#luke duo art

[graphicpolicy]

The Return of Mark Hamill is a work of art...

The Return of Mark Hamill is a work of art... #comics #comicbooks

Find out the unknown history of Mark Hamill in this special comic from Jack in the Box! Starring: Mark Hamill and Jack BoxArt: Luke Duo Art, Jamie CoeLetterer: Joshua ReedCreated by: Eric Stiles, Chad GoodnoeCreative Directors: Jeff O’Keefe, Bert MarissenEditors in Chief: Jason Karley, Galen GrahamProduced by: Dena Moore, Nat Wilkes Jack in the Box provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy (we…

[the-mcyt-crackships-brackets]

Welcome to the MCYT Crackships Bracket Season 2!

Here, we will be seing which crackship is the best, and because that statement is vague, you get to make your opinion!

Each crackships was randomly agenced from characters you chose! (You can still give us submissions via this google form (mcyt crackships brackets V.3. Confirmed ???))

This is all meant to be in good fun, so please be respectful with others and use propaganda the least wisely you can! (propaganda isn't endorsed, it's encouraged!)

We as a community can get inspired by these, make art! fanfics! (and if you do, please tag us) of your favorite Crackship!

Maybe we could even find a name for them, after all, maybe the next "big ship" will be in this, who knows?

We are now in the semi finals

*Smallishbeans - Empires SMP S2 version

*fWhip - Empires SMP S1 version

*fWhip - Empires SMP S2 version

*Inthelittlewood - Limited life version

*Smallishbeans - Escape the night version

*LDshadowlady - Empires SMP S2 version

*Skizzleman - POE (hermitcraft s10) version

*Foolish - DSMP life god version

*Bekyamon - Outsiders SMP version

*Pearlescentmoon - Double Life version

*LDshadowlady - Empires SMP S1 version

*Pixlriff - Empires SMP S1 version

*Goodtimewithscar - Limited Life version

*Zombiecleo - Witchcraft SMP version

*Owengejuice - Pirates SMP version

**The MCYT polls admins polycule | MCYT-rarepair-tournament & transmcytshowdown & MCYT-crackships-brackets

And also PURGATORY 2

*LDshadowlady - Empires SMP 1 version

*Pearlescentmoon - Double life version

*Pearlescentmoon - Double life version

The ship list:

Stressmarian | Grian/Prismarina/Stressmonster

Zolibeans | Zolister/Smallishbeans (Empires SMP S2)

Joesquidd | Joehills/Squiddo

Ethostab | Ethoslab/Cactus (Minecraft)

Ethot | Ethoslab/Magma (Minecraft)

Circus Fools | Clownpierce/Foolish

Luke TheNotable/Mrs Tango

Squiddbrine | Squiddo/Herobrine

The Prison Polycule | Awesamdude/Ivorycello/Kenadian/Seensven

Evil X/Napoleon

Cuteguy/Ponk

Kolabeans | Smallishbeans/Kolanii

Yahiamice/Vintagebeef

Fwhilza | Philza/fWhip (Empires SMP S1)

Fwhilza | Philza/fWhip (Empires SMP S2)

Iskath |Iskall85/Katherine Elizabeth

Baghaimsey | Aimsey/Baghera Jones

Kittenberries | Tinakitten/Fruitberries

Reddoons/Docm77

Majorbomb | Scott Smajor/Hbomb94

Stampylonghead/Skipthetutorial

Bobworm | Renbob/Wormman

Xornothyn | Martyn inthelittlewood/Xornoth

Gillsnoth | Martyn inthelittlewood (limited life)/Xornoth

Antshlattdragon | Antfrost x Jshlatt x  The Enderdragon (Minecraft)

Sandiction/Taneesha

Smallishbeans (Escape The Night)/LDshadowlady (Empires SMP S2)/Aurelien_Sama

Tommyinnit/LetsHugo

Rodent Yaoi | Yahiamice/Doctor4t

Mysticat/Kaboodle

Chizzleman | Cherrifire/Skizzleman

Government Assigned Chizzleman | Cherrifire/POE Skizzleman (Hermitcraft)

Nikirucho | Cucurucho/Niki Ninachu

Ethurpled | Ethoslab/Purpled

Mythrose | MythicalSausage/Hannahxxrose

Pearlescentnight/Pearlnox | Pearlescentmoon/Noxintrus

Rencube | Rendog/MrCube

Tubzam | Princezam/Tubbo

Stressmonster/Luxintrus

Royal Duo | Eret/Welsknight

Blasphemous Duo | Eret/Helsknight

RAM Polygamy | Grumbot Prime (Hermitcraft)/P.A.M.A (Story Mode)/M.A.R.I.L.L.A. (TTYPDKAM)

Boosfer/Camman18

Evil X/Elmariana

Shubbek | Shubble/Bekyamon (Outsiders SMP)

Arathain/Goodtimewithscar

Falseforge | Forgelabs/Falsesymetry

Rolliam | Sir Billiam (Tales of the SMP)/Roier

Cubfan/Bagi

DogDuo | Stacyplays/Pearlescentmoon (Double life)

Holy Cumscarian | Cubfan/Mumbo/Goodtimewithscar/Grian/Jesus Christ

Holy Cumscarian | Cubfan/Mumbo/Goodtimewithscar/Grian/God

Keralis/Speedsilver

Fishbowl Wives | Ldshadowlady (Empires SMP S1)/Nautilux

Lag Duo | Pearlescentmoon/Ashwagg

Doubleslime(d)up | Slimecicle/5up/BdoubleO100

Bighills | Joe hills/BigB

Zloysuma |ZloyXP/Xisuma

Mogza | Mogswamp/Philza

JadeGem | Jaiden & Geminitay

Gemiku | Geminitay/Hatsune Miku

The Ayharem | Aypierre/All the lifers

Chayanne & The Egg

Pixscar |Pixlriffs (Empires SMP S1)/Goodtimewithscar (Limited life)

Seapeekarl | Karl Jacobs/Seapeekay

Death Yuri/Clistin | Zombiecleo (Witchcraft SMP)/Kristin

Life Mariage | Zombiecleo (Witchcraft SMP)/Life God Foolish (DSMP)

Fundy/Grian

The MCYT polls admins polycule | MCYT-rarepair-tournament & transmcytshowdown & MCYT-crackships-brackets

Owengejuice (Pirates SMP)/Kiply

Gaonashi Duo/Ethoboo | Ethoslab/Ranboo

Shubble/Skeppy

[sallufix]

Yep i was not joking when i said i was gonna draw on the memo feature from now on!!! This is sort of a practice to get used to everything and crap. I randomly got ideas of apprentice and assitant duo's sooo:

1. Luke and Layton of course! The og duo. Don't have much to say but they are everything to me i love them sm

2. Randall and Crow?! This just sprouted out from the many conversations I've had in geo's discord server. Mainly of which is how both of them are bird themed, and that in the RanLay and LuCrow sense, both of their boyfriends are also a duo!

