Cute Artist

Rules for requests:

Homestuck setting

Cannot involve snuff, excessive gore, or any sexuality extending a pg-13 rating. They can kiss, but no further.

Try to keep it to 2 characters, no massive scenes with the entire cast.

Ships are allowed, but i have veto power if it doesnt vibe with me.

links of note- description

lillikoifish art - things ive drawn, fandom original or whatever, in various states of completion

daily blurb - daily writing exercises, of various genres, characters, and vibes

angst tag - angst focused blurbs and writing exercises. featuring the striders, primarily dave strider, bro strider, and dirk strider

it would have developed the theme started by Eridan and the kids having to beat a literal incarnation of despair would have tied to so much of Homestuck’s overall themes of growing up and facing insurmountable odds/ beating an unwinnable game.

"Oh, well of course she is. Just a little darling."

"Smart as a tack, you know just this morning she showed me a passage from a text on sharks that she could read in its entirety? Including the latin terms?"

"My, what a brilliant girl. My Jake though, he is truly something special."

"To be sure, he is such a sweet little boy."

"He is indeed, why, just today he befriended the shy young Dirk Strider, and wouldn't you know they were playing knights on the playground?" Jade allowed her smile to turn ever so slightly smug. "I am truly so proud, he is so good at making friends."

Madam Peixes' sharp smile lost some of its edge, at first, but after a moment it returned to its sharklike state. "Feferi has fantastic social skills as well."

"Oh?"

"Oh, you say, as if you haven't seen her with your own eyes kissing that little Captor brat on the cheek."

Jade had indeed, but she wondered if that spoke to the young Peixes' personality or if it was just another example of the young Sollux Captor being a true social butterfly despite his reticent nature. It would be a low blow to point that out.

"Of course, young Sollux has many friends."

The corners of Madam Peixes' grin trembled and strained, a vein popped out on her forehead. "Is that so?"

"I do believe it is."

"Well, she is such an outgoing child of course. Why, she's always playing outside. Just today she gathered honeysuckle and buttercups and made me a little bouquet." She raised perfectly manicured hands and pulled out her earrings, stowing the gold jewelry in her designer purse.

"What a generous and thoughtful thing to do, my Jake loves to do similar, but of course he is always in the gardens, tending to his own patches of pumpkins and vegetables." Jade tied her hair into a ponytail, folding her arms across her chest.

They stared at each other for a moment, Meenah snarling and Jade coldly assessing. The parking lot was devoid of life, all the parents had driven away, the children all safely in the daycare. They were out of view of the cameras this time.

When the first punch came Jade was ready, and she leaned left to dodge, twisting her core and delivering a swift uppercut to Meenah's gut. She coughed wetly, crumpling in her thousand dollar suit for a moment before letting out a savage shriek. The slash of nails against her cheek didn't register at first, but she felt the wetness of blood and scowled.

"Bitch."

"Cunt."

Dave had a vision so goddamn inspired he had to recruit another, and in defiance of God and Nature, they had motherfucking made it happen.

It had to be this way, it was who he was. There were bits, and they had to be goddamn committed to.

Roxy shifted next to him, and he silently willed her to be cool. If she cracked he would never fucking forgive her. He would demand recompense, at least forty combined hours of hair petting in her lap, while he got to bitch about whatever the fuck he wanted. At least.

Dirk met them on the roof, and raised a hand in greeting. They smiled matching grins, and it put his Bro on edge, which was fair. He was sure the fucking Shining Twins routine was probably unsettling.

"Sup guys." Picture perfect nonchalance, Dave clenched his jaw. His Bro was so goddamn good, it was a timeline constant, damn him.

"Yo Dirk. We got a surprise for you." Dave smiled easily, because he wasn't a fucking slouch either.

Roxy bounced in place, but kept her mouth shut, thank fucking gog. Dirk took them both in with a serious stare, his posture shifting to one that braced for ambush. He rose to the balls of his feet, a subtle thing that most people wouldn't notice, but Dave did, 'cause he was like that. He was a motherfucking noticer.

"What kinda surprise, Bro?" Voice smooth, unbothered. "Ain't my birthday."

"What, I can't wanna do somethin' special for my favorite Bro in the whole wide world?" He exuded no tension, he was a perfectly normal person with a perfectly normal gift. "C'mere, Bro."

Dirk walked smooth as anything, and then they unleashed the horde.

