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notepadsandtealeaves · 3 years

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The van der Linde boys in: “Better When We’re Together~”

Relationship ABCs || A is for ‘Activity’

MINORS/AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT || 18+ ONLY ||

|| ao3 version | series m.list | rdr tag | main blog ||

↠ Requested By: No one, naturally. ↠ Reader Gender: Neutral ↠ Content Type: SFW ((but my blog’s 18+, so if minors want to consume my sfw stuff while still respecting my wishes of them staying out of this space, they can head over to my AO3)) ↠ CWs/TWs: None ↠ Total WC: ~5.7k

♡ Today’s selection: “Better Together” by Jack Johnson

Activity || What is their favorite activity to do with you?

Arthur Morgan || WC: 400~

↠ He loves to draw you while you do something else, anything else.

Tho if you wanted to draw along with him he wouldn’t at all be opposed, in fact he’ll be over the moon!

Art’s one of his greatest passions, tho he doesn’t get to indulge in it as heavily as he’d like in the yeehaw days. In a modern au it’s a bit different as I (like many in the fandom) canon him as being an art teacher.

You’ve definitely taken each other to more than a few exhibits over the course of your relationship, but that’s only tangentially related to the HC so let’s move on.

Anyways, he’s always so jazzed whenever you want to draw with him, and let me just say that skill level doesn’t matter. Hobbyists to professionals, it’s doesn’t really matter where you fall on the scale, he’s just glad that you’ve got this thing in common.

Also—world’s best hypeman. He’s gonna gas you up so much that you’ll legit contemplate phoning up the nearest gallery to offer them the chance to display your piece lol.

(Luckily practicality kicks in before you make that move, leaving you to settle instead for a spot in your home).

↠ That said, it takes him a while to be comfortable enough to show you his work—and if I’m being honest the first time you see it, it’ll probably be an accident.

Like he’ll forget and leave his journal open while he goes to another room or you’ll come up behind him without his noticing and catch a glimpse.

However it goes down there’ll be a fair bit of stammering on his part as he slaps the book close and goes a shade. Let him know that you like what you’ve seen—not a hard feat that, dude’s hella talented—and kindly ask to see more and he’ll cave as he’s not all that great at denying you.

When he sees that you’re not going to mock him and that you really do like his work he’ll have no problem with showing you more.

Ofc this is all prior to your shared drawing sessions. In fact it’ll probably happen fairly on in your relationship.

↠ Anyways, after that initial incident you’ll become his favorite subject.

Well, okay, you always were, but now he doesn’t have to feel weird about it.

And, well, he still kinda does—the sheer amount of doodles he’s made of you is low-key creepy, in his opinion lol—but knowing that you know makes it more bearable somehow.

(Don’t question the logic that may or may not be there, he certainly doesn’t.)

Bill Williamson || WC: 300~

↠ Fact: Bill is a cuddle-monger.

↠ Fact: He loves to be the little spoon.

↠ Fact: There is no point in fighting me on this as you will just die mad and tired.

↠ Honestly there’s not too much to add aside from that, but for the sake of the HC I’ll try lol.

↠ It’s hardly a secret that Bill, like p. much everyone in this goddamn gang, is touch-starved all to be damned.

You’re probably the first person since his mama to touch him on a regular basis, and once he realizes that you don’t mind touching him or being touched in turn it’s so on.

He’ll be constantly pulling you into his lap, tucking you in under his arm, and cuddling you whenever the opportunity presents itself—though this only really happen when there aren’t people around who’ll poke fun at him for it.

The exception to this rule is if he’s drunk. Once he gets a few in him he’s all over you—or rather you’re all over him, but only because he’s constantly pulling you into him lol.

↠ Of all the ways he loves to touch you, spooning is his favorite.

It’s the level of contact the position allows for that really does it for him.

And as previously stated he really does love being the little spoon, but he has no problems with switching things up if you’re the one that needs to be held.

Regardless of which position he’s in he loves to have his hair played with. And humming. You should definitely hum for him. It doesn’t matter if you can’t hold a tune in a bucket, he wants to hear you.

This is also his ideal position for having intimate conversations. He’s more opt to talk about things like having a future with you (a scary, foreign concept for him) when you’re curled around one another.

It’s also his favored position for watching TV—though ofc in this case he’s probably serving as the big spoon unless you’re of a comparative stature or really insistent lol.

Charles Smith || WC: ~200

↠ Literally anything.

↠ No, really. This man is not picky at all.

↠ Charles has long since mastered the art of just being, and there’s no one he’d rather share a moment with—quiet or not—than his lover.

↠ You can be doing something together, or doing your own things separately; just so long as you’re sharing the same space he’s happy.

↠ If he were forced to pick an activity that he particularly enjoys doing either with you or just with you around it’d have to be carving.

The act itself is rather soothing to him, and you yourself are his harbor—combining those two things is just *chef’s kiss*

You have no idea how to carve? Don’t worry, he’ll be happy to teach you.

No interest in the activity? That’s fine too! You do your own thing and he’ll be happy to do his; he just wants to share his space with you…

Dutch van der Linde || WC: 300~

↠ Talking.

↠ Big surprise, right?

↠ But seriously, he really does love to talk with you.

Doesn’t matter if it’s a casual conversation, something deeper, abstract ‘what-if’ style musings, a philosophical type deal, or even a heated debate—he just wants to hear your opinion–

–which, yeah, okay, that might seem kinda out of character for the guy by most folk’s reckoning, but I think that if you’ve actually managed to maintain a long standing, committed relationship with him you’ve earned his respect.

It’s no easy feat, that, but you manage to do it somehow.

I would imagine that Dutch would look for a person with a strong sense of self. He knows that he can (and more often than not, purposefully does) bowl people over. I don’t think that he would want a lover that he can run all over—not for anything long term, anyway.

He’s got a very prominent personality and he needs someone that can not only accept that, but match it. But this is all only tangentially related so let’s move on.

↠ One of his favorite subject matters is books.

This man is a big reader, and he doesn’t just limit himself to highbrow literature and philosophy texts. He likes mysteries, thrillers, period pieces, he’s even been known to read the occasional romance novel (though he hasn’t found too many with a plot solid enough to keep his attention).

In typical Dutch fashion he has no chill when he discusses your latest reads. If he loves it he’ll praise it endlessly, if he hates it he won’t hesitate to rip it to shreds.

He loves to analyze things and really getting into the characters’ heads if it’s a work of fiction, or into that of the author’s if it’s not. Either way he’ll encourage you to do the same.

I can guaran-damn-tee you that your reading comprehension will rise at a surprising rate if you’re even so much as friends with this man if only so you can defend your favorite works lol.

Hosea Matthews || WC: 200~

↠ I see Hosea being much like Charles in that he just enjoys being in your company.

↠ Though if I just had to pick a scenario that would be his favorite I think it would involve warm blankets, good books, a crackling fire, and steaming mugs.

Don’t picture sitting in a little cabin on a late afternoon—the sky an overcast shadow of itself, its clouds weeping.

Certainly don’t think about Hosea prodding the embers in the hearth until its blaze is once again properly stoked and the room bathed in its warmth.

Consider not him joining you on the couch, a book in one hand, and a mug of coffee in the other—and thinking about him putting down the latter so that you can curl up against his chest? That’s a big no, my good dude.

Imagining the awkward way he’d have to turn the pages because he’s not willing to displace you—or! You turning the pages for him… Yeah, don’t even do that to yourself.

Thinking about the way his scent would envelop you just as readily as the blanket you’re snuggled up under or the way his voice would caress the words as he reads to you is also forbidden.

Don’t think about any of these things, don’t hurt yourself in that way, friend-o.

Javier Escuella || WC: ~400

↠ Singing to, or with you—if you’re that way inclined.

↠ Music is such a big part of his life. It’s one of the main things that helped him stay in touch with his roots when he came to the States, and has since become his favored form of self-expression.

↠ If you’ve been following my Not-SFW ABCs then you know that I canon Javi’s love language to be more on the physical side—which doesn’t always mean sexual, ya little nasties lol—and I think this is due in large part to him feeling like he’s not always the greatest with words.

While he’s clearly a fluent English speaker it’s still not his first language, and let’s be real—English is a weird ass language.

There’s so much slang and a bunch of near synonyms and homophones and all other manner of fuckery, and don’t even get me started on the nonsensical conjugations.

Because of this he doesn’t always feel as if words can properly express the minutia of what it is he’s feeling. But touch? That’s a thing he can work with.

Music follows along the same lines for him. By his estimation songs, despite obviously being comprised of words, are far better at capturing thoughts and moods.

Music transcends language. Even when it’s just an instrumental piece it can evoke emotions in its listeners, and he finds that beautiful, as corny as that may sound.

↠ He’s at his most content when he has his guitar in his hands, a song on his lips, and his amor’s ears attending to his melody.

He’ll write you all the songs and won’t hesitate to serenade you, be that with an audience or in the privacy of your own home.

And if you sing with him?

*chef’s kiss*

He really loves it when you sing along, it gives him the warmest of the fuzzies.

And he doesn’t care if you’re any good or not, so there’s also that. You’ll never have to worry about any judgement or mocking from him—he loves you too damn much for that—so feel free to belt your little heart out no matter what you perceive your skill level to be.

John Marston || WC: 400~

↠ I picture John as being hella domestic, so like…

Should I square up or nah?

Even in a modern au I picture him wanting a small farm. He even entertains the idea of having a farm-to-table restaurant until he realizes that he knows nothing about running a restaurant and that’s not even mentioning the fact that he can’t cook for shit…

This is a man who once almost legit burned his house down while trying to boil water I shit you not.

But I digress.

↠ Anyway, he very much enjoys tending to said farm with you.

Animal husbandry, crop cultivation, even the more mundane tasks like mending fences—he legit loves doing all these things by himself, so sharing it with his lover is just a rad ass bonus.

Out of all the various activities, gardening is probably his favorite to team up on.

There’s just something about knowing that your combined efforts will bear fruit (and veggies and sometimes even nuts) in such a tangible way that just does it for him.

From here I could get into the whole ‘being the creator of a thing instead of the destroyer for once’ bit, but that sorta drama is not what we’re here for atm so let’s move on.

↠ The initial process of getting everything planted leaves a lot to be desired as John in the yeehaw days isn’t at all particular about style and such and would much rather just get everything into the ground and move on.

↠ On the opposite end of that, Modern!John was jokingly gifted an old Better Homes and Gardens’ gardening guide by Hosea and got so into the aesthetics and science of planting that it’s just…

Look, just follow the man’s directions, or better yet let him plant the stuff himself—that’s best for all parties involved.

Eventually he’ll trust you enough to let you help with the planting, but that’s gonna take a bit, not gonna lie lol.

↠ In any century he much prefers tending to his garden once it’s up and growing.

Naturally the process is a bit more involved in a modern au, so that’s a thing; thankfully he’ll get more chill about showing you how to trim the plants/check the pH levels and such in time.

Once you’ve found your rhythm, gardening with him will be less of a test of your patience and will power, and more of a treat to look forward to.

Josiah Trelawny || WC: 300~

↠ If we’re talking yeehaw days then it’s gotta be running a job.

He’s really into pulling one over on people, and having his lover’s help just pushes the whole thing over the top.

The pair of you are all smiles and charm and quick hands—it’s as ridiculous as it is profitable lol.

Though I should say not everything is about money when you do this. The man’s got a mischievous streak that’s a mile wide and he loves fucking with people.

Sometimes you’ll have competitions like seeing who can snag the most pocket squares/handkerchiefs from other party guests, or who can swap out the most pocket watches/broaches between the guest before the party’s end, etc.

And don’t think he’s gonna let you win just because he’s sweet on you as Josiah is competitive as all hell.

Luckily for you though shit like this gets his blood up, and as a result you are—ahem—rather intimately acquainted with coat closets and guest bedrooms.

↠ Honestly I can see him pulling this type of shit in a Modern AU as well, but if you’re less inclined to get up to such things in this the year of our lord 2020, he’d be down for doing some shopping.

Doesn’t matter what year it is—Josiah Trelawny is dapper af. And if you’re with him he’s gonna make sure you look damn good too.

If you’ll let him, he’ll spoil you.

(Does Josiah Trelawny is sugar daddy? It’s about as likely as you think.)

Just uhh… just don’t ask where he gets his loot from. ‘Plausible Deniability’ and all that good noise.

Anyways! He loves dressing you up like you’re his own personal doll, and then promptly showing you both off at the next big society shindig.

How he manages to do all this without you feeling like a piece of meat/property is a mystery for the ages, tbh.

↠ Honestly being with him is like having a (very vocal) personal stylist and a partner all wrapped up into one—whether that’s dope, infuriating, or terrifying is up to you to decide…

Kieran Duffy || WC: ~500

↠ Tending to the horses together is just *chef’s kiss*, in his most humble of opinions.

And, okay, I know this seems like low hanging fruit, but I have some solid points here, so please hear me out lol.

Chances are he knows far more about the task/animals, which will see him showing you what’s good. He so rarely has the opportunity to teach anyone anything so having his knowledge valued in such a way is everything to him.

More often than not he’s overlooked if he’s lucky, looked down upon and mocked if he’s not, so if you ever ask him to teach you anything he’ll be thrilled.

↠ I totally canon Modern!Kieran as being a vet who specializes in equine medicine, but even in the yeehaw days he’s super knowledgeable about these matters.

He not only focuses on the grooming of the beasts, but on their health and general upkeep.

Expect plenty of camping trips to collect the herbs and such needed in the yeehaw days.

Yes, this is an obvious ploy to get you all to himself while also working so Dutch can’t bitch at the pair of you. And no, he does not care how transparent his machinations are, Arthur ‘I literally leave for days at a time just to sleep under the stars and draw shit without having to deal with the assholes at camp, but look Dutch! I brought back a grip of cash so you won’t get up my ass about it too much’ Morgan.

↠ Aesthetics are also a v. much important aspect, so he’ll definitely show you different ways to style your horse’s mane.

If you were to, idk, use these same techniques to make him his horse a flower crown it’d totally get rocked is all I’m saying.

↠ Also: horse shows.

Doesn’t matter what century we’re talking about, you’re going to those shits and if you got horses you’re probably gonna enter a few too.

You know those randomly generated shirts that the internet tries to specialize for people based on their data? Well he totally bought the ‘I Am A Proud Horse And Succulent Dad—Deal With It.’ one lmao.

The best part about this is that he doesn’t even grow succulents, he just got sucked into a Pintrest blackhole of succulent boards one night when he couldn’t sleep and now Lowes won’t stop throwing ads at him for cacti and Echeverias.

↠ So in conclusion—You+Him+Horses=Heaven on Earth for Kieran.

↠ If you’re freaked out by horses for whatever reason he’ll do his best to help you overcome that fear, though he won’t push you if it’s too much for you to bear.

But honestly, seeing how gentle he is with the creatures and how loving they are with him in turn—that shit’s enough to push past all but the worst of phobias and traumas…

Leopold Strauss || WC: 300~

↠ Idk why, but for some reason I picture Strauss as being a museum person.

I have no idea why that is, he just gives off that vibe ig.

He seems like the kinda man that enjoys the finer things in life on occasion, but operas and the like are too… Idk, involved? Like he’s a lover of the arts in all their many forms, but he’d rather be able to observe things with minimum distraction.

This is why he loves museums so much; there’s a plethora of things to view, to learn, to simply enjoy and marvel over and he doesn’t have to deal with having it shoved in his face.

It’s easy enough for him to drown out the chatter of the other patrons and tour guides. He gets lost wondering from plaque to plaque reading about long dead species and wars, loves the cloy of the old world that rises up from displays that contain items that are older than what his mind can fully grasp.

↠ Museums are his happy place, and sharing that with his beloved is just *chef’s kiss*

Though he usually avoids going on the guided tours, he’ll be more than happy to play tour guide for you.

He’ll take you to all of his favorite exhibits, pulling you along like an eager child as he points out things of interest.

This is one of the few times you won’t have to wonder what’s going through his head because he’s p. much talking non-stop. Everything from factoids to theories to things that are only tangentially related are being spewed at you nearly faster than his lungs and mouth can keep up with.

It really is precious, seeing him so jazzed over fossils/geodes/van Gogh’s works/whatever else you happen to be viewing that day.

↠ Lend him your attention for the whole of his spiel and he’ll be forever grateful. Show him that you are actively listening by engaging with him and he’ll know that he’s found the one.

Lenny Summers || WC: ~400

↠ Learning something new.

↠ Lenny strikes me as they type of guy that loves learning in general.

