#inklings are hard to draw :’3

[turtleblogatlast]

Leo learns something about himself 🏳️‍⚧️

Based roughly on this old post.

Bonus:

[Leo is taking the fact that he was born biologically female simultaneously very well and also not so well but overall he’s mostly coping with the fact that it was Draxum that just essentially gave him the turtle equivalent of ‘The Talk’.]

[grailknightmonty]

"the moon will sing a song of chaos"

She had leapt down onto the fortress gracefully like a meteor having mastered its landing, and ran past them way quicker than either of the two could have reacted. Eyes ablaze, as Pearl ran past Skizz she scooped up the wither skull at his feet which he had just leaned down to grab.

"Wh-HEY!"

"Sorry mate, tasks's a task!"

She threw the Ianitee a salute and a wink as she took off in the opposite, soon being followed by both Skizz and Impulse who spun around to start chasing her down the crimson brick bridge. She could hear Impulse shouting something, but she was far too focused to make out exactly what. As she came to the edge of the fortress, she paused for a moment to brandish her dual scythes, giving Impulse a chance to swing at her, only narrowly missing as she parried his axe and knocked him slightly backwards with the swing of her other weapon. She swiftly turned and dived off downwards towards the lava- fire resistance pot already downed well before she had even approached the duo- trails of flames coming off the diamond blades, and her singed crimson cloak billowing behind her.

Skizz ran past Impulse to rush to the edge, and as he watched her fall, he swore he could see the outline of the god of chaos appear in between the strikes of flame, eyes judging, but ever curious at the player below.

Heard that Pearl is a Mianite enjoyer and I haven't looked back 👀 She would make the perfect Dianitee

[squidsmakemedelusional]

AND THEY MISTLETOE ALL OVER THE PLACE

[doodle-snek]

Reposting this from my now deactivated Twitter account. This is an oc that belonged to a moot of mine there.

[prettiest-thing-in-the-morgue]

Lone Warrior pt.2

summary :reader is put into emergency foster care after a tragedy , despite living with the Wayne family for a bit , reader takes it upon herself to move away and start anew since she clearly wasn't welcomed , after many years have passed Damian finally joins the family and after a particular spat w his father he finds himself in reader's room and an interest in them has sparked.

a/n : tysm for the love on the first post hope u enjoy !!33

part 1 , part 3

" Y/n ?" Damian asks as he turns to Alfred , his face morphs into a mask of confusion . He has resided in his father's mansion for three years, and never has he heard of someone by that name ever being mentioned . He stared at Alfred curiously as he shuffled through the door and steeled himself to sit on the dusty bed .

Another reason that bewildered Damian to the core - he knew Alfred personally tended and cleaned all of Wayne Manor regardless if a space was used often or not so for this room to be neglected in this state itches at his mind .

" Y/n is one of your older adopted siblings Master Damian." Alfred begins . Damian huffs - ' Seriously, another charity case his father had to take pity on ? ' he thinks as his mind grew bored - the initial interest being lost . " Y/n was adopted around the time Master Jason had passed, and before Master Drake joined us," Alfred continued , paying no heed to Damian's uninterested look.

He rolls his eyes , " That's nothing special, Pennyworth. Besides, where are they if they're my supposed adopted sibling ?" Damian asks pointedly . Alfred goes silent for a few moments , wringing his worn hands together as he looks everywhere but at Damian .

" We do not know where Master Y/N is " he finishes - voice going soft . Damian quirks up an eyebrow, " Thats insane Pennyworth surely we have an inkling where they are - hell, we know where Jason is whenever he's being all pissy and distant !!" Damian exclaims .

" Master Damian , Master Y/N left when she was 14 without saying anything to anyone," Alfred explains as he stares at your bed with a face of longing . Silence draws out between them - Damian is too shocked to say anything . " Did father not bother to look for them ?" He asks carefully.

Another beat of awkward silence passes between them before Alfred answers with a quiet ' no ' . Nothing is said between them again for a while . " Why " Damian questions in disbelief - it's too uncharacteristic of his father to simply forget one of his own children - he is batman - batman always has a plan for everything - always thinks of possibilities- always solves anomalies - so why hadn't father cared enough about this ? About you ?

" I am afraid Master Name and Master Bruce never clicked seeing as ...they never once conversed for the scarce years she lived with us " Alfred shakily answers - it as if the thought of you haunts him deeply - maybe you do - maybe you do haunt the old man after all in his eyes you were the only normal child he had the pleasure of raising in Bruce's ward.

Damian says nothing , just walks around the room until he stops at an old portrait of a young girl - what he presumes a younger you . It's worn down from the years and pile of dust . Damian takes a good look at you , notes your dead eyes - dead eyes that reflect indifference to the world around you with hints of pain and endless suffering burrow within . Your hair is loosely tied behind with a ribbon behind . You are noticeably not smiling , even when you hold a giant ice cream cone in your hands - just a dead pan look staring back at him.

His hand caresses the portrait with care - he wonders what you are like . ' Were you someone kind ?' . ' Someone who takes and cares only for themselves? ' . 'Were you a born genius or hard worker type ? ' . 'A hero or maybe a villain ? ' . ' Were you a go with the flow person or practical?' .

' Why were you so unheard of ? ' , ' Why hadn't Father , Grayson, or Drake told him about you ?' So many questions he wants to demand but all left unanswered . " Tell me about them, Pennyworth." Damian demands , turning around to look at the old man .

Pennyworth sighs as he runs his hands along the sheets , " They were quiet - not the awkward type of quiet , the observing type - they didn't say much about themselves - only briefly mentioned her parents and life before . She was an incredible student , straight A's and incredibly independent .....in fact - I've never had to clean up Master Y/N because she insisted I hadn't because of my elderly age ....... she loved gardening and making little water fountains for the strays and the birds that used to come by . She loved apple tarts and loved to swim, but if K recalled properly , she hated whenever people talked about Arkham Asylum . " Alfrdd recounts.

Damian takes it all in - you sound complex - an enigma , sound so unlike himself and his siblings but alike at the same time . " Why did they hate Arkham Asylum?" He asks , intrigued . ' Were you close to Tood ?' , ' Had something happened to you for you to be there ?'.

" She never said - just ... expressed how inhumane Arkham Asylum is, " he finishes . Silence passes between them as Damian ponders on the response . " I must leave now Master Damian to prepare dinner," Alfred excuses himself as he leaves the room promptly.

Damian pays him no mind , eyes glued to your portrait with determination. There is something inside him that prompts him to take it - a siren call begging him to find you and if he's learnt anything in life - he knows it's best not to ignore a gut feeling .

With determination , Damian swipes your portrait, hiding it in his pocket before leaving .

Y/N sits on a rooftop , overlooking the vast skyline of distant skyscrapers . Each moment is precise as she she carefully tracks her target, leaving a store . Y/N uses the advantage of the setting sun's bright light to align her sniper's magnification on the target's neck . - A perfect disguise as the target wouldn't see her coming unless he wants to risk his eyesight .

The gun of the sniper is pressed against her cheek while her trained hand rests on the trigger as she patiently awaits the perfect moment . The target fishes out his phone and begins to converse while walking past an open dumpster - here, she carefully takes point and shoots .

She watches with a muted look as her target halts in their actions , blood spills from his head as he falls dumbly into the dumpster . " Great job agent 15 , a job well executed," a voice buzzes through her earpiece . Y/N tucks her sniper back into its discreet brief case before answering, " Thank you, agent 17 , permission to clock out for today's mission ?" Y/N asks into her intercom , the sun setting behind her in a beautiful arch as the wind blows past her .

