#number or confirmation email or anything. just emails that the payments were coming out of my account 🤡

[jvzebel-x]

Don't you want people to ask about risk factors about sex work? Not trying to be rude or anything, but I thought that was apart of safety signaling.

so in regards to fssw specifically, these kinds of conversations can be used to charge me as a pimp if the right authorities got their hands on them as proof of "sex trafficking". i used to get emails fairly often asking for advice on how to start&stay safe on the streets, &as much as it fucking SUCKS these aren't really conversations to be had at random over the internet. unfortunately as an out swer, there are certain things i need to be more aware of in regards to these sorts of things.

but if we were talking normal advice for contracting&private work in general for the sexy individual, off the top of my very vague head:

out on these digital streets, my best piece of advice is to remember that you're selling time. even if you don't offer a service during that time period-- &you don't have to advertise or offer one--, what you're selling is time. what two grown, consenting adults do in private is just that: private. there are no fraternization rules in contracting, &this freedom gives you the room to get to know your clients intimately so as to best provide service. ♡

for the sexy individual out on these blacktops, always let someone know where you're going to be (obviously for sudden pick up work this might not be play-by-play possible, but if you're going out to scope some work, let someone you trust know that's what you're doing&what area you'll be in). if you don't have that option or support, keeping track of plate numbers can save your skin, &so can learning how to take sly photos.

for work on the lower end, my advice is to be cautious of clients or potentials who flex. i've never met a piggy in sheep's clothes who drove a beat up honda.

&for work on the upper end, scented body powders > perfumes (also they sell edible ones for the fun contractors out there). i cannot take credit for that advice, someone else amazing gave it to me a long time ago, lol, but i can recommend using kaolin clay+a few drops of essential/fragrance oils to make some for way cheaper. cornstarch also works well.

&always get paid first. visually confirm that payment in full before getting down to any form of business.

... if this is about the interview i was just complaining about, however, the answer is that there's nothing that helps me or my community that comes from peddling our trauma for liberal college students who think they can help us despite having no one they know to ask personally, &not wanting to pay us for labor because they're more than comfortable making it clear that they do not actually find our work to be work, lmao, they find it to be an interesting thesis&thrillingly scandalous social commentary. of course i'm more mean to people who would lie to me about their involvement with the work in an effort to get me on their side, lmao, despite what these people think being a whore doesn't mean i'm a fucking idiot.

[davidcampiti]

SCAMMERS BE SCAMMIN'

TRUE STORY: One of our artists brought us a client who wanted design work done. They asked him to start and would pre-pay. So far, so good.

Even before we received the check, the client sent me multiple emails requesting a deposit receipt to confirm we'd received/ deposited the check. While doing so, he wrote to the artist -- leaving me off the email -- saying an emergency had come up, they needed half the money returned. By wire transfer. To yet a different name and address from anything so far.

* The check came from an LLC in Massachusetts. Yet that check was shipped from another company in California. Instead of the check identifying the project being commissioned, it stated only "Payment Approved." First flag.

* Client seemed hesitant to give me his phone number, or his full name, and his generic email address gave no name from which we could perform client due diligence. Second flag.

* While he wrote to me asking for a deposit receipt, he wrote to our artist -- NOT copying me -- saying he needed half the money returned. He specifically left me out of that information loop while wanting a deposit confirmation. Third flag.

* It would have made FAR more sense for him simply to write me saying "Plans have changed, we can only pay for the 1st phase, so do not deposit that check; tear it up and we're putting a check for the revised amount in the mail to you today" rather than a far more complicated process of receiving/depositing/clearing/issuing rush refund. Fourth flag.

* He was pushing for a rush refund by methods different from the way he paid us (wire, Zelle); those methods cost a fee to send to him and offered us no protection. Fifth flag.

* The name and address for the requested wire transfer did not match any information on the check OR on the envelope's shipping address. Sixth flag.

* Even though our bank technically clears a check in a business day or two, we've had occasions from new clients where their check bounced and our account got docked for it 10 days later. We also had one instance where someone else did this exact same thing -- sent us a check, asked for a refund and, after we did so, their original check bounced. Seventh flag. But we were able to stop payment on our check and not get stiffed.

Our bank rep advised us not to issue any type or refund for "Seven to 10 business days" to make certain the LLC check clears and nobody tries to "stop payment" on it, as the only way to ensure the money is there. Once our Bank gives the all clear, I told the client I'd mail a refund by check -- the same method we were paid -- to the name and address on the original check.

As a faster alternative, because I have not yet released any money to the artist, I suggested the sender call his bank to stop payment today on the LLC check. "You could then pay us the revised amount and we could start from scratch."

Client wrote back that I'm a liar, that I was being selfish, that this delay could cost a child's life. I reiterated that his bank could stop payment on it, problem solved, and even sent him a link to the LLC's bank how to do it. In response, he continued to demand refund by wire transfer and even threatened to call the FBI. (!!!)

Of course it was a scam. Just by me holding off one day, I got to see the client's check to us BOUNCE, proving it was indeed a scam all along. Nearly thirty-one years of running Glass House Graphics gives me a pretty good spider-sense about this....

Discuss.

[headaching]

why the hell was your bedding $300 /lh

hi tiana im sure you didn’t want an actual explanation but. i already typed all this out lmao so uhh thanks for letting me use this as an excuse to infodump about my sheets 🫂 (as if u have a choice xoxo)

it was really a perfect combination of a few things

im a taurus so i spend every second i can in bed

im a taurus so i highly value comfort over basically anything else, especially at home

i was already having a bedding crisis because my old comforter and sheets were from college and not my style anymore. and i feel like the color scheme of your bed can really set the tone for your whole room you know? but as soon as i saw these i was like yeah yes that’s it that’s what i want. and i searched everywhere for something cheaper but nothing compared to the color or reviews of these sheets, at least not at any better price

i was able to buy a big throw blanket instead of a duvet cover, which was more expensive technically but i don’t have a duvet insert so i would’ve had to buy that too. and it’s like. okay i respect duvet covers but they’re just not me. im so painfully low maintenance that i just know it would drive me up a wall. but the blanket is my favorite blanket in the world. it’s super lightweight so in the winter i just double up with a soft blanket but since it’s gotten hotter it’s saved me from a lot of sleep sweating!

i need $300 so bad right now it’s not even funny but i still wouldn’t even think of giving them up. that’s how committed i am to this bedding

did i mention im a taurus?

i literally have more to say but i think that’s enough (for now) HOWEVER i think this pic of my favorite little corner explains everything else

i rest my case as they rest theirs

[ID: A picture of my bed in the corner of the room taken in natural lighting. The edge of a tapestry is visible, showing a cloud and varied warm-colored beams. The bed has burnt orange sheets and a gold blanket with the edge flipped up, revealing a fuzzy off-white blanket beneath it. There’s one dark green pillow by the tapestry and two gold square pillows at the head of the bed. Where the blanket is folded, there are two Squishmallow plushes tucked in. One is a bee and one is an orange. End ID]

[the-bjd-community-confess]

More Divaz confos

Mod: Round two of these, previously: link. There’s some interesting customer reviews in this batch (5 and 8) which may be useful to readers.

1.Vic3mage "the secret bjdivaz vip group is just pictures of boxes coming in and going out". Yeah, between the bitching about d0llshe, asking people to post on doa for them, dunking on ex-customers, posting pics of random doll parts that they can't identify which doll they're supposed to go with, whining about how little money they make, whining when ppl e-mail them, whining. Yeah, other than that it's just boxes, and alpacas u can buy off amazon anyway lol.

~Anonymous

2.The butthurt users crying and guilttripping under every Divaz confession who have never been seen before elsewhere on this blog are extremely unsuspicious and unproblematic and definitely unconnected to Divaz and unbiased in every possible way

/s

~Anonymous

3.idk shit abt bjd1vas but v1cemage i can absolutely tell you the shit about ch0o is 100% accurate, fucker's got a long, long history of being an awful little man that stretches well beyond his involvement in the doll community. between the two i'd still trust bjd1vas over ch00 ch00 the fool any day!

~Anonymous

4.The Z3st and Div4s thing is really silly and both entities were being shady but did they really have to take the DZ waiting room down with them? :( He had even made a separate thread about it......

~Anonymous 

5. RE: BJD Divaz

I’ve been a customer of BJD Divaz since they first started, when it was only run by Chart3rline. I even contacted other BJD companies trying to persuade them to work with Divaz as their US representative. Most declined because they didnt like D's commission fee, but I was able to persuade a few of them.

I asked them to purchase a doll off DOA because I couldnt afford the asking price, and while they did, I found out later that instead of agreeing to purchase the seller's price, they negotiated the price to be lower. This significantly cheaper price was not passed down to me. I paid the full price +the commission fee based on that full price. I am disappointed I was not told this. This is when I stopped viewing them as a "friend" and instead, as a business. I dont hold this against them, it’s context to what Im going to say later.

I’ve stopped purchasing from D after my recent order from them. This company usually takes 3 or less months to make a doll. I’ve ordered the doll from D and it took 11 months. They let me know it arrived to them in March and that it will be shipped soon, except it only shipped on July, and only after I sent them several "reminder" emails. Before people in the comments try to put the blame on me for not sending a reminder soon, please keep in mind that I acknowledged the email in March and confirmed everything and they keep stressing to not send them emails because they are busy, I’ve emailed once every month since. I’ve since switched to ACBJD and Ive been happy with communication and the dolls ordered. I imagine ACBJD gets the same amount of emails, but they dont berate their customers if they email more than once.

I regret when people wanted a D0llshe, but not deal with him, I always recommended D. I would warn people of ordering directly and instead go through D. They assured buyers they would be handling communication and all the efforts so they wouldnt worry, except they didn’t. A person that I’ve recommended D to, who surpassed 2 years, keeps messaging me for help because D wouldnt reply to their emails. She is respectful, sweet and a timid person, not a Karen. This person, emailed D without a reply so would email a week later, only to be told that their email would be pushed down to the bottom if emailed again. No response, so she goes to FB and IG, who both tell her to email because they arent the person running orders. Finally got a response that they would get their refund, after D0llshe sends D's payment, but minus the PP fees. 3 months later and theres no refund, only a promise of them getting it later. Why is the customer missing out on fees when they have no doll? Customer emails d0llshe and he says he cant offer refund, because they didn’t order through them, which is understandable, but when all options are out for a customer, do you blame them for chargebacks?

If anyone files a chargeback, D will be blacklisting them from every company they rep, as in blacklisting you from buying direct from those companies. I urge everyone who has negative experiences with D to email the companies they rep instead of venting on confession blogs, and writing your experiences on social media. Make it count and send letters to the companies they represent, and please provide proof because they will try to make you out to be a liar.

Speaking of, they made vague posts on cl0ver singing for charging paypal fees, and that they offer guarantees as an official dealer, except when offering refunds, to non delivered products I might add, they are keeping the fees, and offered no help with d0llshe, even before they ended their dealership with them. Someone on DOA was told to not email them unless the wait time surpassed 1.5 years. They are even so petty that they post screenshots with the full name and address (dox) of the customer on purpose and then delete it out a day later as if they just realized their "mistake".

Before you try to make excuses for them about the fires, keep in mind, I am dealing with a business. The lower price negotiation with the DOA sale, I am in no way obligated to give them a pass or treat them as a friend when they made it clear that our relationship is strictly business. Their issues, are not my issues. D0lk got dragged for not shipping in time, others, including artisans, got dragged for being so late with communication and sending back refunds for cancelled orders. Why does D get to be exempt?

The supporters are the worst part of this, because of instead of being honest so D can improve, they support them for being "real". For example, look how micemage words it, to make it seem like this criticism is from one person, when there are people on addicts who didn’t have good experience. Check the bjd dealers tag here, you will see the supporters in the comments going off on any and all criticism of D. Some have sane comments, but the majority are cult like and try to identify the person venting as if it’s one person. Addicts deletes threads with criticism asking people to instead direct it to their feedback group; which lets be honest, no one is going to do because its "not that bad", and most dont want to join a new group, which is mostly dead.

This is my first and last confession on D, I’ve emailed each company they rep and told them my experience as well as contacting the 3 month wait company, with screenshots of my order, how they handled it, and the excuse they used to put blame on the company for being so late (package arrived march to D, 4 months to be shipped is on D, not the company). I’m not using company or order details because I know they are petty enough to try to identify me and publicly shame me like they have to others. This and the threat of suing is why not many people like to go public with their experience. They just keep feedback neutral, move on and never deal with again.

~Anonymous

6. Listen, I can't take you seriously in regards to BJD!vas because you're posting on a confession blog. If you were serious, you would have posted in buyer beware groups, DoA reviews or the board to get things resolved, or you would have made a complaint to the BBB. And your language makes you come off more as someone with an agenda rather than someone who is trying to warn people. If shipping is the issue, stop buying with standard shipping and pay the extra price for express shipping. I saw one of you complain that it sat with them for 20 days; that's probably because you're not the only one and they more than likely have a queue to check and then ship out. Do mistakes happen? Yes, because we're human. I've been in this hobby for a few years now and it seems like most people know you're going to have to wait, sometimes even outside the expected wait time. And shipping something as big as a doll is a timely endeavor. I shouldn't have to say that.

My point is simply to stop complaining on an confession board and either take it to the places previously mentioned. Posting here behind the anonymous mask makes you sound like a petulant child who didn't get their way right away.

~Anonymous

7.My only issue with BJD Divaz is how I never get any updates. Every email, they tell me to join their facebook page for status updates. I dont have a FB and I dont want to create one. I bought my doll through their website, updates should be posted on their website, or they could send me an email. That isnt asking much.

~Anonymous

8. Since there seems to be a lot of either "completely negative everything sucks" or "everything was sunshine and rainbows" confessions about bjd!vaz I thought I'd chime in with a neutral review.

PROS

-They were always polite and professional in their emails, and gave me very detailed answers to my questions.

-I got exactly what I ordered, so no mix ups or missing parts or anything like that.

-I think them being forthcoming about personal issues (only one person on staff, illness, the flooding isue etc.) on social media is good, since it keeps customers updated as to why there might be delays.

-If you live in the US their shipping is very reasonable.

CONS

-Reply times were varied. Sometimes it could take over a week, sometimes a couple hours.

-My order took about 10mo which, when comparing to other people who ordered through the same company around the same time, was about 3x as long as if I bought it direct and 2x as long if I had gone through a different dealer. I get some of the waiting time is out of their control, but it was kind of ridiculous.

-They dont necessarily ship the same day they send you a tracking number. I wish they said something like, "Here's your tracking number, our pickup is Xday so it should start moving after that" just so I could be aware.

All in all no major complaints. I got my doll and all that. Their lone employee is clearly overwhelmed. I hope they hire another person, if only to give the one a break.

Truthfully, I most likely won't buy through them again. I'd rather pay the international shipping and go direct, than deal with the extensive wait time. I'd still recommend them to someone looking for a very long layaway, though. I paid in full, but if I had a 12mo layaway I would've never known they weren't ready to ship my doll until month 10.

~Anonymous

[noblest-roman-of-them-all]

Part Three

"Have you heard from Roman recently?" Logan asked over his celebratory glass of wine. It had taken a couple months, but at long last hia designs were securely in his possession again.

Janus set down his own glass. "Not in the past week or so. I think he's been doing some traveling for gigs and whatnot, but he's still been oddly distant lately. I'm hoping he's still planning performing here tonight."

"Looks like it," Logan jerked his chin toward the stage.

"We should try to grab him once he's done," Janus suggested over the cheers. "See if he'll come eat with us."

"Good idea," Logan agreed.

—

Janus trotted after Roman with Logan in tow. "Excuse me, sir, can I get an autograph?" He called.

Roman half glanced over his shoulder and had to do a double take before fully turning around. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to come see you play," Janus told him. "We were planning on going out to celebrate getting Logan's plans back, but when I saw you were supposed to be here tonight, we decided to come watch."

"That's…really nice of you guys," Roman replied, feeling a bit touched.

"You were amazing," Logan encouraged. "I'm really glad we got to see you play."

"Thanks. Glad I didn't ruin your celebration," he laughed anxiously.

"Oh, honey, you could never," Janus promised. "Listen, we want you to come eat with us. I know you don't drink, so it doesn't have to be here, but it's been a while since the three of us got together and we were hoping to catch up."

"You…remembered that?"

