#Not as comfortable as Canva but good enough to experiment with

[josephine-futturwoman]

🫐- Collage professional makers, is this too much

[neverendingford]

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[owliellder]

Two's A Crowd

College Bully! Leon Kennedy x fem! Reader

MDNI 18+

(Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5)

Description: College is proving to be a lot harder than you imagined. You cannot fail this math class. So when you've tried everything else, a well-known student is recommended to you by your professor for tutoring lessons, not really leaving you with much of a choice but to work with him.

Warnings: Not proofread, No Use of Y/N, Dub-Con, Unprotected Sex, Bullying, Yelling, Cursing

Tags: College AU, Bully! Leon, Shy! Reader, both are in their early 20's, Leon is Rude AF in the beginning, Loss of Virginity, Oral Sex, Fingering, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Tags to be Added

Author's Note: Yay!! New multi-chapter fic in honor of 800 followers!!

I'm a sucker for tropes and mean Leon is one I can't keep out of my head. If you're not good at math then this is the fic for you! (also don't mind me slipping some Sky lore in here...)

Cross-posted onto AO3

Chapter 1

Growing up, college had always been a big dream of yours, leaving you fantasizing day in and out about all the possibilities that would open up, along with actually getting to live through the renowned “college experience”.

In reality, college was a lot harder than you were expecting. Your parents had told you to jump right into it after high school, fearing taking a gap year would ruin your good streak. The stress was starting to get to you and it was only a semester into your freshman year. All the tests, projects, and general studying really wore down on your mental health, not to mention you were failing the one math class you had.

You couldn’t tell your parents, no, they’d probably have a heart attack, especially since that math class was a prerequisite to another class that you needed to take. They were already worried enough that you hadn’t picked a major yet, so who knows how they’d take the news that you were failing right off the bat.

It was hard enough that you were feeling homesick. This was the first time you’d ever been this far away from home, studying at a university when you would’ve been perfectly content going to a community college closer to home. Your roommate was nice, but the two of you weren’t growing any closer than mere acquaintances, so it always felt awkward to just exist in your own dorm room.

Your eating habits worsened with the lack of any real food within five miles of campus. Sure there were a couple fast food chains on the campus itself, but they closed incredibly early. By the time you finished studying, which was around six in the evening, it had already closed. Not to mention that when they were open, the lines were comically long. University food was out of the question after you got violently ill from their “chicken nuggets”, so you were left with the little money your parents provided once a week to order takeout or make quick trips to the store to buy a frozen meal. Only one, since the mini fridge in your dorm was almost always occupied by your roommates stuff.

Everything was so exhausting and you were way out of your comfort zone having to use the community bathrooms for all your hygienic routines. Walking in always made you feel like you were interrupting a meeting in the president’s oval office with how many nasty looks you were given when all you were trying to do was brush your teeth.

The first thing you saw whenever you opened up Canvas was a massive F staring you down from the little box that comprised the majority of your math assignments and tests, making you feel less than worthless. This one semester alone helped you understand why so many people dropped out, this was hard.

By now you’d already gone to your math professor multiple times asking for redos or extra credit work. He was probably sick of seeing you since you showed up after almost every single assignment’s grades were submitted.

“Heeeyyy, Mr. Lebovic..” You said after knocking your knuckle against his open door to grab his attention. “Listen, about that last quiz, I-”

He cut you off with a wave of his hand before gesturing towards one of the chairs sitting in front of his desk. You hurried to sit down, watching nervously as he slowly pulled his eyes off his computer and onto you. “I get it, you don’t need to explain yourself.” His relaxed tone and faint smile was enough to ease your nerves a bit, letting your shoulders slump with a sigh. “You’ve been trying really hard, I can easily recognize that.”

You nodded eagerly, licking your dry lips as you opened your mouth to speak, only to be cut off again. “I’ve been looking into studying options that might help you. Resources are scarce for this material, but I think I finally have a tutor to help you out.” 

A wave of relief washed over you at the mention of tutor. Maybe you wouldn’t have to face the wrath of your parent’s disappointment after all! “Oh.. o-okay…” you stuttered, eyebrows furrowing as you silently beckoned him to continue.

“I teach another math class, it’s higher level, but I have a student in there that’s just taken up tutoring the material you’re learning.” Your professor seemed just as happy as you were about the opportunity. “His name is Leon Kennedy, he’s got one of the study rooms in the library from three to five in the afternoon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”

It took you a second to process everything Mr. Lebovic was telling you before you scrambled to pull out a sticky note and a pen to write all the information down on. You heard the older man chuckle softly, looking over at him when he held out a small piece of paper to you. “I wrote it down already for you, don’t worry.” You wished you could’ve thanked him tenfold, but his office hours were closed for the day now, so you said a quick goodbye and hurried back to your dorm, holding onto the piece of paper like a lifeline.

Contrary to what your math professor thinks, you knew the name “Leon Kennedy”. You had a couple friends that you hung out with occasionally out in the grass in front of the science building and they’d brought him up before. The few vague bits of info that you’d heard weren’t flattering, painting this Leon in quite a bad light; the stereotypical jock in a frat flying by on a full-ride scholarship. However, he was your saving grace now and you needed to develop more of an unbiased opinion of him if he was going to help you raise your grade from an F.

“Yeesh, sorry I’m not better at math or I would’ve helped you.” One of your friends, Sky, spoke up as they read the piece of paper your professor gave you yesterday from over your shoulder. “Even if you were better at math, I still wouldn’t trust you.” Ella, your other friend, laughed out.

“Ha ha, yeah, Sky failed math four times. Big whoop.” Sky waved their hands dramatically before walking over to sit down next to Ella in the dead grass. “Seriously though, you’re better off taking a failing grade and dealing with your parents. Kennedy is the devil incarnate.”

“The devil incarnate sounds easier to put up with than my parents, so I’ll take my chances..” You grumbled, taking a seat on a medium-sized rock close to the pair. “Maybe he’s turning a new leaf? Deciding to tutor?” 

Sky crossed her arms and rolled her eyes which made Ella elbow them in the side before giving you a sympathetic smile. “Maybe so, but please just be careful. I don’t want you having to put up with some jackass that has an ego bigger than Texas.” 

You nodded with a slight frown, moving your foot side to side lazily to push the grass blades around. You didn’t even think to consider the repercussions of studying with some random junior. “I’m sure it’ll be alright. Besides, just tell Sky and I if he’s giving you any trouble. I know damn well no man likes to put up with two women yelling in his face.” Sky nodded and pointed to Ella for added dramatics. “Yeah, and I bite. My top six teeth are porcelain so that shit hurts. Trust me.”

Your friends never failed to make you laugh, a slight resolve in a pool full of worries, you suppose. “Don’t worry, you guys’ll be the first to know if Leon is mean.”

“Good. Now, when’re you gonna go see the guy?” Sky rested their arms on their knees before looking up at you. “Uh.. in a couple hours I guess. I already made the appointment.” Your response seemed to surprise both of your friends, giving them a confused look in response to their shocked ones. “Is that.. Is that not a good time?”

“No no, just.. I thought you would’ve maybe taken a little longer to go and see him.” Ella shrugged, reaching a hand up to scratch behind their neck. “Proud of you, taking the initiative like that.” She then looked at her phone before pulling herself off the ground with a small groan. “I got class in a couple minutes. Good luck with the frat boy.” 

She patted your shoulder as she walked off towards the larger building on campus, leaving you and Sky alone for the rest of the time. Part of you wished both of your friends could walk you to the library when the time came, but having Sky was enough. “So.. Leon’s bad bad?” You needed a bit more clarification on the guy you were going to spend one-on-one time with, something to calm you down after running through countless scenarios in your head.

“He’s not all bad, 'least I don't think. I’ve exchanged a few ‘hello’s’ and ‘excuse me’s’ with him here and there since we apparently frequent the same building.” Sky scooted over to the rock you were sitting on, placing the back of their head on your legs. A couple brown leaves blew over from a nearby tree which they grabbed and crunched with their hand. “I haven’t personally experienced any bad happenings around him, but he is part of a pretty notoriously rowdy frat, so you have to promise me that you’ll only study with him on campus and never go to that frat house or any frat house in general, alright?”

Sky pointed up at you, poking the underside of your chin which made you laugh again and swat their hand away. “As much as I rave about wanting to have the stereotypical college experience, going to a frat house was never part of my daydreaming.”

“Good. Keep it that way.” They switched their fingers to give you a quick thumbs up before letting their arm flop down into their lap, eyes closing with a sigh. “Anyways, besides all that, wanna go get some food? I don’t have another class today and you’ve got about an hour and a half to spare, so actually you have no choice. Get up.”

You stood up with a shake of your head once Sky pushed off of your legs who stood up as well with a small stretch. “Don’t burn me at the stake, but I kinda want grocery store sushi. I’m feeling lucky.”

“Please don’t.” You sighed, pocketing the piece of paper before beginning to follow behind Sky as they started to walk across the grass. 

After the two of you shared a sandwich from some random shop not too far off campus, Sky walked with you up to the library, stopping just before the front desk. They agreed to not wander in with you under the condition that you’ll go to their dorm straight after to discuss details.

To say you were nervous was an understatement. Most of what you heard about this guy meant he was bad news, though you really didn’t have much of a choice when it came to seeing him. Like your math professor said, there weren’t a lot of options when it came to studying the material you were learning. Sure you had the internet and other students in the class, but you preferred the idea of a tutor since you’d already exhausted yourself trying to follow along with various youtube videos. You needed the in-person teaching, it just stuck better in your head that way.

Slowly starting to walk, you made your way over to the study rooms lining the back of the library. The rooms seemed pretty private with the only window being on the door, which had glass nearly top to bottom. Thankfully the rooms were numbered and Leon had texted you which room to go to when you made the appointment with him, you had no idea what he looked like and you didn’t want to look like a creep eyeballing people through the door until you hopefully found the right person.

Standing off to the side, you could see the number you were looking for sitting above the door, taking a brief moment to collect yourself and hype yourself up to talk to someone who didn’t have the greatest reputation. Set aside everything you’ve heard and just hope for the best..

You took in a deep breath as you strode over to the door, glancing inside through the window before knocking to let him know you were there. The table was angled off more to the left so you didn’t immediately see him until he leaned over the table to see who had knocked. Confidence left you as soon as you made eye contact with Leon due to the groan you could hear through the door. It took you a couple seconds, but you eventually managed to get your body to work with you, hand turning the handle to let yourself in.

