after a long time of work (which you didn't even suspect, but i did) let me introduce you to my collab with my friend (with great taste in music), vihordy!
sketches were done by both of us, line - by my hands, color - by vihordy. well, and the au is also mine.
once upon a time, a fanfic was started, where instead of meetings with vampires in caves, a zombie apocalypse was happenedā¦ a long story of 300+ pages, which is not finished yet (keep this in mind if you want to check)
(also keep in mind that it all is in russian)
thinking of translations, i decided that at least one more, my beloved and ambitious child, deserves an adaptation. so, if you're interested in slowburn-jalim in zombie-apocalypse setting, now you can read it here!
phew- alright, okay, i have the 1st chapter born from this idea
! and, besides the questionable translation, there are definitely spoilers for the directive here ! decide for yourself, youre warning !
Ephemer(oid)
ā...but also, because of its purpose ā and despite the distance and duration ā it will make me feel closer to humanity somehow. Theā¦ oneness of it all, you know?ā
Someone who might watch the interview with the Cassiopeia crew out of motives that run a little deeper than mere idle curiosity about news reports would almost certainly not see anything particularly remarkable in it. That person, sitting at home in front of the screen, safe behind closed doors, would have snorted upon hearing the technical engineerās words.Ā
āWho knows, perhaps one day my time will come around again, that I can live another life. In the future, I help create.ā
In his long-winded talk of closeness, he would have seen the affectation of a corporate explorer who happened to be among the first to enter the orbit of an exoplanet. In the pauses between his words, he would have heard the accent and the careful choice of phrases suited to the circumstances and the speech. He would have interpreted the speculations about an another life and the future as nothing more than pretentious expressions.Ā
And this man would have cared as much about the words that had faded away as he would about the howling of an oceanic hurricane, an announcement of a curfew, or a police siren dispersing a street protest. Just another interview, just another appeal, just another set of promises. To him, it was all just the same old noise, worn down to the mundane. The interview itself was a formal obligation to speak loftily and inspiringly, in accordance with all the precepts of the CEO of Corinth.
But Josef Cernan, sitting before the camera at the time ā albeit for the archives and the companyās image ā spoke candidly. And for him, every word carried weight; meaning was invested in each one; behind each lay something unique, deeply personal, and palpable.
The exploration and colonization of an exoplanet ā a goal set by Corinth for the sake of all humanity, just as it is. The desire to survive is inherent in every human being; it lies at the very core of his being. Present humanity with the question of survival as a species ā and everyone, without exception, will strive toward that single goal. Find yourself at the forefront of this strive ā and upon you will converge the gazes, destinies, and hopes of billions of living beings yearning to secure their future.
For Josef, the future he desires is not an abstract concept. It will come. And whatever form it takes, it will affect him as well. Not through his children or his grandchildren, not through the curses or the recognition of future generations, but directly. What he calls āanother lifeā is not a life free from the threat of extinction or steps on a terraformed exoplanet under the light of the Tau Ceti f. It is not an allegory. āAnother lifeā is an another breath, an another birth, an another beginning laid down by the actions of the path taken before. Another cycle of Samsara.
āEverything is going to be okay.ā
And this faith, this knowledge, this feeling unites like nothing else. After all, everyoneās fate will be shared ā that of humanity, Cassiopeia, Mikaelā¦
āT h i n g sć ¤c a nć ¤o n l yć ¤g e tć ¤b e t t e r.ā
~
The first thing he felt was his ears ringing, with his heart pounding like a drum inside them, as if it had escaped from his chest. A throbbing pressure beneath his ears, stretching his skin, and the points at his temples growing heavier and heavier. A growing, drawn-out sound of alarm pulsed through the cotton wool, followed by the ringing of a critical system error that dug into his head, which was melting from pain; cyclical red lights flashed beneath his eyelids. Fear clamped down on his Adamās apple, and his nose clogged as he tried to breathe. His whole body was seized by a minute spasm that prevented him from moving; a sweet, metallic stench lodged as a warm lump in his nasal septum; his neck tingled with the premonition of an imminent impact against the steel handrails ā he was falling, flying into an endless abyss!
āā¦ulse 174, blood pressure 160 over 100 and rising! Simms!ā
āYeah, I took off the limiter! Thereās a block ā can't reached until the liquid drains!ā
āIf it goes any higher, itāll be too late for a standard inhib shot!ā¦ 160 over 104! Damn it! Oracle, emergency opening!ā
"[Copy that. Executing command]."
