#holidays busy not drawing as much as I'd like

[babykittenteach]

He's fine.

[stitchau]

————————《《FAQ》》————————

This post will be updated over time.

Main artist account: @centfornothing (both tumblr, twitter and soon bluesky)

Currently, i am very busy with university, and I'm not gonna be free any time soon...(except holidays, obviously) BUT I am really trying to put at least SOME time into what I've created here, so there's that. (Hopefully I'll survive all that)

— Usage of Stitch/Fanart

1. Q: Can I create fanart of Stitch?

A: Yes, I'd be more than happy if you do! ^^

Also, do not be shy to tag me! I will, from time to time, check if i was tagged somewhere.

2. Q: Can I use your character in my comic/animation/fanfiction?

A: Yep! I don't see why not.

3. Q: Can I ship *insert character name here* with Stitch?

A: Sure, have fun! But I sure do hope that the character in question is not a child. I am strongly against it.

4. Q: Can I create NSFW🔞 content of Stitch?

A: Yes, unless it involves children/incest. Do not draw stuff like that.

5. Q: Can I voice act your comics?

A: Any day!! Just don't forget to put credits, everything else is up to you! ^^

— NOT ALLOWED

I'm being repetitive here, but whatever. These are the only things I don't want people to do with my character, and I hope you understand why.

DO NOT create content depicting Stitch engaging with children in sexual manner.

DO NOT create content depicting Stitch endorsing incest/racism/f*scism/n*zism or anything similar to that.

As advice, I'd kindly ask you not to create stuff like this at all. Please be a better person and be responsible with what you create and put out there on the internet.

— About asks/questions

Questions that I have already answered won't get a reply.

Not all the questions will get their answers. Either because it's not the time for the answer yet or because it's irrelevant/not a question at all.

If there's too many questions, yours might be missed/might get a late reply(currently i have 70+ questions, no joke, and i just cant answer all of them, especially when there's more of them every day). But don't be shy asking questions anyway!

Other reasons for your questions not getting an answer:

I might be busy because I also have to live a life.

If your question is something like "I love your au sm," then thank you. I really appreciate your kind words, you are making my day💞

I might not want to answer your question for reasons. (Provocative questions, personal questions, etc)

If you are asking something related to YOUR OWN mental health. Please, PLEASE, if you have real problems, do not try to find a solution for them from internet strangers, go and talk to a real, qualified professional.

Please do not vent to me, I am not qualified to offer you help. I wish you the best, please stay safe.

And just a separate point about roleplays. Sorry, but I don't really do them. I can play along to something unserious and small, but whole roleplays are not for me.

— About Stitch

Stitch uses any pronouns, but they/them is a preferred one.

They are aroace.

The place they live in is called "Treatment space"(the info on what it is will be elaborated on sometime later). It is accessible for anyone in Omega Timeline at any given point through a door. But it can also be accessed from anywhere if you have one of 2 special keys: small red key that will create a door for 1 person leading to the Treatment Space or the bigger dark red key that will create a much bigger door, also leading to the Treatment Space(backyard). Keys can be mostly found in Omega Timeline, but some are scattered throughout the Multiverse.

They mimic the voice according to the form they have at the moment. So Sans' voice for a form of Sans, etc.

For all the different parts of plush bodies and clothes, there is a separate big room in Treatment Space.

Stitch doesn't need to sleep, eat, or drink.

Their most preferred forms are Toriel(convenience) and Sans(frequency of use).

The forms they don't like to use the most are the ones that are small(like Temmie, annoying dog, Flowey, etc.)

— The Lore(WIP)

Prologue

Chapter 1: Lucky streak — part 1

— Stitch's forms

I have some forms drawn separately, and some that I drew with some other sketches. I MIGHT be a bit too lazy to draw every from individually for now, so here's what I have:

Papyrus

Muffet

Mettaton

Alphys

Gaster

Monster kid (MK)

Grillby

Frisk and Chara(want to change them)

Toriel(if you can't tell, I like this one a lot)

Asgore, Flowey, Sans, Undyne, some stuff

More info will be added later

[deliciousangelfestival]

The Lady - 2

Character: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader, Eddie Horniman x Female Reader

Summary: After fifteen years away, a step-daughter returns for her Duke step-father's funeral, only to inherit a staggering 8 million pound debt and strike a risky deal with a criminal underworld figure.

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Chap 1, Chap 2, Chap 3 , Chap 4 , Chap 5 , Chap 6 , Chap 7.

Your ongoing support means the world to me! Reblogs are a fantastic way to help spread the word about my work. I'll do my best to reply to all your comments. Thank you for your continued encouragement!

Bucky leaned back in his chair, studying her reaction keenly. "I understand your concerns," he said, his tone surprisingly understanding. "But trust me, this is a business matter. We're not in the business of hurting innocent people."

"If someone died, I'd probably get deported," Bucky added casually, his tone belying the seriousness of his words.

"You're American too?" you blurted out, your voice tinged with disbelief. It was only now, under the stress of the moment, that you noticed Bucky's lack of a British accent.

"Yup. Just like you. So we have something in common," Bucky replied, his smile masking the underlying tension between you.

Leaning back in your chair, you feigned deep contemplation, buying yourself time to process the weight of Bucky's request. "After thinking thoroughly, it's not gonna happen," you finally declared, your words a thinly veiled refusal.

Bucky's easygoing demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a steely resolve that sent shivers down your spine. Drawing closer, he rested both arms on Rupert's study table, his gaze piercing you unwaveringly.

"Your Grace, because of my friendship with Rupert, I'm giving you this last chance," Bucky declared, his voice low and commanding.

With a swift motion, he produced a business card from his suit pocket and slid it across the table towards you. "I'll be waiting for your call."

As he retreated, you couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding creeping over you. The stakes had never been higher, and you knew that the choices you made in the coming days would shape the course of your future in ways you couldn't yet comprehend.

The weight of the situation pressed down on you like a suffocating blanket as you surveyed the room, your eyes landing on the familiar photos adorning the walls.

Among them, a small picture frame caught your attention, capturing a moment frozen in time: you and Rupert, smiling at a polo game.

Your voice faltered as you addressed the silent figure in the photograph. "Why did you choose me?" you whispered, the weight of the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. "Dad."

Feeling lost and overwhelmed, you pondered your next move. Should you confront your mother, who seemed to have kept secrets hidden all along?

Or seek answers from the twins, who had already distanced themselves from the burden?

After careful consideration, you decided to turn to your childhood friend, Eddie, for guidance. With a sense of determination, you grabbed the car keys and set off for Halstead estate, hoping that Eddie might offer some much-needed clarity in this sea of uncertainty.

As you stepped onto the familiar grounds of Halstead estate, memories of summers past flooded your mind. Despite the initial awkwardness of being left behind by your mother, the warmth of Eddie's family soon enveloped you in a sense of belonging.

The memories of summers spent here flooded back. Your mother left you behind, as the twins didn't want you to join the holiday. So, your mom left you here since Eddie's manor was closer to you.

Initially awkward, but it became enjoyable with Freddie always cracking jokes and Eddie, the adventurous one.

Reminiscing about fishing trips, horseback riding, and clay shooting, you couldn't help but smile at the fond memories made in this idyllic setting.

Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through your reverie, and you turned to see Freddie, Eddie's brother, approaching with open arms. Despite the passage of time, Freddie seemed unchanged, his jovial spirit shining through.

"Y/N! Come here. Give me a hug."

You embraced him. It had been 15 years, and he seemed different, almost radiant.

Freddie said, "I'm sorry about Rupert. I lost my dad last year too."

You replied, "I'm sorry too."

"So, it's obvious you're not here for me. You want to see Eddie?" Freddie asked.

"I am," you confirmed.

"He just finished a conversation with a guest. Let me take you there," Freddie offered, leading the way.

When you walked into the study room, you heard an elegant female voice saying, "I'll give the info later."

As she walked out, you noticed her stylish demeanor and sensed a mysterious aura around her. There was a hint of leadership in her presence, but what struck you as odd was the faint smell of weed lingering in the air.

She smiled at you before departing.

"I didn't expect you to come here so soon," Eddie remarked with a smile as you turned to face him. Seated in a leather chair, he exuded the air of a true duke.

"I didn't know where else I could go," you replied.

Freddie cleared his throat. "I'll leave you two alone."

Eddie offered you a seat and poured a drink, which you gratefully accepted.

"I heard you got the title. Congrats," Eddie said, raising his glass in a toast.

You chuckled softly. "The title is useless when all I've got is debt."

Eddie fell silent for a moment. "I went through a similar situation myself. What kind of problem are you having right now?"

"Do you know Bucky Barnes?" you asked.

Eddie clicked his tongue in response.

Crossing your arms, you continued, "So you know him. That means you knew about my stepdad's weed business."

Eddie leaned back in his chair, thoughtfully swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "Rupert got into the business earlier than me," he began, his tone reflecting a mix of resignation and regret. "The woman you saw before is Susie Glass."

"He had a business with her," Eddie continued, his voice tinged with disapproval.

You clenched your jaw, the realization sinking in.

"I didn't know much about the details, but your father was on the list that worked with the Glass," Eddie explained, his expression troubled.

"He wanted out," you interjected, your voice firm with determination.

Eddie nodded grimly. "And that's where Barnes came in. He's a syndicate, setting up a branch in the UK from New York. His business was unique and deadly."

The dimly lit study seemed to take on a more sinister atmosphere as Eddie spoke, shadows dancing across the walls like flickering flames. The air was tense, each word carrying the weight of unspoken truths and hidden dangers.

"Rupert owes Barnes 8 million pounds," you stated, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

Eddie hesitated for a moment before responding, his expression thoughtful. "That's..."

"I know, it's insane," you interjected, your voice tinged with frustration.

Eddie met your gaze, his eyes reflecting a mix of sympathy and determination. "I could pay off your debt," he offered quietly.