“-the last thing I need..” You caught the end of his little rant to himself as you opened the door. The saying “fake it ‘till you make it” is harder than it sounds since your entire body decided to betray you, deciding that shrinking in was the best move. Quietly, you shuffled over to sit across from him at the table, placing your backpack in your lap in some weird way to provide comfort in this situation.

“You weren’t supposed to show up.” Leon grumbled, sitting far back in the tilted chair as his feet lifted the front end of the chair slightly. His arms were crossed and he was giving you probably the nastiest look you’ve ever seen, next to your parents, of course. All you did was sit there giving him a blank stare. It was obvious what he’d said, yet the sheer forwardness of that snide comment had you more than confused. “What?-”

“You weren’t supposed to show up.” Apparently he felt the need to repeat himself with some added bite, barely letting you get a word in. “No one ever shows up to these shitty tutor- whatever the fucks.”

Wow. Okay. “Uh..” You didn’t even know what to say to that. It completely caught you off guard. You’d run through countless ways this interaction would go in your head, but this wasn’t one of those ways. The two of you sat in a very tense silence with Leon just glaring at you from across the table, continuing to rock back and forth in the chair.

Without uncrossing his arms, Leon lifted a hand and waved it around slightly while shaking his head. “Are you actually still gonna sit here orrr…?” The sound of his voice finally snapped you out of shock, causing you to shoot your gaze down to your backpack, fumbling with its partially broken zipper. “I-.. Mr. Lebovic recommended you..?”

You pulled out a few of your failed assignments from your bag before setting them down on the table with shaky hands, keeping your eyes glued to the papers to avoid that burning stare the man in front of you has. “I need-.. I need help..?”

“Do you?” Leon let the chair fall forward, his sarcastic tone starting to make your whole body tremble. “You don’t sound like you do.” He snatched one of your assignments from the table and held it up, pursing his lips as he studied the various red marks made on it closely. You chose to not respond to that, letting your hands rest on top of your backpack so you had something to squeeze.

He turned the page around, the sound of the paper wobbling the only thing you could hear right after the sound of the central heat blowing through the vent in the room. Suddenly, Leon started chuckling to himself, shaking his head incredulously as he flipped the paper back and forth a couple times before letting it fall back to the table. “This is terrible!” His laugh grew louder as he tilted his body to the side to pull out his phone, taking a picture of the assignments you’d put on the table. 

How on earth were you supposed to react to that other than just sitting quietly? He was actually making fun of you right to your face. Hell, he might as well point and laugh if he’s going to be this brasen. 

The most you could muster up was a quiet yet high-pitched “... huh?” in response to him. This whole ordeal was spiraling a little too fast for you to keep up with. You were expecting to put up with some grown man with a bratty attitude or even just a very uninterested, not all there jock with how Leon’s been described to you, not blatant bullying.

“Huh?” He mocked, taking one last look at his phone while loudly sucking on his teeth before pocketing it again. “Anyways, this is actually sad. How are you managing to fuck simple math up like this?” He roughly grabbed all the papers on the table and stacked them before partially tossing them back at you, some slipping onto the floor. “You’re too far gone, even I can’t fix that.”

You let out a gasp when the papers were tossed at your face, scrambling to catch some of them. Pushing the chair back, you leaned over to grab the few that fell on the floor, desperately holding back tears. “Please, you don’t understand.” You pleaded, voice cracking as you tried your best not to start crying in front of him. “I-I need to pass this class. I’m passing everything else, I just can’t keep up with this one!” You were speed-talking to try and argue your case, sitting back up with the small pile of papers that you struggled to stack properly.

Leon started rocking back in his chair again, arms back across his chest as he watched you with squinted eyes. The corners of his lips soon turned up into a smirk, taking in your sorry state before rolling his eyes with a dramatic groan. “Alright, alright, stop whining, jesus..” He cleared his throat, letting his head fall over the back of the chair. “I’ll help you only because I feel bad for you.” It’s not like he was going to admit that he was being forced to be a tutor, no one needs leverage over him like that

You couldn’t help but give a small smile despite his implication. It was a start. “And I’m not gonna do it today, either.” Well, the sooner the better, but still, it’s a start.

He then stood up from the chair, fixing his jacket with a sigh. “If you show up even a minute late on Friday, I’m not helping” and before you even had a chance to reply, he walked out of the room, the door shutting with a slam which made you flinch. Luckily, you were a very punctual person when it came to this kind of stuff. This was important, so if you had to show up early, so be it. You hurriedly shoved your assignments back into your backpack, not even fully zipping it up before rushing out of the study room, back through the library, and to the dorms.

“He said that?!” Sky yelled, quickly wiping their hand over their mouth to quiet themself once you shushed them. “I don’t really feel comfortable with you going to another ‘study session’ with that guy if he’s just gonna bully you.”

“I wouldn’t call it bullying-”

“He was bullying you.”

“OKAY! So what if he was?!” You fell back onto Sky’s bed with a sigh, arms splayed out with your legs dangling off the side. “I can handle it. As long as I get my grade up, who cares?”

Sky sat down next to you on their bed, giving you a sad look as you sat yourself up with your elbows. “I care. So does Ella. You shouldn’t put up with that just for a grade. I’m sure if you explain to your professor and-”

“And what? Tell him that I’m a grown woman getting bullied over something I should know by now?” You sat yourself up fully now, leaning forward to place your elbows on your thighs as your head rested in your hands. “It’s only until finals are over and we’re already halfway through October. Maybe I won’t even need that much time, maybe I’m just missing one simple… math move and it’ll get the gears in my brain moving again.”

You tilted your head to the side to look at Sky, head now resting only in your right hand as you took in their annoyed look. “Trust me. I can handle this.”

“If you say so.” They ran their fingers through her hair before looking away from you, directing their attention forward to stare off at nothing. “Just remember that I bite and I’m not afraid to use my fake chompers on that no good-”

“I don’t wanna think about escalations right now, but thank you.” You chuckled, playfully nudging Sky with your free hand before moving it back to hold your head up with the other. Though you were trying to convince Sky on this, you were mostly just trying to convince yourself that you could handle this. Handle Leon and his.. alluring charm..

Only until finals, maybe even sooner.

[sluttyminghao]

title: sensitive skin pairing: seokmin x gender neutral reader rating: 18+ minors do NOT interact w.c: 1.2k contains: nipple clamps, nipple play, brief moment of sucking his dick, sub/switch!seok, hinting at actual fucking but no actual fucking a/n: thank u so much to @tusswrites for proof reading for me and giving great constructive criticism! also big thank you to @monamipencil, @junkissed and @wooahaeproductions for the ideas! much love to u all <3

The boundaries of physical connection often lead to deeper emotional ties in the exploration of intimacy. Among the myriad of ways that couples express affection towards each other, the act of exploring one's body can be exhilarating and affirming for both parties. 

The body is not merely a vessel; it is a canvas on which emotions are painted, experiences are etched, and vulnerabilities are revealed. For Seokmin, as with many individuals, the journey begins with a sense of safety—a prerequisite for any intimate encounter. This is crucial, as mutual trust and comfort are the keys to exploring the physical realm. The act of engaging with his nipples often transforms into an intimate ritual, fueling an electric sensation that courses through both partners.

As the exploration of his wonderfully sculpted body commences, the atmosphere becomes charged with anticipation and want. The dimmed lights of your shared bedroom create a warm and inviting glow, casting soft shadows that dance across the room and adding to the intimate atmosphere. The air is thick with an unspoken connection, a bond that deepens as your fingers brush lightly against Seokmin’s sensitive skin. This initial touch, delicate yet intentional, invites a rush of warmth that spreads throughout his body, igniting his senses and eliciting the most beautiful sounds from him. The focus here is not solely on pleasure; it’s an acknowledgment of Seokmin's body, an expression of appreciation and adoration.

Seokmin's nipples, often sensitive and responsive to even the softest touch, serve as focal points in this intimate exploration. Each gentle tug or playful flick elicits a reaction that ripples through him, igniting a spark that prompts a joyful gasp or a soft moan that also has his cock twitching in his boxers, a small wet patch forming on the fabric to show his excitement. You make note of Seokmin's reactions with each touch you place on his skin—his laboured breaths, the involuntary shivers, or the affectionate glances— it only fuels the desire to continue, creating a rhythm that becomes a dance between pleasure and emotion.

He knows he will cum quickly, but he can't bring himself to get you to stop with how good he’s feeling. Every graze of your fingertips on his skin ignites a new fire within his belly, and he can feel the orgasm creeping up on him like a large tidal wave about to hit the shore. He can feel his hair sticking to his forehead, sweat beading on his tanned chest and his hands growing clammy despite being laid against the cool cotton sheets underneath him. 

“Are you close?”

Seokmin hears your voice break through his lustful haze and he can only nod frantically as a whimper bubbles up his throat, one of his hands coming up to slide through your hair and get a grip on your scalp in hopes of keeping himself somewhat grounded. You continue to tease his hardened nipples with your fingers and tongue, alternating so that he doesn't cum too soon. 

It’s only when you briefly leave his side that Seokmin peeks his eyes open, only to see you standing next to him with your favourite nipple clamps in your hands, and he briefly feels his face and stomach grow warm - either with lust or embarrassment. In one swift motion, you position yourself between his thighs and let the clamps grab naturally onto his nipples, a strangled whine leaving his lips at the sudden coolness of the metal. The sound alone is enough cause to have a smirk growing on your own features, wondering how many more pretty noises you can elicit from him.

With the clamps now securely in place, you turn your attention back to his nipples, teasing them in the most delicious ways. You alternate between soft kisses and gentle nibbles, each touch sending waves of pleasure through his body that have him whimpering and shaking. You hear him sigh, his breath hitching as you add a little more pressure, amplifying the pleasure with each teasing flick of your tongue. His reactions are fuel for your desire, igniting a primal need to explore every inch of him, and you gladly oblige.

You lean in closer, your lips hovering just above where the clamps are secured. You whisper sweet nothings that mingle with his soft moans, creating a hushed symphony of intimacy that only you two can hear. The delightful contrast of the cool metal against the warmth of his skin makes you dizzy with desire, your own body beginning to pulse with want. Every moment that you’re teasing his sensitive skin seems to stretch and pulse with energy, as you witness how he surrenders himself to the pleasures you bring forth.

