#and i sketched him and it brought me much more joy so i did a page of birds instead | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

riinniies · 7 months ago

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|| ITOSHI RIN ||

Plot : soulmate AU, red strings of fate.

Fluff! After writing yandere, for some reason I want to write things that make me calm and warm :), Tsundere! rin (he's too shy to be affectionate later), calm Reader, Strangers to lover (i loved this troupe idk why), rin is so cuteee i love him <33

Wc : 2123 words

Hope you guys like it!

PART TWOO !!

BONUS CHAPP ! !

My writings

Rin didn’t know that at the age of 18, he would meet his soulmate. It might seem early for some people, as most tend to meet their soulmate between their twenties and thirties.

But unfortunately, why did Rin have to meet his now? When he still had to focus on his career, which was on the rise. He shouldn’t have come here. He shouldn’t have accepted Bachira’s invitation to join the alumni of Blue Lock for a meet-up.

He should have turned it down like usual.

---

• POV switches to (name)

You didn’t expect that the red string tied to your pinky would extend at a moment like this.

You were on a holiday with your family, intentionally separating yourself from them because you didn’t feel completely comfortable. Your father was with his new family: your stepmother and half-sister. They weren’t bad people, but you could sense the awkwardness in their gaze whenever you tried to join them.

So, you found a bench in the park to sit alone and sketch the scenery in front of you, a tulip garden in full bloom with vibrant colors. Fortunately, you had brought along enough art supplies.

Looking at your finished sketch, you smiled. It didn’t take long—about 30 to 60 minutes. However, your butt was sore from sitting for too long, so you stood up, hugging your A5 sketchbook with your right hand. You clutched the book to your chest; it was your companion, a place where you poured your frustrations, sadness, disappointments, joy, and all other emotions.

As you started to leave the bench, you suddenly felt something strange in your pinky finger—like a subtle tug. You furrowed your brow and looked down, noticing the red string that had been still until now, slowly moving, as if pointing in a certain direction.

You swallowed hard. This string had always been there since you were little, but you never really thought much of it. The concept of a “soulmate” was something you heard since you were a little kid, but you never took it seriously. You always think : What if the person at the end of this string wasn’t who you hoped for? What if they didn’t want you?

But the curiosity was too strong.

Your steps slowly followed the direction of the string, the pull growing stronger with every step. Eventually, you found yourself at a small field near the park.

There, a group of young men was hanging out, laughing together. One of them caught your attention. Not because of his face—although he was very handsome—but because the red string stopped right at him.

You held your breath.

He turned as if noticing something. His eyes—sharp but calm—met yours. His expression shifted from neutral to something hard to describe.

He stood frozen and then walked towards you, leaving his friends who were busy chatting, some of them raised their eyebrows and turned to Rin with confused looks and widened their eyes when they saw he approached you.

He stood just a few steps in front of you, staring at you and then his gaze dropped slowly to your little finger, He recognized the string, knew what it meant. But all he felt was confusion and frustration. Why now?

“Is this… a joke?” Rin muttered softly, almost inaudibly.

Meanwhile, you, didn’t know what to say. One thing crossed your mind: "Is he my soulmate?"

---

The atmosphere felt awkward. One of the unique-haired men, later introduced as Bachira, glanced between you and Rin with a mischievous smile.

“Rin, is that your soulmate?” Bachira teased in a playful tone, only making Rin more irritated.

“Shut up,” Rin responded shortly, his voice low. His eyes remained fixed on you, though he tried to hide his confusion.

You wanted to run, but your body wouldn’t move. The string made everything feel too real—too real.

“Uh… hello,” you finally said, your voice almost trembling.

Rin let out a deep sigh. “You know what this means, right?” he asked, his tone flat but serious.

You nodded slightly. Of course, you knew. The red string connected two people who were destined to be together. But… was destiny really that important?

Rin’s gaze seemed complex. There was something inside him trying to resist, but he knew, just like you, that running from this string was impossible.

Rin exhaled again. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but instead, he took a step closer. You could feel the soft pull in your pinky every time he moved.

“You…” Rin stopped, his voice hesitant. He looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. “Do you know when this string started moving?”

You gripped your sketchbook tighter, trying to calm yourself. “Just now… when I was in the park,” you answered softly.

Rin nodded slightly, his eyes briefly shifting to the ground before lifting his face again. “I’m Rin Itoshi,” he said finally, introducing himself in a stiff manner.

“You?”

His voice sounded formal, as though he was forcing himself. You introduced yourself, a little nervous.

“So… what should we do now?” you asked without thinking.

Rin stared at you in silence. Honestly, he didn’t know either. His life was filled with training schedules, matches, and his ambition to be the best in the world of soccer. Relationships—especially something like a soulmate—were never part of his plan.

“I don’t have time for things like this,” he said eventually, his tone cold. “I hope you can understand.”

Your chest tightened hearing his words. “Oh…” That was the only response you could give.

Before you could take another step back, Bachira suddenly interrupted with a wide grin. “Hey, hey, don’t be so cold, Rin! Isn’t a soulmate supposed to be something special? Maybe this is a good chance for you to learn to relax!”

Rin shot Bachira a sharp look. “I’m serious.”

But Bachira only chuckled and turned to you. “Don’t worry, he’s like this. Tough on the outside, but... well, you know.”

You could only smile faintly, unsure of how to respond. This situation felt too strange.

Somehow you feel your feelings are getting better because of bachira, should you say thanks or something?

Rin sighed again, looking more frustrated. “Listen,” he said, looking at you with an intense gaze. “I don’t know how this is going to go. But, I can’t promise anything.”

You nodded slightly. “I'm not expecting anything,” you said honestly. You raised your little finger and then sighed. "I just want to understand... this."

Rin fell silent for a moment, then shifted his gaze. “Alright,” he muttered quietly. “Let’s just see how it goes.”

However, deep in his heart, Rin knew that this red string wasn’t something that could be easily ignored. Even if he tried, the subtle tug would always remind him that you were a part of his fate.

After that awkward conversation, Rin turned and walked back toward his group, leaving you standing frozen. Your pinky still felt strange, like an invisible connection that kept growing stronger, even as the distance between you widened.

Bachira, who had been observing the situation with great interest, smiled mischievously and patted Rin on the shoulder. “You’re too serious, Rin. She’s your soulmate. At least try to be nice.”

Rin glared at Bachira but said nothing. In his mind, conflicting thoughts clashed. He knew what the red string meant and understood the consequences of this bond. But was he truly ready to accept someone into his life? Especially when he was at the peak of his career?

Meanwhile, you decided not to force the situation. After taking a deep breath, you turned and returned to the garden where your family was. Your steps felt heavy, as if something was left behind.

---

• That night

You sat on the balcony of your hotel room, staring at the starry night sky. The red string on your finger seemed brighter under the moonlight. You twirled it slowly, feeling confused and a bit sad.

“Why now?” you murmured softly.

Even though you didn’t know much about Rin, his cold gaze and words from earlier in the day left a lasting impression. You didn’t blame him. Who could accept the fact that their life was suddenly tied to someone they had just met?

Suddenly, your phone buzzed. A message from your father came in.

“Tomorrow we’ll head to the beach. Don’t stay up too late, okay?”

You sighed deeply. This holiday was supposed to be a time to relax, but all it brought was a sense of unease.

---

• Elsewhere

Rin sat in his hotel room, looking at his pinky. The red string pulsed softly, as if reminding him that you were at the other end.

The beautiful—wait—the girl who became or rather who was his soulmate, He couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier that day.

“Why now?” he muttered with the same tone as yours.

Bachira, who was staying in the room next door, suddenly knocked on the door and entered without permission. “Yo, Rin! Are you still thinking about your soulmate?”

“Get out,” Rin replied flatly, but Bachira didn’t care.

“You know, fate can’t be avoided. If I were you, I’d try to get to know her. Who knows, she might be the one who makes you happier.”

Rin scoffed. “I don’t need happiness. I just need to focus.”

Bachira laughed. “Oh, Rin... we’ll see who wins. You or fate.”

Rin chose not to respond. But deep down, he knew Bachira might be right. Fate wasn’t something that could easily be avoided, and every time he thought about your face, he felt something strange—a mix of curiosity and fear.

Maybe, he wouldn’t be able to run from this.

---

• The next morning

You woke up earlier than planned. The fresh morning air came through the hotel window, but the feeling in your chest was tight. Every time you tried to forget what happened yesterday, the red string reminded you. It seemed to glow brighter today, as if guiding you, calling you.

After breakfast with your family, you decided to take a walk alone. They didn’t mind, and even your father seemed pleased that you were enjoying some time to yourself. You felt a little relieved to be free, even if just for a moment, from the awkward and uncertain feelings that had taken over.

However, as your steps led you toward the beach, your pinky once again felt a pull. You looked around. Nothing seemed different, but the sensation grew stronger. You knew that Rin was nearby.

In the distance, you saw him—Rin, standing by the edge of the beach, as if looking for something in the sea. It felt like time stopped for a moment. The red string tugged harder, almost as if connecting you directly.

Without realizing it, you started walking toward him. Every step felt heavier than usual, and in your heart, there was a growing anxiety. Were you ready? Was Rin ready?

When you got close enough, Rin turned, and his eyes met yours. His gaze was different from before. There was weariness in his eyes, and perhaps, a little confusion. But there was also a warmth, faint but noticeable.

“You?” Rin asked in a softer tone than usual.

You nodded, not knowing what to say. It felt like time slowed down when you were near him.

“I can’t ignore this, can I?” Rin continued, his voice heavy with a hint of frustration. “The string... I think I’m starting to understand. But this... it’s too fast.”

You were a bit surprised, even though yesterday he looked at you annoyed and said a lot of unpleasant things, maybe what Bachira said was right.

'he's tough outside... but, you know.'

You could only smile faintly, even though your heart was pounding. “I don’t know what to do either, but... we can try to understand each other.”

Rin sighed deeply, as if releasing some of the tension inside him. “I can't promise anything. But, maybe we can start from here.” Rin stared at your eyes.

You felt a little weight lift off Rin’s shoulders, even though he still seemed hesitant. At least he didn’t reject you outright. That was enough.

Bachira, who suddenly appeared from behind a sand dune with a mischievous grin, waved at both of you. “Finally! Rin, you’re starting to open up!”

Rin shot Bachira a half-annoyed look. “Don’t butt in.”

Bachira just laughed and continued walking toward the sea as if he didn’t care. “Don’t worry, Rin. I’m sure you two will be fine.”

Rin looked at you again, this time more calmly. “I... will try,” he said softly, almost like a promise he didn’t fully understand yet.

You nodded, feeling a little relieved. “I’ll be patient. There’s no need to rush.”

Maybe this wasn’t the end of your journey, and maybe it wasn’t a perfect beginning, but at least you knew that both of you had started something new. A small step toward a fate that couldn’t be avoided.

As you both stood there, by the peaceful beach, the red string no longer felt like a burden. Instead, there was a sense of hope starting to grow between you two.

Maybe this was the start of an unexpected journey.

|| I don't know, should I continue or is it done? Honestly I want to, but I want to finish a lot of my final semester assignments. It's quite a lot.. and well that's it😭😭

Thank you for reading my writing! <3

Here's the second parttt!!

#rin itoshi x reader #rin itoshi #itoshi rin #rin x reader #fluff #tsundere rin #tsundere itoshi rin #tsundere rin itoshi #soulmate au #red string of fate #bllk #bllk x you #bllk x reader

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rainybubbles · 1 year ago

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Draw me, love me- Soap x reader

(Sorry in advance for my mistakes, English is not my mother tongue. So sorry if it's badly written or if they're OOC.)

"Will you ever draw me, Johnny?"

His eyes fixed on me. With his pencil suspended, he stopped drawing.

"I don't think so, it's merely a pastime," he responded, his tone almost aloof.

"But you've drawn Lizzie, haven't you?"

"That's different."

My lips tightened, my gaze dropping to the ground. A knot of bitterness formed in my throat. If there was one lesson I had gleaned from Johnny, it was that he would never sketch me.

(Never would he love me.)

—-------------------------

-It's quite ironic that our friendship began amidst charcoal and erasers, in a small village lost in Scotland, the only art class for miles around.

-We were the only two students of Madame McGuire, a housewife desperately seeking occupation. Looking back, she was a failed artist. But my parents wanted to cultivate a passion in me, and when my rugby endeavors left me with more broken bones than joy, they finally realized that sports weren't my ally.

-So, at the tender age of 8, I entered that house feeling anxious, and there he was, covered in charcoal up to his nose.

-Seeing him laugh kicked off our sketches.

A stroke of pencil led by questions, followed by a few strokes of erasers as we got to know each other, and slowly our friendship sketch took shape in that decrepit house. Sheet after sheet, our sketches brought us together, his energy was indomitable.

"Hey, will you ever be an artist?" he asked.

It was the first time I was asked the question without disdain. No implication, no 'but think of something else.'

"I don't know," I replied.

That was a lie.

I knew.

I wanted to be, but I didn't dare to dream about it.

"I think you should try; you've got cute pigtails like artists," he said.

"Do all artists have pigtails?" I asked.

"They have quirky hair, my mom says so."

I paused, releasing my marker.

"In that case, my dad can never be one," I admitted sadly.

"Why?" John asked, curious.

"He's bald."

He handed me his favorite marker and resumed his coloring.

"Oh, that's sad for him," he sighed.

"At least he can look like Mr. Clean."

"Is he cool?" he asked.

"...not really," I replied.

"Mine isn't cool either," he said.

"Oh yeah?" I asked.

"When I was born, he left. And now he tries to knock on the door, but my mom won't let him."

"What do you do then?" I asked.

"I threw a bucket of glitter at him," he said.

"Did it work?" I asked.

"Yeah, but now I'm out of glitter for next time," he replied.

"Try charcoal, it stains. Last time, I was covered, and my mom screamed."

"I'll try that," he said.

They were ridiculous sketches, full of stick figures, houses with square windows, and purple-skinned people. But it was our art, our relationship.

_______________________

Slowly, during high school, I found myself gravitating towards the art club, which was slightly larger than Madame McGuire's classes, with a modest increase from one classmate to three. Admittedly, a four-person club crammed into the janitor's closet didn't boast much, but it held a special place in my heart.

Deep down, I harbored a hope that John would join us.

Yet, he opted for the rugby club, and gradually, we drifted apart. While my sketches remained monochrome, his days overflowed with vibrant social interactions.

I felt like a dull canvas, yearning for a splash of color. Meanwhile, he effortlessly embodied a lively watercolor.

Attempts to reconnect faltered. Our conversations in the hallway, the offering of sketchbooks, the inquiry about his artistic pursuits—all met with fleeting gestures, mere nods. In hindsight, I should have recognized my insignificance compared to his bustling world.

Thus, I embarked on a solitary journey from sketches to hues.

It was a daunting, lonely, and unattractive endeavor.

Progress eluded me.

My phone remained silent, notifications reduced to mindless spam, and evenings lingered in the quiet company of my parents.

Weekends became my sanctuary for artistic expression, while weekdays served as a means to evade familial interactions. The cycle persisted.

I found myself trapped in a cycle of sketching, erasing, and doodling, endlessly switching between pencils in a desperate attempt to breathe life into my ideas. Meanwhile, he effortlessly thrived, seamlessly integrated into his vibrant world.

I resented him.

(I resented myself.)

__________________________________

In our second year, Johnny left the rugby club.