Roxy tapped her temple with a finger, and dozens of miniature ponies in dozens of pastel colors galloped their way across the roof. They were no larger than a domestic cat, their hooves no wider than a penny. Neighing and nickering, multicolored manes tossing in the air, they reared back and cantered, played with each other in a swirl of colors.

Dirk sank to his knees, the fatal blow delivered on the first strike.

A creamsicle orange pony approached him first, its bright blue eyes like the sky wide as it looked at the coolest Strider. He reached out with shaking hands and gently stroked her muzzle, and earned himself some forward flicked ears and the attention of the entire herd. Soon enough Dirk was surrounded by eager ponies, and Roxy and Dave looked at each other with smug, satisfied grins.

"Mh?" Dirk pulled out an earbud, giving Dave a questioning look. Surely Bro knew better than to violate Headphone Etiquette, he must be calling for his attention for a reason.

"You're always listenin' to that ipod, you got a favorite song? Or do you just shuffle and let the lord Steve Jobs decide your musical pleasure for the evening?" Dave wryly gestured at Dirk's pocket, where indeed his timeline counterpart's ipod nano was safely stowed away.

The question made him pause. Discussing his Bro had often left Dave in a sort of... wistful mood. Not quite nostalgic, but far away. Tinged with a melancholy Dirk couldn't understand, but Dave would look at him again and he'd know he was seeing his own Bro. Wondering where he could find him, if he came at Dirk from the right angle, would his guardian appear?

It was simultaneously a shitload of pressure and a quiet relief that he never quite measured up. He knew Dave preferred him just the way he was.

Even still. "I shuffle it, yeah, but that's just cause I think that's how you listened to it. Cherry picking vibes never struck me as the way."

"But do you have a favorite?" He looked a little impatient, and Dirk really couldn't figure out why it mattered.

He shook his head a little in disbelief and answered honestly. "Changes now and then, but 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted might be the current pick."

A slow and easy grin spread across Dave's face, and Dirk let go of the tension that had started spreading through him, holding his shoulders up. "You got the best taste Bro, always did."

"Was there any doubt?" He furrowed his brows. "Now, you."

"It's the same for me dude, you already said it." Dave punched his shoulder then moved to his system, sorting through his vinyls until he found the right one. "Put that old ass trash away dude, c'mon."

Multiple statues of Captain Snoop Dogg, an immensely influential and powerful ally in battle, which reminded Dirk to prioritize his safety above all. And also keep him on his toes, gotta stay sharp. His intelligence was rewarded though, with infinite ramen noodles-- cup'o noodles, Bro knew what was good-- and Divine Ambrosia, aka Orange Soda.

There was also a safe, and granted, it took Dirk a decent amount of time to crack it after he found it. Bro was a wily motherfucker, the thing was loaded with traps to throw off the Batterwitch. Dirk was long since used to being cautious though, a lifetime raised in his Bro's loving cross generational tutelage had molded him into the ideal paleontologist of Striderian Artifacts.

Besides, whatever was inside was clearly for Dirk. He was meant to open it, so he would. Simple as that.

It took him a solid three months, part of which had to be spent on recovery from spring loaded razorblades that embedded themselves into his forearm, but he did it. The massive fucking black box unlatched with a simple, dull clang, and creaked open for the first time in four hundred years.

There was only one thing inside: an ipod nano, and a charging cord. It was a miracle the battery hadn't expanded, but Bro had clearly thought ahead. He was the coolest.

Dirk plugged the thing in to charge without delay, anticipation almost unbearable. The thing was red, a limited edition color that had to have been custom made just for Bro, a simple engraving on the back.

Enjoy, lil man.

Oh, he'd be enjoying, fuck yeah.

With shaking hands, he plugged his headphones into the jack, and the display softly illuminated. His heart thudded in his chest, wondering what mysterious crumbs his Bro had seen as so sensitive, so secret, he had to lock them away. Nothing else had been nearly so important, only this ancient music player was given that treatment.

Dirk swirled his thumb on the ring to scroll, and pressed play on the only playlist in the library. Twangy, bluesy guitar filled his ears, and the display said Take Me Out.

D Strider left behind many artifacts for his little brother, to train him, to make him stronger, and as Dirk laid on the floor, early twenty first century music bumping through his headphones, he realized his Bro had also left him things to make him inspired. See why humanity was worth fighting for.