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uniformbravo · 7 years

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bloop heres a post abt my 3-day trip to san diego B)

this was just gonna be a list of highlights but i ended up talking about a lot so it’s more like a Kind Of The Highlights But I Got A Little Carried Away list

it was a 2 hr drive so i put on some tunes & forced everyone in the car to listen to my thousands of anime ops and piano covers it was *fire emoji* (im not on mobile)

at the end jaelin said she couldn’t hear it the whole time rip

made myself carsick looking at mob psycho memes while we looked for a parking spot at the museum for 20 minutes (it was worth it they were good memes)

the museum we went to had a whole gaming thing going on where they just had a shitload of games out for ppl to play & one of them was just dance projected onto like an entire wall basically & i mean i didnt play but it was fun watching my mom try her best

she played against two of my sisters who both beat her by more than double her score hgdhgksd bye mom

got a nauseating headache in the science museum & took the opportunity to sit down & look at more mob psycho memes for 35 minutes while the advil kicked in

felt better by the time we went to see this fuckin movie about national parks in the us but idk it was like. the whole reason my mom wanted to go to san diego was to see this movie bc they were getting rid of it soon & after seeing it i can see why they’re taking it out kjgkdjgksd like!!! it would’ve been cool if it told u shit about the parks like fauna and flora shit but it had this dumb little narrative abt these three campers traveling to each park & fucking around & i looked over at jaelin at one point & she was asleep & i was like same

im being too hard on it, it was kind of interesting to watch and had some cool visuals but the acting was pretty embarrassing & unnecessary, i wish it would’ve tried to be a documentary instead of entertaining. that’s my Professional Review of this random movie they’re removing forever soon, hope u enjoyed

realized i had more free time at the hotel than i thought i would & v heavily regretted not bringing my tablet to draw aaaaaahhhhh it was ok tho bc i brought my big sketchbook so i just drew in there B)

i’ve been drawing a lot of terukis i think i accidentally discovered a hidden love for him on the midnight shores of the san diego bay

(what i actually discovered is that he’s v easy to project a rly specific part of myself onto hgkdgksdjkgjsdk)

rented bikes to ride by the bay & it was super fun bc i havent ridden a bike in a long time but like. the second half started getting really hard for me & i thought i was just weak shit bc i literally never exercise but then i realized my back tire had gone flat hfdjghsd my legs were..... so sore

also the seat was shaped weird so my ass was sore for the rest of the trip. it’s still sore tbh. i have a bruised ass

went to a model train museum which was pretty cool bc the little towns had little people & jaelin and i were making up stories for them (my favorite recurring joke was pointing out ppl that had fallen over & calling them dead)

after the trains we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to stay a third day to see more museum shit bc why not so we managed to grab a room at a new hotel and #Locked In our decision

on the way to the second hotel we got a flat tire so i was like convinced i was cursed bc wtf it was literally on the same day???

while we waited for the tire repair i got a pink lemonade from taco bell and it was amazing i can’t believe i ever thought piece of shit sprite was worth even looking at over this

ok so i need to talk about the second hotel we stayed at because it was... literally the fanciest hotel i have ever stayed at in my entire 22 year old life

it was a mariott?? but a fuckin Fancy Mariott ok first of all we were on the 19th floor which just..... what the fuck

floor level was the 6th floor, this bitch went underground (though that might have just been the parking garage idk)

the lobby bathroom was like. jesus christ. to flush the toilet u wave ur hand over a sensor??? what’s wrong with just automatic toilets???? why are these toilets so extra????? i couldn’t even get it to work for so long jgkjdkgsd i hate technology

also there were moist towelettes sitting in a neatly folded pile by the sinks like what even. i thought it was paper towels but then it was wet

the lobby also had this fancy-ass bar/lounge where they served starbucks but u had to have a room key to get in i think

in the elevators to get to the rooms you can’t even enter the floor level until you hold your key card against a sensor like what the fuck..... we had to get some strangers to tell us how to do it gjdks i bet if we hadn’t been able to figure it out the elevator wouldve just dropped us 12 floors to our death like Access Denied, Assholes

the room itself was super fucking cramped tho which makes sense like if im gonna be able to afford anything at a place like this u better believe it’s gonna be the size of a damn peanut. it was the fanciest peanut ive ever seen in my life tho

the view was uhh we were directly across from some tall office building so at night u could like see into all the rooms it was kinda cool but also weird

there was a jar of hershey’s kisses on the coffee table when we got there but it was dark chocolate so like get the fuck outta here with that shit how dare you assault Mine Eyes (i ate like 4)

it rly was a tiny room tho and it didnt help that there were 5 of us rip... like there was a main room and a bedroom and a bathroom and already that’s making it sound bigger than it was hgkdjgskd

but even tho it was small it had a lot like.. there was a kitchenette that was big enough for like 1 person to stand there but it had a fridge/freezer, sink, dishwasher, toaster, microwave, cupboards & coffeemaker like there was so much shit crammed in there, this wasn’t no minimalist living space it was just. a lot crammed into one tiny floor plan

anyway yeah it was really bizarre for me to be in a place like that & i just constantly felt like i didn’t belong there but that was mostly my anxiety lol i really dont like being in fancy places in general idk. it was still kinda fun tho

