#i'm an animator btw for context
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i can't stop having incredibly complex emotions about hazbin hotel help
#imagine if you will#a world where proship/antiship discourse had massive implications on the career level for your personal life#and of course you had the expectation to weigh in on it but doing so could potentially insult those in a position of authority in your life#but no pressure :)#i'm an animator btw for context#hazbin hotel#helluva boss
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buncha of doodles of them
#AvM#animator vs animation#alan becker fanart#animation vs minecraft#my art#context for that fucking twilight doodle with choosen btw#i saw a video of dj and alan discussing what characters would the stickmen be able to win against#AND THEY PUT TWILIGHT ON INSTA KILL#AS IN THEY WOULD BE INSTALLY KILLED BY THEM#i'm sorry but you're COMPLETELY underestimating twilight#she would put up a very good fight before going down#not even that i bet they all would just sit down and talk to each other and everyone ends up being friends in the end lols
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tarpit site.
#personal#delete later#for context a tweet i made in the middle of the night blew the fuck up and brought the attention of anime fans who've been#harassing and hassling me about my big factual blunder for an entire day straight#“ok i'll apologize” “bro it's not that serious.”#“you're right it's not that serious“ ”why won't you just admit that you're wrong and apologize!“#i'm not going crazy right. i feel like i'm getting manipulated into thinking i must've been wrong#it's crazy how twitter hate will trick you into believing saying something someone else disagrees with is a moral failing#sorry i haven't seen frieren i guess but what's it to you. i wasn't making a claim or statement#also because nobody has gotten this in the original post i wasn't talking about the quality of animation i'm talking about solid drawing#which is a very specific principle of animation. dandandan has really good solid drawing wherein all the characters are animated#with realistic and proportional 3d depth. newsflash but trigger doesn't prioritize solid drawing in their animation and that's fine#it's an aesthetic choice and has ties to production limits. none of this is a big deal. this is all so stupid lol#i've dealt with worse and more annoying weebs though it's fine i'll put on my clown nose twitter needs their stupid guy for the day#oh btw at the end of the day this doesn't matter. it'll be over by tomorrow. all that's happening is petty angry emotions.#so please don't involve yourself by jumping into the argument and prolonging this shit#i'm about to go on a date with tulli after being apart for a month this is the furtherest thing from my mind rn
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*announcer voice* IN COMES MYSTERY SKULLS ANIMATED WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!!
missed these guys. take some doodles + a silly hlm au that i'm not gonna do anything with <3
#mystery skulls#mystery skulls animated#vivi yukino#lewis pepper#arthur kingsmen#lewvithur#just a tad lol#trashcan's art#for the record tho: in the hlm au mystery doesn't rlly exist. kind of#he is Some Manner Of Spirit that lives in vivi's kitsune mask which is a family heirloom#gives her inhuman strength when she wears it bc mystery's sworn to protect her and her family in any way he can#arthur doesn't have anything special going on but he Can and Will beat u to death with hammers. or wrenches. whatever he's got on hand rly#lewis's advantage is just being built like a fucking fridge LMAO#also he's a parrot :-) bc parrots can't sense capsaicin and can enjoy a spicy pepper (bc to them it's not spicy) so it seemed apt :V#also so i could mimic his little hair swooshes in the back#ik lewis's fav animal is alpacas but like. w/in a hlm context i felt alpaca mask wouldn't rlly work the way i'd like it to#that and it. looks a little dopey hfdhfd#don't expect a lot of MSA art fr me btw i'm just having a hyperfix resurgence and i don't think it'll last very long (relatively speaking)
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No Context Crow #365: Imposter! Crow
If this image is yours and you would like it credited or removed, let me know!
#crows#corvids#corvidae#birds#animals#cats#cat#caturday#imposter#this one's silly#sorry for my brief disappearance btw!#no internet and no pre-queued crows haha#but I'm back and hopefully it'll stay that way#daily crows#crow queue#No Context Crow No. 365
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thinking about how my therapist straight up told me to post more fanfiction.
