#so . self indulgent drawing. for meeee .!
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sideblogdotjpeg · 7 months ago
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aum. sorry for thinking about baby sol again unfortunately i cannot stop
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lightbulb-warning · 3 months ago
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i used to freehand comics all the time as a child and since the part i liked was the drawing part i would just draw panel after panel because i didn't want to stop drawing to think about icky icky words, plus the story TOTALLY still made perfect sense! to me! and noone else, but 'whoooo caaaaares omgggg its not like comics and sequantial art are a communicative meeediummmm lmaoooooo'. i spent my entire childhood telling myself stuff like "oh pfft I know this story by heart- ill SIMPLY remember the dialogue and write it later" ...and. I can't help but admire baby maiora's (call that a minora ba tm tsk) fucking audacity? hubris? confident wrongness? kid couldn't even remember to finish the comics in the first place? INCREDIBLE levels of unearned self assurance, wish that were me, genuinely- what an icon!!! anyway i think i have forever cursed myself
#maiora garrulates#the maiora overthinks the process of writing dialogue saga continues!!!!!!!#im so tired. i have been overthinking this shit in circles i have not been making any progress in any which way lmao!#im bitching and moaning for funsies this is not that serious in the Grand Scheme Of Things i just wanna improve at my fav thing#and ❤️ Unfortunately ❤️ my favorite thing in the world involves learning MY MOST HATED *NEMESIS*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! verbal communication. ew#words are fun! i LOVE words! toys!!!!! im using words right now and i didn't combust!!!!! wow look at that!!!!!!!!!!!!!#putting words in SEQUENCE? multiple times?? filtering THOUGHTS into SENTENCES???? sentences that a character would or wouldn't SAY???#AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER CHARACTER SOMETIMES???? AND THAT BITCH ALSO HAS THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS????? AND THEY ALL HAVE PERSONAL IDIOLECTS#AND TONES THAT S U P P O S E D L Y ARE IMPLICATED BY MANNERISMS AND VERBAL HABITS AND CIRCUMSTANCES (AND THERE'S WRONG ANSWERS! ALSO!!)#AND THEY'RE IN A CONTEXT!! AND THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER AND INFLUENCING EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#THE CONVERSATION COULD VARY GIVEN ENERGY LEVELS WHETER OR NOT SOMEONE'S FOOT IS FALLING ASLEEP THE F U C K I N G WEATHER#“oh dialogue is easy just say it out loud to yourself until it 'sounds normal' ^^”#screaming crying throwing up NONE OF THIS IS INTUITIVE TO MEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....!#ok dramatics over its out of my system! for now!!!#this is all easily explained bc i just. draw a lot more than i talk to people. so like. OBVIOUSLY i have more practice drawing#so drawing comes natural! talking does not! subsequently dialogue is Hard! No FUCKING Shit Sherlock!!!!! (affectionate)#so yeah. im using y'all (the tumblr void) as practice! hi!!! words at you!!!!!!!!!!#so yeah thanks for baring with me while passing by my corner of the internet#i do love self indulgence this is fun check out my navel gazing actually no do not look at my belly button#anyway i just think this is mildly interesting. some of my writer buds have the same “not good enough” allergy towards visuals#but they use it to be mean2me >:( same bitch that “omg i cant i suck at drawing i can't do this-” does the “uhm. just write? lol.” 2 meeee#we could have peace and love on planet earth and a common experience and yet you KICK miette for being bad at words!!!1!!! </3 heartbreak!!#what the fuck was i talking about even#oh yeah. perfectionism within creatives i guess. LMAO JK i am talking about NOTHIN!!!!G i am just putting Words Out Here ehehehehehe#its practice >;)c#all this bc ive been doodling comics for myself again and im V!! PROUD OF THE ART!!!! wanna share- but DIALOGUE!*⚡sfx!!*....... so! options#a) leaving it blank. no there are NO microphones in the budget. b) leaving blank *balloons* so that the Rythm is there. implied convo!!!#c) ...doing it badly. (tragic)(heartwrenching)(teeny tiny bruise 2 the ego) *dramatic single tear cleches fists * its the only way.........#...we shall see! literally none of this is all that serious i am procrastinating!! <3 playing with my tuoys!!!!!!!! silly time!!!#/all lh! am reaching 30 tags so that is all for THIS episode of the maiora bitches about dialogue saga thank you for joining me!!okilyBuhBY
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angelpuns · 1 year ago
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I might have already posted these since they're more recent but oh well :)
So I'll start from the top, Leo and Yuichi in festival wear!! They're just slightly nicer Yukatas, tbh. Leo's is a bit big but it's an old one of Yoshi's lol. they're eating takoyaki!!!
