#ive discovered drawing nice looking food is fun
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
[watashi dake mite]
Trying to draw a 2023 Vocaloid song every day till 2024 [21/31]
đŁSUSHI-GO-ROUNDđŁ - Utsu P
Speedraw
#vocaloid#cevio#rose cevio#this voicebank literally released yesterday how tf do i tag her#fun fact despite having like 30 demos rose just released like today#i was convinced she was released for months#do i tag this as bandori#i played that game for like 30 minutes but also rose is like voiced by and based on a bandori character or smth#bandori#i guess#utsu p#i spent way too long drawing the sushi#ive discovered drawing nice looking food is fun#this and the marasy song and also some oc art i cant show because its spoiler-ey taught me that new fact about myself#anyway eel sushi is the best sushi don't @ me or do @ me i guess it boost engagement
87 notes
¡
View notes
Note
sorry to pop in during an ask game but! ive been working on a carrd for my system where everyone has their own little profiles, i was wondering if you had ideas for information i should include about people? like a general about me list of questions that you think would be good for systems? always happy to hear from the community on this as well so i'll be peeking at the replies as well! take care!
Yeah!! So weâre making a system map and hereâs the format weâre using:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Pronouns:
Species:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Relationships (in-sys):
First discovered:
Member since:
Appearance:
Role:
Notes:
Um, some of these wonât be applicable for all systems and others might not be useful or necessary to share online (like first discovered, member since, role, and others) but it can be a handy tool for just getting a better feel for your system!! And many of these would work for an âabout me!â
You can also include stuff like:
Favorites/least favorites! color, movie, show, book, anime, video game, series, rpg, music genre, artist, fruit, breakfast food, dessert, meal, drink, ice cream flavor, animal, season, weather, texture, scent, flower, pastime/hobby, Minecraft biome, or literally anything else - this is just some to get you started! :3
Inspiring quotes! That the headmate chose or that reminds other members of that headmate!
Picrews/Drawings/Images that are inspired by the particular headmate! (ps - for free online images check out unsplash and pixabay!)
And for the system as a whole, how about:
Size/Headmate count:
Origin/System type:
Collective/System name:
Collective pronouns:
Collective labels or identifiers:
Shared/Collective interests:
((okay, so this was in the drafts and it looks like ralsei was almost done with this. we (kip and margo) would like to add that youâre not obligated to share any more information about yourself than you want to online. itâs good to use discretion when deciding what/how much to share. definitely use these ideas to make a nice carrd, but be careful with how much you choose to reveal about your system in online spaces. stay safe and have fun!))
đ Ralsei (with an added note from đ˘ kip and đ¸ margo)
16 notes
¡
View notes
Text
vintage pt.2
   summary: the reader gets into an accident which causes her to lose her memory. as Ruel begins to rebuild their relationship and recall the good memories between them, some bad ones are restored as well and might threaten their future.Â
masterlist
Word Count: 4.4 k (kind of long, oops)
       âSoooo whatâs my favorite color?â
       âEasy. Blue,â he retorted while reaching over to fill in a space on the tic tac toe board that Y/N had drawn on her empty lap desk. He was the xâs and she played the oâs. It was a bit difficult for Ruel to pretend to not know all of her tricks she played in this game, but he was a very convincing loser. She had also taken the opportunity of his return to test him on some trivia of her personal likes and dislikes.Â
       âOkay, hereâs a good one,â she said as she filled the left hand corner on the board with a perfect circle. Ruel learned a long time ago that her strategy was to fill two corners and the center spot of the board in order to have an upper hand on winning. He watched her play the same way over again. Ruel admired her predictability and he almost felt confident enough that her tic tac toe skills returning would somehow correlate to her feelings for him to return as well.
       âWell finally a good one. Lay it on me.â He gave her his signature soft smile that he always grants her when heâs being his sweetest version of a boyfriend.
       âWhatâs my favorite song? Or, at least one of my favorite songs.â
       Ruel scrunches up his nose in thought, âhmmm. Iâm gonna need a little more context, bub.â
       âOkay so maybe my favorite song I like to hear on a road trip. Something that gets me energized.â Ruel found it funny that she was reaching for more and more clues to jog her memory. They both knew that couldnât she remember the last road trip sheâd been on, or any of them for that matter. He was proud that she was at least in a more positive mood about not remembering things.Â
       âWait a Minute! by Willow Smith. Thereâs one.â
       Y/Nâs happy expression dropped to a confused one.Â
       âHuh? I donât listen to Willow Smith.â
       They both just sat there for a while. There was still an apparent wall that Y/N had built up to secure herself from being hurt by Ruel since she barely knew him.Â
       But the truth was that she barely knew herself.
       âWell, I guess I did listen to her music,â she dropped her head down. âI guess I just canât remember it.âÂ
       Ruel used the sleeve of his sweater to wipe off the marker drawings on Y/Nâs desk tray so that he could lean over it to hold her hands.
       âHey, how about we do something else? I brought back some stuff like you asked me for.â She looked up and gave him a soft smile when he let go of her hands to grab a blue shoebox from the floor.
       âOh, you brought gifts! Yay!â she exclaimed while clapping her dainty hands over and over. He sat the box in front of her lap on the hospital tray and she stared at it for a minute. One of the things she did remember was that blue was her favorite color. And after having a few conversations with Ruel, she discovered that his was brown. So, she assumed that the color of the box was a little nod to her. She thought that was really sweet.
       âYou can go ahead,â he encouraged her. âIf you have any questions, just ask.â
       She hesitated to lift the flimsy lid from the top. Partly because she was afraid that seeing the contents wouldnât help jog her memories at all, and also because she was still pretty weak from the constant dosage of pain meds sheâd grown accustomed to.Â
       The first things to come out of the box were some polaroids and a bunch of little papers she grabbed that were grouped together. One of the polaroids showed a group photo in front of a campfire with little writing at the bottom that said ânew years 2020.â There were some post-it notes with little messages written on them in pencil. They were fading but Y/N could still make out what they said. It was a girlâs handwriting, and there was a little drawing of a pond? Or maybe a lake.Â
i drew you a pond since you wanna act like a silly goose all the time. bitch.
        -y/n
       There was another one filled with words instead of a cute drawing, and she assumed this one was a serious matter.
hi, love. i left to go watch the sunrise with coco around 4 am-ish. you probably wouldâve wanted to join us, but you look so peaceful when youâre sleeping. and coco said that youâve been smothering me lately and encouraged me to sneak out. anyways, iâll probably be back before you see this, but just in case iâm not, donât call the cops. okay thatâs all. in case i never return, i love you.Â
        -y/n (under the heavy influence of stella)
       Ruel chimed in to explain. âYeah, you used to leave me little notes like that sometimes instead of texting like a normal person.âÂ
       âAnd you kept them?â
       âOf course I did. Iâm not a monster.â He joked and she playfully hit his chest with the stack of notes. Ruel scooted his chair closer to the side of Y/Nâs bed and leaned in. âLets see what else we got in here.â
       There were movie tickets, receipts from restaurants, and even old wristbands from festivals.Â
       âIs this what you meant when you said I grow attached to material things?â She laughed on the outside but in reality, Y/N was so infatuated in the idea that a boy would keep a box of things that reminded him of her and their relationship.Â
       âHa yeah, I guess it kind of rubbed off on me after a while.â Ruel reached his hand into the box as well and pulled out a little beaded bracelet. It had a simple pattern of ocean blue and brown wooden beads. He played with it in between his fingers.
       âI remember this. Your cousin made it for us when you brought me to Thanksgiving. She kept running back and forth asking us what our favorite colors were. It was so cute. And she said we had to share it,â he reminisced.Â
       He gave her the bracelet which she carefully placed on the wrist that wasnât connected to an IV. There were mostly pictures in the box. Pictures of Y/N and Ruel in different settings: kissing, posing next to venue signs with his name on it, cooking, etc. She picked up one of the pictures and examined it carefully.Â
       âI remember this,â she said in a nonchalant matter. Ruel looked up at her, then back at the picture in her hand.
       âYou do?âÂ
       âYeah, I remember that whole trip. That was a fun trip. Hmm.â She hummed to herself in bliss with a grin on her face.Â
       âTell me about it,â he grinned back at her. âWhat do you remember?â She looked down for a while. It was almost like the times they spent together were in secret, and too precious to share with anyone else. She felt a deep connection to someone-whoever it was to make her feel such strong emotions in just the echos of the times they spent together. Y/N began longing for the person who made her experience this type of fondness. The person she was looking for was right in front of her. Why was she holding back?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       âOkay, how do I say this,â Y/Nâs hand snaked up to her head to rake through her hair as she paced in deep thought. She took in a deep breath and turned around to look at him sitting in the hospital chair across the room.
       âI-I want this to be special. I mean, youâve been so patient and considerate with me. You havenât tried to rush me into anything at all. But I see the way you look when you think Iâm not paying attention. Youâre hurting, and Iâm sorry that itâs taken me so long to finally give in. Well not, finally give in, but. You know, you know what Iâm trying to say right?â She used every ounce of energy she had to walk across the room to face him. She picked him up and brought his face close to hers.Â
       âIâm trying to tell you that I love you,â she whispered and smiled softly. Before she could say anything else, Y/N heard the doorknob rattle in desperation to open it.Â
       She quickly threw the teddy bear back into the chair and tried to pretend that she was doing anything else.Â
       Ruel leaned into the door frame and struggled to keep his balance as he carried a Taco Bell bag and two drinks in his hands.Â
       âOh, let me help you with that,â Y/N rushed over to him to grab the drinks and his eyes grew in shock.
       âWell, itâs nice to see you up and moving so much. The doctor was right, you really have been getting stronger every day.â Y/N smiled up at him with pride as they both settled the food onto her desk. âSo, have you heard anything yet?âÂ
       âAnything about what,â Y/N mumbled in between taking bites of her soft taco. She knew exactly what he was referring to, though.
       âOh, you know. Like when are you gonna get out of this place? I mean, with the way youâre up and walking now,â he brought his free hand up to rest on the back of her neck as he examined her face with concerned eyes. âItâs been, what, four weeks now? They said four to six weeks, but by the looks of it, youâre healing up really well. Youâve done so good lately.â
       She mouthed âthank youâ and gave him another wide smile. Y/N was happy that he was proud of her progress. He played a big part of her growth, though. Through the discomfort and the multiple procedures she had to undergo, Ruel was always there at the side of her bed to rely on. Whether she was up at 4 am crying because she couldnât remember the names of her dogs or freaking out in excitement after being able to stand up on her own, he was there for it all.
       And as her strength developed each day, so did her trust and love for him. She assumed that it wasnât the same as their previous relationship, but it was more than enough to keep them happy. He would always tell her that he loved her, but she didnât say it back. He told her it was fine, that he knew she didnât really know who he was and he wouldnât hold it against her. But in return, he needed for her to accept that he still loved her as much as he did before the accident and to be okay with him loving her even if it meant that she couldnât love him equally back for a while.Â
       But after spending so much time with him, Ruel was hardly a stranger to Y/N anymore. He was a friend, a very understanding and attractive friend. She couldnât ignore the burning sensation she felt deep in her stomach when he would cuddle up close to her on the bed during their movie nights. She couldnât ignore the desire or the comfort she felt for him any time that he was around (which was very often because Ruel was always around). He told her that he would wait for her, that she should take her time to decide if she wanted to continue their relationship whenever she was ready. He told her that sheâd just gone through a major trauma and that she needed to focus on getting better. He said he would wait for her, but a part of her feared that he was only saying this to make her feel better. She feared that he had already accepted that they were just friends, that maybe heâd already began a new romance with some skinny long-haired girl in Sydney and he was just waiting for Y/N to get her strength back so that he could go home to her.Â
       âOkay, well I have to tell you something,â she finally came out with. Ruel sat up straight in his chair to give her his full attention. His eyes were fixated on her face and his hands rested in his lap. She found herself lost in thought trying to remember what she wanted to tell him but she couldnât focus on anything but his beauty.Â
       âDid they already tell you whether youâre going home or not?â he laughed a little as he went to grab his drink off of the desk. âDid I miss it when I went to get lunch?â He used the side of his jeans to wipe the water that got on his hand from the cup. His huge hand. The same huge hand that he then used to move the long strands of hair out of his face. Heâd previously told her that she did not like the long hair look on him and always encouraged him to get haircuts and shave. In the moment, Y/N couldnât figure out why the hell anyone would ever encourage him to change his appearance when he looked like that. The long hair and mustache gave him a much more mature look in comparison to the old pictures and videos she would look at of him. She couldnât understand why anyone would want to cut the hair that she so desperately wanted to run her fingers through. She quickly snapped out of it and shut her eyes so she couldnât look at the beautiful boy in front of her.
       âI really do have to tell you something,â she started and stopped because she was nervous. With her eyes still closed, she felt Ruelâs hand grab hers.
       âWhatâs going on, why are you acting so weird?â he let out a nervous laugh and Y/N realized that he was probably feeling the same anxiety as her in the moment. She knew that someone had to be the confident one in this scenario, and she decided that it would be her. She took one last deep breath and let go of it.
       âDo you remember what I told you when I first told you I loved you?â
       âYes,â he laughed again, âDo you want me to tell you the story again?â She nodded quickly in a child-like manner and looked at him in adoration.
