#these are some sketchbook pages a quite fond of

[svnflwrbee-art]

making a sudden appearance just for the sake of feeding my very few followers 🏃🏻‍♀️

[chrissdollie]

hanging out with rose and jack! (jack dawson x fem reader)

"It has always been my passion to go to America!" Fabrizio cheered in third class. You smiled brightly. Fab was one of your closest friends as well as Tommy, who you were sitting with. Jack was also present, your boyfriend of around 2 years. He wrapped his arm around you and you rested your head into his chest. "I'm thankful we made it here in time before the ship left!" You began to explain to Tommy how Jack won three tickets for Titanic in a game of poker and you only had five minutes to get to the ship. But as you were talking, Fabri and Tommy's eyes left yours. The attention was taken off you to another person walking downstairs. "Guys?" Jack's eyebrows furrowed. He turned around to see Rose standing above him, wearing an awkward smile on her face. You turned around, to see Rose and everyone else staring at her. Some sharing whispers. You were quite fond of Rose for the most part. But you could tell she had developed a little crush on Jack. Which you didn't mind at all! "Rose!" You stood up to greet her. "It's lovely to see you again, y/n!" She beamed politely. Jack rose up next to you. "Hey there, partner." He teased. Rose sucked in a breath. Was she nervous? "Hello, Jack." She cleared her throat. "May I speak to you?" She lowered her tone slightly so only the two of you could hear. "Sure, go ahead." Jack put his hands in the pockets of his worn out pants. You felt a little awkward standing there. The room was almost dead silent. "Erm.. I meant in private." She corrected. Heads were then turned to you, including Jack's. You smiled. "Sure, go ahead! I'll find you guys later." You leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Alright. See you later sweetheart." He kissed your head and quickly waved goodbye to Tommy and Fab. As he walked out with Rose, you waved and yelled "ROSE!" Her head snapped to you, concerned. Jack was frightened too. "Yes?" She asked, worriedly. "I like your dress." You giggled. Scaring Rose was always fun. But you weren't lying. Her satin green dress was gorgeoussss. She chuckled and rolled her eyes, walking out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jack and Rose were walking around the deck talking about the weather, about how Jack met you, and his childhood. Up until when Rose got all upset about something silly and snatched his sketchbook. He almost giggled laughed at her childish behavior. But he didn't really mind. She sat down on a lounge chair to skim through the book of topless girls Jack had drawn. Still frustrated, Rose tried to find an insult about the drawings. But couldn't. "These..." She turned the page as Jack sat down across from her on another chair. "These are quite good. Actually very good. You should sell these." She complimented. "Yeah, well, they didn't think too much of 'em in old Paris." She nodded. After turning another page or two, she began to find beautiful art of you. "But I mostly do it for my own enjoyment now." He told her, sheepishly smiling just at the thought of you. She continued turning the pages just to find that the rest of the book was all you. You were stunning, she had absolutely no problem admitting it. Nonetheless, she loved this art style and wanted it for herself. She was tired of being drawn like a porcelain doll. But she'd bring that up later. Suddenly, your cheery voice was heard calling their names. The two turned, squinting their eyes because of the sunlight and seeing you running towards them. "Hi! There... there were ehm.." You panted, trying to catch your breath. Jack grinned, helping you sit down and rubbed your back soothingly. But not for long as you turned to him and Rose, stopping his motions. "There were free biscuits downstairs. Some kind lady was handing them out. So I took one of course." You paused, making a gross face at the thought. "But it's utterly disgusting! It must've been the worst thing I've ever eaten. It was hard and tasted like metal!" You stuck your tongue out, still tasting it. Tommy on the other hand, loved the biscuits. So, you and many others gave him yours, much to his delight.

Jack put his feet up either side of yours which were hanging off the side of the chair. He held onto your back and rested his chin on your shoulder lovingly. "Oh! My drawings." You cheesed, looking at the book in Rose's hands. "Hm?" The redhead hummed, looking down. "Oh, yes, I was just returning them." She threw the book onto the chair you and Jack were sat on, hitting his back slightly to which he dramatically cried out, gaining others' attention. He fell flat on his back against the chair with a hand over his forehead and his eyes shut tightly. Rose was not amused, you could tell. But you were, of course. "Oh, I'm wounded! She's killed me!" He grabbed your arm and yanked you down, resulting in a small shriek. You began giggling (his favorite sound). "Only true love's kiss can save me now." He puckered his lips excessively, leaning in. You put a your finger in front of his mouth, blocking him. You steered your head to Rose. "Want to go for a stroll?" You offered gleefully. Jack rolled his eyes. He just wanted a kiss :( but most of the time you don't kiss him in front of other people because then it turns into a make out and it's rude blah blah blah.. Rose nodded standing up and ready to go. "I just want your loveeeee is that so terrible?" He clinged onto you, teasing. You grinned. You would have gave in if Rose wasn't there. It would've been rude and impolite! So you made a mental note to shower him with love later. Then the two of you stood up and walked around the ship with Rose. She began ranting about how she hates her life. "My dream has always been to just run away and become an artist! Poor, but free!" She laughed. Jack scoffed cheekily. "Listen, princess. You wouldn't last two days without any hot water and hardly any caviar." He joked. You let out a breathy chuckle at his humor. However, Rose was insulted. "I happen to hate caviar." She told him. "And I hate people telling me what dreams I should and shouldn't have!" "Good for you, Rose!" You smiled. She nodded her head quickly, a little embarrassed. "You're right, I'm sorry." Jack apologized. He forgot that he'd just met Rose and didn't understand a lot about her yet. For example, he's known you for three wonderful years. And he's learned a lot about your body language, things you're sensitive to, etc. "Well.. alright." She accepted. "Everybody expects me to be this delicate little flower which I'm not! I'm sturdy, I'm as strong as a horse! I'm here to do something. Not just sit around and be decorative. You see this hands?" She held her hands out. "These hands were made for work. Real work." She rambled angrily. The three of you were stopped when a man came up to Rose holding a tray with a teapot and cups. "Care for something, miss? We have tea and billiard." He offered. She scoffed, annoyed. "NO!" She dramatically replied. Jack laughed loudly, causing you to smile a little bit too. You actually felt a little bad for the guy. You three continued walking. "There's something in me. I don't know what exactly it is, but I can feel it. Whether I should be an artist or a sculptor or a.. a dancer! Vague and spirit." "Or a moving picture artist!" She giggled and ran ahead of you two. She leaned against a broad white pillar as a man used a film to photograph her. You and Jack stood behind him, watching her. "I'm glad she's having a good time with us." You mentioned to Jack. The night where Jack came running back into your room late at night to tell you about a young girl who tried to jump off the ship shocked you. But what was even more interesting is that Jack saved her life and got you two invited to dinner. "I'm proud of you." You looked into his beautiful eyes. He smiled ear to ear and kissed you. a/n: WAS IT GOOD WAS IT BAD LMKKK i'm actually kind of proud of this 👀 ik it’s short, it’s only 1.2k words but it was still fun to write! (BTW i have requests open)

[beanghostprincess]

AU in which Usopp is a storyteller who keeps telling fairytales to kids in the village, and one of his most famous stories is about a lost prince who escaped from home because of how badly his family was treating him. It has drama and death and love and everything. The prince just wanted to be a simple cook, but his past still haunted him even after escaping his fate. And so Usopp keeps drawing him over and over again, both in his sketchbook and also making sculptures of him. It's not that he's, like, obsessed. But it is his favorite fairytale.

And then he meets Sanji.

It's weird, yes. He looks oddly similar to his Sanji (the one of the fairytale) but it doesn't have to do anything with it. It- It doesn't have to be the same guy. Maybe it's just a coincidence and his drawings weren't as original as he thought they were. Besides, Sanji isn't a lost prince.

But he is exactly how Usopp had imagined him. A sweet, caring cook with a strong personality who fights only using his legs to avoid hurting his hands. A cook who feeds whoever's hungry and is fond of rats and small, wild animals without anything to eat. Blond, blue eyes and so, so many scars that he refuses to talk about. A soft spot for women, because of course there has to be romance. A gentleman. Somebody who could save Usopp if needed but would trust him with anything too. He isn't- Usopp is not in love with his Sanji. But maybe this one- Maybe this one is someone he can fall in love with because it's not his creation, right?

And then WCI happens. It would technically make everything make sense, but it doesn't. It just makes Usopp even more confused. Because he's sure it sounds exactly the same as his story. So he keeps wondering if Sanji is real or if he truly was a product of his imagination. Or maybe- Maybe he can see the future. Usopp isn't sure about it and doesn't even have time to think because he's more worried about Sanji's well-being after WCI and Wano than how Sanji was made.

Sanji says it's a destiny thing, maybe, when he sees Usopp's sketchbook for the first time. It's scary too, he also mentions when seeing the little annotations about Sanji's backstory (the one of Usopp's story) being exactly like his past. Usopp is kind of panicking, but for some reason, Sanji isn't.

"Maybe you can see the future, ever thought about that?" Sanji laughs while running his hands through a very accurate portrait of him, that's quite obviously years older than their friendship.

Usopp pouts. "Don't laugh at me! It's scary!"

But Sanji just shrugs and takes a drag of his cigarette, so calmly in comparison it makes Usopp feel like he's taking this too well. "Is it, though?" The sniper hadn't seen Sanji smile so peacefully. Not ever since they got separated. It makes him feel all warm, and he has the need to draw him. "Wouldn't it be nice?"

Usopp tilts his head to the side, frowning and fighting the urge to take the sketchbook off Sanji's hands. "What do you mean?"

"Have you ever..." Sanji stares down at the ashes falling on the deck, brushing his thumb over the corner of one of the pages. His words are carefully chosen, but he doesn't hesitate when pronouncing them. "Have you ever thought about fate?"

The sniper can just chuckle and roll his eyes at that. "You're just trying to make it romantic."

"Maybe I am." And Usopp's heart stops at the sound of Sanji's dreamy voice as if he is asking for Usopp to grant him a wish. "Maybe you made me." He moves his free hand to link his fingers between Usopp's, right on top of the grass tickling their skin. Usopp lets him, even if he feels his heart is right in his throat. "Maybe you saw me before even knowing me." Sanji speaks softer now. Quieter. Even if there's nobody around to see them right now. As if it was just their secret. Usopp closes his hand around Sanji's and lets their shoulders bump against each other, taking in a painful breath. Sanji is too close. "Or maybe it was all by chance. Coincidences happen." Sanji shrugs and goes back to staring at the sketchbook one more time. He rests the cigarette between his lips so he can turn to another page, one where a little boy who looks too much like him dreams of sea creatures, oceans, and freedom. Sanji smiles in a nostalgic, achingly way that can only be described as appreciation. "But I like to think you saved me, somehow. You gave me- Him. Freedom. A family."

Usopp feels a pang in his chest at his words. "That wasn't me, though."

The cook rests his back on the wall behind them, turning his head around to look at Usopp with the brightest, softest of grins. "But wouldn't it be nice to think your heart knew me before meeting me? I think it's..." He sighs, resting his head on Usopp's shoulder. The sniper can only squeeze his hand back and lean his head on top of his. "Maybe my heart knew you too, back then. Somehow. I've always liked shitty, cliché fairytales like this, you know?"

"But-"

"Let me have this." A please goes unsaid. "Even if you didn't save me back then, you did now. So who cares if I want to say you've always been with me?"

Usopp grits his teeth and holds back a frustrated noise. He's aware his hands are shaking, remembering everything he has drawn and everything Sanji has gone through. "I wish I met you sooner. Maybe that way you wouldn't have-"

"You can't change what's already happened, love." Sanji presses a small kiss on his shoulder, which somehow melts every bone in Usopp's body. "But you can keep drawing our future, right?"

The sniper thinks of bright blues and soft yellows and a lot- No. A ton of drawings of Sanji's grins, because he refuses to portray his sadness in one of his drawings ever again. He dreams of a blank canvas filled with Sanji's eyes, hopes, and dreams.

"Right." He kisses his head back. "I can do that."

Usopp knows his hearts are linked together. Whether it's fate. Coincidence. His drawings. Because if thinking so saves Sanji once again, he won't hesitate to capture his happiness in different shades of blue for as long as it takes.

[imfelinefinee]

How to play pranks on your Annoying Fish Monster Roommate (5+1)

Pairing: Seb.as.tian Sol.ace x Reader (Platonic / Romantic)

NSFW DNI

Notes: I've always wanted to try the 5+1 format- If you aren't familiar with it its when something happens 5 times within a fic and 1 thing to contrast the many things previously established. It really fun!

Also fishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishmanfishman

No idea if this is turning into its own AU now- I'm probably gonna make a masterpost for this bugger-

Summary: 5 times the expendable annoyed Sebastian and the one time he got them back

Warnings: Soft/Safe vore, Hurt/Comfort. A little hint at flirting in one of the parts (Its a joke dw), A very angry and annoyed fish man, mild swearing, brief mention to trauma etc

Inspired by @/Curledwithin 's Headcanons- I'm scared to tag them-

Words: 7.9K +

Scribbling down the lines without much thought, the sketch of a humanoid figure on the page. They’d yet to decide on who’d become another one of the many masterpieces they’d made thus far. Perhaps it would be another addition to the ever-growing collection of Sebastian doodles they hid within their desk out of view so that he wouldn’t find out about their hobby.

They’d try drawing off memory as a reference for old cartoon shows. Which proved to be rather mundane or simply not up to par as the human mind wasn’t always reliable. It always looked off to them, unsure of themselves as something wasn’t quite right yet they couldn’t determine what it was.

