Sleeveless (ノースリ)

More of my favorite enby 💕

I really love seeing them in this top, so I just wanted a solo shot of them leaning against a wall or something while looking off to the side.

Someone sent me a nice chain brush I could use for this piece as well, and I absolutely love it. It really adds a nice touch to the whole thing, makes it very Arc-like.

Hatsukoi (初恋)

Innumerable cherry blossom petals flurried in the wind, an apparent sign of winter's passing and the arrival of spring. With a lovely blue sky overhead and the cool, breezy weather, it was the perfect time to go on a date, and you and Arc agreed to enjoy the sight of the blooming trees at a nearby park. It was a sight you two were all-too-familiar with every spring, and yet it never fails to leave you breathless each time.

Underneath a fully-bloomed cherry tree overlooking the small lake in the distance also happened to be one of many perfect places to be... Romantic. And you found it almost fitting: a symbol of your recently blossomed love together, after the events that transpired during last month's Valentine's.

"Hey. Hey, Arc."

"Hm?" Arc turned around. "What is it, <Name>?"

One of your hands reached up and rest on their cheek. Scarlet warmth bloomed on their cheeks almost immediately at the touch, matching your own as you gazed into their equally scarlet eyes.

"I love you."

At first, Arc blinked at you with how... Forward you were about what you felt about them, but that soon melted away into a loving smile. Their eyes glowed with affection as they returned your gaze, albeit with a tinge of some shyness. It can't be helped, really; they've always been rather reserved when it came to their emotions... Though you honestly found this side of them to be rather adorable.

"Well..." They said, almost sheepishly, "I... Love you too."

Both of you just stood there, basking in that moment you shared together. When Arc reached out their hands to hold you in their arms, your smile widened at the feeling of being enveloped in their comforting warmth.

"Can I ask you for something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Hm..." You made a gesture that looked as though you were thinking about something, though you honestly weren't thinking too hard about what it was.

Without skipping a beat, you finally asked, "Can I have a kiss, Arc?"

They made no attempt to hide their surprised expression upon hearing your words. You could see them looking somewhat flustered, but trying their best to maintain their composure.

"Y-Yeah..." They stammered out, after a good minute of silence. "Where do you want it? On your cheeks? Or..."

You gave them an amused yet knowing look. It was pretty obvious at this point, wasn't it? But seeing their hesitation, you decided to make things clear between you two anyway.

"On my lips, of course," You said, giggling. "Is that okay?"

"O-Oh." The redness on Arc's cheeks only deepened further. "Of... Of course... But..."

You saw them turn their head here and there, doing a quick scan of your surroundings for anyone who might be around. Although the scenery was perfect and they were willing to grant your request, they seemed to be more concerned about other people witnessing you two more than anything. 

"Doing it here though is, uh, kinda embarrassing, honestly..."

Mischief took hold on you as your lips curled into a devious smirk.

"In that case..." You reached out your other hand to rest on the small of their back, before pressing them against yourself, causing them to gasp sharply. "Should I take the initiative, then?"

Their face seized up at the thought of you making the first move, something they were still quite unused to... And they knew just how assertive you could be (though shameless might be a better word, Arc pondered), so much that you wouldn't care too much about prying eyes. They quickly turned their head away, avoiding your eyes, mostly out of embarrassment.

"Even if you did that, it wouldn't change that fact..." They muttered, just above a whisper.

Smiling reassuringly, you tilted their head so that they would look at you again, though Arc couldn't help darting their eyes elsewhere. In spite of their fearsome reputation as the Chain Wielder of Otemachi, underneath Arc's seemingly cold and heartless exterior was someone who was actually very warm and sweet. Of course, when it came to matters of the heart, they weren't exactly the best role model out there... But they try. You of all people knew that best, and you knew just as well how far they would go for your sake, and for those they held dear.

And you wanted to make sure they knew that you appreciated that. You wanted them to know just how much you valued what you had between each other.

"It's okay if people see us, Arc. We're a couple now, after all... And more than anything, I'm proud of what we have together."

Glazing your eyes slightly to the side in contemplation, you added, "Besides... There's just something more romantic about you doing the kisses first..."

Perhaps it was the sight of your blush and shy smile and the backdrop of cherry blossom petals as you admitted that. Perhaps it was the thought that someone like you, someone so radiant, so brave, and ever so determined, wanting to be by their side and choosing to reciprocate their feelings. Perhaps it was the thought that, in spite of all the people who sought your heart in Tokyo, Arc alone had the privilege of sharing intimate moments like this with you... And they were sure to have many, many more of these in the future.