       âIt was a little after a month of us dating and Iâd just taken you home after we went out driving and just hanging out. I was almost back in the car when I saw you run out of the house, barefoot, yelling at me to wait.â Y/N laughed a little and felt the tension between the two of them begin to melt away.Â
       âAnd then what did I do?â
       âYou went into this whole speech about how you felt and how you were very scared to be vulnerable because you were afraid of being hurt. And then you said something that Iâd never forget,â he looked up at the ceiling as if the answers were written on the tiles, âyou told me that the fear you felt only grew as you fell more in love with me. You said you thought that it would never go away, but you didnât want it to stop you from embracing the happiness you felt when you were with me. And then you told me you loved me, and that you were scared of me. You said that I made you wanna jump into the fear rather than run away from it. You said you knew that you loved me as soon as you felt scared. Because you knew you had found something worth cherishing. And if it ever went away, you didnât think youâd survive it.â He looked down. After saying all of that, it still seemed like there was something he was missing. He looked as if he didnât manage to not break her heart. He was scared too.
       âRuel?â Y/N let her hands relax and gripped onto his tighter.Â
       âYeah?â
       âIâm scared.â She began to fiddle with his long digits and almost felt hesitation to do anything next.
       âWhat are you afraid of-â he began, but was interrupted by the connection of her lips onto his. He freed his hand and rose it up to the back of her neck so he could deepen the kiss. They kissed again, and again. They kissed until their faces were red and she broke away for a moment to catch her breath. She smiled at him and he looked back at her in disbelief.Â
       âI love you. I really do, Ruel. And Iâm sorry that itâs taken me so long but I donât want to be just friends. I want you in my life like you used to be,â her eyes dropped to her lap and her expression changed, âbefore everything got so fucked up.â
       He grabbed her face again and began to pepper it with kisses. At this point, Ruel was halfway onto her bed. She brought up her dainty hands to cup his face and she gently pulled away again. Ruel hitched a rushed breath out as he pouted in confusion as to why she pulled away.Â
       âOh yeah, Iâm going home today.â She smiled with her teeth and he laughed in pure bliss before grabbing her face again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       The boxes piled in the middle of the living room all started to disappear one by one. Y/N watched in awe as Ruel picked up every box and placed it in its proper area. Her legs swung back and forth in boredom while she waited on top of the kitchen counter where Ruel had placed her since she refused to wear shoes on the trip to her apartment.
       âYouâre such a good slave,â she told him in a sweet tone as her eyes followed him across the area. He shook his head, barely giving her an ounce of the attention she practically begged for, and continued moving things around.Â
        âHoney are you sure youâre gonna be okay on your own like this? You can stay back home a little longer if youâd like,â Y/Nâs mother remarked. She looked at her daughter with concern.
        âIâm not alone, I have Ruel. And besides, Iâve already left the nest once before. I should be fine.â
        âWell I guess Iâll be on my way home now. Call me if you need anything. Anything.â Y/N pecked a kiss on her cheek and guided her mom outside.
        By the time she got back into the apartment, the living room was clear of boxes and she moved down the hall in search of her boyfriend. She found Ruel in her bedroom on the edge of the bed hunched over his phone.Â
        âWhatâs so interesting?â She sat down beside him and rested her chin on his shoulder. Once she realized what he was watching, she pulled out one of his airpods so she could listen in. It was from her Youtube channel she started a few months ago. She had faint memories of vlogging herself doing normal things like grocery shopping or going to her brotherâs football games. Sheâd only looked at a few of her storytime videos, including the one where she details how she met Ruel. This was a video she hadnât seen before, though. It was of her and Ruel together in some resort. It looked like they were on vacation and he explained to her that they were in Amsterdam for some music festival and had decided to make an entire trip out of it since it was so close to their anniversary. Theyâd coordinated matching outfits for the first weekend and were posing in front of the bathroom mirror together like lovesick idiots.
        âDamn, Iâm so jealous of us.â
        Ruel let out a low chuckle at her and skipped through the parts sheâd recorded of his performance.
        âYeah, most people are.â He fast forwarded to a portion of the video after they returned to the hotel. Ruel was in the shower and Y/N was laying on the bed, recently showered, detailing all of the ways she was proud of her boyfriend. He laughed when she poked fun of how he forgot his own lyrics on stage.
        âWell that was almost cute,â he added and locked the phone.
        âHey, itâs still pretty cute,â she laughed, âYou canât be mad at me for telling the truth, babe.â
        âBabe, huh?â he questioned as he turned to face her.
        âWhat, is that weird? Or too soon? I mean, you call me âbubsâ and âloveâ all the time,â she looked down and played with the details of her jeans.
        âItâs adorable. I love it. And I love you,â he reassured her as he cupped her face and pulled it in for a puffy kiss. She kissed him back, this time with more dominance. Y/N kissed Ruel like there was a pot of gold hidden somewhere in his mouth that she was determined to get.
        Ruel matched her energy right away. He kissed her back and gripped the back of her neck to guide her face closer into his. They adorned each other with open mouths and full hearts. As they continued, Y/N felt the urge to go further and further with him, exploring his body and getting to know him on a more intimate level. They were so good at making out, it seemed like theyâd done it a thousand times before. It felt like she was kissing a lover from a different lifetime, like sheâd replayed scenarios over and over which all ended with her loving him. She couldnât remember ever doing this with him before, but her body remembered. Everything with Ruel came with such ease. Every time he touched her body, she was overcome with euphoria and only craved more. She craved being closer to him, kissing him deeper.
        âMmm, take this off please,â she tugged on his shirt and he quickly pulled it off before resuming his actions. Y/N felt herself falling into an intoxicated state as she moaned against his mouth. He responded to her by wrapping his hand around her thigh and pulling it closer against him. They both began to move in sync with each other, both giving and taking as their bodies danced a routine they knew too well. Y/N was so distracted by Ruel that she didnât even hear her mother walk back in through the front door. She only whined when he pulled his face away from hers.
        âWhyâdyoustop,â she breathed out. She was out of breath and watched him with puppy dog eyes as he stood up.
        âYour mom is back,â he stated flatly. He was clearly out of breath too and he was trying to calm himself down so he could see what was going on in the front.
       â...so?â she gave him a blank stare and patted on his side of the bed to join her again, âshe can let herself out.â
       âDonât worry, bubs. Weâve got time,â he chuckled to himself and pulled his shirt back on over his head. Y/N sighed and jumped from her side of the bed to join Ruel in the living room.
       âIâm sorry, hun. I forgot the most important box: your things from the hospital.â Y/Nâs mother placed a small box on the counter and tapped the top of it lightly, âThis is what you had on you when the crash happened. Thereâs not much in there, just the clothes you were wearing, your wallet, your phone,â
       âMy phone?â Her eyes perked up. So did Ruelâs. âIâve been meaning to ask you about that. I bet thereâs a bunch of clues in there to help jog my memory,â she picked up the box and skipped down the hallway to drop it off.Â
       âIâm pretty sure itâs dead, so youâll have to find a charger for it. You probably have the same kind.â Her mom gestured towards Ruel, who looked like heâd just seen a ghost. His eyes were fixated in thought, emotionless and dazed in a trance.
        âHuh? Oh yeah, probably. Sure.â He snapped out of his guilty state quickly and turned to see Y/N coming back from her bedroom.      Â
        âWas that it, Mom? Cause we were just about to go out and get some food before it gets dark.â They both said goodbye and hugged Y/Nâs mother. Once the door was shut behind her, Y/N grabbed Ruelâs hand with a quickness. His worries were suddenly gone as she led him down the hall.Â
        It wasnât long before theyâd continued right where they left off. Y/N was still indulging herself in him and embracing the comfort she felt in his arms. She gripped the fabric of his shirt into her fists to deepen the kiss and felt the vibration from his mouth into hers as he let out muffled moans. With each kiss, she found herself thinking about all of the things she couldnât wait to do with him before another thought popped into her mind and snapped her out of the daydream. She pulled away from him and turned her head towards the box.
        âIâve been wondering what was left on my phone,â she gestured to the dresser. âI need to plug it up so I can see what was going on before I lost my memory. It would be cool to see who I last talked to right before my life was ruined, right?â She laughed and began to sit up. Ruel grabbed her hand and lightly pulled it so she could come back down to him.
        âI thought you wanted to do this, yeah? I mean hey, this is our first official night together alone. We can look into the phone later, right?â
        Y/N nodded and laid back down next to him. âHmmm, youâre right. This first, phone later,â she declared before connecting their lips once more. As Ruel rolled his lanky body on top of hers, Y/N couldnât help but wonder why Ruel was so against her looking at her phone. Was there a dirty secret in there that he didnât want her to find? She dismissed her paranoid thoughts and continued.
a/n: okay, so thatâs that on that. ugh what is on that phone that he doesnât want her to see???? i hope this makes sense, iâve reread it so many times and it seems like crap but iâm still going to post it. thank you for the support of my page, and please send me asks with what fics you would like to see next ;)
#one ruel#oneruel#ruel#ruel fic#ruel imagine#ruel imagines#ruel one shot#writers on tumblr#ruelvandijk#ruel van dijk#ruel vincent van dijk#ruel x reader#rueledits
80 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Not Quite Human, Part III - Donatello x Reader
Part II can be found here --> (x)
Part IV can be found here -> (x)
Here, catch this casket; it is worth the pains. I am glad 'tis night, you do not look on me, For I am much ashamed of my exchange: But love is blind and lovers cannot see.
-The Merchant of Venice
Trembling still, Donatello started backing away again slowly with intent to abscond through the window behind him. Not seeing the chew toy in his path, he tripped over it and fell backwards, and he kept falling...and falling...The vision of your fear-stricken face at the forefront of his mind. Awakening with a start, he sat up in his bed and buried his face into his hands.Â
"It was...just a nightmare?" He asked himself in shallow breaths, shaken from how real the illusion felt. Taking a few moments to find calm, he finally rose from his bed to go about his routine. As the day wore on, the genius became caught up in his work, and lost track of time. Before he knew it, he was already running late for his date with you.Â
**********************************
Your nerdy sweetheart waved to you as he ran up, this time he came wearing a new and intriguing accessory which promptly caught your attention, "I like your goggles, very steampunk." Surprised, he felt the top of his head to find that he'd forgotten to take them off. So accustomed to having his goggles on all the time, he didn't even notice that they were still there. He was honestly shocked that this had not happened sooner. With a small smile, he prepared to humble brag about his creation.
"You make fun, but these are actually functional," He stated matter-of-factly while pushing his glasses up his nose. When you gave him a look of skepticism, he removed the item from his head and held it out to you. "Would you like to test them out?" He offered, trying his best not to appear too overly confident as he did so.Â
Laughing incredulously, you humored him, and donned the apparatus. Much to your amazement, they were fully operational. The invention provided biological breakdowns of various objects within it's range. When you turned your gaze to Donatello, he was careful to avoid your line of sight. For just a few seconds, his chemical make-up flickered before your eyes as you managed to catch a glimpse of him through the lenses.Â
The information disappeared before you could read it as your lanky beau slipped behind you and attempted to pluck the gadget from your head. Removing them yourself, you held the invention out just far enough to keep it from his grasp. The device listed so much data at once that it was difficult to fully absorb. However, one thing in particular stood out...His heat signature, it was far too low for a human being. You stored that information into the annals of your mind for future contemplation.
Mouth agape, you began your adulation, "You...made these?! Theyâre incredible!" You exclaimed as you proceeding to marvel at the technical intricacies of the small apparatus.Â
He chuckled heartily at your response as he pursued the repossession of his belonging, "Try not to sound so shocked, I'm an...inventor, of sorts." You swatted away his hands and released a haughty laugh.Â
"Alright, give them back, you cannot be trusted with those!" He finally demanded, and you continued to deny his request, holding them behind you with a firm shake of your head.Â
"No way, they're mine now!" You refused him once more, and the two of you continued to wrestle for the trinket; all the while laughing hysterically. The young man's chortle quickly turned into snorts as he continued to reach for his possession.Â
"That is insanely adorable," You complimented his dorky laughter and his face became flushed.Â
The position in which the two of you had found yourselves was incredibly romantic, and his heart fluttered in his chest. Only mere inches separated your lips from meeting. Locked in a introvert's stale-mate, you both waited for the other to make a move. Despite his outwardly human appearance, Donatello still felt like a mutant. He couldn't believe that someone as attractive as you would ever want to kiss someone like him. He especially didn't expect you to reciprocate if he were to attempt a lip lock with you, but that fact failed to quash his yearning.Â
Being very methodical, it was unlike the genius to act on impulse. He would always plan out a strategy before taking action to ensure the most favorable outcome. However, at that moment, he threw caution to the wind. He knew that if he didn't act now while he had the perfect opportunity, he never would. As if you both were dancing, he held you in a dip and slowly moved in. Your widened eyes followed his lips as they lingered longingly over yours. He wanted to kiss you, but hadn't the courage. Shying away at the last second, he planted a gentle kiss on your cheek.
