#just haven't been that active for a while

[kidokear]

I have this Ultrakill AU sitting in my docs for a while and I already have so many WIPs to focus on, so I decided to just share what I have.

I call it "Mechanical Acolyte AU"

In this AU, V1 was never reactivated after their decommissioning, never made it out of the facility where they were created, let alone to Hell.

Instead it was Gabriel who went up to Earth- out of curiosity, nostalgia, to mourn, or any other reason- and find himself exploring the ruins of humanity and their war efforts, judging and studying them.

He ended up in the vault that houses V1, drawn to it because it looked the most intact. Found them, and when they didn't move to attack, he approached. This is the closest he'd been to an intact machine. There is no visible damage, but it was obvious the it was non functional. Perhaps unfinished?

Somehow, he activates- something. Noise and lights, and he is on guard, waiting for the now lit up machine to do something.

It did not move.

After spending a good while under the yellow light of V1's optic, Gabriel decided that they're not a threat, that they're too broken to be, and continued his exploration/walk. He only has limited time here, after all.

Sometime later he realizes that he is being followed, and immediately turn to confront whatever it was only to recognize the machine he saw earlier.

Gabriel attacks and a fight starts. The thing surprised him with how agile and fast it was. Between that and how it can parry his attacks back at him, he was barely about to land a hit. It took him off guard because he did not expect a machine of all things to be able to handle even a fraction of his power. He got curious and started to gradually increase the ‘difficulty’ wanting to see how far can take this before the machine breaks or stops or something.

He eventually notices that the machine wasn’t striking anywhere fatal or incredibly damaging. At first he assumed it was because it lacked weapons, but as the battle continued he come to realize that it was deliberate avoidance (the machine could parry his attacks after all and it could throw things with precise accuracy and deadly force) and yet never once did it try to actively kill him (granted, he was doing something similar but he had reason and curiosity, what would make an object do the same?)

For Gabriel it is both infuriating ins exhilarating. This did not feel like a simple short fight or an the removal of an nuisance. If he was being honest with himself, it felt more like an ever changing spar. It has been so long since Gabriel spared with someone who could keep up- or at all, really- and it was- it was almost fun.

And that thought freezes him for a second because he is not supposed to think of battels here in such a manner, especially not with a machine.

There are many ways this could go from here, and I haven't decided yet. I just know that it end with Gabriel realizing that V1 has no intention to kill him, which confuses him further. Then, somehow, he realizes that V1 listens to his commands, but not like a machine, like a solider.

And here we are, the main idea. V1 thinks of Gabriel as commanding officer. As far as they were concerned that was a sparing season.

Now Gabriel has this Machine that follows him and his orders, standing at the ready like the soldier they are. And Gabriel who is intrigued- and lonely, but he would rather eat his own swords' than to admit it at this point- decides that they are useful enough to keep around.

As time goes on, Gabriel begins to see the life within and V1 starts to learn what it is like to be a person. 

There it is. There is the AU.

[avaawritess]

Did you know?

Kuroo Testuro x reader

Period pains😕

Sorry guys I haven't been active I've gone to a ton of camps and just sports but here's a short story!

Song recommendations: Red- Taylor swift,So American -Olivia Rodrigo, that boy is mine- Ariana grande

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You and Kuroo have been dating for a while, he knew your mood swings, your weird cravings, the jokes that made you laugh when you hit your time of the month.

It was a sore topic when he asked about it so he never did, but he did have a bad habit of mentioning facts he'd call 'cool'. You loved him truly but sometimes you wanted to strangle him.

that day he just knew and came over with your favorite snacks, movie recommendations, and his hoodie you swore he stole back out of your closet.

"Hey sweetheart" he said with that charming smile of his, as you just embraced him groaning into his chest. Cramps hit you hard, like you look like you haven't slept for days.

"That bad?" He asks grimacing before hugging you back, rubbing your back soothingly. You just nod, your grip tightening on his shirt.

He smiles as he walks in closing the door,"well I brought snacks and Kenna recommended we try to play this soothing game on Roblox..grow a farm?" He says as he was thinking.

"Grow a garden" you correct, a pout on your lips as you followed closely behind him,"that's right" he says nodding placing everything down on a table.

After everything was settled, you both sat on the couch entangled together with a blanket covering you, as you both started playing.

You conversed, laughed, and teased one another, helping you not acknowledge the terrible cramps you endured.

Distractions were helpful, until they weren't.

"Did you know on your period you can bleed up to 2.7 ounces of blood?" Kuroo suddenly asked as if was the most normal thing to ask his girlfriend.

You groan predicting this was gonna happen,"no I did not, but thanks for that fact" you said trying to focus on your garden.

"Did you know some women get a disorder that on their period they can bleed from their eyes,nose,etc" he says blankly as he hops around on people's plants to scare them that he's gonna steal them.

"No I did not, thank you for that fact but can we please stop talking about periods Kuroo" you groan."fine fine, did you know.." he goes to say before looking at the screen *user stole your fruit*

He slowly looked up at you, a mischievous grin on your face,"I wasn't harvesting that one so I could get more mutations you little.." he says before tackling you.Your laughter ringing out as he tickles you.

Maybe he was horrible on when he said facts, and maybe he was a nerd.

But he was your nerd.

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

Thanks for reading I only had a small thought and wrote it, I'm trying to get back into writing!

[lynxgriffin]

Hi! I'm going to say something that I was thinking of while eating (very precise). I was wondering why hasn't Toriel talked/called out Asgore about his behaviour? You know, the whole "giving you flowers+showing you awkward affection that you didn't ask for+hiding in the bush near the church like a creep". And before you say it, yes I know that he has to understand when to stop being a stalking weirdo, but people like that don't stop unless, and I quote Susie herself, "you scream NO to their faces", so why hasn't she done that already? And no I don't believe the only times he did this was in game, I think it lasts longer than this (for her sake I hope not, but for this theory let's admit that it does) The reason, is not only because Toriel is trying to be the bigger person, or that she doesn't want to make a scene in front of people (or Kris and Susie in Chapter 4's case), even if that's a high possibilty. I think she mostly doesn't want to confront him, and the past in some extension. In Chapter 2, when Susie comes to her house with Kris, she says that she's happy Kris made a friend. "MADE a friend", except that her of all people should know that Kris and Noelle are supposed to be friends since they are kids. And Toriel isn't aware of all of Kris' activities, even at School, so she wouldn't know that the two don't really talk as much as before. In Chapter 2 and 4, when Asgore arrives, she just leaves (and even thanks him in Chapter 4 for the flowers, which, by the way, made me sick. Because unfortunately for her, in Asgore's head, it's just an invitation to try again). Then you have the scene at the end, when she's dancing with Sans while drunk. In this scene, I agree with most that it's probably the happiest she's ever been so far in the game (and in a long time too), and I'm thinking the reason why is because she doesn't have to think of the past. She doesn't have to think about Asgore, she doesn't have to think about Dess going missing and the families being broken, she doesn't have to think about the dispute(s) she had with Asgore on the subject and their hard divorce, she doesn't have to think about any of that. The past is actively eating her inside, and it's hurting her so much that she would rather take Asgore's harassment and ignoring it, rather than talk to him and having to deal with it. And Kris' reaction would reflect this, since unlike her, they don't have a choice. They can't ignore the past, they can't ignore what happened (since they probably have been confronting for a while now). By the way, I'm finishing by saying that this isn't a jab at Toriel, at all. I'm simply theorising based on her reactions to Asgore's behavior, and came to the conclusion that the dance scene of Chapter 4 is litteraly her coping. And in conclusion: I hope she/we gets to beat up Asgore later. Have a good day!