With communications cut off, including access to the luxury that was the internet. They were left with nothing besides the dull marine biology books plastered around or the monotonous documents that served their purposes. It was nice to pass the time in the beginning but now, it never wielded such results.

As the self-proclaimed expert in marine biology after reading every single book in their arsenal, though those weren’t the only subjects they were versed in after reading book after book. Some with facts of science others were business and finance. If they got out of Blacksite, they’d know how to start a business. 

They couldn’t determine if that was either a good thing or a bad thing.

Drawing had become a recent pass time for them, an indulgence. But after so much time, they procrastinated more and more until simply trying to finish their current sketch was infuriating as it wasn’t right!

Their attempt at curing their ailment of boredom proved subpar, nothing. Their mind went blank as they could hardly think, a blockage within their head as any attempt at properly thinking only got them in a pit of frustration. Repeatedly they tried to draw a line, only to falter further. Hesitation in their next step as their fingers shook with the graphite pencil in their grip.

“Fucking-... DAMN IT!”, the pencil sent flying against the wall. Colliding with the metallic surface of a wall as it banged against it, only to helplessly fall to the floor. The paper sketch gripped within their hand crunched and scrambled in pain as it was carelessly folded into a ball, and thrown onto the floor in a litter.

It didn’t even look like him.

Whenever the documents Sebastian collected proved to be utter nonsense, he’d hand over the paper for them to use if they wished. For them, a gift. To him, something to get rid of clutter that he didn’t need. Mutual exchange as he’d say. And it was an act of kindness they rarely saw from him in contrast to his attitude most of the time. 

They had even found a dusty old notebook that was empty, filled with horizontal lines of writing paper. It had become personal to them, acting like a sketchbook, journal and memories of their time within Blacksite. Something to look back on whenever they felt down or wanted to remember positive things during a rough patch. It kept them sane down there. 

With a look of solemnness, they turned to a random page. Only to land on a specific one they were fond of. It was a harmless prank they played on Sebastian, using a camera’s flash they’d found and using it to blind him. It wasn’t as bad as a flash beacon, yet still pretty bright. It startled him enough that they managed to get a picture of his reaction. 

A chuckle escaped them as they remembered the ramifications of their actions, caught mere seconds later of taking the photo and forced down into their “Time-out spot”. As Sebastian called it.

Only to get struck with a shock of inspiration…

<...>

Turns out their knowledge of marine biology proved to be rather useful for plotting their silly shenanigans. They could hardly hold their composure as they wanted to bawl over in laughter at their heinous idea.

It wasn’t just horrible, it was genius.

Gripping the bottle in their hand, containing acetic acid within. A strong scent of citrus and acid stung the top of the lid in a putrid aroma, a smell reminiscent of the outer seas or maybe even the welcoming smell of a British chip chop.

A common condiment often acquainted with fries or chips to flaunt the taste of a salty combination. A salty sour taste, some enduring the taste out of distaste with nothing left to eat after hitting a pub or just enjoying the delectable cuisine. 

It also proved essential in their survival, especially for cleaning off blood in their blood without access to laundry. With due diligence even tending to Sebastian’s clothing whenever he was too bothered not to wash his clothes. Complaining about the smell of it afterwards as he hated the smell.

To be more specific, it was fucking vinegar.

They’d learnt through much pestering that Sebastian was composed of differing sealife DNAs, including one of which was a sea snake. Snakes absolutely loathed the stench of vinegar as it messed with their sense of smell, perhaps even their organs at times. 

Which made it all the more perfect.

Opening the cap, they began to generously dose the vinegar in areas tended to sleep or interact with, especially in the corner where he maintained his shop. Not only that but, just to spite him. They poured some of it on his belongings, careful not to ruin his electronics as they only dripped a small drop on the items.

They snickered in mischief, feeling like an arsonist as it was dunked around the room like gasoline, yet to light the flames of Sebastian’s fury, the matchstick being the trigger as he entered the room.

Standing proudly in front of the results with their hands on their hips, the prank was in full completion. They inhaled the smell, holding back a grimace as it attacked their nostrils. It was a strong stench, even for them as they could pick up on it in the corner of the room they kept safe from the vinegar. 

It was definitely going to work.

They waited for his return, passing the time with another book of humdrum. Flipping the paper pages in disinterest, they practically scanned the book for pictures rather than for the text within. A book they’d read a couple of times at that point

Sat down upon their throne of victory, a crate that acted as their sofa whenever they dwelled in the room of Sebastian’s company. A hard surface against their back as they struggled with a sore pain from sitting down on hard surfaces for so long. More than accustomed to it at that point. 

As if on cue, they heard the clanging of metal as a heavyweight crawled through, complaining as it struggled with the pressure and movement it was made to endure. The man of the hour pushed his head from the vent, pulling himself up into a standing posture. A bag holstered over his shoulder.

They watched as his eyes widened in a look of shock, the smell flooding his senses as his ears flared up in confusion as he wearily scanned the room for whatever it was that attacked his sensations.

A large forked tongue poked out from the gaps of his teeth, quizzically tasting the air as he tried to figure out what the stench was. Only to recoil in disguise as it worsened, the odour so bad to him that he physically revolted.

He knelt over, holding the lower half of his face as he tried to block out the stench. One of his hands gripped the wall for balance as he was hit with a wave of nausea. Holding back an urge as he heaved, on the verge of vomiting as his body could hardly manage to combat the odour. 

A low hissing sound escaped his will, constant as his instinct flared in reaction to the fragrance of vinegar. A look of disgust on his face, sneering as he clenched his teeth shut to shelter his tongue that had been assaulted.

They hid their reaction with a book, biting back laughter as they barely held themselves together. The smile threatened to throw over their facade, their eyes met with the book in their hands. Welcoming the delight of the situation as they feigned interest in the media in front of them.

A voice called out to them, speaking their name with spitting venom as he looked at them with a look of bitterness. Muffled despite its loud volume, thanks to the hands blocking his means of speech.

They hummed thoughtfully, slowly turning their gaze to him in a look of faux perplexion. Innocent in their demeanour they gently put the book aside on the crate, looking over at Sebastian in a facade of worry and concern.

“You okay there?”, they asked with a small voice. Pretending, they looked over him in confusion, trying to figure out why he reacted in such a way.  Walking over as they reached out a hand to his shoulder, trying to reassure Sebastian that they were there for him.

He removed the hands covering his mouth as he opened it to talk, only to be audibly wrenching in displeasure. Wincing as he bit it down, looking up at them in a scowling pout. Heaving in his breathing as it hindered him, overwhelming him.

“Why does everything smell like-... FUCKING VINEGAR?”, he shrieked as he rose his voice. Angry as to why everything smells like something he absolutely loathed, hatred in his gaze as flicked his tail in an irritated manner.

“Oh!- I’m sorry!- I forgot… I just wanted to clean up some of the blood in my bedding- I didn’t realise it was that bad! Shit- I forgot how sensitive your nose was… I’ll try and find something to stop the smell…”.

They quickly retreated in a panicked stupor, little did he know that their little “mistake” wasn’t as innocent as it displayed, many things hidden behind the surface. As he would soon find out their intentions in due time.

<...>

Their little prank had been an outstanding success! Ever since the vinegar incident, the stench remained for the following days. Sebastian could barely cope as he bit into a chocolate bar or simply yawned. He glared at them for the rest of the day but didn’t once retaliate since the accident.

They had to grab a softer-scented bottle of Febreeze for Sebastian to spray around the room. Intoxicating the room with a rich fragrance to contrast the smell of putrid acid in his room. And eventually, it only came as the occasional whiff from an item he missed. It hurt their lungs but it was worth it!

They had confessed their crime to PAInter later that day, only to get a lecture that they shouldn’t have done that otherwise it would’ve pissed off Sebastian. But, he did also get a good laugh out of it like they did.

Their next plot struck them in a cord of intellect when they stumbled upon a ridiculously large speaker in a supply closet. It looked a little banged up, coated in a layer of dust as it had been left abandoned within the cramped space for a long time.

That’s when they had their next idea…

Sebastian had many things in his arsenal, including a gun. Often wielding it for emergencies in order to save the bullets, but it wasn’t just that. He had impeccable hearing thanks to his heightened senses, which was a virtue on many fronts as it allowed him to smell, hear or see things from a large distance.

But, that also made them incredibly sensitive. Another reason he hardly used his gun was that they really hurt his hearing when shot, deafening him in his vulnerability for a while as he recovered.

They weren’t going to shoot his gun though, that wouldn’t be the wisest choice. So, what better than a speaker? It wasn’t as loud as a bullet but it was boisterous enough for the use in their plans. 

Fortunately, PAInter had managed to access a file of various audios that they’d gone through together earlier that day. Many of them were old logs from workers within Blacksite, yet they weren’t particularly interesting or useful.

Except one.

The two of them had managed to find gold, a needle within a haystack. Perfection. An utter masterpiece for the ears to hear. A catchy tune that everyone could dance to, PAInter even loved it, putting it onto a playlist for them both to enjoy.

Nothing else could compare to the emotion, the words, the beauty behind such a work. It was the little theme that played in the Blacksite elevators when in use, just to distract the occupants from the monsters outside the door as it forced them to dance along and forget their worries. 

And now, it was about to take another victim into its arms.

Sebastian, the dearest fish man. Slept on the floor in his coiled curled form, his head atop his tail as he relaxed in a deep sleep. Usually, it was routine for them to use him as their personal warm bed as they’d cuddle up next to his tail or sometimes even within him if it was a particularly cold night. 

He let out soft snores in his sleep, drool escaping his jaws as it flooded with saliva. His hair tangled from his ruffling, a sheet of cloth draped over his shoulders in a makeshift blanket as Urbanshade never owned proper bedding for their subjects.

He was calm and vulnerable. The one time he let down his guard around them, he openly displayed his affection in spite. Joking with one another as they talked about whatever came to their mind. Keeping them safe within his coils, protecting them as they too were left out in the open. Despite all his sulk and facades, he was a good soul.

And now, they were going to torture it.

They had refused to sleep much to his annoyance, delaying it until he eventually gave up and fell asleep to their advantage. In addition to looting and carrying the heavy speaker on their back throughout the halls of Blacksite, it lay at their feet at the ready. 

Plugging in the audio jack from the speaker into their laptop, holding back a snicker as they opened the inbuilt media player, Hovering the cursor over the play button, turning back to Sebastian in for certainty that he was indeed asleep. 

Pressing the button, they waited as it loaded up for a moment as it required the components of the computer to load rather than the use of the internet. Only to pause as they didn’t hear the song, despite it playing on their laptop.

Turning towards the speaker in confusion, wondering if it was broken due to the state they found it in. Looking over the panel, they realised they hadn’t even turned the speaker on in the first place. Flicking the switch towards on, it blasted in volume.

They flinched from the sudden increase in volume, the loudness hurting their ears as they were far too close to the speaker for comfort. Holding their ears with their hands as they adjusted to the amplification of sound.

The sleeping beauty, the prince dreaming of sleep. The victim had awoken to their shenanigans from the rowdy noise, his half-lidded groggy eyes stared down at them in a somewhat state of alertness and anger.

His breathing was heavy as if he’d been startled, holding a hand to his holstered belt. He had nearly instinctively grabbed his gun as he realised it had simply been only the two of them in the room. 

His fanged teeth held together in a toothy frown, evidence of his dislike of the circumstances as he glared at both the speaker and them. His tail flicked in anger, evident in his irritated state. Audibly growling, muffled due to the speaker but if they picked up on it. The growling was hostile as he prepared to strike. 

He rose from his cocoon, looking down on them in a gaping shadow as he loomed over them. The soft glow of his eyes combined with the light of his angler barely shone the burrow between his browline, raising an arm in preparation to strike down on… them?

They braced, bringing their arms towards their face as they leaned away. A pitiful attempt at a dodge as they prepared to be hit by the impact of his fist. Instead of them though, there was another victim.

The speaker met his blow, smashing it like a compressor as it was squished in a metallic crunch into a shell of its former self. Sparks sent flying from the device as it was torn apart in a mere punch from Sebastian. A declaration of strength, a means of intimidation. 

He flicked his hand as if wiping away the dirt on his hands or an attempt to wipe away the pain as he crunched metal with his fist. They weren’t sure as he continued to growl despite the destruction of the device.

He turned to them with a look of disappointment and rage, grabbing the scruff of their collar as he brought them towards his face in warning. They were left in shock and awe of the circumstances, fearful yet amazed at his strength.

“Don’t. Do that. Again.”, those four words were enough for them to understand the assignment given to them. To which they responded with a series of quick nods, not wanting the confrontation in front of them as they leaned away. Trying to escape from it all.

He grumbled as they did so, exhausted and annoyed, they’d certainly managed to piss him off well enough. But he took a moment to breathe, seemingly calming down just a bit as the hand that held them let go. His face turned to plain tiresome exhaustion.

“Why did you do that?”, irritated in his tone as he eyed them down in suspicion under his lidded eyes, barely able to keep them open. 

“Accident…”, they answered with a hint of regret and hesitancy. suddenly found themselves regretting the idea of their prank. A look of guilt on their face as they looked away, unable to look him in the eyes. Clutching a hand within another, squishing the limb to ease the stress that suddenly enveloped them.

He only sighed, turning towards the screen of the laptop as he folded the screen gently. Casting the room in darkness, with the only light of his angler remaining. The only view was his face as it still frowned, yet they were met with a look of softness in his eyes.

With one of his hands, he tugged at their tangle of hands until his hand enveloped one of them in full. Giving it a tender squeeze of reassurance, gentle in consideration as he held onto them. His main pair of arms enveloped their waist as he picked them off the ground. 

