#to think people like my art enough to possibly buy a print is crazy to me
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Hi! I am absolutely in love with your Diana reimagining. I'd like to make a single patch of it for my jacket - do you have a kofi/sell prints etc where you prefer we could support your art?
Oh my gosh thatâs so flattering, thank you 𼚠Itâs always a bit scary/disheartening to post personal art when youâre known for fandom stuff, so thank you for loving that piece- it means a lot đ¤
I donât have anywhere set up but I have been thinking about it. If thereâs interest I can certainly set up a print shop- is there a site that people prefer/is better for artists? I donât know much about it đ¤ˇďż˝ďż˝âď¸ But Iâll reblog this with a link once I have something!
#Iâm gonna print this out and frame it đĽš#compliments like this mean so much seriously thank you#to think people like my art enough to possibly buy a print is crazy to me#answered asks
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Have you been thinking that there's a real lack of hopeless strangers on your dash asking for help lately? âCongratulations, I have arrived!â
I feel obligated to a certain level of jesterdom while doing this, like perhaps I can earn my keep by entertaining people. It's bleak and humiliating, but we're gonna Have Fun With It! :D This is perhaps more a note to make to self and to a therapist rather than note here, but it segues well into the important point of:
~.â˘Â°Â¤.°â˘â~â I Can't Afford Shit ââ˘*.°â.â˘Â°*Ă
let alone a therapist
I'm currently stuck in a weird position, both physically and situationally, because I have some sciatica scoliosis spinal bone spur nonsense that decided that now was its time to shine. I'm in pain all the time at every angle and position, so I'm not doing Great?
I'm in the middle of the process of filing for disability and if you've ever applied for a job and been frustrated that you gave them all of your information and then the application asked you to give them the same information all over again, applying for disability is like doing that, but times 40, and with information you don't have memorized the way you have your phone number and home address. They also insist on doing it through the mail. My next step is to be evaluated by some kind of impartial physician. My appointments are in mid to late July. I am unsure what they want me to do with myself until that time.
The work I'm trying to do is not enough. I'm making buttons like crazy but in the end they are just buttons and they sell for 2 to $4 and so you really need to be someone who is absolutely psyched about buttons and buys 40 of them or I need to tap into a market that is Larger in order for this to be reliably sustaining. I do not know what that market is. I was the weird kid in school - what is popular, I don't know, I was never meant to know, it is a mystery.
Do not get me wrong, I am currently holding my face above water because of some really enthusiastic fans of buttons.
But I can't sell a month's rent worth of buttons. I don't even think I have the supplies to make that many.
My rent is USD$670, which is hiked up an extra $70 from where it was last year because my landlord wanted to bleed me dry while the world is on fire. Despite how poorly insulated and badly maintained this house is as a structure, I do enjoy having even a badly insulated roof and a place to put all my shit.
If you've got a need for $700 worth of buttons for some reason, hit me up.
If you don't, then hey, I'm another artist in crippling pain on your dash hoping people in better situations than I can help out. I would love to cover my rent to remove that anxiety for myself for another month, but Every Bill keeps happening, so more beyond that it going to my electric which hasn't been paid since February, and my internet which will keep me afloat in nearly every way possible. I'm also almost at the bottom of the bag of Science Diet food that keeps my beloved cat, Onyx, healthy. I do not know how best to keep a ticker tape of a goal, because there isn't one? I need to survive until at least July. It's June 17th as I write this. Two months rent and some cat food? Don't know, I'm five minutes from a phone call which will determine if they will still allow me food stamps.
SO.
Ways in which I can dance for your amusement so that you may throw coins in my direction:
Art Commissions! I can paint like a motherfucker! I have an extremely ill-advised expensive piece of paper saying I can do it!
Check it out, man. There are COLORS and everything.
Radical.
I have a Patreon where you can see Secrets!
And a Ko-fi! I sell buttons on Ko-fi, in case you were wondering when that plot point would come back. It's not very satisfying narratively, I am sorry. Thinking about offering prints there, as well!
I have other options in my sidebar - RedBubble, Society6, etc!
There is also paypal.me/ladyyatexel if you just want to give money to my literally actually broken ass without getting a cool item in return.
And yes, if you're thinking this all looks and feels kinda familiar, I had to dance and beg on the internet in Dec 2021, and I made that go as far as I possibly could. It's six months later and everything I'm trying to do to better my situations is just taking Forever. I'm trying to come up with a way to stay afloat while rescuing myself takes its time.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far, friend. Even just knowing someone listened to you yelling for a minute is helpful.
No need to feel obligated, especially if you don't feel I deserve a second round of help, I understand. But if you wanna spread this around and let me 'Will Art For Food' on someone else's dash, that would be sick.
Take care of yourselves, friends, it is brutal out there.
#assistance#help#in need of help#donations#art commissions#i don't think any of these tags are actually going to work because of the links womp womp
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WILDEST DREAMS
a/n: soo Iâve been working on this for a little while now and Iâm very excited to share it with you al!! This piece is inspired by Taylor Swiftâs music video for her song Wildest Dreams. If youâve never seen the video, or donât remember it really well, I recommend you watch it *after* reading the story so you donât get it spoiled! If youâre interested then you can watch it by clicking *right here!!*
Word count: 17.2k           Rated: M, mature     Â
You agree to help your friend on her film project and Harry is playing your love interest.
âYouâve been frowning a lot and havenât said a single word in the past five minutes, whatâs wrong?â You looked up to your quiet roommate sitting opposite to where you stood near the kitchen counter.Â
A playlist you both had made months ago, meant only for cooking days, as Nia had instructed, played faintly in the background. You hummed along to the melody of a song you didnât really know the name of, but had listened to it enough to mumble the lyrics, as you focused on cutting banana slices.
Nia was the one who brought up trying out a new fruit smoothie recipe she had found while scrolling around on Pinterest. She was pretty excited after coming home with the groceries, ready to start the process. Which is why seeing her sitting quietly as she glared at her phone was a big sign that something was wrong.
âI think Jordan is about to pull out on us,â she groaned loudly, locking her phone and throwing it on the counter, running her hands on her face, âI canât believe this is happening a week before filming starts.â
âOh, thatâs not good newsâ you said, looking back at your friendâs defeated state in front of you as you threw the banana slices into the blender. âWhat happened?â
âHe said he decided to go with his cousin to Ibiza.â Her arms muffled her voice as she lied on top of them, sighing once again, âthis is the third one that leaves, I might as well just cancel the entire thing and fail this class.â
You rolled your eyes lightly at her, shaking your head as you listened to her dramatic reactions. Being her friend for as long as you have, you knew how stressed Nia got with a project, specially something she was passionate about. She was always too hard on herself, trying to push everything to be as perfect as possible, which is a good thing when you focused on the ultimate results. But she often tended to over-stress herself, and thatâs what makes you worry.
With this one in particular, you could tell how excited she was from the day her teacher assigned it. She came back home and rambled for hours on end about making her first film. Which is why when she begged you to be part of it, and you couldnât find it in your heart to say no.Â
It was a small production after all, it just being Nia and her partner Evan, whom you have known had gotten close to her in the past months. She assured it would a rather simple concept, with only two characters. The trickiest part being the fact that they would film it out of town, in a camp house that belonged to Niaâs aunt. You had agreed to it to make her happy, and with her promise of buying you chocolate muffins. Most uni students, however, didnât seem as keen to sacrifice a week of their spring break as you were.
âYouâre being dramatic Nia,â you reassured, turning on the blender and cringing at the loud noise that took over the place. âMaybe they just read on the script that they would have to kiss me a couple of times and got too nervous about it,â you tried to humor, raising your voice a bit before turning the processor off. Nia looked back at you with a serious expression, making you scoff, âcalm down, grumpy pants, Iâm sure Evan knows someone who can do the role, stop worrying.â
âAll I do is worry, you know that,â she sighed, standing up to walk towards the cabinets behind you. She selected two matching cups that she had gotten for your birthday, one had Elsa printed on it, and the other Anna. You smiled as she placed them on the counter, knowing you always thought matching friendship objects were silly, but Nia loved it, so you loved it too. She looked vaguely at the blender, letting her shoulder weight down. Â âAt least we have a banana smoothie.â
âAnd something else!â You said, jumping on your feet to get to the fridge and retrieved a tupperware. You held it in her direction and smiled, âleftover spaghetti from Joeâs!â you exclaimed, attempting to brighten her mood. She looked back at you, grabbing the container from your hands, as she tried to fight back a smile.
âYes, how could I forget the leftover spaghetti?â
**
As the days passed by, the both of you had gotten more stressed out. Nia was still worried about everything related to her film project. With the days passing by and no one to fill the other role on the script, she found herself on a daily cycle of stress breakdowns.Â
Just two days after your former cast partner dropped out on the project to spend his week on the busy beaches of Ibiza, she had bought three different boxes of hair dyes. And as you helped her turn her hair into a light shade of pink, she cried about how everything seemed to go wrong in her life.
Meanwhile, you had been struggling to fight your procrastination tendencies and try to finish as much work as possible before spring break. A task that was showing itself to be extremely difficult, considering your mind seemed more focused on binge watching true crime shows on YouTube.Â
The blank document stared back at you from your computer screen, as you wished that if you looked at it for long enough, the essay would somehow write itself. Writing a couple of words but soon deleting them and going back to an empty page, you signed. Why was it so difficult to introduce a topic? You took a sip of the hot drink on the sparkly Cinderella mug you had chosen for the day, another one of Niaâs Disney-related possessions.Â
You frowned at the blank document, your failure to write a single paragraph still open in front of you. You heard a light knock on your bedroom door, but before you could even say anything, you spotted the already fading pink hair coming into the room.Â
Nia walked in jumping excitedly, saying your name in little squeals and almost tripping down as she made her way to sit on your bed in front of you. Breathing out, she looked at you with a big smile and messy hair before blurting out.
âWeâve got you a husband!â you stared back at her, arching your eyebrows. You knew she was referring to the role on the film, but you still laughed off at her choice of phrasing. âEvan got someone, itâs like his old friend or something, said he trusts him not to drop out.â
âWell, fourth timeâs a charm, I guess?â you smiled at her.Â
âWeâre planning a pizza night this Friday, so we can, you know, set the details and all that.â She properly lied down next to you, playing with the strings on the hem of your pajama shorts. âAlso so you two can meet each other, of course, youâre going to be married for a week after all.â
âThe way you say it seems like weâre actually doing it,â You laughed, finally closing your computer, and moving down to face her. âWeâre just playing characters, Nia.â
âI know, I know⌠Youâre really no fun, arenât you?â She moved her arm up to support her head and poked you with her free hand as you rolled your eyes at her. âAlso, he seems pretty cute, Evan showed me his picture, maybe you two can hit off.â
âIâm sure he is,â you tried not to fall for her attempt on teasing you over someone you donât even know. Sure, youâll be playing love interests, but youâve done this plenty of times before, back on your theatre days. Kissing someone on stage doesnât mean you have feelings for them in real life, and you knew that pretty well. You sighed, looking down at her, not wanting to engage into this kind of topic.
âAnyway, should we celebrate your new cast member and my inability to write a single sentence about art history?â you changed the subject, trying to distract yourself from your own thoughts. âWe could watch Devil Wears Prada and make caramel popcorn.â
Nia gasped dramatically, âthese are the most beautiful words Iâve ever heard coming from those pretty lips of yours,â jumping to her feet as she pulled you to stand with her. She then ran out of the room, screaming back, âIâll get the blankets and you start with the popcorn!â
Itâs been years since youâve known Nia, but yet the dynamic between the two of you has never really changed. Youâve always considered yourself very lucky for having a friend like her in your life. From the day you met her in your English class, it was like seeing someone you had already known your entire life; it was always that easy to be with her.Â
You two became inseparable from day one.
Looking back, itâs crazy for you to realize how well your high school plans with each other had turned out. Most people you know had those friends in school they only really talked to because they saw them five times a week. But as soon as graduation came by they parted their ways and became only good nostalgic memories for one another. With the two of you, everything just worked out.Â
You both got into the university you wanted, ready to get matching art degrees. On your second year of college, you moved in together. And halfway through the course, Nia just dropped out to enroll on an eighteen months film school. And thatâs when she met Nate.Â
You always knew she was destined to be that kind of person who just has one great love in her life. Which was funny considering that anyone who spent over five minutes with her and Nate in the same room could swear they would never work together. They just were those kinds of couples who are the polar opposite of each other.Â
Nia was a little social butterfly, who could start a conversation with anyone about anything. She could talk for hours with the old ladies at the grocery store about how the new brands of beans are just not as good as the ones not as well known. Or chat with the yoga moms about a new reality show that had premiered on Netflix. She loved experimenting on new things, trying out new recipes or mix distinct colors together on her clothes.
Nate, on the other hand, just wasnât much of a talker at all. Since the start of their relationship, he often stops by at your apartment -wearing a different shade of grey every time - but it would be a lot to say that you two have had a conversation for longer than five minutes. He just mostly kept it to himself.Â
They balanced each other, which is why they worked so well.
It would be a lie for you to say you didnât think about having something like that for you. You thought maybe you just werenât the kind of person to have one meaningful relationship in your life. And that was okay. Youâd like to think youâre better off on your own, anyway. But now and then you wondered how it would be to fall asleep in someoneâs arms every day.
But you tried your best to keep those thoughts locked away in the back of your head. You knew that for the most part love is not really meant to last, Nia was just part of the lucky few.
**
The atmosphere in your shared apartment was cozy, as you waited for Evan and his friend to arrive before you started the pizza hangout, as Nia called it.Â
You both had spent the day tidying up the place, trying to decorate it a bit with some fairy lights and nice pillows you found in your room. It had been a long time since you had done any kind of social gathering in your home, and Nia wanted everything to be perfect. She even insisted on making the pizzas herself, which took most part of the afternoon, and a lot of bossing around on her part.Â
By the time the food was in the oven and the only thing left to do was wait, her boyfriend joined the two of you.Â
She was very talkative and bubbly, as she usually is, getting the wine bottles she selected for the evening and placing them on the counter as she chatted with him. It was nice seeing her back do being her usual self after such a stressful week.Â
You got the right amount of glasses, placing them next to the bottles, as you hummed along to the Declan Mckennaâs voice playing in the background. You werenât really paying attention to Niaâs babbles, catching a word or two as she rambled about some dolphin documentary she had to watch for one of her classes. Pouring out a glass for yourself, you looked over to Nate who had a puzzled look on his face, as he tried to make sense of whatever rant his girlfriend had going on. You took a sip of your wine, and laughed lightly at yourself at the contrast between the two of them, something you had always found very amusing to observe. But before you could go further into your thoughts, the sound of the buzzer took over the small apartment.
âTheyâre here!â Nia gushed, as she quickly made her way out of the kitchen to get the front door, yelling back at you to get the pizzas out of the oven.
âYes, maâam,â you teased after she left, earning a light chuckle from Nate.Â
Making your way around the kitchen, you took out kitchen gloves that had figures of little chicks printed on them, giving one last check inside the oven to make sure everything was ready, before opening it and taking out the food. You could hear Nia greeting Evan excitedly in the background, as she rushed him and his friend to come inside. As their voices got closer, you turned your back to the entrance, concentrating on not burning yourself while you placed both pizzas on top of the counter.
âThereâs our star!â You heard Evanâs loud voice taking over the kitchen space, making you look over your shoulder and laugh at him.Â
You turned around while taking off the gloves, as he pulled you into a tight hug, the strong scent of his cologne invading your nostrils. He wasnât much taller than you, making him being considered short for a man. But his presence in a room was always so loud and bright that he seem much bigger than he actually is. You pulled back and looked at him, suddenly feeling underdressed in your own home. His entire outfit was bright red, being consisted of a jean jacket and silk pants, his eyes matching with vibrant eyeshadow taking over his whole eyelids.
âItâs very nice to see you again Evan,â you smiled at him, his hands still holding onto your shoulders as he looked warmly at you. âItâs been too long! You look fabulous!â
âOh honey, you flatter me too much! Itâs why I love coming here,â he scoffed playfully, coming to your side and wrapping one arm over your shoulder as he guided you. âBut tonight is not about me, unfortunately. Itâs about the two of you.â
As you finally moved your attention to the kitchen entrance, you realized another presence standing there. A man, who you assumed was Evanâs friend, already smirking down at you as both of you approached him.Â
You suddenly felt nervous under his stare while you could hear Evan commenting on something you didnât really pay attention to. You had been taken completely by surprise by the man standing in front of you. Sure, Nia had mentioned to you once or twice that he was good looking, but you were not expecting this.Â
It was a weird feeling, being this affected by someone you had just met, but you would have to be blind not to notice. His face was beautiful, a sharp jawline contrasting his soft skin, his fingers poked at his bottom lip as he smirked, you could notice the hint of a dimple forming on his cheek. His hair was short, but still long enough to see the shape of slight curls forming in it, some locks falling charmingly against his forehead. But what hit you the most were his eyes, thanks to the dim lighting you couldnât really tell if they were a shade of forest green or more of a hazel tone, but you could feel your cheeks warming up from the way he watched you as you got closer.
His shoulders were broad, as he was leaning against the entrance, the hand that wasnât poking at his lip resting inside the pocket of his brown pair of trousers. He wore a blank white shirt, partly tucked in, underneath a beige cardigan. The sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows, making you notice the tattoos hugging the skin of his arms. You felt a curious wish to know how many more you could find under all the layers of clothing..
As you and Evan got closer, he moved from his leaning position to stand tall in front of you. The smile never leaving his lips, and his eyes still watching you closely.
âSo, darling, meet Harry,â Evan spoke up, gesturing you towards his friend. âHeâs a pest, but Iâm sure youâll get along just fineâ
âWay to give a first impression, E,â Harry rolled his eyes at his friendâs teasing, before turning his attention back to you. He moved closer, embracing you into a side hug âS lovely to meet you-â
You quickly cleared your throat, afraid that your voice would give you away, before saying your name. The attempt didnât really seem to work, as your words came out higher than you had intended. You could feel Niaâs gaze turning to you on the corner of your eye, but tried your best to ignore it. He repeated it, before shooting a smile in your direction, the sound of his deep voice and the way his lips circled around the words making the hairs behind your neck rise.
âOkay! So how about we move this party to the living room?â Niaâs voice broke into the atmosphere. âEveryone can get their wine glasses and make themselves comfortable while y/n and I finish arranging the pizzas.â
She shot you a knowing look, before moving to get the wine bottles and handing them to Nate. Everyone shifted to get their glasses and settle in the other room, leaving you and Nia alone.Â
You moved to get the knives and looked at the pizzas standing on the counter in front of you, calculating how you could cut out even slices on each. You could see your friend from the corner of your eye leaning on the counter staring directly at you.
âYou know you canât fool me even for a second, miss,â she teased, you could hear the smirk on her voice.
âIâm not doing anything,â you murmured, still not looking in her direction. She scoffed, elbowing you lightly as she mimicked you, saying your name in a high-pitched voice. You shot her a dirty look before shushing her, afraid the guest in the other room could hear her teasing. âI didnât sound like that!â
âOh please! You should have seen how you looked at him!â She rolled her eyes at you, âthought you were gonna drop down on your knees right then and there!â
âNia!â you screamed in a whisper, your cheeks warming up at her words as you pinched her, making her squeal. You quickly shot a look at the entrance to see if anyone mightâve heard her, but they seemed to be enrolled in their own conversation. âLetâs just get this done quickly before they suspect weâre in here for too long.â
âOkay, cheeky girl,â she bit her lip and moved to get a knife to cut one pizza, but still eyeing you with a slight smile, leaning in one last time, âbut I told you he was cute.â
Eventually, the two of you finished sorting out the pizza slices and joined everyone in the living room. Nia then rushed to join her boyfriend on the loveseat, leaving the only spot available for you being between Harry and Evan on the couch. She shot you a teasing smile, but you tried your best to ignore it and focus on finishing the wine glass you had poured for yourself earlier.
âOkay, so Iâm going to need everyone to eat the food and tell me how good it is,â Nia pointed out to the center table where the�� pieces of pizza laid upon, âIâve spent the entire afternoon on these babies, so eat up!â
âYou know that Iâve helped you with them, right?â you added, squinting your eyes at her, âsome credit wouldnât hurt.â
âYou only laid the toppings on the dough so they would look even,â she snapped back pointing a finger at you, âI did all the hard work, so shush it.â
But before anyone could move to get a slice, Evan was already stretching out his arms to stop you from moving. âWait a second,â he spoke, âI feel like Iâve watched enough seasons of MasterChef to be the first one to judge.â
âI mean, you are the best critic I know,â Nia pointed, leaning in to get a slice and offering to Evan, âbut again, I donât really know any other critics.â She humored as he took the food, making a show of analyzing it.
Everyone waited expectantly as Evan bit into the pizza slice, keeping a straight face that didnât reveal much of his opinions. Nia leaned in his direction, nervously biting her bottom lip as she waited for his final verdict.
âYou have to be honest,â she warned, observing him, âbut know that I can get my feelings hurt pretty easily.â
âI donât mind that,â Evan finally said, straightening his posture as he looked back to Niaâs waiting eyes, âIâll say that itâs not the best pizza Iâve ever had,â he announced, âbut it works.â
âYou know what, I take it,â everyone laughed lightly as Nia visibly released a breath she had been holding in, âItâs not a bad review for a first time.â
The hours went by quickly as you eased into a conversation with everyone. It was nights like this you missed the most when the stress of all the accumulative work weighted on your shoulders. Having a more of a cool night to hangout with a few friends, drinking some wine and chatting about whatever topic came to mind.
As time passed, you could tell Nia and Evan got more agitated, probably due to the amount of wine they had consumed without even realizing. They chatted excitingly about Midsommar, their voices raising a bit too loud. But every time you tried to shush them, jokingly reminding of the neighbors next door, they would soon forget about it again. You watched them babble, giggling when they would get excited on a certain topic and start to trip over a few words.Â
You also felt lighter because of the alcohol, not as much as them, but still enough so you could feel your chest warmer and your mind a bit dizzy. You still felt an annoying tingle at the pit of your stomach when you felt Harryâs eyes fixating on you when you spoke, or when your hands brushed as you reached for the bottle at the center table. It was silly, and it made you feel like a teenager being in the presence of an attractive boy for the first time.
When it all quiet down eventually, Nia had dragged Evan to her room so he could give an insight on how she could decorate it. It was something she would do now and then, give her room a big renovation so the change in the space could make her more motivated, or something like that. Sometimes, if she felt inspired enough, she would change around the living area or even your own room - when you allowed her, of course.Â
Nate was still sitting on the loveseat looking like he was about to fall asleep at any moment as he scrolled through his phone. He hadnât spoken a lot during the night, which wasnât unusual for him, but he still managed to chat for a bit.Â
That left you and Harry alone sitting on the main couch, with one person less it left you enough space to cross your legs, making yourself more comfortable. He was sitting on his side, his back resting on the big pillows by the arm of the couch, his chest turned towards you.
You reached for the wine bottle at the center table, realizing there was just a bit left, enough for a last glass for the two of you. âWanna help me finish it?â You turned to him with the bottle in your hand. He had a smile resting on his lips, as he raised his glass toward you so you could pour the liquid into it. You could tell his eyes were a bit cloudy, but you knew none of you had had enough to be drunk.
âThank you, love,â he said, the raspiness on his voice as he spoke the pet name making the hairs in the back of your neck rise. You poured yourself the rest of the wine left, emptying the bottle as you settled it back where you got it. âShould we make a toast?âÂ
âSure,â you replied easily, smiling at him, âwhat should we toast for?â
He looked away, puckering his lips slightly as he made a puzzled expression, a hand scratching at his chin as if in deep thought. You giggled at his dramatics before he pointed his finger up, his face turning into a big smile. He raised his glass in your direction, as you did the same. âA toast for being husband and wife?â
You chuckled, clinking your glasses together, âthatâs fair,â you said, â âs why weâre here after all, isnât it?â you joked, taking a sip of your drink before settling it down on your lap.
âSure is,â he mimicked, rising his glass to his lips, a smirk still adorning them as he managed to not break eye contact. He took a small sip before settling his glass back on the table. He scratched the tip of his nose slightly with the side of his finger, before he relaxed back on the couch. âSoâ he spoke up, bringing your attention to him, âE told me youâre an actual actress,â he raised his eyebrows at you, âmade me a bit nervous, love.â
âThat right there is a lie,â you chuckled, biting your lip and shaking your head. âI used to do theatre back in the day, havenât done any acting for years though.â
âA theatre kid, huh?â He laughed as you rolled your eyes jokingly.
âIâm aware we have a poor reputation, yes,â you said, âI reckon we deserve it, but we werenât that bad, I promise.â
He giggled, making your heart skip a beat at the sound. His smile was something you could easily get used to, the way it formed crinkles in his eyes and the dimples deep on his cheeks. You had to stop yourself for staring too much, moving your gaze to the glass on your lap.
âPeople are too harsh on theatre kids,â he reassured, âI think it seems pretty fun â only time I did it was when I played Elvis when I was about five, I think.â He added, resting his arm against the couch, his hand just a few inches away from your shoulders. âHad the time oâmy life though.â
âYou got main character though, thatâs impressive,â you expressed, raising a hand to poke at his side playfully. âHave you done anything since your big debut as the king?â
âCanât say I have, no,â he chuckled, âguess this is my big comeback, maybe Iâll get a call from broadway soon.â
âIâm sure you will!â You giggled, taking another sip from the glass in your hand.