I haven't figured out what kid of festivals they go to yet, I've had a harder time researching that because of the time period, but when I find out I will ramble about it!!!
Leo and Mikey running an errand!!! Their coats are made out of older military jackets that Yoshi cut up for them. They have a sort of oil/'sealant on them that keeps them water proof!! It's similar to how they made planes pre-WWII!! Since plastic/rubber items are harder to get out in the mountains, the rain boots are made of a sort of weaved straw.
Yoshi teaching Mikey to read was extrmely self indulgent ;-; He really loves his kids and he wants to give them the best life he can even though he is clueless about yokai ( or in their case mutants). Anyway he teaches Mikey to read becaue I wanted him to.
I HAVE SEVERAL DRAWINGS OF YOSHI CARRYING AROUND A LITTLE RAPH BECAUSE AUGHH AUGHHHH IT'S SO IMPOERTANT TO MEEEE
Even though Raph is th oldest, he is the one Yoshi would rock to sleep the most because of nightmares, etc. There were a lot of times he'd sing lullabies to him and just talk about nothing. He only stopped once Raph got too big to carry - though Yoshi probably still tried to because it was one of the only things that could get RAaph to sleep and UGUGHHGHHG I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT RAPH IN THIS AU OKAY BECASEU AUGHHH
anyway there's Leo and Donnie going to their first festival, maybe like 7-8? I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT RAPH
Rural Au Mastepost
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klayr-de-gall · 3 years ago
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Just some little self indulgent fun, inspired by the way the cat always looks very scandalized when I sneeze, the fact that Michael is basically a feral cat that only likes ONE person, and the HC that angels have very little clue about humans body functions and would probably not have experienced someone sneezing.
Also, I love the Idea that the elements of an angels true-form they show (Like the eyes and wings) have a behavior of their own and show a bit of their true feelings. (stop acting so indifferent Michael, you are clearly smitten!)
I am just so in LOVE with this two. Watch me draw all the fanart to lure people into liking this rarepair XD Join meeee~~~
[Social Media Masterpost]
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so-so-oboro · 2 years ago
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its meeee!!! youre so cool I couldnt help myself to ask for another fic!!!!!!
could I get something about oboro comforting reader who has a bad home life/generally isnt feeling so great? maybe he offers for them to stay with him for a while? lots of fluff, please!
(yes this is very self-indulgent)
thanks so much you absolute queen
Stay Here Tonight~Oboro x GN! Reader
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Summary: Your home life is not the best at the moment, with your parents in the middle of getting a divorce that isn't going too well. You feel so alone except for the one person you can count on... Your boyfriend.
A/N:YES! YES I SO WANNA DO THIS!! Yass I love this idea!
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You let out a sigh as you hear your parents once again yelling downstairs in the kitchen. It's the same old thing; mom yelling at dad to sign the papers while dad keeps refusing.
It's been like this for a couple of weeks after your mother announced she will be getting a divorce. Just out of the blue! You still have no reason from your mom as to why. Marriage just doesn't work for some people. That's the only explanation you could come to.
You plug your headphones into your phone and turn your music all the way up, drowning out the yelling and getting lost in your songs. You lie down on your back and close your eyes, just focusing on your music. You thought that maybe, if you try hard enough, you can open your eyes and find yourself in the perfect setting!
You'd find yourself standing on the warm sunny shore while the soft sound of the ocean waves crash against it, lulling you further in. You could feel the cool water wash over your feet and ankles, only to draw back and wash over your feet once again. You'd feel someone's hand in yours and you'd look over to see your loving boyfriend holding your hand, smiling back at you.
You'd smile back as you giggle, squeezing his hand a little. It would be the perfect world! No problems, no yelling, no broken marriages...
Just the ocean, you, and your boyfriend you so dearly love.
But you open your eyes to find yourself back in your small messy room, in your crappy little home, with your parents shouting at each other. A frown replaces your features as your music stops and you sit up.
This was the life you were stuck with. Whether you like it or not.
-
"Good morning, Sunshine!" Oboro cheers with a bright smile as he catches up to you on your walk to school, slipping his hand into yours. You crack a smile as you glance over at him. "Morning, Kumo." You reply with his nickname too. Oboro calls you 'Sunshine' because of your quirk having to do with the sun, and you call him 'Kumo' which is short for Shirakumo.
"You seem tired. Did you not get enough sleep last night?" He asks as he notices the bags under your eyes. My parents yelled at each other all night so yeah. You kept to yourself. "It was just one of those nights. I feel fine!" You try reassuring him. You hadn't told him about your parents divorcing yet, too afraid to tell him. You weren't sure why though.
