#all things considered it wasn't too hard once i had the resources

[impossible-rat-babies]

i wanted their freckles + eyebags back

[eldritch-spouse]

I need a threesome with Comie(?) and Pebble. Just I need to be knotted as I suck off honeyboi.

P. S Love you Pinnie. Thank you for your hard work 🙏

[It's "Colmei", but you got it basically. You didn't really specify, so I'm putting you in the "Admin" role. Love you too! <3 Fem reader.]

TW: Knotting; Food cum (as in, it's literal honey); Slight cultish themes.

The bug monster always intrigued you.

He wasn't made by The Clergy's Eye. Your lord didn't weave him into existence either.

That you know of, this... Man? Male. He just showed up. Installed himself in the garden. A ridiculous notion, it really reminds you of Fank-e.

You recall the initial commotion.

Krulu had been alerted to the entity's prolonged presence and effectively wanted to remove said unknown monster from his grounds. Because, after all, if he wasn't there to make some sort of exchange and be sapped at like the rest, then he was a waste of space and resources- Especially when the uncivilized monster decided to station his colony in the garden.

What stopped your lord from rightfully removing the witless intruder from his domain were the desperate plights of Patches and Nebul, both undead monsters exhibiting great fascination with the likes of Colmei, as he's come to be called. You don't even remember which of the two baptized him anymore... When push came to shove, you chose to voice an opinion, siding with your coworkers. Not to spite Krulu, never. You truly just shared their fascination with the bee man. Besides, the garden actively benefits from the actions of his well-coordinated bees, that can't be denied.

And he was left alone, begrudgingly.

"Bee man" is a misleading term. From what little of his body you've seen, he's nothing like a bee-based monster at all. If anything, you'd liken him more to a parasitic entity inhabiting the garbs of a medieval beekeeper, like a snail's shell. His sleeves are always long and down, like Nebul's. His mask is usually always in place, and although many people would wonder about the monster's ability to see, you know better. You've learned a lot in your time working here. Masks and lack of visible ocular organs means nothing. You know Colmei can see his surroundings the same way you can- And even if you didn't, Patches' extensive research on the specimen more than proves it. He can circumvent objects in his path without scent or palping, he can differentiate colors, he has depth and perception like a human's, a field of vision standard in your species. He's a little wonder, you've combed -Pun intended- through reports on him more than once.

And, although he's not officially recognized as a "garden anomaly" by anyone here, you lump information about him next to Hellion and Pebble's cases. In fact, now that you recall things, didn't Pebble form after Colmei's arrival? Probably, you'll have to check later. The two get along well enough, which already can't be said about Hellion's relationship with the bee caretaker. Then again, Hellion has a strong personality, to say the least...

Speaking of, you're sacrificing some of your free time this morning to satisfy one of Patches' requests. He needs a sample from Colmei. Saliva was easy enough to get, the monster does eat, and with those three slobbering tongues you've caught glimpses of, it was hard to miss a chance to get a swab of his drool. The problem came when Patches attempted to get a "seed sample". You've long since stopped questioning why he wants to work with reproductive fluids, and considering the stunts you've seen this dullahan pull using a variety of organic elements, you have to at least admit there's some merit to what superficially comes off as pure depravity. Even if you'd like it if he stopped obsessing over homunculi...

Patches is old, he knows what he's doing sometimes.

Point being, whenever the undead tries to get handsy with Colmei, the bug monster blatantly rejects him, buzzing angrily. He doesn't often fall for traps either. Relatively speaking, you'd assume Colmei would be very receptive to sexual attention ever since he discovered ejaculation is harmless, in much the same way Belo underwent a somewhat prolonged lustful fever the moment he was bedded by you and lord Krulu. And, effectively, Colmei spends an inordinate amount of time stimulating himself, perhaps in an effort to make up for all the times he was left frustrated and hopelessly libidinous for no reason. Although he frequently brings himself to completion, the garden inhabitant doesn't allow people to approach him sexually often. Santi was briefly allowed to stroke him through his garb, but the moment the demon attempted to get a better feel, he was quickly hissed and buzzed at.

You think the incubus is still a little sore over that. Heh.

Nevertheless, you've decided you'll get this over and done with it today. Because you're not just anybody, you're the Administrator of this establishment, and what needs to be done will get done, so help you.

It's all a matter of waiting. Colmei's going to get bothered at any moment, you know he has nothing better to do in the mornings, because his hive has adapted to The Clergy's Eye's schedule. His army of bees all remain mostly dormant within early mornings, because the garden's flowers too are dormant, meaning there's no pollen to collect. That's just how this tilted world is. Cleverly, they rest and save energy for the evenings and nights. Colmei wakes from slumber much earlier however, has to, acting as a guard for his smaller colony elements.

You've been sitting on a lonely bench (who, miraculously, isn't Sybastian) for a while now, bidding your time. Occasionally, you'll make conversation with your currently busy higher, other times you'll catch Hellion shift in his sleep atop a tree's fat branch. Generally, you don't have much trouble sitting placidly, rolling the tube-like vial in-between your gloved fingers. Some people get maddened by the waiting game, Krulu has taught you better.

Your first plan of action is simple, coaxing. If that fails, which it just might, there's no doubt in you something can be schemed. This is far from the most daunting of challenges you've taken on.

Time passes, the fog hugging your home's dark walls recedes ever so gently, some of the plant life sways and plumps, as if the building is yawning, waking itself up. The fountain comes alive, sprinkling water in all the wrong directions, as usual. Today, it sports a curious, hourglass shape, adorned with well-sculped crows seemingly flocking around it. Lord-Master would enjoy the sight of it if he was paying attention to your whereabouts right now.

From then on, it's fairly soon when you hear a more pronounced buzz coming from the sides of the establishment. Seeing as it's usually quite silent this time of day, it can only be the beekeeper. You smile knowingly, aware of what he'll most likely be doing in a little while.

Rising, measured, slow and muted footsteps carry you closer to the source of the sound. You trail the edges of your establishment, ears almost twitching with the way they're perked at every insect-like noise. When those sounds dip into a slightly familiar rhythm, strong but interspersed with breaks of abrupt silence, like gasping, your pace quickens.

Turning around the front left edge of the building, you see him there, predictably. Colmei leans against the dark brick walls of The Clergy, some fair distance away from the oversized colony structure attached to it. Monochrome robes pool messily around his hips, held there by pitch black arms that dip between full thighs and grasp a humanoid appendage with fervor.

It's a silly thing to say, but being that you've witnessed so many foreign genital configurations, it's become a novelty to find a "proper" set on monsters these days. You'd expect something as bizarre as Colmei to sport a wet and curling thing moving this way and that, but no- There it sits, humanoid balls beneath a humanoid shaft. Very odd indeed.

He's doing exactly what you predicted he would, somewhat clumsily palming and squeezing himself, grip on the base of his cock but mostly static. He may have learned to bring himself to fruition, but he's not practiced at it, perhaps that's why he spends so much time agonizing like this. Once more, you'd think masturbatory motions would come near instinctively to the parasitic entity, yet that doesn't seem to be the case. The head of his already slick cock drips something incredibly viscous to the ground, this darkened orange-ish string that, if seen from afar, could almost be mistaken for something else.

You've seen traces of it on the garden at times, spattered messily atop flowerbeds. Patches could just collect one of those and use it, but he insists they're not appropriate, have been tainted. Frankly, you think he just wants an excuse to make someone touch the garden monster.

Amused, you observe Colmei clumsily paw at himself, throbbing against nothing, chest filling out as he tries to angle his legs in a better position. He almost figures out how to cant them well, then gives up. It's as endearing as it is aggravating to watch. You think he made an odd droning cry at some point. You're getting as frustrated as he is just watching him try to find a good method. Part of you only wants to rush there and hold those meaty hands over his length properly, pump him decently, make him curl his grasp here and there, grab his full balls and slap his ass when he finally gets the gist of it. One would assume Colmei would get the hang of it by watching the drunk stragglers that stumble into the garden and beat off in their highs. Then again, usually something ends up happening to them.

Stepping into the very corner of Colmei's field of vision -Well, assuming his vision isn't totally tunneled, which it might be- You make a soft coo at the monster.

He heard it. Heard it very well. You commend his alertness even in a state distracted by arousal.

For a second, you wondered if the unknowable monster man was going to jump out of his robes, face swinging immediately in your direction and pitifully small wings spreading. It reminds you of Belo when he's upset, minus the parakeet fluffing. Whatever angry noise was beginning to rattle in his abdomen is halted when he realizes who's standing in front of him.

Garden anomalies have a primal, inherent understanding of the dynamics of The Clergy. They know who your lord is, can feel his work and his presence everywhere. They know to respect him, and they understand who his vessel is. As such, you're very often treated with less mischievous intent and never shown a wink of genuine hostility unless they're deeply aggravated by an exterior agent. Colmei isn't a garden anomaly however, which makes his similar reactions all the more interesting. He learned from the others that you're a figure to be cautiously regarded, to be mildly subservient to.

Maybe he can sense Krulu, maybe he can't- It's still hilarious that he treats you like an untouchable figure just because others are doing it.

Which is to say, your hypothesis here is that he won't deny your advances because he thinks more of you than he does the rest of the staff.

Colmei's buzzing is now muted and soft, uncertain. Incredibly enough, his static hand is still wrapped around a neglected member. Though you can clearly gouge he's extremely tense right now.

" Colmei. "

He reacts to the word, perking, knowing that's what he's called in these grounds.

" Come here. "

There's a communication barrier between you and the beekeeper, sure. But he's been learning the language ever since his stay here. He knows what those words mean, especially when you do a curt beckoning gesture. If your lord were available now, he'd facilitate the conversation, but alas. You're no baby, you'll get this done on your own.

When the beekeeper doesn't move a muscle, your first step forward is measured, the two of you watching each other like hawks in a standstill. That's definitely not the energy you're going for, so you put on a smile, glancing from his covered complexion to the treat he clutches and licking your lips. Come on...

Colmei's wings flutter, though stubbornly, he doesn't meet you.

Cautious steps turn to confident struts, unbothered by his evident turmoil. You halt right up close to Colmei, seeing the way he breathes faster, the noise of something wet shifting behind that grayed mask. Knowing he's clearly deliberating, you don't reach for the goal immediately, in fact, you just stare at him with a soft expression.

The pressure cracks him.

Colmei ultimately leans down, the bottom of his head garbs brushing barely on the crook of your neck. Whether it was done just to have contact or to somehow smell you, is irrelevant. Smiling, you gently crane your head, shifting to push cloth away, such so that the monster can see more of your neck. There's a sound by your ears, something being dislodged, pushed aside by a slimy protrusion that eagerly splays itself on bare skin, laving, relishing.

The noise you make in response is only a little bit hammed up. It does feel nice, but riling him up is more important right now. When the monster makes a strange rolling croon, soft and high, you inch closer to trail gloved fingertips on his right inner thigh, a teasing back and forth that might frustrate another male, but he seems content with it. Progress is made when the beekeeper's previously static hand jolts to life, stroking over himself more avidly than before, though still as clumsy. Another gross extremity comes to slobber on your neck, the two twining occasionally in the monster's enthusiasm. Drool is seeping into your clothes. Although your digits creep upwards just a tiny bit more with every to and fro, you bide your time.

He parts his legs further, almost imperceptibly so, and paired with his erratic wing flicking, you take it as an invitation. Colmei stiffens, in many ways, the moment you follow the curve of his balls and trace the root of him, hand venturing to join his and stroke his girth in tandem. It was sensuous, scrupulous, lazy.

But it was still too much.

The beekeeper jars, jumping away from your touch and presence in surprising speeds for such a large body. Monochrome robes are pushed down and he makes a distinctly hostile buzz much like the roar of an engine. Though, as quickly as it reverbs through the garden, Colmei appears to get a flash of self-awareness and strangles the rest of the cry into a high-pitched squeal. You raise an unamused eyebrow at him, watching incredulously when the hive guardian merely recedes into the distance, turning around the edge of the building to avoid you.

Hm.

Well that's a mission failed, for sure.

A bitter taste settles on your tongue. The defeat of sexual rejection is something you haven't had to deal with in a long time, although, Colmei's evident fear of being stimulated by another is amusing enough to wave that frustration away as you snicker to yourself. What is he doing now? Just sulking in the corner with a throbbing cock and tightened nuts? If he jerks off now and ruins your chance to get that sample, you're going to be so livid. What a pussbag.

...

Speaking of cowards...

A depraved little lightbulb dawns over your head.

You're going to lure Colmei into letting you touch him, by making him want to participate. But, for this next stunt, you need a volunteer. Not just anyone will do, criteria dictates said third element needs to have a moderately positive bond with the beekeeper.

You're not going to bother staff while they prepare for the day. Hellion is like a pest to Colmei, a nuisance in a good day. That leaves dear old Pebble.

Workable.

The fog that seems to poise over this infrastructure, shielding it, bathing the premises in properties you can't exactly comprehend, also affects plenty of the beings that inhabit this space. Naturally. The flock of gargoyles that's settled on the roof, the standard ones that is, seldom ever turns to stone in plain daylight.

You and Patches have conversed about this, it's likely due to the way the fog mutes some of the sunlight's qualities. Whatever sort of biological signals determine a gargoyle should enter "stone sleep" are filtered out. That's not to deny that there exist days where the sun is so potent it still manages to turn most into statues.

Pebble is odd. Of course he is, he's a mutant of the garden -Your sweet spawn of Krulu- But it seems he only partially turns to stone for a very brief span of time. You've caught him in states that weren't quite sleep nor consciousness, body shifting in jerky motions as he instinctively tried to stretch, looking around, but not able to move much aside from a step or two in ambiguous directions.

This half-awake half-asleep state appears to bother the gargoyle, so he's cleverly taken to nesting in spots that provide shade during the day, keeping himself mostly shielded and avoiding having his body paralyzed. In fact, you bet you won't have to search too much for him at all! Venturing to the opposite side of The Clergy's exterior, there's a flattish roof area there he tends to pick often. Although you could scale the building with your lord's arms, that likely won't be necessary.

