#we worked together on the design with the commissioner and it worked out great!

[beebeedibapbeediboop]

Recent full colors commission for @silversiren1101 <3

[stepswordsen]

【KagePro】 KuroEne Snow Day YCH Commission by Hika 🖤💙🐍🐇

Kuroha (Saeru) and Ene Snow Day YCH Commission by Hika (@/onigiwi2namayo)

Hika's Twitter: (X)

Hika's VGen: (X)

In accordance with Hika's Terms of Service (TOS), editing, using, or reposting these arts, in any way, is prohibited without explicit permission from Hika, and me, the commissioner.

Intro

Ene: I haven't touched snow for a long time, I forgot how cold it could be! (>v<) (*)

(*) = Quote from Feila.

I asked for KuroEne on a Winter Date building a snow bunny together 🐰☃️❄️

I also requested to have an Ene themed bunny snowman with a blue scarf around it 🥰💙

Hika was really nice with minor revision changes. I asked for minor revisions regarding the arrows on his boots, his dot facial markings, and to shift the colour palette more saturated and to use more cool blues for Ene, and more saturated red/purple tones for Kuroha.

I like the visual contrast it creates, with them taking cool and warm tones ^^

I feel so much joy... My skrunklies are so cute! I love seeing them in alt outfits! It's really refreshing~ 💘

I had trouble deciding whether to commission KuroEne or MaryEne for this. Hard decision since they're both cute. So I'll commission MaryEne next time.

Misc Rambles

I'M GONNA SCREAM THEY'RE SO CUTE IN HIKA'S STYLE 🥹🖤💙

WAHHH THEY LOOK SO CUTE 🥺 MY PRECIOUS OTP 🖤 💙

THE COLOURS LOOK PERFECT 💗💞💖

They look like they're having fun 🥰

The colours Hika chose are so good omg… Hika has really good colour coordination. I love her soft colours

Hika's dot lining style is so cute. Works really well for chibis ☺️ Her lining style is so clean. She has such nice colours.

Seeing my beloveds in Hika's style brings me such joy �� 💞

I did NOT expect a sketch WIP so soon. I was shocked by the turn around time

My Message

Thank you very much for the lovely commission! My Snow Day commission came out perfect! It's so cute!!! 💙🖤🐍🐰❄️☃️

I love how Hika drew the couple's poses, expressions, and design details. The finished artwork looks so cozy. It makes me so happy! 💗🥰

Hika has an adorable chibi style and great colours.

Hika is very nice and attentive. Very accommodating with the minor revision changes I asked for (detail and colour revisions)

Great communication and makes sure to check in and provide feedback at every stage. Super quick responses and really easy to work with! The delivery was super fast too! 👍

VGen Review

They're so cute in your style! 🥹🖤💙 I love how you did their design details and expressions. Their poses and expressions are adorable! It makes me so happy to see them in your style! I love how the commission turned out! The Snow Day art just looks so cozy ☺️

I love the soft colours you chose! You're really good at harmonizing colours. Thank you for being very accommodating with minor revision changes and incorporating my requests (scarf on the bunny snowman, minor detail and colour revisions) 🙏

Your lining style is so clean and you have such nice colours! You have a great chibi style!

Thank you very much for the lovely commission as always! It came out perfect~ 😭💗🫶✨ Have a nice day!

Commission Rambles

These were the refs I sent.

We were trying to decide between KuroEne and MaryEne at first, so we gathered the MekaDan's winter outfit refs.

Feila suggested to go with the Winter outfits used for the MekaDan chibi keychains by Fujimori (if MaryEne), but to give Kuroha a funny trenchcoat (if KuroEne), cuz he'd look so edgy mysterious that it'd be funny.

I went with KuroEne this time too cuz I really wanted to see them in alt outfits. I can go for winter MaryEne in the future

Since Saeru doesn't have a winter merch outfit, I asked for him to wear a black trench coat (photo ref) with a gray or black scarf, and his regular outfit's headphones, pants, and boots.

Feila imagined winter Kuroha wearing this big trenchcoat. I think it fits him very well 🥰

I always love seeing charas in alt designs (hairstyles and clothing) 🥰 It's nice to see more of their casual clothes. I would love to comm arts of MaryEne's casual outfits (last images). These fits are SOOO cute

Konoha and Saeru's boots have 2 straps with gray squares on them, so I let Hika simplify it based on the Kuroha rubber strap charm that simplifies them to 1 strap instead, due to the tiny feet in the style.

...

F: I lowkey want him to be in theme. I wanna imagine Kuroha in one of these. Do we want Ene to just be bunny themed or winter themed?

Me: Saeru and his snakes, go!!! Kuroha with a funny trench coat it is

F: Ene's definitely the playful type while the snakes are both the calm type so Ene would be the one standing. And I imagine her expression would be >v<

Me: Yeah they would definitely be the ones on their knees helping Ene build the snowman all calm and content~

F: Winter Anthology has both KuroEne and MaryEne. We are so back 💥💥💥

Me: KonoEne too cuz Ene's holding a Konoha-themed snowball

F: Snow day HebiEne (because it's either Mary or Kuroha)

Me: Both KuroEne and MaryEne are Snake x Bunny themed (technically cuz Mary is part Medusa), but MaryEne is a much softer version of it

Me: Mary should wear warmer clothes since she's more affected by the cold

I imagine Ene with her android body in my KuroEne AU isn't as affected cuz her body's heating/cooling system was made by Saeru

Saeru could just use Awakening Eyes to rebuild his body so it isn't as affected by the cold (he could make it so that his body retains heat better than the regular human, if he wanted)

Commission Rambles

Me: I sent this form.

Hika sends frequent updates and checks in at every stage (sketch, finished art with lineart + colours) so she wanted to check in with minor colour revisions with me once the lineart + colours were done.

Saeru originally had a monochrome colour palette (without any coloured tint), and I preferred for his palette to be more saturated and to differentiate the colours from each other more so there's more visual contrast.

So I showed Hika what I'd like the colours to be, and let her adjust the colours to her preferences. I sent this as a colour guide (and marked where they should be, cuz otherwise it'd be unclear)

Hika used my colour suggestions, and then adjusted some colours ^^

F: This is so oddly detailed, but I think it's a good enough guideline :D

F: The purple palette you suggested looks amazing. Even if it's a slight change, it looks and feels more like a calming winter breeze, while the original is an ecstatic wintry vibe

F: Could be so perfect for the retro style… Maybe it could be a little piece of photo that was printed out and Ene holds it dearly like her life depends on it

F: You know, it'd be funny if Ene has a cool tone in contrast while Kuroha has a warm tone in contrast. Could be a little symbolism

Me: Reminds me of my KuroEne kiss doodle from before 🤭🖤💙🫶 I made Ene have more cooler tones while I made Kuroha have more warmer tones for visual contrast reasons.

Red is the colour of blood ❤️ It's a good ref to these shots from Outer Science where he smears blood all over his face

[qnewsau]

Melbourne defeat Perth in Australian Women’s Ice Hockey's first Pride Round

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/melbourne-defeat-perth-in-australian-womens-ice-hockeys-first-pride-round/

Melbourne defeat Perth in Australian Women’s Ice Hockey's first Pride Round

Melbourne Ice Women defeated Perth Inferno in the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League’s first Pride Round on the weekend.

Playing ice hockey was the perfect way to keep cool as Melbourne’s temperatures soared on Saturday.

Winning 8-7, Melbourne Ice Women defeated Perth Inferno in a tight game celebrating inclusion and diversity on the ice.

Wearing exclusive pride jerseys made for the match it was neck and neck until the last ten minutes of the final period.

With the rink adorned in pride flags and a fantastic turnout of supporters, the atmosphere was electric.

“This is not just about a game, tonight is about a celebration.” Joe Ball said.

The Victorian Commissioner for LGBTQIA+ Communities attended the game and dropped the puck to kick off the event.

���It was amazing to see the rink filled with pride, unity, and support for LGBTIQA+ communities.”

“Here’s to many more moments like this on and off the ice!” Joe wrote on Instagram.

The Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League enables elite female hockey players to pursue their dreams of competing at the highest level.

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Melbourne Ice Women (@melbourneicewomens)

Celebrating everyone on the ice

Working together to create a safe, welcoming environment for LGBTQI+ people in sports the Pride Round helps tackle discrimination head-on.

Before the Pride Round players from Melbourne Ice Women took to their social media to share why pride is so important to them.

“I have a lot of family, friends, people in my life that are part of the community.” one player said,

“I know how much everything means to them in terms of inclusivity and just being represented in all areas of life, including sports.”

“Pride means coming together as a community and being able to celebrate and accept everyone as their unique and authentic selves.” said another,

“Pride to me is being able to celebrate everybody’s identity, not just their sexuality.” said another,

“That’s also the genderqueer people who are within the community of hockey,”

“And also in the wider community and being able to celebrate who I am as well.”

“A Pride Round is something that’s needed.” Andrew MacDougall from the Pride and Puck Podcast said.

“I know a lot of people who are part of the community that play ice hockey in this league.”

“To have a game that represents them is fantastic.”

“There is a really healthy crowd here in attendance.”

“It’s great to have them come to watch the game and also find out about the educational side of things as well.”

Supported by Proud2Play, the Pride Round included inclusion training to create a more inclusive space on the ice.

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Melbourne Ice Women (@melbourneicewomens)

Continuing to foster pride in sport

LLO’s Officers from Victoria Police and drag artist Frock Hudson were in attendance as well as volunteers from Proud2Play.

Frock MC’d the entertainment at breaks where children had to chuck a puck onto the ice and get it in a net to win a prize.

Melbourne Ice Women and Proud2Play collaborated for the Pride Round.

The Melbourne Ice Pride Jerseys are being auctioned right now to help raise funds for both organisations.

Splitting proceeds 50/50, they are working together to continue fostering LGBTQI+ engagement in sports and tackle discrimination.

Designed by Kridgett Kreations, you can bid on the Pride Jerseys here.

The auction will remain open until 19th January.

“We are so proud to have partnered with Proud2Play” Melbourne Ice wrote in a wrap-up on their socials.

“They are an incredible organization working to reduce social isolation, stigma, and discrimination for LGBTIQ+ communities through the power of sport,”

“Creating safe and affirming spaces for all.”

Congratulations to Melbourne Ice Women for their win and also for starting the year with a powerful statement of pride and inclusion.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[naturecoaster]

Local Community Theatre enriches lives and Builds Leaders

Are the performing arts a dying trend? Certainly not. Community Theatre is thriving on Florida’s Nature Coast.  Our rich performing arts culture is great live entertainment and a source of joy and inspiration to the audience and the actors alike. Leadership skills, public speaking, and learning to work as a team are all benefits. The benefits to our community are abundant. Self-expression, enhancing creativity, problem-solving, community awareness, public speaking, and the ability to work as a team are only a few. Hernando County Commissioner John Allocco agrees, “Wholesome community theatre is a great asset to our community for multiple reasons.  It brings generations together from the actors' perspective.  In our traditional learning environments, children are separated by age.  It can create a challenging environment for children and adults to communicate effectively. Community theatre provides an environment for children and adults of all ages to work together on an equal ground, with bi-directional communication, working for a common purpose.  Public speaking is the #1 fear for most people, but acting provides this skill that is necessary in almost any leadership position.  I believe community theatre gives our youth a launching pad to become future community leaders due to the ability to communicate clearly with people of all ages and walks of life.” Whether writing a play, designing costumes, or looking for a fabulous evening out there are a myriad of choices that are not only fun but affordable on the heart of the Nature Coast. Vince Vanni, one of the Live Oak Theatre's founders compliments his young charges on their acting of Shakespeare instead of reading lines from a page. Vince Vanni, a founder of the Live Oak Theatre Company explains even further saying, I am not training the next generation of New York City waiters and cab drivers! We are teaching skills that help to develop leaders. Think about the leaders you admire. When you picture these leaders, what are they doing? Invariably, they are in front of large groups of people with complete confidence. They are creative and think outside of the box. AND… they can get others to buy into their creativity. THAT IS LEADERSHIP…and that’s what the arts provide.” Below are just a few of the wonderful local theatre venues to choose from. The Valerie The Valerie Theatre in Inverness is owned by the City and offers local theatre productions, movies and a variety of acts. Image courtesy of The Valerie Theatre facebook page. Within Citrus County, the historic Valerie Theatre is located in the heart of Downtown Inverness. The Valerie is a beautifully restored theater. Originally built in 1927 by Pearl Maddox and named The Valerie after her daughter. The City of Inverness website tells us that, “In 1961, filming began in Citrus, Marion, and Levy County for the movie “Follow That Dream” starring Elvis Presley, daily clips from the movie were viewed with Elvis in attendance at the Valerie. The courthouse scene took place in the heart of downtown Inverness, at the Citrus County Old Courthouse which has been restored and is now a museum. The Valerie remained vacant from 1987 until the city purchased it in 2009. With community involvement and detailed planning, a grand reopening was held for the Valerie Theatre Cultural Center in June 2015. The Valerie is now run by The City of Inverness.” Tickets can be purchased online at www.valerietheatre.org or the Box Office during regular hours and one hour before show time. The Valerie is located at 207 Courthouse Sq, Inverness, FL. Their phone number is 352-341-7850. Live Oak Theatre The Live Oak Theatre Company is located within Hernando County. Live Oak enriches families, individuals, and the community by providing positive artistic experiences in the Performing Arts. One of the founders, Vince Vanni explains, “The Theatre is in its 14th season and the Conservatory is in its sixth season, offering over thirty classes in the performing and visual arts for ages two through adult, as well as private lessons, in voice, piano, and various other musical instruments. No other community outside of Tampa matches this.” The Live Oak Theatre and Conservancy teaches the performing arts and puts on vibrant shows with local talent. Image courtesy of Live Oak Theatre facebook page. In addition, the conservatory fills a much-needed void by providing opportunities for students to learn the arts, especially since so many schools are unable to do this. They offer affordable family entertainment, performance, and educational opportunities for Theatre patrons and participants of all ages. Performances are held on Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm. Select productions run on Thursdays at 7:30 pm. The Live Oak Theatre provides local entertainment for community events outside it's home. Image by Diane Bedard. The Live Oak Theatre is located at 21030 Cortez Blvd, Brooksville, FL 34601. To reserve your seats please email Marie@liveoaktheatre.org or call the box office at 352-593-0027. You may also visit their website at liveoaktheatre.org. Stage West Play House Another wonderful option in Hernando County is Stage West Theatre Company. Stage West is an amateur theater company.  This venue is Hernando County Florida’s oldest community theater providing quality theatrical entertainment at an affordable price for 40 years. The Stage West portfolio over the years is an impressive display of some of the best-known and most beloved shows of all time. From The King and I, Camelot, and 1776, to A Few Good Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and The Odd Couple, Stage West has proven a popular venue in the Tampa Bay area. Stage West Theatre is a community theatre that offers local residents the opportunity to practice their craft for the entertainment of guests in an intimate environment. Image courtesy of Stage West's facebook page. Their website tells us that In addition to the Main Stage, there is a Forum stage which is an intimate 150-seat theater where avant-garde productions such as A Company of Wayward Saints, sometimes controversial like Doubt, or beloved classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird or On Golden Pond,  but always an unforgettable experience. Each year a series of Stage West scholarships are awarded to deserving high school seniors as they pursue their collegiate education. In addition, there are annual children’s productions, as well as workshops.” Large productions make for exciting shows for all ages at Stage West Theatre. Image courtesy of Stage West's facebook page. To buy tickets, please visit stagewestflorida.com. Their box office hours are Tuesday - Saturday from 10 am till 2 pm. Stage West is located at 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd, Spring Hill, FL 34606. You can reach them directly by calling 352-683-5113. Springstead Theatre is a local favorite. Located on the Springstead High School campus on Mariner Blvd, some of the productions there have actors and stagehands that attend Springstead High School. Additionally, they are known for bringing in high-end productions from other areas. Richey Suncoast Theatre The Richey Suncoast Theatre has a luxurious interior with community theatre, live music, classic movies and more offered to its patrons. Image courtesy of Richey Suncoast Theatre. In New Port Richey there is the Richey Suncoast Theatre. This theatre is perfect for a special date night or afternoon out in a beautiful historic setting. This beautiful 328-seat venue is a former movie theatre built in 1925 and later restored for use as a playhouse and community theatre. It is named for silent film star Thomas Meighan and opened as the Meighan Theatre on July 1, 1926, with a screening of Meighan's movie The New Klondike. Their website tells us that the “purpose is to provide a safe, non-biased, and neutral space for people to create, collaborate, and perform. It will provide a place to learn through educational programs, for individuals to perform their greatest pride of work, and to collaborate with others to enhance their roles as artists, teachers, and performers. We will build partnerships and collaborations that combine our strengths to rebuild this theatre into a place that engages young and old, artists and spectators, and dreamers and doers.” To make reservations and buy tickets please visit richeysuncoasttheatre.com. Read the full article

[personalisedsupports]

Disability Support Services in Victoria

The Victorian State Government, local councils and the Australian Government all work together to support people with disability. This section outlines who does what and how.

CODA holds the personal information of its service users in confidence and only shares this with others with their consent. CODA complies with the eleven Information Privacy Principles outlined in the Victorian Information Protection Act 2009.

Clickability was launched by Aviva Kelk and Jenna Moffat, two Sydney-siders who have experience working in disability services. It was designed to fill a gap in accountability and transparency for people with disability.

Access to education

Education support services include private in-home and virtual tutoring for students with disability and engagement groups for preteens, teens and young adults. These services are designed to meet the unique needs of each student and provide a safe space for people with disabilities to socialise and interact. These services are free of charge and are offered to all Victoria College students. Students can access education services by contacting disability support workers Victoria Services each semester. Disability Support Services will not disclose a student’s accommodation needs to professors unless the student explicitly gives permission each semester. The office also does not release confidential information to parents or other interested parties unless they are present for the discussion or give permission in advance.

The Disability Services Commissioner works with people with disability and disability service providers to resolve complaints. The Commissioner can be contacted on 1800 677 342. The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities sets out individuals’ civil and political rights and freedoms, and specifies that consideration be given to disability in all enquiries and complaints. It can be viewed on the Victorian Legislation website.

Access to transport

If you have a disability and need help with transport, you can access a range of options in Victoria. The National Disability Strategy has a focus on improving access to mainstream services. In addition, the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act and Victorian Disability Services Act provide protection for people with a disability from discrimination.

Many tourist attractions in Victoria have a commitment to offering accessible facilities for visitors with disabilities. They are encouraged to develop a Disability Action Plan (DAP) and identify actions to remove barriers for disabled customers. Some also have access toilets, wheelchair access, and other amenities.

If you have a disability and are having difficulty accessing your legal rights, you can seek free independent legal assistance from Sussex Street Community Law Service.

The agency offers a free call service and is available to all Victorians. It can also provide advice on how to prepare for a court appearance. The agency can also connect you with specialist disability support workers services.

Access to the arts

The Victorian State Government, Victoria councils and national organisations all work to support people with disability. These organisations can offer information, advocacy and assistance in navigating the Australian welfare system. Many also have support groups that meet regularly and offer online discussion forums. These groups can be a great source of information and support for families and friends.

Loom is a not-for-profit organisation that works to increase representation, respect and access for artists with disabilities in the arts. The organisation is led by directors with lived experience of disability and the arts sector. It offers training, a range of services to artists and supports mainstream arts organisations to create more inclusive practice.

If you are having trouble accessing the services, programs and activities offered by Victoria County, please contact us using this form. We will review your request and respond within ten business days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can ask for a review.

Access to sport and recreation

Getting to places, activities and information isn’t always easy if you have a disability. There are a number of programs and services that can help you. These include government, community and private organisations. Some services focus on specific disability groups, while others provide support to people of all ages and abilities.

