#I have some already inked just need to colour add in the text

[n01r-kn1ght]

Not Undertale related but I wanted to wish @zenubi-scribbles a happy belated birthday!

[stormclawponyrises]

"What's your drawing process? Care to show a tutorial of how you colour, shade and render?"

I don't really have the energy to go into detail (visually at least) but I'm happy to show my general process and explain what I do for each step.

1) I draw the rough page with "prelim" sketches, using a 10px ink tool in red. These are usually just stickfigures with ears, eyes and a few features that differentiate them, in the rough poses I need them to be in. The simplicity means I can move things around easily. I also add prelim text-boxes to get an idea of how much space I need for dialogue.

2) I draw over the prelims with the actual sketch, using a 1px sketch tool in black. When drawing over sketches of any kind, I put the sketch at 9-11% opacity so it's just visible. It's harder to make mistakes that way and forces me to be more careful with my lines. Here I also add the other panel lines and keep the prelim text boxes.

3) I line over the final sketch using the same sketch opacity rule, for the character illustrations. The lines start out rough initially as I use a mouse and thus can't draw with pen pressure, so once the lining is done I erase and add to the lines to simulate line weight and make it look cleaner.

4) I begin colouring by first using the selection tool on the areas outside of the character lineart, then inverting it so it contains all of the character. This is easier than directly selecting each section of the character.

5) The selected section is filled out with the character's base/main colour. I usually do this with accessories turned off, as they are on a different layer (ie Miltei's blade and Ash's necklace). Then I make a hair layer, eye/mouth/scars layer, and 1-2 marking layers, in that order of dominance. These are set as clipping layers to the base colour layer so I don't have to worry too much about going beyond the lineart. I just use the pencil tool at whatever size needed for colouring, and at 5 px for lineart.

6) I finish the accessory layers and colour the inner lineart to simulate depth and connection between certain body parts. Eyes receive "eye lights" (white dots of varying sizes at a low opacity) to simulate eye reflectiveness.

7) I then line the background using the same lineart rules/process established earlier. (Ignore that it's been coloured already idc)

8) The base colours are added for the background. Some sections get rendering before others.

9) Final colouring and extra details added. I usually add some shading or details to suggest depth and texture.

10) Final tweaks; ambience! Skyrays like the ones shown are done by drawing a large beam of yellow light and blurring it a ton. Then I do it again. On the second layer I add thin yellow lines using the spread tool. Then on luminous layers I add little dust particles like in the sunbeams you'd see in real life (though usually you can only see the dust up close).

11) I import the page into CSP and rewrite the dialogue using the prelim text boxes as a guide. I get them in the shape I want, then draw the speech bubbles using CSP's bubble tool. It's set to a sketchy outline to make the bubbles look a bit rough. These are coloured to match the character speaking, as are the text. The text and bubble layers are then reimported to SAI and the watermark is added. And we're done!

extra notes: 1) Eyes are generally drawn on a separate layer to the rest of the lineart, and pupil lines on yet another layer. This makes it easier to edit them and colour them without accidentally interfering with the other lineart.

2) There are rules I follow with how I do eyes and eye lights, but it's hard to explain. If I make an eye tutorial I'll make sure to go into plenty of detail about it.

3) I don't usually merge layers unless I know there's no reason to keep them separate. Those eye lineart layers always stay separate from other lineart.

4) The panel/page outlines are never on the lineart layer. When selecting the lineart so I can colour, I just draw small lines to connect the lineart that goes into the panel outlines. This is in case I need to edit the lineart position or something like that.

5) How I actually approach lineart changes on a case-to-case basis. Sometimes I'll do hair first, or body first, or ears first, sometimes I draw them all on different layers because of a complex pose, etc. I almost always draw eyes and accessories last though.

6) Preferred font is comic sans (thought I use both upper and lowercase as purely uppercase is irritating to me as a writer) for readability. I use a mix of other fonts for varying purposes.

[felicityhicklingviscomlvl5]

Final Outcome:

Overall I’m super glad I committed to doing case binding, as I wanted to create a coffee table book which shows value in and interests someone and this is the topic I value.

Cover sleeve + poster: In my final crit it was suggested to me to think about other additions that would appeal to gen z, and to maybe do a sleeve that the audience can take off to then reveal a poster which they can put up.

Spreads: These are some of my most successful where I played more with the compositions or stripped-back content which I think worked really well for this outcome.

The mistakes:

Firstly, I knew doing this for the first time may have caused some faults in the outcome, but overall I’m still really pleased with it. Also, if I wanted to do something like this again I know what things to do and avoid for a more successful outcome.

I chose to add fold-out pages to my book to create sections and navigation, which needed to be large format printing since the spread was too long for standard A3. And because the large format printer is an ink printer the colour came out completely different to what it should have been. Also, the printing was very complicated since I needed to paginate the pages, but now that I’ve done it and had help doing it, it should become more understandable the next time I do it.

Another thing was when I went to bind, I was told that I should’ve made the middle page in the fold-out spread shorter too, along with the actual fold-out page since when cutting it would be cut off the edge and the fold-out would no longer be a fold-out. So, to avoid that and instead of having to re-print, we decided to trim the fold-out page quite a bit and fold it right to the crease and ignore that the other side of the page was over the fold. I did end up just refolding it to the correct place once I’d done which didn’t look as bad as we thought it would.

One annoying thing I realised was on one spread had forgotten to delete the start of the text which I’d copied and pasted to the small body of text. So it’s there twice which I the most annoying thing since I double-checked it multiple times, but I must have just missed it.

The final mishap was when the glue had already finished drying on the spine, it stuck one of the fold-out pages to the image which we dried to pull apart but it was obviously ripping the red off and looked bad so I decided to leave it. The good side to the mishap is that it became a French fold and I remembered it was suggested as an idea in my final crit, so you could say it was totally done intentionally... The only thing is that the part of the image you can see is just the cabinets in the Farnsworth House which is annoying. 

Again, these things happen especially when it’s your first time doing it. And again overall I’m happy with it and the process was part of it which created a very satisfying feeling once I’d finished it.

[illustratorintheprocess]

FMP Part 1: Disseminating Rsearch

The Brief:

I thought it was about time I got into the nitty gritty of what we were actually briefed for.

The Final Major Project (or FMP) for year 3 is worth 60 credits. To pit this into perspective, the Minor Project earlier this year was only worth 20 credits while the 10k word Dissertation was 40 credits. This means the FMP needs me to put as much effort in it as I did with the other two projects combined. Pretty wild.

We are free to chose whatever subject we want to base our project on but there is some guidance still. Some check marks along the was we need to hit. This is where the FMP is split into 3 "mini briefs", 1.) Disseminating Research, 2.) Viable Practice, 3.) Portfolio or Viable Practice #2 or simply FMP (I've seen it called a lot of things). We are the first year where they split the FMP into 3 mini briefs and it was intended for us to have an easier time to steadily work through the project at a good pace without neglecting any important parts (like research) of it. However, from what I have heard from other students everyone is struggling with the mini briefs, especially the first one, and it is adding a lot more stress to an already stressful time because everyone seems to have fallen behind.

The outcome of the FMP will also be showcased in the UAL graduates exhibit in June, which is kind of cool but you know...PRESSURE.

Now to 1.) Disseminating Research and how I intend to deal with it:

I would like to print a research zine in A5 format with maybe 15 pages that would be printed digitally and simply saddle stitched together. Printing it digitally is new for me because I have become very proficient in offset litho and relief print in the past 2 years but barely touched a modern printer for my work. Still it would have to be printed digitally to save time and nerves. I'm a little anxious about preparing the files correctly in InDesign for the job but it's not like that's ever without hiccups for me anyway. Saddle stitching just makes sense for a zine that size. You don't bust out the coptic binding for 15 pages. As much as I would like to do that. Regarding the colours of the zine I am unsure and it is making me nervous. I like to work in black but was told to try and incorporate more colours in my work so I was thinking red and purple maybe? Maybe I could print on coloured paper with black and red ink? I'd have to ask the Digital Printing Team about that. [Mental note made to ask them next time I'm at lcc]

Now the contents of the zine is a different story. It will have to be a lot of 1st hand research, which means my sketches and process drawings as well as mindmaps maybe. Secondary research might be easier accumulated but it would have to be cited which adds a whole new headache to the thing. + there should probably be some written text in there where I reflect on my conclusions from the research, how it helped me or how I used it. The research itself would have to be on specific Cryptids in my case. I would have to explain terminology and what a Cryptid even is and then go into detail with certain Cryptids. Then there has to research of material and processes to produce the final outcome. What paper I use and why, maybe? To be honest, including the technical research part in this feels kind of weird and unnatural but hey, whatever.

So this is how I plan to deal with the 1.) Disseminating Research Mini Brief. Let's hope it all goes to plan.

[wylanvnneck]

This 2 part fic was written for the Secret Snusband Gift Giveaway hosted by @jurdannet​ and @jurdannetrevels​ for my lovely Knife Wife @lilacs-with-lavender​.

Rating: T for Tyrannosaurus

Summary: Inspired by an episode of my favourite Cop TV show, ‘Castle’, in which a bet takes place with pretty high stakes, although the plotline has been tweaked to fit this fandom. My Knife Wife said she loved the Enemies to Lovers trope so that’s what I’ve (tried to) write here and I hope you enjoy the story of Homicide Detectives Jude Duarte and Cardan Greenbriar and their mutual enmity.

Warnings: Not so graphic descriptions of murder and mention of drugs. (Really not sure what I need to tag, so please let me know if I’ve missed something.)

Posted as a Gift on AO3 | Part 2 | Masterlist

Part 1

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“Victim’s name is Taryn Santorini, a metal sculptor by trade, she was found by her doorman fifteen minutes before we traced the address in Chloe’s hand back to her.” 

Detective Jude Duarte looks down at the motionless face of a scared looking brunette, a crimson splatter painting the tiled floor around her lifeless body. The room around her is a mess, clothes scattered everywhere, bed ruffled and unmade and metal figurines placed haphazardly throughout the little apartment.

“Lil, talk to me, what are we looking at?”

Before the white-blonde haired medical examiner crouched on the floor by the body can answer, a smooth dark voice that Jude so detests cuts through the air behind her.

“Why, Duarte, I’d say that the fact that Tara What’s-her-name was shot and killed is rather obvious.” The despicable excuse of a detective steps forward, a smug grin pasted to his face. Cardan Greenbriar, entitled little rich boy, over-confident bastard and sadly, her partner.

Patience, Jude reminds herself, patience was a virtue. 

“I meant, as I’m sure Lil knows, with what model was she killed and when?”

Liliver shoots her an amused sympathetic look before turning her gaze back to the victim.

“Looks to be a gun with a 45 caliber, same as the one used to kill Chloe Tatterfell. I’d say Taryn here has been dead for about 12 hours so pretty close to Chloe’s time of death, maybe just a half hour or so afterwards.”

“So chances are it’s the same killer.” Cardan interjects, the smug smile a little less vibrant now. 

“Yep. I’ll have to get her back to the morgue so  I can do a full inspection, see if I can find anything helpful.”

Jude steps back from the crime scene to give her some space, almost bumping in to the officer taking pictures of the area for later use. 

“Thanks, Lil.”

“Just doing my job, sweetie.”

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Jude clips a glossy picture of their latest victim onto the precinct’s murder board. “Garrett and Van questioned practically all known associates of both Chloe and Taryn and none of them could recognise the other victim. There’s no obvious connection between the two and yet, for some reason they were both killed on the same day, by the same person.”

“And with the same gun.” Cardan is leaning back in his chair, his posture insouciant and his curly black hair falling lazily over his forehead. Surely that was a violation of precinct dress codes? Not that he’d care either way, rule breaker that he was. God knew it was only because of his daddy’s clout that he’d even graduated from the academy in the first place, whilst people like Jude had to work hard and save every penny and fight to get anywhere in the field of Law Enforcement.

“Ok, I’m going to head to the morgue whilst Van and Gare check through the victim’s phones and financials, see if Lil has anything for us.”

“I suppose, being the dutiful partner that I am, I should come with you?” Cardan’s drawl is as irritating as usual and Jude can hardly wait to get out of the proximity of his stupid raven locks and smoldering eyes.

“Please, you’d be doing us both a favour if you didn’t.”

“Aw, come now Jude you know you’d miss me.” He lets out a dramatic sigh as he half heartedly stands from his chair to join her as she speeds by towards the exit and she just barely resists the urge to throttle him.

Lil bustles around her examining room as she adjusts the fluorescent lamps shining down on both the victim’s bodies’. 

“So, apart from the type of bullets that killed them, the only similarity that I could find between the two victims is the fact that they both have tattoos.”

Jude raises a brow. “Everyone has tattoos.”

From across the autopsy table Cardan’s eyes gleam as he smirks. 

“Oh really? You got some ink on you, Duarte?” 

His tone is disbelieving and Jude can’t resist messing with him a little.

She pastes an obviously fake flirtatious smile on her face and drawls in a sugar sweet voice, “Guess you’d have to find that out on your own, Greenbriar.” 

She bites at her lip for good measure and thinks once more of how bad she would be at flirting in earnest. Lil certainly couldn’t keep the laughter out of her gray eyes. Cardan, however, has a strange look on his face, one that Jude can’t quite decipher, but she’s pretty sure she’s just one-upped him and she can’t deny the slight sense of triumph that the thought gives her.

 She turns her attention back to the victims. “You were saying, Lil?” 

“I’m saying that these tattoos seem to have been done by the same artist. Look,” she pulls back the white cloth covering the body of Chloe Tatterfell, gently pushing a strand of brown hair off of her shoulder to reveal the cartoonish character of a rose, inked in with dark black ink.

She then turns to Taryn’s body to reveal a similarly styled tattoo of a mermaid on her wrist. Just as she’s pulling back the cover Jude’s back pocket vibrates and the sound of her plain ringtone travels through the air. Quickly she swipes upwards to answer the call and it’s Garrett.

“Yo, so we looked through the victims’ phone records and found a connection. Both Chloe and Taryn made a phone call on the day that they were killed to the same number, belonging to a Locke McCutchins, he’s got priors including robberies and domestic assault.”

By the time he’s finished speaking she’s already waved a quick goodbye to Lil and turned to walk out the door, not bothering to check if her partner was behind her.

“Alright, text me his address, let’s go pick him up.”

“Locke McCutchins, open up, it’s the NYPD!” Garrett bangs on the door and the force is so strong that the wood vibrates as Jude clutches her pistol in her hand, body flat against the wall of Locke’s apartment with Cardan right beside her.

There’s no answer and the door is broken down as she, Cardan, Garrett and Van file into the room in a practiced motion that’s as familiar to her as breathing.

Right in front of them, sprawled across his couch, lies the dead body of Locke McCutchin, his tawny eyes still open and gazing unseeingly up at his ceiling, a dried red patch visible on his shirt.

Garret drops to the floor beside the couch, his sandy hair falling over his face as he leans over to check Locke’s pulse whilst the rest of them look on after having taken note that the apartment was clear.

“Body’s cold, he’s been dead for hours, entry wound looks to be about the same size as the other victims.”

Jude scrunches her eyebrows as she stands in front of the murderboard for the second time that day.

“So, Chloe Tatterfell, Taryn Santorini and Locke McCuchins were all killed within the span of 24 hours, all with the same gun, presumably by the same killer and yet so far the only connections we’ve found are Taryn’s address that was found written on Chloe’s hand, the phone call from both women to Locke and the similar tattoos on both Chloe and Taryn, but not on Locke.”

“Hmm.” Cardan seems to materialise out of nowhere, carrying a paper cup of what smells like freshly brewed coffee. Jude was convinced that he took his coffee with added alcohol but she had yet to prove it.

“What’s with the glare?” he asks.

“It automatically deploys itself when you're around.”

He scoffs. Twirls his coffee around. Takes a long, slurping sip.

“Hey, Duarte? Don’t get me wrong, I mean, the feeling is mutual, but what exactly is it that makes you despise me so much? I’d like to know so I can make sure to keep doing it.” 

Jude barely deliberates over her answer before she responds. 

“Being an overly cocky, obnoxious jerk who has only managed to get this far thanks to his Daddy’s fat purse will definitely be the best way to make me hate you, trust me.”

He grins but there’s no humour in the curve of his sensual lips, his eyes are cold metal.

“You think that the only reason I’m a detective is because of my father?”

“Yup.” She makes sure to add plenty of emphasis to that one word.

Cardan opens his mouth as if to speak, stops, presses his lips together so hard that they turn pale before the colour returns to them when a slow smile spreads across his face, this time full of humour, but the decidedly darker kind.

“Let’s make a bet. If you can figure out what the connection between our three victims is before I do, I’ll go right up to Captain Madoc myself and request a change of partners so you can be rid of my ‘overly cocky, obnoxious’ self. Deal?” 

He was extending a challenge and Jude was never one to back down from those. Besides, the chance to be rid of him with no cost to herself or her reputation was too good to pass up on. Still, there had to be a catch, with Cardan, there was always a catch.

