Expression Change Meme - Kohr/Ryoku Strife

Because if I don't use what I make, what does this say about me? xP
Link to the meme: fav.me/d69uzq1

So, I've been working on this and another Ex Change piece on and off for about 2 weeks now. Today, I finally felt ready to shade, and went all out with it. As you can see here, this is probably my best work so far. I've also been trying to shade more in this piece, so Ryoku's face here is given a bit more definition (at the least, I tried light-shading cheekbones). There's a lot of things I did here that I don't usually do...but I think it was worth how long it took to finish it, if this is the end result. x3

So, sorry for the lack of updates. Started my second term in uni; tired as hell, and this weekend has been utter shit, despite the fun I've had Saturday. Tough times...
At least, uni is looking like I'll enjoy it. English and world lit look interesting as hell, though the latter will be harder for me (it's like a social class again). Psych (continuation) and sociology should be good, too. I hope. x3

~Shadow R/B
The emotion I used in this piece was something akin to confusion. It's the feeling of inadequacy, to an extent. Like, when you're tuned into a conversation with a peer or somebody close to you, and all you can really think is, "I don't understand..." That kind of emotion. I picked it for this work, since you usually see Ryoku either crying, being overly happy, or a bit peeved. This was a nice change of pace. x3

Oh, and if you're wondering why I didn't draw Ryoku as I normally do in the second panel, Ryoku's usual appearance is his teenage form. So, the black manakete colour scheme can't be counted as an adult form. Anyway, I do believe I showed Ryoku's paths of growth before. The positive/canon route would end in an appearance similar to this one. :3
EDIT: Found the ref. fav.me/d69iy1f
Fun fact: If you've ever read the first chapter of Chrysanthemum, you already knew Ryoku was referred to as "The Sky's Eyes" at some point. Why not make his true adult form reflect the nickname? His eyes change colour to a greenish-blue anyway. So, I guess this is pretty fitting~. x3

Ryoku has longer hair than Kage, just saying. Adult-Ryoku also grows so many "satellite feathers" (aka, his feathery ears) that they start to droop under their own weight. Makes you wonder how muddled his hearing gets, huh? x3