3. Claire and Aurora? Mainly because both of them are,,, ahahah,,,, ahhaa, dead. Fuck. IM SORRY!!! None of these really make sense as actual duos but i just thought it'd be neat to tie in different characters by how similar their experiences or character traits are

4. Emmy and Flora!! This once semi-self- explanatory. Both of them are the assistants of the 2 trilogies (even though Flora hardly ever gets screentime...) So yeah! I thought it'd be neat for Flora to look up to Emmy because she goes on her own adventures and is preeettyy kickass and cool

Drawing on the memo is most definitely not gonna get easier, but possibly soon I'll finally get my tablet checked... Maybe i can make high quality art again... I can see the light in the distance... GOD TAKE ME

[fancypersonaskeletonturtle]

Part 3- Bruiseshipping Headcanons:

(Platonic or not)

Idk but I always had the feeling that these guys were childhood friends even in showverse

I can see Jay being bullied in hs and Cole fighting off the bullies

Cole was one of those kids who looked way older than their actual age so Jay masterminded the idea that Cole uses his art skills to forge a fake id and his matured looks to buy alcohol for them while they were like???? 14 and 12

AND YOU BET IT WORKED

They’re definitely the looks innocent but is dirty mind (Jay) and looks like he could be dirty minded but is actually an innocent sweetheart (Cole)

Cole lets Jay borrow his hammer sometimes so he can run around pretending to be Thor

Arts/ English girlie and Math/Science girly duo

Cole’s a Harry Potter fan and Jay’s a Starwars fan and they argue constantly about which is the superior franchise

Watch the Harry Potter vs. Luke Skywalker epic rap battle to decide (they argue over the winner too)

[kylo-skywalkerr]

One of my favorite things to come from the early sequel fandom days were the Vader and Kylo posts. Not the one where Vader's like "wtf are you doing, dumbass" (too easy), but the ones where he understands Kylo. Where he reaches out to him in pity or sympathy for a path his grandson has mistakingly glorified. The mutual understanding that even if they're forgiven, they've harmed and killed too many innocents to ever truly be redeemed. They're a duo with a lot of potential.

I also loved the art where they were chaotic together. Vader being all.. well. If Luke doesn't want to rule with me, his nephew is obsessed with me and willing to do anything to reach my legacy, so why not? It pains me that we didnt get that type of interaction anywhere but the lego special, and even then Vader had no idea who Kylo was and assumed him to be some crazy random guy who thought he was Vader's grandson.

I miss the art of it and I miss the bond between two irredeemable and broken members of the same blood.

[hyperannotation]

Official Report on The Intransitionalist Chronotopologies of Kenji Siratori (TRS 109)

YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE INEFFABLE FOREST

Official Report on The Intransitionalist Chronotopologies of Kenji Siratori: Appendix 8.2.3 is a xenopoetic data/dada anthology that documents the activities of the artist collective The Ministry of Transrational Research into Anastrophic Manifolds. The anthology results from an experimental approach to impersonal literary composition. Similar to surrealist definitions, but on the scale of a technical document, members of the Ministry—poets, musicians, novelists, painters, curators, artists, scientists, philosophers, and physicians—were asked to offer a microfiction, poem, essay, fictional citation, or computer code, in the form of a footnote or annotation to a glitch-generated novel by iconoclastic Japanese artist Kenji Siratori; however, each participant wrote their contribution without any access to or knowledge about the nature of Siratori’s source text. After collecting the contributions, the “footnotes” were each algorithmically linked to an arbitrary word from Siratori’s novel. The result is a work of xenopoetic emergence: a beautifully absurd, alien document scintillating with strange potency. Bringing together algorithmically and AI-generated electronic literature with analogue collage and traditional modes of literary composition, the Ministry refuses to commit solely to digital, automated, or analogue art and instead seeks technological mutualism and a radically alien future for the arts. Accompanied by a groundbreaking original score by electro-acoustic duo Wormwood, the anthology offers the radical defamiliarization and weird worlds of science fiction, but now the strangeness bites back on the level form. Readers should expect to discover strange portals from which new ways of thinking, feeling, and being emerge. A conceptual and experimental anthology, Official Report on The Intransitionalist Chronotopologies of Kenji Siratori inaugurates collective xenopoetic writing and the conceit that the future of art will consist of impersonal acts of material emergence, not personal expression. Consume with caution.

AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS Rosaire Appel, Louis Armand, David Barrick, Gary Barwin, Steve Beard, Gregory Betts, Christian Bök, Mike Bonsall, Peter Bouscheljong, Maria Chenut, Shane Jesse Christmas, Roy Christopher, Tabasco “Ralph” Contra, Mike Corrao, R.J. Dent, Paul Di Filippo, Zak Ferguson, Colin Herrick, S.C. Hickman, Maxwell Hyatt, Justin Isis, Andrew Joron, Chris Kelso, Phillip Klingler, Adam Lovasz, Daniel Lukes , Ania Malinowska, Claudia Manley, Ryota Matsumoto, Michael Mc Aloran, Andrew McLuhan, Jeff Noon, Jim Osman, Suarjan Prasai, Tom Prime , David Leo Rice, Virgilio Rivas, David Roden, B.R. Yeager, Andrej Shakowski , Aaron Schneider, Gary J. Shipley, Kenji Siratori , Sean Smith, Kristine Snodgrass, Sean Sokolov, Alan Sondheim, Simon Spiegel, Henry Adam Svec, Jeff VanderMeer, R.G. Vasicek, Andrew C. Wenaus, William Wenaus, Eileen Wennekers, Christina Marie Willatt, Saywrane Alfonso Williams, D. Harlan Wilson, Andrew Wilt

early September release

[ourtearsofrain]

Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy Masterlist

When I first wrote Save a Horse, I didn't expect to make a part 2 let alone a whole universe expanding on Sam and Danny, as well as Jake and Josh with their respective OC partners, but here we are. The boys and my OC's are my babies, I hope you love them as much as I do. I hope to continue expanding their stories, thank you for reading :)

Updated: 4/2/24

Fluff- ♡ | Angst- ☾ | Smut- ⟡ | Hurt/Comfort- 𖤓 | Drabble- ☁︎

--------------------------------------------------------

Sam and Danny

Save a Horse- (Danny x Sam)- ♡ 𖤓 ⟡ ☾

Danny convinces Sam to go to a new line dancing bar in town. A gay bar. On a steal night. When they’re both secretly head over heels in love with each other. What could go wrong?

Ride a Cowboy (Save a Horse pt. 2)- (Danny x Sam, background Josh x Austin, background Jake x Sebastian)- ♡ 𖤓 ⟡ ☾

Danny and Sam tell Jake and Josh they’re dating. Their reactions? That they need to see the line dancing bar where they finally confessed to each other. Lucky for them, there’s a partners night coming up where the newbies dance with local drag queens. What neither expected was to leave the bar with a man on each of their arms.

Paper Rings (D.R.W/S.F.K) ♡

When Danny wants to propose to Sam, he turns to his brothers for help, wanting the evening to be perfect.

Josh and Austin

Salty Dogs, Anyone? (J.M.K/O.C)- ♡ ☁︎

Continuation/offshoot of Ride a Cowboy; what happens between Josh and Austin that night.

Two (J.M.K/O.C)- ☾ 𖤓 ☁︎ ♡

Josh knows something has to be wrong when Austin’s late for movie night.

Apple Pancakes and Cider Syrup (J.M.K/O.C)- ♡ ☁︎

When Austin rises hours before Josh does, he decides to make his boyfriends’ favorite breakfast.

Jake and Sebastian

(Check out @leolep20’s art of them here!)

Mon Beau (J.T.K/O.C)- ♡ ☾ ☁︎

Continuation/offshoot of Ride a Cowboy; what happens between Sebastian and Jake that night.

