#finally having a degree in design is making me happy

[citrinide]

On a soft stupid Sunset shipper note:

#every quiet down it's 'Cin talks about Wheatgel again' time #Finally having updated Wheatley's design from it's last phase is so relieving #becaue now both of them are at a place where im happy with the way they look #and and and. elements of their designs are direct references to each other and. #listen im gay. wheatgel propaganda persists even in the game where you can actively pursue either of them #secret wheatgel ending where you fail so miserably at rizzing them up during their shared event that they just date each other instead /j #i wouldnt be that cruel. (says the man with multiple endings where MC gets... discontinued we'll say <3) #anyway wheatley and nigel are my faves of their respective sets rn and i am sobbing im..im going to put them next to each other #this js me coping hours okay #no time for wheatgel when i have a game to work on. the woes of a single person dev team </3 #this isnt a cry for help btw im fine ive made more progress in the past couple months than i have during the past 5 years #... probably because 4/5 were an indefinite hiatus to focus on school and my mental health erm #and now im doing this kinda shit for a degree! woo! this will be my job or something maybe! #going to start tagging these with sunset.am #sunset.am #since i also call wheatgel Sunset and idk. in case someone wants to filter me ralking about my comfort ship out ig... #or stalk it and like every single one like a freak (affectionate) you choose. #i like talking about them. makes me happy idk.

[alltoomaples]

love.jpg - LN

pairing: fem!uni student x lando norris

synopsis: lando gets invested in working with cameras after you talk about your day in photography class and you two discover a new language of love <;33

type: writing + instagram au

a/n: finally writing up the very first writing for my new series until i found you. and ik i have been super super lacked in writing. you guys have no idea how much and many ideas ive got but procastination takes the most of it! im trying my best to work upon it and now that my finals are nearing, i may try to write as a stress breaker soo fingers crossed.

until next one, happy reading <;33

part 2 is out now!! check it out :))

. . . .

You came home from your last class of the semester from uni. As much as you love photography and graphic design, its definitely tiresome when being pursued as a Masters degree. But you won't complain much about it cause at the end of the day, you love what you do. And so does your boyfriend.

"Congrats on completing another semester, bubba!" Lando greets as he speed walks to you and engulfs you in a hug.

You drop your bags carefully and hug him back tight as you mourn in exhaustion. Your whole body gives up that Lando was quick to pick you up and let the both of you fall on the couch. Chuckles leave from your mouth as he leans in and kissed your forehead.

"I'm so so proud of you, Y/N/N" He says, looking into your eye, pinning your hair behind the ear as he rests his hand on your cheek.

"I haven't completed my course, Lan"

"Yet. And soon you will be my personal photographer and designer for Quadrant" Lando says very proudly.

"Well in that case, be ready to say goodbye to your bank accounts" you say, smirking at him as you squish his cheeks.

"I'll be happy to make our joint accounts"

"It's a deal then!"

. . . .

"So tell me about your project?" Lando asks as we clean dishes after dinner.

"Well, basically, we have to make a portfolio for photography class. We need to select a theme and shoot pictures showcasing that theme" you say, as you dried the final plate.

"That sounds so much fun and creative!"

"It is actually! till you finalize the theme cause that's the main brainers" you say as you place the dishes back to the shelves and lando keeps the leftovers in fridge.

"And that's what i'm here for! Let me help you with the picture and theme and stuff" Lando says, being very supportive and super excited like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Bubba, i appreciate you and your help but you'll be busy with race weekends, PR promos and Quadrant stuff. Do you really wanna squish mine on top of this busy business??" you ask, being concerned about him.

He walks over to you, grabbing your face in his and leans in.

"Let me be a part of your project. Think of me as your project buddy who also happens to be your boyfriend" Lando says, making puppy eyes which makes harder to say no to him.

"Alrighty love. You're in!"

"Wooohoooo!!! Let's goooo babyyyy!!" He does his small victory dance as he sung to HSM: we're all in this together

You laughed silently as you walked into your work room and picked up a camera. Lando eventually followed you and found you holding the camera.

"Wait- we are already starting with the work??"

"We haven't even chosen a theme, you dum dums" you say, ruffling his head which messes the small curls a bit.

"Ohh yeah. I'd suggest you to do some trial run shots, like you know, play around capturing day to day events. Maybe something will spark and voila, you'll have a theme ready!" Lando says, as he fixed his hair while looking in the mirror.

"That's actually a great idea bubs!!! I'm gonna do that now. You really do love this subject of mine, don't you??" You ask, as you really loved his input he just gave and you're quite impressed with it.

His level of creativity is something you've always loved and appreciated his talents. And isn't it just lovely to see people talk about their passions!

And this just made you think it's time to finally give him one of your passions.

"This camera is yours from today. I've been wanting to give you this as I've seen you've been very much interested in photography and something you can take along with you and remind you of me" you say, whispering at the end as you felt your cheeks heat up due to the cliché that you just happen to say which isn't a very you thing to do.

Lando stood there with the camera in his hands, in complete awe at the gesture of yours.

"Y/N! you have no idea how much this means to me!! This isn't just any camera, this is one you truly used for your good works" He says, pulling you closer to his. He makes you look up to him, leaning in close as he kisses you softly yet lovingly. Your hands make their way behind his neck, pulling him close to you.

"I love you, so much y/n/n" Lando says, almost as a whisper as he rests his nose with yours.

"and i love you, much more lan" you whisper back with a smile as you do the eskimos kiss.

. . . .

Instagram

lando.jpg

liked by carlossainz55, charlesleclerc, y/n.clicks and 3,566,962 others

landonorris: your fellow neighborhood cameraman📸

the best gift from the best <;33 y/n.clicks

view 41,06,765 comments

username1: wait Y/N gave her VERY OWN CAMERA TO LANDO!?!?

y/n.clicks: not bad for a beginner! have fun bubby🫶🏼

lando.jpg: learnt from the best ;)) will do!❤️

username2: he learnt with her?! talk about couple goals💗💖💞

charlesleclerc_: well i guess we'll say goodbye to this camera eventually. have you thought this through y/n.clicks 🤔🤔

y/n.clicks: i had a really good run with it soo if it breaks its alright, I'll get a new one 😙

lando.jpg: you two know that i can read your comments right?? hah RUDE😡

username3: i cant- 🤣🤣🤣🤣

username4: we're gonna be seeing what lando wants people to see. I LOVE IT!!!

y/n.clicks

liked by charlesleclerc_, maxfewtrell, landonorris and 1,609,992 others

y/n_l/n: handing over ceremony📷

lando 🤝 lando.jpg

tagged: landonorris

view 105,020 comments

lanndonorris: key moment of my life and career❤️

y/n.clicks: landonorris bubbaaa🥺💗

username1: i want what they have😭😭💛

carlossainz55: wow, he is growing up🥹🥹

y/n.clicks: ikr!!!🤧🤧

landonorris: you two ughhhhh🙄🙄

username2: this is sooo adorable ahhh!!

username3: thanks to y/n now we're gonna embark the cameraman lando era!

y/n.clicks: this is just the beginning of the era!!

lando.jpg

liked by ciscanorris, y/n.clicks and 2,954,755 others

landonorris: day at the bay with my bae

tagged: y/n.clicks

view 957,542 comments

username1: oh my. oH mY! OhOh MymY!!😍🤩

y/n.clicks: caption might be chessy af but the pictures, mamma mia🥵😍

liked by lando.jpg

maxfewtrell: now i get it why you ditched for golfing, you simp!

y/n.clicks: wait what!?! lando did that??

lando.jpg: 😳😳😳😳 busted?

ciscanorris: lando ditching golf?? he's soo into his cameraman era!!!🫡💗

username3: everyone say thank you y/n for getting lando a camera

username4: seriously! THANK YOU QUEEN Y/N

lando.jpg: FACTS!! thank you y/n.clicks 🫂🫶🏼

liked by y/n.clicks

y/n.clicks

liked by ciscanorris, pierregasly, olivernorris and 10,954,755 others

y/n_l/n: my favourite kind of cheese🧀 landonorris

tagged: lando.jpg

view 45,998,972 comments

username1: the caption🥹😭💖💞💗✨️

username2: them>>>>>>

riabish: LOVE IS IN THE AIR🫶🏼✨️

danielricciardo: you guys are so disgustingly adorable🫡💖

landonorris: now who's the chessier one??😏😏

y/n.clicks: landonorris still YOU🫣

landonorris: 😂😂😂

. . . .

also I'm thinking for a part 2 for this, lemme know if you're interested too :))

check out my works: until i found you masterlist | other works

part 2 is out now!! check it out :))

#lando norris #lando norris one shot #lando norris fanfic #lando norris x reader #lando norris imagine #ln4 #formula one #f1 instagram au #f1 one shot #f1 x reader #f1blr #f1 fanfic

[jadesnapart]

my art summary for 2023!! 2022 summary (and beyond)

template by mossygator

so 2023 has been an interesting year. while I've done digital freelance online on and off for years- this was the first year I fully supported myself on freelance art. it was difficult, it was rewarding, and it granted me ample opportunity to grow; to finally figure out what kind of art I want to make.

for as much art as I've made in my life and as much as I enjoy creating it, I have honestly never had the mental space to work on thinking about where I need to go before the past year and a half. I've worked a lot on my personal health and lifestyle which has been a big part of my ability to grow and change. I have a degree in fine art and while I learned a lot there, the disparity between the art i was *supposed* to be making and the art I *wanted* to make at the time wasn't clear to me yet. after moving to a new state, supporting myself fully on art, and finally tabling at a convention I have a bit of a clearer view of what that all means.

so I guess you might be asking - what does it mean?

there's still some things for me to figure out fully, but I'm definitely going to be taking a bit of a break from commissions in 2024. not fully, but I'll be taking the time to focus on things that I didn't have the time for in 2023. this includes: more merch! traditional art! printmaking! my original comic!

I've spent so many years building a skillset and defining what's important to my work, why, and now I'm kind of figuring out how to expand on those ideas. it may not be clear from an art summary that mostly consists of what I jokingly refer to as "cute anime girls" irl, but the type of character design I've tried to cultivate is centered around the expansion of how we perceive a traditional character design - particularly for women or fem-aligned characters.

I appreciate that a lot of people have picked up on what I'm putting out there, perhaps even before I was. While I'm not the biggest artist online and these spaces are getting more hostile for artists in regard to AI or the state of Twitter, etc-- I feel fortunate that people see the intent I put into my work and want to see more.

I'll be expanding a lot more into screenprinting this year as that was a lot of what my degree was centered around, I'm passionate about it, and I think pushing my work beyond digital and into the traditional space is currently the path I want to take.

looking to expand some stuff into my Patreon like maybe monthly postcards if I get this screenprinting stuff going soon, more tabling, and original work.

anyway I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and may 2024 bring joy to you and yours! :)

#summary of art 2023 #summary of art #artists on tumblr #character design #illustration #fan art

[aragonlediagon]

Shingyoku fashion :)

Hi it is me the Shingyoku guy™️ posting of the very specific touhou pc98. Today I finished baking an unsollicited height scale with all my Shingyoku design interpretations :)

Took me a while to arrest them all!! This is quite a wide picture so I made some standalones grouped per pairs, below if youre interested 👇

Felt the need to mention it as some disclaimer: Unless the opposite is mentionned (for one take), all brunettes are men and all redheads are women. (I know this place's userbase seemed less judgy than on other places ive posted before, its just. To not assume some of them are women just because they have long hair 🙄)

1a. Shapeshifter Shingyoku (a kami, my main take). The ones with two tones hair are headcanon additionnal forms (small one being a "weak/rest form" & the dramatic one a "true/complete" form). So these 4 are the same person.

1b. Shingyoku's creators. HC: Shingyoku being a kami born from the fused spirits of 2 shrine officiants. They are humans who reach godhood and lived a long time before HRtP took place.