In an act of bravery fueled by need, you decided to take his action further. It was just a quick peck, but the spontaneity of the gesture roused something deep within Donatello. A shudder of anticipation suddenly ran throughout his body. What followed was a low, mellifluous, churr that welled up from his chest. The unexpected vocalism caused both of the young lovers to flinch. The amorous lad reflexively gasped as his mind quickly placed the sound, making you fear that you had been too forward.Â
"I'm sorry!" You panicked, breaking the embrace, and taking a few steps away from him. Unsure of what else to say, you waited for his response on held breath.
"Y/N, don't be sorry! It was...nice." He said dreamily, unable to forget the softness of your lips on his. In the back of his mind, he was concerned about his clearly inhuman bodily hiccup. Thankfully, you didn't appear to be too concerned about it. Not even Donatello, himself, was aware of this uncontrollable trait. The braniac knew actual turtles churred when mating, but never thought he'd exhibit it; writing it off as an impossibility, given that he was part human. He wondered why it never manifested before now. Perhaps the emotional connection that he shared with you drew it out.
But the two of you weren't even close to engaging in what was scientifically considered to be mating. It was merely a kiss, and a chaste one at that. Admittedly, he was getting hot and bothered from that alone, with the help of his imagination. When his mind fixated on the idea of the two of you being intimate, his face turned red. Another humm emitted from his body, this time much louder. It served as a rude awakening from his daydream. That one was impossible for you to miss, and you gave him a vexed look.
The infatuated young man's blissful expression quickly fell as he searched his mind for a response, "That was...my...stomach! I'm starving! A-are you hungry? Do you want to go and get some food? I'm thinking Italian," His words stumbled out feebly, eyes refusing to meet yours. Meanwhile, all you could do was guffaw at his odd reaction to something as normal as stomach rumbling.Â
"What's inside that stomach of yours? A zoo?" the well-timed joke lifted the awkwardness of the situation, and successfully calmed your beau's nerves. This was feigned ignorance, however, as you perceived something strange in his so-called stomach noises; but you chose not to broach the subject, as he appeared to be extremely self-conscious about it.Â
The sounds were far too guttural to be of the stomach, they almost sounded...bestial. You'd heard a similar sound before, but couldn't place it. Deciding that you needed to investigate further, you returned to the reality from which your mind had wandered. Donatello was guiding you along as he prattled away about this amazing Italian restaurant that he loved, which just so happened to be nearby. This was a insubstantial attempt to distract you from what had just occurred.Â
Stopping without warning, you brought your chatty date to a halt as well. The bespectacled boy turned to you in confusion, "Is everything alright? Why'd you stop all of the sudd-" not allowing him to finish his inquiry, you threw your arms around his neck, and pulled him into a kiss. Though surprised, he hesitantly embraced the sudden display of affection. Shaky hands meeting your waist, and resting there apprehensively.
Curiosity got the best of you, as you tried to draw out that unusual sound from him again. You'd noticed that it previously happened during your close encounter earlier, and decided to test the theory. When the result that you expected failed to occur, you released him, trying to mask the disappointment you felt in the experiment's failure.Â
Perhaps it really was his stomach after all, you resolved to put it to rest...for the moment. Donatello gave you a look of befuddlement, but swiftly picked up on your motivation after brief contemplation. While the likelihood of you coming to the conclusion that he was a giant mutant turtle was statistically improbable, giving you a cause for suspicion still wasn't good.
The brainy young man was partially impressed that you'd gathered so much information from such a quick, and unpredicted irregularity. This was truly unsurprising, though, he knew that you had a brilliant mind. Donatello cursed his biological makeup, his errant turtle moan was costing him dearly.Â
Sudden booms of thunder offered a perfectly timed distraction from the shenanigans at hand. Darkened clouds swirled in the distance, threatening a coming storm. Exchanging glances of concern you both agreed to seek cover, and the aforementioned dining establishment was the perfect place to go.Â
The eatery was everything that Donatello had promised and more. The two of you indulged in pasta, delightful conversation, and of course...tiramisu. Upon finishing your meal, you walked outside together to discover that it still had yet to rain. And the threat was still promising, as the sky remained a deep purple. This unforeseen weather complication put a kibosh on your outdoor date plans. Given the circumstances, the two of you agreed to cut the date short. Much to the dismay of both parties.Â
As per usual, your date bid you goodnight outside of your high rise apartment, being far too shy to invite himself in. Glancing at him flirtily, you offered hospitality, "Would you like to come up to my place?"Â
He shrank at your inquiry, knowing full well that he only had an hour or so left until he changed back into he old turtle self. That wasn't much time in the grand scheme of things, and he simply didn't want to risk it. The once distant rumbling suddenly grew louder, and raindrops began to fall, swiftly escalating into a downpour. Hand-in-hand, you ran for shelter at the door of your building. The space was barely enough to cover you both.
"Wow, these rom-com clichĂŠs follow you like a shadow, huh?" You tittered as the two of you huddled together underneath the small overhang, nearly soaked to the bone; bodies firmly pressed against one another in order to fit. The intimate proximity enticed romantic ventures, chests rising and falling with synced breaths. Desire swirled in his golden eyes, and at that moment, he didn't overthink. Instead, he took your lips in his with adrenaline-fueled confidence. Impassioned and deep, it felt as though the storm had stricken you both with it's threat.Â
An electricity passed between your bodies, coursing through, and enlivening you with each traded kiss. Having no prior experience in kissing wasn't too much of a problem for the mutant in disguise, it was simply the proper application of jaw mechanics and tongue movement. In technique he was prepared, but what he wasn't prepared for was the passionate intensity of the experience. He felt as though his heart would break free from his rib cage at the rate it was beating. When you came up for air, all that you could do was utter a single word with shaky breath...
"Wow." and when you stumbled back a bit, he caught you, an unfaltering smile lighting up his features. You then cupped his face with both hands and locked eyes with him as you prepared to deliver the most unparalleled of witticisms.
"I'm cashing in my raincheck." You voiced with a prideful grin, and your beau stifled a laugh. The cleverness of your one-liner was undeniable. He couldn't resist such a convincing argument, especially not after that kiss.Â
"Okay, but I can only stay for one hour!" Donatello stated his time limit decisively, and you nodded in agreement.Â
Together, you headed up to the apartment and made your way inside. Various framed posters lined the corridor of the entrance, all from iconic horror and fantasy films. The first was The Wolfman, followed by Creature from the Black Lagoon, Pan's Labyrinth, and finally, Frankenstein. You watched as your guest scanned the hangings with delight, and continued leading him to the main room. It was spacious and well decorated with paintings, and knick-knacks, but not overly cluttered. Several art supplies laid on the tables, and there was even a sewing machine on it's own desk.Â
"Wow, you're quite the jack of all trades, huh?" He chuckled as he gestured to the Singer Quantum Stylist 9985 in the corner.
"Yes, I dabble in many hobbies." You answered with a cheeky smile.
The young man's eyes continued to travel the room in awe before finally settling on one painting specifically. A relatively large oil painting that was hard to miss, but not because of it's size. The subject matter was of particular interest to the turtle in humanâs clothing. On it was a woman with a sea monster, the two of them exchanging a deep loving gaze as they floated within the murky depths of the ocean. Recognizing it immediately as the final scene from The Shape of Water, Donatello smiled wide.
Drawing close for a better look, he couldn't hide his appreciation for the work. He knew the patience that it took to paint with oils, but moreso, admired the piece because it gave him...hope. Becoming entranced, he absendmindedly muttered under his breath, "For loue is blynd alday and may nat see."Â
You barely picked up what he'd said was it...Latin? No, Middle English. Watching as he marveled at the work you let out a muffled chuckle. His facial features spoke volumes: amazement, respect, and something more. There was an evident understanding in his expression, gaze fixed on the monster, as if they shared some sort of kinship.
Realizing that he was acting peculiar, he turned to you with a dorky smile and bestowed a compliment, "Y/N...This is...gorgeous."
Jolting at the admiration, your breath hitched, "T-thank you...I painted it." You stuttered as you grabbed two towels from a nearby closet. Feeling warmth flow to your cheeks, you ran into the other room to gather dry clothing. After taking a few seconds to calm yourself, you returned, throwing a hooded sweatshirt and basketball shorts to Donatello.
Catching the garments launched in his direction, he continued to shower you with adoration, "You really painted this?! That's incredible...It's amazing!"Â
All you could do was nod sheepishly. "Thank you! It's not really that great, there are so many anatomical errors and..." Your train of thought trailed off as you noticed his clothes dripping still from the rain.Â
With a chuckle you shifted the conversation, "Alright, you've appreciated my artwork enough! We should get changed before we catch colds." Just as you finished your sentence, your date absentmindedly removed his shirt. Stunned at the sight, you couldn't help but stare. You'd never noticed his lean muscular build previously, since he always wore long sleeves.
Once he became aware of his social blunder, he swiftly recovered with a joke, "Do you mind?" He then placed a hand on his hip, raised one eyebrow, and shifted to a stance that radiated sass.
Still awe-struck, you responded in an unbothered tone before getting the hint, "No--Oh-oh-oh! Excuse me." before retreating into your room once more. Peering through the crack in your door, you looked him up and down while biting your lower lip. Once he shot a playful glare in your direction, you swiftly closed it, but not without getting one, "Bye!" in before doing so. Both of you exploded with laughter at your near-perfectly executed Road to El Dorado scene.Â
Following your wardrobe change, you wandered out of your room. Hands over your eyes, you loudly announced your entrance. When you peeked through your fingers to see him decent, a huff of disappointment escaped your lips and he chuckled. The nerdy lad then gave you an amused look as he gestured to the graphic on the kelly green sweatshirt that you'd chosen for him, "Ha ha, very funny."Â
Twisting your face into a mischievous grin, you suppressed the urge to giggle and shrugged, "It was the only long sleeve thing I had that would fit you." unable to withhold it any longer, you finally burst into laughter upon reading the âTalk Nitrogen, Erbium, and Dysprosium to meâ periodic table of elements joke that adorned the garment. The merriment was cut short when the sound of barking echoed from the other room.Â
"Oh no, my poor baby! I'm sorry, do you mind if I let my dog, Noodles, out to meet you?" You asked, and your handsome suitor responded with an affirmative nod of his head.
The dog bounded out into the living area once he was released from confinement, eager to meet the new guest. Prior to getting close, the chocolate brown labrador retriever froze in place and sniffed the air. The animal then proceeded to hesitantly approach, almost as if he was unsure what to make of Donatello. Tilting his head in confusion, he refused to draw in too near. Matching your canine companion's response, you were equally perplexed as you watched the interaction. The pooch didn't growl, nor did he cower, he merely stood at attention before your lanky beau. Finally coming to the decision to lay down on the floor, the pup wagged his tail lightly while keeping his eyes focused on the visitor.
"That was a little weird, but I suppose that it's a good sign...he typically gets aggressive with the men that I bring over. He's my barometer for character." You smiled as you made your way over to the couch, gesturing for Donatello to come and sit with you. Plagued by nerves, he sat a fair amount of space away from you.
"So, how'd you know that I had a dog when we first met?" a question meant to distract from the awkwardness of the situation, but only worsened it. The nervous young man flinched at your question, he hoped that you had forgotten, but he should have known better.
"You just...looked like a dog person," He knew that was a terrible explanation, and judging from the look on your face, you didn't buy it.Â
"I suppose that I can accept that as an answer." You motioned with just your index and middle fingers from your eyes to him, in a silent indication that said I'm watching you. The reasoning for how he had guessed your dog ownership was not at the forefront of your mind, however. The nerdy young man chuckled at your attempt at intimidation, snort making an appearance. His laugh made you weak and you fought yet another blush that tried to form on your cheeks.Â
Meeting his gaze coyly, you closed the gap between the two of you. Donatello knew what was coming, the burning look in your eyes was telling. Regardless, his heart nearly burst through his chest when you drew in intimately close; bringing your face just inches away from his. The shy young man's nerves got the best of him, and he froze like a deer in headlights. The moment the two of you shared outside of the building was a fit of spontaneous passion. Now, with a clear head, the anxious lad's overactive brain stole his bravery from him. All of his insecurities flashed before his eyes, and proved to be an imposing force.
The blush that crossed his cheeks was accompanied by a broad smile, indicating his interest. He was simply immobilized by uncertainty. Expecting this hesitation, you happily took the lead, pressing your lips softly to his. Your lips tasted so sweet, just as they had before, and Donatello could barely handle it. Without realizing it, he allowed a soft, blissful moan escape him. You responded with a giggle causing him to stammer out a flustered apology. For him, this experience was entirely new, but he couldn't tell you that.
"It's okay, it was cute." You assured him, and he simply replied with an awkward chuckle.Â
Slowly, you moved in closer and Donatello followed your direction, sliding down into a reclining position. It wasn't long before you found yourselves laying together on the couch that you'd previously been sitting on. With you on top of him, his heart was now racing, face still beet red as he scrambled to keep up. His body began emitting the low humming sound that you'd since become accustomed to hearing.Â
"Jeeze, you work up an appetite pretty easily, huh?" You teased.
"Yeah, but I'm not hungry for food...I'm hungry for you--S-sorry, that was awful." He snorted, critiquing his own terrible pick-up line as he made it.Â
Tilting your head you grinned, "I liked it," upon hearing your positive feedback, he then found the courage to wrap his arms around you. This gesture caused you to move from his lips to his neck. Donatello wasn't sure how much more of this he could take, his sensory levels were about to hit critical mass.Â
Oh, no...