#it's more complicated than that lol but it's a funny sentiment#context: i write CONSTANTLY. i have so many fics i've written and never posted.#i'm also supposed to be working on my ego and interpersonal problems related to my NPD#a huge huge part of that is my nonexistent criticism immune system#and i'm like. incapable of sharing my writing bc even if no one comments negatively per se i Know there will be People who will See It#and Not Immediately Love It & Me#and that's sooo unacceptable to my paranoid cornered animal traumatized brain#and she's like ''if they're old then maybe the fandoms have died down so it could be good exposure practice. i mean you can comfort-#-yourself by telling yourself barely anyone will see it anyway.''#and like. SOME of them that applies to but most of the stuff i would be willing to post is like.#TMA fanfic...#soooo......#there's been a resurgence due to the magnus protocol [still haven't listened btw smh i'm a fake fan]#so people Will see it wahwaaahwahhh [that's the whole point of the exercise but like weeehhh]
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🥣
#one time many many years ago. im embarrassed about it so i'm putting the whole post in the tags btw#one time i cooked mexican rice with chicken from some mole. wrapped it all up in a thin layer of egg. then added the mole on top#in a bastardized version of omurice sdxfcgvh i'm sure it tasted totally different but like. i dont know what i was thinking actually.#i dont eat mole with egg i dont know why i did that#it's probably clear from context clues but i mean mole pronounced mol-eh not like. the animal#in more recent food adventures i ate lime chili shrimp maruchan the other day#with. milk peanut butter soy sauce honey lemon rice vinegar and sesame seed oil#it was really good actually! ive been googling ramen hacks for as long as ive had internet access#and i actually tried making peanut butter noodles like that but the only ingredient i had back then was the peanut butter#so the full experience was 👍 really good#1
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started watching odd taxi. get away from her!!!!!!
#kcat talks#for context hes like 41 and shes 18#on the plus side i'm 90% sure he's being set up and is going to get robbed bc he lied about being rich on tinder#odd taxi is good btw i'm only 3 eps in but very interested in the mystery...#also the animal character designs are v cute#odd taxi
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today on random bits i've added to AR draft 2
for a bit of context: the gang have just landed on Mohani, the planet they've been tasked to explore.
in which Petra is a nerd, Finn doesn't know what dragonflies are, Azami is sunbathing, and Val is savage
“What,” Finneas began slowly, “in the galaxy… are those?”
He pointed to the skies, where two— no, three massive creatures with long, thin bodies circled over the water, their long, translucent wings buzzing loudly
“Anisoptera Magna,” Petra breathed. She had to shield her eyes from the glint of the sun against their shiny abdomens, which looked like they were coated in metal armour. “Which sounds fancy, but it’s really just a placeholder name while scientists work on establishing a classification system for the creatures on this planet. It basically just means ‘big dragonfly’.”
Finneas looked back at her, bewildered. “They don’t look anything like dragons.”
“No, dragonfly. It’s a type of insect that existed on Terra and is the closest thing that looks like these creatures.”
“Are they dangerous?” Azami asked with a concerned frown, peering up at Petra over her thin sunglasses from where she was lounging.
“Not if we leave them alone. And this is something you would know if you had read the documents,” Petra said pointedly.
This earned her an eye roll from Azami before she turned over on her stomach and rolled up her camisole to expose more of her skin to the sun.
“You probably shouldn’t do that, not without proper skin protection,” Petra advised. “The sun’s rays are pretty harsh on this planet and you don‘t know what—”
“Stars, Petra,” Valyan interrupted. “We just got here. Could you not make the stick up your ass everyone else’s problem for, like, a few minutes?”
andromeda rogue taglist: @bebewrites @nicola-writes @dgwriteblr @the-orangeauthor @onomatopiyaa @akindofmagictoo @quilloftheclouds @nora-theteawriter @ashen-crest @corpsepng @writeblrfantasy @toboldlywrite @celestepens @stardustspiral @pepperdee @cheerfulmelancholies @extra-magichours @writeouswriter @cilly-the-writer @lefttigerobservation @rose-bookblood @drowsy-quill @chazzawrites @cynic-and-chief @enchanted-lightning-aes @aesa @outpost51
#ar1 excerpts#wip andromeda trilogy#wip andromeda rogue#for a bit more context Val and Petra recently had a really big fight and are not on good terms here#also Finn has SUCH a warped knowledge of earth animals :') he knows what dragons are but not dragonflies. or birds.#actually i'm pretty convinced he truly things dragons actually existed on earth.#also there is a logical reason for him believing in dragons btw.