2. Weird """genderbend""" take. Shingyoku has no canon, but brunette is mostly depicted as a man & redhead as a woman, this take goes the opposite way. I imagine too theyre the gatekeepers in case 1b didnt fuse into the kami Shingyoku. They are youkais (fudakaeshi & oni).

3. A more derivative take. Redhead is a dragon deity from an other planet/realm who arrived on earth (I have a whole worldbuilding WIP). Brunette is human. Both are diviners (redhead refers to Yi Jing, brunette an onmyoji impersonating a priest). They live in some sort of fantasy Heian era. The gates are their final destination tho nothing refering to touhou like names being mentionned (hope I clearly explained it Id like to keep it short)

4. A very derivative take. Both are same species as redhead from 3. My main direction was in general to create a whole species/civilization using Shingyoku's vague concept rather than make something which would fit into touhou lore. So these dont look "touhoulike" at all but are my personal favorite as I went with my own designing style. So they dont live on earth/gensokyo, no touhou terms mentionned, just me wanting more Shingyoku inspired content. It would take me a while to explain what they are, refer to & the worldbuilding of their planet/realm, so Ill dedicate a whole post for them one day. Im just happy a concept as vague/obscure as Shingyoku now inspire me into making my own lore :)

-----------------------------

Thank you for reading I love Shingyoku Touhou Project The Highly Responsive to Prayers heres a bonus them as worms because I would still love them even if they were worms:

:))))))

Maybe for some people ALL of these designs will look very derivative and "they dont look like the sprites!!" but

Im an old fashion student with a degree, I love making designs since years

The sprites have very simple designs, maybe for some its not a bad thing, but ive always been more interested in the more ornated designs, I wished to enhance the designs a bit. I love Shingyoku I want them to be extra!

Not just about simplicity but the balance of flow as well. I dont straight up interpret a design from its base material especially for such old sprites. I treat the sprites elements more as a list of "to add" reccurences (to not say "pr*mpts, I hate that word now). I initially dont love Shingyoku for their design, rather the history I have with them, its hard for me to appreciate most fanarts of them. But this is a whole topic regarding touhou pc98 chara design which deserves its own post for an other day.

#shingyoku #touhou pc98 #touhou hrtp #touhou #touhou project #touhou fanart #my art

[selfdiagnosedeyemotif]

okay i know i just reblogged something on this and went on a rant there but jsut. kristoph gavins sprites. are so sprites. they’re just

this transition messed me up so bad when i first saw it. kristoph isnt an intimidatingly designed guy but this is legit a little creepy

also i dont know whats really going on with it but his arms are truly always crossed. screaming to the sky the name of his mortal enemy while his hair flies wildly behind him?

arms crossed. utterly broken, unwound, spouting gibberish about the meaning of the court after hes already lost?

arms. crossed. hes so tense. unbending. yet, after all the chips are down, rather than doing what you would expect and doubling down, stiffening into a stone statue, all of his body language reverses.

what the hell is that? whats going on? theres something going on here but i dont know what it is.

also, pulling back to the first pose, its weirdly prevalent in other characters. apollo famously has it in his edgelord phase in dual destinies:

ema, disturbingly has it as well:

but you know who also has it? wocky goddamn kitaki. yeah.

maybe it's just because im a bit of a paranoid person. but i saw that sprite recently and went into a full spiral for a hot second. im choosing to take it as a sign of how good The Kristoph Pose was as visual shorthand for Oh Shit. and, maybe to a degree, at demonstrating apollo "nervous energy incarnate" justice's own paranoia because of the whole perceive dealio. cuz lord knows he noticed when ema did it. and when wocky did it. his boss had been doing that while admitting to murder not a month prior. seeing wocky do it with his false bravado definitely raised his blood pressure. and ema was probably even worse, cuz i dont think she does it until after you give her the fingerprint powder and establish her as trustable. like imagine finally having someone on your side that doesnt speak in riddles or swing panties around and thank god youre normal and then. thump. heartbeat goes up. shes doing the thing. shut shes doing it. i know these signs. I've gotta get away i cant get sucked into this again i cant get tricked like this again i cant HAVE this again

and this isnt even getting into the glasses push. the hand devil. the eerie totally normal happy smile sprite. the one where all of his face muscles scrunch up. i dont really have a lot of thoughts on kris as a character but by god do i have thoughts on his spritework. he makes me want to learn to draw so i can drop his poses into things sporadically and use The Pose as shorthand the same way AJAA did

#i think i said it best in the tags of the thing i reblogged: the ajaa team put their whole pussy into kristoph's sprites #kristoph gavin #apollo justice #ema skye #wocky kitaki #ace attorney #ajaa spoilers #aa4 spoilers #iris originals

[clydesavage-thefox147]

So, I feel the need to say something here.

So, I watched a recent video Thomas has been in with Smosh Pit. It was overall a sweet and funny video. But that's not what this is about. It's about the ending. When Thomas was asked the quintessential question of "where can they find you?" He goes like "Oh I do shorts, long form and short form" and "keeping up Vine". I was like yeah makes sense to bring that up, that's fine. But then he brought up Roleslaying with Roman. He was very happy to bring it up. However, no mention of Sanders Sides at all. I get it, Sides could be chalked up the being long form Vine things seeing as the characters are from Vine but...feels off. I remember times Thomas did advertise Sides on collabs and stuff. But other times he wouldn't really advertise anything specifically and just say the socials' names and just say basic shit like "fun videos with nice messages" etc.

But, I've also taken note that Thomas has been REEEEEEALLY pushing Roleslaying, a series that a lot of us weren't really expecting to be the way it turned out to be. We were just told "Roman series" for like a couple years before it was officially revealed. We all expected Sides Roman and we all felt kinda ripped off. Don't get me wrong, the series is nice and all, has a decent story, and it can be engaging to a degree, but it does have it pit falls. But, he's been really adamant on getting the series popular. Constantly promoting it, making a podcast for it(which to me seems unnecessary) and what seems like begging(to me) for 5 star reviews so that Roman of Reston can read them. Now it's like number 25 on Leisure on Spotify because of it. That is great and all but again, Thomas seems like he's forgetting where this series even originated from...Sanders Sides. His bread and butter. The series that garnered a majority of fans he has. A series we're all waiting for proper episodes for with the same spark and energy that it had originally. It seems Thomas has just lost interest in Sides but knows it's what got him popular on the YouTube space so he keeps it up for the money and relevance(for example Patreon branding). He says he still loves the series and enjoys working on it but the longer it takes to produce, the more it seems like it's taken a back seat in priority. I really hope this season finale is really worth the hype he's been pushing for it. But, the way he's been pushing Roleslaying makes it seem like he's saying "Like this! Please Like this! I wanna do this more!" Thomas, buddy, you need to realize that Roleslaying wouldn't exist without the popularity of Sanders Sides. Hell, Sanders Sides wouldn't exist without the Vine characters.

Now look, I get that Thomas shouldn't be tied down to just doing Sides content. But, using it now as a kind of cash grap and attention grabber like dangling keys in front of child feels sad to me. Feels like lately he's been using it as a buzz word or just for products...which is ironic because all sides merch has been wiped off the merch store. Sure, it could be making way for new ideas but they've made several over the years under the same manufacturer and didn't do this before. So, it feels off. If it was because they were out of stock, they could just list it as "Sold Out", not wipe it entirely. And Now he's released Roleslaying merch and new Could be Gayer merch. Which that's fine, just feels weird that that is all that is available right now. Especially because I remember Thomas talking about hoodies for each side back in December of 2021 but a manufacturing issue came up. He said that it was due to the company not being able to do "custom orders" like that detailed. Which, I understood. But then like a week or so later, the Bucket Hats were released which just didn't really help the previous statement. So this whole thing feels off. I'm just hoping it's just a wait of restock or new design releases in the future.

I know this year has been hard on Thomas to do what he wanted in terms of the season finale. I hope that now that things are seemingly getting better, he'll continue the promise he made this year into next year of getting at least Part 1 of it out, maybe two if lucky. I just feel like Sides has plummeted from grace. What it once had is now a slowly crumbling ancient temple, that the more you try to patch it and keep it up..it doesn't last long. If there isn't a significant restoration done soon, it'll all fall apart. I pray that once the Season finale is released, the fandom will have a resurgence. Old fanders come back, animatics are everywhere, art is flying out like hot cakes, forums are booming, it's trending everywhere, and the fandom is reborn...and hope it stays that way into the third and final season. Hell, I hope Joan does come back to a degree and revive the husk the series has become. But, it's up to them to decide that. Now, seems like Quil is the only one left of the old writers of the series. And if she leaves, season 3 is going to be wild and may not even feel canon but again we have yet to see that.

I just want what drew me to this series back again. Is that too much to ask genuinely?

#ts criticism #ts critical #ts opinion

[scifrey]

NINE-TENTHS

by J.M. Frey

Cover Design by J.M. Frey

Cover Art by @seancefemme

About the Book

Twenty-four is one year too young for a quarter-life crisis, but hey, Colin's always been an overachiever. He's got a degree in Sustainable Tourism, which his family says he's wasting as a barista, an annoying anxiety disorder, and no freaking idea what to do with his life. The only thing going his way is the cute coffee shop regular, a homo draconis named Dav (who, in his humanshape, is a total hottie.) Still, it'd be easier if Dav didn't have a habit of accidentally setting things on fire when he's startled. Like the café kitchen.

When Dav breaks draconic taboo and volunteers as a replacement bean-roaster to apologize for the inferno meet-ugly, sparks really fly. Everything's finally happening for Colin, until he learns that hooking up with Dav means that under dragon law, Colin is absorbed into Dav's hoard.

Possession may be nine-tenths of the law, but becoming his boyfriend's property does not make this whole identity crisis thing easier. Especially now that Colin must navigate politics, paparazzi, and legal questions about his personhood. Colin's still angling for his Happily Ever After, but the growing scrutiny on his relationship with Dav threatens their budding romance. And if he's not careful, Colin's fight for agency may just destroy symbiotic human/dragon relationships worldwide.

Tropes:

#CoffeeShopAU #ForcedProximity #FriendsToLovers #Miscommunication #SecretRoyalty #ABODynamics (ish) #ContemporaryFantasy #Dragons #ShifterRomance #PosessiveRomance #SunshineAndGrumpy #MutualPining #SharedBraincell #TwoHalvesOfAWholeIdiot #MeetUgly

How To Read:

The first five chapters of the book will drop January 13th, 2024.

After that, chapters will drop every Wednesday and Saturday morning.

For now you can:

☕Shelve it on Wattpad when it drops (or now, if the link will let you), so it's in your library and you get update each time a new chapter is released.

☕Follow me on Wattpad, so you're alerted every time this, or any other story of mine, updates. (I'm currently serializing three different books at a time, and have chapters scheduled to drop nearly every day of the week until 2025!)

☕Sign up for my Newsletter to be reminded of the release date, and to stay abreast of any developments with the novel.

Is this book only on Wattpad?

For now, yes. I'm currently working with W by Wattpad Books to release a re-worked, spicier, version of my Watty-Award winning sapphic romance TIME AND TIDE.

I want them to pick this book up as well, especially since I really want to write the other two books in the series, so I'm trying to prove to them that I'm worth it.

In that case, this means centralizing all my lovely readers on their site, with the hope that you'll vote, comment, and recommend the heck out of it to your friends, so it gets lots of buzz.

Happy Reading!