For example, GippSport is a program that provides support to increase participation in sport and recreational activities by people with disabilities. This is done by working closely with local sporting clubs, and by leveraging the support of disability service providers.

The Victorian Disability Services Commissioner (DSC) investigates allegations of harm and abuse in disability services in Victoria. It also conducts independent reviews of the safety of residential care and other disability accommodation services. It is funded by the Victorian state government and local councils. In addition, it is a member of the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Reduction Forum. This forum is a national network of agencies that work together to reduce the incidence and impact of abuse and neglect in Australian disability services.

[differentarcadetimetravel]

Constructing Inspectors Adelaide Master Builders Sa

Selling with confidence with Glasgow Vendor Pre-Sale Reports! We have designed a better transition for all through the buying and selling course of. Turn to the team that can give you piece of mind with cracks, building inspections melbourne water ingress, mould & avoiding disputes.

What does inspect building mean?

Building Inspection is an in depth inspection of a building by a professional contractor or inspector. It usually covers all main techniques including basis, plumbing, electrical, roof, heating and air con.

Some sellers might select to finish some repairs earlier than itemizing their property to enhance probabilities of a higher promoting worth later. Our professional inspectors aren’t simply useful for consumers; they'll also put together present house owners to make sure they get a good value. Acting as your trusted constructing advisors, we can attend your current property and provide you with an inventory of any underlying points which will maintain up a sale for potential patrons.

Purchase With Confidence After Working With The Preferred Building Inspectors In Adelaide

Jim’s Building Inspectors typically conduct what we discuss with as ‘on spec’ building inspections on properties which are going to auction and that they count on to be in style. When purchasing a constructing many people will plan to spend as a lot as their maximum monetary capacity to acquire the property. Without a constructing inspection these traders and residential owners might then discover themselves unable to meet the costs of repair works required to handle defects.

All Building Inspections easy-to-read yet complete reviews can spotlight any areas of concern which will cause you a headache in the future.

Bestwest pest management and termite administration is your trusted family owned and operated business.

Their professional angle was apparent from the beginning of our contact with them.

For full peace of mind before buying a home, our building inspections may also be mixed with pest inspections to search https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=pest inspection for indicators of infestations.

We take delight in providing reliable and quick services that provides you with the information you want when you need it.

We provide pre-purchase reports, pre-sale vendor reports and thermal imaging reviews. Our stories comply with all relevant current Australian Standards. We inspect all types of buildings together with homes, units, townhouses, villas, industrial buildings, shops and office area.

How Much Does A Constructing Inspection Cost?

Every day our Building Inspectors uncover increasingly major constructing defects. This is mainly as a end result of a self-regulated Construction Industry. The New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejikan says the system of regulation in the building system is not working. Ms Berejikan has actioned an instantaneous repose by appointing a Building Commissioner. With a goal of restoring the transparency, accountability and high quality of labor that the community count on from the Building & Construction Industry.

We have bought and bought a handful of properties at no time have we ever met a B&P inspector who has taken that a lot time, and care to elucidate every thing in an intensive manner. Peter, who conducted my inspection, was really professional, yet friendly and down to earth, punctual and immediate, and very nice guy. I also had an in-depth conversation along with your inspector, Brett, who was very simple and informative to talk to. We are truly glad with the standard of the inspections carried out and we would have no hesitation formalising these comments in the type of a “client testimony” should you require similar. It has really instilled in both of Lindsay great confidence that an intensive job has been carried out. Provided an intensive report with good attention to detail, and having the ability to attend in the course of the inspection to ask questions was great.

We also can combine this with a pest inspection for more info earlier than you make the big buy. Pre-purchase building and house inspections are an necessary part of shopping for a model new property and ought to be undertaken as early in the buying course of as potential. A certified constructing inspector will have the expertise needed to search out the most typical constructing defects and faults and give recommendation on the importance of the fault. Whether it’s your first or your fifth, buying a property is an exciting, yet barely annoying expertise. From the family home to a wise property investment, doing all of your homework is going to make all of the distinction when it comes to finding the right one for the best value. Let our building inspectors in Adelaide provide the crucial particulars you need and simplify the shopping for process with our vary of building and house inspections.

A nearer evaluation reveals much more and is a significant structural defect. Until had carried inspected the property this injury had gone unnoticed. Don't depart it to probability, call Bestwest Building for all of your Building Inspection necessities. I would happily recommend your corporation to anybody I know going by way of the shopping for process sooner or later, you were top-of-the-line firm's I had to take care of throughout ours. Martin spoke to us in language we were capable of understand and was capable of answer our questions with out hesitation.

How much does a building inspection cost in Perth?

Expect to Budget: From $250 to $990 depending on the scope, inspector skills and measurement of the home. At Home Integrity, our Structural Inspections begin at $335. Each considered one of our constructing inspectors is a registered builder with Professional Indemnity Insurance, which means our pricing is extraordinarily competitive.

[thecontumacious]

uwaaa omg your writing skills are good! god bless i found another one writing for njsj's luxiem ; w ;

if it's not too much of a bother, may i request an artist/graphic designer reader x ike?

i haven't really thought much about it, but it's along the lines of them being a duo (like ike mixes and reader provides the graphics for the project usually).

thank you so so much! (i really loved your bf hcs hahaha)

- cookie anon

Of Songs and Bravery

pairing: Ike Eveland x Artist!GN!Reader

a/n: hi cookie anon!! let me be real with u for a good minute here. i had a bit too much fun with this fic bcs this turned more like a slow burn that it should've been fluff in the initial plan :DD i hope u enjoy it as much as i had fun writing it! i'm in tears rn

i wanna dedicate this to both cookie anon for the lovely idea and my proofreader best friend who is down bad for ike and an artist herself. props to yall for providing so much support!! <3

disclaimer: everything i wrote in here is 100% mine btw! you'll see why i said that after u read it all :3

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: hey y/n!

y/n l/n: hey, ikee what’s up?

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: remember that new song i’ve been telling u about?

y/n l/n: yeah?

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: it’s completely done now

y/n l/n: oh cool!! great work!! do you plan on publishing it like u did with ‘this nightmare of a tale?’

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: that’s what i wanted to talk to u about

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: can i commission u again to make the music video?

y/n l/n: ofc!! i’d be happy to work with u again, ike!

you and ike have actually been friends for a while, a little before he debuted even

the one most important thing that drew him to you was your impeccable art skills

your ability to weave together lines and colors so harmoniously, all to produce a single piece of art that can covet so many different emotions

and we all know how big of an appreciation ike has for good art

in fact, your natural artistic talents is what made him fall in love with you in the first place

ike was sure when he first met you, it was just mere admiration for your work

however, the more he frequently met up with you, seeing past your beautiful artwork, he begins to realize the artisan behind it was even more beautiful

your gentle nature, your firey passion, your determination and dedication to your craft, your attitude towards the world, your mutual interest in the art field

there was nothing about you ike would ever change

and there he was, what started as a simple admiration, to a silly crush, to an uncontrollable amount of affection he couldn't hold back

he was gonna burst if he didn’t do anything about it rly

but as ike sat there, half listening to you ramble about an annoying commissioner, he is being eaten alive by the thought of losing you

the thought not being able to listen to you complain about your early stage of kyphosis (relatable asf), a wonderful and supportive fan, the difficulty of one particular commission

your smiles, your laughs, your messages asking about his day

was relaying his feelings for you worth it?

he could very well lose you and there will never be another you to fall in love with

yeah… no

but it became harder for him to deal with you always dropping by his house, either to simply hang out or talk about collaborating on a new project

“it’s inevitable, i suppose,” ike thinks to himself, rubbing away at his face as he once again caught himself daydreaming about you

continuation utc!

y/n l/n: omfg

y/n l/n: this song is so good tskr??????

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: awe thank you y/n you’re so sweet

y/n l/n: i can totally work with this its soooo good

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: that’s good to hear! good luck!

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: like before, u can ask me anything about the song or anything else about the project

y/n l/n: ofc! let’s start with what meaning you want to tell here

y/n l/n: then i can start from there^^

hoo boy

here’s the thing, y/n

with the recent years, ike’s tendency to just think about you every waking moment getting worse, it becomes a bit too much

he had to word it out

not to you of course, that’d be disastrous

so what does he do?

he writes

he pours his heart out, about the nights where he stayed awake thinking, and about the times where he manages to sleep and only dreams of you instead

about the moments where he can hold you freely, where he can place a chaste kiss on your forehead to just express how precious you are to him

and even before ike could realize it, the clock shows him the numbers of the late hour

and the notes before him, his feelings sprawled out in his handwriting in a form of a poem

well, it was a poem that early morning of 1 am, it slowly became a song over the next few days though

“i’m doomed, i swear,” ike sighs, looking at his sheet notes and the lyrics above it

but he was glad

he was somewhat proud of himself for having able to finally word and sort his feelings out like this

although he couldn’t exactly send these words to you, perhaps he didn’t have to directly

so, ike decides to make it his new project

and he plans to post it to his youtube as a another original song of his

one, for the growth of his channel but most importantly, to get that indirect closure

in a way, he would be saying to the world how much he loved you

much like sending a letter to no one, without ever knowing who the recipient may be

it was slightly pathetic, yes, but… ike was okay

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: it’s about… well, it’s rly straight forward isn’t it?

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: it’s about a boy who wants to confess his feelings to the one he loves, but never rly had the courage to do so

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: he’s scared he’s going to lose them if he says the truth so he just stays quiet

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: he stays in the shadows and keeps wondering what could be

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: and there he is with his unrequited love

y/n l/n: god fuck ike that’s too sad you’re tearing me apart T-T

you’re tearing him apart goddammit

“don’t you ever notice?” ike whispers to himself. “just… how much happy i am when i’m around you? how i wish i can just stay with you all the time without worrying you’d slip away?”

he’s both angry and sad

he’s so irritated by the fact you just don’t give him what he wants, that you poison him with such uncertainty

but he had no right to lash out on you either

ike would kill himself before he ever made himself do that

yet there you were, continuing to ask questions about the songs and the meanings he wants to portray so you could integrate it into your work

of course, like any good artist would! it was only natural that you asked as many questions as possible right?

ike understood that and now that he’s thinking about it, enlisting your help might’ve been a mistake

“oh dear me,” ike groans as he finally logs off discord from the mental torture

but he simply couldn’t resist

he loved what you did with his first video and with every artwork you release, be it of your own accord or the collaboration with other people, ike craved to see more

art was the amalgamation of one’s self, wasn’t it? looking at yours made him feel closer to you

how ridiculous it truly was

you were creating art unknowingly about yourself as well

y/n l/n has sent a file.

y/n l/n: okay ike, here’s my initial character designs and drafting for the entire video

y/n l/n: it’s super rough so it can be vague, so feel free to ask anything

ike opens said file, and like other works he’s seen, he’s once again baffled

even though they’re very simple and even messy lines of vague shapes, he can see the flow of the story

he can read how the characters will move about and narrate his song

ike falls again with every swipe of a new frame draft

one of the characters you designed he noticed was meant to be him it seems and the other…

in his mind, it was supposed to be you obviously

but why had you drawn it so very ambiguously unlike his own avatar?

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: hey y/n is the other character not done yet?

y/n l/n: oh yeah

y/n l/n: i couldn’t think of a design straight up so i just went with a very simple shape, then i’ll just go along if i get any ideas

y/n l/n: are u okay with being the mc btw? i can always think of another design

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: no no it’s absolutely alright! u can keep it

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: and as for the drafting, it looks wonderful so far. i love it

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: i can still see the fluidity between scenes and even tho it’s very vague and i might be biased

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: i can see the story very clearly, great work!

y/n l/n: aweee thanks ike!!

of course, art can’t be rushed

but how will you interpret the other person ike wonders?

will you purposely draw it very vaguely?

will you design it in a very specific manner? meant to hint at a person?

would you ever draw the other character as yourself?

ike shakes his head

“no, no way,” he sighs. “but… i can always ask them to do that? it’s my project after all…”

but then you’d find out

“yeah, never mind.”

it had been a few weeks since, with great progress every time you or him mentioned the project

during calls, ike can tell how much of your passion is overflowing as you spoke about the designs or the illustration making so far

and it hurts him to know how you have yet to notice

it might just be him, but he’s been losing more and more sleep the more he thinks about the project and you altogether

ike might as well be digging a hole for his own grave

even the quilldren has started to notice with his shorter streams

“hey, ike?” you called out as you laid sprawled out on his couch

“hm?” ike hums, raising his head and stopping in the middle of his work to pay attention to you

it was another regular day of you dropping by his house, resting for the week before it began again

“have i ever told you that your song is what i’m going through too?”

what?

ike places down his quill, now properly looking at you as his heart continued to sink. “no, you haven’t.”

you laugh, not out of amusement but… bitterness. “well, i am. i’ve been listening to it so much because of the project. i’m not getting bored of it, of course not. but… i’ve come to realize just how much the main character reminds me of myself.”

you raise your hand up out of spite, wiggling your fingers around in the air

“i’m scared. i’m scared of losing them. i wanna tell them how i feel, but… yeah, i’m so worried that i’ll only scare them away,” you drop your hand again and look at ike

them? ike thought

in the slight glimmer of the room’s light, he can see your eyes glossing over and a great pain tugs at his heart upon sensing your distress

and despite the raising questions in his head, he gets up, a little too quickly as he approached you

he sits on the floor facing where you lay on his couch with the most hurt frown on his face upon seeing your sorrow

“hey, are you okay?” he gently asked you

“i wish i could tell them, ike,” the tears finally spill from your ears as you hiccup. “how much i love them. it’s killing me inside.”

i wish i could too

but there you were, pining over someone else that wasn’t him

as much as you were hurting, ike was torn apart inside as well

how he could aid someone who was hurting when he himself was broken?

what should he say???

“h-hey, i’m sorry you’re going through this right now. and i hate knowing my song triggered these feelings,” ike reached for your hand as he rubbed them softly. “do you want to take a break from the project? you don’t have to rush anything, i promise.”

you sniffled, wiping away a tear. “no, i’ll be fine. i just got carried away there. i can still work.”

but the pain was still evident in your eyes and no matter what you said, ike wasn’t going to let it go

“y/n,” he grips your hands tighter, making you stop to look at him. “i don’t want to see you hurt yourself like this. if you really are tired, tell me. i absolutely don’t mind. i value your health and happiness over everything else.”

i just value you as a whole person. you’re so important to me, y/n. why can’t you see that?

silence clouds over the two of you and all ike could hear was the wild beating of his heart

… had he said too much?

“mm,” you nod your head, spilling a few more tears with a tired smile. “maybe you’re right.”

okay he was in the clear.

“see? it never hurts to rest a bit. don’t push yourself, okay?”

“can i have a hug?” you mumble shyly

ike chuckles, opening his arms. “of course you can.”

you giggle and collapse into him

ike lets you nuzzle into his chest and his heart, though still uncertain, is at peace. because here you were, in his arms and well protected by him

and that smile he never wants to see disappear

“it’ll be okay,” ike tells both you and himself as he pats your head down

but it doesn’t

with your break, ike understood as to why you had to be quiet and been contacting him less and less

the project was a relatively long term assignment so it must’ve taken some toll on you

but how is it with you being silent, not asking questions about the song making him feel worse?

during streams, he’d often get lose in his own thoughts

were you okay? were you avoiding him really because of the break? were you still in a bad place?

who was this other person you wished you could confess to?

was there a chance it could be him?

he’d be gaming and continuously lose, always because of lack of focus

at first, chat thought he was just super bad at the game he was doing or if he’s just not feeling it today

but as he continues to randomly be quiet in free chat streams and other games throughout the week

chat was beginning to suspect something was terribly wrong

most times, the only way to bring him back would be to send him a super chat that could alert ike

“o-oh, sorry guys,” he’d apologize, shaking his head and continuing what was meant to happen that stream

it gets so bad that the quilldren resorts to calling other nijisanji members

“mysta, ike needs your help? what’s wrong with ike, chat?”

“milord, ike is in danger. oh no what’s going on?”

or whoever it was that was live with him at the same time

they’d notice after ike didn’t read their messages and have to alternatively call him on discord

“ike, buddy are you okay?”

“i-i’m fine! sorry to have bothered you guys…”

and ike never fails to feel bad for having his co workers and own audience snap him out of it when he should be doing his job

“ike, maybe you should take a break from streaming for a bit,” vox advises him one day on a discord call they had

at that time, it had gotten pretty bad with the streams being worryingly too short and him zoning out every ten minutes

“no, i’ll be fine. i just… haven’t been focusing enough.”

“is something wrong? bothering you?”

yeah

“lack of sleep i guess,” ike smiles through his teeth

vox on the other line merely sighs, “then you should get a few days off to get that sleep in. so long as you stream 3 times, you can rest until the end of the week.”

remembering the exact same conversation he had with you a week back, maybe it was for the best

else, he was gonna go insane

“alright, fine,” ike lets out an exhausted sigh, thanking vox for his company before shutting off his devices for the night

but there he goes, opening his phone and replaying his own song over and over again as if he hadn’t been bothered already

it was because of this damn thing he’s like this

it was because of you he’s messing up like this

ike then suddenly hears the doorbell to his apartment ring

begrudgingly, he gets out of bed and gets ready to curse whoever dares disturb him in his depressed state—

“hey ike”

“y-y/n?”

okay okay backtrack all those plans to ask shu for curse spells

“what’s up?” ike asks, scratching the back of his head rather embarrassedly

“i’m starting to notice how off you’ve been this past week,” you say, crossing your arms. “not much like the ike i know. so i wanted to make sure you’re not overdosing on red bull again and eating real meals. move over, buddy.”

despite everything, despite you being the cause of it all, ike still can’t help but laugh. he moves aside to let you charge in

“alright,” you say, plopping down on the couch. “for real, do you wanna start telling me what’s going on?”

and just like that, the mood changes over swiftly

ike isn’t sure whether to tell you what’s been going on

he’s so afraid of the rejection

he’s so afraid he was gonna lose you entirely, scared by his feelings

but all of this is killing and tearing him apart. he’s messing up his job, he’s worrying his friends and worrying you, the last person he doesn’t want to burden

was this it?

was this the moment he had to tell you?

“ike?”

it’s now or never

“y/n, can i ask you something?” ike inquires, his heart thrumming much too fast against his chest

you tilt your head, “hm?”

“what do you think of ‘unrequited’?”

“well, it’s a very beautiful song. the meaning behind it, every single word written like a story. it evokes so much emotion. hell, it made me cry,” you laugh, but ike fails to see how you being in pain amusing. “your voice too, it just helps bring out the story and feelings more. it… brings me comfort, despite the sad story. it’s like having you there with me when i listen to it.”

just go ike eveland

“that… that’s how you make me feel too.”

“huh?”

no turning back now

ike takes a very long breath in, one he wished could summon all the courage in the world before he faces you

“this song, y/n. you make me so happy. when i’m around you, i just want you to stay by my side.”

“i know it sounds selfish, but i just want to make you smile all the time. i want to be able to protect you. i want to be there for you when you’re sad. i want to be the first person you come to when you’re having troubles.”

“this song is about my feelings about you. how i’ve always loved you but never had the courage to tell you.”

hadn’t he originally planned to get the closure he wants from posting the song to youtube?

commissioning you for this project rly was a bad idea huh?

ike sits stiffly, his hands sweating from the anxiety as no one spared a word. not him or you

especially you

confession aside, it all starts coming back to ike

how will you react?

