#though i had pics of other stuff i drew at the time to practice for it

[eegasleega-will-change-this-l8r]

-OUR FOUNDER-

⚙ THE CHAIRMAN ⚙ OF COGS INCORPORATED EST. 2003 ---------------------------------

So I've never talked about this on here before, but Toontown was one of my absolute FAVORITE games as a kid (despite never having membership so being locked out of 99% of the actual game jlkjfsakj) Like it was absolutely formative for me, I drew the cogs a bajillion times and they inspired a ton of my own stuff later on (and still absolutely do) Then the game closed and Rewritten came out so I could actually play the whole game for the first time (haven't gotten anywhere close to getting to the end though) To this day I have an on again off again interest where once or twice a year I'll suddenly get absolutely smitten with it again haha

So, if you're also into Toontown, you'll obviously be familiar with the mysterious, unseen overarching villain The Chairman This is my own take on his design that I came up with a few years back ^^

We don't have much to go off of from the original game for what the Chairman might've been like, so I had a couple of different inspirations

Obviously the giant head in the Sellbot Factory, since those old Chairman pics with that head pasted onto a cog body were absolutely what I was most exposed to as a kid, but it's also not a 1:1 lift

In some of my earliest sketches trying to come up with the ideal design I tried making him look like he had the giant robot from the old installer video underneath his suit, so he had like lanky, cartoonish proportions, toonier hands, etc It looked really bad though and I couldn't do what I wanted with the head since it would've had to fit over the shorter, wider robot head, so I just ended up scrapping it (i do take some inspiration from the video for my vision of Toontown's story, but i've just scrapped the robot entirely) Oh I also gave him the eyes from the Field Office since I thought that could be neat, but it looked out of place so I simplified them to what he has now (they're still stylistically similar to the eyes on regular cog buildings, so i don't think i'm really losing any of the meaning behind them at least)

By far the biggest inspiration was when the FY11 plans got released

Holy FUDGE did this blow my mind when I saw it for the first time All those years as a kid of the Chairman not even being ACKNOWLEDGED except by the CEO's final words and a couple odd references in obscure magazines and whatever Desperately speculating and grasping onto all those tiny pieces of some mysterious, horrifically evil entity behind everything And then this??? This awesome, ominous silhouette?? Plans for something huge??? Seeing it is what drove me to go and draw him in the first place, it still gives me chills just looking at it

So yeah, I wanted mine to have that same aura of cold evil, that striking silhouette, while also having a bit more character to him Like most cogs are frozen in the same screwed up scowl, where there's not much room for expression If I could, like, make an actual model for him, I'd want him to have the same sort of capacity for different expressions as the toons have (even some you wouldn't expect from the head of the cogs)

He's ruthless, calculating, doing everything he can to maximize the profits and efficiency of Cogs Inc and expand their operations to the entirety of Toontown, with no regard for ethical business practices or the wishes of the people he plans to subjugate (But does it work? Is he happy?)

I'm absolutely gonna do an analysis of the cogs as a whole at some point (as long as my interest doesn't plummet for a little while longer), there's a ton of stuff I wanna get into about my interpretation of them as villains because oh my god I love them so much

OTHER STUFF - He's not as massive as the other boss cogs, but he's still absolutely huge (iirc the highest level cogs are all canonically like 8ft?? and he's got a LOT of height on them) - He's drinking oil in the pencil drawing - I happened to watch this video where one guy talked about the way the villain in Tarzan held a glass of wine and how it left a huge impression on him, so I just arbitrarily decided to emulate it in my drawing XD - Oh yeah a big reason for the main drawing in the post was that I really felt like I was getting too attached to a single style in my digital stuff (literally just using the same default pen tool for everything, never changing the size), so I wanted to force myself to try something new - I drew the frame myself, just kinda winged it so it's. not as good as it could be but it works fine I think

[megacarapa]

new needlepoint - i want to live here so fucking bad

this is wiehler needlepoint 2317 "es klappert die mühle am rauschenden bach" (the mill rattles by the rushing brook), which i actually just now learned is named after a german children's song - its pretty cute!

i was gonna put the process pics at the end of the rant but then the rant ended up too long so here they are at the beginning, i also added the dates each picture was taken =)

this is my first wiehler needlepoint out of 5 i got from the mentors at the embroidery workshop (originally 4 but i got another one just this week), FOR FREE, which is crazy to think about since the kits for these things arent that cheap to buy, but they gave them to me bc they were just sitting around with no one planning to actually make them

needlepoint used to be more popular over here back in ye olden days and it even used to be taught in home ec class, so both my grandmas, mom and even DAD used to make them in school, which i never knew about bc by the time i was going to school home ec classes were long gone from the curriculum, which sucks because it would have been awesome to learn stuff like this as a kid

out of the 5 kits i got, this was the smallest so i decided to do it first, the rest of them get progressively bigger and bigger until the last one which is kind of mind bogglingly huge, will i really be able to finish all of these? im honestly not sure, but i dont mind the idea of having something to work on that could take me my whole life (or like, 5 years)

these needlepoints are also different from the ones ive done up til now cause instead of the picture being printed onto the cloth, here you get an empty cloth with only counting squares printed on it and you need to follow the pattern from a paper, which i already got practice for by working on that llama cross stitch and got used to with no problem

there was one thing though, this is the only kit out of the 5 that didnt actually have the standard cloth with the squares on it (there was also some string missing, so i think the thing is that someone else had already made this kit before and what i got was the leftovers), bc of that i simply bought some new needlepoint cloth and drew the squares on myself, which led to....

honey i shrunk the needlepoint, SO YOU SEE THE THING IS, i didnt check what the squares on the cloth i did get for the other kits actually looked like, i simply assumed the squares would be normal 10x10 squares like in the picture, so thats what i drew by hand, but theyre actually supposed to be 20x20, and youre supposed to do a specific stitch called gobelin stitch where 2x2 of space is considered 1 stitch, idk if im explaining any of this well but basically if i had known this and done it correctly the finished work would have been pretty much the same size as the pattern on the picture

i know all of this now and the next needlepoint ive started since then will be the correct size, but either way i think the tiny one has its own charm and looks great anyway, its adorable!! im kind of obsessed with it, the green frame also looks great and ahh i just love it sm😭

heres the back

and size comparison with my previous ones

its a little bebe needlepoint🥺

it keeps happening that at the very end when these have finally been framed, i always notice one or two squares which i forgot to fill in, but i dont really mind it, and its fun asking people to try and find them🤣 (but dont bother trying to find them yourself bc they cant really be seen in these pictures)

i also accidentally swapped the two shades of green for the tree but the shades are so similar you literally cant see it, and i also ran out of the darkest blue shade and had to buy a new one, but couldnt find one that was similar enough, so you can actually see on most of the pics that the dark blue part to the left of the tree is a darker shade than on the right, but again, who cares, i just like jotting down as much of the process as i can remember in these posts🤣

thanks for reading!!

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Ep 38 - Discovery of new geoglyph in the Nazca lines.

K: Hi, this is Dir en grey's Kaoru with this week's episode of The Freedom of Expression. Joe san, Tasai san, welcome....

J: Ask me about it..haha

K: Wha..?

J: Ask me about it.

K: .....Today..

J: Haha, no no no. Hellooo? *points at  Tokyo Sports hoodie that he is wearing* Look, look, look, everyone. Tokyo Sports have...actually, where are you selling this again?

T: Don Quijote.

J: Its a collaboration with Don Quijote.

T: Yeah.

J: Have a look. *Shows off hoodie* 'UFO caught in power lines'. I don't know why this scene has been chosen for it though. I've put it on straight away.

K: I've got one too. Its cute, right?

J: It is cute!

T: Oh, that makes me happy.

J: Anyone can get this if they go to Don Quijote?

T: Yep.

J: By the way, how much is it?

T: Its about ¥2000.

J: This is..

K: Its good.

J: Yeah it is.

K: Its good for this time of year.

J: This is great for just going to the convenience store.

Kami: Its cheap. 

K: But isn't ¥2000 a bit expensive for Kami?

T: haha

Kami: Well, its cheap.

J: Honestly, its a bit loose in the body.

K: You don't have to say that.

J: Hahaha

T: No matter when it gets dirty..

J: Its okay? kinda thing?

K: On the otherhand, its easy to wear.

J: Easy to wear! Thats it. Easy to wear.

K: Yeh yeh.

J: Ah, its thin so its easy to wear, haha.

K: Great for when its just a bit chilly outside.

J: Just right for that.

T: Exactly.

J: So by all means, everyone, this is currently on sale at Don Quijote.

T: Thank you very much.

J: This is a super hot item.

T: Thank you.

K: Speaking of Tokyo Sports news, this week's story is..

T: Yeah. A new geoglyph in the Nazca lines has been discovered.

J: I've been waiting for this!

T: Another mystery to unfold.

J: Yeh, a mystery.

T: On the 16th of this month, Peru's Ministry of Culture announced that a group of archaeologists doing maintenance work in an area of the Nazca lines discovered a new geoglyph measuring at 37 meters. Its from an earlier era than any of the other geoglyphs that we know of. It hasn't been visible up to now because it was drawn on the side of a steep slope. But it has become possibe to get footage of it using drones etc, which means more discoveries like this might also be made from now on.

J: Its amazing, isn't it?

T: Did you see it?

J, K: Yeh yeh.

J: It looks like a cat.

K: The moment I saw it, I thought it was a fake.

J: Hahaha. Out of all the topics so far, your enthusiasm for this one is kinda different, right?

T: Its crazy, right? A cat...

J: It looks like that giraffe that Tasai drew recently.

K: haha, yeh.

J: I wondered if Tasai had drawn it.

T: Yeh, like presenting my own work.

J: Yeh yeh yeh. But then you probably didn't have time to go to Peru and do a 37 meter drawing.

T: Well, yeah. Looking at the design of the cat, Im not sure whether ancient people drew this.

J: What do you think, Kaoru?

K: Well, when I first saw it, I thought it was fake news.

J, T: Hahaha

J: It looks like it, doesn't it? It looks like a joke.

T: For sure.

K: It makes you think, 'Eh? Really??'

J: Yeah. Maybe they left it there as a joke.

T: The other designs in the Nazca lines, the birds and things, are drawn very precisely, aren't they? This one has a different touch to it.

K: This one is older than those though, isn't it?

T: Yeah, its older.

K: Maybe it all started from there.

J: Yeah. Its like the very beginning of the Nazca lines. It could've been like a practice attempt.

T: So like, it started from there, and became many different designs?

J: Yeah, that kind of thing, maybe?

T: I wonder.

J: But its said the Nazca lines have loads of mysteries about them. These days, in terms of technicalties, you would draw a small image first, and while looking at that, like when making a map, go equally to various places and leave stakes in the ground. And then gradually make it bigger. If you increase the size by the same amount, no matter what the angle, it eventually turns into that kind of shape, right? But to make that kinda of image back then, with all the obstacles that they faced, there is the theory that it could have been aliens. Its quite a deep rooted theory. What is Tokyo Sports' theory on this?

T: Well, there is the aliens theory, but also former AKB member, Kojima Haruna....Kojiharu, right? She drew a picture of a cat at some event back in 2015, or was it a tiger? It was a tiger. It looks exactly the same as this.

J: Hahaha

K: *looks at pic on Tasai's phone* Well...

Kami: You're talking about Kojiharu's drawing?

T: Yeah, like did she draw this? 

Kami: Oh right. Um, I also..A long time ago, I drew a picture at Tottori sand dunes with a friend.

J, K, T: Ehh?

Kami: It was like a male symbol..I competed with my friend over the size.

J: Kami, how did you draw it, this male symbol?

Kami: Well, I got a tree, and trees are kind of thick, right. I found a really thick one, and went back and forward with it many times. We were saying to each other, like 'Mine is bigger'. Stupid, right? Haha.

T: Kami's type of fun is interesting.

Kami: Yeah, we went to Tottori sand dunes, it was fun though. I wouldn't be allowed to draw it now though, that type of thing.

J: Ah, is it banned there?

Kami: Well, these days its all about public decency. Maybe that was my fault.

K: Definitely.

J: Yeah. Its due to your excesses, Kami, now it has become like this.

Kami: Yes.

J: Stop it!

Kami: Its like as a god, I was the creator of these new rules.

J: Haha

T: I see.

J: Yeh, I see.

Kami: Yes.

K: He puts it very well.

J: He does. So, what do you think about this Kojiharu theory?

T: Well, we got a good response from her. She said something like 'Tokyo Sports, stop being stupid', haha.

K: Tokyo Sports gets about doesn't it?

J: Its great isn't it? haha. Imagine Kojiharu speaking out to them about the Nazca lines.

T: Also, the Major League player, the pitcher Maeda Kenta (Maeken), there has been talk that it looks like it was drawn by him.

K: Basically, the picture is not very good then.

J: Haha. So, Tokyo Sport's conclusion is that this geoglyph is old, but in terms of skill, its not that good?

T: Yeah. Well, because aliens did it to help them relax.

K: Ahh, I see.

J: Like, a drunk alien drew it or something?

T: Yeh yeh. 

J: Ah, there are many possibilities.

K: Its great that there are still others that havn't been discovered yet.

J: Yeah.

Kami: Um, will it be said that I drew it if they find a vulgar drawing?

K, J, T: Hahaha

J: Hang on, you're  a god, so it wouldn't be strange to say you were alive when the Nazca lines were made, right?

Kami: Right.

T: It wouldn't be that odd to find one or two vulgar ones would it?

J: Well, as I said earlier, they could start with a small drawing, and then gradually extend it, but the question is what did they make these for? I can understand that kind of big bird being related to a religious custom or something, but I'm interested in what this funny cat was made for.

T: Yeah

K: Well, I don't mean big ones, but they are a lot of small ones like this, done by people a long time ago, right?

T: Ah yeh.

J: Ah, I see. Yeh yeh.

T: It wasn't that unusual for ancient peope to draw random doodles, like symbols or religious images and stuff.

J: Ah, yeh. Its interesting.

Kami: Joe, I really understand what you said about expanding the drawing equally bit by bit.

J: Oh really?

Kami: Yeh, at Tottori sand dunes, the picture I drew was only circles and a line, but i made it bigger in the same way.

J: Oh right, yeh.

Kami: Yeah, I did.

J: So does that mean you really knew how to draw?

Kami: No, I didn't know how to at all. It just came naturally.

J: Naturally?

Kami: Yes.

T: Incredible.

J: Of couse, you are a god. I somehow wish you'd drawn something more decent. Haha

Kami: Well, I have a knack for that type of thing.

J: Haha, do you? Like, this is you?

Kami: Yes. Im just a vulgar guy.

J: Ah, you're vulgar? A vulgar god.

Kami: Yes.

K: Well, anyway, it will be interesting if they find any more of these.

J: Yeh, im looking forward to that.

T: I wonder if there are any more?

J: Oh, there will be more.

T: Hmm, yeh.

J: Well, I don't remember exactly, but in the place where the Nazca lines are, there is a characteristic type if soil quality, like if it rains, or is windy, the geoglyphs don't disappear.

K: Well, yeah.

J: If you drew a picture in regular ground, it would disappear when it rained, right? So, did these ancient people knew about the soil quality in this area, and draw them there deliberately to preserve them, or did they draw them in lots of different places, and only these ones have survived? Im not an expert, so I don't know, but it makes you imagine things when you see them.

K: Yeah.

J: Isn't it great?

T: There must be more..

J: Yeah.

T: Mysteries in this world.

J: Yes, I think so.

Kami: Isn't there any theory about them drawing graffiti with friends?

J: Well, there may be that kind of theory.

T: Yeah.

Kami: Is there?

K: We just don't know what happened.

J: Right, we don't know. Yeh.

T: That cat does just look like a prank.

J: Yeah.

T: There is no message in it.

J: No, there isn't. Haha.

K: How did they draw it though?

J: As for that Tokyo Sports Tshirt, I wonder if anyone holds copyright for the Nazca lines images?

K: I don't know, haha.

T: How about that? Hmm.

K: I don't know.

J: If its a press photo though, you can use it anywhere as long as you credit it, right?

K: Well, in that case, Tasai's drawing is better..

J: Oh, that?!

T: Hahaha

J: Lets make it!

K: Hahaha

J: How about that with 'The Freedom of Expression'.

T: That sounds good.

J: Kaoru did not seem to agree, haha.

K: No, lets just think about it a little more.

J: Yes, ok.

K: Ok, well lets finish here. Please subscribe. Thank you very much.

[ask-jokeboi]

The Party

Hope everyone's having a great holiday season so far! This time of year isn't always easy but thankfully friends and a good distraction can make things easier. 

I drew these pic’s to pair with a moderately long fic I wrote to follow up the aforementioned party from earlier, it’s below the the cut! Read it if you want! Either way, Happy Holidays! 💜💚💛

Words: 4,142    Relationships: Harlivy /Harley & Joker friendship / Batjokes (mentioned)     Universe: Mine / Lego Batman

A/N: sorry for any typos or weird grammatical stuff, I'm good at art, not writing

Summary: Joker’s felt a little down since Batman’s been out of town, will his best friend Harley be able to cheer him up?

Warnings: Alcohol use, implied depression

_____________________

"C'mon Jay it'll be be fun!" Cheered Harley, mustering all the enthusiasm she could in an attempt to persuade Gotham's former clown prince of crime to pull himself together 

"I don't care!…. Go bother your girlfriend or something. Leave me alone…" He was currently piled under several layers of blankets, sunk deep into the ball pit he called a bed

"Nuh uh, I'm not haulin' my butt outta this room 'till you haul yours. You can stay in that pit and cry all ya like, but it won't fix nothin', you gott-"

"I don't GOTTA do anything!" Jay snapped. Throwing his blanket aside and revealing his less than kempt appearance, his face twisted into a frustrated glare

Harley, already familiar with Jay's usual harmless outbursts only sighed as she looked her long time friend up and down, taking in his surroundings with a curious eye

It'd been a month or two since Batman left the scene and his absence was definitely beginning to take a toll on the poor clown.

She could tell it'd been a while since he'd done anything to care for himself…. His hair, which was usually swept back into a flawless green pomp, lazily draped his face. The dull forest black of his roots beginning to seep back into the rest of it. Same could be said for the state his room which, due to his erratic nature, was always a bit untidy  but had recently fallen into a state of near disrepair. Bags of half eaten junk food and empty bottles of all sorts of things lay strewn across the floor, particularly around his half deflated bed.

Despite the mess, he still seemed a little...thin… more so than usual to be honest… his ribs visible beneath the loose shirt he wore, arms comparable to sticks despite the muscle.

most of all though, he just seemed... tired. Jay always looked tired out of makeup. It was one of the first things she'd managed to take note of when he'd first entered her office years ago…. But right now the purple rings beneath his eyes that never seemed to go away were deepened to a point that made it clear he wasn't getting much sleep or doing much for himself in general...