You recoiled slightly, taken aback by his proposal. "Then what? I'll still in debt. It never ends," you countered, a note of bitterness creeping into your voice.

You sighed, the weight of Rupert's decision heavy on your shoulders. "Why did Rupert choose me?"

Eddie nodded in understanding, his expression reflective. "I asked the same thing when my dad chose me instead of Freddie."

Your brow furrowed in confusion as you looked at him, prompting Eddie to chuckle softly. "Problem solver," he explained simply.

You nodded slowly, considering Eddie's words. "Both of us did join the military. Is it because we went through difficult situations?"

Eddie leaned forward, his gaze unwavering as he locked eyes with you. "Probably," he agreed, a reassuring smile playing on his lips. "But I'm sure you could handle it. If not, I'll be here to help you."

A warmth spread through you at his words, and you felt a slight blush creeping up your cheeks. "Thank you," you murmured gratefully, appreciating his caring demeanor.

You nodded firmly. "I've got all I need. I'll go now," you declared, trying to maintain composure as you turned to leave.

Eddie nodded in response. "Sure. I'll see you next time," he replied, his tone gentle and understanding.

As you walked away, you couldn't help but feel a swirl of emotions inside, like a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and feelings. You tried to keep a cool facade, but deep down, your heart was racing.

Meanwhile, Eddie watched you go, a flicker of concern crossing his features. Then, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Did she notice?" someone asked quietly.

Eddie glanced over, meeting the gaze of the speaker. "Not yet," he responded softly, his expression thoughtful as he contemplated the situation.

You drove for what felt like an eternity until you finally arrived back at your own manor. As you stepped inside, you noticed Hugo playing in the living room with Susan. Ignoring your mother, your focus was solely on your little step-brother.

You were just ten years old when you first met Rupert, and he had quickly become the best father figure you'd ever known. During the eight years you spent here, you learned to appreciate Rupert's love for his legacy and the history of the manor.

Sighing heavily, you knew you were about to make a risky decision.

Heading to Rupert's study again, you picked up Bucky's business card and dialed the number. After just two rings, his voice filled your ears. "I've been waiting for your call, Your Grace," he said smoothly.

Rolling your eyes at his confidence, you replied, "Just one job and you clear the debt?"

Bucky chuckled, his tone dripping with assurance. "It would be a big explosion. They'll think it's a terrorist attack. But no, Your Grace. Five small explosions, and we're done."

Bucky's voice crackled through the line, his tone both humorous and tinged with an unmistakable edge. "Think of it as fireworks, Your Grace. Except instead of pretty colors, we'll be making a statement."

You couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh, the gravity of the situation juxtaposed with Bucky's nonchalant demeanor. "And what kind of statement would that be?" you asked, trying to match his casual tone.

"The kind that says, 'Don't mess with us,'" Bucky replied, his voice dripping with a dangerous charm. "We'll leave 'em scratching their heads and scrambling for cover."

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, you couldn't deny the thrill of adrenaline coursing through your veins. "And you're sure this will work?" you inquired, a hint of skepticism creeping into your voice.

Bucky's confidence was unwavering. "Trust me, Your Grace. When it comes to making a scene, I'm the best in the business."

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Author Note: Hey friends,

If you've been enjoying the content, I've set up a Ko-fi account.

Your support through tips would mean the world and help me keep creating.

Only if you feel like it!

Here's the link: Ko-fi

Thanks a bunch for being fabulous followers!

[mewtwoandme]

Alrighty, just a heads up. After today, I'm not gonna be as active on here until after New Years.

Holiday plans are gonna be keeping me busy. The downside is that now I'm sick...(one of my coworkers apparently had been sick and never said anything, and of course, I'm the one that catches it :/)

Anywhooooo, despite being sick, I do intend to at least finish up the thing I'm doing for Christmas, so hopefully, that'll be scheduled to go up on the 25th. It will very likely be my last art post of the year. As much as I'd like to continue working on the Blu Arc while I'll be away, being sick kinda threw a monkey wrench into my plans, not to mention the previous burnout I've been feeling, which had actually started going away. Of course, once I finally start to feel better and get some motivation back to draw, I get sick...I have the worst luck XD

I'm hoping spending time with the family and just being in a warm/festive environment in general will help lift my spirits a bit and just taking it easy. The last few months of the year have definitely been rough for me...I hope that with the start of the new year, it'll feel like a fresh start. So I'll be able to pick back up where I left off when I come back. ^^

[osatokun]

Hey, do you mind if I ask what your process is for drawing scenes/rooms? They have such a nice flow and soft feeling to them that I admire so much. My own scenes get a very stiff and naked-looking perspective, and I'd like to improve on that.

Hello! Thank you! <3 For complicated perspective shots I use very basic 3d models, it helps a lot in figuring out the right angle. I'm not good with perspective myself and I have too many ideas that needs to jump over my head and do it FAST before inspiration fades. So this is the good tool. (obviously, I start with thinking out the idea and composition first, and then figuring out perspective. The app is called design doll)

Then I sketch over

then *draw the damn owl* XD

The biggest part is to think about characters on the picture, where they are, what they like, what are they doing etc. This exact picture is a small celebration of ressurection of that little pink bear-chimera. All of the kids are living hard life, more or less they are all warriors (a werewolf, 2 changelings (and Glinda) and a vampire, Prince's adopted daughter).But Charlie want to let them be kids as long as they can. And then the details comes from the understanding of the characters. Werewolf kid has 2 boxes of noodles (and probably finishing up 3rd) because they eat A LOT and use a ton of energy. Vampire kid has no food because vampires rarely can eat food, Charlie is a special bean. They left a bun for Charlie because he doesn't like to eat much (he doesn't need too), but still enjoys the taste and sharing meal. He is busy changing plates and washing tho. There are werewolf's hoodie on the chair and a backpack, because it's Charlie's and Glinda's home, everyone but Monica are guests. There are coffee machine because Glinda works A LOT during the day and also wants to hang out with her new found family at nights. Each syrup bottle picked according to Glinda's and Monica's taste. a ton of frogs stuff- Glinda loves them. An unfinished painting-the abandoned woods in Umbra. Halloween lights-it's Charlie's favorite holiday. Little duck - one of the first things Charlie saw when he first come to Glinda's house (it sit in the sink, drifting in pink colored water). A bouquet of raspberry - Charlie gave it to Glinda in the first days of dating to impress her ( he also thought it had a good symbolism). he killed people to get this bouquet (no joke!!) I'm sorry, I got carried away! But if your question was only about perspective, you have the answer!

[mjoffic]

last minute shopping - eddie munson holiday blurb

I work retail and this popped in my head while refolding a graphic tee table and it's truly just a bunch of fluf and eddie being a cute boi

~ enjoy and happy holidays ~

word count: 1.2k

The holidays. A time focused around family, the reason for the season, cozy sweaters and hot cocoa. Twinkling lights couldn't be missed for miles as every house had some sort of big bulk convenience store decoration. No need for 'frosted windows in a can', oh no, Hawkins was seeing a very white Christmas with snow fall never ending and the chill of the wind cutting through every jacket and parka leaving no survivors behind. The joy was like an electric buzz in the air, only one thing could diminish the feeling.

The Starcourt Mall.

Eddie wasn't the best planner, never had been. Despite this year trying his best to be on top of the holidays he still had yet to get something for Uncle Wayne. With Christmas Day only two days away, it was a scramble for the perfect gift and it was absolute hell trying to get anywhere in the mall.

He could try The Gap? Nah, too pricey.

Maybe a gift certificate to Scoops Ahoy? But when would Wayne ever find the time to use it? He's always working.

Eddie sighed in frustration, running a hand through his mop of curls. He took a moment to look around the area, peeking over the heads of bustling mothers herding their kids to meet Santa, dads sitting on benches with shopping bags galore, teenagers running around the food court with their Orange Julius's sloshing all over the place. This was a nightmare. Slim pickings. Would Wayne be upset over a hand drawn card?

He was near giving up when he spotted Macy's on the far end. It was a department store, and while it seemed busy, it wasn't as congested as the inner workings of the mall. He squeezed his way through and slid through a sliver of space in between two groups of families; one included a mother scolding her husband for losing their credit card, the other group had a child crying over not getting the remote control car on the front table. Eddie pursed his lips, so glad he wasn't in that stage of life just yet.

There seemed to be never ending options for Eddie to look through, he wondered why he hadn't stopped in in the first place. It also made this decision much more difficult. He knew that he would definitely be walking out with something, no doubt, but genuinely the starting point slowly began to stump him and he felt his once eager energy depleting. A three pack of ties? When did Wayne dress up? A mug? Sure, lets add to the hundreds of them adorning the trailer wall. Maybe a fancy glass set? Even if the glasses were on sale, it was definitely out of Eddie's comfort range of spending.

"Well the sign says fifty percent off!"

A screech from an older woman pulled Eddie out of his daze and his attention turned to the scene on his right.

"Ma'am, I understand your frustration, however the sign details specifically to the gift sets. This sweater is on the table, but is signed for thirty percent off."

Eddie shifted his gaze from the woman, red in the face, almost matching her Christmas red sweater, to you. You stood behind a counter, not currently in use to ring up customers, but he noticed a stack of scarves next to you. He assumed you'd been cleaning up. You wore emerald green, very festive, and an elf hat to match. Despite your professional aura, the bell on the end of hat could almost send him into a fit of giggles every time your head even moved an inch.

"I'd be more than happy to show you-" you started, before being interrupted.

"You can show me to your manager! This is false advertising!" the women shouted, drawing a few more eyes into encounter.

"Ma'am, I'll have to ask you to keep from yelling in the store," you responded, face void of emotion. "If you would let me-"

"I'll yell if I want to! This is a free country!"

Eddie watched you take a deep breath, before picking a landline off the counter. You typed quietly while the woman continued her banter. You faked a smile to her before speaking again. "Hi, hey Ron, it's Y/n! Yeah, yeah, doing good, hey listen, would you mind sending security down to gifts? I have a disgruntled customer who refuses to listen. Awesome, thanks so much!"