Coiling up into his original position, grabbing their folded bedding that lay onto a crate. Smothering them in a blanket as he threw it on top of them, ruffling their hair as he let go of the hold. Only to shove a pillow in their face, demanding that they were to fall asleep there. They surrendered, tucking themselves in and making themselves comfortable. 

Maybe they should lower the volume of their pranks, literally.

<...>

The next morning, they awoke to a sense of loneliness and unwavering warmth. Opening their eyes felt heavy as if something weighed them down, inhaling from their nose proved to be stuffy with blockage. 

They could hardly determine what they were feeling, whether they were hungry or sick with vomit. Their throat quenched with thirst, drier than a dessert. It felt as though it was made of sandpaper, not only that but the headache they had threatened to crack and break their skull from how bad it was pounding.

Their cheeks flushed with unbearable heat, yet their body shivered with cold. Their joints ached with pain as they attempted to move, wincing upon opening their eyes to the blinding light that attacked their eyes.

They heard a voice call out to them, repeatedly hurriedly speaking their name in murmurs. With the weight of their body dragging behind them, they managed to sit up and turn towards whoever was calling their name. 

“Oh, thank god! You’re awake!-”, someone's voice spoke up from the buzzing of their ears, barely audible as they sighed in relief. Tilting their head in confusion, they approached the source in a flimsy crawl.  The voice got louder as they were finally able to hear, their mind realising it was PAInter within their daze.

“Hellooo…. I’m awake… Where’s Sebby?...”, their speech was drawn out in a slurring manner. Their voice hoarse in almost a whisper as they barely managed a murmur, croaky as they hardly got the question out.

“Uh- You, okay there?- You don’t look too good- Also, Sebastian went out to get some stuff to fix you up.”, they sounded worried in their tone of voice. They let out a long yawn as they sipped their eyes in an attempt to clear up the weight and dust in them. The only thought on their mind was to take a painkiller or two.

They propped their body up against the crate where their laptop sat, crossing their arms as a makeshift cushion to balance their head. Whilst also sheltering their eyes from the light that came with it, blinding them. They felt like shit as if they were dying.

“Blub…Blub blub blub- blub…”, they deemed that a decent enough reply. Not holding the energy to keep up with the conversation PAInter was trying to have with them. Their delirious state barely kept up with his talk, only thinking of fish at that moment. For whatever reason it was, they had no idea either. But, they really wanted to fish. Just fish.

“Blub… Blub blub??”, PAInter responded in the same speech as them, as if attempting to converse in a language of nonsense. Evidently, they were confused as to why they’d respond with fish sound effects.

“Blub… blu blub blub blub-”, they were soon having an in-depth conversation about numerous serious topics troubling them in their now sudden language of the speech of fishes, repeatedly going with the same word or sound. ‘Blub’.

It was just a constant thing, neither of them stopping as they continued in their conversation. It was a truly insightful, resolution-breaking speech between two sentient beings. Wiping their forehead, they were drenched in sweat, yearning for sleep but not wanting to pull away from the interesting talk with PAInter.

Only for it to be cut off from the palm that gently pressed into their forehead, the touch was cold; Pleasant in contrast to the pounding headache that made their head swell with ache, it soothed their pain ever so slightly.

They leaned into the touch, perhaps a little too much as a hand gripped their shoulder and they were nearly sent flying forward. Nuzzling into the hand as it smothered them in a tender touch, allowing them to relax into the hand.

“Sheesh- You’re hot…”, the voice of Sebastian commented, his hand withdrawing from their forehead from the rising temperature of their forehead. They’d gotten sick in the night, developing a fever in the process. Reacting far too late to prevent it to the stage it's gotten to, only able to treat it as it was and hope that it’d get better.

Admittedly, he was worried about them.

He wasn’t an expert in telling temperature but they were boiling, probably far too hot than the recommended amount. Yet, he couldn’t risk taking the blanket away from their shoulders in case it caused them more shivering. It was the only comfortable thing he could use as well.

“Thank you-....”, they replied in a slurred manner. Responding to his prior statement he quickly realised all too quickly that they interpreted it as a compliment. His face flushed in embarrassment suddenly, hoping they wouldn’t take notice of it in their state. They’d probably make fun of him for such a thing.

“T-That isn’t what I meant!- Moron-...”, he stumbled on his words slightly but managed to keep himself together. Turning his attention towards a pouch on his tail, picking up a packet of Paracetamol into his hand. Finding them in an old infirmary in his search for supplies to treat them with. 

He wasn’t going to risk them taking the pills themselves, they could hardly hold themselves up. Let alone take the pills on their own. With the one hand keeping them stable, holding the pills between his fingertips as the other held a bottle of water.

“Open your mouth.”, he commanded with haste, watching as it took them a moment to process his request and comply. He shook his head at their condition, wondering how they kept up with themselves in such a state. Gently placing the pills on their tongue, tilting their head up as he gently handed them the bottle of water.

They understood quite quickly, taking the bottle from his hand as they greedily gulped down the water alongside the pillows. Letting out a sigh of relief as they did so, only to go for another drink to clench their thirst.

Once they’d finished, they yawned in exhaustion. Leaning their weight towards Sebastian as he caught them, he realised that they were going to need the rest in order to recover. He moved them into a more comfortable lying position, propping their head onto his lap to act as a substitute for their abandoned pillow.

“What were you guys doing?”, he found himself asking the question to PAInter. As soon as he’d gotten back, the two of them were just making fish noises towards one another. It was a sight to behold.

“Here I thought you were fluent in the art of the dialect of fish! And here you are, a fish man! Wow-”, PAInter dramatised their speech in an odd attempt at a British accent. Drawing a pose on the monitor with arms raised to his digital face. Wait- was that an avatar?

Not quite in the mood for jokes, he rolled his eyes as he growled in a low volume. PAInter seemed to get the message as they quickly erased the painting they’d worked on. Only giggling in response as Sebastian worked through the tangled mess of hair atop the expendable head.

Thus concluding the third prank, if that counted to their toll.

<...>

About a day or two later, their fever had fortunately broken in thanks to Sebastian’s constant nagging. As they made progress towards recovery, they found themselves in a tiny mood for mischief, at minimum a small prank.

And they weren’t looking forward to another prank that involved something that might scare him again. Seeing Sebastian that angry wasn’t a friendly sight, it was frightening to even think about. Luckily, he accepted their apology afterwards.

“It’s fine- Just don’t do any of that bullshit again.”, he responded to them after they profusely apologised, a small smile on his face as he leaned forward as he ruffled their tangled hair, causing a worse mess for them to work through. They took it as a promise, nodding in agreement. Only to usher them to feel soon after.

And they weren’t a person who broke their promises. Most of the time.

They were forced into bedrest, under the watchful eye of PAInter as Sebastian went to do something productive. They didn’t remember what he said about what he was going to do but it was probably something involving their sickness. They groaned audibly as they weren’t even allowed to get up from the floor and stretch out in case they collapsed.

PAInter refused to even let them budge an inch, yet their joints were stiff with soreness. Even as they stretched, it wasn’t enough to get their muscles moving. They really needed the movement, at least for a small walk or something.

They were left behind with only their thoughts for company.

So, they decided the best course of action was to roll across the floor. Barrel rolling like a crocodile with a pillow in their grasp. PAInter quickly became alerted to their movement, looking down at them with a scribbled frown.

“HEY!- You’re not supposed to be moving!”, he chastised them in the form of a lecture. They rolled their eyes, ceasing their movements as they let out the loudest, grumpiest, annoying groan they could muster in a long drawn-out breath until their lungs eventually gave up.

They decide to ignore PAInter’s commands, standing off the floor as they stretch, joints cracking under the new pressure, withering away the soreness as a yawn escapes them, suddenly feeling more awake and energetic.

Not feeling in full condition but enough to do some things, whatever those things were. Looking around the place, Sebastian was quite the mess at times, leaving files littered on the ground. He often left his comb, rubbish, bedding and whatever was left over on his plate because he couldn’t be bothered to clean it up.

Don’t get them started on whenever he sheds, that was a catastrophe to clean up. 

So, being caring and productive as they were. They began cleaning the mess left behind, much to the complaints of PAInter who tried earnestly to get their attention. Only for them to poke their tongue out childishly in response to his nagging.

Folding the sheets he used as makeshift blankets, topped on top of a crate in a neat pile. Their dirty laundry including their sickly bedding was tossed aside for them to tackle later. Piling up rubbish into a random crate with nothing in it, to dispose of in one of the random bins throughout the facility.

They even dedicated the time to organise his little mess of documents in data in order of files to a mountain of storage drives. 

“You really shouldn’t be moving like this!- You should be resting!- You can’t possibly combat the infection in your body without sufficient energy!- If you were to use it up, you could end up even worse than before!- Oh gods- Sebastian is going to dismantle me!-”, PAInter panicked in their fumbling speech, if they were human. They’d be the embodiment of a stuttering mess.

“Relax- He isn’t going to kill you. Not if I have anything to say about it- Also I’m fine- It’s only a little bit of cleaning and besides I’m practically done”, and they were done. Besides the laundry, that was a task for their future self, not the current tense.

That’s when they got an idea, they remembered their little fever dream of speaking fish with their companion. And what better than some wordplay, especially along the lines of the fish category? It was harmless and probably funny.

Perhaps even punny.

Grabbing a bottle of water and the medication they’d found on the floor. They popped a pill from the seal and swallowed it down, giving an ample amount of water with it. Grabbing some of the laundry into their hands, they began to fold it away into a neater pile for easier transportation later.

Only to hear the man of the hour arrive back in time, he looked tired as he leaned forward with an arched back. He quickly took notice that they were up and running compared to the state they were in earlier. He stared down at them after scanning the room, deadpan as if he wasn’t very impressed by the recent cleaning they’d done.

He didn’t bother asking either of them what happened. Far too used by their little schemes up to that point. He began to unpack all of the items he’d garnered including some medical supplies, refills of water, flash beacons, batteries and the like.

“Water are you doing?”, they asked with feigned curiosity as to his recent business. Standing up, they inspected a bag left untouched by his moving hands. Reaching out a hand towards it, only for it to be snatched by his.

“Don’t. Touch. It’s tonight's dinner.”, without the ability to see or touch whatever was housed within the sack. They sniffed at the contents, only to be met with a stench of salt and oceanic algae. Not only that but it looked as though there was a wet patch at the bottom of the pouch, concluding that it was likely fish in association to the word food.

“That was a little shallow of you- Are you okay? Shorely you’re not feeling under the weather too?”, they raised a hand towards his face. Only for it to be pushed away by him, his eyes looking down at them in suspicion.

“I’m fine- Why are you up anyway? I told PAInter to make sure you rest-”, he eyed down the suspect in question. Raising an eyebrow in intrigue at the subject before the three of them, PAInter visibly sweated with animated droplets on his face.

“Uhh- I tried to get them back to sleep but they wouldn’t listen to me…”, it spoke with honesty and truth. They knew not to cross paths with Sebastian, or test the waters so to speak as they refused to lie to someone they saw as family.

“What? I was just trying to kelp out!”, they exclaimed with their hands above their head to exaggerate their words. Only to be met with the collective glares of both Sebastian and PAInter with the same frown, one thing they had in common besides the escape of Blacksite was how annoying their companion could be.

“I’m going to break every bone in your body if you don’t stop.”, he threatened in a dry tone of voice. PAInter joined in on the threat by drawing a picture of their face with Xs over the place that should’ve been their eyes.

Motherfuckers. They weren’t gonna give up that easily.

“Oh come on! You guys would be bonely without me-”, they were cut off as Sebastian tackled them with full force. Dragging them to the fall with him as he held them down, feeling them squirm and struggle under the pressure as he laid down atop them.

“I AM NOT DONE!- I HAVE A SKELE-TON OF JOKES IN MY ARSENAL! I’M VERY HUMERUS!- IT’S YOU GUYS WHO DON’T HAVE A FUNNY BONE! COME AT ME- I BET YOU GUYS DON’T EVEN HAVE THE GUTS! I’M NEVER GONNA RUN OUT EVEN IF I’M BONE-DRY”.

He held them there for about an hour or two.

<...>

They grumbled under their breath, pressing their head as their cheek squished against the solid cold surface. They had been dragged across the entirety of Blacksite into a small cafeteria that Sebastian had found, equipped with the luxury of an inbuilt electric stove and plenty of pots and pans. It even had the leisure of a spice rack!

Sebastian watched over the pot on top of the stove, watching the water boil as bubbles burst from the influx of heat at the bottom of the pot. A ladle in one hand as he tasted his culinary expertise, sprinkling a dash of salt if necessary. 

In the other laid the skin and bones of deceased fish, stripped of their outer coating and bone structure for the flesh within. Snacking on the delights of raw fish, the crunch of bone on his teeth. 

He had called the dish, Sebastian’s special stew. A dish composed of whatever tinned vegetables he found in the cabinets, carrots and peas. A can of chopped tomatoes and water for the base, and whatever fish he found whilst hunting during his swim earlier that day.

Turns out he went swimming out in the inner cavern that shrouded some of Blacksite and with his strength. He managed to chase and hunt down the stray fish that happened to be too slow for the rest of their school. A liability to their survival and more importantly Sebastian’s dish. He actually seemed really happy about it.

He actually wanted to make them a stew to help them feel better, and what better than homemade fish soup? The sound of it didn’t sound disgusting at all! Yet, they couldn’t really afford to be fussy with food down in the depths of Blacksite.

“...Could you pass the pepper from the cabinet up there?”. He called out their name nonchalantly, which had been a massive improvement from expendable or human since they’d bonded. Pointing towards the cupboard that contained the spice rack inside of it. They whined with a huff but stood up otherwise, walking towards the container.