Seeing her best friend in a state like this was hard to witness… and although her partner, Ivy, didn't have much but mild disdain for Jay, Harley couldn't find it in herself to leave him like this… which is why she thought a party might lift his spirits a little 

"C'mooon! You love parties!! It'll just be a small one anyway!" It was actually much bigger than she was implying but Jay liked big and she didn't wanna scare him off too soon… 

"Yeah, like that'll make things any better… who did you even invite?? A good half of the rogues don't even like me…"

"Sure they do!"

Jay only looked at her, bereft and unimpressed. 

"I mean ok you and Riddler don't always get along and it took a lot a beggin' ta get ya un-banned from the iceberg lounge but still!!"

"Uhg whatever! It doesn't matter! I don't need those bozos seein' me like this anyway..."

"Like what?" 

"I don't know!  I'm just…... I'm not in the right… mood for something like that right now.... You know how this works… they'd see right through me. "

Back when Jay was still her patient they'd end up talking a lot about masks…Batman's would come up more often than not but every now and then he'd end up discussing his own…. Or more specifically, the metaphorical one he'd put on every time he picked up a brush and painted himself a new face…..

"Jay, sweetie…  you don't have to pretend to be okay… they won't think you're weak or nothin', you know that right?..."

Jay gave her an incredibly tired look before turning away.

"What happened to the Jay that wasn't afraid to let people know how he's feelin' huh? The one that turned every emotion into a show….?"

He kept his head down, shoulders stiff, before speaking...

"....Cause I'm not just sad this time…. " As he looked up slowly an emotion that was rarely seen on the mans face showed itself, flooding his eyes. 

"W- when I'd talked to Robin and Batgirl that last time and asked about Batman they gave each other this look and…. Something's wrong… he's in trouble or something I… I can feel it…..  W-what if he doesn't come back and he leaves me here all alone an-" 

Harley put a polished nail up to Jay's lips and smiled warmly.

"Shhhh…. You're worryin' too much puds… ur big dumb brain is just an overdramatic liar… don't listen to it okay?" 

Jay sniffled, giving her an understanding nod.

"You still got me an' your crew an' Bud and all the other little silly things that make ya days good doncha?"

He smiles halfheartedly. "Y-yeah…. But still… he was..."

"I know… he's special….but do you seriously think anything out there could actually kill Batman? THE Batman? C'mon now….  He's luckier than any bastard out there and you know it…"

"Yeah…. Yeah I guess ur right"

"Of COURSE I'm right!… now come on…" she offers her hand and helps her friend stand up. "Let's get that hair done and those nails shined up  so you're brain can take a break from making all those nasty thoughts" 

Jay smiled a little wider this time, forever grateful he had a friend as great as Harley around… he really didn't know what he'd do without her sometimes...

"Right…. Also… uh…. Harley?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for….uh…. Bein'... around… I guess…" Jay practically mumbled...

Harley smiled knowingly, amused with his poor attempt of gratitude

"No problem, Pud's….." she gave him a peck on the forehead leaving a black smudge behind 

"now enough mush...Let's clean this mess and get ya fabbed up"

________________

A few hours later, Jay stood outside the titular iceberg lounge in his best winter fit, a long boa around his shoulders and a pair of unnecessary sunglasses obscuring the mascara he'd only half ruined on the way there…. 

He truly, honestly, did not feel like socializing with anyone at the moment, but who was he to refuse a doctor's orders?....

Taking a deep breath of the cold winter air, Jay stiffened up, smoothed the wrinkles from his vintage memphis style sweater and entered the lounge, heels high and head high as he could manage 

____________

When the doors swung open with a swirl of winter snow, Jay was greeted by a surprisingly full and stunningly silent room. Christmas music cut through the tension like a knife as everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to Joker's fashionably late arrival.

He didn't know if it was because of his natural ability to demand attention or the fact that he hadn't been seen in nearly 3 weeks, but for some reason the room seemed slightly on edge. worried he'd come with another Joker brand surprise perhaps. Thankfully, Harley, who'd left his place a little earlier to get everything ready, noticed who'd finally arrived.

"JJ!! YOU MADE IT!!" she leaped off her stool and came running to grab him, The rest of the room taking it as a cue to un-tense and to go back to their festivities, the lounge lighting up  with warm greetings and laughter.

" Hey…" said Jay as Harley put an arm around his shoulder and escorted him to the booth she was sitting at….  

"So… is all of this for me or…?"

"No, did she tell you that?" Ivy who was sitting at the booth with his other less than fond acquaintance, Catwoman and someone else he didn't seem to recognize, gave a snide smile, Jay suddenly felt he should probably sit someplace else

"IVY!! SHHH" Harley shushed

"What? He was gonna find out out eventually…. It was supposed to be Penguin's annual winter ball" 

"Uh,It still is tho…?" said Kat, mouth full of shrimp 

"Well, yah…. Difference is we had to 'finesse' Penguin into letting HIM in" Ivy explained, disdain in her voice

"And you... helped with that?..." asked Jay, surprised. Ivy sighed

"for Harley's sake, yes. not yours" 

Jay smiled, amused. "well how charitable of you, here's to hoping you won't regret it"

Ivy rolled her eyes. "As if I don't already" she said, taking a short sip from her drink, Harley sitting down next to her give her thank u peck on the cheek.

"Hey, why'd you get banned from this dump anyway?" Asked Kat, eyes squinting curiously 

"I have no idea…." Jay shrugged 

"He put a coke and mento bomb in the fountain!" Harley interrupted 

"Oh yeah…." He'd totally forgot

"Ha! Awesome…" 

"Right uh, anyway, who the hell are you?" Jays attention suddenly turned to the woman sitting opposite of kat. She had light blue skin, bright white eyes and hair that made her look like a human lighting rod.

"Name's Livewire." She said, voice sharp as her appearance 

"She's from Metropolis" explained Ivy. Jay rose a brow.

"Metropolis huh?? How'dya like dealin' with boy scout full time over there?" He quizzed 

"Sweet!…" she exclaimed enthusiastically "Big blue aint got a thing on me! 'sides, dweeb's been outta town for months now! metropolis might as well be my personal playground"

The mentioning of Superman's absence made something in Jay's chest twist. He'd known their neighbor hero had been MIA for even longer than Batman, Supergirl taking over the workload just like Batgirl had in Gotham. but still… the reminder was enough to worry him. I mean… if superman was taking so much time up there, what chance did Batman have against whatever it was they were so busy with??

Trying his best to shake off the uneasiness building in his stomach Jay took a breath and snapped back to reality, offering Livewire his hand

"Well, uh... Livewire, i'm this city's head honcho while the bat's gone so welcome to Gotham and try not to wear it out" 

Harley and Ivy exchanged looks as Jay smiled slyly and took Livewires hand…

...Only for his usual gesture of hospitality to be met with an equally shocking grip that sent blue sparks flying in every direction.

"DAMN, what the- !! " Jay yanked his hand back and held it in pain, hot needles running up his arm.The new addition to Harley's crew laughed crudely and smiled

 "why do you think they call me 'LIVEWIRE' genius?" 

Jay stayed silent with defeat as the table went up in hysterics "Yeah fine, okay, I shoulda saw that one coming" he sighed and smoothed out his hair which had sprung up to stand on end, his face ever so slightly red "anyway, you ladies have a nice time… i'll set up shop somewhere else and let you guys… idk… flirt with each other or whatever..." without much fanfare he slunk off to sit someplace else.

After the table had settled down completely though, Harley noticed Jay making his way to the bar looking somewhat dejected.

"Aw Jay…." 

The rest curiously turned their attention to the direction of Harley's gaze.

"You're not going after him are you?" Asked Ivy after a beat.

"Well… yeah…?" Harley shrugged.

"Uhm, why?" Asked kat, dipping more shrimp into her cocktail "like if he's not in the mood for a joke that's kinda his problem…?"

"Yeah, but still…. I've never seen 'im like this for so long…. He's usually so funny and animated, it's like somethin' drained all the life out of 'im…." The concern on Harley's face was very apparent. Ivy brushed back a few strands of her hair and tried her best to reassure her.

"Look i'm sure he'll get his second wind when Batman comes back at some point… but ‘til then it's not your job to take care of him…" 

Harley sighed silently. "I know but… he's still my best friend… and if I hadn't met him, I wouldn'ta met you!" She squished close to her spouse with a smile, Ivy suddenly unable to hold back a small one herself.

"He helped me outta my slump all those years ago, least I can do is help 'im outta his..."

Ivy gave her a soft look before reluctantly caving "Kindness has always been your best and worst trait, silly bee…" she said with a smirk "fine, go ahead and do your thing, I've got plenty of company over here in the meantime…"

Harley smiled happily and gave her one last kiss before running off to join Jay at the bar.

____________

Jay sat alone at the bar in silence until he was suddenly startled by Harley's arrival.

 "What's shakin' grumpy gills?" She asked pulling up a stool.

Jay didn't answer as the bartender slid over a funfetti martini topped with the works, Jay lazily catching it and drinking deeply.

"Those guys didn't get ta ya did they? I know they seem mean bu- "

"Ah… I don't care about them…" said Jay dismissively  "we're all villains here right? I'm sure they got their reasons… sides, Livewire's pretty fun even if she did fry my Joy buzzer" He said regretfully…

"So what's up then…?" Asked Harley, head tilted 

Jay looked down at the table with a frown, fingers anxiously scraping the side of the glass in his hand….

"What she'd said about metropolis…. And… superman…."

"Oh…"  Harley nodded "well…. I'm sure they're together wherever they are…. Right? Him and Batman? And I mean, with Superman around, he's bound to be okay….." 

Jay had a hard time matching her enthusiasm but that logic did comfort him some. "Yeah… yeah I guess so"

"C'mon Jay, you gotta get that stuff off your mind for a minute! Go mingle! Go dance!… look at everyone who came this time! Turn-out's never been so big!"

As Jay's looked around the room, Harley did have a point, usually these get-togethers only managed to scrounge up about half the gang, but it looked like almost all the rogues in town had come this time. Even D-listers like Polkadot man, Killer Moth, Crazy Quilt ect. Had managed to show up, plus people he didn't seem to recognize…

For example at the bar sat Scarecrow and a… Oddly scruffy looking man he looked to be sharing a drink with. He'd heard from Riddler over the phone some time ago that crow had found himself a friend and that the two were "in cahoots".  whatever that was supposed to mean. He supposed that must've been the "friend" in question…

A few tables down sat another unfamiliar  in a polkadot shirt and a pair of cracked thick lensed glasses. He had a peculiar looking puppet sitting on his lap which made J raise a brow, but he didn't judge. Looking at his woefully nervous face he guessed it must it must've been a security thing anyway… 

Despite the big crowd though, Jay did notice one person missing of whom he hadn't seen in quite a while...

"Yeah I guess everyone is here...  except uh, Lex I guess…?" Jay considered himself friends with metropolises king of corruption, even if the feeling wasn't always mutual. Seeing so many crooks he knew in one place made him realize how rare it was to see the mal hearted mogul at these things.

Unfortunately, Harley could only shrug with defeat. "Ah I tried to get Lex but you know how he is… nobody's seen that shut in for ages".

Jay's eyes narrowed at that "How long is ages…. ?" He pressed

"I dunno… a few months guess???  Livewire said he's been quiet lately, probably off in one of his labs making some over convoluted instrument of destruction I guess"

The growing list of missing big shots was beginning to piece something together in Jay's head… what on earth was Lex up to? Where was superman?? Why did the league need Batman's help? How did it all connect?? After a moment Harley noticed Jay slipping into his thoughts again and shook his shoulder lightly to pull him out of it.

"Hey, don't worry about that egghead. he'd only kill the mood if he were here anyway" 

Jay couldn't disagree, the billionaire was kind of notorious for being a giant stick in the mud.

"If you're really worried about what's goin' on with those guys, you can come up with a plan Tomorrow…. right now we got a' open dance floor, unlimited drinks and a Karaoke competition that's about ta kick off in ten"

The word 'Karaoke' was enough to snap Jay back to reality. "Did you say Karaoke?" 

"Yes, I did."

"Do they hav-"

"Yes, they have Queen" 

Jay nearly looked as if someone had told him the best news of his life. "Oh thank god" maybe Harley was right. Worrying would have to wait. 

_____________

The rest of the night went on with few hang ups. Drinks poured, music played and poorly screeched lyrics kept the mood upbeat.

The Karaoke stage hosted performance after performance, some more enthusiastic than others. Some painful, others surprisingly pleasant. Jay's teetered off the edge of both categories, but when "somebody to love" burst through those speakers, he'd sung it with his whole chest. The best performance by a long shot though had to be Ivy's who's affinity for 50's ballads lent to her beautifully rich voice and her's was closely followed by the Dent's who'd decided to attempt a duet with no chorus which everyone found somewhat impressive.

Emotions did flare up once or twice though, as they tend to do when it comes to villain gatherings. Ed and Jay got into a fight about something stupid and unimportant, both obviously enjoying themselves, Bane and Croc engaged in an arm wrestle that woefully ended in a tie, and Jay inevitably got worked up about Batman again, this time with a crowd of eager listeners somewhat entertained by his rambling, giving questionable advice here and there.

At the get-together's height, the dance floor had filled to the point where Penguin was just about ready to call the whole event off until Riddler dragged him on to the floor himself.

After another hour or so the party wound down some more and the night devolved into quiet discussions between friends, everyone either ready to leave or half asleep. Eventually Jay and Two-face of all people were left alone. Once Ed, Crow, Hatter and the rest had gone home.

Jay always liked Harv, for someone known for his temper he seemed to have a lot of patience and Jay found both of his selves uniquely interesting in their own ways. Harvey the "handsome" one was always very nice, easily flustered, and had a sadness in his eyes that was hard to ignore. "Dent", the one famous for all those 2 themed crimes, was a bold individual and one of the most brutally honest people he knew. That night though, even he seemed a little sad. He admitted later that it was because it'd been a while since he'd gotten to talk to his old pal Bruce, someone Jay was mildly familiar with of course, and they spent the rest of the night discussing Batman and wayne and how they seemed so similar until it really was time to head home. 

 sometime after midnight, long after everyone had either left or found someplace to pass out, Harley broke up with her girl gang again to come get Jay who'd fallen asleep in an empty booth.

"Wake up clown" she said loudly, nudging him a bit. Jay giggled quietly in response, turning over after a moment and opening his eyes.

"Oohh what's up??"

"Time to go." 

"Aw…" Jay huffed disappointedly, then did his best to sit up straight, his head slowly spinning as he did so "ah jeeze…"

"Don't worry I called one of your guys, he's waiting outside." She explained "I dragged you here, might as well drag you home" 

"You did that for me?" Jay smiled "That's so nice…."

"Mhm" carefully, she took his hand got him to his feet, doing her best to keep him up straight. As they headed out they met up with Ivy at the door

"Taking pennywise home?" She asked 

"It'll only take a minute" Harley assured 

"Alright… don't take too long…" she turned to leave but before she could, Jay suddenly spoke up.

"H-hey, Wait!" 

Ivy turned around, brow raised "You have something to say to me?"

"Uh… yeah? I mean… sort of? I just, uh… wanted to say i'm sorry for…  messing up your garden all those times…." 

Ivy blinked "Why are you telling me this now?"

"I just thought you shud kno….  And that um…. Maybe you'd hate me…. A little less... if I said sorry for once..." the frown on Jays face was absolutely pitiful, Ivy could only roll her eyes.

"I don't hate you… Joker"

"Oh?"

"I just think you're annoying…."

"Oh…." Jay couldn't really tell if that was any better but at the moment he was too drunk to care. "Okay…"

With that ivy turned around to join Kat and Livewire

"Thanks for the apology though I suppose…Take care of yourself…. And, Harley don't take too long… it's only 1:00am we still have plans."

"Don't worry Ive's  i'll catch up." 

after one last look, Ivy went back on her way and Harley continued walking J to his car.

As they went Jay hummed to himself, swaying slightly, until a certain thought made him go quiet again.

"....Harley….?" He asked suddenly.

"Yeah, J?"

"Am I a bad friend?" The question just as out of the blue as his apology to Ivy…. 

Harley looked at him, concerned "Why do ya ask?"

"I just…. Please?" He pleaded. Harley hesitated for a long moment but decided being honest was probably best.

" not exactly but… maybe sometimes"

"Hm…" Jay decided he'd have to work on that

"But I also know ya don't really wanna hurt anybody…. That you try your best everyday ta make people happy and that you've been through just as much any of us….  A few mean comments an' dumb pranks ain't gonna make anybody think you're the devil or somethin'….not me or any of the other guys... "

Jay had to smile at that, Harley always had something smart or nice to say no matter what. still, her answer only made him feel worse about how he'd been earlier when she was just trying to help… he really, honestly, didn't deserve her…. But the least he could do was let her know he was glad to have her...

"Harley…?"

"Yeah, J…"

"Thanks for being really, really great all the time… and… y'know… around… " Harley smiled as she secured his arm around her shoulders. 

"Thanks J..." 

"also sorry for sucking sometimes..."

She sighed. "It's fine Jay…."

carefully, she hauled his ragdolling body a few more feet and shoved him into the back seat of his car. J grunting as his head hit the leather seat.

"Now go home an' try not to get lost on your way to the door" She said sternly. Jay gave her a lazy wink and a pair of wobbly finger guns.

"Gotcha." 

with that,Harley slammed the door shut and the J-Mobile's engine roared to life. One his lackeys sitting in the driver's seat.

"Where to boss? HQ?"

"Yup… ah, sorry t' call ya out so late…"

"S'alright boss…. Don't worry about it"

As the car lurched forward, street lights shining in through the windows as snow fell ever so lightly over Gotham like a dusting of fresh powdered sugar, Jay did inevitably start thinking about Batman again, wondering when he'd come back, desperately wishing he knew anything about where he was right now….

The thoughts were hard to ignore and when he got home he knew he'd be surrounded by the same walls he'd spent the last month trapped with them in….  even so, the world felt a little less washed out than it had before he left, and it wasn't just because of the alcohol swirling in his blood. 

He may not have had Batman... But today reminded him he wasn't alone.

He had friends… real friends… In a way he'd always considered them such… but deep down there was always doubt. I mean sure he got along better with some than others, but after knowing people so long he shouldn't have been so dumb to think they hated him as much as he thought they did. 

When you're a villain in Gotham sometimes all you have are other weirdos in the same boat as you to help keep you and everyone else afloat. People need people in more ways than one…  and as Jay drifted off to sleep in the back of his gaudy getaway vehicle, laying in a position that was just barely comfortable, he pushed his worries aside and made sure that was something he'd never let himself forget.

~ End ~

[eiirisworkshop]

InuYasha Fic (working title “Sesshomaru The Babydaddy)

For Good Intentions WIP Fest, details of which can be found @goodintentionswipfest

Years ago I had an idea for a fic about Sesshomaru having a half-demon kid; like I think I might have been in middle school when I first started this.  I’ve poked at it a few times over the years, but now that the InuYasha sequel is out and brushing close to my idea in some key ways I doubt I’m ever gonna find the motivation to finish it, just feels redundant since it’s been so thoroughly jossed.  And I also don’t want to watch the sequel, because it’s too close and I know I’ll like my idea better, because it’s my idea.