" Permission granted , please return to base 15 " agent 17's motherly voice chimes in before cutting out . Y/N takes a good look at the setting sun - thoughts of her mother and father come to her mind - she wishes - she wishes she can cradle them both and comfort them with the knowledge that their daughter is putting a stop to crime but she knows it's wishful thinking - she knows mothers far too insane and father has long forgotten her but still - she's determined to prevent what's happened to her , happen to another person. Determined to save an innocent life from walking down the road she has .

With that , Y/N looks back at the setting sun's one last time before jumping off the rooftop and disappearing into the evening's abyss .

Damian sits in front of the bat computer as he busily types away . The batcomputer scans through hundreds of possible pictures of what Y/N would be grown up to look like now , another monitor is combing through the internet archives trying to find any presence of her .

He groans in frustration as a monitor displays another 'error' - ' how can a computer capable of decrypting alien tech be so incapable and useless when it comes to finding a missing person?' Damian thinks as he runs another program.

He leans back in the seat - exhausted and tired , it has been three hours and he has yet to find anything about you - not even your old school records, not even your own birth - it's like you were seamlessly erased from the earth and it does nothing but fuel his intrigue and nagging gut feeling to find you.

' Were you trafficked?' , ' Were you murdered and thrown away to rot in a ditch?' , ' Or used in some illegal organ transfer ?' So many thoughts course through his mind violently like a tornado.

He silently curses Bruce and Pennyworth in his mind -' how can they possibly allow a 14 year old girl to run away ? ' . ' What made her run away in the first place ?' . So many questions but no answers .

Damian was suddenly ripped out of his dilemma when a monitor began to go off . His head eagerly whipped towards it - almost snapping his neck at the pace . There on the screen , displayed a blurry security footage of a figure leaping off a building and disappearing into an alleyway along with your portrait from earlier - a 40% guaranteed match as the software compares both hair properties and the blurry closeups of your faces .

Damian's eyes widened in eagerness as he enlarged the footage and immediately ran it through software to find the footage's location . He feels his heart beat rapidly - this could be it - he could have found you ! - he might actually have done something, not even batman could do. Pride and accomplishment swell within him as he watches the loading screen complete and there - his answer to all his past questions display as bright as day , ' Russia ,Rostov-on-Don ' .

" Russia ?" He murmurs a bit confused . ' How did a 14 year old girl get to Russia of all places ?' He questions . He looks back at the blurry footage of what might be your figure leaping off the building and disappearing into an alleyway . Whatever the reason is , he is going to find out - he is going to take this sliver of hope and find you himself ." I am coming for you, sister," Damian declares as he promptly begins his preparations for Russia.

like + comment + share please!!

incorrect quotes

Taglist :

@bellethesleepypotato @1abi @pix-stuff @shadowytravelerlover @cxcilla @vanessa-boo @not-your-average-url @sirenetheblogger @fennecspage @cj-theyoungling @jsprien213 @lonelyladyghost @type-ink @ryuushou @twismare @crazycaoticsimp @bunnyharp @narmothewraith @leelovesmadly @geminis93

@rottmntdonnatello @levi-09 @anutellaa

@the-dumber-scaramouche @anyisaravia2001 @wiseduncherryblossom @nightwinggrayson12 @ghost-Orch1d

@allycat4458 @sunnydream91 @luxylucylou

[loolilyumm]

I am screaming. Sobbing. Girlboss and fail-wife is my favorite dynamic. The way you draw is so pretty and your colors are so good plus people who draw 3 with sanitization scars are literally so cool I mean look at acht, there’s canonical examples of it. But literally going aaaa rn because I love your ocs.

We got Reese and Margot, how about 4 and 8?

OMG AHH IM SO SOSOSO HAPPY YOU LIKE THEM..AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASKS I LOVE ANSWERING THEM!! 🫶🫶🫶

I want to yap about my agents in separate posts so this one will be all about 8!

THIS IS OLIVE! She became agent 8 in the deepsea metro and has been a super active agent in the NSS ever since! They are like family to her - she lived with Pearl and Marina for almost 3 years before moving in with Reese! (Captain/Agent 3)

She was 14 during splatoon 1, and 16 during the events of octo expansion. Now in splat 3 she is 19!

She mains the dark tetra dualies but can use any weapon. She's super fast and agile so she likes weapons that work well with her speed.

She was an elite solider in the octoling army - she had just become one before she was ambushed by Cuttlefish and agent 3 (Reese) and they all fell into the metro.

None of them ended up falling in the same area of the metro, and Olive ended up being found by Tartar’s sanitized octolings and taken to the sanitation chambers to have her memory erased.

Side tangent - I have a specific idea in mind about how octolings are sanitized. If you want to watch this video, it explains it really well - https://youtu.be/zu4czvg5ClI?si=wFz1lABgkv7hz8Wk

But TLDR, there are 2 stages of sanitization. Stage one includes being wiped of all memories. The subject then has to go through a series of tests and trials before Tartar decides what to do with them based on how well they did. Then they get either blended or brainwashed into oblivion! 😆😆 woohoo yay! J think based on the side order diaries it kind of confirmed that 8 went through that first process…it just never said how so I made that part up. Lol

ANYWAY..!!! At the same time Olive is taken, Reese wakes up and begins searching for captain Cuttlefish. He doesn’t find him, but you know what he does find??!!?!?

WHOAAA WOWWW HE FINDS OLIVE

He’s like holy cow..! That’s the girl that was just attacking me…😦 and he’s like ahhh! I gotta help her!

But by the time the two of them make it out, he realizes that it’s too late. Her memory was completely wiped. The sanitization doesn’t leave any physical effects on her except for her eyes - they turned turquoise. The same color as the sanitized ink.

The two of them needed to find a way to find cuttlefish and get out of this creepy place, so they kept moving. Pretty soon they made their way into a train station and found cuttlefish waiting for them there!! And there was also a weird telephone that told Olive she was the newest test subject - and that passing all these trials was the key to getting her memories back and getting to the “promised land.”

Reese just went along with it because he assumed that was what octolings called the surface. He wanted to be a test subject too so he could help Olive, but the phone rejected him. No inklings allowed!

She was forced to go through hundreds of rigorous tests. She wanted more than anything to get back her memories and reach paradise. As she regained more memories, she realizes how different her old life was from the kindness these inklings were showing her now (and the two people on the radio called Pearl and Marina!). It just propels her toward finishing the tests, pushing herself to her limit, doing it not just for herself but for all of them.

She forms a really deep bond with these inklings. Cuttlefish is like a grandfather to her. Reese makes her heart flutter in ways she doesn’t even understand.

As the tests go on, she regains muscle memories from her days as an elite solider. She’s good at fighting. Really good. But these tests are really hard. 8 knows she can do it, but they’re really, really hard. And all these bad memories aren’t helping.

Through blood, sweat, and tears, Olive finally collects the 4 thangs and they can finally go to the surface! She is so proud of herself and feels on top of the world. Cuttlefish and Olive take the thangs to the telephone and wait for Reese, who’s out exploring the metro (one of the things he does to take up time and secure their safety). But the telephone is telling them they gotta go NOW and they can’t wait for Reese!

Cuttlefish and Olive say nope, nope, not happening. So they are forced into the blender and AHH!! OH NO VERY BAD!! EVERYONE FLIPS OUT AND…!!!