No one quite knew why the golden boy, the one so highly touted to future recruiters, would do such a thing, but he did.

That was Johnny now.

No longer the tentative, hesitant charcoal sketch, but a permanent ink drawing.

So, one evening, when I caught sight of his silhouette at the art club, I realized he was back for good.

I didn't know how to take the news.

Embarrassed, I tucked my sketchbook under my arm.

"John," I greeted as I settled in.

"I wanted to apologize, y/n I- I didn't behave well."

"No, no. You've evolved, and that's normal, we can't always stay with the same people."

That's what I kept telling myself.

Adults say stuff like that.

My mom says it when my dad comes home too late, ignoring the scent of perfume on his jacket and the divorce papers in the drawer.

"But still, I missed you. I loved making you laugh and our moments together, and I let all that get to my head."

"...okay," I finally said.

Johnny smiled and handed me a blank page.

"For a fresh start."

"It's your history evaluation, but I appreciate the metaphor."

He apologized and offered another sheet.

That evening, I could finally sketch in peace, with him standing behind me, ink in hand.

Sure, I remained a hesitant pencil, but at least Johnny was there to catch every one of my missed strokes.

Finally back, I felt relieved.

_____________________________

In our final year, something shifted.

Johnny abruptly traded his black ink for bold strokes of red oil paint.

Nothing but red.

His once vibrant gaze darkened, leaving me puzzled by the change.

His aspirations for college faded into whispers, his focus elsewhere, perhaps lost in that obsessive red.

"You're painting a lot in red these days."

"It's my preference."

"Why not... try something else?"

"Are you really the one suggesting that to me?"

I hesitated, unsure of what more to add.

Sure, I remained within the comfortable confines of our village, with pencils, sketches, good grades, the compliant, quiet person, destined for college, but—

I knew.

My life wasn't a venture but a dreary routine.

Yet, why did he feel the need to emphasize it? To dismiss my art like that, to belittle it?

Tears threatened to spill, and I bit down on my lip.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. I—things have changed."

"You said that last time too."

"But it's true, I— I'm enlisting, y/n."

Only later did I discover the passing of his military uncle. That's what had altered everything. Johnny sought to shield others, to mold his painting into a formidable barrier.

"I understand."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Would you prefer I voice my thoughts? About turning young lives into cannon fodder for people seated in diplomatic chairs? It's not wise, John."

"Y/n, it's not—"

"We don't see eye to eye on this, John. And we never will. So, best of luck, I suppose."

"Thank you."

It marked the first time I expressed my opinion without trembling, without yielding, without erasing it.

For once, I had wielded black ink too.

_________________________

Madame McGuire threw a massive party, a couple of years after we graduated. John kept texting me for New Year's, Christmas, and my birthday. I replied, and that was about it. Everything turned cold after he left. Despite the confidence I gained, I struggled to channel it into my drawings, which were buried at the bottom of my drawers beneath my college coursework. I had given up on art.

"Hey, y/n."

Or so I thought. But seeing him standing there, smiling at me, my only thought was to capture him on canvas so I could observe him every day.

"John."

I couldn't finish my sentence before he enveloped me in a hug. His arms had definitely tripled in size, and his hair was styled in a ridiculous egghead cut, a far cry from the mullet he once dreamed of.

"I'm trying to imitate your dad, it seems," he said, referring to his haircut.

"I bet you cried when they shaved it off," I teased.

"Maybe," he grinned.

It was funny; our exchanges seemed fluid again, our pigments blending once more in the waters of friendship.

"Are you... doing okay?"

Awkward.

He had a smile on his face, he hugged me, and yet, I knew the answer.

"I- yeah," he replied uncomfortably.

Maybe not so fluid after all.

"Are you still doing art? I mean, I heard someone from our village got into an art college on a scholarship, and it has to be you."

My smile faded.

No.

In reality, in high school, you were the art prodigy.

One stroke and everyone praised you, one hand movement and everyone was in awe.

But as you grow older, you're not alone anymore. You're not interesting anymore.

You're just an artist among hundreds of others.

I observed him, wanting to lie, to throw pigments in his eyes, to force-feed him acrylics as lies, but—

"No, y/n isn't frivolous, they chose a history degree," my father interjected.

Frivolous.

What burned with desire, with passion for a decade, the thousands of pages in my drawers, of pencils, of hours spent studying, of sleepless nights smiling.

My father summed it up in one word in the harsh reality of the working world.

A sheepish smile appeared on John's face.

"But you loved it," he said.

"Not so much anymore," I lied.

Because how do you admit to cowardly abandoning your only reason for living?

My heart clenched, my eyes avoided his gaze.

John was like me; he knew what art was, what it meant to be an artist.

I felt his hands on my shoulder.

My heart trembled, scared of the passion John could reignite.

"I refuse to believe that," he said.

"John."

"I kept going, you know, I— I still draw."

"Really?"

"In my journal, at least, I draw. If I don't stop, don't you either, y/n, please, promise me."

His promise was there, my feet at the edge of this canvas of friendship.

And without too much thought, I jumped right in.

"Okay."

________________________________

He sent me his sketches whenever he could. Forced to stick with pencil, his art lost its vibrancy. So, I compensated by using colors, paint. Slowly, confidence crept in, only to be shattered by doubt. But every day, I sent him a photo. And whenever he could, he complimented my art. I think that's what made me fall.

My art... it was me.

It was the essence of who I was — the part of me that didn't need words, that I could shape and mold into something beautiful. It wasn't about my body or my face. My art was my soul. So, his compliments, slowly, I took them for more. Our late-night conversations, from opposite ends of the world, I cherished them a bit too much. His laughter, the way he said my name, his hugs, everything was... him. He appreciated my art. So, I thought he appreciated me.

(It's false, I knew he didn't)

"You know, right now I'm in a desert."

"You told me that six months ago, John," I chuckled over the phone.

"In a different one."

"You should have been an archaeologist at this rate."

"I thought about it, you know, but no, I don't want to be chased by a mummy."

"I don't think that's likely, John."

"You haven't seen enough movies, y/n."

"Yes, actually."

A silence stretched.

"I'm getting promoted."

"Good for you," I smiled.

But the silence persisted.

"But I want to specialize first."

"...what do you mean?"

"I... I've always been good at math."

"Yes, but you don't kill people with equations, John."

"Yes."

"No, I don't— oh. Oh."

"I want to try bombs."

"So you're telling me you want to become Einstein at 4 a.m. in a desert over the phone?"

"My mom would have a fit, and I wanted your opinion."

"No, you don't want that, John, and you know it."

He didn't say a word before finally speaking.

"...it's true, I just needed to talk about it."

I was angry. Why tell me? I hated his job, his sacrifice.

"Damn it, human cannon fodder exploding, you—"

I stopped myself. John had made his choice, no matter my arguments. I was his friend.

"Are you happy?"

"Yes. Really."

"Then... go ahead," I murmured, already regretting it.

"Thank you, y/n."

Suddenly, I wanted to shove my sketches down his throat. To convince him. Being a simple soldier meant he remained accessible, but a promotion... A promotion left me alone, surrounded by his sketches of battles and soldiers.

__________________________________

"Sergeant Soap, looking ridiculous," I smiled.

In his uniform, he had just returned from the ceremony. His family couldn't make it, much to his mother's dismay, who had been calling every five minutes to apologize and had asked me for a hundred photos of her son in uniform.

"Soap is cool."

"Soap? Nah."

He grinned, beer in hand in my apartment.

"You must be charming a lot of people in uniform like that," I joked.

"I admit to my little success," he joked back. "But... there's one, at the moment."

"Thomas?"

"How did you know?" he exclaimed, sitting up.

I laughed.

"You send me sketches of him non-stop, it's your trademark, McTavish. You sketch the people you like."

"...in more ways than one," he added with a smirk.

"Ewww!"

He continued his story about Thomas, our laughter fading in my apartment.

Maybe at that moment, I should have remembered that John had never drawn me.

______________________________

In reality, experiencing unrequited love is quite peaceful.

Nothing pulls you in, life just goes on.

Everything feels dull.

And suddenly, you catch sight of your crush and everything changes.

Then everything goes back to normal.

After Thomas, I caught sight of the sketches of Valentine, Ymir, Julio, Shirley.

Their features all blurred together in my mind, their smiles.

Every evening, I observed myself, searching for a resemblance, hoping to attract him, to be captured by his pencil.

But nothing.

So I continued to sketch him without being sketched in return.

And when I finally asked him the question.

"Will you ever draw me, Johnny?"

"I don't think so, it's just to distract myself," he replied in an almost detached tone.

"But you drew Lizzie, didn't you?"

"That's different."

I understood that he would never love me.

_______________________

- You don't talk to John anymore?

I was at my mother's for the weekend.

In truth, I had stopped sending my sketches (my feelings).

John, on the other hand, continued with his (his friendship).

- Not much anymore. The distance makes it hard, you know?

No, it had never been a challenge for us.

- I see. I... you know, I thought he would help you.

- Help me with what?

- Art.

I paused in the kitchen, setting the bowl on the table before turning to her.

- Mom, it's not—

- I know that—I never said anything. I never opposed your father, but seeing you pursue a history doctorate while every evening, I watched your fingertips, gray with charcoal, I can't help but think what a waste it is.

- Dad has nothing to do with this. I needed a legitimate degree, it's not—

- T/p.

Her voice turned cold.

I met her gaze.

- Stop hiding, please. she murmured, tears in her eyes as she hugged me.

I couldn't move.

- Speak up, address the world. I'm sorry for asking you to remain silent for so long. I should have... I should have spoken up, pushed you further. Go ahead.

It was as if a wave suddenly crashed over me.

I collapsed, tears streaming, into her embrace.

- I'm sorry. I whispered.

I didn't know why I was apologizing.

- It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay. she reassured, tears streaming down her face

Tears flowed, my breathing grew ragged, my nose stuffed, my vision blurred. I felt numb. Dissolving into her arms, all I could do was sob.

- I thought I could handle it. I murmured.

Pretend.

Pretend to be happy in a career I don't want.

Pretend to be happy when he doesn't love me.

Pretend to be happy when I'm not there mentally.

_____________________

Three years had flown by.

Sketching was no longer just a step; I dove in without hesitation. It had been tough—financially, socially. I had no connections in the field, retreating back to my parents' home. Rejection after rejection, unpaid internships barely covering my food expenses. Student loans weighed heavily on my shoulders. The other students seemed younger, more talented. But I held onto my diploma, earned through hard work, even if it meant slaving away at a fast-food joint. I kept applying, day in and day out, until one day, I landed a job as an assistant for a small comic book company.

Back in the village for Christmas, I had done the grocery shopping my mother asked for.

"John," I greeted him, having lost touch with him. In fact, I had blocked him. I needed to move forward. So, I sent him a message, asking him not to contact me anymore because I didn't want that friendship anymore. It was pathetic, I know. I was a jerk. But I needed it, strangely.

"You... you look radiant," he remarked.

"Thank you," I replied.

"I... your message, that—"

"I'm sorry. I needed space at that time. I shouldn't have... done that like that," I apologized.

"I see," he said.

"Still... Sergeant?" I asked, noting his mullet.

"Yeah, I... I'm still drawing," he replied.

"I see, that's cool. I... I'm full-time into it now," I admitted.

His eyes widened. "Damn, you made it!"

"I... it's an assistant job for an adult comic, calm down," I clarified.

"Still, you make a living out of it," he pointed out.

"You could say that, yeah," I said with a smile.

"Can I hug you?" he asked.

I couldn't answer before he did. Instantly, I knew I was back to having a crush on him. This man who always loved my stick figures, smiling and loving. His scent was like paint fumes, comforting yet toxic.

"I missed you," he said.

"You too," I admitted, stepping back.

The silence returned. I don't know why I ended up admitting that. I guess I was trying to fill the void. To panic about the silence. So, this confession slipped out stealthily from my lips, hoping to break the silence.

"I loved you, you know," I confessed.

"I knew," he replied.

Damn joke. I bit my lip when I saw him rummaging in his bag. A sketchbook, barely presentable, lay there, the year of our high school was written on it.

"This... I never showed you because we weren't talking during that year, but yeah, you... you were my muse," he explained.

I eagerly opened the sketchbook. And there they were. Sketch after sketch, painting after painting of me. Smiling, in the hallways, in class, angry, sometimes from memory. There was... only me. And John drew people he loved.

"Damn irony, huh. We don't love each other at the same time. It's... sad," I murmured.

"Oh well, you know... art is timeless, right?" he tried to lighten the mood.

I furrowed my brows.

"Tell that to the art restorers who bust their ass on Leonardo da Vinci's paintings," I retorted.

"Y/n, I'm not talking about that," he clarified.

My eyes met his.

"I... I don't know if this is a good idea," I admitted.

"I think it is," he said.

"John, I—"

"I can love hard enough for both of us, give me a chance. Let me draw you again," he pleaded.

"What if... it fails?" I voiced my fear.

"Then it fails, but I'm a pro at bombs, and you're one, so no risk," he said with a wink.

A silence settled.

"...that was horrible flirting," I finally said, breaking the silence.

"It worked, didn't it?" he replied with a smile.

"Okay," I murmured, feeling a glimmer of hope.

And for once, that evening, our two faces appeared at the same time in our sketchbooks.

If you want more : my masterlist

#soap x reader #john mctavish x reader #johnny mctavish x reader #call of duty x reader #cod x reader

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yyawnjun · 1 year ago

Text

LOVE GUIDE (SAY YES)chap15

The "measurements" are perhaps the quickest and most fundamental moment you faced at the beginning of the year. You were with your friends, and you took the required measures to create an outfit for you to wear at your first fashion show in the new year. It was a quick thing, and with their help, you soon wrote the measurements that now lay in your portfolio.

The measurement notebook - part of your annual portfolio - now it's before your eyes, together with all your modeling photos taken during your university years.

In less than ten minutes, you'd have had to leave to meet with Hoshi to take your measurements...the ones that were already neatly put in the notebook. You knew it was rash to lie to him about losing it so you could have an excuse to see him. But now you had, and the funny chat that followed made the message worthwhile. And while you were still contemplating your decision, you had already taken off the pages with your measurements from the portfolio.

Now you'll truly need some new ones.

You took a deep breath, put on your headphones, and after checking three hundred times that the front door was closed, you headed towards school.

It was the end of May, and the heat was beginning to be felt. You regretted not wearing sunglasses, but you went under the shadows of rooftops and trees to avoid being blinded and feeling the heat too much.

You continued going till you reached the entrance to the university campus.

The closer you get there, with the music at full volume, the more you let your imagination and the beat of the song flow. Because it was early and lessons started late on those days, there were a few people at the camp. Subconsciously, you began humming your songs and moving to the beat. You walked to the rhythm, shook your head, and allowed your emotions to guide you. You were happy with the music, you were in your music theater, and no one could stop you.

No one except Hoshi.

Or perhaps not even him?

Actually, he didn't want to take away you from the comforting atmosphere that music took you to. He had seen you from a distance and was catching up with you as you arrived on campus. But suddenly he found himself getting closer to you, dreamy eyes sparkling at your joy on that late spring day.

As soon as you noticed him getting closer, you stopped in embarrassment.

He noticed the change in your movements, which he was mesmerized by. During those seconds, you continued to wonder about what you could have done to avoid an embarrassing situation. As he approached you, the perfect idea came to you. You removed your headphones and placed them over his ears. Before you could say hello, your music blared in his ears. His eyes widened in confusion, and his charming smile vanished for a minute in awe at your unexpected gesture.

