#meron art

[meronarts]

POV you are Sua 🌈

[okolnir]

long overdue full squad pic

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help get book 2 of AMONGST US get printed!

⭐https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shilin/amongst-us-2⭐

[koenji]

Michal Meron (Israeli), Yom Kippur in Safed.

[neebintha]

Drew this drawing around July and didn’t feel like posting back then. Wanted to draw Melon in his suit from manga vol. 22(finale) end cover, along with Fayola. Just one more part for the Beastars finale and it’s over.

[ohnoitspheo]

Two Cherubs Lost in Big Monster City...

[if-lost-please-return-to-maliksi]

Hi pooo, NSFW/SMUT Maliksi x Reader inspired by the song I See Red TwT

((Anon, same ba tayo ng pinapakinggan na I See Red? xDD di ba parang murder song yun? char. Direct to the point ang request natin haaa, I like it! xD))

Disclaimer: I do not own Maliksi. Full Credit goes to HC - @ask-emilz-de-philz. Please check out their blog for amazing art and the wonderful world of Planet Puto. All involved characters are adults.

Genre: Smut

TW: NSFW, Explicit, mentions of a gun, sprinkle of violence, blood, dirty talk, masturbation, oral, konting ka toxican, p*rn without plot, sobrang konti if meron man, bad writing sorry 2017 pa last time na gumawa ako ng smut. Umm.. Read at your own risk, I guess? I don't want to traumatize peeps hehe~ Minors, please don't interact. 18+++ ONLY

NON- #PhilMytCrea related AU. Reader (Y/n) has a marriage of convenience with Maliksi. OOC coz he's not a tamawo in this fic guys, just a normal guy with no sad backstory. Don't come for me, this is how 'I See Red' plays along my mind.

NSFW UNDER THE CUT

You tossed your bag into the floor the moment you saw a pair of red stilettos which are not yours, laying on the frontdoor.

You knew Maliksi was seeing other people behind your back and it's fine, totally. You two were not wed out of love. Hell, you two only met each other a week before that damned wedding. It was a wedding made for the official partnership of your parents' companies, that's all.

What irks you the most is that Maliksi had the nerve to bring another woman under the roof of your house, knowing that you'll be home today after a week of insufferable business trips- you were exhausted and your 'husband' was banging some other chick on your bed.

You have always been labeled as 'intimidating' and 'bossy' by people around your- too many names and terms however it just leads to one point: you don't tolerate any disrespect and any bullshit from anyone.

"Get out or get shot." You coldly said as you entered your shared bedroom with Maliksi. The man is currently laying on his back on just his boxers while the girl he's with is on top of him, fully naked and giving him a good show. You went straight to your dresser and started rummaging for the hand gun your father gifted you before.

Upon realizing that you are not bluffing, the girl quickly got off on top of Maliksi, grabbing her clothes and making a run for it.

"Goddamn it! You are no fun!" Maliksi muttered underneath his breath but before he knows it, you were the one straddling him, landing a hard slap on his pretty face using the back of your hand that's now holding your glock.

You watched as single trail of blood slowly trickle down his nose.

"Fuckin' bastard! I only made you promise one thing after that hell of a wedding. You are not making a mess on my house, and especially not on my bed! Is that too much to ask for, you man-whore?!"

Maliksi's eyes widen at your sudden outburst. Who would've known that his wife is hiding some feisty personality underneath that stern and work addicted facade Your dad wasn't lying when he told him that you are a handful and that attitude will be a pain in the ass.

He lets out a deep chuckle as he wipes the blood off of his nose. "Look at you. All this time I thought I was married to a cold, emotionless robot. You should talk to me like this more often. God, it makes me hard." His voice resonated throughout the room as he took the gun out of your hands and placed it at the bedside table.

Sure enough, you can feel his growing bulge under those boxers. You two never had that kind of relationship despite being legally married. It's always just you sharing a bed at night like a pair of college roommates- maybe even less than that coz college roommates can sometimes cuddle. But you two- sleep like a pair of logs, away from each other in that king size bed as if you'll burn if your toes even touch accidentally.

You were about to get off of him but Maliksi wraps his arms around your hips, holding you in place. "You're not going anywhere." He smirks, licking the blood that got on his lips.

In a single breath, Maliksi was able to flip you over- switching your positions so that you're the one under him. "In case you can't read the room, I'm currently feeling hot n' bothered because of you. Kinda glad you arrived since the other girl can't get me hard."

"Then go jerk off somewhere, you idiot!" You tried pushing him off but he caught your hands and pinned it at the top of your head.

"Damn. Y'look so hot swearin' at me like that." He softly chuckled before undoing the necktie you are currently wearing and using it to restrain both of your hands. "Maliksi! W- what are you doing?!"

"We've been married for like two months now, Y/n. Can't a man see his own wife?" He said as he started undoing the buttons of your top, whistling at the sight of the red fabric of your lingerie peeking through.

"Didn't know you wear such things coming home to me, wifey." His voice sounded so seductively sweet that you have to do a double take if this is really the annoying guy you were unfortunately married to. Your face was red hot in embarrassment that you just wanted the ground to swallow you.

He smirks as he pulls out his hard cock, tip glistening with precum. He can't help but grin as he watch your eyes widen at the sight of him, not able to say a word.

"Didn't know my wife is this adorable. I like seeing you angry and shy. Tell me, will you let me see other expressions tonight, pretty?" He said not louder than a whisper as he slowly wraps his fingers around the base of his cock, giving it a light squeeze to feel just how hard he is from watching his wife stare from under him.

"Like what you're seeing, Y/N?" He teasingly asked as he started to stroking himself while you watch.