Upon opening the small door on top of their tiptoes, they spotted something that caught their eye. A devious scheme came to mind as they grabbed the small bottle into their hand, hiding it in a pocket as they picked up the pepper shaker with it.

“Thanks-”, he was about to pour the dosage of spice into the soup. Only to pick up a pungent scent coming off the container, a drop of the contents spilling into the soup much to his dismay. He growled in a low snarl at them for what they had done, the betrayal in his eyes evident as it was revealed what was in his beloved soup.

Cinnamon. Another stench happened to mess with his senses, gently placed the spice back down onto the container as he eyed them with a look of bewilderment. Only for them to hand him the proper condiment he was looking for originally.

He gripped a strand of their hair as it tugged them towards him, careful not to rip it out of their scalp. He glared at them down with a hiss, displeased by their actions as he opened his mouth in a widened manner. They let out a pout as they leaned back, preparing to be shoved inside.

A hand gripped their shoulder, hindering their movement and chances of escape. Preparing for the inevitable time out they were about to face for roughly the next couple of hours. Waiting with bated breath as the tongue came closer to their face, taking in their taste as it dragged over their cheek. Drool dripped from the side of the cheek as it clung to the skin of their face.

He chuckled upon seeing them seize up and halter, pulling away from their personal space as he returned his attention was drawn back towards the soup. Picking up a small bottle of oregano and pouring just a little extra into the soup to combat the taste of oregano.

“You remind me of my siblings at times-... I used to cook for them whenever our parents weren’t home… They’d always try and “help” out with my cooking- Trying to pour hot chocolate into the pasta sauce I was making!…”, he reminisced with nostalgia, a look of sorrow on his face as he remembered happier times of his human life. 

He must really miss his family…

They didn’t respond, their expression soft as they stood there next to him. Listening in case he wanted to talk about it some more, yet he didn’t utter another word as he looked conflicted. A mix of hatred, regret, sadness, anger, and happiness all at once. He looked as though he wanted to cry.

Their hands wrapped around his waist, holding him close as they mustered all their strength into a strong hug. Trying to comfort him in a warm embrace despite their small stature, he turned to them with a soft smile as it appeared to have worked.

One of his hands clung to their backside, rubbing it in an up-and-down motion as he returned the hug. Maybe they were trying to reassure them in return, or maybe it was just a gesture of his gratitude. 

“I’m fine- Don’t you worry…”, his hand retracted from their back towards the top of their scalp, ruffling the locks between his fingers as he let another chuckle escape his lips. A look of softness in his eyes.

Not too long after he finished his culinary masterpiece, the two of them sat at one of the many tables in the cafeteria. Sebastian hardly managed on the cramped metal seat but managed to sit down to eat the food. The food looked really nice actually, with the spices and vegetables to disguise the smell of the fish.

After hesitating after a bite, they plunged the bite into their mouth. Preparing for the urge to spit out the fish from their mouth, only for it to taste really good. A squeal of delight escaped them from the rich taste, surprised that it worked so well together. 

Sebastian watched as they helped themselves bite for bite, only to realise that they’d quickly finished their dish. They looked around aimlessly as if they wondered where the food had gone, a smile on his face as he realised they liked his cooking.

Picking up their bowl, pouring another scoop of stew into the bowl as they handed it back to them. The two of them enjoy the moment between each other. He couldn’t help but notice how much they ate, a little concerned over the gesture but he never withdrew the food. Content that they were eating a full meal for once.

<...>

A day later, they fully recovered from the fever they’d endured. Strolling the halls of Blacksite, book in hand with the text of pages gripped tight to their chest. Returning from their secluded spot after having retreated to the room for some privacy.

 A yawn escaped them, tired from having to clean out the laundry with whatever cleaning supplies they could find. Using their hand and sponge to scrub out the stains had somehow gotten into the fabric.

It took some time, but they were spotless afterwards. After many events throughout the past week, they asked PAInter to take some pictures from the security feed for them to remember in their scrapbook. 

They’d written each little “prank” they’d done within the journal. PAInter suggested adding a couple of their comments for the book of remembrance. A memorabilia for them to look back on with nostalgia.

Making their way back towards Sebastian’s little shop, crawling through the metallic shaft that was the entrance vent. Difficulty in their crawl with one hand to push themselves forward as the other held their beloved book.

As they entered, preparing to announce their return to their companions. They were met with the complete pitch-black darkness of the room, with no sense of voice or electricity with the poor light of the room. They knew Sebastian liked the darkness but it was never that bad that they could never see anything.

Something was wrong.

Pulling out from the vent, they called out in a desperate cry to hear their companions. Worried as to where they’d gone, wanting to know their whereabouts. Only for the shadows to envelope their figure in a dark embrace.

“Sebby!- PAI?- Are you guys here? Where-”, anxiety hit them in a sudden wave. Their breathing was hindered as they felt a weight on top of their lungs, their eyes scanning around for any sign of movement. Clutching the book tighter as if it were a lifeline. 

They were cut off by their own scream as something roughly grabbed the collar of their shirt. Lifting them from the ground as they kicked out from the scare, trying to get their feet back onto the ground as they struggled in the sudden grip.

Wielding the book in their hands, they began to wildly attack whatever held them so mercilessly. Trying to fight off the attacker with the book as their sword and shield. Only for it to be thrown out of their grip with a small grip of the monster.

Unable to see, they tried slipping away with rapid movement, trying to squeeze their way out of the hold. Only for something wet to drip atop their head, feeling the liquid fall from the hair down to the drop below.

They looked up to see glowing blue eyes, a soft yellow light flickering in front of them. Their eyes widened as they witnessed fate befall them, their panic turned to a sombre deadpan stare as they accepted the reality of what was about to happen.

The tongue drew a line across their face, coating the skin in a thick drool as the creature- Sebastian tasted them. His open maw creased upwards at the sides, a big smile on his face as he noticed their grimace at the gesture.

Shoving their head inwards, gulping down as he licked at their form. Enjoying their delectable taste with ravenous intent as he greedily swallowed them into his empty belly. With a couple of gulps sending down to his stomach, hissing in delight at the meal. 

His tail flicked happily as he pressed his finger to his throat, feeling the weight pass by until his little human landed with a plop into his stomach. A purr escaped him as he felt their movements, hands pressing down on them as they settled in.

They were met with the soft surface of velvet walls of his stomach, the walls cocooning around them in a welcoming hug as it accepted its new “meal”. The walls pressed down on them as Sebastian rubbed circles into their space, soothing them into the space that was himself. 

Those weren’t the only things dwelling in his belly as they found a blanket and pillow housed within. Confused, they gripped the cloth into their hands, feeling a slightly damp yet dry fluffy sheet and one of the many scratchy pillows of Blacksite.

Audibly groaning at the situation before them, only to smother themselves into the blanket as they leaned into the tender flesh. The pillow cuddled to their chest as the surface was comfortable enough without it, not needed yet fond of the object nonetheless. 

“Comfortable? Thought I’d return the favour after all the shit you’ve been pulling lately-”, explaining the reason behind the sudden scare. The realisation dawned upon them as it was revealed that he got his revenge against them. A predator lying in wait for the prey, striking at the perfect moment.

He let out a snicker as they punched his stomach, returning the gesture with more rubs as they reluctantly leaned into the affection. Hearing a small yawn escape them, cradled in warmth as they tucked into the comfortable space.

“Get some sleep, little guppy. You need it.”. He bit back a chuckle moments later as they were on the verge of sleep within the space, a hand continuing its movement to lull them to sleep. 

His attention turned towards the abandoned book on the floor, observing the cover revealed nothing of its contents. It didn’t look like any valuable data nor did it look interesting with the blank front cover.

Opening the contents within revealed a different story, looking upon different memories with their little scribbles of drawings and pictures. Writing down each memory in key detail as if they took in every second of their shared moments. They noted down their thoughts and feelings towards each of their companions too. 

He read in awe, a small content smile on his face as he curled up in his comfortable coiled form, flipping each page with intrigue. It didn’t pass him that they saw through his tough exterior, almost letting out a sigh of relief that they never saw him as the monster he looked like, rather the person within. 

Maybe they should let them in some more…

<...>

“W-what are you doing with that flash beacon?...”. 

[scribble-dribble-writes]

Work of art

---

Pairing: Miguel o'hara x female reader

Warnings: none

Word count: 2400

Content: being eachother's muses, artists falling in love.

---

He had been keeping an eye on you for quite some time now. And every time he spotted you, you were seated with that same book, scribbling something into it. But what got to him most was how you allowed everyone but him to take a peek inside it. What was it, that it’s secret content was never shared with him.

Now you were lounging on a ledge in his office waiting for your mission, but you were content with your headphones on and a pencil in hand. Some times he would forget you were there but he could always feel your gaze on him. He suppressed a smile as his eyes flitted back to his screens, he had never known another person could outbid him at being standoffish.

But this calm peace around him broke when the team gathered and you stirred from your spot to hop down and greet Peter B Parker. He frowned, he had been here the entire time and you had failed to approach him. He resumed his stance, this shouldn’t have bothered him, but it did.

There you were again, now laughing with Peter as Mayday giggled, showing him pages from that damn book. His claws began to emerge from his skin. He was going to give you the cold shoulder too then.

“Why are you so moody today?”, LYLA popped by his shoulder to ask.

“I’m not.”, he mumbled.

“It tends to happen whenever she’s around.”, she wiggled her eyebrows at him which only frustrated him more.

“I’m not moody.”, he spoke through his teeth.

“Surely looks like you are.”, LYLA laughed.

He huffed to turn to the group but his eyes could only keep coming back to you, your shared smiles with Pavitr, your eased body language around Hobie but it only pushed him further into a state of despair when he noticed Miles laughing about something in your book.

He got down from his podium, he was the boss here but the moment your eyes caught his, his anger disappeared and he forgot his words.

Why was it so hard to exert control over you?

He should have you at his beck and call but it was you who had power over him. You could call for him and he would be by your side in an instant.

“Mission allocation.”, he addressed the group.

He sent each one away with a task to do and then there was only you.

“Don’t tell me I’m still suspended.”, you folded your arms because being around him for extended periods of time did you no good.

“Unfortunately, you are.”, he turned away as though he had a chip on his shoulder and his only motive was to cut you deep.

“Fine, then I’m going home.”, you rebelled stomping after him.

“You can’t.”, he replied without so much as even looking at you not affected by your glares.

“Why are you so infuriating?”, you edged closer to him, to get into his line of sight.

“I'm infuriating? You're- ”, he met your gaze as he swallowed the rest of his phrase and your fingers itched for your pencil again, to draw him from this perspective, especially with how the lights fell on his face. It was getting out of hand, he occupied every little corner of your mind and you ran out of pages in your sketchbook from drawing him.

“Ugh.”, you turned away, he was in your head, taunting and tempting you and now you needed another book to capture his pretty face and his emotions. It wasn’t fair that you had to be so affected by him while he was a wall of stone.

“You know what, fine, have it your way.”, you gave up now stuck in close proximity that you were sure the final book you had was going to be filled with sketches of him in his office.

His eyes widened as though he was about to take it back, the brown in his pupils softening to a warm hazel. You wished you had your other art supplies, to capture this new color. You were certain you were going mad.

He watched you go back to your spot, the one he had now grown fond of because you inhabited it. But it didn’t make him feel any better to have you be around him against your wishes. But he wanted to find out about the contents of your book and if he could get LYLA to snoop around, his thoughts could be put to rest.

“Or you could ask her.”, LYLA told him to which he chuckled sarcastically.

“She avoids me like I’m a mutating anomaly.”, he typed away on his keyboard. Bringing up a folder that contained pictures from his camera.

All of it holding pictures of you at different places, while at work or here in his office. This was getting out of hand, his hobby had now become a fixation on you, unable to still grasp the extent of your beauty. That the more he took the more he kept and the more he dreamed of you.

“Now just do what I asked you to do.”, he dismissed LYLA, his eyes sneaking glances at you now aware that it was only the two of you here.

Insufferable, you thought as you shaded his back muscles into your sketch.

He was keeping you here to possibly teach you a lesson and it frustrated you because you didn’t mind. You could stay here, on this ledge as observe him for hours. What you couldn’t understand was why he allowed you to. He sensed when someone had their eyes on him, he knew when people held him in their line of sight and yet he hadn’t said a word to you.

LYLA popped up next to you and you scrabbled to shut your book.

“I’m not going to lie to you, he’s getting on my nerves.”, she sighed dramatically and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Why? Has he grounded you too?”, you asked to which she adjusted her glasses.

“No, he’s bothered by what’s in that book of yours.”, she muttered and your heart stopped.

“He knows?”, you whispered.

“I’m afraid so.”, she said as she patted down her coat.

“You might have to come clean about it.”, she continued and you sighed closing your eyes.

If he knew, then all this while, he let you watch him because he was waiting make you a public example, expose you to everyone about how insane you were and now there was no way to escape it.

So you hopped down, now feeling guilty of your little obsession. His tall frame loomed over you, every action he did, it made you want to freeze time. To capture the beauty of his hand, the arch of his eyebrows or the shape of his nose.

“Here.”, you held it out to him, as if you were submitting stolen evidence.

He turned to you, his eyes narrowing down on the book you held out.

“Just don’t tell anyone.”, you swallowed, nervous of his reaction.

He held the coveted object in his hands, without waiting a second to open the first page. And instantly, the anticipation in his heart had collapsed.