You didn't know what song had just played in his ears, you knew it was from your playlist of happy songs. You also knew that whatever it was, you would be glad to dedicate it to him. Was it that feeling of lightness that Hoshi brought? Was that the feeling you were looking for?

Little, did you know that it was the playlist that Hoshi had dedicated to you (to which you had added other songs) that became your "happy songs playlist"?

Embarrassed, you tried to ignore the fact that he had seen you immersed in the world of music, but he couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful you looked in that moment. You began walking together toward the school entrance, and the discussion lightened as you talked about many things and complained about the excessive heat.

You soon arrived at the classroom, and it hit you that you were alone with Hoshi...after realizing your feelings for him.

You felt your heartbeat quicken as he continued to think about your beauty and how lucky he was to be in the same room with you.

Two turbulent lovers hiding their obvious love, what could be the story?

“Uh, first let me show you the sketches I drew!” he told you, taking out his portfolio.

The portfolio included a drawing of a tiger in the center and many more amusing drawings and comics around it; the background was dark green, and the entire portfolio was built on a dark color palette with strong contrasts to bright colors. After he permitted you, you spent some time flipping through his old sketches, and you were amazed by his talent. All of his traits were flawless, and under each model, there was a miniature comic that he used to rate his works. His cartoon figure wore a top with a tiger drawn on it and had the same distinctive expression as Hoshi.

All of his previous collections had the colors of forest undergrowth, but there were also bright colors that drew his attention right away. He was able to combine all of the opposites into outfits that could mesmerize anyone by using numerous accessories and layering techniques. You noted that there were female and male models, and their poses were the most different among the models. You realized his expertise even more when you saw the three sketches he had made for your project.

While you were captivated by his portfolio, he could only observe you and your reactions as you looked at his work. He nodded and silently thanked you for every compliment. He could have stayed like this forever.

“Hoshi, these sketches are amazing, I'm speechless.”

The first sketch was like a women's suit. The two pieces included long, loose trousers, which tapered below the knee but then continued to flare. The fabric looked similar to velvet, a black velvet that contrasted with the sand-colored accessories of the shoes. But the even more gorgeous part was the piece above. A brick red shirt, with puffed sleeves and a large lace decoration on the back, while the front left room for a corset full of sandy yellow spirals - like the shoes. Your décolleté was adorned with a pearl necklace with a large black diamond, and many small pearls surrounding it. It all ended with a sort of "red skirt", which thanks to a large slit on the front allowed the trousers to be visible. Furthermore, two more golden earrings with pearl decorations ringed her face, leaving her with minimal makeup and a braid in her hair.

The second sketch was inspired by Raphael's portrait from the late Renaissance to the early Baroque period. A long golden veil began at the head and formed a long train; beneath, a white pleated shirt could be seen, while a magnificent dress emerged from the cleavage down. The dress stopped above the knees, and a large skirt delicately surrounded the thighs. The decorations on the frame looked like spirals - typical of baroque decorations - they were golden, and all the jewels alternated between pearls and amber. The necklace was made of simple amber, while the shirt had curls at the top. The model's shoulders were bare and sleeves extended from just above the elbow to your hands. The sleeves were wide, tapered at the ends, and the same milky white as the shirt.

You were hypnotized by the wonder of the sketches that had been presented to you; you had a thousand compliments to give and a thousand curiosities to ask; not to mention that all the attention he had paid to the small details made you want to get up and do what you thought he could do to express his gratitude to him... maybe with a kiss. Resisting that temptation was quite tough, especially after viewing the last of the three sketches he had done.

Yet if you had only raised your head a little you would have given in and ended up kissing the face of that boy who was a few centimeters away from you. As you observed every detail of his creations, he observed every detail of you. And while you smiled at the beauty of the clothes he designed, he smiled at your reactions.

In that air that smelled of love, you ended up remaining enchanted for endless minutes watching the third sketch.

The third sketch illustrated the ability of Baroque sculptors to pay particular attention to the consistency of fabrics. And how they manage to bring the lightness of a feather from hard stone - for example, what Antonio Corradini did with "La Velata". And with this idea, Hoshi created a dress that clung to the body and appeared almost "wet". It was a dirty white and delicately accompanied the model's entire body. It was simple, with horizontal pleats and ankle length. It seemed to be able to be seen a lot, yet everything was graceful and not inappropriate. The central feature of that outfit was a slit in the back, which was hidden by two "angel wings" that stayed linked to the model's back. They were wings wrapped in white feathers, as was customary for baroque headdresses, with red and black gems that matched the heeled shoes. The wings were not large, but they were also not small. They were the appropriate size to not overpower the dress while yet highlighting all of its vivid decorations. Also in this case, the make-up was minimal, and the hair was wrapped with a thin thread band and brilliant gems.

How could one person create all of this? The ability felt almost inhuman to you, no matter how beautiful the three sketches were.

"Hoshi, it's an honor for me to be able to work with you. I feel like continuing to praise these outfits isn't enough, but I promise to do my best to show the world how brilliant they are. These sketches capture your talented soul and charm. Thank you for working with me."

"Yn, they were all created with you in mind - and, of course, the baroque theme. All I can ask for is to see them on you on a runway, and then I can die in peace."

WAIT, WAS THIS A CONFESSION?

chap14 // chap16 ; m.list

。　　　　✧　　　　⁺　　　。

summary: It is clear to everyone that Kwon Soon-young has a huge crush on the model student Yn. But can Hoshi, a passionate and funny stylist make her fall in love in just a month? What if he followed a weird LOVE GUIDE, that he found in the school bathroom?

。　　　　✧　　　　⁺　　　。

a.n. HEY GUYS!! that's the second written part of this smau, hope y'all like this pure sweet and gentle scenario. it's not over yet, i still have some chaps for this smau 🤭 but I am here for the biggest shotout to @sobun1est !! LIA MY FAV GIRL !! and best proodreader <3 this chap is here also thanks to her work and supportive comments😭 (1.8k wc)

#love guide (say yes)#k - labels #k labels #seventeen #seventeen x reader #svt x reader #svt #hoshi #hoshi x reader #seventeen fluff #hoshi funny #hoshi smau #seventeen fanfiction #seventeen smau #hoshi x yn #hoshi x y/n #hoshi x you

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come-away-with-me87 · 1 year ago

Text

The Art of Love Chapter 3

Chapter 2 here

******

"I was just about to sit with Eri and ask how her first day went. I'm assuming you are Mr. Aizawa that Mirio spoke of this morning?" He walked over towards you and bowed, "I am, but you may call me Shouta." You typically had the parents call you Miss L/N, but for some reason, you introduced yourself as Y/N L/N. "But you can call me Y/N." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Y/N," he said as he still bowed to you. He finally rose up, and you got a better look at him up close. There was something about him that was...beautiful.

He made your heart beat fast; no one has had this kind of effect on you since Kento. You tried to shake the thought out of your head; you made a vow during Kento's funeral to close your heart off to anyone else. You weren't going to let these strange feelings get in the way. "Well, Shouta, it seems like little Eri here had a decent first day." You pulled out her colored mandala and showed it to him; she chose shades of purple, green, and black. "Interesting," he said quietly. You weren't sure what he meant by that, but he chose not to elaborate.

"Well, since I'm running late, I'll take Eri and get going. Thank you for staying with her." You nodded and smiled at him in return, and said bye to Eri. He took a still-beaming Eri by the hand, and took their leave out of the classroom. You couldn't help but look after him as he left with Eri. What was it about him that made him have that effect on you? Once again, you tried to shake your head of these thoughts, got your belongings together, and left for home.

When you got home, you couldn't help but think of Shouta's reaction to Eri's colored mandala; the fact that all he said was, "interesting." You wondered if the colors she chose had anything to do with her past. Maybe you would ask him when you could find the opportunity to. If he'd permit it, you would like a better understanding of Eri's past, so you know what brought her to your classroom. It would be hard to get to talk to him about it, though, during drop off or pick up. You'd have to be creative and think of a way of speaking with him while Eri wasn't around.

******

The rest of Eri's first week seemed to go by relatively well. She was very quiet and didn't interact much with the other students, but she completed all of her assignments as directed. You were a little concerned about the fact that she wasn't interacting much with the other students, however, it was only her first week. Perhaps she just needed a little more time. You would bring it up to the U.A. if it became an issue. For now, you were going to let it be.

Along with the rest of her classmates, you did a variety of activities with them. One day, you had them draw sketches of whatever came to mind. Another day, you had them paint rocks, and you all took a walk to the local park to leave the rocks around the park. Your theory for this was that through their paintings, they could bring joy to someone's day by finding the rock as they were walking in the park. Then another day, you bought a bunch of random magazines, and had them create collages using pictures, words, or letters from the magazines.

At the end of the day on Friday, you gathered up all of the students' drawings and collages, and waited for everyone's parents or guardians to pick them up. You felt your heart beat faster again at the sight of Shouta walking in to pick up Eri, but you tried to act cordial towards him like you did with the rest of the adults. You heard him ask Eri to go stand outside in the hallway and wait by the door while he spoke with you. Once again, your heart started beating faster when you saw him walking over towards you.

"Hello, Y/N," he said. "Hello, Mr. Aiza---Shouta, sorry," you said with a small grin. He looked up at you, "I just wanted to thank you for accepting Eri into your class. I know it's only been a week, but I wanted to see if I could set up some time with you next week to talk about her past, why she's here, and her progress." You looked over at him and smiled, "I think that would be a great idea." Shall we meet here in the classroom after school on Monday?" "That would be good," he replied, "I will bring a friend with me to take Eri back to the campus so I can stay behind."

"Sounds like a date!" you exclaimed, and you instantly felt the horror creeping up in you. Why did you just say that?! Your face must have been beat red because you could feel how hot your cheeks were. Shouta just looked at you curiously. "I'm so sorry, I don't know why I said that. I meant to say it 'sounds like a plan'." He just looked at you and slightly grinned, "it's no problem. I don't want to keep Eri waiting any longer, so I will see you on Monday?" Your face was still hot and you felt like an idiot, but you still replied, "yes, I will see you then."

******

To be continued...

******

Tag list: @lili-pond ; @jaguarthecat ; @big-denki-energy

#aizawa shota #aizawa #shota aizawa #eraserhead #bnha shouta aizawa #mha aizawa #aizawa shota x reader #aizawa shouta #aizawa x y/n #shouta aizawa x reader #shouta x reader #aizawa shouta x reader #shouta aizawa #aizawa shota x you #aizawa x reader #aizawa x you #bnha aizawa #shota aizawa x female reader #shota aizawa x reader

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sorayad · 6 months ago

Note

hello, thank you for writing two truths, it was so lovely and brought me a lot of joy over the holiday season. <3 i foolishly thought the comments would show up in my offline copy but alas that is not a thing...would be you able to share your extensive writing notes and writing playlist again? if not, i understand. thank you so much once again; i hold ty and matt dearly in the comfort corners of my brain :')

thank you so much for caring about the characters!! and for very kindly referring to my notes as 'extensive' and not 'unhinged'.

NOTES:

i keep smiling while writing this??? ty and matteo are just so incredibly embarrassing. this is fun.

2024-08-05 update – WOW rereading this particular little note i wrote ages ago just made me tear up because i was working 12+ hour days between my jobs and teaching and trying to prep for quals and just getting nothing but rejections for grant applications and from literary agents and i had no time to sit and write and even when i did i was being hypercritical of every word and then i dug up this ridiculous story and it was like. this plot hook is so fucking goofy it literally doesn’t matter. and that was so freeing that ty v5.docx became the only thing i could allow myself to have fun writing for months because there were 0 stakes and it was just for me so it didn’t matter if it was cheesy and ridiculous and then i got three offers of rep in three days????

origin story for this one was a JOURNEY:

matteo actually appeared first, except he was an antagonist in a different and way more tragic sci-fi type story that i think i first sketched out in like??? 2021??

completely separately from that: an early, early version of ty’s story was kicking around as a vague sketch of scene ideas and the ‘captain’s sister’ plot hook since 2022 while i tinkered here and there without the full thing ever really clicking. at one point (late 2023???) i was toying with it again (spite!) and needed a loud cocky background douche who was less shitty than the many other douches that populate this narrative and for some reason (fate) matteo popped into my head so it was like. fine. i’ll pluck him out of the sad sci-fi story and use him here.

at that point, ty had a totally different story!!! he was going to have a non-matteo love interest!!!! and then background douche matteo drove ty to the party in chapter 1. and then he kept butting into scenes and thinking of new ways to try and help ty. and then literally on feb 29 2024 (leap day!!!) i was listening to ‘brand new day’ from the freaky friday soundtrack on the train and the image of him tucking his hideously ugly necklace into ty’s pocket hit me out of nowhere like a truck and i realized there was something there.

tldr matteo jumped across fictional universes and decided that he was going to be ty’s love interest instead of a villain and that i did not get a say in the matter

ty notes:

i had ty’s speaking voice really early on, but it took me ages to find his like. internal voice??? truth??? as a narrator. my first instinct was to write him as shy, but the words stopped flowing which is usually a sign i’m getting a character wrong, so i tried to refocus on the part i knew, his speaking voice, and it led me to the realization that while he is an earnest Good Boy and incredibly awkward at times he is also Not Shy and honestly is pretty mouthy and opinionated, and that insane combination of traits led me to the realization that my way into the truth of him wasn’t to be me now, it was to be me at like 17. gagged etc.

re: All Of That, i feel like the conflict at the heart of ty’s story is based in the Weird Loser Teen TM experience of having this strange stubborn pride in being scorned by the mean normies and feeling conviction in Being Yourself, but simultaneously wondering why Yourself is so laughable and will never belong anywhere or with anyone and just desperately wanting someone to tell you it’s okay and you’re normal and good.

fun writing challenge: trying to write a character that has Opinions without doing the incredibly annoying thing where it’s very obviously the writer pontificating through the characters’ mouth like it’s an after school special for Good Person Points. i have to make us buy ty as someone who would have these thoughts.

bgjablgkdajbdl ty is so much less angsty than my other protagonists, the edgiest song on the writing playlist is literally ‘scream’ from high school musical 3

horny jail bonk

this clip has ty energy highkey https://x.com/jnnibee/status/1823975972212809939

matteo notes:

my most impossible writing challenge yet: making a third gen italian hockey bro from hamilton ontario a viable love interest

while no one will ever dethrone Samuel ‘The Most Romantic Man Alive’ Matsui as the most cringe (honorific) character i’ve ever written, matteo definitely is the second most frequent perpetrator of out of pocket Leading Man In A KDrama antics*. like what do you meaaannnnn you’re showing up dramatically to step in between our protagonist and danger????? and now you’re asking him to wear your necklace????? and you’re princess carrying him??? and now ‘hero’ by sterling knight is on the writing playlist??? you’re so embarrassing?????