The fun came to an abrupt end when he felt that indicative tingling overcome him, which only meant one thing. Panic replaced pleasure when amorous young man realized the effects of the ooze were beginning to wear off. It would not be long before he began reverting back to his actual form. He searched his mind for a plausible excuse, but in his flustered state, couldn't come up with even one.Â
By this time you had moved back up to his lips and continued kissing Donatello, who couldn't help but reciprocate. Sure, he was concerned for his current state of affairs, but he wanted this so badly. Knots twisted inside his stomach, and he could feel the plates of his plastron reforming underneath his clothing. In the most inconvenient timing, you happened to find your hand on his abdomen, and he whimpered.Â
"Huh. That's odd." you were rightfully baffled by this unexpected sensation. Just as you positioned your hand to lift the hoodie, the fretful lad quickly intercepted it.
"S-sorry, I gotta go!" He blurted out, unable to hide his discomfort. Proceeding to slide out from under you, he leapt from the couch nimbly, and made his way towards the door.Â
"Wait! Donnie...what's wrong?" You reached out and took a gentle hold of his wrist, feeling a roughness that wasn't there previously. The panicked young man looked down in horror at his now lightly scaled forearm, watching as the rough skin slowly became more prominent and attained a greenish hue. Yanking his arm away, he pulled down the sweatshirt sleeve to conceal it.Â
Words fell out of his mouth clumsily, "uh...uuuh...it's a skin condition..." a flimsy elucidation only made worse by the addition of an awkward smile.Â
When both of his hands began to tremble, and he instinctively hid them behind his back. He then started to walk hastily in reverse to the exit. Meanwhile, his index and middle fingers began slowly fusing back together with his ring and pinky fingers following suit. Once he made it to the door he fumbled nervously with the handle attempting to open it, a task that proved difficult given his current complications.Â
The door finally opened, and without looking, he backed his way through. Before closing the door he gave you one last apologetic look from across the room, hoping that you'd forgive him for his unusual behavior. Much to his dismay, he found himself in your bathroom. He'd made a critical mistake. Donatello swore up and down this was the exit. Now he was effectively trapped by both embarrassment for what had just transpired, and fear that you'd find out what he really is before he was ready to tell you.
A soft knock came from the other side of the bathroom door making the fretful anthropomorphic young man yelp. "Donnie...are you okay?" You called to him, with genuine concern in your voice.Â
"Ye-yeah...everything is just fine." He lied, clenching his teeth as he did so. The vanity mirror gave him a perfect view of his current appearance, skin slowly becoming saturated with green and nose flattening into a cream-colored snout. He turned his head away, not wanting to watch his reversion. Scanning the expanse of the the bathroom, he was relieved to find a window. He clambered through the aperture before even giving it a second thought. And then he was gone, down the fire escape of your high rise apartment building. Like a coward he ran, with his transformation nearing completion, and an overwhelming sense of guilt washing over him as he fled into the shadows.
...to be continued.
#not quite human#donatello x reader#donnie x reader#teenage mutant ninja turtles#tmnt fan fic#bayverse tmnt#donatello#fan fiction#my writing#don's quill pen#woo boy guys#I hope you like it#I hope the surprise wasn't terrible#*screams internally*#tmnt 2014#tmnt 2016
224 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Can You Hear Me?
Ben is only seven when he is diagnosed with meningitis. He wakes up one morning with a high fever and a headache and canât keep anything down the entire day. The servants and his parents in Beastâs Castle assume itâs flu until his mom comes in the following morning and discovers that Ben wonât wake up. A doctor is called in, and they get him on a small weekly prescription to see if things will get better by week out. On a Saturday, two months before he turns eight, Ben is rushed to Auradon Central Medicare and formally diagnosed with meningitis.
At the time of his admission, the two outside layers of the meninges that protect his brain have swelled up and fluid is gathering inside his skull, leading to him not being able to stand light and having trouble keeping conscious. The nurses and doctors arrange a set of IVâs that send a steady range of antibiotics straight into his veins, an oxygen mask to regulate his breathing throughout the night, several dozen steroid and anti-inflammation medications he has to take by mouth during the day when the oxygen mask is off, and many other things. Meningitis isnât a surgery-fixable case, so Ben is left to fight it off by himself.
Looking back, Ben canât remember the exact specifics, but he does remember waking up one morning, squinting around the room as nurses rushed in with water, food, and medications, and thinking that things sounded rather fuzzy, as if he was underwater or had earplugs in. Then, suddenly, if his mom says something to him, he can only hear half of it. Doctors quickly catch on to the problem and bring in Benâs first audiologist, who tests his ears and declares that Ben is almost 100% deaf in his left ear and steadily increasing towards deafness in his right. By the time heâs eight, his ears are no longer working.
Ben slowly recovers, but his hearing doesnât. Those first few nights back home are horrible. People forget, try calling to him, get angry when he doesnât answer, and then are embarrassed when they remember. His parents get someone to come and teach him sign language, but for the first weeks, he struggles to write what he wants to say to his parents as they wait, fidgeting, for him to express his thoughts. Many times, Ben finds himself sitting in the quiet of his room, tapping silently on the windowsills and walls, hoping by some miracle heâll hear more than just the memories of what the sound was.
The years pass. He learns to read lips. Exhausting? Yes. Necessary? Equal yes. He slowly starts to make friends again. At first, people are nice to talk slowly while he tries to associate movements to meanings, but soon they start talking just as fast as ever, and Benâs head spins, trying to make sense of everything everyone is saying. He learns to follow conversations by following peopleâs eyes when they turn to listen to someone else speak and practices daily in front of a mirror with a transcribing device, making sure he can still be understood even though he canât hear anymore.
People say heâs a great speaker.
His friends describe him as a great listener.
He guesses heâll never really know for sure.
Heâs Auradonâs future leader, born to listen to the kingdom and fix their problems, and he canât even hear anything. He wonders if his future wife will have a problem with the idea heâll never once hear her muttering to herself or singing to anything. He wonders if his future kids will make jokes to their friends about how their dad never listens to them or something.
At the age of sixteen, Ben makes the decision to bring over villain kids from the Isle of the Lost in order to start a re-integration process that will start to heal things between the Isle and Auradon. And yeah, there is lots of fear in doing something like that. What if he picks wrong? What if they start to destroy Auradon? What if they just plain donât like him? He picks four to start with, figuring itâll be easier to connect with a smaller group first, and sets about work. Soon enough, the first four names are down. Mal, daughter of Maleficent, Evie, Daughter of the Evil Queen, Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil, and Jay, son of Jafar.
Arrangements are made, parents are notified, and the new students are set to arrive on a Tuesday to the Auradon Prep front circle. Fairy Godmother invites the band(Which is a division Ben appreciates a lot more than the other students, given he canât hear the horrible beginning practices) down to welcome the new students and Audrey gets herself excused from her class to come down and be with him as he welcomes the new kids.
On the day of, Ben can feel cold sweat dripping down his back as he stands, baking in the mid-afternoon light, waiting for the limo to appear down the road. Audreyâs arm is looped through his, his suit is sticking to his arms, and his hands are shaking. She leans her head on his shoulder serenely and then he sees her start moving her lips out of the corner of his eye. He whips his head around to follow her words as best he can.
ââŚbe nervous,â She is saying. âTheyâll love you. Everyone does.â
âI didnât catch that first part,â He tells her with a sigh. He hates how she likes to talk with her head on his arm. Itâs hard to see her. She canât expect him to know a word she said if he canât see her, right?
Fairy Godmother puts a hand on his other arm gently and points down the driveway. Ben sees a glimpse of a black hood and his breath catches. He pulls his arm out of Audreyâs and takes a deep breath, rubbing his hands on his suit.
The limo comes to a stop; the door opens. Thereâs a minor scuffle, but then all four stand in front of him, and then Ben is relaxing because he can see teamwork here. He can see curiosity and wonder and chocolate smeared on Carlosâs cheek. Thereâs definitely hope. He picked right.
âItâs so, so good to finally meet you all,â He declares, stepping forward with a smile. âIâm Ben.â
All of the VKâs eyes rest on him, and he can see their expressions softening just slightly before their eyes jump to the person next to him and he can see walls going back up again. He turns to see whatâs wrong and watches Audreyâs lips form the words: âsoon-to-be-king!â
He lets out a nervous laugh, mentally kicking himself in her behalf, and adds: âThis is Audrey!â, which is another mistake as Audrey stops the conversation to declare that sheâs a princess.
Evie steps forward, and sheâs mumbling. He has no idea what sheâs saying. Sheâs barely moving her lips as she speaks, and heâs at a loss. He turns to Audrey, hoping sheâll have caught on(Fat chance, because out of all his friends, Audrey is the one who ignores the fact he canât hear the most) to the fact he is clueless, and he watches her mouth curl into a sneer as she replies: âThe Evil Queen has no royal status here, and neither do you.â
Oh. Oh. Why, dear lord, would she say that?
âAudrey,â He grits out, turning to the side. âCan you just⌠chill?â
Audrey blinks in surprise. âI am chill,â She protests, wrinkling her brow up.
âNo, youâre not,â He shakes his head. âSo just stop.â He turns back to the villain kids and moves forward, out holding a hand. âIâm Ben, Iâm going to show you around and Iâm going to be here to answer any questions you have. You can come to me for anything â anything at all.â He shakes the hand of the first villain kid, who he suspects is Jay from the insignia on his jacket, and then the next in line, who stands slightly forward as if sheâs the leader. The wing applique attached to her shoulders make him suspect this is Mal, daughter of Maleficent. Evie is obvious. She has apple jewelry and recently declared herself a princess if he suspects correctly. And that means the last boy is Carlos de Vil.
Thereâs a short introduction of the area by Fairy Godmother, and the band heads out. Ben turns to Audrey. âI think Iâve got it from here,â He tells her as clearly as he can. âIâll come to find you later.â
Probably to break up with her. Heâs sick of her attitude.
As he leads the Villain Kids into the front of the building, he keeps turned around so he can keep track of any conversations theyâre having. They donât say much, which is good, and the first time Carlos moves to ask something, he raises a hand that immediately draws Benâs attention and has him mentally sighing in relief.
As they pause in front of the Beastâs statue and the four watch him turn it from a man into Beast, Mal turns with a little smirk pulling at her mouth and asks: âDoes he shed much?â And even though he canât hear her voice, he can tell itâs filled with sarcasm and humor. His response pleases himself too.
âYeah, Mom wonât let him on the couch,â He replies. And Malâs expression catches because she clearly didnât expect an Auradon boy to get her Isle sarcasm. All of the Isle kids exchange little looks as he smiles, and he can already tell that this is the start of something great.
The boys immediately get in with tourney, which is great, because itâs something he gets into as well. His teammates have to tap him on the shoulder and relay any direct instructions that are for him, but overall it doesnât require lots of communication and is fun for him. Lack of communication is another reason he enjoys swimming. Meanwhile, Evie debuts a few Isle designs, slowly starts letting people buy things off of her, and then suddenly sheâs the number one fashionista in the school and people are commissioning her for outfits and accessories. Mal draws a lot, he notices immediately, except she doesnât sign up for art class until he convinces her to do it with him. Then, eventually, she becomes top of the entire program and the teacher sends one of her Isle-inspired pieces to a country gala where Benâs parents actually text him a photo of it to get his opinion. Ben, meanwhile, learns how to use a dot to make a 2D picture.
And so he and the VKâs are friends. When they come up to talk to him, they clap him on the shoulder so he knows theyâre there and he tells Evie to speak up so he can always understand her, and things are good. Really good.
Until suddenly theyâre not.
________________________________________________________________
âBen!â Mal raises her voice and her hand to wave across the room as the young King enters the lunchroom(Heâs the king now, and neither Mal nor her friends really felt like ruining his big day to steal the wand, so now their plans have become a âDistant Maybeâ (Aka, probably not)). She keeps her hand raised for a few seconds and then brings it back down when Ben doesnât reply. She stares at her fingertips numbly as Evie, Jay, and Carlos duck their heads a little in confusion.
âThatâs not the first time heâs done that,â Evie mumbles, pushing her plate away and setting her mirror down on the table.
âMaybe heâs getting annoyed with us?â Carlos suggests in a hollow tone, setting his elbows on the table and his chin on his elbows.
âLetâs not jump to conclusions,â Mal murmurs as she watches Audrey raise an
arm from a different table and call for Ben. He sees her arm out of the corner of his eye and turns to smile and wave before he goes to sit down beside Chad Charming, who Mal doesnât like, Lonnie, who Mal only likes a little, and Audrey, who Mal could watch burn alive and not care. Audrey looks over at Mal with a little smirk as Ben starts to talk with them, and Mal averts her gaze, acting as if she doesnât care that heâs not sitting with them again. Acting as if it doesnât hurt that heâs ignoring them.
Jay pushes his plate back too and stares at the table for a few seconds. They all completely miss Ben turning to search around the room from his table and trying to wave when he sees them.
________________________________________________________________
Mal is standing at her locker when she hears footsteps approaching from the other side, which the door is blocking. She closes her eyes. The footsteps are light, so she knows they are not Benâs, but it is the fact that someone is trying to impersonate Ben that has her heart aching. Nothing good can come out of this.