***

He ran his fingers through her long, raven hair and she ran hers through his white.  No one in the world could see them—no one needed to. Only the sliver of moon bore witness as it shown through cloud and canopy, bleaching the earth in pools of silver.  She was soft, fragile, unafraid.  She very nearly frightened him, and she knew it.  He liked it.

In the dark it was easy to forget—or, at the very least, ignore—that they were from opposing worlds.  In any case, they didn't have to forget for long.

She woke to the warmth of morning sun filtering through the boughs of the wild cherry tree beneath with she lay on a white kimono that was not hers.  She knew without opening her eyes that she was alone.

Inuyasha yawned and stretched as he walked.

[The gang talks, Kagome is on break from school.  They get to a little, remote villiage.]

Sango glanced around, eyes narrowed.  “You know how people tend to stare at InuYasha like they're worried he's gonna eat them?”

“Yeah...?” Shippo said.

“The people here are hardly noticing him.”

[IY says something about prefering this situation to being attacked/chased]

“Sure, but it's strange.”  Sango frowned.  “It makes me nervous.”

[Miroku drags IY over to question an old lady at a well.]

Miroku: “Hello, ma'am.  My friend here is a half-demon, did you know that?”

The woman set her now-full bucket on the ground.  “Mhm, figured so, him looking like that.”

“Hm.” Miroku released his grip on the squirming honyou.  “And that's not....interesting or alarming or anything?”

The old woman shrugged.  “Sort of used to it.”

InuYasha stopped himself a hair's bredth from throttling the monk.  “What d'you mean you're used to it?”

“Inn keeper's daughter's the same way.  Pretty little thing, real sweet long as you don't make her mad.”  The woman laughed, grabbed her bucket and started down the street.  “Folks 'round here can't agree if that girl's fire comes from her mama or whatever dark thing begot her!”

[The gang decides to go to the inn]

#

InuYasha kicked the inn door open with a bang.  The only person in the dimly lit room didn't even jump.  She just looked up with a smile from wiping down a table and bowed politely.  “Good afternoon, welcome. Do you need a table, a room, or both?”

The girl was slim, young—no older than thirteen—but tall for her age, with a thick white braid hanging down to the small of her back.  She was dressed in pale blue umanori over an orange kimono with tied up sleeves, a bright spot of color in the mostly drab room.  Small, canine ears poked out from the bandana tied around her head, and she looked through her too long bangs with large tawny eyes.

InuYasha stalked up to her, invading her personal space, and started sniffing. She leaned away from him, eyeing him like he was crazy.  “Uh, I'll get my mother.”

She darted to the stairs and out of sight.

“You didn't have to scare her like that,” Kagome chided.

“It smells like my brother.”  InuYasha crossed his arms and made a face of disgust.

[The girl (Hoshi)'s mother comes down, introduces herself as Akiko, mention's Hoshi's name too]

“Why the hell does your kid smell like my brother?”

“No idea.”  Akiko crossed her arms.  “Why does your brother smell like a twelve year old girl?”  She shifted her focus to the rest of the group.  “You here for supper or for the night?  Or are you just here for your friend to make trouble?”

[So much stuff and things happen.  Not sure how long passes.  The gang leaves town.  They're not far out of town when they happen to run into Sesshomaru]

“You!” InuYasha stabbed a finger at his brother.  “You hypocritical son of a bitch!”

Sesshomaru leveled a look of disdain at his father's younger son.  “What are you talking about?”

“You've got a half-human kid!”

[Sesshi has a “pics or it didn't happen” reaction so they all head back into town.]

Akiko looked up from were she was keeping book at one of the dining tables. “I thought you were heading out of town.”  She spotted Sesshomaru.  “Oh.”  She stood gracefully.  “You.”

Sango tilted her head toward the demon.  “Told you.”

“It means nothing that this woman recognizes me,” he said coolly.

“You're full of shit.”  Akiko rolled her eyes.  “What the hell happened to you arm?”  After too long a beat with no answer forthcoming, she shrugged.  “Well, I guess you only need one....”

InuYasha cringed, catching the [sexual] side of her meaning.  “Do you have to say things like that?”

“Can you get over it that I slept with your brother?” she shot back quickly then crossed her arms and turned to the full demon.  “

[Stuff and things.  Hoshi comes in.]

“I'm done with inventory—”  Hoshi stopped talking abruptly and went very still.  One of her ears twitched.

Beside Kagome, Sesshomaru stiffened, eyes widening.  For a long moment, no one breathed.  Then, in a single flash of motion almost too fast to follow, Hoshi had crossed the room, stepped up onto a chair to augment her height, smacked her sire across the face, and fled upstairs.  Instantly, Sesshomaru bristled and snarled; a drop of blood oozed from one of the three long welts on his cheek where Hoshi's nails had caught him.

“Hey!” Akiko shouted and banged a hand on the table.  “Calm down.  You break anything in this building, so much as gouge a table, and I'll take your other arm off.  You put a single scratch on my daughter and I will end your life.  You hear me?”

He clenched his fist but otherwise feigned composure.  “I hear you.”

“Good.” Akiko headed for the stairs.

[much stuff and things, IDK]

[Sesshi gets drunk at some point]

“Can we talk?” Akiko asked softly.

“Cruel, giving me the illusion of choice.”

“Oh, you have a choice.”  She crossed her arms.  “You can say no and walk away.  I wouldn't suggest it, though.”

He inclined his head slightly.

She nodded.  “Walk with me?”

“Very well.”  He offered her his arm.  She took it and they set out along the path.

[Akiko explains that Hoshi does have valid reasons to resent Sesshomaru for]

“I don't blame you for not being here, even if I sometimes wish you had been.  I never expected you to stay.  I knew when I lay with you that you wouldn't.”

“Then why did you?”

She smiled.  “It was exciting.”

They stopped on the path in the shadow of a large conifer.  He disengaged their arms and touched her face.  She met his gaze unwaveringly.

“Why aren't you frightened of me?”

She shrugged.  “My mother used to say that you don't avoid the river just because you can drown.”  She smoothed one of her sleeves. “One need not fear something just because it's dangerous so long as you respect its power.”

“Mm.” He studied her a moment before leaning to kiss her.

She pulled away.  “Don't do that unless you mean it.”  He started to respond but she cut him off.  “I mean, unless you care.”

He took a small step back.

“Things are different than they were.  I'm different.  I'm a mother, a business owner.  I have obligations and responsibilities.  Before, I was girl with next to no prospects and no expectations.  All I wanted from you was whatever you were willing to readily give.

“For now, you're just passing through.  But if you kiss me, or anything else, you make yourself a part of things here.  You do that, and you'll be making a promise you had better not make unless you've every intention of keeping it.”

The corner of Sesshomaru's mouth twitched.  “I want you.”

“Too bad.”

He grabbed her shoulder roughly.  She smacked him across the face and took several steps back, away from him.

“Don't you dare!”  Akiko shouted.  She lowered her voice to a snarl.  “Do not manhandle me.  You've no right.  You get to touch me only if I let you and only how I say.”  She straightened her clothes, drew herself up regally, and started back toward the inn.

InuYasha hopped up over a bolder, and there was Sesshomaru, sitting on the ground, eyes closed, back against a cherry tree.  A soft breeze blew through the clearing, stirring both their hair.  Without opening his eyes, the elder brother said, “What are you doing here?”

“Heh.” InuYasha crossed his arms.  “I was sent to go make sure you're not killing anything important.”

“I'm not killing anything at all.”

“Good. So, tell me to fuck off and I'll go back and say you told me to fuck off and I'll leave you alone and you can leave or whatever.”

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.  “Humans are soft.”

“Uh.” InuYasha blinked at the non sequitur. “Yeah, they're squishy and fragile and weak—all the shit you give me hell for being when I'm not. So what?”

“I didn't mean to frighten her.”

“So tell her that.”  He snorted.  “I don't care.”

“I could kill you.”

“Sure you could.”  Akiko put away the freshly scoured cups.  “So could your brother or any of his friends or my brother.  The ability to kill is not unique, Sesshomaru.”

“I would enjoy killing you.”

She rolled her eyes and reached for more dishes.  “Are you trying to make some kind of point?”

“I could kill you.  I know I would enjoy doing so.  But I don't want to.”

“Mhm?”

“I would prefer you remain alive.”

She snorted, halfway to a laugh.  “If you're trying to be affectionate, I appreciate the attempt, but you're really bad at it.”

“I've little practice.”  He stood, crossed the room, took a bowl from her hands, set it down, and touched her face.  He stroked her cheek with his thumb.

“Watch the claws.”

“I know.”  He tilted her chin up gently.

“You've done much for me,” he said softly.  “Borne and raised my child, when you need not have kept her....”

“If I'd given her up, who would have taken her?  Most childless bakers aren't looking for hanyou babes.”

“That's not what I mean by 'kept.'”

“What do you mean then?”

He fingered the ruff at his shoulder and glanced at her sideways.  “I know women have methods for...handling situations.”

Akiko looked to the floor.  “Yes.... But they're unreliable and dangerous and, I decided, not worth it.”

[dolphin-enthusiast]

good evening caro mio, it's very lovely to see you~!! 💞🌹💫 oh my, i was gone for a little bit wasn't i? i apologize if i made any of you worry/wasn't there to help brighten your days like you say i do!! i was taking a little bit of a mental health break, and i feel a lot better now!!! i'm so happy to be back here, i missed you all so much!! (especially you morgy! ❤) (1/???)

"i hope your first day of school went alright,, i know how much it sucks, but i'm here alongside you to get through it all!! hopefully this school year can be at least a teensy bit easier on everyone,, but we do have to take it one day at a time, or as i say, baby steps 🌠 i should probably address this now so i can get the serious bits out of the way, but i assure you all that i'm alright!! that incident was just unfortunate, and my family made me take a rest from working because of it,, (2/?)

plus, that kind of situation is common for me unfortunately, so i'm used to sudden panics like that,, but i feel quite better now!! and i'm happier more than ever to be back again 💖💖💖 (3/?)

i do truly thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of your patience, kind words, and support!! i'm honestly extremely surprised at how sweet everyone was about this,, it's such a nice change from daily life,, i have no idea how to put my utter gratefulness into words, but please know that i love you all so so so much!! i wouldn't trade any of you for the world, you matter so much to me 💌 (4/?)

it seems that so much has happened while i was gone,, all of these picrews (which i absolutely adore!) and quinn getting into my account?? ahhhhh oh gosh,, that's a lot!! i'm gonna have to scold her! i can't believe she would submit such candid pics of me and other stuff,, quite embarrassing! but i wasn't expecting such a positive response to me and my one cat,,, who knew that all you anons find me sleeping cute??? it's confusing to me, but i find it quite funny hehe 😖❤ (5/?)

luckily i was able to be a little more productive lately, even if i have been exausted!! i've been cooking, cleaning, modeling, sewing, dancing, and editing videos for people,, so much work! i do think it's worth it though, it helps distract me from the bad things in life, and other people end up happy,, i'd consider it a win-win for me!!! my dad also taught me how to fix up an angelo azzuro,, which is a cocktail i didn't learn yet! (6/?)

it took two days of hard work and practice, but according to him, i "nailed it right on the head" my papa is always my go-to for mixology, he taught me most of what i know, and he's always the first person to try my drinks! apparently it's a very interesting concept to my other friends, since they have so limited access to spirits,, it does make sense though! (7/?)

we italians just don't care about drinking ages hehehe, as long as we're responsible and cautious with age, it adds to our lifespan ;) during that short break, i suppose my narcolepsy flared up a lot since i was falling asleep left and right! it was awful having to constantly wake up with either a migraine, extra tiredness, or even a bruise or two,, thankfully though i had my family to watch over me,, at least i was finally able to make up for lost sleep hehe 💫 (8/?)

i also got to play a lot of minecraft hehe,, my friend and i actually spent a full day doing a speedrun world, and we killed the ender dragon and wither within only 2 1/2 hours!! it was crazy,, i guess me and him just make a dynamic duo (but i dare to say,, not quite as dynamic as you and me 😉) speaking of minecraft, over the weekend i decided that i'm going to start streaming on twitch soon as a hobby!! i'm very excited for this, it's something i've wanted to do for a very long time now (9/?)

all of my friends and my siblings are very supportive of it, which i'm super glad about!! i've always found little bits of joy in my favorite streamers, so why not give back to that community? an artist friend of mine even drew me a pfp as a gift, it's so cute! all i have to do is figure out a balance between school, personal life, and streaming, then i'll be set,, i'm always happy to get a new hobby 😊✨ (10/?)

oh my, it's almost 23:45 now!! sadly, unlike today, tomorrow is full of classes and work,, so i should probably get going to bed! i'll hopefully see you tomorrow then, darling! goodnight, and as always, sweet dreams,, make sure to rest extra when you can 💗- much much love and extra hugs, waifu anon xoxo 💗❤💖💞💓💕💘💌 ps: you say that you'd come all the way to america just to say such kind things to me?? it looks like i'll just have to return the favor then darling 💘 (11/11)"

This do b kinda late ngl since im assuming i literally leave for school just as u send those in💀💀💀 things r kinda hard w school here but today was actually one of the few decent days i had in what y e a r s??? Me n my friends went out after classes and spent the entire afternoon sipping boba tea (it was my first time having it since boba places r rare here and we had to travel in the opposite part of the city and holy shit my third eye opened bruh i A S C E N D E D) and talking abt anime and simping and basically clowned eachother constantly jahahhdkf

B u t enough of that bc i see u had some nice days goin on as well😳😳 as i said many times before i'd kill a man to taste the cocktails that u do and one day we finna do that on g o d 😩✌️ and STREAMING? DROP THE LINK WILL YA DARLIN ME N THE CLOWN ARMY WILL BE THERE IN A H E A R T B E A T HDJDJSJ honestly streamer waifu is such a nice concept....i myself dream of streaming but sadly i dont have the time, space, money and overall neccesary equipments for it which is lowkey depressing ngl💀

Either way im glad to hear u been balancing things out and taking breaks dear, i myself am t r y i n g to make time for other stuff too since i really wanna write and watch anime (u know what series i just finished and had a 🅱️REAKDOWN 🅱️ REAKDOWN over one hour ago🤡🔪) but the schedule do b wacky ngl....

And as always i say: of c o r p s e everyone had positive reactions?? W h y w o u l d n t t h e y-

[argylemnwrites]

OTP Questions

Thanks for tagging me @addictedtodrakefanfic, and thanks for building this list of questions @mskaneko! I always find things like this crazy fun!

1. What other couple would your OTP get along with?

Like, in universe? They get along very well with Liam and Iris (who I will write more about going forward), although Iris and Riley are closer in the It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment universe even though they see each other in person less often.

2. Do either of them have secrets even the other doesn’t know?

Not really, most things have a way of coming out with these two, and most of their “secrets” aren’t something they intended to keep from the other, it just never came up in conversation. The closest is probably that Drake slept with a woman Riley knows at court years before they met, but when Drake tried to tell her, Riley said ignorance was bliss and that she did not want to know that detail.

3. Who is the one that sees the big picture, while the other focus on the small details?

Riley is a big picture optimist (”everything will sort itself out” type of thought pattern most of the time) usually, whereas Drake tends to focus on the details, even though they often frustrate him.

4. Who does stuff on impulse?

The one who moved to Cordonia with guys she’d known for less than 24 hours on a whim, hahaha!

5. What is their favourite holiday?

Drake loves Christmas, Riley loves Halloween.

6. What is their favourite board game?

Drake prefers card games, but he does enjoy Risk quite a bit (Riley refuses to play with him because she finds it painfully dull). Riley likes Clue and Monopoly.

7. Who would go out of their way to do something silly to make their partner laugh?

Riley

8. Favorite canon moment of them?

When Drake asks Riley if things would be different between them if they met under different circumstances after the Tariq incident. The moment is such a perfectly vulnerable one for him, that it just holds a special place in my heart.

9. Least favorite canon moment of them?

“I don’t know what to say. My kid sitting on the throne? I mean, it would be an incredible honor.” - Drake Walker, on his honeymoon, agreeing to King Liam’s plan to name his yet-to-be-conceived child heir to the Cordonian throne before discussing it with Riley.

10. Who is the competitive one?

They are both incredibly competitive. They both insist the other one is more competitive.

11. Who likes to go on drives to nowhere in particular

Seeing as Riley never got a driver’s license growing up in Manhattan and feels incredibly uncomfortable behind the wheel, we’ll go with Drake here. I could see him doing this to clear his head on trips to Texas.

12. Who sings along with the radio?

Riley will if she’s in a good mood. Drake will if he’s drunk.

13. Who would accidentally set the kitchen on fire while cooking?

Riley. Not only is she a mediocre cook, but she’s more easily distracted and might tend to forget she left something on the stove.

14. Who is more seductive when they are drunk?

Drake gets really affectionate and cuddly when drunk, but whiskey dick is a thing so... Riley is a happy drunk primarily (unless she is drinking to cope in which case she is a very sad drunk), not so much a horny drunk. She does get pretty handsy when she’s just tipsy, though.

15. Who wakes the other up in the middle of the night to tell them a cool dream they had?

Neither. Riley is difficult to wake up, so Drake wouldn’t bother when he could just tell her later. Drake is such a light sleeper that Riley wouldn’t want to be one more disruption to his sleep just to tell him about an interesting dream.

16. Who asks weird questions in the middle of the night?

Riley, if they’re both still awake. Otherwise neither.

17. Who likes to walk around the house naked and who tells the other to go put some clothes on?

Okay, so all this makes me think of is the Seinfeld episode where Jerry is dating a woman who chooses to be naked all the time and it brings up the discussion of good naked and bad naked. Riley is prone to stripping down for “good naked” tasks pretty often. Sometimes it’s just to flirt and tease, but other times it’s to persuade Drake to do something he doesn’t want to do. He catches on to this tactic pretty quickly, so he will tell her to cover up and that it isn’t going to work if he suspects she has ulterior motives. This behavior pretty much comes to a halt once Riley is pregnant as she isn’t as confident given the changes that are occurring to her body, and after they have a kid, nudity as a flirting and/or manipulation technique just doesn’t happen all that often.

18. Who is always ready to have sex at any time, at any place?

Both of them, although Drake won’t at his work functions/parties in the It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment universe because he’s too nervous they’ll get caught and he’ll get fired.

19. Who likes to surprise the other with a lot of small random gifts?

They both buy each other things, but Drake’s gifts to Riley are more practical (he’ll grab her granola bars or creamer before she runs out) whereas Riley chooses more random fun items that just made her think of Drake.

20. Where did they take their first picture together?

Maxwell snapped a pic of them walking back from the first cronut run together.

21. Who knows the most useless facts?

Drake. Riley often questions how accurate his claims are, but he’s right more often than not.

22. Who is more likely to forget their own birthday?

Neither, but Drake is far more likely to try and downplay his birthday. Riley never lets that happen.