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Jacket!!!! Ye olde varsity I got at the very beginning of my transition thinking "Oh fuck yes I am going to pass so hard in this" and. Well. It never worked I just have never passed a day in my life I don't think 😔 Eventually it just became a beloved test subject and has since gone through a bit of a transition itself LMFAOO
Some Notes:
> A lot of the decorations are taken from old backpacks I loved dearly that got absolutely fucking destroyed by the weight of all the shit I'd lug around in highschool LMFAO (sketchbook, diary, all kinds of notebooks...). Never had the heart to get rid of them. Specifically: The pink zippers, the holographic pockets, the glow in the dark stars, and the holo angel wings!
> The pink/blue checkers are from a small decorative quilt I thrifted years ago, I wouldn't be surprised if it was handmade (it's super soft material, btw! Important LMAO). I only took out one line of squares, I plan on stitching the rest of it back together (haven't done it yet though LMFAO). The reason for this was to upsize the jacket, so I can button it without it clinging. The pockets were added for funsies ESP cause it lined up very well and aren't really practical LMFAO (BUT YOU CAN PUT THINGS IN THEM! If you want!! ����🎉🎉)
> The patches (esp the name/pronouns one) were the first additions actually. Eventually more and more things were added, but I will say all the pins on the opposite side of the patches were haphazardly placed for a concert I VERY BADLY wanted to look good for LMFAOO (that's when the stars were added too! Fighting for my life on the car ride over speedrunning sewing and trying not to throw up about it AHAKHSKSHDK)
> Spike placement may be odd and I'd like to add more, but also I do frequently still carry around big heavy backpacks so I have to take that into consideration. Which is also why the wings have been bolted on. Those motherfuckers are NOT going anywhere LMFAO (has a really cool visual effect too!!)
> The material of the jacket itself (sort of a swishy windbreaker fabric) IS ABSOLUTE ASS TO WORK WITH. BY THE FUCKING WAY. IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING. I would NOT recommend it to anybody ESPECIALLY someone who is just starting to fuck around and find out. I literally am just sticking it out bc of the sentimental value this fucker has to me 😭😭😭
This jacket was my first plunge into customization and punk fashion, I didn't have a plan and still don't have one (and I think it kind of shows lmfao). I do worry that it's too soft and cutesy. Kind of the whole point for me, when it came to leaning heavy into punk, was to feel sharper, like I had some bite to me. I might be getting closer, but I think I'm still just kind of a silly guy LMAO. But, I do think in a way, esp as my first project, it represents me well -- where I started, what I loved before the beginning, what I tried desperately to be, what I still wish for, reuniting with the things I loved and embracing them in a brand new context. It's still an ongoing project too! So maybe as I keep growing, it'll grow alongside me, maybe finding that grit I've been striving for along the way.
#the big concert was mcr. btw. and cause it was a stadium no one got to see the glowy stars anyway LMFAOOOOO#for that concert i desperately wanted to have a big piece inspired by house of wolves on the back.#but i have never been able to get it right.#but like. it is actually my favorite mcr song. i REALLY wanted to do something transgender w it too.#like tell me i'm a bad man. i AM a bad man. bad man in the context of the song AND bad man as in. in the eyes of the observer.#i am just doing it poorly. on purpose. fuck with me about it!!!!!#also 'tell me i'm an angel' would compliment the wings as well#but as an artist i find i am way better at cartoons/characters than literally anything else.#ask me to do something cool w fonts/words beyond simply being legible and i'll throw up and cry.#also something i don't want to say outright but feel okay sharing in the tags is Why punk is so important to me#is cause i am just. so sensitive. i always have been.#but in a world that is actively becoming more hostile to exist in as a very visibly queer person#AND as a noticably autistic person too know like i think i have gotten to the point where people notice Something about me#(which. is good. bc autistic masking absolutely fucking ruined me so fucking bad.)#i need to get stronger. tougher. sharper. more dangerous. to exist as i am and to do so so boldy#i need to have the bite to back it up. i still feel like a prey animal but i have teeth i have claws.#going back to my church even for a moment has made me 10% eviler also. inspiring me to be the thing they fear.#so i think once i've rested i'm gonna go back to the drawing board for that transgender house of wolves backpiece.#diy punk#my projects
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me watching the music video for the song that roi (who came out of FUCKING NOWHERE) released: those two guys are sooo gay
me finding out that VIVINOS was the mv director: wait they ARE gay