#j.m. frey #jmfrey #losyark #fantasy #writing #amwriting #romance #CoffeeShopRomance #RedWhiteAndRoyalBlue #RomCom #QueerRomCom #FriendsToLovers #Temeraire #SecretRoyalty #Fantasy #ContemporaryFantasy #Dragons #DragonRomance #MutualPining #TwoHalvesOfAWholeIdiot #MeetUgly #MeetCute #MeetAwkward #Romantasy #romantasybooks #romantasybooktok #romantasyreads #lgbtqa+ #queerromance #gayromancebooks

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Gnawty

Debut: Donkey Kong Country

If you had to be one animal to be the first, most basic enemy in a Donkey Kong Country game, essentially the Goomba of the African jungle, what would you choose? Would it be a beaver? No! That wouldn’t make sense! Silly billy! But Rare decided to be professional silly billies! I wasn’t there, but they probably had a meeting where someone said “We should put a real doofus of a beaver in the game”, and everyone else clapped. And I would have clapped too! Look at this thing! It’s hilarious! I am very happy they made this strange decision.

Beavers have all sorts of fun abilities! Swimming, tail-slapping, dam-building, tree-felling, GNAWING, there is a lot a beaver enemy could do in a game! Gnawty walks left and right and does nothing else. This is also something beavers can do in real life!

I truly hope this does not all come off as insulting toward Gnawty. I love Gnawty! I would not change a single thing about it. Its presence, its design, its funny sound it makes when defeated. All perfect! I just think the concept makes it even more hilarious. And besides, there is a trick up its oily cloaca... ever heard of Gnawty’s Special Attack?

In temple levels dwell brownish, seemingly Elite Gnawties, who operate gigantic millstones, running around to roll them and potentially crush Kongs! Are they seeking revenge for their fallen brethren, or are they stalwart protectors of these ruins, trying to stop any intruders from destroying its walls to reach its sacred Bonus Games? Or maybe they’re just getting their exercise, at an inconvenient time for everyone else! They love to run on a wheel!

The Guy Who Is Never Pleased: “Heh! You call that GNAWTY? That is a paltry level of gnawtiness! I could handle a few more degrees of gnawtiness, easy!”

Well then. In that case, it’s a good thing we have...

Very Gnawty

Very Gnawty is arguably gnawtier than a regular Gnawty! It has a LAIR. That is a gnawty thing to have, you don’t usually have a lair if you’re a goody little gumdrops! You have an abode in that case. 

Very Gnawty is gnawty enough to be a boss, hoarding a hoard of the Kongs’ Banana Hoard in its lair! It is also pretty pathetic. It takes like, ten seconds to defeat. But it sure is funny! This is just a bigger Gnawty, named Very Gnawty! I love it!

The Guy Who Is Never Pleased: “Nope, still not gnawty enough! I came here to see some REAL gnawtiness! You’d better step it up!”

REAL gnawtiness, eh...?

Really Gnawty

How about a big Gnawty that takes TWENTY seconds to defeat! Now THAT’s gnawty behavior! This one can jump higher! It has a more fashionable checkered tail! And of course, it’s named after the fact that it is even gnawtier than its predecessor! 

The Guy Who Is Finally Pleased: “Thank you, Really Gnawty. You showed me how to have a positive outlook on life :)”

Thank goodness! Honestly though, Really Gnawty is NOT the gnawtiest Gnawty. It’s actually Very Gnawty, because in the GBA version...

Very Gnawty (who is brown in this version for some reason) shows up uninvited to DK’s house! When DK enters, Very Gnawty gasps and escapes right away, clearly knowing this was gnawty behavior. Congratulations on being the gnawtiest Gnawty!

Finally, I would not dare talk about Gnawty without mentioning Beaver Bother! I always assumed this bonus game was about being bothered by beavers, but then I played it, and learned it is you who is bothering the beavers, who are quite scared of a little bother! Bothering them into a hole. That is so rude! Bodaciously bothersome! But it’s funny. Sorry Gnawty, you know I love you! But Beaver Bother is funny!

#gnawty #very gnawty #really gnawty #donkey kong country #donkey kong #donkey kong enemies #mario #mario enemies #mod chikako

[woolmasterleel]

How do I even introduce him again.. Here's the man himself, Kisaki!! I am so happy to finally have an updated ref for him! His other ref is almost five years old...

Honestly working on this and Tagashei's ref just made me so happy, I gave them both slight redesigns and I'm very happy! As always, info below! o(*°▽°*)o

Dr. Kisaki Hizarou

213 cm tall (without heels)

Male

Limbo-Altered Entity (partial)

Tagashei’s husband and Alice’s father!

A famous scientist known for his breakthrough research in organ creation.

Initially a withdrawn, shy individual, Kisaki became his energetic (and somewhat scary) self overtime due to his constant exposure to deities being taken to Limbo.

At the time, he didn’t know anyone else who could understand Limbo, nor could he tell anyone. This ate away at him constantly.

When they were both human, Kisaki spent most of his time desperately trying to perfect his organ creation, so he could make a new heart for Tagashei, who was in dire need of one.

Unfortunately, Kisaki’s life was cut short just as he started making progress.

He was unruly after his passing, not taking the moment to decide which kind of deity he wanted to become, he ran into the demon realm while trying to find a way back to save Tagashei.

It is because of his urgency to get out that his biology didn’t properly adjust to his new demon form. His heart failed to properly form the chamber responsible for magic production. Kisaki didn’t care.

It is hard to pinpoint when Kisaki finally snaps and becomes his seemingly careless, laugh-at-everything attitude, but it is most likely around the time he found Tagashei’s grave.

Not knowing what to do now, he continued his work, creating a heart for Tagashei.

Feeling as though he failed him, he approached the local hospital with his work.

Years later, Kisaki and Tagashei reconnect. They work to create Alice. Kisaki’s organ creation extended beyond organs, he was able to create an entire human in a lab.

A few years later, Kisaki is approached by Mirror Kagami. He offers him a position in a lab specializing in disease creation for the purpose of fighting against them. Kisaki is immediately suspicious, but agrees to join.

He created the first sample of Rapid Corpus- a disease which is supposed to target only angels and demons, rapidly promoting bone and blood production to a fatal degree.

Kisaki then kills this sample in front of the head researchers. When they demand he create another one, he refuses. When they ask him for his notes on creating it, he smiles and says there are none. He calls them out, knowing why they wanted such a fatal disease so carelessly created.

Kisaki promptly causes the lab to explode, killing a large number of angels.

This severely throws off the balance of powers. Galvarium appears to take him to Limbo. She is confused and shocked to see Kisaki.

He explains his reasoning. Hearing Mirror’s name is enough for Galvarium to believe him.

Kisaki is released from Limbo not long after, thus being only a partial LAE.

When Kisaki returns to his family, he isolates himself from Tagashei- he knew he was being watched by Mirror’s organization, and didn’t want Tagashei being killed again because of him.

Finding out years later that Tagashei’s body mutated the Rapid Corpus disease made him extremely happy. Not only was he immune to any targeted attacks from Mirror’s organization, but now he could study Tagashei’s Mad Rabbit form, and create a mutated strain of the disease for defense purposes.

During the final arc is when Kisaki reaches his complete Limbo form, known as Alpha Decay Kisaki.

During their fight with Reflection of Mirror β, Kisaki (as Alpha Decay) and Tagashei (as Mad Rabbit) form Monarchy of Hearts.

He is part of the Court of Limbo (which consists of Galvarium, Pandora, Fate, and Medlo)!

Here's some design notes!

Kisaki's hair usually looks like normal hair, but he sometimes appears to have molecule structures floating around. How he does this, no one knows.

Kisaki purposefully wears the loudest shoes possible- it lets people know he's approaching, giving them a head start if they need to leave.

His wedding ring was made by Tagashei!

He does have the emblem visible on Alpha Decay with him prior to reaching that state, but keeps it in his pocket.

His blood is really bright green, he probably modified it to be that colour.

His eyes flicker like radiation caught on camera, that sort of fuzzy texture.

You will never see him without his coat.

He has four black earrings- two on each ear.

He needs his glasses to see well, he can manage without them but he prefers wearing them.

I'm attaching Alpha Decay here too because again I'll take any chance to show him off...

And of course I have him and Tagashei together! I worked on their refs on the same canvas so they're actually to scale with each other (✿◕‿◕✿)

They'll kick your ass

#oc #original character #oc tober #character reference sheet #my ocs #my art #Leel's art #GUYS!! #I feel like Kisaki is the celebrity here... he's for sure my most popular OC so I'm really happy to finally have this >:) #I put. A lot of info for him here #I didn't mean to tell his whole backstory but I feel like it's good knowledge #And of course if anyone is confused about him please ask! I love talking about Sockee.. #I don't even know what else to add here.. I hope you enjoy him as much as I do!

[bluravenite]

hey Raven! I love your work so much 🖤 Your Zephyr is gorgeous!! I was wondering what the ‘wrong kind of attention’ means so I know how to best interact with your art. I would never want to make you uncomfy (even if it is unintentional).

This is really sweet! Thank you for considering that 💖💖

It wasn't anyone's fault, rather I entered the fandom when I was still in school and as you know the ghost fandom is pretty NSFW all around, so I initially decided to create my own ghoul designs which were awful at first, and when I finally had good designs I had started gaining attention for my ifrit and mountain drawings, some of which were suggestive or based on more suggestive fanfics (I wanna point out that I wasn't a minor at this time, but I was still a student and pretty young compared to most people in the fandom space) so the nature of those interactions was immature and at times naive because I had no idea I was supposed to have set boundaries with people and the content I saw.

During this I also went through some major life changes, I got my degree, and I left several relationships that were hurting me, and I decided to go on hiatus and distance myself from the fandom space in order to heal and focus on making art for my enjoyment and not as a chore or duty.

But having my ghoul art up meant people still replied to that old nsfw content with the same energy, and I wasn't very comfortable with that anymore so I just took it down for the time being 💖

I am more than happy to draw my ghouls again, and in fact I may make some more official character sheets if time allows, meanwhile I'll still post updates of my art projects and such :)

If I ever see something that makes me uncomfortable, I will likely just mention it, I'll always be polite and direct in a dm and ask whoever to please remove the tag or comment or something, and explain why it may have upset me, and likely just delete an anon or reply it privately, so please dont ever worry about making me uncomfortable unintentionally, i get it happens sometimes, so I will always try to be sensible and understanding when dealing with stuff that makes me uncomfortable!

#raven rambles

[hyperfixationsporfavor]

Weekend in New York

Weekend in New York (80s au)

Nanami Kento had done well for himself in life. After obtaining his mba from Columbia he came back to Tokyo and started work as a stockbroker at a prestigious firm. As a well to do society man of the times he had acquired a plethora of extravagant holdings: a penthouse, company car, designer suits, symphony box seats, and a guaranteed reservation at any gourmet restaurant in town. 

While these luxuries brought him comfort the most sacred thing in the world to him was you, his beloved wife. 

The two of you had met in New York while you were getting a masters in art history at Barnard. He postponed his stay in the city another year to be with you, going against his parents wishes and renting a two bedroom on the upper east side. After a few months you moved in together, practically inseparable in those early days of your relationship. When you’d come home from a long day of seminars and symposiums he’d be there to greet you with dinner and give you his undivided attention as you’d tell him about your day. 

He loved you and you loved him. When you had finally finished your degree and were charting your next steps he did the unexpected and proposed to you, not entirely unexpected, just out of character. Nanami Kento, straight laced and driven by reason, acting on passion and brought to his knees by you. Of course you accepted and once you had arrived in Tokyo the two of you moved into the house you’d make your home. You had eloped, once again disappointing his parents, and spent your honeymoon christening the penthouse in a passionate fit of lovemaking that started in the bedroom and ended on your living room floor. 

Despite his arduous work hours, he always made time for you. He still cooked for you on occasion and after one two many glasses of wine the two of you would dance to one of his jazz records. You’d close your eyes and sigh into his strong chest letting him caress you in his arms. 

In all meanings of the word you were happy. In marriage and in life. However, there was one thing that you had yet to achieve, having a child. You and your husband had been trying for a few years and had no luck. Now with the two of you reaching your early thirties the pressure was being added on from his parents and yours. Your husband had assured you that it wasn’t an issue and it would happen when it was meant to. 

