#i should draw her apprentice soon

[ace-race-ace]

Prince Lancelot and Advisor Alonso discuss the imminent war

Drawing by @dzala-va , writing by me @ace-race-ace

More details under writing

~~~~

Prince Lancelot scrapes up the last bites of food onto his fork. The freshly baked bread, wild berries picked from the fields, and the wonderful golden honey harvested from the hives this morning all paired beautifully in his belly. Only the eggs were a bit too salty for his liking - he’ll mention it to the cook. He delicately lifts the monogrammed napkin to his mouth, wiping off any remaining crumbs as he looks out the bay window at the lush green gardens. The birds chatter lightly as a cool breeze disturbs the trees, slowly swaying them back and forth.

His peace is shattered by the door wrenching open behind him. Heavy metallic footfalls cause the prince’s gaze to whip around to the intruder.

“Fernando? Back so soon? I thought you said it would take a few more days.”

Advisor Alonso slides off his helmet, the wings glinting in the light from the window. The older man’s expression is sunken, as he grits his teeth and scrunches his nose.

“Lance, we have to talk.”

Lance tilts his head in confusion, reading a slight uneasiness on the older man’s face—an expression he’d rarely seen before. Lance sits up straighter as his level of concern rises

“What is going on?”

Advisor Alonso thumps his helmet on the table with a heavy thud. The silver cutlery jumps and clatters on the floor.

“War is brewing in the south” he spits out.

The prince’s eyes widen at his words. He drops his napkin and quickly stands up from his chair. This was not the news he hoped for when Fernando left the castle a few days ago. Far from it.

“Let us go to the map chamber to discuss this further.”

They leave the room and pass through the blooming flower banks to reach the other tower. Yet Lance cannot bring himself to appreciate the beautiful display. He opens the oak door, Fernando following closely behind. The walls of the chamber are covered in shelves pilled high with scrolls in various stages of aging, surrounding a grand table in the center. The map of the continent lay flat on its surface with its edges curling up. Advisor Alonso takes a seat there, resting his chin on his crossed hands while the prince paces around behind him.

“Fernando. What happened?”

“Nothing yet” he sighs “but I went to the coast and received some concerning intel.”

A few small complaints were made about the port structures on the east coast of the island. This should have been a standard check-in to ensure the workers hired by the king were working on fixing them. But obviously, something had come up. Something big enough to garner the Advisor to cut his trip short.

“I was working on the accounts for the project when I was approached by Hawkmaster Drugovich” he starts calmly.

“I thought we sent him far enough he wouldn’t annoy us anymore” Lance rolls his eyes.

“Yes, yes… Well, he’s been stationed in Ferrari for a while and he came to me with shocking news” he pauses “King Schumacher is missing.”

Lance frowns at him. In the years King Schumacher has reigned over Ferrari, many attempts against him were organized but never successful. The kingdom of Ferrari is heavily reliant on its sovereign – without him, the nation would struggle to hold itself together.

“Since when do you believe anything Drugovich says? You always say you don’t believe anything without proof” Lance crosses his arms.

Advisor Fernando thins his lips as he pulls out a letter from his cuirass, handing it to the prince. He opens the envelope, pulling out the pages stamped with the Aston Martin seal.

“As unreliable as that damn scout is, it seems the whispers hold truth. Hawkins and her apprentice Hausmann reported similar concerns”

Lance skims the words from Lady Hawkins, detailing how unorganized and skittish the Ferarri court has been for the past few months. The king’s public appearances were far and few. It's now been two months he hasn’t been seen at all. Another concerning section details the young prince Mick Schumacher being sent away to an unknown location and hasn’t returned since.

“All of this happening so soon after the Mercedes royal challenge…It cannot be coincidence” Fernando grumbles.

Lance and Fernando attended the royal challenge a few months back. What should have been a standard repetition of King Hamilton making a show of defeating his opponent, turned into quite the opposite. Instead of facing off against Lord Bottas, Lord Russell came to challenge. Still, everyone expected the younger man to yield to his king, but after a hard battle, King Hamilton found himself on his knees. Lord Russell thus became King Russell of Mercedes. The young monarch isn’t like his predecessor – he craves conflict. But could he be capable of orchestrating such an affair? Would he really risk a war with Ferrari?

“So, King Schumacher is gone, King Hamilton is gone, why does it matter to us? Business as usual. We sell them the weapons, the armor, and the horses, they hash it out on the continent, and then things level out” Lance speaks plainly.

Aston Martin’s main business venture is trade and conflict. The island’s positioning between the two continents helped monopolize the trade routes between nations. This means when conflicts break out, they end up supplying and selling to both sides. In the end, no matter the outcome, they get a return on their investments. While war is never something to rejoice over, it usually just means a bit more paperwork and organization on their part.

“This time is different. The Red Bulls might be implicated” Advisor Alonso points to the west continent on the map.

“The Red Bulls? Why in the world would they be dragged into this?” Lance leans over Fernando’s shoulder frowning.

Having an entire continent to themselves, the Red Bulls rarely involved themselves in the conflict of the other nations. They already had enough to deal with on their side, constantly breaking up various small rebellions.

“Without a king, Ferrari is significantly weakened - there is no doubt they will go looking for allies. Stronger than Haas and Sauber.”

“But what does Red Bull get from an alliance? They have no threats since Renault was eradicated.”

A small flash of grief passes over Advisor Alonso’s face. Lance knew this wasn’t a subject to push on but he only brings it up now for some explanation.

“Their people are dying. More revolts are starting. After the harsh winter, their resources were heavily depleted. Allying with Ferrari would give them access to imports” Fernando traces his finger towards the south “They could undercut our trade routes. Halving our profits if they agreed on the exchanges”.

While Aston Martin laid claim to most of the archipelago in the sea between the two continents, there were still gaps in their control. These usually didn’t matter as the other nations could never agree on a standardized rule for trade and passage, relying instead on their relationship with Aston Martin to facilitate movement. But if the Red Bulls and Ferrari built up closer relations, it wouldn’t take much to completely cut out Aston Martin as the middleman.

“Our trade monopoly would be ruined. If Ferrari could trade across the sea with Red Bull, the land trade between Mercedes and Ferarri would connect the three kingdoms.”

“You are starting to see…” Fernando nods at his observations “This is why this war cannot happen. We need to start discussing how to prevent it. We must find out what happened to the Schumachers, and ensure Lord Hamilton regains his throne.”

Lance huffs a laugh. Advisor Alonso raises his brow at his reaction.

“It’s probably the first time in Aston Martin’s history that we are trying to stop a war…” He sights lifting off from the table “I’ll get things going. We’ll have to convince my father of all this.”

Lawrence Stroll is famously mistrustful, and it only worsens with age. Convincing him to use the needed funds for their missions wasn’t going to be easy.

“Actually, about that…” Fernando gets up to stand at the prince’s side, squeezing the juncture between his neck and shoulder “What do you think about a coronation? Specifically, your coronation?”

Lance whips his head to gape at him…

[to be expanded upon]

~~~~

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE!!

This wonderful piece was commissioned to @dzala-va a few months back because I was simply obsessed with their F1 Medieval AU. As a writer, it’s been so fun to expand and explore the lore behind their work! I’m so thankful for our DM exchanges where we’ve been bouncing off ideas - it’s just so fun

For this commission I specifically wanted the Aston Martin boys so I could write a lil something about their part in the lore :) part of which is included in the post above…it’s only the smallest slice of a much larger overarching story, which the OG creator will hopefully continue to share with everyone

I will probably make another post specifically about the drawing, showing off all the details bc I love em so much…

Anyways, what a perfect time to get this back in time for the Lance Love Fest. Thanks again to @no00000000 for setting it up!!

[aniseya]

“He has to be a witness to what she finds out about herself. It was very important that she had her own agency and that she made this decision independently of him. But I agree, him witnessing it draws them together so much more. So, it went: buffoon, terrifying villain, seductive possible teacher, and then romantic lead. [Laughs] So, I had to find somebody who could play all four characters — buffoon, murderer, a gentle teacher, and then as a romantic lead. You can imagine as I'm writing this, I'm just like, “Who the fuck are we gonna get for this part? Who is going to be able to do this?”

“But I think the way that you see The Stranger and Osha almost immediately Yin and Yang-ing, there's also an argument to be made there.”

“Actually, in earlier drafts, The Stranger had a line from that movie, which is, "I have crossed oceans of time to find you." A lot of Gothic romances were referenced - Jane Eyre, Rochester and sort of the Byronic hero for those two.”

“I was sort of struggling with what the last moment was. I was kind of struggling with it. It was very important that they feel like equals. It was very important that they felt, honestly, like a power couple. I didn't think he should kiss her because, while he's earned her respect, she's earned his, he's earned her allegiance, and she's earned his, I don't know if he has earned that level of intimacy with her. There have been displays of intimacy, but it felt like they weren't there yet. And so I said, “What's a kiss but not a kiss?” [Laughs] I was like, “I’m sorry, I can't think of something.” And the actors came up with holding the lightsaber together, and as soon as that happened, Hanelle [Culpepper], the director of that episode, set up this gorgeous shot. I realized, I was like, “Oh my god, this is the end of Fight Club, and I'm obsessed!” The last line of that movie is, “You met me at a very strange time in my life.” [Laughs] It just didn't feel like we were quite there.”

“Oh, yeah! Again, they’re Sith. It's a different vibe. To me, it's gonna hit different because of their allegiance and who they are. So, yes, it is framed as romantic, but I do think, again, it's not gonna turn out great. I think if he's training her, “One to hold the power, one to crave it.” So they're starting off as equals, but what's gonna happen? Like in Romeo and Juliet, it's amazing because right at the beginning they're like, “Okay, these two die. Let's start the play.” As you're watching this incredible love story unfold, and it's one of the most beautifully iconic plays ever written, in the back of your mind, you're like, “This is not going to turn out well.”

