#obviously been done before just wanted to draw it myself

[sonicattos]

>:(

[plushie-lovey]

Looking to order a new plushie in honor of my birthday today

[boxbug]

A Canary’s Final Flight

My piece for @trafficzine 4th edition! Get it for free here! 200 pages of excellent art and fics, incredible work from all participants and from the mods especially!! huge shoutout to the mods for real

Process notes under the cut! (I struggled a lot so it's a bit of a novel)

So the entire process was a Ride. I knew when I picked this prompt that I was going to have a hard time, because Jimmy’s final death had been illustrated a billion times over by extremely talented artists. But I had a Vision of the snapshot of the second before the impact, when everything is still but you know what’s about happen. It was very much inspired by the clip of Fog by Jabberwocky, bu the thing is, they have the advantage of all the build up of the fall, and that’s when the trouble started.

This was my first version, and obviously it wasn't working. And I was trying so hard, with so many iterations! Small wings, big wings, no wings, different poses, less backgrounds elements. I'd done compositions were everything seemed peaceful but something is Wrong, but it wasn't working this time.

So instead I focused on what rendering I'd like to do - I tried a painterly approach, for that visceral feeling, but it wasn't working either (but hey, I did keep the red sky, so, progress)

At this point I'd been doing back and forths for weeks and I was just as lost as at the start. Now that's my tip for people who make art of any kind, in situations like that, stop thinking about how you can make the best piece possible, and think about you can have fun with it (because when you aren't it's visible). And for that was, 1 - going back to using ink and pen nibs and doing way too detailed inking, and 2- looking at Dave McKean's covers for Sandman (which, funnily enough, was also a reference for my previous trafficzine piece)

And from there I was actually going somewhere! Between the jagged rocks, the red sky, and the increased verticality with the borders, I had hit the vibes I wanted.

I did some experimentation with the border, and even though I really liked the bad boys I drew they were taking too much away from the lonely desolation, so I actually used Red (Unecessary Redstone)'s idea of all of Jimmy's worldy's possessions scattered on the ground post impact, with the idea to make it looks like the central image is his grave being dug.

(and yes for a short amount of time the were supposed to be clock markings on the sun, but there was already enough going with the wings so I scrapped that) (also fun fact the reason why the wings aren't fully material but more ghostly is because my toddler cousin was watching me draw the very first draft and asked why he didn't just use his wings and i went :( so the wings are a metaphor now)

So from there I found a bunch of picture and took some myself, cut and assembled everything together, added shadows in all the appropriate places, and repainted some elements so that everything would look better intergrated (some of the wheats are basically 100% handpainted, the cardboard as well). This took a suprisingly long amount of time, but I was done!

Well I wasn't expecting to have that much to say, but I hope if you're still reading, it was at least interesting!

[jongseongsnudes]

fuck buddy

fwb!jake. 0.6k. 

“no offence mr sim... but you’re really bad at this.”

your comment only makes the man chuckle, obviously not fazed by it at all.

you couldn’t help but glance at the clock, seeing how you were gradually getting later and later for your dinner plans with friends. in fact you’ve been sitting on the bathroom counter with your legs hanging off the side for the past hour, letting jake ‘help’ you fix your make up after ruining it earlier in the bedroom.

but the poor man wasn’t doing a very good job, taking a whole half an hour to do your eyeliner... and he was still not done.

“i’m trying love, trying really hard.”

the little pout on his face has you wanting to kick your feet and squeal like a little girl, the mere sight being one of the many reasons why this man was so popular. jake sim was just so charming, so endearing, so ridiculously good looking that it constantly had you questioning how the man even became your fuck buddy in the first place.

but hey, you weren’t complaining, not when you got to see this face over and over.

“i know jake... that’s why i told you i can do it myself.”

“but i like helping you.”

the man was evidently struggling but you let him be, not having the heart to stop him anymore. you’re already late anyway.

“you’ve done my liner for me before. doesn’t usually take you this long,” you chuckle while watching him so focused on drawing your liner, the little furrow in his brows the cutest thing you've ever seen, “i’m starting to think you’re doing it bad on purpose.”

you were only kidding but the silence that follows, along with the sudden appearance of his cheeky grin tells you perhaps you weren’t all that wrong.

“maybe i am,” he smiles at you and leans in, his body now comfortably settled in between your spread legs. your own hands find a spot on his chest, your fingers softly playing with the material of his oversized shirt. the way his gaze falls to your lips definitely doesn’t go unnoticed by you, something you naturally find yourself mirroring.

“and why would you do that?”

your words had barely left your lips when jake closes the gap between you and him completely, kissing you so gently that your heart immediately bursts into a million butterflies. the sound of your liner pencil hitting the floor echoes through the quiet bathroom but you couldn’t care less, especially not when he was kissing you.

his hands are quick to grab your waist, easily pulling your body flush against his as he deepens the kiss.

“so you don’t go to your dinner plans,” his voice is so soft against your lips, his low tone already doing wonders to your body, “stay with me tonight?”

“you should’ve just asked mr sim, we wasted an hour in here.”

“no such thing as a waste when it’s with you,” he leans in to place a cute kiss on the tip of your nose before carrying you up entirely into his arms, a familiar sweet smile now on his lips.

the very same sweet smile that always has your heart fluttering for your fuck buddy.

end.

2023 © jongseongsnudes on TUMBLR. PLEASE DO NOT COPY, TRANSLATE OR REPOST.  

[ozzgin]

I can't get your yakuza headcanons out of my mind, Daitou's got me in a chokehold and I'm not complaining, like--

in regards to that doodle you made to show height difference between reader and the boys [I love your art btw (●♡∀♡)] - I can't picture myself in reader's style, I'm currently going through my goth phase in my 20s lmao; picture a big bitch with tattoos and messy hair who's listening to nothing but 2000s hits and screamo bands - so I'd like to request a headcanon of how Daitou would react to a gender-neutral reader like this :D I also like to incorporate the idea of them once being in a famous band that he's a fan of! (sorry if this seems like a lot, I have a huge imagination hehe)

but if he's more into the cute and helpless type, I'll just walk my ass out the door and yeehaw my way into another yandere's arms ✌😔

That's on me for not drawing the reader inserts as cartoonish cinder blocks :') In truth I'm a little bit embarrassed seeing how many likes that doodle has gotten, it was something I put together in a hurry and the clothing was meant to be baggy, shapeless, with not too many folds for the sake of simplicity. I myself am more of a pilgrim goth, just to emphasize the randomness of the choice.

Drawing reader inserts always leaves me a little anxious. If I use a light shade of gray, will people think I'm excluding poc? Will plus sized readers feel like they've been disregarded? What about masculine readers? As someone who's demiromantic I always struggle taking appearance or gender into consideration, because to me it has no influence whatsoever. Which is hard to express when you want to offer blank slate visuals as an extra to the story.

What I'm trying to say is that all of my characters would like you for who you are. Sure, they find your looks cute, but it's not the defining reason. Maybe you have similar traits to them, maybe you're the complete opposite and they find it intriguing. You could be a buff man and Daitou would be just as grateful to have someone who isn't afraid of him. I usually stick to a female reader for bigger stories to avoid messing it up long term, but in the grand scheme of things it makes no difference. I always imagine reader to be a shapeless blob that provides the dialogue I need for the story mood. There's no concrete preference or type for any of my OCs. I mean, ideally you'd like them back and not hang them upside down above a BBQ pit but I feel these are sensible requirements (?).

And now for the actual headcanons since my ramble is over.

First encounter is comically awkward but for reasons you’re unaware of yet. You’re obviously used to people staring at you (more so in a country like Japan), so you were expecting the curious glance every now and then. On the other hand, being under scrutiny, from a man even more unusual looking than you at that, is odd. Mildly uncomfortable. You’re shifting yourself from one leg to another, hoping to be done with the introductions soon.

On his end, Daitou is anxiously fidgeting and trying his best to focus. He’s seen this face before and he can’t shake off the familiar feeling. Where the hell…He obviously can’t downright gawk at you, and he isn’t sure how to politely formulate a question. After several sheepish peeks, it finally dawns on him: weren’t you part of that band he really likes? No, what would the chances be? Then again, how many people out there would look exactly like you? Is it rude to ask? He has no idea. He resumes his mumbled description of the apartment and hands you the papers to be signed.

Back at his place, he finally digs through his merch and sprawls out the available clues. “I didn’t know you were into this kind of music”, Kazuya comments as he looks over the man’s shoulder. He’d come over to ask about the new tenant. “I’m pretty sure it’s them.” He concludes, confidently placing his index over a CD cover. “Huh? Who? The tenant?” Kazuya holds back his chuckle. “Why would a celebrity show up for a shady apartment offer? You’re tripping, man.”

“I’m sorry, this is getting ridiculous.” You finally exclaim, annoyed by the persistent stares of the now two men facing you. You’re standing in front of the apartment building, arms crossed, huffing at the tall scarred man and his blonde friend. “No, I’m sure of it. Even the tattoo is the same.” Daitou turns to whisper to Kazuya, oblivious to your complaints. In turn, Kazuya lightly elbows him, mouthing something about being rude. “Just ask them, man.” He adds, this time louder. “Ask me what??” You groan. “W-were you…um…in this band by any chance?” Daitou manages to blurt out, searching his pocket for the CD case and ceremoniously laying it under your eyes.

Ah. It finally clicks and you exhale, relieved. You confirm their suspicions and show them some backstage photos to solidify your claim. You ask Daitou if he wants an autograph or something, then swiftly scribble your signature on a piece of paper and hand it out to him. He holds it with a wide, childish grin. “You’re a weird one, you know? You could’ve just asked. I guess I didn’t expect to find a fan in the wild, especially here.” Daitou carefully folds the souvenir, eyes lidded with nostalgia. “Oh yes, it’s great. Drowns out the screams.”

