#having a small sketchbook actually has been REALLY fun though like. pushing myself to the absolute limit of tiny drawings.

[moe-broey]

Also as a side I love when I draw really really REALLY small. Micro organisms.....

[meruz]

once again i am answering asks in a big compilation post. included is... gotham, patrick stump, tips about drawing backgrounds, tips about drawing in general, links to my faq, and infinity train

like.... the tv series? No... I’ve drawn dc comics fanart before, though. But it’s been years since I’ve been really into it. I like jumped ship like 10 years ago when the New 52 happened LOL.

AFJHDSLKGH I’m sorry I (probably) won’t do it again??

Actually full disclosure I have a truly cringe amount of p stump drawings/photo studies in my sketchbook right now LOL. He’s just fun to draw... hats, glasses, guitar, a good shape... but I don’t think I’ll rly post those until I can hide them in another big sketchbook pdf.. probably Jan 2022. Stay tuned........ (ominous) 

(ominous preview)

These are all sort of related to backgrounds/painting so I grouped them together even though they’re pretty much entirely separate questions.... ANYWAYS

a) How is it working as a BG artist? Is it hard? What show are you drawing for?

I think you’re the first person to ever ask me about my job! Being a background artist is great. It’s definitely labor intensive but I think that could describe pretty much any art job (If something were rote or easy to automate, you wouldn’t hire an artist to do it) and I hesitate to say whether its harder or easier than any other role in the animation pipeline. Plus, so much of what truly makes a job difficult varies from one production to the next, schedule, working environment, co-workers etc. But I will say that I think while BGs are generally a lot of work on the upfront, I think they’re subject to less scrutiny/revisions than something like character/props/effects design and you don’t have to pitch them to a room like boards. So I guess it’s good if you don’t like to talk to people? LOL

A lot of my previous projects + the show I’ve worked on the longest aren’t public yet so I can’t talk about em (but I assure you if/when the news does break I won’t shut up about it). But I’m currently working on Archer Season 12 LOL. I’m like 90% sure I’m allowed to say that.

b) ~~~THANK YOU!! ~~~

c) What exactly do you like to draw most [in a background]?

@kaitomiury​ Lots of stuff! I really like to draw clutter! Because it’s a great opportunity for environmental storytelling and also you can be kind of messy with it because the sheer mass will supersede any details LOL. 

I like to draw clouds... I like to draw grass but not trees lol,,, I like to draw anything that sells perspective really easily like tiled floors and ceilings, shelves, lamp posts on a street etc.

d) Do you have any tips on how to paint (observational)?

god there’s so much to say. painting is really a whole ass discipline like someone can paint their whole life and still discover new things about it. I guess if you’re really just starting out my best advice is that habit is more important than product. especially with traditional plein air painting, I find that the procedure of going outside and setting up your paints is almost harder than the actual painting. There’s a lot of artists who say “I want to do plein air sometime!!” and then never actually get around to doing it. A lot of people just end up working from google streetview or photos on their computer.

But going outside to paint is a really good challenge because it forces you to make and commit to lighting and composition decisions really quickly. And to work through your mistakes instead of against them via undo button.

My last tip is to check out James Gurney’s youtube channel because hes probably the best and most consistent resource on observational painting out there rn. There’s lots other artists doing the same thing (off the top of my head I know a lot of the Warrior Painters group has people regularly posting plein air stuff and lightbox expo had a Jesse Schmidt lecture abt it last year) but Gurney’s probably the most prolific poster and one of the best at explaining the more technical stuff - his books are great too.

e) Do you have tips for drawing cleanly on heavypaint?

@marigoldfool​ UMM LOL I LIKE ONLY USE THE FILL TOOL so maybe use the fill tool? Fill and rectangle are good for edge control as opposed to the rest of the heavy paint tools which can get sort of muddles. And also I use a stylus so maybe if you’re using your finger, find a stylus that works with your device instead. That’s all I’ve got, frankly I don’t think my drawings are particularly clean lol.

f) Tips on improving backgrounds/scenes making them more dynamic practicing etc?

Ive given some tips about backgrounds/scenes before so I’m not gonna re-tread those but here’s another thing that might be helpful...

I think a good way to approach backgrounds is to think of the specific story or even mood you want to convey with the background first. Thinking “I just need to put something behind this character” is going to lead you to drawing like... a green screen tourist photo backdrop. But if you think “I need this bg to make the characters feel small” or “I need this bg to make the world feel colorful” then it gives you requirements and cues to work off of.

If I know a character needs to feel overwhelmed and small, then I know I need to create environment elements that will cage them in and corner them. If a character needs to feel triumphant/on top of the world then I know I need to let the environment open up around them. etc. If I know my focal point/ where I want to draw attention, I can build the background around that.

Also, backgrounds like figure compositions will have focal points of their own and you can draw attention to it/ the relationship the characters have with the bg element via scale or directionality or color, any number of cues. I think of it almost as a second/third character in a scene.

Not every composition is gonna have something so obvious like this but it helps me to think about these because then the characters feel connected and integrated with the environment.

Some more general art questions

a) Do you have any process/tips to start drawing character/bodies/heads?

I tried to kind of draw something to answer this but honestly this is difficult for me to answer because I don’t think I’m that great at drawing characters LOL. Ok, I think I have two tips.

1) flip your canvas often. A lot about what makes human bodies look correct and believable is symmetry and balance. Even if someone has asymmetrical features, the body will often pull and push in a way to counterbalance it. we often have inherent biases to one side or another like dominant hands dominant eyes etc. you know how right-handed artists will often favor drawing characters facing 45 degrees facing (the artist’s) left? that’s part of it. so viewing your drawing flipped even just to evaluate it helps compensate for that bias and makes you more aware of balance.

2) draw the whole figure often. I feel like a lot of beginner artists (myself included for a long time) defer to just drawing headshots or busts because it’s easier, you dont have to think about posing limbs etc. But drawing a full body allows you to better gauge proportion, perspective, body language, everything that makes a character look believable and grounded.

Like if you (me) have that issue where you draw the head too big and then have to resize it to fit the proportions of the rest of the body, it’s probably because you (I) drew the head first and are treating the body as an afterthought/attachment. Sketching out the whole figure first or even just quick drawing guides for it will help you think of it more holistically. I learned this figure drawing in charcoal at art school LOL.

oh. third mini tip - try to draw people from life often! its the best study. if you can get into a figure drawing/nude drawing class EVEN BETTER and if you have a local college/art space/museum that hosts those for free TREASURE IT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, that’s a huge boon that a lot of artists (me again) wish they had. though if youre not so lucky and youre sitting in a park trying to creeper draw people and they keep moving.. don’t let that stop you! that’s good practice because it’s forcing you to work fast to get the important stuff down LOL. its a challenge!

b) I’ve been pretty out of energy and have had no inspiration to draw but I have the desire to. Any advice?

Dude, take a walk or something.... Or a nap? Low energy is going to effect everything else so you gotta hit that problem at its source.

If you’re looking for inspiration though, I’d recommend stuff like watching a movie, reading a book, playing video games etc. Fill up your idea bank with content and then give yourself time/space to gestate it into new concepts. Sometimes looking at other art works but sometimes it can work against you because it’s too close. 

Also something that helps me is remembering that art doesn’t always have to be groundbreaking... like it’s okay to make something shitty and stupid that you don’t post online and only show to your friend. That’s all part of the process imo. If you want to hit a home run you gotta warm up first, right? Sports.

I should probably compile everytime i give tips on stuff like this but that’s getting dangerously close to being a social media artist who makes stupid boiled down art tutorials for clout which is the last thing i want to be... the thing I want to stress is that art is a whole visual language and there are widely agreed upon rules and customs but they exist in large part to be broken. Like there's an infinite number of ways to reach an infinite number of solutions and that’s actually what makes it really cool and personal for both the artist and the viewer. So when you make work you like or you find someone else’s work you like, take a step back and ask yourself what about it speaks for you, what about it works for you, what makes it effective, how to recreate that effect and how to break that effect completely, etc. And have a good time with it or else what’s the point.

for the first 2, I direct you to my FAQ

For the last one, I don’t actually believe I’ve ever addressed artwork as insp for stories/rp but I’ll say here and now yeah go ahead! As long as you’re not making profit or taking credit for my work then I’m normally ok with it. Especially anything thats private and purely recreational, that’s generally 100% green light go. I only ask that if you post it anywhere public that you please credit me.

(and I reserve the right to ask you to take it down if I see it and don’t approve of it’s use but I think that case is pretty rare.)

a) @lemuelzero101 Thank you!!! I haven’t played Life is Strange but actually  that series’ vis dev artist Edouard Caplain is one of my bigger art inspirations lately so that’s a really high compliment lol. And yeah I hope we get 5-8 too...!

b) Thank you for sticking around! I’ve been thinking about Digimon and Infinity Train in tandem lately, actually. They’re a little similar? Enter a dangerous alternate world and have wacky adventures with monsters/inanimate objects that have weird powers... there’s like weird engineers and mechanisms behind the scenes... also frontier literally starts with them getting on a train. Anyways if anyone else followed me for digimon... maybe you’d like Infinity Train? LOL

c) @king-wens-king I’M GLAD MY ART JUST HAS PINOY VIBES LOL I hope you are having a good day too :^)

a, b, c, d) yessss my Watch Infinity Train agenda is working....

e) aw thank you!! i think you should watch infinity train :)

[youarejesting]

Washout.8

Banners: @purpleskies1999 Pairings: Dolphintrainer!Taehyung x SharkDiver!Jin,  Mer!Jimin x Reader, Scientist!Namjoon x MerKing!Jungkook, Mer!Yoongi x Mer!Hoseok. Rating: 16+ Genre: Mystery, Romance, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, little bit of Action, Slice of life, Enemies2Lovers, Friends2lovers, Social media au, Fake Texts, Fake Subs.

Summary: Taehyung and his best friend Y/N are Dolphin trainers at Wash Out; Marine Wildlife and Theme Park. When the nerdy marine biologist and resident veterinarian Doctor Kim Namjoon goes missing; the two friends form a ragtag team with Taehyung’s rival Seokjin and a…. Fish?

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Taehyung finished up his work and headed to the shark tanks to speak with Seokjin. What he didn’t expect was him to step out of the locker room, his dry clothes sticking to his body and hair still dripping like he hadn’t tried to dry himself at all.

Taehyung went to wave weakly and was barged by a damp shoulder. The loss of Namjoon was truly taking a toll on Seokjin and the poor guy needed a break from work to actually grieve for his friend. He was bottling everything up and it wasn’t healthy.

Pushing on Taehyung thought perhaps it would be a good idea to check up on you and the fish-man. He wanted to make sure you were okay and not doing anything that could get you killed.

Taehyung arrived and waved at you and you waved back, he noticed the young merman look at his hand and shake it to himself. Taehyung waved to him with a soft smile and watched his hand lower to a fist and he swam away.

“Are you making fun of my new friend?” You square your shoulders, even though you weren’t as tall as Taehyung you were ready to fight to protect this new friendship. He found it admirable, you had always been like this. Any creatures who couldn’t speak for themselves always had you protecting them.

“How are things going with ol’ fish tail?” Taehyung laughed as he got closer leaning over you and watching the merman circle the tank craning his neck to keep you in his sights. He seemed to be monitoring the interactions between the two of you.

“Don’t call him that, it’s not his name!” You scolded, slapping his arm and the two of you were jokingly slapping each other and the merman swam closer looking down imposingly at Taehyung. 

“He likes you, all the animals do, what is your secret?” Taehyung accused, poking you once more and sitting on your desk swinging his legs. “Has he tried anything?”

“Taehyung, get out and go home.” You pushed him off the table and he stumbled aside. “Oh but if you can swing by my house and grab me some clothes and things that would be lovely. I will give you my key and send you a list via text.”

“Get to bed early, don't let that fish keep you awake, with that six pack of his.” Taehyung wiggled his eyebrows at his suggestive comment and you frowned.

“I am more worried about Dolly going into labour at any minute and having to figure everything out by myself. I tried reading over Namjoon’s work, with him not here…” Your voice trailed off.

After consoling you and assuring you were the best choice after Namjoon and that he checked his watch. “I have to hurry if I am taking the bus.”

The bus arrived at your house after twenty minutes. Taehyung had been to your apartment multiple times. So it wasn’t a shock to him that you had almost no furniture. You were a minimalist. Preferring clean and clutter free. You had appliances sure, but no sofa, only bean bags, a small table with only two chairs. To any newcomers it looked almost like the place had been robbed or was frequented by squatters.

He packed a bunch of your swimsuits, giggling when he grabbed the more alluring styles. You would definitely win the fish over in these. He made sure to conveniently forget shirts and pack only the shortest of shorts. He wanted you to have more confidence in your body.

Packing your bag with a few random items, your favourite sketchbook, pencils and snacks, Taehyung headed back to the amusement park. He walked past the security guard smiling and commenting about the long evening ahead.

He weaved past park cleaners and more security on patrol and arrived at the old marine clinic warehouse and saw you dancing to some music while making some ramen. He placed the bag down and smiled, waving at the merman, placing the keys down on the desk silently before sneaking up on you. 

It seemed like the fish didn’t like this. He was banging his fists on the glass which didn’t get your attention. Taehyung was able to poke your sides with a loud ‘Boo!’. You shrieked eyes filled with fear searching the surroundings for any sign of a threat. Until they landed on Taehyung where they narrowed and a pair of chopsticks collided and bounced off his head.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” you shouted clutching your heart, Taehyung thought it was funny watching you jump.

“Go shower while your water boils, I know how to cook Ramen.” He gestured to the bag on the table and watched you rush off. Over your shoulder he saw Jimin glaring directly at him but softening his expression when you gave him a hand sign of five fingers. He gave back a thumbs up awkwardly watching you until your figure was no longer in sight.

Taehyung spoke to you through the shower roof vent, “This fish really likes you, you should try getting in the tank again. He hasn’t stopped glaring at me since you left.”

“He isn’t glaring he just has a strong gaze” You defended, “I heard Seokjin called the office and asked for some time off, you should go check on him, he seems to be bottling up his emotions over the loss of Namjoon.”

“Yeah he doesn’t look like he is doing well.” Taehyung breathed, nodding, “I will give him the Taehyung break up special.”

“Yeah but he doesn’t like chocolate but he loves chocolate flavoured things or and he loves strawberries but doesn’t like strawberry flavoured things.” You shouted making Taehyung halt in his steps, your house keys jingling in his hand. “What he told us at the company dinner,”

Taehyung looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded, rushing off to catch the last bus. It took longer to cross the town but soon enough he had arrived at the door of Seokjin’s home. Hands full of bags, snacks and a soft plushy. The only one left in the convenience store was a Alpaca wearing a red bandana around its neck.

He took a deep breath and raised his fist to knock.

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Tags: @backinblack1967​​ @miriamxsworld​​ @moccahobi​​ @simplymemyself​​ ​ @a-gayish-unicorn​

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[xo-cuteplosion-xo]

Shameless self promotion ahead- why? Because i have nothing else but soukoku brain-rot rn (yes, I'm working on the stack of request for my personality HC thing- but some of ya'll gave so little information it be hard T_T)

-Bsd college Au- (It's soukoku)

Dazai’s confident, independent, smart, but a total jerk and playboy

.Chuuya's confident, independent, slightly idiotic, but a total pushover.

Dazai’s unorganized, calm, and enjoys making his roommate's life hell.

Chuuya’s organized, irritable, and hates his roommate with his entire soul.

Sadly, Dazai finds his roommate appealing to the eye, in other words hot, but he’s still… a closeted bisexual.

Sadly, Chuuya finds his roommate hot, but his roommate insists they’re straight.

Nakahara Chuuya and Dazai Osamu are roommates.

Chapter 1: Roommates With every rustle of the leaves, a brisk wind passed over, chilling the humidity to be bearable for a moment. Yokohama tended to have warm summers, even towards the end there were days when the humidity stung. It could be cold enough for a hoodie in the early morning, but far too humid for one in the later afternoon, right before it cooled down again. The signs that lead into the sweet release of the cool fall season.

“You know, I said I was helping, not doing most of the work here.” Oda, a male with slight stubble and brown, slightly red hair grumbled. His eyes looked back to another male, arms wrapped in bandages, and eyes drained of any emotion. The smallest cardboard box within his hands as he snickered.

The boy was Dazai Osamu, an 18-year-old who’d pushed through hell to make it here. Despite not wanting to go to college and instead be a basement dump until he died, he stuck his tongue out.

Within that exact second, Dazai's eyes filled with life, something that he could do on command, a mask of sorts. “But Odasaku, I can’t carry all the heavy boxes!” the childish whine Dazai produced towards his cousin scraped within the poor adult's ears.

“If you ate anything besides ramen and take-out, you might be more than skin and bones,” Oda grumbled. Setting the final box down in the dorm room. So far there hadn’t been a sign of whoever Dazai’s roommate was to be. Oda prayed for the unfortunate soul who had to deal with the brunette.

“I don’t only eat ramen! I ate vegetables just yesterday!” Dazai crossed his arms, laying his finger over his bandages.

“The ‘vegetables’- Oda moved his hands to form air quotes around vegetables - in those 10-minute self serve ramen packets don’t actually count.'' Frowning Dazai pouted, acting like a child once again. It was something Oda had never minded considering his cousin had never had a real childhood.

Before he could make another whiny remark, the door to the dorm opened.

~

Stepping from a rather expensive-looking car, a ginger-haired male stepped outside into the warmth of the closing summer. His hair, longer on one side than the other, rested neatly over his shoulder. His feminine-like frame caused him to stand out a bit more than he’d like. Though, it was natural for a model to stand out in the crowd. Not that he modeled too often, it had been a pastime after moving in his third year to Yokohama. He’d done it with his older sister a handful of times before then, but she’d left for London just before they moved.

Grabbing one of the cases, he glanced at his father, who was getting out of the car. “Dad, I can handle this myself, you really don’t have to help me.” The petite male mumbled slightly embarrassed. Though, his words were the truth considering his strength was out of the ordinary for his size.

“Nonsense Chuuya, let you old man at least have this.” The boy's father, a male who kept his locks of raven hair down to his waist in length, shivered as he spoke.

Chuuya sighed, handing his father a few smaller boxes as he grabbed several of the larger boxes. “How’s Ane-San been?” Chuuya hadn't been able to call her with how busy he’d been the last month, he suspected his father, with how protective he was, had to have called at least once.

“Ah, Koyo has been doing alright. Both she and Yosano (Koyo's fiance) plan on coming down for Christmas.” Rimbaud smiled lightly as he spoke. Chuuya’s lips also turned into a smile hearing that he’d finally met his older sister's fiance. The two of them had been engaged since she’d graduated from college two years ago, and had been together for 5 years before that. “So when will you be attempting dating again? I do miss that boy… it was Shirace right?”

As his father mentioned the boy's name, Chuuya's stomach tightened and his heart picked up before he calmed himself. The two of them were cities apart, he’d never see that boy again. Shaking off the thoughts that had flashed within his mind, he smiled. “It wasn’t meant to be dad. Regarding another boyfriend, I don’t know. I know Ane-San dated a lot, I'm just not sure I want to get back into dating yet.” Chuuya shrugged as they came up to his assigned dorm. Grabbing the handle, he twisted it and opened it, coming face to face with his roommate looking like he was about to start a childish bicker with whoever that was.

“Hey…” Chuuya’s attempt at speaking was completely suffocated when Dazai turned to look at his roommate. God, he was more than just good-looking. Sure Dazai was on the frail and thin-looking side, but he still looked perfect. The shape of his jaw, to the depth of the brunette's coffee-colored eyes, all added to his looks. That was also looking past the males' ideal height. He was positive, the brunette noticed he was being checked out.

“He’s so… so short.” Dazai snickered as he looked Chuuya up and down. His eyes glanced all around looking for little things to poke fun at. At least, that’s what he was saying he was doing. There was no way he was checking Chuuya out. Sure, he did resemble a girl, at least a little bit. His eyes were a replica of the clear ocean. The way his hair curled around his face, the small freckles that stood against his pale complexion… were all attractive.

At least, it had been until the male’s brow twitched and his hands balled into fists. “I’m still growing!” he hissed almost like an angry child. Rimbaud sighed, tapping his son's shoulder.

Oda looked to him apologetically before turning to Dazai. “That’s the first thing you can say? Not, hey or hello?” Dazai shrugged, walking to his room with a yawn.

“Eh, I’m tired, I wasn't thinking of being polite. Plus, when am I ever polite?” Dazai smirked, leaning his head back as he shoved his hands into his back pockets. Sadly, his statement was nothing less than honest. He was never polite. If he wanted something, he was upfront about it. How else would he have such a long list of girls' hearts he’d shattered?

Chuuya rolled his eyes before moving the rest of his boxes into the dorm. ~

Chuuya took an hour to get everything from the boxes and his suitcase into his closet and drawers. His secret box, which he’d made sure to carry in, was still packed tightly, but that was because he was figuring what to do with it. Luckily, his closet had the perfect space for bottles. Unlucky to him that space was out of his reach. Hissing to himself, he looked around before grabbing the footrest to one of the chairs. When he finished organizing and making sure every drawer was labeled with what should be put inside, he glanced around.

His roommate had yet to unpack anything from his boxes. Not that there seemed to be many boxes to begin with. In fact, they were all labeled, one box of clothes, another labeled self-car, and a third labeled bandages. That had been something he noticed about his roommate. Rolling his eyes, Chuuya moved to knock on his roommate's door. The response he got was grumbled and inaudible. “Are you going to unpack?” there still came no response, so he figured his roommate was simply sleeping after a long trip or something. Shrugging it off, Chuuya walked into his room, directly next to dazai’s with a very thin wall separating them. Pulling out a sketchbook and some pencils, he put on some music and began sketching some art designs.

[juhakx]

Sketchbooks and Soccer Players- Kim Sunwoo

Genre: Fluff with mild cursing, Soccerplayer!Sunwoo / Artist!Y/N (gender neutral), Slight couple Moonbae because why not

Word Count: 2263

REQUESTED

"Y/N!" You hear someone shout, causing you to jump up slightly and release the pencil that was in your hand. "I've been calling your name for like five minutes! You know I can't go inside the art room without Mrs. Park's permission."

"Sorry, Kev, I guess I got too wrapped up in my piece," You chuckle, quickly closing your sketchbook and packing up your things so he wouldn't have to wait on you any longer. Tossing your bag over your shoulder, you jog up to Kevin and greet him. 

"How was your day?" You ask, taking out the lollipop you had stored in your pocket and unwrapping it before placing it in your mouth. 

"Raspberry this time?" He asks. "Also, today was okay before I shouted at my best friend so we could go home, but they ignored me and proceeded to doodle in their notebook. Let me just tell you, it made me feel like I was as worthless as the p in raspberry. What were you drawing that had you so engrossed, anyway?" 

