#no they did not ask me to promote their commissions. i just checked out their profile and i mean come on LOOK AT THE ART MAN

[aimless-dubs]

together again

gorgeous art done by @fanartrogue !!

[cannibalsrider]

Darling, I

pairing: post ts!kuroo x Artist! gf

wc: I think like 1.2k

a/n:really enjoyed writing this after struggling alot these last two weeks mentally but I hope you guys enjoy this and let me know if you wanna know more about these two for future posts ^_^ also this grammar wise is gonna be so bad because I've been awake since 10pm and its now 1:38 pm and running on fumes

“Yn” Tetsuro called from the doorway just loud enough over the sound of her music playing in the background as she worked on a new piece for the JVA “Huh what’s up” Yn responded not moving from her spot at her desk the drawing tablet flipped on as the only source of light in the room since the sun had already gone down for the night “you should finish up for the night it’s getting late isn’t it?” He asked her, knowing she had been working on the new holiday promotional merchandise for the JVA and had been working on god knows how many things besides that project he had commissioned. 

She nodded checking the time realizing it was already eleven pm “Jeez it’s already this late” she mumbled rolling her stiff neck whenever she got focused on her deadlines and Producing quality work for it she was like a train that never seemed to stop hell even faster than the bullet train sometimes depending how big the art piece is “how far have you gotten?” Tetsuro asked leaning against the doorframe it wasn't enough to completely see her drawing tablet with how she was sitting.

 "I've got the base of it done I think it should be done by later tomorrow if I work all day on it so it can be on time for the deadline" she answered sliding over slightly as she motioned for him to come closer so he could get a better look “it looks amazing Yn I love how you did it and everything just looks so well done” he praised with that smile he always loved her art ever since primary school he always liked to see the things he drew and to read her manga panels in the school paper even when she gave up on drawing for years because she thought it was the right thing to stop because all her friends thought it was weird she put so much time into it until she got back into it for a contest that she entered with a girl who she shared the panels with.

“I'm serious Yn it's already so amazing” he added earning a sheepish smile from his girlfriend “i mean id hope so since it will gonna be shown to a crap ton of teens and others around the country” she responded looking up at him from the corner of her eye before looking back down at the tablet on her table after a moment of watching it deciding to click the save button before shutting down her PC setup in her office “alright let's get to bed its late isn't it” she told him sarcastically as she stood up from her desk chair shooing him out so she could go wash her face before they head to bed 

“Yeah you've been held up in here all day” he quipped back following right behind her already in his pajamas for the night “that's what you say every time” she hummed standing in the doorway of their shared bathroom the faucet running 

“Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we didn't have our careers?” Tetsuro asked watching her almost as if he was watching a painting he must have found breathtaking he liked to say she reminded him of a Renaissance painting sometimes especially when she was doing mundane tasks or working on things “i like to think i would still be in the art type of job but instead i would have pursued being a mangaka y’know?” she answered clicking open her face wash and putting some on her hand as she spoke 

“Or maybe a teacher and I would have gone back to work at Nekoma” she added knowing that ever since she was young it was three things when it came to her art, history, and music she always thought it would be one of those places catching her eye in life.

 never once did she think it would be graphic design though for most of her commissions besides when the JVA commissions her work “what about you?” she asked continuing on with her skincare as he deliberated beside her “probably still doing volleyball maybe or coaching” he answerd she knew in some ways he still wanted to play and go professional like alot of his friends did but he grew to love his job and the life he built but anything would be amazing as long as they were together thats what he always said when one of them felt real discouraged with something they had been trying to pursue in or on a specific project.

“Bet you’d be going pro or something if you kept with it” she said drying her face off from the extra water on her cheeks after a moment setting down the towel as she watched him back for a moment like it was a staring contest or something “eh who knows maybe” he hummed turing on his heel so he could go back into their bedroom “shut off the lights in there” he called out as a reminder knowing she had a habit of forgetting to turn them off at night 

With a small click shutting off the overhead light in the bathroom she followed the hall back to their room knowing he was probably already in bed since it was a long day for them both but its not like long days would truly matter they would always still be by each others side no matter what and know stress was okay and that the other could help to try and lessen that burden 

As she slid in beside him for the night it was like clockwork for her body the tense muscles and aches she had from the day just seemed to melt away beside him because she knew it was safe she knew that she would be safe with him just like she always was ever since junior high

“What would you thin about getting married one of these days yn?” tetsuro asked his chin resting on the top of her head as he held her close she must have seemed so confused with the little huh she made “id do it” she mumbled out as a response before adding “i mean id do anything with you tetsu your like my other half at this point” she added snuggling into him closer she wasnt wrong he really was like her other half the yang to her yin and the sun to her moon 

She knew if he was to ask her it would be an immediate yes it always would be because god would she be a dumbass to say no to the rooster head he was as sweet to her as a bag of sweets he reminded her of home an at this point he was home to her he always had been 

She would always feel at home listening to his heartbeat knowing he was gonna be okay and that nothing bad was gonna happen to him with how bad her anxiety got for no reason sometimes it was always comforting when she would get him all to herself for a bit even if it was just for the night.

[lexleif]

rant about my life and how it’s going rn (not good and super long)

so I do have a job but since I’m an esthetician it’s commission based which means I only get paid when I have a client. since its summer it’s been dead I’ve been working here for about 3 weeks now and I could probably count how many clients I’ve had on my 1 hand😭 yeah so really bad. so that also means I’m not getting paid even when I am at work just sitting waiting for someone to book or doing promotion things. my industry is REALLY hard so I did expect it to be slow at first but not this bad! another thing is while wasting gas at my current job I have been actively looking for hourly paying jobs and I’ve had like 2 otp interviews and 1 actual in person interview. I’ve basically applied everywhere I can even jobs I don’t necessarily qualify for. all that with nothing to come of it and I do like everybody else have bills to pay like rent and such. I’ve really just been surving off my dead mom’s life insurance policy money and that’s also hard bc my family doesn’t trust me to have access to it on my own. (There’s a whole story behind this but the distrust really comes from them bc they still think of me as a child and had an issue with me using mary jane until i had to tell them my dead MOM was absolutely fine with it and knew about it!) anyway so every time I need money even just for food I have to ask one of my family members to write me a check and it’s embarrassing bc the literal checks have my OWN NAME on them and she still writes that’s it’s for me on them😭! that’s also an added stress to my life bc I already have a hard time asking for help bc most of the time it comes with some sort of judgement (about my career or anything). so I’m super stressed out now bc my family member just lmk that the funds for my mom life insurance policy are frozen and that’s scary asf! I’m grinding for clients but that doesn’t have a guarantee and it also doesn’t help that my bf lost his job a month ago as well. his car being totaled by a tree in January and his family being of no help or support for that at all😭 (mostly his dad bc he had the title to his car and couldn’t find it for months and chose to get it fucking mailed which takes forever) bc we need to try to sell it. of course my bf has been doing his best with trying to find a job that’s close bc he’ll need a bike at the least to get to and from. also our lease on our apartment that we live in (my bf moved in with me a little before my mom died). it’s just the lease is up in July and we’re both pretty much freaking the fuck out about how we’re going to make it. It’s also very hard for me to even try to explain this to my family (older millennials/boomers) about just how hard it’s been to just try to make it and have enough money for food, gas, rent, etc. so if we can’t make rent for next month we’re both pretty much fucked I’ll have to live with my grandparents and my bf will need to move back in with his dad probably but I know he hates even the thought of that bc they’ve always had a bad relationship and he’s just not a good father in general.

I just needed to rant bc I have no one else of than my bf who I can talk about this with so if anyone can relate in the slightest or just understand what I’m talking about please feel free to message me we all need support :)

[asura-zoro]

ATTENTION: ART THIEF AND SCAMMER

I know that I have reblogged some posts about this person, hoelys-blog, already but I think I should try to condense the info down to one post and provide some updates (updated information will be colored like this, or featured towards the bottom of the post.)

This person, who has identified himself as Lino to someone who measaged me (who was scammed by him), reaches out to you via DM to promote that they have commissions going on. Showcasing art that they have stolen and altered from other people. As far as I know, only one artist was able to get majority of their work taken off of this guy's "commission post(s)". I have reblogged some posts about that artists experience, you can see all the posts I mention if you search the #hoelys-blog tag on my blog or by clicking on any posts tagged as that.

Any effort to call out this scammer on his posts are made in vain- he deletes any reply or reblogged comment so that folks visiting his page cannot see any attempt at warning on his posts- UNLESS YOU CHECK THE REBLOG AREA AND VIEW THE TAGS.

He saw my attempts to warn people, deleted my replies/comments on his posts and I woke up to see that he changed his blog name.

Here are all of his blogs that we know of:

@Reikantopeni formerly hoelys-blog

@Kawaiibasementsublime

@Pashnaengnami

@lino1017 (homework help scam)

@iwilldrawanythingforyou

A former name for one of these current blogs is decaffeinatedharmonypaper

All of his blogs feature stolen and altered artwork, and most are advertising that their commissions are open. If any of you know any of the stolen pieces' original artists, please let that artist know so that they can file the proper reports.

What we can do in the meantime is report each post that has stolen artwork promoting that he has commissions open. This goes for anyone that you see that does this- you report them for phishing. What I did was also provide a link to a post that showcases the the source of each stolen piece of work within that post. Tumblr support will reach out and ask you to provide links to the report you make!

Speaking of, you can access that particular post via the #hoelys-blog tag, look for a post made by @tamiisnthere!

This person also seems to make their rounds in different fandoms based off of tags that I've read- so it is not just One Piece or DBZ.

This person is known to be manipulative in the DMs, and get you to take pitty on them. They also will straight up beg. So I emphasize DO NOT ANSWER BACK WHEN HE DMS YOU. Just report commission posts as phishing before you block him and delete the convo. If you do talk with him, screenshot/keep your messages so that you have proof.

If you have been scammed by this man, please report the account(s) he used so that you can get your money back. He uses multiple PayPal accounts, someone that was scammed by him has given me each email that they are aware of. (I am debating if I post them or not...)

I highly encourage people speak of their experience with this person in the comments or in reblogs of this post. That way we can see how deep this rabbit hole goes.

By all means, do NOT harass this person. Please only report and block him!

