#wow oak putting all your text no one cares about Before the cut?

[oakskull]

2 art posts in 2 days?? more likely than you think (it will never happen again probably)

Ive never really done something like this, but i filled a whole sketchbook page instead of like. One finished drawing in half of it LOL

this is @pearlvanilla 's rancher designs and i wanted to draw them because they were super cute, but they also look like. kinda similar to how i draw them.

heres some of my design thought process- as promised :D

mostly in the hair- we manage to give Tango the sams uh. front bit? i forgot the name its like an anime thing or something. but no thoughts there. i just wanted a front bit so his hair wqs a bit more messy. sans headband we both have similar shapes at the front of the hair with mid length hair on their tango and long hair on mine. which is based as hell. the front hair shapes wasnt a huge surprise bc me and everyone else loves to put flamey shape language in tangos hair when its not actually on fire but not a not of others do the longer hair (which is based as hell btw)

for Jimmy, their hair design for him looks like, almost identicle to mine but a bit more detailed for their style, which like, crazy! For me i shape jimmys hair like that because uh. his skin hair doesnt translate that well to my brain and there wasnt a lot of fanon designs i liked for his hair at the start of double life (which was when i started drawing tim in earnest... other than that one 3rd life art). The front bit (bang?) is how i translated the dark bit on his skins hair and i never looked back. I wanted his hair in general to be fluffy and round to evoke both wings and sort of like, cartoon ocean waves (for empires 1). the left side of his hair specifically is meant to look like a wing. the reason i have it flip forward despite uh not looking very wing like on my avain tim design is because it starts to look too busy right there. and also. theres already just. straight up a wing there LOL. The larger part of his hair has that sort of swoop to look like either an open wing or an ocean wave, depending on the drawing.

All text under the cut!

from left to right, up to down:

dual color box: the way we draw hair is actually super similar, ¡fun!

green box: ough. I set out to do flats. And Yet. It vexes me.

green box: not putting painted shad-ows on the white HURTS

green bubble: ¡this is a fun page layout!

rose gold box: tango creases his Jordans. Get his ass

pink box: I only do this w/ my wing ear time other wise its

blue box: we've got the same this

pink box: you can see it in some of my other arts

blue box: Long hair tango supremacy

green box: I keep smooshing my paint

[monstersandmaw]

Yup. Part One. This absolute monstrosity quite literally grew wings and took on a life of its own, so yes, there will be a part two shortly, and it will be NSFW.

I shared the mood board/aesthetic for this over on Discord and a couple of people said they were excited, so I hope you enjoy it! It's set in Old Trollbridge, and you may pick up a passing reference to another character whose story was set here... Let me know in the comments if you remember them... Thanks also for your wonderful and enthusiastic feedback on Winter Solstice Chapter Five!

Contents: former school bullies, reader with a very slight potty-mouthed internal monologue, being physically attracted to someone(s!) that you didn't like intellectually/emotionally, watching said people kiss/be physically affectionate, the old 'oh no we've been paired on a project and will have to work together now or we'll get bad marks' trope, and some general growing up :) Wordcount: 5766

Chunky preview:

Winding up at the same university as the two biggest dicks from high school would have been - trying - enough, but to end up not only in the same department but also in the same damned classes was just downright cruel of fate. And yes, that was absolutely the right word for them.

The University of Old Trollbridge was known for its academic excellence in all areas, from cutting edge medicine to more traditional approaches, and the centuries-old institution was a bastion of learning, with places hotly contested. You’d nearly run herself into the ground in school to pass the right exams to get here - to leave all the pettiness of high school behind and finally start over - and here they were. It was going to be exactly the same. You could feel it. They’d worm their way to the top of the hierarchy again, and everyone would worship the ground they touched, and it would all just be awful.

“Fucking hell. This isn’t happening,” you cursed, watching the familiar and very particular hue of the naga’s dark green scales as he slithered across the entrance hall of the history faculty building, his muscular tail rippling with a million iridescent, deep emerald green colours. The atrium wasn’t exactly flooded with light, so somehow he looked like a living shadow.

People watched him; everywhere he went, people noticed him. He was probably one of the more famous undergraduates the university had had in recent years, what with his family’s ancient bloodline and apparently endless bank vaults, and his brief but extremely successful stint in modelling. The fact that the naga and his best friend (and almost literal sex god), Iltho, had gained a place was not all that much of a surprise to anyone, but you’d hoped they wouldn’t have chosen the same flipping department as you for their undergraduate studies. Not that they could be accused of paying their way in; for starters, the university had not accepted that kind of thing for generations.

No, they were both beautiful and unbearably smart too.

It was indecently unfair.

Your lip curled. Just as you’d been about to turn away, your roommate caught up with you. You’d put down that you didn’t mind who you were put with - gender or species - and for once, you’d actually lucked out. Rachel was an extremely talented spell caster, and, from what you’d seen of her in the first two days of your acquaintance, extremely tidy. “What’s up?” she asked, smiling up at you from beneath a thick curtain of vibrant, pastel pink hair. She was also about a foot shorter than you.

You jutted your chin at the naga.

“Oh my god, that’s… wow. I didn’t know we had a celebrity in our department!” she giggled, elbowing you playfully in the side. “Gods above… he’s gorgeous. It’s sinful. It shouldn’t be allowed. How am I supposed to concentrate in Old High Runic if he’s sitting there looking like that?”

“He’s also a massive cock,” you snorted. Fucking ‘Drake Shimmerscale’. Even his name was a giant cliche. Fancy noble lines with their fancy stupid names.

She tilted her head curiously. “You… know him?”

“Went to school with the bastard. Him and his best friend -” you cut off, eyes widening, as a second figure strode out of a doorway and exclaimed loudly. “Fucking… speak of the devil.”

“That’s a bit harsh,” she said, her eyes also locked on the newest arrival. It was easy to see why she’d thought you’d been referring to his appearance; his skin was a deep, ruby red, he had enormous, black, curved horns, a blunt-ended tail, and the bat-like wings that hung down his back looked like they’d been dipped in dark ink at the tips. He was also built like a bull and turned heads wherever he went, and here was no exception. Of course, the incubus would have to keep his ‘influence’ under control while at the university, but that didn't mean he didn't just naturally exude sex appeal anyway. Six-foot-something tall, with long, black hair that he usually wore pulled back into a thick braid studded with golden beads, he had flashing golden eyes and a mouth made for kissing.

Everyone had fantasised about being with him (and/or Drake) at school. Iltho had looked twenty-five since the age of fourteen, and acted like it too. Confident, cocky, quietly arrogant, also filthy rich, and stupendously intelligent, there was nothing that Iltho didn’t have. Really, the duo had made a striking pair, with the milk-white of Drake’s skin and the heated crimson of Iltho’s, their gemstone eyes of yellow and green, and their aloof personalities. The pair had ruled the school without having to do so much as lift a finger. They’d also done nothing to stop the lesser bullies posturing and vying for their attention. ‘Popular’ they may have been, but they’d also been about as liked as a Nightmare at a slumber party.

“No,” you said. “It’s not harsh. They’re both awful and they made life hell for the rest of us.” And with that you turned away, heading for the library.

You fumed as you stalked along the corridor and up the stairs towards the department’s ancient library. Yours was, appropriately enough for the History Faculty, one of the oldest buildings in the university, and it was absolutely everything you’d ever hoped for or dreamed from Old Trollbridge. The sheer aesthetic of it was mesmerising. Taking a huge, deep breath of the slightly musty air as you stepped into the library, you tried to put the pair of bullies out of your mind. This could still be your fresh start, surrounded by fragile parchment and vellum, leather spines, ancient oak tables, and the vague tingle of magic in the air.

There were wards in the ceilings to syphon off excess ambient magic in places like this, and as you let your eyes roam up and follow the conductive brass rods embedded in the ceiling, you nearly crashed into one of the long trestle tables that had been placed in a remote alcove, lit on one side by a huge, leaded, arched window and framed on the other three by bookshelves. As if fate had chosen you a place to settle down, you stared at the empty space for a moment before deciding that this would probably be your study spot for the rest of the year. It was right at the back of the library, and seemed out of the way enough that it wouldn’t be on the regular stamping ground of first years looking for the standard texts. It was also open enough that it probably wouldn’t be sought out for… other activities. The stacks, with their dark corners and endless shadows, seemed much more appropriate for that.

Yes. This would be perfect.

And you wouldn’t have to think about them here either.

Gods, even trying to get the thought of them out of your head prompted a flare of hot ire. Iltho and Drake had been inseparable at school. Class A bullies who just stood there and let everyone else spar and jockey for the dubious honour of being their latest minions and underlings, letting their wealth and, in Iltho’s case, ‘charisma’ carry them through. Half the school had been in love with them at one point, influence or not. And yes, even you had admired them from a distance. Rachel was right - they really were absolutely fucking gorgeous. Both of them. And it fucking sucked.

An hour later, a shadow passed in front of that beautiful window and you glanced up as someone halted beside your table. “That’s a familiar sight,” a deep voice chuckled.

