#lepidoliteautumn

[lepidoliteautumn]

My newest piece, "Current Events"

17"×17"

Mixed Media Recycling

[no6secretsanta]

For: @whims-of-insane-fandoms

Surprise! I’m your secret Santa! I hope you like it!  I want to think of it as a post ending reunion :3 “Together Again” Enjoy!

Lots of Love

Atlas ( @lepidoliteautumn​)

[no6secretsanta]

Happy Holidays! Here's my gift ( @fairysdarkestnight ) for @lepidoliteautumn.

*

“Shion. Shion. Wake up.”

There was a light shaking of his shoulder, and Shion groaned and rolled over to face the other man. “Five more minutes, Nezumi. It’s too early for this.”

A screech sounded through the air, which made Shion groan even louder. “I was up late wrapping presents because someone was too busy trying to perfect their ‘Christmas cheer’ to help out. You can go take care of that.”

Nezumi rolled his eyes but sat up and stretched before pressing a kiss to Shion’s forehead. “Alright. I’ll go take care of Shion Jr. But you have to make the coffee.”

Another piercing cry and Nezumi untangled himself from Shion while the latter rolled his eyes (he hated the fact that Inukashi had named the baby after him but Nezumi seemed to get great enjoyment from it) before leaving to go feed the child.

After a couple more minutes spent lying in the warmth of the sheets, Shion crawled out of bed and into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. He’d been looking forward to spending their first Christmas together as a family but he hadn’t realized just how exhausting it could be. He’d have to apologize to his mom when they went to visit for all the early mornings he’d forced out of her.

“Merry Christmas!” The sound of Nezumi’s voice was accompanied by the feeling of a Santa hat settling around his ears.

Shion leaned his head back and met Nezumi’s lips in a sleepy kiss, and Nezumi wrapped his free arm around his waist. With Shion Jr. dressed in a mouse onesie gifted to him by Karan, and matching Santa hats for the adoptive parents, the three would not have been out of place on a Christmas card.

Until Shion Jr. started crying. Again.

Shion groaned - he loved his family and the happiness they carved for themselves out in the West Block (ever since the wall was destroyed things in the city were better but Nezumi still couldn’t spend much time there - he made an exception for trips to karan’s bakery just for the cherry cake though) but raising a newborn at was far from easy.

But when Nezumi began singing under his breath, both Shions started to relax. Shion Jr.’s tiny fists grasped Nezumi’s hair (who appeared annoyed at the contact but Shion knew that Nezumi would give the child anything to make him happy,) and the older Shion’s eyes began to close as he rested more of his weight against the other man.

Beeeeeep.

The coffee maker cut off Nezumi’s rendition of O Holy Night and startled the family out for their embrace. Pink dusted Shion’s cheeks as he pulled two mugs out and filled them to the brim.

A few minutes later had Shion and Nezumi sitting beside their Christmas tree - a small thing that could barely hold itself up, much less the string of lights Shion had wrapped around its branches. There were a few gifts waiting to be opened, but with the chill of the morning, they were happy cuddling beside the stove for a few more minutes as Nezumi hummed Christmas carols into the morning air.

Soon though Cravat was nuzzling under Shion’s chin and directing him to look at the other two mice, who were pulling down the hot chocolate mix Karan had gifted them for the holidays. She said it was for the two of them to enjoy, but the miniature tea set that just so happened to be mouse size gave away her true intentions.

“Oh, did you want something to drink too?”

Excited chirps answered him and Shion smiled as he

stood to heat up some milk for the mice. He'd tried making them hot chocolate with water one time. That was not a mistake he was willing to make again.

Once the milk had boiled and the chocolate was mixed, the three mice settled down on a bookshelf, each with their own miniature cups of hot chocolate.

Nezumi stopped humming as Shion sat beside him and reached for the baby. Although Shion Jr. had a clear favorite (and really Shion couldn't blame the kid for having excellent taste) Nezumi had been adamant about wanting to be the gift giver.