The womens jaw dropped as you placed the phone back to the receiver, Eddie snickering quietly at this interaction.

"Who do you think you are!" the woman shouted, feigning a hand to her chest dramatically. "Do you know who I am?"

You smiled and shook your head, folding your hands on the counter. "No, ma'am, I don't! However I am the manager of this department and am asking you to remove yourself before security gets here."

The woman stared dumbfounded, slowly backing up from your bubble. Eddie stared in wonder at the interaction, and if he was honestly, completed turned on by your dominance.

"Merry Christmas!" you smiled, waving as the woman moved away from the scene.

Eddie noticed security at the end of the walkway and he shook his head, laughing slightly. Finding the nerve to walk up to you, he leaned softly against the counter and looked to the way in which the Grinch had left. "I think that was better than any of those movies playing in the theater right now."

You looked to him when he had approached, and smirked a bit at his words. "I try. Gotta keep some sort of sanity in this place."

"I get it, it's a madhouse in here," Eddie nodded, giving his best smile before extending his hand. "Eddie."

Your smirk simmered into a smile and you shook his hand back, nodding. "Y/n."

"Well, Y/n, I'm wondering if you might be of some use to me," he said, straightening back up.

"Oh?" you questioned, crossing your arms.

"Yeah, I mean, you are the manager of this department," Eddie said. "I'm in the works for the perfect gift."

"Ah," you nodded, stepping out from around the counter and glancing around your section. "Mom? Sibling? Girlfriend?"

Eddie stifled a laugh and he slowly followed beside you. "Uh, no mom. No siblings. And no girlfriend."

Your face erupted in pink and you stumbled over your words. "Oh, um, I'm sorry, I just assumed-"

"Hey, hey," Eddie grinned. "All good here. I'm shopping for my uncle, wanna try to find him something nice. Not much of a budget but I figured I'd find something on sale."

You felt your panic subside and sat a cool hand against your cheek, the heat subsiding. "Well, I'm sure we can find something perfect for him! Maybe something for you? Doesn't hurt to treat yourself sometimes."

Eddie pursed his lips a little bit and dug his hands in his pockets, following slightly behind you. He watched the way the bell of your hat jingled with every step you took. You arms slightly swayed when you walked, and you barely made a sound when taking a step. He began to notice the little things, and started to quietly thank the stars he'd came into the mall after all.

"I think I already have."

[silverwarewolf]

mkay i know i promised to post excerpts but life is really fucking busy right now sooooo we're switching things around. today! today you get bloody whiskey. and some saturday asks later.

so. welcome, everyone, to this week's writeblr content - it's a little dynamic i thought up called "use two different picrews to portray what your characters look like and what they see themselves as"

in other words, you will see the character's regular appearance on the left (picrew by PotatoLord), and on the right you'll see what they would draw/describe/picrew themselves like (picrew by nuggts).

feel free to do a similar dynamic for your own OC's!

without further ado, bloody whiskey main cast under the cut. enjoy!

Leo, well, what can we say about Leo. He sees himself as a little more awkward than he really is - he's the kind of person who realizes they're in their twenties and go "I'M AN ADULT????"

That also means that, where others only see a friendly demeanor, he thinks it's painfully obvious that he's got a crush. No, it is almost unpercievable to the others, much to his misfortune.

Irvine, Irvine, poor lil Irvine. He's haunted by a lot of things. His past, his vampirism, the paranormal. Somehow, it's easier for the others to note that there's something bothering him than the tension between him and Leo.

So, in the same vein but the opposite end, his facade of obvliviousness and simply happening to be good at stuff like handling animals, butchering, and cooking, is not as good of an act as he thinks it is.

Tanner is pretty consistent, as it turns out! I think the only difference is that he sometimes gets a sense of self doubt about like, his style or how he presents and such, while everyone else pays no mind to it, they think he's cool. Also, his transgender experience is very personal, yeah? so i thought it would be fitting to represent that in this "inner" version of his.

Kamryn is also pretty consistent. If anything, what others percieve as a dry and sarcastic character is five times stronger than he truly means it - he does have that specific sense of humor, but in his mind it's not really that strong? So why does everyone think he's this "cool tough guy" when he's just chilling?

It works in his favor though, for the most part. The charm that he knows he has is also five times stronger than he believes it.

Jo, my sweet angel. She has the opposite issue - to her, she's quite animated and friendly, very whimsical. But sometimes it takes a bit more effort so that her feelings actually translate into her facial expression / general demeanor.

They can appear reserved at times, but once you get to know them, they're actually pretty fun to hang out with. And yes, she and Kamryn are very good friends in part due to this, even though to the outside eye they look like they're always locked in a 5D chess battle.

Louise is somewhere in between the two. She's generally pretty chill, but sometimes she feels unapproachable. Maybe if she opened up about her interests more, it would help! Her siblings didn't really know that she liked exercise (and women), and they only found out way later than Irvine did. He's just observant like that, totally no other reason.

Anna is having a bit of a crisis by the time we meet her. So, she generally thinks of herself as being way less cool / stylish than she is on the outside. She's working on it, though! Once she befriended Tanner, things have been going better for the both of them in that regard.

Winny is more like Josephine. On the outside, she appears like a serious and collected engineer, but on the inside there's a much more animated personality. She absolutely LOVES videogames and holiday seasons, and she's also a lot more adventurous than she looks. I mean, she's been taking motorcycle lessons from Kamryn, after all! Who knew?

Aunt Harley is one of the more consistent ones, I'd say. The only real difference between other's perception of her and her own is that she feels a lot more casual about things? Sure, she owns a very successful farm, but she just feels like she always did decades ago - she even has the same energy!

In truth, she actually enjoys when people see that deeper side of her, youthful and innovative, rather than simply middle aged and mildly wealthy. Only Irvine and Edmund (who isn't on this list) have seen that side of her.

Last but not least - Cousin Kathleen! She's very sure of herself and isn't afraid of showing it! Confident, stylish, and good at her job - she's ready to take on the world whenever!

Some other Kathleen facts: she enjoys horror movies and is actually the one who most regularly accompanies Irvine in the more paranormal moments of the plot. Anything to see a vampire in action! Don't worry about her clothes - she knows how to gets bloodstains out of them, and it's not like her business isn't successful enough to buy another, if it comes down to it.

Taglist (lmk to be added/removed): @albatris @multi-lefaiye @vampiresdrinkfruitjuice @hazelgatoya

[thedoover-if]

i'll just call myself the avoidance anon (lol) and yes, we're doing much better, thank you! I'm happy to say that, as a big FU to my (ex) dad, I am now earning three times his salary. haha

anyways, on the subject of kids, I have this scenario where my PC have always wanted to have a child (totally not me btw) but obviously that didn't happen bc of the cheating and divorce. in a game I played recently, the MC's mother had artifical insemination to have a baby. so what if our PC did that too (we better be making big bucks as a marriage councellor or i'll sue) a year or two after the divorce.

I hc my PC as someone who overworks to cope (if I can't see you, you can't see me) and kinda just... forgets to take care of themselves at some point. while spending a day-off on their favorite cafe, they happen to see a happy family walk by and after almost a week of thinking, they're on their way to get an IUI. a few months later, its confirmed that they're pregnant and affectionately call the bundle of joy, 'my miracle'. ('I lost myself but I found you, my tiny miracle')

on the night of the accident, PC asked the sweet old couple next door to babysit bc they're working late aaand... there goes the plot. at some point after the accident, the ex-spouse somehow meets the child and is curious about the father and (possibly) gets even more heartbroken realizing PC most likely went through a pregnancy alone; the morning sickness, pregnancy cravings, and the heightened emotions on top of the soreness.

ex-spouse: 'oh, what are you drawing?'

(c/n): 'ms. penny said to draw my family. this is me; I'm a prince/princess.'

ex-spouse: "oh, is this your mommy and daddy, then?"

(c/n): 'no, mommy is the fairy godmother. that's daddy and his princess.'

ex-spouse: 'your daddy and... his princess?'

(c/n): 'mmh! mommy said my real daddy left to look for his true love, and that they lived happily ever after.'

(the skit is purely for emotional damage LOLOLOL)

ex-spouse is left to be a silent observer as he watches PC put the child to sleep by singing them a lullaby (think 'never grow up' by ts) and watch them be the mother they always wanted to be, except, the spot next to them was empty (different from his imagination) and the warm, loving gaze PC used to give him was now directed at someone else.

for extra angst, i'd like to imagine the ex-spouse's parents being aware that PC had a baby and sends birthday and holiday gifts for the little one. they were even there for the baby's birth. when the ex later called his parents to ask why they didn't say anything to him about the baby, they simply said 'it was none of his business'. of course, the parents would notice PC overworking themselves, but months later, they saw small, positive change with the PC, and when they opened up they were, in fact, pregnant, they didn't want their kid to ruin the happiness PC found (again)

at this point, it just became a mini-au of an au. I'M JSUT SO EXCITED FOR THIS IF JSJAKPQXNWO

hi again! aw that makes me really happy to hear and YESSS CONGRATS TO YOU!!!

uhm...this skit😭😭 emotional damage achieved anon😭 also i love never grow up!! well this story broke my heart WHYY. reading this makes me so glad i didnt add any kids into this horrible mix LOL. and by the end of the book itll just be up in the air what happens with MC and their partner, so you guys can just create whatever scenarios you want haha

and thank you for the excitment!!💗 sorry its taking so long, coding is such a drag (im really slow haha) but it hopefully shouldnt be too long anymore!!

[here-2suffer]

Happy Valentines day yall! Here's a lil treat! A big thank you to @kattramen for helping me with this, I don't think I would've been ready with it today if it wasn't for them. This is based on/inspired by @gniteruirui 's au thing! Hope you all enjoy! Long post warning!

It's February 14th, Valentines day. But instead of being happy and in love like everyone else is, you're devastated and alone.