23. Which bad habit of their partner do they find the most annoying?

I don’t know if these are truly bad habits or just irritating ones, but Drake cracks his knuckles absentmindedly, which can get on Riley’s nerves, and Riley never returns food to the same spot in the refrigerator, which really annoys Drake.

24. Who is the better driver ?

Definitely Drake. Riley doesn’t really drive, though Drake has attempted to teach her during trips to Texas. She’s just not that interested in learning.

25. Who is more likely to admit they are wrong in an argument ?

This is a struggle for both of their stubborn asses. Drake is more likely to say he’s wrong, but Riley truly means it more often when she says it.

26. What is something that reminds them of one another?

The smell of peaches reminds Drake of Riley. Probably an obvious answer, but whiskey reminds Riley of Drake.

27. Would they get matching couple tattoos? If yes, what it would be?

Nope, neither one of them are tattoo people.

28.Who sleeps wrapped up in a cocoon of covers?

Neither. Both prefer just a sheet and a thin blanket, plus a quilt/comforter if it’s winter.

29. Who would win in a pillow fight?

Riley’s agility and impressive aim give her the slight edge.

30. Who likes to take photos of the other when they’re not looking

Riley would be more likely to do this

31.Where would they go to get away from everyone else and just be alone?

In canon, Drake goes fishing at a small creek between the capital and Valtoria. Riley goes to the undercroft area of their estate. If they are looking to get away together, they go camping on the grounds of their estate, cycling between a few different locations so it’s harder for the staff to track them down.

In It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment, Riley is very willing to share “her beach” with Drake. If they are looking for a longer getaway together, they’ll rent a car and get out of the city to go camping.

32. If they got to pick what one another wears for a day, what would one another wear?

Riley likes seeing Drake dressed up in a simple suit since it’s a break from the usual. Navy would be her preferred color. Drake would have Riley wear a slim cut red dress with a length short enough to be sexy but not so short that he feels that everyone is going to be checking her out.

44. What do they love most about each other?

Drake loves that Riley has a bit of a temper, but uses it for “good,” such as calling out stuck up, snobby assholes (He loves that she swears up a storm with her temper, too). Riley loves the way nothing she can say or do phases him.

Bonus: 3 random HC about your OTP

In canon, they host a Superbowl party every year, even though neither one of them really cares about American football, because Riley feels this is one America tradition they can still embrace without it being seen as a “thing” by the press (They drew some flack when they tried to have a July 4th barbecue with fireworks because that was seen as too political)

In It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment, they attempted to rent a cabin to get out of the city for a couple of nights around New Year’s Eve to escape the insanity that first year, but Riley did not have a driver’s license and Drake’s Cordonian license was deemed insufficient, so they had to text Liam to emergently transmit them some additional documentation. He essentially just wrote a three sentence letter on stationary with the royal seal stating that Drake had a driver’s license in good standing.

In any universe, they will intermittently have intense poker nights (just the two of them), that devolve into drunken rounds of strip poker and insane bets.

Tagging @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @ravenpuff02 @omgjasminesimone @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore​ if any of you are interested in joining in the fun (sorry if this is a repeat tag for any of you), or anyone else who sees this and wants to play along!

[ironmars]

@pop-punk-rock-147 I saw you asking if I had any tips for drawing better and I can try and give you some! These may be a lil cliche though but it's worked for me! Also replies have a character limit so I made this it's own post hope that's okay! I also just like talking about art and maybe these tips will help others as well!

1. I know everyone says this but practice practice practice! I try to draw at least one thing a day. And not even a huge art piece but even just like a quick little nothing doodle still counts lol but for real just try to draw as much as you can even if it's not everyday, being frequent and consistent is key to getting better!

2. Don't be afraid to use tons of reference pictures! Using reference pictures is actually super important to getting better. You need to look at a reference because recalling what a person or animal or ANYTHING looks like with just your memory is incredibly hard for anyone! Looking at a reference will teach you the basic structure of what you're trying to draw and after a while you'll actually start to remember how to draw things without the reference more and more! Think of reference pictures as art training wheels! And even the most talented artists still need a good reference pic lol

3. Draw in a style that you enjoy. If you hate realism don't draw it! That one seems like a no brainer but I do see people force themselves to draw realism because people tend to hold realism on a pedestal. Drawing in a style you don't like will make drawing feel like work and then you won't want to do it. If you like cartoons then draw cartoons! If you actually do like realism then hell ya go for it! Just don't force a style on yourself if that makes sense lol

4. I also found that looking at your old art and observing what you don't like about it and then correcting it helps a lot. Let's say you drew a person and you look at it and think "hmmm the anatomy of the upper body looks a little off. Maybe I need to look at references of torsos and practice drawing torsos a little more" or maybe you think "I like this drawing but I saw someone else's art had really cute eyes, I should practice using eyes like that in my art" just little things like that and making tweaks to your style over time helps to shape it into something you enjoy more!!

Ah I hope these tips help and aren't too corny or oversaid lol also PSA anyone feel free to come ask me about art stuff at any time I love it!

[lanonima]

We’re approaching the end of the decade and I wanted to do something. Even though I don’t draw much anymore, I picked my favorite drawing from each year. 2010 was the hardest because it remains my Best Art Year unfortunately lol.....this is gonna be a long post.

2010

Ro and Cranberries!! I drew a lot of good pics this year (and many of these two) but this has always been one of my favorites and I even used it as my computer background for a few years so. I had to choose it.

2011

To be honest...I did a lot of really weird stuff in 2011. I had a lot of fun but, looking back at it now, I don’t particularly like any of the drawings anymore. I don’t hate this one, I guess.

2012

There wasn’t a single full illustration from this year that I liked but the coloring on this was nice. One of the early, now scrapped, designs for a species that shows up in some of my work.

2013

Honestly I tried to come back and draw this same subject matter a few years later but it just wasn’t as good. I still am really fond of this one. I really like the way her hair came out drawing-wise. And St. Mathilda is a cool character even if she’s only a historical figure mentioned once (once) in one of my novels hahaha.

2014

In 2014 we moved to St Louis! And let me tell you, I did not draw very much with all the chaos. Moving, new jobs, training puppy Tibby... I still do love my pop of color pieces lol.

2015

2015 was the year I was like “yeah I’m gonna draw again! I’m gonna draw so much and practice so much!” and actually I did. For a few months. Some really cool pieces in this year but this one is my definite favorite. I loved it at the time and still love it now.

2016

Not much going on in 2016, this is the year I published Ghost and honestly most of my attention went to that. A lot of what I drew (like this) was character designs for my other novels. But I love how the clothes came out and I love these three girls. Laero always has the most fun costume designs to draw.

2017

Redrawing characters from high school! Poor Dante. I still like him and this piece turned out alright.

2018

I played Genealogy of the Holy War and drew a lot of fanart of it and Binding Blade. At least, compared to how much fanart I usually draw which is none. Some of the pieces turned out really nifty but I’m fond of this one.

2019

I drew almost nothing this year but at least I managed to produce this, which I still love. Lilina/Sue rights forever.

...

I don’t think my art changed all that much honestly...a little more detailed and adventurous I guess. Maybe in the next decade I can be a little more productive! But I’m not making any promises since my writing is still more important to me than art.

[seanhakuba]

A White Christmas

So it’s been a crazy couple of weeks involving drinking and working and generally getting things organised for the season, so I’ll keep it to brief stories, and I’ll get the weirdest one out of the way first.



1. Poo Swabs


When coming to Japan to work, it is necessary for your employer to provide you with a small swab. This swab is from the Japanese government, and is specifically designed to go up your butt, or at least close to it. And honestly, as far as handouts from the government go, it’s more than the Australian government ever gave me, and kind of less invasive.

2. Opening party


Opening party at Rabbit Hole saw me work behind a little pop-up bar in the downstairs area. It involved me serving many people shots of Fireball whiskey and “Belgian Golds’. You’re probably thinking that Belgian Gold sounds like a beer, but you’d be wrong. While it does taste like beer, it’s actually beer flavoured chu-hi. What’s chu-hi? Chu-hi is like a vodka made from rice, and it is pretty dang potent.
The only downside is that if you think it’s beer, and you drink a few, you’re going to have a reasonably bad time the morning after. So I’ve heard, you know, from a friend.



3. Christmas


None of us, in this whole lodge, have family for Christmas, but we had each other, which was honestly an amazing family in itself. It was very wholesome! We had a staff dinner and did secret Santa and so was introduced into the household the concept of ‘icing’. 
Unrelated to the drug, ‘icing’ refers to the act of hiding Smirnoff Ices, a pre-mixed alcoholic beverage, for people to find. The rules state that, upon finding an ice ANYWHERE, one must go down on one knee, open the beverage, and drink the entire thing in one go. Given that these can be found at any time, snapchat evidence must be taken and sent to the group chat.
There have already been victims.

One was found inside a cake (which we had prepared), one was found gaffer-taped to the underside of a toilet seat, one was found in the glass washer in the bar at work (very warm). Nobody is safe, and many of us fell victim to those ices hidden amongst the wrapping in our secret Santa packages. Not me, though apparently it would be impressive if I managed to go the entire season without being iced.
 My roommate, Brayden, found an ice under his pillow just before bed. I had nothing to do with that, though…

4. Nagano

A handful of us went on a trip to Nagano, a city nearby, to peruse some second-hand wares. There was a LOT of fur, and I’m not particularly sure why.



5. The Boxing Day Gig

Turns out playing music from 2pm-4pm CAN be a rowdy affair if you pick the right songs and have the right crowd. An eclectic mix of classic covers and a few stupid ones - ‘My Neck, My Back’ and ‘I Touch Myself’ - warmed the crowd enough to the point that I played one song with the guitar behind my head, which only served to make them more rowdy and brought the kitchen staff out to see the spectacle. 
Boy, did I feel like the belle of the dang ball. 
 I’ve got another gig on New Year’s Day, which is super exciting, but I’ve got a lot of practicing to do in the next couple of days.

I’m finally going to learn ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’ so let’s hope the ensuing sing-along from the crowd doesn’t burst my eardrums. I might even play ‘Africa’.

6. Grocery Trek

Went for a walk to get some groceries the other day, hence the pictures of Sienna, Kara and myself covered head-to-toe in frosty goodness. I only nearly slipped over several times on the way down the hill. We also found a nice clear area of untouched snowy goodness. As is customary for Australians, we drew a dick.

7. Have You Snowboarded Yet?


In a word? No. I’m slowly gathering some snowboard gear together, and soon I’ll be out learning what it’s like to ‘shred the gnar’ and by ‘shred the gnar’ I mean ‘end up ass or face first in the snow’. So get ready for a bunch of pics and videos of my awesome failures. One bonus of working at the Rabbit Hole behind the bar is that I’ve figured out who among my new bunch of friends is the most patient with idiots, so they will be teaching me how to snowboard. They have no choice for they have been chosen.

I’m also being careful not to go out before my gig on the first day of 2020 just on the off chance I land on my wrists, as I will need them so I can play with myself. In front of lots of people. On a stage. Musically.

8. The Job


Turns out the best Australian bars probably aren’t in Australia. That’s because in bars like the Rabbit Hole, most of the customers are actually really nice. Counting the money at the end of the night is a brutal experience, though. For example, yesterday we had our first one million yen day. I started at 3pm, we closed the bar at 10ish and I didn’t leave until about midnight.

I don’t think I have any photos of me behind the bar, but I assure you, I HAVE been working hard. Also goofing off with the other staff as well as the customers. The harder you goof, the more people enjoy themselves and therefore tip OR buy you shots. 
Or both. Both is good. 


9. How Am I?


For those of you who want to know how I’m doing, the answer is ‘really damn good’. My job, though intense at times, is fun, and is only made better by the incredible group of people that I work and live with.

I’ve been feeling more like myself than I have in a long time, and I think that these people are a huge part of it.



If y’all got questions or things you want to see or hear about, let me know. To me, this is just my life right now, so a lot of stuff is just normal and doesn’t stand out to me.

[queenrhenpendragon]

meant to post this before I started inktober stuff, hehe, oops.

Anyway  I wanted to practice armor and robes from multiple angles and obviously I had to use Rhen and Dameon as my models. Refs and tiny explanations below the cut~

Rhen: I needed practice with metal and also how all the pieces of armor connect and bend (or fail to bend) when the wearer moves. Some of these are closer to the refs than others. I'd like to draw Rhen in my interpretations of all the game armor sometime but I'm not there yet haha. I feel a lot better about elbow and knee and foot armor now though upper left: I just really wanted to draw Rhen with a sunflower okay, it's poetry. Also, was proud of the boots upper right: I would not have been able to draw this without sketching out the muscles underneath because how do shields even work? Where do you hold them from? agjrehtrl center: Rhen deserves all the dramatic capes and I'll fight anyone on that. Also I'm just noticing I drew wind through her hair in most of these and I have no excuse except it was fun lower left: I also took this opportunity to practice swords because one day I want to draw Rhen with all her magic swords, it's just so cute how she pretty much collects them in the game lower right The capey thing in the reference pic reminded me of dragon scales and I just liked it so I drew it. Dameon: How does fabric. even work. Idk. I think this study helped though. These are more changed from the refs than the armor pics. I kept the coloring close to his sprite robes (even though the designs aren't similar) because... idk why, one day I want to draw Dameon in my interpretations of all the game robes so you'd think I'd take this opportunity to practice lighting for different colors but instead I... didn't upper left the ref didn't have a train but I made a train because druid robes are Fancy and it was required upper right in the ref pic the person was looking out at an ocean from a pier-type thing and I was gonna draw the ocean but then I got caught up making the gold pattern things and I didn't. I had fun with the gold though so that's a plus center I was gonna draw shoes (the ref even has shoes and I liked them) but Dameon just doesn't wear shoes, he's a wild fae child and he's just always barefoot the end lower left Got this design from the Dameon doodles AmayaSakuragi11 posted a bit ago! The one in the upper right corner of her pic Her Dameon is just so cute that I have to also draw him every time she does lower right This one actually turned out to be pretty close to Dameon's sprite robes, and the most useful thing I realized with it wasn't even in the ref so idk what's wrong with me, I should have realized like 31567656432 years ago that of course the capey thing is going to have folds from being pulled over the shoulders but I apparently had to draw it from a ref that was the wrong type of cloth first Removed some of the links cuz they were dead. I should still have all the refs saved to pinterest if anyone wants to see them (but not the originals obviously because pinterest is like that) Anyway lastly I just wanted to say that Rhen and Dameon are just so beautiful inside and out and I love them so much

[ronyxfic]

Educating the Victim - Act VI, Intermission IV

Pairing: Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond

Rating: Mature

Warnings/Tags: emotional abuse, fatphobia

INTERMISSION: The Happiest Place On Earth

 “Okay.” Rose set down her bag after coming back from the toilet on the train. “Can you tell me where we’re going now?”

She could guess, really; they were on the Eurostar, and there were only a few destinations that made sense at this point.

“Are you taking me to Paris, Roxy? This is a weird time for a big romantic gesture, but I still appreciate it.”

 Roxy gave her a cheeky grin, the kind that used to dazzle Rose just a few months back. "Listen, I know it's been a few rough weeks for you recently, and that I haven't been the best girlfriend to you. So I'm doing something nice for once, alright? It's going to be a chill weekend, you're going to feel revived and then maaaybe get back to work?"

 Rose smiled and sat down next to her, leaning into Roxy. “I’ve always wanted to go to Paris, secretly,” she said, “and you’re the first one to take me. It’s sweet.”

  Roxy nuzzled her back. "Yeah, well, don't get too used to it. I have a reputation to uphold. But... I think this will be nice. The accommodation is super and we'll be able to do everything there."

 “So... what’s on the schedule? Sightseeing? Wine tasting? Did you scout out some nice restaurants? It’ll be nice to have some good food for once.” Rose gave Roxy a peck on the cheek. “It’ll also be good to spend some time with you. You’ve not been around as much as I would’ve liked the past few weeks.”

 Roxy tensed up a little, frowning. "Ah, well... it's not quite... that. But no, I've not given you as much attention as I'd like to. I've been busy with... my flatmate and you've just been so reluctant to want anyone for company. But we've got each other now!"

 Rose gave a hesitant smile. “Yeah, it sounds nice. It feels like it’s been ages since we actually spent time together.” She leaned in to Roxy, closing her eyes.

 Roxy watched her, and then ran a hand through her pink locks. They were longer, softer than her own. “Well, everyone’s going to know we’re together, too. Can’t believe I convinced you to match with me. I don’t think I’ve ever managed to get another gir... someone else to do that.”

 Rose gave a chuckle. “I like it,” she said, “and I’ve wanted to dye my hair for ages. You still think it suits me, right?”

 “Um, well, pink doesn’t work on everyone.” Roxy clicked her tongue, and then gave a sly smile. “But it certainly does on you. If you want, we could even make the carpet match the drapes.”

 Rose blushed deeply. “I’m not so sure about that, Rox. But, uh. I’m open to it if it would make you happy, I guess.”

 “Hmm?” Roxy’s touches became more firm, her fingers untangling curls before tugging her, just sharply enough to draw a shocked breath from Rose. “And here I was utterly convinced you liked a little pain down there. But, no, I do suppose you’re quite sensitive to bleach. Oh well. There’s been a new trend of chicks dying their armpits online. Mostly tumblr folk, though, you know I don’t mix with them.”

 “I’ve never been on tumblr so I wouldn’t know.” Rose shrugged. “So when do we get to Paris?”

 "In a couple of hours." Roxy seemed a little tense for a second. "And you're really not missing out. Just crazy teenager bitches thinking they can outdo the feminism we've been building for decades, and somehow only to include men. They're all insane."

 “Yeah, sounds like it’s better not to get mixed up with that,” Rose agreed. “The entire thing is too political for me. I have bigger worries, you know.”

 "You do! Like picking out which Rosé will go with the dinner we're having tonight." Roxy pecked her cheek before pulling out a chunky portable DVD player. "And look at what the cat dragged in, too. I brought some films, just for the trip."

 Rose rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “I mean, that, and my dad dying of cancer,” she said, “but films are important too. What should we watch?”

 "Oh, shit. Sorry." Roxy said, but was preoccupied by looking through her bag. "Hmmm. Inception. Stuart Little... how did that get there? Avatar... That film was so unmemorable for something so big."

 “It was pretty impressive in the cinemas,” Rose said, “well, at least visually. We can start there and see how far we get?”

 "Alright, I can strap myself in for this snoozefest." Roxy seemed visibly disappointed, but didn't say any more.

 Rose read her body language perfectly. She shrunk in on herself. Why even bring it if it’s obviously the wrong choice?

She busied herself with putting on the movie and let out a soft sigh.

  Roxy read into the sigh and put her arm back and Rose, less intimate. "Is there a problem?"

 Rose cast her a glance. “No, it’s fine. Let’s just watch the movie.”

 Roxy gently tossed her arms up into a shrug. "Whatever, babe." And pressed play.

 Most of the train ride passed with them watching the movie in an awkward silence. Rose barely even dared to look at Roxy.

Well fuck me if this is the way this weekend is gonna go.

 Their silence was broken about twenty minutes before the journey ended, as Roxy got herself up. "Gonna take a leak and get some grub. Want anything?"

