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g--r-e--e-n · 4 years

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The Date

Pairing: Leviathan x MC

Warning: There's a mention of self destructive thoughts, but the story does not revolve around that and you can easily skip it, so don't worry. It's not really angst, not yet.

A/N: It technically is way past midnight so I'm late for Obey me! MAX, but Mammon's piece took longer than expected and I had to do some research for this, mainly for the places and trying not to make Levi too OOC. It's hard. But I hope it's not too bad!

You both were siting in front of the screen, laughing maniacly and getting lost in the bluish light that slowly ate up the room. No sorrow, no insecurities, nothing bad could go through Levi’s door. Dang, it even took YOU a long time to be accepted.

“Oh, C’mon!” Levi complained, as half of the screen turned red. “You are just pressing buttoms at random! It’s so not fair!”

You softly chuckled, leaving the controler in front of you and slowly resting your head on the demon’s shoulder, as you had learned to do when he felt the slightless of envies. You hated when you saw him eating himself all over, thinking how life was so unfair, how he was only a yucky otaku. After all, he was so beautiful in your eyes you couldn’t help but stare.

His orange eyes barely reflected the screen, his soft hair barely covering them. His face was redder than anything you had seen before, and together this all reminded you of the beautiful coral reefs you had only seen in movies.

“Oh, come on Levi, don’t be a sore loser” You softly tease him, softly caressing his hair, his smile betraying his superficial annoyance. “You owe me something, don’t you?”

He soon sighs, closing his eyes and leaning a bit towards you, hoping to enjoy some love before having to leave. Why did you have to convince him so easily?

“Do we really have to do it..? It’s so comfy here…” He complays, reaching for your hand. You couldn’t help but feel certainly proud seeing how comfortable he was eventually getting around you, even if all he did was play with your fingers, probably to trick you into staying a bit longer.

“No way” you soon stood up, leaving him frowning and staring at you like a lost puppy. “Levi… You know I love our game dates. But when was the last time you stepped out of the house? You need some fresh air, dear.”

Levi didn’t even bothered answering, simply looking sideways. It wasn’t the first time you had this conversation, but you did not know how else to show your concern. Sure, at times you too felt too lazy to leave, too comfortable playing with your dear boyfriend to pay attention to the outside world, but there’s a certain limit. Demons might resist this situation better than human beings, but you are pretty certain it’s not too good either, not only for his body, but for his mind.

You felt proud whenever he spoke to Solomon, but you knew the exchange program would finish sooner or later. What would Levi do then? Of course he talks to his brothers, but they are busy with their own problems most of the times. He doesn’t have clasmates, he doesn’t have any sort of acquairance.

You understood his anxiety. But it was such a shame to see how such an amazing creature wilthed by itself. It’s not like you wanted to get him directly to meet people. Just… Outside. To see the beauty of this land he’s too used to to appreciate like you, a newcomer, do. Discover that he can live what he reads about in manga. That he can experience what his favorite character in his new anime is going through.

Still, you didn’t want to push him too much, so you simply sighed.

“Alright, alright. It’s fine, let’s give it another go.” You tried your best to erase any concern from your voice, but he would not fall for something like that.

“It’s fine.”

“What?”

“I-It’s fine. Doing normie stuff and all. But just this once!”

You blankly stared at him for a few seconds, your eyes lighting up, making him feel like he was about to go blind from the sheer beauty you so unkowingly holded.

“Just you wait! It’s going to be the best date ever!” You excitedly scream, before launching yourself for a tight hug, a grin so big on your face that you felt your cheeks slightly aching, poor Levi struggling not to fall. “What do you think about Siren Coast?”

You couldn’t see his face, but the way his arms tighten around you was enough to know his face had just lighten up. No fancy restaurant, no crowded streets, no awkard situations, and, what’s more, close to water and it’s somehow relaxing roar.

“Woah! Really??” He spoke a bit too loudly next to your ear, not that you minded him that much really, but at least you decided to let him go a bit, enough to see his smiling face. God, was he really thinking you would get him shopping or something? Maybe it was the way you were firmly staring at him dead in the eye, or the closeness of your body but he soon seemed to combust yet again. “Not that I want to go or anything!”

“I mean, we could always go to the mall” you shrugged, failing at keeping a smirk from your lips.

“Ah, no! I was kidding, kidding! I take it back! Let’s go!” He pulled you into the hug again, tightly, and you didn’t take too long to actually respond to his affection, even if you wanted to leave the room so badly. He was lucky to have a beautiful and fairly big room, but it didn’t help when what you really wanted was to go out.

“Alright, so… Let me get us some lunch, alright?” You said as softly as possible, pushing him away so delicately it almost felt like a caress. “Is there something you fancy?”

He softly sighed when you pulled away, obviously missing your touch, but at least taking your words into consideration, making you smile ever so tenderly.

“I made some sweets yesterday, while you were at RAD. I told Beel it was Mammon who cooked them, so they should be safe. And we can always stop by Lament on our way, right?” He proudly smiled, like a child waiting for praise, screaming how amazing of a boyfriend he was. Of course you obligated, caressing his cheek sweetly. Honestly, the sense of accomplishment on turning Levi’s baking from an occasional thing to something he genuinelly enjoys doing when his eyes are too tired to continue with his marathons is something you’ll bring to your grave, even if it took way more cooking series than you thought would even exist.

“What have I done to deserve you?” You didn’t allow your words to hang around for too long, knowing they had sinked in as soon as they left your mouth. “Alright, do you want to get changed, pretty boy? Or should we get going already?”

“No, I’m fine to go” He noded happily, barely hidding his obvious excitement. Going out might me a lame thing normies do, but right now it doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. You didn’t know wether to be concerned because of his quick change of opinion or rather glad he is willing to actually hang out. “I mean, if you want to…”

You softly shake your head, offering him your hand to stand up. He hesitates a bit, but finally takes it. Both of your hearts race slightly, cheeks softly blushing to a lovely shade. You may have come a long way as for accepting physical affection, but it looks like you never truly got over it, still too drunk in this weird sort of puppy-love you really didn’t want to dry anytime soon. It doesn’t seem that any time has passed at all really, both of you as dorkish as ever.

But it was fine. Everything was fine when you were with Levi, his mere presence being more than enough for you to feel the soft warmth spreading on your chest.

You barely leaned a bit towards him, starting to walk away from his room, making sure he doesn’t get too sentimental waving goodbye to Henry 2.0. It’s hard to believe this very adorable dork was ever in any sort of war, and you were dying for every bit of it, for keeping him just as safe as he was keeping you. He had gone through enough.

“Alright, Levi, that’s it. That is NOT the Henry you should be focussing on right now” you complained, dragging him by his sleeve rather than his hand, knowing you had to be a bit rough.

Leviathan, to your surprise, softly chuckled. Being the avatar of Envy could be nice at times. Times like this, when he could tell how you heart ached to be the one and only for him. To some degree, it calmed him down. He always tended to be the jealous one, glaring daggers at you when you hanged out with Mammon or decided to go shopping with Asmo. Knowing that you, too, felt the same way lighted up his little heart. Reminded him that you could’ve chosen any creature in the universe and, still, decided to give him, a good-for-nocing otaku, the right to spend such precious moments with you.

Of course he wouldn’t admit any of this outloud, and decided to simply complain as you dragged him to the kitchen, barely managing to make Lucifer stick his head out of his room to hush you both before quickly going in. He was so done, but both of you couldn’t help but laugh like the fools in love you were, raising chaos happily, the wicked days long behind your backs.

