#also RETURN OF LIL JOE DRAWINGS!!

[third-king-of-salmonids]

ITS THAT TIME AGAIN

[duskholland]

The Fame Game (Part Three) || Tom Holland

Summary ↠ Sleepovers are supposed to be fun, but perhaps not when they include your fake boyfriend. 

Word count ↠ 4.5k

Warnings ↠ Alcohol, some bad language, Tom’s shirtless? And also a lil bit jealous

A/N ↠ I decided that Y/N is in Stranger Things because... Joe Keery. You’re welcome. This was a fun part to write! Thank you so much to everyone that’s been loving on this series - makes my heart very very happy to know it’s being read and enjoyed :’) Please let me know what you think of this part! (This picks up directly after part two just with a pov shift)

Series masterpost

THREE: What’s Mine Is Yours (Y)

The studio lights burn your eyes painfully, and your throat has been stinging distantly of tequila ever since you took the first shot. 

Jimmy’s been sending you question after question, analysing and picking apart every aspect of your ‘relationship’ with Tom for the past five minutes. So far, you and Tom have answered with your stories aligned, and you thank yourself for having the stroke of genius to go over some essential details with him before the show. If you’d just come out here and winged it, as he had foolishly suggested, you know you would’ve tripped up by now. 

It’s all going as expected, until near the end of the interview when Tom’s words split through the air and shock you completely:

“Well, chemistry is a very important part of any relationship, Jimmy, and you know what they say: enemies make the best lovers.”

Enemies make the best lovers..?

Even as the conversation moves on, you feel the words lingering in your mind. Tom’s been playing the role of your doting boyfriend very well all evening, but there has been something a little too earnest about his eyes and his remarks, and it’s left you feeling… odd. Exposed, perhaps. He’s out here claiming that enemies make the perfect foundation to a loving relationship, and though you’re almost certain it was a throwaway comment, you can’t stop yourself from over-analysing it.

“Well, thank you to both of you for joining us tonight,” Jimmy says finally, dragging you from your stupor. “It’s been a pleasure, as always. I wish the happy couple all the best!” 

You’re nestled up very close to Tom on the sofa. His hand is on your knee, and you’ve got your arm wrapped around his side. You hadn’t discussed any of this beforehand, but you’d followed his lead when he’d first stretched out his palm. Casual displays of intimacy, according to your PR team, are everything, and it’s been almost nice to have his fingers resting on your leg, acting as a grounding presence. Any time you said something a little risky, he’d squeeze your knee - and you likewise would use your hand on his side to pinch him gently, like a reminder to stop talking whenever he came close to slipping up. 

“Thanks, Jimmy,” Tom says. He looks around to face you, his brown eyes warm and round. “We’ve had a great time.”

You nod along and pull your hand away from Tom’s side as you sit up a little straighter. “Yeah, it’s been amazing.”

Jimmy throws out a few final farewells, and the audience descends into applause. As the bright sign that reads LIVE flickers out, the cameras stop rolling. Almost immediately, you feel lighter. With a loud groan, you stretch your arms out behind your head and collapse back into the sofa, your posture sagging. Besides you, Tom mirrors you, his legs spreading and his knee knocking against yours as you glance over and share a cautious smile.

“That went well, didn’t it?” You ask quietly. Jimmy’s wandered off, and around you, people are rolling up cables and wires. You can feel the eyes of some of the audience on you, so you reach down to play with his hand. Tom lets you fiddle with his fingers, and you gulp as you draw your fingertips across his soft skin.

“Yeah,” Tom agrees. His eyebrows furrow together as he looks at you curiously. “What was the question you answered with Harrison?” 

You scoff. “That’s a secret.”

You’d almost died when you’d read the card. As much as you’d disliked the prospect of doing a shot, the question had read ‘Which of Tom’s friends would you consider dating?’. Though you feel no romantic attraction towards Harrison, he’s the only one of Tom’s friends you know. You couldn’t admit it to Tom live, because PR would have had your head, but you don’t particularly want to fess up now, either. 

Tom’s always been a bit weird about your friendship with Harrison, and you don’t want to add more strain to your relationship. Maybe a month ago you would’ve loved to have another thing to rub in Tom’s face, but now things are changing. Your relationship is beyond twisted as it is, and much to your surprise, you no longer feel the burning need to exacerbate that - not now you know you’ll be tied to his side for the next five months. For all you thrive off Tom’s discomfort, it’s starting to take a toll. 

Tom pouts, but there’s an intense heat to it. “Tell me.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

You roll your eyes. “What was your first question?” You return. “The one that you replied to by saying I’m stubborn?”

Tom groans, and the illusion of him being a doting, sweet boyfriend shatters. A part of you is relieved he’s back to normal as he glares at you. Tom has been too nice to you this evening, and it was becoming a little unsettling.

“I won’t tell you mine unless you tell me yours,” he barters. Tom looks down at your joined hands and loops your fingers together, leaning in closer on the sofa so he can drop his voice. The strong waves of his cologne drift out over you, causing your mind to spin. “Oh, come on, girlfriend, we were getting on so well, just tell me? Please?” He even flutters his eyelashes.

You chuckle in the face of his charm. “No way.”

Tom pulls away, his jaw flexing. He drops your fingers dramatically. “Fine. Be like that.” He stands up quickly, but then he pauses and begrudgingly offers you a hand, his eyes skimming the busy room. He, like you, seems to recognise there is a time and place for your petty bickering. “Let me escort you backstage,” he says, voice dry and monotonous. 

You sigh heavily. “You’re so annoying,” you tell him, accepting his hand. He helps you up with a strong grip, your fingers tangling together easily. “I almost bought the act that you were actually a decent guy tonight, y’know?”

Tom keeps your hands together as you slowly walk backstage. “I almost bought yours,” he returns, his voice quiet. “I suppose we’re both good actors, aren’t we?”

You set your mouth in a firm line. “I suppose we are.”

You don’t see him for a while, and for that, you’re very grateful. For a few weeks, it seems PR are satisfied with a few teasing tweets here and there, and you enjoy the freedom of living Tom-free again. It really is quite disruptive, having to parade around with him, and lie when your friends and family question you about him. It’s quick to grow tiresome as you have to explain, over and over, that, no, you don’t hate him - love just happened!! Yeah, he’s great! Oh, you always thought there was something going on between us? Haha. Hah. That’s so funny. 

It’d be so much easier, you think, if you and Tom got along better. But you know the only way that’ll happen is if one of you apologies to the other, and you’re still too fucking angry about everything to let your walls come down. Your history spans three poisonous years, and you aren’t willing to start lowering your defences for fear of him using that against you. You’d rather suffer through several more months of torture with Tom than show any sort of regret or remorse. You will not be the first to place your cards on the table, which lands you in a difficult position because you know he isn’t the type to concede either. You’re so similar it almost hurts. 

About a month after the show, you’re on set when you feel your phone vibrate in your pocket, and you pick up the small device to see Rebecca’s name flashing over the screen. With a sigh, you quickly answer. 

“Hello?” 

“Hi Y/N, it’s Rebecca. I hope you’re doing well.” There’s a brief pause, then, “So, we need you to do something for us tonight.”

You reach up to pinch at the bridge of your nose. “Always straight to the point, aren’t you?” 

Your PR manager laughs. “Time is precious,” she reasons. “Anyway, we’ve been monitoring your socials. People find it odd that you’ve not posted anything with Tom, and we’ve realised that there is a shortage of photos of you both together.”

You hum. “Yeah, I don’t think we’ve ever had a photo together where it looks like we actually like one another.”

“Exactly. That’s a problem.”

“Great.”

“We’ve been in contact with Tom. He’s going to pick you up once you’re done on set, and then come and stay the night with you. You’ll be spotted entering your apartment together, and he’ll be seen leaving in the morning. Whilst you’re together, if you can try and take some photos, that’d be great. Try to build up a backlog of different shots, so you have some in reserves for the future.”

You throw your head back, biting back a dramatic groan. “He’s coming over tonight?” You clarify.

Rebecca sighs. “Yes, Y/N. Is that okay?” 

“I suppose.” 

“Perfect. He’ll pick you up from set at 5.”

The line disconnects and you put your phone away, trying not to think about how easily your quiet evening plans have been whipped away. You’re called back to set almost immediately, and that provides you with a perfect distraction. You slip on your mask, sinking into a different character, and you let all your worries and irritations fade away.

When Tom rocks up to set, you’re still filming. You catch him from the corner of your eye as you act opposite your co-star Joe Keery, carrying your banter perfectly. You love Joe - love the fact that both of you are wearing matching sailor costumes and somehow manage to rock them, and that your scenes always flow together very nicely. You’re having a great time together, and you feel sad when the director calls out a final Cut! and the cameras stop.

“Great scene, Y/N,” Joe compliments, reaching out to pat your shoulder. 

You smile back at him, nodding lightly. “You too!” You say. “I’m going to miss filming with you.”

Joe nods, whipping the sailor hat from his head and running a hand through his long hair. “Me too,” he agrees, mouth curving into a frown, “Who else would dress up in these stupid costumes with me and not make fun of me?”

You laugh, but before you can form a full reply, you feel a figure lingering behind you. You tilt your head and see Tom there, and then feel his warm hands slip around your waist. It all happens so quickly - one moment he’s whispering hi, the next his fingers are wrapped around you and yours are on his shoulders, then he’s kissing you quickly. It’s just a peck, but it completely blindsides you, and you’re still recovering when he pulls back and looks at Joe.

“Hi, mate, I’m Tom,” he greets, his voice artificial and loud. “Y/N’s boyfriend.”

You look between them, your heart hammering in your chest as you retract your hands and let them fall to your side. Tom immediately links your fingers together.

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Joe replies, eyeing you sceptically. He raises his eyebrows slightly as he accepts Tom’s free hand, and they shake slowly.