"What, that you don't drink? Well, yeah. You're my friend, I also remembered that you'relactose intolerant."

"Oh. That's…really thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome, dear, now come on! Let's go find some burgers or something." He held out his hand and after a brief moment Roman took it, drawing the most dazzling smile from Janus. "Excellent!"

—

Logan unlocked his door and ushered the others in, the trio having opted for simply taking their food to go and a quieter place to enjoy it in. "I can make some coffee or something if you guys want," he offered.

"I-I'm fine with just water," Roman replied. "But thanks."

"Yeah, sure." Logan replied. "Ice?"

"No, th-that's fine."

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead and sit." He patted Roman's back, nudging him to the table, then turned to Janus. "You've been here before, so you can just get what you want. You've officially lost guest status."

"Wow. Okay."

Logan turned a teasing look on Roman. "Enjoy yours while you still have it. You've only got one more visit that way."

Roman snorted. "I'll keep it in mind. I appreciate you guys inviting me along." He started slightly when a glass landed in front of him.

Logan squeezed his shoulder. "We've been wanting to do this for a while. I'm just glad it finally worked out this time."

"So anything exciting happen for you lately?" Janus asked over his plate of cheesey fries.

"Ah, I finally was able to sell the ring back to the jewelers. Gave me a good chunk toward a new guitar, so. There's that."

"Well, you're doing better than me," Logan replied. "I haven't been able to get myself to return it yet. Still doesn't exactly feel real somehow."

"Tell me about it. I keep thinking about the wedding day coming up, before remembering it's not anymore. Doesn't help that I'm still getting confirmation calls and emails about catering and whatnot. Apparently it wasn't just my number she blocked."

"Kind of underhanded of her," Roman frowned.

"Yeah, but what can you do? The one upside is that since they're calling me, I can just say it's fine they keep the deposit on file or charge the card on file for the deposit, even if it isn't mine."

"That's kinda petty."

Janus shrugged. "So was throwing my grandmother's heirloom ring I stole from my parents house at me."

"I didn't say I disagreed," Roman replied. "I dunno that I could do it though."

"What else are you gonna do? Give them your information instead? No, honey, payments were agreed upon before we broke up. That doesn't change because the other person backed out."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Tell that to my parents."

"Okay. Give me their numbers."

Logan cast Janus a withering gaze. "I'm not taking legal action against my own parents, Janus."

"Alright, alright." He raised his hands in surrender. "But if you change your mind, you have my number."

Roman snickered. "Nothing says friendship like offering to sue your parents for financial and emotional damages."

"See?" Janus pointed. "Roman gets it."

"Then I also have to deal with emotional damages of having to go through all that nonsense. Easier to just keep the peace."

"For them or for you?" Janus challenged, half serious.

"Both. It means not having to deal with any fallout which I am certainly not equipped to handle."

"Fair enough," Janus nodded. "You know we'd have your back though, right?"

"I know. I just…don't want to deal with it if I don't have to. Maybe one day, but…not right now." He cast Roman an appreciative smile when he squeezed his wrist, then twisted his hand to take Roman's hand in return.

"Really, right in front of my salad?"

Roman flushed immediately, chest burning with embarrassment, and he quickly pulled his hand away.

Logan turned a scolding look on Janus.

"Sorry," Janus ducked his head. "Didn't think that one through."

Logan shook his head with a scoff. "As you can see, he still has trouble moderating his thoughts passed ten o'clock at night." He held out his hand again and Roman tentatively took it.

"I am sorry," Janus told him sincerely. "That came out a little meaner than I intended and I shouldn't have teased like that."

"I-it's fine," Roman tried to assure.

"You are allowed to be upset at me," Janus added.

Roman's posture seemed to soften a little. "I don't want to be," he answered. "It was a joke and…it kind of embarrassed me, but…it's okay. It wasn't your intent and it's okay."

Janus smiled softly. "Thanks, sweetheart."

The evening continued, naturally shifting the trio into the living room, where they sat in comfortable conversations till Roman yawned, stretching his arms over his head.

"What time is it?" He asked.

Logan glanced at his watched and snickered. "Nearly three in the morning."

"Oh, geeze-"

Logan waved off Roman's panick. "Don't worry about it. We can fold out the futon and you guys can just stay here for the night. The last thing I want is either of you falling asleep driving home. It's not like you two haven't shared a bed before. I'll get you guys some blankets while Janus folds out the futon."

In almost no time at all Roman once more found himself dozing next to Janus, who snuggled much closer than he had at the hotels.

"Thanks for hanging out tonight," Janus mumbled sleepily.

Roman smiled faintly. "Thanks for bringing me along."

Janus nodded. "We love hanging out with you."

Something twinged in Roman's chest at the use of "we", the same feeling that first hit him when he saw Janus and Logan holding hands on the last day of their trip, the same feeling that had lanced through his chest when he saw them together from the stage and when they came looking for him afterwards. The same feeling at every time one of them referenced the time the two of them had spent together.

He sighed, feeling forever destined to be the third wheel. He genuinely wasn't sure if it would be better if he were just wholly on his own.

"What's wrong?" Janus asked and squeezed Roman's bicep.

"Nothing," Roman lied, resting his hand over Janus’s. "Just tired."

Janus hummed and picked up his hand, kissing his knuckles before setting it back on his arm with a pat, then intertwining their fingers. "Do you have plans for tomorrow?"

"Not really."

"Good. Maybe we can all go out for breakfast tomorrow."

"I'd like that," Roman said softly.

—

Janus stretched under the blankets then snuggled against Roman's arm, who was already awake, half propped up on a pillow, and piddling on his phone. "Good morning, beautiful."

Roman smiled. "Morning. Sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I-"

"I said, no, Jen," Logan's voice carried through door. "This is exactly what I told you before, and you refused to listen to me. You assumed the worst of me and made a rash decision off of that and now you have to live with it."

"He's been on the phone for a while," Roman explained softly. "I guess she finally believes him about his stuff being stolen.

"Yes, because you didn't believe me! This is all the same things I tried to tell you before and you refused to listen. You're still not listening. We can't have a relationship if you're going to need third party verification for everything I say."

"Poor thing," Janus tutted and pushed himself upright. "I'm glad to hear him standing up for himself though."

"Because that's not how trust and communication work, Jen. I'm not coming back, and I'm not getting back together. Goodbye." There was a few moments of silence before the bedroom door opened.

Logan froze and sighed when he saw Roman and Janus sitting up. "I guess you two heard all of that?"

Janus nodded. "Not all of it. But enough. You okay?"

"More or less," Logan answered and pushed his hands through his hair. "As much as I can be considering I wasn't expecting to hear from her again. I really thought-" He let out a shaky breath and the next thing he knew, he was in Roman's arm, struggling to keep his composure.

"It's okay," Roman assured softly, thumbing the back of his head. "Let yourself grieve. Believe me, it's better than holding onto it. It's okay to let it go."

And with a shuddering breath, Logan did just that. Roman gently pushed his glasses to the top of his head and Logan pressed his face into Roman's shirt, soaking it through.

Janus quietly joined them, standing close by and gently, stroking Logan’s back.

Logan still held onto Roman, taking a few deep breathes after his tears had stopped. "Thank you," he sniffed.

Roman smiled faintly and pressed his cheek to Logan’s head. "If anyone's going to get it, it's going to be us."

"Well, I was going to suggest going out for brunch. But I'd understand if you're not feeling up to that."

Logan finally stepped back and began wiping his cheeks with his hands. "Honestly, I could do with a bit of a distraction."

"We can leave whenever your ready."

--

"Thanks for getting me out of the house," Logan said as they all returned to his apartment post brunch. "There's a high probability that I would have simply had an entire bottle of wine otherwise."

"Understandable, but maybe try to keep in to a glass after this," Janus suggested. "I'm glad you're feeling better though."

"I am. I had a really good time, even if it wasn't anything out of the ordinary."

"Maybe we make it a regular thing then," Janus suggested. "We can just meet up on Sundays for brunch, take turns picking out places or something."

"I'd be okay with that," Logan shrugged. "It'd give us a more solid reason for us to stay in contact. And we could adjust the time if you ever have a late night playing somewhere," he offered Roman.

"That's really thoughtful of you," Roman managed to get out passed his surprise.

Logan turned a soft look on him. "Look, I know, Janus and I have spent a lot more time together dealing with…everything that happened with my designs. But I promise-" he squeezed Roman's arm "-you're just as much my friend, and I want to spend just as much time with you."

Roman grimaced. "Has it been that obvious?"

"Not all the time," Logan assured. "But I've noticed you can be…somewhat 9withdrawn. It's okay to need some time, it's okay to need some space, but I don't want you to feel like you ever have to doubt your place within our friend group, as small as it is. We want you here, Roman."

"Thanks, Logan," he said softly.

—

"What are your guys' Christmas plans this year?" Janus asked over brunch on late Novemeber Sunday.

"Staying in town," Logan grumbled.

Roman shrugged. "Virgil's family invited us over for dinner. I love my brother and I love Virgil, but honestly, I'm dreading it a little, after last year's attempt at Christmas with the potential in-laws. Why, what's up?"

"I was thinking maybe I could host a little dinner for the three of us," Janus explained. "Commemorate our one year misadventure in a bad hallmark movie. If you're busy though, we can do it a different time."

Roman shook his head. "They're starting at like, three in the afternoon. I can swing by there then come hang out with you guys."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Logan agreed. "I can bring a desert or some sushi pizza rolls," he offered cheekily., earning a mild glare from Janus.

"You can bring some mulled wine for that," he grumbled. "Maybe some alcohol and lactose free eggnog for Roman."

"I can do that," he agreed easily.

"What do you need me to bring?" Roman asked.

"Beyond your smiling face? Maybe some easy desserts? Just some cookies or something?"

"Just to cover the social niceties, do we want to do presents and if so, how?" Logan asked.

Janus shrugged. "Maybe a secret Santa? Just to keep it simple?"

"That sounds good to me," Roman shrugged.

Janus tilted his head at Roman. "Have I told you how proud I am of you? A couple months ago we were having to beg you to come hang out with us, now you're volunteering to bring stuff to Christmas dinner. You really have come a long way."

Roman flushed slightly. "Thanks, Jan."

He gave Roman's hand a light squeeze. "So, 5:30 at my place?"

—

Janus checked his reflection one last time just as someone knocked on his front door. He grinned and practically pranced to the door, excitement to a degree he hadn't been expecting bubbled in his chest.

Logan and Roman stood shoulder to shoulder on his doorstep, and began singing "Twelve Days of Christmas" as soon as the door was open.

"You're both idiots, get in here." Janus caught Logan by the arm and pulled him into the apartment, kissing him on the cheek as he did so. He barely had to time to process the action before Logan was kissing him back and Roman quickly followed suite. "I'm glad you both could make it," Janus said and quickly kissed Roman back before his nerves caught up to him. Still something about the action felt correct in a way Janus couldn't explain.

"I'm glad I had a reason to leave my parents house early," Logan replied with a wry grin as he put away the eggnog and wine.

"Gifts can go under the tree over there," Janus nodded at the little tree in the corner of the living room and took the platter of desserts from Roman.

"Be warned my brother was also making cookies, so one or two of his roulette cookies maybe have been mixed in. I tried to keep them separate, but it's Remus so," he shrugged, "he probably slipped some in on purpose."

"What exactly are roulette cookies?" Logan asked curiously and playfully knocked Janus away from the plate with his hip.

"He made some of his chocolate chip cookies with this chocolate that has chili pepper in it? And I think in some he added chili powder instead of cinnamon so they're spicy, but look like regular cookies."

Janus coughed a little. "I think I found one."

Logan snorted and took the cookie from him. "I want to try it."

"It's not bad, it just sticks in the throat," Janus explained and coughed again.

Logan nodded and cleared his throat. "I see what you mean. It's good though."

"Well, you two can fight over those. I have plenty more to survive at home. And. Maybe be careful of the brownies too. He was looking at recipes with jalapeño juice, I didn't see him with any, but that means literally nothing with Remus."

"Definitely something to have with a glass of milk," Janus chuckled. "My compliments to the baker though, I wouldn't have thought to try that one."

"He does not need the encouragement," Roman answered and rolled his eyes.

—

Janus smiled to find himself huddled between the two people who had become most important to him over the last year. Logan’s head leaned against his shoulder, and Roman's pillowed in his lap. He pulled Logan just a little closer and carded his hand through Roman's hair before reaching for his hand.

Roman glanced up as Janus lifted his hand, smiling a little when he kissed his knuckles.

"I love you," Janus murmured. "Both of you."

Roman pulled his hand back and returned the kiss against his hand while Logan shifted just enough to leave a soft kiss against his jaw.

"I love you too," Logan answered. He took Roman's hand when he reached out for him. "I didn't realize I could feel this way about two people at once, but I do. I love you both."

"I didn't either," Roman said as he sat up to join the others. "Course, I think there's a lot about myself that I'm still learning. But I know that I love the both of you and I know that I feel better with you than I have with anyone else I've ever dated."

Janus snickered into Logan's hair. "We're definitely going to have to work on some communication things, because I definitely thought you both had the poly thing figured out."

"We should also do regular individual dates," Logan yawned. "We're all clearly compatible together, but we should work on our individual relationships so we can make this work long term."

"That can be our New Year's resolution," Roman offered, half teasing.

"We could change up our Sunday brunch," Janus added thoughtfully. "All three of us can go out the first Sunday and then we can break up the rest of them."

"Maybe."

"It might be kinda weird if we just all stopped going," Roman agreed with Logan's hesitancy.

"I mean it's not like it's never happened that one of us couldn't make it," Janus pointed out. "But fair enough. Suppose it doesn't need to be worked out tonight anyway. Do you want to stay here tonight? My bed is plenty big enough for the three of us."

Logan snorted. "Is your heater going to work all night?"

"Yes!" Janus pokes his ribs. "C'mon, let's go lie down before we fall asleep here and end up sore in the morning

---

"Why do you have such a large bed?" Logan asked, staring at the oasis of softness that seemed to take up almost half the room.

Janus shrugged. "My favorite uncle once told me that sleep more than anything keeps us going and that one of the best investments a person could make is in a good quality mattress and pillows. So." He gestured to the bed. "I followed that advice."

Roman shrugged. "I'm not gonna complain about it."

"Oh good, glad it's up to your standards, your highness," Janus teased and shoved Roman, who collapsed dramatically onto the bed.

"Wow this is actually really nice."

Janus snorted and waved him over. "Scoot. Make room for the rest of us."

"This is something else we'll have to figure out," Logan commented as he settled next to Janus in the bed. "When and how we'd like to try cohabitation."

Roman snuggled deep into the blankets. "Janus already has the bed, I vote we just start crashing here."

"Glad you like it, babe," Janus chuckled.

"I've had the same double for the last ten years. Thish ish amazing," Roman yawned.

Janus snickered and kissed Roman's forehead. "I'd be happy to have you both join me here." He laid down and held out his arms to Logan who settled into his arms with a jesting eyeroll.

"That'd be a big change for all of us," he said, thoughtful letting Janus tucked him in.

"We don't have to do it all at once," Janus replied, grinning like an idiot when Roman quickly kissed his cheek before snuggling against him. "Just start having more nights like this. See how we like it. It's already not a typical relationship, we can make other adjustments as needed. Maybe find a bigger place where we can all still have a room to ourselves when we need it."

"We've got time to figure it out."

Poly Jolly AU

Enjoy Part One of the AU very loosely inspired by the Poly Jolly short featuring Loroceit or whatever the ship name should be for Logan/Roman/Janus.

A series of bizarre coincidences end with Logan, Roman, and Janus, complete strangers until they're unexpectedly dumped on the same day, road tripping home together.

Logan smiled as his Uber finally pulled into the bed and breakfast he was staying at to visit Jen and her family for Christmas. Her sister and brother in law owned the place and she'd been working there seasonally as their desert chef, so it had been a few weeks since they had actually seen one another.

He checked his watch, noting he had just enough time to drop off his bags before he was supposed to meet up with Jen for lunch. He thanked the driver, slipping him a tip in a holiday card, and finally headed inside.

"Hey, good to see you made it!" Trevor greeted him. "How was the flight out?"

"There was only one crying baby, so not as bad as it could have been," Logan replied.

"Hey, that's almost a Christmas miracle by itself! Let me get the room key for you and I'll take you up."