Other Information/Updates

This is a message between someone who has gotten scammed by Lino and I. They asked to remain anonymous, some of the info you'll see in the screenshots have already been applied in the post earlier. This convo took place on 1/04/2023.

01/05/2023 Update

I will not be releasing details such as his full name or his emails at this moment. I believe that this information should be known to people who have been scammed or whose work has been stolen first. If anyone has been scammed by this man, or work has been stolen and need certain information to file reports, please message me.

These are some of the artists that tamiisnthere was able to find (you can see that post on my blog's #hoelys-blog tag), whose works was stolen by Lino. If they have a Tumblr, please tag them in the comments. Or if there are other artists whose work you see that Lino has stolen.

@soyochii

KrisBurdarina (on redbubble)

@chibigohan

Kkugvw (on twitter)

[gatheredfates]

What's this? Two updates in a weekend? Yes, and I regret nothing. I'm going to try and do bigger updates where I can, but I also don't like waiting to promote resources where I feel like they can be useful and utilised. Because of that, here is update round two. 🍹

I forgot to mention this last post, but I'm trying to get a headcount going with Dawntrail's release! I probably did it a bit too early, to be fair, but I'm insane like that. If you're looking for people to follow, I highly recommend replying to that thread because I'll reblog any that come my way.

With that said, however, as of today (07/07), the following resources have been added to Sea's Community Compendium for XIV Creatives.

FREE COMPANY / COMMUNITY FOCUSED / EVENT SPACES

Final Fantasy XIV Roleplay (Tumblr Community) — A Tumblr community focusing on XIV roleplay! Share your LFRP posts, partake in the polls, prompts and whatever else FFXIV-Related RP stuff you can think of.

LORE

Dawntrail Pronunciation Guide — Ignorance begets strife, understanding begets fellowship. A guide on how to pronounce the various locals, concepts, societies and other content in Tural. Will contain spoilers for the expansion. Created by @pimpylala on Twitter. Constantly being updated as they play through the expansion.

SEAFLOOR

We're a Tumblr Community now! For people unfamiliar with the concept of Communities, I encourage you to check out the tumblr post by staff made about them here. However, copy/pasting what I have written in the Compendium, the Community functions as so:

SEAFLOOR (A FFXIV Community) is a Tumblr community whose duel-purpose focuses on my projects — the Compendium, question drives and screenshot events — whilst also reblogging member created works, resources (including events, commissions and looking for content/roleplay/free company posts), affirmations and other xiv-related content. If you are interested in supporting my projects without the social aspect of a Discord, I highly encourage you to join the Community. Everything hosted on the Discord will be cross-posted there; you will not miss out on anything. As Communities are still in beta, members need to be manually invited. If you would like to join, please like the tumblr post here. Once Communities are out of beta, I will remove this section to better reflect its true public status.

I'm hoping the Community will function as a member-curated dash, resource hub and visual diary for my projects and member created works. There are no hard feelings if you want to leave the Discord and only join the Community. Please do what makes you comfortable!

Want to submit? You can either fill out the google form here or send me an ask with the relevant information!

Is my space suitable for the Compendium? Most of the time, yes! Below the read more is some more information/stipulations. Again, all the below information is accessible on the document! 🦈

Below are the following things I do not accept on the Compendium:

Personal/Single-Character LFC ads.

Content intended for or can be used for bullying, harassment and OOC gossip. E.g. ‘Secrets’ blogs, receipts, callout posts, etc. This does not include in-character tabloid blogs used to generate RP.

Communities that do not have an RP/writing element (large-scale exempt).

Anything I find personally distasteful or goes against the spirit of this project.

Common-sense rule applies.

FAQ.

I want to put my community on the compendium but we have an application process. Is this okay?

Yes! Just note somewhere in your application that's a requirement. The only thing that is mandatory for the Compendium is that you must be open to new members or have a public-facing/accessible facet. There's no point advertising a community if no one can join it in some way!

I want to put my community on the compendium but I only have x number of members —

Also totally okay! People don't start with large communities. Activity is a must but, whether your server has two or two thousand members, if you're looking for new people to join, I'd love to help you find people.

I want to put my community on the compendium but I worry its too niche?

Okay, and? If your Eorzean Fishing Alliance has four members but you roleplay every second weekend, I still want to know about it.

What resources/communities can I add if I'm not the owner of them?

Mutual consent is extremely important to me, so anything that isn't a large-scale community OR a publicly accessible resource must be endorsed by the owner/admin/moderators in order to be added to the compendium. I operate under the assumption that a resource posted to a public space (tumblr, googledocs, youtube, etc) is open to all. A large-scale community is one with a significant member count or openly advertises itself as being accessible to everyone for whatever purpose it serves. If in doubt, please get in touch with me. I'm happy to contact your community owners for you!

How active does a community need to be?

If you find a community has not been active in about two/three months, send me a message and I'll take a look at it. Communities have ebbs and flows, especially event spaces that may take hiatuses depending on member interest/life events. I'm not strict in my implementation provided a space isn't dead. If a link or anything is broken, absolutely contact me about that.

I have [insert a question not stated here]?

No drama! Send me an ask or use the #Compendium channel in my Discord!

[hexfloog]

2021 - 2022 - 2023 - 2024

Can you believe there's barely 10 days left to the year?? Because I can't! Time to lay my feelings bare again!!!

So I definitely slowed down quite a bit compared to 2022, but I still made enough to fill the template and, in spite of everything else, lots of life development things happened these last 365 days that I think makes 2023 one of my best years in recent memory :)

I have less to say about the art this time. The drop in quantity checks out when I stop to reflect on just how much time I spent on each one. I definitely don't have as many sketchy works to show off this time either (probably in no small part due to the fact that I've also slowed down on Detco) - and that's probably owed to having spent most of my art effort this year drawing for other people, be it commissions or fan projects, and I already know that I'm more inclined to take risks when I have just myself to please. It's not a bad thing, that's just how it is.

I suppose my one observation of this year's body of work is that the vast majority of it is quite ambitious. Real pushing-my-comfort-zone stuff, but it's more of a polished brand of risk rather than the kind you get sketching ideas on the spot. Some examples:

February - both a collab and a thing that became a fan cel intended as an autograph piece at a con

April - simultaneously a gift and a very personal piece

June - silly comic (anything humorous is automatically out of my comfort zone)

August - community project + comic page redraw that really tested my ability to find a new style to play with

September - made to become tangible merch (it did)

October - redraw of my very first digital piece

November* - character design from text description only and formal reference sheet commission (my first ever)

December* - digital watercolor + fake children's paperback cover

*active WIP, not yet complete

It's not that much (really, it's average output for me) but I will take my wins where I can get them, especially since this is pretty much the scope of my art projects this year. Didn't really have much time or energy to write, or make more models, or scan more cards, because... ya girl was too busy getting a promotion/raise, moving out, enjoying the best con experience of her life (so far), volunteering, meeting lots of new people, dating again, having general fun, eating good food, trying new things, finishing a monthly art challenge for once, playing creative romhacks, waking up to new career opportunities, etc. etc. etc! It feels like so much happened this year!!

I tend to be harsh on myself and often feel like my life is not going anywhere, but this year really made me feel like I'm finally gaining some momentum again. And like... I don't expect (or want) to live life in the fast lane or anything, but stagnating isn't good, either, and with every passing year I have to ask myself with a little more sincerity what my future looks like.

So all that said, thanks very much for sticking around and suffering me another year <333 Who knows what 2024 will bring!! But for the first time in a while, I think I am looking to it with more than just a resigned "meh" and I hope the same for anyone reading this, too.

[efangamez]

So the GRIM fund just ended. Let's talk about it, and the future!

Prefacing this by saying I'm typing this on my phone so there might be some rambling and some errors. Sowwy!!! I'm also gonna be asking questions to myself as like, section breakers, so bare with me lol.

1. What was it like doing your first fund?

Stressful, but fulfilling. I spent countless, countless hours looking at my phone, checking messages, making posts, and reblogging things hourly. I needed to do it to gain traction, but my god it was exhausting.

But there came good out of it! It is, by far, my most successful game yet, and it's due to both AMAZING and supportive people like you who helped, and also myself who got the messages out there for y'all to see!

2. How did you manage the exhaustion, and what would you change?

I managed it by taking it really easy on myself. Having the product 100% done with some edits that just needed to be made after the fact was a blessing. I THINK that's normal practice with funds, but I'm not sure. I played lots of video games during this time which really, really helped. It's good to remember to take breaks, even when you know it might "hurt" awareness.

As for doing things differently, either hiring a social media manager or being easier on myself. Having someone be a social media manager is a dream for me, but I couldn't afford it at the time which was an inability. I also wish I wasn't so hard on myself. I still am. I've been in constant battle mode since GRIM's inception and I need a lil break!

3. Did it do better than I thought?

Yes, and slightly no! I prepared for the best, but also the worst. However I will say the amount accrued and given in chunks was astounding. Y'all are really kind.

4. Okay that's cool and all but...what now?

I get to work on the expansion and print versions! The Palace of Eyes expansion should be out early next year paired with the Battlemaps I commissioned, and the print versions of GRIM should be out around early spring! These dates are very tentative so they might be earlier or later, but expect everything by the end of Q2 next year at the least!

In conclusion, I am so, so, so thankful and blessed to have made this game and have run a successful fund. When I conditioned GRIM's theme when I was making the game, I felt GRIM's specialness, and I think y'all did too when you saw the posts. It's amazing.

I'm gonna be still promoting GRIM-tober, but after that ends, I'm gonna take a week long break where I do absolutely nothing but non-TTRPG work and sleep. I think I've deserved that a lil.

I'm gonna link GRIM, GRIM's theme, and also the GRIM-tober game jam below if y'all are interested! Until then, I'll be promoting GRIM-tober, and then rest.

Oh and by the way, if you wanna fund a celebration meal I'm gonna have this week, pls snag GRIM or send some moola via PayPal (if you can)!! Last fund for a while, I promise lmao.

Have a great day y'all!

GRIM TTRPG PAGE

GRIM'S MAIN THEME

GRIM-TOBER JAM

[amavaria]

This might not be as easy to answer at this point in your career, but i won’t know until i ask.

