during another visit you discussed how winter was a way better season than summer – he disagreed but that’s beside the point.

Hawks might have been a complete idiot at times but dammit he was the cutest idiot you’d ever seen, he always brought a smile to your face with his stupid theories on different films or tv shows and he told some of the corniest jokes, that was his charm, and oh boy was he charming your socks off. Just seeing his adorable little smile when he walked into a room seemed to make your day so much better, he was, quite literally, an angel.

You’d both seemingly fallen head over heels for each other, but you were both so caught up in your own feelings and anxieties over what to do that you hadn’t realised how each other felt. It was cute, or at least your co-workers thought so. Other people were fascinated by what was occurring between the two of you, it was like a love story unfolding before their very eyes, the two clueless superheroes that had met on mission and had developed feelings for each other without realising were now subconsciously trying to spend loads of time together, it was great, they’d even started a betting system on how long it would take for one of you to ask the other out, most people betting that Hawks would finally live up to his flirtatious actions and actually just ask you to dinner.

You had been a rather busy with some personal stuff lately, you’d only just managed to find a dress for your cousin's wedding and now you were having to deal with all your relatives breathing down your neck over the fact that you hadn’t said you were bringing a plus one to her wedding. It wasn’t exactly your fault – you were so busy with work that the concept of dating was somewhat side-tracked in your life path right now. You weren’t against dating someone, a lot of high profile Heroes swore of dating due to thinking their line of work was too dangerous and it would put their partner in danger, you, on the other hand, didn’t consider yourself high enough profile to warrant any form of arch nemesis, you’d arrested a fair few small scaled criminals but nothing compared to the likes of All Might, Endeavor, or even Hawks.

While you did like the idea of having a significant other, the concept of weddings was a little much. Your cousin was going all out, a big, grand display of her and her partner’s love for the world (Well a select group of friends and family) to see. You thought the whole little was over the top and having to deal with your family going on and on about how you could be the next one to walk down the aisle wasn’t fun, maybe one day you would, but that wasn’t going to be any time soon.

You woke up on an average Monday morning and went into work, it was a nice day out, not too hot and not too cold, the few clouds that were out made some beautiful sky art and the sunshine made it warm enough to where you wouldn’t need a jacket. You spent the first half of the day on patrol with some of the other sidekicks currently working under Endeavor, but nothing too interesting went down so you and a couple others returned to the headquarters in order to get some in-house work done. The whole office space was currently getting a revamp and so your desk was very messy as you were trying to get all the documents out of the draws for when your new equipment came in. You had paperwork and all sorts of personal items everywhere and you were desperately trying to get it all into piles so you could have some form of organisational system in place.

As you were shredding a bunch of old documents you saw someone pick something off your desk out of the corner of your eye. Turning to fully look at them you saw the cute little angel boy himself holding a small A5 card, you weren’t sure what it was at first, to be honest, you were a little messy and probably had stuff from your first day still lying around. You sent him and smile as a form of greeting and he returned the gesture.

“Wedding huh?” The messy haired blond said. “I always loved weddings, they’re fun – dancing, drinking, the overall theme of love, it’s great”

“Well if you love them so much why don’t you go? I’m dreading this damn thing and dress shopping has been a pain in my ass” You replied sitting back in your seat, relaxing a little seeing it was just the local red feathered chicken man.

He laughed a little at your statement, he always enjoyed your company, you were honest and always really light-hearted about everything, so it made falling for you easy so it made befriending you easy. “Is that an invite to be your plus one or are you saying I’d look good in your dress?”

You snapped your head up to look at him, he’d made some silly little comments here and there but this one was very direct and personal. You were a blushing mess, you didn’t mean to accidentally somewhat ask the number 2 Hero to go to a wedding with you, yet here you were. You also weren’t sure if he meant it, I mean what did he expect you to say? ‘Oh yeah, I've actually been meaning to ask you to come to this wedding as my date so all my relatives can poke and prod into our lives and get a couple year head start on planning our wedding’ how were you supposed to joke it off either? ‘hahaha yeah funny one Hawks, us going on a date is so out of the blue and hilarious, I would never want to actually go to any kind of personal event with you ahahahaha’.