the natural history museum was cool, they had a bunch of animal skulls & taxidermy which i thought was pretty neat. all their dinosaur stuff was in the basement tho which u had to pay extra to see which like. bye

they did have some cool movies tho, they were like nature documentaries, one on marine biology around baja california and the other on animals of the galapagos & those were pretty neat, way better than that national parks shit we saw at the science center jgkdjkskdkdjg

ok so this one’s more of a buildup over the 3 days so im gonna give a lil 3-part summary

day 1: we went to panda express for dinner & i had leftovers so i was like “sweet im saving these for when we get home” (bc the hotel had a fridge right)

day 2: got a rly good burger from a vegan place, my brother got the same one but didnt want his second half so i was like “cool more leftovers im gonna have so much good food when we get home this is perfect”

day 3: fucKIGN LEFT BOTH CONTAINERS IN THE FRIDGE ACCIDENTALLY WHEN WE CHECKED OUT HKDJFLSKDG i was literally so good about it the first two days like when we switched hotels i made sure not to forget them and i held onto them & everything & then halfway through the third day i was like “SHIT”

it’s ok tho bc for dinner that 3rd day we did panda again & i got the same thing so i have the same leftovers again hehehehehe

ok i think that’s basically everything & im not just saying that bc it’s 1:45 am and ive been working on this for like an hour and a half at this point.,.,. overall it was pretty fun, i think i liked the bikes & those animal movies the best... also the drive out bc i got to play my music lmfao (i love sharing my music ok)

anyway the end thank u

#retag later #today posts #oops this is rly long but uhh it was all over the course of 3 days so its fine

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beedalee · 7 years

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Bee’s Modest Art Arsenal

I made a comprehensive list of all the stuff I typically use to make art as of right now. It’s not meant to be an end-all-be-all for art supplies by any means, just... stuff I like! And it’s largely affordable whenever possible, yay!!! Some of my favorite art products I find completely on accident or in unlikely places so never be afraid to give it a shot if it calls to you! My list is under the cut, and ofc, all photos are not mine and used purely for educational purposes.

Paper & Sketchbooks

Printer paper (the cheapest kind anyway) is absolutely fine if it’s what’s accessible and convenient, especially if you’re just doing warmups and concepts! I like to keep paper and recycle it in some way too- and some printer/junkmail paper is REALLY nice!! Typically though I prefer bound sketchbooks to keep track of my growth better. I seek specific textures and weights that are better suited to more aggressive mediums, like watercolor and marker. Printer paper is flimsy and really only for dry media!

So for more experimental mixed medium drawing, like markers, paint, watercolor, heavy inks, scrap-booking and collage stuff, I own these:

Shown above are: Strathmore Mixed Media 400 series, Canson XL watercolor paper, Canson XL mixed media paper. Each pad was between 5-9 dollars depending on the size you want, and you can find these at many stores; Joann’s, Micheal’s, Walmart, Staples, etc.

As for sketchbooks- I don’t swear by a brand but here’s what I look for: I prefer wire bound or coptic binding, because both allow the book to lay flat (unlike classic “book” case binding) Also, texture is veeeery important to me! I like very smooth bright white paper that isn’t too thin for sketching and inking. It’s a small personal thing, but because I’m left handed, the more textured paper is the more I smudge it to hell and back. (;￣ー￣川

Pencils & Erasers

For general sketching, I prefer mechanical pencils (but I always keep some wooden pencils around too just in case I need something softer) I’ll use just about any brand or size lead, but my personal favorite is 0.5mm lead, and comfort grips are essential for your artist’s finger bump!!! The two pencils I use the most are a Bic Velocity and Pentel whose label has been smudged off... but again, ANY brand is seriously fine. Some people like standard .7 or even .9 could be good for you if you’re prone to breaking lead!

(Disclaimer: I have virtually no experience with those fancy different lead size HB wood pencils because it smudges so i don’t want it.... (ʘ‿ʘ);;; )

Red and blue sketching pencils are useful because when you scan it, you have the option of editing out JUST the blue or red channel in your art program, leaving only the refined sketch or inks. If you don’t have easy access to an art store that carries these kinds (or just love rainbows like me) use erasable colored pencils for more or less the same effect.

95% of the time, I don’t trust erasers on the tip of any pencil. Ever. My family has a bad habit of hoarding pencils for years or buying cheap ones with cute prints, so the erasers ALWAYS suck. Instead, I use an entirely separate selection of erasers.

Shown above are Faber-Castell eraser 3pack, Prismacolor kneaded rubber, and Pentel’s hi-polymer eraser. They’re relatively easy to find, though Pentel’s may be the easiest in a pinch, and you get a bunch for a low price! Those pointy pencil topper erasers work as well if you want something smaller tho!

Kneaded rubber is really useful if not making a eraser crumb mess is very important to you or your work, effective and very gentle. (and gross looking after a while... like a grey poo... but it’s fun to play with?) I always have a big fat eraser like these around for erasing large areas- I prefer them a LOT over pink erasers, which occasionally do the dreaded smudge or dry out. and then smudge. HHNGGH

Pictured above are Papermate TUFF STUFF eraser stick (and a refill), Pentel’s Clic Eraser, and Clic Eraser refills. The refills are almost always exactly next to the product itself.