You on the other hand began to grow restless. You were ready to take that next step in life and be a mother, and you couldn’t stop imagining Kento as a father. He’d look picturesque holding a baby. Feeding them breakfast and reading to them before bed. It was enough to make your heart ache. You knew it was silly, but a small part of you worried. Was it getting to him like it was getting to you?

You cleared your throat and looked out the window of the town car. The brokerage firm building where your husband worked was on the horizon.

~

You lightly tapped your knuckles on your husband's opened office door. He looked up from his paperwork and a small smile formed on his lips. 

“Hello there.”

“I’m terribly sorry. I’m afraid I didn’t schedule an appointment Mr. Nanami.”

He chuckled and got up from his desk and walked over to you. “What are you doing here? I thought I was going to meet you at the airport.”

“Am I intruding?”

He smirked and shut the door behind you. “Actually I encourage intrusion when it brings you to me.”

He pulls you into his embrace and kisses you tenderly. 

When he surrendered your lips you explained the reason for your visit. “I know you were going to get a cab but I thought I could wait for you and we could go together. If it’s to much of an inconvenience-”

He kissed you again and pressed his forehead to yours. “That sounds wonderful.”

You smiled. “I thought you’d say that.”

“I still have about half an hour. Is that alright?”

“Of course. Take your time.”

You sat on the couch and kicked off your satin heels. 

Kento pressed the intercom on his desk. “Ms. Kasumi, will you get my wife an espresso?”

“Right away Mr. Nanami,” his secretary responded back. 

“I can’t believe they made you come in today.”

Your husband groaned. “Part of the joys of being the head of the department.”

“You work too hard darling.”

“Well I need to secure our nest egg.”

You hummed in acknowledgement. The two of you had some distant dream of moving to the coast and buying a small house where you could spend your days reading and baking together. A fantasy more than anything but if Kento did well enough he could retire early. 

You got up from the couch and sauntered over to your husband draping your arms around his broad shoulders. 

“Just promise me you won’t overdo it. I couldn’t bear to think of you being unhappy.”

He sighed into your caress and put his hands over yours. 

“My happiness is getting to come home to you.”

You were about to kiss again before someone cleared their throat and interrupted you. You both turned to face Kento’s secretary. The young girl hurriedly placed the espresso on your husband’s desk. 

“If that’s all you need I’ll be taking my leave. Good night Mr. Nanami, and uh Mrs. Nanami.”

She scurried out of the office and made a beeline to her desk to collect her things. 

“Goodnight Miwa,” you called out. 

“Have a safe flight,” she hollered over her shoulder. 

~

Kento had been ordered to attend an impromptu meeting in New York with the firm's sister company. While a business trip abroad sounded glamorous the whole thing had been scheduled last minute and proved to be an inconvenience. The winter holidays were approaching and he was forced to cancel your trip to Zurich. 

So in a way to make it up to you he had insisted you accompany him so you could spend the weekend together. 

You naturally accepted and were pleased with the idea of returning to where you first met. The city held a blissful nostalgia in your heart. 

~

“Have Ito handle it. Yes he should be able to take care of it. Okay. Thanks. Yeah, The Pierre. No you won’t be able to reach me until I’ve arrived. Okay. Thank you. Goodnight.”

Kento hung up the car phone before his associate could think of something else to bother him about. 

You picked up on his anxiety and brushed your fingers through his blond hair. 

“I was thinking once your meetings are over we could go to that little diner. You know the one.”

He relaxed and smiled. “How could I forget the place where I met the love of my life?”

He adjusted your cashmere scarf around your neck to ensure you stayed warm. The town car raced towards Haneda Airport, leaving the city of Tokyo behind. 

~

“And if you need anything please don’t hesitate to ring the front desk.” 

“Thank you.”

While Kento checked you into the hotel, you noticed at the desk next to you, a father was checking in with his son. The young boy peeked out from behind his father’s leg and gave you a small wave. You chuckled and did the same. The father finished his business and towed the small child away. 

“Right this way.”

The bellhop took your bags and guided you towards the elevator. 

“(Name)? Are you alright?” Kento asked. 

You nodded. “Yes. I’m just a bit jet lagged. That’s all.” 

He pulled you towards him and the two of you followed the bellhop. 

“We’ll lay down for a while okay?”

~

After a fourteen hour flight the two of you barely had enough energy to tip the bellhop and shut the door behind him. 

Kento groggily shrugged his coat off and tossed it on a chair. You followed suit and stripped down to your underwear. Despite being sleep deprived your husband reached out and ran his finger down your bare torso. You smirked and helped him remove his clothes. Once he was standing in his boxers you pulled him into the bedroom.

~

A few hours later Kento woke up and pawed at the nightstand for his watch. You sighed and nuzzled your face into the crevice of his neck.

He snatched his Rolex up and brought it close to his face.

‘1:00 pm’

“Did we oversleep?” you murmured. 

“No,” he whispered. “The meeting’s not until four.”

You yawned and hugged him tighter. You were about to drift back to sleep when the phone rang.

 Kento groaned as he reached for it. You put a hand on his arm to stop him and picked it up yourself. 

“I’ll just tell them you're in the shower,” you promised. 

He nodded and you removed your hand from the receiver and cleared your throat. 

“Yes? May I ask who’s calling?”

You blinked in surprise. “Oh. I see. Alright.”

You paused for a moment. “Well I can’t say at the moment.  But if you could give me her extension I would greatly appreciate it.”

You pulled out the nightstand drawer and retrieved a notepad and pen. You placed the pad on your husband’s shoulder and jotted down the number. 

“Got it. Thank you very much. Bye.”

You hung up and Kento sat up and leaned against the headboard. 

“Who was that?”

“My old college friend. You remember Mei Mei?” 

~

Mei Mei was a fellow art history major with you at Barnard. After the two of you had finished your masters program, she had accepted an offer to be an art buyer for the Mercedes Benz New York office. She was supposed to be in Berlin for a business trip but after a mixup with the tickets her flight had been postponed till midnight. That left an opening to catch up with you over coffee at Bergdorfs.

“And you're sure you're okay with me going?” you asked as you shrugged your coat back on. 

Nanami riffled through your suitcase in search of your wool scarf. 

“Of course. We can meet at the diner and spend all day together tomorrow.”

He pulled out the cream garment and walked over to you. You hummed in satisfaction as he wrapped it around your neck. These little acts of love made you feel just as magical as when you started dating. Kento kissed your forehead and offered you a smile. 

“Have fun. I love you.”

~

Mei Mei was in desperate need of new winter wear. She couldn’t show up in Berlin with her pieces from last winter. After the two of you finished shopping you had cappuccinos

and scones at the Bergdorfs cafe. 

“So tell me. How’s life as a New York career woman?” you asked. 

“Same old same old. The money makes up for the abundance of revolting Wall Street brokers that mistake me as a secretary. I’m actually considering trying Paris for a while.”

“Wow, Paris. That would be a dream. Say hello to Alain Delon when you see him.”

She chuckled. “And what about you?”

“Nothing as exciting as you. Kento is as wonderful as always.”

“And he still has all his hair?”

You chuckled. “For the time being. You know how it goes. The same activities with the same yuppies.”

“And perhaps the pitter patter of little feet?” Mei Mei suggested. 

She raised a brow when she took notice of your slightly stifled reaction.

“I’m sorry.”

You quickly shook your head. “No. It’s fine. And no. No children yet.”

“Okay,” she empathetically nodded, allowing the alluring executive act to soften.

“We’ve certainly been trying but…no luck.”

Your friend offered you a shrug and waved her hand nonchalantly. “More time for the two of you. Don’t let your in-laws or anyone pressure you, okay?”

You chuckled. “Never.”

“And everything will happen when it’s meant to be okay?”

You brushed your finger over your wedding ring, letting the diamond's sharp cuts scratch against your skin. 

Before you could respond two unsavory executives approached your table inappropriately eyeing the two of you. 

“Good afternoon ladies. Are you having a nice time?”

You exchanged a look with Mei Mei, both signaling a plan of retreat.

“We’ve already had a nice time. In fact, we were just about to leave,” Mei Mei smoothly answered. 

One of the men, clearly wearing a wedding ring, leaned closer. “Well in that case how about we take you ladies out for some drinks. There’s a little bar at a hotel just up the road.”

You almost laughed at his poorly placed hair piece, the confidence was astonishing, but you decided to indulge the adulterer for a moment more. 

“That sounds nice. Why don’t you two settle our bill at the front desk? We’ll meet you at the entrance.”

The pair of buffoons eagerly accepted your offer racing to the register. You and Mei Mei waited until they weren’t looking to hurriedly collect your bags and sprint out of the cafe. The pair of you snickered like mad women as you rushed out of the store and frantically hailed a cab. When you were secure inside driving away you laughed so hard the entirety of Manhattan heard you. 

~

After that, you dropped off Mei Mei and said your goodbyes. 

“I’ll call you when I’ve arrived in France. I’d love to have you and Kento visit.”

You’d happily take her up on her offer. 

Then you asked the driver to take you back to The Pierre. 

You swapped your designer suit for one of Kento’s sweaters and a pair of jeans. Just as  you were reapplying your lipstick,  you got a call from the front desk that Kento had sent a car for you. Another of many kind gestures, but as you drove away from the hotel and towards the diner the conversation you had with Mei Mei replayed in your mind, dampening your mood. You leaned forward towards the driver. 

“Excuse me? Could we make a quick stop at the drugstore?

~

“Sorry I’m late!”

You shimmied into the booth next to your husband who waved away your apology. 

“It’s fine. I’ve only been here a few minutes.”

“Did you order?”

“Just coffee to start. Are you hungry?”

“Maybe a little.”

You looked around at your surroundings. The diner had remained frozen in time. The same dull plastic benches, fake plants, and flickering lights.

“It’s just like how I remember it, just more graffiti in the mens room,” Kento remarked.

You leaned into him and sighed. “I remember when I met you, I was so nervous.”

He chuckled. “You spilled a cup of coffee in my lap.” 

You groaned. “God I remember I was so embarrassed I just spent the rest of the night apologizing.”

He pressed his lips to your forehead. “That’s alright. I’d say everything worked out.”

The feeling of anxiety penetrated through you again, ruining this nostalgic intimacy. 

“Yes, everything worked out.”

~

Kento’s meeting was a success and with business wrapped up the two of you had a full day together before flying home. After a morning in Central Park and a feast of bagels and coffee, Kento took you to The Met, an old time favorite of yours. 

In college, you’d spend your afternoons taking in the real works of the slides you’d study in class. Kento would later join you on these trips, happy to listen to your thoughts on your favorite pieces while he’d offer his own feelings on works he favored. As he watched you take in ‘Young Mother Sewing,’ he noticed an expression of melancholia. Kento softly pressed his hand against your back.

“Are you alright (Name)?”

You quickly replaced your frown with a smile. “Of course, Mary Cassatt’s work is just so…intimate. Onto the next piece?”

 ~

After a full day the two of you opted to retire early in front of the television. Kento settled on an old rerun of Magnum P.I. 

You emerged from the bathroom in your nightgown settling next to him on the couch.

“What did I miss?” you asked.

“Well those schoolkids hired Magnum to find their missing teacher but the groundskeeper is holding out on him.”

“School kids can hire private investigators?”

Kento chuckled. “Things must work differentially in Hawaii.”

He noticed the familiar look on your face, the one from the museum. You picked up the remote and muted the television. 

“I need to talk to you.”

He sat up a little straighter, trying not to let his nerves overreact. 

You took a breath and took your husband's hand. 

“I didn’t want to say anything. But I’m late.”

It only took your husband a moment to interpret that. He nodded. “Yes.”

“And I thought…I thought I might be pregnant. So on my way to see you yesterday I bought a test and I took it after you went to bed.”