#i'm dead serious roi came out of nowhere#the only other things on his yt channel are a teaser for this mv and two song covers#according to his twitter this is his first time releasing an original song#btw the song is called 'i am a werewolf' lmao. fitting considering the music video#also with the stuff in the mv it kinda implies that there's gonna be a sequel?? idk but i find it interesting#also for context vivinos is a south korean animator who commonly portrays queer characters in her works#like mizi; sua; and ivan in alien stage (her original mv series)#i think vivinos herself has a girlfriend who also animates but idk if i have anything to back that up
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me when i think about asuka
#she tried SO HARD GODdDD . .!!!#asuka i will defend you with my life. you deserved so much better girlie...#im listening to the theme that plays when she gets imapaled by the spear btw. if that helps for context#“i will NEVER ngepost!!!!” <<<well well well look where we are. huh. hm.#i'm not going into the tags. i do not wanna see peoples takes on this one i'm just going to stay in my bubble but yeagh...asuka#<<<jaded from a certain other anime tag. i'm not going in there
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I wouldn't call crystal palace a divine
#not the og crystal palace anyways#It's listed on the wiki under twilight mirage divines and I think I just don't agree.#Today is a Twilight Mirage 63: Guaranteed Events Or: An Accounting of the Time When We Built The Machine day#Which is why I was thinking about it.#I'm at An Animal Out Of Context listening to c/w and I don't wanna break that up into 30min bits(my break at work)#I'd rather take 2 long walks. So tm63 (my beloved) it is#still bored at work 👍 btw.#rosa talk
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everyone talks about the cat distribution system with glamour and reciprocity but no one ever warns you about an annoying ass cat fixating on you without any reason whatsoever when you already have a cat who's perfectly fine. like ok i guess? i'll be your loving owner. begrudgingly.
#for context i'm not much of an animal lover my mother just happens to own a lot of cats#and we live together#and somehow everyone has their assigned cat#so we have this cat who used to stay outside in the porch and garage#we have our reasons but idc to explain#she got ran over and we had to take her in#btw we never even interacted b4 this she didn't seem to give a fuck about me#but now she's fixated in me for some reason#and my assigned cat is avoiding my room cause now there's this strange cat in it#no disrespect but all this new cat know how to do is#break my stuff#try to steal my food#yell really loudly until i let her out like 3x a night#sleep on top of my back#throw up on me while i sleep#but what can i do except of accepting that#goddamn cat distribution system you work in malicious ways
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gonna see if it lets me post the links too: https://basc.org.uk/deer/advice/chronic-wasting-disease/ https://www.gov.uk/guidance/chronic-wasting-disease https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rabies/ https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/european-union-one-health-2022-zoonoses-report https://zenodo.org/records/10057302
there's a ramble in the tags i just did but i'll put it up here: no shade or hate to folks who commented concerns or flagged this up as potential behaviour/coordination issues associated with brain/neuron affecting diseases- there's a lot of folks on this site for whom seeing a deer doing weird things in broad daylight is a sign of very real danger and distress- and you've every right to be used to being vigilant which is a safeguarding behaviour where yall live and i'd never disparage that- and it's also very fair to second guess a video with 0 context found online being passed around as cute when it could in fact potentially not be. I'm just here to help add some context and detail so yall can enjoy it in peace the way I can with what I know <3 also very open to correction and critique cause i haven't done proper science communication in over a decade so ya know. i am in no way an authority or a vet nor do I currently hold a position with any ecological or scientific organization, to be clear.
#gonna try not to assume its some kind of weird tumblr sen sore ship or something of the like but uh. why wont you let me post this matt#anyway i have a BSc in animal biology and red deer were a species i wrote a bunch about and did research on in uni so i wanted to chime in#not having a go at the folks who were worried in the notes or reblogs btw- maybe ill add this in the main body too-#being concerned about rabies and TSEs in animals is very very wise in areas where deer are affected!#and it's fair to be vigilant and better safe than sorry with no context animal videos#but since I have some area of knowledge here i wanna help folks feel good about something for a change <3#hope my tone didn't come off wrong it is actually the middle of the night so i'm typing extemporaneously a bit
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Falon
Viera swallowed then stuck out her tongue, waiting for the flavor to leave her mouth. All the while he looked at the toy in his hand, tapping the other, full of berries, against his chest to a rhythm she couldn't hear. Whether he wore a smile or a frown she couldn't quite say, but he wasn't crying anymore. Maybe she hadn't needed Fe'nathe to make it better after all.
