due for some rainbows..

The King's Men - Epilogue

Day: Saturday, April 27th / 28th* Time: 3:10 AM EST

Neil waits off to one side while the others file out, knowing Andrew will be the last to leave. Wymack knows better than to stick around and follows his Foxes down the hall. Andrew brings Neil's duffel to him. Neil takes it but drops it off to one side. Andrew studies it for a moment, then shrugs out of his own bag and puts a hand to the wall near Neil's head. "Your close calls are getting old," Andrew says. "I thought you knew how to run." Neil affects confusion. "I thought you told me to stop running." "Survival tip: no one likes a smart mouth." "Except you," Neil reminds him. A year ago Neil had been a scared nobody, hating himself for signing the Foxes' contract and counting down days until he moved in with Wymack. Tonight he is the starting striker for the first-ranked team in the NCAA. In two years he'll be captain, and in four he'll graduate from Palmetto State. Neil will find a professional team first and then fight tooth and nail to make the cut for Court. Neil can already imagine the weight of an Olympics medal around his neck. He doesn't even care what color it is so long as it is his. Better than that bright future is what he already has: a court that will always be home, a family who'll never give up on him, and Andrew, who for once hasn't wasted their time denying that this thing between them might actually mean something to both of them. Neil didn't even notice the silence at first, too distracted by his dizzying thoughts. Now he can't help but smile and pull Andrew in. This is everything he wanted, everything he needed, and Neil is never letting go.

END OF ALL FOR THE GAME SERIES.

Art commissioned and used with permission by the incredible @hamrikaa!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

The King's Men - Chapter Seventeen (19)

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 10:04 PM EST

Neil wishes he could smile, but it takes all his strength just to look at Riko. The Raven captain and Exy King is staring at the scoreboard like he expects it to change. The Foxes are running for each other, still screaming their fool heads off, but the Ravens stand still as stone. It is the first loss in Edgar Allan's history, and they'd fallen to the unlikeliest of opponents. Neil sucks in a deep breath that rips him open on its way down. "I'd ask you how it feels, but I guess you've always known what it's like to be second, you worthless piece of shit." Riko finally drags his gaze away from the board. He stares at Neil, blank-faced and stunned, and then revulsion twists his expression into something terrible. His racquet goes up over his head but it takes Neil a moment to realize Riko really intends to take a swing at him. Dan screams his name from halfway across the court, but there is nothing Neil can do except watch Riko's racquet start down. He barely has the strength to breathe. Dodging is out of the question. Riko's racquet gets close enough that Neil hears wind whistling through the strings, and then a second racquet comes out of nowhere, big and bright and orange. Andrew puts everything he has left behind his swing and catches Riko across his forearm. Bones give a sickening crunch as they shatter. Riko's racquet clatters harmlessly off to one side, and then Riko is the only one screaming. He stumbles a few steps away from them before falling to his knees and holding his arm to his gut. Andrew puts his racquet down in front of Neil like a shield and watches Riko's breakdown with a bored stare.

Art used with permission by Rosiethorns88. Thank you so much @rosiethorns88!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

The King's Men - Chapter Seventeen (19)

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 7:56 PM EST

Wymack has a few minutes before starting line-ups are needed on the court, so he pulls his small team close enough that they can hear him. "I suck at this pep talk thing, but Abby threatened me with gruesome death if I didn't make some sort of effort tonight. This is what I've come up with after an hour of hard brainstorming. I haven't rehearsed it yet, so you'll have to pretend it's something polished and encouraging. Deal?" He looks around at them, catching and holding each player's eyes for a moment. "I want you to close your eyes and think about why you're here tonight. Don't tell me 'revenge' because you've already gotten it just by being here tonight. "This isn't about Riko anymore," Wymack says. "This isn't about the Ravens. This is about you. This is about everything it took you to get to this point, everything it cost you, and everyone who laughed when you dared to dream of something big and bright. You're here tonight because you refused to give up and refused to give in. You're here where they all said you'd never be, and no one can say you haven't earned the right to play this game. "All eyes are on you. It's time to show them what you're made of. There's no room for doubt, no room for second guesses, no room for error. This is your night. This is your game. This is your moment. Seize it with everything you've got. Pull out all the stops and lay it all on the line. Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose. This king's ruled long enough—it's time to tear his castle down."

Art used with permission by Kurra. Thank you @kurra!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

but jane, if we were to fly to mars today

i’d hold your hand all the way ! /ly

Jean & Cat & Open Roads

"Did you think you were special?"

quick doodle of Laila and Cat from last night 🤓

The King's Men - Chapter Seventeen (19)

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 3:34 AM EST

"You did it," Neil says, too stunned to manage anything else. "Let Riko be King," Kevin says, with the exaggerated enunciation of the thoroughly sloshed. "Most coveted, most protected. He'll sacrifice every piece he has to protect his throne. Whatever. Me?" Kevin gestures again, meaning to indicate himself but too drunk to get his hand higher than his waist. "I'm going to be the deadliest piece on the board." "Queen," Andrew says somewhere behind Neil. Neil hadn't heard him get out of bed, but of course the bang of the door would have woken him. A sober Andrew is as light a sleeper as Neil was, maybe moreso because Andrew was used to unfriendly people sneaking into his room. Neil looks back at him, but Andrew is studying Kevin.

Art used with permission by Emry-Stars-Art. Thank you @emry-stars-art!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

eat the sun

run boy run

I am Jean Moreau. I will endure.

Just wanted to thank @korakos for sharing The Sunshine Court with us. It is everything I didn’t know I needed. ❤️‍🩹

“Hello, Jean,” Nathaniel said.

“Go away,” Jean said, in a voice he barely recognized. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“But you’ll listen, because I just told Ichirou where you are.”

"Did you think you were special?"

rainbows

today’s warmup sketch

cardinal red