Echoes, barely discernible amid the systemās screams and his sore thoughts, rang out and faded away before Josef could catch them and figure out if they made any sense at all.Ā
Hot palms seized him and pulled, tearing him from the stifling haze. The moment he shifted position against his will, he inhaled uncontrollably and immediately doubled over in a spasm, gasping as he exhaled. A liquid rose from his throat and windpipe, slowly, too slowly, leaving his insides. His fingers clenched reflexively. His heart pounded painfully in his throat, and the cold that had closed in around him began to cling to his skin. He was still falling ā into an abyss, a cold, endless abyss. Om Tareā¦ Anyoneā¦ Mickā¦
~~~
won't write everything here, it will turn into a long... thing
you can read the entire chapter here and leave a comment 'bout translation here or there (im really interested in your opinionšš)
ŃŠ°ŠŗŠ¶Šµ ŠµŃŃŃ Š²ŠµŃŃŠøŃ Š½Š° ŃŃŃŃŠŗŠ¾Š¼ Š½Š° Š°Š¾3 Šø Š½Š° ŃŠ±
forgot to show you my attempt at "digital pen shading". you can see how my nerves and hand gave out when i was on the back wall.
damn, it's easier on paper x) or i just should to fine-tune my brush settings little better
(coming back to au with "who framed roger rabbit")
"what happens if you use photos of birds as reference for your characters?"
who else could have taught him this if not you?! this is the second damn time i've heard him use a new swear word! the second time, jason!
u-um, actually... wait, salim! actually! its not so bad! some... people say that by learning swear words you can learn a new language?.. it's called emotional enga-
(part 1 ?)
oh dear, its so hard to get out of doing nothingā¦ laziness is my sin and my doomš
I LOVE YOUR ART SO MUCH !!!! YOU'RE JUST AMAZING !! Especially a big fan of everything House of Ashes you have drawn, you nail down the details of the cast and you always have such fun ideas/AUs that you throw them into !!
Hope you're doing good, wishing you all the best š
hogley mogley, i feel like a vampire finding a time capsule after 50 years.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your attention to details and my "aus"ā¦ it's so sweet, reallyš„ŗš¤§š„ŗ
thanks and for the well wishes!
:)
:*
:)
Fandom: House of Ashes (The Dark Pictures Anthology)
Character/Pairing: Jason Kolchek x Salim Othman
Tags/Warnings: Sexual suggestion, kissing, mild identity crisis
Disclaimer: Based on [this piece] by @stepk - please do yourself a favor and look at this art (and while youāre at it, check out part one as well! You wonāt regret it!).
Word Count: 1236
Summary: Jason finds himself alone with an enemy Iraqi soldier who makes him start to questionā¦ everything.
(Alternate scene of Jason (and Nick) confronting Salim in the temple after taking him captive)
Read on AO3 or below
āWe still have the east flank to cover. Eyes open. Letās go.ā Jasonās words echoed around the open space of the temple. He saw Nick nod once in acknowledgment out of the corner of his eye as they made their way to the edge of the vast room, where they had tied up the enemy Iraqi soldier.
To say Jason was uneasy was an understatement. The man they were approaching subverted everything Jason had been told about Iraqi soldiers. It had been drilled into him that they were a vicious and violent people, who would stop at nothing to kill. Yet the first thing he did was show Jason mercy, when he could have gunned him down on the spot. His words, āno more killingā, still echoed through Jasonās head.
And when they crossed paths again, and Jason had done nothing but threaten him, he had stayed calm and willingly surrendered. Did he have a bigger motive in mind? To trick the Americans and dispatch of them later? Is that why he had allied with Nick? But Nick seemed adamant this man was different, stating there were several moments where he had been unguarded and the man never took the opportunity to use that stake against him. It didnāt make any sense.
But what alarmed Jason the most was that he found the Iraqi man devastatingly attractive. He brought feelings to the surface that Jason had sworn he had buried too deep to reach. Apparently not.
With each step, Jason tried to strengthen his resolve. He was going to stay focused on the mission. They were on enemy soil with unknown combatants and Iraqi soldiers to boot. His situation wasnāt exactly going to improve by having an identity crisis as well. But as he and Nick came to stop in front of their captive, Jason suspected he had his work cut out for him.
āThe demons will kill me. You have to untie me!ā The man pleaded, forceful but urgent. He pulled against his restraints, grunting from the effort, and Jason had to take a moment to steady himself at the sound. This was hardly the time to get turned on.
He looked towards Nick. āItās okay, my buddyās here to protect you,ā Jason said, patting Nick on the arm, trying to sound confident.