Je Te Laisserai Des Mots (J.T.K/O.C)- ☾ 𖤓 ☁︎ ♡

Jake has a nightmare and turns to Sebastian for comfort.

Please (J.T.K/O.C)- ♡ ⟡

Jake only has to use his words for Sebastian to give him what he wants when he keeps begging for it.

All of them (not really focused on one pair specifically)

Even Broken Bells Will Ring- ☾ 𖤓 ☁︎

Josh has something important to tell Jake.

A Dangerous Duo

Sam and Josh try drag.

--------------------------------------------------------

My recommended order to read in:

Even Broken Bells Will Ring

Save a Horse

Ride a Cowboy

Salty Dogs, Anyone?

Mon Beau

Two

Apple Pancakes and Cider Syrup

Je Te Laisserai Des Mots

A Dangerous Duo

Please

Paper Rings

--------------------------------------------------------

Complete Song List:

Save a Horse:

Rhinestone Cowboy- Glen Campbell

Fast Car- Luke Combs

Nothing But You- Leaving Austin

Turn on the Radio- Reba McEntire

Cruise- Florida Georgia Line

Last Name- Carrie Underwood

Jolene- Dolly Parton

Save a Horse- Big & Rich

Ride a Cowboy:

Fancy- Reba McEntire

Cotton-Eye Joe- Rednex

Plastic Jesus- Tia Blake Ophelia- The Lumineers

A Bank Robber’s Nursery Rhyme- Goodnight, Texas

Our Song- Taylor Swift

Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)- Big & Rich

Girls- The Dare

Cleopatra- The Lumineers

Salty Dogs, Anyone?

Love Me Like You Used To- Lord Huron

Mon Beau

If Not For You- George Harrison

A Dangerous Duo

Girls- The Dare

Bad Blood- Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar

Teenage Dream- Katy Perry

Dog Days Are Over- Florence + the Machine

Woyaya- Osibisa

Paper Rings

Material Girl- Madonna

Rich Girl- Gwen Stefani

Money, Money, Money- Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski

Partners in Crime- Set It Off

Paper Rings- Taylor Swift

Fast Car- Luke Combs

Cleopatra- The Lumineers

[satiatedcards]

(Marluke art down below)

"You're asking me to teach you how to fight?"

“Please, Luke? I can’t just sit by and watch you fight by yourself. You nearly got killed in that ambush the other day.”

“It’s my job to protect you, my liege. It's only natural that I risk my life for your safety.”

“Luke, I’m nearly 22, I should at least be able to defend myself so you don't have to worry about covering me during a fight. I don't want to be a burden to you. And if more people are going to keep coming after me, that’s all I’m ever going to be.”

“My liege, I'll say this again. I am your sworn protector. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. It is an honor to protect you, not a burden."

“That still doesn't change the fact that you have to keep watching over your shoulder to ensure my safety, when you should be keeping your eyes on the people trying to kill you! At least teach me to defend myself with a sword.”

“Fine. I can see you've made up your mind on this. However, just cause you're new to this doesn't mean I'll be easy on you. And learning how to use the sword will be no simple task.”

“So I've been told. But I'm a fast learner so you won't have to worry about me."

“In that case, we’ll start as soon as I’m off-duty."

“Thanks Luke."

“You don’t need to thank me, Marius."

——

True to his word, Marius took to the sword rather quickly, and became quite capable of defending himself should he and Luke be ambushed again. In just a few short years under Luke’s tutelage, his skill with the sword was almost comparable to his mentor, and he went from simply defending himself to actively fighting alongside Luke. Eventually, the two of them garnered quite the reputation as a formidable duo in combat. And during normal, less exciting days, Marius’s subjects noted with no small amount of interest on the suspiciously close nature of the relationship between the king and his supposed bodyguard. Rumor among them had it that they were courting each other, since he never accepted any of the marriage proposals he received. Everyone knew he didn't actually need a bodyguard.

——

“Okay, Rosa. We’re ready when you are.”

“Try not to hurt each other too badly, I would rather not spend all day patching you guys up again. With that said, you may begin."

——

One last MarLuke before the year ends! I wanted to get this out during Luke's birthday but commissions take time so instead this is coming out during Christmas time. (Happy belated birthday Luke!) Also I know that Luke has an actual knight outfit but I like this one better and it's criminally underused since it only appears in one artwork.

Art:@beewo_ (Instagram)

thanks for feeding my marluke addiction^

[twin-off]

Welcome to… the Twin Off!!!

In this competition, the first of its kind, sets of twins will battle against other duos to earn the title of ULTIMATE TWINS!!!

So let’s get some rules in place!

Who can be submitted?

Any twins! This includes clones, characters that are only implied to be twins, alternate universes, and other “it’s complicated” situations.

Can real life twins be submitted?

The answer is, tentatively, yes, purely because I want to submit myself and my twin (which means you can do this too, if you’re a twin). I reserve the right to not include real-life submissions that creep me out.

What about OCs?

OCs are fine, but it’d be convenient if you could provide art for me to use! :)

Are twins competing as a set, or against each other?

Twins are competing as a set! For example, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch would team up against Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.

Are multiple submissions allowed per person?

Sure! Yes! Absolutely! If you want to submit several sets, or just one a few dozen times, feel free!

Who is this being run by?

@pollackpatrol

Without further ado, here’s the submission form!

[slyzia]

MASSIVE ART DUMP

Hello everyone! Good evening, afternoon or morning!

So apologies for the late posts, I didn’t do anything remotely good for my birthday so I didn’t post. I’ve been quite busy but it’s been good. This year I’m finally gonna compete in Art fight! Even though I have like 3 characters.

Uhhh some of these characters are from my bestie @sallufix! Cause we had an art war for like a few days then Copshop duo just brought us back. ANYWAYS! Major art stuff!

^This one is my favourite one of the year! Flix’s persona!

Offical refs

Persona Ref!

Of course some Villain Luke and the unreal gang!

Some Felis Ashfer Bullying!

Goodnight everyone! Hope to see you soon!

[upismediacenter]

SIRENA: K-6 Students Perform at UPIS Variety Show 2024

UP Integrated School (UPIS) K-2 and 3-6 students exhibited their talents at the Variety Show last May 22 at the UPIS 7-12 Gymnasium.

A total of eight performers from Grades 3-6 performed in the event. Each one was given three to five minutes to show their talents to the audience. The performances were evaluated by the judges Mr. Joseph Tablizo from the Social Studies Department, Ms. Alexia Metrio from the Practical Arts Department, and Asst. Prof. Diana Caluag, our Assistant Principal for Academic Programs.

The competitors from Grades 3-6 showed a variety of song and dance numbers. Anica Gail Lopez from 4-Labanos dedicated her performance to God and sang the Christian worship song "Wala Kang Katulad''; Marco Bonganay from 4-Patani sang "My Favorite Girl" by Justin Bieber; and the Whitebored Band, consisting of Ulan Rico on drums, Lucas Dionisio on piano and vocals, and Caleb Kwe on guitar and vocals, performed "Raining in Manila" by Lola Amour and "Believer" by Imagine Dragons. Meanwhile, a student from 5-Arayat, Jared Alexander Lagrimas sang “Miss Miss” by Rob Deniel.

