#I JUST FINISHED INKING A MAJORITY OF THE FIRST ARC I THINK I DESERVE IT

[luuxxart]

anyway I made. a few playlists for the student council au. (1) (2) (3)

[sevendeadlysins-imagines]

Request: Moonlit Lakeside

Prompt: oh man, i would love to request an estarossa angst x reader ;__; maybe something like the reader still thinks estarossa likes someone else (i dont wanna spoil in case you're not caught up to the manga) and the reader sees him and her together and misunderstands their relationship. but in the end, estarossa confesses to the reader and its just really fluffy? (anon!)

Note: I am not caught up with the manga (just finished the Vaizel Fight Festival Arc) but I do know what happens later with Estarossa. This obviously has SPOILERS. In which Estarossa sometimes hangs around the Boar’s Hat and is friendly with Merlin (ooc). Also, the reader is a Druid but it’s not terribly important to the plot, just another fun fact!

Word Count: ~3K

Warnings: Fluff, heavy angst, slightly ooc, MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS

You watched from the comfort of your window, the moonlight illuminating the scene in front of you. You watched as Elizabeth and Estarossa sat in the meadow. He leaned towards her, and you fought to ignore the twisting of your gut. Estarossa’s hand went up to brush through his hair as he looked at Elizabeth and chuckled.

He was still clearly enamoured with her.

Who could blame him, though? Elizabeth was a princess and beautiful and helpful and just a wonderful being to be in the presence of. If Elizabeth managed to captivate Meliodas and charm her way into the Seven Deadly Sins’ lives, well, of course she would end up with Estarossa. They were together before, too!

Why would Estarossa stoop to your level? You, a simple Druid. He had his own problems, sure, but he was still a beautiful person. He craved the care that Elizabeth had, but damn it, you wanted to!

Estarossa barely even noticed you, only seeing you if you were with Merlin while working on spells. He would occasionally stop by and chat about past gossip with Merlin, and you were there, too. The two of them were close, but the fight with Escanor caused a slight rift in their friendship, with Escanor wanting to keep Merlin safe, and Estarossa claiming he wouldn’t hurt her, and Merlin complaining that she doesn’t need to be saved. Over time, his visits were less and less often, but you always thought of him. Merlin was actually the one who knew about your feelings for him.

Why would he notice you, of all people? You, an awkward bean of a Druid, couldn’t hope to catch his affections. You daydreamed about it all the time. Cuddling with him on your bed, his hand playing with your hair absentmindedly, your own drawing swirls on his broad chest. Or just spending time with him. Learning all about him, his past, his hopes and desires. You wanted, no, needed, to learn everything about him. You wanted to be the last thought on his mind before he sleeps, the first thought in the morning.

Not Elizabeth. It tore you from the inside, watching them be so close together in the moonlight. You knew you didn’t deserve him, and that he deserved the princess. Still, you were greedy.

You watched as Elizabeth grabbed his hand, holding it tightly and bringing it to her heart. It felt as if someone punched you in the gut. Before you could see any more, you shut the curtains and blew out your candle, huffing and burrowing under the blankets as you let your tears fall and your sobs echo in the empty room.

A few days later, you sat at the bar, doodling on a piece of parchment. It wasn’t supposed to be anything, but as you continued to ink the paper, you noticed that it started to look like the demon mark, much like the one on Estarossa’s forehead.

“(Y/N)!” You heard someone shout, and you scrambled to hide the parchment away from sight. Suddenly, Meliodas hopped onto the barstool next to yours, smiling widely. Winking, he added, “Listen, I have a favor for you. It’ll get you out of here for a day.”

How did he know? You were dying to have an excuse to leave the Boar’s Hat to clear your head.

“What do you need?” You sighed. You saw Meliodas take the parchment from you and look at the demon mark. His face turned serious as his eyes met yours.

“It’s my brother’s, isn’t it?” Meliodas asked. You nodded. “He doesn’t know, either, does he?”

“He’s blinded by Elizabeth. He won’t even spare a glance at me,” You smiled through the pain. “I mean, who came blame him? She’s everyone’s dream girl.”

Meliodas nodded in understanding. He, too, was captured in Elizabeth’s beauty and grace.

“Anyways, what’s the favor?” You diverted the subject quickly. You didn’t want to talk to his brother about your romantic issues.

“Could you go to the market and get everything on this list? Some is for the tavern, some is for Escanor and Merlin, I believe. They didn’t want to go out, so I’m told,” Meliodas explained. You took the list from his hand, and scanned it over.

Gee, this would take the entire day to get everything.

“I’ll get it. I’ll be back later tonight!” You replied, grabbing some coins and setting off on your own adventure. This will clear your mind.

You enjoyed going to the towns that you visited and talking to the people there, learning about their lives and ways of living. You bought the food Meliodas requested and walked along the markets, a basket swinging at your side.

You entered a cafe and settled on an iced coffee. As you waited for the drink, you looked around the store. There were a few people there, a figure in the corner with a cloak, a couple with a newborn baby, a group of girls swooning over the barista. You looked at the empty tables, noticing the navy blue flowers as centerpieces on the tables. They’re the same color as Estarossa’s jacket.