*the difference being, of course, that matteo is capable of shame and incredibly mortified by his own actions

is this a safe space. the literal only reason the non-terrible background douche that eventually became matt is even in this story is because i realized the end of chapter 1/start of chapter 2 is basically this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SSzuDZ58z0) and it would be funnier if there was a channing tatum equivalent present dgjbksjlbgl. he was only supposed to exist for the bit!!!

ok i can’t just roast him i’m actually very fond of him and i really enjoy the arc that’s emerging of ty gradually deconstructing the myth that he had of matt as this perfect prototypical hockey bro. i also think matt’s arc is kind of a mirror image of ty’s own story??? like whereas ty’s someone who ‘fails at’/deviates from most of the expectations of their social milieu, matteo’s someone who resoundingly succeeds at all of them, at least publicly. so like. exploring those complementary and contrasting pressures.

but also re their mirrored arcs – matt’s story is kind of backwards? or revealed backwards? like usually i HATE the last minute ‘aha he was in love all along’ thing and i didn’t intend to write it but i THINK it works here because a) we kind of knew already from matt’s actions and b) that stuff i wrote previously about ty having to effectively undo or deconstruct the myth of Matteo Mariano, Perfect Hockey Man. we start with Perfect First Overall Matt and end with matt sitting on the ground in just a dress shirt exposed and broken down to the truth of the person he is. we start with him showing up to chase ty and end with the power dynamic kind of switching and ty showing up to chase him. WHATEVER.

it’s so important that in multiple scenes matt’s stage directions/blocking notes were ‘MATTEO DOES THE KATE SHARMA PUPPY EYES LOOK’

another instance of the characters surprising me: i figured out that a big theme of this story would be dissecting the ways in which performative manliness/Socially Mandated Correct Gender Expression can be shed and how scary but ultimately liberating it feels to do that, but what i didn’t expect was the dynamic that’s emerging between ty and matt where through being liberated from Mandatory Correct Gender Performance they’re really organically like ??? picking and choosing aspects of Gender Performance TM that they want?? and that’s been a new experience for me because while i LOVE fucking around with gender as part of characters’ personal arcs, i think i tend to write romantic relationships sort of??? agnostic of it??? like Gender TM is more of an antagonizing externality that doesn’t majorly factor into the dynamic between my main couples??? whereas i’m realizing while writing ty and matt that their respective femininity/masculinity and the interplay between the two on their own terms is like. part of what they’re so into about each other.

it’s so fun to get to dig into The Mixed Race Experience a little here because a lot of the characters i write find a sense of fulfillment in finding or owning a label and so it feels nice to bring ty and matteo on a different journey of grappling with the ways they aren’t entirely any one thing and having to negotiate different aspects of their identities while questioning whether they’re ‘enough’ of any single one

oh my god and that lets me tie in additional significance to matt’s ‘you’re everything’ in the final confession scene yayyyyy thank you subconscious writer brain <3 <3 <3

Villains TM

the team: so usually when i’m writing hockey romcoms my protagonists’ teammates have been pretty chill and nice because a) i love a found family and b) honestly writing shitty people and inflicting them on my protagonists makes me feel tired and sad and bad. love a villain in a fantasy setting. hate a villain in a contemporary setting. BUT in this case the more i write the more it’s like. oh no they’re so shitty and that’s The Plot and it has to be this way.

curtis: i really didn’t initially intend for curtis to be the pseudo-villain he’s ending up as but the more the story gets clear to me the more i feel the violence of his placating neutrality. causing harm not because of action but because of inaction. seeing conformity as a virtue. stuffed with sawdust instead of a heart. the anti-matt.

if you’ve read my fanfic you know i love a redemption arc for or exploration of a complex and hated character and i found myself initially trying to be like. okay but people are complicated i need to show that ty’s teammates have good or at least explicatory aspects to their personalities, how can i redeem them and make this better and more healing, to the point of opening another doc and sketching out a few hundred words of Curtis Tragic Repressed Backstory. and then i got the ick harder than ever before. maybe these guys have reasons but their actions are still cruel and hurt people and i do not feel like contriving a way for ty to forgive them. they're one note villains and in this one case i think i’m okay with that because i don’t really care to learn more about them.

saoirse_ronan_as_jo_march_saying_women.gif

i love when fictional women are angry and bitter and kelly is both of those things for good reason but she’s also really genuinely kind!!! i wish i had better words for this but i feel like in her relationship to ty there’s elements of old obi wan in a new hope, like the jaded mentor who wants things to go better for our starry-eyed protagonist???

kelly/cam is my headcanon pairing. i feel like kelly is sort of accustomed to men looking at her and being weird about how hot she is and is thus kind of baffled by cameron ‘man with female friends’ gu just being pretty normal about this amazon in his midst. and then one day kelly reveals that she also has fake front teeth because of a long-ago hockey incident and cam sees her atrocious tooth gap and is SO enamored.

my other headcanon pairing is kelly/dee for obvious reasons. i am not immune to height difference grumpy x sunshine pairings.

sometimes i wish these were someone else’s characters because i want to read a like 48k slowburn kelly pov kelly/cam/dee fic where kelly doesn’t get into med school and cam originally is super into kelly and kelly turns him down after maybe a one night stand or something because he’s a Hockey Man and then months later (with her blessing) cam and dee end up dating and kelly is like. jealous of her best friend but also of the guy dating her best friend and her whole arc is like learning how to cope with being a self-perceived failure at everything she tries. and in the end all 3 of them are in love <3

cora seeley and lea lawrence canadian/american rivals to lovers hockey power couple of my heart. i wanted them to be in more of the story BUT it was also important narratively for ty to be really alone on his new team, and then to see the stark contrast when he goes home (/through our brief glimpse at cam) to where hockey is a fun thing with people who love him, so we can realize the crazy stress and isolation he’s been under to kind of add some more context to his unhinged actions throughout

title:

‘two truths’. there must already be something called this but i like it and it works with the theme of lying and also the reference to ‘two truths and a lie’ as like a cute little slumber party game for the youthful idiot vibes of the mcs

something about boats??? because of ‘don’t rock the boat’ pressure??? look up boat words. i don’t know any of these boat words. ‘man overboard’??? no that’s trash

i was thinking about this last night in bed and maybe ‘hero complex’ or something like that??? could help bring ty’s character arc forward more. i really like the idea of this one but it doesn’t sound as good as ‘two truths’. ….. ‘hero’s journey’??? worse??? too on the nose

i feel like it’s ‘two truths’. i keep going with my first idea of a title oops.

the ending/epilogue

fun structure/setting thing that i’m only realizing i did in retrospect is we gradually move more and more away from the physical but also emotional centrality of the team/locker room as the story goes on. like we start SO claustrophobic setting-wise and also with how ty’s constrained by people’s opinions, after chapter 6 we start branching out into new emotional spaces, some literal new locations, then in the last act we finally break free emotionally (ty’s confrontation with curtis) and physically by going to ty’s hometown and then a whole different country. reflecting how the story is kind of about ty (and matt) Escaping. metaphorically. and then literally.

re: that oh god the epilogue. the first thing that came to mind when thinking about where i wanted them to end up was ‘they’re getting the hell out of dodge’ and then i was like. wow ‘this situation is bad so i will leave’ is a terrible takeaway from a story especially with a protag who’s so oriented towards action. but as i wrote the rest of the story and started to get a clearer picture of ty’s journey it was like ohhhh the takeaway isn’t ‘stop caring’ it’s ‘yes care yes act on it but you also deserve to care in a place that cares about you and makes you safe’ and grappling with the question of like. can we make ourselves belong somewhere??? should we??? how much of ourselves do we offer up??? i still don’t know the right answer.

my relationship to all my protagonists is me shoving that one mary oliver poem about ‘you do not have to be good’ in their faces and then it bounces off them and punches me in the nose

making this prediction now. had too much fun writing this, the next thing i write will be a bummer. [eta 2024/12/23: lol]

PLAYLIST:

only vaguely in chronological order, not a chapter-by-chapter thing, just songs i listened to while writing. there’s so much disney channel on here.

gentle monster (hockrockb) – i don’t even know if this is the correct translation but it’s this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4v_uVKxN44) and i listened to it on a LOOP sketching out the whole story

i was an island (john-allison weiss) (rock version) – kind of thematic song for both ty and matt

like me (teen beach movie) – the gender performance song. but ironically.

hot to go! (chappell roan) – more goofy hijinks vibes, the 5678 off the top feels correct for a romcom montage.

not strong enough (boygenius) – more fun gender lyrics and ~themes

gotta find you (camp rock) – i listened to it a lot while writing ty and matt’s gentler moments throughout the first act of the story

hero (starstruck) – matteo’s theme song, unfortunately.

hear you me (jimmy eat world) – on a loop while i wrote the conversation on the curb where they finally open up to each other

scream (high school musical 3) – ty angst song <3 <3

garden (tommy lefroy) – “You made up the race / You'll finish either way” ty vs the team, justified anger

american teenager (ethel cain) – the ONLY thing i listened to while finishing the last like 10k of this story, especially chapter 12

i was an island (john-allison weiss) (acoustic version) – sorry i love a cute little gentle reprise. they’re in LOVE. this was on repeat for the airport garage kiss scene

open your eyes to love (the lizzie mcguire movie) – Ty And Matteo Do Not Fuck In A Pool

mr. brightside (the killers) – ty dramatically sprints through a wedding reception to Get The Guy

brand new day (freaky friday) – the song playing in the background of the Big Damn Kiss/feelings confession scene at the wedding. chad michael murray’s freak weirdo character in freaky friday you will always be famous. to me.

ultimate (freaky friday) – epilogue/credits song!!!

#can i be honest. it's so much more embarrassing sharing these a second time. openly admitting to thinking this much... mortifying.#writing stuff

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videogamelover99 · 9 months ago

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[Gravity Falls] Waking Days Ch. 7: Sarah Wheatfield

Summary: Bill Cipher is reborn, but not in the way he would have wanted. Stuck as a mortal and relying on those who brought his downfall, he realizes that maybe he didn't lie as hard as he should have. [AO3 Link] Characters: Bill Cipher, Mabel Pines, Dipper Pines, Stanford Pines, Stanley Pines, Jheselbraum the Unswerving, The Axolotl Pairings: past BillFord Rating: T

A/N: Turns out I'm not skipping out on you this week! Yay! The plot thickens even more, Bill joins a Mystery Twins adventure, Nora learns the joys (and pitfalls) of human recreational activities. Thank you to @megxolotl and @nexstage for beta-reading. Enjoy!

---

High on Gravity Peak, Ford tried to add the finishing touches to his sketch in the dim lighting of his lantern. The sky had long since descended into darkness, clear and perfect for viewing the local constellations. Even the sky in Gravity Falls was undoubtedly unique. Well worth the grass stains on his pants, or the chill that pierced through his coat.

It had been two years since he’d arrived in this town, and one year since he’d met the most important being in his life. He didn’t know he could be this happy.

“Heya, Brainiac!”

Bill’s habit of sneaking up on him did not falter even when he’d brought it up. Ford startled and dropped his journal, having to pick it up and brush off the wet stains from the grass.

Bill, at least, had the decency to look sheepish. “Whoops, haha, whatcha got there, buddy?”

“Oh.” Suddenly Ford felt a lot more embarrassed by what he’d just drawn. He tried to hide the journal, only to realize what a mistake that was – there was nothing that could stop Bill from finding out what others wanted to hide.

Ford was much the same way, really, his curiosity often got the best of him. It’s just that Bill’s curiosity was insatiable.

“Come on, you’re not gonna show me?” Bill floated circles around Ford, trying to take a peek. Despite his nosiness, Ford couldn’t help but laugh at his antics.

He quickly muffled his laughter, eyes darting to the tent where he knew Fiddleford was sleeping

“Relax, you’re in your mind.” Bill tapped him lightly on the forehead. “You fell asleep right in the middle of your writing session.”

Oh. That wasn’t good. Ford could feel the crick in his neck he would have when he woke up. “I should go to bed,” he said, thinking of his insulated tent.

“Sure. After you show me what you’re hiding,” Bill manifested half a dozen eyes all around him to stare him down.

Ford sighed. “I was just sketching the constellations,” he said, feeling his face heat up.

“Oh.” The eyes vanished, leaving only Bill with a bored look in his eye. “You got stage fright for your drawings? That’s-”

“It’s not that…” Ford showed him the page. “I noticed one I thought you might like. I named it after you, actually.” Now he felt the shame creep in. Was this too much? Should he ask? He didn’t know what he was doing.

Bill stared at the page for a while longer than necessary. William, the constellation Ford had pointed out, was still hovering above them. Observing.

“Is this too much? I know the statues were a bit much, I just thought-”

Bill giggled and flicked Ford on the nose. Ow. “You? Too much? You’re a real flatterer, Fordsy, you know that?”

“I am?”

Bill fluttered his eyelashes, which Ford would’ve found ridiculous if he wasn’t so flustered. His muse settled down on Ford’s shoulder, small enough to fit comfortably and flop one spindly black arm in Ford’s hair. “Sure you are! You really know how to get my good angle!”

“Technically, it was the stellar masses that make up-”

“Learn to take a compliment, kid, yeesh.”

Bill stroked Ford’s hair, and Ford couldn’t help but close his eyes, leaning into the touch.

“Weird though, huh?” Bill said suddenly, quieter than Ford knew him to be. “Bill’s short for William? Shouldn’t it be Billiam? Who made that up?”

“I could find out,” said Ford. It would only take a few days of research. “But there’s better nicknames, I suppose. Like Will. Or Liam, both of which are part of the name.”

Silence. Ford frowned. “Bill?”

Concerned, Ford gently took Bill off his shoulder and held him in his palms. Bill’s eye, known to flash symbols and images, was blank, not unlike the static of an empty television channel. His arms and legs were hanging limply from his frame. Ford’s concern grew. “Bill?”

In the year Ford had known him, never had he considered the possibility that Bill could be harmed. He was so above any physical concerns, and so on top of any conversation or intellectual activity that Ford had assumed Bill being harmed by something was a ridiculous notion.

He didn’t think so now.

“Bill!” He shook him gently, not knowing what else to do.

Then Bill blinked, once, twice, and the static was gone. “Huh?”

“Are you alright?” Ford almost reached out to check Bill’s “forehead” temperature, like Ford’s mother had done when he was little.

“Uh, yeah?” Bill looked at him incredulously, hands on his sides. “What were we talking about?”

Ford had the thought then, that they did not need to rehash the conversation. “Nothing important.” He assured his muse. “You don’t remember?”

“Eh, it happens sometimes.” Bill looked completely unconcerned.

“This happened before?”

“Hey, don’t make a big deal out of it! When you live as long as I do, you’re bound to pick up a few hiccups. What are those compared to infinite knowledge?”

“I-I suppose…if you don’t think it’s a problem-”

“Sure isn’t! Anyway, where was I-” Bill scrunched up his eye in thought, staring hard at the grass under them. “Oh yeah!” He floated above Ford’s head, and put both hands on Ford’s cheeks, stroking his stubble with a finger. “Learn to take a compliment!”

—

“Soos! Put ‘er there,” Stan reached out with a hand, only to pull Soos into a bear hug when he got close enough. Predictably, the kid made a noise that was almost like crying.

“Wow, this place hasn’t changed a bit.” Behind them, Melody set her suitcase down by the cash register, where Wendy was, as usual, slacking off, reading a magazine. “How have you all been?”

“The usual,” Wendy said, not looking up from her magazine. “Except…” She shot a look at Stan, who returned it with a shake of his head and a scowl bigger than what he normally wore.

“Something wrong, Mr. Pines?” Soos asked.

“Nothin’,” Stan said. “Why would anything be wrong?”

“You can’t not tell them.”

“No one asked you for advice, Wendy.”

“Geez, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

“If it’s anything serious, you know we can handle it,” said Soos. “There are things I’ve seen that no man has seen before.”