Kento could already tell by your expression what the verdict was. 

“False alarm?”

You let out a shaky breath and nodded.

He leaned forward and pulled you against his chest. “I’m sorry love.”

“I would have told you but I wanted it to be a surprise,” you managed to get out.

You hate this. You hate being this obsessive and desperate to create results. You want this to happen organically. So why was it taking so long? You were at the end of your tether. 

“(Name). It’s fine.” 

“I know,” you exhaled and continued, “I guess I just feel stupid for getting my hopes up.”

“We’ll have a baby eventually.”

You let out an exasperated sigh and stood up. “I know. I know Kento. Everyone has said that. The doctor, your parents, my parents, Mei Mei, and now you.”

He stood up and clasped your shoulders in a firm grip. “(Name). I know it’s upsetting but you can’t beat yourself up like this.”

You’re almost afraid to ask but you do anyway.

“Be honest with me Kento. It’s not a little upsetting to you that we’re having such a difficult time with this.”

He cupped your face and leaned forward. “No sweetheart. No. Yes I want to have a child with you. But my love for you isn’t based on that.”

You placed your hands on his. Watching as he bit his lip before asking you a question.

“Do you find yourself…feeling angry towards me?

“No! God no. I’ve been angry at myself. You make me so happy. And I want to make you happy.”

“I am,” he assured you.

“But-”

“I am, I swear to you.”

You sighed and kissed his lips in annoyance at how damn charming he is. “ I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

~

The two of you laid in bed together, content to listen to the bustling of traffic down below. 

After some time had passed your husband broke the silence. 

“We could always consider alternative methods,” he suggested.

“Adoption?” you asked.

“If that’s what we want.”

You sighed. “I admit. I’ve thought about it.”

“Me too.”

You wrapped your arms around Kento. “We should think it over. It wouldn’t be smart to rush to any decisions.”

He kissed your cheek in the dark.

“Of course love.”

The End. 

#dilf nanami #nanami kento #nanami x reader #80s au #jujustu kaisen #nanami kento x y/n

[ravenstargames]

✦ Lost in Limbo Devlog #3 | 03.31.23

Almost April already, huh? Time does really fly when you are busy. If February promised to be a stressful month for me and the team, March has been hell let loose. Our second trimester has ended as of today and our plan of action is to do as many things as we can during April, as we will hopefully have less workload from our master.

Without further ado—let's see what we managed to do this month!

Fixing sprites has still been one of our priorities. Truth is our master is doing a good job at teaching us how to do things better, and the eyes that once did those sprites are not the same watching them now. One of our bigger struggles is the lack of personal—we are literally four people doing our best with our daily lives while also being in charge of whole departments, and that is a bit crazy sometimes because there's a lot to do. I hope we can hire some help for the full game, because I don't want us all to crunch forever :').

Following the character art train of thought, this month we will also be giving priority to finishing at least one of our key art / promotional art pieces. Raquel is already working on polishing the sketch and we hope we can finish it soon to really start having a solid package of key art to represent us and our game.

Final piece will include bodies attached to heads, mind you. Unless...

Ahá! Remember last month when we said Raquel and I were working on some LiL backgrounds for a master assignment? Well, they are looking pretty good! We got rid of one forest background during the prologue outline process to alleviate some workload, but we seized the opportunity to bring it back! We won't be showing that one yet as we want to finish it and make an individual post for it, but you can have a look at this one instead!

Taking a stroll through Limbo's woods seems like a good idea...

Not too many news from the writing department this month. I'm going full speed with the fixes and editing the demo script like I planned, and I hope to have everything ready next month, but we'll see how things go. The changes to the script are being very beneficial to the general pace of the prologue. We want to get to the juicy part as soon as possible and have as much content of the LIs as we can, right?

The main lore document is still on the works too, but, dare I say it, I'm very happy with it! I'm secretly hoping we can offer the lore book as a physical reward for our future kickstarter, but that's still far away in the future. The artbook is our main priority!

This month we have also focused on something really special and important that sadly we won't be revealing until it's done because, well, it's in the making, and no one wants to see it all ugly and in progress, right? But we are working very hard and are very excited to be able to show it soon! Agh!

Also, our GUI is almost, almost completely finished! Only the title screen is left, so we are leaving you a preview of another screen right below. Our designer is once again doing an impeccable job.

Yep, you'll have a compendium with all the important bits and lore pieces you discover. Only in the full game, though.

It has been an okay-ish month for us. Very stressful because of our master; there's definitely a lot of excitement we have been bottling up as we found ourselves unable to work on LiL like we wanted to. I hope that April, or at least the beginning of it (before the last trimester of our degree starts getting serious and unhinged, which I'm afraid will happen) proves to be productive and enough to at least tie up some loose ends. The team needs a couple of days to rest, but we are ready to get back on track and do as much as we can this next month.

Thank you all so much for your unending support and for your patience, it means the world to us :') 💜 We hope you all are doing alright!

#lost in limbo #devlog #visual novel #otome #indiedev

[hughungrybear]

Me while watching Cherry Magic Thailand (Final EP):

It's the final EP!!!! Where will I get my next serotonin boost then? 🥺🥺🥺

1. Achi's cherry has been officially popped (hehe *wink wink 😏). He has now lost his mind-hearing power. However, Karan, it's too early in the morning to be this cheesy though 😅😅😅

2. Awww. Achi's new co-workers are so sweet (even though they prioritise playing football above all else 😂).

3. Why is Rock holding the monitor though? 😅😅😅 Also, holiday bonuses is the GOAT.

4. My SingJan heart 🥹🥹🥹 Rock represents all of us in the workforce that have unrealised dreams. Pai is right though. Nobody can really stop you from doing what you love as long as you have fun doing it. That fan sign though 😂😂😂

5. It's meet the parents time. (Please don't be homophobic, please don't be homophobic). Achi's Mum is very confused why anyone would even want to date her clumsy son 😂😂😂

6. That's next level superstitious though - praying to pick the right gummy bear colour 😂😂😂 Even in his most simp behaviour, Karan is still handsome. Wtf.

7. Looks like they're setting Karan's parents to be problematic. At this late stage of the series???

8. Min's dreams are finally coming true. Hope that won't cause problems with his relationship with Jinta [after 5 seconds] Oh, Min WILL NOT LET IT BE A PROBLEM. Nice. 😊 Also, it turns out that Min's fans are also Jinta's fans. Lucky them 😅😅😅

9. Y'know it's weird to see Tay on the driver's seat since he hates driving irl, which makes New the designated driver in their TayNew Meal Dates.

10. I will never understand parents avoiding necessary conversations with their kids. It's not as if the issue will go away if they ignore it. Karan's mum is every bit of a cvnt (along with the silent, useless father).

Big Sis Karin is the real MVP. I just want to slap Karan's parents (especially the mum) after Karin's monologue. Karan stopping himself from holding Achi's hand because he noticed his Mum is looking is very fvcked up (it broke something inside of me 😭😭).

Karan is lucky to have Achi, but I think he is even luckier to have Karin as his concerned, protective big sis.

11. A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL???? REALLLY??? MY HEART IS FULL 😭😭😭😭😭 [after five seconds] Wait, IT IS A DOUBLE PROPOSAL. THEY HAVE BOTH PREPARED A RING AND WERE SECRETLY PLANNING TO ASK THE OTHER'S HAND FOR MARRIAGE THIS WHOLE TIME. ACHI EVEN DID THE WHOLE PROPOSAL ON ONE KNEE. YES, I'M SCREAMING 🤯😍😍😍😍

12. I still don't accept that Min's group became famous by dancing to Mama OK! song. 😂😂😂 Oh, Rock became a social media dancing office worker icon. So happy for him.

13. Yes, push legalising LGBTQ+ marriage agenda please 🥹🥹🥹

14. YES!!!!! MY ROCKPAI AGENDA HAS FINALLY COME TRUE 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

I'm really happy with how this series turned out to be (although they did not show when Jinta will lose his powers too lol). So far, GMMTV remakes are managing to give proper respect to the originals without becoming a copycat. I think with this series, we (and by we, I mean the PolCa fans) can breathe in relief that TayNew is really back.

Now, to wait for 23.5 degrees 😭😭😭

#cherry magic thailand #karanachi #cherry magic thailand ep 12 #cherry magic thailand final ep #taynew #tay tawan #new thitipoom

[danicloth]

Hello! My name is Moriah and I am a junior in high school. I was wondering if I might be able to get your insight on a few questions I have?

I am in my final years of high school and am starting to think about college but I have no idea what I want to pursue. I know I love art, so for a long time I have been thinking about getting an art major or going to an art school.

I’m reaching out because I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR ART and I think you are a very talented artist! I have been in love with your art for so long and I am curious and wondering how you are able to fit drawing into your life?

1.) Do you think going to school for art or having an art major is worth it? What was it like?

2.) how can I fit art into my everyday life? I’m sure you have work and other things to do in your life so how do you balance it out? (I just want to know how you can draw as much as you do!)

3.) do you do art as a hobby or a career? If it is a hobby how to you balance work, art, and home life? If it is a career or part-time career is it an alright source of income?

Thank you so much! And sorry if these questions might seem personal. I just want to know how other artist manage to draw and create their work and still have an adult life. Thanks again, and thank you for being a huge inspiration in my life to create the art I love! Your art means so much to me!❤️❤️ ❤️

Hi Moriah!! How have you been? :D✨ I'm so sorry it took me sooooo long to respond. I've been busy like crazy 😩 but I'll try to be as honest as possible and make it understandable too, ‘cause, you know, my english sometimes fails me jaja

1. In my case it was 💜, being able to study the things I love made it much easier for me to finish my degree and know what I want to do now, and although I know that now we are in a time in which you can learn many things just by watching videos or tutorials (especially related to drawing), I still believe that if you want that, you like it and you know you can be good at it, do it ✨, it is better to be happy doing what you like than to be stuck in something you don't, although I would recommend having a idea WHAT you want to study, maybe animation, character design, graphic design, etc. That will create a clearer vision of where you want to go. You can ask yourself, of everything you do, what do you like the most?

2. Personally, I am a very organized person >w<, not to the point of writing down everything I do or have to do in the day, but having an idea of the things I should do helps me a lot, since there are things that I obviously cannot skip, such as work, that takes up a lot of my time, so every time I can I start drawing, even if it's just a small doodle, it's well known that if you want to improve you have to practice and you don't know how much just scribbling helps you 0m0, much of which I know I learned by trying and trying and trying just by drawing silly things in my notebooks, but of course drawing all day is not healthy either. For example, if I get tired I take breaks, maybe to eat a snack, go out with my friends or play with my pet, like that you balance your routine a little, doing your responsibilities but improving along the way and without getting tired.

3. Right now only as a hobby jaja, this year I would like to look for a job related to animation so I couldn't help you as much in that aspect, but I can tell you that nowadays you should have two or more sources of income, even if you have a permanent job in something related to art, have another one just in case or if you have a hobby you can also take advantage of it, like me for example, making commissions you could say that it is my hobby and I am taking advantage of it, but as I mentioned before, organizing yourself will help you. It helps a lot in what you want to do, where you want to go and even your life ✨

I feel very honored that you asked me 🥹✨, don't worry, I am also very new to being a functional adult on my own xD but I am happy to know that you can have that trust with me 💜, I hope that some of my answers have helped you ^w^ I send you a big hug 🫂✨

#And thank you very much for the nice comments you always post about my art 🥹 #I always read them all ✨💛 #good questions #danicloth #answers #personal #dani answers #art

[thetravelerwrites]

Akjan (Finale)

Rating: Explicit Relationship: Female Human/Male Orc Additional Tags: Exophilia, Monster Boyfriend, Orc HusbandForced Marriage, Trial Marriage, Reader Insert Content Warnings: Sold Into Marriage, Illegitimate Child, Execution, Domestic Abuse, Suicide Mention, Rape Mention, Sex, Oral Sex Words: 7243

With a battle looming in the near future, the reader becomes desperate to avoid bloodshed and makes an impulsive move that could earn her a severe punishment. Please reblog and leave feedback!