Kevin pushed the school doors, and you made your way to his car as you recounted how much of a luxury it was that your best friend was also your neighbor. 

"You know, just someone," You mumble, putting on your seatbelt. 

"Someone? You don't normally draw people. Is your obsession with Lee Dongwook getting so extreme that you started drawing him?" Kevin giggles, thinking back to your avid Viki sessions of watching Goblin and Tale of the Nine-Tailed together. 

"No, I'm not that weird," You laugh, lightly shoving him to the side. 

"So, who is it?"

Your mind drifts back to yesterday, the day of the encounter. Sceneries: Forests, mountains, valleys. That was more of your expertise when it came to art, however, nothing was as scenic as the boy you met yesterday. 

Kim Sunwoo. Everyone knew him. Everyone wanted to date or be him, there was no in-between. You didn't think much about the kid before because your paths never clashed, not until yesterday. 

"Woah, I'm so sorry!" He said, his chest heaving from running from the direction of the soccer field. 

"Oh, you're fine!" You replied, picking up your sketchbook that fell out of your hands. You were just about to enter the art room, the safe haven where you would draw until Kevin was done with choir practice. 

"Y/N, right?" Sunwoo asked. You couldn't help but remember the shocked look on your face when he knew who you were. 

"Yeah, Y/N," You replied. 

"Y/N," He had repeated, this time with a small smile on his face. It was the most beautiful way you had ever heard your name said, to a point where you swore you heard it echoing in your head right now. 

"Y/N."

"Y/N."

“Y/N, we're here you weirdo, snap out of it," Kevin shrieked, smacking your arm to get you out of your daze. 

"Oh shit," You mumbled, realizing that you were no longer in the school parking lot and instead at your house. 

"You zoned out for like ten minutes after I asked you who you were drawing. Is everything okay? Are the paint fumes getting to your head?" He mocked. 

"No, just thinking. Anyway, you were right earlier. I wanted to try drawing people, so I was like go big or go home and started sketching Dongwook's face today," You reason. No one needed to know that the only thing running through your head was Kim Sunwoo on repeat, even when you saw him passing by the art room once again.

And that's how the next week passed. You continued your sketch of Sunwoo, trying your best to remember exactly what his face looked like up close. However, he continued to pass by the art room every day, just close enough for you to recognize the familiar tan skin and soccer uniform. Though you never made eye contact with him, you knew when he passed by, your eyes catching the movement across the room every time. 

"Aish," You groaned out, erasing his eyes for what felt like the fifteenth time that afternoon. 

"Everything alright in there?" You heard a familiar voice say, causing you to look up from the drawing. Upon seeing his face, you immediately close your sketchbook. 

"Sunwoo!" You exclaim, half in fear and half in genuine excitement. 

"The one and only," He laughs. "I heard you from outside, are you okay?"

There was worry in Sunwoo's voice, causing your heart to clench. "Yeah, I just suck at drawing," You chuckle. 

"Oh, I doubt that. You're always in here, so there must be some artistic bone in your body," He reassures you. 

You sit there in silence for a moment before Sunwoo's eyes widen, and he begins to shake his head from side to side. "Not that- not that I've been watching you or anything, I just like to pass by the art room now cause I always see you in here. Wait, that sounds weird. I don't just come to see you, but you're just always working really hard, and it's really admirable to see you and you look really nice when you draw. Not that you don't look nice any other time! But also the only time I've ever really seen you is in the art room, so I guess I really don't know what you look like any other time. Not that I wouldn't be opposed to it! I just-" Sunwoo heaves, letting out a heavy sigh before standing there with his head in his hands. 

"Sunwoo, calm down!" You giggle. "I mean, I noticed that you were passing by too, and I glance every time whether you notice it or not. The soccer uniform really suits you," You compliment. You could feel your heart beating out of your chest, his sudden outburst making you want to laugh and cry at the same time. 

"Oh, this?" He says, looking down at his jersey. "This is nothing, I would much rather be good at art than soccer."

"You? You're not just good at soccer, you're freaking great. I mean, you've been on varsity since freshman year," You exasperate. A small smile breaks out on Sunwoo's face once he hears a small fact of his life slip from your mouth. 

"Oh shit, speaking of soccer," Sunwoo mumbles, glancing at the clock that was inside the art teacher's room. "I gotta go. I forgot that break was only five minutes. It was really fun talking to you Y/N. Good luck with your drawing!" 

Before you could even say goodbye back, he ran back to the direction he came from.

"Was that Kim Sunwoo?" Kevin says, appearing in front of the doorway from out of nowhere. 

"Don't ask," You breathe out, still breathless from the interaction you just had. "Did choir practice end early today?"

"Yeah, you know Jacob Bae?"

"Brown hair, super cute, part of the basketball team?" You ask, wondering if he was talking about the same guy that was in your calculus class. As you await his answer, you pack up your supplies for the day, leaving the portrait of Sunwoo incomplete for yet another day. 

"Super cute? That man is like jacked. I fell in love with him as soon as he walked into the room. Anyways, apparently, the choir teacher has been trying to recruit him for like two years, and he finally came by to audition. Mr. Lee kicked us out right away and told us we were done for the day.”

"Oh my god, I hope he joins! Maybe you could finally get a boyfriend," You tease, making your way towards Kevin's car. 

"Yeah, well, you aren't much better, sketching Dongwook’s face for the past two weeks."

"Right, Dongwook," You mutter. 

It was truly ironic that the amount of time Kevin thought you were thinking about the famous Korean actor, Lee Dongwook, was actually devoted to Sunwoo. Even after talking to him daily when he passed by the art room, you were still just as enamored by him. 

"Long time no see," Sunwoo smiles, swinging his body across the doorframe. 

"You're right," You look up to see the familiar face that you had quickly grown to love. "It's been a very long 24 hours."

“And how is my favorite artist doing?” Sunwoo asks, making his way over to you. You admire the soccer player, slight sweat beading against his forehead, and his face flushed from the heat outside. 

“You know, you’re not supposed to be in here without Mrs. Park’s permission,” You say, knowing that if the teacher found him in here, he would get in trouble. You wait for a witty response back, but you soon find Sunwoo squinting past your shoulder and looking at something. 

"I- Is that me?" Sunwoo whispers. 

Your head whips back to the sketchbook that you had forgotten to close, Sunwoo’s half-colored face on display for him to see. You shoot up from your chair, hoping that you could somehow fix this, but as you stand up, Sunwoo takes a seat next to the drawing, moving the sketchbook closer so he could examine it. 

"I mean," You strain, wanting to burst into tears right then and there. You were finally getting to know Sunwoo and becoming friends with him, and now he was going to think you were a creep, an absolute loser. "I mean yes, but it's not done yet. I still have to color like half your face. Don't be weirded out, please. I don't really draw people, but when I saw you, I thought I just had to. I'm sorry if you think it's weird, I'll scrap it. I promise," You ramble. 

You glance at Sunwoo from the corner of your eye, but he continues to look at the sketch you made of him. You couldn't tell how he felt from his reaction, the only expression he was making was a look of ponderance. 

"I- You know what," You begin to say, getting up from your seat and reaching for the sketchbook. You pull at the perforation of the page, beginning to tear it out. "I'll actually just get rid of it. It's weird, and I'm really sorry-"

Sunwoo grabs your hand before you can tear it off completely, an exclamation leaving his mouth. "No!"

"What?" You whisper underneath your breath. 

"I love it. You're really talented Y/N," He looks up at you from underneath his eyelashes. A soft smile played on his lips. 

"But, isn't it weird?" You ask, confusion laced in your words. 

"I mean, I passed by the art room every day for three weeks just so I could look at you for a little bit. Every time I passed by, I debated with myself on whether or not I should ask you out. If anyone's the weird one, it's me," He confesses.

The room is silent for a few more seconds, your brain whirring at what felt like a million miles per hour. 

“I didn’t think anyone saw me like this,” Sunwoo says, a soft smile on his face as he traces his drawn eyes with his fingers. 

“What do you mean?” You whisper. “Everyone sees you like that.”

“Not like,” Sunwoo breaths out, his eyes glimmering with something you couldn’t quite place. “Not like this.” 

“Do you think, I don’t know, maybe you’d wanna see me outside of this place? Cause I really fucking like you, and I hope you do too considering you drew me like I hung the stars in the sky,” Sunwoo says, turning to face you. 

You break out into a wide smile, relief flushing through you. 

“Silly, you couldn’t have hung the stars in the sky,” You sigh, reaching down and brushing the hair that was covering his eyes out of the way. “They’re all in your eyes.”

Sunwoo lets out a breathy laugh at the cheesy line before closing the sketchbook and placing it underneath his arm. No matter how hard he denied it though, a light blush littered his cheeks. 

“C’mon, we’re skipping soccer practice,” Sunwoo holds onto your hand and drags you out of the room while you struggle to get your backpack and throw it over your shoulder in time. 

“Sunwoo!” You laugh, trailing behind him as he pulled you all the way outside of the school and to your first unofficial, official date. 

The local art museum. 

-

“What the fuck?” Kevin mutters, finding an empty art room with colored pencils scattered where you would usually sit. 

“Maybe they were drawing so hard that they turned into the colored pencils,” Jacob says, peeking into the room. 

“They probably went out with Sunwoo, I had a feeling something was up with them anyway. They tried to convince me they were drawing Dongwook from Goblin, but I don’t think they know that I look at their sketchbook when they get snacks at their house,” Kevin shrugs.

“Dongwook? What an attractive man,” Jacob mumbles, staring into space.

“But not as hot as me, right?” Kevin jokes, turning back around to leave. He was excited to introduce you to Jacob, but it seems like there was something else on fate’s agenda.

“Oh, never. Actually, since Y/N is busy with their lover, want to go to this coffee place I really like? It’s on me,” Jacob says, throwing a wink in Kevin's direction. 

“What? No, I couldn’t do that,” Kevin refuses, a blush overtaking his face. 

“Nonsense, it’s a date,” Jacob affirms, dragging Kevin out of the very doors Sunwoo pulled Y/N earlier. 

a/n i had too much fun with this... and can u tell i love lee dongwook, because i do.

[audreyandherocs]

Thea's Cave: Chapter 5

<Previous Chapter>

“You don’t have a communicator?!”

“Tommy, tommy, I literally woke up in the world just…I don’t know how long actually?” said Thea, her face scrunching at the realization that she didn’t keep count. “Wait, what’s a communicator?”

Tubbo trotted up to her and pulled out his communicator, showing it to her. “We use these to call and keep into contact with people. Also other things like if people get despawned or something.”

“Ohhhh, yeah definitely don’t have that. If I did, then I would’ve known there were other people around.”

“This is unacceptable! We got to get you one now, or how else are you going to need help from Tubbo and I!” yelled Tommy as if it was a crime.

Thea folded her arms together and human, leaning slightly against her wall. Her newly acquired bees were buzzing around which was a great delight to Tubbo.

“I mean, I’m close to L’manberg to book for it” noted Thea but the boys didn’t notice it. They were going in and out of the house, exploring everywhere as Thea just snorted at their antics but kept on working and learning.

She had a crossbow, snatched from the pillagers all those time ago, and apparently, she could shoot fireworks out of it. She had planned to experiment more with the fireworks but that plan went out of the window when the boys came.

It had been only three days since she met these boys and she already knew, they were chaotic and would need supervision when they were handling TnT. So, she had gone out and looked for some animals, Tommy enthusiastically helping her round up cows and chickens, and bees by an enthusiastic Tubbo. Thea found some sheep and now she was just tending to them and the farmland.

“HEY THEA,” yelled Tommy from the balcony as she turned to him nonchalantly, “WHERE ARE YOUR GUEST BEDROOMS?!”

“I DON’T HAVE ANY!” she yelled back and turned to her planning potatoes.

“WHAT?! WHY!?”

“WHY WOULD I?!” she yelled back a question, before snorting. There was someone jumping off and Thea turned back to see Tommy and Tubbo parkouring off the balcony and rushing towards her.

“So we can sleep over!”

Thea stood up and dusted off her pants, noting absentmindedly that she should get new clothes.

“If you guys do, just set a bed somewhere in the bedroom, I don’t care. I got wool and dye, just mark which is which and mind my stuff.”

Tommy and Tubbo beamed and dashed off as Thea realized she had just given the two permission to set their place. Thea shrugged as she heard the two boys in her home yelling about something and as she collected honey, she felt another presence.

She turned to it, seeing Wilbur walking down her little path. His eyes met hers and Thea instinctively waved her hand to greet him, smiling as she did.

“Hello Mr. President” she said as Wilbur gave a smile.

“Thea, I see you got a house now” he said, hands folded behind his back and head turning around to take in the place.

“Yeah, don’t need much sleep and got it done” said Thea as she put away her honey. “Here on some official business?”

“Something like that but it’s nothing right now. Tommy had mentioned a few things and I had some time so I thought I would come check it out.”

Thea hummed and nodded. Her eyes focused on Wilbur’s face, taking his features in before noting how skinny he was. Even if he was tall, he looked to be pushed thin from exhaustion and lack of management. Although his eyes were not focused on her, she could see the tiredness and the bubbling madness that was threatening to burst.

She didn’t want to think why the madness was there, but she guessed it had to do with elections and politics. It always did a number on people, one way or another.

Thea gestured to her home and smiled, “Well, would you like to come in for some tea? It’ll be nice to get to know you more.”

Wilbur jumped in surprise, eyes wide.

“Oh, you don’t have to.”

“I want to” said Thea, placing a hand on his arm but just above hovering. An open invitation but not one of force.

Wilbur looked at her and his posture relaxed, giving her a small smile. “That would nice, thank you.”

Thea grinned and guided Wilbur to her home. “Tommy and Tubbo are here already so what’s one more?”

Wilbur was led into her home and was immediately hit with the smell of food. His mouth watered at the smell and he then wondered when he last ate. He took another whiff and knew it was stew with freshly baked bread mixed in it. The door was opened, allowing the smell of flowers waft in.

He looked past the smell of food and he found himself standing in the room. He saw furnaces and her crafting station to one side of the home, where nearby were piles of chests and barrels. A weaving station was another part of the home with a chest bit it. There was a table with chairs surrounding it, on top of it with a nicely placed cactus.

There were two entrances, one leading up to the balcony and one leading down to the basement.

There was thumping upstairs and Wilbur instantly recognized Tommy’s and Tubbo’s voices. There were also sounds of barks and remembered Lupa and Fenrir.

Wilbur heard clattering as he turned to see Thea walking from her ‘kitchen’ and to the table. He politely walked over and sat in a chair as Thea sat opposite of him. She served the tea, him politely saying thank you before the two sat there with their tea and snacks.

There were a tense few awkward seconds before Thea felt the need to break the ice. “So, how are things?”

Wilbur chuckled nervously, lowering his cup. “I’ve been busy, with the election coming up and work to be done.”

Thea politely nodded, “Have you been taking care of yourself?”

“Excuse me?”

Thea took a sip before speaking. “One cannot take care of others if they cannot take care of themselves.”

Wilbur stared at her bewildered as Thea elaborated, “I get it, being president is stressful and there are ton of things to do and think about. But you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of anyone else; much less a country.”

The man in front of her ran a hand through his hair, resting his arms on the table. “You do make sense, but there’s a lot you don’t know. From the start, we fought for our freedom and our country but then once it was over, my control on the country has been slipping. Losing this election would make our effort for naught.”

Thea let him speak on and on, silently encouraging Wilbur to drink and eat the snacks. Soon they were finished as Wilbur sighed, leaning against his chair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t plan on-“

“I’m a new person, I literally know nothing or anyone else. With the election soon, whatever you say to me won’t matter either way, I won’t be able to influence any changes and it’ll be nothing once it’s over” cut in Thea, “So, don’t worry about it.”

Wilbur stared at her bewildered and he was only met with a straight-face. It was only a few moments pasted that Thea realized what she had said and her face was covered with her hands.

“Sorryyyyyyy, totally uncalled for” she groaned out.

Wilbur chuckled, “I didn’t expect you would say something like that.”

Thea removed her hands and she had a disgruntled face, “10 years of basically off the grid will mess with your social skills. Though, I haven’t considered myself to be particularly charismatic.”

Wilbur chuckled and took a sip of his remaining tea. Thea lowered her hands, about to speak when the tell-tale sign of Tommy yelling was heard.

“THEA!”

The aforementioned person stood up in her chair in a panic, eyes wide and body stiff with attention. She looked to the stairway and so did Wilbur. Tommy and Tubbo barreled down the stairway, holding her sketchbook in hand. They ran up to her and held out the open pages.

“I didn’t know you could draw!”

Thea relaxed, giving a huge sigh of relief and fell back into her chair. She had a hand on her face as she gave a nervous laughter. “Don’t scare me like that, I thought the worst-“

“Yeah, yeah-“ cut in Tommy before placing the sketchbook down on her table and flipped it with Tubbo and Wilbur looking with interest. “These are so pog, why don’t you show them more?!”

“Tommy, I will say this again and again. I literally woke up after god knows how long, I had other priorities. I haven’t exactly had time to paint either.”

“If we win the election, will you draw portraits of Wilbur and I?!”

Wilbur placed a hand on Tommy’s shoulder, scolding him. “Tommy, you can’t just ask her to-“

“Sure.”

They all looked at Thea who had a thoughtful look on her face, her arms crossed and back leaning against the chair. She had a thoughtful expression before she smiled at them. “But don’t get your hopes up though. It’s been years-“

“Wait, really?” gaped Wilbur.

Thea shrugged. “On any other circumstances, no. But, it has been years since I’ve properly drawn anything. At the end of it, it would be a great exercise and practice. Not to mention,” her eyes softened. “It’ll help solidify the fact that I’ve met people and interacted with them. That I was here.”

Wilbur looked at her with surprise as Tommy cheered. Tubbo tried to ask if he was included too which Thea confirmed that he too would be included. The two boys were chattering and bouncing off ideas to Thea who hummed and gave her honest opinions. Reminding them not to get too attached.

Wilbur had a small feeling of warmth in his chest and he didn’t know why. He was about to pull Tommy and Tubbo away for over-staying her hospitality when there was a large growl.

Everyone turned to Wilbur, whose ears turned red and Tommy gawfed, ready to make fun of the president when his own stomach betrayed him. It was Tommy’s turn for his ears to turn red and Tubbo was about to laugh and it started a domino effect.

Thea choked a bit before she let out a laugh, wheezing and everyone turned to her as she was slamming her hand on the table and knee, before keeling over and continued to laugh. They all watched in awe and concern as the girl continued to laugh and fall onto the ground, holding her stomach.

“What are the odds- HOLY COW” choked out Thea in laughter as she struggled to get back on her feet. “I…the ODDS!”

Tommy gawked at her and started to protest. “Hey, hey, stop laughing!-“

Thea snorted as she shakily made her way to the kitchen. “I…I’m going to get… *SNORT* Just sit down, I got it-“ she continued to laugh, forcing herself to stop as she slammed her head against the wall to force herself to stop.

Tubbo giggled before he went to help Thea who was wobbling due to the lack of oxygen.

Wilbur ran a hand over his neck bashfully as Tommy groaned, muttering to himself. Soon, they were all gathered around the table as plates of food were offered. They all dug into the soup, bread, and meats that were offered.

All three of them dug into their food and Thea couldn’t help feel that her suspicions were right on that they weren’t really taking care of themselves. She absently mindedly noted to keep her food stores stocked in case these shared meals were going to be frequent.

As dinner was wrapped up, Thea asked Tommy and Tubbo to help feed her wolves and check on the farm. The two eagerly dashed away from escaping dish washing duties. Wilbur rolled up his sleeves and politely helped Thea clean up the table and take them to the kitchen.

Thea washed the dishes after thanking Wilbur, offering him another cup of tea. The man leaned against the nearest window seat, watching outside where he saw Tommy and Tubbo running around outside, partly doing Thea’s request while also playing. Fenrir and Lupa accompanying them.

Everything was peaceful and Wilbur didn’t know when he last felt so close to contentment. At peace. His eyes were tired and he quietly realized he wasn’t taking care of himself.

He sipped his tea when he heard a soft melody. His ears prickled at the noise, his musician side of him instantly intrigued.

He found his legs walking quietly towards the source of the music and over the corner, he saw and heard Thea singing. It wasn’t a full song nor was it perfect. It was a mixture of singing of lyrics and hums when she didn’t remember it. Her voice cracked every so often but Wilbur knew those were from the lack of warm-up.

Wilbur found himself drifting off, eyes closing to focus on the singing and then there was peace for a moment.

Thea had finished washing up and walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands as she did. She went to check on Wilbur, half-expecting him to have walked back to L’manburg with the boys.

Instead, she saw Wilbur slumped against the nearest place. She stiffened and checked on him, noticing his eyes were closed, with soft breaths rhythmically. The teacup loosely wrapped in his hands that threatened to spill if any more loose.

She stared at Wilbur, bewildered on how he was sleeping there before she thought what to do next. Waking him up was definitely out of the question, remembering how tired he was, and begun to think if she could move him.

She looked at her hands, flexing them as if it would tell her how strong she was.

A moment and two passed before she took in a deep breath and further rolled her sleeve up. She bent down and took the cup away, moving it to the side somewhere before slipping her hands under him.

She paused, readying herself, before slowly but surely lifted Wilbur. He was much, much longer then she was, so she had to balance him while her arms strained. She held him up for a moment, seeing if he would wake up but the soft snores reassured her.

Sighing in her mind, Thea walked to the stairway, just as Tommy and Tubbo had come in. They looked at her bewildered, mouths wide open with shock. She ignored them, figuring they would follow her or stay there. She didn’t care as she had bigger problems.

She reached the bedroom floor, noting the green and red beds already there with her pink one. She went to her pink bed, carefully depositing Wilbur into it and drew the blanket, tucking him. The person now occupying her bed was unaware and undisturbed. If anything, he snuggled further, sighing in content.

Thea smiled and had her hands on her hips, taking a moment to breathe. She could lift someone to bed, but barely.

She turned to the stairway to talk with Tommy and Tubbo, but saw their heads peeking out of the stairway. She rose an eyebrow but gestured to their beds, hoping they got her question.

They all nodded and quietly but quickly made their way to their beds, taking off their outer clothes and armor before slipping in. Thea hummed, checking on them if they were settled (while absentmindedly tucking them in further and patting their heads) before closing her home.

When she was sure the place was secure, her wolves followed her as she took off her armour and placed a blue bed near the others and slipped into bed. Her wolves cuddled around her as she sighed, eyes heavy with sleep.

She listened to the room, hearing Tubbo and Tommy’s breathes starting to settle and Wilbur’s soft snoring. Thea closed her eyes, feeling sleep pull her in. Before she let the darkness claim her, she spoke.