You play around with the tension of the clamps, gently tugging on them as you kiss his neck, eliciting deeper moans that resonate in your core. You find yourself lost in the rhythm of this exploration, a dance of lovers where every touch, every caress is meticulously crafted to draw forth the deepest pleasure. You can taste the excitement in the air, and feel it surge between you like a live wire, sparking with every muted gasp that escapes him.

“Please, don’t stop,” his voice comes out broken and shaky as you pull particularly hard on the clamps, watching his body contort and his back arch off the bed. The sheer adrenaline that’s coursing through your veins makes you immediately drop the chain from the clamps and tug rapidly on his now soaked boxers to let his engorged cock spring free. 

Seokmin watches you with glazed eyes as you lower yourself onto the bed and are at eye level with his cock, and he can barely comprehend when you sink your lips over the tip of his cock and pull on the clamps at the same time. It puts him into a state of euphoria that has him immediately cumming into your mouth, cries leaving his lips incessantly and his hands screwing up in the sheets beneath him. You can feel his hot cum filling your mouth quickly, there’s so much of it that it begins to spill from the corners of your lips.

He can hardly control himself at the moment, that is, until the moment fades and he pulls his cock from your mouth and looks at you sheepishly. Your cheeks and lips have turned a lovely shade of red, and your hair is coming out of its makeshift ponytail, but he thinks you’ve never looked prettier. Just looking at you, he can’t control himself as he feels his cock begin to twitch and harden once again, which only makes you smirk.

You take off your shirt, leaving you practically bare to his wandering eye and shuffle closer to him, letting your breath mingle with his. You lean in even closer, your lips mere inches from his skin, inhaling the warm, intoxicating mixture of his scent—something between musky and sweet, leaving you craving more of him. With a soft chuckle, you place delicate kisses on his chest, tracing a path to his shoulders, each peck igniting an invisible trail of fire. Your heart races, not solely from the thrill of the moment, but from the undeniable bond that grows stronger with each passing second. You revel in the way his body responds, the tiny shudders and gasps hinting at the electric connection you share.

“So, do you want to have your way with me now?”

[amazinglyashy]

Frostbite - Prologue [Ch. 1]

Read on Ao3 Pairings: Foreseer Zayne x Reader Summary: In the Creatio Protocore, you would find an extension on the life you had all but given up on until recently. In you, the Foreseer would find a life worth living for once in his immortality. And together, you would find just how lovely and just how cruel fate could be. Tags: N/SFW, Hurt/Comfort. Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Canon Divergence, Abuse, Domestic Violence, Chronic Illness Notes: A slightly divergent retelling of Zayne's time as Foreseer and the myths and memories that flow with it. Chapters uploaded as frequently as I can. Chapter wordcount: 1,445

Prologue - You

Freezing- that would be a good word to use to describe how you were feeling right now. It was the dead of winter, with the wind howling as it bit across the rose color of your cheeks, making you wonder how long it would be before you became a frozen icicle yourself, much akin to the ones hanging down low from the trees. The nature around you was breathtakingly beautiful, you wouldn’t deny that- the trees nearly black in color from the wet of their wood in the snow coating them, the stark contrast of black and white mixed with the pale blue of ice taking form along the branches- if you had more time, you would stop and enjoy it. Maybe start a fire to add some warm oranges and red to the canvas before you while you admired the view. But you didn’t have such time, nor luxury at this moment. 

You couldn’t tell if the ground beneath you feeling like a glacier was a bad omen or not. In most cases, the danger of slipping on the tightly packed snow would be at the forefront of your mind, but right now, it was a comforting sign that the road you were traversing was commonly used. It meant if you got stuck up here, you could find help fairly easily, possibly even before freezing to death. 

Well, until you had to fork away from the main road and take a much less common way to get to your destination. 

The route you were currently using was one that branched off several times in its length, commonly leading to local villages or nearby cities for tradesmen and artisan to go and sell their wares. Farmers would also utilize the main roadway when transporting livestock or their crops in imposing wagons, though their wheels would have much difficulty on the ice and sleet that had formed since autumn had turned to winter. Their trips were far and fewer in between, but that didn’t mean they didn’t exist until spring. 

You had the lingering thought of hopefully passing a hunter somewhere along your route. You had brought some coin just in case, hoping to talk them out of a catch they may have on hand in exchange, so that you could have a bite to eat later once you were making the trip back down the mountain, huddled around a makeshift fire as you waited out the evening. 

That would be to say, if you were able to make it back down the mountain at all.

Quietly, as if on instinct, you reached up to clutch your chest as you felt a slight tendril of pain throb across your bosom. You needed to be careful, and pick up the pace. The frozen wind howling around you was dangerous for your condition, and you didn’t need to experience an aggressive flare up in the middle of an unforgiving mountain. Not when you were this close to a possible salvation. 

The area ahead of you cleared, and you could see an olden wood sign with markers and text burnt into the grain, covered in snow, but clean enough to read. You approached the gray wood that complimented the white contrast of snow surrounding it, making out a few small, nearby villages whose names you recognized from day trips the summers before now. The roadway you were on split off into three different directions, snaking to locations nearby and further away. Two of the options had paths similar to the one you had just come from- packed down snow slick with footsteps and wheel markings, the travel route being utilized faster than fresh snowfall could cover it. It was alright to walk in, with nails cobbled into the soles of your shoes to prevent a fall. Both paths promised common traffic. But the third option was quite the opposite. 

It was nearly completely powder, only packed down from more snow landing down on top of it. It looked more akin to a small, sudden cliff rising above the other pathways, like a two-foot tall wall challenging you to dare take a step onto it, not knowing if what lie beneath it was solid ground, or covered underbrush. 

Obviously, it was the one you were meant to take.

Of course, the state it’s in makes perfect sense , you thought to yourself, stepping forward to begin carefully trekking the thick climate. After all, when was the last time an official royal envoy had been sent to the Tower of Thorns anyway? Most people didn’t make it a daily habit to go and see the Foreseer. The fear of angering him or the god Astra Himself usually too much for most to bear, even in exchange for the possibility of finding out a future prophecy that greedily pertained to themselves. And the ones who didn’t fear the concept were simply too stupid to have fear of the godly and divine in the first place. You had definitely heard talk in the taverns, wild men drunk on too much ale, spilling their tales and woe about friends or cohorts going missing after a brazen trip to the tower in the mountain. Usually, it was someone who had been down on their luck, searching for a prophecy that promised better fortune in the near future. But occasionally, it was someone who wanted to grasp one of the Foreseer’s many treasures, the coin fetched for such items would be immense enough to live on for years to come, simply because of his divine name. 

That very same tavern talk was what had led you to this very moment- trudging your way as the stony spire slowly came into view, your lungs burning with every freezing breath you took. 

Yes, those who didn’t fear the Foreseer or Astra were out of their right minds, and the ones who even humored the thought of stealing something holy for their own benefit were even worse. But you were finding it harder and harder to mock them, even simply in the depths of your own mind, due to what was bringing you here today.

The Creatio Protocore. 

It was a divine relic, supposedly nestled in the center of the scepter the Foreseer used in most of his magics, knots of wood and metal curling around it as it hovered in place. It could reign destruction- leveling parts of the mountain, taking lives without an ounce of mercy from the wielder, Astra’s cruel sword and emissary, and freezing to death anyone who may speak out of line. But there were two sides to this coin- with the Creatio Protocore also capable of more than simple miracles. It could bestow life upon rot, and will tranquility on the lands surrounding. Both sides were tales you had been told, sure, but you knew the words bore some weight. You had read the scripture from the royals before and their envoys, and how the Foreseer would act when they were in his presence. 

The Creatio Protocore would be able to cure you- the ailment that scarred deeply across your chest- you just knew it. 

Not much was known about Cryoarsis, except that there were no known cures nestled among the browned, stained pages that spoke of the few known cases. And when you said few, you meant few. The amount of known cases could be counted on both hands, and missing a few fingers at that. The cases happened so infrequently, the information that spoke of the disease could be considered even rarer than the disease itself. Your deductions had found that the only possible cure would be nothing short of divine intervention. A rare miracle bestowed upon you by the gods themselves. A rare miracle taking shape, could be considered the Creatio Protocore, the main source of power for the Foreseer, and a blessing from Astra in physical form. 

So, blindly- on the basis of some tavern banter you had heard a few weeks ago and the writings you had read up on after- you were lifting your knees to your chest as you trudged your way up the last length of the mountainside you would need to reach the Tower of Thorns. The human will to live was a mighty thing, you were finding. And you knew yours was mightier than most. It hadn’t always been, but recent events transpiring had done well to change your mind, and now your only goal was to find- and take- the Creatio Protocore to cure your Cryoarsis. Even if it killed you.

Besides, you would die anyway without it. What did you have to lose, trying to go toe to toe with a demigod?

[stari-hun]

Theopil

I think Theopil died with the same type of resignation Isolde had towards being hypnotized by Kakania.

Theopil likely resented Isolde while loving her. Isolde was raised with a kind of love and attention he wasn't given from Evangeline in her process of being raised as her successor. Isolde's existence was also discovered right after Trista's death. Trista and him were as close in age as Isolde and Trista, so he would've grown up with her and seen as Evangeline took her off to awaken her abilities as a medium only to not return. I think the circumstances of her birth is also a reason to why Theopil avoided the Dittarsdorf house as a whole, opting to bring Isolde back gifts before spiriting away again.

When Theopil brought Isolde a broach for her 15th birthday, the box was also from Heinrich who was a childhood friend to her (although she didn't consider him so close). Heinrich also mentioned in the scene Kakania and Isolde met that Theopil never stopped talking about Isolde to him and praising her. I don't think he stopped thinking of her either.

In the UTTU event the Dittarsdorfs are mentioned frequently along with Kakania from the people who lived in Vienna. One of them mention talks about Theopil and gives insight to his social reach in the art community. While Theopil lacked the talent of the women in the Dittarsdorf line, he was still a noble who was comfortable enough financially to enjoy the arts alongside being a man in the 1910s. He was known to experiment with many art mediums and talked to many people. He’s explicitly talked about as a friendly and open person as well as implied to be an easy going mediator. Heinrich revealed he talks about Isolde all the time and praises her. However he doesn’t talk about Evangeline, keeping them both tucked away in a drawer instead of putting their outward personas onto canvas’ to hang up in his gallery despite taking in many models for his art. I think his reasoning behind this is equal parts due to him or wanting to avoid his family and childhood as well as wanting to keep the world away from them. Marcus’ event shines a light best on the subject, the general public is the same as it’s always been, they demand an entertaining story. Isolde saw Mr. Karl for what he wanted out of the family along with how he saw Evangeline as a rotting consumable not yet used up. Theopil saw a similar thought process in everyone with how people talked about Isolde and obsessed over her. He likely had incidents with people wanting to get to her and Isolde diffusing the situation as a simple job hazard. He kept the only art piece and expression of them in a drawer safe from the world.