You found it easy to dive into a conversation with him. You were both giggly from the wine, but it still seemed like you could stay like this for hours on end, just talking to each other.Â
He told you he wasnât planning on doing the film, considering he never really thought about acting. But when Evan asked him if he could be part of it, he saw how desperate he was to fill the role, so he agreed. It warmed your heart to hear how fondly he spoke about his friend, telling you how willing he was to help, even if it involved doing something out of his comfort zone.
You two bounded over your mutual wish to become teachers. You found out he was studying Literature, a choice that for him as an easy one, considering throughout his life he had always been an avid reader. He said no matter how harsh thing got, he always found an escape between books, you could tell how passionate he was about it as he spoke about his favorite reads.
Eventually, you could hear voices coming closer from Niaâs room, as they seemed to be gushing about the filming that was starting soon.Â
As Evan came into the room, he made his way to the couch, placing his hand on Harryâs shoulders. âHoney, as much as I wish we could stay here âtil dawn, Iâm afraid we must get going.â
With his declaration, everyone moved around to gather the dishes splattered across the center table to put it all at the kitchen counter. After some insisting -mostly on Harryâs part- on helping with cleaning, you convinced them you two could handle the task just fine. And they were the guests, after all.
Finally, you said your goodbyes, pulling Evan on a small hug, assuring him youâd do your best to do his script justice.
And as you came to face Harry, he leaned into a hug, giving you a last kiss on the cheek, before telling you how lovely it had been to meet you.
**
You had woken up with your door opening abruptly, making you jump a bit from the sudden change in the peaceful atmosphere from your deep slumber. Before you could process the situation in hand, Nia was already pulling out the covers and spitting out words at a faster pace than you could comprehend in your mind state.
âGet up already! We are very late,â She urged as you lazily scratched at your eyes before sitting up to look at her. âEvan is going to kill us!â She cried out.
Your head pounded slightly, making you search for your water bottle previously prompted by yourself the night before, knowing you would need it in the morning. You reached for it in your nightstand, taking big gulps as you watched amusingly Nia run around your room picking random clothes and throwing it in a duffel bag you had just noticed.
Resting the bottle down on your lap, you yawned lightly, still in the process of waking up. âCalm down Ni,â you mumbled, âWe still have time, weâre only leaving at like, two.â
She looked back at you as if you had just slapped her across the face, your shirt falling partly from her hand. âItâs already one,â she informed, making your eyes bulge as you reached to check on your phone, confirming as it read 1:16pm. âWe donât even have our bags packed AND we got a sink full of dishes to wash.â
The minutes after that were rushed, as you two did your best to get ready as fast as possible. Mentally slapping yourself for leaving everything for the last minute, but still managing to pack your bag in record speed.
But as time passed and the list of things to do was still far from over, Nia phoned Evan and let him know you would need a few more hours to be ready to leave. To say he wasnât the happiest about the news was an understanding, but there wasnât much he could do about it.
A couple hours later you were finally packed, and after a quick stop to shop for road trip snacks you were off on the road.Â
You left much later than planned, and even if it wasnât that much of a long drive, it was still 3 hours until you got there. The ride itself was mostly quiet, except from Lordeâs Melodrama playing softly in the background. You hummed along to the words, but apart from that there wasnât a lot of talking between the two of you, all due to the limited amount of sleep you got from the previous night.
As you got closer, the scenery of open grass camps and blooming flowers at the peak of spring was a peaceful change of scene from the busy city streets you were used to. And when you finally got to the house, the sun was almost setting on the horizon. The sky being a satisfying mixture of blue and orange. There was a car already parked in, and as you got closer, you could see two figures sitting on the front stairs.Â
Getting out of the car, you quickly made your way to where they stood. âHave you been waiting long?â Nia asked as you got closer to them.Â
âLonger than I was planning to, Iâll say that,â Evan replied, taking off his sunglasses to greet you.
Harry came up from behind him, looking incredibly cozy wearing a knitted cream sweater. It took everything in you not to nuzzle on him as he met you with a quick embrace. You had to focus on keeping your breathing steady as you looked up at him when you parted. The sun coming from behind you doing wonders as it hit his face perfectly. His eyes were the prettiest shade of green as he smiled down at you before moving to greet Nia.
âWeâve been here foâ ten minutes, donât listen to him,â he assured with a small laugh.
The house itself was much bigger than you expected, it wasnât huge, by any means, but you had pictured a small cottage with barely any space for the four of you. The place, however, was big enough for you to have your privacy but still small enough to feel cozy and welcoming.Â
You quickly found there were three rooms, and despite you arguing you didnât mind sharing one with Nia, considering you two lived together, she still insisted that you and Harry had your own bedrooms. It was her way of thanking you for agreeing to help them.
After you got established in your respective room, you met everyone down at the kitchen. The place was loud with chatter as they played around while making dinner. Nia seemed to boss the boys around to cut the vegetables properly, as she concentrated on figuring out how to work the old stove. They laughed lightly as she cussed under her breath in frustration after another failed attempt. You watched quietly for a moment, before joining in to help her.
You finally turned the stove on with the help of a few matches you found laying on the counter, being able to cook with no more trouble. It was already getting late when you finished eating and gathered the dishes to lay them on the sink. Still, Nia insisted on watching one of the movies she had carefully selected on her extended collections of DvDs to bring with her.Â
You decided to make yourself some tea while the rest of them moved around to arrange themselves for the movie night. After offering if anyone else wanted a cup as well, you were met with Harryâs warm smile as he accepted shyly.
Soon enough everyone settled down on the big couch to watch the movie. Evan took his place on one of the armchairs, while Harry opted to sit by the end of the couch, setting his legs on the footrest in front of him. As you walked in with your mugs, he gazed up at you, shooting a soft smile and muttering a quick âthank youâ as you handed him his drink.
He patted the spot next to him, indicating for you to sit, to which you happily obliged.Â
âWanna share?â he asked, holding up a blanket that lied at the arm of the couch. âThereâs jusâ three of âem.â
âSure,â you replied, moving to pull the blanket, so it was covering the two of you. You knew very well you could always get an extra one from one of the bedrooms, but you would never bring yourself to suggest it.
Finally, Nia entered the room with a small pack of m&mâs on one of her hands and the DvD case for âLove Actuallyâ on the other. She was quick to insert it on the player before settling down next to you. Pulling out the leftover blanket for herself, she lied down to rest her head comfortably on top of your legs.
It didnât take long until she fell in deep slumber, cuddling up on your lap as soft snores left her lips. You pouted slightly down at her. The poor thing was exhausted from driving all the way, and the bad night of sleep the day before.
As the movie progressed, you could feel your eyelids getting heavier as well, the words coming from Keira Knightleyâs mouth becoming more of a background noise as you fought to keep yourself awake. But before you could doze off, you felt Harry shifting slightly next to you. Suddenly feeling his arm hugging your shoulders, as he gently pulled you closer.
You moved your head to look at him but before you could say anything he shushed you softly and pulled you back in. â âS fine, love,â he whispered, âcan see that youâre tired.â
And with a half-woken mind and heavy eyelids you laid back on his shoulder and allowed yourself to snooze.
You woke up with him shifting again from under you, opening your eyes slowly to find the end credits rolling up the screen in front of you. You yawned lightly before sitting up, being careful not to wake a still-very-much-asleep Nia on your lap.
âSorry,â you heard Harry say as you scratched at your eyes, âdidnât mean to wake you.â
âItâs fine,â you assured, your voice a bit raspy from your nap, âwould have to happen, eventually.â You looked down at the unconscious girl lying on you, knowing you had to get her to bed so she could sleep properly. âWe should wake her.â
âWant me to carry her to her room?â he asked.
âI think sheâll be okay,â you replied, gently calling her name so she could slowly wake up.
Surely, it didnât take a lot of coaxing to get her eyelid to flutter open, as she lazily rose from her sleep.
You helped her to her room, afraid sheâd trip down the stair in her hazy state of mind, still half asleep as she dragged her feet across the floor.Â
As soon as she laid down in her bed, you made your way back to the kitchen to fix yourself a glass of water so you could go to sleep.Â
It surprised you to find Harry still awake as you entered the space; he looked up at you from his position leaning on the counter with his phone in his hand. Quickly placing it in his back pocket as he saw you coming in, giving you a slight smile. âThought youâd gone to bed.â
You reached for the cabinet Nia had pointed you to earlier where the cups were placed, picking one with little thought and closing it. âJust came here for a glass of water,â you spoke, moving the cup under the tap, âalways have one next to my bed, yâknow, in case I get thirsty and stuff.â You shook your head slightly, not wanting to ramble about the benefits of staying hydrated during the night just to make a conversation.
âSmart girl,â he joked, causing you to chuckle as you felt blush creeping out on your cheeks. You could see him coming closer to stand next to you from the corner of your eye, which didnât help the tingly feeling forming at the pit of your stomach. âExcited foâ tomorrow?â he asked, crossing his arms on top of the counter as he leaned next to you.
âGuess I am,â you answered, looking up at him and finding he was closer than you had realized. You smiled nervously as you met his eyes gazing down at you, before clearing your throat lightly. âWhat about you?â
âTo be honest âm a bit nervous, love,â he confessed.
âWhyâs that?âÂ
âI mean,â he started, his eyes still fixed on you, â âs not every day I get to pretend âm married to a pretty girl like you.â
You could feel your heart skip a beat as he reached one of his hands to move a strand of your hair behind your ear. He kept his hand on your cheek just as his eyes seemed to gaze down at your lips, so subtly that it felt like you mightâve imagined it.Â
The silence in the room was loud as you could almost hear your heartbeat pounding in your ears, as he leaned down just barely, getting closer to you. He looked down one more time at your lips, this time making sure you realized the unspoken question behind that action. You suddenly felt water pouring through your fingers, as the forgotten cup in your hand overflowed. This caused you to jump back a bit, quickly turning the tap off and resting the glass on the counter.Â
âOh my god,â you squeak, reaching out for a towel right next to the sink to dry your hand. âIâm sorry, that was-â you chuckled, glancing at Harry who seemed to watch you with an amused expression. âThat was awkward, sorry.â
âNo need to apologize,â He assured, picking the full glass and moving it in the counter so it was out of your reach. â ât was actually quite cute,â he moved closer to you again, reaching his hand to hold at your jawline.Â
You held back your breath as you felt his own hitting the top of your upper lip, your noses brushing slightly.Â
âBeen wanting to do this foâ a bit now, love,â he spoke a bit above a whisper, his deep voice sending chills down your spine and making you grab at his sweater, âwould you let me?â his thumb caressed your cheek lovingly, âwould you let me kiss you?â
You could feel your heart beating strongly against your rib cages, swallowing hard as you looked up at him. He was watching you closely, his dark emerald irises gazing down at you as your lips barely brushed. You nodded at him, trying to pull him closer.
âUse your words, darling,â he insisted, not budging from his position. âWanna hear you say it.â
âPlease, Harry I-â you moved your hand to grasp on his waist, âjust âkiss me.â
Giving a satisfied hum, he finally leaned down, closing the space between the two of you. His hand remained stroking your cheek softly, as the other sneaked under your neck.
He moved his lips ever so slightly, his cupid bow founding its way above your inner lip, sucking on it gently. The kiss was teasingly slow, making you hyper aware of all of your senses. Your hands feeling the soft fabric of his sweater, grabbing at it as if asking for more.Â
He moved the hand on your neck, pulling gently at your hair, making you angle your head up a bit. As his tongue poked to lick at your bottom lip, you opened your mouth, deepening the kiss.
You stayed like this for a while, pressed against the kitchen wall as you enjoyed the taste of each other.Â
When you pulled back, he splattered a few kisses along your cheek, giving one last peck on your mouth before pulling back.
âAs much as I donât want to end this now,â he muttered, moving his hand, so they were both holding your cheeks, âWe should get some sleep foâ tomorrow.âÂ
âWe should,â you agreed.
âWeâll get the chance to do this again,â he said, making you bite down a smile at the innuendo behind his words.
He gave you one last kiss before pulling away completely, reaching for the glass of water you had already forgotten about on the counter and handing it to you.Â
You walked back to your rooms without saying a word, but still sharing glances and smiles along the way. And as you got to your respective rooms, you whispered quiet good nights before parting ways and closing the door behind you.
**
The days that followed were rushed, considering the filming had officially started. You two barely had the chance to be alone again, which was disappointing. But still you couldnât find yourself time to miss the feel of having his soft lips against yours, considering the scenes you had with each other. What you did miss was being able to kiss him without it being written in a piece of paper, or having someone from outside tell you to. You missed the intimacy of feeling his tongue meet your own and having his hands pulling you close as you both craved for more. You missed the shared secret between just the two of you, that was knowing how it felt to have him all to yourself.
It was discomforting, earning for someone you barely even know. Jumping into a feeling you know thereâs no way can end well. You both were playing characters. Lovers, yes, but it was all pretend. It didnât help that he was so good at it. In front of the cameras he would be so loving that you often wondered how much of it was just part of the act.Â
It was subtle things that made you think of it, like a glance across the room between takes. Him leaning close to you every time they called you to watch back something you had just recorded. Or when he sucked in your lip during a scene, so softly you could barely notice but still made your heart skip a beat.
But as much as it was nice to pretend that you two had some shared secret, you knew that the most likely scenario was that he was just doing his work and being friendly. So you tried your best to convince yourself that all of it was just your mind playing tricks, this way you could prevent yourself from inevitably getting hurt. That encounter in the kitchen was most likely his way of making things less awkward to when you inevitably would have to do it in front of a camera. That was it, nothing more.Â
It seemed to have worked pretty well, you two had the chemistry Evan hoped for when he wrote his script. Nia kept teasing you with every given opportunity. You didnât tell her about the late night kitchen situation, but you knew she could sense the âchemistryâ was not simply because you two were just that good at acting. No one was complaining though, considering everything was going so smoothly they suspected it could be wrapped up even earlier than expected.
Every time they would mention the possibility, you found yourself wishing deep down something would set you back on the schedule. You felt bad for it, and you never voice your inner thoughts, but you knew wrapping up early meant going home early, and you were getting a bit too comfortable getting to act all loved up on camera.
As if some kind of outer force had listened to your wishes, just as you were halfway throughout the week, mother nature seemed to be your biggest ally.
You had just woken up with the annoying tune of your alarm clock, one you had chosen for finding it soothing at first. But you soon found that those sounds are not meant to feel soothing at all, as it woke you from your deep slumber. You were quick to turn it off before rubbing your eyes softly and enjoying the warmth of your bed for a few more minutes. You could hear the gentle sounds of raindrops hitting your window, but barely paid any attention to it as you rose lazily, stretching your arms above your head.
Making your way down the stairs you first noticed Evan standing by the big window in the living room, looking out with a hand resting on his hip and the other one holding a mug. Behind him, in one of the armchairs, sat Harry, also drinking out of a mug as he read a book quietly. But as if he felt your presence as you got to the bottom of the staircase, he looked up, smiling at you as you made your way into the room.
âGâmorning,â he spoke, alerting the man by the window of your presence as he turned around to look at you.
âGood morning,â you said back, before realizing the worried expression on Evanâs face, âis everything okay?â
âA disaster just happened, honey, look out the windows!â he snapped, gesturing behind him where you could see the rain hitting the glass. The sky was dark with clouds, suggesting it was just the beginning of the storm that was to come. You looked back with a puzzled expression, knowing the weather was not the best, but as far as you remembered you had already shot all the scenes you needed outside. Evan rolled his eyes, âour natural light is gone, honey, itâs too dark to shoot!â he barked.
âHey, no need to yell at her like thaâ,â Harry looked back at his friend, attempting to calm him down, â âs fine, we were early on schedule anyway, one day is not gonna delay it.â
He shot a look at Harry, his hand finding its way back on his waist as he let out a deep breath. âIâm sorry, this is just incredibly frustrating.â
You smiled at him to assure it was fine, knowing how much stress he was putting on because of this project. âDoesnât Nia have one of those light things you were using the other day to make the scene brighter?â You suggested.
Evan sighed, âthatâs a reflector, it justâ well, reflects the light, we would need the sun for it to work, and seems like sheâs not showing her face anytime soon,â he weightened his shoulders down, clearly feeling defeated. âI guess today is our off day â we should use it to pray for sunlight tomorrow, otherwise Iâm pulling my hair off.â
When Nia woke up, you could tell she was not happy at all with the news that filming had to be cancelled for the time being. She spent the whole breakfast whining and crying about the poor weather. You tried your best to console her, but knowing your friend you knew her dramatics showed off when she worried about something. She tended to overthink every scenario that could go wrong, which did nothing to help the pressure she put on herself.
The day went on as eventless as it possibly could, the rain outside just seeming to get angrier as time passed by. You did your best to distract Nia from her own head, asking her about the recent documentaries she had watched, knowing she could go on tangents for hours. You talked about crime shows you have started before filming and shared different theories you had on them. You even listened to her deep analysis of trashy reality shows she loved to watch and always tried to drag you to get into it.
You talked and talked with no end, considering there wasnât much else to do. Niaâs aunt hated computers and refused to install any kind of wifi, leaving you with a shitty connection that barely loaded a five-minute video.
As the evening came by, and the raindrops still hit angrily at the windows, you decided to watch another movie â this time it was Evanâs choice of Freaky Friday.Â
You volunteered to grab the blankets from the cabinets on the second floor, while Nia excitedly announced she would make popcorn for everyone.
Quickly moving along the hallway, you made your way in front of the doors and opened them. You could hear footsteps coming up the stairs as you tiptoed to  reach the top shelf where the soft blanket you had used the first night lied on top of.Â
âNeed help?â You heard a voice approach, looking over your shoulder to find Harry walking towards you with an amused expression on his face. You nodded, chuckling as you quickly stepped out of the way to allow him to take your place. He reached up, easily retrieving the blanket and giving it to you.
âThank you,â you muttered, looking up at him for a moment.
âNo problem, darlinâ,â he said, fetching two other blankets before closing one door with a swing of his hip. You closed the other one with a small giggle. You started to quietly move along towards the staircase when he cleared his throat, causing you to look up at him. He kept his gaze down before speaking softly, âAfter the movie, think Iâll go back to my room a bit early,â he looked at you for a moment, â âf you want to join me.â
You stopped walking to look at him arching your eyebrows surprised, not expecting this kind of proposal at this moment. He stopped a step ahead of you, staring back with nervous eyes and shooting you a shy smile. âIâm not saying we have to do anything, I just-â he spluttered, âjust wanted to be with you, without the camera and stuff.â
You smiled at him, âof course,â you voiced, âsounds nice.â
Shortly, you found yourself in the same position as the first day. Sharing a blanket with Harry, but this time Nia was wide awake next to you with a bucket of popcorn plopped on her lap. Some people would consider her to be the worst kind of person to watch movies with, considering she would always get too excited and comment on every scene she could. You had gotten so used to it with time, that it felt weird watching a movie without her voice interrupting a scene every five minutes.
It got hard to concentrate on this one in particular, and not because of Niaâs speaking over the lines, but the sudden feeling of Harryâs hand resting on your knee halfway through it. Your legs were crossed on top of the couch, making part of it rest slightly on top of his as he eased his thumb over your skin.
As time passed, he moved his hand up a bit, finding its final place on your inner thigh, causing goosebumps to arise on the back of your neck as he caressed it softly. You caught yourself holding your breath multiple times, something he was also probably aware of, considering the position of his arm on the side of your chest.Â
The tension between you two was almost palpable as the end credits rolled up. At that point you had prompted yourself to lean your head on his shoulders. He grasped your skin slightly before removing his hand and motioning his position to get up, making you pull back from him.
ââm going back to my room now,â he announced as he got up, shooting you a knowing look, âgânight.â
You stayed back for a few minutes so as not to look too suspicious, folding up the blanket you had used and scrolling through your phone for a bit. Not long after you excused yourself, climbing the stairs two steps at a time.
You found him in the hallway, leaning in on the wall right next to his door as he looked down on his phone. As he felt your presence he gazed up, grinning softly before bringing his finger above his lips as to warn you to stay quiet.
The two rushed inside his room, trying to be as quiet as possible, considering your friends downstairs could come up at any second. He closed the door behind him, looking right at you as he leaned back. His room was similar to yours, the difference being a few more clothes lying on top of the small couch standing at the corner. The curtains hanging on the big windows were pushed open, allowing the moonlight from the now-clear sky to illuminate the place.Â
Your breath got caught in your throat as you stared back at him, meeting his dark irises. He started stepping closer to you until he could lean his forehead against yours. His hands found their way caressing your jawline, one of them going as far as to pulling lightly on the hair above your neck. You held your breath, gazing up at him as you waited for his next move.
He smiled lazily, brushing his nose against your softly before placing a peck to the corner of your lips. He was teasing you, his hand leaving your hair to find its way down your body, paying special attention to the side of your breast before placing itself holding your waist.
You swallowed dryly, feeling your heart speed up as you pulled him closer, wanting desperately to close the space between the two of you. Too scared that your voice would give out your desperation, you moved one of your hands to the back of his neck and pulled him in. He didnât think twice before finally closing the space and allowing you to feel his lips against yours.
The kiss started slow, both of you still trying to figure it out how it was to taste each other like this. His lips were soft, moving teasingly as he sucked on your bottom lip. Your hand pulled his hair gently, causing him to whine into mouth, licking at your tongue as he deepened the kiss. The hand on your waist moved up, caressing the side of your breast softly as he tried to pull you in as close as possible.
He started easing you backwards, considering neither of you were willing to break the kiss to watch where you were going. You felt the mattress of his bed hitting the back of your knees. You allowed him to lay you into the bed, parting for a moment so you could move upwards, laying your head on the pillows. Shortly enough he joined you, placing his elbows on both sides of your head, not wasting any time before closing the space between your mouths again.
The two of you stayed like this for a while. Slowly kissing each other, as your arm found its way back behind his neck and one of his hand caressed your cheek. You could get used to this, with him being the only thing you could sense. His taste. His touch. His scent.Â
He was all you could think about.
When you finally pulled back, you could see his red, puffy lips even with the limited amount of lighting going into the room.Â
He looked into your eyes for a moment, âyou look so pretty like this, darling,â he murmured, his voice just above a whisper, sending chills down your spine. âCould eat you up.âÂ
A small whimper left your mouth, as he dove back in to spread kissed along your cheek and down your throat. You bit hard into your lip and swallowed back a moan as he sucked in a spot right below your jawline. You could feel him grinding his hips down on your tights, making you aware of the growing bulge inside his sweats.
You placed your hand on his shoulders, pushing him gently and disconnecting him from your neck. He pulled back, looking back at you with a puzzled look. You kept pushing him until his shoulders hit the mattress, reverting the previous position you both were in, as you stranded his waist.
Looking down at him, you wanted so badly to discover his body, to make him feel good. So you took the same position he had on you. Placing your lips against his neck and running your tongue against it, sucking in his skin. You kept doing it as your hand smoothed down his body, finding the hem of his shirt and lifting it enough so you could scratch at his love handles. He gave you a small moan, a sound so delicious to hear you that made you want to swallow him whole.Â
Both his hands found their place on your waist, pressing you down so you could feel his need between your tights. You quickly pulled your head from his neck, giving him a soft peck on the lips.
âPlease, love, just-â he grunted, looking up at you with pleading eyes. âJust do something, please, I-â
His hands gripped tightly on your waist as you rolled your hips against him. Neither of you could contain your moans as you repeated the movement, even fully clothed his bulge rubbed deliciously against the place you needed it the most.Â
You leaned down again, this time pushing his shirt up as you made your way down his body, splattering open-mouthed kisses along his warm chest. You paid a special mind to the tattoos you met along the way, sucking spots over the wings of a butterfly inked on his stomach. As you licked along the leaves of the ferns that adorned his love handles, you felt one of his hands tangling in your hair, his hips rising slightly as he whimpered.
âA bit impatient, you are,â you spoke, feeling his belly tighten as you placed a playful bite under his belly button, causing another moan to leave his lips.
âDarlinâ, please,â he whined, âJust- fuck, just need you right now.â
You decided not to tease him for too long, considering you needed it just as much as he did. Finally, you moved down once more to place a kiss above the hard on over his pants. He lifted his head, watching your every move as his hand that was placed on your hair pushed some strands away from your forehead. You wrapped your hand around the hem of his sweats, rising your eyebrows at him as you felt he wasnât wearing any underpants. The thought of having such easy access to him making you press your thighs together, feeling your wetness already damping your underwearÂ
Slowly, you bit your bottom lip, keeping your gaze focused on him as you moved his sweats down, he raised his hips as to help you out. Once his cock was fully out, you stared back down at it lying proudly against his stomach. You ran your fingers gently along his length, causing him to hold his breath, his abdomen tightening once more. He was definitely bigger than anyone you had ever been with, causing your mouth to water a bit and your thighs to press together once again at the thought of fully having him.
You could feel him peering down at you as you wrapped your hands around the base and applied the smallest amount of pressure. The precum was already escaping from the tip and sliding down the tiniest bit.Â
Moving your head forward you looked back at his waiting eyes, spitting on top of the head as you moved your hand up caressing it. This time he gave you an actual moan, throwing his head back at the pillows behind him.Â
Looking down at him, you didnât know where to place your lips first, wanting to bite and lick every part of his body. Finally deciding on sucking a spot on his thigh, right next to where rested an ink of a tiger head.
You kept the movement of your hand, twisting it and applying more pressure eventually as you watched him shift around under you. He raised his hips slightly as he pleaded under his breath for more, his hand firmly on top of your head as the other was thrown above his own.
You moved your thumb to run across his slit, caressing the head with a flick of your wrist as you moved your mouth to place kisses at the base. At this point he became a moaning mess, throwing his arm over his mouth as to muffle the sounds while you licked up his shaft.