“i-“

but you close your mouth again and ike wonders if he’s made a mistake

you want to say something but once more, you don’t speak it

“y/n?” ike calls out

like walking straight into a nightmare, he sees you stand back up with your things. you frantically pace before turning to ike, clearly avoiding eye contact

“i gotta go! u-uh, rest up well okay? i’ll see you!”

and that was the last thing ike ever heard from you

you never spoke a word to him for the next week, not even about the project and not even to say hi

you could’ve pretended he didn’t say all those things to you and he would’ve been okay with it

“just please, say something, y/n,” ike watches the screen of his phone, his heart pining to see your name in a form of a message or a phone call

but that moment never came

he scared you off, didn’t he? he had lost you for good now

perhaps, it was for the best…?

ike cried that night, you know

sobbing in despair as he tried to deal with the loss of the one person he cared so much about, one he can share his passion and worries with

all because he decided to be brave

“it’ll pass, right?” he hiccuped, wiping away a tear. but he can’t imagine picking himself back up in the next few days

god, he was going to lose his job if he wasn’t professional about it

then, his phone lit up

y/n l/n has sent a file.

y/n l/n: hey!

y/n l/n: so, there’s the final video!

y/n l/n: tell me what u think about it ike

at the speed of light, ike’s tears dry up and he hastily clicks on the file

and there it was

his song

him as the main character

wait

was that you?

in turn with the song, he intensely watches the illustrations flash by, switching in coordination between him and you

were the tears blinding him?

no, that was your signature hair style, your skin color, your choice of outfits!

wait, what did this mean?

ike was so busy being mesmerized by your sudden cameo in the video that he didn’t even pay attention to the music video as a whole

“w-what?”

and the video finally comes to an end

and there’s this gaping hole in his chest, slowly being filled to the brim with something he can’t quite decipher

what the fuck is going on

well yeah ike thinks it’s absolutely amazing! the final illustrations, the typography, the animations, the effects, the storyboarding—EVERYTHING

BUT WHY THE FUCK DID U PUT YOURSELF THERE

y/n l/n: um, u there ike?

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: sorry sorry! i’m here

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: i’m just… very enchanted by what u did

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI]: it’s so beautiful and gorgeous, y/n… thank you so much

y/n l/n: i’m just doing my work, ike. it’s rly no problem! you made such a beautiful song so i wanted to do it justice u kno?

like a true artist…

ugh, why did you have to give him a reason to fall in love even after everything that’s happened?

shouldn't he be letting you go?

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: no rly it’s so beautiful, the art direction is amazing here

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: i might post this in a few days

y/n l/n: oh yeah sure that’s cool! so that’s it then? is that all? do i need to add or reduce anything?

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: no, y/n, it’s perfect

y/n l/n: well, if u say so then ike

y/n l/n: im glad i was able to work with you again ike, it’s always such an experience

y/n l/n: thanks for coming to me ^-^

Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: i only come to professionals, what can i say?

y/n l/n: hehe stop that

and just like that, even in the midst of his cries in the dead of night, he laughs

all because of you

you really were something, huh?

at first, ike thought you just messaged him to send the file

but you were asking about his day and asking if he’s eaten all over again

were things going back to normal? like before he confessed to you?

have you decided to just pretend nothing happened?

whatever the case

ike was glad he hadn’t lost you completely

Unrequited / Ike Eveland [original song]

Premiering now

just like usual, you drop by ike’s house to sit through the premiere together

yes, ike was nervous at first but you were right there next to him

interacting with him normally

though he was a little heartbroken

“there it is y/n it’s going to be live soon!” ike says, grinning

“yeah i’m so excited!! there are like 20k ppl waiting, ike, omg,” you exclaim in return

ike chuckles, “i know right? this is so insane. how do u think it’s gonna go?”

“it’s gonna go amazing ofc!! you did such a good job with the song,” your excited smile sends ike unnecessary butterflies but he tries not to mind it

“aren’t you going to credit urself a bit more? you did a beautiful job with the art!” he smiles. “and everyone loved the work you did on the last original song too. they’re gonna like it more now knowing you did the art, y/n.”

you turn away, evidently flustered, “oh, shut up ike you’re too sweet.”

ike can only smile, simply glad you’re here

you face the screen again and enthusiasm decorates your face, “OH SHIT IT’S LIVE NOW AHHHHHHHHH”

ike turns to the screen of his desktop once more, the first notes of his song coming into play as the title of the song appears, along with all the cast involved

the chat of the premiere rolls wildly with glowstick emotes, blue hearts and an emoji strongly related to you

whatever happened, it’s in the past

what you and ike have may not be what he wanted, but he still has you

and that’s okay

Unrequited

lyrics / arrangement / vocals

Ike Eveland

illust / movie

y/n l/n

~~

his love sealed in letters

his letters hidden away under his bed

when will i ever send it? he wonders

will the words inside ever be read?

he thinks what could be

what he could grasp and what he could lose

the truth he truly wants to set free

but the answer he’s afraid will bruise

~~

he looks up at the sky, tears in his eyes

he asks the world why and to you he cries

~~

love, when will you finally smile at me?

like i’m yours as you are mine?

why is it that your beautiful eyes can’t see?

just how much i want our hearts to intertwine?

i want nothing else than for us to dance together

lost in the music, swallowed by the night

our steps forever unchanged by the weather

and your smile remains eternally bright

~~

he sits with you, smiling at what you say

and he wishes to protect it with his life

but the uncertainty eats him away

his cowardice he curses with strife

“why can’t i just say it?” he screams

“why can’t i look at you and tell you”

“how many times you’ve appeared in my dreams”

but he sighs, crying again, “how i love you?”

~~

once again, he gazes up at universe above

and he confesses to his unrequited love

~~

love, when will you finally smile at me?

like i’m yours as you are mine?

why is it that your beautiful eyes can’t see?

just how much i want our hearts to intertwine?

i want nothing else than to hold your hand

braving storms and fires with each other

even through angry waters and dry land

i’d never imagine doing it with any other

~~

the letters under his bed stay sealed

never to be opened and read aloud

his aching, wounded heart never to be healed

the love in him perpetually under a shroud

he’s still afraid

he’s still a coward

in the shadows he stayed

forever to be overpowered

~~

he wonders if he’ll ever escape it

this darkness a black ever true

he sobs, “my love, i want to quit”

“but how can i stop loving an angel like you?”

~~

love, when will you finally smile at me?

like i’m yours as you are mine?

why is it that your beautiful eyes can’t see?

just how much i want our hearts to intertwine?

i want nothing else than for us to dance together

lost in the music, swallowed by the night

our steps forever unchanged by the weather

and your smile remains eternally bright

love, when will you finally smile at me?

like i’m yours as you are mine?

why is it that your beautiful eyes can’t see?

just how much i want our hearts to intertwine?

i want nothing else than to hold your hand

braving storms and fires with each other

even through angry waters and dry land

i’d never imagine doing it with any other

the end credits roll once more, displaying ike’s and your name as the producers for the music video

by the end of it, ike received a huge amount of support from the fans

piling up in thousands of likes and views on the first day of premiering

but most importantly, he felt like he could finally be at peace with himself

and frankly with you too

“hey, ike?” you call out to him gently

“hm?”

ike turns to face you and he sees you fiddling with your fingers

“about what happened a while back…”

oh, so you haven’t decided to pretend it was nothing

ike takes a deep breath, “yeah, what about it?”

then ike hears an unexpected sniffle from you

“y-y/n?”

“you’re way braver than i am, you know that?” you look up and ike wasn’t mistaken when he thought you were crying

“you made a fucking song about me and then you confessed to me,” you smile. “yet here i am, too much of a coward to confess to you too.”

so

your cameo in the video

that was… meant to respond to him?

“y/n…”

“ike, i’m sorry i ran away that day. i ran away without telling you how i felt. i was too scared by my own feelings and by the time i got home, i thought i was so stupid.”

you inhaled, “but… i’m here to finally tell you. that your love isn’t unrequited. that the person i’ve been wanting to tell i love you to has been you this entire time.”

your hand reaches for ike’s as you look up at him, tears still in your eyes

“you were brave. so… i wanted to do the same.”

ike doesn’t know what to say nor feel

so all that pain and fighting through the dark

it wasn’t for nothing after all?

does that mean that all his dreams would finally come true?

was being brave truly the right choice?

“ike, say something.”

“oh, i��“ ike then laughs, lifting up your hands and up against his lips. he smiles, his own tears finally spilling

this time, it wasn’t out of heartbreak. for the first time, it was of happiness

“ike?”

“i want nothing else than for us to dance together. lost in the music, swallowed by the night,” ike sings in a broken voice, but to you, it sounded beautiful all the same

he continues, “our steps forever unchanged by the weather and your smile remains eternally bright.”

ike’s hands cup your face and everything finally, finally felt alright

for real this time

“i love you.”

DISCLAIMER YES THE SONG IS WRITTEN BY ME

Masterlist!

[thechekhov]

Hi Chekhov! Really enjoying your white diamond au! I had a quick art question: How do you start comissions? I've been improving my drawing skills and thinking about drawing for others after having fun in artfight, but I don't know where to start? How much to charge, how to get paid, etc. Do you have any tips? Hope you're doing well! :)

Alright, since a few people have asked, I’ve decided to put together a few things about how to get started on commissions - what you need, what you should make, and how to keep things organized. 

This will get a little long, so I’ll divide it into 4 main sections:

1) Draw Art - Getting started

2) Get Commissioned - Making a commission sheet, Advertising

3) ??? - Communicating, Setting Limits, Running the Business

4) Profit - Pricing Yourself and Getting Paid

* Disclaimer: I’m an artist, so this How-To will be illustration-focused. I’m sure many of these tips can apply to ANY types of commissions, but I will be focusing on the type I know best. If you are proficient in other types of commissions for other types of art - music commissions, photography, etc - feel free to chime in and leave a comment or make your own tutorial!

1) Draw Art

I think this is probably the most obvious part, but it needs to be said:

Before you start making art for other people, you must first be comfortable making art in general.

I’m not saying your art has to be Disney-quality, or industry-level! Not at all. 

BUT! You must be comfortable creating what you sell. If you try to sell something you have little confidence in, you will stress yourself out and possibly end up losing time AND money.

Don’t shoot for the moon if you haven’t landed on it even once. Sell what you know you’re good at. Your commissions don’t HAVE to include full-body illustrations if you don’t know how to draw feet/solid stances. Limit yourself to what you can do.

Things you need to should probably have before starting commissions:

1. Access to art materials or a fully downloaded art program

DO NOT - Use a free tutorial version that will expire in a month and leave you without a way to draw! If you are having trouble finding a program, try free ones like MediBang Paint Pro. 

2. Free time to complete the amount of commissions you want to take.

DO NOT - Take on or offer commissions if you KNOW you’re going to be overwhelmed with school or personal life for the next 2+ months. Pace yourself, otherwise you’ll burn out, get stressed, and get discouraged.

3. A reliable way to communicate with your customers like a commissions-only email 

DO NOT - Use your friend/family/college email. It’s hard to keep track of things as it is, and creating new emails is easy and free. And keep it professional if you can! Not many people will reach out to dong-wiggles20434 to ask for a design. Ideally, your email should be close to your brand - however you want to brand yourself. Usernames are fine!)

DO NOT - Use Instagram/Twitter/Tumblr to collect commission info unless you are ready to do the organizing yourself. Some people make it work, but in my experience, if you use these SNS sites to communicate with friends and network... you’re going to be losing commission inquiries right and left and accidentally ignoring people. Email is much easier to organize and sort into folders.

4. A portfolio or at least 2-3 pieces of each type of art you’re planning to sell. 

DO NOT - Advertise commissions without having any examples of the art you plan to sell. People will find it difficult to trust you if you can’t even give them a vague idea of what sort of drawing they’ll be getting. 

Disclaimer: These are not hard ‘do not’s. If you have had a different experience, I respect that. I’m simplifying for the sake of streamlining this advice. 

.

2) Get Commissioned

So - you have your art, you have your art program, and you’ve got all the time in the world. That means.... that’s right! It’s time to let the world know you’re taking commissions.

One of the most common ways artists signal to their audience that they can do commissions is by creating a commissions sheet. There are MANY ways to make this - and they range from simple and doodly ones to VERY complex designs. For example, here’s mine! 

There are many ways to organize a commission sheet. At its core, a commission sheet should display the types of art you WANT to be commissioned to make. Let’s go over a few ways they can be done!

#1.... Body Portion Dividers!

This sheet is most common with those who want to capitalize on drawing people and characters. If you want to draw lots of characters, this is a great way to offer several tiers of pricing based on how much of their character your customers want to see. 

#2... Complexity Scale

If you’re open to drawing many things but want to base your pricing off of how complex something is, you can split your tiers into done-ness. This type of commission is popular with those that draw characters AND animals, furries, etc.

#3....  Style and Type

If you’re more on the design side of things, or if you have various niche art styles that you can’t quite lump together, display a variety of your skills alongside each other! It helps if all the ones you have can be organized under a common customer - like those looking to advance their own business and get logos, websites, or mascots made for them!

.

3) ???

You got your first commission... what happens now???

Well, ideally you have the time, tools and motivation to make things happen! Now all you have to do is... sit down and... draw.......

I’m going to say something that may be a little controversial: 

Commissions aren’t fun. 

No, no, hear me out: I have fun doing commissions! I genuinely enjoy drawing characters and coming up with designs. But even with all that said, commissions are, first and foremost: WORK

I’m not saying this to discourage you, I’m saying this to keep things realistic. When I first began commissions, I thought it would be just like any other type of drawing. I would sit down, imagine a thing, draw it... it would be fun! 

But then I realized that I couldn’t just draw what I wanted - another person had an idea in mind and had asked me to do it. I stressed over getting the design correct from descriptions. I stressed over not having the right reference for the pose the commissioner wanted. I stressed over not being able to draw the leg right in the way I had promised I would do. I stressed about billing. I stressed about digital money transfers. It was difficult, and time-consuming, and I did not enjoy it. At all. 

And a part of that is definitely on the commissioner - we, as artists, NEED to demand proper references or descriptions. We, as artists, NEED to limit the amount of changes we’re going to make at the flick of a finger. We NEED to demand clear instructions and set boundaries. That’s also super important. 

But also - don’t be discouraged if you find yourself exhausted drawing your first commission. MANY artists go through this. Adjust your rules, fix up your limits, practice putting your foot down on finicky commissioners who expect you to read their mind! It does get easier, but you have to communicate and put in the effort and act as your own manager AND your own customer service AND your own accountant. That’s what you’re looking at. 

Good limits and boundaries to set: 

Limit the amount of changes a person can ask to make. “I want blue hair.” Next email: “No wait, yeah, make it red.” Next email: “Actually I changed my mind, can I get the blue but like, lighter?” Next email: “No, not that light.” ... At some point, we have to stop. I personally allow 2-3 changes on the final stages of a commission before I start refusing or start asking for extra money.

Demand clear instructions and/or references. If something isn’t described, you have to take artistic liberty and design it, but that’s difficult! And if the customer is not happy with it but can’t tell you more? That’s not your problem - the burden of reference is on THEM. You cannot read their mind, and that’s not your fault.

Get at least half the payment up front! This is a good balance between the ‘pay before art’ and the ‘pay after art’ conundrum that will limit the amount of woes between artist and customer. (I’ll touch upon this a little more in the Profit section.)

Organization:

Where possible, create good habits! Tag your emails and organize your folders. I have a tag on my emails for active and finished commissions. I also keep my emails on Unread until I have time to sit down and properly look at/reply to them.

My Commissions in the folder are also organized chronologically and I mark down which ones are paid and which ones are not.

(I understand not everyone can do this, but if you want to give it a try, it does make things easier in the long run. Again, this advice is just what I have found personally helps.)

One last thing - I do not want to shame ANYONE for taking their time with commissions! Commissions are complex, and they take time and work. You can draw in 8 hours, but some things take research, materials, etc. Some illustrations realistically take up to half a year, or, depending on what’s involved, several years!!

THAT BEING SAID - it’s good manners to be upfront with your customers about how long you expect the commission to take. If you think you’re busy, just say that! Explain that you have a lot going on, and you will probably take (insert time period here).

And if your commissioners are worried, work out a system to keep them updated! I send my commissioners updates when I finish the lineart/flat colors/etc and I try to be clear about how long everything will take. I try to estimate with a +3-5 days buffer to give myself extra time... and recently I’ve been using it. Always say a bigger number than you think you’ll need. 

If someone wants a rushed commission... make them pay more. If ANYONE wants a commission done ‘by the end of the week’ - that’s an automatic rush-job for me because I’m juggling an irl job and several commissions at once. I WILL charge a rush fee and I won’t feel bad about it. 

If someone wants a commission within 24 hours...... Well, they better be paying you 3x your normal amount, or more. And remember - you CAN refuse! It’s perfectly reasonable to say ‘No, sorry, that sort of turnaround time is not realistic for me.’

Food For Thought - Invoicing

Many artists I’ve commissioned in the past have not used Invoicing, but I’ve recently begun to fill out invoices and file them in my Commissions folder just to keep track of things. It’s not necessary until you start getting into the Small Business side of Freelancing, but it’s not a bad idea to get into the habit early in case you might need to do it later for tax purposes. 

Here’s what my Invoice looks like, for example. 

I’ve optimized it to help me remember who, what, and how much is involved! It also contains important info for my customers like where to send the money.

Which brings us to...

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4) Profit

One of the hardest things for artists is pricing themselves. I’m not going to tell you which way is BEST - there is no BEST way, only the best way for YOU. 

One of the options available to you is pricing by the hour. It includes averaging out how long it takes you to draw a specific type of art (whatever you’re offering as a commission) and multiplying that by an hourly wage you’ve decided on.

When you do this, I stress - do NOT price yourself below minimum wage if you can help it. When you first start out, aim for the $15/hour mark and adjust accordingly. 

Other ways to price your art:

- Per complexity: Portraits vs full body should be scaled based on how difficult you find one vs. the other. You can also easily decide on a price for a sketch and double it for lineart, triple it for full color, etc.

- Per type: Look up for industry prices for website design and logo design. They may surprise you! You don’t have to charge that much, but it helps to keep things in perspective. 

It’s okay to change your prices! Keep your commission sheet image handy so you can update the amounts as you grow. :)

Payment up front or after completion?

Some artist take full payment up front. Some only demand payment after they’ve finished and sent out the piece. I personally think these are both risky for everyone involved. 

I recommend doing at least HALF of the payment BEFORE you start the commission. Calculate your full price and ask for half before you start working on it in earnest, to make sure the person can actually pay you. Then, when they receive the full piece and are satisfied, they can complete the payment. 

I personally work in this structure:

> Someone emails me with their idea/reference

> I send back a rough draft sketch that shows the idea/pose (only takes me 10-20 minutes so not a huge loss if they ghost) and quote them a price

> They can pay the full thing upfront OR pay half

> I finish the commission and send updates when I do the lineart/colors to double check anything so they have multiple chances to spot any errors

> If the person paid only half on completion, I send them a low-res version of the finished thing, they finish up their payment and THEN I send them the full-res version plus any other filetypes/CYMK proofs, etc. 

Many of the people who commission me pay me up front even though I offer they pay half - and I’m really flattered that they trust me that much! Because of that, I feel encouraged to update them frequently and ask for their input as I work, so they have the peace of mind knowing I’m actually doing their commission. 

Great, but how do I get PAID????

There are NUMEROUS ways - these days money is relatively easy to transfer over digital means, and you have a few options. 

Paypal is perhaps one of the oldest digital wallets and is geared towards businesses. By setting up a PayPal and connecting it to your debit card of bank account, you can tunnel a pathway from your online business directly into your hands in a matter of days. 

Paypal also offers Invoicing - you make an invoice, price it and send it to the person’s email and they can pay whatever way they need! (It also allows partial payments.)

Pros: transfers from PayPal to bank account are free, and take a couple of business days. It also has no upper limit to the amount of money you can move in/out each month. It can force refunds due to the nature of its business-oriented payment system.

Cons: Because it’s used by businesses for larger transactions, PayPal may demand a more rigorous proof of your identity. It may also take longer to set up and be harder to get used to. I’ve also heard that they can be a hassle when it comes to closing your account. 