You look across the daycare to see Sun talking with another daycare assistant, they seem so happy.

Why can't you be happy with this?

...

You know why.

You love him. You love him so much, but he loves them. You want to be happy for them, you really do, but you just can't bring yourself to.

You pretend it's fine though. You're not gonna make them feel bad and ruin their days just because you feel bad, and especially not on Valentines day. So you busy yourself with reorganizing everything on the desk, again. At least it gives you something to distract yourself with.

Except it doesn't. You can hear their talking, so you reach for your headphones to tune them out with music, until you realize you forgot to bring your headphones today.

Lucky you.

"Hey there! Happy cupid day!" Mark suddenly materializes next to you with a pink rose in hand.

"Ack!-" You step back in surprise and almost trip over your own two feet. "B- Jeezus Mark! You've got to stop sneaking up on me like that!" The talking from Sun and the other employee has stopped, but you're too preoccupied with the idiot (affectionate) that jumpscared you.

"Ha, sorry about that." He held out the rose to you. "Here, have this as an apology." He smiled and you took the rose. "It's fake, so you don't have to worry about it dying." He winked. You roll your eyes. "Geez, thanks for being so considerate." He grinned triumphantly. "Yeah, it's my job as your best friend."

You're about to say something back when Sun speaks loudly from the middle of the daycare. "Allllright everybody! It's gift giving time for our favorite love holiday! Get your gifts and gather around!" His voice is as loud and energetic as always. You're heart starts to hurt again hearing his voice, you don't want to go, but you don't really have a choice. Mark grabs your hand and gives it a little squeeze, offering you a comforting smile, one that says "You got this." You smile and squeeze his hand back, then you grab your gifts for everyone and head to middle of the daycare.

It only takes a couple minutes before everyone is gathered here with their gifts, Sun has decided we'll be going around in a circle so no one is left out of gift giving.

The first one up is... the one Sun likes. Of course. They go around and give everyone a Hershey's kiss. The next person goes, giving everyone a drawing they've done, it's really good actually. Things keep going with smiles and laughter until Mark's turn.

He goes around and gives everyone a friendship bracelets, everyone except you, that is. You don't mind, he's made you plenty before, and he's already given you a gift, but everyone else doesn't know that.

There's small gasps and someone chokes on their chocolate kiss. "Hey Mark, I think you forgot about them." Kent points at you. You wave it off. "No, no, Mark didn't forget about me. He already gave me my gift earlier, don't worry about it." Eveyone seemed to relax, there was some sighs of relief. Mark put on a mock offended face. "You guys really think I'd leave my bestest friend in the whole wide world out of this?" A lighthearted joke to get things back to normal and moving again.

Sun gave everyone tiny origami butterflies, and then it was your turn.

You brought roses. You didn't want to give what other people gave out, and you didn't know what else to give, so you brought roses. You gave everyone 2 roses, and everyone had 1 yellow rose, and whatever other color depending on how you felt towards them.

That was until you got to Sun, the last one you needed to give roses to. You gave him one blue rose, unable to meet his gaze as you handed it to him. "Sorry Sun, guess I miscounted, I only have enough to give you one."

His usual happy smile faltered a little, but he gingerly took the rose. "It's a-okay! Roses are very popular around this time of year, I totally understand if they ran out of roses for you!" You put on your best smile and walked back to Mark, never once meeting Sun's gaze. He kept looking to see if you would look back, to see if you cared, but you didn't look back. He was a little hurt that he was the only one who got one rose, but he knew that there were probably no more roses at the stores you went to. At least that's what he wanted to believe.

Everyone went back to doing their own thing when it was finished. Sun started talking with same person again (seriously, does he ever talk to anyone else?), and you went back to the security desk with Mark.

...

Mark takes your hand in his own. "Listen, I know you're trying to get over him, but did you really have to do that?" He's whispering, making sure no one else eavesdrops on your conversation. You sigh. "I... No, but I can't help it. I don't want to hurt his feelings, but for some reason I don't feel like I can just do nothing but avoid him, I felt like I needed to do something else to make me feel better."

"Well, do you feel better?" He gave your hand a little squeeze, he never judged you or thought you cruel for the things you did, he always understood. "...No. I think I might feel worse.." You felt the tears coming to your eyes and your voiced cracked, you were never good with your emotions.

He pulled you into a hug. "It'll be okay."

Sun watched from across the daycare as you hugged him back, he was beginning to wonder if he should come and ask what was wrong. He hated seeing you upset, he wanted to comfort you.

"But he didn't really seem to care anyway." Right. He was in a conversation with someone, it would be rude to leave. So he stayed with this special person, and you stayed with Mark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Almost everyone was gone now, even Sun's best friend. It was only you, Kent, and someone else who's name you forgot (you didn't talk to them anyway). The lights are off so you didn't have to worry about avoiding Sun to save your heart, but you did have to worry about Moon. He's been talking to you more than usual lately.

He's on top of the tallest play structure, directly above your coworker like a cat ready to pounce an unsuspecting victim, but he never makes the move to do so. But the person has to clock out now, so they do. Moon stays on the play structure, though now he's looking directly at you.

You look around, Kent is across the daycare, he's too preoccupied with his tasks and music to notice if anything happens to you. That usually wouldn't be a good thing, but it is today.

You wave at Moon with a smile, signaling for him to come over. He tilts his head, he doesn't do anything but stay still. You think he might not come, but then his wire comes down and connects to the latch on his back and he starts swimming in the air towards you.

Once he's like 5 feet away from you, he stops swimming and just stays there, he doesn't even go back on the ground. You put your bag on the table and reach inside, he keeps looking between you and your bag. You smile and pull out 2 roses, one blue and one orange. His eyes widen in surprise.

"Uh, so. I notice that you don't really get any gifts from any holiday, and I wanted to give you one because you.. mean a lot to me." You hold out the roses and smile.

He just stares at them for a couple of seconds. You got him roses? Two of them.. He reaches out to take the roses, but instead of taking them, he grabs your wrist and pulls you close. It's so sudden you don't even have time to react before you find yourself in his embrace.

He's hugging you. He's holding up your wrist with the roses in them so they don't get damaged somehow in the hug. Once the shock wears off, which only took a second or two, you hug him back.

"Thank you..." He whispers into your ear and hugs you a little tighter for a second before letting go and taking the roses. A part of you is a little disappointed he let go, but the way he holds the roses and looks at the with awe makes everything okay. For a moment, everything else vanishes, and it's just you and Moon. He looks back up at you.

"Orange and blue... For sun and mine's colors?" You blink, not understanding what he means for a second. Then you get it and your eyes widen a little. "Oh no! Not at all. Uh, those roses are for you. I gave everyone roses, the colors are based of of my feelings for them, and these are based of my feelings for you."

He looks back down to the roses. "Okay. Thank you. Like them." He smiles a little, it makes you feel butterflies. All the butterflies you've been trying to put to rest are now going wild now. Your brain starts screaming at you.

Stop it.

They don't like you like that. Give it up.

Your alarm rings, you jump at the sudden noise. You turn it off and look at Moon again. "Heh, sorry. I guess I have to go now. Bye Moon, I'll see you tomorrow!" You grab your bags and wave to Moon as you leave. He wears the same smile and waves you off until you're out of sight.

He wanted to stay with you a little longer..

Sun was online, he still hadn't gone to "sleep". He saw everything.

You said you ran out of roses. But you brought two for Moon. Did you lie? Why? His metaphorical heart was broken.

"Moon- why.. why did I only get one? Do.. do they hate me?" Moon paused. He he was so caught up in the fact you gave him a gift that he forgot what happened with Sun earlier.

He was always online during gift giving time, he wanted to see what everyone brought. He saw you only give Sun one rose. One blue rose.

"I gave everyone roses, the colors are based of of my feelings for them."

Blue. "They gave roses based on feelings. What does blue rose mean?" A quick internet search in their head. "Mystery or attaining the impossible?"

...

You gave them both a blue rose.

What did that mean? What's so impossible for you to get of them?

...

Sun went offline. Now it was just Moon and Kent in the room.

So much for a happy Valentines day.

[umilily]

Since I can't draw for shit, I sadly can't make one of those yearly lookbacks, but there's something else I'd like to put out there as a sort of year-in-review (and to celebrate a little):

Once more – true to my brand – I managed to time things so spectacularly that I’m proud (?) to say that today is actually my one-year anniversary of posting fic. To be fair, I doubt that this will become an international holiday like any other minor ones going on atm, but nevertheless I just wanted to take a moment to write down some thoughts on that (because ah, yes, of course, more rambling from me), even if it’s just for myself to look back on both an occasionally very unusual, weird year.

No pressure to read or digest any of this, I think the only thing I really want to say to anyone who’s bothered reading this far (both this post and the things posted over the last year) is a huge thanks. If you had told me last December that a decision made while under the heavy influence of Ibuprofen and caffeine to combat one of the nastiest colds I ever had, would snowball into a year filled with kind words from strangers and new friends, I would have probably written you off as a fever dream. Oddly enough, it wasn’t, so somehow now I’m here writing this post that already feels too pompous, but that I can’t help wanting to type out regardless.

My own corner of the vast internet unexpectedly became a lot more populated than I’ve ever known it to be. Which feels hilariously ironic when I think about that at the same time, living abroad essentially nuked my social life with friends and family many hours away. But even if I still am very much reclusive – a rare encounter I suppose – and have only talked to very few people who hang around here, I’m still so very grateful for all the kind words from everyone found for me and my writing. Thank you all for keeping me company through me essentially just going “fuck it we ball” continuously.

The last year had some stretches that have been exhausting and rough and I think sticking with something self-indulgent and light-hearted kept me from going nuts at times. I’m not the type to make new years resolutions and when last year I told people that mine was “Doing things poorly”, it likely was the most confusing one they heard so far. For me personally, it was the best one out there, so I will be renewing that and (as proudly as possible) continue to do things poorly in 2024 as well. If people stick around for a laugh or two, I will take it as the highest praise and compliment.

