u/TameOJ

I was looking forward to this day because I wanted to draw how I thought what a normal not-fucked-up sivkit looked like. I have a headcanon that with there being to rabbit based species in sivkit and nevok, the nevok are closer to bunnies, while sivkit are closer to jackrabbits.

I was so tempted to make the thighs even thicker just to emphasize that they were in fact a physical threat, given they got essentially the same treatment as venlil for revolting and refusing to submit. Can kick a hole through sheet metal with them yams. This means they are indeed caked up as a consequence.

The drawing challenge by u/Nicolas3232 sounded like a good idea, so I'm gonna try my hand at it.

For as long as I can remember, my kind has been shunned. Ignored in such a way we are treated as if we do not exist. Excruciatingly so. For what reason we do not know. It has been this way for a very long time. Since the time of my parents, of their parents, and even their parents too. Not one of my kind today can explain it, nor can we look to our own history for the answer due to our records being so callously erased. This has always been our reality.

There was a time when some of the more proactive of us let hope fruitlessly grow in their chest and sought to find these misplaced answers by reaching out to those who ignored my kind. Predictably, their requests went unanswered, yet they remained undeterred. Over and over again, failure after failure, year after year, their flames once burning so bright were slowly smothered from demoralization, until their hearts could no longer bear the burden of disappointment and ceased their efforts altogether.

Their attempts were not without results, however. Ironically, their initial hope and subsequent failure to find answers sparked the dormant embers within us all towards a new goal. That goal being to no longer worry about our lost history, though tragic it remains, but to instead bring an end to the debilitating illness that plagues my kind. To wrench it away from our weakened hearts so they may begin to heal.

To no longer be alone.

Unsurprisingly, not one of us knew how to go about our newfound objective, so we tried everything and anything we could. We found out very quickly that the other members of galactic society were....less enthusiastic about some of our attempts to reach out across the bridge from our isolated islands and made it very clear we needed to stop. But we could not, not when my kind has finally found a new purpose, stoking our coals to no longer allow them to go dormant and be snuffed out.

Instead, we narrowed down our methods slowly, and in some cases painfully, to a single, peaceful, action. Find a busy, populated area. Locate a spot that is in full view and not obscured in anyway. Sit at the location, and wait. For a specific amount of time we will wait, not daring to make too much movement for fear of causing distress that has been commonly seen in the turned away faces of those around us. We were no longer harassed to cease our attempts, which stirred our coals enough to allow a flame to take hold.

Years upon years did we continue to perform our chosen plan of action, to this very day. And now, here I am continuing the tradition, never stopping, unceasing in my people's desire to soothe our aching hearts. Here I am in my chosen location with long stirred coals and a flickering flame within me.

Here I am......in so much pain.

Why do they ignore me? Why do they turn away at the slightest hint I might be looking their way? I have done nothing wrong. I have never caused issue, never sought to harm another, never gave reason to be ignored so fervently. I wish I could communicate with them, reach out to them in the way my kind speak to eachother with our thoughts, ask them why they continue to seek to smother with indifference that which beats in my chest.

Please....I beg of you.....turn my way. Acknowledge me. End my undesired peace and quiet. Toss it away in favor of adding a newfound excitement and fulfillment to my life.

.....

My time is about over.

.....

And yet another day goes by with nothing to show for it.

.....

It hurts. It hurts so much....

.....

"--y there!"

Hm? What was that?

"Down here big guy!"

......No.....no I dare not hope...

"My friends and I saw you sittin' over here, and we simply had to come say hi! The name's Miguel, and this here's Paul and Loretta. Lettie for short. What's your name?"

I.....I have not seen these people before. Are they new? Were we not informed of a new contact, ignored once again?

"....Hey, do you think he can't actually speak? Would explain why he's been so silent."

The smaller, softer one I assume to be Loretta spoke up. She sounds pleasant. Have I been silent too long? How long have they been waiting for a response? I cannot let them go unanswered, but what can I possibly say? What do I say?!

"You don't think someone hurt him, do you? He looks like the most gentle giant I have ever seen. I swear if someone bullied the poor guy I'm gonna--"

"Dammit Paul! We JUST got left off with a warning ya big durn fool, and now you want to start more shit? Sure it might be justified, emphasis on MIGHT, but not so soon!"

.....

This is real. This is happening. This is real and I......I ca...cannot hope to m-maintain my composure. It's cracking. Sh-shattering and falling a-away. They.... they really......I.....wh...

...Finally...

*"*Oh! You speak with thoughts! That's so c--, wait."

"Miguel, I don't think that level of energy is appropriate right now. He looks distressed."

Finally.....someone s-speaks to m-me......wants to t-talk to me...

"Lettie, Paul, head on back without me and let whoever you need to know where I am. I'm not gonna leave him."

"Like hell I am! Lettie can go, I am staying right here for the poor guy. Whoever caused the gentle giant to be this way may not be too far, and I'm not letting them get close to try again."

I sit here for so long.....and n-noone looks m-my way.

"Oh you poor thing."

My heart. It is pounding so strongly. I have never felt such strength, such power. My face. It's wet. Wet? Why is it wet? What is...my eyes? It's from my eyes? Have to get rid of it. Cannot let them see. Not now. Not when my long held dream has only just been made manifest. Wipe it away. Wipe. It will not stop. I...I dare not let it stop. Such relief. I...

Warmth. I am warm now. There is a pressure somewhere. Where? Down? Oh, I am being held. All three of them. They are holding me. As much of me in their arms as they can. They are warm. S-so warm. My coals. They are no longer c-coals. N-no longer a weak f-flame. It's an inferno. A b-blazing, unrelenting hope. I know. I know for c-certain now. It will never go out.

Finally, I am alone no longer.

------------------------------------------

Art by me.

The first few years were rough for everyone involved. It took a lot of effort to move past initial hostilities and misunderstandings.

A lot of that effort coincidentally occurred during times of disaster, tragedy, and very poor decisions.

As time went on and aliens got used to human habits and antics, they assumed the humans would tone down their efforts now that everything has been cleared up and relationships were repaired. They did not, and actively ramped up their activities, refusing to stop. It wasn't limited to large scale events either, for they even showed the same desire to help, comfort, and save in mundane day-to-day activities.

It was very quickly discovered that if you found yourself in a dire situation, life threatening or not, having a human around calmed nerves in a way that cannot be truly explained. If one is around, you know in your heart of hearts, metaphorically and literally, you will be ok.

Art by me.

Although their reputation of bravado and intensity precedes them, only the closest allies of humans know how much the dark uneases or in some cases outright terrifies them, yet still they push on through. If they learn of someone lost in the dark, they will move heaven and earth using various methods of tools of light to find them and bring them home, downcasting their own failing courage, almost to a spiteful degree.

When the resident species, now an ally of humans, learned of this, reactions were surprisingly mixed. Always grateful and never with conditions, but ranged from sheer relief to desperate anger. The latter being a rare extreme, over daring to risk their own brilliant and generous souls to save just one of the resident species, so undeserving of their kindness.

Art by me.

The stories shared were always personal to each dragon, passed down from parent to child with a chance few still being alive from that time. They ranged from passing encounters and chance meetings, to deeply held and cherished memories of glory, happiness, and sorrow, with the surprisingly heartfelt yet not uncommon story of lovers long since past.

The most regarded, however, are when they were near outright hostile to humans for reasons they are ashamed of sharing or outright refuse to share, and still they were treated with respect, kindness, and care, greatly contrasting the sheer violence, hated cruelty, and uncontained chaos the dragons bore witness to.

Art by me.

First post ever on reddit that isn't a comment! Had this idea for a couple days, so I finally got it done.