“I want to clarify: They are not necessarily doomed or destined to fail as a team. But the Sith rule of two denotes a power imbalance. Which clearly, due to the final shot, is not their relationship. Also, Plagueis complicates their journey as Sith, because we know his apprentice is eventually Palpatine. They will not defeat him.”

— leslye headland about oshamir for collider

[theamberfist]

Leave it All on the Dance Floor! Part 2 | Alastor x Overlord! Reader

Platonic! Alastor + Best Friend! Reader who's also an overlord.

Description: After having his coat ripped, Alastor enlists the help of his best friend and tailor.

(Notes: CW Alastor, mentions of cannibalism) (Part 2/5 of Leave it All on the Dance Floor!)

Words: 2508

Part 1

"That new fabric order you wanted just got in, boss!" Joan chirped as she entered your work room; a clipboard in hand. Hearing that made you smile and you looked up from where you'd been drawing out concepts for some new clothes.

"Wonderful!" You exclaimed, "I know you know where to store it for now. I'll get to work on adding that to the new line later." Joan nodded as she crossed the item off her well-organized list. "And how are the newbies doing down there?" You asked, referring to the recently-hired demons currently being trained to work the boutique while you focused on designing. 

You'd hoped they wouldn't end up causing much trouble when you took them in; needing the extra employees, but Joan's expression immediately made you lower your hopes. 

"They're...Working on it." She replied finally, "But don't worry; I've been dealing with all the customer complaints the way you told me to. We'll get those sinners up to par soon enough, and then you'll be back to having the most well-run boutique in hell!" 

At that, you sighed. You were just glad to have Joan to deal with them so you wouldn't have to; after all, you'd been very busy lately. 

"Are you still designing the new line?" the feline asked with a hint of concern in her voice. You'd been working on it for the last week almost nonstop, and you knew she was probably a little worried about you. Still, she knew better than to comment about it openly. 

"Yes," you replied, setting the drawings on your desk now, "But I should have some solid concepts soon." Joan was still frowning but you ignored her worry as you leaned back in your chair and stretched. You'd been at this all day so you had to admit; it might be a good time to take a short break. 

"I'm sure these new designs will be even more lovely than your last ones," you assistant finally spoke as she took another step forward, "But...Uh, there's one other item that could use your attention right now." At that, you raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh? What is it?" You asked. Based on her nervous expression, you weren't sure you wanted to hear the answer. 

She drew in a breath before glancing back down at her clipboard. "We have a client here who requires repairs on some of their clothes." 

"I thought I said I wasn't going to be taking any clients this week?" You replied now, crossing your arms, "Can't one of the apprentices handle it?" 

"The client has insisted only your expertise will do," Joan told you, "And frankly, I don't think it's quite my place to refuse." She had a look of fear on her face at that that piqued your interest even more. Who could this client be to have scared even your own assistant so badly? You had a few ideas, and if they turned out to be true, then you almost wanted to smile in delight.

"Alright," you pretended to sigh now, knowing what was up, "Send them in and I'll handle it." Joan nodded quickly before heading over to the door of your workshop, which she opened to reveal a very familiar sinner standing on the other side with a huge smile on his face. 

"Why, thank you, my dear!" Alastor told Joan as he took a step into the room. She nodded quickly before leaving and closing the door behind her. Meanwhile, you grinned and stood from your desk. 

"Al, what brings you back here already?" You asked, though you couldn't have been more glad to see your best friend back in the Swing Sector visiting you, "Miss me already?" The Radio Demon's smile widened at that and he came over to pull you into a hug. 

"Lovely to see you too, my friend!" He exclaimed as you chuckled. "I'm afraid I've come to request your assistance mending some of my clothing, if it's not too much trouble!" You let go of your friend now, raising an eyebrow at his words. 

"Of course it's no trouble, but...Surely it's not these clothes you need repaired, right...?" You asked, a dark shadow beginning to form across your face, "After all, I just made this suit for you a couple of weeks ago." Your tone was calm but extremely threatening and despite being the Radio Demon himself, Alastor had to fight the urge to step back. When it came to the clothes you created, you could always be a little...murderous. He almost didn't want to continue with the look in your eye, but nevertheless, he did so.

"Unfortunately, it is," he replied carefully and with a solemn nod of his head. When he saw your expression darken even further though, he quickly continued. "But I assure you, dear, I did everything in my power to avoid letting any harm come to these clothes! This is the result of an...Unfortunate turn of events." 

"Who did it?" You asked in a tone so unlike you that it would have made anyone living in your sector shake with fear. 

"Alas, I do not remember his name; the forgettable sort." Alastor replied, glad to have shifted the blame off of himself now, "But I assure you, I plan to make him pay for his transgressions." His own expression became scarier now as his eyes began to shift into radio dials and glow red; even more so than normal.

"Give Joan a description of this demon on the way out," you ordered, "I'd also like to have a go at anyone who thinks they can damage my designs and get away with it." Alastor nodded at that, even if only to calm your rising anger. 

"Now," you said, taking a deep breath in order to pull yourself from your murderous rage, "Show me the damage." You turned back to grab a tape measure and some sewing pins as Alastor held up the end of his coat, which had been clearly been ripped. Of course, it always gave that appearance, but in this case, the tears weren't how you'd designed them, and therefore, gave a rattier appearance.

You felt your anger nearly flare up again at the sight but calmed yourself as you nodded and then got to work measuring and pinning wherever necessary. 

"Good thing I always keep your fabric on-hand," you spoke while holding one of the sewing pins between your teeth, "Otherwise, you'd have had to wait a few weeks for it to get in, and we certainly couldn't have you walking around like this for so long." The Radio Demon nodded, assuming the pose you always had him hold as he let you work.

You'd been his personal tailer ever since the two of you became friends shortly after your own arrival in hell. Before them, he'd had some random sinner off the street make all of his clothes, and as you'd told him the night you ran into each other at that party, it had showed. Luckily, he now had a best friend who was always willing to ensure he was well-dressed; making him a top priority whenever he came in. 

For a few minutes, you pinned the fabric in silence as he took in the sights of your workroom. It hadn't changed much in the years since he'd last visited; a realization that was somehow heartwarming. 

It was as messy as ever; with various designs lining the walls, fabric strewn about, and several trunks of other sewing supplies pushed up against the tall windows. Your desk was even worse with pins and needles all over it that had been entangled in string, and Alastor knew if he were to ever bring someone like Nifty here, she would have had a field day. 

Also resting on your desk, though, were several framed photos. There was one picturing you and Rosie, probably taken sometime after the Radio Demon's disappearance, along with several photos of your various owned souls that had been taken at the parties you hosted. Alastor's smile widened, though, when he noticed several old photos of you and him rested among the rest. Even after all this time, they were well-taken-care-of and free from dust or dirt. The sight was very sweet.

"Did I overhear that you were working on a new line?" He finally asked, breaking the silence as you threaded some red string through a needle like it was nothing. 

"Of course," you told him with a grin before kneeling to hand-sew the new fabric of his coat to the ripped area. "I have to stay up to date, don't I? And plus, runway season is coming up." 

"Well, then I hope to be in attendance at many of your upcoming fashion shows." Alastor told you and you nodded as you started stitching. 

"You'll be the first one invited, of course," you said with a playful eye roll, "Who better than my best friend to witness as I crush Velvette; fashionably?" This made the other overlord's smile widen even more.

"I have no doubt in your creative mind," he replied, "In fact, I daresay her own designs are nowhere near your level, so where's the competition in the first place?" He gave a loud laugh at that and you shook your head with a smile.

"Thanks, Alastor," You said as took out another sewing pin; not needing it anymore, "But it turns out there might actually be some competition this season. The Overlord Gala is being held a month earlier due to the next extermination being moved up- will you be attending, by the way?" You glance dup at your deer-like friend, who immediately nodded.

"But of course! I wouldn't miss such an entertaining event for the world," he replied, placing a hand where his heart should have been, "And I suppose I'll have to be requesting your services for my clothing then, as well." You nodded, turning back to your work. 

"Well, anyway," you continued, "The gala is supposed to be competitive as far as fashion this year, and I intend to have the best designs by a landslide. But that all starts with the line I'll be releasing shortly beforehand, so it has to be perfect." 

"Of course," Alastor nodded knowingly, "Do let me know if there is anything I can do to assist! Any endeavor that involves putting those arrogant V's in their place is worth supporting. Though, I hardly think you'll require my help schooling Velvette on the runway." You chuckled at that, finally finishing sewing Alastor's coat and tying it off.

"Thanks, Al." You told him now as you stood and brushed yourself off, "I always appreciate your support. And...Your coat is done!" You stepped away now, letting him inspect your work as you began putting away the rest of your materials. The Radio Demon took a second to look it over before his smile widened (somehow), seeming satisfied.

"Perfect as usual, my dear!" He told you as he gave a brief spin for emphasis. "Thank you kindly!" 

"Anytime." You replied once you'd put everything away, "Oh, and by the way, are you planning to attend that meeting next week? The one Carmilla sent information about?" A part of you was a little nervous he hadn't been invited for a second, considering the other overlord had never been particularly fond of Alastor, but then his eyes shone with recognition. 

"Yes, indeed!" He told you as the two of you started heading out of your workshop now, "Am I correct to assume you'll be there as well?" You nodded and his smile brightened, "Splendid! Then I shall see you at the meeting!" 

"Sounds good," you replied, "But before then, make sure you let Rosie know you're back! If you show up to the meeting with no warning she might bite you." You shivered, remembering the last time Alastor had done something to make the kind cannibal overlord angry. You hadn't had bandages on-hand at the time and had had to use whatever fabric you could find just to wrap his wound. 