Lastly, Mikkel Caia Odulio from 6-Amethyst sang "Yellow" by Coldplay; The Shooting Stars duo, consisting of Vivienne Madamba and Sue Anne Giannan from 6-Amethyst, sang the English version of the Japanese song "Goodbye Sengen" by Wonderlands x Showtime (originally by Chinozo); Allyssa Sarenas from 6-Sapphire sang the English version of the Korean song "Only" by Lee Hi; and lastly, drawing the Grades 3-6 performances to a close, was Jam Brian Edmundo Sumayo from 6-Sapphire played the guitar while singing "Say You Won’t Let Go" by James Arthur.

In addition to the eight main performers, there were also five special performances by students from Kinder to Grade 2. A group called Power 5 consisting of Grade 2 students Cris Paculanang II, Aya Maria Villamayor, Zion Zingapan, Alexard Espino, and Aya Martheen Abaigar performed a dance number on the song “Kinang Pilipinas" by Shine Philippines. 2035 Band, a group of Grade 1 students— Francesslyn de Leon as the drummer, Macy Parlade as the vocalist, Luke Zaide Santos as the guitarist, and Mary Elisabeth Martinez as the pianist—performed “UP Naming Mahal” and “Dynamite” by BTS. Francesslyn de Leon from 1-Pipit played the keyboard while singing “Sana'' by Jolina Magdangal, Zandro Edwin Patnongon from 1-Kalaw sang “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Amstrong, and lastly, Danielle Sheyla Ulaso from K-Liryo sang “Speechless” by Naomi Scott.

Following the last special performance, the winners were announced. There was a Championship Award and Crowd Favorite Awards for the 3-6 performers and the K-2 performers. Whitebored Band bagged both the Champion award and the Crowd Favorite Award for Grades 3-6. The K-2 Crowd Favorite award was given to 2035 Band.

The members of Whitebored Band expressed their happiness and sense of victory for winning. They thanked their parents for supporting them all throughout their rehearsals and for paying the reservation for the studio where they practiced. They also thanked their teachers and their advisers for supporting them and encouraging them to participate. They also said they miss Jsam Samudio, the band's supposed vocalist, who wasn’t able to attend due to illness.

“We really miss him and we wish he were here with us to perform on stage," said Lucas.

This year’s Variety Show proved to be a success, overcoming numerous scheduling challenges posed by the extreme heat and suspension of face-to-face classes. According to Pamunuan ng Kamag-Aral (PKA) 3-6 President, Ethan Lakip, the biggest challenge in organizing this event was the unforeseen changes to the UPIS Week schedule due to the recent high heat index. This caused the original date of the Variety Show on April 17 to be moved to May 10, and eventually to May 22. He also added that due to the suspensions announced by UPIS, the original 4-day UPIS Week was streamlined to one day, forcing them to reschedule some events and cancel other events such as TALAYTAY: K-2 Palarong Pambata, 3-12 Sports Festival, TALISIK: 7-12 Trivia Competition, and ATLANT-ISKO: Club Wars.

Despite these hindrances, the Variety Show was able to push through and the students from Kinder to Grade 6 were able to showcase their talents.

//by Aisha Timbal

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Luke Arnold, Doc Wyatt talk the teamwork and insanity that defines ‘ESSENTIALS’

The compelling new OGN is funding via Kickstarter.

by Chris Coplan (April 18, 2024)

You may know Luke Arnold as Long John Silver in the Black Sails and/or INXS’ own Michael Hutchence in the Never Tear Us Apart miniseries. Doc Wyatt, meanwhile, is best known for his production work on the iconic Napoleon Dynamite and the animated Rocket and Groot for Marvel. So, what happens when a lauded actor and a TV writer/producer get together? Why a brand-new graphic novel, ESSENTIALS.

For ESSENTIALS, Arnold and Wyatt were brought together in part by The Lab Press, a new publishing outfit that focuses primarily on graphic novels. Together, the pair then collaborated with a veritable smorgasbord of comics artists, including Bill Sienkiewicz (who does the cover), Dani, Jason Howard, Andrea Mutti, and Glenn Fabry. (The book’s colors were provided by Jordie Bellaire, Brad Simpson, and Wesley Wong, with lettering from DC Hopkins of AndWorld Design).

Once fully assembled, this superstar team behind ESSENTIALS set about crafting a story in which “the world you see around you is not real.” More specifically, we follow “disgraced mathematician Harris Pax” as he and Buttons (an “interdimensional being possessing his niece’s favorite toy”) set about smashing the walls of this faux reality. ESSENTIALS asks some big questions — “What matters most in a well-lived life? Is joy more valuable than truth?” — just as much as it’s a rollicking, dimension-hopping adventure story.

ESSENTIALS is currently crowdfunding via Kickstarter, with the campaign having raised $13,000-plus (of a seemingly $1,111 goal) on the way to its May 16 deadline. (Head here to contribute.) To get a better idea of the work that went into ESSENTIALS, we recently got to field questions to both Arnold and Wyatt. The duo spoke about the somewhat involved creative process, the big themes at the book’s heart, working with The Lab Press, and much more.

The talent behind ESSENTIALS. Courtesy of The Lab Press.

AIPT: I’m curious: what’s the collaborative process look like between a TV writer and an actor making a comic book?

Luke Arnold: It’s hard to summarize this process because there are so many stages. We broke most of the story on zoom between Australia and LA. Then, we outlined in pieces, trading them back and forth multiple times, rewriting and recrafting until we were happy. After that, we’d take a chapter each, write them, share them, editing and/or rewriting each other’s work. Then, it would go to the artists, and we’d wait for the first sketches to roll in.

Because the team (Doc, myself, and everyone at The Lab) is spread around the globe, we found that the best place to review artwork was actually in VR. We all got Oculus headsets that allowed us to sit around a table together with the art displayed on a huge board in front of us, marveling over the work and deciding on any notes to send back to the artists.

The next few stages would take place over email, and then when all the art was finished, Doc and I would get back on Zoom to take another look at the script. Once you have those final pages, you can quickly realize that a lot of dialogue feels unnecessary, so we’d go through and make changes before sending everything to the letterer. That was one of my favorite stages, as you have an opportunity to write some parts all over again, inspired by the work of the artists.

Doc Wyatt: Luke’s an actor, but he’s also a novelist. His novels blow me away. I knew Luke first as an actor, and on set, he was talking about these fantasy novels that he wanted to write. But when it actually happened, I was blown away. The Last Smile in Sunder City was Luke’s first book, and it kicked off a series that’s a mashup of the noir detective genre with urban fantasy. Anyone who’s missed it should catch up with it.

As a writer, Luke is intricate. He works in levels and layers, meanings behind meanings, and philosophical underpinnings. It was a really rich and rewarding experience because we’d start out talking about the story we were breaking, but the conversation would drift into all these other, unrelated places… until suddenly it would snap back into story mode, but bringing along all these influences from our seemingly unrelated conversations.

AIPT: What’s the elevator pitch for ESSENTIALS? It seems like there are a lot of big questions churning at the heart of this book.

LA: Our world has collided with another dimension and reality has become untethered. Most humans were killed in the collision, and those that survived are now trapped in their own subjective realities as their beliefs, thoughts, and fears become manifest around them. Harris Pax – the only scientist who foresaw this apocalypse and managed to protect himself – has teamed up with Buttons – a being from the other dimension. Together they must travel into these subjective realities and convince the people inside to give up their illusions and return to the real world.

