The Art Journey

I am currently spending time in Vietnam for a couple of days vacationing, so I couldn't really focus on doing any big, significant projects following the last one. This has left me kind of itching to create something at the very least... And yesterday, I found some time to just sit down and do a quick and simple landscape.

Since my entry into the foray of digital painting, I have always called myself an "artist traveling its waters in a journey to discover her true artistic potential". This description still holds true to this day: I am constantly seeking to develop my skills as a digital artist, learning various new things albeit at my own pace. In the last 2-3 years, I recognize that I've come far from where I had begun, especially when I look at the paintings I've made over the last 8 months alone. All of these paintings would not be possible if I hadn't reached my wits' end about my ineptitude and made the decision to just change that... And I'm grateful I finally made that first step, after years of telling myself it just couldn't ever be.

This was a journey not without its own share of hardship, however. There have been times when I began a painting only to feel unfulfilled by the end of it. There have been times where I have struggled to achieve certain things in an art piece and I find myself settling for something less than satisfactory. This, though unfortunate, is just simply part of the adventure; after all, there are many things you can learn even when you fail.

This is also a journey of continuous learning, and so it naturally takes an incredible amount of time and dedication on one's part. This also means that the journey is a very lonely one. You may find yourself with like-minded kin walking alongside you, but even they have their own paths to follow, and they shouldn't have to wait for you to catch up to them, and vice versa. Everyone learns and goes down their paths on their own pace; you shouldn't have to feel pressured to keep up, or feel like you need to lag behind other people. The only thing that really keeps you going is that determination to keep learning new things.

This painting depicts how I see my journey in my mind's eye: drifting across a cloudy sea, its waters devoid of life, yet sailing ever onward towards the light, spurred ever on by my self-borne desire for knowledge.

As seemingly bleak as this seems, it's not to say I don't enjoy going down this road. It's quite the contrary, in fact; it's more fulfilling than I could have ever expected to learn how to master my craft, and it takes me back to the days when I used to learn Japanese (though, minus the pressure of needing to learn as much as I could in a short span of time).

I'm glad to be on this journey, and I don't think I'd have it any other way.

Futsuka-Koi (二日恋)

It was some time past seven in the morning when the warm light of the rising sun woke Arc from their sleep, much to their annoyance. Every night before they went to bed, they had a habit of always making sure the blinds were down so that the sun wouldn't blind them in the morning. Yesterday, though, the whole thought of it completely slipped their mind, and they quietly cursed to themselves about forgetting something so inane.

However, as their delirium faded and Arc started to regain some sense of awareness, the memories of what happened the previous evening resurfaced to the forefront of their mind, jolting them awake and quickly drowning out whatever frustration they had. They flailed out of their sheets, accompanied by an ever-increasing sense of panic at the thought of everything leading up to this point--from their accepted feelings, your dinner date together, and the intense passion that came after--had all been just a dream.

But then, they felt something stir in the bed beside them, and they froze. Carefully reaching over, Arc pulled some of the sheets away, and the frantic, alarming unease they had felt instantly dissipated upon the sight of your peacefully sleeping, naked form underneath.

Arc placed a hand over their head, letting out a deep sigh of sheer relief. Thank goodness.

Kousoku (拘束)

The last couple of minutes flew by in a blur. At first, you two were in the living room, browsing through the movies Azathoth suggested to Arc for both of you to watch (only for you to immediately catch on how ridiculously explicit they all were). Then you were huddled together on the couch, deciding the movies were largely unnecessary for what was to come. You both reveled in each other's warmth, and before you knew it, your lips met, sparking a rousing, burning flame between the two of you, one that had surely built up since the day Arc confessed upon the Shinjuku Academy rooftop... Perhaps longer.

In the middle of your heated make-out session, Arc led you to their room on the second floor. Stepping inside, you immediately noticed the ever-so-sweet and familiar scent you had long since associated with the Genociders' guild master. Your eyes briefly gazed across the simple, dimly-lit bedroom adorned with varying kinds of landscape paintings, though whether these had been bought or works made by Arc themself, you couldn't say.

Before you could say anything though, Arc's lips and hands found yours again as your back was pressed against the now closed door. They remained as intense as they had been in the living room, if not more passionate as compared.

Suddenly, your clothes felt terribly warmer than usual. Seconds later, your top was gone and your skirt fell to a pile at your feet. Arc only managed to get their sweater off of themselves when you kissed them again, though after seeing how stunning you looked in your undergarments, they didn't mind it at all.

Soon enough, your back was not to the door, but laid flat onto the sheets of their bed. The sheets felt cool against your warm, exposed skin, and you shivered slightly at the touch. This didn't escape Arc's notice, and, without breaking your shared kiss, they wrapped their arms around you, pressing their body closer to yours to keep you warm.

After a few more moments, you two parted from each other, both of you panting heavily as you both took a second to collectively catch your breaths. Above you, Arc gazed upon your face with heavy-lidded eyes as one of their hands reached for your cheek, while the other went towards your free hand. Their expression was hazy with desire, and this--coupled with the feeling of both your still-clothed groins pressed together--made you more keenly aware of your own arousal.

"Arc..."

"<Name>..." Simply hearing their ragged, throaty voice calling for you sent a pleasurable shiver down your spine and straight to your core. "Are you alright?"

You nodded, smiling. The flame of passion continued to burn in their fiery orbs, yet it was evident that they were keeping it reined in. Though they wanted to resume what they were doing moments prior, their love and concern for your well-being forever remained their top priority. You couldn't help feeling enamored at how considerate they were being in spite of themself, though you supposed this was something you owed to their intense self-discipline.

"Shall we... Continue?" They asked, their lips seemingly--and quite eagerly--trembling with anticipation. "Like I said... I won't do anything you don't like, <Name>."

Slipping your other hand from their back, you brought it up towards their cheek in turn, your smile and gaze towards them unwavering.

"Don't be shy. This is what I want..." And with a seductive lick of your lips, you added, "You're exactly what I want."

---

Dear god. What happened to keeping these two vanilla? My ass is gonna need some bonking after this painting. 😂

Not gonna lie though, I squeal at the thought of creating what happens further from here... But I think for the time being, I'm satisfied with wrapping up my obsession with this pairing through this piece. 💕

I resolved to make this painting mostly blue and cool to the eyes, as I realized I haven't really made a nighttime painting for the winter months (or any painting with snow in it for that matter). I kinda enjoy this moody way of painting, so maybe I'll try to do something similar in the future.

For now, though, I think I'll spend some time doing some Japanese studies before I get back into arting again. 😊 Speaking of Japanese, Kousoku in this context is written as 拘束, which means restrain or bind.