traditional sketch of one of my favorites ever, Allison Raskin
warning: long sappy post about loving her
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✨Anyone who’s been friends with me since I was 15 years old knows how much I admire Allison Raskin. Her and Gaby were my favorites on buzzfeed and I followed them straight to their own channel when they made Just Between Us.
✨(I even had a YouTube themed cake once with a bunch of people on it that 20 year old me doesn’t keep up with anymore. But JBU were on it too and they remained my constant. I also did a very poor drawing of them when I was 15, swipe to see. When they saw it on Twitter I literally cried over it.) and now I often listen to @/jbupodcast when I draw or paint (like I did while sketching this piece) and have listened to all of the gossip podcast.
✨Having role models who spoke so freely about mental health and illness was incredibly important to me back then and as I grow up and learn more, it becomes even more important to me. They helped me understand my own anxiety more than any other piece of media did. They took away the shame I had and were ultimately a big push in the right direction.
✨Allison has been very open and honest about her experiences, her ups and downs, triumphs and “failures” and overall learning and healing. She doesn’t try to paint some pretty-idealized-for-social-media picture. When she created @/emotionalsupportlady I was ecstatic because it was a place for good, healthy, discussions about mental illness, and seeing how many people comment and relate back to the same posts I do makes me feel so good to know other people feel the same. If you’re looking for a space like that, please go to her page. Seriously.
✨My admiration for her has only increased from recent events. Her resilience is so admirable but her honesty is what I love most. So when I sat down to sketch today, she’s the person I most wanted to dedicate my time to. (With a little dash of Sugar, of course)
✨ Allison, I doubt you’ve read this, but if you have: thank you for sharing your experiences so openly and for giving other people the safe space you have. I send you all my love and positive energy and am looking forward to all the great things I know life is going to give you.
“Wow, it’s 7pm and I’m still here. I am such a hard worker.”
“Gaby, you staying here two hours longer than the production team doesn’t make you a hard worker, it just makes you a good friend.”
As their Saturday night usually entails, Allison Raskin and Gaby Dunn were working on their Tuesday couch show in Allison’s apartment, with Allison consistently jotting down notes and reminding her comedy partner the little things she would otherwise forget.
“I mean look at this,” Allison complained, using her index finger to tap twice on the notebook beside her. “All you have on this thing is Steph’s name with a heart beside it.” Her face scrunched up in disgust, “I didn’t even think you were the kind of girl to do that kind of thing. That’s usually an Allison move.”
Gaby snickered. “Hey, when you have a hot girl’s tongue down your mouth for an hour, then you can speak to me.”
Allison rolled her eyes at her comment, forcing herself to go back to her laptop. It took her a few seconds to get back in the proper mindset; she was used to easily nudging off Gaby’s juvenile words, but for some reason there was a weird twist in her throat.
“Anyway,” Gaby continued with ease, “I should probably get going, I’m meeting with Igor—“
Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, there was a flash of lightning that was soon followed by a blast of thunder.
“No you aren’t,” Allison replied instantly, “you’re staying here. Wait out the storm. It can’t be safe to drive in these conditions.”
“But I’m supposed to be meeting him in, like, half an hour.”
“Text him.”
“What the he—“
Gaby stopped herself.
She was so ready to curse her out. The words slipping out of Allison’s mouth seemed absolutely ludicrous, absurd, uncalled for. Yet, at the same time, she knew her well. Allison had just come fresh out of a breakup and she didn’t want to be alone. Gaby assumed that must have also been the reason Allison had insisted on her staying even later than she typically did post-filming. And, looking at her now, Gaby could see just a second’s flash of a smile from her.
“Fine,” Gaby complied, “I’ll message him.”
It wasn’t like she had an issue with it to begin with. Allison had always been top priority to her and she knew it was the same for Allison. It made sense why their significant others had always seemed to have even the slightest problem with the other person. Allison and Gaby were supposedly platonic best friends, but they were always the first on each other’s lists and were inseparable. They weren’t dating, and yet, they kind of were.