It was a sketchbook, the first one was of Mayday, then followed by Peter, Hobie and Gwen mid fight, Pavitr riding Jess’s motorcycle. He wasn’t sure why you would have to hide this from him, that was until he flipped to the next page and the page after that to see endless sketches of him. While he was working, while he was sleeping, as he fixed up his suit. He filled all your pages and it made his throat run dry.

“You, you drew these?”, he stuttered.

“I thought you already knew?”, you furrowed your brows as you slowly caught on to what was going on.

“You sent LYLA to spy on me.”, you grabbed your sketchbook from his hands as he searched for an explanation.

“I did not.”, he argued.

“He did.”, LYLA appeared next to him.

“LYLA.”, he chided her but you felt betrayed. That was until you spotted something over his shoulder. A picture jutting out behind a tab. You brushed past him to click on the floating square and as it appeared, you gasped.

“No,- he tried to hold you back but you had seen what you had to see. Buried in the middle of all his reports was a picture of you.

“What is this?”, you asked turning to him, now aware of how he was restraining your arms.

“That’s umm you uhh – he was out of his element, his cheeks turning darker as he blushed.

But to make matters worse LYLA clicked a button and the screens flooded with pictures of you. Pictures that looked like he had taken. You couldn’t turn to see him, because you were sure your cheeks had turned red too.

“Why do you have all these photos of me?”, you asked and in response you heard his sigh.

“The same reason you have all those sketches of me.”, his soft gaze met yours as if you both had been caught red handed.

You matched the intensity in his gaze, his eyes never flinched from yours and every time they were on you, it was as though he was capturing a thousand pictures, drinking in the very sight of you, to memorize you the way you had memorized him. You reached up to touch his cheek and could only watch as he crumbled beneath your touch. Like he craved it, you did too, you could sit for hours to make sculptures of him, to paint pictures of him and fill your room with it.

“What have we done to each other?”, he whispered.

“Found our forever muses.”, you smiled, drinking in the sight of his smooth tan skin as your fingers traced over it.

“Now how are you going to make it up to me?”, you ran your fingers over the shape of his lips to hold the sides of his cheek to make him look at you and watched as he held his breath.

“For what?”, his eyes narrowed, his hands bringing you closer to him.

“For lying to me. For spying on me.”, you smiled and he hummed as though the very sight of your joy made him feel it too.

“I’ve got a few ideas.”, he mumbled as he let you settle on his lap, making him recline in his chair.

“Like?”, you whispered.

“Like sending you home.”, he tucked away your hair behind your ear and it wasn’t what you were expecting.

“Oh.”, you pushed away from him.

He looked at the disappointment in your eyes and tried to rectify his statement but it was too late. He could only watch as you grabbed your book and left. He sunk his hands into his hair, frustrated that he had miscommunicated his intent.

“How is it that you managed to mess that up?”, he heard LYLA laugh next to him.

“Shut up.”, he whined as he came up with a new plan.

You were in your studio, clothed in your jumper and running shorts, staring at a blank canvas in annoyance. Because you wanted to paint him and yet with how he had dismissed you this afternoon, you wanted to try and forget him. There was a knock on your door and you moved to answer it, reducing the volume on your music system on your way out. Opening the door, you were struck by the glimpse of his sculpted physique.

“Why are you here?”, you sulked and he walked past you.

“I’m here to make it up to you.”, He spoke to you as he took in the details of your flat.

“Right. Why don’t you stop wasting your time and get back to your work?”, you brushed past him to your studio.

“No, no, I’m here to commission you for an art piece.”, he got into your line of sight. It was getting hard to ignore him, your mind now getting inspired to fill that blank canvas with a portrait of him.

“What do you want me to paint?”, you asked him in an attempt to make fun of him but his answered stopped you.

“Me.”, he smiled, his eyes shimmering with hidden glee.

“Right, so you can hang it up in your office.”, you dismissed him but he caught your wrist instead.

“No, so you can have it.”, he kissed the edge of your fingertips and you could hear the sound of your heart beating in your throat.

“Why are you doing this?”, you asked as he held your hand over his chest, to feel the rhythm of his heart.

“I want your undivided attention.”, he smiled and you were certain your knees were going to give out.

“All this is not going to get me to do your bidding.”, you stood resilient to his charm only to see his eyes darken, taking on your challenge.

Placing your hand on his chest and holding it there, you inhaled a sharp breath as his suit began to disappear till his waist, as though his shirt had been peeled away and you stuttered for words, entranced by his ethereal elegance. You couldn’t reach for the brushes and painting was the furthest thing on your mind now.

“You can either paint me", he tugged you towards him.

"or kiss me.”, he held your gaze and you dropped the paintbrush you held.

“I’m going to kiss you.”, you told him as if you had a spell cast over you, his hand slipped under your neck as he pulled you in.

His lips were a perfect fit against yours and however hard you tried you could never capture this in drawing, this was only for you to experience. The smoothe panes of his back, the soft warmth that emanated from his body, his hands running up your exposed legs as you sunk your fingers into his hair.

It was passionate as he kissed you for the first time but then it mellowed down as he placed his back on the table, to kiss you slow like he was capturing you in his minds eye.

“Eres una obra de arte.”, he spoke against your lips and you broke away to catch your breath, as you looked at him sprawled beneath you, his hands holding your waist steady. His hair spread out over his head as his cheeks were flush with colour.

“So are you.”, you smiled tracing your thumb over his plush lips. He hummed pulling you in, like he could never have enough of you. His lips met yours again with a renewed passion and as the soft jazz music continued to play in the background, you were certain that these studio sessions were only going to be a lot more frequent.

[hispieceofcake]

🕸️My thoughts and feelings on Beetlejuice 🪲 (at least for a while)

I know a lot of people probably won't care but I really want to share my thoughts and talk about this character and that's what I'm going to do, There are a lot of thoughts and feelings accumulated inside my head and I need to get them out, it's a little mess but I think it will be fun to read.

I've had this on my mind for a while, which has finally become one of my biggest, if not the biggest, hyperfocuses for now and I'm going to share a little bit of it now >:)

I really didn't think I would have the courage to post this because I'm not that confident in sharing my things but I CAN'T TAKE THIS GREEN DEMON GHOST MAN OFF MY MIND😫‼️

The beginning of this happened when I was already in another hyperfocus on the character Adam from the series Hazbin hotel on Amazon(I was already a fan since the pilot on YouTube), and then a slight curiosity hit me..."Who is his voice actor?"

So I went looking for who he was and I ended up being so interested in the actor, who is Alex Brightman (I love him a lot by the way and I can't wait to go see the musical and see him in person) and also in the characters he played and voiced, and in particular one of them won my heart.😔🩷

That's exactly what you're thinking, it was Beetlejuice.

For some reason he caught my attention and over time I ended up becoming quite fond of the character, even more so when I remembered that my parents watched the character's film when I was a child, which made me even more eager to research and look for any possible bit of information on the internet that I could find.

AND YES !

I actually achieved a lot and I'm going to share it <3

Firstly, the 1988 film, which was one of the first pieces of information I found about it, after all, it was in it that the character made his debut (apart from the story of its creator Tim Burton). And I know Beetlejuice is a pervert in this movie, but I try to ignore that and try to just look at the good side of him being a good character.

Secondly, and I think this is what caught my attention the most, is the cartoon of 1989 with the same name as the character called Beetlejuice where the character acted as the protagonist alongside Lidya (In this one there's nothing about him wanting to force her to marry him like in the movie, it's just a cartoon of them having a good friendship and being best friends).

And man, the way I was happy when found out that the cartoon had 4 seasons and about 68 episodes, I was almost like that kitten TikTok meme ✨ HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY ✨

Like, wow, a source of potential Gifs, icons, dividers, photos, edits, there was so much I could do that I didn't even know where to start because of all the hustle and bustle and animation I had (And of course I spent the next few weeks pestering my friends about it during class with every little bit of information I found🤓👆).

At the moment I'm trying to look for a website that has all the episodes together or just some, but so far I've only been able to find them on old DVDs. When I can find a website I will gather all the links and post them, so that more people can watch.

And one of the best parts...I FOUND A WHOLE COLLECTION OF 🩷VALENTINES' DAY CARDS🩷 and I'll probably make another post later to post all of them or at least their links, they're all official. This made me even more excited because I love all that romantic and cute aesthetic of the Valentine's Day season, hearts, red and pink decorations, heart-shaped candy boxes, love letters, Decorated store windows, stuffed animals, I just love everything (even though I don't have a valentine, and I don't want to🙃).

To give you an idea of how focused I was on this little green-haired corpse demon ghost man, everywhere I have the opportunity I make doodles or drawings of him all over the places, walls, notebooks, tests, napkins, classroom board, and in my sketchbook, in which I'm making an entire page dedicated just to him and Lidya, which maybe later I'll post too. Even more so after I managed to find several official reference sheets from the studio that designed and animated the cartoon, so now the drawings will be much better.💋

There is so much information that I managed to find that I am having to organize my thoughts because unfortunately I am very agitated and anything takes my focus easily, but as soon as I can really focus on that, it feels like I'm somewhere else.

But now talking about the Broadway musical, (which as said before has my beloved Alex Brightman as the main actor), I've always liked the idea of musicals, and even more so when his story is about my favorite character, and speaking of musicals, I REALLY WAS OBSESSED WITH THE SONG "SAY MY NAME" 😫🩷

And oh boy, I spend almost all day singing it or with it resonating in my mind, whenever I read, write, draw or do anything to do with Beetlejuice, I put on my headphones and listen this song as if it were the greatest masterpiece made in history.

AND I'M SORRY BUT I NEED TO SHARE THIS SONG WITH YOU GUYS

Leaving the character a little, and going to the actor...he is simply the SWEETEST AND CUTEST MAN I'VE EVER SEEN!!

After I discovered that he voiced the characters that I like most in the Hazbin Hotel fandom and played the character that I like so much, I developed a huge affection for him, not just for his work, but because he is so sweet, fun and funny that I can't help but love everything and everything I find about this man online.

Alex Brightman bringing the character Beetlejuice to life and voicing Adam, Fizzarolli and Sir Pentious

That's it for now ,folks, that's all I have stuck in my mind for now or at least what I can remember

I apologize if this isn't so good, I'm writing this while I'm at school at 7am after waking up at 5am while my body is sore after a presentation.

So, thank you for reading 💞

[princelylove]

Dear Prince,

Since we've been talking about flowers, I'm not sure if you have already done something similar but I was wondering which yandere would be more the type to send you flowers to remind you of them in either a sweet or creepy manner? And what flower would represent them?

I think it's fairly obvious that roses represent both Dio and his son, excluding the other three, but let's talk about some non-obvious ones.

Rohan is fairly fond of sending you flowers, but he's more interested in drawing the ones you've actually seen together. It's not like he zones out on your little adventures, he drags his sketchbook all the way up whatever mountain you climb for a reason. He draws the petals, and part of the stem, and- oh no. It's just another drawing of you sitting next to it or inspecting it. He's started to hate his job for one reason, and one reason only: he can't draw only you. He can add you into the little extras in the back of his manga, though. You have your own wiki page with every extra content featuring you.

He's not particular about the flowers he draws with you, the only criteria is it has to relate to an experience the both of you shared. Part of me wants to make him an elitist when it comes to the symbolism and whatnot, which, he does lecture you quite a bit when he first finds you looking at it, but he'd rather not attach a book with your simple gift. You listened the first time he said it, didn't you?

Ironically, Johnny's pretty into wildlife. He did grow up on a ranch, or multiple ranches if you count his time in England (or if I'm remembering wrong), he probably brings you some every now and again. He gets you proper ones, like the pretty kinds they sell in town, but... he mainly brings you weeds that look like flowers. He knows better, but he brings them to you anyway.

Dandelions, daisies, simple looking things. He always says he thought of you when he saw it, but you can't help but notice it looks a little stepped on.

But if you're looking for a traditional, sends you flowers with a note type, Risotto's your man. He won't get near you himself for a very, very long time, but he slips and indulges every once in a while, as a treat. To be human is to err, or something.

He sends you lilies, for their meaning. He thinks you're so pure, so unstained, so nothing-like-him. Pink roses for affection, he's so very fond of you... It'd be rather romantic if he didn't attach such odd notes with them. Who puts "You shouldn't shower with that window open." on a bouquet????

[erabundus]

@curiouskinetic &&. said... "Happy birthday Ren!" The first order of business was, of course, to give him a hug that would have snapped a human in half. After that she took a step back and offered her gift: a sketchbook! She'd actually filled a few pages with some landscape drawings of her own, but most were left blank for him to fill with whatever he pleased. "Oh, I also made you some food!" A little box of dumplings was handed over next, still hot and fresh thanks to some adepti magic.