Soon you had reached the kitchen, and levi opened the fridge like a treasure chest, soon grabbing some foil-wrapped goods.

“Behold!” He proudly removed the foil, allowing you to see some sort of pink pastry shapped like a flower. You soon recognized it “You normie might not appreciate this, but this is…”

“This is the candy magical girl Ringo made in the second season of 'I used to be a very powerful demon but I somehow got hexed by some witches and turned into a middle school girl and at first I was surprised but now I kinda like it and have started an occultist club but now it has turned into some sort of bakery club and I was really confused but the girl I like really adored candy so it's ok I guess'"

Levi actually blinked a few times before the "WOOAAAAH!!" you knew so well crawled through the air.

"You remember it?!"

"Well, you made me watch it like... A million times. And it was kind of fun" you shrug it off, struggling not to smile at the close call. Being fair, it was not the show itself what caught your interest, but rather Levi's passionate ramblings about it.

"You're the best player 2 ever! Are you some sort of angel?" You could see the slight blush on his cheeks, the happiness shining in his eyes as he got the lunch ready to carry. Usually people would treat his ramblings as background noise, so seeing that you actively cared for his interests, making him feel special, was the best thing he could ask for. God, he questioned your taste with men, but was he glad your standards somehow fitted him. "Now, let's go! I'll get you this super nice bufo milk tea flavour I've seen online to celebrate, alright? But don't you let it get to your head!"

"Aye, sir!" You brought your hand to your forehead, imitating the military, before letting go a soft chuckle. "Do you mind it if I hold your hands today?"

Levi hesitated. He wasn't always in the mood, and that's the exact reason you felt the need to ask. He was all for cuddling while playing games, in private, but the outside world was a completely different case. However, today he seemed to be feeling as generous as ever, as he shyly extended his hand, eyes focusing on a seemingly very interesting corner of the kitchen, his face pink like a peony.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Not like there's that much people outside today, either way"

Not like he was proud to have you by hid side. Not like you managed to calm him down when the situation got rough.

You carefully took his hand, slightly cold, within yours, before walking away from the house and brothers, yearning for some fresh breeze.

It was a peaceful walk, always picking routes with as little people as possible, partly because of how much did social situations exhaust Levi, partially because of your human condition and not wanting to attract any unwanted attention.

In a few minutes you were in front of Lament, the store he had condemned as "lame" and "meant for normies" but eventually became a frequent customer soon, even if it meant that he sent you over as much as he could.

The young lady behind the desk smiled gladly at you, happy to finally see the guy responsible of both your frequent visits and her payrise, specially after Levi introduced Beel to the store.

You ordered between giggles and smiles, trying your best to help Levi out whenever the woman tried to drag him into the conversation with her best of intents. It made the process slower, but soon it was all payed and both of you were back on the streets.

"You know? At times I feel like you spoil me too much" you said, absent mindedly, eyes lost in the street. "Like, you always take me to so many cool places, like that time you brought me to the C.S, remember? And today you're even going out of your way to spend some time together! I must be the luckiest human alive to have you by my side!"

Levi was not ready for your words. Levi was not ready for your smile. Levi turned into some sort of bright red puddle of joy that covered his mouth with the back of his hand.

"A-Are you serious?!" He stared at you in disbelief, even stopping walking, making you turn your head around, Right eyebrow arched. "I mean, I just... I guess just really like being with you. Maybe... Maybe even more than being alone. You're my Henry, after all."

Even if he had clearly struggled, he actually managed to stay calm. God how much you wanted to hug this dork but how you feared he wouldn't like it, not here.

"You're so sweet, Levi, but please don't make my fall any deeper, I don't think I can take it!" You softly bump him with your shoulder, resting against his body for a while as a loose excuse to touch him a little bit, even if you were holding hands already. He kept quiet, mainly because he didn't know what to say without feeling too awkard in public, but he started softly rubbing circles against your hand with his thumb, slowly, lovingly.

The now closer sound of crashing waves soon catched your attention, and you even dared to rush a bit to the shore, even if it meant dragging your not so athletic boyfriend with you. Soon you were looking over the Devildom sea, feeling the breeze play with your clothes, kiss your limbs softly leaving the sea's smelt dancing between your flesh.

You didn't really get to see it, of course, but a gorgeous pair of amber eyes relied lovingly upon your figure. Levi, who had always admired the sea, would now much rather admire you, and it was driving him crazy.

"It's so beautiful! Didn't you miss this?" You turned around with a bright smile, and he felt like he was about to combust.

"I guess. It was nice to hang out with Lotan" he softly nods, sitting as close to the water as he could get. "But it's slightly more complicated."

You look at him, knowing he could easily read the questions floating in your eyes.

"When I was... When we were having a bad time" he said, so softly his words tangled with the breeze, like he was simply a part of the scenario, a piece of a perfect fitting whole. "I used to come here. I used to stare at the waves, just wishing they could take me with them. I felt so useless. I felt like a waste of space. But at the end... I wasn't even brave enough to actually take a dive."

He left out a sore chuckle, dragging his fingers along the sand. You were about to say something, to do something, but he hadn't finished.

Levi stared at you, his bright eyes watery, his smile so bitter, so painful to even see.

"Now you must really think I'm lame, right? I'm such an attention seeker, and you know it so well... I still doubt why would someone like you be with someone like me."

You saw his eyes darken and an arrow crossed your heart, not in the right way. Carefully, you cupped his cheeks, looking him dead in the eye while maintaining a serene smile. Reassuring. Warm.

"Levi. I'm glad you're alive. I'm so proud of you for making it this far." You softly and momentarily removed his hair from his forehead, giving him a soft kiss there, then on the cheek, before softly wiping away his tears with your thumb. "I love you. I love spending time with you, I love when you ramble about things that you like, when you do every little thing without realizing how much it means. Be it putting your whole soul on a cosplay or gifting Satan your earphones. You are simply such a lovely person. Such a lovable person. And I'm sure your brothers feel the same way. They'd be fools otherwise."

You give him a last kiss on the tip of his nose and he soon tackles you in a hug that inevitably makes you fall on your back. Not that you complain too much either way.

You both lie there, his head buried in your chest, listening to your heartbeat mixing with the waves, slowly calming down as your hand runs through his hair, softly, tenderly.

He felt so loved. So in place with the sea just next to him, with his arms around you like that's all they were meant to do.

It took him a while to realize you had fallen asleep, perhaps because of last night's marathon. He was careful when pulling away, taking his time to appreciate your sleeping self, deciding to lay a small surprise for you.

He quietly took what you both had brought, trying his best to make it Devilgram worthy before taking a picture, even if he struggled a bit around the idea of sharing a moment with the world he'd much rather have for himself. Levi decided to think about it later.

Only when everything had been perfectly laid, he walked over to you, kneeling at your right and giving you a soft peck on the lips he spent minutes bracing himself for, like you hadn't done it so many times before.

You softly complained, way too sleepy to even know what you were saying, but successfully making Levi promise himself to actually marry you.

"Hm... Levi? Are you feeling better now? What... What time is it?" You asked in a rather low voice, standing with the demon's help, a beautiful smile adorning his features.

"Time for a snack, of course!" He cheerfully answer, soon showing you his little masterpiece. "

#obey me #Obey me!#obey me levi x mc #obey me leviathan #obey me levi x reader #obey me fluff #Obey me MAX #gn!reader

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heliothen-stories · 6 years

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Meet The Writer Tag #4, #5 & #6 (oh boy)

I was tagged by the amazing @whataremetaphor and @realashergray (twice!!). Thank you so much! You are both lovely~

Rules: Answer the ten questions, write ten questions, then tag ten people.