Oboro always comes to you to talk about his problems and you reassure him, and whenever you come to him crying or stressing over work or something else. But for some reason this was something you didn't want to tell him. You didn't want to burden him with something he can't fix! So what's the point of telling him if he can't fix your problem?
"If you say so." He hesitantly says, not fully believing you. But he doesn't wanna push you.
-
Today was hard for you! You weren't sure why, it just was!
The whole day you felt sluggish, even after eating lunch and gaining some energy. Hero training was torture as well because you didn't feel fast enough or fully there. You felt like a heavy weight was weighing you down, like 10 boulders were stacked onto your back.
You just felt like you couldn't move and you were unsure why! Perhaps it was the guilt of constantly lying to Oboro throughout the whole day, and the more and more you did it, the less Oboro began to believe you.
You were falling apart.
You needed help before these boulders crushed your whole body.
-
"Where are we going, Kumo?" You ask while tilting your head curiously. He grabbed your hand and was taking you somewhere after school. Honestly anything was better than going home, but you still felt like the boulders were crushing you and bringing you down. He was being so kind to you and you weren't being honest!
"You'll see sunshine!” He happily replies, which felt like another boulder stacked on.
You soon arrive at a familiar place; a park. Not just any park, the park where you and Oboro had your first kiss! It was your guy's favorite spot! "Oh wow! It's our park!" You exclaim happily and he nods, bringing you over to the pretty fountain that spewed it's water.
You happily stared at it and dipped your hand in the water, the peacefulness of this place making you feel lightly better. But the weight came back as you were suddenly turned to face Oboro and he gently held your two hands. You stare up at him and felt your knees buckle at the sight of his worried expression.
Another boulder.
"I don't like to push you on things you don't wanna talk about because I always wanna respect your privacy. But I was watching you today and whatever it is that you're hiding doesn't look healthy for you." He begins to speak softly, placing one of his hands on your cheek. "Please tell me what's wrong, Y/N."
That was the last straw. The crack that broke the camel's back.
The boulders' weight became too much and you fell down while being crushed by the boulders. You break down crying hysterically and he quickly pulls you into a hug, softly stroking your hair as you wrap your arms around him and grip onto his shirt. "Shh, just breathe Sunshine. Just breathe." He whispers as he began to gently sway you two back and forth.
Eventually you managed to control your breathing a bit and calm your tears a bit. You felt better enough to pull away and wipe your sleeve on your eyes. "M-my parents are in the middle of getting a divorce... They constantly yell at each other about it and I never get any sleep anymore because of it.." You explain, spewing out everything you had kept to yourself.
"I didn't wanna tell you because what was the point of telling you about a problem that you can't fix?" You mutter out which broke his heart. He couldn't believe this! You had been dealing with this all alone, too afraid to tell him this because he couldn't fix it. Unfortunately, you were right. There's no way he can fix your parent's marriage. That's fully broken.
But he can help and fix you.
He cups your face and lifts your head to look at him. He had a smile on his face. "I can't help your parents but I can help you. You can stay at my house while this happens." He offers but you just weakly shake your head. "I can't let you do that.. won't I bother you parents anyway?" You ask. "Of course not, they love you!" He replies.
You still weren't sure if you should accept for not but a gentle kiss from Oboro snaps you from your doubts. "Please let me do this for you." He says, staring into your wide (e/c) eyes. ".. okay then.." You accepted and took his soft hand. He smiles and pulls you in for a hug.
"I'll come with you to get your belongings you'll need."
-
You and Oboro walked down the quiet nighttime street in Oboro's neighborhood. It's been so long since you've heard such silence, you can only remember your parents screaming at each other. Your hands were intertwined with his as you walked down the road, once in a while being illuminated by a street lamp.
The nice summer evening air kept you guys cool and the crickets and cicadas buzz and chirp all around you.
It was just so peaceful.
As you see Oboro's house in the distance you looked down at your feet. "Thank you.. once again.. I don't deserve you.." You mutter out, feeling your hand get squeezed gently.
"Don't mention it. I love you and if anything I don't deserve you. I love you Y/N."
BONUS:
You two totally snuggled together in his bedroom.