You felt your own breath get stuck on your throat as he asks you because you are indeed enjoying the little show he's putting up. For the first time, Maliksi is not a random guy you are married to. As much as you won't admit it, he's always been attractive, and hot. The air feels electric as room filled with the sounds of his panting and ragged breaths. You wouldn't tell him, but hearing him call you 'wifey' does things to you.

He reached up his free hand, tracing his thumb along your lower lips. "Open up for me, pretty girl." And for the first time in your life, you were obedient, opening up those pretty lips of yours and letting him use your mouth. You looked up at him, locking those pretty eyes into his as you take him deeply, feeling his tip brush into the back of your throat.

"I've got such a good wife here all this time. Y' should've let me know sooner." He said, grabbing handfuls of your hair to push himself deeper, making your eyes water.

"..fuck. you're such a dirty slut sucking me so good like that." he cursed, throwing his head back. You let out a moan, sending tremors and vibrations around his cock which made him buck his hips.

It didn't took long before he's got you completely naked on top of the sheets, his head buried between your thighs while his tongue works wonders on your sensitive clit. You were a moaning and trembling mess under his mercy which made him softly giggle on how his supposedly 'stuck up' wife turned out to be like this from his touch.

"Maliksi...please~ 'm so close."

He quickly pulled away, making you whimper in frustration from being denied of that sweet release.

"The only thing you're cumming on tonight is my cock, wifey."

He lined his twitching length along your dripping cunt, pushing in slowly, letting you adjust and get used to him before bottoming up and just stuffing you full of him.

He's been dreaming of this day when you two got married. Who would even be opposed of marrying you with that pretty face and killer body. He doesn't care if you two didn't marry for love. That body kept him awake at night, and he's definitely going all out now that he's got the chance to fuck you.

His pace is erratic, pulling out completely before slamming himself back completely, making your toes curl and your vision fill with stars as he fucks you senseless that all you can manage are moans and incoherent babbles.

He groans when he felt your cunt tightening around his cock, making him fuck you a tad bit harder. "You're so close now huh? My wifey seems to be enjoying my cock way too much." He chuckles before reaching into your clit, slowly circling his finger making you tremble in pleasure. "Maliksi....pleasee.."

"I know, pretty. I know."

You can feel your eyes rolling back and your body arching as you reach that sweet sweet release, with just a few more thrusts Maliksi follows, shooting ropes of thick hot cum inside you, telling you how pretty you are like that.

You two may not have started on good terms, but you both know this night is definitely a start of something.

[welcometotheduplays]

these two are taking over my head help... i've been drawing these two like many times outside this blog hshahah

↑ okay first pic. I've always wanted to do this sort of pose for one of my drawings and i think it turned out cute:]

↓ also i literally have no idea if Louis le grand even has a canteen (that serves food or sum, idk im not french so...) and i drew this earlier without any sort of knowledge so ehh ok

(yes he's eating pandesal. And yes I'm filipino.)

this pic has shitty ahh handwriting so here's what it says ↓

C: Ano ulam mo?

M: Wala akong ulam

C: Ihh (Ehh), Ano ang meron ka?

M: Ehh tinapay lang meron ako, parang magdadalawang araw na ito

C: Wala kabang ibang pagkain? Bigyan kita pagkain ko kawawa ka, pre

M: Wag na ok lang ako, may pagkain pa naman ako

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ik these r like quick doodles i made somewhere (so it's unfinished, but i wanted to show them here cuz why not HAJSHAHA) might color both pics and repost the colored ver in my main w some other art probably (if i can... hhhh)

[reynanghugot]

[10:41PM 07222024] kamusta na nga ba ko? recently di rin ako okay, alam yan ng ilan sa mutuals/friends ko dito na nakaka chikahan ko sa personal message like puro shit post sa fb, puro wins and happy memories sa ig/fb stories. idk pero yun ata talaga yung isa sa personality ko na if nakilala ako ng tao na strong ako, ayoko na mabago yun. ayoko na maiba yon kahit valid naman na maging mahina minsan o umiyak minsan.

graduating student ako, ended my last semester in PUP-OUS with flat 1 na GWA. happy ako sobra kasi i feel like lahat ng hirap and pagod ko ng apat na taon unti-unti ng nagpe-paid off like for real, after 12 freaking years finally totoo na 'to na masasabi ko na graduating na ko. aside from that, some saw my story rin na nakapag pa picture na kami for graduation with my friends. apparently, ayoko pa rin i-post not until makuha ko na yung list of names ng graduates. so far, masaya ako no jokes when it comes to academic kasi masasabi ko na finally talaga this is it, pwedeng pwede na mag retire mommy ko.

gumaan din yung dalahin ko recently sa mga relationship ko with friends. natuto ako na makipag communicate about sa nararamdaman ko sa friendship na meron ako sa mga tao na yon. i feel like masakit din sa part ko na magsabi ng mga words knowing na we experienced different traumas in life and i really appreciate them on how they accept my side, pano nila ko pinakinggan and pano nila pina feel sa akin valid din yung nararamdaman ko. this is the friendship na masasabi ko na di ko kailangan pumili. na di ko kailangan na umiwas. di ko kailangan may i-give-up nalang bigla. kasi for sure, sobrang deserve nila yung friendship na meron kami sa isa't isa. maybe some di maiintindihan but if you will listen lang sa lahat ng sides, sobrang gaan sa pakiramdam na para kang binunutan ng tinik sa dibdib.

on the other hand, i know health is wealth and just like before i humbly ask for you prayers na sana monitoring nalang ako annually and di na every six months kasi ang hirap, the anxiety and pressure di mo maiiwasan. aside from that, medyo mabigat siya financially like 20k and above yung kailangan kong i-raise every monitoring not included the follow up check-up fee and medicines kahit na sobrang mura ng maintenance ko for unemployed like me mabigat na rin siya.

finally, natapos ko na rin yung dapat kong gawin sa business ko kanina sa BIR babalikan ko nalang din yung receipt after 2 weeks. all i need to do is focus sa rebranding para mas organize yung shops and hopefully before the pasukan [kasi malapit lang kami sa school] maayos ko na rin yung area ko para sa small business ko.

above all, i am grateful to my strong support system, na hindi ako iniwan from my family to nikko to my friends. despite all the highs and lows since april 2023, they stayed and supported me throughout my ptc journey. sabi ng iba, arte nalang 'to. but for me it's a no. kasi hindi niyo alam pinagdaanan ko from my check-up, pre-op, post-op, till now. that's why i don't mind if my circle is small, as long as masaya ako with them, they respect, love, and understand me okay na ko na sila sila nalang.

kudos to myself for sharing a short life update that no one asked for. Good night!