Your stomach dropped and you felt your face fall with horror before you schooled it into something a little more acerbic than you’d ever managed in school. Funny how a few months’ internship abroad over the summer at one of the world’s most prestigious historical institutions could change everything. You hardened your eyes and noticed the way he watched you.

“Iltho,” you said flatly as you cricked your neck to look up at him. “You're blocking the light, but I can’t tell if it’s your wings or your ego that’s obliterating the sun. Would you care to move?”

Read the whole thing right now, as well as all the Mermay 2020 posts (five in total, including extra artwork), a surprise, nsfw ‘ghost lover’ story, all of Winter Solstice up to the current chapter, a new multi-chapter vampire story, the mlm werewolf story, plus everything that’s been posted already on Patreon!

[expression-in-its-essence]

The Goldfinch movie.

7 min 26 secs in : Why the fuck did they start the movie like that. Why didn't the explosion take place? Theo's mom's apartment? His anxiety? Also.. why do they keep cutting the scenes abruptly? They ain't tweets... No limit.. then??

8 min 2 sec in : Okay they went to the apartment. Audrey's sweater deserved more screen time. The lipstain on the mug in focus *chef's kiss* poetic cinema!

9 min 19 sec in : Do you see what I see? Tom Cable's face has a stark resemblance to Boris's face. Did Theo have a crush on him?

9 min 54 sec in : Mr Barbour's hand is shaking. I like that they put it in there. He was sick. Nice. (I'd imagined Audrey's apartment building entrance like they showed the Barbour's apartment building entrance. Wild.)

11 min 8 sec in : Don't shove it into his face that y'all are fancy okay? He's not used to that life style. He didn't have maids making his bed. ARE YOU GIVING HIM DRUGS, MRS BARBOUR? But you just glared at your husband for offering him the same sort of thing?? Oh God. Poor child. "it's perfectly understandable" my ass. You gave him meds just because your sleep was getting affected.

14 min 39 sec : Woah woah woah Theo wtf you're so smol how'd you do that? Also... Again. The frame of Theo and Tom standing close and Theo and Boris standing close when they kissed, Theo is wearing the same damn sweater.

16 min 58 sec in : Ayyyy Jeffery Wright!

20 min 33 sec in : "He drank a lot", Theo about his dad. Honey just wait up, you will too. (The grilled sandwich and the cute lil smile 😍 also this is the first time since the movie started that Oakes' voice isn't deep.)

23 min 54 sec in : Wizard of Oz poster, I see you!

24 min 19 sec in : I love how Oakes is expressing being caught off guard. Theo knows he did something bad and every time he's dealing with something he didn't expect to deal with, he's like OMG THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PAINTING AND IM FUCKED even if no one knows.

25 min 1 sec in : The glasses made a difference. He went from mature to cute. Angry bird to angry birb.

25 min 44 sec in : Another sweater? Or was this THE sweater of Audrey? (Off topic but Oakes is hella cute. I could murder anyone who hurts him.)

29 min 9 sec in : Pippa doesn't remember or doesn't wanna remember? There was something in her eyes that was hard to read. Also, why doesn't anyone say 'I'm sorry about your mom' to Theo? Do Americans not care? It's weird to see no response when he tells people that Audrey is dead.

31 min 17 sec in : "The Goldfinch, destroyed"? Then why is Theo upset. Good riddance. Oh yeah. I know why. It's Donna Tartt we're talking about.

32 min 39 sec in : Hobie just casually predicting the future. "It's only fake if you pass it on as an original". Theo's like, "noted, gonna do exactly that".

34 min 16 sec in : Why does Theo write like a five year old child? That's toddler handwriting! And omg all the Andy-prom-dress memes are making sense now. (Also did I mention that Mrs Barbour seems more selfish in the film than she does in the book. Like hey I'm putting up with this kid because he helps my kid. He's serving a purpose for me. What the hell.) (How old is Andy anyway? He looks younger than Theo. I think he's different. Didn't grow up like other kids. That was mentioned in the book right?)

35 min 20 sec in : Ayyy Hobie's earring!

35 min 49 sec in : He shopped for himself? Nice! Didn't know kids could shop without adult supervision in the West. (Because they can't in the East.)

35 min 50 sec in : Ayyyy Sarah Paulson! Damn she's hot. How can you dislike her? *heart eyes*

37 min 30 sec in : I can't bring myself to hate Luke Wilson since Skeleton Twins but SHUT THE FUCK UP LARRY! AUDREY DESERVED BETTER. Look at how Larry and Xandra are looking at the place like they're vultures.

39 min 34 sec : They got the airport scene right. STOP GIVING HIM DRUGS WTH IS WRONG WITH THE ADULTS IN THIS MOVIE!

41 min 12 sec in : Ayyy Popper!!!!!

43 min 27 sec in : It just dawned on Theo that he's alone. Oh god. My poor baby.

45 min 12 sec in : Let me take this moment to say that Ashleigh Cummings is pretty. And I finally get why y'all were pissed at the non linear storyline and the weird voiceovers. Guess I'd been prepared for that so it didn't really suck that much.

49 min 30 sec in : I'd imagined Boreo reunion like the Platt Theo reunion. In the day. Dang it. Also... Adult Platt Barbour was not supposed to be good looking? In the book?

55 min 34 sec in : Without context, none of it could make sense. Apologies to whoever didn't read the book beforehand. Crowley fucked this up.

58 min in : Ayyyy Finn Wolfhard! BORIS IS HERE AND IM SO EXCITED IDK WHY

1 hour in : It's such a Boris thing to leave the bag unzipped.

1 hour 3 min 20 sec in : Slumdog Millionaire's Jai Ho (2008) is playing in the background. The only song that I've recognized so far. Wow. Lets me know about the time setting. Nice.

1 hr 3 min in : Someone gif " That cost twenty dollars!" *Stare* "That would have cost twenty dollars!"

1 hr 8 min in : So Boris's room is exactly like I had imagined but Theo's room isn't. Boris just mentioned Kotku though.

1 hr 9 min 14 sec in : Isn't it hella hot in Vegas? Why are they wearing sweaters? Or does drug intake make you more vulnerable to the environment?

1 hr 10 min 15 sec in : Xandra Theo argument : gold. "Cocktail sausages that you like." I wanna laugh in Crowley's face. What was he thinking?? Omg I'm dying.

1 hr 11 min 17 sec in : The slap sound didn't work??

1 hr 13 min 53 sec in : I like serious Boris better.

1 hr 14 min in : The slum house Audrey dream thing was not in the book. That's an entirely new addition.

1 hr 18 min 26 sec in : The Welty Theo scene is awesome. The sound effects work. I feel suffocated. The ambulance noise fiasco is also nicely pulled off. (also Theo's Yellow bag was dirty af then how did it get all clean when he didn't even do anything to it?)

1 hr 20 min 57 sec in : Shhhh Potter.

1 hr 22 min in : Holy shit he got slapped twice!! Ouch! And Larry's audacity to tell Theo to stop with the crying?? Good thing he died. Asshole.

1 hr 25 min in : "You don't tell me a lot of things but that's okay". I see what you did there, Boris. Which was of course, I love you.

1 hr 26 min in : "Act normal" - Theo knows his way around drugs pretty well, doesn't he?

1 hr 30 min in : "No family No friends" line punched me in the face. (Also awww popchik's excuse was the last resort for Boris to make Theo stay.)

1 hr 31 min 17 sec in : That pause after "What do you have to tell me?". You can clearly see Boris struggling to hold something back. Which was of course, I love you.

1 hr 31 min 34 sec in : What the fuck is that music? Oh heyyyyyy they kissed!-- he fucking runs away?? Also what kind of a kangaroo runs like that? (Yes, the taxi driver watched. I don't have to wonder anymore.) (They didn't address why he took the bus instead of flying?)

1 hr 33 min in : I didn't imagine Welty's room like that at all. Also why doesn't Hobie seem happy to see Theo again?

1 hr 35 min in : Longer stretches of one storyline are kinda bearable. From drugs in storage unit to waking up beside Kitsey. We got Vegas and Young Theo. Nice. (Also, who the heck puts jewelry in shoes? Is Theo that dumb? And now I can't think of anything else than Boris piercing his ear for the emerald earring. Tumblr has fucked it up bad.)

1 hr 43 min in : They nailed the Kitsey Theo confrontation.

1 hr 44 min in : Ayyy Ozma of Oz!

1 hr 48 min in : I noticed it before but I wasn't sure... Now I am. Pippa has Welty's ring. On her finger. At all times. (also, is NYC always that noisy? Must suck to walk on the roads.)

1 hr 52 min 23 sec in : They nailed the Theo Pippa date. What's that song playing in the background? I want the name. It's almost like two hours and I still haven't seen Aneurin Barnard once. Why! (Jerome's mentioned in the movie btw.)

1 hr 52 min 51 sec in : Complained too soon. Boris is sat in the dark doing god knows what. My man Aneurin is here!

1 hr 53 min 37 sec in : BOREO REUNIONNNNNN - no don't look at me like that I only watched it thrice.

1 hr 56 min in : Boris saying "it's someone else" with a knowing look and Theo looking at him. The frickin yearning.