Theopil's last painting contained a circle and ritual for immunization from The Storm. Gained from Arcana he was told the truth the Foundation was hiding from everyone as well, leading to his panic surrounding it. After learning time was reversing Theopil must've thought of his friends, but most of all how Isolde would never get better. However what Theopil didn’t account for was that Isolde had no intention of getting better due to just anyone’s help. He was the only character to really see Isolde’s cries for help, but he didn’t take into account for the fact that she wasn’t asking for help from anyone besides Kakania.

Heinrich also makes his point during his monologue in 6.20 that art is a symbol of progress towards self-expression. In 6.21 he directly states his goal, "The 'Storm' will put a stop to this frenetic melody before all the good, artistic, heartfelt things in life are destroyed before our eyes." As a person in the center of the social circles for the artists of Vienna, and thus the social circles of nobility, Theopil would be intensely aware of how much time means for progress. He would've known that Isolde would grow worse with time unchecked, but she'd never grow better without time either. The Salvation was made as an effort to continue time again for people, and Theopil made it for Isolde.

[epiicaricacy-arts]

without the sour the sweet wouldn’t taste

why are you as a man eating another man’s ear after you failed to make him eat his ex girlfriend. 🤨🏳️‍🌈⁉️

im allowed a bit of toxic yaoi. as a treat

process discussion utc ⬇️

for those familiar with my work you’ll know that i like trying a lot of new styles and experimenting in order to achieve a certain vibe. usually those are heavy painterly styles such as the sunday art inspired by Yuming Li, which is what i’m familiar and comfortable with, both traditionally and digitally

what im NOT familiar with is watercolour. i’ve never had a good time with it 🥲 i just cant seem to wrap my head around the process since its requires me to work backwards (light to dark vs dark to light)

for this piece i just couldn’t imagine myself rendering it in my usual style. i needed to do something new so that i’d stay invested enough in the piece considering that it has two people, meaning double the work. for some reason i thought it’d be fun to do double the work with a style i am completely uncomfortable with but oh well!! i managed to do it 🤷‍♀️ i was specifically looking at the works of Ko Byung Jun, an artist i’ve seen all over my pinterest feed

while i didn’t end up really following the style super closely i still learned quite a lot just by looking at it while i drew. i tried my best to stick to watercolour brushes and an ink pen but as i was nearing the end i needed to make some alterations that i wasn’t bothered to try fixing with the watercolour brushes so i just went over it with my digital ones 🫡 i did my best that’s what matters!!!

i had to repaint rody a few times cause i just couldn’t get it right and the colours never ended up matching vincent. i painted them separately and i think i got possessed while painting vincent cause it happened in like. 40 minutes. and i couldn’t get it to happen again 😔 it didn’t really matter cause i ended up going ham with the curves tool as always but you know 🤷‍♀️

here’s the image without all the effects:

i find lately it’s been more and more common for me to be sketching several iterations of a concept for days, even weeks before i land on something i like. i have an entire separate canvas that i’ve spent 5 hours just doing thumbnails trying to figure out how i wanted to pose these two in a way that would showcase the characteristics that mattered in the story of this piece.

that’s my process for coming up with drawings: i find inspiration somewhere, i figure out the key concepts/characteristics/symbols etc i want highlighted, and i work around those. sometimes i have a composition in mind or just a general vibe i want to portray. for this one i wanted to make sure the towel, rody’s injured finger and vincent’s face could all be clearly seen, while also portraying the fight scene and the vibe i get from the reference song. almost all of my work revolves around a specific lyric from the song which drives the story of the piece. here i interpreted the line “without the sour the sweet wouldn’t taste” as a connection to all the little actions vince takes with rody that can be seen as “sweet.” drying rody’s hair, bandaging rody’s cut. i then asked myself how i could take those actions and make them “sour” or show them in a different light, in which vince is biting the finger he bandaged and pulling rody closer, preventing his escape with the towel he used to dry his hair. what im trying to communicate in this illustration is the idea of “if it weren’t for how i’m treating you now, you wouldn’t understand how kind i was to you then” in an attempt to illustrate the complexities of the way vincent acts towards rody.

i’m truly in love with the story telling of this game. it’s hard to really say anything about how the characters acted during the story because it’s so complex in how it’s done. it’s very hard to summarize their relationship because there’s so much about it i can’t explain without just quoting the game directly. i think it’s such a beautiful portrayal of obsession and just being fucking weird about someone. i wanted to ensure the elements i mentioned in the above paragraph because i didn’t want to be portraying vincent as solely a villain and rody as a victim. i wanted the storytelling of this one illustration to live up to my impression of this beautiful game and i hope i did it justice.

thank you for reading this if you’ve made it this far. i love rambling on all my art posts cause i think it’s so valuable for artists to expand on their work outside of the result alone. i hope what im saying is at most helpful to someone and at the very least a good read. i’m probably gonna take a bit of an art break after this since it took a lot out of me, plus im on the last days of my trip. thank you again for reading!

here’s my dog

[extremedelusions17]

staying the night

a.russo x reader

small fic literally no one asked for 650 words I think

decided to post this after debating about wether its good enough

feedback is always appreciated xx

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

You and Alessia had been friends since you both could walk, your connection evolving from bestfriends into something deeper. After years of playful banter and then a few successful dates, the chemistry between you two was palpable. It was after your third date, things were going so well that you didn't want the night to end. With no intentions other than to spend more time together, you invited Alessia back to your place for dinner and some movies 

As you entered your flat, Alessia looked around with a mix of nervousness as she had been to your flat before, just never as something more than your best friend. Her eyes sparkled as she took in the details of your home for what must have felt like the hundredth time, fingers gently tracing over the personal touches that made it uniquely yours. Moving to the sofa, you patted the seat, signaling for Alessia to join you. Hoping she would join you, you couldn't help but smile when she perched a bit awkwardly, her nerves present.

Embracing a casual atmosphere, you handed Alessia a glass of wine and selected a movie. The setting became more laid-back, creating a comfortable space for her to unwind. As the evening progressed, the conversation flowed naturally, and despite Alessia's initial awkwardness, she gradually shifted closer on the sofa.

"Are you good with this movie choice?" you inquired, a gentle smile playing on your lips. The rich, velvety flavor of the wine lingered on your tongue as you waited for Alessia's response, the ambient light casting a soft glow that mirrored the warmth in your voice.

Alessia's face brightened with a smile as she nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it's perfect. Thanks," she replied, her eyes reflecting genuine appreciation.

.You wrapped your arms around her shoulders, feeling the tension in her muscles start to loosen. She shuffled a little closer, looking up at you for any signs of discomfort orunease.

"You comfy?" you asked, and she nodded, a shy yet content smile on her face.

The movie continued with quiet commentary and shared laughter. Alessia's movements became more fluid as she leaned comfortably against you. Sensing her hesitation, you gently teased, "Getting cozy over here, aren't we?"

She chuckled nervously, eyes avoiding your own, "Yeah, just trying not to make you uncomfortable or invade your personal space."

"You could never Lessi" you encouraged, patting the spot next to you, before wrapping your arms around the taller girl

The night went on, Alessia becoming more at ease in the easy flow of your conversation. Laughter and shared comments wove a comfortable tapestry, creating an atmosphere that felt uniquely yours. The movie, serving more as background noise..

As the sky grew darker, Alessia and your shared glances spoke volumes. Each shared smile and subtle movement on the sofa became a brushstroke on the canvas of your shared experience. The movie credits served as a quiet backdrop to the unexpressed emotions swirling in the air.

As the night approached its end, Alessia turned toward you, her eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and a deeper connection. "It's getting late, I should get going" she said softly, the weight of her words hanging in the air 

“It’s too late for you to go home now, just spend the night here, you already have clothes here” Alessia did not respond just nodding and pulling you further into her Without uttering another word. The gap between you slowly disappeared as Alessia nestled against you, finding comfort in your warmth. Her arm around your shoulders, your head nestled against her chest, you created a peaceful space. The room echoed with the hushed rustle of fabric as you shifted slightly, finding the perfect position where every touch felt comforting. In that simple act of just holding each, words became unnecessary. It was a silent conversation, a language of shared glances and contented sighs.

[leapingbadger]

The Beach

Summary: During a surprise meet up with Ventress (in my previous story Tested), she suggested Hunter might be force sensitive. He's unable to get it out of his head and needs answers. His brothers try to help him figure it out. It also includes Tech as a ghost which is discussed more in Sunrise and Goodbye. (Read on AO3)

***

Hunter followed Crosshair out of their front door and down the winding path to the beach. The sun had just risen, and the sounds of Pabu’s creatures had erupted with the bright, golden glow. The heat hit him like a wall as his feet crunched on the sloping path.

“You sure you don’t want to wait for the others?”  his brother asked in his slow drawl.

Hunter shook his head, “I think it’s better if it’s just us. The sooner we get this done, the better,” he replied.

“Don’t want your armor? Crosshair asked.

“I think you’re overestimating your skills with a knife, brother?” Hunter returned with a smile. “what’s with the paints?”

“Figured when we’re done, I might be able to get some practice in…” he said sheepishly. He fidgeted with his prosthetic right hand and adjusted the canvas under his arm.

They continue the rest of the walk in silence, nodding to various villagers they came across on the way down to lower Pabu. Everyone knew who they were, even if they’d never spoken to them before.

Hunter led the way down to a small bay with a thin strip of beach. It was small enough to not be a favorite with the locals but was a place he came to often. It sat next to the cave where they had first met Ventress.

She was really the reason he was doing this. He hadn’t been able to forget their conversation during his mission with Rex. He didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, he told himself over and over again, but he wanted to be sure.

He and his brothers had never been enlightened into the inner working of the Kaminoan experiments that had created them and had no real knowledge of how they ended up the way they were. Even Tech wasn’t able to get that information, when he was alive.

“I believe Ventress’ theory has merit,” he had said during one of his early morning visits to Hunter. These meetings had become more frequent since Hunter had returned to the island. “But it requires more exploration.”

And so here they were, on the beach, before the others could wake up, to test Ventress’ theory.

