#i went ham with oil pastel

[dognonsense]

oil pastel of my gf smoking weed :3

i'm really proud of my progress with oil pastels! I'm managing to keep my neon tones without letting them get muddied!

[salamispots]

more various sea angel friend stuff

[feralwaff1e]

I got oil pastels today, so I went fucking HAM!! I had so much fun. So we have my ghost-sona, part of face, a sun flower

[heatherdrawsthings]

This started out as a study of a flower fairy and then I went ham on the faux oil pastels look

[cosmiclatte28]

Home (Baekhyun x reader)

DOMESTIC FLUFF (?) 

ENJOY! 

The jingling sounds of key and door carefully pushed open resonated through the half lit apartment. Baekhyun locked his door and carefully switched on the light. His foot steps brought him to the living room, which surprisingly was not neat. He flashed an apologizing smile when he saw the scattered books, papers, and highlighters on top of the coffee table and to the girl who fell asleep uncomfortably on the couch. 

A book was covering half of her face; Baekhyun giggled at the sight. He gently placed his gym bag on the other couch, took the book on her face, marked the page with a highlighter and closed it down. He bent to greet her with a kiss and gave a gentle stroke on her shining brown hair. The girl did not move at all, in which Baekhyun deducted she had been too tired this week. He shuffled into the bedroom, took a soft blanket and returned to the sleeping girl. He draped the blanket over her, and left to shower. That girl is Scarlet, the lucky girl who stole Baekhyun's heart and the one he's engaged to.

One of the room that Baekhyun loves other than the bedroom is the bathroom. His marvelous girlfriend amazingly turned this place's dull bathroom into a masterpiece. Baekhyun thanked his hard work which resulted this marble walls and tiles. He thanked his sweats for purchasing him a pulsing bathtub, but mostly, Baekhyun appreciated how his girl did the lights and ambience for this room. The dim relaxing lights and candles never failed in calming his nerves down. The pack of aroma oils she kept on one of the shelves helped Baekhyun breathe even lighter. 

Today he realized, it's not late yet to have a dip. It's only 10 (that's why he knew his girl had been tired, for she usually waited til' morning). Baekhyun opened the faucet, walked to the box of oils and chose his companion for tonight. He decided to go with vanilla and a blue bath bomb. He tossed the bomb when the water's enough and stripped down. In less than a minute, he was groaning from the pulses which hit his tired body and softly moaned from the comfort the oils and bubbles gave him. He closed his eyes for a moment, did some deep breathing, and reopened his eyes.

He scanned the room, his heart warming when he saw the things in this room came in pair. The tooth brush, the towels, and the vanity sets. His eyes traveled one more time to the rack of body wash collections Scarlet owns. He frowned a little when he realized her collections had changed. 

Baekhyun remembered seeing bottles of colorful and super sweet smelling soaps, but now it's replaced with plain bottles. He squinted his eyes and reached for each bottles. Reading off the titles and scents. He frowned when he read "aromatherapy edition". Though he admit the smells are wonderful, he tried to get her message. The bottles were labeled like Sleep, Stress, and Love. He returned them and glanced at the scented candles which Scarlet likes to light when she showers. The fun bakery or fruity smells was replaced too with another Sleep candle. He felt something’s wrong. Quickly he finished his bath, washed, and tugged on his shorts.

He walked out of the steamy shower, bare chested, then tip toed to the dining table. He made himself a glass of warm milk and sat down while looking at his sleeping girlfriend. Scarlet has always been a shining, restless ball of energy, with lots of positivity, just like him. But he was late to realize that she was going through a lot. 

Baekhyun's comeback activities have not allowed him to go home early, except today since two members started to feel sick, nor did it allow him to send texts and sneak calls. He tried to remember when was the last time he checked on Scarlet, and he felt bad when he figured out how much of an uncaring boyfriend he is. He looked at the engagement ring on his left finger and then to Scarlet, played a bit with it, and guilt flooded his body.

When was the last time Baekhyun asked how's she doing? When did he call first or texted first? When did he come home to ask her how her day went? When Baekhyun did accompany her to finish her mountain of home works? When did he really act like her man?

The answer was long time ago. It's always Scarlet who started the conversation, it's always her waiting for him. Scarlet's the one who forced her tired body to stay awake, just to welcome tired Baekhyun home. Scarlet's the one who always asked and listened attentively to how his day happened. She's the one who prepared his bath and bed. 

Every morning they still see each other. Drinking coffees and eating breads, Scarlet usually asked him how his sleep was while packing a lunch for her, and him. Not to forget how she always yawned from staying awake to finish her tasks and woke up early to fetch Baekhyun his breakfast and lunch. 

He felt like a shit, had he ever sit next to Scarlet all night when she typed words into her laptop, while chugging on cups and cups of coffee? Rarely. Yes he tried and failed miserably, but Scarlet never for once put a grudge on this. Baekhyun saw her charged phone on the island. He reached it and opened the lock, swiped until he found the calendar widget. He scanned through it and learned that this month is her final exam weeks; that explains the books and papers. He carefully noted down each day's exam. Baekhyun made a small plan on his mind. A small support which he hoped can help her pass the exams.

After finishing his milk, he walked to Scarlet, picked her up and put her down on their bed. He returned to the living room to pack on her belongings for tomorrow's class and tidied up the couch. After noting the clock, he turned off the lights and joined Scarlet to dream land. Baekhyun counted the hours of sleep, its 23.30, his schedule tomorrow starts at nine, while Scarlet's class starts at eight. He will wake up earlier tomorrow, make her breakfast, and walk her to campus. Baekhyun smiled at himself, then after another kiss he closed his eyes.

The sun rays woke Baekhyun up around 6. He carefully left his bed, washed, and walked to the kitchen. He turned the coffee machine on, heated the water, then prepared two cups. Baekhyun yawned as he checked on their fridge, surprisingly there are eggs, hams, and cheese. He threw his head to the counter and smiled when he saw bread. He noted he has to grab groceries on his way home, this fridge won't refill itself.

Baekhyun finished cooking the second egg, when a fresh showered Scarlet surprised him with a back hug.

"Morning bae, sorry for sleeping deep last night," Scarlet kissed Baekhyun's exposed neck.

"Morning too babe, no problem... I saw your tiring schedules, it's okay to fell asleep. I like it better, for you to stay healthy." Baekhyun said as he plated the egg on top of the bread, then topped it with cheese and ham then bread. He turned the stove off and returned the kiss Scarlet gave.

"Hmm the coffee's ready." Scarlet inhaled the sweet smell of coffee.