“On one condition,” Gaby looked back over at Allison, “Do you happen to have—“
“Upper cupboard above the oven.”
Gaby grinned, immediately heading over to her kitchen and pulling out the one and only bottle of booze Allison had in stock.
“You know, I really don’t think we have to keep bringing Igor every single week.”
“What?” Gaby scoffed as she went over to the cupboard and pulled out a wine glass. Acknowledging Allison wasn’t much of a drinker, she didn’t even consider grabbing another glass and instead reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of water for her.
Gaby threw the bottle of water over to Allison and watched as she caught it with her left hand, her right hand busy clicking on the page with YouTube’s analysis of their channel.
“Don’t you think it’s starting to become too much? Like he’s turning into a third member of the group?”
Allison was clearly deep in thought as she took a moment to stare at the page.
Now standing in front of Allison, Gaby began filling her glass as she let out a small chuckle. “What the hell are you talking about? Fans love him!”
“Fans love him or you love him?”
Gaby tilted her head, her eyebrows narrowing in shock and confusion with a tint of amusement.
“I mean,” the brunette cleared her throat, realizing her abrupt words, “JBU is about us two as a comedy duo. We don’t… need him.”
Gaby couldn’t help but smirk at Allison’s failure to hide her jealousy. Yet, she didn’t call her out on it. The younger woman was being far too cute for her to.
For the first time in an hour, Allison finally looked up into Gaby’s eyes.
“How’s it… going between you two anyway?” Allison’s voice was a bit scratchy, her words seemingly forced out in search of answers.
“Well, the sex is nice,” Gaby teased and laughed harder as she noticed her partner’s face wrinkle in disgust.
“That’s it?” Allison pondered, her voice now filled with curiosity. “Is it always about the sex for you?”
“Hey, just because I’m polyamorous doesn’t mean—” Gaby brought her voice to a halt, “I’m not going to get into another rant on that. But hey, I’m just saying, being with Igor is a good way to move on.”
“Move on from what?”
Gaby groaned in disbelief, “Are you fucking kidding me Allison?” She couldn’t help but smirk at how ridiculous her question was.
“Is this about Garrett again—”
“No, dudeee!” Gaby couldn’t help but smack her hands together in frustration.
“Good, because you deserve better than—”
“You. It’s about you. How many times do Igor and I have to tell you that we have feelings for you.” Gaby took a second to pause and take a breath. Her voice softer, she murmured, “It’s always been about you.”
Allison felt a lump in her throat as she scrambled her mind for words she could potentially use in response.
They spent a minute seemingly locked in that position, until they were brought back to reality by thunder followed by another flash of lightning; however, this one was even more sudden than before and so substantial that it caused Allison to jump.
Gaby eyed Allison from head to toe and instantly noticed her body beginning to shake. “Are you alright? I thought you liked storms. You’ve always said you like to use them as your so-called ‘crying’ time.”
“Well, that one was unexpected. Plus, usually I have Sugar, and she’s asleep.”
Gaby half-smiled. Instinctively, she decided to walk over to the cabinet Allison kept her perfectly folded blankets.
After a moment, Allison realized Gaby was lingering by the cabinet a little too long. Her eyes seemed glued to something.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” Gaby responded lightly. She had a suspicious tone in her voice that Allison immediately caught onto.
Instead of immediately sitting beside her, the blonde headed back to her best friend, and, standing in front of her, effortlessly unfolded the blanket, all the midst never losing eye contact.
Allison was about to question her further, but within seconds she could feel Gaby’s hands brush up against her arms, silencing the brunette and causing her to lose any train of thought she originally had. Her throat fell dry as the little to no senses she had remaining felt the blonde’s hands first slide down her arms, then her legs, finishing with a little tapping on her knees that caused a shiver to rocket up Allison’s spine.
“I found the idea notebook on your cabinet.” Gaby’s eyebrow rose in mischief, “An April Fool’s plan to fool our viewers into thinking we’re finally a couple?”