âGod- fuck- such a good girl,â he moaned on his arm, moving it out of the way so he could look down at you. âDoing so good, you feel so good- shit.â
Smiling at him, you jerked him off a couple of times before resting your hand at the base so you could replace it with your mouth.
You licked around his head, giving it a small kiss before you moved down as far as you could go. He cried out, tightening his grip on your hair and moving his hips up to meet your movements as you sucked on him.
He was desperate to reach his climax, and you were desperate to see him cum undone under your touch. So you started speeding up, your mouth licking at his veins, your hand helping you as you moved it along his dick. He was cursing and moaning over you, pleading for you not to stop. You kept moving your hand as you licked at his head once more before detaching so you could look up at him with pleading eyes.
âAlmost there?â you asked, having him nod frantically at you, âwill you let me have a taste?â
That seemed to do it for him, as he pushed your head back down, making you attach your lips to his head as you felt him shoot his load inside your mouth. You milked him as he came down from his high, feeling his softness on your lips as you swallowed down.
You sat up and looked down at his hazy eyes while he calmed down with heavy breaths. He adjusted his sweats quickly before moving himself up to pull you in for a frantic kiss. âGod, darling, youâre a dream,â he spoke between kisses, his hands gripping at your waist as he positioned you to lie on top of him, moving one of them under your shirt, pulling it up slowly.
You quickly placed your hand on top of his stopping him from going further as you detached from him. He furrowed his brows at you. âI should go back to my room,â you said, âgot an early day tomorrow.â
He gave you a puzzled look, âbut you still havenât- â
âitâs okay,â you interrupted, moving to get up from his bed, suddenly feeling nervous under his gaze, âIâll see you tomorrow, okay? Good night!â
You left his room before he could protest, wanting to slap yourself from running away like this.Â
**
The next morning was thankfully much brighter than the one before, with sunlight shining through the windows at the earliest hours. You didnât get a lot of sleep, tossing and turning around, replaying the previous night in your head. The thought of what couldâve happened if you had stayed imprinted itself in your mind. You started to overthink it. What did he even think of you? After running away like that?Â
Your thoughts consumed you as you sat in of the stools in the kitchen by yourself, for the first time being the first to be awake. Your coffee running cold by the minute, as you frowned to yourself, taking a sip every so often.
It didnât take long until you didnât find yourself alone anymore, having Evan join you as he happily cheered about the nice weather. You nodded along to him, not really in the mood for talking as you anxiously poked at your nails.
It was when you walked towards the sink to wash your used mug that you saw Harry walking into the kitchen. His hair messy and his eyes sleepy, making you annoyed at how charming he managed to look even after just getting out of bed.Â
He greeted you with a raspiness to his voice, his eyes lingering on you a moment too long as he smirked before moving to the cabinets. He stood next to you while you washed the dishes, grabbing himself a bowl while he worked on his breakfast.
Yours arms would brush every so often as you moved while doing your tasks, making you gaze at him. He kept a grin sitting on his face as he casually made a conversation with Evan, his dimple poking out the smallest bit, but still not looking back at you.
As soon as you were finished you left for your bedroom so you could get ready for the day, but not before sparing one last glance at Harry. This time his eyes were already trained on you as he chewed slowly his fruit salad. You felt your cheeks getting a bit warm from the eye contact, making you look down and leave the room with a speeding heart.
The work started early, as you ran around to keep up with the schedule after losing one day of productivity.Â
Harry seemed to be in it for teasing you. His touches lingered longer than needed. His kisses were harsher, the need behind them being almost palpable. His gaze on you told you something you couldnât really tell exactly what it was. Lust? Desire? You werenât entirely sure, but every time you caught him watching you felt a warmth take over your face.
In one occasion, between takes, as Nia and Evan discussed the best position for the camera considering her broken tripod. You stood awkwardly waiting for their instructions as you played with the hem of your dress. You could feel him staring closely, looking up to find him with the same smirk he gave you in the morning. He looked quickly over your friends who were still trying to figure out the problem before leaning up close to you âStill havenât let me have a taste, love,â he said quiet enough to that just you could hear, the words sending a chill down your spine and making your core twitch as you glanced back at him.
That same night, after you announced youâd tuck yourself in, just as you changed into your pajama shorts, you heard a soft knock on your door. You opened up to see his darkened irises staring back at you as he quietly let himself in. And within a few minutes he found his place between your legs, your hand gripping tightly at his curls as you moaned into your pillow.
The following day wasnât much different, starting with a tight filming schedule that was coming to a close end. An exchanging of glances across the room and yearning touches with underlying motives behind them. Ending with you lurking into his room at the dark hours of the night, craving-filled touched and muffled moans.
**
The wrap up of the film was welcomed with a bittersweet feeling settling itself in the pit of your stomach. Knowing as much as you were glad everything had gone as smoothly as possible during this week, it was time to leave it all behind.Â
You were nervous about how it would be with Harry after you got home. Was this the start of something that could potentially become a warm and beautiful feeling? Or was it just a lust-filled affair that would end as quickly as it had started? It made you anxious to think about it, not wanting to let go of it just yet.
Nia walked into the living room with two champagne bottles that had been brought up for this exact moment. The atmosphere was filled with chatter as everyone celebrated the end of the hard work.Â
You were dressed in the fanciest clothes you had brought on your rushed-packed bag, which consisted itself in a black blouse and a loose pair of pants you stole from Niaâs wardrobe a couple weeks prior. But you once again could not compete with Evanâs sense of style, as he seemed right out of a cover with a hot pink turtleneck under a sparkly black dress that hung all the way to his feet.
But you still couldnât keep your eyes off of him.
You watched as he laughed along at something that had been said, his eyes meeting yours for a moment before fixing on Nia as she offered to serve him the champagne she had just opened.Â
He looked so good.Â
Like you, he didnât opt for a very glam look, wearing a simple graphic white tee with a rainbow printed on it, and a simple pair of checked trousers. But as plain as someone could argue it was, he still managed to look incredibly inviting, which made it harder for you not to latch yourself onto him.
You were coming into your sixth or seventh glass when it all died down. Your head was fuzzy, and you felt giggly as you cheered along with everyone about the successful week you had. Nia had already gone back to her room. She didnât drink as much considering she would have to drive early in the morning, wanting to leave most of the celebration for the premiere day.Â
The glances stolen between you and Harry were getting more frequent, the longing in each other's eyes visible with the effect of the alcohol.
**
He had you pressed up against your bedroom door as he sucked in your bottom lip harshly. His hands gripped at your waist tightly, putting his weight against you.
You wrapped your hand around his neck as the other pulled at his shirt desperately with the need of having him close. You felt overwhelmed by him in the nicest way. Having his hips pressing against your own, making you open your tights slightly as you felt his arousal straining on his trousers.
You whimpered into his mouth at the feeling, suddenly needing him as close as possible. You could tell his desperation matched your own by the way his hand pressed on the side of your body and his mouth moved against you. His groans getting lost in your throat every time you tangled your fingers on his roots, pulling at it.
âYouâre gonna kill me like this, baby,â he breathed out, his lips moving against your wanting ones, âso fuckinâbeautiful.â
You tried to keep your shaky hands steady as they travelled down his chest, scratching as his tummy lightly under his shirt before you began pulling it up. He detached from you to quickly reach over his shoulders and pull it off completely. He didnât waste any time bringing his hand to unbutton your blouse, peppering kisses along your lips as he moved it down your shoulders, only to be met with your bare breasts underneath.
âFuck me,â he groaned staring down at you, attaching your lips once again as he pulled you from the door as he fiddled with the zipper of your pants. You stumbled on each other's arms across the floor until you were met with the plush feeling of the bedcovers on the back of your thighs.Â
You stepped out of your pants as they got loose around your waist and fell damply to the floor, allowing Harry to push you gently into the mattress. He quickly got rid of his own trousers, wasting no time before towering above you, connecting your mouths once again.
It was like no matter how close you were, it still wasnât good enough to satisfy the craving you had. You still wanted more. Needed more.Â
He was fully licking into you, his hands gripping your tights as he rolled his hips to meet yours. You moaned in unison at the feeling of your arousals meeting deliciously as he repeated the movement once more before parting your mouths so he could spread kisses along your neck.
âHarry,â you breathed out his name, dragging your nails along his back as you moved your hips up eagerly.
He moved his head from your neck o hover above yours, licking his lips teasingly as he looked down at you with dark eyes. He moved one of his hands to caress your cheek lovingly, as the other found your breast, his thumb grazing over your nipple. âCan I have a taste, baby?â he leaned his forehead against your, not breaking eye contact, âjust a foâa bit, then you can have me.â
You nodded frantically, brushing your nose against his. He gave you one last peck on the lips before moving down again to lick down at your skin. He pressed open-mouthed kisses at your chest, sucking harshly between your breasts. His tongue moved along your belly, craving his finger into it playfully like you had done to him, making you squeal above him.
He finally settled down between your thighs, his hand gripping at them to keep it apart before moving teasingly slow to the hem of your underwear. Your breath got caught in your throat as you moved up to lean on your elbows, gazing at him, hyper-aware of his every move.Â
He looked up, grinning like a devil, before moving his face down to nose gently at your mound. Pulling away, he pressed his hands on your sides, sliding your underwear off your legs as you helped him, raising your hips slightly.
You whimpered as you felt him kiss along your inner thigh, meeting your middle as licked you once. Your hips raised impatiently, making him smirk at you again before completely diving in.
You got lost in the pleasure as he licked his tongue into you, letting yourself fall back in the cushions behind your head. Your hand moved to grip at his hair tightly as he sucked in your clit, making you yelp and call out his name. His mouth was warm as his saliva mixed with your own wetness every time he licked into you.
Feeling your arousal pooling on your folds, you desperately needed to feel him as close as possible. Wanting every inch of him against you.
You pushed him from you, grabbing at his shoulder so he could move up to face you again. He didnât protest, spattering quick kisses along the way before pressing his mouth against yours. The taste of champagne still lingering on your tongue mixed with your own taste on his as he licked into your mouth.
âyâtaste so good, baby,â he groaned, parting from you as he moved to remove his briefs. The limited amount of light illuminated his face beautifully, making you able to notice the glistening of your juices down his chin. You felt your core twitch at the scene above you, desperate to have him fill you up.
âPlease,â you urged him, grabbing at his hips to pull him down.
âCan I have you, darlinâ?â His voice was raspy, as he looks down at you with hooded eyes, ââd you let me?â
Your arousal blurred your mind, your grip on his waist tightened as you raised your hips impatiently, nodding along to his question.
âHave to hear you say it, love,â he spoke, leaning down to place kisses along your neck, âjust say it, and youâll have me.â
âYou can have me, please, I-â you moaned desperately, babbling words without thinking, âI need you, please.â
He raised his head from your shoulders, giving you a quick peck before reaching down to guide his length between your folds. Your belly tensed as he rubbed his head against your clit, holding back your breath as he finally slid in you.
âFuck, youâre wet,â he choked, pushing his hips all the way, allowing you to feel every inch of him fill you up. You breathed out a moan, reaching your hand on his back. ââs this all foâ me?â
You whined out a âyesâ, rolling your hips as a way of urging him to move.Â
His movements began slow, his cock rubbing heavenly against your walls, making you clench around him. You both moaned and whimpered as your lips brushed.
âCan feel me deep?â He asked, resting his forehead against yours as he pushed his dick all the way in. You nodded, yearning for him to start moving again. âCan feel me in yâbelly?â
âH, please,â you begged, gripping your nails on his shoulder blades.âWant you.â
âyâhave me,â he kissed you hard before moving again, rolling his hips as he picked up the pace.
 The air around you was hot as you threw your head back with the delicious feeling of him hitting the spot inside of you. He was addicting. The salty taste of his skin. The touch of his hands gripping on your sides. The smell of his cologne faintly mixed with sweat. The sound of his skin meeting yours. It made you earn for him in every possible way.Â
You felt your wetness dripping out of you as he pulled your leg up to your chest, allowing him to effectively hit deeper spots. The new position made a cramp start to creep up on your thight, but you ignored it to focus on the way his hips met yours.
Time seemed to pass like a blur as you pleasured each other, but soon enough you felt your orgasm building up. His thrusts became more frequent and smooth as he felt you clench more around him.
âthatâs it, baby - fuck,â he grunted, moving his hand down to flicker your clit, causing to arch your back, moaning loudly. âWanna feel you come for me.â
His cross necklace dangled over you as he watched you closely. You kept your gaze locked on his as you felt the feeling deep in your tummy take over your entire body. A moan got stuck in your throat as you opened your mouth to an âOâ shape, digging your nails further on his shoulders as you reached your high.
**
Getting home, you soon realized that throughout the week you had been so lost in your feelings with Harry that you didnât even think of asking him for his phone number.Â
The month that followed passed by surprisingly quickly. During the first week you were swiftly thrown back again into your old reality of course essays and textbooks. You hadnât heard a word from Harry, and the most frustrating part is that he seemed to have settled his place inside your thoughts. You tried asking about him to Nia once or twice again, but every time she seemed to come up with vague answers and change the subject, so you figured she had other things to worry about.Â
It was a disappointing end, to say the least. Even knowing from the start that being let down was the most possible outcome, it didnât hurt any less. You often wondered if it had been something youâd done that made him pull away, or if he just wasnât in it from the start.
By the second week you had gotten a job at a tiny local cafe you used to go after class to study and eat cinnamon rolls. Thatâs when time starting to rush by, as you found yourself busy through most of your day. Nia was working more than youâve ever seen her. You two barely talked as she spent most of her time with Evan or inside her room editing. And as the week at the camp house got further away, it started to almost seem like you had imagined all of it.Â
Having a lot of distractions helped, but you never seemed to push the thought of a certain curly-haired boy completely away. Sometimes during a tedious lesson you would daydream about the feeling of his lips against yours. Or right before you fell asleep you would think about the taste of his skin, how strong his hand were gripping on your thighs. Maybe even at work. When there wasnât a lot of movement, you could almost hear the sound of his voice.
It was aggravating, the effect he left on you. It got to a point where you got angry; sometimes at him but sometimes at yourself. He was the one who had gone after you, and yet he was the one who disappeared. But again, he didnât really owe you anything, and thatâs whatâs frustrating. You were the one who allowed him; you knew from the start that you would get hurt but you still went for it, anyway.
As you got closer to the premiere night that was planned, you started to get anxious. You would catch yourself daydreaming more often, not being as focused as you were. You even started picking your nails again, which is a habit you thought youâd kick it a long time ago. But truth to be told, you were nervous.
The thought about seeing him again made your heart race. You wished that you could somehow find a way not to go. Maybe ask Nia if the two of you could have a private viewing. You had even thought about bribing her with making your momâs brownie recipe. But you already knew the answer before you even suggested it. This was an important night for her, and you would be there to support it.
You were overthinking this. Was it going to be awkward when you met him? How would you even greet him? Would he kiss you? Would he ignore you? Should you ignore him? All the scenarios in your head made you want to throw up and run away.
**
When the two of you finally arrived, you were greeted by a cheerful Evan, who jokingly teased you for being late. As you got into his house, you found a bigger group than you expected. It seemed like you and Nia were the last ones to arrive, as there was around ten other people in there. Some of them you recognized from being Niaâs friends, others you had never seen, but none was the one you earned to see the most.
Evan guided you across the living room area, âIâll show you the kitchen so you two can get some drinks,â He held up his glass as he spoke. Gesturing to the entrance of the room, âWeâll start everything in around ten minutes, so get ready.â
As you entered the kitchen behind Nia, you could feel her stiffen her posture a bit, before looking back at you. You frowned lightly at her, confused by her behaviour, gazing inside the room and finding immediately a pair of green eyes already watching you. It made you think back to the first time you were in this exact position, except in your own kitchen. This time, however, he was the one to approach you.
He looked really good, which did nothing to help the butterflies flying relentlessly in your stomach. He was in all black, a buttoned up shirt with a few buttons open, exposing a bit of the skin on his chest where a silver necklace laid upon. You swallowed dryly at the sight of his hand running swiftly through his hair, with a ring hugging each one of his fingers.Â
As he got close, he greeted Nia first, giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, before turning his attention back to you. He shot you a shy smile, before embracing you into a hug. You didnât really know if it was your mind playing tricks but you felt him a bit hesitant as he greeted you and placed a kiss on your cheek. Pulling away, he cleared his throat, running his hand again through his hair, he almost seemed⌠nervous?
ââS nice seeing you again,â he mumbled, âthis uhm⌠âs my girlfriend, Jess.â
You could felt your heart drop with his words as you finally noticed a smiley girl coming to his side.Â
She wasnât much taller than you, her red hair pulled back in a perfect ponytail. She matched him with a small black dress that annoyingly hugged her body in all the right ways. You could barely register her greeting you, as you tried your best to keep a straight face to hide the shock that took over your body. You felt a heaviness at the pit of your stomach, a feeling so distressful that made you want to scream as an attempt to make it go away.
You didnât pay a lot of attention as Nia made a conversation with the girl, knowing thatâs what she did best. You kept your gaze directed to Harry, your eyes asking a million questions - you didnât even think you wanted to know the answers to. But he kept his eyes locked on the floor, eventually looking up at the girl in his arms as she seemed to mention him. But never meeting your own. Her hand was caressing his chest lovingly while his found their way on her waist, keeping her close.
âI think Iâll get something to drink,â you announced, realizing you mightâve interrupted the conversation as they stopped talking. You turned to Nia, âdo you want something?â
She looked back at you with sorry eyes, âI should go with you,â she quickly turned back to the girl, âIt was lovely meeting you, Jess.â
âOh! Sure,â she smiled brightly at you two, her hand moving to rest on Harryâs chest, âwe should go get our seats as well, right, babe?âÂ
You left the scene as quickly as you could, not wanting to hear any more of it. Looking at all the drink options on top of the counter, you tried to think which one could get you drunk enough to stop feeling hurt over someone you spent just a week with, but still sober enough so that you could pretend everything was fine. Before you realized, Nia was standing next to you, getting two plastic pink cups before she stared at you with guilty-filled eyes.
âI shouldâve just told you about it,â she sighed, âI didnât want to make you sad, but looking back it was probably best if you already knew.â
You turned your head to look at her, âso you knew it all along?â You swallowed the lump in your throat as you felt it close once again.
âEvan told me like a few days after we got back!â She rushed, âI donât know if they were together while we were filming.â
You took a deep breath, knowing Nia was probably blaming herself for putting you into this situation. But you knew it wasnât her fault, she would never purposely put you in this position if she knew about it before.
âYou know what, itâs fine,â you tried your best to cover up the hurt and gave her a weak smile, âitâs not your fault Ni. Itâs okay. Iâm fine.â
She pulled you into a tight hug, âIâm sorry, bubba,â she said, âletâs get you something to drink so you can enjoy this party like the star you are!â
The two of you decided on the vodka mixed with watermelon juice, something you had never even thought of trying before but seemed to be ideal to handle the situation you found yourself in. You walked back to the living area, where people were already beginning to settle on the chairs.Â
Following Nia, you prompted yourself on a seat at the edge closest to the door, opposite to where Harry sat with the girl. His girl. You thought bitterly, taking a big sip from your cup and cringing at the strong taste.
There was a speech you didnât pay much attention to before they started the film, only giving a slight smile when you realized the mention of your name.Â
Before you knew it, the lights were out and your face took over the screen.Â
It was harder than you thought it would be. Looking up at the scenes you had with Harry, knowing everything that happened behind the cameras. Knowing every touch and every kiss felt more than just playing a character. You knew the actual feeling of having him to yourself. But now staring at it right in front of you, it just left a sour taste in your mouth.Â
You finished your drink barely ten minutes into the film, the feeling of your chest aching starting to become overwhelming as you watched your shared kiss on the big screen. You could feel your throat close once more, your eyes watering a bit.
âIâm gonna get some air,â you whispered to Nia sitting next to you, who gave you a sympathetic smile as you got up. You glimpsed quickly to Harry who had his eyes trained on you, the girl next to him leaning to whisper something in his ear.
You could feel the tears falling down stubbornly as you left the room. Standing in the hallway, you made the decision to turn to the front door instead of the back, not wanting to face anyone with reddish eyes.
You left the house, picking your phone with shaky hands as you managed to call a ride home, sighing in relief as your screen told you it was just about three minutes away.
You heard the door open behind you as stood on the sidewalk hugging yourself to get some warmth on the chilly night. You tried your best to swallow back your tears as you turned around, expecting to find Nia looking at you with pitiful eyes.Â
To your surprise, the person standing there was Harry, looking like a deer caught in the headlights as he took in your tearful eyes. He spoke your name in a soft voice, causing you to look away.
âDonât-â you interrupted, raising your hand at him, âI donât wanna hear it.â
He frowned at you, not wanting to upset you more. âIâm sorry,â he hesitated, taking a step forward.
Your phone buzzed in your hand, as you watched your ride pulling in front of you. You looked back at him, âIâm sorry too,â you said before moving to enter the car.Â
You spared him one last glance through the window as the driver pulled away.
#harry styles#harry styles fanfiction#harry styles one shot#harry styles imagine#harry styles smut#harry styles writing#harry styles fanfic#wildest dreams#writing#fanfic#Reader x Harry#my writing
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Why, hello there đđđđ
Letâs cut to the chase: I need your help to bring this project to life. If youâve been following me you probably know what the Thunder Flames project is and why Iâve done it in the first place.
If you donât, hereâs a short summary: the Thunder Flames project (and event) is one where I quickly created 50 fan arts of a (incredibly underrated) gay couple (Magna Swing x Luck Voltia, aka LuGna or MagLuck, both characters from the anime/manga Black Clover) and posted them in the span of one week (July 7th ~ July 14th, 2020) in response to the stupid homophobic hate Iâve been getting over it ever since I started drawing them (January 2020).Â
You can read the full story in the Thunder Flames FAQ section, as well as in the Donation Page Iâve created just for this cause.
Thatâs why I would like to ask for your help. I tried to create a kickstarter and a gofundme for this, but I am unable to because I live in Brazil and none of these platforms are available for my country. So Iâm doing this entirely on my own, and relying 100% on you guys.
If you think this is something worth investing, please help me by sharing this post and, if you can at all, donate. I of course will be opening commissions soon as well, but I (unfortunately) have my own living expenses to pay for, so most of my commission money will go towards that.
Iâve never done this sort of thing before so please be patient with me, but I will try to compensate everyone who donates an amount enough to cover the price of one book. And I donât know how much thatâs going to cost yet, but Iâve been contacting some places here and there and itâs going to be expensive as heck, because I actually wanna make a good, fancy, pretty looking book worth buying so it does justice to the sheer spite oozing from this project.Â
How expensive? Well, I want to do a good job. So if you guys actually support me, Iâll reach high like the sky and try to earn 3k USD to do it the way I want to (and thatâs for the minimum amount, which is 100 books. But it costs almost the same to print 200). This sum is going towards printing the book, paying a graphic designer to make things look neat-o and possibly making some merch. Ideally Iâd like to save up 5k but Iâll keep that in my dreams. I know nothing yet but Iâll try to keep the final price of the book as reasonable as possible.
PLEASE CLICK HERE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING AND/OR BUYING THIS ART BOOK (OR NOT. LMAO).Â
Youâre probably thinking to yourself, âShouldnât you do the interest check before asking for donations?â And the answer to that is, yes. That would be the correct answer, if I wasnât so spiteful as to at least make a minimum amount of copies regardless of how many donations I get, or how many people are actually interested in it. It would just take me more time to do it, and Iâd probably not be able to make it look as fancy as I want it to.Â
But this art book is coming to life. Mark my words. Last time people tried me, I drew 50 illustrations of a gay couple in love in the span of 4 days and posted them all in the span of one week, as well as I made a website dedicated to it and am paying to keep that site up and running. Crazy story, huh?
If you actually enter the website to donate, youâll see that the âDonateâ button still isnât working. But my Ko-Fi is, so please donate there for the time being!
Thank you so much for reading, and please help me spread the word to fuel my spite help me bring this project to life!!
Find me anywhere in my LinkTree!
#thunder flames#Thunder Flames project#lugna#magluck#black clover#magna swing#luck voltia#heeeeere weee gooooo~ here we gooo agaaaainn
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What If: Frisk and Sans chilling out on beds and couches at a furniture store.
Ah this one was so cute! And so fun to write!Â
What If Frisk and Sans went to Ikea? Suggestive flirting???? Â
"We've been in here for hoursâ"
"âTHIS ROOM IS BEAUTIFUL!" Sans sighed and watched as Frisk took a picture of the minimalist "city-living" kitchen display. They had really only been there for an hour and a half, but they had come to get a bed⌠ not to take pictures of the display rooms. However, he had to admit; seeing Frisk, a woman who took herself very seriously, act like a child at a toy store was quite endearing.
"Could you see us in an apartment like this?" She breathed as she stepped inside the display to look at all the pretty decorations. Sans chuckled quietly and crossed his arms.
"I could see myself uh⌠eating those swedish meatballs," he grunted. She shot him a look and he snickered boyishly.
âOh tais-toi, connard,â she teased with a playful snicker. Sans chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. Frisk laughed as he nibbled on her neck.
âIâm hungry, and youâre over here showing me display kitchens. Not helping, sweetheart,â he murmured into her ear. That familiar tingle ran down her spine and she smirked.
âBe good. Weâre in public,â she whispered coyly as she shrugged him off and continued down the yellow marked path. He watched her with a growing grin and shoved his hands in his pockets with a smug air about him. He glanced over to see an older couple shooting them dirty looks, which he returned with a nonchalant wink. The old womanâs jaw gaped and Sans quickly turned away and chased after his fiancĂŠ.
