#on my art in general but especially my commission info

[rnbwtrout]

My Watercolor Process

Thank you for 1000 notes!!!

As promised here's a post on how I made this painting and the materials I use (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)

Also commissions are still open!!! If you have ideas I will help you bring them to life <3 Please see my pinned post!!

Process info under the cut vvvvv

First some materials!

Line art: I use Sakura Pigma Micron pens for line art. The ink in these pens are waterproof after they dry, which is very nice if you want clean line art. Usually I do my line art with a 005 size tip, and then I come back through and thicken lines and add shadows with a 03 size and brush tip. I'm still learning new ways to do lineart, but this is my current go-to.

Paints: I use Windsor and Newton paints. I haven't really tried others, and I have a few mixed feelings about some of the colors and how well they mix with others... Especially cuz this was an expensive set. Thinking about trying a new brand eventually but that's what I'm using for now!

If I'm doing a bigger project I usually brainstorm it first in my normal sketchbook. Here's the brainstorm for this one. Sometimes I feel like certain aspects of the initial sketch look better than the final piece, haha. After this I normally will free hand redraw it onto watercolor paper, I don't like to trace things over. Then I'll do the line art, allow the ink to dry entirely, and erase the pencil underneath

If I'm doing a big or complex background normally I'll lay down some masking fluid. This essentially seals the paper in some rubber so no water or color gets in, and then you can rub it off when you're done with the background. My masking fluid is really old and nasty so it's hard for me to get clean edges with it, but it does the job well enough!

Something really important to watercolor if you want vibrant colors: layering or using less water! In this case I did layering. Here is a side by side of Laios and Marcille with one layer of paint vs. two layers. The important thing when it comes to layering watercolors is to allow the first layer to dry completely before the second. Otherwise the paint may create strange textures and uneven color.

Something else important to creating vibrant colors with watercolor: taking risk with shadows!! On a whim I chose blue to use for shadows on the Lion's wings. You can really see the difference in visual impact between the blue shaded and unshaded wing. Generally speaking it's recommended to do shadows using blue or purple in watercolor, but I find this isn't always a solid rule. Sometimes it depends on what your base color is and what kind of impact you want. It's taken quite a bit of trial and error to figure out what looks good for me, and even then I'm still out here guessing.

I hit my image limit so I'll cut it off here! If you have any questions feel free to ask (:

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the asshole for refusing to help my friend out financially after they got a new dog even though they need financial help often and are currently in debt?

Everyone is this story is mid to late 20s.

I have a friend in America who is on social benefits. So I know they don't have a lot of money. I'm also not rich but I earn minimum wage in my country and can afford to pitch in a little sometimes which I don't mind doing generally. I'm also not a big spender at all and I'm able to save up something every month.

In the past I've helped them with buying groceries and even gave them some so they could buy a laptop for art commissions and some games. I don't mind doing that at all. When their old dog got sick I helped out as well. Since I figure some people are going to want to know, in the last 5 years I have given maybe about 2000 dollars.

They got a new dog after the old one passed, which I get. A dog can be a good companion. I did find it a little irresponsible to get a new puppy when they at the time needed several hundred dollars for rent. I told them it might be better to wait until they where no longer in debt with their landlord before getting a new dog. They told me they understood my concern but they got the puppy for free from a friend so it would not be a big deal and they would be able to feed the puppy.

I did tell them puppies can get sick and end up costing a lot more than anticipated but they told me they were willing to take that risk and I decided to not push any further. I had given my opinion and there is not much else I can do. I did tell them not to count on my help financially especially since I had some things of my own that needed fixing and they told me they understood and not to worry.

But then a few weeks later the puppy ate their medicinal weed, which for some reason was within reach of a puppy, and had to get it's stomach pumped and stay overnight at the vet clinic for a few nights.

They came to me and asked if I could help out with the bill and how they would pay me back in part. The bill was over 4000 dollars. I told them sorry but no I can't. First of all, I don't even have that much, I'd have to take out a loan. Second, I warned them this could happen and that I would not be able to help out financially. They seemed a little pissed at that but I just thought it was because of the stress of the situation. They said they would try and get the funds elsewhere and asked me to share it around, which I did.

Unfortunately they didn't manage to get enough to pay the vet and ended up having to give the puppy to a shelter. It's a cute and calm pup so I have no doubt it will be adopted out quickly but it's still sad and I do feel for my friend. But now I'm being blamed for it. I've been getting several angry messages from mutual friends about how I'm the reason my friend lost their emotional support and how I'm the reason they are having a breakdown and suicidal thoughts.

I feel really badly for my friend but I also don't think it's fair to put the blame on me. The reaction from my online friend group makes me feel like I'm missing something that does make me the asshole.

[spidermanifested]

okay so. since the other post hasnt gotten any takers and i am still broke im opening up more general commissions as well lol. shoot me a friend request on discord @spidermanifested if youre interested in any of the following:

regular commission fare

flat color headshot ($20): a shoulders-up drawing of any character you want, human or furry or robot or Watever. my specialty is, as always, old people. lineart and flats only.

painted headshot ($35): a shoulders-up drawing but this time i get to go hog wild with the shading. i like doing this better so youre basically getting swindled that it costs more

flat color full-body ($40): a full-body drawing in a pose of your choice. please feel free to give me some kind of reference for how you want the pose to look. even if its a stick figure. its So much easier that way

painted full-body ($55): a full-body drawing with shading. pose references also greatly appreciated

The Special Stuff

anime screenshot redraw ($30 per character in the shot): i love doing these also. if youve ever had a really good anime screenshot and you wanted an artists more detailed semirealistic rendition of it. even if its just that one of the guy from naruto kicking his leg up and saying "pathetic". especially if its that. i am your man

oc design collab ($10 per day): give me the details on an oc youre having trouble designing, from a description to existing reference material, and ill provide feedback and concept sketches until we settle on something youre happier with. it can be as much as asking me to design them from the ground up or as trivial as "do you think their hairstyle looks dumb"

fma eyecatch ($40): one of the intermission cards where the guy goes Full Metal Alchemist. with your character, matched to the fmab style to the best of my ability, which is preddy good i think

further info

if you want me to draw naked people or horny stuff thats another 20 bucks on top of whatever the price is

no horny art of characters under 18, period

i dont want to just open up ship commissions point blank because drawing people interacting is so much harder. but if the ship is something i am into as well i MAY be open to it. itd be double as expensive though

im allowed to tell you something is going to be too hard or i dont want to do it for any other reason

i take payment via paypal or cashapp, whatever works better. payment details will be given via discord. please have the money ready upfront and if for whatever reason i cant complete the commission ill refund you. once again thats spidermanifested on discord, or you can dm me on here if you dont have discord but i Vastly prefer it 👍

[shadeslayer]

my etsy shop is now live!

i have some postcard-y prints and sew-on patches for sale on there now, and more in the future as i make more blockcuts and get better materials to make more types of items

as always, i have my other pages with their own items (bonfire shirts, inprnt prints, redbubble stickers, etc) & my page linked there has other info on my art + tip jars, etc

ive also had a couple mentions to me about commissions - its very flattering & i would love to :) !! if youre interested in commissioning me for something, feel free to reach out to me on here or email nashoba.insaktalhafa@gmail.com <3 prices would be flexible and depend on what u want, but would be starting around 15-20$ with extra fees if you plan on using it for a tattoo or something, & materials + shipping fees if you want it as a blockcut patch or painting or the like

ALSO: i am currently saving up money for a plane ticket to see my husband in september. prices arent concrete, and they only get more expensive the longer i wait to buy it, but in general im aiming for 500$ . every little bit helps, especially as i have to pay out for materials to make things! so if u wanna help a 2spirit visit aer trans partner.... 👀 <3!!!!!