“And on the complete off-chance that you figure it out first? What happens then?”

“If I figure it out first...you have to come with me as my date to this party that my dad’s having in a couple days.”

Those last few words come out in a rush and Jude has to take a moment to decipher their meaning. Followed by another moment to wonder if she’d somehow completely misunderstood what he’d said.

“You want me to what?”

“Be my date to a party. Honestly Duarte, do you have any idea how many women would jump at this opportunity?” His tone is disgustingly nonchalant. 

“I-” she struggles to find the words. “Take one of them then! Don’t you have a girlfriend, Nicasia or something like that? Blue hair and eyes? High pitched voice? Talks a lot about how much she gets seasick?”

“You know, for someone who’s only met Nicasia once you do remember quite a bit about her.” His steady gaze on her is intense.

For some incorrigible reason Jude has to resist the urge to flush.

“I’m a detective. It’s my job to study people.”

“Right. Sadly, Nicasia and I are no longer together, if we ever were. I got bored. Hence, why I need a date.”

“I’m sure you could just take one of your scores of female admirers, you don’t need me.”

“Is that jealousy that I detect in your voice?”

“Cardan.” 

“Look, the point is, I can’t be bothered having to deal with yet another simpering female who thinks that one night on my arm means a promise to a life-long relationship complete with marriage, a fancy mansion and exactly 2.5 kids. All I want is a companion for one night so I don’t get hounded by my mother for not having a girlfriend by which she can procure some grandchildren.”

“Oh so now you want me to be your fake girlfriend?”

He rolls his eyes up at the ceiling and she fights the urge to slap him. 

“It’s just for one night! Besides, I thought me winning was barely even a possibility to you.”

She makes a noise at the back of her throat. “It is.”

“Then I don’t see what the problem is. Do we have a deal, or not?” He holds out his hand, sculpted eyebrows raised in confrontation.

She doesn’t really think he has much of a chance of figuring it out before her, but he had admittedly also proven adept at figuring certain things out in previous cases so there was definitely no certainty that he wouldn’t win, for all her bravado. Yet, her competitive nature couldn’t bear the thought of surrendering, so she pushes her unease aside and grips his hand in a firm shake. 

“Deal.” 

There’s an awkward moment when he takes a little too long to release her hand from his grip. Once he finally does, the rather pointy tips of his ears reddening, they both turn back to the murder board and the view of their murder time line and crime scene pictures, furiously trying to connect the dots in their heads.

A random thought intrudes in her brain.

"Wait, what if Garrett and Van figure it out before we do?”

As one, she and Cardan both turn towards the opposite side of the office where the two officers in question sat in front of their computers.

Van was typing in data on his computer, eyes glazing over and the tuft of black hair atop his head trembling whilst Garrett, or, The Ghost - as he was sometimes called thanks to his tendency to take months before answering non-work related messages - stood eating glazed donuts with one hand and speaking to someone on the phone held in the other. Jude loved the both of them but she had to admit that they didn’t exactly paint the most inspiring picture. 

Once again she and Cardan are in sync when they promptly turn back towards the murderboard and proclaim, “Nah.”

Van’s excitement is clearly written on his face when he walks straight up to Jude’s desk the moment she arrives at the precinct the next morning, slamming down a manila folder with the NYPD crest printed on it onto her neatly arranged table top.

Immediately she reaches out to open it, desperate for a break in the case that would not only put a three time killer behind bars but also ensure that she herelf wouldn’t commit murder if she lost the bet and had to pretend to be Cardan’s girlfriend for a night. The thought makes her want to shudder.

“So, I was looking into all of our victim’s financials and I noticed an anomaly. Two weeks ago on the 7th they each deposited 95 hundred dollars into their savings accounts, but we’ve got no way of tracing the money back because the amount is under the IRS’s investigative limit” Van takes a quick pause before continuing, “but that’s not all, both Taryn and Chloe have credit card charges for small amounts at a tattoo place called Fair Folk Inks down in Queens.”

“Great, that’d be the place where they both got tattoos, I’ll go down there and ask the owner a couple questions, thanks Van.” She puts the sheaf of financial accounts back into the folder and takes a quick swig of her usual morning coffee, black, no sugar before preparing to head out once more.  

“Going somewhere, partner?” 

She’d bumped straight into Cardan when stepping into the elevator and she lets out a small groan of frustration as she steps back from his sturdy form. He looks annoyingly chipper, usual cocky smile in place and laughter in his tone as he looks down at her slightly shorter self. His cologne is strong and emanates the scent of the woods and sunlight in the small elevator. The woods and sunlight? Clearly foregoing the rest of her morning coffee hadn’t been a good idea.

She’d thought she could make it out of the building before he finally arrived, necessitating in having to take him along as well, but clearly fate had other ideas. 

“Tattoo parlour. Queens,” she grits out.

“Let’s go then,” his tone is sickly sweet.

“Hi there, you guys lookin’ to get inked?” asks the pink haired girl behind the counter in fishnet tights and a tank top, looking up from where she is perched on a stool behind the counter when she hears them enter.

The parlour itself is shiny and white, the smooth metal counter and two spaced out black leather tattoo chairs complete with wheeled stools are the only pieces of furniture in the small space. Mounted on the walls are designs, each of them evoking a sense of fantasy. A pixie there, a selkie here, an ornate dragon, all staring right back at Jude as she takes in their surroundings. She takes note of the fact that the pictures staring back at her were very reminiscent of Chloe and Taryn’s tattoos, solidifying her suspicion that this was where they had got them done.

Before she has time to explain the reason for their visit, Cardan pipes up.

“You know, I’ve been thinking of getting one of a slithering snake, maybe across my back? I believe it would add to my already abundant sex appea-”

“Actually,” Jude cuts him off with her most scathing glare, to which he irritatingly responds with a grin. “We’re here on official business, NYPD, we need to speak with the owner of this establishment.” She holds up the badge that she’s just extracted from her plain black wallet as she speaks.

“That would be Vivi, hang tight a sec I’ll go get her.” With a sway of her hips Heather trounces off behind a curtained section at the back of the parlour. 

Unable to stand still for even a few moments, her partner has already wandered over to the corner of the room, pointing at a pinned up design, ““That goblin over there reminds me of Van.”

She ignores him. 

“Oh come on Duarte, you have to admit, there’s a definite resemblance.”

She spares the quickest of glances at the design and it’s true, there’s a striking similarity, but she isn’t about to give him the satisfaction of agreeing so she simply makes a non-committal grunt of recognition.

“Tell me, are you always this tightly wound or is it just for the majority of your day?”

“Excuse me?” Her eyebrows have inadvertently traveled upwards on her face and she can’t believe he has the audacity to say what he just did, although really, she shouldn’t be so surprised.

“Come on Duarte, we’ve been partners for quite a while now and I don’t think I’ve ever even seen you laugh.” He’s standing a few feet away from her, his expression serious, not backing down.

“It’s called being professional.” She can feel the muscles working in her face as she hisses out the words through gritted teeth, blood pounding furiously. 

“Ahem.” She whirls around to find a tall bronze haired woman with striking cat-like eyes that were currently meeting her gaze wearing a lazy look of amusement.  

“Heather said there were some policemen who wanted to ask me some questions?”

Jude cannot believe that she had just gotten so sidetracked by her insolent partner that she’d forgotten why she was currently standing in the middle of a Tattoo parlour in Queens, clutching a set of regular sized close ups of three now dead people. She tamps down the irritation at her own actions as she thrusts out the photos in front of the woman facing her, Vivi, the pink haired girl had said.

“Yes, ma’am, do you recognize these people?”

She watches intently as Vivi carefully peruses the pictures before answering, “I know the two girls, Taryn and Chloe, we’re friends, I’ve even tattooed the both of them. I’m not really sure who he is.”

“Are you sure you don’t know him? Look carefully.” Cardan is all business now, stepping up to Vivi.

“I’m sure.” Vivi’s tone is almost defiant, daring him to question her again.

“You said that you were friends with the girls, how close were you?” 

“They came into the tattoo parlour at the same time about a month ago and we started up a conversation, we exchanged numbers and would meet up for a drink from time to time.” 

“Did they ever meet up with just each other?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Can you think of any reason as to why they’d both be killed by the same person?”

“They’re...they’re dead?”

Jude had intentionally asked the question in a way that would require a reaction and she wasn’t sure that she was entirely convinced by the shocked undertone of Vivi’s voice.

 “I’m afraid so, ma’am.”

“She’s hiding something.” Once again Jude is back in front of the murderboard, furiously capping and uncapping a whiteboard marker as her mind whirls. She’s full of nervous energy, on the brink of a precipice and she wants nothing more than to be able to push herself off of it.

“Agreed.” Cardan is pacing the floor between her and the murder board and his posture indicates that he’s just as worked up as she is.

“But what I can’t understand is why she would kill two of her acquaintances plus a random vending machine operator, I mean, there’s no clear motive.” She’s barely conscious of the slight pain that tingles as she worries at her bottom lip.

Cardan halts in front of the board, takes a hard look at the scrawled timeline on it before once more resuming his brisk walk.

 “And what the hell is the connection between these three victims? They lived in opposite neighbourhoods, worked in completely different areas and fields, never seemed to have been in the same place at the same time and yet somehow they were killed by the same hand. Also, where did all that money come from?” 

His phone chooses precisely that moment to start ringing and the sound of ‘Horns’ by Bryce Fox cuts through the tension. 

“It’s Liliver,” he mouths as he swipes upwards to answer and puts the medical examiner on speaker phone.

“You got something for us Lil?’

“You bet I do. I had scraps from the victims’ clothings tested to try and find a common link. What I found were traces of bleach, acetone, sodium chloride and ammonia.”

“Drugs. They were making drugs. That would explain all the money.” Jude is burning and luminescent with victory, until Lili’s next words cut her down.

“It’s not drugs.”

“How can you tell?”

“Because of what isn’t there. If your vics were making drugs, there’d need to be a couple more ingredients. That being said, they were definitely up to something.”

She lets out a sigh of defeat. “Thanks, Lil.”

Cardan hangs up before bringing his fingers up to his temples, massaging the sides of his head as he burns a hole into the board in front of him.

Jude bites back a scream. “This is like the start of a bad joke, a teacher, a sculptor and a vending machine operator walk into a tattoo parlour…”

He scoffs, “Yeah, except we don’t really have a punchline.”

“Other than ‘they made a bunch of money and got themselves killed.’”

There’s a lull in the air and the frustration is palpable. There was so much more than just their bet at stake here, there was the need for justice for these three victims, who regardless of their crimes likely didn’t deserve what had befallen them. Besides, there was no way that they could let a ruthless killer roam the streets freely.

Suddenly, Cardan whirls around to face her, once again bringing his pacing to an abrupt stop, with a speed to rival that of the animal that was his tattoo inspiration.

“Made a bunch of money,” he repeats. 

He sounds like he’s just jumped off of the precipice. She, on the other hand, remained firmly mounted to the ground. 

“What?”

“A sculptor who works with metal, a chemist and a vending machine operator...I know what they were up to.”

Slowly, the light starts to dawn on her and her pulse speeds up. Yes, she thinks.

“Think about it, when counterfeiting money, what’s the biggest problem you face? Finding the paper,” he continues.

“And a vending machine operator would have an endless supply of one dollar billls!”

“Exactly, then the chemist would come in, using the chemicals that were found on the vic’s bodies to white wash those bills.”

“And then the sculptor would be able to fashion a set of metal plates with which to type in fake serial numbers’ so they can get larger denominations of money…”

“Right! So, plates, paper, there’s just one missing ingredient.”

Beaming smiles break out on both their faces when, in unison they reach the same conclusion. 

The 12th Precinct’s interrogation room had contained many suspects from the time it was built. Some were innocent and some were guilty, but there was no doubt in both Jude and Cardan’s minds that the feline woman currently seated across from them with her legs up on the table was one hundred percent guilty. 

“So you think you’ve figured it all out, huh?” Vivi’s drawl is deceptively flippant.

“I think so.” Jude answers calmly. “For instance, we’ve figured out that you were involved in and likely the mastermind behind a counterfeiting operation that raked in a substantial amount of money. You provided the last ingredient needed, the ink from your tattoo parlour stocks that was used to print on the bills.”

Cardan leans forward. “We’ve also surmised that you killed your partners in said operation; Taryn Santorini and Chloe Tatterfell, both of whom you met through your tattoo parlour, just like you said.”

“And our third victim, Locke McCutchins? Yeah, we know he was your cousin, once removed on your mother’s side wasn’t it? A distant enough relationship for you to not be flagged when checking his family, but close enough for you to enlist him in your scheme so you had access to vending machine bills.” Jude continues, she and Cardan having perfected the art of interrogating together ages ago, their tactics working smoothly together alongside each other. 

Vivienne sneers. “So what? You have no proof.”

“On the contrary, ma’am, we do. You neglected to hide the metal plates that you got Taryn to make for you in a place that wasn’t under a loose floorboard of your room, easily found with the aid of a search warrant.” Cardan smiles.

“You also tripped up when you stored your used gun with matching ballistics to the weapon that killed our victims in the same place as the plates.” Cardan’s smile is copied on Jude’s face.

Vivi’s skin pales and her cat’s eyes narrow into slits as she bangs the table, hard, before slouching back in the metal chair, the fight leaving her.

“Well, I suppose the jig is up, as they say,” she drawls.

Satisfied, Jude stands up and gathers the notepad and pen that she’d left on the desk and then bends over the interrogation table to meet Vivi’s gaze.

“What I can’t understand, though, is why? Why would you kill them if you’d already paid them?”

The Accused smirks. “It was all that idiot Lockes’s fault. He’d gotten himself into debt with some mob shark and needed more dough to bail his sorry self out. I wasn’t about to give it, he had his cut and that was all. But then, he threatened to go to the cops and tell them about what we did. Couldn’t let that happen, so I figured I’d kill ‘em all of. Just to be safe.”

The casual way in which she speaks of her deeds chills Jude to the bone. Wordlessly, she turns her back on yet another cold hearted murderer and exits the room with Cardan right behind her.

They come to a stop in front of the now empty murderboard, its surface shiny and white, devoid of words, but not for long. There was always a murder happening somewhere or the other, Jude had been a detective long enough to know that.

“So, now that Vivienne Insmire, tattoo artist, mastermind and ink supplier of counterfeiting operations and killer of ‘friends’ and distant male cousins is safely behind bars, I think you and I have a certain matter to settle, Duarte.”

She’d been trying hard to avoid this moment all day, pushing back thoughts of her close defeat and what its consequences would be. It seemed like now, she'd run out of time. She gulps.

“I suppose-” she almost can’t bring herself to say the words, “I suppose you won our bet, then.”

“Yup.” He’s not even trying to hide his gloating, “and you know what that means.”

The noise she emits is one that is resigned. She knows what’s coming.

“I’ll pick you up at eight tomorrow.”

“Or I could just take a ca-”

“Don’t be late, Duarte,” he calls over his shoulder as he leisurely strolls towards the precinct exit, slinging his leather jacket over his shoulder.

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

If you’ve made it all the way down here, congrats! Here’s a link for part 2.

Tagging the lovely people on my short but treasured TFOTA taglist; @cupcakesandkittens​ (who helped immensely during the writing of this fic and who suggested adding in the interrogation scene❤) and my very own talented Secret Snusband, @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln​

Please let me know if you’d like to be added to or taken off of my taglist💕

[wonwoospartyhat]

Hello!! Could you write something with prompts 47, 67 & 71 for Harry Hook?? Thank you!!

request: Hello!! Could you write something with prompts 47, 67, & 71 for Harry Hook?? Thank you!!

a/n: this one is a bit long so i hope you enjoy! once again, big thanks to @pinkapatasaurus for helping me out with this one!

pairing: harry hook x vk!reader

warnings: whole lotta angst, kinda happy ending dw

word count: 1.5k

moment of tranquility || harry hook

This was the final straw. You were absolutely fuming. 

When you and the other VKs came to Auradon, you had to get situated for school. With that came dorms, and with dorms came roommates. Usually the dorms were divided-- boys on one side and girls on the other-- but there had been a mix-up with your information, and that ultimately led to you sharing a room with the notorious son of The Captain of the High Seas; the one and only Harry Hook. 

Normally, they would have fixed the misunderstanding fairly quickly, but with all the new students this year, they couldn’t find any dorms left, leaving you stuck with good ol’ Harry for at least ten months.

Now here you were, finally sick and tired of Harry’s antics. Ever since you moved in together, he’s taken an unreasonably large disliking to you, and it seemed as if he was genuinely trying to make your time with him feel like nothing but hell. He would hit metal spoons against pots while you were trying to sleep, put gum in your textbooks so the pages would stick, cut holes into the clothes you planned to wear the next day-- he even managed to get a snake to slither along the sheets of your bed! 

But this time, this time, he had really done it. 