" Pebble. " You call softly.

A few moments of silence pass.

" ... Pebble! " Comes out slightly more forcefully.

It's always a bit tricky with him. You don't want to raise your voice and make him accidentally interpret that you're angry at him. Having one monster run off is enough.

There's a sigh. " Damn it. Pebb- "

With a soft sort of click click clack of clawtips on darkened tiles, a paperbag clad head peeks out from the edge, followed by its twin.

The mutant offers you a confused, nervous glance, pinprick eye blinking tiredly before darting every which way. Yes yes, no one really likes getting woken from their beauty sleep. You understand him perfectly.

" Hi lovely. " Gentle gentle, he stares at you, still as quizzical as before. " Wanna come down here for a second? I need your help. "

The gargoyle hesitates. He always does, though you take no offense to it. That's just how he is. A good deal of time has passed ever since Pebble was welcomed into The Clergy, and the anomaly has come to trust some of the staff, you being one of them. If you didn't know better, you'd say he feels safe around you at times.

Making a brief come hither gesture, you wink cheekily at the blue mutant. " I promise it'll be fine. You can go back to sleep when I'm done. "

Another long pause settles, his arms steadying the monster on the roof. Patience is affordable today, you can't rush this plan, after all. So you merely stand there, silently and passively exerting pressure on the garden anomaly. It always works.

In a moment, robust wings stretch and flap, as if waking themselves up as well, and Pebble gets into position, leaping from the tall roof, down onto several sections, finally landing a small distance beside you with this ground-shaking-

THUNK

Yes, being made of solid, compact stone is quite perilous... Between him and the robot, you wonder which one's mass is more destructive.

Nevertheless, with the gargoyle now approachable, you calmly stroll over and smile, taking a rough blue hand onto yours. Pebble's fingers twitch a little and he makes a curious chuff, ruby eye ever trained on you. Twin tails lash behind him when you bring the stone to your lips for a chaste kiss, his breath hitches timidly.

" Thank you. " You start, softly leading the comparatively large monster back to where you were when Colmei rejected you. The longer you walk, the more antsy your friend seems to get. " I promise I don't want anything weird. "

Lord knows the dullahan and the wraith massacred poor Pebble for details when he was formed. Just as they did Hellion, though that aptly named scoundrel has always had a lot more swipe and bite in him.

As you halt, you sadly confirm that the beekeeper is nowhere to be seen. Something that won't matter in the long run, yet still manages to peeve you a tad.

" Pebble- " You turn to the gargoyle. " Do you want to fuck me? "

For all the gentleness you had been sparing him thus far, that was quite the bold invitation.

When that red pinprick turns into an even smaller little dot in the pitch black, jagged hole of his bag, it's hard to resist cackling. He was most definitely caught off-guard, hunching, letting out a breath he had been holding. Silence ensues, though he's not stepping away, so you'll assume his libido will overpower that cowardice today. There's something almost suspicious about the way he regards you. As if he can't quite bring himself to believe you've woken him from a dead sleep... Just to fuck him.

And he's right.

You have ulterior motives, but, even if he can't tell, there are virtually no downsides to it. So you might as well have just woken him for a romp, yes.

Pebble eventually makes an unintelligible garble and twiddles his thumbs, sparing you quick glances. A sort of "Are you sure I can?" if there ever was one.

Hah, cute.

Unable to hide the mirth in your smirk, you giggle and loop your arms around the monster's hard waist, observing the fascinating way an unholy union of stone and flesh mold when his chest heaves in surprise. He's gruesome and pretty all at once, the garden did exceptionally well when it created Pebble.

" Is that a 'yes' I see? " You mock, receiving shy, unsynchronized nodding from both heads. " Good, then let's not waste any time. "

You pull the gargoyle along while taking several steps backwards, until your outfit brushes against the building's wall. Although clearly interested, Pebble never usually takes much of an initiative. Not because he doesn't want to, you can see it in the way his extremities twitch and his tails impatiently sway, it's always that unknowable fear keeping him at bay, that insecurity. It's far from a turn off though, and such is seen when you slide your work dress up, hearing him chuff at the sight of your laced panties when the fabric gathers at your hips.

Poor little baby, getting bothered already.

You do like these panties, they've been a favorite pair of yours because of how transparent they are, and many of the staff members have admired them already. You don't think Pebble has though, so you drink in his witless arousal like an impeccable wine. A gloved digit unceremoniously peels your panties to the side, and you're sure he can smell the very first hints of wetness gathering on your pussylips, because he does that distinct sort of shnort that a lot of monsters do when they sense an easy hole.

Grabbing his hand once more, you first take care to bring those clawed fingers to your mouth. Sure, it's not exactly the softest sensation gliding on your tongue, but that doesn't matter. What you want to do is get him as slippery as possible to facilitate things, and rile rouse him further. It works wonderfully in your favor, the mutant huffing and making an odd sort of impatient whimper. Your motions are lazy, making sure you have some eye contact as you intentionally let yourself drool heavily on him, strings of it already coating your chin when you make a quiet moan around his digits.

Pebble showcases a rare display of assertiveness when he ever so subtly slides more of his two fingers into your mouth, and you bob to accompany him, flustering the anomaly to stillness again. You know he'd rather have something else in there. The look of mild awe that crosses his face when you release his now soaked fingers is borderline hilarious. He plays with the drool around his digits sheepishly and you only titter quietly as you lead that very same hand to the main prize.

The gargoyle grunts, more than enjoying the softness of your already mildly interested pussy against himself. Sometimes you wonder what he thinks of others, who are so much softer than him. Does he enjoy that, their comparative warmth? Is it something he wishes he could have? You bet it feels really nice for him to lean onto his partners, sink into plush, giving bodies such as yours.

With a soft pat to the back of his palm, Pebble grasps the signal that he's meant to move, though only tentatively strokes over the length of your entrance, afraid it'll bite or something. Your patience wavers, gripping him and making harsher motions, letting him know you like to get your clit rolled hard. The mutant purrs when you let out pleased sighs, dipping into soft moans. Finally, he starts moving that big hand on his own, offering as much pleasure as he can in a slightly clumsy but very eager to please way. There's another frantic growl-keen when you buck against him. Humorously, when Pebble sinks one of his fingers into you, knuckle deep, he makes a sound as if he had sunk his whole cock into your walls, shuddering and everything.

This time, your laughter is loud and hearty, startling the mutant. " No no- " You stress when it feels as if he's going to pull away. " You're doing so well, please keep going. I can take more. "

Praise, ever the fuel for the hearts of the devoted, gets him to resume, curling his finger slightly and delighting in the unflattering wet noise that follows, before squeezing a saliva-soaked twin inside as well. You fear he's going to melt, at this rate. The small stretch has you groaning and squeezing, encouraging him to plunge into your cunt to his heart's content.

" Fuck yeah, open me up for your fat cock. "

That one apparently sent him wild, because he does just that. The haze of sleep vanishes off his body instantly, and the monster curves to be closer, watching his own blue digits get swallowed by your sweet hole, coating him in slick the harder he gives it to you. It's always a treat when Pebble's brave enough to be remotely dominant, because his natural density adds a weight to his every motion that easily rocks those subjected to them. Your head leans back and you fully give into the stings of pleasure that pierce you every so often, mouth open in a satisfied expression he's likely eating up right now.

When the gargoyle's noises become frequent and louder, you have the wherewithal to glance down, seeing the growth throbbing between his legs, dripping precum along its length and almost twitching in tandem with every clench of your cunt. He's beyond needy, and in a short span of time, which is ideal. Reeling at your own filthy little ideas, you shove his hand out of your opening and pull the monster closer. It takes a little bit for Pebble to get it, but he eventually hunches enough to make up for the height difference, such so that you can grab the head of his red, knub-adorned cock and press it to your soaked pussy.

Pebble groans incomprehensibly, immediately starting to hump, gliding that hot length across you in a way that allows you to feel every slight protrusion. You cry out and grind against each other for a couple of disgraceful, horny little moments, with you mischievously tugging at the roots of his tails just to feel the gargoyle's ass flex briefly. He's adorable.

The moment the winged monster tries to angle himself differently, obviously seeking to penetrate, you lightly push him off. Don't want to ruin the best part of the plan just yet now, do you?

Pebble whines, the spare head growls.

" Oh shush. "

You don't want to do this here, in the pavement. You're sure Pebble won't give two shits about how hard the ground is, but you'd rather not ruin your outfit or scrape yourself right now. Instead, you lead him to the closest flowerbed. As much as you'd like to playfully throw Pebble onto it, he's pretty immovable in his default state, so you can only push and ineffectively try to tickle your winged lover boy until he gets the message.

Twisted, misshapen and teeth-clad flowers unroot, scattering on strange hidden limbs with startled squeaks when the gargoyle lays on his back, wings spread and member pointing upwards. You're quick to jump onto him, and even if you spare the mutant some loving moments full of pecks to his chest and belly, even allowing him to feel your tits when you begin undoing the top part of your dress, you very quickly turn around on his lower abdomen.

He gets a fantastic view of your full ass as you grind generously over his girth, teasing the two of you further. When trembling hands scheme the globes of your behind and settle on plushy hips, you let the gargoyle ground himself, rising slightly to line yourself up with him. A tongue flicks over dry lips, eyeing the not yet fattened knot at the base of his length.

You make sure every soul in this establishment hears it when you slam yourself onto Pebble's cock.

" HNN OHHN- "

It rings out just as loudly as you wanted it to, followed by Pebble's strangled garble before he audibly gulps and seems to pause from the reaction he ripped out of you. The silence around you becomes bashful, like you rattled the building and its residents to stillness. If Santi was here, he'd commend you for the pornstar moan.

You've no doubt you've roused a couple of peepers. There's a faint tingle in the back of your mind, Krulu now tangentially paying attention to what's happening. You suppose hearing his vessel cry out like a bitch in heat out of nowhere is more than a little curious.

After that little break where you watch Pebble disappear almost entirely into you, squeezing around his hardness, feeling him buck his hips softly in desperation, you smile and let yourself go, riding him to your heart's content.

Leaning forward, hands planted firmly on his legs, you use as much force as you need to make each pound downward really count. You're not afraid of being too rough, Pebble's sturdy, he can deal with the slap of your ass on his body, with the mad squeeze of your spasming pussy around those perfect bumps, stopping periodically just to grind and rip more filthy noises out of yourself.

He tries, boy does he try to do anything, but you're too much for him. Too confident, too hot, too wet and welcoming. Pebble can only whimper out nonsensical pleas, heaving and panting hard enough you can hear his paper bags crumple when his teeth accidentally catch them. He groans and drools, not that you can see the small pool of it between his tits as he watches your gorgeous form bounce, fruitlessly attempting to feed into your merciless rhythm but getting completely overpowered in seconds.

You almost wish you could see his fucked out state for yourself, the mental images accompanying each frantic little noise of his having you gasping and crying out.

" Fffuck yes, you're such a good boy for me, aren't you? " You coo in-between pants of slight effort. " You'll let me ride you anywhere, won't you, sweetheart? Anything to get your cock wet, huh? "

Pebble's responding sound is like a slurred, low moan, legs jerking and tails spasming while the dick inside you throbs so hard you thought he was going to cum for a second there. In fact, for a couple of completely lust-drunk moments, you totally forget what you're doing. Sure, you're ridding the lights out of this gargoyle, but what for anymore...?

As if fate heard said thought, a soft buzz jolts your memory.

In the very same corner he had once disappeared to, stands none other than Colmei, watching like a little voyeur. And you don't doubt he's not the only one right now, but he's the peeping Tom you were specifically looking forward to.

The beekeeper stands warily, wings moving rapidly behind his back in what must only equate to excitement, claws tugging anxiously at his own garbs, which happen to be hilariously tented where his engorged cock bulges with need, already staining those ash-colored robes into a depraved wet mess.

Although you can't tell for sure, you'd bet that mask-clad gaze is fixed on the sway of your tits and the sight of your hungry cunt swallowing Pebble without rest. You make it a point to sit up slightly so he can see better.

Good, perfect, watch and drool, little freak. This is what he declined. It could be him beneath you now, if he wasn't such a dumbass earlier. It could be him twisting and arching like Pebble on the ground, warbling for more and more and harder-

You force yourself to think clearly, halting things to a crawl.

The gargoyle's infuriated snarl dies into a miserable sob, one of his arms leaving you to punch down on the grass beside him. He makes another distressed bray, and while you understand his pain perfectly, you need to focus now.

" Quiet. Patience. " It was an order. And, admittedly, he's very obedient about it, murmuring his displeasure when you slap his thigh softly. Ouch.

Your previous hammering becomes a slow, luscious roll of the hips, gloves removed so you can feel yourself up for the peeper's viewing pleasure. He takes a small step forward, clearly wanting to approach, but still held back by something that is honestly starting to infuriate you.

" Colmei... " You moan at the next surge of pleasure.

The beekeeper shivers and seems to wake at the call. You don't miss Pebble's confused grunt at you calling out someone else's name.

In a vaguely childish gesture, you pout and make grabby hands at the darker monster, stopping to play with your breasts, rolling them together just to thrill, casting Colmei the most needful look you can muster.

His resolve visibly falters, the clear invitation having him frozen mid-step.

" Please... Comei. "

Oh, nothing can curb the Cheshire grin that spreads so eagerly on your cheeks, splitting them, when the insectoid monster caves.

He does the walk of shame over to you, as he should, arm over his blatant erection and posture like that of a bashful mutt getting caught in the trash can. Only now does Pebble, still impatiently trying to get some friction started, realize someone else is getting closer. The gargoyle lifts his heads behind you, offering a strange sort of snort-chuff at Colmei.

" Hey now. " You warn.