On a more personal front, there is a good chance that I will start working full-time within the next year, so I also just wanted to take this chance for a little heads-up. If I end up disappearing for longer than what you’re used to from me being chronically online, it’s probably because I managed to fool people into hiring me and sadly not because I finally made the smart decision to become a hermit in the woods or retire to the seaside. (Or well, I might end up reacting the exact opposite. Because when have I ever made responsible, adult decisions regarding how to spend my free time? Who needs sleep when you can contemplate the enigmatic, inner machinations of your blorbo’s mind on the topic of coffee or Ikea furniture?) I will do my very best to be as consistent as possible, because even if I do get busy, writing has been something that brought me much more joy than I could have anticipated, and I would like to keep that going.

With that, I think I’m finally done and all that’s left for me to do is saying thanks again and wishing you all a relaxing holiday season and a good start into the new year! <3

[offworldlamb-writes]

Day 14! Nearly halfway through #fictober24!

Today's prompt is Did you stick to the plan? and we're back with the Waywards for a short shopping trip.

xxx

The midday announcement rang out through Central Square and Noir muttered a panicked swear under her breath. Non really stressed the point of not getting caught while they were here: there was no knowing what level of alert surrounded them right now so being careful was incredibly important, but there was no avoiding a trip back into the city. Yuan even made sure to remind her of the meet-up time before they split up so she wouldn't miss it but she was so caught up in finding what she needed that she completely forgot she was on a schedule, and now had to rush back through busy crowds of people without drawing too much attention.

Would they leave without her? She wouldn't blame them, and technically she could go back by herself, but whether Non would even let her back on base was to be debated and she'd rather not get on her bad side now that they were finally starting to work well together. Luckily for her she spotted them still waiting near the station like they'd agreed, with Alpha cheerfully waving her over and offering to take one or two of her bags to let her catch her breath. "Everything alright?" he asked, with Yuan looking a little more worried alongside him, and with a frown she started apologising profusely. "Did you stick to the plan?" Alpha asked next with a smile, and her whole body sagged with frustration.

It felt like everything that could go wrong did go wrong today, and she tried to explain as much as she could without giving them a play-by-play of her entire morning. Endless queues, important people on holiday, and of course the necessity of paying in hard cash and not credits. So few places in Central dealt in real money these days, or trade-ins-- she'd hauled her old processor all the way here and nearly had to take it back with her,but much to her luck there was a place down near the Old Docks that took it off her hands for a good price. "I did my best to catch up but it's been so difficult! I never thought I'd struggle so much without touch credit...!"

There was a nod in agreement from Yuan, a grim smirk of commiserations on his face, but Alpha was sniggering. "I thought you worked the scrap yards: you should be used to this," he teased, and her helpless rebuttal was lost under another laugh before he looked to Yuan instead with a wicked little grin. "It makes complete sense with you though, Mister 'Daddy paid for my living expenses'."

As Yuan tried to defend his honour next and Alpha continued giggling Brutal strolled up to join them, nearly fifteen minutes after they'd arranged to meet. Sipping on a large iced drink through a crazy straw he didn't seem to have anything else that he'd bought on hand, and greeted them with a casual 'hey'. "Why d'you all look so upset?"

"You're late," Yuan huffed, a vain attempt at escaping Alpha's prolonged teasing, but Brutal simply shrugged.

"You're still here, aren't you? Train's not even in the station yet!"

Yuan wasn't detered. "Did you stick to the plan?"

The snort of laughter already answered the question but Brutal tagged on a highly amused 'No!' for emphasis, rolling straight on into a proper belly laugh when Yuan rolled his eyes and turned away in defeat.

[harpidiem]

Hi! I really like your art and blog, and I noticed that you apparently have been running commission on-and-off for at least a little while, and I was wondering if you had any tips on running art commissions? Any good guidelines, how to get more visibility, etc.

I know it's not really a reliable thing, but I'm in a bad situation health-wise and could really use the money, so any advice you might be willing to share about how to do it better would be much appreciated.

Sure thing!

Well for one you have to figure that most people don't have money to spend on commissions; I certainly don't and commissions are more of a luxury thing to buy considering they're relatively expensive and take a long time, so don't be too discouraged if you don't see much business. I get less commissions around the holidays considering people are buying more important things around that time. I have consistent severe health problems too, and that's the main reason I struggle for money lmao, so I understand.

I've been doing commissions I think for two-three years now? and Im still not sure how is the best way to go about it LMAO my bad. I'd just say

-When you post an artwork, just simply put 'commissions open' at the bottom of the caption, so people are aware you do commissions

-I keep a commission post regularly circulated on my blog and personal side blog. not reblogged day or something so I don't annoy my mutuals (or worse, make them feel bad for not being able to support; I've had to unfollow someone because I felt bad not being able to help after they rbed their commissions page 24/7 and I felt bad fjjsjf selfish I know, but. y'know.)

-I mention it in my bio for instagram, discord, twitter, anything I use.

-When you finish a commission, ask if they're ok with you posting it.

-Start at the lowest possible price, and as interest grows, and your skill grows, raise the price just a bit every so often (I used to charge $20 for commissions, but since my process is now taking me 3-6 hours or more to complete a commission, I raised it to at *least* $40-$90

-Always be friendly and considerate (Im sure you are but. genuinely it goes a long long way)

-Give regular updates (I'm bad about this one because I start multiple projects and work on like. 7 things at a time. God bless people who are so so patient with me). Ask if they're happy with the process every step of the way, and make changes where needed (within reason).

-Always keep them in the loop of you have a major life thing going on that might slow down progress, or admit when there's been a goof on your end. I personally appreciate it when someone keeps me updated, so I try to update others as well >_<

-Just be honest, friendly, and people will know you're reliable. Keep it chill and not desperate, and you'll see business

-I recommend a page on Trello to keep your info organized! I use that for commission rules/guidelines

-Only advertise work you enjoy making. You do not want to get stuck painting if you hate painting! Nothing is worse than being on a time crunch and not even enjoying the process you have to finish

That's about all I have honestly, I just post commission work constantly as my weekly posting and it's been 1. good for growing my skill in the past year because I have to draw 2. people know me for character commissions at a certain point because I post them a lot. I hope any of this was helpful!!

[noaltbruh]

Hey there! Now I have some time off school thanks to Christmas Holidays, I've figured I'd go back to writing a bit! :)

This is another gift for my best friend, I'm not really confident in the way I write one of the biggest assholes in the Jojo series Rohan, but I hope you'll enjoy it, bud! 😊

Also, Merry Christmas to anyone who is reading this! 😚

Making an effort

While many would recognise Rohan Kishibe for his notorious story, for his natural talent, his intuition, or even for his look, there was not much to admire when it came to the type of person he was, or the way he would approach others in any social situation.

Indeed, it felt quite oppressing to feel like you were always being looked down upon, you were considered a simple weight, or an interruption in the creation of his "work of art".

But this is how one would feel, if they didn't react to this behavior by laughing in his face.

"Opposite attracts", don't they?

It is too bad that this did not apply to them.

Undoubtedly, there was a lot of...Let me say, attraction, between them, but they were no sun and moon, no light and dark, no loud and quiet.

Surely, Y/N appeared to be more polite and patient compared to her partner, who seemed to be living by the conviction that any other being was inferior to him.

But this didn't change the fact that she would have preferred staring at her duck lamp for three hours in a row, rather than participating in a party. Even if she'd showed up, it would have been merely to find an excuse to put on a nice dress and eat snacks.

But if there was a word to describe the way the girl wished to live her life, it was hard to think of anything but "habit". She did not thrive for new experiences, new adventures, new people...She did not understand changes, and refused to do so.

In the presence of someone even more quiet, reserved and introverted than she was, she somehow found the reassurance and stability she longed for. In a twisted sense, his reclusive nature is what has caught her attention.

Similarly, the other grew to..."Tolerate", by his words, her presence as well. Truthfully, he too found pleasure in the company of someone who could keep up with his provocations and acknowledged his rhythms...Most of the time.

Because at the end of the day, who doesn't appreciate someone who is a bit like ourselves? Who doesn't enjoy having a person who understands and respects your boundaries, your interests, your traditions?

Time went by naturally, there were no major changes aside from Rohan sometimes heading to visit a place for his...Research, but Y/N actually enjoyed traveling with him once in a while.

Their house, however, still remained their most trusted companion, especially during a time such as "Christmas", where the cheery and overly sweet atmosphere of the outside world made Rohan hiss like a stray cat.

So, while other authors were too busy with "spending time with their family and friends or whatever", the outstanding genius had had the brilliant idea of intensifying his work hours, instead.

It was a matter of randomness whether or not she would have come to disturb him during his drawing session. Was she feeling too tired that day? Or was she in the mood for annoying him, to the point where he'd accidentally drop ink on his sketches, and force her to sit in a corner for the rest of the day?

Not that she actually would have anyway.

The only warmth in the house came from the heaters Y/N had turned on a couple of hours before. She was busy reading another novel she had gotten recommended online, after the overly romantic one she had mistakenly decided to give a chance to before.

10 pages, 20 pages, 30 pages, 40 pages...

After stopping at exactly page 105, she carefully put the book back on her bedside table and got up.

The bedroom the two shared was right next to Rohan's studio. If she listened carefully, she could hear the sound of his wooden pencils and meticulously picked pens, barely touching the surface of the drawing base, completing another page.

With a bored expression, she stretched her arms and opened the door, the only light inside of the room was coming from the window, which wasn't saying much, considering the sky was cloudy. However, the artist did not look bothered in the slightest by this.

"Damn, you want some sunscreen?"

She commented, barely getting any reaction out of him.

"No, thank you"

The girl sighed to herself, still smirking a bit, and turned on the only small lightbulb in the room. She didn't mind the dark itself, she actually found it quite enjoyable, it was merely to poke fun at him.

"What about now?"