[prwcess]

Under the floorboards

Mizu x fem!reader

warnings: SMUT!!!!! also blood, weaponry, fighting, and argument Lol!!!!

(reader believes Mizu is male)

The wood creaks under me and dirt tumbles around my ankles as i climb up from underneath the ancient home of a “Tanzaki”. Who knows who this man is, but as an assassin, i don’t think that’s my buisness.

I scurry through the surprisingly well kept tunnels as if a rat living under the floorboards, listening in to find several pairs of footsteps. Mainly from up ahead, yet it seems as through something’s .. sneaking up on me?

Drawing the illegally sold and bought european gun from my waist band and stand in silence, planning my next move as the steps get closer.

-

-

-

With no idea what to do as the door creaks open i aim the gun at the height of an average man’s head and steady my breathing, I hear the man draw a sword.

two steps.

two steps and i recognize those bright blue devil eyes.

I feel as though i’ve fallen into a trance, the familiar face rushing towards me causes no reaction. I lower the gun as i watch Mizu retreat.

“what are you doing here?” i ask, the last time i saw this man was after traveling with him place to place for a year, unknowing of his plans. I kept watch for new job opportunities, and once Mizu and I were done, we moved on to the next city. That was until we reached kyoto, where he disappeared leaving a trail of blood.

“i could ask you the same question.”

“well I-“

“why are you carrying that?” Mizu cuts me off and steps forward eyeing my gun, obviously brand new.

“I think i asked you a question first, did you leave all your etiquette back in kyoto?” i remark, genuinely forgetting the job I need to get done before sunrise.

“Im here to kill Tanazaki.”

he states quite plainly, the blank expression never quivering.

“well, i’m getting paid to do exactly that, and im not leaving here unless I do so myself.” i finish off and turn to step forward, ready to face whatever group of men in the next room, yet as I take a step I notice something… a lack of…

flooring.

I fall through into a darker and wider candle lit room, pillars on each side and walls with no doors.

coughing and hacking i look up as maxi climbs down under as well.

“don’t you have something you need to attend to?”

“you still talk a lot.” he mumbles examining our surroundings.

it seems as though there’s no exit, just one door in front, which i plan to let mizu explore as much as he wants.

I steady myself off the ground and attempt to launch myself off the wall to latch onto the ridges of the floor above, failing miserably.

“who’s there-..” i heard as my thud echoed throughout. Is that new? did they not hear my thud before? I loose myself in thought once more as I hear a creak. the hanging tapestries move and reveal a door. Something i should’ve been wary of before coming to kill the leader of a human chop shop.

As the newly discovered back door stained in blood creaked open I felt a quick jab to my waist up to my neck. Pulled behind a pillar with a hand around my neck and jaw and my mouth covered shut. In the moment, i lost my breath, a shiver falling down my spine from his cold touch. We listened in silence as 3 pairs of footsteps fell out the room, mumbles and chuckles. Do these men feel pity? Shame? Do they enjoy slaughtering innocent people to sell? The men fall into the next room and I pull my back off of Mizus chest, catching myself before i fall into a deep trance of thought.

i attempt stepping towards the bloody door, only to be held back by my wrist.

Without a word mizu let’s go and steps in front of me, waking towards the door. The room is empty. The remains of an old merchant lay on the table, filling the room with the scent of death.

“do you still care about what happened in kyoto?”

His sudden words perk me up,

what kind of question is that?

“did you care at all?” i snap, maybe a bit too hard on.

“i do.”

he says, facing away from me.

“you didn’t have the time to find me?”

i ask, truly curious why such a man would try to act like he cared.

“i think you stayed in the back of my mind. I have things to accomplish y/n.”

“interesting.” I look off to the side, acknowledging the old remains rotted to the bone, who knows who they could’ve been.

who knows what we could’ve been?

in just a flash i find mizu in front of me, staring down at me. “i need you.”

“excuse me?”

(Absolutely flabbergasted)

“travel with me again.”

“i need you, and your company.”

same full facial expression never faltered.

“maybe you just need my skill?” i find a smile on my face as I leaned against the bloody table, teasing the man who should clearly know Im accepting such an offer. No matter how angry I could’ve been i’ll always take an offer from Mizu.

“i want you, i don’t care about your weapons or your stealth.”

I watched him step closer and admired his hands as he rested them on my waist.

did he truly crave my touch or was he checking for another unknown weapon..?

as his cold hands made their way under my waistband i couldn’t help but give in to his touch, there’s no teasing or denying left for me.

“mizu…” I whisper softly, turning my head away to face the door.

“mm?”

his cold grasp releases one side of me and clutches my jaw turning me back to face him. Without hesitation he pressed a lustful kiss upon my lips and within nanoseconds the connection was back. Pushing him back slightly to create room never breaking said connection, I push myself on the table.

Mizus cold hands run deeper under my waistband, under the silk protecting me.

Before anything I open my eyes and put a hand against mizus chest,

“what about..” and without time to even notice the door Mizus spare knife is flung to stab the door shut.

[inkabelledesigns]

Belladonna Nightshade - Halloween Dark Fairy

Base Doll: G3 Twyla from Monster High Clothing Pattern: Dollightful's Asymmetrical Dress (read to the end, I have notes about this)

Happy Halloween everyone! Since becoming a doll customizer, my Halloween dolls are usually related to my favorite indie horror game, Bendy and the Ink Machine. However, seeing as I've completed two Bendy dolls already this year, I felt it was time to give myself a break and try something a bit different. My friends over in DollyAnna's Discord server wanted to do a collaboration, so we decided to all make some Dark Fairies for Halloween!

Belladonna Nightshade is a mischievous fae that loves to play tricks and tempt mortals. That said, she's easily bribed with a sweet treat or two, and will usually let you be if you have a little candy or pastry to give her. I haven't decided what I want to do with her yet in terms of a story, but there is a part of me that would love to have her in my Equinox story.

When you consider the fact that most of my other Halloween dolls are black and yellow, it's no surprise she ended up super colorful. XD Would you believe this is my first doll with rainbow hair? Yeah neither did I, but she is! Part of my style is having really colorful and vibrant dolls, it surprises a lot of people that I've never done a rainbow before, but honestly? I'm glad to have finally tackled one! I'm also glad to have worked with another G3. Twyla is very near and dear to my heart, and I was so psyched to work with her mold! You can't see it in any of these photos, but I used glow in the dark varnish on her eyes and neon markings, so that her eyes still glow like the original. I will say, this doll has a lot more acrylic paint than my others, just by the nature of I don't have any pencils in neon colors. It was nice to get the practice in, I feel more confident than I did before in my brush skills. It was also nice to have a doll with dark scleras for a change! I haven't done that since I made Dreamer, it's surprisingly fun to draw on!

I was inspired by a LOT of different things with this one, and I went back and forth on my concepts a lot. Black light skeleton make-up, butterflies, fairies with non-traditional wings, candy, jesters, these were all sources of inspiration, and I think most obviously of all, Dollightful herself. This wasn't intentional, but I ended up using a doll of one of her favorite characters, with a lot of saturated colors which we know she loves, and even her dress pattern! I've been wanting to make this garment for ages, and finally I had a reason to try it!

So those of you who know how this pattern works are probably asking "Kat, how did you make this fit a G3? This dress is supposed to fit a G1 Monster High doll!" Believe it or not, Requiem Arts has a method for easily adjusting G1 patterns to fit G3 bodies. It's as simple as scaling a pattern up to 104% and printing it that way. It's meant for her garments, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work for other doll patterns. So I tried it with Katherine's dress, and I'm happy to say it worked out just fine! I think I probably should have adjusted a bit more on the skirt though. This outfit is essentially two pieces, and the skirt with all the ruffles is a little tight around the booty, it could have used a little more sizing up. So if you own this pattern and want to try this yourself, do keep that in mind!

Do let me know what you think! I had so much fun working on Belladonna, she's so vibrant and fun, I wanna try more fairies like her someday. I also need to try using props more. I got these pumpkins and hay bales on sale, and it was fun using them to craft a little temporary set for photos.

[sparrowrye]

Demi Demon || Alastor x Reader, part 20

Synopsis: soulmate AU where you have the same mark on your body as your soulmate, and if your soulmate dies, you die too. Alastor needs to make sure that his soulmate is safe so he can continue his reign - whatever that takes. Though it looks like we have a couple secrets of our own.

Previous part

Part 20: dark desires

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What do you want Husker?" I knew he was crossing when he first stepped out of the house. I sat just beyond the tree line with my back against a large oak. I had heard the door close, the sway of grass as he walked, his steps, his breathing, and felt his red magic about half way across the field.

I had barely slept last night. I woke up before dawn and made my way to my new sitting spot. I could hear the crash of the waves at the bottom of the cliff and the whirl of the wind across the field. The peaceful serenity was nice. The calm, external environment was helping me figure out how to feel internally. Until Husker showed up at dawn.

"I wanted to check on you." He stepped out from behind the tree.

"I'm fine. Never better. Why do you ask?" I had my legs pulled up and my arms dangling over them. I kept my one hand covering the bruised one.

"I thought maybe you would be happy that the curse is finally gone. But...you obviously don't feel that way."

"I shouldn't..." I pressed my lips into my shoulder to keep myself from spilling. I wasn't sure why I didn't want to talk about it with Husker. I had told him plenty before but this time I was hesitant.

