Lucas Nava | "Team 27" 📚 available for purchase!

@lgnava.bsky.social

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24 years old. SoCal resident. Fantasy writer. Profile picture by @kujikawaii.bsky.social. All links here: https://linktr.ee/lucas.nava #writing #writers #amwriting #writingcommunity #writersky #writesky

A YouTube thumbnail featuring Stewie Griffin from Family Guy about to hang himself. The title of the video is "Best Suicides I family guy I Peter Griffin I compilation."
It’s been months since I’ve worked on a writing project. I keep telling myself that I’ll get back to it. That I’ll open Scrivener and either work on my WIP or start something new. I can imagine so many different characters and worlds and concepts in my head, and a very loud voice in the back of my head is screaming at me to get those ideas out into the world. But I just can’t do it. Or I won’t do it, I suppose.

I could honestly write an essay about all of the reasons why I can’t bring myself to write anymore. I haven’t read a novel in months (I do read comics, though), and I’ll be damned if I write books but don’t read them. My attention span has shriveled up considerably thanks to social media, making committing to an extensive task or project difficult. My mental health has been all out of sorts for most of this year, with anxiety and depression kicking my ass. I’ve been unemployed since the end of January and only recently found a crappy part-time job to help keep me afloat financially.
Toadsworth as seen in Super Mario Sunshine.
The main page for the DC Comics wiki created with Fandom, which is absolutely littered with ads.
A miniature Schnauzer barking at a blue lizard toy.
Box art for the game "Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream."
A few minutes passed. Or maybe several. Breega didn’t know or care. All that mattered was that the heat in her veins had died down. With unsteady steps, Breega walked over to where she had planted her sword. The grip had a sizable indent in it meant for her to tighten her hand around. From the grip and through the guard were several winding, swirling engravings that wound all the way to the tip, each one lined with a long-lasting, flammable substance. All that Breega had to do was grab the sword’s grip and set her hand ablaze for the entire weapon to become cast in golden fire, and once the flow from Breega stopped, so did the light show.
Breega jabbed a piping-hot finger into Leyga’s chest, earning a small recoil from the young man in response, but she still had his attention. “I know you, Leyga,” she said in a voice akin to a plea. “I know you better than your damn parents do. You can pretend that you don’t want to rob the bank. You can act like you’re above it all and like I’m just some delusional child that you have to babysit. But you’d be lost without me. You’d follow me right into jail because you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself after one day without me, and that’s why I know for sure that you’re going to do this heist with me. Because what the hell else do you have to do?” Breega looked deep into Leyga’s eyes and silently begged him to take the bait. As cruel as she felt, she knew that she had to make her words cut as deep as possible. She couldn’t afford to lose him. Not for the robbery. Not for anything. And if it meant that she had to be a bit callous, then so be it.
Hey, everyone! I wanted to apologize for my absence from the writing community on this site. In truth, I’ve been going through a lot personally. Anxiety and depression have been kicking my ass and preventing me from doing what I love. I’m still not feeling amazing, or even great, but I’ve come to accept that if I don’t force myself to work on my hobbies and passions I’ll never get anything done. I can’t wait for the stars to align and for everything in the universe to be just right. My mental health’s also been heavily impacted by political developments here in the United States. I could honestly write a whole essay on how badly the current presidential administration has screwed with my head. Not a day goes by where I don’t feel angry, defeated, embarrassed, and ashamed of what this country has become under Trump and his cronies. To the rest of the world, while this might not mean much coming from me, I’m truly, deeply sorry for the atrocities that the U.S. is committing. The guilt weighs heavily on me each and every day, and I can only hope that a day comes when I can feel proud of my home again. Regardless, to take better care of my brain, I’ve decided to cut back on both reading and writing about politics. On this account, at least. I have an alt account (@mrl242.bsky.social) that I’ll use for political takes if anyone’s interested. This means that I won’t be engaging with any political discussions on this account. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not an apolitical person, and I believe that politics exist in most aspects of our lives, if not every aspect. I just can’t engage with Trump’s bullshit every time that I log onto this site. I want to be happier. I want to create things and share other people’s creations. I want to see what I’m capable of when I’m not bogged down by the dark, demoralizing reality of the United States at this point in time. That’s all for now. I hope that you’re all doing well, and I look forward to spending more time getting to know you all.