❝  sora  —  ?  ❞   is  as  far  as  the  wanderer  gets  before  he  finds  himself  swept  into  a  CRUSHING  HUG.  though  he  makes  a  faint  sound  of  disapproval  in  the  back  of  his  throat,  it's  quite  telling  how  ren  doesn't  actually  try  to  pull  away  —  on  the  contrary,  he  seems  almost  willfully  boneless  in  sora's  grasp.  (  as  if  he  realizes  it's  pointless  to  fight  the  affectionate  onslaught.  )  when  she  relinquishes  her  hold,  he  takes  a  moment  to  regain  his  bearings  —  straightening  his  kasa  and  smoothing  down  any  wrinkles  in  his  PRECIOUS  CLOTHES.  faking  a  cough,  he  then  looks  up  —  lips  parting  to  speak.  yet whatever  words  the  wanderer  intends  to  share  soon  die  FORGOTTEN  in  his  throat  when  he  notices  what  sora  has  in  her  hands. 

a  book?  curiosity  gets  the  better  of  him,  and  ren  soon  finds  himself  reaching  out  to  accept  it  before  he  realizes  what  he's  doing.  he  opens  it,  blinking  in  surprise  when  he's  met  not  with  text  —  but  artwork.  the  realization  then  dawns  on  him;  it's  a  SKETCHBOOK.  there's  a  certain  kind  of  emotion  that  softens  his  features  as  he  stares  at  the  drawings.  sentimentality.  awe.  gentleness.  ( perhaps all three, in varying measures. ) he's  always  found  his  favorite  gifts  are  those  with  genuine  thought  and  effort  behind  their  creation.  during  his  time  with  the  fatui,  he  had  enough  mora  at  his  disposal  that  it  effectively  lost  ALL  MEANING;  even  now,  something  purchased  with  coin  still  feels  terribly  hollow  and  insubstantial.  the  sketches  turn  it  from  a  simple  book  into  an  entirely  unique  gift.

and  evidently,  that  isn't  the  only  thing  she  has  for  him.  despite  being  a  creature  that  has  no  PHYSICAL  NEED  to  consume  food  for  sustenance,  he's  quite  fond  of  eating  nonetheless.  as  a  result,  the  dumplings  are  a  welcome  sight and ren accepts them readily.  he is a bit surprised to feel the warmth bleeding through the container, however.

❝  ...  thank  you.  ❞   he  hopes  to  convey  what  GRATITUDE  he  feels  through  the  simple  words.  inclining  his  head,  he  then  holds  up  the  box  of  dumplings.  ❝  do  you  want  to  share?  ❞

[as8bakwthesage]

Halloween Dance (BTAS Jonathan Crane/Self-Insert ONE-SHOT)

Jonathan Crane loved Halloween. It was his favourite holiday after all, and since it was a holiday about the very thing he studied so intensely, how could it not be?

He wasn’t necessarily one for festivities, but during the week before Halloween day he made a very good point to reward students who participated in his Halloween events. He gave extra points for students with creative and inventive costumes, he gave extra optional homework for students to describe a monster or creature that embodies the core elements of Halloween, and a couple of years he’d pull pranks on his students to frighten them. One year, a couple of students even fought back with their own series of pranks. For the entirety of that week, Jonathan Crane and some mischievous students could be seen having a prank war. And for the last class before Halloween, he’d even give out candies.

Suffice to say, Jonathan Crane loved Halloween. 

And this year especially has been interesting. He knew ever since he first met Mx. Minowis that they were a curious and intriguing soul. And in class, even when it seemed like they weren’t paying attention, they very much were. They always had their head in that sketchbook of theirs. 

But what was especially surprising to him was that during October he’d spot Mx. Minowis drawing all kinds of rather unpleasant and scary things. Monsters and creatures he’d never seen before in all of his years of study. It was definitely curious and wholly unique. Mx. Minowis would offer to share the drawings, and he’d always agree. It genuinely seemed that they had quite the eye for that which was creepy and scary.

And during that Halloween week, Mx. Minowis did not disappoint. They came into class every day with some form of costume on, wrote pages upon pages about demons and monsters (they were especially fond of one known as Paimon), and they even pulled a few pranks on their classmates as well. And for the last class before Halloween, to Jonathan’s delight, they brought some homemade cookies to share with the class. To Jonathan, it had seemed that perhaps he had found someone whose love for Halloween rivalled his own. 

Regardless, it was rather entertaining having Mx. Minowis in his classroom during that week. 

However, what he hadn’t been looking forward to was the Halloween dance.

Usually he’d have been completely enthused to go. He’d go, play a few pranks on his fellow faculty and students, have a glass of champagne, some food, and then he’d leave. What was different about this year was that he had… plans. He had been looking forward to trying to see if he could do some more tests with his chemicals for the evening, and he had told Dr. Long he wouldn’t be able to come for the dance. However, Dr. Long insisted that all the faculty be there because the Mayor would be there for the evening. His boss also insisted that Jonathan pull no pranks as a result.

So there he was, hiding in a dark corner, scowling and sulking as he watched students make absolute fools of themselves. He couldn’t even entertain himself or do any work, and that especially ticked him off.

He was almost ready to say ‘screw it’ and leave, but something caught his attention.

Or rather, someone.

Through the open double doors to the ballroom came in Mx. Minowis. They’d have usually been dressed in comfortable overalls, dress shirts, and have their hair pulled messy and loose, but not tonight. They were dressed in a black dress, sleeveless and with the back exposed. The bodice was dark grey and hugged their body elegantly. The skirt was long and layered, reaching to the floor and hiding their legs and feet. Around their neck was a black choker, and the only thing that resembled sleeves were a see-through mesh material that looked like long lantern sleeves, with the shoulders exposed. Their hair was pinned up and away from their face, showing their facial features quite well. To Jonathan’s own surprise, Mx. Minowis was in makeup as well! It was unconventional as was the dress, and their eyelids were painted black and grey with strong eyeliner and full brows, cheeks dusted ever so slightly pink, and black striking lipstick. But what was the most curious was the smokey effect they did for the sides of their face, coming in to meet the eyeshadow of the eyelids. Suffice to say, it was a sense of style and drama he had never seen Mx. Minowis display.

Their dark eyes darted around the room, seeming to take in the decorations, the crowd, and all that was there to do. A gentle yet clearly happy smile graced their face.

They are beautiful.

The thought hit him like a bullet train, not allowing him to even stop the thoughts from entering his mind. He could feel his cheeks turn red as he felt absolutely embarrassed. But despite that, he couldn’t take his eyes off of them. There was something so ethereal about them at that moment that made Jonathan forget where he was to begin with. However, his curiosity and admiration turned to shame as he remembered who he was. Mx. Minowis was his student, and here he was ogling them like they were some kind of prize! 

At that moment, Mx. Minowis’ eyes met his, and they lit up with recognition and excitement as they walked over to him, as if the gods would have any mercy on him. He quickly did his best to compose himself, wondering if they’d notice him staring at them like some depraved idiot.

“Hi professor!” Mx. Minowis greeted him when they were within earshot. Jonathan, ever the master manipulator, smiled in return (not at all trying to mask his embarrassment, nope, not at all!)

“Hello, Mx. Minowis,” he replied. They stood in front of him and smiled happily as they rocked back and forth – another strange yet endearing thing he noted about them. 

“This is so cool,” they exclaimed in delight, before turning away from him to look around yet again. Jonathan could see wonder and glee in their eyes as the lights bounced off of them. He tried to ignore the way his heart sped up. “I’ve never been to a Halloween party this big before!”

“Really?” He asked, conversationally, while still maintaining his composure. 

“Mhm,” Mx. Minowis replied, before sitting down on the floor and leaning against the wall. Jonathan wasn’t sure if he should join them or not, but as he considered, he found himself trying to spot if anybody who was of note could see him with them. Heaven forbid someone assume something inappropriate was happening! “It’s weird…”

He glanced down at them to see them staring at the crowd with a far-off look in their eyes and a wistful smile on their face. “What is?” He asked, just as gently.

“I actually feel like I belong here…” they remarked, still looking lost in thought as they hugged their legs close to their chest. The strange longing in their voice resonated with him in a way he had not expected. He made up his mind as he slid down to sit a respectable distance away from them. Gotham University was a prestigious and expensive university, but apparently they couldn’t afford more chairs. 

“I’m glad you do,” Jonathan admitted, finding himself relating to Mx. Minowis at that moment. The only place he had ever felt truly himself was right here in Gotham as well, how could he not relate? Mx. Minowis turned their head to look at him and they smiled.

“Sorry, got a bit mushy there,” they apologised. Jonathan shook his head.

“Don’t be sorry, I suppose we could all stand to be ‘mushy’ every once in a while.” He replied sincerely. Mx. Minowis giggled at that, which confused him, and apparently visibly so, as they looked absolutely flustered and sheepish. 

“Sorry! I um, I just never expected to hear the word ‘mushy’ come out of your mouth.” They giggled despite themselves. Jonathan chuckled as he himself couldn’t help but find it amusing as well.

“It’s not a word that is typically in my lexicon, no,” he admitted. Mx. Minowis smiled at that before they resumed their people watching. Jonathan’s gaze followed theirs, but every so often he’d find himself taking glances at his companion. Of course, they were beautiful, this was true, and that was purely objective. They were not conventionally pretty, but they did have a charm to them that added to the effect. It only hit him now–at that moment–that he had always seen them as beautiful. It just took them getting all dressed up for him to properly take notice. His glances would occasionally lower from their face and down to their exposed shoulders and neck. 

He wondered how soft their skin would feel to the touch–

He ripped himself away from his thoughts as he thanked fear itself for the fact that they were sitting in a darker spot in the ballroom and away from prying eyes. He would surely hang himself should anybody see how absolutely flustered he was. Furthermore, he was glad Mx. Minowis’ attention was not on him as well. He almost did not want to look at them again, but he had to make sure. After he managed to calm himself, he found himself needing some kind of distraction from those insane thoughts.

“Who are you supposed to be?” He asked, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. He almost felt like he was failing, and that annoyed him. Likewise, he was usually so in control, had everything planned, and here he was thinking he was fumbling over his words!

“Oh, I’m the black swan, Odile, from ‘Swan Lake.’” Mx. Minowis explained, and Jonathan got the impression that if they were standing, they’d have spun around like a ballerina. He quirked a brow regardless, finding it interesting that they chose her of all characters.

“Can I ask why such a choice?” His curiosity was piqued, after all. Mx. Minowis’ face turned a few shades darker as they rubbed their hand.

“Odile is a darker, deceitful character, and I like villains. But I always imagined that Odile was more misunderstood and just doing what her father asked of her. And I like how in the ballet, Odile is sensuous and mysterious, and a part of me, well, um… I guess, wanted to embody that? Sorry, I’m rambling.” Mx. Minowis described, before hiding their face in their hands. 

You already embody those traits.

Shut it! 

“You did a good job with the costume,” Jonathan replied, trying to sound the least intimate as possible. As much as he wanted to shower his best student with complements, he knew now was not the time or place. Mx. Minowis met his eyes, and they lingered, searching his own, though he had no idea what they were looking for. After a moment, they smiled warmly.

“Thank you,” they replied sincerely. Jonathan resisted the sigh of relief. “However, I gotta ask—who are you supposed to be?”

It was at this moment Jonathan cursed himself. While he was usually in far more festive spirits, he had chosen to wear a simple Tux instead of a costume, purely out of spite. He regretted not having actually put in the work to make something for this year. And from the intonation in their tone, it was clear that Mx. Minowis was teasing him for it. 

“Unfortunately myself,” Jonathan begrudged. Mx. Minowis chuckled, as they looked at him with mock disapproval in their eyes. 

“No self-deprecating.” They repeated. The phrase never seemed to grow old with them, it would seem. Mx. Minowis had to tell him that a few times now. He pouted, they giggled in amusement. “Well, I think you look spooky nonetheless.”

Now that was a compliment that Jonathan could take pride in. He stood up straighter and lifted his chin up, bearing the ego easily. Mx. Minowis laughed, but they laughed as if they had just heard an inside joke of sorts, one that Jonathan was not privy to. He assumed they laughed at his display of confidence. 

“Hush,” he retorted. Mx. Minowis continued to giggle.

“Never,” they teased. Jonathan couldn’t help the smile. It hit him then just how often Mx. Minowis could coax a smile out of him. They were just so strange and different, and surprisingly silly when they wanted to be. 

“All right then,” Jonathan said, standing up with mirth. Mx. Minowis’ gaze followed him curiously. “I suppose I must be off then.”

“Noooo!” Mx. Minowis cried out dramatically. Jonathan chuckled at that, he wasn’t usually one for childish games like these, but seeing Mx. Minowis smile was worth it. “Don’t leave me!”

“I apologise, my dear. You have betrayed me and I cannot forgive you.” Jonathan added, clearly adding onto the dramatics. Mx. Minowis laughed as they too stood up, standing in front of him.

“Well, before you go you should dance with me, it’s only proper!” Mx. Minowis teased, but as soon as the words registered for them both, Mx. Minowis’ face turned red. “Oh, Creator forgive me, ahh! Sorry! Gods, I feel so awkward, I’m sorry!” 

Jonathan, however, was too busy trying to process that Mx. Minowis had just asked him to dance with them. He–should he? Should he dance with them? It surely wasn’t a bad thing, right? For a professor to dance with his of-age student? It wasn’t weird, was it? Why did he actually want to? When he finally processed that Mx. Minowis was apologising to him, he snapped back to reality.

“Oh no, don’t apologise, you haven’t done anything wrong, I assure you.” Jonathan comforted them, his tone evident in the fact that he wasn’t at all uncomfortable by the question. He just wished it wasn’t so… complicated. Mx. Minowis looked relieved as they exhaled.

“Well, that’s good,” they expressed, and Jonathan could detect a tinge of lingering awkwardness. His thoughts returned to their comment, and he found himself thinking about how appealing the idea of dancing with them was. And while the man wasn’t one much for bragging, he could say for sure that he would not make his partner look at all like a fool. He looked around the ballroom yet again, and realised that most of the faculty were either drunk or talking with the mayor to notice him. With that in mind, he took Mx. Minowis’ hand into his and guided them to the dance floor. 

“P-Professor?” Mx. Minowis stuttered, nervousness leaking into their tone. He looked back at them reassuringly as he stood with his prospective partner. 

“I consider myself a gentleman, and a decent dancer as well, and as such, it would reflect rather poorly if I leave you here without dancing with you.” Jonathan explained, with the slightest hint of amusement to his tone. Seeing Mx. Minowis look all flustered was worth it. However, the flustered enbie (as they called themselves) quickly composed themselves as they properly held his hand and followed him.