 “Some tea would be nice, I guess,” Rose said. “Aren’t we eating when we get there?”

 "I suppose, but that's not likely to happen for a couple of hours. We need to catch another couple of trains when we get to Paris, unless you want to eat at the station." There was a sort of scoff in her voice.

Always eating, this one.

 “Oh. Are... we not staying in the city?” Rose didn’t miss Roxy’s tone.

 "Not exactly. It's kind of a surprise."

 Rose raised an eyebrow. “Taking me to Paris isn’t enough of a surprise?”

 "It is in Paris." It was Roxy's turn to look a little sheepish. "Just trust me, yeah? It's going to be nice."

 Rose softened a little. “Okay. I trust you. Do I need to wear a blindfold or something?”

 "That won't be necessary. I'm sure you'll be able to tell soon enough, anyway."

 “Alright then. You just lead the way when we get there. And... I wouldn’t mind getting something to eat.”

 "Of course you wouldn't. Want something sweet? Crisps?"

 “Actually, I was more thinking like a sandwich.” Rose blushed a little. “But... maybe I just won’t have anything. We can eat when we get there.”

 "Probably a good idea anyway!" Roxy was already making her way down the train cart before turning on her heel. "Were you the one who likes milk and no sugar, or black and sugar?"

 “...both milk and sugar. If that’s okay.” Rose looked down, feeling guilty. “Maybe just milk this time.”

 "I mean, dairy is just more calories." Roxy looked her up and down. "Just sayin'.”

 Rose frowned. “Well, I don’t like my tea black. Oh, you know what, never mind. We still have water. I’ll be fine.”

 "Awh," Roxy pouted before turning again. "Well, if you're sure."

 Rose didn’t answer. She rummaged in her bag until she found the water bottle; by the time she’d pulled it out, Roxy was gone.

 Roxy returned just as the train conductor announced that they were nearly in Paris. She carried an armful of snacks, including a cheese crossiant in her mouth. She placed the array on the table. "The queue was a mile long and I ended up going a bit overboard."

 “Well, we’re nearly there. Do you want me to take some of these in my bag?” Rose offered, reaching out for the snacks.

 "Alright, just make sure I see some of them." Roxy teased as she sat down. "Oh! Look, you can already see the city from here." She went through her bag and pulled out some sheets of paper. "Next train is in ten. We'll need to run to wherever this platform is."

 “Oh boy. Okay.” Rose gathered her stuff. “Let’s try not to lose each other. I’m sure this station will be packed.”

 "Okay." Roxy outstretched her hand as the train pulled to stop, the other passengers began to gather themselves up. "Follow me, yeah?"

 Rose held on to Roxy’s hand as they made their way through the busy station. The train Roxy led them to was about to leave, so Rose didn’t have time to check where it was going. They jumped on, and the doors closed behind them.

The announcement was in French, and there was only one word that Rose understood.

Disneyland. Oh god please don’t tell me... it might just be a coincidence. Surely she wouldn’t.

  Meanwhile, Roxy began to grow more and more excited. "I've always wanted to go, but never had the time, you know." She pulled out a disposable camera, "I know it's a bit old school and that we can't take naughty pics, but I also brought this. First trip selfie?"

 Rose let Roxy drag her into the selfie and put on a smile. Please tell me you haven’t.

 They drew closer, the sound of children clamouring was getting louder. A group of what appeared to be excited school children had settled in the seats around them. "Ugh. Forgot there would be kids around." Roxy muttered.

 Rose watched in growing horror.

Finally, she couldn’t keep it in anymore. “We’re not going to Disneyland, are we?”

 "Winner winner, chicken dinner! Surprise!" Roxy clapped her hand as the train stopped. "We're here!"

 Rose froze for a solid few seconds.

This is a dream. This can’t be real. This is wrong.

But she didn’t wake up, and nothing changed. She clenched her teeth.

“Wow,” she said. “Uh. I... I don’t know what to say.”

 "Isn't it great?" Roxy roughly grabbed onto Rose's arm, practically trembling with excitement. "Apparently they serve a lot of booze here, too, so it should be really swell!" The train stopped, the noise outside could be heard through the open train window. "You can start thanking me now."

 Rose looked away. “Thanks,” she muttered. As the noise grew, Rose grew close to tears.

This is going to be horrible.

 Roxy clocked in to her tone. She paused for a few moments, frowning. "Hey, what's the matter? You okay?"

 Rose sighed, the tension going out of her shoulders for a moment. “I... just didn’t expect to have to deal with... crowds and loud noises and children.”

 "Awh, shoot! I mean, honey, you're planning to work at a school. You might as well get used to it."

 Rose shot her an impenetrable look.

“It’s kind of different when I’m supposed to be on holiday,” she said. “Whatever. Let’s go. What’s the plan?”

 Roxy turned still. People started to get out of the train carriage, leaving them alone. She then curled her lip. "You can go home right now if you don't want to spend time with me. I thought we were trying to work on trusting each other."

 Rose’s chest tightened. “Which is why I asked you what the plan was. Look, this isn’t... about me not wanting to spend time with you.”

 Roxy's expression shifted into a dark glare. She took out her wallet and pulled a few notes. "Well, go have yourself a time somewhere else, sweetie. I'm gonna hit up fucking Disneyland because I paid for a cool holiday for both of us and frankly, I can do it alone."

 “Roxy, no!” Rose immediately shrunk back to Roxy’s side, her expression meek. “I’m sorry, okay? I... I’m excited about this. I am. Don’t abandon me here, please.”

 Roxy gave her a little more of her glare and then forced a smile, as if nothing had happened. "Alright, sweetie. I'm glad we could figure this out. I love you so much." She grabbed at Rose's hand. "Let's go!"

 Rose let herself be dragged along by Roxy through the crowd of excited children, feeling nothing but dread.

This is like the exact opposite of what I needed.

 Roxy seemed to be absolutely unaware, chatting eagerly as they approached the entrance. "The food here is super special. It's a bit tacky but I'm sure they've got lots of protein options in case you want to stay away from carbs."

 Rose looked around, uneasy. “Are we staying at a hotel here?”

 "Yep! Disney's Hotel New York. It's a bit further away than the Disney hotel itself, but only about a ten minute walk." She gave a cheeky grin. "Empire state club room."

 “That sounds... great,” Rose said. She felt like she needed a drink. “Are we going there first, then?”

 "Yeah, just need to check in and dump all of our shit." Roxy nodded, walking past some children and shooting them a dangerous glare.

 “Okay. Let’s do that, then.” At least a hotel room promised some respite from the children, and maybe Rose would be able to convince Roxy not to go out today in favour of a nap and some cuddles.

 "I can't wait to check out the park. I've always wanted to laugh at how bad the character suits are, apparently the actors need to stay in character too." Roxy chuckled, pulling her blackberry phone out as it buzzed and biting her lip in a sultry way as she glanced at the message.

 Rose ignored Roxy’s phone. Roxy had a busy social life, was constantly getting messages. “That sounds fun,” she said absent-mindedly. “Can we rest for a bit when we get to the hotel?”

 Roxy was quiet as she texted back, tongue sticking out in concentration, seemingly not even listening to Rose. She then glanced up. "What was that?"

 Rose already regretted asking. “Nothing, never mind. You know where we’re going, right?”

 "Uh, yeah. What do you take me for?" Roxy looked back at her phone. "Unless you wanna get food first?"

 “Food might be nice.” Rose started to relax a tiny little bit.

 "Alright, I'm also sure there's stuff closer to the hotel?" Roxy looked at her phone again. "Hold on, I'll see if I can find the map screenshot I downloaded."

She scrolled through her gallery, past a few of her own nudes. "Oh shit, better turn that brightness down."

 Rose got an eyeful of those pictures and immediately blushed. “Hey, I haven’t seen those. They look nice. Were you saving them for me?”

 "Uh, yeah." Roxy's eyes darted left to right. "I guess I ruined the surprise there. Oh! Found it! We're just a couple of minutes away. Can you manage until then?"

 “Of course, I’m not that desperate for food.” Rose gave Roxy a small smile. Things were okay... weren’t they?

 "Oh good. Then we'll slip bags away and go get food?" Roxy finally put her phone away.

 “Sounds good.” Rose hesitantly reached out for Roxy’s hand.

 After checking in, the two made their way into the hotel suite. All aspects seemed incredibly family oriented in the decor, ranging from garish colours to more adorned spaces. Roxy opened the doors and ran for the bed, "Haha! Check this place out!"

 Rose came in after her, the colours and decor already feeling overwhelming. She set down her bag and looked around. "Yes, it looks really cute," she said. For a five year old.

  "Isn't it just?" Roxy looked starry eyed. "Oh, it's everything I hoped for us! Ooo, look at that view, you can actually see a lot of the park!"

 Rose joined her by the window. "Wow, yeah, you can," she said, trying to sound enthusiastic. Down there she could see rollercoasters, shops, more bright colours... people. Children. Everywhere.

"Fantastic," she said, trying not to let sarcasm bleed into her voice.

 Roxy clocked the tone. "Is something the matter? Are you alright? Hungry?"

 "... yeah. Tired from travelling, I guess. Some food might be nice." Rose sat down on the bed, which at least felt comfortable and soft. She wanted to sink down into it and sleep until it was time to go home.

 "Alright. There's some places around, I can go and scout out some things while you nap, if you want?" Roxy said, starting to take out her luggage. "I've got some friends who live in Paris to meet up with at some point just in case you're not feeling up to going outside."

 "Oh, actually, I would love to see Paris, if you're going into the city... but a nap might be nice as well." Please, I want to see Paris... get me out of Disneyland, please.

 "Ah, well, I'll have to arrange it first and we want to stay mostly at the park, anyway?" Roxy tilted her head up from the closet where she was stacking her clothes. Something in her tone spoke that she didn't want Rose to be involved with going into the capital.

 Rose caught on, her heart twisting. "Please can I come? I've always wanted to see the city. It's so romantic as well, we could get dinner at a nice place there? And if you've got friends here I'd love to meet them. Please can we go together?"

 Roxy suddenly looked suspiciously uncomfortable. She didn't look Rose in the eyes, despite the forced pleasantness of her tone. "I'll see what I can do. How about you catch that nap while I see about food? I'll find a place that does something nice and low carb for you, yeah?"

 "Yeah, sure." Rose's shoulders slumped, and she began taking off her jacket. "Do you know when you'll be back?"

 "Not too long, feel free to rest as long as you need to. If you want, you can even sleep and lemme know when you wake up so we can meet up at the park?" Roxy got her makeup bag and pulled out a few bits.

 "Maybe... but maybe food first." Rose, personally, wanted to avoid going into the park for as long as possible. "We could, uh, chill for today and go in... maybe tomorrow?" she suggested timidly.

 "Oh man, but I paid a lot for all the days." Roxy pouted behind her mascara wand. "How about... I get us some food and you can sleep after while I hit the park? Or you could just sleep and avoid the calories. Might help!" Her tone was barely just joking.

 "Maybe. I don't know." Rose was exhausted. "I'll take a nap and see how I feel."

 "Alright, well! I'll be a phone call away. Kisses!" Roxy's lips were glossy and glittery, leaving a sticky mark on Rose's cheek.

 Rose waited until the door had closed behind Roxy, then gave in to the urge to wipe the lipgloss from her cheek. She sighed and slowly unpacked her bag, changed into her pyjamas, but not without looking at her belly, feeling disgusted. Roxy was right. Maybe she should just skip lunch. And maybe dinner too.

She'd slimmed down a little in the past few months, but not enough. Never enough.

She sighed once again, wrapped herself in blankets and tried to fall asleep.

 --

 It was their last day at the park. Roxy had been sifting through her desired rides, seemingly blind to Rose's increasing contempt and frustration. She fidgeted at her set of bedazzled Mickey Mouse ears as she spied a map. "Just a couple left! How about ‘Small World’? Cl- My old ex and I always chatted about going there to make out, it's a staple of the Disneyland experience."

 Rose avoided Roxy's eyes. "Sure. Last one?" The thought of having to once again live up to Roxy's ex made her feel sick.

 "Yeah, I'm getting pretty tired of all this." Roxy began walking towards the direction of the queue. The timer display noted that the wait would be approximately fifty minutes. "Oh, hey, not too bad!" Roxy exclaimed, pointing at it.

 "Oh. Fantastic." It had gotten increasingly difficult to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Rose looked around and was put off by how many small children there were. "Are you sure about this?"

 "Uh, yeah?" Roxy narrowed her eyes. Her tone passive aggressive. "Is there a problem?" Her voice was dangerously loud.

 "No, no. Of course not." Rose shrugged it off, as usual. "Let's do it."

 Roxy smiled, but something in her eyes still seemed to be burning. "Excellent! Can't wait, I've heard this one is incredibly catchy."

 "Cool." Rose forced a smile. "Can I get one of those slushies before we join the queue?"

 "Uh... I think we've had enough of that today." Roxy gave Rose's belly a little pat, her tone condescending. Members of the queue turned to look. "We could fill up on food after?"

 "Okay." Rose turned away from Roxy a bit. "Let's go then."

The queue was long, full of children, and looked like it moved very slowly. Rose couldn't think of what to say to fill up the time they had, so she stood in silence.

 Roxy took her phone out to text, and did so for about the wait time. As they approached the entrance, she turned to Rose. "You okay?"

 Rose didn't look. "Yeah, I'm okay." She couldn't help sounding bitter. "Having the best time of my life, in fact."

 Roxy frowned. "I don't appreciate your tone. What is wrong?"

 Rose looked at her, a comical grin on her face. "Nothing is wrong! Everything is great! I just said I'm having the best time!" Her voice rose a bit.

 "Jesus! What is the matter with you?"Roxy hissed, looking around. "Chill! What's the problem, I know you're messing with me."

 "What's the-" Rose snorted, laughed bitterly. "What isn't the problem!! I haven't been enjoying any of this! Not that you would care!"

 "Um? I paid for your fat ass to have a vacation in the happiest place on Earth? Why are you not enjoying yourself?"

 "The happiest place on earth, my ass. Maybe if you're five." Rose was seething. She stopped, though, as it was their turn to go on the ride.

They entered the boat and were engulfed by a tunnel. The boat they were in moved slowly, and in the tunnel, small figurines in picturesque settings started singing and dancing in slow, robotic motions.

"Seriously?! We waited in line for an hour, for this?" Rose hissed.

 A loud 'shhh' emanated from the boat behind them. Roxy swallowed, her cheeks red even in the dim lights. "Stop it! You're being embarrassing! And fucking ungrateful, you brat!"

 "Ungrateful? I never asked for this!" Rose did not pipe down. Actually, she got louder with every word. "Maybe I'd be more grateful if you'd actually asked! Or considered my feelings or wishes, ever! But no! We get fucking Disneyland, with an obligation to go on the side. I hate noise! I hate kids! I hate rollercoasters! I hate all of this!"

 "You haven't said a peep about that until now!" Roxy somehow grew louder than Rose, nearly standing up. "You're so fucking blind if you can't see how ungrateful you're being, and it's appalling! And now you're causing drama and ruining this bloody trip! Do you know how long I've looked forward to this? Over twenty fucking years! Twenty years, I've wanted to go to Disneyland, with my dad, with Claire, and I chose to do it with you because you're the most important person to me!"

 “Am I really? Because wow, that’s big news to me! I’ve really just gotten the impression that the only person you really care about is yourself! I wanted none of this! I didn’t want to go to fucking Disneyland, I didn’t want to go on this ride, and I sure as hell didn’t want to live off food from Disneyland when we’re in Paris. I thought I made myself clear that I wanted to go into the city! But no, you snuck off while I was asleep and didn’t even bring me anything! I don’t want to be here, Roxy!”

 “You never said anything about being unhappy, though! Do you expect me to read your fucking mind?” Roxy hissed, but a deep blush seemed to have formed over her cheeks as her visit to the city was mentioned. She suddenly turned as she heard a child crying from the boat behind her, and realised that all other attendants had been staring at the confrontation, wide eyed. “Listen, you fat twat. Do you want to break up right now? Because I’m happy to leave this ride single if you’re going to be this ungrateful and shitty to me. But good luck finding someone, anyone else that’ll drag you to Paris, all expenses paid.”

 Rose drew back, tears gathering in her eyes. Her lips trembled, and she continued, whispering. “I just... I was hoping for something quiet. And nice. And to spend time with you, and maybe talk about stuff, you know I’m going through a lot right now, with my dad and everything. I just wanted to rest a bit. And that’s not really possible here. Is it?”

 “I mean, I figured it would be a good distraction. We’ve even got the hotel room for privacy, but you’ve been bloody mum about all your feelings since we got here, frankly.” Roxy rolled her eyes. “You’re acting like I don’t care about any of your family shit, and I really, really do. I’m here for you and I love you and I’m, like, listening? Who else has been here for you, huh? Your mom? Friends? Absolutely fucking no one.”

 “Well, you kind of... get upset with me if I mention it or if I talk to anyone else about it. I don’t have anyone else to talk to and if I try to talk to you, you just tell me to stop being such a baby!” Rose found herself crying, unable to control her volume anymore. “And you never listen to me when I tell you what I want! You had a million chances to give me what I want this trip! And you squandered each and every one of them because you wanted to go to Disneyland! And because apparently listening to me is too much of a fucking chore!”

 Roxy shot her a hard glare and sat down, face displaying deep upset. "Have fun finding your way back to England."

 The ride had ended. The child behind them was still crying. Other people were giving them looks ranging from pity to outrage.

Rose just wanted to cease existing in that moment. She didn’t even bother answering Roxy, just turned around and ran for it, making her way back to the hotel room while crying.

If this is what she wants, she can have it. I don’t care. I’m going home.

When she reached the hotel room, she tried to pack, but found herself unable to in the midst of her emotional turmoil, blinded by her tears.

 Roxy was staying behind, still within the park. She glanced into her wallet, considering where Rose had gone off to. The direction of the hotel.

No bother. Rose could do what she wanted, and it was likely going to be self harming in some way. All according to plan. Roxy would just have to avoid the fallout and swoop in at a convenient moment to save her. A few hours would do. Maybe a day of ghosting... Hm...

Roxy smirked for a brief second, already wondering how she'd post up this event as an entry on her account.

Her eyes briefly widened. The account was still open on a tab on her laptop.

"Fuck."

 In the meantime, Rose ended up blindly throwing stuff into her suitcase. Once she was a little distracted by packing, she found that her tears had died down. She could think a little more clearly again.

“Right.” She stood in the chaotic hotel room, looking like a mess, talking to herself. “I need to figure out what train I can take.”

Her eyes fell onto Roxy’s laptop. It looked like it was still on. Rose approached it – knowing that Roxy would flip out if she knew Rose had even thought about touching it.

But then, she didn’t really care about what Roxy thought right now. She opened it up. The internet browser was opened on a LiveJournal.

I shouldn’t.

She skimmed a few sentences, then looked away. She couldn’t help looking at Roxy’s username, though.

Might have a look at that later. I wonder why she’s never told me about this.