Commissioned art of Evari Decker by Ana Artsian on Instagram.
Commissioned art of Belu Syrus by Ana Artsian on Instagram.
Breega thought back to Leyga and Vollo. Mostly Leyga. A part of her did feel bad for blowing up at him like she did. And she knew deep down that that was the part of her that she should probably be listening to. But damn it, did that guy really have to make everything so difficult? “This is bovo-shit and you know it, Breega.” “Of course it is. That’s why we’re doing it.” “Oh my fu — we’re going to go to jail!” “No we’re not. And if we do, so what?” “Damn it, Breega, I’m not interested in dealing with this right now. Do you have a death wish or something?” “You already know the answer to that, you piece of shit!” All the while, Vollo sat in his tent, hiding like a kid whose parents were in the midst of the mother of all battles, no doubt hoping and praying that the storm would pass over soon. And it did, just like always. And it left some damage in its wake. Again, just like always.
Harley Quinn from Injustice 2.
The box art for the game "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe."
A sketch of my OC, Reba Moda.
“One moment, please,” the girl said, and before Leyga could stop her, she darted back to her table and brought both her chair and her sandwich over to where the duo was sitting. She dashed back one more time to grab her shake before plopping herself down at the head of the table. “Here’s the deal,” she said before taking a hefty bite of her sandwich, chewing and swallowing it, and waving the rest of it in the air. “I know that you two are up to something.” “Uh — heh — um…” Vollo stammered. “We’re uh… w-we’re not really —” “Atatatata…” the girl interrupted, wagging her finger. “I’ve been listening to you two talk for a while now. I know that you’re up to something cool and secretive and possibly illegal and awesome, and I want to know more about it!”
Leyga flinched and immediately began looking around for whoever had just greeted him. Fortunately, he didn’t have to search very far. Standing in front of him was the same green-skinned Dumago girl from before. She wore an orange bandana on top of her shoulder-length dark blue hair. She had a purple short-sleeved shirt, brown pants, and black sandals. What stuck out to Leyga the most, though, was her pink jacket that she wore clasped around her neck like a cape. It wasn’t an eyesore by any means, but it was still pretty “out there.” The girl stood with her hands on her hips and her legs slightly spread. And her expression was one of extreme confidence, with a grin plastered on her face and one eyebrow raised in anticipation of… something. “Hello!” Vollo said with an enthusiastic wave. “Uh, hi…” Leyga added with much less vigor. “Can we help you?” “Oh, that’s not the question that you should be asking, friend,” the girl said with the energy of a saleswoman on the radio. “You should be asking… ‘can you help us?’”
“Whuh—what do you mean? I mean, I mean, of course someone else was there! Two someones! Leyga Tarr and Vollo Kotts! They were the ones who told me to do it! Oh, Breega Casua was a part of it, too!” Lewa had started scribbling something in her notepad. “I see. Voltar, Kata, and… Casua?” Excerpt From The Plight of Team 27 Lucas Nava This material may be protected by copyright.
A comic book cover by Shannon Maer depicting the Dynamite Comics heroine Vampirella.
A comic book cover by Ula Mos depicting the Dynamite Comics heroine Vampirella.
A comic book cover drawn by Ariel Diaz depicting (from left) Dynamite Comics female leads Vampirella, Purgatori, and Red Sonja.
Pikachu partners up with Samus Aran.
Wallpaper art for the game "Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics."
A comic book cover depicting the Dynamite Comics heroines Vampirella, with art by Fabiano Neves.
“I mean…” Vollo’s shoulders sagged as he took another, less enthusiastic sip. “Yeah… but there’s no real saying ‘no’ to her, is there?” Leyga had thought about that point several times before. What would happen if he or Vollo had definitively said ‘no’ to one of Breega’s ridiculous ideas or suggestions? Breega wouldn’t kill them, of course. And they had very little material possessions to risk being broken in one of her fits of rage. They were also consistently on the verge of poverty, so the threat of losing even more money was virtually nonexistent. No, Leyga had very little to fear if he ever decided that he’d had enough of Breega. But their relationship was a complicated one. One that he’d never be able to fully explain to anyone out of a deep sense of shame and frustration with himself. Despite everything that Breega had put him and Vollo through, he still cared deeply for the girl. They understood each other. And, for better or for worse, he wasn’t ready to close the door on their relationship. Not today, at least. And then there was the matter of their deal… the promise that they’d made to each other… “Yeah,” Leyga said in defeat, rubbing his snout. “There isn’t.”