“So, what’s the plan?” Crosshair asked, placing his art supplies by a large rock.

Hunter tied the lace on his boots, pulled out his vibroknife and handed it to his brother. “Tech said we needed to recreate Ventress’ experiment but multiple times with different variable,”

Crosshair grinned, taking the toothpick out of his mouth, “so, you want me to throw a knife at you?”

“Yes. Repeatedly,” Hunter said with a smirk, “you think you can bring yourself to do that?”

“I’ll manage,” Crosshair said, looking a little too enthusiastic for Hunter’s liking.

Hunter waded a few meters out into the bay and stood on a jagged bolder peeking out of the crystal water.

He steadied himself on the rock, feet planted firmly. The surface was slippery underneath his boots but he was able to find a place where he was comfortable, without his feet going out from under him. He closed his eyes and pulled his bandana down over them for good measure. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it properly. He heard the chatter of moon-yos scattered about the island, tasted the salt of the water on his tongue. He exhaled and listened.

The familiar schwing of the knife rang through the air as is got closer and closer. He concentrated, brow furrowed, he knew where it was, could sense it second by second as it came closer. He thrust his right arm out and caught the knife perfectly by the hilt.

“Show off,” he heard his brother mutter under his breath.

Hunter raised his arm and threw the knife back, he knew it landed perfectly at his brother’s feet, without really knowing how he knew.

“Again,” he called to Crosshair. He heard his brother take a few steps to one side, throwing it from a slightly different angle. Hunter still caught it easily. Once again sensing it tumble through the air towards him.

They kept at it, Crosshair moving this way and that, backwards and forward to try and find the perfect angle to throw his brother off his balance.

“This is a waste of time,” he called, “I think we’ve proved her point. Don’t you?”

Hunter lifted the bandana from his eye and looked at his brother. He had crossed to his paints and was getting his canvas set up, “not yet. I’ve got another idea,”

He took his blaster out from the holster on his left hip, flipped it to the stun setting and tossed it to his brother who was looking at him incredulously.

“You want me to shoot you?” he shouted

“It’s set to stun,” Hunter said with a shrug, “what’s the worst that can happen?”

“I stun you and you drown before I can get to you,” Cross offered bitterly.

“Don’t sell yourself short. I’m sure you can get to me in time. You’re much faster than you used to be,” Hunter said with a chuckle. He felt a vibration at the edge of his senses. Tech was here.

“This is not what I meant when I said test the hypothesis,” Tech said, mirroring Crosshair’s disbelief at Hunter’s recklessness.

“It’ll be fine, Tech” Hunter said quietly. He noticed Crosshair frowning over at him.

Hunter knew this was ridiculous. That there were a thousand other things he could be doing on this island paradise. But the desire to know, to prove Ventress wrong was too much to bear. He wanted to be able to tell her when he saw her next that he was an enhanced clone like his brothers, and nothing more.

Hunter thought of their time as cadets. He had been able to blend in easily with the Regs. His brothers weren’t so lucky and paid the price for it often. He couldn’t stand it. And no matter how many times he comforted them, talked them down, defended them, fought for them, they couldn’t help but stand out. They were his team, his family, and he wanted to be like them. To make the rest of the GAR respect Crosshair, Wrecker and Tech for the miracles that they were, not the freaks they were made out to be. He’d grown his hair out and gotten tattooed with the symbol of the squad on their first mission so he could represent them in the way his brothers had to every day. He needed this to go away. He was not force sensitive, he was a Batcher through and through.

Crosshair looked nervous as he raised the blaster. Hunter nodded in encouragement and lowered his bandana over his eyes once more. He heard the shot first. He felt the heat of it and an invisible string pulled him to the left, causing it to sail past him over his right shoulder. He had to give it to his brother, he was aiming for his chest.

“Let’s go again, Cross” he called without moving.

“What, precisely, are you trying to prove,” he heard Tech’s voice in his mind.

Hunter wasn’t really sure how to answer the question. “That I’m just like the rest of you,” he heard himself answer in his head. But he didn’t dare say it out loud. That was too personal, cut too close to the depths of him.

They continued over and over again. Crosshair occasionally complaining about having done it all, Hunter adamantly shouting “again” from the rock.

Crosshair was the best shot in the galaxy, even with a prosthetic hand and Hunter was still able to dodge him. How was that possible?

“Last shot, Hunter.” Crosshair called, not giving him the opportunity to argue with his tone.

There was a cacophony erupting on the beach, but Hunter pushed it aside to focus. He waited, senses tingling as he felt the bolt from the blaster explode out of the barrel. This one was coming for him square between the eyes. He felt it get closer and closer. If we went left or right, he’d be in the water. He didn’t even think about it, he just did it. He jumped, higher than he’d ever jumped before, He twisted in a corkscrew, felt his bandana slip off and landed back on the rock on one foot, facing his brother and a crowd that had seemingly gathered unnoticed. He heard the snap of the bolt hit the water.

Omega, Wrecker, Deke, Stak and Mox were scattered behind Crosshair on the beach, chasing Batcher or letting her chase them. The blue Lurka hound bounded this way and that, sand flying under her giant paws.  

“Huntah, that was great,” Omega cried, dashing to the shoreline.

Hunter jumped off the rock into the warm water and retrieved his bandana which was starting to sink beneath the surface. He gave Omegas a half-hearted smile and ruffled her hair as he walked over to Crosshair and Wrecker.

Crosshair handed him his knife and blaster.

“So, what now?”

Hunter turned to his left and looked at the vacant space next to Crosshair.

“I hate to say it. But perhaps Ventress is your only option. Only she can give you the answer you seek,” Tech said in Hunter’s head.

Hunter signed and Crosshair and Wrecker looked at him expectantly.

“Tech says I need Ventress to test me,”

“I could have told you that,” Wrecker said with a guffaw, playfully punching Hunters shoulder.

“What’s the problem,” Crosshair asked

Hunter didn’t know how to verbalize it without feeling vulnerable, childish even. “I just…I…don’t want to leave Omega. All of you. It’s not the right time.” he said lamely, sliding his knife in his sheath without looking.

Crosshair narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying it but didn’t say anything else and Hunter was grateful.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the beauty of Pabu. Omega and the cadets made castles in the sand, Batcher chased wildlife into the bay and Crosshair finally got to paint his masterpiece.

Hunter had retreated to the shade of the cave, watching his family from afar. He spun his knife between his fingers, occasionally tossing it over his head and catching it without taking his eyes off of Omega, who was half buried in the sand, head thrown back in laughter.

Hunter felt a vibration at the edge of his senses again.

“Do you think perhaps you’re focusing on the wrong thing?” Tech said. Hunter closed his eyes and saw his younger brother’s form next to him, gazing at Omega.

“I’m sure of it,” Hunter said with a sigh. “It shouldn’t matter. Doesn’t matter.”

“Perhaps you are afraid to let yourself fully relax. Given our upbringing, you’ve always had a problem to solve. What happens to the sergeant when there is no war? No next battle”? No difficulty to fix?”

“You think it’s all in my head?” he almost whispered.

“No. I think Ventress’ observations have merit, but I do not think the truth matters to the overall outcome. Whatever gave you your skills, whether it is the Kaminoan experiments, the force or a combination of the two, you still remain who you have always been.”

Hunter paused and looked at the spot where he knew his brother to be. “You know you could have saved me a lot of trouble if you just said that the last time we spoke,” he said with a laugh.

“You have nothing to prove, Hunter. To them or to yourself.”

“I never felt…like I was really…one of you. It wasn’t the same for me on Kamino as it was for you and Wrecker and Crosshair. It just…didn’t seem fair.”

“I am aware that you were afforded opportunities we were not because you were able to blend in, Hunter. It was the reason you defended us so fiercely. We were aware of this but never felt it made you less than. We all had our afflictions to bear at the hands of the Kaminoan’s and the Regs.”

“Hmm…” Hunter grunted. “Thanks, Tech.”

“You are most welcome, brother.” Tech said, and Hunter could hear the smile in his voice. “May I suggest if you do this again you ask Wrecker instead of Crosshair? The profanity coming from Crosshair’s mouth indicated next time he wouldn’t use the stun setting.”

Hunter laughed and smiled at the empty spot next to him. “I think I’m done. But I’ll take it under advisement.”

“Huntah, we’re going to ice cream. Wanna come?” Omega had bounded over to the edge of the cave, sand covering the lower half of her body, her lurka hound dutifully following closely behind.

“I’d love to, Kid.” He said, standing up and dusting himself off. “Coming?” he said to the vacant spot next to him.

“I will stay as long as I can,” Tech said.

[fruitless-vain]

hi! do you have any ideas on how to reward a dog who doesn't have any strong motivators? Treats are the only thing that work but he doesn't really care if there is something else he wants, doesnt care for toys, pets are ignored. I just have no idea what other rewards could be used

Id take a good look at Why the dogs motivation seems to be lacking, what environment it tanks in, and ensure to keep an eye out for things like stressors, overstimulation, fear, met needs, and other variables that may impact a dog’s comfort taking treats or exhibiting play behaviour. Things like illness or pain should also be considered as a factor for a lack of motivation (schedule their annual and take a good look at their behaviour and their movement- do they sit sloppy, pop hip often, hunch back, etc. these can all be more overlooked signs of pain!). Breed can also be a factor as some are more self motivated than people pleasing so their motivation tends to just look a bit different!

I'd also be curious to know if this dog has always been disinterested or if this has cropped up over time. A common factor for decreasing motivation is the fact that training itself has become unfun. Usually as a result of asking too much of the dog too fast, not paying them adequately for the work they're doing, working in far too complicated settings, too many competing reinforcers, getting frustrated during the session, using rewards to lure a dog towards feared things or simply having training sessions run on for too long where the dog then ends sessions feeling bored or tired. This can cause even the most active dog to become averse to training as a whole which can present itself as an aversion or lack of interest in many common rewards.