He truly believes that you should learn something new every day. What you learn doesn’t have to be this big, sweeping thing ofc, but by his estimation if you’ve learned all there is to know then what’s the point in continuing on?

Life is all about growth, change; to stagnate is a fate akin to death in his eyes.

Experiences and knowledge gained are the things that turn a simple existence into a life worth living—which is just a very florid way of saying “The more you know, the more you grow!” but I digress.

↠ Anyways!

↠ It doesn’t matter if one of you is teaching the other something or if you’re learning it at the same time, nor does it matter what you’re learning—it’s that you’re doing it together.

Though if you were to propose learning a new language together (or teaching him your native one, if English isn’t your first language) he’ll be so down.

He’s always found language to be this fascinating thing, like…

We make these sounds right? And then we all agree that certain sounds have certain, very specific meanings—and achieving that level of consensus amongst our species is already hard enough, mind you—but humans didn’t stop there.

We took those sounds and their meanings and somehow all agreed again that certain symbols made up these things called ‘letters’ and that, when arranged in a specific way, those letters would be the visual representation of said sounds.

And then grammar and syntax became a thing and standards were created and a language was born.

And on top of all that dozens upon dozens of cultures did this in totally different ways—coming up with dialects, pidgins, and Creoles all the while—and that shit’s just so damn wild to him.

But again, I digress.

↠ Any knowledge/skill that he’s learned with you automatically becomes a point of pride for him—not to mention one of conversation.

If anyone comments on said knowledge/skill he’ll be all smiles as he tells them about how he learned it with his boo.

And yes, the sight is as adorable as you think it is.

Orville Swanson || WC: ~600

↠ Our favorite parson is a pretty simple guy. His favorite place is wherever you’re together, so naturally his favorite thing to do is whatever you’re doing together.

It doesn’t matter if you’re out running errands and paying bills or laid out watching the stars or snuggled up and chatting the night away—if you’re there with him it’s heaven on earth.

↠ If forced to give a more substantial answer he’d probably say housework.

Weird, I know, but there’s just something about the domesticity of it that really gets to him.

For a long time he felt like he didn’t have a home, that he didn’t deserve one. And then you came along with your easy smile and open arms and heart full of understanding and forgiveness that wasn’t yours to grant nor his to receive.

You didn’t look past his faults, but rather helped him to rise above them, to be a better man and he’s forever grateful to you for that.

His home will always and forever be the juncture between neck and shoulder—the place he knows he can always rest his head, can always feel the beat of your heart—but he cannot deny that he loves sharing an actual physical home with you as well.

↠ Dude’s a nester, so do expect your house to be full of little knickknacks that you’ve collected over the duration of your relationship.

These range from little figurines to dozens upon dozens of dried flowers (all of which are remnants of the bouquets that he brought you on the daily when you were still in the courting phase).

There’s also a lot of pictures of you together as well as candids of your friend group—yes, you are that couple, but don’t worry it’s cute.

He’s also all about that good hygge shit so you’ve got a lot of throws/pillows/plush area rugs and the like. Anything that makes a space feel more cozily lived in he’s here for.

↠ Even if you don’t enjoy keeping house when you’re doing it with Swanson he manages to make it tolerable if not outright enjoyable.

Dude has whole playlists made just for the occasion, the vibes of which are dictated by the level of cleaning you’ll be doing that day. The harder you have to go in the more energetic the playlist lol.

He doesn’t think that his voice is the best but this will not stop him from serenading you as you work.

Flip that shit on him and he’ll be a puddle in literal seconds. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a thing, he cannot take such blatant displays of affection standing up lmao.

↠ The only thing better than cleaning with you is settling down together once you’re done.

He’ll run a nice warm bath in your immaculately cleaned bathroom for the pair of you to wash away the day in.

You definitely have clothes specifically for days such as this, he’s made sure of it lol. They’re made out of some of the softest material ever, like it legit feels like you’re getting hugged by a chinchilla made of clouds and whispers.

Once you’re both all clean and cozy he’ll order your favorite takeout before sacking out with you on the couch under some blankets fresh from the dryer.

Add in plenty of cuddles and a good movie or show (that’ll soon go ignored as you get lost in one another) and you have his ideal night in.

Sean MacGuire || WC: 300~

↠ Having you read to him is hands down his favorite thing to do when you’re chilling out together.

↠ Reading’s never been his strong suit and as a result he’s kinda spurred the idea of doing it for pleasure altogether.

↠ But having you read to him…

He doesn’t know what it is that captivates him so.

Is it your voice?

The cute way your face scrunches up in concentration and-or anticipation when you get to a particularly intense scene?

Maybe the commentary you occasionally supply when a character is being especially dense?

↠ All of that plays a role in it, he’s sure, but it’s more so that you’ve opened up the world for him just that little bit more.

He’s always heard it said that books can transport their readers to different times and places, but it isn’t until you start reading to him that he knows this in truth.

To be able to take a whole trip, to meet new and interesting people, and see places previously unknown to him all without having to leave the comfort of his home? Aces.

↠ As for his favorite genera…

Romance is his all-time favorite lmao.

Now he’ll totally say that he doesn’t like “–all that lovey-dovey, overly dramatic, romantic shite” but homie is lying his ass off.

He’ll bitch and moan if you present a romance novel to him, but all that noise will die down the minute you get to reading, and he’ll totally become invested in the storyline before the first chapter’s end.

Aside from that he does love mystery and suspense in all its various forms.

Time period dramas are also of particular interest if only because he has a passing interest in historical settings. However actual history is kinda dry, so he settles for this alternative instead despite knowing that it’s not entirely accurate.

And lastly he absolutely adores anything that has to do with mythology. Obviously the Celtic variants are his favorite, but he’s also a fan of Greek, Egyptian, African, and any others you could possibly think of—he does not discriminate lol…

Simon Pearson || WC: 800~

↠ It doesn’t matter what century he’s in, homeboy’s a good ass cook.

↠ You know, he knows it, and though everyone in camp gives him shit al la Rupert in ME2 they know it too.

I mean seriously, you can’t expect the man to do too much when all he’s got to work with is salted offal (which I still dk what that is and I’m too scared to look it up) and a poor rabbit that Arthur trampled while coming back in to camp.

Anyways!

When he’s got the supplies needed he could give Gordon Ramsay a run for his money.

↠ I canon Pearson’s love language to be providing.

By his estimation it’s his job as your partner to make sure you have everything you need. He’s kinda old-fashion in that way, but he manages to make it endearing instead of annoying.

Like he’s not here to stifle you or try to force any roles on either of you; it’s just the way his mind works. If he loves you he’s always gonna make sure that anything that falls under his purview to provide is given, most times well before you even know you want or need it—but I digress.

Feeding you is the easiest way for him to scratch this itch. After all, who’s gonna complain about getting five-star dishes at every meal?

↠ At first he’s hesitant to let you in the kitchen—being former military, and later a professional chef as I personally canon him to be in modern times, he’s used to doing things in a very orderly (and frankly anal-retentive) manner.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a trained chef too—he has a system, dammit, and he doesn’t need you coming into his domain and fucking up his flow.

He knows how ridiculous he can be when it comes to these things, but instead of changing his ways he finds it easier for you to just stay away lol.

Eventually you’re granted limited access, but this just amounts to you being allowed to watch him putter around.

After pestering him for long enough he’ll let you do the grunt work (i.e. veggie prep and the like), and once you prove yourself he’ll keep promoting you until you’re essentially his sous chef.

He actually gave you a personalized toque and chef’s jacket on that fateful day. Naturally it matches his own and you both rock that shit proudly.

↠ Once he learns to trust you in the kitchen, cooking meals with you becomes one of his all-time favorite things to do. He’ll spend hours scouring the internet/cooking shows/cookbooks for new things for the pair of you to try out.

This really is a whole thing and a half, guys.

Like he’ll print out the recipe, and then you’ll go over it together to modify it to your liking before heading off to the grocery stores and farmer’s markets, and probably a chef supply store too if there’s specialized equipment needed, though honestly your arsenal can put some commercial kitchens to shame.

Once you’ve finally got everything you need you’ll finally get to the main event.

You usually ended up making several variations of the dish as you work towards finding the one you like best. That this often times leads to you feeding each other, and that that always has the potential to lead to makeout session is just a happy coincidence.

The excess never goes to waste—how can it when you’ve got freeloaders friends like Sean and John that are willing to take it off of your hands.

Tho in the firebug’s defense he is a broke college student and y’all do be throwing down. John on the other hand has no excuse nor does he try to make one; this bitch likes free anything and he’s not going to apologize for that lmao.

↠ Cooking competitions are also a thing.

Dude’s competitive af when it comes to cooking so don’t expect him to go easy on you.

If you manage to beat him he’s too damn proud to be salty.

(It should probably also be said that displays of skill like this kinda have a tendency to get him going, sooo… yeah…)

If he’s the victor he’s p. smug about it, ngl, but not to the level of being obnoxious.

The better chef won, there’s no shame in that, but in an effort to not be a sore winner he’ll be sure to give you your consolation prize…

And given that I’m trying to keep this set of HCs on the pure-ish side I’ll let you heathens speculate on the nature of said consolation prize.

(Lol, jk, it’s sexiitimes.)

So yeah, either way you’re gonna end up in the bedroom once all is said and done. So whenever one of you suggests a friendly bout you already know what time it is lol…

Uncle || WC: ~200

↠ My good dudes, its Uncle. He doesn’t really do much.

↠ Like ever.

↠ But regardless of what he does or does not get up to in a day, a man’s gotta sleep.

And if you just gotta sleep why not do it next to the person you love?

Naps are his jam, and you, he’s come to find, are an even better jam so combining the two is some god-tier ish.

↠ Sometimes he’ll actually stay awake long enough to sing you to sleep, other times he’s gonna conk out instantly, but either way you’re gonna feel safe wrapped up in his arms.

…and also a little crushed because he’s what we in the business like to call a ‘strong cuddler’, meaning he’s got a vice like grip, but the ~L um BA g O~ keeps him from holding on too tight at least.

But still, you’re uhh, you’re gonna have to throw a little muscle behind it if you want to break the hold. Don’t worry though—he’s a heavy sleeper, you’re not gonna wake him lol…

© notepadsandtealeaves, 2021 || Please do not repost, translate, or otherwise alter or distribute my works without my express permission. And for the love of god keep it away from Youtube and TikTok lol…

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animeniacss · 3 years

Text

A Palette of Emotions - Artist!Taehyung x Teacher!Reader - Chapter 31 - Forever My Muse - FINALE

Synopsis: Taehyung dreams of being a professional and famous artist one day, but finds that the sea of creativity can be lurking with blood hungry sharks, as well as bland, motionless starfish. Swimming through the sea of opportunities somehow washed him up onto the shore of Bright Star Preschool, as an art teacher. This wasn’t where he expected to be 4 years into his career, but anything to get his big break though, right?

Feat. BTS, TXT, ITZY, Jisoo (BlackPink), Taeyong (NCT)

Genre: Romance, Slow Burn, Love Triangle, Drama, School Setting, Working!AU

Length: approx. 6k words

Chapter 31 - Forever My Muse -FINALE

-------18 months later------

“Yes, Mom, I’ll be there soon.” You said into the phone. “Mom, I just got off the train. Have Bong-Cha send me your location and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Fine. Just hurry, we ordered appetizers to hold us over but we’re starving.” Rolling your eyes, you closed your phone and stuck it back into your purse. As you exited the train, you made your way up the steps and onto the streets of Itaewon. It was a bustling city you seldom got to visit due to your hectic work schedule, which had only grown in the past year or so. Checking the time, you sighed. Bong-Cha and your mother whisked you out here for a weekend getaway in Itaewon, your mother promising family bonding time, while your sister promised to get you drunk and meet a guy in a club. Honestly, you weren’t sure what you wanted to do, but the new scenery alone was enough to make you already feel at peace.

Making your way down the street, you checked the map on your phone that your sister sent, showing their location.

I’m five minutes away, now. Order me a drink or something, I’ll be there soon. You had texted her. As you stuck your phone in your purse, scanning the last few steps of the map, you noticed a large crowd of individuals at the end of the block. “Hm…” you tilted your head, picking up the pace slightly as you hurried down there to see the commotion. Upon closer inspection, you saw several different stands on individuals spread out for several blocks. All of them looked as if to be selling something, such as previously made jewelry, or drawing created of a person right there by the artist. You watched one of the men, tall with a blue stripe in his hair, doodled a picture of a little brother and sister duo who were sitting in a chair, legs kicking as they grew impatient with every passing minute. Cute. You thought. Maybe Bong-Cha and Mom will want to get one when we finish lunch. With that thought in your mind, you continued heading through the crowds of people in hopes to make it to your destination in under 5 minutes. As you were walking, however, you noticed another table at the corner.

A young girl held a painting up on a table. Her black hair was blowing in the wind as she spoke to a young couple, causing her to pull it into a ponytail, though she continued to speak. “I made the original of this during a final project, and I love it so much, I began making it into a series.” You heard her say. Walking past, you caught a glimpse of the picture, an array of rainbow colors mixed with black to create an abstract rainbow. You could only imagine what the remainder of this “series” looked like. Just as you were about to turn your head away, another voice entered your ears.

“Chaeyoung, don’t sell them lies!” You turned around just as the sound of playful laughter filled the table and trickle into the crowd. When you did, you saw a mess of brown hair underneath a beret, only some poking out near his ears and above his eyes. Despite the hair throwing you off, a familiar boxy grin kept your attention. You watched Chaeyoung playfully slap him, sticking her tongue out as the male returned to his own set of work. You watched as he pulled out what seemed to be a piece of paper and a pencil, looking down at the two met and he began to work. It took less than ten seconds for you to see this man to recognize exactly who it was: Kim Taehyung.

For a moment, your breath caught in your throat and you had to wonder if this was a sick joke being played on you by the world. Never in a lifetime did you expect to see Taehyung again, much less out in Itaewon seemingly selling artwork again. After a moment of silent viewing, you tried to turn and continue walking. However, when a deep, familiar voice called your name, you got chills. A round of chills flooded your body, and you rubbed your arm. Turning your head, you saw Taehyung had circled the table and was standing on the street, people now having to walk around him. “…Hey.” He called.

“…Hey!” You said, forcing an immediate smile. You stepped a bit closer. “I thought that was you. What are you doing here of all places?”

“I should be asking you the same thing.” Taehyung smiled. “Have you become a late-night clubber?” You couldn’t help but laugh a bit, biting your lip.

“No, my mother and sister are here. We can for a family trip, and my sister got to pick this time around. You know her.” Taehyung nodded as he remembered the feisty younger girl. “I’m meeting them for lunch now. In fact, I think I’m late.” Taehyung watched you flip open your phone to check the time, and he nodded.

“Oh right. Sorry, I didn’t mean to hold you up. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going crazy when I thought I saw you.”

“He’s definitely going crazy.” You heard a girl, who you saw to be Chaeyoung, shout. She was putting some money in her pocket, and when she looked up at you, she smirked a bit. Giggling, you looked back at Taehyung, who rolled his eyes.

“I’ll let you go. But it was nice to see you.” You looked at his table, which was filled with artwork you had never seen before, new inspirational pieces backed up by new memories. Your mind led you back to when his painted resembled you, and a piece of your heart hurt at the idea that a year had gone by.

“You too.” You said softly. “If you’re still around later, I’d love to come to check out your work.” Taehyung nodded, smiling. “Okay. I’ll see you around…bye.” Taehyung waved his hand, setting it into his pocket as he watched you turn on your heel and headed into the crowd again. Taehyung watched you for a moment, a smile forming on his lips. When he looked over to Chaeyoung, he saw a sly smirk on her face.

“…What?”

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

An hour had passed when you arrived at lunch, and you had no intention of bringing up your reunion with Taehyung on the way here. Bong-Cha was chatting about her new boyfriend, and mom was asking questions about school. All the while you ate, nodded quietly and finished your meal without so much as “Taehyung” crossing your mind.

However, when silence filled the table, you felt your chest tighten. With nothing else to distract your thoughts, all you could think about was Taehyung. His new hairstyle, the beret, his adorable smile, the way he looked at you with those gentle, beautiful eyes.

“…I saw Taehyung on the way over here.” You finally blurted out. All eyes were on you, and you glanced up at Bong-Cha from across the table. Her eyes were wide, mouth agape.

“What, you saw him?” Bong-Cha gasped, popping some rice into her mouth. “Did you say hi?”