“All good things, I hope, eh?” Tom replies, glancing over to you. You raise your eyebrows, trying to figure out what he’s doing, but he just grins slyly in response.

“Eh, sure,” Joe says. Your friend rocks back on his feet, and you’re briefly reminded of the many, many occasions where you’d stormed onto set and ran your mouth about Tom. “Well, I’m gonna go now. See you tomorrow, Y/N.” He raises a hand.

“Bye, Joe. Have a nice night.” 

As soon as Joe’s slipped out of sight, you turn your attention to Tom.

“What are you doing?” You ask him, voice higher and quieter than usual. You pull your hand from his grasp, and it drifts up to your mouth, to where your lips are still feeling the aftershocks of the kiss. You stare at him through wide eyes. He’s in a lovely blue denim jacket today, and it contrasts brightly against his short styled hair and his deep brown eyes.

“Greeting my girlfriend?” Tom replies. He looks a little bashful as he folds his arms across his chest. “Is that a problem?”

Fuck, you hadn’t missed him at all.

“You kissed me,” you state. 

“Briefly,” he agrees, “We’re in public, Y/N. It would’ve been weird if I hadn’t done anything. Plus…”

“Plus?”

Tom grimaces. “It felt a bit odd to see you so close to him.” He pauses, his face the picture of discomfort. “I didn’t like it.”

“You have got to be kidding, Tom,” you mutter, eyes widening. “Are you seriously being like this because I touched his arm? He’s my friend, dickhead.” You scrunch up your nose, eyeing him sourly. “You don’t have any right to act territorially, Tom. We aren’t actually dating.” 

“Right.” Tom tentatively reaches up, and you let him place his hand on your cheek. It feels almost like an apology, and you find the lines of irritation melting from your face. As his fingertips gently trail across your cheekbone, your lips pull into a small smile. “I’m sorry if I took you off-guard,” he says, surprising you completely. You’d never thought you’d see the day he owned up to one of his actions. “I won’t kiss you again unless we talk about it first.”

You swallow drily, trying not to enjoy the way it feels to have his touch skating over your face so smoothly. 

“Good,” you agree. You rock back on your feet and sigh defeatedly. “We should go.”

It’s a little after 7pm by the time you get home. You make light, superficial conversation with Tom in the car as you put up with his chiding remarks about your driving, and by the time you walk through your front door, you feel frazzled.

“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting visitors,” you mutter as you walk into your living room and take a view of the mess. 

“It’s fine.” Tom places his bag down on the sofa and looks around, greedy eyes taking in the details of your apartment. “It’s nice here.”

“Thanks.” You look around at your apartment, smiling quietly to yourself. The building is in downtown LA, right in the centre of things, and it wasn’t at all cheap, but over the years you’ve spent hidden away within the walls, you’ve made it feel like home. You’ve added character by tacking up a variety of posters, plants, and other fun keepsakes. “Do you want to order food? I don’t really want to cook.”

“Yeah, sure.” Tom pulls out his phone and glances up at you, face illuminated by the screen. “What do you want?”

“Thai?”

He pulls a face. “How about Chinese?”

You scrunch your nose up. “Thai?” You try again.

Tom bites his lower lip, his fingers moving over the screen. “Is it nice?” He asks you. 

“You’ve never had Thai before?”

He looks up at you, shrugging haplessly. “Nope.”

“Yes, it’s nice.” 

Tom surprises you by holding out his phone. “Pick something for me?” He asks. “Something good, though.”

You chuckle softly, accepting the phone and scrolling through the app. “I can’t promise you’ll like it, but I think you should.” You add a few things to the order before tossing it back. You dig your hands into your jean pockets and hesitate. “I’m gonna take a shower. Do you want me to show you the guest room?” You ask, eyeing up the hefty bag Tom had brought with him. 

“That would be nice.”

You’re quick to show Tom his room, and then you’re off through the shower. You’d been called to set for 7am, and the hot, pulsing water soothes away the tired ache in your muscles. The scent of fresh lavender clings to your skin as you dry yourself off and then collapse into a loose pair of leggings and a nice hoodie. You feel more like yourself as you stare into your reflection in the mirror now. You love acting, and you love being someone else, but you feel safest as you are right now: bare, authentic, yourself.

You’re so relaxed that you almost forget Tom’s staying over until you walk into the living room and see him sprawled out on one of your sofas, phone in hand. He cranes his face back to look at you as he hears you, his eyes drifting lazily over your figure.

“Food will be an hour,” he tells you sadly. 

“Great,” you grumble. You walk into your kitchen, looking over at him from across the open counter. “Do you want any wine?”

“Fuck yeah.” 

You snicker as you start to pour out two glasses of rosé. “So how do you want to go about taking these photos?” You ask tentatively. 

“Well, they made me bring a few different outfit changes,” Tom starts, speaking slowly, “So I guess we should just… Move about a bit and take some pictures together.”

It’s awkward as you walk back into the living room and hand him his wine glass. “Cheers,” you mutter, tipping the rim of the glass against his. A piercing ring fades across the room, and you share a despondent look with Tom.

“Cheers indeed, love.”

It’s uncomfortable until the wine kicks in, at which point the staged photographs come together a lot easier. 

You start off with a few simple candids around your apartment. You take some of Tom pretending to make some tea, and then of him standing out on your balcony overlooking the city. He changes out his shirts and hoodies every few shots, as instructed by PR, so you’ll have a more comprehensive selection of photos to post in the future. It grows quite amusing after a while as you both try to out-Vogue the another, and once the air is full of your endless laughter, you find yourself relaxing. 

When he’s satisfied with the number of candids he’s got of you, Tom suggests you get a little closer and try to get some more intimate, couple-y pics, “‘for the ‘gram, yeah?” This is when you run into a problem.

“I haven’t done this in so long,” you find yourself admitting as you sit beside Tom in your bed. You’ve slipped into a pyjama shirt, and Tom’s settled beside you. 

“Had an incredibly handsome actor in bed with you?” He returns, eyes sparkling mischievously. This evening he’s been very cheeky with you, and you have to admit you’re warming up to it. 

“Haha,” you say drily, rolling your eyes. You puff up your pillows and settle against the headboard. “Taken any photos with a romantic interest,” you clarify.

Tom pulls off his shirt easily, balling it up and throwing it across the room. You startle at this sudden action, your eyes drifting down to the defined lines of his abs. Tom is stacked. His lips curve into a smirk.

“Well, today’s your lucky day,” he teases, causing you to scoff. He opens up his arms, and you settle into them gently, aiming for a sleepy, lazy, we-woke-up-like-this vibe. Your head finds his chest, and your cheek presses against his warm skin comfortably. “Smile.”

He takes a few photos of you together, posing as a lovestruck couple, and as the seconds pass by, you melt further into him. You hadn’t realised how cold you were until Tom opened his arms and let you in, but now it’s as if you were freezing before the first touch. He’s got his hand resting on your side, and you feel his mouth linger above your forehead, hesitating. 

“Can I kiss your face?” He mumbles softly, “Might make it look more realistic.”

You hum quietly, closing your eyes as you wrap yourself further around his torso. “Sure. Can I kiss your chest?” You ask boldly, spurred on a little by the woozy heat that smothers your mind.

You hear Tom’s breath hitch, and find yourself holding yours until he mutters, quietly, “Yeah.”

You let him have his fun first, and try to remain as nonchalant as possible as you feel his lips fluttering out across your forehead. He leaves a delicate trail of kisses from temple to temple, caressing your skin slowly, softly, with his warm mouth. You realise with a soft epiphany that you don’t mind being in this position: Tom’s peppering your face in gentle kisses, holding you close in his bare arms - and it’s quite nice. And maybe… Maybe he’s quite nice, too. Sometimes.

Tom’s hand smoothes over your hair, and you tilt your head until you’re able to scatter a few short kisses across his chest. You can hear the small clicks coming from his phone, and you really drag it out, enjoying the press of his supple pale skin against your mouth. It warms you up, sets a tingle flaming through your lips. 

“There,” you say, finally dragging yourself away from him. “Do you think we’ve done enough?” 

Tom hums, watching you closely as you sit up from his chest. His arm retracts from your side, and the air between you clears. “Yeah. I’ll send them to PR and see what they say.” He messes around on his phone for a few minutes, but you stay exactly where you are - shrouded in duvet and blankets and lingering near his body heat. Your eyelids flutter shut as you relax, your peace lasting until he asks, slowly, “When was the last time you dated anyone?”

You pry open an eye, looking at him curiously. “Eh, it’s been a while. Almost a year since there was anyone serious.” You look up at him, your head resting easily on the pillow. “Why?”

“Just realised I don’t know that much about you, really,” Tom replies. He slips down the bed until he’s lying beside you, and both of you move onto your sides to face one another. He looks quiet and unassuming like this - tufts of brown hair pushed messily around his forehead, with a warm expression hanging from his lips. It’s an odd look to be directed towards you. 

“Yeah,” you hum. You let a small smile find your lips. “I don’t know much about you either.”

The sheets rustle as Tom moves a little closer. “Do you… want to know more about me?” He asks gently.

You swallow. You can taste the wine on your tongue, and you wonder why you can only seem to get along with him when you’re tipsy. 

“Yeah,” you admit. “Maybe it’d be easier to do this if we weren’t always so…”

“Horrible?”

You bite your lip as you nod. “Yeah. We can be pretty mean.”

“Why do we do that?” Tom muses, his cheeks nice and flushed.

“I don’t know.”

Tom reaches out beneath the covers, and his hand finds yours softly. He links your fingers together, and you look into his eyes intently. You find only warmth and sincerity staring back at you. 

“Maybe we should try to be less hostile to each other,” he suggests. 

Briefly, your mind rewinds to that day at the park, all those weeks ago, and how Tom had dramatically announced that the thought of being your friend repulsed him. It surprises you to hear this change of heart, but you realise you’re in the same boat. A lot has changed since then. 