Allison blushed a crimson red, “I know, it was a drunken idea—“
“You never drink,” Gaby smirked. Allison was always so terrible at lies; even the so-called planned ones were ridiculous. “I know you think it was a dumb idea, considering the amount of times you wrote it only to repeatedly cross it out.” She paused, purposely leaning in closer to Allison, their breaths on each other. “And what was it doing next to that copy of the third season of The L Word?”
“You know I’ve been trying to watch that series so I can keep up with you and your friends. It’s not easy being the only straight person in your life.”
Gaby rolled her eyes; she found it incredible how even up until this moment her friend was trying to uphold the heterosexual front in front of her.
By this point, the blonde’s voice had fallen to a murmur.
“You know, you don’t have to be jealous of Igor,” she noticed as Allison’s entire body was somehow managing to grow redder and redder by the second, “he’s just a guy I occasionally hook up with.”
Awareness of Gaby’s hands still resting comfortably on her body somehow increased a threshold as these words fell out of the blonde’s lips.
The same lips her eyes – for whatever reason – she had been endlessly staring at for the past five minutes.
Gaby’s voice dropped to an even softer level.
“And, Allison,” her voice lessened in volume yet grew in hunger as she moved one finger to the brunette’s chin, raising it so she could lock eyes with her eyes again, “you sure as fucking hell don’t need a JBU video in order to kiss me.”
“Gaby, I—”
The blonde raked her fingers through the brunette’s hair as she began to press her forehead against hers.
“Yes, Allison?”
All of a sudden, Gaby could feel her heartbeat escalate as she witnessed a never-before-seen glint of darkness in Allison’s eyes.
Sinfully, Allison at last wrapped her arms around Gaby’s neck, and before she knew it her tongue was frantically swirling around her comedy partner’s. She found herself pulling her friend toward her, which involved finally getting her back on the couch.
As the older woman easily climbed over the brunette, she felt herself shiver in anticipation as the brunette dug her nails into her back.
“I knew I would corrupt you sooner or later,” Gaby purred hotly into Allison’s ear before placing kisses down her neck and collarbone.
“Yeah, yeah,” Allison managed to slip out between breaths, “you’ve managed to fool each and every individual you know into believing you’re sexy.” Her words got caught in a gasp as Gaby sucked a part of her neck she was sure would leave a mark the next day.
“It’s so great to know that the most exquisite woman of all thinks I’m sexy,” the charmer of the two women husked.
Allison first dipped her tongue in Gaby’s ear before allowing her teeth to tug on her earlobe. Then, letting her breath tickle her ear and causing the blonde to quiver, she cooed, “Now, don’t let yourself act all superior, Dunn.”
“Well, don’t let yourself tell me what to do,” Gaby growled, “Allison… Beth… Raskin…” She could feel the younger woman melt by her words as she slowly slid her fingertips under the brunette’s tank top, beginning to caress the skin that laid underneath it. She lay her body as firmly against the brunette’s as the thin layer of their cloths allowed. “…you can lead our comedy show, but I… lead… the bedroom,” she continued between thrusts of her hips that escalated both the need and cries of the pair.
“G-Gaby—“Allison barely managed to breathe out.
The blonde moved her face closer to Allison’s, purposely allowing her lips to seductively brush against hers. “I could stop,” she continued, first pinning down her wrists and running her fingers lightly over them and secondly pushing her knee between the other woman’s thighs. “At any time…” She then took her turn at letting her breath tickle the other’s ear, “would you like me to?”
Allison whimpered, gulping down her desperation. “Please don’t stop—” A second later, she felt as Gaby finally took grip of the cloth she was wearing and yanked it off her torso. The blonde’s lips, then tongue, reunited with her own as the hand of the other woman carefully traced its path from her waistline up to her chest.
Senses couldn’t seem to function in Allison’s mind as the experience was nothing like she’d ever had; however, as her fingers found itself stroking through her friend’s hair, her tongue slowly but surely reigning dominance over Gaby’s and thus priding herself in the ability to elicit moans from the far more experienced woman, and her overall body sinking in the sensation of whatever the hell Gaby’s knee, then finger, was doing between her thighs, she was fully able to acknowledge just why the next words mewled their way out of her mouth.