Staring back at your furious, angry eyes was a photo of your family. The glass protecting it had been completely shattered, some pieces still on the floor. The frame was broken in half, with the wood creating large, pointy spikes. The photo itself, though… the photo was the worst part. 

Where your head had previously been, was now replaced with a large hole. Your little brother who had been standing beside you, had his face drawn on with blue strokes of sharpie. And finally, your father had one word written over him, in big, red letters-- DEAD.

With tears in your eyes, you began to reach for the picture with shaky hands. You grazed over the picture of your dad before beginning to furiously wipe the obscene ink with your wet thumb. You try desperately to do anything to remove the mess he made, but much to your great disappointment, no matter what you did, it wouldn’t come off.

Hearing the door unlock tore you out of your thoughts, and you turned your head towards the sound.

In came Harry, seeming very pleased with himself as he made his way to his bed. “Hey, I’m just gonna nap for a bit, wake me up for dinner.” 

“I hate you.” 

The words leave the tip of your mouth in an eerily calm way, considering the wave of trauma you were just hit by, and your gaze is fixated on the words smudged above your father’s head.

“No need to say it again, love, I already--” His voice cut off as he turned to look at you. “Woah, what happened?”

You try not to display your slowly weakening voice, but it was inevitable, and it cracked more immensely than you wished, “Oh, now you care, after everything, now you finally care.” Your eyes are bloodshot as you turn to face the utterly ruthless boy. 

“What do you mean?” He sits up, worried. “If this is about the pranks, I don’t know why you’re so worked up. They were all harmless!” 

He tried to argue his defense, but you were too far gone in your rage to back down. “So you’re saying this was harmless?!” You held up the photo, and all the colour from Harry’s face drained.

“What?! You think I did that? How horrible do you think I am?”

“I’m not stupid, Harry. I know that you have red and blue sharpies.”

“Yeah, so does everybody else in Auradon!”

“You hate me!”

“Not enough to leave you traumatized!”

I had no words.

“You can believe whatever you want, love, but just know that I’m telling the truth,” He says slowly. “It wasn’t me.”

“Then who the hell was it?!” You snap from your moment of tranquility. “What, do you think I’m just making this up?!”

“No! No, I don’t think you’re making this up, I just…” He nears you, lowering his voice as if you were an estranged animal in dire need of a cage. “I think that maybe you should calm down before jumping to conclusions.”

You approach him, stubborn and hurt. “You are the worst roommate, Harry Hook,” and before he could reciprocate, you add, “And I’m moving out.” 

Dread begins to fill the pigment of your cheeks as you head for the door. Harry’s face had completely sunk, looking like you had just told him he could no longer go back to Isle of the Lost. “What?!” He asks in a desperate attempt to halt your burning steps. “I- even if you did, where would you go?”

You turn to face him one last time, eyes filled with fear, but heart fortified with stone. “I’ll live on the street if I have to,” You say, taking a step closer. And as he stands there sincerely confused, you stare at his eyes far enough to reach his guilt-ridden soul, and utter, “Because I’d go anywhere to get away from you.”  

And you slam the door. 

Now outside of the Auradon Prep Dormitory, your head is repeatedly pecked with heavy drops of rainfall. Great, you think to yourself, just my luck. But, with your head held high, you continue walking with nothing but a backpack and a barely-alive mobile phone.  

Entering the closest coffee shop you can find, you sit down and pull out your school-given laptop, looking for the cheapest place to stay for at least the night. As you do so, you realize that you can’t go back to the room to get your clothes, not after what you had said. So, remembering most of your clothes had holes in them anyway, you search the online Winners store to find anything passable but fashionable. Scrolling for what feels like hours, you get a notification indicating that your laptop is about to kick the bucket if you don’t refill its juice. Silently panicking, you begin to frantically search for your charger, only to be met with its ghastly disappearance.  

You grab your phone, noticing it blinking at 6%, and quickly text Mal. Agreeing to the request for the use of her charger, you pack your things up and are well on your way.

As you walk, you notice a familiar face. Great, you think again, just my luck. What was he doing here? Nonetheless, regardless of his reasons, you needed to avoid him, so you spin on your heels and begin to walk faster in the other direction. Back alley it is. It seemed to be the best idea, except, when you peek back, you notice that he’s following right behind you. Now this was a problem. 

“Y/N, wait up!” He yells, now running across the street, avoiding the countless cars ready to run him over. “Y/N!”

You start on a slight jog, but that wasn’t enough to overcome his insane athletic speed. You hear the puddle behind you pitter-patter as the rain hits harder. “Y/N,” He calls out once more in a crude attempt to get to stop like you did back in your dorm. 

“Why are you here?” You roar. 

He slouches a little to catch his breath. “I have to let you know that however bad you think I am,” He pants. “I didn’t do it.”

You pull him into a very conveniently placed telephone box. “Why should I believe you? Huh? This is probably just another prank of yours! I-” Your voice shifts in tone, suspicious, “I even bet the rest of the school is out there, just around the corner to see you humiliate me once more!” 

“It-it’s not,” He stutters. “They’re not- I wouldn’t do that-” But the lack of articulation was enough to let the purpose of his fake persistence shine through. You knew he was just going to go back to making your life miserable as soon as you comply. “Trust me-”

“Trust you!?” You chuckle. “After everything you’ve done, You think I’m just going to drop all my allegations and side with you?!” Your arms waved in exaggeration as you screamed at Harry. The public eye might as well have thought you were crazy, drenched in water and charading dramatically. 

“Y/N, please-” 

“Let me go,” you growl, trying to make your way past his brawny build.

“If you would just listen-”

“I SAID LET ME GO!”

“I’m not letting you go and we both know you don’t want me to either.”

You stand there, still stubbornly adamant on your words, but something about the way his eyes pleaded for you to stay, allowed you to choke on your belief.

“Just one more night,” He asks. “One more night to prove that I’m not as bad you think, and I’ll be out of your hair. For good.” 

Calming down from your resurfaced rage, you let out the smallest voice, “Alright.”

He lets out a relieved sigh, looking around as he’s realized this was a great victory.

“But one night is all you get,” You add. “No excuses.” 

Harry wraps his arms around you, and you can feel the sound of his heart thawing to the calming beat of knowing you were coming home.

masterlist

[yasminmwong]

Concept 2: Cities Flooded

Inspiration

‘The scariest variable is how quickly that flood will come. Perhaps it will be a thousand years, but perhaps much sooner. More than a billion people live within thirty feet of sea level today’

Throughout the book, there are a lot of references to rising sea levels. This is both in factual data, as a result from rising global temperatures, but also in the context of what this means for human life. The book reminds us that the rising sea-levels, that have already resulted in climate refugees whose homes have been engulfed by water, will cause devastation on our doorstep if we let it. 

I wanted to create a cover that referred to these rising sea levels - but relate them to the reality of life as we know it. Often we think of climate disasters being far away and someone else’s problem. I wanted my cover concept to show a city flooded, surrounded by water. I think it’s very easy to assume that the devastation of climate change is only happening abroad, but it’s happening to so many people everyday.

‘What would be submerged by these floods are not just the homes of those who flee - hundreds of millions of new climate refugees onto a world incapable, at this point, of accommodating the needs of just a few million - but communities, schools, shopping districts, office buildings and high rises, regional cultures so sprawling that just a few centuries ago we might have remembered them as empires unto themselves, now suddenly underwater museums.’

For this concept, I wanted the title of the cover to be the image. I wanted to create a 3D look, of text that was itself being submerged in water. Therefore for this cover - the type itself would be the imagery. I was inspired by isometric styles of 3D text - such as the work by Kate Moross, Andrew Footit and Lex Wilson.

I wanted to try and created this in my own version, especially giving the text some texture as it would bring some reality to the image. 

Experiments

Initially for this idea I had planned to create 3D letters by hand and submerged these in water - using photography to capture my concept. I began by create flat letters propped up by stands. This was relatively time consuming and didn’t give me the effect I wanted, the letters still looked flat although standing upright.

I went on to try creating box-type letters which fitted more to the idea I had in my head. I was really happy with the outcome, but it was really time-consuming. It took me about 3 hours just to three T’s and 2 H’s - which I knew were going to be the easiest letters.

I decided that even though this looked how I wanted it to, it wasn’t going to work for the finished product. So I tabled the hand-made 3D idea and decided to look into other techniques.

Looking at the references, and how they created their lettering, I decided to draw my letters out instead. I started by using the dotted paper in my typography notebook, and starting to get the effects I wanted (in a much quicker time-frame).

I decided I would instead go down this route and work on creating the letters with an isometric grid. I printed paper out and started designing my cover. I was really happy with how this turned out and I was able to quickly produce what was in my head. I took this design into illustrator and created a digital version - and voila!

For the backdrop - I experimented with some previous techniques of paint pouring and ink droplets to create water for the letters to sit in. I really liked visually how each of these looked but I felt they didn’t match the lettering or the feel of the book.  The colours and playfulness of the lines created in the ones I created were too happy looking for the book I felt. I decided to replace it with a photo of actual water This made it much more realistic and therefore linked better to the idea of this being a reality of our future.

Reflection

I was really happy with my final design in the end and I was thrilled that I was able to produce the original concept I had in my mind from the beginning. I would have liked to create more texture on the letters perhaps by using photography of actual concrete buildings, which may have brought a bit of a grittiness to the cover. 

 I had thought about using isometric type for the supplementary copy as well, but I felt this took away from the title. I decided it was better to add these using indesign. 

Using a stock image instead of a making was a tricky decision but I think it was the right one. By using an aerial view of the sea. I was able to communicate what was happening in the image better than if I had gone for a more abstract approach. I felt the style of the letters as well as the tone of the book was quite direct, so needed something a little less open to interpretation. 

Had I been able to create the 3D letters by hand, I think I would have gotten some really interesting effects. That way I would have had more control over the lighting and realistic nature of the submerging in water. However, I’m still really please with how it turned out. I think the cover is able to convey many of the sentiments mentioned in the book around rising sea levels, coastal cities at risk and the idea of this being our problem, not someone else’s. I think the cartoony style of the letters may be slightly less serious than I was looking for initially, and perhaps working in more realistic textures may have helped that.

Overall I’m really happy with the final design and happy to have learned some new techniques on isometric design on the way!

[ghosttotheparty]

cotton candy skies always look better in person

6. also on AO3 chapter five

The wind is cool on Lucas’s neck as he looks down at his phone. The bright green grass of the park he’s in is scratchy on his ankles as he crosses his legs in front of himself.

He has Instagram open, but not his personal account, not the one that Kes and Isa and Liv follow. Not the one with his face and funny captions and comments by his friends. Not the one people know about. 

This one, he started sometime last year, when hiding became too much and needed an outlet, and a diary didn’t work. He never posts pictures of himself (the profile picture is of a Greek statue), and never posts regularly. The captions never really make sense, are never thought out or planned. And the pictures are all of buildings, art, flowers, trees, the skyline of the city, Every last one: black and white. 

Until today. 

The photo he posts isn’t very colourful. It was taken at night, as Jens walked away from him down the street, illuminated by the yellow streetlamps, his arms extended in an impromptu pose as Lucas called, “I’m taking your picture!” The photo was taken seconds before Jens said, “Wait, shit, my bag!” and bolted back to the alley, emerging with his duffel bag hanging off his shoulders and Lucas nearly dropped his phone laughing. Lucas types out a quick caption, nothing thinking as his fingers move across the letters on his screen, posting it to the very few accounts that follow him. 

Lucas sighs, clicking his phone off and tilting his head back to look at the sky. It’s overcast, cloudy, but not gloomy exactly, the sun peeking through gaps in the clouds as they shift and flow above him. He reaches out, picking up a disposable coffee cup, and takes a tentative sip, watching as an old man through the park with a dog. The dog walks slowly for him, and Lucas smiles as he lowers the cup. The coffee isn’t too hot anymore, although his tongue still hurts from when he burned it earlier. He sets the cup on the ground, taking his hand away slowly to make sure it doesn’t fall in the grass, and leans over his legs, picking up his pencil and looking at his sketchbook in front of him. The page is blank, inviting. 

Lucas picks up the sketchbook, setting it on his lap and looks up at the building in front of where he sits, scanning the lawn, the door and windows, the trees, the roof, looking at the people walking past. Glancing back and forth, the building begins to take shape on his paper, light, straight lines stretching across the page. The building looks more geometric on his paper, faint guidelines just visible at every corner, every line rigid and straight, except the scribbles filling spaces for the trees.

This is peaceful, listening to the birds, to the faint sound of people talking across the park, hearing his pencil slide across the paper. Hearing dogs barking, cars passing, wind rustle through the trees. He hears faint laughter by the street and smiles softly. 

He drops his pencil on instinct when he hears his phone buzz, looking at it as it vibrates with the screen alight on top of his bag. At first, he rolls his eyes in annoyance at the interruption, but his face brightens when he reads Jens’s name on his screen.

He beams, leaning over and picking it up, a sudden giddiness glowing through his smile, the same giddiness that glows every time Jens calls, every time he texts, every time Lucas so much as thinks about him.

He pauses before answering, taking a breath, and notices the time before pressing answer and lifting the phone to his ear.

“Shouldn’t you be in class?” he asks before Jens can say anything. 

“I’ve got a class in five minutes and I’ve managed to escape my friends for the time being, I have a question!”

Lucas raises his eyebrows and grins as his sudden urgency.

“Ask away,” he says, leaning across his crossed legs and lifting his pencil, looking back at the building as he adds details lightly around the roof.

“Do you have any plans this evening?”

And Lucas drops his pencil again. 

“Uhm…” He thinks, heart pounding in his chest excitedly. “I don’t think so.” And if there are plans, Lucas is more than willing to cancel.

“What do you think about going to that cafe I mentioned?”

“The cake one?” 

“Yeah.” It sounds like Jens is surrounded people, his voice a little breathless. 

“Yeah, I’d love to.” He pauses. “You don’t have a party or anything with your friends?” 

“I—Yeah, there’s a party, but I…” He trails off. “I’d rather be with you, to be honest.” 

Lucas squeezes his eyes shut and grins. 

“Okay.” 

There’s a moment of silence and Lucas can hear people talking and the sound of Jens’s breath and steps as he goes down stairs. He wonders if Jens can hear the birds on his end of the line.

“So yeah?” Jens asks. “I’ll meet you at our spot?” 

Our spot.

“Yeah, what time?” 

“Seven?” 

“That works for me.” 

“Okay.” He can hear Jens’s smile. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tonight.” “Bye.”

“Bye.

Jens hangs up and Lucas slowly lowers his phone, smiling. He’s going on a date. A real, actual date, with the prettiest boy in Antwerp. The prettiest boy in the universe, really, as far as Lucas is concerned. 

And fuck, if he doesn’t look pretty in a button-down.

“You clean up nice,” Lucas says, reaching out and straightening his collar. Jens flushes under the lamplight, looking away and scratching the back of his head. 

“Thanks.” Jens takes a deep breath, looking Lucas up and down and suddenly Lucas feels self-conscious in his sweater. 

“Am I underdressed?” he asks, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his feet. 

“No, you look good.” Jens is smiling softly. 

“So, where are we going?” “Cafe. Come on.” Jens cocks his head and turns to go down the sidewalk. Lucas joins him, walking at his side silently. It’s already dark out, the street lit up by streetlamps, and Lucas looks up at Jens’s face, seeing his eyes shining in the light. 

“Yes?” Jens looks at him, smiling again.

“You’re pretty.” He looks ahead of himself and hears Jens scoff lightly.

There’s a moment of silence before Jens asks gently, “Can I hold your hand?” and Lucas grins, pulling a hand out of his pocket and holding it between them. Jens laces his fingers with Lucas’s, brushing his thumb over the back of his hand. Lucas sighs happily. 

“So you’d rather get cake with me than go to a fun party?” Lucas asks, and Jens swings their hands slightly.

“I’d rather sit on a dumpster with you than go to a fun party.” “That’s sweet.” Lucas squeezes his hand. 

“If I had gone, though, I probably would have ended up calling you again. 

“Also sweet.” 

Jens lets go of his hand to open the door of the cafe, stepping aside so Lucas can enter. ( Lucas tilts his head and says, “Oh, a gentleman.”) They sit at a small table against the wall, away from the door. There aren’t many other people, an elderly woman near the window with a thick book and thick glasses, and a middle-aged couple sitting in a booth, a small bouquet between them. The lighting is dim, yellow light omitted from hanging overhead bulbs and fairy lights. 

Jens sits against the wall, looking up at Lucas and propping his chin on his hands. 

“Hi,” Lucas says as he sits, copying him. “You know what you want?” 

“Uhm…” Jens scans his face. “I don’t know.” 

Lucas slides the menu next to him across the table and Jens takes it, opening it and looking down. 

“Coffee...Tea...Croissants…” He looks up. “Cafe basics.” 

Lucas laughs, cocking his head, and Jens looks back down at the menu. As Jens continues to read from it quietly, Lucas reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, snapping a picture of him. Jens hears and lifts the menu to cover his face, smiling bashfully. 