[choccorin]

making a very stupid decision which is not attending our year end party (long text under cut!)

it's not stupid at all ! but like ... i feel like i'll regret it ... I'M ALREADY REGRETTING IT NOW! well sort of. not really. i want to attend but also no ??? ok first, i probably won't eat most of the food there, i have afrid, plus i don't like eating in front of other people.

second, i really want to go to the art museum again. i can't go even if i don't have school because i have to take care of my siblings </3, but i technically have school during the year end party, i just won't attend it ... so i think it's okay. i mighttt lie to my parents about attending it, my mom will probably keep forcing me to go if i tell them.

third, i'm not reallllyyy friends with any of them. if i attend a party, big or small, i'd want to be with my friends. people i actually get along with and know! i don't want to feel left out. and i know that me not attending the party will make me even more left out, but i don't really like my classmates. i don't match their vibes, hobbies, or habits at all. they drink, i don't. they vape, i don't. <- two of the things that make me ick! so being close friends with them isn't a choice anymore. i want to be friends with people who i'm comfortable with!

fourth, i SUCK at party games. SERIOUSLY! i have a huge fear of embarrassing myself in front of everyone so it's better if i just don't play, right? but that loses all the fun in being at a party.

fifth, ang gastos nila! LIKE ??? i'm sorry if my poorness is speaking but 16 FOODS ?!??!? including the drinks ?!?!!? napaka-oa lang for me. mauubos ba ng lahat 'yan? tsaka ang mahal pa ata ng mga bibilhin nila ... hays, mga rich kids! i can never relate. also related to my first reason. baka mamaya may caviar na silang dala d'yan. i have a gut feeling na may magdadala ng sushi. feel ko lang ... tapos may exchange gift pa. ang ano lang, 200 pesos lang yung budget ... anong mabibili mo sa 200 pesos na exchange gift in this day and age sa pilipinas ?! parang ang taas din ng standards ng iba pagdating sa exchange gift so sure ako may lalagapas d'yan sa maximum limit.

lastly, very stupid reason, i don't have anything to wear lol. well, meron naman. pero hindi siya okay sa school policy namin ... ('di ko pa sure kung may dress rules pa rin)

okay, i know that doing this will probably make my social skills worse but i want to be alone for now. i'm so tired of having a group of friends that'll just backstab each other and break apart. it makes me feel like a child of divorce, but worse!

i also want to be more comfortable with being alone! i know that i won't always have friends beside me so i should let myself get used to it. and alsooo, i want to boost my confidence in being alone in a crowd :) i think marami nang mga tao ngayon sa museums so it's a good time to practice. also (last na), reason na mag-isa ako mag-museum is because ang tagal ko tumingin ... like i really stare at each painting, admire their details, and think about what it wants to convey ! i recently watched on how to properly look at paintings and i'm excited to try it out :3 also (last na talaga), ang hilig ko maglakad. every one of my friends complained about their legs hurting everytime we walk for long periods ... i don't want their feet to hurt because of me and to have their patience run out because i like a painting too much </3

ok that's all, if you've read this far. here's a cookie and optional milk if you're lactose intolerant like me :333 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛🥛 and some few other snacks i guess ☕☕🍵🍵🧃🧃🍩🍩🍫🍫🍰🍰🍨🍨🍟🍟🌭🌭🍔🍔

[mybeingthere]

MERON ENGIDA HAWKE, (b. Ethiopia, lives in the US)

Painter Meron Engida creates vibrant tableaus that act as a vehicle for exploring the artist’s personal experiences and Ethiopian cultural identity. Through trust in the mark-making process, Engida has developed a rich visual vocabulary which draws influence from the colors and narratives of ancient Ethiopian art.

Engida’s latest body of work illustrates the impacts of war and climate change upon everyday lives, honoring the experiences of women and children living amidst the ongoing Ethiopian War. With palettes of acrylic and oil pigment, the artist here employs a system of dots, used to symbolize water, earth and teff. In "Teff teffa", the artist gestures towards the growing inaccessibility of teff—the staple grain used to make injera—due to war, drought, and global demand, demonstrating these forces’ impact on the foundations of Ethiopian cultural identity.

www.meronengidahawke.com

[meronarts]

Some engineering for my Witch Hat Atelier element breathing mask! It’s designed to expel fire/water/the selected element only when the mask’s mouth is open. When closed, the spell circle is pushed down and separated from the rest of the spell. :D

[upismediacenter]

FEATURE: Creepy Tales of UPIS

Have you ever heard of scary stories around UPIS? Have you ever had a haunting encounter that called for a story of its own? Despite the high school building being only 11 years old, tales of strange presences in certain rooms and unsettling legends about the statues have already taken root. It's not just the high school (7-12) building—similar stories circulate about the 3-6 and K-2 buildings, hinting at eerie encounters throughout the school. One can’t help but wonder what history lies beneath the UPIS grounds. One of the stories is from a student from Batch 2026, Uno Macadaan, who shared chilling rumors about the different school buildings of UPIS. 