Baekhyun grinned, "Just sit down my lady; I'll prepare this for you." Baekhyun poured milk into one coffee. He knew her well!

Scarlet took a snap and updated her Instagram.

"What? I'm just going to post this so your fans can day dream on you."

Baekhyun said nothing to this, he's thankful though that even though some fans hated her in the beginning, by today they shifted to support them and Baekhyun's thankful Scarlet has been strong so far.

"Let's eat. Enjoy your breakfast." Baekhyun smiled.

"Thanks Baekhyun." She smiled and delicately finished her portion.

"How's your sleep?" Baekhyun asked this time, and he did not miss how Scarlet seemed surprised and happy he asked first. Gosh why did he not do this before? Seeing her surprised and happy made him happy too.

"Amazing! I dreamed that a handsome prince came to kiss my nightmares away, oh Baek it feels real," She gazed into the space.

Baekhyun giggled and brought his hand to ruffle her hair.

"How's yours?" Scarlet asked back.

They caught up with one another, exchanged small talks on how the comeback is going, annoyed conversation on Scarlet's never ending tasks, planned about visiting their parents, and many more.

"Come let's get ready. I can walk you to campus today." Baekhyun stood up and collected the dirty plates. He washed them quickly as Scarlet prepared herself.

They're ready. Baekhyun's wearing black and black with a black cap and black masker, on his left shoulder hung Scarlet's school bag, on his right hand the small hand of Scarlet. They walk while enjoying the sun and other couples.

"Baekhyun, I'm sorry if I sound rude.. But can you please return to the pastel and denim looks please? I'm tired of seeing your dark clothes in the laundry." Scarlet spoke.

He did not need to think and nodded, "Sure! I'll dress brighter after this."

Scarlet smiled, "Thanks! It's depressing for me to see your dirty clothes."

Their steps reached the end, Scarlet smiled brightly in front of the campus gate.

"I can take it from here, thanks jagi, good luck with your practice!" Scarlet rose to give a quick peck on his lips and they parted.

That afternoon, practice ended quickly. Baekhyun rushed to the parking lot after changing into a fresh tee.

"Yak, where are you running to?" Chanyeol asked before Baekhyun was gone behind the doors. It is normal for him to rush home, but Chanyeol always asked the details.

"A date probably?" Kyungsoo teased his friend.

"Any special day?" Sehun chimed in too.

"Nah.. I want to go to the market and prepare dinner."

"Wow, did something happen?" Kai asked

"Nothing bad, I just realize I'm not a caring namja..." He blushed

The rest of them laughed it off and just wished him good luck

Baekhyun was thankful today is a Friday and he can leave before 6! Yet he was sure that Scarlet's last class today will end at 6, which gives him enough time to shop and cook.

He rushed to the supermarket nearby the apartment and bought everything needed for dinner and the empty desolate fridge. He restocked the fruits, chocolates, pop corns. He bought home a bouquet of fresh flowers and a letter too.

Once back home, he arranged everything on the refrigerator and began to cook.

Right as he wait for the rice to cook, he arranged the tables and still got time for a quick fresh shower.

Once he he spit the light-blue mouthwash away, the jingles of key made his heart pound.

"Mwoya?" Scarlet gasped in surprise when she was greeted by the dim lit room only from the dining room. She took off her shoes and left her belongings on the sofa. Scarlet stood frozen in front of the dining room.

There stood Baekhyun, all in his boyfriend dreamy look and a bouquet of fresh flowers. Not to mention how perfect his oversized yellow pastel sweater matched his fluffy caramel hair. His eye bags showed naturally how tired he is, no heavy make ups and eye shadows. Just the plain glowing cheeks Scarlet love, to an extend that she will give everything just so his cheeks can glow.

She did not say anything, he was still frozen too, and Scarlet took the moment to melt Baekhyun in her deep meaningful kiss.

"You don't have to do this Baek," she whispered as her lips lingered close to his.

"I wanted to jagiya, here's your flower." He handed her the bouquet.

Scarlet took a deep whiff of the roses and placed it on the vase.

"Wow you cooked dinner!" She giggled as she saw the pile of dirty pans and pots in the sink.

"Don't worry I'll clean them up, before that shall we eat?" He raised his brow.

"One moment!" Scarlet turned to take a quick shower and change her clothes.

She returned only in Baekhyun's oversized baby blue knitted sweater and a messy bun.

"Jja, let's begin" She took her seat and Baekhyun lit the candles.

"I'll bring you to a proper place tomorrow or next week... sorry tonight I rushed.." He shyly said.

"Oh I love this better Baekhyun, anyways your food tastes better than mine! What secrets are you using?" Scarlet ate happily, savoring each spices and sweetness. Baekhyun felt full seeing her this happy. He got it now how mothers felt when their kids finished her meals. It's rewarding.

"Nothing much, I pour my heart into it." He cheekily replied.

Scarlet rolled her eyes on this, "You know what... I owe you something for this perfect surprise. I love you Baekhyun!"

"Well you could thank me with tonight's activity. How long was it again since we did it? Oh damn I've missed your touch." He smirked.

Scarlet's cheeks burned and she finished her glass of water.

"Will you be good for me tonight?" Baekhyun sipped his wine and put on his playful smirk.

Scarlet winked, "We'll see."

[briefmusicbouquet]

so i was just sitting there, and then i thought, hmm, I wanna draw hand, and i wanna do something with a limited color palette so bam, shigaraki with hand on his face

so i took my reference photos, did a little thumbnail sketch, you know, figure out a composition (not much, just rule of thirds) on an index card

and then went ham with one of the pastel brushes on krita (i think it was the one that’s supposed to look like oil pastels?)

all in all took me about two hours :D

[paintballdays]

Dad

Dad would talk about one of his stronger loves whenever he would reminisce about his wilder years.

It was with pride mixed with the hardships of time how he would recall that age.

Dad ran away when he was sixteen. He didn't want to live his life out struggling on a farm in rural Arkansas.

He loved the free life of being a kid there, but he wanted to see more.

Many stories about how to live life hitchhiking, stealing a meal, making tomato soup out of a ketchup bottle. He said the best thing to have was an ice pick and straw. You could pop a hole in the cap of a Coke and drink it out of the vending machines back then.

Stories of stealing watermelon with his best friend Pete.

He said he'd actually been hit by rock salt from a muzzleloader shotgun. He would rub the back of his neck and arms sometimes. Old wounds never heal completely.

That's how he'd lead into talking about her...

