#the art I commissioned a few weeks back does this so well

[calamitaswrath]

Every artist who (after the release of Future Redeemed) draws Alvis or A in a way that makes it ambigious which one of the two it actually is, or draws them in way that somehow blends together aspects of both their facial features with each other adds to my lifespan

#shut up cal you fool #and sure let's tag it I guess #xenoblade #xenoblade chronicles #xenoblade 3 #xenoblade chronicles 3 #xenoblade chronicles 3 future redeemed #future redeemed #alvis xenoblade #alvis #a xenoblade #it's about the ambiguity of gender. the fuckery with gender #the capacity to exist as either or both at once #the art I commissioned a few weeks back does this so well #which are advantages of getting along really well with the artist #but there are others as well

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

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

Everyone is this story is mid to late 20s.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#aita #am i the asshole

[galadoesart]

Missing your presence

Pairing/s: Xavier, Zayne, Rafayel x GN! Reader [Separated Established Relationship]

Warning/s: Angst / hurt / comfort

Summary: What would be their reaction when you left without a word… then came back again.

A/N: I stopped playing LnDs for a month and when I came back a few days ago, I received these messages from them and thought I should write something angst with a bit of comfort headcanon about it. The devs do be really know how to pull our heartstrings huh?

Masterlists | commission sheet + socials

—

Xavier

He missed you, like a lot.

Despite not getting responses from you, he continues to message you now and then. “Why are you so quiet?” “Did you go to the no-hunt zone alone again?” “Are you hiding from me or is something bothering you?”

Even when he sleeps, he sees you in his dreams, hoping someday you would come back again.

When there’s no Wanderer around, he goes to the places you and him enjoy each other's company.

Then you return – you saw him in the cafe that you and he visited often, he was sitting near the window and the drink that he ordered remained untouched then he saw you walking on where he sat.

He’s not dreaming, is he? He’s not dreaming. “So it’s not a dream? Can I pinch you, (Y/N)?” You gave him a small nod as you sit beside him and he did pinch you – not enough to hurt you of course but just to see if you are actually real, with him. Then without any word, he embraced you. “I missed you a lot when you were gone.”

Zayne

Busy as usual.

Though his co-workers noticed that he’s been checking his phone from time to time so often, “Respond when you have time.” “I saw a hunter wearing their uniform at the airport and… I thought it was you.” are some of the messages that he sent to you, waiting for you to reply, but nothing came. 

It’s a weird feeling from him honestly, he missed your presence, your messages – like any updates from you on what had happened on your day. He still hopes that you’re doing okay at least even if you missed your monthly check-ups from him.

He tries not to be angry at you, a bit disappointed but… maybe it’s a personal matter that’s why there’s no word when you left.

Then you return – It surely is a coincidence to see him on the restaurant that you and him had lunch together, you saw him making a snow replica of the cat that you’ve seen a lot here at the restaurant.

With the food that you ordered on hand, you walked over to where he sat. “Is this seat taken?” There was a minute of silence between you two, Zayne registering if it’s really you in front of him and yes it is you. “Is this your way of punishing me?” “No- I, absolutely not..” Then you explained to him what had happened for the past few months, he then gave you a head pat. “Hm, if that’s the case then, can we stop this punishment now?” 

Rafayel

He was frustrated for a week or so.

Why did you leave without a word? You are his bodyguard after all, shouldn’t you ask for a sick leave or something before you leave? But you didn’t.

He’s sure to himself that you are capable of taking care of yourself, so why is he worrying too much about you? He still continues to message you even though he knows damn well you won’t respond to him.. “... are you asleep?” “Come find me when you wake up.” 

He tried his best to enjoy the things he does every day even if your presence is not there, it’s not really a big deal really. (p.s: it’s a big deal to him to be honest.)

Then you return – His studio was a mess, Thomas already tried his best to cheer him up to tidy his studio but it was always different when you’re there and… there you are facing his back as he continues to paint a new art piece, you assume. 

“So you finally decided to show up, huh?” There is the sassy Rafayel you knew, now facing you. “By the way, I went to art exhibitions, sketching and painting alone, no big deal really.” He didn't even realize how much he misses you, with a sigh and giving him an apologetic smile you couldn’t help but laugh lightly on his antics – whenever he crossed his arms and pouts, you couldn’t help but offer him a hug. “... are you mad?” “Hmph. I can’t get mad at you and.. Welcome back my bodyguard.”

—

the messages I was referring to, like 😭😭😭

#xavier love and deepspace #zayne love and deepspace #rayafel love and deepspace #love and deepspace #lnds #x reader #gender neutral y/n #gn reader #x gn reader

[cryoculus]

— thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife ⟢

thoma was taught to only take what’s reasonably given to him. but what if ayato offers something he can’t refuse?

★ FEATURING; kamisato ayato x reader x thoma

★ WORD COUNT; 11.5k words

★ TAGS; established relationship, resolved sexual tension, smut

★ WARNINGS; graphic sexual content (minors dni), consensual? cuckolding?, ayato basically orchestrates his own wife's ntr :/

★ NOTES; this is honestly so so nasty i still shiver a little whenever i read it SJAHSFSDH i hope you enjoy hehehe

★ HEADER ART CR; ashx_sool on twt

★ SMUT TAGS: accidental voyeurism, threesome, masturbation (m), brief m/m action; don't like, don't read, oral (m&f receiving), vaginal fingering, double penetration in one hole, unprotected sex, creampie, praise kink, aftercare

Thoma’s been acting strange lately.

You can’t help but notice that once you started living inside the Kamisato Estate. Of course, you’re no stranger to the four corners of the property – having been betrothed to the Commissioner for a few years now. This means you’ve become quite familiar with the rest of the Kamisato retainers, as well. 

Their chief retainer and housekeeper was always such an unintentional charmer. Thoma was as kind as he was diligent, accomplishing tasks from a broad spectrum of categories. Be it his cover-up job as a fixer in Ritou, being the right-hand man of Kamisato Ayato himself, or his duties as the main housekeeper, Thoma never fails to impress.

You’ve only managed to officially marry into the family two weeks earlier, and the Kamisato clan made you feel nothing short of welcome. Ayato even organized a small banquet on behalf of your marriage, and you couldn’t be happier to start the next phase of your life with him.

But going back to Thoma…

He’s a good friend that you’ve known for years. The blond housekeeper was always there for you in moments when you started to doubt your engagement. Ayato is a busy man, and that’s something you found difficult to fully accept when you were younger. You envied your friends, who didn’t have to share their husbands’ attention with mountains of deskwork. But no matter how childish your rants could be, Thoma would give you the reassurance you needed in a heartbeat.

“Marrying into any Tri-Commission family isn’t easy, miss,” he told you once, flashing you a comforting smile. “But I hope you know that there’s nothing Lord Ayato would want more than to fulfill his obligations both to Inazuma, and to you. ”

Admittedly, if it weren’t for Thoma, your marriage would’ve fallen through before you could even practice for the final rites. It’s a good thing he was such a good mediator that, once he helped Ayato realize he’d been falling behind in his role as your fiancé, you managed to salvage your engagement altogether. 

Long story short, you’re glad to have Thoma around.

So when he starts acting all shifty around you, it rightfully arouses a few questions in your head.

It’s been a week since you moved into the estate. The other retainers treated you the same way they have for years, finding nothing unusual for the Commissioner’s wife to start living in his home. After all, it was an Inazuman custom. Yet the person who you expected to give you the warmest welcome of all turned out to be the most evasive.

Things have been relatively normal during the first few days. Thoma would greet you whenever you passed him in the halls, invite you for strolls on Ayaka’s behalf, and even offer to do your errands in the city. But all of a sudden, he would start steering clear of you for reasons unknown. Thoma always refuses to meet your eyes in the rare chance you could speak to him – replying hurriedly before excusing himself. He doesn’t invite you for strolls, nor does he offer to run errands either. 

If it had been anyone else, you would’ve understood. Retainers always maintained a respectable courtesy for their masters and mistresses – you know this well. But the fact that it’s Thoma who’s suddenly treating you like a stranger makes you a bit…sad.

Ayato notices the shift in your mood right away.

“It’s not like you to brood,” he comments before climbing under the covers with you. “Anything on your mind?”

You manage a soft laugh. “Nothing that you should worry about, my lord.”

Ayato pouts. “I wonder when you’ll grow out of your habit of calling me that.”

“Hehe, maybe in a few years.”

Once both of you have settled underneath the large futon, you find your head pressed firmly against Ayato’s chest. The sound of his heart beating calmly beneath your ear manages to quell your unease somewhat. When you take a long whiff, you catch the faint scent of pearbells on his nightclothes. You sigh – burrowing further into your husband’s embrace.

“Will you answer me this time if I ask again?”

He stares expectantly with an important document he’s reviewing on one hand, while toying with your hair with the other. Ayato doesn’t even have to elaborate; not that you had any intention of hiding it from him any longer.

“Do you think Thoma hates me?” you mumble, shying away from his lilac stare.

Ayato pauses for a moment, as if considering your words, before he sits upright to toss the papers onto the nightstand. You mourn the loss of his touch a little – a pout of your own springing forth on your face. He laughs when he sees it before pressing a fleeting kiss on your lips.

“Now what could’ve given you that idea, darling?”

You heave another sigh, prompting your husband to pull you into a seating position as he settles you on his lap. This position is a bit too…promiscuous than what you’re used to, but when Ayato nuzzles the crook of your neck with his nose, you realize he’s trying to appease you, even just a little.

His affection makes you sigh with contentment. You’re glad that you’re at that phase of your relationship where he can hold you this freely and comfortably. Archons know it wasn’t exactly a smooth start for the both of you when it came to these kinds of things. Ayato is the world-renowned Yashiro Commissioner, so it’s normal for him to be absent. Back then, you dreaded the mere idea of bringing up intimacy with him, out of fear that you’re being too needy.

But you’ve long realized that Ayato is more attentive than you’d otherwise expect.

“I don’t know,” you admit. “It just feels like he’s been avoiding me. Did I do something wrong?”

He hums curiously. “It’s only been a few days, but you’re doing your part as a representative of the Yashiro Commission splendidly. I heard Her Excellency was quite impressed with your plans of expanding cultural relations with other nations.”

“Reviving the Irodori Festival was your idea,” you remind him, cheeks warming at his praise. “All I did was put the plan on the table… B-But that’s besides the point! I was thinking I might’ve done something of a smaller scale that unknowingly offended Thoma.”

“Oh? Do you have any idea what that might be?”

Despite the comforting warmth of his embrace, you turn around to flash Ayato a suspicious look. There it is again – that teasing lilt of his voice, clueing you in that he might know more about your predicament than what he’s letting on. 

“I wouldn’t be lamenting in the first place if I did,” you grumble.

He laughs again, planting a kiss on your cheek as an apology. “Well, if it eases your mind, I’ll be the one to tell you that Thoma isn’t the kind of person who avoids those he has problems with.” 

“Then why…?”

Instead of reassuring you with a direct response, Ayato latches his mouth across the thrum of your pulse, making you squeak in surprise.

“M-My lord –” 

He sighs. “You’re with me right now, yet you continue to worry about other men? My wife is so cruel~”

It was a statement that could have easily been laced with jealousy, but there’s none of that with Ayato. If anything, he spoke the words in that typically sly manner of his – a side of him you’d only gotten intimately acquainted with a few months before your marriage. 

You’re well aware that it’s in your husband’s nature to be more mischievous than most Commissioners, but…

Ayato takes you by surprise again when he turns you around on his lap, forcing you to come face-to-face with his half-lidded gaze. Your chest twists with embarrassment and the inexplicable desire to hide your flustered expression. Despite having shared his bed several times before, it feels like your first all over again whenever Ayato gets in the mood. 

“How about we worry about our favorite retainer in the morning?” he asks slowly, grazing your bottom lip with his thumb. 

Before you can even get a chance to respond, Ayato presses forward and kisses you deeply, hands migrating to the swell of your hips as he holds you in place. In spite of your initial timidness, you respond in kind. You move your lips to the rhythm he’s set like you’ve done so many times before, and you’re reminded of how perfectly in-sync the two of you have always been.

Ayato nudges the lapels of your kimono off your shoulders, exposing your bare breasts to the cool evening air. You don’t try to cover up like you usually would. After all, your husband likes it when you lay yourself bare for him to see.

“Always such a pretty little thing,” he sighs, fingers sliding across the curves of your waist – making you shiver with anticipation. “Someone as beautiful as you doesn’t deserve to stress themself as much as you’re doing right now, darling.”

“Now, won’t you let your husband help get your mind off things?”

His offer makes another wave of embarrassment crash over you. Your duties after marrying into the Yashiro Commission are no laughing matter, but they still pale in comparison to Ayato’s. If there’s anyone in dire need of stress relief between the two of you, it’s most certainly him.

But…

“Ayato,” you whine, tugging at the front of his kimono impatiently. “Don’t tease…”

The Commissioner chuckles, leaning forward to nuzzle his nose against yours. You would’ve fawned at the gesture, if the possessive grip he has on your waist hadn’t gotten tighter.

All those lingering thoughts about Thoma went up in smoke as Ayato shifts on the futon – making you rest comfortably against the headboard as he works his way between your legs. Your husband is a big fan of foreplay, unfortunately. Instead of taking you the moment he feels like it, Ayato enjoys stringing you apart with his bare hands more than the chase that comes with release. His desire to see you squirm lines up perfectly with the version of him that most people find insufferable.

(But it’s also the one you love the most.)

He bunches the hem of your kimono around your waist, peppering your thighs with soft kisses that make your heart flutter. Then, when Ayato drags your underwear down with his teeth, you’re too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

“Ah, ah~ We can’t have that,” he singongs, reaching up to grasp your chin with his fingers. “Come on, darling. Tell me what you’d like me to do with this sinful body of yours.”

The sultry look in Ayato’s eyes makes a wave of heat ripple through your core, but you’re convinced he already knows just how much you actually want him. You let out a shuddering breath once his free hand traces circles on the sensitive flesh of your thighs.

To his surprise, you decide to unfurl the digits curled beneath your face – taking his middle and index into your mouth with a long, seductive lick. A hint of surprise crosses his smug features as you shamelessly lubricate Ayato’s fingers with the heat of your tongue.

“I want you.” You speak the words before lowering his hand, spreading your legs wider. “Ayato, please…”

Your husband shakes his head with a withering smile, sliding the fingers you’d prepared for him so nicely into your sopping entrance. You cry out, completely taken by surprise as Ayato starts lapping at the juices dripping between your thighs.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to push you over the edge. Even if you hail from one of the many noble families in Inazuma, no amount of etiquette classes can hide how sensitive you can be once you’re under the mercy of Kamisato Ayato. He knows you like it when he pumps his fingers slow and deep while quickly flicking his tongue across your swollen clit as an added stimulus. The squelch of your walls as he eats you out always sounds like music to his ears – much more the wanton moans that spill from your lips. 