“There’s a story about a floating hand that roams around the 7-12 building when it’s dark, and that there are ghosts wandering the 3-6 building when it’s late,” Uno said.

Athens Hombrebueno, a fellow student from Batch 2025, added to what they’ve heard: “In the K-2 building, there’s talk of a white lady haunting the first-floor girls’ bathroom. In the 3-6 building, there’s an abandoned science lab that people avoid after dark, because of the said rumor of a ghost in the specific room. And in the 7-12 building, there’s a story of a spirit that followed the Girl Scouts during their pre-pandemic annual camp.” Athens also added the known story she has heard about Lorna, the statue located on the high school grounds. Because she is frozen in a pose where she appears to be holding a nonexistent pen, the stories say that she wanders around at night to find that very pen. These strange occurrences aren't limited to students alone. Some of the school’s security guards have their own unsettling experiences, as one Batch 2026 student, Kirsten Negros, revealed. 

“Nakwento sa ‘kin nung night shift na guard yung experience niya sa elem[entary] building na kada gabi daw meron siya laging naririnig na mga batang naglalaro sa iisang classroom…  nagtatakbuhan, sumisigaw, at kumakanta,” Kirsten recounted.

These aren’t just stories passed down from one student to the next—varsity students, who habitually arrive at school early and stay late for practice, have their own chilling encounters to share. Their schedule gives them more exposure to the school's creepy atmosphere, especially during quiet hours, adding to the growing collection of eerie experiences from the buildings.

Kirsten recounted, “Nag-SPLT [Senior Patrol Leadership Training] kaming mga cadets para sa GSP [Girl Scouts of the Philippines]. Nung second night namin, lights out na, so dapat matutulog na lahat pero may mga gising pa sa amin. Biglang may nag-open ng door; akala namin senior cadet na mag[che]-check kaya nagtulog-tulugan kami. Pero nakita namin naka-all white yung pumasok—white shirt and pajama. Kinabukasan, nalaman namin na walang naka-white na senior cadet noong gabing iyon at wala ring nagbukas ng pinto.”

Athens shared a similar experience with Kirsten about camping, recalling an incident from before the pandemic: “I attended the annual camp the year they said the spirit followed us back to the 7-12 building.”

Recounting the rumors he has heard, Uno shared his own experience from the high school building: “Once, I went to school around 4:30-5:00 AM. I thought I saw a floating hand coming toward me, but it vanished as soon as I blinked. It was probably because I was half-awake, but it was still creepy.”

Adding more to Uno’s encounters, he shared, “Another time, I stayed late, around 6:30-7:00 PM, when I was still in the 3-6 building. I went to check the canteen to see if the rumors were true, and I heard something behind me by the PA [Practical Arts] room near the garden. I ran faster than ever.”

The students who shared their own stories mentioned that they've become more aware of the strange occurrences in the buildings. Athens and Kirsten highlighted that the high school building seemed more scary to them for the following reasons: “Malaki ang building and mas nakakatakot ‘pag gabi kasi madilim,” Kirsten mentioned, and, “because that’s where I experienced my own encounter,” Athens shared. However, Uno shared that the 3-6 gave him more of a fright, saying, “Mostly because I have an older sister and that was around the time she started scaring me and telling me stories, but also because we were kids and we liked spreading stories like that and I was one of those weird kids who wanted to verify the stories and see for myself.” 

As we walk through these familiar hallways, we may find ourselves wondering about the variety of people's experiences in these buildings and what they have encountered. Whether you believe in ghosts, legends, and rumors or not, it’s hard to ignore the chilling sense of presence that lingers in the air. Perhaps the true spookiness lies not in the scary tales themselves, but in the stories we continue to share, and the way we see the places around us. Have you experienced anything out of the ordinary?

//by Bianca Regala

[indomitablegal]

Grabe naman yung strike dito sa Canada. ☹️Yung Canada Post kasi, parang siya yung major delivery hub dito and naka-strike sila ngayon kasi humihingi yung employees nila ng salary increase kaso ayaw ata ng management nila. Ang ending wala kami narereceive na mails or packages. Ang galing lang kasi meron talaga nagre-represent sa mga workers nila. Nagkaka-isa talaga sila. Strike kung strike. Kaso yun nga lang, pending din mga parcel namin. 😭 Meron pa naman akong ino-order na skincare online. 😭 Meron pa naman ako dito, pero di kasi alam kung kelan matatapos yung strike. Kaya di ko rin alam kung kelan ang dating nun. Huhu ang arte 😂

[artatberlin]

Neuer Post auf ART@Berlin https://www.artatberlin.com/news-das-sind-die-highlights-des-talks-programms-der-art-cologne-2024/

NEWS ++ Das sind die Highlights des Talks-Programms der ART COLOGNE 2024

In Kürze öffnet die ART COLOGNE zum 57. Mal ihre Tore. Von Freitag, 8. bis Sonntag, 10. November laden insgesamt 15 verschiedene Gespräche mit namhaften Expertinnen und Experten in der ART COLOGNE TALKS LOUNGE (Halle 11.1, D 011) zu inspirierenden Diskussionen und Begegnungen ein, darunter Gäste wie Maria Alekhina von Pussy Riot, Karen und Christian Boros, Hans-Georg Esch, Tobias Rehberger, Reinhard Ernst, Andra Lauffs-Wegner, Arno Morenz, Diedrich Diederichsen, Meron Mendel oder Forensic Architecture im Dialog über Sammlerkultur, Kunst und gesellschaftliche Themen. Ausgewählte Highlights am Freitag, 8. November 2024  Um 12:00 Uhr begrüßt Moderatorin Kathrin Luz u.a. Maria Alekhina von Pussy Riot, […]

[kimhortons]

2109 — my weekend in bullets.