“Do  you think it’s too late to order a coffee?” Lucas asks, setting his phone on the table. 

“Oh, never.” Jens sets the menu down. “My mother would say yes, but I don’t feel like an herbal tea right now. 

“All I know is I want cake,” Lucas says, spinning the menu to see it. 

“Okay.” Jens snatches the menu and moves it away from him. Before Lucas can protest, Jens is standing. “I’ll surprise you. You’re not allergic to anything, are you?” 

Lucas looks up at him and shakes his head. 

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” Jens leaves to the counter and Lucas sighs, running his hands over his face and smiling. He takes a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, before opening them and grabbing a napkin with one hand and reaching into his pocket with the other, pulling out a pen. He’d almost forgotten the pen on his way out his room. He likes carrying a pen with him, usually doodling on his hands or his ankles as he crosses a leg on top of the other. Other times, he doodles on trash, spare paper or receipts, napkins. The ink is black and light over the soft paper, a small flower taking shape. The lines are rough and sketchy. He tries to do a straight line but stops when the paper almost rips. 

There’s a small square of flowers by the time Jens joins him again, placing a mug in front of Lucas and another across from him. Lucas looks up and drops the pen, but Jens is walking back to the counter. Lucas watches as he lifts two plates and comes back, and moves the mugs and napkin out of the way for the plates. 

“Okay, I’m back now,” Jens says, flopping in his seat. He drops several packets of sugar on the table. “I figured with the cake that you have a sweet tooth, so here.”

Lucas smiles and grabs three, ripping them all together and pouring them into his coffee. 

---

“You’ve got…” Lucas gestures to Jens’s face, suppressing a smile. 

“What?” 

There’s a smudge of chocolate on his cheek, and Lucas hesitates before grabbing another napkin and leaning across the table and carefully wiping his face. Jens lets him, his cheeks and ears turning red. 

“Oh.” 

Lucas giggles and retracts his hand, letting Jens take the napkin.

“You’re an idiot,” Lucas says softly, affectionately, picking up his pen and adding some tiny lines to his doodle of Jens on the napkin. He hears Jens scoff. 

“Fuck you.” There’s laughter in Jens’s voice and Lucas smiles.

“Take me out to dinner first, damn…” 

He finishes the sketch and looks up to see Jens staring at him with a straight face, his lips pressed together. Lucas stares back, trying not to smile, and Jens takes a deep, slow breath, exhaling shakily before bursting out laughing. Lucas laughs, shushing him.

“Shut up!” 

“Sorry, I’m just—” Jens covers his face and turns away. His eyes are squeezed shut and Lucas can hear his short breaths as he laughs, making Lucas laugh harder.

Jens takes a deep breath and lowers his hands, gesturing to the two almost-empty plates of cake between them.

“What the fuck am I doing here?” 

Lucas laughs again, dropping his head against the table, his shoulders shaking. He’s glad there aren’t many people in the cafe. 

“Cake doesn’t count as dinner,” he says, lifting his head.

“What do you mean?” Jens leans in, tilting his head and furrowing his brows. “Anything is dinner if you’re not a coward.”

Lucas snorts and takes another bite of cake. 

“Okay, fine.” He starts to draw more flowers around Jens. He can feel Jens’s eyes on him as he does, and the air has shifted around them slightly, but he ignores it as he feels Jens’s knee press into his under the table.

---

He walks Jens home. Really, he just wants to spend every last second possible with him, but the excuse he says is that Jens was the gentleman at the cafe, and now it’s Lucas’s turn.

They stop outside an apartment building and Jens turns to Lucas, his fingers twisting in Lucas’s so he’s holding their hands between them. Lucas’s eyes flick back and forth between his, both their eyes glistening in the light of the streetlamps.

“I’ll see you on Thursday?” Jens asks after a second. 

“’Course.” 

Jens smiles softly and Lucas watches his mouth as he does, tightening his grip on Jens’s hand, and leans up slightly, bumping their noses together. Jens’s eyes flutter shut.

There aren’t just butterflies, it feels like there’s a flock of birds in his belly. And in his lungs, making it hard to breathe. He can feel Jens’s breath on his face, soft as gusts of wind from a butterfly’s wings.

Nudging their noses together, Lucas leans and turns his head, and presses his lips to Jens’s cheek gently. He can feel Jens’s cheek move as he smiles. 

“I’ll see you Thursday,” he says after kissing his cheek again and Jens nods. 

“Bye,” Jens whispers.

As Lucas walks away and he knows Jens can’t see him, he beams, squeezing his eyes shut. He turns a corner and presses his back to the wall, covering his face with his hands.

He stays there for almost a full minute, breathing deeply, waiting for his heartbeat to slow down. 

The napkin is stuffed in his pocket.

[lesbianrhaenyratargaryen]

🌷 + tag is #creations

this is a very rude ask because it forced me to choose between all of your amazing edits. how dare you.

anyway, i went slightly overboard but here's a meta analysis of my top 5 in no particular order:

the herondale siblings: this is the first one that came to my mind because it's just so gorgeous?? i love your style and this one is just,,, so you, the colours, the bg, the text, absolutely amazing. i love that you included ella <3 her quotes aren't by her and aren't even particularly about her — "just" about her death. and isn't that part of what she's become to cecily and will? we know next to nothing about ella, just that she, without any of her own doing, ripped her family apart. and doesn't that just add to the tragedy? i really like how this edit focuses on the three of them as siblings, not just three people who happen to share the same name. will is so defined by his sisters and their story and i love to see that be acknowledged. yes please and thank you. of course, he's impacted by ella's death and then suddenly there's this little sister and she's just like "hey, i'm coming with you." and of course, he loves his family but his life has also been too full of tragedy to just accept that and be done with it. i'm also never complaining about henry cavill!will, just saying. and that 1/2/3 part is such a seemingly small touch but it really brings the edit together for me!!

charles fairchild: mindblowing. yes please. this is so creative, i really love the 2nd gif with the "self-made man" but then his face disappears and yes, he's self-made to some degree but is it really all of his own making? he goes around with his head held high and this imposing persona but that persona is what leads him to hide and even lose his true feelings and therefore his face. amazing. and the 3rd and 6th gif/pic with the crown and the red and the lightning strikes. yes, he's on the road to high political success but at what cost? he can hold the crown but he has to conceal his face, who he loves, the most essential pieces of what makes him him. the lightning strikes and makes a clear divide between 'charles fairchild - friend, brother, son, boyfriend' and 'charles fairchild - future consul and nothing else'. and the red of the crown maybe symbolising blood — is this really his? or just the crown of charlotte fairchild's son? does he even deserve it? this edit is just a masterpiece. yes, i have a bit of a soft spot for charles, please don't cancel me.

ariadne bridgestock: ahhh, i love the whole vibe of this. i know you love your red/blues but this gold,,, such glamour, such drama. this is just really gorgeous. ariadne, for me, is kind of similar to charles, in relation to concealing their true feelings. charles just does it for political gain, ariadne wants to have children. and this edit is just this look into her life full of glam and riches and pretty dresses and a nice fiance but all that glitters is not gold. you can see it in the 2nd pic — yes, everything looks perfect but that paper is starting to crinkle, isn't it? but i especially like the 3rd gif in this aspect. herself in a mirror. who's staring back? a wonderful young lady, for sure, but is this lady really worth giving up love for? the colours constantly change, as do her imaginings of her ideal future. as in the 4th gif, that future is full of fog and she's just staring at it, this film of her life, diluted by fog. staring and staring and staring but no matter how it changes, it never does become any clearer.

will herondale: you making tid edits is truly what this fandom needed the most and this just proved it again. honestly, this wasn't on my list initially (probably bc it's so new) but i've been staring at it on my laptop for the last few minutes and gabi, oh gabi, you did it again. this is so creative, i really can't do anything but to keep staring at it. first off, i had forgotten the first part of the "it was books that made me feel less alone"-quote and uhh, fuck. will herondale feelings going all over the place. and this edit encompasses everything will that there is to will and that's part of what makes it so amazing. the first pic so gorgeous. will herondale, i would die for you. and with the second, our attention is of course, drawn first to "cursed" and that's what was will's focus when looking at himself for a long time, too. but then you pay more attention and there's this quote about ducks!! something that goes against will's whole angsty cursed spiel because no matter what he believes, there's still this young boy under the wall he built for himself. this young boy, who'd make jokes about something as inconsequential as ducks. next one is of course, absolutely gorgeous again, just saying. what an iconic quote. or is it? i know the mask is for the ball in cp but this is my analysis, i can use it for whatever i want. yes, books are awesome but books are also a really easy to get lost in them when you're trying to hide who you really are. but then we have the ink glass and will's finally not just using books to avoid other people but maybe, to start writing and particapting in his own life a bit more. i don't have much fake-analysis thoughts for the next three pics but while looking up piano quotes, i found one where will is sad about jem because jem had always said, that his hands were made for a piano but jem's now dead. so that was sad, huh? but the second half looks just as good honestly and still, so damn creative. also henry cavill of course.

james herondale: full offense, i thought this was at most a march post but it's an april one. i have no concept of time anymore. this is the first edit of yours i ever saw and it's still one of my favs! it just characterises james so well. you know, i do believe that james is just a really nice and sweet guy but he can't show that to most people bc so many of them just think of him, as the kid with demon grandfather. the first gif, of course, has the most iconic james quote imo. damn, i love that quote. and you can already see how he splinters away because if everyone tells him he's damned, maybe they're right? and then his eyes. yeah, maybe gold eyes are a bit weird but with james it's automatically "oh yeah. the demon part" and again, his eyes also go into the dark. i love the editing on these gifs so much. the whole appearing/disappearing thing is just so james. and the next two gifs just again show that contrast of who james is and who the world believes him to - angel vs. demon, light vs. dark. overall, just iconic.

tl;dr: i love you, i love your edits, keep being amazing <3

[decaffs]

university note-taking 101 ~

one of the hardest things parts of adapting to life in university is finding a note-taking method that is efficient and easy for you and your learning style.

it took me 18 months at university, experimenting with different note-taking styles, to settle on a few that work best for me. i thought i’d share all of the different methods i tried and the pros/cons of each & hopefully it’ll help you land on some note-taking styles quicker than i did! :-))

SO...i’ll start by saying obviously not all note-taking techniques are going to be included in this post because i’m just one person and these are just the styles i’ve had personal experience with and not everyone will like or dislike the same methods, it will take a little bit of trial and error to find your perfect style :-))

i’m going to split the different methods into 3 separate sections (and i’ll highlight my personal favourites):

    ⇢ handwritten

    ⇢ ipad/tablet

    ⇢ macbok/laptop

starting with what we all know and (kind of) love! we’ve spent the majority of our school education making handwritten notes for high school so it makes sense to start here.

1. basic handwritten notes

this type of note-taking is the most basic of all basic note-taking techniques and it’s probably what you’re used to. it involves any kind of paper - lined, squared, plained, whatever you fancy - and a single pen or pencil. 

all this involves is writing down everything important you think is being said or discussed by your lecturer or your classmates! there’s nothing fancy involved, it’s all about getting down the most important points.

pros: 

- you’ve already been doing this for years

- no time wasted doodling or highlighting

cons:

- can be time consuming if you’re not a quick writer

- if you’re writing on loose paper, it’s super easy to lose

- not easy to work out what notes relate to what slides / what comments were being made

- you may end up trying to write down everything on the lecture slides - waste of time when you can view them at home and you might miss important adlib!

2. annotating print-outs (*fave*)

this is a technique i adopted in second year of university! all you have to do is print out your lecture slides beforehand and bring them along with you. you can write at the side of slides or right on top of them.

pros:

- less likely to repeat what is said on slides so you can spend time listening for the nuggets of gold from your lecturer

- having slides prepared before a lecture means you can read them and familiarise yourself with some content

- easy to know what notes relate to what specific slides

- super quick to make important and accurate notes!

cons:

- it can be expensive to buy a printer/ink or to use your university’s printing facilities

- again, you can easily lose loose paper if you’re not careful

- your lecture slides may not always be available beforehand

3. cornell note-taking

cornell note-taking is something you’re probably already aware for those who don’t know - it’s a note-taking system devised in the 40s by a cornell professor.

cornell notes have to look a particular way in order for them to work (see here) and they’re geared towards helping you pass your exams. 

you do your main note-taking in the right-hand box - these notes should be brief but include enough detail to act as a revision source. take these note in lectures or in classes and make sure to note down and highlight anything your lecturer emphasises.

use your left-hand column to write down potential exam questions you could be asked regarding the notes you’ve written on the right. these questions should act as test questions when you’re revising! 

finally, in the bottom box you should summarise the key points to take away from that page of notes.

pros:

- excellent note-taking method for exam revision

- can be super efficient once you’re used to the style

cons:

- can take a while to set up pages if you’re doing it by hand

- can take some time adapting to this new way of note-taking

- not a flexible note-taking system, no person wiggle room

handwritten notes general pros and cons:

- hand writing notes is the most reliable way to remember important information

- you can use personal abbreviations and symbols to make your note-taking quicker

- you might lose papers here and there meaning your notes are incomplete or totally make no sense anymore

- it can be time-consuming trying to decide what is the vital information and getting it down before the topic of discussion changes

1. goodnotes for set reading annotations (app link here) (*fave*)

goodnotes is an app designed specifically for taking efficient and nice-to-look-at-notes! i personally use it for note-taking and annotating set readings at university.

i create a checklist on the first page of each module’s notebooks and write down each research paper or journal article i have to read so i don’t lose track. i then important PDFs straight into the notebook and annotate and highlight over the top of them.

pros:

- it’s super easy to have all of your reading notes and annotations in one place

- no risk of losing papers as everything is stored electronically

- the app uses icloud to sync your notes across all your devices make everything super accessible 

- you can quickly share your notes with anybody through email/airdrop/imessage/pretty much anything!

cons:

- you do have to pay for the app (but it’s cheaper than printing out all of your readings)

- can be difficult to navigate at first 

2. onenote for in-lecture notes

onenote is a microsoft app that lets you type and draw in one place! it works in a similar way to goodnotes.

i used onenote in first year to take in-lecture notes because it also allows for audio recording (DISCLAIMER: DO NOT RECORD YOUR LECTURES WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM YOUR UNIVERSITY AND LECTURERS) and it was super handy to have my notes and audio stored in the same file.

pros:

- super versatile and allows for many note-taking method in one app

- syncs across your devices (if you have onenote downloaded)

- allows you to collate different methods of note-taking in one place

cons:

- can be hard to organise your information! pages are blank and there’s no end to them, there’s also no grid for your items to snap to so it gets messy very quickly

- i’ve experienced personal issues with the syncing feature

ipad tablet/notes general pros and cons:

- tablets are generally really lightweight and easy to carry around - making them preferable over heavy notebooks or laptops

- having access to the internet makes note-taking super easy when you need to search terms or find photos

- you do have to make sure your tablet is fully charged if you’re taking it onto campus

- tablets can be super expensive

now for my holy grail - taking notes on a macbook or (insert laptop of choice here)!

1. brief in-lecture notes (*fave*)

i use microsoft word or pages to take most of my in-lecture notes and i fleet between using my ipad and macbook - i’m sticking it in this section because 9/10 i’m using my macbook.

with these kind of notes i set myself a specific structure and carry that out through the whole module!

first i lay my title across the top of my document - i usually just use the title of the lecture / general lecture topic. I then use my first indentations for the titles of each individual slide and bullet points for important comments made about each slide i also note particularly interesting things written on the slides themselves!

i stick to one font and one size to avoid wasting time on formatting!

i usually print out these notes so i can annotate them with any research i’ve found so it helps with my finalised notes.

pros:

- super quick if you’re a fast typer

- easy to correct notes or go back and add more detail at a later date

- easy to share and sync between devices

- simple format makes it easy to follow and a good revision resource

cons:

- notes can look a little boring and uninviting

- not easy to use abbreviations or symbols because of autocorrect!

2. extensive revision notes (*fave*)

i also use my macbook to create my finalised notes that i use to write my essays and revise for exams.

these notes take more time to make because of the formatting but they’re super nice to look at and make a wonderful resource at the end.

for these notes i start by picking a colour scheme (usually one within microsoft word) and i stick with this colour scheme for a whole module. i allocate one colour to research names and dates, one colour to titles, one colour to highlight key information with. i also use a variety of fonts! i typically use 4 fonts: one for the title of the lecture, one for subheadings, one for researcher names and dates and one for the main body of text - the main body font is usually a standard Helvetica or Arial!

i really take time to flesh out these notes so they reflect all of my learning - lectures, seminars, set reading, extra reading and knowledge i already had! i print off the notes and stick them in a ring binder and this becomes my bible for the semester!

pros:

- really inviting to look at so it makes revision a bit more enjoyable

- gives you time to show off your knowledge and create an extensive revision resource

- easy to share with friends or lecturers to get feedback

cons:

- can take a while to make these notes

- if you’re printing, this can cost quite a bit!