Once he gets you mounted on his cock, it’s another story entirely. Your tight cunt always takes him so well – like you were fashioned to be his from the moment you were born. Ayato likes you best when you’re still recovering from an orgasm he’d coaxed with his mouth and fingers alone; when you’re sensitive to the touch, yet receive his advances readily, still. 

Though he hides it well, your husband is quite obsessed with you. From the dignified way you carried yourself in court to your lascivious reception of his touch – he adores each facet that you trusted him enough to show. 

Now, as he watches you bounce on his cock, breathless, and beautiful, and everything he’s ever loved –

It doesn’t surprise him how you’d easily catch the eyes of someone else.

“A-Ayato,” you moan, fingers laced around his neck as you press your forehead against his. “You feel so good… You’re hitting me so deep.”

He chuckles softly, meeting your lips in a tongue-filled kiss. 

“You shouldn’t say such things, darling,” he tells you huskily. “If you don’t want me to ruin you, you’ll avoid stirring me up like that.”

Ayato groans when you bring down your hips with a particularly tantalizing roll. He feels you tightening your walls around his throbbing length, and he nearly loses it right there.

“But I want you to,” you tell him, lips parted as you pinpoint your own orgasm. “I want you to ruin me. Fill me with your cum…”

Archons above, you’re perfect.

Without warning, Ayato flips you back onto the futon, forcing your face onto the pillows as he pounds you from behind. His rough movements make you moan in delight as the head of his cock repeatedly hits a spot inside that makes you see stars. The tight grip he has on your ass is uncharacteristic of the calm and composed Yashiro Commissioner, but Ayato knows you take pride in your ability to make him lose all sense of control. 

He adores seeing you so utterly debauched for him. But as your husband finally spills himself inside of you, feeling your cunt tighten around his length in the height of your orgasm –

Ayato catches the shadows shift beneath the sliding doors.

“I love you,” you whisper breathlessly, turning around to meet his mouth with a sloppy kiss – oblivious to what he just saw.

He forces his lips not to shift into a knowing smirk after his discovery. Instead, Ayato murmurs the same words against the column of your throat as he slowly thrusts his hips – helping you ride out your orgasm. The satisfied purr that resounds deep in your chest lets him know that you’re more or less pleased with his performance, just as you were the other night. 

He wonders if your one-man audience enjoyed the show just like last time, too.

…

Thoma constantly wonders if he has the worst luck or the worst timing or both. 

Living in Inazuma already gave him his fair share of mishaps and misfortunes. But he’s confident to say that once he made a living for himself here in the Kamisato estate, his life had more or less turned for the better. He’s the chief retainer, the Kamisato housekeeper, the –

Scumbag who shamelessly pops a boner for his lord’s wife.

It was an accident, really. A few nights ago, he was supposed to deliver an important document for Ayato to go over, since the concerned party handed it to Thoma later than the prescribed date.

Though he definitely could've waited until morning to give it to him, Ayato once told Thoma that receiving updates for this project in particular was of high priority. Even if it was the dead of night, he’d given his chief retainer permission to disturb him if there was any progress with the paperwork involved.

So, he did! Thoma marched off to Ayato’s quarters with the extremely late document in hand just like he asked. 

But when Thoma raised a hand to knock –

“A-Ayato!”

He feels all his cognitive functions halt for a split second. Thoma has spent years by your side – not as much time as he devoted to the Kamisato siblings, but enough to recognize your voice even if the Commissioner’s name was shaped around…a moan.

That’s the other thing – you never call Ayato by his name. It’s always Lord Kamisato, or my lord, or some other variation. Even if the two of you already tied the knot, Thoma knows that you still hesitate to cross that line despite his lord’s insistence. 

So he can’t blame himself for feeling utterly shocked to hear you make such a lewd sound.

That’s not even the worst part. With how quiet the estate was that night, Thoma can hear the wet slap of skin-on-skin from inside the room – painting all sorts of pictures in his poor mind. The chief retainer is nothing short of courteous, but he was still a man. The moment his imagination conjured images of you intimately entangled with Ayato –

Thoma swiftly headed back to his room before he could finish the thought; even taking a long, cold shower to snap him out of it completely.

He tried to act like nothing happened the next morning – handing the document he was supposed to give to Ayato immediately after breakfast. The Commissioner didn’t seem to notice anything different, so Thoma was convinced he was doing a good job in acting the part. 

But when he crossed paths with you again…

“Thoma,” you greeted him cheerily. “The herbal tea you brought home from Ritou was really good. Lord Kamisato and I had shared a cup before heading to bed last night, and –”

Before doing all sorts of indecent things behind closed doors, you mean?

He nearly slapped himself for thinking such a thing, especially when you were looking up at him with innocent admiration in your eyes. It’s so difficult to imagine that the woman standing in front of him was the same one he heard last night. Even if Thoma wanted nothing more than to pretend like he hadn’t heard anything unusual out of courtesy –

“I-I’m glad you like it, milady,” he coughed out awkwardly, side-stepping you in the hallway. “I’d love to stay a while longer to chat, but Lady Ayaka asked me to do something for her, so…”

Gods. He felt like he committed a crime when the smile fell from your face.

“Oh, I’m sorry for holding you up,” you hastily apologize with a bow. “I’ll see you later then?”

Thoma didn’t answer at the time. But over the next few days, he did get to see you – more often than he would like. 

He was convinced that this was just a passing itch. It’s been a while since Thoma has taken any lovers – not that he had the time to entertain the idea in the first place.

Being the chief retainer to the Yashiro Commission didn’t give him more work per se. It’s Ayato that receives the brunt of it. Thoma’s job was to support him whenever he needed it – which was quite often, if the Commissioner’s tight schedule was anything to go by.

But every time he tried to act like his usual self around you, his brain always seemed to betray him. Images of your innocent face contorted mid-moan would plague his mind, and Thoma had no choice to dismiss himself in the middle of a conversation with you before you noticed the erection straining against his pants.

It’s embarrassing. He felt like a prepubescent teen who’s never had sex in his life. But what made this (hopefully) passing attraction all the more terrible was the fact that you belonged to Ayato, not him. Thoma knew that for a fact, and yet…

Tonight, when he was scheduled to fetch the document he’d given to the Commissioner days prior, Thoma lucked out once again when he walked in on another intimate moment. 

“You feel so good… You’re hitting me so deep.” A soft laugh, underlined by the sound of squelching flesh. 

“You shouldn’t say such things, darling. If you don’t want me to ruin you, you’ll avoid stirring me up like that.”

“But I want you to… I want you to ruin me. Fill me with your cum.”

Thoma’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor as you whined from the other side of the door – the sounds of your lovemaking doing him no favors in keeping his head in the right place. Archons, who knew you could talk like that? Were you the same, clueless woman who constantly questioned her betrothal to Kamisato Ayato?

For a moment, Thoma pictured himself on top of you, prying your legs apart as he eased himself inside your slick entrance. He imagined what you would look like as you begged him to fill you up the same way you did with your husband.

He knew he should’ve bolted back to his own room at the first signs of Ayato being occupied with…something else like last time. But Thoma’s feet were rooted to the spot as he had his fill of the obscene noises coming from inside. 

This was wrong – fucked up in so many levels. If anyone else caught him standing here, listening to his lord have sex with his wife, Thoma wouldn’t be surprised if that alone cost him his job. No matter how distinguished his name was today, some things just couldn’t be forgiven. 

That was all the nudge he needed to walk back to the bath – taking an even longer shower in hopes of cleansing the impure thoughts from his body.

It didn’t work, though. Because as Thoma lays in the solitude of his own room, his cock is painfully hard underneath his own nightclothes. He stares at the ceiling with resentment, wondering why he’s so goddamn pent up, that he’d lust after you despite knowing the consequences. 

A devilish voice in the back of his head insisted that once he’d gotten off once, it would all be over. He’d finally be able to go back to how things were before this unexpected turn of events without fearing for the loss of his livelihood. That’s the only thing that kept his conscience intact as Thoma let a hand slip between his legs – palming his hard length through the fabric.

Just once, he promised to himself. Just once, and never again.

As he undid the rest of his clothes, Thoma hissed once his rough fingers came into contact with his sensitive cock. He screws his eyes shut, gathering the beads of precum glistening across the tip as he lathers his shaft with his own essence. 

Not enough. This isn’t nearly enough lubrication as he needed. 

Shamelessly, the blond sits upright, spitting into his palm before wetting his cock in a more satisfying manner. He groans, wondering if the tight ring of your pussy feels just as warm, and just as wet. Thoma knows better, though, but tells himself that all he deserves is own hand and spit for thinking of you in such a filthy way.

He pictures you with your breasts pressed against his futon – ass mounted high in the air as you present your needy cunt. Imagining you saying his name the same way you said Ayato’s strikes several nerves at once, and Thoma is convinced you might actually make him come in real life only by calling out to him like that. 

Thoma pumps his length in a tight fist faster, breathing erratically as he leans against the wall. He lets himself fantasize how you’d look with his cock between your lips. Would tears glisten in your eyes as he thrusts himself into the heat of your mouth? Knowing how Ayato must’ve trained you, you’re the type to swallow each drop of cum he spills down your throat.

Though the gods might smite him for all these lecherous thoughts, Thoma is in too deep to backtrack now.

Thoma’s golden bangs stick to his forehead with each bated breath. His shoulders heave as he stares down at his swollen member, entertaining the silly thought that he’s forgotten how to masturbate after being occupied with work for so long. But instead of ridiculing himself more than he already has…

His eyes flutter closed as he cooks up another scene entirely. Instead of picturing himself vying for someone else’s wife, Thoma imagines you taking two cocks at the same time.

You’d be so good at it, too – sloppily sucking him off like a woman starved as Ayato pounds your abused cunt. Tears will streak down your face, and he would pull you off his cock to kiss them away. Ayato would then angle his thrusts until he has you crooning both of their names.

It’s pure bliss – he can almost taste it on his tongue. Thoma nearly pops a vein in his arm with how riled up he’s gotten as he inches himself closer and closer to the edge.

The image of your tight pussy stuffed with both of their cocks – his and Ayato’s spend dripping down your thighs as you showed them the most fucked-out look he could picture – is the last straw. The pinnacle of his pent-up fantasies. But as Thoma pumps his load into his own hand to avoid staining the sheets, the chief retainer is quickly roused from his lust-filled haze.

White noise rings in his ears. Thoma doesn’t feel relieved of a burden he’s been carrying for days.

In fact, his guilt only festers.

...

The next day, Thoma finds himself hard at work in the kitchen.

Springtime is easily his favorite season. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom all across Mount Yougou, and he can’t help but feel the uplifting atmosphere that surrounds the estate during this time of the year.

But sometimes, the weather in the mountains can be quite…erratic.

“I really wish I had the ability to make it snow at will,” Ayaka sighs as she fans herself on a nearby counter – bemoaning the sudden rise in temperature just like everyone else Thoma ran into today. “The occasional rainshower, I’d understand, but we rarely get heat waves in the middle of spring. Have you heard anything unusual about it, Thoma?”

He shakes his head apologetically before hefting a box of assorted ingredients into one of the cabinets. “Nothing of the sort. Maybe it’ll be cooler later in the day.”

She falls silent for a few moments, and Thoma chuckles to himself. It’s rare to see Ayaka openly complain about the things that are stressing her out, so –

“Hm, that reminds me… Have you seen Sister today? She promised to look at new kimonos with me in the city tonight, but I was told the Tenryou Commission saddled her with the paperwork for the Irodori Festival.” Ayaka shakes her head. “I wouldn’t put it past her to lock herself up in her study until she’s done.”

If Ayaka notices the way Thoma falters with his near-mechanical way of arranging the pantry, she doesn’t show it. The question isn’t strange, by any means. He’s a Kamisato housekeeper. He should at least have an idea about the whereabouts of the estate’s denizens. But when it’s an inquiry that involves you, Thoma still has some trouble saving face.

“One of the many traits she shares with Lord Ayato,” he says in a last-ditch effort. “Milady has been securing venue permissions in Ritou even before the wedding. I’d say she cares a whole lot about this festival more than she’s letting on.”

“You can say that again.” She lets out another wistful sigh. “I didn’t think I would have to deal with a workaholic sister on top of a brother that doesn’t know when to take breaks. This heat wave isn’t helping either…” All of a sudden, Ayaka perks up from her seat – slapping her fan closed as if having realized something.

“The Hiiragi clan sent us a leftover batch of watermelons this morning, didn’t they?” she asks. “I was wondering why they would have so many this time of year, but maybe it’s a stroke of luck on our part.”

The insinuation makes Thoma swallow thickly. He’s fulfilled enough orders around the estate to know where this is going, but alas, he doesn’t have any reason to refuse. 

“Would you mind slicing a few melons for everyone? I’m sure we’re not the only ones affected by the heat… Oh, I’ll handle the rest, you bring up a few slices for Sister.” Ayaka smiles, completely oblivious to Thoma’s plight. “Sounds like a plan, right?”

That’s how this poor Kamisato housekeeper wound up in front of your study, a plate of fresh watermelons in hand as he wondered how he should face you. Thoma knows you aren’t stupid. You’ve definitely realized that he was avoiding you, but decided to let it slide. Whether or not you knew the reason behind his evasion, he still wasn’t sure, but he damn prayed that you didn’t. 

He internally tells himself to relax, raising a gloved hand to knock on the door. First and foremost, you’re now one of the ladies of the house. Second, you’re his friend. Even if Thoma still feels guilty for making you the subject of his sexual fantasies, he shouldn’t let that get in the way of work. Just sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened – easy as pie.

“Thoma?”

The soft chime of your voice makes his confidence spiral all over again. As Thoma lets himself inside your study, you glance up at him from your low desk with puzzled eyes – setting your brush down on the wooden surface. You were probably in the middle of drafting another correspondence.

“Milady,” he greets as casually as he can, flashing you a gentle smile. “I’ve brought some watermelon slices. The Hiiragi clan sent over a fresh batch, and we figured you’d want some respite from the rise in temperature.”

You’re quiet for a while, as if still coming to terms with the fact that he’s standing there. Thoma wonders what they would think if someone were to walk past your study and witness the awkward silence passing between the two of you. 

Thankfully, before Thoma ends up squirming under your contemplative stare, you beam at him from where you sat.

“That’s a bit much for one person to eat, no?” you tell him, glancing at the plateful of fruit. “How about you help me finish those while you hear out the rest of our plans for the festival?” 

The question rings in his ears for a while, and Thoma’s initial response would’ve been to decline. He doesn’t quite trust himself yet to be around you, even after the... drastic measures he took.

But for someone who always heeds his conscience, Thoma finds it awfully easy to slide the door back in place and keep you company.

…

The heat is absolutely killing you. 

Not only were your compliance deadlines piling up one after the other, but you were starting to sweat through your kimono as well. Isolating yourself inside your study isn’t how you would typically oversee the projects handed to your care. But with all the signatories and corrections you had to go over, you have no choice but to hole yourself up until every page was proofread down to the letter. The experience is twice as worse when you’re stuck inside the stifling heat of your study. 