"Thanks. Jen and I are supposed to meet up for lunch after this. Is she in the kitchen?"

Trevor nodded. "Just a heads up though she's been pretty upset the last couple days, there's some new hotel that's looking at some land to build on. Her and Emily are convinced it's going to take out the bed and breakfast and obliterated the town or something," he explained, rolling his eyes, and led Logan upstairs. "Honestly though, there's a few of us around and I think we're all already pretty packed out. I know we've already had to turn people away, at least. Especially with the concert that's happening this year."

"Concert?"

"Yeah, I guess some folks decided to try and expand the usual Christmas Parade by having some new singer come preform. Supposedly the dude's in town already, but I haven't actually heard anything about him." He unlocked one of the doors and ushered Logan inside. "Hope you don't mind that it's a double. We were trying a new booking system, the whole thing was a mess. This ended up being the last available room."

"Oh, no, I don't mind at all," Logan assured.

"Well, I'll let you get a little rest before meeting up with Jen. Do you want me to let her know you're here?"

"That's alright. We're supposed to meet up in the lobby in a few minutes."

"Hopefully you can cheer her up."

"I'll definitely try," he replied, thinking of the ring in his bag.

—

Logan stood with a smile when Jen finally made her way into the lobby. "Hey-"

"We need to talk," she cut in sternly. "Come with me." She marched passed Logan, leaving him to trail behind.

He followed her to an office where she closed the door behind them and immediately took out her phone. "Is everything alright?" he asked with a frown.

"What is this?" she demanded, shoving her phone in his face.

He had to take a step to be able to focus on the image. His eyes went wide. "Where did you get this?" he asked and tried to take the phone.

"That doesn't matter!" she snapped, ruping it away from him. "How could you do this to me? To my family?"

"How could I what? Jen, these are-"

"I know that they are," Jen cut him off. "They're blueprints to the new hotel. Your blueprints."

"Yes, my prints that were stolen last month. Where did you get this picture?" He asked again.

"Stolen," she rolled her eyes. "Right. Sure."

Logan blinked, taken aback. "Jen, I told you about that. That's why I was late on Thanksgiving, because I was notified my office was broken into and several of my prints went missing. I had to make a police report."

"Yeah, and they just happened to be the ones being used to take over my hometown," she rolled her eyes.

Logan stared at her, wounded. "Do you really not believe me?" He asked softly.

"Why should I?" She demanded. "These plans have your watermark on them!"

"That can prove they were stolen!" Logan exclaimed. "Can please tell me where you got this?"

"Is that all you care about?" She glared.

"If it'll prove to you that I didn't do this, then yes, I care about that. Jen, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, muchless something that could hurt your whole family! I didn't even know there was hotel being built here till Trevor told me you were upset about it when I got in."

"Right," she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you believe me?" He asked softly, unable to hide the hurt in his voice.

"Don't pretend like this isn't a big deal for you," she sneered.

"It would be if it was actually me doing this, but it's not!"

"Sure."

"Jen-"

"Look. I don't care if you stay here through Christmas. I'm not mean enough to throw you out, but if this is who you really are, I don't think this is going to work out between us."

"But it's not," Logan insisted. "Do you even hear me? Jen, I am not involved in this!"

"Well, the pictures say differently. Like I said you can stay here, but leave me alone."

"Jen-" he reached for her hand and she whirled on him, slapping him hard across the cheek. He stumbled back a few steps, nearly losing his glasses in the process. He stood frozen in shock as Jen stormed off, slamming the door behind her.

He was still frozen when Trevor came in a few moments later.

"Everything okay?" He asked tentatively.

"My blueprints that were stolen last month are being used for the hotel. Jen thinks I'm involved. She didn't believe me when I tried to tell her what happened."

Trevor's shoulders dropped. "Do you want me to try to talk to her and Emily about it?"

Logan shook his head. "No. I, um. She made up her mind about the whole thing. I-" he let out a shakey sigh. "I think I'm jut going to try to see if I can get my blueprints back. I don't think it'll help things with Jen, but…" he shrugged. "Um. Is- is there a, uh, a code for the wifi?"

Trevor grimaced. "We're having someone come look at the internet in about an hour. The café down the road has wifi though."

Logan nodded. "Thanks."

"You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "Yeah, I- I'll be fine."

—

"Hey there, beautiful!" Janus greeted his fiancee with a bright smile.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" Stacey demanded, stopping Janus in his tracks in front of the café where they were to meet for lunch.

"I-" he blinked and shook his head. "What?"

"I told you, I told you about the new hotel and that everyone was upset about and what did you do about it? Nothing!"

"I didn't know there was anything to be done for it. You told me there were rumors about a new hotel, but I didn't know it was that serious."

"Yes, you did!" She snapped, her tone cold and accusing. "It's your firm representing them!"

"That- Darling, that doesn't mean anything. It's not my case-"

"How could you not know?" She demanded. "It's your firm!"

"It's not like I own it. I don't know about every case that gets handled there. If you explain what's going on, I'll see what I can do to help-"

"No, you've already made it plenty clear whose side you're on in all of this!"

"I don't even know fully what's going on!" Janus objected. "Stacey, if you'll explain it-"

"Don't pretend like you don't know!"

"I don't," he insisted. "Honey, I want to help-"

"It's too late for that," she cut in coldly.

Janus froze. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

Stacey pulled the ring from her left hand and pelted Janus in the chest with it. He barely caught it as it bounced off of him. "I hope you find someone who can tolerate you."

Janus stood there dumbfounded for several long moments after Stacey had stalked off before shuffling into the café, unsure of what else to do, and dropped into a chair there, his mind reeling, with what had just happened.

"But it has my watermark on it!" A man's frustrated voice snapped him to the moment. "That has to be worth something. No. No, I don't have the photo with me. My gir-" His breath caught in his chest "-my ex girlfriend showed me the photo. No, she refused to say where she got it- I made a report about my offi-" he sighed. "Alright. Yes, I understand." He hung up and dropped his head in hands with a groan.

"Excuse me," Janus called quietly. "I-I'm sorry. I wasn't meaning to eavesdrop, my name's Janus, I'm actually a lawyer and it kind of sounds like maybe you had something stolen? Maybe I can help."

Logan nodded and sniffed a little. "My office was broken into last month, I'm an architect and some of my designs had gone missing. Apparently, my…ex found them, somehow, being used to plan out a new hotel here. She thought I was in on it and wouldn't listen when I tried explaining what happen."

"Well, it is a small world after all," Janus chuckled bitterly. "My fiancee just broke up with me because someone else works at the same lawfirm as me is involved in the hotel. She didn't believe me that I wasn't involved. My laptop is back at the bed and breakfast I'm staying at, if you want we can head that way and I can see if there's any way I can help get those prints back."

Logan's shoulders dropped. "I would appreciate that so much. And. I'm sorry about your fiancee."

Janus smiled, pained and sympathetic. "I'm sorry about your girlfriend."

—

"What are you doing here?"

Roman startled the the voice and swung around to find his girlfriend glaring at him. "Kate, I-"

"You told me you had a show," her voice was cold and flat as she folded her arms over her chest.

"I-I do. I'm playing here," Roman explained. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Oh, I'm surprised alright," she growled. "Surprised and disappointed, quite honestly."

Roman blinked. "Disappointed? I- why? I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"I would be if you weren't such a liar!" She snapped.

"I didn't mean to lie, babe, I was just trying to surprise you. I'm going to be playing for the Parade."

She stared at him in shock. "It's you!" She snapped coldly. "Oh my god, it's you!"

"I- What's me?" He asked, confusion coloring his voice.

"You're the reason there wasn't any slots left to perform at the parade. How could you do that to me?"

Roman shook his head. "Kate, I had this planned months ago. I- Why didn't you tell me you wanted to perform?" He asked earnestly.

"Like you'd care anyway," she sneered.

"Babe, of course I care. If I'd known-"

"No. You know what, I actually think this is worse than you being here for that stupid hotel!"

Roman blinked. "What hotel?"

"Don't play stupid. Jamey saw you with the marketing team in the café. Do you even want to be with me anymore."

Roman stood, mouth hanging open, stunned into silence.

"Well?"

"I- Yes! Kate, of course I do. Babe-"

"Don't call me that!"

Roman sighed. "Of course, I do, Kate," he said softly. "If I'd known you were wanting to perform, I would have written you into my set, I would have given up my spot for you. You never mentioned about it, so I didn't know. The only real reason I've been planning on it this way is because I-I was planning on proposing." He tentatively held out a purple velvet box, hoping it might prove to her that her he was serious, that he was being honest, that he loved her. "You've always talked about wanting a big proposal and I knew there would be plenty of people to get pictures for you. I was going to sing for you then have you come up on stage with me and propose."

She stared, face unreadable, at the box in Roman's hand, making him feel like he might drop then and there from the tension. "Are you kidding me?" She demanded after a shocked moment.

Roman's face fell. "I don't understand."

"You were going to propose during your performance? I really didn't want to believe you were just as selfish as every other singer out there, but I guess you proved me wrong."

"Kate-"

"Have fun at the concert," she cut in and stormed off before Roman could answer, leaving him alone and confused.

—

"No, I'm sorry, we're completely booked."

Logan glanced up at Trevor's voice and found a young man, looking just as dejected as he felt standing slumped at the front desk.

He nodded, trying to be brave. "Thanks anyway."

"Hey, Trevor," Logan called out and set down his laptop before moving to the desk. "I've got that extra bed, he can stay in my room." He offered his hand. "I'm Logan."

"Roman," the young man answered. "I appreciate it, but I-I don't wanna impose."

"You're not," Logan assured. "I have the space and, no offense, but you look like you could use the help."

Roman nodded. "I was planning on staying with my girlfriend, but…" he trailed off with a shakey breath and shook his head.

"Mine just broke up with me too," he replied synthetically. "Oddly enough, so did Janus's." He gestured to his new friend. "Don't suppose yours had anything to do with the new hotel that's being planned."

Roman stared in surprise. "How did you know?"

"You're kidding!" Janus stood. "Mine got mad because she assumed I was involved in the legal team."

"My blueprints were stolen for the build and my ex wouldn't believe me about it," Logan explained.

"I was going to surprise her by performing at the concert later this week, but her ex convinced her I was part of the promotional team for the hotel," Roman replied. "That and she said I wasn't being supportive enough of her interest in music she never told me about."

"You guys sound like you're in a hallmark movie from hell," Trevor commented. "I'm gonna get you guys some shots or something. On the house. Whatever you want."

Roman mustered up a smile. "Thanks, but I-I don't drink."

"I do," Janus answered and raised his hand. "Do you happen to have any reds?"

Trevor nodded. "Yeah. Let me get that for you. You want one Logan?"

"Yeah, why not," he shrugged. "I don't think it can hurt at this point."

"You like red too, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Trevor."

Trevor turned back to Roman. "You want me to bring you, like, a latte or something, bowl of ice cream?"

Roman chuckled. "Uh, just a regular coffee is fine. Thank you."

"Coming right up!" He promised and moved toward the kitchen.

"I really appreciate you letting me stay with you," Roman said. "I was hoping to just leave, but, uh, flights aren't refundable. Just my luck." He sighed, dropping into an armchair, and pushed his hair back with both hands.

Janus leant back on the sofa and folded his arms over his chest. "You wouldn't happened to be from Florida, would you?"

"I- Y-yeah. How'd you guess that?" Roman wanted to know.

"Mhm." Janus nodded at the confirmation. "Let me guess. Gainsville?"

Roman sat back in surprise. "Yeah. Yeah, actually. How did you-?"

"So are the two of us," Janus explained, tipping his head toward Logan. "I figured with the other coincidences happening the odds where there. Thank you!" He heaved a sigh when Trevor offered him a glass of wine. It took all his self restraint not to simply throw it back.

Roman scoffed. "If there are anymore coincidences, I'm going to throw myself out a window. Thanks," he mumbled and accepted the steaming mug offered to him.

"I mean, we could just leave," Janus mused over his wine glass. "I already have a rental, I can just get that extended and we can just drive back. We're all headed to the same place anyway. Hell, we're probably all on the same flight."

Logan snorted. "Could you imagine if all three of us were in a row together on the same plane."

The three exchanged looks then all dug out their phones to check their flight information and huddled around to see what others had.

"Well, I'll be damned," Janus raised a brow. "We're literally all in the same row."

Roman tossed his phone on the table next to the mug of coffee. "Alright, that's it, where's the highest window?"

Logan caught his arm as he stood. "No. We'll take you home."

Roman sighed and dropped back into the armchair. "I'd need make a stop first. I, um, kinda left all my stuff at my, uh, at my ex's. Just sort of ran after she left."

Janus snorted. "Can't say I blame you for that. We can do that right before we leave, if you want, that way you can just grab it and go and hopefully don't have to deal with anything else."

"I appreciate that," Roman smiled.

—

"It'll just take a few minutes," Roman promised as he climbed out of the passenger seat. "Didn't exactly have time to unpack."

"Don't worry about it," Logan answered from the back seat. "It's not like we have anywhere to be."

Roman snorted. "How cheerful of you. I'll be right back."

Janus watched Roman trot into the farmhouse and shook his head. "I don't know about you, but this is most bizarre day I've ever had. And I've had someone ask me if they could sue a duck!"

"What?"

Janus rolled his eyes. "They wanted to sue for property damage because it kept pooping on their porch and eating the food left out for the feral cats."

"Oh. Yeah, that sounds like it would be a weird day."

"Y'know, it'd be one thing if we were only on the same flight, or only ended up single, but the fact that it's both." Janus shook his head.

"Not to mention the fact that it all stemmed from assumptions and misunderstandings about the hotel."

"And that!" Janus agreed. "Your buddy was right, it does sound like something out of a hallmark movie. Except we're apparently the arrogant, corporate boyfriends and don't get to clear up the misunderstandings." He sighed and stated out the window. "I'm gonna go check on Roman, he's been gone a while and I've got a bad feeling about this."

Logan nodded as Janus opened the car door. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Don't talk to strangers while I'm gone," Janus teased with a wink before he walked away.

He opened the door at the same moment Roman went sprawling across the floor. He swore and rushed to Roman's side, taking his arm to help him up. "Are you okay?" He questioned.

"I'm fine," Roman groaned.

"You're bleeding!" Janus objected.

"Who the hell are you?" The man standing over Roman, and presumably the one who'd punched him demanded.

"His lawyer!" Janus snapped, lying through his teeth and taking a petty joy out watching his face fall. "And you just committed class c assualt."

"It's fine," Roman mumbled. "Let's just leave."

Janus nodded and picked up the dropped duffle once Roman was on his feet again. "Let's get you home," he said softly and ushered Roman outside with his hand on his back.

"What happened?" Logan demanded and shot out of the car when he saw Roman's split lip.

"I'm fine," Roman grumbled, but let Logan take his face in his hands and check him over. "Kate's ex was there and went off on me about breaking her heart over something she never told me about. He decked me when I said as much. Probably not her ex anymore," he added glummly.

Logan let him go when he stepped back. "I'm sorry," he offered.

Roman shrugged. "Looks like you got the same treatment." He gestured to Logan’s cheek.

"No, it was my girl- my ex who did that to me. Nearly took my glasses off."

Roman gaped. "How hard did she hit you?"

"Well, she slapped me as she was turning to face me, so I'm pretty sure almost her whole body was behind it. I'm just glad she hit my face and didn't catch my ear. Probably would've ruptured my ear drum."

"You're stuff is in the trunk," Janus announced, clapping Roman on the shoulder. "We can go whenever you're ready."

"Yeah, let's go."