Here's the thing: I think it's quite possible that she HAS given him some hard, strong NOs in the past, and we just haven't seen them personally. "The family's fighting again" from Tenna seems to imply that there have, perhaps, been some pretty bad shouting matches between the Dreemurrs in the past, and that could easily have carried over after they divorced, too. Asgore's problem is that he is still thinking of this as a misunderstanding, that if he just proves "what really happened" then Toriel won't tell him "no, leave me alone" anymore.

And if that happens often enough...if giving Asgore that firm "leave me alone" doesn't work, well, is it surprising that she'd stop trying? Especially if he does it in public, in front of other people. "I can't lose my temper in front of this funny skeleton I want to get to know better, so I'll be cordial." "I have to be polite with Kris here, and especially with their friend I invited to church." When you're in that kind of situation, you have to pick your battles. And if she knows Asgore is not going to get the hint no matter what she does, and people are going to just kind of brush it off...well, is it worthwhile to escalate the situation? Or is it better to just leave as quick as she can?

That said, I do definitely think that Toriel is desperate to move on to something better while Asgore is still stuck firmly in the past. And yes, Kris is in the worst position of all, with the past basically hanging like a millstone on their neck...they can't ignore it even if they wanted to. Toriel's desperation to move forward and ignore the past is a stumbling block for her in terms of helping Kris with this nightmare they're dealing with, but it's not shocking that that's her method of dealing with things when juxtaposed against how Asgore is treating her.

[immolatiism]

Hey yall!

First off, I'd like to thank the wonderful and talented HLKproductions for the fantastic art of dad!Hiei with April and May. [colored by me, with permission]

Dad!Hiei has always been one of my favorite versions of Hiei, and I still remember the first time I saw HLK's art of him, because it matched my own, long-cherished headcanons so well it was uncanny. Thanks so much HLK, for both the art and the serotonin of seeing my boy all grown up.

Unfortunately the other reason I'm making this post is because I will be stepping away from RP for a while in order to work on my own personal projects. This blog isn't going anywhere [it's been ten years and I still haven't gotten rid of it, I doubt I'll be changing my mind any time soon] but I definitely won't be active here for the foreseeable future.

On the off chance you are just here looking for Yu Yu Hakusho content, I do have a well-organized TAGS page, and this blog goes all the way back to 2015, so there's plenty here to dig through! Happy hunting!

[mikatogo]

Odd question but i would like to know! What mythical creature/monster do you think randy and benson would be?

Not an odd question at all omg!!! I'm a huge horror and fantasy fan so this is just YAYYY

Benson would be a Black Dog from the English folklore!! "A dog? Seriously?" BEAR WITH ME!!!!!! (subtly trying to tell you that there is a bear in my room)

The Black Dog is often described as a ghostly hound with glowing eyes. They can disappear and reappear at will, having strong ties to the spiritual but also the real world. Linking Benson to this would be his way of flitting out of Randy's field of vision and reappearing in violent strokes; he leaves Randy with Chris, comes back with the shotgun. He leaves Randy in the living room, slams him into the wall moments later. He is in the background of Randy's conversation with Lisa—Randy seemingly forgetting his presence until he looks over her shoulder.

The appearance of a Black Dog is seen as a bad omen, the announcement of death and disaster. Wherever Benson steps, a bomb goes off.

Most interesting is that they're also said to guard churchyards, and guiding lost travelers. Well, who are we thinking of? Exactly. He's guiding Randy in more than one way, physically and mentally he has his grip on him.

It's also said that they seem to be drawn to certain people... I don't even have to keep explaining.

Randy, oh my god, sweet, angel Randy. Would be a shapeshifter. Something horrific, unexplainable. One of my favourite horror movie monsters is the God Creature from The Ritual. (Brilliant movie... fuckass book).

I saw this in a post a while ago and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. The Ritual is one of my favourite horror movies, like I have seen it sooo many times. Connecting those two... the genius, woah.

Bloody, a killer at his core. Randy hides something, hides from something his entire life. That urge to follow his feelings and hurt people, to lash out and feel whatever he wants to feel. Combining that canon aspect of him with a monster like THAT is just... Yeah.

In the movie, they're sacrificing people to the God. Randy would hunt, would make a fucked up game out of it. Maybe unconsciously because he is not truly in control of his emotions, of his outbursts. Only halfway there whenever it takes over.

And, holy shit, would Benson worship the ground he walked on.

There is a clear recognition in the movie monster—it's not just killing because the person is there. No, it's actively hunting, actively looking for the person that escaped. There's a mindfulness behind the glowing sockets in the upsidedown torso.

Randy would definitely fear what he becomes. That monster would be his "issue" in a horror au, the thing he is trying to repress but is always turning into anyways.

So, Benson is an omen of death, a caretaker of the lost. Randy is death foretold, he is the one taking, and taking, and giving nothing back.

[changingplumbob]

Second Round - Day Eleven (Gonk) 1 of 2

@sleepyselkiesims, @sanitysims, @bakersimmer, @invisiblequeen, @abbysimsfun, @fallin4fiction - Sim creators, co-writers, costume/makeup department and fashion photographers

Bright and early, the household wakes up. Room order was randomised, and turns out Nicola and Nephinae have ground floor rooms today. A wheel was spun for type of shower the contestants would have (opportunity for energised, flirty or inspired moodlet) and whether they would brush their teeth (possible confident moodlet). Once they are finished getting ready they're sent to breakfast. Autonomy is toggled on and room doors are locked.

The order the contestants arrive at breakfast matters a little. Deanna compliments each of them in the order they arrive. Those who are talked to early seem to have more chance of fitting in autonomous socials with Deanna. They might fit in a joke, flirt or gossip between her complimenting others.

Deanna: Good morning Nicola! Oh... are you alright?

Yasmine: Did you have another shampoo disaster?

Nicola: *tearfully* Yes

Arista: *mermaid noises* I'm sorry if that seemed insensitive

Nicola: No I know, it's involuntary

Nephinae: You okay Kris?