She shuts her locker door and meets the eyes of Princess Audrey, the Kingâs girlfriend. And then she leans against the lockers and keeps her face blank as she waits for the girl to state her case or scoff and leave, as she usually does.
âArenât you going to say good morning?â Audrey demands after a while.
Mal raises an eyebrow. âArenât you?â She asks.
Audrey scoffs. âItâs never a good morning when youâre around. Ben really is just too trusting.â
Mal slumps internally. She really doesnât want to hear this right now, but she canât turn and walk off without showing Audrey sheâs getting to her, so she stands there without a single flinch.
âI mean, sure, his mom fell in love with the big nasty beast who turned out to be a prince, but with my mom, the evil fairy was just the evil fairy. Your mother, remember?â Audrey sneers. âDoesnât look like thereâs been much change between generations.â
An arm appears out of nowhere, separating Mal and Audrey, and Mal looks up to see the very cross face of the king himself as he pushes Audrey away from Mal. Audreyâs face falls away into shock. âBen,â She squawks. âHow much did you-â
âI saw it all,â Ben snaps, dropping his backpack on the ground and taking his girlfriend by the shoulders. âAnd thatâs it. Iâm sick of your attitude towards me, towards everyone else, towards the people I like⌠everyone. Weâre not your doormats, and I hate how you think youâre entitled to brathood because youâre my girlfriend. This is it. Weâre done, Audrey. Iâm breaking up with you.â
Audrey crumples, tries to grab at his sleeves, but heâs turning away, already gone. He turns back to Mal with a concerned expression, reaching to put an arm around her shoulders, and Mal canât bring herself to meet his eyes.
âAre you okay?â He whispers, tugging her chin up a little so he can see her face. âListen⌠itâs not true what Audrey said.â
Mal pushes him away. Something about this isnât correct. He canât ignore them and then swing around full circle to try and fool them that he cares about him. âJust go back to ignoring us,â She snaps. âWe already deal with everyone else hating us â we can deal with you too.â
Though itâs disappointing⌠he seemed so genuine and funny.
Benâs arm drops from around her and he repeats: âIgnoring you,â as if itâs astounding to him. Mal rolls her eyes. She doesnât understand why heâs pretending now, of all times. She turns her back to him and strides off with her shoulders back and her chin held aloft. She can hear Audrey starting to cry behind her and thinks, at the very least, Audrey is finally getting whatâs coming to her.
________________________________________________________________
Thereâs a light knock at the door that evening. Carlos has mastered his game and is searching on the internet for a new one to begin while Jay cleans his tourney stuff off in a corner and Evie sketches her heart out in a design book, trying to find her next big creation. Mal is reminiscing Benâs arm around her shoulders and squeezing her eyes shut as she recalls what it was like to hear Ben break up with his girlfriend. And since sheâs the relatively least busy, sheâs the one who gets up to answer the door when the second knock comes, more persistent and meaning itâs not Ben behind the door.
She slides the lock and uses her toes to swing the door open. Over the threshold is Doug, who is probably going to end up being Evieâs boyfriend, she thinks. Evie stands up with a smile when she sees him and waves. "Doug!â She greets. âI didnât know you were coming over today.â
âHi, Evie,â Doug smiles and waves a little. âI, erm, am actually here on Benâs behalf and â wait! No, donât close the door!â He jams his foot into the frame as Mal moves to swing the door closed at the mention of the Kingâs name. Evie sits down with a scowl as Doug opens the door with a sigh, steps in, and closes it. Mal goes to sit back in her place on Jayâs bed without a word or a flicker of emotion. Everyone else looks away with similar expressions of disdain as Doug takes a deep breath against the door.
âBen said that the four of you think heâs ignoring you. Iâve, ah, come to clear things up with you in case you donât feel like talking to him.â He swallows, and then Jay speaks up from across the room.
âMan, we get it, he doesnât like hanging around the villain kids. We get it.â He sighs, sounding dejected. âItâs just a little disappointing because heâs the one who brought us over.â
âBen is deaf,â Doug corrects with a shake of the head. âHe hasnât been able to hear anything since he was eight years old. So, if youâre trying to get his attention from across a room or walking by him in the hallways, you need to make sure heâs able to see you so that he can read your lips.â
The room is silent. Then, slowly, Jay straightens up, looking mystified. Carlos looks like the heavens have reopened. A revelatory light comes into Evieâs eyes, and Mal gets up and turns to stare at Doug. âHe⌠canât hear us?â She repeats.
â100% deaf,â Doug confirms. âThatâs why he has to have people speak slower or ask them to repeat things. He doesnât even know what he sounds like. He practices speaking with a transcriber in the morning so he can make sure people can understand them. So, he hasnât been ignoring you, he just had no clue you were trying to talk to him.â
âBut he went to Audreyâs table when she called him,â Mal frowns, recalling Audreyâs smirk as the king joined them. âAnd he didnât look at us at all.â
âWere you sitting somewhere he could see you?â Doug asks. The four VKâs fall silent again. Mal leans back into the wall. Ben is deaf. He canât hear. That makes so much more sense.
âWhy didnât anyone tell us?â Carlos asks, running his hands through Dudeâs fur at his side.
Doug shrugs. âI donât know. We all thought you knew. I was actually pretty surprised when Ben asked if I could come to explain things on his behalf. I didnât know that you didnât know.â
The silence stretches out with each of them taking in the revelation. Then Jay, across the room, heaves a sigh and goes: âOh,â and the other three chuckle in relieving humor.
________________________________________________________________
Mal makes the first attempt at conversation with Ben the next day, as she spots him down the hall, walking with Chad. She pauses at her locker, screws up her courage, and then sticks out a hand and waves it. Ben doesnât notice for a second, so she keeps her hand out, and then suddenly his head snaps in her direction. He blinks for a second, taking in the fact sheâs trying to get his attention, and then his entire face brightens. He claps Chad on the shoulder, bids him goodbye, and hurries over to her with his entire face beaming, completely happy that sheâs speaking to him again.
âHi!â He greets her.
âHi!â She smiles a little in spite of herself. He goes to open up his arms for a hug before he appears to remember that the VKâs arenât as open to affection as the Auradonians. But Mal accidentally opens her hands up and so they stand there awkwardly before he puts a hand around her and gives her a hug from the side. She kind of⌠lets her arms fall into place around him and he laughs, a bubbling sound that she feels rise up in his chest and it makes her feel a lot happier than sheâs been lately.
âI saw you trying to get my attention,â Ben smiles. âDo you need anything? Iâve missed talking to you.â
âIâve missed talking to you,â Mal smiles, shutting her locker even though she still needs to grab her textbook and head to class. He keeps an arm around her, which makes it hard to draw away the arm she has around his back, but she does let her left arm drop. In her hand is her sketchpad with her pencil stuck into the spiral ring. They start wandering down the hall aimlessly together. âDoug explained⌠things to us. Weâre sorry that we thought you were ignoring us.â
Ben ducks down a little to continue watching her mouth as she looks to the ground, and the thought occurs to her: if Ben is to read lips, he has to see said lips move. She brings her head back up, allowing Ben to straighten his neck as well. âSorry,â she apologizes.
âNo, Iâm sorry,â Ben shakes his head. âI honestly thought you guys knew. I was a little concerned when you all stopped coming around to hang out and Carlos and Jay would break off during tourney practices, but I just kind of hoped you were starting to feel a little more at home here and were trying to branch out.â
Mal shakes her head. âWe had no idea,â She sighs. âI do think, in hindsight, that Audrey realized we didnât know. There were times weâd try and get your attention and you wouldnât notice, and sheâd try right after us and look over to make sure we got the memo.â
Ben frowned. âIâm sorry about Audrey,â He shook his head. âShe got bad leading up to coronation, but after it was over, she was just insufferable. Iâve been meaning to break up with her for a while. When I came up to talk to you and saw her saying that stuff⌠it really was just the last straw.â
Mal hums and suddenly, sheâs not sure how, theyâre out on the grounds and their arms are still around each otherâs backs, and theyâre just chatting like two old friends. He gestures down at her sketchbook. âHave you done anything new recently?â He asks.
âLoads,â Mal affirms, holding it up. âIâm almost out of room. Having you gone gave me lots of angst time.â
âOh, we canât have that,â Ben laughs, rolling his eyes. He holds his hand out for the book. âMay I?â He asks.
She hands it to him and then watches his face grow brighter as he opens it and starts flipping through from where he last saw her working. He stops to flip back at some of his old favorites â a rose is, notably, one he is always enchanted by â and she can see in his eyes how impressed he is with her recent work.
âYou really like art a lot, huh?â She asks. He doesnât answer, and Mal mentally kicks herself before she waves a little hand in his face, waits for him to rip his eyes away, and then repeats the question.
âI do,â Ben affirms, glancing back at the picture as he speaks. This one is of Jay on the tourney field, diving into a catch in what feels like slow motion. âArt needs no words.â He glances back at Mal to make sure she isnât saying anything else before they stop beside a tree and take a seat at the base of the trunk. She wraps her arms around her legs and watches him flip through.
No words, meaning he doesnât have to follow the conversation. Mal watches him continue looking through her work. A little bell goes off in the back of her mind. You have class, something reminds her. Your textbook is in your locker.
She can be late â it wonât be anything anyone wouldnât expect from a villain kids, after all.
Ben puts his finger down on a self-portrait sheâs been working on, with different parts of her personality and the Isle itself detailed into her outfit and features. In her eyes is a curling dragon, under her arm is a spellbook, her friends have images on her arms, and the Isle skyline is worked into the base of her jacket and into the hemline of her jeans. âThis is amazing,â He breathes. âYou are so incredibly talented.â Ben looks up to see if sheâll respond, but she doesnât, she only shrugs, and he goes back to admiring the portrait.
âI want to commission you to do anything we ever need ever in the palace,â Ben breathes, leaning back into the tree. Mal laughs a little and then waves her hand a little. His gaze snaps back to her as she starts to speak.
âIs it okay for me to ask what being deaf is like?â She asks. âI mean, you seem to fit in really well â we seriously had no idea you were deaf â but what do you think about it?â
Ben frowns. She can see a little hurt in his eyes, but something tells her that it is not her fault. He folds the pages of her sketchbook back over the binder, leaving her portrait visible so he can keep stealing glances at it, and takes a deep breath. âItâs hard,â He admits. âBy this point though, Iâve been without my hearing for half of my life, so Iâm used to it.â
âWhat donât you like about it?â She asks.
âTrying to listen to other people is hard,â Ben confesses. âEspecially when thereâs more than one. I get massive headaches trying to figure out what everyone is saying and jumping from person to person. And then thereâs the fact I canât be called. My parents and I use sign language at home, but almost none of my friends know any, so I canât use it here.â
âIs sign language easier?â Mal asks.
Ben nods. âYeah. Reading lips can get exhausting. Especially when you have people who have their faces hidden or when they mumble or even if they have lots of, like, braces stuff in their mouth. Itâs hard. I couldnât understand what Evie was saying the first few times she talked because she was trying to do that thing where you talk without moving your face.â
Mal bursts into laughter. That annoys her when Evie does it â she canât imagine how Ben refrained himself from slapping her. Ben smiles and leans back into the tree. âThere are also the things I miss that make me sad, you know? Like, I havenât heard the national anthem in years, and whenever itâs played, I just have to stand there awkwardly, waiting for everyone else to indicate itâs done. I canât hear waterfalls or birdsong or everyone screaming at the end of a tourney match. When I grow up, Iâm never going to hear my wife sing or my kids cry or anything.â
Malâs smile fades and she touches her ears lightly as if to make sure they still work. âThatâs awful,â She mumbles, trying to imagine a world of complete silence.
Ben leans forward, looking confused. âDid you say something? I couldnât catch that.â He squints at her mouth.
âOh, sorry,â Mal takes her hand away. âI said 'thatâs awfulâ. I wish there was something I could try. A spell or somethingâŚâ She trails off, thinking of her motherâs spellbook in her locker. The chances of her mom having something in there seem minuscule, but she can always check.
âIâve learned to live with it,â Ben shrugged. âIs there anything else you wanted to ask me, or can I finish looking at your drawings now?â
Mal gestures for him to go on, and he looks down and continues examining her portrait, completely blown away by the small details sheâs included into herself. Mal smirks a little as she watches him trace the pencil markings with his eyes, and then slowly reaches over the uses her nail to flip a few pages forward. She pulls the pages up and Ben gasps when he sees the picture that sheâs shown him. Itâs of himself, though it doesnât have much detail, yet. Sheâs doing one for all her friends. This one has Auradon Castle running along the bottom of the page as Ben stands in a tan shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, looking over his shoulder a little. One eye if shaded and detailed with a little library swirling around his pupil, but the other is just circular markings that will determine the placement of his other features.
âWoah, I look good!â He exclaims, tracing a finger down his sleeves. âYou make me look really good!â
Another laugh spills out of her throat. She canât help it. He just makes her laugh. All the time, whenever sheâs with him, sheâs laughing.
Ben puts his arm around her and she leans into his side as he flips back and forth between her portrait and his, occasionally glancing through the other three. âWhen these are done, I want them,â He declares, and doesnât look down to see if sheâll protest.
Evie finally messages her a 'where are you?â and Mal knows the gig is up. Ben begrudgingly hands her back her book. âIâm going to have to get you a new one,â He declares, leading her back to her locker for her book.