( @amazon-me-bitches )

[putschki1969]

My Experience with Japanese Online Shops, International Shipping and Proxy Services

In the last few months I have ordered from many different Japanese online stores and I have made use of a bunch of new international shipping and proxy services so I thought it would be a good idea to sum up my experiences and write a little review so everyone knows what to expect. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

Content

tenso

Buyee

WorldShopping

HMV International Shipping

CDJapan

Amazon.co.jp

1. tenso.com

A staple for everyone who wants to register for various Japanese services (e.g. fan clubs, streaming platforms, etc) or enjoys shopping in Japanese online shops. It cannot be said often or loud enough how indispensable tenso is for fans of anything Japanese, their service is a true lifesaver! The H-el-ical// Online store even recommends using them! These days many Japanese sites accept foreign payment methods but one thing that’s still almost always required is a Japanese address. And that’s where tenso comes in. They will provide you for free with a Japanese address and phone number which you can use to register on almost any site. You can have your fan club stuff and purchased items sent to that address (the tenso warehouse) and they will then ship it to you. There are not a whole lot of shipping options available but that’s fine. Air Mail is definitely their best offer but if your package is too big you will end up having to choose EMS (which is quite pricey but typically very fast - not during the pandemic tho, at least not for Austria). A big advantage is the possibility to edit the package description. You can lower the value of your items to avoid import taxes and custom fees in your country. Please note that tenso does require an identity verification which might act as a deterrent but I can assure you, they are totally trust-worthy and reliable. I get a LOT of use out of them. Of course I have all my FC related stuff sent to their warehouse but tenso also came in handy for my orders on Tower Records Online, Animate Online and the Universal Shop/H-el-ical Shop/mu-mo Shop.

※ With the exception of the Universal Shop, I was able to pay at all the above mentioned stores with my foreign VISA.

2. Buyee

Another staple and the very first proxy service I ever used. You will need them in all those places that do not accept foreign payment methods (there are still too many out there unfortunately). Their customer service is impeccable and I have never had issues with them. They have gone as far as to contact Japanese stores on my behalf even though it is not part of their usual service. They offer a very wide range of features and shipping options, their service fees are also not too high (although I will admit that they have slightly increased throughout the years). They operate on so many different Japanese online shops, it’s rare to find a big store that does not collaborate with them. Also, if you want to thrift Kalafina related items, THIS is your go-to service. Be it Yahoo Auctions, Mercari or Suruga-ya, you can use Buyee on all those sites. They even have their own English user-interface for some of the major Japanese online stores and you can take advantage of their browser add-on which makes shopping a lot easier. The only downside is that they will not allow edits to the package value so if you live in a bureaucratic country like myself with very strict tax and custom regulations, you will have to make sure to send your packages wisely or just expect to pay quite a lot of fees. This time I used them to order my Wakana cover album copies from Rakuten Books (I REALLY wanted their tokuten). Since Buyee offers the biggest variety of shipping options, I got these copies before anything else, they were here super fast.

※ It’s funny how I am able to register my credit card for Rakuten Pay in order to purchase music on mora.jp but I cannot use that very same credit card to actually buy stuff on Rakuten.

3. WorldShopping

A fairly new service as far as I know but it seems like they are quickly expanding and trying to give Buyee a run for their money. Their banner has been popping up on almost all Japanese sites I have visited in the past few months but up until recently I wasn’t really feeling like trying a new service (I am always hesitant when it comes to new stuff). At least until I found myself in dire need of the Sofmap store specific tokuten for Wakana’s cover album XD. Unfortunately Sofmap does not accept foreign payment methods and Buyee also does not operate on their site so I took a leap of faith and made my purchase through WorldShopping since their banner looked so inviting. It was surprisingly straighforward since they are providing their own interface on the Japanese sites. I didn’t even have to go to the WorldShopping main page to register or anything before using the service. Their fees are acceptable but not exactly low. I was a little wary because I didn’t have a proper account but they did provide a link in the initial email where I could more or less keep track of everything. It took VERY long for my purchased item to be registered at their warehouse (for tenso and Buyee it takes around 1 day) and I didn’t get a notification email that it had arrived so those are not the best aspects of their service. The only shipping method they seem to offer is EMS (which again, is very pricey). Anyways, at the end of the day, my package arrived unscathed in Austria (including the tokuten) so I am a happy camper. While I will probably not be using their service regularly in the future I can still recommend WorldShopping to you with a clear conscience. But please keep in mind to check your status link regularly!

※ Please note that the WorldShipping interface in Japanese online shops overrides the site’s very own purchasing option so if you want to make an order using your own account with your tenso address and a domestic shipping method (let’s say in the mu-mo shop for example) you will have to deactive all WorldShopping services on the page.

4. HMV & BOOKS Online International Shipping

Another first for me. I had no idea they offered international shipping so when I saw the little button on KEIKO’s Lantana page, I couldn’t resist. Since Amazon.co.jp is no longer an option for me, I was desperate to find other stores that offered international shipping and tokutens. Unfortunately, their international shipping service is not a very good replacement for Amazon.co.jp since it takes VERY long. I registered as a guest and made my order without any trouble. I expected them to ship the item on the release day (or the day prior) but that was not the case. I am almost entirely sure that they use a “hidden” proxy service but still promote it as direct shipping. Which is why the process is taking so long. I think it wasn’t until the fifth day after the release date that I finally received the shipping confirmation. Also, don’t get thrown off by weird phrasing in their e-mails. They kept saying that they had shipped “the first part of my order” when in fact there was only one part. Since they only offered EMS as shipping option it once again took quite a while for the package to get to me even though the shipping fee was very high (please note that EMS is typically very fast but as I mentioned earlier, COVID-19 has changed everything). Overall, I can’t really complain about their service, if you are willing to wait a while, HMV International Shipping is definitely worth a try. HMV always have some of the best tokutens so be sure to check it out.

※ I originally tried to register properly but that turned out to be quite complicated so I recommend registering as a guest just like I did.

5. CDJapan

The first site I ever used to order Kalafina-items. I have never had issues with them. They are very reliable and of course the best thing is that they ship directly to your country. However, these days I hardly ever shop at CDJapan anymore because they rarely have tokutens. Also, items you purchase on their site will not be calculated into the daily and weekly sales data for Oricon music charts so that sucks. As you know, I want to support my girls as best as possible (and that means contributing to their chart numbers). Sometimes CDJapan do offer tokutens so they are definitely a viable option for foreign fans. They have lots of payment and shipping methods to choose from and typically their packages arrive very quickly. I bought Hikaru’s RE of “disclose” (only the LE came with tokutens) and one of my “Lantana” copies (CDJapan did in fact have a tokuten for that. YAY).

※ If for some reason, CDJapan isn’t your cup of tea or doesn’t work for you I think YESASIA is a good alternative. However, I haven’t used their service yet so I am not sure how reliable they are. They offer free shipping if your order total exceeds a certain amount so that’s definitely pretty neat!

6. Amazon.co.jp

Amazon.co.jp has been very reliable for the past few years but this year they have really let me down. Just like HMV they do offer an international shipping service but theirs is actually a DIRECT shipping service and it’s SUPER fast. Also they estimate the import/customs fees of your respective country and they charge a deposit which they can use to pay the customs office to speed up the shipping procedure. If this doesn’t happen, packages will usually end up being stuck at customs for a very long time until they have been processed. Last but not least, they often have some of the coolest and most unique tokutens. These are all reasons why I loved to use them but it seems like the pandemic screwed things up for many foreign fans. When I was logged in and checking the product pages of the Kala-solo-releases, they would either show me that everything was out of stock from the get-go or no longer shippable to my country. However, when I wasn’t logged in and checked the Japanese version of the product page I saw that there were in fact still copies available. Now that the pre-order period is over they seem to have restocked a little bit and some versions have finally become available again for foreigners. For example, I could now technically order the LE of “Lantana” with a tokuten. I really wonder why that stuff wasn’t there when I needed it *grumbles*

※ I am not 100% sure if the pandemic caused all these issues but I kinda hope that was the reason because that would mean that next year things will hopefully work fine again. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

[uhgoodmoni]

Nothing That Lasts Forever

Summary

Jung Hoseok; in an attempt to have a relaxing weekend with Min Yoongi and Jeon Jungkook, he invites them to stay at a cabin he has rented. The BTS boys aren't exactly in for the relaxing weekend they hope for after a series of strange events start to occur. The three of them are terrified of an unknown horror, as Hoseok wakes up to Jungkook standing in the dark. Updates: will update every other week on Tuesdays. If you want to stay updated with my progress follow my Twitter: @uhgoodmoni or Instagram: @jooniethemooni

Warnings: Major Character Death, Blood, Demons, Fighting, Verbal and Physical Abuse, Mention of marijuana, Death, Cursing, Fire, Unintentional Self-harm, Gore. Yoongi's injury

Ao3 link - Wattpad link - Soundtrack

Part One (Trailer) - ch1 - ch2 - ch3 - ch4 - ch5 - ch6 - ch7 - ch8 - ch9

Hoseok's POV

Plopping my chin on my hand I scroll through the cabin rental page. Phone number, phone number. There. My finger pokes my place on the laptop's screen as I type the digits into my cell. I smile as it begins to ring. What a blessing for this cabin to have so many openings during the season we are off. Shame we will have to wait so long for the holiday. It'll be worth the wait I'm sure. I hum as it continues ringing in my ear. If Jin were available he would love to come with us, Joon too. It's a shame that both their schedules are booked. If only all of the members could come. Then I would be happiest, but that's just not how it works.

Always busy, whether we are on our own or not. Solo work... dance practice, meetings, recordings, and much much more. I roll my head around the kitchen, impatiently tapping my foot on the chair. The metal rings along with the phone. Where are all of them anyway? There is no sign that anyone has been in the kitchen since last night, otherwise, someone's dishes would be left on the counter. The computer screen tells me that it is 12:33. Lunchtime, mhm. Yoongi is probably cooped up in his cave, maybe I'll get him something. My butt slides from the chair, my feet finding the floor. They are taking quite a long time to answer. I circle the island as it rings. Come on pick up.

"Hello, this Eun Soo?" A feminine voice sings from the speaker. Though I barely hear them over the sound of the wind howling on the other side. She must be outside if it's so loud.

"Oh, hello, I'm Jung Hoseok, and I'd like to rent one of your cabins?" The whirling stops. The line goes quiet. I stand, awaiting her response, but she doesn't, the silence wells up around me.

"Helloo?" I pucker my lips, twirling around. I look at myself in the reflection of the microwave. My fingers find the fringe of my split ends. It needs another dye soon, and definitely a trim. Mhm... what color should I do next? Army is always missing red. Maybe a more natural shade?

"Which cabin would you like to rent?" She coos, "We have many different options."

I raise my eyebrows, moving on with the conversation "Well I was looking at Cabin 189 and..."

"Oh, lovely!" She giggles, breaking my sentence. "Do you have any particular time frame?"

I clear my throat, going back to the counter, and placing my elbows on it. "Well, I was thinking about the dates 21-23 of this Septem..."

"Wow, we have those dates available!" I nod, waiting for her to continue.

"Okay well, can I confirm my dates?" I spoke up since she wasn't going to. The line went quiet again. I raise a lip, what the heck? Maybe there's some interference or something. Still a strange phone call.

"Yes we prefer to do the payment process over email, may I get yours?" "Oh yeah, It's J u n g h o s e o k 9 4 @ N a v e r .com" I sang out, "and if you need me to repeat anything I will be glad to."

"No." My eyes widen at her bluntness. Am I sure I want to rent here? She sounds nice but so strange and informal. I shrug, sitting back down at my chair, and leaning into the plastic backing. "That is fine." She finally finished making me almost laugh. Maybe she's a foreigner.

"Okay, when can I expect an email?" My foot begins to tap on the footrest once more.

"Oh, today certainly." The wind in the speaker starts once more, as she speaks. I miss what she says, only hearing static.

"I'm sorry I missed that last bit, miss."

"Oh, today certainly." The wind in the speaker starts once more, as she speaks. I miss it, only hearing static

"I'm sorry I missed that...'' I shake my head realizing I was about to repeat myself. "Is that all you needed maam?" Clearing my throat I spin around in my seat.

"Yes! We hope you will look forward to your stay." The wind halts again making the phone go quiet. "There is nothing that lasts forever in this world." My brow curls at this, but she doesn't add anything more.

"Thank you..." The phone beeps as I press the end call button. That line sounds oddly familiar, though maybe she was talking to someone else before I hung up. The strangest phone call I've had in a while, but at least I made progress on our trip. I return to my laptop, taking note of the location. Hopefully, the others will be looking forward to it just as much as I am.

[a-weeze1219]

Deborah Meaden Bitcoin This Morning Equaliser is an investment reality

British citizens are already raking in millions of pounds from home using this “wealth loophole” — but is it legitimate?

Deborah Sonia Maiden is a British businesswoman who ran and managed millions of pounds on holidays prior to finalizing the management takeover, but is best known for her appearances on The Morning Bitcoin Equaliser

Deborah Meaden attracted a lot of attention coming out with new secret investment that’s making hundreds of people in Britain very rich

(BBC UK) — Deborah Meaden has made a name for himself as a brash straight-talker who doesn’t mind being honest about how he makes his money.

Last week, she appeared this morning and announced a new "wealth hole" that he said could turn anyone into a millionaire within 3-4 months, giving her the possibility of financial independence. Deborah Maiden urged everyone in Britain to jump on this wonderful opportunity before the major banks shut it down for good.

And sure enough, minutes after the interview was over an executive from Barclays called to stop Deborah Meaden’s interview from being aired — it was already too late. Phillip has now been suspended for not confirming if it was ok to share this information live on TV. He was only trying to help people…

Here’s exactly what happened:

This Morning host Philip Schofield invited Deborah Meaden on the show to share any advice they had on building wealth and Deborah Meaden threw a bomb:

“”After many years of hard work I started to realize that I need to change something. I was looking for a way to make money without having to work like a slave. What’s made me successful is jumping into new opportunities quickly — without any hesitation. And right now, my number one money-maker is a new cryptocurrency auto-trading program called Bitcoin Equaliser . It’s the single biggest opportunity I’ve seen in my entire lifetimes to build a small fortune fast. I urge everyone to check this out before the banks shut it down.”

This Morning host Phillip Schofield was left in disbelief as, Deborah Meaden pulled out Her phone and showed viewers how much money she was making through this new money-making program that made everyone in Britain whisper.

Clip time ended before Deborah Meaden expanded, so we got an exclusive interview with Meaden to learn more about this controversial opportunity.

BBC Exclusive with Deborah Meaden

"You may have heard of this new cryptocurrency investment platform called Bitcoin Equalizer that helps ordinary people in Britain build fortunes overnight. You might be skeptical because it sounds too good to be true."

Continue: Deborah Meaden Bitcoin This Morning Equalizer is an investment reality

“I understood because I thought the same thing when a trusted friend told me about it. But after seeing with my own eyes how much money he was making, I had to try it myself.

I am glad I tried it because it was one of the biggest and easiest money I have ever made. I'm talking about tens of thousands of pounds a day on autopilot; it's literally the fastest way to make windfall money right now. And it won't last longer as more and more people get to know it. Or when the banks close their doors permanently. "

What Exactly Is Bitcoin Equaliser And How Does It Work?

The idea behind Bitcoin Equaliser is straightforward:To allow the average person to cash in on the cryptocurrency boom which is still the most lucrative investment of the 21st century, despite what most people think.

Although Bitcoin price has dropped from its all time high of $20,000 per Bitcoin, traders are still making a killing. Why? Because there are thousands of other cryptocurrencies besides Bitcoin that being traded for huge profits on a daily basis.

Some of these cryptocurrencies include Ripple, Ethereum, Monero, Zcash and Ripple and they are still making returns of over 10,000% and higher for ordinary people in Britain.

Bitcoin Equaliser lets you profit from all of these cryptocurrencies, even in a bear market. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically handle long and short selling for you so you can make money around the clock, even while you sleep.

Bitcoin Equaliser is backed by some of the smartest tech minds to ever exist. Richard Branson, Elon Musk and Bill Gates just to name a few. Bill Gates and Richard Branson discuss Bitcoin Equaliser at CES 2020.

These tech geniuses have built multi-billion companies on solving complex issues like online payments, computing, and transportation. Now, they’re tackling on the global problem of wealth inequality by letting anyone — no matter how rich or poor they are — make enough money to enjoy a happy and fulfilling life.

The lucrative money-making secret big banks don’t want you to know

Deborah goes on, Deborah Meaden This Morning

“I’m seeing hard economic times, and this is the solution people have been waiting for. Never in history have we had such an amazing opportunity that ordinary people can easily take advantage of to generate tremendous wealth in such a short time.

Some people are hesitant to try this because it’s so different. And that’s because the big banks are trying to cover this up! The big banks are actively creating propaganda and calling cryptocurrencies and platform like Bitcoin Equaliser a scam. Why? They are worried their corporate profits will shrink once their customers know how to create massive wealth themselves.