So you have a big eraser! But for detail work and hard to reach spaces, that fat nub might make you want to pull your hair out as you accidentally erase the face you spent 15 minutes perfecting. These are probably one of my favorite tools, and I’ve used them since I was 14! Pentel’s eraser is great for moderate to fine detailing, and then I recently found Papermate’s at a Dick Blick. It may be the most elusive (I mean.. we have the internet now so...) but it’s INCREDIBLE for detail erasing. I’m super finicky about precision, so these are heavenly for me.

Pens & Markers

For inking and lining, I turn to these! They’re pretty accessible in many stores now-a-days (Sakura used to be so hard to find). Shown here are Sakura Micron Pigma 8 pack and Staedtler Pigment Liner 4pack. Staedler was my first baby-bee brand and the quality is still good, even if I prefer Sakura now because of the wide variety of nib sizes. You can also find Sakura in singles in art stores like DickBlick or Jerry’s Artarama probably! Liners are waterproof and archival, and take a lot of punishment under wet media or on top (though I’d always encourage letting it dry first.)

Shown above are Sakura Micron Gelly Roll Metallic and Classic White Gel Pens! Gel pens were a super cool fad back in the 2000s for me but now they actually serve a REALLY handy purpose. You could use them to highlight or detail just about anything, but I especially find the metalic and white gelpens very useful. The metals are great to add a bit of bling to a drawing, shine your rendered metal, or just add sparkles. ✧☆✧ (و｡･｀ω´･｡)و The white is GREAT for tan, gray, or black paper- or to highlight areas in hair or eyes- AND to white out small oopsies without having to use actual white out. I highly recommend getting a 3 pack of these guys!

I also recommend ballpoint pens. Yes, those random ones all over your house, given out for free at banks or offices- any old ballpoint pen (that isn’t on the verge of dying.) The difference between sketching in pencil, inking art, and using pen is that ballpoint pen is all the permanence without the refinement of inking. I looove using ballpoint to sketch messy stuff, to mess up and start over. plus, it also comes in a billion colors, and you don’t feel bad writing with them normally or losing them when you travel. It isn’t waterproof so it will bleed if you put marker or watercolor on it, but... sometimes i do it anyway! 8)

I currently use Spectrum Noir and Prismacolor Alcohol markers. SN are in packs of 6 for 14.99, but if you’re like me, a joann’s 50% off coupon can net these sets for 7.50 apiece. I got the prismacolor 12 pack for my birthday, and I like to collect a few certain colors on occasion, but the money saved on the SN makes that splurge possible. I think the quality is really great for the price, even if I am still pretty novice at marker coloring. I write a bit more about these here!

Digital Art Tools

10x6.25 in Monoprice Tablet (and some AAA batteries) (You can probably find bigger or more updated models for the same price by now, as well.)

Love this tablet! REALLY affordable (70-80) and such a trooper- I’ve battered this thing with water and heat and cold and it’s still as resilient as ever. I think I’ve changed the single AAA battery in my pen like... 3 times max in the 4-5 years I’ve owned it. I’ve disabled the “close window” hotkey (bc I’m LEFT HANDED AND HIT IT ALL THE TIME) but otherwise it’s a really great tablet, does exactly what it should. Works with windows 7 well, but I can’t give a review of it on any other OS. More about it here.

I use Easy Paint Tool Sai and Photoshop 7 for text/editing (though I’d like to upgrade to CS2 in the future), but free/purchased art programs are vast and endless, so it’s really up to your personal taste... and this post is already long enough!

So, that’s about it for now! Those are all the essentials I like at the moment- everything else is experimental, which is always encouraged!!! Expand your horizons!! Have fun!! Go draw a thing!

#art help

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rainbowsandbalian · 4 years

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Below the read more is Balo’s entire thread with Sam (all graphics removed, lines between posts tho):

Sam had nothing to do. He’d worked out, eaten and even spoken with some of the higher ups. No missions had come in, but even he’d have to run it by Deryn before he signed them up for something. He was bored. Sam sat on the edge of the fountain looking at the piranhas. He could feed the Piranhas… But, they had already been fed this morning.

Sam didn’t want to spend the day in the training facilities. The last time he’d done that he was sore for three days. Commercials that said doing one more rep never told you about how sore you would be the next day. Sam sighed and looked to the Piranhas who’d all swarmed to him. “Dudes, chill, you aren’t getting fed.” Sam said standing up and the piranhas scattered.

If only there was someone around the courtyard today. Sam was looking for any excuse to not go back to his dorm or even back into the training facility.

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Balo was honestly in the mood to draw sceneries - and what better place to draw than the courtyard. It was peaceful, and fish were so pretty and friendly. She carried a sketchbook under her arm and a very fat tabby cat in her arms. Ches’s dog - Melody - was on a leash secured around her wrist. Ches swore Melody didn’t need one, but, it was better safe than sorry. Her owner was due back today, so, it would suck to lose the dog.

She felt like an animal whisperer or something, surrounded by not only her cat, but, Ches’s Maltipoo. It was nice. When she reaches the courtyard she sets the cat down on a bench before noticing a man near the fountain.

“Is it okay if we join you? It’s such a nice day, so I figured I’d take Catsby outside. It can’t be good for him to be stuck in a room all day - after all.” She gestures to the cat that was just laying on the bench, not moving from where Balo set her, purring up a storm. “and I have to take Melody out here anyway Ches should be back sometime today though, so, she’ll get to go back with her best friend real soon.” She pets the dog, a grin on her face.