Sighing, you took your drink from the counter and sat down, the basket resting on the table. You opened up Meliodas’ list and started crossing off the items you already bought. It was good for distracting yourself from your thoughts.

For some reason, you couldn’t stop thinking about Estarossa. His face, his laugh, the way he held himself...it was the way a man who had lost everything and was trying to achieve some sort of peace again.

You looked out the window and watched as all these people walked along the street, smiling under the bright sun. It was heartwarming to see all the happy humans gathered and enjoying life.

Estarossa couldn’t love you, he already had Elizabeth. She’s better than him anyways. She’s a Goddess, and you’re just a Druid when it comes down to it. She’ll have him, and you won’t. Face it, (Y/N).

Your mind continued to torment your heart the more you thought about him. You wished that you were good enough for him. But as long as he was happy, you should be, too. Right?

The inner conflict left you lost. You felt a tear run down your face, and left it stranded on your cheek.

A hand touched your shoulder. Jolting up, you looked up and met the eyes of Gilthunder. You smiled sadly, halfheartedly wiping the tear from your face.

“(Y/N)? Can I sit with you?” He asked.

“Of course, Gil.” You gestured towards the other seat around the table, and watched as he sat down, placing a hot latte on the surface. He exhaled and rubbed his forehead with his hand before looking at you, really looking at you.

“What happened? You look lost,” He said. Suddenly, you felt ridiculous. You were about to vent to Gilthunder, who was in a relationship with Margaret, who was Elizabeth’s sister. You should’ve refrained because it might’ve created a rift between him and his girlfriend or something, but you needed to get everything off your chest.

“I really, really, really, like Estarossa. I know, he killed Meliodas and he’s your idol and all, but I can’t help it. I’m always thinking about him and I see him in everything. I saw silver rocks on my way here and I was reminded of his hair. I heard a man’s laugh and thought it was him. I don’t know what to do, Gil! He doesn’t even notice me, and why would he?” You started, but got cut off by Gilthunder.

“What do you mean, he doesn’t notice you?” Gil questioned.

“Well, he would always stop by Merlin’s research lab and I was there, but he never acknowledged me there! He didn’t even look at me! Or even now, he’s so strung on Elizabeth! I know you’re in love with her sister, but I don’t have anyone else to talk to! Merlin is gone and Meliodas is clueless!”

Gil looks at your eyes intently, and then lets out a hearty laugh. The tips of your ears flushed pink, Why is he laughing?!

“(Y/N), you’re joking, right?” Gil chortled. You grabbed your drink and held it close to you, cradling it in defense.

“I’m dead serious!”

“Merlin and Estarossa barely know each other! He bribed her to act like they’re friends so that he could be in your presence!” Gil blurted out.

“How do you know that?” You questioned, a glimmer of hope shining in your eyes. What if he really does care for you, and actually notices you? You were over the moon with just that.

“I was drinking with Griamore and Escanor and Ban. Ban was asking about the fight Escanor had with Estarossa and he told all of us. He told us about the fight and about this one time Merlin came to him and just talked about everything. She told Escanor how he had given her some sort of rare Demon artifact or something in exchange for her acting like they were close friends. Escanor had asked why Estarossa wanted to act like friends, and Merlin figured out it was because she was the closest out of anyone to you. She noted that he also stayed at the Boar’s Hat often as a customer, and only when you were there.” Gilthunder explained to you. You couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Estarossa trying to become close to you.

“But then why would he not talk to me, if he wanted to be so close to me that he went through Merlin?” You thought out loud.

“I have no idea. I wish I knew.” Gil sighed, drinking his latte. You both sat in a comfortable silence while you pondered your thoughts.

“Hey Gil?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think he still loves Elizabeth? I-I always see them together and I know they had a past and all, but I thought she went to Meliodas? Do you know anything about that? Has Princess Margaret said anything about that?” You blurted out word vomit, essentially. You had to know what was really going on between Elizabeth and Estarossa, before you gained too much hope.

“I really don’t know. Margaret doesn’t try to get involved. I know Meliodas is in love with her from the bottom of heart, uh, hearts. I can’t speak for Estarossa. I don’t know much about him, but what I do know is that he has funny ways of showing affections. I’ve noticed that, at least,” Gil surmised. In that moment, he looked just like Zaratras. You smiled softly at the thought of Gil’s father, who helped raise you.

“I have to get going. Howzer’s probably looking for me now. I’ll meet you back at the Boar’s Hat tonight, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you later, Gil.”

“Good. Oh, and (Y/N)?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t let this weigh you down too much. You’ve got such a great life and shouldn’t worry about it too much.”

Gil’s words haunted you as you strolled around the town again, chatting with strangers and buying the things Merlin requested. As you paid for a set of lion eyes for her, your mind drifted towards Gil’s conversation with you.

Why would Estarossa want to spend time with you? Why would he bribe Merlin?

You thanked the merchant and continued on, crossing off the last thing from the list. Well then, I guess it’s time to return.

You didn’t want to return, though. You didn’t want to see Meliodas watching you with the pitiful look, or Estarossa drooling over Elizabeth, or Elizabeth acting all cool about everything. You wanted to run away, far away, and never return.