Venmo is another type of digital wallet that acts much like paypal, except for a few key differences - it is NOT made for businesses (so depending on whether you’re officially registered as a freelancer, you may not be able to use it). I personally don’t use venmo, so I cannot speak to its usefulness, but I know a few people that use it for casual transactions. It’s easy and quick! :) 

Keep in mind that you cannot force a refund over venmo! The transactions are final.

There’s also CashApp, GooglePay (which could load gift cards but also allows peer-to-peer transactions) and I’ve heard good things about Due, though I’ve never personally used it.

Other ways to pay: I’ve had people pay me over Patreon by upping their pledge, and I’ve had people pay me over Ko-Fi by donating a specific amount. 

Many people even use Etsy - the website specialized for independent small businesses selling art - by listing their commission sheet and offering up several ‘slots’ of commissions, which allows you to track taxes AND allows your clients to pay using whatever they feel comfortable with.

If you’re in Canada, you can even pay by emailing money directly from bank account to bank account - check whether your country offers this type of service! There’s no shortage of ways to move money in the digital world.

Just like everything else, there’s no singular ‘Best’ way. It just depends on what works for you.

I think that just about wraps it up! I can’t quite think of what else to put here - but I’m sure other artists will chime in with their own advice. :) I’m very sorry this became so long but I hope it was helpful! 

Obligatory Disclaimer: I’m not qualified to give legal or accounting counsel. Please double-check the laws in your own country/state in regards to taxation of freelancing work and do your own research. If you are underage, DEFINITELY get an adult’s permission before you start doing commissions, and have the adult help you through the process.   

. . . . . . . . . . . . 

OTHER POSTS YOU MAY FIND USEFUL:

An Extended Post on Pricing Yourself for Commissions

Dealing with Imposter Syndrome/Feeling ‘Not Good Enough’

Growing Your Audience

Advice for Starting Digital Art

[literaticat]

Hi, Jenn! I read your great post about giving gifts to your agent. What about actual money? Would it be weird to send some? I feel like my agent has been being really great and helpful! And I feel like they might need it. Is that out of line?

That is absolutely a no. ABSOLUTELY a NO.

Agents get commission. Full stop. Any work they do for you (development, chasing things, whatever) that is not "commissionable" is still part of their job -- which is to sell books, for which they get commission. An agent wouldn't/shouldn't/couldn't accept a monetary gift from a client, and it would be embarrassing.

(Like, their finances are a personal matter -- the implication is that you think that they are broke and NEED MONEY, which even if true, implies that they are either not good at their job or are coming across as unsuccessful in a way that I'm sure they don't want to. And awkward as heck when they have to turn down what is a generously meant gift!)

If you want to send a gift, it's nice to make it either some token or item related to your book, or something that will be a "treat" that they might not ordinarily get for themselves. (And this doesn't have to be expensive -- in fact it SHOULDN'T be too expensive. It could be anything from home-made cookies to a special chocolate or other delicacy from your area to a spa certificate to a fancy fruit basket to a bottle of vino if they like wine.)

Or, if you are an illustrator, a piece of art is never a bad idea. (They rep you because they like your art!) If you are a writer - a clever or touching note would not be a bad thing. (One of my authors sent me a miniature parody of her own book that she wrote and it made me laugh my ass off and I still have it!)

OR, just use your imagination. I have a client that sends me THE MOST RANDOM funny stuff -- like once, an elaborately patterned dust-pan/sweeper thing from Home Goods, as though a Real Housewife had designed a broom for some reason. Guess what? It was weird and cute, and I'm sure not expensive, but I use it all the time!

If you are worried about their precarious finances, make it still a treat, but a useful treat. Like a gift certificate to a store or restaurant or coffee shop you know they are near. (For example, if you know they like to go to Starbucks because they show it on their instagram, a Starbucks card loaded with an amount and a note like, "I'm sorry we don't live closer so we could go have coffee together, but lattes are on me this week!" ;-) or something would be sweet.)

[shingekinohyrulewrites]

The Trophy

When flying back from a business trip in Poland, Kageyama Tobio finds himself seated next to a complete random stranger. He finds himself enthralled by her and the two agree to have a date when they return to Japan.

But there's a problem.

The stranger is unemployed, which completely clashes with his first class, upper class lifestyle.

Read first chapter here

Read previous chapter here

It was rare that Kageyama had some time to himself, but he had made sure to spend some time with his friends after an especially stressful week. His best friend Hinata, who was the top volleyball player in Japan, was hosting a small get together at his luxury apartment. All of their high school friends were there, and Kageyama was happy to get away from his responsibilities for a while.

He was currently playing volleyball in the pool with Hinata playing against Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. Tsukishima worked as a world renowned archaeologist whose work was presented in museums around the world. Yamaguchi, who was Tsuki’s best friend, worked for Sony designing the top electronics in the company. Some of their other high school friends, including Suga, Daichi, Asahi, and Nishinoya, were lounging about, chatting with each other as they caught up.

“Yo, Tsukishima! We’re going to kick your ass!”

Hinata flashed his opponents a cocky grin as he threw the ball up to serve. Since his high school days, his serving skills had greatly improved, and it was no surprise that his serve landed cleanly between Tsukki and Yams, who shielded their faces as the water splashed.

“No fair, Hinata!” Yams complained. “You play volleyball for a living!”

“Excuses, excuses,” he replied in a sing-songy voice.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes as he began swimming towards the pool’s edge to get out of the pool. Yamaguchi followed suit, to which Hinata began to complain loudly.

“Idiot, it’s not that big of a deal,” Kageyama frowned.

Hinata continued to complain, so Kageyama ignored him and exited the pool as well. He joined the guys who were scattered about various lawn chairs.

“Was she hot at least?”

Daichi had an eyebrow raised as he questioned Nishinoya. Noya was the editor-in-chief for an elite travel magazine, and he had just returned from a three month trip to New Zealand.

“Her looks were the only good thing about her,” he sighed.

“Oooh, girl talk?” Hinata chirped, grabbing a beer as he collapsed next to Suga.

“But of course! It’s been a while,” Nishinoya grinned.

“It’s not the same without Tanaka, but he’s married now,” Suga sighed.

“How about you, Daichi? Still seeing that Swedish girl?”

Daichi was the police commissioner, and he had been dating a Swedish model he had met at a work event. He laughed, shaking his head before taking a swig of his beer.

“Nah, it didn’t work out. She has a really busy work schedule. Plus, she was a bit of an airhead. The sex was great though.”

He turned to Suga then.

“And you?”

Suga was a professor at The University of Tokyo. Flushing, he reached up to rub the back of his neck.

“Er . . . I may or may not be sleeping with a student.”

“Suga, you dog!” Nishinoya teased him.

“Hey, she came on to me. I told her I didn’t want to cross any boundaries but she blew me anyway.”

The boys began to snicker.

“Tsukishima, I bet you’re meeting so many girls while traveling!”

He seemed bored as he responded.

“I was in Argentina for two months on an expedition. Argentinian girls are wild.”

“He introduced me to one!” Yamaguchi beamed.

Hinata took another drink of his beer before speaking.

“We traveled to Hawaii for a practice tournament. American girls are really cute and eager to please.”

The group went silent as they all turned to peer at Kageyama. Blinking, he took a sip of his drink and waited for them to speak.

“And you, Kageyama?”

Heat rose to his cheeks.

“Y-you guys skipped Asahi!” he sputtered.

“I’m fucking one of our fashion design interns,” the gentle giant replied, cheeks bright red.

“See? Now it’s your turn,” Nishinoya insisted.

Kageyama hesitated. It had been two months since the two of you had started dating, and he hadn’t told anyone. Part of it was because he wanted to keep you to himself, to keep you away from anyone else taking you away, but the large reason was because you were unemployed and he was embarrassed to tell his friends. They would say that she was only using him for money or to climb up the social ladder. Out of all of them, he had the most to lose, so they constantly looked out for him.

“Whoa, he’s never hesitated before!” Suga’s eyes went wide.

“I-I’m not hesitating!” he lied, feeling his face get warm.

“Look, he’s totally lying!” Hinata laughed.

“You’re a terrible liar, dude,” Tsukishima shook his head.

“Who is she?! Tell us!” Nishinoya yelled.

Kageyama felt like he had been backed into a corner, and he felt his chest tighten. He figured he would try to be as vague as possible.

“Holy shit, did you finally get laid?”

All of their mouths fell open as they stared at him. The last time he had told them he had gotten laid was their senior year of college.

“Yeah, I did, actually.”

They continued to stare at him in shock before Daichi broke the silence.

“Holy shit dude, congratulations.”

“How was it?”

His mind flashed back to two nights ago when he had bent you over his couch and fucked you until your throat went hoarse. He swallowed before clearing his throat and responding.

“It’s the best sex I’ve ever had.”

“Whoa,” Hinata whispered.

“She has to be gorgeous. You have such high standards,” Yamaguchi frowned.

“She is. She’s incredibly gorgeous.”

“I bet she’s even more gorgeous naked,” Nishinoya snorted.

Kageyama shot him a warning look.

“How did you two meet?”

“I met her on my flight back from Poland,” he confessed.

“Oh, are things serious?” Suga inquired. “We’re just starting,” he said.

“We’re taking things slow for now.”

“Well look at that,” Daichi beamed. “Our Kageyama, growing up and getting laid.”

The boys all laughed before changing the subject and talking about the latest gossip at each of their respective jobs. The weight on Kageyama’s chest lifted and he let out a long sigh of relief. He was saved from talking about you for now.

[letstalkaboutsebbaby]

Related Activities - Chapter 3

The district has a new attorney and Marshall is going to learn the hard way that he should have acted sooner in pursuing his passion for Caroline.

Pairing: Andy Barber x OFC (Caroline Kline) / Walter Marshall x OFC (Caroline Kline)

Author: Deb @letstalkaboutsebbaby / @letswriteaboutsebbaby

Rating: Mature

Warnings: crime talk

A/N: I do have a lovely beta, but she’s dealing with a lot at the moment so for this fic I’m on my own. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get things right. (If you’re free and patient, I would love some help).

Feel free to comment, reblog or chat with me about it, I always love to hear your thoughts about my fics :)

Commissioner Harper looks unhappy, as one should look if there are three indirect cases of kidnapping and murder happening in your city. The directions coming out of his mouth, however, are making no sense to Marshall - informing he’ll divide the cases between the detectives.

“So you’re going to split us up and make her do this alone?” Marshall argues with more anger than he would normally express over this kind of matter.

“How long will you treat her as a kid? She’s capable and we have three homicide cases. She’s already talking to the new district attorney about the suspect’s interview and other clues she’ll follow. I’ll get an officer to be with her for the time being. I think you need to concentrate on the last kidnapping.”

“So that’s it?”

“Yes. That’s it.”

Marshall goes out of the room slamming the door, his plan of opening up to her more and show her the truth in his words deteriorating. Meanwhile, the day from Caroline’s perspective is going way better - different from what she was expecting. To meet Andy first thing in the morning has improved the day in the most unbelievable way. He’s not only incredibly handsome, but he’s also very smart and pleasant. At first, the talk has been very direct and professional, tossin’ information and possibilities around, until he comments about her accent and the conversation turns to their backgrounds and what they’re thinking about the new environment. Now they’re sitting at the coffee shop and she’s sharing her stress about the last cases and the seeming increase of violence in the district.

“I know it’s hard and I have a feeling you can use a friend.” Andy smiles at her, receiving a sweet smile back.

“Yeah, that would be nice. Are you up to it?”

“I would love to...but not many people want to befriend me I feel like I need to tell you why” the sad look in his eyes cause her immediate sorrow. Caroline’s not aware of what happened to him, but she can see how wounded Andy was by it and she wants to make him feel better.

After some minutes with Barber, learning what befallen his family and how he lost his son and wife, she gets back to work with a sorrowful feeling, distracted by the tragedy and the urge to be an element of some kind of happiness to him. It feels so presumptuous to aspire to have this role in his life, but it’s what she’s aiming for.

As Caroline absently moves the files on her desk, looking for the DNA result she talked to Andy about, Marshall asks if she already knows about the segmentation of their work.

“Yes, Harper told me already. It was you who asked him to do that?” she questions, worrying if it would’ve been his request to be away from her.

“Of course not.” He says with no hesitation.

“Ok. Good to know.” She goes back to the files on her desk, not noticing the detective walking to her until he grumbles by her ear. “Can you accompany me to the conference room, please?”

She stands up to follow him inside and he closes the door as soon as they’re inside, pushing her against the wall with a hand in her waist, startling her with his determination. “What do you want for me?”

“I want you to forget about yesterday, cause clearly I was being naive and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” she expresses her discomfort about their current situation, guilty clouding her judgment.

“If that’s what you want…” Marshall let go of her waist with reluctance, all he really wanted to do was kiss her and feel her body against his again, but for some reason the very action that should have brought them together was what tore them apart. Well, he’s the one to blame, he should have gone with it but he turned her off, now Marshall needs to build a new kind of connection with her and show her he can be more warm and affectionate.

The day went by without further conversations between them, Marshall was out following some clues and she was talking with the victim’s family, trying to confirm previous arguments and maybe find something new. She learned Mrs. Phillips had traveled to Massachusetts the past month to allegedly visit a friend - but the family didn’t know who the friend was. Apparently, she did have a lot of friends and it wasn’t uncommon for her to visit them, but this was the first time she came back before the designated day. This information incites Caroline to interview the suspect again, so she sends the news to Andy, getting a prompt answer.

Tomorrow? Can I go along? - Andy

Yes, sure - Caroline

I was about to text you and see if you’re ok… - Andy

I am, thanks. Are u? - Caroline

Yes, leaving now. Wouldn’t mind a beer or two. What do you say?- Andy

I leave in ten - Caroline

Are you driving? I can pick you up - Andy

And drive me home afterward? - Caroline

Of course. I’ll wait in the parking lot - Andy

Andy looks at the phone one more time before smirking and tucking it in his pocket and walking out of the building to his car. Caroline spots him easily and walks to the passenger’s side; before she gets there, though, he jumps out of the driver’s seat to open the door for her.

“Tired?”

“No, not yet. I usually leave way later.” She smiles while climbing in.

“Workaholic much?” Andy leans on the door staring at her with a pleased expression.

“I guess so. Come on, let’s have those beers!” she ushers him.

Once back inside, Andy drives out of the parking lot and confesses he is a bit tired, asking if it would be okay for them to have the beers at some quiet place instead of a bar. After some deliberation about where to go, they decide the best option it’s to be at hers. Indoors, she arranges glasses and some snacks at the center table and tells him to get comfy on the couch, but he opts to sit in the floor, pulling her to sit beside him.

“Let’s toast to new starts.” He says filling her glass.

“Yeah, to new starts. Hope you feel welcome here.”

“I do. A lot, thanks to you.” He clicks their glasses, admiring her sweet personality. Caroline effortlessly wraps him in a refreshing sensation that he wants to enjoy fully - he believes he deserves some happy times after everything he went through.

The time chatting about their favorite movies and books went on and on until they realize it’s 1 AM. “I better go, sweetheart, we need to work tomorrow.” Andy leans against the couch and takes her right hand in his. “I had a great time.”

“Me too. We should do that again someday.”Caroline says, hiding a soft gasp when he brings her hand closer to his mouth and gently kisses it.

They both stand and she walks him to the door. “See you tomorrow, Caroline. Sleep tight.”

You too.” she says opening the door. “Would you text me to say you got home ok?” she adds before he goes.

Looking flattered, he takes a step back, closer to her, and leans towards the cute-looking woman, kissing her cheek gently. “I will, sweetheart. Good night.”

Once she put the dishes in the washer, she takes a quick shower and goes to bed, picking her phone to see if Andy texted as promised, and he did.

I’m home, sweetheart. Nice dreams - Andy

There was another unread text though, from Marshall.

Hope you’re okay, Carol. I’m here if you need to talk. Can I pick you up tomorrow? - M

A/N: Ahhhhh...do you think she should accept the ride?

[trilliontrees]

Trillion Trees Initiative for climate protection environmental biodiversity and species protection worldwide

The Greening Deserts Trillion Trees Initiative and Greening Camps can reduce negative climate changes, deforestation, droughts, desertification, land degradation, floods and global warming on a large scale - especially in human-made deserts, drylands, savanna and wastelands. Inviting nations, organisations, personalities and institutions since years and many have shown interest. You are also welcome to join the projects and greening initiative. Let's make the world green again, together! Let's plant billions or even a trillion trees to improve the climate and to reduce global warming significantely, especially with urban greening camps in urban areas. It is maybe the cheapest and most effective solution to cool down planet Earth, clean up the air and waters. Greening Deserts founder developed good solutions and projects to regreen drylands and wastelands with different kinds of resistant and typical plants. The greening and research camps will be green spots to cultivate all the plants and trees are needed, for example ground cover, flower trees, wild grasses, wild flowers and medicinal plants. Together with soil improving plants top soil layers will be created in just a few years - the basis for the following tree plantations and mixed forests. Seeds and seed balls can be dropped by seeding balloons and seeding drones.  

Greening Deserts economical, educational, cultural, social, scientific and sustainable projects have really big potential to reduce desertification and global warming, to improve healthy environments, sustainable agriculture (EcoFarming) and ecological forestry (EcoForestry). It are also projects for innovative Cleantech and Greentech developments. Here are some of the main projects: like Agrophotovoltaik, Desert Bamboo Africa, Greening Coasts, Greening Drones, Greenhouse Ship, Green Ring Africa, Great Green Wall North Africa, Seeding Balloon and Transparent Solar Greenhouses. All these projects were founded and initiated by Oliver Gediminas Caplikas during the last years. Strong future partners and investors for the ongoing project developments are always welcome! Invest in true values like education, ecological or real sustainable products and services together with our upcoming education, greening and research camps. Your investment in Greening Deserts projects will really change the world and we will create a better history or future. Global Cooling with Global Greening is not just possible, it is very realistic and the most effective solution – especially in relation to the costs, energy and time. Another important points are environmental education, climate adaption, mitigation, resilience and sustainability. All these points and developments will be realised at the forestation, greening and research camps.

Building a basic camp with a little team needs approx three to nine months, depends on the conditions and region. Greening and forestation of each concerned region starts from the very beginning, so like planting trees for the first parks. Bigger camps can get an Energy Storage Park with a solar park, water park and or wind park. Smaller camps will have of course solar energy and water supply, too. There are many developments and other projects connected, most of them will be realised with the camps. It is also interesting for urban areas, city forests and gardens - especially community and rooftop gardens. Many ambassadors, ministers, trade commissioners, scientists and experts were invited to join Greening Deserts campaigns, initiatives and projects during the years. We exchanged a lot about the sustainable developments, technics and techniques could be developed at the new Greening Camps. You can read more about on the official and social pages.

Many scientists confirming Greening Deserts concepts and projects, for example to plant a trillion trees to reduce human-made climate change effects and global warming worldwide. With financial support the projects like the Greening and Research Camps could finally start with forestation and greening, especially of drylands or wastelands in Africa and Europe. The Greening Camp project development is running since 2018, after successful funding in 2019 or 2020 the project can start fast as possible and build the first pilot camps.

More important information about Greening Deserts special projects like the new Critically Endangered Species (CES-RPP) research and protection program.

It's about Greening Camps, innovative developments, research, global goals and effective solutions. Greening Deserts projects like the greening and research camps will be platforms for Cleantech, climate protection, nature conservation, culture, education, environmental and species protection, Greentech and science. All camps can have a library, lounge and media room. Perfect to exchange with education, book and media branch, to experiment with creative designs, green building and sustainable architecture. Bigger camps can get an Energy Storage Park and even could be expanded to a kind of campus or science park.

