#the portrait artwork is also so good

[chibigaia-art]

ok i'm fine (<lying) SHE'S SO PRETTY I LOVE HER INTRO ANIMATION SO MUCH WSSSSDFDDFS

[lunaetis]

i am the bone of my bat.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.3k

Warnings: none

Summary: You’re plagued by the kid who lives in your neighborhood, the kid you know has a crush on you. You left town, you lived your life without him, and now you’re staring at him face to face after years. Something about him has changed and now you can’t help but want him back.

Square Filled: art student au for @spencerreidbingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

Then

As soon as the last bell at school rings, you race off campus to start the walk home. It’s not a far walk but you enjoy the silence you get from it. Your house is filled with little brothers and sisters and it’s hard to get a moment of peace. Your parents do the best they can but you know it’s hard for them. You’re the oldest so you’re expected to help out which is why you also enjoy your time alone.

You walk around the corner and notice the sixth house down from yours with the garage open. You’re not sure how you feel but something washes over you knowing what’s going to come next. Maybe it’s annoyance or irritation or indifference but the same thing happens every single time you walk home from school.

The only kid that lives there, Spencer Reid, loves to come out and walk with you the rest of the way to your house. He’s a nice kid but that’s all he is--a kid. He’s two years older than you are but you’re much taller than he is. If he is going to get a growth spurt, he’s getting it late in life or maybe his family are just short people. He’s not enrolled in your school because he’s mega smart and needs higher education to stimulate his brain.

You slip past his house in hopes you can enjoy the rest of your walk in silence but you hear the garage door slam shut and footsteps padding down the driveway.

“Hey, Y/N! Almost missed you.”

“Hi, Spencer,” you shake your head.

“How was your day?”

“It was fine. It’s just school.”

“Today was my first day of college and it was exhilarating. I have to admit, I wish you were there. Or I wish I was enrolled in your high school like all the other normal kids. At least we’d be together.”

You knew he had a crush on you after the first conversation you ever had with him. He called you pretty and vowed he’d walk with you to protect you against predators. It was cute at first but not you’re interested in someone like him. Like you said, he’s nice and has the potential of being a good boyfriend but he’s short and you don’t go for short boys.

“Sure, Spencer.”

“Listen, my mom gave me some money and I wanted to see this new French film that’s playing across town. Do you think you’d want to maybe go with me?”

Never has he ever had the balls to ask you out. Now that he has, you need to put a stop to this. He’ll get over the crush and you won’t be humiliated every time you go out in public. Does that make you selfish? Maybe. Does that make you a douche? Definitely. You stop outside of your house and look down at Spencer who has a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Spencer, listen, you’re a nice kid but it’s never going to happen between us.” Spencer’s face falls but he doesn’t say anything. “Grow over six feet and then we’ll talk, okay?”

You meant that as a joke but you don’t stick around to see if he laughs. That’s the last time you ever saw Spencer Reid.

Now

Today is the day. You’re given the opportunity to feature your art in one of the most successful art galleries in the country. You studied at Princeton and got a degree in fine arts before interning for known artist Benjamin Hale. He’s so successful that he has hundreds of galleries across America with dozens more across the world. He was impressed with your portfolio and offered to let you study underneath him while creating your artwork in private.

He offered you a chance to showcase your work in one of his new galleries. According to him, he needs new blood in this gallery and you’re the perfect fit for it. Your speciality is portraits, realism, and photorealism. Your favorite things to draw are people but there is something about being in nature and drawing what God put on this Earth. You have an eye for making your paintings look real and raw, and you’re able to capture people’s emotions henceforth the realism part of your art.

You only have about a dozen works put up in your small corner of the gallery but you’re proud of it all. You might not sell anything tonight and that’s okay. When you got the word out that the gallery was going to open, people agreed to come once they saw free food and wine was going to be handed out. Still, you appreciate everyone coming.

The place is packed mostly for Benjamin’s work but you see some people enjoying your work. You’re in the back room getting more wine for the servers when one of them joins you.

“Hey, Y/N.”

“Oh, hey, Lori. I’ve just gotten the box of wine for you guys.”

“I just came back here to tell you that someone just bought all of your things.” You’re so shocked that you spring up but hit your head on the corner of a shelf. You yelp in pain and rub the sore area before backing out of the dusty corner. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. What did you just say?”

“Someone bought all of your work.”

You don’t wait to hear what else she has to say. You’re already out the door and rushing into the main room. You look to your section but don’t see anyone lingering around. You’re not paying attention to where you’re walking when you almost run into someone. The man grabs your shoulders to prevent you from falling and lets out a chuckle.

“Are you okay?”

Wait you know that voice. You look up at the man towering over six feet tall. Damn, he grew up.

“Spencer?”

“So, you do remember me.”

He lets go of your shoulders and allows you to take a step back from him. Damn, not only did he grow but he grew more handsome since the last time you saw him. Well, he was fifteen the last time you saw him but still.

“How could I forget the little boy who followed me for two years?”

“Yeah, I kind of had a crush on you,” he chuckles.

Oh, he even has a beautiful smile. Damn, I really was a dick to him back then. You try to ignore the pang of sadness at his use of “had” and not “have”.

“I know you did. I’m sorry, but I need to go.”

“Looking for someone?” he asks before you have a chance to leave his side.

“Yeah, someone bought everything I have out.”

“It was me.”

You pause and turn to look at him. He has a slight smirk on his face, and something in your head clicks into place. You look at him up and down and notice how he’s trying hard not to be overly confident in his decision.

“So, what, you got older and taller and now you think you’re hot shit?”

Spencer shrugs and shoves his hands into his pockets.

“You’re the one looking up, not me.” Your jaw drops several inches at his remark. “So, can we talk now?”

“Excuse me?”

“You told me to grow over six feet and we’ll talk. Well, I’m over six feet now. Will you let me take you out?”

You have no clue what to say to that because your mind is reeling from the last thing he said. Someone calls his name and you both see a black man, two blondes, and a brunette waving him over. They point to their watches which means he is either late or they have to go. He digs in his pocket and produces a business card. Only it’s not a business card. He’s in the fucking FBI.

“How about this?” He hands the card to you. “Call me when I can pick this stuff up and maybe we’ll talk then.”

He leaves your side and joins his friend group without another look at you. Is it shallow to want him now? Maybe. Are you going to try like hell to make up for lost time? Definitely.

x

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[strwberri-milk]

Could I request Diluc with a s/o who is always afraid of sharing her art because she thinks it's not good enough, even though she can paint a beautiful portrait of Diluc and his father as a prince and king? She even made beautiful artwork of everyone else.

Diluc knows you like to paint because he sees evidence of it everywhere in the manor. Your palate waiting to be washed in the sink, your brushes forgotten on your desk, the sketchbook he got you laying between the sheets of your shared bed. You remind him not to look and he doesn't really mind, respecting your privacy and knowing that if he looked anyway you'd never trust him again.

So he waits. And one day he overhears that you've decided to work on a new piece, a massive one. He's proud of you for taking such a step, wanting to come and see what the piece is but also knowing that since he hasn't been given permission explicitly he shouldn't try and intrude.

Weeks go by and he almost forgets about it. Almost. You ask him to come with you one evening after dinner, shyly taking him to the painting you've been working on. He's absolutely enamored by the image you depict of him and his father, taking so long to admire it you worry that he actually hates it. It takes him another moment to turn back to you, telling you how much he loves it.

Honestly, even if it were just two stick figures shoddily drawn in sand he'd still love it because you made it but this way of honouring his Father's memory has his heart singing. He'll hang it in the manor with your permission of course, more than happy to constantly sing your praises when people ask about it.

[sirfrogsworth]

Meeting my longtime artist and good friend, Chris, IN REAL LIFE!

So, I hadn't been to a restaurant in over a decade. I can't even remember which restaurant since it was so long ago. But in the past few weeks I've now been to TWO restaurants.

I am becoming a social butterfly. 

And it is exhausting.

But also good.

First I reconnected with my high school best friend, John.

And that went great.

But then the opportunity to see my friend Chris (a.k.a @whosthewhatnow ) came up only a few days later. And this close proximity of social events scared me a bit, but I have been feeling much better since they figured out my heart thing, so I decided to try and do both things even though they were only a few days apart. 

The key to this was strategic resting. As soon as I got home from seeing John, I got in bed and I didn't get out of it until it was time to see Chris. And that was just enough recovery time to pull this off. Typically a short outing requires 2-3 days of rest after. 

I had never met Chris in real life. He has done nearly all of the artwork for my website and comics over the past decade. And he was a main character in my CRAPPRnauts series.

We know each other so well and it is crazy that we've never seen each other with our very own eyeballs.

He is such an amazing artist. He works fast and he adds so many cool extra details that you can stare at his comic panels multiple times and catch a new joke or easter egg each time. He is a dream to work with and my Corg Life series was only successful because he did such a wonderful job bringing Otis to life in comic form. 

So we decided to meet up at a restaurant with his friend Michael and then I was going to take a nice portrait of him after dinner. Chris had never had a professional photo taken of himself and I decided to fix that.

I told him I had a mobile photography setup. Which, in reality, is a trunk full of lights and stands and other various camera gear that I definitely won't need, but bring anyway. It's "mobile" in that it all fits in my car if you are good at Tetris (which I am).

The restaurant was downtown and I had visions of St. Louis's famous Gateway Arch in the background of Chris's portrait. I thought that would be such a cool shot. I could see it in my head and I even dreamed about it.

So I got in my car and headed downtown and my GPS told me to exit at 249B. But I kept looking and I couldn't see the sign for 249B.

This is how much road I had left when I finally was able to see the exit for 249B.

So I ended up taking 249A and going straight to East St. Louis.

Which, if you believe the headlines, is not a place you ever want to be.

Google Maps and I have been having issues lately. They also tried to get me to take the spooky way home that night, but thankfully I actually knew the non-spooky way back from when I used to go to Cardinal games with my parents as a kid.

My short term memory was trashed by shock therapy. And so was a lot of my long term memory. But it finally came through in a pinch and remembered something useful.

I only had to loop around and cross a bridge so I didn't really do anything but touch the edge of East St. Louis. I was mostly concerned about being late for dinner more than its scary reputation. Usually those news stories about a place being "dangerous" are actually just racist and hurtful to people stuck in poverty. I mean, technically my house is in a "dangerous" neighborhood, and we do have trouble with petty crime in some spots, but aside from a few dinged-up mailboxes, I've never felt unsafe in my home.

On the way back to regular St. Louis I could see the Arch on the horizon at sunset and it was kind of magical. And I wasn't able to get a good shot of it, but it sure looked pretty from my point of view. 

My photos kind of remind me of the beginning of movies like Training Day where they are trying to show you gritty, dutch angle shots of the city out of the car window to give you a sense of the location.

As I approached the restaurant I invented a new genre I call "stoplight photography." The sky was orange and the streets of St. Louis were just asking to be photographed. But I wasn't willing to die to get neat photos, so I just took them at every red light.

The big trick was trying to edit the dark area at the top of my windshield out of the photos to make it look like I didn't take these pictures from my car.

After a 15 minute detour through Illinois I arrived at my destination—a Mexican place called Rosalita's. It had a beautiful sign, so I took that literal sign as a metaphorical sign it was a nice place to get a quesadilla. 

Dinner was great. Both signs were right and their quesadilla was very tasty. Chris and I both got one, so we are quesadilla twins. The waitress was one of those "I can remember your order without writing anything down" types. And I am one of those, "I get anxiety when things aren't written down" types. And, to her credit, she did not forget our orders. But she did forget to give us silverware and napkins. So I still feel like my anxiety was valid. 