1 hr 57 min in : Boris is like you're unhappy, I'm here, we're both rich, let's f*ck. "We could"... What are you suggesting dude he's repressed!

1 hr 58 min in : "you unwrapped it and showed it to me." So many meanings. The heart, the love the soul... Wow. Good for you, screen play writers! ( It's kinda hilarious how Boris got mad at Theo for never quote unquote fucking opening it.)

2 hr 1 min in : I'm calling it. They're going to fuck up the Theo Hobie confrontation. They put it on the wrong time. And they also fucked up the text from the book.

2 hr 5 min 48 sec in : Even Platt is saving his sister's face. Also where did Todd go? Did he never grow up? I wish Mrs Barbour didn't use Theo like she did.

2 hr 7 min in : The frame where Boris is between Kitsey and Theo. Chef's kiss.

2 hr 10 min 54 sec in : *intense music playing* Boris put his leg up on the table and I burst into laughter THOSE ARE THE FAMOUS FUCK ME PUMPS.

2 hr 11 min in : AAAAA THE FOREHEAD TOUCH AAAAAAA (Theo just knows without looking that Boris is close enough to touch? Theo are you sure you don't feel feelings for him?)

2 hr 12 min in : Theo is so worried that I'm not sure if it's for Boris or for losing the painting again. Omg he just murdered a man. Oh god.

2 hr 14 min in : Theo is spiralling. In the movie they imply that Hobie played a part in him attempting suicide. So wrong. Poor Hobie. In the book that wasn't the case.

2 hr 15 min in : The transition of the Goldfinch into Audrey, wow. Also, is it the first time we're seeing her? The movie started so long ago that I've forgotten if I saw Theo and Audrey in the museum. Boris following right after Audrey? That's a subliminal message. Boris is here to rescue y'all.

2 hr 16 min in : No shit Boris is freaking out right now.

2 hr 17 min in : The diner scene. They're both crying. "Happy Christmas, Potter" - which was of course, I love you.

2 hr 18 min in : No don't you dare compare Audrey and Mrs Barbour. Audrey would never drug her child or use him for her benefit.

2 hr 20 min in : Poor kid bumps into his mom lol. I found it funny.

On the whole

The movie was nice if you'd read the book beforehand. The first hour was steak, The second hour was Korean BBQ and the rest of the twenty minutes were minced beef. If you get what I mean. Weird analogy. It could have been much better. But it was really very nice in some places. Most places I'd say.

I didn't like how the pop songs ruined the mood of certain moments. I didn't like how you couldn't hear the conversation over the music playing. For example in the engagement party when Platt and Theo talked. Or in the diner scene.

Both Borises killed the accent thing. They tried their best. Cut them some slack.

Oakes deserves an Oscar for holding up this movie on his smol shoulders. I was shook at how a kid could act that well.

Popchik deserved more screen time. I'm still pissed they didn't add the Popchik Boris reunion. But then they couldn't make it chronological, what were we supposed to expect anyway.

Ansel Elgort y'all. Theo sure improved his handwriting lol. Ansel's writing is nice. He was actually good in this movie. Better than he was in The Fault In Our Stars. The internet is just mean. The critics too. I will never understand the hate.

All in all, it could have been a better adaptation but it didn't suck as bad as everyone made it out to be. John Clownery should be punished nonetheless. Special shout-out to Roger Deakins for making it work.

[idiosinkrasies]

Ocean Eyes

(Jaren's POV)

I look out the window from where I was sat in the classroom near the back and gaze out into the schoolyard, glancing at the trees that danced in the autumn wind and the leaves that floated their way down to the ground. I look up to see the blue sky filled with cirrus clouds that didn't quite cover the suns rays. My eyes drift over to the big oak tree that stood tall in the middle of everything. Sitting under the tree is someone, a boy, who looks to be around my age, that has dyed blond hair that reaches his shoulders. He's wearing a yellow, red, and blue hoodie with jeans and a stylish pair of black boots. He seems to be looking at something on his phone, not smiling from what I can see, but I can barely make out any of his features, apart from his painted nails.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by the bell, startling me slightly as I quickly look back to the front of the room where my teacher stands and then around to all my classmates who are putting their things away for their next class. Then I look back out to the schoolyard only to see the back of the man walking into the school. I frown and pack up my things, making my way out of the classroom and into the crowded halls.

The next time I see the guy is in my last period, which apparently he's in. Thinking back on it, I remember seeing him, but this morning he really just caught my eye. My eyes follow him as he makes his way toward the back of the room, where I was sitting, and sits at the desk in front of me. He turns to face me.

"Hey, do you happen to have a pencil or a pen I could borrow?" He says in a low and calm voice. I almost forget to answer, I'm too distracted by his eyes. I can't decide if they're blue or gray or maybe even a little green, they just seem so deep and mysterious. I eventually get my words out.

"Oh uh yeah, one sec," I say digging through my bag for a pencil. Once I pull one out I hand it to him. "You can keep it,"

"Thanks, man," He smiles at me and I notice the mole on the top of his upper lip.

"Oh no problem," I reply and he turns to face the front just as the bell rings and the teacher starts the attendance. He goes through some names before I hear the same calm voice speak up.

"John?" The teacher asks.

"Here" The man, John, replies. So his name is John huh? Good to know.

Later that night while I'm trying to do homework I keep thinking back to John and his eyes. I feel like they hold more in them than he lets a show like he has a story to tell and he's waiting for the right person to tell it to. I want to be that person. For some reason, I feel drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. It makes it really hard to concentrate on my homework when all I can think about is John and his eyes.

Two days later is when we talk again. It's lunch for me now and none of my friends are in my lunch period so I'm sitting alone at a table near the wall of the cafeteria. Someone sits down. It doesn't bother me though. A lot of people that don't have anywhere to go come here, be it because they want to sit somewhere else or their friends aren't at school/lunch that day. So this doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is when a calm voice speaks up.

"Hey," The person says, I look up, only to be met with dazzling blue-grey eyes. All rational thoughts leave my head and I'm stunned to silence. It's John. "Can I sit here?" He says with a small and shy smile. I try to formulate a sentence but my brain seems to have stopped working.

"Uhhhhhhh, yeah. Yeah, go for it." I manage to get out after a beat of silence and ya just looking at each other, him more expectantly and be more surprised.

"Can I ask why you always sit alone?" He says, smoothly sitting down with a lunch tray in his hands, placing his backpack on the ground next to him.

"Well, uh- none of my friends are in this lunch period and so I just sit here with my thoughts and my phone," I say, speeding through my words a bit and looking down to my suddenly very interesting cafeteria food.

"Well, now you have me to sit with. I'm John, by the way." He says extending a hand out towards me. I place mine in his, shaking gently.

"I know, I'm Jaren or Smii7y," I say.

"Smii7y?" He asks, raising an eyebrow with a slight smirk pulling on his lips.

"It's my gamer tag," I inform him.

"Well if we're going by gamer tags then you can call me Kryoz." He says proudly.

"Kryoz? As in Cryo, like a cryo chamber? But with a z?" His mouth opens to retort but then it closes and opens once more.

"Yes, because I'm edgy." He finally says.

"Ok edgelord, be careful or else you may cut yourself," I tell him and we both start to laugh. Why did I ever think it would hard to talk to him.

"And here I was, not gonna make fun of Smitty, but now I'm having second thoughts." He says looking me directly in the eyes and I remember why it was so hard to talk to him. God those eyes.

"Hey, don't be mean, I'm sensitive," I say jokingly.

"My apologies, your highness. Forgive this lowly peasant for offending you, my prince." He says bowing his head. I laugh but then regain my composure.

"For your crimes against the royal family, you shall be hanged." I say in my best "royal" voice, tilting my head up slightly to give off an authoritative aura.

He looked up at me and we paused for a second before breaking out in laughter. His laugh is just as incredible as his eyes, holy shit. We fall into silence, but not an uncomfortable one. That is until I speak up.

"I like your nails, by the way." His eyes widen slightly and he looks down to where his painted nails are in view.

"Oh, thanks. You don't think it's weird or anything?" He asks hesitantly, disbelief in his eyes.

"No, not at all, I think it's awesome! Maybe you could do my nails someday." I say, reassuring him that I won't bully him. That seems to put him a bit more at ease.

"Yeah, that seems nice," He says, smiling at me. "but, to actually hang out, we would need a means of contacting each other."

He pulls out his phone and uses his finger to open it, clicking on the contacts app and holding it out to me. I graciously take the phone from him and put in my information, making my name Milkbag in his contacts.

When he takes the phone back, he chuckles at the name I gave myself. He taps on the phone a couple of times, before my phone dings, signaling he was probably texting me. I pick up my phone and see a text from an unknown number.

unknown: sup cutie

I feel a light blush spread across my cheeks. I look up at John only to see him looking at me with a smug grin plastered on his face. I roll my eyes at him, but it only makes him smile wider.

"I'm not cute," I say, with a slight pout in my lip.

"I beg to differ." He says, placing his arms on the table and leaning over it, towards me. I do the same.

"Really?" He nods, we're exponentially closer now than before, "then beg." I pull back from the intense staring contest we were in and lean back to see his expression. He looks a little astonished that I would say what I said. That is until he cracks a small smile.