âIâm surprised Papyrus isnât here, what did you say he was holed up doing again?â Asked Frisk as she ran her hand along a dark wooden armoire. Sans shrugged absentmindedly and glanced down her body as she walked in front of him. Sometimes he was taken aback by how surreal it was to be with a woman like her.
âHe had to go to the bank to deal withâŚuh⌠a fraud charge on his card. It got locked cause he tried to buy a some candles from Bath and Body Works. Apparently Bath and Body Works is aâtchâa hotspot, and heâs such a fuckin impulse buyer. The moment he discovered online shopping, I swear to God.â His words dissolved into a fit of boyish chuckles at the memory. Frisk joined in his infectious laughter.
âOh my God. Oh my God! I remember!â She had been shopping with Alice, Bonnie and Charlotte when Papyrus had called her in a fit of rage about never shopping at âthat deplorable perfumeryâ ever again. They both giggled together as they walked the endless maze of home decor.
Finally, they arrived in the bed and bedroom section of the gigantic furniture store and Sans sighed with relief.
âThink I can actually sit down for a change?â He teased. Frisk rolled her eyes and scanned the room. They needed a king. As... nice... as it was being pressed together in a full, she knew having space would be better, especially since they both took up a lot of space, Sans from sheer size and Frisk by spreading her limbs to each corner of the mattress. She knew the longer they lived together, the more being tangled in each otherâs arms would get claustrophobic. Claustrophobia would cause tension, and tension would cause fightsâŚand Frisk never wanted that to happen. Not after everything theyâd been through together. No, a couple needed their moments of space. A bed was the perfect place to have it.
Frisk glanced over her shoulder when she felt Sansâs eyes on her and she pursed her lips to hide a smile. Besides, with the way their sex life was going⌠there would be plenty of time to be entangled together. Her soul flickered at the notion and she let out a heavy breath. A bigger bed has so many more possibilitiesâŚ
âOh, look at this one,â she hummed as she gestured to a bed with a solid, black headboard. Sans glanced down and read the name. KVALFJORD. He grumbled to himself something along the lines of crazy-Swedish-bullshit before shrugging and pushing his hand into the mattress.
âItâs nice, thatâs for sure,â he murmured thoughtfully. Frisk grinned and checked the price. She grimaced at the four hundred dollar price tag but Sans shrugged it off. Four hundred dollars was nothing to him or his brother. She was still surprised at how well they had transitioned into the American workforce after years of being military operatives for Asgore. Granted it wasnât standard work. Frisk had never been an ambassador before in her life, but the position was proving rather rewarding, and Sans worked alongside her as her own personal bodyguard. She smiled softly and spared him a small glance.
âHey⌠I love you,â she hummed, toying with the hem of his sleeve. Sans glanced back at her and his grin widened. He quirked a brow teasingly and ruffled her hair.
âI love you too, babe,â he said. Frisk smiled as he rolled himself onto the bed and rested his hands behind his neck in thoughtful surrender. It held his weight pretty well, considering the sheer size difference between humans and monsters.
âIs it good?â She asked. He hummed contentedly. Granted, with how easily Sans could become comfortable, she was sure anything would work for him and he would have little to no complaints. She gasped as he pulled her onto the bed and she giggled. The two laid side by side and Frisk splayed her arms out. Sans grunted as her hand slapped his face and they snickered.
âItâs a king for a reason, kid,â he joked and she chuckled and turned over onto her stomach. Sans watched as she propped her head up on her hands and they smiled affectionately at each other.
âI love Ikea way too much.â Sans burst out laughing at her words and she grinned. He sighed lazily and pulled himself up to sit against the headboard.
âIs this the one?â She asked. He glanced around the large industrial cavern at all the other options. None of them really fit his taste. This one was more modern, and -he shuffled his weight- not squeaky, unlike his old bed.
âWhat do you think?â He asked as he got up to lift the mattress and check out the support beams. Frisk slid off and came to stand by his side.
âThink it could handle us?â She whispered with a suggestive twinkle in her eye. Sans smirked and glanced down at her.
âWell thereâs only one way to try that out and⌠as much as that idea entices me, I donât think that would be very appropriate. I mean youâre the one who brought up the fact weâre in public,â he murmured back. She leaned against the bed and gave it a hard shake. Sans laughed at the move. It held firm and she shrugged and looked back up at him.
âI think it works. As long as we build it correctly.â Sans groaned at the reminder that yes, they would have to build it themselves.Â
âOh fuck me,â he groaned. Frisk stifled a smirk and gave him an innocent smile.
âI will once we build it,â she purred. He shook his head in amusement and wrapped an arm around her waist.
âWhatâs gotten into you? Actin all⌠frisky,â he uttered as he kissed her forehead. She giggled and ran her hand down his chest. He sucked in at the move, pulling her closer to him.
âItâs your fault,â she hummed with mock disapproval. He scoffed with baffled amusement and grabbed her hand when she reached his pelvis. His entire body was burning with her touch. Â
âIf you keep this up, I donât think Iâll be able to wait until after the damn thing gets built,â he growled. She bit her lip and pulled away from him. Sans watched her walk around the bed and ran his tongue along the edges of his fangs. She always knew how to get to him.
âSo do you like this one?â She asked, pretending that nothing had happened. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her.
âI do.â She smiled and took a picture of the tag for when they would need it in the warehouse.
âPerfect. I do too. Now! Letâs look at the mattresses,â she chirped as she skipped down the aisle. Sans growled with a titillating lust and followed after her. This woman.
When he came to her side, she reached for his hand, which he readily surrendered and she smiled with contentment. Her hand was so small compared to his, but in it, she felt safe. No one could touch her as long as he was by her side. That knowledge was enough to put her ever alert mind at ease and make her soul hum.
They spent another hour or so trying to find the right mattress, sparing each other flirtatious looks along the way. Every so often Frisk or Sans would notice other people staring at them out of morbid curiosity. After all, Sans was a reaper who stood at six feet and six inches tall, and she was just five foot six. However, she was happy to find no one being blatantly rude to them. Most of the employees were helpful, even if they did tremble a bit at the sight of Sans. She had to remind herself how she felt the first time they had met. That was of course, under very different circumstances.
When they finally made it past the furniture department, and into the home decor, Sans had to corral Frisk away from all the shiny decorations. It was like herding cats. They didnât exactly need a new salad bowl. Or new cups or dishes. Or fake potted plants.
Frisk did end up piling a bunch of pretty throw pillows and abstract art prints into the cart, along with the necessary bed sheets and comforter that would fit onto the bed. The duvet itself looked like its own abstract art piece, with mottled black, white and blue colors. Truly, Sans wasnât much of a designer, so he let Frisk pick out anything. He was happy with most all of her choices, except for when she expressed interest in a flowery, grandmotherly type duvet.
Once everything was picked out, they spent the last hour in the warehouse finding, retrieving and paying for the bed and all of their items. Sans followed through with his wish of grabbing some of the famous Swedish meatballs.
Once they were all finished and ready to go, one of the employees cautiously approached them.
"Do you need any help loading�" asked the employee. Sans glanced down at Frisk and grinned as smoke began to pour out of his eye sockets and circle the two and their boxes.
"Nah," he said as the employee looked on with a mixture of terror and strange fascination as the mist covered them. As the red smoke cleared, the employee gasped and stumbled back. They were gone!
                          â
"Was that really necessary?" Frisk asked with a breathless laugh. Sans rose a brow as the boxes thumped to the ground around them.
"Probably not, but you know what is?" He growled as he snaked an arm around her waist. She quirked a brow and shot him a challenging smirk.
"What?" She breathed. He clutched her chin in his large hand and leaned her head back as he kissed her. She let out a heavy breath and wrapped her arms around his neck. He nibbled her lips and heat shot down her stomach.
Sans pressed her against the wall as his hunger for her overcame him. She hummed as she pulled his head away from her and bit her lip with a sultry gleam in her eyes. Â
"Not yetâŚ" she sing-songed. He growled under his breath and she tapped his fangs. She smiled and slid out from under him. He snatched her hand and pulled her back to face him.
"Just one more kiss?" He purred. She smiled sweetly and cupped his face with her hands. They shared a gentle kiss before she patted his cheek bones and pranced away to gather the heavy boxes. We're gonna have a great time tonight.
#underfell frans#underfell sans#underfell frisk#ikea#slice of life#what if oneshot#fluff#domesticity#wdyw#what do you want#fanfic#Iâm definitely putting a scene like this into the continuation of wdyw#my inbox is open#ask my characters#ask me for what if oneshots#I love writing these#donât be shy give me more
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(found at xxbieberburnham)
âThe rest of your lifeâ
Are you independent or dependent? Dependent as all hell. Iâll put my foot down on very certain things, but most of the time I prefer hearing input or suggestions from people I trust. I definitely think itâs something I still have to work on because I know Iâll have to be mostly independent at some point.
If you could put your life into a category, where would it go? I feel like this would be easier to answer if you gave a list of categories. I donât know what kind of insight youâre looking for.
How many animals do you have? I have two, but I call them pets.
Are you popular? Idk and I donât care. All I know is I donât actively seek to be so.
What time were you born? 9:11 in the evening.
Have you had any candy this week? Yeah, I had a gummy worm this morning. Mom bought a box of Halloween-themed sweets and there were cupcakes had gummy worms on them alongside marshmallows designed to look like a tombstone.
Are you more afraid of tornadoes or hurricanes? Hurricanes are terrifying, but Iâm used to them. We donât get tornadoes at all so Iâll not only be unprepared for those, but would definitely be more afraid of them too.
Do you like those nerd glasses? Sure, I still think theyâre cute and look good on people but I never called them nerd glasses lol. Mine are kinda shaped like one.
Have you ever been in a fist fight? Nah, Iâd be wiped out pretty fast.
What color is your house? A light shade of beige.
When was the last time you saw a rainbow? More than a year ago, Iâm sure. It was during our ride back home from a journalism workshop, which if I remember correctly was all the way in Cavite. Goddamn we traveled a lot for those workshops.
Have you ever ate a crayon? Iâve never bitten off a piece but Iâm not ruling out at least licking.
Ever rode in a helicopter? Nope. Would love to.
Do you like rabbits? Sure.
Do you like mushrooms? For the most part I donât even think they taste like anything, so I never really had a problem with mushrooms.
âItâs like you step into the room and just press playâ
What was the last movie you cried at? That Thing Called Tadhana. I had watched it five years ago after my first breakup; I got to go to Sagada shortly after that breakup, so that movie was actually very therapeutic for me at the time because it allowed me to release my feelings the way Mace did, also in Sagada. Now Iâm stuck at home and canât travel and that movie just hurt too much to finish.
What ice cream flavor best describes your personality? I donât really...pair ice cream flavors with types of personalities.
Would you rather work for a small or large company? Large, because I feel like Iâd be challenged more in those and thus learn more. Also it just looks nicer on resumĂŠs, if Iâm being honest. Smaller companies are ok too but I prefer those that already have a rep for churning excellent results and having a good track record for workplace culture, like the company Iâm currently working with.
Where's your favorite place to buy clothes? Ukays. I used to not like them, but my mom and sister did a great job reeling me in and making me see the appeal.
How many languages do you speak? Two.
What was the worst movie you've ever seen? Me Before You was such a waste of my time. Predictable, cheesy, and typical asshole-guy-softens-up-over-time-oh-and-just-as-you-start-to-root-for-him-weâre-gonna-kill-him-off. But idk, I was with friends who were into movies like those and I wanted to support them, so I went along to watch.
What video game have you played the most? Cumulatively, pretty sure itâs Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
What was your favorite TV show as a child? I was a Nickelodeon girl and Spongebob, Fairly OddParents, and My Life as a Teenage Robot were my top 3, with Jimmy Neutron closely trailing at #4. I loved Disney shows too but wasnât really able to appreciate them as much until I got a little older and could understand their humor better.
What's your favorite sport? My answer wonât change - if it counts, pro wrestling. If it doesnât, my next favorite is table tennis.
If you were given a brand new yacht, what would you name it? Nothing creative is coming to me at the moment.
Do you believe thereâs life on other planets? Yes. Maybe not the ones in our solar system, but those out in the distant universe for sure.
What was the worst place you ever traveled to? Canât say Iâve truly disliked a particular place weâve been to. I will say that Chinese people have a...culture that Iâm not used to, and I did not enjoy touring with a bunch of them during my cruise. They had buffet habits that I would consider unhygienic, they would sit at the same table my mom and I were eating at if there were available seats(??????? imagine if I just sat beside you at a diner while youâre having lunch?), and apparently itâs acceptable for them to actually look you in the eyes and point directly at you if theyâre talking about you with other people. It was honestly a lot to put up with for six days, and the only reason I didnât lose my temper was because my dad works in the ship and I didnât want to cause him any trouble.
What is one thing youâre really bad at? Making art.
Do you believe in angels? No. I like referring to my grandpa as my guardian angel, but I donât actually believe in angels.
Would you rather be a famous actor or musician? I know Iâm awful at either, but Iâd much rather act.
âwhere have you been all my life?â
If you could have invented one thing, what would it have been? Itâd be cool to come up with something that ends up being widely popular and/or beneficial to society, but do it accidentally; like how popsicles came to be. Imagine building a legacy from your own oopsie lmao sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
What's your favorite exercise workout? I donât do workouts.
What's your favorite thing to do? Wow, very straightforward. Hmm these days Iâm slowly inching back to wrestling, so Iâve been watching compilations and documentaries and doing some catching-up here and there. Lately Iâd say thatâs my favorite thing to do, but that can always change.
What did you do for your 17th birthday? Gab and I went to Pinto and she brought me to Filio after. Then I got back home to see what Athenna had done to my room while I was out, which was to cover the floor with balloons and the walls with printed photos of Zayn Malik.
Does your local Wal Mart have benches in them to rest? First, weâll need to have local Wal-Mart stores here.
Was your favorite stuffed animal really a teddy bear growing up? I never liked stuffed animals, so I didnât even have a teddy bear.
If your house was haunted, what would you do? Not fuck with the ghosts/spirits.
Are you crazy in love currently? Not crazily, but in love.
Are you good at swimming? I can tread and do several strokes, but I also tend to panic so I think that eliminates the concept of me being a good swimmer.
What's worse: Slow internet or slow walkers? Slow internet. I can get around slow walkers; but unless I have mobile data, slow internet is out of my control for the most part.
What is the rudest thing a guy has ever done to you? I canât pick between whistling at me, catcalling me, lunging at me, or flirtatiously harass me in front of his friends while I was minding my goddamn business carrying a goddamn box of cake at the mall. Yeah, not a very big fan of men.
Do you sleep with the sheets tucked in or out? Out.
What do you do to fall asleep faster? Put on a YouTube video and let autoplay take over.
Do you carry a bottle of water wherever you go? Yeah I used to, until I lost it.
Ae you afraid that one day you might get cancer? The fear of the possibility is there, but itâs not predominantly in our family history and so Iâm more afraid of other issues I have a higher chance of getting, like high blood pressure.
âLetters to Julietâ
Are you a fast or slow walker? Fast if Iâm running errands, slow-ish if Iâm out for leisure.
Do you usually have to wear a belt with your pants? No.
Does it bother you when people's underwear hangs out? Kinda. Even more when their crack decides to show up too.
Are you usually the person to try new things with your hair? No, I am one of the last people in line when it comes to that.
When's your birthday? April 21st.
Do you own a bobble-head toy? Nopes.
What color was the towel you used to dry off with today after a shower? Turquoise.
Has anyone ever walked you home? Iâve had someone drive me home. Walking isnât really applicable here.
Have you ever liked someone and they were taken? Thatâs never happened to me.
When was the last time you went fishing? In my past life, maybe.
True or false: You've read the book Lord of the Flies? False.
Have you heard of the band Yellowcard? Yes.
Have you ever seen the show Teen Wolf? Iâve seen an episode and oh my god it was so boring.
Do you have any quotes, lyrics etc on your walls? I used to until my mom took it down while I was in school. I made it myself, so it stung.
Are you a fan of Star Wars? No.
âOur parents never let us cross the street, but we did it anywayâ
Has anyone ever told you that you have nice hair? Whenever it was actually nice, yeah. It was never my best feature though.
What brand of camera do you own? I have...an iPhone, if it counts, ha. My old DSLR was a Nikon.
Is there something you're not looking forward to? The next day. Having to go through rounds of anxiety is not enjoyable.
Have you ever read the book Thirteen Reasons Why? Have not read the book nor seen the show, but have read enough of the premise to know I am not a fan.
Do you wear white pants? Sure, I have a pair of white jeans that I absolutely love.
When was the last time you were really angry? Yesterday. My sister and I were ordering KFC from a food delivery app and no driver was taking it because drivers in that company are notoriously picky bitches about their destinations. They kept canceling our orders and at some point I had enough and proposed that we just get Pizza Hut, this time straight from the Pizza Hut website, which has always worked out for us before. So Pizza Hut confirms the order, calls me up and says the ETA, so far so good. Around 15 minutes later the doorbell rings and itâs...KFC? With our original orders? Apparently that stupid ass app took our order anyway after repeatedly canceling it, and I never got one fucking notification that our order was received. Tried to cancel Pizza Hut but they said they had already started making the pizzas, so in the end we had to pay for both meals. I had never been so angry.
Have you ever made a 3 pointer in a basketball game? Hah, of course not. Iâve barely made one of those free throws that are worth one point.
Do you think you look better with your hair up or down? Iâve gotten more compliments whenever itâs up, so that must look better on me even if I personally donât necessarily agree.
Do you warm up before you hardcore exercise? I donât exercise, but isnât warming up recommended anyway?
Do you want a pair of Converse shoes? Not really; I suppose theyâre alright. Itâs not my favorite brand in the world, but I wouldnât turn down a free pair either.
Are you more of a studs or hoops type of person when it comes to earrings? Hoooooooooops for days.
How many shirts do you have of your favorite band? Just one. Iâm not a band shirt person.
Turn on the TV. What channel are you on? Thereâs no TV in this room.
Have you ever wore a tie before? Yeah, as a kid my mom sometimes made me wear neckties. They made me SO uncomfortable I was having internal breakdowns about being seen in public. I was 7 years old. Neckties to me were a boy thing and I felt 0% boy; and so it gave me such serious dysphoria. Itâs like making a boy wear a pink tutu even if heâs already visibly distressed. Whenever I told my mom I felt uncomfortable, she would just tell me it âlooks good.â Jesus Christ. Why did no one ever drag my mom to a parenting seminar? Did no one seriously see the signs???
What did you have for breakfast this morning? Garlic rice, bacon strips, and glazed ham.
âFor the Krusty Krabâ
Are you good at art? Of course not.
How many times have you read your favorite book? I donât have one.
Name one thing that you really hate. Raisins, on their own and incorporated in a dish.
Have you ever tried walking on stilts? I havenât.
Is there a war that you find interesting? Eh, not really. So many of historical accounts are bombarded with war narratives as it is, and Iâve just never really found disputes or tensions among countries to be the most interesting part about history. Plus women were mostly absent, and that makes it even more boring.
Would you rather live in the city or country? City.
Do you think $7 is too much for a movie ticket? Not always. $7 or âą350 is actually pretty reasonable if you wanna see a movie at an upscale mall; people who watch movies in places like that shouldnât be complaining about movie tickets that cost that much. But all movie theaters are the same anyway - pitch black, freezing, comfy chairs - so I just go to midscale malls where tickets would be like a hundred bucks cheaper since itâs gonna give me the same experience anyway.
Would you like to be a newscast person? For a long time I thought I wanted to be one because thatâs what my entire family was rooting me to become. Eventually I realized reading from a teleprompter, interviewing guests, and asking questions to reporters is not a career I want.
Do you like word searches, coloring or crosswords better? Word searches, then coloring, then crosswords.
Close your eyes and press a random key on the keyboard. U.
How many Williamâs do you know? I donât think I know anyone. Itâs too foreign-sounding a name.
What time did you wake up this morning? I woke up at around 6 AM, but I fell back asleep immediately and woke up again around 30 minutes later.
Do you enjoy crutches? ...No? That seems a little insensitive for people who actually need them.
What's better: Snapple or Arizona tea? Arizona. Itâs because Iâve never had the Snapple one, but tbh Arizona is already pretty delicious anyway.
Make a word out of the word: Dinosaur. Round.
âshe said I love this song, Iâve heard it beforeâ
When you were younger, did you play with legos? Yes. I was never a creative kid, but I liked playing with them anyway.
Do you like Trix cereal? It was only my absolute favorite cereal as a kid, no biggie.
Do you get nervous easily? Ugh, yes. My parents asked me to get water containers from our local water station last Saturday and I literally had to allot like two hours to brace myself and make a script in my head. I constantly rehearse shit nearly every time I have to go out of the house.
How long is your Facebook password? Iâm not sharing that.
Do you like the movie Mean Girls? No, I didnât find it funny the first time and that made me uninterested in giving it a second chance.
How do you want your wedding to be? Big, grand. Lots of friends, lots of food. Not Catholic/Christian.
Have you seen the movie or show Catfish? Nope.
Do you hate it when you arrive to something early? Not usually. Being early is my goal in most situations, unless Iâm headed to like a party.
Have you ever been on Omegle? A few times as a teenager.
Are you still in love with one of your exes? Yes. Itâs not going away for a while.
Do you think it's attractive when guys wear beanies? I donât necessarily seek out men with beanies lol but I donât think it looks bad on them either.
What's something that makes you feel shy in public? Unfamiliar situations.
Do you like the shows on MTV? No.
If you could go back and relive one day, what day? That last Friday I was in school before the lockdown happened. If I knew what the next eight months were going to look like, I wouldâve stayed much longer in school, dragged my friends out to drink, blew my money on food, had more fun basically.
What's one word you hate to be called? Exhausting. Like being told Iâm exhausting to be with. How does that not hurt?
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Local Teen Unaware of how Weird Family is, Local Goth Decides To Go All In and Learn Magick, Exhausted Teens Do Fun Dumb Teen StuffÂ
It was the day after theyâd taken down Skulker, and Tucker had to collect up the armor. Danny helped him, of course, and he flew home with some help from his favorite ghost boy. They landed in Tuckerâs room, and Tucker gave Danny a hug as soon as the suit was set down. Danny returned to his warmer flesh and blood self and hugged him back before they got to work searching for a port to plug Tuckerâs laptop into. Thankfully even the dead respected the U in USB and they manage to connect. Before long, however, Tuckerâs mind wanders from his code-breaking program thatâs now hard at work with Skulkerâs head and to his situation with Sam. And considering what all heâd learned about Dannyâs family so far, he might as well ask. âDanny do you have access to transparent solar panels?â
âYeah, all the windows at Fenton Works are solar panels - I think they run at uh 50% efficiency. Why?â
âDanny, thatâs like, the exact last piece I need for my solar-powered car design.â Tucker was tempted to inform Danny of how amazing that fact was, but he knew Danny wasnât a fan of being extraordinary, so heâd let it slide for now. âNow I just need some way of building it.â
âWell, you have the design itself saved right?â
âYesâŚâ Tucker wasnât sure where this was going, but he was hopeful that itâd be a place he liked.
âWe can just print out the design at my house?â Danny shrugged, as though that was obvious and the most simple thing in the world. âWe have like, a pretty big 3D printer, itâs uh modular, and we use scrapped metal from junkyards that we liquified as filament. We can print a car pretty quickly.â
Danny was going to say something that made Tucker fall completely in love with him one of these days, the idiot. âDanny I need you to take me to this 3D printer. Now.â Skulkerâs head was left where theyâd put it on his desk, the rest of the suit stuffed in Tuckerâs closet, and the pair flew off to Dannyâs house.
When they arrived at Fentonworks, they turned to one of the other buildings on the block and set down there, Danny taking the time to unlock the door and everything. âSo this 3D printer you guys haveâŚâ
âWell, Dad calls it the Fenton Fabricator.  See, there's a theory that went around a while ago when 3D printers and fabricators first started, it was the Recursive Loop Theory. It goes like this. You buy a 3D printer. Mid-range, sorta useful, but with enough detail and strength that you like it. But then you need something a bit more detailed. So you look online and you find a set of 3D models for a second printer. This one you can build on your machine, and with only some minor parts you can make the more detailed printer for a tiny fraction of what it would cost.â Â
Danny took them to a set of stairs and Tucker was so focused on his friend he nearly missed all the art Dannyâs ever done hanging all over the walls. Â
âSo, you can make more detailed parts. And you find designs for a bigger printer. It's modular and sorta rough, but it needs those detailed parts. So you can then build massive somewhat detailed pieces⌠and so you do. And now, with your 3 printers, you find designs to a fourth. Bigger, better, more detailed, it's another generation, and you can print it off your current designs. Boom, bam, rinse and repeat. Eventually, your diminishing returns drop till you canât make a more detailed printer, but at that point, you have one hell of a machine, particularly if you have a couple of crazy hackers building your final design as a custom project. Course, itâs not quite that easy. We had to fabricate a lot of weird and unique bits for them in other ways - well, my folks and their friends in the Secret Scientists did anyway."
âSo the Fenton Fabricator?â
âIs a massive, customized high detail 3D fabricator that can even print metal and glass, yes.â Danny turned on the lights as they entered a large underground workspace. Tucker saw the fabricator and felt he mightâve gone to heaven. It was a massive aquarium tank, easily twenty feet from corner to corner and at least eight feet tall. Above it, hanging like a mechanical spider on segmented green and red limbs with shiny metal joints and points, was a motorcycle sized 3D printing extruder. Tucker could see a set of lasers for dust printing, a pair of high-heat high-speed extruders for wires, several dozen smaller legs with colors and specific grades of wire, all of which fed up and around the room to spools of plastic and cylinders of dusted metal.