So when Thoma drops by with some refreshments, you can’t help but convince him to stay despite his obvious avoidance.

Compared to the last couple of days, though, he seems less elusive. Thoma is seated comfortably right across your work table, going over the documents you were compiling as he listens to your rambling. 

Ever since the Raiden Shogun greenlit the Yashiro Commission’s plans for the festival, both you and Ayato have been working around the clock. Your husband delegated himself with the task of inviting guests from other nations, while you coordinated with the local government to make sure everything went smoothly. But even with Ayaka’s advice on the diplomatic side of things, you can’t help but feel…burned out. 

It hasn’t even been a month since you’ve married into the Kamisato clan, but whatever assumptions you had about their work all went up in smoke. Overseeing the cultural machinations of Inazuma is twice as difficult as you thought it would be. Even with your own experience, you couldn’t fathom how Ayato must’ve handled things when he was the only one managing the political affairs of the Yashiro Commission.

These days, you only ever see him during the evening – just when the two of you are about to sleep. While last night’s…escapade certainly left you flustered, you were back in business come morning, much to your dismay. 

But right now, your exhaustion has partially been stemmed by the company of your good friend, Thoma, who tells you:

“Aren’t you being too meticulous about this, milady?” 

He posits the question as he hands you a slice of watermelon – one that you absentmindedly accept as you process his words. “I was told that, when it comes to politics, one can’t be ‘too meticulous’.” 

“Forgive me. I meant to say you might be holding yourself to an unfair standard,” he clarifies with a worried look. “Lord Ayato also has these moments of perfectionism. He once told me to hold him back if the effort he’s exerting unreasonably outweighs his well-being, so I’m a bit inclined to do the same for you. We can’t have the newest member of the clan collapsing due to work-related stress, you know.”

Thoma told you all that in a somewhat scolding tone – one that reminds you of your mother back home. The thought makes you chuckle as you finally allow yourself a bite from the fruit in your hands.

“...This is pretty good,” you comment, chewing thoughtfully as you flash Thoma an impressed look. “Aren’t watermelons out of season in the spring?” 

“Heat waves are also out of season in the spring, but here we are.” He laughs, organizing the papers on your desk as you help yourself to a quick snack. “It’s kind of stuffy in here, though. Would you like me to open the windows, milady?”

You cuss silently when you feel the watermelon juice dripping down your fingers and onto your chest. The thought that Thoma is right there, bearing witness to your messy eating habits is a bit embarrassing, but you’d take that over his avoidance any day. 

“No, it’s alright,” you reply as you attempt to keep the papers on your desk free from stains. “I get distracted when I hear the noise outside, so I’ve been putting up with the heat all this time… But since I’m pretty much on break, I guess it’s fine.” 

Thoma doesn’t reply, but you don’t think much of his silence. Not when you’re busy trying (and failing) to consume watermelon like a normal human being.

Realizing that eating in front of your desk is not the way to do things, you place your half-eaten slice back on the plate to grab a towel inside a nearby drawer. Gods, your bangs are starting to stick to your forehead with how sweaty you are, too.

Dabbing the fruit juices and the sweat on your skin makes you feel like you deserve a long, cold shower. But with how much you have left to do, you might as well save it for last. Besides, Thoma’s company is enough to dispel the stress that’s been accumulating over the past few days. 

But when your eyes rivet back to him, you realize he’s staring at you rather…intently.

…

Thoma is, for lack of a better word, fucked.

Bringing you the Hiiragi clan’s watermelons isn’t as dreadful as he initially thought. He assumed you’d interrogate him about his behavior now that the two of you were alone, but you merely sat down and shared your current progress with putting the Irodori Festival into motion. The gesture brought him back to the time when you were still Ayato’s fiancée, so unsure whether Her Excellency was even going to approve of your initial plans. The sense of familiarity feels undeserved, but Thoma basked in it nonetheless.

He slowly eased into giving you some advice you needed to hear, too – making him think that he was finally able to forget about that indescribable itch he had last night. His gut was right. Getting off once really did help in –

Wrong.

Things were going so smoothly. Thoma was so sure he’d finally be able to look you in the eye without feeling ashamed of himself anymore.

But then you started eating the food he brought.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Absolutely nothing! What’s wrong is the fact that his green eyes are riveted on the way the watermelon’s juices slide down your chest – disappearing into the conspicuous cleavage of your breasts. 

Now that he’s painfully aware, Thoma realizes that the lapels of your kimono are nudged somewhat wider today. Probably because of the heat. But he didn’t even notice you wearing it any differently until his brain decided to point it out, and now he can’t bring himself to peel his gaze away. 

His throat bobs as you try to lick the juices off your fingers, praying to all seven archons to help him keep his non-existent virtue. If this happened before his unintentional voyeur session, he would’ve found it amusing to know that nobles like you could be messy eaters, too. But since he lives in a world where the universe is out for blood, all he gets is a poorly timed erection in the middle of a sweltering afternoon. 

Thoma only realizes he spaced out when you call out his name. 

“Are you alright?” you ask, readjusting your clothes as you sling a small towel over your shoulder. “Don’t tell me the heat’s getting to you, too.”

It would’ve been better if the reason was as simple as that. But the longer Thoma lets himself stare at your curious yet worried expression, the more the guilt eats at his heart. 

“I just remembered I need to pick-up a fan Lady Ayaka commissioned in the city,” he lies, a poignant smile gracing his lips. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, milady.”

“Hey, Thoma – !”

Not waiting for you to speak any further, the chief retainer sees himself out of your study – shutting the door behind him with more force than needed. He tilts his head up to the ceiling with a withering sigh. The moment he closes his eyes, all he sees is the curve of your supple breasts, peeking from the window of skin from your kimono, as if inviting him to come closer.

This isn’t normal, Thoma finally acknowledges. I think I need to see a healer.

Before heading down to the foyer, where the other retainers ate their watermelon slices, Thoma readjusts the apron tied around his waist. Not too loose that it would slip off if he was careless, but not too tight that people could make out the contour of something hard and prominent between his legs.

In an act of wayward penitence, Thoma doesn’t relieve himself for the entire day. Maybe a little punishment would help him get over these lecherous thoughts.

Little does he know, what awaits him further down the road is far from punishment.

...

There are a handful of things you could’ve said the moment Ayato steps inside your shared bedroom come nightfall. Welcome home or I missed you would’ve been your top contenders. But instead of greeting him like any doting wife should –

“He’s definitely avoiding me!” you sulk, sinking into your husband’s arms with a pout. “I thought we were on good terms now, but Thoma’s being elusive again.”

Ayato hums with an amused smile on his face. He undoes the straps of his shoulder guards without breaking free from your embrace, planting a soft kiss on your forehead. The sweet gesture makes you flush – slightly ashamed at your sudden outburst.

“Your husband comes home after a long day chock full of meetings, and that’s the first thing you say to him?” he chuckles.

You sigh, breathing in the scent of his coat as you meet his gaze. “I’m sorry… I just – I don’t like feeling as if I’ve slighted him when I’m not doing anything wrong. Today, he even sat down with me in my study while we ate watermelon slices, and – Why are you looking at me like that?” 

Your eyes narrow once the grin on Ayato’s face curls a bit mischievously. You’ve been with him long enough to recognize his many misleading expressions, so you know a scheming Yashiro Commissioner when you see it.

“We’ve both had our hands tied for the past few days, but…” He trails off before caressing your face tenderly. Despite his obvious plotting, you can’t help but lean into his touch. “How about I help you get to the bottom of this, hm? I can’t sleep at night, knowing my wife harbors all these troubles in her head.”

You stare at him suspiciously. “You’ll help me even if it’s because of another man?”

“You speak of Thoma like he’s your paramour and not our long-time friend,” Ayato laughs again, and you feel your face warm with embarrassment. “Don’t worry. I’ve just finished drafting the invitation letters for all the special guests we’ll invite to the festival. I have a lot of free time on my hands now, actually.”

“Okay,” you play along. Despite your skepticism, you know Ayato would never put you in harm’s way. “How do you plan on ‘getting to the bottom of it’ then?” 

“Hehe, well...” 

You shouldn’t find it so endearing when his lilac eyes twinkle with anticipation – like he has a secret he longs to tell. But then again, one of the reasons you fell in love with Ayato is because there was simply never a dull moment with him. Times you can spend with the man behind the mantle of Yashiro Commissioner are few and far in between, especially with all the festival preparations in play.

What sort of fool would you be if you didn’t take his offer?

…

On the day before the Irodori Festival,  Ayato orders Thoma to drop by his bedroom before retiring for the night.

While he still has reservations about doing so, Thoma is sure he’s done a healthy amount of self-reflection over the past few days. Once he’s done his share of the preparations, the chief retainer would always make the trip to the Grand Narukami Shrine, offering prayers of absolution to the gods who dare listen to his pleas. It seems to work though, because even if he’s still wary of being around you, he’s no longer plagued with unsavory thoughts. 

The shrine maiden handing out fortune slips seems to be in a better mood as of late, too – entertaining him with small talk before handing Thoma the day’s fortune. 

So when he marches to his lord’s quarters that night – fully aware that he drew a Great Fortune slip today – Thoma doesn’t feel the slightest bit anxious. He repented for his sins and focused his attention on the Irodori Festival instead. The gods must be looking down favorably at him now. 

Right?

He ambles by the hallway in front of Ayato’s bedroom, not hesitating to bring a closed fist against the door. Thoma vaguely hears snippets of conversation inside, but the words are too hushed for him to make out.

“Thoma? Is that you?” Ayato asks aloud.

“Yes, my lord,” he responds in kind. “Did you need anything?”

The other side falls silent for a while, and Thoma strains his ears for any sort of noise to no avail. This late at night, you should probably be inside the room as well. But what could Ayato possibly –

“Come in for a while.” 

He looks around for a while, checking if there’s anyone else in the vicinity. Even if Thoma knows he probably has nothing to worry about, there’s still an inkling of self-consciousness that lingers in his chest. As if the sight of him stepping inside the room Ayato shared with you is a grave sin. But he reminds himself that, as long as he kept a pure and positive outlook on things, he wouldn’t be forced into awry situations.

All his efforts at keeping a clean conscience, though, are all for naught.

…

While Ayato has a way with getting things done in the most unorthodox ways, proposing a threeway is the last thing you thought he would cook up. You thought he was joking at first, but when you questioned the sincerity of his request, your husband flashed you a sulking look.

“As your husband, I have a duty not only to support you in all your endeavors, but to also make sure you live a happy, married life by my side,” he told you. “However, I also have duties as the Yashiro Commissioner.”

You stared at him, perplexed. “What does that have anything to do with having a threeway?” 

“Why, it has everything to do with it,” Ayato chuckled before placing a soft kiss on your forehead. “When one of my most trusted retainers is visibly tormented by…his untimely attraction for my wife, I should probably help him out, no?” 

Despite doing your best to hide your mortified reaction, you were sure Ayato could sense it either way. Who could blame you, though? You’ve heard rumors about this-and-that’s marriage falling through because of unsuspecting third parties. Your husband is completely aware that Thoma could be…vying for you, as well. But instead of taking action against him, he’s asking you if you want to sleep with him?

“Of course, the last thing I wish to do is force you into something you don’t want,” Ayato reassured. “We can both take Thoma’s secret to the grave, and let things run its natural course. He’s a smart man. He won’t let the temptations of the flesh cloud his judgment so easily. In a few months, he could dismiss this all as a fever dream and nothing else.”

“...Or, we can let him experience what he’s missing out on.”

You hesitated, still reeling from the fact that the poor chief retainer himself had heard you getting fucked to an inch of your life, not once, but twice. No wonder Ayato seemed rather distracted during those nights, despite the vigorous attention he paid to your body. 

The moral choice was, of course, to decline. Not only will you jeopardize Ayato’s reputation by agreeing to have Thoma as your lover, but you’ll compromise your own principles as well. You were raised not only to be a formidable leader, but also a faithful partner. Giving in to these subtle curiosities might cost you everything you’ve been working so hard for.

But as you watched the way Ayato smiled at you encouragingly – the beauty mark below his lip further accentuating his features – you’re reminded that being married to him wasn’t the same as being married to any other man.

You’d be lying if you said that knowing Thoma was attracted to you didn’t send a rush of conceit straight through your skull. Under all the layers of propriety, you knew you were quite the wicked soul at heart. 

Besides, you were crazy enough to get hitched with Kamisato Ayato, of all people.

You couldn’t fathom how he must’ve planned all this on top of his responsibilities for the festival. You barely had any time yourself once the venue preparations were underway. But your husband, ever the efficient schemer, scheduled the fateful encounter on the night before the celebration.

The moment Thoma steps inside the room, Ayato curls his fingers inside you with startling precision – ripping a moan from your lips as your eyes lock with your unknowing guest. Thoma’s emerald gaze widens with equal parts surprise and disbelief, and for a moment, you mirror the same expression. 

After all, no amount of planning could prepare you for what your husband has in store tonight.

“We’ve been waiting for you all night.,” Ayato chuckles, trailing his lips across the sensitive skin of your thighs. “I can hardly count how many times I’ve made her come, but at least the guest of honor is finally here.”

Thoma at least has the decency to shut the door behind him to keep any prying eyes out. Despite the fact that you’re still sensitive from Ayato’s godly oral, you can’t help the heat that boils beneath your skin once more as Thoma’s eyes rake over your bare form.

“M-My lord, has there been some sort of mistake?” he stammers. “I think I should see myself out –”

“You’re the one I ordered to come here at midnight, yes?” your husband sighs, rising from the nest he’s made of your thighs before passively teasing your entrance with gloved hands. “Now, would you like to sit back and watch or do you prefer being the one who directs the show?”

You whine as Ayato slides his fingers inside you once again – the feeling of leather brushing against your sensitive walls a foreign but welcome sensation. He teased you about it when he was still preparing you for the show, but you’re afraid that getting fingerfucked with his gloves on is going to be a staple from here on out.

Speaking of staples…

The internal conflict is pitifully evident on Thoma’s face. You can tell that his desire to partake in all this debauchery and his honor as the clan’s chief retainer are warring inside his head. 

“Thoma,” you call out, voice hoarse with need as you nudge your legs wider – displaying your slick entrance for him to see. 

“I want you.” 

Ayato chuckles as he surrenders his grip on your thighs. When you whimper from the loss of his touch, he consoles you with a soft kiss on your lips. 

“My wife wants you, Thoma,” he says brazenly. “Aren’t you going to give her what she desires?”

As Ayato teases your sensitive spots to keep you constantly wanting, you’re vaguely aware of how long it’s taking Thoma to give him an answer. For a moment, you fear that his rationality would win in the end, and he’d leave you high and dry without saying a word. 

But, tentatively, Thoma says:

“I’d like to watch first, my lord.”

Your husband’s mouth twitches into a no-good smile as he picks you up in one swift motion. This catches you by surprise for a moment, but you offer no complaints as he seats himself on his reading chair, and eases you on top of his lap. You feel lewd like this – back turned to Ayato as you spread your legs for another man’s appraisal. 