We have not much time to establish hundreds of camps, greenhouses and new special areas, on land and at sea, for the most endangered species and keystone species of this world. It is similar as with other cascade effects like the permafrost and wetlands problem. If more keystone species like the bees extinct, even relative unknown or small ones, it will accelerate the mass extinction and reach 'tipping points' in relation to the critical biodiversity loss is ongoing. The only way is to focus on this most important issue of the world and put it on the first place of all agendas, concentrate on the most endangered known species and find the forgotten and unknown keystone species with best of search algorithms, networks and intelligent systems like AI, Deep Learning, cloud and crowdworking, archive management and intelligent library systems - powered by best of computing environments, so like special supercomputers. It has really more priority as using so much computing resources for astrological calculations, brain simulations or other mega applications which doing all the same or nearly simliar kind of tasks or work. Not to mention all the energy wasting computers, servers and smartphones in idle mode or used for time wasting tasks like certain films, series or war games.

It is important for us all to prevent the mass extinction in the next years, to restore and improve biodiversity in so many areas, also in urban areas. We all need to care more the species who are endangered or treatended the most! It makes no sense if there are so many conservation and species protection initiatives or programs for a single species like elephants, pandas,.. in background much more important species dying out. The species protection community and organisations like IUCN Red List of Threatened Species should overwork their agenda and priorities in this relation. Humanity must protect more the keystone species, particularly on which many other life forms depend on! For example if the most important species bees extinct, humans will extinct some years later. Another point is to support the climate adaption of animals and plants on the long term, help the species to survive by providing extra wildlife habitats like more biotopes, game reserves, meadows, parks and diverse forests for more biodiversity.

Every day counts to protect the most endangered species with all means and to bring this aspect, this task and the topic to the top on all relevant agendas - on all possible channels, daily and internationally. Of course, corresponding protected areas with the highest concentrations of life forms in all possible regions and climate zones also have priority. The 'overprotected' species and programs, resources, energies, .. in this context.. they should also concentrate more on these aspects, because to protect so much elephants, polar bears, giraffes, pandas, etc. who are relative save and every day important key species dying out ! It is a similar problem as with the neglected tipping points and the wrong prioritization of politics and economy - see United Nations Climate Change Conference. Only if the problems mentioned are resolved promptly the cascade effects can be reduced and possibly over decades of massive efforts stopped, and new disasters in this regard prevented. Then there may be a real chance to prevent extinction, also of humanity. Every action and every person counts in this regard, whether large or small, known or unknown. We maybe have approx two years to solve these problems and ten years to plant a trillion trees worldwide.

Bees have been declared as the most important species on planet earth. However, according to wildlife experts and scientists, the bees have joined the endangered species long list. Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and other pesticides must be reduced, so like the air pollution. Let's plant more wild flowers and flower trees, especially for the bees, birds and other animals who need trees to survive. We need more biotopes, real natural and wild habitats or wildlife reserves with wild meadows, mixed forests and protected areas like game reserves, landscape conservation, nature conservation and water conservation areas. Greening Deserts projects goals are mainly to restore natural landscapes like mixed forests, grasslands and wetlands - to bring back biodiversity, clean air, topsoils and water. Reduce and stop deforestation in near future, replace wood with other sustainable materials like hemp and rice straw.

Further information and news:

The Greening Camp plants like desert bamboo and hemp will improve the soils, underground water and waters in general. Drylands and wastelands can be turned into fertile lands easily with Greening Deserts technics and technologies were developed during the last three years. It improves the soils in just a few years, after this other soil improving plants, environmental friendly crops and trees can be planted. There will be many side products of the forestation or greening processes, it can be delivered to hemp product producers like the paper branch and packaging industry. All would win at the end - the poor people or regions, the degraded lands or soils, the forestry, paper and wood industry - even big wood paper consumers like the book, newspaper and packaging industry. Hemp and rice straw paper books could reform the book and paper branch in many ways. If you want to know more about, don't hesitate to contact. We are experts in these fields and markets since 2003. The worldwide cleaning and greening process can accelerate the global peace building process siginificantly.

And again! You and colleagues are welcome to join the Greening Deserts campaigns and initiatives like the official Trillion Trees Initiative to reduce negative climate changes, deforestation, droughts, desertification, land degradation, floods and global warming on a large scale - especially in human-made deserts, drylands and wastelands. The initiative was founded in 2018.

The founder launched another great initivative to reduce plastic waste in worldwide waters and it will open a complete new sustainable market. It's called Plastic Fishery, more news will come on the plastic fisher network and platform.

Awareness programmes, communications letters and statements were initiated and shared with thousands of worldwide governments, institutions and organisations in summer, autumn and winter 2019. Diverse collaborations, cooperations, partnerships and sponsorships are possible. Feel free to contact by the official channels and pages on Greening Deserts and Trillion Trees Network.

Climate protection, nature conservation and environmental protection is also species protection. Please do not ignore and forward if you can, it affects us all. Childrens Rights are Human Rights. Clean air, soils, waters and healthy environments are Human Rights, too. We need more environmental awareness and sustainability, sustainable living and sustainable working, in all fields or areas. We need to create a world of understanding, acceptance, respect, tolerance, compassion and consciousness.

Do more for green places in your city, try to establish more community gardens, city parks, city forests, urban farming areas, fascade and rooftop gardens. Show that you can live and work really sustainable by saving energy, water and other natural resources. Reduce waste and pollution, especially plastic waste. Use alternative packaging and ecological products like bamboo or similar products. - Oliver Gediminas Caplikas

Visit the official pages:

http://trilliontrees.eu

http://trilliontrees.in

http://trilliontrees.us

http://trilliontrees.net

http://trilliontrees.info

http://trilliontrees.africa

http://www.trilliontreesinitiative.com

http://www.trilliontreesinitiative.org

http://afforestation.org

http://forestation.net

[moviewarfare]

A Review of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)”

The movie that hardcore dedicated Zack fans fought for has finally been released. I'm not a huge Zack fan and I honestly didn't like Batman v Superman (BvS), although I did like Man of Steel, I also supported the movie because I believe the movie released should've been Zack's true vision. I watched Justice League (2017) in theatres when it came out and thought it was a very bland movie that had very obvious reshoots from another director in it. If I had to give that movie a rating then I would give it a 1.5/5. The premise is still the same "Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's (Henry Cavill) selfless act, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) enlists newfound ally Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) to face an even greater threat. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to recruit a team to stand against this newly awakened enemy. Despite the formation of an unprecedented league of heroes-Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) -- it may be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions". So does this live up to the hype or is it overrated?

Let's get this out of the way first, this version is infinitely better than the 2017 version. The best scenes in the 2017 version were all Snyder from watching this version. I did wonder how different this version was going to be from 2017 one but it feels completely different. I would say 70% of the 2017 version is in this movie but the editing, removal of Whedon scenes and addition of new scenes changes this into one with tonal consistency and coherent storytelling. Since this version is longer, it also feels like there are more build-up and tension throughout. Due to this every scene that was also in the 2017 one now feel a lot better and earned. The screenplay is still written by Chris Terrio but unlike BvS it feels a lot more engaging and not unironically silly. Some powerful and emotional lines here resonated with me which is quite surprising.

Additionally, the action scenes are more enjoyable in this one due to its R rating and how it's longer now. The biggest change is to the action in the climax where instead of in 2017 where Superman does everything, the team all contribute so it feels like everyone was relevant to the team. Junkie XL returns to score this version from BvS and it is amazing. His score adds a lot of impacts compared to Danny Elfman's 2017 version. It's a lot more memorable and makes scenes feel more exhilarating. There is also an Aquaman and Flash theme of the sort that sounds great albeit not as iconic sounding as say the Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor or Superman theme from BvS. The cinematography by Fabian Wagner is pretty good for the most part and there are still those gorgeous shots that we expect from Snyder. The humour from the 2017 version is now toned down substantially so no more "wHaT iS BRunCh? or Flash landing on Wonder Woman boobs, thank god. Surprisingly, there is still a fair amount of humour here compared to BvS which some say was lacking in a lot of fun. The humour in this version land a lot better and is the right amount as well which add some levity to a mostly serious natured story.

The biggest improvement this version has is the characterization. Cyborg has a proper fleshed out arc in this version. You have a greater understanding of his dislike for his dad and his feelings about his current situation but still having a believable development where he grows to accept who he is now. He is the heart and soul of this movie in thanks to Ray Fisher's wonderful performance.  They turned a character I barely cared about even before the 2017 version, into one of the most interesting and memorable characters. His relationship with his dad played by Joe Morton is some of the best aspects of the Justice League. They also conveyed his power very well and made it seem incredibly powerful. Flash is also improved a lot as he now has more to do. Despite still being the comic relief of the team, he is no longer unbearably annoying or treated as trash compared to Superman and is now actually doing super cool things that make him way more interesting. Ezra Miller is quite lovable in those comedic moments which are genuinely funny but when the serious moments come, he delivers a great performance.

Aquaman has some slight improvements as well. More scenes are explaining his reluctance to become King of Atlantis and also some more scenes showing his stone-cold outwards personality but hidden kindness compared to the others. I also love his interactions with the Flash including a small scene where Flash is asking Aquaman which looks better which is just a nice interaction. He also does a bit more aqua looking powers in the neat climax. Wonder Woman has more action scenes that make her more badass which is nice. Her animosity and rivalry against Steppenwolf is a lot clearer as well. She also has some nice interactions with nearly every member of the league including Superman and Alfred. Batman has a naturally continuing story from BvS where he is the one who is trying to assemble the team. His interaction with Alfred are some of the best with Alfred questioning him not doing things with a reason but from guilt instead. Unfortunately, his action scenes don't live up to that of BvS and he doesn't change at all from beginning to end. Superman appears near the end, so there isn't much to his character arc or story since it was just beginning. He wears a black suit in this version but it doesn't have much significance in terms of story or reason behind it apart from it looks cool I guess? Batman and Superman the most iconic characters are the weakest characters in the story surprisingly. Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) has clearer motives this time around as he now wants to collect these Motherboxes to get back into his master, Darkseid, good graces again. His new design makes him look more alien and his action scenes make him more fearsome. He is a better villain compared to the 2017 version but is still just someone for the league to fight rather than an interesting villain.

However, some characters don't improve in this version including Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who in every scene is just mourning Superman. She is described as a key character but doesn't do anything else apart from hogging screen time. Commissioner Gordon (JK Simmons) has fewer scenes in this version compared to 2017 and both just involve him talking. Makes me wonder why JK Simmons bulked up for the role just for talking scenes.

The 4-hour length of this movie is honestly fine since it is releasing on streaming and since fans have been fighting for ages, they might as well see everything that Zack shot. However, in terms of the story, the movie could still convey important aspects without having to be 4 hours. There are a lot of scenes that drag on for too long or pointless scenes that don't add much which could easily be cut. The pacing of the first half is incredibly slow as well and it takes a fair amount of time for things to start picking up. There are also some scenes with slo-mo and some vocal song in the background that are kind of cringy and go on for way too long as well. The team don't even assemble until over 2 hours. The ending also goes on for too long which is weird as there is a very satisfying ending but then it keeps going. This new additional shot ending from Zack is cool but it feels slapped on. There are also some scenes concerning a certain character that occurs over halfway through the movie but is just really distracting from the main plot. They then appear at the ending but it feels kind of unnecessary for the story. I don't particularly mind the 4:3/square ratio that this movie has but it does take a while to get used to and I still find 16:9 would look better on my TV. Finally, some of the CGI looks bad and unpolished which is slightly distracting because they are very noticeable.

Overall, I was incredibly surprised at how much I enjoyed this version of the movie. I'm not a big fan of Zack Snyder but this might be his best work so far. I am glad he got to release his vision of Justice League and hope that this isn't a complete one-off thing. This was a great win for fans and was worth the long, gruelling fight.

[the-odd-job]

Building Dreams chapter 4 - Then and Now

Warnings: Chose Not to Use Rating: Mature Category: Other Fandom: Transformers Relationships: Sideswipe & Sunstreaker Characters: Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Unnamed Characters, Original Characters Additional Tags: Alien Culture, Dubcon Words: 6095

( Previous )

They shuffled out of their room the next morning, entirely self-conscious about the state of their frames. Not just because of the blank spots everywhere on them, but because… Of how badly their looks had gotten altered. It was no different from the other carriers. They fit right in now. 

It still felt so, so wrong. Everyone had already seen them as they were supposed to look.

And now they weren’t that anymore. 

So yeah, they were a bit uncomfortable when they walked down the ramp onto the first floor. There were a couple of other breeders around, and they as well as the damn guards said their good mornings to them. They both growled at the guards, but they weren’t the same ones from last night.

That didn’t make it much better. Were these the ones that had been around and they had no doubt that they would’ve done the exact same things as the ones from last night had. It was their job, wasn’t it? Wrangle the carriers, make sure the peace was kept, that no one rocked the boat?  

But what was done was done, and there was nothing they could do to undo it. So… What about the present?

The pit were they supposed to do now? Sit around and wait until the inevitable came for them?

They were left to loiter at the bottom of the ramp only for a moment before a carrier that seemed to be talking with one of the guards waved for their attention.

And when waved them to come over. Or, go over.

They shared a glance, but ultimately… Did they have anything better to do? Besides, it’d be kind of rude to just ignore them. The other carriers hadn’t done a thing to them, besides being too damn chill with all of this. But even that… Who knew how old they each were, how fragging long they’d been here already. It probably got a little difficult to keep up a fight for all eternity.

Was that their future too? Just give up and accept everything?

Wasn’t that what was expected of them, anyway? What the pit else were they supposed to do? Rage against everything until their spark stopped pulsing?

It was… Something to think about, but right now they didn’t feel like thinking about anything too hard. Everything was still a little too fresh and Sideswipe wasn’t sure the shock had entirely worn off yet.

So they walked across the common room to the carrier and the guard, both of whom smiled at them. “I’m Silvertips,” the carrier introduced himself as they reached them, flaring his field in greeting. Sideswipe flared his own in return; Sunstreaker just frowned. 

There was a pause before Sideswipe realized that even if the guards knew their designations, the other carriers probably didn’t. Why would they? “Oh, I’m Sideswipe,” he introduced himself quickly once that realization sank in, then gestured at Sunstreaker, “and this is Sunstreaker. Nice to… Meet you?”

“It is,” Silvertips said, then clapped his servos together. “Now, what I was going to ask you was if you’d like repaints?”

...They sort of needed those, didn’t they? They glanced at each other again, terribly uncertain about the whole thing, but… Yeah. They were patchy as all pit. It wasn’t a particularly good look, and if they wanted to feel any less self-conscious, having proper paint jobs again would be a good first step.

Sideswipe nodded very, very cautiously, but despite their hesitation, Silvertips looked pleased. “Sweet! What colors would you like?”

“Uh… Probably the same we have? Or… Had.

“So, red, black, and white for me, and gold and black for Sunny.”

“We’ll have you looking good again in no time, don’t worry,” Silvertips promised with a reassuring smile before turning to the guard and asking, “Can you open the door for us?”

What door? But the guard nodded and they trailed after him towards the main doors. Of course instead of going through them, they aimed right next to them, to a door that hadn’t been a part of their tour, but was clearly something different from the rest. It didn’t have a number on it.

Silvertips was quick to provide an answer to that mystery. “This is the storage,” he said when the guard used his credentials to open it. “It’s locked, but all you ever need to do is ask for it to be opened if you need something from it. I’ll show you what’s here.”

All three of them walked into the room, which was… Really, the same size as their room was, but this was filled with shelves that were in turn filled with all sorts of stuff. “Some of this is really trivial, there just isn’t room for it elsewhere,” Silvertips told them as he showed them through everything the room contained. There were more washing and polishing supplies as well as cooking things, among others that made it look like it also contained some stocked goods on top of things that probably weren’t found elsewhere from the living area.

Such as the paints and related products. Silvertips rummaged through the well organized shelving and picked the colors they’d said, as well as paint stripper and sealant and what they’d need to apply everything. He deposited most of it into his subspace, keeping only a few things in his servos.

“Alright, let’s go get started,” and with that he led the way back out of the room. The guard was still waiting outside and locked the door after them. Silvertips didn’t react to the whole thing in any way at all, but Sideswipe couldn’t help glancing at the door as a reminder of how little freedom they had here. They were just… Patronized. Like they were somehow so stupid they couldn’t be allowed free, unsupervised reign of the place. Or something. That was what it felt like. 

But they followed Silvertips to the washracks and started the whole process. They were first relieved of what was left of their colors, their plating cleaned to make sure no impurities would get caught in the end result, before Silvertips began to apply everything with practiced motions. He was better at the whole thing than even Sunstreaker, despite his love for these things.

“Where have you learned this stuff?” Sideswipe asked idly as Silvertips worked on him.

“Here, mostly! I usually do everyone’s paint jobs and help them upkeep them, so I’ve gotten in some practice,” Silvertips laughed. It sounded genuine, too. Like he didn’t mind the whole part of how he had gotten the practice was only because he was a carrier. 

That if he wasn’t in a House, he probably would’ve never learned it. Or maybe he would’ve anyway, what did they know. “Were you created for these sort of things?” Was that a bad thing to ask? Bring up the life before?

Too late to take it back now, Sideswipe had blurted it already. Silvertips, though, didn’t react badly to even that level of prying. “Oh, Primus, no. I was going to become an office worker, after my commissioners.” He made a face. “Can you imagine how dull that would’ve been? I can’t imagine myself sitting in an office, hooked up to a console and doing who knows what repetitive task I was assigned.”

...Right. And this was somehow better? Stuck in a House for the rest of your life, never leaving? They still didn’t know how the pit anyone even passed the time here. There were activities provided, sure, but were those really going to entertain anyone forever? Didn’t that get repetitive as all slag?

“You prefer this?” Sunstreaker asked in a bitter growl. Silvertips gave him a look that was just… Neutral. 

Right before he smiled. “It doesn’t matter what I prefer, you know that.”

Accepting. ’I’m a carrier, which makes me a breeder, which means my own wants and desires are of no consequence.’

Primus. Did they ever even want to become that? Sure it might make their life… More pleasant, easier, if they stopped fighting the whole thought of it, but… It was disturbing. It was fragging disturbing how Silvertips and the other breeders looked just okay with everything.

Neither of them asked anything further from there, and Silvertips didn’t speak uselessly either, only directing them when he needed them doing something or other, moving this way or that, asking what color went where. He worked efficiently but carefully, and sooner than they’d have thought they had paint all across them again. That was followed by sealant, and everything was finished once they’d gotten shined to perfection.

“Well, what do you think?” Silvertips asked once all was said and done, turning them both to the mirror in the corner of the room. They had a look at themselves, and… Honestly, the paint that was used on them was obviously higher quality than what they’d had before. Combined with the high polish–

“It looks great,” Sideswipe said, perfectly aware that he sounded less than enthusiastic. It was nothing about the paint jobs themselves, those were awesome, but the rest. The shape of their frames. All the details that had been stripped from them, just to turn them into what they were meant to be here.

And they hadn’t even gotten to the best part yet, but that was looming somewhere in their future too. 

By the pits, he wasn’t looking forward to that.

It looked a bit like Silvertips took notice of their discomfort, obvious as it was, but just when he opened his mouth to speak, the door to the washracks opened and they all looked that way.

A guard was standing there and inclined his helm at them, before he focused on, “Twins. If you’d come to your room.”

Their spark started to spin a little more urgently at that with the unknown possibilities. Were they in trouble already or… Was it that time?

Sideswipe swallowed hard, but they nevertheless exited the room when the guard stepped aside. He followed them as they climbed the ramp and turned to their room, going in far enough that the guard had the room to follow them.

“You might want to sit,” he said with a gesture to the berth.

What for? But they did so anyway, confused or not.

They didn’t need to live in ignorance for long. “I’m sorry, but your commissioner was found dead,” the guard said, apologetic to be the bearer of bad news, and…

Well.

So.

Oops?

Sideswipe grimaced and Sunstreaker frowned, but all in all their reaction probably wasn’t what it usually was when informed that your mentor had died. But, you know, the circumstances were what they were, and… Yeah.

Yeah.