“Ugh,” said Stan.

“You want me to break it to them?” said Wendy.

“Hey, anyone seen one of those brush sticks you humans have for your teeth?” As if summoned by a curse, which wasn’t too out of the question, Bill strode into the gift shop and started searching the place. “I was gonna build an effigy that would put a curse on that lady with the ostrich hair. You know the one. Hey, Red, what’s with the face? Question Mark, long time no see! How’s your banal existence been treating ya? I’ve been, well, dead! But you knew that already. What? What’s with the stares?” He finally quit his search and leaned against one of the clothing racks, grinning. “Did ya miss me?”

“Soos,” Melody said. “Is that…?”

“Oh hey, that guy sounds just like the Triangle Dude.”

Everyone was eerily silent.

“...Wait a minute.”

—

“So, he’s-”

“Yep.”

“And you’ve been-”

“Yep.”

“And now he’s-”

“Yep.”

“Wow,” Melody stared into her cup of CALMING, HERBAL TEA! CURES ANY CRISIS!, a box Mabel had gotten for this exact occasion. Soos promptly made an excuse to see his Abuelita and, quote, make sure she’s not a chair or anything. Haha, wouldn’t that be crazy, dudes? Melody, being the only one who wasn’t there for Weirdmageddon, now sat with Stan at the kitchen table and listened patiently as Stan explained what had happened. “I get it.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t get me wrong, this is a lot to process, but I’ve seen my fair share of weird, you know? You’ve never-” She paused when her phone buzzed in her pocket and scowled as she dismissed the call.

“Don’t you wanna get that?”

“No.”

Yeesh. Not gonna pry into whatever that is.

“There’s another thing,” Stan said, just as the door to the kitchen opened, and his brother headed straight for the pot of coffee on the stove.

He was, well, a mess wouldn’t cover it. With disheveled hair, eye bags so big he could carry something in them, and patches of his lab coat burned off or stained, Ford resembled a zombie more than a normal human being. It reminded Stan too much of how he was 30 years ago when Stan had first stumbled upon his brother’s paranormal mess.

“Stanley, we’re gonna need another order of potassium, have the university- oh, Melody! Good to see you again.” Ford poured the leftover coffee into a chipped mug. It had a sticker on its side that read certified nerd on it, along with a smiley face wearing glasses. “How was your trip?”

Stan and Melody watched as the coffee in Ford’s mug overflowed and started dripping onto his shoes. Ford didn’t seem to notice. “It was, uh, good? Are you alright, Dr. Pines?”

“Never better! Of course, there is a new calamity on the horizon, and everything we know and love might dissolve before our very eyes, but nothing a good amount of problem-solving can’t handle.”

The coffee started to form a small puddle on the floor.

“Sixer?”

“What is it, Stanley?”

“You’re making a mess.”

Ford only then realized his shoe was soaked through. “Oh.”

“Leave it,” Stan said when Ford’s bloodshot eyes searched for a towel to clean it with. He stood, and gently took the mug from Ford’s hands. “Listen, I get this is the fate of the universe and all-”

“Multiverse, Stanley.”

“But I think you could use a break right about now.”

“We can’t stop, not when we haven’t had a breakthrough yet. But with the new materials, I’m sure-”

“I’m sure you’ll figure all of it out with your magical fortune-telling buddy of yours after you sleep for at least like, eight hours. You look like hell, Pointedexter, even I can see it.”

Ford stubbornly lifted his chin, before his shoulders slumped, as if he was too exhausted to even hold them up. “Maybe I should take a break.”

“Stanford?”

A fourth visitor of the kitchen made herself known. Nora walked in, her nose in a set of notes. “We should try with Potassium-40, the radiation might counter the unstable effects.”

“Right, of course!” Whatever ground Stan had covered in the conversation they just had vanished in an instant. Ford grabbed the cup, chugged down the lukewarm coffee, and reached for a wireless phone. “I’ll order it right away.”

Whatever insanity had overtaken Ford clearly had a source, because Stan spotted the same unyielding tide wave of energy in Nora as she and Ford catered off into a debate on…something so scientific and technical it almost sounded like another language.

Before Stan could say another word, the two vanished from the kitchen and back into the basement, where he didn’t doubt, they were blowing something up.

“Fate of the multiverse, huh?” said Melody.

—

Dipper might’ve gone overboard with the conspiracy board. Just a little. He stood back and read the words in the center over and over again as if that would get him any closer to the answer. Who was that mysterious entity that talked to him? Why did she reach out to him, of all people? What did she mean when she said reality was splitting at the seams? And did it have anything, at all, to do with Bill’s code?

His phone buzzed. Which meant that the forum thread he started was updated. He grabbed it and eagerly opened his browser.

It wasn’t easy, running Gravity Falls’ sole supernatural blog. Not just because the town’s desire to sweep everything under the rug meant a ridiculous amount of censorship and takedown notices. It was mostly because no one except him sent anything in.

But there it was, a post, from Anonymous37. Dipper opened it and read the contents.

Hi there!

Didn’t know who to reach out to about this. Recently I had this strange encounter that I couldn’t explain. It was like a visual distortion and looked a lot like TV static, but I swear it wasn’t just in my head! If there’s anyone who knows about these things who can help me sort this out, please come and talk to me! My name is Sarah Wheatfield, and I’m a manager at the Sort It Right clothing store.

Whoever you are, admin, please help.

This almost sounded too good to be true. Dipper had waited so long for this, for his work to finally be recognized. He needed to meet this woman.

Dipper found his sister on the front porch, busy adding to her scrapbook.

“No way,” Mabel read the post and her face lit up. “This sounds just like what happened to Waddles!”

“Exactly,” said Dipper. “If we find there’s a connection, we can help fix him!”

“Then we gotta go talk to this Wheatfield lady.”

Suddenly, a pine cone landed on Dipper’s hat. He heard familiar nasal snickering and looked up.

Bill sat on the rooftop's edge, his feet dangling back and forth like a little kid’s. He seemed unnervingly cheerful. “Pine Tree! Hey! Over here!”

“Bill’s been giving me advice on some of the scrapbook designs,” Mabel said.

“I still think page 22 should have a lot more dead ants!”

“Some of it’s even been helpful!”

“You have some nerve,” Dipper said to Bill. “I heard what you did to Soos this morning!”

“Hey, hold on! I didn’t do anything! Question Mark can’t handle a blast from the past, that isn’t exactly my fault, is it?”

“Of course it is!”

“Did ya figure it out yet?”

Dipper froze at the question. The code. Reluctantly, shook his head.

“Gotta be honest, I was expecting a little more from Gravity Falls’ ‘best detective’.” Bill did the air quotes as he said it.

“It’s nonsense!”

“To limited minds, maybe.”

“Boys, boys,” Mabel put her hands up in a placating gesture. “I’m sensing some tension.”

“Gee, I wonder why,” Dipper muttered.

“And it’s nothing that some bonding time can’t fix! Bill should come with us.”

“Mabel! No way!”

“Who said I want to.”

“Come on,” said Mabel. “You!” She pointed at Bill. “You’re bored out of your mind, admit it! Your jokes didn’t leave me as half disturbed as they do on a good day!”

“Or you’re developing a tolerance,” Dipper muttered.

“And you,” Mabel said to Dipper. “You and Bill have like, a ton in common.”

“No, we don’t!”

“You’re both super into codes!”

“That’s like, one thing!” Dipper rubbed his temples. “Why do you want everyone to get along with Bill so badly?”

“Oh, so we just sit around being mad at each other all day? He’s not going anywhere.”

“True!” Bill piped up.

Dipper looked between Mabel’s pleading face and Bill’s devious one. “Fine. This one time.” He mustered his best Grunkle Stan glare. “But if he tries anything, I’m pushing him into the Bottomless Pit.”

—

Ford drained the coffee in less than an hour. He came up the stairs a second time, debating on whether or not to steal the entire coffee maker, albeit temporarily, when he came face-to-face with his brother, blocking the entry to the kitchen.

Melody stood next to Stan and gave Ford an awkward smile.

“Alright, Pointdexter, this ends now,” Stan pointed a stern finger at him. Ford was jarringly transplanted into 1968 when his father stood over both of them with the same expression after the twins had broken one of the display cases in the pawnshop while treasure hunting.

The sleep deprivation must be getting to him.

“What, exactly, are you referring to?” he asked. “And why are you dragging Melody into…whatever this is?”

“Actually, I’m uh, helping,” said Melody.

“With what?”

“With the intervention. That’s happening starting now. You’re taking this day off, and that’s final,” said Stan.

Ford pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t have time for this. “Does the ‘potential end of the world’ not hold any weight to you?”

“Nice try, but we already had one of those, and we turned out fine!”

“This isn’t like Weirdmaggedon! This is infinite times worse!”

“I don’t care!” Stan snapped. “The end of the world can wait a few hours, can’t it?”

“Stanley-”

“Um, if I can say something,” Melody started. She pulled a few pieces of paper out of her pocket. “We have all these free bowling tickets and Soos and I never got to use them. Mr. Pines thinks you should take your mind off things for a little while, and I kinda agree with him.” She waved the tickets in the air.

Now, this was a problem. Because back in the day, the Stan twins had held the Glass Shard Beach strike record for several years before it was briefly interrupted by some kid from NYC. They were ridiculously good at bowling.

Stanley knew exactly what he was doing.

“I can’t just leave Nora on her own,” Ford gave one last attempt at resistance.

“Oh easy, you’re not.” Stanley grinned. “Fortune Telling Lady’s coming with us.”

—

As they walked to the bus stop that would take them to Gravity Falls’ shopping mall, Dipper briefly pulled Mabel aside, keeping a wary eye on Bill.

“What’s up, Bro-bro?” Mabel asked.

“I’m worried about you,” said Dipper.

“Whaat?” Mabel laughed. “What’s gotten you this time?”

“Bill,” Dipper snapped. “I don’t understand why you’ve been so buddy-buddy with him since he came back! You know he’s still the demon that tried to kill us and our family, right? You said you wanted to snap him like a corn chip!”

“Pff, that was before he got all human and pathetic. Duh.”

“So you pity him? Is that it?”

“I told you why,” Mabel lost a bit of her cheer.

“Right. You think you’re the one who brought him back. Still, I just don’t get why…What if he did something to your brain? Last year or maybe even now?”

“Dipper,” Mabel said, all cheer gone. “There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m treating Bill like a person because he is a person now, okay?”

“Did you forgive him that easily?”

Something flickered in his sister’s gaze. She laughed it off. “I just don’t like holding grudges for too long! Besides, he’s been pretty well-behaved.”

They watched Bill find a beetle under his shoe and slowly step on it. There was a long and painful crunch.

“For the most part,” said Mabel.

Dipper watched his sister skip back over to the demon and playfully admonish him for the poor bug. Bill must’ve said something less offensive than usual because Mabel laughed and punched him lightly on the side.

If anyone saw them, they would assume they were friends.

A lump settled in Dipper’s throat. Something was wrong, he just knew it.

—

“Breathe it in, folks!” Stan took a giant, gaping breath just for the effect. Ah, the scent of freshly polished lanes, overpriced bowling shoes, and cheap fried foods. Gravity Falls’ Bowling sat in the back of the shopping mall, too intimidating for Stan to face without his twin by his side.

“This is a rather nice place,” Ford remarked. He already looked more relaxed than he did in the car on the ride over.

“What did I tell ya?”

“Wow, check it out, dudes,” Soos said behind them. “Pretty sure that guy’s only facing one direction.” Melody followed his gaze, her hand clasped in his.

“Charming family moment and all,” said the fifth member of the party. “I still don’t quite get why I’m here.”

Stan had been worried his brother was going to try to jump out of the car or something on the way here, having changed his mind, but Ford turned out to not be the one he should’ve been worried about.

In the middle of throngs of people in squeaky, smelly rental shoes, Sixer’s space alien girlfriend looked out of place and uncomfortable.

“You don’t like bowling?” Soos asked.

Nora looked annoyed by the question. “I understand Stanford’s human body needs rest, but I don’t have that issue. It would be best if I-”

“Learned how to have some fun?” said Stan.

Something flashed in Nora’s eye. “I know how to have fun.”

“Oh yeah?” Stan pulled down a pair of bowling shoes, ignoring the indignant cry of the clerk. “Prove it.”

—

The clerk handed them their shoes like he wanted to get rid of them as fast as possible. Soos kept trying to see the man’s right side, and the attempts were skillfully avoided. Giving up, Soos took his position next to Nora and Melody. It was the three of them against the Stans, which Stan thought was pretty unfair. These kids didn’t stand a chance.

Stan was up first. “Strike!” They watched the little television up above display an animated bowling pin getting brutally flattened by an angry-looking bowling ball. Stan did a little victory dance Melody stealthily recorded to send to Abuelita later.

“Isn’t that bad?” Soos asked.

“That’s baseball, hun,” Melody whispered.

“Oh yeah. Sports!”

Melody took her position when her phone buzzed. She impatiently silenced it and picked up the ball. Her swing didn’t have great form, but she managed to get roughly half of them. Which wasn’t bad. At least it wasn’t in the gutter.

Ford came up to the starting line. “I haven’t done this in a while,” he admitted. “30 years, to be honest.”

“Stop whining and throw the ball!” yelled Stan. Some of the other patrons looked back at their party.

“If it makes you feel better,” said Nora. “I already know how this ends.”

Ford didn’t seem to feel better at all. Still, he picked up one of the bowling balls. Then another, testing its weight.

“Oh, come on!” cried Stan.

“We believe in you, Mr. Pines!” said Soos. “Even Mr. Pines!”

“Give me a minute.”

Ford brought the ball over, trying a practice swing. Then another. Stan opened his mouth to yell at him some more when-

“Strike!”

“Yeah! Whoo!” Stan threw up his arms, ignoring the glare the clerk sent him. “I knew you still had it in ya!”

“Yes, that was…nostalgic, to say the least,” said Ford. He was smiling. As far as Stan was concerned, his mission was over.

When Nora came up to the lane, Ford offered her one of the lighter balls. “You need to make sure there’s a curve in your wrist-” He tried to demonstrate.

“Stanford, I know how bowling works,” said Nora.

She threw the ball.

It sailed out of her hands, over their heads, and into the group next to them.

“Augh! My spine!”

“Right. Two eyes,” Nora said calmly.

“Someone call an ambulance!”

“Welp, it’s been fun!” Stan steered the four of them toward the exit, smelling a lawsuit. “Who’s hungry?”

—

It wasn’t hard to find the store Sarah worked in. It was the same one Mabel and her friends had taken Bill a week or so prior. Hopefully, the staff didn’t remember them well.

“Out!” The store clerk, a pale man with far too many wrinkles for someone in his thirties, pointed to the exit. He was sitting behind the cash register, a few wrappers hastily crammed into his pocket.

So much for not being remembered.

The goth girl they’d seen previously spotted them from behind a pile of clothes she was carrying. She waved. Mabel and Bill waved back.

Dipper quickly pulled them away before there could be another incident. “Okay, it looks like this one will be harder than I thought.”

“Please, they haven’t even called security,” said Bill.

“...So, we’re gonna have to break in.”

“Uh-huh,” said Bill. And walked back into the store.

“Bill!” Dipper whispered.

Bill pretended not to hear him. We sauntered over to the counter, leaning against it like he owned the place. The clerk squawked and shut the cash register. “I told you, sir, we don’t need any more trouble.”