"I'm usually good at guessing what's wrong," he tried, "but this time I'm a little lost. Did something else happen? Was there a memory?"

"No, he...I didn't..." I wrapped my arms around my legs and leaned my cheek into them. I was still holding my human form but I could sense everything as if I was in my Demon form.

My hands shifted so the bruise shone a little. Husker pointed and asked, "May I?" So I let him brush his claws across my injured hand, the muscle and skin popping and fixing itself. I turned my head the other way and gritted my teeth from the pain.

When he was done, I withdrew my hand to my chest and stared off into the forest. Husker was quiet. He sat in silence with me for a long time. I could hear his breathing and his presence sat on the outside of my shields.

I let out a huge sigh, Husker's ear twitching in my direction. I turned my head so he was partially in my view. "I don't...I should've known that he wanted something more with me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...I thought he just wanted to teach me how to defend myself against a Demon. That way he didn't have to ever think about keeping me safe again, but...I...he..." I struggled to find the words. I didn't want to tell Husker about the Sanctuary in case it somehow got back to Alastor. "When we touch I can feel both of our magic combining. He wants to keep me because it gives him more power. Which means...I can't do anything without him. I can't have a life anymore."

Husker was quiet. I could feel his presence fully around my shields as if to comfort me in some way. He physically sat adjacent to me against the same tree. I could hear his tail thumping and even feel it vibrating through the ground.

"Well, you know," he leaned over so his shoulder touched mine, "he's gonna teach you everything he knows. And you've obviously got your own kind of power and experience. Sooo...." he tilted his head, drawing out his words. He was waiting for me to finish but I obviously wasn't getting it. "So you may one day be better than him."

I actually laughed. It was short and high pitched. I stood up and spun on my heels, planting my hands on my hips. "This is the Radio Demon we're talking about. He's been around for thousands of years. He's had all that time to practice and master who knows how much magic. I've barely lived a second in comparison to him."

"True," he agreed, "but even he has his weaknesses. He's teaching you all the tricks which means you'll know how he thinks. It's just a matter of time."

"That's what I'm upset about." I paced around in a circle. I let my Demon side show and dug my foot claws into the soft earth. "In order to be even close to his level, I would have to train with him for hundreds of years. I don't even know how long I live for."

"Demons don't really have a timeline but most of us live longer than the average Human."

"I don't want to be stuck with him!" I yelled. My tail whipped behind me as my pacing increased. I went up to a tree and raked my claws down its bark. "I deserve to pick the life I want to live. He gets to decide what life he wants because he's got the power, but I deserve to decide."

"He's not really..." Husker clicked his claws together. "He's more...you won't get through to him unless you've got some kind of power. And...you may have to suck it up and train with him until you've reached that point. You've seen how he reacts when your shadow shows up."

I glanced down as my shadow morphed into the woman. I had yet to come up with a name, though I was heavily leaning towards Alcine. It seemed like a nice, elegant name for a woman who's shadow looked like that. She nodded her head at me on the grass.

I let out a strangled sigh. "I just...I have my own plans."

"I know." He pushed himself to his feet and stood in front of me. "I know exactly how you're feeling. So I want to do what I can to help you get there."

"What about you?"

He shrugged. "One step at a time. Maybe you'll even be able to convince him to let me go. But let's take this one day at a time."

I rubbed my clawed fingers together. "Okay."

****

"Are you finally ready, darling?" Alastor stood on the scorched symbol at the cliff, his eyes and teeth glowing brightly in the dim moonlight. His hands rested on top of each other on his red cane. I hid my Demon side as I walked up. My feet felt like they had glue on the bottom of them, making each step harder than the last. 

"Where are we going?" It was the third time I had asked. 

"Out. I think you've been stuck in this dusty house for too long." He uncurled a claw from his cane and held it out, his smile widening. 

"You and I both know kindness isn't your thing." I looked up through furrowed eyebrows and an angry scowl. Anger was easier to manage than fear.

He hummed a short laugh. "You pain me. I'm not all bad." He inched his hand towards me more. 

I sighed. "Yes you are," and took his hand. Our combined power rushed through my veins and took my breath away. I had to take a moment to recover while Alastor soaked in the feeling. He pulled me closer and teleported away. I nearly grabbed his arm when the ground disappeared. I was slowly getting used to the feeling of teleporting.

When we touched solid ground, I looked around at the dark landscape. We were on a roof but there were several huge buildings surrounding us. Not all the floors were lit up and most of them didn't even have windows or walls. I inched to the edge and saw a lively scene beneath me. The major streets were covered in yellow, electrical lights and people had to push themselves through the heavy crowd. 

This was one of those Old World cities. Since the Great Collapse, many major cities had fallen to nothing but ruins, leaving mother nature to handle them how she wanted. I had been in a ring of sorts in one of these cities. When an old ring had been discovered, everyone had to go find a new one. On the way, Striker and I had spent a night in one of these big cities. He heard of a fighting league, a legal 'ring' fight with willing participants. He had participated in a fight himself then offered me up to their champion. The fight lasted under two minutes.

I knew he would probably still be in one of the legal towns, but that didn't stop me from scanning the crowd in search of Striker's sharp face. "What are we doing here?" 

"There's someone I want to see if you recognize," Alastor answered nonchalantly. He stood just a hair behind me, his presence snaking around my shields. He didn't push through, which surprised me, but the fact that he was actively surrounding me didn't make me feel any better. I tried asking who I was supposed to be looking for but he didn't respond. He fell silent and just stared at me. I hated when he did that.

For awhile I simply watched. We were hidden on a roof that towered just above where the electricity stopped running. There was no one on the floors of the buildings around us and the shadows kept us well hidden from any curious eyes. 

After awhile, I sat down with my legs crossed and continued to watch. I was actually enjoying it. I stretched out my magic sense and felt everyone who came within distance. I could sense their emotions and feel who had Full magic and who had Slight. There were a few Demons hiding themselves in a human appearance, their magic's color shaping their outline. I imagined myself walking in the crowd with them all, brushing shoulders and going about a normal life. When I 'touched' them, it felt like I was sucking some of their energy straight from their body. 

A cold shiver ran through my body. I casted a glare at Alastor as his presence finally penetrated my shields. I tried wrapping my mind in a black cloak as if to keep him from reading my thoughts. I didn't know if he could actually read thoughts but I wasn't eager to find out. I turned back to the crowd to look for someone I would recognize. If he was trying to get in my head, that must mean he saw the person and wanted to see my reaction. 

It took me a few moments before my eyes locked on a man. I didn't immediately recognize him but I couldn't look away. He had a sturdy build, an ugly frown, and scraggly hair. My heart quickened and my hands started to sweat. What was wrong with me? Why was I freaking out? What was it about this man? No memories surfaced as I tried to remember.

He walked down one of the small streets and I followed, scrambling to my feet and jumping to the neighboring rooftop. I watched him from my high perch as he strolled halfway down the less-lit street. He leaned against the old building and pulled out a smoke. He was wearing a long sleeve which seemed odd for such a warm night. He put his hands in his pockets and just looked left and right. I knelt down and continued to watch him. What was he doing? Who was he waiting for?

Eventually, a second man walked down the street and shook hands with him. I leaned lower and casted a light wind to carry their conversation up to me. 

"That's thirty credits for the boy and forty for the girl," the newcomer said. He pulled out metal squares, called credits, to count them and drop them in the man's hand. 

"What do you want next?" the big man counted the credits himself before stuffing them into his pocket. 

"They're looking for two boys, around nine years old give or take."

"No girls?" 

"No. They supposedly have too many now and not enough fighters. They need the boys for the fights."

"Nine is awfully old." The big man blew out a puff of smoke. "They can't disappear as easy as younger kids."

"Which is why you're getting fifty credits for each." 

The big man coughed and took the smoke from his mouth. He cleared his throat and straightened his shirt. "Fifty? That sounds like they want a delivery."

"They do. They want them delivered to Swansbury. You can handle that, can't you?"

"Yeah, of course."

The newcomer held out his hand and the big man rolled up one of his sleeves. I leaned further over the edge to see what was all over his arms. The newcomer took the man's smoke and pressed it the hot end into his bicep. The man let out a grunt but didn't react in any other way. The newcomer returned the smoke after the big man had rolled his sleeve back down. The marks on his skin were all burn marks. Why did they do that?

"Your next contact will wear a gray top," the newcomer informed. He swiftly left the small street and disappeared into the crowd. The big man waited in the street, still smoking his cigarette. I watched him closely, trying to put together his face. I knew him. But from where?

Something pulled me backwards and I found myself in my mindscape. I pushed myself to my elbows and found myself in a memory. Not just any memory, the memory. The man trapped my hands against the cold cage floor and everything came running back. I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed the fear in my stomach. I was suddenly standing and tripped backwards into my shields. I shook my head and pulled myself back to reality. I opened my eyes to an empty alley.

I jumped to my feet and rang along the edge of the roof for him. I found him down another small street, walking into another small building. This one had electricity shining through some of the shaded windows. The man appeared on the third level and collapsed on an old rickety bed. This was the man that had assaulted me.

My Demon side slipped out and I dug my claws into the concrete of the rooftop I sat on. So many emotions came flooding through me as I stared at him. He was a ring hunter. He was the people who stole children and sold them to the ring fights. I had so much energy buzzing through my body I didn't know what to do with. I wanted to bring the building down and watch him suffocate from the crushing rubble. 

"You can do it." 

My ear twitched as Alastor's lips brushed against it. My hands were shaking the harder I pushed them into the concrete. My heart couldn't slow down.

"You have the power, now."

My vision started to blacken around the corners. I was zeroing in on his helpless, clueless body on the bed. He was going to sleep peacefully and would wake up the next day to ruin another child's life. 

