JetBlue

Great coloring job, Thornster! And thank you for taking the time to look up the artist. I totally appreciate it. The shading work is awesome.

SunRay, nah... Briar Rose is my cousin's char and I really doubt she was ever there. Thank you though.

The man who only lives for making money
Lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny
Likewise the man who works for fame
There's no guarantee that time won't erase his name.

...

Holding hands at midnight
'Neath a starry sky
Nice work if you can get it
And you can get it if you try.*

Today had been another long day. The 9-5 was brutal, especially since it turned into a 5-9. He was never good with hostages, and he was even less fond of bombs. All the boy scout liasons over at GIFT had ever told him and other 'hero trainees' about defusing bombs was that 'it's never the blue wire'.

Well, today had been a red and a green wire day. Cut the wrong one, and boom, Merry Christmas, here are four dead hostages and a Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect Hazard Pay card to the nearest infirmary.

And to top it all off, a certain back-stabbing contact of his wife's actually had the gall to close down his favorite restaurant for a 'Mandatory Health Inspection'. "After all the sewers we trudged through for that woman," grumbled the older member of the plainclothed couple dipping in and out of street lamps on their walk. He was the taller and significantly hairier one of the bunch, a six-footer in lightly tinted sunglasses and a tank top in the dead chill of nightfall. "How's she expecting us to do her dirty work if we can't even feed ourselves?"

The blonde woman at his side stopped short in the middle of the quiet street. "Are you saying that... you don't like my cooking?"

There was a pointed silence before a grin quirked and she laughed, some of the stress of the day dissolving. "I'm not sure what's eating at her, hon, but you can bet it might be Mrs. Po's szechuan chicken. -That woman looked as pale as a sheet." No one really ate Mrs. Po's szechuan chicken except Brendt, Mr. Po, and those with a death wish. Grace picked up the pace, now bothering to look around for a restaurant that'd still be open at this hour.

And there it was- ... salvation for the starving. It looked like a club of some sort though and she could already hear Brendt's complaints in the back of her mind. Opening night too, from the look of things. She tugged the hand of her larger companion in that direction, slipping around a car parked along the sidewalk. "Hey, this place should work-"

Brendt wasn't a groaner, really. But he would've groaned then were it not for his wife's sudden pause as they rounded that car. Before any of his other senses kicked in, the older man somehow got it in his mind to take a sniff at the air. There were all the usual city smells: refuse, wet pavement, fast food... but something else coming from the car. He knew Grace felt something odd too, so all he spared her was an infamous "Huh."

"Maybe we should bring this to the attention of the manager. It... smells funny. I can't imagine that'll be good for opening night." She took a few very broad steps away from the car with the 'bad mojo' and up to the man in attendance at the front of the club. Ten dollar cover charge, so she fished around for her wallet and handed him the cash. Much despite the fact that she could feel her husband turning as green as the money that changed hands. Something about her paying her way never sat well with that man. Of course, being a normal American girl... she was totally used to going dutch. Ah well. "And, hey, we can get something to eat while we're there."

There were many things that didn't sit well with him tonight, and Grace handing off her own cover charge to that club bouncer was only the tip of the iceberg. The moment he filed the memory of that smell from the car away, he was able to relax some--and that's where another unsettling thing hit him. He suddenly became aware of a foot tapping a very unfamiliar tune on the pavement. A few seconds later, he realized it was his foot. That's kinda catchy. Kinda classy... And then the years of military anti-psychic training came back to mind and he started thinking of something else. Kung Pao chicken... egg rolls... General Tso's chicken... He shook his head and decided not to be too alarmed about it. He'd squared off with enough Aberrants lately to know a full-bore psychic assault when he was hit in the face with one, and for all he knew, they could've simply had a telepathic performer on stage. "Darlin', honey, sweetie..." He made a half-hearted effort at stopping her. "This is a club. ...There are people in clubs." She didn't look too convinced. A little amused, maybe. But not the least bit convinced. "Okay, okay." Brendt didn't like it when there were people around him when he was hungry, but he fished out a ten and handed it rather grumpily to the bouncer as he followed his wife inside. "Hope your little health inspector friend didn't close down their bar, too..."