Reese appears and THROWS HIMSELF at the blender. Surprisingly, it works. The three of them leave the telephone and super jump through the hole Reese made in the ceiling. They’re going to get to the surface themselves.

Somewhere around the 4th phase, they are ambushed by a group of sanitized octolings. Olive gets separated from Reese and Cuttlefish. She is forced to keep moving and hope that they have made it to the elevator before her.

They have, but not in the way she thought! When she sees Reese’s partial sanitation, she doesn’t want to hurt him and holds back, resulting in herself getting injured very badly. She realizes this isn’t the friend she knows, and manages to defeat three and rescue him from brainwashing.

Soon after that she also saves the whole world and defeats Tartar. PERRIOODDD!! #slaythehousedown #girlboss

Reese and Olive got into a relationship soon after the events of octo expansion. They help each other through all the trauma of what happened down there and are the bestest friends and love each other so so much! Yay!!

And Olive got a new family that she loves so so much. YAYYY!!

AS OF SPLATOON 3…EBERYONE IS DOING AMAZING!! YAY!! Agent 4 is Olive’s new bestie. Margot (New agent 3) is like the little sister she never had. She and Reese have moved in together. She still does regular missions for the NSS and treats it as a full time job. She’s so proud of Reese for becoming captain. She couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.

I still haven’t decided what really goes down during the events of side order - I didn’t love that it was all a simulation, so idk how I’d write around that. I’ll figure it out! But for now, Let’s just say it’s not very fun for Olive.

BUTTTTT after the events of side order, she regains all of her lost memories (she left a few behind in Kamabo) and rediscovers herself.

HOLY CANNOLI I wrote a lot. I think about Olive so much and I hope you guys love her as much as I do.

If you guys have any questions about them whatsoever, please PLEASE feel free to send over an ask! I love answering them!!

IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR…I love u. Mwah!

[messydoodlesyt]

SMG4 Crew Redesigns Part 1

Finally got them done! I saw some people do redesigns for the SMG4 Crew and I wanted to put my spin on it. So far I’ve done SMG4, SMG3, Meggy, Mario, and Luigi. I'm for sure gonna do the others at one point. But it was perfect timing since I did finally finish all the arcs in order (and the important episodes in between for the most part) so I at least have some better context then all the stuff from 2022+ and all.

So first up SMG4. I’ve seen people incorporate the glitch color pallet so I tried to put a little bit on the shoes and pant legs. That and I’ve seen him associated with stars. I don’t quite understand why people do redesigns with it; maybe it’s something in an old episode I haven’t seen yet or something but I thought it’d be neat to add. Added the number four roman numeral for him too cuz it felt off only having 3 have it. Shoulder strap off cuz vibes idk.

Next up SMG3! I’ve seen so many people give him long hair/ a mullet and dammit it was just too perfect to have. That with some ripped pants and gloves and earrings to add for his redesign. And of course the overall pocket for Eggdog because yes.

Up next Meggy! She felt like the biggest change to me but I think it’s mainly the hair being the reason. Originally I was keeping the long hair, but when I was watching the arcs and saw her inkling form didn’t have any tentacle things in the back just the front (forgive me idk if that’s what those are called a barely played splatoon) so I felt like after turning human she would first have the long hair but then cut it as a way to cope if that makes sense? Idk she seemed to have struggled for some time just trying to adjust to human form and at least she would have control over her hair. Then I gave freckles which I believe her first human model design did have them but it was so faded it was hard to tell so I tried to make em a bit more noticeable (though now that I’m looking at them maybe I should make em thicker idk yet).

Now friggen Mario. Good lord he was the last one I finished and it should not have been this hard. It’s all minor changed I feel like- I tried to make him still identifiable while still having some differences like the short sleeves, belt, and patches. That and I put his signature M on the gloves too to match SMG4 and SMG3. I was struggling with the mouth (not the cursed one just normal) because sometimes it would look off. Luigi I had more of a problem with though than Mario for whatever reason; maybe it’s the mustache.

Which speaking of Luigi as the final one for the list thing. He definitely gave me turtle neck vibes so I wanted to give him that, plus a belt that has those little bag strap things or whatever you call them to hold stuff like maybe some flower seeds or whatever he needs to. And I only did one of those little drawings with a mouth but when I tried doing it for the others it felt off. Probably for future drawings with these refs I’ll add mouths or won’t depending on the mood.

And yeah those are my redesigns. Definitely wanna do the others like Tari and Saiko for example. But some I know will be tricky because I don’t really know what I could add for redesigns like Mr. Puzzles and Karen for example. But we’ll see.

Part 2 of SMG4 Redesigns

[urautismdiagnosis-wistie]

Headcanons about Shellington or Inkling? Maybe about their lives before being octonauts?

I'm going to make a larger post about the professor soon, but for now I'll share some more about shellington!

Here's a lil doodle of him and his sister pearl! Sorry if it looks kinda messy <:3

As mentioned in another post shellington has POTS in my misty memories au, and I'm making a post that explains a bit more about it along with a requested artwork but if I get something wrong here pls let me know! This starts out a lil bit rough but It gets better

🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦

Shellie grew up in a sea otter community where half of the town was floating homes and the other half was social areas and family areas in/on the water... falling asleep beneath the stars and all that yk? <3

Having POTS definitely would've made leaving his swimming sea otter community like.. really hard... esp if he wanted to get a higher education.

He always kinda felt bad about his disability growing up (not ashamed!) cuz his sister pearl would often try to stay behind with him or change her own plans for his sake, even tho she had older friends and interests that just weren't POTS friendly... not to mention alot of the sea otter communities games like wrestling and diving courses and races just... weren't really something he could DO....

🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦

pearl never minded or saw it as a pain because they were honestly both raised pretty well enough to communicate their needs and feelings. Eventually shellington did make a few close friends of his own tho,but even then he and pearl were always close and enjoyed eachothers company ^v^

his parents tried to support him physically and mentally-and shellington knew he was loved, but that mixed with autism really just gave him this sense of othering at times. They did talk to him about that and they worked on it through communication and helping him find his own "niche" so to speak. And he always made sure to support his family too, he's a very good listener after all.

He got to have good experiences and got to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow up accepted and cherished even if he just had to do things a little differently sometimes.

🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦

His dad was actually a jeweler that worked on a nearby shop on land and his mom did tutoring and was pretty active in their community.

Shellington was always in their local library researching creatures he couldn't find locally (creatures that traveled told him about so many interesting stories! His own parents used to travel alot before pearl and he were born and his old man would tell him tons of stories about their traveling adventures! And little creatures they met too) and drawing them.

Shellington loved to draw wherever he could and whenever he could and even won a few art competitions for youth through the years.

🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦

Eventually he got older and his passion for sea creatures grew even stronger and stronger, making him dive into a world full of aspiration of understanding them all on a deep biological cellular level.

(Especially since he was very aware of all the "amazing natural cures" that were just a bunch of bs, he'd rather do research to find real helpful uses that might ACTUALLY help people someday)

The word was just FULL of mysteries of so many creatures abilities- and he just wanted to solve them and understand them and SEE EVERYTHING! He even got to work in a lab thanks to his academic success.

🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦

It was that same passion that allowed him to excel and that same passion that lead him to being one of the first members (other than the captain tweak and inkling) to join the octonauts! He had a wide range of understanding and an even wider range of skills. Shellie understood creatures, the complicated webs and nature of ecosystems, and was deeply passionate.

So he did basically got his dream job!