âThere are hidden parts in the walls with directed gravity manipulators and some arms kept out of the way until needed for assembly-based stuff. I think Mom and Dad built a car or something down here recently. The canisters are all refilled completely.â Danny shrugged, moving around the lab and grabbing up papers - notes about what feeds to use, hints for setting things up. âI can help you connect up and plug in your stuff - though youâll have to leave it here so that the thing can print. If youâre legit making a car here, itâll take about 2 days to finish printing it out at all, let alone assemble.â
âDanny, after I finish with that, we are so using this place for other projects together, do you understand me?â Tucker saw doors that likely lead off to other rooms in the lab and wondered just how Much of Fentonworks there was. âThis is too amazing.â
âIf you say so, bro. Here, letâs get started. I can help with setting up the print file.â
Sam had to say, going through the bs of school was beyond irritating when both of her friends were barred from the school until they could get around the weapons the Fentons were installing. Paulinaâs gratingly loud personality was especially difficult to tune out that day, and Sam found herself feeling proud of her self control in not throwing something at the shallow cheerleading idiot when she started going on and on about the upcoming spirit week.
Once school was out, Sam grabbed the board that Danny apparently made for her after he finished Tuckerâs, though she wasnât sure how, and put on her helmet. New, magnetic boots planted firmly on the board, Sam pulled out her phone, put in the address of the Skulk and Lurk, and activated the Nav AI that Tucker had managed to make an app for to download. âOne of these days Tucker is going to overwork himself into an early grave.â Shaking her head Sam took off into the sky, and no amount of gothic reputation could keep the smile off her face or prevent her from cheering. âWoooohoooo!â Who could possibly blame her? She was flying . There was nothing more awesome than this that she knew of.
When she arrived, Sam had her board hover itself up to the roof, where it was less likely to get snatched by someone who thought itâd be cool to snag a hoverboard. Walking into the store, Sam took off her helmet and grinned. The Skulk n Lurk was one part book store, one part poetry reading area, and one part coffee shop. It had the gothic, occult theme down pat with black, blue, and shades of purple being the only colors to be found around the store. Heading straight into the books section, Sam managed to flag down an employee and nudged him in the arm. âNice mohawk, Chris, I see youâre branching out.â
Chris turned around, hair dyed a brilliant blue and his clothes all pastel shades of purple and grey with a bat-shaped nametag pinned on his chest. He smiled and elbowed her right back. âYeah, just got it done the other day. Howâre you holdin up, Sam? Parents still trying to push you into being a prep?â
âSuch is my curse.â Sam sighed and leaned heavily on Chris while he laughed. âBut, thatâs not what Iâm here for today. Think you can help me find some books on magick?â
âCursing people is wrong, and will always go wrong for you, I hope you know that.â
Sam rolled her eyes, standing up straight. âItâs not for cursing anyone, Chris, itâs for something else.â
âHitting that cheerleader with a love spell is not the way to go about getting over your crush on her.â Chris smirked and turned away from her, walking steadily while Sam scoffed and scowled at him.
âThatâs gross on two fronts. A love spell sounds ridiculously creepy, and I donât have a crush on Paulina of all people.â Sam made a gagging noise and Chris laughed yet again.
Ludicrous notions about cheerleaders aside, Chris lead Sam to a section about magick and left to go help another customer while Sam browsed. She held her hand up, letting her fingers brush over the spines of the books as she read their titles and stilled. There was a vibration, warm and far more humid than any bookstore should be and humming so much like Danny and Agatha and even that piece of trash Grovsner did when she was close. It was a feeling that she hadnât really noticed until now that all of the ghosts sheâd encountered shared, however few of those there were. The tiny hairs all over her arms and the back of her neck stood on end and Sam grabbed the book.
Roots, stems, rain, warmth, leaves, petals, heat, crushing cold, withering emptiness, life granting rain and growth . Sam dropped the book and just barely bit off a loud swear, staring at the cover. Magick: The Life Blood of the Earth. âWell. Danny can see weird shit, I guess I can feel it. Being that close to the portal mustâve done something to me.â Picking up the book slowly, Sam waited for any weird feelings to hit her again. When none did, she grinned slowly. âLetâs see what I can do with that.â
Danny takes some of the time after fighting Skulker to relax at home, get his schoolwork done that was emailed to him, and figure out a plan for working around the school's new anti-ghost security system. It had been two days already and he was coming up blank. Of course, it's at dinner that Danny thinks to ask his parents. "Hey Mom, you said the Fenton Finder works by keeping track of a ghost's ectosignature, right? What is that, exactly?" Jazz, as she standardly did when Danny instigated ghost-themed rants, looked as offended as one might have had their mother been described with every cuss word in the dictionary. She stabbed her chicken alfredo while holding this look for 5 continuous seconds without blinking.
Mom smiled wide and ecstatic. "Well you see, Danny, an ectosignature is the frequency of electrical signals running throughout a ghost's body, shaping its form and directing its actions."
"Like brainwaves?"
âExactly, hon!â Mom reached into her pocket and pulled out a macaroon, which Danny devoured immediately. âWhen a ghost manifests outside of the Ghost Zone, its ecto signature is a signal being broadcast from the Ghost Zone into our reality. Since ghosts are 4-dimensional constructs made of exotic matter that of which exists beyond our standard perceptive abilities, a ghost can receive this ectosignature from just about anywhere on Earth or beyond. Like the best cellular reception in the universe.â
âLike any signal though, an ectosignature can be tracked! And that signal can be disrupted and blocked!â Dad only spoke in exclamation points Danny realized some time ago. He waved his fork around in presentation at the blueprint that his mind had likely superimposed on the air next to him. âThe Fenton Thermos⢠uses charged ectoplasm and what Iâve coined as Fentonite to isolate any ectoplasmic mass contained inside of it from its corresponding ectosignature by creating a four-dimensional enclosure! The filthy ghost is still charged with the ectosignature though, thereâs a centralized network of energy that allows the ghost to immediately take on its form after itâs released.â
âSo the ghost is conscious within the thermos?â
Mom shrugged. âAs conscious as a ghost can be, sweety. Itâs not an actual person or anything, just a static imprint of what used to be a personâs thoughts. Like an A.I.â
âThe Fenton Finder⢠used scanners specially made to detect ectosignatures that are on our satellites up in space! Itâs also how our security system works, though that works off of scanners here in the house!â
"So is there a way to track down ghosts by their specific ecto signatures? If you can track the general signals maybe you can create a way to lock into a specific one."
"Mm, I suppose we could! That'd be useful for tracking down that scum that attacked you and friends! We've got the blueprints for the ecto signature scanner down in the lab somewhere if you wanna try the idea out, son!"
"Will do, Dad. I'll tell ya how it goes." Danny grinned around his chicken and pasta. He had a game plan now.Â
After dinner, Danny raced downstairs to print out the blueprint from the computer - his father stacked the blueprints in an infuriatingly chaotic way that Danny hadn't the patience to sort through - and then ran through the door on the left. Behind it was a hallway into a tunnel, one that lead Danny to the alternative lab under the building right next to the house. Hopping into his wheely chair, Danny slid over the linoleum floor to his work table and laid down the blueprint.
"Alright, I can work with this. A signal can be tracked, and it can be isolated. Which means that My signal can be isolated and tracked specifically." A smirk crossed his face. "Which means the scanners can be set to ignore my signal. Perfect!"
Danny slid over to the laptop connected to a second Fenton Fabricator, glad that his parents were always thorough enough to make a back up of everything they did. "This should be done in no time. Then Sam can help me test it and Tuck can- speak of the devil." Danny whipped out his phone and hummed, tilting his head at the simple message his best friend had sent him.Â
FriarTuck: Hey Dan, almost fin breaking the security in Sklkr's suit. Bout to crack this badboi open n make it mine. Muahahahaha! Hyd?
"Ugh, stars, I don't wanna think about that asshole." Danny shot back a quick reply and set his phone down, finding a notebook he typically kept around. Writing in a code only he, Tucker and Sam knew, Danny got everything down that he could. "Skulker has been a major set back in my plan to prove not all ghosts are evil to Mom and Dad, and a few other weird developments made themselves known. I can now see everything in the lower intensity ultraviolet spectrum 24/7 instead of having to concentrate, as well as the electrical currents running through everything; I can somehow see my emotional connections with people I'm close with and use those connections to influence their emotions as well as read them clearer than other aurae." He stopped, taking a breath and looking over what he'd just written. " Mierda , ain't that creepy?" Danny pulled on his hair a bit while he wrote.
"Joining that on the list of creepy-ass things about Danny: I can reach across that link to everyone and pull on their love and affection and all that and use it to heal myself. Stars, that's such a gross way to look at everyone's care for me. Just a fucking- a bandaid? A free trip to the nurse in a minute?"
Turning back to the parts being made, Danny huffed and dragged his nails against his scalp a touch too roughly. "Physiological changes in my ghost occur when Tucker and Sam are in danger; Canines grow into fangs and according to Sam my voice starts to echo as though it's coming from everywhere. Thankfully a check in Tucker's mirror proves that the changes are temporary. Reaction to my temperament? On that note: being a psychoreactive exotic material, the ectoplasm that makes up my ghostly body reasonably reacts instantaneously to my emotions, but it seems to be enhancing them as well. It's either that or maybe puberty, but I have a feeling puberty doesn't make you violently angry at the slightest provocation and likely to turn any ghost you see into a splatter on the ground." Danny groaned, closing his notebook. "I fucking Executed Skulker. What the fuck? Why didnât I just suck him into the thermos?"
A ding from his phone and Danny snorted. Â
GardeningClaws: Hey Star boy, don't go angsting without us there to hug you. We will know and you will pay the price.
"And what price is that, being buried in a pillow fort?"
GardeningClaws: do you know how many pillows I have in this house?? Do you think, like a fool, that I won't use them against you?
Danny laughed, sending a quick 'fair point' before heading to the door opposite the one into the house lab. Behind it was a room with rows of lockers, each holding three sets of suits. Â Danny didn't need them though. At the far end, there was a large octagonal metal rim, blast doors sealed shut within.
Opening it up to just the right coordinates, Danny watched the doors pull back and felt the building charge of the portal's startup. For a fraction of a second, Danny was filled with a bone-deep fear that gripped his entire body and held him stock still. With a thunderous crack, the fabric of space-time was folded around and torn, and Danny relaxed, staring out at an expanse of white and grey. Opening the blast door, he let the void fill him up and spread outward to chill his bones and freeze his veins. Skin blue, eyes and freckles green and his fluffy hair snow-white, Danny flew past the event horizon and gasped silently at the sight before him.
The moon is so much more beautiful when you can look with your own eyes instead of through the lens of a helmet visor.
Sam, smartest of the group that she was, called Danny and Tucker both to head to her house for a horror movie marathon. âAfter what weâve been through, none of these B rate movies are gonna scare us.â It was so close to inarguably true that the boys both shrugged at their phones and headed on over. Danny came down from the sky in that space where everything was heat and impossible colors, everything around him highlighted in a panorama view that almost made him dizzy. Landing in an alleyway, Danny checked to make sure he didnât see anyone around him and took a deep breath. He folded himself up, cold edges practically trapped within him tugged and bent until the brilliant moonlight that bled from his form retreated into the center of his chest, light and freezing cold as it hummed in an offbeat pulse next to his heart.
Pulling the hood of his jacket over his head, Danny jogged out of the alleyway and down the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets. He looked around the neighborhood properly and hummed, wondering how he never put together that Sam was rich when the address sheâd given them ages ago was very obviously in the rich part of town. âStars, weâre really just that oblivious arenât we?â The stars in mind, Danny cast his gaze up and smiled at the full moon that greeted him, counting the tiny dots of the stars around it while he walked. Thankfully, his odd kaleidoscopic vision seemed to extend to his human form a bit and his foot froze mid-step as a car drove past him at an intersection. âSweet mother of the gods, why can rich people not drive right?â
When he got to the gates of Manson Manor, Tucker was there typing away at his phone. When he looked up Danny waved and grinned, pointing a thumb at the huge mansion behind the gate. âThis is ridiculous.â
âItâs just so much . Why does anyone need that much space? How do they keep it clean?â
âIf I meet some butler named Alfred Iâm going to eat your hat.â
âAre you sure you wanna make that bet, Danny? This is looking Batman-ish.â
The gate opened up before Danny could respond to that and instead, he nudged Tuckerâs side before jogging toward the door. Sam was there, opening it before Danny could trip on nothing and faceplant into the mahogany or whatever expensive wood the door was probably made from, and he instead landed on a soft carpet. Tucker nudged his foot with his shoe and Danny groaned, resigned to simply laying there for the rest of his life. Two pairs of hands lifted him up from the ground however and Danny laughed, getting up properly.
âYou canât just let me wallow in my shame in peace, can you?â
âOf course not,â Sam scoffed. âIf youâre going to be ashamed, I have to be there to make sure itâs appropriate. Now, câmon!â Sam dragged Danny down a few halls, and up some stairs, followed closely by Tucker.
âI need to make a map of this place so we donât get lost the next time we come to visit,â Tucker muttered, and Danny nodded. When Sam opened the door she was headed for she let Danny go and grinned at them like a cat thatâd eaten the canary. Walking in, Danny felt his jaw drop and took a moment to soak in what he was seeing. âYou have an entire movie theater in your house?â
âI know, itâs grossly excessive and we absolutely donât need it, but-â
âSam, what the heck are you talking about?â Danny waved a hand in the gothâs face and snorted when she swatted at him. âThis is awesome! We can marathon every Dead Teacher movie here and itâll be like when we went to see it in the actual theaters but better !â Danny pulled down his hood and hopped over one of the chairs - of which there were two whole rows - and plopped himself into the soft cushioned seat with a laugh. âThe only thing that could make this room better would be if you had movie snacks.â
âWell, good thing I have a popcorn machine right back there full of fresh popcorn, a cotton candy machine, and ordered us pizzas.â Sam grinned, sitting next to Danny with a bowl in hand full of greasy buttery popcorn, and Tucker sat on his right. âWhat should we watch first?â
Halfway into Dr. Sleep, the pizza arrived and three laughing teens had to pause the movie and pull themselves together from the heap of giggles that theyâd become. âOh, oh stars, that hurt , laughing so much hurts!â Danny leaned on Tucker while Sam leaned on him, the bowl of popcorn practically forgotten next to Tucker. After a few minutes, Danny took a deep breath and patted his friends on the back. âI can grab the pizza - I can fly, so unlike you two I can actually go and be back before the things are cold.â Before either friend could protest, Danny let the shimmering void of silvery dark cold spread out from the center of his chest to every hair on his body in a flash of light. He slipped through Sam and Tucker like water through the air and flew off toward the red aura of the pizza guy, diving to transform behind the front door when he appeared outside. In just a moment he was back inside and setting three pizza boxes down on the snack table. âI see we got ourselves a meat-lovers for Tuck, a veggie everything for Sam, and-â Danny gasped. âA dragonâs tongue pizza for me! Aww, Sam~â
âOh stuff it you goof,â Sam said as she and Tucker grabbed slices and plates. âI just knew that youâd complain your pizza isnât spicy enough unless it has ghost peppers, reaper peppers and every other kind of spice known to man and dolphin on it.â
Tucker rolled his eyes, already scarfing down his first slice. âDolphin? Really?â
âDolphins are the closest animals to humans in behavior and observed intellect, Tucker.â Danny took the time to go through three slices of pizza while Sam ranted about how dolphins might as well be classified as non-human people before pointing accusatorily at her.
âThere is nothing wrong with my sense of taste, thank you. Anyone with a strong enough tongue can handle this pizza, Sam.â Danny took a bite to emphasize his point and smirked when he was flipped off. âIâve just got the strongest stomach here.â
â Excuse you? â
âUnlike you, I can eat veggies without my stomach declaring a mutiny.â
âUm, go fuck yourself? That was the lowest of all low blows, I am utterly betrayed !â Tucker covered his forehead with the back of his arm and half fell backward. âTruly, my trust has been shattered by mine own brother, how could you? And Iâll have you know that the amount of capsaicin you consume is well beyond what any human being should have in their body.â
âFunny, Iâm pretty sure Iâm not human.â Danny paused mid-chew, ignoring the look of disgust on Samâs face over the two of them talking around their food. âI wonder⌠what smaller changes like that might be going on because of my ghost? Like, regular puberty is already horrible enough but now Iâve got like, ghost puberty to deal with.â
âFirst of all, ghost wise, youâre baby.â Danny pouted at Tucker, feeling mildly offended. âYou havenât even been half-dead for a whole year yet, youâre baby.â
âTucker, can you be reasonable for one moment?â Danny nodded, gesturing to Sam, who was clearly the only one with her head on straight between them. âDanny is always baby, not just because of his ghost.â
Crossing his arms over his chest, Danny rose up in front of the movie screen, less crossed in the air as he frowned down at his friends. âI am offended, I am revolted, I dedicate my life to our lord and savior Jesus Christ and this is the thanks I get?â
âI wonder,â Sam said loudly as she walked toward his pizza box. âWhat it would taste like if I put cotton candy on your pizza?â Danny dove for his pizza box, nearly crashing into Sam as he grabbed it up and flew toward the ceiling. He flipped upside down and stood with his feet to the ceiling, grinning down at his friends. Carefully opening his box he took out a slice and stopped.
âSammy that is a wonderful question!â Gravity shifted, reasserted itself in the correct direction, and Danny flipped with it, landing in front of the cotton candy machine. He dipped his pizza slice into it and smirked at the despaired wail of his friend while he ran away from her, munching away at his unholy pizza slice. âThis is so sad, Alexa-â
âYou donât think Iâd have Alexa in my home, do you? First you defile my cotton candy, now you insult my common sense? Do me a favor and parish.â
âBeen there, done that.â
âAs amazing as all that is, I was wondering something about you, Danny.â Danny flew over to Tucker, landing on his shoulders with a snicker. âSo like, can you do that thing from the movie? Like, turn your head all the way around like an owl?â
A wide grin spread over Dannyâs face and he set his food down on the table, before pulling the void up and out and around himself. Bright silver light illuminated Tucker and cast odd shadows on his face. To think about later.  Danny turned his head slowly, cautious of being wrong, and almost stopped when he heard the pop of the joints in his neck. Still, he kept going until he was looking at Samâs gaping face right behind him. He raised a hand to give her a thumbs up and winced at the sound of more popping joints - though, fascinatingly enough⌠âNone of this hurts at all.â
âWell now I gotta see you spider-walk up the walls, thatâs just the natural result of you showing off like this, Danno.â Turning his head the rest of the way around, Danny saw Tuckerâs phone pointed at him and snorted. âDude this is wicked !â
âOh my gods, we have to time you, hold on.â And like that, Danny was doing laps around the walls and ceiling, reversed on all fours while Sam timed him and Tucker recorded. When he dropped back down to the two rows of seats, Danny crossed his legs behind him with a hum.
âAnything else yâall wanna test?â Tucker raised his hand and Danny let his gaze slide from Tucker himself to the brilliant yellow-gold-grek air around him. âIâm going to regret hearing out this question, arenât I?â Tucker nodded, his grin widening and the grek in his aura growing brighter. Danny sighed and pointed at his brother.
âCan you possess people? Cause that would be pretty fuckin cool.â Tucker T posed as if that would help Danny with the wave of discomfort that crashed over him at the idea. âHow would you know? Go ahead, try me. See if you can like, take me over.â
Danny drew the darkness back into his chest, warmth and the beat of his heart and the weight of gravity tugging relentlessly against him like countless invisible chains made themselves known to him. Digging in his pocket, Danny pulled out a coin, looking at Tucker with as much seriousness on his face as possible. âHeads I tell you to yeet your PDA into the cotton candy, tails I try to possess you.â Danny flipped the quarter and caught it in his open palm. He took in a deep breath through his nose, and let it out the same way. âShut.â
Slipping back into the void, Danny stared at his Tposing best friend and considered just how he was supposed to do what he had asked. The only thing that made any sense, of course, was to slide even deeper into the void. Light and sound and even the air circulating through the room all faded away and the world shifted like a gradient scale from Xtreme Indigo to a deep dark blue sprinkled with green that lit up the empty world in bands, rivers, and threads that Danny couldâve stared at for the rest of his life and probably never grown tired of. The only constants were the gold and green aurae at the ends of silver threads that shone like solid moonlight. Danny dove for the golden light and dipped a hand in where he guessed Tuckerâs head was. The silver thread practically yanked him in, and Danny sank into a desert of yellow and glittering light.
In the next instant, he was blinking unfamiliar eyes, falling out of a dumb pose he hadnât taken, stumbling on legs longer than he was used to and warmer than heâd been in months. âHoly shit.â Danny held out his - Tuckerâs hands and turning them over each other again and again. He took a few testing steps forward and back, turning and stretching every way heâd ever seen Tucker move, and felt a laugh bubble out of hi-Tuckâs mouth. âSam holy shit!â
Sam was staring at Tucker-Danny like he was the most out of this world thing sheâd ever laid eyes on and she wasnât sure how to react to him. The cheer of figuring out yet another ability dimmed at the sight of her expression and what mightâve been horror was building itself up in his chest. Then Sam schooled her expression and pointed at him. âYou sound the way you do when the two of you are speaking in unison.â
âI feel like Iâm wearing a costume that doesnât fit right, Iâll be honest about that. Stars, Tuckerâs vision is horrible.â
âAlright, that voice thing is actually getting annoying, can you like, leave him now?â A moment of silence passed, the room growing incredibly small and Sam stepped closer. âDanny, you can leave Tuckerâs body now, right?â
âGimme a second, Sam, I didnât know I could go into him in the first place.â Danny huffed and closed his eyes. He focused on what was different and wrong about being in Tuckerâs body instead of his own, thought about floating upward to the surface of a large body of water, the moon coming to his mindâs eye and he reached for it. There was a solid kick at the edge of his shadows, golden sands rising up and filling the empty space to push him up and out toward the moonlight and-
Danny flopped onto the ground face first, sensing a trend of him faceplanting on Samâs floor, and Tucker let out a loud gasp. âHoly balls, that was weird as fuck !â Danny flipped around onto his back, letting his own familiar warmth and heartbeat fill his senses before he looked up at Tucker and found him wiggling his fingers and toes. âIt was like blacking out or something. I had the weirdest dream where I was like, I dunno, made of fire or something?â
âIt was a lot of weird, hard to describe feelings on my end but mostly like a suit that doesnât fit right. Like, I know what my body feels like and that wasnât mine, ya know?â Sam and Tucker nodded and while Danny knew they had absolutely no idea what he meant, it was relieving all the same. Standing up, Danny reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the scanner heâd printed earlier. âBy the way, I made something thatâll help me get back into school.â
Tucker, without missing a beat, said, âThat sounds like a horrible evil device.â Sam snorted and Danny nodded. âWhat does it do?â
Danny launched into an explanation of what heâd learned about ectosignatures and his idea for tricking the security system at school. âAlso,â Danny added when it came to mind, âthe car should be done printing in my basement by now.â
âWait, you not only finished designing it but also started making it?â Sam looked between them with narrowed eyes. âWhat do you mean printing?â
âThe Fenton Fabricator⢠is a giant, modular, high detail 3D printer that can make complex metal technologies - like our hoverboards. The first 3D printed car took a couple of days and it wasnât as complicated as this so I guessed about 48 hours.â Danny shrugged. âProbably done by now.â
âIsnât that cool?â Tucker practically had stars in his eyes. âWe can build anything in there, Sam!â
âBefore that, we gotta get this ecto signature of Dannyâs recorded."Â Sam held up the scanner and Danny nodded. Things had to happen in the right order or things would go wrong.
Danny reached inside of himself and pulled the dark, endless space between space that rested within him out to wrap around him like a cool, relaxing blanket. The extreme indigo of the world rose to an even more brilliant blue and purple that blended together and unwove from each other and wrapped around everything. Tucker shone from within with gold that glittered like desert sands and Sam was wreathed in the viridian green of the forests. The threads between them were silver and thick as though woven from many. "I never need to take drugs cause all I need to do to get a trip is go ghost. I swear."
"Yeah, well, I think I have the reading on you right here. Tucker, can you make any sense of this?" Tucker rolled over and stared at the data on the Fenton Finder remake.  After a moment of silence, Tuck started tapping away at his PDA ferociously. "I'm gonna guess that means yes."
"I can record this signal and have a filter to keep the school's system from recognizing you as a threat by tonight. Think we can break in and do it then?"
"Probably," Danny shrugged, flipping a few times in the air.  "Ishiyama probably had them set the security system to an activation button or lever or verbal input. They wouldn't want them to make something automatic in case a ghost was too close to a student."
"Fair. Tomorrow night then?" Tucker grinned as Danny tucked that blanket of not so empty empty space back into the very center of his everything and flopped onto his seat.
"Sooner I can tell my family we beat Skulker the better. I don't like worrying them like this." Ever since his Spirit Vision or whatever got turned permanently on, Danny could feel the undercurrent of anxiety that ran through his family. It made his skin crawl with the itch to make them all feel better and left a bitter taste on his tongue.
"Agreed, I can only keep this info from my parents for so long."Â Sam sighed, rolling her eyes. With a grin she handed the scanner fully over to Tucker and ran a hand through Danny's hair, messing it up as much as she could.
Danny swatted away Sam's hand after a moment and sank further into the soft cushiony seat. Â "Your chair is eating me, Sammy."