"Wow Smit, I didn't think you were the kinky type." He says, making my face blush bright red. I become a stuttering mess. "It's ok, we all have our own kinks." He winks at me, just making me blush harder.

Suddenly the bell rings and it's time for class. We both start to pack up our things as we stand up to leave the cafeteria. He slings one strap over his back while I put both arms through the straps.

"Nice talking to you, Jaren." He says, standing in front of me.

"You too, John." We smile at each other and he turns to go to his next period, while I make my way to the library. I have a free period right now and I usually spend it in the library, either reading or doing homework, but I feel that I won't be able to do that right now. Mostly because of a certain someone occupying my brain at the moment.

I sit down and open the book I'm currently reading. I get through the next few pages in the book when my reading is interrupted by a thought.

John has really pretty eyes.

I look up from my book in shock of what I just thought. That doesn't mean anything though, I can like his eyes without liking him, and anyway, I'm not gay, well, I'm bisexual but that doesn't mean that I have a crush on John, I mean, I just met him. Right?

I begin to question what I feel for John and soon enough, it's the end of the period and I have to go to my next class. For the rest of the day, I'm sorta out of it. Even during last period, I have to remind myself to pay attention to the teacher and not let my eyes or mind drift to the boy sitting next to me.

Maybe I do like him.

~timeskip~

John and I have been friends for about 3 months now and we've really become quite the duo around the school. Almost everyone in our grade knows us as Smii7y and Kryoz, cause we only call each other that after we started to play games together. We've gotten so close that we start to say the same things and have the same actions to the point where we have an ongoing joke about saying "you have bear fists?" simultaneously.

As we've gotten closer, the more I fall for him. Ok, yes, I do have a crush on my best friend. I know it's not a good thing but I just can't help it, he's too perfect. I've had to catch myself from staring into his eyes for too long, or from letting my thoughts wander too much. It can be challenging but I don't mind. Really, if I was only able to be his friend and could only daydream, then I'd be happy. So I am. Somedays I feel like I want to just tell him how I feel but I can't, because, one, I'm not out to him yet, and two, he won't reciprocate my feelings. So I don't really feel inclined to tell him.

I feel like I've gotten close enough to him at this point to tell him that I'm bi. For a while, I thought I was gay, but I've had crushes on girls in the past and I've only had girlfriends, who I did like at the time, so I know I'm not gay, but I'm not straight either.

Anyway, today is the day that I tell John, and I've never been more scared in my entire life. I don't know how he'll react, or if he'll hate me, or if something else bad will happen. All of this anxiety fills my body and overwhelms me to the point where I can't get out of bed. This has happened before, but after meeting John it had started to happen less and less often.

The only thing I can think to do is pull out my phone and click on John's contact. I put the phone on speaker and listen to it ring for a few seconds. He picks up the phone.

"Ayyyye, Smit, how's it going?" He asks and I feel my heart flutter slightly, only to be beaten down by my rational thoughts. I don't respond for a few seconds.

"John," I say with a trembling voice.

"Jaren? Are you ok?" He asks, concern and worry filling his voice. "Do you want me to come over?" I murmur yes.

"Ok, I'll be there in 10." Then he hangs up and I'm alone with my thoughts again. I think about what he'll think of me when he sees me like this, all weak and scared. Scared of what, opening up to him, my best friend? He probably thinks that I'm a burden to him and he'll leave me after this.

My breathing starts to pick up and the walls seem to start closing in on me. My eyes look frantically around for something, I don't know what though. My heart starts to speed up and my vision gets a bit blurry. My hands reach up to pull at my hair and my eyes get watery.

He'll never love you now.

The thought makes the tears spill from my eyes and I start to panic even more.

I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't even register the front door opening and closing. I only realize John's in my house when I hear him call my name. I try to tell him where I am but the only sound that comes out is a choked whimper. I think he got the message when my door opens and he rushes into the room and over to my bed.

"Oh my gosh, Jaren, are you ok?" He asks, and I shake my head no. He immediately moved over to the side of the bed and crouches down, I move my head to look at him, his face full of worry. "Do you want a hug?" I nod.

He pulls me up from where I was still lying down and pulls me into a big hug, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and press my face into the crook of his neck, tears flowing freely from my eyes.

I feel his hands rub up and down my back as he whispers into my ear. "It's was just a thought, it's ok," He says, "I'm here now."

After a few minutes, my breathing slows and I feel better. I pull away from the hug and wipe my eyes, smiling at him.

"Thanks, I needed that," I tell him.

"Hey, what are friends for." We laugh slightly.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that, I just didn't know who else to call." He places a hand on my chin and makes me look into his beautiful, blue eyes.

"It's ok, I'm always here for you, you're my best friend and I care about you." I blink and before I can even think about what I'm doing, I lean in and press his lips to mine. After about two seconds my eyes widen and I pull away.

"I-I'm so sorry, it's just, I couldn't help it. You're just really attractive and I really like you, and I was planning on telling you that I'm bi and that's why I was freaking out and now I did this and you probably hate me now and-" He cuts me off by pulling me back into another kiss. I was shocked at first, but then I melted into it, my eyes closing and my hands weaving their way into his long hair as his moved to hold my waist and our lips moved in sync. When he pulled away, we were both panting slightly. We press our foreheads together and he puts a hand on my cheek.

"I like you too, Jaren, and I'm also bi." I open my eyes to see him staring into mine, a soft smile on his face. I smile back.

"I'm glad you do, or else this would be very awkward." He starts to laugh and I join him soon after.

"Of course you make a joke when we're having a moment." He says in between laughs.

"I can do you one better."

"Oh no."

"Peppa, what are you doing in the middle of my confession?" I say and pull out a small Peppa Pig toy. He bursts out with laughter and falls over on the bed.

"Do you just have that with you at all times so you can make that joke?" He barely gets out.

"Yes," I say, making him laugh even harder.

"God, you're amazing." He says, finally over his laughing fit. He shakes his head and pulls me into a kiss again, this time with more passion behind it. He pulls away after a few moments of pure bliss. "Does this make me your boyfriend?"

"Yes please," I say, almost too quickly. "I mean, yeah sure." I try to correct my self, but the smile on my face is evident that I've wanted this for forever.

"Well, I guess that settles it, I, Johnathan "Kryoz" Keyes, am now Jaren "Smii7y" Smith's boyfriend." I giggle a bit and press a kiss to his forehead.

"You're a dork," I say.

"Yes, but now I'm your dork." He points out and I feel butterflies in my stomach.

"My dork." I stare into his eyes, a bright smile on my face. "I like the sound of that."

"I'm glad because you're gonna be stuck with me for a while."

"Oh I know, and that's what makes me excited."

We spend the rest of the day at my house, playing video games and talking, doing what we normally do, just this time I'm allowed to kiss him to distract him from the game, so I can win. And now I'm really happy that he decided to ask to sit with me during lunch because now I'm dating the love of my life and I'm finally happy and comfortable with myself. Sure I still have episodes and so does he, but now we have each other and we're always there for each other.

And I still can't stop staring at his ocean eyes, but now I can do it without consequences.

@writingwithadragon

[daybreak-academy-fanfic]

Daybreak Academy: Chapter 65

Transitions

Summary: In which Ephemer introduces Anora to the Dandelions clubroom. Word Count: 1,991 First | Previous | Next ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆

Did having a boyfriend mean that you had to be incredibly self conscious about yourself, or was it just her? Before, Anora had never once second guessed what outfit she would wear for the day. But at this point she had pulled out, looked over, then put back at least three different dresses by now. It had to be a dress too; Ephemer's eyes always lit up when she wore one. She liked when his eyes lit up and his face seemed to soften when she was in the room. It made her feel… safe? Was that the right word for it?

Well, either way, she needed to pick out a dress and get it over with. The two of them had arranged to meet up in the next hour or so- she needed to get a move on.

Or maybe she could send him a text to say that she'll be late?

Anora quickly shook her head. This was ridiculous. She was being ridiculous. Ephemer didn't care what she wore. Right? Right. She still had his shirt from their very first date. If it fit her better, she'd almost wear it on every date. Instead she wore it as a nightshirt far more often than she cared to admit. But no one needed to know that either. No one but her and Ephemer. Ephemer and her.

She didn't mean to, but a pleasant sigh escaped her lips.

Eventually, she settled on a knee-length skater dress with half bell sleeves. And maybe the low hanging necklace was a bit much (since it stopped just a little below her bust), but she felt confident with it. That was all that mattered, right? Anora gave herself a small, affirmative nod as she put on her ankle boots and headed on out the door.

Ephemer wasn't nervous. Nope. Not in the slightest. Which was why he totally wasn't pacing in front of the school's water fountain as he waited for her. He needed to cut his hair- he could practically feel it bounce as he constantly looked up to see if Anora was coming yet. Or maybe he should have used more hair gel. The young man gave an inward groan as he ran a slightly shaking hand through his hair. Was he ever this nervous on his dates with Skuld? This wasn't even his and Anora's first date; he lost track, but he was sure it was at least the fifth. At least.