The two of them have gotten along on several occasions, though the mutant is clearly interpreting the beekeeper's presence as that of a challenger. As if Colmei's going to yank you off him and dash away. You suppose this can be new for them both.

" I'm not going anywhere. " You assure Pebble, tossing him a look. The gargoyle murmurs, slightly placated.

When Colmei halts in front of you, it's not too hard to get him to roll his robes up, his pretty pitch black cock bobbing in anticipation, the male's breath clipped. Before even so much as reaching for him, you offer a skeptical, challenging glance.

Are you going to be difficult now?

Colmei appears to interpret the basic gist of it well-enough, buzzing quietly and bending big legs slightly so his offering is properly reachable. If that's not a pathetic beg, then you don't know what is.

" Mmm, are you sure? "

He makes another droning noise, this one climbing to high sputtering, almost like an apology, regret. Good. In his desperation, Colmei allows his tip to poise on your lips, spreading a bead of something so sweet your eyes widen when you swipe your tongue across it. Huh. You pat the small pocket on the side of your bunched up dress, finding the small vial still secured there.

Beneath you, Pebble seems about ready to burst out crying, hips starting to buck uselessly even if he's been told to behave. Poor thing, you figure you've tortured him enough. Knowing it's going to take a bit of coordination, you reach around to find the blue monster's hands, urging him to bend slightly so he can grab your waist, moving them, letting the gargoyle know he should use you however he pleases. Immediately, he starts bouncing you quickly, little rabbit thrusts that have you rocking slightly and laughing amidst the jolts of sensation now reawakening.

Redirecting your attention to Colmei, you make sure he's watching when you lace both hands on his length, motions a lot more practiced than his, letting him know that ambiguous pawing won't get him anywhere. The beekeeper's whole body rattles in a visceral shiver, you're able to see the muscles of his legs tense and his lower abdomen tighten as he discovers a brand new world of pleasure. Hopefully, he'll learn from this. The monster coos something in a fast staccato, a lot more active than Pebble, thrusting into your grip and huffing every time you stop to circle cruelly over his tip.

With so much curiosity biting at you, it doesn't take long before you're putting soft lips against him again, trailing a stripe from the root of his dick to the head, marveling at the slightly musky taste of his skin. The beekeeper instinctually holds onto your head, making a low, shocked sort of hum the second you take him in properly- Treated to the view of you slowly sinking more of him into your mouth, a playful tongue feeling around as he gets into your throat.

Thank Krulu for his training and body modifications. You'd be a little upset if you couldn't take him all in.

Colmei rattles with pleasure the moment he's fully enveloped by the warmth of your gulping maw, twitching inside you, shuddering when his balls brush your chin. Speaking of, might as well play around while you can. One hand grabs his leg for support, the other thumbs and rolls his nuts, if only just to hear his breath hitch again. Pebble, who unbeknownst to you has been watching the entire exchange, finally starts fucking you onto him properly- Perhaps out of jealousy that his neighbor is getting twofold your attention.

It's very easy for him to lift you, most monsters find the majority of humans easy to maneuver, though being made of such hard material definitely helps. The pleasant surprise of getting hammered onto his length has you moaning gleefully around Colmei, who begins moving as well, careful enough not to let you slip off him. While the gargoyle seems to be quickly recovering that previously lost climb, making self-satisfied noises at the vocalizations he elicits from you, Colmei is only starting to get into what might be his first oral servicing, snapping angrily at the blue mutant whenever he gets rowdy enough to nearly displace you.

" Hahh... Getting close? " You call to Pebble, able to slip off Colmei's cock for a moment to catch your breath.

Strings of drool mixed with excessively viscous precum cling to your jaw, the beekeeper's too restless to stay still, rubbing his wet cock on your cheek while you wait for a response. Your stone-hard sybian nods feverishly, a guilty noise echoing.

" That's fine, sweetie, don't hold back. "

You can barely finish the sentence before Colmei's trying to angle himself into your mouth again, throwing a glare at the beekeeper. Nonetheless, Pebble understands, and he rumbles out in delight, now pounding you from below with a vengeance that has you comically bobbing and gagging onto the insectoid without much work. Between the slap of your ass on him, the wetness of your cunt getting bred and the slurp of your lips around the other's cock- You don't even know which is more obscene.

It's easy to slip into a pleasured trance, skin erupting into goosebumps as you're used and loved on by the two, hands dropping to feel your own breasts and glide down your inner thighs, rolling your clit appeasingly. There are many, many benefits to your job, the best of them of course being fulfilling Lord Krulu's will- But sometimes, you think getting to service and show love to those sworn to him is up there in terms of reward. The rush of your approaching orgasm has you mewling sweetly, clenching increasingly hard around Pebble in an attempt to keep him snug inside you, kissing all the deepest parts of your core.

Apparently, that does the trick for the gargoyle.

Because he strangles out a snarl of rapture and sinks you fully onto him, claws tightening on your skin in pure instinct, keeping you screwed onto his fattening cock as that delicious knot begins to swell to its full potential. The stretch is harsh, unforgiving and burning hot but so, so worth it just to have it crush your most sensitive spots, pressuring, throbbing. You come hard the moment a burst of thick steaming gargoyle seed paints your walls, coating you, claiming you, filling you so nicely. The weight settles on your lower abdomen and you drool on Colmei's thick cock in glee, pussy pulsing for more. Pebble purrs loudly, previously clenched claws now stroking lovingly over your sides, tails swatting as he relaxes, with his still weakly spurting shaft lodged firmly within you.

" Good boy! Good job, you did so well! " You praise him, feeling his thighs flex briefly while he murrs and croons his gratitude.

That leaves the bee collector, who you can now focus fully on, lavishing him from top to bottom like the sweetest lollipop out there. And, admittedly, he is quite sugary to the taste. There's a playful perking of your lips as you teasingly mouth around his head again, flirting with his hole, leaning away when Colmei tries to push more into you. The male grunts, then makes a sound like a dying keen, cock jumping and balls tightening.

It seems maybe he does have a thing for edging. Perhaps that's why he takes so long to bring himself to orgasm, he does it deliberately, the little pervert. And now he's loving it when someone else does it to him. Hah.

Now that Pebble's down for the count and you've had your fun, you can afford to play with Colmei like he's no more than an interesting toy. He'll twitch and beg in that ceaseless humming, but all you ever do is lick, kiss and nudge at him, occasionally dipping to take some of his length down- You make the beekeeper belive that you'll swallow him to the base anew only to pop lewdly off him not even halfway there and chuckle.

He pulses so hard you're impressed he didn't climax right then and there.

Enough is enough however, you're starting to get sore from having your knees bent for so long. In a gluttonous fit, you suck Colmei down like he's the last male on Earth, ripping a grunt-hiss of shock out of him before he grabs your head sternly and fucks into your face with enough strength to hurt your nose briefly.

The hive guardian begins cumming down your throat alarmingly quick. The resulting substance is extremely thick and hard to swallow, sticking to your throat in a way that forces you to instinctively cough and sputter globs of his own jizz back around his member. Colmei only appears to thrill further at the sight.

With a couple of sharp jerks and warning sounds, you're finally able to rip your head off the beekeeper's grasp, tasting his seed for the first time. And even though the distinct flavor of what can only be honey is quite surprising -If not ironically hilarious- You're hurriedly fishing the vial out so you can collect a fair amount of Colmei's seed. A somewhat contaminated sample, sure, but it's better than nothing.

In his post-nut bliss, the monster doesn't really care as to why you're gathering his fluids, merely buzzing pleasantly, wings erratically flicking. His last few shots drip down your neck and coat your exposed tits. The cheeky fuck has the gall to try to wipe his cock on your face, met with a cautionary pinch from your part.

It must be some kind of honey. It tastes exactly like it. Even the color is that of a rich, glazed hue. Maybe this can even be profitable!

The vial is lowered to the ground, all three of you relaxing in the relative silence of the garden under a satisfying haze. Colmei pulls his robes down and squats before you, mask set aside safely so three roving tongues can weasel across your skin, licking the side of your neck and chin, cleaning you of his own savory mess. Behind you, the gargoyle rises as well, with a slight wince from the jostling of his sensitive cock in you, a fatter and less slimy muscle laving at your shoulder and dipping between your stained tits.

You sigh happily, slumping onto Pebble and letting the two sweethearts take care of your tired figure.

Mission accomplished.

[buttercuparry]

I just added a few tags to a gifset and it made me want to write a post.

(SS of gifs by @/poomphuripan )

This is what Ming tells Joe over and over again. He has said something similar before too. In episode 5 when Ming kept Joe chained- he offered his resources to push Joe into fame, in exchange of which he demanded that Joe let go of the project he had with Sol.

Now at that time Joe wasn't doing anything in want of fame. He had just found out that the guy he thought to be his boyfriend, was merely using him as a replacement for an actor...the same actor for whom Joe was a stand in to professionally. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that Tong became famous by taking all the credits of the stunts Joe did. So to show Ming that he is as talented as Tong, if not more- Joe said yes to Pao's offer.

( a digression: even Tong is not mighty in the industry, Wut says that the CEO of the company would side with Pao in firing Tong because big men stick together. Tong had to humiliate Pao for Joe to be blacklisted).

Now in this new life after the soul transmigration and all- we have Joe wanting to stick to the shadows even more than before: content in working in the props department of all things, even when Wut offered him some work as a model. It is after Ing got roughed up by the debt collectors that he approached Wut to beg for a chance to be a stuntman again. And even then he refused Joy's offer- only rushing back to her to offer himself up to Tong once again, when it became clear that the only way to save Ing is if she goes to daily dialysis.

So what I am trying to say in rehashing all of this is that money is a huge factor now. It is what motivated him to make a deal with Ming for one year- the debts accrued by Ing and Ing's well being. Joe worked in Sol's music video because he needed the money for his new mom...none of it has ever been for fame.

And Ming knows Joe needs the money- fame brings in money. The first time he goes to Ing's house is after knowing that she has been hospitalized- he offers Joe fame/money etc in exchange of him being a stand in.

Ming is doing the same thing here too. Cornering Joe with "you are new to the industry, you don't want to appear hard to work with in front of the paparazzi" and offering his resources up once again for Joe- so that Joe may come back to him and accept him as his lover.

And I know all of this is sounding repeatitive but what I am trying to say is so much of Ming's power over Joe is materialistic. This is what he offers Joe again and again as something tempting...and it makes you wonder- had Ing not being indebted to loan sharks/ had Ing not being sick, how much of this would Joe put up with?

what would have happened if Joe was transmigrated into the body of a rich man- what if in this new life he had amples to his name. What would then Ming have to offer Joe to coerce him back?

In an industry where poor newbies are pimped off to rich men by CEO himself- how much of Ming would Joe have put up with and what else would have Ming had to do, what work would have Ming had to put in for Joe to even consider talking to someone he holds responsible for his death...

Another question I have is, had Joe not been a mere stuntman and instead were someone important in the industry- would Ming dare to be so callous to him previously? Ming could do what he did because he clocked in on Joe's loneliness and his desire for Ming...So my question is how much would have material wealth changed Joe's life? Would Sol be more receptive to Joe's advances? since then he wouldn't be suspicious of Joe's intentions about using his fame...would Joe and Sol be a thing then?

I find so much of this storyline is based on the difference of social status and exploitation of that...

[tgrailwar-zero]

(despairingly) ... lack of funds...

... it's not even like we're overly wasteful... haven't blown money on luxuries at all... it'd be so nice... uff... seriously, why is it so hard to settle our cash...

NERO: "Well, you are right that the Bout is rather promising in terms of funds."

MUSASHI: "Speaking of the Bout, my match is coming up. We've gotta go-- you too, managers! Let's get moving!"

Heading to the arena, you found yourself in the locker rooms, speaking with JAGUAR MAN.

JAGUAR MAN: "Normally, it'd just be our lovely Samurai running solo... However, since she's a Servant and Moby Dick is considered a 'final boss-tier enemy', I figured you could come along. If you want to keep things legit, you can just sit back and watch instead of helping."

It seemed like you were allowed to come and help this time around.

Really. With JAGUAR MAN running things, the rules were more akin to 'suggestions', weren't they?

JAGUAR MAN: "Anyways, don't die! You acted as a real promising heel during the match with the Fairy Guy, so I'd like to see more of you! Bye!"

Wasn't killing banned? Did the Moby Dick program understand that?

Before you could ask any other questions- you were suddenly warped into the 'battle zone' along with MUSASHI. You were falling from quite the distance, the samurai flipping in the air and swooping towards you, clutching you in her arms and holding you to her chest as she touched down onto the ground, her boots skidding against rock and gravel.

She put you down, looking around. You saw a drab-looking coastline, surrounded by dark waters and heavy cloud cover.

MUSASHI: "...Phew... let's do this, Managers!"

It was quiet. You heard the sound of the waves crashing, before a transmission echoed over the zone you had been transported to.

--

JAGUAR MAN: "Oh man, I know you've all been waiting for this! Two prime fighters! Moby Dick, our nigh-undefeatable oceanic behemoth! The Null Zero Samurai, our cold-blooded, beautiful rookie! And we have a rare guest, one of the few people who's bested Moby Dick- the mighty Jishnu has suddenly found free time during the Main Bout matches, so he's here to help with commentary!"

DURYODHANA: "Ha ha ha. Would you like to keep pouring salt on the wound, or can we get started?"

DURYODHANA: "Anyways, this is a rather momentous occasion. There aren't many fighters that I think will be able to even last 10 seconds against Moby Dick, but I have a feeling that we're seeing a fighter that will make it to the rare echelons of 'people who aren't obliterated instantly'."

JAGUAR MAN: "While Father Kotomine will be covering Adamant and the Man-Slayer, and Miss Cat will be guest-commentating on the Cuauhtli and Strong-Mask Bout, we'll be doing double-duty covering the-- huh? Hang on, the Wandering Blade just lost. That fast? Really? I guess we're just covering Moby Dick and the Samurai, then! Jishnu, do you have any last minute advice?"