[see-arcane]

I figured I should interrupt everyone's dash for some notes on current real life things.

This is a hefty one, so I'm tucking everything below:

A little good news. As of this writing, I’ve sold 74 copies of The Vampyres, in eBook and paperback! That’s 74 more than I thought I would ever sell! Thank you to everyone who picked up a copy or asked your library to grab some. Especially when I know I haven’t been the most stellar self-marketer. I can’t remember the last time I opened the septic tank formerly known as Twitter, so it’s all been down to this little corner here and a skinny appearance in Goodreads. Which means I owe any attention this short and sinister tale has received to you all and plain old word-of-mouth.

That said, thank you x100000 to you and any new readers yet to take a look. (And doubly so for those of you who go out of their way to leave comments and reviews around for me to reread ad infinitum.)

For those not in the know, all the info on The Vampyres can be found here, and all my author odds and ends can be found on my website here.

On a less heartening note…

As I’d already expected, the market for career writers is…rough. Copywriting—and writing in general—is technically a big open field (full of caveat descriptions about having to work with/teach AI programs to eventually swallow your job)! Tons of open positions! Most of which either pay you in pocket change while you’re working full time or expect you to singlehandedly run the entire marketing of a business for slightly more pocket change. Everything else is bloated with contract and/or freelance work*.

*Read: Gig economy schlock trying to pass for an actual job position with payment being a coin toss. I’ve also seen one too many listings on the job boards that are volunteer positions. Plenty of exposure to rake in though, right? Ha. Ha ha.

I’ve still been applying like clockwork, same as the rest of my fellow creators trying to get by in a field that seems to actively punish trying to be a professional in said field, and still no bites further than an interview. I have years of experience and a degree, but everyone’s chasing the same crumbs, so. Yeah. I’ve got to start padding things out.

Reminder that I do have a (barely peddled) Ko-Fi. It’s there for art commissions and chucking a few spare bucks at. Which is an increasingly big ask these days, I know. You can’t scroll two posts down without hitting someone else’s Ko-Fi, Patreon, GoFundMe, Kickstarter, et cetera. We’re drowning in arting starvists here. And although I have been asked before whether I would consider going full Freelance Storywriter on top of selling art, I’m still a little hesitant on it. I do occasionally send out story submissions and have even gotten published a few times, but I get nauseous thinking about:

1) Putting up a paywall on the scribbles that assail me like a baseball bat wielded by an unmerciful Muse. 2) Putting up a ‘Stories for Sale!’ sign only to wind up disappointing prospective buyers because I didn’t do their blorbos justice even after researching X background for the piece. 3) Getting duped into being a nonconsenting ghostwriter and discovering someone else has published my work under their own name.

So, still a bit iffy on that. I’ll chew on it. But what else is left?

Before you click the button!

Stop!

NOT YET!

Before you click, please know that I am being serious about this as something to potentially make 1) something of good quality and 2) earn more money than it loses. Looking around at the merch-making/selling options, there are fees involved with making an account just about anywhere in the online store game, give or take the price tweaking needed for shipping and manufacturing blah blah blah.

With that in mind, please do not automatically hit ‘yes’ because you want to be nice. I appreciate it, but this isn’t the same thing as the Ko-Fi where there’s no real loss in just leaving it up and drawing something once every few months. This will take new designs, another subscription to pay for, more logistics to untangle for quality and pricing and all the rest of the mess. Only hit ‘yes’ if you, personally, genuinely, would like to purchase some nefarious See Arcane wares beyond a book or a digital drawing.

[kynimdraws]

INFO POST

Name: Kylee (they/them). 30+

A totally normal Korean American mostly known for my drawings, specifically my Pokemon nuzlocke comics. But I will talk about other things on occasion because I do have periods of being fixated on certain topics. I also am a doctor!

Interests: Pokemon, League of Legends (everything except the game lmao), Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Animal Crossing, Mother series, Korean history/culture, character design

General FYIs: 

General inquiries/commission work/etc should be sent thru kynimdraws [at] gmail [dot] com! Tumblr messaging/asks/etc is not 100% reliable

I will not follow NSFW accounts but I am fine talking/interacting with them. There may be suggestive shitposting but I like keeping my content on the SFW side

I am VERY picky about who I follow/interact with online. Fandom content in particular is a minefield for me aka I have many things I dislike and don’t want to see, even if it might be a popular thing in media that I otherwise enjoy. Therefore, I will unfollow/block/mute liberally. There are times I accidentally block a blog bc I mistake them for bots. So if you got hit with that, just send me an ask or email me

I am very open about what I like and dislike, and none of those things are a direct attack on your sensibilities. I have never gone out of my way to directly send hate or whatever have you if I end up seeing shit I don’t like. My complaints in my little online space ain't a personal attack on you.

My ask/submission box/DMs  are open for criticisms if you have any issues you want to resolve in private. No one is perfect and I may have done ignorant shit that needs to be pointed out. I have deleted or edited posts in the past if people tell me what I did wrong. PS I get that some of my stuff may upset you, but try to act civil when pointing shit out please.

I try to tag all my things whenever I can. Again, send me a message if anything bothers you. I am all for good debate but if you send me excessive hate or threats bc I have different opinions about matters that are trivial, I will block/delete them.

If you wish to use any of my hcs, please credit me. And if you are comfortable with it, send me the works so I can check them out! Or @ me if that is easier.

---

FIRE EMBLEM FYI: Specifically for 3Houses/3Hopes because I need a separate one for this franchise specificially given how many crazy things I got due to being involved in this fanbase via my fanworks:

DO NOT try to convince me to like or tolerate Byleth/student ships, ESPECIALLY the ones with the lords (aka CIaude, Dimitri, EdeIgard). I already summarized why I don’t like FE3H Byleth ships with student chars here. While the spinoff game FEW3H has now removed that teacher/student problematic situation, the fandom keeps putting the FE3H elements into the FEW3H fanworks (i.e. remembering Byleth from “another life” trope)...so no thanks!! DO NOT SHOW ME IT!!!

As for the Byleth ships with faculty members, my response is here so don’t try to bait me about that topic either thanks.