“Okay,” you find yourself agreeing. “I’d be down to try that.”

“Okay.”

You share a small smile, and it seems to last a lifetime. For a while, it’s just you and Tom, buried in your bed together, hands clasped, breathing in sync, and it’s nice.

Eventually, food comes, and you convince Tom to watch one of your favourite films in your living room. You settle on separate sofas, but you’re able to make some light-hearted conversation. He even jokes around with you. It feels nice - but also too good to be true. 

As you sober up, you find yourself looking at him sceptically. No matter how welcome the thought that things between you are slowly mending might be, you don’t trust Tom, and that’s not about the change overnight. He’s an actor, and you wouldn’t put it past him to be pulling your leg - drawing you into this rouse, only later to turn around and pull the rug from beneath you, and laugh at you for believing that he’d want to be your friend. Your perception of him has been skewed so negatively for so long that it’s hard to believe he’s actually being nice - even if on your end, the softening is genuine. 

But you let yourself believe it, just for the night. You throw popcorn at him, and laugh together, and finish the bottle of wine over dinner. 

“Goodnight, Y/N,” Tom calls out, resting up against the door of the spare room. He’s caught you coming from the bathroom. He’s shirtless again, grey sweats hanging low from his hips, and you can’t stop your eyes from shamelessly tracing the curve of his v-line. “Not going to give your boyfriend a goodnight kiss?”

You roll your eyes, but you find yourself walking over to him. “You’re so fucking cheeky, Tom,” you mutter, amused. You press your hand to his shoulder and lean up to kiss his cheek. “Goodnight,” you say, eyeing him firmly.

Tom’s eyes dance with a thousand different emotions, and he dives in to kiss your cheek in return. “Night, love.”

You raise a hand in farewell and turn away before he can see the huge, embarrassing grin on your face. 

When you wake up, it’s to silence and a slightly sore head. Your clock reads 8.22 AM, and you amble towards the kitchen. 

You decide to extend towards Tom an olive branch - a cup of tea - to solidify your newfound… friendship? Amicable arrangement? You don’t know how to label it other than a loosening of your mutual disdain, but you know that whatever the dynamic was last night, it’d been nice. The idea that there’s more to him than the cocky, fronting mask he sometimes wears is pleasant. 

So you make him a cup of tea, and then tentatively walk across to your spare room. You knock quietly, hear nothing, and then gently push your way inside.

The room is empty. Tom is gone. He’s left the bed unmade.

“Fuck,” you mutter to yourself, scrunching your eyebrows together. You glance around and notice he’s taken all of his things, and then walk back into your room to check your phone - no new messages from him.

You sit down on the edge of your bed and sip at the tea you’d painstakingly poured for him. 

Maybe it was too good to be true, and you’d just been stupid to think one tipsy evening together was the start of something new. He’s clearly undergone no change of heart if he’s managed to waltz out without as much as a text goodbye. You feel stupid and angry, but above all disappointed. 

Because for a moment - a brief, hopeful moment - you’d imagined being Tom’s friend, and the prospect had made you feel happy.

↠ NEXT PART

please let me know what you’re thinking!!!! ask box is open :D

taglist can be found in the series masterpost, which is the pinned post at the top of my blog

masterlist linked in my description

[towerofgodscreamblogwink]

reading 59-63 but the plot thickens, there’s plenty of khun screenshots, bam gets a shield, there’s PLENTY of khun screenshots, WHITE returns and I can tell siu was having an epiphany of drawing pretty men, and bam basically becomes god

o lord he looks angry

bro so this orange haired dude is NOT jahad??

this reminded me of that short story of the lil creature whom shibisu and rest had to take the fire hammer from, in order to wake up khun

it ended with hopeful ending though, once they’ve taken the hammer away, that he might return to his old self -

WAIT THAT WAS ALSO HELL JOE’S PLOT

He was weak - got power from urek - got it taken away, and sort of returned to his old self

I?? Well wow narration sure makes a point of this sort of thing, where power changes you and, i almost have no words for now other than “let’s sure see where this one will lead...”

he looks kinda cute

oop our boy gets called out and kallavan talked him down SAVAGELY in next panels, but bam goes with “no u” with the slight undertones of “ok boomer” so not to worry bam’s fine

*spits tea* WHA TTHE FUCK?? SO ?? PRETTY?? Also this time I *did* actually drink tea... But not to worry, no drop of actual tea was dropped or spit 

braid...

*smooches khun again*

that’s why we love our baby

also damn even evANKHELL 

pretty 

KHUN HAS A LEGIT SMALL FANG I????

i, i, i, one time i saw someone saying it but like,, i never really believed it,,, i thought every time khun had small fang that was just one-time thing because siu was being horny,,,

JEE, look at him gO

i’ll be making at some point complication of khun being pretty...

*spits out tea*

reminds me to go get my actual tea actually

tbh reading tog with tea really makes you feel fucking fancy

also 

bam, playing with khun’s cheeks: who likesh to move enemies like pawnsh? who likesh to move enemiesh like pawnsh and commit war cwimes? you! you are! uwu

khun: uwu 

boyfriends commiting war crimes

i mean not really but it still sounds cool

uwu

I like how he doesn’t even question this shit at this point

to be fair, being in the universe where furries are a thing; that’s a smart move or you’ll go crazy

well that was powerful

i’ve once made appreciation post for this to siu but i’ll say it again: i fucking LOVE how siu casually makes men pretty and women masculine. I love that shit. break those stereotypes more baby, we’re here for this shit

?? Someone’s getting humble?

Siu is reaching his artistic peak in terms of designing attractive androgynous-looking characters

to be fair i’m suprised losing limbs isn’t more common in the tower? also, what *can* they do with it? they have big ass technology, together with an actual magic, can they regrow lost limbs, or do they make artificial ones? 

well here’s my answer 

O HHHHHHHHH

m-my lord...

[coffeebeannate]

nateee, natteeeeee, your pirate!joe fic has DEVASTATED me with endless possibilities floating around through my lil gremlin brain so i feel it's only fair to subject you to them: first concept: pirate joe, mermaid nicky. do i need to say more??? do i?? second concept: prince/royalty joe and pirate nicky. the forbidden LOVERS of it all. im picturing a scene where nicky perhaps rescues joe (not that joe isn't perfectly capable on his own) and nicky says "i'm a pirate, not a monster" AHHHhhhH???HHH

I need you all to witness the absolute glory that Abby here has been leaving in my inbox. Under a cut because it’s long but trust me folks, this is worth every second. 

Abby, this is a delight and I thank you so much for sharing it with me. My inbox has been a happy place the last couple days!

Behold, All, Abby’s excellent brain tinkerings:

im not done!!! im not done!! theres still Thoughts jumbling around like marbles in a jar in the hands of a very energetic toddler! this is kinda going off the idea of prince/royalty joe and pirate nicky but its set in canonverse and they're undercover and they have to keep up the appearances of who they're supposed to be (and not liking the other) but them having secret rendezvous and finding the whole situation... amusing. also maybe trying to get the other to break character for funsies idk im having perhaps... TOO MANY IDEA? okay okay okay okay runaway prince turned pirate joe. i dont know what nicky's vibe is in this au but one thought is - mermaid? (im perhaps.. too much of a fan of mermaid nicky concept idk) i guess nicky could also be a prince in this situation? or a pirate? idk im just thinking about runaway prince turned pirate joe. like with no one knowing that pirate joe is actually prince yusuf and vice versa. wait wai twai ti wajit i have idea  (runaway prince joe turned pirate) maybe nicky is like... sent to find prince yusuf? and in his journeys he stumbles across pirate joe. maybe there's rumors that Pirate!Joe killed prince yusuf? maybe nicky confronts joe and joe just tilts his head and gives nicky a coy smile saying 'oh, the prince isn't dead... but i can promise you won't find him if you kill me.' okay so just to draw it out a bit of a picture. nicky has his sword at joe's throat at this point, like the sword tip just under joe's chin y'know the whole gay holding ur enemy at swordpoint shebang. but joe is unfazed by this, he speaks the whole 'prince yusuf isn't dead' bit and theres a smirk on his lips and confidence in his eyes. maybe nicky demands that he tell him where the prince is. maybe its at this point that joe says 'i can promise if you kill me you'll never find him' okay hold on let me just: Nicky has Joe at swordpoint, a surprise attack perhaps. Joe: "While this isn't my first encounter with a devilishly handsome man holding me at swordpoint, i must say this is the first time i don't know /why/" Nicky narrows his eyes, "You killed Prince Yusuf. I was sent to seek justice for his death." "Oh... well, while I'm honored, truly, but I'm afraid there is not justice to seek. Prince Yusuf isn't dead." Nicolò (i know i used nicky previously but i like the vibe of nicolò so im using that now) manages to narrow his eyes at Joe even more, of course all logic is telling him not to believe this pirate, but there is this (extremely repressed) part of him that /believes/ Joe. And that's when Joe, maybe sensing or seeing the hesitation in Nicolò's eyes, tilts his head and speaks again, "Kill me if you wish, but I can promise if you do so, you will never find the justice you seek, you will /never/ find your Prince- and it will be /you/ who is as good as his killer." Nicolò stands there silently for a bit, his expression blank, and finally he speaks, his voice quiet, "And if I don't kill you?" And Joe's grin widens almost instantaneously. (thats all i've like thought out exact scene wise but maybe joe says smth like "you'll just have to find out" okay so like i said i dont have exact thoughts but like, basically, joe ends up taking nicolò on a wild goose chase to find the prince. maybe he has a plan, or more likely, he's winging it with his quick wit and charm alone. i know he certainly doesn't /plan/ to reveal to nicolò that /he/ is in fact the prince (as nicolò's new goal/plan has become "rescuing" the prince and returning him to his home) but well... lets just say things dont really follow... Any Plans in the end so they go on a wild goose chase together, and slowly, slowly they fall. and idk what really happens but im just picturing there being situations where joe could... so easily ditch nicolò, but he finds himself stalling in those situations. maybe joe slowly teaches nicolò pirate-y things. maybe nicolò secretly begins hoping they /never/ find the prince. if it means he gets to stay with joe. idk. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ idk. Additional Points:

okay okay so one thought i haven't been able to stop thinking about in this prince turned pirate au is andy and quynh. now my frist thought was like mermaid quynh but i think thats just gonna be another au im gonna have to think about but i think the concept i really like for this au is pirate andy & quynh, they are the ones who helped joe get to where he is as a pirate (and perhaps they are the only people who know the truth about joe?) and yeah, co-pirates andy & quynh i'm just really picturing andy and quynh running into joe and nicky when joe is "leading nicky to the prince" and them just,,, raising their eyebrows at joe like "to the Prince? the PRINCE?" and at this point joe and nicky have fallen for each other but refuse to admit it or anything and andy & quynh See RIGHT through joe but joe INSISTS he has everything under control and he Has A Plan so they ultimately leave him alone in the end but they KNOW... they KNOW Some Gems Abby Included: “Hold on I gotta eat” (There was a pause in asks here) “Okay, I’ve put on pirate music LETS GO” (After part 8) “Okay this is the last part.” (Sends two more parts) Abby, from the absolute bottom of my heart thank you for this. I’d be happy to expand it into a thing of some sort (a fic) down the road, and take these incredible notes with me. You made me laugh out loud multiple times and the little notes you put in just made it better. I encourage this entirely and thank you so much. This is absolutely fantastic. I’m honoured to have been the one you’ve shared this with.

[geniedocroe]

Hey there, love! I really love your blog and I was wonderin if I could get a ship from you? I'm 5'4 and I have long, wavy, dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and light freckles. I'm pretty outgoing and I like drawing, singing, swimming, and soccer. I'm a bit stubborn sometimes and I will do anything to prove my point. I'm also a lil bit sarcastic but I would never outwardly hurt anyone. It's my duty to bring chaotic yet good vibes into the lives of everyone around me. Thank you once again! 💕💕😩

as an s/o:

i exclusively ship people with nix & i won’t apologize for it

it’s either web or nix sorry

i also just realized i haven’t shipped anyone with gene 😳

no one is good enough :)

okay let’s get started

lord knows nix needs somebody outgoing around him

this man is depressed :(

but like same

nix’s friends tell him they think you’ve been very good for him because he seems so much happier & he drinks less and less

like many rich boys he spoils you

he’s like i have all this money why not spend it

i wish i had the same problem

everybody appreciates a gift but sometimes you’re like woah chill this is a lot

he frowns & definitely stutters out an apology

nix is just so whipped

he tells you he’s never felt this way about someone before

you tell him it’s alright & you appreciate the gifts and that you love him dearly

a simple kiss on the cheek or nose calms his nerves almost immediately

nix will do literally anything you ask

you wanna chill & draw for hours on end?

okay sick

you wanna go kick around a soccer ball?

dope i’ll meet you outside

you want to go down to the lake?

alright lemme get the sunscreen

he practically begs you to sing him to sleep

he often compares your voice to something from heaven

“BaBe your voice is angelic.”

this man is stubborn

and so are you

the two of you tend to argue a lot

it’s not because you don’t get along it’s because the two of you are so damn stubborn & will never admit when one is wrong

arguments last days and maybe even weeks

one time you dragged him all the way down to louisana to prove a point

(you were trying to tell him how tall doc roe was and he did not believe you at all)

eugene was very very confused when you showed up on his doorstep & suggested counseling but the both of you insisted that everything was perfectly fine

you returned to new jersey & everything went back to normal

the sarcasm throws nix off sometimes

he understand it but sometimes you say things so seriously and he is very confused

after his divorce he needs quite a lot of reassurance but you don’t mind

you’re always there to tell him you love him & value him & would risk it all to be by his side

that def gives him an ego boost but it puts a smile on his face

in the end that’s all that matters

as a bestfriend:

when i think sarcasm i think malarkey & i cant explain it

if you think nix needs someone outgoing then you haven’t met the one & only don malarkey

this poor boy looks at you like you are the creator of everything good

you definitely light up his world

like nix he would do anything for you

you want me to jump off a bride?

okay i’ll get right on that. love you bestie

the two of you are always making plans & having sleepovers

sometimes nix comes home & sees you gossiping with malarkey

he slowly backs out of the room without question

nix has seen malark cry on your shoulder more times than he could count

at first nix was jealous & worried something was going on because of joe close you were

(again he needs a lot of reassurance)

malarkey explained everything to him & told him he had nothing to worry about

then you had to do the same

don is very patient with you

he knows your stubborn and finds it amusing

you will argue your point & don will tell you that it was very good strong argument and you are actually wrong

this pisses you off to no end because he’s so calm about it

at one point don was like yo i want this but i do not wanna spend that much money

so you were like hey i know someone with piles of money sitting around

you asked nix for some money & he gladly gave it to you without asking what it was for

this didn’t happen all of the time but now don has some pointless stuff lying around his house

the two of you definitely bring the chaos out of one another and play these elaborate pranks on nix

he does not appreciate these pranks

[attract-mode-collective]

The Attract Mode Holiday Gift Guide For 2019, Part 2

Alright, there's officially one week left, seven days till Christmas! And if you're still looking for that special something for that special someone, time is running out.

Thankfully, options do still exist... kinda, sorta. Also, you might have to pay a premium.... but dems are the breaks. First up is Love Hultén's logical follow-up to the FC-PVM from earlier this year, the SNES-PVM! Here's some additional beauty shots...

Going by the product page, it's more or less identical to the predecessor, so the same 9" Sony Trinitron PVM-9042QM. It also appears to utilize the same 8BitDo driven controller mods as well; it's not listed on their made-to-order​ page, but I'm sure if you ask nicely... as well as offer enough money to make it worth their time... they might be willing to make a deal?

Though I do have an alternative, cuz even if there was a SNES-PVM ready to go, imagine how much guaranteed by Christmas shipping from Sweden would cost? Your next best bet is Bithead1000, who can build you a Super Nintendo Fish Tank made in the good ole’ U.S. of A....

For those of you finally pulling the trigger on a PlayStation 4 Pro this holiday, and are considering the Limited Edition Death Stranding bundle... but are a bit underwhelmed by the included DualShock 4... consider We Are Robot's alternative. Which costs about as much as the aforementioned system, oh well...

But if you're interested in something for the whole family, then how about a block of Bridge Baby cheese? Am sure this will be the centerpiece of this year’s Hideo Kojima Christmas gathering...

And guess what can be the centerpiece of your Christmas gathering? Why Hideo Kojima of course, or a 1/6 replica from @bayuarafat...

I myself am simply going to get a lil Ludens for my desk, to hold my glasses (seen here as part of Jean-François Rey's collab with Kojima Pro) which will pair nicely with my lil Venom Snake bionic arm (from the Metal Gear Solid V Collector's Edition), aka my wedding ring holder...

Am still kicking myself for missing out on this DS Lite covered with Swarovski crystals; suppermariobroth notes that it was on sale at the Nintendo New York in '07 for only $600 (I have no idea how I could miss that)...

Here's a motorcycle jacket from THUNDERBOX that’s supposed to evoke the Game Boy; would be nice if one could somehow hook one up to it & have the jacket be a controller of sorts, silly as that sounds...

As someone who could care less about Kirby (sorry everyone), I nonetheless adore the Shogo Sekine portion of Laforet Harajuku's PLAYFUL KIRBY line (be sure to check out miki800.com to see Converse Stars’s half, or maybe not, cuz it kinda sucks)...

Though miki800's Instagram recently reminded me of the one person/place/thing I absolutely need to visit when making my triumphant return to Japan: wherever VIDEOGAMETOKYO is at stationed at that moment, to finally obtain this Salamander/Life Force sweatshirt...

I’ll probably want to also track down whatever pop-up GAMES GLORIOUS is at during my stay, cuz I’ve long been interested in their Sega Master System/Mark III button-up...

Along wit their SEGA HARD GIRLS shirt; even with the detail of the pattern handy, I still need a closer look...

I previously showcased Eri Kitamura's work a little over a year ago; nowadays, not only does she draw pretty girls on Game Boys, but pretty girls with Game Boys as well, which forms the basis of her zine GAME GIRL...

For those who haven't heard, the latest release from Data Discs is the soundtrack to Radiant Silvergun...

As for myself, I've recently begun collecting old Japanese 45s, and as @marosahi19 demonstrates, I won't have any trouble finding a copy of Takahashi “16 shots per second” Meijin hit single while in Tokyo later this weekend...

This is what it sounds like, btw...

Hey, did I mention that I'm going to Japan? Cuz I am! Yup, the grand return is actually happening, again, in just a few days. Hence why part two of my holiday gift guide is so late. Anyhow, I'm also going to be on the lookout for the Famicom copy of Athena, cuz of the included bonus audio cassette (or I guess I could make an mp3 of Jeremy Parish's rip for YouTube)...

But yeah, this blog post is way overdue; if I had filed it in time, perhaps there would have been enough of a heads up for my buddy Joe Simko's Good Nite Fortnite! card, which was available from Topps for just 24 hours (perhaps a card collector out there might have one for sale on eBay or something)...

It's also why I didn't get to mention in time that Retro-Ko had not just one, but two pink Hello Kitty Dreamcasts available (hopefully you saw my mention on Twitter, but more importantly, following @retro_ko will guarantee that you'll know when they next have three in stock)...

Remember my mention of Read-Only Memory's Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works from, gee, two years ago? Guess what; it's finally here...

Here's an old Dreamcast jacket from Cobles in mint condition. For those interested, make James Mielke an offer...