From the time you were drawing to learn and maybe experiment, to current day, when you’ve gathered enough of a following that you can take on drawing as an avenue for making paid work, how have you balanced creation of both original content of your own as well as fan-art, outside of commission work? And how did you approach the balance of drawing what you want and drawing stuff that would probably gather more interest?

I’ve wrestled with both my want to actually draw stuff that i genuinely want to, while at the same time tailoring it in a manner that attempts to appeal to some kind of audience, over the last… 5 years? The latter criteria has been VERY tricky (and frustrating) for me, to the point that in hindsight, i definitely overworked myself over it, and i’ve felt averse to just admitting to myself that content that is TOO original/ personalized being almost all of my output, is probably going to keep me stuck where i am, no matter what.

Hiii, I'll answer this in sections to make it easier so here we go!

How to balance working on commissions Vs personal work and fanart?

The key here is to treat commissions like any regular job (Like an office job but without annoying coworkers!) I work monday-friday and maintain a schedule and set deadlines to follow.

Some people don't work well under pressure but in my case it pushes me to take action. Knowing I promised a client progress or a finished work by a certain date gets me going no matter how burned out I'm feeling. Also keeping a public queue helps this as well as it motivates me to visible update everyone on what I'm doing.

Discipline is very needed, not because you're your own boss means it's easier. People are paying you their hard earned money and it's your responsibility to deliver quality work for them in the promised time.

It's not just drawing, it's social media management, self promoting, bank account checks, regular updates and keeping a good streak of happy customer to spread the word for you!

I draw personal work on my free time on weekends. And sometimes in between when I get particularly itchy about an idea. But I always prioritise commission and I will always make sure to have at least reached my daily goal of work before I start goofing around drawing blorbo art.

It's taken years of adulting, to finally find a rhythm I'm comfortable with, where I can work and still keep my fandom self well fed. So do not despair, I felt helpless at 21 trying to sell a $5 commission but now I'm making $100+ with one single purchase!

TLDR: Treat commissions like a job separate of your hobby. Take weekends free, use your time responsibly 👍👍

How to build an audience

I don't know lol. It sort of happened to me. My main target was always furries (I am a furry) On my first 3 years of 'career' I never reached over 400 followers on my most popular social media, but my income was steady since a random streamer decided that I'd be her artist for everything, so I was able to survive more or less.

On the side I was working on my own OCs which I was lucky enough for randos to find appealing enough to warrant a follow! (Alois here getting pretty popular).

Parted ways with the streamer after hoarding me for 2 years and started drawing fanart which brought followers to me in waves. I'd get into a super obscure fandom (Solatorobo for example) draw a ton of stuff for it, bringing a wave of new followers thirsty of content and then stay because they like furries too.

And rinse and repeat and I got hundreds of people perceiving me (thank you) and even more people eager to commission me (thank you harder)

Important to note: People on different socials have different interests. Example: Twitter has been very friendly with original content but flops certain fanarts. Tumblr hypes up fan content a lot more enthusiastically but original content doesn't get very far.

TLDR: mostly takes good rng, but having a loud social media presence and a steady amount of new content to keep interest is a step on the right direction.

Last... What about burnout and frustration? What do you do?

TAKE A BREAK! TOUCH GRASS, separate yourself from the screen and breathe a moment. Then you come back and join Artfight.

Artfight is freedom! It's a chance to freely experiment with any character that catches your eye. You can try things that you wouldn't do during commissions, a different brush, different layer modes, angles, poses, etc. AND put enough effort on it that would make the receiver very happy 💖 and by posting this experimental work on socials, it got a lot of attention. Most did really great, a few flopped too, but it was overall extremely positive.

Without noticing, you find new paths, new techniques, you realize you can draw better and faster, and when you come back to work when the month is over, it shows!

TLDR: Take a break, then experiment!! You'll improve and find your path. This works different for everyone, but I'm sharing what has helped me.

[ace-oreos]

Squad Four, Coruscant Guard: Ch. 4

Kel gets more clues about what's going on in the Coruscant Guard, and a certain marshal commander makes his entrance.

“Kel, can you do me a favor?”

Kel looked up. Seeing as Nines was doing the asking, he knew to be wary. “What is it?”

“Can you run these to the medbay?” His brother waved a stack of flimsi. “They’re just requisition forms and the like,” he added, catching Kel’s questioning look. “Puck likes to have them on hand.”

“Why can’t you bring them?” Kel asked even as he hopped off his chair and held his hand out. He didn’t mind the errand, especially since he still had yet to make the acquaintance of the Guard’s CMO, but he was learning that a little pushback kept Nines humble.

“Because I know you take duty too seriously to refuse.” Nines grinned as he handed off the forms. “Mind you don’t drop them - Puck is picky about how they’re ordered.”

“In that case, I’ll just tell him you sent me.” Kel snapped off a salute for good measure - never mind that they were indoors and unhelmeted, and Nines wasn’t due a salute anyway - and started off towards the medbay. 

This area of the base was quieter; no one came this way unless they had a reason. Kel himself hadn’t been here since the day Nines gave him a tour. It was probably for the best. If Kel was out of commission, there was no one to fill his spot, even temporarily. Strictly speaking, Kel wasn’t supposed to be aware of this - but any day with Flip and Nines proved to be an educational one. 

He ducked into the medbay. The first thing he noticed was the distinct, harsh smell of antiseptics. The second thing he noticed was that the room appeared to be empty. Thinking he might as well leave the forms and spare himself another trip, Kel searched for somewhere to set the flimsi down where it could be easily spotted.

No sooner had he taken another step, however, than a trooper with medic’s insignia on his armor materialized from behind a thin curtain. Kel had enough time to notice that he looked tired and in need of a haircut before he found himself being bustled onto an exam table.

“What’s the problem?” the man asked brusquely. He pulled on a pair of gloves and produced something that was probably a scanner of some sort faster than Kel could interject. “Well?” he prompted, looking Kel over. “The sooner you tell me, the sooner I can treat you.”

“There’s no problem,” Kel said quickly. “I was just dropping these off.” 

The medic took the proffered flimsi and flicked through it. “Just in time, too - for all the good it does,” he added, more to himself than Kel.

Kel frowned. “What do you mean?”

“For every five supply requests I put in, maybe one of them is filled,” his brother said. He waved an impatient hand, still scanning the forms. “It’s been that way since I got promoted and from the looks of things it isn’t likely to change anytime soon. You’d think we wouldn’t have a shortage, being in the Senate’s backyard, but here we are.”

Even though he spoke matter-of-factly, clearly resigned to the circumstances, Kel felt a pang in his stomach. It made sense that infantry units might experience supply shortages or delays from time to time as they were ferried from one battlefront to the next; the Guard, however, was hardly a front-line force. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need a functioning medbay, Kel thought with a familiar spike of anger. He felt much the same as he had during his short-lived conversation with the representative from Malastare a few weeks ago.

“That’s not right,” he said once his emotions were in check. “That shouldn’t be happening.”

The medic looked up at that, mouth open to respond. Then he closed it again and gave Kel a careful once-over. “When did you report in?”

“About two and a half months ago.”

“That explains it,” the other trooper said with a wry smile. “Name’s Puck. You’re Sergeant Relay’s ninth man, aren’t you? Kel, isn’t it? How are you liking the Guard so far?”

There were several things Kel wanted to say - namely that it was becoming more and more apparent that the veteran troopers knew something he didn’t, and that they seemed incapable of giving him a straight answer whenever he asked about it - but he finally settled on, “Never a dull moment around here, that’s for sure.”

Puck raised an eyebrow. “Keeps you on your toes, doesn’t it?”

“More than I expected,” Kel admitted. “I’m still getting used to it.”

“Well, we’re glad to have you,” Puck said. “Force knows we can use the help.”

Kel knew a chance when he saw one. “I’ve been wondering about that, actually.” He paused, wondering how to proceed without giving himself away. “Is every unit like that? It just seems strange, is all - I thought our job would be pretty straightforward.”

Puck had a knowing look. “You aren’t the first shiny to wonder what’s wrong with the Coruscant Guard. We’ve all been through it.” 

Throwing caution to the wind, Kel burst out, “What’s going on? And why won’t anyone talk about it? Nines warned me that being in the Guard is complicated, but he never told me why. And the day I was on escort duty, I - ”

He fell silent when Puck held up a hand. “There’s a reason for everything we do - and everything we don’t do,” the medic said quietly. “We have to watch our step more than the infantry or other combat units, for better or for worse.  I’m sure you’ve realized not everything is as it seems on Coruscant.”

“I just don’t understand why.”

“There are several reasons,” Puck said. He met Kel’s eyes. “All you need to know is that every rule we have exists for a reason. We have a lot of eyes on us. As long as you follow orders, you have nothing to worry about.”

“What about - ”

But Puck was shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Kel. That’s as much as you need to know.”

For a moment Kel was tempted to demand Puck tell him more. I still have questions, he wanted to protest. But one look at Puck told him the medic wasn’t going to be divulging anything more anytime soon. Besides, he knew a dismissal when he heard one. 

Suppressing a sigh, Kel pushed himself up. “I should go. Relay will be looking for me.”

“Thanks for bringing these,” Puck said, organizing the flimsi with deft hands. “I appreciate it.” He smiled as he spoke, but there was a warning in his eyes. 

Kel was clearly supposed to follow his lead. “Happy to help.” 

He didn’t say anything else as Puck led him to the exit. After Puck thanked him again, Kel slowly made his way back to barracks. So there was more to the story after all. Only no one will come out and say what it is, he thought, trying to quell his frustration. Or what to do about it.

One question only led to another, it seemed. Kel glanced at his chrono and sighed. He was scheduled for a patrol in a few minutes; questions would have to be put aside for the time being. 

The patrol turned out to be mercifully uneventful. Once he debriefed with the oncoming shift, Kel headed for the mess hall. He was halfway through his meal when Relay sat down across from him.

“The commander wants to see you,” the sergeant said without preamble. Kel’s stomach dropped. “Report to his office once you’re done.”

Kel managed an automatic “Yes, Sarge” and hoped he sounded calmer than he felt. A meeting with Commander Fox can’t be good. He finished his meal without tasting it, returned his tray, then set off for the commander’s office. His heart raced in his chest, and he felt his palms growing slick under his gloves. 