“i’m Balo, by the way. I’m not sure if we’ve met before - if we have, just remind me. Sometimes I forget names.”

“You look as if you were an animal whisperer,” Sam smirked looking to the girl. “Sam, Sam Sansby. Son of Ares or whatever. Yeah, feel free to join me.” Sam leaned down and started petting the small maltipoo. Not expecting it to basically jump in to his arms and start licking his face. “Wow friendly.” Sam laughed looking at the small dog.

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Sam looked over the very big cat, who was purring, not making any move to pet it. “Catsby looks a little intimidating. He’s kinda, uh, big.” Sam wasn’t against cats, he’d just heard a lot of things could go wrong. Plus they weren’t usually helpful in a fight. “Is Melody usually this friendly?” Sam asked petting the small dog.

He’d heard of some owners just keeping dogs as pets and Sam assumed this was the case with Melody. “Ches never told me she had a dog. Although I guess that wouldn’t really come up as a topic of conversation,” Sam shrugged and looked to Balo noticing all the art supplies.

“What are you drawing today?” Sam asked he knew Balo liked art, and although he wasn’t a fan. He knew she was good, and he gave respect where respect was due.

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Balo nods, okay, she knew Sam then. They’d met forever ago - but with so many people coming in and out of Half-Blood Inc, well, sometimes she had trouble keeping track. “Okay, I know that name. Sorry, Sam. There’s just so many people here - sometimes it’s hard to keep track of everyone.” She admits.

She laughs, “yeah, Catbsy’s a little on the lazy side. I keep telling him to stop sneaking out for Arby’s but, he’s stubborn.” She laughs. “he’s a good cat though, I dress him up sometimes and he doesn’t complain. He went as Maleficent’s dragon form last year for Halloween.” She tells him, turning her attention to Catbsy now that Melody was preoccupied with sam. “She is! You should have seen her when Ches first got her. She was literally being carried around everywhere with her. She got used to people fast.” She admits. “She’s also a pillow hog. Ches lets her in the bed and it wasn’t like I could tell her; “no, you’re sleeping on the floor while Ches is gone.” That would be rude.”

“It’s not like Ches advertises it much. She’s not exactly allowed to bring her a lot of places either - with the whole no pets in the cafeteria rule someone decided to put in.” She admits. “Ches and I kind of have a deal - if she has to leave for a bit, I watch Melody. I have to leave? She watches Catsby.”

She shrugs, “I was leaning towards sceneries today. If something else grabs my inspiration today however I’ll draw that.” She admits.

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“I get it,” Sam smiled softly to Balo. He’d been traveling when he didn’t have a partner anyway. It wasn’t uncommon that people forgot he’d been here longer than some. “Lots of people come and go. Gets, uh, confusing.��

Sam’s jaw dropped hearing the cat had been dressed up as a dragon. “He let’s you dress him up?” Sam had never heard of a cat letting a human do anything to them. “Well, I guess anything is possible if you try hard enough.” Sam said petting Melody. He smiled looking down at the dog hearing the pillow thing. “You and Deryn share a few traits little dog. He’s a pillow hog too, and well, you’re both around the same size.” Sam laughed at his own joke, Deryn wasn’t even around and Sam was still thinking of him.

“That’s Zelda’s fault. Well a combination of Zelda and the higher ups.” Sam had heard the rumor through a few people but he didn’t doubt that she had something to do with it. “Something about being unhygienic?” Sam shrugged. “I don’t care though,” Sam said continuing to pet Melody. “You seem good with both of them so it’s probably not a hassle,” Sam said to Balo.

“Well i’ll try not to interrupt your creative process, i’ll enjoy myself with Melody. She’s super cute, and Catsby seems like he’s chillin,” Sam smiled petting the dog.

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Balo returns the smile, “Thanks for being so understanding, I feel bad about not remembering people - I try. It’s just hard if I don’t see them often.” She admits, “although, it’s been awhile. What have you been up to? If you don’t mind me asking.”

She nods, “Yup, and Catsby tends to he very awesome about it too. He has a leather jacket and and a Flintstones tie too - and a couple other outfits. He also doesn’t mind sunglasses if he’s laying down - he obviously doesn’t walk around with them though.” She tells Sam, “Catsby a good cat - it kind of helps he’s too lazy to fight with me while dressing him up though. Plus I’m his food source - so - there’s that.” She shrugs, petting Catsby a little more. “I think Deryn’s taller.” She ponders - trying to remember which one Deryn was for a moment. “But yeah, Melody is a pillow hog. It’s not too bad, but, if you leae your pillow alone for like five seconds she’ll steal it.”

Balo pouts, “Maybe we can convince Zelda that they’re not unhygienic? I have to keep sneaking Catbsy’s dinner to him and someone’s bound to notice at some point. It would be easier if I could just bring him in the cafeteria, you know?” She’d have to figure out how to get Zelda convinced - of course - but she had hope. “It’s not too bad, Melody can get a little hyperactive at times - but she tends to be well behaved.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Although you can talk to me when I’m sketching. Sketching doesn’t require my complete focus, you know?” She admits, starting to sketch the fountain.

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“Went to Europe to fight hell hounds. That’s always fun. I guess it makes sense you don’t really remember me.” Sam said scratching the back of his head nervously. “What about you? What have you been up to?”