“Good night, sweet dreams.”

The boys muttered back quietly and Thea fell asleep, the darkness no longer silent but simply, quiet.

<Next Chapter>

[quackeroos]

ONE WEEK || Day Five

Pairing: tom holland x dying ex!reader

Summary: you were dying, and tom still loves you. now he plans on loving you ‘til your last breath, and maybe get you to say those three words back to him.

Warnings: swearing, angst

Words: 5.6k

*gif not mine!

General Masterlist | Series Masterlist 

YESTERDAY'S EVENTS still hadn't left her mind. Remembering every bit of it only made Y/n's heart thump like crazy. She didn't notice that her heart monitor was beeping so loudly, Jamie had to come and snap her from her thoughts. "Oh god. Don't tell me your having dirty thoughts about Tom!" A pillow met Jamie's face and it made her nose sore.

"Oh, shove off! And keep your voice down, will you?"

Her sister gasps. "So, you were thinking of it!"

Y/n groans in annoyance. Jamie can sometimes be a pain in the arse. "It's not that you twat!"

"Then what was it that made your heart go coo coo?"

Y/n didn't answer. She laid back on her bed and continued switching the channels on the telly. A smirk grows on her sister's face. "Okay, I'm assuming it's about Tom, but it's not anything erotic." She only answered with a low grumble.

The door shifts open and closes with a thud. "I'm back!" the person bellowed. Speak of the devil. Jamie eyes her sister with a smirk, but all y/n could do was ignore her sand blush. She wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. Tom settles down his backpack and takes his seat beside y/n's bed.

"Mornin' love," he greets. "How are you feeling?"

She shifted from her bed and sat upright. "I don't feel completely shitty, thanks for asking." Tom chuckles as he was fixing up his meal. "Thank you, by the way, for yesterday. I had a lot of fun." The brunette takes her hand and brings it up to his lips. A soft kiss planted on the top of her hand and he smiles, still not letting go of hers. All y/n could do was grin softly.

The morning went on peacefully. Jamie went to her university to pass her final papers for the semester, leaving the two alone in the room. Unlike before, tension filled the air. But compared to now, the two were at ease, comfortable in their space with each other.

Tom laid his head on Y/n's stomach, their hands still intertwined. His other hand poked at her stomach only for it to bounce right back up, he found it very entertaining. was a lazy Friday afternoon. They were already at their 6th movie of the day, and the time they would only move is when they had to go to the bathroom or change positions.

Tom stood up from his seat and stretched his back with a loud yawn escaping his mouth. "Alright, I'm bored. Maybe we should take a walk around the hospital."

Y/n groaned, "I kinda don't wanna leave my bed yet."

"Oh, come on, please?"

"Make me."

His thin lips pouted; eyes turned soft making it seem like he was a puppy. God, Y/n hated him for pulling that card. He knew she couldn't resist that face, his perfectly goddamn adorable face. "Wise move, Holland." her eyes rolled.

Tom winks at her. "Knew you wouldn't resist that."

"You're so full of yourself!" He was right though.

His strong arms slid under her and lifted her up with no effort. Once placed on her wheelchair Tom takes out his phone and sends a text, pocketing the device before pushing her out of the room.

As always, the nurses they pass by greet the two warmly, and some stopping Tom for a quick selfie, along with patients. From the side, Y/n teasingly scoffs, "Movie Star."

"Don't worry Moonshine," Tom leaned in towards her ear, "You're still my favourite girl." and he kissed the top of her hand before pushing her again. The trip around the buildings was slow, but it made y/n appreciate her surroundings more. (Only if there were windows to the outside world, of course.) They passed by the children's ward, silently watching them on little desks who were colouring and drawing on some sketchbooks and reading a storybook with their favourite toy. They've already explored every building, so Tom parked by the side and faced her.

"Well, we've walked around every building. Wanna head back to your room? I think Jamie's already back from uni." He looks at the time on his phone. When the elevator opened, he brings up his hand to press their floor.

"Wait, I wanna make one more stop."

"To the rooftop?"

She shook her head. "Let's go to the fourth floor." The doors opened with a ding and Tom pushed out. "Take a right and straight through those doors." The hall seemed to be isolated. There wasn’t a lot of people on the floor, just some nurses doing their rounds and the two of them.

"You're not leading me to a kill zone, right?" he joked.

"Believe me Movie Star, if I was gonna kill you it would be in an abandoned warehouse, not an empty hallway."

Tom pushed through the double doors. Their surroundings turned a but dark, and the bright lights that guided their ways was from the window to their left. "Is this the-"

Her hum echoes the hallway. Tom stood beside her and leaned towards the glass to take a closer look at the newly born infants. All of them were wrapped like little burritos, so small with their cheeks that look so soft. They slept peacefully while the nurses cared for them. Tom glanced at y/n, she was looking at one particular baby, the one inside an incubator with wires attached to its little body.

Tom could see y/n's emotional attachment to the baby, and it made him wonder, did she go here often? He had to ask.

"Sometimes, when I just feel like it. Every time I was confined here, I always used to go here to clear my head and give me some inner peace. This was the next best thing in the hospital; the rooftop garden being my number one, obviously." she chuckled.

Silence consumed the air once again. A nurse enters the nursery with an infant wrapped in a pink blanket. She was placed on the little crib and her name was on full display for the any passerby. The nurse notices their presence and sends y/n a wave and a look that only she could understand. Tom wondered what it meant but brushed it off, it didn't seem that important.

"I usually come here when I feel lost, most of the time when I was actually losing hope at living." His head snapped towards her.

"Turns out I found a little ray of hope in that little bundle of joy." She points at the incubated baby. "I thought to myself, this little one is probably fighting for himself to live, while I was here waiting for my life to end. I figured, if I tried living a little, maybe I'd get to see him out of the incubator one day. He was always a fighter, you know?"

"How long 'til he gets out?"

"Less than a month." Silence consumed the air again before she spoke. "You know, these past few days, you’ve been nothing but be a big help to me and Jamie. I just want to say Thank you, for being here right now and for-" She struggled to let it out. What did she wanted to say anyway? Y/n forgot as soon as Tom levelled with her line of sight.

His hand reached out towards her, and the tips of his finger landed on her right cheek. The sudden contact made her blush like a lovesick teenager—She sure felt like one too. His hand pulls back and his index and thumb seemed to hold something in between. "Make a wish." he said. Y/n wanted to question but he gave her a knowing look that said, "Just do it." Eyes closed, her mind formulated tons of it, but none of it were what her heart really desired. Maybe it was because her wish had already come true? Nevertheless, she wished for the other thing her heart desired most.

Her eyes open and she sees Tom still in front of her with his index and thumb still enclosed. "Up or down?"

She laughs, "What?"

"Just choose, up or down?"

Y/n rolled her eyes, not knowing where he was getting at, but she replies with, "Up".

Tom opens his fingers, and on top revealed a single eyelash. He blows it away with a childish smile. "I heard from someone that when there's a stray eyelash in your face you should make a wish."

"Oh really?" She smirked. "Then I guess you have to make one too." Her fingers lightly brushed his faced, picking up the single strand of eyelash and holding it up in a pinch. "Go on, make a wish." Eyes closed, Tom only thought of one thing.

"Down."

Her finger lifts. Blows it away as soon as it was in the open air. "So, what did you wish for?" she asked.

"To have a shit ton of candy."

Y/n playfully rolled her eyes at his childishness. She didn't press him any further, there was no point at beating Tom when it came to his immature personality. He has a mind of an eight-year-old, and sometimes, he would have his fair share of maturity Not always though.

It was nice though, that even though she was so mean and hard on him on the first day, Tom knew how to soften her up.

***

The rest of the afternoon, Y/n had spent the day at her bed, resting, preparing herself mentally and physically for the operation that will happen in less than eight hours. Tom was out to who knows where, no one dared tell her. The moment the two came back to the room, Tom laid beside her with the little space she gave to him. He put her to sleep by watching a bit of sit-coms and stroke her forehead with his finger, trailing off to the tip of her nose.

Getting out of bed was a tricky situation for him. His arm was under her body, and she was cuddled in next to him. He thought it was cute, didn't want to leave even. But Tom had to finish up things before she wakes up, and first order of business: getting out of the predicament. As quiet, gently and carefully as possible, he replaced his body with one of her pillows and leaves Y/n in the care of her sister.

And so, Y/n wakes up, with a pillow right beside her and a humming Jamie, typing away on her laptop. She catches her attention when she sat up. "Still haven't finished your book yet?" she asked. Her sister replies with a tight-lipped face and a shake of her head. "I'm kind of stuck actually. I don't know what to do after this one scene then transitioning it to the other."

"Well, you'll figure it out somehow. By the way, have you seen Tom?"

"Nope. Not a clue."

Y/n shot her a look, fully knowing that her sister was lying. She also had the same gut feeling she had yesterday - that or she's just assuming. Jamie kept silent and continued typing in her laptop. Y/n stopped questioning about Tom because she knew that her sister will eventually have to make a move to set her up or tell her about it directly. "Hey sis, how do you feel about wearing a dress, outside the hospital, at night?" bingo.

"I'll feel cold and say that you're a fucking lunatic." she laughed upon receiving a gentle smack on her head. Jamie rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed, "Tough luck sis, 'coz that's exactly what you'll be wearing tonight." The teen pulled out an ugly red Christmas sweater and a white skirt. Y/n's eyes shifted from the outfit to her sister giving her the "really?" look.

"Jamie it's autumn, and I'm already freezing myself enough inside this damn room."

"Which is why I brought your coat, scarf, beanie and boots." She drops an imaginary mic and mocked her sister continuously with her ridiculous face. Y/n coughs and laid back down. Jamie was a goofball, a complete goofball. But she knew her sister was very persistent on things, especially when it comes to her love life — hence all the set-ups with Tom all throughout their relationship, until now.

"You are enjoying this way too much." she made sure to be evident with sarcasm.

"Yup! Not gonna deny it. Now hurry up you old bean! We can't make them wait you know."

And so, just like yesterday, Y/n had let Jamie take the wheel. Fixing her up again, but leaving her face bare. Because according to Jamie: "A no-makeup-look is the trend nowadays. And besides, you despise wearing too much of it." She closes her kit and takes Y/n coat, wrapping it around her too keep her from the cold.

"Ready to go, Madam?"

***

The trip to the "surprise" was fairly short. It took Y/n and Jamie less than 10 minutes to arrive because it was at the hospital. Her sister pressed the top floor of the building; to the rooftop garden. She wondered, why there? People rarely visit it at night unlike during the day where the patients could sit under the sun and take a whiff of the smell of flowers. Before she could even pop the question, it seems that her sister had already read her mind. "You'll see why. Now hush." 

Her well-known grin displayed on her face when the elevator tinged! The steel doors open to a dark open area. If Y/n didn't know any better, she would've thought that this was a plot to kill her or something. But since she wasn't in a serial killer movie, it totally couldn't be that. Although scared, Y/n was pushed to the middle of it all. The doors of the elevator closed and left along with the only source of light they had except for the moon, stars and a few buildings around the area.

She craned her neck towards Jamie, asking for an explanation. But she shakes her head, and nods off to the direction towards her, making Y/n face it. Little by little, lights lit up around the place, illuminating the once dark area. Strings of fairy lights hung above her, the fountain was alive, and lights outlined it and the water inside it. And at the end of the area, it's last light lit up, and the face that had given her hope in the last three years she had lived in solitude was there.

He was wearing his usual outfit; the iconic jacket over hoodie look. As comfortable as it looked, it also suited him and the cold British weather. In his hand were a bouquet of Baby's breath and Sunflowers. An adorable smile grew on his face as he slowly approached her, and on cue, Jamie took a step back and left her alone with him.

When he was already in front of her a crouched down, holding out flowers for her with a goofy grin. "Jamie said you were looking for me?"

"That's because you were sleeping next to me, then the moment I wake up you were gone. So yes, I was looking for you."

"I'd say you missed me too much. Am I really such a catch? Maybe you're obsessing over me, love." he said with a teasing grin. Y/n scoffed playfully, it was hard not to respond, she loved having playful banters with him. Half of it might be true, but of course Y/n doesn't need to tell him that.

"You are in over your head, Holland. Might wanna get off that cloud."

"Gladly milady. But only if you'll agree to join me for dinner." Behind him revealed a table set for two. The scenery behind it, was beautiful. The buildings with lights and Big Ben made the dark background alive. Tom pushed her wheelchair towards the table, and he sat perpendicular to her. Everything was put together perfectly It made Y/n wonder: How long did he prepare all of this?

"You never cease to amaze me, Tom." A look of admiration and love. Tom could see it fully, in her eyes and in her smile. She was glowing. It was the same look he saw yesterday and the past years he had been dating her. It lit a flame in his heart. And he only thought of one thing at that very moment.

He can't wait to wake up every morning with that look of love by his side.

 ***

This is so cliche, Y/n thought. Tom had asked Sam to cook a bowl of spaghetti and his other friends to play "Bella Notte" in the background. At the corner of her eye, she could see Harry, documenting everything like a supportive mother. No doubt, Tom asked him to do it. It was a "Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene" come to life. The idea of replicating it was just so romantic and at the same time ridiculous. "What made you think of doing this Tom?" she laughed.

"I don't know. Maybe the thought of accidentally kissing you while eating spaghetti? You gotta admit it though, the Lady and the Tramp; best romantic movie ever."

"Yeah sure, romantic. But I prefer the iconic Heath Ledger scene."

"I'll make a note of that." He joked. Tom ate a mouthful of spaghetti and began slurping. A goofy grin plastered on his face, he managed to get his desired reaction from Y/n.

"Ugh gross! Have some table manners you pig!" Tom only laughed at her, not caring that she was absolutely annoyed at him. He loved seeing her pissed off face, it was entertaining. "Look at your face, you look like a child! Wipe your face with a napkin, you dingus."

An idea popped in his head, and a smirk grew on his face. Y/n did not like the mischievous look. "Why wipe it with a napkin when I have you to wipe it for me."

"I'm not your mother, Tom." She deadpanned. "Just pick up the napkin and wipe the goddamn sauce off of your face, simple as that."

Like a child, he shook his head. "Uh-uh!"

"The napkin is right there, Tom." With no second thoughts, he threw the napkin away and smiled innocently. Y/n muttered curses in her head. She hated his stubborn ass, mostly for the times when he would use it to start a banter and piss her to no end. She took her own napkin and handed it across the table. But instead of taking it, Tom had leaned forward and put his hands behind his back. "Take the napkin, Holland. I'm not a damn babysitter." But he didn't budge. Tom sat there, batting his puppy eyes innocently at her. She groaned in annoyance, hating his stupid smile. She knew that he was enjoying it, how could he not? The stupid grin was plastered on the dumbass's face. Dreading to just get the job done, she leaned forward and dab the cloth on the side of his lip.

"Thank you~" he sang. But a pissed off Y/n wasn't at all amused at him. She crumpled the napkin into a ball and threw it in his face. Tom thought it to be hostile, but unbeknownst to him, Y/n was actually playing along.

She threatened him, "Do that again, I'm throwing off of this building."

But both of them knew it was an empty threat. Y/n could do it, no doubt, but she liked to follow her personal ethics. Tom only laughed at her, "Sure you will, love."

***

As soon as dinner was finished, the two sat at one of the benches and looked at the sky. Y/n loved looking at the night sky, almost as much as how she loved looking at the blue and cloudy one during day. She was fond of looking for constellations, but she never really knew the names, so she would just make one up whenever she would find a pattern in a sky. Tom discovered this at a time when they were sitting on the roof of her house. "I see.... a chicken."

She paused for a moment to scan for a pattern, humming as she does. "I see... a log."

"I see a dog with airplane wings."

"I see pyramid."

"I see.... a duck with a jaguar head, singing karaoke with a dolphin wearing a top hat and a monocle."

Y/n tries to hide back her laugh and turns to face him. It was by far the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. "What? There's no way you could've spotted that. You're just making things up!"

"And what if I am? I do have a wild imagination, you know.

She scoffed in defeat. "Whatever dude. You've always been such a big baby." The air was quiet once again, and they sat comfortably. Y/n was at ease, after three long years of keeping Tom out of her life, she was glad to finally have him by side. Without even thinking, she laid her head on his shoulder, and in return, Tom wrapped his arm around her. His warmth was so comfortable, like a weighted blanket that covered her body. He sighed in the air, also comfortable with the intimacy and her company. It had already been years, and yet, his heart beats so fast at the action she had initiated.

"Do you think the hospital will let us sleep here for the night?" She wondered.

"Why? you getting tired already?"

"Nah. I just wanna sleep under the stars. Who knows, maybe I might spot a shooting star?" Y/n yawned quietly.

"Wait wait wait, I still have something prepared. Keep those eyes open, darling!"

Y/n groaned. "Don't tell me you're doing another serenade!"

"Oh hush! You love my serenades!" She rolled her eyes, not even fighting back because it was true. Tom took his guitar from behind the bench and secured its strap around him. Tom started strumming the tune. Y/n had recognized the song when he sang its first line.

"I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad Carry you around when your arthritis is bad All I wanna do is grow old with you"

"I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches Build you a fire if the furnace breaks Oh, it could be so nice, growing old with you"

Just like before, Tom spared no second from looking away at her. And of course, the intense gaze that he held maid her melt. She couldn't help but not look away too. How could she tear her eyes away from him?

"I'll miss you Kiss you Give you my coat when you are cold Need you Feed you Even let you hold the remote control"

Tom could only hope that Y/n was getting the message he wanted to convey through the song. He had been waiting to do it for so long. The ring had been kept in one of his drawers, left inside to be built up by dust. He never thought it would ever seen the light of day. Yet here he was, singing to her, with the velvet box in his pocket, hoping that she would understand. Saying it in person was nerve-racking. The first time he did it made him anxious, even now. Although the singing did help him ease up a bit.

"So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink Oh, I could be the man who grows old with you I wanna grow old with you"

The song ended with a strum and Y/n clapped for him with a proud smile. She joked, "Always had been an entertainer. Thank you for the song, kind sir." Tom tucked away his guitar and faced her with his hands in his lap. "So.... did you-uhm... get the message of the song?" Y/n only sat there, oblivious. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. She knew the song meant growing old with your other half, but that's just about it. There were a number of possibilities Tom had wanted to convey through the song, and one stood out. She didn't want to believe it though; it might just be her.

"Uhm... No. I'm not sure really." she winced. God, she hated the feeling. It was like the time she rejected his proposal. Tom sat there with his thoughts. She might have gotten a piece of it, maybe she just wouldn't admit it? It didn't bother him at all, really. The song was just phase one of his plan, the real show was just about to start. He lifts his hand and waved over to Sam, who was at the other side of the garden, now sitting by his keyboard piano. Y/n, curious at the sudden call for his brother, she asked, "Why what happened? Is there something wrong?"

"No. Just told Sam to play something for me."

"What?" And as if on cue, Sam played a beautiful melody that danced in the cold air. And Zendaya had stepped out from the shadows with a mic in hand, she waved at the two with a smile.

Tom stood up from his seat and held out his hand. Y/n only looked at it, not getting what he wanted her to do. Her mind had only understood when Tom uttered the words, "Dance with me."

She laughed, but soon died down when Tom wasn't laughing with her. "Oh. You're serious?"

"Does it look like I'm joking Y/n? Yes, I am serious."

"Um yeah, I don't think that's a possibility. As you can see, I literally can't move my legs anymore. Jamie mentioned it you before, right?

"Well I for one, believe in miracles. And that everything is possible, even the impossible." She giggled, he was quoting Mary Poppins and although it was ridiculous, it was appropriate enough to be used at the time.

"You trust me, right?" he asked.

She didn't need to decide. She knew in her heart the answer. "Yes. I do." because she always had.

"Then take my hand."

Sighing, Y/n reaches out and take his hand. Tom leaned towards her and scoops is her light body. She circled her arms around his neck as he walked to the center of the garden.

"My mind runs away to you With the thought I hope you'll see Can't see where it's wandered to But I know where it wants to be"

Tom slowly settles down her legs, but Y/n held tighter, not wanting to feel the ground. "Tom, I can't. I'll fall."

"Just trust me, Y/n."

"But-" She was silenced by a knowing look. Y/n nodded, although unsure of what he was planning to do. Tom proceeded to let her legs down for a moment, only to carry the other again. Her arms were wrapped around him the whole time, afraid that she might fall. He settled his arms under her and secured it to carry her weight. It was a bit hard to carry her, now that she wasn't able to lock her legs, but he didn't mind. Tom leaned in towards her and rested his forehead on hers. Soon, he swayed to the song.

"I'm waiting patiently though time is moving slow I have one vacancy and I wanted you to know that"

"I haven't had the guts to do this again, you know?" he started.

Y/n furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"This. Coming back to take care of you, winning you back, Preparing this, the songs. I was scared. Not gonna lie, I am until now." he nervously chuckled.

"So sick of this lonely air It seems such a waste of breath So much that I need to say So much to get off my chest"

"Tom, I don't know where you're getting at." she admitted in defeat.

He struggled a moment to formulate the words, but nevertheless, he spoke, "I love you, okay? So damn much. God, Y/n, I never stopped, even after all these years. But, before you leave, for the next couple of hours you're in that operation room, I just really need to know, if you love me back?"

She was silent, it made Tom anxious as the time passed by. He couldn't read her eyes, what she was thinking. But a wide smile grew on her face and nodded. Tears welled in her eyes and she spoke almost like a whisper, "I've always had."

Tom lets go of the breath he didn't knew he was holding. Relief washed over him. And with no second thoughts he pressed his lips against hers, and he had never been more happy. His heart was racing and mind a bit cloudy.

"You're the one designed for me A distant stranger that I will complete I know you're out there we're meant to be So keep your head up and make it to me Make it to me"

Although taken by surprise, she returned the kiss and allowed him to enter. Y/n melted in his arms, relived to have finally felt his lips against hers again. She had never felt more love in her heart, and she was glad to have finally voice out her feelings. Her heart was beating rapidly, and it felt like it was about to explode. It was running on love, and she wasn't sure when it would stop.

She tore away from him and gasped for air but connected her forehead on his. Nose touching and her eyes trained on him. She uttered the three words he had been longing to hear for three long years.

"I love you."

She kissed him again with more passion, held him closer, and placed her hands on his cheeks. Y/n could feel her heart pump out of her ribcage and wasn't sure if it was something she should worried of or not. Moments ago, her heart felt alive, but now it felt like being crushed and pierced through by knives.  It ached in pain, until it had become unbearable.

Tom noticed her becoming intense when she stopped. She gripped tightly on his jacket and started gasping, laying a palm on her chest, and breathing heavily. "I.... c-can't breathe.... Tom, can't  b-breathe!!!"