And thats a bit of backstop for my shellie! Thoughts (and corrections/ suggestions for any inaccuracies ) are welcome !

[solar-sparky]

Surprise!

You guys finally get a little bit of my character's lore/story!

I wanted to do something simple to start, just how my Neo 3 meets their roommate.

(I haven't written something in like 2 years, so my apologies if anything is amiss. I reread multiple times and sometimes I still do not catch stuff :')

Another grueling shift at Grizzco, it’s really nothing new for Harper. At such a high EVP rank they are tasked with handling the most dangerous sightings of Salmonids. It's not a job a person would willingly take, but sometimes you need to do whatever you can to get by.

“Nice work today Harper!” It was one of their coworkers from today's shift calling from across the locker room, waving with a grin on their face. They were just about finished with changing out of their uniform.

“Thanks.” Harper sighed as they took off their boots to hang up on the drying rack. They weren't one for talking, especially not with anyone at Grizzco. It's not that they don’t like anyone, it's just a shady business and people go missing all the time. Your next shift might be your last, it's best not to get close to anyone.

“Never expected to see Grillers today. Man those little guys were everywhere, huh?” Harper let out a small grunt in acknowledgement. The coworker approaches them, “Hey man if you want, me and the others are gonna go out tonight, you want to tag along?” They were neatly folding up all the chords that hook up to the harness of their suit.

Harper was busy wiping off their hardhat, they quickly glanced up at the inkling standing in front of them, “Ah… I’ve got stuff to do tonight, thanks though.” Their speech falling into a mumble.

“Alright, if you need anything or want to do anything I’m always down too!” The Inkling headed back towards their open locker to finish up and head out. They seem kind but it’s hard to tell if they understand the dangers of what they are doing. “‘Cya!”

Harper sent them off with a single wave of their hand.

~~

Trading in the capsules was always interesting. The slight bit of randomness of bonuses made it fun, but the guaranteed pay was always there. This time it was decent, enough for rent and the usual groceries, plus a couple of concession stand tickets to sell off for a small bit of extra cash. Harper hopes to find a better job soon, maybe even move out of their cramped apartment. Anything extra will go a long way.

As they exit the building, the light from the setting sun hits Harper's eyes. The dim lighting of the Grizzco building is always a stark contrast to the outside no matter what time of sunlight it is. You know, at least the city air was much better than the stench of the Salmonid zones. Before they head back to their place, they have to stop by the community bulletin board to see if any tabs have been ripped off their roommate vacancy poster. It has only been a few days since posting it, but not a single bite.

Walking closer to the board, they notice an Octoling, tall and well-built, standing at the board, squinting at each posting, using their finger to follow along.

I’ve never seen this guy around before… As Harper draws closer, they can see them mouthing some of the words on the posters.

“Hey,” Harper speaks up,  “do you need somethin’?”

Parts of their tentacles spike up at Harper's voice, the stranger swiftly turns around towards them, staring wide-eyed like a startled creature. Harper asks again, “Hey if you’re done here, I need to check my… paper?” Before they could squeeze by, the blue Octoling grabs Harper’s paper off the board and starts reading it out.

“Looking for... roommate…” Their pronunciation was not good to put it lightly, definitely someone from out of town. They slowly lower the paper down, their yellow eyes looking from over the poster back down at Harper.

“Well?” Harper shrugged with an annoyed expression on their face, they don't really have the time for this, “I need to know if you are interested or not cause I~” Another set of yellow eyes, this time much bigger, appear from behind the Octolings legs, grabbing Harper's attention. It was a smallfry of a Stinger class Salmonid, peering up at them. 

“~I think we should go. We’ll talk about it, okay?” Harper frantically grabs the Octoling by the arm and starts pulling them away quickly, the smallfry following behind jumps up onto the Octoling.

~~

I think I have a pretty good idea at what this guys deal is; Not fluent in Inklish, followed by a salmon? They're probably from that area near Spawning Grounds. Harper and this strange Octoling had been walking down the streets in silence for a couple of minutes. The Octoling was looking at almost everything, they were in awe at the city's tall buildings, busy streets, and the amount of residents that live here in Splatsville. Each place that caught their eye, they would stop and look at for a bit before rushing to catch back up to Harper. Maybe the sounds of chatter, cars, planes and the above head monorail were a bit much for them, but nonetheless they seemed to be enjoying themselves on this walk. 

“Uhmm… Nice. Uhh, s-sky today?” Breaking the silence between the two, the Octoling stutters, fidgeting with their hands and eyes wandering. Seems like they only know a few words in Inklish but not even close to enough for a proper sentence. “You uhmm, like…” Their sentence trails off as they begin to mutter in a different language.

Salmonid! Well that makes it much easier. From their time at Grizzco they’ve heard and learned how to speak Salmonid. It isn't required at all to work but you can listen to conversations to know what plan of action to expect next, giving you and your teammates the advantage. The Octoling begins to open their mouth, but before they can say anything, Harper clears their throat and cuts them off, “You don’t need to do that.”

“You speak Salmonid?” Once again surprised, the Octoling this time slowly turns their head to face Harper.

“‘Picked it up, yeah.” Harper says with a shrug and a roll of their eyes. Salmonid was extremely different in comparison to Inklish, if it's not your first language then it is very hard to learn.

The Octoling breathes a deep sigh of relief, they didn't have to fumble around with their words. “Oh thank Coho, no one else around here can understand let alone speak my language!” Their voice is rough and loud but shows a lot of emotion. They seem very excited at Harper’s ability to speak Salmonid. “Your pronunciation seems great but I can tell it's not your first language.”

“So, why are you here?” Harper asks as the two continue their walk down the street.

“Ah my mother told me that I must find people like myself, so I was curious. We spotted this city on the horizon and crossed part of the desert to get here. We got here 2 days ago?” They look over at their Salmonid companion who nods in agreement. “Yeah, 2 days ago. Haven't been in this part of town though.”

Crossing the desert from the sea to the city is no easy feat, and this Octoling did it in nothing but the wraps on their feet. A bit taken aback by this fact Harper asks another question, “How did you end up near that orange building?”

“Smelt like home! Soap here darted straight for it.” The Salmonid smiles and bows their head in shyness.

Harper pauses their walk and shakes their head, “‘Smelt like home-’? Just don't go near that building, okay?” their ears point backwards in anxiousness.

The Octoling looks puzzled, “Why not?”

I don't think they’ve seen any Grizzco workers before, otherwise they might’ve known. “Ehhh you wouldn't like it, especially them, Soap or whatever.” Harper gestures towards the small Salmonid sitting on the Octolings shoulder, it waves in response. They continue onward through a thin alleyway and the Octoling jogs to catch up with them.

“Oh my apologies, do you want my name?” The Octoling says from behind.

“Shoot.”

“My name is ‘The Octopus Who Listens to Crickets Chirp’, but you can just call me Cricket.” Cricket holds out their hand with a grin on their face, the fangs of their beak sticking over their lips on either side, one pointing up, the other pointing down.

Not from around Spawning Grounds, they're actually from a school… Harper slowly reaches out their hand almost hesitantly and shakes Crickets hand. “... Harper.”

“Well Cricket, I don't know if you understood anything I said before but I am looking for a roommate. Do you need a place to stay or…” Harper tilts their head towards the apartment building from across a courtyard filled with grass patches and walkways.

“Ahh that's what that sign was for!” Cricket laughs a bit, “I haven't been under a roof in a couple days so sure!”