Kristina: *sadly* Shmoo shmoo

Yep, Kristina has been struck by a sad moodlet from her erratic trait this morning.

Arista: Hold on, I need a hug

Deanna laughs and hugs the pink haired sim before checking up on her. When she sits back down it appears Yasmine's steamy shower is paying off.

Yasmine: The stripes on your shirt match my hair, it's fate, we're matching

Watchers note: Evelyn who was clearing dishes hears Yasmine flirting and dumps the pile of dirty plates in front of her. I couldn't stop giggling for a while as Evelyn just stood there interrupting the conversation in such an un-Evie way. Yasmine however is unbothered.

Deanna: Do you need to take some time Kristina before the challenge? To feel better?

Kristina: *smiles* No, I just need some extra love

Deanna hugs her and brings her back to the table to talk with everyone. Please note how Kristina did not wash that big pile of dishes in front of Yasmine either...

Nicola: I mean I thought about cutting my hair but I feel that would just make it easier for the shampoo to get to my face

Arista: Depends how short you want to go. I don't have any problems

Yasmine: I hope we get to do an outdoors challenge today

Kristina: I would love that, maybe a gardening challenge

Nicola: I love gardening, it's such fun!

Nephinae: Back home I built these raised planter beds with a full irrigation system...

Arista: Do you have pictures? I just hope the challenge isn't swimming

Evie: *laughs* I think you'd have the advantage there

Deanna: It's not a swimming challenge

Nicola: I just want it to be something I can enjoy

Evelyn: *shocked* But Nic, you already had a date and bonus points. Did you not enjoy those ones?

Nicola: *carefully* I enjoyed winning

Evelyn: *sighs wistfully* I wish I was good at stuff I didn't like. It would make assignments easier

Nephinae: I think anyone can be good at most things, there's just a learning curve first

Arista: I am really good at bouquet catching at my sisters weddings now

Yasmine: Are all six married? That must have been good practice for catching

Arista: They are, and I reckon by wedding three I knew where to stand

The contestants enter a costume department of a local film company.

Luna: Guten Morgen. You haven't met me yet but I'm Luna Villareal. Before I fell for Deanna's older sister I was an active member of the paragons, a group that loves to dress up. So for this challenge to win a date with my sister-in-law, we're going to be doing some dress up. Drumroll please

*group taps a drumroll*

Devin: Ta-da!

Devin strides out in one of her signature outfits from the Starlight Accolade winning Pirates of the Aegean.

Devin: What can I say? I'm optimistic about a sequel

Devin: My wife loves fashion, and I basically play dress up to pay the bills. Today we have some of my friends coming in to help you dress up. Our themes are earth and land, wind and spirit, water and sea as well as fire and light. We'll be picking themes randomly, then you'll have the help of Luna, me, some paragons and some of my co-stars to pick your outfits. Once you're decided Rudolphous, who does all my film make-up, will apply the finishing touches and we'll get you in front of a camera

Watchers Note: Since art is subjective I did not want to choose the winners myself. They will be decided by charisma skill levels. That is coming in the next part, this part is all about celebrating the creativity of simmers. Don't forget you can post your own creations on your page once they've debuted here, I would love to make sure people can see them! This challenge is inspired by the dress up challenges @cawthorntales does for his BC's.

On with the show.

Nicola's Theme - Wind and Spirit

Nicola: I LOVE dressing up! Miss Frizzle is my practically my idol. I don't dress up as much as she does, and I also don't have a magic bus, *sad violin music* but the students love a theme day and they make me feel like a kid again!

Nicola chooses to soar amongst the clouds with her outfit. Henford has beautiful blue skies and Nicola has many memories of cloud gazing as she was growing up with her brother. It's a way to connect with home.

Nephinae's Theme - Fire & Light

Nephinae: Oh watcher, these sims aren't ready for me.

Nephinae chooses to pay homage to fire in nature- the glow and burn of magma. When Volcanoes show their might, that's where you'll fine her. The heat pushing from under the crust of the earth.

Arista's Theme - Fire & Light

Arista: Oooo sounds fun! I never bothered with dress up when I was a little boy, so I suppose it's about time I give it a try!

So much for killing with fire, Arista has become new in the flames. From the ashes of her past this trans woman rises like a phoenix, becoming her own light and true self.

Evelyn's Theme: Water & Sea

Evie: Ooh, fun!

Water flows all over the surface of the earth. It is a powerful force, yet it still bends to the will of the moon. Day is not the only time the ocean is alive.

Yasmine's Theme - Earth & Land

Yasmine: *confused* I never thought too much about what I wear, but if it matters for this challenge, I guess I will try. At least the theme seems right up my alley

A truer statement has never been spoken! Nature loving Yasmine takes the theme head on and basks in the choices. So much so that she finds eight outfits she cannot pick between! Was there really any other outcome for Earth's biggest fan?

Kristina's Theme - Wind & Spirit

Kristina: I'm not the biggest fan of dressing up. It can be really fun, but I love being outdoors, being comfortable, and you can't really climb a lot of trees in a costume. But the theme of this one speaks to my soul. The natural elements that make up our beautiful planet; it's such a cool idea!

Death being the end, such a strange concept. Spirits can linger… Unobserved by humans, a spirit's movements may be seen only by the creatures of the world under the light of the moon. Their presence felt only by windchimes, casting sound into the darkness.

[the-immortal-restless]

Where the heck did that come from?

Lavashipping fanfic - 

Important details: Transmasc and indian/asian mix kai, blasian cole, shaky plot that makes sense, set in a time that hasn't past in ninjago canon aka post merge and everyone lives at the monastery including jay but excluding arin who lives (nearby) with his parents.

This is taking place about 10 months after they defeat thunderfang and it relies on suspension of disbelief because they haven't had big bads since thunderfang. Cause kai is pregnant i dont feel like figuring out the logistics of how that baby survives their fight scenes

Cryptic pregnancy for fun 

Based on this video by @arttrashking about @quesocheeso 's 3am au

thank you to @goldentigereyemania for giving me a burst of motivation for the very end!

Let me know if you want more about this! I really like the ending!

–

Kai had a problem.

It had been 10 months since they’d defeated ThunderFang. They hadn't had any major villains in a while, thank FSM. Kai had been busy though, mostly trying to help Nya jog Jay's memories or help Lloyd try to figure out what to do about Arin, who seemed determined to help Lord Ras. 

Finding Arin was proving to be difficult… 

He had been having incredibly bad cramps all morning. These were beyond normal cramps during his period but he was kind of assuming that was because he had been so stressed these past months due to Nya being stressed over Jay’s amnesia.

He didn’t even realize until two weeks ago that he had gained 8 pounds and his stomach had bloated a bit. He’d been having intense heartburn lately and really bad nausea. He’d considered going to zane to make sure it wasn't anything bad. But he didn't want to take his attention away from more pressing matters. Like Jay’s memory, or finding arin.