Panic flashed in Tom's eyes and he could feel his heart stop. She felt weak, shaking and gasping for air. Her heart literally felt like it was going to explode! Tom sat her on the fountain and held her hand, shaking violently, hoping she would calm down. "Someone call for help!" he yelled out. Sam and Harry were quick on their feet and used the fire exit to get down as quick as possible. Zendaya took out her cellphone and quickly called Jamie to inform her of the emergency.

"Y/n, love, you're gonna be fine, okay? The twins are gonna come any moment with a nurse and a doctor." Her hand gripped his tightly and it pained Tom to see her like this. It was worse than time she pushed him away. Tears were falling on her cheeks as she kept her eyes on him to try and calm the ache in her heart. He pressed kisses on the roof of her hand and Y/n could feel hot drops of tears falling on her. "Ssshhh You'll be alright, Y/n. It's gonna be alright. I'm here, for you love."

Out from the corner, Harrison arrived with Y/n's wheelchair. "Harry and Sam are here with the nurses, along with Jamie." Tom nodded in thanks and scooped up her body, laying her on the chair and held her hand again. The elevators opened and the people in it filed out and rushed towards Y/n and Tom. Jamie was the last to come out and her eyes were read fear and worry. She gasped at the sight of her sister.

The nurse takes Y/n's wheelchair and pushed her towards the elevator. Tom followed and they rushed towards the emergency room. Although he wanted to follow her inside and make sure she was safe, the nurse stopped him at the door and told him to wait. "I have to be there, please. She might be scared."

"I'm sorry sir, but no one is allowed inside."

"Yes, I know. But I have to be there. S-she's having a panic attack or something! I have to make sure she's alright."

"Sir, we'll be doing our best to take care of your girlfriend. But you need to calm down and stay here for a while."

"No. No! You don't understand! I need to know what's happening to her! That's my girl! You have to let me in!"

"And I promise you sir, you will. But right now, we need to run some tests on her." The nurse politely excuses herself and goes back inside the emergency room. Doctors came in soon and the hallway was quiet again. The windows on the door were small, and it wasn't helping Tom's case at all. He couldn't relax without seeing her. Heavy footsteps and panting echoed in the hallway, Tom assumed it must be the others and Y/n's parents.

Tom sat himself on one of the hospital's steel chairs, hoping that it might help him calm his nerves. His hands were balled up, head hanging low, and eyes stinging with tears. He could hear Jamie crying at the other side of the hallway, worried for her sister. Meanwhile a hand patted his back, and he could see the familiar pair of sneakers that belonged to Harrison. "She'll be fine, Tom." he said in a hushed voice.

Tom only nods, although it didn't actually help that much. He knew she was strong, but he couldn't help but be worried. He sniffled and wiped his nose. He whispered words into the air hoping that someone could hear his prayers and help him and her girl.

"Please be alright. Please be alright, love."

-

day six of One Week

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Tangled: The Series Q&A with Kait.

This is a recapitulation from today’s (September 14, 2019) Questions and Answers session with Kait on the Tangled Discord Server.

Q: Which Disney princesses outside of Tangled the series can you see Varian being friends with? Nonfranchise ones included.

A: I think Belle is the first one who comes to mind!! She’s super studious and goes against the grain…not to mention her father is an inventor who’s a little off-base! 🙂 I think he’d be super comfortable experimenting with Belle and her dad and reading awesome stories! (Maybe even sharing the Tales of Flynn Rider with her! …Assuming she hasn’t read it! Haha. ) He could also eat ham sandwiches with Anna. Sorry. Second thought. Lol!!

Q: So Kait, as a storyboard artist on the show what kind of little details, quirks or creative touches did you or any other artists put into Varian scenes you or others storyboarded?

A: Ha!! Any acting scene with Varian I had…I pretty much based off of Anna Lencioni (my best friend/ another board artist on the show.) Anna makes these very specific expressions and she gestures to herself a lot and closes her eyes and creases her brows and says things like “A-huh! Actually…” or “Um!!” Before making a point and it’s always reminded me of him.

She kept a “flynnolium” prop from Halloween with green goo in a vial in her cubicle at work so long it grew mold. She said she was studying it. She found scrap metal in her boot one day. She has a basement lab for her experiments and crafts. She befriended two raccoons at her last apartment. She is the most accident-prone person with freckles I’ve ever met…she’s pretty much him.

Jeremy Jordan’s reads give you so much to work with…and I love that character so much I feel a natural sort of understanding of how he might say something or do something…but Anna would always do these specifically Anna things that I had to use for Varian.

Q: Do you have any specific advice for aspiring storyboard artists or people who aspire to work in animation?

A: Gestural drawings help you learn to draw fast…which is a very important part of storyboarding. I would say storyboarding‘ s biggest requirements are clarity and speed. Lots of productions have different requirements in terms of what they look for from story artists. Tangled‘s leadership cared a lot about drawing skill, animation, layout, etc. because it more strongly informed the animation studio to have those things. The show I’m working on now (Monsters at Work) is a 3D show…so for our production, the emphasis is more on story and speed. We pitch ideas more than we pitch drawings…so clarity is important and acting is too, but we’re far less precious about tying down drawings and animating since we shift into the 3D production pipeline after story. The boards are still very important…but the more technical aspects are a *little* less so. The focus is just more on story and character and what the board artists can bring to their scenes.

So I’d say just practice drawing…maybe try and give someone a prompt or ask a friend for one. Choose a theme! Maybe vampires? What’s the worst thing that could happen to a vampire? What’s the best thing? What’s the funniest thing? What if they were also an alien? Or fused with a werewolf? Or chained to one? What would happen? Giving yourself a starting point for an idea will inspire you to explore all the possibilities for humor, drama, etc. in that idea. If you’re struggling to give yourself a prompt, try looking online…or maybe choosing a song you like or a passage from a book for inspiration.

There’s also this really fun thing you can do to study cinematography and shot composition called a “three tone” exercise. Basically…put on your favorite (live action) film, grab a sketchbook, grab a black and grey marker, and use the white of the page for your third tone. What you wanna do is (as you’re watching or while pausing) sketch a small thumbnail using only three grey tones of what you see on the screen. Draw the shot- where the characters are, try and duplicate the lighting…it teaches you a lot! 🙂 (Phew!)

Q: Do you have any fun non-spoiler head canons about Varian?

A: I think his favorite dessert is apple pie and I think he bakes recreationally very often! He’s probably a good cook. (Though he may have one or two minor accidents……a burnt thing here and there. Minor oil splatters….haha!!)

Q: What’ve been your favorite episodes, both to storyboard and in general? Of course, no specifics if it’s S3

A: Haha! Well…What The Hair and Queen for A Day have special places in my heart because they were such big moments for my favorite character…(Varian, haha.) But I’d say the episodes I had the most fun boarding are all in season 3!!! Which is exciting! I have to start compiling some work to post! 🙂 I think the episode I had the most fun with is one you guys will really enjoy.

Q: Will we get some interesting surprises (In Season 3)?

A: Without any spoilers- absolutely!! The show is always full of those.

Q: So We’ve heard many fans express why they love Varian as a charcter before, I’d love to know what drew you and Anna to Varian as well and why you guys personally found him to be a great character.

A: When Shane Prigmore originally pitched the character to me, he was much younger. He was like 11 or so, I think? Maybe 12? He’s still pretty young…but what Shane said was that he wanted him to go from this wide-eyed kid to this dark, angry person whose bangs fell over those wide, bright eyes…just full of rage. That idea was super interesting to me…it just hit on something in character development that I felt like I’d never exactly seen before? He was so young and it was such an interesting idea to me to make a child the villain and to give that child a strong reason to be angry? It felt like it was taking this child very seriously, which I appreciate. It felt very real and very dark.

The thing that threw me through a loop but also evolved my fascination with the character was Jeremy Jordan’s casting. I listened to a lot of the auditions they had for various actors and I had seen a ton of Shane’s concept art of the character…a lot of them were VERY different than what we have now. One version Ricky Roxburgh (writer) contributed to had Varian cast as an adult in the story. But when I heard Jeremy I felt like I totally understood who Varian really was.

He was a well-intentioned disaster with unchecked emotions. That. Is me! Haha!! I see myself in his imperfections, his emotionality in spite of his creative and often intellectual thinking. He wants to ascend to these levels he may not be ready to ascend to…he feels this need to prove himself and seek validation. I don’t know, I guess I relate to that! And I’m just a sucker for good guys gone bad. The other half of this, of course, is that he’s very charming and cute and super reminds me of my best friend, Anna Lencioni.

Q: Which character do you most like seeing interacting with Varian?

A: It’s a little spoilery for me to reveal that……..but I think you guys are gonna know when it happens! Haha!

I can’t wait to post THOSE boards

That’s actually right out of the episode I think I liked boarding the most, haha.

Q: If there was one prop (furniture, object, the like) from the Tangled series that could be made real and you could keep, what would it be..?

A: I think it’d have to be those little alchemy orbs that Varian throws? They just suddenly clean the whole castle hallway somehow and like…could use me some of that. He also has the one that removes stains from tablecloths, so. I’m sloppy. That’d be a big help. Haha!

Also his staff is pretty cool 😉, I boarded/created that staff…David Lee (prop designer) did its final design…haha

Q: I have a question about a scene in season 1. When Varian got back the first part of the scroll he mentioned that it took him a while to translate it. Has he really been able to read it or has it been a bluff?

A: Varian can indeed translate what’s on the scroll. 😉

Q: Do you have any networking advice for those trying to get into the animation industry?

A: Post your work!! Make it easily accessible, tag it well, just show what you’ve got online! Upload boards, animatics, drawings, etc. Creating an online presence can really help put your name out there. Apply for internships, jobs. I know it’s hard to network because a lot of industry professionals don’t have time to answer specific questions or give portfolio reviews…so it’s sort of important to take some initiative on that and be self-motivated.

For me, I studied the portfolios of Disney feature story artists, CalArts students, etc. and tried to structure the presentation of my work based on that. Also, it helped me get a sense of what pieces of work would best showcase where I was trying to go and what I was trying to do. I’d ask yourself those questions as you develop a portfolio and artistic voice online! 🙂

My first feature job after a trainee program in New York at Blue Sky happened because Doug Sweetland (Pixar animator, feature director, awesome dude) found my work online and liked it. He just reached out based on that!

Shane Prigmore actually reached out to me for Tangled similarly.

Q: Besides Varian, do you have a favorite character that you’ve boarded?

A: I always love Eugene. He’s the second character I think I’m most like. His acting was really fun to play with and I felt like I could push his expressions a lot because he’s so funny. I loved boarding Lance too (I boarded a lot of Lance in S3!!) but MAN was he hard to draw, haha! His face shape is just really hard to draw at certain angles.

Q: With Varian cosplay that is going on, what Disney character would you like to see Varian dress up as next?

A: Jack Skellington! Halloween is afoot. Jack is another well-intentioned disaster. Guess I have a type!

Q: What’s Varian’s opinion on raccoons, are they his favourite animal?

A: I imagine it’s because Ruddiger is always finding interesting things in the trash and giving them to Varian to use in his experiments. Also, they’re fat and cute.

Q: There’s a bit of an argument going on over how many freckles Varian has. Can you confirm how many he has?

A: Ha!!! Yes…one second… 14!!

Q: How big do you think Corona is? Like Vatican City small or Arendelle big?

A: You know, with the wall and all, it actually feels a little on the smaller side to me? I’m sure there’s a little bit of discrepancy between the movie’s version of Corona and our version…but based on where we went within Corona on the show, I’d say it feels on the smaller side.

Q: Are there any non-spoiler Varian scenes or moments that didn’t make the cut that you can share?

A: MAN. Yes. There is one scene that changed after I rolled off the episode and I’m very sad about it. I’ll post it after the episode airs! There was also a line of Varian’s that I boarded to a specific read from Jeremy Jordan and that read was not chosen in editorial later so…I’ll post that one too, haha!

Q: What is your favourite song from the first two seasons so far?

A: All my favorite songs are in season threeeeee…hahahaha!! I think Let Me Make You Proud or the Buddy Song are my favorites. Buddy Song still gets stuck in my head now and then.

Q: What do you think Varian would order at a drive-thru? Specifically at chipotle 😂

A: Chipotle isn’t a drive thru!! Hahaha He’d get the kid’s quesadilla from chipotle. I think Varian is a fries/chips kind of person…something to snack on while he works! He probably also likes milkshakes.

Q: (Continuation from the question above) Chocolate or vanilla?

A: He’d revolutionize by combining them both. FOR SCIENCE!

Q: What is, in your opinion, the most challenging part of varian’s design to draw?

A: His goggles, hahaha. Or just his…hair in general.

Well it’s funny too because when you board these guys, you get used to doing a shorthand for them and then when you go to draw them FOR REAL you realize how complicated that actually is and how wrong your shorthand actually was? Hahahaha

Q: is Varian ticklish at all?

A: I feel like Varian, Eugene, and Lance are all equally ticklish. To the point of absurdity. Cass would fight it as long as she could…but when it finally got to her, she’d laugh uncontrollably. Rapunzel, she’s the TICKLER.

Q: What do you think Varian opinion and belief on magic is now that he’s seen it with his own eyes?

A: I imagine that he certainly believes in it now and no longer underestimates its powers…but I imagine he’s ultimately more comfortable staying in his own lane and working with worldly properties!

Q: If Varian would have been able to meet Demanitus…how would their conversation had looked like?

A: I feel like Varian would have had a TON of questions about his legendary device and whether or not he truly traveled dimensions.

Q: Did Varian have any other friends in old Corona before he met rapunzel?

A: Probably not many…he’s a bit of a hermit. I think Ruddiger is his best friend……. It’s sad but I also think that’s kind of why it hurt so bad when Rapunzel wasn’t able to help him. Also why he was SO excited to have Rapunzel, Cass, and Eugene come visit.

I think the village looked at Varian as a little unstable or worrisome. I’m sure everyone knew he was very nice…but they were likely very unnerved by his inventions.

Q: Do you think Varian ever tried to synthesise gold or the elixir of life like a real alchemist?

A: I’ve wondered that myself!! I think his alchemy has proven to be more about other people…helping others, making people proud. Maybe if someone he cared about was in need.

Q: If you were to meet Varian in real life, what would you say to him?

A: What elixir did you make to get THAT kind of volume? His hair’s so POOFY! Honestly, I’d probably just give him a hug.

Q: How much does Varian know or remember about his mom?

A: I’d say about as much as the photo of her on the wall.

Q: Is there spoiler about his hair streak? Or is it just by design?

A: It’s totally by design. I think it’s safe to assume it’s probably the result of some lab accident!

Q: In what ways is Jeremy Jordan like Varian?

A: I don’t know Jeremy Jordan personally, haha! But I think a lot of these inflections he adds to Varian sort of off the cuff probably come very naturally to him. I know he often wants to do his own pass at the musical arrangement Alan Menken writes…like he’ll want to do something a little different, in his own way, and it will change the song completely!! In an awesome way. That’s a little Varian-esque. In the “Let Me Make You Proud” reprise…Alan Menken had sung that “they are going to pay…they…will…pay” all in a low, downward tone. Jeremy wanted to scream it and make it powerful and angry and loud when he said “PAY” and you could just hear the spite in his voice for the “they will pay.” Genius!

Q: What was the most shocking moment/revelation of the series to you (minus anything season 3)?

A: It’s hard to say because I knew most of what was going to happen long, long ago. I think one of the things that made me go “oh dang!” was something Tom Canfield boarded. It’s that part in Destinies Collide where Lance slices the entire statue down the middle with a sword. What a BAMF!

Q: What were your thoughts on the early concept of Varian having an apple orchard and being a farm kid instead of a young alchemist?

A: He still kinda has those things! Quirin is a farmer as well as the village leader and there are apples on their little farm estate! 🙂 I think that makes Varian very unassuming as a mad little scientist. I’m sure that’s how (Ruddiger and Varian) met! Remember, he used his purple tacky goo stuff to catch raccoons so they wouldn’t eat the crops! And Ruddiger’s favorite snack is apples. 😉

Q: What is his official height and weight?

A: Smol.

Q: How did you guys come up with Varian’s name? And was there any other name suggestions for him before the name ‘Varian’ was chosen?

A: I’m not sure who came up with that name, actually! I’m sure it has something to do with the meaning of the word “variant” which means something that varies, changes in form.

Q: What’s his last name?

A: His last name!! I have NO idea and it bothers me!!! A Disney magazine referred to Varian, Ruddiger, and Quirin as “The Ruddiger Family” and I still haven’t stopped laughing about that.

Q: What sad Disney movie moments would make him cry?

A: Oof. Lion King.

Q: What musicals do think Varian would enjoy?

A: Little Shop of Horrors! I think he’d see himself in Seymour! Or Wicked…you know, that villain arc.

Q: How did Arianna and Fred meet?

A: I actually don’t know off the top of my head!

Q: Would Varian enjoy rollercoasters?

A: I think he’d enjoy how they’re MADE and then scream his head off while riding one, throw up his cotton candy and corndog, and go play carnival games instead. Then get mad that they’re rigged.

Q: So what comes next for you now that the series is almost over? Any big plans?

A: Well the series wrapped for production a while ago! I’ve been on another show for almost a year now! 🙂 I’m working on the new Disney+ show Monsters at Work as a director! It’s an awesome, awesome show…totally next-level…I’m shocked that I’m getting to be apart of something like this. It’s a direct sequel to the movie that serves as an office comedy (a la The Office, Parks and Rec) and has so many characters that fit immediately into the Monsters Inc world. Monsters Inc is my favorite Pixar movie…so I literally come to work and leave work on the same high! It’s an awesome, awesome show with a great crew! 🙂 It’s also just really exciting to be apart of the first original animated property for D+!

Q: How would you compare working as a director to working as a storyboard artist?

A: It’s hard work, just as hard, but in a different way! For me personally, I’m a little easily fatigued by drawing? I get a little creatively frustrated because my thoughts move quicker than my hand. Or because I don’t always feel like I can execute in a drawing what I’m thinking in the way that I want? Part of that is just being an artist…and it’s not ALL the time that I feel that way…but I think I have a certain stamina for drawing that I found challenging to increase.

Directing is just different! It has a lot more to do with managing a team, communication, coordinating, listening, speaking up, problem-solving, being very aware of story as it applies to ALL parts of a production. I don’t draw as often anymore. You have to consider a lot more…more people, more constraints, more difficulties, more opinions, more solutions…it’s just MORE. And you also still have to draw! 🙂 It’s very busy work, but it’s AMAZING and I love it. I feel like I’m contributing to animated storytelling a lot more in this role, actually. I love working with people, I love workshopping, and I love helping! I’m also just spoiled to be working with some great people right now. It’s a blast.

Q: Are any Tangled: The Series crew joining you on that show?

A: Yes!! Tom Caufield and Wendy Sullivan were on it for a minute, but they’ve both moved on to Dreamworks recently! James Suhr (board artist), Isabelle Gedigk (season 3 board artist), Naomi Hicks and Casey Coffey (revisionists), David Lee (props), Ricky Roxburgh (writer), and I are all working together again! It’s awesome.

Q: Does Varian, deep down, blame himself for the amber?

A: I believe he does.

Q: How do you deal with artist’s block?

A: I try to think about the intention behind what I’m doing. Why is the scene I’m working on very important to the story? If it feels unimportant or boring, how can I make it interesting? What can I do on my end to make it more inspiring or fun without going too far off the rails and still serving the scene’s purpose?

If it’s not work-related, I try and start with some fan art or something familiar for me to draw. I have a lot of scribbly Varians in the margins of a lot of my sketch documents. I use him as a warm-up a lot. It helps build my confidence to draw something familiar/ that I think I can draw pretty well.

Q: What’s the hardest scene you’ve ever had to board?

A: Oh God. ANYTHING with action. I’m not an action gal. Lots of stuff in S3. I was board partners with Wendy Sullivan and ended up getting a lot of action to board even though she’s WAY better at it than me!! It was an interesting challenge…but it was very, very challenging. Ben (Co-EP) was a great mentor to me in the scene I did for the mid season. He was very patient with me, despite my shortcomings as an action board artist, haha. I enjoy boarding for comedy much more.

Kait: Anyways, I should probably head off now! Thank you guys so much for all the questions!!!! You’re awesome! I hope you’re all super excited for S3! It’s a great one.

[afoolforatook]

Thank you, Wellies

So. I’ve been trying to do both class work and working on wips and just nothing is clicking. So, I thought I should go ahead and do this post, that I’ve been putting off, because.....it’s next week y’all.... So here goes. 

Here’s my original post, that explains what this comic meant to me four years ago. 

And here’s what it means to me now. (this is really long, sorry)

Man, I don’t really even know where to start this. How to start to say thank you. To Ngozi, to all of you.... It’s not possible to fully express what all of you have been for me the past four years. What this story has been for me. 

So many things have changed since I made this post almost four years ago. 

So many things haven’t. 

I’ve been way less active in the fandom since starting at SCAD, and I really was never that incredibly active to begin with, outside of my small group of friends on a discord server. 

And at times I feel bad about that. 

But it’s not because I don’t care about or need this community anymore. 

Rather it’s because this community, this story, gave me the strength to keep moving, and now I want to keep doing so, and make something that might one day even barely begin to show my gratitude. 

So until then, all I can do is say thank you over and over. I can never possibly say it enough. 

But still I wanted to thank you now, and try to explain to you what this comic about hockey and pies has meant to me, one last time before it ends. So that’s what I’ll try to do. 

It was surreal rereading this old post earlier this week. Reading 

“I think I could write a book just of our history and everything leading up to now and the details of this whole event” 

When I wrote this post four years ago, I honestly couldn’t imagine a future where I’d be anything other than incomplete.Or even a future at all. Everyday was just getting up and making myself keep breathing, keep trying to push towards something, even though I had no idea what that could ever be. 

For the first year I wrote daily journal entries, telling Emma about what happened that day, screaming at the universe for doing this, trying to help my future self remember little things, because everything was so hard to hold on to. 

Update days were always something nearly sacred to me. And really not even from a fan point of view. I don’t read them around other people. I sit somewhere quiet, by myself, and read slowly. Because they are little moments I try to share with her still. The only person I want with me when I read them that first time is her, in whatever capacity I can bring myself to imagine. 

A few months after the crash, I found one of Emma’s Spotify playlists. She made playlists for everything; birthday and Christmas presents, mood playlists, friend playlists, monthly playlists. 

This was her May 2016 playlist. Last updated May 16th. Two days before the crash. 

That playlist was literally the only thing I listened to for months on end. 38 songs.Over and over. 

And as I listened I started to think that, just maybe, some of these songs she put there for me. 

West Coast; the song me and Emma would send to each other after high school whenever we wanted to let the other know how much we missed them. 

All I Want is to Be Your Girl. I mean?? 