"Of course, of course!" Alastor waved a hand dismissively, which told you he most likely would not be telling Rosie in advance. He always had liked to keep everyone guessing, hadn't he? "Now, I would love to stay longer, but I must be on my way, darling!" He headed over to the counter of your boutique, where one of your newer recruits immediately shrunk away in fear. "And I'd better let you get back to work if you're to show everyone up at the gala!" 

You grinned and made your way over to the register, but instead of punching in any amount, you simply leaned your elbows onto it with a smile. "Al, you know I wouldn't make you pay for a simple repair like this," you told him, "if anything, the one paying will be whichever demon ripped your coat in the first place." You were still smiling but your voice got significantly more sinister and your eyes darkened as you spoke the last sentence. The rest of the shop's employees cowered but Alastor just laughed. 

"A true gentleman pays his friend for their services, dear." He reminded you but as he spoke, his gaze shifted to the street outside, where a TV in the store across the street happened to be running Vox's broadcast. His smile didn't drop but you could instantly see the shift in his eyes from joy to annoyance at the sight. 

And you could understand why. It seemed Vox had caught wind of the fact that the Radio Demon was back, because he was going on and on about Alastor's return and what it meant for the future of hell. You supposed that obsession of his still hadn't died out. 

"On second thought, it seems I'll have to be on my way." Alastor practically spat before turning back to you with a joyful expression again, "But do let me know when you're next free, and I'll be sure to treat you to lunch as thanks for your kindness this fine day." You gave him a look so he added, "with vegetarian options, of course." Your grin widened.

Even though you were best friends with both Rosie and Alastor, two of hell's most well-known cannibal demons, you had no interest in partaking in said acts yourself and he could respect that. 

"Alright." You said finally as Alastor adjusted his bow tie once more and then turned towards the door. "Nice to see you again!" 

"Bye now, dear!" He called back, "Oh, and if you've got the time, consider tuning in to my next broadcast! It's sure to be quite...Entertaining." With that, he was out the door and you shook your head, still smiling. He was no doubt going to clap back at Vox by going on-air for the first time in years, and of course, you weren't about to miss that for anything. 

"Joan!" You called, heading back up the stairs to your workshop now, "Would you bring the radio up? I have a feeling this afternoon's work is going to get much more entertaining!"

……….

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

[mahou-furbies]

First impressions on Champignon Witch

This manga isn't really magical girls, but there is a witch in it (duh) and no way I'm not gonna talk about it. I saw this in a compilation of anime that's coming out in 2025 and from the promo art alone I knew this was going to be my manga (from the mushroom witch hat with ornate decorations), and so far it has lived up to expectations.

The story is set in a fairytale style world, where the black witch Luna lives in her little mushroom house in a forest with her magic familiars, and makes various powerful medicine out of poisonous mushrooms. People fear and hate her because she emits poison, and even the few merchants who will do business with her and treat her in a friendly way wear protective items around her and will scrub clean everything she has touched after she leaves. Luna continues to create medicine for the townspeople though, because she has few other ways to feel connected to other people outside seeing everyone all happy about the anonymous source's cures, even if she knows that nobody would want them if they knew they came from the poison witch. Also unbeknownst to the normies the poison she radiates is actually beneficial, because she involuntarily sucks up this vague evil bad vibe energy around her, and turns it into a more manageable form.

The first volume or so is spent following Luna's life, and it isn't until later when she finds the turbo poisoned boy Lis, somewhat cures him and takes him as an apprentice that the main story actually starts. The council of the black witches wants to kill him, because it is speculated that his poisoning will eventually take over and he'll cause large scale ruination, and only allow a limited time for Luna to teach him to manage his own poison.

I like how the whole series has a rather somber tone, which mostly comes from the characters wanting and failing to be close to one another, and trying to make peace with having to give up on someone. Like Luna has lost several of her black witch friends to witch hunt executions. The story also has a difficult relationship with love, since love is "poisonous" to black witches and messes up their magic, and also Luna has to live in isolation anyway. But it doesn't seem like this is a "love conquers all" kind of romance, because it has a side character give a speech on how it's condescending of outsiders to think that life without love is somehow incomplete.

I really like Luna, aside from the lovely character design she also has sweet quiet personality and it's easy to root for her to get through her self esteem troubles. I also like that she is already an experienced witch at the start and not a newbie who is baffled by everything. I'd say my biggest complaint about the story is that lately it has been a lot more about characters other than Luna, I wish she'd come back to the spotlight soon!

Since Luna's character design is what drew me to this in the first place, I was extremely happy that she wears a lot of memorable "medieval fantasy" type outfits. Quite many of them in fact, she has a new one almost every chapter! And sometimes multiple in the same chapter! And you know how I often like to draw collections of animu outfits with the character standing there in a neutral pose, here the author has done my job for me because almost every chapter ends with a good reference image full body pics of the major characters' new clothes! Even the ones that only appear once on a cover! It's like this was made for me.

Finally it should be mentioned that eventually Lis falls in love with Luna; it's somewhat complicated how old he is because he keeps getting aged down by magic so he is chronologically older than how he looks (and so is Luna for that matter, this is a "magic people stop aging" kinda series), but if that's a dealbreaker to you then maybe steer clear.

[warywind]

Dergtober 9-13

Lots of loose black and white thumbnails coming up.

Day 9: Exalt; featuring a scared and slightly divine tundra cub. I was inspired by what @/Petall did for this one to work with what exalt means outside of flight rising instead of the mechanic. There’s an old draft of Mani’s background in his bio, but in short, he has the misfortune of being involved in one of the darker threads of lore in my clan. His egg was the first to survive a series of experiments a secretive group was doing on ancient ice artifacts that irradiate dangerous levels of pure ice magic. This involved his egg being exposed to way more elemental magic than an egg ever should, resulting in a dragon that has way more magic than a dragon really should. Mani was revered by the group and certainly had been raised into power, but it was hardly a childhood he wanted. (Things do work out okay for him eventually! But he has to do his own rescuing for a while.)

Day 10: Crossroads; I had two ideas for this one, one cheery to make up for sad tundra baby and one less so. I decided to sketch both, and you can tell which one I got more invested in. XD Version 1 is one of my clan's trading caravans reaching a literal crossroads and starting to debate on which way to go, featuring Cadmus, Merlin, Euryale, Aella, and Sandía. Version 2 is for a metaphorical crossroads where a certain dragon has to decide whether to change his path in life. Alden sits in a sort of an awkward, unresolved space in my lore-- waay back when Sandía was in a roleplay onsite I got attached to a semi-villain NPC I was using, then somehow hatched a dragon that was a close match of the colors I pictured for said NPC, then had the roleplay fall out soon after. So, I was still invested in whatever would have happened between Alden and Sandía but didn’t want anything from the roleplay to be canon to avoid stepping on material that deeply involved someone else’s lore. I know their story involves Alden working for kidnappers and at some point making the difficult decision to change sides and free her, but have never gotten around to ironing out the details.

Day 11: Pile; featuring a quick doodle of a sleep pile of the little found family Mani eventually gets. On the right we've got Mani cuddling his partner Pruino, who's in turn getting piled on by Pruino's apprentice Marco, and above them an adolescent Siku, who is basically a child Mani just showed up with one day. Mani probably told Pruino what was up with Siku immediately (it's related to the group that experimented on him, now his sworn enemy), but it takes him a long time to warm up to Marco and let him into their circle of secrets. It occurred to me later that I totally excluded Kilauea, who should count as part of Mani's circle, but then again Kilauea is on tenser terms with most of them and wouldn't have been very comfortable in the sleep pile.

Day 12: Scroll;featuring Dauen. He doesn't really have lore so much as vibes, but I'm sure he'll end up with a story one day. I decided there should be a updraft early on and just sort of went with it.

Day 13: Serthis; featuring an as of yet unnamed Serthis and Cadogan's egg. This lone serthis has stumbled upon egg, size:large and they are debating what to do about it. The answer is adopt child, size:large, but they haven't gotten there in their pondering yet. Just now they're probably trying to decide how big the parents must have been. The drawing is still at sketch-phase, but I ended up playing with colors for a while so it'll be that much harder to clean up the sketch if I decide to finish this after dergtober.

[ettawritesnstudies]

I finished Runaways but I scheduled my Livestream for next week!

Context:

I'm going to make the anthology one way or another to launch with the book, this is just a matter of prioritizing. It'll involve editing the current Kofi stories, writing some new ones, and making supplemental content.

I have 0 thoughts for Inklings currently but it's coming up soon so I should probably figure that out.

End of the Road is a NA paranormal coming of age story about one way road trips, grief, and ghosts. Could be published after runaways because they have a folklore/supernatural element connecting them. Capitalizes on the 20something angst.

Vilotta's Adventure is a MG historical fiction set in Renaissance Italy following a princess who apprentices with Leonardo da Vinci when he comes to her parents court to paint a portrait of her mother. She gets to be an inventor, has a series of misadventures, and learns about friendship along the way. Could be published after Runaways because they're both MG, bonus points for Educational Content™. Rewrite of the first novel I ever wrote so it's not going anywhere.

Art stream: I'd still do 25 minute sprints w/ no talking and just art on screen so you can write without distractions or I show you my progress during breaks. Motive: I miss drawing and my brain hurts.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Shy Guy (Pastry Chef)

Debut: Mario Kart Tour

I love Shy Guy :]

I love sweets and treats! I love baked goods! I even like to make them sometimes!

So a Shy Guy, wearing a chef hat, creator of pastries? This is a Kin Emergency over here!

This is such a perfect character and appeals to me so much that I’m even willing to look past the fact that he’s French-coded!