Unfortunately for them, the guard wasn’t the dumb sort, and although he didn’t give much of an expression, there was something… Astute, about the way he looked at them.

Quick, pretend they were sad over it. “Sorry to hear that,” Sideswipe said, dropping his gaze to the floor. Sunstreaker growled lowly, and this was probably some of the worst acting they’d ever done in their life, but after everything that had happened? It was hard to grasp onto fake emotions through all the genuine emotions of anger and resentment.

Sideswipe cringed just a little when the guard soon asked, “Did you have something to do with it?”

Was this a good spot to lie? When an observant guard had already guessed part of the truth? When they really were at the authorities’ mercy and couldn’t escape the fallout and consequences, whether those consequences were for lying or for murdering their commissioner. 

Before he could decide, the guard had already continued, “You won’t get in trouble for anything you did before. Only your behavior here in the House matters.”

For all they knew that wasn’t necessarily true, but Sunstreaker acted first, snarling– “He was an useless waste of space and had it coming,” –and thought second, considering if maybe admitting they weren’t completely innocent in it wasn’t the smartest move—even if they didn’t get explicit on them being the perpetrators. 

But the guard just nodded. “A note will be made on your file, but like said, you’re not in trouble.”

Wasn’t that awful nice. “How did you find out, anyway?” Sideswipe had to ask, looking back up at the guard.

“The enforcers were trying to inform him of your change of status. Didn’t work out, obviously.”

Oh.

But speaking of that, “Will our friends be informed of… What happened to us?” Although what were the chances they didn’t already know, after how public the whole visit to the Pits with the enforcers had been? Word traveled fast.

But, it could also be attributed to baseless rumor after it circulated enough. Not everyone would necessarily believe fanciful tales like that, and then what? Would they just wonder where the slag they disappeared to, to drop off the face of the planet like that? 

“All your known associates that can be contacted will be informed.”

“Why go through all that trouble?” Sunstreaker asked sharply, and that was a good point, wasn’t it? They were just gutter trash. They hadn’t mattered, and even if their “status” had changed, the same had hardly happened to their friends. Or associates, as he called them. Which probably included more than just their friends.

But the point remained. These were mecha considered utterly worthless in the grand scheme of things, just lowlifes and criminals. What did it matter if they knew or didn’t know?

“Standard procedure. For safety’s sake carriers are hardly given enough time to say goodbyes, as you probably experienced. We want to ease anyone’s concerns over what happened to you, considering they will never see you again.”

Never see them again. Slag but that was final. Sideswipe closed his optics and tried to ignore how badly the constant reminders of their lot in life were getting to him. Sunstreaker was shaking just so, his servos balled into fists. Angry. So, so angry. For a good reason, if you asked Sideswipe. Everyone treated as a natural certainty the little fact that they had no plans to ever let them go or ever let anyone but those see them. 

Hadn’t they treated it as such, too, before it was suddenly them on this side of the bargain?

They were such hypocrites.

But if nothing else, at least everyone would know what befell them. They’d probably believe it coming from officials, and… Then they’d have at least that much certainty.

The twins were alive somewhere as newspark spawning machines. Joy.

“That’s all I had,” the guard said once they didn’t ask anything further. “You look great, by the way. Silvertips always does good work.”

With that, he left, leaving the brothers alone in their room. It was a chance to think, if nothing more. Mostly about the approach they were going to take to this whole thing. Would they fight it every step of the way? That was a tempting thought, but realistically speaking, where was it going to get them? They’d just be forced into everything anyway, there was no doubt about that, and who knew what other kinds of consequences they would get for being difficult. No one would harm them, they knew that much. Carriers were too valuable to be treated badly like that. 

But that didn’t mean they didn’t have something unpleasant in store for those that put up a fight. They had no idea what it might be, but did they want to find out?

Maybe they would have, if any of it had earned them something. But… This was their life now. This was every carrier’s life. Who the frag were they, just one spark, to fight an entire worldwide establishment? They couldn’t win.

Could they escape despite all that?

Probably not, but if they even wanted to have a chance, if they wanted to look for any opportunity… Then they would need to make it look like they weren’t doing just that. If they made everyone suspicious they’d just have an even closer eye held on them.

No, what they needed to do was fit in and conform, on the outside. Play it smart. Would they ever get out, no matter their best attempts? Even if they did, could they escape forever? Never to be dragged back?

Probably not.

…Probably not.

Didn’t mean it wasn’t worth keeping as a goal.

“I don’t like this,” Sunstreaker growled. His brother’s optics were fierce when they stared at him, but Sideswipe just glared.

“We don’t exactly have better ideas, do we?”

“This is a bad idea, too.”

“Sure, but it’s the best out of all the bad ideas we have.”

“Frag off.”

“Not before you do.”

Ah, to be the voice of reason. “Anyway,” Sideswipe huffed, getting up on his pedes and offering a servo to Sunstreaker, “I’m about done moping around over this whole ass mess. It’s fragging tiresome.”

Sunstreaker didn’t give him a happy look, but nevertheless took his servo. Sideswipe pulled him upright too and they left their room to return to the common area. There weren’t that many carriers around, surprisingly, meaning most of them were probably in their rooms. Or in each other’s rooms? Was that permissible?

A guard whose name they didn’t know any more than they knew anyone’s name was standing along one wall, leaning against it all casual like while he watched some sort of a card game two of the breeders were engaged in. As good a person as any to ask their questions from, wasn’t he? Sideswipe sidled up to him, feeling uncharacteristically nervous–

But when the guard noticed their approach, he just gave them an easy smile. “Have you found something to do yet?” he asked.

“Haven’t really had the time to try,” Sideswipe admitted, stopping just out of arm’s reach away. What was a polite distance? Frag if he knew.

“First couple of days are always such a hullabaloo,” the guard laughed lowly. “You’ll get a chance to chill out too, don’t worry.

“I’m Downturn, by the way. Haven’t met you two yet. Pleasure.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you,” Sideswipe responded entirely automatically. He was pretty sure Downturn noticed he was a bit… Off, but if anything, it seemed like that made the guard more intent on easing things. He didn’t leave Sideswipe to worry about getting every word in, at least.

“So, what’s up?” Downturn asked instead, perfect for continuing conversation, and with nothing about his tone suggesting it was unwelcome. That was probably expected though, after how many times they’d seen the guards chat with the breeders.

This was the chance they’d wanted, wasn’t it? Question time. “Are the breeders allowed in each other’s rooms?”

“Oh yeah, nothing forbidding that unless there’s reason to suspect they’re doing something they’re not supposed to,” Downturn shrugged. “But that’s rarely a concern.”

“…Things they’re not supposed to do, like..?”

“Merging with each other, or interfacing when one of them is coding internally, things of that nature. Just hanging out, though? Totally fine. No need to always do it in the common area if you want some privacy.”

Surprisingly reasonable, honestly? No merging made sense considering why the pit they were all here, and the ban on interfacing under those conditions was also pretty expected and duh worthy. 

But alright, they were allowed privacy if they wanted it. That was nice.

“Why’s this House called ‘Beta’? Is it like a quality thing? ‘Alpha’ is the best?”

Downturn laughed, just a little. “I’d hope not! Nah, it’s just order of establishment. Kaon has Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, so three Houses.”

Sideswipe couldn’t help but huffing a halfway laugh too. “Well, nice to know we’re not second rate, at least.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, you’re not. Just as first rate as all others!”

“How many Houses are there in total? Like, in all of Cybertron?”

“A few dozen? I’m not sure about the exact number, but most city-states have at least two.”

“Are they all the same size?”

“Not really. I think our House is a really comfortable size, but there are smaller ones as well as considerably bigger ones. I guess it’s up to personal preference how big you like your House, but yeah, I think this is pretty nice. Not so many you couldn’t learn to know everyone as individuals, you know?”

That was… A weird thing for a guard to be worrying about. Knowing everyone as individuals? Was that really what the guards wanted to do? What all their friendliness was for? He could understand it between the breeders, because they were all… On equal footing, in the same situation.

The guards? A different matter entirely.

“How many carriers are here, in this House?”

“Sixteen sparks, seventeen frames with you two. We have room for twenty-six frames, though.”

The door numbers went to twenty-six, that much was true. It still didn’t seem like a lot, but that was probably the point of getting to know everyone.

Although… Did it go both ways? “How many guards are there?”

“In total? Forty.”

Okay, that seemed like a lot. There were three present in the living area at all times, and they’d seen some outside it too, but it was still kind of a lot.

Downturn took notice of their surprise and gave them a lopsided grin. “We take protecting you lot very seriously. Mind, not all of us are present at all times, we rotate.”

Sideswipe nodded mutely. He could see that, yeah. And he shouldn’t have been surprised, not really. Everyone knew how valued carriers were. It made sense they’d go completely over the top protecting them, even if he didn’t know how many of the guards exactly were present in the House itself at any given moment.

But it was probably a big enough number, all the same.

“How do you become a guard?” Sideswipe asked. They’d never considered that as a career opportunity, but then again, career ‘opportunity’ didn’t exist on Cybertron to a great extent. “Are you created for it?”

“No. This is one of the jobs no one’s created for,” Downturn told them though, surprisingly enough. “You need to want to become one, and then go through rigorous testing and training. And I mean rigorous. I was in training longer than you’ve been alive before I ever saw the inside of a House!” he laughed, but Sideswipe could feel the pride in his field. “Most don’t make the cut, period.”

In all fairness, that was probably reason for pride, wasn’t it? To hold such an important position, protecting Cybertron’s entire future, and not just that, but in a role that so few were accepted to? That you were far more likely to fail when pursuing?

“Congrats for making it?” Sideswipe tried, and Downturn laughed again.

“Thanks. So yeah, don’t worry, you’re in good hands. Everyone here knows what they’re doing to the last.”

Not only in protecting them from outsiders, but also making sure they cooperated every step of the way, right? Sideswipe could guess that was a pretty big part of their job description.

How much more were he and Sunstreaker still going to make them work for their paycheck? They’d already required some wrangling, and even their decision to try to fit in was a pretty flimsy one, especially on Sunstreaker’s side. The Pits had been most of their upbringing. Violence was etched into them, and it would be so easy to fall to it if a push came to a shove. 

Even if it would be completely in vain. Not only were they outnumbered, they were probably outmatched too, despite their skill—especially now, after their frames had been made so entirely harmless that they only even had blunt force damage to inflict anymore. 

Even Sunstreaker had to grudgingly accept that fighting the guards outright probably wasn’t the greatest idea. 

“How much other staff is there?”

“Some in administration, taking care of the paperwork, front desk, and whatnot. And that’s about it—so not that many, honestly. There’s as many mechs as is needed to run the place, and no more. Security reasons, again.”

Security, security, security. That sure was a concern. “Who cleans everything?”

“Us guards handle the living area, although some of the breeders like to help, especially with their own rooms. The administration handles the rest.”

No cleaners? Sideswipe didn’t ask why though, he could guess: security. The less mecha you allowed in, the lesser the chances of something happening. Wasn’t that how it went?

The amount of carriers in the common area had increased during their chat and Sideswipe glanced towards the center of the room at a round of laughter. Downturn was looking that way too, and made a suggestion in short order, “Why don’t you go introduce yourselves to the others? They’ve been dying to meet you, anyway.”

Sideswipe glanced at Sunstreaker, who didn’t have more than a shrug to offer. So… Why not?

“Yeah, sure,” Sideswipe said, giving Downturn a little wave of goodbye as much as they weren’t going more than a few steps away. They wandered over to the plush chairs and couches other breeders were occupying in various positions, doing various things. Some were watching the entertainment screen, one had a datapad they were focusing on, another was bobbing their helm to what looked to be a beat of music no one else could hear, and the rest were playing with the cards from earlier. 

They found themselves an empty spot and sat down, and they didn’t need to sit around awkwardly either because the others immediately had smiles and greetings to give them. Downturn hadn’t been wrong, they seemed all the way eager to have them around, but if they were the first new faces they’d seen in how the pit knew how long, that probably made sense. Poor bastards had to be desperate for anything new.

And they were poor bastards right along with them, now. How long was it going to take before they were dying for anything new, too?

They were enthusiastically asked to introduce themselves in short order, and Sideswipe did that. Sunstreaker sat there growling, the ray of sunshine he was, but no one seemed too put off by him.

With their designations out of the way, the others did a round of quick introductions too, and Sideswipe did his best to connect names with faces, energy signatures, and fields. Though, he’d probably have plenty of time to do that still.

Yaaaay.

So no need to stress remembering everyone right away. Plus, it wasn’t all of the carriers present, if there were fifteen others. They’d still need to meet the rest of them, sans Silvertips.

“So, how did you feel when your test came positive?” one of the carriers—very surprisingly—asked. He was leaning forward in his seat too, rapt on the twins’ answer, but felt so… Casual, about it. Not like he was expecting any amount of angst. 

Why? And he didn’t look to be the only one whose attention they had with that question. Was this a normal question to get at this point?

Sideswipe blinked and fidgeted, but what did they have to lose, really. “Mostly just… Disbelief? Like, we didn’t really think it would hit us. The odds are so slim it just didn’t feel realistic, you know?”

They got understanding nods, and honestly, if anyone was going to understand the shock of it, it would be the other breeders who had all been in the very same position. Go to get tested, most likely think nothing of it, and then, surprise! You’re a carrier.

And now they were here, because of that. All of them. 

“Honestly, that was me too,” another spoke up. “I was like ‘this is such a waste of time, I’m not a carrier anyway’ and then, slag, I actually was! Fragging pits but that messed up my life plans,” he laughed, and everyone laughed along.

Everyone but the twins, that was. Sideswipe cracked a smile, but was it really that funny? Really?

“What… Were your life plans?” he asked from the mech carefully. Deepfire? Yeah, that one was Deepfire, he was pretty sure.

“Garbage. I just wanted to get out of the mines. Was trying my hand at Pit fighting to see if that’d be my ticket out. Wasn’t, but this was!” Deepfire said, tapping his chest over his spark with a grin. “Worked out for the fragging best.”

Oh hey, another wannabe gladiator. Although… He seemed an awful lot more happy to be a carrier than the twins were. 

Again it was Sunstreaker with the less cautious questions. “You think this is an improvement?”

“Well… Yeah. Sorta, for some?” a different carrier answered in Deepfire’s stead, but Deepfire nodded along to their answer so it was probably all the same. “We’ve got everything we need for a super comfortable life.”

“But you can’t leave,” Sideswipe frowned. Was all of this really worth losing every last shred of your freedom?

But the other carriers merely glanced between themselves before more than a few shrugged and one spoke up. “That’s just how it is for breeders, you know that. 

No arguing that one. “Yeah, I… I know that,” Sideswipe sighed, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his shins. So that was how they thought? They could never ever leave, but it was just how things worked, so that made it not matter? Made it okay? Worth thinking that it had improved your life?

“Personally, I think this was a bit of a downgrade,” one of them went to disprove that last thought, but they said that with a giggle, already setting the tone of how hard they took the whole thing—not very hard at all. “I was going to party my life away, but instead I’m creating more of it. Where’s my party?!”

The lot of them laughed, again. “The party’s ‘round the clock in your head, Dance,” someone chortled.

“You’re honored, Dancestep!” one of the guards called out from the second floor, but the grin was audible in his voice. “You get to create more life instead of just wasting yours. Think about it!”

“I’ll show you where you can shove your honor!” Dancestep shot back, making a rude gesture at the guard’s direction. The guard actually returned it, and that was just… They were so fragging casual, everyone, around everyone. You could joke around even with the guards, argue with them in good spirit, and no one bat an eye. 

And, apparently, you were permitted to not love every moment of a carrier’s life, if Dancestep was at all serious. But even with the joking tone, something gave Sideswipe the impression he wasn’t entirely joking about it. 

That was at least a little comforting, knowing that they weren’t the only ones who weren’t all the way fine with this, and that… They might never be, and that was okay. 

Or, was okay as long as they did what they were supposed to do. Namely, make countless newsparks without resistance. Obey the rules of the House and the role of a breeder.

All that good stuff.

Some of their inner turmoil was probably showing, because it was acknowledged. “Nervous about the whole reason you’re here for?” they were asked. Sideswipe thought about it for a second, but was there any reason to deny it?

So he nodded instead.

“I was shaking out of my damn plating before my first time,” Deepfire grumbled, and this time there wasn’t laughter, just knowing nods. 

“I’d say ‘try not to worry about it’, but I know that’s impossible. Just be ready to go on a short notice. If you’re free, they can come pretty suddenly,” they were advised by a different mech.

Sideswipe didn’t think they would ever be ready for any of it, but… The gesture was appreciated, at least. He gave a small smile with an equally small, “Yeah.”

Deepfire left soon after, retreating to his room. The twins were invited to the card game, though only Sideswipe accepted. Sunstreaker parked himself behind him where he couldn’t see everyone else’s cards and observed the game in silence. Sideswipe tried to join in on the small talk and banter, and honestly, he thought he did a pretty good job of it? He was nowhere near as relaxed as he usually was, and since he didn’t really know anyone yet it was hard to actively participate in the banter, but he laughed along where he got the gist of it and interjected with his own things where he could. The others did their part in including him, too. It was honestly… Nice.

The circumstances weren’t nice, but at least the mecha were. He still missed his own friends, already, and they hadn’t even been here two days, but… He was never going to get them back. Maybe he could make new friends out of these mecha, instead. 

They had two games with the cards before the entertainment screen claimed mostly everyone’s attention after someone put some series to play that they all apparently more or less liked. Sideswipe gave it a go too, right along with Sunstreaker, and it was… Decent. Ish. Not enough action, but entertaining enough that he didn’t straight up fall into recharge either, so that was something? 

After a while of that, they got invitations to join a game on their datapads. Even Sunstreaker accepted this time, and they fished out their datapads to join the others in what turned out to be a last man standing kind of game—that they played in an instance that only the carriers worldwide could access. They didn’t get the chance to look if they even could join regular instances, but a more or less private one was what they were invited to, so that’s where they went.

It was a hell of a lot of fun for the both of them, admittedly, and they continued playing even after some of the others wandered to other activities. They continued playing long enough, in fact, that only a guard clapping for everyone’s attention interrupted them. “Alright carriers, time for recharge! You too, Shambang, I don’t want to catch you sneaking out for a midnight snack again.”

“Why you singling me out like this?!” Shambang protested to general laughter even as everyone started to get up and put things away, heading into their rooms. The twins followed suit after a bit of hesitation, not that they knew to help with setting things back to their places.

Instead they made their way up the ramp to the second floor, datapads in hand. Downturn was on the second floor on their way to their room, and Sideswipe stopped by him. “Are we allowed to like… Stay up late in our rooms? Or is it recharge all strict like?”

“Nah,” Downturn answered. “No one’s going to get on your case if you stay up late. We just like to set up a sort of preferred time for recharge, so everyone isn’t recharging whenever and missing all the fun stuff others get up to.” Sideswipe nodded to that and they continued past the guard to their room.

So. Bedtimes! Why wasn’t he surprised? Although the reasoning at least made sense. The passage of night and day would ultimately mean little here where there weren’t even artificial windows, nevermind real ones. They’d never see the outside world enough to tell what time of the cycle it was elsewhere.

It was just the House. That was their whole damn world now.

Sideswipe flopped onto their berth with a heavy exvent, willingly faceplanting into it. He wasn’t okay with this. He wasn’t okay with any of this, and things hadn’t even come to a head yet. That was in the future too. Hopefully distant future, but more likely in the not so distant future. 

How the pit were they going to survive that?

Sunstreaker sat down next to him and Sideswipe turned his helm enough to peek at him, not that Sunstreaker was looking at him. He was staring at his datapad instead. “We didn’t fuel today, you know,” his brother noted, and after a thought, Sideswipe nodded.

They hadn’t, had they? But they’d topped up yesterday, so… By their norm– Past standards they were still on perfectly acceptable levels, and would be for a while still.

