[scythe.]

main thread
was originally gonna be a sorta starry night panda design, but this handsome insomnia-themed fellow happened instead. fitting considering the time and how long it's been since I've slept a full night lol |D

edits:
common: custom horns, slit pupils
uncommon: faint heart glow, two sets of horns
rare: brighter eye glow

There were so many beautifully written, unique entries that it took me a long while and a lot of debate to settle on a winner. Because of this, there will be a couple honorable mentions and a runner up!

first, I'd like to give honorable mentions GrubbelSnapper and Griff - I love the little details each of you gave and the charming characters each of your entries presented. One shard will be added to each of your banks! c:

second, I'd like to offer FluffyBirdie a runner up! What you wrote for Iso makes her a very relatable character, and I love that she sings to comfort and distract herself; it not only makes sense, but it fits wonderfully with everything else about her you've shown. if you'd like to, you can send me a pm with any color palette preferences/any colors you absolutely don't want included - the design will be reminiscent of the original so it will likely be a darker palette with similar edits, but I'm open to suggestions on how you'd like her to look. c:

and finally, the winner of this silas is Loelya! The way you interpreted the prompt and the story you wrote was very compelling, and you fleshed out Antares's character beautifully. You did an amazing job answering the prompt while also giving a little snippet of what's behind the curtains - a journey, a friend, and a love of pears. Congratulations!

[₊˚ʚ꒷ ₊˚Mallow₊˚ ‧₊]

username:Jolly rabbit
name: Mooi
gender: Male
prompt: WIP

[justamindset]

username: DragonOfEmber
name: Ursa
gender: Female
prompt:

Train whistle blowing...
Ursa curled up under her blankets, her grandmothers lullaby playing softly through her surround sound speakers. Her favourite stuffed bear was tucked safely next to her as she started to drift off to the soft tune of the recording.
Makes a sleepy noise...

[sprinkleshake]

username:
name:
gender:
prompt: res

[Loelya]

username: Loelya
name: Antares
gender: male
prompt:

The low light inside the tent wavered with the dancing, dwindling flame of the candle. He watched it, shifting around on the cushion beneath his paws, nestling his cheek against the softness, seeking sleep that wouldn’t come. It was hard to drift away when the edges of his magic wouldn’t settle — agitated by the malcontent of the nearby creatures of the forest.

A light breeze from outside ruffled the tent flap and snuffed the candle’s faint glow, and he lifted his head, squinting towards the heat and light he could sense just outside. With a stretch of his front legs, then his back, he rose and padded out into the night, picking his way down the small dusty slope to where the Mage sat and the small campfire crackled.

“Ah, trouble sleeping again, Antares?” The Mage’s voice, husky with sympathy, greeted him just before a gnarled hand reached out to stroke over his soft ears, pausing to scritch lightly over the smaller nubs of his horns. “I’m sorry, old friend. We won’t be on this road much longer.”

He gave a soft growl of understanding, then placed his paws against his Mage’s knee and peeked over the crook of the elbow nearest him. His perch chuckled.

“See what I have here?” The Mage showed him the pear, half-peeled. “Come on up here and I’ll give you a taste.”

He swished his tail, then gave a small hop with his back legs, scrambling onto his Mage’s lap and nosing eagerly at the treat. A warm arm tucked around him, a hand stroked at his fur again, and then with a quick slice of the paring knife, he was offered a section of sweet, crisp fruit.

Once he’d finished the first slice and then a second, he curled up in the warmth of his Mage’s cloak, resting his chin where he could watch the firelight dance. He felt his eyelids drooping and then a pair of gentle fingers smoothing over the crest of fur on the back of his neck. “There you go, Antares. Get some sleep. Things will be easier in the morning.”

He growled in soft agreement and closed his eyes with a quiet yawn. Warm and comfortable and safe, he drifted off.

[gloomyghost]

username: gloomyghost
name:
gender:
prompt:

mark/wip!

[Raw_Silver_Studios]

username: Raw_Silver_Studios

name: Hecate

gender: Female

prompt:
Hecate enjoys being alone to meditate in a meadow if one is available; she'll start by slowing her breathing, to Listen to her quiet breath and heart beat. Next she'll focus on the smell of the flowers all around her and knead the soil. This is bit of a stress reliever for her. She likes the feel of the soil in between her paws.
Once her nose has had its fill of flowers and earthy soil, she'll focus on the sounds of the crickets and bats fluttering around in the dark in the distance. She'll usually make it a game and try to figure out how many bats and crickets there may be.
She'll usually end the night with attracting fireflies with the light from her runes and gems. Dancing with them on her way back home.

[Cranberries]

username: Cranberries
name: Breksta, "goddess of twilight and dreams, who protects people from sunset to sunrise"
gender: Female
prompt: When Breksta, who often struggles to go to sleep, is having a particularly rough bout of insomnia, she likes to make a cup of chamomile tea and slip outside. She enjoys adding her own ingredients to the chamomile-- peppermint, lavender, and Valerian are personal favorites. The peacefulness of night, combined with the calming effect of the herbs, helps her relax. She often sits in the yard, staring up at the cosmos as she sips the herbal concoction and ponders the mysteries of life. Sometimes, she gets so relaxed by this that she falls asleep in the grass, only returning to the waking world after the sun has risen.

[Griff]

username: Griff
name: Troy
gender: Male
prompt: Troy is a Dreamwalker, that is, he has the ability to traverse the dreams of others at will. So when it is hard for he himself to sleep, he will wander the dreamscapes of those who are sleeping, seeking to learn more about them and the world they all share. He takes great joy in the new sights and friends he makes, until he eventually finds himself too exhausted to continue and drops asleep, returning him home. When he wakes up he writes and draws down everything he encountered, in the hopes of finding the dreamer that it belonged to in the waking world and making new connections.

[DravenSparrow]

username: DravenSparrow
name: Oni
gender: Male
prompt: On nights this insomniac can't sleep (which is most nights if he's honest) he will go one walks up the hill near his home, and gaze at the stars that his pelt mirror, and later he'll head home for a cup of tea or warm milk before trying to sleep again