3. mind-map notes

finally! mind-map notes.

i use SimpleMind Lite to create mind-maps as the last part of my learning. each lecture gets its own mind-map and the nodes represent the key themes within the lecture!

it’s super important you don’t just use slide titles for your nodes as your mind-map will get crowded easily and you won’t want to use it as a revision resource.

keep your branching-off nodes short and sweet - think of them as knowledge cues! by the end of your learning you should be able to look at a node and remember the information regarding that point. these cues are also easier to remember and jog your memory in exam settings.

pros:

- good to see information presented in a new way

- you can use bright colours to make it more exciting

- great way to prep for exams

cons:

- hard to print also your canvas within the app is endless

- can be hard to share with others

macbook/laptop notes general pros and cons:

- can help you create a wide variety of notes - from short and sweet to fleshed out and fuuuuull of all the detail in the world

- allows you to correct, add to and print off your notes however many times you’d like

- you do have to make sure your laptop is always charged / you always have a charger!

- laptops can be heavy and impractical to carry to university

- if you’re not saving to a cloud you could lose some of your work (don’t be silly like me, use an external hard drive or dropbox!!!)

you made it!!! congrats :-))

hopefully i’ve given you a good idea of some of the note-taking methods you could use in university and you fancy trying a couple out!

if you have any questions or note-taking tips yourself, leave a message in the replies below.

decaffs x

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[ellamyplace]

Mixed Media Boards.

On Monday, I finished my Mix Media boards for the theme Belonging. They first started out with just my Angel screen prints as I didn't have time to add more of my work to them. I ended up adding my Lino print as they needed to be printed onto my boards. I did have my finger painting technique on there to give them some more boldness and colour. Furthermore, as well to so off my skills and also put something on my boards that I enjoyed doing. 

Firstly I printed my Linos in a dark green and blue as there was already so much brightness on there I wanted to equal all of the colour tones out. Next I added some text onto my board, using black ink so they can standout better with the colourful background. I added a book cut out as well to give it some collage. Finally I wanted to give it some ‘doodles’ in different colour sharpies. 

Overall I think the outcome of my boards are amazing. They show that I’ve used mix media and they look so eye catching which is what I wanted them to have. I love all of the bright colours and the textures as well. The textures I love as the Lino prints that I tries printing onto of my finger painting didn't come out just added to the texture. Which I think is quite different as only half the Lino printed due to the lumps and bombs of the finger painting. 

To improve I would redo the text as I didn't add enough ink or press hard enough for the text to actually print on my boards. I would as well like to of added the newspaper underneath my Lino print as I think it would of looked so much better and I would of liked to see how it turned out as well. Furthermore, I would of liked to add some more finger painting to one of my boards to give it more texture. To take it further I would like to upload some of these photos to photoshop or photoshop express thats on my phone and digital edit them.

[wwounu]

Still in shock, you continue to ask Seokmin questions ever since he has taken you upstairs to his comfy studio, asking you to take a seat as he takes a small break, cleaning the room.

“How long have you been doing this again?”

“Two or three years?” Seokmin replies, leaning more to a question than a statement. “Something like that.”

“Oh cool. Pretty long then.”

“Yep, it’s crazy thinking about it… Really crazy…”

“Aren’t there any clients after me?”

“Nope. My shift would be over right now since I usually work at the dog cafe this time, but I called in that I was sick so shush don’t tell anyone.”

The male lifts a finger to his lips, his lips forming a curl.

“So!” He claps his hands after your giggle. “You can get as much as you’d like. We can be here all night — What would you like to have?”

He’s now seated, in the middle of putting his gloves as you speak. He swivels in his chair to get a plain book and pen, opening to a clean page.

You awkwardly begin, “Uh… I’d like something simple — and hidden — so no one can notice it upon first glance.”

“I get you, ‘small and simple’.” Seokmin jots down his words in the book. “Anything else?”

“I’d like it to be a flower.”

“Ah, of course! Anything in particular?”

“A cherry blossom.” You cringe once saying it aloud. “I must sound basic right now, but I’d like to keep it minimalistic. Maybe not so much because I want there to be detail, but I think the blossoms should be the focal point of it all, while they’re growing scattered on the branch…”

Not knowing why, your voice says away at the end, watching Seokmin’s hand move left to right.

“So like this?”

He holds up his notebook, showing an ideal sketch of the tattoo you imagined perfectly, and you hum in agreement. “Damn, you really get me.”

“I guess I do.” The man grins. “That would look great on the ankle I think. It’ll sting a bit, are you ready for it? You can choose anywhere else if you want.”

“No I’m good with your decision, I trust you.”

Seokmin pauses at your final words, almost zoning out, but he eventually comes back on earth and gets himself started. “Attagirl!” He laughs, getting straight to work

A few minutes in and the silence is unbearable for you. You didn’t want to distract Seokmin either, but you quietly say, “Can I talk while you work? I don’t want to ruin your focus or anything.”

Seokmin hums. “Feel free too. I love talking to clients about anything — And you as my client makes it even better.”

“What made you want to start doing all of this?”

“It came out of nowhere, really. Soonyoung was busy doing thumbnails for a drawing of his, I think it was a back tattoo? For one of his characters, and I would it pretty cool, asked if I could contribute to some ideas. I think he only told me to go for it because he couldn’t care less.”

“And then?”

“I get to work too and after a few songs yada yada, I show him my ideas and stupidly start talking about the details I included. It was rushed but I don’t think Soonyoung realised that — You should’ve seen his face! I felt intimidated and proud. Next thing you know it, he tells me I’m really good and that I should be a tattoo artist. And now look at me! A very stupid story, but it’s close to my heart.”

“Cool! What do you prefer to do on people?”

“I’m cool with anything but I love doing complex tattoos — people are always satisfied when I do them, it feels really great helping them. But when it comes to myself, I prefer something uncomplicated.”

“Hm, why?”

The male snorts, rubbing his nose shyly. “Mainly just the backlash and looks from everyone… Plus I don’t think big, bold tattoos would look great on a guy like me-“ He’s stopped by the slip of your laugh, which is caught on by Seokmin too.

“Don’t your friends know about this? That you do this for a living?”

In reply the male chuckles. “Well… At first they didn’t, I wasn’t vocal about it and everyone already knew about my jobs with dogs. I think hearing about me being a tattooist would freak them out…”

“Tell me about it!”

“On one night my four friends were gathered somewhere near the parlour to hang out — at the time a friend was new to the city so they brought him there often to familiarise himself as the others were regulars…”

“My friend — Wonwoo; the new one back then — told me that he heard my laugh a bit away from the parlour and ‘knew my laugh but didnt at the same time’. He gets closer to the studio, and I don’t realise his presence, and he sees me laughing with some guys I’m close to while adding another tattoo onto his sleeve of ink…”

“With someone like Wonwoo, he doesn’t look like the strongest man but never underestimate him…” Seokmin shudders, flashbacks in his mind. “Um anyway, he has really bad eyesight and was too lazy to step into the parlour so late at night, but he apparently mistook me as Soonyoung because of our smilier hairstyles and laugh. Plus, it’d make sense for Soonyoung since the latter’s an artist, but even Wonwoo knew that Soonyoung wouldn’t do something like that at all…”

“At that exact moment, Soonyoung texts Wonwoo asking him to convince Minghao — Our model friend — to be his model, which didn’t add up for Wonwoo, and it was by the time Vernon yells out his name, wondering why he’s there, and I happen to hear it, seeing the two of them stare at each other Wonwoo stares at me, followed by Vernon, before yelling out my name in shock...”

“Apparently I’m ‘way too precious for that’ which is why they were all in disbelief. Only Joshua and Soonyoung knew about it before the accident, and apparently Jihoon too since he wasn’t phased by it.”

“I wouldn’t blame them,” You agree, smiling. Seokmin pouts but eventually smiles afterwards. “So have your friends asked you to do tattoos for them?”

“Here and there. Minghao asked me to do an infinity dragon for him in return of a favour. Other times it would be dumb tattoos my friends would want and I’d have to refuse the offer… Especially when it’s Soonyoung!”

Now adding the colour — and mainly because you had stopped distracting Seokmin from your non-stop chattering — you feel the pain come through on your ankle.

You’ve tried so hard not to feel the pain (as well as kick your foot due to how sensitive that area was), but the male puts you at ease, hushing you and telling you how good you’re doing.

A few more moments, chatting to Seokmin here and there, and you finally hear the “Ta-da!” From the latter.

“How does it look?”

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Grinning, Seokmin grants you to sit and passes you a mirror, seeing the tattoo more clearly. “So…?”

“I don’t know what to say-“ You stammer, “It looks amazing! You’re amazing Seok’!”

“Ah, don’t flatter me…” He huffs, resisting his smile. “I’m just happy you like it. Oh, but I need to give you some heads up before you can enjoy your tattoo.”

You nod, letting Seokmin protect the tattoo with a bandage, watching him do the process before he sits back down again, cleaning his studio once again.

“Don’t take the bandage off after a day. Take extra care with it, sometimes the ink takes a while to settle, so no long showers or baths, and keep the tattoo dry — It’s better to gently wash over it frequently, but don’t go crazy with it though…”

“Got it. What else?”

“Do be aware that it will itch, so I beg you not to scratch it since it’s the ankle and that’ll definitely do a thing or two to you. It’ll be hard but I believe in you! Also, use moisturisers too. Do this for two to four weeks and you’ll be all set!”

You hug the male, thanking him countless of times before you let go. You couldn’t thank Seokmin enough. After letting go, you pay for the tattoo and he asks you to stay around as he cleans up the parlour.

What ended up feeling like an hour suddenly turned into six, with the sun beaming its golden hour and the streets filling with more people while you converse with Seokmin, listening to his oddly fascinating dog walking stories.

“What other tattoos do you have? I’m kinda curious now.” Casually, you look outside the window and notice the sky gradually turn darker. When you turn back to look at the male, he scares you another time as to how close he was. “I swear you need to stop scaring me like that.”

“Sorry!” He chirps, humming a little at the end. “Should I tell them in order?”

“Alright,”

He shows you each inked drawing one by one.

The first tattoo was one you’ve already seen. An inked outline of a sunflower, running down his inner left bicep. As it was his first, he was scared what the outcome of his tattoo would be, since the what ifs wondered in his head and that a mistake will be made, yet things went the opposite for him — in a good way — and the old man who tattooed him became somewhat of a father to him as he was desiring to become a tattoo artist.

The second, a tiny doodle of a puppy’s slanted eyes, upside-down triangle nose and ears shaped in an ‘M’. That was his first self-made tattoo, located on his ankle. And of course it was directed to his unconditional love for puppies. For a first try, it wasn’t that bad — The tattoo was mainly credited to Soonyoung who drew the tiny doodle in the exact location (You had no idea how he managed to draw on his ankle, but you went with it), which Seokmin looked at afterwards and thought ‘This is nice’ and behold the tattoo.

And for credit, he had his friend put his initials — ‘KSY’ — to tattoo it additionally, just to the corner of the tattoo itself.

Thirdly; A constellation. Seokmin had to remove his shirt for this one, which was awkward at first, but the awkwardness was taken away the moment you laid eyes on his shoulder blade to the right hand side. The tattoo didn’t have a special meaning to it, but as it’s Aquarius, he got it as he was one himself (quite obviously).

‘Say yes’ was what you remembered about his fourth tattoo. Just underneath his inked constellation, it was tattooed in a typewriter font. Briefly, he explained that it was a duet he had to with his friend for Jihoon’s project. All he said was that it hit home, which you thought he was going to continue, but he fell silent for a few beats and his shirt back on.

“Finally,” He heaves, the mood feeling heavier than usual, “this.”

He lifts up his left arm, stretching it out to move his sleeve, revealing the small tattoo you had a glimpse on his wrist.

“It’s a — uh — lock. It’s really small, you can’t really see it. I did it myself. It-“ All of his words sounds disjointed, panicked, “It means a lot.”

With the vague description, he didn’t look like he wanted to go further, and it was only for you to respect that. If it meant a lot, then it’ll take time for him to tell you. One day, maybe, one day.

He acts more quiet now, with less words and less liveliness in him. It was a long day for the both of you, and you didn’t want it to end on a bad note.

Fiddling with his hands, Seokmin doesn’t acknowledge your head weighing on his shoulder.

“Sing me a song Seokmin.”

“A song? My singing isn’t that great…”

“Either way — I like your voice, I want to hear it.”

“But…”

“Just sing to me, I won’t judge, you have a pretty voice. ‘If I’m good at it, I shouldn’t hide it’,” You mimic his words, choking a laugh out of him.

He silent for another moment, then begins to softly sing the lyrics to Half Moon to you, going falsetto when he reaches parts where it would be more pronounced at, and adding a breathiness to his singing. To you, it felt like you were on the moon — lost in space — because of his singing alone.

And your eyes begin to get heavier, Seokmin’s voice lulling you to sleep. You did it; You made the day end well. And for you and Seokmin, neither of you wanted to ruin it.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT PART TEN — Tattoo Artist!Seokmin x Florist!Reader

finally back to updating! (hopefully...)

one • two • three • four • five • six • seven • eight • nine • ten • eleven

masterlist

[cruiseskybird]

Handwriting in adobe illustrator with mouse

The paths we are looking for show empty whitespace in the path preview, like the following image. What we need to do is find and delete the ones that correspond to the whitespace within letters (like the centre of an ‘O’) as well as the one that corresponds to the white background. You’ll see a Group inside Layer 1 that contains a whole bunch of paths. To illustrate the problem, I’ve place a coloured layer behind out traced + expanded image.

Edit the traced path afterwards to smooth out any rough areasĮxpanding the image created a few objects that we need to get rid of if we want to easily change the text colour and/or place only the text on a background.

Use smoother paper and a pen with more even flow of ink.

In those situations, there are a few things that can be done: However, if I am working on writing that needs to be digitized in a more polished manner (perhaps for a logo), I’d like it to be more perfect. In fact, the flaws in the trace match up with the flaws in my writing, and I like this. When I’m creating something that is meant to truly represent my handwriting, I do not mind the imperfections. If you are using rough paper and a pen that doesn’t always put out a smooth edge (like mine-if you look close at the photo of my text, you’ll see the edges are a bit rough in some areas), these things will be reflected in the trace. There are many reasons for this, but it often ends up being the type of pen or the type of paper. However, it’s still possible you may end up with something you aren’t 100% happy with. Often this process is very much trial and error. Once you’re done perfecting, we need to go in and expand the photo. Move them to their far lefts and rights and see how the trace is affected. Now, the best way to learn what the settings do is to play with each of them. If you haven’t touched the settings yet, the image should trace just as it did before. Click the Preview checkbox in the bottom-left corner so you can see how the adjustments you make affect the output. We’ll be using this to refine how the handwriting gets traced. But have no fear!įirst, undo the initial trace attempt (Edit > Undo). Then go to Window > Image Trace. If you like how it looks, skip the rest of this step and move on to the next one. We’re going to Trace and Expand it by going to Object > Image Trace > Make and Expand. If we’re lucky (and also depending on your pen, photo, paper, and lighting), we’ll get a good trace and be good to move onto the next step. Depending on the size and resolution of your photo, it may take over the entire artboard (plus some), so just resize it if need be. Literally, just drag and drop it into an open file. For me, Apple’s AirDrop works seamlessly for this, but you can always email the photo or add it to your favourite file sharing software instead. This isn’t necessary, however it gets rid of unnecessary space and makes the file smaller. Once you have the photo, go ahead and crop it so it only includes the text you want digitized. I’ve always been able to achieve what I needed with a simple photo snapped with my iPhone. Try not to include any shadows in the photo. Again, we’re aiming to achieve the greatest contrast we can. Take a photo of your handwriting, in good lighting. Don’t worry about writing anything ginormous (we want it to be natural, after all) just write in whatever size you normally would for the style you’re after. However, if that is out of the question (if, for example, you already have something in front of you that’s written in red ink on off-white paper), don’t worry-not all is lost. The more contrast you have between the text and the paper, the better. If possible, choose a dark ink on white paper. This tutorial will show you how to make it happen in Illustrator, which means you’ll also end up with a vector of your text (win). There are many reasons why you may way to digitize handwritten text-but the reason is not important here.