She chased the thoughts away and opened a new tab to have a look at trains.

 Roxy was sprinting towards the hotel, earning strange looks as she practically flew past families of park goers. She pressed past the hotel doors, heart beating loudly in her chest.

If Rose had a look through her LiveJournal, it would all be over.

 Rose had been looking for trains on a French website. Her French was only barely good enough to figure out what she was doing, and she had finally found a suitable train when Roxy burst through the door.

Rose immediately jumped away from the laptop.

 Roxy was staring at her, wide eyed. After a pregnant pause, she cleared her throat and straightened her posture, but her voice was still uncharacteristically shaky. "What are you doing?"

 Rose shrunk into herself. "I was just looking up trains to go home," she said.

 "That's all?" Roxy's gaze was unblinking.

 "Y...yeah... I was so upset. I... I want to go home, Roxy."

 Roxy looked at the laptop and let out a deep breath. She approached Rose. "You sure? We can still figure things out. I'll take you to Paris, yeah?"

 "Please don't feel like you have to." Rose looked down. "I don't know, it wouldn't mean as much if you're only doing it because I got mad at you."

 "Nah." Roxy smoothly stepped closer. "It's the least I could do after you had such a shit time. We could hit a restaurant or something on our way back?"

 "Oh... please." Rose found herself caving, her anger dissipating. "That... would be nice."

 "Yeah?" Roxy offered a small smile, rubbing gently on her arm with the light tips of her fingers. "I'm sorry about that fight, I'm such an idiot. I really should just die sometimes."

 "No... no, you don't deserve that." Rose sighed. "I... started packing," she said. "I mean, we're going home tomorrow anyway. We could have a nice evening out in Paris."

 "You've got that website up, pass me the laptop and I'll get us some tickets." Roxy's touches reached Rose's neck. "I'm starting to see your collarbones. Good work."

 "Huh, despite all the Disneyland food?" Rose gave a weak chuckle as she leaned into Roxy's touches. "Well, it wasn't particularly good, so maybe that's why. I haven't eaten that much."

 "Sounds like you're on a good track. You look sexy."

 "Oh, do I, now?" Rose smiled at Roxy and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss onto the corner of Roxy's mouth. "I suppose we could stay here for a little while longer before we go out."

 Roxy returned the smirk as she closed the laptop. "I suppose we could."

[benhaardy]

constellation || b.m.

(what a man ^)

REQUEST: Hello! Could u do a college!bri with reader in which she’s like majoring in something completely different than Bri but they have a mutual friend (could be Roger) and Bri is so infatuated with her because her major is more like arts and stuff and idk lots of fluff?

A/N: eeeeee i loved writing this smmmmm i really hope yall like it even though it’s prettttttyyy specific tbh lol but if you don’t like arts or whatever bri is still a cute lil loverboy in this just imagine him but with your own work? writing or music wise or anything else really. i hope you enjoy cause i lovvvveed writing this. absolutely loved it. i use that phrase too much. anyway, i just really really liked this one it took me like two whole days to do it lol sorry that took awhile and to people w other requests i got u im still workingg on yalls.

requests are clooooseeed at the moment and i am currently working on the ones i have. you can still send them in but they will not be done/started until i am finished with this batch.

the “rings” / “halos” mentioned aren’t like an angel halo w the circle floating above. its like the paintings that depict the virgin mary? i’ll link a pic right here.

as always, tried to make this as neutral as possible for the reader, but it is fem!reader. there might be something pertaining to height…? but i doubt its anything substantial lol shoutout to y’all tall peeps.

this can be read as normal queen or borhap!queen.

happy new years folks! hope y’all enjoyed yours as i have enjoyed mine. hope you enjoy this fic like i did too lol :p thanks for sending this request in!

Wordcount: 2.4k

Warnings: one fuck word. fem!reader. p fluffy. was beta’d halfway, but proofread. APOLOGIES i don’t know much about space or the sky or stars… all info i got about constellations were from this website (lifesaver lol i really hope its accurate). i’m writing this at 4 am, all worth it lol i looooved this story. anywhere here’s constellation *pulls out guitar*

You stepped back to observe the basic outline that you drew on the canvas. It was a shell of what you wanted to actually paint, currently, but in a few hours, it would be quite the opposite. You moved the easel and canvas around so it wouldn’t be against the light of the large panels of glass surrounding you in what was supposed to be a breakfast nook which you had converted into your art “room”.

You were ready.

You took a deep breath and went to grab an old shirt that you could put on before painting. Going through the kitchen, then the foyer, then the stairs, you went straight to Roger’s room, a place where you could find a crappy ripped, and possibly faintly sweat-scented top to throw on. Your favourite flatmate wouldn’t mind, now would he?

You rummaged through his drawers, careful not to make a mess of his nice shirts or the ones he wore to gigs. Finally, you found an old Hendrix t-shirt that was already splattered with paint. Perfect. You took off your shirt, threw on the new one and put the old top in the laundry.

As you went down the stairs, you heard a noise that sounded like it came from the kitchen. It was probably one of the dogs messing around with your canvases. Quickly, you jogged towards your art room, where a familiar blonde boy was crouching down, viewing the propped up half-finished painting that was drying. There was a tall, curly-maned man shuffling through your masonites.

“Uhh…hello?” You said, confused. Who was this? Obviously, there was Roger, but he hadn’t brought anybody home except for the occasional girl. Rog stood up from his place and the other man had turned around to look at you, sheepish.

Your best friend came around the easel to hug you around your neck, a cigarette in his fingers and your arms around his waist. “Hello, love,” he said. He let go and moved to face the new guy watching both of you. “Y/N, Brian. Brian, Y/N. Brian, this is my closest friend and she loves painting. Y/N, I’m in his band now! Smile!”

You exclaimed, “Oh my god, Rog! That’s amazing!” You were glad his endless practice and jam sessions were working out. Roger was back to looking at your other paintings. Now, you faced Brian. “Hey, Brian. What do you play?” you noticed his hand still on the hardboards. “What were you looking for?” you questioned.

“Oh, sorry.” Brian took his hand off the boards. “I play the guitar.” You made a mental note of that. “I just noticed this one up on the front here… Is this Rog?” He pointed to the first board, which was a painting of Roger from the shoulders up. He had a halo of fire surrounding his head in a circle and he was looking up above. The background was of the night sky, the constellations Leo, Phoenix, Lynx, Hercules, Draco, Vulpecula, and Auriga around him, multitudes of small stars smattered in the blank spaces.

“Yeah, it is. It’s part of a new series I’m doing. It’s my friends and constellations that relate to them. I saw the stars in a book and I thought it looked great so, yeah. It’s fine if you want to take a look.”

Roger was shuffling through who-knows-what when he added, ”Bri majors in physics and all that—the stars.”

“That’s so cool! I’ve always been interested in space and such but my passion has always been in the arts. I major in fine arts.”

Bri smiled and nodded, still examining the painting of Rog and tracing the constellations. “This is gorgeous,” he whispered to himself as you were distracted by Rog giving his input on one of your other paintings.

--

You positioned yourself in front of your easel once more, the boys off to the living room to practice with each other. You primed your canvas, mixed your colours, and set out your brushes. A picture of your subject was taped up on the canvas holder of your easel and the book of constellations was set up on the table next to you. Roger and Brian’s session was great background music for your painting time. You found yourself tapping your foot to the beat.

A few hours later, your painting was done. It was modelled after one of your classmates in your European History class. You stood back and put your hands on your hips. You painted her from the side, sitting on her calves. She wasn’t wearing anything, her chest only covered by a wave of water that led up to another halo surrounding her head. She was looking down at her hands, clasped in her lap with the constellations and stars above her. Her curly, caramel brown hair was splayed out behind her and upon her shoulders, droplets of water among them. You were quite pleased with your first (somewhat) nude where you captured the curves of her body true to what she looked like.

You heard Roger and Brian finish up their set and go into the kitchen. The fridge door and cupboard opened and closed. They walked into your space, Roger with a towel around his neck and Brian a little more disheveled than before. Brian’s top buttons were undone, exposing two necklaces. “Hm,” you thought as you watched him drink from his glass of water standing in the doorway, “Hmmmmmmmmmm.”

Your best friend went around and looked at your artwork. “Damn, who is that?” Roger asked, clearly interested in who your painting was of. He took a sip of water.

You took the picture off the easel and replied, ”None of your concern, Rog.” You shook your head, snickering along with Brian.

Brian walked to your other side and viewed your painting himself. You looked for his opinion on his face. “Wow, Y/N,” he mumbled, “Aquarius, Cassiopeia, and Eridanus are they?

“Correct.”

“This is beautiful, absolutely beautiful. The way she looks, so sensual yet innocent. Wow, Y/N. This is great,” he said quietly.

“Thank you, Brian. That means everything.” Brian smiled at you, bashful.

A new friend (and basically, new flatmate) was made that day.

--

A few months had passed. Smile had been doing great. Roger, Brian, and you were close as ever. Often, you went to their practices and sketched your surroundings, often Roger drumming or Tim singing. You loved seeing Brian’s vibrant smiles but him still paying careful attention to his playing. You would sit at the bar and sketch, or do homework, or just drink. Roger’s cheeky grin and Brian’s reserved but bright twinkle were always there for you up on that stage.

You were at the park with Bri at his invitation while Rog was off with his girl and Tim was somewhere doing something else. He met you with a blanket, his physics textbook, and a few writing utensils and you met him armed with a sketchbook and a bunch of pencils. It was a sunny, British summer day. You greeted each other and found a tree to sit under. Brian spread out the blanket for both of you and you sat down.

Much of your days with him weren’t always so silent. You had helped each other study often. He was often at your side when he was done practicing with Rog, the adrenaline that coursed through him making him seem like a child, a contrast to the calmness of your art process. After shows, he would be so talkative, willing to speak for a long time about anything and everything. You two would frequently be the only two left at the bar after a gig, Roger giving you his customary sly smile behind Bri’s shoulder as you conversed into the late hours.

He loved hearing of your endeavours in art and your classes and never failed to ask to see the new drawings of the new. Usually, you were shy to show other people what you had made but you just had this openness around him. You knew if he had any judgments he would say them in a constructive manner but he never seemed to put too much attention on your mistakes, rather being a “fix it and move on” type of person.

You liked him a lot, really. It didn’t help at all that he was intelligent and attractive and helpful and just a great guy all aro— never mind. Check off all of the boxes for “things you want in a man”. You tried not to pay attention to it too much.

Both of you were off to your own devices, buried in your work. A slight breeze came about, feeling wonderful against your skin. You looked back at Bri sitting against the tree, the wind shifting his hair and his book in his lap. You went back to your own thing.

“Y/N?” Brian spoke up after a while.

“Yeah?” You replied back, still focused on your drawing.

“Could I watch you draw? If that’s alright with you. You pick out the perfect colours and compositions and everything. It’s fascinating. Everything just comes together exemplary.” He spread his hands out at “exemplary.”

“Of course, Bri,” you said, flattered. “Of course.”

Bri moved closer to you, pretty much right behind your shoulder. You flipped to a new page in your book and set to work. He watched your pencil as it flew across the paper, depicting a sleeping dog with a couple that was sitting the next tree over. You could feel his eyes settle upon your face momentarily, heat rising up to your cheeks.

“You know, Y/N. You make a pretty funny face when you’re drawing,” he laughed. Brian played with a piece of grass absentmindedly but still paid attention to your drawings and now your eyes.

“Oh yeah, Bri? What’s that face you’re speaking of?” You took a look at him. He pursed his lips and pushed them out to the left; he drew his eyebrows together and pretended to draw in thin air. You giggled together at his silly (albeit, quite realistic) impression of you.

“To be fair, you have one too, when you’re playing,” you teased.

“How so?” Bri acted like he was offended.

“Well, I can’t really do it and nor is it as severe as mine… but when you play, it’s as if nothing else in the world matters to you but in a good way. It’s like, ‘Who cares about uni? Who cares about anything else?’ You kind of just look like it’s you and your guitar against the world, right? It’s quite nice, watching you play,” you said, voice getting quieter as you continued.

“It is true. Us against the world.”

--

Two weeks had passed. Rog went out with his girlfriend after a session with Bri so you were left alone with the guitarist. He was in the living room making up his own compositions and writing songs like he normally does while you stayed in your little studio. A little lamp was clamped to the table next to your easel so you could have a soft light on your canvas. You painted until Brian came in, standing at the threshold.

“Hello, love,” you said gently. You set down your brush and stretched.

“Hi, babe,” he replied back, advancing forward.

You remembered what you were going to show him and in a split second, you practically screamed, “No, Bri, wait!” He put his hands up and froze in his spot. “Just stay there, okay? Close your eyes.” The guitarist lowered his hands and obeyed.

You quickly moved to take the painting on your easel and prop it against the wall alongside the other drying ones. You looked through the finished paintings and came across the one you were looking for. After grabbing it, you set it up once more. The finished product after hours of work was finally on display. You came back around Brian and guided his towering self to your normal space in front of your painting spot. “Open your eyes.” He did.

You both looked at the piece of artwork in front of you. There was a large smile on his painting self’s face and his eyes were closed. His head was tilted back, up at the stars surrounding him. Bri’s curls were framing his face, small stars speckled throughout them. A ring of water was around his head. “Cancer, Circinus, Leo Minor, Lyra. Pyxis, Telescopium, Camelopardalis,” he said, so quiet you could barely hear it. You watched as he admired the painting of himself, one that you put so much work into to make special.

You nodded. “It’s you, Bri. That’s what I was drawing in the park. I was just doodling but I looked at you and you just looked so—pretty?” You both laughed at your words, but you continued on. “That’s the word. Pretty. With the sunlight and everything, the grass was so vibrant… you were glowing! I couldn’t help it, so I drew you for reference. And then I painted you,” you said, calm and shrugging your shoulders. “I thought it was fitting, you in space, looking like you were at home. I wanted to incorporate something music and the closest thing I could do was Lyr-“

“Oh my goodness, Y/N. This much thought? You didn’t have to do any of this, I’m so grateful, I love it so much! But I’m just Brian, I don’t deser—”

“I wanted to do this, Bri. Trust me. You listened to me rant on and on and on about how my what I was doing didn’t look good, or what I was drawing, or how I was drawing something. You are so encouraging and attentive and just amazing, Bri, I couldn’t help it. It was really no problem. You deserve it. And there’s-there’s one more thing.” This was it! You weren’t really planning on telling him your feelings after showing him your piece but now here you were.

He asked, oblivious, “What thing?” Bri was beaming at his portrait and now beaming at you.

“I really like you, Bri. A lot. You’ve been there for a lot and we’ve supported each other and I just-” He hadn’t said anything. The same surprised look was still on his face. Fuck. “And I mean, like, you know, I j-“

He seemed extremely taken aback at your declaration but his face melted into tenderness. “I like you too, Y/N.”

You exhaled, “Thank god!” Both of you laughed, the shared relief between the both of you evident.

Brian leaned in and you closed the gap. His lips felt amazing against yours after all this time waiting and the moon shone softly upon you both as you shared this moment.

--

Brian :

Cancer: The Crab ~ his astrological sun sign

Circinus: The Compass ~ helps people find their way, ever helpful

Pyxis: The Compass ~ mariner’s compass, i feel like he j knows himself really well and he’s a water sign so lol

Telescopium: The Telescope ~ self-explanatory lol

Leo Minor: The Little Lion ~ his hair. roger got the “big” lion by default so i gave bri the little lion!

Lyra: The Harp ~ closest thing to music

Camelopardalis: The Giraffe ~ :pppp

Roger :

Leo: The Lion ~ his astrological sun sign

Phoenix: The Firebird ~ he fiery

Hercules: The Strong Man ~ i’d like to think he would request this himself once he saw the series of pieces you were doing.

Draco: The Dragon ~ why not, plus i feel like he’d like it

Vulpecula: The Little Fox ~ he got the foxy moxy.

Auriga: The Charioteer ~ apollo and his chariot, rog is the sun <3

Lynx: The Lynx ~ not a very easily seen constellation, so you need good eyesight to see it. i thought it was ironic because of rog’s bad eyes LOL

The girl in the painting (you know who you are :)):

Aquarius: The Water Bearer ~ her sun sign

Cassiopeia: The Queen ~ self-explanatory hah

Eridanus: The Celestial River ~ water, relates to sun sign

[spnskinnyballs]

Mr Stranger

Summary - It was purely by coincidence that you were paired up with this particular mystery man in a random chat roulette site on a Thursday evening. (Not one of your finer moments) Charming his way into your little life as Mr Stranger how long can you two really keep the anonymity between you?

Pairing - Jensen x Reader

Word Count - 2,569

Warnings - Swearing, dirty talk, masturbation

Part Three

Series Masterlist/ My Masterlist

The hours had passed and you had survived. With aching feet you handed over your patients only 20 minutes after you were supposed to have already left and made your way to the staff room. Lucy was sat in a swivel chair twirling around as she waited for you to finish, god she was a good friend.

Saying your goodbyes you beckoned Lucy towards you and you both grumbled all the way to the lockers. Today was a good day but it was long and heavy and tiring and you craved the comfort of your bed. Lucy looked as though she agreed with you without either of you saying a single word.

You both pulled on your jackets in silence having a whole conversation with glances and grunts until she huffed out a sigh and pulled the door open, standing in front of it for you as though she was too weak to hold it open with one hand.

“I’m so fucking tired.” She whispered with an edge to her voice as you two made your way back through the ward to leave the hospital, making an agreement with a grunt she shook out her shoulders and continued. “I swear to god as soon as i get home i’m pouring myself a pint of wine and not leaving my bed all weekend.”

Laughing at her it was all you needed to pull you out of your silent stupor. “I’m so with you there, my feet hurt so bad.” You cried out to her. “I’m going to go home and cuddle up with a disney movie until i fall asleep.”

“Oh please, you’re going to go home and talk straight to lover boy.” Accentuating the last few words and making kissy faces at you she completely ignored the roll of your eyes. “Seriously though, how cute is he?”

Scoffing at her you shook your head before replying. “I told you we didn’t show eachother our faces.”

“Yeah but you saw other stuff didn’t you?” She remarked knocking her arm into yours.

“What? Yeah, he’s got a nice body, i think he’s cute.” You shook off opening your hand bag and unzipping the small compartment where your car keys lived, not realising the silence until you had retrieved them and zipped your bag back up to see Lucy looking at you with a confused expression. “What?!”

Holding out a hand in front of her and blinking her eyes she responded “Hold up. You two just talked? Like talked? PG?”

“Yeah. What, I didn’t give the first guy i talked to since Jeremy a free porn show.” Answering defensively you edged off heading towards the drivers side of your car.

“Babe, don’t get pissy with me. Sorry, i just thought that you two had fooled around or something.”

Closing your eyes and listening to her you stopped and leaned forward on the top of your car. “Baby i’m sorry, long day.” Looking at her she huffed and nodded in agreement before you continued in a quieter tone, more raw and honest. “He’s practically the first guy i’ve talked to since Jeremy and honestly it scared the shit out of me just to talk to him let alone mess around with him. But thank you though, if i just went out and talked to some random guy i really don’t think that it would have gone so well. Appreciate it.”