Back to the subject of Death Stranding; if you regret not picking up that game's Collector's Edition... or simply couldn't afford to... you can still carrying around a BB, so long as you attach him to your coat zipper or the like: @mxgicdave's FUNKY FETUS Acrylic Charm...

Guess what else is super fashionable? Japanese arcade cabs of course; anyone interested in @VVCollectiv's Astro City inspired pins & keychains should send them a DM...

This holiday season, show your Switch how much you truly care by finally giving it a pair of legs, courtesy of... am not sure, to be honest. The problem with Instagram these days is how everyone basically swipes content from everyone else; saw it here in case anyone’s interested...

Hey, remember that girl with that Sega Saturn on her head that I wrote about a few years ago as well? Well, these days she's making art & designing apparel...

And here's a closer look via @miaumiauzmiau's Twitter...

If you'd rather adorn your love for candy cabs on your wall and not on your body, then SURUDENISE can help with that, with this super spiffy print...

My wife & I are always looking to furnish the apartment with things that reflect both of our interests; for myself it’s video games & for Ashley it’s cats. So this PixelEyeBat print from The Yetee seems right up our alley…

Actually, we recently got something along those lines, which was acquired at Anime NYC from loststreetkat.com…

She also had this keychain, which we naturally had to get…

Full-disclosure: my original plan for part two of my holiday gift guide was going to be a round-up of all my fave findings at the show, but since time was running out… guess that’ll have to wait till 2020. Cuz one again, I’m going to be in Japan in just a few days!!!

Though one last thing: if none of the above works out for you, remember, there’s always Mercari...

[comicteaparty]

June 13th-June 19th, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from June 13th, 2020 to June 19th, 2020.  The chat focused on the following question:

What is your physical and digital workspace like when you’re working on your story?

🌈ERROR404 🌈

LOL it really depends on what stage I'm in of the process - My storyboarding space is at home, as comfortable as I can be, a beer and some food at the ready and pure silence. The cats have to be freshly fed, otherwise I'll be harassed and lose my headspace entirely LOL. I usually work on my story boards digitally, just at a very small scale, with my script/outline on my computer and working on my ipad! The double screen helps a LOT, although i would just print out the script if I had access to a printer, haha. When I'm working on the actual page itself, it's a very different story. I usually just try and work on it in tiny little batches during the day when I'm stuck at home, and usually work around the animals as best i can, lmao. Truthfully, I really prefer to be in a coffee shop when I'm working on finishing pages, it makes me so much more productive than i am in this house with so many things to take care of right in front of me, but, obviously, that's a bit difficult to do these days. ;; I usually reserve food and drink until after I pass a milestone in inking/sketching to help motivate me to keep going for as much as I can before taking a break, and I need some kind of music or video playing in the background to keep myself from being absolutely bored out of my mind. My shading process, since it's in black and white, is very easy and i can finish it in one setting, easy, no matter what I'm working with. I also work digitally for my pages, of course, although I don't need more than my ipad and clip studio for it!

DaeofthePast

freshly fed cats

🌈ERROR404 🌈

They are BEASTS when hungry, the little bastards (love them)

I may only work in peace when they're post-food napping lmao

DaeofthePast

we only have one, but same

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I work almost entirely in the corner of my IKEA couch at home I used to work at a proper desk with a Cintiq, but when I switched to Procreate on an iPad, I migrated to the couch and surrounded myself with a nest of clothes and blankets and books and... here I am, bein' cozy. With terrible posture But when I was between jobs last year, I did rent a little coworking space down the street so I could get out of my pajamas and go get comic stuff done there. It was a godsend. I like drawing at my favorite coffee shop every so often too, but I tend to hide my work while I draw, and there, everyone can look over my shoulder The coworking space had a tall artist desk that was rarely used, so I often grabbed that one. Not cheap, but to stave off cabin fever, heck yes, worth it.

🌈ERROR404 🌈

Ahhh I've been really thinking about getting a studio space one of these days I really shouldn't rn, with my finances as they are, but I could REALLY make use of one recently

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I loved the space I used last year. They recently had to close for... current-event reasons... and are going to reopen with all sorts of plexiglass barriers between the desks I feel so bad for them. Good studio spaces are wonderful, I would support them again if I ever was out of a job!

🌈ERROR404 🌈

it's good they've found ways to make it safer, though!

carcarchu

My old workspace was in the basement of my home in canada and it was always perpetually freezing even in the summer and i was frequently visited by spiders so my current workspace is a huge improvement in that regard. I do miss my old ergonomic desk chair though. I'm definitely not the kind of person who can draw in bed or on the couch. I need to be in workmode and having a designated space just for that is necessary for me to get in the right headspace for that.

DaeofthePast

my workspace rn is just my desk with my laptop and my drawing tablet. my laptop is stacked on top of a pile of books so i can see the screen (otherwise my tablet blocks my line of sight). it's kinda simple

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Depends. I have a Cintiq Mobile Studio, so I can draw pretty much every where and sometimes in the oddest position, but most of the time I am on my desk with the cintiq hooked up to a second monitor so I don't have to look down so much.(edited)

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

For Wayfinders: Thumbnails are somewhere cozy and the only physical work. Me and Q sit and plan them out together. The rest of wayfinders are made on Photoshop, and flat colors in clip paint studio. In the world I would love a nice studio place in an office with others. During corentine I have been working from home, and I am not that good at it, being quite the extrovert. Before corentine I was in a artist residency where I worked on Wayfinders which had a workstation and all the programs we could need. It is so nice and me and Q are going to return there when it opens up again!

Miranda

I have an iPad so usually on the couch, cozied up with coffee and pillows and blankets. But sometimes at the table. But usually on the couch like the gremlin I am

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I have a large drafting table, a mini drafting table, and a lapdesk in my papasan when we ink/draw! Toning and letters are all done on the desktop in its own space

Miranda

I need to get a good lap desk. But that sounds like a grand setup!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

My first time hearing about a lapdesk

Omg I need one

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

They are the best things ever Mine has just the pencil holder !(some come with cup holders and its a waste of space imo)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Wow I like your setup of the drafting tables

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I wanna show pics of them....if im allowed in this chat?

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I hope so, I'm not sure which channel we can post studio photos at? I did see some did before?

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Ill post in shop talk since creator babble gets archived

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

my current space is uh.... a bit better than my last one. I used to work on an old writers desk for a decade and I did most of my comic work sitting there cramped up with my desktop taking most of the space. Now I have an L shaped desk where I have my desktop on the shorter end. The longer end it's my pen, pencils, and watercolor stuff. my display tablet occupy the space at times so switching from digital and traditional without worrying about setup hassle is a lot better than what I dealt with before lol.

I'm glad the days I had to curl up and draw with no privacy are long gone now

kayotics

I’ve got a little drafting table where I draw all my comic pages. I’m messy with my pens so they’re kind of strewn about until I start to lose them. Then I put them back. I’m not particularly neat. I spend most of the comic process off the computer, so most of my digital work is just on an iPad where I can sit anywhere. I try to keep good lighting around my drafting table and there’s always loose eraser shavings all over.

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

I got myself a lil corner desk by the dining table. Not as well-lit as I'd like, but it's decently ergonomic and I started putting posters on my wall Plus I can leave work mindset easily by turning off my computer and forgetting about the dark corner in the dining room XD(edited)

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

My desk is really sloppy and covered in all kinds of junk. I have a harmonica, a ball of yarn, a bunch of ink bottles, etc on my desk. I have my sketchbook under my tablet and usually a notebook somewhere for writing. My tablet sits to the right of my laptop (on top of sketchbook) while I'm not using it and when I'm using it it goes over my computer keyboard. I sometimes have a glass of water or some food sitting to the lefthand side

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

The only thing I wanna share about my workspace is this

once i spent over three hours looking for that damned pen

never again

🌈ERROR404 🌈

Ajkdhfkjs the models for hte magazine im crying

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh my God

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

mad giggling

Deo101 [Millennium]

youre gonna manage to lose the string

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

omg

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i know in my heart deo is right but still i hope

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

You should weld a metal chain to it

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Watch me lose the whole tablet

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh nooo

I believe in you!

TaliePlume

My workspace is a black table with a white, yellow, blue and green tablecloth with 3 black chairs. It's next to the kitchen. On it, is my laptop and the left side is my clipboard, 3 blue folders full of writing. Then above it, is 3 sketchbooks and another blue folder from a class that I took in community college.

June 16, 2020

sagaholmgaard

I have one long desk at almost three meters. On the left side is all my coffee and tea supplies, in the middle is my work space and on the right is my dining table xD I get everything done from there, despite having a mobilestudio so I COULD sit anywhere and work, lol. It's a blessing during holiday seasons to be able to bring it everywhere, but at some I like my designated working space. Although I am moving in a few weeks, so who knows what my new workspace will be

Moral_Gutpunch

My workspace is anywhere I can draw or write. It's more of a "Will I be interrupted over something petty or stupid" issue than space. Not that I don't want more space.

Mitzi (Trophallaxis)

My workspace is a big, broken corner desk I managed to lug out of an old apartment when it was gonna be trashed. Before then, I'd just draw in bed. I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure the folding chair I sit at is a similar affair. It's got a Dollar General throw pillow on it so I can at least say I'm trying to save my back. The top of the desk is a mess of mostly old bottles and cans, pencils, incense ash, and my old tarot deck. I love this setup dearly. This is the first time I've ever had my own desk space, much less a space I can decorate or leave as messy as I want. Got my own art up on the walls with sticky tack and all! Also the cat's scratching post is directly behind me, because we've learned the cat won't use it unless it's as in the way as possible. What can ya do, lol.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh cats...