“I know you don’t, uh,” Bill squinted at the clerk’s nametag. “Dave? Can I call you Dave?”

“That’s…my name?” said Dave.

“Sure is! Great name, simple and sweet. Listen, bud, you think I don’t get it? Standing on your feet for 10+ hours, getting penalized for your bathroom breaks, wondering when Joane will call you back, worried she knows your ‘well-paying job’ is a minimum-wage soul-sucking boulder up a hill of sweaty, loud teenagers and moms buying underwear for their kid’s birthday. We’ve all been there!”

“Oh,” said Dave.

“Retail sucks. Also, is that a new hair gel? Looks fantastic, anyone tell you that?”

“Yeah,” said Dave. He looked a lot less confrontational, and a lot more confused. “I mean, no…but I’m still gonna have to ask you to leave.”

“No, I get it, I get it,” Bill looked away as if debating something. “I also get if I, you know, didn’t see you for a few minutes. You were in the back! And if, you know, you came back with one of those pretzel dogs.”

Dave stared at him.

“You’d deserve it,” said Bill. He winked.

“...I would deserve it,” said Dave, as if it was a divine realization. “Okay. You sound like a cool guy, last incident aside. Please don’t touch anything.”

“Atta boy,” said Bill as he watched him go. Dipper and Mabel walked over.

“How’d you know he wanted a pretzel dog so badly?” Dipper asked.

Bill picked up a greasy wrapper from the floor and flicked it. It landed on top of Dipper’s hat.

—

Sarah Wheatfield was a middle-aged woman with braids in her hair and a mole over her lip. They found her in the back of the store, sorting clothing without really looking at it, which was either impressive or evidence of a troubled psyche. Dipper couldn’t tell which yet.

Dipper came up to her first. “Ms. Wheatfield?”

Startled, the woman dropped a few of the t-shirts she was sorting. “You’re not supposed to be here! How do you know my name?”

Dipper pointed at the nametag. Sarah looked down. “Oh. Right.”

“You sent in a post recently, to Unnatural Sightings Anonymous?” He held up his phone. “I uh, I run that blog.”

Sarah squinted at the screen. “I don’t remember sending this.”

Oh. Something wasn’t adding up.

“Heh, might’ve been a prank! Probably from someone you know. Guess it’s nothing,” said Bill.

“No, I…” she looked back at Mabel, then at Dipper. “Wait, aren’t you those Pines twins?”

“Y-yes!” Dipper said, a little too loudly. “Yes, we are!”

“Hi!” said Mabel, “I’m Mabel Pines. We’re like, super on top of all this mystery weirdness stuff. You can tell us anything!”

Sarah looked at Bill. “And who’s this?”

“That’s Willard,” said Mabel, and Bill made a noise between a growling protest and a squeak of rage. She patted him on the arm as if pacifying an angry cat. “He’s helping.”

“I see,” said Sarah. For a moment she looked hesitant. She checked that the door was closed, before turning to them once more. “Well, it’s not nothing. My husband must have sent it in. Or maybe I did, I’ve been…forgetting things lately.” She looked at the three of them in turn, her voice nervous and small. “I know it sounds crazy, but everyone knows your family deals with crazy, so, just…” She made up her mind. “Follow me.”

Sarah led them down a set of musty stairs and a locked door. She pulled out a key, fiddling with the lock as she turned to them. “We use this for storage and breaks. Or, we used to use it for breaks, before…well, before. Now it’s just storage.”

She turned the key and opened the door, flipping on the switch in the corner. The room was illuminated by buzzing fluorescent lights. It was big, about the side of the Mystery Shack gift shop, with rows of shelves taking up most of the space, filled with cardboard shipping boxes of what was probably stock. In the back corner was a table, a couple of coffee cups, and a curtain that was…glowing ominously.

Bill shivered, and whether it was out of excitement or because the room was cold, Dipper wasn’t sure. The room was more than cold, though. It felt tilted, like the space around him was drawn with the wrong perspective. It was vibrating with an energy that Dipper could feel in the tips of his fingers.

It didn’t help that the edges of that curtain were turning into pixelated static.

Sarah cautiously approached the curtain. “Just don’t freak out, okay?” she said.

She pulled away the curtain. And Dipper was twelve again, the high of beating some alien robot with this Great Uncle Ford shattered as the sky above him ripped apart at the seams.

“That’s the rift,” Mabel said next to him. Dipper was still trying to find his voice. “But that can’t be the rift. Why’s it so small? Why’s it underneath the mall?!”

“I was hoping you could tell me,” Sarah answered. “Also, don’t look directly at it. That’s how the memory problems started.”

They had seen remnants before. Ford had taken them to help track down dimensional vortexes and eldritch horrors that were still lurking around. But this was nothing like that. This was the rift.

The entity’s warning still sat firmly in Dipper’s mind. Reality was splitting at the seams. This was what she was talking about, wasn’t it?

Dipper tore his eyes away and instead glared at Bill. The ex-demon was grinning ear to ear, not caring about the warning as he stared at what could only be a remnant of his apocalyptic takeover.

“Sorry,” Dipper said to Sarah. “We’ll just be a minute.”

He practically dragged Bill outside by the sleeve of his sweater, Mabel not far behind.

“Hey, what the heck?!” Bill tore his arm away. “Get your sweaty hands away from me.”

“What did you do?!” Dipper snapped.

“Nothing!”

“That doesn’t look like nothing! That looks like a rip into your dimension!” Dipper shoved a finger at Bill’s chest. Bill stumbled back, scowling. “Was this human thing all part of some scheme? Answer me!”

“Hey, hey, hey, easy! I didn’t make that thing! Well, okay, technically I did make that thing, but only through a direct causality. So did Sixer, by the way, by building that portal. So did Stan, by turning it on, so really, if you think about it-.”

“You’re the one who tricked Grunkle Ford into building that portal! Are you kidding me? Do you really think I’d believe a word you’re saying, after what you’ve done?!”

“Guys, come on!” Mabel stepped in between the two of them. “Let’s not fight, okay? We don’t know why it’s here, so if we just-”

Dipper gaped at his sister. “Are you serious? Are you really defending Bill right now?”

“I’m not defending him! I’m just saying, maybe if we hear him out…”

Something obvious suddenly clicked into place. Dipper laughed. How could he not see it before? “Bill Cipher ended the world. He manipulated our uncle and drove him to insanity. He locked you in a dream prison. He tried to kill us, Mabel. Multiple times. Did you seriously just forget all that? Because you feel bad for him?”

“That’s not…” Mabel hesitated.

That’s all Dipper needed to hear. He climbed up the stairs, not wanting to look at his sister. He didn’t want to see her face and confirm what he already knew was true.

---

[next]

[prev]

[first]

#gravity falls #bill cipher #flat dreams #pengychan #human bill au #fanfiction #the book of bill #vee's writing #a different form a different time #waking days reboot #doodledrawsthings

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angieslove06 · 3 months ago

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The Exchange

Part 3 to the dash and lily inspired series

Happiness Defined

The next time you returned to the library, the now-familiar notebook felt like a lifeline. You retrieved it with practiced ease, a small thrill coursing through you as you flipped to his latest question:

"What’s one thing that makes you truly happy?"

It was such a simple question, yet it carried so much weight. What did happiness mean to you? What moments brought you the most joy? You tapped your pen against the edge of the notebook, thinking.

Finally, you wrote:

"What makes me truly happy is creating something with my hands—whether it’s sketching, playing an instrument, or crafting something small. It gives me a sense of peace and accomplishment that’s hard to find anywhere else. What about you? What makes you happiest?"

You smiled at the thought of him reading your words, wondering what his answer might be. With care, you placed the notebook back where it belonged and left the library, the day feeling a little brighter than usual.

---

Tenya found the notebook that evening, and as he read your response, he felt a sense of kinship. He could imagine you sitting in a quiet corner of U.A., pencil in hand, lost in your art or music.

"What a wonderful answer," he wrote. *"For me, happiness is when I know I’ve made a difference, no matter how small. It could be helping a classmate understand a difficult concept, assisting someone in need, or even just holding the door open for someone who’s carrying too much. Those moments remind me why I chose this path.

Now, here’s my next question: If you could spend a day doing anything you wanted, what would it be?"*

He hesitated for a moment before adding a small postscript:

"By the way, your answer made me curious—what instruments do you play?"

He placed the notebook back in its hiding spot, a smile tugging at his lips as he walked away.

---

The next morning, you couldn’t wait to see his reply. As you opened the notebook and read his words, your cheeks warmed. His postscript was unexpected, and it made you laugh softly to yourself.

You scribbled your response beneath his question:

*"If I could spend a day doing anything, I’d take a long train ride to somewhere new, a place I’ve never been before. I’d spend the day exploring, finding quiet little spots to draw or people-watch.

As for instruments, I play the piano and guitar. What about you? Do you play anything?"*

You paused, then added:

"Also, your answer made me smile. It’s nice to know there are people like you who find happiness in helping others."

With that, you returned the notebook to its spot, your mind already buzzing with anticipation for his next reply.

---

Tenya retrieved the notebook later that day, his heart racing slightly as he read your answer. A train ride to somewhere new—he could picture it vividly. There was something so peaceful about your vision of happiness, and it resonated with him.

"Your ideal day sounds wonderful," he wrote. *"I’ve never thought much about train rides, but your description makes it sound so calming.

As for instruments, I’m not very musical, but I used to play the violin when I was younger. I stopped because my schedule became too demanding, but reading your answer makes me wonder if I should pick it up again.

Here’s my next question: What’s a memory you cherish the most?"*

He placed the notebook back, adjusting his glasses with a faint smile. There was something about this exchange—this growing bond with someone he didn’t know—that made his days feel more meaningful.

#bnha fanfiction #bnha x reader #mha #reader insert #reading #bnha #fanfic #fluff #mha fanfiction #tenya iida

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turtleofdamascus · 4 months ago

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Hello, there! You may remember me from a million years ago in SoC fandom. I've since happily moved on to write in other fandoms, but occasionally, especially when I need some positivity, I'm inspired by an AO3 comment in my inbox to revisit my own past work.

Recently I got one such comment on "No Echo," my old Kaz/Inej fic about him visiting her caravan in Ravka during winter, and one of your lovely sketches is now embedded in my fic on AO3.

I was impressed all over again by how well you captured the atmosphere, and it brought me a lot of joy! So I just wanted to say thank you for that!

aw that is so kind of you! Of course I remember you and I’m shook you’re messaging me personally. That made my day! You’re seriously still my top writer to me in the fandom. Right there next to @whatanybodygets. I think you were the one who recommended her in fic in the end notes. And thanks for that. Great writers know great writers. I remember being heartbroken when you took a break from the fandom bc I loved your beautiful writing so much and it inspired me to draw :). I remember writing a whole journal entry of me mourning it. Of course I respect the reasons why. But anyways just want to say I would put your account on notifications back in 2021 during the pandemic. Your SOC fanfiction was honestly the main thing I looked forward to when I went back to be being in person at school after the pandemic back in 2021. I would update my email everyday excited for more! No Echo remains definitely my fave. Honorable mentions are Cannonball, and Supply and Demand. I come back to those a lot. I wish I could have made the art for your stuff cleaner! That was when my iPad wasn’t working so I had to do everything in pencil. Crazy stuff but I used these pieces in my art portfolios to apply to art schools and I got accepted. Who knew fanfic for No Echo would get me into school. Power of fanfic. Anyways, this made me smile.

lol I was obsessed with that lantern moment in your work.

#Fanfiction #six of crows #my art #Fanart for fanfiction

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crazy-hazy-sims · 7 months ago

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I hate when people hate on modern art its so fucking stupid why do you think you get to judge what is art and what is not? You dont know what someone else considers art!! Why do you think you are the end all be all of this topic???

I will never hate on modern art or geometric art or Abstract art because 5 years ago i had sketched and colored a bunch of goth and punk protraits (i was practicing how to color with markers and decided to draw a familiar subject that has alot of sharp lines and details) and posted it on my old Facebook, friend's shared it and an hour later i got this weird DM of a guy i didn't know asking me why don't i draw hijabi girls, it was weird because i did actually draw them and it was on my page he just had to scroll but he didn't lol

Anyway we talked alittle he obviously was religious and was wondering why i would draw people who dont conform to our religion, i told him i draw what i observe and they exsist in this life that i observe so i draw them 🤷‍♂️ its simple as that

He then told me he didnt think art was that simple and that he always wanted to draw but he never did because he doesn't like the way "art" is and how complicated it is

i was confused and after alittle back and forth i figured he didn't like art that shows "life" people, animals, birds etc but the thing is he didn't know there was other types of art he thought that was all there is to it..

so i showed him all different types of art i showed him modern art i showed him abstract art and geometric art which he liked alot and revealed he was studying to be an architect (shockers)

So i told him he clearly likes lines and shapes and dislike the more natural forms and that is important to realize if he wants to become an artist, i told him that his architectual work is already art in itself because of that fact too!

he was mind blown completely changed from the disgruntled extreme religious judging guy to a guy eager to make art and express his feelings

I told him he should try to use the lines and shapes he likes to make art that depicts a feeling instead of using them for function purely even though that is still art too!

And within a week he was transformed into an an artist! he posted his stuff on his page and it was interesting! he told me he now loves to look at art that is made of " various sizes of colored squares and bold lines" he called it, he said it brought him so much joy to look at them, it inspired him to buy his first set of acrylic colors and brushes

and despite his friends making fun of him for calling his lines and shapes art because they too thought art has to be all about portraits and oil paints and details he was happy he became an artist like he always wanted to, he changed to be a better person he started to appreciate art and life as a whole

So no i dont hate modern art i will never shun it because yes, that big canvas painted a sold blue with nothing else on it is still art no matter how much you make fun of it, it is art to someone else out there and thats enough.

#art #art theory #modern Art #traditional art #modern art vrs traditional art #think piece

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shmowder · 1 year ago

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For the OC event: had an interesting (to me, at least) OC idea for a post-canon child, about 16, who was an adopted orphan (parents died from the Sand Pest) and raised by Artemy and Daniil. Growing up, she had a mix of influences that shaped her understanding of the world--she very much believes in Artemy's methods, knows some of the Kin language, and is generally more in touch with Kin culture, but Daniil also insisted she grow up well-read and with a good education, so she has a fair bit of formal knowledge too (if antiquated, given new books don't reach the town often). She comes from the Clara ending, and I think that'd give her an interesting relationship with death in general, altogether. Being a child who grew up with human sacrifice as the norm.

She's a fairly solitary girl. Keeps to herself, likes to have things to do that don't involve other people too much. She has a small tent at the edge of the Steppe, a little ways off from the graveyard, that she often stays in (sometimes for days at a time). She gathers herbs for Artemy and herself, and makes simple medicines with them (and sells them--her contribution to the household). She has a mutt that she loves dearly; it often accompanies her along her trips out to gather herbs, tend to local cows, and cuddles up with her on cold nights (and on warm nights… and hot nights, sometimes).

At home, she helps take care of the chickens, and some cleaning (she hates cleaning, though, and tries to avoid it). Daniil has been trying to teach her some of his more complicated sciences, but it mostly goes over her head. She thinks his microscope is the coolest thing, though--seeing all those little moving things is like magic to her. She loves curling up next to the couch for family story nights, closing her eyes and listening to the crackling of the fire or the dogs barking outside as one of her fathers narrates all sorts of tales. When she stays in a room, the window is always open. She has some books from Yulia's that she's borrowed a dozen times now stacked neatly on her little shelf, next to haphazardly strewn pages of plant and abstract sketches.