âIâll just get one from the school,â Mal shakes her head. âYou donât have to do that.â
âNo, Iâm going to get you a really good one with lots of high-quality paper,â Ben decides, moving his hands to accentuate his words. âAnd then weâll have to get you a lock so no one comes to steal your artwork.â
Sheâs laughing, again, as she opens her locker and takes out her textbook and spellbook and a couple of other books. Then she shuts it again and they stand there in the sunlight for a little while. Benâs eyes flicker from her face, checking to make sure sheâs not talking, down to the sketchbook, and she knows heâs thinking about those drawings.
âI better get to class,â She finally says, heart falling a little. âIâm already late.â
âAre you free on Friday night?â Ben asks, eyes drifting up to meet hers.
Mal tilts her head to the side. âI think so,â She affirms. âAre you hoping to come around and see everyone?â
âDo you want to go on a date?â Ben asks, crossing his arms and leaning against the lockers.
Malâs mouth goes a little dry before her smile grows even wider. âYeah,â She agrees, nodding her head in case her words somehow donât travel over to him. Itâs entirely possible, as her face feels a little numb. âYeah, Iâd love that.â
âIâll make some plans and come talk to you about them later,â Ben decides. He puts an arm around her one more time, and then they bid each other goodbye, and he goes one way, and she goes the other.
________________________________________________________________
Mal, Jay, and Carlos slam a torrent of books down in front of Evie and Doug as they sit in a hidden corner of the library with completed Chemistry Homework and advanced theory books open in front of them. Evie looks over, startled, as the table rattles a little and a passing librarian pops her head out to frown at them. âWhat are you doing?â She demands in a whisper.
âLook,â Mal gasps, holding up the thinnest manual of all the various books theyâve dropped onto Evie and Dougâs workspace. Itâs a manual depicting how to perform basic conversations in sign language. âBen knows sign language, and he said almost none of his friends know it. If we learn it, then not only will it be easier for us to talk to him, but also no one will know what weâre saying. Itâll be like Isle code, but with Ben.â
âOh!â Evieâs eyes light up and she begins to skim the stack of various sign language dictionaries. âThatâs completely brilliant! So, is it a surprise?â
âYes,â Carlos nods, picking up one about various foods in sign language and opening it to a random page. âWeâve got to make sure we donât botch it first.â
âGuys,â Doug tries to break in carefully, but Jay cuts in.
âThis stuff is like, super easy, too. To say 'hiâ you just wave. Simple!â He exclaims, searching through the manuals for one he likes.
âGuys!â Doug calls for their attention. They turn to look at him and then watch as he rattles off a complicated pattern with his hands. Malâs mouth drops open. âIâm Benâs only other friend who knows sign language. My dad taught me it. And, by the way, you arenât going to be able to remember everything in all of those manuals just by reading through them and practicing once or twice. What if you start with conversations, and we can all practice together, and then generally add in things like sports and families and food?â
He has a point, Mal concedes. Jay and Carlos and Evie are all nodding along to his words, so Mal sighs and picks out one large dictionary and the one manual about basic conversation. âSo, start here?â She asks.
Doug puts his hands in the air, palms facing outwards, and shakes them back and forth. âStart here,â He instructs. âThis is the sign you use to get someoneâs attention.â
Helpful, Mal immediately pegs it. This is very, very helpful. They all look a little strange, shaking their hands at each other in a corner of the library, but she feels a little accomplished already because this is something she can use besides holding her hand out forever and hoping heâll notice her from a distance.
The journey has begun.
________________________________________________________________
Evie walks into the girlâs room a week later to find Carlos sitting on her bed with Dude and Mal finishing her homework on hers. She shuts the door behind her and flips the light on and off twice to get their attention before holding her hands up, fingers splayed and facing the ground, and flipping them upwards. 'Whatâs up?â
Carlos stretches his shoulders a little before he responds by flexing his index finger as if heâs trying to grab something in front of him, rubbing his knuckles together like thereâs something in between them, and then touching his middle finger and thumb together before snapping. 'I need to wash the dogâ.
Mal flexes her fingers on her left hand before tapping her wrist against the back of her right hand. 'Homeworkâ. She says. Then, shaking her finger in the air and pointing at Evie, 'Where were you?â
Evie spells out Dougâs name and holds up a new manual out of her bag. Mal smiles proudly. That qualifies as a conversation. Theyâve just completed a basic conversation. She balls her fists up and gives them a little shake of triumph before turning her eyes back to her homework. She feels so, so close.
________________________________________________________________
Eventually, it gets to the point that theyâre all in remedial goodness together, and theyâre signing across the desks instead of talking verbally when the Fairy Godmother gives them a 'discuss thisâ assignment. The headmistress watches from the front of the room as Evie, Mal, Jay, and Carlos all move their hands and faces with dramatic, yet silent expressions. Mal recently learned the signs for 'be quietâ (Crossing oneâs hands a little underneath their chin and then moving them apart) and sheâs overusing it a little bit as Carlos insists that the answer is 'Câ, not 'Aâ.
"Did you guys know that Ben also knows sign language?â The Fairy Godmother asks when they all settle down. Carlos is fuming in his seat.
âWe know,â Mal nods, looking down at the portrait sheâs almost finished of him. Hers is done, so is Jayâs, Carlosâs she has to fix Dude, and then Evieâs is falling behind just a little as she works on putting Benâs parents into his sleeve and them â his friends â onto the other.
âHeâs kind of the reason weâre all picking it up,â Jay explains, kicking his feet up on the table. âNow we can talk to him without his other friends being annoying.â
âOh,â Fairy Godmother blinks in surprise. âI donât think anyoneâs ever learned for him besides his parents. Thatâs very kind of you.â
She turns back to the blackboard and Mal feels another surge of pride. She canât wait to see the look on Audreyâs face when the Core Four get to talk to Ben without her knowing a word.
________________________________________________________________
One would assume that Family Day would be an extremely unpopular event for a bunch of teenagers, but everyone seems to get pretty down on the idea that their parents are allowed to visit. Ben tries not to talk about it very much at first because heâs afraid that theyâre upset their parents wonât be there, but to be honest the four have kind of given up on their lives back on the Isle and are liking their Auradon lives much, much better.
Benâs parents, the former King and Queen of Auradon, arrive in a polished carriage that Mal could spot from a mile away. Ben meets them at the gates and she watches as they greet each other with shaking hands and 'how are youâs that she can understand. After exchanging pleasantries with his parents, Ben turns and gestures her forward. She steps up, and Ben introduces her as his girlfriend (Bringing a thumb down from beside his cheek and then linking his index fingers together twice with either palm facing down.)
Belle and Adamâs eyes widen with shock and a little worry. After all, girlfriends either turn into exes or wives and having the daughter of Maleficent as either could get a little messy. But Ben is confident, explaining briefly about her, and she smiles as she pretends she canât understand 70% of what he is signing.
Finally, Ben turns back to her with his bright smile and re-translates the entire conversation for her. She shakes hands with his parents and then his dad points Benâs attention to where the Fairy Godmother is calling for him behind his back, trying to get someone to tap on his shoulder. Ben leaves, walking for the Fairy Godmother, and Mal makes eye contact with the royals before she lets loose a few signs of her own.
She touches her fingertips to her brow in a light sort of salute, holds a fist up with her thumb on the outside, then crosses her thumb over her first two fingers, and finally makes an 'Lâ shape with her hand. 'I know Auradon Sign Language.â Then, crossing her arms across her belly, making a motion as if she were flipping a word out to someone from her chin, and turning to point at Benâs retreating back a little. 'Donât tell Ben.â
Belleâs mouth drops open a little bit more and Adam straightens up in curiosity. âItâs a secret,â She whispers, leaning forward a little. âMy friends and I are all learning to surprise him.â She points back to her boyfriend with a meaningful eyebrow quirk, crosses her arms again, and then touches the top of her head in that same salute. 'He doesnât know.â
Queen Belleâs eyes fill with tears as Adam nods in the heaviest sort of approval he can muster. Belle gestures to them both and makes the motion to seal her lips closed. 'We wonât tell.â
________________________________________________________________
Mal canât deny that she is very nervous as she, Jay, Carlos and Evie all sit at their lunch table together, but Doug has pronounced them mostly fluent and they havenât spoken in each otherâs company in a week straight now, so she figures itâs time to put their skills to use. She points to each of the four of them with a questioning look on her face. 'Who will start?â
Jay, Evie, and Carlos all point at her before Carlos signs, pointing towards her and then closing a hand by his forehead before linking his index fingers together in the same way you do for 'girlfriendâ and 'friendâ. 'Heâs your boyfriend.â
Mal acknowledges this with a deep breath and a nod and then looks up to see the person in question enter the room. She watches as heâs caught up in a group of other friends â Chad Charming, Lonnie, Jane, Doug, and even Audrey. She watches him get caught up in the conversation, looking a little dizzy as he follows everyoneâs eyes to figure out who is speaking. Her hands are shaking a little, and thatâs not even a sign.
"Go on,â Jay whispers. Itâs actually a little weird to hear his voice after just listening to him sign the last few weeks.
Mal hesitates a second longer, and then puts her hands into the air and shakes them a little. Jay, Evie, and Carlos all turn and mimic her motion, and immediately, Benâs eyes have left his friendsâ and he is staring across the room at the table trying to get his attention. After all, that is the sign for getting someoneâs attention, and he is the only deaf person in the area.
Evie beckons him forward with a hand. 'Come here.â
Jay gestures to the group, makes claws with his hands and brings them closer to his chest, taps his fingers on his lips, and then points to Ben. 'We want to talk to you.â
Carlos takes up the 'Come hereâ sign as Mal puts the tips of her fingers together and curls them outwards at her sternum, a little like sheâs presenting a gift, and points at her boyfriend. 'How are you?â She asks.
Ben stares at them like he doesnât understand what heâs seeing for several seconds. Chad starts trying to talk to him, but of course Ben isnât looking; heâs staring at their group and slowly bringing his hands up to cover his mouth as they all repeat their signs, trying to urge him to come over so they can really try out their skills. His eyes fill with tears and he stumbles a little. The rest of the group finally follows his gaze over to the VKâs, who start asking if heâs okay by flicking their index fingers out in concern. Mal gets a great sense of pride when Audreyâs eyes bug out and her entire left side of her face twitches. Sheâs probably seen Benâs parents using sign language and knows exactly what sheâs seeing, even if she doesnât know what any of the hand symbols mean.
Ben brings his hands down and then starts his own signs. He points at them, brings a hand up to his face and spreads his palm out like something that blew up in front of him, and then repeats the signs for ASL. 'You learned sign language?â He asks.
The group all signs 'yesâ as one and itâs at that moment when Ben absolutely breaks down. He has to sit down on the steps of the lunchroom as tears fill his eyes and fall down his face. People go absolutely silent around him as they watch the King of all Auradon wiping his eyes and trying not to make any sound as he cries because he has no idea what he sounds like when heâs sobbing this hard. Malâs hands feel cold, and sheâs not sure what to do, but Doug gestures them all forward and they slowly leave their seats to go crowd around him.
âAre we going to get in trouble for this?â Carlos hisses under his breath as they approach the area where Doug is awkwardly patting Benâs back as the rest of his friends stare, dumbfounded, at what they just witnessed.
âI think heâs just blown away that we did it,â Mal whispers back. She sits down on the ground beside Ben, chewing on her lip a little, and makes the sign for 'okay?â. Ben watches her through his fingers and then sniffles and takes his hands away from his face to make an arc from his mouth outwards with one hand. 'Thank youâ.
He repeats that sign with all of them, several times, and the lunchroom just kind of stays quiet despite the fact most of them have no idea whatâs going on. He signs it until Mal finally puts her hand on his. Jay shakes his hands from side to side on her behalf. 'Itâs nothing.â
âDid you all⌠learn sign language?â Audrey asks, dumfounded above them. âYou know he can just read lips, right?â
Mal rolls her eyes at an angle so that she knows Audrey can see. Because itâs ridiculous that Audrey is the one pointing this out after she took advantage of Benâs hearing to tease and mock the villain kids. She presents her palms, face-up, points to Ben, then pretends sheâs tapping a flat surface with both hands, taps her fingers against her mouth, gestures to each of her friends, and finally holds one hand steady as she brushes the other past it in a small circle several times. 'Now you can talk to us easier.â
Ben watches her hands move and then buries his face in his knees, giving up on holding his sobs in and breaking down on the pavement.
None of them are quite sure what to do. Audrey looks absolutely offended that this is having such a big impact on Ben while Lonnie, Jane, and Chad look enchanted and a little impressed. Doug looks on proudly as the four villain kids exchange glances, trying to figure out how to comfort Ben. Gradually, Evie pulls some makeup wipes out of her purse for him to wipe his eyes and blow his nose with, Jay awkwardly claps Benâs shoulder while Carlos continues signing for 'Okay?â. Mal wraps a single arm around her boyfriendâs back and pats his side carefully until he starts to calm down.
Ben tries not to shower them in affection because he knows theyâre not used to that kind of stuff but heâs such an affectionate guy that itâs hard. He presses a couple of kisses onto Malâs hairline and gives Evie, Jay, and Carlos more hugs than theyâve ever had before in their lives as students gradually rip their eyes away and go back to their lunch.