“Always so attentive,” Ayato comments, and you don’t know if he’s speaking to you or Thoma. His gloved hands massage idle shapes onto your thighs, and you can’t help but squirm underneath his touch. “Well, firstly, you won’t have to worry about finding out what feels good for my darling wife. She’s always so sensitive everywhere you touch her.”

As if to prove his point, Ayato grazes his teeth against the cut of your jaw – making a shiver rack through your whole body as your hips buck in the air. “See?”

“Ayato,” you whine, guiding his hands to your center. 

“Ah, she doesn’t like it when you tease too much. Unfortunately for her, I’m the one she chose as a regular bedfellow,” he laughs, cooing at you like a master to his pet as he lathers his fingers with your dripping essence. “That makes me wonder if you could offer her a better experience.”

Thoma, who still hasn’t moved from where he stood, gulps nervously. “I wouldn’t dare impose, my lord.”

“Oh, but we’d greatly appreciate it if you did.” Ayato casts him another misplaced grin, finally easing his thick digits into your heat as you rest your head on his shoulder. “How many fingers do you want, darling?”

In a delirious haze, you sigh, “All of them.”

“How greedy. You might as well just ask for my cock then.” He tuts. “But I could’ve sworn you came faster when I played with you like this.”

Your reaction is immediate when Ayato uses his free hand to rub tight circles around your clit – timing each movement with the squelch of his fingers inside your pussy. His hot breath ghosts against your ear, and you can feel the outline of his clothed erection against your ass. The fact that Thoma is watching all this unfold silently but with his own brand of hunger stimulates you in more ways than one.

“Oh? She tightened up just now,” your husband chuckles, taking out the fingers buried inside your cunt to bring them to your lips. “You like it when Thoma watches, don’t you, love?” 

You take the leather of his gloves inside your mouth without another word – tasting yourself on his fingers without much heed for decorum. Ayato never halts his ministrations against that sensitive bud, and you moan around his digits as he slowly builds you up to another orgasm.

“Thoma,” you whisper. “Please…”

This time, he doesn’t hesitate. 

The blond kneels before you like a devoted believer at the foot of the Shogun’s statue. You can sense the hesitation in his touch, still, when his warm, large hands slide across your thighs. As your husband continues his endless onslaught on your poor, abused clit, Thoma removes his own gloves – experimentally easing a finger into the tight ring of your cunt as those bright green eyes meet yours halfway.

It’s a good thing Ayato’s fingers are keeping you from moaning too loudly. Something about the way Thoma stares at you between your thighs has your toes curling with pleasure. 

With the chief retainer’s presence, Ayato elects to shift both of his hands on the spill of your breasts instead – sticky fingers kneading your flesh as Thoma eases another finger inside you.

“She’s so wet,” he says, almost disbelievingly.

“That’s all because of you,” Ayato chuckles before sucking another love bite on the side of your neck. When he rolls your nipples between his fingers, your walls unexpectedly clamp down on Thoma’s intrusive fingers once more. “She’s quite the vixen, isn’t she? A goddess you can’t help but worship. Oh, but she’s been working so hard these days. This warrants our undivided attention, doesn’t it?”

Thoma nods absentmindedly, pulling out his fingers, much to your disappointment. He’s still staring at your pussy like it’s a myth he’s come to confirm with his own two eyes. You’re about to dish out some teasing remark about it, but when he hoists your legs over his shoulders, the words die in your throat.

He’s unexpectedly talented with his mouth – alternating between dipping his tongue into your swollen entrance and licking swift patterns across your clit. Your fingers migrate to his hair, tugging at the golden tufts. You can hear Ayato make a satisfied sound behind you, but all you can think about is the sensation of Thoma tracing lines of poetry between your thighs.

“My, you’re enjoying yourself quite a lot, hm?” Ayato whispers in your ear, turning your head to the side to meet his lips in a hurried kiss. You never once pictured yourself in this situation – seated on your husband’s lap as another man fucks you with his tongue. Saying that you’re enjoying yourself is an understatement.

“I’m close,” you admit – murmuring the words against his mouth as you feel Thoma’s grip on your thighs tighten. “A-Ayato, I’m so close…”

Your husband breathes out a soft laugh. “You hear that, Thoma?”

“Yes,” he sighs, and you realize he’s already hauled his own cock out of the confines of his pants, fisting his engorged length as he brought you the pinnacle. The sight is nothing short of erotic, and once Thoma makes another pass on your oversensitive clit, you’re gone.

The waves of your climax hit you like a storm – making you convulse on Ayato’s lap as Thoma helps you ride it out. Your husband silences your moans with his lips once again and for once, you wonder if this is what heaven feels like.

When you come to your senses again, still boneless from your orgasm, you realize you’re now lying on the futon. In front of you, the two men strip themselves of their garments, making the heat rise to your cheeks at the idea that you really were going to push through with this.

“As much as I’d like to sit down and watch you fuck my wife with something else, I’m feeling quite famished myself,” Ayato admits once the last of his clothes falls to the floor. “Thoma, would you be a dear and grab the bottle inside the nightstand?”

The orders make you raise an eyebrow in question, but Thoma follows them wordlessly – procuring a small, glass bottle with a transparent liquid inside. You hate how you immediately recognize what it is.

Ayato leans closer to you once he retrieves the lubricant from Thoma’s grasp before caressing your cheek tenderly.

“Are you alright?” he murmurs, and you nod slowly. “Good. You should rest for a moment before we move on to the next.”

You pout. “But –”

“No buts,” your husband scolds, unscrewing the lid on the bottle before rising back to his feet. “Thoma over here deserves a reward, don’t you think? He’s been so good for you – making you come with his mouth and fingers alone.”

With each word that Ayato utters, the closer he draws to his chief retainer. Thoma, who’s standing there only in his underwear flushes at the praise, and you can only watch in quiet fascination as Ayato ghosts his lips across Thoma’s face. 

“Despite how I might look, I’m actually a greedy man,” your husband admits, lathering his palm with a copious amount of lubricant. “I don’t just share what belongs to me to anyone else. You’re quite the special case, Thoma. I’d trust you with my entire life…so it’s only fair for me to trust you with my wife’s satisfaction as well.”

Thoma doesn’t even flinch when Ayato takes out his cock – lathering the retainer’s length with the fluid on his fingers. He accepts his lord’s advances still, when Ayato captures his mouth in a sloppy kiss. The sight of your husband lubing up another man’s cock would’ve never crossed your mind, but as Thoma pants against the crook of Ayato’s neck, you find yourself squeezing your thighs to abate the stemming arousal.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Ayato asks. “The real thing is much better than simply taking care of it alone in your bedroom… Oh, but she looks ready to go, as well.”

You feel your skin prickle under the heat of both their stares – familiar lilac and intense emerald. Ayato chuckles before planting one last peck on Thoma’s lips, crawling towards you on the bed with heady anticipation.

“Having her take both of us at the same time is going to be a bit of a pickle,” he admits, resuming the position you were in on his reading chair, with him behind you and Thoma in front. “We’ve already loosened her up, but it might not be enough.”

Thoma nods in understanding, easing himself before you with a shy look. “I don’t want to hurt you either, milady.”

You sigh before pulling him in for a kiss.

It’s ironic, really – how Thoma got up close and personal with your cunt before getting to kiss you properly. The taste of you still lingers on his lips, making you curl your fingers around his messy blond hair to deepen your union. A low groan rumbles in the chief retainer’s chest, and you almost get carried away if it weren’t for the feeling of something hard prodding your entrance. 

“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” Ayato sighs – angling his hips before bottoming out with one languid push. “We’re just getting started, after all.”

This blindsides you for a moment, making you moan against Thoma’s mouth as Ayato does a few experimental thrusts. Despite the odd angle, you can feel the head of his cock brushing the sensitive sponge of flesh inside you. You couldn’t help but fear the loss of your sanity once Thoma manages to ease his cock alongside Ayato’s. One is enough to make you lose your mind, what more two?

Your brief contemplation is derailed by the sensation of Thoma easing a single finger into your stuffed cunt – one he lathered with Ayato’s lubricant as he thrusts in time with your husband. The intrusion is a little uncomfortable, but the longer Thoma loosens you up, the easier it is to get used to it. It doesn’t take long before he’s able to slide three fingers inside you, along with Ayato’s impressive girth. By the time the blond deems you sufficiently prepared, you’re already babbling his name like a string of prayers.

“Thoma… Please, please,” you whimper, embracing him as if your life depended on getting split open on his and Ayato’s cocks. “I can’t wait anymore.”

“I hope your stamina in bed is just as good as your stamina on the job,” Ayato quips breathlessly behind you, slowing his own movements to accommodate Thoma. “As you can see, she’s quite the nymphomaniac.”

Normally, you would’ve shot him a dirty look for saying such a thing, but then again, Ayato only told him the truth. Maybe it was from all the stress that’s been accumulating over the past month. Maybe you’ve secretly wanted Thoma all this time, too. But whatever the reason might be, all you know is that you need to be filled by both of them. Now. 

Your desperation for release takes form in the crystalline tears that roll down your cheeks. Thoma sighs, leaning down to kiss them away as he lines his lubed-up cock with your entrance. 

“You’re too beautiful to cry, milady,” he whispers almost reverently, and your heart soars. “Forgive me for bringing you to tears.”

Finally, finally, he breaches your pussy with slow yet firm movements. You have to bite Thoma’s shoulder to keep yourself from crying out and awaking the entire estate. Each inch of his length stretches you out far more than what you’re used to, but despite the unfamiliar burn of their intrusion, you force yourself to take these two men like you were made to be their cocksleeve and none else.

“You’re doing so well for us.” Ayato’s voice is a husky drawl in your ear, taking the lobe between his teeth. “Thoma’s right – you’re too beautiful to cry. But that’s what taking two cocks at the same time does to you, isn’t it?”

Thoma heaves a long breath when he finally bottoms out inside – making you feel how their members throb inside you. You’re convinced that you passed out for a few seconds, but Thoma brings your consciousness back to life with a kiss.

“Don’t fall asleep on us now,” he whispers, and for the first time, you spot a ravenous glint in his usually bright eyes.

You wonder if they talked about this without your knowledge beforehand. Because when Ayato and Thoma start pounding into you, they’re in such perfect sync, that it’s hard to think they hadn’t colluded. 

You can barely make a sound as the sensations overload your senses – pleasure rolling off your nerves in infinite waves as their cockheads kiss your cervix in tandem with the other. You’re so embarrassingly wet, whether it’s because of the lubricant or your own degenerate arousal, you don’t even know anymore. 

When Thoma mends your mouths together in another kiss, he plants a quiet apology across your lips. You don’t know what it’s for, but it tastes sweet on your tongue – a needed distraction from the stretch of being loved by two men at the same time.

You vaguely feel Ayato tug at your hair before he mirrors the same gesture, tongue invading the cavern of your mouth the same way his cock makes a mess of your cunt. Thoma doesn’t spare you the reverie either, and you moan in delight as he takes a pert nipple between his lips. 

“What an insatiable woman you are,” your husband huffs, grabbing fistfuls of your ass as he amps up the pace. “You’re clamping down on us so tight. It’s almost like you don’t want us to leave.”

Above you, Thoma lets out a breathless laugh. “Do you like it when we fuck you both at the same time, milady?”

The sound of the polite chief retainer talking so filthily sends a thrill through your core. You don’t answer aloud – not trusting your voice to carry a sufficient message. But you also fear that you won’t be satisfied with just having one or the other. 

It has to be both.

Inside you, their cocks rub against the other relentlessly, bringing you closer and closer to a pinnacle you never once thought of reaching. Ayato continues to murmur those sweet and filthy nothings into your ear as Thoma ferociously leaves his mark on your chest – a reminder of this fateful night. 

Your orgasm crests earlier than theirs – walls tightening even more against their thick members. Thoma latches his lips onto your neck as he slows his pace, and Ayato rubs your oversensitive clit to help you get off. 

You can vaguely feel Thoma’s cock twitch inside you, and he swears colorfully under his breath. But instead of letting himself go, he seemingly stares at Ayato for permission.

“She loves it when you finish inside her,” your husband chuckles – his own pace growing erratic with need. “Go on. Fill her up. Have her dripping with you for days.”

That’s all the push he needs until you feel a rush of warmth envelop the velvet heat of your pussy – filling you into overflowing as Thoma lets out a shuddering moan. Ayato isn’t far behind as you feel spurts of his cum coat your insides, mixing with Thoma’s spend in the most debauched way possible. 

You lay in between these two men for a while longer, reining your thoughts into a single place. The heat of their bodies, no matter how sweaty, makes you feel safe; secure. There’s nothing more that you want apart from laying here with them forever. 

But Thoma, ever-so quick to recover, pulls himself out – making you bleat like a lamb from the loss of his heat. 

“No…” you nearly sob, watching as their mixed essence trickles out of your gaping pussy. 

The chief retainer’s face is as red as his vision. You know that look. That’s the look Thoma always gives you when he’s ready to skitter away and avoid you.

Fortunately, Ayato notices the same thing.

“Why don’t you sleep here tonight, Thoma?” your husband offers with a sordid smile. “Who knows what rumors would circulate around the estate if someone catches you leaving our room in the dead of night.”

“I-I’m sorry?” Thoma asks, blinking in disbelief. 

He laughs, easing his own member slowly outside as he cradles you gently in his arms. You can’t even protest this time, now that the fatigue is starting to catch up to you. “You heard me. Besides, I might need some help taking care of this one. She’s a bit over the moon every time we have sex.”

“My mind is still intact, my lord,” you huff, but in spite of the teasing lilt of his words, you curl around Ayato’s embrace nonetheless. Still, you manage to look Thoma in the eye even after the lustful haze has dissipated.

“You’ll stay with us, won’t you?” 

The aftercare that Ayato provides you with is nothing short of endearing, but having two men fuss over you in the middle of the night is downright spoiling you. Once Thoma has helped clean you up, your husband makes enough room for three on your shared futon. No words are exchanged during the interim, but you feel the weight of their affection with each lingering touch, no less.

When you’re back in your rightful place between these two men, you wonder if this is going to be a one-time thing. Archons know you can’t just go back to the way things were – not when Thoma has littered your body with the marks of his teeth. 

Not when you and Ayato realize there’s room in your marriage for one more person.

“Thoma, how about I entrust you with an important task?”

Your husband utters the words when you’re on the brink of sleep. You barely catch them, but you cling to your remaining wisps of consciousness as you listen to what else they have to say. 

“What is it?” Thoma murmurs softly.

Ayato laughs, low and steady. “We both know my job as the Yashiro Commissioner often keeps me away when all I really want is to be at home with my wife and family. 

“In my absence, I trust you to keep her…satisfied. Am I making myself clear?”

You feel Thoma shift beside you, a large hand resting on the curve of your hip as if giving Ayato a wordless answer. When his hot breath ghosts the crook of your neck, you shudder in anticipation.

“Yes, my lord.”