We told sad stories of the pups we lost. But we also had a lot of fun and laughed and I got to meet Michael who turned out to be an absolute mensch. I sometimes have trouble meeting new people with my social anxiety, but he was very affable and made me feel comfortable with his presence almost right away. He was a fan of Otis and mentioned he still has a Super Otis shirt. I always get choked up hearing that Otis is still loved. Hopefully we get to meet again. 

Dinner ended and it was picture time.

I asked Chris if he wanted the high effort photo or the low effort photo. Either we figure out how to get to the Arch or we find a spot near the restaurant and just take his portrait there. Chris and Michael had a driver because they were coming from a big conference and getting to the Arch would have been complicated. So we decided to go with the low effort option. 

I found a cool shop nearby that had an LED wall that changed to all sorts of different colors. And I thought that would make a neat background and give a colorful edge light on Chris's face. I pulled my car near that spot and started unloading my trunk full of photo gear.

I think Chris and Michael were a little overwhelmed when I started pulling camera gear out of my trunk like a clown pulling an endless handkerchief out of his mouth. But as far as photo setups go, it was actually pretty minimal. 

Light, giant battery, light stand, umbrella, tripod, camera, rolling walker with seat.

My dad's old rollator came in clutch because I wanted to shoot from a low angle and it is hard for me to bend down. In fact, I think I'm going to look into getting an all terrain version so I can do more outdoor photoshoots.

I started shooting in the middle of a downtown sidewalk. And I was super anxious. I could not focus (my brain, not my camera). I was very distracted with all of the people walking by and staring. I was not sure if any of the photos were turning out. I wasn't even sure if they were in focus (my camera, not my brain) because I had not yet had my lens calibrated. But down the street there was a guy with an old school boombox playing random music. His music helped to drown out the ambient noise and gave me some comfort.

I had no clue if the photos were any good, but when I got home and checked them on my computer, I realized I have 12 years of experience and muscle memory built up. I probably should have just trusted myself because the photos all turned out great.

I think Chris can now officially say he has had a professional portrait taken of himself.

This photo has been officially loved by Chris's girlfriend and mother.

There is no greater seal of approval and I am honored.

I was able to comp in any of the colors the wall displayed from other shots in case Chris is feeling a little more green in the future.

A literal rainbow of options.

I also liked this one, though it is a little more "environmental portrait" than regular portrait.

And I got some nice photos of our little group to help us remember the night. 

And I got a bunch of photos of Chris making silly faces like Calvin at his school photoshoot. 

I love this woman's reaction to our little impromptu sidewalk photo shenanigans.

After we said our goodbyes and I gave my friend a hug, I was a little bummed I didn't get to photograph him at the Arch like I had dreamed.

But then I realized I had my own car and it was capable of taking me places. (I actually haven't gotten used to that after not driving for nearly 15 years.)

So I decided to drive a few blocks over to Kiener Plaza—a park with a view of the Arch. 

TO BE CONTINUED...

[artsy-iru]

The Vow - Page 7-10

Ok lets do this! The comic will bis also uploaded on Flowfo :)! (https://flowfo.me/artwork/Sabu/The-Vow-BG3-Fancomic)

I slightly altered the House of Hope Harleep Idea, so it fits the story more!

I will do my best to portrait the characters as good as possible. Hope you like it :)! Also i try to do frequent uploads. Thank you so much for your support!

[aerostaticsurrender]

Jean’s Square Halo

The most popular (for good reason) read of Kim’s portraits center around the very obvious white halo behind him. (The “halo” of light is even referred to as such in the sunrise parabellum scene.)

HOWEVER. Jean’s portait includes a halo as well. Square halo’s are a thing and have a very specific meaning. I did a bit of research into the associations of the square halo. It turns out that the square halo was used in paintings to mark certain living holy men contemporary to the time of the paintings creation. Often these men were donors, patrons, or commissioners of the artworks that depicted them. It was certainly a symbol of respect. So, if the square halo marks a holy man and is a sign of respect, what differentiates it from the circular hallo?

In Christian art, the circle (and therefore the hallo) represents eternity, wholeness, and divinity. This state of eternal wholeness however can only be reached after death—this is why the canonization of a saint can only occur after death. (I could—and probably eventually will—go on about what this means for Harry’s view of Kim, but now is not the time for that.) what matters is the circular halo represents the second, everlasting, new life.

Now, the square. The square (with its four corners) traditionally represents the earth (and its cardinal directions). Squares are also connected to ideas of stability. More than that, the square in Christian art represents the living, here-and-now earth.

It represents the ‘first’ life; this world.

TRUE LOVE IS POSSIBLE
ONLY IN THE NEXT WORLD—FOR NEW PEOPLE

IT IS TOO LATE FOR US

[morgana-larkin]

Hiiiiii ! You are one of my fav fanfic authors 🥳 I wanted to kindly request a lil angstyyyy request plzzz maybe with a lil comfort (if you want 😗🤣) ! Where reader and Melissa were secretly together @ school but Mel wasn’t fully out to her family … so she settles for Joe and then regrets it later on. Years pass by and reader is visiting town, is an artist and has a art exhibition that the Abbot staff visit for fun 👀 and one portrait is almost identical to something special Melissa has and Melissa feels so connected to the artwork not realising she’s the inspo ! and then reader approaches her or idk something dramatic 🫣🫣🫣 !!! Onlyyyyy if ya wanna 🥳💕 TY

Hi Anon! I really liked this prompt and had fun imagining a little 18 year old Melissa in love. Also I’m so happy you like my fics! Not edited in the slightest and I hope you like it!

On another note: I’ve been starting Regina Mills x reader fics so if you like her from Once Upon A Time then feel free to check them out!

“Best Friends”

Warnings: homophobia

Words: 4.6k

“Hey! Give that back!” You tell the boys who just took your artwork.

“And why would we do that you homo.” They tease and you look down before looking back at them. “Maybe I’ll hand it off as my own, or maybe I’ll just rip it.” The leader says and the other boys laugh. He goes to rip it but then you feel someone pull you back and walk in front of you.

“Give it back Eric.” You hear Melissa say and they look at her.

“Oh look, the homo’s protector.” Eric says to her.

“I said give it back to her or my mom knows a guy that can make your life a living hell.” She says to him and he gives it back to her and walks away. Melissa walks up to you and gives you the artwork back. “It’s very good.” She tells you with a smile and you hug her.

“Thank you.” You tell her and she hugs you back.

“Of course Amore.” She says and secretly kisses your head. “I’ll always protect you.” She says. “Come on, we gotta get to class where you can turn in your beautiful art.” She says and you both walk to class.

After school she drives you to the park and you both stay in her car and you look at her.

“I don’t get why we have to do this in secret, I’m sure your family will still support and love you.” You tell her and she shakes her head.

“They won’t, this is Philly and we’re Italian.” She tells you. “But you know I love you.” She says and you smile before you lean forward and kiss her.

“I know, I just wish we didn’t have to hide.” You say and she moves some hair out of your face.

“I know, but this is how it has to be if you want to be with me.” She says softly and you rest your head on her chest.

“I understand, and I don’t want to let you go.” You tell her and she smiles before kissing your head and puts an arm around you.

“Do you want to come over to my house for dinner?” She asks and you nod.

“You know I’m surprised no one in your family has figured it out with how many times I’ve come over.” You tell her as she drives you both to her house.

You get to her place and you see a few of her siblings running around and a couple others doing homework while the rest aren’t home.

“Oh Melissa, I wanted to let you know that Joe is joining us for dinner tonight.” Teresa tells her daughter and Melissa looks at her.

“Why is he coming over?” Melissa asks.

“He likes you, honey. And I think you two would make a good match. Y/n, you know Melissa the best and you know Joe, don’t you think her and Joe would be good together?” Her mom asks you and you freeze.

“I guess they do have some things in common.” You tell her and Teresa smiles.

“I was going to spend the evening with Y/n tonight though.” Melissa tells her mom.

“You always spend the evening with Y/n, and I’m sure Y/n will understand if you two can’t spend one evening together.” Teresa says and they both look at you.

“Of course, I can leave now.” You tell them.

“Nonsense, we’ll feed you first and then Melissa can drive you home after.” Teresa tells you and you nod.

Melissa brings you upstairs to the room that she shares with Kristen Marie and you both sit on her bed.

“Your mom is trying to set you up with a man.” You tell her and she nods.

“I didn’t know she was going to do this.” She tells you and holds your hand.

“I know Mel, are you interested in him?” You ask her and she shakes her head.

“Maybe I would be if I wasn’t with you.” She says and you look at her. “But I honestly don’t care about anyone else as I already have someone.” She adds and you smile at her. “When I move out for college then we can be out together.” She tells you. “Just have to finish this year.” She tells you and you nod before you kiss each other.

At dinner, there’s tension in the room as Joe keeps trying to hit on Melissa and she’s not picking up on any hints and you’re just quietly watching and listening.

“Melissa, honey, Joe wants to be a firefighter.” Teresa tells Melissa and that gets her attention.

“Really?” Melissa asks him and he nods. “That’s cool, I want to be one as well but they said no as I’m a woman.” Melissa tells him.

“What do you want to be when you grow up then?” He asks her.

“A teacher.” She states proudly.

“I think you’d be a great teacher, you’re amazing with your siblings and you always protect people you care about, like Y/n.” He tells her and she smiles. That seems to start a conversation between them and you have to watch as Melissa gets to know Joe and Joe gets some confidence as he finally has her attention.

After dinner you help her mom with the dishes while Melissa and Joe are talking on the couch.

“Hey, I’m going to just walk home, I don’t want to interrupt those 2 in there.” You tell her mom.

“Are you sure? I’m certain Melissa won’t mind, to ensure you get home safely.” She tells you.

“I’m sure, tell Melissa I’ll see her tomorrow morning.” You tell her and she nods before you sneak out of the house.

After a few minutes, Melissa gets up and looks around for you.

“Has someone seen Y/n? I’m gonna drive her home quickly.” Melissa asks everyone.

“Oh she already left honey. She didn’t want to interrupt your time with Joe. She said she’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Teresa tells her daughter.

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?” Melissa asks her mother.

“I didn’t want to interrupt.” Her mother tells her.

“Sorry Joe but I have to go make sure she gets home safely.” Melissa says and then leaves. She gets in her car and then drives the way she knows you take to get home and she sees you a few minutes later and she pulls up beside you and gets out. “What the hell Y/n!” She asks you and you look at her.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be flirting with Mr firefighter?” You ask her and she rolls her eyes.

“And that’s about as far as my interest for him goes.” She tells you. “I don’t like him romantically and you know that.” She tells you.

“It didn’t look like that to me.” You tell her and go to walk away but she grabs your arm.

“Can I drive you home and we can talk about it on the way?” She asks you and you sigh before getting in the car.

For the next couple of weeks you watch as Melissa and Joe get closer and closer and it hurts you everyday.

There’s 4 months left until graduation and then Melissa has promised that you can be together openly when she’s out of the house. You just don’t know how you’ll survive the next 4 months. After another two weeks you’ve had enough and you have a talk with Melissa.

“Melissa, we need to talk after school.” You tell her as she’s talking with Joe.

“Of course Y/n, do you want me to drive us to your place after school?” She asks and you nod before you walk away. She watches you walk away and then she turns back to Joe.

After school you’re waiting at her car and you watch her say goodbye to Joe before walking up to you.

“Hey Amore.” She tells you with a smile and unlocks the car and you get in. She drives you back to your place and she keeps glancing at you as you’re quiet the entire way there. She parks in the driveway and then you both get out and enter your house, both knowing your parents won’t be back for another 2 hours. “What did you want to talk about?” She asks you and you both sit on the couch.

“About us.” You tell her and she looks at you.

“We’ve already talked about this though. We stay secret until we both move out for college.” She says and you take a breath.