as my usual saturdays, i went to legazpi. nagpa footspa + pedi lang ako while waiting for J. natapos ko yung isang anime movie; when marnie was there. ang ganda ng kwento.

sakto pagkatapos dumating si J. nag dinner nadin kami, tinry namin sa buffalo wings and things, nagustuhan ko yung rice nila kasi amoy tacobell, tapos yung fries nila nakaka busog. sulit na siya for me. first time kasi namin kumain dun.

after namin kumain, naglakad lakad muna kami sa sm para magpababa ng kinain. i noticed may stall narin pala ng jamaican pattie dun huhu. finally, di ko na mamimiss yung lasa ng jamaican, na sa manila ko nalang natitikman. buti nagkaroon narin dito, sana talaga next time popeyes or burger king naman mag open sa sm.

pumasok kami sa booksale, para mag tingin tingin lang kung may mabibili nag hahanap din kasi siya ng art book. but guess what? haha. nahook kasi ako sa plot ng nadampot kong libro, i dunno these authors but i hope okay 'tong book haha. i also googled it and meron na pala nitong the holiday sa netflix, but i thought i'd read it first—sana mapanindigan ko talaga 'to haha.

sabi ko kay J mag deactivate na muna ako ng facebook para mapanindigan ko talaga haha. kasi ang gara pag labas namin tinanong niya ako "bat ka bumili niyan?" naisip ko rin tuloy, bakit nga ba? hahaha nag fifeeling na naman ako haha.

i'm so happy, i was aiming to buy this conditioner last week (actually, matagal na) kaso walang 200ml mas mura kasi yun, nasa 200+ lang. e itong 400ml, 399 ang isa. and guess what? naka buy 1 take 1 siya ngayon. sakto pa kasi ngayon ko palang nagalaw yung sahod ko. hihi deserve ko 'to haha. bet na bet ko kasi 'tong conditioner na 'to kasi sobrang bango, parang perfume na nag iiwan ng trail.

late na kami nakalabas kasi natagalan kami dun sa booksale haha. nag babasa pala talaga din si J before, tsaka naghahanap din ako ng ibang self help books sana kaso ang hirap mag hanap dun kasi halo halo. haha. nag ordinary jeep nalang kami pa sentro.

[anyalovesu]

tolerate it.

vi. use my best colors for your portrait.

— “he said he wondered what it must be like inside my mind and i told him he’d rather not know. it was for the better.”

“Bakit ka andito?” Elijah’s tone was sharp from the door of the atelier, eyes boring holes into the back of her fiancé’s head.

“Madam Eli!” Kyle greeted her cheerfully, skipping towards her as he gave her a high five. Leon didn’t know when they got that close but he figured that maybe FC lang si Kyle. “Nakita ko ang entry mo sa page ng org n’yo! Angas!”

Eli smiled at him, flattered at the compliment, especially because Kyle really was impressed and has never seen anything executed like that.

“Magpapacommission kami ng art sa’yo one day, para sa album art namin!” he says with conviction.

“Album art agad,” Amir playfully hits the back of his head, chuckling at him. “Sumulat ka muna ng kanta.”

“Meron na ngang draft!” Kyle argued, reaching over to Amir’s head to get his revenge but Amir stealthily pulled away before Kyle could hit him. “Nasa flashdrive ko na, iplay ko pa ngayon!”

“Loophole,” Leon replied to her, before slowly turning back to face her. “Bakit Loophole?”

“Hindi ako nagpapapasok sa atelier, lumabas ka d’yan,” Elijah sneered at him, pointing the way out of the room.

The room was messy and there were a lot of unhung canvases lying around the room that she has been planning to hang around the house but she hasn’t been home for most of the time to do the task. She would be lying if she said that she enjoyed working overtime. She’s not afraid of admitting that she has been avoiding Leon, that’s why she has been staying up late in the office. But more than that she hasn’t been drawing well the past few days, that even Hwangs have noticed how dark her designs have been getting which puts Santi in a position to worry if his little sister’s situation is triggering her to have a mental breakdown.

“Why the loophole?”

“Matagal na ‘yan.” Elijah was getting agitated the more Leon tried to press for information.

Wasn’t it obvious? Or was it that Leon is playing stupid?

“It’s good!” Eli clapped as Kyle stopped the seventh and last track from the mini album. “Anong pangalan ng album?”

“Loophole,” he proudly replied. “Homage to where the band started.”

“But nagsimula ang banda sa inyong lima,” Eli smiled at him, soft eyes looking at the gentle stares that her friends were giving her. “Ibang banda ang Loophole.”

“Walang Midnight Covey kung walang Loophole,” Amir agreed. “Maganda yung Loophole. Doon nagsimula ang lahat, doon rin magsisimula ang karera ng banda na ‘to.”

“Para saan? Para kanino?”

“Hindi ka naman yata tanga para isubo ko pa sa’yo ang sagot,” Elijah spat at him, before trying to force Leon out of the atelier. Trying, being the keyword. Leon was taller and heavier than she had anticipated, making it easy for him to stand still and pull her like she weighed nothing towards him. “Bitawan mo nga ako!”

“It was for the album ng MC, right?” 

“You are on thin ice, Park,” Elijah hisses at him one more time, but Leon does not let go. Instead he pulls her into a hug, one that he was strong enough to hold even if Elijah was fighting for her life to escape. “This is not going to fix anything you did, Leon. Bumitaw ka na.”

Elijah was slowly beginning to feel like the world was closing up again. Cold was creeping from her fingertips to her arms, from the tips of her toes to the rest of her body. Her eyes began to cloud as her throat dried and closed up. “Bumitaw ka please,” she managed to sob out as she tried to push him again from another time. “Hindi ako makahinga, bumitaw ka, Leon.”