Cooking is one thing, baking is another, and pastry-making is an intensely delicate science! But we can clearly see that Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) is a master of the craft! Just churning out treats with reckless abandon! You know they’re good because good food is guaranteed to make a woman close her eyes and smile while putting her hand on her cheek. After every single bite! I can’t tell exactly what every pastry on display is, but those certain ones in the wobbly stack in Shy Guy’s right hand... could they be flans? How I hope so!

Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) takes great care to ensure that no hairs or dandruff or scales or whatever covers a Shy Guy’s scalp will end up in your food. He is wearing three whole articles of clothing on his head! That’s so difficult to do without the hat falling off! However, the big ol’ eye holes of his mask do mean that Eyes could potentially fall in your pristine tarts. But with such a prestigious fellow as this, that would be an honor!

The delight keeps on coming because Shy Guy (Pastry Chef)’s signature kart is the Carrot Cart! I love this so much! You know I love Carrot Aesthetic! A carrot is not what I would have chosen for a pastry chef (I would have chosen a rabbit, so good thing Nabbit shares this signature vehicle) but it can represent carrot cake, and of course that little frosting carrot they always put on top of it! I bet Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) is SO good at drawing a carrot out of frosting. It would look so much like a real carrot that you would bite into it expecting it to crunch and hurt your teeth. In a good way though.

Our patissier pal is not the first Shy Guy chef we have seen in the Mario franchise, though he is the most lovingly crafted! In Mario Party 8, Shy Guy’s Perplex Express has chef Shy Guys in the train’s kitchen, who are simply regular Shy Guys with hats. They stand on crates to reach the counter, which is cute, but also sad, since this train was evidently made for humans and not Shy Guys... hopefully someday the hardworking crew will be able to make the kitchen more accessible! Also the heat vent can suck people onto the roof, and that’s pretty dangerous.

I don’t think there is any chance of Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) being made playable in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but I think he should appear as one of the Shy Guys in cars in Coconut Mall. He came because he heard they were doing Donuts!

If you don’t feel worthy of playing as Shy Guy (Pastry Chef), that’s okay! It is important to be yourself. And with the Pastry Chef Mii Racing Suit, You, yes, You, can be his apprentice! This is one of the few racing suits not based on something ubiquitous from the Mario series, and I think that is wonderful, because it means they love Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) that much, or at least they love the concept of Pastry Chefs. I love both! Anyway, the chef hat of this outfit is a rigid helmet and that delights me.

Just as each driver in Tour has favored courses, so do Mii Racing Suits! That’s right, when you wear one of these, you are not yourself! What YOU want does not matter anymore, and you are at the mercy of your fashionable and practical outfit. Would you put on such a racing suit, knowing it would warp your mind, making you drawn hopelessly to the likes of Paris Promenade 2 R/T Version, even if you would not think much of the course otherwise?

Mii Racing Suits are scary! The helmets control your mind and zap your brain if you try to resist! The suits move your limbs for you! Have to go to the bathroom? Too bad! Your suit has other plans, you’re going to Donut Plains 2 and you’re going to like it! Have fun in the Mii Tour coming soon to Mario Kart Tour.

[ilovemygffff]

The apprentice

Jade claymore x femreader

Part 2

--------------------------

You woke up like you had been tickled all night, you probably should've forced yourself to sleep instead of daydreaming about your little crush.

You got up and got dressed, did your hair and ate breakfast as fast as you could.

It was 7am and yesterday they were really clear about not being late. Training starts at 8am so you had time. You thought about going early to impress Jade and see her longer than the others. Maybe this time you could talk to her more? Get closer to her?

Yeah no who were you kidding,  after her speaking to you last time no way you would be able to say more than 5 words to her. She's just so.. intimidating.

You said goodbye to your mother alone since your brother was still asleep. You started walking slowly towards the Court. You noticed a few stares of old ladies, probably the ones that saw you weeks ago dropping those oranges.

You shook your head embarrassed just at the thought of it.

You had to impress Jade to make up for that first impression.  Did she even remember you? Probably not.

Wait if she didn't remember you that's perfect! It means you can try again!

Happy you walked with a smile until the doors were in front of you. You notice you weren't the only one who thought of coming early, 15 other were there.

You walked carefully and sat down on the ground like all of them, waiting. 

You didn't see any Knight yet, you thought they would be the more punctual ones but you were wrong it seems.

You grabbed a stick that was next to you and started drawing on the ground, bored.

Some noise took your attention and you looked up. The boy next to you was surrounded by people. Who was he? You couldn't see his face but you could see the ones talking to him. They were all smiling like idiots and they kept touching his arm. What the fuck is that about.

Suddenly a few Knights arrived with equipments. Weird wood mannequins, you guessed to practice hand fighting to reinforce your bones or maybe just sword fighting?

You got up and tapped on that "famous" boy shoulders.

" Excuse me what time is it?" You asked

He turned around, looked at you and gave you the most charming smile you've ever seen.. which made you uncomfortable. He was quite handsome, if you liked the blonde type.. and man.

But no one could beat Jade for you.

"I'm busy if you can't tell but if you're trying to flirt with me please don't-"

You looked at him shocked and disgusted. What is wrong with him, people like that exists?

You walked away quickly to ask the question to someone less conceited.

"Hey where are you going!" He shouted and ran behind you.

"Going far away from you" You spat

"You must be joking.. right?" he asked confused and looking at you like you were the abnormal one.

You stopped and turned around confronting him.

" What's wrong? First of all why are you following me? And if you can't imagine someone simply asking you a question without being interested in you you're the weird one."

He stayed silent for a moment and squinted his eyes studying you.

" You're into women aren't yo-" he bluntly asked

Panicked you covered his mouth and shush him.

" SHHH whats wrong with you there's people here!"

You let him free and looked at him embarrassed.  How did you jump to conclusions that fast, he was right but still.

" So, are you? That's the only explanation on why you don't find me attractive" He repeats with a playful grin.

You sigh and gave him the most deadly glare you had.

" That doesn't concern you pretty boy, now leave me alone"

You turned around and found a girl a little secluded from all of you.�� She looked like a better choice than Narcissus himself over there, still staring at you.

You ignored him and walked towards the blonde girl.

"Hi excuse me do you have the time?"

You asked gently

" Hmm it's 7h50, the training should start anytime soon." She answered with a soft voice.

" Thank you, I was just getting a little impatient haha.." you laughed it off, she seemed like good company.  You could use a friend or two here.

" I'm Y/n by the way"

"I'm sabine" she says with a smile.

" Nice to meet you! If we ever need to practice with someone feel free to do it with me. I promise I'll go easy on ya" you teased her.

" ha! We'll see about that, I may look inoffensive but I'm one of the winners remember?" She stated with a smirk

You liked her personality,  you were glad you had made a friend the first day.

But looks like you had made more than that.

You heard someone sit beside you.

Narcissus.

Sabine looked over at him confused.

" Um who are you?"

" Arthur Debelli. I'm surprised you don't know me, my family is quite known.."

Neither you or Sabine cared as you're attention went back to the Knights in front of you.

" Listen it's just a first that I'm seen as just a normal person, usually people are after me for my body or money.." he continued

You looked at me and frowned

" I'm not that type of person" you said with a genuine smile. Maybe he wasn't that weird after all. Living a certain way for years of course he would assume everyone would be the same.

More "winners" entered the Court as you guessed it should be 8 sharp. You got up, sabine and Arthur following you.

Jade entered your vision and your breath hitched. She wore her special armor that she wears only when she goes on missions or trainings, it suited her so perfectly. She looked at the crowd and for a brief second saw you. Your heart dropped to your stomach as your eyes met.

She looked away and you looked down at the floor, calming your heart. Sabine noticed and brushed your arm, making sure you're alright.

She would laugh if she knew the reason of your behavior.

/oh yeah don't worry its just that Jade looked at me and I suddenly feel sick and I think I'm going to throw up butterflies/

Knight Samuel came forward like last time, Jade right next to him. You forced yourself to not look at her as if she catches you a second time you might just die of embarrassment

" Hello everyone, today is your first day in training. You all proved to be brave and skilled enough for the Queen. Still, with 300 winners , only a few of you will be Knights. The rest will fight with the army as soldiers. Understood?"

Everyone yelled " Yes sir" , your eyes quickly went to Jade, she looked serious as she was talking with some Knights beside her. You looked at the sky, it was so blue, beautiful. Even though it was early in the morning,  the sun was bright enough, enhancing the red in Jade's hair.

You couldn't stop admiring her.

Sabine took you out of your thoughts when she grabbed your hand to guide you to the ranks that had formed while you weren't paying attention to anyone else other than your favorite Knight.

Arthur followed behind you both, ignoring the hostile stares of the girls that seemed jealous of sabine and you.

There were around fifteen ranks of 20 winners , you were in the fifth line started by the left side of the Court.

The Knights paired up and started walking towards a rank of their choice.

Samuel turned to Jade and gave her a head gesture to follow him. They walked from the right side along all the ranks,  which they all already had Knights attributed. They got closer to your rank, making a little nervous. Arthur was speaking with you about some fighting techniques he thought they could practice but you weren't there at all.

Because Samuel and Jade stopped at your rank. Your heart started beating a little faster, you made an effort to hide behind the 18 heads in front of you so Jade wouldn't notice you. You were probably the shortest so hiding wasn't difficult.

All the other ranks beside you walked forward to the strange wood mannequins you've seen being placed earlier. Samuel lead your rank as you all started walking, the redhead following right behind him. She looked behind to make sure you were all following and your eyes met again.

That wasn't the only thing catching you off guard, her giving you a smile practically made your ovaries waltz and your uterus fall, metaphorically.

You shyly gave a smile back as some heads turned to look at who Evil Jade was smiling to.

Sabine turned to look at you with a smirk, like she finally understood everything.