“I don’t think I can wait that long, especially when I have to look at you and Joe flirt everyday.” You tell her.

“I’m only talking with him to get my parents off my back about dating a man. But him and I are only talking.” She tells you.

��And what happens when he gathers the courage to ask you out on a date?” You ask her and she looks down before looking into your eyes. “He’s already asked you out and you said yes.” You say with hurt lacing your voice and she nods.

“Y/n, I had to.” She tells you and she goes to hold your hand but you push her away.

“Melissa, you can’t have both.” You say as you get up. “I’m sorry but you have to choose.” You tell her and she looks at you. “It’s either me or Joe.” You add and take a breath. “I want to be able to hold my girlfriend’s hand at school or to kiss you while saying goodbye to you as we both go to a different class.” You say.

“Y/n, I can’t come out to my family, it’s just not possible.” She says and you look at her.

“So you’re choosing Joe and your family then?” You ask her and she nods as a tear rolls down her cheek. “Get out.” You tell her and she looks at you.

“Y/n, please just think about this.” She says as she stands up.

“I have thought about it, I’ve had enough time to think about it for the past month, Melissa!” You yell at her and a few more tears roll down her cheeks.

“Please, I don’t want to let you go.” She says and goes to hold your hands but you slap them away.

“I’m sorry, Melissa, but it’s over.” You tell her and she starts crying before she leaves. You run upstairs to your room and close the door before you break down in your bed.

On Monday, you walk to school instead of Melissa driving you and you go to your locker and see a photo of you and Melissa that you hung up on your locker. You stare at it for a few seconds before you take it down. Kristen Marie passes by as you do that and stops.

“Woah, what’s going on with you?” She asks and you look at her.

“Leave me be Kristen Marie, I can’t deal with any Schemmenti's right now.” You tell her.

“You know Melissa was quite upset this weekend and now you’re taking the photo of you two down? Did something happen?” She asks you and you slam your locker shut before looking at her.

“You don’t have to pretend to like me anymore.” You tell her. “Melissa and I aren’t friends anymore.” You snap and then walk away but she walks after you.

“But you two were so close, you were best friends.” She says to you and you turn around and look at her.

“I said leave me alone!” You yell at her before walking away. That got a bit of attention in the hallway and Melissa sees it and watches you walk away with a guilty look on her face.

“Jeez, what happened to you two?” Kristen Marie asks Melissa and Melissa sighs.

“It’s none of your business Kristen Marie.” Melissa says softly and then walks away.

You end up getting accepted to a few colleges and you pick the one that’s in New York. You end up hearing that Melissa and Joe are a couple a month later and you see them a few times from afar. You notice that it looks like Melissa isn’t fully into it as he is and you do feel sorry for her that she has to hide a part of herself due to fear. Melissa ends up hearing that you’re going to college in New York and she ends up having a breakdown upon hearing that. She looks for you after school that day and goes right up to you.

“You’re going to college in New York?” She asks you and you nod and walk away. “I thought we were both going to go to the same college together here in South Philly.” She says as she follows after you and she follows you all the way outside.

“Melissa, we broke up.” You say quietly. “All those plans ended the moment you chose Joe.” You tell her.

“I still love you, I still want a life with you.” She tells you.

“I’m sorry, but you have to let me go and start building a life with Joe instead.” You say and walk away as a couple tears escape both of your eyes.

School ends and you pack up for New York. You’re putting your luggages in your parent’s car when Melissa pulls up.

“What are you doing here?” You ask her as she gets out.

“I wanted to at least say goodbye to you before I’ll never see you again.” She tells you and you close the trunk before walking up to her.

“Most people don’t talk after they break up.” You tell her.

“We aren’t most people.” She says.

“True.” Is all you say.

“I think you’ll become an amazing artist in New York.” She tells you and you nod.

“And I know you’ll become an amazing teacher, you’re great with kids.” You tell her and she nods before she looks down shyly.

“If I knew that my family would accept me liking women then I would have chosen you without question.” She says.

“I know, and I hope you have a good life with Joe or whatever man you end up with.” You tell her and you grab her hand and give it a squeeze before looking into her eyes. “Goodbye Melissa.” You tell her and give her a hug and she immediately hugs you back.

“Goodbye Y/n.” She says and both pull back before you get in the car and your parents drive you to the airport.

*30 years later*

“So I thought we could all go to the art exhibit that is in town.” Janine says enthusiastically.

“Oh that sounds delightful.” Barb says and looks at Melissa. “What do you think, Melissa?” Barb asks her and Melissa shrugs.

“Sure.” She says and goes back to her phone.

On the weekend, the Abbott crew goes to the art exhibit and Melissa has no idea who the artist is. They all have a look at the paintings and a few of them reminds Melissa of you and she takes a deep breath before they continue. Then they look at one and Melissa stares at it while the others continue on. Without her noticing, you see Melissa there and you walk up to her.

“Hello Melissa, been awhile.” You say and she whips her head at you.

“Y/n?” She asks and you nod.

“Nice to see you came to see my art.” You tell her and her eyes widen.

“This is your exhibit?” She asks and you nod.

“I didn't know it was yours, my coworkers wanted to come and I tagged along.” She tells you.

“I see.” You tell her and look at the painting she was staring at. “This one seems to have caught your attention.” You tell her.

The painting has a shadow of a person on their knees and holding their head as the other shadows stare down at them and casts the person out.

“Ya.” She says and looks at it again.

“Maybe because you were the inspiration.” You tell her and she looks at you. “It’s about not feeling accepted by other people. Seem familiar?” You ask her and she sighs.

“It does, or at least it did.” She says and you look at her.

“Are you out to your family?” You ask her and she nods.

“Came out almost 15 years ago after I divorced Joe.” She tells you and you smile.

“I’m glad you finally got the courage.” You say.

“I wasn’t happy with him, I regretted it immediately.” She says. “After 15 years I finally had enough.” She tells you.

“So how have you been for the past 15 years then?” You ask her.

“Staying single, just focusing on teaching.” She tells you.

“You became a teacher?” You ask her and she nods.

“Second grade teacher at Abbott.” She tells you and you smile.

“Second grade, that fits you perfectly.” You tell her.

“Kristen Marie became a teacher as well, she teaches at Addington.” She tells you and you nod. “I never stopped thinking about you.” She says and you look at her.

“I never stopped thinking about you as well.” You tell her and she looks at you and you see the same look in her eyes that you saw when you broke up with her.

“How long are you in town? Maybe we can catch up.” She offers and you take a breath.

“I’m actually moving back to South Philly.” You say to her. “That’s why I’m hosting an exhibition here, getting my name out here over here.” She looks at you the entire time with disbelief.

“You’re moving back?” She asks and you nod. All of a sudden someone short comes up all excited.

“Oh my god! You’re the artist right?!?!” She asks and Melissa glares at her.

“Move along pipsqueak.” She tells her and you look at her.

“Melissa, she’s the artist.” She tells her.

“Is this one of your coworkers?” You ask her and she nods.

“Hi, I’m Janine.” She says and holds out a hand for you to shake and you shake her hand.

“I’m Y/n, Melissa and I used to go to school together.” You tell her and she looks at Melissa.

“We didn’t just go to school together though.” Melissa tells you with a blush and Janine looks between you both.

“You guys dated?” She asks and you nod. Just then an older woman seemed to hear that and pulls Janine away.

“Thanks Barb.” Melissa tells her and then turns back to you. “If you’re moving back then I’d still like to see you, catch up on what you’ve been doing for the past 30 years.”

“You’re looking at the past 30 years.” You tell her and point to the art exhibit.

“Not just your art.” She tells you.

“I’m not with anyone if that’s what you’re wondering.” You tell her and you see a brief smile before she goes back to her neutral face.

“Did you not find anyone?”

“I did but then we broke up as she was scared to come out.” You tell her and she gulps.

“I still feel so bad about what happened between us.” She says and you nod.

“I know, I can see it in your eyes.” You tell her.

“Oh my god, Y/n?” You hear and you see a blonde coming towards you and Melissa groans.

“Worst timing as always sis.” Melissa says.

“Kristen Marie?” You ask and she nods.

“You know sometimes I wondered what happened after you and Melissa stopped talking.” She says and Melissa glares at her.

“Can you wonder at another time?” Melissa says to her and Kristen Marie looks between you two.

“Oh come on Melissa, we all wanted to know what happened, even Ma.” Kristen Marie tells Melissa.

“Her and I broke up, that’s what happened.” Melissa tells her.

“I had a feeling you were together.” She says before leaving.

“I would like to get together with you and talk.” Melissa tells you and you smile.

“I would love to.” You tell her and take your phone out. “Here, give me your number.” You tell her and she takes your phone and puts her number in.

“When are you moving back?” She says as you send her a text.

“In a month.” You say and Melissa gets the text and adds your number to her phone. “Already got a place and everything.” You tell her.

“Well maybe for today you can give me a tour and explain all your art to me?” She asks and you smile and nod.

“I would love that, it kinda reminds me of when we were in school though and I would talk about all my artwork.” You tell her as you walk another art piece. “Also there was one bullying incident after we broke up and then they never bothered me again.” You tell her.

“Ya I threatened their families after the incident.” She tells you and you chuckle.

“I wondered if you had something to do with it.” You tell her and step in front of the art piece and you start explaining it and the inspiration. Melissa pays attention the whole time with her full attention and keeps glancing at you with a smile.

“I’m proud of you.” She says after you finish explaining every art piece to her. “I always wanted you to have your art get recognized.” She adds and you look at her.

“Thank you.” You tell her. “I’ve received many compliments about my professional artwork, and you know what I feel when I hear them?” You ask her.

“Happy?”

“No, I feel nothing. The only time I never felt nothing was when you complimented me about my art in high school.” You tell her and she looks at you.

“You were always talented though, professional art or school art.” She says.

“And there it happens again, the only time I feel something is when you compliment me.” You say and she looks down and then back up at you. “I’ve also been with many women, but none were as good as you. They didn’t make me feel as happy or loved or even as satisfied in bed.” You say and you see a blush appear on her cheeks. “I didn’t know I could still make the great Melissa Schemmenti blush.” You say and she chuckles.

“You’ve always had that power over me, even after 30 years.” She tells you and you smile.

“I’m busy this weekend with the exhibit but I’ll be here next weekend finalising some stuff for the move. Maybe we can spend some time together then?” You ask her and she nods.

“I would love to.” She tells you and you smile at her.

Melissa goes home half an hour later and she has a smile on her face the entire way home. She got to see you again after 30 years, the woman she has always loved, and now gets to spend time with you again next weekend.

On Monday morning Melissa walks in the school, coffee cup in hand and a smile on her face. She walks into the break room and she goes to her table she shares with Barb and sits down.

“Since when are you smiling on a Monday morning?” Barb asks her.

“Just a nice weekend.” She says and the trio looks at her.

“Melissa, that girl with the art exhibit, it was mentioned that you two dated?” Jacob asks and Melissa turns around to look at them.

“Yes, in high school.” She tells them.

“What happened?” Janine asks her.

“Well not that it’s any of your business but I wasn’t out yet and I chose Joe over her. After high school, she left for college in New York and I haven't seen her since.” She explains to them.

“Well until Saturday.” You say and they all look at the entrance and see you there.

“Y/n, what are you doing here?” Melissa asks as she gets up and goes to you.

“Well you saw what I do for a living, thought I’d come see yours. And you mentioned working at Abbott, wasn’t it rumoured to be the worst school in the area?” You ask her and she nods.

“Ya that rumour really spread. It’s not all a lie, it’s extremely underfunded but the teachers here care more for their students than our teachers did.” She tells you and you hum.

“Ya our teachers really distanced themselves from their students.” You tell her and she smiles at you.