I always imagined her name to be Linda or Margaret. A thirty year old divorced woman or a widow from the world war. Dad always left that part vague. He was afraid I might go looking and stir up troubles long hidden by the past. The one thing that was clear was Mom knew who she was, and she was never going to forgive Dad about it.

Something beautiful about old flames. We dress up those memories in vibrant pastels then age them just slightly into something we wish for.

Linda was about five foot ten inches, light curvy build, freckled from life under a Midwestern sky. It was Colorado, but maybe Arizona. Dad was again vague about location as he was names.

She owned a boarding house, and was a pretty good cook. Meatloaf, lasagna, chilli, pot roast, turkey, rabbit, deer, pheasant, hams... She could cook the best pies and cobblers he ever had.

Dad said the two of them often would go hunting in the hills together looking for wild game.

That's how I know it was along the Rockies. He would talk about elk and mule deer. About tall pines and fir trees. How the rocks jutted up and the snow was ever on the mountain tops, melting down into the canyons with sparkling streams of trout.

Dad talked of fly fishing and running trout lines.

Linda had a simple rule for her kitchen. You kill it, you clean it; She would fix the food, and season the meat.

He talked about her convertible and driving with the top down. He remembered with pleasure long red hair flowing back in the wind, and long sleepless nights driving the desert and mountain roads.

There was a sparkle in his eyes. He recalled how his green eyes stared down into her own golden-green eyes. Dad said he loved her. How he wanted to marry this red-headed firecracker.

Time's where hard, and time's were different. She was older than him by more than ten years. She couldn't accept him for fear of what would be said by community and family. It tore into his soul, and put a pain into his heart.

Dad had been running power lines at first. Seeing the west from the tops of the poles he hung.

As time went on he learned to work the oil rigs and derricks. Often telling me how the old hands would play games and greased him up in one way or another.

I could see his attempt in trying to change the subject.

In those eyes of his he was still thinking of her.

[spiicemarket]

idk if you are still doing this, but im evil so for the ask thing: 1-65

UGH SOMEONE ALWAYS DOES THIS whatevs nonny ty for the ask also i did some of these already but imma just do em again cuz im basically a new person than yesterday. under the cuttt

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you? i honestly have no idea what this means so.. no?

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you? unreasonably.

3. The person you would never want to meet? hitler

4. What is your favorite word? *moist*

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be? the one rotting from the inside out

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought? “wow look im wearing boots with heels 2day im so tall”

7. What shirt are you wearing? a plain black t shirt

8. What do you label yourself as? an annoying female

9. Bright room or dark room? dark but i want a pastel one

10. What were you doing at midnight last night? trying to sleep and failing

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far? i rlly enjoyed being 6 actually

12. Who told you they loved you last? probably my mom lmao

13. Your worst enemy? hitler

14. What is your current desktop picture? the one that comes with the laptop lolol

15. Do you like someone? i mean i like people (some of them) but i dont have a crush on anyone fjekomd

16. The last song you listened to? sippy cup by melanie martinez

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? nobody id rather push them off a cliff

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? umm the kid that calls me fat at recess lolol

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do? hmm my brother and i would basically just make him bring me chickfila

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional) hmm i like my hair its really long and

t h i c c

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do? umm i would just look like myself with short hair and less chubby cheeks lol

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it? i took hula dance class for 4 years

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of? burning to death 

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal. okay i would have a sub with ham+lettuce+extraextraextra pickles+ pepper + oil + vinegar and thats it lol im v picky

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it? parenthood pack and dine out pack

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go? England!

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? apple juice plz

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? everyone is equal is society BUT there are representatives so like people dont have to vote for everything

29. What is your favorite expletive? bitch

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno? laptop man

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? idk man i dont wanna erase any of my memories bcuz thats what builds me as a person.

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! England! 

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? My grandfather but only if he wasn’t sick anymore because I never got to know him even though he was around until i was 10.

34. What was your last dream about? i was in a quidditch game.

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]? simblr? cuz no lmao

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? yes once but i also went to urgent care when i broke my arm so idk if that counts

37. Have you ever built a snowman? no 

38. What is the color of your socks? not wearing any

39. What type of music do you like? pop/alternative like melanie martinez

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? sunsets because it gets cooler

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor? oreo mint

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer) um green bay packers cuz thats what my family likes but i dont like sports..

43. Do you have any scars? nah

44. What do you want to be when you graduate? photographer but that aint happening so lawyer..?

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? i push people away because i cant talk about my feelings to them

46. Are you reliable? what like, a secret because yesssss but if it means not being late to something then lol no

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be? whats ur follower count? LOL IM JUST KIDDING DONT COME FOR ME

48. Do you hold grudges? yes literally all the time

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create? a cat-corgi

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had? one time i spent a solid ten minutes debating with my step sister about whether or not my dog was a good boi

THE ANSWERS YES

51. Are you a good liar? no (or maybe thats a good lie????????????? the real answers yes lol)

52. How long could you go without talking? approximately 2 seconds

53. What has been you worst haircut/style? i had bangs when i was little

54. Have you ever baked your own cake? nope

55. Can you do any accents other than your own? nope

56. What do you like on your toast? dont like toast

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of? my teachers making us draw a poppy :(

58. What would be you dream car? a hybrid

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain. LMAO YOU THINK I HAVE TIME FOR THAT I HAVE 50 POUNDS OF HAIR

60. Do you believe in aliens? sometimes my step dad says he was abducted when he was 11

61. Do you often read your horoscope? nope

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? omega

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons? dragons OBVI (mostly cuz harry potter)

64. What do you think about babies? adorable

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of. THE ANON DIDNT ASK SO ILL TELL A STORY:

one time i fell out of a shopping cart and broke my arm

the end

[travelingtheusa]

NORTH CAROLINA

5 Dec 2019 (Thu) – We drove into Wilmington today.  It was about an hour away.  First stop was at the Bellamy Mansion.  A doctor lived there with his wife and nine children.  It was a beautiful building.  An unusual aspect was that the dining room was in the basement. The main floor had four parlor rooms. Upstairs had many rooms; presumably bedrooms for all the kids and their nine slaves.  The mansion had four floors.  The docent who took us on a tour was very chatty and he knew so much about the family and the time period.  It was a very interesting visit.

    Next stop was at Front Street Brewery. We enjoyed a nice meal and Paul had a flight of six beers to sample.  We walked around the neighborhood for a bit.  There were many antebellum homes.  The area was very beautiful.  The main road had dozens of houses lining the roadway; each with a plaque describing its date of construction and who lived there.