'Youâ. He points at each of them. 'Didnâtâ. He brings a fist down from under his chin with a thumb up. 'Needâ. He flexes his finger like heâs trying to scoot something in front of him forward a little. 'To learnâ. He repeats the motion of something blowing up in his face with his palm.
Mal reaches into her pocket and unfolds the portrait of him, looking over his shoulder with Auradon around him and tourney bats sticking out of his chest pocket and she and her friends opposite from his parents, and this she presents to him by popping her hands out from her eyes into 'Lâ shapes. 'Surprise!â
Ben uses the wipes Evie offered him to wipe the last of the tears away and then turns to Jay, on his far right. He points to himself, makes a heart shape over his heart, and then points to the star tourney player. Jayâs face falls away to amazement as Ben turns to Evie, who is next to Jay. He points to himself, makes the heart, and points to Evie, who sits down with a tiny thud and looks like she might tear up herself. Then to Carlos, whose hands start shaking at the motion. Itâs something theyâve never been told before, really, all their lives.
Mal is last. She keeps a little sweet smile on her face as Ben repeats the motion one last time. She kind of wondered when would be the first time they would use this phrase for each other, and she thinks she likes this scenario much better than any of the cheesy things sheâs been passing back and forth in her head. Itâs a little inefficient to sign out the whole phrase â thereâs an easier hand motion for this one â but she repeats it back to him with a smile. Pointing to herself, making a heart over her heart, and then pressing the tip of her finger into his chest, right over where heâs been making all his own hearts.
I love you.
(Bonus Scene)
She flips the light on and off three times when she walks into the study area to get his attention, and also because it makes everyone else jump and complain when their concentration is broken. She ignores the complaining as she walks across the room to him and puts her spellbook down on the table and signs 'How are you?â
As she finishes bringing her hand back down, he brings a flat hand down from his mouth at an outward angle. 'Good.â
She gestures to herself, presses her thumb and pointer finger together in a circle and flicks it upwards, points at Ben, then shakes a pointed finger beside her head, towards the ceiling. 'I found you something.â
Ben spreads his palms, face-up, and brings them towards and away from himself with a confused look on his face. 'What?â
Mal sits down in the chair beside him and begins flipping through her spellbook. Itâs a little easier than signing because sheâs not as fast as Ben and her hands arenât quite as attuned to making the symbols yet (Also, she doesnât know the word for 'spellâ yet). She quickly finds the page she thumbed down about twenty minutes ago and plants her index nail into the page before she scoots the book over across the table to show Ben. He wrinkles his nose in distaste, and yeah, she understands why. But then she points to the side note, which reads â*Temporary for five minutes*â and watches him relax a little. He clearly doesnât get what sheâs thinking at this moment, but his expression does lose the concerned edge.
She makes grabbing motions towards her chest, then uses two fists facing foward with the thumbs out to make a motion of knocking against something, and then gestures to the spell. 'Want to try it?â
He shrugs, clearly not sure what to think about it, and so she holds her right hand up. He takes it in a firm clasp like theyâre about to have an arm-wrestling match, and then Mal guides him through the series of claps and snaps that completes the second part of the spell. "Cambia Corporum Meum Corpora Sua Nominavi.â She declares, and then thereâs a dizzy rush where all the lights in the room seem really intense and she loses the feeling in her fingertips, but then all is normal and sheâs still blinking over at Ben, not daring to hold her breath as he leans forward.
Benâs brain is busy. She stays silent as she listens to him examine himself, make sure nothing bad happened to either of them, and glances suspiciously over at her to see if it worked. She can hear his thoughts just like if he was speaking, but his mouth isnât moving at all. 'Did it work?â He thinks, furrowing his brow.
'I donât know,â She replies, making sure sheâs not moving her lips along to the thought so thereâs no mistaking it. âDid it?â
Benâs. Brain. Shuts. Off.
She gets it, on some level. This is the first time heâs 'heardâ anything outside of his own thoughts, and itâs a very, very real and intense moment for him(for both of them, really). But itâs still odd to watch everything behind his eyes die and his mouth fall open as he stares at her, wondering if he really heard anything after all.
'Youâre cute,â She tells him, trying to prod some feeling back into his numb existence. 'I like it the most when you smile. When you smile and youâre in the sunlight, itâs like youâre the literal embodiment of sunshine. I donât know why youâre going for someone like me, who likes shadows and hiding away from people, but Iâm always going to be grateful for you.â
Ben takes his hand away from hers carefully and feels his ears, making sure theyâre still off and useless and deaf. Mal decides to try something else. She tries to remember what his parents, Belle and Adam sound like, and as she replays little snippets of things theyâve said in their tones and voices to Ben, she watches his eyes fill with, again, more tears.
She doesnât have many good things that Audrey has said, so she carefully skirts around Benâs old girlfriend while replaying Chad talking to Lonnie about a school project, Doug whistling 'Heigh-Hoâ, Carlos shouting in joy as he completes a level, the rush of the crowd after Jay won the last tourney match, Evie singing in the shower, and she even takes care to replay several things that heâs said to her so that now he knows what he sounds like. He doesnât think a single thing to her as he sits back, taking it all in and trying to memorize everything she presents as she does.
She tries extra hard to remember what the national anthem sounded like when it was played at the tourney game last week but can only remember a few bars since sheâd been busy talking to Evie and Jane. Next time, she promises herself, sheâll pay extra close attention so she can share it with him.
The five minutes ends. Mal knows when it does. She can see Ben listening harder and harder as he gradually goes deaf again and is left to his own thoughts. She lets her own mind go slack and stops trying to feed him sounds and voices and then they both sit in silence while he processes everything, wiping his eyes occasionally to keep tears from falling. Itâs just a really long, comfortable silence where neither of them moves and heâs just kind of staring off into the distance
Finally, his hand twitches on the table. Mal reaches over and puts her hand on top of his. He swallows, and itâs like the spell of silence is broken. She brings her other hand down from her mouth, and then popped her hands out from her eyes into "Lâ shapes. 'Good surprise?â
He gestured to himself and then, pressing his index and middle fingers together, rolled his wrist up by his forehead. 'I can think-hear you.â
She struggles with all of the signs for her next sentence; not all of the words she knows the signs for, and so she ends up mouthing a little as she moves her hands. She tips her hands up and down like scales, points to her spellbook, shakes a pointed finger beside her head, slams a fist into a palm facing up, and then taps the side of her ear. 'Maybe thereâs something to help â like a hearing aid.â
Ben takes her hands to keep her from signing anything else and leans forward to kiss her cheek. "This is already fantastic,â he whispers slowly, focusing on the feel of the words in his mouth now that he knows how he sounds saying them. âThank you for showing me.â
Mal smiles a little and then makes a bold motion, acting like sheâs grabbing something from her chest and presenting it to him. He laughs, and she relaxes into this perfect portion of her life.
#ben#mal#ben florian#mal bertha#evie grimhilde#jay son of jafar#carlos de vil#disney#disney descendants#descendants#descendants 2#descendants 3#fanfic
20 notes
¡
View notes
Text
did you know that i still write fanfiction? no? me neither! i had a lot of fun participating in the @mebigbang test reverse big bang - working with @ramblingandpieâs art was a great inspiration! ao3 link.
Summary:Â Having confidently identified the problem, EDI works towards finding a solution.
Upon reuniting with a despondent Samantha Traynor several years after The Reaper War, EDI makes it a mission to cheer up her old friend.Â
Ninety-Nine Percent Chance of Success
âOh, hello, EDI! I didnât see you there.â Specialist Traynor beams as she straightens upwards, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her smile, however, does not quite meet her eyes and her Alliance uniform, usually fresh and crisp, looks as though it had been slept in for days.
Itâs been almost five years since they had last seen each other, three since the last time theyâd even exchanged an email. âItâs been a while,â EDI agrees with a tilt of the head. âLonger than I would have liked.â
That admission brings a slight twitch of amusement to Samanthaâs lips, but itâs short-lived as her face soon settles back into a frown. âIâm sorry,â she starts, not quite looking EDI in the eyes. âIâve not been avoiding you.â Fortunately, EDI does not need to hold Samanthaâs gaze to assess the source of the problem. Firstly, thereâs the dishevelled state of the specialistâs clothing: the Samantha EDI had known would never have turned up to work dressed like this. Secondly, there is the womanâs downtrodden demeanour: EDI doesnât have to be a highly-advanced artificial intelligence to know that Samantha is in physiological distress.
The third, and most obvious sign, however, is the complete absence of the physical signs of arousal that Samantha usually displayed whenever she heard EDIâs voice. Oh, sheâd tried to mask them ever since sheâd become aware of EDIâs true nature, but thereâs no hiding symptoms from EDI. EDI knows. She always knows.
âItâs not me youâve been avoiding,â EDI answers without a moment of hesitation. There are times, she has learnt, for subtlety, for âbeating around the bushâ as the humans like to say. But Samantha is an old friend, and EDI has always preferred to chart the most direct path.
Samanthaâs shoulders slump ever-so-slightly, but the action does not escape EDIâs notice. âOh, I know, I know.â She pauses, swallowing a lump in her throat. âItâs just⌠being back here is harder than I thought.â
EDI takes in the view, watches the tears glisten in Samanthaâs eyes as she looks across the bridge, up at the new Normandy. Samantha blinks, inhaling deeply, and continues, even though her voice begins to waver. âIâm fine, though, well and truly.â Unperturbed, EDI forges onwards. âYou miss her.â The subject of their conversation goes unspoken, but thereâs sometimes something to be said for inferences, EDI thinks. âYeah,â Sam relents, âI do.â âI miss her too,â EDI confides. Her life has never been quite the same since sheâd left the Normandy. So many of her processes had been so intrinsically linked to the ship for so long that her platformâs first foray beyond its range had felt like leaving home. Sheâd been able to emulate emotion for as long as sheâd been self-aware, but it was the first time sheâd simply just been sad. Now that theyâre building more Normandy-class frigates, EDIâs been called into work more often. Itâs nice to have a purpose again, to spend time with old friends. Jeff likes to pretend that he hasnât changed a bit, but EDI knows thereâs more wrinkles near the corner of his eyes. His life is different now. They all are.
Having confidently identified Samanthaâs problem, EDI works towards finding a solution. Throughout her travels with Commander Shepard, EDI has discovered that some humans do not like being confronted directly with their feelings. While she has not had quite as many interactions with Samantha to draw experience on, she knows that Sam and the commander were close. What is the best way to deal with this situation? According to her simulations, there is a  route that leads to a ninety-nine percent chance of success. Those are not terrible odds, so EDI course-corrects. âRemember when she met her clone?â
Sam looks taken aback for a moment, although she soon recovers quickly. âHow could I forget? My Cision Mark Pro IV saved the day!â She holds her hand aloft as sheâd held it during that fateful moment several years ago.
EDI smiles. âI doubt you have had a more useful toothbrush since.â
Quickly dropping her arm, Sam admits, âWell, they did just release the newest model. The Cision Mark Pro VII. Iâm still saving up for it, myself.â EDI, not having teeth or gums, canât help but admire Samanthaâs dedication to oral hygiene, even if she does not understand or truly empathise with it. âWhat capabilities does this one have the the older versions do not?â
âOh, more of the same, really. Just faster.â Sam flashes EDI a smile thatâs more about showing off her pearly whites than anything else. EDIâs glad to see that even though Sam has seen better days  that there is still more than a spark of the person sheâd once known.
âInteresting,â EDI says in response as sheâs overcome with the torrent of questions she now wants to ask Samantha. It would be so interesting for her research into human behaviours. But thatâs not her task here, so instead, she focuses. Diverts. âRemember how ecstatic she was when she completed her model ship collection?â Samantha snorts. ââEcstaticâ might be an understatement.â She plants her feet a shoulder-width apart and balls her fists up by her side in an eerily-accurate imitation of their former commander. Brows furrowed, she continues, âIf I find any one of you so much breathing in the directions of my shelvesâŚâ Samantha pauses, inhaling sharply through her nose, â⌠breathing will soon be the least of your problems.â âShe loved her ships,â EDI agrees. âBut as I do not breathe, it was not a very convincing threat.â Rolling her eyes, Samantha says, âAs though any of us would ever enter the captainâs quarters without her express permission.â
EDI tilts her head. âOh,â Samantha says, eyes widening in realisation. âI suppose you were always in her quarters, in a manner of speaking.â For a moment, she simply looks lost in thought. âNever mind, then.â Deciding it best not to pursue that line of discussion, EDI continues, âRemember when her hamster escaped?â
Samantha makes a noise of dismay. âShe didnât even name him!â she exclaims. âThatâs no way to treat a pet.â âBut she treated his recovery mission with the same solemnity as she did her other assignments. She assessed the crew she had on hand and made sure that no centimetre of the vessel was left unaccounted for.â âThatâs because she thought heâd been kidnapped! Instead, we found him in the mess⌠cheeky little bastard was happily munching away on our rations without a care in the world. By the look of him, youâd think heâd not been fed in days! Well. The look on his face, that is, he was quite, whatâs the word?â She gestures with her hands. âRotund. Probably still is, the way Dr. Tâsoni dotes on him.â
âShe was incredibly relieved to have found him.â EDI herself hadnât quite understood the Commanderâs attachment at the time, although the speech the woman had delivered afterwards had helped clarify matters somewhat. âOh yes,â Samantha agrees, âthe way she scooped him up in her hands and told him not to ever go missing again! Didnât even scold him for getting into the food.â âWe are family,â EDI reminisces, one of the benefits and drawbacks of her perfect recollection. Â Her imitation of the commanderâs voice is even more perfect than Samanthaâs. Itâs an unfair advantage. âJust because weâre a motley assortment of misfits doesnât mean I wonât do the exact same thing for each and everyone one for you. Now, Iâve got to get this little guy back into his cage.â Itâs not until sheâs said the last sentence that EDI realises it most likely wasnât an intended part of Shepardâs inspiring speech.