★ MASTERLIST . AO3 ★

© cryoculus | kaientai ✧ all rights reserved. do not repost or translate my work on other platforms.

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin smut #thoma smut #kamisato ayato smut #genshin fanfiction #genshin scenarios #thoma scenarios #kamisato ayato scenarios #genshin headcanons #cryoculus

[ctrl-alt-vibeshift]

in defense of the brat album art

my feed stopped when charli xcx dropped the album art for her upcoming sixth studio album "brat" a few weeks ago. like many angels, i was confused at first, as the image staggered out of the code on her merch site unannounced through a vinyl preorder link that originally had no image to go with it (and yes i ordered one before seeing any visuals...). even after she tweeted it, and the creative team posted about their contributions to it, questions were left unanswered. was it real? was it just a placeholder? was it an alternative cover for the brat_360 exclusive vinyl? this is not the album cover right? one angel dared ask our god in her twitter replies.

even before i got official confirmation that this was indeed the official cover, which i think came from charli's interview with vogue after the release of lead single von dutch, i was obsessed. the green: neon, but not tacky like the overdone highlighter trend already claimed by k-pop boy group nct, rather a muted, dull lime, catching your eye but not blinding you. the font: a simple sans serif, slightly condensed and elongated, nothing over-the-top or borderline illegible like the custom fonts artists usually commission. and the blur, the pixelization, the resolution, the quality (or lack thereof)—this is what really does it for me.

they're barely there, the rough, blurred edges of each letter, but once you see them you can't unsee them. the design evokes the feeling of waiting for an image to load in full quality on instagram, a youtube video playing in less than 1080p while buffering, a hi-res photo downloading from the cloud, a show or movie lagging its way into clarity on streaming services. or as oomf (@_alienmelissa) using a fan edit of von dutch lyrics put it:

(trans: lyric videos around 2008 all had fonts and backgrounds like this..........)

while thinking about the many implications of the low quality text on the cover, i read the essay "in defense of the poor image" written by hito steyerl in e-flux journal back in 2009, which perfectly put into words what i had been ruminating on:

[The poor image] mocks the promises of digital technology. Not only is it often degraded to the point of being just a hurried blur, one even doubts whether it could be called an image at all. Only digital technology could produce such a dilapidated image in the first place.

"one even doubts whether it could be called an image album cover at all," as many have due to the "poorness" of the brat art. better yet, steyerl goes on to proclaim "resolution was fetishized as if its lack amounted to castration of the author," also predicting the mass ridicule of charli for choosing and releasing such a "hurried blur" of an album art design.

regardless of what you compare it to, the low-res, early internet digital aesthetic it speaks to is something i haven't seen spoken much about. many twitter gays are up in arms about the lack of an image of charli on it, breaking her faceful cover streak (although she does hide it a bit on pop 2), and not giving them a new image to set their profile pictures to. charli has acknowledged this in the vogue interview: “I mean, as a female pop artist, what’s more bratty than not being on your album cover? Especially when there is so much pressure for women within the pop sphere to do exactly that," as well as in a tweet posted right before i started writing this:

which grimes replied to while i was writing this:

grimes scratches at what i'm getting at, but is more focused on the shock value that comes with its loud simplicity. this sentiment of breaking the feed, cutting through the visual muck and endless faces with a bold monotone color and by refusing to show face, is something i also admire. yet i think why i feel so passionately about the aesthetic value of this cover is that it offers me a respite from the overflow of high-res images mediated through the internet and onto my phone screen.

i'm so sick of the flood of iphone/digital photography, its quality increasing with each new device release. these images try too hard to replicate what they're representing, and create a false reality that many (myself included) get trapped in. we've sunken into the uncanny valley, and it's about time we claw ourselves out. i don't want to experience the physical through the digital anymore. i'd rather see all your pores when you're inches from my face than through the insane number of pixels resting in my palm. i want the images on the internet to be so obviously contained within it that there's no mistaking them for something material. i think this is why i'm such a fan of camcorder style photography and videos: like the chunky pixels surrounding "brat," they whisper i'm not real, i'm flawed technology, i will never replace the resolution of your retinas.

lucky for me, brat isn't the first artwork to do so, as there seems to be a shift back towards the materiality of the offline and the rougher edges of early internet interfaces within the broader art and design world as well. kat kitay describes this as "technoromanticism" in her essay "what's after post-internet art?" for spike magazine:

Exposed circuitry departs from the post-internet gloss typified by DIS Magazine, which shined up or hid away the ugly parts of technology. Hardware is made visible, laying bare the flow of power and information, at the same time transfiguring electronics into sacred objects. 

replace DIS magazine with PC music (its audio equivalent imo) and you'll get an analogy more relevant to charli's own aesthetic journey here. the super slick black lamborghini on the cover of the vroom vroom ep has driven off, her impossibly iridescent skin on the cover of pop 2 has shed its shine, and the skyscraper she's perched on for the cover of xcx world (RIP) has long been toppled, leaving nicki minaj's gag city in its ashes. the brat cover is the antithesis to these eras.

while ecco2k croons all i wanna see is 1080p / but reality keep me on 240 on "hold me down like gravity," maybe it's time to embody the "240" of reality again. with charli teasing this record as her clubbiest to date, tapping back into her party girl roots attending uk raves in her tweens, brat offers us a chance, both visually and sonically, to embrace the blur, the sweat, the adrenaline, the tears, and of course, the poppers fumes, of a low-res life.

#charli xcx #brat #von dutch #dis magazine #pc music #drain gang #ecco2k #grimes

[feralmoonlight]

Doordash AU Lore

Condensed Soup Version for your reading pleasure~ This was flailed over discord last night in a stream of consciousness into the delirium of sleep and goes from legible and readable to 'what are you typing??' levels of writing. Spellcheck was... not used a lot. Enjoy!

Sun survived the Fazbear Fire ending but was junked and picked up by random dude that tinkered enough to get him fixed to the point he could finish fixing himself. Sun and a very feral moon were... 'grateful' for being saved, but dude just wanted to use them as a side hustle for income basically and guilt trips them into working to 'pay him back for saving them and the electricity it takes to keep them charged'

Hence, doordash. Getting sun to be able to drive was easy enough, and dude just linked his own bank with the account so any pay out goes straight to him. The boys basically get pennies for their work because they don't really have a full sense of money or the outside world, but Sun 'likes' getting to explore while delivering and while they'd love to work with kids, well... Dude won't let them go until they pay him back. So they technically are under the assumption he owns them like fazbear did. A little pushback but 'if it weren't for him, they'd still be in the scrap yard'. And it's way better than being locked away in solitude again.

SO, one day they do a deliver for Reader, quiet anxious shut-in artist hermit type that thrives online but is basically terrified of the world beyond their home. Very relatable cough

BUT YN is like. Holy fuck that's a robot???

And Sun is like HELLO! Here's your food! Wanna chat? What do you do? How was your day?

To which anxiety YN blurts out they're an artist and Arts and Crafts King SUN is like YOU LIKE ART? I LIKE ART? and corners them for about 15-20 minutes talking their ear off while they're basically frozen because too awkward to tell him to leave, and he's not being WEIRD just REALLY TALKATIvE but it seems to be making him happy??

And then he gets another delivery and has to go anyway.

WhICH... OK cool that was weird but something to remember and forget about later.

Until a few weeks later when they order from a similar area restaurant and get Sunny as their delivery dude again, recognizing it immediately as him and actually having a more 2 way convo this time?

And it starts off slow, little short convos between drop offs and Sun wants to stay and talk more but it gets waved off at first. BUT YN keeps trying to work the system and get him back as a delivery dude for short chats.

Friendship builds and they start working out how to get the delivery as the last of his shift time so he can talk longer and longer, but he always leaves before the sun goes down too far, because Moon worries

Which eventually something happens and Sun knows he's not gonna be able to make it back home before dark, so he VERY anxiously asks if he can stay the night and makes up a thing about not functioning well in the dark. Sunshine and all that. 

SO he gets to stay and they have a longer chill evening and he watches YN work on some commissions, and then they watch a non-fazbear movie and just chill. Which he's ABSOLUTELY BLOW AWAY by a non-fazbear movie

and YN wants to introduce him to different shows and stuff, so these little sleepovers (lights on) turn into a more regular almost weekly thing.

But eventually the fun time gets caught and Dude gives Sun a call about where the fuck is he with the car? Where has he been? And sun apologizes and has to leave, but it raises questions about who that was.

WHich takes us to catalyst point 1, of 'man, that guys a dick. you don't take that much energy to charge -motions to electric bill that only budged a couple dozen dollars' and learning he takes all sun's earnings.

Now, you might be wondering... WHere's MOON in all this? How does MOON feel?

Well, Moon doesn't trust anyone at this point. Between fazbear, the vanny incidents, and this fucker, he is VERY skeptical there's not some ulterior motive, and he wants to test it. But Sun is getting very attached to YN

And he's already made moon lowkey promise to behave in case the lights go out from the first night, cause they haven't done anything bad yet. But he's still IFFY.

BUT LOW AND BEHOLD, the fabled power outage arrives, and YN doesn't know MOON is a thing.

It's a short one, and Moon POORLY tries to pretend to be Sun in the dark, but he's very... itching to fuck with YN. WANTS to harass them so bad, but... he said he'd behave.

But the lights come on, and Sun is a little panicked, but YN brushes it off like he was scared of the dark? Though he didn't sound scared a moment ago? Maybe it was something else that spooked him?

BUT things continue and the more YN hears about dude, the more they want to beat his ass(they wont, they're not bold like that) and get Sun away from him... which... he might have a gps on the phone and car that they use, but not on Sun. All he'd have to do is like... not go back? and he'd be free

which alarm bells MOON with the though YN just wants to use them the same way dude did to get more money cause at this point it's obvious to them both that the only things YN really spends their extra money on is food delivery and thats about it. they don't buy 'stuff' but they enjoy eating good food from different places, and they've been ordering a lot more lately as an excuse to see Sun.

SO moon convinces Sun to let him 'test them' and their resolve

Let him out, let him have some fun. And hoo boy. He definitely makes himself a threat, but he did still promise not to HURT hurt them.

BUT he has to test limits. Push buttons. He doesn’t really want to hurt YN cause they have genuinely been nice and he wants to think they’re being sincere in their attempt to help them, but there’s always that grain of salt. They thought the other human was trying to help them but they were just getting used for free income. What’s to say this 'starving artist’ won’t do the same? So he does the chase song and dance, the threats, minor injuries to see if it’d be enough to scare YN into showing true colors…  And they ARE scared, but they also know Sun at this point. Even if Moon is gonna be shitty, and they say as much, Sun is their friend, and they aren’t gonna let him go back. Even if it means putting up with Moon.

WHICH HURTS, but in a way that warms his heart sorta. Like.. OK OW? But also deserved. He’s not done poking the bear, though, but again, bit by bit he goes from full gremlin mode to spikey roommate to soft nap lord. With gremlin habits still. He wouldn’t be moon if he wasn’t a pest sometimes.

BUT like, OK. SO MOON DOES HIS MOON THING

and he's surprised YN has so much... pushback to not let him get to them, but also seems to have this genuine urge to help Sun just to help him?

Which means now Moon has to repair the relationship, but Sun is also excited that Moon is going to TRY to be nice now, not just because he asked him to, but because... If they ARE gonna be trying to live with them, as friends, that first impression needs to get undone

Which he points out also it's NOT their first meeting, but... YN doesn't pick that up at first

SO we have the 'become friends with Moon' arc starting as well as the actually stealing Sun... which is easy enough. They drive back to dudes house with YN and just... leave the phone in the car, and take the bus back home.

which leaves YN in a lowkey panic because agoraphobia

BUT they'd do it for their friend. The injustice of what happened is stronger than their own fears, and getting back home results in a nice little cuddle session because yes. Which also would end up in them falling asleep and sun shifting over to Moon and moon basically having a 'I WILL NOT ADORE THEM oh fuck' moment too

WHICH brings us to the midway point... Sort of.

Because now YN is taking care of them, or rather, giving them somewhere to live, rent free, and eating the cost of their electricity upkeep which is... not horrible but more than expected... so they're now having to go grocery shopping regularly (ew) and essentially cutting their food budget in more than half to make that difference, cause taking on new commissions is already stretching their work load.

There's a small talk of why YN doesn't have a different job, and there's some talk of... not trauma, but just... really bad experiences? They wouldn't call it trauma, but they DO NOT want to have to get a 'normal job' again. Which is hard for them to understand from an AI perspective, having job stuff programmed into them with the daycare and security things

BUT then YN talks about how if doordash felt 'right'... and it did not. it was 'ok' but it wasn't what they were made for

But they're also realizing that they ARE sort of... taking up a decent amount of what was YN's 'spare money'. which was NOT safety net worthy but it was enough for them to be comfy

SO they start feeling guilty. Doing little tasks around the house, but it's not enough, TO THEM, to make up for the new burden they're putting on this FRIEND that CARES about them.

SO... They want to get a job.

But how

Their options are VERY limited, and probably gonna have to be under the table

They don't need to make a LOT, but YN basically tells them they will NOT do doordash shit again.

There's the possibility of doing private babysitting? But getting parents to agree is... weird...

They do the random attempt of going to a few parks and letting sun do his thing with the kids, but there's a mixed response of 'what the fuck, a robot?' and 'ok who's the freak that brought a bot to a playground? is this some kind of sick joke?'

But there are a few parents that don't immediately freak out.

YN talks to some of them and explains that he used to work with kids until their daycare burned down and he was thrown out, a bit of a twist on the official happenings but believable enough.

And one parent takes the bait,  agreeing it'd be nice to have someone watch the kids after school for a bit before they got off work some days, so they'd try it out. For a very cheap fee, but still.

It's a step in the right direction, and their kids area already on board with having Sun as a temporary caretaker. YN is gonna be with them, but they can take their art shit wherever so Sun handles this kids and YN just babysits the babysitter XD

They let sun and moon keep all the money they make and only take what's offered from them, and insist they should hold on to some of it for anything they  might need for future repairs. There's a lowkey friend argument but agreements are made

They gather a few families that are on board with their services, and eventually things even out. But one parent mentions the daycare their tiny child goes to is actually pretty short staffed. They can't afford to hire on anyone else at a normal pay rate, but if they treat it like 'renting a piece of machinery' a phrase YN is pissy about, then they could probably pay a similar rate to the babysitting gigs but as a 5 days a week guaranteed time thing?

Which there's a back and forth on how that might be risky, but the fucking starry eyed glee from Sun, and moon actually, about getting to work with a daycare again is something they can't fight against. And so the approach is made.

And accepted

As a trial run, at first, but things go well and they become a welcome part of this little daycare, and can handle the tasks of two or three employees easily. It's far less chaotic that the sugarhigh crazed children of Fazbears, and it's the happiest they've been in a long time

wait.

what's that?

everyone is

happy?

>w>

Heheh

GUESS WHAT MOTHERFUCKERS

fazbear still owns them

Well

Sort of

Fazbear still owns 'Sun and Moon' as trademarked entities.