I do not care whom you ingame S-support. 3Houses limits the dating-sim part of the game to that character, so I cannot care less about how you play the game. The main issue I have is when people treat Byleth the “character” as a legit ship material when I personally think they are a cool character ruined by fans who are too obsessed with badly executed self insert otome tropes bc they self-project super hard onto them. Just to be clear, any FE3H or FEW3H OC/Canon >>>>>>Byleth ships personally. Even Byleth-sonas that remove the teacher/student aspects are better than canon FE3H!Byleth

Please don't drag FE VA statements as some sort of “gotcha” on my opinions like this post here. IDC what other people prefer with ship shit, that’s their problem and not mine. I am not gonna bother them about it. So don’t bother ME about it.

---

Links to check out:

Myths of Unova + Episode Grey (Pkmn White/White2 Comic)

Tales of Sinnoh (Pkmn Diamond Comic)

Art Site (Portfolio)

Twitter 

Instagram 

[miss-ali-lawliet]

Anya's background!

Hello! I am so excited to talk about my latest oc, my beloved Anya! She is paired with Laios, and a part of me is interested in possibly writing about what it would be like with her in the party! For this post I’ll tell y'all about some background info on her, I'll have a separate post most likely about her relationship with the party and specifically Laios. The first picture is an art commission I got made by Jaijiggles on Instagram! Check them out! The end of the post sketch is made by myself!

Some basic things before delving in deeper

Her full name is Anastasia, but she prefers being called Anya. She's not even fully sure why, but it makes her happy.

Her parents are both elves, meaning she is an elf, but they also became poly when she was an adult! So she has a second mom, a human woman who fell in love with her mother mainly but also loves her father very much as well. Very healthy relationship.

Her Nana is a dwarf that isn’t blood related who lived with her and helped teach her everything she knows as well as her parents.

Anya was raised in the north, not the west, and with her influences, she grew up having general respect and admiration for all races and not just her own.

She is autistic! Her main special interest is nature and animals, having such a general love and respect for all living creatures, including monsters. 

Her special interest and because of her influences in her life, she would learn what she could to become a druid mage! She also handles healing, much like her Nana, but she offers a bit more offense with her magic mainly. Including being able to transform into animals. 

Despite being brief childhood friends, it was that friendship that pushed her to bask in her passions despite what outsiders may say or think.

Because as pretty as she may look, she would be classified as weird(yet she’s literally just autistic lol) that she grew to learn how to mask when around strangers a bit more, before she was reunited with her previous childhood friends when they arrived at the same island she had moved to not too long ago.

With them, she felt like she could freely be herself without judgment, and they could honestly say the same towards her.

She could be best comparable to a rabbit, which is also one of her many favorite animals.

She really loves fruits and veggies, and honestly she really isn’t a picky eater at all. 

She also really wasn’t opposed to eating monsters either, sure it’s odd, but if dungeons have their own sustaining ecosystems.. It had to be alright to benefit from something like that? And Laios was right! She supported him full-heartedly, trying to appease the other’s about their skepticism. Especially Marcille. 

It’s hard for her to pick a favorite monster, she absolutely loves Senshi’s cooking, but one of her favorite treats was the ghost sorbet, and dragon meat really is one of her favorites as well.

Background

Anastasia is an elf, yet she grew up raised in the north rather than the west. 

Before I move onto anything else, I’ll talk about her parents! Her mother is a powerful mage, even used to work with the royalty of the elves. Her father mainly focused on combat, his favorite weapon being his trusty bow and arrow. Both elves that lived in the West for a long time, but they felt themselves growing disdain with the treatment of other races from the elves point of view. Her mother always liked tallmen/women, and thought the races were just as brilliant in their own shared ways (she is neurodivergent, which did pass down to her daughter) and her father found himself sympathizing with her views.

So what did they do? They decided to leave, heading to the North where they would join an adventurer’s party together to make more of a living. The party had become a bit of a found family in a way, and her mother was particularly close with a dwarven female named Mirja. 

They had a good life together that way for a while until it was discovered that she was pregnant. It was a bit of a wake up call for the couple, that perhaps after the adventures they shared, the biggest one they’d have to tackle was parenthood, and they wanted to do it away from the dangers of the life they lived for a while now. 

So they would leave the party, but they wouldn’t leave empty handed. Mirja would insist on coming with them, that they would need all the help they could get. Dungeons and fighting monsters were one thing, but parenthood? She knew they needed the extra hands. With that, they would travel more north to try to find a home.

There they found a place to live, and they had their daughter, Anastasia!

They would raise her there for a long time, but when she got older they would eventually have to leave her childhood home due to unfortunate circumstances, which had an ex party member suggest a certain village to live near temporarily with some of that party member’s family there. 

Anya’s family found themselves staying near the same village that Laios and Falin Lived in. From the elf girl’s wandering around until coming across the siblings. Despite being there for a short time, she had spent so much of her time with them both, being each other’s real first friends. Their friendships were something that Anya held close to her heart and cherished deeply, they had such a deep impact on her that she held onto into her adulthood.

She had so many good memories with them, that it really was devastating for the three of them when she had to leave. She wished that she could see them again one day, and she vowed to herself that she would come back to the village in the future if necessary. 

Her family found their new proper home on a farm, and from there the young elf would continue to learn from her family. She was essentially home-schooled, learning from her mother and her mage work as well as from Mirja who was a druid-cleric.

For years, she was so dedicated to her work that once she left home she would move to start with taking on jobs to help her get experience.

They weren’t crazy jobs, but it was enough for her to try to ‘learn’ to be normal and get better with her magic. Years passed like this, her moving between groups and people, until she would finally move to the Island. It’s on that island, when staying in inns that she would come across two newcomers to the island one day. It was Laios and Falin! 

After being reunited with them, they would of course decide to all move in together so they could be able to afford someplace decent while also starting to take on work together!

They eventually would join their first party together with Shuro, Namari, Chilchuck, and Marcille, leading to the events we all know. 

I think I'll end this right here before it gets too long! I hope you all are having a great rest of your day/night!

[ihatedean]

please help my baby get his ear surgery done<3

thank you for clicking read more :)

so after months of testing the vet informed us a few days ago that our cat does, in fact, have skin cancer. to get more specific it's actually squamous-cell carcinoma.