[oddree13]

Nursey/Dex Accidental Nudes RP

You: ((Wrong number; nudes sent to the wrong person)) Those, uh. WP Those weren't meant for you. WP

Stranger: Um. DN Yeah, uh, I figured, and - yep. DN No worries, bro. It happens. DN

You: Right. Thanks. WP Just delete them please. WP

Stranger: I'm obviously going to, Dex, come on. DN But I'm lowkey kind of impressed. I never really took you as the kind of guy that'd send nudes. DN I mean, you can do whatever you want and shit. DN

You: First, thanks for deleting them. WP Second, they nudes were requested. WP

Stranger: Still. DN

Stranger: I didn't even know you were like, you know. With anyone. DN If you're not that's chill too. DN

You: I'm not with anyone. WP They asked, and I agreed. WP

Stranger: Cool. DN Cool, cool. DN

You: Are you okay dude? WP

Stranger: Angle's a little awkward, though. DN Like, you should've shifted left a bit. DN I'm fine. DN

You: Umm, thanks I guess? I mean I wasn't trying to show off my dick. WP Hockey butt was the main event so to speak. WP

Stranger: Yeah, I know, just like - you looked a little awkward, eh. DN

You: Well I'm not good at this. WP But I haven't sent them so I guess I'll retry...wP

Stranger: Just relax. You look hyperaware of everything and it totally makes them look awkward. DN

Stranger: But, whatever. You look good, I'm sure whoever you send 'em to will be just fine. DN

You: No, you're right. I just look awkward. WP This was a dumb idea anyway. WP

Stranger: Aw, come on, Dexy. You just have to chill, that's why you look awkward. You're hot. Just be confident. DN

You: Confident right. WP This is too much effort for a hook up honestly. WP

Stranger: Have you hooked up with them before? DN

You: No. WP

Stranger: Wow, then what the fuck is this, some kinda pre-screening? DN

Stranger: They're at least hot, right? DN

You: Yes? WP And yeah they're hot. WP

Stranger: That's kinda weird. I guess I've had different hookups. DN

You: Well no one would see your face and prescreen you at all. WP

Stranger: You say that like you're not gorgeous. DN

You: Nurse I literally was told by this person "I don't typically fuck gingers. Show me the goods first" WP

Stranger: ....UH. DN

Stranger: FUCKING BLOCK THEM. DN

Stranger: Jesus, Dex. You don't need that bullshit. DN "I don't typically fuck gingers" who says that?! WHO? DN

You: Look I didn't want to get into this conversation in the first place Nurse. WP Just leave it alone. WP

Stranger: I don't want to leave that alone, come on. Dex, seriously. That's just bullshit. DN

Stranger: You shouldn't have to put up with that. DN

You: It's fine. Won't be the first or the last Nurse. WP

Stranger: Fuck that. Gingers are hot. Whoever you're talking to is a douche. DN

Stranger: Look, man. You can do whatever you want and hook up with whoever you want. But you shouldn't give people the right to talk to you like that. I get shit's not that deep for a hookup, but you deserve someone much better. Even for a hookup. DN

You: [delayed] Took to long to respond so they stopped messaging. WP Look it isn't easy when you're in the closet so I take what I can get. WP

Stranger: Fuck them, anyways. DN

You: Well that's over so delete the photos and forget about this. WP

Stranger: The hair is the best part! Fucking weirdo. DN Okay, second best. If we were hooking up, first best would be the freckles. DN I already did, relax. I'm not a creep. DN

You: I mean the photos are good chirp material so I'd get it. WP

Stranger: They're really not. I told you, you look good. DN

Stranger: I'm actually /not/ fucking with you this time. DN

You: Yeah but that was coupled with awkward and uncomfortable. WP Look lets just drop it. WP I'm going to just get back to coding. WP

Stranger: [delay] I'm sorry, y'know. I didn't mean to like, make you feel bad about them. DN

Stranger: Like, it's just - it's annoying, you know? You literally can't see you're a catch. Grumpiness aside. DN

You: Derek just stop. WP I'm not a catch and it's just no honestly lip service because you're the first to point out my skin, my ears, my clothes, and my personality. WP So just stop trying to pretend! WP

Stranger: ...Will. DN I'm not pretending. DN

Stranger: I /like/ all those things about you. DN

You: Yeah as like my friend. WP

Stranger: [delay] Well, sort of, but also not, but I didn't wanna get, like, punched. DN

Stranger: Since you'd think I was being a dick if I actually told you what I thought. DN

You: First off I'd never punch you. WP Second what? WP

Stranger: You might, but at least not my face, it's one of the few things I have going for me. DN What what? DN

You: What as in you're, um, like, into the way I look? WP

Stranger: Well, yeah. DN

You: Oh. WP

Stranger: You're hot, duh, but you're also like...pretty sometimes, too? DN Fuck, don't hit me. The words aren't coming out right, now. DN

Stranger: You have the cutest fucking ears, alright? I bug you about them, I know, but like - come on. They're fucking adorable. DN

You: You think I'm pretty? WP

Stranger: Yeah, like. When we walk to Annie's in the morning and the sun's shining it just catches your hair and brings out all these colours in your eyes and makes your freckles, like, glow. DN Pretty. DN

Stranger: I've been exposed. DN

You: [delay] Thank you. WP I'm blushing like crazy rn. WP

Stranger: Oh! Add that to the list. Cute ass blush. DN

You: You're gorgeous too you know. WP I mean I'm sure you know, but like you look good even when you're waking up from a roadie or like sweaty after practice. WP And it's really unfair how your ink just adds to it all. WP

Stranger: Well, thanks, Dex. DN I mean, even if you like to remind me of how gross I look waking up. DN

You: You don't look gross at all. You look soft and real. WP It's nice. WP

Stranger: Soft, huh? I like that. DN I used to think you were just, like. A grouch. Or just abrasive, you know? And while I still stand by my opinion you could chill a tiiiiiiny bit more, I like that you're passionate and fiery. You care a lot. DN You care about /us/ a lot. I just wasn't used to someone genuinely giving a shit, so much that they were hard on you so you'd get better and - I like that about you. DN

You: Thanks, for liking that I guess. WP And thanks for telling me I deserved better than the random douche on grindr. WP

Stranger: Hey, I've got your back, man. DN

You: Are you doing anything tonight? WP

Stranger: Literally at the grocery store rn. Not racist Stop N Shop, I took an uber further. I'm getting snacks so I can come back to the Haus and watch Wonder Woman. DN

Stranger: Don't judge. DN

You: Not judging. I'm just in our room trying to not die from talking about feelings in my bunk. WP Would you want company? WP

Stranger: You gonna laugh at me when I cry at the end after Steve tells Diana he wishes they had more time? DN

You: Nah, I'll just share the tissues. WP

Stranger: Alright. Movie and cuddles it is. DN

Stranger: I'll pick up some extra stuff for us. We can eat our feelings. DN

You: Chocolate for me please. WP

Stranger: Duh. Ice cream, too? DN

You: Ben and Jerrys. WP

Stranger: You got it, babe. DN

You: Babe? WP

Stranger: [delay] Slipped out. DN

You: It was nice. WP

Stranger: I can keep using it. DN

You: Derek we should talk about that when you get here because I'm not out and you deserve someone out even if it's just for a fling. WP

Stranger: It's not about deserve, it's about what you believe!!!!!! DN Sorry, I just really wanted to use that. DN

Stranger: But it's sort of right. DN I just wanna be with you, if you couldn't tell. It's been like, months. DN Out or not. DN

You: I'd rather talk about this in person than text. WP But it's be chill to be with you. WP

Stranger: I'm just paying. Be there soon. DN It'd be /chill/. Who ARE you? DN

You: Yours hopefully. WP

Stranger: ...shit. That was smooth. Dropped my wallet. DN

You: Not sure if that was from my line or you just being you. WP

Stranger: The line, Will. Definitely. DN

You: Well those aren't that common so enjoy them. WP

Stranger: Oh, I will. DN

Stranger: I'll be home soon. DN

You: Well I've got the bottom bunk piled with blankets and pillows. WP I just need to change. WP

Stranger: Rad. DN

You: Yeah I was still in boxers from photo time. WP

Stranger: I mean, it's chill if you wanted to leave 'em. DN

[5hfanfiction]

Why Did I Get Married?

Part Seven: Trust Issues

Today was the day the couple’s therapist would be back and they; mostly Camila would have to endure another agonising hour of having Dr Briggs pry her way into the cracks of their marriage. It was never something she was excited for. The only person who knew what happened between them was Maggie, and that was mainly because she was Lauren’s sister. The Cabellos weren’t even aware of it. It’s not to say Camila didn’t want to tell anyone, hell she did, but she was ashamed. What would they say? They were the couple everyone envied and now? They couldn’t even look at each other for longer than a few seconds.

Camila couldn’t sleep last night, so she had been up working on a song. Her third studio album was finally coming to an end, so the songs she had been working on now were just her idea of therapy.

“There’s a shop down the street, Where they sell plastic rings, For a quarter a piece, I swear it, Yeah, I know that it’s cheap, Not like gold in your dreams But I hope that you’ll still wear it,” she sang as she strummed her guitar. Pausing for a moment to jot down the keys. Since Christmas, Lauren had been acting extremely weird with her, and every time Camila tried to bring it up or ask what was wrong, her wife would change the topic.

“Yeah, the ink may stain my skin And my jeans may all be ripped I’m not perfect, but I swear I’m perfect for you,” the only person she could’ve thought about was the one who could make her both happy and sad. The person who had her heart since they were teenagers. People say that young love doesn’t last, Camila and Lauren were determined to prove them wrong, but now? Maybe the people were right.

Izzy stepped into her mother’s bedroom and quietly sat on the bed. She clutched her Elsa from Frozen stuffed doll to her chest, and stared at her mother who was oblivious to her presence.

“Mija?” Camila was a bit startled when she saw her daughter. “What are you doing up so early, princesa?”

Izzy shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep and I heard you singing. I haven’t heard you sing in forever, mummy.”

Camila placed her guitar on the side of her bed and scooted closer to her daughter, “Aw, mija I’m sorry. I know you like it when I sing.”

Izzy shrugged her shoulders and snuggled up to her mother. “Are you and mama going to leave me?”

She was only four years old and didn’t necessarily know the concept of divorce. But hearing that question from her daughter instantly made Camila feel like crap. The couple tried their very best to keep it civil in front of the child, unfortunately they didn’t do a good job.

“Why would you think that?” Camila pulled the child into her lap and held her face in her hand. “Baby, no. Your mama and I love you very much. We’re never going to leave you.”

Tears started to form in the child’s eyes and her mother couldn’t help but feel terrible. What were they doing to their daughter?

“But I hear you two arguing sometimes. And I’m scared because Destiny said that’s what happened before her daddy left her mummy. She doesn’t see him anymore and it makes her sad,” Izzy said through her tears. “I don’t want to be sad like Destiny, mummy.” She clutched onto her mother. Camila didn’t know what to say. How was she going to comfort their four year old daughter? She didn’t even know if their marriage was going to hold up.

When the child had stopped crying, Camila wiped her tears and looked her in the eye. “Princesa, you have to listen to me okay?” Izzy nodded. “I love you. Mama loves you. No matter what happens, you’re always going to have the both of us. We’re always going to be a family, and we’re always going to be your parents that love you so so much.” Izzy just stared at her mother. “Do you remember how much I love you?”

She nodded. “I take the number of stars in the sky and multiply it by a lot. That’s how much you love me. And I love you and mama more.” Camila placed a kiss on her daughter’s forehead.

“I love you, mija. So so so much.”

Izzy smiled softly. “I love you too, mummy. Can we go make breakfast? Mama always does it.”

There was a reason why Lauren always did it. Camila wasn’t the best cook out there. Yes, she could’ve cooked but only to survive. Eggs and bacon? Sure. Pancakes? A bit burnt. But yes. Cup noodles? She lived on that while in college. But an actual meal? That was for her wife to do.

Camila sighed heavily, if it meant that Izzy’s mind would be taken off their conversation, then she would endure cooking. She picked up her daughter in her arms and headed down to the kitchen. They decided to make some oatmeal, while the singer started up the coffee machine. She couldn’t function throughout the day if she didn’t have a daily intake of caffeine.

“Buenos días, mija,” Lauren greeted her daughter with a kiss on top her head. She came down as soon as breakfast was ready, and to her surprise, her family was already awake. “Morning Camz,” she greeted her wife out of the need to be pleasant. Ever since Lauren accidentally stumbled upon Ariana and Camila’s text thread over Christmas, she felt a mixture of anger, hurt and pure sadness. She constantly told her wife just how sorry she was about what happened between her an Hailee was a mistake but for Camila to go out and cheat?

Lauren decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, because her wife may not have cheated on her. But every time she tried to move pass the texts, she couldn’t. Something always drew her back to them.

“Mama, we made you breakfast,” Izzy pointed excitedly at the bowl of oatmeal she dished out for her mother.

Lauren nodded and smiled. “That you did, baby. I can’t wait to taste it.” She took a seat next to her wife, and started eating, giving a thumbs up to her daughter. It wasn’t the best tasting meal she had, but her daughter seemed excited, so she didn’t want to ruin that for her.

“Can we talk?” Camila asked her wife. “It’s about Izzy.” Lauren nodded, once it involved their daughter, she had to comply. “She thinks we’re going to get a divorce.”

The photographer didn’t say anything. At one point, she even contemplated getting a divorce and if their marriage wasn’t getting any better, then wouldn’t the only option be a divorce?

“Lauren? Are we getting a divorce?” Camila whispered out the words, even though Izzy didn’t understand what it was, she didn’t want her to hear.

“I…No. I don’t think so,” Lauren shrugged sadly. “Izzy? Are you done?”

The brunette groaned, she wasn’t going to push the topic as yet. Maybe in therapy. The couple got ready to head to their therapy session, and got their daughter ready for school. She was pretty excited to head back after Christmas break.

***

“Welcome back, Camila. Lauren,” Marissa; the receptionist greeted the couple. “Happy New Year! Dr Briggs is in her office. So you can go in.”

The couple exchanged pleasantries with the woman, then headed into the office. Camila already dreading every moment of it.

“Hi. Hello, Lauren and Camila. Happy New Year!” Chelsea greeted excitedly. “How was the holiday season in the Jauregui-Cabellos’ household?” As usual she offered the couple tea, but this time only Lauren accepted. Camila made a note to keep an eye on her wife, just to ensure that Dr Briggs didn’t slip anything into the drink.

“It was nice. We spent a lot of time with Isabella. We went shopping and carolling around the neighbourhood. Lauren’s sister; Maggie stopped by, so it was just the four of us for Christmas,” Camila stated mindlessly. “It was a nice change being back home for the holidays.” She said with a small smile.

Dr Briggs noted that Camila did in fact seem pleased with being home and actually spending time with her family. She also noted that Lauren seemed a lot different to how she usually was over the other therapy sessions. She seemed rather aloof. 

“Lauren?” Dr Briggs managed to snap the photographer out of her own little world. “What’s your take on spending the holidays together.”

The woman shrugged. “It was fine. A nice change, I guess.”

Camila eyes her wife, who still seemed completely out of it. What was her issue? She was the one who wanted to go to couple’s therapy. Why was she acting like this now?

Dr Briggs made a mental note of Lauren’s behaviour. “Well that good to hear! I bet little Isabella had a great time with both her mothers being home with her.”

Camila nodded. “Yeah, she did. She made it her duty to wake up super early to open her presents.” The woman chuckled at the memory, and her reaction to all her gifts especially Maggie’s gift of an iPad.

“Right,” Dr Briggs nodded happily. “So I’m going to ask you a series of questions to understand better as to why you’re both here. And to understand what the real issue between the two of you are,” the couple nodded. Lauren’s eyes gave off a distant look. Instead of the bright green colour, it seemed to be a dull grey. “Have you tried anything else before coming here?”

Lauren sighed and shook her head ‘no’. “With Camila being busy all the time, and having to focus on my job and Izzy, we didn’t have any time to visit someone else or do anything to stop our marriage from falling apart,” the woman shrugged. “So, yeah. You’re the first person we tried.”

“Plus…I am…I was a bit against coming here. I’m still not entirely happy at the whole idea,” Camila added.

Chelsea nodded in understanding. Of course, the brunette would’ve even skeptical, she had her career on the line. But she needed to fix her marriage. “What are your expectations of the counselling sessions? Did they change over your time since the first session?” She directed the question at Camila.

The singer shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess at first…I still think you’re just trying to pry your way into the cracks of our marriage. I don’t need someone to do that. I know our marriage isn’t the best and I guess, I’m kinda a private person, so putting myself out there is a bit much.” The woman rambled, causing her wife to snort.

“Is there something you want to add Lauren?” Dr Briggs asked Camila’s wife.

Lauren shook her head 'no’. “Not really. The only expectation I have from these sessions is for our marriage to work out. That’s it.”

Dr Briggs nodded and wrote something down on her clipboard. “I can only do so much, but it’s up to the two of you to work everything out. I’m only here as a helper.” She had to ensure the couple that yes, she may be a trained professional, but it was up to the couple to fix their marriage. “How do you truly free about your marriage? Do you feel as thought it is salvageable or is it too late to save it?”

The couple looked at one another. Truth be told, they really did hope that their marriage could’ve been salvaged, but outside of therapy, it seemed like it wasn’t going anywhere. Camila would be in her room, while Lauren was in hers, then they’ll interact like a family when Isabella was around. Now realising that their fighting was taking a toll on their daughter, hopefully something was going to change. If not, then something’s gotta give and that might have to be their marriage.

“I um…I’ll like to think it’s still salvageable. I still have the same feelings I had for Camila since day one, and I really would like for everything to work out and for us to be happily married again.” The singer nodded in agreement with her wife. Though both parties were rather doubtful of the feelings of their partners.