Dude still owns them legally as salvaged scrap.

And Moms just LOVE posting weird shit on facebook.

Knock KNock we're here for your robot

Time to RUN from THE MANZ

Thankfully still no tracker, and THANKFULLY Fazbear isn't actually as invested as the news would lead people to believe? But that dude? oh that dude is PISSED as FUCK

He ends up being the more unhinged danger time for YN, because it was DEFINITELY YNs FAULT 'their robot went rogue'

Fazbear's is lowkey keeping tabs, but after that plex burned down they'd already gotten the insurance from the BS that happened, and technically getting such a... mmm 'tampered with' AI would be a pain in the ass to recode

They're lowkey interested in him as spare parts, but the news media covering this from the dudes side, and then eventually uncovering the harrowing rescue and plight of the 'mistreated robot that just wants to take care of kids' has the story quickly turning on it's head.

Fazbear's watching all this too, and they're... intrigued that Sun and Moon still have such a strong drive to care after the incident... they're swapping to wanting to study this...

They weren't the only bot that 'survived', but they're the only one that made it to the 'outside'

BUT BUT BUT

they study

they watch this drama unfolding with the curiosity of a cat watching a mouse in a maze

they COULD pounce, but... they could also learn from this. they see money in them hills

ANd the media is EATING this shit up

but it does come down to it that Dude finds YN and Sun/Moon (time undetermined at the moment) and they're... separated enough that he CAN rough up YN a bit. Not enough, but enough that it sends YN off running and Dude books it cause he doesn't want the police involved after making a BIG no no of assault

he knows he fucked up, but YN is now hella shaken and Sun/Moon shows up shortly after. MOON is very livid and wants to go hunt this dude down like a dog. Sun ALSO is on board but... that would not do any of them any good, so it's comfort the reader time.

Little bit of wound tending, mostly bruises and a fucked up wrist.

yep.

That one. They aren't drawing for a while because fuck you thats why

But again, the place YN went to for safety is on the phone with police and the media hears about this dude attacking them, and HOO BOY... BUT yn doesn't press charges because...

MOSTLY they dont wanna deal with court shit?

BUT his own actions are enough to kind of scare him off from intervening again

he knows he fucked up, and the info is ON the NEWS now, and he's waiting for the arrest warrant to get served but it never does.

This is now a bigger issue and not worth the hassle

he's got a nice fucking chunk of change though from them doing door dash for like 10 hours a day for.... months?

just sitting in his bank

which mF is gonna have to pay taxes on lmao

bitch doesn't know it yet cause he didn't think that far ahead. he's an asshole. a clever one, but not a smart one.

SO it's into the wind down of wondering when Fazbear is gonna try to come swoop in and steal Sun/Moon back from YN. or rather, back from their freedom. And it's NOT long after that they do get a knock on the door from a fazbear rep...

This is about where the end gets hazy though. Cause I don't wanna do the whole convo, but it boils down to, they're very intrigued that 'the ai,  Sun, and Moon, have adjusted so well to life outside of the plex.'  And they want to use that. The knowledge that they can expand outside of just 'entertainment'.

This isn't the 'birth of the ai revolution' of sorts where robots are everywhere... they already are somewhat, but very... simple versions. More advanced things like the animatronics are few and far between, and highly monitored in their selected environments (the pizzaplex). But letting the more sentient ones adapt to working at things like stand alone daycares, theme parks, maybe as traveling shows that go on tour, or other possible branch locations with different uses is very interesting to the higher ups

They want to monitor Sun and Moon, how they conduct themselves, and how people respond to them 'out in the wild', so to speak.

"This new idea is... groundbreaking. And we just want to observe... For now."

The long side eye is LONG, but... LEGALLY they could snatch the boys up without a second thought.

So they take the offer.

Fazbear is gonna offer no help, aside from possibly medical costs because they want to build a 'friendly face for the enterprize' as well as feel slightly responsible for YN getting hurt by not stepping in sooner and making their presence known to The Dude TM that he was out of his realm from the start.

There's some wariness from all parties, but...

It seems things will work out

uwu

The end.... ?

Possibly the end

it has room for expanding into the actual watching portion but that's what I have so far and is a POSSIBLE stopping point

#Doordash AU #Doordash AU lore #feral rambles

[faceless-mirror]

CHAPTER 2

Ship: Hozier and Farren(ONBC)

Andrew and Farren have been traveling through the centuries. Andrew remembers each time, when each of their times together ended in horrible tragedy. Farren never remembers, but their hearts call to each other in every life time, even if it brings pain. Andrew is breaking now, just needing one happy ending where they don't die crushed to death- sacrificed to old gods- hunted for their love- or torn apart in battle.

All he wants is to have Farren and live in peace. Hopefully, the Gods will grant mercy at last for his past transgressions that led to this cycle.

Taglist: @rowanballard @likehipsters @darkcloverme @holy-shitposting @cwooley1999-blog

(If you'd like to be added or removed please let me know)

Farren woke the next morning to golden rays burning across their face, causing them to hiss softly in pain, rolling over trying to throw the bed cover over their face grumbling softly and angrily at the sun for daring to wake them, even if it was their own fault for not closing the curtains.

It was a moment of quiet contemplation, eyes held shut, breathing in and out easily. Finally when their brain decided that it did, in fact, want to be alive and awake, they slipped out of bed steadily, bare feet hitting the floor. After going through their morning routine, they sat down at their desk, ready to get started on their projects for the day. Though upon opening the laptop, it was an email that caught their attention. 

An interview for the bartender and artist position. Responding quickly they decided that if they could interview today they would. Starting by the next week would be divine. It didn’t take too long to get started on their commissions, though they were anxiously awaiting to hear from the venue.

Almost two hours later, they got a phone call, offering an on the spot interview. 

***

A few hours later, Farren was there in front of the building, dressed in a white button down shirt and bell bottom stretch pants, wearing platform shoes. Looking around they were a bit shocked, it was a nice large venue, with some historic undertones. All they could think of was hoping to be a candidate for the job.

Stepping in, they couldn’t help but appreciate the red brick walls and the hardwood bar that greeted the doors. There was a man sitting and waiting, for them it seemed. The way he jumped to his feet, moving close hand extended, blond locks tied back neatly. “Avira Swan- It’s lovely to meet you- Farren was it?” he questioned warmly, gently pressing a hand to their back guiding them to an office with a smile. 

“We just came under new management- and we’re determined to put in a beautiful mural-” he explained. It seemed this man had visions for the venue and was insisting upon it. Already pulling out a contract. “Feel free to sign, Mx. Doven.”

“What about the interview-?” Farren started to question, reading through the contract curiously. It was fairly standard. Some things were… odd. Riches and prosperity for as long as they obeyed, if contract is broken, owned by one (1) Avira Swan for ten years. That was the line that stood out.

“Don’t worry about the interview. Your art skills are exactly what I want for the mural- Absolutely beautiful.” he said reassuringly, devilishly green eyes watching them like a hawk, except focused on the pages in their hands. 

They hummed softly, they’d be stupid to turn this down. It paid so well… but the one line worried them. “What does this mean… can you clarify…?” Farren questioned, “I would love to accept so long as i can understand this or have it removed-” they said licking their lips nervously. Something felt wrong with this- but the money they couldn’t refuse.

Avira frowned in concern and looked over, and sighed, “Oh- I can have that removed. My lawyer must have taken a joke too far- I apologize.” He took the contract away and the feeling subsided, “Thank you that could have been a lot of paperwork later on.” he chuckled.

The beautiful man smiled fondly, “Let me get that taken care of.” he said softly, standing and moving to a filing cabinet throwing out the old contract and bringing over a fresh one and offered it to Farren. They looked through it firmly, humming softly as they did. A melody that haunted their head. “That’s an old song, dear,” Avira commented thoughtfully, elbow on the table his fingertips supporting his chin as he watched them. “Take care of what it may summon, my dear.”

“You know it?” they questioned, attention diverted.

He smiled softly, “It’s an old song… very old. Legend says it was written by a fae who fell in love with a mortal despite the warnings that he shouldn’t, that he would be cursed as they would be. Whenever the song is hummed or sung… played… he shows up searching for his love. Destruction follows him…”

Something… something itched in the back of their mind at the story. It couldn’t… it wouldn’t be real. They hummed running their fingers through their black and blue hair. “It sounds like a tragic love story… but just a story.” Their lips quirked, eyes returning to the contract reading through it. Nothing was jumping out this time at least. 

“If it is just a story its a story that’s unfinished, dear.”

They didn’t know what to say to that, so they asked a different question. “What is the mural to be of?” they asked.

“I’d like it to be a mural that depicts the fae… and music of course. Just whatever feels right to you. I’ll show you the spot for the mural.” he added as those almost glowing green eyes focused on her hands signing the contract. 

“Of course. Can I get a copy of the contract please? For my own records.” she clarified.

“Of course.” Avira said warmly, pulling out a contract from the same folder passing it to her, letting her glance through it before standing. “Now… let’s get you that tour to the place for the mural.” he purred, a sound that seemed to soak into her mind.

- - - - -

Andrew had been getting ready to perform feeling a tremor along the red cord coming from his chest making his throat tighten. They remembered the song. It had vibrated many times over the years. It always happened at odd intervals but… that was a sign. His long fingers touched the cord lightly. “Beloved… I’ll find you. I’ll find you no matter where you are.” he breathed out, muddy green eyes focused on the translucent cord. “My beloved.”

#hozier fanfiction #hozier x onbc

[jabesa0]

Hii I amabsoloutly inlove eith your artstyle.

can I ask a few questions? :<

how lomg does your deawings usually take? and do you have any speedpaints,,, uploaded somewbere... for studying purposes

your drawings makr me want to to back to lineless art lol. and not take it so hard on myself.....

Hi there!! Unfortunately I don’t have any speedpaints seeing as I stop drawing while I’m working on my stuff cuz I get distracted easily 😭😭 so if I did you’d just have big periods where nothings happening LOL usually I post process shots on my personal irl server after each drawing session just so I can see how far along I am but that’s about it!

Also I fully support lineless!! I don’t do any lineart (clearly LOL) and it’s more fun to just paint over your sketch and make as you go!! And yeah don’t be so hard on yourself anon! Art is hard and shit takes time, so whether you take a few days on a piece or months I think you should be proud that you actually made something, even if it’s just for yourself :)!!

As for the question of how long I take on my drawings:

(More under the cut!)

As for how long it takes me to make drawings, I’d say it varies like this purple mammon I recently posted took a month but that’s because I had lots of final school work to do and I got sick twice during that time 💀💀 but this three pose page I did as a commission:

This one took me 9 days which is crazy when I think abt it actually cause there’s way more happening but yeah!!

This mammon in the back dress as well took about five days!! So to give you an estimate I’d say anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks? Most mammons I do usually end up being on the lower half of that range! Outside circumstances may make it vary but that’s usually the time it takes!!

Oh and I’d like to add that I usually am a night owl and only start working till around the evening times when I draw!! So when I say days I don’t mean like I spend d all day over my tablet, I don’t think that’d be very good for your health anyways 🤕🤕 take breaks yall play a game you like or watch something on YouTube!!! Don’t spend all your time working lest you burn out!!

I’m gonna be real with all of you, cause my friends make fun of me for it ALL THE TIME LOL but the largest majority of mammon drawing time is like 80% redrawing the face over and over and 20% the rest give or take. I drive myself crazy drawing mammon faces cause I need it to be perfect cause it’s mammon so when it’s not “perfect” I keep working at it and I don’t move on until it is 💀💀 my friends notice a cycle where it’s like:

“You guys I have such a fire idea for a mammon drawing” (makes sketch and flats in like 10 mins) —> (starts face) “wait you guys this face is kinda good maybe I won’t spend fifty years on it :D” —> “eehhhhhhgh okay face not looking good lemme see if I can tweak it” —> “okay face need to be redone.” —> “I decided against redoing it I’m just gonna fix what I have” —> “we gotta throw the whole idea out and start again.” —> “wait you guys I think I did it the face looks good asf was I crying for nothing before??” (They tell me yes I always do) —> (I move on from the face) —> (the rest is completed within 2-4 days) —> Done!

It’s stupid as hell I know LOL but when it comes to mammon if i don’t make him as best as I can I don’t feel like I do him justice. The things we do for love, right?

#asks #mammon obey me #yeah I’m usually pretty quick #but when it comes to mammon I must stay locked in my chambers #until he’s ready #and if he’s not #I spend fifty years and fifty nights tinkering

[wcamino-confessions]

Shiningsnow/Shyriioo on WA, Discord and Instagram is still a scammer

Literally they're still scamming to this day. I didn't recognize who they were until I realized their style was vaguely familiar, only for me to find out that they were shockingly unbanned in WA for some freaking reason. Even being one of the mods in a Warriors RP server called "Under the Stars", which is actually terrible because the owner and mod team are so disrespectful, rude, and genuinely close-minded. Even going as far as to disregarding other people's cultures and being ablest themselves. But I digress.

To this day, Shiningsnow/Shyriioo is still a scammer who still to this day purposely takes your money and doesn't send in any WIPs or any kind of updates to you. They don't even say ANYTHING to you about it being delayed due to irl things or whatever, but instead YOU yourself have to actually ask them for any update only for them to respond back to you in 3-7 days only for them to say "Sorry not yet :(" and wait for a few weeks to ask again (with no WIPs of art sent or any apologizes that they're busy with irl things), only for them to just send in excuses that they will "Send it in tomorrow because its on my laptop and I'm on mobile and in bed rn!" or whatever in relation to that response. Like holy shit, if I had known that Shyriio was Shiningsnow from WA, I would have never, EVER commissioned them in the first place. It took them over 3 months just for them to FINALLY send me the damn adopt bases I've purchased from them. And mind you I have repeatedly asked them throughout the months if they could send it to me, only for the same excuse to be sent as "I'll send it in tomorrow because its on my laptop and I'm on mobile and in bed rn!"

I'm a pretty understanding person. All of the artist's I've commissioned always gave me updates, WIPs being sent, and of course updates & apologizes for the delays and even gave me the option of a refund. Now keep in mind, I've commissioned them all for illustrated scenes, so of course I didn't expect it to be done extremely quick. Heck even if it took 6-9 months, as long as they kept updates with me, I am completely fine with waiting for that long.

But the way Shy does... First off, I bought three adopt base designs that already and comm'd flat full bodies of them as well. Nothing special, just something quick. Like maybe a week or two to finish. But it took them three months of constant reminders AND me finally at the point where I asked for a refund, that one Shy finally sent me the adopt base designs I bought from them, and TWO, claiming that in their "TOS" that it hasn't been over four months that I can ask for a refund and that they've apparently already started a WIP. And keep in mind, I've been watching how active they were the "Under the Stars" Warrior Cats rp server on discord as well as notice they've been advertising for adopts to be purchased, with a mixture of asking to commission others as well? Heck they even saw me be active multiple times in the server, but I guess that they just can't help but feel the need to wait so freaking long only to the point where they are at risk of losing money, despite them saying they have an IRL, decent paying job and shit. 