"So she's the lucky girl huh"

Arthur whispered in your ear from behind, startling you.

You turned around and hit his shoulder

" Don't you ever dare do that again!"

"Ow! That hurts you morron!" He screamed louder than you wish he had. People from other ranks looked at you both which you mouthed a "sorry" for.

You were sure Jade and Samuel heard you but they decided to ignore it for now.

You bumped into sabine who stopped walking, meaning your rank arrived in front of the wood monster (that's how you decided to call it).

Samuel turned around followed by Jade who looked straight at you. You looked at Samuel trying to look normal.

You were totally normal and calm right now, feeling her gaze on you. You made it this far you couldn't keep acting like a coward everytime she gave you the slightest bit of attention.

" This is called a Wooden dummy slightly rectified. You will each hit it as fast and precise as possible. We will be rating you to know what your personal level is in hand combat. This is just the first exercise. Now go each one of you one by one." Samuel ordered

You looked at the first one to try in each ranks, some hit each points perfectly like they have been practicing it for months, other hit randomly and clearly hesitant as they didn't know how. You clearly didn't know how either so you made sure to observe everyone and repeat the moves of the best ones you've seen.

Finally it was Sabine's turn, she walked towards the wood monster and you felt Jade stare at you again. You did your best to ignore it to focus on Sabine. When it would be your turn you had to repeat what you've mentally rehearsed.

At this point you were just copying everything and everyone to level up in everyway possible. Maybe you didn't have the natural talent or strength some had. You had something else, a good memory and coordination.

Sabine stood in front of the wooden dummy and waited for Samuel to signal she could go. As soon as the signal was given she hit all the upper points quickly and ended it with a twist and a final kick.

She was the first one to use her legs on the wood monster which you heard a few impressed reactions in the other ranks. Jade scoffed and looked at Samuel,  waiting for his reaction.

" As impressive as it is, I remember asking to use hands only. Respecting commands is as important as breathing for a soldier. Keep that in mind" he said, unimpressed.

You didn't like his reaction, sabine turned and walked to the back of the line, you tapped her back to encourage her.

It was your turn, you walked towards your enemy for the next few seconds.

Samuel staring at you with the ginger Knight. She crossed her arms and waited for Samuel's signal.

" Go."

You immediately repeated the hits , right left, up down and in the middle.

You repeated this 2 times and stopped when you heard steps behind you.

"Very good.." Jade whispered startling you and all of the atoms in your body. You looked at her, your faces were so close. She looked at your eyes with a tint of amusement you couldn't quite catch.

Samuel, after having noted your score asked you to go back in the line. You nodded and looked at Jade one last time, her not breaking the contact until you did. You looked at Arthur as he was the next and last one. He looked at you with an air that said " I saw that". If you could curse all of his future grandchildrens you would.

You walked fast to sabine and went behind her.

" What happened back there? When I saw Jade walking up behind you and I thought you had made a big mistake!  "She said with a mix of worried and curious intonation.

You sighed and looked at Arthur in front, Jade returned to her usual place next to Samuel, focused on Arthur's moves.

" She.. said something to me that's all" You admitted looking away.

Sabine's face light up like a child you've told you've seen a fairy.

"Really!? What did she say!? Something kind I hope, she didn't insult you did she? That would be horrible.. Unless you're into that-" You cut her by hitting her arm, blushing.

" Stop it!! You're not better than prince charming over there. No she just said I did a good job. Well her exact words were "very good" You said

Sabine gave you the most unsettling smile you've ever seen, it practically touched her ears by how wide and scary it was.

" She praised you? SHE PRA-" She started yelling but you covered her mouth fast enough so nobody heard her.

"Sabine I swear to the crown if you keep attracting attention to us at fucking 9 in the morning.." you threatened "jokingly" but you weren't really joking.

Arthur walked beside you and you released Sabine, disappointed that creepy smile wasn't gone.

Yes Jade praised you, you didn't quite realize it yet. Probably the reason why you're still a functioning human being right now.

" I nailed it if you were wondering" the blondie said to the both of you, proud of himself.

"We weren't" you said at the same time which made you giggle.

You wondered what they would ask you to do next. Your answer was quickly answered when you've seen the Knights align in front of all of you.. with their swords out.

"Next exercise, fighting us with your swords. We will go easy on you so just do your best and we'll define your level." Samuel announced.

You grabbed your sword a little anxious.

You heard a metallic sound and everyone looked towards the Court's door where a soldier on a black horse was waiting. Samuel walked towards him. You hadn't noticed him before, he gave a paper to the Knight and said a few words to him. Samuel looked behind at the Knights and made a hand sign that they all seemed to understand.  He walked away with the messenger, leaving the other Knights do the rest.

Wait does this mean.

You looked ahead and Jade drew her sword out confidently.

The first on your line drew his out as well and walked towards her.

Without Samuel to decide the signal , each rank started at their own pace.

Jade nodded at him and attacked him first which he barely blocked. She continued, each attack faster than the one before, that's supposed to be easy on us?

The poor guy tried his best to block and attack but the redhead was too fast for him. You recognized some of her patterns, it's like how she practices at night alone. You thought maybe you had a chance since you observed her a lot.

The fight ended with Jade's sword under the boy's chin, on his knees.

You gulped, you hoped you would do better than him.

You watched as the fights continued and your turn grew closer. Your hands were clenched on your sword.

When Sabine's walked away from the Knight head down, you got even more scared. Sabine was good, maybe even better than you. If she couldn't do it, you weren't sure you would.

Jade was looking at you like a Hunter looks at his prey.

It's okay, you thought as you drew your sword out. You had an advantage.

All the hours spent observing her fighting style would serve you .

You would use her own techniques against her.

First thing, she always starts with a right wing hit, you could avoid it if you moved left right away.

A hint of amusement again was all over her face, like she was mocking or playing with you.

You figure it started when she puts one of her leg back, that's your cue.

You quickly moved to your left only to be suddenly hit on your shoulder by her elbow.

You hadn't seen that coming and it hurts like hell. You wince and take a step back to regain some balance.

What the hell was that? You massage your shoulder and think about what move to do next, but Jade didn't care about that as she charges again. She feinted a left sword hit which made me automatically move to the right where she quickly came back to and attacked directly on my sword already in a blocking position.

Or I'm really weak or she's way stronger than you had anticipated.  Her sword against yours seemed to weight four times more. Your arms started shaking, she went back leaving you a few seconds to rest.

All of the hits she keeps giving you weren't like the ones you've seen her practice. It's also not what she's been using on the others.

She noticed the confusion on your face and gave you that same smile she did earlier. You had thought it was a genuine one but now you weren't so sure. You prepared yourself again and attacked first, targeting her core. She made a move with her weapon that made you lose grip on yours and it fell on the ground. You stood there, defeated. You couldn't understand how this happened, you felt stupid.

As you were still in shock she walked toward your sword and took it . She handed it to you and as you grabbed it she pulled it . Making your arms touch, you could feel her breath on your ear as she leaned in and whispered.

" Did you think I wouldn't have noticed?"

A shiver ran through your whole body as you pulled away from her grip.

[breakfastteatime]

Today's request is for @pennflinn who requested 'wake up':

Jaro Tapal reaches for the patience he is not known for. Master Yaddle worked so hard to inspire it within him. He sends an apology to her within the Force. He is a Jedi of action, not of waiting. Unfortunately, circumstances dictate that he stay put in the medical ward. Circumstances, and a healthy dose of guilt. The creche masters had warned him about this, told him of the dangers of psychometry and –

Jaro draws in a deep breath, holds it, and releases it. He reaches for the Force, allows it to take the sting out of his emotions.

It does not take away his need to move, to act, to do something. There is nothing he can do unless he suddenly develops a heretofore unknown gift for the healing arts. He can do nothing except wait.

Having an apprentice has changed many things in Jaro’s life. Many had warned him that his lack of patience would be a weakness that would need to be overcome. Today he finally appreciates that. He just wishes it hadn’t come at such a price. If only he had waited. If only he had not pushed Cal and then completely neglected to defend him.

Jaro struggles to release his frustration. He glances out a nearby porthole to the planet below, a mountainous world nearly totally decimated by a Separatist attack. The mission to protect the Republic made endless demands of the Jedi regardless of age or ability. Unfortunately for Jaro’s young Padawan, Cal possesses an ability that is frequently needed. ‘We come to serve.’ It is a mantra the Jedi will live and die by. Jaro would prefer not to see his ten-year-old Padawan die for the sake of a war he should have no part in. And although the information Cal relayed revealed the Separatists’ base location and saved what remained of this world, Jaro should have been more mindful. He should –

Footsteps approach. Jaro looks up and sees Healer Rania approaching. She is the only Jedi Healer aboard the Brave, and he is aware that she is due to be reassigned to a hospital outpost soon where the need for her abilities is far greater. Her presence and expertise will be sorely missed by all. She smiles and bows. “Master Tapal, I bring good news. Padawan Kestis is resting peacefully, and there will be no permanent damage to his arm.”

“That is excellent news,” Jaro says.

“And you are alright?” Raina asks, looking him over. “No injuries from the base assault?”

“None,” Jaro confirms.

“Good.” She steps aside. “Come with me. I will take you to him.”

Jaro follows Raina into the ward. He nods at the clones there, thanking them for their dedication to the cause. Thanks to them, the people of this world remain safe and free, their destiny in their own hands.

At the back of the ward is a small, curtained off area. While it is not for Cal’s exclusive use per se, it is also not a bed to be used regularly unless there is no other option. They have learned the hard way that medical bays are a special kind of torture for Cal if he does not have the chance to work through the echoes in advance. The bed he has been tucked away in is the only one to not be regularly drenched in others’ suffering.

Raina pulls back the curtain. ��Stay as long as you need,” she says.