So maybe that’s why you took a detour in the woods and sat down in the moss in front of a lake. The sun was setting, allowing for the moon to shine soon. You watched as the light danced and waltzed along the ripples of the water created by the birds that touched that water. You tucked your knees under your chin and wrapped your arms around your legs, finally at peace. You pushed out all the thoughts you had from today and allowed yourself to be in tune with the nature surrounding you.

Eventually, it turned into nighttime. Hearing the crickets chirping and fireflies dancing around you made you want to stay in this place forever. The moss was so soft and inviting, and you didn’t have to worry about anything here.

“(Y/N), there you are!” You heard a deep voice break the sounds of nature, and your trance with it. You blinked and looked over your shoulder.

There he was. His jacket was fully opened, his broad chest put on display. He probably just got off of training or something. He’s not trying to impress me. Why would he, anyways? I’m nothing to him.

“You were looking for me?” You asked, head tilting to the side. He chuckled nervously, his hand going behind his head to scratch there.

“Uh, yeah. Meliodas had said you’d return by sundown, that you were going to town. You never came back, so I...I left to look for you,” Estarossa avoided looking at you. It was weird to see him nervous. He was always to confident and strong; seeing this new side made your heart wrench because he was Elizabeth’s.

“I didn’t realize you knew I was even gone,” You sighed, looking back up at the stars. He walked over to you and sat close to you, propping himself up on his elbows. You didn’t notice him watching your face, trying to memorize the details because he never got to be this close to you.

“Of course I did.”

“Really? Why would you even care if I left? You never talk to me or even acknowledge me, anyways,” You were sad again, painfully reminding yourself about how often he would ignore you for Elizabeth.

“What would I say? We’re not similar people by any standards. I figured you hated me and were keeping your distance, anyways, after killing Meliodas and fighting Escanor and your friends.” Estarossa admitted. You kept looking out at the water, trying to decipher his words.

“Yes, we’re different people, on all standards. You’re one of the Ten Commandments, and an Archangel. Me, I’m just some Druid who wandered too far away.” You stated, twiddling your thumbs in your hands. Estarossa suddenly felt a strong urge to take your hands in his, and he did. It took you by surprise, elicited a tiny gasp from the back of your throat, but you continued on. “But, I never hated you. I never disliked you, either. I couldn’t understand why you never acknowledged me, and what I had done wrong.”

His thumb smoothed over the back of your hand, and you both looked down at your interlocked hands.

“You never did anything wrong, (Y/N). It was always me who did wrong, and I always will. That’s the way I was created. I never do anything right.” Estarossa sighed, wallowing in his own self-pity. Your gazes locked as he claimed, “You’re perfect, and I knew I could never be even close to you.”

He thought you were perfect?!

“But what about Elizabeth? You’re hers.” You looked down at your intertwined hands.

For a minute, Estarossa was silent. You knew he was going to say something along the lines of ‘Haha, this was all a prank Elizabeth and I thought of. Gotcha!’

Instead, he pulled one of his hands away from yours and cupped your chin with his fingers. Delicately, he held your chin so that you had to look at him.

“I had asked her how to impress you. I wanted to ask Merlin, but after the fight with Escanor, Merlin didn’t want to help anymore than she already was. So, I had to ask Elizabeth. She told me how people enjoy close contact and hand holding. It’s been too long, I suppose, since I’ve done any of this. I didn’t want you to feel bad or anything for me.” He explained, looking at you for a response.

“That’s really sweet of you, Esta.” He beamed at the nickname you gave him. “So, you don’t have feelings for her anymore?”

“I haven’t for a long time. Besides, she’s happy with Meliodas. I can’t come in between that even if I did have feelings for her. I’ve liked you for a long time, (Y/N).” Estarossa admitted, a small smile gracing his lips.

“Really?” You thought it was almost too good to be true.

Estarossa didn’t answer you, instead responded by pressing his lips to yours. It was a sweet, chaste kiss that lasted for a little while. Still, it was enough to make both of you breathless and smiling at each other like idiots.

Merlin knew it was long past when you should have returned to the Boar’s Hat. She decided to find out where you were; after all, she was worried (but Merlin would never admit it).

She looked into a magical mirror to find you. A wave of relief washed over her when she saw you laying in the meadow by a lake. You were smiling ear to ear as you looked up from Estarossa’s chest to his face, and kissed him again. She heard the sweet nothing you both whispered, and was elated to eventually find you cuddling and sleeping with his arms around you, dreaming peacefully.

“Success!” Merlin cheered, off to find Escanor.

[smilesthroughfandoms]

It Runs in the Family AU (Bendy and the Ink Machine fanfiction).

So I’ve been working on a prolouge for a fanfiction I came up with. I’m about halfway through the majority but I want to see if it’s something people are interested in. It’s apart of an AU entitled “It Runs in the Family” and while I haven’t got all the details hammered out, if you have questions’s just message me.

Henry Irwin Ross was born an only child to a school teacher and a journalist in Queens, New York in good old USA. Though times were tough and his parents couldn’t afford much, they tried to give little Henry all they could. His mother gave him her old wooden arc she used to play with, and his dad sweet-talked some of his co-workers into giving him their children’s old toys, ones they never played with anymore.