(text is in spanish but im sure google lens can translate pretty well.)

it's affecting the tip/side of his left ear and hasn't spread to his nose or the other ear, so the vet recommended surgery to get the ear removed as soon as we possibly can. this would be on september 2nd, this monday.

exams like x-rays and biopsies have already been pretty expensive so i'm making this post to hopefully offset the cost of his pinnectomy (ARS$180,000->USD$189) even just a little bit. the whole thing has been really stressing and adding to that a messed up family situation where i can't ask them for help, please trust me when i say i wouldn't do this if i didn't need to.

details for the fic commissions:

my ao3 account for reference

right now im working on stuff for supernatural and formula 1 so that's where my brain's at, mostly, but ive done a lot of writing for jojo's bizarre adventure (im Very fluent with jotaro and all part 3-4 characters) and for the argies in the room, i've even written stuff for los simuladores and el marginal. i have no issues writing in spanish (rioplatense).

im also comfortable writing for genshin impact. been playing for years and im familiar with the lore up until fontaine. i've been itching to write something for a while :)

im Very Very familiar with x reader fics and will do OC x Character or OC x OC gladly as long as you provide character art or detailed descriptions to help me capture them best.

im comfortable writing pretty much every ship for the fandoms i named and can do gen, teen, mature and explicit works. im open to all kinks and have a history of doing incest and age-gap pairings. im comfortable with most dark themes— will write dub-con, non-con, cnc, and want to hear your weirdly specific skinks. in general, it's easier to say what i will not do than what i will. no judgement, as long as you respect

what i will not do:

horror

gore

necrophilia

violent non-con or explicit non-con (mentioning it in the story is fine, but i will not write the actual scene)

scat

vore

race play (hateful imagery/racial slurs)

kidfic

for formula 1 im simply inept at doing maxiel and c2. in general, i struggle with max and carlos. won't write anything for lando, sorry. anything else from 2010 to 2024 is fine, and im open to AUs of any kind as well as gender bending :)

pricing

Tier 3 — USD$5 for 500 words. 5 slots open

Tier 2 — USD$10 for 1k to 3k words. 2 slots open

Tier 1 — USD$25 for 4k to 10k words. 2 slots open

if i exceed wordcount in any case, it's on me. i'm a yapper.

contact me here or ask for my gmail in tumblr dms ^^

i can only accept ppal for USD$. if you're in argentina and you're interested, dm me for mercadopago info :)

(if you just want to donate that's totally cool. i just felt weird asking for money without anything to offer. it's a me thing)

ppal link

if you read this whole thing, thank you. here is the boy himself. he's almost 11 years old, incredibly grumpy, manipulative, called ugly by almost all my friends, has already gone through eye surgery so that's why his eyes look Like That, and on the rare occasion he sits on my lap i literally cry.

please put sunscreen on your cats, especially if they have white hair like aki. we didn't know for the longest time that exposure to the sun could cause skin cancer on cats and by the time we knew and started doing it, it was too late.

[almightyrayzilla]

I promise you, this is the only time I will ever willingly post AI generated imagery on any of my pages...but G-Fest is DEAD to me. I first attended in 2006, then again in 2009. I got my start doing artist alley tables at this show in 2010, then branched out to other shows. I even did the promo art for the 2019 show. I cannot tell you how much of my life was shaped from meeting the folks I have met because of this convention.

I'm not even mad. I'm sitting here along with my fellow artists, laughing our asses off. Not because it's funny, but because NONE of us are deeply surprised.

Let's go back a bit.

In 2018, the artist alley (AA) was moved to the lower floor of the hotel. Now I let this slide - the Crowne Plaza had just replaced the area that was used previously with the Caddyshack restaurant. Duh, we couldn't use that area anymore. There was some pushback, that maybe something else could be moved downstairs, but there was refusal to budge. Whatever, us artists actually did pretty good that year, despite a rather sequestered and tight space.

Then for 2019 - we were told a Toho rep was coming, and we were hit with a 30% limitation, which essentially meant that for every ten pieces of art we had, only three of them were allowed to be Toho related. Gamera, Ultraman, Kamen Rider - fair game. I mean, let's put aside that no one could enforce that (and no one tried) - the person in question wasn't even tied to Toho. And even if they were...they'd be more concerned about, say, bootleg DVDs and such.

Personally speaking, my sales were even better, so even with the limitation, people still did alright. Gee, it's almost as if AA is a big attraction at a convention, especially one as niche as this.

Then 2020, when our good friend COVID-19 came about. Someone decided it'd be a good idea to spread misinformation about the pandemic with G-Fest's Twitter page. Among those who spoke up were the artists who regularly attended through its artist alley. A Facebook page that was specifically set up for AA members to share info and whatnot was then told to no longer associate with G-Fest.

And for the record, G-Fest didn't happen that year because of a statewide mandate. No no, the con wasn't canceled it because they recognized the severity of things, it's because Illinois shut everything down.

Well, here comes prep for 2021 (which ultimately became the 2022 show, since it was pushed back again). That's when G-Fest hit us with the AA contract. It forbade artists from selling prints of Toho fan art (originals/commissions were okay, but not reproductions), unless we held a license to sell prints of that work. We could not sell Godzilla fan art prints at this Godzilla convention. We tried to speak with them, to see if there could be some compromise...which there wasn't. They kept saying that the reason for it was to stay on good terms with Toho, even citing a big C&D sweep Toho was doing (they were after bootleggers, not fan artists). Heck, even one of my good friends actually did get a C&D (prior to said sweep), and they have legal word that they were allowed to sell prints of Godzilla art. But apparently, that wasn't good enough for G-Fest. HMMMMM...

I was actually willing to abide by these tighter rules, even planning on trolling them with a few pieces of Jirahs and Gomess (though Jirahs without the frill might have been a bit too risky, lol). We were trying to talk with the head of the vendor room, who was not exactly being clear and timely with responses. Well, someone went to the head of the show to ask if they were being compliant with the rules - I guess they gave a different answer, because that's when the showrunners started bickering about not seeing eye-to-eye on some things, ultimately telling the artist it's best they not come.

That's when I backed out. A few of us had paid for our table/badge for the 2020 show, which was rolled over; with the option available, I asked for the refund. The head of the vendor room said the request was put in. Almost two weeks go by. I go to the showrunner, and within 20 minutes, I get the refund. Look, I know G-Fest isn't a big corporate show, and I try not to be a snob, but I expect SOME professionalism. that's why I've backed out and refuse to ever attend G-Fest ever again. But that's not where things stopped.

During the 2022 show, I was told an artist said screw it and put Godzilla prints out on their table to sell. I laughed and said, "Yeah, and how much of that was playing favorites?" I mean, G-Fest kicking this person out? That would be glorious. But someone like me? I'm pretty sure they'd have banned me on the spot. And I'm not even going to get into the vendor who was selling bootleg DVDs, so...yeah. And from what I hear, the 2023 show forbade ALL fan art prints, not just Toho IPs. I can't imagine how hard they're gritting their teeth trying not tell artists to get lost outright.

*deep breath* And that brings us to today's nonsense. After all that, they pull this. And of course they've turned off comments on the Facebook posts for these...pictures. I mean, after my turn in 2019, we had the idea of giving each AA artist a shot to do the promo art each year before all this crap reared its ugly head.

Like I said, I'm not even mad, I'm actually having a good laugh over all this. If I'm shocked by anything, it's how quickly this convention pulled its 180. The point of this post is to just be informative of what has been going on the past couple years, and why the artists who usually go haven't come back.

But most of all, if/when people ask if I'm going to G-Fest next year, here's the TL;DR version: NO.

[artistsof1d]

1D Artist Masterlist

An ongoing list of artists willing to create art for you and your fics! Will be updated as more artists sign up using the form here.