Well it’s gonna be thirty questions so If you want to read them click the read-more. Oh the mystery

@whataremetaphor asked me these questions

1. Who are some of your favorite authors/📚?

Rick Riordan, Cassandra Clare, Brandon Sanderson, Jane Austen and Agatha Christie are the first ones that come to mind, but I’m sure there’s more

2. ✒️/✏️ and paper or typing?

I jot down all my notes, but when it comes to writing I prefer typing

3. What’s your character development process?

Well first I get this image of the character in my head and some basic characteristics. Then I actually think of their background and how it may have shapped them before moving on to making character sheets to get to know them better. I also like thinking of ways they would react to certain scenarios.

4. Favorite words?

Uhmmm english ones? I don’t think I have ever considered this. Flamboyant was the first one that came to mind.I quite like the words extraterrestrial and boulevard as well.

5. Do you have a “type” for characters (either ones you write or ones you like)? If so, what is it?

I just love writing badass women, escpecially ones that don’t look like they can kick your ass, but can and will. I also have a thing for characters that know they have done some shit in the past but are trying super hard to redeem themselves and just be better in general.

6. 🎶 or no 🎶 while writing? If so, what kinds?

Yes please. I don’t really mind what kind it is as long as I can have something playing in the backround. But nothing too extravagant.

7. What first got you into writing?

Well I read a lot of books as a child and at some point when I was like eleven I sat down and said “I want to write a book myself.” And that was that.

8. Vampires or werewolves? (or magical creature of your choice)

Witches! But I do have a soft spot for werewolves as well.

9. Where did you get the inspiration for your current wip?

I was just making a household on the sims and thought well these are some cool characters.

10. Most difficult part of writing?

Making myself sit down and actually write instead of you know daydreaming about my stories all day long (why are you like this?)

Next come the questions that @realashergray asked me

1: What’s your favorite drink to have while you write?

It’s mostly water but I won’t say no to a hot chocolate or tea

2: Do you have an all-time favorite character or does it fluctuate?

I must admit that I miiight love Leona a bit more than the rest of my characters

3: Do you prefer to employ a large cast of characters or a small one? Why?

Oh I love large casts! I am not sure why, but when I start planning out the story I somehow end up with way more characters than I originally intended

4: Are you an impulsive person? If so, does that affect your writing?

Not really that impulsive and I think that shows in the fact that I can’t write without planning

5: What’s your favorite font to write in?

I don’t really care that much about fonts, please don’t sue me

6: Do you have a specific time of day that you write in, typically?

I just grasp any chance I get, no matter the time (It’s 3 in the morning but I got inspired? Well guess who is going to write through the suffering)

7: Do you want a lot of editors/betas assigned to separate sections or one to two editors for the entire book?

I the only betas I have worked with are my friends and they read everything that I write so I guess the second one.

8: What do you wish you saw more of in literature?

More stories where friendships play as much an important role as romantic relationships, if not more

9: Who’s your least favorite author and why? (Please rant about why, I’m begging)

Maaan I don’t like ranting that much. Okay it’s JK Rowling. Don’t get me wrong, I looove Harry Potter, but in the last couple of years her choices have made me dislike her more and more. I don’t outright hate her, I just... don’t like her as much as I did.

I recently reread some of the HP books, and let me tell you there are a lot of problematic things that you don’t notice as a child.

First of all, the way she ‘represents’ minorities makes me sooo mad. I also dislike her treatment of certain characters. Eg Snape (who I absolutely hate) gets a redemption ark and is considered a hero, even though he is a piece of garbage. Also what is up with all that hate towards Slytherins? Leave the poor babies alone.

Okay I’m gonna stop myself here. Of course nobody has to agree with me. This is just my personal opinion.

10: Finally, when did you decide you wanted to be a writer? What made you want to be one?

When I was eleven I had this moment of “I wanna write a book myself”, which was prooobably caused by the fact that I read so many books.

And the second bunch is:

1. Who are the three writeblrs you love?

You can’t just ask me this! There are sooo many, so I’m going to mention more than 3. Well the first one is you lol. I also love @killer-badass, @cherish-writes, @ink-on-poppies, @whataremetaphor, @bowtomypointlesswords, @author-james-raisanen, @trickster-writes, @thewritertiffany, @myconstantscribbling and so so many others

2. What book has made you cry?

I have cried over so many books, I’ve lost count. The most recent one was Mistborn, which I am currently rereading

3. What the first book you remember being read as a child?

There was this book that my mom used to read to me called something like “Attention, the sheep bites” (please excuse my shitty translation)

4. Where do you read fiction the most? (magazines, journals, books, tumblr, archive of our own)

Books for sure

5. How do you feel about new novels that remind readers of other popular books?

In general I think that drawing inspiration from books that you really enjoyed is good, as long as you don’t plagiarize, but instead shape the ideas you got from them into something you can call your own (that’s the best way I can describe it)

6. What are three things you look for in a good novel?

Interesting characters (bonus points if I can relate to them), badass women and intriguing plot

7. How much of your week do you spend writing?

Not as much as I’d like to that’s for sure. It really depends on how much I have to study for school

8. If you’re imagining publishing your current WIP, being accepted by a publisher, what does that feel like?

I don’t even know how to describe it. I think I would die of happiness. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t believe it in the beginning, but when I would realise that it’s true I’d just explode

9. What are your three greatest fears about writing?

That I won’t touch anybody with my words, that people won’t be able to relate to my characters and that they might find my plot predictable and boring

10. How can you fight those fears?

With my sword! Yeeeah! Okay truthfully I think that changing my mental attitude towards everything that I create and learning to trust myself more would really help

Okayyy it’s tag time! Tagging: @killer-badass, @cherish-writes, @ink-on-poppies, @lottieiswriting, @bootsandcleats82, @i-have-hella-feelings-4u and @mypenisadagger

Your questions (that are definitely original because I definitely did not run out of questions) are:

1. What is your favourite genre to write?

2. Do you ever eat while writing?

3. What is your dream writing place like?

4. Do you like collaborating with other writers?

5. If you could change one thing about a book you recently read what would you change?

6. Fluff, smut or angst?

7. If you could say something to one of your main characters what would it be?

8. Have you ever cried over your own writing?

9. Do you create playlists for your stories?

10. What is one comment you would love to hear about your writing?

#tag game

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legendofzeldaalinktothepast · 3 years

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Pathetic, Clinging Poetry - Chapter 21 (of 25)

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

A few weeks ago, I etched a message on my last sticky note And shoved it into an empty glass bottle, And I tossed it into the ocean, Letting it sail off to wherever fate willed it.

I'm not home, but it's alright. The ocean no longer frightens me; Now, the waves sing me a lullaby As they grasp for moonlight. The sand is like a silken blanket Beneath my weary frame. And while I'm not meant to live In isolation, in wilderness, surrounded by the pacific; My heart is steady, my thoughts are still.

As he sat on the living room carpet with a pile of drawings on his lap, Steven watched the hands on the clock with stars in his eyes. 'It's almost seven... Ugh, it's sooo close!' He kicked his little feet, the pent up energy building up inside of him and boiling over.

"Watching the clock isn't gonna make them get here any faster, buddy." Greg said as he walked past, ruffling Steven's curly hair. "Why don't you help us get ready for tonight? I'm sure that's a better way to pass the time."

"But I want to show everyone my pictures..." Steven pouted. Then, an imaginary lightbulb appeared over his head. "Oh! Daddy! I just got the bestest idea! I drew a picture for you and Mommy and Lion, but I don't have to wait for you guys to get here, because you're already here! Can I show you them, pretty please?"