Whatever the reason was, it was enough for Arc to muster up the courage they needed to respond to you in kind, and give you exactly what you wanted.

"Well, if you really want it that much..."

As you beamed at them in eager anticipation, Arc took deep breaths and willed themself to relax, attempting to stave off the encroaching anxiety. They would do this; they wanted to do this... All just for you.

"Alright, <Name>. Just... Close your eyes, okay?"

---

Oh finally, back with the content! 😩 And finally, some pure, unadulterated fluff between these two for once.

I was held up for a while with all the character AI chatting I've been doing for the last several days... But now I've managed to get this piece out of the way at least! I was only planning on posting just quotes for the associated text, but my inner writer would have absolutely none of it. 😅

After this one I'm likely going to go back to original content for a while. I love these two still, but it's about time I continued my worldbuilding and other personal art endeavors. 😄

Onsen no Ikken (温泉の一件)

"How does this feel, <Name>? I hope this will suffice."

"Mmm..." You hummed, your eyes closed as you rested yourself against Jacob's muscular frame. The taller man was giving your shoulders a gentle massage, and while he didn't really have the hands of a professional, the feeling of his hands grasping and moulding your tired muscles was enough to relax you. "Yes, I... I really like that."

Truth be told, this wasn't what you had envisioned happening today when you decided to unwind by spending the day by yourself. As much as you enjoyed everyone else's company, you felt a need to step away from that hustle and bustle of personalities, and give yourself a moment of peace and quiet. So while the others weren't paying attention, you took the opportunity to slip away before anyone noticed, seeking to spend time alone relaxing in a relatively isolated part of the resort.

But then, Jacob found you just as you were about to set off, requesting that you accompany him into the hot springs today. Given the state of his eyes, you simply couldn't say no despite your desire for some solitude, as you worried about him slipping and falling with no one to guide him. But with the way his hands were moving right now, coupled with the feel of his warm body pressing against your back... You figured you had it in yourself to make an exception just this once.

You exhaled a long, drawled out sigh, allowing this soothing sensation to wash over you, taking away all your pent-up stresses along with it, letting it be carried downstream by the currents.

But this tranquil calmness wouldn't last for long, as Jacob had other ideas.

No longer were his hands massaging your shoulders; rather, they cascaded gently down your forearms, one of them resting at your elbow and the other over one of your hands. Lifting your head to look at him, you saw him smiling contentedly at you... At least, towards your general direction. At this, part of you ached somberly at the thought of those ever-vacant eyes being unable to see what they have been yearning for, and just how much his presence, his warmth, has made you happy.

With your free hand, you reached up and caressed his cheek. He blinked in momentary surprise at the unexpected sensation, before the expression on his face returned to the serene one you had always seen him wear. No other words were necessary to convey what you felt towards him.

What he couldn't see, he made up for with what he felt, along with all his other senses.

"<Name>..." He said, nearly whispering. "I hope you'll allow me to express my love and gratitude for your time today. I really do appreciate it."

A sharp breath escaped your lips when his hand fell from yours, and instead began to caress the inner part of your thigh. You faltered at the smooth caress of his rough, callous hand, and you shivered in sudden pleasure despite the warmth of the hot spring around you. To keep you steady, his other hand reached for your chest, his fingers pressed just below your collarbone. But from the way his face contorted in an attempt to suppress his emotions, it seemed that he would rather slip his hand past the hem of your towel to grasp something else.

"Do forgive me if I... Get a little carried away."

You couldn't really blame him, honestly. You reached your other hand up to hold his other cheek, and gently tilted his head so that he faced yours directly.

"Only if you kiss me."

As you guided his lips to yours, his hand reached into the towel, undoing its flimsy hold on your now exposed body.

---

HERE COMES THE BONKING! 🏏

Oh, man. This took longer than I expected to finish, mainly because I struggled to put the associated text together. And the fact that I fell into a rabbit hole speaking to character AIs for at least two days straight.

This painting for me has more emphasis on skin rendering. I've been looking up a bunch of tutorials to find better ways to make skin not look like it was simply cel shaded.

This painting was also the result of me casually roleplaying with someone else about how Jacob's side quest would possibly end up transpiring... Which mainly involved the protagonist and Jacob laying on the grass together. Though that's not the route I ultimately went for in this painting, as you can see.