To prevent minors from seeing 18+ content, we have decided to have 18+ members only 💕

Ash

Link to art

Art Styles: Fanart, Moodboards, Manips, Comics

NSFW Art: No

Preferences: I prefer creating Louis, Harry and Larry fan art as that's what I'm used to, however I am working on my style more to include the other boys. But for now, Harry, Louis and Larry. I prefer not to create nsfw fan art at this moment in time, but can create suggestive manips and moodboards. Also, I prefer to create for more fluffy topics and stay away from dark and dddne themes. My style at the moment is mainly cartoon-like but I am working on my more realistic art.

Will NOT create: NSFW fan art, dark and DDDNE themes. Art for pairings outside of the 1D boys (exceptions to Lewis Capaldi).

Timeline: At least 2-3 weeks beforehand

Commission information: None

Contact info:

Tumblr: @enchantedlandcoffee

Discord: enchantedlandcoffee

Email: enchantedlandcoffee@gmail.com

Twitter: ashtheduckling

---

Zjo

Link to art

Art Styles: Fanart, Moodboards

NSFW Art: Yes

Preferences: i’m mediocre at moodboards, so i prefer to make drawn art, but i’m happy to make a moodboard if someone really wants one, lol

Will NOT create: ships that are not between some combination of the five boys- no external pairings plz

Timeline: depends on what you want! if you want something quick and small, a week will generally be fine. if you want something involved and complex, i’ll need more time.

Commission information: i do not take money for art, but if people want to donate in my name to specific causes, i will happily encourage that

Contact info:

Tumblr: @justanothershadeofblue

---

T

Link to art

Art Styles: Fanart

NSFW Art: Yes

Preferences: the OT5 boys

Will NOT create: no violence, no gore, no non-1D characters

Timeline: few weeks is probably fine

Commission information: None

Contact info:

Tumblr: @feelmytraces

---

Kal

Link to art Link to art

Art Styles: Fanart, Video Trailers

NSFW Art: Yes

Preferences: I love drawing any of the 1d boys, portraits particularly ! larry especially are wonderful to draw

Will NOT create: I don’t do anything non-con related or nsfw for characters or people under 18. you COULD ask me to create art with animals but I cannot guarantee it will be good. I also generally don’t do chibi art. I reserve the right to say no to anything, but if you’re unsure about something, don’t hesitate to ask !

Timeline: anywhere from 1-3 weeks, depending on the complexity of the project/whether it’s just lineart or colored

Commission information: none - but I do have a ko-fi if anyone *really* feels the need to give money

Contact info:

Tumblr: @louieshalo

Twitter: louieshalo

Email: louieshalo@gmail.com

---

Tiffany

Link to art

Art Styles: Manips

NSFW Art: Yes

Preferences: larry!

Will NOT create: ziam (too many tattoos….unless your manip request doesn’t include their tattoos!)

Timeline: typical turn around is a couple days

Commission information: None

Contact info:

Tumblr: @liminalkitty369

Twitter: liminalkitty369

---

Christina

Link to art Link to art

Art Styles: Moodboards, Edits

NSFW Art: Yes

Preferences: nope!

Will NOT create: nope!

Timeline: 1-2 days in advance

Commission information: None

Contact info:

Tumblr: @louisgayvodka

---

Gigi

Link to art

Art Styles: Fanart, Moodboards

NSFW Art: No

Preferences: Prefer Harry as I find him easiest to replicate but happy to give lots of things a go. I tend to replicate specific styles like hanna barbera, animal crossing etc

Will NOT create: Not sure!

Timeline: A month? But flexible depending on the time of year

Commission information: None

Contact info:

Tumblr: @ohharold

---

An

Link to art

Art Styles: Fanart

NSFW Art: Yes

Preferences: b!louis art, any ship with louis included, rare pairs are okay too!

Will NOT create: ships without louis, b!harry art

Timeline: at least 10 days preferably

Commission information: Commissions

Contact info:

Tumblr: @lemelous

Twitter: lemelous

Email: lemelous@gmail.com

---

Lou

Link to art Link to art

Art Styles: Moodboards, Gifsets. i can attempt gif manips (you can find some in my creations) but it might take a bit of time to make those.

NSFW Art: No

Preferences: any topic that isn’t too specific is fine with me as it’s sometimes hard to look for clear footage of certain things. as for ships, i’d prefer any within the 1d boys, and only louis rare pairs. as for girl direction, i can attempt to make something with gifs but it wouldn’t include faces.

Will NOT create: no full faces of kids, no underage (<18), no age regression, no daddy kink, no rape (even if it’s not between the main pairing), no incest/selfcest. i can’t think of anything else at the moment but i’m willing to talk to the author before deciding if i can help with their visuals or not.

Timeline: if they only want moodboards with pics, it can be two days prior. if they want a simple gifset (not specific footage), five days prior. if it’s a very specific topic and it must be included in their visuals or if it’s a gif manip, one to two weeks prior. they can contact me way before their deadline, it’s better to give them more options.

Commission information: if they want to tip me, they can do it at: https://ko-fi.com/nouies

Contact info:

Tumblr: @nouies

Email: nouieswrites@gmail.com

---

Shan

Link to art

Art Styles: Fanart, Moodboards, Graphic Posters

NSFW Art: No

Preferences: Louis, Harry, Larry

Will NOT Create: characters I am willing to try any. tho i am not comfortable with dddne topics

Timeline: a week or two at least

Commission information: None

Contact Info:

Tumblr: @tomlinsins

---

Rae

Link to art

Art Styles: Fanart, Moodboards, Manips, Video Trailers

NSFW Art: Yes

Preferences: larry, louis, and harry mostly, but i am willing to try out other ships just nothing outside of ot5. i feel comfortable drawing anything nsfw or sfw. i also love to create moodboards/covers and have slowly been making manips. i have a job in videography, so if there is a video trailer needed i would need a lot of time in advance since i do a lot of other video projects and art/moodboards/manips are quicker and easier!

Will NOT Create: i really don't draw anything too dark (anything that might fall under dddne, extreme gore, certain kinks, ect) but im willing to discuss and work with you depending on the topic/contents.

Timeline: preferably 2 weeks for a drawing or manip, one week for a moodboard and 1-3 months for a video, depending on length/content.

Commission Information: I don't charge for my art but I do have a ko-fi if people want to leave a tip

Contact Info:

Tumblr: @28goldens

Twitter: 28goldensart

Discord: rae.raeokay

---

Biz

Link to art

Art Styles: Fanart

NSFW Art: Yes

Preferences: Louis bl, Harry, Larry

Will NOT Create: Any other member of 1d or very explicit requests

Timeline: A 2 week window

Commission Information: None

Contact Info:

Tumblr: @vrebty

---

[ryuichirou]

Since my blog is mostly dedicated to twst for now, I’ll leave a couple of links and a very short FAQ related to it.