It seemed to take far longer than it should have to reach Fox’s office, but at last he arrived. Kel took a slow breath to steel himself and knocked. When the door slid open, he marched through before he could think twice about it. 

The commander was seated behind a small desk. Kel came to attention in front of it and announced with more confidence than he felt, “Sir, CT Zero-Nine-One-Eight.”

He thought Fox might have been smiling. “Take a seat, Private.”

Kel sat. Fox didn’t say anything more right away, allowing Kel his first proper look at the senior commander of the Coruscant Guard. His armor was decorated with the same red and white as his troopers, but it had clearly seen better days. So had the helmet sitting on the desk. Risking a glance higher, Kel saw that Fox’s face was lined with exhaustion. The deep circles under his eyes looked more like bruises. 

Fox propped his elbows on his desk. “Congratulations on lasting this long.”

“Thank you, sir,” Kel said uncertainly. 

“Relay reports you’ve been doing well,” Fox continued. “He says you take orders well and learn quickly. I’m glad Nines hasn’t rubbed off on you too much.”

Kel tamped down on the urge to grin. “Not for lack of trying, sir.”

“I’m sure,” Fox said drily. “I know all about Nines and his… methods.” 

“He’s certainly persistent, sir,” Kel agreed. But that’s not the reason I’m here, is it. 

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” the commander said as though he’d overheard Kel’s thoughts. “Unfortunately, cramming in a meeting is easier said than done. But I want to say this now while I still have the chance.”

He paused then. Kel’s heart sank. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, but he forced himself to wait until Fox was done. 

“Puck told me about your conversation earlier,” Fox went on. Kel bit his lip, but the commander’s tone wasn’t accusing. “Believe me, I understand your concerns - and your frustration. If it helps at all, you aren’t the only one who’s frustrated.” 

“But you can’t tell me anything else, can you, sir,” Kel said quietly. 

“Not as much as you’d like.” Fox sighed. “But I can tell you this much: the Senate has more influence over the GAR than you might think. And whatever decisions they make, there’s almost always an ulterior motive. We have to deal with the fallout. That’s why I need soldiers like you who don’t question orders, even when it seems like they don’t make sense.”

Kel’s thoughts raced. “Why isn’t there a way to stop it? Chancellor Palpatine is commander-in-chief, he has the authority - ”

“The Chancellor is commander-in-chief of the entire Grand Army,” Fox interrupted. “The Guard is one unit. He has more pressing issues than playing referee.”

Kel rather thought that making sure a unit the size of the Guard - particularly a unit tasked with protecting the heart of the Republic - was functioning smoothly seemed important. But he knew better than to say so. It’s not right, he thought passionately. We serve the Republic, and no one is willing to stick their neck out for us? Even Chancellor Palpatine? He should be the first to advocate for us. 

“Kel.” Fox was watching him closely. “I need to know that you understand.”

I don’t understand, sir. 

Kel gritted his teeth. “I understand, Commander.”

“Good.” Fox leaned back in his chair, surveying Kel with an expression he couldn’t read. “You’re a good soldier, Kel. The Guard needs you - I need you - to keep being a good soldier. Dismissed.” 

“Sir,” Kel said, and stood. 

He strode back to barracks in tight, quick steps. He didn’t have a name for the feelings rising in his chest, only that it made his fists clench and his heart hammer. He wasn’t sure who he was angry with, either. The commander? The Senate? 

Like Puck, Fox seemed to accept the Guard’s lot. They shouldn’t. And I don’t, Kel decided. Even if he didn’t have the first clue what he was going to do, having a direction gave him comfort. 

Flip pounced as soon as the barracks door opened. “What was that about?” he demanded. “Relay said you had a meeting with the commander.”

Did I ever. Kel shut his eyes. There was too much to think about, too much to wonder. “It was nothing,” he said wearily. “Nothing at all.”

[ourimpavidheroine]

is there a reason why comments are moderated on your fic? it's ok i was just wondering.

Ah. Well, very long story short, I had an extremely devoted troll who spent about three years of their life off and on harassing me through my Asks here as well as in the comments section of my fic on AO3 and I had to put some protections in place.

That being said! My feeling on it is that my blog and my fic are places for me to express myself. They are not soundboards for anyone else to spew hatred or ignorance across. I am under no obligation to provide people that service, and therefore I do not.

I have gotten a fair amount of shitty, mean and defamatory Asks over the years, and at first I published them and rebutted them but then I realized, why the fuck am I doing that? Why am I turning my blog into someone else's free shitting ground? I don't need to do that. They can post on their own blog if they want somewhere to shit out their opinions. After all, Tumblr allows me to close down Asks entirely or limit them to non-anon or just delete the ones I don't like when they come in. I am the person who controls what is on my blog, not some stranger who has a really extended (and some might say slightly alarming, mental health-wise) beef with me because I didn't agree with their fan interpretation of Lin Beifong. You know? Not that all of my shitty Asks are down to that one troll - I get others, and that includes spam/scams or anon people trying to convince me that so-and-so that I have reblogged is a terrible person for vague and personal reasons* and even my favorites, the ones where people take me to task for something I've posted, saying how disappointed they are that I believe that kind of thing and that they are no longer going to follow me when a)it's pretty obvious by what they've said that they don't actually follow me and b)my follower count stays the same.

My comments on AO3 are the same. AO3 grants writers the power to shut down comments entirely, or moderate them before posting, or limit them to people who are logged into their AO3 account. I don't need to include negative comments, whether they are derogatory or not. Some have been very derogatory, especially when it comes to the sexuality and/or gender of characters. I'm not allowing that shit on my fic. You don't get to use my fic in order to promote your homophobic and TERF bullshit, the end. Nor am I giving you free rein to tell me why my fic is wrong. Don't like it? Don't read it, I'm not changing it for anybody, but especially not for some anon telling me I should. I've had a whole range of comments, from people telling me they aren't reading any longer because of Qi (ah, nothing says passive-aggressive like leaving a pissy little comment telling me my writing was good until I introduced a character and/or plot line you did not personally like, like this was a story you paid me a commission for to write a particular way) to people telling me I am a you-know-what for writing a scene depicting a 21 year old post-canon Ikki having sex because she was a child in the canon show. (Newsflash! Every adult having sex was also an 11 year old in the past! Including your own parents!) Nah. I'm not keeping that stuff. Not for me, and not for anyone else reading it.

So rest assured, if you are civil and considerate in your comments on my fic, I will gladly post them. There was a time there when due to my health issues I wasn't answering every single comment, but I do try to do that now because I feel it's a nice thing to do and because I enjoy engaging with my readers. (Not because I feel obligated. I've already written the fic, which took a lot more time and effort than writing a comment, so I feel we're more than even on that.) And if you don't leave a comment, that's okay too! It's not everybody's thing. (But a kudos would be very much appreciated. Even if you bookmark it.)

*To be clear, I am not talking about someone who says yikes that was a TERF you reblogged from check their blog and I am like NOOOOOO DELETE DELETE but rather someone who is like this person is terrible because I say so but I can't tell you why but just trust me even though I am Anon and won't tell you what is going on, which has happened to me a surprising amount of times actually.

[frankhightower]

Is my queue full?

When I originally decided to open commissions back in 2017 (yes, the commission opening that broke me), I did a lot of little experiments and hard math and came to the conclusion that the maximum number of commissions I could be working on at a time was seven. I have now reached that number. So why does it look like I'm still asking for more?

How my queue works

For starters, I should probably indicate to any that are still questioning, that my queue is not a regular First-In First-Out queue, but a priority queue. Getting Halloween stuff done in time for Halloween, for instance, should be given priority. I also give priority to adopts, since there's a certain expectation that this is an "off the shelf" sort of product, so the sooner I create the "missing parts", the closer I can come to that expectation (and it's one I'm interested in keeping). Then there's a Round Robin -sort of algorithm to prevent starvation (for the non-computer-geeks, this means that if I feel I haven't talked to a commissioner in "too long", I will try to prioritize them, which inevitably results in cycling through the commissions -- e.g. if I were to have gotten all 7 on the same day and none of them had a halloween-like-deadline priority, you would probably see: the first week, me doing the base lines on all of them; the second week, flat colors on all of them in the same order, and so on) But at the end of the day, the priority of what to work on is set by my own mental health. Since having to "get professional help" mid-pandemic is what started me actually drawing every day (I was dealing fine with the lockdowns, but everyone around me wasn't and that was, to put it mildly, unmanageable).

I won't forget people if I get more

I keep a detailed spreadsheet of all my commissions (Trello just doesn't cut it for me), so there's no danger of me "forgetting" about a commission. I also periodically double and triple check PayPal to make sure I didn't miss any the last time I updated the spreadsheet. I don't post the spreadsheet publicly because there's sensitive information on it, and all the public really needs to know is already in the journal header on FA. For historical purposes, the journal header currently reads Current queue: Jespe, secret commissioner, Medieval YCH(Nezmog, Jespe, TaurusProductions, Microcub), Jespe again, Halloween YCH, Xyie, Pokémorph Adopts(Soraxel, buckywhitetail13) Those are the seven (though you could argue they're actually 11).

Why I'm asking for more

The dry spell of the summer was exceptionally dry (I got 1 commission in the entire month of July 2023 despite posting a lot about my commissions, vs. 6 in July 2022 when I barely posted at all), and while I knew summers would be dry, I was not prepared. I expected, at least, to count on my day job, but with the pandemic "over", I discovered that all that was propping my income up was pandemic bonuses/stimuli. I survived by maxing out my credit, and now need to repay it: my debt payments have doubled from what I told you at the start of the donation drive. To put it simply: I'm scared.

What I'm doing to manage it

While I won't be limiting my queue, I am toning down on promoting my "products". I had planned, for instance, to unveil a new adopt for every one that got adopted (I've identified 36 of my designs that might "qualify", or about 10% of all the pokémon I've drawn -- remember I did the Kanto 150 twice) but now I've decided to put off so much as contacting the original recipient until the queue has shrunken somewhat. While I still intend to do a YCH for November, I will probably also put off on unveiling that. And, of course, I'm going to let the finished commissions speak for themselves, rather than do "I'm open!" reminders.