Kai hated seeing Nya this way. No matter how much he masked his concern with tough confidence, he was a worrier.

One of these intense cramps came as he was trying to drink a glass of water.

Unfortunately for the skin of his hands, Kai was stronger than a glass cup and the glass shattered in his grip. His hand was immediately lacerated by the shards and he groaned as blood seeped around the shards.

Both Nya and Zane’s heads snap toward Kai at the sound of shattering glass. Both of them look shocked, concerned, and worried about their friend’s sudden show of immense strength.

“Kai…” Nya spoke in a gentle and evidently worried about her older brother.

“Yeah I think I’m having just some bad cramps, I'm long overdue for a period,” Kai responded. “Though I suppose I'm going to need some bandages now.”

“Even late periods are not supposed to hurt enough that you break glassware because of the pain. Follow me to the medical bay and we can run a routine scan.” Zane stepped toward Kai with Nya standing to follow. “I’ll come with,” She said quickly.

“Fine, but it better not take too long. I wanted to go to the amusement park with you and Jay,” Kai said as they walked down the hallways towards the medical bay.

Zane helped Kai onto the hospital bed so he could sit on the end of it. 

Another cramp hit Kai pretty hard and he grabbed the bed railings and Kai made a pained noise as he actually bent the bedrail slightly. Nya stood at his other side and placed a hand on his shoulder as he began to breathe heavier.

Zane scans over Kai’s body before humming quizzically. 

“Kai, were you aware you were pregnant?”

Both Kai and Nya freeze up in pure shock before they both look at him and shout; ”WHAT”

“Yes, you are, in fact, in active labor. Your so-called ‘cramps’ are actually contractions.”

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I’M PREGNANT?!” Kai shouted worriedly

“I SECOND THAT?” Nya says only slightly less loud than Kai had been. “How?!”

Zane sighed before using his internal systems to contact P.I.X.A.L to let her know the situation and request her assistance.

“Children are conceived through–” “I KNOW HOW CHILDREN ARE MADE!” Nya shouts back

Another contraction hits Kai like a molotov cocktail hits a building. Hard. 

Kai wailed quietly as a feeling of tightness overtook his abdomen. “Can we talk about this another time?!” Kai begged as a painful sensation overtook his lower regions.

“I agree that you both could continue this discussion at a later time.”

Nya makes a noise of hesitation before agreeing and helping Kai scoot back and properly lay against the hospital bed. “I’ve already contacted P.I.X.A.L., she should be here shortly to aid in delivery.”

“Can you contact Cole aswell.”

“What? Why Cole?!” Nya asked with an accusatory tone.

“I’ve already done so. Though he is currently on a mission with Lloyd, he will likely be unable to arrive in time.”

P.I.X.A.L. arrived at that very moment, as if the situation could get more chaotic. “I am here to aid in this endeavor.”

“Welcome to my personal hell,” Kai whined as he gripped the bedrail.

P.I.X.A.L. hums before she walks over to Kai’s right side and does her own scan of his biometrics. 

“Nya could you go grab something else for Kai to wear, preferably something open to allow the baby to come out,” P.I.X.A.L. suggested as she placed the back of her index and middle finger to Kai’s forehead.

Nya nodded with a bit of a shocked and worried expression before looking to Kai for reassurance, of which he quickly put on a brave face and nodded.

“Has his water broken yet?” She asks as she places the electrode stickers to his chest.

“Not to my knowledge” Zane answers

“I think it might have broken last night. I thought I was sweating. It was really hot last night.”

“Well at least we don't have to worry about that” P.I.X.A.L. said, trying to be somewhat positive about the strange situation.

After a long time Nya came back, holding one of Kai’s hanfu style robes. P.I.X.A.L. helped Kai sit up and he changed into the robe. “How on earth am I pregnant? Should my stomach be much bigger?”

“It is very likely you are experiencing a cryptic pregnancy. It is roughly one in a million. But it is possible,” Zane adds, “I need to attach an IV.”

“Go ahead” Kai says casually, “Great so I just happen to be one in a million.”

Zane sticks the small needle into the back of Kai’s hand. Kai laid back against the bed his temperature rising, thought he barely noticed, he was the master of fucking fire, a little fever wouldn’t hurt him.

Kai was trying to stay calm as P.I.X.A.L. guided him through starting to push, making sure that he wasn't pushing unless he felt a contraction. It was necessarily a proven method of preventing tearing, but she had heard of many, many cases where it had helped more.

Nya stood on Kai’s left side while Zane stood on his right, monitoring his vitals closely.

After several long and painful hours of pushing, a sharp cry rang out through the medical bay’s room P.I.X.A.L. announced, “It’s a girl!”

Kai was breathing hard, the pain beginning to subside, leaving only a burning below his waist.

“I have a daughter?” Kai said with a softer tone than usual, he always had a soft spot for kids. Maybe that's why he took in Lloyd so quickly.

P.I.X.A.L. wrapped the baby in a soft red blanket, using the sensors in her body to weigh the baby girl as she did so, 6.53 lbs. P.I.X.A.L. took notes of the baby’s vitals, noting that she was rather healthy. P.I.X.A.L. handed over the newborn baby girl to Kai.

Kai looked over at his baby girl. She had a darker tone to her skin, darker than Kai, but not quite as dark as Kai, though her hair was an inky black just like the master of earth. She was a little smaller than most babies, being only roughly 5 pounds by his guess.

“Nine months in my womb makin’ me suffer…” Kai adjusts his hold on the baby, making sure to support her neck. She made a fussy noise before settling down in her fathers arms. “And she looks like her other dad?” Kai chuckled softly before slouching backward tiredly and laying the baby against his chest. He tugged his own blanket over his chest, double layering the baby with warmth.

Zane’s right eye pulsed and he spoke up. “Cole and Lloyd are back, they will be here in approximately five minutes.”

Kai hummed in acknowledgement just as Cole burst in, panting heavily like he'd just run a 10k. ”WHAT’S HAPPENING?! Zane told me Kai’s having a medical emergency?!” He shouted worriedly, quickly stepping inside, his brow tight with worry.

“Kai is alright, they are both right here.” P.I.X.A.L. informed him.

“Oh thank the first– wait did you say both?” Cole says, still oblivious to the fact that Kai had even been pregnant, let alone given birth.

At that moment Rogue came in. “Whats all the yelling for?” He asked with a firm look, slightly annoyed even. When Rogue finally saw Kai laying on the bed looking like he’d been hit by 67 consecutive trains, his curiosity peaked and he raised a brow. “What happened to that guy?”

It seemed that everyone was appearing now, because Lloyd had caught up to Cole, who had run so fast to get to the medical bay. “Cole holy fuck can you run a little slower next time–?” He wheezed quietly before standing up straighter. “Is Kai okay?”