Dr Briggs nodded. “That’s good to hear. Given that you’re both here, there must be something to salvage.” She wrote in her pad before addressing them again. “What bothers you most about her? In a marriage, some things about your partner will always get on your nerves. These things are usually not a cause for a divorce, but the big things like a lack of trust and honour can destroy intimacy.”

“I don’t trust her,” the couple said at the same time.

Camila scoffed. “You don’t trust me? What did I ever do for you not to trust me? I’ve always been faithful to you!”

“Your texts says otherwise, amor,” Lauren bit out harshly. “And no I didn’t go through your phone. I just happened to see them.”

“Oh really? And what did you find huh? Me sending nudes to one of my colleagues? Sexting? Flirting? Or what about a picture of Shawn and I kissing?” Camila started to get heated. “There’s literally nothing on my phone for you to get jealous about and not trust me!”

Dr Briggs cleared her throat. “It’s very good to bring the topic up about a lack of trust. We need to focus on building this trust back. If your partner goes through your phone and sees something they don’t like,” Camila scoffed and folded her arms at her chest. “You should find out why. What’s the real reason why they disapprove of it. So Lauren, kindly tell your partner what you saw and why you didn’t like it.” Chelsea turned to look at Lauren who sighed heavily.

Her throat tightened. It had been bothering her for weeks on end. Whatever Camila said right now, could be true, or she could also be lying. “I saw…I saw a text from Ariana. I know the two of you are close and your relationship is rather…flirty? But I didn’t like what I saw.”

Before Camila started to protest, Dr Briggs turned to address the singer. “Now Camila, kindly inform your partner about whatever it is those texts meant. Or remind her about the nature of your relationship with Ariana.”

“Firstly, my texts messages are private and even though I have nothing to hide, it shouldn’t matter to you. Ariana and I are really close but we are just F R I E N D S,” she spelt out the word. “That’s how you fucking spell friends. Nothing more and nothing less. I love her as a sister but that’s it.”

Dr Briggs wrote in her pad again. “Great. Now that’s been handled, you need to realise that your partner may not agree with some things you do. They may not want to bring the topic up, but you should at least respect them and respect your relationship.”

“Why don’t you trust me Camila? Is it because of the Hailee thing?” Lauren asked her wife and she nodded.

“Yes. The Hailee thing, that you don’t seem to be doing anything about,” Camila rolled her eyes. “I’m tired of you involving her in everything. I don’t trust you around her and I don’t trust her around you.”

Dr Briggs went into a long explanation about trust and that it was needed in a marriage or in any relationship. Without trust, what’s the point of being with the person? You learn to trust someone, but once the trust is lost and gone, it’s a lot harder to try to regain it. That was something they needed to work on.

They answered all the questions Dr Briggs threw at them, such as; What things you would like to change about your spouse?

Do you feel accepted? Are you loved accepted by your spouse?

Do you feel you can communicate with her?

What are the main issues?

When did it problems start?

Are you satisfied with your intimacy?

Are you seeing someone new?

Are there any past conflicts we should resolve?

Do you still love your wife?

Do you still see a future together?

Are you both willing to change to make improvements?

Camila was growing increasingly tired of all these questions but the final question caught her off guard.

“Have you ever considered having an affair?”

Lauren visibly gulped. She knew where this was going. She knew her wife was going to attack her. In all honesty, Lauren did not consider having an affair ever. What happened between her an Hailee was a mistake. She did not once contemplate being with anyone whilst her wife was away. Yes, the distance was terrible and it took a toll on her, but she loved Camila too much to consider cheating on her, even though she may have done it.

“No. I’ve never considered having an affair. What I did was a mistake, but it wasn’t intentional. I never thought about it while I was sober. I never wanted to cheat on you,” Lauren looked at her wife and tried to hold her hand but Camila pulled away.

Chelsea wrote in her pad. She kept noticing how the singer reacted to her wife, realising that she was still rather reserved and wasn’t too keen on forgiving her wife. As yet.

“Maybe I should’ve contemplated having an affair,” Camila laughed bitterly. “For you to feel the hurt you’ve put me through.”

Lauren looked at her wife in disbelief. She tried to say something but her words failed her. “Wow,” was all that she managed to whisper out.

The bell rang signalling that their session had come to an end. “Well, today we’ve went through a lot of emotions and I’ll like to think the both of you learnt a lot about the inner thoughts and feelings of your partners, which in the long run would help to fully understand them better,” she addressed the couple where Lauren still seemed shocked by her wife’s statement. “What you two need to work on as a couple is on trusting your partners. So I have an assignment for the both of you. Ariana is it, Camila?”

The singer nodded.

“I want you to call her up and within our next session, I’ll like for the two of you to spend some time together. And Lauren, Hailee was it? I’ll also like for the both of you to spend some time together. This is as a means of your partner trusting you enough to spend time with this person, and knowing that you won’t do anything to jeopardise your relationship. When you’re done spending time with the person, I’ll like for you to return home and tell your partner what you did. It’s for your partner to trust you and believe in you. Are we clear?” She asked the couple who reluctantly nodded.

***

“Is Ariana going to be here soon?” Lauren asked her wife as she slipped on her bomber jacket. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.”

Camila nodded from her position on the couch. “Yeah. She texted that she’ll be here in five. Where’s that pu…secretary of yours?”

Maggie snickered from her corner of the room. Lauren had called up her sister and asked if she was available to babysit Izzy. Of course she had said yes. Any given opportunity to spend with her niece, the woman would’ve taken it.

“Nice save, Camzii,” Maggie said. She had just finished up braiding her niece’s hair. The duo had planned to spend their day at the zoo and then maybe spy on the child’s mothers, but that hadn’t been decided as yet.

Camila rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, Hailee is outside actually. I know you probably wouldn’t want her inside…” Lauren trailed off as she scrolled through her phone.

Maggie told her niece to go grab her jacket upstairs before addressing the couple. “Why don’t you invite her in? I mean Ariana is coming. It’s not even a love triangle anymore. It’s a love rectangle,” she laughed at her lame attempt of a joke. “Tough crowd. But seriously, it’s a trust exercise right? The four of y'all can chat for a bit, then head on your way.”

What Maggie said did make some sense. Before everything went downhill, Hailee and Camila were really good friends, however, the same couldn’t be said about Ariana and Lauren. The pop star was always super friendly with her friend’s wife, but Lauren always felt threatened when it came to her and the relationship she had with her wife.

Camila sighed and nodded. “Invite Hailee in,” the moment those words left her lips, the doorbell rang.

“Let me answer it!” Maggie squealed. “You know I’m lowkey a fan girl and I am in love with Ariana.” The couple allowed her to do it, when the woman opened the door, she was left shell shocked.

“Hi,” Ariana greeted cheerfully but Maggie didn’t respond, she kept staring at her with her mouth agape. “Um,” she chuckled. “Can I come it?”

Lauren laughed. “MAGGIE!”

The younger Jauregui sister blushed furiously, and stepped aside. “Oh right yeah. Come it. I’m Maggie, by the way. Camila’s sister in law.”

Ariana smiled. “I’m Ariana. It’s nice to meet you,” she turned her direction towards her friend and screamed. “CAMILA! Oh my god, I missed you.” She pulled the other singer into a hug. “You won’t believe how happy I was to hear that you wanted to hang out with me.”

Camila smiled as they pulled away from the hug. “I missed you too, Ari. It’s been so long.”

Ariana turned to wave at her friend’s wife. “Hey, Lauren!” Being the super friendly person that she was, she gave the woman a hug as well. Leaving Maggie a bit sad as she didn’t get a hug. “It’s been so long. How have you been?”

The photographer smiled politely, “I’ve been good. What about you? I saw that you’re nominated for a few Billboard awards was it? Congratulations.” There was a knock on the door, and it opened to reveal Lauren’s secretary and the bane to Camila’s existence.

“Hey, everyone,” Hailee greeted awkwardly. “I’m Hailee,” she introduced herself to Ariana; she was also fan-girling but managed to keep it on the down low unlike Maggie.

Izzy came downstairs a couple minutes later, interrupting the awkwardness and heated atmosphere; which was mainly Camila staring daggers at Hailee.

“Aunt Hailee!” Izzy greeted the woman and threw herself on top her. “I’ve haven’t seen you in forever!”

Before Hailee even had a chance to repond, the child’s mother butted in.

“Princesa, do you see who else is here?”

Izzy gasped. “Ari!” She ran and hugged her and placed a huge kiss on her cheek. “Ari, I haven’t seen you in years!” The child exaggerated. It was technically a couple months but do children even know the concept of time?

Maggie noticed the glares that Camila had been sending Hailee and chuckled to herself. “Damn. If looks could kill, Haiz would be dead by now,” her sister in law shot hr a look.

Lauren elbowed her sister. “Even a kid can keep their cool in front of a celebrity and your grown ass chokes up.” She laughed.

Maggie rolled her eyes. “Shut up. I told you, I have a huge crush on her. I’m bound to embarrass myself. Plus, Izzy met her already. I never did.”

“Whatever you say, hermana,” the older Jauregui sister said teasingly. “Maybe you and Izzy should head out. We’ll be leaving soon.”

Maggie nodded. “You’re right. Mini me! Come on, vámonos. Let’s go look for some boyfriends or whatever you’re into. Remember it’s not bad if you’re gay, you have two moms afterall. However, Lauren is your daddy.”

Smack.

“Just shut up and go,” Lauren rolled her eyes. “Bye, baby. I love you.” She kissed her daughter.

“I love you too, mama,” Izzy said as she gave a her mother a goodbye hug.

Camila gave her daughter a hug and a kiss. “I love you, princesa. Don’t let aunty, Maggie misguide you. You’re a good girl. Okay?”

The child nodded and smiled. “I love you too, mummy.”

*** *At a diner*

Ariana placed a drink in front of Camila, as she slid into the booth opposite her. “So I’m not oblivious as I portray myself to be…what’s going on? Why are we out?”

The other woman took a sip of her milkshake and sighed. “It’s a really long story.”

“And I’ve got the time,” Ariana smirked and rested her arms on the table. “Come on lay it on me.” Camila told Ariana from Lauren’s act of infidelity, to the couple not interacting with one another and to couple’s therapy. “Okay. What? Why? You two were my OTP! How’s couple’s therapy going then? Is it working?”

Camila sighed again. “It’s alright I guess. Haven’t seen much of an improvement. Then Lauren started acting really weird because she saw a text from you on my phone.”

“Oh shit. I’m sorry about that. I love you, Milz. But not enough to date you,” Ariana laughed. “Your sister in law is rather hot though. What was her name again? Maddie?”

Camila laughed. “I’m amazing. You’ll be lucky to date me. And her name is Maggie. I think she has the biggest crush on you. She’s obsessed with Dangerous Woman,” she smirked. “Something 'bout you makes me feel like a dangerous womannn.”

Ariana cringed. “Okay wow. Stop. I love my music, but seriously I’m cringing,” she shook her head laughing. “Anyway back to the hot sister in law. I feel like I’ve seen her around. What does she do?”

“She’s a model but she’s pretty out there for work in Guess,” Camila took a bite out of her cookie. “Here let me show you,” she pulled up some pictures on her phone and showed Ariana.

“Oh. Wow. Definitely deserves to be called the hot sister in law. Is Maddie into girls or no?”

Camila laughed. Ariana hadn’t dated anyone since her last relationship a couple years ago. After trying to get her friend back into the dating scene, Camila had given up, but now that she seems to be interested in her very wild, but semi nice sister in law, it was a bit of a shocker.

“It’s Maggie. Short for Margarita. Like the alcohol. The girl can chug back a bottle of rum like it’s nobody’s business. She’s extremely sweet. A bit crazy, but she’s a really nice person,” Camila tried being Maggie’s wing woman even though the woman didn’t ask for her to be. “She did tell me she hooked up with a girl a while back, but you’re the Ariana Grande. Of course she’ll date you.”

Ariana playfully flipped her hair, “You’re right. Who wouldn’t want to date my fine ass?” Camila shoved her friend gently and laughed. “Don’t be a hater, Camzii. But I’ll make sure to stop by to see your super hot sister in law.”

The two ended up chatting for an hour. It was nice spending time with the woman, but Camila’s thoughts kept drifting back to Lauren and Hailee. They were spending their time at a bar and Camila had to trust her wife enough to be around alcohol, with Hailee.

And let’s face it, Camila did not trust Lauren enough. When they got home and told each other what occurred, the singer was not going to believe her wife. But would Lauren possibly jeopardise her marriage by making another mistake?

Who knows?

*** *At a Bar*

“Let’s get this right,” Hailee took a sip of whatever alcoholic beverage she was consuming, “This is some sort of trust exercise? What about the you fall and Camila had to catch you? Doesn’t that make more sense?”

Lauren shrugged. “I mean yeah. But would I trust Camila to catch me? She’ll drop my ass the first second she can get.”

The secretary laughed. “I don’t think she’ll do that. Camila loves you. Whether you choose to believe it or not. And I know you love her too.”

Hailee was right. When she had first met the couple, she could’ve practically felt the love radiating off the two. She hadn’t meant to come between them, unfortunately she did and their relationship seemed like it was spiralling out of control with no means of stopping.

“Honestly? I don’t know if Camila loves me anymore. Things just don’t feel the same between us, anymore,” the photographer sighed sadly.

Hailee took Lauren’s hand in hers, but the woman jerked it back. “Sorry,” she admitted sheepishly. “Camila loves you. She wouldn’t have gone to therapy with you to save your marriage if she didn’t. Just give her some time and she’ll realise it. Maybe she tried to block out her feelings for you, but I know it’s still in there. She can only pretend for so long.”

“Or she actually hates me and found love in Ariana,” Lauren shrugged and sighed as she surveyed the bar. It wasn’t the usual one she came to when she just wanted to get away. But it was the bar she and Hailee came to and had a few drinks too many, then went home and continued drinking. “Or maybe, maybe she never really loved me. That’s a good one.”

“That’s definitely not true, Lauren. Everyone sees how she looks at you.”

The woman chuckled. “With disgust?”

“With love, Lauren. You’re both trying to rush something that clearly needs time to be rebuilt. You don’t just meet someone and jump into a relationship with them. You build a relationship, and when something goes wrong, you fix it and continue to build it,” Hailee tried to make her boss believe the words she was saying. It was true but the couple just wanted everything to go back to how it used to. Obviously it was going to take some time, but how long?

***

“Bye, Camzii,"Ariana waved as she pulled away from the curb of the Jauregui - Cabellos home.

Maggie and Izzy were playing on the swings at the front of the house. They only went to the zoo, Maggie decided against stalking her sister and sister in law, she knew she would’ve gotten the juicy details one way or another.

"Hey, Camzii. How was the date with the hot brunette?” Izzy jumped off the swings and ran into her mother’s awaiting arms.

Camila subtly flipped Maggie off. “It wasn’t a date. We just hung out. Where’s Lauren and the B. I. T. C. H.?”

Maggie threw her head back and laughed. “Okay firstly your insults are becoming lame. But Hailee left and Lauren is inside preparing dinner.”

The singer rolled her eyes. “You know what else is lame? You. Now shut up and go home.”

“How was your day, princesa?” Camila asked her daughter, who was playing with her mother’s necklace. “Did aunty Maggie take good care of you?” She asked the child as she walked past her sister in law and locked the door on the way in.

Izzy went into an animated discussion about how much fun she had at the zoo, and the types of animals she saw. After washing up, they entered into the dining room where Lauren sat at the table awaiting her family.

“Hey,” the photographer greeted her wife softly. “Where’s Maggie?”

At the mention of her name, the woman popped into the room. “You really need to get like some smaller windows. A burglar might enter, or an annoying neighbour that you’re trying to get away from.”

“How the…?” Camila asked. “Didn’t I lock the door?”

Maggie pulled up a chair at the table. “Didn’t you hear me? I slipped in through the window. I couldn’t miss this little discussion,” she tapped the table excitedly. “So when are we going to talk about what we did?” She looked between Camila and Lauren. “Why don’t you go first Camzii? Ladies first right.”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “We’re not talking about this in front of Izzy or you.”

The younger Jauregui sister groaned. “Ugh. You suck.”

“That I do,” she winked.

The four of them ended up eating their dinner without bringing the topic up, just yet. Izzy kept talking about the zoo and how she wanted to go with her parents the next time. When they finished eating, Camila carried Izzy upstairs to shower and get ready for bed.

***

“Where’s Maggie?” The younger woman asked as she entered the living room. “Is she going to pop out through a window this time?”

Lauren laughed softly. “Nah. She has a shoot tomorrow so she’s gone for the night.”

Camila nodded and took a seat on the couch. She brought her legs up to her chest and turned to look at her wife. “Did you…did you do anything you weren’t supposed to do?” She asked softly. Camila wasn’t sure if her heart would’ve handled anymore hurt from the woman who had promised to cherish it.