About a 15 minute walk from the Grizzco building, the apartment that Harper lives in is found in a more quiet part of Splatsville, away from the main hub at least. The building itself isn't new but it's not too old either, it's well kept. Walking up the stairwell, Cricket was still looking around with curiosity even though it's just a room with light grey walls and stairs. Harper’s room is on the 4th floor, not the top floor but fairly close. Harper pulls out their lanyard with their keys and unlocks the door.

“Here we are, it's not much but- Oh watch for Crumb.” A small yellow blob making a noise sounding like a mix of chirping and purring approaches the front door. It was Harper's sea slug, who was always excited when Harper returned home. Cricket picks up the creature, holding it out in front of them. It squirms out of its grip and runs up their arm to their shoulder and presses its face against Crickets. 

“Yeah, uhmm, it's not much but it's enough.” Harper takes off their hat and shoves it into the sleeve of their jacket. “If you can wait for a bit, I can get dinner ready.” Harper flicks on the light switch revealing a small apartment room.

Crumb was still rubbing its face on Crickets, “That would be handy.” 

They finally pick up Crumb and place it on the ground where it continues to brush up against Cricket's legs. Harper looks down at it with a somber smile. It follows Cricket as they walk out of the entryway.

“You can just- Yeah.” Not having much in terms of outside wear, Cricket begins to explore the apartment; A living space to the right of the entry hall with a very shallow balcony outside, a large L-shaped couch takes up a lot of space and is used as a sort of barrier to create a room. A small flat screen TV stands on a unit containing cases for DVDs and a few older looking electronics with one fairly new looking game console placed right underneath the TV. The kitchen was across the way from the living space with the usual amenities and a small bar-like seating area. From there, there is a hallway leading to 3 other rooms, one of which, Cricket watched Harper disappear into.

Cricket could get used to this, they didn’t really have this kind of living space before. While it was much smaller than their families living quarters due in part to not having to share with huge fish, this one felt cozy and well lived in.

~~

A couple minutes later, Harper begins to make dinner. “Anything to drink?” They ask Cricket who was sitting on the other side of the counter, messing around with a bowl and some packets.

“Water is fine for me.” Without another word Harper begins to fill two glasses with water from their water filter. It was quiet, aside from the sound of a bubbling kettle. With a click, the rumbling starts to fade. 

“I’ve noticed that your storage cabinet is full of these strange bowls, you don't eat these every day do you?” Cricket asks with a concerned frown on their face as Harper starts to pour in the hot water into the bowl of dried noodles and powder. They place a plate upside down to cover the top of the bowl.

“Well they are quick and easy, and I like them so yeah, most days.” Harper begins to do the same with their own bowl of noodles, packets, then water, then cover.

Cricket slams their fist on the counter top and snaps their fingers, “That must be why you look sickly!” Harper does a near spit take, instead choking on their water due to Cricket’s sudden connection. “Where are your essential food groups? Any vegetables and meats?”

Very caught off guard, Harper is still coughing, “Uhm-” they finally clear their throat but still speak in a wince, “Excuse me, it’s expensive.”

“Huh, can you not just grow it?” Cricket asks as they watch Harper take another drink from their glass to try and clear their throat more.

“That would be even more expensive and take time and I don't really have that.”

“I see...” Cricket sounded a bit defeated. Food was important, almost sacred to them and the first person they can talk to has a problem with acquiring healthy ingredients? They had to do something about it. Harper looks over at them, Cricket was clearly thinking about something by the look on their face.

When the noodles were ready, the two ate in relative silence, Cricket occasionally chiming in with something to say. It was different for Harper, their past roommate didn't talk much, as such they grew accustomed to the silence. It was nice to hear someone else's voice though and Cricket seemed like the kinda guy you find at a bar and have a really nice conversation with then never see again, but they’d be seeing them everyday now. Despite their comment earlier, they are very polite and well-mannered. It was a nice change of pace for Harper and they could definitely get used to it.

~~

The next morning, around 8am, Harper woke up early to an unusually pleasant smell. Perhaps it was just from some food shop down the street but, no, it doesn't smell this good unless there’s splatfest prep going on. Harper rolls over to see that the bed across the room was empty, Cricket was nowhere to be seen. It didn’t concern them too much however, they probably just got up earlier than them. As Harper sat up, Crumb crawled on over to greet Harper good morning as they stretched.

Stepping out of the bedroom the smell was even stronger. Harper stumbled over to the kitchen as at this point it was the only place for the source of this smell. 

Well there was Cricket, humming to themselves as they stood over the stove. Soap was on the counter bringing over an egg to Cricket.

Harper stood across from the counter flabbergasted, they rubbed their eyes both in tiredness and to check if they were seeing correctly. “What are you doing?! Did you use my stuff?”

Cricket turned around still holding the pan over the burner. “Not at all! You barely had anything anyways.” They teased while waving a spatula around, their voice was too loud and energetic for the morning.

Harper looked around the kitchen a bit more, there were three bowls filled with rice, one being smaller. On top of the rice that was already sprinkled with seaweed and sesame seeds, each serving had some perfectly fried canned meat slices. Harper started rubbing their face in shock, “Then where did you- How.”

“Ah! I woke up much earlier than you so I went for a walk. I noticed that some old folks at a market down the street needed some help with some crates,” Cricket continued as they walked over to put a fried egg in each bowl, “so I offered to help them and they gave me some stuff!”

Putting the pan into the sink to wash later, Cricket grabs the bowls and places them on the bar counter which was already set with condiments and other toppings that Soap presumably set up. 

“Well, do you want some or not?” Cricket points the spatula at Harper before placing it in the sink.

Harper stood there speechless, their mouth open. They sat down on one of the bar stools and brought a bowl and pair of chopsticks closer to them. Cricket gives them a smile before walking around to the other side to join Harper in breakfast. Cricket gives their thanks before eating. Harper breaks the egg’s yolk and lets it seep into the rice, they take a piece of the egg, some rice and some of the meat.

“It's… Good.” Harper's eyes widen, it's really good in fact everything is cooked and seasoned perfectly, that and Harper hasn't had a good home cooked meal in a while. Their usual breakfast just consists of either toast or cereal.

“Mmm, I’m glad! Learned from only the best!” Cricket grins, their mouth partially full of food, they weren’t expecting Harper to say anything.

Of course this tastes good, this guy was raised by Salmonids. Harper thought. It was nice to share a genuine meal with someone again after a while. They’ve only known Cricket for less than a day, but they’ve already grown to really appreciate them. Even though Harper is also a stranger to them, Cricket just treats them like a friend they’ve known for years.

Harper pulls out their phone from their pocket to check the time. “Oh I’ll take the leftovers with me to work,” Harper stands up and brings the bowl over to the other side of the counter, “Thanks.” Cricket was still eating their bowl, so was Soap. Harper would love to stay around to finish but it was getting closer to their clock-in time.

“Don’t worry, I’ll clean up when we’re done.” Cricket says. Harper puts their extras into a container, and quickly feeds Crumb before they leave.

As they finished packing up their stuff for the day and while putting on their jacket, Harper asks Cricket one more thing, “Do you want to make dinner?” They sound shy in their request.

Once again caught off guard by Harper’s question, “Of course!” Cricket excitedly says.

Harper smiles at them before they shut the front door and head off to work.

[somecallmegin]

"The first inkling Kakashi had that something might be wrong with his kids was when he arrived at the academy 3 hours late to find the pink-haired civilian girl systematically dipping senbon in various liquids that he assumed had to be poison, chatting amicably with the two boys, and the loner-revenger-flight-risk was leaning against Naruto’s legs, head practically in the blond boy’s lap while Naruto deftly braided and unbraided the Uchiha’s hair."