“Only for a second. He looked so different it took me a while to even recognize him at first.” Bong-Cha giggled.

“Well, it had been like a year since you last spoke to him.” She stated simply.

“18 months…” your mother pointed out simply. You and Bong-Cha looked at her as she returned to silently eating her rice. That had been the only thing she said since you brought the whole event up.

Bong-Cha simply turned back to you and smiled. You immediately noticed the twinkle in her eye; she was invested in this whole situation. “Are you going to go see him again?”

“I was going to go back, but I don’t think it’ll be what you think it is.” You stated simply. “It’s been a whole year-.”

“18-.”

“Yes, Mother, 18 months.” You said quickly. “But despite that, his Instagram was down and his cellphone got disconnected. It’s been a while since we’ve spoken, and I’m sure he’s moved on. He was selling art with another girl, after all.” Bong-Cha shrugged.

“I’m not saying anything is going to happen. But I’m saving after screaming your feelings in the walls of a train station and crying yourself to sleep for a month afterward, you deserve to talk to him and get some closure. I’m sure he wants that too.”

“Yeah, maybe…” you said softly.

“No, not maybe; definitely. You guys were like one more kiss away from dating one another, that’s not something people just brush under the rug.” You felt your cheeks go pink as you quickly put your final bite of rice in your mouth. “Mom and I just wanted to go to the hotel and swim, anyway. Go do what you have to do and meet us when you’re done.”

As the waiter came and your mother prepared to pay, you nodded. “Alright, alright. Fine.” You said simply. Bong-Cha nodded, satisfied as she finished her drink and leaned back in her chair. The three of you got up and exited the restaurant, but you parted ways at the door, your sister and mother returning to the hotel, while your feet carried you back towards the main street where Taehyung was. You were nervous at the idea of seeing him again. What would a long conversation lead to? You wondered about what had happened in his life these past 18 months. As you saw the crowds of people swarm the area, you knew that whatever happened, it would lead to answers that you realized you had so desperately wanted.

Chaeyoung was the first one to notice you return to the table. “She’s back.” She pointed out, motioning to you shuffling through the crowds. Taehyung looked up, rising from his seat as he walked back around the table, meeting you as you arrived.

“Hey.” He said again, bounce in his voice. You smiled.

“Hey.” You responded. “You’re pulling out the stops, hm? Getting up and greeting me both times.” Taehyung laughed a bit, running a hand through his hair.

“Is it weird?” he asked curiously. You smiled, shaking your head as you fixed your bag on your shoulder. Chaeyoung watched as you both stood there for a moment, watching each other. When the silence became seemingly unbearable, even for Chaeyoung, you turned to the table.

“These are new paintings?” you asked curiously. Taehyung nodded, walking up beside you and crossing his arms. “As lovely as usual. You never stop amazing me, Taehyung.”

A shy chuckle formed on his face, and he scratched the back of his neck. “Thank you…” he said softly. He glanced at Chaeyoung, who immediately leaned forward. When you looked at her, she was grinning. As you examined her beyond her stunning black hair, you noticed a few small and colorful tattoos on her arms; specifically a set of strawberries on her upper arm.

“Nice to meet you, Unnie. I’m Son Chaeyoung.” You smiled sweetly.

“Nice to meet you, Chaeyoung.” You greeted.

“You know, if you want to go somewhere and catch up, I can watch your stuff for you.” Her eyes immediately flickered to Taehyung, who glanced down at you. You had looked back down at some of his paintings, a hand gently gliding over one of them. “Go on. I’ll be sure to take 10% of any commissions you make on behalf of my selling skill.” Taehyung smiled.

“I knew you’d say that.” He spoke. As you stood up, you felt Taehyung put his hand on the small of your back. It sent shivers up your spine; nostalgic shivers that made your throat close in on itself. Glancing up at Taehyung, he offered you a warm smile. “Want to go get some coffee?”

“Okay…” you said. You waved to Chaeyoung, who nodded her head cheerfully as she watched the two of you walk off into the crowd. When you were gone, she plopped down in her seat and smiled, glancing over to the rest of Taehyung’s paintings beside his chair. She snickered to herself.

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

The two of you found a small coffee shop nearby and made your way inside. Taehyung offered to buy the coffee while you found a seat. As you waited, you watched him. He was talking to the barista as he placed his order, laughing and smiling without a care in the world. You couldn’t help but smile too. This conversation had you excited, you must admit. “Here you go,” Taehyung said, setting the coffee mug down in front of you. He plopped himself down across from you. “So…” you quickly took a sip of your coffee. “How are things at the preschool?”

“Alright.” You smiled sweetly. “We ended up expanding everything so now there are two classrooms. I have one and so does Hoseok. We even started hiring more staff like a permanent gym teacher and…” you shrugged. “And art teacher.”

“That’s awesome.” Taehyung smiled.

“Yeah. And they’re looking for someone to overtake my job in the next year. I decided to go back to school to teach in an actual elementary school. I wanted to expand my horizons a bit, so…” Taehyung nodded. “I finish in one more year.”

“Good luck.” He cheered.

“Thanks. What about you? I figured once you started school, you’d stop selling artwork on the streets and at venues and stuff?” Taehyung shrugged.

“Nah. I still put my work up at school events but going out like this and doing it is just a ton more fun.” He chuckled. “Plus, Chaeyoung really likes it, so we normally make it a weekend trip.” Nodding your head, you looked down at your coffee. You watched the steam rise from it, warming your face as if it were a furnace right under your chin.

“She seems like a sweet girl. You’re lucky.” You said simply. Taehyung laughed a bit, and you glanced up.

“Not really. She and I ended up starting the same year, even though she’s a bit younger than me. We worked on a few projects together and got close. She’s crazy talented, she’s even designed her tattoos.” A small smile crawled on your lips as you heard him speak.

“She seems very kind, like I said, you’re lucky.” Taehyung’s smile faded when he saw you lift your coffee to your lips, taking a long sip of the hot drink. Taehyung quickly leaned forward a bit, staring directly into your eyes. “Don’t get the wrong idea.” He said. “We’re not a thing, she’s just a friend.”

You looked at him. Taehyung glanced down at took your hand into his. “It’s not any of my business, either way.” You said simply.

“You looked bothered. The last thing I want is any more miscommunication between us.” You couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “So yeah, she’s just a friend.”

“Okay.” You said simply.

Silence fell over you for a moment.

“How is Mr. Kim?” Taehyung asked.

“Still running the school. Same as always.” you smiled. Silence again.

“Hoseok-Hyung?” he asked curiously.

“Great now that he has that whole class to himself. He’s doing great.” Taehyung nodded, smiling. Once again, silence.

“Namjoon?” he asked curiously. That was the one he was most interested in.

“Well.” You began. “We lost contact when Kai finished with the preschool. I still talk to him once and a while, but not as often…” Taehyung nodded. Knowing what he knows now, he wondered if Namjoon purposely made that choice to limit contact with you, especially after what he remembered seeing of Namjoon pulling you back from the moving train as you cried. “I know Jungkook is still in school, and I think is still a part-time babysitter.”

“That’s good,” Taehyung said. Silence filled the table once again, this time longer, as neither of you knew what to say anymore. You continued to sip your coffee, and watch as Taehyung did so as well. After what felt like an entire school year, you set your coffee down, you looked at him.

“You never returned my calls, you know.” You spoke. Taehyung looked up as you began to speak. “Then, I looked you up on Instagram and it was deleted, I couldn’t find you.” Taehyung sighed.

“I know. A lot happened after I left, and it happened so fast.” You watched Taehyung push his half-empty cup to the side and lean forward onto his elbows, looking up at you. “First, my phone broke. So, I got a whole new phone, and I had to get a whole new number. It was this whole mess, but whatever.” You chuckled as Taehyung forced a shrug. “I had to cut and redo my hair for school, hence the brown short hair.” You nodded.

“Which looks really good.” You wanted to make sure you pointed them out. Taehyung chuckled, smiling.

“Thanks,” said Taehyung. “Anyway, I settled in with my aunt and we started looking for apartments, which was a nightmare until I got that new phone. So, I found this small apartment right by campus and it was perfect, in walking distance, I started job hunting to save money. Everything was going well for just over a month, right?” you nodded, leaning forward to listen even more closely. “A month passes, I started school and get acquainted, everything is great. I have my new phone, and I noticed I had a weird message on Instagram. Once I got accepted to the school, my account started to blow up a bit more and I was getting these cool brand offers. I took a few, mainly art-based stuff, I felt like an Instagram influencer. It was wild.” Taehyung let out a frustrated sigh, and you knew it was coming to the good part soon. “One of those brands turned out to be a huge scam.”

“Oh god.” You gasped.

“I know. Some crazy girl posed as a brand representative for a new set of paintbrushes and asked me to promote them. Somehow, she hacked into my Instagram and took the whole thing over. She was posting some crazy, sasaeng shit.” Your eyes widened as Taehyung took out his phone, skimming through some of the pictures and holding them up. All posts, which were candid photos of Taehyung all over campus, were paired with a caption about this girl’s love for Taehyung. You scrolled through a few, reading the captions in shock. When you handed back the phone to him, he set it into his pocket. “I saved them in case I found out who it was and sued them.”

“What happened?” you asked.

“I found out it was some girl on campus. We traced everything to her apartment, which was right across the street from mine. She got expelled and I told her if it happened again, I would press charges. She moved out of the apartment and I haven’t heard from her since.”

“Oh my God, Taehyung, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. So, I haven’t remade an Instagram since. I don’t want to be on it anymore.” He sighed. “I deleted a lot of my social media after that, and if I didn’t, I put it all on private.” You nodded. “I’m sorry I never tried to get in contact with you. By the time everything got settled with that, it had been months and I was just mentally exhausted and-.”

“That’s okay.” You said quickly. “It sounds like you went through a lot, I’m sorry I just assumed you didn’t want to speak to me anymore.”

“What? No, no. I wanted to talk to you again, but I lost almost everyone’s contact with my new phone. Jimin had said he hadn’t spoken to you in months when he and I met up…” Taehyung sighed. “Maybe I should have made more of an effort. I couldn’t stop thinking on the train what had happened that had you screaming and crying on the platform. Did you miss me that much?” A smile broke out on your face once again. “Or did you just realize for good that your art teacher was gone?”

“…Both.” You said simply, your thumb gliding along the rim of your cup. You could hear Taehyung chuckle. “But, I’m glad to have that all cleared up a bit more.”

“Me too. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to call you. By the time I had some idea how, I figured it was too late, and it would just be unnecessary.”

“Yeah, I thought you had moved on after Jimin told me you had started school and were doing well. It didn’t feel right to pop up out of nowhere like that, so I figured everything happened for a reason, you know?” Taehyung nodded.

“With that same reasoning, maybe that’s why we ran into each other today,” Taehyung said simply.

“I agree.” You said happily. “I’m happy we did.” Taehyung nodded.

“Just so you know…” Taehyung began adding. “Jimin told me what happened the night I left.” You were silent when he told you that, a smile still on your lips, but a hint of sadness behind it. “About the miscommunication and the train and everything with me and Namjoon.” Taehyung let out a frustrated sigh. “I felt like such an idiot when he told me.”

“You’re not an idiot.” You tried to assure quickly.

“No, I am. If I had just shut up and listened to you for more than just ten seconds, you could have cleared everything up right then and there. Then, you would not have had to make such a fool of yourself on the train platform.” You felt a tinge of shame in that last comment and had to force a shy chuckle.

“Thanks for boosting my confidence, Taehyung…” you said playfully. Taehyung said nothing, as he continued to look at you. You glanced up at those intense, dark eyes, and couldn’t help but gulp. His gaze was piercing right through you, and you weren’t sure what to say. Before you could make a decision, Taehyung spoke up once again.

“I wanted to hear you say it…” he said softly. Your cheeks heated up.

“W-what do you mean?” you asked curiously, flustered as you gripped your mug tightly, grounding you to reality while your body, mind, and soul went on in three different directions.

“Jimin told me the truth of how you felt, and what you were trying to say to me…I wanted to hear you say it more than anything once I knew.”

“…Tae-.”

“You don’t have to.” He added quickly. “Not now. Not ever, if that’s what you’ve decided. It’s been a year-.”

“18 months…” you said, practically a whisper. Taehyung nodded.

“Right.” He said softly. “I just wish I had heard it when I was supposed to.”

“…I know.” That was all you could manage to say.

A part of him really wanted to stay here with you, despite everything.

No, there was so much more you wanted to say to him, so many more questions that needed answers. Taehyung finished his cup of coffee and looked at you, smiling sweetly.

“Are you done? Do you want to head back?” He asked. You glanced down at your cup, seeing it was practically empty, done if you took one more sip. You must have taken too long to answer, because Taehyung reached out and took your hand, making you look back up at him. “Are you okay?”

“Would it have made a difference?” you asked curiously, gripping his hand. “Not that I wanted to hold you back but…if you knew how I really felt, would it have made any kind of a difference?” Taehyung was silent for a moment, chewing the inside of his cheek as if he had a piece of gum. You looked down at your hands, still interlocked.

“If I knew then that you had intentions of choosing me rather than rejecting me, I would have tried to set my classes up so I could come back down on weekends and see you.” He squeezed your hands. “It would have made a world of difference.”

Those words hit you like a ton of bricks. You felt something tough bubbling in your throat, and you had to swallow it down with the last sip of your coffee. When you set the empty cup down, your eyes must have been red or watering. “Jimin said something like that…” you said softly.

“Hey, wait, don’t cry,” Taehyung said, lifting a hand to wipe your eyes. His hand lingered on your cheek for a moment, and you were quick to rub your eyes frantically with the palm of your hands. “As I said, I’m sorry you thought otherwise because I have an IQ lower than what your students can count to.” Once again, you had to laugh, this time a more cheerful and hearty laugh as any tears that began to form was dried up and wiped away. Taehyung pulled back from you, smiling softly as he rose from the table. “Let’s go. I don’t want your mother or sister to think you’ve abandoned them on your vacation.”

“I told them I was coming back to see you. Bong-Cha probably thinks I’ll be away all night.” Taehyung laughed a bit as the both of you walked out. Taehyung held the door open for you, as he did, and you happily slipped back out onto the street. “Thank you for the coffee, Taehyung. I’m glad we had this time to catch up on everything.”

“Me too…” he said simply. As the crowds began to increase and people were walking from both directions, you felt Taehyung’s hand on the small of your back. This time, however, you felt no sense of goosebumps or chills. Instead, you felt safe and calm. “Hey.” He said. “I forgot to tip the guy who made our drinks. Head back to the stand, I’ll meet you there, okay? I need to run to the bathroom anyway, I’m sure I’ll have to cover for Chaeyoung when I get back.”

“Oh…okay.” You said softly. Watching Taehyung spin on his heel, he hurried back inside, the door closing behind him. Scanning the area, you tried to remember exactly how far the stands were. Looking through a few people passing by, you saw a familiar head of black hair. Chaeyoung was in view, leaning back in her seat as she taped away on her phone. She looked like whatever she was doing, she was having the time of her life. You hurried over. Chaeyoung noticed you approaching, and smiled.

“Ahh, Unnie. How was the coffee?”

“It was nice.” You smiled sweetly. “I’m sorry if we took too long.”

“Psh, to catch up a whole year? No worries, it’s okay.” You saw Chaeyoung look at where Taehyung’s paintings lied. You noticed a few new ones were put up to fill space, most likely from Chaeyoung selling some of her works. “So, it’s been a whole year since you two saw one another?”

“Even more than that.” You said simply. “So yeah, we had a lot to catch up on.”

“I’m sure. Taehyung-Oppa never stops talking about you.” You glanced back up at her as she smiled. She motioned to some of his works. “He said how much you inspired him to paint while the two of you worked together. He showed me the stuff he made. The commission he did for the CEO of the school and his wife? I had no idea it was inspired by you until he showed me the original.” You felt a sense of pride wash over you, smiling softly as you nodded. “He still keeps painting you. I thought you two were dating until today.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “N-no, no. We’re not.”

“He told me a lot about you,” Chaeyoung repeated. “I feel like I already know you in some ways. You’re a teacher, right?” You nodded.

“Yeah.”

“That’s so fun. If I got to teach, it’d be high school art.” She said simply. “But what I really want to do is be a tattoo artist. A famous one, like one of those people on social media that get tons of clients, even celebrities. That would be cool.” Chaeyoung motioned to the paintings she had set out of Taehyung’s. Upon closer inspection, you got a sense of nostalgia looking them over. Pastel colors around a picture of a woman from the shoulders down, wearing a familiar apron and high heel shoes. Another picture showed a serene lake, with what looked like a small woman sitting in the distance, knees pulled up, and an empty canvas by her side. You continued to scan all of the paintings, smiling. “You really are his muse, Unnie…”

“Heh…That makes me happy.” You admitted. As you held one of the pictures, you heard a voice in the distance that made you turned your head.