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nbwriteschaos · 3 years ago
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ACTUALLY ACTUALLY I WISH TO HEAR MORE ABT ARCHIE AND RYAN AND JUNE PLS
OMG YESSSSSS SO oKAY
there is a lot i think
archie is a complete fucking GOOFBALL!!! he's deffo one of my big faves in tswb because he's like,, the Light of it all... ive sort of decided that the vibes of tswb will be like melancholy, so i think his character will fit in really well! he's a been a part of the football team since middle school! coming out was really easy for him since everyone liked him anyway and just kind of seen it as him being an idiot. ryan is his boyfriend and he is in Deep love with him. they've been together about three years? and archie has been there to support ryan through his transition!
they're v much polar opposites as archie is super playful and goofy and dumb and ryan is very stern and smart and quiet, and i think thats honestly what makes them so fucking cute together anbd its so fun to write. v much self indulgent because thats my favorite trope ever. ryan is gonna be a be a super interesting character to write since i will be able to explore gender identity much more which is smth i'm very much interested in and also currently going through! thankfully i have many trans identifying friends who can help me with him ((and also myself LOL)) ! i want to stray away from the "kicked out cus of my sexuality" thing as much as i possibly can, but honestly, as "cliche" of a mark it makes in many lgbtq+ stories, it is a very real thing that many lgbtq+ people go through, especially transgender people.. so while it wont be his main highlight, its still a thing.
tbh i always forget about june for some reason but when i start to think about them and realize they are also apart of this story i just remember that i FUCkINGH love them and i NEED to incorporate them better!!!! i think their depth is my favorite out of all the characters. they have a history with substance abuse as i really want to draw attention to the opioid epidemic that is especially spreading widely through teenagers, and i really never see that written as a Normal thing that some people go through when it really should be recognized as a disorder/disability or whatever else one would want to consider it. i would get into detail about my opinion about that, but i won't for the sake of keeping my infodump mildly short.... plus this is only supposed to be a minor thing that has to do with their character as they have mostly gotten past it, i think its just smth very important to them and they're not at all shy about it.
june's design is also one of my favoritessss,s, they're very much inspired by like a 80s disco/arcade color palette. i think i want them to be as vibrant as possible to contrast their stoic front. there IS someone past the walls they have built up , and that someone is actually really fun and amazing and loving <333
together their whole dynamic is like two hardheaded mfs co-parenting a wild child and i think its beautiful. i think the three of them would be capable of supporting their own entire novel just bc their dynamic is so good!! and even tho ryan and archie are together, june and archie probably get along so much more because june is a big risktaker and ready for any ridiculous adventure. ((so in some weird way, june is like the chaotic dad who is only stern to their child when mom is looking SJDKGHSJKDFG))
anyways this is LONG and iM SORRY i get sososoo carried away talking about my Children and this is only like. a Little bit of insight into them LMAO but thank u so muhc for asking meeee it makes me unbelievably happy that someone is interested in my characters :] heres a kiss for u
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takumithetankengine-blog · 8 years ago
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A Cat and her Two Dogs Chapter Two is UP!
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The saga of “dame mas Sophelina” continues. @dlartistanon
You can begin reading 1C2D on FanFiction.net here and on AO3 here. Chapter one on Tumblr is here!
Chapter Two: Let the Sleeping Dogs Lie | The Lost Button
The following day was a Sunday. Better yet, it was a Sunday with no plans.
For any self-respecting teenager, obviously that meant indulging in the simplest of pleasures: sleeping in, eating snacks, and wearing pyjamas all day.
The last vestiges of a steamy dream disappeared from her memory as she sat up in bed with a stretch and a yawn. Several worn mangas with library barcodes on their fronts dropped as she did so, clattering to the tile floor with pointed thumps beside other mangas.
'Wonder what time it is? That was a good rest.'
Nina grabbed her flip-phone from her side table. The display showed the time was 9:21, with orange text below it reading 7 New Messages. Nina absently flipped the clamshell to see what they could possibly say. The gist of it, beyond Ophelia's triple-texting theatrics and Soleil's bad spelling, was like this:
Ophelia (10:04pm) Good night, Nina!
Soleil (7:51am) Hey Nina, I have to tell you something. Can I come to your house later?
Soleil (9:16am) I'm on my way over now. I have chips.
'What? Way to give me no notice!' Nina didn't care that much about her appearance, not around her friends, but she still threw her blanket off of her, sending more mangas to the ground. 'Darn her! What could she possibly have to say that can't wait?!'
Nina retorted through text, "Fine. They better be good, I woke up for this."
And it was at that moment that the door downstairs was knocked. Considering Soleil usually stepped in, either it meant Ophelia was there too, or this was major.
'Kissing-one-of-your-best-friends-major?'
Nina pulled her blanket around her like a cape and went to answer the door. Soleil grinned awkwardly at her. "Sorry about the short notice. It's just really important. Can't stress that enough."
"Uh-huh. Where are those chips you mentioned?"