Desnik

I got spoiled with an adjustable desk. It is six feet long, and has a whiteboard top for noodling with dry erase markers

my main computer is set up on an adjustable stand so it floats over the desk, and then I have my cintiq, which we tried to mount on a similar stand but then it was just too heavy

I keep my dice collection nearby because fidgeting helps think things through sometimes

and rolling to make odd decisions never hurts

lately during the quarantine I've been sharing the office with my spouse so we've had to establish rules over when it's okay to bug each other(edited)

oh yeah and we also have a whiteboard installed in the office, and it rules!(edited)

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

Mine is pretty simple: I have a laptop that's long stopped being portable and is now mostly just sitting at my desk at all times and a 19 inch Ugee as my display. I usually keep a lot of stuff on top of my desk, but it's mostly just a mess because I have been using it for work too for a while now

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I suppose I'll talk about my setup too :) My main setup is where I do digital art. I share an office with my SO, so we both have workspaces on opposite walls from each other. I work on a corner desk that holds my beefy computer, two monitors, and a Huion Kamvas GT-191. That's where I draw my comic and pretty much everything else done digitally. Ngl, it's a mess right now. I have comic notes and location floor plans in sketchbooks and DnD character sheets spread out all over the surface, and random pens and sticky notes. In the corner of the room, we have a nice large-format printer where I produce prints for conventions. I actually sketch my pages on an iPad pro in Procreate, so during the sketch phase, sometimes I'll just bundle up on my couch and do it, or before quarantine, sometimes I'd sketch on the go. My other workspace (which hasn't gotten much love as of late tbh) is a drafting table in the corner of our living room. I keep a tabletop easel on it and my Copic markers, as well as whatever I'm working on at the moment. (RN it's some ink washes.) The drawers hold all my ink, pencils, erasers, etc. Next to the drafting table is where I keep all my large charcoal, graphite, and oil pastel drawings (mostly school projects), and my large paintings. Other than that, I have a nifty little cart where I keep painting supplies :) I will say, this setup is by far an enormous improvement from my previous setups.

[admins-home-for-peculiar-hermits]

Season after season, the Hermits had been tormented relentlessly by hollows, or horrible, invisible monsters created by Evil X. They were a result of an experiment of unknown intent, and now they steal peculiar Hermit’s souls, and somehow manage to creep their way into every new season.

Once they acquire enough of these souls, they can ascend into wights. These wights take the form of beloved Hermits, making them far more dangerous. The only physical difference is that wights bear entirely white eyes that seem to glow in the dark.

Now, Season 6. It’d been relatively peaceful. It was the longest time the Hermits had been hollow-free, and newer technology that came with every Update had made the future seem much brighter. The possibility of never having to leave their homes behind again is closer to becoming a reality than ever. Maybe Evil X has finally given up. Old Hermits have even joined along the way! However, what the others don’t know is that the return of these presumed-dead Hermits opens a whole new realm of disaster beyond either of them’s control, and perhaps a tear into the fine fabric that keeps Season 6 safe.

--

hey hi howdy so i made a blog for anyone whos interested in this au lol this is basically where i just drop anything i write about or draw w this au haha. please note that this au has semi-permadeath (nobody will die forever or anythin but sometimes people just don’t respawn if that makes any sense??) and not a whole lot of angst but its there. i’ll try and have this deviate a bit from the og books bc some of its either problematic, confusing, or doesnt fit with what i have planned.  in fact, heres a small list of things ive changed for reference (and in case u get the books and go “wtf quee this isnt canon”): ymbrynes can be men bc admins if a hermit spends a lot of time around another hermit, they’ll pick up a bit of one anothers abilities. not enough to be useful for anything but hey its there ymbrynes are leaders not caretakers wights and hollows travel though underground nether portals and tfc usually has to break any unfinished ones he finds while caving rip seasons in hc = loops in mphfpc

anyways as a refresher heres a list of peculiarities the hermits have, alphabetically (tumblr’s a bitch and wont let me put this under a cut for whatever reason so i’ll just tag as long post):

Bdubs: it is a mystery Biffa: He’s an admin so he’s an ymbryne! Basically hes a bird guy (he can become a crowned eagle) who’s sorta the decision maker of the server with x and joe. in this au ymbrynes aren’t caretakers (bc thats problematic, in my humble opinion) and are leaders sorta? anyways moving on oh yeah he kinda went poof one day n nobody knows where he is Cleo: Zombie, but powered by redstone. Cub: Vex magic Doc: He can reanimate the dead. It’s incredibly draining, but hey its there Evil X: An ex-ymbryne. He created the hollows, but not for the reason you, or the other hermits, think. He retains the ymbryne power of becoming a bird, in this case, a crow. another thing he is, is redeemable. False: basically she’s almost impossible to beat in battle its kinda scary but its also really cool. Grian: hes got birdie wings also hes very light which allows him to fly without using rockets and its kinda like a perpetual slow falling potion. somehow he still manages to splat on the ground lol Impulse: manipulates shadows n darkness. he makes lil shadow puppets for tango n zed bc team zit’s friendship is so fucking cute Iskall: Manipulates slime iskallium. he and jevin claim their abilities are different. He’s also noticed that the area around him gets just a little chillier. Jevin: is being literally made out of slime not peculiar enough for you (he can manipulate slimes) Joe: Ymbryne, again! He’s a bluebird. Also he’s got enhanced synesthesia and it’s pretty rad. Keralis: it is a mystery Mumbo: Living lever. He can activate redstone simply by touching it. He has to think for it to work though.  Python: flowers kinda grow at his feet. because of this hes the master of poison. he uses lilies of the valley in tea to poison enemies. he was once accused of making biffa disappear because of this. Ren: he speaks fluently to animals. haha furry ily Scar: Vex magic... 2! After all the time spent at Area 77 with Doc, he’s also gotten a bit popular with the undead. Stress: Ice magic for the ice queen! Tango: Fire manipulation. He’s always very warm. TFC: He doesn’t seem too special until you look closely at his eyes. One of them is completely white. When X first met him, he just thought he was blind in that eye, until the man saved X’s butt from a wight in Season 5. That is how the server found out their “normal” is part wight. Wels: Metallokinesis! Don’t make him angry. He’ll drop an anvil on you. Xisuma: Yet another ymbryne, and the last one I have to talk about. He’s a snowy owl. Zedaph: He’s kinda what happens if you stay in the End for too long. He’s got a very potent dragon’s breath attack at his fingertips and he has natural dragon wings/horns. also pointy teef and end crystals give him regen. Admittedly this is my headcanon for him already (except the end crystal part), but shhh..

[sherrysiclemusic]

my top spotify songs of 2019 revisited - #1-10

starting a new series where i review my most streamed songs of a particular year!

#10 // EZI - DaNcing in a RoOm

a lil generic, not a song i find myself returning to much but still a pretty solid song that you’d probably hear at H&M or something.

#9 // Loote - Your Side Of The Bed

ok imma just preface this by saying i knew this before the jungkook video, he’s definitely stalking my spotify. also i remember posting a video of me singing this in kareoke w my friend and loote liked it lol.

#8 // Taylor Swift - Lover

i agree w her, i love the word lover. it’s such a nice word, esp. when it’s taylor singing it. i love how she played every single part of this song, and i love how she’s finally happy with joe. it’s the type of song to slow dance to, wether it is at your wedding, prom or in the living room, perhaps while forgetting to take the christmas lights down.

#7 // The Aces - Lovin’ is Bible

i love you, you make me crazy, etc etc

#6 // Jaira Burns - Ugly

this was on my youtube recommendations for like an entire year and i finally caved in. the aesthetic of the video is everything. can we please bring back space buns and holo everything?? i guess i need to hang around the laundromat more often.

#5 // Taylor Swift - Death By A Thousand Cuts

honestly surprised that this is so high, i thought it would be cruel summer. also fun fact: even though i prefer her other albums, 11 songs from lover was in my top 100. i’m taylor swift’s bitch

#4 // Kim Petras - Hillside Boys

everyone’s fav problematic queen. not really feeling her new stuff but her songs w the bad neon drawing of her will always have a special place in my heart.

#3 // Hayley Kiyoko - What I Need (ft. Kehlani)

the whole album is terribly underrated. i wanted to buy the cd but i feel like my mother would question me, so i didn’t. also, i heard this once in CHINA of all places, which was wow. anyways i love hayley kiyoko so much and i need her to collab w taylor like, now.

#2 // Wallows - Pleaser

tbh tiktok is ruining this band for me

#1 // TV Girl - Lovers Rock

i love this so much. it has a really sweet backstory where the singer stayed up all night with his crush listening to records and wrote this song about her. it has a nice wandering around the streets of europe w your lover kinda vibe and oh! someone made an edit of that, and it’s so beautiful. i had a project in school where i did a fashion show and i played this song. anyways i’m still waiting for a boy to fall in love and write a song about me, but in the meantime i guess this will have to suffice.

LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST HERE

stay tuned for the rest of this series!

edit: part 2!