Kai chuckled at his lover's worry. “Cole, come here, I have a surprise for you.”

Cole immediately moved to Kai’s right side, looking like a worried dog. Kai smiled and pulled at his sleeve, bringing him down for a kiss.

“Here.” Kai strains to sit up slightly higher, P.I.X.A.L. coming to his left and helping him sit up. He  allowed the soft blanket covering his chest to fall lower and bunch up around his lap. Kai pulls the half-swaddled lump away from his chest, a soft noise akin to an infant's coo coming from it.

Is that a baby?

Kai holds out the swaddle for Cole to take into his arms. As predictably as possible, Cole rushed forward, fearing the hothead would drop the newborn baby, which in reality, wouldn't have happened. Kai has experience with kids and he is more careful then he lets on.

“You left this in my vagina,��  Kai says with the casual demeanor of someone telling another person they left their phone behind on the counter.

Everyone in the room except the nindroids, who had pretty much immediately deduced the situation pretty much immediately, gave Kai a shocked look.

Cole looked down at the baby, who was staring at him with big brown eyes almost identical to Cole’s. 

“WHEN DID YOU AND COLE GET TOGETHER?!” Nya shouted in shock, having been the only one not to clock their pretty obvious relationship.

“Nya what do you mean they've been dating for years.” Lloyd piped up immediately

 “WHAT?!”

Kai laughed at that. “Nya we’ve been dating for so long, what are you talking about?” Kai looked at his sister with a smile.

“This cannot be real.” She put her face in her hands and laughed softly at her own stupidity. 

“Is this our baby?” Cole said, not having been paying attention at all. “Is she actually ours?”

Kai chuckles softly and smiles. “Yes, she's ours.” Kai answers with a loving look at Cole.

Cole smiles down at the baby girl and then back at Kai. “She has your face.” Cole tells him.

“And your everything else” Kai replied with a chuckle.

“But she is a damn cutie.” Cole countered playfully. “What do we name her?”

Kai looked at the baby girl with a thoughtful look, a deep hum coming from him. 

“I really like the name Lily.”

[spnfanficpond]

New Member Spotlight for June 2025

The Pond is always growing, and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family and a little info about them!

We've got a LOT of new members this month, so everyone is under the cut!

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh my!

Jay - she/her, Atlantic Canada (GMT-4), @aka-faded

AO3 pseud? - aka-faded (screamingincolour)

Discord handle? - aka_faded

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - Not really active these days, but formerly in the 1D, Teen Wolf, & Marvel fandoms

Looking for in the Pond? - I've been out of the fandom/tumblr/fic world for a while and have been dipping my toes back in this year. Just looking to get some writing out there, as well as make some random friends.

Pairings you read? - Dean/Cas mostly, though I do like a good rare pair

Genres you read? - Angst with a Happy Ending, Secret Relationship, Retired

Favorite writer(s)? - fleeceframe and Northernsparrow are current faves

What do you like to write? - All kinds! I generally go for longer fics, angsty fics, but am also just kind of getting back into the swing of things so am kind of experimenting a little bit with range.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - violent sweet music

Bea - she/her, Southeast USA, @brbrbeatrice

AO3 pseud? - Brbrbeatrice

Discord handle? - Beapopcowbot

Other SM names? - Instagram- brbrbeatrice

OTP? - I only like gen pairings. So Sam&dean platonic

Other fandoms? - Heartstopper

Looking for in the Pond? - I’ve never had any supernatural fic friends. I’d love to have a space to talk about it more and get recs and advice, and connect with people

Something to signal boost? - I sell a calendar with my art. It’s linked on my Instagram (brbrbeatrice), but it’s Heartstopper. But that’s the only thing I can think of!

Pairings you read? - My fav is gen

Genres you read? - I only like angst. And H/C 🫣

Favorite writer(s)? - Lennelle, mentholpixie, TheMarvelousTolkienJob, shangrilada, and others. Idk their socials. I just read their fics. Not even sure if any are very active still

What do you like to write? - Angst. If I write anything other than that, it’s usually for a gift. I’ve mostly been writing Heartstopper. But when I first started on AO3 a couple of years ago, I wrote some SPN fic that I want to return to. I’ve gotten better at writing since I started, tho, so I feel like I need to go back and fix my older stuff from 2022.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Heart & Soul

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? -I’m planning a Heartstopper/SPN crossover. But I’m feeling a little overwhelmed trying to plan it. I’m not a passionate outliner. 🤣

Elia - she/her, UK, @alwaysbeenyouandme

AO3 pseud? - Butinaparalleluniverse

Discord handle? - Historicalcheesecake

OTP? - Wincest

Other fandoms? - Law and Order: SVU

Pairings you read? - Wincest and J2

Genres you read? - Almost everything, with extra points if it comes with smut

Kmoraa - she/her, Central USA, @iwasneverinyour

AO3 pseud? - KmoraaWrites

Discord handle? - kmoraa (Kmoraa #8679)

OTP? - Destiel :D

Other fandoms? - There are so many fandoms, so I'll only list my favorites: Bat family and Superfam, Young Justice, One Piece, Demon Slayer, X-Men (Comics and Movies), Cosplay, and Art, but there are many more :)

Looking for in the Pond? - I just wanna find a community of writers that I can get support from, but I'm also interested it joining the sprint. 

Pairings you read? - I don't particularly like to read romantic or sexual relationships or similar pairings, so I would say any platonic/sibling/found family is what I enjoy most.

Genres you read? - Angst, Whump, Hurt, and Crack are my fav tags, I like the found family trope :D

Favorite writer(s)? - No but please let all the writers and artists know that they are loved and are doing great :DDD

What do you like to write? - I've actually written a lot of fics, but I've just never posted most of them. A lot of them include either OCs or AUs, because I like to experiment with different writing styles, characters, settings, and etc.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - I've only got two fics posted so far, both of which are on my Works list lol

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Currently, I wouldn't say so, but I am always open to finding new things to write :)

Thatwriterlady - Eastern USA, @thatwriterlady

AO3 pseud? - thatwriterlady

Discord handle? - thatwriterlady 

OTP? - Destiel

Looking for in the Pond? - I'm looking for story ideas, people to talk to, maybe a new Beta

Pairings you read? - Destiel

Genres you read? - Fluff, romance, horror, smut, ABO,

What do you like to write? - I like writing fluff, parent Dean/Cas, ABO, romance, horror

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Be True to Your Heart

Ray - she/her, @hellwillfollowoffical

AO3 pseud? - Through_The_Valley

Discord handle? - Raythevariant

Other SM names? - TikTok: hellwillfollow

Other fandoms? - The Last of Us!

Looking for in the Pond? - First time fic writer and looking to get established, meet fellow writers, and learn a little more about writing fics in general!

What do you like to write? - I love creating my own characters so fics with the main characters being an OC. I also like to explore the story deeply so long fics are also my thing. And anything canon divergence/AU because why not!