“I- um, I gue- I erm” You were in a weird state of confusion and embarrassment. You were a complete mess while with the one person you really wished would never have to see you like this.

“Well I mean, I am known to be great company, kids and grandmas love me so I’m sure I’d fit in just fine” His internal thoughts seemed to be going 100mph for the same reasons as yours. What was he doing? What was happening here? Why was he going along with this little joke that was very quickly turning into a serious proposition? In his mind he was a wreck but, on the surface, this was his moment, he was putting on the smile and making sure he seemed somewhat unbothered by the whole situation, you said yes? Cool, he’s excited about the cake, you say no? That’s cool he can go down to the local market and buy his own damn cake and not have to share with anyone. Everything was fine, apart from the small fact that he was low-key asking out the love of his life in a very odd way, and you were probably going to say no because he was an idiot and should have asked you to something normal like a coffee. Why was he like this?

“I genuinely can’t tell if you’re being serious or not right now” You finally said. You were very confused, this was supposed to be a normal, if not slightly boring, day at work and yet it had very quickly turned into a day you were sure you wouldn’t forget.

“I just noticed that you hadn’t ticked the ‘plus one’ box on the invite and if you’re ‘dreading this damn thing’ then maybe I could make it a little more interesting” The red feathered man had now turned up the flirting to a full 10, there was no backing down now, he was too deep into this.

You were shocked, it was a good kind of shocked, you loved Hawks’ playful little comments, but you never thought that there were actual feelings behind them. Asking to tag along to a wedding with you was definitely not a playful little comment, that was a serious situation, who does that? Who willingly wants to go to a wedding? You had to admit that you liked the idea of going together though, Hawks was so carefree, bubbly and social, so having him with you at this wedding would definitely make the whole ordeal a lot more fun. Oh God were you seriously considering letting this guy come to a family event with you? What would your family think? Just imaging all of the looks and questions about the pair of you being together made you a little more nervous. But what if this was your chance? What if this was the one chance to get a date with a genuinely lovely guy? I mean he’s basically already said he would like to go so all you have to do is say yes.

All you have to do is just say yes.

Just say yes.

“Yes!” Hawks eyes shot up in your direction, he’d subconsciously been fiddling with the small piece of card in his hands while waiting for you to respond with something, your silence breaking his heart as each second passed. But now? His heart was all over the place for a whole other reason. “I would like that, I mean if you’re being serious, because if you’re not then this is really awkward and nowimnotreallysurewhattodobecau-“

“Awesome! March 9th right? I’ll pick you up at 12 and we can make our way there together!” Your cute little ramble just made his heart all the more giddy, while his nerves were hidden by his confident smile yours seemed to be less subtle and that made him extremely happy. The cute girl he’d been low-key obsessed with? He just bagged a date with her and he couldn’t contain the huge smile that made his way onto his lips. All this time he’d been anxious about asking you out? He doesn’t remember it because all he knows is that he has a date, with a cute girl, who just so happens to be you. All the teasing looks he was currently receiving from your co-workers (who were currently cashing in their bets)? They’re looking at the number 2 hero who just bagged a date with the love of his life. Today was the day that Hawks finally asked you out and the only regret he had was that he wished he’d done it sooner.

[knives-and-lint]

I was tagged by the effervescent @smilinstar, cheers. :)

Rules:

1. Post a quote or short excerpt from your early days of writing/ARTING.(I’m talking old fanfics/ART, slash fics/ART, original fic/ART, etc., that are barely edited and have a ton of technical errors and misspelled words.) This is the cringe part. Don’t edit anything! Let it be horrendous. Don’t Panic.

2. Post a quote or short excerpt from one of your most recent works/WIPs. Something that you’re proud of. Something that you’ve written/ARTED that makes you smile when you read it.

3. Tag a writer/artist you admire, anyone who you think is amazing, new friends, followers, writeblrs, anyone who you’d like to know more about. If you think someone is a great writer/artist and you want to see how they’ve developed their skills, tag them! Everyone started somewhere.