“I’m glad you realised,” they replied, though there was still a bit of flusteredness as well. Jonathan chuckled.

The two soon reached the dance floor and, as professional as ever, Jonathan bowed respectfully to his partner. Mx. Minowis hesitated before they did a half bow and half curtsy, ever in androgynous character for them. With a grin, Jonathan stood up straight and pulled Mx. Minowis as close to him as he could, with one hand holding theirs and the other cupping their back in a comfortable and respectable place. They met his eyes and smiled, though they were also blushing. 

The music was a slow dancing rhythm that Jonathan did not recognise, but it was well-suited for the dance he was currently leading Mx. Minowis through. It was slow and romantic, but Jonathan did his best not to portray any such emotion or intention. People around them danced as well, but nobody really seemed to take notice, let alone care. Regardless, his partner seemed to be enjoying themselves, gladly allowing him to lead as their dress flowed and swooped around them. 

“Okay, professor, I gotta know—where did you learn to dance?” They asked, quietly enough so that nobody could hear, but loud enough for him to hear. He hummed under his breath as he recalled the memory. He did not stop dancing, and neither did they.

“I started taking lessons when I was in university. I was rather fond of it growing up but wasn’t able to take lessons,” he explained. However, at his last statement, Mx. Minowis’ face fell as they searched his eyes yet again. But when they were unable to find it, they smiled.

“When you were in university? How long ago was that? A hundred years?” They teased, and Jonathan pouted in disapproval, earning a giggle from the devious black swan. Jonathan rolled his eyes.

“Hush. No, I was 21 when I graduated with my bachelors. I’m 45, not 100.” He replied, deadpanned. 

“Okay, okay, fair enough. You got one on me, I’m 23, and I still haven’t graduated.” They replied, clearly trying to ease the pain. Jonathan raised his brows with amusement. However, a secret part of him was glad he was closer to them in age than he initially thought.

“Touché then?” He commented. Mx. Minowis giggled.

“Touché indeed,” they replied.

The two continued to dance, allowing for song after song to pass with just the two of them. It was actually very nice, to his surprise. Mx. Minowis wasn’t the greatest dancer, but they certainly did their best. They fumbled a few times and always looked very apologetic but Jonathan would reassure them, and after a while it seemed that they gained some confidence, which led to them having fun. But after a few dances, both of them were beginning to tire and Jonathan noticed. So, with a final spin and dip, they finished their dance. 

As he lifted Mx. Minowis back up, they wore a delighted grin. “You sure can dance, professor!” They complimented him. He nodded in return, obviously proud of his skills.

“I certainly try to do my best in all things, yes,” Jonathan replied. Mx. Minowis grinned devilishly but did not speak, instead they walked back over to the dark corner in which they found him. He raised a brow with intrigue and confusion as he followed them. “And just what is so amusing to you?”

“Oh! Nothing!” They replied, a bit too quickly, and with a noticeable blush on their pretty face (stop it!) He wasn’t buying it, but figured that whatever they were thinking could go unpunished. 

“All right,” he said with a wry smile. Mx. Minowis leaned against the wall and smiled fondly up at him. His heart thumped faster in his chest at their striking dark eyes, which seemed to carry all the secrets of the universe in them. If there was a god of some kind, Jonathan hoped to someday have some of those secrets. It was weird, being so close to someone and yet being so far away. 

He was closer this time, feeling slightly more relaxed around Mx. Minowis. Perhaps the alcohol was starting to kick in? Regardless, he allowed himself a more relaxed disposition around his admittedly favourite student as they both stood in comfortable and relaxed silence, neither party wanting to end this moment. 

“I’m gonna get something to snack on, do you want anything, professor?” Mx. Minowis asked. The term ‘professor’ was kind of like a kick to the groyne. A reminder that the person beside him was completely unattainable in any way shape or form. He swallowed those feelings instantly. He would not give names to such feelings, he would not entertain such notions! 

“Oh, I appreciate that, but nothing, thank you.” He replied, sincerely and doing a good job at hiding his true emotions. He watched as Mx. Minowis shot him a quick smile before they walked off, their dress trailing behind them.

Jonathan hated how hard it was to look away.

[corvarrow]

Alright, I couldn't decide how to best present my thoughts about this art challenge, so here's just a summary screenshot to start with - if you would like to see the big versions with the lore you can check out my tag, and the actual list itself is here!

And without further ado, here are my thoughts on this art challenge and finishing it!

Things that helped me finish the challenge

Taking a break day (or two) a week – I have a day job so this was absolutely required to not burn out, lol

Having a theme – This was nor originally intentional, but keeping it worldbuilding related really helped me come up with ideas as there were several prompts where I was just coming up with nothing otherwise.

Small canvas size – These are all fairly small - it was a 6x6 pad. Originally thought it was going to be too small, but ended up being perfect. Since I opted to do full blown scenes I don’t think I would have finished otherwise

Limited Palette/Materials – I learned this from completing previous challenges, but the fewer decisions I have to make the easier it is to do these. This one happened to actually be ink (see materials section) but I have done challenge before with like, "single set of markers"

Displaying the Art – I didn’t like having a loose stack of completed pictures, so I bought a 6x6 photo album to store them in. This was a great decision as they look very cool in there I was very motivated to complete the set

Completion Stickers - Yes, I am 2 years old. I had a paper list where I was putting stickers next to each word as I completed it, and it was very satisfying >_>a

Stuff I liked

Able to practice a medium - Yeah by the end I was feeling way more confident with ink and different techniques (wet on wet, wet on dry, etc)

Got to practice scenes and lighting – I even fit in a ton of OC cameos

Posted all pieces regardless of quality - Although this was not my first list-based challenge it is the first one I posted ALL pieces for

Got some fun pieces to revisit later - There are quite a few I REALLY like for different reasons so it would be fun to do them again later, but spend more time

Kept a consistent quality for the whole challenge - It was tempting to "get lazy" at the end but I think I managed to keep the same general quality the entire time

Used up a bunch of pages in a sketchbook I’m not overly fond of by doing tons of thumbnails - To be quite honest, if I have a sketchbook I hate enough (because the paper is bad or whatever) I will often uh, dismantle them. 8Da; I am not overly fond of the one I'm currently using, but now there's only about 14 pages left so, I will persevere.

Stuff I didn’t like

Time commitment required - Even with the breaks, I was spending almost all evening for 5 weeks working on these, which was a little Much for me. I will have to rethink my approach to any future challenges.

Using WIP designs/Not being able to spend a lot of time on anything – There’s a couple pieces where I wanted to go a certain direction and had to go with Vibes rather than accuracy for the sake of getting it done….which is fine, some of them turned out nice regardless. However would have still liked to hammer things out a little more.

Materials Used

Artsnacks Inktober Box, with some modifications - Something you should know about Artsnacks, is that often the colored materials will be the brand shown, but the color you actually receive will be random. Luckily, I got an Orange ink. Unfortunately, I also have terrible luck with PH Martin’s Orange in that it always separates no matter how much I mix it, so partway through the challenge I replaced it with a Daler Rowney Flame Orange Ink. This is a VERY similar ink, the only difference I really saw was that when diluted a lot it leaned more yellow. Additionally I did not use the blue Faber Castel Pitt pen in the box. TECHNICALLY I could have made green for all those plant pictures, but I refused for the sake of keeping a cohesive Black/Orange color scheme

Ranger Craft-It! Heat Gun - I would not have been able to finish had I not been able to speed up the drying time with this thing, it is the best

Lots of background noise - My noise of choice was a mix between scary cave and cave diving stories, as well as the White Vault podcast, which is a fictional horror audio drama

Bonus Round: Number of OC Appearances

Tower: x4

Torch: x4 (one of them in his plantbeast form)

Cavi: x3

Mady: x1 (also the only non-sion in this list)

Team "New/WIP OCs" -

Aki: x5 (one of them as a doll)

Jas: x2

Aki's sibling (final name pending): x1 (as a statue)

[musingsofmaisie]

Where Love Lives… a Good Omens closing chapter.

Here’s a little short fic that came to me…I don’t know how they got here, still working that part out. Enjoy.

It’s late-very late. They are sitting in the back room, a bottle and two glasses on the table between them. Aziraphale speaks, softly. “I have something for you.” He reaches into his breast pocket, withdraws an envelope and slides it across the table.

“Shall I open it now?” Crowley raises an eyebrow. He sees that there is something inside, something more than a letter. “Please do. I’ve had this for quite some time, and I never found the moment to give it to you. So I want you to have it now.”

Crowley regards the envelope again, and looks up at Aziraphale’s face, unsure of how to respond. He’s never been given a gift before. Another new feeling to catalogue. The angel’s eyes are bright with warmth and tenderness .

Crowley pulls the envelope towards him and picks it up. There’s something slightly heavy inside.

He opens the envelope. A silver fob with two old fashioned keys falls into his hand. He looks up at Aziraphale quizzically. “Read the card. I think that will answer your questions.”

It’s an old card, with a watercolor painted on the front. A rustic cottage overlooking the sea. Crowley opens it and finds a folded paper inside. On the card is written, in the angel’s familiar script, “for my dearest Anthony, without whom none of this would be possible”.

Crowley takes a moment to compose himself before picking up the document and unfolding it with trembling fingers. It appears to be quite old, with a seal of red wax and some official-looking signatures at the bottom, one of which is Aziraphale’s. It’s dated 1815.

He sees the name “Jane Austen”. He sees “Deed” at the top. He sees “Hampshire” but by now the words are swimming on the page as his eyes have filled with tears. He puts his face in his hands and draws a deep breath.

“What in the universe is this, Angel?” he chokes out. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, you see, a few years before she died, I bought Jane’s cottage. In the South Downs. I’ve held onto it all these years, but it seems to me that you should have a place that’s yours, where you can go as you wish, by yourself or with me. It’s fitting that it should be yours, Crowley, Jane was terribly fond of you.”

Crowley is completely overcome and unable to speak. His eyes are brimming with tears. He looks at the angel, who is smiling back at him, eyes shining.

He draws a few ragged breaths, composes himself. “I don’t know what to say. ‘Thank you’ hardly covers it. I might need a bit of time to process, if you don’t mind.”

Aziraphale nods. “I understand. Take your time. If you like we can drive out there next week and you can see it for yourself. I will warn you, though, that the garden is in need of some of your unique ministrations.”

He pours the last of the wine into their glasses. “Shall we drink to Jane?”

Crowley lifts his glass and smiles. “To Jane. And to us.”

Epilogue

(perhaps 2 years later, perhaps more or fewer)

Crowley regarded the apple tree. Late afternoon sunlight dappled the ground as it filtered through the leaves.

He gathered his tools, spade, hoe, and rake, and looked across the meadow to the figure sitting by the fence. He reached up to pluck the apple and slipped it into his pocket as he started down the path.

Aziraphale raised his head as he approached. It seemed to Crowley that the angel always sensed him coming, even when he moved silently. He smiled broadly as he put down his sketchbook. “A good day in the garden, then?”

Crowley smiled back at him and silently proffered the apple. Aziraphale raised an eyebrow and grinned as he accepted it. “The first one?” “Yes.” As he bit into it a drop of juice slid down his chin. “Scrumptious.”

Crowley said “Tree looks good. I think it will be a good year for apples.” Then, “What are you drawing? Can I see?”

“My favorite subject. Needs a bit of work, still.” Aziraphale closed the sketchbook and stood up. “Shall we?”

The path wound through the meadow and along a stream. They walked side by side, taking in the lush green grass, the birds singing, the soft murmur of water and the crisp air around them, air that held the first scent of fall.

As they rounded the bend and the cottage came into view, Crowley slipped his arm across Aziraphale’s shoulders. In the fading light the two figures seemed nearly to blend into one. They stepped inside and the door closed gently behind them.

END

[spooky-ghoul69]

My drop of sun

“You have a good day William” Vincent and his partner left my office. The two had been spending more time with me as after Vincent’s partner got turned. The two left, I stood up walking to get my coat. I went to a small coffee I had been going to for centuries.

Stepping outside I felt the chill of the night air. It felt nice, something I had come to appreciate after my second chance, to appreciate the small thing. I looked at the changing leaves that rustled with the wind.

Approaching the small coffee shop the warm glow of the lights inside, coffee beans and fresh baked goods welcomed my senses like a soft hug. Like the kind you would get from your grandparents after a while.

I stepped inside the soft glow of Fluorescent lights being greeted by an air elemental and an unempowered human.

“Welcome back William, what can I get for you?”

A satisfied smile settled on my face as I looked over the menu, sure I had the thing memorized but it still felt.. normal in a way.

“Why don’t you pick me? I can never choose Hm?”

They hummed

“How about an apple cider with cinnamon and a slice of pumpkin pie?”

I nodded softly

“Well that sounds lovely”

They punched my order in as I paid and went to sit at my usual table right by the window.

Soon after my drink and pie arrived I sipped the drink. A feeling of warmth replaced the normal cold I had gotten so used to.

The door chimed as someone walked in. Glancing at them I noticed they were human. They had soft eyes and hair that framed their faces perfectly. They looked so wonderful. Their eyes complimented the sweater they were wearing. Everything about them was so unbelievably breathtaking. Sure with my second chance I learned to appreciate every single thing in life in this world but I never quite found the time to appreciate humans, but they just had this aura about them so utterly warm like a drop of sun was in this person. As they finished ordering they rummaged around in their bag. I stood up handing to the air elemental “I’ve got it”

They turned to me

“Oh my goodness no no you don’t have to pay for my drink”

I just smiled

“Mh no stress just enjoy your life”

And with that I turned to my table.