"Of course! Hand 'em over." Greg said with a grin, and Steven handed one of the drawings over to him.

"Whoa! That's amazing!" Greg beamed with pride as he admired his son's artwork. "Looks kinda like me... and I'm in space! Am I an astronaut?"

"You're the space man!" Steven exclaimed. "I drew all of us as super heroes! And your superpower is space! You can control the moon, and the stars, and the sun, and the clouds, and Jupiter, and uh... All the other planets too!" He filed through the stack of papers, pulling out another one. "And this one's for you, Lion!" he continued as the massive cat wandered past the living room. "You're a were-lion! On nights where the moon is a circle, you turn into a -- hey, I'm talking to you!" he called as Lion continued to walk towards the kitchen, not paying any mind to Steven's artwork.

Greg chuckled. "Looks like he's got other things on his mind." he said, watching as Lion crouched down in front of his food bowl. "I'm sure he still likes your drawing, kiddo. He just doesn't know how to show it. Cats are different from people." Greg reassured.

"I guess..." Steven said. "Oh! I know how to make him appreciate it!" He skipped over to the kitchen and hung the drawing up on the fridge with a magnet, placing it directly above Lion's food dish. "There we go! Now he has to look at it! He'll starve if he doesn't!"

Greg burst into laughter. "Well, that's one way to get his attention." he said. He then gave Steven a little nudge back towards the living room. "Now, go show your mom what you drew for her. And once you've done that, help her pick out a board game! She's bad at making decisions."

"Okie dokie!" Steven said, skipping back into the living room. "Mommy! Mommy mommy!"

"Mhm?" Rose responded, lifting an armful of board games from the shelf in the closet.

"Look! It's you!" Steven said, holding the drawing up to Rose. "I made you a super hero! You're flower woman! You have the power to control plants! But not just flowers, either; you can do big scary plants with teeth and thorns, too! And your hair is made of flower leafs!"

"Oh my, how creative!" Rose said, sitting down on the floor so that she was at Steven's eye level. "Your art has really improved. Look, you even drew my hands!"

"Yeah! And I colored your nails pink, too." Steven said. "Oh, and Daddy wanted me to help you pick out a game. Can we playyy..." Steven tapped his chin and hummed loudly in thought. "Jenga! Can we play Jenga, Mommy?"

"Jenga it is." Rose said, pulling out the box of wooden blocks. "Would you mind clearing off the coffee table, dear?"

"Yep!" Steven said. Just as he began to crawl over to the table, however, he heard a knock at the door. "They're here!" he exclaimed. He nearly jumped to his feet to rush to the entry room -- but then remembered he still had a task to fulfill. So he hurriedly removed the books and magazines and coasters from the table as Rose went to answer the door, placing them neatly beneath the couch.

"Hello, girls!" Rose greeted. As he lifted the heavy box of Jenga pieces onto the table, Steven tried to peer into the entry room, but couldn't quite make out who was at the door. "Girls" could honestly refer to any of the guests they were expecting; now that he thought about it, he really had a lot of women in his family. Once the table was set, he grabbed the whole stack of drawings and made his way towards the front door.

"Peeaaarl!" Steven squealed, immediately running over and hugging her leg. He was excited to see Amethyst and Jasper, too, but Pearl was the first one he saw and the one he'd known the longest, so she was the first to receive his attention.

Pearl smiled awkwardly at the sudden display of affection. "Good evening, Steven." she greeted, patting him on the head.

"He's been eager to see you guys all day. He even drew pictures for you." Rose said with a smile. "Would you like to share your artwork, honey?"

"You're an artist, too, huh?" Amethyst said.

"Yes! I love coloring pictures!" Steven exclaimed. "Lookie here! I drew you all as super heroes!" Steven handed the first drawing to Pearl. "Your super power is dancing! You're like a magical ballerina whose kicks can knock down buildings!"

"How... interesting!" Pearl said, squinting at the drawing and turning it around in her hands so she could make sense of it. Despite her confusion, though, her smile didn't fade. "Thank you very much, Steven!"

"And Amethyst! You're a shap... shapeshif... You turn into animals!" Steven continued, handing Amethyst her drawing.

"Oh hell yeah, that looks sick!" Amethyst grinned. "Can I get a commission?"

"I don't know what that is, but sure!" Steven said. "And Jasper..." He approached Jasper a bit more shyly, handing her the picture he'd drawn for her. She had a tendency to stand off to the side and keep to herself, which always confused him; he'd never expected a girl so big and strong to be so shy. "You're ninja girl! You can turn invisible, and can jump really high, and break wood with karate chops!"

"Ooh, uh, thanks!" Jasper said, taking the drawing and looking it over. She looked a bit uncertain of how to react -- she was never the best when it came to kids -- so she simply gave Steven a little smile. "Nice job. I'll put it on my desk at work."

“Yay! I bet everyone at the office will be jealous.” Steven said.

"Alright, let's all start heading to the living room." Rose announced, but it was mostly directed at Steven. "Your grandmas will be here any minute, and we don't want to be crowding the doorway!"

"Aww, okay." Steven said, making his way over to the couch and climbing up onto the soft cushions. He eagerly kicked his legs and stared out the window. 'I hope they get here soon...' he thought with a sigh.

Amethyst seated herself beside him, peering at the stack of papers in his arms. "What else ya got there, buddy?"

Steven blushed. "Oh! Um um, just some more pictures. I drew something for everyone! Here, you wanna look?"

"You bet your as- uh, butt I do." Amethyst said as she reached for them. Steven couldn't help but giggle. "You almost said the A word!" he teased.

"Yeah, but I caught myself. Don't be like me." she said.

"Aww, but I wanna be like you! You make really good pictures, you know. You drawed a really good coloring page for storytime. " Steven said.

"Thanks, kiddo. You can be like me art-wise, but don't pick up on my dirty mouth." Amethyst snorted. She filed through the drawings, nodding in approval at each of them. "Good stuff, good stuff. So where'd ya learn to draw? Do you have art class at school?"

"I don't go to school yet! I start kindergarten in..." He counted on his fingers. "September! But mommy told me that I'd have art class there. I'll get to use finger paint, and play-doh, and big markers that smell like popsicles!"

"Hah, those were the days." Amethyst said, scooting over as Jasper joined them on the couch. Steven kicked his feet in excitement and glanced at the clock again; the big hand was pointing at the two, now... Grandma Yas and Bella were late! 'Maybe they got stuck behind a choochoo train... Or they had to stop to save a baby squirrel!' Steven thought. The latter seemed more exciting, so he decided to assume that was the case.

"So," Rose began, making her way over to the loveseat and sitting down beside Pearl. "Do you happen to remember Spinel?"

"Spinel?" Pearl paused a moment to think. "She's your little cousin, if I remember correctly. Isn't she the one that would always beg us to play house with her?”

"Yeah, she was clingy, that's for sure." Rose giggled. “I haven't talked to her in a few years... When she moved away, we weren't on quite the best terms... But she's coming to the game night tonight, along with her girlfriend. Apparently she's living with my parents, now. So it'll be interesting to see her again."

"Oh, how exciting!" Pearl clasped her hands together. In all honesty, she was already feeling pretty shy about meeting Yasmine and Bella again; and with Spinel coming along -- as well as her girlfriend, whose name was a mystery -- it was going to be quite a crowd. As she looked around the living room, she couldn't help but wonder if there'd even be enough room for everyone to sit.