Henry’s mother made all his clothing from scratch, which was especially trying since he often ended up soiling them—as an infant often does.

Henry’s father worked as many hours as he could so he could provide for his family. When the food budget started to get tight, he went into their backyard and planted a big garden to grow most of their food. The neighbors even gave them some of the chickens they raised (Mr. and Mrs. Ross were grateful for the gesture, but seeing how the chickens they received were the ones Henry often chased around the yard, it was a bit of a hollow gesture).

When Henry turned five, Mr. Ross brought home a pad of paper and a few pencils. “Kid needs somethin’ else to draw on besides the walls and ya apron.” He told his wife.

The next day Henry proudly showed his parents what he had used the pad of paper for. Flipped through individually, the drawings weren’t to special. However, if one flipped through quickly, it looked as though the pictures were moving.

The next week, Mrs. Ross brought home a book entitled The History of Animation and Henry couldn’t get enough of it. He asked his parents to read it to him every night and his mother caught him doodling more “moving pictures” when he was supposed to be practicing his spelling.

The Ross’s were just happy that their son was happy (the fact they didn’t have to wash the doodles off the walls twice a week was just icing on the cake).

Henry wasn’t that old when his father lost his job. A lot of people lost their job. Henry noticed though that, despite a lot of people being out of work, no one seemed to be getting a new one. He assumed they were trying because he knew his dad was trying. No one seemed to get a new job though.

The radio seemed to spout the word’s “bad economy” and “depression” on an hourly basis. He always asked his mother to change the station to Junior G-Men but she would always shush him. Henry didn’t know what “depression” meant, but he assumed it was something bad by the way his mother always wrung her hands whenever she listened to the radio.

When he wasn’t in school or helping around the house, Henry would always go to the park and play with the other neighborhood boys. They would go down by the ponds in search of treasure, they’d play kick the can or baseball with a worn ball and a long wooden pole, or they’d bike to Coney Island to see the freak-show (the latter often got them in trouble).

Henry was about ten when a new kid came to town. His name was Joey Drew and his mom was the new cleaning lady for the Van Burin family. He was tall and lanky and his eyes reminded Henry of the grass in the park. He often walked with crutches due to his bad foot, which seemed to twist all the way around. The older kids teased him about it, but Joey Drew would just punch them in the nose so they stopped doing that.

Joey Drew seemed the type to keep to himself. He never talked to anyone or sat with any kid at lunch. Henry would see him in the halls every day with a pad of paper and a small pencil, he’d be scribbling something and then look up at Henry. The two boys would stare at each other for one second and then go about their business.

Until one day, Henry got in trouble for getting into a fist fight with Charlie Harmon’s. He was forced to stay after school for one hour while Charlie got sent home early with a broken nose. Henry knew he shouldn’t feel proud, but Charlie deserved it for calling him dilweed.

To his surprise, Joey Drew was forced to stay after too. Henry didn’t ask why, but knew a good portion of the older boys feared him, so thought better to ask.

Fifteen minutes in, and Mr. Jacobson (Joey and Henry’ teacher) said he was going to go inform Henry’s mother of what had happened. Henry groaned and slammed his head onto the desk as the teacher left.

“Your ma works here?”

Henry glanced up to see Joey Drew glancing at him, brow raised.

“Yeah… she teaches the older kids.”

“How much older?”

“Um, I think the next grade up.”

“Oh.” There was a very stiff silence until Joey asked, “What’s it like having a parent for a teacher?”

Henry shrugged “Ok, I guess. But she’s always breathing down the back of my neck to finish my math homework.”

Joey smiled a bit. “I know the feeling. My ma is always sayin’ that I need to ‘buckle down and be serious’.” The boys laughed at Joey’s high-pitched voice, an obvious attempt to impersonate his mother’s shrill voice.

“I’m Henry Ross,” He finally introduced himself.

“Joey Drew,” The boys shook hands.

“Where ya from, Joey?”

“Detroit.”

“Where’s that?”

“Michigan.”

“Where’s that?’ Joey rolled his eyes but laughed. The boy got out of his seat and gestured for Henry to follow him to the front of the room where Mr. Jacobson kept a globe on his desk. After spinning it a bit, Joey pointed to a state shaped like a mitten and said “There.”

Henry stared in awe for a second before asking, “What’s it like there, in Michigan?”

Joey shrugged. “Ok I guess. There are a lot of lakes there, so ya can go swimmin’ a lot during the summer, and the leaves change color during the fall. The winters can be bad though. Like when I was seven, the snow was up to here on me,” Joey held a hand up to his nose before continuing, “and nobody could leave their house for three whole days!”

Henry was no stranger to snow, but the city often made sure to keep most of it off the road, so he found it hard to imagine such an amount accumulating all at once.

The rest of detention, the boys sat next to each other silently conversing on where they grew up, movies they had seen, and games they had played. After detention, despite her anger, Henry’s mother agreed to give Joey a ride home.

The two had been friends ever since.

It was the following summer that Henry first saw Bendy.

Joey was spending the weekend at Henry’s. The two had spent most of the day doing chores and chasing chickens with Joey’s crutches. Before dinner, the two had started doodling and that’s when Henry noticed his friend’s drawing.