[theoriginalladya]

WIP Whenever

So, I finished up Hell Week for work today - yay! - and was wasting a few minutes looking through my WIPs and came across this piece of art that I absolutely ADORE of Kaidan and his twin sister, Kandra. Which got me to start looking through the bits of Vanguard of Your Destruction which I started for Nano...three years ago, I think? Decided to share this little bit I came across early on in the story.

(commissioned artwork of Kaidan and Kandra Alenkoby @xla-hainex)

I can’t stay.  Bits of plaster rain down from the ceiling as the building shakes for a fourth time, and this time it doesn't just push the button to her brain, it slaps it down hard.  She dashes back to her room, throwing the closet doors open until they bang against the wall. Rooting through the clothes hanging there, she finally grasps hold of the evacuation bag Kaidan had her create months ago.  Clothing.  First-aid kit.  All the necessities a girl needs to get from Vancouver to the BC interior when an invasion hits! she’d quipped at the time.  Another bellowing wail from outside screams through the windows. She clasps her hands to her ears, but not in time.

As she turns to leave, a glint of mahogany catches her eye and she hesitates, staring at the jewelry box. No...I can't... Without thought or permission, she finds herself standing directly in front of it. Anger fills her, a rage she's not felt since...since... Biting her lip until she tastes blood, she lifts a hand and settles it on the top.  It's strange to see her fingers shaking so badly, knowing it has nothing to do with immediate dangers brought by alien space creatures, but everything to do with the peace of mind she's been trying to find since her youth. Breath rattling from her lungs, her fingers brush across the lock, unsealing it. Slowly, cautiously, she lifts the lid, as if afraid it might jump out and bite her. As well it could, too. It doesn't. Carefully wrapped in the small piece of fabric Kaidan had wrapped around it, it sits there in the corner of the box, behind her charm bracelet and the earrings her grandmother had left her when she passed. Sitting there. Still. Quiet. Unassuming. And yet it offers so much. Yet another deep, resonant, mechanical wail fills the air around her, seeping in through sealed windows.  Kandra cringes out of instinct, but at the same time, her fingers close around the fabric-wrapped item.  I know you don’t want to think about it, but Kan, you need to.  I’m not kidding… The fabric falls away, like the peel on an orange, and she stares, torn by twin feelings of hope and horror. I shouldn't have to make this choice! I vowed never, EVER, to pick one up again! The very fact she does is...offensive.  Despicable.  Frustrating as all hell, too, because no matter how badly she wants to deny it, if she's going to live, to survive, she has to accept that he's right.  Quick tears fill her eyes even as the fabric fall to the floor.  It’s an older style Savant, the one he used back before the Normandy was destroyed, but it’s better than the old Gemini they’d been issued at Brain Camp.  Kan, you HAVE to survive..

The tears trickle down her cheeks as old muscle memory kicks in, fingers removing the cover before sliding the device into the port. She imagines she can hear a soft click as it fits, but that's mostly her brain playing tricks. Swiping at her cheeks with her shirt sleeve, she shoulders her bag and spins on her heel, stalking out of the room towards the front of her apartment. Dammit, K, I hate it when you’re right!

#WIP Whenever #ladya writes #Kandra Alenko #Kaidan Alenko #Vanguard of Your Destruction #Biotic Pinball Wizard 'verse #John Michael Shepard #snippet

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for calling out my friend's spending habits?

✈💸 to find later

I (NB 20s) have been struggling to find employment for a long time. I've been struggling a lot with money- I'm technically indebted to my bank due to an overdraft I dipped into during my last weeks of university while paying off surprise fees, and in the entire year since have been unsuccessful in paying it off for any meaningful length of time. The stress has been immense and I've been avoiding like the plague any kind of personal purchase or leisure activity that might cost me anything. It's a mindset that's been making me profoundly miserable and that I'll probably struggle to get out of for a long time.

However, in the past few weeks, I've managed to land what I can only describe as my dream job. It doesn't start for another couple months, and the pay won't be fantastic (it's an internship), but without a doubt it will change my life. Desperate to do something nice and give myself a break, members of my family agreed to lend me money via plane tickets to do a nice trip this summer and see my best friends abroad, my last big hurrah before entering the full-time workforce for the rest of my life (and being able to pay them back). And I've been really excited! I've been saving even harder than usual, scraping up cash and politely asking grandparents. It won't be easy to support myself in another country in my financial situation, I understand that, but I'm at a point where I think I can do it for a short time and not be a burden on the people who are hosting me.

However, the only issue comes with my friend (NB 20s). I've known them for years, we're extremely close, and we've been waiting for a chance to see each other again for most of that time not knowing if it would ever happen due to my financial situation, so this is the opportunity of a lifetime. They really want to host me, for at least 2 weeks, and do all these nice things together we've been planning. But in the past month or so they've all but drained hundreds of dollars from their bank account in art commissions and room decorations for themself, all of which they've been excitedly showing off to me and our other friends, all the while running out of money entirely. They can't pick up work from their (seasonal) job anymore, either, so there's no way for them to earn back the money now, and recently they've started having to push their commissions just to cover their student loan payment this month. In ordinary circumstances I wouldn't mind and would try and help them out, but I won't be in any financial position on the trip to cover their bills as well as my own (at least not regularly), and I feel like this would have been so preventable if they'd just... picked less wildly expensive things to buy as a treat, knowing the circumstances.

They've said they're also stressed and need to buy themselves nice things sometimes, which I totally agree with! I'm not that much of a party pooper, they are in a rough situation themself right now and the stuff they bought does make them genuinely happy. But it also sucks to watch them then have to struggle to pay for bills and necessities because of it, and I feel really selfish for thinking of it in the framework of our time together later as well. I've done my absolute best to be able to spend at least a few weeks having a great time with them not worrying and pinching pennies while taking care of myself, but now I'm worried we're just going to spend the trip with both of us stressed out of our minds and stuck at home struggling to pay for gas. I'm an anxious person, and the few times I've tried to bring up my worries in a more gentle way, they've vehemently reassured me everything will be fine, but now I'm leaving in just over a week and everything seems like it's getting worse instead of improving.

I know I should be just glad to spend time in their company, even if it is just at home, but I can't stop feeling like the way they've been spending money in the leadup to this has been really irresponsible and preventable. But even if so, it made them happy in the moment so i should be happy for them too, and surely it's just straight up none of my business? It's also not like they can take it back now- it's already happened, and they can't earn the money back if they wanted to. I feel like if i called them on it at this point it'd just be a dick move and come across pointless and jealous, but I also can't help but think it's unproductive to let this gnaw at me the entire time, like I should really be communicating this kind of upset and talk it out first in case it comes to a head and boils over and ruins our whole time together.

I'm aware I'll be long into the trip by the time this posts but it'd be nice to look back and see other perspectives.

#aita #am i the asshole

[godbirdart]

any tips/reassurance for when u have lots of owed art (comms, trades, etc)? i get stressed over making people wait too long sometimes with just a few things on my list. u manage to make SO MUCH stuff for patreon and personal work combined each year?? must be magic no other way /pos

let me start with saying:

people are [generally] more than okay waiting for art!

you are one person. you can get sick, have emergencies, and you also need personal time as well! you're not a company, and most clients are very understanding of that. there will always be the one odd client that's impatient, yes. it does happen. but as long as you are transparent, communicate, and [as a bonus] have a public queue - you really have no reason to fret.

i have commissioned artists that took three days to finish art. i have commissioned artists that took three months to finish art. there is no "standard" turnaround time when it comes to commissions. every artist works at different paces, not every artist is self-employed. some have school or jobs that take away time from their art, and that’s fine! it is okay to take a long time to finish your work! just be honest.

let me elaborate [i’m gonna say client a lot but these can also apply to trades]

be transparent: if you know it'll take you a while to finish the art, write that in your commission post and/or order form when you open. make that the very first thing the client knows before any payment is exchanged. i like to write it in my order form and in my first email back when i'm taking on a commission, as it covers my butt and keeps the client in the know.

public queue: set up a trello or make a post/journal somewhere [such as furaffinity or deviantart] where your clients can go and see the progress of their work. if they can go check where they’re at in the queue there, they won’t have to stress you out by having to send you an email every week for updates.

answer in a timely manner: i have an autoresponder set up for my email. it lets clients know that a) i got their message and b) i’ll respond to them within a couple business days [if there are no other delays / holidays]. it takes away the stress of having to drop everything and answer my client right then in there, as much as my adhd brain panics and wants to do that. it also reassures the client that their messages are getting through and that they aren’t getting ghosted if i don’t respond for a day or two.

if there’s going to be a delay, tell your client asap! if you have an emergency that’ll impact your work, tell your client as soon as possible. you do not have to go into personal details, just be honest and say “hey, there’s been an unexpected event that’ll cause a delay in updates. i will try and get an update to you as soon as i’m able. thank you for your patience!” and leave it at that. the majority of your clients will be understanding and grateful for the update.

be professional. a little professionalism goes a long way. you can be more lax with trades as usually you're doing that with friends, but if a client checks in to see the status of their commission maybe write "thanks for checking in! here's what i've got so far" and attach a WIP or "thank you for checking in! i don't have an update for you yet but will try and get one to you soon! thank you for your patience!". some artists merely say "i don't have an update sorry", and sure that does work, but it may come off dismissive to your client and they're not going to feel great about waiting. it's okay to not have an update yet when messaging people back! just be honest about it.

if you’ve bitten off more than you can chew: refund them. it's not bad business if you have to refund a client. if you find you've taken on more work than you can handle, or just cannot fulfill a client's commission - you absolutely have the option to simply refund them. be sincere, apologize for their time, thank them for considering you, and tell them you hope they'll consider commissioning you again in the future.

i hope this reassures you a bit! i 100000% understand the stress from making people wait in the queue for a long time. i’m the exact same way!! but rest assured they’re not going to get mad at you for having to wait. like i’ve already said multiple times; just communicate and be transparent and you’ll be fine!

#and ye nightmare clients sadly DO Happen #but they aren't that common #good clients know you're only human just trying to live

[tagapagsalaysay]

Well I'm sick of being burdened with knowledge. TL;DR. Why is there a minor working for a known studio that brands itself as an adult animation studio? Where is the money going?

So everyone knows that project about the mermaid and the chef. Of course you do. It's been heavily advertised, it's even got dangling keys of being set in the PH. Low bar, but the animation industry in the Philippines is so open to fresh talent and projects and what not. So you look into it. Then you get hit by the fact that it's produced mostly by Americans, but it's PROBABLY Filipino-Americans, that's a thing, they're good pioneers. That's fine. Most of them are Asian-Americans anyway. Flag #1.

I'm known to be a contrarian. I hate on everything almost by default, I have contempt over too much of the local art scene for focusing on anime styles and highly rendered stuff too much. And so I kept myself from hating too much because I may not be giving them a chance. So I stepped back and observed what the project had in store. But over time it felt odd. Why does this studio commission so much promotional art? I can understand 3 pieces, but I couldn't even count how much they had exactly. It was a sheer amount. Some from known Filipino and Filipino-American artists, to other artists. But it was almost too derivative. Almost like they had just as much context as everyone else. You have the formula of the dynamic, which by standard should have been a yellow or red flag, of the usual. The characters in a vague dynamic of predator and prey and it's sapphic. But that's about it. And the constant reminder of it being WLW and Filipino. It was mildly annoying (and I did my best to just leave it be), but the sheer amount of artwork got me questioning whether they actually devoted enough budget for the production of the animation. Didn't even know they already had a Patreon feeding into the project, and that they werent a studio attempting to pitch for some funding. Flag #2.

I spent months of circling whether I was being too much of a hater. I spent time thinking whether they actually do animate, until they posted a short scene breakdown recently a few weeks back. At least some work is going into it. I was going to wait it out until something proved it existed or didn't a la Schrodinger. Run to the latest news of a teaser for the project. Mildly excited, mostly relieved that it was probably going to be more public because I feel like I'd have sleepless nights if I thought too hard about it. Still not fully out. Sure. More breakdowns, more scenes. More info coming soon.

But then I found out that it turns out that there was a minor on the crew. Which I found odd for a studio who wanted to uphold this image of a professional studio. Then I realized that it was even worse, because the project is supposed to be for adults and the entire studio is branded as an Adult Animation Studio. At this point I don't think it matters if it's haterism. That is troubling me deeply. Why do you have a minor on the crew? It doesn't matter if they're close to becoming an adult or whatever man, it's just super weird now. Your entire marketing hinged on the project being Adult. It's just so unprofessional at best and horrifying at most. Flag #3. It's just too much.

Conclusion is I really don't want to pick a fight with more studios. I'm sick of it. I'm just really bewildered, also not even the head of the studio's graduated from university yet. For the longest time it felt like a disaster waiting to happen. Which was fine to watch and see if it would fail, but they got a minor involved.

#post #I wouldve brought up that they had nothing much like a portfolio or whatever to even help people comvince they were real but eh... #its not my specialty. #THIS IS JUST A RANT. #if i pit this on The Other Site i would be doomed to hell.

[transpandaoctournament]

Transpanda OC Tournament Semi Finals

The rules of the tournament

Brief introduction to "Thank You For Existing"

CHARACTER BIOS BELOW DUE TO THIS BEING A TWO (or 4) AGAINST ONE POLL, MORE HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT MAYA TO BALANCE

Pan Kokoro

“I’m Non-Canon and I’m proud!”

Kokoro is your typical filler character; Never appeared in a single chapter of her source, and only a single episode of the show adaptation. The problem therein lies that the peppy girl exists inside the main character’s mind, Pan Yu. Brought to the front just a couple of weeks before the series’s canonical ending, Yu’s wedding, Kokoro is determined to find the space where she fits in best! Can she assert her existence with so many people insisting she’s just a delusional Yu, including Yu’s fiance Bow Botella? Whatever the case is, she’s surprisingly comfortable in both forms she has. Pan Kokoro is the main character of TYFE part 4: Filler Turf.

Primary Inspiration: “The Girl” from the anime of Ranma ½

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Plural

Art by @starredfishing, commission them!

Yuni Yoshinaga

“My name is Yuni Yoshinaga, and I don’t really exist.”

Born a timid, sweet, and quiet boy, Yuni was quickly mistreated for his rare heart-shaped pupils. To avoid abuse, he donned the personality mask of “The Demon Delinquent”. Years later, a major accident occurred. Yuni was medically mistaken for Mizuki Fujisaki, a well-liked girl with the same eye condition. Feeling finally free, Yuni dubbed “his” true self as “The Girly Force” to those aware while stepping into the role. Yet Yuni couldn’t shake off the “Demon Delinquent” personality mask. Why? He doesn’t actually exist…right? Yuni is the main character of TYFE.

Primary Inspiration: Masashi Rando from Pretty Face (And Chihiro Fujisaki from DR)

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Plural

Art of Yuni Yoshinaga by: Sunnyside_Cakes

Maya St. Fleur

“I’m Maya St. Fleur, and I’m gonna blow your mind!”