to get back into writing after Big Burnout, I'm going to try and write a few of the fluffuary prompts. these will generally be pretty short and rough, but I got a bit carried away with this one—i had too much fun actually writing the different members of the clan i've only just referenced before! here's viera, my lavellan, meeting her childhood bestie for the first time <3
Fluffuary Day 1: First Meeting Viera & Nuarehn words: 3.5k tags: dalish living, childhood friends, spunky girl & shy boy, reference to period typical animal harm/death in the context of hunting
Viera had always been an early riser. Even before the girl could walk she'd awoken with the first stirrings of the sun as if its light energized her, and today had been no different. As soon as the night's final sentries had passed their watch on and the camp began to buzz with the activities of the young summer morning—the cooks starting water to boil, the halla let from their pen to graze, the hunters gathering their tools and setting out—she'd slipped from the tent where the other da'len still slept, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
But whereas most mornings she'd use the busyness of her older lethallen to her advantage, slipping from the outskirts of camp to find adventure in the woods nearby, she didn't hide away when Fe'nathe came looking for her. Instead, she sought out the hearthkeeper herself, and not the other way around.
There was much to be done today, and only so much time to finish it before her life would change—her hopes were high for the better.
It was nearly midday now, with the sun through the hide stretched above them casting the blanket where they rested in a warm glow, and the buzz of the camp around them now a proper bustle. She laid on her belly, feet kicking intermittently as she pushed, then pulled, then pushed again the bone needle in her hand, over and over. She paused, tilting her head. Then, her face scrunched up.
"Fe'nathe?"
"Yes, child."
"What's wrong with it?"
Absorbed as she was in her own project, it took a moment for the warm, brown eyes of the woman who'd taken to caring for Viera to find the girl's work. "It looks good," she said. "I'm sure he'll love it."
"But it's all lumpy. And the stitch isn't straight."
"It will be soft when he hugs it, and the seam will hold," she countered, returning her attention back to her hands. "That's all that will matter, you'll see."
Viera grumbled. "It doesn't look like anything." She pulled the string tight, and watched the fabric pinch. It had taken forever to make, a whole week that she could've been running and playing. Instead, she'd succeeded only in making something vaguely shaped like a nug. It wasn't supposed to be a nug.
The everyday chatter of the clan at work shifted subtly, and Viera looked up just as Fe'nathe did. Some continued on with little more than a glance, but others had left their spaces entirely, headed all in the same direction. "It seems to be time already—Creators, but I've barely finished."
Viera's eyes widened and heart leapt, her chagrin all but forgotten. "He's here?"
"It would appear so." Fe'nathe sighed, and set her supplies down. "I didn't make enough clothes, did I? What's here will have to do. And I meant to check in with Ebrin, see if he'd finished—Careful, da'len!"
The hearthkeeper's grip was quick for her wrist as Viera whirled wildly to her feet, wresting the needle from the girl's fingers in a deft motion. She looked back at her, eyes pleading for her release.
"Hahren, please, I can't wait anymore! I have to go!"
She squinted past the child and to the Keeper's aravel, a sigh escaping through her nose. "I suppose it can't be helped. I should give thanks I was able to hold your attention this long," she said, slackening just enough for Viera to wiggle free. "Alright, fine, I'll finish up here. Just don't overwhelm the poor boy. He's a year your younger, and likely scared near out of his wits."
"I promise," she cast over her shoulder, feet already well on their way across the camp's innermost clearing before she caught sense, and turned on her heels. "Ma serannas," she added, an afterthought chased by a barely heard response as she turned once more, and made for the commotion.
Viera raced between their bodies until the largest aravel was in sight, its sails flattened to a canopy and the flap of its entry still swaying. Her lethallen made a path for her to the crowd's edge, a border she'd have easily breached had it not been for the Keeper, catching the girl with a firm look and a halting gesture. Deshanna led a little boy, barely as high as her hip, by the shoulder. She craned to see him, face half-buried in the bag he clutched tight to his chest and eyes studying dutifully the ground, as their Keeper addressed those of the clan who'd gathered.
"As many of you know already, today we welcome a new lethallin to our clan. He has taken the name Nuarehn, and will join Athimien in his studies as my Second," she said, brow pinching as she swept the crowd. Her other hand returned to grip the boy, and Viera tilted her head to try and make sense of him—all she could see was a pair of dark and glistening eyes, tucked behind a curtain of raven black. "I trust you all—as well as those notably not present—will welcome him as family, even more so than you did me. He has come a long way."
There was chatter, some warm, some restrained. Viera, however, could barely hold herself back any longer. Without the Keeper's binding gaze upon her she bounded forward, leaning to catch his eye.