I also had some vague ideas of a plot for her: one day, while out in the Steppe gathering herbs, she accidentally wandered too far and ended up on the wrong stage at the wrong time. Instead of the play she was meant for, she ended up in the play set fifteen years before--the timeline we play in the game. She arrives on the first day, around the same time as Daniil.

A lot happens, but some highlights are: desperately trying to keep the younger versions of her fathers from killing each other; dealing with a Clara-adjacent situation where no one knows where she comes from and at least a few people suspect her of being a shabnak; ending up breaking Kin law by harvesting organs to sell when money gets tight and she has to keep the healers alive if they're to find a cure (she knows they can because they did in her timeline, but they can't if they're all delirious with hunger and thirst and exhaustion); the way she cuts people open with the Lines is noticed as similar to the Burakh method (because it is) and when Artemy finds out about the organ harvesting he assumes someone's impersonating him and tries to find them (ends in a confrontation); general angst.

Also had an idea for when she gets back, where after all her experiences on the other stage, she has trouble being comfortable around Artemy again (both because of how their confrontations went and because she broke Kin law), and in general now has that same faintly hollow-eyed, haunted look many bear from their time spent wearying out the plague.

I came up with this years ago and can pull apart the holes until it resembles a ratty old blanket, but this OC brought me joy and I thought I might as well share her for once. I may have named her, but I don't remember now

Who cares about the holes when you can easily see the love wooven into every stich? The warmth this blanket once provided to someone who adored it thoroughly, the memories it holds, the cold nights it chased away, soothingly drapped over your mind, a small relief.

That's what OCs are really about, aren't they? The joy they bring, the feelings the invoke, a cherished doll worn out with time and play.

You told her story just now with intimate familiarity, the story of someone who knew her personally, witness her every step, forged her path alongside her back when everything was new, uncertain and unkown. Now you walk down the same path with reassured confidence.

I love her story! I love the fact Daniil and Artemy end up together in it too. In a way, she is a symbol of love. As long as she exists in the universe, you know these two got their happy ending.

The way she describes seeing microscopic creatures move as magical is so endearing, claiming this device is the coolest thing ever, it's really the best of both worlds.

Not only does she have the childlike wonder for science and technology that Artemy lacks, but the faith and creativity necessary to believe in the extraordinary, to see the magic in the mundane and certian, which Daniil has trouble grasping.

I can't imagine what the lasting effects of meeting her parents back in time would do to her psyche. No wonder she feels conflicted around Artemy afterwards. Having just lost his father, struggling to repress his grief, only to be informed that someone out there somehow got hold of the Burakh menkhu knowledge and is attempting to replicate his surgical lines??? Yeah, he'd lose his shit and take it personally, a great disrespect on his Isidor's memory and an open insult to him.

Honestly, I'm glad it ends with her surviving that confrontation, I hope Daniil stepped in somehow bc Clara informed him ahead of time or something.

Names tell stories, I hope you find a fitting name for her, even just as a parting gift for this old hole-filled blanket, which once brought you so much joy and kept you warm. To grant a name is akin to granting a life, to humanise them.

If not, that's perfectly okay. I will call her the next Menkhu in line for now in my masterlist, or maybe Cub? Artemy's childhood nickname being passed down to his daughter seems appropriate, especially since it was Isidor who gave it to him.

She's very wonderful <33 I love her dearly.

#♧other's ocs #♧OC event #♧Artemy

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pearlsephoni · 2 years ago

Text

To Paint a (Still) Life

Can also be read on AO3!

Rating: T

Fandom: Psycho-Pass

Pairing: Gen

Characters: Tomomi Masaoka, Nobuchika Ginoza, Akane Tsunemori

Word Count: 2.2k

Summary: In a world that grows bleaker with every passing year, Masaoka does what he can to immortalize the little joys.

A/N: This was written for In Time: A Psycho-Pass 10th Anniversary Tribute zine. It was such an honor to be included amongst so many incredible creators in this tribute to an incredible series! Thank you to the mods @/temporarilyunstable and @/shikkokans for organizing everything! The zine site went live on November 12, 2022, and this fic was originally published on AO3 on June 26th, 2023. Further author's notes can be found on AO3.

———

Every good still life must first have a subject.

The flowers on the bedside table were starting to wilt, the edges of their petals turning brown and brittle despite the still-vibrant colors clinging to the rest of the satiny surface. Masaoka let his fingers brush the dry edges, a wry smile curving his lips.

“I’ll have to remember to bring you new ones next time, hm?” he asked.

He received no response, nor did he expect one. These visits usually found him speaking into the air, his words falling on unhearing ears.

But still, he came. There was no fixing their family now, he knew that, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do…something to ease the damage. And he wasn’t the only one.

“I wonder where Nobuchika found these tulips,” he mused, his fingers wandering back to the red petals. “They’re awfully pretty. I’m glad he still appreciates beauty in the little things.”

A soft sigh came from the wheelchair parked at the large window. The sound drew Masaoka to its side, where he took a look at his wife’s—former wife’s, he corrected himself sullenly—blank features. To his surprise, there was an almost-imperceptible upward curve to the very edges of her lips. The small difference was enough to bring some light to her face, and for a single bittersweet moment, she looked like the vibrant woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

“You always did love red flowers,” he murmured, unable to resist the urge to brush a wayward strand of hair back behind her ear. “I never would’ve expected him to remember. Our son is more thoughtful than he likes to let on.”

Another soft sigh, and the feeling of her leaning just the slightest bit into his gentle fingers. “He got that from you, Sae.” There was a hitch to his voice, almost imperceptible to his own ears, but the sight of her thumb tracing a small curve along the back of her clasped hands told him she’d heard.

His eyes wandered from her gentle features back to the flowers, the source of her quiet joy. Perhaps he should immortalize them somehow.

———

Draw your chosen objects onto a canvas, taking care to get their shapes accurate.

“Ah, Ginoza.” Masaoka tried and failed to keep his surprise out of his voice. He had more success in biting back the smile that nearly rose to his lips at the sight of Ginoza’s mouth twisting. “To what do I owe the honor?”

“No honor, just news.” Ginoza’s green eyes flickered over his shoulder before snapping back to him. “Well? Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

That was more like it. Masaoka never knew what to do with the brief glimpses he caught of his son’s deep-buried insecurity, and the quiet manners it brought out. This, though, this show of superiority and power that he’d put on ever since he entered the PSB as an Inspector, was something Masaoka was much more familiar with. “Of course. Come in.”

He didn’t wait for Ginoza to step in, simply left the door open behind him as he made his way back to the windows, where he’d set up a new canvas and his sketching pencils in front of a chair. He sat just as he heard the door clicking shut and Ginoza following him. “Well then,” he said as he took his pencil back up, “what is this important news?”

Silence fell where he’d expected a curt answer. He looked over his shoulder, and found Ginoza staring at the photo of Sae’s flowers that Masaoka had taken and was now projecting from his communicator. “…Ginoza?”

“Ah.” Ginoza blinked as though he’d been dragged out of a dream. Masaoka could easily read the way he shoved his glasses back up his nose, knew that it was a way to stall, but he didn’t say anything. He simply turned back to his canvas, and sketched.

“…Our division has been issued a new Inspector,” Ginoza finally announced. “She will be starting in a month, after she has completed her pre-work training.”

“I see.” Masaoka finished sketching out the petals of the second tulip. “And have the other enforcers received this news?”

“That’s none of your concern.” Ginoza’s voice sounded tight, and Masaoka almost felt bad about his gentle teasing. “What matters is that you will all know when she gets here, and you will all treat her with the respect that a superior deserves. I’ll have enough on my hands showing her the ropes as the only other Inspector. I don’t need to worry about your basic manners.”

With his face safely turned to his canvas, Masaoka finally let a small grin pull at his lips. “Understood, Inspector.”

“…Good.” Another beat of silence, then the sound of business shoes clicking back to the door.

“I’m sure she’ll be an excellent Inspector,” Masaoka suddenly spoke up, just before Ginoza reached the door, “especially under your instruction. You don’t have anything to worry about, Nobuchika.”

“I don’t need an Enforcer to tell me how to feel about this,” Ginoza bit out, “I know I’m capable of doing my job.”

That was about the response Masaoka expected to get. What he didn’t expect was the soft, “…I’ll see you Tuesday,” that came right before his door opened and closed.

His small grin broadened into a smile as he sketched out the smaller branches of leaves. “You’re welcome, kiddo.”

———

Paint in the base colors, working from the darkest colors to the palest.

Akane Tsunemori proved to be a little bundle of contradictions. Where Masaoka had expected a no-nonsense Inspector, he saw the walking embodiment of nerves and an eagerness to please. Where he anticipated her to crumble under the pressure of having such a gruesome first case, she instead stuck to her morals and shot down their most intimidating Enforcer. And where he expected her to flee the PSB after a hellish first day, she instead dug her heels in and worked to adapt. And she did so remarkably well. He just wished that didn’t include her stubborn attempts to understand one Shinya Kogami.

It was unnerving how much she reminded him of both Kogami and Ginoza when they first began working as Inspectors. She was determined to make a difference, wanted her work to be for the greater good, and not just the preservation of Sibyl. And just like before, Masaoka could already see the signs of their work hardening Akane’s skin like armor.

But there was something else. She wasn’t becoming tough to the core. Somehow, she still held on to her sense of justice, still wanted to believe in the inherent good of both the people and the system she worked to protect. Her determined optimism was achingly familiar to Masaoka—he remembered seeing it light up his son’s eyes when he was first assigned to the PSB, remembered seeing it flicker behind Kogami’s smile back when he was still an Inspector…remembered feeling it burn hot in his own chest when he was still a detective with a happy wife and a newborn son.

It never lasted long, not in this line of work, and especially not with Sibyl breathing down their necks. He knew it was only a matter of time before it faded from Akane as well. And yet…he still found himself wanting to protect it—protect her—for as long as he possibly could. If that meant discouraging her from lingering too long on her fascination with Kogami, then so be it. He’d seen first-hand the way Kogami’s dangerous mix of charisma, intelligence, and focus could tempt those around him into the same destructive habits.

“If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you,” he told her, only to earn furrowed brows and a small frown in response. Ah, he realized, she really is cut from the same cloth. It didn’t matter what he said to her—she’d already made up her mind. Her wide eyes and gentle voice couldn’t hide her fierce curiosity and immoveable stubbornness.

Well…if he couldn’t convince her to protect herself, maybe he could find some way to keep her safe himself.

———

Add details to the foreground and background, deepen the shadows to add more depth. This will help your subject stand out.

The door shut behind him with a soft click. Just like that, he was alone, isolated in his own home—or, cell…he really couldn’t tell the difference anymore—and left with no distractions from the mess he’d just made.

He’d thought he was so much older and wiser, thought that he had left behind the wide-eyed idyllicism that had drawn him to this god-forsaken career. But here he was, down one pistol and one set of keys to his safe house. He had just sent Kogami on what was essentially a suicide mission, and now he would have to face Tsunemori and Nobuchika and all the others, and watch them figure out what he’d done.

He knew giving Kogami a gun and refuge was a mistake. He knew it. And yet…he couldn’t find it in himself to feel any regret. The fool was always going to pursue Makishima, no matter the personal cost. At least Masaoka could tell himself he’d done what he could to lessen that cost, just a bit.

His eyes burned with exhaustion and his stomach burned with bourbon, but he didn’t move towards his bedroom. He instead found himself wandering into the moonlit living room, flicking on a lamp on his journey to the easel that was still set up by the windows. There was no way he was going to sleep. He might as well get some other work done while he could.

———

At last, you can add the final details to your piece, such as brighter highlights. But be careful—less is more.

“Thank you for helping me with this.”

“Of course, Ginoza-san.” Akane was growing used to the grief that had settled in her chest like a rock. It felt like her days were a never-ending parade of sorting through the things her loved ones had left behind—Kagari’s vintage tech collection, Kogami’s books, and now, whatever secret interest Masaoka had stashed away.

And yet, for all that she was getting “used to” the process, she still felt her eyes sting when she stepped into Masaoka’s old living quarters and breathed in the familiar scent of bourbon and paints. She could see the effects of being surrounded by his father’s presence weighing on Ginoza, and no amount of wry grins could keep her from noticing his curved-in shoulders.

“No need to use ‘-san’ with me,” he chuckled as he led her further into the salon. “You’re the superior, now.”

“I still learned everything about this job from you.”

“Not just me.”

The quiet words pulled her eyes from wandering around the room back to Ginoza. He was standing by a covered easel near the window, holding up one edge of the fabric to peer at the painting underneath with a small, sad smile. “He never finished.”

“Finished what?”

“This.” It was surprising, seeing how carefully Ginoza unveiled the painting, but not as surprising as what awaited underneath. Akane’s breath caught in her throat—she...she knew that painting. She could distantly remember watching Masaoka lay down the base colors so many months ago.

And the strangest thing was, it looked finished to her. The vase looked almost real from how detailed the reflections were, and the flowers looked like they could bloom straight from the canvas. “It looks done to me.”

“It’s not. The flowers, they…they look too alive. They were starting to go brown at the edges when he started painting them.”

“How do you—?”

“I gave these flowers to my mother. He must have taken a photo of them and painted them to let her enjoy them forever.” Something around his eyes hardened, and his fingers tightened in the fabric he was still holding. “He…he had plans and projects and now—”

His voice broke. The next thing Akane knew, the fabric was fluttering to the ground as Ginoza pressed his hands to his eyes, shoulders drawn up tight around his ears.

Akane had never seen anyone in the PSB cry. In fact, the last person she’d seen cry was Kaori at Yuki’s funeral. So she did what she’d done for Kaori: she stepped up to Ginoza, gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and didn’t let go, not even when she felt him stiffen. “Don’t,” she murmured firmly, “don’t apologize. We have to grieve for him. We have to remember him. We’re the only ones who can, Ginoza-san.”

He was frozen for a moment, his only movements coming from his shaking sobs. Then, like a drifting boat in search of a mooring, his hands fell from his eyes and clutched at the back of her shirt as his forehead came to a rest on her shoulder. “...Thank you, Tsunemori,” he whispered, his voice rough from his tears.

“Of course.”

Ginoza gave himself a few more breaths before he pulled away, granting Akane a look at his reddened eyes. “Um,” he murmured, rubbing at the lingering tear tracks on his cheeks, “would you…be willing to help me take this to my mother? I don’t know how well she remembers him, but…I think he was painting this for her in the first place. She should be the one to have it.”

“Give me the time and place,” Akane agreed with a smile. “I’ll be there.”

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kindheart525 · 2 years ago

Text

He wasn’t one to share his troubles with anypony, but Igneous Rock was having a very difficult year. His strength had passed its prime ages ago, but only recently did it become difficult to do even the most basic of chores. His wife and daughters had the feeling something was wrong, but so far Igneous was hiding it well enough that they didn’t think it’d be so soon.

Of course, Igneous would be a hypocrite if he tried to grind through despite his aching bones, considering how he never let his family work through their injuries. That wasn’t the case at all, he just didn’t want to worry them more than he had to.

But despite everything, there was one thing that didn’t change, and that was the Hearth’s Warming family reunion.