“How about I show you my classroom? I think you’ll like it.” She offers and you nod.

“Ok, I’d love to.” You tell her and she grabs her things before bringing you to her classroom.

“Mel’s got a crush.” Jacob singsongs.

“And this is my classroom.” She says as she opens her door and you walk in first.

“Wow, I would have loved to learn in a classroom like this, your students are so lucky to have you as their teacher.” You say to her and she blushes. “Remember our classrooms? Cold and dry. But this one is warm and welcoming.” You say as she walks over to her desk to put her things down.

“You’d like a few of my students, little rebels like you were.” She says and you turn to look at her.

“If I recall, you were more rebellious than I was.” You say as you walk over to her desk and she chuckles. “I have a confession.” You say and she looks at you. “I didn’t come here just to see your work.” You tell her and she tilts her head.

“Well what’s the other reason?”

“I came here to see you.” You say and you look to see her eyes brighten. “And to ask you if instead of catching up next weekend, we could go on a date?” You ask her and you see her immediately freeze.

“You’re- you’re asking me out?” She asks in disbelief and you nod.

“I’ve had time to think after seeing you on Saturday. It was really wonderful to see you again and I missed you more than I realised, a lot more.” You tell her. “I thought about it yesterday and I still love you.” You say and you hear her slightly gasp. “Even after 30 years I still love you, the one that got away.” You add and she walks over to you.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since high school. I never stopped loving you either. I was so stupid to let the best thing in my life slip through my fingers.” She says.

“What if…” You start to say and grab her hand. “We continued where we left off?” You suggest and Melissa smiles.

“You really mean that?” She asks and you nod. “Can I kiss you right now?” She hesitantly asks.

“You better.” You say and she immediately surges forward and places her lips on yours. Her lips were still so soft, just like you remembered and you don’t want to stop feeling them on yours. She pulls away after a few seconds and looks at you with a soft smile. “You know, I’ve forgiven you for letting me go but I haven’t forgotten that you broke my heart.” You say and she places her forehead on yours.

“I know, I haven’t forgotten that either, and that decision broke my heart as well. But maybe I can make it up to you now.” She says and you kiss her again.

“You can definitely make it up to me.” You say and Melissa kisses you again.

Taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta

@imaginesmultifandoms

@idonothingalldays-blog

@sexysapphicshopowner

@dvrkhcld

@lilfartbox1

@ricejucie

@unicorniusfallapatorius

@a-queen-and-her-throne

@sleep-deprived-athlete

@og-kxsh-420

@sasheemo

@midnight-lestrange

@dashbag-art

@morgananyx

@schmentisgf

@cblanchetts

@that-october-night

@schemmentigfs

Let me know if you want to be added!

[aventurineswife]

Not at all another request for SAHSR AU I just wanted to add on and yap about this silly idea of Reader leaving for a while after completing the new Amphoreus quest, sometimes hopping back on to wander through the new areas and examine the clothes and styles of Amphoreus and the NPCs there (and also playing Hades, a game developed by Supergiant Games for further inspiration)—

—and when they finally come back with new artworks, it’s of different characters in Greek and/or Roman clothes (in HoYo’s art style, ofc) and they all just look so damn gorgeous.

Especially Dan Heng and the Trailblazer.

But especially Dan Heng.

He just—

He’s like Helen of Sparta/Troy. Reader managed to make him so damn gorgeous that when random NPCs lay eyes on him in the artwork and then on Dan Heng himself they’re in such awe that some of them start coming after him with marriage proposals.

Let’s hope another Paris doesn’t show up trying to snatch him away. 👀

Ooh, I love this idea! The thought of Artist!Reader getting inspired by Amphoreus, taking a break to enjoy some gaming, and then coming back with new masterpieces is just chef’s kiss material. Not only is it a great way for the reader to recharge creatively, but it also gives the characters a moment of surprise when they see their Greek and Roman-inspired art.

When some NPCs from Amphoreus wander in and see the painting, they’re in awe—Dan Heng looks like an ancient god. Before anyone can stop it, one bold NPC steps forward and offers a marriage proposal. They’re completely entranced. Dan Heng is frozen, while the others can’t help but laugh at the situation.

More and more NPCs show up, all swooning over Dan Heng’s painted portrait. Some start literally fighting for his attention, chanting about “divine love.” The chaos ensues, and you can’t help but chuckle at the situation you’ve unintentionally created.

Dan Heng? He’s mortified.

The poor guy is now the star of the cosmic very own romantic tragedy. Definitely not what he signed up for, but… he does look incredibly good in that toga.

[sleepyghostuwu]

The Artist and the Gem: Part 1

"I'm pretty sure this only happens in dreams."

Synopsis: An IPC member part-timing as an artist unknowingly spices up her life when a certain colleague comes to her for a leisurely art commission.

Notes: Fem! Reader POV since it's what I'm more comfy writing in for this series. I also have no clue how art commissions work so apologies if it isn't lore-accurate ^^"

Ping!

You groan as you reluctantly reach for your phone for the umpteenth time today, bracing yourself to read your client's incessant texts about your work progress despite it being mere weeks since they first contacted you. Combining that with the fact that your supervisors were piling you with more paperwork these days made it all the more frustrating to deal with.

"Hi again! I feel the need to mention that I have a full-time job outside of my artist life, and also take note that it takes time in general to complete multiple people's commissions over time. I will send you more WIPs once I'm available to do so. Thanks for your patience!"

As cordial as the text sounded when you sent it out, you were like a pot filled with boiling water, ready to burst in fury in the event that client continues to add fuel to the fire. Too angry to continue doing work properly, you excused yourself to get a drink at the pantry.

As the coffee machine whirred to life on the counter, you hear your phone ringing again. Doing your utmost to keep your composure, your trembling hands open your inbox. This time, it was not your current client who texted you, but a new one.

"Hey (username), I find your artworks to be rather intriguing. I saw on your webpage that you're still taking in commissions, so I was wondering if I could trouble you to do one for me."

"At least this one's polite about this," you muttered as you replied to their message with equal respect.

"Hey there! Happy to know that you appreciate my art! My commission list is quite full at the moment, so I'm afraid that it will take long while to complete yours. Would you mind if your commission took a longer time to complete, or would you rather contact me another time instead?"

That should do, you think to yourself as you retrieve your coffee cup from the machine and take a sip of your drink. Your phone rings again.

"It's all good. Take as much time as you need. I'm not in a rush :)"

Your eyes practically lit up upon reading that message. Unlimited time for a commission? In times like these? Is this heaven?? You quickly shoot back another text.

"Very well. What would you like me to draw, then?"

"I would like you to draw a portrait of Aventurine from the IPC."

...

You've got to be kidding me.

You blink furiously at your client's art request, trying to make sure that you did not misread whatever they sent to you.

"That's an interesting request you got here."

Who even is requesting for this from me? A fan from the Aventurine Fan Squad? For all you knew, any of your colleagues could have either chanced upon your art account or decided to knowingly exploit your creativity for their own pleasure. As you type out the default reminder for them to pay up as per your terms, your phone rings twice.

[100,000 Credits have been transferred to your bank account.]

"Say less. Wishing you the best of luck ;)"

You take a huge gulp of coffee as you switch off your phone, evidently more stressed about your artistic career than you already were before. With such a hefty sum of money transferred to you for a singular drawing, chances are that you will have to pool in all of your creativity for this particular commission if it means that your mystery client would be assured to get their money's worth. Taking a glimpse at the nearest clock within your hindsight, you quickly down your coffee before rushing back to your cubicle, ready to check off your task list if it meant more time to draw later on.

---

As you briskly return to your cubicle to work, a certain blond man in green glances at you from a distance and smiles.

[twifairy]

Giant spoilers for TGAA 2 but I gave the main cast's dead moms names, faces, and Court Record profiles. And I wrote up some details on my headcanons and sprite edit process.

All ages listed are my headcanons for how old they were when they died (which like. Yikes.)

These are all edited from existing sprites/official artwork with veeeery minimal actual hand drawing in case anybody thinks I suddenly got really good at imitating Nuri's style lmao.

Sumire Asogi (34)

Same age as Genshin, who also does not have a canon age for whatever reason. I assume he's the same age as Yujin, Jigoku, and Klint though, making him 33 when he dies. Kazuma's mother canonically dies a year after. This also makes Kazuma's parents both concerningly 19 when he was born??? I don't think the devs thought too hard about that at the time but I'm choosing to included in my hcs lmao

"Sumire" is a joke name. Sumire means violet and there are FOUR whole Sherlock Holmes characters named Violet, which is probably the most common female name in the books. As a nice coincidence, violets represent honesty in hanakotoba, tying into the truth theme

Sumire actually has no Kazuma in her face! She's a Courtney Sithe recolor with Kazuma's bangs. I did stare at Kazuma's prosecutor portrait to try and nudge their eyes to be more similar though

Ayame Mikotoba (25)

She's 1-2 years younger than Yujin

Obviously this is just Susato squished around lol. If I were to do it again I'd alter her hairline, I think Susato got that from Yujin

My main aim was to make her look like Susato's tearful smile sprite. Any time I see that sprite I think "this is what her mother must've looked like."

Lillian van Zieks (30)

She's 3 years younger than Klint

LADY BASKERVILLE MY BELOVED. Her married name ofc. I think I pulled "Lillian" from "Lilith" because.... vibes I guess. I also hc Klint calling her Lily so she also gets to have a flower name, and so Iris' father shares her nickname habit.

Lily's eyes are hazel because iirc, the Baskervilles in the book all/mostly have hazel eyes and Iris has her father's eyes.

This was the hardest one to make despite the canon image of her. Her base was Tusspells, herself, and obviously, Iris.

Also here's each woman with her husband and child for the sake of comparison:

[arseniy-arsenicum33]

All Hermits in Hero Forge!

Season 10 is coming! And I've finished modeling every Hermit (Thus far) in their TCG-cards poses!

Special thanks to Hoffen for their original minecraft models...

You've already saw these eight models in my Life-series minis showcase, slight tweaks and costume changes... I really need to buy Hero Forge subscription, so i can manipulate fingers individually... Now, for the new guys... Guess what?! I've figured out how to make links! Now you can see my references directly! Technology!

Ren got his cool casual look...

Docm77 inspired primarily by Belmarzi's design, such as this... It was very funny to suddenly stop in the middle of this project to model him hugging Snoop Dogg...

JoeHills, unsurprisingly, based on real-life Joe Hills... But I did have this comic by my side while modeling him, for moral support, because modeling someone's likeness is always stressful...

Cleo's pose pose a challenge, It uses a transparent one-legged skeleton inside the main body... Like a real armour-stand magic! I like how it turned out...

I've started watching Zedaph very recently, so both Noxolotl's and Applestruda's portrayals of him were very helpful in forming mine...

Blaise's Hermit line up was used for Cub and Hypno, which you will see down the line... Bee's art was helpful, once again, and these Cub-arts by Sylvan...

My main goal with Jevin was to somehow convincingly make a slime look slimy... I was so ready to make him as rotund as this art, but alas, program restrictions...

This art was used for False at the very beginning, but it drifted so much with the addition of cheekbones, that it doesn't look like it at all anymore...

Hypno had a surprise for me, because before making this model, I've never saw this brown line on his chest as a boob-window... But now, I am convinced... This is the art, that guided me to that conclusion... Ghostea's and Locus's portraits were useful for figuring out his face...

Iskall lifted from this art... Hero Forge doesn't have any cool one-eyed visors, so I've settled on monocle for him and Doc...

Hero Forge also for some reason doesn't have a hand-held flower, so pretend, that Stress doesn't hold a pen, okay? And has a cardigan... Based mainly on this and this art, which was also used for XB...