āDonāt worry, weāve got this place locked down tight.ā Nick did a visual sweep of the area, as if to prove his point. The Iraqi soldier looked skeptical and unimpressed. Nick turned to Jason. āWeāve got work to do. Iām heading out.ā
He nodded, and eyed the man in front of him, who watched Nick leave, his face unreadable. Jason silently cursed himself for not immediately following. Now he was left all alone with this man.
When Nick was out of sight and they finally made eye contact again, Jason scrambled for something to say.
āThis hereās as safe as itās gonna get.ā
The man shook his head. āIāll feel a lot safer with a gun in my hand.ā Jason scoffed.
āNo way am I giving you a weapon. But that doesnāt mean Iām gonna feed you to your demons.ā He paused, trying to think of something reassuring to say. āAnything moves, weāll be here before a prayer leaves your mouth.ā
He regretted the words instantly, as he was now looking at said mouth, and thinking of all the things it might be capable of. The manās lips were fairly full and looked tantalizingly soft.
Jason tried to look away, briefly making eye contact again, which was another mistake because he was met with rich brown eyes that seemed to look right into his soul. So he let his gaze drop back down.
The man parted his lips, almost mockingly, and Jasonās stomach churned. As if he were a marionette, his hand moved on its own and he watched as it cupped the manās chin, his thumb gliding over his bottom lip. It was just as soft as it looked and Jason bit down on his own lip.
Time seemed to move in slow motion as he allowed his thumb to apply more pressure, slightly exposing the manās teeth. As Jason relished in the feeling, his brain started catching up with his body, becoming hyper aware that he was caressing a man, an Iraqi soldier no less, that he was holding captive. A man whose name he didnāt even know; Nick had mentioned it and now Jason cursed himself for not committing it to memory.
He froze as his eyes drifted back upwards. He expected to be met with disgust but instead found intrigue and allurement. After a moment, the man spoke.
āWhat are you waiting for?ā
Jason felt the words form under his thumb, shuddering at the warm breath on his skin. He glanced behind him, confirming that Nick was gone, and turned back to the Iraqi. He could stop now, go on like nothing had happened, and ignore the feelings stirring within him.
But he decided to throw caution to the wind; if he was going to die in this vampiric hell, he was going to die knowing the kiss of another man. So he shifted his hand to cradle the back of the Iraqiās head, and leaned down, pressing their lips together.
It went without saying that Jason was rusty, but that didnāt seem to bother the man. Despite being the one tied up, he quickly became the more dominant of the two, and Jason couldnāt bring himself to care. Kisses bled together as tongues began to explore. Jason slowly became more entranced, reveling in the manās taste.
The sensation of desire building in him was new and exhilarating. The thought of untying the Iraqi briefly entered his mind when his earpiece crackled to life.
āHey man, this east flank isnāt going to cover itself.ā
Jason tore himself away, whipping around to make sure Nick wasnāt actually in the room. When he confirmed Nick wasnāt, he took a few deep breaths before replying. It was like he had been electrocuted, all good feelings snapped to panic and dread, a cold chill cascading down his body.
āYeah, Iām cominā,ā he said curtly into his earpiece, relieved he didnāt sound as shaky as he felt. When he glanced back at the Iraqi, he was greeted by a cheekily raised eyebrow and Jason flushed hard at the implication of his word choice. That paired with the manās soft panting and glistening lips left Jason scrambling for words.
āFuck you!ā He blurted, reaching up to straighten his hat and pull it low over his eyes. To his horror, the manās mouth twitched up, the hint of a smirk, as if to say āOh really?ā.
He turned on his heel and made a hasty retreat before he could say anything else. Once he was out of the temple, and more importantly out of the manās view, he leaned against a wall, desperate to get his breathing and emotions back under control. He was a first lieutenant for fucks sake, how could he be so easily seduced by an enemy soldier who did nothing but sit there and look beautiful? He clenched his teeth and took several more deep breaths. As he set off to find Nick, he took comfort in the knowledge that he wouldnāt have to spend any more alone time with the Iraqi. The last thing he needed was any more temptation.
after a long time of work (which you didn't even suspect, but i did) let me introduce you to my collab with my friend (with great taste in music), vihordy!
sketches were done by both of us, line - by my hands, color - by vihordy. well, and the au is also mine.
once upon a time, a fanfic was started, where instead of meetings with vampires in caves, a zombie apocalypse was happenedā¦ a long story of 300+ pages, which is not finished yet (keep this in mind if you want to check)
(also keep in mind that it all is in russian)
in one lucky moment i had a pen and paper at my hand (instead of tablet) and a lot of time, so... inevitable just happened
if you just knew how i LOVE graphics- as much as don't - coloring.