Y/N added, resting an elbow on the side of the table the young mangaka was drawing on, clinching her hand into a fist as it made contact with her cheek.

"Still no, although what you just did right now was quite unnecessary"

"Almost as much as you deciding to spend even less time with me during Holiday times"

Despite the weight of her words, her tone was still a perfectly calm one. She didn't like to lose her cool, she could hardly ever do so even if she tried. Yelling just wasn't part of her nature, and she lived by the idea that passive-aggressiveness was much more impractical than screaming, especially with people like her boyfriend.

"Was that supposed to be some sort of offensive remark?"

"It wasn't supposed to be"

She shrugged and leaned forward to take the pencil off his hand.

"It was"

The small object fell to the ground, there was a moment of silence between the two, broken by the green haired one.

"I didn't take you for the type of person who cares so much about Christmas"

The two of them finally made eye contact.

"Look, it's not about Christmas itself, it's just..."

Y/N frowned before finishing the phrase.

"I get that your manga is important and all, but...Can't you just catch a break once in a while? Can't we spend these days together like any other couple? For once?"

Rohan looked down at the uncompleted image of Heaven's door he had been working on before being interrupted.

He didn't have malicious intentions, nor had he considered the possibility that his partner would have liked to spend all her time with him. They weren't exactly a "lovey-dovey" couple, and in his mind, he genuinely believed that she would have been okay reading all alone wrapped in the bed sheets.

He was just purely clueless when it came to understanding other people's emotions, especially considering how she didn't like to be direct about how she felt.

But, even if he wasn't the best at it, she would have still appreciated any sort of attempt to do so.

"...What do you want to do, then?"

Despite the fact that this is what she wanted, the girl couldn't help being taken aback by his response. She knew Rohan actually valued her, and simply sucked at showing it. Even so, she wasn't entirely sure of how to answer. It's not like she had anything special programmed in mind, nor did she want to leave the house anyway.

"I...Dunno, we can do whatever, 's long as we actually do it together"

It was the kind of sappy answer that she regretted in the moment it left her mouth, but that it felt right to express, even for just a second.

The other got up from his chair and turned around, without honoring her with a minimum reaction to her affirmation.

"...So?"

She tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"No"

A straight answer, that's all she got out of him, before he walked out of the room, leaving her alone. That was low, even for the standards of a person like him, especially after he had seemed to show some bare interest in cheering her up, just for a second.

"...Fucking asshole"

She murmured to herself and left the place with heavy steps. For a second, she wondered where he had gone, but she quickly shoved that thought away, refusing to think about it. Bored out of her mind, she took her phone and started scrolling through videos of cat fishes eating food.

This went on for almost an hour, before the sound of the chubby animals nomming was interrupted by a soft knock on the door, but she couldn't be bothered to answer.

So, instead of knocking again, the other one just made himself comfortable and walked inside the bedroom, staring at his girlfriend for a couple of seconds, while she turned off her device with a blank expression.

"What?"

This time, she broke she silence. She looked at him in the corner of her eye, realizing he had his arms behind his back. His stiff position made it pretty clear that he was feeling nervous, but she wasn't in the mood for teasing him in that moment.

After a fake cough, he took another step in her direction. For once, the smug and egocentric Rohan wasn't sure of how to start the conversation.

"I...Made you this"

He reluctantly said, as he handed her a small cup filled with vanilla-flavoured tea.

She recognized it from the smell, despite the fact that she had never actually tried it before, although she had wanted to for a while now. But, considering the small city Morioh was, she couldn't find any supermarket that sold this flavor.

"...Where did you even get this?"

She asked, as the took the cup with both of her cold hands, to warm them up a little.

"When I went to Tokyo two days ago, but you decided to sleep in the entire day"

Despite her effort to act upset, which she still was, she couldn't help but crack a small laughter.

"Heh, I made the right choice"

"Yeah"

Feeling a bit more relaxed after seeing her smile, he took a sit next to her.

"Where did you hide the tea bags?"

"Under the wholemeal bread, so that I would have been certain you wouldn't have seen them"

"...That was a clever move"

"I kno-...Thanks"

Y/N took a sip out of the beverage, it warmed her inside as well. It was rather sweet, but not excessively, it was just like how she had imagined it to taste like.

"So, er...The reason why I said "no" earlier..."

"Yeah? What was up with that dick move?"

Normally, he would have responded twice as provocatively to her rhetoric question, but he thought it was better to let it slide at least this time.

"You uhm...Said you wanted to do something together, but I kind of..."

He looked at the little mug covered in white tulips.

"Felt...Bad about how I had been acting and... Decided to prepare this for you...Myself"

The green eyed one concluded. In that moment, he understood, although unconsciously, how his partner had felt asking him to spend more time with her earlier.

It was...Cheesy and dumb to pronounce out loud, even more than what she had said. He was already waiting for her to tell him how unnecessary and "out of character" it was for him, and to be honest, he couldn't even blame her.

"...I get it, makes sense"

Was what he got as an answer instead, he doubted if he had heard her correctly for a second.

"Thank you"

She added with a small smile.

"You're...Welcome, I guess"

"Just don't it again, 'K?"

The girl put the cup down and pointed a finger in his direction, smirking a little.

"That is, if you don't want me to pour oil on all your drawings and sketches"

"That is, if you don't want me to kick you out of the house"

Rohan grabbed Y/N's hand and held it tight between his, reciprocating the other's expression.

"Dang, you were able to be humble for almost 5 minutes, if you reristed for two more, you would have beaten your last record"

"Oh well, there will be another occasion..."

He leaned over and kissed her knuckles.

"...Maybe"

The artist pulled her closer to his chest by her wrist, more delicately than he usually would. Despite his inability to keep his flirty attitude completely at bay, he still felt like he should have been a bit softer to her in that moment, compared to how he would usually act.

Y/N loved to listen to his heartbeat, it was one of the rare sensations that were truly able to put her at ease, to give her that feeling of comfort and safety, to gift her with the certainty that everything was okay.

She didn't care if one would have called it childish, the thought of it couldn't even cross her mind in a moment like that.

It's true, his boyfriend could be a jerk, and was a huge jerk, but it made her feel special in a way. Not his attitude itself, but the implications of it, in a sense. How she was sure she really was something extraordinary, if Rohan Kishibe, of all people, cared about her.

And on top of this, tried what he had to prove her that it was the truth: that her uniqueness was a precious treasure he had the duty to cherish. In his usual self-centered, narcissistic, selfish view, he found space for something else, a space whose existence he had tried to defy: in his heart.

Loving someone was actually worth it, that was the most important lesson he would have ever taken from Y/N.

The latter's eyes naturally closed a little, enchanted by the reassuring sound. She had a small smile on her face, but she didn't feel like falling asleep just yet. She wanted to enjoy her partner as much as she could, despite how tempting it was to let go and rest surrounded by his body.

She let out a small sigh in relaxation, slowly raising her arm and taking the sort of bandage off his head, letting his hair down. He didn't like to be seen without it, especially since it prevented his hair from getting in the way of his work.

However, the girl just saw the occasion and couldn't help herself, she thought he looked even more handsome without it, and it's not like he needed it in the moment anyway, didn't he?

"You just won't bite, will you?"

"Why would I?"

Her hand was still in his hair as she lightly played with it.

"You look hotter when you don't wear it"

"...Well, how could I ever refuse a compliment from you?"

All of a sudden, she noticed something in his expression, a slight detail that, from an inexperienced point of view, would have gone unnoticed, or given from granted.

"...Ya know, I love your smirk"

"I know you do"

"But...I just adore seeing you smile...For real"

Caught unprepared by the comment , the young artist could not help but manifest a pink remark on his cheeks. He hadn't even realized how long he had been smiling for, and how genuine it looked, just for once.

"What? You didn't expect that?"

"I must admit I didn't"

Slowly, one of his hands started to crawl its way through her back, making sure not to leave any spot untouched.

"But can it compare to how pretty you are right now?"

In that exact moment, she sensed a shiver down her spine. It was hard to tell whether it was due to his physical initiative, or his words. Either way, she perfectly knew how to send the ball back to him.

"I don't know, can it?"

"...No, no it can't"

No other sound came out of the room for the next few hours, aside from that oh their lips touching. Feeling comfortable with someone while in pure calmness and quietness, that was pure love for the two. Maybe and unconventional type, but meaningful to them both nevertheless.

The outside was already dark, and the moon was barely visible that day. Some Christmas ornaments could be seen in the distance from the glass barrier, which gave Rohan another idea.

"Hey, would you like me to give you your present now?"

"You...Actually got me one?"

She was hoping that deep down, a tiny fraction of Holiday spirit had managed to penetrate inside of him, but she had prepared to accept the fact that it would have, most definitely, remained a fantasy.

How happy she was, for once, to be wrong.

"Of course"

"But it's not Christmas yet"

"Dates are just a social construct, and Jesus wasn't even actually born that day"

"Alright mr. Nonconformist, let's see what you got"

He reluctantly let go of her, kissing her for one last time.

"Give me a second"

Soon enough, the green-haired one came back. He was holding a simple, but carefully wrapped packet, whom he let slip on her hands with a satisfied look.

"Well, go ahead"

Noticing the conviction in his gaze, Y/N could not resist a second further and opened the gift, to reveal a...Sweater?

She could guess he would have gotten her clothes, but she didn't expect him to present her with this piece of clothing, of all things.

However, everything started to fall into place as soon as she turned it around. Before she could say anything, Rohan anticipated her.

"Well, I've figured you would have liked it, since you love filling the walls of my studio with this...Thing so much"

"It's called a stickman, honey"

"Whatever it may be, you surely seem to enjoy drawing it everywhere"

He didn't receive a "thank you", or a "Are you serious?" Or even a "Where the hell did you find this?"

The girl simply laughed.

"W-WHAT? What's so funny now?"

"You're such...A dork"

She slowly folded the sweater and put in on the pillow next to her, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder, finding the strength to kiss him between her giggles.