The truth is, cryptocurrency is the revolution of our lifetime and anyone who does not jump on this opportunity is missing out. I’ve already received angry calls and threats from big financial corporations because I’m bring this technology to people’s attention. But screw them. People in Britain are already starting to know the truth and it’s only a matter of time before more and more do.

I’m sharing this because I’ve also received hundreds of emails from people thanking me for sharing this secret. My favourite one is from a young man who bought his little brother his dream car — a Ferrari 488 Pista using the cash he made from Bitcoin Equaliser. This platform is truly making the lives of everyone in the world a little better.”

Steven Baker used the profits he earned from Bitcoin Equaliser to buy his little brother his dream car. What an inspiring way to use wealth for good!

Does Bitcoin Equaliser Really work? We test It Ourselves To Out

Our senior editors wouldn’t let us to publish the interview with Deborah Meaden until we verified that Bitcoin Equaliser is a legitimate make-money-from-home opportunity. Our corporate leadership did not want us releasing any information that could potentially cause citizens of Britain to lose their hard-earned money.

So our editorial team tested Bitcoin Equaliser to make sure it actually works like Deborah Meaden described. One of our online editors, Zachary Tisdale, volunteered to risk his own money and test out Bitcoin Equaliser.

Zachary is a 53-year-old father of 1 boy whose wife lost her job last year due to illness. He admitted he was struggling financially and this investment opportunity could be the answer.

Zachary’s family was struggling to make ends meet and hoped that Bitcoin Equaliser could relieve his the financial pressure, so he decided to test the system and report his results

Zachary reports:

“At first, when I heard the interview with Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan , I thought they were joking. Making money from home is only a dream. I decided to try it anyway given my financial circumstances- and for the sake of good journalism.

I watched an introductory video about the platform and then signed up. The video seemed to be over-promising but I put my skepticism aside. Within a few hours, I received a call from my personal investor. He answered all questions and doubts I had, and assured me I was going to make money. Period.

My personal investor even promised that if I lose even a single dime, he would promptly refund my deposit. That’s how confident he was this was going to change my life. Now that’s customer service beyond anything I’ve seen and no wonder banks are scared.

Once I received access to the platform, I deposited my initial investment of £180. That’s about is what my family spends on junk food every month, so I decided to stop taking us to fast food for a month. Now we can be healthy, plus have the opportunity to get rich.

The Bitcoin Equaliser itself is a cryptocurrency auto-trading platform. The software uses advanced AI algorithms and machine learning to predict exactly when cryptocurrencies will go up and down. Then it will automatically buy and sell for you around the clock. Technology has already made our lives easier in every possible way, so why not use it to make more money as well?”

Zachary’s real time results with the system

“Within 1 hour of depositing £180, the software started trading for me. To be honest, I was nervous it would lose all of my money. And sure enough, my first trade was a £25 loss!

I felt my throat close up. I thought I had been scammed. I was even ready to call my personal investor and ask for my money back. But then I remembered what my he told me earlier on our call: The algorithm is right about 80–89% of the time. You’re not going to win EVERY trade, but you’ll win enough and be profitable overall.

So I let the software keep trading for me and watched it closely. The next trade was profitable! Only £19 but it was still something. Then the next trade was £51 profit. Then £22 profit, making a total profit of £92. And this was all under 5 minutes!

Soon I started scooping up cash like ice-cream and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Every time I refreshed the screen, my profits grew higher and higher. I felt like I was on drugs because this was such an exciting rush.

Now I know whyDeborah Meaden is in a good mood all the time. And why the big banks don’t want people anywhere near this wealth loophole. By the end of the day, I had made over £754 in profit, not bad from a starting investment of £180! I was so excited I barely got any sleep.

The next day was Tuesday and I had to go back to work. To be honest (and don’t tell my boss this), it was hard to focus on my job knowing the Bitcoin Equaliser software was making me money.

I snuck out to the bathroom a few times to check my profits, and they kept stacking up (with a small loss here and there). At the end of the day, before I put my kids to sleep, my account balance showed £1,349.13. That’s more than I earn in a WEEK at my regular job!

By the end of the week, I made a total of £5,349.12. I withdrew exactly £4,500 and re-invested the rest. Within 2 days I received my first cheque in the mail- for exactly £4,500. I couldn’t believe this was real life!”

Zachary continues,“Now, I am consistently making an additional £700 to £1,500 per day thanks to Bitcoin Equaliser. Now, the money just gets deposited into my bank account every few days. Just a few clicks and I received my funds within 24–48 hours. Every time the transfer hits my checking account, I have to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.Luckily, I LOVE my job here because I get to bring people important news stories (like this one) otherwise I would have quit by now. I did, however, plan a vacation for my family to Bali Indonesia to celebrate being out of debt and finally having my family’s finances back on track!

This wouldn’t be possible without Deborah Meaden’s generosity and sharing his secret live on television. And I’m happy I took the risk to try Bitcoin Equaliser myself. My wife is happier than ever and my kids’ toy cupboard is well stocked.

My co-workers are kicking themselves they didn’t sign up two weeks ago like I did. But soon, our entire office signed up (including my boss) and they are calling me a “hero” for trying this.”

How to Get Started with Bitcoin Equaliser (Limited Spots Available)

To get started, you only need your computer, smartphone, or tablet with internet access. You don’t need any specific skills other than knowing how to use a computer and browsing the internet. You don’t need any technology or cryptocurrency experience because the software and your personal investor guarantees you make a profit.

Another perk of this program is you get to start when you want. You can make your own schedule- whether that’s 5 hours a week or 50 hours a week. Just start the auto-trading software when you wish, and you can pause whenever you want (I don’t know why you ever would though).

To save our reader’s time and double check the Bitcoin Equaliser‘s functionality, Zachary kindly created a guide to getting started on the system.

Here’s My step-by-step walkthrough:

The first thing you see is a video showing off the power of Bitcoin Equaliser. The advertising is big and bold and in your face, but it is an American product and that’s how they do things. Anyway, you simply submit your name and email address next to the video to get started right away.

(Tip: Even if you don’t decide to invest any money, I recommend signing up now because it’s free and registrations for residents in the UK could end at any moment)

Next up, you’re asked to fund your account. As I was navigating the deposit page, my mobile rang. It was an international number so I was hesitant to answer but then I realised it was obviously from.

Sure enough, it was my own personal account manager. His service was great. He took me through the entire funding process. They accept all major credit cards like Visa, MasterCard and American Express. I went ahead and deposited the minimum amount which £180.

Once funded, I navigated to the “Auto-Trader” section of software, set the trade amount to the recommended £50 and enabled it. The software started making trades at a rapid rate and I was concerned at first but let it do its thing.

“Everyone wants to be rich but no one knows how to do it. Well, is the opportunity of a lifetime to build a fortune that will allow you to live the life you truly desire. It will NOT be around forever, so do not miss out.” — Deborah Meaden UPDATE

We just received news that as of today almost all positions are filled up for Britain residents. Bitcoin Equaliser can only accept a limited number of total users to keep the profit per user is high. As of right now, there are still (37) spots left, so hurry up and sign up now to secure your spot.

If interested in Bitcoin Equaliser, check it out here!

You will most likely get a call after signing up, just like me. Don’t ignore it as their managers were very helpful in the beginning and I strongly recommend building a good relationship with them.

[tabithasketches]

Commissions

Commission Status

Status: Waitlist

Ordering & Payment

How to order:

1. Send me an email

2. Fill out the following form and include it in the email:

General Info:

Your name:

Your email:

Type/category of commission (portrait, or bust):

Any specific wishes/details you want included:

Background color:

Canvas size (e.g. 5”x7”, 8”x10”, etc.)

Fictional Character(s):

*fill out this section if you are commissioning artwork of a fictional character*

Character name(s):

Character personality:

Physical description (please be specific):

Non-fictional Individual(s):

*fill out this section if you are commissioning artwork of a non-fictional person*

Name(s):

Physical description (e.g. hair color, eye color, etc.):

By sending this order I confirm that I have read and accept the terms of service for commissioning TABITHA MUMFORD.

3. Send your order to tabithasketches@gmail.com

IMPORTANT COMMISSION INFORMATION:

*You can place multiple orders in one email, just include the above form multiple times.

*If you are commissioning work of a non-fictional person (you or someone else) please include multiple images of that individual. These images should include their outfit, hairstyle, and accessories that you want me to draw. I reserve the right to refuse the commission if these are not included. If there is anything specific you would like me to be inspired by (e.g. stock images for poses), please include them as well.

*If you are commissioning work of a fictional character, please include reference images of your character(s). If there is anything specific you would like me to be inspired by (e.g. stock images for poses) please include them as well. Currently, I will not take the commission of a character if you do not include these.

Payment

Payment will only be accepted through PayPal.

When you send payment, please pay through “goods and services”

DO NOT include an address. If you put your address in the payment order, PayPal will think that physical goods have been ordered that need to be shipped, and I will not send anything through the mail. If you include an address, I will decline/return the sale and you will not receive the artwork until it is fixed.

About Commissioning Me

Before you order, please make sure to have read my Terms of Service. These terms apply to private commissions only. This information is NOT applicable for commercial work, therefore the art can only be used for the client’s personal purposes.

Examples and Prices

*All prices below are base prices.

*Things that might increase the price are:

complex character designs

number of characters

props (e.g. character holding a bouquet of flowers)

Digital, Full Color

Portrait: $25

Full color

Image resolution is typically 300 pixels/inch

Canvas size is typically 8” x 10” but another size can be chosen

Single color background is included

Bust: $35

Full color

Image resolution is typically 300 pixels/inch

Canvas size is typically 8” x 10” but another size can be chosen

Single color background is included

Do’s and Don’ts

Will do:

People (you, your friends, family, etc.)

Original Characters

Will NOT do:

Imitation of other art styles or artists

Celebrities

NSFW

Terms of Service

If you have a problem with any of these statements, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to ordering your commissioned piece.

1. GENERAL TERMS

All drawings will include a subtle signature that you may not remove.

I have the right to reject any order that I do not feel comfortable drawing for any reason.

2. PAYMENT

The only currency I accept is USD, and payment can be sent through PayPal.

For all commissions, I require 50% of the cost in advance. If I am unable to complete the commission the upfront cost will be returned to you. The return of funds is NOT applicable for any other reason (see point 7 below for more information on refunds).

DO NOT send me the funds before I have agreed to the commission and requested that you send me the payment.

3. PROCESS AND DELIVERY

I will notify you when I have started on your commission and you, therefore, lose the rights to a refund (see point 7 further below for more info on refunds).

While I'm working on your commission we will conduct check-ins where we review the progress of your commission. I want to make sure that I create the artwork exactly how you want it!

During the reviews, you will see work-in-progress pictures. The images will include a watermark, be smaller, and have lower resolution than the finished piece.

The time it takes to finish your commission varies from 1 week - 1 month depending on certain factors. These factors may include the complexity of the commissioned piece, other work/commissions, health, and university. I will make you aware of the timeframe we’ll be working with before I accept the commission so you can decide if you are able to wait.

If anything comes up that will slow the progress of the initially estimated delivery time I will let you know asap.

Once the piece is finished you will receive the full-resolution image. Note that there is no physical product.

4. REVISIONS

A fee will be added if you want something changed on the final drawing - unless, of course, a misunderstanding from my side has been made.

If you wish for me to change something in the drawing you have previously been satisfied with, I will charge you a fee to change it. The amount of the extra charge depends on the change you want me to make.

If your reference is unclear to start with then changes will come at an extra charge.

5. COPYRIGHT / USAGE POLICY

I, the artist, claim the rights to the produced artwork, not the buyer. Therefore I am allowed to use the copyrighted artwork to:

Promote myself and my business with the image (e.g. as a commission example)

Display and post the work anywhere I chose

The buyer is allowed to:

Use the commissioned piece for personal use only (you can upload it to your social media or use it as your profile picture/icon). You are not forced to give me credit when you post it, but it is very appreciated.

Print the artwork.

Claim the character(s) as their own, if it is their own original character, but they cannot claim the artwork itself.

The following is considered copyright infringement:

Reproducing/using the copyrighted artwork commercially - this means making money from my artwork in any way.

Claiming the artwork as your own

Removing my signature from the artwork

Altering the artwork without my consent

I reserve the full rights to the image and it's use/distribution unless otherwise agreed upon (rights to the image for your own non-personal/commercial use may be purchased).

6. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

I will do everything I can to make my customers happy!

If you have a problem with anything in regards to the commissioned piece please tell me right away so we can find a solution together. Teamwork makes the dream work!

7. REFUND / CANCELLATION POLICY

The buyer is not allowed a refund once I start working on the commission.

If, for any reason, I am unable to start your commission you will receive a full refund.

If, for any reason, I am unable to finish your commission, due to problems on my end, you will receive a full refund.

If you cancel your order before I started it, you will be refunded the 50% advanced fee.

If you are getting a refund, do not request a Paypal chargeback. I will transfer the money back to you myself.

If you request a Paypal chargeback at any point when you were not allowed to ask for a refund, you will lose all aforementioned rights to the commissioned piece and I will have the full right to profit further from it in any way I choose. I will also decline the chargeback and give Paypal our conversations where we talk about the commission as evidence that I have completed work for you. Furthermore, you will be blacklisted for commissioning me again.

If the buyer breaks any of the points stated above they will lose all before mentioned rights to the artwork commissioned by me, the artist, and I will have the right to profit further from the commissioned artwork in any way I see fit. If you have a problem with any of these statements, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to ordering your commissioned piece.

[cardandpixel]

RocketBook Flip - a rare review and it’s not a game!

Before I go any further, I feel I must point out that I don’t have any financial connection to RocketBook whatsoever – this isn’t a piece that was requested or courted by RocketBook or affiliates and I’m not receiving any reward or sponsorship either in product or direct payment for this article. I just like the damn thing and love it when an innovative piece of tech (in this case quite low key) just works. Hi I’m Paul, and I have a bit of a problem with notebooks – A4 lined, sketch, reporters, Black & Reds (ohhhh the sheer number of B&Rs), goofy ones, serious work ones, battered ones, pristine ‘for best only’ ones – and they all fill at an alarming rate. I make notes on everything. Working as a sound engineer and designer, there’s always mix notes, soundscape plots, ideas, VO notes and scripts, SFX ideas etc etc. At home it’s a very different story – it’s much worse. Game notes; blog notes; hurriedly scribbled quiz questions spurred by watching another episode of Mental Floss’ 500 facts about cheese; RPG notes and story ideas; my own script writing; world building; sketches; other creative ideas; song/music notes and ideas; and that’s before we get to to-do lists; and the dreaded ‘things I must remember’. So my journal life is many, varied and plenty. The usual issue is… ‘what frakking journal did I put that amazing idea in????’, and that’s way before we get to the utter horror that is possibly losing a whole journal or forgetting to bring one home from work. I’m 53, I forget more than I recall, and journals help bring some semblance of order to a massively chaotic and fertile brain. What I’ve needed for a long time is some way of organising all this info or centralising it in some way. Sure I’ve looked at apps – I used Things, Evernote, Notes, and One Note for years, and they are really, really good, but they relied on either having a charged device exactly when I need it (yeah – me too) or net access, which for a new-ish theatre, is surprisingly a bit of an issue at work. And the most important part – I actually enjoy the physical act of handwriting long-hand. I still write actual physical letters to people, it’s adorable and a bit creepy in this age, but I call it charming and leave it at that. Handwriting, for me, allows me time to think and process in a way that typing just doesn’t. Handwriting is slower, I rarely cross anything out, and so I always have the whole of the thought. So what I’ve ideally wanted for years, was a reliable way of organising all my notes and storing them electronically so I have access even without the actual journal, with OCR so they’re editable, and still being a tactile handwritten experience. I’m naturally a sceptic (I actually subscribe to Fortean Times – yeah – I card carry!) and so online ads and particularly FaceAche ads are a field day for critical thinking triggers. I don’t think I’ve ever received from Wish, exactly what I ordered from Wish. And so when an ad from RocketBook constantly kept popping up on my timeline a few weeks ago, I was naturally “it’ll never work” But their website looked legit enough – they had a dedicated UK shop, it was relatively steep to buy in but not so wild that if it didn’t work I wouldn’t be crying too much about the money wasted, and at the end of the day it was a 10th the price of a ReMarkable 2 which is actually what I thought would solve my problem. I’m furloughed at the mo and though I could argue the case for £300+ notebook (test me, I could), I just couldn’t justify it now. And RocketBook had a good summer intro offer. I ordered on the Wednesday, and the impressively glitzy and graphic-design-playbook poly package was dropped on my doorstep just 2 days later by my cheery postie who yelled up the drive “Package for ya, looks very exciting!!!!” I like that our postal service is still invested in the hopes and dreams of their customers. It was exciting. All the instructions for getting started with my new Teal RocketBook A4 Flip were right there before you even open it. The main body houses the pad and a cleaning cloth, and a clever little side pocket houses the supplied Pilot Frixion pen.