"I'm Viera'vun. Come on, I know where all the best—" Deshanna cleared her throat, and Viera straightened. "Aneth ara, Nuarehn. Do you want to play with me?"
He didn't respond, looking instead to the Keeper for an answer. For a moment she lingered on the sparse gathering, a hard set to the hard elder's brow; then she glanced down, and it softened as she found him, just a little. "Go," she bid, "she whirls like wind, but she is my blood. She'll treat you well."
"I found a clearing in the woods not far with a bunch of stumps, we can jump from one to the other—"
"Only to the hearths, ma da'fenlin." Though her voice was a stone wall, the palm that came to rest at Viera's jawline was warm, and the rough thumb running across her cheek gentle. "He'll be wanting for rest, after the journey he's made. Your adventures will wait for the morrow…and for a hearthkeeper to take you."
She stifled the beginnings of a whine in her throat. "Alright, Maela. We'll go to the hearths." Her arm shot out, a splayed invitation that Nuarehn recoiled from at first, until he got a leg up on his nerves and brushed the tips of her fingers with his own. She reached forward, grabbing his hand in full to pull him behind her.
"Follow me, I'll show you where we make our food. It's on the way, and if we're lucky the hunters will be coming back, and we can see what they caught," she said, with little space between thoughts. "I'm going to be a hunter soon, I'm already practicing. And I bet Ashala will give us berries, too! She's one of the cooks, she saves them for when da'len follow the rules, or when they make her laugh. I make her laugh a lot, but she'll give you some because you're new."
He didn't say much, but Viera didn't mind. She could talk enough for the both of them. As it was, she only paused long enough to breathe, and to cast a final smile back at her grandmother before they were past the tables of the craftsmen, and out of the Keeper's sight. There, her smile dug further into her cheeks, and she leaned in close. "This way," she whispered, before tugging him to the left. He stumbled, but continued to follow her lead without complaint. "Just a little peek, and then we'll go the hearths like she said. We don't even have to jump if you don't want to, but there's this big pine tree, and the branches make a tunnel—"
His weight behind her grew heavy, enough to nearly slow her to a stop. "What's wrong?" she asked, turning back to find his nose buried even further into his satchel. "It'll only be a look, I promise, and it isn't even that far from camp."
But he wasn't pulling out and away. If anything, his grasp on her hand had grown tighter. Viera felt a shadow over her then, some presence leaning above them both, and as she turned back to face forward the boy tucked himself behind her. The clear path ahead had been replaced by three squirrels hanging from a hip belt and a wall of woven leather, just barely stopping before she ran into them.
She trailed up to find Lasafel watching her with brow raised, adjusting the haul of rabbits he'd slung over his shoulder. "That didn't take long," he sniffed, and lowered them to the table. Ashala came to greet him, pulling fiery hair back from her face, and he gestured with his chin down to the both of them as he handed off his catch for her to tie up. "What was it, an hour? Two, before she pulled him into trouble?"
Ashala guffawed at that. "Try one minute. The Keeper's barely gotten eyes off the two." She wiped her hands on her apron before pressing them against the table's surface, and peering around Viera to get a better look at the newcomer. "Nuarehn's the pups name. Oh, would you just look at him? Skin and bones, but I'll fix that," she tut. "Aneth ara, da'len. This one's been talking about you all week. Careful, or you'll never be rid of her!"
"He won't need to be rid of me!" she puffed up, "We'll be the best of friends, and hunting partners too. Just like Lasafel, and Darageal."
"He's to be the Second, child," Darageal's deep voice added as she rounded Lasafel, "there won't be much time for hunting." Viera felt the press of Nuarehn's forehead against the blade of her shoulder as another set of eyes fell upon him—piercing eyes she'd been afraid of too, once, before she knew how gentle the person behind them could be. Still, she stood up just a bit straighter, to hide him from sight. "Where are you going?"
"I was just going to show him the clearing outside camp—"
"And what did your maela tell you?" Ashala asked.
"We were going to go straight to the hearths after that!" She focused all of her pleading on Lasafel, knowing he'd turned a blind eye to her antics on more than one occasion. "It was just for a peek, I mean it. Please?"
He looked up to his partner as Ashala snickered, his face twisting as he waited for her to take the reins. Darageal sighed. "Viera'vun, take a look at Nuarehn. How do you think he's feeling right now?"
Her eyes cast to her feet, before turning back towards him. She couldn't see so much as an inch of his face now, only the crown of his shiny black head. "He's scared," she muttered, feeling a twinge of guilt pierce through her chest.