The Traveler's Masterlist

The atmosphere around the stronghold was getting tenser by the day, and your guilt mounted every time you saw how many people crammed into the main hall for each meal. Children ended up having to eat on the floor against the walls, as there was barely enough room on the tables for the adults, let alone the children. There was enough food in the reserves to last for months, since the one thing strongholds were designed for was to defend against war and invasions, but it didn’t change the fact that all of this was your fault. 

If you had done a better job of convincing Akjan, if you had stuck it out for the year and managed to gain Akjan’s affections, you could have solved all of this without the battle. You knew it was unlikely, considering his position in the stronghold, but if you had been as pretty or as smart as one of your sisters, you might have pulled it off. But you weren’t. You weren’t pretty, you weren’t smart, you weren’t lucky. You were a burden to everyone around you, you knew that, and it was all the worse because you couldn’t do anything to change it.

It was the day Akjan got word that the count’s army was a week out from the stronghold, marching steadily toward it, that you snapped. You couldn’t let this happen. All the count wanted was his deal, right? One horse would be enough. It didn’t matter if the horse was male or female, as long as he got one of the horses. 

Being the servant of a nobleman who bred horses, you had some knowledge about how to care for and groom them. You’d only ridden one once when you were thirteen, when a stablehand gave you a lesson in exchange for sneaking him some sweets from the kitchen for his daughter’s birthday. It was enough for a single ride out of the stronghold, at least.

Late that night, when the bunkhouse was still and quiet, you got up from the cot you were sharing with your new sister and left everything, except for the cloak Akjan had made and a pack of hardtack and water you’d secreted away while working in the kitchens. You wished you’d had the chance to say goodbye to your mother, but you hoped she’d understand. She was finally happy, and you would protect that happiness, even if you had to sacrifice your own. 

One thing you were good at, at least, was moving quietly without being seen, since staff in the count’s house were taught to be neither seen nor heard, as if they weren’t there. As such, you moved through the stronghold, ducking around the guards, and made the short run between the stronghold and the horse ranch. The ranch itself was not inside the stronghold proper, but it was connected through a specially crafted below-ground tunnel under the main hall. Since there was a degree of trust inside the stronghold, the trapdoor that led to the tunnel wasn’t locked or guarded. You imagined that might change now. 

A ten minute walk through the tunnel led you to the ranch’s trapdoor, though you had to be careful, since you weren’t sure where it led or if it would be locked. Thankfully, it wasn’t locked, but it led into the cellar of the ranch house, which was latched from the outside and you couldn’t get it open, at least without drawing attention from whoever was in the house. 

However, there was a small crawl space accessible from the cellar, likely because the cellar was built before the house and they hadn’t accounted for the difference in size, that led out to under the porch of the house that you were able to squeeze your body into. It was closed off by a metal panel screwed into the boards to keep out animals, but it didn’t take long for you to be able to wrench it off of the boards. Conscientiously, you replaced the panel when you got out.

You were now in the ranch’s front yard, and you could see the stable in the distance. Not all of the horses were in the stables; two of the mares had gotten pregnant out of season by the very smug stallion looking out at you from the enclosed paddock, and they were being kept away from the other mares to prevent them from going into heat. 

Perfect, you thought. Two for the price of one. And the price was… well… theft. You hoped one day you’d have a chance to repay the stronghold for everything. You weren’t sure how you could repay this… betrayal was the only word you could think of… but if you survived long enough, you’d find a way if you could.

You went to the stable and grabbed a basic halter, lead, and a riding blanket. You went out under the moonlight and chose the most docile one, a pretty palomino. It wouldn’t be to the count’s taste, as he preferred the flashy horses that made good first impressions, but you would take what you could handle and the count would just have to settle for it. 

She stood still and obedient as you adjusted the halter and threw on the blanket, then you led her to the fence, opened it, led her out, and then closed it behind you. Using the railing to climb up, you settled on her back, feeling a little off balance, and started toward the road at a trot. There was another gate down the pathway that you had to dismount to open, but finally you were out of the stronghold and on your way back to your awful father. 

The count would likely follow the main road so that everyone would see him and his army marching, so you'd just have to follow the road and you'd run into him eventually. You knew he would want everyone to know what he was doing, wanting people to be impressed and awestruck by his prowess, so he would be as loud and flashy as possible. He only had a couple dozen personal knights of his own, so he likely borrowed a few hundred from nobles he was friendly with, seeing as he was going against a stronghold that was more than 300 strong, all of whom were trained to fight as soon as they were old enough to hold a short sword. 

The sun rose a few hours later, and you were growing tired since you hadn’t slept, but you wanted to get more distance between you and the stronghold before you stopped for rest. You planned on riding until at least midday before resting, since you were sure no one would notice you were gone until at least then. Honestly, you expected they’d notice the horse was gone before they noticed your absence. You weren’t sure what the punishment for horse stealing was in the stronghold, but at the count’s estate, you knew it included forty lashes and the cutting off of one or both hands, and you’d prefer to avoid that. 

Mid-morning, however, you heard the hoof falls of a horse running quite fast and you looked behind you. Some distance away, you saw Akjan, alone, on an absolutely massive black and white shire horse, barreling toward you at a quick pace. Panicked, you kicked the mare into a gallop and urged her to move as fast as she was able. You weren’t sure why you thought that was a good idea; there was no way that you were going to outrun that big juggernaut of a steed Akjan was riding, but you supposed you weren’t thinking clearly. 

It took mere minutes for Akjan to catch up, and he reached over and yanked the lead out of your hands, slowing both horses to a stop. 

“What the hell were you thinking?!” He roared at you. "Have you lost your mind?!"

“He just wants the horse!” You cried. “You can’t put everyone at the stronghold in danger over a horse!”

“Is that your decision to make?” He asked, incensed. “Do you think I decided such a thing lightly? Do you think this is really about one horse?”

"What else would it be about?"

He swore and took several heavy breaths, as if he had been the one running. “If we give this count what he wants the first time he shows any amount of aggression, will it stop with a single horse? What of other nobles who get it into their heads that they can march right up to our door and demand whatever they want? Must we go to war with anyone who wants what we have? Must we lay down and allow them to walk over us and take what they like, to avoid a battle? Is that what you expect?”

You were quiet. You knew he was right. 

“I had to do something,” You said in desperation. “All of this is my fault.” 

“How could this be your fault?” 

“The entire stronghold and the town is in danger because of me,” You said. “Because I didn’t do what I was supposed to do.”

“And what was that? Seduce me? Change my mind about selling the horses? That was impossible from the start; I can’t even make that decision on my own. The horses belong to the stronghold, not me. I can’t authorize the sale of the breeding horses without a vote. That’s stronghold business, so the entire stronghold has to agree. We’ve held a vote for this very thing several times, and it was vetoed every time. You couldn’t have gotten me to agree to the deal because I am not capable of making it.” 

“Why didn’t you tell him that from the beginning?” 

“Is it any of his business how our stronghold conducts its affairs? No! If we said we’re not selling, the reason shouldn’t matter! The word 'No' should be enough! He’s not getting the deal, and that’s the end of it!”

“Then I should go back to the count, shouldn’t I?” You said in exasperation. “If what you said is true, then I’m of no use to you. I never was! You never had a reason to protect me. You can take me back to the count, and return to the stronghold with the horse, and the problem will be solved.”

“You think I came after you because of the horse?!” He shouted. “This has nothing to do with the goddamned horses! You are my people! We protect our people!” 

“I’m not!” You said. “I’m not your people anymore! You burned the marriage contract, so we aren’t even married! I’m of no use to you! I’m of no use to anyone! I have no value to anyone other than as goods to be traded!” 

“That’s bullshit!” He said. “Are you not a person? Have you no pride or self-worth? Are you not a thinking, breathing human being with much to offer?” 

“I’m nothing!” You shouted back, tears falling down your cheeks. “I’m no one! I’m not worth putting hundreds of people at risk. I’m not even worth the horse I’m sitting on! I’m nothing to no one!” 

“Are you not a daughter to your mother, if nothing else?” He asked, his voice still irate but softening. 

“She doesn’t need me!” You said. “She’s finally happy. I was a child she never wanted and had to raise against her will! She would have been better off if I’d never been born! So would you! I shouldn’t even exist! Isn’t it better for everyone if I leave?”

“It’s not better for you,” He protested. 

“It doesn’t matter what’s better for me,” You replied. “I’m no one. I’m not even worth your anger.”

It was the first time since you learned of your parentage that you realized this, or perhaps that you allowed yourself to think about it. It was true: you shouldn’t exist. You were the result of a terrible assault that your mother suffered, and you were a daily reminder of that trauma. You were her trauma incarnated. You were the fruit of the worst thing that ever happened to her. The thought that so many people were in harm’s way because of someone, something, like you… it made you sick.

You felt empty. You were still crying, but not out of sadness or anger. You weren’t even really sure why you were crying, because you couldn’t feel anything besides cold. 

“We’re going back, My Lady,” He said quietly. 

“Stop calling me that,” You replied. "I'm not a lady. I never was."

Without a word, he turned both of the horses and began the plod back to the stronghold. You hung your head and wept next to him, and he said nothing.

You arrived back at the stronghold just before dark, and your frantic mother ran forward, throwing her arms around you. When you didn’t join her in the kitchens that morning, she’d known something was off. According to her, Akjan left immediately when he learned you couldn’t be found. They didn’t even know one of the horses was missing until Akjan found you riding it. 

From that moment on, Akjan didn’t let you out of his sight. He tied your wrist to his at every moment, only allowing you to bathe and go to the privy without him, though he had a woman of the stronghold accompany you and keep watch in case you attempted to flee again. He took you to every meeting of the chieftain’s council and you slept next to him in the longhouse. He didn’t say much to you other than to insist you eat, as you’d lost your appetite since returning, and to say goodnight and good morning. He hadn’t mentioned what your punishment would be, but you assumed he was too busy preparing for the invasion to be concerned about it and that it would come when the dust settled.

The day the army was to arrive, all of the adult orcs and many of the adult non-orc spouses put on armor and began forming ranks outside of the stronghold. They needed no direction to do this; war drills were a normal part of life in the stronghold, so everyone knew their roles inside and out and required no direction. The children, elderly, and women who couldn’t fight were taken to the fortified underground bunker at the very back of the stronghold, near the forest wall. 

Except for you, that is. You were taken to the house your mother shared with Rourke by the “harem” and your stepsister, and outfitted with a soft, fine, deep green wool gown, a chain mail shirt, leather breastplate, leather bracers on your forearms, and your fur-lined cloak to complete the outfit. Your hair was pulled back and braided elaborately with beads and semi-precious stones, and a silver circlet was placed on your brow. You were led to the mirror and couldn’t believe what you saw: you looked like a warrior queen from those old legends you’d heard the elders liked to tell at dinnertime in the main hall. 

“Is she ready?” Akjan asked. He was waiting outside. 

“Come in and see, Akjan,” Erin said. 

Akjan opened the door and came inside, stopping short when he caught sight of you, slack-jawed. You blushed under his gaze. 

“Perfect,” He said in a low undertone. “She’s perfect.” 

Your blush deepened and you turned away. 

“Ah,” He said suddenly. “Almost perfect. She’s missing something.” He came forward and reached around your waist, inside your cloak, and you leaned back, flustered. You looked down, and saw him fastening a belt with a short sword on your hips.

“There," He said, satisfied.

"Am I going to be fighting?" You asked anxiously.

"Oh, gods, no. This is just presentation."

"Then why do I need the armor?"