“We’ll do that tomorrow,” he said, propping himself onto his elbows and bringing his datapad back in front of him.

Bugged datapad, but slaggit, it was better than nothing. “Wanna keep playing for a bit?”

“Sure.”

( Next )

[myhockeyworld87]

Nervous Regrets - Tyler Seguin - Part 27

Word Count: 5,831

POV: Reader

Warnings: Total fluff, language

Notes: Here we are at Part 27, never thought this story would get this far, but here we are. These two are finally getting hitched. It’s not the big wedding, but that will come. Hope you guys enjoy. Happy Reading.

The sun was out and the birds were chirping, or maybe that’s just how you were viewing the world on New Year’s day knowing that you were marrying Tyler in just two short days. He was still sleeping when you slipped out of the bedroom, to survey the damage from the party. It was about ten in the morning and you saw a few stray pairs of shoes lying around, so you made sure not to make too much noise for anyone who had decided to stay. The house was relatively clean all things considered, which was more than likely due to your best friend. You picked up your phone, hoping that it wasn’t too early to call her.

“Hello.” Her voice sounded a bit groggy and you realized that you’d woken her up.

“Shit, Jenna, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s ok. What’s up?” It was just like her, to put you first.

“It’s nothing, I just need to ask you something. Call me when you’re actually wake.” Maybe you should go back to bed yourself. You hadn’t got that much sleep, but you were bursting with excitement and just couldn’t lay there anymore.

“I’m awake now, so just hit me with it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Ugh, (Y/N) you are killing me here. Just tell me already.” She was whispering all be it harshly at you.

“Are you with Jamie right now?” The fact that both yours and Tyler’s best friends were together, was sending you on cuteness overload.

“Yes.” You could almost see her blushing. “So please, stop leaving me in suspense.”

“Alright, alright, sorry. First off, you and Jamie are amazing for cleaning this place up. Thank you guys so much.” They really were the greatest.

“It really wasn’t anything, but you’re welcome. Please tell me that’s not the only reason you called and woke me up.”

“No, it’s not. So what are you doing on Thursday?”

“Like this Thursday? Umm..I’m not one hundred percent sure. I mean I have work of course, but I don’t think anything after that. Why what do you need?”

“Well do you think you could get out of work early?” Before she could answer you, you continued. “Because I kind of need you to be my maid of honor.”

“Why are we going dress shopping? Cause I think you should wait until after the baby for that. Did you guys even set a date? I mean like I know it’s this summer but…”

She tried to say more, but you stopped her. “Actually we’re getting married that day.”

“What!!!” She practically screamed in the phone, and you knew she probably had just woken up Jamie. “Did you just say you’re getting married?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“Oh my god!” In the background, you could hear Jamie mumbling. “Are your parents coming up? What about Tyler’s? Oh my god, you need a dress!”

Her mind was running a mile a minute kind of like yours. It was so great that she shared your excitement. "No, we’re not telling anyone, including our parents.”

“What? Why?”

“Well we talked about things last night, and Tyler really wants us to be married before the baby comes. And well really, there’s no time like the present. We’re still going to do the big wedding this summer, so you are not getting out of maid of honor duties there. We just want this to be us and well you and Jamie.”

“Oh my god, that’s so freaking sweet of you. I’m so honored. But you’re really not telling your parents?”

“Well…umm…we think they might be upset because we didn’t invite them. We just really want to do this for us.” You lowered your tone as you revealed the next part. “Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it much but Tyler really wants the baby’s birth certificate to read Tyler and (Y/N) Seguin. And I have to agree with him that it would be nice.” You started to tear up just thinking about it. Never in a million years did you think something like that would bother him. “So please don’t tell anyone. I mean, of course, tell Jamie; though I’m sure Tyler will call him when he gets up.”

“Of course I won’t say anything. Though I’ll have to tell Jamie, since he’s laying here just waiting for me to get off the phone, now that I woke him up.”

“Oh! Tell him I’m sorry and thanks for cleaning up last night.”

“Will do. I’ll call you later and we can figure out where to go shopping for a dress for you.”

You hadn’t really thought about that part, but you supposed you couldn’t wear legging to your wedding. “Ok sounds like a plan. Talk to you later.”

“Bye Mrs. Seguin.” It felt so weird for someone to call you that, but damn if it didn’t have a nice ring to it. There was so much nervous energy inside you that you decided to finish cleaning up the house. Within the hour, you had the house mostly cleaned up, except for the bedrooms and movie room where a couple people still slept.

Tyler stumbled out of your bedroom shortly after. “Babe, did you seriously do all this already? I was totally going to help you.”

“I know, but I couldn’t sleep.” You also thought you were experiencing a little bit of nesting that came along in the later stages of pregnancy. Which is why you were slightly panicking when you thought about the nursery being done, though you’d push that thought aside knowing everything was well in hand with the designer.

“Is anyone still here?”

“Yeah, I tiptoed upstairs and there are probably about seven or eight people up there. Could be more, I wasn’t going to intrude.” A door or two was closed and you were not about to go checking on those rooms. As long as no one was doing anything in your nursery, they could do anything else in the other rooms. You’d be sure to have all the sheets cleaned after last night anyhow.

Tyler came over and planted a kiss on your lips, before sitting down at the island after grabbing a drink. “I’m sorry about that. I thought they’d all be gone by now.”

“It’s no biggie, babe. I’d rather see people stay here than drink and drive. Besides, people used to stay here all the time when we had parties before. So what’s the big deal.”

He shrugged his shoulders before answering. “I don’t know. I mean our lives are just sort of different now.”

“True and they’re about to get even more different than they are now.” So, maybe he had a point, but you doubted you’d be throwing parties like this next year with the baby here; so why not enjoy it now while you could.

He grabbed your hips and pulled you close. “Yes they are, and I for one am extremely happy about it.”

“Really? You’re not going to miss all the late-night partying and drinking?” It was a fear that you never gave voice to, but one that you carried around all the same.

“No, not at all. Not when I have you two. You guys are the best thing to ever happen to me.” You leaned down and kissed him, letting your mouth linger there for an extended time.

When you pulled back suddenly, he frowned at you. “Oh, I almost forgot. I called Jenna, she and Jamie are on board for Thursday.”

“You told Jamie?”

“Well not intentionally, and I said you were still going to call him. Jenna was with him when I called, and when I told her the news; she kind of woke him up.” You chuckled remembering the conversation. “Needless to say, I caught her by surprise. Don’t worry I told her not to say anything to anyone.”

“I’m not worried. I already told you I want the world to know you’re my wife, but maybe not before we tell our families.”

You went about making breakfast for the two of you, as slowly the rest of your houseguests woke up. Most of them were hungover and headed out of the house as soon as they got up. A couple of the single players on the team stayed to watch the Winter Classic which was coming on in a few hours. Tyler snuck off and called Jamie, giving him a few details about your trip to city hall. When he mentioned the guys were still at the house, he and Jenna headed over to join everyone. It was almost like a mini party.

The boys were all gathered around the tv, while you and Jenna made shopping plans and talked about the baby. Jenna was your Lamaze partner when Tyler wasn’t in town and she always double-checked the schedule with you, in order not to miss a class. You were thankful to have your best friend at your side, as you were deathly afraid you were going to go into labor when Tyler was on a road trip. March sixth was your due date, and as it stood now, Tyler would be home; but you could never be too cautious. Especially since they said your first baby usually came late.

The two of you were absorbed in conversation, not really paying attention to the guys in the living room. Until you heard them start to cheer. There were ‘hell ya’s’ and  ‘are you fucking kidding’ and of course ‘holy shit.’ You assumed at first it was some sort of call, that was either missed or something that happened in the game, but when you looked on the screen it was the NHL commissioner being interviewed. “Babe, did you hear that?” Tyler’s voice broke through the commotion.

“No, what happened?”

It was Jamie who answered. “We got the Winter Classic. It’s going to be in Dallas next year.” It was sort of unbelievable news given you lived in Texas, which was not really a place you thought of when you were going to hold an outdoor hockey game.

“Oh my god, that’s amazing.” You truly meant that it was an incredible opportunity for the team and you could see the excitement in all their faces.

Tyler moved from the living room, into the kitchen then. “Babe do you know what this means?”

Was it too obvious to say that they would be playing outside? Instead, you opted to say, “No?”

“We’ll be able to skate with the baby outside at the family skate.” The excitement on his face was contagious. He was literally grinning from ear to ear. “I mean, of course, it won’t be our kid’s first time on the ice and all. But they could be skating by then, ya know?” He must have seen you frown or something because before you could say anything, he added. “Of course it won’t be by themselves. I’ll hold their little hands and stuff.” His hands were cradling your bump as if he could will the child to come out with skates on or something. “This is going to be even better than the family skate at Christmas.”

Reaching up, you kissed him quickly. “Slow down hun. We gotta get this little one born first, then you can take the baby shopping for skates.” You didn’t want to admit it, but you could just see Tyler skating with your little one outside on the ice; the thought warmed your heart.

“I gotta say, Tyler’s right. It would be amazing to skate with your baby in a game like that.” You hadn’t realized Jamie had come into the kitchen and had his arms wrapped around Jenna. Mentally, you had your fingers crossed that the two would still be together next year.

“See babe, it’s not just me.”

“Oh, I agree with you, Ty. It’s going to be amazing. I’m just taking it one step at a time here.”

It was his turn to kiss you. This time a little more passionately than you had him. “Oh I know babe, and trust me I can’t wait for all the first with this little one. Including the first time we get to see him or her.” The rest of the afternoon was spent watching the game and then making dinner for everyone. It was totally impromptu, but no one really cared about what you served; until everyone decided to call it a night.

The following day, you and Jenna set out to find something to wear for your wedding. There weren’t a ton of maternity clothing stores that sold white dresses, big surprise there. Somehow Jenna convinced you to stop into a bridal store. They too didn’t have a ton of maternity dresses, but they did have a cute short white off the shoulder dress which was made partially from some form of spandex. It fit pretty tight across your bump, but Jenna insisted that it looked adorable on you and that a bouquet of flowers would cover anything up for photos. You couldn’t really argue with that point and after a couple hours of shopping, you weren’t sure you were going to find anything else on this short of notice. So you paid for the dress and headed home.

The whole shopping experience had left you exhausted; especially when you didn’t really have options. The only good thing that came of the whole thing was that you decided you wanted to do a maternity shoot, both with Tyler and without him. Thankfully, another one of your friends was a photographer, so you had an in there, but you totally wanted to do some shots when you were in Cabo on the beach. The only answer to your problem was to invite her, but you wanted to run it by Tyler first.

When he woke up from his nap, you decided to hit him with the idea; not knowing if he would go for it. “Ty, can I ask you a question?” You asked, lying down on the bed with him, as he pulled you in to cuddle with him.

“Babe, you know you can ask me anything?”

“So I saw this idea when we were shopping. There were some cards for photographers at the maternity shops, stating that they would do a pre-baby photo shoot. So like one, are you interested in that?” You paused waiting for him to answer.

“Yeah babe, I’m totally down for that.”

“And you’re ok with being in some of the pictures too?” You pulled back hoping to read his face.

“Of course. Babe, I want to document every step of this.”

“Great! So, I have this idea.” He side-eyed you before you could even get anything else out. “It’s not like that. I just thought we could get some really great pictures in Cabo, but I obviously don’t know any photographers there. So I thought maybe we could have Anna go with us. There’s an extra room at the house isn’t there?”

“There’s actually a couple since it’s only Brett and Liv and Jamie and Jenna coming now. So yeah go ahead invite her and her boyfriend to come along.”

Leaning into him, you kissed him hard. “Thanks, babe, you’re literally the best boyfriend in the whole world.”

He pressed you against his body, before saying. “That’s going to be the best husband in twenty-four hours.” Just thinking that the two of you would be married tomorrow, brought a huge smile to your face. “So did you find something to wear, or should I have the JP come here to marry us so you don’t have to wear anything.” He didn’t hide the fact that he found that idea appealing.

“Tyler!” You said while swatting at him at the same time. “Thankfully, I found one so we don’t have to go with that plan.”

“Damn, I thought that it was perfect. I could just throw you on the bed as soon as you say I do and consummate our marriage right away.”

Rolling your eyes at him, you told him. “I don’t think consummating a marriage is a thing anymore.”

“Oh, it’s going to be a thing for us. In fact, I think we should practice right now.” Over the next hour, he proceeded to show you what his definition of consummate was. The only reason it wasn’t longer, was because he had to get ready for the game. Tyler played one of the best games he’d had all season that night, scoring two goals. Jamie, of course, chirped him as the four of you made your way out to the car, saying that maybe he shouldn’t get married since he was on a streak.

Tyler didn’t want to hear any of it. “I only had a good game, because my soon-to-be wife and I were practicing for once we’re married.”

“Tyler!” You swore you turned about ten different shades of red.

“What, it’s not like they don’t know.” All you could do was just shake your head at the man. “In fact, I bet I have a better game after we’re married.”

“Gonna pull a hat trick, eh Seggy?” Chubbs taunted back.

“You never know man.”

“Alright you two, that’s enough.” Jenna chastised them. “We have actual shit that needs to be done before tomorrow.” She grabbed your hand and pulled you towards her car.

“Where are you guys going?” Tyler inquired.

“To my place,” Jenna stated as if this was common knowledge. “Unless you’re planning on staying at Jamie’s tonight.”

Tyler furrowed his brow in confusion, before asking. “And why would I stay at Jamie’s?”

“Because it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.” She held up her hand before he could say anything more. “And considering your fiancé is pregnant, you really should be staying with Jamie tonight, so that she can sleep in her own bed. I can sleep in the spare room, as long as the sheets are clean from New Year’s Eve.”

“Wait, why am I being punished?” This time it was Jamie who voiced his displeasure about the sleeping arrangements.

“You’ll survive.” Was Jenna’s quick answer before kissing her newly acquired boyfriend.

This was the first time you’d heard of Jenna’s plan as well, and while you were sure that nothing bad would happen if you stayed with Tyler tonight; there was a part of you that loved the idea of this little tradition. “I still don’t see why (Y/N) and I can’t just stay at the house and then meet you guys at the courthouse tomorrow.”

“Do you really want to tempt fate?” It was a bit of an excessive threat from your best friend, but she was not having any of it from Tyler at the moment.

“Well, it’s not like I’m going to be a runaway groom or anything.”

“True, nor do I think (Y/N) will leave you standing at the courtroom, per se. But what if she goes into labor before you can be married?” Well shit, she didn’t need to go to that extreme; you were sure everything would be fine with the baby. “I’m telling you, we need to at least follow some kind of a tradition for this wedding.”

“God, you really know how to guilt a man, don’t you?” Tyler answered her, a hint of distress in his voice. He set his bag on the ground and immediately grabbed you, more to reassure himself that everything was fine with the baby than anything else.

“Ty, we’re fine.” You said hoping to comfort him. “Though I would like to have a little bit of tradition at this wedding. So if you don’t mind, I’m going to stay with Jenna tonight. I just have to stop at the house and get my things.”

He sighed heavily. “No, you guys stay at the house. I’ll stay at Jamie’s.” He kissed you on the nose then. “Why don’t you two follow us to the house, so I can at least have a car ride home with my girl, then I’ll grab what I need and head over to Jamie’s.”

“Sounds good. We’ll see you shortly.” Jenna answered as she and Jamie headed to their car.

“Have I told you, that you need a new best friend.”

“I heard that.” She shouted back.

“You were meant to.” God, sometimes you felt like you were dealing with two-year-olds, which you supposed would help when your little one hit that age. He leaned his forehead against yours. “Are you sure you want to spend the night apart?”

“I don’t want to spend the night without you, but…I do want to have a little tradition in our marriage. We’ve already broken the whole, get married then have a baby thing.”

“No, we haven’t, this little one isn't here yet.” He said with a wink. “But I get it.” His lips caressed yours then, before pulling apart way too soon. “Alright, we better get going before the bridesmaidzilla gets to the house before us.” You chuckled softly as the two of you broke apart to get in the car. His hand remained in yours throughout the whole drive, twisting your engagement ring every now and then. It suddenly hit you, that while you would be exchanging vows; you wouldn’t be placing a wedding band on his finger. You’d only get to do that in a few months when you had the big ceremony. It was probably for the best considering that you were trying to keep things quiet, and it would make your summer wedding a bit more special for you and Tyler.

Before you could give thought to anything else, you were pulling in the driveway. “Having second thoughts yet?”

“About our wedding?” You asked Tyler, knowing that’s not what he meant when he asked that question.

“That’s not what I meant.” Worried etched across his face. “But tell me you’re not.”

You burst out in a fit of giggles. “No silly, I was just teasing you.”

“Oh thank god. You had me worried there for a split second.”

You went up on your toes to cup his cheek and look deep into his dark brown eyes. “There is not a single doubt in my mind that I want to be your wife. I love you so much, Tyler Seguin.” His mouth came down on yours in a crushing kiss. It stole your breath away and told you without words how much he loved you in return.

“God, I love you. I can’t wait until tomorrow.”

You broke away from him and swatted his ass. “Then go get your stuff. The sooner we fall asleep, the quicker tomorrow comes.” He had most of his things gathered by the time Jamie and Jenna got to your place. Jenna obviously knew he was going to give in to you staying at the house, as she had her dress and a bag with her. The three of you chatted about nothing of consequence until Tyler was finally ready. He tossed his garment bag over the sofa, before coming up and grabbing you around your ever-expanding waist. “We should order something to eat or something before we go.”

“Quit postponing the inevitable Seguin. You’ll see her in just a few short hours.” Jamie teased him.

“You’re just as ruthless as she is.” He said motioning to Jenna. “You two deserve each other.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Jamie replied back, as he pressed Jenna close to his body.

“Ok babe, time for you to go, so I can get some beauty sleep.” You said turning in Tyler’s arms so you could kiss him goodbye. Of course, it lasted longer than intended, until Jamie not so discreetly coughed, drawing both yours and Tyler’s attention.

“I should’ve asked Rad’s to stand up for me instead of you.”

“Ty, be nice.” You told your fiancé, for he couldn’t ask for a better friend than Jamie.

“It’s alright (Y/N) I can take it, from this asshat. I’m just going to make him sleep on the couch.” You knew Jamie was kidding, but Tyler still scowled at him. “Alright loverboy, let’s get going.”

Tyler just held you a little tighter, instead of letting go. “I’m gonna miss you baby.”

“I’ll miss you too, but I’ll see you in a few hours.” Pecking his lips, you added. “Now get out of here.”

“Bossy already and I haven’t even said I do.” He grabbed his bag, then kissed you one more time for good measure. “Love you, baby.”

“Love you too. See you tomorrow.”

“See you soon Mrs. Seguin.”

Jenna and you both headed to bed shortly after the guys left, so you were up ontime to get ready for the ceremony. Jenna scooted out to go with pick up your bouquet of flowers, while you started on your hair and makeup. The morning flew, and soon you were headed to the courthouse. Nervous excitement bubbled up inside of you, as Jenna drove downtown, and before you knew it you were pulling in the parking garage.

“Do you think they’re here yet?” You asked Jenna, as you debated about getting out of the car.

“Knowing them, they’ll probably be late.”

“True.” You were fidgeting with your engagement ring, just twirling it up and down your finger.

“Come on, let’s get you inside and married before you twist your finger off.” A soft chuckle escaped your lips as you opened the car door. The air was crisp, but the sun was shining; you couldn’t ask for a more perfect wedding day. The sound of heels clicking on the tiled floor, echoed as you made your way to the judge's chambers, but as you rounded the corner Tyler was standing there waiting for you. He was dressed in a charcoal grey double-breasted suit, with a pristine white shirt, accentuated by a black tie. You’d never seen him look more handsome then he did at that moment. “Ugh, you’re not supposed to see each other before the ceremony.”