Posted using PostyBirb

[octology]

Hullo and good day! This is my current commission info, as of September 2023! If you're here, that might mean you're interested in commissioning me to draw something for you! ♥

I'm always open for commissions, as it pays some of my bills and makes living a bit more possible. If you are interested in checking if I currently have a slot open, please check my twitter, as it will have a current list of slots and what is available. I will have three slots open for each kind of commission (bust, chibi, fullbody, sketch), and will try to work quickly to open slots up again if they are full. (But not at the expense of the patron's piece)

Please feel free to contact me, at any time! Either by email (octologies (at) gmail.com), or on discord at octology (yes, just that one word, no numbers anymore).

Before anything, please check my twitter to see if I have slots open! https://x.com/octologies

So, a pricing run-down, how much for each thing you want me to draw!

Bust/Portrait Prices:

Lineart: $35 | Color: $50 Additional Character(s): +50% each

Chibi/SD Prices:

Lineart: $35 | Color: $50 Additional Character(s): +50% each

Fullbody Prices:

Lineart: $50 | Color: $75 Additional Character(s): +50% each

(Not Pictured) Sketch Prices:

Lineart: $25 | Color: $35 Additional Character(s): +50% each

-Please understand that sketches will be messy and look unfinished-

Pricing Sample: - Bust Couple (lineart): $35+$17.50= $52.50

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Additional Adjustments: -I am aware that sometimes a piece winds up needing tweaks, even after being okay’ed at many times during the process. But after the piece is greenlit to be colored, I will not make any major revisions to the pose/features without compensation. If this does happen, I am always negotiable and reasonable, so do not be afraid to discuss it with me. ♥

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I draw banners, promotional art, icons, painting, and much more, so please feel free to ask me for pricing, as it will likely depend on what your needs are!

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Things I will draw:

Original Characters, Fan Characters, Fan Art, Furries, Animals, Food, Mythological Creatures, Monsters, Gore, Horror, Naughty stuff, Flowers, etc. etc. etc.

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What I will not/can’t draw:

Super technical things, Mechas, and pretty much anything that I would nope out of right away if I saw it.

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Payment info:

I currently only accept paypal, but with their invoice services, if you have a credit/debit card, you should be able to send payment anyways! If you are at all confused, I am always willing to help. ♥

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All of my commissions are drawn at 300dpi, and saved as a high-resolution png. If you are interested in having your piece ready to print, let me know. Prints are for personal use only, and redistribution/selling of any piece is not okay. Yes, even if it’s your character. I still did the work.

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Please feel free to spread the word about my commissions, and if you have any questions about anything, please contact me, and I will be more than happy to answer.

[sharonisthebettercarter]

*WARNING*/*potential SCAMMER*

hey y'all, i just want to take a moment to talk about this because it's pretty absurd.

while i have promoted and praised this person in the past, i feel it's important/responsible to amend that with a proper *disclaimer* because i *think* they might be a scammer/trying to scam people.

i'm gonna start by saying i *have* bought from them successfully before. 3 times in fact (i think all together something like 70ish dollars spent? it was from some things they have/had available on boosty) and i still think they're a good artist, so if you do like them and want to support them *safely*, their boosty *should* be fine for that.

however, the problem came from when i *tried* to actually commission them full on. i just can't in good conscience recommend anyone commission them with the way they behaved about it as they either don't understand what commissions are/what appropriate professional behavior/etiquette is for them or are trying to scam people. i'd like to think it's the former rather than the latter, but the experience was unpleasant to say the least--keep in mind, i've also had artists just not respond to me when they don't want my business and i'd honestly prefer that to whatever the hell this was.

i reached out to check in on how they were doing, update them on the progress i had regarding the fic inspired by their work (nothing big since they've left the fandom, just a mention that it was progressing well) and because i finally had some commission ideas (i had mentioned in passing before that i wanted to commission them but didn't have any solid ideas for it/i can be very indecisive).

i also specified my situation--which included exactly when i would have the money ready for the commission (i'm disabled, so this is a bit strict for me but very regular and i specified this *at least* 3 times. maybe a mistake to reach out sooner to begin with, but i figured we were so close to the date and wanted to get the details of the commission out/understood/agreed upon/solid first so that i would know the exact price i'd be paying and what i'd be getting. i do know this is supposed to take time and effort on both parties.)

they responded nicely at first, but a little strangely/venting. some commission things discussed which gave me more to think about/ideas. the venting part didn't seem like a big deal at the time to me (we had a bit of an informal sorta friendship thing from the time i reached out to them with the gift fic) so i responded like i normally do. trying to be nice and understanding/supportive.

since they did give me a lot to think about with the original commission idea (first plan was a really big one--would need to be split up, done in parts/saved up for over several months--i would update when i was ready--they even told me i had time to think about it but we did manage to discuss that one a bit, if it being a little weird) i decided to set that idea aside as i got a newer/much simpler idea.

nothing big. just courage the cowardly dog.

i wanted him smiling while holding up a portrait frame, like he was getting a portrait painted. so very simple, fits in their TOS and everything (at least at the time). i relayed that idea in full and asked them what they thought. i even did the math myself for the price and also reiterated when i'd have the money ready to send.

however, the response i got was... weird.

they did more light venting, which okay. rough days, everyone has those and they had the habit, i was there, y'know? it's a bit of pressure/triggering on me but no big deal. i bore with that. this one was especially hard for me because they put in a 'joke' about taking their own life. (i was pretty triggered by this but responded with as much compassion and care as i could give because that is extreme/took priority to me, we'll def come back to their response to me about this)

but they also... completely ignored the courage idea.

me being a dumbass thought, 'oh okay, no big deal, i'm sure they just missed it/forgot' so i ask again.

this is just *part* of their response (verbatim/copy pasted):

"Sorry ofc I can't tell you what to do as a customer but damn I don't want to draw that small nervous dog it gives me unpleasant feelings… I have to get people on my side with certain tastes and such drawings like this most often attract some pretty weirdos lmao. I really have seen such examples and I don't want that. I need comms more "sexy" if you get what I mean. On the spooky season you can choose a lot of other things for example xeno stuff or cool dudes/girls from horror movies."

so... they basically admitted to completely ignoring me and attempting to veer the convo so they could *manipulate* me to pay for something *they* wanted to draw--to build a 'brand' so to speak. instead of just being honest and saying 'no thanks'? this was also the same response they claimed they were 'just joking' about literally hurting themself.

i don't take issue with artists being upfront about not liking or being uncomfortable with drawing something, even if it's not in the TOS because sometimes things get missed. that much is fair. if you don't want to draw what i want to buy, oh well. we can't reach an agreement and that's that, we move on.

however, i do take issue with artists not being transparent with their TOS/trying to use customers to springboard a specific 'brand' by manipulating/coercing them into buying shit they don't actually want. that is incredibly abusive and gross, customers don't *owe* you their business (this is coming from someone who generally takes the artists side/wants to believe in art but artists are people too and there are def a lot of scummy/unprofessional ones out there)

i especially take issue with being called a 'weirdo' for liking things like 'courage the cowardly dog' and getting my ideas disrespected to the point where they aren't even worth you *telling* me you don't want to do them--until i bring it up again. (and to give more context, we had actually discussed courage long before and they told me they *liked* him! i didn't even ask for him 'nervous' or scared which just proves they weren't reading shit of what i wrote about the commissions)

let's be clear here, we're all 'weirdos' on this hellsite.

but another thing to note.

'commissions' are not a 'self gratification' job where you take a donation, pump out whatever and expect the customer to be 'honored' with it. they are a discussed and agreed upon *fair exchange* that is *supposed* to benefit and satisfy both parties.

for commissions and anything made to order--an artist's 'power' over their customers starts and *ends* with the TOS. after that, your customer becomes your 'boss' because you are providing them with a *service*. commissions and custom orders *are customer service jobs*. disregarding your customer means you run the risk of getting into *legal trouble*, coercing someone into paying for something they don't actually want is extortion. if you think business isn't going to run smoothly or you don't want to do the job or even just don't think you'll do it very well, *don't take the commission*--but don't ever try to *manipulate* your customer or act *entitled* to their money/business.

now granted, you (the artist) can back out at any time if you aren't happy with the way a customer treats you or any other reason, *but so can the customer*. and this is only *before* payments are made--post payment can be more complicated. (*luckily* i did not get this far cause jesus christ...)

if you aren't good with customer service/communication, the recommendation then is to hire a liaison/middle man who *is* (if it can be afforded, otherwise expect to have to adapt/lose a lot of customers)

i'm not including everything here (i do have copies of our full conversation for anyone who wants to verify in case you were thinking about commissioning them, i'm not saying it can't be done, but just be warned given my experience. maybe i'm a one off because they just secretly hated me or something but it's worth noting i think.)

they also specified they didn't want to talk about life stuff anymore, just the commissions--which okay, no problem, right? there was an element to this that was weird and i'll get to that in a moment.

i went a *single* day without responding.

i was dealing with medical issues (again, disabled), having a very bad day, and didn't want to take it out on them or put it into the response, so i gave myself a day or two to cool off and prevent that (trying to be more conscious of emotional responses/have better self control).

a single (1) day.

common sense alone should tell you *a lot* can happen in a single day.

but they responded again (before i could)

this time with an *accusation* that i had 'never planned to commission them' and that i just wanted to waste their time with 'chit chat', and that if i wanted to the commission, i would have *already* sent them the money.

bear in mind they literally have zero proof to even suggest this (i was supposed to be their first client *allegedly* so no prior experience with anything like that, just pure impatience and assumption--unless they have scared away customers before?), and i'm going to take a moment to debunk the claim but let's get it straight first.

they:

rejected my (courage) idea without telling me (at first)

tried to ignore it and manipulate me into choosing something else (twice)

refused to discuss or finalize any finer details of the commission, such as what the piece is (subject, coloring, props, background, etc. as per their own TOS) price, etc. so we could have a clear understanding of *what* i was even paying for and *how much*--so keep in mind, this was *not* clarified (but the money needed to be in their account for them to start already, what?)

refused to answer any questions or concerns i had about the commission (honestly, i'm just convinced they didn't read any of it)

are now accusing me of not actually wanting the commission and just 'wasting their time'.

and demanding a nondisclosed amount of my money for a nondisclosed commission (*literally* as in they would not confirm a price or what they were planning on drawing--they even *changed* prices mid-talk and didn't want to give me time to recalculate/decide what i want. and again, i specified the exact date i would have the money available--if you think this much was my mistake, fair enough, but it 100% proves they didn't bother actually reading much of what i wrote because i mentioned this *multiple* times.)

after a *single* day of no response.