"You can put a stop to him."

My breathing grew shallow. My hands were sweaty and my tail whipped back and forth on the roof. My wings pressed into the floor on either side of me to give them something to do. I wanted to jump off this roof and crash into his room. I wanted to wrap my claws around his throat.

"It would take a flick of your wrist."

Alastor's hand was gripping my shoulder as he leaned further over the other one. He was kneeling beside me? Behind me? There was so much energy bouncing between us that I couldn't tell where he was in contact with me aside from his claws in my shoulder. 

"End his life to save so many." He gently grabbed my wrist and pried it off the edge of the roof. He lifted it up so my sharp, black claws curled around the man's figure. "Restrict his airflow." His throat closed and his eyes shot open. He clutched at his neck and rolled of the bed. He banged his chest as if to dislodge an object from his throat. "Watch him writhe as you did."

The man's flailing slowed until he finally laid still on the floor. The outline of his body grew red until everything about his was glowing red. It was his soul. I quickly cut off my magic. A second later the man gasped for air and the outline disappeared.

Alastor was everywhere. I abruptly withdrew and broke away from him. "I'm better than that," I clutched my hands to my chest, "I stopped the killing when I left the ring. I'm not going back to that. I'm not a Demon."

"Oh darling," he stalked over to me, "you are a Demon." He leaned down so his face was level with mine, arms folded behind his back. "It's how you managed to survive for so long in those fights. It's in your nature."

A door slammed shut, drawing both our attention back to the street. The man had run out of the building and was making his way to the crowded street. A huge, dark figure appeared at the end of the street and snarled at the man. He casted fire at the illusion and went the other way. Alastor chuckled and looked at me sideways. He grabbed my forehead, covering my eyes, and I felt my body drop. 

A second later I was gliding over the lower buildings on the outskirts of the city. The man was still running, casting glances over his shoulder for his pursuer. Various black figures scared the man from certain streets, herding him further away from the crowded street. I jumped from building to level and back again. I could taste the fear of the man. It was sweet and electrifying. I wanted more. 

The man tripped and scrambled behind a pile of crates. I jumped down on the other end of the alley where the man wasn't looking. The streetlight behind me blinked. The man's head swiveled in my direction. The light turned on and my shadow--no, Alastor's shadow--stretched down the concrete. 

"Good day sir!" Alastor's chipper voice came from my lips. I wasn't actually here. I was seeing through Alastor's eyes. He stalked slowly and precisely towards his prey. The man tried casting fire but his veins bulged and he cried out in pain. He curled into a bawl, sobbing and begging for his life. Alastor leaned down so his face was inches from the man's and said, "You've gotten in my way."

His claws latched around the man's throat. Half a second later, the man's life faded from his eyes. He slumped into the ground and Alastor straightened up. He snapped his fingers to call the dark figures to surround the body. He effortlessly lifted himself to the rooftop and made his way back. I could see my own body laying on the ground as he knelt beside it. He covered his eyes and my own flew open, my body lurching forward. 

"What are you do--"

He caught my chin in his claws and held our faces close. "You are a Demon by nature. Your power will grow until you can no longer handle it, unless you learn how to properly exercise it. That is what I'm doing." He shoved my face away and stood. 

"What did you do to him?" I pushed myself to my feet. 

"You'll know by tomorrow when I make my broadcast." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

Thank you all for your patience, kind words, and understanding! I hope this chapter makes up for yesterday. How power hungry do you think we'll get? Can we fight the urge? How persuasive will Alastor be?

[shxtodxroki]

𝙾𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙺𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘?

Summary: A gossip session with Utahime at your favorite café accidentally crumbles your calm, cool facade and reveals your crush to the man himself.

Flufftober Day 3 Prompt: “Wait, you love me?” “I always have.”

Warnings: Vague mentions of injuries, mentions of food

Pairing: Kento Nanami x Gender Neutral! Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Check out my full Flufftober masterlist here!

“Oh my god, there you are!” You hear Utahime call out to you from a few tables away, causing you to jump slightly and lift your eyes from your phone to meet her gaze. “I thought you were late, I couldn’t see you anywhere. Next time, don’t pick such a secluded spot, makes it hard to find you.” She gently chides you as she sits down in the seat across from you, before flashing you a friendly smile as she finally settles in.

“Sorry, this is where I always sit when I come here by myself. Old habits die hard, I guess.” You mutter softly in response, offering you a soft smile of your own. “Did you already order yourself a drink?”

Your question draws Utahime’s eyes to the drink already sitting in front of you, barely touched as your hands remain idly wrapped around the cup. She quickly nods in response to your question, though a shared glance at the lengthy line tells you that it’ll be a while before her drink is finished and her name is called, giving the two of you a few minutes to settle in and begin catching up beforehand.

“So, how have you been?” She asks to kickstart the conversation, swiping your drink away to steal a quick sip before smiling sheepishly and placing it back down in front of you. 

“Eh, I’ve been alright. Been taking on more missions than usual, I’m trying to save up for the holidays so I haven’t done much outside of work lately.” You admit with a laugh, taking a sip of your drink before turning the question back on her. “How about you?”

“Things have been going well over in Kyoto! All of the students are doing great on their training exercises right now, and Miwa and Mechamaru have been spending more time together lately. I always catch them together during breaks, my bet’s on them getting together by the end of the month.” she grins, clearly thrilled to see her students so happy and performing so well. Utahime truly was a great teacher, it was clear how much she cared for and connected with each of her students and wanted them to succeed and that attitude of hers always seeped through into your conversations together.

However, after a moment she raises her eyebrow and shoots a mischievous grin your way, immediately clueing you into what she's about to ask before she even opens her mouth as you pre-emptively glare at her. “Speaking of romance, how are things between you and Nanami?” You can’t help but roll your eyes at your friend’s need to know all the gossip about your love life, though the sudden heat radiating off of your skin betrays you and makes your unspoken giddiness clear to your friend as she looks at you with a questioning gaze. The aforementioned man has been flooding your thoughts like a virus as of late, clinging to your mind and leaving you in a land of fantasy and romantic daydreams whenever you have a moment to yourself.

“....I mean, it’s not like anything special’s happened or anything.” You mumble, trying and failing to bite back a lovestruck grin. “He’s friendly whenever we see each other around or go on missions together, but he’s so polite all the time, so it’s hard to tell if he means anything by it or if I’m just being delusional and seeing signs that aren’t there.”

Utahime’s curiosity is not placated in the slightest by your words, a fact she makes starkly clear as she swipes another sip of your drink and shoots you a disbelieving glare. “Oh come on, that doesn’t tell me anything! Give me more details, what do you mean by ‘friendly’?” She pushes, though you can see that it’s all in good fun and that she would stop pressing the second you asked her to.

Fortunately for her, you obviously want to gossip about your crush no matter how hard you try to seem unbothered by the matter, so you take the bait with another poorly concealed grin as her prying only eggs on your fantasies. “Well…. I guess just small things, like how he always checks to see if I’m injured before worrying about his own injuries on missions, or how he always stands in front of me when we’re dealing with a curse, or how he always buys me a drink whenever we’re walking home together.” Utahime can practically see the hearts in your eyes as you talk, though you’re doing your best to stay grounded in reality. “I know he’s just an amazing guy, and he’d do those things for anyone, but that doesn’t stop my heart from going all haywire whenever I think about those moments.”

Of course, your friend is insistent that these are in fact signs that your crush returns your feelings, giggles falling from her mouth as she smiles mischievously at you. “Oh come on, Y/n! Okay, maybe him trying to keep you safe on missions could be passed off as him just being nice, I could see that. But you’re telling me he goes out of his way to get you a drink every time you walk home together, and you think that’s just him being friendly?!” She looks at you with wide eyes, clearly trying to get you to see what she thinks is right in front of you. 

“.....Sometimes he even buys a small treat for us to share, like a pastry or something.” You admit bashfully, feeling your face heat up once more. The gasp your friend lets out only makes you shrink into your seat a bit more, overwhelmed by your own feelings and vulnerability in this moment.

“He totally likes you, Y/n!” Utahime looks at you incredulously as she speaks, restraining her volume just enough to not be yelling across the store, though she’s still speaking much too loudly for such a sensitive subject matter. “You know how Nanami is, he’s genuinely a good guy. He’s not gonna be super obvious and flirt with you in a way that could possibly make you uncomfortable, these are clearly his way of hinting at his feelings.” She seems desperate to get you to finally do something about your crush, positively convinced that she’s correct.

“....I dunno. It’s not like the thought hasn’t crossed my mind before…. But I’m just not sure, and I’m afraid that if I get my hopes up and actually confront him about my feelings, I’ll just end up looking like an idiot and making things uncomfortable.” Your voice sounds dejected and somber, causing Utahime’s face to fall in concern and sympathy as she listens to your concerns. “We get assigned on missions together pretty frequently, and I don’t want to make him uncomfortable or put innocent people at risk if I can’t focus thanks to my hurt feelings. I try so hard to act calm and collected around him, and I don’t wanna mess that up and seem like an idiot or upset him.”

Your fears cause Utahime to pause for a moment, searching through her mind for a way to comfort and reassure you. Before she can find her train of thought and speak up, though, a barista utters three words that cause both of your blood to run icy cold. 

“Order for Kento?” Your heart stops. You’re sure of it, you’re sure you’re not breathing in this moment. Your eyes are frantically scanning around the small cafe, praying that it’s just a coincidence, just someone with the same name. You don’t make it far before your eyes land on a familiar head of blonde hair at the table just beside your own, and you can practically feel your soul leave your body as you immediately glance away to Utahime in shame and refuse to meet his gaze. There goes your collected, responsible facade, you doubt you'll ever recover from this sheer embarrassment.