Sam smiled at the thought of the Cat in a leather jacket. “You’ll have to show me Catsby in sunglasses.” He was sure there was a great Gatsby pun somewhere in there but he’d never read the book. “Yeah things tend to like you if you feed them. The Piranhas are like that too, greedy little bastards.” Sam shot a look to the fountain as if the Piranhas could hear him. “Deryn’s a little taller, but Deryn steals all the blankets too. It’s almost like they are building a nest.” Sam rolled his eyes at his partners antics. “Deryn is the child of Zeus. They’re pretty new but, they are nice,” They were Sam’s partner so they knew a lot about each other.

“I dunno about that one. If she was that adamant to get it done I doubt we could change her mind. But eh, it’s worth trying. Sneaking his dinner does seem hard.” Sam had done his fair share of sneaking food out and he knew Zelda had a stash of food in her and Alan’s shared office.

Sam nodded, “You’re really good at art, that doesn’t surprise me. Man, I can’t even imagine trying to do some sort of sketch and trying to talk to someone.”

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Balo nods, especially since she hadn’t been at Half-Blood Inc as long as some of the other people here. “Not too much - training occasionally with Alan and Zelda. They’re pretty cool. Hang out with Ches and Ivan, draw and paint.” She shrugs, “I’m waiting on getting a partner - I’ll hopefully get one at some point, it’s just for now I don’t have one.”

She nods, smiling, “That sounds like a plan. You’re more than welcome to visit him whenever you want? I mean I’m sure Ches would let you visit with Melody too.” She nods. “I don’t think I’ve met them officially yet? I’m pretty new myself - so it’s possible I’ve had training with them or something, but, if they’re as short as you say - I think I’d remember them.” She admits.

“It’s better to try and fail then never try at all.” Balo reminds him, a smile on her face. Plus Zelda didn’t exactly like Ivan’s pranks - if she talked to him, maybe he could help figure out a way to talk to her and convince her that it was a good idea- and at last resort - prank her.

“Thank you! A lot of practice, you know? Occasionally I mess up but I’m so used to it at this point it’s not too bad,”

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Sam enjoyed having Deryn as his partner but sometimes it sucked. “Don’t worry about getting a partner, having to do the test thing sucks.” Sam said nervously twisting his hands. “I can’t imagine seeing Zelda and Alan do their test. They’ve probably gotten really good at it since they’ve been partners for a while. Deryn and I, uh, aren’t, uh, good at it.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing this little dude again.” Sam said petting the dog watching it get all excited. “You should, Deryn’s very nice. They are, Sam approved,” He laughed. “They are aren’t that short, they’re,” Sam paused. “Five one?”

“Yeah I’m sure you could probably blackmail her into getting your way, she is lazy. I’d imagine her and Catsby could sleep for days.” Sam chuckled at the idea of Zelda sleeping for hours on end with a cat next to her.

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Balo nods, “They keep me here for training anyway - so I suppose not having my partner yet isn’t exactly a bad thing. it would be nice though - everyone seems to have partners they like so far.” She admits. “I can’t imagine it either - I’m sure you and Deryn will get there though. Sometimes you have to know who you’re testing with awhile before you do well. - at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

“I’m sure Ches will let you hang out with Melody, honestly. She tends to be nice usually.” She probably had a bad side - but Balo hadn’t personally seen it yet to date. “But I’m glad to hear they’re nice - I’ll probably meet them at some point.” She nods, “I thought Ches was the shortest?” She ponders it for a moment, before shrugging. “She must be really happy about him being around then, she gets a little upset when people are taller than her.”

She pouts, “Well, I was hoping that I could convince her nicely to allow Catsby in the Cafeteria. But that gives me an idea - maybe if they become nap buddies she’ll allow him to eat with me in the cafeteria.”

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“It’s kinda hard to become enemies with someone who knows your greatest fears. Some sort of mutual respect.” Sam shrugged, he didn’t understand the thing that had formed in between him and Deryn but he wasn’t going to question it. “Zelda and Alan seem like to peas in the same pod so i’d imagine they get done really quickly. Hopefully me and Deryn get there someday.”

“I’ll definitely ask if I feel the need to cuddle with Melody,” Sam smiled to Balo. “Yeah Deryn is pretty short. They keep saying the rest of us are just giants. But, they are short. I’d imagine Ches would be happy if they meet, or have met,” He wasn’t actually sure who his partner had met. “Ches is average height though?” Sam liked Ches’ height it was nice and average, made him feel tall but not too tall, but he also wasn’t feeling short.

Sam shrugged, Zelda was fickle depending if she’d slept of not. “Photos, if you get Zelda and Catsby sleeping together it didn’t happen unless you have photographic evidence. I’m sure others will thank you if you end up getting the ban lift too.”

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Balo nods, “It’s happened though I’m sure. It’s harder - but I’m certain it’s happened in the past.” She tells him. “I’m sure those partners got reassigned though - you can’t easily work with someone you hate. I’m sure you and Deryn will get there at some point - it might take a lot of time and effort - but you can do it.” She tells him.

“I don’t know if they know Ches yet? I could ask next time I see her?” She ponders it for a moment. “Ches is average height - but from what little she’s told me about her father’s family. Her brothers are 5′11″ and her baby sister is 5′8″.” She tells him.

