#umbr

Mars|

“I remember you” it said, “The wolf, my other half.” Its voice was cold, metallic, and uncomfortably familiar.

Bunch o art from like, 2 years ago that I forgot existed.

Ive been feeling pretty incompetent lately artwise. I miss the interest i used to have. But looking at this stuff just reminds me of what ive already done. Its not a skill issue, its an inspiration/mood issue.

Once upon a time, there was an emperor whom wore a mask of amber and whiskers. He had many masks, for living many lives. He used them to dance, to sing, to play and holler, or just to have tea.

But on a cold day, like today, every mask was brittle, they cracked and crumbled like old paint on a soft surface. He would spend all day fixing and re-fixing them, hiding away when they fell apart.

Eventually, as the day creeped away into a dark but clear night, when he was weakest and the most frightened the Emperor flailed to find the Umbr for help.

The Umbr was near a village far away. It had exhausted most of the Emperor’s energy to find her, but it seemed she’d had a long day, as he’d nearly mistaken her for a scarcrow as she slept erect in the grassy feilds near her village, a tall, still shadow except for the tassels of her hat swimming in the breeze.

The Emperor’s arrival alone was enough for her silvery eyes to creek open, and her gaze settling on the Emperor’s small, shifting, bubling form was enough for him pull his cloak tight around himself and coil away. 

He considered that, perhapse, the Umbr would be bothered by the interruption, but a gentle hand took hold of the scruff of his cloak, and, with heavy eyes, the Umbr lifted the emperor up to get a better look at who had disturbed her.

”It’s dangerous for you this late, shifter…” she observed, before a long yawn split her face open, making her scarf fall from her face before all the pieces to settled back into place.

Though the Emperor wondered what she meant, and if the Umbr even recognized him with such a vague greeting, but he didn’t protest as she carried him silently back to her cabin, amongst the evergreens. She draped the Emperor in a spare blanket, before carrying him over to the window and settling down just next to it. She hugged the Emperor close as if he were a teddy bear.

’That’s right,’ the Emperor remebered tiredly as he felt the weight of the Umbr’s head resting on his own, ‘I never did tell her my real name.’  And yet… her arms were wrapping snuggly around him, before another yawn pressed her maw into his hair and the Umbr fell back asleep.

The emperor wasn’t sure what it meant, but the longer he stayed there, the more certain he was that he was at least safe. His restless form settled into something familiar that took no thought or effort as he yawned.

This was fine for now, the emperor thought to himself, admiring the canopy of woven sedge and hanging tassels above him.

There was no rush, for now.

[I was craving cuddles okay?]

A few sketches from over the weeks!

The first two are T’zoria being T’zoria

The third is If Irestorm was more like T’zoria. An AU of sorts where Ire is more associated with Ares than Mars. Commits war crimes and occasionally burns out after being in fight/compete mode 24/7.  Probably even more dangerous than T’zoria (At least T’zoria doesn’t kill and brutalize people… on purpose)