He still had no idea what they were going to do today. It was a bit late in the morning to actually go out to eat, and it was still too early to catch a movie or something at the theater. In just a week, they would have been together for a whole month and yet, Ephemer kept feeling like he was doing something wrong. He liked taking Anora places where she hadn't been before, just to see her reaction. But when the nearest town was a small one and all its wonders could be seen in a good afternoon? It was hard to find some place unique and new every time.

A good part of him relaxed when he finally spotted Anora coming up to him. She wasn't quite running, but she sure wasn't taking her sweet time either. Her smile was wide- he could see that from here. Not a minute later and the two were holding hands with happy smiles stretched across their faces.

“You were late.” he said to her. “Was everything alright?”

Anora bashfully nodded her head as she brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. Ephemer looked over her curiously and suddenly realized the dress she had on. The skirt and the sleeves had horizontal blue and black stripes while the bodice was a solid black. It fit her incredibly well. His eyes then trained from the dress to the pendant she was wearing. Large enough to fit comfortably in his hand, the unpolished metal pendant was shaped like a sun with a crescent moon etched inside.

“Where did you get this?” he softly wondered as he carefully placed the pendant in his hand. “It's... Oh wow, it's a lot heavier than it looks! Is it made out of solid metal or something? Pewter?”

Anora let out a light laughter. “Skuld let me borrow it.” she admitted, shifting her body a bit so the pendant fell out of his hand. “Said it wasn't her style.”

“Urg, Skuld. Should have known.” the young man then humored. “She got an eye for chunky jewelry if you haven't noticed. It's mostly bracelets though and not necklaces. But, oh boy, she definitely has a knack for finding the weirdest stuff.”

This earned him another listen of Anora's sweet laughter that he absolutely adored. The grin on his face was unwavering as he brought a finger up to her chin. Anora complied to the gesture far too easily- the two moving closer for a small kiss.

They were interrupted with the cry of “Head's up!” before something splashed into the fountain behind them. The duo were barely able to react in time to avoid getting splashed. Not a second later, an older student came over to the fountain, fished out whatever had fallen into it (Ephemer wasn't sure, but it looked a lot like a baseball), before said student then dashed away again while yelling out a short “Sorry about that!” from over their shoulder.

“Leopardus.” Ephemer hissed under his breath before quickly shaking his head. If they were going to continue their date on campus, a lot more incidents like this one were going to happen. Was there no place they could go where absolutely no one…

“Hey Anora,” Ephemer then entertained, just now realizing that Anora was fussing over herself to make sure she hadn't gotten any water on her, “Have I ever taken you to the Dandelions's clubroom yet?”

The look of confusion on her face was all the answer he needed.

. . .

“It's not much to look at,” he admitted as he flipped the light switch. “But we all chipped in on decorating the place. Lauriam found the writing desk at a swap meet or something, Brain brought in all the shelves, and the round table? Solid oak! I think we got it from a teacher. I wanna say Ms. Tremaine or ol' Stromboli, but I don't think that's right...”

Anora was only half listening as Ephemer continued to ramble. Her eyes carefully traced around the room, taking in each piece of furniture and hastily placed poster or reminder with caution. Was she even supposed to be in here? She didn't notice the moment that Ephemer had slowly ceased talking and was only staring at her now. He was looking for a reaction. Maybe, for some reason, this was too much for her? The room wasn't exactly the best organized of areas, after all.

Slowly, as if she were in a dream, Anora started to walk around the room. Ephemer watched with envy as her finger gently glided across the top of the round table before a shiver ran up his back. He then watched as she took interest in something laying on top of the writing desk.

“That's the notebook we use to right down the important stuff.” he told her the moment he realized what it was. “New stuff, old stuff, stuff that still needs attention. You know. That kinda stuff.”

Anora let out a short giggle as she gave him a nod of understanding. Ephemer himself, now realizing how dumb he must have sounded, even let out a small laugh as he nervously reached behind his neck. The young woman then led her attention from the desk to the bookshelf beside it. Most of the books were for schoolwork, with a few classic titles here and there. Finally, Anora moved to the closest of the two couches and cautiously stared at it for a moment before sitting down. It was a lot bouncier than she had anticipated.

When Ephemer sat down beside her, the movement caused her seat to bounce slightly.

“So?” he patiently asked her. “What do you think?”

Anora took a deep breath in as she looked around the room again. “It's… cozy.” she admitted in a small voice.

“Isn't it?” he replied with a grin, casually stretching his arms above his head. “I think Brain occasionally comes in during the weekday just to nap. It can get so quiet in here that I swear you can almost hear your own heart beat.”

Anora smiled and was about to say something before Ephemer casually placed his head in her lap. He looked back up at her with a goofy, and somewhat challenging, grin. She just stared at him for a moment. The young man's heart raced when a tricky smile crossed her lips as well. But, to his surprise, Anora gently lifted his head and started to rearrange herself. She almost pushed him off the couch as she brought one of her legs up to rest beside him.

When the young woman put his head down again, it was now rested in between her legs. If he tilted his chin up a bit, he could easily see her looking over him. He would have too, had it not been for Anora starting to mindlessly play with his hair. Ephemer let out a relaxed sigh as closed his eyes, allowing her continue. It was a good thing he wasn't wearing hair gel- otherwise they may not have been this comfortable.

New rule: no hair gel would ever touch his silvery locks again. It could do to be a bit long as well. He could wait for another hair cut, no rush.

Ephemer didn't care to know how much time had passed. Everything was just right. He wouldn't have changed this if he tried. When his eyes did flutter open, tilted his chin up a bit to look at Anora. Her expression was gentle, almost dreamlike, as she continued to play with his hair.

“Wow,” Ephemer sighed, “I love you so much Anora. You're just so… beautiful...”

Anora blinked, as if she was coming back down to reality, before her eyes actually trained onto him. She gave a small sound of inquisition and a neat tilt of her head to illustrate her mild confusion. But she was beautiful and no words could ever accurately describe it. Ephemer's eyes fluttered closed again as he let out a soft sigh.

“Don't leave.” he whispered. “Don't ever leave.”

Suddenly, Ephemer's eyes snapped open when he realized what he had said. He quickly sat up and turned around to look at her with a quickly blushing face.

“D-did I say that out loud?” he sheepishly asked, trying to save face. “Dunno what's gotten into me! Must be the weird weather we're having. Sunny for five days in a row? Phew, that must be practically unheard of!”

But Anora's confused look -one that was becoming more suspicious the odder he was acting- did not waver. The silence was met with Ephemer's own nervous chuckles. He had to think of something quickly to change the subject. Something. Anything...

“Okay, so I have an idea,” he playfully told her. “I'm going to kiss you, but this time, I want you to run your hands through my hair just like you were before. Wanna try it?”

Anora's expression did not change.

“We can go slow. You don't have to...”

That was when Anora leaned forward a bit more, placing a careful hand on his neck that trailed upwards into his hair. Ephemer shivered for a moment before she pulled them in for a soft kiss. She brought her other hand up to play with his hair as the two reclined against the couch. A smile crossed Ephemer's lips. This was nice. This felt nice. So why did he still have the feeling that something wasn't right?

[shadowandblack]

Early chapter release of ‘what’s in the attic’

Chapter 2

As soon as he left you could not help but glare at the door which slowly morphed into a vacant and somewhat sad stare. You took a step back till the back of your legs hit the edge of the mattress before you allowed yourself to sit down on the edge of the bed still staring at the thick wooden door that you have grown to know all to well. You could easily pick out the shapes your mind somehow picked out of the lines that had once made the rings of whatever tree had once made the door (you suspected oak much like the boards ( or were they planks?) that made up the rest of this room, but honestly what did you know of wood?).

You always felt tired after his visits. It could very well be from the depression you were very sure you currently suffered from, but this time you would put more money on it being emotional exhaustion considering how badly this ‘visit’ ended.

Whatever.

Well since you were tired you might as well take a nap or whatever, besides it’s not like you had anyfucking thing to do today... You never did anymore.

You took in a deep breath letting the air fully fill your lungs before you loudly exhaled it as you ran your hands over the soft, fur like blanket that covered your bed as you eventually moved fully onto the bed grabbing a pillow along your way. Once you were about in the middle you laid down clutching said pillow against your chest with your head resting on top of one of the corners as you tried to will yourself asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That ungrateful mutt and walking chimney! How dare they skip out on his expertly prepared meal!?

…

Ok so he knew his cooking was not the best and would even begrudgingly admit that the cream puff’s cooking was indeed better than his own but he was trying stars damn it! At least the tiny tyrant’s brother had the decency to do something productive while he avoided his cooking unlike Stretch who just flat out told him that he was not going anywhere near the food that he made.

His marrow was still boiling in the indignation of it all! Along with a hint of self doubt that he quickly smothered. He was the great and terrible Papyrus after all! There was no need for him to doubt himself!

He let out a huff as he began putting the 3 plates of spring rolls he had finished making not too long ago on different spots on the table so everyone would have a easy time reaching them. The veggies sliced and seasoned (not with any vinegar or anything like that this time... He now knew that was not something that needed to be added to every dish no matter what his Mettaton said), chicken that was wrapped in rice paper was honestly a simple dish. But! It was something he knew he could not mess up and it included more greens that everyone in the house had not been eating enough of recently. Not to mention he spent extra time wrapping them to make them look as if a professional had made them.

