I don't know who needs to hear this, but it's been on my mind for over a week, so here it is:
As 2024 comes to a close, as we welcome the new year, please remember that hope, and peace, and love are in the world. You may feel hidden, you may feel small, but Someone will always find you and love you. Often, He uses the people living around you to do so.
We can be His hands. We can find and lift those in need. We can bring light to the darkness, hope to the hopeless, and peace to the turmoil of the world.
This is a redraw of an old phone background I made a couple years back, except I wanted to make it themed around my unofficial Year of Yaoi I've been doing. It's a celebration of all of my gay protagonists, with more detailed notes about them under the read more, please consider taking a look through at it, I really poured my heart into this piece ;w;
[In order of top to bottom, left to right]
Fester and Riot (Lordless) are what I would consider the ship that is the most "I would kill for you", in a mutual way. Riot is given his Blessing by Abaddon and prays and worships him at every hardship, completely unaware that the creepy, rot-smelling freak that he's been helping unwillingly is the object of his worship. Fester would do anything for Riot, having fallen in love with him the moment he laid eyes on him, and suffers torture and having his wings ripped from him and still goes to Riot's side.
Valcher and Dirk (Red Snow) are obsessed with each other. Codependent, but in a way that's mutually beneficial. Valcher hates humans and finds them disgusting (his vampyric diet consisting of wild game) but trusts Dirk with his life and finds him to be Different than the rest. Dirk is obsessed with Valcher and realizes that his repressed lack of want for love or sex has actually been due to needing a Freak Like Him. His love for Valcher comes easily.
(Center panel) Tamara and Judas (Magus Society) are the It Couple of All Time. Judas originally courts Tamara on the idea that he's both extremely powerful, frail, and naive, but eventually can't help but truly fall in love. His dubious morals are no match for Tamara's virtue, and he changes, not just to save the world, but to earn back his love's trust. And Tamara, despite the heart ache he's put through, lets Judas back in. Forgives him, loves him flaws and all. A Demon Prince and his Deity of Hope.
Saber and Lux (Elemon) are rivals. While Saber is nonbinary so this wouldn't count as MLM, Lux is also nonbinary so it still counts a T4T. Lux is exceptional at everything he does, between training Elemon to besting others in combat, to the point it enrages Saber. How could this idiot Nobody beat them? Over the course of their story, however, Saber learns to realize they never stood a chance. Lux is in a league of his own. The respect becomes mutual, and the crush is incidental. If you ever asked what their relationship is, they'd both say "we're just rivals" even after making out.
Sinclaire and Kail (Demon In The Machine) are... coworkers, if you could call them that. Kail, in a desperate attempt to find a better life for himself and his sister, and get them off the frozen hellscape of Titania, makes a deal with a devil - an Arma demon named Sinclaire. He sells his soul in exchange for a new hand and a mech. What he doesn't know is included is his heart, clutched in the black claws of his boss, his owner, his downfall. Toxic lovers to the end.
Avelar and Gentri (Legend of Arcadia) are bodymates. Gentri is the God of Nature, Avelar a man of science, and in an effort to turn himself into a God he fused the soul core of one into him and became permanently bound to the deity. Gentri detests him at first, trying to do anything and everything he can to remove himself from the semi-mortal prison, but eventually grows to understand and even like Avelar as a person. He learns of human fear, mortality, abandonment, and while he wishes to be a separate person he grows to enjoy the man's company... especially after several decades of Avelar furiously trying to find a way to undo his mistake. Their trope is enemies to reluctant friends to lovers.
Sterling and Rez/Rezykai (Benevola) are acquaintances by necessity at first. Sterling is a merc who takes jobs others don't want, and when he's asked to transport Rez across the border he nearly refuses. But he does it anyway, and goes from being barely involved with his political drama to integral and attached. They're both idiots and bicker constantly, but they both care deeply about the other and would kick anyone's ass for touching them. Sterling is cold and Rez is a tsundere and together they're hilarious and insufferable.
All of these ocs have spanned the course of my entire artistic life. Tamara and Judas for example I drafted up in 2007, while Saber and Lux are my most recent mainstay duo having been created in 2023. I love my ocs a lot and I could go on and on about them forever if prompted. (pls send me asks about my ocs lol)
amazing that yall both asking for character #69 we all got one braincell
Character #69 is Enti, from my series Legend of Arcadia (been wanting to rename the series but haven't figured out a better name for it lol) His role in the story is a bit deepcut and convoluted. Where the protag Avelar has the God of Life, Gentri, trapped inside of him, the villain, Thallio, has Enti. Enti is the God of Death and is in love with Thallio and willing to give him infinite power in order to enact more death.
More current design of him vs his first design (literally a decade apart lol)
and then, Gentri for direct contrast: (most recent design vs first art)
feel free to send in more #'s 1-256 for more info on random characters!
Red: Valcher, The Last Vampire & Vulcan
Orange: Riot Felmer, Lord of the Wicked & Tamara Star (aka the protagonist squad)
Yellow: Cane Star & Gentri, God of Life
Green: Sinclaire, Demon of the Machine & Princess Neptune Escala
Cyan: Raine, Angel Beloved & Yuri Acuris, Star Child
Blue: Judas, Demon Prince & Ethanor, Lifeblood Maiden
Purple: Lunaris & Ubii, Ghost Maid
Pink: Myari, Bunny Girl Barbie & Demon Lord Thrash