Additionally see what sorts of environments the dog is comfortable being rewarded in, perhaps they take treats okay in a certain room of the home but not outside. This can give us a lot of info and allow us to start in an environment they can succeed in and gradually shift to other environments with more complex challenges (like the competing reinforcers you mentioned)

Reinforcers can be Anything the dog actually wants. The sky is really the limit here. I can stick a treat in every dogs mouth and it’s not going to help anything if the dog itself doesn’t find that treat rewarding. Some options might be:

Treats- experiment with different types and textures. Smelly cheeses, hotdog, and sausage are common high value snacks that can help increase motivation in difficult situations but all dogs are different and some might find a satisfying crunch of a crispy biscuit more rewarding. Try new things and see what they gravitate towards. Additionally watch the way you deliver the reward, a common mistake is to push the treat in towards the dog's nose- this can be off-putting as you add spatial pressure which over time can cause a dog to refuse to take treats altogether. Instead try to offer the treat a distance away from their nose so they step towards it to take it (also watch for things like the way you hold your hand, some dogs may find a hand looming down with the treat threatening while a hand held below nose level with the palm up to be nicer to take treats from). You can also deliver treats in more engaging ways instead of just handing it to them. Toss it in the air for them to catch, roll it along the floor to chase, scatter a few pieces in grass, have them chase and follow the hand for a bit prior to releasing the treat. Make getting the treats a whole Experience!

Toys- rubber toys, canvas, biting, chasing, squeakers, tug. There's a ton of options. Not all dogs like playing in the middle of training as it breaks their focus but others live for it. While not for every dog I will say that playing is a good measure for a dog's comfort. If, for example, you can play tug indoors and have a fun time but the dog is unable to play tug at all outdoors that tells us the dog doesn't feel comfortable enough to exhibit that behaviour. That's information we can use!

Petting- Not my favourite thing to use, affection isn't really something you want to be bargaining off in exchange for favours but it has its uses. A fearful dog may love some pets to help comfort them and reduce that fear response, some affection can also go a long way in just grounding your dog and keeping a training session light and fun. A bit of a social fun break. There's definitely some dogs that can appreciate a pet as a reinforcer and they can work in a pinch if other reinforcers aren't available.

Sniffs- Not something you want to overuse as sniffing is a fundamental part of how dogs explore the world but an excellent way to shift to self reinforcing fundamentals like loose leash walking. Most dogs love a good sniff, your hound types especially, and you can use that to your advantage as you ask for a behaviour and then release them to go snuffle away. Sniffing is also a calming behaviour that can reduce heart rate and build confidence in their environment which can reduce issues like not taking treats outdoors in the first place.

Speed- A lot of dogs find human walking paces slow and frustrating (a common cause for leash pulling) so you may find that in outdoor environments you can reward your dog by simply jogging for a short burst. The speed is fun and enticing and as such can often become quite the powerful reward.

Personal play + Volume - Whether this be the opportunity to howl and bark or you getting loud and excited with them. Sometimes a dog may not be interested in toys but they may be interested in your engagement. This might be baby talking to them in a happy tone or fully getting down on their level to wrestle and bop around or perhaps running away and having them chase you. A different way to initiate play for those disinterested in toys.

Premack's Principle - When you are dealing with competing reinforcers most people will find they lose this battle where whatever you have is not as valuable as what the dog actually wants (chasing a squirrel perhaps). In many cases you cannot fight instinct and genetics with a piece of cheese. At least not without prepwork. This is where Premack's Principle comes in to play, where a dog is able to do a less desirable behaviour (ignoring the squirrel) in exchange for a more desirable behaviour (getting to go chase the squirrel). You can use the thing you're struggling with to reinforce what you'd rather see. Another example may be having your dog a distance away from other dogs, waiting for eye contact and then releasing them to go greet the dog. Over time this could cause an exciteable greeter to offer frequent eye contact to you whenever they spot a dog in anticipation of getting to go greet the other dog which is a nice alternative to barking or pulling. Practically everything your dog would Rather Be Doing you can use as a reward for what You would rather they be doing.

I'd also take a look in to "engagement games" online, there should be a load of force free resources out there for ways to make yourself more engaging and fun which can really help in encouraging a dog to be more excited to train. Strong foundations in how they view interacting with you and training as a whole can really go a long way in impacting motivators and training results.

There's a whole lot more to consider and a ton of more complex things that could be at play but without knowing your dog personally I'll leave this here for you to ponder and play with!

[ellieromanov]

Vanilla, Pine, or cinnamon 

Pairings: r x Natasha

Warnings: angst

Word count: 700

Summary: it’s been years since Natasha has made the sacrifice and memories only linger for so long before you start to forget.

I think I miss her more than I remember her. That terrifies me. I don't really remember what she looks like anymore... I know she had red hair and she had green eyes, but I don't remember the shape of her nose, or the color of her lips.

I don't remember what her laugh sounds like or the pitch of her voice, or you know... like the little phrases she would say. I can't remember what she smells like. I want to say vanilla but maybe she smelt more like pine or maybe  cinnamon.

I kept all her clothes. I never wanted to wash them because I was afraid it would get rid of her smell so they would just sit in my closet. Sometimes I'd pull out one of her old sweaters and and I'd sleep with it on my pillow just so I could pretend like she was there.

Like it was just one of those gloomy days where we wouldn't get out a bed for ages because the comforter was just so warm and the mattress felt just right and the position of the pillows were perfect. And we'd watch old cheesy 90's movies all day long...

I don't do that anymore because her sweaters lost her sent from all the dust they've collected.

It feels like it's been an eternity since she was last here...

There was something my dad would always say to me and my siblings as kids and it went something like;

"you do not know time until you know how to dance. You don't know time until you know how to paint, compose music and have read Shakespeare. Once you know how to do those things only then can you complain about time."

I think about those words often. Since Nat has been gone I fill my days reading the tragedy's of Shakespeare, sitting at the piano, putting on my old ballet pointés, and most recently, painting.

I've been trying to remember her enough to put her on the canvas. I can't seem to get the correct shade of red for her hair, and I've had to repaint her her nose several times.

But I do remember how much Natasha loved the night sky. All the stars just seemed like magic to her. She also loved... daisies? Or were they tulips? I think they were daisies. So I've painted a field of daisies underneath the night sky with Natasha in the middle of the field.

But no matter how many pictures I have of her to use as a reference, they never captured what she really looked like. They never captured that gorgeous smile she had or the freckles on her nose, or the scars that littered her cheek or the depths of green in her eyes. These are all small things that I remember vaguely.

People don't often visit anymore. Clint and Laura stop by once every few months and Yelena once or twice a year maybe. I haven't heard much from anyone on the team since the funeral besides Peter. He's a good kid. Sends me a message once every few weeks to update me on he's life and he always asks how I'm doing. He keeps me up to date on the outside world.

I so often wish that I could go back to that day and trade places with her. I dream about it sometimes. They are the most vivid dreams I have. When I dream, I get to hear her voice again.  But the longer I think about it the more I realize that it's better this way. Deep down, I know that. I know it's better. Because Natasha will never have to know what it's like to lose her other half, she will never have to experience the pain and grief and suffering that comes with losing me. She will never know what it's like to to forget me. And for that I am grateful.

So as I try to fall asleep tonight I just need to remind myself, it's better this way, and one day... one day I'll be with her again. But until that day i just have to accept the fact that the comforter is never warm anymore, the mattress is like a brick and the pillows are old and torn. I will try to remember her scent so I can go find it, try to make the house feel like home again with it and restore some of that comforter but I don't know if she smelt of vanilla, pine, or cinnamon .

[loupy-mongoose]

I don't know how you shade things so perfectly! I'm excellent at blending colors but I can't shade even if my life depended on it!😅🤣

How do you do it so good? Could you lend me some tips?

First off, thank you very much, but I refuse to accept my shading as "perfect". I'm proud of how far I've come, but it ain't perfect!

Tips... Hmmmm...

I have a pretty good understanding of the characters' and objects three-dimensional shape in my mind, so when I shade I subconsciously keep in mind how the light will affect them and where shadows will form.

Don't be afraid to look at books, references, tutorials, and Youtube videos! Take advantage of the vast library of resources at your fingertips!

I've spent a lot of my teen years watching speedpaints--Twarda8's Pokemon paintings on Youtube are old favorites of mine. Ironically their playlist called "Junk'n'Old" played a MASSIVE part in my artistic upbringing. One man's trash is another man's treasure~ I've also looked at many many mannnyyyy tutorials over the years, some of them multiple times, taking in how different shapes affect the shadow outcome. For example, sharp cut-offs will result in solid lines of shadow, while rounder shapes will have softer transitions from dark to light.

Take, for instance, my latest masterpiece; The eyebrows are meant to somewhat sharply overhang the eyelid, so they cause a sharper shadow cut-off.

While rounder parts of the body have smoother shading.

Mix and match them depending on the shapes present! (Hopefully that's coherent enough. X3)

A few extra things;

-Different light sources and surroundings can influence shadows as well. For example, the sun will create sharp, defined shadows, but clouds will soften the shadows considerably.

-When shading colored artworks, try to avoid using pure black to shade. If possible with your tools, use a darker color set to the Multiply or another darkening blend mode. Experiment! (I have another post about my painting process here if you're interested, although the canvas size in that may be incorrect now.)

-Find brushes you're comfortable with! I don't want to advocate that an artist can't be good without certain brushes, but I do think it's important to love the tools you use. But also don't feel like you have to stick with them for eternity--Every once in a while I get dissatisfied with my brushes and tweak them a bit, or dump them for others.

-For doodle shading like the above, I scribble in rough chunks where I want the shadow to be, then smudge and erase them as I see fit. All on a separate layer from the line-art, of course.

That may be more than you bargained for, but you can pick and choose what you want to take from this, if anything at all. I just felt like dumping. Happy shading! ^w^

[asher-agere]

is it alright if I can ask for hcs for cg transmasc toya and little transfem honami? I think they’d be a fun duo.. a pair of calm ones in their respective groups

This request honestly stumped me for a bit. Their shipping wiki page is literally non existent (╥﹏╥), not that I was shipping them, just looking for interactions hehe. However I love a tough request! Makes me really think about the characters hehe

Transmasc Caregiver Toya + Transfem Little Honami

° ᡣ𐭩 . ° .୧ ‧₊˚⋅ ☆

✿ These two initially meet through Saki I think! Honami sees Toya and instantly is interested, she thinks there’s more to him. And Toya is just happy to be actually approached by someone! I think they’d start talking mostly out of curiosity, but over time they’d realize that they get along really well! Like Anon said they’re both quiet souls, but they both have a lot below the surface!