[sundaywhiskey]

on why you should vote for Bernie Sanders

The Sunday Blunt is a 2020 election survival effort of researched, brief-ish, minimally edited rants on America’s hellish political hellscape and related hell. I’ve not been shy about my support for Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primary. Today she suspended her campaign for president, and I’d be lying if I said I’m not writing this in tears. My hands are a lil shaky. Honestly I feel like I’m going through a breakup. It’s fine. Ultimately Warren was a prepared, fearless warrior for the progressive cause, but not the cause itself, so to honor the righteous work she’s done in this race, it is only necessary that I urge everyone still to vote to cast their ballot for Bernie Sanders. There are a few considerations all of us weigh to some degree when casting a ballot. Personally, I vote based on shared values; that’s why I didn’t cast a strategic ballot in the California primary and stayed true to my heart by voting Warren. Actually, I cried then, too, when casting my ballot. My boyfriend joked that’s “The American Dream,” but honestly... kind of. At the bare minimum, we want to believe in the vision of America that our candidate represents, and that’s reasonable considering these fuckers *do* work for us. These campaigns, as cursedly long and tedious as they are, are literally job interviews. I imagine those who stay home on Election Day feel unheard and disenchanted and probably disenfranchised by the political system. They wouldn’t hire any of the options. A progressive candidate could turn out more voters by illustrating an America that isn’t a return to the status quo, but something better for all of us. For no small or invalid reasons, most Americans want better than what we’ve received so far. I’m one of those Americans. Actually, I can confidently assume a majority of people reading this are one of those Americans as recent polling shows 70% of us support a pretty radical change in Medicare 4 All. I say radical, but what I mean is moral. America’s current healthcare model (and the one Biden vows to protect under the misnomer of “Public Option”) maintains healthcare as a business where multiple industries make a shit ton of money off of you and me getting and staying sick. This includes the pharma industry, the insurance industry, and the hospital industry. And because industries on a whole incentivize profits, nobody is working on behalf of Americans’ health. If Americans are healthy, nobody makes money. Which is truly wild because our Constitution very clearly and early on identifies the pursuit of life as an inalienable right. Meanwhile, there are 27 million uninsured Americans (like ya girl) and nearly 44 million under-insured Americans buried alive both metaphorically and literally by medical debt or postponing (or altogether not seeking) necessary care. I fall into that latter group. Shit’s not right, and any proposal that falls short of guaranteeing health insurance for all Americans and dismantling the profiteering of our illnesses is a disingenuous slab of garbage, I’m not sorry for saying so. There are lives on the line. Voters also vote with their pocketbooks. I’m not in love with this strategy but I’m broke so I get it. We’re justifiably protective of our tax dollars—it’s money we earned but can’t control. Who the fuck likes that? And considering the undertaking, it’s no question Medicare 4 All would be expensive, and voters want to know if restructuring the current model will flatter their bank accounts. So will it? The short answer is literally nobody knows. My primary care doctor (a dreamy old fellow named Dr. Horowitz who wears bowties and still sees me without insurance every three months for medication refills, although usually I go every four months when I can’t afford it) tells me the first step of the transition to single-payer will be nailing down cost. Right now, one doctor might charge one patient $20 for Advil while another might charge hundreds because the patient is in a different hospital or a person of color or just because they can. (This isn’t an exaggeration, it happens every day, ask for itemized bills.) So anybody who claims to know how much Medicare 4 All will cost is lying, which means nobody can confidently tell you how your taxes will be affected. We can predict, however, how much the current system costs you. Obviously, there are premiums and co-pays and deductibles and medication costs and, like, a zillion other ways you’re charged. Need to call an ambulance? Depending on the distance, you can ride in this life-saving transport for between a couple hundred to a few thousand dollars. Wanna have a baby? Ten thousand dollars. Diabetic? Despite outrage on both sides of the aisle, two bottles of insulin can cost upwards of $700 a month and prices are still rising. And even though we live in a dystopian hellscape where we can GoFundMe our healthcare costs, 90% of campaigns don’t get fully funded. Can you believe even that isn’t a solution? Which means I guess there’s only one thing we can do and follow the advice a rich, retired, Medicare-receiving man swirling iced white wine on a catamaran once gave me: Make more money. No, I’m kidding. We need to elect the only candidate with a god damn humanistic solution to this very real and urgent crisis, shit. Obviously, and much to my dismay, a vote for Bernie is not a vote for universal healthcare. Before we can even have that conversation, we first have to get our preferred old white man in the White House. Look, I’m not a pundit, but I pretend to be one in every Facebook status and conversation with my mother, so I’m going to answer the question on every political strategist’s voter’s mind: Can Bernie beat Trump? The short answer is yes and with better odds than Joe Biden. The long answer is holy what now!? who would have the answer to that question? Can you tell the future? Can I tell the future? Can Rachel Maddow tell the future?  In all seriousness though, I absolutely do get it. There is no denying that the threat of four more years of the Trump administration will have a devastating and long-lasting effect on our planet and every single global citizen. It’s bad, my dudes. That said, voting for political strategy is my least favorite way of voting. For starters, it’s an unreliable barometer based on nothing but guesswork and confidence in your own thoughts. But more importantly, it is insincere and doesn’t communicate to Democratic politicians what standards and values we’ll hold them to. Again, we employ them. If we want to be sensitive about our tax dollars, we should be mindful of which representatives build their whole damn lifestyles off of them. We shouldn’t be voting for politicians who have built a career on passing legislation and otherwise making decisions that degrade people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community or lead our country into war. However, if you arreeee going to vote strategically, here’s why Bernie: Centrists don’t win elections. As much as Hillary was very much a woman and sexism very much played a role in her electoral defeat, so did the fact that she’s a moderate. That’s (partially) why there was no President Kerry or Gore or Romney or McCain: Each of those candidates painted a decidedly more status quo America compared to their more extreme opponent.  Whoever we elect needs to engage and energize voters. Two things are for sure: 1. Republicans fucking love to vote. (They also love to suppress the vote, but another day, my friends.) 2. Progressive policies are popular and poll better than Trump’s policies across the board. The Democratic Party is a big, welcoming tent where everyone can hang and be protected and represented... when we elect the right officials. Unfortunately, many people the Democratic Party seeks to help (and need to reach in order to win) still don’t see themselves represented in the current political landscape or find solace in moderate policies. Biden’s campaign promises a return to 2016 when, y’all, if you can believe it, I still wasn’t insured. Bernie Sanders is the only candidate in the race whose policies address the needs of marginalized groups we’d need to turn out in November.  If we can draw one lesson from Elizabeth’s campaign, it’s that politicians should be listening to the individual circumstances and needs of their constituents. Elizabeth did this in every selfie line and phone call to small-dollar donors and meeting with marginalized groups. At her speeches, she kept the lights on her audiences bright so she could see the people she was talking to. Elizabeth fundamentally understood that this never was about her being president but about the good she could do for each of us once she got there. There’s no question that Bernie has understood this his whole life. The president isn’t the leader of our land, but rather a representative hired to do the work of the American people. I believe then that it is our duty to elect the candidate who would do the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of us. Without a doubt, Bernie Sanders is that candidate. 

[skaye33]

New Music Friday

A weekly review of all the newly released singles and albums that have made an impression on moi/broken my heart into a million pieces (you may never know which). 

There was literally so much new music out this week, my poor little heart couldn’t handle it. 

SINGLES

“Call It What You Want To” - Taylor Swift

Impressions: Oh Taylor. I really should unfollow you on social media. Every time I see those three posts in a row, I have a heart attack. I was SO not ready for a FOURTH single prior to reputation. We fans are truly #blessed. The music in this single is amazing. After three bold tracks, it’s nice slow it down a little bit, while still maintaining the backbeats so popular in today’s pop music. It’s the calm before the storm - with her album releasing in seven days, she’s giving fans some much needed R&R after the overwhelming “Look What You Made Me Do”, “...Ready for It”, and “Gorgeous”. I am a huge Taylor fan. Don’t get me wrong. There are just a few lyrics in this song that feel a bit awkward to me (see “I’m the one he’s walking to” and “I want to wear his initial on a chain round my neck, chain round my neck. Not because he owns me but 'cause he really knows me”). The rest of the song is so lyrically strong, but these bits just really feel off to me. I love the concept (I am a huge fan of bebe Joe Alwyn for making T feel so incredible), and the music is just so wonderfully produced. I don’t think I can handle the next seven days while waiting for reputation.

Best lyric: “All my flowers grew back as thorns. Windows boarded up after the storm. He built a fire just to keep me warm. All the drama queens taking swings. All the jokers dressin' up as kings. They fade to nothing when I look at him.”

“Like Gold” - Vance Joy

Impressions: A new Vance Joy song???? This one took me by total surprise. I had become convinced that the Australian had fallen completely off the map, but here we are, with a new single. “Riptide” took the world by storm 2013, and I feel like Vance Joy was really taking some time to recover, especially after a whirlwind tour with Taylor Swift. He returned with “Lay It On Me” in June, but I think “Like Gold” is the real return for him. Vance has some great lyricism in “Like Gold”, and the chorus shows some super fun word play. All in all, it’s very reminiscent of the calm vibes we received from Dream Your Life Away, and I’m super excited to see what’s in store from Vance Joy’s second album.

Best lyrics: “Gold, when you see me. Hi, if you need me. Babe, that's the way it was, that's the history. Blue, how we used to roar, like an open fire. That's the way it was. But that's history”

“The Way Life Goes” - Lil Uzi Vert, Nicki Minaj

Impressions: NICKI I MISS YOU. I can’t really call myself a Lil Uzi Vert fan, tbh. However, I really like this song. I don’t know if I like it because I’m an Oh Wonder fan, and Lil Uzi borrowed Oh Wonder’s intro from their single “Landslide” for his chorus. But if Nicki’s on the track, I am always down to listen to it. Her rap is a more low-key than normal (although she still manages to bring in some choice curse words, gotta love her for it), but her rap mirrors Lil Uzi’s well, and with the techno vibes brought in from Oh Wonder, it’s a great, relatable piece that would be great to drink wine... or smoke some weed to… You know, if you were into that kind of thing.

Best lyrics: Literally anything Nicki says.

ALBUMS

The Thrill of it All - Sam Smith

Impressions: GOSPEL SAM SMITH IS THE HERO I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED THIS NOVEMBER. This is an album that holistically is beautiful, although individual songs do tend to run together. Sam sings a lot about ending relationships and smoking cigarettes. Seriously, someone get this guy a light, he seems to really be jonesing for one. I had extremely high expectations for this album after Sam’s three singles shattered my heart into more pieces with each release. “Burning”, the last single, set my heart on fire, to smolder until the rest of the album came out. Sam’s voice is so beautiful, and there’s no denying the passion and vulnerability in his lyrics; even though he claims only four of the songs are about his personal experience, he makes it seem as if each one makes up the fabric of his life, and that shows the power behind his voice. My only complaint is just the similarities in the musicality of the tracks. He does have a bit of experimentation, breaking out from his typical strings + piano duo with some powerful drum and bass combinations (see “One Last Song”, “Midnight Train”, and “Baby You Make Me Crazy”), but all in all he maintains his proven vibes. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Use what works, am I right? Sam also brings in the gospel in more than one song, and touches on religious content, which I find bold and distinctive. All in all, an impressive sophomore album by the British crooner.