Jaro slips in. Cal is fast asleep in the bed, his right arm encased in a cast that runs from his fingers to his shoulder. Jaro sits, grateful someone has slipped a chair in here that is large enough for his frame. He reaches for Cal, his large hand resting over the boy’s head. Cal stirs but does not wake. Renewed guilt stabs at Jaro. This is his fault. It was his lack of patience that put Cal in this bed. The attack on the planet had been swift and vicious, and no one knew where it had come from. The answer would likely be found with one of the victims of a devastated Republic communications outpost, and there was only one person who could learn what it was. Thus Cal, lost in the depths of an echo Jaro demanded he witness, had been unable to defend himself when the Separatists attacked again. Jaro and the clones fought them off long enough for Jaro to grab Cal and make a retreat. Cal told him where the Separatists were hiding, his pain so great Jaro could barely shield himself from it. He’d ordered two clones to return Cal to the Brave, pushing the child’s pain from his mind as he led the counterattack and drove the Separatists from the world.

The least he can do now is stay with Cal until he awakens. Jaro slips into a light meditation, keeping his focus very much in the present. Cal is alive and will be well again soon. The Force chimes in agreement, and sometime later chimes with an alert.

Cal needs him.

Jaro surfaces from the Force. Cal stirs in the bed, mumbling incoherently. His cheeks are flushed, the tell-tale heat of fever splashed across them. Jaro reaches for him with a hand and with the Force.

“Wake up,” he commands.

Obedient as ever, Cal jerks awake. He blinks heavily, staring in confusion. His confusion thumps with the rapid beat of his heart. Jaro calls to him once more to gain his attention. Cal sees him and immediately begins to calm.

“Master,” he says. “You’re alright. Did you stop the Separatists?”

“Yes, Cal. The planet is secure, thanks to the information you provided.”

It’s faint and it’s tight with pain, but Cal smiles in relief. “Good.”

Jaro presses a button that will summon Raina. “You were very brave today,” he tells Cal, both because it is the truth and because he needs to distract the boy from his pain. “I am proud of you.”

It works like a charm, and Cal’s whole demeanour shifts. “And the clones are okay too?”

“They are well, and likely celebrating in the mess hall. You will join them once you are feeling better.”

“You can go, Master. You don’t have to stay with me.” He yawns. “It must be boring.”

Cal already knows him too well. “My place is right here at your side,” Jaro replies.

[that-one-enby-ranger]

Letter

Day 14 of the Ranger Gathering - Letter

Gilan woke up earlier than usual. He sat up in his bed, stretched, and then looked out the window, only to see that the sun hadn't risen yet. He also noticed the layer of snow that was on the ground. He couldn't even see it behind the trees. He estimated it to be around the fifth hour. Around the time Halt would usually wake up. 

He got out of bed, changed, and opened his door, walking into the cool room, the light morning winter breeze seeping in underneath the cracks in the door. Gilan noticed Halt wasn't out of his room yet, so he walked over to his door. Putting his ear close to the door, Gilan could slightly hear Halt's deep and regular breathing, indicating that he was still asleep. He should be awake soon, Gilan decided.

He stepped away from the door and quietly walked into the kitchen. His training was going along quite well. He put some water into the coffee pot and got some coffee prepared. Soon the smell of coffee filled the cabin. 

Shortly after he heard Halt's door open. Gilan knew exactly what he was going to say to his mentor. 

'Mornin' sleepy head,' Gilan said cheerfully. It was the name that Halt and his father would call him when he got out of bed late. Which was all the time. It felt good using it on Halt for once.

Halt glared hard at him but Gilan just smiled back. His mentor ignored him. 

'Aren't you going to say anything?' Gilan asked. Halt looked at him.

'Say what?' He asked.

'I don't know,' Gilan replied, 'Maybe congratulate me for waking up early today, and for getting the coffee ready.'

'You should be doing that anyway,' Halt said. Last night he had been up late working on reports at the kitchen table. He had been too tired to finish them and had just left them on the table. He gathered the reports up now, walked over to his room where the door was still open, and lightly tossed them onto his bed from the doorway. Then he closed the door and walked back into the kitchen, accepting a cup of coffee from Gilan. 

Even though Halt had been too tired to finish reports, that didn't mean he was too tired to do other things. He had ended up lying on his bed, drawing in his sketchbook, even later into the night. He always did.

Mentor and apprentice now sat at the kitchen table, sipping their coffee. 

After finishing his third cup, Halt stood up, walked into his room and came back out with his cloak around his shoulders. 

'I'm going to go pick up the mail,' Halt said, 'when you're finished breakfast, do your chores.' Gilan nodded and Halt left. 

Their mail was kept at the castle in Baron Arald's office. They had permission to just walk in and grab it. The reason it was kept there was because the messengers and couriers were fearful of the ranger's, making it easier for them to just drop it off at the Baron's secretary's office, to be sorted out by him. If a letter was marked urgent however, the seal being red, it would immediately be taken to the ranger's cabin. Otherwise it would be kept at the castle, until either Gilan or Halt came to pick it up, which was usually every two days. Halt sometimes found going back and forth to the castle, through the village, extremely annoying, but he was also used to it. And then of course Lady Pauline would sometimes come to drop it off in her free time, using it as an excuse to see the grizzled ranger.

Gilan drained the rest of his coffee and started working on his chores.

← — →

Gilan looked up as he saw the door open and Halt stepped inside. He took off his cloak, hanging it on the hook by the door, snow melting off it. He had a small bag in his hand, holding all the letters and reports they had recently gotten. He walked over to the fire that Gilan had gotten ready, and sitting down in one of the chairs, started reading through them.

Gilan knew not to disturb his mentor at the moment, so he continued wiping the dust off the top of the shelves. 

Reports, reports, reports. That's all they ever were, Halt thought. Reports that he would eventually have to read through properly. But not at the moment. At the moment he had something else to read. A letter from Crowley. It wasn't marked with an oakleaf symbol, so he knew it wasn't a work letter. Just a private one between friends.

He opened it up with his throwing knife, took the letter out, and began reading.

Hello my dear  chaotic friend,

How have you been? Hopefully not too affected by the weather. You know, you should be proud of me. So far during this winter, I haven't gotten sick yet! That's a first. 

How's Gilan doing? Hopefully not too annoying, otherwise I'll be out of the job! If he does get too much of a handful, just remember to repeat to yourself: "Muder is illegal." That should help.

How's Pauline? Finally mustered up the courage to ask her out already? Time is slipping my friend. 

Also, I thought I'd let you know, considering it is your home land, I was talking to good ol' King Duncan the other day when he mentioned to me that apparently the Princess of Clonmel has sadly passed away. Princess Caitlyn I think her name was. Just thought I'd let you know, don't know if you knew already. Apparently she was sick and just died peacefully in her sleep. Must be horrible for her son. 

Anyway, hope I see you soon, Halty!

All the love from Crowley.

Halt went through a few emotions while reading that. Amusement at how Crowley could still be cheerful even in his letters, Halt could basically hear his friend talking to him. Anger at Crowley's Pauline comment and then shock, denial and grief when he read about Cailtyn's death. He didn't get much further after that.

Caitlyn, his precious little sister, was dead. No, he told himself, she wasn't dead. Maybe he had just read it wrong. Maybe she was just sick. Maybe it was a different Caitlyn, unlikely as that was. Maybe Crowley had received misinformation, or had misunderstood. But as reality caught up to Halt, he realised that what he had read was in fact what he thought he had read. And it was true. 

Caitlyn was dead. 

Gilan looked up and noticed that Hat had gone pale, and his hand that was holding the letter was  shaking. 

'Halt?' He asked carefully, 'Are you okay?'

Halt didn't answer for a while. Then he stood up and walked towards his room. With his hand on the door handle, he said back to Gilan without looking back, 'Get back to your chores,' then he went inside and closed the door behind him. 

Gilan could have sworn he heard a catch in Halt's voice, but shook it off as his imagination. Halt didn't cry. Though he was still confused about what had just happened, he went back to his chores.

← — →

Later on in the afternoon, Halt still hadn't come out of his room. Gilan was starting to get worried. Maybe his mentor was sick, suddenly coming down with a fever.

Gilan walked over to Halt's door and knocked on it. No answer. Taking his chances, Gilan drew a breath and silently opened the door. What he saw he wasn't expecting.

Halt was lying on his bed, on his side, asleep. His left arm was hanging off his bed slightly and Gilan saw a piece of parchment and a charcoal pencil on the floor, underneath his hand. 

Gilan silently walked towards it and picked it up. He saw it was a drawing. Around the edges of the parchment were drawings of small animals and insects. Cats, dogs, rabbits, bees, butterflies, even a snake in the corner, which was strange because Gilan knew Halt hated snakes. There were also silhouettes of people dancing in the corner of the page. In the centre of the page was a name and a couple of words in a different language that Gilan didn't understand.

Caitlyn

Cub Stór

Gilan studied the drawing a little bit longer and then suddenly remembered that he wasn't allowed to be in Halt's room, and he certainly wasn't allowed to look at the drawings and sketches. If Halt woke up now and saw Gilan he would be furious. Gilan didn't even want to think about possible punishments. He placed the parchment back on the ground, knowing that if Halt woke up and found it on his desk or bedside table, he would know someone else was in his room. He rejected the idea of draping a blanket over Halt's shoulders for the same reason.

He quietly left the room, leaving the older ranger to sleep. He was still confused about what was going on and he had lots and lots of questions. Who was Cailtyn? What was in the letter? Why hadn't Halt come out of his room? Why was he sleeping? What did those Hibernian words mean and why were they written on the parchment? So many questions, and yet he knew if he asked them it would be a mistake. A huge mistake. He figured he'd find out in the future.