The tortoise from Over the Hedge with a caption over his head reading “what the hell.”
A drawing of my OC, Reba Moda, by DarkAge Art.
Commissioned art of my OC, Breega Casua, by @itzmoyo.bsky.social.
The girl spent the next few hours in the lounge area waiting for Belu to arrive, only getting up to get refills of steamed milk from the cafeteria. About an hour into her wait, she realized that she didn’t actually know what the guy looked like. Officer Syrus never showed her a photo, and neither did Dosso. Was it possible that she had already missed him? Reba licked the milk froth off of her lips and sighed. She didn’t care for the lack of excitement at all. With nothing stimulating going on, she was left to make sense out of the thoughts that were begging to be paid attention to. What if Belu says no? He’s under no obligation to look after you. How long do you think it’ll take for you to do something stupid and get sent back to jail? Do you think that your parents are worried about you? Do you think that they still love you? …Yeah, that’s enough of that. Time for more milk and a crappy magazine.
A sketch of my OC, Reba Moda.
A sketch of my OC, Leyga Tarr.
A sketch of my OC, Breega Casua.
A sketch of my OC, Vollo Kotts.
A sketch of my OC, Breega Casua.
Belu nodded, needing a moment for his words to return to him. “I used to wonder if Mom and Dad wanted to go back in time to tell their younger selves that their relationship was doomed to fail. That something that they had complete and total faith in was pointless in the end. Would they be okay with that? Would they be okay knowing that all of that love was for nothing?” Belu felt Reba shake her head against his shoulder. “I’m terrified of that happening to me,” Belu said with a calmer, steadier voice. “Any choice I make for myself. Anything I choose to strive for or aspire to… it could be more painful and hollow than I ever could’ve imagined. There are too many factors, okay? Too — too many paths too take, and I don’t know where they go. Coming to Bovesi was the first real decision that I made in my entire life.” He sniffed and laughed bitterly. “Look where that got me.”
The young man was interrupted by the much smaller Dumago girl pulling on his arm with a surprising amount of strength and hugging his shoulder, threatening to rip him out of his seat. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Reba cheered, nuzzling her head into Leyga’s collarbone. “You won’t regret this, I promise! Holy crap, thank you!” “No, stop! Don’t — back up!” Leyga yelled, pushing Reba off of him with more force than he probably needed. He didn’t need her knowing just how ticklish the base of his neck was. Fortunately, Reba didn’t seem too bothered, her face still bearing an excited grin as she readjusted her bandana. Leyga glared at Vollo, who was trying and failing to stifle a chuckle. He didn’t even bother to see if anyone else in the Lazy Bean Cafe was looking at them. He could feel more than a few people gazing in their direction, and it made him tense up. It looked like break time was over. “Alright, then,” Leyga said, rising from his seat. “We should probably be heading out of here. Breega’s probably calmed down by now.”
Breega sniffed and flexed her wings, her body slowly filling with nervous energy. “It’s just… shit, man, it’s like a big ‘screw you’ to power, okay? Like, I’m not anti-bank or anti-money or whatever. I’m anti-being told what to do, but you know that already.” Leyga nodded and grunted in approval. If there was one thing that Breega hated beyond words, it was authority of any kind, even if the authority didn’t come from a person, or a sentient being of any kind. If a teacher told her not to chew gum in class, she’d stick a wad of it under their desk just to be petty. If the weather forecast called for heavy rain, she’d insist on playing outside regardless, potential sickness be damned. She wasn’t a complete contrarian, of course. She didn’t go around killing people just because she was told that killing people was bad, for instance. But she was a spiteful creature, for sure. Leyga also wasn’t a fan of mindless rule-following, but he mostly responded to it with apathy instead of anger and outright rebellion.