Shion had been a little surprised when Nezumi had first brought up Christmas. It wasn't widely celebrated in No. 6, though Shion and Karan had always enjoyed the holiday and the gifts that they exchanged. And although Nezumi hadn't outrightly explained it, Shion knew that the Forest Folk had more traditions surrounding the winter solstice. He didn't want to pry into the sore topic, but if Nezumi ever wanted to talk about his people, Shion would be there for him.

A present was plopped onto his lap, startling him from his thoughts. It was rather heavy - heavier than he was able to lift with just his free hand. "For you, Your Majesty."

Smiling at the familiar nickname, Shion began opening the gift. Only to snort and roll his eyes as he saw that Nezumi had gotten him a dictionary, as well as his own hardcopy of The Happy Prince. "So romantic Nezumi. Just what I always wanted."

Nezumi smirked and reached for the crisply wrapped gift with his name on it, but didn’t say anything - they both knew how Nezumi felt about Shion’s vocabulary. The smirk softened a bit - only Shion would have spent more time wrapping just so each fold would be perfectly creased.

There was a part of him that didn’t want to ruin such an aesthetically pleasing gift, but Shion was watching him with expectant eyes, so Nezumi began pulling apart the wrapping to reveal a small jewelry box

Nestled inside on a red velvet pad was a silver locket with a delicate engraving of an oak tree and its roots. Nezumi reached out to touch it and he could feel tears beginning to well up. There wasn’t much that he remembered from his childhood, and he spent so much time repressing those memories in order to survive. But he would always remember the time spent under the  branches of one of the last surviving oaks with his family.

“Open it.”

The command was so quiet that Nezumi almost didn’t hear it, but he pulled out the necklace and unclasped the locket. Those tears that he thought he was holding back spilled over, and the chain slid through his fingers.

“Thank you Shion.”

Shion rested his head on Nezumi’s shoulder and rested the child between them. “We’re a family now, Nezumi. You, me, and this baby. And now you’ll have a memory of us with you wherever you go. We’ll always be here.”

A photo taken of the three of them at the abandoned playground stared up at Nezumi as he picked up the locket from where it had fallen. It was one of the first days they spent together just enjoying the freedom they now had, and they all had smiles on their faces. Shion Jr. was shrieking with laughter as Nezumi was chasing Shion. Inukashi must have taken the picture when they weren’t paying attention.

“It’s perfect.”

Shion’s face broke out into a smile that radiated happiness. “Merry Christmas Nezumi.

Nezumi leaned in and pressed his forehead to Shion’s. “Merry Christmas.”

[jeredu]

lepidoliteautumn replied to your photoset: If you include the two pages I posted this...

fighting omg. smndsbJFhgejfhwefuhweukfgkwe I like how they seem to always run circles around each others’ problems when they get into arguments. it makes the comic seem more realistic to how people actually react which many forget to add in fanfics.

That and as  much as Vash LOVES to help people with their own problems, he invariably shuts people out when the conversation topic turns to his own. I imagine Wolfwood is much the same.  Really, the source of Vash's anger here is that it all was so easily prevented.  All Wolfwood had to do was ASK FOR HIS HELP.  

But yeah, as much as I hate arguments, that's where the conversation seemed to be heading.  Once again, though, I didn't PLAN for this to happen.  Genearlly, the way I write the dialogue is I write whoever speaks first, and then I think about how the other character would react to it.  I write that reaction. THEN I write how the first character responds to that reaction.  I don't plan it out; I just make sure I'm well versed in the characters in question, and the conversation writes itself.  It's why a lot of this seems so reactionary and natural, I guess- that's because it IS.  I hate it when dialogue feels scripted.  So I don't script ANY of the dialogue. I HAVE no script for this comic, actually.  :P  Sounds like a dangerous way to write, but it works well enough for me. 

[bearroll]

lepidoliteautumn- I have the corresponding picture! //flails I would KILL for this outfit. This makes me so happy, my heart is just to the point of bursting! His scarf, his pants, his shoes! Huuur~♥