She looks back at you with a pitiful, remorseful expression as the man in question walks up to the front to collect his order. Utahime’s name still hasn’t been called, prompting you to realize that he’s most likely been here since before she even arrived, and has subsequently heard everything the two of you have been saying about him.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to run, make a mad dash out of this little cafe and simply do your best to never cross paths with him again.

Before you could decide for certain, Kento returned with his drink and set it on his table, before turning his chair so that he was facing the two of you. “Y/n, Utahime, it’s nice to see you.” He nodded at the two of you, and you were barely able to muster up a tiny nod in return as you fidgeted with your fingers beneath your table.

“I apologize for eavesdropping, I promise it wasn’t my intention.” He begins the awkward conversation that you were hoping to avoid, and you finally bring your eyes up to meet his with an apologetic gaze. “When I arrived I saw you sitting here and was hoping to chat with you, Y/n, but you seemed very busy with something on your phone, so I figured I would wait and say hello when you were less busy. But then I heard my name, and I couldn’t help but listen in. My apologies.”

Of course Kento was being a complete gentleman about this. You shouldn’t have expected anything else. Still, no matter how kind or polite he was about it you knew the sting of his rejection would pain you more deeply than you'd like to admit, and you attempt to steel yourself emotionally in preparation for the hurt as you open your mouth to apologize to the man for gossiping so blatantly about him.

“I have to admit, though, that your friend is right. I’m a bit surprised that you haven’t caught on about my feelings yet.” He adds on, immediately lighting up Utahime’s face in a victorious grin as your jaw drops and you stare at him wide-eyed. Even with the background noise of the cafe patrons, you feel as if you could hear a pin drop in this moment with the tension bleeding through each one of your pores at his sudden confession.

“....Huh?” You ask, oh-so-eloquently making your way into the conversation once you collect yourself enough to speak. “Wait.... you like me?” You can’t seem to finish your sentence, still too afraid to seem foolish if you’re somehow misinterpreting his words. 

“Yes, I always have.” Though he remains as composed as ever, if you look closely you can spot the small grin gracing Kento’s lips as he tries his best to fight it back. “I wasn’t sure if you reciprocated, so I tried to make my feelings clear while also giving you an out if you felt uncomfortable. You’ve always acted so put-together and calm whenever we’re together, so it was difficult to read your emotions and I didn’t want to be too overt with my advances. It seems like I wasn’t obvious enough, though, so I’ll make myself clear now.”

Your head is spinning, you feel dizzy as your feelings suddenly overwhelm you. You can feel them swirling around in your stomach, hot air inflating you like a balloon as you do your best to focus on what he’s saying. “Now that I know you feel the same, I’d like to ask if you’d be willing to go on a date with me?” His questioning gaze is only for show, as you both know what you’ll say, but it calms your nerves a bit that he still has the courtesy to ask so politely.

 Utahime violently shakes her head ‘yes’ from the corner of your eye, giving you the courage you need to speak up despite your pounding heart and the sudden dryness in your throat. “I’d really like that, Kento.” You agree without a second thought, as the tension bleeds from the air completely and both of you smile softly at one another. “You’re welcome to join us now too, if you’d like.” You offer, glancing at your friend to ensure she’s okay with this as well before pulling out the seat beside you.

Kento smirks at your offer before nodding gratefully, standing up and setting his drink down on your table before taking the seat you had offered. “I’d love to, thank you for the offer.” His arm hovers near your waist, silently waiting for your consent, and once he sees you nod giddily he wraps it carefully around you, scooting a bit closer to you as the three of you begin conversing altogether. And despite his typical straight-laced, put-together attitude, he even manages to send a few subtle winks your way, meant for your eyes only, as the three of you catch up, and you instantly know that this man is going to be your forever and always as you relax into his side and enjoy your drink.

Request - Anonymous said: Could you do nanami x reader who is calm but get caught simping on him for flufftober please😍

A/N: Aaaaa this was so much, sometimes you’ve just gotta be a little silly and delusional and gossip about your crush :> It really is healing for the soul imo and I do NOT think it should stop once you become an adult, and I think this was perfectly fluffy and cute for this Flufftober! If you can’t tell, I’m having a lot of fun with this entire event so far lol, and I look forward to seeing your guys’ reactions to each of these as I post them! I hope you’re enjoying Flufftober as much as I am so far, and my requests are open rn so please feel free to send any requests you have over to my inbox! :D

Taglist: @flufftober

If you’d like to be added to any of my taglists, you can fill out this form here! Thank you for your support <3

[anticmiscellaney]

I absolutely adore your work! What's your process been like for writing NewOldRare and developing Neil and Louis? Your art and character writing feel so genuine and realistic to me, so I'm really curious how you go about it!

Thank you! I've always been obsessed with character-driven stories and interaction, so I guess this is the result of years of practice and observation, and dismantling stories that do and don't work to see why.

Unfortunately, there isn't a clear way to explain it. It's one of those "you know when you get it right" things, requiring an eye developed over a long time. I will redraw things if I don't feel like I've captured the nuance I wanted to, and a few months later I'll look at it and see where I could have done better. Same with writing. I'm obsessed with pacing and page design, I had a moment of "that's how I think about it too" when Will Eisner described comic panels like music.

The technical approach is I make notes about stories I want to write, then I expand that into outlines, then scripts, then thumbnails, then I draw the comics and colour them and finalise the dialogue. At every stage I'm asking myself if it feels right, if I'm getting across what I want to. That's not to say there aren't surprises and things don't develop organically, but every stage is an attempt to solve as many problems as I can before the next stage. My thumbnails are quite detailed because it makes pencils easier, and I spend a while on them.

I have total aphantasia so I am operating off feeling rather than any mental images. I have no idea how it works and no idea why I pursue this when I'm missing what many visual artists describe as a crucial component. I just do it and I have better things to do (art) than wonder about something I can't change. I don't think it's made me a better or worse artist, though I think it has given me different ways of approaching/developing things. But also, literally everything about you makes your work different to everyone else's work.

You need to care. If your character is into music, listen to that music. If they have an old car that keeps breaking down, read up on common problems for that model. If they work as a film projectionist, watch a training film about using the machine. The characters care about things, have things in their lives that matter, have skills and interests and challenges. If I don't care enough to understand them, why should anyone reading it care, and also why am I writing it if I don't care?

So I do, and in caring I understand them better. This helps me develop characters/story but it also gives me so much more to write/draw. Understanding how things work and how they are done from a physical standpoint makes writing/drawing them easier too. The more you put into your head, the more you can get out later. I'll do way less for a 12 page short than for a 300 page graphic novel, obviously. Pick your battles, a little can go a long way.

They tell artists to collect visual references - solid advice - but you should collect substance too. If you pay attention, you will hear and see things you could never in a million years make up.

I find online socialising difficult, so I go out regularly and talk to people, or just hang around and observe. Chatting with strangers mostly involves listening to them. No one in gay spaces is interested in flirting with me (I'm rather homely and queer men assume I'm straight) but I think an audience is just as appealing sometimes, and maybe even harder to find. You'd be amazed what people will tell you if you're genuinely interested and listening. I once spent forty minutes at a sci-fi con talking to a guy who'd recently gotten into fisting. While I have zero personal desire to partake in that activity (and he had no interest in being fisted by me), I'm engaged, I'm invested, I'm asking questions, spare no detail.

I collect behavior and movement and the ways people interact too. Reading stories on reddit or whatever is one thing, but the words might not be as interesting as the way they're standing, the way their hands move, the way they respond. A guy in a bar once literally humped my leg like a dog because he felt I wasn't paying enough attention to him. I would never think of that as a response to that situation, but he did, and he followed through. Fortunately my friend had just tried to drunkenly sit down and missed the chair, otherwise I would never hear the end of it.

I see the leghumper around sometimes, he's got a boyfriend and avoids making eye contact with me, thank god.

[moth-mimic]

Mystical Powers?

at work I drank a cold brew coffee, diet coke, and sweet tea all at the same time and I had to release the caffeine somehow I’m so sorry

‣ pairing: Astarion x reader but from Gale’s POV

‣ words: 1697

‣ content: all jokes, Gale is purposefully mischaracterized, Gale is a ‘nice guy’ and owns smut fanfiction (implied), unrequited rivalry, Gale is basically Matthew Patel

───────────────────

‣ summary: Gale has done everything for you. Yes, he has ate your artifacts, but the reason you even offered them was because you were undoubtedly attracted to him. It was obvious from the way you talked to him last out of the entire group before going to sleep every night. He was just special like that. However, others— specifically a seductive white-haired elf— are not so keen to respect your guy’s destiny to be together. Gale sets out to prove luscious locks are never more important than a pure heart (without any ulterior motives at all).

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Gale rummaged through his collections of books, desperately searching for the one holy piece of information that could grant him a solution to this little problem of his. This problem was not one of scholarly importance, he was well aware, and it was not likely he would find his answer in his ancient texts. But these books were all he knew. What was he going to do, communicate like a normal human that had not been cooped up in his depression tower for years? Blasphemy.

He had taken much of his time alone as of late to contemplate on how he should proceed with the situation. He was not avoiding it, obviously not. He was merely worried for your safety. A fragile one like you was not meant to associate yourself with those like Astarion, an elf skilled in the craft of manipulation and deceitful seduction. Astarion had merely blinded you. Gale was your only hope for freedom. He definitely did not think this just because he wanted to feel needed. And definitely not because he was just sick of seeing the both of you make bedroom eyes across each nightly bonfire.