Your tone had turned sweet and sickly by the end and she scrunched her nose at you once again, crinkles framing her eyes. “Oh hun, you know i’ve always got your back. I love you but i need to go home. Go back, send him a dick pic, drive safe sweet, love ya!” Shouting over her shoulder at you, she had turned mid sentence and walked towards her battered old car leaving your smiling tiredly and climbing in your car ready to finally be going home.

An hour later you were settling into your bed fed and watered. Rolling yourself up into the sheets, your head hit the pillow and your feet thanked you for the comfort, but something was missing. Something was yearning inside, a hunger that hadn’t made itself known for weeks. Rolling to your side and lifting your leg over the duvet you deliberated your options, after a moment you reached over and took a mouthful of the wine you took with you to bed. The warmth settled through your throat before settling in your stomach growing courage and an extra layer of burning in you.

With a deep breath and a giggle to yourself you repositioned yourself in the sheets until they were almost off you. Repositioning your boobs in your bra and twisting the sides of your lacy underwear so that they hung a little higher and a little tighter on one side you lifted your phone above your body and took a photo, more like several photos.

Once you were satisfied you draped yourself in the warmth once more and rolled onto your stomach scrolling between the pictures until you settled on one. Your pink flowery bra was the first thing that stole your attention, your breasts accentuated with the extra padding and while your eyes followed down they were caught with the glimmer of your belly bar and the navy blue lacy underwear that was hanging slightly too low on one side where your knee had lifted up the mattress.

Despite the many critiques you gave yourself, you looked hot. With your face nowhere to be seen and no distinctive features on show you dragged it into a message before you could talk yourself out of it. Clicking send you shook your head at yourself and reached for the wine. Fuck, you needed wine.

With a hundred thoughts running through your head, granted more sexy than not, your mind went to mr stranger. Was he even home? He only told you earlier that day that he worked 12 to 14 hour days so would he even respond, or rather would he even respond in time.

Your musings were cut short by the buzzing of your phone settled on the pillow next to you. Biting your tongue to quell the giggles inside you rolled over and swiped up your homescreen before you could even think, breathing deeply as you read the reply.

‘Fucking hell babygirl i’m not even home yet. You horny sweetheart?’

‘Haha sorry for the bad timing i couldn’t help myself. Maybe just a little, why you gonna do something about it?’

Hitting send before even allowing yourself to reread your response you reached over and drank another mouthful of wine, you were horny and enjoying yourself, there was no way in hell you were letting nerves come into this.

The response that followed was almost immediate. ‘Fuck yes, what would you want me to do about it?’

Oh so many things you thought to yourself but actually voicing them to him? Dirty talk was not your strong suit. Sure it turned you on hearing it but it’s not something that you’ve ever really done for others before but you were doing so many new things these last few days what would be one more to add to the list.

With a determined grin you typed out your next message. ‘Everything. I want you to play with me until i’m screaming your name. Does that sound okay to you?’

Feeling emboldened with your sudden confidence you bit your lip and waited for the mental image heading your way.

‘Fuck yes. I’d kiss you, lick your lower lip. Kiss your cheeks and jaw and lick a line down your neck, kissing you lower and lower. How does that sound sweetheart?’

A shiver went up your spine as you read those words. ‘That sounds so good, i’d kiss you right back, nibble your lip and kiss it better, tugging at your waistband. How low were you planning on going?’

‘I’d move my hands down your waist and kiss your chest all over, pay attention to your nipples until you’re moaning and pulling my hair.’

‘God yes. I love having my boobs played with. What would you do next?’

‘Well in that case i’d play with them until you couldn’t take it anymore, until you were begging me for more. Then i’d finally slide down and kiss at you through your underwear then slowly pull them down to see how wet you are. I love going down on a girl, hope that’s not a problem?’

As you read the words you swear you could physically feel the sensations, imagining this hot guy doing all these things to you.

Fuck this was a good idea.

Leaning over to your nightstand you quickly pulled open your draw and found your vibrator before writing out your response. As you began to text you had a change of plans and a fuck it attitude wash over you. Leaning forward you unhooked your bra throwing it away and placing the vibrator on your thigh opening up the camera. This time you only took one photo, you didn’t have time to mess around with looking good, the need inside you growing more and more impatient.

The photo was angled from your face down onto your body so your eyes drew from your naked breasts down to the twists of your underwear and finally landing on the vibrator. You sent it immediately so that he would have a moment to focus solely on that before your message followed.

‘There is no way in hell i’m complaining about that. I’m so fucking wet just thinking about you going down on me. Kissing my thighs and licking at my clit, running your tongue over me so you can see for yourself just how wet i am for you teasing me like that.’

Waiting for him you finally pulled off your underwear and picked up the vibrator, still turned off, rubbing it up and down sliding your slick around, jumping slightly as the cold metal came in direct contact with your clit.

‘You look so good beautiful. I’m in the car with a hard on thinking about doing that to you and thinking about what you’re doing to yourself. You playing with yourself baby? Gonna make yourself cum talking to me?’

The knowledge that he was turned on by this conversation just as much as you were only turned you on more. He was hard because of you, because of the photos that you sent him.

‘You turned on thinking about me? I’m lying in my bed running my vibrator over myself right now thinking about this. Please don’t stop, keep telling me what you would do to me.’

‘Sweetheart i’ve had a hard on since you sent me that first pic and this convo isn’t helping. I can’t wait until i get home and i can join you, i’m almost there think you can hold on for me?’

Whining at his response you dropped your vibrator and moved your free hand up to play with your boobs instead.

‘That makes me feel so fucking good you have no idea. I’ve stopped and i’m playing with my nipples now instead. You’re going down on me, sucking on my clit and squeezing my boob while i wrap my legs around your shoulders. What are you going to do next?’

‘Yes i am. My fingers are twisting your nipple just slightly and my other hands grabbing your ass. I’m circling your clit with my tongue and then i’ll finger you at the same time so i can really tell how wet you are.’

Dropping your phone on your chest moaning you squeezed your thighs together for any kind of friction. Just as you were picturing him sliding a finger alongside his tongue your phone buzzed again with a picture message. Sliding it open it was of him, jeans unzipped and pulled down, black boxers on show with an outline of a large, solid dick straining at the fabric, jaw dropping at the image as you studied it intently a message took center frame of your screen.

‘I’m home and i’m going to jerk off now thinking about you.’

Moaning at the message you started typing back only a second later, with your free hand you reached for your toy and began circling yourself once more.

‘I’m rubbing my vibrator over myself right now. I want you to imagine me sucking your dick. Licking at your head slowly circling it before i go down on you, fitting as much of you into my mouth as i can wrapping my hand around the rest that won’t fit because you’re too big.’

After hitting send you finally turned your vibrator on arching your back immediately at the sensations. Moving it around and flicking through the settings until you placed it just next to your clit in that perfect spot before turning it onto a strong constant vibration. Your head flooded with images and you settled on this perfect stranger sat in his own bed fisting his cock to the image of you going down on him, him moaning because of you. This turned on he got a boner in a car because of you. Coming because of you.

Fuck you were so close. With that last image of him coming undone purely from what you were saying to him your back arched and your body tensed, a silent scream rolling off your tongue as an orgasm exploded from you knocking you senseless. You stayed there motionless with the vibrations flooding through you, working yourself through such an intense orgasm until you became too sensitive.

Throwing your vibrator away from you you untangled yourself from under the sheets rising for air. Falling down into your pillow you threw the covers around until they were the right way around once again and you picked up your phone ready to message your perfect Mr Stranger as it buzzed in your hand with another image.

Smiling sleepily to yourself you opened it up and physically whined at the image you were confronted with. It was similar to your earlier picture with his jeans unzipped and pulled down but this time the head of his cock was peeking out through the top of his tight boxers, trapped in the waistband and further up his now naked torso was a chain of cum dancing on his stomach.

Fuck, that was hot.

He followed it up with a text message mirroring your exact thoughts. ‘Fuck that was hot. I didn’t even make it off the couch. How was that for you?’

‘That was amazing, I haven’t had an orgasm like that in forever. Thank you, i’m so sleepy now though haha I don’t know about you but i wouldn’t mind doing something like that again?’

Your eyes were already starting to falter as he responded to you, your body exhausted from the activity.

‘I’m glad i could help but this whole thing was all on you so i should really be the one to thank you. Me too, go to sleep babygirl i’ll text you in the morning. Thank you for tonight, you’re beautiful Mrs Stranger <3’

There was no way of getting rid of the grin that spread across your face at his words, his kind sweet loving words. Falling asleep with a smile on your face, your night was filled with sweet dreams of a faceless stranger.

@shellydemon @anotherwaywardsister @ravenangel33 @dean-winchesters-bacon @bookoffracturedescapes @pisces-cutie @sp8b8 @tumbler-tidbits @torn-and-frayed @kaz11283 @mannls @supernatural-bellawinchester

@mermaidwannabe-clc @novaddictx

@girl-with-a-fandom-fettish @pensysto @jenbarb10 @topthis808 @mirandaaustin93 @keepcalmandbeajunkie @lullabylike @jamielea81 @adorkabletiff91 @perpetualabsurdity @onceuponathreetwoone @castielsssdean @diariesofthebeautyobsessed @missbosstown @queenslandlover-93 @deangirl7695 @musiclovinchic93

[missblanchette]

Rumor Has It [7/10]

Series: Hypnosis Mic

Characters: Izanami Hifumi/Yumeno Gentaro; Amemura Ramuda, Arisugawa Dice

Rating: T

Summary: Thousands of hearts broke that day. With tears shed and cries resounding to the heavens, each grief-stricken woman wondered how this could possibly happen. In the year 20XX of the H. Era, Matenrou’s MC GIGOLO and Fling Posse’s MC Phantom were officially in a relationship.

Except they weren’t, actually.

Words: 4,113 words

ko-fi // Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | You can read this on AO3! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!  (,, ･∀･)ﾉ゛

Ch. 7: The Heart in a Fog

"Gentarooo~ Why didn't you tell us you and your boy toy were serious?" wasn't the first thing Gentaro expected to hear once he sat down at Fling Posse's usual cafe for their "Play Time" (team bonding, as Ramuda put it; never mind that they stayed at either his or Ramuda's place a majority of the week), but their dear leader had never been the most predictable. The whine of Ramuda’s voice sounded like a tease than anything else, but his baby blue eyes held a scrutinizing glint to them. Cup of tea in hand and a bag of Hifumi's belongings hanging around his wrist, Gentaro supposed this was karma for arriving five minutes late.

"What? You got a boyfriend?" Dice asked between mouthfuls of a crepe.

Feigning offense, Gentaro placed a hand over chest. "Yes, you didn't realize? We've been going out for some time now. He's one hundred seventy-seven centimeters tall, has blue hair, and likes to freeload."

"Sounds kinda ugly." Dice's face scrunched up. "Wait --"

"Nope, nope, nope-y, nope! ★" Ramuda singsonged, booping Gentaro's nose. "I mean the other boyfriend who's one-seventy-nine centimeters, definitely not a real blond, and lives in Shinjuku."

Gentaro's brow creased as he pretended to ponder over the description. "Who ever are you talking about? I would've told you if he existed."

"But you were with him right here?"

Ramuda turned his phone towards him and lo and behold, the picture of him and Hifumi sitting together at Sakuragaoka-cho Street laid on the screen. Barely sparing it a glance, Gentaro took a sip of his tea.

"Ah, but that's not exactly me. That's my doppelgänger."

"Your dopa-what?" Dice said.

"My lookalike, another person who shares the same face as me. An evil twin, as some say."

Ramuda's eyes bulged wide. Making a noise of awe, he looked back and forth between the picture and Gentaro.

"Really, really? Don't they say you die after meeting your doppelgänger?" He tilted his head, lips puckered in bewilderment.

"Oh, certainly. I died not too long after laying sight upon them. My MC name is 'Phantom' for a reason, you know."

Slapping his cheek with a pop, Ramuda's jaw dropped.

"Wow~ ★ How neat, how neat! We have a real ghostie on our team!" He hopped forward in his seat with sparkles surrounding his big eyes. "Can I put my hand through you?"

Before Gentaro could answer, Dice reached out and smashed Gentaro’s cheeks in between his hand. He turned his head left and right, up and down; once more, all around.

"Ghost, schmost. I can touch ya jus' fine!"

Chuckling, Gentaro pried Dice's fingers off his face. "Yes, you've caught me. That was a lie."

"Whaaa, so Gentaro's not really a ghost?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm flesh through and through," he said, pulling his cheek to prove it. "Though I will say that I'm appalled that you're using that image, Ramuda. It's old news by now."

"Ah, ah, ah~ It's not old news if it's still relevant." With a finely manicured finger, Ramuda pointed at the bag at his side. "You just don't carry another guy's stuff around for no reason! A~nd I know for a fact those aren't your style."

His years of lying paid off, allowing Gentaro to maintain a straight face at the comment. He hadn't mentioned what was in the bag since he sat down, let alone bring attention to the bag itself. To top it off, it wasn't see-through. Keen underneath the ditziness, Ramuda was an interesting one for sure.

"Damn, Ramuda, what if he's trynna experiment?" Dice piped up, bless his soul. "Guy can't wear what he wanna wear?"

"I merely borrowed these from an acquaintance," Gentaro said, nodding a small thanks to Dice. "I'm meeting up with them later, so I'll be returning these to them."

"An acquaintance you've been texting all week~?"

As if selling him out, the chime of a LINE message rang through; Gentaro's hand an even worse traitor, having reached to pull his phone out on instinct. He caught himself before he could do so, but Ramuda simply smirked at him and Dice raised a brow as he munched away at his food. Gentaro cleared his throat and took a sip of his tea.

"Purely business, I assure you."

"Must be some fun kinda business since you've been so glued to your phone lately!"

"Yeah, actually..." Dice's chewing slowed to a stop. "You said you've been workin' on your next book, but I always see ya textin' someone and smilin' at your desk."

Gentaro shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say? Business is going well."

Smirk ever present, Ramuda drank the last of his bubble tea in reply, slurping loudly against the cafe's white noise as he sucked up air through the straw. Setting the cup down with a plop, Ramuda's nails click-clacked against the table.

"Y'know, Gentaro --" Like sharing a secret, he scooched in closer. "-- the whole thing with you and that Hifumi really went viral, and that got me thinking 'bout what we can do to boost Fling Posse's popularity for next season."

"Is it choreography? The idol image is very big in Chuuoku."

"Nope! But that's a good idea, I should add that to our next practice session~"

"Fuck no, I can't dance for shit --"

"B~ut, what I had in mind is that me and you should make it seem like we're dating! ♥"

"Hm, a fake dating scenario, is it?" Taking the longer strands of Ramuda's hair, Gentaro twirled it around his finger before cupping his cheek. Ramuda giggled and leaned into his palm. "The love story between a leader and his second-in-command, defying all odds and overcoming their struggles together; a tale of secrecy, mystery, and passion. How romantic."

"Hey, hey, hey, whatta 'bout me?" Dice said. "Can I be in the story?"

"Featuring their idiot third member."

"Shit, bro, after all we been through? Just gonna do me dirty like that?"

Gentaro stifled his snicker behind his sleeve. "Their idiot third member who ends up winning them the grand prize due to his immense luck."

He nodded approvingly. "That's more like it."

Clapping his hands, Ramuda laughed. "See, see! We got the perfect set up for it already so let's give it a shot! ★"

Lips quirking up, Gentaro shook his head.

"As compelling as it sounds, I don't think it's the best idea." He gave Ramuda's cheek a pat before pulling away. "Something like that will only lead to a disaster in the long run."

"Aw, boo-y. 💔" Ramuda pouted, but soon set his sights on Dice. "Looks like it's up to us then, Dicey-Dice!"

"Yeah? What we gonna do?"

He hummed while tapping his chin, baby blues scanning the cafe. "I know! You go over to that corner and I'll kabedon you! Gentaro can take the pic."

"...Shouldn't it be the other way 'round 'cause I'm taller?"

"Yeah, but I'm the leader! ★" Ramuda grinned as he pointed to himself. "Oh, maybe I'll get on Gentaro's shoulders and we'll both kabedon you."

"Hol' up, hol' up! Why's it gotta be me gettin' slammed on?"

"Don't you know, Dice? The elders must establish their dominance over the weak," said Gentaro matter-of-factly.

At that, Ramuda’s laughter filled the cafe and Gentaro joined in with a small huff. Dice squinted and jabbed his crepe at the two of them, whipped cream flying onto the table.

"Oi, who ya callin’ ‘weak’?!"

“The one who owes me a hundred thousand yen,” Gentaro teased. His eyes fell to his watch then, his plans for the afternoon fast approaching. “I’m afraid I’ll have to give Ramuda the honors of dominating you, though, since I have to be going now.”

Pouting, Ramuda tugged on his sleeve. "Awww, but you just got here."

"Forgive me, but business calls." He stood up and drew his arm out from Ramuda’s grip before making sure all his things were in order.

"The fun kinda business?"

"Business is business."

"A'ight, well, we'll be here when you're done," said Dice, waving at him.

"There’s no need to wait for me. It'll be an all day affair."

"Ooh, so the super fun kinda business~? ♥"

Gentaro gestured vaguely, but he couldn't help the curl of his lips. "Business."

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

A ghost of a smile growing on his face, Gentaro pocketed his phone and set off to meet Hifumi. Sakuragaoka-cho Street wasn't too far from the cafe, but he walked with a hurry to his gait and a bounce to his steps nevertheless. Admittedly, Hifumi's invitation had caught him off guard; another meeting so soon, with nary much detail besides "meet me at sakuragaoka-cho!!" and a plethora of stickers and hearts. Gentaro had half the mind to turn him down, but his fingers had worked faster than his head and he accepted.

He didn't regret his decision, though. In between their frequent conversations, the words to his manuscript flowed more easily since their outing; a spark, of sorts, having been lit after all the impromptu stories they created together and the back-and-forth they shared. Contrary to the voice in the back of his head that wished to see Hifumi for desire’s sake, he justified this rendezvous with the notion that meeting up with him would provide insight and bolster creativity.

Ever the punctual one, Gentaro stopped short when he spotted the familiar head of blond and lime standing near one of the sakura trees. Truly "next time" had arrived sooner than he thought it would -- had arrived when he thought it wouldn't at all -- but seeing Hifumi in person again, somehow he didn't mind. Not wasting a further second, Gentaro hurried on.

"Oh, is my watch running slow? It appears you're here on time, Izanami-san." A teasing lilt to his words, Gentaro tapped at his watch for the show of it. Expecting that perky voice of his to crack back, his lips tugged up as he neared him.

But Gentaro heard it before he saw it.

"Of course, Yumeno-sensei," Hifumi said in that flirtatious inflection of his. Given the tone, Gentaro's eyes wandered down to see him wearing his suit -- prim and proper, rather than haphazardly thrown on to avoid his fears. "I'm not one to keep a dear friend waiting."