As soon as he finished he sat down in his chair and glanced around the table at its current occupants with narrowing sockets. “WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR? FOR THE FOOD TO MYSTERYLY FLY ON TO YOUR PLATES?” He snapped as he reached over to grab 3 of the rolls for himself.

There was some shuffling and some ticks of bones hitting glass as the others finally got their coccyxes into gear and began to dish themselves up. Edge kept his eye lights down on his own plate as he took a bite of his first roll.

It was not to bad, fine actually. Although the chicken was a bit over seasoned with something. Pepper perhaps? And he could've cut back on the lettuce a bit more and perhaps boiled the chicken to keep it moist an-.

“WOW EDGE! I THINK THIS TASTES GREAT!.”

“MHM! I MUST AGREE WITH PAPYRUS THIS DOES INDEED TASTE GOOD!”

Edge looked up at the two before grinning. “WHY OF COURSE IT DOES! I MADE IT AFTER ALL.”

“Boss’s food always tastes great.” Edge looked at his brother who had taken 4 of the rolls from what he could gather even if there was only two and a half still left on his plate. He let out a ‘humpth’ of agreement as his gaze turned to the two empty seats. “TOO BAD SOME PEOPLE ARE MISSING OUT.”

“OH UP YOURS EDGELORD YOU CAN'T BLAME MY BROTHER FROM BEING TRAUMATIZED BY YOUR COOKING.” Black’s eye lights hardly looked at him as he focused more on the phone that was in his hand. Presumably he was texting someone, probably the mutt.

Before he had a chance to verbally put the mini tyrant in his place Blue stood up to reach for another roll, knocking his chair back a few inches (he suspected on purpose going by how loud the irritating screech of the chairs feet scraping across the floor was). “PERHAPS THEY HAD OTHER THINGS TO DO?”

“OTHER THINGS TO DO!? YOUR BROTHER TOLD ME THAT WAS NOT THE CAUSE HIMSELF!” He watched as Blue opened the closed his mouth before sitting back in silence, Edge could not help the feeling of satisfaction and small and insignificant amount of something else.

“I’LL HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU THERE EDGE, THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT STRETCH SHOULD’VE DONE AND THAT BOTH STRETCH AND MUTT SHOULD BE HERE. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THEY DO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO EAT OUT IF THEY WANT TO.“

“YES THEY DO BUT THEY ALWAYS SKIP OUT ON EVERY ONE OF MY MEALS.” He hissed out as he put his roll down to focus fully on the conversation. “AND DON'T YOU TRY TO DENY IT.”

Papyrus quickly snapped his jaw shut that had been opened to argue that they did not skip out on every one of his meals. It was true, the two did along with Sans who was surprisingly present today and had been for this whole meal.

He suspected it had something to do with Papyrus, but since he was here he might as well take advantage of the situation. “AH SANS THIS LITTLE ARGUMENT REMINDS ME, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A SMALL CHANGE BE MADE TO THE HOUS-“

“No.”

Edge paused and blinked in surprise and confusion, did Sans just say no? He didn’t even hear about what he had to say… perhaps it was a mistake in his hearing. “WHAT WAS THAT?”

“I said no.” Edge jumped a bit at the way Sans glared at him and had his teeth clenched together.

“BU...YOU DID NOT EVEN HEAR WHAT I HAD TO REQUEST?”

Sans face darkened as he stood up and glared at edge vehemently. “I don’t care what you have to request! Nothing in this house is changing! And if you have a problem with it then perhaps you should move out.” He all but snarled at Edge before turning his attention to the others at the table. “Been high time for you all to anyways.” He then quickly took a shortcut away as soon as he finished not listening to his brothers cry his name, leaving everyone at the table to stare in stunned silence at where he had been moments ago.

Papyrus was the first to snap out of their shared shocked daze. “I’M SO SORRY EVERYONE, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO HIM. HE WAS UPSET EARLIER TODAY AS WELL SO IT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT? WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THE HOUSE YOU WANTED TO CHANGE EDGE?”

Forcing his eye lights away from the spot where Sans had last been before he straightened himself up a bit. “I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF HE WOULD OK MINE AND BLUE’S SWITCH ON THE HOUSE’S COOKING SCHEDULE…” he trailed off as he watched Papyrus beam.

“OH THAT! I’LL JUST OK THAT MYSELF, AFTER ALL IT'S NO BIG DEAL. YOU TWO DID NOT EVEN NEED TO GET AN OK AS LONG AS YOU BOTH AGREE TO IT.”

Edge nodded stiffly as he quietly turned his attention back to his food while deep in though. Just what in the world got Sans so worked up? Well whatever it was perhaps he was right and that he and his brother should start looking into a place for themselves...

[yoongs-yoongi]

Let’s Pretend: Two

Yoongi X Reader

Contains: Slight Angst, Comedy, Eventual Smut

Warnings: Implied Parental Bullying, Bullying

Word Count: 2,817

A/N: The next few chapters will be longer, I promise. I only wanted to establish a few things before getting down to the nitty-gritty. Enjoy

|One| Two |Three|

“Impressive old man, you still have some juice left in you.” Cordell laughed wiping the sweat from his face. We’ve just finished a great morning run and we’re walking back to the house as our cool down. I usually run with Namjoon, but he had other plans this morning. So I asked Cordell if he would mind accompany me. He said he wouldn’t mind at all. There was an old walking trail behind the house that I run every morning. It starts at our big Oak Tree and continues on all over the property. I teased him the whole walk to the tree about how I’d go easy on. The second we got to our starting mark Cordell left me in his dust. “I haven’t run that much since my high school track team.” He threw his towel over his shoulder.

“You ran?”

“Did I? I was the MVP on my team. Cordell “Road Runner” Louis was what they use to call me.” “Wow. Maybe you can give me some of your tips?” I asked. He opened the back door for me. “I would be delighted to. First Tip, breathe through your nose. You wind yourself faster breathing through your mouth and end up look like a panting dog.” I laughed walking through the door. “That explains a lo-mom? What are you doing home?” My mother heads eyes widened at the sight of me. “Button, what are you doing home? I thought you had class this morning?” She was sitting at the kitchen table with three other women be around her. A tea kettle whistle on the stove. “I’ll get that for you madam.” Cordell ran over to it. “It’s Thursday, no class remember.” “Oh yes, right. I still thought you’d be there studying.” I rolled my eyes, “I was going after my run with Cordell.” “I’m sorry, what’s his name?” Mom raised her eyebrow at me. “Cordell.” I defied her. “It’s Louis, madam.” He came over to the table to pour them all a cup of tea. “I am your butler and you will address me as such.” He repeated the stupid rule to me she made him enforce when she couldn’t get me to call him by his last name herself. I didn’t follow it then and I will not follow it now. “No your name is Cordell, and you’re more to me than my butler. You're my friend.” He shook his head at me for not to press. The three women snickered. “Tara you actually allow your daughter to be friends with the help?” Cordell paused for a second at the hurtful remark against him and then continued to service them. “The smelly help at that.” Another covered her nose. Cordell sat the kettle down, “I apologize madams. I shall freshen up at once.” “No, please rest. You just finished running.” A unison of scoffs sounded from all of them but my mother. Her mouth remained closed in a twisted snare. “He will not. Cordell, go up to your room and bathe. I will not have you dripping your sweat on my guest.” “Yes ma’am, excuse me, ladies.” Cordell faced me, “Madam.” He took off, “Cordell wait!” I ran off behind him. “Honestly, Tara,” the only lady that hadn’t said anything spoke up. “If this is how your daughter is going to act I don’t think I want her marrying my Markus.”

My feet stopped involuntarily, I almost fell. I snatched my head back toward my mother and her bitchy friends. “Excuse me? What did she just say?” “Button...” “Don’t Button me.” I spat. “What did she just say?” I walked slowly back over to them. The lady faced me with her expressionless face from Botox. “I said If this is how you behave, you know being friends with the unimportant and caring for their feelings,” she waves in the direction Cordell just went in, “then  I don’t want you marrying my son.” I couldn’t process her words, how’d we get here? Did I miss something? “Your son? Mom, what is she talking about? Who is your son?” I looked back and forth between the two.  My brain was running a million miles. The lady turned to my mother, “You haven’t told her? Come now, Tara.” “I wanted them to meet before telling her everything, Karen.” Mom glared at the Karen lady. “What a more perfect time than now.” Karen smiled at me. “Tell me what?” Mom sighed, “Come next November, you will be Mrs. Markus Tuan.”

My door swung open at Yoongi’s necessary force. A good thing too, I was out of it for so long I almost burned off a piece of the motherboard I was soldering. I work part-time as the other half of a two-person cleaning crew at a private medical facility. The times I’m not working there I’m working right from home fixing people’s laptops and phones.