+

1. This is from 2007, when Battlestar Galactica was basically my entire life. No, that’s not hyperbole. I shipped the frak out of Lee Adama and Kara Thrace, and rarely wrote them happy. (If you’ve ever seen the show that makes perfect sense.) Anyway, this also might be one of the first times I used punk rock lyrics as a title, but I’m not a hundred percent on that. 

It was called Outer Space Doesn’t Care About You. 

“So it was your idea.”

The way he says it isn’t angry, bitter, or accusatory. It’s just Lee in his calm yet hollow tone. Looking at her with empty eyes and fighting against what appears the last beat of a broken heart. He can’t believe she’s done what she’s done.

Maybe, just a little, she can’t quite believe it either. But it’s real. It happened. In the eyes of the gods she belongs to another man.

It’s over and done with, and making Lee realize it is the final step in pushing away the night before. Pushing away what finally happened between them.

“Yeah, it was my idea.”

And just like that, Lee’s broken heart shatters like glass in front of her, and she’s sorry.

Gods she has never been so sorry.

But it’s over, it’s done.

Lee brushes past her without another word and she feels the tears threatening to fall, and fights them with every fiber of her being, never turning her head to watch him go.

Instead she just listens to the sound his boots make as he walks away.

I’m not exactly cringing, but I do think I could have done much better in retrospect. How exactly, I can’t even begin to tell you. 

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2.  I don’t know if I improved at all, or just found a style and stuck with it, but I was pretty proud of this whole series where I made Cheryl a Southside Serpent. Prouder still, that I honestly had no idea the show was actually going to go there, less than two weeks after I finished the story. But I felt this quiet moment between her and Toni was right in finally realizing what being part of a gang entailed, was something to be proud of. (I guess.)

 From love me like a reptile, part 2 of My Serpentine. 

A rumble they called it, completely serious like everyone were all characters in an SE Hinton novel, with the Ghoulies. Her head is throbbing, as she took a pretty good shot at the end there, despite holding her own for most of the fight. Large Marge Wultownski will probably think twice about messing with her in the near future. Cheryl isn't sure if she should be proud of what she'd done to the girl or not, but really, what sixteen year old has an arch nemesis?

It's not like the fight had settled anything, either. This is just how it is. What rival gangs to do each other. Taunt, threaten, and fight. Then come back the next day to do it all over again.

Toni presses a feather light kiss against Cheryl's cheek, drawing her out from the moment of introspection, and she manages a smile for her girl.

A noise from above pulls their attention toward the ceiling, Cousin Betty rattling around in their shared bathroom. Cleaning herself up and, Cheryl assumes, thinking of excuses to avoid letting Veronica see her until the swelling goes down.

“Is it always like this?” she inquires.

Toni contemplates the question.

“No,” she answers. “We don't always win.”

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3. Tagging @tallestsilver (we don’t know each other but i’m ever so curious if you’ll do this) @scienter @veronicabetts @magelette42 and anyone else who wants to. 

[sonicchaos-fanfic]

| Sonic Chaos | Chapter Five: Eggman Returns...Sorta

  ((WHAA?? A NEW CHAPTER!!?!?!? WHOA!! Hehe, I’m so glad I started this back up again! I’m DETERMINED TO FINISH! Illustration by @alexmarie-draws-stuff ))

                                                   ~ Chapter Five ~

The floor was moist with the droplets of water splashing onto a red clay balcony. It was connected to a giant structure that rested on the side of a cliff. Many bright green vines wrapped around the guardrails. Amy was walking barefoot, and quickly, running to the rail and holding her hand out to touch the waterfall pouring near the edge. Some of the water was able to splash its way close enough for her to reach and feel it.

The water felt crisp and cool. Her lips curled up around the corners, pleased. The humid air whipped past her quills, which were adorned with beads and feathers, a much different piece of headwear than her usual headband. In fact, she was dressed completely out of the ordinary, wearing a strapless top made from the finest silk and a matching skirt. Her wrists bore two blue rings around them.

Amy stared at her hands, wondering why she was there. Wondering why she was on a strange clay balcony in strange old clothing. Where were Sticks and Sonic? It must have been a dream.

Her ears twitched at the sound of a man calling. She turned to look down the long balcony. It wrapped around the entire structure, like a wrap-around porch. 