He also had a feeling that when Halt woke up, it would be a good idea to not ask many questions at all, regardless if they were about the letter or not. He had a feeling that whatever Halt had read was a shock and some bad news. Pushing his mentor's temper would be a bad idea.

A very bad idea.

Cub stór = Darling Cub Fun fact: I was too lazy to write something new for this so I decided to just grab a one-shot I wrote ages ago. Hope you enjoyed it. Blah blah blah, same messages, bye.

[winnyswings]

Stardew Valley x Warriors Crossover AU [part 2]

hello everyone! i see u liked the previous part, so today, here i am, talking about beautiful...

bachelorettes!!

u can find info about the boys in the first part of the au!

Cinderclan

part 1. made on closed line by СОМЗА (VK)

ᅠGoldpaw (Haley) — an incredibly beautiful young cat, whose fur glistens with sunbursts even on the darkest of nights. Still an apprentice, about to become a warrior, and you can witness the event! ᅠᅠ— Gold: after her beautiful hair; ᅠᅠ— Paw: apprentice; ᅠᅠ— Fur: you know the drill. ᅠParents: unknown ᅠSister: Bluefeather (Emily)

ᅠShadowsong (Abigail) — charming younf warrior, hiding a true ruthless traveller behind her soft fur. Maybe, just maybe, if you befriend her, she'll tell you a few weird secrets… ᅠᅠ— Shadow: lurking from the shadows; ᅠᅠ— Song: her music is beautiful in every way. ᅠFather: Sparkbelly (Pierre) ... ?? ᅠMother: Leafblossom (Caroline)

ᅠMentor (as apprentice): Dark Beam (Marlon)

ᅠShytail (Penny) — small, but extremely intelligent and resourceful warrior, who doesn't like any conflicts. Often helps queens in the nursery and teach little kits many things about their home. ᅠᅠ— Shy: well, she is shy; ᅠᅠ— Tail: I thing she has curly little tail! ᅠFather: unknown ᅠMother: Sunflower (Pam)

ᅠSkyeye (Maru) — clever and inventive medicine cat apprentice! She is always ready to come to the rescue in absolutely any situation. She is still not good at interpreting Starclan's signs, but she is a quick learner. She will soon become a medicine cat herself. ᅠᅠ— Sky: always look up to the sky; ᅠᅠ— Eye: she has bad eyesight, but it is enough for her. ᅠᅠMother: Mapleheart (Robin)ᅠ ᅠᅠFather: Shroombloom (Demetrius) ᅠ ᅠᅠHalf-brother: Raincry (Sebastian) ᅠ ᅠᅠMentor (as medicine apprentice): Herbwing (Harvey)

ᅠBluefeather (Emily) — warrior extraordinaire with her own way of looking at the world. Medicine cats say she has some special connection to the Starclan. ᅠᅠ— Blue: she is... blue; ᅠᅠ— Feather: she likes collecting feathers. ᅠParents: unknown ᅠSister: Goldpaw (Haley)

ᅠLeaffall (Leah) — quiet warrior who spends a lot of time in the woods. Often helps Mapleheart in building dens and decorating them in interesting ways. ᅠᅠ— Leaf: she likes being in the woods + sounds like Leah; ᅠᅠ— Fall: ginger. ᅠParents: unknown

That's all for Part 2! Comment who I should draw next and what to tell about! ^^

also sorry for mistakes. again.

[hamstyandfriends]

Hey

I know I haven't been really active with the drawings, buuut I actually happen to have some time, so. Yeah.

More Warriors oc stuff I guess

StormCrystal & CinnamonCloud

(trigger warning: implied abuse & grooming, kitnapping, kit deaths)

CinnamonCloud is LeafClan's deputy under StormCrystal's leadership. The strange thing is, that she earned this position this young, despite never mentoring an apprentice... Of course, everything has a reason.

StormCrystal noticed CinnamonPaw's ambition and qualities, right when she started her training. Young CinnamonPaw was much stronger, and more violent than her sister, ApplePaw. And then StormCrystal saw this potential... After CinnamonPaw's mentor died in a tragic accident with some foxes, he took the apprentice under his wing himself.

StormCrystal's training wasn't nice, or easy. He usually just watched from afar, expecting CinnamonPaw to figure out all the moves herself, sometimes correcting her, a bit harshly. He said that if someone needs help, that is a weakness; And there leader's very own apprentice should never show weakness. So eventually, CinnamonPaw learned how to solve things by herself, because that was the only time when StormCrystal ever praised her.

Towards the end of her training, StormCrystal had a strange request for CinnamonPaw; Stealing a litter from their rival clan, SunClan. LeafClan has been through a harsh Frosty Quarter, and committing such crimes was never too much for them. He promised her that if she does it, he will make her a warrior the next day, and make her deputy as soon as possible. Who would turn down such an offer?

So CinnamonPaw took her best friend with her; That was BluePaw, the leader's nephew, who was also promised a promotion for the mission. They sneaked in SunClan's camp, and took three kits away, right from the side of their mother's belly. The trip back to LeafClan, however, was not so uneventful; They accidentally tripped over another queen while leaving the nursery, and were chased through the camp, the territory, until they finally reached the forest, where LeafClan's territory began...

But in the meantime, there was a storm roaring through the clans' territories, which sparked a huge fire between SunClan and LeafClan. CinnamonPaw, terrified of StormCrystal's disapproval, urged BluePaw to still try and race to their own territory, with the three kits hanging from their muzzles. But after almost falling into the flames themselves, they had no choice but to leave the stolen kits, and save their own tails.

Back in LeafClan, StormCrystal was burning with rage, threatening the two apprentices with exiling them. Still, they could sleep in their own dens for now. And in the morning, LeafClan welcomed BlueTail and CinnamonCloud as brand new warriors.

While in SunClan, only one of the three kits managed to survive the fire, though with permanent injuries... And that was AshKit.

[gaykingslayer]

Gaykingslayer? More like gay BITCH if you ask me. Maybe you should stop putting so much time and effort into your drawings because all you're doing is showing the world that you're passionate about art and growth and tbh that's so fucking CRINGE you should just keep your art to yourself, you'll never be Alyss and Cassandra's third no matter how much you ask because you'll NEVER be a lesbian vampire like them just a sad gay artist gay

you have a lot of nerve speaking those foul words while you're hiding behind a screen.

Not only that, you're making a lot of assumptions about me without any basis of proof. shame on you.

My passion for art is not JUST cringe! I decided to dedicate my life to art after my dead grandmother died dead, she tried to be an artist, but she was really bad. I, as the good grandchild, had to take up the mantle of being a mediocre artist and keep the family legacy alive.

It's truly disgusting how you tell me to keep my cringe to myself. No. Until the end of time, I shall burden the world with my cringe, something my dead grandmother could not. I am her reincarnation, her second chance at life, her dreams manifested.

Words said from behind a screen cannot stop me.

I'm also laughing my ass off at that pathetic attempt to hurt my feelings. "you'll never be Alyss and Cassandra's third". Really, what's this then?

Yeah, that's right. You know nothing about me or Alyss and Cassandra. I'll have you know they're fucking me with their ribbed straps right now as I'm typing this. How do you call yourself a member of the Ranger's Apprentice fandom with such a lack of investigation skills? What's next, you going to tell me you don't know how to survive in the wilderness?

I might not be a vampire yet but Cassandra said she would turn , me as soon as she gets her rabies shot SO.

[fallenclan]

OHH MYRTLEPAW BELOVED... DELIGHT in how you draw them / their general vibe they're soso cute :3. I think he and Mistlekit should get to bond over similar names. Him and Bristleheart too maybe, in that they're in the nursery at the same time and Mistle is probably pretty lonely... Similar names former loner solidarity ! Admittedly all the basis I have for this is that, but I do think it'd be cute... Especially with Mistle having been left behind, the idea of him having some older cats with similar experiences (confident and charismatic, too! More likely to reach out...) as a support system charms me a lot.

. OH MY GOD I FORGOT THISTLE . SHE FITS NEAR PURRFECTLY AS WELL... Former kittypet, but I think there's still a similarity :} and through him, Boulderstep; Bristle's kits through him and the nursery in general, likely Bub through Myrtlepaw as another former loner if they get on well, so on...

(Bashful gesture) heheh, apawlogy, the thought of a kid all on his own in an intimidating new world finding bonds and solidarity with the cats around him enough to feel safe and secure there in them got me. He's imaginative, he probably spends a fair deal of time in his own head, I picture him as kind of quiet myself, but the thought of him going from spending nights staring up at the sky and wondering after his mom, hoping she'll come back for him, to hearing stories from Bristleheart (the truth stretched just a Little for the sake of a good story, commentated on by Night and Quail for as long as they can stay awake to listen), or about apprentice training from Myrtle (with his current injury, I can imagine a kinda cute little "haha, maybe our tails'll match soon" exchange), or from Thistle about her time adjusting to clan life, maybe even from Boulder about different clans, and so on...

(.AND BRISTLE AND MYRTLE MIGHT HAVE TIME TO BOND BC MYRTLE'S HAVING AN INJURY LOOKED AFTER!! Charismatic & confident >:D KAHAHAA...)

(draping myself kittyishly across a nearby structure, staring up at the sky) I wonder if he still thinks about his mom, even after time has passed, the wound's less fresh... He's imaginative. I wonder if he tries to think up stories about what she might be doing, adventures she could be going on, so dangerous she couldn't risk bringing him. Maybe someone nudged him towards it, some quiet conversation in which he bared his heart, looking for guidance - "What do you think she's doing now?" A way to keep her in his heart, without it hurting as much. He probably understands what actually happened, to some degree. Someday, if not now. (Personally, I concur with the thought that she gave him up because she knew she was going to die soon.) Still, the story persists... She might end up more a character than a memory, at some point, but sometimes that's how things happen. He keeps her with him. I think he might write stories if he were a person. Maybe he'll tell them to some kit himself, someday...