My best guess with Keralis was that he is doing Edvard Munch's "The Scream" ommage... Thanks to Myra and Cole , without them, Keralis would've looked more like a bug with them big ol' eyes...

Oh, boy, XB... A true enigma for me... Pictured here, lightly jogging... Only you could tell me, if I did a good job with him, I sincerely have no idea... Since this is in part a TCG-inspired project, it would've been wise to use references from the actual TCG-cards... To bad, I've came up with this idea near the end of a project...

I have made so many Xisuma-costumes, and only now I am showing you the main friendly-neighbourhood DoomGuy cosplayer himself... Do I need to credit id Software for this?

WelsKnight is my champion in regards to how many references I needed for him... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7! Despite how many armour options Hero Forge has, making something coherent out of them was difficult... Especially, keeping in mind, that one day I'm going to model HelsKnight as well...

And finally, TinFoilChef, based heavily on this stunning artwork... And somewhat on this skin by Ink-Ghoul... It all comes around...

And the Creator Himself! Beef! And his wonderful portraits: 1 2 3 4...

I actually going to use him as an example, to address something...

Here is how my screen looks, then I am working on a model... My method of creation is derivative by nature, it requires the art and creativity of other people... And I have SO MUCH anxiety about this... Not being an artist, but still trying to make something with my limited capabilities... And post it on the internet, oh horror...

With recent talks about plagiarism and AI-art, it has come to my attention, that I myself not so different from AI, just not so efficient... So, this is why I so obsessively document my influences, it is the least I can do... Credit the artists, that I stole from... Please, check out everyone mentioned, subscribe to them, commission new pieces of art...

And if you've liked my dorky "minecraft youtubers made in DND character creator" models... Thank you...

Sometime later there will be a google doc on my blog with links to every model I've ever made, go nuts with them... Try Hero Forge for yourself, it's fun...

[strawberryvera]

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ VALENTINES WITH THEIR S/O —-˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

annie and edgar x gn reader head cannons!

cw: none!!

a/n: I haven’t written in forever, so I’m sorry I’m my writing comes off awkward!! I’m currently writing this at 1am, so my brain is kinda turned off so sorry if I make a sentence that litteraly just sounds like me yapping… nonetheless hope you enjoy!!

sfw!!

ANNE LESTER

- Annie was always such a sweetheart, and that never changed when she got with you! She loves Valentine’s Day, and she loves giving gifts! Expect to be given quite a few things by her.

- right when you woke up that morning, annie made sure to give you your gifts, the gifts consisted of a handmade teddy bear she gave you, and a small box of chocolates. She was particularly ecstatic about giving you the teddy bear, as toys were always the thing that bought her the most joy even at her lowest points, and she really hopes she can share that joy with you!

- cuddles on that day! Lots of them. She’s an affectionate person when it comes to you, and she makes sure to let you know that she wants today to be about you two. She will give you tons of hugs and forehead kisses :3 !!

- she also made you guys small matching wooden heart keychains! each of you got a half, and when you put it together, it forms a little wooden heart, how cute!

- you guys spent the day in annies workspace, you both sat down and made each other small wood carved toys about the size of your normal sea shell. With a bit of help from your dear annie, you made her a small wooden carved teddy bear, and a duck, and annie made you your favorite animal!

EDGAR VALDEN

- the arrogant and cold painter you where introduced to with your first interaction compared to how he is with you now, it’s almost so different to how he treats you now..I mean it’s still kinda there, but he tries his best to set that aside, especially today.

- he loves giving you his artwork as small gifts, he does it quite frequently actually. It was a portrait of you that he gave you on valentines, you can tell he spent extra time on this one to perfect it. Portraits and just drawing people in general aren’t necessarily his strong suit, so he was a bit nervous giving you it, but overall happy and content when he saw that you absolutely adored it.

- you very much loved the painting he gave you, and you made sure he knew. He loves receiving praise on his work, so you gave him lots of compliments and praises on the artwork, even if it boosted his ego a bit.

- he’s not very good at showing affection, let alone physical affection, but he tries, and he really did try today. He made sure to remind you that he loves you a lot verbally today, and made sure to give you lots of hugs today as well.

- you spent your day with edgar in the manor garden, where he painted you. He has painted you here before, but he did everything so that he could make it extra special, especially for the day it was.

[deathbyoctopi]

Xuexiao Art Shoutout ^-^

It will be soon 2 years since I asked for my first art commission ever, after months of wanting to do so, but being deathly scared by it.

What if I ask it wrong, what if I don't like it, what if I pay but then it is a scam, what if it's too expensive and I have to back away in shame, what IF these are all my fears and I didn't even know any reliable artists or had asked any mutuals for tips or recs.

What motivated me for the big step forward was me writing a gift fic for someone very dear to me, which featured a piece of art within the story itself. It seemed so fitting, to make art for it. I held my heart in courage and dared to ask an artist I had seen here, in tumblr.

This artist was @wrathyforest.

Now, I don't remember anymore why I choose them. Probably I saw some xuexiao fanart by them that I liked, or saw somewhere that they were available for commissions, but the thing is with trembling hands I wrote a long dm asking about whether they would accept to draw an art such and such. This turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in this website.

For the last two years, I've had the privilege of receiving more artwork by them, all xuexiao (because my BELOVEDS!!!) and all of exceptional quality and deep understanding of the characters. This is why now I want to make a little shoutout to these works, and to the process that went into asking them, in part to show other people how engaging, fascinating and rewarding it is to commission artist.

This is (with ONE exception) my little xuexiao art collection. Have at it!

Family portrait

My first art commission ever. My heart goes with it! This is the aforementioned art for the fic To carry a bit of yesterday, written for @itellmyselfsecrets97 and which features the Yi City trio going to make a portrait of themselves.

This was also very special to me, since it was only my second xuexiao fic ever written, and the first that was a self-contained oneshot. It must have left an impact, it remains a well-loved fic to the point that a fic was written from it (The Tell-Tale Art by @fieri-sentio-et-excrucior).

I explained the artist what I needed from it, gave the full paragraph in the fic where they were described, and pointed out little details to adjust once the first draft was show to me (Forest, forgive me for being so picky with Xiao Xingchen's legs). I cried with the results.

My second commission came a few months later, with a pic for another work of art...

Defenseless

Now that I see you is an amazing fic by @10holmes with the incredibly exciting premise of a non-visually impaired Xiao Xingchen coming across Xue Yang, on the brink of death and... completely honest-to-god amnesiac.

I had followed this long project (still ongoing) for months, and had left some comments to the author, but at some point this sparse comments became a conversation, and the conversation a deep friendship... And there was a specific bit of their fic that remains one of my absolute favourite non-canon xuexiao moments.

Cue the art. In this occasion, I really wanted to make this as accurate and true to my feelings as possible, so not only did I send a detailed explanation and context (I would NOT expect the poor artist to read 30 chapters of a fic just for a commission!!), but also I made a little sketch. Me, who can't draw a smiley without botching it!

See if you can spot the difference:

You can imagine my shame and mortification to show this horrible doodle to any other human being, BUT the artist actually said this helped a lot to understand the positions, the intention, the expressions even, so it was a good call. I lost my fear of giving directions like that, and I have more-or-less tried to for all my other asks ^-^

The end result of this particular story is this and this:

My next commission was for something a bit more selfish.

Daozhang in a veil

I had in mind a story the premise of which was purely an excuse to put Xiao Xingchen in a dress, and what better than to have visual of that? The fic is called A Comedy of Yi City Errors, a light-hearted xuexiao adventure very fun to write and (I'm told) to read.

Once more, I made quite an explanation and provided a little sketch.

ANd once again, despite the terrible example, the concept that I wanted to send was received well enough and delivering again wonderful results. Look!!! <3 <3 <3

I love them so much.

Around the same time, I decided to make two gifts for what were then becoming my closest friends in this fandom (I think that must have been around some important festival or something) so I asked for these lovely pics next:

Prisoner Xiao Xingchen

Art for the fic The Prisoner of Jinlintai by @fieri-sentio-et-excrucior, which is a treasure I recommend for anyone who loves canon divergence and enemies-to-lovers done just right!

And this:

Mermaid Hunter Xue Yang

The beautiful mermaid AU Down in the Black Sea by @10holmes, which is cute beyond compare and inspired another fic I wrote in which I brought that pirate and merman couple to sneak into Versailles. Random anecdote is random.

Anyways, this last one didn't come with a sketch, but I MUST show you my rendition of Xue Yang by the cell door for the earlier fic >w< and the first sketch they did, which is unbelievably cute. See if you can tell which is which.

See? Completely undistinguishable! XD

As for the next, this is a cute little piece I commissioned to celebrate a beautiful friendship.

Under the rain

One of the first xuexiao fics I remember reading was The Taste of Rain on Skin, and once I had the opportunity to meet its author, I could not let something so special pass. Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen look so lovely in this one, so lively and happy and free...

By the way! Notice from my sketch that the artist was the one who made me realize... uhm... Xue Yang should NOT be holding Xiao Xingchen with his left hand, right?? XD So the running direction was reversed >w<

Well, what I want to show you next is something truly exceptional

Pleasure Yang

Not long ago, i was unbelievably surprised with a gift by a group of co-conspiracists I will call... Lionforest. no... Wrathyfish. Hm. It was an amazing surprise, which made me incredibly happy. Art for one of my fics!!! And a very sexy one, at that!!!!! >w<

Just, just look a it!

Look at that cheeky Xue Yang! Xiao Xingchen's fascination with that sexy ruffian!! Song Lan's discombobulated face! This is no more, no less, what I had in mind when I wrote Gentle breeze, cold frost, sweet crimson drizzle, and I could not be happier for it if I tried.

Thank you, you two ❤️❤️

And now... the last pic was spicy. The next is Wei Wuxian-approved congee.

Ok next, the spicy goodies >w<

There is a certain piece of art I still am keeping in my pocket, which one day I hope to use for a spicy Xuexiao fic. At any rate, it is another masterpiece by Wrathyforest and it deserves to see the light of day, finally.

I swear, every time I look at them, they feel so alive. The details!!! The expressions! The obvious and wonderful love! The other things this picture has to offer, omfg the first time I saw it, it was PERFECT!!!

(before you ask, yes. This also has a sketch XD)

In conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed my little collection. Look at all the xuexiao art we have, and from one incredible talented artist. I am over the moon with every single one of these pieces!

Artists deserve so much love and admiration. Greet your local artist, comment on their content, even if it's just a random keysmash, I can tell you as a writer that seeing these kinds of notifications are soul-repairing.

And if you take the step forward and talk to them, (and you SHOULD!! don't be shy, it is really engaging to get in a conversation!), I can guarantee you that you will make a person's whole day.

This is me, showing appreciation for this lovely art. Share it, comment it, love it. The love and passion we all share in fandom is fragile, but it is also so, so precious.

[beautyofaphrodite]

Venus Anadyomene

If you didn’t know, I’m making a few nice little posts about different artistic depictions of Lady Aphrodite (many are technically Lady Venus). I’ve already written about The Birth of Venus (the one by Botticelli and also the one by Cabanel) and the statue Venus Victrix by Canova. Today’s artwork is the painting titled Venus Anadyomene by Titian. I’m not even close to an expert on art or art history so there’s a good chance that there will be an error in this post- if you notice one let me know. Anyways, Venus Anadyomene!

Titian

Tiziano Vecellio, more commonly known as Titian , was born c. 1488-1490 in the Republic of Venice and died August 27, 1576 in Venice. This Italian was very influential in the style of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was successful throughout his whole life and was very versatile, talented at painting portraits, landscapes, as well as mythical and religious subjects.

Description of the Painting

Venus Anadyomene (The Goddess Rising from the Sea) stands nude in the water, washing her long, reddish-brown hair. The wringing of her hair is a reference to this statue, as a way for Titian to prove he could “rival the art of antiquity”.