DW: Honestly, it can sound complicated, but at the end of the day the story is pretty simple. A cosmic catastrophe has killed most human life, with the few survivors unknowingly stuck in their own bubbles of subjective reality. It’s the job of our heroes to pull them out of these private realities before they’re killed by them.

AIPT: Similarly, it seems like this book may be about/interested in simulations and subjective reality and the like. Why are those kinds of massive ideas interesting, and how do you come at them from a new angle?

LA: It’s a cliché now to say that we’ve never been so divided. We started writing this four years ago, and things seem to have only gotten worse. In this age of reactionary politics and algorithms, we really are starting to live in separate realities where even basic facts are up for dispute. But this feeling of disconnection was an existential issue long before the internet. Artists and writers have always explored the pain of isolation, our yearning for interconnection, and the despondency that comes from witnessing the perpetual division of the human race on both an intimate and planetary scale. With ESSENTIALS, we found two heroes, a villain, and a reality-spanning quest that allows us to dig into these concerns in a way that feels fresh and kind of limitless. There are already so many realities we’ve had to cast aside and many more we hope to include as the story continues.

The Jason Howard cover to ESSENTIALS. Courtesy of The Lab Press.

AIPT: What’s it like to be the debut release from Lab Press? Does that pressure help or complicate your process as creators and then also promoters of said creation?

LA: I can really only speak to it from a creative standpoint. It has awarded us a kind of freedom that is rare to find. The Lab and ESSENTIALS were formed at the same time, so the publishers had no preconceptions about what this book needed to be. There were no expectations, either from the reader or the company itself, so the book was able to find its form on its own terms. And being their debut, The Lab was likely more open to our wild ideas, such as jumping between so many artists in the way we do.

DW: For me, sure– it’s a little nerve-wracking to be the first book from a new publisher, because they’re going to be doing all their learning on our book. But that said, we believe in them. They’ve certainly taken a risk on our weird, little, indie book, so it’s only fair we take a risk on them!

AIPT: The book has a slew of talented artists attached, including Dani, Andrea Mutti, and Bill Sienkiewicz. What’s it mean to have such a roster of sheer artistic talent, and do you have any standout moments/pages?

LA: Even though this book has been in development for years, from the artists signing on to sending their pencils, their inks and colors, and now holding the final version, I still can’t really comprehend that we were able to work with artists of this caliber.

This is the first comic I’ve written, and so I was still wondering how all our scripts would come out after being interpreted by the artist. There’s a sequence in chapter two with a collage of a conversation that passes through a bunch of scenarios across a double page spread, and when Jason Howard sent us his pencils of that section, I started to believe that this world Doc and I had dreamed up could actually be realized.

I also have to say that I’m a huge Glenn Fabry fan. We gave him some of our weirdest pages, and his beautifully textured detail is everything we hoped for and more.

DW: The Lab Press had us submit a list of dream artists we’d be dying to work with. We did, thinking–well, they’ll never be able to get these… But they did!!! They didn’t tell me that they’d gotten Bill Sienkiewicz for a cover, who has been a very important artist to me since childhood. Instead they just revealed to me the fully finished cover at a party at New York Comic Con as a big surprise, and I just about lost it. It’s such an amazing cover. And it’s so Bill while still being so ESSENTIALS!

AIPT: Do you have a fave sci-fi book/film/show/etc. that maybe made its way into this project in some way (intentionally or not)?

LA: Doc is a font of sci-fi knowledge, and our original scripts were stuffed full of amazing references. Eventually, we decided to remove most of them before sending the scripts to artists because we didn’t want to cloud their minds with other visuals before we could see what their imaginations offered up. On quick flip though, you could see references to Alien, The Blob, and Night of the Living Dead, but we’ve done our best to use that imagery as a starting block to build something weirder.

AIPT: Why should anyone support the forthcoming Kickstarter for ESSENTIALS?

LA: Because this book is done and it’s incredible. We’re teaming up with Kickstarter because it’s the best way to get the books out to everyone around the world. We’re not asking for support to get it finished or anything like that. Not long after we launch, the book will be out of the printers and in your hands.

DW: We love our weird little story, and we want to tell more of it in the future, but we’ll only get the chance to do that if people read and love this one. We want to get the word out any way we can, so backers will find and support and read the book. It’s strange, it’s heady, and it’s not for everyone, but the people who it’s for– we hope– will really love it!

Source: AIPT Comics

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

You really write the best Din Djarin; the way you care deeply for the character really comes across, and it feels like you truly take the time to think about his thoughts, desires, and feelings (in a way canon stopped doing, *cough cough*). I'm also very impressed with how you write characters that get sort of sidelined, like R2D2 and Grogu. I adore the scene in The Suns when Grogu offers food to Fennec after she complains about wanting to eat it, or all of the R2 and Luke interactions. Like the one where Luke tells R2 they'll get Cobb next time. I'm not sure how to explain it, but it feels so organic and realistic. Your characters never come off as too scripted or tropey, you know what I mean? They feel so real, and I think it's really lovely. You're a fantastic writer, and I'm very grateful that you share your writing with us. Waiting for updates has been keeping me going for the last few months, lol. And I'm really excited to see where you'll take the story . I hope you're doing well and that you're having a wonderful day!

Hello there, Anon. Sat on this for a lil bit mostly to get enough energy to respond. I appreciate this ask a lot. I've been fascinated by Din Djarin since the beginning and that is a fixation that will never die. His perspective is one that fascinates me, a survivor and a member of a Mandalorian diaspora making his way through a post-war galaxy, someone who's been too busy surviving to pay attention to the Star Wars happening a skip and a hop over in another system, and that fascination tends to bleed a lot into the things I write and draw. It's a real damn shame the Felonious Duo fumbled the bag so badly after the Season 2 finale.

Sometimes I think I don't write enough about Grogu and Artoo, tbh! I get paranoid about how I use other characters. I want to make sure they have their own lives and relationships and goals and troubles outside of their connections to Din and Luke because to me, that lets me really expand on a living 'verse while still following Din around the gffa. For a story that's been growing in scale with each installment, I want to match that with characters and settings that existed before Din, exist alongside him, and exist after him. Does that make sense? I hope it makes sense. I guess that's a reason why I really love open world games where I get to wander around a map and do everything but the main quest.

I will say, I spent a lot of years floating through "sporking" communities, reading a lot of opinions and essays from writers and readers about storytelling, and taking art classes on telling stories in a more cinematic way, and I'm so happy to hear that it's showing through with this story/series.

Thank you so much for reading and for stopping by to comment on the things you read. Hope you keep sticking around because I'm certainly not letting go of this character, this ship, and this fandom anytime soon.

[unexpectedreylo]

The Reylo Heresies #1

Heresy:  Reylo wasn’t planned as a ship.

It’s an assumption among Reylos that the romantic relationship was entirely planned from the beginning and it was absolutely Lucasfilm’s intention they would end up the one true pairing of the sequel trilogy.

I’m here to tell you I don’t think that’s true at all.  Most of what we got was basically an accident, a confluence of factors that added up to something nobody really planned or expected.