Masterlist!

Moony - he/him, Central USA, @thewanderingseeker

AO3 pseud - TheWretchedPoet

Discord handle? - gayeststrangerthingsfanatic

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - Stranger Things, Greek Mythology, & EPIC: The Musical

Looking for in the Pond? - Writing help & Getting peeps to read my fics

Pairings you read? - M/M

Genres you read? - Fluff, Slice of Life, and Smut

What do you like to write? - I’m all over the place… but mostly AUs

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - The Divine Tragedy

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - A few rp plots I’ve written that would make great fics

Ashley - she/her, Texas, USA, @tumbleweedstillhaspanic

AO3 pseud? - DarnItTumbleweed

Discord handle? - grumpus89

Other fandoms? - Sons of Anarchy

Looking for in the Pond? - Finding a community of other fans

Pairings you read? - I tend to read just about anything.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - All As it Should Be

Lindsey - she/her, Georgia, USA, @lindsey-in-w0nderland

AO3 pseud? - SlowBurnSiren

Other SM names? - Wattpad is also SlowBurnSiren, and FFdotnet is LindseyBrooke8997

OTP? - I don't have one!😭 I love so many fic types

Other fandoms? - SPN is def the one "big" fandom I'm in. Twilight and Harry Potter, obviously, but I love so many forms of media.

Looking for in the Pond? - Mostly looking for help with fic writing and SEEKING READERS. I am so desperate for feedback, I'm CRAVING IT.

Pairings you read? - Honestly, I love OC fics for smut, but I love a good slow-burn/high-stakes read.

Genres you read? - Lots of angst and suspense/high stakes, love smut and romance

What do you like to write? - Suspenseful high-stakes fics, always with a romance element. High character development, something to lose, etc. love a good smut read tho lol

Masterlist!

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I'd love to write horror at some point because I read a LOT of it but that is intimidating lol

That’s all for this month, folks! (If we’re missing anyone, let us know and we’ll add them to next month’s list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @heavenssexiestangel, @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes, @walkingaline, @xpurdyglambertx, @leatafandom, and @manawhaat!

[screwpinecaprice]

Oh oof I slipped and hit them with dark and serious beam. 😣

[cloudinal]

(Very) belated Mitsuru birthday!

[lunewolf13]

Jason is rereading Sense and Sensibility when his phone rings. He looks at the caller ID to make sure it's not Bruce. It's not Bruce, so he picks up.

Jason bookmarks the page and puts the paperback down: What's up, Shrimp?

Tim, sounding actually, genuinely sad: Despair.

Jason straightens: What? What's wrong?

He's two seconds from grabbing some guns and sprinting to his bike when Tim's voice interrupts that plan.

Tim: No one's dead! Chill! I just need some emotional support. Just tell me I'm not useless and this isn't a reflection on my competence.

Jason breathes out and relaxes back on the couch: If that's what you want, then why'd you call me?

Tim: Because it's Dick's mandatory self-care day and Babs threatened us to leave him alone even if the world is on literal fire.

Jason: So I'm your second choice.

Tim: No, Alfred and Cass are busy.

Jason: So I'm your fourth choice.

Tim: No, but Kon and Steph would laugh at my despair.

Jason: So would I.

Tim: Yeah, but at least you'd offer to feed me if I told you that I genuinely need emotional support right now.

Jason opens his mouth to say something snippy, then gives up and sighs.

Jason: Ugh. Fine. What's up?

Tim sniffs forlornly into the phone speaker: Despair.

Tim: I was trying to pick up my orange juice. And I lifted it too fast.

What.

Tim: So the drink went everywhere. On the floor. On the counter. On me. My place smells like orange juice and it's all my stupid arm's fault. Oh, and there's also glass everywhere. So I used my broom to pick up the glass, but it got on the orange juice and now it's sticky?

'Don't laugh don't laugh don't fucking laugh.'

Jason clears his throat, struggling to control his breathing: So did you clean it up the juice?

Tim: Yeah. But now my shirt's gross and I haven't done my laundry so I'm stuck with no shirt until I wash it.

Jason: Have you put the laundry in the washer yet?

He can just imagine Tim rolling his eyes through the phone: Yesss mom. Can you give me my pep talk now?

Jason: Gimme a sec.

He mutes the call and spends ten seconds laughing hysterically, holding his stomach and laughing until there are tears in his eyes. When that's done, he unmutes and in the most casually reassuring tone begins his Timbit Pep Talk.

Jason: Okay. I'm good.

Tim: You just laughed at my expense, didn't you.

Jason: Maybe. Not important. Listen here, what happened with your juice was an accident. Happens to the best of us. It doesn't change your worth as a person or your skills. You're still a kick-ass hero and everyone's still proud of you.

Tim: ...Wow. That actually made me feel better. Thanks, Jason.

Jason rubs his neck, embarrassed: Yeah yeah. We can watch a movie and eat some pizza before patrol, if you want.

Tim: With bacon, artichoke hearts, and onions?

Jason scowls: Ugh. Yes. I'll order your monstrosity. Come over in an hour.

Tim: Sounds good. Still a little worried about my arm though. It's never just jerked up like that.

Jason: Should probably see a doctor for it.

Tim: Yeah, probably. Man, I knew I should've said no to the electric shocks. I told Damian it wouldn't be effective.

Jason widens his eyes and prays he just misheard: What.

Tim: Oh right. We didn't tell you about the experiments.

Oh for the love of—

Jason: EXPERIMENTS???

Tim: It's not as bad as it sounds! We were just researching invasive thoughts! Just dabbling in neurology!! Totally safe! DON'T TELL BRUCE.

Jason as he's dialing a number on his second burner phone while holding this phone to his ear: Why the fuck would I tell him?!

Tim: Right. Okay, then DO NOT TELL DICK.

Jason scowls as Dick fails to pick up: Fine. But only because I value our kinship as forgotten middle children.

Tim: He didn't answer, did he.

Jason: Nope. He better be having a good fucking time after leaving me with this shit. Now I have to call Alfie and explain to him that you two fuckwads are experimenting on humans.

Tim: First of all, I'm the only one who was experimented on. Second, I'll give you twenty bucks if you don't tell anyone.

Jason: No deal.

Tim: Thirty and you can borrow Alfred for a week.

Jason wrinkles his nose: Alfie's not yours to barter with. I'm telling him that you tried to sell him off.

Tim: Not Alfred the human. The cat.

Jason: Not much better. The squirt's not gonna like you offering his cat.

Tim: He's part of the problem. He should help me fix it.

Jason taps his chin, contemplating: I want a favor from you both and the cat for a month.

Tim: Damian won't agree to losing Alfred for a month. How about two favors from us and no cat?

Jason: No. I want the cat. One month.

Tim: Two weeks.

Jason: Three.