“What’s that?”

Joey glanced at his drawing, then Henry, then glanced away bashfully. “It’s just um…” The rest was mumbled quietly so Henry couldn’t hear.

“It’s just what?” Henry insisted.

Joey sighed. “It’s a… cartoon I draw.” He shifted his pad of doodles over to his friend so he could get a closer look. “I call him Bendy.”

Henry glanced at a page filled with small comics of this Bendy character. A tiny black-and-white devil with a cute face and a bow-tie. Often the comics were filled with Bendy playing pranks on another character named Boris the Wolf, however there were comics of Bendy dancing around in a tutu. All of them made Henry laugh.

“These are great, Joey!” Henry told his friend earnestly. Taking a quick flip through the pad, he saw more quick-hand sketches of Bendy and Boris’s misadventures. “You really like this Bendy character, don’t ya?”

Joey smiled a bit wistfully. “’Course I do! I made him up myself.” Henry smiled and glanced between his friend’s art. Joey reached over and glanced at the few doodles Henry had done and sighed again. “Have you ever wanted something really bad, Henry? Like, really bad?”

Henry, a bit startled by the seriousness of the question, shook his head. “I… can’t say I have buddy.”

Joey glanced at his Bendy drawings. “I have this absurd idea… that maybe, just maybe somehow I could… Bring Bendy and Boris to life.”

Henry let his friend’s words sink in, still glancing at the Bendy comics when an idea came to him. “Like animation!”

Joey glanced at his friend, puzzled. “Huh?”

Scrambling to his feet, Henry rushed over to his bookshelf and pulled The History of Animation off the shelf and handed it to Joey. “This book taught me that animation is bringing your imagination to life! I’ve been making these moving pictures in pads my whole life, but I never had any idea well enough to make a full fledge animation out of… But Bendy, he could be real popular someday!”

“Animation?” Joey muttered to himself, glancing down in what almost seemed like disappointment. After a tense silence, Joey glanced at Henry with a small smile on his face. “So… animation?”

Henry smiled eagerly and launched into an explanation of animation.

That night, a pact between friends was made; Bring Bendy to life so all could see. A pact that two friends promised they would stick together for.

“Until the end of the line?” Joey asked

“Until the very end!” Henry assured.

It took a year of work for the two friends to finally earn enough money to buy an animation studio, and even then, the Van Burin family gave Joey a hefty loan to make it happen. Nonetheless, the two friends were ecstatic.

The Ross’s and Joey’s Mom were not happy the boys didn’t go off to college, none more so than the mothers, but they had made an agreement. If the first cartoon wasn’t a success, they’d got off to college. The mere idea of giving up on their dream made the two friends work twice as hard to make Bendy a success.

The studio officially opened for business when Henry was eighteen and Joey was nineteen. Of course, to make a successful cartoon, you need more than two people. So, the two friends put together a crew.

At the head was Joey. After all, it was his original cartoon and the studio itself was in his name. Director, Producer, and (official) Head Animator. He ran the whole show. True, he worked mostly by what censors dictated was appropriate for a children’s cartoons, but he called the shots.

Henry was second in command and Joey’s right hand man. The (unofficial) Head Animator. Joey did a good portion of the animations himself. Whether it be synchronizing with audio, movement, backgrounds, or even model sheets, Henry did it. Joey helped whenever he could, but director was a heavy title to bear, so Henry ended up doing most of his work with the other animation crew.

The music department was headed by Samuel “Sammy” Lawrence. A man who could play just about any instrument you put into his hands. He was average height with hair the color of the dandelion’s Henry’s mother made him pull out of the garden. He was gruff and a bit cold at times, but he could take a simple tune and turn it into a musical masterpiece. Henry greatly respected this ability, and by extension respected Sammy.

The Conductor for the band is Norman Polk; a dark skinned man with a big grin. Where Sammy is cold and distant, Norman is warm and welcoming. He treats you as if you were his oldest friend and listens to whatever you have to say, even if he doesn’t particularly care for the subject. That and the fact that he can put up with Sammy makes him ok in Henry’s book.

And since it’s hard to keep a studio clean (and Henry forced Joey to hire him), Wallace “Wally” Franks is hired as a custodian. Henry doesn’t see him that much, except when he spills a thing of ink all over everything—which happens more often than Henry would like to admit. Wally is a stand-up guy and offers Henry a cigar every time he sees him. He politely declines every time.

With this ragtag band of misfits, they call a team, they make the first ever Bendy cartoon entitled Little Devil Darling within a year of opening the studio. To their immense gratification (and Joey and Henry’s relief), it is a hit with critics and audiences alike. One critic even said that Bendy had the makings to be bigger than any mouse or rabbit or dog other studios were putting out at the time.

To celebrate, Sammy had taken everyone out to drinks. Everyone but Joey. He said he had other work to do. Henry wasn’t happy about leaving his best buddy behind, but Joey insisted that it was fine.

Henry still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was troubling Joey. Maybe it was the apathetic look in his eyes as the rest of the crew left?

“We need more voices, Henry.” Joey tells him one day over lunch.