DURYODHANA: "Not just anyone can fight Moby Dick. It takes a solid awareness of your surroundings, and ingenuity. Hardly anything ever works twice against that thing. But, the goal is simple-- either knock it out for 10 seconds, or get it to fully retreat. In other words, the resourceful tend to have better chances."

JAGAUR MAN: "And with that, fine people of the Solar Cell-- let's have ourselves a Bout!"

--

Once it ended, you found yourself back in the eerie atmosphere of the beach, the only noise coming from the waves lapping against the shore.

Off in the distance, you heard the sound of a whale bellowing. No sights of anything, however.

The first thing that caught your eye was a small dock, and a person standing on a large ship. That was probably used in the fight against MOBY DICK, to give people a nautical advantage.

The first thing MUSASHI saw was herself in the water's reflection.

MUSASHI: "Hel~lo there..."

...Right. The charm effect on the Mystic Code. She stood, looking at her reflection in the ocean water before a wave broke it up, MUSASHI blinking a few times before looking around.

MUSASHI: "Oh, sweet! A ship!"

SABER beamed, rushing over.

MUSASHI: "Yoo-hoo! Hi there, beautiful lady standing next to a beautiful ship!"

The person on the ship looked down, leaning over the railing with a disarmingly friendly smile.

PRIVATEER: "Hahaha, what an introduction! You can just call me the 'Privateer'. I was summoned for a more flashy purpose, but this and that happened, so I'm working freelance. Anyways-- 1500 PPT, and you have a boat set and ready to sail against Moby Dick!"

Oh, alright. That made sen--

--Huh?

Wait...

What?

1500 PPT?

MUSASHI: "Wait, you're charging us? Don't you work for the Bout? I thought it'd be free!"

PRIVATEER: "My contract with the Jaguar just requires me to have a boat available for any participating fighters. Which I do. There's a free one down there. Look."

She pointed at a run-down, wooden dinghy next to the ship. It looked… stable. In the sense that it could float. And it didn't really seem to be doing that very well either.

Did JAGUAR MAN know about this?

...Actually, knowing her, she probably approved it.

PRIVATEER: "But… A good boat, and maybe some extra help? That costs money. It's not like my price is steep, it's only 10% of the prize pot… and if you can beat Moby Dick, don't you have a solid chance at being the champ and winning all that cash anyways? Besides, I'm sure you've heard that Moby Dick is a 'final-boss tier' Enemy Program. You'll need everything you can get. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. So, whad'dya say?"

…Did you somehow find a person more shrewd (greedy) than PRETENDER? Still… it wasn't like you had to use it. It was a luxury…

…A luxury, that's all it was…

...You didn't NEED to have a good ship in order to take down Moby Dick, right?

[ifihadtopickadad]

you've made a mistake by telling me to go read up on the au- (/j)

anyway. susan refers to nessa and gregory as her children, so i assume this means she adopted nessa?? either legally or just emotionally, and considering she was homeless before henry gave them the afton house i am going to assume the us legal system wouldnt give her custody of nessa at all so its the latter.

WILLIAM FINDING REMNANT AS A TEENAGER IS SUCH A COOL CONCEPT ?!?!? like. him finding it post cc (i love how you call him benny btw. really cool name) or charlie's death is interesting, but the idea that he experimented using animals (AND HIS OWN FAMILY DAMN) and then moved onto children/humans once he- presumeably- did everything he could with being that didnt have the same level of sentience?? amazing. very evil-scientist core. love it.

remnant working similar to radiation is also an interesting idea, having to be stored carefully or it will 'possess' the objects around it. (imagine william tried to store it in a bucket one time and the bucket just. got possessed. what do you even do in that situation-) are there some materials that remenant is physcially unable to uh. meld itself into i guess?? like some resources are just remnant resistant??

will susan tell the kids about remnant? about everything (or even just some things) the aftons had going on? or is she going to try protect them from the truth?? DOES SHE FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MIKE POST-SISTER LOCATION?? is the scoop canon to this au?? (if so my next question is how did faz ent get the sperm of a corpse but its faz ent. theyll find a way.)

the au seems great so far !! definately really interesting, will be Rotating It in my mind for the next several days and going mental any time you post something new for it lol

take care !! <3

It Twasn't a mistake. Twas a calculated risk.

I love people asking about the stuff I make. I'm out here stimming from excitement, you got me smiling so hard that my dimples are showing.

Emotionally and illegally. If there's one thing the lore has shown us about Henry beyond what we already know, it's that after William's bull-fuckery Henry had to be just as shady to bring the musty dusty purple Pringle down so paying someone to forge adoption papers was easy(I like to think he fnaf!Neil Caffrey to do it)

The concept of William discovering Remnant post-CC is nice but it never lined up quite right to me, I know way too much about how famous historical scientists studied the way stuff worked extensively to even begin experimenting with it to think that he discovered Remnant, and immediately started killing people to get results. William isn't on the Anti Social Personality Spectrum but he is an undiagnosed Narcissist with a God-Complex. So, William discovers Remnant as a teen and does smaller experiments to figure out how it works (this is one of my fnaf theories specifically around William's relationship to Remnant)

All the discourse about Remnant is actually what inspired the Radiation thing. Everyone, everywhere, was losing their minds over the insanity that is Remnant and I had a throwaway thought about how we've seen all this in fiction where Radiation is the given cause: the mutates in every Fallout game ever and the TV show, Spiderman, The Hulk, Corpse Mikey would fit right in in the Fallout-verse, etc. All fnaf does is take all of those concepts and shove them into one place and I love that. The only thing it doesn't do is bring you back to life and I think that's because you need internal organs for that. Mike lost his organs but not his brain so Remnant kept brain activity going.

The bucket thing did happen. It wasn't a bucket thought. It was one of those plain lunch boxes. He had one already but, he bought an extra to store the Remnant in. Long story short, it's early morning, and he's practically brain-dead as he gets ready for school so he grabs one of the lunch boxes without. Lunch in the cafeteria was legendary that day. The lunch box screeched, and he made up a half-lie about trying to invent a musical lunch box but grabbing the wrong one. He invented an actual musical lunch box that was fairly popular in UK for a while.

Yes! Funny enough Radiated materials are the only things Remnant can't meld itself to. He could never figure out why but, William's not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He bought and repurposed multiple microwaves to act as radiated containers.

By the time they get to the house Gregory and Nessa are 10 and 14 respectively so she does tell them, they're also Geniuses ala Afton Genetics and they're also Peak Gremlins™️ so they'd find out anyway.

Everyone knows Michael Afton(legal name Mike Schmidt) as a Missing Person's case that's gone unsolved for decades by this point. The footage of him getting scooped was scrubbed as was his being worn like a meat suit. But there is footage of 'Mike' forcing himself up and to the Elevator. His organs were all gone by the time the Police got there but the blood muscle and other bodily fluids were still there. It's believed that Mike was lured to the scooping room through abuse and manipulation a fact further compounded by the bodies of the technicians being found hanging by police.

The general belief is that he died out in the wilderness but, his body was never found hence the Missing Presumed Dead thing. This all happened in 1986 when he was 17. Afton Robotics and Fazent shut down Circus Baby's officially and stopped renting out the Funtimes after this because they weren't fast enough to cover it up like with the Missing Children's Incident and the Bite of '83. And so began the downfall of Fazbear Entertainment and Afton Robotics.

So yeah, the scoop happened here, and since Remnant works with what's already there and Mike's practically made of the stuff because he grew up eating it, his sperm was kept intact ala Remnant(I mean he didn't lose his penis to the scoop.)

As for the name. I was watching the sandlot when I came up with it. (His middle name is Garret) I'm glad you like it.

[jessanight]

Hey, I was scrolling through the offical pale beyond twitter account and found these sprites. During my playthroughs I didn't see them at all, so are they possibly unused? And if so are there a lot of unused sprites that didn't end up in the game? Just curious, because the game's art is amazing!

Hey there, good eye @niko-trash!! Thanks so much for asking, but this is probably going to be a longer answer than you anticipated, sorry!

Yes, there are a lot of sprites that went unused in the game. Kurt has the most emotes total I think, and therefore the most unused emotes too - the final count for him is well over 100, he's an expressive man.

Most of the reason why we made too many emotes was that a lot of them were designed before there was a script! We knew early on that we wanted a lot of emotes, and drawing usually takes longer than writing, so we started early. At this point the game design for Pale was more like a true visual novel, and we had yet to add many of the resource management mechanics, so we thought we would have to lean pretty hard on conversation emotes being important for basically everything.

This led to a lot of work being done without the full context of all the scenes that would be in the game. We made our best guesses, but it didn't all end up fitting! In hindsight some of the most effective emotes were the really subtle ones - head tilts, gaze aversions, that sort of thing.

Sometimes scenes that we had conversation emotes for were changed to isometric-only because it felt better for the kind of gameplay that was happening at the time (abandoning ship and Kurt vs Hammond are the ones I can think of off the top of my head)!

Katie (the character artist!) and I ended up going back and editing emotes, or making new ones to fit scenes better once we had them for testing. Most of the emotes that were done post-script were Hunt in the Captain's interviews, and the important conversations with your crew towards the end of the game, in their degraded costumes. We gave a lot of extra special care and attention to Cordell in the dog scene, and to Nutlee's scene in tent-city as well.

I DO have to say though, I don't personally consider the work that wasn't used to have been a waste. When I designed the characters, I did early pose concepts that were really useful for developing the individual characterisations of everyone in the cast. This bank of work was also really useful for helping Katie get used to the style when they joined, so all's well that ends well!

Next time around we'll have more writing done before we dive into emotes though haha. Hopefully we'll be a lil more efficient!

Going to continue with some endgame spoiler stuff under the cut!

To use Hunt as an example, when we first imagined the player meeting him again at the end of the game, he was going to be almost comedically mad, kind of Machiavellian almost.

But when I read the scene in preparation for emoting it, it was totally different. We had always planned to have the fruit mechanic, but now that I had to sit with the context of Hunt having experienced the loss of his crew over and over again, it became much more somber, you're finally taking a peek under the deceptive, jolly mask he had at the start of the game.

This is also the scene where he makes his final judge of your character, and could have to relent to you being a much better person and captain than he, or he might decide he hates you and your rotten soul. It called for a subtler approach. It was one of the last scenes I drew for the game, and I listened to the music over and over as I worked on it.

I think this is a lot better, and I'm glad we changed it.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

You know what I like in superhero stories? When they answer the question of, "Why don't the villains just use their talents for money?" with "Because they're too dysfunctional, too selfish, or too crazy to use their talents honestly."

Because isn't that how it is some of the time? Where you have brilliant people who can easily make a ton of money, but they want it all NOW so they use crime to get it, or they blow it all on hedonism and need more, or something else that ends with them being criminals? Doesn't it also make them such good foils to heroes who often also had a bad hand but chose to do the right thing and put others first, even when it brought great sacrfice?

One side actively chooses to do good, regardless of whether it rewards them. The other side actively chooses to do evil, No matter how much it punishes them.

YES.

Good and evil are choices and the best characters reflect that. To continue beating the Batman horse to death, Bruce Wayne with all his resources and iron will dedication to his cause, could have easily decided to lash out at the world for what happened to his parents. In fact, considering his resources and an upbringing that was more isolated from society than is the norm for most people, I would say most people in his position, in the most corrupt city in the world, would have turned to vengeance and hate. But instead, he made a choice to do the opposite. His vow wasn't to make the people responsible for his parent's deaths suffer. His vow was that no other child would ever have to suffer what he did. His mission is pure. It is noble. And it can never be fulfilled. That's what makes him compelling. That's what makes him a hero.

And that's why all the "Esleworlds" and "What Ifs" where Batman is a murderer and a violent psychopath feel like a water damaged old daguerreotype compared to the vibrant 8k photograph that is the real Batman. Because choosing hate and evil is boring. It's the easy thing to do. It's common and it's commonplace. Reading about people like that does nothing to inspire. It does nothing to make a bad day a little brighter. There's nothing to admire. Nothing to strive towards. True heroism, the choice to do the right thing when the wrong thing would be easier and more satisfying, is noble.

And nobility is something that comics have been seriously lacking, lately.

Now let's contrast that with another dead horse, the Joker, in the deadest of all the Joker's own horses, the Killing Joke.

In that story, at the very end, Joker is offered a choice. Even after everything he's done, to some of the people Batman cares for the most, Batman still offers to help him. He offers rehabilitation. To work with the Joker to get him the help he needs so that one day he can heal and be something other than the monster he is. He tells the Joker he will stay with him so he doesn't have to be alone anymore. And the absolute brilliance of that story, the thing that turns Bruce from a hopelessly naïve idealist into Batman, is that the Joker actually considers it. And the offer that Bruce makes, the way he phrases it, "we can work together" "you wouldn't have to be alone anymore", is him giving the Joker exactly what he's always wanted--Batman's full attention. All he has to do is make the hard choice. To work on himself. To change. To heal and be a better person. And in the end he chooses not to try. And he doesn't just reject it because he's evil, or because he can't understand that what he's doing is wrong. He rejects Batman's offer because he thinks it's far too late for that option. He's done too much, become too much, to ever go back. He chooses to spurn the thing he's always wanted most and to stay on his current path because he thinks trying to go back would be impossible. Which once again brings us back to Batman. Because if you'll remember, the path Batman chooses is also impossible. He can never redeem Gotham. He can never prevent every child from losing their family to violence. He knows this, and yet he still chooses to try.

Once again, that's the difference between a hero and a villain. A hero chooses the right thing. A villain chooses the easy thing. A hero is noble. A villain is common.

Modern comics are common.

[lemoncrushh]

Cubicle // 1) Hot As Ice

STORY PAGE

Word Count: 1506

Monday // Harry

I met the hottest babe today. The HR lady (I can't ever get her name straight - Yvonne, Yvette?) brought her around the office to meet everyone. I'm assuming she works here now, and it wasn't one of those interview meet and greets.