✿ I think Honami would tell Toya she regresses and Toya is just like “Oh… Ok” Then he immediately goes to research all about it because he has no idea what that means. Honami gets worried when he isn’t responding (ó﹏ò｡) But then he comes back and explains! It makes her so happy that he cared enough to look into it for her hehe

✿ I think regressing with someone not directly in her friend group could actually be really good for Honami! She’d feel much less pressured to be the one taking care of everyone! She’d be able to relax without feeling super responsible and just let Toya take care of her! And Toya of course would never pressure or judge her hehe, he’s just happy to help out

✿ When Honami regresses it’s very cozy! They’ll have nice music on in the background, coloring books. Yes Toya colors too! He needs to support his baby of course! They’re both very neat and good at staying in the lines! I just finished the "Draw what you love♪Rainbow Canvas" and I think Toya would be perfect for Honami to draw with! Toya would never judge her in the slightest! And he’d get really good at guessing what she’s drawing

✿ Toya will win Honami so many stuffed animals! Anytime he’s in an arcade he’ll check the claw machines and it’s just like “Oh… Honami might like this” One or two tries and he’s got it! He’ll also check prize counters! He’ll play as many games as he needs to! If he sees something and thinks of his little one he’d gonna get it! Sometimes he accidentally gets her duplicates hehe, he’d get really embarrassed but the baby doesn’t mind. She’ll give him one so they can match!

✿ Dysphoria can be yucky for the both of them of course ૮꒰◞ ˕ ◟ ྀི꒱ა. Toya is very much so a dysphoria hoodie kind of guy! He’ll get anxious holding Honami against his chest because… Chest. But Honami is a very polite baby! She’ll be content to just rest her head in his lap or hold his hand! She’d never want to pressure him!

✿ Honami’s dysphoria can look very different. Poor baby doesn’t want to be a burden, so she tries not saying anything! But every touch makes her feel gross, if a toy looks too boy-ish she wants to throw it away. Eventually it’s all just too much and the baby bursts into tears ｡°(°.◜ᯅ◝°)°｡ This alerts Toya to the problem! And he can switch up his comforting methods!

✿ He’ll pick out some cute clothes for Honami, then let her change in peace! He’ll be waiting right outside her room though of course! While she’s changing Toya will get important equipment. A pacifier that has some kind of feminine pet name on the handle (Baby Girl, Little Girl, Princess, etc.), a warm pink blanket, a get a bottle filled with some apple juice!

✿ I think that Honami would love baking when she’s feeling dysphoric because baking is generally seen as a feminine thing to do! Obviously that’s foolish and she knows that, but meeting those gender norms is very comforting (Coming from someone who got into football when I was experimenting as a trans boy). And Toya will happily help the baby bake!

✿ Pet names! My favorite part hehe. In general I think Toya would use a mixture of three things! Classic pet names “Baby” “Little One” “Sweetheart”, pet names based on Honami’s interests “Apple of my eye” “Little Drummer” “Astro-Baby”, and gender confirming pet names! “Baby Girl” “Little Girl” “Princess”

° ᡣ𐭩 . ° .୧ ‧₊˚⋅ ☆

I hope you enjoyed! I struggled a bit with this one, but doing research and really studying the characters like this helps me understand them a lot better! So I’m very happy I got this request! Thanks Anon!

[mistysblueboxstuff]

Hellooo, I love your Good Omens art and your artstyle, and idk if this is the appropriate time to ask this but i wanna ask for a tip in painting portraits and for canvas first timers

I've painted portraits before but I'm not that comfortable pr experienced enough doing them in traditional. SO I've never painted on canvas before, and this canvas is 30x40 inches (i made it, most of it) this is for our first ever art exhibit. This exhibit is our finals, i already know what to paint but don't know where to start. I have paints and everything that i need for the painting. The deadline for this painting is on May 25th.

The thing that I'm scared the most is making the proportions right. I'm not used to Painting in a bigger surface. If you have time to answer this ask, i would love that. Thank you sm and keep making beautiful paintings 🥹🫶🏼

Here's me priming my diy canvas with gesso last night.

Hi! Thank you so much! I'm probably not the right person to answer this since i paint in Photoshop, but if you're worried about the proportions, I'd recommend using a grid. Since you're working on such a big surface, it might be helpful to have some sort of a guide :') I wish i could be of more help, but i seldom paint traditionally, so don't have much experience. Maybe someone else can chime in in the replies if they have a tip or two? ❤️

[crimsonedquill]

Hey I love you're writing so much! If you are comfortable with it could you write a aged up f!Mc x Sebastian where they are busy having sexy times 👀 It is really rough and obviously Seb is in charge but then MC feels like it is getting to much and she rather wants soft, gentle Seb

Hope that makes sense! And if you don't feel comfortable with my request then obviously feel free to ignore it 😅💛 Anyways have a wonderful day!

In Heat (Sebastian Sallow x f!MC)

Sebastian ends up hurting MC in the heat of the moment, then needs to make it up to her...

Full disclosure, I don't have that much experience writing F/M smut so writing this had me 🥵 for more than one reason – though I'm still quite happy with how it turned out!

Also, I now seem to have a backlog of requests for the first time since ever (gee, how'd that happen) so I want to promise all of my lovely requestors that I'm getting to your asks, it might just take some time because I want to give you all the quality content you deserve 🖤

Content warning: NSFW (18+). Aged-up characters, obvious dom!seb, yadayadayada

“Fuck,” Sebastian growled.

He was propping himself up on his hands, looking down at his lover like a wolf regarding its prey. His eyes wandered over her exquisite body; her blouse, having been ripped open to reveal a pink lacy bra, which he ripped between his teeth so that her delightfully perky breasts spilt out. His eyes lingered just enough to induce a hot shade of crimson in her glowing skin, a wave of primal exhilaration surging through him. He let his gaze wander, to her neck, a pale canvas for him to utterly ravage; then to her beautiful features; her soft lips, half parted to allow her short, heavy breaths to escape; her cheeks, radiating with a feverish warmth he was able to feel even at a distance, and then her big doe eyes, staring up at him with an arousing mix of lust and fear. Merlin, she was beautiful, and she was entirely his for the taking.

“Look at what you do to me,” he snarled at her, grinding his hardness against her thigh, the thin barrier of clothing hardly doing anything to conceal his excitement. MC let out a high-pitched whimper at his touch, and he sensed that there was little holding her body back from giving in to his corruption. It left him hard and aching for the feeling of her tightness clamping down on his cock as he palmed her breasts and mashed them together, burying his face into her damp flesh, tasting the thin glaze of sweat coating her skin. MC’s head fell back against the pillow and she let out a strained cry as he feasted on her bosom, her legs convulsing at the sensation of his teeth grazing her nipples. Fuck, she was too good. Usually she was so calm, so collected in her emotions, the contrast with the complete mess underneath him so great that he had a hard time keeping himself under control, only briefly pulling back to rip off his shirt before diving back in.

He resumed kissing her breasts as his fingers slipped down into her skirt, dipping into the wetness waiting there for him.

“You depraved slut,” he whispered through grinding teeth, “you really thought I wouldn’t notice? You think I wouldn’t find out just how much of a cock-starved whore you are?”

MC blushed heavily at his brashness, the unseemly language causing her to involuntary twitch on his fingers. He had never been this forceful with her, never this… rough. It honestly frightened her a little, for she knew just how impulsive and carried away he could get even when he wasn’t pinning her down, eager to fuck her raw. She wondered if she should say something, anything to convey at least her uneasiness – but then his fingers curling inside of her drove the words from her lips as her back arched up from the bed, a whimper working itself out of her throat.

“That’s right,” Sebastian grimaced, “show me just how much of a needy little bitch you are –”

Without warning, his hand lashed out and struck the side of her face. Her eyes widened in surprise, a tear quickly beginning to run down her red cheek, the sight only seeming to fuel his desire. He withdrew his fingers to ram them right between her lips, cutting off her breath.

“Taste it,” he ordered, and she did as she was told, obediently sucking her sap off his digits as she looked up at him with teary eyes. She couldn’t exactly deny that the expression of primal lust on his face turned her on, but even so, she was slightly unsettled at her lack of control in the situation. They had never deemed it necessary to come to any sort of agreement about their boundaries in bed; heck, she’d gleefully taken an aggressive pounding from him on more than one occasion, though she sensed that something was different tonight. He seemed to be losing himself to his own urges, driven by nothing more than animalistic instinct – and she didn’t know just how far he was willing to go.

He finally pulled his fingers out, leaving her gasping; saliva dripping down her chin. She was barely able to draw another breath before his lips crashed into hers, a deep growl rising from his throat. He dragged his tongue along her jaw, a shiver running down her spine as he settled into the crook of her neck, teeth pressing against her flushed skin.

There was a sharp, stinging pain. Then a sudden shriek, and finally nothingness, as his mouth disappeared from her neck and his weight shifted off her body. She opened her eyes and looked up to see him staring back at her. There was no more lust in his eyes, only guilt.

“M-MC…” he stammered, “did I hurt you?”

“It’s all right,” MC said, hasting to prop herself up on her elbows even though she was still seeing stars, “things just… spiralled out of control a little –”

“No.” He shook his head. “No, I’m sorry, I – we should stop.”

“Don’t be silly, it just was –”

But he’d already slipped out of bed before she could finish her sentence, disappearing into the bathroom. MC was left more than a little perplexed as she sat alone in the remains of their short-lived rodeo, her naked chest still exposed to the cool night air. She sighed and shook her head, making a half-assed attempt to cover herself up as she went after Sebastian.

There was only the sound of running water as MC entered the bathroom. She saw him slightly hunched over the basin, his dark eyes staring down into the small whirlpool. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, softly kissing his nape. “Hey… stop torturing yourself so much. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”

“That’s not the point.” His voice was heavy, full of anguish. “I… I lost control of myself. Who knows what could have happened if I hadn’t come to my senses, I could have ended up harming you –”

“I think you’re giving yourself too much credit. Do you really think that after an army of goblins and dark wizards, I couldn’t protect myself against one hormonal brat?”

She was relieved to see at least a hint of a smirk forming on his lips. Taking his hand, she turned him around and cupped his face in her hands, lovingly looking into his gentle brown eyes.

“Sebastian, I know you would never hurt me on purpose,” she assured him. “And really, my body having this effect on you is more of a compliment than anything, but… I think I would prefer for this to be more than just fucking, do you understand?”

Sebastian frowned at her. “You’d like me to dance and sing too?”

“No, you goof,” she giggled, moving her hands down to rub his bare chest, “what I’m saying is… I would like for you to make love to me.”