"Better safe than sorry. It's better to prepare for things that could happen and don't than to be surprised. Now, come on,” He said, holding out his hand for yours. “The army is just a few hours away. We should greet them, should we not?” 

You took his hand and he led you out to the stronghold’s gate, up the ladder, and the two of you stood in the center of the walking bridge over the gate. Outside of the gate, were all of the soldiers from the stronghold and many of the men of the town, standing in groups of twenty, two groups to a column, four columns to a row, spaced in three equal stations side-by-side. They were still and quiet, like statues. 

“Warriors!” Akjan called out, his voice and presence a command in and of itself, and every soldier raised their weapon in salute. “Our people are threatened! How do we answer!”

“WITH RAGE!” They responded. They were so loud that many birds were expelled from the trees. 

“Our home is under siege! How do we answer!” 

“WITH HATRED!” 

“Our loved ones are endangered! How do we answer!”

“WITH DEATH!”

“Against whom do we spit our rage!”

“THE ENEMY!”

“Upon whom do we unleash our hate!”

“THE ENEMY!”

“Upon whom will we rain death!” 

“THE ENEMY!”

“Let them know our resolve! Death!” 

“DEATH!”

“Death!”

“DEATH!” 

“Call out to the enemy! Call them to their death!” 

The soldiers roared, the sound deafening. The spearmen brought down their spears, thumping a rhythm against the ground. The others beat the rhythm against their armor, and they began to chant, a gruff and threatening sound. The chant was in Orcish and you couldn’t understand what they were saying, but you were certain it was violent. You imagined any opposing forces that heard it would soil their trousers.

“Akjan,” You called over the noise. “Why am I here?” 

“You’re here to show him how much better off you are, how much more happy and treasured you are. Nothing will piss him off more than knowing you don’t need him. Standing above him like this won’t make him very happy, either.”

He had a point. From the height where you were standing, you could see movement on the horizon. As they approached closer and closer, the chanting grew louder and louder, punctuated with roars and growls and hissing. 

At a certain point, you saw the count riding at the front of the procession, and your eyes met. Instinctively, you lowered your gaze.

“Oi,” Akjan said, and you looked up at him. “Why are you looking down, eh? You’re the daughter of a count and the wife of a chieftain, which makes you nothing less than a queen, as far as he knows. You don’t lower your eyes to anyone. Not even me.” 

You smiled for the first time in days. “Alright.” 

“Head up, shoulders back, spine straight. Look down your nose at him, the same way he’s done to you. He’s nothing more than muck on your boot.”

You did as he told you, squaring your shoulders and tilting your chin up.

“You’re doing well, My Lady,” He said. He leaned in close and whispered in your ear, “I’m proud of you. Be proud of yourself.”

You felt tears prick your eyes, but you held them back.

“I told you not to call me that,” You said to him. 

“Try to stop me,” He said with a grin and a wink. It startled a laugh out of you. “Ah, that’s better. I’ve missed that surprised laugh of yours this past week. Your face has been dark and empty recently. It’s made me anxious.”

 You felt a blush creep up your neck and you struggled not to look down and away. He took your hand and wrapped it around his arm. 

The small army finally reached the clearing outside of the stronghold’s gates and filed outward. You saw immediately that they were outnumbered by the orc legion by far, but they lined up in such a way as to make it look like their ranks were larger than they were. You had to admit, it looked as if they were well-trained, but training alone would not make up for the severe disadvantage at which they stood. You could see by the insignia on their armor and the different colors that the men had been borrowed from quite a few nobles, and you felt bad that these men would likely die for something that didn’t involve them.

The chanting carried on for a few minutes after the opposing army took their positions. Akjan called out in Orcish, and the orc army went quiet and still once more. The sound of the chanting had scared away most of the birds and wildlife around the stronghold, so now that the noise had stopped, it was deathly, eerily quiet. 

“Chief Akjan!” The count called out. “Come out and parlay with me if you wish to avoid bloodshed!”

“No, I don’t think I will!” Akjan called back. “I like the view from here!” 

“You have lied to me and stolen my property!” Count Renard said. “Your cowardice knows no end!” 

“I have a vastly different idea of what constitutes cowardice, Count Renard!” Akjan said. “Regarding your own child as property and selling her for a horse while holding her mother hostage seems more like cowardice to me!” 

“She’s mine to do with as I wish!” The count snapped back. “As are my servants! You are guilty of theft!” 

“I am guilty of giving shelter to your victims!” Akjan retorted. “Both of whom are adults and under no obligation to obey you! What you’re describing is slavery! To my knowledge, enslaving your own family and a member of the nobility is against your people’s laws, is it not? Is not the very act of forcing her to marry me illegal in the eyes of your people?” 

A murmur went through the count’s forces, and you were startled to realize he was right. It was illegal for anyone of noble birth to allow their children to marry or sell their children into marriage with someone who was not nobility, regardless of legitimacy. If Akjan had at least a baronial title, it would have been perfectly acceptable for you to marry him, but since he had no such title, the mere act of offering you to Akjan for marriage was against the gentry laws, and since Count Renard was the party pushing for the marriage, he was the culpable party. The only reason you knew this was because a duke friend of Count Renard’s had been fined quite a lot of money when he allowed his daughter to elope with a horseman. It completely slipped your mind that the law included you, because you never thought of yourself as nobility.

“Silence!” The count shouted, and the knights became still. “Are you not also guilty of violating this law?”

“Orcs are not subject to the laws of your people, Count! Strongholds are regarded as independent nations, as you well know!” Akjan retorted. “You have invaded my lands illegally, and therefore it is well within my rights to take any recompense I wish!” Akjan said. “You will have no protection from your king if you continue! I can strike you down this instant with complete impunity, if I choose!” 

“Nonsense!” The count spat. “I am of noble birth! Any violence committed against me will be avenged!” 

Akjan reached into his vest and produced a large scroll and unrolled it. You had no idea what it said, but you recognized the royal seal immediately.

“‘Let it be known, by order of the King, should Count Justice Renard raise a hand against the stronghold of Willowshield and its people, he shall forfeit his life to them. Willowshield will not be held in contempt of the crown, nor will they have committed a crime any greater than the crime committed against them, for defending their people against Count Justice Renard, and we shall have no ill will for them in doing so. Signed this day by Grand Duke Leonidas, ruler of the Leonidas Duchy and the city of Dunmountain.’” 

Akjan rerolled the scroll and threw it down so that the Count could read it himself. The count ordered one of his soldiers to retrieve it and read it, his face becoming pale. He looked up and around him, searching for a way out of the pit he had dug for himself.

“How did you get that?” You asked Akjan in an undertone. 

“I sent the Grand Duke the marriage contract that outlined the terms the count had agreed upon, plus testimonials from members of the count’s household. The evidence was pretty iron-clad. If he had just stopped at selling you off, it would have only cost him some money, but since he marched on the stronghold because of an illegal deal, he’s no longer afforded the protection nobles enjoy against retaliation. And, since he’s borrowed knights from other nobles, he’s also implicated them in an illegal deal, so I’m absolutely certain those nobles will want nothing to do with him anymore.” Akjan snorted. “I can only guess he was banking on the assumption that, as an orc, I wouldn’t know the laws of the crown. It’s too bad for him that I am capable of reading and I’m not a moron.” 

You snickered. 

“Soldiers!” Akjan called, addressing the knights. “You have been lied to and marched here under false pretenses! You may all walk free if you surrender the count for retribution!”

The count spun in panic as several of the knights advanced on him. Knights relied heavily on their code of honor, you knew, and the fact that they had been tricked into participating in an illegal invasion was likely something that angered them. 

“Rourke,” Akjan said. Rourke was in the watchtower with a strung bow at the ready. “Collect him for me, yes?” 

Rourke grinned and nodded, unstringing his bow and heading down the ladder. The soldiers parted to allow Rourke through to the count, who was being held in place by his own knights, and Rourke punched the count hard enough to knock him out. Rourke slung the count over his shoulder and took him inside the stronghold to the longhouse. 

“Men,” Akjan called once more. “Your journey has made you tired. If you bear us no ill will, I invite you to come in for food, drink, and rest.”

The knights glanced at each other, uncertain of what to do. 

“Come on!” Called one of the orcs in the front lines. “I’m tired of standing in formation and I’m hungry. Do you folks stop eating when you become knights? What does honor taste like?” 

There was a wave of laughter that broke the tension, and the knights started forward toward the gates. Several of the orcs went out and helped them bring in their equipment carts and unhook their beasts of burden, leading them to the temporary stables just inside the walls. 

Once the news that the battle was canceled, townspeople began to pack up and head home to Willowridge. As a result, there was more than enough room for the troops to rest around the stronghold. Janiek went out to fetch your mother, and she met you outside of the longhouse. 

“What happened?” She asked anxiously. “Was there a fight? Is Rourke alright?” 

“He’s fine, Mother,” Janiek said. “We’ve got a present for you.” 

Inside of the longhouse was Akjan, Rourke, a knight you knew was the captain of the count’s knights, and the count himself. He was awake, but his face was bloodied. He had been stripped of his armor and was wearing only his trousers. His arms were bound behind his back and he was gagged, and the knight had his boot on the count's back, preventing him from standing.

Your mother let out a shuddering breath of fear. Rourke immediately went to your mother upon seeing her panic and held her. 

“It’s alright, my love,” He said soothingly. “He’s at our mercy and he can’t hurt you. We wanted to ask what you’d like to do with him. He’s wronged you the worst, so you can decide.” 

“The penalty for rape is death in the stronghold,” Akjan said. “And there is no statute of limitations. You are a member of the stronghold, and any offense committed against you is an offense committed against the stronghold. However, the ultimate punishment is determined by the victim. It’s only fair: it’s not like he asked you what you wanted.” 

Your mother shook and looked a bit cornered. “I don’t know,” She whispered. 

Rourke took her face in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers. “I’ll take care of it, alright? You just say the word and I’ll take care of it. Whatever you want.” 

She put her hands on his chest and took a deep breath. “I don’t ever want to see him again.” 

“Understood,” He said softly. He gave her a kiss and had Janiek lead her outside. 

“Are you going to stay or go?” Akjan asked you. 

You looked at the count glaring at you from the ground. “I’ll stay.” 

Akjan nodded and handed Rourke a broadsword. 

“You’ve got no objections?” Akjan asked the knight. 

He shook his head. “No, Chief. I’ve spent twenty years sacrificing my own honor for his. This seems fitting. I’ll be a witness and take the report to the Grand Duke.”

“Very well.” Akjan came up to stand behind you and put his hands on your arms, rubbing them up and down soothingly. “Rourke.” 

Rourke nodded, stepped up to the count, who was struggling, and raised the broadsword, swinging it downward swiftly. The blade cut cleanly through the bones and sinew of the count’s neck, and his head fell forward, his body hitting the ground with a thump.

You felt the bile rise in your throat, and you covered your mouth with your hand. 

“Chuck him on the rubbish pyre,” Akjan said. “With the rest of the garbage.” 

Rourke nodded, and the knight, after giving you a respectful bow, assisted Rourke in gathering up the count’s body for disposal. You felt faint and your knees were buckling. Akjan noticed and put his arm around you. 

“Come on, My Lady,” He said. “Let’s sit you down somewhere quiet.” 

Akjan led you to his cabin, which had been cleared out by then. The fire had burned down to embers, but Akjan threw some wood on it and stoked it back to life, then he sat you at the table and pulled your cloak and belt off. He dipped a cloth in water, knelt in front of you, and began wiping your pallid face. 

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“I think so,” You said. He handed you a cup of water and helped you to sip. Your hands were shaking too much to be able to hold the cup steady.   

“You did a good job, My Lady,” Akjan said with a smile. “You found some bravery in that small body of yours. How did it feel?” 

“Terrifying,” You said with a nervous laugh. “But… it also felt good. I didn’t know I had any.” 