I was sitting at my computer, pretending to work but mostly just staring at my screen. We're not allowed to use the internet for personal use. I was bored out of my skull. I heard some chatter behind me but didn't pay any attention until I heard my name.

"And this is Harry," HR lady said.

I swung my chair around and saw her. I'm quite certain my jaw dropped, and drool came out. She was fucking hot. Long hair, kind of a cross between brown and blonde, crystal-clear blue eyes, full pouty lips, and a body built for sin. She wore a dress that normally could be considered conservative, but on her it screamed fuck me. I tried hard not to stare at her rack, but the way the neckline stopped right at the middle of her cleavage made it difficult.

"Harry, this is Veronica."

I can't recall what HR lady said after that, if anything. I stood and extended my hand and Veronica shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Harry."

Fuck, she had a sexy voice too. And I couldn't help but notice she held on to my hand for a little longer as I said "likewise."

HR lady went on about some drivel I couldn't give a shit about. I couldn't stop staring at Veronica. She was definitely a ten. But before I knew it, Yvonne (pretty sure that's her name), waved her away from me and toward the break room. Veronica followed, but not before giving me a fucking amazing smile. She actually licked her bottom lip and then bit it! Not fucking lying.

I sat back down at my desk, careful not to sit on my balls that were throbbing. Running my hand down my face, I shook my head, hoping to get the imagine of Veronica naked out of it. The attempt was futile, however, as I heard her giggle from the break room. This was going to be a long day.

Tuesday // Roni

I'm not gonna lie. That Harry guy is a hottie. Probably a little young for me, maybe twenty at the most? But who the fuck cares when he looks like that? He has these amazing green eyes, and his lips... Jesus Christ those lips! I'd love to feel them on me is all I can say. And let's not forget his enticing deep voice.

After Yvonne, the Human Resources Director had introduced me to him, she ushered me into the break room which was probably a good thing. I could already feel myself flirting with him, and I could tell he noticed. At least I hope he'd noticed, but something tells me he's a bright young man. Plus, I caught him staring at my tits.

When I got to work this morning, I was hoping to run into him, but I didn't. I have no idea what kind of car he drives or when he usually gets to work, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. My luck changed, however, when Greta, my supervisor, asked me to scan a few documents for her and save them as PDF files. She told me if I had any questions I could ask Harry Styles.

"Hi...Harry, right?" I asked as I walked up to his desk, manila folder in my hands.

"Um...yeah...hi...Veronica," he stumbled as he pushed his chair back. It made that annoying click sound that plastic casters make when they don't roll quite as well as they once did.

"Please, call me Roni," I insisted. "Only my stepmother and my piano teacher call me Veronica."

"You play piano?" Harry asked.

"Among other things," I teased as I licked my lips.

The left side of Harry's mouth slowly curled back into a sexy little smirk, exposing the most adorable dimple. Could he be any cuter?

"So," I finally said, getting down to business, "I've been told you can help me with the scanner."

"Oh, right. Yeah." Harry stood up and I followed him around his cubicle to the one behind his, the empty one closest to the break room. It housed its own computer with an all-in-one printer/scanner.

"Did they tell you the code?" Harry asked me.

"What?"

Harry grinned, seeing that I had no clue what he was talking about.

"It's ridiculous, really. But for security reasons, you have to type in a passcode to use this computer. I guess they don't want anyone using it for personal reasons. It monitors everything you do."

"God, you can't have any fun here, can you?" I joked.

"I'm afraid not," he chuckled.

After Harry put in the passcode and opened the necessary software for my scanning needs, he briefly explained how to use the scanner. I humoured him by acting like I'd never used one before, when in reality I had one just like it at home.

"So what about you?" I asked as I sat down and began scanning my documents.

"Me?" he questioned, sitting in the extra chair.

"Tell me about yourself. How long have you been working here?"

"A little over two months, I reckon."

"Really?" I was surprised. "Not very long then."

"No."

"Do you like it here?"

Harry pursed his lips. "It's alright."

"It's a job," I nodded.

"Yeah."

"What do you like to do for fun?"

I realized I had put him on the spot as he sat up and raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Same as everyone else."

I looked at him, internally debating on whether or not to ask him what was really on my mind, but I decided against it. If I was going to get him into my bed, I needed to ease into it.

"Well, I guess that's about it," I announced as I grabbed my last document and returned it to the manila folder. "Thanks for your help, Harry."

"Um, you're welcome. But it doesn't look like you really needed my help that much," he declared.

"I know," I grinned as I stood up. "I just wanted an excuse to see you."

I winked and turned around, heading back toward my office. I could feel Harry's eyes on me which was such a turn-on. I had a hard time concentrating on my work for the next couple hours.

Harry

What the fuck is this woman doing to me? I could feel a stiffy growing in my shorts as she licked her lips. Then she asked me what I like to do for fun. What could I say? That the only kind of fun I'd like to have right now is seeing her with my dick in her mouth? No, Styles, I told myself. She might be flirting with you, but it doesn't mean she's that kind of girl. Get a grip.

But then she fucking admitted to me that the scanner was just an excuse to see me. She winked at me and then walked away, her hot little ass rotating back and forth in her tight skirt. I couldn't handle it. As soon as she was out of eyesight, I ran to the toilet and locked myself in the stall. I had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself. This has never happened to me before. I'm not saying I'm a womanizer, but I've had pretty good luck so far in the female department. I feel like I've met my match.

When I returned to my desk, Travis peeked his head around the cubicle divider.

"Hey, mate, you alright?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked, a bit perturbed.

"I just saw you bolt for the toilets earlier."

"Oh. Yeah." I shrugged it off. Let him think I was sick or something.

"Don't worry. She's definitely into you," I heard him say.

"What?" I swung around my chair.

"That Veronica chick," Travis confirmed.

"Yeah?"

"Just be careful," he warned. "You know, inter-office relationships."

"Is that against the rules?" I asked. I hadn't really gotten around to reading the office manual.

"I don't think so. But it's a little frowned upon. You know, because something could go wrong and cost you your job."

"Has that happened before?"

"Not since I've been here," Travis continued in a hushed voice. "But...I'd heard one of the bosses started dating his secretary a few years back. He wanted to break it off and she didn't. It got ugly and I think there was even a lawsuit. So...you know...just be careful."

He turned his chair around and scooted back to his cubicle. I sighed and turned to face my own computer. If this Roni thing was going to happen - and I was damn sure going to see that it did - I needed to act fast. Job or no job, that babe was going to be mine.

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[reckless-lambert]

Question what do you think of infinite from Sonic forces (don't skip any detail I would like to hear this)

WOAH HELLO!! OK OK OK OK you're in for a ride because I am kinda crazy about this guy.

Right off the bat I wanna say that imo he's not a bad character. Like not in a sense of potential or whatever, I did like him in general.

To try to keep myself on track there will be 3 topics I'll give my opinions on: powers, backstory, character.

POWERS

First of all I don't think that he is a pushover. If we are talking about measuring strength of a character based on their bossfight pretty much all sonic characters up until 06 have bad bossfights that can be finished in seconds so it's not a good measuring point. In terms of lore there are many many many theories to be had, I prefer to look at his encounters from a story standpoint (we don't talk about dying to a flamethrower in 0.5 seconds accident). I think it's safe to assume that Infinite was a capable fighter (hence the title), him being beaten by Shadow doesn't really tell us anything, Shadow is arguably the most powerful character in sonic series so losing to him is to be expected. Infinite was just a very skilled mercenary, what was he supposed to do against teleporting, regenerating, super fast living plasma cannon?!?

Anyways if we are talking about real encounters (after him getting ruby powers) there are many ways to interpret it (other than just saying that it's bad). Here's my understanding of the events. Sonic gets captured at the start of the game because Infinite just overwhelmed him with quality and numbers. After this the whole war happens (no one talks about Infinite conquering 99.9% of the world), Sonic escapes and encounters Infinite in mystic jungle, this time around we can see that Infinite doesn't have illusions of past villains helping him so it's safe to assume that his powers are actually pretty finite (he can't uphold too many illusions all over the world at once, first time he had them helping because he wasn't using them elsewhere), he still beats Sonic and leaves.

Next time we see him in Metropolis, here we see avatar pretty much matching him with his own bullshit (I have a magical rock that neutralises your magical rock) which is fine by me and Infinite still comes out on top thanks to energy blasts and presumed better fighting skills. Escape to null space can be blamed on phantom ruby prototype again. As to why Infinite didn't use it before I assume Eggman and Infinite invented this ability not that long ago.

For the last encounter, Infinite doesn't have to distribute his illusions all over the world so he uses them in battle, but still has a hard time because numbers advantage is no longer on his side + he probably struggles to control so many entities at once so the quality is diminished drastically. He decides that using an all out attack is a better tactic, but yet again kindergarten logic applies so the sun doesn't explode (rock to rock shenanigans). Despite the sun doing nothing I think it drained Infinite's resources drastically + he was using only the backup power. So in the end avatar and Sonic finally beat weakened Infinite only for him to be transported somewhere and never seen again.

In my opinion we can clearly see that Jackal wasn't defeated by power of friendship or avatar or whatever else people tend to say as some sort of parrots. Infinite was defeated only by his own hubris and his own kind of magic. I think he did alright all things considered. He was pretty powerful and I'm fine with the way things played out. The only thing lacking here is good presentation, people just don't take the plot seriously so it all crumbles, but I don't think that it's fair to say that someone is not powerful because you don't take the stakes of the story seriously. Still can't believe that people call a guy with power to create rockets and lasers out of thin air and change gravity at will "all talk". The only reason our characters are alive is thanks to phantom ruby prototypes and Infinite's weird fondness of main cast (if you are complaining about sega not outright killing sonic or other main characters, Infinite is not the one you should blame + I have some ideas as to why he does that described later).

BACKSTORY

Infinite's initial motivation is fiiiine. As we can see in his prequel comic his main desire is to ruin, he even says that "he is tired of this world" at the end of it. So it's safe to assume that our Jackal doesn't like how things are going and wants to overthrow the current world order. As to why he is that way it's up for debate (more about it later). That desire is what drives him towards Eggman.

After unspecified amount of time "episode Shadow" happens. Shadow presumably kills the whole Jackal squad except Infinite whom he deems unworthy of killing and throughoutly insults him instead (super mean! Shadow wtf!). Infinite in attempt to somehow amend his self image after losing everything he had (all thanks to his ambition and Shadow btw), decides to abandon his old self as if it was a different person (sad to look at) and double down on alliance with Eggman because it's all he has left - professor's promise of greatness, something to cling onto. So that's how we get to forces. Some might say that Infinite doesn't really enact revenge on Shadow in any way, but there're still things to consider: 1. He actively avoids his old identity, so you can say that he avoids Shadow and feelings tied to him in the same way (doesn't necessarily mean that he doesn't feel them) 2. Eggman could have done some mental gymnastics with the Jackal. It's pretty easy considering that Shadow is a self proclaimed guardian of this world (he made a promise and all of that) + he works for GUN. So what better way to enact revenge than to ruin all the things your enemy stands for? Bonus points for this objective coinciding with his initial motivation.

Those options are something I thought of, I think they create a rather straight forward narrative + nobody said that those are the only ones.

Anyways I hate how people yet again somehow diled his story down to "Shadow beat him called him ugly and now hes bad". As if killing his whole squad is nothing, like Infinite's character can be interpreted in many ways, but even if you think that he is a cold hearted killing machine - how can he live as a captain and a sole survivor of the squad, it's the end of his mercenary life if captain is the only one standing that means he fucked up real bad it's the ultimate failure, there's no recovering your career after that.

CHARACTER

I saved this one for last because It's almost purely my headcanons and subjective opinions. Anyways as I mentioned above Infinite is not fond of current civilization for some reason. My take is that:

1. He hates united federation for some reason. I think it would be funny if jackal squad were some sort of child soldiers GUN experimented on. Desert is already torn apart by bandits Eggman and feds fighting all over the place, no one will notice random street orphans missing (a lil metal gear revengeance brainrot for ya). But they deserted and became a more evil versions of desert raiders from Archie becoming a nuisance for every party involved: collecting bounties, raiding Eggman's bases and GUN convoys - earning reputation and fame. But jackals' hate for their previous captors is not forgotten and it's also mutual as UF probably wants them dead as soon as possible because they are a living proof of their dark deeds.

2. I think Infinite has problems coping with all the things he was deprived of. His first instinct is hate "how dare they live normal happy lives while I'm fighting for my life every day!" And because all he knows is conflict he thinks that living by jungle rules is the only right way and everyone else is living a lie (that's how I interpret his lyrics). So his desire to ruin the civilisation stems from his idea that jungle rules shall return, and UF citizens should suffer the same way he does. (Spreading misery is fun amiright)

Also I don't think that jackal squad was a family or a friend group, more like a congregation of equaly fucked up individuals who kinda trust each other with tasks, as soon as they deem you a burden they will abandon you. Also imagine the pressure captain of such group would endure. Infinite is not ok. He is partially driven by pride, but also by peer pressure of his fellow child soldiers, being cruel = being strong. As a leader he must be the strongest. That's why his sadism might not be inherent to his character. Also I do think that he was bullied in his unregulated child environment, heterochromia and girly tendencies make him a prime target (CMON PEOPLE dude has the longest hair in the whole franchise and presumably lived in highly militarized environment, there will be problems). I guess he just powered through (it's hard to bully you when you are the strongest).

Anyways coming back to episode Shadow I think Infinite was so scared of not being in control, being pretty much bullied by some stranger. So he did what he always does - search for more power.

Interesting side note here is that Infinite doesn't really have ambition, he doesn't create himself a castle or even a throne (and he is someone with power to create things from thin air, for example it took Zetis 1-2 days to throw together those in idw, he doesn't do it despite having the whole year). He just wants power to not be pushed around and push around others (I IMPLORE you to understand, he is not a nice person, but it doesn't mean that people should just give up on him, my boy needs help).