“Chaeyoung!” Taehyung called, making the younger girl look over with you. “Did you sell anything?”

“Nah.” She sighed. “None of your stuff, anyway.”

“A shame, because I was going to bump your commission percent to 20 because I took too long. Nevermiiiind.” Chaeyoung gasped as Taehyung laughed a bit at the girl’s wide eyes. You couldn’t help but snicker a bit. “Do you need to take some kind of a water break or anything, Chae? I’ll switch with you.”

Chaeyoung watched as you continued looking back down at the paintings, and grinned. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be back.” Taehyung watched as Chaeyoung scooped her bag up, walking away from the table and back into the crowd. Taehyung turned to you once again, walking over.

“I guess you never really changed your style, hm?” you asked curiously, glancing up at Taehyung as he stood beside you. The man only shrugged.

“Nah. Once a good artist gets his inspiration, his muse, he can keep it forever, even if there’s far apart.”

“…Is that a quote or something?” you asked curiously. Taehyung laughed a bit.

“No, not at all. Probably read some of it off of a bad fortune cookie or something.” He grinned, as you rolled your eyes, crossing your arms. Taehyung, who could have sat down in his chair at any moment to continue this conversation, remaining right at your side as he explained each painting, when he made it, and what exactly inspired it. You listened intensely, eyes sparkling at every new painting he showed you.

“I missed so much.” You said in awe. Taehyung nodded. “But you have improved at this school. And that’s saying something, you were already really good.”

“Flattery is not needed, I already paid for the coffee.” He teased.

“I’m serious.” You turned to him as he snickered a bit. As you stared at him, you thought back to what he said in the coffee shop.

I wanted to hear you say it.

It would have made a world of difference.

“…You really would have made so many sacrifices just to be with me?” you asked curiously, so softly that Taehyung might not have even heard you.

“I wouldn’t have considered it a sacrifice,” Taehyung said simply, looking down at you. “Not at all. Just to hear you tell me how you feel would have made me happy.” You bit your lip, nodding your head as you listened to him. You had no intention of pulling away, no intention of stopping this intense feeling in your chest. “Felt.”

“Feel.” You quickly corrected. Taehyung blinked. “How I feel.”

“…Ah….” He hummed. “And…how exactly do you feel?” You glanced over at his paintings, staring at them for a moment before turning your gaze back over to him. He waited with bated breath, silent yet hopeful.

“Taehyung, I love you…” you said softly. “I have, and I will and I wish I said it then because-.” Before you could finish, Taehyung quickly leaned down, planting a kiss on your lips. His hands found their way up to your cheeks, clasping them lovingly. You wasted no time for once, kissing him back as your hands found themselves holding onto his arms, moving up to wrap around the palms of his hands not covered by your cheeks and chin. The kiss was short, but it was full of passion, and as Taehyung pulled away from the kiss, he made sure to keep a close distance from you. Your cheeks were red, ears hot as you looked down at your feet. Taehyung couldn’t help but snicker, as he leaned in to plant a gentle and loving kiss on your forehead.

“Yeah, that was exactly what I wanted. Even better, I think.” You giggled a bit. “I love you too…” Hearing him say that made your entire stomach do a flip in the air, and you smiled, finally pulling back enough to give you some space to breathe. Just in time, too, because the sound of Chaeyoung approaching the table caused Taehyung to stand straight up, hands in his pockets.

“Anything happen while I was gone?” Chaeyoung asked, sitting back down. “Did anything sell?”

“Oh no,” Taehyung said simply. “Nobody came by.” Chaeyoung nodded, leaning back in her seat. You could see a mischievous gleam in her eye as he pulled her phone out.

Taehyung returned to his seat as well, watching as you looked at your phone for the time. Immediately, you took Taehyung’s hand, making him turn to you.

“Will you be in Itaewon for a while?” you asked.

“I’m here until Monday morning.” He smiled. You nodded.

“I need to go so my family doesn’t worry or anything but…you should finally give me your new number.” Taehyung laughed a bit. “I want to see you again…”

“Of course.” Taehyung pulled out his phone, the both of you quickly exchanging numbers. You slipped your phone back into your purse and hummed in satisfaction. “I’m glad that’s settled.”

“Right.” You cooed. “I’ll…call you, okay?” Taehyung nodded. Before you turned away, you stepped closer to him, standing on your tiptoes and making sure to give Taehyung a kiss right on the corner of his mouth. You could see his cheeks starting to grow hot, and all he could do was laugh shyly. A small smile crept onto your face. “I’ll call you later.” You repeated.

“Right. Bye.” Taehyung waved. You turned to Chaeyoung, both of you exchanging goodbyes before you headed down the path. Taehyung watched as you walked, staring at you until you eventually disappeared into a crowd of people.

“Something fun definitely happened while I was away.” Chaeyoung teased, a grin on her face. Taehyung nodded, plopping himself down on his chair. He skimmed through old photos, leading back to a year ago. A picture of you, Hoseok, and Taehyung was seen on Taehyung’s last day, the day of his party. Taehyung was opening gifts from the students that you were bombarding him with, Hoseok cracking up as he sat covered in wrapping paper. He could see the beaming smile on your face, even though it was only a side profile, and it made his heart flutter. His eyes wandered back to where he had just seen you walk off.

Taehyung never thought he would be able to get a scholarship through opportunities provided by that school and his friends. He never thought he would watch as his inspiration blossomed from his mind under the roof of a small building with colorful walls and a few small classrooms inside of it. He never thought in life he would dedicate some of his happiest and meaningful memories to his time spent as an art teacher at Bright Star Preschool. However, inspiration comes from anywhere, no matter how big or how small the moments may seem. Taehyung has spent his life crafting the most perfect artwork in his mind, each memory a new splash of paint on his blank canvas.

As he watched you walk away, he couldn’t help but think how much more beautiful that painting was going to become with you, now adding your own colorful flare onto the canvas as well, your own palette of emotions mixing with his in order to create something truly beautiful.

The End 🖼

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lethendralis-paints · 4 years

Text

Artist Meme

Was tagged to answer this set of interesting questions by @kourvo

(original post is here: https://kourvo.tumblr.com/post/621355098110640128/artist-meme

Thank you so much for that!

Let’s see....

1) What is the character you've drawn the most (Can be original or fanart)

This precious boy. I can never get enough of him. One of the most compelling characters I have ever come across. Love everything about Fenris and can relate to him on so many levels!

2. What colour do you often use?

Gray and brown are my faves. And all other colours have the same chance of appearing in my artwork :D

3. Any colour you are bad at using?

I don’t think so...I love them all, even the pinks and yellows people usually find hard to incorporate into a colour palette. Tell me in the comments if I’m wrong :)

4. When drawing people, where do you start?

Funnily enough - either with the front of the hairline or with the left eyebrow. Don’t ask me, why - I don’t know myself.

5. What is a character only your eraser will love?

Hmmmm...any sort of villainous character. I can’t draw evil people convincingly. I’m a huge softy at heart.

6. Which of your works took the longest time?

Big scale commission I did for @pikapeppa, featuring all the Inquisition companions, along with Fenris, Rynne and Carver Hawke. That one took almost 3 weeks, due to its sheer scope and my relative lack of experience in such large works. Pika was extremely patient with me though, for that I am eternally thankful!

7. What techniques do you use when you want to improve in drawing?

Classical art studies. Varying my technique, themes I choose and software I use. I try to experiment and go outside my comfort zone often.

8. What do you think of the art of the person who gave you this ask meme?

I adore Lillymon’s technical skill, refined style and limited colours! She is a huge inspiration for me!

9. What art tools/media are you good with?

DrawPile, Photoshop, graphite pencils and liners. That’s about it :)

10. Art tools/media you are bad at?

Traditional paints. I have no formal artistic education and my lack of knowledge comes to the forefront whenever I have to paint on a real canvas. It’s so much trial and error, you can’t even imagine....

11. What do you think about your own art?

Lately it’s one of the last few things that were bringing me joy. I hope I won’t lose the passion for it. Because at this point I’m not sure I’ll be able to find some occupation I will be genuinely interested in and good at it. I don’t know if me gravitating towards moody fantasy art speaks about my fear of facing reality. If so, idk what to do with that. I do hope to develop my skills and being able to support myself financially as an artist.

12. Do you consult references for your drawings?

Yes. A lot of them. Anatomical atlases, schemes for both academic and manga art, photographs found online and taken on my own, copying colour palettes from classical art - anything goes. I think it’s essential to develop your technical skill.

13. What do you like about your art?

Lately - consistency, both in terms of produced results and in sticking to the timelines I set to myself. I hope this lasts. I would also like to branch out to other themes and not confine myself to quirky fantasy characters, so I’m working on developing my own story behind the scenes (spoilers) :P

14. What habits do you have while drawing?

Only the bad ones, lol. Hunching forward in front of the screen, forgetting to eat, drink and letting my eyes rest. Tilting my head to the side instead of rotating the canvas....I’m an idiot XD

15. Are you good at drawing faces facing right?

I think that’s the thing I’m good at!

16. How frequently do you draw?

For the last 1,5 years - almost every day without fail, for good or ill.

17. What do you do when you have artist's block?

Change occupation and work myself into a depressed state. I changed work places in the last few years a lot, working as an interior designer, draftsman, textile designer, a cook, a bartender to name a few.

18. What must you have when you draw?

No commotion around me and a cup of some hot beverage.

19. Do you have a lot of stray lines (messy lineart)?

In the starting stage of my work process - yes, like you wouldn’t believe! If it’s a personal doodle, I sometimes just leave in as am under layer and draw clean lines on top of that mess. It looks cool in a way.

20. What is drawing to you?

An essential part of what helped me to retain my sanity in the last year and a half. Hopefully a lasting profession that will help me pay bills and survive on my own, if my life falls apart entirely later.

21. Your art goal from now on?

Broaden the themes I depict, improve my technical skill, work on personal creative project and not only fan arts. And most of all - not giving up on it this time.

22. Artists you've had influence from?

To name a few: @kallielef @kourvo @shayafury @fairsparrow who I met here on Tumblr, and many others who I follow and zealously study their works for clues on how to improve my own work.

23. Artists you like?

I am following them all either here or on Instagram, I also do my best to share their works on my side blog!

24. Which is easier to draw, humans or animals?

It was animals earlier. But now that I started to diligently study human anatomy, I would say it evened out! I’m quite confident drawing humans/humanoids now!

25. Show us an old drawing

My first digital drawing from 2010 when I first bought my tablet!

26. What is the charm-point of your art?

I ummm....I don’t really get the question? Is that like the the strongest suit of me as an artist? Intense expressions maybe? Idk. Let me know in the comments :D

27. What is the first thing you would draw if we're talking about fantasy?

Broody warriors, he-he

28. Please draw your most beloved character:

Here’s a sneak-peek of me drawing him right now! :D

29. When thinking of characters is it mostly female? male? or androgynous/no sex?

I usually gravitate towards depicting strong-willed, caring, passionate, brave, honest men and women.

30. What did you draw yesterday?

Started cleaning up that sketch from the last question, actually!

31. What is the funnest part to draw?

A circle. Mostly because you’d die laughing seeing my struggle to draw a believable one XD

32. What part of other people's drawings do you notice first?

colours, mood, eyes, hands.

33. Regarding backgrounds, what is your method of making it easier to draw?

pick your favourite textured brush, find a good reference for mood and colour scheme, zoom out, squint your eyes and start slapping colours like mad. You’d be amazed at how much you’ll be able to achieve in 30 minutes with this approach. Bare white background is the enemy - destroy it! >:)

34. What colour coordinations do you like?

Gray or brown as a main colour and then deep, earthy, saturated colours to complement the main one. Pink and orange is the combination I strangely enjoy using lately too.

35. What character did you last draw? Fenris and Eris :)

36. Does your style change easily?

I don’t think so. More like it’s evolving slowly into something more serious and deliberate.

37. What part of drawing do you pay most attention to?

Facial expression, body movement, mood and light effects. Not so much the composition and framing, he he.

38. How do you feel about drawing adult art?

Tbh, I don’t consider straight up porn to be ‘adult’ exactly. To me adult art means aiming towards serious topics, exploring complex emotions and ideas, being honest with your viewer. I did doodle a few more steamy sketches of my OTP just to see if I could, but it was definitely a tongue-in-cheek kind of a artwork that I don’t take seriously.

39. Do you like criticism from others?

If it’s friendly and in done in private - I welcome it always.

40. How many people do you normally draw per artwork?

1 or 2. Rarely more. Crowded battle scenes are definitely not my thing :D

This was fun! Tagging forward to @shayafury @schoute @stella-minerva @nug-juggler @kallielef and anyone else wishing to go through such a long questionnaire!

#artist meme #art questions #art style #lethendralis rambles #my art

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skullvins · 3 years

Note

What about your trans bots :0

I HAVE. SEVERAL but I'm mainly gonna talk about voider because I have more art of him

if you go on my art blog pictures of him are tagged #ap voider!!! he is a purple halibot/a violibot and he's at like??? a low ranking captain kind of position. during the plot of another planet, which is what I Call this set of ocs, he's sent as part of a mission to kidnap important management figures for a company based on saturn, who have significant investments in major trade in the solar system, which is the location of the next lep'ridae invasion (halibots being robots that work for the lepridaes). he's responsible for leading the charge on andru, who is some kind of up and coming middle management and speculated to be important to the future of the company, however once on the journey back to base, there is a mild emergency and voider, not being used to being on a ship of this size/style, decides the best option is to use an escape pod/small ship to get him and andru out of there, and to head to mercury, which is an old lep'ridae base, so that he can send a message to his higher ups to come pick him up. along the way they meet judi, an engineer from neptune, and roban, a space pirate from mars. shenanigans ensue until they get to mercury and then the plot hits you in the face with feels

also these two end up boyfriends did I mention that????

anyway. voider is SPOILERS actually technically more of a cyborg??? sad stuff happens on mercury man im :'(

post-mercury he gets a scar and a scarf but he MIGHT also get some other details I just need to think them over. for now have these doodles I did in college

he is a noodleman and I love drawing him

explaining his transgenderisms in detail requires I talk about major ap spoilers, HOWEVER it's all planned out so he kind of. realises he was trans The Whole Time, so we get the coming to terms with being trans thing without having to spend half the time misgendering and deadnaming him, thank God.

he's also very very gay tbh. he's very cocky but he's a bit all bark and no bite. all the halibots have a bit of a 20's - 40's aesthetic going on, and so he talks like an old timey bbc news presenter and uses bits of old slang. he thinks he's hot shit and he's not really but he is in my heart I love him 🥺🥺🥺

yes his three fingers are floaty

he LOVES the smell of chocolate and generally loves cute deserts and makes andru buy loads of them so he can feed his organic boyfriend cute things. he's infodump and stimming friends with roban and the pair of them generally snoop on andru and judi doing stupid stuff together. he's honestly Lovely but he IS very mischievous and a huge bastard. if you've ever seen that skit about the guy who moves into an apartment and instead of filling his toiletry box with. toiletries he just fills it with rubber ducks and it just gets Worse, that's voider. just good old bastardly fun

hes Very gay for andru but kind of doesn't realise it and andru only comes to terms with his sexuality over the course of the series, so the two are absolute Idiots when it comes to asking each other out, but they're very cute together imo

tbf tho andru is like. Considerably Short compared to the rest of the main ap cast, who are all over 6 foot compared to his 5'6-5'7 kind of height

btw it's not an eye! it's a black screen that kind of functions as an eye

anyway I could talk about ap all day but take this for now. these r just the doodles I had on hand on mobile, I might rb and slap some more on later. for now like I said there's stuff on my art blog if u wanna have a nosey there and the wonderful @psikind drew him once which is ALSO on there because voider deserves ALL THE LOVE

I ALSO FORGOT TO TALK ABOUT ALIS who is an enby yellow halibot/goldibot and kind of started out as a self insert to drop into the background as voider's old boss but is now kind of their own character with Issues™ projected onto them.

halibots come in eight colours depending on ranking (green/cyan/blue/purple/pink/red/orange/yellow from lowest to highest ranking) and there is also One white halibot called Lancer who works Directly for the leader of the lep'ridaes. the last two significant halibots in the series are chessi, a pink halibot/rosibot who is like voider's old co-worker, and one I can't really talk about much because SPOILERS

anyway you asked for trans robots and I have delivered I hope my noodle twink bot is satisfactory

#I LOVE VOIDER SO MUCH HE'S A SWEETIE BUT ALSO A BASTARD #for now bowser's theme in super mario 3d world (I THINK? IT MIGHT BE LAND? UHHHH. THE JAZZY ONE) is his theme in my head #THE FASTER VERSION. IT HAS HIS VIBES #i might link it in a rb #anyway #ap #ap voider #anon #asks

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warmau · 5 years

Text

Prince!AU Jeno

requested by my giveaway winner! + find all other aus here

the most charitable prince the nation has ever seen

literally lives for helping others

does charity work whenever he can and refuses invites to fancy balls or galas

opting instead to get down in the dirt and plant new vegetables in the local gardens

or volunteering to help teach kids after school

even though he’s a shining star when it comes to community service and giving back

and the public adores him to pieces

he really,,,,,,,,,doesn’t act like a prince at all

not to say that he isn’t mannerly or that he doesn’t know the his country’s own values and laws

it’s just he’s a hyper young boy who thinks skateboarding through the palace halls is fun

doing kick flips over expensive pieces of art and scaring butler renjun half to death

he’ll be caught red handed stealing sweets from the pantry - mouth full of chocolate covered strawberries

and of course the hoarding,,,,,,,,and by hoarding i mean the hoarding of stray cats he keeps trying to hide in his room

but renjun is staring at the various bite marks and scratches on jeno and he’s like

“oh - how’d you get those?”