Leon releases the moment he hears that, cold engulfing him just as much as it did her. “Ellie,” he held her face to make him look at him as she breathed heavily.

“Bitawan mo ako sabi!” 

He was taken back when she slapped his hand harshly away from her face. Elijah backed away from him until she hit the blank wall next to the door frame. Leon could only watch as Elijah clutched the hem of her shirt as she slid down the wall, sobbing.

“You can’t just go home na may dalang bulaklak tapos magkukunwaring may pakielam ka sa mga ginawa ko para lang saktan ako bukas,” Elijah whimpers, trying desperately to control her breathing. “Tangina naman. Gusto mo malaman kung para kanino ‘yan?”

Leon was speechless, he just stood there and nodded like a pathetic little boy. It made his heart squeeze to see Elijah sat there, in the midst of a mental breakdown, and he hit a dead end trying to figure out how to help her. She didn’t want anyone near her, that was the only thing clear for him.

“Para sa banda, oo,” she managed to croak out. “Para sa una n’yong album.”

Leon slowly drops to the floor, pulling his legs close to him as he tries his hardest not to scoot closer toward Elijah to hear what she was saying as some of the words rendered incoherent in between the sobs. “But you stopped being friends with me bago ko pa natapos. Bago ko pa maibigay.

“Bakit ilang araw na hindi sumasama si Eli?” Amir asks as Leon enters the room with Krizal, his girlfriend. Krizal sneers at him the moment Elijah’s name was mentioned.

“‘Wag n’yo na hanapin,” Leon brushes them off as he offers for Krizal to take a seat on the couch where Eli used to sit.

Kyle couldn’t help but feel the ick for the new girl.

 Surely it wasn’t her fault that she was brought here by Leon, but she seemed uninterested the entire time she was there and it was a stark contrast to the enthusiasm that Eli always showed whenever she tagged along. He appreciated every comment Eli gave and the small revisions in the lyrics and the composition of the song that she thought would sound better. That energy was just absent now that Eli is not there anymore. He missed it. Surely, everyone did. Especially when there was a constant interference with their equipment because of the constant calls that Krizal kept on getting in the middle of their practice.

“Miss ko na si Madam,” Kyle mumbles as he scribbles on his notebook. Krizal had just left to meet with her friend, and there they were on the floor of Kyle’s studio, trying to brainstorm for the next song that’s going to make it in their album. “Kelan ba daw s’ya hindi busy?”

“Ayaw ni Krizal sa kan’ya,” Tobi rolled his eyes. “Hindi ko na rin nakikitang nagpapansinan ‘yung dalawa eh.”

“Ang fucked up mo naman brodi kung iniwan mo si Eli dahil ayaw sa kan’ya ng jowa mo,” Karlo laughed at him, thought secretly hoping it was a joke. But it wasn’t. That morning, Leon and Eli spoke about the terms of their friendship and technically ended it there.

Leon looked at him blankly.

“Bobo,” Kyle shamefully threw his notebook at Leon, making sure to aim for his head. “Bobo ka! Isa kang bobo!”

“What was I supposed to do? Eh nagseselos nga si Krizal sa kan’ya?”

“Si Eli ba talaga ang problema o ikaw ang suspicious gumalaw kapag kasama si Elijah?” Everyone stopped to look at Tobi. 

Of all the people, Tobi knows Leon the most as he sees it, Leon has been denying an emotion that he fears to feel.

And that was, Leon, in fact, was unknowingly falling in love with Eli. And out of fear of what could result from that, he switches up to another girl and dumping Eli as if it would magically erase how he felt for his best friend.

“Anyway, kung makakaistorbo lang din ang girlfriend mo sa practice at wala namang itutulong dito, huwag mo na isama,” Kyle rolled his eyes at him, picking up the notebook that he threw at Leon. “Ilang beses tayong umulit kasi ugong ng ugong ang speakers. Akala n’ya yata nakakatuwa s’ya.”

Him and Krizal broke up a few months later and it didn’t take long before he was dating someone else already. Though they lasted longer than him and Krizal did, his relationship with Junia ended for the same reason. They couldn’t stop getting jealous over someone Leon had left behind already.

While Leon knows that he has already moved on, it seemed like the ghost of Elijah haunted him, because she was everywhere. Even their small fanbase searched for the girl who always stood in the bylines during their gigs, the one who always cheered for them and even went as far as writing songs with them. Maybe him constantly being broken up with because of Eli unreasonably planted that deep rooted dislike for his, now, ex-best friend. 

Margot was there for them the same way Eli was, though she had a different role. She was there because she enjoyed whatever her older brother sang. It took a while before she and Leon got together because Amir did not like the thought of it. At the end of the day though, Amir knew that Margot could handle it. After all, Margot and Eli met each other once and did not have bad blood at all. Margot knew her worth and knew that Eli is not going to be a threat at all if it was up to her.

Margot trusted Leon very much and while it seemed pathetic that she knew there was someone else in Leon’s heart, she figured that there were two separate places for them and there was no point in competing with someone who respected Leon’s decisions a long time ago. Margot knew that there will always be love for Eli. From all of Midnight covey. She knew that Midnight covey wouldn’t have made it if she weren’t there during the beginning of it. Eli will always be loved, especially by her best friend, Leon, though he says he would rather die than say it.

And Margot was right all along.

It wouldn’t hurt this much if there wasn’t love.

It physically hurts him to remember that conversation with his friends, everything that had everything to do with Eli during the rise of the band, all his break ups — everything leads back to Eli. 

And it wasn’t even her fault at all. 

It was all his.

“Babes, may schedule ka pa sa Sunset vine,” Ynes called her softly, tapping the back of her very hungover best friend to try and wake her up from her slumber. “Sabi na kasing tama na kagabi eh, ayaw pa magpaawat.”