"You've been getting a healthier amount of meat on you, so yeah it might be."Â Tucker was steadily getting engrossed in his task and Danny knew they had precious few seconds before he was completely lost to them so he decided now was a good time to be a dick.Â
âSo like, when the first hoverboard exploded and I put up a forcefield on a reflex we completely skipped over that cause of hyper-focus but like. Should we talk about that?"
"You have protective instincts," Tucker mumbled, "and ghost stuff reacts to the deeper parts of your mind right? Â So it's just you defending someone you care about."
"Which reminds me."Â Sam poked Danny in the sides until he was squirming and giggling to get away. Â "You're keeping like, a journal of all the things you can do right?"
"Mostly notes on what I learned about ghosts in general, like a bullet point list of the stuff that happened with Agatha and Skulker, and stuff but yeah. I need to add âowl neckâ and âpossessionâ to my list of Things I Can Do."
âAnd what, pray tell, is on that list?â
"I can turn intangible or invisible, defy- no, actually, with what happened at the zoo I guess I can influence gravity, I can see all the radiation in the world, which is a trip lemme tell ya, I can apparently make a wall of ectoplasm?"Â Tucker and Sam were staring at him for a long beat of silence before both were tackling Danny and pulling him into a big group hug. âI know, Iâm awesome, but so are you guys and you should celebrate it.â
âYeah, I am pretty awesome,â Tucker said with a grin. âYou guys are lucky to know me. I feel I deserve a reward for the amazingness I bring to this group.â Tucker was promptly dropped by Sam onto the floor and Danny laughed.
âAnother cool thing you can do is heal yourself and other people.â Sam poked Danny in the side until he was squirming away from her in that unreal state of being, slipping through her fingers like the space between air and flopped onto Tuckerâs lap before solidity came back to him. âThatâs probably one of the coolest powers you have.â
âOne day, Tucker is going to copy everything I can do, but with technology.â Danny poked Tucker a couple of times and got his hand swatted away for his trouble. âHeâs already copied my language-â
âSpanish doesn't belong to you just because your dad is Mexican, Danny, try again.â
âAnd now heâs tryna say whatâs mine isnât even mine, can you believe this guy?â Danny didnât even try to hold in his laughter now, waving a hand emphatically in Tuckerâs face. âNext heâll say Iâm not the greatest ghost fighter in the world-â
âYour Mom.â
âOr the first boy to step foot on the moon-â
âNeil Armstrong - also, did you just say you walked on the m-â
âOr the unthinkable, like Iâm not the very first Fenton thatâs gonna be built like a brick house.â
âNo no, you canât just talk your way out of this one, Danny, you were on the moon? â Ah, Danny loved riling up his friends.
#Danny Phantom#Danny Fenton#Tucker Foley#Sam Manson#OCs#Maddie Fenton#Jack Fenton#Jazz Fenton#Fanfiction#Phanfiction#fanPhiction#Phanphiction#fanfic#phanfic#fanphc#Phanphic#MCS#Monstrous Chosen Spellslingers#Rexy Writes
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    hello  loves  ,  whatâs  up  !  iâm  super  excited  to  be  here  &  to  finally  play  my  precious girl  ,  jade aka kool kat  .  iâm  LOLA  ,  use  she / her prounouns  ,  i am NINETEEN  ,  &  i  am  currently  in  the  gmt + 1 timezone  which  means  yes  ,  my  ass shouldâve been awake for intro posting but  i  donât  know what time management is and ended up swamped w/ work ,  so  !  everything  you  need  to  know  about  about  miss kat is  under  the  cut  ,  &  iâm  rlly  thrilled  to  be  apart  of  such  a wonderful  rp  with  such  gorgeous  muses  .  corniness over  ââ  if  youâre  looking  to  plot  sumn  out  ,  just  hit  that  âĽď¸   &  iâll  make  my  way  on  over  to  ur  dms  ,  or  feel  free  to  add  me  up  on  discord which iâll give in imâs if anybodyâs interested  !  âĄâĄâĄ     tw  :  family issues , body image issues  & drug mention  ( not  explicit ) .Â
001 . SYNOPSIS  . FULL   NAME  .   jade    kikuchi . NICKNAMES  .   kool kat  . AGE  .    twenty - one . DATE   OF   BIRTH  .    twenty  - seventh   of   september  ,   1993    /   libra . PLACE   OF   BIRTH  .   harajuku ,  tokyo ,   japan .     GENDER  .    cisgender   female . SEXUALITY  .   (  closeted  ) pansexual  . NATIONALITY  .   japanese ,  now  american too after  successfully  gaining  citizenship  . ETHNICITY  .    asian  . OCCUPATION  .    fashion designer at katz designz   ,   former fashion design and journalist student back in her original timeline . PLAYLIST .   here ! (  +  )    charismatic , enthusiastic , warm , energetic , adventurous , compassionate , animated . (  -  )    deceptive , independent , emotional , territorial , ambitious , impulsive , temperamental , insecure , sarcastic . Â
002 . AESTHETIC .     wheatgrass  smoothies , 90â˛s  anime  with  subtitles , chanel  no. 5, speeding  on  a  desert  road  with  the  windows  down ,  painting  your  toenails  on  the  dashboard ,  neon  prints ,  cat  lazing  on  a  balcony  in  the  sun , black  lace , japanese  horror  films , sour  cocktails  with  sugar  around  the  rim , half - smoked  cigarettes ,  stacks  of  fashion  magazines , long  hair  hastily  dyed  different  colours in  a  motel  bathroom ,  thrift  stores  .
003. INFORMATIONÂ .
tl;dr : a flighty, inattentive adventurer: a follower of whims; personable and sociable but lacks the skills to maintain relationships because sheâs entirely (and perhaps too) career focused, checks her horoscope daily and entirely relies on the stars when concerning relationships, epitome of a britney spears / gwen stefani stan back in the 2000â˛s, still owns a (bedazzled) flip phone, collector of vintage fashion (chanel, elle, juicy couture etc.) a subscriber to the Leonardo Da Vinci sleeping method; catch her at 2 am making soufflĂŠs or buying plane tickets to shiwei so she can really experience the culture: will tell you she loves you ten minutes after first introduction because sheâs high: kind of unintentionally insensitive to those she doesnât know and closed off but in like a cool, lovable way.Â
⢠  heads up im running on like 5 hrs sleep so sry when this inevitably derails ! ok sweet letâs get into this .Â
⢠  so as aforementioned this is jade kukichi, aka, kool kat. she was dubbed that by her friends due to her unique fashion style and sense of dress, and itâs stuck. lbr nobody other than her friends can use that term so if you do, sheâs just going to stare at u for a quick sec before saying âitâs jadeâ.Â
⢠  born in harajuku, tokyo to a cardiothoracic surgeon of a father and a politician of a mother, jade grew up traveling the world and becoming flighty af, never thinking she was going to make long - term friends and kinda being okay with that.Â
⢠  her family has never stayed in one place for very long, though her aging parents eventually settled into a permanent residence in the us around the time she turned sixteen, not soon enough for jade to break the habit of wandering, but thankfully quick enough for her to meet the bratz girls who were just as adventurous and fun - loving as she. she's spent much of her teen life jumping from place to place wherever her interests are that moment, collecting people along the way, but to find friends was the only thing she was missing. jade has a brilliant mind, but she lacks patience and follow through. she needs guidance or she'll jump from idea to idea, job to job, whim to whim.
⢠  ngl, jade pretty much hated her home life. her parents were an overbearing presence in her life, her mother wanting jade to be a proper lady who also went into a profession like theirs (entirely serious and stifling when it came to creativity, doctor, politician, lawyer etc.) while jade herself wanted to check out the latest trends and go to the mall w her friends â so she turned all of her focus and energy into getting good grades in everything she wanted to do in the hopes that she could be the most successful fashion designer, then leaving town forever.Â
â˘Â  like she spent 7 yrs in high school graduating w honours but she barely knew what was happening in 9/10 of her classes and sometimes she just slept through classes and then wing her exams which she miraculously did well at. it was just not a good idea to send jade to a public school at 11 after being in boarding school for the rest of her life and then never really enforce any rules :~\ she has trouble with that kind of thing.. as in making logical choices instead of saying "YEAH lets go watch american psycho and smoke weed!" skipping chemistry to do just thatÂ
⢠  she loves fun and values doing what makes her happy over most things. it's hard to pin her down and she spends most of her life chasing after ideas that don't really follow any sort of conscious order, bc sheâs really got that âiâve got dreams and iâm gonna do everything in my power to achieve themâ personality.Â
⢠  according to bratz canon sheâs worked as literally everything ? sheâs one of those insufferable people who r just. good everything ig and thatâs just how it is on this bitch of an earth. jadeâs been a photographer, a song - writer and bass player in a rock band (shout out to bratz rock angelz the best movie w the best soundtrack ever), a student studying fashion design, a fashion columnist, a quickly fired nanny, and many other things in between.Â
⢠  so when she appears in toonsville sheâs kind of out of it that sheâs not doing something w her skills and sets up her own business which she loves ? being her own boss suits her fine (for now) because sheâs got a Real Job and she's actually trying rly hard so she can fulfill her dreams !! like suck it mom nd dad haha !!!
⢠  jade has a lot of weird feelings TM about her body and her looks and struggles a lot with her self confidence :~( she had a shit time at school with boys saying she was too thin and she compensated by acting like she didn't like anyone at all for a while and now she thinks she isn't good enough for anyone when rly she is a cinnamon bun too good for this world too pureÂ
â˘Â  best friend ever she is so good at being a friend if u text her at 3am to go out or cry on her shoulder shes ready to go at 3:15 even if she was sleeping w lots of snacks and treats and love!!! she is sooo extroverted around those sheâs comfortable w, she gains so much energy from being around people and she loves being nice and being around ppl she likesÂ
⢠  she becomes the mom of groups pretty easily (hence why sheâs the leader of the bratz) bc she bottles up most of her own problems to help ppl with theirs!! which is toxic yea but she puts people first always so !! plz help her poor repressed soul!! rip kool kat..Â
⢠  still super into the stuff of her time so like.. she loves the x files and bad reality tv shows (i want to be a hilton) and reads gossip magazines on the reg because she enjoys that stuff! also very into girl groups.. ginger spice / posh spice is an eternal mood. Â
⢠  anyway yes sweet adult-child of 21 (she is in denial about that tho like she doesn't want to be childish) who is v nice v kind v loyal v baked a lot of time, v passionate v silly. idk what i'm doin hope u like it < 3
004. WANTED CONNECTIONS .Â
friends / best friends / ride or dies . jade genuinely loves people, loves talking to strangers and getting into intense conversations with people sheâs only just met, learning other peopleâs way of life and bettering herself for getting. she is, however, incredibly blunt and has never once minced words to keep from hurting someoneâs feelings or to ease them into a situation. sheâd much rather have a one-time conversation with a stranger than make long lasting relationships. she has three very close friends â to the point of co - dependence â and honestly, sheâd rather spend all of her time doing things she loves such as her hobbies, sticking her nose into the latest vogue, or searching for cute collars and treats for her cat mica w them instead of making new friends. she's also FUN and she'd be happy to go on crazy road trips or buy out a movie theater for a day or anything that she thinks will her buds happy. she's traveled all over, so sheâs v well read and cultured. she loves people but she hates complication and won't deal with any sort of emotional labor. she wants to live in the moment and expects everyone in her life to do so as well. just be chill, y'all.Â
frenemies / enemies / rivals . please be her enemy, she needs people to antagonize shdhshd. she grew up pretty much affluent so sheâs pretty spoiled even if she doesnât want to admit it, and that rebellious side of her hasnât died down yet. despite the fact that she is wealthy and in good community standing, she has a hard time letting go of childish grudges. in general sheâs got a lot of suppressed feelings and ready to fight everyone who hurts her friends â like an irritated cat â so, honestly, come at her ? she is sometimes a little fickle and flighty and a unintentionally stuck up when it comes to art / fashion and she has definitely said the wrong thing at the wrong time and pissed the wrong people off, she canât stand anyone underestimating her or thinking sheâs dumb bc sheâs interested in fashion. like gtfo !
exâs , fwbâs , possible love interests . jade is fairly fluid romantically and is the type of person who hates labels but also just wants to be cherished and called cute pet names lowkey. she loves a lot and gives a lot to her relationships, but typically doesn't want to commit to anything important. sheâs gone from one disastrous relationship to another, ending up with a boyfriend who constantly ridiculed her image that was essentially the catalyst for her cutting off romantic ties, quite a recent wound before she found herself on the island actually. worst thing is tht sheâs convinced herself that sheâs been the problem in these relationships â that she turns good people bad or that she is too much for people to deal with, sheâs not sure what the issue is and she doesnât really want to know. soâŚ. fuck everything amirite ? anyway, sheâs a strong independent woman who donât need no (wo)man.Â
etc . pls give me people jade can give a makeover to, people she shares an apartment w on the island, people who think fashion is girly and vapid.. creatives who love what sheâs doing, anything tbh << 3
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Lore Olympus (Mermaid Marker Test)âŞ
So my IRL friend introduced me to this AMAZING comic the other night, called "Lore Olympus," which is sort of a retelling of the Greek Myth of Persephone being kidnapped by Hades: www.webtoons.com/en/romance/lo⌠I read the whole thing in about two hours.  If you like Greek Mythology or even just rom-com comics with super pretty art styles, please go check it out and support it! It updates on Saturdays and is still on-going! So since my friend was fangirling, and then I was fangirling, and we had to wait a whole week for the new chapter/installment, I sketched up a piece of fanart of Persephone and Hades just looking at each other cutely, in outfits from a couple of later chapters. I didn't color it right away because I had just ordered the entire collection of 32 Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers off eBay (For $30 after a $10 off coupon, I might add; had I purchased the individual sets off of Amazon that same night it would've been about $60!) and I was half-waiting for them to come in, half testing my patience to see if I could wait or if I would just cave and color it with colored pencils or alcohol markers before then.  Luckily, I held out and they came in that Thursday. So I got to priming and swatching as quickly as possible! Calling them Mermaid "Markers" is a bit misleading; as they're essentially water brushes pre-filled with water-soluble ink. But I kind of understand why they're called that, as the "Mermaid" part insinuates their relationship with water, and they are more like markers that straight-up watercolors, in the sense that you don't technically need water to use them. Still, I think a more accurate name might've been helpful to people that have never heard of these before and have no idea what they're actually going to be like. Fortunately, I had seen these floating around and in a video before considering purchasing them, so I knew pretty much what I was getting, how to prep them, and what to do with them already, and at that point I wasn't even sure I'd want them. But after getting a set of Viviva watercolor sheets back in December and then the Arteza Woodless Watercolor pencils for my Birthday last month, the Mermaid Markers finally piqued my interest enough to want to buy them. I actually felt very lucky to find the eBay listing that I did, as $40 for the whole lot, in new condition (all the boxes still had their little round tapes intact and undisturbed, as well as their sealing rings, which I'll talk more about in a second) was already a great deal compared to buying the individual sets, before I even knew that I had the $10 coupon. Honestly, I was so sure someone was going to buy it before I had the funds, but luckily I was able to buckle down on some commissions and took the opportunity when it presented itself.  The only issue I had straight out of the box was that, for some reason, my "Byron Bay" in the 12 set is miraculously missing its label.  The best I can figure is it was just a factory oversight, as, like I said before, the boxes were still sealed and the sealing rings on each individual "marker," totally undisturbed, and there is no evidence there ever was one on the marker at all (no lingering bits of adhesive, etc.). It's not a huge deal as it was only one marker, the color names are all available online, and the solution is just as simple as either writing the name on the marker (which is what I've done for now) or printing out a new label. It'd be different if it had been multiple markers, making it difficult to tell which was which. It did take a little while to properly prime each marker; each one had a yellowy-green sealing ring between the screw-on brush tip and the squeezable ink cartridge that had to be removed and some gunk in the brush tip to preserve the shape during shipping, which you just gently wash off in water. And I will note here that it is important to make sure you screw the brush tip portion all the way back on! I had done quite a few and been left with a slight gap between the two sections before one went all the way down with less effort, so I had to go back and use a gripper like you would use to open jars to be able to turn the others the rest of the way down. I think this is important to mention because the one complaint I've seen over, and over, and over again in the Amazon Reviews is about them leaking, and I think in some (but not all) cases this might have been the problem! If one of them hadn't gone on with less effort, I wouldn't have known the difference! The other thing of note, the instructions/tips in each box specifically mention to store them with the brush tip up! Because I'm paranoid, I'm being extra cautious about this, but I suspect in a few cases this may have also been a problem causing leaks--as in people were storing them horizontally or with the brush tip down. I'm not a huge fan of the thin plastic boxes, but it's not a huge deal (as Copic markers use the exact same packaging). I think I would like to procure a case or stand to keep them all together in, though. I've been looking, but I want the case to naturally fit with keeping them upright and be able to sort them in whatever order I like. (Because I have to keep my art supplies organized or my entire world will fall apart). Now, when it comes to the drawing itself, I almost immediately ran into an issue with the line art. I didn't want to do just black, but the watercolor nature of the Mermaid Markers means that water-based ink will run when they touch. The only guaranteed water-proof liners I have are Copic multiliners in black or cobalt. That would've worked for Hades, but not Persephone. (The comic is very color-oriented for the character designs, so it just seemed more natural to do it this way; And besides, I use black lines all. the. time.) So I had to figure something else out. Originally, I tested both my Prismacolor and Polychromos pencils to see what water did to them (as I did plan on using a regular water brush with these to help with blending and stuff), and either one would've worked, as you had to be trying to pull the pigment out like I was to really get noticeable results, especially with the Polychromos, which are advertised as being water-resistant. I almost used them, but then I looked over and remembered: I have Dr. Ph Martin inks! In a variety of colors, that are supposed to be water-proof and lightfast (not that that means that much in this situation since most watercolors aren't lightfast anyway) when dry! So I got really crazy and broke out my dip pen and did the lines with that in red-violet, blue, and violet. Veeeeeeery carefully. Then I set it aside to dry for a couple of hours. (For the record, the red-violet lines are a couple shades darker IRL, the scan lightened them and seemingly them alone for some reason.) In hindsight, I might have done better to let it dry for a full 24+ hours. I say that because, while the ink was definitely dry enough to open and close the sketchbook with no issue, there were a few spots, particularly with the blue, that did bloat/bleed a little after I started going in with the Mermaid Markers and some water. Mind you, I wasn't like, drowning those spots with water or anything. Fortunately, I was able to sort of "push" and move the color around so that it didn't ruin anything. Beyond that, the pigment just willingly pulled out about as much as the colored pencils did when I was testing those, but that wasn't a huge issue since the characters are monochromatic and I was able to use it to my advantage. However, that definitely would've been an issue if I had lined with a color that didn't blend with the fill-in colors. So I will be more cautious of that sort of thing going forward. The Mermaid Markers themselves were actually kind of fun to work with, aside from the slight learning curve, since watercolors, in general, are mostly unfamiliar territory for me. The biggest issue I had was just trying to blend the right purple for the background, but that has more to do with my inexperience and the overall color selection. In general and just swatched out, the entire color collection of all 32 Mermaid Markers has a really interesting color family, with a number of shades that I think are fairly unique. (Or at least they seem unique to my eyes that are more familiar with color pencil palettes). The tradeoff is that there are some shades that are pretty, but might be a little "off" from the colors I'm used to working with. In this case, there is a muted lavender color called "Jellyfish" that I was using primarily to fill in the heart. However, it was a bit on the warm/pink side for my liking, including pairing with the "Deep Sea" darker purple, which was more of a neutral, maybe slightly blueish purple. It turned out okay with my attempts to "cool it down," but I still have some things to learn with watercolor, and until I really get the hang of it, I know the slightly unusual color choices with these might be a bit of a challenge to work through. The other thing is there are two "specialty" sets of the Mermaid Markers; one called "Celestial Sky" and one called "Shimmering Sky," which are metallic and glitter effects, respectively, and meant to be shaken up before use a bit like paint pens. The effects for both sets are really beautiful, I just wish there were more colors! There are only 4 of each; the Celestial Sky is more neutral/traditional metallic colors, and the Shimmering Sky colors are two pinkish and two blueish colors that look like they would pair well with the "Shipwrecked" set of 6. This isn't necessarily a bag thing--I want more colors of a product I like. I just thought I'd point it out while I was on the color thing. Still, they blended really nice and smoothly, and fortunately, they didn't argue too much with me when I made a mistake and tried to take some off/lighten it, etc.  Once I was done coloring, I obviously went back and did Persephone's little leaf crown and outlined the butterflies on either side of her head with gel pens. Surprisingly, the pens went over this noticeably easier than the Arteza Woodless Watercolor Pencils, which I found odd. I did have to do a bit of tapping, but I pretty much always expect that no matter what I'm working with. Not sure what to make of that.  (Though if I had to guess I suspect it had something to do with the fillers used in the pencils). I tried to use the glittery Mermaid Markers to give Hades a bit of pink blush and Persephone a bit of blue blush, but while Hades' worked out pretty okay, I think the blue was just too dark for Persephone as it didn't really blend out properly and, as you can see, to keep it from looking like she was bruised or I'd made a massive mistake, I ended up lifting most of it off entirely. But, at the very least, some of the glitter is still there so when you see it in the light it still sparkles a bit to tie in with the glittery gel pen I used for the crown. The only real thing I'm truly not happy about is that between the sketch and inking, Persephone's face slimmed down/got a little more angular than what I wanted. In the comic, she usually has a very round face to me. But it's not the end of the world; the art style is pretty fluid most of the time (which ends up adding to its charm and really lends itself to the characters' expressiveness) anyway, so drawing the characters "accurately" can only go so far, I think. (Compared to something where the characters are pretty much always 100% on-model, anyway). I think it did turn out very sweet though  And now if you'll excuse me, I'll be waiting with bated breath for the next chapter to go up.  The second-to-last one was a major plot doozy! ____ Artwork (c) me, MysticSparkleWings Lore Olympus & Characters belong to Rachel Smythe ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |  Twitter | Tumblr | InstagramÂ
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REPUTATION LYRIC INSPIRED TOUR OUTFITS AND POSTERS PART 1
A lot of these posters are pictured in either giant bubble letters, rep font or in calligraphy. Canât do any of these? Download the rep font or font you wish to use, type up what you want in a big enough font size, print, cut, and trace, or glue them down up to you! Of course, write these however you wish!
Hello all! Thanks for waiting so patiently for this list! Because of how long it is and how very excited you all have been waiting for this we have decided to post it into 2 parts to keep the excitement going. Part 2 will be coming in just a few short days and will be linked here, maybe even sooner than you think! Please enjoy all the ideas we listed below so far, send us others you may have and want to share with the swiftie world. We apologize if the formatting on this looks bad on mobile, we are trying to actively make it easily accessible and readable across all platforms!
And lastly, enjoy and tag us in these recreations! We want to see them! We want to help them get seen by Taylor!
Find the Reputation Part 2 list here.
Find the 1989 idea list here and here.
Find the Red idea list here.
Find more costume and poster ideas and tips here.
lovelovelove,
 - Reputation Costumes.
âŚREADY FOR IT?:
1. âKnew he was a killerâ â you and a friend or significant other dress up as a killer and their victim (not to scary or realistic though! Just have fun with it)
2. âLeft hauntedâ â could make a fun sign saying âTaylor left me hauntedâ or something silly with the word haunted! Could even use Haunted (Speak Now) lyrics!
3. âBut if heâs a ghost, then I can be a phantomâ â Few ideas:
     â Two people could dress up as ghosts.Â
     â Could also dress up as Danny Phantom because of the wordplay, or even the Phantom of the Opera if you wanted to be clever. Â
     â Could also dress up as ghost hunters/ghost busters.
4. âHoldinâ him for ransomâ â dress as bank robbers! Could even copy the outfits from the vault scene in LWYMMD.
5. âI keep him forever, like a vendetta-taâ â Poster that replaces him for Taylor, so it says I keep Taylor forever, like a vendetta-ta.
6. âIsland breeze and lights down lowâ â maybe dress tropicalâthink family vacation ha.Â
     â Could even improvise a poster that instead of saying island it could say (city name) breeze and stadium lights down low. Ex: âBoston breeze and stadium lights down lowâ (yes, I know its FOXBORO, but we all know Taylor just calls it Boston lol).
7. âIn the middle of the nightâ â Dress as if youâre the night sky, glow in the dark ceiling stars or tape on a black/navy blue outfit with glitter. A matching poster in the shape of a star or a moon would be the perfect pairing.
8. âAre you ready for it?â â Poster with these lyrics on it. Remember posters can be as simple or as creative as youâd like. If you have a large enough group, you could make giant cutouts and hold two letters or so each.
9. âStealing hearts and running off..â â A poster in the shape of a heart (not anatomical) with the lyrics on it.
10. âHe can be my jailerâ â Cop and Robber costume, could do the orange jumpsuit from the LWYMMD video and copy the âguardsâ around the birdcages outfits.
11. âBurton to this Taylorâ â dress as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor
12. âLet the games beginâ â Multiple options for this one.
     â  Could dress as a referee/sport player/some sort of sport reference
     â  Have a game board attached to your outfit, make your own Taylor inspired game, maybe by gluing homemade items over a monopoly and have little trivia questions about her.
     â  Game board inspired posterâan Uno card but with these lyrics rather than traditional uno face.
13. Recreate one of the outfits from the music video
END GAME:
1. âI wanna be your endgameâ â Poster designed as your favorite/or classic âend gameâ credit logo.
2. âI wanna be your first stringâ â Sometimes related to sports or your favorite ship from a TV show/Film/Book so do what you may with this.
3. âI wanna be your A-Teamâ â Could dress up as the A Team. Poster with friends that spell out A-Team.