Slowly I found lyrics in every song that even if just in my own fantasy, were little messages from Emma, telling me to keep going, how to stay strong. 

I was always looking for stories, books, movies, songs, anything about someone grieving the kind of loss I was. Nothing I found felt like it really represented me. If it was about someone young, it was due to suicide or violence or illness. If it was a car crash, it was about a parent or child. If it somehow fit my other demographics, it was never queer. 

I felt totally alone in the exact manifestation of my grief. Like no one else could understand all the tiny details that seemed, to me, to make this all more and more cartoonishly cruel. 

(though one of the most touching moments of my life will always be when Emma’s step mom, the only person in her family who knows about us, sent me a book about grieving a spouse. I cried for hours when I opened that.)

I didn’t have outside representation, support. But I had journals. I had Emma’s songs. I had poems and a handful of inktober drawings. I had my little update moments of connection. And I had so much to say. 

Months, years, of isolation gives you a lot of time to examine your feelings, to question the meaning of things, to think about what exactly grief looked like to you and about how you wanted to live the rest of your life, as someone grieving a love. 

And slowly I began to connect those thoughts to individual lyrics from Emma’s playlist and that helped me actually write all those thoughts out, organize them. 

And that’s how The Mixtape Project started (I still hate using the word memoir. I had to find something else to call it). A book about us. About Emma. About all those thoughts I’d had so long to sit with. Structured around the songs from her playlist. 

I remember the exact moment that I realized that Check Please was going to actively change my life. I was talking to my dad about it, about why I loved the storytelling, the characters, the art, so much. 

I’d told him many times before. But it was always tied to Emma in a way, or to the reasons that I identified with Jack. It was always a little sad in some way. 

But this time. This time it was just excitement. It was just a kid who has always loved words, gushing about a story that fascinated them. 

And I realized. It was the first time I had been just happy, excited, in the months since losing Emma. I remembered all those ideas Emma helped me with in high school, how we gushed over stories like that. I remembered what it was like to just love something and want to create, just because it made you happy. 

I knew I couldn’t go back to UNCA, and none of the other creative writing programs I had looked at seemed like they would fit the new person I was. 

So, for the hell of it, looking for some idea at how to start my life over, I looked at Ngozi’s personal story. And there was SCAD. There was sequential art. 

Now. I’d never ever considered myself an artist. I went to an art high school, I knew art kids. I was never one of them. But that sequential part? That. THAT was what I wanted. That was what I could still be excited about. 

That was how I could pull the Mixtape Project together. The writing, the poems, the art, the music. Comics. Sequential art. A graphic memoir that played with the format. That was the project that kept me going. That was what I was working for. That was the first future I was able to see now that Emma was gone. 

So, for the first time since literally elementary school, I took an art class (also took a mythology class at the same time, which really helped keep my art and storytelling tied). 

I loved it. I was actually happy with my work, surprised by my work and how quickly I felt like I improved (I wouldn’t learn about aphantasia until I got to SCAD, and understand that that drawing 1 class had been so fun, and in a way, easy, because it was all direct observation, and that drawing from memory and imagination would be a much steeper learning curve for me.)

So, when the class ended I thought ‘you know, maybe some kind of art school could be a good idea.’

And then one of my life long best friends, a SCAD animation student, encouraged me to apply, to just go for it. 

And I did. It was a long shot, I was sure. We couldn’t afford it. Why would I get that in that kind of commitment, debt,  after 1 art class? It wasn’t logical. But it felt good. So I did. 

And then I got accepted, and the initial excitement soon fell away, to me and my parents knowing that it really wasn’t doable. 

But we went to admitted students day, just to see. And when we got home, both of my parents cried for a long time. The first happy cry in our house for over two years.

Because they had decided that they had to figure out a way to make it work. 

Because standing in Haymans hall was the first time they had seen me excited about the future since Emma died. It was the first time they’d seen me feel like there was somewhere I was meant to be, that there was somewhere I could fit again. 

So we made it happen. I’ll still be in debt for years, and it’s not necessarily something I’d wholeheartedly recommend to kids getting out of high school, that debt isn’t worth it for many people. 

For me it wasn’t really even worth it exactly for SCAD itself, and you’ll have plenty of professors tell you here that really what you pay for isn’t the education but the networking. 

But for me. For me it was worth it. 

Because I wasn’t wasting away in my basement. 

And I really wasn’t where I’d have liked to have been, ideally, before starting. I was a BRAND new artist. My portfolio for my application was solely my writing work. I hadn’t ever done anything more than scribbled fan comics in my sketchbook. I was coming in wayyyyy behind where most other people were. But I couldn’t wait to feel like I was good enough to be there. There was a strong chance that it was quite literally, a matter of survival. I was reaching a breaking point after nearly three years of isolation and grief with no outlet. The future debt was less of a concern than making sure I didn’t have a complete mental breakdown or worse. 

Now, of course, it hasn’t all been easy or fun or happy once I got here. I’ve doubted myself, I’ve had awful weeks, months, been stressed, unmotivated, in pain, near burnout. 

The first quarter I was absolutely miserable because I had literally no social life. 

Because I was an agoraphobic 23 yr old, living with 17/18 yr olds fresh out of high school. And if I wasn’t careful, I’d dissociate so easily. I’d let myself believe that I was still a teenager fresh from high school. That the past three years of agony hadn’t happened. That I could call Emma and it would ring again. She would answer again. And that illusion was a dangerous pit to fall into. 

And it wasn’t until this fall that my social life really started to improve, beyond one or two close friends. And even still, while it’s much better, it’s nothing like UNCA, like the tight knit family I had that made me identify with SMH and the Haus atmosphere so much. 

But I was moving forward. Agonizingly slowly sometimes. But still forward. 

And then last Spring quarter, just about a year ago, I was in Survey for SEQA. Basically comic book history class. And our final was a 4 page research comic on a comic artist we admired. So of course, I was going to do mine on Ngozi. 

The comic was due at the end of the quarter, the end of May. 

Now, that quarter was the first time I was actually in SEQA classes; Survey, and Intro. 

And those four pages would be the first fully colored, refined comic pages I had EVER done. It was intimidating. I didn’t want to mess it up. Especially because this wasn’t some big name of some far off artist you would never have any connection to. This was someone who all my professors knew. 

I ended up getting extremely lucky and had the chance to email Ngozi and ask if she’d be able to give for a quote for the project, advice for current SCAD students. 

She replied to my email the weekend of the 3rd anniversary. (I then spent hours on a thank you email - because that’s who I am, I can’t not over analyze anything I’m sending to someone important - and then I managed to save it to drafts instead of actually sending it...something I would not notice until literally months later and be absolutely mortified about my apparent rudeness of never thanking her.)

I still am not really happy with how that project came out. I still had (and have) a lot to learn, and it shows. I have, in no way, become an amazing comic artist overnight. I wasn’t expecting to.

But that short email exchange, falling on that weekend; it felt special. It felt like some speck of proof that I was doing the right thing. That things could actually go well in my life again. That if I kept going, I might actually get somewhere that I wanted to be. That maybe I really could make The Mixtape Project happen, if I just kept at it here. 

And then I found out that in the fall, Ngozi would be the SEQA mentor. 

Unfortunately by the time I had all the details about how to apply, the quarter had started and there were only a couple of weeks before it was due, and the only pages I had even anywhere close to being portfolio ready were either my research comic or a few older Check Please fan comics, none of which I would even have considered putting in that portfolio (I’m not 100% certain it would actually have come across as sucking up but it sure felt like it would have). And despite my best efforts, it just wasn’t possible, with how slow I work and having to keep up with classwork, for me to get a portfolio ready in time. 

That hurt for a while. I felt like I had this clear sign of perfect timing. How could I pass up that chance? How could I forgive myself for not doing everything I could to earn that experience? How was I not letting Emma down if I ruined this opportunity? 

It took a while to get out of that negative thought spiral. But I did, and it’s still a bummer, but it’s okay. 

And something that really helped? 

In October, Ngozi still came to campus to give a lecture. And that would have been good enough; just sitting in on that helped me feel excited, encouraged again. But then, after the lecture (with my amazing roommate waiting patiently behind with me, to make sure I didn’t actually have a panic attack on the way home) I got to talk to her. 

We all hope to one day get to talk to the people who inspired us, whose work we love, to tell them how much they mean to us. And yes, I was a little version of starstruck. 

But that wasn’t why I was shaking. That wasn’t why I told her I was going to do my best to get this out without crying (and I did, I’m proud to say). 

It was because I had the opportunity, while at the school that had given me a chance to start my life again, to thank the woman who was in all likelihood, one of the main reasons I was even still alive. If it had not been for Check Please I wouldn’t have had that good thing to keep sharing with Emma. I wouldn’t have found sequential art, at least not for a while longer probably. I wouldn’t have been able to finally picture a future I wanted to get to. 

And I’ll be honest, I don’t remember 90% of what I actually said that night to Ngozi. 

But I told her my story. I told her about Emma. About how Check Please was the last thing we got to share. I thanked her. And she was wonderful and kind and emotional and hugged me a couple of times, and even though I don’t remember a lot of what I actually said; it was something that will be one of the most important, affirming moments of my life. 

I didn’t have a panic attack on the way home. I somehow managed to not cry until we were back to our dorm. But I was stunned. 

Not even because of the amazing moment I had been able to have with Ngozi. 

But because it hit me. 

I was doing it. I was there. I had actually made it this far. 

Somewhere that just over a year ago I never would have believed was possible. 

A time when, two years before, I hadn’t even been sure I could make it to alive. 

That weekend was my 24th birthday. And it was the first birthday since I left UNCA at 19, that I didn’t just hate the fact that I was getting older. That I was moving away from the happiest parts of my life so far. 

Yes it still hurt getting further from Emma, putting another tick on the years that I got that she didn’t. 

But I was actually finally excited at the idea of even having a future, let alone having an idea of what it could be. 

February was a difficult month for me. I have another (entirely way too long) post about why everything that happened with RWBY and Fairgame was so difficult for me, but to put it simply; my hope for the future was shaken.

I was back in the toxic negative thought spirals I had fought for years to train myself out of. 

I was seeing Emma, or her brother, or her mom, in crowds; something I hadn’t experienced since the first few months after the crash. I was in one of the biggest crisis moments I’d had since Emma’s death. 

But I was more experienced than when I was 20. 

It wasn’t fun, a lot of it probably wasn’t the ideal way to cope, but I did it. And I kept up with my work. I isolated more, but not completely. I made myself vent on snapchat or tumblr, and not worry about oversharing or annoying people, because it was either get it out or let it fester in my head.  And I couldn’t afford to let that happen. 

In mid March, I made a pitch packet for my comic scripting final. 

It was for The Mixtape Project. It was hard, and nerve-wracking, and there’s still mountains of work to be done. 

But after my initial synopsis (first of like seven versions, cause trying to put this thing in a good synopsis format is a nightmare) my professor told me that he thought my story had potential. 

That he could see it being published. He suggested, knowing that I was planning on taking his advanced scripting course this quarter (hey remember how mid march was only a few weeks ago?? Huh?? wild), that I keep working on it, and see about taking it to Editor’s day (SEQA students’ opportunity to basically pitch themselves and their ideas to publishers). 

Now, my professor is by no means an overly harsh critic, and is plenty supportive in general. 

But I also knew that that was not just something he said to students all the time. That he meant it. 

Editor’s Day (now online) is in mid May. The week of the 4th anniversary of Emma’s death, to be exact. 

Everything is a mess right now, and I’m stressed and tired and scared and heartbroken (this will be the first time since I was 9 that I have not had Merlefest; the highlight of my year, and since Emma’s death; the last big happy thing before I plunge into the nightmare that is May). 

Tuesday will come. Check Please will end. I will continue to support Ngozi and her work after Bitty’s story ends. 

But it will be sad. It won’t be easy. 

This thing that has been my tether to the most important person in my life, will still be there, but it will be over. 

It will have a concrete end. It will no longer be part of the future I am pushing towards. 

But I am a different person than the shattered kid who wrote this post four years ago. 

I’m not who I was before Emma died. I never will be. I’d never try to be. I want Emma back more than anything. But that won’t happen. And as long as this is all real, I never want to pretend this didn’t happen. 

That I didn’t shatter in a way that will never heal like people expect. 

I’m still all those shattered pieces that wrote this post. Maybe a few have had the edges dulled, maybe I’ve lost a few, glued a few together perfectly, maybe picked up a few stray pieces that didn’t come from the me from before. 

But I will be those shattered pieces for the rest of my life. 

They won’t magically fuse back together. I work every day to hold them, to keep myself in some shape that resembles a functioning person. 

Some days I fail. Some days, I am too tired to even try. Some days, I am so angry, I’d rather hurl the pieces at whatever power or fate or god or chaos decided that I got to live and she didn’t. 

But those days pass. 

And I learn how to hold the pieces better, how to avoid the sharpest edges, how to take care of the wounds when I inevitably cut myself on one, how to allow other people to help me hold them, how to accept that some pieces may feel safe and smooth and comforting but they are traps, illusions that are the easy way to do things, but not the healthy way, not the way that will help me achieve my goals.

That person, made of all those unholdable pieces, four years ago, was staying alive for everyone else but themself. 

And some days I still am. 

For my parents. For Emma. For all the other queer, mentally ill, grieving kids and young adults and just people, who are looking for the same representation I was, who feel as alone as I still do so often. 

But some days. 

On those really good days. 

I’m alive, carrying all those pieces, just because I want to be. For me. 

I want to spin around in the morning, singing along to my bluegrass spotify. I want to get excited over finally figuring out how to write that line that was giving me so much trouble, or finish that sketch that I never thought I could manage. I want to hope that despite how awful everything seems, there’s still a good future out there. It’s still possible to be happy some days. 

I want to cry because I get to see Jack and Bitty get the happy ending that me and Emma didn’t. 

And now, unlike that version of me from four years ago, when it ends, I will have things still. 

Things that I have worked everyday to reach, to deserve, to hold out to people and say

 “Hey, sometimes everything hurts and you know that things will never be what they were, and parts of you will always miss that. But there are still things you can find that hurt less, that ease the hurt, that teach you how to better hold the hurt, to stop trying to say it doesn’t exist or trying to get rid of it completely and hating yourself when you can’t. You can still be hurt, be irreparably broken in so many places, and still find the happy things. You are still worthy of love, no matter how broken you are. Your worth is not tied to how much you are able to heal.  You are worthy of so much love, just because you are still here, no matter how many tiny pieces you are in.”  

The thing is, I will still always have a future that includes Emma. Because I couldn’t tell you exactly which of my pieces are from her, but so many of them are. 

There is no version of me, from here on to the day I die, that does not have her influence embedded in every piece. 

These days I try to be a little kinder to myself. It doesn’t always work, but I try. 

Because, to Emma, I was Bitty. I radiated that “thing”. 

Whether or not I saw it in myself, doesn’t matter, because she did. 

But to me she was the one who radiated. 

And she is a part of me. She can’t radiate that “thing” herself anymore. 

But I can, at least I can try.

Because If this person I loved and trusted so immensely, saw something worth loving in me? There must be something there worth loving, right? 

And if she is a part of me for the rest of my life, how can I hate myself? How can I do anything but keep going so that, even if just in my head, a part of her gets to keep going too. 

My family and friends joke that every friend group I’ve ever had calls me something different. And really it’s not a joke. In middle school I was CB #4 (that’s a long, terribly embarrassing, story). In high school I was Pond (and many variations there of: Pondala, Pondy, Raindrop, Puddle, you get the picture). At UNCA, when I came out as nonbinary, I started going by Auden. When I went home it was back to Meagan; Meagan always felt right with my parents. 

With Emma I was always Meagan. We were Meagan and Emma. Megma. Meagan and Emma have online adventures!

After she was gone, Meagan didn’t really feel like me anymore. I loved Meagan, I missed Meagan, I wished I could still really fully be Meagan, and I’m okay still being Meagan sometimes. 

But that real Meagan. The Meagan that was Emma’s Meagan. Doesn’t exist anymore. I lost that Meagan somewhere in that first night of screaming and trying to break my hand against the wall, so I could just feel something other than the agony of Emma being gone.

When I joined a Check Please chat group, a few months after the crash, we gave each other hockey nicknames. I was Farley. 

My second quarter at SCAD, I started going by Farley. It stuck. 

That’s who this version of me is. This new artist, still figuring things out, but still going. 

I may not always stay Farley (other than ya’know artist ‘branding’. We’ll see) but that’s okay. Farley is who I need to be right now. 

Farley is who will finish The Mixtape Project. 

(because of two people mishearing both my nickname and last name I will, at least once in my career, use the pseudonym Fartley McFarmland and no one will stop me). 

I can’t imagine what, who, will come after Farley, if anything.

But Check Please will always be a part of making Farley, and every future version of me, exist. 

I could go on and on about how beautiful this story and these characters are, how inspiring Ngozi is, how genius her storytelling is, how powerful and important her work is. I could go on for days about all of that. But this is already so long, and I know that so many of you can go on about that probably way better than I could currently. 

But, as many of my professors tell us over and over, only I can tell this story. My story. Emma’s story. Our story. And it’s one I plan on telling for the rest of my life. 

And Check Please, Ngozi, will forever be the thing that made that possible.

So thank you. Those two words that are way too small to say it all. 

Thank you. 

Every fic writer

Every artist

Every rper 

Every chat friend

Every shitposter

Every theorist or meta poster

Every fan

Thank you. 

B. “Shitty” Knight. 

Larissa “Lardo” Duan

Adam “Holster” Birkholtz

Justin “Ransom” Oluransi

John Johnson

Ollie O'Meara 

Pacer Wicks

Jenny and Mandy

Nicholas and Jean-Claude

Coach Hall 

Coach Murray

Suzanne Bittle

Richard “Coach” Bittle

William “Dex” Poindexter

Derek “Nursey” Nurse

Chris “Chowder” Chow

Kent Parson

Alicia Zimmermann

“Bad” Bob Zimmermann

Tony “Tango” Tangredi

Connor “Whiskey” Whisk

Denice “Foxtrot” Ford

Fry Guy

Georgia “Georgie” Martin

Alexei “Tater” Mashkov

Sebastian “Marty” St. Martin

Dustin “Snowy” Snow

Poots

Randall “Thirdy” Robinson

Jonathan “Hops” Hopper

River “Bully” Bullard

Lukas “Louis” Landmann

(I’m almost certain I had to have missed someone)

Thank you.

Jack “Zimmboni” Laurent Zimmermann

Thank you.

Eric “Bitty” Richard Bittle

Thank you.

Ngozi Ukazu

Thank you. For everything. 

For having my back. I’ll always have yours.

Always yours, 

Farley M.

[writing-for-amusement]

Commission for Confidence 3

Summary: Y/N has been struggling with her self-esteem for years. After incessant pushing from your best friend, Y/N decides to commission an artist to draw her, expecting everything to happen via Internet. However, when your phone is stolen, you try to cancel the commission, but Peter Parker has other ideas. He quickly becomes enraptured by you, and a friendship forms easily. Will it lead to something more? Or will your past fears get in the way?

A/N: Okay, like I said, I’m impatient. This is where it starts picking up! You finally meet up with Peter and get to talking. I just realized, admittedly a little late, that this is probably going to be a slow, SLOW burn fic. Lol, I really can’t help myself, can I? I hope you enjoy it, please let me know what you think!!

Word Count: 2010 words

Taglist: @pparkerwrites, @scatterbrainedgenius

Warning: minor insecurity mention, mention of past therapy, slight anxiety

Chapter Three 

The next day, you got up and took a comfortable shower. Your apartment may be small, but it had wonderful plumbing and a shower/tub you could actually move around in.

With your laptop open on the counter, you cooked yourself a small breakfast and had The Golden Girls playing as you did. Then, despite knowing it was a casual meeting with a complete stranger, you agonized over your casual outfit for the late spring day.

Finally deciding on your favorite shorts and a comfortable Wonder Woman tank top, you looked in your mirror. Remembering what you’d always been told in therapy, you said three positive things about yourself: “My thighs are powerful and strong. I can lift heavy objects when I need to. My laugh is genuine.”

Satisfied with your little exercise in self-love (it was a process and some days were much harder than others), you brushed your teeth and styled your hair the way you liked it. With still time to spare, you gathered your things and finished your episode, chuckling at Sophia’s sharp insults.

As you left your apartment and locked the door, you tried to calm your nerves. You were always nervous when you were meeting new people, and this was certainly not going to be an exception. You were glad that you were getting coffee, as having something to hold in your hands would help you stop fidgeting.

On the subway, you overheard a few people talking about Spider-Man’s latest save. The superhero had been saving Queens (and other places) for years before you had moved there, but you still hadn’t seen him. You’d heard plenty about him, fun anecdotes from colleagues or people in shops, but you had never seen the superhero in person.

You thought back to the first time you’d seen anything about Spider-Man, years ago when the hero was just a YouTube star. And you recalled him helping Tony Stark and the Avengers at large, and his escapades in Europe. Still, after all that, he seemed to always call Queens home. It was, if anything, intriguing.

You arrived at the café early, though you had anticipated that. You always left home early when traveling into the heart of Manhattan, just in case there were accidents or delays. So, content with your extra time to yourself, you ordered your usual beverage and sat down with your laptop and a manuscript in your hands.

It was a little past 1 p.m. when you heard someone clear their throat to get your attention. You looked up, suddenly aware that you had the tip of your pen in your mouth, and then you saw a man standing in front of you with a cup of coffee and a bag on his shoulder.

He was definitely handsome. His hair was a medium brown with fluffy curls, but his eyes were a darker brown that you could see yourself getting lost in. And, as with most men, his eyelashes were unfairly long. He had a bright smile on his face, and it made your traitorous heart flutter; you could see his freckles. The man was obviously fit, his arms toned from what you could see; his nerdy shirt make you chuckle to yourself.

The general vibe you got from him was warm, kind, and accepting.

“Are you Y/N?” he asked you as he smile shifted into a grin.

“Ah, yes, that’s me!” you stuttered slightly, moving your stuff around on the table. “Are you Peter Parker?”

“Indeed, I am,” he stated, sitting in the chair next to you instead of the one across from you. You were occupying yourself with getting your things out of the way, and your normal apology left your lips.

“I’m so sorry, I generally spread out when I’m working on something good, I should have just left the work alone, so sorry,” you spewed, rambling nervous apologies.

You had a feeling that Peter Parker would be cute, but for him to be this deviously handsome and cute had you definitively flustered.

“No apologies needed,” Peter reassured you, resting his elbows on the table. “You really weren’t that spread out, especially not on such a small table.” He held his hand out for you, and you shook it, the warmth creeping up your wrist.

You chuckled nervously and shoved your pen back in your bag. “So,” you began gently, “how are you today?”