  A temple. An old temple, but in the time period Amy found herself in it was brand new. Strange, but somehow familiar to her. Amy examined her surroundings…she’s seen this before.

A few yards down, a man waved towards her, saying something that she couldn’t understand. Amy squinted her eyes and leaned forward to get a closer look, but he was too far and his features were blurry. She listened hard, but couldn’t understand his words. He was speaking in a different language that she had never heard before.

She stared at him for a moment, analyzing him. She couldn’t help but smile, the man felt so familiar…so close to her, even though she had never seen him in her life. She tried calling to him, but it was as if he couldn’t hear what she was saying. It felt like she was inside of a movie, only there to observe. A spectator of another life. The man disappeared around a corner, and Amy followed. She tried keeping up, but the man kept a considerable distance ahead.

She followed him through an open door, past a large room with clay pillars and up a flight of ancient stone stairs.

“H-hey! Wait up!” Amy called, but it seemed as if the man couldn’t hear her. They made it all the way up to the top floor and down a long hallway. Eventually, Amy lost sight of him for a brief moment. She ran as fast as she could and finally found the man stopped in a bedroom. He was looking out of a window. Well, it was more like a large square cut out of the clay walls, from Amy’s point of view.

His back was towards her, and he was still. He wore a huge feathery headdress and beads. HIs clothing looked similar to Amy’s but was heavier and darker in color.

Amy stared at him. Despite his familiarity, she still wasn’t sure of this man. Whoever he was, he was still a stranger. A very familiar stranger. She thought about leaving, but her lips moved before she even thought about what she could say.

“…Hello?” She said softly.

The man slowly turned to her. but before she could see his face, a high pitched cheer rang in her ears.

“Hello? Amy wake up! It’s time to get up!” Sticks exclaimed, shaking her new friend awake. Amy’s eyes shot open and were blinded by the bright sunlight seeping into the room. Sitting up, she looked around at Sticks’ living room, just where she had fallen asleep the night before. There was no more waterfall. No more weird clothing or mysterious men. Just a plain simple treehouse.

“…oh.” She said to herself, it really was just a dream. A very weird dream. She blinked blankly at Sticks standing over her with a wild grin. Amy’s brain was still starting up from its sleeping state. She didn’t say much else as Sticks stared at her. The young badger eventually grew bored of staring back, shrugged, bounced away, and packed supplies in her little pouch.

Amy scratched her head. Looking around, she caught Sonic’s eye.

He was giving her one of those tired smiles that every cute boy gives; effortless, sleepy, puppy dog eyes, the whole nine yards.

Amy snapped out of her post-lucid dream daze.

“Morning,” Sonic said, stretching his arms up and yawning. Amy watched his body carefully. Not on purpose, of course. But she just happened to catch the subtle twitch of his ear, his messy slept-in quills, his slightly toned arms.

Amy felt her cheeks burn when he puffed out his chest mid-yawn. Which she wasn’t completely staring at, by the way.

“…Morning,” she said.

Sticks hopped over again from whatever she happened to be doing at the moment and took Sonic’s hand. It was still wrapped in bandages from the night before.

“Here, let me see.”

Sticks unwrapped Sonic’s hand and both hedgehogs were shocked to see his hand completely healed.

“What the heck?! How did it heal so quickly?” Sonic gasped. He held his own hand out to inspect it more closely. Amy stared in amazement as well.

“I told you guys, the Angel Bud works like a charm!” Sticks said.

Sonic and Amy had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

“What? Oh right, you guys aren’t from here…Angel Bud is a flower that grows on the island, it can heal anything. I’m packing some to take with us, but only for emergencies.”

Sonic and Amy gave Sticks an understanding nod.

“Good! Now that that’s settled, let’s get going!”

So they were off, and with Sticks’ help, Sonic and Amy finally found the first clue to their mission.

The village wasn’t far from Sticks’ home, and it had a rather dense population for such a small area. From the outside looking in, people were visible doing their early morning activities. Crowds walked in and out of the marketplace, children ran about, old women stood underneath the shade of trees and gossiped.