RocketBooks come in several models, all configured slightly differently. I have the Flip which is a top spiral-bound softback pad with 21 double sided ‘pages’ giving 42 pages in total. The Flip has lined paper one side, and dot paper on the reverse (great for D&D maps, impromptu tables, mixer channel plots etc)

DELIVERY & FIRST IMPRESSIONS The pads are nicely made, with sturdy covers (available in some really nice colours too) and a solid, thick plastic ring binding. Initially, The RocketBook does feel a bit odd. Its ‘pages’ are actually a synthetic polyester blend and feel quite shiny to the touch. The sort of surface you just instantly feel is not going to be great for ink! Each page is edge-to-edge lined or dotted with a heavy black border. At the bottom is a prominent QR code used for scanning and some very feint icons. These 7 icons are the key to the ease of use of the RocketBook series. But more later.

THE APP

The pads work with a companion app, that is absolutely free and available for Apple & Android. In fact, RB even do downloadable printable pages so you can try the whole system absolutely free before you buy – I didn’t, I just bought one, y’know. The app allows you to set up your destination locations, your preferences and does the actual scanning. Just one quick note, I have the app on both my phone and iPad and had to set-up the app the same for both, there appears to be no way of swapping preference settings between devices, though I can see why this may be intentional.

Currently, the RocketBook allows you to choose from the following locations to send files to: GoogleDrive, box, EverNote, DropBox, slack, OneNote, iCloud, OneDrive as well as simply to an email (or multiple) addresses and iMessage. Impressively, these are not fixed either, so you could choose your 7 destinations to be 7 email addresses of team members. These 7 locations are the icons at the bottom of each page. To select a destination for your file, you just make a mark in that icon box (tick, circle, something unsavoury) and that page will be sent to whichever you select. This makes the system very flexible indeed as not every page is necessarily sent to every destination. You always decide every time you fill a page. Change your mind on a second revision? No problem, add or change icons at any time and re-upload.

There’s a really handy table on the inside front cover for you to note what icon sends what where. This is also wipeable, so can be changed anytime.

I have mine set by default to:

Rocket > main email address (either as PDF, JPG, OCR embedded or as separate txt file)

Diamond > GoogleDrive (you can specify exactly what folder too)

Apple > iMessage

Bell > OneNote

That actually still leaves me 3 spare: shamrock; star; and horseshoe.

The app took me maybe 20mins to set-up, that included decision time for destinations and setting up a few target folders. It also included a few ‘test firings’. I didn’t get everything right first time and a few things didn’t send, but crucially, a tiny bit of digging revealed very simple troubleshooting (including the aforementioned issue with no sync’ing of phone and iPad), and all in I was finding the files in all the right destinations within about 30 mins. The website, FAQs and community are immensely helpful with any other issues as well. I had a tiny issue with OneNote seeming to take ages to sync, but I think that’s an issue with my OneNote settings, everything else was almost instantaneous. You can also handily set the app to auto-send as soon as it scans, or allow for manual review.

CLEAN UP ON AISLE ROCKETPAD The main reason I wanted to look at the RocketBook was the issue of reusability. My journal shenanigans are by no means the biggest ecological disaster on the planet, but if we are to believe Tesco (who probably issue as many receipts at our local Tesco Express in a day as journals I’ve ever used), every little helps. If I could find an ecologically better solution, I should at least take a look. The RocketPads work by partnering with Pilot pens called Frixion. The really clever bit is RB’s paper technology and how it works with the Frixion ink. At present, the pads only work with the Frixion pens – except the RB Colour which works with Crayola’s dry-erase crayons. When you write on the ‘paper’ with a Frixion pen, it remains wet for a few seconds and then dries pretty quickly. There’s no smudging whatsoever in transit, which is pretty cool. From then on, it may as well be permanent, until you have transmitted your page and decide you don’t want the text anymore.  To wipe the page clean, you can dampen the supplied cloth and just wipe the surface clean, it’s weird but it works! But then damp cloth in your bag? So I use kitchen roll to dampen, then wipe dry with theirs. Others even have an adorably kitsch spray bottle in their kit. RB reckon if you are not going to use the pad for a few months, to clean the pages as the ink can get trickier to shift after a long time, but for day-to-day use, I’ve tried writing and wiping well over 20x and the page hasn’t become discoloured or tarnished at all. The only pad different in the range is the Wave which cleans by microwaving! Do NOT do this with any of the others, bad things will happen. The ink doesn’t take scrubbing or any time to come up, I clean my pages in about 10-15s. The page can feel a little tacky when it’s damp, but leave a minute or so and the page will be back to normal. RB do say that odd things can happen if the book is left near a heatsource or in a hot car, vis-à-vis, the ink can completely disappear horrifyingly enough. They say that putting the pen or the pad in the freezer for a little while will actually restore the ink, but I’ve not tried it yet so can’t confirm or deny how that goes. Handy for spies in hot countries though, so there’s another target market. If you are always going to send your pages to the same places, then don’t erase the marked icons, and the page is ready for new notes straight away, otherwise, scrub them too.

I CAN’T READ YOUR WRITING – ARE YOU A DOCTOR? Initially, the RB pads send their files as scans of the pages in high contrast monochrome (colour is available) when you snap the page in the app (which auto-frames for you and takes maybe 10s to capture). The formats are either as images or PDF. If that had been it, I would have been quite happy, but the RB pads have another trick up their sleeve. Firstly, they have a function called ‘Smart Titles’ which allows you to name your files directly from the page by writing a filename between double hashtags ie ## this is my scrawl 24/8/20 ## and the file will pop up in your destinations with the filename “this is my scrawl 24/08/20” – this is insanely handy – there’s no protocol except your own and the hashtags, and it makes your files super easy to search. You can even send groups of pages as a single PDF. But the notebooks go even further. They actually offer full searchable OCR which the app can be set to send embedded in the PDF or image, or more usefully, as a companion separate .txt file. Now, my handwriting isn’t the neatest, but it’s not bad so I was prepared for some editing to be necessary, but impressively again, the OCR was about 90-95% accurate. In a page of text it missed maybe 3 or 4 words and even those not badly. This is all considering their full OCR is still only in beta! It gets confused with diagrams on the page, but that’s to be expected.

Text Generated by OCR: ## Blog post och test Aug 2020 ## This is a little demonstration of the OCR capabilities of the Rocket Book pads and app. I've told the lovely people that the hit rate is about 90-95% so please dant let me down here flip pad. Hopefully the file name will also prove another point further up in the section and not make me look like some charlatan or snake-oil salesman.Hope you enjoyed this demonstrahen, now go away and leave me to write the next great novella.Bye!

HOW MUCH? On average, I pay anywhere from £4-8 for a decent A4 notebook/journal, so at £30-37 (dependent on model), the RocketBook pads are not a whim purchase. That said, I get through a lot of journals in a year, and given that I would expect to easily get 2-3 years out of a RocketBook pad, then I’ve saved money. Will it replace all my notebooks? No. You need to be thinking of carrying this round as a kit: pad, Frixion pen (at least 2), and cloth.  RB do a series of portfolio sleeves for the pads but it does push the price up a bit still, but for a rep, engineer or salesperson, this still makes sense. They’re less bulky than a normal A4 pad too. What I would say is Tesco and Sainsbury’s currently stock Frixion pens and at much better prices than buying them from RB directly, I just paid £3 for 3 pens on offer at Tesco compared to £10 from RB. You get one pen with the pad, but you’re going to want more soon, so stock up next time you’re shopping for truffle oil crisps. If you use whiteboards a lot, RB also have you covered. Instead of the pad, £16 will get you a 4 pack of ‘beacons’ – little self-adhesive triangles that effectively do the same thing as the QR code in the pad. You don’t have the icon options obviously, but if you’re looking to distribute quick meeting or group notes, this would be a boon. CONCLUSION Considering this was a fairly speculative purchase on my part, my early experiences with the RocketBook Flip have been really impressive. The flexibility, the ability to store every page in a different location if you really wanted to make it fantastic for organising my notes, which can save me hours of finding the right ^^$&^$&$ notebook in the first place, then scouring that for the one paragraph I was looking for etc etc. The searchable text facility, in-app history for re-sending etc and last but no way least, functional handwriting OCR, makes the RocketBook not only novel, but actually useable! Would I buy another? As a second notebook – yes. I look forward to seeing what the actual longevity of the product is once I come off furlough and start cramming my day bag with all my junk and a notepad again, but yes, I’d probably just have one at home, and one for work, but make the last 5 mins of each day, scanning and sending work notes so I have them with me wherever. Impressively, the RocketBook Flip just works and it works well. ‘Er Across The Table has already sold several folk at her work on the idea and she doesn’t even have one herself yet! I love it. It’s taking a little adjusting to, but it’s all good. The most important thing though is the writing experience, and I have to say, the combination of the Frixion pen/ink and the polymer technology of the Flip, again, just works. It’s smooth, doesn’t skip or smudge for me (I know some right to left users and left handers have reported some issues) and feels great to write on. If anything I have to slow down a bit as the contact is so smooth that your writing can get a bit ahead of you! RocketBook have produced a cracker of a product. It might not seem like much, but if practical working journals are your thing (ie not create and keep things) then I can highly recommend the RocketBook series.

[dionysus-is-my-dude]

Life Update...

look at me, adulting again. cleaned out my email inbox. went from nearly two thousand emails to 12. boom

I applied for my local, very popular university. I spent time more time thinking over how much more I wanna spend on college and how many more years of it I wanna do. I’ve decided that I don’t wanna start over from scratch, so I need to proceed with the Associate’s in Arts with a major in Early Childhood Education that I currently have. I’m gonna finish up and get a Bachelor’s in Education with a major in art education. But oh no, I’m not teaching LITTLE kids. Not after I’ve gotten experience and realized I just can’t entertain them enough. I’m not good with little kids who need to be entertained and taught. I’m just not. So, middle school/high school? YES. Sign me up. Will they be much more petty and lazy? Absolutely. But at least I can get them to work with more mature art mediums and projects than the boring crap little kids make. SO, I already sent my application and sent my transcripts over. Now I just need to fill out a FAFSA, hopefully for the last time, get a tour of campus -which will be virtual-, and see if I’ll get accepted. I’m very confident I will be. My grades were great when I was getting my Associate’s, and though I took more education courses than art courses, I have some experience with several different kinds of art mediums, and I look forward to learning more. I’m really looking forward to these last two years.

I have a little over $2500 in student loans to pay off, and I plan on emailing or calling someone tomorrow, as the pandemic has kinda put off imminent payments right now, but I wanna pay off as much as I can with the money I have coming in from the stimulus, unemployment, and the money my dad gives me. I also have other bills that I’m paying off, but I’m already almost through with them! I should be debt-free by the end of the year! It’ll be such a relief! AAAAnd then I’ll get to pile more student loans on top of it, but I’ll be all right. I feel more capable of making regular payments and managing my money than I did the last few years. My goal this year of being debt-free is already so close at hand, and I can’t wait!

I don’t wanna talk about my family. Sorry if you were hoping for some juicy gossip about my racist asshole of a dad. I’m so tired of him. At this point, he feels more like a boss who’s sort of a father figure than my “dad”.

It’s raining like crazy tonight and tomorrow, so I’ll be home for a while. But I forgot my new gallon of milk in my car and now it’s pouring and I don’t wanna go out in it. If it goes bad overnight, I’ll just get some more tomorrow.

Found a tutorial for my ArtFlow app. Finally found out how to work the “smooth” tool. But it doesn’t blend as smoothly as I’d expected. Doesn’t muddy the colours, but it doesn’t blend very WELL. I wish I could use Procreate, but apparently it’s only available through Apple and I have a Chromebook. ArtFlow works all right, as far as I’ve been able to tell, but I’m just so crappy at drawing right now that I’m still learning the basics. Planning on doing more sculpting and watercolours the next couple days.

As for how I’m handling running a produce stand during the pandemic, we are wearing gloves and masks the entire time we’re there, and especially using hand sanitizer. The city drives by to check on us and make sure we’re following the rules of no eating near the stand, wearing masks and gloves, and having people line up in a certain area to pay. We’re doing all right. Most customers come up wearing masks/gloves, too, but too many are not wearing anything, coughing NOT into their elbow, and not using hand sanitizer. Too many people don’t believe this is really as bad as it is, and it makes me wonder where they’re getting their news from if they believe that. If they lived in Chicago or New York City, they’d be saying different, but because we’re in a semi-small town, they think they’re totally safe here. Like, no, WE have confirmed cases and a few deaths, too. Just because our local numbers aren’t in the hundreds or thousands, that doesn’t mean we don’t have cases and shouldn’t be cautious. The majority of cases in my town are in nursing homes, no shock. People aren’t allowed to visit their loved ones in these homes due to the infection spreading around. And it’s people who think this is all a ploy for the government to control us or some shit and that none of the safety measures apply to them that are spreading this shit like crazy.

I hope all of you are being safe. If you’re working, you deserve much more than what you’re being paid. If you’re not working, don’t hesitate to apply for benefits and ask for help when needed. Wash your hands, cover your sneeze/cough like you were taught in preschool, and avoid going out around people as often as you can. If we’re proactive and listen to what actual doctors are telling us to do, we CAN slow this down.

[absharposts-blog]

Know More About Oman’s Online Shopping

Consumers in Oman are moving towards the online mode of shopping, and this was surveyed by MasterCard under Online Shopping Behaviour Study in 2014. It was revealed that almost 20 percent of the population went online to shop for their daily stuff and 80% of people experienced complete satisfaction out of online shopping. As the study was related to Shopping behavior so it was inclined towards the measurement of people who shopped online. The study interviewed approximately 3000 respondents and 6 markets across the middle east. 

 Online shopping in Salalah is now available in Salalah and becoming famous as we move ahead consumers spend most of their time and money on their daily stuff like clothing, medicine, beauty care, travel, and the thrust for deals and coupons for groceries and hotels. 

 One of the heads of MasterCard in the Middle East added- “Online shopping in Oman has taken up an upward curve and the major reason behind it is the new trend and most importantly introduction of secure and safe electronic payment methods that created trust in the minds of the people of Oman and made them more confident towards online shopping”.

 In the growth of Oman’s economy e-commerce business can play a major role as in the coming future everything will be online. More and more people are expanding online purchase sites in Oman and other financial institutions are focusing on the growth of the e-commerce market. They are trying to create better and more customized payment solutions that will help in the betterment of consumer awareness, speed, convenience, and safety for their online payments/transactions when they shop online. 

 This data also helps us to understand that percentage of online payment from the previous year has increased to quite an extent. If we talk about the website then the number of online stores in Salalah is continuously increasing because of the emerging need for online shopping among people of Oman. 

 The study also talked about travel and groceries and music as one of the most significant businesses growing online in Oman. Supermarket delivery in Salalah is increasing rapidly for this reason we Abshar are at your service day and night. Abshar is an online supermarket where you can shop for all your daily necessities like fruits and vegetables, drinks, snacks and biscuits, chocolates, food ingredients, bakery, butchery, dairy and eggs, frozen food, baby care, personal care, home care, pet care. We have our app too which you can download and order your stuff from your home or workplace whichever suits out the best! 

 When it comes to purchasing decisions online Omani consumers look for the price range, refund policies and online reviews as while purchasing online people are not aware of whether their product is in good condition or not. Abshar makes sure that our customers get only quality. 

 In this study at the end people were asked how can we improve in the future for online shopping better, 31 percent of the people said having more customer-friendly websites can help, more and more online reviews and if additional service charges are eliminated then definitely more customers will be transformed towards online buying. 