Lauren looked a bit taken back and offended. “Did you really think I would’ve gotten drunk out of my mind and kissed her?!” She raised her voice. “Can’t you see that I’m completely sober? We had one drink, Camila! That was it. You don’t see me accusing you of anything.”

“I just asked, Lauren! I told you I don’t trust you,” the singer bit back harshly. “And don’t try to act high and mighty. I know you think I must’ve done some shit with, Ariana.”

“Yeah, well I’m hoping that you didn’t and if you tell me you didn’t, then I’m going to believe you.”

The couple never seemed to get along for longer than a couple of minutes without it turning into an argument. That seemed to have always been started by Camila.

Camila stood up. “You know what, Lauren? I’m getting sick and tired of this! Of the constant fighting! I don’t trust you, but you’re not making an effort to make me regain that trust. For some god unknown reason, you don’t trust me and I’ve literally done nothing!”

“That’s exactly it! You portray Ariana more as your wife than you do me. You hang out with her more than you with Izzy and I. You ditched our FaceTime dates to hang out with her! What else do you expect me to think?!” The couple were arguing loudly and unknown to them, Izzy had been watching them. “You can have anyone, Camz…anyone and you chose me. A nobody. You can just decide to pick yourself up one day and leave. Then I’ll be left here alone, you might try to take Izzy from me. That’ll break me, Camz. I can’t…I can’t handle that.”

A tiny voice caught the couple off guard. “Mama? Mummy?” When they turned to see their daughter, she had tears in her eyes. “What’s … what’s going on?”

They weren’t just breaking their own hearts, they were also breaking a four year old’s.

***

Y'all I’m back! I’m sorry for being MIA but now that my main fic is over, WDIGM (Why Did I Get Married?) will have all my attention.

Dropped a long ass update for you guys. Hope you enjoyed it 🦋

Wattpad:Commander_Camren

[wannawrite]

Double Trouble

who?: Wanna One’s Kang Daniel, Nuest W’s / Pd101’s Kang Dongho genre: 🌺 type: bullet point blog navigator. • weeks leading up to prom, someone has been dropping love letters into your locker • you’re certain about who you’re prom date is going to be....or are you? rae, @lalisalsa, requested this and she really loves angst so I’ll try to make it v v angsty >:) HOPE YOU AREN’T DISAPPOINTED BEB sorry this is so short and delayed and kind of sub-par, I’ve just been extremely busy and exhausted. - Admin L 

disclaimer: photos used do not belong to me and all credit goes to their original owner 

• Who? • You needed a name. • Who had been the person dropping secretive love letters into your locker? • The envelopes were a soft, baby pink spritzed with a flowery, dreamy perfume and containing words written on creamy paper that would make anybody’s heart flutter. • they made your heart beat terribly fast and redness rush to your face immediately • all of you friends would snicker and tease you about the mystery sender • NDOSHSKDH WHO IS IT • THIS IS SO UNFAIR • again, this is set in a high school - junior college AU bc I am BLAND and unimaginative • the first letter came in when it was about a month before prom • and it wasn’t signed or stamped with some mark that signified who the secret admirer was • but it came nicely packaged and clearly, a lot of effort was put into it • love makes you do peculiar things • anyway, you were shocked, stunned, brain unable to process that someone had written a LOVE LETTER to YOU • sounds pathetic but uh...not everyone gets this on a daily • you haven’t gotten one in...7 years?   • LET ME REJOICE IN PEACE • haha • those kindergarten love letters count okay. yet, I never received any rip my love life since the start • i :) was :)) unlikeable :))) romantically :)))) anyway :))))) • if anyone tryna fall in love for the new year, do hit me up • I’M KIDDING • or am I? • is the sender serious playing games with you right now? • You’re on the brink of losing it • okay, let me read out what your secret admirer sent • a small excerpt because everyone can keep their secrets ;) • ‘one day, I hope you’ll come to accept my feelings for you. I can only hope my dreams of us together would come true.’ • ‘humbling myself to finally look into your eyes and confess my love in person.’ • *add 5-7 more lines that I was too uncreative to write* • I’m sorry, I’ve never professed my love to anyone before • okay maybe...once? but that's a story for another time • and - how unromantic of me - I did it over text so uh...0 experience • WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? • HAS SOMEONE HAD A TREMENDOUS CRUSH ON YOU • FOR SO LONG THAT THEY CONSIDER IT LOVE • how adorable • you find them lovable already • unless they’re some creepy, stalker/serial-murderer • racist • misogynist • okay you get the drift • you had clutched the letter close to your chest, feelings stirring up inside like a whirlwind • warmth rushing to your face as your trembling fingers fought to tuck the note into your backpack - out of everyone’s sight - and lock up your locker • without taking out your books for the necessary classes lmao • if you were a cartoon character, there would be a crown of hearts floating over your head and the beating of your heart would be the main bgm • ‘hey y/n,’ your close friend and table partner, Choi Minki greeted with a grin on his face, his navy school bag slung over one shoulder, hands shoved into the pocket of his school slacks. ‘Ready for class?’ • brain: no No nO NO I’LL NEVER BE READY • you: yupp! :D super ready!! Ever ready!! ✨🌸💖🌸✨💫🌸💕💖 • you: boRN ReADY 😫😫😤😤👏🏼😭💯💯👅👅🤣🤣🤣 • brain: MISSION ABORT MISSION ABORT YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON CLASS WITH THIS SECRET ADMIRER ON YOUR MIND • *sobs for eternity* • well uh what the hell happened in maths class??? • you were 90% sure that all the curious stares from your classmates were due to the fact that your eyes were glossed over, clearly in some sort of la-la land. you rested your chin in your hands, lips letting out a dreamy sigh once in a while • ‘MATH NOTES’ was scribbled in a pink Midliner - art marker - at the top of your notebook page but other than the date, the lines were left blank • your mind was too busy focussed on a different date • even Minki was having a hard time figuring out what was wrong with you • *poke poke* • ‘hey, can I borrow a stapler?’ • *no answer* • instead, he spots a couple of different coloured hearts scrawled on your notepad • ahh • love virus • I love Nu’est with all my heart • ignored, Minki moves on to ask Aron - the classmate sitting in front of you - for a sharpener • Aron’s brows furrow in confusion when he sees you, then he laughs it off, shaking his head. • ‘ahh, who is it that has taken our dear friend’s heart?’ • I’ve been reading many webtoons recently bcI’vebeenquitestressed and I can totally imagine how this would look like • especially with the blushes! • uhm who were you? you rarely ever dozed off or daydreamed in class. This was a huge first for you • the bell finally rang and Minki had to shake you out of your oblivion • the sides of your forearms were neatly decorated with Midliner ink, signed by Choi Minki • ‘huh?’ • ‘let’s go! We’ll be late for chemistry!’ • I sense chemistry between my secret admirer and me • THIS MUST BE A SIGN • THEY MUST BE IN MY CHEMISTRY CLASS • your sneakers slap against the tiles, the sound of the impact echoing down the hallway as you race towards the laboratory • dishevelled, you and Minki arrive just before your teacher does and you scramble to take a seat • both of you end up sharing a bench with Hwang Minhyun and Kim Jaehwan, right behind Kang Daniel, Ong Seongwoo, Ha Sungwoon and Yoon Jisung • HYUNG LINE • Minhyun texts you often so you don’t have any qualms with sharing a bench • he just doesn’t have any shared classes with you or Minki, or Aron,,,or Dongho this term :((( • but, intimidation creeps upon you when you realise you’re surrounded by members of a popular clique in school • Minki is friends with all of them so he pays no mind and probably doesn’t sense your ‘I’M FREAKING OUT’ signal • however, as soon as class starts, you’re back to meddling with your suspicions on who the letter sender is • suddenly, your ears pick up soft taps on your bench and you’re snapped back to reality • or is it? • because Kang Daniel, turned his seat around to face you, eyes twinkling with a smile • ‘hi, uh...could I borrow your periodic table for a second? I forgot mine in my locker.’ he asks, ears reddening the slightest bit • still entranced by his gorgeous features and suave tone, you absent-mindedly hand him your print out, not realising you’re checking him out • what a view • I could stir up some chemistry between me and you • *holds up stirrer* • enough puns pls they’re so bad anyway • his eyes scan over it for a second before he writes down his answer and returns the paper back to you • ‘thank you! oh, I’m Kang Daniel, by the way.’ • SWOON • cue Minki and Minhyun’s amused, muffled giggles • ‘oooh heHeHEhEHehE >:)’ • you introduce yourself • then return to work • but your eyes sweep over Daniel’s desk, and it seems as if he’s hard at work, penning something down • it doesn’t have anything to do with chemistry • because he wrote the title as ‘the love I want to confess’ • OH • MY • GOODNESS • !!!!!!! • brain: stop stop stop!! It doesn’t necessarily mean ANYTHING! DON’T MAKE A FOOL OUT OF YOURSELF • yeah, you decide to listen to your head, pulling your lips into a tight smile as you try to refocus your attention on your worksheet • Minki wants to stab you in the heart with a stray pair of vernier calipers he found • probably from a physics class kid who walked into the wrong lab and dropped it • you don’t die and make it back safely • at home, you keep the letter, tucking it away from prying and curious family • hope rises as you fall into bed and pull the covers over your head • but no letters are present in your locker the next day • and the next • and the next • ....and the next • until, one day, you don’t expect anything anymore • studies have taken over most of your thoughts • you’re just about ready to go prom outfit shopping with your friends when you remembered you had left your notes in your locker • an identical envelope tumbled out of your locker • it landed on the floor with a loud thud • or was the sound from your heart? • again, I shall reveal a small portion if this confession • ‘getting ready for the big day already? well I hope you’ll only be dancing with me.’ • ‘never worry about my identity, you’re inching closer to me everyday.’ • more clues • well, recently, you had made friends with a transfer student, Jeon Heejin, hung out after school with Minki and Aron and gotten Kang Daniel’s number • on Thursday afternoon, Dongho and Kyulkyung had invited you to go bowling and that was how you spent your afternoon • hm • at least you managed to form a group of suspects • it had to be one of them • there was only time left to wait and see • 1 week and 4 days before prom,,, • I’m sorry I’m skipping over a lot of plot development and elaboration :((( • this time was different, the sealed envelope was waiting for you on your desk • and it just happened that you running late that day, stuffing your breakfast sandwich into your mouth as you dashed to your table, shoelaces untied and uniform unkempt • you paid the latest love letter no mind, tossing it into the bottom of your school bag, it lay there, forgotten • until,,, • ‘hi, do you have the textbook? Can I borrow it?’ Dongho whispered as he bumped into you in the corridor, probably on the way to his next class empty-handed • rolling your eyes in a playful manner, you unzipped your bag with the intention of taking your textbook out • uh...looks like you need to be a tad bit more organised in that department • schools supplies were jumbled up in your bag, a couple of items fell out of the open flap • including the letter from the secret admirer • puzzled, Dongho picked it up along with the rest of your things • ‘ooh, a secret lover?’ he teased, eyes speckled with curiosity • immediately, you yanked the envelope out of his grip with a blush seeping onto your face • ‘n-nothing! you’ll be late for class!’ you called, shooing him off before he could say anymore • thankfully, your friend was kind and understanding enough to let the matter drop • you managed to make it through the day without much problems. school was rather eventful, you got a chance to bond with Daniel and Minhyun over lunch because Minki was sick • ripping open yet another packet of jellies, Daniel whined, brows furrowed, ‘hyung, are you sure you can’t make it next week?’ • next week? • Minhyun sadly shook his head, biting his bottom lip in an upset manner. ‘I’m sorry Daniel. I have some committee things to settle at the time of your game.’ • game? • oh, pre-prom activities • Daniel sighed in disappointment, he chewed on a candy to calm his feelings • ‘wait, you can invite your new friend. It’ll be a first and it’ll be more fun!’ Minhyun suggested, gesturing to you in an attempt to cheer Daniel up • Daniel went from staring into space to excitedly chatting about it • words you caught: prom, basketball game, hyung always goes to cheer me on, the rest of my friends are coming but it isn’t the same • ‘woah, woah!’ you uttered, putting your hands up in a gesture for him to slow down. • ‘so are you in?’ • YES. I DOVE IN HEAD FIRST • ‘sure I don’t mind going.’ • the boy practically jumped across the table to embrace you tightly. ‘ • ‘wear my jersey!’ • uHM WOAH I KNOW WE’VE BEEN FRIENDS FOR THREE WEEKS AND TEXTED AS MUCH AS I TEXT MY NU’EST FRIENDS BUT WOAH • ‘of course! If you don’t mind.’ • ‘thank you! I love you so much!’ Daniel yelled before continuing on about how much he was anticipating the game • i  l o v e  you so much • is it Daniel? • you gaped in shock, sitting in silence as the beats of your heart drowned out anything else • Daniel • Daniel was the man in love with you • that was the only thought that plagued your mind for the rest of the day • hmm what did that letter say after all? • ‘one more week to the dance, looks like a I’m cutting it really close. Apologies. You’ll see soon.’ • ‘Don’t worry. If anything, I’ll be the one dateless at prom. You’ll always find a knight in shining armour in me. Let’s not joust anymore’ • ‘Kiss me in A summer Night dream? I’m thinking of only you, my Gem.’ • so romantic • I’ve found out that I absolutely have 0 talent in writing love letters • tbh these are so creepy I would be calling 999 already   • my love life only taking Ls • SUSPECT ACCUSED • SUSPECT GUILTY • SUSPECTED: KANG DANIEL • geez he really put effort into these and only reveals his name now wow • for that, I shall wait to text my reply hehehehe >:) • wouldn’t it be better to talk to him in person? I’ll call him to go out later • ahh, he’s busy training for Monday’s game • we can talk then! :) • your family nearly dies of shock when you burst through the front door, a skip in your step and screaming out incoherently • they don’t question your strange behaviour though • something magical is gonna happen at the game and you’re sure of it • clad in Daniel’s jersey, you make your way to the school stadium the following week, itching for the big surprise, your lips tugged into a gigantic smile • students start to fill in the sports hall, gossiping excitedly and predicting how the friendly game would play out • even Heejin attends the game, face pink and hair tucked into a coral beanie. She offers you some chips • Daniel’s most likely still gearing up for the game so you agree to sit with her on the bleachers to watch. • just as you approach the busy stairs, someone calls your name loudly from behind causing you spin round and nearly knocking into the broad chest of a cheerful Dongho • ‘I didn’t think I would be seeing you here,’ he said, pleasantly surprised. His gaze flickered to your shirt - Daniel’s school team jersey that is. ‘How supportive of you! So sweet. • *head pats, dad boyfriend smiles* • Dongho and Daniel would so get along! You could pretty much feel your heart soaring with elation • This is perfect! All I’ve wanted in life! My friends and my future boyfriend let’snotgetaheadnowshallwe to be close friends too! • Suddenly, just as you were about to gush about Daniel and his undying love, Dongho grabbed your hand. • ‘c-can we head outside for a second? I need to talk to you about something urgent.’ • ‘ATTENTION LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE GAME WILL BE STARTING SOON...’ • you grimaced, wanting to be the first one to catch Daniel’s eye when he emerged onto the court • ‘sorry, but we should take our seats, I’m sitting with Heejin, come join us. You know her, uhm, the transfer student, physics-‘ • you jumped as loud airhorns sounded to announce the arrival of the teams • Dongho quickly hustled the both of you to your seats • the crowd of students started cheering wildly when your school’s team emerged led by Lai Guanlin • your screams were the loudest when Daniel stepped out of the shadows • his charming gaze bore into yours, a smile gracing his features • HEART BEATING STARTS ACCELERATING • HE DOESN’T BREAK EYE CONTACT EVEN AS HE ACKNOWLEDGES THE CROWD • WHATTA MAN • ‘it was me.’ A familiar voice whispers into your ear • WAIT WHAT? • your eyes go wide like glossy marbles, confusion beginning to stir within you • No, I could be wrong. I barely heard him anyway. I’ll ask later • ‘I was the one who sent those letters to your locker.’ • w h a t ? • no way • ‘it isn’t Daniel.’ • Daniel smiles at you one more time as the referee begins to signal for them to take their positions • your grip tightens around the hems of his precious jersey • you aren’t sure what to make of the sudden situation • Dongho • What’s his last name? Kang • Daniel • Another Kang • The Kang twins daddies  • two Kangs, one of them has been sending you love letters • you want to believe it’s Kang Daniel, your new friend and crush • but it’s the boy who has been your friend for so long you don’t exactly remember for how many years • thud thud thud • looks like you’re caught between the two Kangs • Dongho’s eyes are begging you to believe him, trust that he’s telling the truth • Daniel’s eyes are clear, bright, they aren’t ones of deceit • ‘I-I....’ • you can’t seem to form a coherent reply • your lips seal shut, forcing your jaw that fell in shock to close • the referee blows the whistle, Dongho’s eyes don’t leave yours • the crowd drowns all other noises, yet all you can hear is the thudding of the ball, the sound of your fragile heart crashing against your ribcage • Daniel? • or Dongho? • let the game begin