    After lunch and the local tour, we drove to the Railroad Museum.  It was mostly a model train center.  After admiring all the little trains and towns, we climbed up onto a caboose, a train engine, and a box car decorated with hobos.  

    When we got back, we gathered up information about the SMART club and went over to talk with another camper. He and his wife were interested in hearing about the club.  Another woman was visiting and joined in the conversation, too.  A man came running over, grabbed a brochure, thanked us, and ran back to his rig.  That was very funny.

 4 Dec 2019 (Wed) – We drove to the North Carolina Aquarium this morning. Their roof was undergoing repair from the recent hurricane.  When we first arrived, we saw a lone construction guy up on the very high peak. Not only did it look lonely, it looked very dangerous.  He was on a glass roof that was over the reptile area that included a 15 foot albino alligator.  Talk about dangerous jobs!!!

    We spent about an hour in the aquarium. It was small and half of it wasn’t accessible because of the roof damage.  There was nothing we hadn’t seen somewhere else.

    Lunch was at Jack Makerel’s Restaurant. It was a pub located in a lovely old building.  The food was good and they had a flight of beers that Paul thoroughly enjoyed.

    After lunch, we went to Fort Fisher Historical Site.  There was a battle there during the Civil War.  It was gruesome!  The battle lasted more than two days.  There were 1,400 North Carolinians and 300 south Carolinans who held off 10,000 northern forces for 58 hours.  The battle raged on and at the end, everyone was reduced to clubbing each other in hand-to-hand combat.  When Fort Fisher finally fell to overwhelming forces in January 1865, it marked the beginning of the end.  Robert E. Lee surrendered in April 1865.  Today, many of the redans are still in place.  A replica of a large canon sits inside a small fenced area.  Across the street stands a tall monument in tribute to the men who died during the battle.    

 3 Dec 2019 (Tue) – The weather cleared up and while it is still cool in the low 50s, at least the rain stopped.  We pulled up stakes and headed out to Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area Campground at 9:30 am.  It is a National Guard Training Base with a campground.  There is no gate and no base facilities.  They do have a swimming pool that is closed for the season.  The area suffered damage from Hurricane Dorian in September and there is a lot of repair work in progress.  There was a crew putting a new roof on the registration office.

    This is a very nice beach town. There are rows of pastel colored three-story homes, many with signs offering the house for rent.  Most of the buildings are empty as this is not the popular season.  We are on a narrow island with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and a bay on the other. We walked out onto the Kure Beach Pier. There were dozens of birds looking for goodies from the many fishermen on the pier.  One guy had just caught a blowfish and was throwing it back in.  He said he was trying to catch trout or whiting. The stretch of beach on either side of the pier reminded me of California.

    We went to dinner at Fred’s Italian Restaurant.  It was a cute little place and was about half full.  Paul had pork chops, baked potato, and applesauce.  I had shrimp scampi.  While Paul was happy with his meal, I didn’t like mine.  The appetizer (crab dip) had too much parmesan in it. The bread dip was more vinegar than oil. My shrimp was tough and chewy. The angel hair pasta was bland. My sangria was too dry.  All in all, I did not enjoy the meal.  Except for the company.  He was perfect!  And the ambiance was nice, too.  :-)

 2 Dec 2019 (Mon) – We went for a walk down by the water yesterday.  The marina was very quiet – no cars, no planes, no people.  It was very peaceful.  While we were looking out over the water, a fish broke out of the water.  It turned out to be two dolphins swimming by.  One was larger than the other so we thought it was a mother and child making their way up the river.  The sighting was a delightful treat!

    While I did some baking this morning, Paul did the laundry.  They have a small set up here in the campground with two washers and three dryers.

1 Dec 2019 (Sun) – It rained all night.  At least it wasn’t noisy like our popup used to be.  When it rained in that one, it sounded like popcorn popping.  It was raining when we got up and rained on and off all day today.

    We left at 11:30 a.m. and drove around the base, exploring the area.  This is a very large base with lots of amenities.  They have a golf course, a yacht club, two marinas, a couple of recreation areas, lounges, a movie theater, and a large housing complex. They rent out campers and boats to the marines on base.

    After checking out the base, we drove toward Beaufort.  On the way, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Smithfield’s Chicken BBQ. It was kind of like a McDonald’s. You walked up to a counter with the menu overhead behind the counter.  You gave your order and got a number then took a seat.  When your food was ready, a waitress brought it out to your table.  While we were eating, wait staff came by offering to clear away garbage and offering refills on our drinks (very UNLIKE McDonald’s).  The food was pretty good.

     When done, we continued on to Beaufort to the North Carolina Maritime Museum.  A great deal of the museum was dedicated to the story of pirates in general, and Blackbeard in particular.  Queen Ann’s Revenge, Blackbeard’s flagship, was found sunk a half mile off the coast here in North Carolina.  They had artifacts from the ship and detailed stories of the ship’s plunder.  After going through the museum, we went across the street to the Watercraft Center where a lone volunteer was working on a project.  We got to talking to him and he regaled us with details of the boats they make there.  It was very interesting.

     On the way back to the base, we stopped at a Food Lion to pick up groceries and Pet Smart to get food for Bonnie and Sheba.

 30 Nov 2019 (Sat) – We went to the Galley for breakfast again today.  We were the only people in there for about 20 minutes then four Coast Guardsmen came in.  The cafeteria has never been very full each time we have been in there.

    After breakfast, we finished packing up and left the base.  It rained most of the drive to the Cherry Point MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) in Havelock. The office was closed but a packet was sitting outside with paperwork for us.  After we set up, we settled in and just watched TV for the afternoon.  I just couldn’t get warm.

     After feeding the animals, we went out for dinner to a Mexican restaurant.  The food was very good.  The margaritas were listed on the menu as small, large, monster, and pitcher.  Paul got the monster and I got the large. They were VERY filling!

      When finished, we drove back on the base to the shopping complex looking for the package store.  While there were several stores in the complex, there was no liquor shop.  We drove a block down the road to the gas station figuring that they might have wine and liquor in there like they do on other bases.  Sure enough, they did and we picked up some drinks.

    During the drive from Elizabeth City to Havelock, we passed many small and run down homes.  There were also lots of trailers along the way, too.  Based on all those homes, we think this is a pretty poor state.

29 Nov 2019 (Fri) – We got up early and went to the Galley for breakfast. The choices were pretty good:  scrambled or hard boiled eggs, sausage (it was cold), ham, diced potatoes, and pancakes. There was a waffle maker on the counter but no batter.  You could toast bread or bagels.  The coffee was like flavored dishwater.  Ugh. The cost was even better:  $7.50 for both of us!  This is pretty good cost-wise.