Soleil unzipped her padded jacket, and a bag of potato chips rolled to the floor. Nina picked it up and said, "Fine. Come in."
They settled in the simple living room, as neither of Nina's parents were home. They never were.
Nina deftly opened her chip bag and popped one into her mouth. "Okay. Cut to the chase."
"Um… Well, it's about the dance last night. I… think Ophelia might like me."
She was being shy, twiddling her thumbs and never keeping eye contact for over five seconds. 'Are you serious?' thought Nina. "Lemme explain! Umm… What I meant to say is, I want to give things a shot between us. And because, like, it'd change the entire group dynamic, you should give me your blessing before I try."
'It feels real. Last night, it was a dream, but now? Totally real. She's beating around the bush in a big way, too.'
"It's customary to ask for others' blessing before you snog someone on the dancefloor."
Soleil's cheeks lit up. "You saw that?"
"I see a lot of things. And to be honest, I saw this coming."
Soleil bit her lip. "Well… Let me explain. I've never felt this way about a girl before. I always really, really like them, and I really, really like Ophelia too, but I think this is love." Her eyes began to twinkle. "I know her so well, and even though I see her everyday, I get a warm feeling in my heart. Everything she does makes me feel so happy I can't lose… And I promise, I'll never break her heart. I-I might've dated around a lot, but I'd never cheat on her or be a jerk." Her gaze met Nina's, nervous. "So, d-do you say yes?"
'But asking me is already moot point, isn't it? She expects me to say yes. And how could I say anything else?'
Nina crossed her arms, grinning wryly to the best of her ability. "You don't really need my blessing. But you have it - go ahead and try pursuing her heart."
Soleil's gaze lit up. "Thank-"
"But may the Gods help you if you break it. You better not try to get in another girl's pants. Don't so much as look at them."
Soleil's posture straightened even more. "I'll never, ever, ever break her heart. Not even close. If you think I'm even close, snap me out of it."
"You better not. And you bet I will."
'She's acting serious for once. Maybe this'll really work.'
"You're the best friend ever, Nina!" Soleil was all smiles as she threw her arms around Nina in a hug. "I'm so happy - thank you so, so much!" It felt strange to be there - Nina never was much for physical contact - but it was even weirder when Soleil pulled away and said, "I won't let our friendship wall to the wayside either, Nina. And I'll never, ever, ever hurt Ophelia. I promise."
Nina closed her eyes and sighed, pulling the . "You better not."
'Only time will tell.'
XXX
"Nina! I have excellent news!"
The next time Nina saw them, it was the next day before class. They were approaching together hand-in-hand, Ophelia waving to Nina as she led Soleil ahead. For her part, Soleil was smiling, more flustered than usual but otherwise overjoyed.
Nina snapped the manga she was reading shut. Ophelia came to a stop and said, "The rehearsal and the practice have been cancelled for today. Such means that I'll be spending the entire afternoon in the presence of my beau!"
'Beau?'
"We were thinking it could be our first date," Soleil explained. "Our first date as real-life girlfriends."
'They've been dating for, like, a day, and they're ALREADY have nicknames? How sweet. And LAME.' "That's fine. I need to sink some time into my fanfics anyway."
"I shall be the first to read that update," Ophelia replied, pumping her fist into the air. A necklace that wasn't there before bounced as she did so, drawing Nina's attention to it.
It was a simple silver chain with a white button attached as a charm. She glanced over at Soleil… and, surely enough, there was a necklace that wasn't there before replacing her usual choker, concealed mostly by her popped collar.
"Should be pretty good," Nina replied absently. 'Curious…'
"Anyway, we should probably get going to breakfast. The line's gonna get long if we don't get in it. Today's Muffin Monday… today's flavor is raspberry!"
"Then let us go onwards!" Ophelia exclaimed, turning to her. "To see to it they are eaten by a chosen heroine!"
Ophelia dashed off. Soleil stared after her for a second before she pursued her with a laugh. "Hey! Save one for meeee!"
'Playing like puppies, chasing each other to get food. Shouldn't have expected anything else.'
There was a tradition back at their middle school: if someone fell in love, they would gift the second button on their school shirt to the one they loved. The reasoning was that the second button was the closest to someone's heart.
'Melodramatic and sappy. Obviously Soleil would love it. Wouldn't pin Ophelia as the type to eat it up, though.' Nina crammed her hands into the pockets at the front of her red hoodie jacket. 'Whatever. Soleil better not screw this up.'
XXX
Homecoming's hype passed at an alarming rate. The school had been racked by a flurry of breakups, first times, and rumors of cheating for a grand total of about two weeks before it faded to the background.