"Yeah. I just hope she's not holding a grudge..." Rose nervously rubbed the back of her neck. Before she could elaborate, there was another knock at the door.

Steven immediately jumped to his feet. "Grandmas are here!! Let's go, Mommy!" he called, and Rose lifted Steven into her arms as she went to answer the door, knowing he wanted to be the first one to see them.

Greg peered into the living room. "Hey, girls." he greeted, waving a hand as he headed over to the couch.

"Hey." Amethyst said, and Jasper awkwardly waved a hand in response. Pearl scooted over so Greg could sit beside her.

"So... Jenga tonight, huh?" Amethyst said, noticing the wooden blocks sitting on the table. "That's kinda like Operation, but with blocks, isn't it? So Jasper's probably gonna beat us again."

"What are you talking about? It's nothing like Operation." Jasper said.

"I mean, it kinda is! Like, you gotta have a steady hand and all that." Amethyst shrugged. "In all honesty, I just wanted to brag a little. Wanted everyone to know that my sis is a cool surgeon and all."

"I think Greg already knew about that." Jasper rolled her eyes, and Pearl couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, Jasper's not the only one with steady hands around here!" Greg cracked his knuckles. "I was the master of Jenga back when I was a boy!"

"Man, I got shaky hands. I couldn't draw a straight line with a ruler if I was held at gunpoint." Amethyst snorted.

"Pearl?" Rose peered into the entry room with a huge smile on her face. "Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but would you like to meet Spinel's girlfriend?"

The way she spoke sounded like it was the most fascinating thing in the world; and sure, she was curious about Spinel's mysterious new girlfriend, but... Pearl wasn't quite sure why Rose was asking her specifically. "Uh... sure!" she finally responded.

And out of the entry room stepped Peony. Her hair was trimmed down to chin-length, a bit choppy on the bottom and no longer in her usual space buns, but other than that, she looked identical to how she did when Pearl had last seen her. Pearl cupped a hand over her mouth, slowly rising from the couch. "...Peony?"

"Hey! I didn't expect to see you h-" Peony began, but was cut off as Pearl rushed up to her and pulled her into a hug that nearly knocked her off of her feet.

"Holy shit..." Amethyst remarked just under her breath. While she didn't say anything, Jasper's eyes lit up and a slight smile spread across her face.

"Peony!!" Pearl squealed, lifting her up and spinning her around in her arms. "Oh my goodness, what are you doing here? What have you been doing all this time?!"

"I should be asking you the same thing!" Peony giggled, returning Pearl's tight embrace. "I knew you were living somewhere in Beach City, but I never expected I'd find you this quickly!"

Pearl finally pulled away from the hug, wiping a tear away from her face. "I can’t believe you're alright! All this time I was worried that something had happened to you!"

"And I was worried about you!" Peony said.

"Why were you worried about me? Never mind that, just -- gosh, I'm just -- I'm so happy to see you!" Pearl squealed, hugging her once again.

As the two stood together in their comforting embrace, Yasmine, Bella, and Spinel made their way into the living room.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise!" Bella said, clasping her hands together. As Spinel walked past, she gave Peony a gentle pat on the back and smiled lovingly.

"Whoa! Pearl, your sister looks just like you! How'd you do that?" Steven exclaimed.

"That's because they're twins, buddy." Greg said.

"That's soo cool! Can I have a twin, Mommy?" Steven begged.

"I think it's a little late for that." Rose chuckled.

"We'll be right back." Pearl announced, and before anyone (including Peony) could say anything else, she grabbed her sister by the arm and dragged her into the kitchen.

"Okay. So." Pearl took a deep breath once they were alone, gripping Peony by the shoulders. "I have a million questions."

"I have a million and one." Peony said.

"Well, I'm going first!" Pearl giggled. "First of all, what did you do with your hair?"

"That's... a complicated story." Peony twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "And again, I've been wanting to ask you the same question. Not to mention your outfit..." she remarked, casting her gaze downward.

For a moment, Pearl was confused; but then she remembered that the last time she'd seen Peony, her hair was much longer and she'd still been wearing nothing but skirts and dresses. Ever since her birthday a few weeks ago, however, she’d begun feeling less and less comfortable with presenting in such a feminine manner, and had just about phased her skirts out of her wardrobe entirely. "Ah. I guess you could say that's a complicated story as well..."

"It seems like we have a lot of catching up to do." Peony sighed happily. "But I don’t care too much about that; right now, I’m just relieved to see you again.”

Pearl hugged Peony for what was probably the tenth time that night. "Me too... God, I really thought something bad had happened to you. Mom managed to track down Jasper's phone number -- Jasper's my friend who I'm living with, by the way -- and called me on our birthday, telling me that you'd run away... But she was acting like I knew where you were. Which scared me, because obviously I didn't, so..." Pearl shook her head as she began to tear up. Now wasn't the time for that, she reminded herself.

Peony reached for Pearl's hands as they pulled away from the hug, giving them a little squeeze. "It's alright. I understand. I really wish I could have told you what was going on, but... I didn't know how to contact you. You left your phone behind, and I couldn't find you on Facebook or anything, so..."

Pearl blushed. "Ah... Yeah, I ended up making a new account, going by a completely different made-up name so nobody could find me. Ever hear of Earl Diamond?"

Peony burst into laughter. "Really? You couldn't think of anything more creative than dropping the P from your name?"

"In my defense, Amethyst -- who's my girlfriend now, by the way -- suggested it as a joke, but I went with it because I couldn't think of anything else." Pearl chuckled.

"That sounds about right.” Peony rolled her eyes. “But, um... Perhaps we should put the… elephant in the room aside for now. Right now, I think we should just let ourselves have some fun. Save the catching up for a more private time, perhaps...." she said, smiling warmly.

"Good idea." Pearl said. "Um... H-how about tomorrow? I don't have anything going on, really... Perhaps we could meet at the Big Donut. I could give you Jasper's phone number, if you'd like a way to contact me after tonight... Or you could add 'Earl Diamond' on Facebook."

"Sounds like a plan." Peony smiled. She grabbed a pen from the calendar hanging nearby, and Pearl wrote Jasper's phone number down on her palm.

"Alright. Ready to go back out there?" she said.

Pearl braced herself. "Yeah. I'm certainly not eager to face such a big crowd, though..."

"I know, right?" Peony smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of her neck. "Rose really invited everyone and their dog tonight. But I think we'll manage -- we've survived plenty of family reunions before.”

"Tell me about it." Pearl chuckled.

And with that, the two of them made their way back to the crowded living room.

As she got ready for bed that night, Pearl couldn't help humming to herself -- a sign that, for the time being, her mind was at peace. As she brushed her hair in front of the body length mirror, Amethyst approached her and hugged her from behind. "My little Pierogi's in a good mood, isn't she?"

Pearl giggled. "I guess you could say that..." she said, setting the hair brush aside and turning around to face Amethyst. "I really feel like a weight has been lifted from my chest. Perhaps that might seem a little strange, but… I was very close with Peony before I left my old home, you know?"

"That’s not weird at all, babe." Amethyst said, standing up on her tippy toes so she could kiss Pearl on the cheek. "Like... ya know, me and Jasper have never been the closest, but... We've always..." She paused a moment to fake a shudder. "Cared about each other. And if I had any reason to think anything happened to her, I'd have probably acted the same way you did when you didn’t know if Peony was okay… So I can kinda guess how you’re feeling, and I couldn’t be happier for you.”

"Aw, honey..." A smile spread across Pearl's face. "I've always known it was the case, but it's still so sweet to hear that you care about Jasper."