“I’m marvelous,” he replied, taking a sip of his coffee and glancing at you over the top of the cup. “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m actually really good!” you beamed, thumbing your own cup. “I had a really good morning, actually. My commute was surprisingly sparse for a Saturday.”

“Where do you commute from?” Peter asked with a tilt of his head.

“Queens,” you replied, taking a sip of your drink. You were surprised and almost choked when Peter burst into loud laughter.

“We could have met up in Queens!” he explained as he finished laughing. The sound had made your heart skip, but you ignored it. “I live in Queens.”

You laughed lightly, saying, “Well, now we know!”

Peter finished laughing and watched you carefully. You sipped your drink and forced yourself to remain calm in the less awkward situation the man had created.

“You are just,” Peter paused, seeming to try to find the best word, “so cute!” he finished, making a gesture with his hands for emphasis.

You felt your cheeks warm and you looked away with a small chuckle. “Well, you’re pretty handsome yourself.”

“Thanks,” he blushed adorably.

Because of course he blushed adorably.

“So, tell me about yourself,” he requested, pulling a sketchbook out of his bag. “Hope you don’t mind if I take some notes?”

“N-no, not at all!” you reassured him. “Um, well, what would you like to know?”

“Everything,” Peter told you with a gleam in his eyes.

You blinked slightly before going into a stumbling explanation of your life. You told him about how you’d moved to New York for work, and that got you into how much you’d always loved reading about anything and everything (except math), and how you loved your job being an editor and helping budding authors and artists.

“I just recently started reading a draft about a society that revolves around plants and flowers, and it involves a lot of floriography, the meaning of flowers and plants, and it specifically talks about how this one expert is getting tied up between two mafias because both are asking for arrangements from them to send to the other as messages, you know—” you cut yourself off abruptly. “I’m sorry, that’s not important.”

“No, no!” Peter protested, giving you a reassuring smile. There was a glimmer in his eye that you couldn’t quite place, and you couldn’t see what he was writing. “I think it’s great. The way you talk about books and tell stories makes me want to read them. You’re a talented storyteller, Y/N,” he smiled.

You chuckled, taking a sip from your coffee, “I’ve always been a rather animated storyteller,” you admitted. “When I send videos to my friends on Snapchat, they get upset when they send out of order.”

“Tell me about a time where you were, oh, amazed by something,” Peter suggested.

You pursed your lips in thought. “I once got to hike on an island in the Pacific,” you began, thinking back on the memory. “It was for work, believe it or not, and I got to check out this amazing sleeping volcano. And as I stood at the top, looking out on a cove below, I couldn’t believe it. The sun was beginning to set, creating this beautiful sky over the ocean. It made me feel… small, but comforted, as if I was being hugged by a close friend. And, Peter, those colors, I think I cried.

“The sun created this magnificent amalgam of the softest of pinks, the most vivid of violets, and the sweetest of blues, all blending together in some sort of wonderful symphony of serenity. The orange in the sky, fading softly, was like an orange dreamsicle, at that point between frozen and melting. And the ocean, it glittered gold as if with thousands of fireflies gliding across the calm waves.”

You looked up to see Peter just watching you, perching his chin on his hand and regarding you with the softest smile you’d ever seen.

“What?” you asked, a small blush tipping your ears.

“Can I take you back to my place?” he blurted.

“What?!” you were shocked at his bluntness.

“For art!” he continued quickly, his face turning bright red and his eyes widening comically, almost like a cartoon.

You found yourself laughing brightly, your eyes closed in mirth and your head tilted backwards. You enjoyed spending time with Peter already, and you had only been talking for about an hour. He was a sweet guy, paying attention to what you said with the most beautiful light in his gentle brown eyes.

"Yeah, yeah,” he pouted, “laugh it up. I’m just going to sit here, embarrassed, and try to think of a way to redeem myself in your eyes.”

You managed to wrangle your laughter into small chuckles, covering your smile with a hand as you looked at the man across from you. Peter was pouting playfully, his arms crossed over his chest. It was obvious that he was joking, however, because he kept glancing at you and his lips twitched to stop him from smiling.

“How do I know that you’re not a serial killer?” you asked, tilting your head and regarding him in mock seriousness.

“Well then,” he leaned forward, meeting your eyes dead on, “perhaps Spider-Man will come save you.”

Your head tilted back again as you laughed, though not for as long as before. “You know, I’ve lived her awhile now, and I still haven’t even seen Spider-Man in person.”

“Really?” Peter was obviously surprised, with once again comically large eyes.

“Yes, really,” you confirmed with a nod. “I never seem to be around where he is at any given time. I hear stories about him, though, all the time. Heard some on the subway here. He seems like a nice guy, if a little reckless sometimes.”

“Reckless?”

You nearly rolled your eyes at his almost offended tone, but truly, he seemed more intrigued than anything else. “I saw a video of him throwing not one, but two cars at an enemy. That is, admittedly, a little reckless when there are tons of people running around, trying to get away.”

Peter seemed to think about what you said, having a conversation with himself in his head that was obvious by the shifting of his facial expressions. Finally, the man seemed to heave a sigh, and he nodded.

“Yeah, I guess he is a little reckless sometimes,” Peter nodded, as if he knew the hero personally. You almost asked if he did, but he changed the subject by continuing, “So, would you like to be a live model for me? I promise I’m not a serial killer.”

You pursed your lips and looked off to the side, pretending to think intently about the idea. You almost broke character when you say him shift nervously but managed to keep yourself in check. You should be an actress, you thought.

Finally, after what couldn’t have been more than a minute, you looked at Peter with a bright smile. “Alright, Peter, I’ll be a model. Though I’m sure I’m not anywhere near the prettiest model you’ve ever had, I’ll do my best.”

You both stood and you didn’t miss Peter’s furrowed brows at your comment. You hoped that he would drop it, as you were already regretting saying that you weren’t pretty. You knew that it wasn’t true, but oftentimes your anxiety and history of self-deprecation got right ahead of you. Today, you were actually doing okay, other than that one slip of the tongue that you’d uttered to a gorgeous man.

Then again, sometimes the smallest of things could set you back three years.

[chibikinesis]

Another Sean/Jacob for y’all ♥ I imagine it takes place some days after the last one I wrote.

Sean’s attention is pulled away from his sketch book by the sounds someone clearing their throat, and of shuffling feet behind him. He shifts to find Jacob standing timidly, averting his gaze.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t looking; promise.” There’s a slight giggle in his voice, and Sean finds it’s a pleasing sound. “Mind if I sit?”

“Of course.” He readily scoots over, and gestures for him to sit.

Jacob wastes no time filling the vacancy, and he breathes a small sigh after he finds a comfortable position. His tired eyes skim up to find Daniel and Sarah Lee playing on the battered, sun-bleached old jungle gym, and he breaks out into a small smile.

“It’s so nice today. I think this is the most tolerable weather we’ve had all week.”

“Call me crazy, but I think I might’ve even felt a breeze or two.” Sean chuckles, pencil finding paper again as he continues his sketch. “It’s…really nice to see them both acting like kids again, huh?”

“It really is. When she was sick, she was so tired all the time. And it was like... even when she did start to enjoy herself, Lisbeth was…” Jacob breathes, his brow knit ever so slightly. He shakes his head, as if he's trying to shake a bad thought away. “- ugh - no. I need to stop thinking about her.”

“Hey…” Sensing his turmoil, Sean looks over at him, rests his pencil, and raises his hand to give Jacob’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “She’s been a part of your life for a long time. That kinda’ stuff doesn’t just go away over night. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

His hand and his eye both linger for a moment, and his expression softens when Jacob met his gaze.

“Seriously, don’t sweat it too much,” Sean reiterates. “You guys went through a lot, and healing from that sorta stuff is… definitely not a linear process. At least, I wouldn’t imagine. Just take your time, okay?”

Jacob takes a deep breath, and after a slight pause, exhales in a contented sigh, nodding solemnly to himself. “You’re right. Thanks, Sean.”

“Anytime.” He smiles and he nods. His thoughts stew for another moment as he watches Sarah chasing Daniel in an erratic pattern around the equipment - he can't help but chuckle at her messy braids. And dare he say they're an improvement from the last time he’d seen Jacob had attempted to do her hair for her. But there was no doubt in Sean’s mind that she loved it whether good or bad - and goodness knew her big brother was putting forth an effort for her, at the very least. “How’s Sarah taking everything? Since you guys left home?”

“She’s usually pretty good.” Jake smiles. “She has the occasional bad day where she starts to miss everyone, but… I guess that’s to be expected. She misses our parents, but… I can’t possibly send her back to be with them after everything. But I also… can’t bring myself to tell her everything, either. I kind of feel like I’m stuck in between a rock and a hard place. I have so many reasons I could give her, but… none that I’m ready to. Not yet, anyway. I know I can't keep it from her forever, but right now... she way too young to carry that kind of baggage.”

Sean can definitely relate. “It can be… tough.”

“You’re not kidding.” Jake laughs softly. “And it’s not just that. I remember you said before about how you just know Daniel’s getting sick of you, and… I feel that now more than ever. She’s never mean or nasty about it, but I can tell. She gets quiet, and kind of distant. I’m positive she was happy to see some different faces when we got here.”

“It’s good for them once in a while anyway.” Sean smiled. “Just try not to take it too personally. Which is easier said than done. I know. It’s probably good for all of us, though, honestly.”

“A break in the monotony never really hurts.” Jacob fidgets with one of the creases in his pants. “It’s always nice to see familiar faces anyways. To know at least some of the people you care about are doing alright.”

Sean hums in agreement, and tries to direct his attention back to his sketchbook.

But as his eraser taps rhythmically at the page, Jake feels his stomach pang. Was he taking up too much of Sean’s time? Was he pulling him out of his creative flow? “Goodness, sorry - if I’m too much of a distraction, I can leave-”

“You’re fine, Jake.” Sean chuckles. “Actually, I could use your help. Once in a while I’ll draw some comics to cheer Daniel up. He’s SuperWolf, and Chris… he’s the awesome kid we met in Beaver Creek… he’s Captain Spirit, but… I’m having some trouble coming up with something for her.”

“You’re drawing her as a superhero? That’s wonderful. She’ll be so excited.”

“I will be if we can come up with something, I guess. I’ll work on some concepts we can run by her later… if we manage to come up with any.”

“I can’t help but think of… her fascination with chickens.” Jacob giggles. "Maybe you could incorporate that somehow."

“How does one make a chicken badass?”

“How about… Kung Pao Chicken?” Jake can already see Sean raising a brow, but he wrings his hands in a very just hear me out sort of manner. “- But spelled like the comic book sound effect. Like a… wordplay kind of thing.”

“That’s almost… unbearably cheesy, Jake. Holy shit.” Sean finally says after a long pause, laughter apparent in his voice. “- But it’s… really cute. I kinda’ love it. Could make it a spin on a kid-friendly Chun-Li, and throw some feathers and... plumage. This could be fun, actually.”

It’s a welcome change of pace from the previous conversation. They smile and joke and share ideas as Sean sketches, and he almost allows himself to be distracted as Jacob leans in closer. He typically wasn’t too keen on having an audience while he drew, but he didn’t particularly mind in this instance - just like he didn’t mind the sudden pressure against his arm as Jake closed the gap between them, resting a tiny bit of his weight against Sean as he did so.

There’s a slight pause - or at least a slowing, or even a hesitance - in Jake’s movements, as if he’s waiting for some indicator that this sort of contact is okay, that Sean’s not going to be weirded out by it. Reassurance comes to him in the form of a warm smile. He can’t say if it’s on account of their proximity or on account of the heat, but Sean’s cheeks are a bit flushed. It doesn’t deter him from resting his chin - even if just barely - on his shoulder, though. And, goodness, is it comforting to him; he does his best to push all the reasons from his mind and just allows himself to enjoy it.

Sean makes absolutely no protests as he continues to bring the concept of Kung Pow Chicken to life.

"We should totally give her some chicken feet for shoes."

[neo-culture-mafia]

我想重做生活

黄仁俊 황인준 Huang Renjun

If there was one thing I could do without consequence, it would be to restart my life with all the people I knew now. My adrenaline and heart rate have been messed up since I was a little kid because of the pent-up anger and frustration always coursing through my veins. Yet, I feel as if I deserve this and I was meant to live this messed up, hurtful, and pitiful life. I wouldn’t even wish the amount of self-hate I have for myself on any other human being. It isn’t fair but that was my whole life basically. Nothing was fair. Not even things that were deemed fair. This was all just a stupid pre-determined system...all a setup for a plan that would never work out and crumble to pieces eventually. 

“I’m everything I hate.” I muttered to myself. “Hm?” Jeno asked, looking through the papers Mark had left. “What?” I asked in return, not knowing that my friend brother could hear me. He only looked for a moment, before returning to the stack of papers. “Did you say something? It sounded like you said something.” He replied while flipping through the papers like he missed something the first 1 million times. 

“Uh...nothing.” I shook my head, my hair grazing my forehead and tickling above my eyebrows. “I...I’m gonna text y/n,” I said getting up, grabbing my cracked phone and walking out the door. Chenle called for me, as he was tossing from sleep, but my feet carried me out of the cramped apartment that was falling apart at its seams, and out onto the fire escape that would eventually lead me to the rooftop. 

If it only had been Jacob’s Ladder and had taken me us away to a promised land where none of us were hungry and wondering when we wouldn’t sleep in a cramped bed anymore. Where real Chinese food lingered among long tables of mahogany, with seats for everyone I loved. Where I could sit and draw for hours with the only thing that would stop me was snack time. Where there were no drills, or debriefing meetings, or no punishments for messing up a mission...no paralyzing guilt for doing my job.

I realized I had climbed the whole way when I was balancing on the last rung. I hopped down onto a sturdier roof and sauntered my way over to the usual spot I sat. My sketchbook along with a Chinese Fortune quote book that Sicheng had gotten me years ago. 

My bottom hit the beach chair I kept up here, and I immediately look into the sky for an answer...for what I do not know...but something. Finding nothing that stands out, I reach my hand lazily to the quote book. I closed my eyes, flipped to a random page, put my finger on the page and opened my eyes to my fortune. “It is sad for those who don’t sleep, that they start living their reality like a dream.” I read and thought about it. “I mean...I guess.” I said and flung the book back onto the ground. “I would have rather read something about aliens.” I yawned and brought an arm behind my head and one leg crossed the other. 

“These days it’s easier to believe in aliens more than a god.” I whispered to my self and shook the thought from my head. “Time to see what bunny is doing.” I craned my neck forward to see my phone screen that was cracked from numerous times of dropping it. 

Pulling up her contact seemed foreign for some reason. As if she was becoming a stranger in my own heart even though that would never be possible. “Did you get home safe?” Was all I could ask. Even though seeing the ‘Read’ sign, I was anticipating her answer. “Mark walked me.” Was the only thing that she said. 

“Well duh, she got home safe.” I hit myself upside the head gently. Even though she didn’t tell me straight away, I knew she was hurting. This was such a routine now. She would go back ‘home’ and be a mess for a little while after. 

“Shit, really?” I asked and she was quick with her responses. 

“Yeah. I wish you were here. Like, so fucking much, Renjun.” 

My heart felt like it was breaking into a million little pieces at one time. I was always there by her side, and now from this separation, we can’t even chill like we used to; and even though she acts like she’s strong, I see her. I see the dark circles under her eyes. I see the uncried tears she is holding inside. I see the need to have us around her because she is scared she’s not strong enough. But, she’s one of the strongest people we know. 

“Me too.” Was all I could think of typing back. I didn’t know what to say to her. Of course, my brotherly love for her was great and almost suffocating for her at some times; but right now I didn’t know what to say or how to express I was with her and that everything was going to be okay.

“Just look for me in the stars. I promise you’ll find me there.” 

I didn’t know that I was actually waiting for her to respond till I noticed she wasn’t responding. She read it, but the familiar bubbles didn’t pop up to say she had something to tell me again. 

I turned my phone off, looking into the sky. I heard my phone fall from the small chair and I groaned. “More cracks.” I rolled my eyes and yawned. Removing my hat, I set it on my lap and reclined more so I was laying down. The sky was my movie as I watched the stars. 

I tried to trace my fate with my fingers; playing with the balls of gas and light at my fingertips. I made countless shapes with my burning friends that never left my side. 

I didn’t realize I was growing sleepy as I felt my heart calm to a steady beat. My anger being suppressed was an amazing feeling; as if I was on cloud 9.

“Who are you?” I asked, looking between the 2 people who visited. “Honey...It’s mama...and baba.” The woman grabbed my arm, pulling me forward into a hug. My tiny 10-year-old body didn’t know how to process this information being thrown at me so suddenly. “What?” Was all I could ask as she just looked at me with a sad look. 

“Do you not remember me?” She ran her fingers through my hair. “No.” Was all I could think of and say as my vision began to go red. “No.” I swatted her hand away and removed the other death grip from my arm while chanting, “No. No. No.” She became sad as tears welled her eyed. “Renjun. Baby. Don’t be mean.” She grabbed me again, but the orphanage worker just stayed out of it. 

“No. Get off of me!” I yelled pushing her off of me. She wept into my ‘dad’s’ arms. “He’s changed.” She kept crying. Yet, even with my fingernails digging crevices into my palm; I couldn’t suppress my anger. The two familiar strangers just stared at me in horror as my chest became ragged with puffs of air. 

“Leave.” I bellowed and they looked at me in horror. “We don’t want to. We still love you...we’re ready now.” They called, trying to come closer. “Liars!” I screamed and ended up flipping the small table meant for younger children. I kicked the stupid plastic chair that I was forced to sit in before these people walked in and demanded me to love them. 

“You don’t! You left me!” I screamed, making a mess in the room. “Code red. Huang Renjun. Code red. Huang Renjun.” The orphanage worker called and the two foreign feeling parents cried for at me. They didn’t care. I was just someone they dropped and decided to pick up when it was convenient for them. “Liars!” I screamed as other workers picked me up. “I hate you! Liars! I hate you!” I sobbed and screamed as the men dragged me out of the visiting room. 

“Lia-”

I jump up from the beach chair with cold water splashed on me. I looked around and saw the day has already begun without me. The sun was shining and people walked around happily in the streets below...totally carrying on with their life even if mine was completely over. 

“Earth to sleeping beauty.” I see Jaemin. He stood there with the usual cigarette falling in between his lips that held the usual smirk. I looked for my phone, and once found, I sighed as the charging symbol showed up onto the black screen. 

“What the hell? You couldn’t just nudge me awake?” I said pushing his shoulder roughly. “What’s the fun in that?” He chuckled, taking the cigarette and smashing it between his shoe and the ground. We stood there for a moment, as he blew the smoke in my face. I rolled my eyes at the absurd action and fanned the smoke away. 

“What do you want from me? Besides ruining my peaceful sleep?” I asked him and he shrugged. “Chenle was calling for you last night, and no one could find you. Mark came back and something happened I guess.” Jaemin shrugged and he could tell my heart began racing. “Don’t worry. Y/n is fine...we all reacted the same way.” Jaemin understood. 

I nodded at his comforting words, wiping the water from my hair and taking a breath of relief. “Okay well, I’m glad she is oka-” “But she showed up this morning and is downstairs crying.” Jaemin finished. 

Renjun felt the anger boil inside of him once more. “You could’ve said that first you dumbass.” Renjun hit Jae upside the head, a little not so lightly. 

I took my phone and hat, running down the small and narrow steps to get down to the apartment. Jaemin was hot on my heels as I swung the front door open to see y/n in tears. 

She slowly looks at me from where Jisung is comforting her on the couch. She hiccuped at my presence but couldn’t move. The bags under her eyes are present more than ever, the redness on her skin making us all worried, and the big eyes we all knew and loved were now big in fear and wet with tears. 

“They’re coming.”

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[comicteaparty]

April 4th-April 10th, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble  chat that occurred from April 4th, 2020 to April 10th, 2020.  The chat focused on the following question:

What is something you’ve improved with in regards to writing or comic creation thanks to working on your story?

carcarchu

Oh this one i can answer definitively. it's 100% lineart. forcing myself to have to do lineart for hours everyday is definitely a way to force yourself to get better at it while i still don't like it it's something that i can do now without being scared about it

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Colouring. I had to get really creative in expressing emotion and hinting plot devices with colour. Also got much better with drawing gesture drawings due to looking at a lot of references!

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Either writing dialogue or drawing/painting backgrounds... I used to be particularly awful at writing dialogue. It was too stiff and formal, and sounded a lot like old prose. Now, because of writing a comic and going through several scripts, the dialogue is a lot more natural, and the pacing is more realistic to actual conversations. And the other: backgrounds. I really used to not even draw them at all, and doing a comic forced me to have to think about environments in scenes. So I went from drawing floating characters to having to consider where they are and how it affects the story/mood.(edited)

Feather J. Fern

Paneling! That was my main focus to figure out how to do good paneling to have clearer pages

Deo101 [Millennium]

Honestly? Everything. It's all gotten better and I've learned so much. I would say my biggest improvement is probably in my time management, and art wise is probably composition and layouts. But it's hard to pick because I've grown so much in every aspect!

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Biggest thing I learned was to keep the story small and focused - and that the smaller, more human struggles are much better in creating tension than the whole default "the world's gonna end!" thing. Mind you, I still love a good "world's ending" story, but you gotta make people CARE about the people in that world first!

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

ohohohoooo I have done more drawing in photoshop in this short time I have worked on Wayfinders, than the rest of my life! That has given me some skills for sure! Coloring is another one, and generally just efficiency and flow in a comic

Nutty (Court of Roses)

For me it's been my use of color, and getting more confident in experimenting with it to really drive home a scene's mood!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

The clearest improvement I always notice is my layouts - I’ve gotten more adventurous with panel shapes and placement as time has gone on, experimenting with more interesting designs for the whole page. Some of those experiments haven’t been totally successful but it always feels like a worthwhile try. I’ve gotten some really, REALLY cool layouts out of these experiments, and I love seeing how dynamic the panels have become compared to my first chapter. Also speed. I’m so much faster now. Thank gooooooodness (edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

@LadyLazuli (Phantomarine) I've definitely noticed the experimental panel layouts! They're really cool.

AntiBunny

Planning. Book 2 is when I started using sketchbook thumbnails to plan ahead. The luxury of that first draft meant I could rethink panel layouts and how to best express the events happening if I first had an idea of what was happening laid out.

Also digital art by necessity since I switched to digital during the current arc. I was decent at lineart already, but other aspects have really challenged me to grow as an artist. I had to totally rethink the way I create backgrounds for instance. During this time the background quality actually declined a little while I got used to a new method, but experience has improved my skills greatly as I force myself into new methods.