To Nina's slight surprise, Soleil and Ophelia were lasting. Now, that surprise wasn't a slight against Soleil's character - Nina trusted her very much - but she had a reputation for short relationships. A week passed into a month and there was no sign of that famous wandering eye.
There was a time that she thought the wandering eye was totally gone. And that was at hockey practice one early December afternoon.
Ice hockey wasn't really a major-league sport at most schools around the nation - in most districts, basketball, or a form of soccer or American football overtook it in importance. But Rexcalibur high was in the northern part of the country. The higher north you went, the more serious you were about hockey.
Of course, at major sports, there were cheerleaders. Even when astroturf was ice and balls were pucks.
That begged a little explanation. The huge red and gray-emblazoned hockey stadium of the school was big enough to sit a thousand, all elevated above the action. There were two big platforms across from one another. One was for a referee or announcer, who kept non-sporty fans posted. The other was larger and covered with red astroturf. That was where the cheerleaders were.
Soleil would show off, do as well as she always did - maybe score a goal from a yard or two further back. Then she'd skate close enough to the platform to catch a glimpse up their skirts… And other times, after a particularly good practice, Soleil would take one of them on her back and do a victory skate around the rink.
It'd been so embarrassing to watch that Nina kept a hand over her eyes at all times, trying to focus on something, anything else. Even when Ophelia was there she'd been a scalawag.
Now, though?
"You smell so nice today, Ms. Captain," said one the cheerleaders, hand running across her arm. "And you're just as strong as ever…"
Soleil grinned, slight blush on her cheeks. "Thanks! Having cute girls like you and my lovely, chosen girlfriend around always helps me be at my best." She shot a glance to Ophelia, who was sitting beside Nina. Ophelia blew a kiss at her and then returned to reading her book.
"You have one? I'm sorry, I thought I heard you were single."
"I do! She's the greatest, most beautiful, most wonderful girl ever. But thanks for the compliments!"
Now practice was just annoying. Nina growled. 'Shallow bitch. She didn't give a care when she was single.'
"Are you sure you have no weekend plans? Because me and some girlfriends are going to a bowling club this Saturday night, and we'd really like someone strong like you there…"
Nina stormed over on the outer edge of the rink, eyes blazing. "Leave her alone. Or didn't you get the memo that she's taken?"
An ugly glare came at her. "What's it to you, weirdo? Why do you give a care?"
"Hey! Don't call me best friend a weirdo!"
Nina crossed her arms. "You can step away from 'Ms. Captain' right now, or you might find your reputation ruined tomorrow. I have your dirt. I have the pictures."
Cheerleader-girl's eyes narrowed. "Fine. You can have her. I have better things to do."
Then she snootily left. Nina kept glaring daggers at her even when Soleil said, "Gee, Nines, that was scary! You didn't have to bust out that scary stalker knowledge on her over that."
"Like heck I'm gonna let her tempt you," Nina retorted darkly. "I can't stand people like that. Absolutely shallow! She wouldn't have given you a second glance if you weren't already seeing someone."
"It's not illegal to look. And I'm so cute that she couldn't be able to help it, sooooo…"
"...You're kidding, right?"
"It's true. Besides, I wasn't-"
A shrill whistle blew somewhere behind them. Coach Keaton called, "Positions!"
Soleil turned back to her with a grin. "Thanks for trying to keep me in line, Nines - I appreciate it lots! Stay on my case, and with both of us trying and there's no way I'll fail. Just keep up the good work."
Then Soleil skated away.
XXX
Time seemed to go at a quick rate as the winter holidays came upon them.
Had time ever gone so fast in middle school? It felt as if it was rushing past, an unstoppable river. Back then, the years had felt so fast compared to those of elementary school, of juice boxes and recess time. Back then, the time before the holidays seemed to be special and exciting, wrought with coloring pages, cutting paper fir trees, or even Santa-decorated sheets of times tables.
Now it was a time of holiday gossip, the first play of the year, the first big hockey game of the season in the final week, and midterms.
'Not to mention, it's fanfic season. Huddling for warmth, mistletoe, sharing winter sweaters… heheheh, so many juicy situations to write.'
Nina's fingers were deft over fabric as she organized accessories. The backroom of the theatre wing had a ton of stuff, hanging from shelves like bats in a cave; the whole place had the unsettlng feeling of claustrophobia all over it. Each accessory was dirty and probably hadn't been washed for years.
The sound of a sewing machine buzzed in the background. Her fellow first year and a theatre friend Forrest Nohr threaded ornate pink fabric through it, focusing intently on the stitching. Just looking at the boy brought about waves of inspiration. 'Boys making passes at him, believing him to be a girl… falling in love what was on the inside… scrumptious.'