"Ew, I knew you'd focus on that." Amethyst rolled her eyes. "It's your fault. You've turned me into a big ol' sap."

"You're my little sapling." Pearl purred, resting her chin on top of Amethyst's head.

"You're so corny, ugh." Amethyst snorted. "'Sapling' makes me sound like a baby tree or some shit."

"Are trees not beautiful?" Pearl cooed. "You're like a lilac tree... Small and stout, and your hair is just like those fragrant, purple blossoms."

"That is so cheesy... But also kinda cute, so I'll allow it." Amethyst winked, flopping down onto the bed. "Anyway, come here, girlie." she gestured with her finger for Pearl to come closer, and the latter sat down on the edge of the mattress. She reached for Amethyst's hands and gave them a little squeeze; her short, stubby fingers felt so small in her long, lanky hands. For a moment it almost made her feel a little self conscious -- at times, she wished she wasn't so bony and frail -- until Amethyst lifted her knuckles to her lips and kissed them, her dark eyes falling shut. After a gesture like that, Pearl truly felt like the most beautiful woman in the world...

"Today was so wonderful… I’m so glad everything went the way it did. My story being a success with the kids, meeting my sister again, getting to meet Rose’s moms and Spinel again, playing Jenga together…” Pearl whispered, pressing her forehead to Amethyst's. "And to top it all off, I'm falling more and more in love with you each day..."

"Babe..." Amethyst bit back a smile, turning her gaze up towards Pearl. "I'm in love with you too."

As Pearl stared into those warm brown eyes, she noticed they were a tad watery... Part of her wanted to comment on it, but perhaps it'd only embarrass Amethyst... So she held her tongue, allowing herself to enjoy Amethyst's rare sentimental side in silence, and Pearl brought their lips together in another kiss.

0 notes

fallsemester2020 · 4 years

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Peer Responses

Adam Odolil-

“Gillan Williams’ artwork.

What I noticed in Gillan’s work was the order of the leaves, rocks, and acorns. This made me think about how nature is in fact quite orderly even though it looks so chaotic. As you zoom in on a leaf or acorn, you see the symmetry they contain. I think this is part of the reason why people are so drawn to nature. It looks haphazardly arranged at first glance but upon closer inspection, you see how orderly it is. By explicitly putting the acorns and other materials in a clear pattern, Gillan made me realize how much order there is in nature. I think I can apply to this my personal life as well in that even if it is chaotic, I can still find some overall order or purpose within it."

Jillian Riley-

“The nature artwork that I connect with the most, is the one done by Diana DeVito. I really like how she made her artwork look like a compass. It reminds me of all the different directions we can go in life. Not one direction or path is the correct one, meaning that we all have a different story to tell. You as the observer are led in a different direction based on what object your eye catches first. This makes me imagine that the different leaves, and sticks lead you to a new adventure in each direction. I also liked the picture of the sunset along the Allegany river that she took. I like to capture the progression of a sunset, because as each moment passes in time, there is a new picture."

Alyssa Shelander-

"I truly enjoyed looking at all the student's outdoor work, however, I believe I connected with Hailey Echdahl’s outdoor work the most. I connect to her work specifically due to the bright and vibrant colors that immediately caught my eye. This caught my eye because the various colors stuck out that I felt represented energy and positivity. I also see this piece representing the season of fall due to the different colors of leaves, which is my favorite season. Finally, the various layers created a sort of a 3D dimension, allowing you to contrast the different leaves and see the beauty under it all. “

Gordon Santiago-

“After looking through the blog posts I found myself constantly looking back at the work done by Diana. Although I am not sure what brought me back to her work I found that there was a feeling of being centered with it. predominately I focused on the green stuffed into the acorn in the center of the sun like disc. It’s not a very complicated work and I’m not sure if the simplicity is what drew me to it, however it reminded me a lot of a sun, with the matching colors of the opposite sides calmed my anxiety because I don’t like asymmetry In art unless it makes sense.”

Hailey Eckdahl-

“Hey Lauren!I really enjoyed your art that you created for this week! I like the progression of the life of the leaves as well as it representing the change in the season it shows the change in weather/seasons that we are experiencing now! I also liked you nature photos they turned out really cool! Great work.”

Josie Barcley-

“I really connected with Sam’s piece due to the combination of all its elements. I am familiar with album that Sam used while creating her piece so this allows me to form a connection not only with the art but with the artist herself. I also noticed how Sam was the only one that used filters on her photos and that was something that stuck out to me. All of Sam’s photos flowed together nicely. I also think that the photos of the bugs fit in well with the piece Sam created.”

Alby Alex-

“I found Gordon Santiago’s artwork very interesting. I thought it was creative and humorous to see a stick figure made out of sticks. When I saw the stick figure, it brought me back to my childhood. It reminds me of drawing stick figures for every individual. It’s funny how something as simple as stick figures can mean so much to a kid because they represent the people in his/her life. I noticed that in one documentation the stick figure had yellow eyes, and in the second documentation the stick figure had no eyes. Both documentations show no facial expression on the stick figure. I wonder if the artwork is trying to show that one expression cannot embody an individual. I also wonder what the circle of rocks was supposed to signify. Maybe the circle of rocks was displayed to focus on the stick figure, maybe it shows entrapment, or maybe it was put for no particular reason than display purposes. In addition, I thought the blue eggshell and the snake were fascinating to find outdoors. The snake is surely neat but creepy as well! How did you get such a close shot of the snake? Were you not at all scared? I didn’t think there would be snakes in Olean; but, I hope it’s nowhere near the campus! Overall, I enjoyed seeing Gordon’s nature artworks and documentations on the blog!”

Sarah Kone-

“A peer's artwork that I connected with was the one by Diana DeVitto. For her pictures you can tell that her picture were taken around the night time and that is my favorite time of the day. The picture that she took of the lake (I'm asumming it is a lake) had a very nice reflection of the sky when it is about to get dark outside. That picture just looked really peaceful. The 2nd picture with the acorn heads and leave kind of reminded me of a sunflower (the way its shapped) and I like those.”

Alyssa Dean-

“The art piece that really drew my eye was Lauren Barry’s. I admire the simplicity of it as a whole. It also brings me a feeling of serenity as it is not very noisy or complex. I think that I connect with it so well because it almost projects who I am in a way — I love anything organic and earthy and physically being with nature. Her piece is quiet, simple, magical, and brings me peace.”

Leann Mangalath-

“I related to Sam Henry's art piece because I interpreted it as a heart. The heart consists of raw, green leaves and rusty-colored leaves. In my mind, I viewed this as my heart being varied in terms of emotions. I have my raw emotions that come out but sometimes, I release my energy and heart sourly. There was a time in my life that I was very self-centered. This can be represented by the rusty-colored leaves. Then, it was not until my cousin who passed away recently that I realized that life is too short and that life should not be taken for granted. In the middle of the heart, there are white flowers and at the top of the heart, there is a stone-made pedestal with a white-pedaled flower on a yellow bud. This is a great way of showing that no matter what life brings to an individual, life will be fine overall in the end. In our hearts, we have hope to be our best versions of ourselves.”

Raine Pfeiffer-

“One of my peer’s outdoor work that I connected with was Ryan Pfohl’s. I really liked the messaged that was conveyed behind this art having to do with litter and trash found in nature. This really is a continuing issue in society that we all need to improve upon together. I can remember ever since I was younger my dad would take me up and down our road weekly and pick up trash and cans that was left by others. Nature is beautiful, precious, and so important to our well-being. That is why we need to treat it so carefully and never throw trash in areas it shouldn’t be.”

