#ayden;

[kaisertiger]

Ayden's spring AC for EBC! The more I kept trying to draw a full piece for one of the prompts, the more he just refused to work with me -- so a full sheet of random Ayden poses it was then! c:<

Lowkey still trying to figure out what direction I want take his character anyway, so this was good practice.

[heavendestroys]

Zoe’s situated herself comfortably in what used to be a Starbucks, legs kicked out on the chair next to her. There’s a mess of half folded road maps and a bottle of water spread out on the table, no attempt made yet to try and make something as simple as a cup of coffee when it’s become infinitely more complicated. Instead her attention’s fixated on the papers in front of her, that urge to keep moving starting to press down heavier on her shoulders when it’s occurred to her that no one else might want to. They don’t know what she does, from her own closed mouthed nature or an unwillingness to listen doesn’t matter. In the end it doesn’t change much, only that she’d be going on alone, and if the thought’s a daunting one she’s spent enough time putting purpose over comfort.  

The sound of footsteps alerts her to someone else’s presence, a glance up showing a woman who can absolutely relate. Their resolve was too much the same at least, though she can’t help but wonder now which option Ayden would take. “Hey. What're you up to?"

@aydencross

[kaisertiger]

In which Ayden has an awkward encounter with fellow rogue Straya and they both show off how much they lack in the social skills department!

"I told you already! I didn't even know you were in the area-"

Ayden's voice was harsh, but his posture spoke more as a feline utterly embarrassed by what had just happened than someone defensive. Having his prey spooked and his hunt interrupted by a cat twice his size was painfully awkward for a serval who quietly prided himself as a self-taught rogue ranger. Even more so because he hadn't even realized the feline in question -- introduced later as Straya -- had even been stalking the same rabbit!

"Can we just forget it? The rabbit's probably already hit the undergrowth trails anyway. Even if we worked together, we'd still have no chance of catching it."

A small puff from Ayden would end his thoughts of food right then as he retreated into himself to quietly size the female snow leopard up. She seemed friendly -- and just as embarrassed as he. Obviously, she hadn't set out that day to stalk all of his hopes of scoring a decent meal since his paws had left the beach...

Or to eat him as a snack instead.

[kaisertiger]

It hadn't taken long for the sights and scents of the land to change as soon as Ayden had made the choice to venture away from the beach. The dune grass he'd grown used to was coarse and the sand soft, but the ground underfoot here felt sticky and wet, giving way with a crunch under his pads that almost felt like walking on beds of shells.

It wasn't uncomfortable, per se, but...

"...ugh." The light, annoyed sigh that'd escaped him was a sign marshlands clearly weren't a favorite of his either. At this rate, it'd take him forever to clean his fur enough just to get his light colored paws back in order again! Though, it wasn't just the sloppy mud and sharp tender that'd put Ayden on edge-

He could smell other felines, too.

Large cats, small cats; some trails carrying the same scent by many and others didn't. There were loners like himself here, he could tell, but also groups. Large groups. By the way the scent marks mingled into one another, Ayden could only guess he was skirting along the borders of an entire Empire -- but he'd been so long removed from these lands by now, he couldn't even begin to guess with which one.

What Ayden did know, however, was that he'd tread lightly; choosing to deal with the goopy mud and reeds over accidentally confronting an entire Empire border patrol.

He'd come inland for safety. Not to pick a fight.

[kaisertiger]

Ayden's profile pic for his toyhouse update whenever I actually get around to finishing his stuff over there. I finished this so quick last weekend that I totally forgot to save the sketches, but I'm not totally happy with how this looks either way so /shrug

[kaisertiger]

+1 smol grr face Ayden! c:<

He'll be getting a better art something next weekend when I have more free time to finish stuff, but he's my excuse to upload something this week just cause he's all I had done alkskjd. He obviously has a protest tho

[kaisertiger]

One more character reference finished and done! This time, it's Ayden's finished ref, even if as an old EBC cat, I have no idea what I'm actually going to do with him going forward besides one off pics lmao! He's basically meant to be Valon's grandson with obvious Venari genetics re-emerging though so fun stuff c:<

[kaisertiger]

This is all I've got to show for this week that isn't those profile pic portrait things I've been blazing through -- aka Ayden's ref sheet wip! I've really been trying to clean up his redesign like I want?? But I think he's sloooowly getting there finally c:<