WOW.

so let me start by addressing the 'i just wanted someone to talk to claim' because it's unfathomably *narcissistic*. (excuse me for getting triggered again, survivor of narcissistic abuse here--shit is too recognizable for me now)

it not only completely disregards that i *literally* have bought from them before (multiple times, i was a repeat customer at this point), it also seems to *center* them in my life and assume i literally have *no one else* to talk to?? like WHAT?? i'm sorry? i spent *MONTHS* not talking to them (and talking to *other* people (that i adore<3) in my life that can fulfill my social needs plenty fine, thank you very much), why *out of the blue* would i *suddenly* 'want to waste their time'???

i'm going to share something i haven't with them. i *debated* reaching out to them at all because our last conversations left a very nasty taste in my mouth.

the fic (original post of this rb) inspired by the pic they made was one we had discussed at length, and i gave a lot of leniency with what they wanted since it was inspired by them/i wanted to push/challenge myself to tackle some themes i knew i might not otherwise.

they *begged* me not to abandon this fic. as of yet, i have no plans to. i'm having fun and i'm being reminded of how much i loved writing.

but then they abandoned the fandom, like the whole thing--and i don't and *still* don't blame them for that. i understand how bad fandoms and fandom fatigue can get, but boy was the feeling of being given direction for an *entire ass fic* and then being told essentially 'i'm bored of this' incredibly *offputting*.

but i thought, 'fuck it', these things happen, bit the bullet. wanted to commission them and reached out. they also kept reiterating 'only commission' 'only commission' after, idk, the heat got too hot/personable on life stuff?? (this is also why i'm not sharing all this stuff here out in the open) *but then they literally ignored me multiple times about commission stuff and wouldn't finalize anything*

after the accusation, it became pretty clear they were just using me or *trying* to, as a means to get a quick buck for whatever the fuck they wanted to draw on a whim, and as a *trauma/drama dump*.

this was the response *i* had to their accusation btw (again, copy paste verbatim):

"wow. that's a random accusation that makes no sense. no actually, i was dealing with medical issues. but you don't want to hear about that. so. what commission are you talking about? what price or details did we actually discuss or finalize? you kept brushing off *any* actual discussion about the commission and ignoring anything i tried to bring up, including what i wanted in favor of your own ideas. what do you plan to draw cause i sure as hell don't know, and i have no plans to pay for a random mystery commission of your choosing. you told me 'no, i don't want to do courage'. and also straight up insulted me and called me a 'weirdo' for wanting him. now you're accusing me. you also kept trying to debate and manipulate me to just pay for something *you* want to draw. which i'm sorry? but no thank you. i don't want anything 'sexy' right now. that's also not how commissions work and feels incredibly scammy. it's a customer *service* job in which you listen to what i want and acknowledge me as another human--not 'convince me to fund your brand building and random drawing whims and demand my money' job you've made it perfectly clear you aren't interested in my business which just means i have to look somewhere else--oh well. but i don't think you're actually interested in doing commissions at all. this is not professional or 'serious business' behavior, you literally threw a tantrum because i didn't respond for a day/do what you wanted. :/ i've supported you in the past but i can't support you trying to scam people. you aren't entitled to my or anyone's money and i will absolutely warn people about you if i have to."

to which of course, they did the classic *double down* instead of take any accountability for their own actions, blame/accuse me again, and blocked me (i guess they thought i was bluffing when i said i'd warn people?? but no, def not. i take shit like this pretty seriously and always think it's important for people to be as informed as possible.)

sure, maybe i could have been a little nicer but i thought i was clear, concise, and to the point (unlike that disaster of an attempt at discussing commissions with them.)

y'all, don't go out of your way to vilify or harass anyone. never do that. i think it's pretty obvious here that they were wildly unprofessional (the trauma dumping and then blaming me for it/trying to disregard it especially, i'll come back to that 'joke' in a moment cause that was... :() about this but i still do want to give them the benefit of the doubt while letting people know my experience with this attempt i guess.

i reached out to them out of kindness, and things didn't work out, but they're still a person. at best, maybe one who's still a little too immature for this/maybe with some toxic habits--but they can (ideally/hopefully) grow out of it.

at worst, they're a scammer who would have *tried* to take my money and run--i'd like to think the stuff i've bought before is evidence to the contrary, but the truth is that i don't know them that well and there *are* artists out there who also turn out to be scammers--the two are unfortunately, not mutually exclusive. i thought we hit it off and became fast friends when i first made the gift fic but i guess the feeling wasn't mutual.

i thought i was being compassionate and nice but i'm realizing i was probably just enabling them trauma dumping on me, so my bad on that front.

and regarding the trauma dumping and 'joke'. it's one thing because we were a little bit more familiar with one another due to the whole gift fic/chats we had prior. i myself am a fan of morbid and self deprecating humor.

but it is *not* appropriate or fair to the other person (much less a potential client) to drop not so subtle hints or bombshell 'jokes' regarding mental health (much less about *unaliving* yourself), and then try to brush them off when they show you concern/empathy or just try to treat you as a human being. that is *literally* just trauma dumping, and it's not funny--much less for someone who could get *triggered* by it (and you never know with clientele/strangers on the internet, this is literally what trigger warnings/tags are for)

artists? don't ever try to pull this shit. any of it. just don't. make sure everything is clear and concise, give your customer a voice and make them feel welcome. have things written out, fully decided and *agreed* on *before* payment is sent (this includes estimates for how long it will take, subject matter of work, references if needed, details, price, etc. literally everything.) and keep your clients *updated* on both the pic(send wips)/situations if they come up (like if files get lost).

potential customers of artists? don't tolerate bullshit like this. no trauma dumping, no manipulation, no entitlement. don't ever let an artist bully you into buying from them, i don't care what the circumstance, that's not and never will be okay. if you can't come to an agreement or feel pressured--walk away. it's your money, *you* decide how you spend it.

for commissions, the artist's job is to *earn* it.

TL;DR: artist didn't want to do my commission idea--but still wanted my money/kept trying to coerce/manipulate me for it.

i will be going ahead and adding links to this where i think it's appropriate to warn people (like on my fic). it was still a gift and i'll stand by that, but idk. i guess i don't want to regret my own kindness, even if it was to a shitty person/possible scammer because i can't control other people, y'know?

*but i can def warn people.*

stay safe out there, please<3

UMMMMMMMM...

so... i wrote another thing.

inspired by this beautiful amazing incredible wonderful awesome gorgeous lovely terrific fantastic fabulous super cool masterful art piece linked below~<3<3<3

by @darunyama

go like the pic and support this lovely amazing beautiful wonderful incredible awesome terrific gorgeous fantastic fabulous super cool masterful artist<3

they say a picture's worth a thousand words... WHOLLY DISAGREE--

these were worth SO MUCH fucking MOAR~<3

;)))))))))))))))))))))));))));)))))))))))))))));))))))))));))))))))))))))))))))));)));));)))))))))))))))));)));))))))))))))));))))))))));))))));)))))))));))))))))))))))))))))))))));)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))));)))))))));)));)));))))))))))))))))))));))));))))))))))))))))));)))))))))));)))))))))))))));))))));))))))));)));)))));))));)))))))));)))))))))))))))));)))))))))))));)))))));)))))))))))))))))));))))

lmao i'm so sorry boo, i just could not for the life of me get this one outta my head, so after much internal struggle and mild laziness~ my hands just got to work and birthed the monstrosity above (do hope you at least like it tho<3)

thanks so SO much for arting~<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

[ivy-loves-chocolate]

I told you to stay still! (Sergei Vladimir x F!OC)

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Note: please check the tage before reading. It's the first time I wrote something like this, and the person who commissioned it, therefore I hope you'll like it too :). If you want to support/commission me please visit my ko-fi page. Thank you!

Story: Sergei and the OC are meeting once again after the Raccoon City incident. She is being detained by Umbrella. 

Pair: Sergeir Vladimir x F!OC.

Tags: medical play, obedience, medical gloves, pain/Impact play, a slight of Stockholm syndrom, knife play.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Seth awoke in a dark and cold room. Her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, and she barely recognized a small table besides her and a cardiac monitor that was beeping. She tried to raise her hands, but they were immediately pulled back by the chains.

“What the—" she said.

She jolted her wrists with the strength she had, hoping she would break the chains, but it was futile. She couldn’t think of another possible escape plan as her head hurt badly and the room was spinning with her.

“What is going on?” She asked herself as she tried to remember the last thing before she blacked out.

After huge efforts, it all came back to her. She was in Raccoon City, running for her life. She was right in the middle of the outbreak in the umbrella facility beneath the city. William just destroyed the vial, and all hell broke loose. After the first contact, many died. There was a general lockdown, meaning no one was allowed to go in or out. After they buried the deceased, they miraculously came back to life, but not as humans but as cannibal monsters.

Seth managed to escape the facility, and then she barely got out of the city on one of those subways. She ditched her coat and blended in with the crowd. It seemed like a cowardly move, but it was the right thing to do. During times like that, it’s everybody for themselves.

After stepping outside the subway, she enjoyed the taste of freedom. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the fresh air.

All of their joy was short-lived, as they were apprehended by Umbrella operatives immediately after exiting the subway. They gassed them, and in the midst of their screams, she heard a man say, "It's her," after pointing at her. Everything went dark.

“Ah little bird, it appears you are awake.”

Her heart races when she hears Sergei’s voice because of their past. She was originally working at a facility in Russia, and after proving her incredible skills, Sergei hired her. Eventually, he started to develop feelings for her. He’d promote her over the night, resulting in others being jealous of her. She lost many of her friends, but it was all right because, in all that madness, she had Sergei. Little did she know that he didn't have genuine feelings for her, but rather wanted to use her as an experiment. It turns out that Seth had very rare DNA, which allowed her to bond with any type of virus, including the tyrant one.

Their relationship proved to be very toxic, so Seth tried to walk away by moving to Raccoon City. She started a new life, away from her partner, and everything seemed to be fine until the outbreak hit them.