(By- Jet Blue and Bulletproof) *-A few lines from Gershwin's 'Nice Work If You Can Get It'.

Thanks, SailorMeff. As it usually takes two different inkings to achieve those nice line widths, it's great that someone notices.

I usually don't mind if folks want to color my artwork. But I won't put up with it if people try to claim the artwork (not the coloring, but the pen and ink figure) as their own. Also, because I've taken requests to draw the characters of other heroes... many of the drawings are the brain children of other board members. I really don't know how they will feel about a variant coloring of their character. I'm going to assume that, as they were given as gifts, people will not be upset by other people coloring them. I will be royally PO-ed however if any of the pictures are taken, recolored, and claimed to be another character. If I draw a picture of Slick, it's Slick. If I draw a picture of JetBlue/Ermine, it's JetBlue/Ermine.

I'm really not sure who else you're wanting to display them to, so maybe you could explain? I'd love to see the result of the coloring whenever. It's always fun to see what people come up with.

My own coloring techniques are pretty primitive. Usually I use Prismacolor pencils, brush pens, and/or Paintshop Pro. Sometimes black and white drawings as well. Whatever works, I guess.

Thank you, Shadowmantle.

Sorry I didn't get to a reply sooner. Actually, sometimes it takes a long time to get a piece of artwork done. Normally the initial pencil sketch is pretty quick. If I've got a good enough idea for the character to put on paper. That can take time. I usually ink the pictures twice (for different line widths) and that can be time consuming. Coloring is the easy bit. So actually it can take anywhere from a few days to a month. I know that's not very specific. ^^ It just depends. Also I tend to take batches of requests and try to finish them and put them up on my site all that once. So if some aren't done then the rest might be waiting. It's great fun drawing the heroes of CoH though.

She'd learned, some time ago, that 50-move katas just didn't take as long for Brendt anymore. But it was time enough. When he'd chance a look back, she was standing at the foot of the ladder... -watching the 'ivy grow'. "Mm," she muttered, "Maybe we should go straight to Crossbow." The ivy shot up a wiggling sprout that curled against the chimney and away from Brendt's pruning shears. "Or an exorcist."

"Maybe we need Japanese shears." He'd long since gotten used to his lady's spontaneous bursts of blinding speed, and now he secretly enjoyed the breath of ozone that lingered in her wake whenever she came to a sudden stop. "We've got big ivy to kill."

"Huge." She muttered, sharing a quick grin with her husband. Maybe it wouldn't come to spontaneous trips to Japan just yet though. She took two quick steps back, sneakers firmly planting into the lawn at a ready stance. Two fingers lifted from an open hand like the fangs of something venemous and serious. Jagged lines of white and blue arced out leaving only a heavy electrical hum in the air after they vanished. The ivy reluctantly obliged and moved a few inches off of the fireplace. She doubted the peace would last, but that didn't stop her from striking a cocky pose and blowing across the tips of those fingers.

Brendt gave the ivy, then his wife a flat stare made crooked by the quirking of an eyebrow. "Oh, so that's how it is. Another one of those magical girls' club things with you two, ain't it?" He reached out and rubbed a thumb against her nose to make her wiggle it like that chick from that old TV show. Only Grace did it much cuter. And she was definitely far deadlier. "My hero."

"I hope so. I do subscribe to their newsletter, you know." She made a swat at his hand just to remind him that she was no sitcom wife. And moving to suburbia wasn't going to change that. Far from it, moving to Paragon City had led them down a new path. One filled with lurking Thorns in the bushes among others. Well, something had to give after the Rikti invasion. She certainly wasn't an Oregonian farm-girl anymore. "Hey," she said, changing the path of that swat to catch at the line of stubble and spikey beard that trailed under his jaw, "Who are we going to invite to the barbecue anyhow? Or are we just counting on the smell to draw people in?"

He twitched a bit at the corners of his lips with the residual aura of static that came from her touch. "What, no table for two?"

"The thought had come to mind."