Also I think episode Shadow warped his brain really hard, like he tries so hard to re-enact his own trauma onto others many many times despite clearly seeing it not working except the first time with avatar. Like we can clearly see that it's all he thinks about, how not deeming someone worthy of killing is the most painful thing he can inflict on them, far more painful than just outright killing the guy. This hinders his critical thinking really hard and it's sad to look at.

Anyways that's pretty much all of my thoughts on this guy (says the guy who thinks about him every day for past 1.5 years, I can mumble on and on, but it will never end if I do), hope you enjoyed!

[sug01s3al]

How would a Spiritfarer puppet show work exactly? Would you use special effects for stuff like meteor dodging, jellyfish popping, etc., or would they be cut from the show altogether? Would it be a musical since a good chunk of the cast can play instruments? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions, it's just that the idea itself is rather fascinating.

Yeah, I spent a lot of time figuring out how I would best translate such a special game to stage- with it being a farmsim- adjacent kind of game, game play is endless or at the very least it takes (according to google lol) about 25 1/2 hours to complete the game so keeping everything I would want to would be unfeasible.

In my research in making my adaptation I looked at a lot of other games turned theatre pieces and learned of the 2.5D musical theatre. It a genre originated in Japan and I believe originated with adapting otome games to stage but there has been plenty other ones. One in particular was is the DanganRonpa stage play (yes I sat through all three of them for research :'') ) since Danganronpa is also a very, very long game and I wanted to see how they would adapt every single murder and trial or what would be cut out. It turned out for theirs ended up cutting out a lot of the filler and basically going from kill to kill to kill and losing quite a lot of what made it charming. As much as I enjoyed them you didn't really ever get long enough with each character to really care when they died and it wasn't like they were short either I think they're all 1.30h - 2h shows. If I was watching it for the first time and not someone who had played the games/watched the anime with the additional context I think it would have been narratively unsatisfying.

And with SpiritFarer being such a special game to me the last thing I would want to do is to compromise the stories and blow through each character incredibly fast because it would lose its meaning and gravity. So when it came to figuring out how I would plan the stage play I had to consider a lot of what I could bear to cut and the story that could be told in the time I had to tell it. It never got as far as an official script but my solution to keeping what I wanted ended up being cutting characters out sadly so that at least a bit of each story could go in as well as having an element of their mini games. The minigames happen so often in the games it would be impossible to add so many in a stage play so I had planned for it to happen just once, perhaps at a poignant part of their story arch so there was more gravity to it and less of a 'I need lightning in a bottle so I'm gonna run Atul through like ten storms to grind resources' thing :'). Apart of their song would be a good way to do it I think, but having Atul and his inner conflicts being paired with traversing a raging storm just before he leaves I think would wreck me emotionally :'').

That being said I think a musical would be a really good way to convey the story in a succinct way without compromising on the emotional aspect. I can just image Summer singing in the gardens with Daffodil meowing along 🥺. I think I would only trust the music to Jorge Rivera-Herrans (Epic the Musical) though, I think he could do something REALLY special with the SpiritFarer cast. Or heck Toby Foxx maybe? I know he doesn't do musical musicals but I don't think anything has ever moved me quite as much as the Undertale Soundtrack... well the spiritfarer soundtrack too of course 😂 I don't know what sauce they put into the firefly mini game song with Gustav or Giovanni's meteor shower but I get goosebumps every time. The main theme goes hard too, I didn't realise it had lyrics until the trailer for the special edition (final edition?) came out with the animation and the singing then I was just sat there like :

I can't see it in my scan folder right now but if I remember correctly I had picked a set of characters stories to tell and then planned them in which order they appear to what order they disappear to plan out what I could fit into one 2h ish stageplay. I believe the characters I had kept for the story were Gwen, Atul, Stanley, Lily (as a part of Stella's story and potential conclusion), Gustav (couldn't bear to cut him), Buck and Summer. Possibly Jackie and Daria too they have puppet designs but are a package deal like Astrid and Giovanni and then it becomes too many cooks in the kitchen and too many stories to tell in such little time. Although I think Jackie is such a good foil to Stella he would have to be included to have a more satisfying ending. Beverly wasn't out yet and I am . not . a fan of Elena so she was cut. Ideally of course I would only have to cut a few, if I could plan it well enough to have the majority of the cast that would be ideal.

I think instead of trying to fit in a conclusion and compress the story down leaving the story open ended might be the best solution. Like not having everyone we meet leave or Stella either. Then again you can do a lot with a musical so who knows!

The only mini game I had planned for in the time I had was Summer's. I was trying to figure out how to best convey the serpent in a way that would let Stella move around dynamically. But yes I would want special effects for the minigames like flashing for the lightning in Atul's or the fire works in Giovanni's but paired with practical effects and smaller puppets. I mentioned this struggle to my tutor and she recommended the Frozen musical for visual reference because they do quite a wonderful job of conveying Elsa's ice powers with animated graphics/projects.

They're not the best sketched but for the staging what I had in mind was each scene being compressed into a story book style stage that could fold out each bit of furniture needed in the scene and flat pack back down to transition into the next scene. I also liked the idea of each island being like a 'chapter' in Stella's story. The boat would be the main façade of the stage, one side being the outer ship for larger scenes and then when you spin it around the inside reveals the set, like the inside of the buildings you had just seen the outside of- if I'm making any sense :') .

[hag-o-hags]

There's a trainer in my area who's apparently considered a ~wonderworker~ with Problem Dogs. My friend took her boy to this lady's program and came back with

Detailed instructions for using the shock collar

Spray bottle

Wand of Rolled Up Newspaper

Bigger issue with defensiveness over the dog's behavior, reactivity, and needs than before

NOW, this poor boy won the Behavioural Issues Lottery

(weened at 4 weeks)

(because his dam was too young and trying to kill her litter)

(herding dog mix)

(first 13ish months living mostly in an apartment)

(mom works in the hospitality industry so schedule and stability for dog is NOT GREAT!)

(several issues with VERY BAD pet sitters) (all relatives of mom or other mom) (moms were furious and none of those people are allowed to be alone with EITHER dog)

so like. I'm not at all gonna pretend like this kiddo doesn't have some pretty bad issues. I've been on the receiving end of his warnings a couple times, but he was warning me -- very clear visual snarl that he didn't want me near the barrier that he was behind (kennel once, pet gate once). I backed off and we were immediately cool. I got some sniffs when we were back on the same side of the gate.

And that's my thing with this boy. He's got Needs. Me too man, I'm right there with you.

I'm pet sitting right now, and in all honesty, all we're doing is hanging out. Nobody's getting redirected beyond "don't jump on me, and quit mouthing my sleeve". We had one incident of Misdemeanor Countersurfing and Resource Guarding with Intent. And I know -- I know -- how scary and intimidating it is to be on the receiving end of a reactive dog's warning! Second Mom is very scared of trying to take food from him and they have a whole protocol that uses the Wondertrainer's techniques.

But all he needed to give up the forbidden food was a normal ass dog biscuit. Swapsies, nabbed the remains, reactivity back to zero.

This dog, not least because of Our Lady of Aversion Training, is treated like a live grenade and the moment something SLIGHTLY bad happens, oh god no, klaxons, strobing lights, women and children to the lifeboats first.

He's not, though, he's just a boy who has had ALL his boundaries and communication ignored, and people are stressed out AT him. All the time. I'm sitting outside writing this, and the dogs run up, get up in my business hoping that this is a Sharing Doughnut I've got here (NOPE!!!!!) We started this weekend with him kinda sorta being okay with some ear scritches after he gave my hand a good sniff. This morning he wasn't fully sure about me initiating head pets, but he communicates that super clearly if you know what you're looking at. I'd offer, he'd get tense, I'd back off, and WHAT DO YOU FUCKIN KNOW. Now he running up and shoving his head into my elbow for pets.

BECAUSE IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL WHEN HE TOLD ME NO. Nothing he can do can make me freak out, so HE'S not gonna freak out.

Super bonus, I've been working on muzzle desensitizing with him as well, because right now the method is Mom And Only Mom Traps Him And Tough Tits If You Miss The First Time, Call The Vet to Say We'll Be Really Really Late. Which. Mmrg. Muzzle was a requirement to attend the Wonderclasses, which I get, it's a basket muzzle, we want everyone to stay safe. I guess the instructions were "Bring the dog muzzled and shock collared and be prepared to zap him if he gets aggressive or out of line." (FUCKIN. WHAT ARE PEOPLE PAYING THIS LADY FOR. JESUS FUCKING. SHRIEK.) (I mean where even is the fucking spray bottle in this hierarchy? FUCK.)

Anyway, boyo does not care if I walk around with the muzzle, will HAPPILY eat peanut butter off a plate with the muzzle ... this is a very, very teachable dog. He's not a live grenade, he's like. At WORST a firework. If you're a moron and you fuck around, sure. Finding out may involve losing your arm. But MAYBE you shouldn't have been fucking around that hard and engaged your giant primate brain for 12 seconds. Don't try to douse a fire with gasoline maybe?

[galesdevoteewife]

Wanted to ask about how Zilvera felt about all the children in her camp? Specially about Yenna considered that unlike the Tiefling children or Thaniel/Oliver, she doesn't show any potential or power. I can see her taking a liking in Mol and Arabella, thinking of them a good allies for the future (specially once both of them become adults), one would have to be mad to not respect Thaniel/Oliver. But, not to be cruel to Yenna, she is an average orphan who clawed to the first person who was decent (and sometimes not even that) to her. Was Zilvera more into being kind to children because of Gale's influence by then? Or did she just let her stay at camp because most of the team, Gale included, wanted to help?

Hi anon! Hehe thanks for the ask, always appreciate the chance for story-brewing!! ♡♡ Well, Zilvera simply...never thinks about them. XD

Her mind was like the quest tab. It was filled with a long list of to-dos, and she could barely recall the kids' names. Except for Thaniel, who was part of Halsin's quest so she remembered.

It's not possible in gameplay, but in my HC the companions took their own actions. Wyll always try to help and share as much as he could. The charming prince had high CHA and was very persuasive — not to mention persistent. Sometimes Wyll/Karlach were too eager to give more than they should, while Gale/SH were being pragmatic and talked them down. Lae'zel was rolling her eyes, she believed the weak should be pruned. Astarion wanted to keep everything and didn't want to carry them. He'd rather sell extra food for a couple of gold than give it away for free. Zilvera had no interest in interfering. The children weren't problems in her eyes. There was always someone taking care of the babysitting, and the kids weren't slowing them down in any way. She cared about combat resources but not camp supplies. Gale, Wyll, and occasionally SH were the ones keeping an eye on rations, camp planning and tent maintenance while Lae'zel kept the weapons sharp and the armors rust-free. The druids would take care of medicines and pest control. Fleas are awful and nobody wants them.

Zilvera's impression of Mol, Arabella, Thaniel/Oliver, and Yenna:

Mol Just another playground boss of the street. Opportunistic, bold, cunning. Zilvera thought Mol had a high chance of dying soon; one mistake is all it takes.

Arabella SO. LOUD. Why does this one have to shout all the time? Keep her away from me or I will have the shadow silence her. Act 2 was when Zilvera's nerves were most tense. Too many unknowns to figure out and the environment/enemies were ever deadly. She wasn't showing, but Gale's suicide mission did bother her. It's never easy to go against a god's will and she was eager to know everything, prepare better, not dealing with endless haunted things. She wasn't too impressed by the girl's magic since many other spells can do similar task. My HC it was taught to Gale.

Thaniel/Oliver It was interesting talking to Thaniel, and she sensed true, old power in him. Talking to Thaniel was like listening to wind running through the forest, which Zilvera enjoys a lot. She felt peaceful around Thaniel. Didn't really had a chance to talk to Oliver.

Yenna My HC Yenna was trying hard to make herself useful. She would behave with the best manners she knew and help with cleaning, washing clothes, cooking, serving food, washing dishes, etc etc. She knew she was at their mercy for the protection, so she was doing whatever she could. Thanks to her, Gale was freed from cooking duty, and they used the time for dates. Gale enjoys exchanging recipes with the little chef. Yenna in my HC was the one who actually lived with the group, and the party would bring her little gifts. Even Astarion had a soft spot for her after a while. Post game Wyll used his connection and found her a job at a kind noble house. Soo yeah that's everything! Thanks again for the ask it was really fun brewing all these!! <333 Please feel free to drop any questions! Always happy to do more ♡ (´｡• ω •｡`)

[crush3dmary]

A bit late for the ask game, but I'm gonna throw a freeform at you.

What is one question on the list that no one asked, but you were really hoping they would?

If none apply, use this as an excuse to just info-dump whatever thing you've been wanting to go crazy about!

Ahhhh my treasured mutual thank you so much for the ask!! I think I'm going to use this opportunity to info dump about my current longfic wip, because I'm really excited about it!

Philosophy of a Knife is a yugioh canon rewrite au where Bakura wins and Ryou becomes a vessel for Zorc's power. I have a lot of big plans for it, but it's really a glorified character study with an alternate interpretation of Ryou. I once heard the interpretation that Bakura is a manifestation of Ryou's own intrusive thoughts and I thought this could be an interesting thing to explore alongside the concept of an unreliable narrator as he starts to lose his grip on reality more and succumb to his more carnal urges, inspired by my very real experiences with ocd/intrusive thoughts. The first chapter is pretty canon compliant so far to the manga but I'm planning to have it diverge pretty significantly around battle city. And there will be card games! I learned how to play Duel Monsters for this! I really committed to the bit for this one. If you guys want a preview of the first couple paragraphs, I shared this in a few servers so I don't mind sharing it here too. Under a cut to be safe.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Ryou would learn this the hard way—he'd always considered himself the kind of person that others don't remember, someone forgettable, his anonymity nearly paralleling invisibility. It was only when he lost that resource that he would realize how much of a divine sanction it was.