 Along with this study we want our customers to aware when they purchase items online so here are few do’s and don’ts of online shopping in Salalah : 

 We all know the benefits of online shopping and how it is convenient and easy, which is why more and more people are switching towards this alternative for shopping as who wants to be part of crowded places if you can sit back and order anywhere you are. But apart from convenience, there are certain dark sides of online shopping. Awareness is the key to happy online shopping so here are few dos and don’ts of online shopping. 

 Do’s- Make a habit always to shop from home. Many online hackers can easily track public WIFI and get all your details, so prefer to make a purchase from home than free wifi that you get in malls. Also, make no purchase from the wifi of public spots like airports, hotels, etc. 

 Don’t- Avoid the deals that you see on social networking sites. Trusting them can prove to be dangerous because the URL links used are shortened which means that you might not know whether it is taking to a reliable site or some fraudulent website. If you think the deal is interesting then just see the offer but go to the official website to check for the deals.   

 Do’s- When you visit any online purchase sites in Oman make sure you have an anti-phishing toolbar. If you don’t have one then do invest in one. Such tools help you in identifying which websites are fraud, also many of them are free too! 

 Don’t- Never use your personal or business email id. Have a separate id for retailers, you can review all the coupons and deals with this id too! There will not be much problem if your this id is hacked but just think if your personal or business id gets hacked you will lose all your data. 

 Do’s- Keep a check on your credit card bills. Make a habit to check your credit card bills on a regular basis or sign up with your credit card company to email you or text you all your purchases or authorizations that you do in a day. Don’t forget to cross-check your bills with the credit card statement. 

Don’t- Never provide too much information. Retailers/shopkeepers often ask for normal personal details like name, phone number, delivery address. They may link online payment with banks and online payment providers so they can request for debit card or credit card details. But do not share your driver’s license, passport number, or bank routing number then most probably it is a fraud. So be alert. 

 Do’s- Whenever you are doing online shopping in Salalah use your smartphone or tablet. Make sure you check what information your shopping app has access to on your phone, once you are sure then only confirm. Less permission better app. Another very important thing to remember is whenever your tablet or phone asks you to remember or save a password select “NO”. The reason is if someday you lose your phone, someone might have access to all your saved credit card details.  

 Don’t- Never fall for these gift card scams. Many times you will receive emails and SMS like receive a gift card and then they ask for credit card details or baking details, delete it at that moment. Reliable retailers never do such kinds of scams. 

 Especially amidst COVID times awareness will protect you from fraudulent offers and deals and whenever you read anything which points towards the safety of your personal belongings don’t forget to share it with your friends and family.  

 We hope you will be much more vigilant and alert now when you shop online. Abshar makes sure that our customers always have a safe and secure online shopping, as more and more digitization is happening we understand the concern of safety for our customers. With us, you will never be disappointed. Check our website to know more about our services and products that we offer and for any queries, you can email us or contact us through our social media handles. 

[prorevenge]

Sell me a fake vape? I'll destroy your E-bay store and have you investigated for fraud.

So about 6 months ago I decided to buy my first vape. I was totally new to the scene and had to do a lot of reading to find out the basics and what kind of vape was right for me. Finally I found the one I wanted, the Smok V8 Stick. Prices varied across online vape stores, but the lowest price I found was from an E-bay seller. The listing said it was authentic, and even provided free shipping. I jumped at the chance and bought it immediately.

When it came, it looked totally legit. Brand new packaging, authentication slips, and a bar code on the side. It worked pretty well for 3 months. One day I went to press the firing button and I heard a small click. To my surprise, the button caved into the battery. I tried getting it out, shaking it, and pulling it out with tweezers, nothing worked.

Naturally I was pretty mad, this was a relatively new vape that I had never dropped and always took care of. By that time I picked up more knowledge about vapes, I knew that this was far from normal. I went ahead and filed a warranty claim with Smok, provided photos of the hole where the button should be and a picture of the code on the side of the package. I was mildly horrified when a Smok rep told me that the device I had was a confirmed counterfeit.

I. Was. Fuming. Not only was I lied to and scammed, but I read about people who had unknowingly used counterfeit vapes that were burned or even had boiling juice burst out of the tank and onto their face and arms. I realized that this asshole who sold this fake to me had put me in real danger, what if instead of the button falling in it had been stuck on 'firing mode' and caused a burn or a fire? The real Smok has safety features for that, but there's no telling if this fake did or not without picking it apart.

I took a minute to calm myself, I didn't want to go off on the seller and risk not getting a response. In that time, I took screen shots of the Smok rep's messages to me, the broken vape, and the fake authentication bar code. For privacy reason's I'll call the seller: douchebag vape-guy, or DV. I sent a message to DV over E-bay, telling him that I'd like a refund and showing him all the screen shots and photos. Later that day, he responded. It went something like "it's been too long, I can't refund you even if I wanted to."

That's it. No more mercy for this guy, he obviously doesn't care about what he's doing so it's time for some revenge. I took a good hour to make some calls.

Stop number one is to E-bay. I called to report DV and his entire vape shop. The lady on the phone was very understanding and I even gave it a little extra push by saying that the fakes he's selling could harm someone badly, maybe a little manipulative but totally true.

Stop number two is to Paypal, I gave them my transaction ID and filed a dispute against the seller to get a refund. I told the guy on the phone just about the same thing, and I insisted that it be escalated to a claim. He obliged, now the ball is rolling. For those who don't know, in addition to getting the payment revoked if Paypal finds in a buyer's favor, Paypal also slaps you with a fine as well.

Stop number three, the grand finale. I called up SmokTech and asked them their policy on fake items. The lady on the phone tells me they actively seek out counterfeit sellers and work with the platform they use to get them removed. Excellent. I send the rep the link to DV's shop and the listing that I bought the vake vape from. The lady thanked me and told me they'd be looking into this matter.

Now, just to see if what I did worked, I took a screen shot of DV's E-bay store to see if anything changed in the days to come. I check back in about a week and a half later. I couldn't stop myself from laughing. DV had went from 84 listings, to a meager 7. All of the remaining listings were just little things like spare parts, rubber rings, and nick-nacks for various vape models. No vapes, no coils, no e-juice for sale.

3 days after that, I get an email from Paypal, I had won the claim. Not only did I get my money back, but Paypal was now investigating DV's seller account for fraudulent activity. Immediately I checked back on DV's E-bay store, not a single item for sale. I grin like the fucking Grinch. Hopefully this moose knuckle learns his lesson and never put his customers in danger by selling fake vapes again.

Not sure whether or not this is petty or pro revenge, so I'm putting this in both categories. I hope reading this made you as satisfied as doing it made me.

TL;DR: Guy sells me a fake product, I bring his whole E-bay store down and get him investigated for fraud.

(source) story by (/u/Fancy_Juggernaut)

[derrickdent]

BBHMM, OR HOW TO DEAL WITH THE DEADBEAT CLIENT

You’re a fucking freelancin’ badass, with a semi-steady flow of work, and you’re living the dream of doing **insert best/fave thing here** , and getting the money from your biggest fans. Can’t be better, right? Well, one of things you were probably not informed about is what happens when the dream sometimes becomes a financial nightmare. 30 day waits for payment. Invoices and reminders. Anxiety waiting for that check. Clients that don’t seem to care that you’re eating peanut butter for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while your payday is delayed in a death spiral of perpetuity. Getting stiffed sucks, and you gotta keep the lights on. How can you keep this bullshit at a minimum? I’m not a financial expert, but I’ve eaten a fair amount of shit trying to get money from clients that have a sense of urgency about everything except paying me. There’s a ton of info about this online, but hopefully my lewd voice in the choir is helpful. (Samuel L. Jackson voice) LET’S GET YOU YOUR MONEY, MUTHAFUCKA. FROM THE BEGINNING

Make sure that you get everything down in writing. Have a statement of work or a contract that states your scope of work, your fee, deadlines, usage restrictions, deliverables, and any notes about late fees, payment timetables, and billable expenses. (Example of a statement of work).

Make sure that a client knows that you can’t begin work without acknowledging these terms. They should return a signed copy of this document, or acknowledge its terms via email. Sometimes there’s a rush situation and you may be pressured to dive in. It’s still a clients responsibility to make sure everything is taken care of on paper, to protect you and to ensure that they are also in the best position to get the best from you. 

If they “politely” ignore the contract, then reiterate the terms in a follow up email, with a polite call to action (ex: “Hi! I’m just making sure that we’re on the same page about what the scope of this project is all about. I going to be [**rates, usage, time, deliverables, expected expenses, payment expectations here**]. Is that correct?). It’s important to get this down on the front end. Depending on your state, this counts as a legally binding statement.

NOTE: Try to get an upfront deposit if you can. 30-50% is normal, and this is also a test of whether the client will be good for it after all is said and done. This is also an incentive to put your best foot forward. Some clients will balk at this, but if the early “what is your rate?” convo suggests this is a possibility, go for it. This also depends on the industry. This is almost impossible with editorial, and though I’ve heard mixed stories in publishing, it’s hard to get an advance or deposit unless you’re doing a full book. Large corporations often have a convoluted accounts payable system that pretty much guarantees money will be slower than human evolution. The best results I’ve had are with small, dynamic businesses and individual clients. Once they confirm the terms, then you can begin scheduling and first steps in a project. FAST FORWARD TO PROJECT COMPLETION

INVOICE IMMEDIATELY. Seriously. Do NOT delay this. Most clients are not going to remind you to send one after you’ve finished a project, and you are ultimately responsible for this. (example invoice). Include the basics: your business name your contact info and address the client’s info and address an invoice number total due  

Don’t forget an invoice number- accounts payable folks have a hard time placing your invoice in their system without one, and you don’t want to delay things because of a technicality. You can use a simple numbering convention: I use my initials and a double digit combo (ex: DD01). Also, if you haven’t gotten an EIN, get one from the IRS. WHEN YOU APPLY, ONLY GO TO THE .GOV IRS LINK. SCAMS ARE A-PLENTY AND I WANT YOU TO AVOID TEARS THO. An EIN is great, because it can be very compromising to keep putting your SSN out there, and in some cases an EIN can get you paid faster. You should itemize your work in the invoice, similarly to how you would find items on a receipt (ex: 1- Illustration for “client and application”, **brief description** = $THIS AMOUNT.00) Write amounts in dollars and cents. Instead of “$3000”, write “$3000.00”. Again, this helps your client or client’s accountants process your payment a touch faster, and saved time counts. Include a line with a total of your billable expenses. These are items that you HAD TO purchase to finish your work. Make sure you keep your receipts, and make a PDF slideshow with scans of those items for transparency’s sake. Send that PDF with your invoice. Finally, include a line that is the grand total of EVERYTHING. Put that total in BOLD PRINT just to make sure that it’s clear what the client owes. If necessary, you can include direct deposit info. This includes your routing and account number. This way, you give the client another way to pay you, and you can fight off the delay of waiting for a paper check. Even though it’s assumed in many places, make it clear that payment is due NOW. From the moment you send the final invoice out, the onus is on the client to pay up. They should confirm receipt of this, but if they’re slow after a day or two, give them a quick email reminder. NOTE: If you have a client’s phone number, keep it handy. This will come in handy later. FAST FORWARD TO A FEW WEEKS LATER AND YOU HAVEN’T BEEN PAID YET

Either way, you’re waiting (and hopefully pursuing other work!) for money that you need. The timeframe for a reminder varies. Some people will drop a friendly note after 15 days. I tend to be a bit generous, and will wait until 10 days before the invoice is late. The email is friendly, and assumes good faith. Something like: “Hi! I just wanted to touch base about the payment for this invoice. Is there any progress on this? Is there anything I can do to assist with this? Please note that you will be 30 days late on (date here). If so, then a (late fee percentage) will be added to the final amount due.” The key is to emphasize some kind of fiscal penalty. People don’t like to spend more money, so you’ll, at the very least, get a response to let you know that things are being processed. You may also get redirected to an accounting department. If you get a number or an email to them, HOLD ON TO THIS INFO. Hopefully, at this point, the client gets the push to make good on payment. FAST FORWARD TO 30 DAYS AND NO PAYMENT

At this point, you are apprehensive because no one wants to wait to be able to pay bills, eat pizza, and enjoy their own Netflix account. The dynamic changes now, because this is the day that the client has to pay you before it’s late. Tomorrow is late. In some states, you have legal recourse to pursue payment (In NYC, the default timetable for freelance payment is 30 days). You should email your client reminding them that payment is due today. If you have their number, call them as well to reinforce this message, but emails are important now. Each email you send is a recorded effort to receive payment, and they are timestamped for posterity. Note that a client may have already sent a payment out, but the check is transit. Also, calling/emailing an accounts payable department will reveal that a payment has been made and it will be in your bank account in a few business days. Get confirmation of this before you continue. AFTER THE INVOICE IS 30 DAYS LATE

Clients need the benefit of the doubt, but it’s their responsibility to pay you now. After 30 days, you have “permission” to increase the frequency of your correspondence. During the first 10 days of being late, I will email and call every other business day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday was my model, but it may differ for you).  Afterwards, I will check in once a day. This may seem excessive, but persistence goes a long way. You may get an exasperated response, but don’t stop until you get a confirmation of payment or a layout and timeline of the payment. If you have a contact within a company, use them as your ally within an organization. It’s easier to get things moving with someone on the inside, and pressure on them will translate to pressure elsewhere to get you to stop asking for your money. Be professional, but direct. They owe you, and any further delay will result in additional fees, and possible collection action (including legal action to collect). If you have a number for accounts payable, hammer them hard. They will be probably be your last line of communication, and you’ll need to get an email to reach them again, an employee name to refer to, and a timeline for payment. 

SIDEBAR>>> NYC CREATIVE PROS AND THE FIFA ACT

If you live in NYC, you have an additional resource: the city government. The NYC Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), and The Office of Labor Policy and Standards (OLPS) have a complaint form that you should fill out as soon as the client is over 30 days late. The Freelance Isn’t Free Act (FIFA, passed in 2017) is very clear that what your client is doing is ILLEGAL, and the city will assist you in gathering materials to make a case for nonpayment. Fill the complaint form out, be very specific about your client and any related contacts. Note, they are not legal representation as much as they’re navigators who will help you find legal counsel and resources needed to file a claim in court. Remember when I said to get everything in writing? That’s important. It may be a bit of work, but find every email thread related to your freelance gig. If you’re doing this on your mobile, open the thread. Go to the first message. Find where the “print” option is. You’ll be taken to a preview window. Look for the “download” button. This is really easy with Gmail. You can basically save the entire thread as an organized PDF, with messages in chronological order

Do this with every gig-related email attached to the overdue payment. Save these PDFs to a folder. Create sub folders that can put this correspondence in context, like chapters (ex: one folder is “Beginning of Job”, another “Job in Progress”, another “Invoice/Payment Requests”). This will make it easier to navigate everything. Include the PDF folder (zipped) with your complaint folder. OLPS will take a sec to get back to you, since you’re not the only person in NYC that gets stiffed. After about 5 biz days, give them a call. This can help you get ahead of the pack. You will receive a call from an OLPS office case manager who will confirm your info. They will ask if you’ve been paid. If yes, then you can thank them and call everything off. If not, they will send a certified letter (WITH AN OFFICIAL ASS LETTERHEAD) to your client, reminding them that they’re late. They have 20 days to respond to this- if they don’t, then they will basically be on the hook to go to court for a nonpayment case. You’ll have to either get a lawyer to rep you, or you can rep yourself, but the client is on the hook to prove they don’t owe you. Since you already have a record of your interactions, this will be very difficult for them. It should be noted that clients tend to get reallll antsy when the government says that they owe money. They’ll probably contact you directly. Keep up with these responses. Each email builds out the timeline of your case, and is fodder for the cannon. At this point, they usually pay up. DISCLOSURE: I’ve never had to go to court, so you may need to look elsewhere for advice. This may be a good place to start. SPEAKING OF DOCUMENTATION- I forgot to add that you should record your calls when speaking to clients that are late. ACR is a free app that allows you to record your calls. Make sure recording is legal in your state, and always let clients know that the call is being recorded. You can borrow the “for quality control purposes” line if you’d like. Sometimes people will try to circumvent documentation by using the phone. Don’t let them weasel out of that. LASTLY, this is specifically related to NY. The parts about documenting your correspondence are universal, though. Wherever you are, a vital part of making a civil case is piling on the material against a deadbeat. Be vigilant and persistent. I would suggest looking into whether there is a state govt. entity that you can go to about civil cases, and also look up if there are any local volunteer/low cost lawyers in your area. 