“uhhhhhh chenle bit me.”

“that’s almost believable, but hand over the kittens”

would live in the animal shelter if he could

just getting his gucci suit covered in cat fur

grinning from ear to ear as all the animals flock to him

and the shelter works swoon at the sight of his eye smile

but yeah, he has no sense of royal boundaries - or that he’s above anyone else simply because he’s a prince

like he’ll hop out of the carriage during parades - the queen nudging for knight jaemin to follow him

before jeno gets himself lost in the crowds

greeting shop keepers with deep bows and letting young kids cling onto him and offer him flowers and candy

there was once a newspaper headline about how a thief had managed to slip one of jeno’s rings off his fingers

when jeno had walked through the streets without his knight

but then the thief felt so bad that he approached the prince a couple of minutes later and offered it back

someone asked him later

“why did you give the ring back?”

“i didn’t want prince lee to be sad, he’s too handsome to be sad.”

renjun keeps stocking prince jeno’s closet with “princely” attire - in navys, greys, and blacks

because those colors make him look like he’s being serious

but jeno just shows up in all pink like

“i heard we’re going to be doing negotiations with prince haechan today - he likes pink, right?”

you’re actually kind of a rowdy kid yourself - ever since you were young you liked causing trouble and pulling pranks

always running around with scraps on your knuckles and bruises on your knees

you never cared about politics or the royal family,,,,,,,,,,,,or school,,,,,,,,,,,,or anything really

you just liked doing things for a rush

living on the edge and sometimes getting scolded for it by your (in your opinion) overtly tight and proper roommate doyoung

who treated you like his noisy, rough around the edges child

that always paid the share of the rent late

but somehow,,,,,,,,you’d managed to survive

doing small jobs here and there - mostly art focused as that was where your talents lay

you used to do a lot of graffiti - but on several occasions you’d been caught

and you were kind of wary that the next time the local authorities got their hands on you, you wouldn’t get away with just a slap on the wrist

so you strayed away, instead you did paid mural work and designs

it was pennies really, but it was much better than slaving away in an office

well,,,,,,,in your eyes at least,,,,,,,,

but when the royal family unveils a new painting in the town square

you can’t help but feel your palms itch at the though of spray painting a giant mustache on the prince’s face

a part of you argues that you don’t need to do this - really, this is childish and you’ll get caught and regret it

but the other part of, the one that always wins, goes absolutely bonkers

so you end up on sneaking down the fire escape, bag pack stuffed to the brim with cans in all colors

you pull up your hoodie and make the short, zig zagging walk through back alleys to the square

it’s dead quiet. not even stray cats are out at this time

and you excitedly rub your hands together as you stand in front of the large painted faces of your country’s royals

now you really don’t mean it as anything but a harmless joke

you’re not making a political statement by drawing stars on the queens white blouse or giving the king goody glasses

you just want to cause a stir - you just want to do it because you can

and as you lean up to run a red line on the side of the princes’ handsome jawline

you hear a voice

“ah. if it isn’t you again”

for a moment your body goes cold - seriously, only fifteen minutes in and the cops are here?!?!?!

you expect they’ll haul you down to the station, be given a long and boring speech about respecting property, and then let out by the time the sun rises

but that doesn’t happen

instead you find yourself spending the night in the station, no one tells you what’s happening, until finally you hear a rustle going on in the hall

and the door to the room you’re being held in opens

a knight walks in, you can tell by his uniform and the crest of the lee kingdom he wears on his chest

he gives you a once over and shakes his head

“jaemin, what’s going to happen to them?”

an officer questions and you sit up a little straighter

“that’ll be up to the royal family to decide”

you can’t believe it - actually you’re pretty sure you must be fever dreaming when you find yourself in the main ballroom of the palace

a place you’ve only seen in photos and on tv

“i- im here all over a harmless prank ?!?!?!”

the knight, named jaemin as you learned, gives you a sympathetic shrug

“it’s not harmless to deface the people who run this country.”

“deface then? all i did was doodle-“

he shushes you and stands at attention as the doors open with a loud and heavy sound

in front of your wide eyes step the queen and the prince, both dressed in golds and jewels

you're so frozen that jaemin has to cough thrice until you realize you have to bow in greeting

as you hang your head low, the queen gives an annoyed tsk

prince jeno on the other hand observes you curiously

his hands clasped behind his back as he looks at your black hoodie and jaemin drops the bag full of your supplies on the spot in front of you

“child, you really shouldn’t have drawn such crude things on a public mural.”

the queen begins and you swallow

her tone doesn’t sound all that sweet like when she’s giving speeches over the radio ,,,, i might have really messed up this time!

she continues to talk, pointing out that the mural took weeks to perfect. that the townspeople are just as disappointed as the family and authorities are. at some point there’s a comment about how you were probably just raised poorly

all of it kind of drowns in your head as you panic about your fate

“as for punishment-“

you stiffen and you think you even hear knight jaemin tense up at your side

“wait, mother may i?”

the prince speaks for the first time and your gaze shoots over to him instantly

he’s wearing his blonde hair back with golden pins, a loose fitting blouse tucked into riding jeans with a belt that looks like it’s been encrusted with rubies

“i think i have a good idea, it’ll help them both reflect on their crime against the town-“

crime? it was some harmless drawing!

“and help restore the mural.”

“oh?”

the prince smiles, but you’re hesitant - gripping the sleeves of your hoodie as he gives a slow nod

“let’s just make them re-paint it!”

you let your jaw drop, but no noises come out of your mouth

he wants me to re-paint that giant thing all by myself? it’ll take weeks - i won’t be able to do anything else - i would rather -

“it sounds better than being banished, right?”

you can’t really formulate a sentence, so knight jaemin answers for you

“that’s a splendid idea prince lee! im sure the culprit is grateful!”

you feel a sharp elbow in your side and you kind of sputter to life

give a groggy

“thank you so much my prince”

as jeno brings his hands up in a clap and his mother, seemingly bored already with you, gives her agreement

just like this whole situation - you think you have to be in a bad dream as you stand in front of the mural in broad daylight

a tiny circle of whispering locals around you

as jaemin sets up a ladder and hands you a large, clean brush

“this is going to take forever.”

“maybe you shouldn’t have messed it up in the first place.”

he grins when you give him a sideways glare

but make your way up the ladder, you come face to face with the splotches of red paint from your prank and with a frustrated sigh you begin to paint over them

after a while, people become uninterested and disperse

jaemin is supposed to be guarding you, but he disappears somewhere

saying that it’ll be obvious if you slack off - someones got to get those goofy glasses off of the kings face

so you end up tired, alone, and grumbling about how this punishment might just be worse than banishment

“what is prince lee’s problem anyway? butting his head into the conversation -”

“oh, i think you missed a spot on my face.”

you almost drop the paint can in your hand with surprise

when you hear a familiar voice from down beside the ladder

you turn, carefully and see the prince himself

jaemin is beside him, pretending as if he’s been doing his job all day as jeno takes a look at your progress so far

“hmmm looks like this project might take a while,,,,,”

he muses and you have the sudden urge to turn the bucket of paint upside down and watch it dump over onto his blonde head

but you restrain yourself at the last minute

“but still. i trust you’ll get it done nicely?”

you can’t tell if he’s being annoying on purpose, mocking you and teasing

or if he really means it

“well then, carry on. you can leave when it’s dark and return in the morning. jaemin, you’ll be here - yes?”

jaemin salutes and you roll your eyes as you turn back to your work

you don’t notice how the prince’s stare lingers a bit before he turns on his heel and is off

the next couple of days is grueling, you wake up early - get told off by doyoung for getting yourself into the mess - trudge up to the town sqaure and clamber up the ladder with your paints

you hate it at first, but after a while you kind of come to terms with it

whistling tunes to distract yourself and even sometimes holding conversations with knight jaemin

you don’t expect the prince, or anyone from the royal family to come and check on you

but by the end of the first week - you’re surprised to see jeno at the mural and without jaemin

“my prince?”

you approach with caution and he gives you a smile in response

he’s dressed more casually then you’ve ever seen before, dark jeans and leather suspenders over a button up shirt

but then you see the golden necklace and wrist watch

once a prince, always a prince

he motioned to the mural with his head and goes

“it’s coming along well, i knew your talent would show.”

“my talent?”

“do you think i don’t know about your other work?”

for a moment,,,,,,,you look at him confused

“a-are you -”

“the graffiti and the paid work you’ve done around the town. i did my research.”

again, you aren’t sure if he’s bringing it up as a compliment or not - so you just shrug in response

“well, im happy your highness is pleased so far.”

he puts a hand under his chin and steps back

“although i see you haven’t gotten to my face yet?”

you huff - ready to go on a tangent about how the king and queen need to be fixed first

when jeno bursts into laughter at the sight of your furrowed expression

“im teasing, take all the time you need.”

you step back with him - thinking nothing of it when you motion to his portrait on the wall

“the original artist didn’t do that good of a job - do you see the shade on your neck, it’s not from the right angle. and they weren’t able to capture your eyes well either.”

jeno looks impressed at your comments, but you aren’t even doing it for that

you just have been thinking about it since you started your “punishment”

“when light hits brown eyes like yours, the color becomes almost translucently brown and they made it muddy-”

“why, maybe you should become a full time artist instead of running around getting in trouble?”

you scrunch up your nose

“no, traditional art is fine and all that. but my kind of style isn’t really appreciated. im lucky enough to find small work.”

you pick up a paint can of green, making your way up the ladder - jeno comes to the side and holds it steady as you reach the top

why is he even here in the first place? don’t prince’s have better things to do?

you wonder to yourself as you pluck a brush from the front pocket of your jeans - leaning back to make sure you’re in a good spot to reach the lapel of the king’s uniform

“have you always been an artist?”

the prince’s voice wafts up to you ears and you shake your head

“no, i didn’t start until i was older.”

“what a shame, you clearly have talent.”

you push back the warm feeling that crawls up onto your cheeks

and you assume that at some point he’s going to have to leave,,,he cant stay here and chat with you forever

and he does

but then

he keeps coming back

bright and early, every morning - the prince is waiting for you beside the mural

he can never stay past an hour or so, and it really confuses you as to what he gains out of watching you paint and asking you questions about yourself, but it is something to distract you

as the work on the mural trudges on slowly

after a couple of weeks - you finish the king and queen and get started on the prince

for some reason, you approach fixing his portrait with more care

you spend a lot of time looking at it from affair, even sketching it out on scraps of paper before you bring a paintbrush up to it

one day as you’re getting ready to re-paint jeno, you notice a small cat is making rounds around your paint cans

you watch it with a tiny giggle, before you see the prince - scurrying after it like a entertained large child

the kitten hops through some nearby bushes and jeno squats down to see where it’s gone when he sees a pile of abandoned papers beside them

you’d forgotten where you’d put the sketches you did of him from some time ago

but when the prince unfolds the papers he finds them, looking over the fine pencil work and the familiar features that make up his handsome face

he lifts his hand up - waving them to get your attention

“did you draw me?”

you feel your throat go dry a bit and you shake your head

“n-no, i mean i did but for the painting reference.”

even from up on the ladder you can see stars in jeno’s eyes as he looks at the drawings

“can i keep them?”

it’s an unexpected question, so you don’t really know how to answer - it catches you off guard

so you turn your body a bit too fast

and before you can stop, gravity takes its course and your balance is thrown off

the green paint in your hand goes flying, a pretty arch splattering down over the mural and the ground below as you feel yourself falling backwards

the impact scares you - so you shut your eyes tightly and don’t hear jeno’s voice call out your name

you wait and wait to hit the ground

but instead you tumble straight into a pair of arms, your weight momentarily causing jeno to teeter backwards, but he manages to steady his grip

“are you alright?”

he asks, breathless and you refuse to open your eyes

“did i die?”

“yes.”

your eyes shoot open and jeno laughs at your panicked “what?!?!?”

“no, you didn’t die. you’re ok.”

you look at him - before reaching out and touching his face to confirm

forgetting that one of your country’s laws is that you’re not even allowed to touch royals

but you don’t care

his skin is smooth and warm to the touch and you let out a sigh of relief

“oh -ok.”

but jeno nearly drops you at the sudden contact, shaking his head to fight the oncoming blush

he sets you down and you turn to see the damage

a giant splatter of green right on the center of the queen’s face

“oh no - now i have to redo it again”

you groan and jeno just blinks before regaining his own composure

“i’ll help you.”

you step back and shake your head

“no way! you’re the prince, if people see you helping me - they’ll think -”

“i don’t care.”

jeno picks up a spare paintbrush and smiles, the pretty brown eyes turning into crescent moons as he does

“this time it wasn’t your fault, it was mine for startling you. it’s only right that i get the same punishment you did.”

you’re skeptical - and a little embarrassed

but jeno climbs up the stairs and turns to point

“im not good at painting though, so i will need your help.”

after news spreads that the prince has joined in on helping re-paint the mural

the circle around you two grows bigger and bigger each day

jaemin is called in, and even renjun at some point

which you find a little odd because at the end of the day renjun is berating you with questions about what kind of style of clothing you like - if you think the prince is handsome blonde - and other questions that you feel you really don’t need to be answering

but jeno never goes back on his word

he shows up everyday until the mural is fully fixed

the last day, as you’re working on small details - and the crowd is bustling around you as jeno mixes paints at the bottom of the ladder

you hear an uproar of cheers and see from the corner of your eye that everyone is bowing low

“mother!”

jeno calls out and you quickly make your way down - ready to greet the queen as she ignores you and takes in your work so far

“jeno, you really must stop wasting your time here. you’re a prince not a painter, come now - let’s go back to the palace.”

she says - voice prim and proper

golden crown shining against the early morning light

you don’t say anything, but you feel jeno look back at you

“the mural is almost done, when it is. ill come back.”

his mother’s lips form a straight line and she shakes her head

“it’s their punishment, no prince would ever help-”

“but i also messed up mother, i caused an accident and now i have to do my diligence too.”

renjun, whose beside the queen is shaking his head frantically - trying to tell jeno to just stop and come along

jaemin is silent on the otherside

and then you finally find your voice

“prince lee, you’ve helped me so much, but the queen is right.”

you begin and jeno straightens up his back

“no. she isn’t. i messed up all your work, im going to stay and help you fix this. then ill go back to the palace.”

you swear you see renjun plant his palm against his face

but the queen doesn’t say anything

not until jeno perks up and adds

“you’re welcome to come back with me too.”

“what?”

you blurt out and the queen gives out an even harsher “what?”

renjun nearly falls over and jaemin looks amused as jeno walks over to you, hand swung around your shoulder

the common folk watching the scene all gasp and you feel your face turn red hot

“come back to the palace with me!”