What happened was the Jedi Killer--a character from early drafts/outlines that ultimately became Kylo Ren--was meant to be something of an antagonist for the female protagonist who became Rey.  Given that both were gifted in the Force there would naturally be some kind of connection between them, some push-pull, some light side/dark side tension.  Those elements made it in the films.  The oft-posted/retweeted concept art from The Art of TFA shows the Jedi Killer in a Phantom of the Opera type from behind embrace of the female protagonist.  (Weirdly and fortuitously enough it was modeled from a photo shoot featuring Adam Driver some time before he was actually cast.)  This is often used as evidence Reylo was “planned” from the beginning.  Aside from this artwork though there’s nothing suggested in Lucas’s outlines or known earlier drafts of the TFA script that Rey and Kylo Ren were being set up in the same sense Anakin and Padmé or Han and Leia were.  In fact my initial impression after seeing TFA was that Rey and Kylo were cousins!

Any discussion about romance by JJ Abrams or others involved with the TFA when the film came out was very cagey and not very specific.  In fact if anything, TFA flirts but doesn’t get to first base with anybody:  not Kylo and Rey, not Rey and Finn, and not Finn and Poe.  All Abrams did was establish a kind of connection between the dynamic duo but he didn’t realize that if you have a young attractive man and a young attractive woman looking at each other intensely a lot or if you have her faint in his strong arms then he carries her away, people are going to think there’s something going on.  Lightsabers?  That’s just foreplay!

I don’t think Adam or Daisy intentionally played up any sexual tension in their scenes together to give us an impression about something in TFA.  I think it just happened.  Early bird Reylos picked up on it.  Some critics, including the one who wrote the TFA review for Time magazine, picked up on it.  And perhaps, just maybe, Rian Johnson picked up on it too.

I think Abrams was shooting for some vague Force siblings, good twin/evil twin kind of thing.  Johnson IMO saw a thread of something else as a result of the way Daisy and Adam played off each other and didn’t want to just repeat the Luke and Leia thing.  So in TLJ he pushed the relationship more into the romantic territory and let the sexual tension between Rey and Kylo go nuts.  There’s a reason why the number of Reylos exploded after that movie came out, me included.  Johnson pulled every visual trick in the book to make you think there’s more going on than just the Force.  It’s really similar to the arc between Ana de Armas and Chris Evans in “Knives Out” but way more intense.  You could cut the sexual tension with a knife and serve it with tea.  It was also absolutely the best thing about TLJ and the sequels in general.  

Johnson left Rey and Kylo back in their enemies corners at the end of TLJ but the Reylo beast was on the loose and there was no putting it back in the cage.  I’m sure Lucasfilm, Chris Terrio, and JJ Abrams were pulling their hair out because they had no idea how to resolve something they didn’t intend in the first place.  Johnson had been given free reign and I’m sure that will never happen again with any Star Wars feature film.  If one is ever made.

My best piece of evidence that Reylo wasn’t really planned was its near total absence in Colin Trevorrow’s Duel of the Fates screenplay.  In fact, Colin T. forced Johnson to stick in that “Hi, I’m Poe” scene at the end of TLJ to justify a kissing scene with Rey and Poe in his script.  DOTF features Rey and Kylo fighting like Itchy and Scratchy until he’s dying and decides to be nice and tell Rey she was named after a beach in San Diego.  (Solana, in case you’re wondering.)  If Reylo had been planned there would’ve been a lot more than that.

Ultimately JJerio had to acknowledge Reylo even if there was no intent whatsoever to give Rey and Ben a HEA, so we got (let’s be honest) way better scenes between them in TROS than in DOTF.  There wasn’t even a dyad concept in DOTF.  And no kiss.

To summarize, we got Reylo largely from Rian Johnson as well as the chemistry between Daisy and Adam.  Nobody could’ve planned that from the beginning.

[5sosfanfictioncatalogue]

Bisexual!Michael Masterlist

but then i hear u calling (there u are) (ao3) - orphan_account michael/luke N/R, 933

Summary: michael and luke have always been the closest. friendly kisses lasting no longer than 3 seconds are shared frequently between the duo- calum and ashton watching from a distance, almost admiring their friendship. until it wasn't a friendship anymore.

How You Get the Girl (ao3) - 1loulu5 michael/calum, michael/ofc T, 2k

Summary: “Wh… What does ‘castrate’ mean?” Michael sounded perplexed.

Calum laughed, “It means I’ll cut your balls off.”