“I’m sick sabihin mo hindi ko kaya,” Eli whined, trying to swat Ynes’ hand away from her back. “Ayaw ko pa rin makita si Leon.”

“Kapag ba hindi ka pumunta, may mangyayari?” Ynes asked, pulling a chair to sit next to her. Craning her neck above the dividers of Eli's working space to see if there was anyone suspicious listening to them. “Kahit naman ayaw mo kay Leon, wala naman tayong magagawa. Jas messaged him last night, noong may tama na rin. He kept on apologizing, babes.”

“What is his apology going to do? Anong akala n’ya? Kapag suddenly binigyan n’ya ako ng acknowledgement bibigay ako? Am I that easy? Ganoon ba ang tingin n’ya sa akin?” Eli rises from her desk and looks at Ynes, tears beginning to glass over her eyes. “Ang babaw ko naman sa kan’ya kung ganoon. He couldn’t even apologize to my face! And then what? Ita-trato nanaman ako na parang basura kung kelan n’ya maisipan? Tangina naman kung ganoon.”

“Babes, I can’t go there on my own rin kasi,” Ynes sighed, finally admitting to the truth. “Nacontact na rin kami ni Kuya Tobi ng assistant ni Misis Park para samahan kayo as maid of honor at best man.”

“Dinadamay na rin kayo?” Eli wanted the ground she stood on to open and swallow her whole from 12 floors above the ground floor. Why did it have to reach to this point?

“I actually think it’s quite nice of them to bring us into the picture. Para hindi kayo magpatayan.”

Eli groaned, slamming her head on the top of her hand over the table. Dejectedly turning her head towards Ynes’ direction only to realize that they really are trying to make this work for her and Leon. 

She really was hopeful that somehow it could work. Maybe some miracle out there would suddenly make him change… but the miracle came in the form of him being made aware of her diagnosis… and the sudden change wasn’t so nice at all. After his scene last night, there was nothing but sheer anger and annoyance for Leon for how he handled things.

“I actually think na dapat hindi na kayo sinasama dito,” Eli mumbled before hesitantly pulling herself up from her seat and grabbing her handbag from the table. “Tara na. Baka kung ano pang iba nilang ipagawa sa inyo.”

Ynes was there through everything. What’s next if Ynes doesn’t follow what they say? Take away her job? Take away from Eli? Losing Ynes is the last thing she wants. Ynes is the sole reason for her sanity throughout college when everything was turning shit because of school and her consistent family affairs that she did not want to involve herself in.

Ynes took Eli’s car keys before she could even argue. Eli was not in the best state of mind and driving for God knows how long will take during the deadly hours of city traffic has never had a higher chance of triggering yet another mental breakdown from her. Ynes took it in her hands before things got out of hand.

“Gusto mo na ba pagusapan kung saan nagsimula ang sigawan n’yo ni Leon kagabi?” Ynes asked once they reached where the traffic really got congested. 

“Nasabi ko na kagabi,” Eli replied coldly, as if trying to avoid the subject  though deep inside she knew that she had to talk about it at some point. She figured that talking about things helped her to figure out how to go around things better. The thing about that was that it was hard to relive moments that got too emotional for her liking. Emotions made her brain go haywire almost every time. There was a point where she thought she had an aversion towards feeling strong emotions but Isa always reminded her that it was okay to feel her feelings when he was around because she was safe.

She believed him.

She was safe with Isa.

But Isa is not here anymore.

“Sabi mo lang kagabi nagdala ng bulaklak tapos ang kapal ng mukha n’ya dahil akala n’ya kaya ka n’yang goyohin sa bulaklak,” Ynes gave her a slight shrug.

Ynes always thought rationally. Which made her jealous of that trait of her best friend because she never was. The highs were always too high and the lows were always too low. There was rarely a neutral ground for her to think things out properly. She was a cosmic ball full of emotions and ideas, always waiting for the most inconvenient moment to explode. They either turned into stars, her greatest creations, the very reason of her success or into black holes, that sometimes are strong enough to absorb every single reason for her to want to live.

Eli looked at Ynes, whose eyes glued to the road, before slumping back on her seat, letting out a heavy sigh to try and compose herself with enough courage to tell her best friend what had really happened.

“Pumasok s’ya sa atelier,” Eli sighed, looking down on her hands as she fiddled with the zipper of her designer bag sitting on her lap. Her light pink manicured nails scratched on the metal grooves of the zipper in hopes of distracting herself from crying once again.

“You let everyone in the atelier, Eli,” Ynes glanced at her curiously. True to her statement, Eli did let everyone into her working space ever since. She was always proud of the art that she creates, claiming that she has brought them to light from the highest and lowest points of her life and it was always worth being proud of because it was a reminder that she survived that part of her life. “Bakit ayaw mong papasukin si Leon?”

“I didn’t let him him. Pumasok s’ya ng kanya,” Eli quipped. “There’s a difference d’on, babes.”

“Bakit ayaw mo nga?”

“Nakita n’ya yung huli kong ginawa,” Eli glances out the window to try and avoid letting Ynes see her crying even though she’s seen her cry too many times to count already.

“Maganda naman?”

“I don’t know if he figured that half of it was from my grief noong sinantabi n’ya ako,” Eli mumbled. 

Ynes felt a pang of guilt hit her when Eli admitted that. 

'Half of it' was an understatement, more than half of it was Eli’s artistic take on Midnight Covey’s songs. They were basically what could’ve been MC’s album cover art over the past four years. She hasn’t listened to any of them directly, but Ynes played them all the time. She was friends with Kyle after all like Eli used to be too. Ynes was a big fan of Midnight Covey but out of respect for her best friend, she never opened up the fact that Eli has been keeping her word to Kyle that she will make them an album cover one day when they made it big.