The FIFA Act has been a gamechanger in giving freelancers more power to get what is owed to them, and my hope is that other cities follow suit, or organize to get similar legislation for this purpose. SIDEBAR AGAIN>>> LAWYERS

Another way to get a client to pay up faster is to lawyer up earlier. After 30 days, you should see what your options are. If you can afford it, you can consult with a lawyer and get a pro opinion about your case. They may be able to send a stern letter to your deadbeat client (WITH AN OFFICIAL ASS LETTERHEAD) prompting them to pay or else. Like with a government agency, people don’t like surprises from legal. They will probably pay up quick, but if they stick it out, then you can file a claim and take them to civil court. This will be costly for you and your client, so nonpayment usually gets resolved before this happens. If not, know that if a court rules in your favor, the client will have to pay you and cover your legal fees. My experience with lawyers is limited, and I would suggest looking elsewhere for particulars. Also, keep in mind how much you’re owed. A $300 case may not be worth as much squeeze as a $3000 or $30000 one. If it’s a low ball sum you’re owed. You may have an easier time calling it a loss and moving on. 

EDIT: I’ve been told that contingency fee lawyers are out there that don’t collect fees until after an event (like you winning or losing a judgment for example), but they’re kinda like unicorns for freelancers and tend to take on bigger cases. It doesn’t hurt to see if any are out there anyway!

NEW!>>> COLLECTION AGENCIES

So, you may want to seek help through a collection agency. They have the time and resources to call, mail, and chase money when you’re trying to focus on good clients that pay on time and are depending on your A game.

The good news is that most are contingency fee based. That is, they won’t collect anything from you until they get the money from your client.

The down side? They can take anywhere between 18-40% of what your client’s debt is. Note that I didn’t say WHAT THEY COLLECT. If your client owes $100, and the contingency based fee is $30, an agency will take $30 even if they only get $60.

Also, based on a lawyer friend’s input, if your collection agency is legally shady, you may be indirectly on the line if your deadbeat client decides to sue said agency. Also your payment, connected to the collection agency and your client’s legal battle, will be held in indefinite limbo. 

So do your homework and weigh your options before taking this route.

FAST FORWARD TO 60 DAYS Fortunately, I haven’t had to do this, but you can start pursuing legal action to get your money. Check on state laws to make sure this is the case, as well as the particulars about filing a claim. By this time, you should hopefully have a lawyer or some legal counsel at your disposal. If you don’t, then look up the laws of your state and local area to see where you stand if you have to rep yourself. Remember that as long as you have written acknowledgment of your terms of work and written acknowledgment of your invoice, things should lean in your favor. THE END

HOPEFULLY this has been helpful. The best parts of freelance (independence, flexibility, control, and self-prescribed wages) are often at odds with the pitfalls (feast-or-famine dynamics, wearing of all of the hats, taking all of the risks). It can feel like robbery when you put your blood, sweat, and tears into a project only to have an empty bank account as thanks. Some of this info is boilerplate, and some is from direct experience. If any of this relates to you, and you were able to get closer to your hard earned scrill because of this, I can die happy(er).

GOD SPEED AND GET PAID, GODDAMMIT!

ADDENDUM: One of the things that I didn’t emphasize enough is that doing this will be emotionally draining. Unless you are a robot or a stone cold Type A business beast, it will strain you. Make sure that you’re taking care of yourself mentally.

If you have a partner or family, make sure to take the help and support they provide and don’t turn your money issues into a personal issue with them.

  Also, doing this requires energy. It will feel like a part time job, and even if there are late fees that factor into what you get paid, this will largely be unpaid labor. 

Persistence is key, but I’m not going to pretend that it’s not hard or that you won’t have other obligations that make keeping up the effort difficult. I’m lucky in that my girlfriend and I have a relatively low-expense lifestyle, and no dependents, and we’re both fairly flexible because we both freelance full time, and that we had a bit of financial padding saved to weather the storm. Mileage will certainly vary.

Edit: Tumblr is weird about making links visible, so I put them in bold body font for you to find them easier.

[howtoearnmoneyonline102]

How to Earn Money Online Now

Quite a considerable number of free and effective strategies available to aid you in how you can earn money online. If like most of us which include me, I'm sure you can't afford to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for marketing firms to bring customers to your website? While these businesses promise their services will bring results, what they do or don't do for you, may or may not confirm as effective as doing it yourself. There are literally tons of people online everyday, most of them are looking for information, some of them might purchase something. Therefore that should give you your first clue as to how to earn money online? Blog vendors offer you a number of templates you can choose from. Most likely you will find among them one that offers the look and feel you're looking for. Blogging became popular and grew up with the development of the wordpress script. Today, blogging is not just a way to express your ideas but is also the biggest (in terms with numbers) source of income for online entrepreneurs, myself included. Websites like affiliatemillionsvideotraining-dot-com can teach you all the techniques to drive potential customers to your sites or affiliate sites and potential earn huge dollars online. Making $500 a day online is kind of normal and you can get started very quickly if you know the right techniques. Web designers, magazines and press need new photos, images and a lot of importantly good content daily. Often they will look for photo marketplaces and agencies to buy photos that fit their own need or article sites or PLR agencies to source their content. Website owners can earn money through other ways, and I have searched scores of sites on the net in search of the holy grail. Whilst I can't say I have reached utopia on my search, I can say that I have found some fantastic ways to earn money online along the way. It really is all about explore and a little patience thrown in whilst carrying out that research. Rest assured the internet is still a goldmine but you ought to be a good digger and experienced enough to identify the cash spots to become rich. Ultimately the internet can provide us with the most simple ways of doing almost anything. We can be sitting at home at the same time we are selling out which I for one love as it surpasses working for a living. Internet marketing is not as easy as you might think, or as some scam merchants might attempt to lead you to believe. However , if you have a complete set of strategies, it can be very easy. As the internet has given us opportunities but not just for convenience in technology but as a means of earning money online. Ezine-article sites can provide you with all the content you are searching for. As an example you are allowed to post any article from them ( including this one) in its entirety, on your internet site. However just be sure to include all active links and don't try and pass the article off as your own, as this can get serious copyright infringement consequences for you. You get free content and articles without having to write anything yourself or find the money for the content so don't abuse it. Articles, ecourses, books, scripts, videos, networking-it's all there and readily available back on the fantastic tool that is the internet. Advertisers are legitimate businesses who seek to reach the internet audience through Yahoo adwords. Moreover, paypal is now recognised as one of the most secure online transaction merchants. Ad placement is one thing but having to pay people is another thing. While they keep guessing, you can start earning, as AdSense and AdWords are no longer some sort of revolutionary new product and the domain of only the guru's, and those in the know. There are some fantastic courses on the market to allow you to have access to it as well and promoting it can give you the opportunity to make serious money if you put forth the effort. Promotion ads on blogs is an effective method to make money online and you should know when to put ads on your blog. You should ask yourself in advance of putting ads on your blog when should I put advertising ads on my blog? Ads can be easily tailored to display specific products or product categories in non-contextual mode, or highly relevant contextual ads based on ones page's content. Payout is as high as 50-80 cents per click so it can be extremely lucrative, but is mainly contingent on the quality and relevancy of the content on your site. Google AdSense is an excellent money making program on the internet and thousands of web sites are generating income with the Google AdSense program. For participating in this program, you need to have a highly professional, unique content wealthy website. Signup bonuses are realistic, referral bonuses are generous and upgrades are bargain-tastic. My only self deprecation right now would be the lack of ready-made creatives for members to advertise the site but I'm sure there will be some splash pages just around the corner. Sign up for Google's AdSense (which is totally free) and put your AdSense code on your site to share the money produced on any of your posts. The ads on the pages with people's codes are shared 50/50 with the person contributing the question. Start your business by working evenings and weekends while keeping your present job as long as practicable. In this way, if the business does not meet your expectations, you have not incurred debt and will still have a job! Start preparing a permanent vested income for the future by starting now PayPal is a globally trusted organization and if you haven't seen paypal they were founded in 1998. PayPal, is an eBay company, which enables any individual or business with an email address contact information to securely, easily and quickly send and receive payments online. PayPal's service builds on the existing finance infrastructure of bank accounts and credit cards and utilizes the world's most advanced proprietary fraud prevention systems to make a safe, global, real-time payment solution. PayPal has quickly become a global leader in online payment solutions using 86. 6 million account members worldwide and growing. Excellent content makes them come back. But whether superior or excellent, if the content is submitted in the right web directory for site and articles, visitors may become residents of your site. Excellent customer service will also fully guarantee this. Imagine for a moment a home job that is really easy, that you use only your computer to work and get paid by paypal everyday. Imagine training that will show you how to have a web site on top of the search engines with out paying anything to get you there! Imagine you are the owner of your own web business online, and whenever a customer makes a purchase you automatically earn money, even if you're sound asleep. Isn't is exciting to earn money online? You can earn money online in the next few minutes if you really want to! Finally imagine what you could do if you really tried?

[emmaekart]

Commissions Info

The money I get from commissions is going towards: A drawing tablet so I can make digital art.

DO NOT TRACE, REPOST OR COPY ANY ART IN THIS ARTICLE.

Status & Slots

Status: OPEN

One commission equals one slot- so if one person orders three pieces, that person fills up three slots. If all slots are taken you can ask to be put on a waitlist.  

Slot 1: OPEN

Slot 2: OPEN

Slot 3: OPEN

Ordering & Pricing

How to order:

Send me an email , filling out the form below. It MUST be by email; I do not check my account every day and I want all of my commissions in one place. If you have any questions as well, email me. I will let you know if you are accepted or not.

//

GENERAL INFO:

Your name:

Type/category of commission:

How many characters:

Any specific wishes/details you want included:

Background:  

CHARACTER(S) INFO:

Character name:

Character personality/description(s): Please give me everything you have on your character that you want me to have in mind when drawing them - also characters from series since I might not know them. By sending this order I confirm that I have read and accept the terms of service for commissioning Emmaekart.

Reference photos:

\\

You can place multiple orders in one mail, just include the above info multiple times.  Please include reference images of your character(s). If there is anything specific you would like me to get inspired from (e.g. environment for background or stock images for poses) please include them as well. Send your order to emmaekart@gmail.com.

Payment method:Paypal only

About Commissions

Before you order, please make sure to have read my Terms of Service. These terms apply to private commissions only. This information is NOT applicable for commercial work, therefore the art can only be used for the client’s personal purposes.

All prices below are base prices. Things that might increase the price are complex character designs, number of characters, complex backgrounds and amount of detail in the image in general.

What I Will Draw:

Furries

OCs

Anime

Video Game Characters

Cartoon Characters

Photos of people transformed into anime characters

Somewhat NSFW, no pornography

What I Won't Draw:

NSFW

Hate Art

Probably anything else, but I'm just now opening up my commissions, so feel free to ask; it may help me!

Examples & Prices

!! The prices listed may change depending on how much time and extra effort is put into the commission. !!

Sketches:

Bust: $5 / Half Body: $7.50 / Full Body: $10

Add a Background: +$2 / +$3 / +$4

Add a Character: +55% of base price (excludes background prices.)

Lineart:

Bust: $7.50 / Half Body: $10 / Full Body: $12.50

Add a Background: +$4 / +$5 / $7

Add a Character: +65% of base price (excludes background prices.)

Color (Colored Pencil):

Bust: $12.50 / Half Body: $15 / Full Body: $20

Add a Background: +$5 / +$6 / +$7

Add a Character: +75% of base price (excludes background prices.)

<<More examples and more options will be added later, but this is all I have for now.>>

<<For now, rates are all the same for all the types of art I will do, whether it be anime, furries, etc.>>

To be added in the future: Big bust, Big Half Body, Chibi, Icons, acrylic painting options, watercolor painting options, marker options

Terms of Service

If you have a problem with any of these terms, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to paying for your commissioned piece.

GENERAL TERMS

All drawings may or will include a subtle sign that you may not remove.  

I might record the drawing process and post it on social medias.

The finished product may be posted on social medias.  

Prices are subject to change based on demand.  

I have the right to reject any order that I do not feel comfortable drawing for any reason.

​

​

PAYMENT

Currency accepted is either USD and can be paid through PayPal.

Commissions can be paid either 100% upfront or split 50% upfront and 50% after sketch approval.

Don't send me any payment before I have agreed to give you a slot and requested you to send me the payment.  

​

PROCESS AND DELIVERY

I will notify you when I have started on your commission and you, therefore, lose the rights to a refund (see point 7 further below for more info on refunds.)  

While I'm working on your commission I will make reviews with you to make sure I make it just right for you!  

The amount of reviews depends on the complexity of the work.  

During the reviews, you will see work-in-progress and be able to tell me what I can revise.

The time it takes to finish your commission varies depending on factors such as health, the complexity of the commissioned piece, and how much time I am  spending with family or friends, but your commission should not take very long at all.  

If anything comes up that will slow the progress of the initially estimated delivery time I will let you know asap.  

Once the piece is finished you will receive a high quality photo of the art (I have to use my moms phone, my phone's camera is awful, that's why the photos in this are bad quality.) Note that there is no physical product. Depending on where you live, we can arrange to ship your artwork. Just ask :)

​4. REVISIONS  

If you wish for me to change something in the drawing you have previously approved, I will charge you a fee to change it. The amount of the extra charge depends on the change you want me to make and is usually based on an hourly wage.  

If your reference is unclear to start with changes will come at an extra charge.

​

COPYRIGHT / USAGE POLICY

I, Emma Knierim (the artist), claim the rights to the produced drawing, not the buyer. Therefore I am allowed to use the copyrighted artwork to: post, advertise.

The buyer is allowed to: post and use with mention.

The following is considered copyright infringement: posting without a mention, tracing, copying, claiming the artwork as your own, reselling my art.

I reserve the full rights to the image and it's use/distribution unless otherwise agreed upon (rights to the image for your own non-personal use may be purchased at any time).

​

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

I will do everything I can to make my customers happy!  

If you have a problem with anything in regards to the commissioned piece please tell me right away so we can find a solution together.  

I am willing to change some of my terms for you if you ask before I start on your commission. If you do not want me to post your art anywhere, we can discuss this.

​

REFUND / CANCELLATION POLICY

The buyer is not allowed a refund once I started working on the commission.  

If for any reason I am unable to start your commission you will receive a full refund.  

If you cancel your order before I started it, you can get a full refund.  

If you are getting a refund, do not request a Paypal chargeback. I will transfer the money back to you myself.  

If you request a Paypal chargeback at any point when you were not allowed to ask for a refund you will lose all before mentioned rights to the commissioned piece and I will have the full right to profit further from it in any way. I will decline the chargeback and supply Paypal with our conversations in which we talk about the commission as evidence that I have completed work for you. Furthermore, you will be blacklisted for commissioning me again.

​

If the buyer breaks any of the points stated above they will lose all the beforementioned rights to the artwork commissioned by me, Emma Knierim (the artist), and I will have the right to profit further from the commissioned artwork in any way I see fit. If you have a problem with any of these statements, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to paying your commissioned piece.

​

​What do you get?

Drafts that you must decide which one I should continue with (depending on the complexity of the commission there might be fewer or more drafts.)  

Sketch and/or final sketches that you must accept before I continue the work.    

Full size high quality photo of the finished work.

By purchasing a commission from me (the artist) you agree to be purchasing my services only. If you have a problem with any of the below conditions, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to paying for your commissioned piece.

Please read the terms carefully:

I, Emma Knierim (the artist):

I reserve the right to cancel and refund the order at any time for any reason.

I retain all copyrights over the commissioned artwork.

I will NOT profit further from the commissioned artwork unless you (the customer) break any of the terms.

I reserve the right to post the commissioned artwork online and use them in my portfolio.

You (the customer/commissioner):

You may upload the commissioned artwork on any website and social channels WITH MENTION.

You may NOT make profits from the commissioned piece (reselling, redistributing, uploading to POD-services, make prints, etc.)

You may NOT alter the commissioned artwork without my (the artist's) consent.

You may NOT use the commissioned artwork for commercial purposes.

You may NOT use the commissioned artwork for commercial purposes. The license to the commissioned artwork may be purchased at any point - contact me for info.

DO NOT TRACE, REPOST OR COPY ANY ART IN THIS ARTICLE.

Thank You.

Thank you for reading, I hope to see you in my email inbox!!