"Exactly." The hunter unslung her own day's work, handing it off to Ashala as well. "Let's go, my mother will be wondering where you are. I'll take you to her."
Viera backed away, her body still a shield between them and Nuarehn. "No, it's okay. I'll show him the way," she assured, though the glances they exchanged remained skeptical. "He doesn't like so many strangers, I think. I promise this time, we'll go right there."
Darageal hesitated, before Lasafel shook his head. "Oh, come on now," he said, "it's a straight shot, you can see the fires from here. Just let them go, and scoop them back up later if she wanders off again."
"The girl's learned her lesson besides, I don't think I've ever seen the troublemaker so sheepish," Ashala bolstered, before digging a hand in the pocket of her apron. "Here, girl. I put something together for you two. If you can get him back here later, I'll have siumyhl for the both of you. Run along, now!"
Viera caught the pouch she tossed her way as it arced through the air, its weight dense and soft. "Ma serannas, Ashala!" Viera beamed, turning and pushing Nuarehn a few steps before taking his hand once again, and heading for the hearths in earnest this time.
"You'll be the one doing the 'scooping up'," Darageal muttered as they left, her voice growing softer with the distance until it was nearly gone, "and you'll be the one to tell my mother."
"Or, maybe, we go back out and follow those deer tracks, so it isn't our problem to deal with in the first place…"
Lasafel's response faded away into a murmur as Viera guided Nuarehn slower this time, walking at his side and not before him. Far off she heard arrows thunk into wooden targets, and one of the craftsmen nearby began again the hurried shk of scraping hide.
"You don't have to be scared of them. I know Ashala's loud and Darageal looks scary, but they're all really nice," she said, pulling the pouch they'd been given open wide, and offering him a piece. Nuarehn gently took it, staring at the deep red gifts bouncing in his palm. "See? She gave us dried berries to eat! Lasafel's amazing, too. I'm going to be just like him, someday."
He didn't bring the fruit to his mouth, clasping them instead in a fist hugged tight to the satchel he still hid behind. Still, his eyes roved the camp a bit more freely, now that it was just the two of them. She hoped that meant he liked her, maybe a little bit.
"I'm sorry that I made you scared, I didn't mean to. I just really, really wanted to show you something cool, so you'd want to play with me," she confessed. "I want to be your friend and go on adventures with you, but we don't have to. We can do different things together." Saying even only so much drew a weighty disappointment to try and drag her down, but she wouldn't let it ruin the only chance she had. "There aren't many other kids our age. Everyone's older, and too busy training now. Except Iloniyn, but he's mean and only plays with his brother. Even Ashala's son, Isedhul, is too busy cooking to play anymore."
She stopped as they came to the center of the camp, a clearing ringed by aravels and tents with a fire blazing at its heart. Fe'nathe was nowhere to be found—searching for the two of them, no doubt—but she'd left something important behind. Viera let go of Nuarehn's hand and bent down, pulling the bundle of cloth into her arms, unable to meet his eyes.
"Fe'nathe—she's a hearthkeeper, and she'll look after you like she looks after me—she helped me make this for you. Well, the present inside, the outside she made by herself. Here." She pushed it towards him a moment, before eyeing the bag still clasped in both of his hands and pulling it back. "Err, I guess I'll leave it, until you're ready to open it. Or I could open it for you, if you don't mind that."
His eyes flicked from her hands, and then back to her. After a moment he nodded, and Viera blinked hard. She'd been starting to wonder if her maela had been wrong about him knowing Common, with how little he'd reacted thus far. "Oh! I can open it? Okay, hold on, I'll just—"
Fe'nathe's gift, a beautiful purple wrap, fell away to the blanket. In its place Viera held a patchwork doll, made from what scraps she'd been able to get her hands on. "See? It's a baby halla, that's why it doesn't have horns," she said. "Did mamaela tell you she's from a different clan, too? She was lonely when she came. I thought you might be lonely, too."
It had coaxed him almost entirely out from his hiding spot now, lifting his free hand to push aside his bangs. His face was soft and round, his features wide, and he had beautiful eyes now that she could see them. Rich, like cedar. He reached for it, turning the toy over in one hand.
"Melydha—she takes care of the halla—even gave me a bit of the matriarch's horn to put in the middle, from their last shed. And it's halla wool inside too, so it'll be like you're hugging the halla, and—are you crying?"