“Uh-huh,” Henry replies.

“Female voices, to be exact.”

“Uh-huh…”

There is silence between the two friends as Henry chews his sandwich and Joey stirs his pasta idly.

“So…?”

Henry raises a brow, “So… what?”

“Know any dames looking to be in animation?” Joey asked.

Henry rolls his eyes. “I know just as many dames as you, Drew. Probably less,”

“That’s pathetic, Ross. Just sayin’.” Joey teases.

“Just put out an ad, Joey.” Henry tells him.

“But then I’d have to pay them… And we only have two cartoons out at the moment.” Joey glances at his friend nervously. While their budget is still a bit tight, Henry knows they can afford to bring in one more person.

“Yes, that’s usually how this type of thing works.” Seeing how he is getting no help from his friend, Joey turns to Sammy, who is munching on an apple at the table behind his.

“Hey Sammy, know any dames with good voices for cartoons?”

Sammy glares at the boss. “Hire someone new, ya cheapskate.”

While Joey is less than pleased, Henry gets one hell of a laugh out of Sammy’s response.

A knock on the wall behind his desk startles Henry enough to drop his pen. Sighing in annoyance, Henry reaches down to pick up the pen. “Wally, for the last time, I don’t know who would win in a fight between Godzilla and—”

A very pretty redhead woman with dark skin and a teal dress waves shyly at him. “Am I interuptin’ anythin’, hon?”

Now, Henry has been on his fair share of dates in his twenty-years of life. There was time in high school when he and Joey had dated the very blonde, very much cheerleaders, Smith Sisters. However, it has been awhile since a pretty dame has caught him off guard like this.

Feeling his ears warm up, Henry frantically shakes his head. “N-Nope! Not interrupting one bit. Nope, nothing to interrupt here.”

“That’s good,” The woman smiles, either not noticing Henry’s sudden anxiousness or deciding not to address it.

“I’m Henry, by the way,” Henry offers her his hand, “Henry Ross.”

The woman shakes his hand. “Susie. Susie Campbell.”

“So, what brings you here, Miss Campbell?”

“Um, Mr. Drew put out an ad for female voices…”

Henry smiles in realization. “Oh! You’re responding to Joey’s ad,”

“You know, Mr. Drew?”

“Sure, do. Grew up together. C’mon, I’ll show you where there holding auditions.” Henry stood from his desk and led Susie to the back of the studio, where stairs to the recording studio were. “So, you into voice acting, I take it?”

Susie giggled and Henry found it adorable. “I’ve been told I can do a lot of funny voices, I just never tried before today.”

Approaching the door, Henry reached over and held it open for her. “Joey and Sammy should be down there, holding auditions.”

“Well, thank you kindly, Henry. I hope to see you around.”

Henry bid her best of luck and softly closed the door behind her. Humming a happy tune, Henry walked back to his desk with a slight bounce in his step. Wally had caught him on his way back and smirked, even if a bit surprised by the animator’s behavior.

“You’re in a good mood ain’t ya?” The custodian commented.

Henry shrugged, a wide grin on his face. “You bet I am, Wally!”

As luck would have it, Susie had the exact voice Joey was looking for. She was hired on spot for multiple voice roles. Henry had a suspicion that it was partly so Joey could save money, but it meant Susie was around more often so he wasn’t complaining. The two often ate lunch together in the studio mess hall… Granted, Norman or Wally often joined the two, but it made for pleasant conversation.

Susie was from Portland, Oregon and had a knack for doing impressions. She explained she often did impressions and funny voices to cheer up her grandmother, who was sick quite often. When her grandmother died, Susie did the voices to cheer herself up. Her father would’ve preferred if she had gone to college, but Susie felt a calling and had decided to follow it.

Henry could relate.

It wasn’t until Henry caught Wally and Norman teasing him about his “crush on Susie” for the fifth time in one week did he realize that it might be true.

Unfortunately, it seemed he wasn’t the only one.

Six months after Susie was hired, Henry and a few other animators had decided to go out to eat for lunch. They were ahead of schedule and it was a gorgeous day out, so why not have some fun for a change?

Henry had gone looking for Joey, Sammy, and just about anyone else who might want to join them for lunch. His looking had taken him down to the recording booth. Stepping inside, he stopped short when he saw Susie in the recording booth, singing her heart out while Norman conducted the band.

“Once in a while, will you try to give one little thought to me, though someone else may be nearer your heart? Once in a while, will you dream of the moments I shared with you, moments before we two drifted apart?

“In love’s smoldering ember, one spark may remain. If love still can remember, that spark may burn again. I know that I’ll be contented with yesterday’s memory, knowing you think of me once in a while.”

Henry smiled in awe, unaware that Susie had such a heavenly voice. He glanced up to Joey and Sammy and his smile fell. Joey glanced at her with a light shining in his eyes that Henry recognized from when they were dating the Smith Sisters. As for Sammy, Henry could count on one hand the number of times he’s seen the music director smile. The one he was sending Susie’s way was softer than the other smiles.

“In love’s smoldering ember, one spark may remain. If love still can remember, that spark may burn again. I know that I’ll be contented with yesterday’s memory, knowing you think of me once in a while.”