Lost in his thoughts, his attention suddenly snapped back as he noticed a book of interest. He picked it up gingerly as he read the title.

“Taken by the Vampire King… What a lovely piece of literature, if I do say so myself.” He muttered as he began to delicately pry the cover open. He suddenly stopped himself and slammed the book closed as he remembered the point of this search. “No, this will not assist me. Well…. if seduction is what draws Tav to the pale elf, then I suppose…”

“Now what in the hells are you doing making such a mess in here?”

The sudden voice nearly caused Gale to literally explode, his hands grasping at his chest to calm himself. He spasmed for a minute as his brain rebooted. “Uh, uh, I—“ And then, as if a switch was flipped on inside his brain, he irritably whipped around. “To all gods, Astarion, what are you doing giving me such a fright in the middle of the night? Do you know nothing of peace?”

“Pardon me, but I am an elf. I’m not in need of sleep like you poor little things.” He snorted, conceited as usual, prowling over towards Gale and taking a peek at the book before Gale can even throw it across his tent. “And I see you’re busying yourself with… important matters, hm?”

“It’s for educational— No, what do you want from me, Astarion?”

“Just a friend…” he pouted like a neglected child, collapsing onto Gale’s bedroll in defeat. Gale would feel a twinge of guilt if it was not his mortal enemy saying those words. And also if there wasn’t an obvious layer of sarcasm beneath.

“No, no, out with it.”

“Uh, fine. I was wondering if you had some type of strength potion. I feel like utter shit.” Astarion sighed as he threw his head back, blowing a strand of wandering hair out of his face. Gale studied him as he was distracted— it didn’t seem like he was lying. He looked like utter shit, his hands twitching and under eyes so dark as if he had never seen the sun in his 200+ years of life. (Gale would soon realize this observation was, in fact, accurate)

“Yeah, I see that. And I’m a wizard, not an alchemist, actually. A wizard merely studies their practice of magic through multiple sources of teachings while an alchemist…”

Gale continued on as Astarion sat there in silence. It was not a respectable type of silence, but rather one of ‘if this dude doesn’t shut up I think I might actually kill him.’ His hands began to clench into fists, his nails digging into his flesh as Gale’s nonsensical words pounded through his brain. The tadpole was not the only force controlling him tonight. His eyes flickered with hunger, yet Gale did not notice.

“Gale.”

“Alchemists deserve all the respect, of course, yet they are unaccustomed to my field of— Ah, yes?”

“How does your blood taste?”

The wizard stopped in his tracks. “I- I’m sorry?” He waited for a response for a moment. When he did not get one he continued. “Well, if you must know, my blood actually tastes of bile. You see, it serves as a natural precaution against…” He thought for a moment. “Certain entities.”

Astarion had nothing more to say than a simple, “Hm.” The two looked at eachother for a brief second, awkwardly, one weighing his options and the other debating if it was fitting to run away. Fortunately for Gale, within another second the pale elf was gone from his tent, leaving the wizard with a cloud of confusion. And maybe just a bit of fear. He stood there a moment before his eyes slowly trailed to the book now on the other side of the tent. He remembered the bloodless boar on the side of the road. He pictured Astarion’s scarlet gaze, burning with desire for something unfathomable. Suddenly he knew the answer to his problem.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Gale had been watching the two of you ever since that unsettling night. He had witnessed some unsavory moments, yes, but everyone has to make their sacrifices. And his sacrifices were undoubtedly worth it— every night he stayed awake long enough to watch the elf make his way into the forest to sustain himself on blood from some unknown source. This night in particular was one that would change everything. This night was the night he would reveal Astarion’s true nature to you.

After witnessing Astarion make his way into the forest for his nightly ritual, Gale hurriedly makes his way into your tent.

“Y/N? Y/N! Wake up now, this is dire!”

“Huh—“ You, wide awake, turn around to Gale’s face a few mere inches from yours. “Gale! Why the hells are you in my tent?” You hiss, backing up to escape his pleading puppy eyes.

“No time for questions, we must go into the forest! There, a truth will be uncovered, and you will be free from the vampire’s wicked hold!”

You’re about to ask Gale to speak like a normal person, yet he quickly grabs your hand and drags you outside before you can protest. “Gale, this isn’t really—“

“I assure you it is!”

Without another word he leads you both onto Astarion’s trail. The only problem is that Gale does not seem to know exactly where the pale elf has wandered off to, as he has never before made the courageous decision to follow him into the unknown abyss of the woods. You watch him anxiously look around and mutter to himself. You sigh knowingly, turning away from him and walking on a path you’ve traced many times before.

“Wait, wait! It is incredibly dangerous and you do not know where your judgements may lead you!”

“I promise you I do.” You pointedly say, leading him deeper into the forest so familiar to both you and Astarion. You stop as you reach an area uncovered by the canopy of leaves.

“Why-“ Gale begins before catching sight of the perpetrator. There he is, standing there in the moonlit clearing, shirtless. Gale would probably take more notice to the current scenario if he did not already have a speech planned.

“You- You creature! I knew there was something foul deep within you from the moment we met! I recognized your intent all along— to simply deceit every innocent being you came upon, to lead them under your malicious influence. But here I stand, shattering your mask and revealing your true being: a vampire! Cower under my fireball—“ Gale stops for a minute, trying to remember what to do next, before quickly summoning a fireball in his hands like he originally intended. “And consider our fight… BEGUN!”

The crickets chirp as he finishes his lengthy speech. Astarion is the first to speak.

“…Is that all?”

“Yes. W-was it not obvious?”

With Gale’s answer, you and Astarion immediately break into a fit of laughter. Gale stands there, confused, quickly glancing between the two of you and wondering what the joke was.

“And what are you gonna prove my ‘true being’ with, oh wise wizard?” Astarion smirks, still collecting himself.

“With—! With…” Gale pauses, looks around in a panic, and realizes a key factor of his plan is missing. There is not a bloodless life to be seen. “What in the realms— Why are you here, then, Astarion? What do you sustain yourself with? Answer me!”

Astarion merely purses his lips, rhythmically tapping his fingers to the side of his face. He gives Gale a pitiful pout. “Oh dear… This is a bit awkward, isn’t it?”

And suddenly Gale realizes. He turns to you immediately, the fireball now accidentally pointed at you. “You knew?!”

You raise your hands in protest, eyeing the fireball in his hands. “I-I mean, yeah. Like, everybody knew. Except you, of course.”

“What?”

“They are right,” Astarion adds, “Nobody told you because you are a little… well… extreme.” A pause. “And desperate.”

“I’m— I’m not—!” Gale’s fireball just burns brighter, and you begin to think it’s enough to send the entire forest into flames. However, you’re more worried about the possibility of him literally exploding and obliterating everything in his proximity. You glance towards Astarion, whose eyebrows are furrowed at the same thought. The resentment in Gale’s eyes grows brighter with the flame. Yet, suddenly, the fire disappears. The wizard looks as if he’s about to collapse into despair at any moment. “I don’t understand! You make no sense!”

He turns towards you and points an accusing finger. Astarion just shrugs as you glance towards him. “Even when I am right in front of you, laying down my life, you do not care! I am a respectable wizard, name known to beings far and wide! What does he offer, huh?”

You silently raise your eyebrow. Gale just scowls.

“Ugh. Typical.” And with that he whips around, his sleep robe lashing behind him. As he storms off he adds, “Don’t even add me to your party tomorrow. Or ever.”

You weren’t planning on it.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

So a few days ago I posted something about making a ‘nice guy’ Gale fanfic but not posting it out of shame and I ended up getting like 30+ likes so I thought it was only fair to actually post. Anyway please don’t hold me accountable for this k thanks love u guys I’ll probably have LOTR content soon

[venomous-qwille]

how did u get so good at writing? i envy ur ability to write so well so i do wonder wut u have done to improve urself to reach this point (aka writing better than most non-fanfic authors ive ever read) ofc improvement comes with time and practice, but im just curious as to wut things youve done specifically

Ahh that's very kind of you! I'm so happy you have been enjoying my work!

Honestly before writing gitm I hadn't written anything at all in about twelve years, though I have been working on other narrative-lead projects (I do a lot of worldbuilding for d&d and other stuff). For me, the biggest thing is just reading lots from lots of different genres, finding stuff I like and then trying to reverse engineer it and figure out why I like it. It doesn't just have to be reading either, but watching films, plays, animation, standup. I consume a lot of poetry too. Go out and find art that moves you and then try to absorb it via osmosis. The other thing is: do stuff. If you ever get an opportunity to go out and try something new, do it. Real human experiences are the lifeblood of interesting fiction. Pay close attention to the funny interactions you have with people, the strange things that you see and sensations that come from everyday life. I think that including all those real lived experiences is what really makes writing come alive, certainly that's what I enjoy reading most. Human experiences resonate with people, so I try to wrap all my interactions, all my characters and all my descriptions up in things I have personally experienced. Obviously, this gets easier as you get older, as you have more stuff to draw from ^^ Honestly I think people enjoy gitm so much because it is something I love writing, and that comes across in the work. If I had changed the story to make it shorter, or more fast burn, or something more in line with what I thought people wanted to see, the writing wouldn't be as strong, because my heart wouldn't be in it to the same extent. I am writing gitm for me, it is the story I always wanted to read but wouldn't exist unless I did it myself. Writing is like cooking, people can always taste the love.

[melverie]

Aaahhh, thank you so much for the tag @king-a-queen!! 💚💚

15 Questions Tag Game

01 - Are you named after anyone?

First name: nope Second name: yep, after my grandma

02 - When was the last time you cried?