4. Â âBig Reputationâ â Poster with these lyrics or wear the End Game merch sold on Taylorâs site. Canât afford it? Make your own with stencils and fabric paint!
5. Â âI bury hatchets, but I keep maps of where I put âemâ â Make/buy a shirt with a map on itâthink buried treasure map with xâs to mark where stuff is hidden!
6. âYour body is goldâ â Gold morph suit, gold body paint, gold glitter, gold anything! Dawn yourself in all gold for this look.
7. Â âSo hereâs the truth from my red lipsâ â Make an outfit with red lips open with a speech bubble above it and have end game lyrics in each one! Or make a poster with the same idea.
8. Â Recreate one of the many music video outfits!
I DID SOMETHING BAD:
1. âI play âem like a violinâ â Make a poster cut out into the same of a violin and wear music notes.
2. âNow all he thinks about is meâ â Poster saying âNow all I think about is Taylorâ
3. âI can feel the flames on my skinâ â Body paint flames in your arms/legs or wear flame pattern shirt.
4. âCrimson red paint on my lipsâ â Could be similar to the one above from End Game with red lips all over your outfit or a poster.
5. âIf a man talk shit, then I owe him nothingâ â Great lyric for a poster! Donât want to put the swear on the poster? Get creative and maybe use the emoji covering its mouth or symbols!
6. Â âI never trust a playboy, but they love meâ â Going with a guy friend? Could have him dress like Hugh Hefner but of course remember the necessary clothing needed to get into a venue if you do this! Could also dress as a bunny (playboy related or just average you decide)
7. âSo I fly âem all around the worldâ â Going to multiple shows? Make a poster of a globe with airplanes landing on each tour stop youâre going to!
8. âTheyâre burning all the witches even if you arenât oneâ â Dress as a witch, could be inspired from the Salem witch trials, could be a cartoon-y Halloween one, or one from your favorite show or movie that involves witches!
9. âPitchforks and proof, their receipts and reasonsâ â Poster in the shape of a pitchfork or one that looks like a store receipt or screenshotted iMessage but using Taylor lyrics as the messages or purchases!
10. âLight me upâ â Most shows apparently will not allow lights but doesnât mean you canât light up with glow sticks, glow in the dark body paint/outfits or glitter!
11. âMost fun I ever hadâ â Poster saying âTaylor Concerts are the most fun I ever had!â
DONâT BLAME ME:
1. âDonât blame me, love made me crazyâ â Poster that says, âDonât blame me, Taylor made me crazy.â
2. âDarkest little paradiseâ â Black lace vibe from this lyric, especially picturing those pumps that have fur on the front near the toes. Could also make a sign thatâs a midnight black sky with glow in the dark stars writing out the lyric.
3. âThey say, âSheâs gone too far this timeââ â Poster with this lyric and a map tracking all your shows if youâre going to multiple. Could have all the miles listed under each show!
4. âHalo, hiding my obsessionâ â Angel outfit? Make the halo out of glow sticks so it shines after the lights go down. Poster that says hiding my obsession, maybe make it look like a TSL post.
5. âI once was poison ivy, but now Iâm your daisyâ â Few ideas for this:
      â  An outfit that starts as poison ivy on the bottom but slowly progress to daisies. Could have buds of daisies starting at the bottom with the ivy and start to have them bloom as it increases until itâs just all daisies.
     â  Poster that spells out poison ivy in plastic (or real or drawn completely up to you) poison ivy.
     â  Poster that spells out Daisy with Daisies from a craft store!
     â  Daisy Buchanan from Gatsby.
     â  Poison Ivy comic.
6. âFall from graceâ â Michael and Lucifer, so aka could go as a fallen angel or the devil. If you watch Supernatural then you can pull from that for inspiration!
7. Taylor related this song to church, love and drug use because those 3 are powerful enough to change a person. Dressing up as if youâre in a choir could fit this song! Even something church related, however trying to remain neutral with that can be difficult.
8. Some people get a Fifty Shades of Grey vibe from this song, do what you may with that.
DELICATE:
1. Poster spelling out delicate with an assortment of colorful fake flowers.
2. âYou can make me a drinkâ â Poster cut out in the shape of a wine glass with the lyrics being written in a bold, thick font and place to look as if from far away its wine drawn in the glass.
3. âDive bar on the East Side, where you at?â â âTaylor Swift concert in (your state), where you at?â sign. Could also make this look like an iMessage chat.
4. Fringe outfit similar to the video.
5. Dive bar outfit.
6. âDark jeans and your Nikesâ â Could easily where this exact outfit paired with a Taylor shirt if you arenât into dressing up for shows!
7. âNever seen that color blueâ â Poster with sketched blue eyes and these lyrics underneath it. Could also wear an entire blue outfit.
8. âIs it chill that youâre in my head?â â poster ideas:
     â  Is it chill that Taylorâs in my head?
     â  Is it chill that youâre in my head, Taylor?
9. âHandsome, youâre a mansion with a view.â - Dress up with a costume similar in the idea of the a skyscraper costume but as a fancy house!
10. âEchoes of your footsteps on the stairsâ - Poster with an echoing effect (think Microsoft early 2000s word art) on the lyrics. Could even place the lyrics on top of one another to look like itâs building a staircase.Â
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO:
1. âI donât like your little gamesâ â See similar ideas for game inspired outfits above, OR
     â  Make an outfit featuring miniature games attached to you, like Tamagotchiâs or make your own mini monopoly/life/etc. boards and glue them onto your outfit or poster. Possibly break the little boards in half and have broken pieces to represent not liking them.
2. âOf the foolâ â Could dress up as a fool/clown. Silly, whimsical costume.
3. âSaid the gun was mineâ â Could do a poster of a smoking gun with the lyrics looking like they came out of the gun/the toy guns where flags pop out.
4. âRose up from the deadâ â Zombie! Tombstone poster!
5. âIâve got a list of names and yours is in red, underlinedâ â List of namesâTaylor related, maybe her cats or notâbut have them all crossed out besides for Taylors at the bottom.
6. âI check it once, then I check it twiceâ â Some say this reminds them of Santa so by all means feel free to dress up Christmas-y.
7. âLook what you made me doâ â Use the lyric video to create cool posters.
8. âI donât like your kingdom keysâ â few ideas:
    â Outfit with keys drawn on, make them look vintage and old, wear crowns with this look! Could also have keys dangling off the ends of the outfit.
    â  Giant gold key posters, make them look novelty like the ones cities give to honor people.
9. Drama and Karma matching glitter posters.
10. Snake skin, snake rings, snake anything!
11. Choose one of the many outfits Taylor is seen wearing throughout the LWYMMD video, weâll hopefully have some great, cheap knockoffs for these soon!
12. Dress up as âold Taylorâ so this basically opens up endless possibilities from each era, check out our 1989 and Red costume lists for more ideas! Hopefully we can work on Speak Now, Fearless and Debut inspired lists soon too!
13. Merch! Merch! Merch! She has tons of Look merch on her site, wear that if you want to be casual.
14. Similar Blind for Love sweater is available on eBay! The similar patches are also sold at craft stores or online (eBay).
15. Use the patches sold through Taylor Swiftâs store to make youâre own one of a kind outfit--whether it be a denim jacket, dress, you name it! You can even design youâre own patches using crafts.
16. âThe old Taylor canât come to the phone right nowâ - Poster using a picture of the âold Taylorâ and a poster in the shape of a phone! Could incorporate the Our Song video, WANEGBT video, or the Look video when sheâs on a phone.
SO IT GOESâŚ
1. Â âSee you in the darkâ â Poster where the word Dark is written in glow in the dark paint/marker to show up after the lights go down!
2. âAll eyes on youâ â Outfit with googly eyes glued all over it. Or create a poster with the same idea and the lyrics changed to âAll eyes on Taylorâ
    â  Add âmy magicianâ if you wish to the end of the poster lyric or combine the googly eyes theme with a magician costume.
3. âMy magicianâ â Â Multiple options:
    â Dress up in a magicianâs costume, this can be traditional, or you can be as creative as you want with it.
    â  Poster cut out to look like youâre holding a fan of cards (think trick magicianâs deck) with any lyrics from the song written on it.
    â  Could dress up as a magicianâs assistant.
    â  Dress up as a rabbit/bunny (stereotypically used in acts)
    â  Poster in the shape of a bunny peeking out of a magicianâs hat, or just the ears sticking out of the hat, with so it goes lyrics on it.
    â  Poster of a crystal ball with âall eyes on you, my magicianâ written in it.
4. âYou make everyone disappearâ â âTaylor makes everyone disappearâ written on a poster. Possibly write it in glow in the dark ink so it only shows when the lights are down and not before!
5. âCut me into piecesâ â Puzzle piece posters! You and a group of friends can each hold a piece that fits into the other and each can have one word of a line from any reputation song or simply use the âcut me into piecesâ
6. âGold cage, hostage to my feelingsâ â 2 options:
    â  Make a cut out poster in the shape of a cage, individual cut out in between each bar so itâs open, do two sides like this and attach strings to wear the sign so it looks like the cage is around you. Could even wear this with the orange jumpsuit outfit from the Look video!
   â  Poster in the shape of a gold bird cage with âhostage to my feelingsâ written inside of it.
7. âAll our pieces fall right into placeâ â Poster with confetti, puzzle pieces, hearts either drawn on or glued. Either place or draw the pieces to spell out the lyrics as they fall down to a pile at the bottom of the poster paper or just have the pieces you decide to use ârainingâ down halfway through the poster and have the lyrics on the bottom half.
8. âSo it goesâŚâ Poster with these lyrics.
9. âMet you in a barâ â 2 options:
     â  Poster drawn and cut out like a whiskey bottle with these lyrics, Taylor and reputation written on the label.
     â  Using half of a poster board, draw what looks like a bar top (typically mahogany) with bottles either laying or standing across it and a few shot glasses, each bottle could be named after a song on the album!
10. âAll eyes on us/All eyes on you/All eyes on meâ - Â Staring eye emoji drawn on a poster with a thought bubble above it with one of these 3 lyrics in the bubble.
11. âI make all your grey days clearâ â
     â  One person dresses up as a cloudy/rainy day so all grey clothes and have reflective blue tape cut into rain drops and white reflective tape to represent clouds (typically clouds are grey/black when itâs raining but those two colors wonât be reflective, could use glow in the dark paint/tape as well). Could also wear a cloud poster with raindrops hanging from it on string around them or hold as a regular poster with these lyrics in the cloud.
     â  Second person dresses up as sunny day, in preferably light blue to represent a clear sky, yellow reflective tape cut out as suns on the outfitâcould even have some breaking through clouds using white reflective tape. Person could also wear a sun poster around them like suggested above for the grey day look.
12. Â âWear you like a necklaceâ â Think flavor flav! Make a giant fake watch (or not a watch and just a necklace) out of string and cardboard. Have the reputation album cover or cd artwork be hanging from it/as the face of the watch.
13. Â âDressed in black nowâ â Wear all black! Draw attention to yourself with some glow in the dark paint or stickers, glow sticks and glitter.
14. âScratches down your backâ â Might not be appropriate with what its referencing for younger crowds and you may get looks from parents but create a shirt with bloody scratches down the backside and let the front side have âso it goesâŚâ written on it.
15. Â âYou did a number on meâ â Few options:
      â  Poster cut out into a 13/22/1989 with the lyric written throughout the 13/22/1989.
      â  Poster with an array of numbers related to Taylor filling it (13, 22, 1989, 10(Grammys), etc.). Write the lyrics in rep font first and draw the numbers around it, filling the background. Write in glow in the dark paint/tape, glue flowers over the lyrics, whatever you desire! Can even just use the word rep instead of doing the lyrics.
      â  Idea above for the poster could also work on a shirt.
      â  Poster with the number of shows youâre attending.
16. Â âWhoâs counting?â â See the ideas for the lyric above, they work well with this one as well.
#reputation costumes#reputation outfits#reputation#reputation stadium tour#reputation tour#rep tour#rep costumes#rep outfits#reputation posters#rep posters#costume ideas#costume tips#poster ideas#poster tips#taylor swift#part 1#fan#fans#costumes#costume#sign#signs#poster#posters#reputationcostumes
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Letâs start a RWBY Zine!
In lieu of the Adam Volume Short, I thought Iâd try to get a Zine started again!Â
What is a Zine?
Short for âFanzineâ a zine is a non commercial collection of art (like drawings, writings, ect.) thatâs usually printed as a book. Zines are self-published works that come from one person or a small group of people. Each zine has a theme that the artists have to work around (and in some cases a fandom as well.) Usually theyâre scanned via a photocopier and printed into a physical book you can buy, but some are digital only and free, like this one will be.
Basically, itâs just a big collection of pictures and writings,ect. put in one package for everyone to enjoy. While you can buy some Zines, this one would be free, and I would share it Via DeviantArtâs Sta.sh feature on here and various other social medias.
This Zineâs theme?
Faunus! Go crazy with the possibilities. Just want to draw a pic of your favorite faunus? Have any headcanons about the faunus? Would you like to write a âWhat if?â scenario involving a certain faunus? Then go right ahead! Just make sure and read the rules first!Â
I also have a list of situations here if you need some inspiration!Â
Basic rules that I can think off the top of my head:
-Due date for submissions will be none other than the day Volume 6 debuts, October 27th! I will have the Zine itâs self go live on October 31, Rubyâs Birthday!Â
-You can submit your finished pictures via Sta.sh, Dropbox (and any programs/pages like that) or via E-mail! if you choose email, I will provide mine to you in PMs. If you know of another way or canât that way, then please notify me. I just need a place where I can download the full HD picture for the best quality.
- No pornography or excessive gore. Nudity or something akin to what happened in the short would be fine, just donât go crazy lol.Â
- No drama. This means no pics trying to make a point on how much you hate a character or ship or what the writerâs done. This also means no hate for anyone who may draw a ship/character/ect that you donât like. Please do this somewhere else. This is meant to be a fun thing!
-No âshippyâ stuff. I know itâs kinda weird to ask but Iâd prefer if things stayed out of that territory! Nothing against shipping or drawing your OTP together, just no PDA or worse lol.Â
-I would prefer âCanonâ faunus. Meaning, no ocs, even if they are next gens.Â
- You can use any art medium you desire as long as you put effort into it (I.e Digital/traditional art, collages, writing/fanfics/ect.) And while Iâm not trying to police what is effort and what isnât (and certainly wonât say that you didnât put enough effort into your piece if/when you submit it), I will say that everything needs to be colored and lined the best you can drawing wise, and writings have to be more than just a a paragraph or 3. Just put as much effort as you can into it!
- Â Feel free to posts WIPS, drafts, previews, ect. to your own blog, but please refrain from posting the finished image until after the Zine is released.
- Whatever you choose to do, please make sure it is made specifically for this Zine and not something you were previously working on or finished!Â
- NO STOLEN CONTENT. This includes traced/recolored work.
- Anyone is allowed to enter! Thereâs no application process or any requirements. If you see this, Congrats! you can make a piece for it. Just let me know!
- I donât have a specific entry limit but please donât go crazy and submit more than like 10 things lol.
-I may come up with other rules as time progresses. so please be aware of that. You can ask as many questions as youâd like!Â
PLEASE let me know if youâre interested or joining by sending me an ask on here!
#RWBY#RWBY6#RWBY spoilers#Zine#rwby zine#Sienna Khan#I'm tagging her cuz that's probably who I"m going to draw lmfao.#I'm trying this again I know#If this takes off I'll probably make a seperate blog for it possibly.#it just depends
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Me vs. Beach
âItâs so beautiful,â Maddy said. We were walking down my street after a bougie lunch, heading to have beers and chocolate by the water.
I do this walk almost every day. Even though I try to appreciate my surroundings, I never feel like Iâm doing Barcelona enough justice. The weather is so much warmer now; my Norwegian heritage is content with low-70s temperatures all summer. This will not be the case. But this, right here and now, is perfect.
Back home, people would *mention* being from California or going to a tropical vacation destination. Theyâd get this dreamy, delirious look on their face and say, âI mean, the water, the sand-- what more could you want?!â
I USED TO HATE THE BEACH. Hate hate hate. To the point that I would exempt myself whenever possible of Florida vacations. I would sulk in the dreadful sun, watching my skin become salmon pink and later graduating to blistering, glowing red. Iâve had sunburns so bad I canât sleep. Iâve been to too many pool parties where I get stuck in the shade, wishing I could read a book in peace or think about anything besides how hot it is.
So, when people got beach-crazy-eyes, I used to roll mine. âYeah yeah, canât wait!â Iâd lie before my move to Barcelona. I didnât even care for palm trees. I had it out for the beach.
Living here has opened up my eyes to how life can be different. It doesnât have to be 12 hours of beach, 5 days straight, and then a flight back to the Midwest. It can be 30 minutes, or with friends, or alone, or with a book, or with music, or after work, or in the mornings, or working out, or sitting on a bench.
The tables really turned for Me vs. Beach on my maximum homesickness days.
I had another one this month - a day of homesickness so bad my stomach hurts. My first move was to buy a jar of peanut butter (a ~delicacy~ here), and eat some with my pointer finger, mean muggin and listening to Wake Me Up When September Ends. Not my best look, seeing as I noticed more than one person wait for me to get out of a shot before they took a *Barcelona!* picture lol. After buying the PB, I kept marching to the beach and sat looking out at the water.
Seeing the waves, smelling the saltwater, and acknowledging the vastness of everything puts me at peace. I canât explain it. I never thought this would be my mental vibes cure. A couple months back, I came to the beach at night and sat listening to Eat Pray Love for an hour in 50 degree weather. The ocean helped me then, too. CALL ME MOANA I GUESS LOL!
As the months pass, it becomes harder and harder to keep up my once a month entries. So much happens in four weeks! I know! But thereâs so much less drama than the beginning.
Besides my 1 bad day this month, May was AWESOME! I got to see three people I havenât seen in over a year: a dinner with Emily & John, who I met through my BFF Sarah, and my best friend Maddy, who I met in the OSU design program. I had so much fun with both visits. Lots of laughs! And so fun to tell stories with old friends. And it was intense. My brain definitely turned off the awareness of how far I am from home. I donât realize it until Iâm hugging people who I last saw 4000 miles away. Itâs easier, mentally, this way - to go day by day, not acknowledging the passage of time. My feelings played catch-up after saying goodbye (hence the beach-peanut-butter-adventure). But Iâm okay. Some fellow expats backed me up & reminded me how normal it is to miss somewhere else. I cannot state strongly enough how happy it made me to see my pals here.
May also included a LOT of saving money for me, which should be paying off very soon! Like I said in my last post, Barcelona is pretty break-even, but I was living on a wing and a prayer for a minute (re: 8 cavity fillings). Iâm happy my days of staying in and baking galettes or only getting ~one drink~ actually made a difference. It makes me a lot more excited for Barcelona Beach Fest, June, and all the other fab things coming sooner or later.
In May, we said goodbye to Maja AKA Baby Toasty. As always, it was a really hard goodbye - we made so many memories in this city together. I think Iâm getting better at accepting Barcelonaâs transient nature. When friends leave, I know how special our time is together and how lucky we were to have gotten close. Itâs almost like college again. People graduate, people move, but your friendship is still true & fierce & spectacular.
OH ALSO my BOOK CAME OUT THIS MONTH! You can buy my comic book, Gezellig, two ways on the internet: a PDF file and a real stinkinâ printed book. Super exciting and really incredible to have so many people react positively to this. Iâve been quietly working for months on it. Being able to share my hard work and passion project with people I love was overwhelmingly meaningful. And if youâre one of the people who bought a copy, THANK YOU! And Iâd love to hear from you! Did you like it?! Any comments!? Hit me up!!!! (Please I really have no way of knowing who bought it and Iâd at least like to say thanks personally!)
Anyway, Iâm still not sure what Iâm doing but I donât think about that, or care, anymore. Iâm making more art here. I got to check out Nit del Museos (ALL MUSEUMS ARE FREE FOR THE NIGHT) and saw some cool exhibits at two museums. Iâve lost friends here, Iâve made friends here. I listened to Little Women (now Iâm listening to HP1 and guys really itâs good but wow the movie is so on point). I just unsubscribed from the NYTimes Morning Briefing to give my brain a break. Iâm focusing on good vibes and becoming such a hippy. Iâm happy. Iâm happy. Iâm finding myself. Iâm happy.
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An imagine where the reader owns a bakery, which Mycroft falls in love with along with the reader so he visits as much as he can. But one day her friend covers for her, due to a nasty cold. So Mycroft basically goes into a game of 20 questions and stalker mode?
Tyrese side eyed the man in the suit for what felt like the hundredth time as he shuffled slowly around the bakery.Â
Heâd been in here for almost an hour before this morning and again after lunch but as it was getting closer to the closing hour it was beginning to get more than a touch suspicious.
Yeah, the guy would buy a few things while he milled about the place while keeping out of the way of others waiting for something or someone only to leave alone.
Some tall bloke in a suit with a brolly looking at sweets by his lonesome for almost four hours when he looks like he outta be doing some big wig government stuff or something just struck Tyrese as out of place.
It was just weird.Â
And concerning.
But mostly weird.
And Tyrese would know something about weird because he went to Liberal Arts university.
Putting away what could be saved for the next day Tyrese stands up to ask the man once more, âCan I help you sir?â
The guy opens his mouth and while it looks like heâs going to decline politely like last time his mouth closes and walks toward the bakery counter.
His voice is the same as it was this morning; smooth and calculated as he replied, âYou know I think that you just might be able to MisterâŚâ
âTyrese is fine sir,â Tyrese offers as he leans on the counter to become more level with the man. He was never one for such formalities as he was more of carefree soul. Being called âmisterâ anything just made him feel old and stuffy.
The man in the suit nods. âThen Tyrese perhaps you would be so helpful me with obtaining some information.â
Now this is something that Tyrese lived for-he loved explaining sweets!
Anyone dumb enough to ask him the difference between a Berliner and an American jelly would be stuck listening him for ages as he waxed on about the different properties and ingredients.
Itâs why he took the job at _____âs bakery so that he could talk about them and learn to make them for his own shop one day.
âWell you came to the right bakery today sir, lay it on me. What do you want to know about? Our Brandy Snaps? Fruit Fools? Iâm an expert on pretty much everything save the Lardy cakes but Iâm workinâ on it,â Tyrese jokes as he points to the items on the countersâ menu.
âIâm afraid the information I am trying to receive is a bit moreâŚoff the menu.â
Now if that didnât sound ominous Tyrese thinks but knows better than to offend a customer much less a customer in a suit that looks like it costs more than his rent and tuition combined.
âNot a problem sir,â Tyrese amends easily, â here at _____âs bakery we can make just about anything to order provided you give us a weeks heads up first-âÂ
âI have a very lucrative business proposition for you Tyrese Flanders, something that would prove to be quite substantial toward finishing your degree and keeping your head above water well past boxing day,â the strange man offers.
Instinctively Tyrese goes to clutch his name badge. This was more than suspicious now. Shit just got real.
âHow did you know my last name,â Tyrese demands.
The man of course doesnât look the least bit bothered or seems to notice his discomfort. âIn this day and age of information and social media finding last names, addresses, universities, work is hardly difficult to locate if one puts it up willing,â he explains easily, âbut for what Iâm after I would need a more human approach rather than a search engine Iâm afraid.â
Doing his best to keep the panic out of his voice Tyrese demands again,âWho are you and what do you want?â
The man moves closer to the counter and Tyrese vaguely wonders if the cops would be upset with him if he pushed panic button just to get this dude out of _____âs shop.
It didnât matter that Tyrese had a good eight inches on this man the dude creeped him the fuck out.
His smile was big though largely insincere as he said, âNo one of consequence Tyrese. Just a man willing to pay handsomely for some inconsequential information concerning your current employer. Nothing too personal. Just her habits and interests.âÂ
And holy shit Tyrese was going to push the fuck outta that button and lock himself in the managerâs office.
This guy is crazy. This guy is trouble. And what the fuck does he want with ____?Â
This guy looked like he had his own crime mob and the money to shush him up so why was he asking about _____? Why did he only show up when sheâs not here? And why the fuck isnât the panic alarm going off when _____ replaced it last week?
His heart nearly stops and all color fades from his face as the man reaches into his inner coat pocket.
OH GOD NO.
Without thinking Tyrese ducks for cover behind the counter screaming, âDONâT SHOOTâ and tries to army crawl his way to the kitchen as fast as his long limbs could carry him.
He stays in the kitchen with the door locked huddled behind the ovens armed with a frying pan. Its been well over twenty minutes but he has no idea if the man is still in the store.
Tyrese knows he has to find out but since the panic button didnât go off the police wonât be here for another twenty and he needs to get home in order to feed Buttercup on time.
Carefully crawling as quietly as a 6â˛9 man could Tyrese peeked through the kitchenâs small door peephole.Â
No creepy dude in sight but he could be standing outside.
Tyrese attempts to slither out of the kitchen as silently as his pet Buttercup but finds that he sucks at being a snake while he crashes into the corners of the display cabinets.
Sore and paranoid Tyrese slowly gets up from the floor to pick through the display glass. No creepy dude there.
Getting up fully Tyrese looks around the shop to see if anything has been stolen.
All the pastries are still there, none of the gift baskets are missing, the jams are still in place but thereâs a folded up paper on the counter with his name scrawled in an elegant red.
Using paper towels from the dispenser to pick up the note (because Tyrese knew that their could be prints to catch this weirdo) he opens it up.