Just before they entered, Sticks stopped dead in her tracks. She stared at the village with a bit of nervousness. She bit the inside of her cheek, shuffled her feet a little, and glanced around her a few times. She admitted that she rarely ever visits the village. The people don’t treat her very nicely there. Amy then made a point to assure Sticks that she’d be safe with her and Sonic, which eased up the young girl’s nerves.

The trio strolled into the village and found themselves in the center of the marketplace. The crowd buzz, even though she’s only been stranded for about three days, filled Amy with intense relief. Her aching need for a shower had gnawed at her since the first. Her first priority, however, was to find out where the heck they even were. The three of them split up to explore.

After a few hours had passed, each met up at the center of the marketplace. Sonic sat down on a bench and looked towards the girls.

“Anything?”

“No.” They both said in unison.

Sonic frowned because he had the very same answer. The most information the three of them got was the basics: the island was called Bygone Island, nobody knew what a Chaos Emerald was, and nobody knew about a mysterious temple in the jungle or a fat evil scientist.

Thanks, villagers.

“Well, something has to turn up eventually. At least Eggman hasn’t hurt anybody yet.” Amy said.

Perhaps she spoke a little too soon.

There was a sudden loud buzzing noise in the sky. Crowds gathered and looked up to what seemed like a huge projection against the clouds. The sky darkened and the image of a man’s face glitched into life. Sonic, Sticks, and Amy all looked up too. Sonic smirked, Amy gasped, Sticks screamed.

“AN ALIEN! THEY’RE COMING!! AHH!!” She hopped behind Amy, pulling out her boomerang from her pouch and holding it high in the sky.

“Hohohoho! Hello, there! This is an announcement from the leader of the Eggman Empire! You are all probably confused, but don’t be. I’ll explain.”

Sonic raised a brow.

“Oh, well would ya look at that!” He chucked.

  Sonic stood up and crossed his arms, slightly amused by his arch nemesis's fortunate timing. It was almost too good to be true. But, even though Eggman only showed up for anything but good reasons, Sonic considered the moment good luck for him and the girls. Just one more clue to their puzzle.

“I am your soon-to-be-new leader. You are now living in the future Eggman Empire. You have a limited amount of time to surrender; there is no win to this battle.”

Eggman was met with a nervous murmur, a few people shouted in disbelief, others in defiance.

He let out a low, menacing laugh.

“If you don’t, I’m afraid I’ll have to resort to more…difficult measures.”

Suddenly, a unit of badniks had appeared from behind the clouds, multiple buzz bombers pelted the floor with bullets. The crowd suddenly erupted into a chaos. Some ran, others froze in fear, but wherever they went, they were completely trapped by the unit of bots. Eggman laughed proudly, reveling in the buzz of chaos.

“Is that all you got, Egghead?!” Sonic shouted.

All eyes were suddenly on him, Amy and Sticks now. The only stragglers in the bunch. The defiant ones. The strangers who asked strange questions and who dared to question the mysterious man in the sky. Eggman shot a dangerous look at them, shocked to see them there.

“Well, well, well! It looks like you did survive the vortex! What a shame. I didn’t expect to see you two, or your new friend! Hello, sweetheart.” Eggman said.

Amy scrunched her nose in disgust. Sticks followed her example and stuck her tongue out. Eggman merely shrugged them off, then turned back to Sonic.

“If you think you can stop me this time, you’ve got another thing coming. This is a new world, so that means new rules: my rules. And I’m not letting a rat like you ruin them this time.”

Sonic’s expression suddenly changed from amused to irritated.

“You wanna call me that one more time?”

“I don’t have to, it seems like you’re busy enough, lost with nowhere to go. It’s quite hilarious to watch you struggle. Anyway, I need to go, I’ve got something huge up my sleeve this time, and you’re going to wish you never crossed me.”

“Oh really? And what is that, bud?” Sonic said.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?” The hologram began to glitch all of a sudden. Eggman groaned in annoyance.

“Well, I guess I’m going to have to go for now. My technology is still getting used to the physics of this world. Anyway, I hope you have a great time getting destroyed, too-da-loo!” He said.

The hologram disappeared.