About a week ago bc I was laughing too hard Also techinically this morning. My eyes just started tearing up a bit while I was still in bed & staring against the wall. I guess that white wall was just tugging at my heartstrings

03 - Do you have kids?

The only children I have are my OCs <3 My current beloved OCs are Aym, Marchosias (💖💖💖💖💖), and Baal; all for Obey Me

04 - What sports do you play/have you played?

So as a kid, I took MSE (self-defense) classes, I did ballet for a short while, and I played badminton. But now I'm not really doing much sports anymore. I'm occasionally working out in a sad attempt to stay healthy but that's...not working out all that well because I keep forgetting about it lol. That being said, I walk anywhere as long as it's a walkable distance away (to me, that's around 90min max), idc it's the European mindset. Der Fußbus hält überall :)

05 - Do you use sarcasm?

As if I would ever smh what are these accusations

06 - What is the first thing you notice about people?

When I pass strangers on the street, I try to look for little moments that bring them joy. That being said, 90% of the time I'm just lost in my own thoughts & have completely tunnel vision, so imagine noticing anything 😭 When I first meet people tho, it's usually the way they look at you, which tbh is a little ironic because I sometimes just cannot look people in the eyes NFDHSKGJHKSDLGS

07 - What's your eye color?

They used to be blue, but now they're more of a greyish green with a few brown spots in them

08 - Scary movies or happy endings?

Okay endings, actually! Where characters don't get the happy ending they were hoping for, and some things are still a little messy, but all in all things are okay and they finally get to breath again. Though I guess that's kind of a happy ending? lol

09 - Any talents?

My newest talent is being able to imitate the cry of an owl. My sister explained it to me earlier & once I got it to work I've been doing it non-stop until I got lightheaded 😭 Worth it tho Other than that, being able to teach myself the basics of a lot of things within a day (one of the upsides of ADHD), as well as abandoning a lot of my projects after a while because I suddenly decided to start a completely different one (one of the downsides of ADHD) I also have a real talent for writing angst. Ask any of my closer mutuals, I keep terrorizing them with my ideas (love you guys 💖) And finally: telling myself that I'll go to sleep early & then it's 5am

10 - Where were you born?

in Germanyyy fun fact: I was born more or less close to a town that has a store called 'Mephisto' lol

11 - What are your hobbies?

being insane, obviously 💚 some of my mutuals can surely attest to that lol No, but in general I enjoy writing & drawing, as well as, uhm. Randomly deciding to take up multiple really time-consuming projects, such as the OM card rec thing I did that I still need to update ahhhh, my Obey Me OC & MC ask game that originally had 200+ questions before I cut it in half out of fear of it being too long, half of my side blogs, and SOOOO many other things. <- or in short, being insane 💚 I also really love cooking & baking! Side note, if anyone wants an easy chocolate lava cake recipe, you just need to ask... 👀 Also lately it's just been romancing Thanatos in Hades because I randomly remembered that I hadn't done that yet

12 - Do you have any pets?

I used to have clownfish and a starfish, but other than that I've never had any myself. I love the dogs I dogsit with all my heart tho, and there is this cat that I sometimes meet on my way to work. She always runs up to me when she sees me and won't stop meowing until I start petting her, and last time she climbed onto my lap (I sat down in the middle of the sidewalk, I did not care lmao), she's literally the sweetest 😭😭 I also ring the doorbell for her whenever it rains so she doesn't have to stay outside lol

13 - How tall are you?

1,68m or 5'6 if I got the conversion correct lol

14 - Favourite subject in school?

Heavily depended on the teacher, but generally art class because we usually got to work on whatever we wanted with and listen to music. Also English in 9th grade, math in 10th and German in 11th because the teachers were great

15 - Dream job?

I've been thinking of translations in general/software localizition for a while now. I just love dissecting all the small differences between languages (D.D.D.s being called 'D3' my beloved), + there are so many invisble choices made when translating. You'll always lose something because every language has its little quirks and a different mindset that can't be translated directly, but you'll also gain something that the original version didn't have. It's an art form in itself, and I really love that <3 The other job that keeps popping into my mind is event mangement. I already get to organize a ton of things for my uni since I'm part of the student council for one of my two majors. It's exhausting, but also really rewarding when you have people come up to you afterwards to tell you how much fun they had!

No pressure tags for a bunch of people, hehe >:) @alpine-forget-me-nots @healersadjust @misc-magic @sweetbrier2908 @reblogs-are-the-love @shootingstarrfish @mjoria @too-much-gacha @layphie @katboykirby @ghostlyyraccoon @lost-in-lamentation @bagofwetmice @glamphantasm @wizardthesai @mellonyheart @arlatthan as well as anyone else that wants to join!

[meanbossart]

Asks about VaM, art advice, and miscellaneous stuffs

HI! Real quick please refrain from referring to Sad Sack as S/S for the uh... Obviously reasons LOL We call it "sads" for short!

If what you're asking for are recommendations for a website to host that kind of thing, Neocities, Twitter, Itchio and as you mentioned AO3 are all perfectly good options! Patreon too (depending on how gnarly you're planning on getting) but I'd suggest keeping that as a secondary host option because I don't think it lends itself super well for getting your work circulating. I believe Bluesky allows that kind of thing too, but I'm not too sure since I don't use it.

Now, If you're asking about public reaction rather than guidelines, anywhere you go you might find people that don't jive with the work you do 🤷 just be upfront about the type of content you're making right off the bat to avoid having anyone stumble upon it by accident to the best of your abilities, otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much. I know we're constantly exposed to examples of overwhelming harassment and "dogpilling" happening to others but... Truth be told, most of us won't ever get to the size/internet level of fame where we experience that. I think the threat is a little bit... Overstated, nowadays. Not to mention that most of the time people are getting harassment for things that have nothing to do with their work, and rather relating to their behavior and attitudes. Play smart, be responsible, and be honest! Whatever comes next is in god's hands LOL

Thank you for the ask! Not sure I was of much help 😅 but frankly when you're just starting out it's best to focus on getting the work done first and just throwing it out there, wherever it may be. You can worry about technicalities like that later!

I GOT YOU MAN the full sketch is now up on my patreon!

YES AND YES WHETHER IT BE STORIES OR ART OF DU DROW AND YOUR CHARACTERS SLAMMING PINTS TOGETHER BE MY GUEST PLEASE

I love seeing everyone's take on my weirdo so much, anything is honestly welcomed!

AW DUDE thank you so much! Especially for suffering through the mammoth of a story that ANE turned into - writing has never been my strongest point so I'm always shocked to hear from people that enjoy it 🥲

About the booze question, honestly I'm not picky at all, I usually go by price and by that I mean whatever is cheapest LOL but I prefer a dry white as far as types go.

You only have to pay for it once! You get a code that unlocks the software and all of it's features and you're free to cancel your subscription after that. At some point the code might change or there might be an update that requires subscribing again - but that seems like a very rare occurrence so I wouldn't worry about it.

OH NO I HAVE DEFINITELY TRACED MY OWN REFERENCE BEFORE, but not entire poses! When something is challenging I'll make a point of drawing it out the usual way.

I can remember a couple of instances from Nick and mine's comic where I traced pictures I took of myself, just as a time saving measure. Again like I said in the post, there are several ways to employ tracing your own material that is perfectly acceptable. I have also traced bare-bones 3D backgrounds that I made for the same reasons.

I know you specifically asked about tracing when something's complicated, but I still wanted to be upfront to demystify the practice under different circumstances. The rule of thumb is to never use it when you know it would be inhibiting your skill development!

Happy to hear you wanted to pick up the skill! I definitely understand the urge too LOL since playing BG3 and becoming so invested in the stories and characters my art has improved a ton, simply from forcing me out of my usual style and making me want to capture different moods and scenarios - finding something you're passionate to draw is, frankly a great damn start.

I replied to a bunch of asks asking for pointers and advice a while back, one of the questions was very similar to yours and I still stand behind the advice I gave then. Hopefully you can find something helpful here! https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/740543514692173824/some-art-advice-asks-ive-been-meaning-to-reply

HMMM I don't usually think of myself as the best teacher/tutorial guy, but funnily enough I can think of a few things about this topic that I could elaborate on lol. If I do that in the near future, I'll put it up on my patreon (for free as with everything else.)

If there are any specific things about it that you (and anyone else who would be interested in it, for that matter) find challenging and would like for me to focus on, let me know!

---

That's all for now folks, and as usual thank you so much to everyone who's left a nice compliment, word of encouragement or funny tidbit in my inbox as well! I can't reply to you all individually, but I see and read all the messages I get c:

HAVE A LOVELY REST OF YOUR WEEK

[babyjakes]

soft sinner.

〈 disclaimer: this blog posts content not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. minors are strictly prohibited from viewing, sharing, or interacting with this blog. for more information on this blog's commitment to protecting minors, read our full statement here. 〉

summary | there's only one thing lloyd would ever turn soft for in this cruel world: you.

pairing | soft!daddy!lloyd hansen x little!reader

warnings | sfw daddy!lloyd lloyd's an asshole at the beginning (so basically canon), lloyd shoots/kills someone (not reader, also canon lol), plenty of cussing, eventual soft!sweet!lloyd like so sweet it's unbearably ooc, hurt/comfort, all these petnames he uses got me :'-( <3

word count | 1,639

an | okay okay i know everyone wants smut with this guy but??? i wanted to do something different with my first fic with him, and honestly even though soft!lloyd is hard to imagine, i think when done right, he's just so perfect, i want him all for myself please :'-)

"Where the fuck is she?"