SORRY. ^ THOUGHT TOO MUCH.

ANYWAY!!! MISC THOUGHTS. I think Bristleheart is probably pretty respectable as a medic, just divorced from the holy aspect that clan cats associate with the role. Maybe as a loner, he had to focus more on prevention than treatment - likely limited stores of herbs if any, less cats to have to care for, therefore more of a "take advantage of what you have/can find when you need, before things get worse" approach. It's impractical for a clan of so many cats to have each cat have some travelling herbs occasionally (or so, vague example) in the months they know sickness is more likely (to bolster their immune systems, or so), but not so bad an idea when you're just taking care of your kittens, or giving some cat who came to see you and herb and advice, you know? He'd probably have to relearn some things in a clan setting, but I think he'd contribute good, new ideas just as surely. Sunwish had to learn everything from scratch, after all - she knew a lot, by the end, and definitely enough to keep the clan afloat for a long while, but she didn't know every plant around the area! Certainly not those beyond the clan's borders. I think Bristle's knowledge certainly won't rival it - there's bound to be overlap, after all, and Fallenclan's medicine cats have figured out a lot - but it'll be a definitely handy addition! A new perspective... As far as character goes, I think he's pretty respectable. Some combination of "fake it til you make it" and genuinely just being sure in what he does. He does what he does well. (SIDENOTE: HIS FANGS AND HIS KITTENS HAVING ONE EACH ARE REALLY, REALLY CUTE...) And I think his kits have inherited that, a little! They don't really have a reason to believe things won't work out, because he's been doing all he can to make sure they do. He seems reliable to me.

Myrtlepaw... I think they're cute <3 a little unsure of things, but he's finding his feet okay, being charismatic probably doesn't hurt. I'll have to wait a see a little more of what they're like! :3

(BONUS: If Bub DID get sort of close with Mistle through Myrtle it is very very cute to me to consider him reflecting on it as practice if him and Willow ever have kits.) (. If they have had kits and I have somehow fully forgotten I am So Sorry,)

ALSO. OHHHHGHGH BRAMBLE FIC... MOSS AND SALMON FIC.... WE'RE EATING WELL RECENTLY IM HOWLING AND WAILING ABOUT BOTH

AND SALMON KITS!!! AWWWW... HELL YEAH HELL YEAH HELL YEAH

(- 🐈‍⬛) (. This is so long. I Am So Sorry,)

"the thought of a kid all on his own in an intimidating new world finding bonds and solidarity with the cats around him enough to feel safe and secure there in them got me" AUGHHHHHHHHHHH BLACK CAT YOU ARE DRIVING ME TO INSANITYYYY THIS IS SO CUTE

you are so so right btw. and the idea of Bub taking Mistle under his wing is so adorable aughh

[flimflamfandom]

Okay I guess I gotta do a LackaSona!

That sounds more dismissive than it really should - truth is, I've had an idea for one sitting around in the back of my head and frankly I dunno why I never put it down (probably too busy ranting about Frepper and such)

I cannot draw and I haven't got the funds to attract an artist. So you'll have to picture him in your mind's eye! Which I'm sure we can do.

BELOW THE CUT: The past, present, and more, of luthier and multi-instrumentalist ARTHUR KEANE!

BACKGROUND

ARTHUR KEANE was born August 16th, 1904, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Living a mostly quiet life as the son of a violinist and vocal teacher, Arthur was the youngest of 3 siblings, and was always a bit small and sickly as a child. Because of this, most of his schooling was done at home - his mother taught him to read and write, and his aunt (a school teacher, who lived just down the street) helped with the trickier bits.

His parents taught him to love music, but his aunt taught him to love guitar.

She was a virtuoso on the instrument, practically - she played it, banjo, mandolin, just about any fretted instrument you put in her hands, she could play it. And she did, indeed, teach him just about everything he knew from an early age!

PRESENT DAY

Just like today, it was hard to find work as a guitarist - bands were getting louder and louder each passing year, and there were many limits on the bandstand. So, to chase his dream of making money on the instrument, he shipped himself all the way across the country to St. Louis, Missouri, to apprentice for a local luthier (a maker and repairer of string instruments).

These, in 1928, Arthur is well known, and still works for his mentor, Mr. Boggs. Arthur plays regularly in clubs and speakeasies when they'll have him, and is even building his own instruments - he's even built himself a new fangled, state-of-the-art resonator, like those Dopyera brothers out in California!

HOW'S THE FELLA LOOK?

As he stands, he's fairly average - He has solid cinnamon fur, big brown eyes, and stands about Rocky's height. Maybe an inch or two taller.

He wears round glasses, and normally just plain work clothes, like blue chambray shirts (he lives by those) and plain slacks and shoes - when he gigs, of course, he dresses up (he does have an all black suit he wears) but typically he's got some sort of denim on, and often forgets to remove his leather apron full of tools. He wears a flat cap.

He has one spot that's out of the ordinary - his left ear is cut about halfway down its length. This is due to an accident while playing when he was young - it's a sore spot.

ARTHUR AND THE GANG

Arthur gets along well with the Lackadaisy group, if only because once after a gig at the Marigold he was stiffed 50 cents for 'running long'. He works at other speakeasies in town though, and doesn't participate in any illegal business...there was that one time he technically became an accessory by telling Rocky which why a truck came by but that's one time!

Arthur, in truth, is a very soft hearted man - he could hardly be convinced to do something like CRIME. He's just a quiet man who likes his instruments. And Lacy Hardt.

He really likes Lacy Hardt.

-

That's about all there is to Arthur Keane! He WILL be getting written about soon!!! I think.

I hope. (I've got a busy end of the year.)

[ooops-i-arted]

It's the last day of June but I have one more post in me for @jedijune but it's a little different. The goal of Jedi June is to appreciate the Jedi, but this time I'm appreciating them in a more meta sense.

I saw Attack of the Clones in 2002 as a wee lil preteen and as soon as I laid eyes on the Jedi, I instantly wanted to be one. I wanted a cool lightsaber and space adventures like many a kid, of course. But I was also hitting those awkward teenage years and all that comes with it and I had no words for it, but I knew I was experiencing it different than my peers. I only heard "gay/queer" as an insult or an opportunity to be bullied or even murdered. I wouldn't hear "asexual" until after college. But I knew that more than anything I wanted to imagine being a Jedi because then I would never have to get married. (Also: they had girls. My sister and I watched the AotC VHS over and over and over again and memorized every single frame that had Aayla and Shaak Ti and Bultar Swan and Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee. Even though you had to be a thin, pretty girl, girls still got to be Jedi.)

And on top of all of that, I was supposed to be too old for toys but I still wanted to make stories. So I took my happy ass and my allowance money to Borders and bought this:

This, here, is Baby's First Fanfiction and Fanart. I wouldn't fall in love with LotR until January 2003. So this is where I got my start as a writer and artist of characters. (I drew all the time since I could hold a pencil, but mostly dinosaurs and animals.) I loved writing and drawing before, but it was the Jedi that first catapulted me into what I've become as a fan artist and fanfic writer now.

So for fun I dug out Baby's First Jedi OCs and decided to draw them with twenty-one more years of art skills:

For a little background, 2002 Preteen Me had a Very Grand Plan of writing a novel, submitting it to Lucasfilm, and getting it published. It would be about Derran Kanis, My Most Wonderful Jedi OC and her life and her adventures, and the very last scene would be choosing her Padawan, whose final line would be "Yoda, my name is." (Preteen Me was confident that since we don't actually see Yoda in action this wouldn't break George Lucas' rule of not revealing Yoda's species or background. The focus would be all on My Wonderful Jedi OC anyway.)

A little Yoda is a lot easier to draw now after all the practice with Grogu! Should I call Favroni and tell them it was my idea first? XD

I was obsessed with the Jedi Apprentice series most of all, so of course there had to be more characters for them to get into Shenanigans with for both generations.

Leronna was Derran's friend, a wise and serious Jedi Master. Derran was the Qui-Gon of the relationship and more of a risk-taker, while Leronna was more solemn to balance her out.

Their other friend was Mukdon, because I thought a Hutt Jedi would be really cool and unique. To contrast Hutt stereotypes, he was rather un-confident and a worrywart.

Of course Yoda needed a friend to get into trouble with, so he had Leronna's Padawan Te-Mon Zeyon. Te-Mon was the serious and play it safe one to contrast Yoda being more reckless (I figured he couldn't be that wise and solemn yet but that cheerfully mischievous side had been there the whole time.) Now that I look at him, I think I accidentally designed a Light Side version of Kylo Ren's TFA outfit.

Last of all my redraws was Tama Ci, a posthumous character and Leronna's first Padawan. Losing her to an illness made Leronna reluctant to take another Padawan and contributed to Te-Mon being more cautious, since he didn't want to risk himself and force his Master to face another loss. I don't remember for sure but I strongly suspect her design was influenced by Aayla Secura, since she's my sister's favorite Jedi and we often tracked down any content or merch of her together.

No I will not post any of the fanfiction... it's baaaaaad. It was written by a preteen and it shows. (No offense to any of you in that age range - just that as an adult, I've learned a lot more since then.) But like favorite dolls you take off the shelf and play with now and then, all these characters hold a special place in my heart. Derran, as my first and most dearest - the core of my first grand plan for a long fic - is very special to me and my oldest "active" OC, now existing as a character in SWTOR.

The Jedi were escapism and a refuge for me as a kid, just like Din Djarin and his friends are for me now. So that's what I really appreciate most. That even as a preteen/teenager, in all those awkward years, I still had a place to mentally escape and pretend I was a badass space monk who never had to get married and could live in a cool building with a huge library.