Diana DeVito-

“I really liked Lauren Barry’s piece. It’s very simple, but the colors blend perfectly together. It reminds me of the changing seasons, but also the uniqueness of each tree during the fall. It reminds me that everything looks different and unique while they change, and that’s what makes the transition to fall, or transitions throughout life so beautiful and exciting.”

Lauren Barry-

“After looking at the blog, I really connected with Margaret Sweeney's poem. When explaining what art means, they explained what art is from various perspectives. Art coming from the past, future, meaning opportunity or a lesson, really connected with me. In addition, starting with "Art is..." on one line, then following it with "And art is" on the next line provides a format that is consistent, which is nice for the reader. All in all, I connected with Margaret's poem, "Art Matters to Me”.”

Gillian Williams -

“'Upon reviewing my piers work in last week's outdoor activity, I noticed much different and expressive artwork. Alby Alex's artwork stood out to me for many reasons. For example, there were many layers of outdoor material that help form a very contrast by the look from very bold colors and the different layers. Her use of materials was very well thought out.”

Zachary Delardi-

“The artist I decided to reflect on within our class was Brett Smith. His art piece connected with me for multiple reasons. For starters, he did this at the house he lives at and I know this because I live at the same house. His photos have some comfortable vibes with me. I personally like this piece because it is very symmetrical. My major has me dealing with computers all day, so consistency/patterns is something that I think I am more incline to find visually appealing. As someone who has always grown up near a city, his choice of environment isn’t a big forest, but next to some roads and businesses. I thought this was different compared to everyone else and brought in a new look. Lastly, I was able to talk to the artist himself. It was interesting knowing that Brett Smith made this piece with a lot of emotion in mind. He said it reflected him as a young kid when he was growing up in rural Buffalo. He would ask his dad to throw a ball with him once in a while, but his own hand eye coordination was not good enough to earn his father’s respect. As any kid would when they are bored, he ended up playing with sticks in the yard. He said he used to make stick figures and call them “dad” and have conversations with them. I think we all do weird things as a kid to cope with situations we don’t understand so to bring that into the world of art and express that is very cool.”

Margaret Sweeney-

"Peer Connection – Zachary Delardi

I noticed we went to the same spot on the River Trail, so I had an instant connection with your work of art. I really like how you utilized all the resources in the environment, not just the nature. I think it is important to capture the entire atmosphere to portray the deeper issue of litter in our society. Zooming in on your art piece, I really like how you emulated a face. I find it fascinating when people use items in nature such as rocks and grass to personify a human. On a deeper level, it goes to show humans in their own sense, are equally as a part of nature as anything else. Your art piece was simple, yet effective in highlighting a deeper meaning, and I felt as if I really connected with it on a level that shows humans as connected with elements in nature.”

Brett Smith-

“The art piece that I have chosen to reflect on is by the artist Zachary Delardi. His art spoke to me. Growing up in suburban Buffalo, I didn’t really get to camp a lot and that’s all I wanted to try to do as a kid. So, seeing the face in a wooded area speaks to my childhood. Also with the face not smiling speaks to me because it’s like that was me as a child not being able to go and experience camping like most of my friends at the time where doing. Living with the artist also helps with the piece speaking to me because Zach and I had a similar background growing up in a very suburban childhood.”

Chris Flood-

“I choose to look at Riley Dambaugh's nature piece. The reason I chose to do this was because it caught my eye when I was scrolling through the blog. I really liked it because of the contrast of the colors in the work. The stones on the outside are gray, but she puts berries on the rocks to add some color to that part of the work. Then the inside has green, yellow, and red which really draws your eyes. I also like how she stuck with the shape of the circle throughout the work, I really like the look it makes.”

Ryan Pfohl-

“To Zachary Delardi:

The parents of one of my best friends like to travel to different places all over the world. They collect these tiki statues and tiki faces from all different places, and they have their tiki collection all hung up in one room of their house. I have also thought that their collection was super cool especially because it came from all over the world. Your nature art project reminded me of their collection as soon as I saw it. The way you strategically placed rocks of different sizes turned out great. Your work looks organized and well thought out, but it also has a messy look that gives it character. This was very creative, great work with this project!”

Riley Dambaugh-

“Nature photo submission that I connect with: Gillian Williams

Gill’s nature photo submission is simple yet beautiful. It is very pleasing to the eye. I love the colors used and the combination of all different things found in nature work very well together. The yellow and orange used give the submission the perfect pop of color. This submission immediately caught my eye, as it is very symmetrical and pleasing to look at. I also love how the rocks at the bottom contrast with the larger rock that they are sitting on, and help to tie the work together. Overall I love Gills submission because of the use of color and symmetry.”

Noah Vassallo-

“I can connect and relate to Zachary Delardi’s outdoor art. The way he assembled the stones and other components together looks exactly like a smiling face with two eyes, a nose, ears, and a mouth. He also used grass for the hair and leaves for the ears on his creation which I think is quite clever and creative. The colors on the stones he used really fit well with the muddy background. I also noticed that his creation sits on the banks of a nearby river. The river behind the smiling face strongly reminds me of a time in my childhood when I use to swim with my friends in a river near my house. I can imagine the smiling face as myself having a happy and fun day swimming in the river and hanging out with my friends as a child. Zachary’s art reminded me of my childhood and all the good times I had. It brought back fun and happy memories from my childhood which I can really appreciate."

Sam Henry-

“One blog post that I connected with this week was Maggie Sweeney’s. I really enjoyed looking at her outdoor artwork. I liked how she incorporated some things that people might ordinarily view has garbage and gave them a new purpose in her artwork. I also really enjoyed reading her poem about why art matters to her. I like how in her poem she looks at the different emotions involved in art. I also like how she takes about the importance of art in the passage of time. She discusses how art tells the story of our past and drives us into the future. My favorite part about her post is her picture of the spider on the flower. I like how changes the view that people often have of spiders. A lot of times people see a spider and think they represent creepiness and darkness. But in this picture the spider is made to look pretty and full of life.”

Chasity Garcia-

“While I was walking and collecting objects, it was hard to find objects that had color on the trail. There were paint leaves and broken tree branches on the trail that lead me to use more than just object. T he land piece that really caught my attention was created by Riley Dambaugh. The reasons why I liked her piece so much is because it quickly made me visualize a campfire or a sunflower. The way the rocks are placed on the outside of the sunflower just allows us as the viewers to look at 2 pieces of work at once.”

0 notes

blaperile · 7 years

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Hiveswap Episode 1 Reaction Part 15: Second Strife + Trophy Room Exploration part 1

Dammit, it's been two weeks since we last had the time to play some more Hiveswap.

Before we started I knew it was going to take a pretty long time, knowing us, but still.

Oh well, no use complaining about it, let's just continue where we stopped last time and continue enjoying it in the same way as always!

After all, last time we just went through some really exciting things, what with exploring the basement and getting our very first strife!

Next up, we were going to see what Joey and Jude have to say to each other. After that, I assume we're going to the trophy room, perhaps immediately going into our next strife? Or is it about time to be Jude for the first time, maybe?

Let's find out!

plainWonder's got a great point that this is a great game to be playing for the upcoming Halloween now, hahaha!

Starting at 8:20 PM now.

Pffffff, I love how Jude's immediately speculating that it wasn't Joey who turned the power back on. And immediately afterwards he's complimenting her on her wilyness, haha.

Hmm, so yeah, Jude's reminding Joey/us that we need to go to the trophy room to get the attic key.

But... how are we going to deal with the problem in there? Another strife comin' up?