—————————————————

I continued to look out the window when they walked over to me

“Thank you. For the drink”

“Oh don’t stress it”

They sat down across from me a small sketchbook next to their coffee

“I'm Dakota by the way .You are?”

Dakota what a wonderful name

“William.”

They smiled softly

“William… that’s a lovely name” they sipped their drink “i really do appreciate you covering my drink i guess it just slipped my mind once i was leaving work”

“Oh? And what is it that you do for work?”

They smiled laughing to themselves a soft fondness in their eyes

“I’m an art teacher at the local highschool and I teach art classes at the middle school and elementary school over the summers . What about you, what do you do for work?”

Oh shit right my work is the business I own for empowered people. Right That business

“Oh I own a lot of properties and loan them out to business people for them to hold business party’s, meetings, and gatherings all along that sorts.”

Yeah Definitely not gathering for powerful empowered people to gather to discuss the problems we are facing in the empowered world

Hm fun.

“Oh that sounds fun I’d love to see some of your properties im sure they are stunning, I’d love to paint some of them”

sipping my forgotten drink now cold

Damn.. it’s cold..

“Oh that’s too sweet of love to see some of your works”

They were almost glowing when i mentioned some of their art

“Oh my goodness one moment”

They flipped through the pages, i caught glimpse of sketches drawing some watercolor paintings

“Ah here!”

They handed the book to me. It was a sketch of me…

“I’ve seen you around the coffee shop for a bit now and one day i kinda just wanted to draw..you sorry is that weird”

They laughed slightly god it was infectious it was so sweet like caramel

“Oh no not at all! I actually feel rather honored that you wanted to draw me”

They bite the inside of their cheek smiling “I’m glad you don’t find it weird I’ve always kinda seen you around and wanted to talk to you but never knew what to say but i guess fate got tired of my bull shit”

I laughed a little

“Ah i guess they did”

—————————————————

We talked for longer than i expected when my phone buzzed i looked down to see it was Vincent

Happy accent:”Will you might wanna come back Alexis is being….Alexis”

God damn it Alexis can’t let me have shit

“I do apologize i unfortunately have to go take care of some business”

Yeah business not my two prodigy’s who are powerful vampires acting like children.

“Oh no i hope everything works out alright”

“Oh I’m sure everything of fine but before i go i would love to talk again here is my number in case you wish to talk… as well”

Smooth.

They flushed and when they smiled it almost felt like i was as human again that craving and longing for warmth i had been chasing for years and years after my turning i have found again

I had found my drop of sun.

(Mental illness at its finest boys)

[artistfingers]

Everything Everyone else hasn't asked yet ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

ᕕ( ᐕ )ᕗ

[Weirdly Specific Artist Ask Game]

3. What ideas come from when you were little

rather than saying any specific ideas came from when i was a kid, i think,... there are tropes that i still love and draw on and can credit to some of the things i read and watched as a kid. one big example is hidden identities - my most trope ever - all has a big basis on some of my earliest Media Memories, like detective conan, danny phantom, ouran high school host club, alex rider, and so on ahsdg

6. Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

i do not know my own subconscious mind well enough to say 💀

8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in

i had a really big mob pscyho fic i wrote 30k on in 2019... don't know if i'll ever circle back to write the rest. there's been countless comic projects that i started and dropped over the years as well...

as for illustrations i have a number of half-started DP illustrations that may or may not ever be finished 🤷‍♂️

9. What are your file name conventions

either things languish in the land of Untitled Document, or they get ... passable attempts at descriptive names like "project title ch2 v1 inks"

10. Favorite piece of clothing to draw

i always like drawing shirts! clothing folds in general are a big area i'd love to sink some more practice into, tho

11. Do you listen to anything while drawing? If so, what

Oh Always. i rotate between music (shuffling my spotify likes or going start-to-end on an album), podcasts (dungeons & daddies or dimension 20 mostly), youtube (IE, gamegrumps, izzzyzzz) and/or reality shows my friends put on :>

12. Easiest part of body to draw

faces/heads? i feel like i put most of my practice there because i love to draw expressions. hands might be what i practice second most

13. A creator who you admire but whose work isn't your thing

another one i say, i dunno. if i follow artists on social media that i admire, i'd count their work as "my thing" even if it's outside the range of what i might create myself 🤔

15. *Where* do you draw (don't drop your ip address this just means do you doodle at a park or smth)

at my desk, on the couch, or in bed mostly! i've been trying to get myself out to draw at the park more

17. Do you eat/drink when drawing? if so, what

i have a really bad habit of eating 10,0000 LifeSaver mints while i draw if i am not being careful 💀

18. An estimate of how much art supplies you've broken

sooooooo many pencils. 20+? in highschool and most of uni i was really picky about using fancy HB, 2H and 4H pencils for all my sketchbook work but at a certain point i started preferring mechanical pencils

20. Something everyone else finds hard to draw but you enjoy

i don't know about Everyone, but comics/sequential art, maybe? pacing can be quite difficult but it's a challenge i really enjoy conveying on the page.

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

anything creepy crawly horror EHehehehe also anything papercraft, multi-media-y.... or like, super solid pen-and-ink. fine lines, black and white, that sort of thing

22. What physical exercises do you do before drawing, if any

if i remember i try to stretch my wrists 💀

23. Do you use different layer modes

ye!! whatever's needed at the time. i'm fond of multiply layers with purple ink for shading.

24. Do your references include stock images

oh, yep, stock images are actually one of my favorite sources for references outside of pose-specific reference resources like line-of-action, adorkaStock, etc. but stock photos (specifically sites like Pexels) are great for locations, perspective, animals, inanimate objects, or if i don't know exactly what i'm looking for

26. What's a piece that got a wildly different interpretation from what you intended

i'm not sure this has happened to me to that degree? like there's definitely been minor differences in interpretations when it comes to my comics (dialogue doesn't always land or imply what i intended) but i don't think i've ever had something taken wildly differently

27. Do you warm up before getting to the good stuff? If so, what is it you draw to warm up with

i don't normally, but if i do, it's usually standard sketchbook randomness - heads, hands, shapes, squiggles, objects around the room. the cats...

28. Any art events you have participated in the past (like zines)

i've contributed to a number of zines and things over the years :>

Welcome to Hell - 2014 & 2015

Sakana - Catch of the Day 2017 (I don't think I ever posted the full piece online, actually...?)

one for Danny Phantom coming up in December 👀

i also wrote for the WtH big bang in 2018, beta'd for the Fullmetal Alchemist Big Bang in 2021, and this year illustrated for the Danny Phantom Invisobang!

there will probably be more in the future. Love Me A Project

29. Media you love, but doesn't inspire you artistically

maybe podcasts? i've definitely drawn for podcasts before (gorgug from d20, some TAZ stuff way back in the day...) but i'd say it's rare and that the lack of a visual component separates it from media that inspires me artistically, or at least, does so directly

[goleb]

Is the DHMIS Gem AU mostly wholesome like Steven Universe, or does it have some grim things happening to the main characters?

I'd argue Steven Universe has a plethora of really dark moments and concepts that get overlooked or aren't dwelled on too hard due to having Steven as the center focus, so in that way, yes, it's exactly like Steven Universe 😂 But in all seriousness, while the overall plot isn't as concrete and developed YET (mostly from being a relatively recent creation, compared to something like, say, my KGTV Gem AU, which is also significantly darker and flavourably edgier in terms of themes, but we're not here to talk about that) I'd say it's a lot more domestic slice of life than anything else. It's actually pretty close to the Orphanage AU in that regard, haha. 

I don't wanna leave you with that short of an answer so, uh, here's some of my brainstorming attempt doodles. 

Sketchbook is a glass prism because light refraction makes rainbows out of something that's clear, and drawing in a sketchbook makes something pretty out of empty pages. That's it, that's my logic. Theoretically Sketchbook could have been an iris agate as well, but I left that option for one of the fusions instead. Bit of an off-colour, but aren't they all… 

Tony is a blue star sapphire, because sapphires in the show are associated with time through their future vision (or past vision, in Padparadscha's case) so it's reasonable to assume a star sapphire would be as well. Also an excuse to keep his face markings, to be honest. Not quite satisfied with the gem colour-wise but who's gonna stop me from taking artistic liberties on that? 

Shrignold is a permafusion of a Rhodochrosite (associated with love, has variants that go from Sugary Pastel Pink to Raw Meat which I trust I don't have to explain in relation to Shrignold, haha) and an Aquamarine (considering the aquamarines already present in the show, butterfly theme and all), making a butterfly jasper (for obvious reasons). 

Colin and Laptop are quartzes, because quartz is commonly used in computers and stuff (and to keep time!), at least as far as I know. It's a deviation from the show because I was never fond of the whole "every gem of this type has the same role and looks and body type and corrupted form" for quartzes especially. I had to actively keep myself from making them heinrichites because it looks like a circuit board and, well, you know. Computers! And for some reason I automatically associate anything lime green with Colin even though there is nothing lime green about him. But who knows, maybe I'll go back on that decision, everything I say is still subject to change. Gilbert is also there, by the way. He's an Azurite-Malachite. 

Spinach Can is a moldavite, Lambchop is a red agate, Bread Boy is a bronzite, and I'm a bit on the undecided in terms of what Fridge ought to be. I sort of settled on scolecite. Didn't want to make it something as obvious as literal ice. Finally, Lamp Guy is a blue goldstone. It looks like a night sky, that's obvious enough 😂 

🤫🤫🤫 

Both Yellow and Special One are half-gems, a childrenite and a pink petalite respectively. Roy isn't a gem in this one, but you know me, I do love my AU variations, even if they don't ultimately lead to anything proper. He is inherently a citrine though, if you're wondering. And that's my favourite gem C: 

[unit3-fmp]

Quilting

For this sample I further wanted to experiment with machine embroidery as I really enjoyed it and thought they turned out quite good. However instead of regular machine embroidery I placed a layer of wadding in between two pieces of white cotton to create this quilted effect.

Quilting is a method of stitching layers of material together. Although there are some variations, a quilting usually consists of two layers of fabric with a layer of padding (wadding) in between, held together by lines of stitching.

For the design, I'm really fond of this idea of including a dragon in my final design inspired by the dragon glove box, therefore I wanted to develop on this by doing a close up of a dragons head and added a bit of a background to frame it.

Instructions:

Cut out two squares of white cotton and a square of wadding

Placing the wadding in-between the two layers of cotton put it into an embroidery hoop.

Using an embroidery foot on a sewing machine sew the design

I love how this design turned out and how it all came together so nicely. Although I only used one colour for this design I think it could actually work really well If I went for a more realistic feel, exploring a variety of colour to add depth and shadows. In contrast to this I still love how it turned out and the contrast between the funky background and stern dragon really pulls it all together as well as the detailed line work.

Sketchbook Page:

[thatwouldbee-enough]

Artistry

This is like super short but here have some bendies (link to AO3 here):

---

Dr. Perez raises a brow as she meets John’s eyes across the waiting room, sketchbook draped over his lap. 

“I didn’t know you were an artist,” she says as she leads him back to the same bright yellow room he had been visiting for the past year.  

He feels heat rise steadily to his face. “I’m not,” he replies on instinct. “Not really. I just like to doodle sometimes.” 

When he was still a kid, he used to draw all the time. When things got too overwhelming, it was a distraction, something to draw his attention away from everything else for a little while. He even had some of his work displayed in one of those silly elementary school art shows.  

But eventually, it became too much of a distraction itself, so he stopped. It didn’t help him improve on his gymnastics, so what was the point? He could find better uses for his downtime. He wouldn't make his father proud by doodling. 

“Can I see some?”  

John chews at his lip, but then shrugs and passes the sketchbook over to her, opening it to the more recent pages.  

He knows he could say no. She wouldn’t hold it against him.  

But it’s not like there’s anything terrible inside.  

Even if it feels far too intimate for anyone to look at the things he puts on paper, Dr. Perez has already poked around his brain. She knows far more about him than most people would care to. They've probably already reached this point in their relationship.  

“These are far more than doodles, John,” she tells him with a fond smile. “They’re actually quite good.” She points at one of the pages in particular, a sketch he made while taking a short break during practice. “Is this Alex?”  

He nods, slight smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. Practicing his parallel bars.”  

She flips through a few more pages, landing on one in particular that he had almost forgotten about.  

“Where is this?”  

“Home,” he says, voice soft and verging on vulnerable now, and maybe he shouldn’t have let her look through his drawings.  

It’s a scene from his childhood. All of the kids, himself included, in the backyard, running through his mother’s gardens. They’re happy–all of them. John included.  

It’s hard to remember sometimes that he was happy. At least some of the time.  

That house holds a lot of bad memories, but there was good there as well. He was a kid at one point, even if that part of him feels an ocean away.  

His father is in the picture as well. He’s laughing, enjoying the summer day outside.  

John had almost cut him out. It felt strange to draw him like that. Happy.  

But he knows, in the far reaching ends of his memory, that there were times like this. It wasn’t all horrible. 

He thinks maybe it would be easier if it had all been horrible.  

“It’s a beautiful sketch,” she says simply, passing the book back to him. “You have a real talent for it.” 

John doesn’t know what to do with that. Doesn’t know what to do with a talent that’s not the talent. The one that matters.  

“Do you need to take electives to fill your credits? An art course might be a nice change of pace. It’s good to have things that you enjoy mixed in with your obligations.” 

“Yeah,” he says slowly, still thinking it through even as he speaks. He hasn’t checked into art classes. Hasn’t even thought about the possibility. But it does sound kind of nice. “I’ll look into it.”