His gaze lingered a little longer, taking in her pretty features as he finally cracked a smile. “I think we can make that work,” he said, and then his lips brushed against hers, hungry but tender, and she parted them to allow him in, feeling his arms close around her waist as his warm breath tickled the roof of her mouth. He spent only a brief few moments caressing her lips before kissing the corner of her mouth, then proceeding along her jawline until he reached the sore spot on her neck, drawing a soft gasp from her as he used his lips to ease the pain.

“There there,” he whispered, the gentle tone in his voice doing more to get her dripping than his fingers ever did, “I’m going to make it all better, my love. Just relax, deep breaths, let it all go –”

“Y-yes…” she whimpered, closing her eyes as he moved further down, letting her blouse slip off her shoulders. He nipped at her collarbone, sending a hot pulse down her chest that immediately caused her nipples to harden again. Sebastian seemed to take note, teasing her with a mischievous smirk before kissing his way to one of the pink buds, closing his lips to suck on it. A moan left her lips as she looked down through hooded eyes at her lover, cradling his head in her arm as she nursed him; a muffled grunt signalling just how much he wanted her.

Yet, in spite of his own clear desire, he took his time to love her, to put her as much at ease as possible before he let his treat go with a wet ‘plop’. “My love, I need to taste you – can I…?”

His chivalry led a redness to blossom on her cheeks; she bit her lip as she nodded, watching him kiss down her abdomen until he reached the top of her skirt, which he slowly worked down her legs. He couldn’t help but smile as he noticed just how soaked her tights were, their brief intermezzo clearly having done nothing to abate her arousal.

“So wet,” he hummed to himself as he hooked his fingers into the band of her panties and pulled them down, a cool breeze of air meeting her heat. “So needy.”

She wined slightly as she felt his fingers near her core, so close but not quite near enough to offer her the release she craved the most. Sebastian grinned as he drew lines in her inner thigh. “I can tell someone’s excited.”

“You talk too much,” MC scoffed.

“But I thought you like it when I tell you unsavoury things?”

She blushed. “I do, but –”

“So,” Sebastian said, leaning forward to blow on her clit, the sensation quickly driving her to the very edge of her sanity, “tell me, my sweetheart, what do you need me to do?”

She barely managed to keep her voice under control as she looked at him kneeling on the floor, ready to rock her world with just one command. “I need you to eat my fucking pussy,” she said.

The instruction was all he needed. He offered her one last smile before he grabbed hold of her legs and forced them apart, his tongue shooting past his lips to drag agonisingly slow along her clammy folds. She let out a cry as she fell back against the basin, hands clamping around the edge. His nose nuzzled her sensitive bud while he lapped at her with broad strokes, the reward of her delicious honey leaving him throbbing hard against the fabric of his trousers. She could feel the wet muscle carefully exploring her hole, eliciting a content moan from her as he finally dipped inside and started fucking her properly. She made no effort to behave as he feasted on her cunt with the ferocity it deserved; riding his face until her juices were dripping from his chin, biting down on her lip hard enough to draw blood. The added stimulation of one of his digits thrashing her to release was enough to break her resolve, and she came hard, crying out in quick hiccups as Sebastian tugged at her lips to suck out every last drop.

The Slytherin was quick to veer up to lift MC on top of the small drawer next to the basin before unbuckling his belt and dropping his trousers to his ankles. He was aching for the feeling of her walls on his cock, and he sensed his desire was shared. Still, he took care to make sure that MC was all right at first, wiping a pleasure tear from the corner of her eye as he lightly stroked her hand. “My love, I’m going to put it in now, all right?”

Armed with a soft nod, he stroked his length up and down a few times before placing the swollen head at her entrance. They moaned in unison as he pushed through her wetness, her walls stretching to accommodate him. He kept still for a few seconds to allow them both to relish the moment, his breath heavy as he throbbed inside of her.

“You feel so good, sweetheart,” he whispered to her, catching her whimper with his lips as he began thrusting. She wrapped her arms around his neck, observing the flush of determination only slightly hidden under the scattering of freckles. How he managed to be so kind and caring and – ah, she mewled at his prick hitting a particularly sweet spot – yet so utterly driven by passion was a mystery that kept eluding her, though she found herself in no position to complain.

The symphony of their combined gasps and breaths and his pelvis slapping against her bare ass was the only sound filling the room for a while, and she rested her head on his shoulder as she settled into his rhythm. He hooked his arms under her legs to pull her hips towards him, fucking her onto his cock with increasing fervour, dictating her pace perfectly to her release.

“Look at you, all nice and tight,” he grunted. “Come for me, princess, I want to hear you scream while you drench my prick –”

There was no disobeying his commands, and she even managed to coax a moan out of him as she crashed over the edge, squeezing down on him with a scream of his name. Sebastian had to fight the urge to unload in her right then and there, though he somehow managed, waiting for her to ride out her climax before picking her up and dragging her off the drawer. She let out a yelp of surprise, giggling as she tightly locked her legs around his ass, revelling in the feeling of bouncing up and down on his cock with every step as he carried her over to the bed. He threw her down on the sheets, quickly crawling on top of her.

“Look who’s excited now,” MC teased him with a smile, palming at his chest.

“I guess you should be flattered.” She gasped at the feeling of his hardness dragging along her folds, his head red and swollen and slick with her juices.

“Oh, I very much am,” She grabbed a hold of him, guiding him back into her tight hole. She moaned as he felt him filling her to the brim once more, locking her legs around his butt again to keep him close as he resumed pounding into her. Sebastian lost himself in the shared flow of their sex, looking down into her gleaming eyes, which were so filled with innocence and lust that he couldn’t help but softly moan her name as he loved her. She was so warm and snug, the way her walls perfectly hugged his cock leaving his balls swollen and tingling as they slapped against her damp skin, ready to be milked dry.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered to her, “I’m close. Where do you want me?”

“Inside,” she whimpered back, her eyes practically speaking the words. “I want you inside of me, Sebastian.”

He smiled before kissing her, tasting the longing on her lips as he sped up his movements, thrusting himself inside of her at a greater pace. With her arms enveloping his neck, she clung to him, yearning to be as close to him as possible as he claimed her as his own.

He came with a groan, burying himself into her neck as she milked him. She cried with joy at the feeling of being rewarded with his warm seed, the sensation bringing about a small orgasm of her own as she held on for dear life, never having felt more closer as she was then, full of him in every sense of the word.

They lay basking in each other’s release for a while before he withdrew, making himself comfortable against the pillows so she could settle against his chest. He lightly stroked her hair, sighing before looking down at her. “So, was that more to your satisfaction?”

“Hmm,” she purred. “I’d say it was certainly… adequate.”

“Adequate? Are you pulling my leg?”

“Maybe I am.” She turned to meet his gaze, chuckling as she saw the expression of disbelief on his face. “Would you start feeling insecure if I said I wasn’t?”

“Well no, it’s not that, it’s just – I merely wish the best for you, you know?”

She laughed, reaching up to touch his cheek. “See… this is why I love you. Now, let’s kiss and go to sleep.”

He finally smiled, hunching forward to meet her lips with his own. “Let’s.”

[sweetest-honeybee]

I'm going to be starting my very first commissions soon! I am very excited but do you have any tips on what I should and shouldn't do?

Oh that’s very exciting! Hmm I have a post somewhere but I’ll just answer anyways 😂 This is gonna be insanely long

- Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a huge amount of people asking at first. It’s all about drawing people in and growing an audience! If you don’t have an audience yet, it’s always worth it to market and advertise pretty well. Multiple social medias, using common tags, promoting in say, is discord server if you’re in one or something, all that jazz

- Pricing is very difficult and it’ll fluctuate and change over time. You’re not gonna get it down first try, and they’ll change with your workflow and what you realize you can and can’t do/handle! Personally, I took the amount of time I take on each canvas and estimated some average times (I.e. a rendered bust takes me 1.5-2 hours) and multiplied that by ah, $30 I think at first? And then doubled my prices later down the road

- Additionally however, pricing in such a way that you make good money for your time is important but, and I can’t stress this enough, PLEASE consider the people you’re advertising your work to and who follows you, what communities you’re in, etc. For myself, I’ve recently began to aim for higher quality clients who can pay more all at once and so I can get more money with less commissions stacked in my queue. Thus why my lowest price is still quite high. If you want more frequent clients, most often it’s best to keep your prices relatively low but still good value for you. Again, it’s all about finding that balance and figuring out your workflow

- Speaking of workflow, there’s no one right way to do commissions. Your process is your own and from my experience, I’ve gone through a bunch of different processes with different people! Haha, I’ve even signed a contract once to really seal the deal on the terms and conditions. Make it your own! Be as professional as you feel the need to or not. Do whatever makes you comfortable as long as it’s not at the expense of the client, of course

- You may or may not be contacted by spam bots and other accounts about your work. Believe me, it’ll happen once or twice that you might be scammed if you’re not careful (it’s happened to me twice) but if I could say, it’s usually accounts with names that don’t match their icons, using little/terrible punctuation and very automated repsonses, requesting work that’s not what you do usually, requesting work of family members/pets, offering very large sums of money, whatever else. Just be safe!

- Hmmm what else….

- Make sure you have plenty of examples of your work and the style of art/coloring that you’re advertising. If you’re offering something new, just get like 3-4 examples in and have a consistent process before having people pay money for it. I love my current rendering style but I had to wait til I had a few to know how I wanted to go about offering it as a new coloring style and how it’s different from what I would typically do

- Some clients are definitely rude and pester. It’s okay to put your foot down and say you’re not comfortable working with them. Personally, I offer up other artists if that’s the case (within reason, I don’t send rude people generally but sometimes clients get frustrated with you because you’re not the kind of artists they’ll end up wanting to work with) or if I’m just not able to do a commission because it’s, for example, out of my skill level or something. Always good to send people to artists who are open for work

- I’m actually learning this myself but if you’re working with someone who’s well known (I.e. I worked with good ol Xisumavoid), having T&Cs is useful for those larger clients. Xisuma actually gave me his terms and conditions to fill out in the invoices so if the client has that as well, it works that way too! And again, if you have questions or you’re uncomfortable by someone else’s T&Cs, say that! Believe me, they’ll work with you if they truly intend to use your work (bless that man, he was so kind and transparent about the whole process)

- Of courses you are just starting out but you never know!

That’s pretty much he main stuff. Just make sure it’s seen and clear, you’re valued and understand your value, and that everything you’ll be doing is all up to you. If you have artists friends (or myself) that you’d ever need input from, give them (or me) a holler! This is all just me, other artists have more or different ways they’d suggest going about things so if you don’t agreed with anything I’ve said, that’s alright 😌