The harsh booming of his voice as he entered the room had Lloyd's men scrambling to attention in record time. Standing in the doorway with a ruthless expression sprawled across his face, the dark-haired man brought a hand up to run over his mouth as he tapped his foot impatiently, unimpressed at how many moments went by with no verbal answer. "I see," he growled, eyeing the four men who all stood around him anxiously, exchanging glances with one another as they struggled to form words. "Someone better start talking, or I'll start fucking shooting," the boss snapped, placing his other hand on the handgun secured tightly in his belt.

"She's upstairs, recovering," the bravest of the bunch finally offered up, trying to hide the tremble in his voice. "Her wounds have been tended to. I can bring you to her now if you'd like, sir."

Hand falling down from his mouth to his hip, Lloyd nodded, his exasperation clear on his face as he continued to berate, "Okay, and would you like to tell me, Dean- since none of the other idiots in this room decided to bring their fucking voices to work today- what the hell exactly happened during her transport here? And why the absolute fuck I wasn't alerted- immediately?"

Swallowing hard, Dean wrang his hands out behind his back, replying meekly, "I-I... there was an ambush, sir. We lost two men-"

"Well obviously!" Lloyd blurted over him, anger raging in his pale blue eyes as he looked around at the faces before him. "At this rate, I wish they would've killed more of you! Useless fucking- fuck," he cursed, kicking at the leg of a nearby chair. Holding their breaths as they watched him, his men didn't dare respond; by now, they were used to his constant outbursts, knowing the safest thing to do was to just stay silent and still.

Sweat beading on his forehead, Lloyd muttered a few more choice words beneath his breath before smoothing back his hair, regaining his composure slightly as he began speaking again. "Bring me to her. And as soon as I shut those doors in your face, you come straight back here and call in more men. I don't care who you have to call. I don't want a single square foot of uncovered territory within a fucking mile of this building. Do you understand?"

"Yes boss," Dean agreed quickly, beginning to lead Lloyd out of the room before he stopped, turning back to face the remaining three.

"And who exactly was it that left my princess uncovered?" he questioned carefully, his glare powerful enough to burn holes through the agents as they looked at each other nervously. "Surely someone was closest to her, someone should've taken the hit."

"I-It was Mike, sir. Mike was sitting next to her," Dean spoke up from behind the group.

Turning his attention to the shorter redhead, Lloyd smiled with a light sigh, almost a chuckle as he addressed the young man. "Mike. Oh Mike, that's such a shame. You were the least obnoxious of you group of fools." Drawing his gun with a shake of his head, Lloyd showed no hesitation as he planted a bullet in the agent's head, clicking his tongue in satisfaction as the body hit the floor.

Turning back to Dean, he tossed his gun on a nearby couch. "You know the rules, no munitions around my angel," he reminded the men. Every head in the room offered a nod at the boss's words. It was known amongst the entirety of the team that Lloyd's girl didn't like to see him holding any weapons; they were much too scary for her little mind to handle. It was one of many strange features of the couple's relationship that any outsider would probably fail to understand or even believe, but of course, no one on the inside ever questioned it. They knew better.

"Of course, sir," Dean dared to acknowledge, motioning a hand towards the door. "If you'll follow me, she's right this way."

"She's just down this hallway, sir- last door on the left."

"Good," Lloyd muttered, sticking his hand out in front of the man beside him to stop him as he continued his determined steps forward. "Now get back to work. And try not to fuck it up this time."

Dean didn't need to be told twice, promptly turning around to head back the way they had come. And as Lloyd finished making his way down the hall, from the front view, all physical signs of his aggression disappeared as he prepared himself to step into his other role, his favorite and most important role- a role that only one other person on the planet got to witness firsthand. Stopping at the grand set of doors leading to the bedroom, he ran his hands over his belt and pockets once more, double-checking that he had no traces of his work left on his person. After a final glance back down the hallway to ensure that no one but his intended audience would hear, he reached out and knocked gently against the thick barrier, the simple action the most delicate thing he'd done in weeks.

"Y/n?" he called in, his voice like that of an entirely different man from the monster who just shot an agent minutes earlier downstairs. "My love, are you in there?"

Not hearing any response, Lloyd carefully twisted the door handle, stepping into the room slowly in case you were sleeping. Looking around at the lavish golden decor, he found your little body curled up amongst the fluffy blankets and pillows covering the bed, the large king-sized mattress seeming to swallow you up as you drifted in its center.

Raising your head slightly, you peered warily over at the door. Normally, the sight of your daddy returning to you after weeks of being apart would send you running straight into his arms. But after the traumatic afternoon you endured, all you could manage was a soft whimper in the man's direction, causing his brow to furrow in concern as he closed the door behind him, making his way over to you as he let out a sympathetic hum, "Oh sweetheart. My poor angel, come here. Come to Daddy." Resting on the edge of the bed, Lloyd's heart broke in his chest as he watched you cower back slightly from his invitation; yes, he did have a heart. But only for you, only ever for you. "My sweet little girl, it's okay. Daddy won't hurt you, I left all my things downstairs. Know those are too scary for you, too dangerous. Never scary for my baby- right, angel?"

Lifting your head a bit again at the man's soothing words, your wide eyes ventured up to meet his, warmth spreading through your tummy as he gazed at you lovingly. "There's my pretty girl. Come here, sweetheart. Daddy wants to hold you. Missed you so much- and someone told me you got an owwy today."

Nodding gingerly, you forced your sore body up to a sitting position. At the sight of the large bandage wrapped around your arm, Lloyd began to coo softly again, "Oh, my sweet baby. Come here, come on," he coaxed again as he opened his arms for you, his touch brutally soft against your skin as he eased you onto his lap. "There she is," the man smiled, cradling you with an arm behind your back to allow you to rest your full weight against his safe embrace. "I got you, princess. Daddy's here now; you're safe."

Turning your head inward, you buried your face in the soft fabric of his shirt, tears prickling at your eyes as silent sobs begin to wrack through your little body. "Shhh, shhh," he soothed, running a tender hand over your back as you cried. "I know, I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Daddy's so sorry, so sorry he didn't protect you." Rocking you gently in hopes of calming you down, Lloyd struggled to fight back tears of his own as he was faced with the reality he had just spoken aloud: he had failed you. Unintentionally, yes, but it was all the same to him. It was his job to protect you, to do everything in his power to keep you safe and cared for. That was the one thing that mattered to him in life, and he had fucked it up.

"Baby, baby, baby," he murmured, leaning down to press his lips into your hair. Breathing in the familiar scent of your shampoo, the man couldn't help it; silent tears began trailing down his cheeks as he tried to keep his voice from wobbling while he spoke to you. "Listen to me, please. Never again. Never again will I leave you, my love. No more time apart, no more endless weeks without me. It's done, angel. It's all done; I'm not leaving you again. Daddy's gonna keep you safe. I mean it, I'll gonna do it myself. I'll never fail you again. Never fail you again."

Lifting your head up to look into his eyes, you're met with pools of watery blue, full of grief and regret; as gently as you can, you plant a kiss to the man's wet cheek, earning a soft smile as he reaches up to cup your chin in his large hand. "Thank you, Daddy," you whisper sweetly, the sound of your precious voice causing Lloyd's heart to swell.

"Anything for you, my love." Rubbing his thumb against your soft cheek, all he could manage to do was look at you, wondering to himself what he ever did to deserve something as pure and wonderful as the miracle sitting in his arms. "My little angel, my perfect girl. Daddy would do anything for you."

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for refusing to do any more art commissions for my mom's friends?

Ok so I (19nb) am a digital artist. If I had to honestly rate my skills I would put them somewhere in the "good enough to get a few commissions but not professional level" range and I wanted to do it professionally.

Keyword being wanted but I'll get to that

Now my mother has been showing off my art pieces to her friends (no problem with this) and it got one of my mom's friends to ask her if I could draw make icons for the website of her upcoming business back in late April (basically one big icon for the main page and five smaller ones, so six in total, all fully rendered) and paid 200 dollars for all of it (which thinking back was extremely low for the amount of time and effort that I put into that if I was going by living wage effort and time)

So I did that, got the money, spent it all and was happy.

And now yesterday (july 6th) my mom said that she asked one of her other friends (who is also her boss) if I could draw her a new logo for her side business.

SHE DIDNT EVEN ASK ME IF I WANTED TO DO THAT! SHE JUST TOLD HER FRIEND THAT I WOULD DO IT!

Now I got a big commission (dont know how much money Im getting paid) dropped on me with no warning. And apparently my mom and her friend are coming with even MORE ideas for me to draw. (Mind you that commission would take at least a week to two weeks at the MINIMUM and now they're coming up with more)

But the thing is I dont want to to do digital art professionally anymore. I want it to stay as a hobby, something to do for fun and my own enjoyment. The reason why? A one year digital art course I did last year that burnt me out so unbelievably bad. I couldnt make ANY art for myself for an entire YEAR because I was constantly working on that stupid useless course (and I didnt even get the final drawing done and submitted before the one year deadline was up so that didnt help. And it was the one I was the most proud of too)

I am burned out and I want to make things for ME, things that absolutely cant go on a portfolio (extreme horror art, fan art, NSFW art, etc)

The amount of times in the past months I have talked myself out of drawing something that would make me happy because everything I make should be fit to go on a professional portfolio is extremely high.

I'm obviously gonna do the new commission and whatever else those two tell me to draw (but it better be more than 200 dollars, like at least 350 minimum) but I am so tired of this and I just wished my mom had asked me first before automatically telling her friend yes.

So would I be the asshole if I told her Im not doing any future commissions from her friends and that I want to just do art as a hobby and not as a career?

What are these acronyms?