She nods, “I’ll be sure to get photos if it happens. I’ll see what I can do, maybe Catsby and her will get along enough the ban gets lifted.”

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Sam shuttered at the thought of hating Deryn or even someone who knew all his fears using them against him. “It’d be terrifying to know that someone else knows your fears though, not just your partner. But I guess it is bound to happen. Thanks Balo, a little reassurance always help, and hey if things go wrong i’m sure Melody and Catsby will always be here for me!” Sam said grinning to the two pets.

“Ah she got the short stick, literally.” Sam laughed at his own joke. “But I’d imagine it’d suck being the short one in the family. I didn’t have to deal with that mom’s a model although, sometimes she wear these intense heels.”

“We can only pray shes in a good mood, try to get her in between just waking up and going to eat. She’s usually the nicest in that small window.” Sam had seen the insomniac when she hadn’t slept in a few days, it wasn’t pretty.

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Balo nods, “They don’t tend to put people together unless they think they’re compatible though. So, hopefully you never have to deal with that.” She tells him, “I doubt things will go wrong, but, they’re always here if you need them. No doubt about that.” She tells him, giving him a reassuring smile.

“Yup! She says it sucks, and I suppose it does. I’ve never had to worry about that. I just have Ivan to compare heights with.” She had gotten out of her house as soon as possible so she didn’t have Grace to measure height with - but it was safe to assume with their father she was tall now. She had Ivan to thank for that though, home wasn’t safe - Camp Half Blood, and now Half-Blood Inc, was.

“I’ll try, maybe if she cuddles with Catsby a bit things will be okay and she’ll lift the ban.” It was worth a try, at the very least.

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“Deryn and I are pretty good together so I probably wont.” Sam had been doing his best to get along with Deryn and so far they’d been doing a great job. “I’m sure it’s nice to have at least one at all times.” Sam said looking to Catsby, he hadn’t touched the cat but it’s presence was soothing.

“How tall is Ivan? He’s not a giant like Loren or Alan right?” Those two were giants in every sense of the word. Sam liked his height he wasn’t stupidly tall and he wasn’t short. It was a nice middle ground. “You seem like a good height too. Not too tall, not too short.”

Sam snickered at the idea of Zelda cuddling with the big cat. “Again, photos. Zelda near any sort of animal is worth seeing given the fact that she seems like a totally neat freak.”

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Balo nods, “That’s good - as long as you get along with your partner, that’s what matters.” She tells him. She pets Catsby, nodding. “Catsby helps soothes me when things go wrong and when I wake up in the middle of the night. I’m so thankful Ivan got him for me.”

She looks around, “he’s average height.” She answers - “And Collen is 6′2″ so add him to your giant list - I swear those three hold the monopoly on tall people or something.” She jokes, “I like my height. Not too tall, not too short - it’s perfect.” She tells him, although she wished she was an inch smaller just so Ivan was a little more than an inch taller than her.

She nods, “Definitely, if she cuddles with Catsby, I’ll be sure to get photos.” She agrees.

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“I don’t think it’s possible to not get along with Deryn though, they are the gods gift to the universe.” Sam smiled he was positive Zeus would actually kill him for making a move on his youngest child. “I’ve never had any pets, although Catsby seems great, and same with Melody here.”

“Damn, forgot about Collen, how in hell do people get to be that tall?” Zelda didn’t look ridiculous standing next to Alan, but Deryn sure did. Of course Sam couldn’t help but think of all the advantages they had being taller. But, they could also hit their heads on beams.

“How’s it going with your drawing by the way?” Sam asked curious.

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Balo nods, “I might disagree on you on that one? Ivan’s pretty much been my saving grace through everything. I don’t know where I’d be without him.” She admits, “but - Deryn sounds great. I’m happy for you two - it must be nice having a partner you can trust and all that.”

She shrugs, “when you find out, let me know?” She tells him - “I know Collen can reach things off the top shelf in Gamestop though. I may or may not have ran into him there and had him grab me Disney Infinity once.” She had been with Ches when it had happened and Ches grumbled most of the way back to Half-Blood Inc.

“It’s going good, want to see?” She asked him, flipping the drawing of the fountain around. “Do you think the piranhas look good - I don’t want to offend them.”

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“I think you favor Ivan though, being siblings and all. Plus he totally doesn’t prank you.” Sam groaned jealous that Balo was a safe zone. Although Sam had never been in one of Ivan’s pranks he they were bad. “Uh huh.” Sam nodded, he enjoyed Deryn as a partner, it gave him an excuse to be near them all the time.

“I don’t even try for the top shelf anymore. I’ll just download it off of PSN it’s easier than having to ask someone else to grab something for you.” Sam was tall but there were certain things he wouldn’t ask for help. Reaching something that was on a high shelf was one of them.

Sam looked over the drawing impressed. “Piranhas look good, but if you want their favor give them food and they won’t care. Or if you want them to basically love you.”

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Balo laughs, “we’re not blood siblings - you know that right? My father brought him to the states from England.” She looks down at the ground for a moment, petting Catsby. “No, I just tend to help him with his pranks. They’re nice - I mean some of his meaner pranks I avoid because I don’t like being mean - but his nicer ones are always fun.” He got extremely good at pranks trying to protect her from her father, after all.

She looks up when he mentions the top shelf, “Well Disney Infinity is one of those games where you need the little figures that come in the starter pack to play. It’s a lot of fun, they just put the starter packs on the top shelf.” She tells him.