"I love you, you moron"

"I love you too"

[katieodoodle]

Been really busy lately now that the holidays are over and work has kicked back up into high gear so I haven't been able to find time to draw for myself as much as I'd like. Nevertheless, here are some messy Last Life sketches. Who else is hyped for season 4?

[ripgray-moved]

How does Peter feel about Charlie, and generally how is there dynamic?

so this is a really complex and layered question so forgive me in advance for waffling lol!

i haven't published my updated about on the site yet as it isn't ready ( it's very extensive! ), but i'll share this little snippet from it to give a good idea:

[...] Charlie, his little sister, is born. Due to Paimon's possession, it is believed that she is born with a multitude of learning difficulties and cognitive issues, though she spends her lifetime being somewhat of a medical mystery to the specialists that Annie and her husband Steve take her to see. The end diagnosis, though somewhat irresponsible in its delivery, is moderate to heavy autism— and from then on, Peter becomes her unofficial carer.

peter feels a deep sense of obligation to charlie from a very young age on account of how busy his parents are with their respective careers. he is largely emotionally responsible for her, and learns skills such as cooking and taking care of a young child when he himself is still just a kid. i think that's part of why he seems "regressive" in some ways, in terms of his hobbies and certain traits like the whole blanket collecting thing. also responds well to his dad calling him things like 'petey' and 'buddy': because in those tiny little things, he gets treated like the kid he never got to be.

that inevitably breeds a layer of resentment between them. peter himself ( if we're looking at the time charlie was alive, not the overall timeline explored on this blog as i play pete almost exclusively post-paimon as an adult ) is a child and an older male child at that. he'd very much like to have his own separate friends, life and hobbies, but there isn't much room for that. he can't develop 'normally' because he has so much to do, and most places he goes socially he has to bring charlie along with him. even though he knows it isn't her fault, he sometimes catches himself wishing she wasn't there; not dead or anything like that, just not present where he is in that moment. he wants some damn privacy. wants to go to the fucking mcdonalds on his own, like an average teenage boy.

there's also a level of trauma-bonding between them, though only from peter's side as charlie doesn't really retain the horror of the paint thinner incident courtesy of paimon. actually, that's a quick note i'd like to make: none of this is a representation of autism by the way; the whole point of it is that she isn't autistic, she's possessed by a demon— but you can't exactly get a diagnosis for that in most places lmao. this isn't meant to come across as "charlie can't do anything because she's autistic"; it's paimon hindering her so heavily, given his poor adjustment to a host so young and unfit for him.

the above being said? by and large, peter feels a deep love for his sister, in part because he feels so responsible for her, but mostly just because he's her big brother and as broken as their family is, he steps up to the plate. he doesn't want charlie to feel as alone as he does, and even though it can be difficult to connect with her because of her possession, he still tries his best.

charlie doesn't have much of a personality because of her possession, but her affection for art, though bolstered by paimon, is very much genuine. the two have some nice memories built on peter trying— and failing— to sculpt and draw like her. they also do have some genuinely positive memories of hanging out both in the treehouse and in the woods surrounding their home, as well as a couple on family outings / holidays when they were both younger.

their dynamic is probably best described as strained, though it's for reasons that neither of them can help, as well as their frail sense of family on account of their absent— and in annie's case, abusive— parents.

[sleekervae]

Yoü & I [2.6]

Masterlist

A/N: The finals season is wrapping up and I'm almost finished all my projects, but I still got lots of content I'll be banging out over the holiday break. Thanks as always for sticking around!

Warnings: none

--

Charlotte could draw many parallels between Toronto and New York: tall-ass skyscrapers, streets shrouded with people all with more important places to be, homeless who begged for money on every block and a niche of street food and culture to indulge in. 

After the two hour flight into Canada, the bands took the day to decompress before their show the next day. The hotel they were staying at was beautiful, and a perk to staying in a gorgeous hotel in the dead of summer was the rooftop pool -- which Maria practically begged the girls to come with her for a 'pool day'. 

A pool day sounded like just the thing Charlotte was due for. Her hands were cramped from clutching pens and her fingers were blistered from working on the guitar so much -- a break was overdo. 

She stood in the illustriously well-lit bathroom, admiring her slim physique in the little black bikini she'd slipped on. It was a newer piece that Maria had picked out for her on a recent shopping trip, and while Charlotte wasn't so keen on how little it covered at first, the more she looked at it on her the more she liked it. 

Tying her hair into a half-assed bun, Charlotte exited the bathroom to find Chloe still lying on the bed, texting and smiling like a mad man. She didn't pay much attention to her bandmate, but Charlotte didn't mind. She watched the galaxy-haired drummer with a coy smile as she slipped on a yellow sundress.

The last time Chloe looked this giddy was just before the band had taken off -- about three years ago, now. She hadn't had much luck in the way of romance since her career had skyrocketed, much like the other girls, she was always busy traveling, tracking, writing. And when she did meet a potential interest, it didn't forego more than a week when Chloe would either loose interest or she would be ghosted for no apparent reason. 

"Who ya' talking to, Smiley?" Charlotte asked.

"Jeff the Killer," Chloe replied.

Charlotte nodded, "Well, maybe you can take two minutes away from Eva and go get your swim suit on? Before we get assaulted with Amber alerts?"

At the mention, Chloe set down her phone and glanced at the singer, "Do you think it's too early to be sending bathing suit pics?" she asked. 

Charlotte simpered, "Um -- it's been about a week, so I'd say so. Does she follow your insta?"

"Yeah,"

"Then just post it there," 

Chloe smiled, "Ah ha! The subtle thirst trap! You're a genius!"

I'm not so sure 'subtle' is affiliated with any social media, Charlotte thought to herself.

"Thank you," she replied. 

Chloe changed into her own electric red one-piece and shorts, and the girls quickly went to meet their friends at the pool. They caught a glimpse of the elevator just as it was beginning to close, growing cause for the girls to sprint. 

"Hold the door!" Chloe called. 

A hand extended out of the gap and held the doors open for the girls to rush in. And lo and behold, Luke and Michael were in the elevator as well. 

"Hey, fancy meeting you guys here," Luke grinned.

"Funny how we just keep running into each other," Charlotte smirked, "As it by fate,"

Chloe meanwhile glared down at Michael's swim trunks, "Nice shorts, Mikey," 

Michael glanced down at his blue swimmers, printed with little silhouettes of fish and turtles -- sure, at first glance they may have been more suited for a child rather than a twenty-year-old man. But Michael liked them, so what?

He, as well as Luke and Charlotte, waited anxiously for another snarky remark from Chloe, but she just looked straight ahead. She said nothing. 

"And?" he asked. 

"And what?" Chloe turned to him.

"No follow up?" 

Chloe smiled, "Oh, I have a follow up. I'm just in a good mood right now," 

"Oh,"

"... If I wasn't in a good mood, I'd ask why you were skimming through the children's section at Walmart for swim trunks," Chloe went on.

Luke snapped his fingers, "There it is," 

The pool wasn't the only highlight of the hotel's rooftop. Aside from umbrella seats, a canopy bar and a hot tub, the kids had a stunning view of downtown Toronto. Not as infinite as Tokyo and not as imperialistic as Vienna, the skyline of glass buildings reflected off of one another, creating a beautiful ripple of blues and teals that crashed against the cloudless sky above. 

Maria and Kimberly were already laid out on deck chairs, soaked in sunscreen, rays and bikini clad. Across from them were Ashton and Calum, partaking in a game of ping pong. There were no other guests on the deck, meaning they had the pool to themselves for a while.

 Kimberly pried her eyes open when she felt a shadow fall over her, scrunching her eyes and blocking the sun with her hand to find Charlotte and Chloe standing over her. The material of her own navy blue two-piece glinted in the rays.

"Yes?" she raised an eyebrow at them, prompting Maria to look over.

"You guys are no fun," Chloe chided.

"No fun? We were waiting for you," Maria said, her voice a little gravelly. 

"Our bad, but somebody just couldn't stop texting another particular somebody," Charlotte winked at the girls. Kimberly awed up at Chloe.

"Aw, how's Eva?" she asked.

"Wishing she was here instead of Syracuse, I imagine," Chloe replied, taking the deck chair next to her. Charlotte took the one on the other side of Maria, both of them stripping back down to their bikinis. 

"You guys have been talking for how long, now?" Maria asked.

"Just under a week," Chloe replied.

"And it's constant," Charlotte remarked, "I think we have reasons to be optimistic," 

"We can start getting optimistic after the three week mark. If you don't scare her away, I'll be so proud of you," Kimberly told her.

Chloe simpered back, "Your confidence in me is astounding," 

At the other end of the pool, Luke was just pulling off his t-shirt and unpacking his backpack. He had his iPhone with an audiobook he thought he would try out. He could hear his mom's voice in his head, reminding him to be sure he put on lots of sunscreen. It was ironic how he came from one of the hottest continents in the world, and yet he was as pasty as a soy bean. 

When he turned back around, reaching as best he could to slather sunscreen on his back, his line of sight fell on Charlotte. Her yellow sundress had disappeared and she was clad in a black triangle bikini, contrasting against her natural olive skin that seemed to glow under the sun. Her shapely legs crossed one in front of the other as she hunched over to shake out her hair. He had to swallow the lump in his throat when she suddenly swung around in his direction, not realizing that he'd been caught staring when his eyes locked with hers. If he had a clear view of Charlotte than she had a clear view of him. 

He smiled sheepishly and waved, a tint of blush covering his face. Charlotte shook her head at him with a little smirk and put up her middle finger. Though she wasn't exactly innocent in the staring department either, and how could she not be?

"Eyes to yourself!" Chloe suddenly shouted, having caught Luke staring, too. Her outburst drew the attention of everyone else. 

Ashton giggled to himself, therefore missing Calum's backhand. The ping pong ball whizzed right by his face.

"I win!" Calum declared.