“Oh-”

~~~

Michael calls Calum, his ex for the past 4 years, for relationship advice.

Not Just a Stupid Game (ao3) - coffeemuke michael/luke E, 2k

Summary: A game of truth or dare leads to Michael following through on a dare.

Paint Me - @daydadahlias (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) luke/ashton, michael/crystal E, 17k

Summary: “Holy shit, hold on a minute,” Calum says, “is that who we’re supposed to be drawing?”

“I can’t draw him,” Michael gawks, “I’m not a Goddamn renaissance painter.”

Or, the one where Luke is an art student practicing realism for a month and Ashton is the nude model in his portrait class.

Promise (ao3) - boomercal calum/ashton, sierra/luke, michael/crystal, calum/ofc M, 115k

Summary: Live music photographer Calum does one favour for a friend (filling in last minute for a show), and his life changes for good. Finding his muse, world-famous pop/rock sensation Ashton Irwin. He thinks once the shows are over, he can pack it in and forget all about it, but a Google search and a phone call set him up on a North American tour where he'll see the man every day... Too bad his Google search revealed the man of his every fantasy has a purity pact with God. So what's a..promiscuous young man to do? Repress it? Sure, that'll work.

Tangled in a Triangle (ao3) - orsumeuphoria michael/crystal/ashton E, 9k

Summary: “You ever have him like this, Crys?” Ashton asks. Crystal doesn’t say anything, but she must shake her head because Ashton continues, “Shame. I think you’d like it. He’s so pretty on his knees.” Michael keens. “C’mere.”

Crystal’s immaculate sneakers appear right behind Ashton’s boots.

The next command he gets isn’t spoken. Ashton only has to tap the base of his jaw for Michael to look up.

The image of both Ashton and Crystal towering over him, Ashton smiling softly and Crystal looking intrigued, is one he burns into his memory.

“Hi, dove,” Ashton murmurs softly, “Fucking missed you.”

The Blower's Daughter (ao3) - MyMy michael/calum, luke/ashton M, 13k (WIP)

Summary: “Did you need something else?” Michael inquires politely a little confused himself.

“I was wondering if I could get your number actually?” The stranger asks biting his lip into his mouth quickly.

“Oh sure!” Michael replies happily. He reaches around the register to the side facing the customer and feels around for the little stack of cards with the shop info on it and the logo embossed in solid black.

“Here this has the shop number right here.” Michael points to the tiny row of numbers on the card. “So if you need anything don’t be afraid to call, okay? We can do special orders as well so anything music related we’ll try our best to get it for you!”

The Gayest Thing I've Ever Done (ao3) - coffeemuke michael/luke, calum/ashton E, 1k

Summary: Band bonding crosses the line between normal and weird, and it's Luke's fault. But the boys don't seem to mind.

The Posse's Origin (ao3) - Jay_isnotokay calum/ashton, michael/ashton E, 6k

Summary: "...I've been apart of the princess posse for a few weeks now and I still don't how you two got 'initated' in the first place." Luke said.

"Alright, LuLu, have I got a story for you."

~

Or Luke wants to know how the posse started and, well, they tell him.

up to your mouth, feeling it out (ao3) - orphan_account michael/luke, luke/ashton E, 9k

Summary: Ashton's the one who suggested it; after all, he would know how well Luke would do in the industry, since he spent most Friday nights with his best friend's lips around his cock. Luke, on the other hand, didn't know he would end up fluffing for a record-breaking pornstar who is like, really really hot, and definitely his type.

or, Luke is broke and has a talented mouth (and a tongue piercing).

your string of lights is still bright to me (ao3) - merlypops michael/calum E, 81k

Summary: Michael is struggling to be the father his daughters need. Until he meets Calum again.

[thefuckinsandes]

Time Lapse

Pairing: Javi Gutierrez x Photographer f!reader Warnings: slight mention of sex, food mention Summary: Being apart from Javi is beginning to become unbearable. Especially when it has been over a month. Trying to stay afloat as you count down the days before Javi comes back home, you reflect on your feelings towards the sweet man. A/N: Hi, it's me. This fic has been in my drafts for so long that I finally had the chance to finish it. This could be read as a solo fic, but it is in continuation of my fic, Candid. Please enjoy some more soft Javi.

Part 1

Facetime had to be one of the greatest inventions ever created. Yes there was Zoom and Duo. Yes, Skype did and still exists and made a statement when it first came around. But the ease to simply press a button and Facetime someone was really a blessing. Especially when you miss someone and they are miles, miles away. 

“Have you seen the movie I recommended to you?” Javi’s voice flowed through your phone as you adjusted yourself on the bed. 

“The Calligari one? No not yet,” You giggled at the expression that quickly appeared as soon as the words escaped your lips.

“How have you not seen it? It’s a masterpiece!”

“Well, I was thinking of watching it with you. That way I can be able to enjoy something you love with you.”

“You’re perfect, do you know that?” Javi’s sweet praises will never not bring a blush to your cheeks.

You turned over your pillow and gripped onto the edge as you adjusted the phone in your hand. With a soft sigh you told him how you missed him. You missed the warmth that radiated from him. You missed everything about him.

“I miss you too, querida.” 

Javi Gutierrez was roughly two thousand, eight hundred and fourteen miles away from where you currently resided. You in the West Coast of California and him in the East Coast of New York. He was working with the director and producers of a new film that he had written. When you asked him to summarize it in three words, he responded with, “Action. Spectacle. Surprises.”

“That could be anything!” You laughed when you heard those words.

“Exactly!”

You missed him so much. His hair had grown a bit since you last had seen him a month ago. Those sweet curls you adored so much were making an appearance as you watched him move around the bed he currently was on. 

“How’s New York? Did you make any new friends?” 

He quickly sat up and the biggest smile appeared on his face. You mimicked his moves and leaned against the headboard of your bed, ready to listen to his newest tale.

“I did! His name is Isaac. He is an actor who is going to be one of the producers of the film. He is extremely funny!”

“Is this a new best friend I am sensing? Is Nick going to get jealous?” You teased him.

“Nick would love Isaac!” He spoke with such offense. “We would become an iconic trio like Luke, Han, and Chewbacca or Charlie’s Angels.”

“Does that mean I would be able to see you in a tight spy suit? Or better yet in Han’s outfit?”

“Only if you wear Leia’s outfit.”

“I promise. Space buns and all!” You both laugh.

“Oh! He also introduced me to his wife who is a director and screenwriter as well! She has done some amazing films! Some that they both even have worked on together! They want to meet you, too.”

“Me?” You asked surprised.

“I told them about my beautiful partner who is a photographer and creates beautiful pieces of art with a simple click of her camera.”

“Javi,” You smiled at him.

He shifted so that you can see all his beautiful features perfectly lit by the lamp beside him. His eyes, those beautiful expressive shades of brown, that are staring directly into the camera but seem as if they were staring straight into your own, showed nothing but adoration. 

“I wish I was there with you,” You whisper to him, as if it was a secret you were sharing. 

“Me too. Only one more week to go,” he whispers back. 

You both had officially begun dating ten months ago. After the photoshoot, you met up with him a few days later with the plan of watching a movie and having dinner. As well with the intention of returning the jacket that he kindly lent you on the day you met. In the end, the jacket became forgotten as the date continued.

On your third date and third attempt to return his jacket, Javi walked you to your door and as you pulled the blue jacket off your shoulders, he stopped you.

“Keep it. It suits you better,” Javi whispered before pressing his forehead against your own.

After that night more of his sweaters and shirts made a new home within your closet. Even now as you laid on your bed, one of his t-shirts was being worn as a sleep shirt. It still held the scent that could only be described as Javi.

“The day that you come home, I will be sure to have all of your favorite movie snacks ready. And we are going to have a Paddington movie marathon and cuddle on the couch,” You tell him. “It’s gonna be you, me, and Mr. Bunny. How is he, by the way?”

Javi laughs and puts his phone down for a second as he reaches over for the stuffed rabbit you insisted that he take with him. It was another duplicate of the bunny plush that was used in “Con Air”. Javi had given it to you on your fifth date. The date in which you both declared that you were official. He was yours and you were his.

Mr. Bunny came to view as Javi was back on the screen, “He has been enjoying the scenery. But he misses his mother.”

“I miss him too,” You tell him with a yawn. “The both of you.”

“Tiempo para dormir, querida. I’ve kept you up for too long.”

“Me? You’re the one that is three hours ahead of me. How are you still awake?”

A smile appears on his face, “Nothing in this world would stop me from being able to see you. I could stay awake for hours if it means being able to see your beautiful face and hear your lovely voice.”

“Come home soon, Javi.”

Javi smiled at the word home. You were becoming his home. 

“As you wish.”

And as you both laid in your beds, laying on the side that you both declared as your own, you both reached over and touched the pillows that were beside your own. Wishing that it was the person that you desired the most that was many miles away. The same thoughts lingered through both your minds as you whispered goodnight to the empty room with nothing but the sounds of the outside world.