Her hopes of freedom were stripped from her once more when the umbrella operatives captured her, and then she awoke in this dark and gloomy place, with someone she hoped to never see again.

“What are you doing here…? What am I doing here?" She asked, her dizzy mind still trying to process her surroundings.

"My apologies, it’s quite dark. There” he said as he flipped the switch “better?”

The room filled with bright and cold light, making Seth uncomfortable. She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side.

“It’s not better." she said.

“You’ll get used to it,” Sergei said as he sat next to her. When her eyes got used to the intense light, she finally saw where she was. to her horror, she was in a hospital-like room with a cardiac monitor, a bed, a TV, and, near Sergei, a metallic table with all sorts of tools. She was wearing a simple robe, and her wrists and ankles were cuffed to the bed.

“Why did you capture us? Where is everyone else!” She shouted, trying to get up, but she was pulled back once again. At least the bed was soft.

“Well, to be honest, I killed them all.” He said it in such a calm tone that it sent shivers down her spine. After all, she knew that he had no regard for human life, but his response still shocked her.

“W-why? They were innocents!”

“Yeah, but they were also witnesses, and they can be very damaging to the business.”

“what business?! Do you think Umbrella will ever recover after this incident?!”

“Oh, it will, pretty bird. With my help, Umbrella shall rise from the ashes again.” He said in a confidence tone.

“You are delusional Sergei, always were, always will be.”

“I think you have more serious problems right now” he said, cutting her off while looking at her restraints.

“Yeah, we can agree on this.”

A long pause followed, and then Seth spoke again.

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

“Because you are very valuable for me.” This line ignited a sparkle that she thought was long dead. It was the nice feeling you get when you know that someone needs you or that you are important to someone. Knowing that she might be important to him once more gave her a warm feeling of safety, which brought her back to a toxic comfort zone.

“Am I?” She asked with uncertainty in her voice.

"Yes, love…” he said as he brought a hand closer to her bruised face, caressing her cheek. “You carry the t-virus inside your body, and I will cut you open to get a closer look.”

Her eyes widened in shock, her body tensed, and she began to fidget in your seat.

“You’re crazy! I’m not infected!”

“Oh yes, you are love. When we brought you all in, we gave each one of you a sample of the virus. You were the only one who didn’t turn. Do you really think I’d kill innocent people?” “But you said…”

Sergei was toying with you with such cruelty. He enjoyed it, but for you, it was torture.

“I know what I said.” He removed his hand from your face to grab the gloves from the table. He put them in front of you, and he did it so slowly just to prolong your agony.

“You see,” he began to say, as he put on one of the gloves, “I knew you were special.” The glove covered one of his hands completely, and he began to put on the other one. “But now I just know it was worth the trouble to promote you and to sacrifice a squad to bring you in.” He fixed the other glove and slapped the band on his wrists in a loud way.

“What are you going to do with me?” She said it in a trembling voice, as if she was on the verge of crying.

He grabbed a knife from the table. It was double-bladed, very sharp, and very thin. He spun it in his hand, and then he began to run it all over her body.

“Get that thing away from me!” She shouted.

The blade pressed firmly all over her body. It started from her belly, then went upwards towards her face, traveling between her breasts, around her neck, and stopping over her face. She was afraid to even breathe because one wrong move and the blade would cut her skin. The blade was so sharp that it had already made small cuts along the fabric.

"There, there, my sweet.” As the cold blade pressed firmly against her cheek, he said it gently. She tried not to tremble, as one wrong move and her cheek might be cut in half.

“Please…” she pleaded, a hot tear running down her face, meeting the cold steel.

“When did I hurt you, my love.”

“I-I have a list…”

“Don’t get cocky with me.” he said as he pressed the blade on your face.

“Sorry, I’m sorry.” You said quickly.

“I never wanted to hurt you, you were the one to run away.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right.”

“Now, I want you to behave. If you obey, we might get over this quickly.”

“Why? What do you have in-“

She let out a whimper as she felt the blade cutting your skin. The pain became more intense as the sharp blade cut deep. Sergei wanted to make her bleed. It was her stupidity when she tried to move away, as it only resulted in a second cut.

“I told you to stay still!” He yelled at her as he grabbed a test tube. He held her face up to allow the blood to fill the vial, then set it aside and grabbed some sterile cloth.

“What have I told you? If you stay still, we will get over this.”

“Wouldn’t you take blood like a normal person?” She said it between sobs.

“Where would be the fun in that?”

“You sick motherfucker….”

He bandaged your wound, and fortunately, she didn’t need stitches for that.

“Ok, I now need to insert a catheter, and we are done.”

“Done for what?”

“For the operation, I meant it when I said that I would cut you open.”

He got up on his feet and grabbed the collection bag, drainage port, and tubes required for the procedures.

“Aren’t you going to use an anaesthetic?” She asked, knowing that it could be painful.

“I don’t have time.” As he lifted her robe and parted her legs, he said.The latex material of the gloves felt weird on your skin, and it triggered her flight or fight response.

“Relax, it will be easier.” He said seeing that she got tensed.

“I wish I could, but the idea of being cut open doesn’t relax me a bit. Also, I really don’t like being exposed like this in front of you.”

Having her genitalia exposed like that to Sergei felt weird, but what was also weird was how close he was.

She looked away because she didn’t want to see Sergei doing the procedure, as she was already very tensed. She thought that by looking away, it would make the whole thing less painful. Sergei pulled another table above the bed, on which he placed the materials needed for this. It didn’t take long until she felt a paper-like material covering her area.

“It’s just the fenestrated drape; you should’ve known that.” He scolded her when he saw how she trespassed at the touch.

“I just wanna go home, please…I don’t carry the virus in me.” She started to sob again, but it was futile as she felt Sergei opening her labia.

“Im afraid it’s too late to argue.” He said this as he reached for some swabs to clean the area. Seth sighed when she felt the cotton material touching her part about three times.

“Please…” she said as she grabbed the sheets.

"Take a deep breath," he said as he grabbed the catheter's end and positioned it as her entrance.

“No, come on, don’t do it please-" she stopped and let out a sharp exhale when the tube entered her urethra. Even if he lubed it properly before, she still felt a burning sensation, along with an intense urge to pee. Some urine came out of the catheter and over his fingers, but he kept pushing.

“You are doing great sweetheart, just a little more…” he said as he kept entering, and stopped when the urine flowed in the tubing. After that, he inflated the balloon so the urine could drain out and collect in a collection bag.

It was less painful than she anticipated, but she remained tensed regardless because she knew what was about to happen.

Sergei tied the bag to her leg and started cleaning.

“What are you going to search for inside me anyway?” She asked in a weakened voice.

Sergei removed the drape and covered her private parts.

“The usual; if there are any signs of mutations that appeared only on the inside, if your organs can regenerate after being slightly damaged, and more. I would continue, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise.” He winked and gently tapped your thigh.

“What if I don’t wake up? Or worse…?”

“Don’t worry, little bird, no matter what happens to you on that operation table, I will continue to take care of you, like I always did.”

Some nurses entered the room along with two doctors.

“Is she ready?” One of the doctors asked.

“Yes” he replied with confidence.

“What if he doesn’t make it? We don’t have other specimens.” The other doctor expressed his disbelief, but Sergei replied with confidence once more.

“Do not worry, she is a tough one.” He said it with pride in his tone.

As one of the nurses quickly injected anaesthetics into her via an IV, she didn't have time to react or fight back. After that, everything went dark.

[whatsonmedia]

Why I Am Ruth and Amy's Storyline Are Necessary?

The Online Trolling Storylines 'EastEnders' Are a Reminder of The Dark Side of Social Media For those who have been watching EastEnders lately will character of Amy Mitchell (played by Ellie Dadd) become the target of online trolling. So far, the storyline has seen her self-esteem diminish and, more shockingly, begin self-harming. Upcoming Channel 4 series, I Am Ruth, which stars acting Legend Kate Winslet star alongside her daughter Mia. In the series she plays the mother of a teenage girl called Freya who is subjected to to the pressures of the dark side of social media. In the series the mother will witness as her own daughter will fall deeper and deeper to the pressures of Instagram. Now for those of you asking why on earth such dramas would commission such dramas, and why they would be deemed as appropriate entertainment, let's take a look back at the news within the last few months. A coroner has sent a request to both social media firms and the government in a bid to call for actions following the death of a British teenager. Five years ago, in 2017 a teenage girl, around her early to mid teens committed suicide after witnessing harmful content on social media platforms online. At first after investigation it was ruled that the social media platforms haven't actually broken any rules in regards to its content rules and regulations. The friends and family of the teenage girl thankfully didn't accept this answer and instead chose to persevere in a bid to get some kind of change. As someone who regularly uses social media myself, I was somewhat surprised at the attitudes of these online platforms, mainly being that the posting of harmful content that is intended to promote self-harm and a suicide was deemed unacceptable. If that was the case how come the platforms were cleared of any wrongdoing when this is quite clearly a breach of the rules and policies? When this statement came out, I was absolutely gob smacked. Surely, one of the top social media formats out there today would have remembered that it had a duty to ensure that no content was promoted self-harm, bullying, inciting hatred and suicide was ever allowed to make it onto the platform itself let alone be shared with others. I mean as a social media user myself even I deliberately check everything I posted to ensure that it doesn't break any rules. I even triple check In 2017 a group known as Internet Matters released a cyber campaign about cyberbullying. The video begins with us hearing the voice of a little boy saying sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. The line gets repeated a few times but every time it does the boys voice changes from being confident and self-assured to sounding insecure, upset and broken. The campaign came with its own hashtag #Pledge2Talk I have openly admitted that since the time I have first started using social media even I have faced nasty comments. Even some of these comments were threatening. Now no doubt how many of you reading this will just say "why don't you just block them?" And yes, it does some that simple doesn't it, just block them and they'll never bother you again. https://youtu.be/j7BXoSGIcNQ Unfortunately, and this is where reality really does bite, blocking isn't that simple anymore or as a lot of trolls or maybe just set up a new account find the same targets and it's back to square one again. Now I'm a supporter of freedom of speech expression opinion and action but even I strongly stand by the stands that this is not an excuse for the attitudes. Let me give you some examples, I've seen numerous posts on Twitter and Facebook and had very negative thoughts about them but at no point have I ever thought or decided to post something vile or threatening on there. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook over the years seem to have allowed to become breeding grounds. In 2017, The Saturday’s singer Frankie Bridge did a documentary for Channel 5 called Celeb Trolls: We're Coming to Get You. In the documentary Frankie revealed how she'd been targeted by internet trolls and she spoke to other celebrities who had to endure similar experiences. In the episode she and a production team managed to track down and Trace one of the internet trolls full stop in the end they tracked him down to his residence and when confronted he gave up this sickening giggle and legged it. This man wasn't the only internet role they track down, but what really surprised me was that one of these morons had children of their own. I was surprised to say the least. A fully-grown adult man had a child of his own yet who he was trolling other people online, spewing out vile hatred which she wouldn't probably never have the guts to do so no face to face. I mean what sort of example was he setting for his children? and more importantly what does children say when they found out what's he doing? As per usual when challenged his attitude was that is free speech. Now this is your attitude which I, and no doubt millions of others, will find absolutely disgusting. It's in these situations I've always found myself thinking of the worst-case scenario; what will they do if someone they have been trolling ended up taking their own life as a result? Will there feel smug about it? More importantly how would the friends and families of both sides feel? This is where we have to confront the elephant in the room and learning about how to tackle the dark side of social media. Because unfortunately it's only going to get worse if left alone. If we were a look back at all the incidents of cyberbullying it's basically become a playground and for bullies and cowards full stop and I say bullies and cowards because echoes the exact same behaviors and words heard in the playground and when confronted the bully is always look for excuses that justify their actions. I don't know about you but I've always thought that naming and shaming would work a treat. A few years ago, there was a incident in the news regarding to TV presenters. One of them was being controlled and after much investigation it was learnt that their co-star had been doing the trolling. The result; that co-star was sacked, named and shamed and jailed Read the full article