"You do not!" Ashton countered, "That went out of bounds,"

"We didn't set an out of bounds!" Calum argued. 

Ashton pointed to one of the potted plants behind him, "Yes we did. We agreed if it landed after the tree on my side, or the towel rack on your side, then it's out. Besides, Chloe distracted me,"

"Oh, boo hoo," Calum chided back, "Sore loser," 

With the others distracted, Michael took the opportunity to take a running start and do a cannon ball into the pool -- effectively splashing everybody within a metre of him. Maria and Kimberly were violently ripped from their sun bath with icy cold water droplets, while Chloe hid behind her deck chair and Charlotte covered her head. 

"Michael!" Kimberly scolded, sitting up in a huff. The guitarist remerged from the water, rubbing chlorine from his eyes and shaking out his drenched hair.

"The water's fine, guys! Come on in!" he replied.

Luke shook his head at his hyperactive friend, mouthing a 'sorry' at Charlotte before jumping in himself. Charlotte made good to stand back this time -- the other girls weren't so lucky.

"Oh, come on guys!" Maria whined, wiping cold water off her legs, "A little warning would suffice!"

Charlotte couldn't help but laugh at her friends. Sure, they were trying to have a relaxing afternoon in the sun, but hey, a pool was a pool. And since no one else was around...

Kimberly saw it coming this time, and she moved off the deck chair just in time as Charlotte jumped in after the boys. Maria grimaced when more water splattered across her face.

"Where's my --" Chloe then cannon-balled in, sending water everywhere once again, "... towel?"

There was an assortment of balls and blow up floats for the bands to fool around with -- though given the colours of the toys they were very well meant for little kids. Never the less, a game of volleyball ensued in the pool, with Charlotte and Chloe on one team and Luke and Michael on the other. Calum and Ashton's ping pong game was still in full swing, considering that Ashton demanded a rematch. Kimberly kept the score this time around and they set the boundary lines. 

Luke pitched the rubber ball to Chloe, who bunted it over to Charlotte, who spiked it back at Michael. However, Michael miscalculated where the ball would land and ended up getting knocked in the face. He fell back into the water.

"Oh, shit!" but he emerged quickly, rubbing at his nose and eyes. All attention around the pool was directed at the sudden injury. 

"You okay, mate?" Luke swam over to him. 

"Mike, I'm so sorry!" Charlotte exclaimed, thinking the worst she'd done was bruise his eye or cheek. And God knows they'd have fun explaining a heinous mark to their managers.

Michael pushed the water off his face with his hands and pushed back his sopping hair, looking dazed as he glanced around the pool, "Where am I?" he then glanced at Luke, "My God, are you gorgeous," he then broke out into a smile. Luke rolled his eyes.

"He's fine," he assured the girls, grabbing the ball and handing it to him, "Your serve,"

Meanwhile, the ping pong game was getting heated. Kimberly's head was practically moving in sync with the little white ball as it bounced between Ashton and Calum. Ashton was determined to knocked the ball past Calum but he was a swift opponent. At the next pass, Calum batted the ball just a little too hard however.

The little white ball whizzed past Ashton's head this time, only instead of hitting the ground it flew over the deck and over the railing... over downtown. The boys were stunned, Kimberly was at a loss for how to call the game. 

"So... who wins?"

They both stared down a stunned Kimberly, who only shrugged as she racked her logic, "Okay... the ball is technically... definitely out. Ashton wins by default," she decided. 

"Yes!" Ashton rejoiced, throwing his hands up. 

Calum just shook his head and threw his paddle down, going instead for the neon green floatie, "It's too hot for ping pong anyway," he slipped the floatie around his waist and took off in a little run.

"Go Calum!" Michael chanted. Calum reached the edge of the pool, but instead of a grandiose jump he simply chose to hop in. He didn't even get his head past the water thanks to the floatie. The boys broke into fits of giggles.

Maria just shook her head, "What? You afraid to get your hair wet?" she called.

Calum smirked at her, "Are you, Little Miss Sunshine?"

Maria rolled her eyes, opting to stand up and proudly show off her purple bikini set. Calum subconsciously licked his lips, which didn't go unnoticed by Luke. Maria stood at the deep end of the pool, did a little bow, and dived in gracefully. She emerged a few seconds later, shaking out her raven black hair. 

"Beat that, Marty Mc-Floatie!" she smirked at Calum. 

Ashton did some flexes and bending before he took his running start, ready to make another big splash. However, he didn't count on Michael. hucking the rubber ball at him as he jumped in. The ball nailed him square in the chest and instead of a pencil dive he just flailed in. 

"Michael!" the girls scolded. Ashton made a quick recovery, glaring over at his bandmate.

"Fuck you!" he pretended to cry, clinging to Luke in pity. Luke held him tightly.

"It's okay, honey, he didn't mean it," 

Kimberly pushed some of her dreadlocks over her shoulder, nervous to get them wet. It wasn't so much getting them wet that was the problem, but the drying process could be pretty tedious depending on the day.  

"Come on, Kim!" Chloe urged.

"Do you know how much of a bitch it is to do my hair when it gets wet?" she replied. 

In his peripherals Luke spotted another large floatie: a raft, to be specific. He had a brilliant idea, then. He swam to the other edge of the pool and retrieved it, pushing it towards Kimberly.

"Here!" he called, "Use this!" 

Kimberly smiled at him, "Thanks Luke," she quickly tied back her dreads and sat on the edge. Luke and Calum held the inflatable raft steady so she could wiggle on top, laying on her stomach and paddling over to meet her friends. Her hair was safe. 

Much of the afternoon was spent splashing about. They played a couple round of volleyball and then tried to play a game of Marco Polo. Emphasis on tried to. Poor Calum was picked to 'Marco', but the others devised to slip out of the water quietly all while shouting 'Polo'. 

"Marco!" he called tirelessly, his eyes squeezed shut as he hopped from spot to spot.

"Polo!" Chloe called back, helping Kimberly off of the raft. 

"Marco!" Calum called again.

"Polo!" Ashton quietly sat back on a deck chair and threw his hands behind his head. Calum's patience was wearing thin. He should've at least tapped someone out by now. Calum waded through the pool for a good five minutes before he realized everyone was cheating. 

"You wankers," he muttered, understandably miffed when his friends started laughing. 

At some point, Charlotte took to clambering back to the edge of the deck for a dry spell. She sat on the ledge and let her feet dangle in the water. Just as soon as she slathered on some more sunscreen, Luke had come to sit beside her. He had with him a cold bottle of water that he offered to her.

"Thanks," she smiled at him, "You want some SPF 50?" 

"I'll pass," he shook his head politely. Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him, having heard those words many a times before Luke would be complaining of sunburn hours later.

"Famous last words," she teased. Luke stuck out his tongue. 

Chloe and Ashton were still in the pool, facing off against Maria and Calum in a fierce game of chicken. Kimberly just watched from her raft, sipping a bottle of orange juice while Michael played referee. 

Luke kept his glance on Charlotte, she couldn't help but shiver as water droplets slid down her spine. She was a sight to behold under the sun, her golden skin ablaze against the sharp black fabric of her bikini, and she had some makeup that stained beneath her eyes but Luke didn't point it out. She looked really cool, actually.

"How're you doing?" he asked, not having much of a chance to talk to since they took off again. Really talk, the way they used to. 

"I'm wet," Charlotte replied, unable to keep the smug smile off her face. Luke rolled his eyes.

"No shit," he grinned, "I mean really, though. What's going on with you?" 

Charlotte shrugged, "Nothing. I'm stuck on the road with a bunch of crackheads for three whole months. Other than that... I guess I'm just -- existing,"

"Existing?" 

"Yeah. I'm here, but lately I feel that I haven't been here," she pointed to her head. 

Luke's smile fell a little, "Has Ben been bothering you again?" 

"No," she shook her head, "No, I think he finally got the hint,"

Luke sighed and looked down at his hands, his face tinting red but not from the sun, "You know..." he spoke after a small moment of silence. Charlotte glanced at him and sipped from her water. He laughed nervously, "You're gonna think I'm a cheese puff or something but -- I'm really fucking grateful for you, Char," 

Charlotte broke into a flattered smile, "I'm really grateful for you, too,"

"But seriously," Luke said, "I feel like I don't thank you enough for everything you do for me. No one else would do the things you do for me, no one else tries me happy like you do and you have no idea how much you mean to me. And I know I dicked around on ya a couple weeks ago --"

"-- Water under the bridge," Charlotte said, her heart burning in her chest. She had no idea where this was coming from. 

"But the fact is I don't know what I did to deserve you and I need you to know how fucking grateful I am for you... even when I don't deserve to have you in my life. And if you feel like you can't talk to me about shit 'cause I'll judge you, I won't. I'll always take care of you. You're my best friend and I don't know what I'd do without you," 

Charlotte bit the inside of her lip, willing away the stinging sensation in the back of her eyes, "Jesus Christ," she wrapped her arms around him. She never expected him to say anything like that to her, especially because it was the exact way she felt about him. 

"Am I corny?" he chuckled, hugging her tightly. None of them cared that they were just skin-to-skin in midday. She smelled so sweetly of grapefruit intermingled with bitter chlorine.

"No, you're perfect," Charlotte laughed, "If anything, I'm the one that's grateful for you. No one puts up with my stupidity and shit like you do. I don't know how you do it, honestly,"

Luke snickered and shook his head, pushing some of her wet hair behind her ear, "You're not stupid. You're far from it, Shorty," 

Charlotte smiled and punched his arm, "If the others heard us they'd take the piss out of us so hard right now," 

Luke rolled his eyes, "Like I told you before, they're just jealous of us, "

"Always gotta' be a fucking optimist, don't ya?" Charlotte huffed.

"Always gotta throw in a fucking curse, don't ya?" Luke shrugged. 

Charlotte glared back, and before Luke knew it he had been shoved into the pool. When he resurfaced Charlotte was in a fit of giggles while he sputtered and coughed up chlorine. 

"And here we were having a moment!"