Vaguely you heard Jamie answer her. “The way he’s looking at her; I don’t think you need to worry.”  He had yet to see you fully, as you had on a long winter coat, but he still hadn’t taken his eyes off you, the most brilliant smile you’d ever seen graced his face.

“You look…” You started to say more, but he cut you off.

“It’s nothing compared to you. You’re so beautiful (Y/N).” Your throat went dry at his praise and you swallowed hard against all the emotions threatening to come to the surface at that moment.

“You haven’t even seen my dress yet.”

“I don’t need to. You could literally wear a brown bag right now and still be the most gorgeous woman in the world.” A blush rose to your cheeks, but before you could say anything the door to judge’s room opened.

“Mr. Seguin, the judge is ready for you.” The four of you walked into the chamber, where you quickly removed your coat, placing it on a nearby chair for later, then Jenna handed you over your bouquet. It was simple, a gathering of all white roses with a smattering of greens here and there.

When you turned you saw Tyler’s jaw literally drop. You knew what he saw, long hair loosely curled, so it framed perfectly around your face. Soft subtle makeup, just to accentuate your natural features. The white off the shoulder dress, flowed across your bosom, just skating against the top of your breasts. Its tight-fitting bodice told everyone that your child was growing inside of you, but to you, it was only a reminder of the love you and Tyler shared. When he finally recovered, Tyler said. “You literally just took my breath away.”

He took a step towards you then, his intentions clear as he leaned into you. “Well, shall we get this wedding started. Oh, I see the groom is getting an early start.” The judge’s voice halted his progress and made you turn about fifteen different shades of red.

Tyler, of course, recovered easily turning to the judge and saying. “Can you blame me, sir? She’s absolutely gorgeous.”

“Yes indeed, you’re a very lucky man.” The Judge looked to be about in his seventies, and as he grabbed a binder from his desk, he motioned you all forward. “Ok if you could just stand here off to my left Miss (Y/LN) and Mr. Seguin, yes right there would be great and your witnesses beside you. Yes, that’s perfect. Now let’s begin.” He adjusted his glasses, then opened the folder in his hands. “Marriage is an institution not to be entered into lightly. So I ask you both, that as you enter into this union to always treat each other with respect and love. Give your marriage the tenderness, gentleness and caring that each of you deserves. When times, become rough, as they always do, remember to focus on your love and the road that brought you here today. And may this day be only the beginning of the joy that you will share together for the rest of your lives.”

Tyler’s eyes were solely focused on you and yours on his, as the judge continued on with his words. “Tyler Seguin, I ask you, will you take this woman to be your wedded wife? Will you love and comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?”

Tyler had a hold of your free hand, and he gently squeezed it, before saying. “I will.”

“(Y/F/L/N), I ask you, will you take this man to be your wedded husband? Will you love and comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?

A smile crossed your face, as your voice rang out. “I will.” Both of you were beaming at each other, as the first part of your vows were done.

The judge's voice continued, “Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, I ask that you join your right hands and before these witnesses declare your love for one another.” You handed Jenna your bouquet then joined hands with Tyler. “Ok now repeat after me.” He said the words and Tyler repeated them.

“I, Tyler Seguin, take you (Y/F/L/N) to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.” Tears trickled down your face, as you couldn’t hold your emotions at bay any longer. Your voice wobbled a little, solely from all the emotions you were feeling when it was your turn to repeat the words back to Tyler. His eyes welled up, and a tear slid down his cheek as you said.

"I, (Y/F/L/N), take you Tyler Seguin to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live." As soon as you said the last word, you smiled brilliantly at Tyler.

“And now for the rings.” The judge’s asked.

“Oh but we don’t…” You started to say. But the next thing you knew Jamie, was handing over two rings to the judge. “Where did you..”

Tyler could see the confusion on your face, for you didn’t think the two of you would be doing this part of the ceremony. He leaned in to whisper, “I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Ok, Tyler please take the ring and place it on (Y/N)’s finger and repeat these words.” The judge announced, breaking through your thoughts.  

Tyler took the ring in his hand, you could see the band was slim, with tiny diamonds all around it. The perfect compliment to your engagement ring. He slowly placed it on your left hand saying. “(Y/N) take this ring as a sign of my commitment and fidelity to you.”

It was your turn again, as the judge handed you a dark band Tyler must have picked out for himself. “Tyler, take this ring as a sign of my commitment and fidelity to you.”

After you exchanged rings, the judge proceeded. “Tyler and (Y/N) in so much as the two of you have agreed to live in matrimony, have promised your commitment to each other by these vows, and the joining of your hands and the giving of these rings, by the authority vested in me by the State of Texas, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. Not that I need to tell you this but, you may kiss your bride.”

Tyler gave you one last loving look before his lips were on yours. He molded his mouth to yours, the kiss sweet and loving mimicking the vows you had just spoken. You felt as if it could’ve gone on forever, but yet you both broke apart all too soon given your surroundings. The judge’s final words were, “It is my honor to present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Seguin.” Jamie and Jenna clapped and cheered for you. And as the well wishes died down, it was back to business. “Now if I can get you both to sign here and here.” You and Tyler signed where the Judge indicted. Then Jamie and Jenna stepped forward. “Ok, you two are here and here.” After everyone signed, the Judge handed the papers over to Tyler. “And now it’s official on January 3, 2019, you are officially a married couple.” He moved to shake Tyler’s hand, then came over and hugged you. “Congratulations Mrs. Seguin.” A smile covered your face and you had a feeling it wouldn’t be going away for a long, long time.

Jenna snapped a few pictures of you and Tyler with the Judge, then just the two of you. The judge’s assistant came in and took pictures of all of you before the four of you headed back outside to go to dinner and celebrate. You joined Tyler in his car, as Jamie and Jenna took the other promising to meet you at the restaurant shortly. The whole walk to the car, Tyler never let go of your hand, and when you got there, he twirled you into his arms. “Are you happy Mrs. Seguin?”

Bringing your hands around his neck, you brought his face close to yours. “This is literally the happiest day of my life. And what about you Mr. Seguin, are you good with being a married man now?”

“Oh babe, I’m better than good. I’m ecstatic!” He planted a kiss on your lips, one that showed you just how elated he really was. “Now, let’s go have this celebration dinner, so I can take you home and truly make you my wife.”

[kaiju-z]

Seon Adventures, Episode 36:  The King, The Guard, The Blade

Last on Seon Adventures! The Cultbusters had gone and traversed through the treacherous traps of the Fallen King’s Tomb; confronted mirror creatures and bested them in riddle combat; snuck through metalic guards and browsed through the dedicated libraries...

Now, they stand before the spirit of the King, himself. A Purple Tiefling man in humble clothing as each party in this conversation genuinely wants to know truths...

He shifts his weight on his back leg and looks to each of the adventurers, expectantly, certainly hoping for no unnecessary bloodshed. And welcomes the party. Friends or foes.

Luctan, who up until now hadn’t seen any ghosts (and had his mind wiped of the memory of the time travel shenanigans) states the obvious.

“So. You’re a ghost.”

That certainly breaks the tension and the party ask the king of what had occured. Desperately wanting to know answers to questions he himself may not have reached the full legway to.

The fall happened after his passing. His temple wasn’t finished until the end of the war, or so he heard. He’s heard things around him, the builders talking about it. Kobolds. So sadly, even the king was in ignorance of the situation.

But question for question, his highness questions them on what they, themselves knew of the events. And they would recite Arryn’s story, as best as that was told and remembered. And the King would try to fill in the gaps:

The place, where he transitioned into unlife, very unpleasant to remember that event, but dragons were sent to them. A pair of black ones, large and fierce. He took one of them down with the help of some brave warriors. They took that one down and his wings have been buit into the wall.

The other was shot down and taken away to question and interrogate away by the Kingdom’s allies in Guan. After his passing, he has heard fairly one sided stuff. He doesn’t want to believe that what happened happened. It seems impossible to him, even if he doesn’t understand much of magic.

Belli tries to recall if something like that would have been possible… All of them try, but none think we can figure it out. However Malak believes spells can be amplified by multiple people. Multiples... the council, maybe?!

When prodded on why this happened. This... war. The King would bemoan the events.

The battle started with a failed negotiation. It was his mother that started it. She wanted to negotiate some Southern Lands, fertile lands. Just that, leave it at that. He thought they could do better. Then? Empty threats that turned to words spoken and words into actions. And then actions taken turning into Rot.

When the queary of who commissioned them would be brought up, the truth was that they didn’t know much. Beyond the face that they were approached by for the job, there was nothing certain. Though...  Putting things together on a certain perspective? Technically the council commissioned could have been the commissioners, but probably those, who argued with the king’s mother. Over land. And money.

The King’s Blade was and is a weapon with magical abilities. A sentient one too. Passed down the generations from one ruler to the next. He would confirm that it was still in the vault.

The King would mention that he was connected to the Iron Guardians that the party had snuck past in the smoke and that he would be able to turn them off for an easier exit. But the stone construct that was protecting the vault? That would be a daunting task only the party could deal with.

Malak, who has totally seen ghosts before (All of the ghosts) offers the king a chance to transition. Like. Right now. No money required.

And the King’d accept.

But as Malak casts his Channel Divinity feature, the king would grip at his head, panic and start running in a circle, screaming in fear and terror. Because. Well. His CR is too high for that?!!

Essentially,  Malak gave the king Existential Dread.The poor ghost man.

“Dick move.” - the king would state, once the CD would wear off. And Malak in turn would claim, in a huff, that the King wasn’t quite as committed to carrying on as he initially said.

A few minutes of this goes on, before Malak gives it a second go, this time with a Banishment spell onto the King, who was beginning to regret even telling the party of the Construct.

As he accepts the banishment, he clearly gives Malak the stink eye for the trouble and is sent away to the afterlife.

With the party never getting his name.

Fuck.

With the task done, the party consider resting in the tomb, before advancing to the treasury. But comedy ensues as Malak refuses to sleep in a place of the dead. And the party go back and forth on whether they should sleep here or not.

And ultimately agree on just going to the vault.

Also Jun takes some time to sit on the throne and more specifically the statue of the king’s lap. Because she deserves this.  Congratulations, Queen.

Leading the way afterwards is Mournimar, who mentions along the way that he and Belli had seen the construct before, while it was keeping it’s vision on Jun, Luck and Malak in the library. Something that he had forgotten to mention to them previously to this moment.

With this knowledge on their minds, the party elect to split and take a seperate route. Jun and Luck taking the upper coridor, while Malak, Mournimar and Belli (and Morgan) go for the Library entrance.

As Mournimar turns around, he sees an Orange light looking directly at him and it comes from some kind of glowing gem. It glows, the orange deepends to an orangy-red.

Roll for initiative and Luck is the first to make his move.

He elects to try and distract the construct and steps forward, clapping and “complimenting” it.  Asking it to let them pass. And holding an action.

While this goes on,  Mournimar Hunter’s Marks, swears under his breath that the party doesn’t have a choice and fires. One miss. One hit. And backs away. 11 damage.

- On Belli’s turn, she uses her Animating Performance. And animates one of the shields, causing it to end up thrusting itself away from the grip of the designed defender.

AND FOR HER BONUS ACTION!

She mocks it. Ooh, not as strong as you used to be. Bit of rust setting in. Maybe you should retire and give it a rest?” Aaand that doesn’t quite work out, sadly as psychic attacks don’t effect a machine.

On Jun’s turn... She runs over to the construct and Hexes it, taking away it’s advantage with Strength attacks..

Using her Mystic Frenzy, she casts Booming Blade. And cuts into it!  Thanks to Belli, both of Jun’s attacks hit the being and she stabs in and between the plates for a lot of damage. 36 DAMAGE O _ O

And the retaliation comes quick as she gets slammed by it’s remaining shield in turn. The requirements for Luck’s attack spring up and he tries to shrink the creature to a much smaller size, but it resists his magical influence as steam starts to billow from it’s body. White-ish, magical steam, which causes Jun and Luck to lose some of their energy, Slow-ing them down.

On Malak’s turn... he casts Spiritual Weapon right next to the Floating Shield. So it’s a nAnimated Team Up!  Smack for +8 Force Damage. Toll the Dead afterwards!

With his movement halved, Luctan can only pull his Greatsword out and swing the Evenchord, slashing it across the body of the bionic enemy.

It’s the Ranger’s turn again. Bonus action, Mournimar casts Ensnaring Strike on the Guardian. At Level 2, which turns off the Mark. With the creature restrained, Mournimar fires and hits it twice with his arrows.

Bonus action, Belli tells the shield to protect Luck and Jun.  And as an Action she tries to Dispell the Stone Construct’s control over the Slow Fog?!

With a tremendous grip on her confidence, she succeeds in this endeavor. Now free to attack, Jun cuts into herself for her Crimson Rite. For a collective 38 damage. Oil starts to leak out from it’s back.

 And a brief flicker emits from it’s gem as a reaction to the damage dealt. And the smoke pops out once more. Causing Luck and Jun to be slowed yet again.

The construct crashes into Jun again, but before it can hit again, she manages to roll out of it’s way, avoiding further damage. 

On Malak’s turn, he sends the spiritual weapon to make an attack, which connects for 6 Force Damage. And after that attempts to wound it with a Chill Touch, which sadly doesn’t work as intended... With that thought, the cleric would move behind Luck and Jun, ready to heal them if they lose their balance.

On Luck’s turn, he shiftshis sword to his left hand and channels a different kind of magic than what he normally uses, before smashing his fist into the body of the construct, in defense of Jun, citing “Now that’s no way to treat a lady.”, but like, slow like. Inflict Wounds. 9 Necrotic.

On Mournimar’s turn, the arrow sniper gets a sudden sense of inspiration as he aims for the crystal, while the thing focuses on Jun. 26! 1 damage to the crystal, a vulnerable area!  An arrow sticks out of the crystal and it’s like it’s blinking eratically at random patterns!  Second shot hits again! 24 damage ON THE GEM!!! HE SPLITS THE ARROW!

Yeah, by this point it doesn’t look great at all.

On Belli’s turn... Belli casts mage hand and carries the acid bomb to drop it onto the crystal!  It drops perfectly on the crystal. But the acid damage has little effect!

As a Bonus Action she inspires Jun.  “You got this, Queen!”

“Aw, shucks, lil’ ol’ me?!” she jokes and now full of inspiration and Bloodhunter Badassdom, Jun does the deed.  25 Damage!

HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS?!

Jun takes out the Gollem’s knee, slices through it, causing it to drop to a knee. And then slowly pushes her sword through the crystal, pulling a decapitation move.

It’s fallen. Dead.

With a key in the back of it’s head.

A key.

And there’s another big metal door.

Which is big. And made of metal. But are there hinges on it?!

One can not quite tell.

Mournimar and Jun take turns trying to lockpick the vault’s door, With Jun receiving a Greater Healing Potion from Luck for her troubles in the fight, before her turn with the picks.

But neither quite gets the job done, while Malak calmly grabs the key out of their view and waits for his chance.

(Also, btw. The shield’s name is now “Simon”. And Belli wants to keep it.)

And once it arrives, he walks up to the door.

Then he touches it and mutters something, like a prayer of sorts, being a little shit as he unlocks the door with the key.

Inside are all the treasures of the King. The floor is littered with coins. And in the back of the room, on a cushion lays the King’s Blade. Behind the blade is a large skull of a dragon that was killed with it. Black Dragon Scales everywhere, forming a collage of the King.

With Mournimar vibing with Morgan and Belli finding interest in a box of animal figurines, Malak steps up to the sword, before Jun and Luck can do anything more than just watch it intently.

He asks them to wait a moment, so he can check the weapon for any curses. The cleric then pokes it gently, casting Remove Curse. Whether that succeeds or not is unknown.

Browsing the vault, the party find multiple items, some, which clearly emit magic, once Detect Magic is cast. A ring mail armor is among them, but no one finds the want to pick it up. Belli’s distracted by a box with 8 turquoise animal figurines. 8 different kinds. Dog, cat, deer, bear, gorilla, raven, owl and a gecko, while Malak gets a party’s worth of Greater Healing Potions from a box.

With a keen analytical eye, the cleric takes note that Enchantment and Evocation magic emits from the sword.  There’s also slight abjuration on the Dragon Scale Collage, but as a preservative.

And then?

Luck picks up the sword.

And speaks to it.

Asking it if it has a name? Gender? Anything like that?!

And it does speak. And she introduces herself as Ena. A very eloquent lady of a long sword, who hasn’t been held in a long while.

With a voice that makes it sound like he is almost flirting with her, Luck catches up Enaon what has and might have been going on in the time of her last use.

She is perfectly fine traveling with the party and even feels comfortable in Luck’s grasp as there seems t obe some kind of “Royalty” feeling to him. Curious of the possibilities, the party also bring along the dragon skull, placing it in the bag of holding, after Luck shrinks it down with his last remaining 2nd level slot of Enlarge/Reduce.

Before they leave, the party discuss what to do with the gold here. All this fortune could be used to help the neighboring settlements and the party agree to return one day and gather it, or send someone to gather it, who’d be careful enough to avoid the traps.

For a moment Luctan considers taking a bunch of gems, a thought crossing his mind. But Jun talks him out, bewhildered after the talk the group just had on the use of the coin.

On the way out, once the six of them make it back to the 1st level, Malak stands in the center of the open room and casts Destroy Undead to eliminate the Kobolds and the creature in the sarchophagus.

He destroys the Kobolds’ bodies, but the Mummy rises. Angry.

And a quick fight begins.

- On Luck’s turn, he casts Guiding Bolt, then charges in as he Action Surges and slices twice with Ena for some immense damage.

Then? The darndest thing happens once the Bard comes up.

Belli casts Polymorph and tries to turn the mummy into a baby. And insults it. “You’re just a stupid little baby.”

And-

And-and-

And it works?!

Jun is horrified by all of Belli’s anti-babyness and just leaves the room. The mummy baby tries to hurt Malak, but fails, as it teeths. The cleric isn’t even perturbed by the litteral ankle biter as he notes: “Hey Belli, remember that talk we had about traumatizing people?”

And Belli immensely apologizes for the situation at hand. It was a spur of the moment thing.

Not wanting to hurt a baby, even if the mummy wasn’t a real one, Mournimar looks to see if he has any intoxicants to just pass the time. But alas. He does not. He does not have the good kush.

Malak’s next. He slaps the baby, ending the toddler shenanigans and swings with the Fated Potential, damaging the creature for 5 slashing.

Luctan Mercifully finishes things off with a Quickened Guiding Bolt and a Nat 20 Slash of the King’s Blade and the Mummy’s dead.

It’s dead.

O. V. A. Ovah.

With no mention being made along the way, the party hotfoot it out of the tomb and walk over to Arryn, who was preparing dinner.

“Hot Diggity Dog”- Arryn, quoting the Dragonborn Tribes. As Luck presents the blade. When discussing what had transpired inside the home of the dead, the party ponder on the remaining dragon. Chances are the other black dragon was taken to the Capitol of Guan, which is where the party elects heading. To Necesills.

With that said, Arryn offers his stew to the party and the lot of them sit together and finally eat. During the meal, Belli receives a message in her head from Nel.

“Good evening, darlings! Just had a thought, I should probably let you know! Amelia and I will be relocating temporarily. Take care!”  Belli asks her what’s up. And then sends that in the form of a Sending spell so she can reply and not waste any spellslots on her turn.

Nel ran out of slots for it. Thanks to a work thing, Nel had to move. Amelia would have told the lot of them, when they returned, but Nel figured with her Sending it’d be a much more convenient messaging.

Belli learns that the two of them are relocating to a town called Havik. It’s the northern most town. It’s the last piece of civilization, while in Aetorumia.

With that said and done, the party prepare to get their shut eye, with watches and everything. But before they can get to that, someone clears their voice in the viscinity of the seven (+2 horses and Fey cat).

They look and-

It’s him again.

“Did you miss me?!” asks Ark’Niel with a smug expression on his face as he leans against a pillar in the sand.

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