So I've been stuck in a Naruto phase for some months, and been re-reading all my favourite fanfics. Here's a fanart sketch based on @themidnightguardian 's one called "Teenagers scare the living shit out of me" (chapter 1, first scene specifically) which I come back to quite often, because it's relatively short, funny and has the slightly unhinged quality I love to find in time-travel AUs. It's really hard to draw kids, actually.

Edit 01.05.24 : Here's the colored version

[readingtoinfinity]

DNF: Wayne Family Adventures

This one has been fun for awhile, but I think it's time for me to tap out.

The comic centers on Bruce Wayne, his manor, and the sheer number of troubled teens he's adopted over his career as Batman (spoilers, I guess). The comic begins centering on Duke Thomas AKA the Signal, but expands the scope from there to include every member of Batman's extended family, including some cousins.

It was cute, at first. It's nice to be reminded that Bruce Wayne is a family man who seeks out others who have been broken like he has, and to just spend their days doing random slice-of-life shenanigans.

But a friend of mine who's been into comics longer than I have was quick to remind me at the start of this series: the hallmark of a good slice-of-life/superhero story is how well it balances lighthearted and darker elements. Peter Parker missing a date is by-the-book, but missing a date because he was fighting Kraven? That's a superhero drama.

In hindsight, there were warning signs this story wasn't going to be able to handle drama. Jason Todd is a tricky character to get right; too nice and you lose the edge that makes him interesting, and too mean and he becomes just an asshole. Here a lot of those rough edges are sanded down, and he becomes just kinda an older brother figure who playfully bullies his adopted siblings. A lot of the bad blood that comes from him and Bruce being too similar is washed out with this setting.

Not that there's nothing to enjoy about this setting. The insistence on drawing characters to match their actual ethnicities commendable, especially for long-established characters like Dick (Romani) and Damian (Arabic/white mixed). And it's a firm reminder that, though these characters may fight, they still really do love each other.

But everything changed when Joker attacked.

It's hard to believe but we've been in season 3 for almost a full year now, entirely built around tracking down the Joker and figuring out his endgame. We've had a lot of character moments, especially around Jason, who is struggling to stay focused when his killer is back in action, and almost all of them have fallen flat. I think the most unbelievable was Cass connecting with her mother Lady Shiva, a woman I know for certain regrets nothing she's ever done. A lot of the characters are nicer than they would be in other stories, like the story is afraid of causing offense from messiness. I don't want to blame TikTok but I can't deny it feels like this series it tailor-made for the loudest of that app.

When we were a month into the story I had an inkling, and when we were three months in I knew for certain: I wasn't going to stick with this book past the end of this story. I can commend it for its attempt at Cerebus Syndrome in a way that feels believable for the world of Batman and company, but I don't think it's nearly as adept at making us hate Joker as the PTA lady that Bruce hates.

I think if you like superhero comics in theory, and want an exposure to other characters not usually seen in Batman's adaptations, then this series might be for you. It's quite sweet and loves its characters, and it's a breath of fresh air between all the darker stuff that Batman goes through. But I like a bit of sour and savory with my sweet, and that flavor just isn't present here.

[animalsalvationassociation]

Octonauts Redesigns …

Part 3: Captain Barnacles

[ DO NOT REPOST, ALL ART & CONCEPTS WERE MADE BY ME ]

Digital Illustration Time: 5hrs 38min

✨ Old Design ✨

Barnacles Headcanons ( 1 & 2 )

I PROCRASTINATED ON THIS MAN SO HARD!!!

I was so nervous about drawing Barnacles that I literally shut down any time I thought about it. But dang I am so glad I was able to do it today. AND it didn’t take me 7 hours like the other two!!!! SO THATS KINDA NICE!!! 👍

[ Headcanons Ahead ]

I believe I mentioned a little about Barnacles and his family but I have a strong headcanon that they are tied to this world’s version of the Inuit/Inuk tribes. Unfortunately due to changing times Barnacles and Bianca grew up in a household that had a hard time accepting their culture and it wasn’t for lack of trying.

I did so much research for this man (I kid you not it took me an ENTIRE day just to find the same answer 40 different times) just so I could be accurate to his culture. However when it comes to Kakiniit (Tattoos) only women are able to receive them. For the most part they are a sign of womanhood, grief, family, life trials/changes, and so on.

It has only become a modern concept that men are able to receive the blessing of getting their kakiniit. There was a quote that’s stuck with me from one of the documentaries I listened and it was something along the lines of, “If getting them in the chair (to tattoo) will help them talk about their struggles, then we feel it’s more important to help them rather than closely follow with tradition (but still hold respect for those traditions). We want to help our people by allowing them the space to be safe and allow them to be at peace through the trials of their life.”

(This is mostly by memory but that was basically the gist of it I watched too many documentaries to be able to pinpoint which one it actually was)

Ofc you’ll notice that Barnacles’ tattoo doesn’t look anything like the styles of kakiniit and that’s on purpose. In fact it more resembles something you’d get if you were in the military/navy/etc, or it at least has those vibes. And that’s because it is. Barns got his tattoo right after he received the role of Captain of the Adelaide. He’s always been open minded about getting one based on his culture, but I think a part of him is hesitant. Modern society has pushed away and shunned a lot his people’s traditions to the point where many of them were forgotten.

I’m still trying to decide how I want to do it but I at least want Barnacles and Bianca to accept their culture within the story. I think it would add a nice touch of character development to everything and would show how beautiful accepting who you are really is. There are some other things I want to add as well but I feel they should come later so it feels genuine, instead of slapping something together and calling it a day.

My main goal for the A.S.A. is to show how beautiful family and lineage can be. This whole show focuses on animals evolving to the constant changing of their environments. So why not show the same for our characters?

Anyways thanks for making it to the end of my rant, I’ve been so nervous about this redesign because I mean—it’s Barnacles what can I say? He speaks for himself! (Ugh I love him so very much)

@calamaroo thanks for the support wifey~

Kwazii / Peso / Dashi / Tweak / Shellington / Inkling / Vegimals

[ This is a Octonauts AU, in no way is this canon to the OG storyline. ]

[an0ldworld]

hello hello hi ! i hope you're doing well ! may i request a miles!42 and hobie with like a butterfly mutated reader (masc) ? ironically he's more bug than beauty and has alot of features that he tries to hide (antennae, long ears and :3 mouth that opens up to a long tongue to suck up food ? he has teeth too but theyre sharp with fangs in the splatoon inkling way. skin is like a bug's sort of hard and exoskeletonly and bro is just really fluffy. like his wrists and neck have fluff)

reader is a result of like a weird science experiment gone wrong so he sort of feels like an alien trying to fit in whenever his features pop out. he just wants to live an ordinary life but somehow keeps on gettinh pulled in the middle of every superhero fight there is :'). also ! ARTKIDDD

im sorry if the req got really specific to work w aha :') hope you have a good one !

hobie brown and miles42 with butterfly mutated boyfriends !

huge fan of these mutated readers, i am however a tmnt man so (i fuckin see you btw, my most active friend and that tmnt blog)

separate, established relationships

warnings: nah

pairing: hobie brown x masc!reader, miles morales!42 x masc!reader

requests: check out my guide/masterlist

★⋆ ⋆☆⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆☆⋆⋆★✧

we all know hobie’s a massive fan of making a statement, so he thinks that you look absolutely incredible with your mutation

will likely go through a phase of insisting you should embrace it and flaunt it, he’s gotta be told a few times that you just wanna live an ordinary life

sounds a little boring to him, but whatever suits you, y’know?