    After breakfast, we drove to the Outer Banks.  First stop was at the visitor’s center to get another map.  They also had a centennial memorial to flight next to the center. Starting with the first flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903, there were several columns in an oval, each listing several aviation firsts, and ending with 2003.  It was interesting to see how far we have come in one hundred years.

    We drove more than two hours to the end of Pea Island to Hatteras.  There was a great looking museum – “Graveyard of the Atlantic” – that was closed. That was very disappointing.  We parked and walked out to the seashore.  There were many vehicles parked on the beach and it seemed like there was a fishing competition going on.  People were standing on the beach casting lines into the crashing waves.  There were several commercial boats fishing out in the ocean. One particular boat had hundreds of birds flying around it. We figured they were probably fileting their catch and the birds were looking for scraps.  Paul got pictures of pelicans flying by.  We stood on the beach and watched everything for a while then left.

    We then stopped at the Cape Hatteras Light Station.  The museum was also closed (bummer).  You could buy a ticket to climb the 210 foot tall lighthouse but we did not.  It looked like it was the same height as the Fire Island Lighthouse but when we checked it online, it turned out it was only 167 feet.  Significantly smaller than the Cape Hatteras station.

    Lunch was at the Buxton Munch.  It was a very small restaurant but very busy. It was rated number one of 48 in Buxton. We both had crab cake sandwiches which were OK but not as good as the crab cakes we had the other day.

    After we got back, fed the animals, and walked Bonnie, we went to dinner at the Galley.  They had the typical choices:  two proteins (hot dogs or chicken breast), one starch (rice), two vegetables (peas or collards), and hush puppies (I’m not sure what they are). The mess hall closed at 5:45 p.m. and although we were still eating, they shut all the TVs off promptly at 5:45. They were in a hurry to get home!  It was clear that it was time to leave.

    28 Nov 2019 (Thu – Thanksgiving Day) – Since it was a holiday, we assumed everything was closed and just stayed around the campground today.  At 5 p.m., we went to the Coast Guard Galley (cafeteria) for dinner.  They had turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, corn bread, salad fixings, soup, and various cakes and pies for dessert.  Most of it was canned; not fresh made.  Oh well.  It was holiday meal.  And it only cost us $7.70 each ($15.40).  What a deal!!

 27 Nov 2019 (Wed) –We were planning on leaving Friday, November 29, for southern North Carolina.  Unfortunately, the camp host said they did not have anything on that day but the next day was open.  So we changed our departure date to the 30th, meaning we could go back to Cape Hatteras the day after Thanksgiving.

      We went to the Museum of the Albemarle this morning.  It was a nice museum but all reading.  They divided the history of the area by eras – the Railroad Era, the Automotive Era, etc. It was a little confusing.  

     We went to the movies tonight and saw “Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”  It was not what I expected.  Rather than being a movie about the life of Mr. Rogers, it told the story of a conflicted news reporter who was affected by Mr. Rogers.  Tom Hanks was good, as always, but I don’t think I really cared for the movie.

26 Nov 2019 (Tue) – What a great day we had today.  First, we drove to the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk.  There was a visitor’s center with a small display area telling the basic story of the Wright Brothers’ lives and accomplishments.  Out in the open field, there was a stone marker commemorating the 25th anniversary of the first manned flight.  There were also four markers, each for their successive flights on December 17, 1903.  The first attempt failed.  The second try lasted 12 seconds.  The third was also 12 seconds long; the fourth was 15 seconds; and the last, and most famous, lasted 59 seconds.  There was a young boy at the field on that day.  He was 8 years old and had skipped school to watch the planned flight.  He lived to see man land on the moon 66 years later.  Wasn’t that amazing?!?!?  It is so incredible how far we went from those early flight experiments.

    There was a large monument up on a hill. That was where the brothers flew their gliders from.  They set many records for gliding.  Down on the walk was a picture commemorating the 25th anniversary celebration.  In it were Orville Wright and Amelia Earhart. It gave me chills.

    When we left the Wright Brothers memorial, we drove down the main road on the Outer Banks until we came to a local brewery where we stopped for lunch.  Paul did a beer flight and I had a glass of wine.  The food was pub fare – good but nothing to write home about.

    After lunch, we continued down the main drag to the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.  This was the site of the Lost Colony.  In 1581, explorers from England arrived on Roanoke Island.  They befriended the natives and explored the area then returned to England.  They came back the following year and left again.  In 1984, a group of 115 people arrived from England planning to colonize the area. When winter came, they were starving and in need of many things.  Captain John Raleigh was convinced to return to England to get supplies for the colony. When he got home, he found England at war with France.  He was not able to get a boat or provisions to take back to the colony for three years. When he was able to return to the colony in 1987, there was no sign of the colony.  Everyone was gone.  No one has ever been able to figure out what happened to the colonists.

25 Nov 2019 (Mon) – We left Fort Belvoir, VA at a little after 9 a.m.  It was a 3 hour drive to Coast Guard Base Elizabeth.  Signage on base was poor and the camp area was hard to find.  We only have 30 amp hookup.  The camp area is in a small circle on a corner.  The other, 50 amp, area is nicer.  Maybe next time.

     We explored the base.  It is a small training base.  There is a Galley (dining hall) that we can eat at because I am retired.  We walked over and looked over the menu.  I think we will probably eat Thanksgiving dinner there.

     The Base Exchange was nice and we picked up a couple of bottles of wine.

[kuchipatchi69]

aesthetic themed asks 😎 answer them all 😎

god ham ok

flower crown: when did you last sing to yourself?Today probably? I listen to music when I walk around campus so i kind of sing to myself

fairy lights: if a crystal ball could tell you the truth about anything, what would you want to know?If I will be happy in the future lol

daisies: what is the greatest accomplishment of your life?Actually making it to college

1975: what is the first happy memory that comes to mind, recent or otherwise?Everytime I go home and see my dogs lmao, i love them so much

matte: if you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living?I would do whatever I want tbh, no reason to not have a good time

black nail polish: do you have a bucket list? if so, what are the top three things?uh!god i have no idea, im honestly winging it

pantone: describe a person close to your life in detail.Okay so we’ll do the Big Meme @chesapeakeripperWe’ve been friends for like, over 5 years and though we had a few falling outs, theyre literally my best friend lmao. Short, Salty, yet chill, and always a good time to hangout with. One of the only people I can spend more than a week with probably. Too edgy for their own good but has a compatible aesthetic and music taste. Edgy but loves folk music? A little shady, an asshole, yells at me for dabbing too much but then proceeds to dab or get mad when i dont take advantage of the good time to do it. ALSO the only person who i feel on the same level with rhythm games in general lmao

moodboard: do you feel you had a happy childhood?Oh yeah. My parents were good and I’ve realized how nice ive had it. We aren’t rich or anything but my parents always made sure we were comfortable.