“Can’t you knock?” I scoffed. Yoongi stared at me with a straight face. “Don’t even,” he closed the door behind him. “Are we going to talk about this?” He asked. “No cause there’s nothing to talk about it,” I said, screwing in the motherboard. No harm came to it. “Let’s not turn this into some episode of Full House where something is bothering one of the characters and they lie by saying, “there’s nothing to talk about,” when we all know there is. I, your best friend, just found out your dead mother is actually alive, seems like something to talk about to me.” “Where’s everyone? It sounds pretty quiet in here.” “I made them leave so we could talk.” “Did Kookie and Tae eat all the meat?” “I don’t know. Why is that important right now?” I placed one of my customer’s laptops back on the shelf with the other finished ones. I grabbed my dinner plate off the dresser next to it. I came back to my room to finish my dinner after the whole incident in the kitchen. Once I was done eating I finished up a repair I got in yesterday. “I want more, Jungkook was right that meat really was good. I should cook it like that more often, huh?” I walked out of my room. Yoongi was so hot on my tail I just knew at any moment he’d step on my heel. Luckily he didn’t. I took the lid off the pot, “It’s about gone! Those pigs. I knew I should have put some up.” “Y/N forget about the meat and talk to me!” I turned my back grabbing a spoon to scoop what little was left in the pan. Yoongi got so fed up he pushed the pan off its island and onto the floor. “Fine, you don’t want to talk to me? Don’t! Enjoy your precious meat!” I will. He’s insane if he thinks I won’t pick this food off the floor and still eat it. Yoongi was so mad at me he didn't speak to me for the rest of the night, he didn’t even stick his head in my room to say goodnight like he usually does before going back to bed.

The next day I guess he had a change of heart. I was picking my little sister, Micah, up from dance practice like I do every Tuesday and I got a text from Yoongi. I was in the waiting room with the other parents when my phone tinged.

 [ Rosemary’s Baby] I get it Y/N. Obviously discussing your mother is a touchy subject and you aren’t ready to talk about her. I get it. So please take all the time you need.

 [Me] Thanks

 [Rosemary’s Baby] No Problem

 [ Rosemary’s Baby] All I’m saying is things like this take time, so take all the time you need. I’m here for you when you’re ready to talk.

 [Me]Nice to know.

 [ Rosemary’s Baby] Fuck this nice shit!

 [Rosemary’s Baby] Tell me what the fuck is going on you bag of dicks

 [Me] I like nice Yoongi better

 [ Rosemary’s Baby] He’s dead

 [Me] How sad. He was so young.

 [Rosemary’s Baby] : Y/n!!!!

 [Me]: Can we have tacos for dinner tonight?

He didn’t text back. Good, I didn’t have time for Yoongi right now. I needed to speak with the person I knew was responsible for causing all of this. My father. I arrived at my dad’s place to find him cutting the grass one last time before all of it completely died for the fall. Daddy!” Micah screamed as she jumped out of my car. “Hey, angel!” He turned the lawn mower off and scooped her up in his arms. I chuckled walking up the driveway, carrying Micah’s book a lunch bag. “Daddy look my tooth fell out today?” Micah opened her mouth to show her missing baby tooth at the bottom. “Look at that. You know what that means right?” “Yeah, I get my big girl teeth!” “And it means you get a visit from the tooth fairy tonight!” Dad exclaimed. “Really?” She jumped around in his arms. “Yup, and he’s going to bring you lots of money! But only if you put your tooth under your pillow, where is it?” “Right here,” I said, going through her book bag.  I felt around for the giant fake tooth, “Here you go.” I handed to her. “Thank you Y/N!” Micah motioned for me to get down. I got down on my knee so I was about her height. She gave me a small peck on my cheek before prancing off into the house. Dad came over and gave me a kiss on the head, we exchanged quiet heys. “She’s extra hype today. You didn’t by chance take her for ice cream after dance practice did you, I mean it would explain why you two are an hour late.” He sat down on the porch steps. I took the spot beside him. “I might have.” He hung his head low, “Noooo. She’ll be bouncing off the walls for hours.”

“Consider it your punishment.” “Punishment for what?” He drank from his water bottle. “I got a letter from mom and I know you had something to do with it, please don’t  deny it.” A small part of me hoped he would. “I’m not gonna deny it.”He took another swig. I put my head in between my legs, groaning.

“Look I know you're upset-“ “Upset? We’re way past upset, I’m livid! When did you regain contact with her?” “We never lost it Y/N.” He sighed. “What!” I jumped up. He stood up and grabbed the lawn mower. I walked beside him as he pushed it back to the shed. “We have a child together Y/N, I can’t completely cut her out of my life. Like you.”

I gawked at him, I’ve never thought to swear or called my dad out of his name but today might be the day. “Well, I guess I didn’t really remove her from my life entirely since you’ve been communicating with her all these years then, huh? And really, you have a child together? Dad please, I’m an adult over the age of 18.  You and mom- “Are still your parents at the end of the day no matter your age. I wouldn’t be setting the best example for you if I completely cut your mother out of my life.” He slightly struggled to get the lawn mower up the steep ramp he built. I held the shed door wider for him to ease his struggle although it would be tempting to slam it shut. I’m very angry with him. I’ve never been this mad with my dad in my entire life. “That woman cares for no one's well being but her own, if she cared so much about me she wouldn’t have made my life growing up a living hell. She wouldn’t have to try to marry me off to some stranger or she wouldn’t have bribed a judge to get full custody me. You remember? You got one lousy hour with me, and that was still too much for her.” “I remember Y/N.” He said voice strained as he pushed the power tool. “Then why would you tell her where I am? Why give her what she wants, knowing she wouldn’t do it for you?  He finally got the lawnmower to go in. He grabbed the door from me and closed it. “She’s always known where you’ve been Y/N. Your mother called me an hour after you arrived at our old house back in (whatever your hometown is). Before she asked about you she gave a dry congratulations on me marrying your step-mother earlier that week. Her exact words were, “Congrats, I hope you’ve grown up to be a real man and treat her better than you treated me.” I asked her what she wanted, she asked were you with me. I said yes.” I sighed heavily turning my head the other way. “I denied her request “ he grabbed my cheek to make me look at him, “for me to bring you back. She snuck some snarky comment in about me being too busy trying to start a new family and said she’d have your butler come and get you. At that point I completely lost it, I told her to get over herself and not to contact you or me unless it was important. Baby, I am not communicating with your mother like that. She has my number an I have hers, it’s only in case something happens and something did. Your mother is really sick.” “...With what?” “I can’t tell you, she wants to be the one who tells you. Make sure you overpack, you never know how long you might have to stay. “What you're making me go?” He shook his head, “No you’re an adult, I can’t make you do anything you don’t wanna do. What I can do is expect you to make the right decision.” Dad patted my shoulder and walked past me.

“Daddddddd,” I stomped.

A car door slammed shut, I turned to see Laurie getting out the car with bags of takeout in her hand. “What are you doing home so early? I thought you wouldn’t be home for hours?” Dad went over to take some of the food from her. “Everything went faster than we expected so our boss let us our early.” She gave my dad a kiss.

“Great, cause Micah is on a sugar high.” Dad nodded at me. I smacked his arm, “She’ll crash soon. It was only a small chocolate cone. Hey Laurie.” I embraced her into a hug.

“Hi, baby! Are you staying for dinner?”

“No, I just came to drop Micah off and to speak with dad.” She made an ‘O’ face, “You told her about her mom?” “No, she got the letter,” Dad said.

“Time out, Laurie you knew?” She cheekily smiled, “Guilty. I’m sorry love.” I couldn’t be mad at her, it wasn’t her place to say anything. “It’s okay. I understand. Well, I’ll talk to you guys later.” “Wait, don’t forget your food.” She handed me a bag with two big crates of food. “I got Yoongi one too. Lamb skewers right?” “Yup. Hopefully, he eats it.” “That boy is going fade away into nothing, let me guess he’s too tired to eat?” She placed her hand on her hip. “That and he’s sorta kinda mad at me. He might not take any food I give him just to get back at me.” “Why is he’s mad at you?” Dad asked. “Long story, tell you about it later. I gotta go, but thank you and see you guys later. Tell Micah I want half of her money from the tooth fairy!” Laurie screamed about Micah losing her tooth before excitedly running into the house, shoving all her bags dad’s way. I laughed before driving off. The lights were on when I got home. Yoongi must be home. My assumption was correct, the sound of his keyboard could be heard faintly through his bedroom door. I laid the food down on the counter and made my way to his room. I didn’t bother knocking, I just walked in to find Yoongi hunched up at his desk. He turned to me startled. “Jesus Y/N- “My mom is a dictator in a skirt. She has to control everything and everyone around her. If you tried to go up against her she’d do everything in her power to destroy you. Which is why my dad divorced her, he couldn’t handle her intense personality anymore. When my mother no longer had my dad under her thumb she pinned me down and focused all her time and energy into to me, making sure I was the perfect child. Not for me or my future but so my dad knew that she was responsible for my success, not him. She wanted him to see we didn’t need him, especially me because I had her. To make sure I only had her she filed for full custody and won, I was no longer in hell. I was under it-

“What are you doing?” He interrupted.

“Telling you about my mother and my life with her like you wanted,” I said.