Joey and Sammy stood, applauding for the redhead when she stepped out of the booth. She smiled, blushing bashfully. “I take it I did well?”

“Miss Campbell, I think you might be just the voice we’ve been looking for!” Joey smiled.

“For what?’ Henry asked, making his presence.

“Henry, just the man I need to see! You doing anything right now?” Joey asked.

“Some animators and I are gonna go out to lunch and I was wondering if any of you wanted to join me? But it seems like you’re busy so I’ll just—”

“Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea, Henry!” Susie smiled.

Sammy shrugged. “I could eat…”

While Joey didn’t look to pleased that everyone was making plans without his consent, he shook his head. “Alright, but when you get back, you my friend are going to start sketching model sheets for our newest character: Alice Angel!”

Henry’s eyes widened. “Alice Angel?”

“Voiced by none other than our very own, Susie Campbell.” Joey laid an arm on her shoulders, smiling proudly.

“Aw shucks, Joey.” Susie blushed, though she seemed proud.

Before Henry could get in a word, Joey had somehow waltzed over to his side, smiling. “So, here are some ideas for Alice’s character I’d like you to remember,” The Director had steered his friend towards the staircase up and was now rambling on about how this new character, leaving Sammy and Susie no choice but to follow them.

Halfway up, Joey had made a comment about running these out-of-work-lunches by him next time, but Henry was hardly paying attention. Behind him, he heard Susie ask Sammy “So this Alice Angel character… do ya think people will like her?”

Sammy smiled reassuringly. “Doll, I bet she’ll be just as popular as Bendy someday!”

“Ya really think so?”

“I know so.”

Susie smiled and laid a hand on Sammy’s shoulder. “You’re a peach, Sammy.”

Henry frowned, heart sinking just a bit.

If Henry could describe Susie in one word, it was colorful. She often wore brightly colored dresses or skirts with hats that—on any other girl, would look silly—complimented her loud and vibrant personality. Since Henry was surrounded by black, white, and grey cartoons, her presence was often refreshing.

Lately, however, her role as Alice Angel had kept her in the recording booth often. Sometimes, Henry would run down to get a feel for a certain piece of music’s tempo; to see how slow or quick a scene had to go. He would find the musical director smiling (actually smiling!) at the pretty redhead.

Then, at lunch, we would finally drag himself away from his desk, he would spot Joey and Susie laughing at some joke Joey had told and playfully swiping small morsels from the other’s lunch. Henry tried to avoid sitting there.

However, Henry and Susie lived on the same block and would often walk each other home or to work. Those fifteen minutes to and from were some of the highlights of Henry’s day.

It was December when Henry decided to throw caution to the wind and ask Susie to dinner, just the two of them that Saturday. Susie had seemed surprised, but she had said no. “No thank ya, Henry dear. It’s not that I wouldn’t love to! It’s just… Joey already asked me. Ya understand, don’t ya, hon?”

Henry nodded, heart feeling heavy at the moment, but said he understood. Which he did. He respected Susie and as long as she was willing to keep him as a friend, he could learn to be happy. It still stung though.

That night, Norman and he went out for beers. The following Monday morning, he saw Susie and Joey smiling and talking quietly to each other. His heart feeling like a lead weight in his chest. The only comfort was that Sammy was seen glaring daggers at the boss as well.

[taylorfennersbookishworld]