"Candles, little music..." He rolled an arm across her waist and leaned the side of his hips against her cockily-angled own. "...gourmet all-beef patties." And the fact that he wouldn't have to worry about wrestling with the ivy until it became 'presentable' to the public. But Brendt was smart enough not to mention that little sub-clause. "Whad'ya say?"

(By- JetBlue and Bullet_proof. Liv, feel free to post whenever. )

*-Please note that this is a closed roleplay. If you'd like to be included, private message JetBlue. Thanks.

Calling All Heroes!
-------------------

The Rikti may have been driven back, but the war isn't over! Come out and join the battle to restore your community!

What?
The section of the I-5 crossing Lane County has been devastated by the Rikti Invasion. Military and civilian transports need immediate access to this section of the highway, and VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED to help in the restoration.

Who?
All capable residents of Lane County 18 or older are asked to join the restoration effort. Especially WANTED are volunteers who are willing and able to FLY, HAUL extreme loads, CONTROL EARTH and volunteers with MEDICAL BACKGROUNDS or HEALING POWERS. Even if you don't have "super-powers", this is your chance to make a difference in your community.

Where?
The county I-5 corridor is blockaded as a HAZARD ZONE. To volunteer, see below.

How?
Dial Emergency Code *4376 on local phones to speak to project organizers 24/7. For security reasons, all volunteers must submit to a mandatory background check and fitness inspection.

When?
The restoration effort has already started, but new volunteers are needed everyday. Tents and meals will be provided.

NOTICE: Intelligence reports that the Rikti have left the area. There will be army personnel patrolling the site at ALL TIMES, but volunteers are ENCOURAGED to be ON GUARD and to alert authorities of any suspicious sightings!

Who's In Charge?
The League of American Veterans is working with county officials, the US/Canadian military, and dozens of community volunteer organizations in coordinating the restoration project.

Even if you can't make it...
Remember: the war isn't over. All residents are expected to be at their most vigilant, and to report all alien sightings to the emergency neighborhood watch program at *744-353.

------
That was several years and the span of a continent away. Now a framed bit of paper hanging over the end table in the hall. Grace shook her blonde-haired head, snatched the keys to the SUV and stepped outside.

It was a beautiful site. A line of houses in the hills following the road and eastern bank of the Adams River before it meandered into Perez Park's Everett Lake. Their house was an older, brick construction than its neighbors... -A well-established garden and massive climbing ivy on one side.

Her husband was tangling with that vine... somewhere. "Brendt? Babe, do you want the store-brand barbecue sauce or Bull's Eye?" Oh yeah. You can't just move into a new house and not have a party. Though they hadn't met anyone to invite just yet. A party for two would be just fine, she thought with a quick smile.

Okay, for those who were waiting for a picture... they're finished and up on the site.

Pictures are for Airina, Black Razor, Eujin, Lady Genevieve, PaiHuShi, Red Queen, and Spitphyre.

Thanks for being so patient guys. I hope you like the pictures. Also up is a link to what Jet Blue and Bulletproof's house looks like and the floorplan for the first floor.

Sorry guys, this really isn't a thread to take art requests. This is just a carry-over from the old forums where there were some people who'd asked and I agreed to draw for. I'm really looking forward to some time off from drawing other heroes. Maybe to write some of my character's origin and maybe to draw some of JB and BP. Thanks so much for the compliments though.

Okay... I really have no idea where to post this, but since this forum seems to at least have a moderator post about artwork? Well... feel free to move it if it's in the wrong place.

Anyhow, some of you will probably remember me as Ermine from the old Forums? I'm writing this post to try to catch up with my contacts as it were.

Belebras
Nightlaw
fatesdefiance
PaiHuShi

I need information or confirmation from you all that you're still around and interested in the pictures you'd requested for your characters. If not then I won't bother drawing them and trying to find you though I have a partial drawing of Pai's martial artist already. ^^

Please let me know if you're here and post the main bits of info about the character again.

Hair color
Eye color
Skin tone
Special info

As a somewhat non-art-related aside though... Fenrus/Bulletproof and I will be getting our roleplaying thread started soon. Not that anyone's been waiting patiently for it or anything, but 'ey.