“je- prince what are you -”

jeno grins

“i’d like them to work as the official artist for the royal family, and -”

he leans in a little, tilting his head and whispering the next part into your ear

“and maybe something more than just a friend to me?”

from your expression everyone knows what he said

the queen is ready to deny the request, but she’s struck speechless

and you kind of just

“i - uh -”

everything is paused and then you hear the shout of your name

through the crowd comes your roommate doyoung, seemingly unaware of the queen or the princes presence

as he stomps up to you

“we need to discuss rent!”

he exclaims, taking your hand and hauling you out down the street

am i dreaming?

you ask as you feel yourself tugged away from the crowd

and you come to terms with the fact that this has to be some crazy dream you’re about to wake up from

but only an hour after being lectured about paying your due

the doorbell rings and you open it to see the prince there

“my dad said you can come work as the artist for the palace, he convinced my mom too. but about the other thing i asked?”

“um -”

you start and doyoung’s voice rings from the kitchen

“prince or not, you’re only allowed to go on a date with him after i get your share of the rent!”

you feel like a child just scolded by a parent in front of their crush

but jeno bursts out laughing and you want to tell him to stop

but instead he just shouts back

“i’ll cover their missing rent - but can i take them to dinner then?”

after a moment of silence you hear doyoung again

“deal!”

jeno offers his hand and you take it

dreaming, im definitely dreaming - am i going to wake up? when will i wake up?

but you don’t wake up because it’s not a dream

and you end up having a dinner picnic in front of the finished mural, sharing sandwiches with jeno

the sketches you did still sticking out of his pocket, the sound of knight jaemin (whose supposed to be standing guard over you and the prince) snoozing in the background

#nct dream scenarios #nct dream imagines #nct dream au #jeno scenarios #jeno imagines #jeno au #member: jeno #sfw #prince!au #lee jeno #nct dream

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catbatart · 4 years

Note

Hey!! I love your art so much, and it's a nice inspiration for my own art!! I wanted to ask how you got your online presence?? I want to make my own art blog, but I'm not sure how? Or really, how to get the art noticed more. I thought I'd ask since I love your stuff so much! 💚💚💚

Thank you so much! OKAY! I’m gonna throw a few vague bullet points that I’ve found helpful here and then I shall attempt a VERY brief summary in more detail below the cut. -Memorable username. You want people to be able to find you without your name always being right in front of them. This is optional but helpful. -Post a lot. I gain my most steady stream of followers when I’m posting random sketches but I’m posting them frequently versus posting a few nice pieces sporadically. -Get involved in communities. Use tags. MMOs, D&D, fandoms, whatever you love that other people love! Using the tags to get your art of the things you love out to other people who love it? A+ -Participate in challenges! Inktober! Sketch Dailies! Mermay! Whatever tf monster smut I did in March. A SERIES that gets you posting consistently for a bit that people can follow and look forward to! (Also helpful with tags!) -Giveaways. I love doing giveaways. I love sending people things and people love getting things for free. They’re a great way to promote reblogs over likes and get your work out to more eyes. Plus, like I said, I love sending people stuff?? So it’s a weirdly symbiotic relationship! Those would be my main tips but if you want more of a breakdown, I’ve done a bit of a write-up below for my sordid, dark artist backstory.

NOTE: FOR WHATEVER REASON TUMBLR DOES NOT SEEM TO BE REGISTERING MY “READ BELOW THE CUT” SO JUST PRETEND LIKE THERE IS ONE HERE AND FORGIVE THE ETERNALLY LONG POST

I started my art tumblr back in...2011??? I think? 2012 maybe? To have a place to post some art projects I was doing back for my 2D animation class (I believe all evidence has been eradicated so don’t bother looking lol!) My username was “CatbatCD” at the time. CD stood for “Character Design” because that was the class I was taking. I ended up cultivating a few followers. <100 I think? And I got the very occasional commission. After college, most of what I posted was TTRPG stuff. This was before D&D 5e got REALLY big, so I was posting a LOT of D&D and Dark Heresy doodles and most people did not care that much. (For those of you who were watching me back when I drew a lot of Eden and Dark Heresy stuff, you the real MVPs.) At this point I had around 400-500 followers would be my guess!

But I started accumulating more once I started playing MMOs and doodling stuff with those games as a tag! No joke, when I started playing Wildstar (RIP) and started posting work, it generated a lot of engagement from people and I definitely started accumulating more followers (more mutuals, specifically!) It was the perfect combo of original content and pre-established universe that people were familiar with! It was also when I started being more serious about taking commissions.

Now this is the point where my Pro Strat doesn’t exactly get repeatable. Halloween of 2015. I had been following along with the Sketch Dailies prompts on twitter (I don’t even know if they’re active anymore.) And right around Halloween the prompt was “Pumpkin King.” I did a little 20 minute doodle of Jack Skellington and threw it on my tumblr and didn’t think of it.

Well, guess what fuckin 20 minute doodle got featured on the tumblr radar?

In one night, I randomly gained 500 followers. It was BONKERS. ESPECIALLY since it was a piece I put next to no effort in. I still have mixed feelings about that, but I have about 1000 followers and at this point it’s been about 3-4 years. Now this is where it kinda gets down to a more tedious grind. After this point, I don’t have any follower-gaining miracles except do lots of art! Take commissions! Post commissions! Do art challenges! In your specific circumstance, you have to just start your blog. You can’t start it thinking “I’m gonna get 1000 followers in the first year.” You simply CAN’T approach it like that. Cultivating followers for an art blog takes a lot of time. And honestly for me, I didn’t really approach it with followers in mind when I first made my blog. It was literally just somewhere I was slapping art projects up for my prof to view remotely. You just got to go with it. Make your blog, post art you make, be kind, find communities you love, and you will develop a community of your own. <3 I hope that was even a tiny bit helpful, or at the very least somewhat insightful.

#not art #followers #online presence #whycantibeclever

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staysocky · 5 years

Photo

answering a handful of asks under the cut !!

answers & replies here are generally:

brush settings

misc. responses

(MANY OF THESE I’M ANSWERING...VERY LATE.... IM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY I JUST WANTED TO WAIT A BIT SO I COULD COMPILE EVERYTHING ALL TOGETHER.....)

Anonymous said: Hello friend may I ask about your brush settings? Because I am in love with your colouring and line work!

Anonymous said: Your art is so cute! What brushes do you use?

Answer: i main SAI2 now, but here are the same settings when i was using them in the original SAI!!

(i just copied my own settings in SAI2 now so they should work the same... also sometimes i use the marker tool for doodling nowadays)

Anonymous said: do you post speedpaints anywhere? i'd love to see your painting process! your art style is phenomenal hngh

Anonymous said: Do you have a youtube channel? Just wondering, since I can't seem to find it. I'd like to watch some speedpaints or something .u.

Anonymous said: could do you a tutorial on how you color hair??? its so pretty and baffles me all the time

Anonymous said: Would you ever do a tutorial showing how you draw? I've see you post on how you color but not lineart (ps your style is super duper cute!!)

Anonymous said: Ayy ;3c hello stocky, your art is amazing ;; how is your process for color your drawings? Plz need to know! God bless you♥

Anonymous said: How do you color soooo well? Can I get some tips? ( ;n; )

Answer: i’ve sometimes done lil art streams for friends before! i could use the same capture software to make speedpaints sometime.... i’ve been considering it for a while actually!

my process can be a lil sloppy when i try to break it down into steps for tutorials so i think the best way to show + explain is through art streams (& video process)...

i was thinking of starting art streams on twitch in the near future too... it’s just when i’ll finally be able to get setup finally that i’d be able to set a streaming schedule

Anonymous said: I never played Megaman but I used to watch my older brother play it, and I finally started playing it because of your art too lmao (i love it)

Answer: MEGAMAN GOOD!!! im so glad you’re enjoying the series now too!!

Anonymous said: Socky, will you restock the sanic charms (the knuckles and tails link one) or make other characters?? i love them !

Answer: THANK YOU i’m glad u like em!! each time they sell out i do plan to restock them so no worries!! 👍 I AM AIMING TO MAKE MORE CHARMS OF OTHER SONIC CHARACTERS TOO they’ll come eventually when i’m able to make the designs & get them ordered!!

Anonymous said: ((whispers, this may have been asked before and I wasn't sure where to ask it, but what does "i tried my best x5" mean? is it a reference to something? ;;))

Answer: OH NO WORRIES I’LL CLEAR IT UP!! it’s in reference to a youtube user’s rp comments as “kagamine len”. i’ve seen it MANY years ago & at that time it became sorta an inside joke between me & my friends.

later i referenced/used it as a response a few times on my len askblog to keep it going.

it’s a small lil thing i guess but i’ve sorta adopted the saying now haha

Anonymous said: socks r gr8 doncha think

Anonymous said: ookay im going to sleep now sorry

Answer: no come back you are valid !!

Anonymous said: your aRT gives me heARTATTACKKKS

Answer: BREATHE, ANON

Anonymous said: I JUST FOUND YOUR BLOG AND I LOVE YOUR ART STYLE! <3

Anonymous said: Wanted to say I absolutely love your art and how you draw the Kagamines. Please keep it up!

Anonymous said: HELLO I JUST. WANNA SAY I ADORE YOUR ART AND BLOGS !! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND I ALSO WISH YOU ALL THE BEST !!

Anonymous said: your art makes me cry out of joy. I am actually crying because your style makes me so happy!!!! keep up the good work!! <3

Anonymous said: your artstyle. CUTE

@transjackatlas said: you art style is absolutely adorable 💙💚💕

@emmi-san said: I only wanted to say that I love your art style and the cute representations of the vocaloid songs ✨💕

@tyranart said: Your arts wonderful and I hope your day is full of nothing but enjoyment

@thekillermarti said: how do you draw so cute?!

@neykoart said: YOUR ARTSTYLE IS SO CUTE OH MY GOD YOUR TETO DRAWING WARMS MY HEART SO MUCH

@dumiz-hyper-saiyan said: Hiya! I wanted to ask, how is your art so great!? You are so so talented (I know it’s not really a question but I love your drawings so much! I hope we can be friends cause you seem to be a amazing person!) hehe!♥️

@seraphofivorylight said: (￣▽￣) i just found ur blog today and i want to say i really love how soft ur art is !! its super pleasing to look and i definitely wish i could have some of these as prints to slap onto my wall of posters ✨ keep doing ur good work !! i hope ur doing well !!

Answer: THANK YOU SO MUCHHCH!!!!! i’m glad y’all are enjoying my art u folks are the MVPs & it’s super motivating to get your nice feedback _(┐「ε:)_ 💕 💕 //sends you all my lov e

@moderndayoutsider said: Just thought I'd shoot a message and say that I absolutely ADORE your art and you're one of my inspirations <3 God bless! Keep on doing what you're doing! :D

Anonymous said: ahh i wana say that ive been a fan of you for years and youve inspired my own art sm T_T... bout time i told you how much i love ur stuff 💖💖💖

Anonymous said: Woah, I'm a bit new to your blog and I just want to say how cute your art is. I'm literally so glad this was on my recommended. If I hadn't clicked on your blog then I don't know where I would be. To be honest, I would send you this on my real account but I'm actually really afraid to talk to you, and plus I'm really shy heheh. But keep up the good work! You're an inspiration to us all.

Anonymous said: Hi socky!!! I just wanna drop by and say that I love ur art so so so much !! The coloring and shape of it is so appealing and sometimes I spend hours at a time on your social media just marveling your art. It's really pretty!! Keep up the good work ✨✨✨

Answer: sdfgFDGDdsf knowing that u folks are inspired by my works makes it all worth it, i hope u know (;__;💕 💕 thank you so much for sticking around & enjoying!!! it really means A LOT pleas y’all have a lovely week!!

Anonymous said: Do you take commissions?

Anonymous said: Commission?

Answer: I SORTA HAVE COMMISSIONS OPEN tho i take them by a commission form which puts you on a waitlist. i’m more active on my twitter and tweet updates, & handle most contact about them there...

here’s a link to the tweet about my current commission info + the link to the form is inside --> [comm info]

Anonymous said: Where are you from? Your art is so clean and stylish!! 💖✨

@mysticmangaanimepainter said: What year u start drawing???😮

Answer: started drawing wayyy back when i was able to first hold a crayon haha. tho i sorta started paying attention to what i was doing around middle school? started drawing digitally between middle & high school iirc... im from the US also !!

AAAND AGAIN A LOT OF THESE WERE ASKED/SENT VERY LONG AGO..... & IM SORRY FOR JUST NOW ANSWERING THEM... o+<

but to all who’s sent me nice messages & words of encouragement, thank you so much 😭💕💕💕 i rly appreciate em all & even tho i’m not very responsive here on tumblr i rly like to look at and read the messages from time to time;;;💖

#THIS IS SO LATE THERE ARE ASKS SENT FROM YEARS AGO IM SO SORRY HGFDJLHDJ #i'm not very responsive here on tumblr but i do see & love all the good feedback yall have sent!!#ask compilation #answered

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finalskies · 5 years

Note

You seem to be good at this, so I thought I'd ask: any tips for making quick little arts like you do sometimes?

Tip 1: Have a lot of references on hand

Like, a lot. All kinds of characters, all kinds of poses, all kinds of expressions. I tend to use The Movie more for references now, but show style is still good too. Also guides and stuff from other artists too. This way you can swiftly morph together a few poses, slap an expression on it, and bam you got yourself an original drawing. Having a bunch of references really helps streamline the process. No need to spend time hunting for them (unless there’s something very specific you’re missing), and just having a reference in the first place makes starting the drawing much easier imo

Tip 2: Find good motivation to practice frequently

For me, it was “drawn responses.” I used to do tons of them on reddit, imgur, derpibooru, etc. Depending on the context, it could force me to draw all kinds of wacky things, which I feel like can be good practice too. They’re just simple lil’ doodles that would make people’s day. And that would make my day.

But everyone is different. I think probably the best method would be joining in on those “30 minute challenge” blogs. You literally have no choice but to go fast!

Tip 3: Let it be fun, let it be imperfect. You don’t gotta worry about making every drawing totally awesome, especially little sketches. Keep it loose. Just focus on getting the broad strokes correct. If it’s something you’d wanna post (something like, my dumb little cartoons lol), I’d say put 80% of the effort into the main focus of the drawing. Like, if it’s a “reaction image” drawing, put that 80% into the facial expression. Whatever you think people will look at first, that’s what you focus on.

And finally, friendly reminder that I’m a trash artist, and this is just what works for me personally.

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comicteaparty · 5 years

Text

October 19th-October 25th, 2019 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from October 19th, 2019 to October 25th, 2019. The chat focused on the following question:

Describe your design process for new characters. How do you go about it?

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

Ohooh it is my time! First I draw a bunch of quick drawings of body and face We are a small team, so then we had discussions, we knew how they looked in general, sallly had to be small with curls etc. Then when the body was chosen it was time to draw outfits. Since we are doing a whole world we had to find out about what kind of clothing generally people would wear, what accessories, what does nobels and rich wear, contra poor, what is religious garments. Then the faces had to be chosen and drawn again. Then when all elements was in place, it was time for colors. For Lani, I did like 30 different versions of colors, ans combination before we found the right one. For side characters there has been only a few sketches, and since we knew the whole class system with clothing, it was easier to pick and match compared to place in society. Then thinking about the role the person have in society. Next is designing scientist, and that's going to be fun!

Line up if the finished designs of the main(edited)

Face exploration

[IMAGE]

More final clothing design

[IMAGE]

Color exploration

[IMAGE]

spacerocketbunny

Oh damn I love all this! I never thought of actually mapping out all the different classes religious/ non religious formal/ casual etc. That's so smart! And these designs are so cute ahhhh

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

aaw thanks! It was very important for us that it was clear to see! Since the man Andrée is a nobel, and Sallly was part of a crime gang, and Lani is a tempelgirl, and we do have a lot of different social groups

The Q - working on WAYFINDERS

And their homeland is very northern/Viking inspired. I'm very excited to show the other country in the story, which has a much more Mediterranean flavor!

Also yes @Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS is super impressive!

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

Aaaaaaaw you are too sweet!

AntiBunny

Process? Not so much a process as an idea forms in my subconscious and then like Athena rises fully formed in armor from my head. After that they will go through a few revisions. Usually they get simplified a bit, I try to make them a bit more iconic, and easier to draw repeatedly of course.

In AntiBunny http://antibunny.net/ this resulted in some of the earlier character designs being a tad inconsistent, for instance a character in a T-Shirt interacting with a character in a long winter coat.

Since then I've been trying to come up with more consistent seasonal outfit designs. With Book 2 I think I've gotten a lot more consistent with the outfits all making it very clear that it's summer.