About the Painting

This painting was created around 1520 using oils on canvas. With dimensions of 75.8 cm × 57.6 cm (29.8 in × 22.7 in), it is displayed the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh. This painting was owned by many throughout the world, from Christina of Sutherland to Francis Egerton, 7th Duke of Sutherland.

Fun Facts

- Aphrodite/Venus Anadyomene is one of Her most common epithets to be painting, as so many liked to depict Her birth from the sea

- the small seashell next to the goddess is meant to identify the subject of the painting by referencing Her birth on a large seashell as seen in other art (notably Boticelli’s Birth of Venus)

I hope you learned something, I certainly did! If you have a favorite artistic depiction of Lady Aphrodite or Lady Venus or one you would like to see me cover, please let me know!

[slaymitchabernathy]

Older & Wiser

| "...you're so much older and wiser and I, I wait by the door like I'm just a kid, use my best colors for your portrait..." |

Growing up, Soarynn heard lots of advice when it came to dating men.

Don’t date anyone who comes from a different financial background than you do. Upper class married the upper class, middle class married the middle class, and lower class married the lower class.

Those things don’t mix.

She was also told to wait until marriage. A good Capitol girl saves herself for marriage so that her husband knows that she’s pure, untouched by anyone but him.

Plus, it eliminates the fear of an unwanted pregnancy.

And although it was never directly stated, she knew that girls her age should stay far away from older men who were far too busy and important for girls like her.

But no one ever mentioned Coriolanus Snow.

It’s a damn shame that he’s thirty because he could easily pass for twenty-five. He’s so effortlessly charming, always knowing just what to say and working the room. He’s overly successful, rich beyond reason, devilishly handsome, and best of all, he’s obsessed with Soarynn.

They met one night at a silent auction. She had been dragged along by her good friend Livia Cardew who was looking for both a new piece of art and a potential husband.

She found the second one, Festus Creed, and left Soarynn to wander around the art gallery once the auction came to a close. She had been admiring a certain piece when Coriolanus came up to introduce himself.

However, a man like him needs no introduction, especially after placing the highest bid of the night. Still, she let him charm her, compliment her, and share a little bit about himself. By the time she had to leave, he had arranged for her to be picked up and taken to dinner at the end of the week.

Soarynn had been giddy with excitement, she never really dated while attending school so she didn't know what to expect but he surpassed every one of her expectations. They had dinner in a private room, lit by candlelight. The service was impeccable, Soarynn felt as if she were eating dinner with the President himself.

She learned a bit more about Coriolanus and the type of man he was, the type of man to crave dominance and control. She also learned that he had yet to marry because he hadn't found the right woman yet and was in no rush to settle down.

Despite hearing that, Soarynn held onto the hopes that she might be the one, the future Mrs. Snow.

Even now, waking up in his large bed alone, she hopes that one day he'll see that she's the one.

Coriolanus often rises before the sun, showering and getting ready for work which leaves Soarynn to wake up alone in his large penthouse apartment. The first time she woke up alone she had felt so...out of place. His penthouse is opulent, filled with tasteful furniture and expensive artwork. Everything about him screams how important he is.

But the household staff didn't bat an eye when she stumbled out of his bedroom in nothing but a borrowed button-up shirt from his closet the first time she slept over.

Now she's more than used to being here by herself, he even gave her a key! Soarynn just knows that it's a step in the right direction, that it shows how much he trusts her. She certainly trusts him, after all, she let him take her virginity.

He had been so sweet the first time, so patient and gentle, making it a magical experience for Soarynn. They often partake in rougher more passionate sex since she's more experienced and Coriolanus Snow is an excellent lover in the bedroom, always bringing her to a delicious orgasm without even trying.

Soarynn wakes up sore every morning in this apartment, covered in love bites in places that only he can see. Coriolanus is terribly possessive over everything he owns and Soarynn believes that he views her the same way, clear property of Coriolanus Snow and she's not mad about it.

It's her close friends who question his motives. They bring it up all the time how she should be cautious with an older man like him. "A man like Coriolanus Snow wants one thing and one thing only," Livia had told Soarynn one night at dinner, "I just don't want you to get hurt Soarynn."

But Soarynn had assured Livia that she knew what she was doing, Coriolanus would never hurt her.

She rolls over to face his empty side of the bed and smiles when she sees that a bouquet of roses has been left for her along with a little card. She takes the card and opens it, reading what he scribbled on the paper.

Buy yourself something pretty, darling. - Coriolanus

Soarynn can't help but squeal and kick her feet in excitement. He loves to spoil her. New shoes, new bags, new jewelry, new clothes and all on his card. Not that Soarynn can't afford these things on her own, but she's not going to be an idiot and decline such gifts.

Soarynn eventually pulls herself out of bed and goes into the bathroom, skimming her fingers on the marble countertops, imagining a life where she lives here all the time and has a vanity of her own. She does have a very small section of his closet filled with clothes she's left or purchased over the past few months.

She chooses a white dress, with a flattering neckline, short enough to drive him mad, and very flattering on her figure. She pairs the dress with red heels to give her outfit a pop of color along with gold jewelry. She puts on the necklace he gave to her just last week with a golden rose pendant hanging on the delicate chain.

Soarynn still doesn't have a lot of makeup in his bathroom, just a few toiletries and hair products so she'll buy some things today. She brushes through her long blonde hair, remembering how his fingers felt pulling on it last night. Soarynn sighs at her reflection, her life is so perfect, he is so perfect.

All she needs is a ring on her finger.

꧁ ꧂

"Ms. Nightingale, there's a phone call for you."

Soarynn looks up from the sofa she's sitting on, wearing only one shoe since she was about to try on another one with the help of the saleswoman. "Oh, alright, I'll be right back," she says, flashing the saleswoman an apologetic smile. She follows the other employee, a salesman to the back of the store where the phone is waiting for her to answer in the back hallway.

She brings the phone to her ear, "Hello?"

"Darling, it's Coriolanus."

Her lips curl up into a smile the second she hears his deep voice along with the pet name he gave to her, "How did you know where to find me?" She asks him, amazed at his ability to always know of her whereabouts. She rarely ever knows where he is but it seems that he prefers for things to be that way.

"I knew you'd turn up here eventually," he tells her, sounding prideful, "and I wanted to make sure that you were actually spending my money the proper way."

Soarynn giggles, twirling the phone cord around her index finger, "I am," she promises sweetly, "I was trying on shoes before you called."

"What color?"

Soarynn bites her lip before answering, "Blue."

There's a pause and she worries he might not approve, Coriolanus has a good sense of fashion and she's always trying to get his approval.

"Good, they'll bring out your eyes," he finally says and she sighs in relief. "Yes, I thought so too, are you still at work?"

Rarely does Coriolanus ever tell Soarynn about what his day entails, if he wants to see her, he calls her and she comes running. Their roles have never been reversed but once again, he prefers it that way. And she's not one to complain, Coriolanus is a very busy and very important man, she's lucky he can see her as often as he does.

"I am, although I might be at the office later than I normally am. Last minute meeting," he says as if that explains everything. Soarynn's smile turns into a frown, she was hoping to see him tonight, to spend the evening with Coriolanus wrapped in his strong arms.

"Oh," is all she says, her voice quieter than before.

"You should have dinner with some of your little friends, my treat darling."

Well, that's sweet of him. Soarynn leans against the wall and toes the ground, "You're so good to me," she tells him, knowing how much Coriolanus likes having his ego stroked, "I truly don't deserve your generosity."

The low chuckle that comes from her lover is all Soarynn needs to hear to know that she said the right thing, "Spend the night and you'll wake up next to me in the morning," he promises before she hears voices in the background, "I have to go, darling, I'll see you later."

"Goodbye," Soarynn whispers just as he hangs up the phone.

She wonders if he'd go into more detail if they were married, or engaged, or courting.

While they spend lots of time together with and without clothes on, nothing official has ever come of it and it's slowly beginning to eat away at Soarynn's heart.

She just has to act like it isn't.

꧁ ꧂

"Festus is being so annoying," Livia whines over dinner that night, "he won't stop pestering me about meeting his parents. We just started seeing each other!"

The bitter, jealous part of Soarynn wants to snap at Livia and remind her friend that she should be grateful that she actually has someone to call her own, unlike Soarynn.

But she bites her tongue and diligently nods to her friend's complaints, "That's so terrible Liv," Soarynn says, placing a sympathetic hand on top of Livia's, "he should respect your space and needs." Soarynn would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't want to be in Livia's shoes.

Livia is adored so publically, so openly by Festus who happens to be a good friend of Coriolanus. Soarynn wonders if Festus might pass along a hint for her, telling Coriolanus to hurry up and make her his.

People know that Coriolanus and Soarynn are friendly, that they spend a lot of time together but they're not courting so it doesn't even count. A bottle of champagne is brought over to their table by the waiter, "Oh, we didn't order that," Livia tells the man who politely shakes his head. "Compliments of Mr. Snow," he explains.

All the girls gasp at the sweet gesture, especially Soarynn because this must mean something. If he's sending her champagne then he must feel bad about working late tonight, which means that he's thinking about her.

"How sweet," she finally says, accepting the bottle, "he's always been so thoughtful."

"Has he mentioned courting you yet?" Clemensia asks from across the table, causing Soarynn to shake her head. "Not yet," she answers, "but it's coming soon, I just know it."

꧁ ꧂

Exhausted from a day of shopping and dinner, Soarynn is fast asleep in her lover's bed when he curls up behind her, wrapping a strong arm around her waist. Soarynn sighs and Coriolanus groans, hooking his chin over her bare shoulder, "How was dinner with the girls?"

Soarynn keeps her eyes shut, enjoying how his skin feels against hers, "It was good, the champagne was so sweet." Coriolanus shifts behind her and she can feel his bare chest pressing on her bare back, he always craves physical touch the most at night.

"My secretary suggested it," he mumbles, his voice growing deeper as he falls asleep, causing her heart to shatter into a million pieces. She thought that he was the one who sent the champagne, who thought of the sweet gesture. Not his secretary.

Soarynn feels her mood souring even more than before. She was already upset that she didn’t get to see him all day but this champagne is the last fucking straw.

Soarynn needs someone to appreciate her, to care about her, genuinely care about her.

She just wanted it to be him.

꧁ ꧂

Soarynn wakes up in a rotten mood.

The bed is empty. Again. But she can hear some sizzling in the kitchen. It’s Saturday which means the penthouse is empty, no staff on the weekends. Normally, Soarynn looks forward to these two sacred days. She gets Coriolanus all to herself since he doesn’t have to go to work. They run errands, go to the zoo, catch a movie, and end it all with dinner.

Not today though.

If he doesn’t see anything wrong with the amount of effort that he’s putting into this, then Soarynn is going to take it as an invitation to give Coriolanus Snow a taste of his own medicine.

At nineteen years of age, Soarynn considers herself to be a very mature young lady. Constantly complimented on how she carries herself, why, anyone on the street who laid eyes upon her would surely say that she’s at least twenty-one.

She knows how Coriolanus sees her. Sweet, adorable, submissive.

Harmless.

He likes her this way, likes carting her around on his arm, dipping into her fountain of youth. Soarynn sits up, pulling the covers up to her bare chest, and frowns, perhaps that’s why he’s kept her around for as long as he has. Perhaps she makes him feel younger, feel like he’s a young man again.

He certainly looks younger than thirty but still, he’s getting up there in age. Soarynn hasn’t even reached twenty and she already feels old, as if she’s outgrown her skin and her body. But Coriolanus might view her as a vice, something to remind him that he still has that famous Snow charm.