stars: when did you last cry in front of another person?Oh god i dont even know. OH NVM YEAH, I cried in front of my vocal teacher and I feel so much closer to her honestly.

plants: pick a person to stargaze with you and explain why you picked them.Ok not to be gay but ham probably lol I mean? I would feel at peace probably, because I can talk to him about anything and I wouldnt have to feel nervous or anything.

converse: would you ever have a deep conversation with a stranger and open up to them?Oh yeah, I’m an open book and Most new friends reach out to me when im having a rough time so

lace: when was your last 3am conversation with someone, and who were they to you?Either Ham or Cain? Idk it wasnt anything too deep lmaoW Cain we just shit talk or talk about mbmbam? or pkmn cards lets be real. Cain is my bff and ham is a good guy

handwriting: if you were about to die, and you could only say one more sentence to one person, what would you say and to whom?FUCK IDK ID REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THISI’d probably tell my dad thank you and how much he meant to me

cactus: what is your opinion on brown eyes?Great, I love them

sunrise: pick a quote and describe what it means to you personally.“What” - anyone ever, I connect with it because I never know whats going on ever

oil paints: what would you title the autobiography of your life so far?“I’m out here”

overalls: what would you do with one billion dollars?buy a lot of anime figures and also clothes and pokemon cards

combat boots: are you a very forgiving person? do you like being this way?IT DEPENDS! I can forgive people if I can see how genuine their apology is but if its something really shitty, then probably not lol

winged eyeliner: write a hundred word letter to your twelve year old self.Are you seriousDear newly gay Sydney (I didn't start going by Sid until highschool so),I’m glad you cut your hair off, and I actually want to cut it again. I know you cut it because you were experimenting with gender stuff, which I’m also glad you did. You can stop being so edgy and a weeb? Also stop being so into yaoi it’s Really cringey to look back on (esp bc you wrote mpreg and I’m still not proud of it S M H). I don't really remember Middle School and I’m glad because you were in your scene phase and you tried way too hard, eventually became a compulsive liar and just manipulative overall.I’m a lot gayer and more comfortable now than you are, so try not to be so fake-depressed because the real thing will hit you in a few years and yeah, you’ll want to die but its fine. Everything’s okay. This is supposed to be 200 words but i dont give a shit so heres this.Your more gay, and less uptight self, Sid

pastel: would you describe yourself as more punk or pastel?Oh god, punk, but tired

tattoos: how do you feel about tattoos and piercings? explain.I love tattoos and want to be covered in them, and I love piercings and want love them

piercings: do you wear a lot of makeup? why/why not?idk why this is under piercings but okI do! but I also dont! I dont wear makeup 85% of the time but I have so much makeup and I love to put it on :’)

bands: talk about a song/band/lyric that has affected your life in some way.Y’all.... Fall out boy has literally been there for me through all my years and have been the band I go back and listen to because I didnt share their music with anyone, and It makes me feel like I can go back to before life was so hard

messy bun: the world is listening. pick one sentence you would tell them.“Who gives a shit, my dude” 

cry baby: list the concerts you have been to and talk about how they make you feel.Jonas brothers (lmao)- I dont talk to the people I went with, my first concert, I didnt even plan to go lolFall Out Boy- Literally one of the best nights of my life and I got to spend it with my cousin and I’m so gladTwenty One Pilots- Though i dont really like them anymore, I became better friends with Maizie, who has literally had my heart for so long and I love her so much. I love both her and Jacob and wish I kept up better contact with them

grunge: who in the world would you most like to receive a letter from and what would you want it to say????????????? idk 

space: do you have a desk/workspace and how is it organised/not organised?My desk has: a makeup mirror, some cake, a lamp, pill bottles and anime figures. Its unorganized bc I dont work there

white bed sheets: what is your night time routine?Lay down, turn on MBMBAM, and then play all of the puzzle games I have until I’m out of lives before going to sleep l m a o

old books: what’s one thing you don’t want your parents to know?I went to some guys house one time and he tried to get me to do coke (I didnt do it dont worry)

beaches: if you had to dye your hair how would you dye/style it and why?MY HAIR IS BRIGHT YELLOW RN I WANT IT TO BE CURLY THO

eyes: pick five people to go on an excursion with you. who would you pick and where would you go/what would you do?Cain, Ally, Maizie, Jacob and Julia probably. We could go somewhere spooky

11:11: name three wishes and why you wish for them.To be happy-Idk im not as happy as I want to beTo be wanted- I have a lot of problems with self worth so To be happy w my appearance- Ive been overweight my whole life and I’ve always felt ugly lmao

painting: what is the best halloween costume you have ever put together? if none, make one up.Oh god I have no idea bc I usually just do makeup and go 

lightning: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done while drunk or high?Drunk text people how sad I am

thunder: what’s one thing you would never do for one million dollars?im not sure tbh

storms: you on only listen to one song for the rest of your life, or only see one person for the rest of your life. which and why?only see one person? Cain probably only bc we get along so well even tho we get on each others nerves lmao

love: have you ever fallen in love? describe what it feels like to realise you’re in love.BRO okay yeah I have, it ended BADLY and a lot of people know the story. Of both the platonic and not. idk tho, its a good feeling to know someone is there for you no matter what

clouds: if you’re a boy, would you ever rock black nail polish? if you’re a girl, would you ever rock really really short hair?yeah, I LOOK like a 12 year old boy but its fine lmao

coffee: what’s your starbucks order, and who would you trust to order for you, if anyone?Iced coffee, 6 pumps of simple syrup and half and half. Green tea smoothie or frap OR salted caramel hot chocolate. My orders are pretty normal so 

marble: what is the most important thing to you in your life right now?God, my friends. They’ve helped me so much and I could not be more thankful because I’m going through such a hard time

[dessideriium]

A story in first person

//This wonderful idea comes from this prompt

               Every day after waking up, using the bathroom and putting on decent clothes, I always pass by the painting of Veronica. I close the door to my room, and turn around to face her canvas, where she lives forever in a beautiful forest under a, mostly, cloudy day, with just one opening for the sun to shine on her. She’s lying on her back on the grass, wearing a dress from the Victorian era, and staring into infinity. Every time I see her lying there on that outgrown lawn, I always feel like cutting it. It is not comfortable for her

               “Good morning, Veronica.” I say, smiling confidently.