His face was still soft, not all hard and scrunched like hers felt when she cried, yet down his cheek a trail glistened all the same. Viera lifted her hands, not sure what exactly there was for her to do. He'd faced down a multitude of strangers, nearly been dragged by her from the camp, and yet the gift she'd made to bring her new friend comfort was the very thing that had broken him into tears? It didn't make any sense.
From between the tents, she could hear Fe'nathe call her name. "Oh no, I'm sorry, I—" He blinked, then shook his head at her apology. "Wait right here, I'll go get Fe'nathe. She always knows how to make it better, she'll take care of you, alright?" Over and over he just kept shaking his head, and so she turned away. "I'll be right back, I'll—"
"Viera'vun," came a little, muffled voice, and then a sniffle, "ma serannas."
She whirled back towards him, mouth agape. It hadn't occurred to her that he could speak, too. By the time she'd turned back to look at him his face was buried once more, but the satchel he'd clasped so tightly had since dropped, hanging instead at his side. In its place was the halla that she'd made, his eyes peeking out from over its head as he hugged it tight. He sniffed, but he didn't look away.
"You like it?"
"Yes."
"It's really soft, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"What happened to the berries I handed you? Are they still in your hand?"
"No. I ate them."
"They're really sour, aren't they? They make my face pinch."
"Me too."
"Let's eat the rest. I'll show you my best faces, come here," Viera said, plopping down on the blanket with the pouch in her hands. He joined her after only a moment, grabbing a few berries and wrinkling his nose as he chewed on them. "And we can go back and get siumyhl later, too. Ashala makes it better than anybody."
"My clan…" He squeezed tighter and she was afraid he might start crying again, but he didn't. "My old clan makes it with honey and nuts."
"Our clan does that! I like mine with cream, too, and fruit, but not tart fruit like the berries. I like it with pears best." She grabbed a handful from the pouch. "Here, watch this," she said before shoving them all in her mouth. Her eyes watered, but she could've sworn she heard him giggle as her face contorted.
"I like pears," he hummed softly, "and strawberries."
Viera swallowed then stuck out her tongue, waiting for the flavor to leave her mouth. All the while he looked at the toy in his hand, tapping the other, full of berries, against his chest to a rhythm she couldn't hear. Whether he wore a smile or a frown she couldn't quite say, but he wasn't crying anymore. Maybe she hadn't needed Fe'nathe to make it better after all.
"Viera'vun?"
"You can call me Viera."
"Alright. Viera?"
"Yes, Nuarehn?"
"Do you want to be friends?"
Her laugh startled him. "I told you already, I really do!" She held out her pointer finger towards him, hooking it around his when he lifted his own and giving it a little shake. "We can be best friends, and do everything together. There are so many cool places I can show you, I even know how to get to the river on my own."
He wiggled where he sat. "Can you take me to get siumyhl from Ashala first?"
Before he'd so much as finished speaking Viera had bounced to her feet, bending low to tug him to his, too. "Of course. Ashala first, and then the clearing, and then the river—" she slowed to a stop when his eyes danced away, and his head began to bow again, "…or, maybe we do that tomorrow, and we just go to Ashala so Fe'nathe doesn't scold us."
"Alright," he said, and followed her lead.
She didn't even want to go exploring after, the sweets and halla milk made her want a nap instead, and by the time they both woke back up Fe'nathe had gathered a group by the fire to celebrate, and brought out the instruments to play. They danced instead, and ate good food, and were warm by the fire. And she heard Nuarehn laugh, and thought that it was the best laugh she'd ever heard, even better than Ashala's big, loud one.
It was hard waiting sometimes, especially when she was really, very excited, but she never regretted it when it was Rehn. He always came around eventually. The clearing, the river, the world would still be there when he was ready.
And adventures were always twice as fun, with her falon close behind.
#my writing#oc: viera#oc: rehn#clan lavellan#fluffuary 2025#dragon age#fanfic#da#dai#da fanfic#lavellan#young lavellan#it was fun because there are a lot of politics surrounding nuarehn's arrival that little viera is just absolutely oblivious to :)#they're 6 and 5 in this btw#might clean it up and post it on ao3 later but! for now here's where we're at#it felt good to write again after *checks calendar* oh. you know. just 3 months.#tw animal harm#tw animal death#in the context of hunting#nothing graphic its just mentioned#i was sick yesterday so this is a day late i would be sorry but mostly i'm sneezy
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