My carrd info

My ko-fi page for twst sketches that I won’t post at all or post after I share them there

My commission info

The most frequently asked questions are below (you can find most of this in my carrd):

So far we've watched: Prologue, Episodes 1-6, Halloween events (both), Glorious Masquerade, Port Fest, Camp Vargas (both), Wish Upon a Star, Beanfest, the Harveston event, Sam's New Year event (2022), Stage in Playful Land, White Rabbit Fest, Ghost Marriage

To avoid repeating myself all the time, I'll have all of the twst characters as tops and bottoms (as we see them, obviously):

Tops: Ace, Trey, Cater, Ruggie, Jack, Azul, Jade, Floyd, Kalim, Rook, Ortho, Lilia, Sebek, Crewel, Crowley, Che’nya, Neige, Gidel.

Bottoms: Riddle, Deuce, Leona, Jamil, Vil, Epel, Idia, Silver, Malleus, Trein, Rollo, Fellow Honest.

We don't switch them and we don't ship two tops or two bottoms. We don't like switching and we don't entertain this idea, it doesn't interest us, without any exceptions, ever. Don't mention them to us in a shipping way, please.

If, for some reason, you want to know a little more about the logic or the principle behind this, here’s a couple of posts dedicated to the types that we like: the one where we talk about our favourite types of tops/bottoms and why it's so strict with us.

Our twst ships:

Our most favourite absolute alpha ships ever:

Azul/Idia

Ortho/Idia

Lilia/Idia

Jade/Idia

Floyd/Idia

Ships that we love:

Ace/Deuce

Trey/Riddle

Floyd/Riddle

Kalim/Jamil

Azul/Jamil

Rook/Vil

Sebek/Malleus

Sebek/Silver

Sebek/Idia

Lilia/Silver

Lilia/Malleus

Ships that we like:

Trey/Idia

Ortho/Vil

Floyd/Vil

Floyd/Epel

Rook/Epel

Che’nya/Riddle

Crewel/Trein

Jack/Vil

Jack/Deuce

Ruggie/Jamil

Ruggie/Leona

Neige/Vil

Fukukaicho/Rollo

Gidel/Fellow

Mobs&Bosses/Fellow

All top characters from NRC/Fellow

We don’t have any Yuus/OCs related to twst.

Do not tag my art or headcanons as "x reader".

You can find full NSFW versions of my art either on my twitter or on bluesky. If you want to be notified about me posting this type of art, when I have a preview here, please make sure to check that your account settings allow you to see mature content.

I tend to say “we” instead of “I” because I want to include Katsu, who is my partner and also my best friend, as well as the author of all of our AUs + a person who gives me a lot of drawing ideas and helps me with drawings in general. We dive into stuff together and share a lot of thoughts, so I’m very used to including both of us into conversations. Katsu also helps me to run all of my social media pages, but I’m the one writing the replies and comments.

I'm very sorry if my reply can take up to a couple of months or more, especially if it's a headcanon post or something that is lengthy to write. I'm very slow at writing... But I'll get to them, I promise! You can ask me about them if you want to know whether I received those and you worry lol

Tags that might be interesting: #ryuichirouart ; #about drawing; #headcanons; #about characters

[that1notetaker]

Guess Who has too much free time on their shoulders and finally decided to open up commissions! Rottmnt Flavoured.

Specifically, I'll be making doodles and sketches (+ light linearts) with some color thrown in between, but no large and complicated works. See below for more info! :]

I'll be receiving both art requests, which you can send through the ask box and won't cost you a thing, and art commissions—the main difference being that commissioned pieces will have little extra care and time (twinkle twinkle) put into them (twinkle twinkle).

In the case you can afford a small commission, I'd appreciate it! Every bit helps. However, if it's a headcanon you want to drop and flabbergast me with, Well, I'm not going to complain either.

Okay, so! Some base lines:

-I won't be accepting stuff that goes out of line by general overall standards, so if you have any doubts about what oversteps or doesn't, you can ask :)

-I do draw Turtle-sona's. They can be very fun, especially with how creative the designs can be.

-I do draw weird funky machines because weird funky machines are always on the table.

-I don't do complicated backgrounds (yet).

-I don't do overcomplicated perspective and dynamic posing, but I can do my damn best.

Very well then; if anything catches your fancy, send a message and we'll talk it out! Prices aren't extremely rigid, so as long as the drawing fits the effort, I'm open to discussing changes. And for the love of god, don't repost my stuff. That'd be—what's the opposite of nice—Not nice. Morally dubious. Questionably sensible. But more specifically, a prick move.

Okayokayokay, I work with Paypal, and bye for now!! (Btw, asks always brighten my day, so feel free to say hi :D)

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for refusing to make my grandmother a piece of art?

I (17x, they/them) graduated high school about a year ago, and as a graduation gift, my grandmother (70s) bought me a $400 art tablet, since I'm well known in the family to be an artist. I had mentioned it to her as something that I wanted, but since her and I are not that close, I had expected her and a few other family members to all pitch in. My grandmother has quite a lot of money, though, and frequently spends hundreds of dollars on her grandkids (for example, she bought each of my sisters (8 + 12) 200+ dollars worth of LEGO sets a few months prior to my graduation party, and spends even more money on my cousins, who ask for things more than me and my sisters.), so she just bought it and some accessories for it.

I had thanked her profusely for the art tablet several times, as it was something I really wanted. I use it all of the time, it's very good quality, and I enjoy making art.

I make art entirely for myself; I don't do commissions, and I rarely make art pieces for other people. If I do, it's as a birthday/Christmas gift. I do not share art that I make for myself with other people, partly because I get nervous about criticism, and partly because my family generally reacts negatively to anything that they perceive as "weird" (i.e. elves, OCs with non-human features, religious imagery, etc, all things that I draw regularly.)

My mom (44) told me that I should make a piece of art for my grandmother, using the tablet. I told her I did not want to do that, as I don't enjoy making art for other people, especially if I am told to.

She says that it would a nice thing to do, and while I agree that it would be nice, I don't draw things would appeal to my parents, much less my grandparents.

I have attempted a couple of times to sit down and make a nice piece of art for my grandmother, but my art style tends to be very contrasting to the sort of thing my grandmother likes, and I have no idea what I would draw for her. And again, I don't like sharing my art that much, so I just decided not to do it.

I've written my grandmother a thank you card, and thanked her in person several times. When she asks about it, I tell her enthusiastically that I enjoy it, and appreciate it, telling her about some things that I've drawn.

I think that this is good enough, and my grandmother has never asked for an art piece, but my mom still makes comments about it almost a full year after the party-- "You'll draw an elf lady, but you won't draw something for Grandma?". It's been getting increasingly annoying, so I finally just told my mom that no, I don't plan on drawing something for her.

My mom said that I was being rude, and that I should consider "how happy Grandma would be" if I made something for her.

So, am I the asshole for saying I wouldn't draw something for her?

What are these acronyms?

[yinza]

Updated commission info! All prices listed in USD.

Flat Color: $65 for half-body, $85 for full-body

Full Color: $95 for half-body, $130 for full-body

Lineless Painting: $125 for half-body, $170 for full-body

A discount of 20% or more may apply to additional characters. Complex designs may increase the price.