DanitheCarutor

Hmmm maybe paneling, speechbubbles and backgrounds? My current project is my second real attempt at doing a comic, but I have learned a lot of stuff from the community and general art and story tutorials. Backgrounds and bubbles were the worst for me when first starting out, I only read manga before starting so the speechbubble shapes did not fit with how English is written. Plus I've only drawn wooded fantasy settings before making my comic, so using a ruler, figuring out perspective points and drawing buildings was very new to me. I still hate drawing cities and such, but I've gotten a lot better at it and it is easier to do now. Since I mostly stuck with B&W before my current project, coloring also kind of improved? Depending on who's looking at it. Lmao If I were to think about story/characters/dialogue, I have no idea if I've improved. Honestly, I don't pay much attention to the quality. Also my brain kinda says it's all bad regardless of what I make.(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

For my Improvements: I'm getting better at my comic panels, as I adjust to the vertical style. Before I've always drawn the standard format. It's more than just boxes, I try to keep a variety of sizes. I'm picking up roughly how much 'gutter space' I need per 2-3 panels.etc I'm also improving on choosing colors that fits my love of detailed linework.(edited)

OH! I'm also learning about Clip studio shortcuts, how to use the assets they provide which makes the process, abit easier on me. Things I need to change, is I want to get a good speedy coloring style, without referring to my usual coloring.(edited)

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

the more I worked on the comic, the more I feel ambitious in making different angles and perspective. So it's really hitting me out of my comfort zone which is good! lol Though I'm trying to keep in mind of my speed, what I feel like I've improved a bit is trying to keep in mind of paneling and dialogue.

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Process! Space and i have definitely figured out the most productive way to produce content at the rate and quality that also provides us with time for our own projects. Comics are a useful tool that helps you discover ways to better organize your creative workflow for sure!

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

I think probably scenery. I used to dread drawing inanimate objects but now I feel more confident in filling in a scene & even look forward to it sometimes. Maybe also page composition and paneling but I still have a lot to learn there

eli [a winged tale]

One of the reasons I embarked on the webcomic journey is to push myself to improve not only storytelling but also utilizing art to create a reader experience that would be difficult to replicate with just words. I’d like to think that 9 months into making A Winged Tale, I’ve improved on deciding when is a good opportunity to invest more into backgrounds vs character dynamics and when should be focused more on sequences of panels and composition. While the comic is written in a four panel format, more and more I’m finding areas where the story could be told by breaking those rules (attached pic). It’s a balance and I hope going forward I will improve more in pushing the limits of panels and find ways to express the story in fun and interesting ways.(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Wow that's a very good description @eli [a winged tale] I look forward to reading more of your story journey

eli [a winged tale]

Thanks so much Joichi! I’m eager to keep learning~

Capitania do Azar

I'm gonna go with planning and actually getting it done. I'm so much faster because now the process is much more streamlined to me

kayotics

My whole comic was started s an exercise to just get better at comics generally so I’d probably say every part I’ve improved at? The biggest things are probably colors and the upfront planning process

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Ooof hard question. I think my main improvement lies with page and speechballoon layouts and writing natural feeling dialouge. I'd say maybe also character acting?

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I'm slowly learning how to create more engaging comic narrative. I read and research in the polished prem webcomics to see what makes them engaging? Like I'm going to challenge myself by creating a series of short stories with a reoccurring set of characters. Every new comic series I create is an experience, trial and error. Sometimes I skip the writeup and just go in blind, trust my own instincts. I'm glad to reach out and talk about it than in my own head. I hope by this year, I'll have at least 2 chapters of Hybrid Dolls out.(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I've definitely gotten better at planning/ outlining multiple chapters ahead of time. I did not even do this when I was doing the first 10 something chapters. (I did attempt an outline before I began the comic, but the story changed significantly from the outline by the time I started the comic, and I did not try to do it again for a long while.) I can't remember when I started, but I do recall having a lot of trouble the first time I tried to do it. It's gotten a little easier each time, though. In fact, I just spent the past few days outlining the next few very important chapters, de-tangling some big tangles. I'm really glad my outlining (and overall writing) skills had leveled up, because HOO boy, I don't think my 2014-2015 self could have done this!

I also became friends with enviros. I had already become somewhat comfortable drawing perspective when HoK started, but I had a sort of mechanical approach to it, like "oh I need some enviro for these establishing shots, guess I'll draw them." But now I LOVE drawing enviros! (some types anyway...) It's my comfort activity, something I treat myself to after a long day! In the thumbnails for my next few pages, there's a few enviro-heavy panels that I have to remove, because I drew too many of them (and the pacing got too slow as a result). I have to stop myself from drawing too many of these.

My biggest improvement is probably I've come to understand my characters and my themes much better, but that's more of a "I got better at making HoK" than a "I got better at making comics." There's definitely a difference between the two.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

@keii’ii (Heart of Keol) ah I totally understand I tried the outline method before I start but my story changed alot after I drew it. So it start to feel like a waste of time for me, but I'll still write an outline to make sure to plan where my story heads(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Yeah! I needed to draw those first few chapters to understand the direction of my own story.

The drawing part is an essential part of self-reflection, to try to understand what it is that I want out of the story. The answer has always been there in my heart, but I'm not able to see it clearly from the get-go.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I end up breaking scenes and put them in for future episodes, since I want to get a certain flow in the story.

It could be tricky to see what it is you want out of the story until you are in at least 3 chapters in?

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

I needed way more than 3 chapters -- though granted, my chapters are short, so that could be a part of it

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I see the early first script as testing the water. like a test to figure out the characters personalities. Unless you are bringing in old characters which you knew before?(edited)

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Even if the characters have been with you for a while, unless I have made a comic with them, there is a big chance that the characters will completely change, too.

DanitheCarutor

You know, I was thinking about about this, mostly about how I wouldn't have been happy if I was able to finish my comic the day I started. Then I realized I'm happy that I didn't. The first chapter wasn't the best, I was just learning how to coloring a comic, still fleshing out my characters and was still brainstorming small kinks in the story. I also still didn't have as much of an understanding of perspective, or panel and bubble layout. Even though I still have a lot I need to work on, I've gotten a lot better in all those aspects. Even though my use of color is weird, I've definitely gotten much more confident in it, enough so that I experiment and take a lot more risks with style. Even though my panelling can be boring, I have a much better understanding of how I want a page to look. I've improved a lot with my planning as well, like even though my thumbnailing/storyboarding only takes maybe 30, I've learned to step away for a bit if I don't like a layout, or analyzing why I don't like it and brainstorming ways to make it better. If I had magically finished the comic all at once, it would look really bad and may have been less readable.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

That is inspiring to hear about your improvement @DanitheCarutor

Natsu-no-Hikari

Chiming in! Just this week, Miko (my co-creator) and I were discussing how far we've come from when we started our first comic (https://liarsgotoparadise.com/) vs. where we are now. I think there have been a lot of learn experiences, such as art, dialogue, general editing - but especially with pacing and character interaction. We regret that we didn't stop to focus more on that interaction, as we wanted to move ahead in the story...and now we can't change that, except to start now and not allow ourselves to grow impatient. Take our time and enjoy the journey - that's our new motto. There's a time to rush ahead in perilous moments, but there's also definitely a time to catch our breaths and let the characters mingle and speak. It's an improvement that will become more noticeable going forward in Liars and our second comic as well.

[pinkykitten]

The best date ever

DC

Arthur Curry x female! reader

Warning: curse words

Specifics: fluff, romance, comedy, one-shot, pictures, gifs, race-neutral reader

People: arthur curry, you, diana prince 

Words: 2,620

Requested: By @divaanya Hi!!! So about that sequel to The Old Man's Tale.. 😍😂 I'm not sure if you wanted specifics here or in submissions, so I'll put them here... I was thinking simply about them having that dinner, maybe Arthur picking her up in the morning, showing her around the town, then them eating and talking about her drawings and just fluff...😍😍😍 And I'd love to read anyting you feel like writing about them... And any other aquaman fics you come up with!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Authors Note: srry fam for not posting in a while, ive just been rlly stressed out lately with some personal things like my plate is so full. so pls fam be patient i am still writing just at a slow pace, i need to find a good time to write so im still working that out rn. i hope u guys like this, again srry my peeps! <3<3<3

“Oh my god,” you shouted as you quickly rose up from your slumber, remembering today was the day. “Crap! I have that date with,” you sigh. “My sexy hunk of a hero.”

At the speed of light you got ready, making sure you looked beautiful and glamorous for this date. 

“Perfect,” you chuckled as you looked at yourself in the mirror, posing and modeling to yourself. 

All of a sudden you heard a car’s horn beep from outside. You grabbed your things such as your sketchbook, your phone, the same things Arthur had saved. You open the door and there is standing Arthur with a bouquet of flowers. 

“I found these and thought ‘hey they are beautiful’, and then I thought for a while ‘who could I give this to,’ and then I thought of you.” Arthur grinned from ear to ear, his personality seemed to beam and make the world a better place. 

“Awww these are for me? Arthur they are extremely beautiful,” you stand on your tippy toes and give him a peck on his cheek. “Thank you! Let me find a vase for these.”

While you are putting the flowers away, Arthur stares at you from afar. You are truly a beauty. He can’t help but linger longer in looking at your curves, your body. The way the dress hugged you tightly, the curve of your butt. Your legs that to him looked better than even Diana Prince. The way you moved yourself about made Arthur like you more, made him want to understand you and get to know you more. 

“You look really, really, really, pretty today y/n.” 

You turn around, bashful and place the vase on a nearby table, “oh stop you! But thank you, you always look handsome yourself Curry. Whelp are you ready to go?”

“Ready as ready can get sweetheart,” Arthur opened the door for you. “But before we eat, how about I show you the best places around town?”

“I would really like that,” you smile as you take Arthur’s hand that he offered you and go to his car.

As Arthur’s driving a sweet melody of a tune is playing on the radio, making the morning relaxing. 

“I can’t wait to see where you live! All the stuff you do daily, things that make you happy, stuff like that,” you smile as you wrap your tiny arm around his strong, muscled one. Arthur grins seeing how adorable you are and how interested you look at knowing about his home. 

(ok but i love this gif because his smile is the bomb and the scrunchie is my life; sometimes i ask myself, how r we the same species?)

He gently holds your small hand and laces his thick fingers with yours. You peer up at him and see he is speaking about something the opposite way. Your heart beats vigorously, you are bashful and try to hear what he is talking about but you just stare at your two hands together, his and yours. They looked perfect as one, this meant something right?

“So what do you think, onto another sight?” Arthur asked, now his focus was on you. You fanned yourself and breathed harshly, “ooh is it me or is it extremely hot in here? Wooo, woah, ok, wow.”

“Y/n, its colder than an igloo in here, how in god’s name are you hot?”

“...menopause?”

Arthur chuckled, knowing exactly why you were like this. He knew it was about him holding your hand. He felt the way you tensed up when he did that, it made him for some reason happy. Happy to know that you were nervous around him because then you care about how he sees you, you care about his feelings. 

“You look beautiful by the way sweetheart. You know what I don’t think there has ever been a day for you when you didn’t look beautiful.”

You swatted his way as you chuckled while rolling your eyes, “you’re too much Arthur Curry. Do you flirt with all your girls like this?”

“No...just you.”

Your eyes bugged wide open and you tried to change the subject. “What’s that place over there?”

“Oh that, that’s the ice skating rink. Its been there for like forever, its really fun. It may not look much but that’s where people just enjoy each others company, love birds, kids, teenagers, you name it, they go there.”

“That sounds so nice. Lovebirds you say though?” You raise your brow as your arm rests on the center console of the car. Arthur turns his head from the window to you and his head moves closer to yours. In a sultry, raspy, deep voice he says, “yeah many, many lovebirds go there. They dance around each other and sometimes get to touch.” Arthur comes closer and his lips almost go to yours, but then he stops. He smiles, “that means then we should go!” He gets out of the car so quickly you didn’t have a chance to think about what just happened. 

“What!?!”

One minute you thought you were going to kiss this hunk of a merman and now he’s wanting to go ice skating, and you don’t even know how to ice skate! Then you realized, he was trying to play hard to get. He flirts and tries to kiss you and then he doesn’t! “Well, two can play it that game!” You thought in your head. 

“Okay I should of told you this but Arthur...I can’t skate!” Your holding onto Arthur for dear life as you stand on the ice with the skates on.

“Well lets just practice a little, I’m gonna let go-

“No Arthur don’t you let go I swear if you let go I’m gonna punch you in the balls so hard that you’re gonna wish you were a woman, don’t you let go!”

“And when I let go y/n, lets see if you can skate on your own. Okay 1, 2, 3.” Arthur lets you go and pushes you forward to bring speed to you. You slide forward with a shriek as you can’t stop. As you’re about to fall to your death Arthur comes to the rescue and picks you up with ease. “Man, sweetheart I’ve already saved your life twice. I should get a reward.”

Arthur holds your hand as he practically guides you through on the ice. “Yeah you want to see your reward?” You smack his torso and shoulders but unfortunately with your size compared to his you didn’t really do much damage.

“Ouch what was that for?”

“What was that for? Arthur I nearly almost died...again! You pushed me you hot, idiot, jerk, stupid, guy!” You look straight up into his eyes with an angry face. 

“So you think I’m hot?” Arthur comes closer to you. 

You try to slide back but you trip and that makes Arthur strong hands go to your back, near your butt and bring you closer to his body. “I never said a thing like that.”

Arthur’s handsome face gets closer with yours and his body is touching your body, tightly pressed together. “I think you did, I know you did.”

You look away as you put your hands up. His lips go to your ear, “don’t worry y/n, I think I’m hot as well.”

Your face becomes annoyed as you shove his face away from you and roll your eyes. “Haha, good one.” You say sarcastically as his laughter booms loudly. He laughed so hard he had to wipe a tear. “Was it really that funny Arthur?”

Arthur nods, “oh yeah definitely. You should of seen your face!”

“HAHAHAHAHA WELL YOU SHOULD OF FELT YOUR JUNK, CUZ IT WAS GIVING A STANDING OVATION!” You then laugh really hard at your joke and pretend to wipe a tear. You see Arthur’s face as he gives you a death glare. You chuckle some more as he skates towards you. He wraps his hand in yours and you two skate like normal people do, or how the lovebirds do. 

It was actually really romantic. 

“There you go sweetheart, just like that.” You actually were skating correctly, of course holding for dear life onto Arthur, but still you did it. You were skating smoothly, almost perfectly. 

“Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m doing it!” You smiled up at Arthur, your smile beaming. This made Arthur happy and his heart pound. He couldn’t focus on anything except you, the way you looked up at him. You looked like a goddess, like his whole life revolved around you. Like you were meant to be his, and he was meant to be yours. 

“Arthur, Arthur, Arthur! We’re gonna crash!”

As soon as you said that you and him crashed into the wall. Before your body could hit the cold, harsh ice, Arthur fell on his back but caught you just in time. 

“Oh my! Arthur are you okay?” You felt yourself being carried and laid, on your stomach, on his chest. His eyes were shut, so you shook him and tried to get him to wake up. “Arthur please wake up! Are you okay?”

You were starting to get worried that he hurt himself badly until he woke up. “Did I scare you?”

You smacked his face a couple of times, “Are you serious? Yes you scared me Arthur! I thought you were hurt. C’mon lets go somewhere to eat because I am starving.”

Arthur got up with your help and placed his hand on your hip as you two walked to the car. “Hey, thanks for worrying about me.” Arthur bent down and kissed your cheek, then he walked to his car leaving you all bashful. 

“I swear this boy,” you muttered.

You two ended up deciding to go to a pizza restaurant. (if u dont like pizza then u r cursed and have sinned because pizza is a gift from god) 

As you walked in the smell was good! It smelled delicious! Your stomach growled at the thought of fresh, hot pizza. 

“Sorry for keeping you waiting. We could of gotten food sooner.” Arthur looked at the menu by the cashier. His arm was wrapped around your shoulder. If no one knew it, it looked as if you two were a couple.

Suddenly Arthur stomach growls. “Well if you were hungry Arthur, we could of gotten some food.”

Arthur puts his hair in a man bun with his light pink scrunchie, you could tell he was embarrassed. “I didn’t want to interrupt you having fun on the ice.”

You stood on your tippy toes and kissed Arthur’s cheek, “thank you, that was really sweet of you.”

After you two bought the pizza, you guys sat at the booth by the window. 

“This looks so good! I’m starving!”

“Well y/n, bon appetit!”

You ate like you haven’t eaten in years, the pizza was so perfect and so delicious in your mouth. The atmosphere was perfect. Jazz music was playing in the background, there were not too many people there but enough to hear talking. It was gloomy looking outside since it was so cold. You took your coat off and placed it next to you. 

“So I saw your sketchbook, what do you draw?” Arthur asked, taking a gigantic bite out of his Hawaiian pizza. 

“Oh pretty much everything. Yeah, I like to draw animals, settings, but mostly people. I mean I love art but sketching and drawing is my passion, it lets me vent as much as possible. I just think about life when I draw. Think about how I want to better my life, how to better me.” You find yourself getting off the discussion. “Sorry, I’m talking too much aren’t I?”

Arthur placed his hand on yours and smiled, “not at all. Please continue.”

“I wanted to get away from my day to day life. Sometimes doing the same thing over and over, day by day can be such a bore and honestly tiresome. That’s why I needed to come here. I wanted to experience a place like never before, and also encourage myself to draw more.”

“Well I’m glad you made that decision to come here, if you hand’t then I would not have met you.”

“Thank you Arthur.”

“Can I see your drawings?”

You started choking on your piece of pizza, “what? You mean like mine, my drawing as in my own, like mine?”

“I’m pretty sure mine means that.”

You chuckled and scratched the back of your head, “I don’t know Arthur, they’re not that good.”

Arthur gave you a wink, “c’mon y/n, I know they’ll look amazing.”

You pull out your sketchbook from your bag and hand it to him. 

“Wow y/n,” was all he said as he was mesmerized, captivated by your art. “You are incredible y/n, just incredible! I’m speechless with how you draw.”

“Thanks, it feels good to have someone important say such great things about them.”

Arthur almost turns to the page you don’t want him to see. “Um don’t see that drawing.”

Arthur raises his brow, “why not?”

“Because it has something personal on there.” You try to grab it but Arthur is too quick and moves it away from you. “Give it back Arthur!”

“Wait! I want to see what it is.” As he says this he turns the page to show a drawing of him. 

You feel hot and so embarrassed. Your hands become so sweaty and your heart pounds. Will he think your drawing is weird or stupid? 

“Y/n, this is so beautiful. I can’t believe you drew me.” Arthur was baffled at your gift. Just from seeing him in a short time you sketched him out like you knew him for many years. You got each curve and each detail of his face and body. 

“I studied your face long and hard when you picked me up. I had to draw out my hero.” 

Arthur’s smile made you fall more in love with him. “I’m sorry if me drawing you was weird. I can just get rid of it when I go back to my cabin.”

“No! Please y/n, don’t. Please don’t get rid of this amazing drawing. Hel* I wish I could draw you, but not even a dam* drawing would show and describe how beautiful you are, not words not art, nothing. You are so frickin gorgeous and sweet y/n, you really are.” Next thing you knew Arthur got up and sat next to you in the booth. Feeling shy you backed away in the booth but this just made Arthur get extremely closer to you. His wild blue eyes were half lidded as he was overpowered with love and lust for you, and to be honest so were you. Arthur came closer and closer to you until his huge body trapped your tiny, fragile one against the wall. “I so wanna kiss you right now,” breathed out Arthur, rubbing delicately your cheek. 

“I wanna kiss you so bad too,” you said in a whisper, looking directly at Arthur’s plump lips. Without no hesitation Arthur’s lips crashed on yours. You two didn’t care who was watching or who was there. This kiss was needed. Arthur’s tongue slipped in your mouth in one swift movement, but just as quick as it went in it went out. He was teasing you! He was showing you what was to come if you two spent the night in a sexual escapade. You two made out a few more seconds until you and him separated to catch your breaths. He leaned his forehead against yours, “boy am I glad you decided to come here for your vacation.”

You chuckled and touched Arthur’s facial hair, “me too Arthur. Me too.”

Tag List: @harrington-lover, @angelgl16, @perfectlybeautifulsuit, @dreamsofwhiteandblack, @hyehoney, @wtfisalltherandoms, @haven-prelude (wont let me tag) , @leasly, @totally-alexa21, @creamy-pasta-boi, @multireese, @fanfictionrecommendations-com, @prentisskelley, @malereaderforkpop (wont let me tag), @guardian-of-cookies, @justafangirl-97, @teenageshitposts (wont let me tag), @polyglot-t, @dippergravity (wont let me tag), @some-booty, @collectiveyou, @divaanya

wanna be tagged in my crap? comment!