Tim: One week, and I'll throw in a blackmail pic of Steph falling off a roof and landing inside a rat-infested Batburger dumpster.

Jason: Two weeks, and you have yourself a deal.

Tim: One week, and I'll give you the pic and a box of that super nice chocolate B likes.

Jason: ...Fine. I still want the two favors from you two. If anyone asks about what you and the squirt are doing, I know nothing about it.

Tim: Pleasure doing business with you. I have to go put my clothes in the dryer now.

Jason: Yep. See you later.

They end the call. Immediately Jason gets up to do some stress baking. Why do all his siblings have to be freaks? It's so fucked up that the Dead Robin, the literal Crime Lord, is the most normal one.

Jason decides to make caramel pecan cookies.

[journeyman-tier-fibercraft]

Happy WIP Wednesday! It's been Quite a few months since I've had the energy to do any knitting, but today is a good day!

I've been slowly chipping away at Oak Leaves for thereabouts ten months, the rows are Very long now, and I still have 20 ish left. But it was time to put her on longer needles, and the cord I needed was on the back of my aggressively pink cardigan. Which prompted me to actually check how far that project got just to realize I had stopped knitting at 174 rows, out of 176.

I did knit those last two rows and remembered just how much fun this cardigan is to knit, and also how fucking hot it is to knit. I miss her but not in 90 degree weather. T-T

[shadowduel]

all i wanna do is untie all your knots, dissolve all your thoughts

[peridots-pixiwolf]

[Start ID. A redraw of the official icons of the ten named slugcats from Rain World, arranged in two rows: Survivor, Monk, Hunter, Nightcat, and Gourmand in the first, Artificer, Rivulet, Spearmaster, Saint and Enot/Inv in the second. Each is drawn in roughly the same pose as in the original art and fitted with speculative interpretations of their biology, and the second image is a “dead” version of this. For example, all ten have slug-like rhinophores in place of ears, cuttlefish-like colorful eyes with strangely-shaped pupils, cephalopod-like beak "teeth", expressive barbels or oral tentacles at the corners of mouths, spiny radulas, and the frilly mantle fringes of sea slugs, though otherwise their faces are squishy, simple and mammalian-shaped.

Cream-colored Survivor and yellow Monk both share triangular, bicolored spots matching their eyes (which are tan and brown, and two shades of blue, respectively), small, bumpy fringes, and relatively neutral looks on their faces. Defensive-looking Hunter is mostly a dull orange-pink, though their blobby fringe is a more violent red and their back is purple and marred with lumps. Nightcat is navy blue and flecked with dots of yellow and teal, their rolled rhinophores are a lighter blue, and their shading fractures into stars in some places. Gourmand is almost uniformly tan, their wide, very ruffly white mantle fringe bordered by a spray of white spots, and their beak sticks out from either corner of their smile. Primarily red Artificer, snarling, has yellow markings of multiple sorts, a prominent yellow dewlap and their characteristic dark scar taking out a chunk of its face. Rivulet is a darker blue than usual, with long barbels, red gills and rings, countershading, and a cheerful expression, sticking out their radula. Spearmaster is purple with orange accents, eyes and spots, a large fringe and spines down their back. Saint’s green caryophyllidia are marked by small, yellow diamonds, and their long, thin radula extends far below them. Enot is decorated with mottled red stripes, blue patches, yellow stars, and an uneven and almost cartoonish imitation of blush, though generally the same deep blue as Nightcat, a passive or almost slightly smug look on their face and their rolled rhinophores out to either side.

In the second image, nine of the slugcats’ eyes are crossed out, indicating that these are death icons. They look fairly the same, with mostly expression differences. Survivor is caught in the beginning of a threat display, a karma flower sprouts from Monk’s side, Hunter is burdened with overgrowing, purple and blue rot, Nightcat’s rhinophores are pinned back, and Gourmand looks mildly disheartened. For the final row, Artificer bites its radula between small plumes of smoke, Rivulet drops their expression, Spearmaster looks very startled, Saint looks almost entirely the same besides half-open eyes and their markings greater in number, and Enot grins confusedly. End ID]

If you'll excuse the unusually lengthy ID: the arena meme introduced by @pansear-doodles at long last after a nearly year-long wip status (or, rather, finished a month ago today to honor my own first time playing it!)

Design notes and shout-outs under cut! :]

The following people are some of those who’ve inspired my designs most since I started this eight months ago (or just inspired me to get a little weirder with slugcat biology), among many others for sure, and I thank them for it–but this is simply to bring attention to artists I find cool, and in no way an obligation to interact or anything :]

> @saturncoyote , @carpsoup , @charseraph , @gallusgalluss , @bitsbug , @dopscratch , and @0hmanit (and a special mention to dddeerbo and hunterlonglegs, who’ve since deactivated)!

Survivor: Surprisingly the hardest to pin down the colors for, since nothing with its sibling's palette seemed to match up right (I did have to add in a little blue somewhere for Monk, the beginning of making it clear how much I’m simply going based off of vibes for the colors of scug innards). I consider them, Monk and Gourmand to be part of the same gene pool of slugcats, and even possibly the same colony even if the latter isn't really related, so took a bit of Gourmand's coloring and fit them in with their inspiration: Goniobranchus verrieri. They serve as a bit of an introduction to my ideas of scug traits (i find it really fun how many people have thought to add so many silly sluglike fixtures of biology completely independent of me, buuut here I’m mostly talking about species variation), and like in-game they’re pretty average! They, Monk and Hunter have a couple scars sourced from a piece of Joar's concept art that I'm failing to find, those across the bridge of the nose, under the eyes, and across the rhinophores, respectively, and my Survivor interpretation features many on the back of the neck, as a result of survived lizard bites.

Monk: Their coloring is primarily based off the fact that I associate them with blue fruits, honestly, a bit because I was compelled to establish a familiarity with Rivulet, and lastly inspired by the spots of Goniobranchus kuniei (and geminus, less important to me as one of my characters is a kuniei instead, but more fitting). Between the yellow + blue and the circular marking in the center of their face, they’re meant to bear a little resemblance to an iterator that shares similarities with the characterization I’ve given them, and similar coding of her sibling can be seen on Survivor’s markings around the eyes. As both a “default” slugcat and one whose campaign I haven’t played, though, I can’t say I have much more to point out about em.

Hunter: The whole rot thing made for a really fun time drawing them, and while the color change on their back is a result of this, it’s also an excuse to relate them to Babakina festiva, arguably my favorite sea slug (mostly for sentimental purposes). And to Spearmaster, a fellow messenger slugcat, and it serves as a gradient between Hunter’s pink and the “traditional” color of Rot seen in the DLLs. Aside from their affliction, they’d actually be the plainest in terms of design, as they don’t have any patterns or quirks of body type, just the red + purple and strange lumps + possible malnutrition. I can’t remember if NSH had created them in particular or just...caught + released or something, but it probably wouldn’t be strange for a lab-grown slugcat to be simple like that.