Stand out tracks: “HIM”, “Nothing Left For You”, “Baby You Make Me Crazy”

Red Pill Blues - Maroon 5

Impressions: This album is full of collaborations, and that’s what really makes it unique. This album is fresh. It manages to maintain the Maroon 5 vibe while still introducing new talent to the mix. I feel like Maroon 5 have been releasing singles for this album for forever, and yet the album still feels extremely new. “Don’t Wanna Know” came out over a year ago, and yet still manages to fit into the flow of the album, which just goes to show how well Maroon 5 focuses on balance in their album. They’re kings of the act - they balance brave collaborations with solely Maroon 5 projects, they balance R&B with pop-rock, they balance Adam Levine’s beautiful vocals with… well, with nothing, because he deserves to stand out on his own. I like Red Pill Blues more than their last album, but alas, nothing will ever top Overexposed.

Stand out tracks: “Wait”, “Who I Am”, “Denim Jacket”

Unapologetically - Kelsea Ballerini

Impressions: I didn’t even know this album was coming out today. But I saw someone’s retweet about Kelsea’s Unapologetically and decided to queue it up during my work day. Damn, am I glad I did. Out of all the new albums that came out today, this one took me the most by surprise, and it ended up being my favorite release of the day. I haven’t stopped listening to it. Kelsea lets listeners into her world, introducing them to her past, present and future with extremely relatable lyrics and poppy country vibes. This album reminds me of early Taylor Swift, but manages to maintain a maturity that makes it extremely relevant for millennials. It also bridges the gap between country and pop, a hard bridge to cross for many artists. Kelsea stays true to her country roots, but manages to incorporate many pop elements (see “Roses) that can draw in more mainstream listeners. Her honesty is one of the most striking things about the album. Artists have always relied on their personal experiences to make music, but Kelsea owns past mistakes in a way that is rare. Kelsea discusses breakups, past loves, and self reflection in new, bold ways (see “I Hate Love Songs”, “In Between” and “High School” that make her second album a unique treasure that I will probably listen to on repeat until at least 2018.

Stand out tracks: “Roses”, “I Hate Love Songs”, “Get over Yourself”

[vintagesugg-blog]

stag do

this is pure fluff :’) my sweet lil bean

Word Count: 1,645

Rating: PG-13

hope you enjoy!!

It was very weird to have Joe away from you. Sure, you two were apart sometimes, usually for work, but he didn’t go on holidays very often, so going back to an empty bed at night was quite odd for you. You had to remind yourself not to go to his office and try to coax him away from his computer and into bed. He had only been gone for a few days, but the flat felt so empty without him that it felt like a lifetime. You had done your best to let him have his fun with his mates from back home; it was Ben’s stag-do and Joe rarely got to see him alone, much less all his old friends at once.

He had been really good about checking in and sending you lots of pictures, showing you that he missed you too. He even managed to sneak in a facetime call between the bars they were going to, and it warmed your heart to see him on your phone screen.

However, his little reminders didn’t keep you busy at home for long. You had spent the whole of the last few days deep cleaning the whole flat, washing all the sheets and remaking the beds, unpacking a few boxes of stuff that just needed to be put away, and even assembling a new table that arrived for the guest room just to keep yourself busy in your down time. Still, you found yourself bored without Joe beside you. So to say you were excited to have him back home was an understatement. You answered on the first ring when he called that evening.

“Hi!”

“Ello love, we’ve just landed, I’m getting off the plane in a few minutes and then I’ll catch an uber home!” He updated you, and he sounded a bit tired, but also happy to be back on the ground.

“Okay! I can’t wait to see you!”

“Same here. Do you want me to pick up a Waga’s on my way in? I can’t be bothered to cook.”

“I can order it and then you can just come straight home,” you said a bit too quickly. You heard him chuckle into the speaker.

“Baby, it’s on the way and it’ll take five minutes. I’ll call it ahead so that it’s quick and then I’ll be home as soon as I can.” You could hear the smile in his voice, and it made you blush. You always got overexcited to see him, and he thought it was the cutest things. You were still shy about it, because a few of your exes had found it annoying.

“No, you don’t have to call ahead, don’t rush. Sorry to be pushy, I just miss you,” you mumbled.

“Hey, none of that, nothing to apologize for. I like pushy, and I miss you too. Were about to get off the plane, so I gotta go. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

“Love you too. Hurry!”

And with that he hung up, and you began to wait again.

Your feet were on the floor before he had even opened the door all the way. Lucky for him, you were upstairs in his bedroom, so he had enough time to drop his bags and stow the food safely on the counter before you emerged.

You paused at the bottom of the stairs, a huge smile on your face. Joe was in a hoodie and jeans with a backwards hat on, and the skin you could see was far tanner than when he left London. He heard you coming and turned around, arms out expectedly; you were known to ambush him.

“There you are!” He grinned, and he motioned you to him. You grinned and ran over, latching onto him in a tight hug. His arms locked around your back, lifting you up a bit. Your legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, and he spun you around and sat you on the counter, pressing closer to you.

“I missed you,” you smiled, pressing a kiss to his hair.

“Missed you more,” he murmured into your neck. He was radiating warmth, and you pressed yourself closer to him. He leaned back slightly, puckering his lips at you. You put your lips to his quickly, backing away with a grin. He pouted at you and you giggled, kissing him seriously. The kiss turned into a bit of a make out that lasted a few minutes until Joe leaned back from you by a fraction.

“Our dinners gonna get cold. We have all night,” he murmured. You sighed a bit, pressing one last kiss before hoping down from the countertop to make you both drinks.

“The flat looks incredible. Did you clean?” Joe asked as you passed him a water.

“From top to bottom,” you smiled.

“You didn’t have to do that you know. I would have helped had I been here.” He began unpacking the food, separating it between the two of you.

“I got bored without you here,” you explained, tucking into your dinner.

“So you decided to clean?”

“Desperate times, desperate measures man. I even assembled some furniture whilst you were away.” He raised his eyebrows at you and you nodded at him, making him smile, even though his mouth was full of food. You couldn’t help but think it was cute.

The rest of dinner consisted of him talking all about his trip and all the adventures he’d been on, along with how much alcohol he consumed.

“I don’t think I want a drink, or another lad’s night out for another year.”

“Hey, then I’ll get you all to myself,” you teased, getting up from the bar. You cleared the trash while he took the plates and put them in the dishwasher before you both headed for the couch.

“Have we got any aloe vera? I burnt my back pretty good.”

“I think we put some in the fridge before you left, just in case. I’ll look, find something for us to watch.” You peeked him on the cheek and went back for the aloe.

By the time you found the bottle and returned to the couch, Joe already had his hoodie off and had Guardians of the Galaxy on the projector. You sat down on the couch and patted your legs, prompting him to lay down across them. He grabbed a pillow and rested his head while you squeezed some aloe onto his back. He hissed a bit at the cold gel, but you felt his muscles relax below you as you rubbed it in a soothed the red skin on his back, which had a few white finger prints from where he managed to reach.

“Remind me to never let you put sunscreen on our kids,” you teased, rubbing the knots out of his muscles.

“Deal.”

You continued to rub his back for a while, drawing pictures with your fingers on his warm skin with a smile as you both watched the movie.

“C’mon then, your turn.” He sat up, switching you spots. You laid down across his legs and his hand ran up your back underneath your hoodie, rubbing out each knot he found. He was quite good at massages, and they always managed to lull you to sleep. But you fought your dropping eyelids, even when he began to play with your hair.

Half-way through, he leaned down and pressed a few sweet kisses to your cheek.

“What were those for?”

“Just cause I love you. I really did miss you this week. The boys gave me shit for moaning about it.”

You sat up, rearranging yourself so you were cuddled up to his side. “I missed you too. But hey, next holiday I get to tag along!” You reminded him. You and Joe were joining Zalfie on a trip to Mykonos, since you’d all finally managed to get time off work.

“That’s definitely going to be more fun.”

You frowned at him and the change in his tone. “Did you not have a good time?”

Joe’s mates from Wiltshire were great, but they didn’t always understand Joe’s life as a youtuber. From the fans coming up to meet him everywhere he went to him constantly having his camera and laptop, they sometimes liked to pick fun at him. It worried you sometimes.

“No, no I had a great time, really. It was great to see all my mates and stuff, it just made me realize that I like my life a whole lot better when you’re around. It also made me think about where I would wanna have my stag-do.” He toyed with your hair as he spoke, something he did when he got a bit sappy.

“You know, to go on a stag-do you have to be engaged.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said simply, twirling your hair round and round his finger. You blushed deep red, your heart feeling as if it would burst. You had so much love for this boy it was unreal. Unable to find the right words, you simply cuddled up next to him, turning your attention back to the screen until the credits rolled. Or at least you tried – gentle hands woke you up as they lifted you off the couch.

“C’mon, up to bed.” Joe’s voice was soft and gentle as he carried you up the stairs. His skin was as warm as sunshine as you held onto him.

“Did you clean the sheets too? We just did that last week!”

You nodded into his shoulder and he chuckled, sitting you down in the bed. You both climbed under the covers, finding your way back into each-other’s arms.

“Remind me to never leave you alone again,” he mumbled, pulling you close and pressing a few kisses to your forehead.

“Sounds perfect to me,” you hummed in agreement, drifting back to sleep.