So short version is that it starts out with them forming organically from loose ideas, then getting refined and redesigned over time. Not exactly the most scientific approach I know.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

For new major characters in Phantomarine (http://www.phantomarine.com/) I usually try to design a character and draw them at least 5 times before I have them show up in the comic. Their initial design usually pops into my head pretty quickly, but I do a bunch of test drawings to A) see what looks best and B) isolate things that might be difficult to replicate, and simplify them as much as I can. For new minor characters, my process is way more haphazard - and I’ll admit I fall back on a lot of similar face and body shapes when designing incidental crowd characters or random one-line characters.

But the area I’ve had the most fun jumping into - and didn’t expect to even try out - was costume design. I imagined my characters staying in their main outfits for the entire story, but was encouraged to design wardrobes for each, just as a fun exercise at first. And now, I see outfit-swaps as ways to get out of drawing ruts - and it’s more fun for the readers, too! Makes total sense that characters would switch clothes over a longer story, so when I started doing it, it was not only a “OF COURSE!” moment, but a huge relief in terms of being allowed to try new designs. I’m really looking forward to drawing my characters in all sorts of different ways now.(edited)

The Q - working on WAYFINDERS

THem color schemes though!

MJ Massey

I need to get better about this. I usually slap dash throw characters together, especially background characters, but based on their character traits, I have an idea of how I want them to look.

For my main characters, I start drawing them a couple times, mostly just doodles and then like a concept art or two to really get the hang of them, but I find that drawing them in the comic is what gets them under my fingers the best

Emily and Chester were the ones I designed first, as the two mains I wanted to make sure they would play off each other well. With Emily, the key thing was to make sure she wasn't too cute or attractive--she's supposed to be kind of plain looking and a little drab

Chester, in contrast, is soft and playful looking while Emily is more angular and sharp

Cronaj

For Whispers of the Past, my characters have gone through several redesigns over the years, as I spent time planning the comic, getting better at drawing, and discovering the deeper personalities of my characters. As it is my first comic, I wasn't very organized in my initial process. Since my art style is not very cartoony, I don't use the same stylistic cues to help the readers tell the characters apart, and instead, I rely on a lot of subtle features to tell them apart, such as Agatha's thick eyebrows and full lips:

Or Izrekiel's round under-eye, or his round face:

Some of these reference sheets are more complete than others, and some are older or newer depending on how much help I needed when adjusting each character's designs to my evolving style.

Desnik

I usually start with writing them before I totally know what they look like. Sometimes they wind up with props that I need to work into the design as the story gets rewritten.

Deo101 (Millennium)

For me I generally have a solid idea in my mind before I start drawing. I draw that idea, refine it a bit, and then I draw them about 10-100 more times, depending how much they'll show up. For background characters i pretty much design them right then and there, but for major and minor named characters, i need to get comfortable with them and really test how they react to things. I also will paint my main characters, because I find that forcing myself to fully realize what the character would look like realistically really helps me be more informed when I'm simplifying them later! I tend to focus pretty strongly on color, and tend to monochrome designs. There is also some research involved, where i make moodboards once i get the initial design down so I can refine things! A lot, i know.

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #creator interview #comic creator interview #creator babble #comic tea party #ctp

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ask-shakespearehigh · 5 years

Text

Q&A post with the Mods!!!!

This is going to be a long one oh boy

How strict is the delineation of creative control vis-a-vis characters/plays between the mods? (@pedanticlecturer)

We generally have the plays split up along lines of “what we know”— we have a list at the very beginning of the blog. Sometimes we’ll draw the others’ characters (mostly me drawing some of Star’s…) but even then the final say on characterization is up to the “main” mod for that play — mod aster

what aster said -- mod star

What is your favorite play? What is your favorite character in terms of how they were written in the source material? (@pedanticlecturer)

I think my favorite play overall is Macbeth, just because I like the vibes (and the fact that I too could kill Macbeth), the fact that you don’t say it’s name in theatres, and the fact that it’s a play I did a full read through and analysis of in class. Favorite character? Puck from Midsummer. — mod aster

uhhhh,, hmm. ive always had a soft spot for midsummer since i saw it with aster esp bc of how fun the costumes were. of the comedies it has the largest potential to be the most visually pleasing bc of the concept of fairies,,,and im gay and dramatic so i love that. id die if i got to costume design for midsummer,,,or be in it,,,yeah. fav character. hmm. probably mercutio?? i recently saw a version of romeo and juliet where mercutio was played by a woman and oh my god it was amazing!!! not to mention mercutio’s portrayal in baz luhrmann's INCREDIBLE version of r n j!!! (I based my mercutio design on him) he just spends the entire time making dick jokes. love that. -- mod star

How do you answer asks so fast? I mean it's great but I'm impressed 😂 (Anon)

Personally, it’s a mix of: notifications on, quick drawing speed, and using the blog to avoid my class work — mod aster

aster is fast and (as you can see from all of my answers) im lazey -- mod star

Are there any elements/characters of the plays you're covering that you would have liked to work into this blog's plot, but couldn't due to the constraints of the setting or the synthetic nature of the blog? (@pedanticlecturer)

I wanted to make everyone gay but unfortunately due to plot constraints we have to have some hets but that wont stop me from making it lgbt as possible. -- mod star

I did want to make The Tempest more of a central play, but it just didn’t translate well. Similarly, other supernatural elements like the witches in Macbeth. This isn’t so much a constraint mentioned, but my own time/energy means that I want to show the Macbeth backstory, in a specific format, but I can’t right now— mod aster

Is there a hierarchy of import when it comes to each play's individualized impact on shakespeare high's general arc? If so, what plays are crucial to the foundation of the story? Which ones did you do mostly for shits and giggles? (@pedanticlecturer)

This is phrased like an ACT question and i might not answer it right so sorry in advance but: mod aster and i only selected a few plays for each of us to do given we dont know all of shakespeare’s works, but we tend to put more emphasis on the the more well known. But it also comes down to 1. How much we have plotted out for each play and 2. What the followers ask about most. Our two most popular are hamlet and macbeth bc people are familiar w those but around march caesar always becomes relevant again. I didnt even have designs for some of the characters until someone asked about them. -- mod star

I would say the same as star— it generally comes down to what people ask about. I will say that the overall plot is sort of separated into “has happened” and “is happening”. Like, the human potion of Midsummer, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth are all in the “aftermath” portion, while Twelfth Night, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet, among others, are happening. We’re trying to incorporate as much as we can, and I don’t think any of them were really put in without some thought.— mod aster

What personal significance does shakespeare hold in ur guys' lives? (@pedanticlecturer)

I go to a theater school rn and so ive dealt w shakespeare (although not all of them) it also helps that i was in loves labours lost last year as moth and that i read hamlet and r n j. Theres also a theater in my state that always does One Big Shakespeare per season and they always do them super well!!! My love for shakespeare probably started w seeing midsummer at that theater w mod aster!!! So. Theater kid rights!! -- mod star

To be honest, I got back into Shakespeare Because of the blog. I’ve been friends with some people that got really Pretentious about Shakespeare, and it kinda put me off of it. I did have a book of abridged plays (the plays’ plots written out in prose, basically) that I read as a kid, which is what got me into not only the plots of a lot of the plays, but also the idea of having them illustrated. And, same as star, the theater in state does the One Big Shakespeare— and they tend to do some really cool things with the costumes, setting them in diff time periods. I haven’t been able to see any lately since I’ve moved, but they still slap. — mod aster

🥰😘💙🥰🥰💜💟🥰I 😍💗💚😍😍LOVE🖤🖤 YALL ♥️♥️🧡💛💚💝❣️💕💘💖💗💓💞💝❤️💛💜 okay now i have a question i swear— how long have the two of you been doing art??? and what were your first shakespeare plays??? (@hellaghosts)

Uhh i started drawing when i was like idk 12 and i have the giant boxes of sketchbooks to prove it!!! I moved to digital art at abt 14-15 but mostly stayed traditional until this yr when i got a Neat New Tablet so some of my sketchbooks are sitting abandoned rip. My first shakespeare was either romeo and juliet or midsummer nights dream and i love both of them v much!!! I have a very old piece of art that i did for r n j for my freshman class assignment on it and it hasnt aged well alsdjfjafd circa 2016 i think??? -- mod star

Oh man. I started drawing when I was about 10, but it was Bad. I don’t think I got much into drawing again until I was about 14? Sometime around the end of middle school/beginning of high school. I would say I started getting into drawing as more than doodling/coloring edits sometime around 2015-16? I would draw on my iPad with my finger, then I got a tablet for my computer, and now I pretty much stick to my iPad with an Apple Pencil. My first Shakespeare play was….. uh…… probably Midsummer???? I have No idea. We would go to plays when I was little, so I honestly don’t remember if I saw others before. It may have been Romeo and Juliet— I had that book where it was the original and the “modernized” with the little dog that explained things— which, if you know it makes sense, but if you don’t is probably a bonkers answer. — mod aster

Do you think this blog has like? An overarching thesis (be it b/c intentionally or simply b/c ur own take on the world has bled thru to the point where u believe it’s central to the piece at this point)? (@pedanticlecturer)

Not gonna lie, I had to read that like three times AND dm you to figure out what you were asking from us and all I have is “be gay, respect women, write your own happy endings”. — mod aster

This blog started with an ides of march shitpost and you think we have enough brain energy to write a whole thesis? I projected feelings of found family onto my half of the blog but idk if that counts. Be gay do crime 420 69 -- mod star

What’s the nature/rough dynamic of ur relationship? How do y’all know each other? (@pedanticlecturer)

Met mod aster when i was like 4 and even tho we didnt live close we became like, best friends although the Best part didnt start until we were like 13-ish and eventually we talked like non stop (about anime and homestuck. Yknow. 13 year old kid things) and we didnt see each other a lot bc of Distance and now its even worse bc aster is in colleg.,e but we consider each other siblings regardless of family bc we’re adopted into our own respective families so that bled over into our friendship and it would feel weird calling him anything other than my brother now. We’ve seen each other at our best and worst and if you really want a good insight on what we’re like as siblings watch griffin and justin mcelroy’s overview video of catlateral damage wherein i am griffin and he is the long suffering justin. -- mod star

Star is basically my long distance sibling and functionally the only cousin I recognize bc like their parents are basically an aunt and uncle and like our dads look enough alike that we’ve both accidentally gotten the wrong dad for a hug or similar so like. Anyways yeah Star is the Griffin to my Justin, complete with our absent middle brother who we love dearly— mod aster

Dubiously relevant q but what kind of music do y’all listen to when u do art (if that is indeed a habit either of u partake in) (@pedanticlecturer)

It can depend on the piece? I was working on some (unrelated) oc prints that were song-focused, and for those I just listened to said song on loop. Sometimes I have playlists. Sometimes I’ll just be in a Mood and throw a song on loop. But a lot of time for the blog, I’ll listen to The Adventure Zone for the billionth time, because I have Too Much Attention. I’ve also, on request from Star, linked the most recent “loop song”.— mod aster

I tend to obsess over the same like 3 songs every few weeks so those get listened to on repeat but it also depends on the tone of what im drawing or who im drawing i might genre switch bc of that. If im drawing ophelia i stick to lana del rey and if im drawing hamlet its the neighborhood, horatio is sufjan stevens etc. i have categorized,. Most of the characters i draw into different songs/genres/energies of music but not like i ever follow that. Sometimes i just pull up a really long nonsense video and forget to draw. Essentially: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ -- mod star

How’d y’all come up with ur pseudonyms? (@pedanticlecturer)

I love space so much and my main blog is starryeydsailor space gay rights!! Im also tiny and full of energy and bright so basically i;m star -- mod star

Uhhhh i was like “hey i want to do uhhhhhh flower?” And then I google searched flower names until I found one I liked —- mod aster

How did you end up deciding the rough timeline of events in canon? (@pedanticlecturer)

It’s mostly determined by like. How we choose per story? If that makes sense. Like, we just take story by story, and decide “is it happening, has it happened, and when?” And then we fit them together in relation to each other just by dint of. All existing at once. Like, I knew I wanted Macbeth to be in aftermath, because like, even though there’s no murder, the way I’ve translated it to the AU is still kinda heavy, and it’s something that I don’t know that I could do properly if it were happening right now. Also, it’s more interesting IMO to have them at different times. Tl;dr we wing it per story and slot them together— mod aster (mod star agrees I just can word better, in theory)

If you could tell the story of shakespeare high in a different format than an ask blog, would you? Obviously y'all are making very good use of the format, but would you want to write this as a animated series or like? a comic book? or is the form inseparable from the story? (@pedanticlecturer)

I kinda wanted to do a webcomic or maybe to plot develop through like, animatics but the element of surprise comes from the asks we get and really makes us think so the blog is a good start. We didnt think we’d get this far -- mod star

Pretty much what Star said— there are certain elements where it’d be neat to do as a comic or as an animatic. Like, the fantasy dream is like, an anthology webcomic of each story, where you can like, see other characters in the background and stuff. But to be honest, we develop a lot by what we’re asked— there was a post about developing worldbuilding by being asked questions and then pretending you’ve thought about the answer, and it’s not far off. Personally, it’s hard to just lay out a story, because I have a whole WORLD and what’s relevant? What are people interested in? It’s by getting questions that I can then focus in on an area to develop. And yeah, we Super didn’t think we’d get this far lmao — mod aster

Any headcanons about your characters that you don't think will ever come up on the blog through asks or plot posts? (@pedanticlecturer)

I could make a whole separate post for this!!!!! Mostly its voice headcanons (and by mostly i mean like 1 or 2) or relationship hcs!!!! -- mod star

Honestly same. I don’t think I have voice headcanons for mine, though I bet I could find some. I’ve got a bunch of miscellaneous headcanons that just kinda float around, but like they’re scattered, too numerous for this post, and also not always things I’m sure are canon yet.— mod aster

#mod post #mod aster #mod star #q and a #birthday #we cant seem to read more AND tag so like brb gonna go kill god

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europeanguy · 5 years

Text

Gotta Gogh [Part 2: Apple Water Is Not A Real Drink]

Pairing: Nadia x Maxwell

Words: 3,138

Tags: Canon Divergence, Crossovers, Curse words probably, The Riot Club!AU sort of, Loss

Neville pinches the bridge of his nose and heaves a sigh. It was dark outside, Leo left three hours ago, and they have emptied a bottle of 18-year old Macallan whiskey (it was 70% Leo’s – he drank straight from the bottle). Maxwell didn’t understand why he wouldn’t just simply recruit their friends. Every member of the club had to be handpicked by Neville, approved by Leo, be a noble, or at least be as rich.

“Max, I’m asking you – not as president of the club, but as your friend. Are you sure you can’t do anything about Liam?”

“I told you, several times Neville. He doesn’t like clubs – especially ours. You know how he is –“

Maxwell did ask Liam, but nothing could sway this person’s principles. Not even an offer to get him a life-time supply of baklava. Or buying him a peacock (which he definitely did NOT like. Said peacock now resides at the Ramsford Estate’s menagerie. No returns or refunds.)

“But Leo was president!” Neville looked like he was ready to tear his hair out of his scalp.

Although, it wasn’t just the general debauchery that they got up to that “bothered” Liam – it was Neville himself. And to be completely honest, Maxwell started seeing it too. But he’s not about to tell him that.

“And that’s exactly why he doesn’t want it.” Maxwell stands up and gathers his coat. He slings his UofC scarf around his neck. “Now, until you actually want to talk to me about club stuff, and not His Royal Highness, I’m leaving.”

As he goes down the winding staircase to the main museum wing, Maxwell passes a portrait of Prince Leo Rys, King of Hedonists, probably the worst ex-president in the hall of fame. Maxwell was only familiar of the “dinners” he threw for the club through stories by past members – it made Neville’s parties look stale. His own older brother, Bertrand, was Leo’s right hand during their time. But after their parents died it was hard to imagine Bertrand doing any sort of activity that a normal person would consider fun.

Maxwell doesn’t see where he’s going as he turns a corner to the archway, and he runs into someone. “Otis! shit, sorry,”

Oh. It’s not Otis.

The girl hurriedly straightens up, backing away a few steps. She looks worried, and Maxwell cuts her off before she could apologize. It would’ve been the second time today. “Wait, you’re not Otis. What are you doing here?”

He notices her fidgeting, absent-mindedly picking at her nails. However, she notices it too and immediately stops, and hides both hands behind her back instead. “I’m Nadia,” she smiles. It’s small, but even that he notices. “I work here part-time… uh… sir..?”

“Sir? No, just Maxwell.” Maxwell could feel the corners of his mouth turning up. Technically it was Lord but he was already douche-y enough during their first ‘encounter’. “So, what do you do…for the rest of the time?” Witty, Max. Fucking cool it.