The unit of bots turned from the crowd and barreled towards the trio. Sonic looked at Sticks and smiled.

“Sticks, you ready to feel what it’s like to be a hero?” He said.

Sticks smiled back and playfully tossed her boomerang in the air.

It was blissful chaos. One by one, the badniks were blown apart by the three of them. Amy smashed with her hammer, Sonic tore them apart with his signature spin attacks, and Sticks, even though it was her first battle, was able to wipe out a huge majority of the buzz bombers that zoomed in the sky. Sonic and Amy expertly took care of the last few as if it were an everyday activity.

When the final bot fell, stunned applause roared from the crowd. The trio of heroes stared back. They had forgotten they weren’t alone. In an instant, they were swarmed. Many asked questions, others didn’t dare, some hugged and kissed them, others gave them their space. It wasn’t anything Sonic and Amy wasn’t used to, but Sticks wasn’t so sure how she felt with all of the attention. The three humbly drew away from the crowd and decided to wait until the buzz simmered out. Luckily, Eggman’s announcement had rattled the village enough that most of them went immediately home. Amy suggested that they headed to a coffee shop. 

  Tucked away in a secluded table, the three of them took a break from the day and discussed their interesting encounter with Eggman. Amy brought up the question about what Eggman’s secret weapon was, to which Sonic immediately answered with Saber. It had to be; after all, that was his latest scheme. Maybe it was a new program he invented, or perhaps Saber was powered with a new technology or power source that Eggman got his hands on. 

“Whatever it is, it’s something he’s really proud of, and I don’t like it,” Amy muttered, taking a sip of her hot cocoa. She pulled away. Too hot. Way too hot. 

Sonic took his gaze away from Amy and locked onto a woman hobbling over to them. She was wearing a large oversized brown cloak. It looked old and worn with age. She had her hood pulled over her head and dark sunglasses on. The woman stopped right beside their table and stared at them. “Excuse me, but I couldn’t help but notice you three sitting here.” Her voice was sweet but wise. 

   She had the aroma of what can only be described as an old lady perfume mixed with herbs and spices. The trio turned to look at her. Her face was very well hidden under the cloak and awkward sunglasses. By the shape of her muzzle, it was obvious that she was a breed of fox, with what once used to be pearly white fur that aged a cream color. Her bushy, cream-colored tail poked out from underneath her cloak.

 “Yes, ma’am?” Amy said. The woman looked around as if she was afraid someone would hear. Then, she leaned in close enough to whisper.

 “I believe I may have some answers you are looking for.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter six

[shinyhappydigistar]

OMG, FANART ∩( ✧Д✧)∩ you have no idea how appreciative I am of this, the feather in the fedora is a brilliant addition!! I also love the compromise where his powers are tool-generated, reminds me of Spider-man’s webs or Iron Man’s…well, everything 😆 Definitely keeping that one under my own hat! I still like the domino mask because it’s my own aesthetic but you’re free to draw it as you prefer! 👍

Interestingly, I had already pondered a rogue’s gallery! Particularly his arch-nemesis, who is eventually revealed to have been created inadvertently by Larry himself to be a justification for his hero work (if we’re going by the rumor that the third Legendary creates things from thoughts/imagination). He’s a white-haired little shit of an adolescent who acts and talks like a kid, and is extremely entertaining to watch, but still dangerous and utterly loathsome in his actions. Haven’t designed him yet, and I’m still trying to decide 100% on a name, but “Pathos” or “The Muse” are on the top of the list!

And now, this week on “Stupid AUs that literally are the same story except for X”: Masked Vigilante Hero AU? And for real: the only things he adds is the fedora and face mask. And nobody recognizes him, because this is the World of Pokémon and the flimsiest disguises work. (If you don’t believe me, I know a young student named Clive that would like to say hi to you)

I haven’t decided if he has powers or not; I’m leaning towards not, as him being an ordinary human is more in-line with his characterization.

On a separate note, I wanted to try my new tablet and see how I can make it work, and it’s awkward as all get-out. I’ve been drawing on a graphics tablet for over 20 years now, and transitioning to something visual like an iPad is…a learning process. A very, very intimidating learning process.