She grins, “I’ll have to try that sometime. I’m sure they’d like some food. Meat only, right?”

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“Yeah but you refer to him as your sibling so, eh.” Sam shrugged, he didn’t care if they were half siblings, or not even related. If they said they were siblings, they were siblings. “Yeah you help him, you’ve never been in one. And I’m pretty sure anyone who’s been in an Ivan prank doesn’t completely like him.”

“Dude the little figures suck, I hate having to spend money on more than just the game. Although I’ll admit to getting all the Amiibos shipped to me through Amazon Prime,” Sam loved smash bros. He didn’t even play some of the characters he got, but he had all of them. “I so get needing to have all of the characters.”

“Yeah, sadly no vegan Piranhas. I’d assume they’d just be considered regular fish. They don’t even like tofu.”Sam was a little sad that the Piranhas didn’t like tofu although it made sense.

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Balo smiles, “I’m just saying, it matters to some people.” She admits. “But he’s the best brother I could have asked for - he keeps me safe, and I try to keep him safe.” Ivan used to pull her father’s attention, and she’d try to pull it back to prevent him from getting hurt. It was a twisted cycle that resulted in two abused children. Her smile fades a little, “Ivan’s not too bad. You know? Ches really likes him.” Of course, Ches had a crush on him, it was obvious.

Ches just wasn’t exactly admitting it.

“I’ve been wanting to get a Wii U to play Smash, I’m still on PS3. Maybe someday, but, it’s not currently a priority if that makes sense.” She admits, “I have to make sure this little guy is fed.” She gestures to Catsby, who wasn’t exactly little in cat standards. “Do you get the Amiibos as they come out? I try to get my favorites for Disney Infinity, and occasionally Ches picks me up some when she thinks of me. There’s just so many Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters - you know?”

“They don’t like tofu? I thought that you can make it taste like meat though - isn’t that why vegetarians use it in their foods?” She wasn’t exactly knowledgeable in vegetarian foods, so, she could be wrong of course, but, that’s what she always assumed.

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“Ches likes Ivan? Is this a like like or just like?” Sam asked a bit stunned that the queen of makeup was into Ivan. “She doesn’t seem like the type to like Ivan. I thought she’d prefer someone she could mold into being her, I dunno slave?” Sam shrugged, he’d seen some Ches types pick a popular boy and make them into their ultimate boy toy.

“Feel free to come by and play with me any time you want. I have a PS4 and an Xbox one too. Although most of the games for those are Halo, Assassin creed, war games type.” Sam beamed, he loved playing Smash, it was the family friendly Halo. Sam’s face scrunched up at the mention of Star Wars. “Ugh, I love the new Star Wars movies don’t get me wrong but, it kind of sucks that Disney owns Star Wars, it lead to the meshing of some of the worse TV shows. But yeah, I have a dude who charges me and just orders everything for me. I have some that are considered ‘rare’ He’s probably charged at least a thousand dollars to me just on those alone, but it’s so worth it,” Sam laughed.

“Piranhas like the more gory side to meat and some how can tell the difference. I’ve never had any meat so I don’t know if there is a difference between the fake stuff and the real stuff. Plus I tend not to eat any of the fake stuff anyway, I like tofu, and I like garden burgers.” Sam shrugged, the only actual product of animals he liked was Cheese.

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Balo raises an eyebrow, “It’s obvious, isn’t it?” She asks, she thought it was at least - perhaps she was wrong. “That’s stereotyping, you know. Ches bores easily of boys - a boy who follows her like a puppy dog would bore her too much.” She hadn’t know Ches very long - but the two quickly became friends, to the point where Balo was aware of Ches’s dating habits. The ones that doted over her quickly bored her, that was a clear as could be.

“That sounds like a plan! I like Assassin’s Creed. I’m not any good at it, but it’s fun to attempt to play - if that makes sense.” She tells him with a smile, “I like Star Wars Rebels though - I get mega confused on where it sits in the timeline to be honest. I’m not a fan of Lego Star Wars though - I mean there’s a funny scene here or there but it’s not something I’m really into. A thousand dollars? That’s a lot of money.” She wasn’t exactly used to that kind of money - at least not anymore. Not since Ivan and her ran away.

“It could be the blood possibly? They eat what smells like it - although I suppose that wouldn’t explain the cooked meat.” She ponders it for a little bit. “Piranhas have weird diets - no doubt about that.”

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“I don’t know, I guess I tend to stay away from the touchy-feely crap.” Sam shrugged, he hadn’t known Ches liked Ivan. “Like she hasn’t judged me. Everyone judges people Balo, except maybe Catsby and Melody here. Although I guess that’s why she likes Ivan, I definitely would have done her every wish.” Sam chuckled to himself as he snuggled up to Melody.

“Assassin’s creed is by far more mental than they let it out to be. You should try Halo, it’s way easier and your fighting monsters in space. Or you could fight dragons in Dark souls, and Diablo holds a special place in my heart. Ah, the carpal tunnel of clicking furiously.” Sam could talk about video games all day. Deryn thought it was ridiculous that one person could own so many video games but they warmed up to playing a few of them.