Igneous had managed to limp down to the crystal caves where everypony was carving their rock dolls, but that just about drained his strength for the day. He’d definitely need a wagon ride back up when they were done. In the meantime, he laid on the ground with his rock before him, shakily gripping a pickaxe between his teeth.

He wasn’t sure if he could manage this.

After what felt like an eternity, he mustered up the strength to swing the axe firmly into the stone, but that much effort only broke off a small chip. There was no way he could break through the whole thing.

Never mind it, Igneous wasn’t that concerned about a Hearth’s Warming doll. So he set down his hat and watched the rest of his family dutifully chip away at theirs.

“Howdy Grandpa!”

Mountain Peak, his youngest grandson, called out in his familiar prepubescent twang as he flittered over to where he lay. A proud smile was plastered across his face, with an object guarded tightly behind his forelegs. Igneous couldn’t make it out until he finally held it up to him.

“Look! I already finished mine!”

“Already? Good heavens.”

Igneous humored him, but he was seriously impressed at the colt’s work. It was of typical quality for a foal his age, but he had never seen anypony finish their doll this quickly.

The older stallion didn’t have to ask how he did it for Mountain to answer him anyway.

“I brought a pencil down here with me and drew my shape on the rock, then I carved around it just like one of Grandma’s sewing patterns! Made it a whole lot easier!”

Some ponies might have called this cheating, but Igneous wasn’t too concerned about that. Mountain Peak had already proven himself a hard worker. Even with what little he was able to do at his age, he did it diligently and thoroughly. It didn’t matter if he wanted to do things easier sometimes.

“Mind if I sit by you?”

Igneous shook his head no, and Mounty sat right down to watch the others with him.

“Mom’s doll is awful big, almost as tall as her! Don’t you think it’d be easier if she did a little one like the rest of us, Grandpa?”

Mounty started to commentate on the rest of the family, like the talkative little colt he was.

“She does a mighty good job on her dolls! Don’t you get me wrong! I was just thinking…”

“She has a grand personality and it shows in her labor.”

Igneous offered his own two bits.

“Yeah, you’re right! It seems everypony has a different way of doing it!”

“Mmhm.”

His grandpa mumbled in agreement, and they went back to watching the others quietly for awhile. Until Mounty noticed something.

“It looks like you haven’t finished your Hearth’s Warming doll!”

“I couldn’t do it right.”

Igneous explained as briefly as possible. Mounty was unfazed by his shortness.

“We all have those days! Mind if I help you finish it?”

He only had to nod once before Mounty took the rock and pickaxe from him and got right to work. Igneous watched as Mounty pulled out a small pencil from under his bow tie and concentrated on sketching a shape in his likeness, just like a painter studying their subject.

The colt had an infectious joy about him and was a pleasure to be around, along with being such an eager worker. The most dedicated to the rock farm out of all his grandchildren, in fact. Igneous would be long gone by that point, but he wondered to himself what the farm would eventually look like if Limestone were to choose Mountain Peak as her heir.

In fact, Igneous’ days were already numbered. As he took part in the family’s Hearth’s Warming festivities, as he laid there and listened to his grandson, he quickly began to realize he would probably not have another moment like this. It would be nothing short of a miracle if the God Mother allowed him to see another Hearth’s Warming.

Igneous wasn’t much of a talker, but there was plenty of wisdom yet he hoped to share with his grandson before he left this world…not that Mountain seemed to know how fast he was declining, and he didn’t want to break the poor colt’s heart. But still, now was a better time than ever for once last talk with him.

“I give great thanks for thy assistance, young one. Thy work ethic is wholly admirable, and will carry thee far in thy lifetime.”

“Thanks, Grandpa!”

Mountain Peak smiled gratefully but humbly, still focused on the task before him.

“I’m always mighty glad to help out. Making Hearth’s Warming dolls is real fun to do!”

“I am glad to hear it,”

Igneous couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at his enthusiasm.

“But, thou shall see, I speak of thy work the whole year round. Always greatly eager to carry out the tasks of the day. For, thou knowest, everypony has an important role to fulfill on this farm. Thou, thy mother, thine aunts and cousins also. Should thou keep up thy work and care for thy kin, as do thee, the farm and family shall flourish.”

Mounty didn’t realize this would be one of his last conversations with his grandpa, but still he pondered his words. It made him feel really useful to hear from the head of the family himself that he had an important role to fill! To hear that his work ethic was admirable. He wasn’t able to do as much as his mom and aunts yet so sometimes it didn’t feel like it.

“I’ll do my very best, Grandpa! You can count on it!”

“I have no doubt that thou shall. If Providence serves me right, thou shall be an asset to our family.”

“Ooh! By the way!”

The colt pushed something towards his grandpa, seemingly getting distracted even though he’d taken every word to heart.

“I finished your doll!”

A deep sense of pride swelled up within Igneous as he beheld his grandson’s creation. It was not unlike something he would have made in his younger years, a jagged likeness of himself carved into stone. It touched him to know that Mountain cared so much to give him this gift, that his heart was as strong as his will.

Igneous didn’t dare let his eyes mist up, but his voice was thick with emotion as he choked out,

“Good work, young one. A job very well done.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Clear Quartz Next: Bedrock

#KindsArt #auraverse #the future’s foundation #mountain peak #igneous rock pie #rock farm #story piece #next generation #my little pony #mlp fim #mlp g4

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burnwater13 · 1 year ago

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Ahsoka Tano attacking Din Djarin on Corvus. Image from The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 5, The Jedi. Calendar from DateWorks.

“Hey, buddy, how’s today’s story going?”

Grogu turned, looked at his dad, and sighed.

“Not good, huh?”

Grogu’s ears drooped and he found himself frowning as he sat at their multipurpose table and stared at the screen of his datapad.

“I see. I think. Well, what’s it about? Or what did you want it to be about?”

Uff. The Mandalorian had no empathy. None at all. If Grogu had known what he wanted the story to be about it would already be written. He did not know and it was not finished, or even started.

Instead of complaining at his dad about his lack of sensitivity, he pushed the sketch he’d made across the table top, so the bounty hunter could take a look. Maybe Grogu would get lucky and his dad would say something that would help. Or say something that annoyed him so much he would find the energy to stomp out of the cabin and go sit by the pond and pout. He liked sitting by the pond. The pouting was just a bonus.

“Ah. This is when we met Ahsoka Tano on Corvus. She really surprised me with that whole attack first and ask questions later tactic. I thought Jedi were supposed to be diplomats, not troublemakers.”

Grogu began to giggle and then to laugh. Finally he had the hiccups and his dad patted him gently on the back while he handed Grogu a sweet crisp. Grogu felt better after eating the crisp, but he was still annoyed with his dad.

“Okay, buddy, I don’t understand why that was funny to you. Was it the diplomat part or the troublemaker part?”

Grogu nodded his head to both words. Jedi were awful diplomats and they were rather notorious troublemakers… from a certain perspective. Not that he had anything specific against Ahsoka Tano. He didn’t. She wasn’t a Jedi. She wasn’t a diplomat. And Grogu couldn’t say that she was any more of a trouble maker than any other person who wanted to see bad people brought to justice.

He expected that she was the sort of person who made good trouble. Or at least he’d thought she was like that when they first ran into her on Corvus. The local magistrate was a cruel ex-Imp who had refused to stop acting as the magistrate of Corvus despite the agreement between the New Republic and the fallen Empire. Grogu agreed that Ahsoka and his dad should do whatever it took to get rid of those ex-Imps. They were hurting people because they took joy in that. If a Jedi (ex) and a Mandalorian could agree to anything, it was that cruelty was never the point of any action they ever took. It was against the code, the Creed, the Way, and every other guide they used for the work they undertook.

But… time passed and they (he and the Mandalorian) ended up on Ossus, except Grogu went there with Luke Skywalker, and the Mandalorian came by himself. Grogu had learned about it much later. Because AHSOKA TANO hadn’t let the Mandalorian visit him! He didn’t think she was being cruel. But Grogu did think that she was trying to protect herself more than she was protecting him, or Luke, or the promise of the Jedi order. Simply put it was bad trouble.

The Mandalorian had gone off and practically got himself killed. If Grogu hadn’t realized that he couldn’t be a good Master to Luke because he hadn’t finished training Din Djarin, who knows what would have happened! Fortunately, he had figured that out and returned to Tatooine and helped his dad sort out the trouble that the New Republic wasn’t capable of handling and made Tatooine safer for their friends there.

He sighed again. All’s well that ends well?

“Buddy, Ahsoka did what she thought was right. She didn’t have all the information she needed, but she still felt like she had to act. You should write a story about that. How do you learn to learn… it’s not easy, but it is worthy.”

Hmmm. Grogu wasn’t sure about that. His fans didn’t want serious, thoughtful, considered perspectives on the conditions of sentient beings wherever they were and how they could improve the planets and worlds around them. At least he didn’t think they did based on the requests he got for frog based recipes (fried is best), the dimple on the Mandalorian’s cheek (still there, still cute), and the state of the discussions about replacing the N-1 with another Razor Crest or maybe even a YT-1300 light freighter (still fighting the good fight).

Grogu smiled at his dad and nodded his head. Sure, he was going to write about the serious issues facing the galaxy… just as soon as he wrote a story about how he finally built his first lightsaber. He was sure his fans would enjoy that even more than another story about his dad taking his helmet off.

Find Grogu’s story about making his lightsaber here:

#calendar prompt a day #the mandalorian #din djarin #grogu #ahsoka tano #luke skywalker

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beck-hartman · 2 years ago

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How could he not smile when she said things like that? It was impossible. Her touch brought only an increased pull at the corners as he murmured, "in that case, you know I can't tell you no." Pressing his lips to her thumb before giving it a playful nip, he almost laughed as he replied, "baby, I'm never forgetting that incredibly effective etch-a-sketch. --Well, wait, I mean, it could require regular maintenance..."

The mood lifted a little, just for a moment, and Beck clung to it like a life preserver for a drowning man, especially as she laughed. "Yeah, baby, we're gonna be sliding down the banister of that staircase. The adventure never stops." Running this thumb over the back of her hand, he brought in another movie reference, "if you ever do, I'll write it all down and read it back to you." She was the one he loved, that made pictures of her further extensions of that love. He nodded as she got the point, a slight grin returning as he softly joked, "MJ isn't the only artistic one. It wasn't about taking a picture of her, more a picture of something--a state of being. It was so peaceful in that spot, and from that viewpoint, how calm everything was, everything was so sort of stripped down to...the root of perfection, I guess. No shame, no expectations, human and nature in a symbiotic wholeness." He drifted off, shrugging as he probably said more than he should have about a photo they were both trying to forget she'd seen, "I dunno, it's kinda dumb."

He wanted to be her stabilizing force, even when he knew he wouldn't always do or say everything perfectly. He knew how to hold her, that much he was sure he could do. Gripping her tighter as she rested against him, he gave her a kiss to her forehead. "Overwhelms me too," he said softly, "in a good way. It's soul deep, ya know, so it doesn't stay localized to the heart. I feel you everywhere." As he caressed her face, he nodded even though her eyes were closed. "I can do that. This is a forever thing, so really, it's already done."

There was a surge of joy as she laid claim to him, her playful feistiness got him everytime. "You bit it so it's yours?" He teased. Despite how close they could have come to it going away, it still brought a spark back into his eyes. Lights that had gone out coming back on one by one. "Sorry, missed that last part?" He prompted, just to hear her say it again.

Holding her gaze once it returned to him, he was a little surprised she knew that number, mumbling, "huh?" Not that his girl wasn't brilliant, but she wasn't a human calculator either. But then he remembered what she'd said before: Seven months, thirteen days. She'd counted. "Right, of course you know," he admitted. Sometimes it felt like he'd only stumbled into getting her back--that he was so close to losing her forever--then she said stuff like that and he was reminded she had been as aware of his absence in her life as he'd been about hers in his. "Okay," he repeated, filled the confidence he'd just promised to have for both of them.

And then he had to keep talking. Which, in actuality, he did. This would be worse if she heard it from anyone else, like one of the Bella Stanleys of their world. He winced again when she pulled back, not just to look at him but to create actual distance. Technically, more like nine years was caught by what little filter he possessed from brain to mouth. Instead, he just nodded, averting his eyes with a quiet, "that's the one." She also watched them when they were older than that, but again, he had some sense of self-preservation. He didn't need to nitpick, especially when that made things sound worse.

He remained silent, giving her the moment to process. Despite the strong urge to argue something, he didn't actually have a defense for this. No matter how much Camille's husband did suck. "Not really anymore," he answered, debating if he had any ground to be cute but deciding to try, "there's this smokin' redhead that takes a lot of my time now." He dared to find her eyes again. "Just ran into her at the beach the other day, and we shared a joint and caught up. It's honestly nothing you have to worry about, I swear, okay? It was just something stupid for a really short period of time."

"Well, don't be. That's my baby." Shosh said, a little smile on her lips as she cupped Beck's face and smoothed a thumb over his cheek and across his lips. Would she have rather not seen that? Absolutely. But she had, though that didn't have to change anything. He had a past, just like she did. "Of course you don't. I etch-a-sketched you, remember?"

"Yeah, we will. Just you and me. This life and the next," She took his hand, kissing his palm before intertwining their fingers. With his explanation, she nodded, laughing a little and swatting him playfully as he called her hot. "I want to remember every moment with you; I don't want to forget a second of it." And given that was apparently the only picture of a woman in his albums, that wasn't what he had been thinking about with her. "And...that picture seemed to be more about the...aesthetic."

Shosh shook her head as he pulled her hands away from her face because she did not like this new crying thing she was prone to do. But as he pulled her closer, she took in a shuddering breath and rested her head on his shoulder, allowing him to ground her. "Sorry, I just get, I don't know, overwhelmed by the way that you feel about me sometimes. Blows my mind a little." She let out a little sigh as his hands came to her face, closing her eyes at the feeling. "Just need you to not give up on me, to keep loving me."

"Good," Shoshanna said with a giggle, "Cuz you're mine." Emphasizing her ownership, she bent her head and bit his shoulder. "I'm glad it turned out to be with you, too. Not all that surprised, but still glad. Cuz I'm yours, too."

With his gentle touch on her chin, Shosh brought her eyes to his again. "Two thousand nine hundred and twenty," She mumbled under her breath. While math wasn't her strong suit, that was a question she knew the answer to off the top of her head. She had done that specific equation more than once. "Okay," Her reply was quiet. Shosh didn't quite know how to respond to him, still trying to believe that she was the person he thought she was. But she was going to be that person. If not for herself, then for him.

As Beck went on to answer her question, she nodded along. "Oh, that's kind of a crazy coincidence." She acknowledged his comment about Aisha briefly, allowing him to continue on. But when he brought up Camille, Shosh had to pull back to look at him. She was too shocked to say anything, so she just listened until he was done. Scooching back some more, she stared at him for a minute before she replied, "Camille? Ten years older than us - who used to watch us when we were five?" That...gave her an icky feeling that she couldn't quite describe. Probably the same feeling he got when he realized how much older Frank was than her.

Shosh held her hands up, needing a second to process what he had just told her. This was someone Shosh was going to have to see around town. It was a relief that nothing physical had happened between them, that would have been an entirely different scenario. And she didn't enjoy the fact that Beck had been flirting with a married woman. And he had clearly seen her somewhat recently if she knew they were together. "Do you guys...hang out a lot?" She asked, fighting to keep her voice calm.

#( thread | shosh. )#long post cw

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