“Now I feel guilty kasi nararamdaman ko pa rin yung grief na yon kahit na may Isaac na noon,” Eli continued. “But it was a different kind of hurt, you know? Akala ko kasi hindi n’ya maiisip gawin ‘yon but I turned out to be just as replaceable as everyone to him. Tapos what? Kapag nalaman n’yang may sakit ako, all of a sudden, maawa s’ya tapos gogoyohin ako gamit ang bulaklak? Ganoon ba kadali ‘yon sa kan’ya? I spent the past years grieving our friendship tapos ganon lang ‘yon sa kan’ya?”

Ynes had no more words to say but a sincere apology for pushing her to open up something so sensitive to her. Eli told her to not mind it, maybe it did feel good to let that thought go because it was true and it mattered a lot that she listened.

“He also called my best work yet childish and immature,” Eli added. “I don’t want to get scrutinized again by someone who used to be so proud of my work.”

“Maganda ang mga gawa mo,” Ynes argued. “He’s so lucky that he was the reason behind one of your best works. You always painted him in good colors. So much for someone na sinaktan ka ng sobra.”

“I don’t have the stomach to hurt his reputation and ruin his image for the band,” Eli replied, eyes following the parking lot lights that they were passing by, another of her useless attempts to distract herself from getting too emotional again. “He’s a shitty person, yes. But not that bad naman para sirain s’ya with my art. He still deserves the best colors for his portrait. Magaling naman s’yang musician. Let’s give him that.”

—

“Ruby,” Leon smiled, welcoming her into his arms before his arms made its way to wrap around her waist. “This is Chulia and Georgina. I met them kanina. Sila yung organizers.”

Shit.

Elijah could almost feel her entire skin crawl at the feeling of being intimately close to Leon. Things seemed to naturally spew out of Leon’s mouth. Like Elijah wasn’t screaming her larynx at him the night prior.

Nonetheless, Elijah offers her hand to shake both Chulia’s and Georgina’s hand politely. “It’s nice meeting you both.”

“We’ve met before,” Chulia smiled at her. “Sa VisuoCon two years ago! I didn’t know na si Leon Park pala ang boyfriend mo noong time na ‘yon!”

“Oh, he wasn’t,” Elijah blurted out before she could think of it. 

Leon could not help but feel flustered at her slip up this early but he could not help but feel a pang against his chest being denied like that even if he knew very clearly that she was committed to someone else just a week ago. However, instead of showing how completely fazed he was by this, he only clutches her waist possessively as if to tell Chulia that he might not be the one with her back then but he’s the one here now.

And that’s what mattered.

Elijah, who was also shocked by her own reckless response, seemed to get the message. “He wasn’t. Life works strangely. Dito rin pala ako babalik.” 

“We got together just this year, actually,” Leon chuckled, carefully caressing the area where his hand was. Elijah, though it scared her the first time it happened, seemed to be growing on Leon’s touch. After all Leon wouldn’t do anything to violate her that way… he’s not that kind of person, right? He changed but he’s not that bad, right? “Pero magkababata naman kami. Technically, there’s no need na magkaroon pa ng ganoon katagal na dating phase, right? We’ve spent almost our entire lives together.”

There was some truth to that. Yes. They got together this year, specifically roughly about a week and a half ago. They were childhood friends, correct again. They have spent their entire lives together,

Yes.

Except that for the past four years, they have been pretending to not know each other.

Though, for more than they liked to admit, they unconsciously did things that still lead back to each other.

“Ay ganoon ba?” Georgina seemed to be so amused by the unconventional love story that they were trying to sell. “So si Ma’am Elijah po ‘yung person in question noong sinabi n’yo na in a relationship kayo?”

No, hindi po. Elijah wanted to reply to her. Tempted to tell the truth right then and there but they were buying into everything that even Tobi and Ynes seemed to be impressed by how well they were playing into this. They were easily fooled into Leon’s charismatic smile when he nodded as they giggled and playfully slapped each other’s arms.

Elijah, getting a little too close for comfort, laid her head on Leon’s side, accentuating the height difference as Elijah only rose to graze lightly to his shoulder. 

“We wanted to keep it private, right?”

Elijah didn’t know why she turned her head to look at him; it just felt right. But she didn’t know if it was a great move— maybe for anyone who didn’t know any better, it was— but for her sanity it wasn’t because Leon did the same exact thing and their faces came too close for their liking.

They stood there, faces inches away from each other.

And somehow that made Elijah’s heart race. It wasn’t the good kind. She got afraid.

Not by the closeness.

Not by the fact that he looked like he was going to kiss her.

She got afraid of the fact that for a miniscule second, she wanted to move closer and kiss him right then and there.

Elijah got too flustered and playfully pushed his face away, managing to hide how her face easily turned crimson by hiding her face on his chest. Again, too close.

“Ang cute n’yo po,” Georgina giggled, playfully slapping Chulia’s arm once again. “Dito po tayo, darating na po yung mga server maya maya ng kaunti.”

“While waiting, we should talk about you two’s preferences, ano? I heard from Miss Alcantara na napagusapan n’yo na raw po ‘yung mga gusto n’yo. So, doon po tayo magsisimula ngayon,” Chulia smiled, as the six of them walked towards the back room of the restaurant.

Leon managed to slip his arm away from Elijah’s waist, leaving her feeling cold after getting used to his warmth for that short period of time. But before Elijah could move away, the older man managed to reach for her hand just split second after he took his arm from around her body.

Elijah knew they were pretending. 

Who knows how long it would last that Leon was this nice and intimate.

Her mind was racing with a million other thoughts about the impending engagement party, but the one that led them all was the fact that she never once attempted to remove her hand from Leon’s even when they were already sitting down. There were their hands, over the table, flashing the shiny ruby ring for the entire table to see.

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