"Hey, where do the pig noses go?" Nina asked him, having found three of them knotted together.
Without even a glance from his work, Forrest replied, "I'd put them with the animal parts. The actors will find them tonight for the farm scene."
Nina did as she was told and threw them into the large, clear container filled with furs and fangs, not even bothering to untangle them.
The play would be a rendition of Alice in Wonderland, with a modern twist. The wonderland would be New York city, where Ophelia would star as a girl from the countryside in a brand new land, guided along by family friend and love interest, who would be played by Shigure Hoshido. The opening night was the next day, and that night was the final one of full rehearsal, four hours of being in full costume for actors.
'Four hours and midterms next week… Geez.'
Just then, the door flew open. Ophelia was there, wearing a simple, yet puffy blue and white dress. "Come! It's nearly stage time!"
Nina ditched a cape in the appropriate pile and went to her side. "Good luck fixing that," she remarked to Forrest before following after Ophelia. Her steps were a lot less bouncy than usual. "You okay, Oph?"
"The chosen star is never phased," Ophelia replied. "But I do have a few problems."
"I'll take care of them. Name the problem people."
"It's nothing like that, not even people!" Ophelia looked briefly panicked. Nina had been told before that she could get a bloodthirsty look in her eye when she got fired up.
She muted her expression and Ophelia continued, "I don't have enough time for anything. After tonight, I'll still have to study for my Biology exam, my very worst subject. I haven't read a book in days. I haven't even eaten since this morning."
Nina frowned. "You didn't eat lunch?"
"I wanted to get more studying in with the Science Guru," Ophelia murmured.
They brushed past a set of sophomores who were pushing a staircase onto the stage. Now they were on the black-topped stage that overlooked the auditorium. "Are you for real? That sounds awful. I'm sorry."
"I'll be fine despite feeling fizzle and flop. As Soleil would say, I should keep my chin up and a smile on my fair face."
"You do that. Just forty-five minutes until break, and then I'll find you something to eat." 'Even if the vending machine's out, it'll just take a quick lunch box raid. Some of these kids are rich.' Nina flashed two thumbs-up, "You can do this."
Then she jumped off the stage and walked up the ramps and steps of the auditorium aisle to reach the sound and lights room at the very top. She took a few moments to get things in order for the first scene of the play (with dim lights and a spotlight over three people, it'd be a bit complex).
'Poor girl. She's hardly even been herself lately. Hasn't seen anyone who isn't in theatre in almost a week, I'd wager.'
'It's putting a serious drain on her, and it's not even close to over. After tonight, there are three performances, and perfection is the rule.'
While his back was turned, Nina grabbed a bag of chips from his lunch box, and hid it under the table.
Nina hadn't promised she'd get them legally, after all.
XXX
"Hey, Ophelia? Close your eyes and open wide."
Somewhere, deep down, there was an ember of a hope that the status quo would return. The days of adjusting ruffled scarves, having little homework, and knowing everybody's name.
Ophelia's cheeks lit up a bit as she did as Soleil instructed. Soleil gathered some yogurt on the tip of the spoon and slowly put it into her mouth.
'Though, if my previous experiences were any indication, they lost their buttons back then. Was there ever a status quo after all if this was happening this whole entire time and I just didn't notice?'
Ophelia swallowed and opened her eyes once more. "That was delectable, like a supernova of raspberry flavor in my mouth!"
Soleil grinned affectionately, meeting her gaze directly. "I don't even know what that means, but you are it."
'Why is it I think about this while just hanging out with my friends? This'd make a great fanfic but now it's just weird!' Nina interrupted the cheesiness with, "'Delectable' means delicious. But when talking about a person it means attractive and likable."
"Thanks, Nina! See? You're both, so I'm two hundred percent accurate. You're so cute."
Ophelia smiled back, blushing. "As are you, chosen partner." Then she yawned.
"You look tired," Nina remarked. 'Compensating for lost time with their sappiness, it seems.'
Soleil gave a nod, giving Ophelia a concerned look. "We're all tired. Oph and I're gonna skip sixth hour together to take a nap."
"That's not a bad idea, and I can spoof the attendance for you," Nina commented. Then she double took. "Wait a sec, you, Soleil? You never skip."
Soleil grinned ruefully. "I don't like it, but Oph can't get canned for not paying attention again in math. If she sleeps on the job she might get detention, which would mean an earful from the theatre peeps."
"You realize that if you get caught you could be suspended from the team, right? I love shirking society through minor disobedience, but there's a reason I'm on no team."