I mean... assuming there's a monster inside the trophy room and not something else? Considering the fact that we didn't actually see it and Joey just heard some stuff.

Or maybe we get another distraction before we end up there?

I love the narration when examining the basement door. YOU'RE MORE OF A SNAKE THAN IT IS. XD

Okay, exiting the kitchen and moving on to the trophy room then!

...Oooooohhhhhhh, right! We can now see the living room in the light! Gosh it looks so much less creepier now.

Alright, enough of that. Let's see what happens at the trophy room! Will there be another cutscene?

....A short one!!!

Yup, there's another monster in here! And looks like Joey could enter this time because it was no longer right in front of the door.

God that is a pretty weird looking monster. But a considerably smaller one than the serpent monster and perhaps more easier for Joey to handle!

Oh man, plainWonder's right that the house motif is also in the strife music! That's really cool!

Anyway, now we're getting a way better look at the trophy room!

It actually looks quite a bit smaller (both in length and width) than I expected, when we saw it in the dark!

What caught my attention first is the two katanas. They immediately remind me of Bro's katanas. I wonder why Grandpa had them?

And hey, some actual guns in here! Both in the trophy case in the background, and on display right above the katanas.

Pfff, another clock (on 11:11 of course) with a swinging pendulum.

And of course, one of Grandpa's precious globes! Which, like plainWonder pointed out, have got some pretty weird continents on them. Is it perhaps supposed to be a globe of prehistoric Earth, when the continents where shapped differently or something?

It would be interesting to examine that globe later on.

plainWonder just noticed the fireplace! Heh, just like in the foyer in Jade's home. Fortunately enough, this one doesn't feature a stuffed human corpse in front of it. xD

Nor is there any urn to be seen, like at John's fireplace.

Which brings me back to wondering what happened to Ms. Claire after her death. Did she get a proper burial, perhaps? It would be interesting if we could visit her grave in Hauntswitch or something!

Hey, a chess board! That's an especially interesting thing to notice here, considering how closely Homestuck is linked to chess metaphors. Talking about that chess board... it has no chess pieces? Hmm, that's weird!

My theorizing mind is of course immediately wondering if there's some metaphor to get from this empty chess board, but let's not dwell on this any longer, for now. :P

Aaaaaand of course some more deer trophies. God, this home is going to be one giant hell for Dammek, won't it? xD

Up above, near the ceiling, we've got some more interesting things. A talking fish, a sad-looking bear trophy, another narwhal trophy like in the basement, and... a white bird with a black wing? That last one is especially remarkable, it doesn't really fit in that much with the other trophies.

plainWonder's probably right that it's just a type of bird that has black on top of the wing and white on the bottom, but still.

I can't help but think of the white and black wings of PM and Jack Noir here.

Alright, wow, that's enough examining for now!

Let's get into this strife! And hope Joey is capable of handling this one.

Oh!!!! plainWonder's got a great point that the narration is pointing out that the monster looks HUNGRY! That could be a hint that we need to use the pet treats here! That's a sweet catch and sneaky hint.

Let's first try out some other items then.

Flashlight > Monster: WELP. That didn't work. The puns keep getting me though. xD

Tap shoes > Monster: Yikes! Looks like the monster can roar. That's pretty scary.

Looks like this monster is really good at blocking moves!

Batteries > Monster: I love how that battery slid back all the way to Joey for her to pick up.

All-Season Magic Spice Mix > Monster: Okay, so that doesn't do much either.

I guess it's up to the pet treats then! :D

And maybe doing that will give us a hint on what to do next.

Pet treats > Monster: Yup, he swallowed the treats! ...It didn't really do much though, but it was definitely the right combination, considering that the cursor changed to orange just like last time.

But what do we do next? Do we use the spice mix again, or something else?

...Nope! Not the spice mix.

Let's just try attacking then, with the flashlight, tap shoes, or ballet slippers?

...Huh, none of the above are the correc actions!

Do we need to give it even more pet treats? xD

....We do!!!! I didn't expect that.

So this time Joey didn't throw it right in its mouth, but to the floor. It made the monster move to the right! That's interesting. Maybe plainWonder's right and we're just going to chase the monster outside and shut the door, so we can examine the trophy room?

Pffffff, the target symbol has become a chomping mouth now. IT IS HUNGRY AND WANT MORE FOOD. :mspa:

Oh hey, examining the monster again now gives a different narration! Oh yes, time for dessert, hahaha. I wonder if there was another piece of narration after the first time we used the treats too.

AHAHAHAHHAHAHAA, that was amazing. The monster indeed left the trophy room, and we got a wonderful victory & level-up scene, hahahaha.

The victory music and Joey's pose reminded me of John's victory dance/music after defeating the Imp, hehehe.

I didn't expect the leveling up part! I love how it's a spoof of Echeladders on one hand, and on the other hand also a spoof on stats in other video games where it actually makes you stronger in a way, whereas in Homestuck and now also here in Hiveswap it's mostly an excuse for sillyness, hahaha.

So okay, looks like Joey closed the door after the monster left the room, that was a wise decision. :P

Let's start examining some stuff in here now!

First of all, I just noticed how that knight's arm fell off and is lying on the ground. Anyone else immediately thinking of Jack Noir's missing arm here? xD

Oh wait, totally forgot that Jude and Joey got some more things to say to each other! Let's see. Because yeah, where even IS the attic key in here?

....Pfff, Jude simply refuses to tell where the key is. Wonderful. :P

Where even is Grandpa's desk that Joey's referring to here?

I doubt the key is in the armpit or in the glove of that knight, hehe.

....OH HELL YES. Jack Noir reference secured right there.

Ahahaha, it's a "little out of season" for equipping the armour. And also a little the wrong century, I think. ;)

Batteries && Knight armour ==> My first thought was that this was perhaps referencing those chess creatures on the Battlefield that are loyal to the White Queen and White King, but oh my god, plainWonder's got a far better point that this is probably referencing the Imperial Drones and their loyalty to the Condesce!

Well played, writers. Well played.

Pogs && Knight armour ==> I only realized how funny Pog Epoch sounds after I said it out loud, hahaha.

Cherub Key && Knight armour ==> HMMMMMMMMMMMM... Joey's considering that there might be stuff hidden away inside the armour. Is this a hint that the attic key might be inside the armour after all? That's something to keep in mind.

In any case, none of the other item combinations really hint that we could do something to it. So let's move on then, for now!

...Is it just me or is the narration on the lioness head a reference to B2 Jack? Eye sockets that beckon for something to be inserted into them instead of actual eyes, a head detached from its body? That sounds suspiciously like how B2 Jack got the billiard eyes and how he died in Collide. :P

Batteries/Pogs && Cat head trophy ==> ...Huh, what's Joey going to put inside those sockets? In any case, she didn't insert the batteries nor the pogs, and I doubt she'll insert the pet treats.

...Oh god Joey's going to find some billiard balls in this trophy room somewhere, isn't she?

Cherub Key && Cat head trophy ==> HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM... Is this just a sneaky reference to Lord English's connection to both the Cherub motif and the empty eye sockets that got filled up? Or is this hinting that Joey's going to insert something red and something green in here (red and green billiard ball???).

Anyway, this mysterious note looks like a good place to finish for tonight. Getting pretty tired here, and it's 9:30 PM already.

Next time we'll explore the rest of the trophy room, find something to put in those eyesockets of the cat head trophy if we're "lucky" (D:), and perhaps find the attic key.

#Homestuck #Hiveswap #reaction #liveblog #Hiveswap liveblog #Joey #Jude

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