Please contact me via email at yinza@yinza.com!

Additional details under the cut. You can send me an ask if you have any general questions, but please submit serious inquiries by email!

When you contact me, please provide the following:

For fan art: the full names of characters and their fandoms

For OCs: a simple description, e.g., “a human woman in plate armor”

A brief description of the interaction (kissing, riding a bike, etc) and any background elements

Your desired style (e.g., full-body flat color, etc). If there are specific pictures in my gallery that you like, please tell me! This is especially helpful, and I’m happy to give price quotes for styles that don’t quite fit my commission examples.

Any deadlines you may have; I will let you know whether or not I can meet them.

If you need specific dimensions, let me know! By default I work at 2550x3300px (8.5x11″).

If you would prefer your commission to remain private, please let me know up-front.

Once I accept the commission, you should be ready to provide reference images and details about character expressions and poses, etc.

I WILL draw:

Fandom characters, including those from fandoms I am unfamiliar with.

OCs and fandom OCs, including OC x canon character pairings. If you have no art/reference sheets, I can work from descriptions. Just please don’t give me their life story, only what’s visually relevant!

Anthro, armor, mecha, animals - these are all fine, but more complicated designs may increase the price.

Real people that you personally know, e.g., you and your friend hanging out or a portrait of your mom.

I will NOT draw:

Crisis Core fanart.

Anything of a sexual nature, including fetish art of fully-clothed characters. I will consider waist-up nudity provided it is not sexualized.

Excessive violence or gore.

Anything bigoted or mean-spirited towards real people.

I reserve the right to decline a commission for any reason.

Payment

I use Square invoices to request payment. Accepted payment methods include: credit/debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or ACH. No Square account is required.

I accept payment up-front. I will not begin work until I have received payment. I may accept partial payment up-front for commissions of $200 or more, but you will not receive the completed piece until it has been paid in full.

Copyright & Sharing

By commissioning me, you are purchasing my services. You may share the completed commission with attribution, but you may NOT use it to sell prints or otherwise turn a profit. If you would like to purchase the rights to use my artwork commercially, I will require a written contract and it will affect the price.

Otherwise, I retain copyright over the work, and may choose to post it on my portfolio and social media. I will not post artwork of real people without permission from the subject(s).

How It Works

You email me with a commission request.

I will confirm whether or not I can take on the project, and may ask clarifying questions about your request. (I typically respond within a few days, so if you don’t hear back, check your spam filter!)

Once I have a clear understanding of what you want, I will provide you with a price quote and an estimated completion date.

If you agree to the price, I will then send you an invoice.

You pay the invoice.

Depending on the complexity of the piece, I will send you at least one WIP so that you can confirm the work is progressing according to your wishes.

Once I have completed your commission, I will send you the finished artwork.

At this point, you may request minor tweaks to the artwork, but I will not make any major changes.

[juicezone]

agere/petre art requests!

status: OPEN inbox: 8

see below read more for further details!

rules:

you must obey the dni of this account. especially please do not request or reblog if you are k!nk, nsfw, generally not safe for kids. you will be blocked.

i will not do irl people (mcyters don't count bc im not drawing THEM. i'm drawing the characters they play)

please be kind when asking :) these are not commissions, i am not required to do them!

if your request is something i'm not comfortable with doing, i'll priv answer so you have the option of sending another if you'd like! (if you're on anon, i'll try and make a vague ask description

please put separate requests in separate asks! IE: if you ask for Character from Fandom A and character from Fandon B, please send two asks! (Unless you want them together which is fine :P)

not a rule but feel free to give suggestions! IE: "Can you draw character with a green paci" or "can you draw character as a fox pet-regressor?" or "can you draw character and character as cg + regressor?" (just make sure to specify who is who!)

(NEW, 7/18/23) I'd prefer to not draw your persona/sona/ect! I don't mind drawing in a "blank/YN" type character, but I no longer would like to draw personas/sonas/ect. Sorry! (NOTE: THIS IS EXEMPT FOR FRIENDS LET ME DRAW YOUR AGERE OCS SO BAD)

(NEW, 10/21/23) I'll happily draw supplies such as pacis, diaps, blankies, onesies, ect! Just include the info in the ask (Feel free to include design suggestions or diaps to reference from! keep in mind they won't be 100% identical ^^')

(NEW, 12/27/23) Requests may take a while! I work 30-40 hrs a week on top of being a full time student. I might get it done immediately, it might get done in three months or longer. Usually I do them in order, but not always! If you come into my inbox and repeatedly ask abt it (esp if ur rude) i will delete it. and i will block you.

fandoms i'll def do!

-Bluey -MCYT (characters ONLY) -star trek -Pokemon -FNAF -warrior cats -Nintendo -Disney -(Other Child friendly media) -honestly, just ask as long as its NOT on the Won't do list feel free to send in asks of fandoms that aren't on the above list! if i'm not comfortable doing them, if you read the rules you'll know what i'll do ^^

fandoms i def WONT do

-harry potter -irl ppl (as in the content creators not their played characters) -hetalia -Attack on Titan -Media that is primarily NSFW in a 18+ way (Honestly it's hard for me to explain what this counts as, so really just asking is the best way to go about it!)

[missjanjie]

The Greatest Show | Nymphia x Sapphira

Title: The Greatest Show Summary: Nymphia is an anxious new art teacher. Sapphira is a well-established and well-loved history teacher who takes her under her wing. But after an inter-subject project has them spending a lot more time together, even the students take notice of the sparks between them. (this is a commission for @derpyavocado) Word Count: 1707 Relationship(s): Nymphia Wind/Sapphira Cristal Rating: T Commission Info | Past Commissions

“You lucked out this year, Ms. Wind,” Sasha hummed as they rounded the corner, “you couldn’t have gotten a better classroom neighbor,” she said as she brought them both to a halt and gestured to the door that connected her classroom to another. “In the ten years she’s been here, there hasn’t been a single person that’s had a genuinely bad thing to say about Ms. Cristal.”

“Careful, Sasha,” Sapphira chuckled as she leaned against the door frame, “you’re gonna make that sound like a challenge, you’re playing with fire, gassin’ me up like that.”

Nymphia smiled at that, feeling immediately put at ease by Sapphira’s presence. She couldn’t quite explain it, but it felt like there was a calm aura surrounding the history teacher like she would never judge her for asking a ‘dumb’ question or mispronouncing an ‘easy’ word. “Rest assured, I didn’t come here to make enemies, especially not with someone apparently so beloved.” 

“I’ll leave you two to get acquainted,” Sasha hummed and left the two of them in the art studio. 

“Don’t you worry, honey, if any of them kids give you a hard time, you just send them next door and I’ll set them straight. I don’t tolerate the hazing of students, teachers, or anyone else that finds their way into my territory, and if they have to learn the hard way, so be it,” Sapphira assured. “And don’t let Ms. Plane scare you, math teachers are all bark and no bite.”