She glances over at the doors where she left all her shopping bags from yesterday, too tired to properly unpack them. She could stay for breakfast, let him dictate their day. Or, she could leave, leaving him dumbfounded.

Soarynn goes with the second option, quickly getting out of bed so she can dress herself. She doesn’t plan on coming back here for a long time, not until he comes crawling back that is. Soarynn knows Coriolanus well enough to know that he craves control and if he loses her, then he loses control.

Which is very unfortunate for him.

Pleased with her scheme, Soarynn goes out into the hallway, purse in hand, shoes on feet, and a determined look on her bare face.

“Darling?”

His deep morning voice catches her completely off guard. She freezes in her tracks, slowly turning around to face a shirtless Coriolanus. He looks so good right now, wearing some pajama pants with a plate in his hand. Whatever he made for them smells delicious and he looks delicious.

Maybe she could stay for breakfast.

No! She had to stay strong!

Coriolanus has a certain gravitational pull on people, drawing them in and keeping them right where he wants them to be, including her. It’s going to take a lot of effort to get out of his orbit.

“I…I can’t stay for breakfast,” she says, fidgeting with her purse. Coriolanus purses his lips, looking her up and down, “Why not? I made omelets.”

Coriolanus is an excellent cook even though he hires one, only showing off his skills to Soarynn. On Saturday nights he’ll pour them both a glass of wine and have her sit on the counter while he sautés a delicious meal. She’ll wear one of his button-up shirts, swinging her feet off the edge of the counter while she watches him.

Soft music will play in the background and he’ll have her taste test everything, laughing when he gets some sauce on her chin. Which will give him the perfect excuse to lean down, wiping it off before kissing her.

It’s a perfectly domestic thing to do with someone you don’t even consider courting and Soarynn feels a terrible chill run down her spine.

“I have to go,” she says softly, “there’s um, there’s an emergency.”

She could always tell him the truth, but when has that ever worked?

Besides, the terrible part of her still wants him to want her. So as a precaution, she’ll remain on his good side. A little distance will do them some good, even if he doesn’t know that’s what this is.

He looks concerned, worried for her well-being, and walks towards her, only stopping when he’s inches away from her and she can smell the omelet and the smell of roses.

It’s always been roses with Coriolanus.

“Is everything alright? Do you need me to do anything? Call you a car?”

He’s so sweet and caring even when she lies to him. Maybe she’s the one who doesn’t deserve him instead of it being the other way around.

Soarynn shakes her head, faking a smile, “No, no you don’t have to do anything. I just have to go alright?”

He seems disappointed that they won’t get to spend their morning together but he doesn’t push her. “Alright,” he mumbles, “call me when everything’s sorted then.”

Soarynn hums and presses herself on her toes to kiss him, short and sweet but she savors it all the same.

She doesn’t give him a chance to deepen it, pulling away as fast as she leaned in so she can leave. Soarynn closes the doors to his penthouse behind him, that terrible feeling still very persistent.

She hopes that he’ll pick up the pieces, put them together, and realize that she’s the one for him. Or he won’t and he’ll find some other girl to swoon and lead on.

She might have left the key he gave her in his room, but he still has the key to her heart.

꧁ ꧂

Three weeks pass by without a word from Coriolanus.

Well, he hasn’t come up and spoken to her in person that is. Soarynn has missed phone calls on her answering machine, unopened gifts that sit by her front door, and wilting roses that stand in a vase on her kitchen counter.

She’s been holding out on him, hoping, praying that this distance will remind him that she’s the one for him. He leaves notes with the gifts but they’re not confessions of love, just requests or possibly demands, all telling her to call him or come to his penthouse.

But Soarynn is done being at his beck and call, tired of being dragged around on an invisible leash.

She is Soarynn fucking Nightingale and she’s finally starting to act like it.

The sun is finally setting on the Capitol skyline and she’s forgotten how great of a view she has of it from her apartment. For a while, she was merely a visitor in her own home, coming and going whenever she needed something and then running right back to his place.

Not anymore.

Dressed merely in one of her many silk nightgowns, Soarynn prepares for a night in. She bought some chocolate and strawberries today at the store, planning on making her favorite dessert so she could snack while watching some television before going to bed.

A knock at her door pulls her out of the blissful bubble she’s been in the past few weeks and she walks towards her entryway. She mentally prepares to greet the gentleman who sits at the front desk in the lobby, responsible for delivering packages to the residents of the building. Or in recent weeks, gifts from Coriolanus that are addressed to Soarynn.

She’s sure this man is sick of her and her deliveries. She went from never coming home to the most popular person in the building in a matter of days.

She should really start tipping him.

Soarynn pops a strawberry into her mouth and unlocks the door, pulling it open and the fruit almost falls out of her mouth when she sees him.

Coriolanus Snow.

He looks furious. She’s been dodging his calls and ignoring him so he has every right to be but it’s something to see him standing her at her doorstep.

He’s never been to her apartment before. Never saw the need to.

And now here he is.

Soarynn doesn’t even know what to say, not with a strawberry in her mouth so she turns on her heel and walks back down the hallway, leaving it to him to either follow her or leave.

He follows her. Slamming the door behind him.

“So you’ve gotten my gifts and oh look, your phone looks just fine. I was starting to think that you fled the Capitol until I saw you earlier today on my lunch break, giggling with your friends as my car drove past you.”

Soarynn rolls her eyes, still chewing, men are so dramatic, and Coriolanus, although he won’t ever admit it, is always desperate for validation. Without her, she wonders who’s been stroking that big ego of his.

“Soarynn, look at me.”

She finally swallows down the berry and turns to face her lover, feeling simultaneously caught and commended for the efforts she’s gone through to get her point across.

You can be the most successful man in the world but without a woman by your side, you’re just another man.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" Coriolanus asks, looking confused while dressed in an expensive-looking suit, "You've been dodging my calls and tonight was the company gala, the gala that you promised to attend with me."

Oops. She forgot all about the gala.

"I thought you'd find someone else to take," she squeaks, watching the veins in his throat bulge. "Well I didn't," he hisses, stalking towards her, and for the first time ever, Soarynn realizes how big Coriolanus is, how strong and powerful he is. He could easily snap her neck, throw her against the wall, take her against her will. He won't, but he could.

"I looked like a fool," he continues, only a foot away from her now, "standing there without a date, being showered with pitying looks from everyone else. I had hoped that you'd come to your senses by now but you clearly haven't so tell me Soarynn, why are you so hellbent on ruining my reputation?"

Soarynn's jaw nearly falls open. He's not even here because he cares, he's here because his reputation is at stake. She resists the urge to slap him right across the face, even though he'd be quite deserving of it.

"Why won't you court me?" She finally asks, letting the question she's been thinking for months finally tumble from her lips. For so long she's held off on asking, held off on asking why she's never met his parents, or why he can call her every name in the book during sex but not in public.

Soarynn tries to be a patient person but her heart cannot say the same.

He looks shocked by her question, not expecting her to ask such a thing. A good Capitol girl never asks a man that, she waits by his side, waits for him to be ready to commit.

"I mean, you do everything else," she says exasperatedly, "you buy me things, send me flowers, kiss me, fuck me, and I do everything for you! I wait for you at your apartment, I listen to you talk about your day at work, I spend hours in bed with you. I just don't understand how difficult it is to court me, you're a grown man Coriolanus, you should be married by now, with children but you're not. And if you plan on being single for the rest of your life then that's fine but stop dragging me along with you."

They both stand in silence. Soarynn can't believe that she actually said that but at the same time, she's glad that she did. It's been too heavy of a burden for her to carry around any longer.

Coriolanus presses his lips into a thin line, composing himself after a moment of weakness, "Have you ever thought that maybe I don't see myself courting you? That I haven't taken this as seriously as you've wanted me to take it because I don't ever intend to?"

It's like he just ripped her heart out of her chest and tore it apart in front of her.

Soarynn feels the tears pooling in her eyes, unable to stop them from coming. This isn't how she planned for this to go, she thought he'd beg for her to come back and confess his feelings but instead, he's shot her down.

She sniffles as a tear rolls down her cheek, "Never mind then," she whispers, turning to flee the scene. She hears him calling out to her but Soarynn is already blinded by her tears and her heartbreak. She stumbles into her bedroom and runs past her bed into the bathroom where she can have a proper breakdown in peace.

She's been taking a lot of baths lately, reminiscing about the times when she'd take them with Coriolanus. Not anymore, she'll never think about him again after this. All those kisses, those smiles, those words. All fake.

How could she be so stupid?

She gave him everything. Her trust, her love, her virginity.

The gravity of what she's done hits her all at once and she sinks into the tub, curling up into a ball while she sobs. He's probably left already, perplexed by her strange behavior and tears. Soarynn has always remained cool, calm, and collected around Coriolanus, never whining or complaining. Not anymore.

She's so busy feeling sorry for herself that she doesn't even hear the tall, broad man pad into the bathroom, not until she feels his cold hand on her shoulder. Soarynn cracks her eyes open, gazing up at Coriolanus, somewhat surprised that he actually came after her.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he tells her gently, crouching down by the tub, "you know that I care about you darling, but it's all...it's all so complicated. You wouldn't understand."

Those three words are enough to give Soarynn a second wind. She pushes herself to sit up and glares at the older man, wondering where he finds the audacity to say these things to her.

"Then explain it to me," she snaps, "because I'm not an idiot, I'm smart, I'm important, I am of value. I've given you everything Coriolanus, my trust, my love, my, my virginity," her voice breaks on the last word. She's ashamed all over again, she's been so foolish with him, so blindly trusting.

His brows crease and his hand remains on her shoulder, she hopes he doesn't remove it.

"Soarynn, you're so young, so beautiful and kind, it wouldn't be fair to chain you to me. I'm not always as kind as I am when I'm with you, not always as understanding. That side of me is reserved only for you but I can't guarantee that version of myself to my future wife, she'll have to deal with all sides of me, the good, the bad, and the ugly."

She sniffles, wiping away her tears in an attempt to look more presentable, "I don't mind," she mumbles and he sighs, "truly, I don't. I can handle it, I can be your wife Coriolanus, I can be Mrs. Snow. I won't let you down or embarrass you, I'll be so good, so devoted to you."

They both fall silent again but this time, she dares to reach out to him, cupping his face with her hand and he leans into her touch, "Who else decodes you like me?" She whispers, "You don't let anyone else see you like this but me, think about it, you've already got one foot in the door. Think about how easy it would be to just get married."

She can see him contemplating her argument, a desperate one but she's also desperate. Soarynn thought some time apart would remind him of what he took for granted but it also reminded her about how much she missed him. She's missed his smile, his laugh, the way he smells after they have sex.

Although he tries to remain cold and closed off, she can see right through his facade, she knows him too well to his chagrin and when he finally looks into her teary eyes, she knows that he's decided on an answer.

꧁ ꧂

꧁ Five Months Later ꧂

Soarynn sits in the finest nail salon in the Capitol, known for its impeccable service and treatment towards its clients.

With a fresh manicure and pedicure, she feels on top of the world, like a new woman. "What color did you get for your nails again?" Livia asks from the chair next to her. Soarynn lifts her left hand in the air for her friend to see her freshly painted nails, a light pink color, it's practically her signature. She admires her nails and more importantly, the way the sunlight causes her new engagement ring to shine and sparkle.

Soarynn would never consider herself spoiled, but she's used to getting what she wants.

Including a husband.

It didn't take much to convince Coriolanus that she was the one for him. After breaking down in her bathtub and telling him that she would be the perfect wife for him, she knew he'd make a move. He spent the night at her apartment, claiming that he didn't want to leave her alone in her moment of distress and they ended up without their clothes on, making up for lost time.