[stormyniqhts-blog]

hey, guys!! i’m sora and i’m happy to be here. i just want to start off by talking a bit about myself. such as having a love for anime, disney movies, doggos, and uhh, i’m also recently binge watching stranger things s3. anyway, this will be a super mega intro post as i’ll be putting all my charas into one intro, so here’s info on julie tran, layla evans, frankie sullivan, and dylan grayson!!

edit: i also have a general plots page, but i’m open to anything outside of it!

if you want to go through a specific chara, all you have to do is ctrl+f and type “--chara name”

--JULIE TRAN

* lana condor. twenty-three. female. she/her. | did you see julie tran this morning on main street? i heard they were heading towards the protests. they’ve been in ballard for all her life and last time i spoke to them, they were a sales associate. if i remember correctly, they’re a scorpio and they remind me of colorful striped tops, lazy sundays, sunbathing probably because they’re sociable and prim.

about

things seemed like a picture perfect image for the girl when she was young. she helped her family with chores, worked hard in elementary and middle school classes, etc. however, by the time high school rolled around, her relationship with her parents weren’t exactly the same. she realized her dream of becoming a fashion designer, which they didn’t approve on due to how they wanted their daughter to work in the medical field.

at first, she agreed on dropping the dream and went on with doing well in her classes. except, she never gave up on her dream. when she finally graduated high school, she moved out of her parents’ place with saved up money and hardly talked to them since then. she felt guilty for not being who they wanted her to be, but being away felt better than trying to be someone she didn’t picture herself as.

soon, her parents decided to move away too and the relationship between her and them became more estranged. now, she’s in the process of improving her designs while working as a sales associate.

tl;dr basically a girl who wants to be a fashion designer someday and has an estranged relationship with her parents.

details

pinterest

character aesthetic + inspo

disgust (inside out), wendy darling (peter pan), tori vega (victorious), lara jean covey (to all the boys i’ve loved before), jane sloan (the bold type), lady (lady & the tramp), mabel pines (gravity falls), cher horowitz (clueless).

traits

insecure, loyal, motherly, organized, passive, picky, prim, self-righteous, sociable.

personality

she’s basically a mom friend. anything you’ll need, she’ll more than likely have it. she’s also always there for her loved ones no matter what, whether it’s early in the morning or late at night.

she tends to think of her friends and others before herself. adding onto this, she tends to not say no to others because of how helpful she wants to be, so at times, she’ll feel overwhelmed or exhausted.

the reason why insecure is added is because she feels as if she’s quite bland. that there’s really no unique trait about her. sure, she cares about others, but she feels there are so many people in the world that are also caring and it’s not exactly something different.

julie can also be quite self-righteous because she thinks she knows what’s best for people and just doesn’t realize she may bring harm.

aesthetics

colorful striped tops, lazy sundays, sunbathing, single-colored sunglasses, ponytails with ribbons, white blouses with collars, cup of tea, clothes organized by color.

style

she’s known to wear black mary janes, neutral colors or single-colored outfits, and is usually seen wearing blouses with skirts or dresses. once in a while, she’ll wear a patterned top or bottoms.

headcanons

she’ll always have necessary things in her bag. such as snacks, band-aids, tylenol, tissues, etc.

as she dreams of being a fashion designer, she has sketchbooks filled with clothing designs.

she has a small orange kitten named oliver (because of oliver & company)

--LAYLA EVANS

* danielle campbell. twenty-eight. cis female. she/her. | did you see layla evans this morning on main street? i heard they weren’t heading towards the protests. they’ve been in ballard for all her life and last time i spoke to them, they were a worker at twice new and housekeeper at horizon suites. if i remember correctly, they’re a leo and they remind me of matching lace bras & thongs, waves crashing against the shore, piggyback rides probably because they’re adventurous and stubborn.

about (tw: mentions of death & abuse)

one would think she’s the happiest girl alive with her parents. they would spend a lot of time together, watch layla during her ballet recitals, and eat dinner at the dining table every night. things were immediately different the moment her dad passed away when she was nine years old. since then, her mom began ignoring her because of how much the girl reminded her of her husband. layla learned to take care of herself soon enough.

things were spiraling down from there. once she was in middle school, she started rebelling and causing trouble. she destroyed properties, stole from stores, etc. when she became a high schooler, she started failing classes and took summer school, partied almost every night, drank a lot, and almost got expelled. the only reason she didn’t was because her advisers and teachers gave her a second chance to improve. she ended up taking it. by her junior year, her behavior was improving gradually and worked harder at bringing up her gpa. the reason why she took the second chance was because of her dream to be a best-selling author and to go to college. which she was accepted into.

nonetheless, she may not be a writer at the moment, that doesn’t mean she plans to forget her dream. she just wants to use up more time to improve on her writing. she’s talked to multiple publishers and is just continuing to grow for now.

tl;dr she’s had a rough past and just wants to be a best-selling author.

details

pinterest

character aesthetics + inspo

n/a

traits

adventurous, childish, impulsive, obstinate, promiscuous, valiant, vulgar

personality

layla’s very outgoing and sociable. she loves hanging out with people, whether it’s going to a party, drinking, going out for food, road trips, or just having a simple picnic or laying on the ground to look at stars. she’s just always looking to have fun and definitely a party animal. almost any party you see, she’ll be there. 

she also stands up for those who are close to her heart and can be reliable as she’s there for them no matter what. 

nonetheless, once in awhile she’ll get an idea and quickly act on it. and even though she can be wrong at times, it does take her a moment to admit it.

aesthetics

a journal full of words, matching lace bras & thongs, waves crashing against the shore, piggyback rides, the comfort of someone being there, wanting to hear the words ‘i’m proud of you’, hands gripping bed sheets, police sirens, worn out ballet shoes.

style

basically her fashion consists of all kinds of shorts (mainly booty shorts and ripped ones), crop tops, oversized hoodies and shirts, spandex shorts, tops that show off cleavage, fishnets, and occasionally skirts + denim, ripped jeans. 

she has a few very nice dresses too.

headcanons

she has this tattoo on the back of her left arm and this tattoo in the same area.

she’s bisexual and proud of it.

other labels that can define her: the dirtbag, the halcyon.

one of her most prized possessions is a necklace her dad gave her.

--FRANKIE SULLIVAN

* chloe bennet. thirty-one. cis female. she/her.  |  did you see frankie sullivan this morning on main street? i heard they weren’t heading towards the protests. they’ve been in ballard for 2 months and last time i spoke to them, they were a ceo of a florist company. if i remember correctly, they’re a virgo and they remind me of a hot cup of starbucks coffee, plants scattered throughout the bedroom, reading alone in a library probably because they’re generous and reserved.

about

a girl who was born in las vegas, nv. she had wonderful parents that divorced when she was fourteen. however, she didn’t mind it at all. she was happy as long as they were. plus, she wanted a bigger family, so if they were going to remarry to other people, she was oddly okay with it too. mainly because of how she always wanted a bigger family since she’s an only child. eventually, that was what happened. five years ago, her dad remarried and soon, frankie had a step-mom and step-sibling. at first, she cared about them due to how much family already meant to the girl, but as months became years, she soon grew suspicious over the relationship between her step-mom and dad.

years ago, she was betrayed by her closest friends and now has a cynical view because she wasn’t able to forgive them. she was told multiple times to get over it, but couldn’t. she continued to wonder how people can be so close then do something harsh to another. it still astonishes her now and from that point on, she didn’t really let anyone into her life, thoughts, or feelings.

tl;dr one who prefers being with plants than people

details

pinterest

character aesthetics + inspo

n/a

traits

adaptable, distant, generous, grouchy, reserved, responsible

personality

she tends to be pessimistic because of her past and doesn’t want history to repeat itself, so she tends to not get too close to others. she may have two or three friends, but that’s about it. plus, she can be quite rude and cold-hearted to push others away.

however, she’s also very giving when it comes to charities because with so much money, she still wants to be kind to others, especially those who are in need.

when things change in her life, however, she faces them head on and is just calm about it.

aesthetics

walk-in closets but wearing the same 5 outfits, walking through trails, smelling fresh air, having polaroids of flowers, black hair ties, not needing glasses but wearing them for fashion, stacks of books that were actually used and read, a hot cup of starbucks coffee, plants scattered throughout the bedroom, a person reading alone in a library, being the wallflower at a party

style

most of her style is denim and single-colored tops with a lot of neutral colors. she tends to leave her hair longer than her shoulders and mainly leaves it down, but will put it in a ponytail once in a while.

headcanons

can be labeled as the anthomaniac or the recluse.

she comes from old money from her dad and new money from her mom.

the idea of frankie was originally from wanting to play a flower child, but not in a stereotype way.

she owns a florist company, but wants to place a shop in ballard.

she has this tattoo on her side.

her whole apartment is filled with plants, real and fake.

she has an ex who cheated on her when they were dating.

frankie prefers to use her time indoors watching movies/tv shows, taking care of her plants, reading, or simply going on the internet. 

if anything, she’s mainly the type to have a one night stand, but has kept only three or four friends with benefits all her life. and has one or two close friends.

--DYLAN GRAYSON

* rose park. twenty-four. cis female. she/her.  |  did you see dylan grayson this morning on main street? i heard they weren’t heading towards the protests. they’ve been in ballard for five months and last time i spoke to them, they were a voice actress & influencer. if i remember correctly, they’re an aries and they remind me of red lipstick, dealing with chaos behind doors, uploading youtube videos probably because they’re driven and shallow.  

about

since she was a baby, she was already adopted by mr. and mrs. grayson, a well-known old money family. past generations owned a huge company for properties and built malls across the country. which didn’t seem like such a big deal to the girl growing up. all she cared about was belonging somewhere and being with a family. she was even happier to have grown up with siblings. even her biological parents hardly came to mind because she was happy where she was. however, the older she became, the more chaotic her family seemed. there would be scandals written in articles about her family, secrets being revealed, and it felt dramatic fights happened almost every week. nonetheless, it didn’t matter to the girl. she was extremely loyal to her parents and siblings. she swore she’d do anything for them.

for her childhood, she grew up in ballard and she’s loved the town deep down. she thought about how cute the place was and cherished everyone. a reason why when she left during the beginning of high school, she was quite sad for a while. soon enough, she got over it though. she attended a private school, made friends with multiple people, and eventually graduated. moving onto college, she went to nyu then later on received both bachelor’s and master’s in business. during her time in college, however, the town centre mall was already built and didn’t hear word of it at the moment. eventually, thinking she was mature enough and able to handle it herself, she was given the town centre mall as a gift at the age of twenty-four.

tl;dr she was adopted from a rich family, that she loves very much, and now owns the town centre mall

details

pinterest

character aesthetics + inspo

the carringtons (dynasty 2017), fallon carrington (dynasty 2017), serena van der woodsen (gossip girl), stella (winx club)

traits

ambitious, cautious, driven, loyal, protective, shallow, materialistic

personality

she’s very determined and hard-working. when she wants something, she’ll do better than doing her best and work on getting it.

with being materialistic and shallow, she tends to think about appearance first. during her high school years, she 

aesthetics

microphones, red lipstick, dealing with chaos behind doors, uploading youtube videos, studio booths, scripts, shopping bags with expensive brand names, diamond necklaces, family portraits

style

80% of the time, she’ll be seen wearing a dress or matching 2-piece outfits. the other 20% are filled with patterned tops, jeans, faux fur coats, and skirts. a bit less than half of the dresses she own are sparkly too. while her shoes are mainly high heels and knee boots. as for her hair, she mostly leaves it down. she’ll also be seen wearing jewelry everyday.

headcanons

the girl just loves to go shopping. she’ll take anyone to go shopping with.

the reason one of her occupations is voice actress is because during her summers in high school and college, she took up jobs in voice acting since she wanted to go out into the entertainment business for a while, but didn’t quite feel comfortable singing or acting for tv shows and movies. she just preferred being in a booth and saying lines.

as for influencer, it started during her high school years as she mainly gave fashion advice and worked on make-up tutorials.

[gingerwritess]

Heat Wave (4)

Summary: (Loki x reader) the one with a bank robbery, a concussion, and an asgardian frost giant

Warnings: some bad words, yikes

A/N: Ignore the accuracy of my attempt at a medical diagnosis. I’m not a doctor. Just laugh at it and keep reading :) Wow this chapter got really long... oops. It was so fun to write! Also I am SHOCKED at the love this series is getting, it’s so encouraging and ahh you guys are so amazing. Literally I can’t believe that people would actually take the time to read my work, much less like it.

Heat Wave Masterlist

There was something haunting about Loki, specifically his eyes. Their intense green was something that you felt you had seen once before in your life, but for the love of everything, you couldn’t place it.

Wherever you went, his gaze followed you and made you feel simply uncomfortable. As you settled in to your new temporary apartment in the Avengers Tower, you were almost afraid of what the situation would bring. You spent your first few days lying in bed in your rather luxurious room, complete with a mini kitchen, being introduced to the some of the team. The fact that you were now living with the Avengers still hadn’t fully processed for you.

Due to your concussion, the doctor had instructed you to be bed ridden for at least four weeks, though due to its severity, had advised a three month medical leave from work and schooling.

Despite him being your supposed aid, you actually hadn’t seen much of Loki. He had brought in your many suitcases, only to throw them in a pile in the middle of the floor and storm back out of the room. You decided that under any circumstance, you were going to do your best to be nothing but nice to him. Your typical “be nice, it’ll piss them off even more” tactic.

However, it wasn’t long before you discovered that Loki was, in fact, a little shit. Loki’s room was across the hall, connected to Thor’s, so you had been told that you just had to call for him. You yelled for him a couple times, and soon enough, he appeared in the doorway, a scowl on his face.

“Would you mind getting me a glass of water please?” You asked with a sheepish smile. He rolled his eyes and walked over to your fridge with a sigh. He filled up the cup, you avoiding his gaze the whole time. Taking his sweet time, he strode over to your bedside, holding the full cup out for you to take.

Just as you reached for it, he flipped the cup over, dumping the majority of the water on the floor, then flung the remaining water in your face.

“What the hell, Loki!” You sputtered in shock, water dripping off your face onto the bedspread. With a tiny smirk, he set the empty cup on the table next to you and left.

That was just the beginning of an onslaught of torture from your helper. Over the next couple days, you asked only small favors from him, trying not to be a handful. Small things, like asking for another ice pack for your swollen nose (which he promptly left on the floor just out of your reach) or for him to ask if Tony could turn down his music, which was blaring so loudly across the tower that it left a screeching noise ringing through your injured head. Of course, once he left and found Tony, the music only increased in volume. Loki reappeared in your doorway, a smirk resting on his face.

“That’s better, right?” He had asked you, not bothering to wait for an answer before leaving you to muffle the sounds on your own as best you could, shoving your head between two pillows. Despite his best efforts, you were determined not to let him break you and lose your temper. That proved to be a much harder task than you originally expected.

—————————————————————

“Unbelievable,” you muttered under your breath, calling out for Loki again. No answer. Ignoring the throbbing of your head, you swung your legs carefully over the side of the bed, beginning to push yourself up slowly. You were just standing up when Thor came barrelling into your room, looking around wildly.

“You can’t be out of bed!” He exclaimed, rushing to your side.

“Well, the remote is across the room! I’m sure as hell not going to keep watching this same channel all day,” you huffed, swatting away his hand. Thor frowned. “You stay, I’ll bring the remote. Did you not ask Loki for assistance?”

You laughed. “Loki has decided to make my life absolute hell for the next few weeks. The only thing he’s done to help me was close the door behind him when he left.”

Thor looked horrified to hear this, and swore up and down that he would talk to Loki as he walked out of the room in a huff, not realising he had forgotten to get you the remote.

You sighed and struggled to get up again, when your door creaked and Loki stuck his head in the room, scowling. “You ratted me out. You didn’t have to tell Thor.”

Surprised by his sudden entrance, you jumped and looked at him diffidently.

“I’m sorry, he asked!” You stuttered. Loki made you feel almost nervous when he was around, losing every ounce of self confidence you had, but at this point you were getting really sick of his bullshit.

“B-but you have kind of made my life hell since you’ve been ‘helping’ me out,” you dared to tell him.

Loki blinked. There was a pause, then he responded.

“I’ve been enjoying myself.”

You chuckled. “That’s great, but now I have two giant headaches in my life.” He rolled his eyes, and you sighed. “Look, I've tried to be nice to you, but you’re just a straight up pain in the ass. I think I’m just going to ask to go back to my place and figure things out on my own.”

Loki’s face was emotionless as he shrugged. “See if I care,” he retorted icily, turning and heading to the door. Much to your surprise, he stopped at the couch across the room, picked up the tv remote you needed, and chucked it at you. Quickly lifting a hand, you snagged it out of the air. You caught a glimpse of the slightest smile flit across his face, then he slammed the door behind him.

—————————————————————

You had spoken to Thor about leaving, since things seemed to have only gotten worse since you had been there. He had begged you not to leave, promising he could talk some sense into his brother, and you hadn’t had the heart to tell him no. So you began another week being stuck in bed, hoping Thor could work everything out.

Being bedridden wasn’t all that bad, as you got more free time than you had probably ever had in your life.

Steve was great company, and always made it a point to stop by your room and see how you were doing. You hadn’t gotten to talk to Tony all that much, only a few short conversations here and there, but he was kind enough to have made the accommodations for you to be comfortable there. Since you were stuck in bed, you hadn’t gotten to meet any of the others staying in the tower.

Luckily, whatever Thor had said to Loki seemed to have helped. Things didn’t change by much, but he had at least stopped triggering the symptoms of your concussion and causing you even more pain. He began to actually answer when you called, though you tried to avoid asking him for help under any circumstance just to escape the odd feeling that he left behind.

The image of his emerald eyes seemed to be burned in your mind. While you were laying in bed, you had begun to fill your sketchbook and notebooks with your art instead of watching tv all day.

Drawing had always been a hobby of yours, so one night when the stitches in your face made sleep impossible, you decided to try sketching Loki’s eyes. There was no way to actually capture the strange lure of them, but you set yourself to do them justice.

You busied yourself shading the drawing, closing your eyes and trying to visualise the dark green that held years and years of secrets. There was just something so strange, so alluring about them...

Realization hit you like a club to the head. You knew exactly where you had seen his eyes before. Weeks before, it had been his haunting eyes that you had met with your own that warm, early morning through your window. It had to have been him. That image was ingrained in your mind, the odd inability to see any other feature on the mans’ face except his eyes.

Shocked at your discovery, you breathed out slowly, wondering if Loki had recognized you as well. What were the odds that the two of you would have ended up in this situation?

The next morning, you made the decision to ask a favor from Loki again, though you had gone the whole day before without seeing him.

“Loki!” you called, curious if he would actually answer. A few seconds passed before you heard knuckles rapping on your door, and Loki entered your room. Your breath hitched slightly as you made eye contact, confirming your hypothesis from the night before. It was him.

“Well? What is it?” he crossed his arms, shaking you out of your trance.

“Oh! I uh, need more water please. With a lot of ice, it’s hot as balls in here,” you held out your cup for him to take, looking him straight in the eye.

He rolled his eyes, but instead of taking the glass from you, he held out his hand from the doorway. You watched in awe as the glass filled itself, then formed cubes of ice in your hand. He chuckled at the incredulous look on your face, then moved to leave. “Wait!” you called, making him pause and turn back to face you. “Yes?”

You gulped. “I just want to apologize. Um, for having to wait on me. I- Thor said it would help him and you, and I do actually need help, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry that it’s you that has to do this.”

You hadn’t spoken this much to him the entire time you had known him. You took a breath and trudged on, knowing that your little speech was only heading downhill and making things worse.

“I know you don’t like me and that’s ok! Really, uh, lots of people don’t like me, and uh, thanks for not killing me, I heard you say that I should die in the ambulance but I’m sorry I-”

Loki was laughing. You were trying to have an actual conversation with him, and he was laughing. You stopped talking abruptly, frowning at him leaning arrogantly in the doorway.

Enchanting eyes, maybe, but the rest of him was insufferable.

Insulted, you pettily grabbed an ice cube out of your cup and hurled it at him as hard as you could. It hit him square in the face, shutting him up instantly.

He looked surprised for a split second, then narrowed his eyes. “You should apologize, you shouldn’t throw ice cubes at a prince,” he said, glaring at you with what you could have sworn was a playful glint in his eyes.

“Maybe you should apologize,” you retaliated, grabbing another ice cube. “You started laughing while I was trying to have a serious conversation with you.”

Loki laughed coolly again. “Is that what that was? You blubbering at me, that was a serious conversation?”

“Hey!” You barked at him, holding up an ice cube threateningly. “Ok, now I’m definitely not apologizing for hitting you. And you’re not one to talk! I know you’ve been purposely doing things that put me in more pain. Who does that?!”

He gasped in mock surprise, placing a hand on his chest. “You caught me! Damn, I thought I could get away with that!”

“That is so messed up!!” You screeched, flinging another ice cube at him. Loki swatted this one out of the air, stepping out of the doorway. He was still laughing, angering you more and more.

“Next time you want to have a ‘serious conversation’, might I recommend you find the ability to form a complete sentence.” He took another step into your room, dodging the ice you were furiously throwing at him.

That was the last straw. You pulled yourself up onto your knees on the end of your bed.

“You. Are. The. Worst. Person,” you fumed, chucking ice at him after each word for emphasis, “I. Have. Ever. Met.” With the last word, you hurled the entire cup at him, water splashing out of it.

Before it hit him, Loki’s hand flew out, and the water froze into icicles mid-air. Narrowing his eyes, he rotated his hand and the icicles followed, now pointing directly at you. With a flick of his wrist, the icicles shot towards you, the points glinting in the light as they flew towards your face. Your hands shot up to protect your face, but just before they hit you, Loki grinned and the icicles turned to powdery snow. The snow smacked you in the face, leaving you sputtering and dusted with the soft, cold powder.

“I am not a person, Y/N,” He said, stepping closer to you. You watched more snow form in the air in front of him, then once again, he sent it flying into your face.

This time, you scrambled to gather the snow as it fell around you, forming it into a snowball as Loki pelted you with more and more snow.

“My bad, please forgive me,” you responded sarcastically, then threw the snowball at him. He turned his head sharply, the snow knocking into the side of his face and his long, dark hair. He exhaled slowly, turning his head back to face you with a menacing look on his face.

“I don’t think I will,” he glared at you, twirling his fingers. Ice formed around them and gathered in the air above him, then was once again headed straight at you.

You pulled the blanket over your head to block the assault. You could feel him throwing handfuls of ice and snow that he was conjuring at your covered face, one after the other.

“I…” he reminded you loudly, “am a GOD!”

The attack finally ceased. You slowly peeked your head out from under the now soaking wet blankets.

Loki was standing at the foot of your bed, fuming. He had snow in his hair, which you couldn’t help but notice was a beautiful contrast of light on dark. His cheeks were a furious red and his brow was furrowed dangerously, but his eyes had a glint of something else in them.

You couldn’t help it. You laughed. His tense shoulders relaxed in the slightest as you laughed at him, brushing snow off your bed.

“That was so stupid,” you snorted. “We made such a mess. And these blankets are soaked now.” You started pulling the sheets off your bed, dumping them in a pile on the floor.

You looked back up at Loki, and to your surprise, found a smile playing at his lips. A real, genuine smile. Not one of the slightly psychotic grins you were used to, but an actual smile. You sat back on your heels, looking at him.

“You’ve seen me before, haven’t you?”

He looked at you, surprised. You were curious if he would deny it, but he didn’t. He nodded cautiously, reaching to pick up the wet sheets you had dropped on the floor.

“It was like two in the morning, wasn’t it?” You probed. Again, he nodded.

“I knew it was you!!” You shouted, making him chuckle. “You kind of freaked me out. Just staring at me like that.”

“I apologize for that. I had snuck out of the tower for some fresh air, and you looked so peaceful. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Loki told you, the sincerity in his voice surprising you.

You brushed off his apology. “Don’t go getting all sappy on me, you still put me through hell the past couple weeks,” he grinned at your comment. “But this is good, actual conversation. We’re breaking down walls, growing-”

Loki cut you off with a loud groan, rolling his eyes. Laughing, you continued. “And being civil. Either way, I’m still going to strangle you when I’m allowed out of bed.”

He finished picking up the wet blankets and grinned at you. “Wonderful. Are you going to try to have a conversation with me while you do it? That might give me more of a fright. ‘I-uh, well, um, y-you…’” he turned around to leave, mimicking you.

“You’re an ass, Loki!!” You yelled after him. “You are a complete ass.”

Series Taglist (open)

It wouldn’t let me tag some accounts, I’m sorry!

@marveloussupernatural @1v-kayla @two-eleven-thirty-four @daniellajocelyn @leleleish @sweet-beliefs @sivaas @rikkamia @1800-fight-me @canoodlincanary @person-born-winchester @tarynkauai @unlikelygalaxygiver @birdgirl90 @miku-michealis @fuckthatfeeling