The new teacher exhaled deeply, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief, realizing then how desperately she needed an ally – a friend – in this new environment. It was her first solo teaching job after receiving her Master’s degree. She’d dealt with a wide array of attitudes and personalities, but this one was utterly refreshing. “You have no idea how much I appreciate it,” she replied earnestly.

She waved it off. “It’s my job, baby. We were all new and wet behind the ears once. And teachers have it rough enough as it is. The best thing we can do is support and uplift each other.”

—

“You got a minute?” Sapphira asked as she let herself into Nymphia’s classroom. “I have an academic proposition for you, an interdisciplinary project, if you will.”

Nymphia looked up from the sink, still holding a handful of paintbrushes with a rainbow of colors splattered up her arms. “Oh?” she tilted her head curiously, quickly rinsing and drying herself off before perching herself on top of her desk. “Do tell, I’ll take any help with lesson planning that I can get.” As far as she was concerned, teaching was the easy part – it was figuring out the whats and the hows that had her up at odd hours of the night.

“I had a feeling,” she chuckled. “The class took a vote on what historical facet they wanted to focus on, and fashion won by an overwhelming majority. So, here’s my thought: Historical Fashion Show. I figure we can let them pick which period, have them type some blurbs on the different clothing items, and then you come in to help them modify whatever pieces they find to fit the look. Once it’s all in place, they can have a runway in the auditorium.” 

Her eyes lit up at the idea, the dark brown glistening with enthusiasm. “Oh my god, that’s genius!” She quickly grabbed her notebook and started scribbling rapidly, fast enough for Sapphira to think smoke was about to come off the pages. “Now, are we focusing on a general fashion era or do they have free range as long as they follow the prompts?”

“Nineteenth century and earlier. The last thing I need is some wiseass asking to borrow some clothes for historical accuracy.” 

“Modern history is its own entity anyway. I want to see these kids try to get more creative than a poodle skirt or zoot suit,” Nymphia assured without looking up from her book. “Oh!” She suddenly set the notebook down and looked back at her. “Do you think we can convince Sasha to let us do a field trip? There’s a thrift shop in the West Village that specializes in costume clothing, there’s always tons of historical stuff marked down.” 

Sapphira grinned in approval and, more subtly, affection. “Looks like I’m not the only genius here. I’ll pitch it to the boss after my extra-help session.”

—

Luckily, Sasha decided to give the teaching duo carte blanche for whatever they wanted to do for the project, even making sure they secured the auditorium for the fashion show. She had even suggested taking pictures of the process and the show to submit to the yearbook. 

“Can I please, please, please be in charge of taking the pictures? I’m already in Yearbook so it’s basically saving you guys a step!” Dawn asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet, her myriad of earrings jingling from the movement. 

Sapphira laughed, just happy that her students were this excited for the project. “Sure thing, but if you come back with fifty photos of Amanda, you’re getting a zero.” 

“It’s okay, I know how to ‘diversify my portfolio’,” she assured, adding, “I’ll make sure to get a nice shot of Ms. Wind for your desk,” with a wink.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. “Chile, if you don’t get out of my field of vision and on that damn bus before I count to three–” But Dawn had scurried away before she could finish her threat, let alone begin the countdown. 

Once the students had taken their seats and everyone was present and accounted for, the bus pulled out of the parking lot, allowing the teachers a moment to breathe. “Do you think we should’ve put a spending limit?” Nymphia asked, “you know, so the kids with fewer resources aren’t at a disadvantage? I mean, I plan on buying some pieces too, to help fill in the blanks, but I didn’t consider it.”

Sapphira smiled fondly and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I love how much you care for these kids, but what it comes down to is how well they executed the assignment. They could buy all the crap they want, but no one gets away with bullshitting a project on my watch.” 

Nymphia was instantly relaxed by her touch, taking a deep breath to calm down further. “You’re right, as always.”

—

“No, listen, guys,” Plasma insisted, “we can totally figure out how to play matchmaker without them realizing it’s us.”

Amanda and Dawn exchanged doubtful glances before looking back at their friend. “And how, exactly, do you suggest we do that? You know no one has gotten on Ms. Cristal’s bad side and lived to tell the tale,” Amanda warned. 

“I haven’t gotten that far,” she admitted. 

Dawn couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, a positive attitude gets us… somewhere, probably.”

Before the trio could further develop their inevitably half-baked scheme, the bell rang, signaling the end of the first period. Since it was the day of the fashion show, the following three periods would be spent in the auditorium, and they were quick to make their way into Nymphia’s classroom to get their garments, doing a theatre-style quick change that Plasma had taught them, so they didn’t have to cram into the bathroom with the rest of the girls. 

“Wow, you guys look incredible,” Nymphia praised as she carefully took out the rest of the garments – some students had taken them home and brought them in, but she’d kept guard of the rest. 

“You know who else looks incredible?”

“Subtlety, Plasma,” Dawn chastised. 

Nymphia arched her brow, but let it go in favor of setting up, eventually ending up in the auditorium with Sapphira and forty uniquely dressed twelfth graders. 

“Okay, let’s run through the plan one last time,” Sapphira said into the microphone, “we’re doing alphabetical order both times, first my class, then Nymphia’s. Y’all are gonna line up ten at a time, walk from one end of the stage to the other, then to the mic where you’ll read your blurb. If I hear any rude comments, you’re getting thrown out and ten points off of your grade for the project. Have I made myself clear?” 

After a chorus of “Yes, Ms. Cristal,” the first set of students lined up, and the rest sat in the audience.

“These are all rather impressive,” Sapphira remarked, the two of them a few rows back from the students so they could take notes uninterrupted. “How much help did you give them on the tailoring and stuff?”

“Honestly, I just made sure everything fit them properly. We’ve got a talented group of kids. Though I think a lot of them are just trying to impress their favorite teacher,” she mused with a wink.

She laughed, “Who, me or you?” 

Nymphia rolled her eyes and shook her head fondly. “Oh, don’t play coy, Ms. Teacher of the Year. You’re like the patron saint of students.”

Sapphira quirked a brow. “Are you even Christian?”

“No, but my point remains.” 

Sapphira gazed at her softly, glancing back at the stage when the next student began speaking. “You’re selling yourself short, Nymphia. You’re as wildly talented of a teacher as you are an artist. Not a lot of first-years get as warm of a reception as you, and it’s not just because they’re scared of me.” 

Nymphia blushed and looked down at her notebook. “Well, I still consider you my guardian angel… Is that a Christian thing, too?”

“Yes,” she chuckled before focusing back on the show, the entirety of which went off without a hitch. She waited until the students dispersed to get changed into their regular clothes before turning to her fellow teacher. “Forgive me if I’m being too forward, but would you like to get drinks or something tonight? Celebrate a successful project before a weekend of tedious grading?”

Her eyes lit up and a broad smile spread across her face. “I would love that.”

Amanda, Dawn, and Plasma peered over the back row of seats, cheering as quietly as they could. Sure, they couldn’t take credit for the date, but they still considered it to be a mission accomplished.