A sketch of my OC, Reba Moda.
A picture of my miniature schnauzer, Jasper.
A sketch of my OC, the Drifter.
The cover of my book, “The Plight of Team 27.”
Mileena from Mortal Kombat.
A sketch of my OC, Belu Syrus.
A sketch of my OC, Belu Syrus.
A sketch of my OC, Ansen Tornillon.
A sketch of my OC, Reba Moda.
My OCs Yuna (left) and Ansen Tornillon in a commissioned piece by Nyoko.
A sketch of my OC, Ansen Tornillon.
“Ansen,” Yuna said, her voice quiet and stern. “You made a promise. You made a verbal commitment to Mr. Syrus.” “I know,” he answered, growing more aware of Yuan’s growing discomfort and frustration. “So what are you waiting for then?” she asked, thin blue lines of electricity crackling deep beneath her skin. “Mr. Syrus and the rest of the team could be in serious danger. We need to —” “Yuna, listen to me,” Ansen hissed. He impulsively grabbed Yuna’s hand to get her to calm down. The girl quickly pulled it back, leaving her brother immediately sorry. “You’re right,” he said quietly, not wanting to cause a commotion. “They could be, but we need to approach this rationally.” “I am,” Yuna complained. “Mr. Syrus made a request. You said that you’d honor it. You’re going back on your word.”
“Um…” Rinea began, “Hello! Can I help you?” The girl didn’t so much as twitch when she responded. “There’s a post pinned at the top-left corner of the Mission Board. Unfortunately, I am unable to reach it myself, and I would greatly appreciate it if you were to hand it to me instead.” Her voice was completely even and nearly emotionless, but it wasn’t cold or rude. She seemed like she had run this conversation through her head multiple times and was reciting it from memory. “Oh,” Rinea said. “Sure. Give me a moment.” She found the post the girl was looking for, a mission about volunteer work at a nearby senior center, and handed it to her. The girl took it and quickly folded it up and put it in her chest pocket before immediately returning her hands to their original position behind her back. “Thank you, ma’am,” the girl said with a nod. She started to turn back the way she came before stopping. Belu heard her mutter something under her breath and caught a glimpse of her gently wringing her clasped hands before she turned to face him. “I’m so sorry, sir” she said, her mouth forming the beginning of a frown. “I didn’t even say ‘hello’ to you. My name’s Yuna.”
A sketch of my OC, Yuna Tornillon.
“Nice to see you,” he said. “Got anything for me? Anything you’d like to say?” Breega knew exactly what he wanted to hear. It started with “I” and ended with “sorry,” with a cute little “am” in the middle. Say it, that small voice in Breega’s head commanded. Say the words, damn it! “Yeah,” Breega replied. “I ate one of your granola bars while you were gone. I’ll buy you another one later. Now, where the hell’s Vee?” Leyga’s lips tightened as he nodded while glancing at the ground. “He’ll be here in a bit. He decided to walk so that he could keep our flightless special guest company.” Breega blinked at that. “‘Special guest?’” “You gave us homework. We finished it. Where’s our prize?” “You actually found a Dumago? Someone who’ll help us out with the bank job?” “Yep.” Leyga clapped Breega on the shoulder with a sardonic smile. “And boy, is she excited to meet you.” Breega sucked her teeth and swiped Leyga’s hand off of her. “Alright, then. Tell me about her.” “Absolutely the hell not.” “Why?” “Because first impressions are everything, and I’d to ruin her grand introduction with spoilers.” Breega groaned as her wings sagged. “You’re actually insufferable.” Leyga’s mocking grin grew wider as he gestured to himself. “It’s what I’m best at.”
The box art for the game "The Legendary Starfy."
Breega decided to head back to her tent to grab some water when she heard the sound of beating wings. She looked up to see none other than Leyga Tarr himself heading her way, and as he landed only a few feet in front of her, she successfully fought the urge to heave a massive sigh of relief while pulling him in for a hug.
My 9 favorite video games of all time: Super Smash Bros. Brawl, A Space for the Unbound, Pokémon Platinum Version, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Mario Kart Wii, The Legendary Starfy, Tomodachi Life, and Eye Toy Play.