The next day they had officially made up and Coriolanus officially asked to court her. He told her that they'd tell everyone that they'd been courting for much longer but in secret. Turns out he was eager to make her his wife now that the idea was planted in his head, more eager than she was. He proposed a mere two weeks ago, getting down on one knee and shocking her with a gorgeous engagement ring.

The diamond is huge, and Soarynn loves looking at it, envisioning their wedding and what's to come shortly after. Children, pets, the whole nine yards. They're already decided on a date, next January since the Snows apparently only marry in the winter. Something about family traditions.

"I still can't believe you're engaged," Livia says with a shake of her head, "I mean, I suspected something between you two but still, it all happened so soon." Soarynn smiles, lots of people were surprised but she wasn't, she's been planning on becoming Mrs. Snow for a long time.

"When you know, you know," she replies.

She just knew from very beginning.

꧁ ꧂

When Soarynn finally gets home from another day of shopping, she finds that her fiance has busied himself in the kitchen rather than his study. An odd change of scenery for Coriolanus who’s always holed up in his study if he’s at home.

He’s chopping away at some vegetables on a cutting board, so focused on the task at hand that he doesn’t even notice she’s back until the timer on the oven beeps, snapping him back into the present.

He looks over at her and grins, “Darling, when did you get back?”

Soarynn remains in the doorway to the large kitchen, content with watching him cook, “Just now,” she answers, leaning on the frame, “is the cook not here?” He shakes his head, scraping the chopped vegetables into a large bowl, “I sent her home early, I sent everyone home early.”

Soarynn frowns, wondering if something happened while she was gone. She’s already moved in with him, selling her apartment but once they’re married, she’ll be in charge of managing the household staff.

Until then, Coriolanus is still in charge.

“Why?” She inquires, stepping into the kitchen and setting her purse down on the counter, “Did something happen?”

His smile only grows bigger as he goes to open the oven, a heavenly aroma quick spreads throughout the room and Soarynn suddenly feels very hungry. “No, nothing happened. I just wanted it to be you and me tonight.”

It’s Thursday which usually means Coriolanus coming home right in time for dinner and wanting to go straight to bed. But he’s already home, and cooking. Something must be going on, he must be cooking up something else besides dinner at the moment. She knows him too well.

“Is there a particular reason for that?” She asks sweetly, appreciating the gesture but questioning the intent behind it. Nothing comes without a price, nothing at all. Soarynn would know that better than anyone.

The ring on her finger is the perfect example. Only given to her once she bared her soul to Coriolanus and somewhat embarrassed herself by crying in front of him.

And he’s far too clever to come home early for no good reason, Coriolanus loves to play games, loves a good riddle, a good challenge.

Soarynn has never been too fond of games.

Coriolanus sets the pan down on the stove to cool off, allowing her to admire how handsome he looks from behind, his white dress shirt still tucked into his pants. She can see that his curls have broken loose from the gel he slicks them back with every morning.

“I have a gift for you.”

Well now her interest is piqued. He turns around and laughs at her expression, eager to see what he got her, “Oh, now you’re excited that I’m home early,” he teases, “well you’ll have to wait until after dinner.”

Soarynn pouts, already knowing that it’s pointless. Coriolanus is a simple man who likes to complete one task at a time. He won’t move to her gift until they’ve eaten dinner and he’s washed all the dishes. Which is very annoying for her and very amusing for him.

Even engaged he still likes to pull her around on a leash.

So she doesn’t fight it. She asks him about his day, lets him feed her pieces of food while he continues cooking until the entire meal comes together. They eat in the dining room, a huge room with an even bigger table for just the two of them. Coriolanus sits at the head of the table, of course, and Soarynn sits to his left.

“I was thinking about the wedding,” she says between bites of chicken, “we should really try to limit the guest list or we’ll be stuck greeting everyone all night at the reception instead of enjoying each other.”

Coriolanus sips his wine which is a shocking choice of beverage for a man who loves whiskey or bourbon. A small smile grows across his lips like he knows something she doesn’t. He probably does considering how much older and wiser he is.

“Darling, the guests will come to us,” he tells her, placing his hand on top of hers, “there will be no running around the greet the guests. We’ll sit down at our table and enjoy our dinner,” he gestures to their current situation to use as an example.

Soarynn feels a little silly now, of course, people will come up to them and not the other way around. But she’s never been to a wedding before, too young and none of her friends have even gotten engaged yet.

She’s the first.

At least she doesn’t have to worry about losing her virginity. They crossed that bridge months ago.

"Oh," is all she says, her cheeks burning with a little bit of embarrassment, "well, I think I found my dress today." Changing the subject is an easy way to avoid any criticism from Coriolanus who often expects her to act twice her age while still remaining the youthful, wide-eyed girl he met forever ago.

His eyebrows shoot up, he knows how stressed she's been about finding the perfect wedding dress. It has to be something distinguished, something elegant and flattering, something the wife of a Snow would wear.

He's got it easy, wearing a black suit like he always does for important events.

"Did you now? What does it look like?"

Soarynn shrugs, a sweet smile on her lips, "What does my gift look like?" Coriolanus laughs at her attempt to even the playing field, she can't help but want to know what he got her today. "Never mind then," he decides, shaking his head, "we can both bathe in the anticipation."

Soarynn groans but he doesn't give in. Every once in a while he does, even a grown man like Coriolanus Snow can't fight off her pouting and innocent gaze. So she shows him her freshly painted nails and asks him about work, it's a domestic night for the both of them.

Once dinner is eaten, she helps him with the dishes, passing them to him so he can rinse them off. Soarynn likes to imagine doing this a few years into the future with little ones sitting in the living room, whispering about how romantic it is that their parents do the dishes together.

Coriolanus has only spoken about children a few times since she met him but she knows that he expects to start a family. He's late to that race compared to his friends his age whereas Soarynn is very early.

"Alright," Coriolanus says, drying off his hands with a dish towel, "let's go get your gift darling."

Soarynn squeals with excitement, she's not always the most patient person in the world which is why Coriolanus loves to make her wait. He made her wait to get engaged but look how that ended for him.

She follows him out of the kitchen and down the hall towards his study. Soarynn has only been in this room a few times since they met, finding it boring since it lacks anything of interest to her.

"Sit down here," he instructs, patting an armchair that sits across from his desk. Soarynn does as she's told, sinking into the chair and crossing her ankles. "Now close your eyes and hold out your hands, no peeking Soarynn," he says sternly. Soarynn gives him the best innocent, angelic look she can manage, "I won't peek," she promises.

He grunts and she closes her eyes, holding out her hands to receive her gift. Soarynn listens to him walk away from her and then hears the sound of a desk drawer being opened. She hasn't the slightest clue as to what he's gotten for her. If it were jewelry or clothes then he'd bring her to the closet.

Soarynn feels him standing in front of her again and then feels the light weight of what must be a card placed in her hands.

"Open your eyes darling."

Sure enough, it's a card. Soarynn gives him a curious look as he leans against his desk, watching her with amusement. "A card? Did you get our wedding invitations back?" They finally decided on their wedding invitations and Soarynn has been waiting for all of them to be delivered so she can mail them out to their guests.

He merely grins at her guess, "Open it and find out."

Soarynn's fingers gently tear open the envelope and she's surprised to find no note or invitation inside. In fact, it doesn't look like there's anything inside. Soarynn purses her lips, turning the envelope upside down and shaking it when a small, pink card falls into her lap. Soarynn picks it up, holding it between her thumb and index finger to inspect it.

It's no bigger than her citizen's license.

"Well? What is it darling?"

Soarynn looks up at her fiance, very confused as to what this is and why he's asking her to tell him. She turns it to the other side and her eyes zero in on the words that have been engraved into the card.

Soarynn Snow - Capitol Banking Card - 05081 082810

A sharp gasp leaves her lips.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, is this, is this what I think it is?!"

For the longest time, Soarynn has just been using one of his cards to go shopping and spend his money. Coriolanus trusted her enough to hand over one of his many banking cards without batting an eye, telling her to go shop her little heart out. But that was back when this all first started, since getting engaged, she's still been using his card, mostly because he hasn't asked for it back yet.

His banking card is sleek and black, with his name and his card number engraved into it.

But this is her card, with her name on it.

Coriolanus smiles, nodding his head, "The bank called me this afternoon to tell me that all the paperwork was finally in order. I left work early to pick it up for you."

Soarynn leaps out of her chair, too excited to sit still. She flies into his arms, smiling and shrieking, "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Coriolanus wraps his arms around her, holding her tightly against him while Soarynn clutches her card like it's a lifeline.

It's her first step towards becoming his wife.

"You're very welcome darling, I figured it was time for you to have your own card since you seem so keen on using mine to spend my money," he explains, giving her a teasing look. Soarynn giggles, she might have a habit of spending a lot of his money, but he can't have his fiance walking around in last season's shoes!

"Well, I'm going to have so much fun using my own card to spend your money," she tells him, smiling down at her little pink banking card. She can't believe he did this for her!

Although she'd never admit it out loud, there was a short-lived time when Soarynn worried that he only proposed because he felt pressured to, that he was only doing it out of duty and obligation. If that was the case then she was in for a miserable marriage where it would always be known that she trapped him into getting married.

But this card is clear proof that he feels the same way she feels about him.

He hums, rubbing a hand up and down her back, "It's the first official document that has your married name on it, even the banking paperwork has been updated."

She hadn't even given it any thought but he's right. Soarynn's old card still has her maiden name on it. According to the people at the Capitol Bank, she is Soarynn Snow, Mrs. Snow, Coriolanus Snow's wife.

It's the most perfect gift she's ever been given.

"I love it, thank you."

Soarynn kisses him on the cheek, leaning into his touch which becomes more possessive by the second, "There will be limits" he mumbles, turning his head so he can properly kiss her, "just like when you were using my card there will be monthly limits as to what you can spend."

Soarynn gives him a playful whine, tugging on his bottom lip, "It's all a precaution darling, I can't have you running me into the ground with your frivolous spending."

Soarynn gasps, pulling away from their kiss, "Frivolous spending?! My lingerie that you love so much is not frivolous!" She's got him there, Coriolanus loves it when she spends his hard-earned money on lingerie that he can rip off later that same night. And it's not like Soarynn has ever gone and run him dry, she's very frugal with her spending, only buying exactly what she needs.

Which sometimes happens to be twelve pairs of shoes plus a few new dresses.

"I do love your lingerie," he agrees, giving her a squeeze, "but sooner or later it won't just be the two of us on my tab, we'll have little ones and I have an inkling that you're going to be quite the spender when it comes to our children."

Just the thought of having children with Coriolanus excites her. Soarynn has always wanted a family, to be a part of something and she's always dreamt of being a mother. She's spent long enough thinking about the type of mother she's going to be. She'll be a good one, raising her children to be polite and respectful, but also darling and adored by all they meet.

She's meeting his parents this weekend for the first time.

Coriolanus has always kept her far away from his own family, to the point where Soarynn had to question if his parents were even still alive. Hers weren't. But now that they're engaged, his mother is eager to meet her future daughter-in-law.

"She's going to love you," he had told her after bringing it up to her the other day after dinner, "she's always wanted a daughter and I already showed her a photograph of you, she thinks you're adorable."

Soarynn didn't quite know if adorable was what she was going for but it was better than some trampy young girl running after a man ten years older than her.

Coriolanus hasn't mentioned a thing about what his father will think of her.

She hasn't brought it up either.

But she knows that his parents will expect grandchildren and she'll be happy to deliver on that expectation.

Soarynn sighs into the kiss, "You always think ahead don't you?"

From the moment she met Coriolanus, she knew he was one of the smartest people in the world, always so sharp and bright, anticipating everyone's next move before they could even think of it themselves, including hers.

"Of course darling," he mumbles, sliding his hand down to her left hand, rubbing her engagement ring, "Snow always has to land on top."

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