“I’m an exchange student actually, Fine Arts.” Nadia says proudly. “Um, Otis actually left early, if you’re looking for him?”

Maxwell shakes his head. “No, no – I was just leaving. So, Otis left early? What happened to him?” Some nights club meetings go until eleven, and the old man would still be at the museum. Sometimes Maxwell wonders if Otis was actually a real person – not just some grumpy museum spirit who likes to clean and give tourists dirty looks if they get a little too close to the art.

“I may have convinced him to go home,” Nadia smiles and starts walking, Maxwell catches up to walk beside her. “I found out that he collects sketches, doodles, stuff like that – so I promised him one if he went home before dinner today.”

“He talked to you??” Maxwell asks in disbelief. He tried befriending the guy, but he was as cold as ice. The one time Otis did sort of interact with him was three years ago.

Maxwell has stayed over in the museum before – in their club’s office in the upstairs left wing. The office had been there since this very building was built. The whole construction paid for, of course, by one of the esteemed members in 1645. He was nineteen and drunk out of his wits – the night of his parents’ funeral. He collapsed onto one of the leather chesterfield sofas and yet he didn’t sleep a blink. The next morning Bertrand came running in with Otis, his brother looking gaunt and haggard – like he aged ten years. He hugged Maxwell and for once Maxwell had openly sobbed onto his brother’s jacket until there was no more.

Otis left to give them privacy, and when he returned he had coffee for them both. Bertrand thanked the old man, and patted him on the back as they left for home – to Ramsford – forced to face a home without their mother’s infectious laughter.

“Hey, you okay? I didn’t know you wanted to befriend Otis that much.” Nadia jokes, quickly glancing at him to gauge his reaction. Maxwell gives her a reassuring smile. How could he not, when looking at a face like that?

“He likes drawings huh? I’m not very good,” Maxwell confesses. “I think I’ll need lessons.” It was his turn to check her reaction. He has had painting lessons (among others) as a child – his father knew all the tricks to make him and Bertrand look effortlessly accomplished. To keep up appearances. But Maxwell was always the one who would ditch those lessons to go play somewhere else. Sometimes Bertrand would join, and their mother would find them both muddy, their leather shoes and the hems of their shorts soaked with water from the estate’s lake. But she only shook her head, smiling, as she led them back to the house to clean up.

“Well… this is a once in a lifetime offer but, if you’re here tomorrow I can give you one.” Nadia shrugs like it was no big deal.

“Hm,” Maxwell was almost jumping at the thought, but he had to retain some semblance of a cool image. “We’ll see.”

The next day after his last class, Maxwell finds his feet taking him to the museum, walking a little faster than normal. He knew he must’ve looked like a manic high on caffeine, but he didn’t care. He ran into Tariq, spilling coffee into his jacket.

“This is new!” Tariq yelled after him but Maxwell escaped with excuses of promising to pay for it as he backs away. He doesn’t hear Neville whispering to Tariq about “some American on a scholarship”, he can only see Nadia’s face. His fast walking pace turns to a jog – to a full-on sprint – when he sees the museum.

Nadia looks up from the front desk when Maxwell awkwardly (and quite dramatically) bursts through the doors.

“….Hi,” He breathes, taking in Nadia’s appearance. She smiles, but its tight, forced. Only does Maxwell notice the smooth classical music filling the room. “Bach?”

Her smile widens, more genuine this time. “Jon Liefs. How did you even mix that up?”

“Yeah, I-I don’t know anything about classical music. Believe it or not.” Maxwell only paid attention to music he could dance to. Slow dancing doesn’t count.

Nadia nods, humoring Maxwell. “Hey, so I promised you drawing lessons?” She clears her throat, then fruitlessly arranges papers on her messy desk.

This was his chance. “Actually… I was thinking we could go on an adventure?” He sounded more like he was asking a question than asking her out. Like a normal person.

Nadia sighs. “I don’t know. I’m kind of in trouble right now.”

Maxwell’s heart sinks to his stomach. “Trouble? What happened?”

“A professor yelled at me earlier because I couldn’t answer his question,” Nadia frowns. “I spent so much time studying up on paintings that I actually don’t know anything about Cordonia itself!”

Oh.

“My offer still stands...” Maxwell shrugs. “Let’s turn that trip into an educational one! Consider it a tutoring session, courtesy of a true local.”

Nadia narrows her eyes at him. “Where are we going? How should I know you’re not gonna kill me out of school premises?”

Maxwell’s jaw drops. “…did you just ask me that? Me? Look at this innocent face.” He pauses for effect. “See? I won’t hurt you.”

“Make sure of it.” Nadia meets his eyes as she quickly scribbles a number on a piece of paper. “I get off at five.”

Maxwell takes her number – it feels electric inside his fist. Or maybe his nerves are just going off. He shoves it inside his pocket as to not smudge the ink. “Right. I’ll see you later.” Two hours.

When Maxwell turns to walk away, he notices Otis standing to the side, giving the two of them a weird look.

“Hey, Otis.” He waves as he exits the museum.

“…hey.”

“Where are you even taking me?” Nadia walked beside him. It strangely felt natural, walking with Nadia along Cordonia’s capital city – cobblestone roads, traditional architecture, greenery growing wherever it allowed – and yet Maxwell wanted to shoot out of his shoes and into the sky. Calm down. A man was playing his guitar in a familiar tune, well, familiar to him. Nadia looked like she belonged in this beautiful place. He couldn’t help but smile at her and the sunshine she radiated – even when the sun has set.

“I was going to take you horseback riding but you’re wearing a dress… and I’m a gentleman.” Maxwell grins down at her, and Nadia scoffs at him.

“Horses?! You could’ve told me and I would’ve worn pants!” Nadia slaps him on the arm.

“Ow!”

“Oh, you baby. It wasn’t that hard… was it?” Nadia looks at him. “I took self-defense classes before, and I’ve been told to practice controlling my strength.”

Maxwell shrugs. “Dunno, I might need a kiss to make it better?”

Nadia stops walking and Maxwell looks back at her. “You’re a shameless flirt, you know that?” She shakes her head.

“Is it working though?” Maxwell flashes her a hopeful look.

“….no.” And with a smile, Nadia walks past him. She’s taking large steps, dodging a few people – some looking at Maxwell and then back at Nadia with that look on their faces.

“Wait up! You don’t even know where we’re going!” Maxwell weaves through the small crowd.

Nadia yells back, “I’m just following the smell of food!”

They end up inside a hole-in-the-wall café, a place that he has never entered in 21 years. The space was narrow, the brick walls were lined with old photographs, and the smell of freshly baked pastries. It was… as Bertrand would describe it… cozy – not without that judgmental look in his eyes.

“Why is it that you look like a lost puppy in your own country?” Nadia is sitting across from him.

“What? I’m just taking it all in…” Maxwell looks around, his eyes landing on her. “It’s um… very pretty.”

Maxwell clears his throat. “Anyway, how do you feel about breakfast for dinner? It’s not a Cordonian thing, it’s just a Maxwell thing.” Nadia’s eyes light up.

“I’m all for it. Just no apples.”

“Wow, offended Cordonian citizen here. I can only drink apple water to survive.”

“That’s not a real drink.” Nadia laughs.

“We’ll talk about drinks later,” Maxwell narrows his eyes at Nadia. “This apple argument isn’t over.”

He stands up, unsure. Right. So, no waiter. I just order in the counter – wait, do they accept credit cards?

“Do you need help, sir?” The guy behind the counter crosses his arms.

“Ah- yes, I’d like to order please.” The guy nods, finger poised to type in his cash register. Maxwell reads the menu, and looks back at Nadia. She gives him a thumbs up. “Two err- madame cristos-”

He manages to order without blundering and asking for apple water or “your most expensive champagne, preferably from the vineyards of Ramsford – a bottle of the L’ Dame Gold 1995 is best.”

“That will be 16 euros.” He finishes punching the order in, and his assistant, a girl no more than twelve (his daughter, probably) starts to fry up some eggs expertly in a griddle.

Maxwell hands him his credit card. He looks down on it, and hands it back. “Um, we only accept cash…”

Maxwell looks up at a sign above the counter. Cash only painted in big bold letters. Shit shit shit.

He sheepishly hands the man a 500 Cordonian-Euro note.

“Do you have a smaller amount, sir?” The guy looks confused now. “Or I could just run over to the next store to get you some change-“

“No, no! Please just keep it.” Maxwell could feel his embarrassment creeping up like the blood rushing to his ears. Note to self: keep smaller bills in wallet for next time.

The man argues, but Maxwell wouldn’t have it. Even he knows it’s ridiculous. Their hushed back and forth leads to an agreement on him coming back and getting “free” food until his balance runs out. Damn, all that arguing in his philosophy classes really came through.

Maxwell comes back to their table now with a tray of food plus a complementary dessert – their house special apple tarts.

“He gave it for free, couldn’t resist my charms.” Maxwell explains as he sits down, feeling more exhausted than after a jousting game with Leo. “What were we talking about?”

“Fancy apple infused water… drinks?” Nadia muses as she slices the egg on top of her madame cristo, breaking the perfect yolk.

“Right, you told me apple water isn’t a real drink, so we’ll have to agree to disagree on that.” Maxwell starts on his own sandwich. “However, I do have a non-apple drink that I invented and it’s amazing.”

“No apples? Tell me more.” Nadia takes a bite, her eyes widening. “Wow, this is… wow.”

“I know right?!” Maxwell grins proudly at her. “And I was getting to that, I actually need some name suggestions. It’s pineapple flavored, and it’s so good but super deadly.”

“Poisonous?” Nadia cocks an eyebrow. “I’m intrigued.”

“You could say that. My friend Tariq loved it so much – he failed an important test the next day and had to retake that class.” They all failed except for Liam, but he decided to leave that part out.

“Pineapple Paradise Punch.” Nadia says with a flourish of her fork. “It’s pineapple, you drink it and feel like you’re in paradise, and then it punches you in the gut the next day.”

“I don’t have to credit you every time I tell people about it, right?”

“You do! Every single time. Even if I’m not there. Nadia Park, famous painter and expert drink… namer. That could be a thing.”

Even if I’m not there.

Right.

“How about I make it for you whenever you want instead?”

Oh, god. No. No. Too forward. She’s not gonna stay in Cordonia forever.

Nadia simply smiles. “You’ll make it for me sometime this week. That’s a deal.”

It always got a little cold at night in Cordonia. After the cafe, Maxwell leads Nadia through streets that he doesn’t have memorized, but they were familiar enough. The crowd outside is starting to thin, a handful of tourists watching a saxophone solo being played. He doesn’t mind that he’s holding Nadia’s hand now as he practically drags the both of them toward the sound.

“Have I told you I’m a dancing king?” Maxwell grins at Nadia before tossing whatever bill he got first from his wallet inside the saxophone case laid out (he stupidly doesn’t carry change). The saxophonist’s eyes widen at the amount, but continues playing.

Maxwell holds his hand out to Nadia in the middle of the street, no cars, just warmly lit windows and some tourists – they don’t even matter. He half-expects Nadia to hesitate, but she immediately takes his hand and stands before him, matching his position.

“Dancing king? Let’s see then.” Nadia looks up at him, and rests one hand on his shoulder – the other in his hand.

He doesn’t see people looking in either adoration or judgement, he sees Nadia, and he hears the saxophone – like the music was being injected into his nerves. Maxwell easily leads her, surprisingly very light on her feet. He keeps his movement fluid and to the rhythm, raising the hand holding Nadia’s to cue her to do a spin. She does, laughing as she turns away from him and then their eyes meet again. Only for a second, because Maxwell surprises her by doing a spin of his own – quite the struggle considering his height but it only earns a laugh from the both of them. They stopped dancing, but the world is still spinning.

Maxwell wanted to kiss her as much as he needed to breathe.

Instead he drops his eyes and looks away.

“I think I need to see more dancing. Verdict’s still out.” Why did Nadia always know what to say? Maxwell plucks the courage to meet her eyes again but Nadia is simply watching the musician now, looking peaceful.

He sighs. “I don’t think you’re ready for b-boy Maxwell. It’s a lot to handle.”

She looks up at him. “You’ll find that I’m very…strong-willed? Prepared?” Nadia shrugs. “I can handle anything.” True, Maxwell thought. He wouldn’t know what to do if Bertrand had shipped him off to Oxford for one semester.

“I want you to meet my friends.” Maxwell blurts out.

Nadia laughs easily. “Wow, way to change the subject. Okay, why?”

��…Because you can tell a lot about a person by their friends. And we’re trying to get to know one another right?”

“I thought I was here to get to know Cordonia but… okay.” Nadia jokes. “So, are you saying that you carry hair gel and a comb wherever you go too?”

Maxwell snorts. Oh, Bertrand would have an aneurysm if he heard. “Are you talking about Neville?”

“Yeah…? That other friend you were with yesterday?”

Maxwell laughs. “No, I meant my real friends. Liam and Drake.”

“Just those two?”

“Only the ones who really matter.” He looks at her. “Liam is the most responsible and kind person I know. Got tons of girls after him, but he insists that his heart is only for Cordonia – so yes, he’s a dork. Drake, well, a little cold at first – but he’s a simple guy. Talk to him about fishing or camping and you guys will be automatic friends.”

“They sound like lovely guys.” But he could hear the slight hesitation in her voice. “Okay, let’s all hang out. Soon.” Maxwell releases a breath that he didn’t realize he’s been holding.

“How about this weekend? A few of us are planning on a little gathering…” Maxwell cocks an eyebrow at her. “It involves horses…”

“I’M IN.”

to be continued

FUN FACTS these facts are the best part only fools don’t read these

Lord and Lady Beaumont:

- In canon I’m pretty sure they died when Max and Bertrand were pretty young. But in this one, they died in 2008 (story takes place in 2011) so basically three years ago. Maxwell would have been 19 and Bertrand 24-25. It’s still pretty fresh.

- The orphaned Beaumonts don’t go broke in my universe. That’s just sad.

The Club:

- Leo and Bertrand ruled the club six years before Neville and Max. There was a group in between generations, but we don’t talk about them lmao.

- Leo still likes to keep tabs on the club even after he and Bertrand graduated from UofC.

- Members are mostly the nobility, rarely royalty, special cases of new money, and absolutely no commoners.

Just Noble Things:

- Leo had the idea to bring jousting into club activities. Neville loves them because he can take out his aggression – and hate for poor people. While watching, Liam convinced Drake to try it out once, and that was the last time Neville played. (He wasn’t severely injured physically, but his ego was thanks to a certain pants-ripping incident as he was sent flying off his horse.)

Cuisine:

- I HC that Cordonian cuisine is like a fusion of many others – with their own twist of course. Based from pictures, it seems that the geography and climate vary a lot, but the capital is near the sea. It has a Mediterranean vibe so that’s it, short answer: Cordonia has Mediterranean cuisine. Long answer: each duchy would specialize in different dishes. Portavira is near the sea, so seafood. Castelsarreillan is famous for their vineyards, but I’m imagining that they use olive oil, yoghurt marinades, complex spices, veggies, stuff like that – for entrees (simply because it looks like they have a lot of farmland). Olivia has mentioned before that she only likes her animals on a plate, so idk that just gave me a vibe that Lythikos is all about meat, deep and rich flavors that kind of contrast the cold all around. And of course, there are apple-themed dishes everywhere. Bottomline: I think about food a lot.

- Madame Cristos are a THING and yes, they are fucking delicious. It’s a cross between Croque Madame and a Monte Cristo. Here’s the recipe.

Currency:

- I wasn’t sure which currency Cordonia uses in canon. I read a “Krona” before but I’m pretty sure that’s a duchy (Madeleine’s fam). So, I just used “CDE” – meaning Cordonian Euros. It makes sense to me.

Dance, dance, dance:

- For the dancing scene with the sax solo, I was thinking more slow, sweet, “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” instrumental cover vibes rather than sexy “Careless Whisper” lmao

- This dancing scene is a nod to Miss Saigon’s “Last Night of the World” because I just fucking love Lea Salonga okay LISTEN TO IT FOR THE FEELS

#europeanguy #gotta gogh #part 2 #maxwell x nadia #maxwell beaumont #nadia park #trr #the royal romance #pm #perfect match #fan fiction #fluff #au #canon divergence #multiple crossovers #europeanguy fic #I KNOW I KNOW THE PACING IS too fast but im tryna fix that issue lmao #thanks for 400 followers!#long post

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