If one had asked him seven months prior where he imagined his sorry life, the last thing he would have said was "acting as a vessel for the dark God Zorc Necrophades", but even if his life before the Ring was relatively mundane, going about the motions like it were a series of small tragedies, ever since his body became communal, all he could say for certain was that his days were unpredictable at best.

Nobody had told him when he accepted Zorc's soul that the Darkness felt like fire and ice in his veins, something swimming through his arteries like the aftertaste of grief that had clouded his senses since the day he got the phone call saying they're dead, and now you're not just lonely but alone. Nobody told him that he'd feel it skittering across the hairs of his neck like the most graceful of insects, and more than that, nobody told him that nothing would slow the process of his own decay.

A panic that wasn't his washed over Ryou's body as he doubled over, coughing and choking, a malady that had nowhere to go. Jagged nails dug into the pale skin of his forearms, drawing blood that stained the tips of his fingers onyx. Soon after, one of his hands came up to rest over his open mouth, and he retched.

The moment he pulled away, he cowered with revulsion when he saw that his blood and bile were black.

[show-us-kaidenshenandoah]

the promised image descriptions (+ the asterisked footnote bits) are in the Read More down below:

(*×1: "what was that about theaters being s3xüál?" well, there's not too many resources i can think of for the USA of this "phenomenon" (for lack of a better term), but look at the movie "Cinema Paradiso" and then look at the history of Italian cinema if you want to get into the s0ft-core p0ŕñ of early cinema that the USA tries to ignore that it ever could have even KINDA participated in pre-Hays code. but the USA did participate in that kinda stuff during early cinema. just. thats harder to research than Italy bc, again, we like to pretend we didnt do that. but Italy was way more willing to get graphic and hasnt been even half as shy about having participated in. but Betty Boop was part of the USA's participation in that, for sure. but yeah. in an age where p0ŕñ was kinda hard to get, $3x-w0ŕk3rs cost money, but movie tickets were p accessible, all pre-Hays Code?? yeah, American animators and filmmakers made money being a lil "spicy" as it were. again, i dont know a lot of USA based resources off the top of my head to confirm this besides "....look at Betty Boop's shorts" + "look at Italian cinema's history which didnt try to hide this part of its history, unlike the USA and Hays Code and whatnot". the film "Cinema Paradiso" has a whole montage and stuff about "yeah, people have been using movie theaters Like That beyond the trope of couples in the back-row". so. do with that as ya will. i usually stay away from it, personally, but im aware it Exists and am surprised not more people are aware too)

(*×2: "what is a 'gag in the margins'? what do they have to do with Betty Boop??" gags in the margins dont have to be sexual, as far as i am aware. but Betty Boop's always were. its basically just "things audiences will rarely notice, if ever; so this is a joke only animators on the team know of that made the final cut". for Betty Boop, that was a lot of p@ñtÿ-$h0ts and ñïp-$lïps that existed for exactly 1 cell of animation. it's such a mainstay for Betty that there even is a ñïp-$lïp in her small appearance within Who Framed Roger Rabbit)

(*×3: "....wait: what 'debate' about her age?" her age can get p gross sometimes, i wont lie. she is often a minor pre-Hays Code where she then got aged into being of an acceptable age-to-be-a-mother since she often was depicted as "mother-coded" during when the Hays Code was active bc... they didnt know what else to do with her if her shenanigans could no longer be sexy?? i guess? (she wasn't actually a mother, she was an aunt babysitting her nephew named Junior. but unless the shorts outright told people "this is her nephew" then most audience members assumed that was her son) lmao i personally either pretend she isn't ever a minor or i just remind myself of all the ways she parallels she has to Aphrodite's age questions. (which is basically questioning "hey, how old would the Ancient Greeks consider an adult woman to be since Aphrodite emerged 'as an adult woman' from the seafoam?". bc Athena was 'fully formed' and is non-sexual when she came out of Zeus' head; but Aphrodite came out of the seafoam as 'an adult woman'?? weird word-choice". esp once you know that the Ancient Greeks treated women, even in their legal system, in a p fucked up way; they had messed up ideas of consent and minimum age, esp for boys; and lots of other things. so, for Aphrodite, the answer generally is that she either aged up to being 18+ years of age or was always 18+ years of age, as most Ancient Greco-Roman art of Aphrodite shows her assumedly in line with contemporary expectations of what "an adult woman" would be: which is over the age of 18 years old. but i just personally have a lot of sympathy for the possible-adultification that may have happened to an underage goddess of love who was seen as a sexual being immediately after her birth.) really, Betty is "whatever age you find acceptable sexually". (which is basically the answer for Aphrodite's "adult woman is what exact age" question.) like, most audience members in the 1930s had no idea what her age was, much less that she often was as young as 13-going-on-14 to as "old" as 16 pre-Hays code; not unless the said audience member came across specific marketing (which i dont think ever advertised her age, but im not a Betty Boop 1930s Posters/Advertisement Expert) or the short itself outright said her age. like, there was a comic that said she was 16 at one point(?) in a very "I am 16 and I will always be 16" Edward From Twilight way (here is a link to the exact panel). but on other stuff, like some of her 80s TV-Movies, she owns a NYC apartment and has a job, all with no roommates or familial financial help, which implies she's probably 18+ or even 21+ years of age (at least to me). and, again, during the years in which the Hays Code was active really made her go the "Madonna side of things in a Madonna/Wh0rə complex" when she was a "mother"/auntie-babysitting, even though by the 1980s Junior had been discarded for classic Betty's design with her red dress for new media and merch (btw here is Junior's wiki page if you want to see him and Betty's Hays-Code-re-designed-outfit). and she is nowadays considered anywhere between 18 and early 20s. so like... Betty's age has constantly been in flux, and there's been debates about it for good reason

(and yeah, some people have been creeps, for sUUURREEEE, but i personally always found "oh Betty is being sexualized basically against her will due to various accidents" relatable and i found her clumsiness with said ñïp-$lïps and p@ñtÿ-$h0ts to be "she's just being thoughtlessly clumsy and isnt aware of people being gross" on par with Hayao Miyazaki and Kiki in Kiki's Delivery Service. like. Miyazaki tried to make Kiki as childish and non-sexual as possible while still showing she was just a clumsy and thoughtless kid while ALSO getting to do the dynamic flying shots he wanted, but people are sometimes gross about seeing her bloomers/"shorts" under her dress' skirt in spite of Miyazaki's efforts. i see Betty Boop as similarly "she's not trying to be 'a temptation' wtf is wrong with you", esp since so many Americans like Betty (and people around the globe, of course) have experienced similar with sexual harassment or worse. so the same way as people re-write Medusa as being a pillar against sexual harassment and SA, thats kinda how i specifically and personally see Betty Boop; as a tribute(? for lack of a better term??) to that experience within America. so im a big Betty Boop fan who sees her as akin to an American Animation's Aphrodite of "we project her to be a sexual being but she herself isnt", kinda like Marilyn Monroe. so thats how i personally reconcile with "i am a fan of Betty Boop" and "people have been gross about Betty (esp with her age)". but thats just me. you dont have to follow me. if you see Betty Boop differently, that's fair. i just ask y'all keep to that yourself lmao im in no mood to discuss or debate how i see Betty Boop, and this is by no means an invite to tell me about your sexual harassment stories or otherwise. this is just me explaining how i see and understand her age, and how i specifically am able to grapple with this gross part of her history while also being a fan of her. cool? cool)

anyway, onto the image transcriptions!!

first the images that were not the ones i added:

[image of Betty Boop with dark skin as fan-art, stylized well to the artist's preferred way of drawing rather than how Betty Boop is typically drawn. she is looking to the right with her mouth slightly ajar. her dress and heels are a very dark red with crimson red shines. she is wearing bright gold. her hair is a dark brown. she has moles. the background is a pale solid yellow. she is sitting on her knees. she is blushing with hearts in her eyes and hearts by her head. this image was posted, with the caption "boop-boop-a-doop", by @beebeedibapbeediboop. end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

in reply to this, along with their own text and caption about Esther Jones and bringing her into the conversation, the user @rikareena posted a screenshot of google on light-mode (meaning white background set witb black text)

[the image has several photos, allegedly of Esther Jones though ironically none are actually of Esther Jones as my response goes into depth about, along with famous images of Betty Boop. the image itself goes into two articles' snippets. the first article is from Black History dot com and is dated to be from 2018, though this post itself is from 2020. the title of this article says "The Real Betty Boop Was A Black Woman... Before She..." and goes on to show an excerpt saying "Before She Was Whitewashed! PBS has confirmed that Betty Boop, the popular cartoon character introduced to the world by cartoonist Max Fleischer in 1930, was actually inspired by a real-ife African American jazz singer and entertainer from Harlem named Esther Jones". the second article is dated as being from 15 March 2017. it is acredited to The Cut. the article is titled "The Forgotten Black Woman Behind Betty Boop" and its snippet within the screenshot reads "Few have heard about 'Baby' Esther, the black cabaret performer who served as inspiration for Betty..." end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

and now, we are onto the images i posted of just my DM with a friend. [this DM series is set in a black message-board with my response in blue bubbles that have black text, all alligned to the right while any replies to me would be on the left. you can see at the very top of the series the cropped bottom of that Betty Boop fan-art with the pale yellow background i mentioned before. this DM series takes up three images, so the text would not be blurry; otherwise i would have done it as one entire image. the messages i wrote read as follow, though i will add the words [/bubble breaks] to convey when a new blue bubble from me has occurred:

EEYYYYYY THE ART IS SO GOOD!! BETTY, MY LOVE! [/bubble breaks]

i do have mixed feelings about the misinformation under said art (i love that Betty Boop has been claimed by the Black community, and that Esther Jones lives on in her. but also: no Betty Boop was not intentionally based on Esther Jones; and PBS actually had to publish a correction about spreading the misinformation that Betty Boop was based on her, as well as that "she was originally drawn with dark skin as you can see in this hula short" like nah, no, that hula short was a one-off that happened WAY AFTER Betty's debut, in her first appearance she was a very uncanny and weird looking dog-girl and she was originally drawn with light skin in both that dog-form and her human form. Esther Jones was only tied to Betty Boop after a court case against Helen Kane. Betty Boop was absolutely a caricature of Helen Kane, and Helen Kane wanted to sue the studio behind Betty Boop for doing that. like Helen Kane even had a catchphrase that was "boop-oop-a-doop". but Flesicher Studios didnt want her to win. nc then that meant no more Betty and theyd have a big debt to pay Kane. instead, they insisted Betty was based off of flapper girls in general and named a bunch of actresses who look similar to Helen Kane, such as Clara Bow and even Betty Boop's voice-actress who i forget the name of, and that Betty Boop was based on an algormation of women. but that wasnt enough for the courts. so they ended up digging up some dirt that Helen Kane had been in the audience of an Esther Jones show. and it was revealed that Helen Kane based her baby-voice act off of Esther Jones, and that Esther Jones had songs including skatting (bc that was a Black performer originated talent in jazz and whatnot, and Esther Jones was really good at it, so of course she did it a lot as a Black performer) and even had a song that included the line "boop-oop-a-doop" that wouldve been sung the night Helen Kane attended this Black child's show. also, none of those pictures are of Ether Jones, we have only one confirmed picture of Esther Jones and it is of her as a child. the adult Black woman is speculated to MAYBE also be her but older, but theres no confirmation of that. and the sepia image of someone looking exactly like Betty Boop is a cosplayer, one that is contemporary to us and DEFINITELY not Esther Jones. but anybody can "be" Betty Boop.

Betty Boop was Indigenous Hawaiian for a short, Betty Boop has been Jewish in many shorts. and she even has a new Broadway musical showing right now and that Broadway Original Casting has a Black woman as the Original Broadway Actress of Betty Boop (and maybe her off-Broadway actress was also a Black woman, i forget. but my theory is part of the reason why she is being played by a Black woman is the people who own the rights to Betty Boop are ABSOLUTELY AWARE of how much Black people love Betty Boop and want to honor that representation). and ive already told you before how her age has varied in many different cartoons. she is an extremely fluid character. she can absolutely be claimed by Black people, and she can absolutely be drawn with darker skin. but Fleischer Studios dug up that ticket to an Esther Jones show to shut down Helen Kane. like. dont give them credit for something they didnt do, they tried to make Helen Kane feel like she was crazy when they made it VERY OBVIOUS Betty Boop was based on her (tho i also dont think Helen Kane should have copied Esther Jones' act and taken one of her skat lines. but also: Esther Jones didnt really seem to care. she said no to attending the court as she was touring in, i think, France at the time and gave no statement overall. she was uninterested in the whole thing, both Helen Kane and Betty Boop, as far as anyone can tell from her silence as there's no records currently even after her tour and whatnot of her feelings about either woman). so. again, mixed feelings about the misinformation in this post bc "uhhhh, no, thats not actually right, dont give Fleischer Studios props for something they didnt intentionally do" and also "yes, lets talk about Esther Jones and give some attention [/bubble breaks]

to her since so much of her work has become lost media; let's acknowledge that Betty Boop absolutely has connections to Black people through her shorts featuring jazz which is a Black-originated music genre and how Fleischer Studios did Betty Boop shorts featuring Cab Calloway (a Black man) and his jazz band specifically, her iconic "boop-oop-a-doop" line being skat originating from a Black woman, how she has been portrayed by Black actresses, and how Black people can ABSOLUTELY claim a character they feel represents them as Black people have had to make their own representation themselves or look at the largely non-Black media landscape that has existed for for hundreds of years with a Black lens to find their representation where they could" [/bubble breaks]

but also the art is really pretty and i love Betty Boop with dark-skin, i think it makes her hair and red dress pop really well ♡♡♡ [/final bubble's end]

theraby, the end of text; and the end of this DM series of images' description specifically.]