The second thought on your mind when you awoke the following morning was that you were a day closer to seeing Javi. The first was how annoying your alarm was. As you got ready for the day, you noticed how Javi’s presence was always around you. The cup that he used for his morning coffee was placed next to the coffee machine as you poured yourself your first brew of the day. The blanket throw you leaned against on your couch that he helped pick out the one time you had gone on a Target trip and lost yourselves amongst the many ailes. The many DVDs that he left on your coffee table the day you got sick. He had insisted that they brought nothing but pure joy and would quickly make you feel better.

There were so many little things that reminded you how much you loved him. A smile appeared on your face before sipping on your coffee. Love. In your mind you thought that the possibility of even experiencing that romantically was out of the picture. And here you are, ten months later admitting the notion as you smelled the coffee that Javi had picked out a few days before he had left.

You sighed at the thought of him and soon remembered that perhaps you should go to his apartment to check how things are. Javi has a housekeeper that comes once a week, but before he left he had asked if you could also check on the plants that he kept in the apartment. The same plants that you had in yours. His reasoning was so that his home had a piece of you in it. After quickly getting dressed, one of his sweaters being thrown on, you locked the door behind you and began your journey to your favorite place.

Javi’s apartment had such a beautiful view of the city. At first you thought that his art pieces and movie memorabilia would capture your attention. But the moment you saw the rays of light enter from the large balcony, you were enamored. As Javi joined you on the balcony, you told him that this might be the most beautiful view of the city as the setting sun made its appearance. In Javi’s eyes, you were the most beautiful view. You glowed even more so than you already did.

Greeting his neighbors, an elderly couple who always gave you both a knowing smile, you entered his apartment. The aroma that could only be described as Javi hit your senses and it brought you such comfort. Leaving your bag on his couch, you made your way to the balcony and began your task of watering the plants that were both in and outdoors. As you walked around, you noticed that there were many things of yours that lingered in his apartment. 

Your favorite blanket was folded on the couch, the one that you used when you both cuddled under when watching films. Your favorite snacks are organized in his pantry as well as your own mug for the coffee that he brewed for you. His bathroom held your skincare products and your toothbrush in your favorite color. When he presented it to you the first time you stayed over, he had the cutest smile and was so proud to have the little piece of knowledge memorized.

In his room, your favorite pajamas were in the cabinet that he declared your own and the vanity he had purchased just for you so you can get ready for the day as he watched with admiration. And lastly, a portrait of the two of you at the beach as the sun set behind you. It sat on the drawer underneath the television in his room. It was a gift that you had given him and one that he would always cherish.

“Only one week to go,” You told yourself as you stepped out of his apartment, locking the door behind you.

The next day, you were dragged out of your apartment because according to Arlene, your moping behavior had to end.

“He’s only been gone for how long?” 

“34 days,” You tell her with a longing voice.

“That’s forever!” Leah yells as she takes a bite of her brownie.

“I completely agree with you, Leah! I owe you another brownie,” You ruffle the child’s hair as she giggles.

Arlene looks bewildered as she states, “She’s only seven!”

You and Leah look at each other before giggling, “She is wise for her age.”

“But seriously, I’ve never seen you like this over a guy.”

You take a sip of your coffee before saying, “Well I love him. So of course I miss him like crazy.”

The look that appeared on not only Arlene’s but Leah’s face was the most priceless moment ever. Arlene with her wide eyes and Leah with her mouth open and full of brownie bits.

“You love him!”

“Is he going to be my tío now?”

The two spoke together, blurring their words as you just smiled.

“I do and we can ask him when he comes back.”

“Tía,” Leah leans close to you as if she is ready to tell you a secret.

“What’s up?”

She pulls you close, whispering in your ear, “I really want Javi to be my tío. Do you think he would buy me that Baby Yoda toy I want?”

“He would definitely buy it for you. Now, ready for that next brownie?”

The days soon began to blur as you got busy with work. Photos needed to be edited, shoots needed to be scheduled, and meetings kept you on your toes. You would get home tired, wishing that Javi was there to cheer you up. Even though he wasn’t, the phone calls and text messages that Javi sent you made it better. You were ready for the weekend. For Javi.

On Friday the whole company was given a half day and you attempted to retreat back to your home, ready to clean up the apartment since Javi was due to be home Saturday afternoon. But your attempts to go home were stopped.

“Let’s go eat!” Arlene walked beside you as you exited the building.

“But Javi is-”

“Coming tomorrow, I know. But, can we please have lunch? Michael offered to pick up Leah from school and I really wanna have a nice lunch with my best friend.”

It was a rare opportunity so you agreed. Arlene gave you the biggest smile and dragged you along for some light shopping before having lunch. Ever since you told her that you loved Javi, she began to ask questions about Javi and the possible future.

What’s your favorite feature of his? His eyes because it shines so bright.

What is one thing you would change about him? Nothing really. But if you had to pick one, it would be his self-doubt. He was amazing and worked so hard on his scripts and needed to realize that.

How’s the sex? None of your business, but it’s magical.

Would you ever move in with him? Yes, of course!

Is he really the one?

“I can’t imagine my life without him in it. He’s it for me. I love him.”

With that answer, Arlene knew that you were in deep. And she knew that he was too. 

As you headed home, you were glad that you had that lunch with her. It made you think about what you wanted and now that you are more certain of it, you were hopeful for your future with Javi.

“Only one day to go,” You smiled before entering your apartment.

Golden hour peaked through the windows and it provided the light for you to see the scene before you. Movie snacks were placed on your coffee table. Paddington was on your tv screen, ready to be played. As you entered deeper into your apartment, Mr. Bunny was sitting on the couch along with Javi’s favorite blanket that was on your bed.

“Welcome home, querida,” Javi’s voice pulled you towards the direction of your kitchen as Javi stood there with a loving smile.

A gasp escaped your lips as you practically jumped on him, pulling him into the tightest of hugs, kissing him all over his face. Javi held onto you tightly, refusing to part from you as he took you in. He missed the feeling of your arms around him, your scent washing over him as he placed his head on the crook of your neck. This is where he was meant to be, in your arms as you whispered to him how much you missed him. Javi knew that there would be no other for him as he held you. You, his one true love.

“You’re home! I missed you so much,” You told him before kissing his lips.

“I missed you more,” Javi nuzzled your nose with his own. “Next time I have to travel anywhere, I am taking you with me.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I want the woman I love to be with me, always.”

He loved you. Javi loved you. Javi Gutierrez, the sweetest and most wonderful man to ever exist in this lifetime, loved you.

“I love you,” You whispered to him as you pressed your forehead against his.

Javi’s eyes widened before they quickly darkened, quickly taking hold of your lips with his own as he felt the love you were giving him in the kiss. Nothing but pure passion and love was felt and you both finally felt as if you were now complete. Life was complete. Well almost.

Javi pulled away, placing light kisses, “I love you with my whole being. I want to build a home for you. For us. And I knew since the moment I took your hand that you would be the only one for me.”

“I want us to have a home too. I want to be able to wake up to your arms around me every morning. I want everything with you.”

His smile only widened more as he pulled you towards the couch and as you both took a seat, he pulled out a small box from his pocket. He gently handed you the wide velvet box.

Your heart pounded in anticipation and a gasp escaped your lips. Inside there were two small items. Well, one smaller than the other. A single key rested next to a beautiful ring that was already bringing tears into your eyes.

“Javi.”

“You are my home. You brighten my day in so many ways. You provide the warmth that I didn’t know I was missing. And even though we haven’t been together for long, I know in my heart that there is no one else I’d rather be with than with you. I bought us a home that I want to fill with you. I want to start a life with you and who knows maybe have children or pets. Whatever you want.”

You laugh as the tears freely fall from your eyes. Javi grabs the ring and slowly descends down onto one knee. His eyes filled with love and hope that showed brightly thanks to the golden hour.

“Will you marry me, mi amor?”

You nodded your head profusely as you quickly reached for Javi, “Yes, Javi, yes!”

Javi held you close as you kissed him. After everything he’s gone through in his life, his hopeful, romantic heart finally found what made it whole. This time apart showed the two of you that you carried each other’s hearts. 

“I can’t wait to start our new life together.”

“We already have. On that first date, our new life began. We have a long beautiful journey ahead of us, mi amor,” Javi tells you as he slips the ring on your finger.

“You and your beautiful words,” You lean against his chest as he kisses the top of your head.

“Only for you,” he tells you as he watches how the ring glows in the golden light. He starts the film as a thought appears in his head, “Can we have little Leah be our flower girl?”

“She’d probably have one condition,” You laugh, remembering what she told you.

“What’s that?”

“She wants her tío to buy her a Baby Yoda toy.”

A laugh escapes his lips, “Of course. Do you want one too?”

“Yes please. I love you.”

“I love you, querida.”

~~

Tags: @evyiione , @lovesbiggerthanpride