“No you’re not, you’re summarizing about your mother and your life with her. That’s not how this works Y/N and you know it.” He chuckled. “I want the entire story from start to finish and I want the long version.” Yoongi got up from his desk and walked over to his bed and laid down. He patted the spot beside him. This is going to be a long night.

[anneedmonsonus]

My Husband’s Big Deck: Our Backyard Renovation

Blame my shrunken, shriveled brain, but somehow I have totally neglected to share a big part of our home renovation here on the blog – our new patio and deck, which is about thirty times nicer than what we had there before (pics a little later in this post).

I’ve shared our outdoor entertaining area makeover so much on my social media, but somehow I have totally forgotten to share it on the blog. Blame my shrunken, shriveled brain, because the deck is one of my favourite things we’ve done here, renovation-wise. It has added so much functionality to our house and improved how we live and entertain. Sometimes I wish we had done it years ago – but then maybe we wouldn’t have appreciated it as much? We have always liked to have family and friends over and to entertain, but having the deck just makes it much easier and more pleasant. It feels like we’ve added another room onto the house – and a very appreciated room at that, now that we’ve gone from just two people living here with a dog to a family of five. (Yes, I count the dog, the neediest dog in the world, who sleeps on our bed every night with her head on the pillow, tucked in as she demands (and deserves. We are merely her disciples).

I love myself a little walk through renovation memory lane, so this is what our outdoor area looked like when we bought the house, nine years ago:

It was depressing, dark sunroom with disgusting fibreglass roof. Bleh. I distinctly remember being at the home open, and a woman walking into the sunroom and grimacing. It was gross. Meanwhile I was all heart-eyes like, “Oh wow! ANOTHER room!” Genuinely joyous. It’s funny because when I was house-hunting I had been looking at all these much, much smaller apartments and villas (in more desirable, but more expensive suburbs, such as Leederville and Applecross) and this was the first proper ‘house’ I visited. It was also unfurnished, and even though it’s by no means a big house, and I know it’s not the ‘done thing’ these days to sell a home unfurnished, to me it felt like it added to its feeling of spaciousness. It felt big and full of potential. So despite its uglier features, like the sunroom, I was genuinely smitten by this seemingly huge house and its bigger block and all the beautiful trees.

Not long after we moved in, Mr Nerd and I gave the sunroom a really budget makeover with white paint and new roof panels. I blogged about that little reno here. It brightened it up a lot and made it much nicer to sit under, and also doing the mission brown windows white and replacing the roofing panels made the INSIDE of our house seem much brighter – and we had it that way for years. So even though it was a pain to paint, it was worth doing!

I dug out the old 70s bricks and we did poured limestone which was a great idea until it went mucky and looked like this:

The sunroom was not the biggest room and with four doors/entrances, it always felt sort of limited in regards to how you could place furniture. It wasn’t really an ideal space to put a table and chairs, for example.

I started to become obsessed with the idea of enjoying a meal, at a table, outside (probably right around the time Little Nerd started solids, strangely enough). And after a while Mr Nerd became obsessed with the idea of knocking out the sunroom completely and building a deck there instead, with a new patio roof. At first I wasn’t keen on the idea of decking at all, although I have always loved it. I knew that decking generally tends to be much more expensive to do than paving. So why not do paving? I also figured we could probably lay pavers ourselves, too, and save some money.

But Mr Nerd wanted a deck and he fought me on it and eventually I agreed – but I wanted it done professionally. (I know, I’m fickle. I’d be happy to lay pavers ourselves but if we want a deck I want to pay the right people to do it properly). I think it was partly because I knew if we did it ourselves, with a toddler and a baby in tow, it would be the kind of project that would take a looong time and our yard would become even more of a mess. Don’t get me wrong, I know kids don’t care – ours genuinely LOVE playing in renovation rubble and hiding Paw Patrols amidst tools and lumber. This isn’t about the kids, it’s about me! I sound like a brat, but I could just picture me, Little Nerd, a soon-to-be-crawling baby and everyone else tripping over tools and half-finished decking for months and feral just-had-a-baby me couldn’t stand the thought of it. Plus, this deck Mr Nerd had in mind just kept getting bigger and bigger. He thought it would be a good idea to extend it all the way past the house. In the end I even wondered if the deck was going to be too big. (That wasn’t meant to sound dirty but it sort of did, I’m sorry).

We hired TJP Carpentry to do our deck. Mr Nerd was keen to give it a crack but I went sort of feral and insisted that we get it done professionally and I’m so glad we did. It was done much faster (and much better!) than we could have ever done it ourselves. As a bonus, it was all done in time for Christmas and we had a beautiful Christmas Day here. I can’t recommend Tim and his team enough (it was actually a wonderful House Nerd reader who recommended HIM to me in the first place, for which I will always be thankful!)

The patio was by Great Aussie Patios, who also did our new carport. We got four quotes and they weren’t the cheapest but they were the only ones (of that lot) who were happy to do a skillion roof (a flat, angled roof) as opposed to a more traditional gabled patio design. I think we could have gone either style and it would have been fine, but with the new Scyon Walls cladding the house looks a bit more modern and the skillion roof seemed to be a better fit.

Once we knocked the old sunroom out, the difference in the light in the house was huge – it felt so much brighter. I actually became quite hesitant about doing another patio to replace it – an even bigger patio this time – and running the risk of the inside house becoming quite dark (both our living spaces, study and kitchen wrap in an L-shape around the deck).

But see those white panels above the gutters and between the ceiling of the new patio? They make a MASSIVE difference. Those panels are made of Sunpal Sunlite sheets, a polycarbonate product that uses Solarsmart technology to give 99.9% UV protection while letting in a truckload of natural light. They’re pretty amazing! They’re opaque so they can be used as privacy screens as well, and they let us boost up the ceiling height of the patio while also covering the less-than-attractive roof.

The ceiling of our patio is SolarSpan Insulated Roof Sheeting. Even when it’s really hot, it never feels too uncomfortable to sit outside on the deck, it does stay a nice temperature.

In between the patio going up and the deck, I took your advice. Upon urging from many house nerd readers, I cut back the trumpet vine that had been engulfing the big dragon tree in our garden from the day we moved in here. I cut it back by hand, with like a snippy thing, because my darling hubby won’t let me near his chainsaw, and dragged it all out to green waste collection. It took more than two days to cut it all back as much as possible, and I had blisters on my blisters and biceps on my biceps by the end of it, but it was the most satisfying garden project ever. It’s impossible to actually remove the trumpet vine completely, it must stay, and for those who asked why I didn’t cut it back completely, it’s because our block slopes from one side to the other and with the hedge completely gone there would have been no privacy between our garden and our poor neighbours. No walking around naked.

Oddly, when I was cutting back the trumpet vine, I actually uncovered the long-petrified remains of two other (much smaller, long-dead) dragon trees. I figured whoever planted the first one must have done three at once, probably not realising how big they can get, or either planting three for luck and hoping one would take – which it sure did.

Now – something I obsess over. Wood! I obsessed over wood when we did our kitchen benchtops. I obsessed over wood when it was time to do the deck, which we chose Pacific teak for. I like jarrah, which seems to be the most commonly done in Perth, but we wanted something lighter in colour, simply because our internal vinyl plank floors are a light oak colour and we wanted the deck to be lighter as well.

I did think about composite decking, like Trex, but they’re expensive. And even though composite decking products have come a long way and have so many advantages, to me there is still nothing that beats the look of real timber. Despite my research, I’d never even heard of Pacific teak until Tim texted me a pic. “Do that,” I said. It was exactly what I wanted and had been hoping to get. Here in Perth it’s usually slightly more expensive than jarrah, but less expensive than Tasmanian oak and blackbutt.

It actually does look so, so beautiful in its unfinished, un-oiled state too – look at it! Look at those soft, Scandinavian-inspired whitewash-ey looking tones.

But because of our block orientation, the deck unfortunately cops a beating from the full brunt of the late afternoon summer sun) we definitely needed the protection of an oil, and so oiled it was. But then it brought out these delicious honey tones. So, I’m happy.

We’ve still got bits of our backyard to go until I will finally feel like, “We’re done!” I still want to paint the old pavers – and that bit of old poured limestone beneath where the deck is – we want to pull that up and extend the lawn. And see what we call ‘the sandpit’, which is basically a spot where we used to have our old limestone and stone slab ‘coffee table’ – that sandpit will go (don’t feel too sorry for them, the kids have a new, upgraded sandpit now and it’s a truly awesome one… but that’s a blog post for a different day).

In the meantime here are the trades and suppliers we used – if you have any questions – let me know. Maya x

ALFRESCO ENTERTAINING AREA MAKEOVER – TRADES AND SUPPLIERS

DECKING TJP Carpentry

DECK OIL Feast Watson

CLADDING Scyon Walls (Stria)

PATIO Great Aussie Patios

GUTTERS AND DOWNPIPES Westcoat Perths Roof and Gutter Restoration Specialists

PAINT AND COLORBOND COLOURS Monument (dark charcoal) and Dulux Natural White

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from Home Improvement https://house-nerd.com/2019/11/15/my-husbands-big-deck-our-backyard-renovation/