"Oh, that's the one thing I'm sure of. You can tell us where to go to avoid being caught."
"...Fine. Go to the media center. If you go to one of the back couches, the librarian won't care. Stick to the green one in the very back, and security cameras won't even see ya."
Soleil grinned. "Got it! Thanks."
"You never asked my consent for this," Ophelia replied, a hint of a whine in her voice.
"You need it, my Dusk, trust me. 'Sides, it's math." Then Soleil leaned in and kissed her forehead.
'She's talking the talk, but she's never skipped class before. Like, ever.' Nina looked pointedly away as Ophelia softly replied, a blush on her face. 'It's reassuring she's willing to do it to make this relationship work.'
"It'll be fine. Now, close your eyes and open wide. The raspberry train's back."
Nina's stomach squirmed when she left them to their own devices, heading to sixth hour at the end of lunch. Soleil's willingness to do anything for Ophelia, with the honeymoon phase of their relationship seeming to stretch for so long, pointed to at least one fear of Nina's quelled: that Soleil's free heart would cheat.
When Nina came to check on them again after sixth hour, she did so from behind a bookshelf at first. Soleil was sleepily playing with a bit of Ophelia's hair, gazing at her lovingly. Ophelia herself was asleep, her head in Soleil's lap.
Her heart throbbed. 'Damn it. I really am lonely.'
'The thing is, things are too simple, too happy. The happier they are, the harder they'll fall. If they don't argue early on, it's gonna be harder when they do.'
Nina grimaced, but forced herself to smile again as she turned the corner to the other side of the shelf. Soleil didn't look up until she cleared her throat; when she noticed Nina, she regarded her with a smile and a casual wave. "Is class already over?"
"Sixth is. As far as attendance records read, you were there for every second."
"You have outdone yourself, Nines. You have everyone here so under control that it's scary."
Nina smirked. "Someone in this group has to know the system. Are you guys going to seventh hour? Oph and I aren't going to be doing much in theatre. Being showtime tonight and all."
Soleil looked down at Ophelia's sleeping form. "If she won't miss anything, I'd love it more than all the bunny blankets in the whole wide world."
She sounded so genuine that even Nina couldn't find it in her to snark. "Then I'll tell your teacher. You two have a good time resting, okay?"
Nina made to get out, but then Soleil exclaimed, "Wait a second!" Nina turned with widened eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
Soleil opened and then closed her mouth for a second, then she said, "I dunno. You've been working real hard lately, too. Gathering information to work the system, updating your fics, studying, theatre. Aren't you tired?"
Nina stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I can deal."
"Okay. That's a bit of a shame. This couch has space for three, y'know."
"Maaaan. I thought the day you'd encourage me to skip would be the one pigs flew."
Soleil giggled. "Well, why don'cha consider it? I miss you too, Nina."
'That'd be nice. Really nice.' Nina grinned, about to consent, but then she noticed Ophelia. "No thanks. We can't really do much with her here sleeping, right? Three's a crowd."
Soleil blinked, then chuckled. "Sorry. If you don't want to spend time with me right now, just tell me this. Do you want to talk about anything at all? Are you sure you're okay?"
'There's plenty we could talk about. Ophelia, extracurriculars, just as friends.' She thought of the squirming sensation in her stomach whenever she saw them being romantic. The loneliness in her heart.
Nina hesitated for a long time. Then she said, "What a stupid question."
"Huh?"
"I'm fine. As I said, I can deal. Don't worry about me."
Soleil looked very worried, though. Her smile was gone. "Nina…"
Nina softened. "Sorry. I'm a bit loopy and tired, is all. I'll nap when I get home. I have to get to class. Oph might not be doing much, but the tech team has a load to do."
"Dohhh, come on. We don't have to talk if you don't want to. You're my friend, too. And I can take a period absence, trust me."
Nina searched her face. Genuine concern, of course. The girl couldn't fake it if she wanted to. Those puppy-dog eyes were a bit hard to resist, though. Nina sighed. "Fine. Whatever. Only because I'm tired."
Then she settled herself on the couch, putting a good bit of distance between her and Soleil… or, more specifically, between herself and the happy couple. The happy couple who was too happy to last, or so Nina thought.
Soleil side-eyed her for a moment, as if baffled at the distance, but soon just sighed and leaned her head back.
Nina grimaced and ignored her, trying her best to drift into a dreamland of her own.
'Even if Soleil's would be faithful, It's gonna happen. They'll argue, and it'll be big. Maybe they'll get past it, or maybe not, but no matter what, it's my job to pick up the pieces.'
The closest Nina got to sleeping was a doze, enough to refresh but not relax.
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