Sheâs about to play it off as a joke when suddenly, surprisingly, Samantha bursts into laughter, the kind that ignites in the belly and explodes in the chest and although Samantha might not be truly happy in this moment, EDI canât help but think itâs the first time her friend has laughed this hard in years. Although this is an outcome she had been working towards, now that she has achieved it, EDI is quite unsure of what to do with herself.
âOh, EDI, I could hug you!â Samantha explains once her laughs recede, a hand pressed against her stomach as though worried her insides might come tumbling out. The stance never ceases to be somewhat concerning: EDIâs not sure sheâll ever grow accustomed to how soft and vulnerable humans are.
âYou can,â EDI replies firmly despite her building uncertainty. Sheâs not fond of the sensation because she is, by all accounts, an artificial intelligence, one that can perfectly adjust her behavioural paradigms with each new situation that confronts her. The first interaction is always the hardest, though, and what EDI is sure of is that sheâs never quite been in a situation like this one before.
The fact of the matter is, EDI doesnât yet understand how these two events relate to each other, that is, Samanthaâs elation and her desire to embrace. The only conclusion she can draw is that humans are affectionate when they are happy, even when they are not intoxicated, and even when the galaxy is not about to end. When EDI had first begun learning about humans, sheâd thought that human bonding was primarily sexual, that when under duress, their underlying biological programming pushed them towards reproductive behaviours - even if the result of such a mating would not necessarily result in actual offspring.
Yet, EDI has spent several years predominantly living amongst humans, although sheâs certainly had a number of interactions with the rest of the galaxyâs species. And every day, she learns and she learns. Sheâs experienced teamwork and family and camaraderie and friendship, and sheâs coming to grips with the reality that being alive, a sentient being, is all about the links one makes with other people, no matter who they are, or where they come from. EDI can change peopleâs lives, maybe sometimes only slightly, but hopefully always for the better. So thatâs why she doesnât shy away when Sam throws her arms around her, holding her in a seemingly-firm grip that EDI could nonetheless break free from in an instant. âHuh,â Sam says, pulling away just enough to be heard when she speaks, âyouâre warmer than I thought you would be.â EDI canât avoid the easy quip. âDid you think that just because I am a synthetic, I am incapable of comfort?â Samantha loosens her grip, and EDI doesnât even need to look to know that her friendâs eyes have widened in alarm. âNo, no,â she stammers, âItâs not that, Iââ
âI have flexible alloys in my skin that allow me to adjust my internal and external temperature,â EDI says, cutting Sam off with more than a hint of smugness.
Sam bats at EDIâs arm as she lets go completely. âI walked right into that one, didnât I?â âYou did,â EDI confirms as Samantha holds her hands up in mock-resignation. âAll right, all right,â Sam says with a wave, âNo need to rub it in.â
âI will immediately cease with my abrasive processes,â EDI assures her, and Samantha laughs again. âIâm glad I ran into you,â she says. This time, when Sam smiles, it does truly reach her eyes. Â She reaches down, attempts to smooth some wrinkles from her fatigues with limited success. âWe should get a drink sometime.â She pauses. âDo synthetics drink? You know what I mean. Gather some of the old crew, too, if theyâre around. I havenât seen them in far too long.â
âJames Vega and Kaidan Alenko are both in Vancouver,â EDI confirms. In the aftermath of the Reaper War, people have focused primarily on recovering their homeworlds. âAs is Jeff Moreau,â she adds, although it almost goes without saying. At the end of the day, theyâre never truly far from each other.
âSounds like weâve got a party!â Sam exclaims, before casting a guilty glance downwards at the crates piled up around her feet. âOh, but look at the time! Iâve been stood here babbling on for far too long. I better get these requisitions on board before someone catches me slacking!â
âLet me help,â EDI offers, âI was just heading in that direction.â Itâs not even a lie: EDI did have business upon the Normandy today. Running into Samantha Traynor is just a pleasant distraction.
âOh, if itâs not too much of a bother,â Sam says, ducking down to heft a box in her arms. âI could use the assistance.â EDI wonders if she should tell Samantha that her platform is more than capable of carrying all the crates by herself, but then she reminds herself that humans like being involved and feeling useful, so she says nothing instead as they move the containers, making quick work of the load in companionable silence. Honestly, EDI would have preferred to keep talking, her processes always thinking of more observations to make, more inquiries to present, but the exertion required by SAM to move the boxes means that their interaction is limited in that regard. Still, EDI finds herself surprised by how pleasant it is.
As they relocate the final crate and Sam stands besides the new pile with hands on hips, admiring their handiwork, she remarks, âWell, thatâs that done. Thank you truly, EDI! I couldnât have done it without you.â âYouâre welcome,â EDI replies. âIt was my pleasure.â The words, once upon a time a formality for EDI, are genuine. She has truly enjoyed talking to Samantha again. âI better let you get back to it,â Sam says with a sigh, disappointment belied in the droop of her shoulders. âBut I mean what I said. It was really good to see you again.â EDI knows she is not imagining Samanthaâs elevated heart rate and increased temperature. Her measuring instruments are perfectly calibrated.
In this moment, at the very least, Samantha is herself again. EDI commits herself to catching up with the communications specialist more frequently to ensure the results of her learning today are easily replicated. âIt was good to see you as well,â EDI assures her.
âIâve missed my family,â Samantha says with a wistful smile, arms now crossed over her chest. She looks smaller, in a way. EDI finds herself surprisingly unable to understand why.
âYou see them every other shore leave,â EDI dead-pans in response. At least sheâs learnt that humour helps in these sort of situations. Samantha snorts. âYou know what I mean.â
âYes,â EDI confirms. âI do.â
Sam begins to turn, facing the direction of the next task on her agenda. âTake care, EDI,â she says, her voice slightly higher than its usual register. âI am incapable of performing with anything less than the utmost precision,â EDI assures her.
Samantha smiles again before finally moving down the corridor with one last look at EDI over her shoulder.
EDI begins downloading the schedules of all the former Normandy crew members who are currently in Vancouver to co-ordinate the most optimal date for a reunion.
#asha fic#mass effect#samantha traynor#edi#mass effect fanfic#i want to get back into writing more regularly again!!#we'll see what happens...
5 notes
¡
View notes
Text
The Bizarre Pacing of Feast For a King
I WROTE ANOTHER LITTLE JOURNAL THING ABOUT MY COMIC enjoy
Feast for a king, right now, is around 4350 pages long. (A bit more than that, especially if you include the 80 page bonus chapter) but one thing about this story that stands out and ultimately becomes one of the biggest deciding factors of a readers enjoyment is the way I handle pacing.
Besides the âroughâ artwork, its absolutely the #1 thing people comment on. Disorienting, Rambling or meandering, it very much encapsulates a style that you would not typically find in a comic. It promotes an atmosphere of, obviously lacking an âeditorâ who would attempt to reel things in or get to the point. As its creator, Iâm very aware with how strange it is but thatâs exactly one of the reason why I attempt to commit to it. I allow myself this strange liberty to participate in this comic in a format that is very revealing of all my flaws.. but also helps me discover my strengths as well. And besides that, it really gives me the most clear window of the possibilities of my skills.
Still at this point in my comic creating process, I start to hesitate to call this format experimental anymore. I understand that it is, but it also just.. is how I like to make comics. By calling it experimental, i find that I take myself a little less seriously as an artist. Or that it becomes a little more easy to put down what makes this process work and why its effective.
In the eyes of many, it breaks necessary boundaries and thereâs not a lot pause for air. Its just like this, the entire way that it goes. Its something you must confront and deal with in order to read the story. I think that in a way, I use this pacing also as a protective wall for myself. The only problem is that it also isolates me from a larger audience. Which kind of sucks because, i think that my story is very special and iâd love for more people to read it because.. id.. like to make this my career and support me. Iâm sure there are a lot of other aspects of my comic that make it hard to read besides the pacing but, I think that my pacing is something that Iâd like to address in more detail as to why i do it. It IS absolutely an intentional choice, but at the same time, Iâm not sure if its a choice I can really undo anymore. So perhaps its actually just something I canât help but do.
1) The largest reason that I do this pacing is because its reflective of my main source of inspiration, Roleplaying! And, my favorite method of roleplaying is actually a very simple format close to chat-based style. Iâve been roleplaying since i was 11 and making characters and stories ever since. Its where I feel more comfortable working and exploring ideas. I wanted to make a comic feel like how I do when I roleplay. And how i roleplay is often filled with mundane, small scenes of almost pointless activities which end up really building that atmosphere or illusion that these characters are always living their lives somewhere, even if we donât notice. Iâm obsessed with documenting all that small boringness. The more i can pull out of myself, the better it feels. I feel like its a reward to get to see those things, and its the kind of attention to detail that often hooks me in when I experience other media. Its like, oh my god, i love this character fussing with a flashlight or looking for food at a grocery store. Tying their shoes. Fussing over their thoughts in a moment. These are things I cling to and want to take the time to mention. You can do all those in roleplaying without it being super distracting because its casual, but suddenly when its in the format of a comic it just-- doesnât seem necessary. and it isnt. but thats why its such a treat to get it. But it also just stops being a treat when its constant, and instead, its all the time. Its just the normal standard. Youâd think that make its loose its appeal... but for me i just, want more of it. Its really an obsessive hunger. I realized that i could do it this way in a comic and I never wanted it to stop. And i dont have to. Thatâs what makes it so cool but i feel like..im cheating at something by having so much..fun?
2) Meandering gives you plenty of fucking time to plan ahead. Oh it sure as fuck does. Oh my god. I am not even kidding. The satisfaction of feeling like Iâve got all my plans together because I spent hundreds of pages of my characters fucking around (sometimes literally FUCKING around) is amazing. I love just not having to worry about shit for a while because if i was hitting all these huge story beats at all the time, i think I would evaporate and miss out on just the slow, happy experience of getting to know my world so intimately and feeling very comfortable with how it unfolds. I sit and debate on things and Its like ahh, thank god I donât feel a rush to get around to do anything. I love just being chill and drawing my characters walking around and doing fucking nothing but walking around and its like damn I could be walking around right now too, but Iâm not. They are. What am i typing right now?
When exciting things happen in my comic, I love it. But i also love working by making basically mental buffer pages. Its like the camera kept rolling and following the crew around. Once again, basically ties into the âmundaneâ aspect, but it just gives a very nice satisfaction of not feeling rushed to do anything until its time to do it. personally, i think that if we are given more time with characters, even just by seeing there, we get a little more fonder of them. Like seeing a regular at a coffee shop or like, a video game npc bouncing around in the corner in the same spot for the entire game. Theyâre there and its a reliable landmark. Until it goes away. :)
3) Pay off. Iâve lulled you all into this false sense of mundane non changing-ism. Just think though. I could pull that fucking rug out at any time and all those little cute moments suddenly become very upsetting because that was all you got. It sucks now. See? Iâve manipulated you from the start and ive planted the little seeds in your mind-just kidding. everything is fine and no one will ever experience sad things in ffak. ONLY happy endings.
4) Whatâs the forth reason? Ummmmm....... I can take breaks from my own comic and then go into the past of the same story, or write about some random character... and then like. just do a totally different comic for a bit. and no one can say i cant do that, because if Its just what i wanna do you just.. get to see some of that. and i can extend one single day for as long as i want. i might just draw an entire chapter about sneezy the worm if i wanted. 600 pages of sneezy the worm. you want to hear about sneezy the worm? no? you want the main plot about the final feast? no fuck you.. im going to talk about sneezy now. thatâs what you get. yesss. you look upset now but just wait, youâre gonna love sneezy the worm when Iâm done and you cant escape caring about cute little worms no matter what.
So to wrap up todayâs delirious ramblings 1) Its fun and i love small character moments 2) gives me plenty of time to write ahead and figure out endings lol 3) potential heart breaking pay offs when i change the routine 4) freedom to do whatever and write about whatever characters without a looming deadline or judgment from bosses. this is just what i love to do.
FFAKâs process is strange but I intend to enjoy myself as much as possible. I also think I���m very great because the longer i work the less ashamed i feel about my choices with writing and making it this way. its just like oh cool, i can do this and its not the end of the world if everyone doesnt like it cause I like it and thats what matters. and turns out, my happiness results in thousands of pages because Iâm constantly self-motivated. So its fucking cool as shit and i love drawing. I love drawing more now in 2018 than i did when i was a teenager, or even a kid. Its so weird how much better and fun the experience has grown to be and I wouldnt trade that for the world.
Anyway thanks for reading. Iâm drinking a frappichino. frappuccino. how do you fucking spell that.
-kosmic
56 notes
¡
View notes