[angelamajiki]

PARINGS: Pro Hero! Dabi x Sister! Reader

TW: yandere, incest, no con, voyeurism, choking, burning, unprotected/no prep sex, breeding/creampies, snowballing, public sex, degradation, lots of dirty talk

AN: WHEEWW my first fic in a while, so excited for my first join intro collab!! thank you to the lovely jo for writing it <33 enjoy

A BNHarem Server Collab! Check out the other works here.

Breaking news: We have yet another report to add to the slew of attacks this month, this comes just days after we broadcast rumours of villains running rampant over the city. This spate of attacks has put the entire metropolitan area at a standstill, road closures and damaged property making it difficult for commuters to get to work in the morning. Road maintenance endeavour to do its best to keep the city running, but it seems futile when these attacks continue to increase. The entire city was brought to a standstill by the mysterious villain who has still not been named, but reports show they are nothing like we have ever experienced before.

Where are the heroes now? Who will save us from the terror overwhelming our city?

Every day the crime toll continues to rise and we have no one here to protect us. The Hero Public Safety Commission assured us earlier in the week that the crime rate would go down, that the top Heroes are out there protecting our city, but if so, where are they? Is it really safe to go out anymore, who can we trust? Would you put your life in the hands of a Hero today? When they have proved our streets are no longer safe. We still have no information on what is going on, or who is involved but we must remain observant. We will continue to report the latest news as we receive it, but for now, we must implore you to heed the warnings of the city-wide curfew that is soon to be implemented. If anyone has any information on these occurrences in the city please send them to us or contact the police, you can remain anonymous. The safety of our citizens is what is most important, stay vigilant and don’t go out unless it is absolutely necessary.

Christ, what a load of bullshit the news was nowadays. Constantly whining and squealing about what heroes did and didn’t do, promoting fear-mongering like it was the hottest trend. Between your father and two older brothers dedicating their life to the cause of justice, the world always felt just a little safer to you, the naive little thing that you were. And tonight was no exception.

Despite the rapidly increasing crime rates, your judgment to grab a couple of drinks in the city with your friends was hardly swayed. The stress of it all was getting to you and you’d love nothing more to drink your heart out at one of the few spots still left open. It was a sleazy place, but it was fun. If anything, you found a bar in the area where your eldest brother was currently stationed patrolling.

Touya had always been protective of you ever since the two of you were children, and he carried that same possessiveness well into your adulthood. Always chasing off any potential suitors, keeping you out of trouble, and generally being a menace to anyone who thought they were good enough to be around his favorite little sister.

By the end of the night, stumbling around drunkenly was the only thing keeping you upright as you made your way out of the club and onto the street, looking for a taxi to get you home. Sirens wailed faintly in the distance, a mess of blue and red lighting up the darkened streets.

“Hey sweetheart. Need a hand?”

Grubby hands met your arms the same time the cool air of the night did, tugging and pulling at you to come closer, wherever that may be. Jaunts and laughter echoed off the buildings, only adding to the haziness the alcohol induced. “What’s a pretty little thing like yourself doing out here all on your lonesome?”

Weak attempts to push the group of assaulters off you were in vain as they groped and squeezed your body at their pleasure. “Come on, we’re just trying to keep ya company. Right, boys?”

“Stop..”

Your whine came across much more pathetic than you could have ever hoped, only earning more chuckles from the men. “Just relax, sweetheart. We’ll take good care of you.”

Blue flames danced around the group of you, closing the lot of you against the building wall in a small circle of fire.

“Will you now? Last I checked, I'm the only man suited for that.” Touya was less than amused to have found out from Fuyumi that you traveled into the city given its state, even more so when he saw how drunk and disorderly you were being.

“T-Touya-nii!”

The men untangled themselves from you with ease, tossing you into the arms of your expectant brother, who was more than glad to pull you into a tight embrace. “Shit! It's the number three, Heatstroke!”

The comforting warmth of his body and scent of his cologne settled your frantic nerves, tucking yourself closer into his arms. “Honestly, it’s like you're asking for it at this point.”

Your heart sank low in your chest, but you couldn't find the strength to move away from him as he scowled down at you.

“Look at what you're wearing, you little tease. Bet you would have loved to have them violate you, huh slut?”

Never has Touya been so venomous with you before; it made your heart hurt, even more, to see your beloved nii-san be so cruel.

“Don’t you worry, that’s why your big brother is here to show you who you really belong to.”

Shoved against the wall, he pinned your trembling form with his right knee in between your legs and his hands wandering over your skimpy dress.

“You boys can stick around to watch; let a real man show you how it's done.”

Flames singed at your dress, burning it to ashes to expose you in the cool wind of the night. Hot fingers pressed into your skin, littering marks in their wake before they wrapped around your throat. “You were just begging for nii-san to come to save your slutty ass, huh, princess? I know you checked my patrol schedule before ending up at this dive.”

His hand tightened around your neck, his lips at your ear. “Wanted nii-san to come put you in your place, yeah? After fuckin’ teasing me all these years, you finally cracked me. Are you proud of yourself, little girl?”

A whine slipped from your constricted throat, your smaller hand gripping at the large one squeezing you with everything it had. “And now you've got an audience to witness my ownership over you. You're mine, little girl.”

Finally releasing your throat, his hands traveled down to your chest and groped at your roughly, pinching and pulling at your soft, sensitive nipples. Bile was rising in your throat as you drowned in your own fear, feeling him drag you into the depths of depravity.

“What’s the matter, imouto? I thought you said I was your favorite. You're hurting my feelings, y’know.”

“Touya, please-”

A scoff slapped you hard in the face as his knee jerked up against your cunt. “Don’t start with me. I know who you really are and what you really want, even better than yourself.”

His words stabbed at your heart, and his wandering hands only seemed to pour salt over the wounds. “You’re nothing more than my whore, little sister.”

Hips ground against your backside in a slow, teasing manner, groans pushing past his lips as he did so. “You have no one to blame but yourself.”

His erection was pressed flush against you, straining in his pants before he unzipped himself. At this point, you were more than sobered up running on fear and adrenaline alone. Your panties were ripped clean off with his free hand while the other stroked his hardening cock. “Look at me.”

The tip was aligned with your hole, rubbing slightly to gather the minimal wetness between your lips. “I said look at me.”

Teary eyes peaked up at him through wet lashes, silently pleading with a man who was not known for mercy.

“Good fuckin’ girl, so obedient for your big brother.”

With one snap of his hips, Touya fully sheathed himself inside of your tight cunt, groaning at the way you squealed for him. “Aw, you like that, huh, princess. Feeling good?”

A warbled moan was the only response you could give him as he slowly began to pull out. The alcohol had you buzzing enough to block out the pain of the stretch, and damn did you feel filled to the brim.

“Can’t wait to breed this greedy little cunt of yours.”

His pace was slow, agonizingly so. Touya couldn't help but savor every second of the first time having been inside you, especially after dreaming about it for so long. God, if it didn't turn him on to have an audience, knowing that these men knew he was fucking his sister.

What would the media think? God, the news cycle would be ripped to shreds tomorrow over this breaking story. But hey, no PR is bad PR.

The thought of finally having staked his claim in you almost had him coming prematurely, but he had to hold out for your very first time together, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Heh, your crying face was so cute. Those tears weren't shy by any means and neither were your sobs. It's alright, you’ll learn to love being Touya’s cocksleeve.

“Say you love me.”

An impossible request when you're being violated by the person you held dearest to your heart.

His pace had picked up brutally, slamming into you without care for his flames spreading wildly nor the group of assaulters who seemed to vanish once they had the opening to.

“I-I love you, nii-san! I love you!”

Your cries were shrill and whiny, echoing into the chaotic night. The grip on your hips was heating up, so much so that his handprints were burned into your love handles.

“Good girl, good little slut.”

His breathing was erratic, hot against your neck as he growled and grunted into your ear. “Gonna let nii-san breed this pretty little pussy? Yes, you are. I know you are because you're fuckin’ mine, bitch.”

Moaning out your name, Touya came deep inside your womb, thick ropes of his cum painting your insides. You were soon to follow thanks to his thumb against your clit, causing you to writhe and whine in his arms.

Utterly spent, you rested against the brick wall you were pinned to, feeling the cum drip out of your still filled hole.

“Let’s get you home and into my bed, princess. I gotta go have a chat with Dad and Shouto, let ‘em know you’re fully off limits now.”

— tagging: @libiraki @bonesoftheimpala @tomurasprincess @sightoru