               The painting of Veronica looks at me curiously, scanning my features, almost as if she can’t believe it’s me, then she blinks and her head tilts to the side. She’s not propping her head on her arm anymore. She’s stopped in the middle of sitting down and it’s propping her entire body on her right arm, trying to get a better look at me. She probably doesn’t believe it’s been an entire day since she last saw me.

               Veronica’s eyes light up when she’s certain that it’s me and smiles using only her lips. She nods her head at me, and says “Good morning to you, Elliot.” her voice carries an old English accent. “Am I the first one you say ‘Good morning’ to today?” she teases. She gets jealous easily.

               “Yes you are.” I reply with the teasing tone she used, and as usual, trying to imitate her accent, in order to give her the familiarity of her time. “So you were the day before.”

               She giggles. “It’s all I ask for, Elliot.” she says and her eyes turn melancholic, as if she remembered a bad memory. The one where she tried to touch me but couldn’t, because she’s inside a painting, and I’m not. “After all I was the first, wasn’t I?”

               “Yes, you’re the first.” I say, also wanting to touch her, even if it’s just for a second, to reassure her. I always have to stop myself before raising my arm, and before she notices that I want to touch her too. “And you’ll always be.”

               She blushes and smiles at the grass, “Ok.”

               Veronica was my first painting of a person. Before her, I’d only painted landscapes and sunsets. I was still unsure whether I could paint a person or not. But one day, I simply decided that I would do it. I pushed away the uncertainty from my heart and repeated to myself from start to finish that I could do it— even if it wasn’t an original painting. I turned on my computer, googled pictures of women in the Victorian era and this one showed up in the search engine’s images.

               The girl in the image had brown hair and looked about nineteen years old. She lied on the grass, surrounded by a variety of small and yellow flowers in the center of a forest. By the lightning in the painting, it appeared to be around noon. She wore a simple white dress that went all the way down to her feet, with wine red details at the area of the hips and at the cuffs. The cuffs also had wine red lace surrounding them. She was looking into infinity, just like Veronica. The differences between her and Veronica were their hands and eyes.

               The left hand of the girl in the image rested on her forehead, as if trying to protect her eyes from the sun, even though she wasn’t looking at the sky, and she wasn’t looking at the spectator either. It was almost as if she was frowning past the spectator. A face that looked too young and pretty to hate anyone.

               First, I made a sketch of her on pencil exactly like the image. When I was done, I stepped back and felt that she was glaring at me, as if she hated me for painting her the wrong way, and preferring to be back in the canvas of her original creator. So I redid it. Her body and legs were in the same position as the girl from the image. I drew her arm propping her head and her eyes curious, so every time someone walked in front of her she’d feel interested. I thought of her blinking curiously at every person who passed because she couldn’t believe that someone else would come to the middle of this abandoned forest just to be with her. When the spectator caught sight of her, she would be the most charming girl alive, for she had company now.

               When I was water coloring her and her lonely surroundings, a name came to my head. “Veronica.” I whispered to the painting once it was done, and I could swear that she blinked at me.

               Veronica is ripping out the grass and blowing it away from her hand. “I’ll always like it that you greet me before everyone, Elliot, so please don’t stop.” she says.

               “I understand.” I say. “I’ll be at the kitchen.”

               “Ok.” she mutters, and I move away from the painting. When I’m a meter away, I look back at her and she’s still blowing grass in the wind, only that she’s frozen now; back to being a curious girl on a painting.

               At my kitchen, next to my refrigerator waits Elizabeth. She’s several eras away from Veronica. Lizzie, how she prefers to be called, is about thirty five years old, has short, curly, blonde hair, styled after Marilyn Monroe, and she models at a gazebo surrounded by vines and sweet peas in the middle of the summer.

               When I painted Lizzie, I inspired myself on women of the seventies, and their fashion. She would be a very fun person to hang out with, I told myself as I painted her dress. It was a pastel orange with red polka dots all over it, reaching just a little below her knees, and a bright red belt adorned her waist, the same color as her bright, plumped lips. Unlike Veronica, Lizzie was too happy to be chosen as a model. Her face would always be adorned with a smile with perfect teeth, perfectly applied makeup, and even nail polish on her nails. Lizzie waits by the gazebo with inviting eyes, ready to ask the spectator for a light dance in the middle of the day.

               Lizzie walks away from the flowers when she sees me and places her hands on her waits. “My, my, looks who’s finally up!” she says.

               I open the fridge to get the box juice.”It’s not late at all. Look.” I laugh and I bring my phone closer to Lizzie so she can look at the time. It’s 9:30am.

               She looks at my phone, arches an eyebrow, and looks away. “Elliot, you know I don’t like looking at that weird machine of yours.” she crosses her arms. “Can’t you wear a watch on your wrist like all the normal people do?”

               “I don’t like to sleep wearing my watch.” I complain. “It’s uncomfortable.”

               “You could carry your watch around like you carry that machine with you all the time.” she paces around her space.

               From the fridge, I take out the apple juice box, cheese, bacon, and ham, and proceed to get the bread out of the pantry to make myself a sandwich. “I don’t carry my phone with me all the time either. Besides,” I say playfully, because it annoys her when I imply that living with technology is more convenient in this time. “Right now, with my phone I can look at the time, and do so many more things.”

               Lizzie shakes her head as she smiles in defeat. “That’s why right now,” she says ‘right now’ using her fingers as quotation marks. “Everything is so complicated for you, because you can do so many things no matter where you are, as long as you have your phone and your other machines with you.”

               There’s a small moment of silence as I light up the burner and set the oil and bacon on its pan to cook. “Progress is complicated.” I sigh.      

               At that moment, I hear a door opening and feet shuffling from across the corridors where my father’s room is. I peek through the kitchen’s counter to see him walking with his eyes closed, until someone clears their throat and he jumps, startled. My father looks to the wall on his left and cries out, “Don’t scare me off like that!”

               “Am I wearing a mask? No! I’d only waved and said hey!” Cheryl yells from her painting. “I’m tired of this happening every day. Tell Elliot to move me.”

               Visibly annoyed, my father only waves his hand at Cheryl, whom I can’t see but must be fuming to see that he won’t even talk back to her only because she’ll stop moving once he steps away from her painting. Out of the three of them, Cheryl’s been the only one who’s asked to be moved before, and so far we’ve moved her four times.