When its convenient for you Tyrese Flanders I would prefer that you text this number with any and all information concerning your employerâs interests, hobbies and status within the following seven business days. Provide this and not only will the check enclosed be yours but on a weekly basis.Your employer must not know about this contract however, I can attest that none of the information gathered will be used to harm or displease her in anyway. The choice is yours Mr. Flanders. You could use this money to pay for your beloved pythonâs food supply and then even for food for yourself. Think about it.
-M
If the note wasnât concerning enough the amount of zeros on the check enclosed was enough to make Tyrese feel faint.
He could pay off his loans before he even graduated! He could get a car! A small house big enough for Buttercup! His dad a car! The possibilities were endless!
Wait thoâŚ
âI canât sell out ____ like that especially to some crazy wanker in a suit,â Tyrese says with a sigh.
 She had been one of the few that was willing to hire him despite his mum being a career criminal. Being a man in this economy was hard enough with âdiversityâ quotas to fill but being a man whoâs mummy regularly steals and aggressively assaults people on a day to day basis doesnât help a man get a job either.
Yeah the money would be great but he couldnât do his employer like that. Not after all sheâs done for him.
Tyrese is shreds both the paper and check and then throws it into the bin by the registers. Thanks but no thanks he thinks hoping that was the last of it when his cell phone pings.
Iâll double my offer. Think carefully Tyrese Flanders and make the correct choice for both of you and ______. -M
While the screams that come from Tyrese donât entirely wake up the small block but its enough to finally get someone to call the police even if it was from mean old missus Yao from the Chinese buffet next door.Â
#mycroft holmes#asks#anon#bakery#what ifs#mycroft x reader#poor tyrese#bbc sherlock#sherlock#mycroft imagine#sherlock imagine#mycroft prompt#imagine.
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What went into last year's website change
New Post has been published on http://sorcery101.net/news/what-went-into-last-years-website-change/
What went into last year's website change
So last year I redesigned my website. Iâd like to take you through the process of what I was thinking.
If you donât remember what the old site looked like here are some old screen caps.
and
NOTES BEFORE GOING IN
The first step to the redesign was making a list of what I thought were problems with the old design. Hereâs what I wrote down:
The navigation image was confusing people/not instantly  intuitive. It made it hard for people to get to parts of the site they didnât always check like the store or to older comics. I tried giving it a small tweak about a year ago but over all the image nav wasnât obvious enough. And clarity it key with these things.
The visual hierarchy wasnât clear enough. With websites you want whatever is most important to be the biggest thing. So the image nav was too big and detracted from people paying attention to comics and new posts and really everything.
It wasnât instantly clear which comics were updating or when. I had regular posts about when stuff did update but nothing that was instant. But there was no where to clearly show what was going on right now.
I am doing a lot of new stuff and it was hard to make space for it all. I had new comics, work for hire gigs, writer notes, podcasting, added a patreon, and planned to do more. With every new thing there was no clear place to put it, so it got slapped into that  sidebar with a tower ad. I wanted clear space for it.
The comic shelf was overly complicated and I had too much stuff. I like the visual of the comic shelf and displaying all my work. People rightfully complained that it had too many clicks to get to new comics. It was also hard to show which stories were connected. And if you clicked one of the finished comics at the bottom, you would have to scroll back up to the square to see what it was about.
Box ads (aka the 250 by 300 ads) are full of malware and autoplaying noise ads. More so that leaderboard and tower ad.
The please turn off adblocker message breaks which shows up when you come to my site with ad blocker was breaking the site.
Save my place marker which was under each comic page as you read it only worked on one comic at a time.
Then I wrote down my goals going into the new site design that you are currently looking at. They were:
I wanted a look that didnât read as default webcomic site. One thing Iâm not crazy about is there are a lot of webcomic sites that look the same. Comicpress and tumblr made it easier to get comics online, but it also made a lot of sites look very similar. That was something I always tried to fight against.
I needed a site that can handle multiple comics and make it easy for someone to read and find them all. Iâve always had more than one comic. Sure the first few were Sorcery 101 spin offs, but I always have wanted to do more. I quickly realized that getting a new domian name for a comic that will only end up 100 pages or so is too much work for something only running for a year.
Improve the comic shelf. I like the visual idea of the comic shelf so I didnât want to scrap it completely.
Have the updating comic clearly marked.
Have the store be easy to find and mix my own ads into the general ads.
Get more people to pay attention to my Patreon since that will lead to getting rid of ads, which are always ugly.
Give the blog section easier navigation so someone can track down old posts.
Con appearances need to be immediately clear.
As I get more press from the print side of comics I needed a place to put those, a bio, and a headshot. I didnât 100% need them on the site, but I thought having a press page would make it easier for someone to grab that info on their own.
I wanted the place where people read comics to be spars as possible so nothing would retract from reading the comic. I know folks like to comment on the page directly, BUT all I think comments really only add to discussion of a current page. If someone is marathon the comic I want them to focus on the comic.
No comic on the front page. I know this is unpopular in the land of reading webcomics, but I found that going this route leads to people not paying attention to the rest of the site. So comics that are finished end up ignored.
Make it clear which comics are connected. When Dracula Mystery Club started a few people thought it was the Sorcery 101 world, not a huge issue cause it didnât get far. But this is more of a problem for with Fame and Misfortune and would be for future The City Between stories because they are close in tone and genre to Sorcery 101.
Branding is focused on me as an artist rather Sorcery 101. Iâve been slowly making this move Iâve been slowly making since Misfits of Avalon started and I knew Sorcery 101 would be wrapping up. With Sorcery 101 done, I visually wanted to make it completely clear. That only thing left in this is move is changing from sorcery101.net to kelmcdonald.com. But that is getting saved for when I donât need ads companies to have approved my domain. Some of those are hard to get on to.Â
Portfolio section just needs to look prettier.
Building the Site
So Kevin Wilson did the nuts and bolts of designing and building the site. After I went over the problems and goals with the site we also talked about websites I liked.
So first I told Kevin the colors I like and use for my branding. The blue, white, and black. He lightened the blue a little to make black text pop on it better after doing a few color blind tests (aka usability for people who are color blind). He then sent me a few fonts that he think for work. After those very basic things were decided, he moved forward.
He sent me two mock ups of the pages were the comic appears since that is the simplest page. For the wallpaper and Patreon button, he originally used Sorcery 101 art, but since that is no longer updating I told him to use art from Misfits of Avalon and Fame and Misfortune. I wrote my name a new times to give the site a nice header.
For the big this is currently updating picture, we briefly talked about using a slider, but apparently research shows that most people never make it past the 2nd slide. So a static image worked for now. The patreon ad being immediately to the right of that giant image makes it hard to ignore and all the social media is right there afterward. The sign up for my newsletter bar is also a new addition. So everything to keep someone up to date is right there when it first loads. And the big image would be easy to switch out as new books came out, kickstarters happen, or new comics end up updating.
Kevin, pointed out that my blog posts vary from giant writer notes posts to tiny here is a new page posts. This could result in a HUGE empty space in the sidebar. So small previews on the front page help it be more static and nicer looking.
Because I told Kevin I want my own ads in the mix and the big rectangle ads are a pain to place we decided next to them would be a good place for the personal store add. It would auto-fill with my newest product.
Navagation is pretty standard and resembles what people are used to on other sites. Easy and clear.
The blog itself was easier to design. I was mostly just a matter of adjusting the sidebar to have what I want on it and making it easier to navagate. We tried a tag cloud at first but that looked really ugly. So a list of links just seemed the nicest.
The press page, the portfolio, and various table of contents pages was just a matter of taking the blog page and only messing with the content part. Â For the press page that was just a matter of posting some links and trying to get wordpress to make some columns so my headshot wasnât just standing on itâs own. The portfolio was a matter of switching plugins. The one I was using was clunky, not very pretty, and also didnât load very fast. The chapter list pages are a little bit of work. I was using a table before but those donât resign nicely on phones or smaller browsers. Kevin did some custom coding to get the same result but resize nicer.
Then came the hard part, the comic shelf. Like I said I like the visual of the comic shelf but it was a problem to how complicated it was to figure out and how many clicks got you to the comic. After talking it over, the solution because making it look like a book store display, with an info card next to each book. This also solves the how to note which books go together. Each shelf can fit 6 books and two cards. I put Misfits of Avalon and The City Between up top because they were the ones updating at the time of launch. While Sorcery 101 is the longest, since it is done it needs to move aside to give newer comics the spotlight. I also made sure all my print only work is listed at the bottom because they donât need to be accessed as much as the readable webcomics. They are also listed in the store, so they can be more prominent there rather than here. Â To solve the too many clicks button I got an easy read for start button as well as a story list for each group.
Now for reading comics themselves, like I said that is the sparest. I left it to what needs to be there and ads. Which lead to some empty space here and there. So I gave each archive an in site ad to that comicâs book. So Misfits tells you to buy the newest Misfits books, Sorcery 101 tells you to buy Sorcery 101 vol 2, etc etc. Sadly we couldnât get the save my spot comic marker to work. So it got scraped. Basically what would happen is if you were reading Sorcery 101 and saved a spot and then saved a spot on Misfits, the Sorcery 101 spot saver would be lost.
And all through out the site, I switched the 300 by 250 ads for Project wonderful ads. Those size ads were always the one that sneaks in sound even though I tell it not to and is usually the reason for malware problems. So giving that space to smaller webcomics advertising on Project Wonderful was a better bet.
Then the store is the final bit. I removed all the comixology listing cause there are 50 Sorcery 101 chapters on comixology and they were clutering up the store with something you canât actually get from my website. So there is now a general Comixology ad to the side. I also put a gumroad ad to the sidebar too because the one thing my store canât do is pay what you want. That means my dreaden files sketch book and any future art pdfâs I make canât be in the store proper.
Over all Iâm happy with this and it seems to suit the transition Iâm making from Sorcery 101 to different work in the future. Even a year later Iâm digging it, especially the comic shelf.
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Jason Greeno Inducted Into TGC Hall of Fame
Jason Greeno has been inducted into The Game Crafterâs Hall of Fame because his game, Starforge, won the Mint Tin Challenge. Congratulations! The designer interview is below.
1. Tell us about yourself and how long you've been designing games.Â
Like most, I've been creating games since I was a kid. Now, as a 42 year old graphic designer, I've spent the last 5 years or so working on getting my games published. After cutting my teeth on self published TGC games like Pocket Kung Fu and Turris: City of Giants, I signed my first game, Tornado Chase with Button Shy Games back in 2018 and then Chain Mail: Adventures of Earthshine in 2019. Since then I have self-published games via PNP Arcade (Night Class, Drive Like Hell). Jason Tagmire (Button Shy Games) and I founded and run PNP Arcade, a print and play game digital marketplace. All this wouldn't be possible without the love and support of my wife, Beth, who helps playtest and take care of our son, Sam. 2. Please tell us about Starforge.Â
Starforge is the first part-builder game. By that I mean, you literally assemble the acrylic ship parts during the game and the parts have a significant impact on the gameplay. It's a head-to-head style game and, best of all, asymmetric. One player plays the Terran humanoids and the other controls The Goo, a sentient, gelatinous race of aliens determined to cover the galaxy in their slimy ooze.
3. Where did the idea for this game come from?Â
Creative building games are my favorite style of game. I love Galaxy Trucker but wanted something a bit more serious, less zany. When I saw the custom acrylic pieces coming out of TGC, I saw an opportunity to make something special. 4. What makes this game special/unique?Â
The Acrylic material is really beautiful to look at because of how the light interacts with it. Then being able to build spaceships from the components? Who doesn't love that? It immediately gives them a toy-like feel.
5. Did you create a design journal for your game?
Sadly no. But one interesting story that would have been in a journal - Starforge was not intended for this contest! I spent a lot of time developing a game centered around an Arcade shop. It was a card game and if the illustrator hadn't backed out, Starforge wouldn't have arrived for the contest. It's crazy to me to think back on that night when I got the email from the illustrator. I felt sort of relieved, because the game design was stuck. I stayed up late that night just 'playing around' with TGC's acrylic template. When I got the first version of the ship parts (Terran-only game at that point) I expected all sorts of errors on my part that would make the part-fitting totally unusable. Instead? They were perfect. The fit. The printing-on both sides-was flawless. I remember telling my wife how this game felt different than any of my prior designs. It had a really strong hook. Suddenly I realized I had very little time left in the contest to get this game to the finish line. Two more 'URGENT' shipments later and Starforge was ready for the contest. The game now included two distinct factions with unique gameplay, color coordinated art, and a printed mint tin cover. I'm very proud of the result.
6. Did you already have the idea for Starforge in your head before the Mint Tin Challenge was announced?
Yes, but I had no idea about acrylic at that point. So like a lot of creative ideas, it just sat in the back of my mind until the triggering moment, where things click. 7. What made you decide to enter your game into the contest?
Mostly timing. I had some free time and this contest had great limitations which always spark my creative energy.
8. Would you have been motivated to work on the game as much as you did without the contest?
Yes, but I'm not sure when that would have been, or how polished the result would be. 9. Has winning inspired you to enter more contests or design more games?
Yes and no. Winning the contest opened doors to publishers which has been super valuable. The reason I say no, is that I have some games that I want to design for Kickstarter or for a publisher. Those goals don't always align with a current contest. I'll certainly enter more contests in the future. They're just too much fun not to!
10. Could you describe any influence The Game Crafter has had on your success as a game designer?Â
Confidence and Acclaim. My first game, Pocket Kung Fu, didn't have the best art (1st edition), but the card quality impressed people and allowed them to see it as a real enough game to buy. When a stranger buys your game you get a nice little boost. It counteracts that imposter syndrome that people talk about. That fuel lets you move onto the next game, and the next. Being a finalist in a contest and now a winner in this one, is like a giant booster rocket, both in confidence and in awareness.
11. What's next for you?Â
Well I'm thrilled to say that as I write these answers, I just signed a publishing contract for Starforge with Five24Labs (Mint Works, Mint Delivery, Mint Control). I can't say anymore than that at this point, but obviously I'm excited to get Starforge out to folks and to further develop the expansions I have in mind. In the meantime I'm partnering with Jason Tagmire, (another long time member of The Game Crafter) to design Chain Mail 2.0 and to launch a new publishing company, Wonderspell Games. Stay tuned on that front. 12. Any last words of encouragement or advice to all of the designers reading this?
Creative endeavors can be such an up and down ride. Looking for ways to give yourself little boosts along the way, like with contests or self-publishing, can be just the thing to get you to the next success. Learn from each other. The people in this industry are very willing to help. If I can answer a question or help you with a connection, don't hesitate to reach out. People can email me at [email protected].
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Montessori-Inspired Gift Ideas 2017
A Charlotte- and Simon-approved Montessori-inspired gift list for 2017! Â Â
I wrote an extensive Montessori-inspired gift guide last year which is filled with some of our favorites of all-time. I have a few items to add to that list based on our growing family, new finds, and new interests.
Important note: You donât need to own all of this. We donât own all of this. This would be way, way too much for one or two, or even three or four children to receive all at once. We are big believers in teaching gratitude and thoughtfulness over excess and entitlement. These are meant to be *ideas* that spark and inspire those who may be stuck on what to give a little person in your life. This is not a list of must-haves. This is a list of things we either have enjoyed ourselves, things weâd love to add to our collection, OR things we admire while making the choice NOT to own, for the sake of having less or just because.Â
The Montessori philosophy is about making offerings for children with intention, so Iâll suggest to purchase with thoughtfulness and intent. That intention may look something like âone thing they want, one thing they need, something to wear, and something to read.â We choose to do something different but that isnât necessarily better or worse.Â
Anyway, keep those thoughts in mind.Â
Inspired by Simon (2.3 years old)
Second children (and subsequent) are difficult to shop for. For the most part you have what you need already from your firstborn. But I didnât want to make this list extremely one-sided in favor of Charlotte, so here I included many things Simon enjoys that were hers first. There are a couple of new things that Iâm excited about (yay fish puzzle!). But Iâll tell ya, toddlers are pretty simple. Puzzles are fun, donât get me wrong, and Iâve included several in this list. We have several on his shelf to choose from. However, if Iâm being completely honest, if all that boy had were his bike, kinetic sand, a pair of tongs, and a basketball, heâd be set. Gross motor and practical life dominate this age group, along with real-life experience and language. Fine motor and âtoysâ certainly have their place, but if you have a toddler you know how much ROAMING they do. So keep that in mind when choosing a gift for a toddler - less is more.Â
Toot Scoot mini balance bike - our favorite for 1-3 years old
shapes puzzle
layered puzzles such as the pictured layered barnyard animals puzzle or this layered house puzzle - these are getting harder to find!
kinetic sand + tools (this pastry wheel is Simon & Charlotteâs all-time favorite)
HABA peg board
model vehicles (pictured: bus and recycling/trash truck)
fish parts puzzle (other animals also available)
crazy train tracks (to go with our current IKEA train set)
play dough + tools (such as nylon scrapers, cookie cutters, rolling pins, sculpting tools, molds, scissors, an extruder)
tongs, tongs, tongsÂ
basketball (with optional a basketball goal)
lacing cards
Grimmâs ramps
4-piece vehicle puzzles
3D train puzzle
knife (wavy chopper)
Schleich animal figurines
shape sequence puzzle
nuts & bolts boards
person/body parts puzzle
Thinkfun Roll & Play dice game
Inspired by Charlotte (4.5 years old)
By the time a child reaches this age there are probably some definite interests. So these are things I know Charlotte would enjoy. Not every 4 year old is going to have the same preferences. However I think there is a nice range here so I hope it can be helpful to some of you. The bike is definitely the #1. It is a very nice bike but definitely pricey, so do check out the website I linked for other recommendations. Charlotte loves her bike - I canât think of any one thing she spends more time with.
dice
Junior Snap Circuits
roller skates (and pads and helmet)
spinning tops (or these)
mini Judy clock
Spirograph set
weaving loom
art supplies: hole puncher, pipe cleaners, craft sticks, washi tape, quality construction paper (they sell this at Hobby Lobby too), craft punchesÂ
knitting fork
embroidery & needlework supplies (basket, embroidery floss, needles, pin cushion, trimming scissors, needle threader, hoop, plastic grid)
human body model (her FAVORITE)
knife
KâNex building set
planets magnets
Kiwi crate subscription
George Luck puzzles (and this one)
Games: Aggravation, Uno, HABA Orchard (or try the mini version)
tactile number and/or letter book (These can be ordered separately as well. We only have the number book as we are doing cursive for letters.)
Silly Putty
Woom pedal bike (with freewheel kit and helmet) - see TwoWheelingTots.com for other recommendations as well as I am well aware this is a pricey one
Mindware pattern play
umbrella
Gifts Charlotte & Simon would both enjoy
It is apparent our children like to build and pretend-play together (as well as listen to music and read, which youâll see more of in a minute). Many of the items on their individual lists will be enjoyed by both of them as well.
people figurines +Â Grimms foldable dollhouse
world map fabric (or (land/water/air mat) + animalsÂ
Grimms rainbow
Legos
shears, doilies, small vases - for flower arranging (a pitcher too)
pitcher for pouring drinks (or a larger one for older children - 3+)
insect specimen
Wavee boardÂ
mini scoop + food jars
unit blocks
marble run
tea set
Keva blocks
apple slicer/peeler
OXO measuring cups
insect viewer
dressing frames (if your child isnât in a Montessori classroom)
Bobux Aktiv shoes
Grimms pyramid blocks
Books & CDs
I canât think of a better gift than a book or a CD. Books and music are so, so important and also so, so easy to give freely. The possibilities are endless. As you can tell I had a hard time narrowing it down so I included extra recommendations here. Enjoy!
Family Tree by Frances England
The Animal Book by DK Publishing
"Aboutâ Series: A Guide for Children by Cathryn and John Sill
The Milly Molly Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brisley
The Small World Series - Wash Up by Gwenyth Swain
Pelleâs New Suit by Elsa Beskow
Itâs a Big World by Renee and Jeremy
Web of Life series - Here Is The African Savannah by Madeleine Dunphy
First Discovery books (out of print but worth buying used - or there is a new version with a different publisher)
Cobble Street Cousins series by Cynthia Rylant
Billy & Blaze series by C.W. Anderson
The Year at Maple Hill Farm (and itâs companion Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm) by Alice and Martin Provensen
World Sing Along by Putumayo Kids Presents - one of my favorite childrenâs CDs of all time
Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Poetry SpeaksÂ
The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader
Snowflakes in Photographs by W. A. Bentley
In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson
Miss Rhondaâs Readers by Rhonda Lucadamo - an adorable series by a Montessori teacher
The Lumineers self-titled album (we also love Cleopatra)
Here is the Arctic Winter by Madeleine Dunphy
A Childâs Book of Poems illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa
Backyard Birdsong Guide by Donald Kroodsma
Animals by QED Publishing
This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World by Matt Mamothe
Not Pictured: White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt
Larger Practical Gifts
Families who are just getting started with Montessori, or those who have infants moving into the toddler stage may like to gift something larger and practical for the home. These are some of our very favorite Montessori-at-home items. Most are from IKEA (with the exception of the childrenâs dining chair. IKEA is a great place to find Montessori-friendly furniture for very low prices without sacrificing looks. The quality is adequate and in some cases excellent. I canât recommend these enough. You donât have to spend a fortune to do Montessori at home. Fancy learning towers arenât necessary when there is a $20 that does the job even better! The childrenâs chair is more expensive, but it fits the child from infancy all the way to adolescent years (even I sit on it from time to time!).Â
LATT childrenâs table and 2 chairs - $24.99 - cut down the legs according to this chart to set your child up for successÂ
LACK table - $7.99
FLISAT stool - $14.99 - pairs perfectly as a chair for the LACKÂ
Stokke Tripp Trapp - there are less expensive versions as well)
BEKVAM step stool - $19.99 - all time favorite and âmust haveâ in my book
BESTA shelving - $60 - my absolute favorite for itâs size, color, simplicity, and adjustability - the besta! heehee
RASKOG cart - which we use for art supplies but could be used for a number of things
Holiday Staples
As a Christian family we participate in many religious holiday traditions. I want to make it clear that Montessori is not a Christian philosophy. The Montessori philosophy is open to everyone regardless of a religious or non-religious background. So by including religious items here I am no way claiming Montessori as a Christian philosophy.
As a Christian Montessori parent I do try to offer religious concepts in a developmentally appropriate way as well as with Montessori principles in mind. By including these here we do not aim to isolate those who are not Christian. It be inauthentic for us to share religious traditions that are not our own but that would be the only reason for not including those.
Not every family who celebrates during the Christmas season is Christian and thatâs perfectly okay! We wish those who do not celebrate for religious reasons a very happy holidays as well. If you celebrate this season something other than Christian traditions, please share with us! Leave a comment or send a message. We love hearing how families enjoy this wonderful season.
For these reasons I included both our religious and non-religious holiday staples on this list.
Christ-centered Christmas favorites
Advent calendar - There are hundreds of advent calendar ideas on Amazon, Pinterest, Google images, and in stores all over. The Melissa and Doug calendar above is really simple which I love for young children! We have decided to start a Jesse Tree tradition with this set of ornaments and companion book. If the tradition works well I may upgrade our ornaments someday. I love these DIY ornaments or there are several beautiful sets on Easy. I am still deciding between a miniature live tree, a wooden dowel tree, or a DIY tree made of sticks. Any ideas? Leave a comment and help me decide!Â
Advent wreath - We use our Waldorf-style birthday ring with a berry wreath around it, but it could be dressed up for Christmas in so many ways. There are also hundreds of advent wreaths out there to choose from.Â
Nativity figurines (a stable is a lovely addition as well) - We love our Fontanini figurines. They are hand-painted  and made in Italy. We started with a basic set and we add a new one each year (a gift from my grandparents to our family). These hold such a special place in my heart. They are so very child-friendly but still gorgeous. I love that we have a set our children can play with as much as theyâd like.Â
Books that tell the Christmas story (None of these are perfectly biblically accurate, but I think having a few different ones helps. The Story of Christmas is the most accurate but it is definitely written for the very young. The other two are beautiful with some inaccuracies but we make do.)
The Christmas Story Golden Book by Jane Werner Watson
The Story of Christmas by Vivian French
The First Christmas by Carol Heyer
Charlie Brown Christmas CDÂ - CLASSIC
other Christmas music - We typically make playlists or listen to stations on streaming services. There is so much excellent music out there.Â
Favorites that are non-religion specific
Night Tree by Eve Bunting - We LOVE this book. It is excellent for religious or non-religious families. Definitely a keeper.Â
holiday pajamas - one of my favorite holiday traditions!
cookie cutters (and sugar sprinkles)
tree ornaments
gingerbread house kit (or thereâs the village which makes 4 mini houses)
live Christmas tree
Christmas countdown calendar - Simple calendar for little ones!
candy canes
stockings - These knit stockings are just gorgeous. We found our forever stockings from World Market in a similar style.
holiday music - We typically make playlists or listen to stations on streaming services. There is so much excellent music out there.Â
We hope you have enjoyed this yearâs gift guide! I just love preparing for the holidays. Gift-giving is one of my very favorites. I love the challenge of finding things theyâll love while keeping our priorities in check. So, if youâre doing gifts with your family, what are you planning to give your children this year? Do share your ideas! Weâd love to know.Â
Happy Holidays!
For more gift ideas see our other posts:
Last yearâs Montessori Christmas Gift Guide - including our all-time favorites
The Ultimate Montessori Gift Guide for a 1-Year-Old
The gifts we had âUnder our Treeâ when Simon was 4.5 months and Charlotte was 2.5 years old
Puzzle and Fine Motor Materials for Infants up through 2 years old
Montessori Infant Toys series (for babies from birth through 6 months)
Montessori-Inspired Newborn Essentials (great ideas for expecting parents)
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