He smiled softly at you. “Of course you did. It was brave of you to take that mare and leave the stronghold by yourself, even if it was also stupid.” 

You snorted. 

“So…” He said. “It’s over now. You don’t have to worry about the count anymore. What do you think you’ll do? Will you stay in the stronghold or move on?” 

“I have no idea,” You said. “I haven’t had the room in my head to give much thought to what would happen when this was over. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting a good outcome, so I’m sort of astounded at present. I'm just happy it ended without bloodshed. Well, innocent bloodshed."

He hummed, smiling. “Well, one thing I know for sure, stepping down is going to be a lot of work. I need to get started right away if I’m going to get it all done before the end of winter.” 

Your head snapped up. “Step down? You mean from being chieftain? Why?” 

From where he was kneeling before you, he raised his hand up and brushed your cheek with his knuckles. 

“Because I want to get married,” He said softly. 

Your mouth fell open and you stared at him in shock. “To who?” 

He laughed at you, incredulous, and leaned forward to press his lips to yours. You inhaled the scent of his skin as he kissed you, and threw your arms around his neck. You felt that need, the one you felt the last time you kissed him, flaring up in your body again, and you pressed yourself against him. He lifted you from the seat and you wrapped your legs around his waist as he stood up straight and carried you to his pallet of furs. 

His hands touched your body gently over your clothes, pinching your small breasts through the dress, and you gasped. One of his hands reached down and drew up the hem of your dress, but he stopped suddenly.

“Are you sure about this?” He asked breathlessly, his eyes searching your face. “You didn’t even answer my question.” 

“You didn’t ask a question,” You pointed out. 

He snorted. “You have a point.” He knelt up between your legs, looking down at you where you lay on his bed, and touched your face. “Will you marry me, My Lady?”

“Yes, Chief Akjan,” You replied with a wide smile. He grinned and wasted no time in pulling the dress over your head. Next went the chemise and your small clothes, leaving you bare on the furs. 

“Gods, you’re so beautiful,” He breathed as he came back down on you, kissing down the center of your chest, sucking your entire breast into his mouth and teasing your nipples with his tongue. “I love how a blush looks on your skin. I’ve always wondered if the rest of your body gets as pink as your face.”

You squealed and squirmed a little under him, feeling the throb between your legs. He reached down and touched your slit, drawing a single finger up and down slowly. You moaned slightly, tilting your hips up in response to his touch. He crawled down your body to the apex of your legs and pressed his tongue to your pearl, and you cried out, your thighs twitching. Akjan held your thighs wide open as he sucked your core, and you gripped his hair, riding out the sensations. He inserted one of his large fingers inside you and rubbed it against the inner wall, and the sweet, hot feeling made your back arch involuntarily. You felt the wash of ecstasy overtake you, and you moaned over and over.

He kissed his way back up your body, undoing his belt and shedding leather. Eventually, he was as nude as you, and he kissed you, tangling his tongue with yours. 

“I am quite large,” He said, kissing your collarbone. “And you are very small, so this will hurt, I’m afraid. I’ll be as gentle as I can be.” 

“It’s alright,” You said, kissing him. “I trust you.” 

He smiled softly and petted your hair, pressing his forehead against yours. He reached between your bodies and led his cock toward your entrance, pressing himself firmly against it.

“Take a deep breath, My Lady,” He said silkily, and you complied. As you exhaled, he clenched hard enough to pop the head inside you. He was right, it was painful, but it was tolerable. You’d heard horror stories from other maids about their first time and it had done a lot to ensure your celibacy until that point. Your breath stuttered as he thrust gently into you, a little more of his length entering you with each thrust. 

“Breathe, My Lady,” He whispered into your hair. “Deep breaths.” He reached down to tease your bud again, and the pleasure overtook the pain in a way that pushed it into the background. It was still there, but you were more focused on what felt good rather than what felt bad. You tried hard to breathe the way he instructed, but it was becoming harder to regulate the breathing between the moans and whimpering. He held you close as he finally seated the full length of his cock inside you, and became still for a moment, kissing you deeply and caressing your face. You could feel the tip of him pressing against your stomach from the inside.

“I love you,” He whispered against your skin. Your breath stuttered again, and you felt the tears in your eyes. He saw them and kissed the corner of your eyes. “I hope these are happy tears.” 

You laughed and nodded, sniffling. “Yes. Very happy. I love you, too, Akjan.” 

He kissed you tenderly and began to move again, slowly and sweetly. One of the things he always joked about was that he didn’t know the meaning of the word “gentle,” but there was no way that could be true: the gentleness he showed you caused you to tear up constantly. 

The pain subsided to pinching, and your tense body relaxed more. He was very perceptive; he began to speed up when he felt the tension ease out of your body. Propping himself up on his hands, he kissed your shoulders and neck, teasing your earlobe with his tongue as he thrust in and out, and you moaned in time with the movement of his body. 

You clung to him as he thrust into you, feeling the pressure in your body rising again, though it was tempered why the discomfort of having his large cock inside of you. He sat up between your legs and put your buttocks in his lap, thrusting inside you and rubbing your clit in circles. Your cries intensified, and you gripped his wrists as he hit that delicious spot inside you, your eyes closed and your mouth open. 

The wave crashed into you, wiping out all thought in your head. He grunted as you came and slowed down. 

“You’re squeezing me so hard in there,” He said. “Does it feel good?” 

You couldn’t speak, but you nodded. 

“Want to feel good again?”

You nodded again. 

He sped up once more, rubbing your clit frantically, and you felt a gush of fluid down your thighs and buttocks with the next rush of pleasure. He groaned, covered your body with his, and slapped himself against you. It was a little painful again, but you didn’t mind it. You felt him throbbing and pulsing inside you, and he came hard, grunting over and over, filling you with his warmth. He slowed to a stop and held himself up on his elbows over you, still inside you, and pressed his forehead against your chest as he caught his breath. 

After a few minutes, he pulled out of you and sat back on his heels, looking at your body, splayed out on the furs, with a smile.

“Why are you staring at me?” You asked him.

“Because my wife is so gorgeous, I can’t help but stare at her.” 

You covered your face with your hands to hide the blush.

“Ah, you’re turning pink again,” He said, laughing. “Your chest and shoulders turn a fetching shade of rose, did you know that?”

"Don't!" You squealed.

He chuckled and came down over you to kiss you deep and slow. “Hey, will you do something for me?” He asked.

“Of course.” 

“Can you rebraid my hair? Make it fancy. I want everyone to know I’m betrothed. Plain braids are for the unmarried folks, you know.” 

“I’ll do it when I get feeling back in my legs,” You said. He laughed and lay down next to you, pulling you into his arms. 

“People will come looking for us if we don’t show up for dinner,” He said, toying with a lock of your hair. 

“Hmm,” You said, snuggling into his body. “We have enough time for a nap, then.”

He laughed and enclosed you in his arms, sighing contentedly.

It only took two months for the stronghold to decide on a new chieftain and Akjan was able to step down with very few issues. The new chieftain’s first act was to marry you and Akjan. Akjan was well loved, so the wedding was just as big as the wedding your mother had during the preparation for the siege, with several folks from Willowridge and places beyond in attendance. Your mother was over the moon that you and Akjan were marrying, as she had worried for your future if you were expelled from the stronghold. With that fear allayed, she was more than happy to celebrate. 

Your mother became pregnant before you, which wasn’t surprising, as she was still in her child-bearing years, and she was overjoyed to be having Rourke’s baby. Rourke was beside himself with delight, and Janiek celebrated by making her younger sibling their very first sword.

At some point during the pregnancy, you sat your mother down and asked if she regretted giving birth to you. She looked stricken and asked if that was what you believed, that she didn’t want you, and you reluctantly admitted that you did. She took you in her arms and held you, telling you that your birth had saved her life, as she had been contemplating ending it all before learning she was with child. At first, she was horrified, but she told you that having you gave her a reason to live and a reason to keep moving forward. She told you that if it hadn’t been for you, not only would she not be married and having this second child, but that she likely wouldn’t be alive at all. She thanked you for being born, and you thanked her for loving you, and the two of you cried in each other's arms.

Your little brother, Rakja, was born the next autumn, and by then you were pregnant with Akjan’s child. Akjan fussed over you, worrying about how small and delicate you were compared to how large orc children got, and while it was inconvenient at times, you allowed yourself to be fussed over. It was nice to be doted on. 

“I wonder what’s happened to the count’s estate,” You asked one day the next spring. You were ready to pop any day now, and Akjan had forbidden you from getting up until the little one arrived unless absolutely necessary. 

“As far as I know, it’s been absorbed into the Grand Duke’s duchy,” Akjan said, slicing an apple for you. “The countess and her children have taken refuge at her parent’s estate. As far as I know, her children will have no inheritance.” He looked at you. “Do you feel bad for them?” 

You shrugged. “I feel bad for Justice Jr. He was just a baby. Hopefully he’ll grow up different from his father.” 

“One can hope,” Akjan asked, hand feeding you. “Perhaps it’s for the best that the county was dissolved. I wonder how the crown would feel if they knew there was going to be an orc who had a claim to the title.” He gestured to your belly. 

You snickered. “I’m glad we won’t have to find out. That would have been a mess, I’m sure.” You leaned forward and kissed him. “Can you help me up? I have to pee again.” 

He laughed good-naturedly and lifted you to your feet without effort. “As you wish, My Lady.”

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My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

#Exophilia #Orc #Orc husband #Fake Marriage #Manhwa Tropes #Reader Insert

[ikayblythe]

Your post about Pebbles being literally a child/young iterator make me cry a little, and ramp up the angst in the fics and I love it for it! That got me thinking that it means that he was the last iterator built in the local group, and one of the last built in the world.

God, as there aren't enough reasons to punch the Ancients...

Love your ocs and the concepts you have! So here's a question: who of the iterators of the local group in your au accept the offer of being a REiterator?

GXHXJTDMGSGJSJFSJ

YOU SEE ACTUALLY

I HAD A WHOLE DRAFT POST ABOUT THAT

IM NOT FINISHED WRITING THE "LORE" BUT I REALLY WANNA SHARE THEIR REITERATED DESIGNS SO HERE

the answer is all of them! depending on whether Deliverer is successful or not.

Pebbles would naturally be the most enthusiastic about reiterating. Carnalist philosophy gives words to the ideas he already had, but was never able to develop. Also, he's half dead anyway so...what could he possibly lose?

As for Moon, ironically, she would be the most opposed to it. Mostly accepting it reluctantly, because she couldnt be bothered to fight it. The actual reiteration process is not invasive at all, since it just requires a scan and then the envoys go on their merry way back to the Ascending Spire. However even reiterated Moon is still a boomer who continues to echo Ascensionist thought to some degree. Oh well!

Sig would see that objectively, he has nothing to lose with taking this chance. If all goes well, then *some* version of him will be able to live happy. A selfish selflessness. Also he gets the opportunity to finally hug Moon! And strangle Pebbles.

Unfortunately, since I like to imagine Sunshower as coexisting with Downpour canon, the courier who would have returned with confirmation that the reiteration was successfully never makes it. So the originals are left to wither away without knowing :]

As for Suns, they would be resistant. What may have been a nonchalant "what could we do about it" attitude turns to willful ignorance in favor of coping through learned helplessness. Especially with their guilt, and then being told that the iterators as a whole were a cruel joke? Even when you ended up sacrificing two of your own? They are eventually persuaded, though mostly because Id like them to be there too lol

Most of these characterizations are subject to change, and are very much oc, especially since we know so little about the last two as well, UI and CW.

But I want them all to be happy and to ponder how theyd adjust to living in the flesh :]

#digital art #artwork #rain world #art #rainworld #original art #rain world fanart #rw #rain world art #rain world iterator #rw iterator #five pebbles #no significant harassment #looks to the moon #seven red suns #chasing wind #unparalleled innocence #local group 134 #rw sunshower #asks