               “Oh…” Lizzie giggles, and I turn to her. “Someone’s making trouble so early.”

               I turn back to the stove to flip my bacon and retrieve the bread loafs from the toaster. “Don’t even get me started on how pissed she’ll be when she gets to talk again when I walk in front of her to move her. I’ll receive her fury.” I say in defeat.

               “I can move her if you want.” says my dad from behind me. He gets a mug from the pantry and starts preparing coffee for both of us. “What are you making? Oh, good morning Lizzie.”

               “Good morning, Wyatt.” Lizzie says.

               “Bacon sandwiches.” I reply, flipping the bacon and adding two more for dad. “And Cheryl doesn’t like it when you move her.”

               In a few words, Cheryl doesn’t like men, but between me and my father, she prefers me because, in her own words, I’m less bitter than him. Perhaps the truth is only that she doesn’t like old men and prefers to prey on child victims, like me.

               Cheryl is a heroine from a fictional medieval world, inspired on the many series I’ve watched set on that era. I had, unconsciously, created a character for one of those series, and gave her a back-story similar to one of the other characters, only with a very different personality. When I was done shaping her in my mind, I knew I had to give her life. Cheryl has a long, waist-length hair, flaming red hair, a dark grey armor that fits her body perfectly and doesn’t make any rattling noises when she walks. Her eyes are always set to challenge anyone who crosses her path to a duel against her sword, which she named Rei, and she stands in front of a mountain, which she guards from bounty hunters.

               It’s needless to say that my dad thought it was a terrible idea, given my gift of bringing my paintings to life. He tolerates Veronica and likes Lizzie, but has no patience for Cheryl. Now I’m thinking it was a bad idea to place her painting on the hallway right outside my father’s bedroom.

               While Veronica has a lazy personality and is curious about life and its existence, and Lizzie feels like bubble about to burst from excitement, Cheryl is like a spoiled princess. In her storyline, she was the daughter of the king who received a knight’s training, for it was a tradition in the royal family, but she was vanished for her behavior at one of the events and she was condemned to guard the treasure of the mountain.

               My father laughs from behind. “Alright, but remember that I offered to bear her wrath for you. Good luck with her tantrum.” he says as he takes his pieces of bacon from the plate where I placed them and makes a sandwich for himself, and then takes it to the table along with the box juice. Lizzie laughs along with him.

               “You had quite the imagination with that one, Elliot.” Lizzie says, looking for a place to sit down, and frowning when she doesn’t find one, because there aren’t any chairs, just the floor. She’s probably thinking she’ll have to stain her precious dress if she wants to give her legs a break.

               “I know.” I laugh as I make my sandwich and turn around to take my sandwich to the table.

               “Elliot.” Lizzie calls and I stop, sensing worry in her voice. She’s decided against sitting down. “Do you enjoy our company?” she asks. “Veronica’s and Cheryl’s too.”  

               I raise an eyebrow at this unusual question. This was a question I’d heard from Veronica twice before. I look down at my breakfast and my stomach growls. “Of course I do, and so does dad. You’re the women of this house.”

               “Do you think you’ll be painting another girl?” she asks.

               “No, he won’t.” my father yells from the table. “We have enough with three talking paintings.” he mutters, loud enough for me to hear, but I’m not sure if Lizzie heard it too.

               “I’ll go eat.” I say to her and bring my food to the table. When I get to the table, I don’t look at my father and take a bite of my sandwich. I can feel his eyes on me, though.

               “I mean it, Elliot, I don’t want another painting girl on this house.” my father says.

               I look up, confused.  “You…don’t like them anymore.” I stutter, unable to eat another bite or drink anything until he replies.

               “No, no.” he wiggles his finger as he takes a sip of his coffee. “Don’t think I don’t like them, because I do. They’re excellent for someone your age, even Cheryl.” he laughs. “But just because you can bring your paintings thing to life, doesn’t mean you can create friends for you to talk to.”

               “I don’t paint them so they can become my friends.” I say. “I paint them because I see them in my head all the time and I have to paint them so they’ll stop being inside my head.”

               “What if you only draw them on your sketchbook?” he offered.

               I shake my head. “I did that once and they still come to life. They hated it when I turned the page to draw something else, and would yell at me when I closed the notebook.” I had to bury that notebook on a box somewhere because it was too painful to watch. Remembering their voices just now took some of my appetite away, so I set down my sandwich and have a sip of my juice.

               “And…are you seeing a future painting in your mind right now?”

               I hesitate before answering. “No. Not right now.” I say and force myself to eat a bite of bacon. This answer seems to have pleased my father, so while he looks away, I take a glance at Veronica; the grass she was blowing away still lay frozen in mid-air. Her painting is near the dining table, but here, my dad and I can talk without her, or any of the others, listening.

               After breakfast, my father decides to take a shower, and I sit on the couch that next to Veronica’s painting. When I do, the leaves she was blowing start to move again, only to be lost in sight.

               “Can I ask you something?” I say.

               Veronica narrows her eyes at me, trying to figure me out, despite knowing me for almost a year. “Yes.” she says.

               “Lizzie asked if I was planning to paint a new girl,” I look at my hands as I speak. “And my dad said he didn’t want any more paintings, but I had this dream and…she’s desperately trying to tell me something.”

               “What do you see?” Veronica asks.

               “It’s a woman.” I say and Veronica nods. “An old woman wearing a dark cloak and she’s reading book that looks about a hundred years old. She’s reading out loud and then she finds me and motions me to come closer her and I do. She shows me the book, but the book is blank and I see that her lips are moving and she looks very worried about the book, as if I know what’s wrong with it, or that maybe I can do something about it.” I close my eyes and let my head dangle. “That’s it.”

               There’s a small pause before she answers, “Elliot,” she starts and I raise my head. She’s only said my name so far, but it’s her soothing, calming voice that manages to lift a small weight off my shoulders. Most of the time, all Veronica has to do to put me in a better mood is say my name. “I do not mind if you fill your house with paintings of women, as long as you don’t forget any of us. But you’re so young, and I, like your father, worry that the more paintings you bring to life, the less time you’ll have to live out your own life, and to live for the three of us, who are frozen in time and can only live through you.” She’s looking at me with sweet eyes like I always imagined a big sister, or a mother would do.

               I’m at a loss for words after hearing her response. I’m partially lost at the sound of her voice, and at the answer she gave me. Usually, that kind of answer I expected from Lizzie. Now, Veronica is looking at me, waiting for an answer.

               “So…what should I do?”

               “Listen to Wyatt.”