“A thousand dollars isn’t that much for video games though. each game is usually 60 dollars anyway, 17 games is more than thousand dollars and I own way more than 17.” Sam had never been truly poor in his life, he had a comfortable life in Malibu since his mother was a big time model. He didn’t know how to be poor, even in Europe he always had a bed and always had money for food and transportation.

Sam shrugged he didn’t get the piranhas he just knew they tended to like him. “Who knows, they’re weird.”

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Balo nods, “That makes sense. It might just be I spend time with both of them too?” She tells him. “I think Catsby judges people to be honest - he gives Ivan dirty looks when he doesn’t share his food.” She pets the cat, “But honestly? That could be it. Anyway, some people are better as friends - you know?” She says with a grin.

“I like Assassin’s Creed - it’s just I’m not good at it. I haven’t tried Halo yet - although I’ve heard rumors that the driving part of it is a little finicky. I’m easily scared - so Dark Souls is out. I jump at Rugrats - Reptar is scary, you know?” She admits, it wasn’t exactly the scariest thing out there she knew - but she wasn’t exactly a big fan of anything that jumped.

“That’s a fair point, just one Amiibo being a thousand dollars sounds like a lot to me.” She admits, maybe it wasn’t a lot of money for people like her father and her sister - but it was for her. She couldn’t help but wonder what Grace was up to - she obviously didn’t stay in contact after Ivan and her ran away, and it wasn’t like she googled her sister - so she was pretty much unaware of what her older half sister was up to.

It was probably better that way.

She nods, “friendly, but weird. They need to learn playful nips aren’t nice though. Maybe you should work on that with them? You seem to be good with them.”

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“Catsby you crafty SOB, you would judge people who don’t share food.” Sam laughed unable to help himself picturing the Cat giving people dirty looks who wouldn’t share. “A type is a type,” Sam shrugged still chuckling over the cat. “Don’t worry Catsby i’ll share my food with you although I’d doubt you’d like it.”

“Halo’s driving is ridiculous, but once you get the hang of it it’s all good. Dark souls isn’t that scary, the mechanics are weird though. Diablo definitely has creepier monsters in my opinion. But you can play whatever you want, I don’t care.” Sam liked the mechanics to Dark souls it did make you think but it also sucked trying to learn how to read each move.

“Hell no, I don’t even buy clothing that costs a thousand dollars. That’s ridiculous.” Sam technically didn’t buy any of the clothing he wore to events, they were given to him. But he’d never spent more than 50 bucks on any of his clothing.

Sam glanced at the fountain and shook his head. “I think that’s in piranha nature, can’t really train out something they do to survive.”

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Balo nods, “Catsby would probably eat anything - he likes the meat off the Arby’s sandwiches. Also you can’t open a can in my common room without him coming running.” She admits, “he’d probably love you forever if you fed him though - like - he loves food. Isn’t that right, Catsby?” She asks turning to her cat, who purrs louder in response.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Well, l scare pretty easily - so I might avoid Diablo and Dark Souls. But playing whatever I want sounds like a plan. If you ever want to come play Disney Infinity with me, feel free? All Ches likes doing is running around the Toy Boy Hub as Anakin and failing to kill the children.” Ches did it as a joke of course - she didn’t actually want to kill the children - though she had fun hitting them around the place with Anakin’s lightsaber. “That, or we play the fan maps - there’s this Black Ops Zombies one that’s a blast.”

“Okay, good, I must have misunderstood - it happens. I just thought that’d be a lot of money for one thing, you know? A lot of things - sure - one? That’d be pretty expensive.” She had exceptions for that rule of course - things like paintings she’d be willing to pay a lot of money for, but an Amiibo? Not so much.

She nods, “I suppose you’re right. I guess that’s why the signs are there, right?”

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“Well if I ever need Catsby’s help i’ll remember to feed him.” Sam smiled looking to the Cat and stood up leaving Melody on the ground. “He’s a really big cat.” Sam chuckled, he couldn’t get over how big Catsby really was.

“You should play splatoon or move or die, they’re fun co op games. Although I might take you up on the Black ops zombie fan map, that sounds awesome.” He was always up to kill zombies or monsters. Even in real life, fighting always was a rush of energy.

Sam rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Yeah, no, buying one of those little figures for a thousand dollars is a lot of money. M’ sure spending that type of money on Art happens a lot though.” Sam didn’t understand art prices but he knew his mother had spent money on art for around their house.

“I’m getting kinda hungry Balo, if you’d like you can join me in the cafeteria. If not i’ll bail, but this was really cool, I enjoyed meeting Melody and Catsby.” Sam smiled to Balo hearing his stomach grumble.

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Balo smiles, “He’ll definitely help you if you feed him. Just human food only, I don’t feed him anythign I wouldn’t personally eat myself.” She tells Sam, watching him get up.

“I’ll have to come over and check out Splatoon sometime.” She agrees, “although if you ever want in on that fan map - let me know? I’m always looking for people to play co-op with.” She had more fun playing co-op on Disney Infinity. No doubt about that.

She nods, “makes sense. Art tends to be expensive, just one of those things. But it makes a lot of sense to me - artists deserve to get paid for their work. You wouldn’t go to a store for a couch and go: “I want this for free.” You know.”

She grins, “Nah, I’m not hungry, plus Catsby and Melody aren’t allowed in there. But yeah, this was fun. It was nice seeing you Sam!”

She waits for him to walk off before she turns her attention to a new sketch, drawing something else in the area.

#sam

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