An ex-demolition woman turned psychic therapist (and a zombie descendant), Maya is employed by a recap therapy organization. Despite this, she’s actually never faced her past grief of losing several close people, choosing to forget instead. Trouble strikes when she needs to attend her own recap therapy, due to an actual total memory loss accident caused by Yuni. With slightly different circumstances, will Maya finally build on her past events? Or simply continue to demolish what shaped her...? Maya is the main character of TYFE Part 1: That’s Life.

Primary Inspiration: Razputin Aquato from Psychonauts.

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Adjacent

Art of Maya St. Fleur by: Sunnyside_Cakes

MAYA (Part 2)

"Yuni, is this just what you deal with from the day to day?"

Something... wasn't right. Maya had only gone to recap therapy cause her memories accidentally go plucked out. She got them back, she was herself, everything should be fine. But the... "she" she was during that recap keeps popping up when the others go through their own recap stories. Does changing a few things in this, really only simulation of the past, start following it's on continuity? This "continuity error" Maya seems so much more chipper and adventurous than present her. ...And what happens when the recap catches up to the present? What's gonna happen to them her?

Primary Inspiration: Razputin Aquato from Psychonauts.

Plural or Plural Adjacent?: Adjacent

Art of Maya St. Fleur design by: ragingwoodcock

#Pan Kokoro #Yuni Yoshinaga #Maya St. Fleur #tyfe #thank you for existing #oc tournament #transpanda oc tournament #art #tumblr polls #featuring cameos by #Hinata Fujisaki #Mizuki Fujisaki #Gryph Alzee #Jilly Bean #Amber Berri #Marcus Lawetlat'la

[lcvergrl]

❝ When I was a kid, people used to make fun of me for eating chapstick. Well . . . if I wasn't supposed to eat it, why'd they make it taste so good? ❞

Seline is a villager who lives in Pelican Town who is often chatty and adventurous, loves art, and always gets injured. She works at the Blacksmith most days between 9am to 4pm and has a busy social life. She goes to Zuzu City on Fridays and has weekends off. She’s available to marry.

Monday, Wednesday

9am — she wakes up 30 minutes before she is scheduled to work , rushes through a half - baked morning routine ( wash face, moisturize + spf, lipgloss, go ). she shows up late most days but especially on monday. 10:30am — ever the silly little drink enthusiast, seline takes an inappropriately long morning break to find a caffeinated, syrupy concoction. she also picks up a Little Treat to make herself feel better for being late ( again ). if she's low on funds, she'll trot back to her house & make a drink there. she might throw on some eyeliner and mascara if she's feeling like it. during this 15-20 minutes, seline is hard to find. 1pm — by now, she's hungry for a Bigger Treat and finds somewhere to eat lunch. on nice days she will throw something together at 1am the night before & eat it outside. if she's super busy or inspired, she'll eat it at work and doodle. sometimes, she'll make her way over to wherever ( or whoever ) has something to eat. 4pm — home to shower, change into something more comfortable, and waste time. on nice days, she takes the long way home. she might go around and visit some of the residents or lolly-gag near the icecream stand. 5 pm — seline makes her way to her shed-turned-art studio and gets to work on her newest creation. 9 pm — she finishes up, goes inside for a late supper, does her quick 4 step skin care routine and some light chores. 12 am — seline is in bed reading fanfiction, trying to get her brain to shut up so she can sleep for work tomorrow !

Tuesday, Thursday

9am to 5pm is the same as monday and wednesday. after work, however, she will make a point to go to the beach and search for seaglass. 6pm onwards — seline is open for interactions and different plans. if unplanned for, seline will go to the skatepark and hangout with her sketchbook.

Friday

8am — seline wakes up disgustingly early ( for her ) with a lot of excitement. she packs a small bag with her daily essentials ( peach lip gloss, water bottle, spf, emergency hat + umbrella, phone charger, headphones ). she eats a big breakfast. 9am to 6pm — she packs up all of the glass creations she has completed this week and makes her way to zuzu city where she drops them off at a few shops she has consignment agreements with. she also puts up a few posters about her commissions. if she has time, she will stick around and shop or visit some art galleries, but she mostly tries to stick to her plan. 7pm onwards — seline either has other plans or you can find her at the stardrop saloon, socializing or sitting down and sketching some new ideas to get up to this weekend.

Saturday

this day is completely free for seline, but she sleeps in extra and then explores the valley for materials she can create art with. there are many-a-trip to the beach for sea glass hunting & she often goes by the general store to bug maude if they're working or look through the recycling bins for glass bottles.

Sunday

seline cannot be found anywhere besides her workshop from dusk til dawn. you'd have to be very special for her to spend time with you on a sunday. on the occasional day where seline does not have muse, she might have a "self care day" and spend the entire time in a blanket fort in her bedroom watching reruns.

#dew.task002 #[ seline ; development ]

[kazoosandfannypacks]

"Open to Interpretation" by kazoosandfannypacks

Chapter 5/16: Perks of Being a VIP Pairing: CaptainSwan Rating: General Word Count: (1.8K/24K) Summary: Emma Swan is appalled at works by modern artist Killian Jones- until a handsome stranger convinces her otherwise- and after introducing himself as the artist in question, he invites her out on a date. As their relationship develops, they find that they might not be as different from each other as originally thought. Chapter Summary: Emma and Killian arrive at the dinner and mingle with some of the guests Tags: au, fluff, captain swan, modern au Author's notes: A lot of my fics are third person limited perspective, and my chapters often jump back and forth between whose limited perspective we're looking at in each section. As you read this fic, you may notice that my chapters themselves take turns with the perspective- Emma's perspective in chapter 1, Killian's in chapter 2, Emma's in chapter 3, ext. This was an intentional decision and challenge on my part, and I thought it felt a little more polished that way- but it also means that I've often spread spans of a few hours in the fic across multiple chapters. Taglist: @zahara @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @booksteaandtoomuchtv @jrob64 @tiganasummertree @anmylica @teamhook @undercaffinatednightmare @gingerchangeling @lonelyspectator @caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @cs-rylie @pirateprincessofpizza [if you'd like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!]

Also on Ao3!

 "Let me get the door for you," Killian said as he parked the car outside the museum.

 "He doesn't have to do that," Emma thought, though she wasn't about to stop him.

 Her door opened, and he held out a hand to help her out of the car.

 "This is certainly a better parking spot than I got the other day," Emma took his hand and got out of the car.

 "Perks of being a V.I.P.," Killian said, holding up his lanyard badge. He then stuck his elbow out to her, and she tucked her arm around it and entered the museum on his arm.

 "Now remember," he leaned towards her and said, "a lot of the people here are gonna be pretentious little snobs- and most of them won't take a shine to your criticism like I did."

 "I'll be diplomatic," Emma nodded.

 "I'd appreciate that," he said.

 They walked down brightly lit hallways to the museum's reception hall, Killian once or twice pointing out some painting they passed by and some bit of trivia he knew about the art, or about its artist or the story behind the piece.

 "Do they have you as a tour guide as well in your spare time?" Emma teased.

 "Sometimes when I need inspiration I roam the hallways looking for it," Killian said, "hoping that something I'll see will inspire me- and it is part of the job to be a bit familiar with the rest of the pieces in the museum as well."

 Emma nodded, "What else does an artist in residence even do?"

 "Promote different events the museum is hosting," he said, "hang out around the galleries in my free time- something about the chance to meet the artist often draws people in. And, most notably, I'm to work on a mural for the museum."

 "And what do you get out of that deal?" "They pay for room and board," he said, "not to mention a few extra grand a month for other expenses, access to whatever supplies I find myself needing for their commissioned painting- and, of course, an extra boost in publicity and the chance to add 'artist in residence' to my portfolio and resume."

 "So let me get this straight," Emma asked, "you get paid to do what you love and the museum gets publicity because they're letting you freeload?"

 He nodded and smiled, "an artist's life is one to love."

 "Imagine what I could do with a setup like that," Emma thought. Though she loved art, she seldom had the time and energy to sit down and paint something while still working forty hours a week and keeping up with housework and her other hobbies. Sure, she didn't ever consider going professional with her art, but she wouldn't mind getting paid to sit around painting whenever the muse struck her. As it stood, she'd scarcely had time to make headway on the painting she'd started a few days ago.

 Once they got to the reception hall, Emma noticed that quite a few people had already arrived, and Killian began introducing himself and Emma to each of them, following a pretty simple formula: introducing themselves, mentioning how great it was to meet them, and some comments about the other's line of work peppered with dry humor, before an "excuse me, I need to go welcome this person over here."

 Emma met more self-proclaimed "important" people in twenty five minutes than she'd ever met in her life. Mayor Mills was there, along with her business tycoon mother (who Emma was pretty sure helped buy her her votes,) and the elder Mills daughter who was working hard to learn to fill her mother's shoes. Multi-millionaire Adam Gold was also in attendance, along with his associates, Madame Deville and her husband. Among the snobbery as well were a few prestigious doctors, a couple different artists, many of whom Killian seemed to know well, and a few other notable creative minds. Of course, in attendance as well was the curators of the museum, Mr. and Mrs. Nolan- a rather charming couple.

 "You're quite the natural," Killian whispered to Emma as they walked away from their twelfth snobbish conversation, this time with Emma interjecting a few clever but tasteful comments of her own.

 "I'm learning from the best," Emma smiled.

 "Well, don't worry," Killian said, "the next people I introduce you to will be much more charming- Mr. Booth is one of few individuals who make fundraisers like these bearable."

 He introduced Emma next to a couple that seemed a bit younger than most of the other attendees, much closer in age to Emma and Killian.

 "Mr. Booth," Killian held his hand out to the other man.

 "Always a pleasure to see you, Mr. Jones."

 Both men seemed to hold a secret in their eyes, a secret which then turned into a sparkle, then a smile, then a laugh.

 "August and I go way back," Killian explained to Emma.

 "August Booth?" Emma asked, "as in, the author August Booth?" "You're familiar with my works?" he asked.

 "Indeed," Emma said, "I deeply enjoyed your Revolutionary Fairy Tales  series."

 "I'm flattered." August said, "and you are?"

 "Emma Swan," she shook his hand, "pleasure to meet someone interesting for a change."

 August smiled and addressed Killian, "I like her boldness."

 "As do I," Killian said, looking down at Emma and smiling, "we met in my wing of the gallery a couple days ago. Miss Swan was in the middle of insulting some of my masterpieces. I believe the exact words she used were…."

 "'If absurdism and modern art had a child in a soulless void?'" Emma offered.

 "Ah yes," Killian smiled, "and then something about being tasteless with nothing to communicate."

 "But then someone happened along and showed me a new way to look at it," Emma smiled and nudged Killian a little.

 "And I figured if there was anyone I could trust to keep me awake through another one of these dinners, it would be her."

 "How lovely," the woman standing next to August said.

 "Where are my manners?" August asked, "Emma, this is my fiancee, Belle."

 "It's a pleasure to meet you," Emma said.

 "And you as well," Belle said, "I take it this is your first date together?'

 "Yeah," Emma smiled.

 "And you brought her here?" August asked Killian, seeming almost appalled, "do you want to lose her that quickly?"

 "It's a stroke of genius, really," Killian said, "we start with the worst date I can imagine, and then her expectations are so low that the next date seems eight times better."

 "And a second chance dinner's on him next week if tonight goes terribly," Emma smiled, "though so far- especially by the graces of present company- it seems to be going pretty well."

 "Well, I hope we don't change your mind," August said.

 August paused, then turned to Killian, "Unless you're rooting on it going terribly, so you can get a guaranteed second date," he faked a gasp and pretended to be offended, "is that why you introduced her to us? Hoping our raging intellectualism would bore her to death?"

 "Quite the opposite," Killian said, "I was hoping your charming personality and clever wit would make up where mine lack."

 "Some pretty big shoes to fill there," August said, "but I think we can make it work."

 Killian motioned to a nearby table. Each table setting had a name card at it, and Emma quickly noticed Killian's, her own name set next to that, followed by August's, then Belle's.

 "V.I.P. table," Killian said, "it pays to be the artist in residence- and friends."

 He pulled out Emma's seat for her, and she blushed a little as she sat down and he pushed her chair back in. August did the same for Belle.

 "What makes the V.I.P. table better than the others?" Emma asked.

 "Closest to the stage," August said, as he sat down.

 "And closest to the kitchen," Belle peeked around August at Emma, "so they bring our food out sooner."

 "I'm down for that," Emma said.

 "Best part of the evening," August said.

 "Ah yes," Killian said, leaning on the back of his chair, "because the donations to the Humbert Cardiovascular Fund don't matter nearly as much as if our dinner is brought to us three minutes before anyone else's."

 August didn't respond, and neither did Emma, or Belle, or even Killian.

 After a brief moment, Killian excused himself. Soon, the lighting in the room dimmed a little, and the rest of the seats at the table were soon filled- Mr. and Mrs. Nolan took the seats next to Killian's, and Doctor Whale and his wife next to them.

 "I wonder where Killian went," Emma thought, noting that everyone else was already in their seats and things were about to begin, "this benefit dinner seemed to be pretty important to him."

 She then noticed someone stepping onto the stage, and after a moment realized it was Killian, who took a microphone off a nearby stand.

 "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I want to thank all of you for coming out here tonight. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Killian Jones, current artist in residence here at the Nolan Blanchard. For those of you who do know me, I'm terribly sorry."

 Everyone laughed, even Emma, who was still trying to piece together what was going on.

 "After dinner's been served," Killian said, "the curators and I will give a brief word about the Humbert fund that the proceeds from tonight are going to. Until then, allow me to introduce to you tonight's entertainment- Leroy and the Lucky Seven."

 Everyone clapped as Killian stepped down from the stage and the band entered from the side wings. Emma didn't take her eyes off Killian though, even noting how he tripped a little as he stepped off the stage.

 Once he took his seat next to Emma, she placed her hand on his shoulder, then spoke into his ear in a hushed tone.

 "You didn't tell me you were hosting this event."

 He turned a little to whisper in her ear. "Hosting, promoting, it's all the same, really."

 "You also didn't tell me you were promoting it."

 "I didn't think it was 'relevant to the discussion.'" he teased, then twisted away from her a little so he could look her in the eyes, "had I realized it would bother you…."

 The band started playing as their eyes met again, something simple and dramatic in both, like the start of falling in love.

 "It doesn't." Emma smiled, "I like a little mystery."

 "Alright then, Sherlock," he said, playfully tapping her nose.

 She smiled and rolled her eyes, then moved her hand off his shoulder, reminding herself where they were, that she was helping him represent the museum tonight, and they couldn't do that if they just sat there ogling over each other all evening. They needed to act professional and maintain some dignified conversation with someone other than each other.

#captain swan #once upon a time #killian jones #emma swan #ouat #cs ff #cs fanfiction #cs au #once upon a time season 6 #beauty and the puppet #august booth #belle french #cora mills #zelena mills #regina mills #mr gold #david nolan #mary margaret blanchard #cruella deville ouat #dr whale ouat #otp: road less traveled