Handsome as he was, the hands hidden behind Hifumi's back spoke of something more. Tips of red peeped out from his sides, swaying to the spring breeze. Anticipation and apprehension blending together, Gentaro pushed them down.

"What's this? All dressed up in your suit attire, are you?" Gentaro gave him a look, gesturing up and down at his person. "Don't tell me you've called me to act as your shield."

Hifumi chuckled, the once strident noise now sonorous to his ears. "No, I know better than to call a friend out for something so silly as that. I have other plans for us, actually."

"Ah, that's right. You were quite vague about that, though," Gentaro mused, glancing to the mystery he hid from him. "They don't happen to do with whatever's behind your back, do they?"

A flash of his other self seeping through, Hifumi's eyes widened before he recovered with a smile that made his heart flutter.

"Perceptive as always, Yumeno-sensei~" he said, a tilt to his head and dimples to his cheeks. "One of your charm points, for sure."

"Flattery, Izanami-san?" Try as he might to play it off casually, the butterflies in Gentaro’s stomach flapped their wings so hard that they’d started a hurricane. "Have you mistaken me for one of your so-called kittens, by any chance?"

"Nonsense, my dear Yumeno-sensei~ I could never mistake anyone as special as you are for anyone else.” His suit jacket on, Gentaro had heard him speak such adulations to the women who’d passed them by, but the sincerity in his tone threw Gentaro off. “In fact --" With the flourish of a host, Hifumi revealed what was hidden behind his back. "-- these are for you."

A bouquet of roses, presented like a bottle of champagne to his clients; yellow petals matching the hue of his locks, fading into a deep red at the tips. Had Gentaro’s heart not skipped a beat or two, he might have mulled over the meaning of such colors. Eyeballing it, he counted forty-four rose heads. Forty-four roses no doubt a declaration of affection, each petal peering up at him like the irises watching behind them. Numbly, Gentaro accepted the bouquet into his arms. The cellophane rustling in his hold, the flowers weighed heavily and the thorns jabbed into his chest.

Drawing a blank, Gentaro stumbled over his words. "That is -- This is -- These are quite something..."

"Aren’t they? A lovely bouquet for a man as lovely as you~"

He parted his lips to quip back, but Gentaro’s mind had gone askew with racing thoughts -- of excitement, of dread, of feelings he wasn't sure about -- that nothing came out. From their confrontation in Chuuoku that lead to their rivalry, to the fateful night at Kabukicho that changed everything between them, to now, Hifumi had that effect on him. For better or for worse, Gentaro couldn’t fault him for it.

Not realizing his silence, or maybe ignoring it, Hifumi continued on. "Yumeno-sensei, since we're here, may I tell you something?"

Speechless, he nodded slowly. Hifumi's smile grew bigger, beaming brighter than the sun itself. As blinding as it was, Gentaro could not -- would not -- tear his gaze away. Dangerous the sun might be, but its warmth was addicting and he let its radiance sting.

"I know we haven't spent much time together, Yumeno-sensei, but I believe we've made great strides since our first encounter." His voice a resonant melody, Hifumi took his hand in his. Warm yet suffocating, Hifumi’s touch was the only thing keeping him grounded as his senses ran a tizzy. "The circumstances might've been unfortunate, but I'm glad that the incident in Kabukicho was able to bring us closer. Since then, the moments we've shared have been a dream for me, and I've come to see you in a new light. Or maybe it's better to say that you have become my new light."

Bringing his hand close to his chest, Gentaro's fingers grazed the spot above Hifumi's heart. His pulse at his tips, he found that underneath the cool and calm persona of a host, their heartbeats drummed at the same unsteady pace. Lucent irises locked onto his, Hifumi's gaze boring into him filled with a gentleness he'd never seen before. His touch had grown searing hot, but Gentaro did not pull back.

Laced with ardor, Hifumi said softly, "Yumeno-sensei, I believe I've fallen for you."

Whether his heart stopped beating altogether or it beat so quickly that he no longer felt it, Gentaro couldn't tell. What he did know, however, was that he didn't know what to feel.

Rare was it that Gentaro let anyone into his life. Indeed, he could count those close to him with only a single hand -- a digit for each of them: The elderly couple, his parents that'd taken him in, the ones whom he'd started lying for; Atsushi, his best friend when no one else dared speak to him, the one whom he'd started writing tales for; Dice and Ramuda, his posse through thick and thin, the ones he'd fought through hell and back with.

And then there was Hifumi, his rival turned acquaintance turned God knows what, the one he’d faced with ups and downs. Once, Gentaro had thought of him as a gibbering fool without a care in the world; now, he'd come to learn that there was more to him than that -- figuratively and literally. Despite being a man of two faces, Hifumi was endearing all the same. Blunt and outspoken he might be, and other moments too honeyed and charming, but he always meant well underneath it all; the man, much to his surprise, was supportive to no end. Regardless of if the suit jacket was on or off, Gentaro found a comfort in his presence and their rhythm together flowed effortlessly. Yes, somewhere along the line, the bane of his existence became someone he enjoyed being with. From reckless nuisance to cheerful companion, Hifumi had certainly grown on him within a short season.

But, Gentaro wondered, did the moments they share together warrant anything deeper? Was the time spent talking to him any more than fondness? Was the desire to weave more tales with him any more than attraction? Was the need to get to know him better any more than infatuation? His head spun trying to find the answer.

Unsure of whether it was a truth or a lie, Gentaro said the first thing that came to mind: "I -- I -- I -- I can't return your feelings."

His shine faltering, Hifumi's face fell. "I'm... sorry...?"

Moreso to make sense of his frazzled thoughts, Gentaro replied, "That is to say, I can't take you seriously as it is. You're always saying pretty things with that suit jacket on."

Hifumi squeezed his hand, blistering caress burning him. "I assure you that what I say is the truth."

"Just like everything you tell the women at your club?" His words more callous than intended, there was nothing Gentaro could do about them save for watch as they hit the man before him.

A frown marred Hifumi's face, and it was then and there that Gentaro learned that a frown didn't suit him at all.

"There's no reason I would lie to you about something like this, Yumeno-sensei."

"It would make me feel better if I heard it without the jacket on." Uncertainty spoken after uncertainty, doing little to quell the turmoil in his head.

Hifumi's eyes ran over him as if searching for an untruth, gaze soft yet piercing. To be honest, even Gentaro himself wasn't sure if there was one to be found in the first place.

"...Very well, if that's what you ask of me."

A bitter chill replaced the scorching heat of his touch as he let go of his hand. Dazed, Gentaro stood still as a statue as he watched Hifumi shrug off his jacket. The effects were instantaneous and the bubbly, upbeat man took place of the alluring host.

"Yumenon, please believe me!" Without warning, Hifumi grabbed onto his shoulders and shook him; stunned as he was, Gentaro didn't think to push him away. Up close like this, the fervor in Hifumi's eyes cut through him. "I like you so much it makes me crazy! I like you so much it makes my heart burst! I like you so much that I love you!"

Love. What a loaded word that was. To fall for someone could be written off as a fleeting passion, to be in love was an ardent dedication. To be in love meant to share one's life with another; to be in love meant to bare one’s soul to another; to be in love meant to wholeheartedly give one's self to another. Was he capable of such love -- for Hifumi, of all people? Irony of their relationship, mayhaps Hifumi was right when he'd called him out for being caught up in the past for the future looked daunting.

"I... stand by what I said earlier, Izanami-san," Gentaro said, too heavy on his tongue to be the actual truth. "I can't return your feelings."

"...Why... why not?" Hifumi’s voice was a whisper, a strange thing to hear from this side of him. Hands dropping to his sides, his bright eyes grew dull. The rose thorns pierced Gentaro's chest.

In spite of that, the uncertain falsehoods continued tumbling through. "This was a strictly professional relationship."

"...What do you mean?"

"If you'll recall, I said I was conducting research on host clubs for my upcoming novel," Gentaro said, as if a half-truth would soften his hits. "Being a host yourself, I thought observing you would make for a good reference."

Standing before him eerily silent, Gentaro also learned that somberness was an image unfitting of Hifumi. A shame he had to learn these lessons personally.

"Oh... okay..." Hifumi's voice cracked towards the end, gaze darting to the ground. "Um, can we still be friends?"

Quietly, Gentaro dealt the last blow. "I don't think it wise to get close with one’s subject matter."

"Ah... I see..."

Neither a peep nor a hum came from Hifumi, his body stiff against the spring breeze. Doing anything to avoid the unease looming over, Gentaro returned the bouquet; the rose thorns unlatching like a knife being pulled out, prickles lingering on his chest. Without protest, Hifumi took them back with languid arms.

"I'm sorry, Izanami-san," Gentaro said, speaking a genuine truth for the first time today.

Hifumi shook his head with an unnatural vigor, plastering on a smile akin to sunlight without the warmth. Had some of the thorns embedded themselves into his body, Gentaro wondered; they stabbed deeper in and twisted about.

"No, it's fine! I mean, I can't force you to feel anything you don't, y'know?" A warble underlain Hifumi’s voice as he spoke, cracks to his cadence. His eyes, as well, glistened like glass. "Besides, that's pretty cool you used me for inspiration!" He stifled a sniffle. "...Was I any good?"

"Yes." The smile Gentaro gave him took all his effort to wear. "You were wonderful."

"I'm... I'm glad then, that I could help you in some way!" A nod, followed by another and another as if to bounce away the tears. Hifumi's grip on the bouquet tightening, a few petals fell to the ground as if losing the will to live. "I had a lot of fun together, anyways!"

A hush fell over, neither of them quite looking at each other. Hifumi, naturally, broke the silence first --  his smile lacking the spirit Gentaro had come to know and his eyes missing the shine that was uniquely his.

"Good luck with your book, Yumenon -- ah... um, Yumeno-sensei!"

Hearing this side of Hifumi addressing him so formally sounded odd -- wrong, really; but as it was, he didn't deserve to be called the nickname that he'd grown fond of. How easy it would be to claim that everything he'd said had been a lie but even now, he was not sure where his lies ended and truths began. To Hifumi and to himself, it wouldn't be fair if he said anything otherwise. Nonetheless, that didn't stop Gentaro's chest from aching as he watched Hifumi's light die out.

"Thank you, Izanami-san," he managed to choke out.

All that they’d said hanging in the air, Gentaro tore his gaze from Hifumi but his sorrowful visage had already been embedded into his mind. Being a writer, he knew that words could harm no matter how gently they were dealt and so there was nothing left to be said -- nothing more that could be said. Giving Hifumi a small bow, he scurried away.

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

Door slamming shut behind him, Gentaro pressed his back against it and inhaled sharply. The trip back home lasted far longer than it should have, what with the images of Hifumi's lifeless smile haunting him and the sound of his faux cheer on a loop like a broken record. Had it happened months ago -- weeks, even -- he might've reveled in the scene, basked in pushing his rival to his breaking point; as things were now, though, Gentaro felt nothing but guilt for snuffing out Hifumi’s shine.

Then again, it was better this way; to give a rejection as opposed to an acceptance. He’d rather nip what they had in the bud than lead him on with affections that could fizzle out sooner or later. Eventually, they would both move on and it would be as if their affair never happened; they would go back to being no more than enemies, vitriolic adversaries as things between them should have been -- at least, that was what Gentaro told himself, a rationalization to his faults.

Catching his breath, he finally remembered he'd meant to return Hifumi's belongings when the bag bumped against his leg. He hurried to his room and placed it within the furthest depths of his closet; burying the memories of him deep inside, locking away all that he felt for him, keeping that afternoon’s sorry sight from playing over and over again.

In its place was a mantra: he did not care about Izanami Hifumi, he harbored no romantic feelings for Izanami Hifumi, he was not in love with Izanami Hifumi --

(Perhaps if he lied to himself enough, it would become the truth.)

[franeridart]

I just found your profile and I love your style so much!

AHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Anon said:From kami's-hair-is-hard-to-doodle anon from a while back: I finally got it! Thank you so much for your advice - reading and rereading your tips kept me practicing! I'd also like to thank the Academy /orz

I’m glad it could help you at all!!!! :O Kami keeps on being a mystery to me (and Horikoshi himself ???) too so don’t get too down on yourself for it taking time haha

Anon said:Ive sent you a couple of asks before but Im just so in love with the content you produce. Like not only is your art style so cute and stuff, but the plot/story (Idk) of each post is just so original and adorable. Im just so blown away by everything you post. Thank you for sharing your art!!!! Have a good week!!

Anon said:Hi! I’m new to your blog but love your art, I think your very talented which is why I’d like to ask a question. Do you have any advice for posing? I noticed your very good at it and wondered if you have any tips. If you do answer this, Thank you!!

Firstly, thank you so much for the compliments!!! I don’t know how useful exactly any advice I could give you will be, since most of it comes from drawing a lot and watching drawings even more, but in general to pick a pose usually what I do is think of the scene as if in movement? As in, what the characters are doing, and how they’d move if I were looking at them while doing it - keeping in mind the characters personalities helps me with this a lot too. 

Take for example the confessions drawings I’ve posted a couple of days ago: it’s true that there’s no words nor movement anywhere in them, but as I drew them I had a pretty clear idea of what they were saying and how the characters would react in those situations - Jirou’s shy and easily flustered, so she’s averting her eyes, unable to keep eye contact, and closing in on herself a bit, hiding her face and so on; in the concept, Kaminari was the one who confessed, so he’s holding her hand, tentative, because he’s unsure about how she’s gonna answer (it’s all stuff that didn’t actually make it in the drawing, how he reached for her hand, how he’s gonna close his other hand around her knuckles, but in my head it was a complete scene and I just picked one frame of it all to draw). The same goes for Bakugou and Kirishima - they’re rowdier, louder, more assertive and inclined to take everything as a fight, so this time around I went for a scene in which Bakugou straight out yells his feelings at Kirishima and Kirishima answers me too (again, I had the before and after in my head too, I just picked the frame that best coveyed what I was trying to do)

As I said I’m usure about how much this might help you orz it’s just my way of doing things, and it mostly comes from the fact that I was originally a writer honestly, so thinking of a whole scene makes things easier for me #rip

Anon said:Can I say, I really like the colors for your confession pictures! :>

THANK YOU??????? H E C K ;O; 

Anon said:hi~ i just went through literally everything in your sketches tag and i just wanna say i love your art and your comics and stuff. also because i went through everything, i want to bring attention to how cool it is to see how much your style has changed! your lines seem more confident and your characters more dynamic in the last few years :D

HECK THANK YOU SO MUCH it’s always so damn nice to know people can see my stuff getting even just slightly better oh mannnnnnnnnnnnnn *sob*

Anon said:can we repost your art if we give like 100% credit

Nope, sorry, I’d prefer it if you didn’t do that

Anon said:those "confessions" must be the lewdest thing I've ever seen

why would you use that word tho

Anon said:I just wanted to tell you that I love your art and it always makes me a little happier when you post something! No matter if it's your comics or colored pics or "simple" doodles, I love all of them! (Though soft stuff is the best, hehe) I just hope you know that you're very appreciated, and I hope you only have wonderful days!

GODS THANK YOU SO MUCH I’m so so so happy I can make you a lil happier ;0; I hope you’ll have every possible wonderful day too, anon!!

Anon said:I just spent the last few hours of my Sunday going though your entire blog. It’s beautiful and I hope you know that you have ruined my life because of that beauty. God damn it.

That wasn’t the intention but I’m!!!!!!!!! glad you think so???????? sob oh my g od you all are too nice to me ;^;

Anon said:Tododeku?

It sure is a ship, isn’t it - I’ve drawn for it in the past, I most probably will again in the future! :D

Anon said:you're honestly one of my fav artists on here! i love your style it feels so unique and is so pleasing to look at (((:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’M CRYING THANK YOU

Anon said:Your art has this unique quality about it... its really hard to describe but there’s something so dynamic and god damn pretty about your work. It’s fantastic and you inspire me to keep on creating! I hope your day is absolutely wonderful and thank you for blessing us with your art!

I’m!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so glad I can make you want to create stuff, anon!!!!!! that’s the best thing anyone can ever tell me, oh my god ;^; thank you so much !!!

Anon said:I love it when you draw cuddly bakugou!! Its wonderful!!

THAT’S!!!! super great to hear cause I could probably draw only that for the foreseeable future and not mind it one bit holy smoke

Anon said:THE HUG COMICS ARE THE BEST COMICS, I LOVE HUGS AND BAKUGOU BEING PHYSICALLY AFFECTIONATE IS SOMETHING I LOVE, A++++, WOULD RECOMMEND.

HONESTLY BAKUGOU NEEDS ALL THE HUGS AND IF I MUST BE THE ONE TO GIVE THEM ALL TO HIM THEN SO BE IT

Anon said:all ur comics are fucking delightful and make my day everytime. i ve read them all like too many times? i read each multiple times in a row and im still giddy? i love them i love u

I!!!!!!! LOVE YOU TOO???? HOLY SHIT THANK YOU

Anon said:*sigh* soft-phisical contact lover bakugou save my week. And kiri is the most wonderfull sunshine and no one cant discuss that *sit down in the floor and manly crying*

Kiri is the brightest sunshine isn’t he ;^; the sun to Bakugou’s moon, it makes me weak and I cry a lot

Anon said:I never knew I could be so weak for kiribaku omg fran what have you done to me, on that note what little things do you think theyd do to take care of each other? Like kinda lowkey stuff theyd quietly do? Ahh anyway thank you so much for all the wonderful drawings, hope everything is going well for you :)

Well, this is just the feeling I got, but I’d say they do plenty for each other quietly and softly in canon too, don’t they? Bakugou especially, pointing out to Kirishima his strength when he can’t see it for himself and always trying to find a way to cheer him up when he’s down and giving him space when he needs it, training together, studying together, worrying over one another, Kiri making sure to always know what’s up with Bakugou and following him to help him, just generally being there for each other so that if and when they need they’ll know they’ll have someone they can lean on - their relationship is really mutually supportive, isn’t it? I cry so much they make me so happy ;^; *sob*

Anon said:When season 3 comes out wouldnt it be fun if krbk fans filmed their ch.90 being animated reactions?? I think it'd be so cool/cute to see all the emotions! What do you think?

You know, I’m pretty sure that IS gonna happen? People make reaction videos for so many things! It’s nice and fun, honestly, I love it~

Anon said:I really love the way you draw spiky hair! It looks so floofy and soft.

Boi thank you!!!! Spikes are super nice to draw, though admittedly I make them less spiky then they’re probably supposed to be haha

Anon said:As someone who adores Sero Hanta And is a die hard krbk fan can I just say how much I love you? Like I was having a rough-ish day and I can’t stop smiling now because of your latest comic. Seriously, I love you and your art is everything.

I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKED THAT ONE!!!!!!!! I adore Sero if I had any better clue how to draw him I’d draw him all the time always, true story, he’s such a fave ;^;

Anon said:OMG Fran!!! I want Bakugou's name tattooed on all their faces now!! Hahahaha!

You know, one of my first krbk fanarts was Bakugou writing his name on Kirishima’s forehead, actually....................