he’s not the guy to go to however for tips on how to blend in, do not ask

you’ve got a butterfly mutation, he’s got a spider mutation- he calls you the bug boys sometimes when he’s feeling hyped up and you can feel how you wanna feel about that

if you ever tell him about your mutation, about the experiments and such, it just fuels hobie’s habit of antagonising authority n all that

you’re like walking proof of the government taking advantage of the people through the systems they put in place to protect them but in reality are just some form of propaganda to give the public false hope and sense of security

yeah, hobie wasn’t surprised when you told him

not too pressed over it either since it’s been and done, no point in getting worked up over something thats irreversible and apart of you now

feels disrespectful to even feel bad to a degree

of course he feels bad that you were experimented on, but he’s not gonna say anything about your actual mutation

does however have something inappropriate to say about ur tongue im sorry

yknow what hard skins good for ? drawing on, let him please

yknow what fluff around you ur neck and wrists is great for ? hobie and his desperation for contact, ur mad comfy dawg

he likes to wear his studded collars and wrist bands in the same places as your fur sometimes, matching innit

hobie absolutely recognised how badly you want to have an ordinary life, so can honestly empathise and sympathise when you somehow manage to find yourself sucked into every super scrap in the city

he can try diverge the fights, but can’t promise a thing since they tend to be unpredictable

hobie’s plenty happy to diverge from large crowds with you if it helps you stick out less, he’ll navigate for the two of you and somehow come up with insane routes to get to where you need to be

will diy you clothes tailored to your mutation, shirts with holes in the back for your wings just so they don’t have to be uncomfortably folded under clothes n stuff

miles42

i feel like with society going up in flames, standing out is something you generally wanna avoid in earth42, just doesn’t seem so safe

so miles definitely goes the extra mile (ha) to make sure you’re not gonna stick out too much

if you’re smaller than him he’ll for sure lend you certain things to wear if they cover you up well enough, he knows just about every nook and cranny in the city to hide in whenever your features decide to make a guest appearance

like if you’re ever just walking down a street then your antenna poke out, he’s very fast to act and doesn’t make a big deal out of it

now you either just chill in an alley together or start making your way home through the intricate backstreets miles can effortlessly navigate

he appreciates your mutation though, it’s one of them things that he can silently admire and daydream about instead of worrying about the future

realistically ? you could be a result of a really shitty human experiment gone wrong at oscorp, god knows they can take advantage of the people without a spider-man to protect them

if you ever reveal this to miles, he’s obviously upset, but it’s probably predicted at this point

i imagine in his universe that they’re a force to be reckoned with

asks his mum to make things for you sometimes, to help you feel better about your appearance and to help hide certain features that you wanna

can completely understand your desire to want an ordinary life, he does too

he’ll help you achieve it, it’s one of his dreams and he can only hope to share it

your mutation takes time to get used to but it gets to the point where miles simply won’t bat an eye at your mutation, he treats you like any other person in the world except he loves you- wants so badly for you to feel normal if that’s what you want

in the least condescending way he will insist from time to time for you to stay home, just for your own safety if he starts to notice a particular rise in stats

he completely understands your desire to just blend in, but it’s not worth it if you’re genuinely at risk

he gets into the habit of doodling butterfly features on scraps of paper, on the back of his hand during classes- you’re on his mind a lot

says that he’s indifferent towards ur fluff but then he’ll fix it up for you after putting a shirt on and it’s a lil outta sorts

★⋆ ⋆☆⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆☆⋆⋆★✧

sorry this is kinda brief and not great, i’ve been out of it for the longest time but i’m tryna provide 💪💪

[zedleaked]

i love that u use the splatoon font no matter what ur drawing its kinda homely idk why :)

that being said could we get some of ur fave characters splatoon'd? splatted if you will :D

of course,, I had to draw the gays,,,

I feel Gonta specifically is very octoling coded,, methinks he and Ryoma would have a similar thing Pearl and Marina had where Gonta escapes the octarian army and is later found by Ryoma who teaches him about inkling culture :3

Also Ryoma's beanie is more based on a sea bunny now,, I know cats technically exist because of Judd and lil Judd but weughm,,

and dang... tentacle hair hard to draw....... idk how they do it

[2demondogs]

Would you ever consider writing Dutch as a trans man in a Vandermatthews fic? I love your work and trans Dutch is very close to my heart :)

Thank you <3 And absolutely!! I assume this was ur request but if you have a specific one and were just checking w/ this ask (I'm painfully autistic I'm so sorry lol), I will write more when my requests open again :D Shouldn't be too long, I only have 2 more requests to finish.

Sorry this is kinda moody I was feeling some type'a way myself... *insert cigarette emoji*

Words: 1.6k Tags: FTM Dutch, young VanDerMatthews, hurt/comfort, gender dysphoria I'mma be fr my man is in the trenches, talk of binding, face-shaving,

He still changes before Hosea wakes, or after he's left the tent. Convincing him to sleep without the binding wrapped around his chest, now and then, was a Herculean task — until Hosea said he likes laying on him, and Dutch couldn't argue with how it made him despise himself a little less — so this one must be Sisyphean. Love can nudge odd things in new directions.

Not that he's ever asked him to go without it. Hosea isn't a fool, as much as he is self-indulgent. The only inkling of the question he gets is calloused fingertips on his bare back below the beige bandages this morning, tracing the indent of his spine. He's turned away, legs crossed as he dresses.

"Can't be good for your ribs, wrappin' so tight." His voice is nasally, thick with sleep. He must've woken him up shuffling around for his shirt, rolled up with the rest of today's clothes in a pair of jeans.

Dutch turns to glance over his shoulder. He looks good, the sharp shadows of morning along his face softened by the canvas tent overhead. The golden cast of it as the sun breaks through the darkness does him well, makes his wheat hair look as blond as those maidens in paintings. Angelic, disregarding that there's dried drool on his chin from snoring his heart out all night long— same as always. He's started falling asleep too quickly to kick him and make him turn on his side.

"Can't be," he agrees, turns to tie a knot over his chest, tucking it into the cradle of his sternum.

Hosea makes a soft noise, shifts closer. His arm slings around his middle, warm where it was trapped under his body as they slept. Curled up, anymore, like two stray cats. The weather is turning cold off the tail-end of summer, and the heat off Hosea is a welcome one as the air starts to nip at his skin. Then, his hair tickles his hips above where his half-undone union suit is pooled, nose pressing in after. Stubble scratches him.

He doesn't like to linger like this, feels naked in a way that he cannot describe. Still, he reaches behind him to lay a hand on Hosea's head, fingers scrunching in the straight strands. It earns another warm noise, and he settles his forehead to Dutch's hip.

"Gon' freeze me out," he says, twisting to look at him. It's hard to turn back like this, and he catches only a few glances of him looking as pleased as he's ever been.

"I ain't stoppin' you from nothin'." He draws away, anyways. Sleep has his lids set low once he's sat up, meeting Dutch's eyes. "Can't I love on you?"

Dutch turns before he lets himself smile. "Absolutely not," he replies.

There are many times where Dutch feels confliction deep enough it makes him want to withdraw. Physically, emotionally. He almost cannot handle this, either, wants badly to curl in on himself the same way that he had the first time Hosea touched his hand, recoiling as if embracing him would be the same as willingly stepping into an Iron Maiden.