The Saturday Review is back! I know, I need to keep up better with this but my reviews keep piling up instead. What have you been reading lately bookdragons? Escape from Asylum by Madeleine Roux Publisher: HaperCollins Release Date: June 14, 2016 Genre: Young adult, Horror Blurb In this terrifying prequel novel to the New York Times bestselling Asylum series, a teen is wrongfully committed to the Brookline psychiatric hospital and must find a way out—before he becomes the next victim of the evil warden’s experiments. With the page-turning suspense and unsettling found photographs from real asylums that led Publishers Weekly to call Asylum “a strong YA debut,” Escape from Asylum is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.The nightmare is just beginning.Ricky Desmond has been through this all before. If he could just get through to his mother, he could convince her that he doesn’t belong at Brookline. From the man who thinks he can fly to the woman who killed her husband, the other patients are nothing like him; all he did was lose his temper just a little bit, just the once. But when Ricky is selected by the sinister Warden Crawford for a very special program—a program that the warden claims will not cure him but perfect him—Ricky realizes that he may not be able to wait for his mom a second longer. With the help of a sympathetic nurse and a fellow patient, Ricky needs to escape now.Set long before Dan, Abby, and Jordan ever walked the hallways of the Brookline asylum—back when it was still a functioning psych ward and not a dorm—Escape from Asylum is a mind-bending and scary installment in the Asylum series that can stand on its own for new readers or provide missing puzzle pieces for series fans. Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 The one thing I've consistently liked about this series is the covers. They're eerie and dark and eye-catching. Summary/Tagline: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 “The Nightmare Is Just Beginning." - Yes please, this boasts the set up of a great scare. Unfortunately it didn't deliver for me. Characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 The main thing I did like is the diverse characters in this book. Ricky is bisexual and Kay is transgender. I was not expecting that going into this book and I thought the author did both reps justice. Of course we see The Warden in living breathing color instead of memories and hauntings in this one and he's every bit the psychopath he is described as in the other books.  Worldbuilding: 🌟🌟🌟 I'm not sure what to give this for worldbuilding. In Escape from Asylum Brookline is still a working mental institution but as for originality it's not far off from I don't know... Shutter Island with less of an isolated setting. This particular book is set in the 60s but did I really feel like it was the 60s? Eh, not really. Other than the medical practices that were banned years and years ago. Story: 🌟 Forget the year and this book is basically Asylum with a different title and different characters with the same lack of personality. I feel like I read this book before and I basically did when I read the original Asylum. Prequels are usually supposed to add something to a series or uncover a hidden truth or connection that the reader won't see coming but I feel this book failed to do that.  Overall: 🌟🌟 2 of 5 Stars! My Rating: 🌟🌟  2 of 5 Stars! Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia Published by: DC Ink On: July 2, 2019 Genre: Graphic Novel Blurb: When a tragic accident takes the life of 17-year-old Raven Roth's foster mom--and Raven's memory--she moves to New Orleans to recover and finish her senior year of high school.Starting over isn't easy. Raven remembers everyday stuff like how to solve math equations and make pasta, but she can't remember her favorite song or who she was before the accident. And when impossible things start happening, Raven begins to think it might even be better not to know who she was before.But as she grows closer to her new friends, her foster sister, Max, and Tommy Torres, a guy who accepts her for who she is now, Raven has to decide if she's ready to face what's buried in the past...and the darkness building inside her.From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia and first-time graphic novel artist Gabriel Picolo comes this riveting tale of finding the strength to face who you are and learning to trust others--and yourself. Review: Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I love the cover of this graphic novel and the illustrations inside are really cool. Summary/Tagline: N/A Characters: 🌟🌟🌟 I'm not familiar with who Raven is in the DC world because I'm not usually into comic book stuff but I liked her as a character struggling to remember who she is after losing her memory. I also liked the side characters. Worldbuilding: 🌟🌟🌟 Again, maybe if I was familiar with who this character is I could tell you how closely it works with her backstory, but I don't. I do love anything set in New Orleans though and I thought it was well portrayed. Story: 🌟🌟 I have trouble rating this because the eARC I got from the publisher through Edleweiss was pretty screwed up. One page was chapter one then the next was chapter 18 and it kept jumping like that making it nearly impossible to read. I felt like I was going crazy trying to figure it out. The only reason I can give it 2 stars is because perhaps, if it had been set in the right order, I might have enjoyed it.  Overall: 🌟🌟🌟 3 of 5 Stars! My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟 3 of 5 Stars! Aurora Rising  by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Published by: Knopf Books For Young Readers On: May 7, 2019 Genre: YA, Sci-Fi Blurb: From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure.The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasmA sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmatesA smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulderAn alien warrior with anger management issuesA tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wonderingAnd Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic. Review: Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Oooh Yes! Come to me my prettiness! I like this cover more than the Illuminae Files for sure! I only regret not getting the pink one from Illumicrate! Summary/Tagline: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 “They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find."  - I like it! It tells me that there's going to be some humor in this book.  Characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I can truly say I loved Squad 312.. with one exception. I couldn't force myself to like Cat. I just couldn't do it. I felt like she let her feelings for Ty cloud her judgment where everything else was concerned. Otherwise I adored the rest of the character; especially Aurora and Kal! And Scarlett and Zila and Ty and Fin.  Worldbuilding: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Aurora Rising is set way before the Illuminae Files so we're dealing with a fresh new world and new species of characters. This world is so vibrant and different and I felt like I could see it so well in my mind. Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I could not put this book down. I started listening to it as an audiobook which I usually listen to before bed but then I started reading from the physical book during the day and before I knew it I was at the end dying for the next book.  Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.4 of 5 Stars! My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.4 of 5 Stars! Warcross by Marie Lu Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books For Young Readers On: September 12, 2017 Genre: YA, Sci-Fi Blurb: For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. Review: Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 For a cover this simplistic it is so colorful and eye-grabbing. I love the three dimensional quality to the title. Summary/Tagline: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 “Player. Hunter. Hacker. Pawn."  - Yes, Emika Chen ends up being all of these things and I loved watching her arc through all the different jobs and lies she had to tell during this book. Yes she was a player in the Warcross championships, but she's also a spy.  Characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Emika is a really cool main character and I love how she got into coding and hacking then got into trouble for trying to right a wrong done to a classmate and how that has shaped who she now is in her late teens. Then there's Hideo Tanaka and his mercurial moods. Is he a shy tech geek? A guy with a tragic past who turned it into a successful career? A villain? A visionary? A madman? Worldbuilding: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 At times I felt like I had stepped into one of my favorite video games as I read about Emika being inside the game. I also liked how the dark-web version of  Warcross was described. The worldbuilding as a whole was very unique and I loved it.  Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I can't believe it took me this long to read this book! I had started it once before and not given it a chance for some reason but this time I found myself quickly hooked on the story and invested in the characters. I can't wait to read the second book and see how it ends! Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.4 of 5 Stars! My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.4 of 5 Stars!

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