Gourmand: Like the two above, they’re rather plain in terms of coloring and adaptation, and like the two above, I find that fun. I decided it would be nice to avert the “all slugcats being of the same body type, and Gourmand’s out of place as the exception” thing by just...adding more fat to all of them, really. I did want to emphasize their sheer bulk even so, both fat and muscular (not like I couldn’t have still gone further with it, of course, but slugcat anatomy can be a little obfuscating sometimes, and they were intended to look rather plush considering personal size headcanons and therefore the lack of proper gravity), and the thick and flounced mantle looked like a good addition, as per their sea slug Glossodoris hikuerensis. Unlike Survivor and Monk, I didn’t attempt to hold their resemblance to any particular other character (which means a little less to balance out the “default gene pool” thing), so those are all the design notes I have for em.

Artificer: The second slugcat I’ve ever played, or finished the campaign of, my favorite for at least a long time, and the first thing I did was give them yellow accents, the shape of which have troubled me slightly (not quite like the spots or stripes of the others). They’re both a little more appealing and more explosive-looking to me, and considering how early on I played Arti, actually present in some of my older art. It does give them a little resemblance to Saint (completely intentional, two slugcats with strange relations to karma), as well as the fact that its radula is green for familiarity with one of its children (at some point it was going to have all-green markings, even!). I’m generous with their scars, partly because it was fun to overemphasize the one on their face and partly because it does seem like a reckless slugcat, on top of the dangers of its explosive abilities–I’ll probably just keep adding more forever. Mostly-red sea slugs aren’t too common, but Hexabranchus sanguineus works for sure. The ridged, yellow dewlap can expand for combustion purposes, or something along those lines. Arti’s where I began experimenting with a lot of the mildly-offkilter features seen in my interpretation of slugcats, as they’ve once again been a favorite from the start.

Rivulet: I've obviously given other slugcats spots, deeply enjoy the bubbly-soda markings of other peoples' slugcats, and thought seal riv would be cute. Despite not too closely resembling it, they've been government-assigned Hypselodoris bennetti, for color reasons and for a couple sentimental ones. Originally, the colors of every scug were meant to match up with the custom colors I gave them at the beginning of their campaigns, (though Arti, Gourm and Spearmy are the only three who actually apply here, since I've only played through half the slugcats: I gave arti the yellow as mentioned above, gourm brown eyes and spearmy light pink spears, furthered by the outskirts pearl accompanying me and that palette all the way to moon. Tolerance training for eternity in hell cause I already knew about the maroon pearl quest). I initially gave them the colors of the bi flag for fun... but with the limited palette of this image, I was left without pink for a while and decided to see how they'd look in red. I then realized how they now wonderfully matched Moon, and besides, red's a sort of camouflage in deep water! As a side-note, the difference between their eyes and those of others always bothered me a little for anatomical purposes, and the cephalopod eyes were probably influenced by this!

Spearmaster: Inspired as much as possible by @notyourfunnyman ’s wonderful spearmy: designed in a way that helps it fit in with scavengers, at least between the long sensory tentacles, big ruff, back spines and slightly thin/distended anatomy, a form of defensive mimicry. I always had annulate rhinophores in mind, for a little diversity sure, but mostly because the shape reminds me of radio antennae and communication towers (seems fitting for the comms array and being a messenger slugcat)! I started searching for a real-life slug to give them just by looking up their rhinophore shape...and was met immediately and coincidentally with annulate-topped nudibranchs that fit them more perfectly than I could've imagined: Flabellina and surrounding clades, I think Paraflabellina ischitana works very nicely. The orange was completely unplanned, but there wasn’t a place for light pink among the other slugcats’ palettes, and importantly it likens them to both Hunter and Seven Red Suns a little more.

Saint: I am very much a non-furred slugcat enjoyer, with respect to those who aren’t, so figuring out the only visibly furred slugcat was an interesting challenge. I’ve decided that they likely have other, milder adaptations for help in the cold, mainly just more efficient fat storage, and what looks vaguely like fur is instead a bunch of tubercles (called caryophillia, for the second reminder out of three). Their inspiration doesn’t have these, however, Miamira sinuata’s numerous yellow and blue spots (not to mention...whatever’s going on with that shape) and general effect of being the only really green nudibranch I could find were probably perfect for a strange green echo. Not pictured, but their beak-teeth are tiny and flat to make a surface for grinding soft food against with the lack of a functioning radula, which is tipped with a specialized spiny “grapple-hook” for better traction/grip (not to mention the numerous little teeth running down the whole thing).

(Best part of hiding this under a readmore means edits will be seen by all reblogs, I'm mostly sure, because I completely forgot to mention! The spots on their forehead are simple eyes. Their camera eyes appear closed in-game, I like to believe their complex eyesight is rather poor anyways or otherwise reason that they aren't seeing out of those, and while this was far from her REASON for attunement with the world, it does help compensate for mainly viewing it through a canvas of simple light and dark. This, and the fact that their swapped-out "fur" is not only to commit to a lack of hairs but contributes to sensory input!)

Nightcat/Enot: I guess you could say I found the “these two are technically the same person” compelling. (E.g. similar colors, both very strange and enigmatic, and Enot/Inv/Sofanthiel’s remark during the dating sim about getting removed from Arena Mode.) I doubt they’re the only two slugcats in their body, considering humans with DID tend to have more than a few (and I find it very funny that a slugcat bearing resemblance to Nightcat appears in Gourmand’s ending. They’re allowed in the colony and Enot isn’t </3), and I have to credit @faelingdraws ’s art for being what convinced me on it! Their design inspirations come down to trying to balance a few different ideas: making the patterns and palettes of both look oddly similar (special mention to the stars, since those are fun to draw), basing them off of Felimare sechurana and juliae respectively, using blocks of color with the same placement as in Enot’s official art, and specifically making Enot look...biologically reasonable and imperfect, whilst also clearly trying to imitate human displays of emotion (what with...the eyes and blush on that one piece of official art).

Lastly, here’s just a lineup with notes on body shape and size. Most of the nicknames (existing to give a little more space, that’s all) are obvious, and while I can’t remember why I shortened Nightcat to Nox, it is in honor of my friend by the same nickname :]

[july-19th-club]

i have no mouth and i must scream speech but for about insomnia hate hate hate let me tell you how much i have come to hate being awake

[flowerakatsuka]

i can't remember if i ever mentioned this tidbit about them before — since their dad is an art teacher and encouraged all his kids to be creative from an early age, kuroba eventually picked up drawing as a hobby. they don't it as much as they used to, but it still comes in pretty handy sometimes with their job, ( especially when they're bored and need something to do with their hands. ) i imagine their style to be kinda like a simplified version of seizo watase's work.