But his fingers are not spiked where they hold his jaw. Tender as they can be, for working hands. The straight razor glides easily over his cheeks, because he doesn't have anything beyond peach fuzz to slice off. Hair grows from that beauty mark of his, but slow. Even his upper lip, untouched since he left his mother's house six years ago, has little to show for it. Hosea tells him his hair is dark and that his mustache shows in the light, but it doesn't make him feel much better.

Some days, it does, when he can appreciate the thick, dark hair growing on his arms and legs and belly and it all soothes some of the aching. Others, he thinks he ought to find a way to stuff his pores with the hair off his head for all the luck he's having with waiting. Without a word, Hosea doesn't touch his upper lip.

It's an odd feeling, cool shaving cream on his face, and a relief when it comes off with each swipe, blade cleaned on a cloth sat on the man's knee. They're open-legged over a log, facing one another, and he's talking, knees brushing his for something to do with the excess energy of focusing. Dutch is too stuck inside of his own mind to listen to what he's saying about the angle of the razor or how to keep one tidy.

Even the sound of the river they've camped out by is dulled by the case settled over his head. It was loud at first when he closed his eyes, tree branches rustling as dead leaves floated downstream. The air still feels as cold. Hosea apologized for a nick on his jaw when he shivered and caught him off guard. That had felt good, at least.

His hands tremble, anyways, doing fine work like this. Always says he's got the shakes thanks to his shit-heeled father, that ominous way folk refer to mystery ill-traits no one really understands but that seem to flow down the bloodline from one to the next. Dutch said it was better than his daddy being dead, and then he told him he was. He felt a little bad until he laughed about it. That was all a long time ago, Hosea had said, and Dutch thinks the same about that moment between them despite how often he recalls it when he sees his fingers shudder.

The clean side of the cloth, folded with the wiped-marks tucked inside, is a relief when Hosea hands it to him and he holds it over his jaw before wiping it off. It's irritated, complains about being abraised by the cloth again. Just a scrap from an old shirt that was torn while they were out hunting; Dutch recognizes the tartan print. The skin feels scraped raw in places where the man was heavy-handed.

He can't be angry. He's only ever been jealous of the razor nicks along Hosea's face and throat, and now he's got his own.

The conflict finds him again. When he looks at him, Hosea has that sturdy expression he takes on whenever he can tell Dutch is— upset?

He isn't sure if he's upset.

"Steam's comin' out your ears, man," he says, and Dutch knows what's coming before it does. "What're you thinkin'?"

He folds the scrap fabric, takes to fingering at the strange smoothness on his face and the stinging cut that he traces a fingernail over. The difference is minute, but noticeable with all the time he spends anxiously rubbing his jaw.

It's difficult to say while looking at Hosea, but it's just as hard with Hosea looking at him and that much isn't going to change, so he braves the eye contact as he gives shape to the feeling he can't ignore.

"Why're we playin' pretend?" His voice comes out thicker sounding than he meant it, cracking over it wrong and seeming too emotional. He clears his throat. "I ain't—"

"Dunno what you mean, Dutch," Hosea stops him. He takes the cloth to polish his straight razor off before flicking it shut. Glances up at him, and then back to where he's rubbing a fingerprint off the metallic case of the blade. "Man oughtta know how to shave his face."

How to respond escapes him. He fights the urge to be alone. There is no point in it around him. It comes onto him hard on days like these, and he reaches out for Hosea's knee to tether himself to something, to make a reason that he cannot scurry away from the man when he's only being kind.

Only is not it, but Dutch doesn't want to contemplate that on top of what's already running through his mind. Things like if he likes that Hosea says he is a man so easily, and why it stings at times that things seem so simple to him; if he wants Hosea to wish he were different, or if he feels good that Hosea likes him how he is.

Nothing's ever felt simple to Dutch. He isn't sure if it's loathing or jealousy or hurt that makes him chafe against the unquestioning sweetness Hosea has on him. He finds it so easy, it's almost grotesque.

Hosea says that Dutch hates himself, which isn't true. He finds himself quite a good character and usually very right about things, which is what matters most. His face doesn't hurt his self-image either, even if it's a little soft in the cheeks, some men don't grow out of it until their thirties— no, it isn't hatred at all. It's discomfort, some feeling of wrong that doesn't go away until he forgets himself or until, apparently, Hosea says his chest is comfortable to lay on.

Hosea tucks his razor into his jeans pocket to free his hand, placing it over his. He rolls one of his rings around, and the pinch of the webbing of his finger makes him grunt, coming back to his body from wherever he'd gone.

The man is leaning in, some, angling to look up at him with a faux doe-like look in his eyes. They're so soft it makes Dutch sick; he exhales and turns the unwitting smile down to their hands even before he starts sweet-talking.

"Look real handsome," Hosea says, voice soft.

Goddamn him. He's perfected that conman's swagger, and he rarely turns it on Dutch— they both know it's as fake as can be, because they both know how to draw their brows just right, how to look weak and smitten.

"Old fool," Dutch replies. Sometimes things are simple enough, and it soothes the ache to hear the word.

[leixo-demo]

any tips on how to draw in the splatoon style?

Ive been trying over and over to answer this question but i simply can't, cus i dont know how i make stuff, i did 2 tutorials in the past and they are simply me going "yeah you just go black in your mind and then come back and boom!" I tried to film myself a few times but still it's simply me zoning out filling a canvas of millions of sketches and then just drawing and drawing. There's no step by step thing, I simply just go BRBRBRBRBBRR and like adding really REALLY specific details and then BRBRBRBBR.

I tried hard, to think, why I make it accurate, I honestly tried for over 4 years to do splatoon looking art before i even opened this account, especially for commissions or doing more splatband art, people can give you feedback and if you're good enough they'll pay you.

I really came to think I was the best to just hate the art i did 3 days after, I did the "pufuu" moment trying to fake leake art or something and you can really put there if ppl is 1) so desesperated for new art 2) youre good at it

Then I tried to think, well did i studied the style? Yesss,,, at the begining, then i starts to differ as different artists besides Inoue, and his style also develops, so basically as long it fits,,

These 3 drawings just look complely different from each other and still it simply makes them more unique.

"But then how you make it splatoon?" You simply can't, cus it is not just one person, there is a lot, make it your own, give it your own twist, but, what about brushes, THATS what gives the style... right?

MogaChumu, on devianart

this art LOOKS officinal, but it isnt, thre's barely any rough edges like in original, there's some shading but it is not like in the original

is it the anatomy? neither, you can clearly see how they change every time how they draw inklings, sometimes the draw eyebrows in place, sometimes they round the faces sometimes they color pink they mouth despite the ink color. IT IS NOT JUST ONE PERSON.

I can't really give you more than this. As I mentioned in other posts, I use clip studio paint, my brushes were made by myself 4 years ago. If you have a hard time making your own there's (again) pufuu's brush set for procreate: https://x.com/pufuulive/status/1427743911708143617?lang=bn

the same but for psd and csp: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15Ib-jyvKxIDi0um0FnX3LcBet6m1pym3

and if you use another program just search for "Splatoon brushes" and go to the image tab, ive seen brushes uploaded in devianart for paint tool sai and for ibis paint. I just searched for splatoon tutorials and I found this saved: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/how-to-do-splatoon-art-style

Here's one of my videos if you can take anything and analyse it better than me, I'm sorry I can't really give you anything better,