the first image i posted was a screenshot from google on dark-mode (so dark background with white text). [the screenshot shows a couple frames of Betty Boop in her initial anthromorphic dog design. she is pale-skinned with floppy ears and a black dot for a dog-nose, long eyelashes and dark lipstick. she has a head of curly black hair still cropped close to her scalp. she is in a black short dress still, but with a big white bow on the back. she has on gray stockings with gray heels. her design is uncanny and vaguely creepy, but well-intentioned. in one of these two frames, she is on a stage and singing to an anthromorphic black dog-man of fairly tall height. the text is attributed to be from the Wikipedia article on Betty Boop. the text "August 9, 1930" is highlighted from the overall passage. the text reads as follows: "August 9, 1930. Origins. Betty Boop made her first appearance in the cartoon Dizzy Dishes, released on August 9, 1930, the seventh installment in Fleischer's Talkartoon series. Inspired by a popular performing style, but not by any one specific person, the character was originally created as an anthropomorphic French poodle." end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

and now we are onto the images i posted in tandem with my post, correcting some misinformation that has been spread by PBS

the second image is another screenshot from google on dark-mode. [the image is mostly text with a couple of tiny pictures. the two tiny pictures are of a frame of Betty Boop and a photograph of Dave Fleischer. Betty Boop is peering out of a window and we see her from below as she smiles while looking side to side out her window; this frame is in black and white. Betty Boop's appearance is her usual human one; she is pale-skinned with a small nose and lipstick, she has a head of black curly hair that is cropped close to her scalp, she has dangly earing, she is wearing her usual short dress (with no bow on the back), and her big bracelets. we cannot see her lower half due to the nature of the window. the photograph of Dave Fleischer is a black and white photograph of the bust of a bald, white man in a light-colored suit. as for the text within the overall screenshot from google, there is a red circle edited to circle around the information reading "January 2, 1932" and red text edited to be next to it reading "this was the first short Betty appeared as a human". the rest of the text, not edited and from the original screenshot (excluding any buttons reading "Overview", "Cast", "Videos", and whatnot), reads as follow: "Any Rags? 1932. Short. 11 mins. Rating 6.6/10 IMDb. 'Any Rags?' is a 1932 Pre-Code Fleischer Studios Talkartoon animated short film starring Bimbo, and Betty Boop, with a brief appearance by Koko the Clown. It features the song "Any Rags?", a 1902 ragtime schottische by Thomas S. Allen" with a link to read more of the Wikipedia article on the short before continuing, "Initial release: January 2, 1932. Director: Dave Fleischer." end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

the third image i posted was a collage. [it featured three of these screenshots from google, on dark-mode, and one side-by-side comparison image, ontop of a white blank image with some black text edited in. the black text edited on reads "i wasn't sure which hula short got people confused so i included all the ones i could think of. 'Bamboo Isle' is the earliest hula short there is btw"

the side-by-side image is one of the bottom two pictures within this collage and has edited black text specific to it. the side-by-side image has Betty Boop in her usual human design, but now her skin has been tanned and she is wearing a grass hula skirt with a flower "belt" for the waist, and is wearing flower necklace that covers her chest. she has a flower in her right ear. she has flowers as anklets. Betty Boop is dsncing on the sandy shore of a beach with the ocean behind her and palm-trees framing her in by the sides. on the left side of this side-by-side is group of Indigenous Hawaiians of tan skintones. there is a row of male musicians with drums as a woman dances in front of them, dressed identically to Betty (or rather: Betty is dressed identically to HER) albeit with long hair. she and Betty are in very similar poses, with their knees slightly bent, arms in front, as they dance in this Indigenous Hawaiian regalia. the edited text pertaining to this specific image says "also! they not only rotoscoped in 'Bamboo Isle' but they also included live-action footage of the dancers!! i love that!".

now, in the three images within this collage that are all screenshots from google on dark-mode, there is one piece of information each that is edited to have a red circle. i will bring up what this circled information is per screenshot as we get into them.

the first screenshot within this collage, placed on the top-left of the four overall images, has the information "September 23, 1932" circled in red. it shows several frames of Betty Boop hula-dancing in Indigenous Hawaii as well as an overall title-card. the text information of the screenshot reads as follows (minus the aforementioned "Overview", "Cast", etc buttons): "Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle. 1932. Comedy/Animation. 8 mins. 6.7/10 on IMDb. 3.2/5 on LetterBoxd. Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle is a 1932 Fleischer Studios Betty Boop animated short, directed by Dave Fleischer." followed by a link to show you more of the Wikipedia article. Then there is the aforementioned photo of Dave Fleischer again, with the words "Director: Dave Fleischer" attached, and next to it are "Initial Release: September 23, 1932". end of text.

the second screenshot within this collage, placed on the top-right of the four overall images, has the information "July 14, 1933" circled in red. it shows another frame of a tan Betty Boop dancing the hula in the same regalia, but she is on a stage now with a poster behind her including sword-swallowing within the graphic of the poster, and dancing next to her on stage is Popeye The Sailor. Popeye is a pale human male dressed in a sailors outfit of a dark buttoned shirt with its sleeves rolled up, a pipe in his mouth, a white billed cap on his head, long white pants, gray shoes, and his bulging forearms each having mirrored anchors tattooed on them. next to this frame is the title-card cut in half. the information within this overall screenshot reads as follows (minus the aforementioned buttons): "Popeye the Sailor. 1933. Comedy/Animation. Rating 7.6/10 on IMDb. Popeye the Sailor is a 1933 animated short produced by Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Publix Corporation. While billed as a Betty Boop cartoon, it was produced as a vehicle for Popeye in his debut animated appearance." with a link to read more of the Wikipedia article. Then it shows the same Dave Fleischer picture as before, with the words "Director: Dave Fleischer" and next to it says "Initial Release: July 14, 1933". end of text.

the last screenshot within this collage, placed on the bottom-right of the image (next to the aforementioned side-by-side of Betty and the Indigenous Hawaiian dancers; and directly below the Popeye and Betty screenshot), has the information "1937" circled in red. it shows a very small picture of some anthropomorphic black animal dancing on a small stage. there is no other frames of the short shown. this screenshotted information from google reads the following text (minus the aforementioned buttons): "Zula Hula. 1937. Animation/Short. 6 mins. 5.7/10 on IMDb. Zula Hula is a 1937 Fleischer Studios animated short film starring Betty Boop, and featuring Grampy." then it shows a link to read more information about this short on the Wikipedia. it then reads "Initial Release: December 24, 1937" before showing the same small picture of Dave Fleischer with the text "Director: Dave Fleischer" next to it. end of text; end of this collagef image's description specifically.]

the fourth image i posted is a snippet from a newspaper. [the newspaper clipping shows a side-by-side featuring four women. three of these women are on one side, all posed so their heads are vertically "ontop of" one another like a row of buttons as they look pleasantly at the camera. these three women all have dark dresses on, with short cropped dark hair that is curled, red lipstick, and a hat on. none of these women are made to match one another and a have individual aspects of their outfits and a different hat, but they do look very similar. the woman on the right is smiling at the camera as she poses in the middle of touching up her make-up on a dark wooden desk. she looks very similar to the other three women in terms of face, hair, and make-up. however, she is in a light-colored suit with a darker shirt or bow-ascot underneath, has a large hat titled to the left side of her head, very dark colored gloves on, and her purse lays on the desk as she holds a compact mirror and some powder or blush she wants to re-apply. she smiles pleasantly at the camera. above this side-by-side, the newspaper reads "WHAT PRICE 'BOOP-A-DOOPING'?" in bolded, all-caps. underneath the side-by-side is the text: "(Associated Press Pacte) Helen Kane, who claims to be the original 'boop-boop-a-doop' girl, is shown at right in a New York court where she is prosccuting a $250,000 suit for damages against Max Fleischer, creator of Betty Boop, the Fleischer Studios and Paramount Publix Corporation. She charges that Betty Boop, the animated cartoon character, copled, her style of 'boop-ing'. Three baby 'boopers', whose voices were used in the cartoon, are shown at left. Top to bottom, they are Mae Questel, Mary Hines, and Bonnie Poe. They may testify in the case." end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

the fifth image i posted was of a Wikipedia article on light-mode. [the Wikipedia Article shows an image of a black and white photo of a Black girl of a young age, with short cropped hair (that maybe has a black beret to the side? hard to tell), dressed in a dark polka-dot dress or fluttery short-jumpsuit outfit. she is on her knees and wagging a warning finger at a dark-furred dog with propped-up ears. as she holds his leash. the photo is labeled "Baby Esther" is bold letters above with unbolded letters below the image reading "Li'l Esther, 1930". above the image and this text altogether reads the following text from Wikipedia: "Esther Lee Jones (born c. 1918, date of death unknown), known by her stage names 'Baby Esther', 'Little Esther', and other similar variations, was an American singer and child entertainer of the late 1920s, known for interpreting popular songs with a 'mixture of seriousness and childish mischief'." with a footnote linked in the article to the quote, then the text continues, "After gaining attention in her hometown of Chicago, she became an international celebrity before leaving the public spotlight as a teenager." end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

the sixth image i posted is also a screenshot from a Wikipedia article on light-mode. [within the screenshot is a black and white image of a Black woman with short, curled cropped hair, smiling, with her head resting in one hand, dressed in an early 19th century layered dress of lace and beading with a pearl/pearl-likenecklace, holding a small bouquet, as she sits comfortably on a dark chair in a gray photoshoot background with a couple of other chairs around. under the image reads the caption "Do Tell by James Van Der Zee, c. 1930. The image has often been mischaracterized as depicting Esther Jones". the heading of the overall image and section of the article, in big letters, reads "Misconceptions". underneath the image and its caption, the article reads: "Baby Esther shares her original name and original stage name with Little Esther Phillips, who was also known as Esther Mae Jones. Both singers used the names 'Little Esther' and 'Li'I Esther', but Esther Phillips was of a later generation, born in 1935." with a linked footnote before the article continues in another paragraph, "Photos of the model Olya Gussy costumed as Betty Boop, taken by Russian-based studio Retro Atelier in 2008, are regularly misidentified as Esther Jones" with more linked footnotes before the article continues in another paragraph, "An older photo often purported to show Jones went viral when it was distributed by the official Betty Boop Checks website." with a brief linked footnote before continuing in the same paragraph that "The image was actually a James Van Der Zee photo of an unidentified woman." with a final linked footnote. end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

the seventh image i posted is of a screenshot of goggle on dark-mode showing a collection of images featuring a pale woman cosplaying as Betty Boop's usual human design with her short, curly black hair, gold jewelery, heart-shaped garter, heels, and red short dress. this woman is standing in front of a curtain for a photoshoot. some of these images are in color and others are not, usuing different cameras and whatnot, but they are all of the same woman at the same photoshoot. edited onto the image in red text reads: "this is the cosplayer, Olya Gussy". next to two not-colored images, in a semi-transparent red bubble with white text, edited ontop of the screenshot with a red arrow pointed at each image reads "these are 2 of Olya Gussy's black-&-white, sepia-y photos among the ones that get misattributed to Esther Jones btw". most of the text within the screenshot, unedited, is irrelevant. nonetheless, that text reads the following clipped headings: "Модель Оля | BETTY BOOP Wik..." from the Betty Boop Wiki; then, "Kasbah Salome -💞Hello frien..." from Facebook; then, "The Real Betty Boop! - @dewi..." from Tumblr; and "The Me I Saw - Singer and ent..." from "shewhoworshipscarli...". the main cluster of text of mild importance is placed above all of these headings and images. it says "Модель Оля | BETTY BOOP Wiki - Fandom" followed by "Oyla P.is a very-well known model from Russia who is best known for her 2008 cosplay photos as Betty Boop by Retro Atelier. She has been modeling since she..." end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

the eigth image i posted is an excerpt of a Wikipedia article in light-mode. [the screenshot is only text and includes no images. the big heading reads "Admission of mistake" followed by the article itself reading: In 2021, a 2015 article by PBS, which had been used as 'confirmation' of the 'Baby Esther was the original Betty Boop' story by many people, was removed from the PBS website. PBS retracted the story, admitted that the 'Baby Esther' portion of the article was never true, and apologized for spreading misinformation" with a linked footnote. end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

the ninth image i posted is an excerpt of a Wikipedia article in light-mode as well. [the screenshot shows a closed heading in big letters reading "Kane v. Fleischer" followed by an opened heading reading "Legacy". within that opened heading reads the following text: "Baby Esther is most associated today with her connection with the Kane v. Fleischer lawsuit." with a few linked footnotes before continuing. "Jones' film has been credited with convincing the judge in the case that Helen Kane had copied Baby Esther." with a linked footnote before continuing, "Film scholar Mark Langer disputes this interpretation, which he says has become 'conventional wisdom'." with a linked footnote before continuing in another paragraph, "No confirmed recordings of Jones are known to exist." with a final linked footnote. end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

the tenth, and final, image i posted is a screenshot from google on dark-mode. [the screenshot is a compilation of promotional material. all for the musical "Boop!" about Betty Boop which had stared Jasmine Amy Rogers and thereby includes her in all the promotional material dressed up in-costume as Betty Boop. Jasmine Amy Rogers is a Black woman; and her costume is in a short, curly, black wig, gold jewelery, a red dress and red heels, red lipstick, with a red garter belt. one item of promotional material includes a classically drawn Betty Boop black and white blowing a kiss to the viewer, with the title "BOOP!" helping hide the transition from this 2D bust into Jasmine Amy Rogers' legs. there's another piece of promotional material that shows Jasmine Amy Rogers in costume with a silhouette of 2D Betty Boop as her shadow against a gray-white pale background and a very small sign in black with white text reading "Stage Door" with an arrow to the right (as in "the stage door is to the right") on the right side of the shadow. another piece of promotional material shows a line-up of Jasmine Amy Rogers doing various Betty Boop-like expressions and poses with a gray-white background. another is a bust of Jasmine Amy Rogers to show a close-up of her face as she poses with her hands under her chin. and the last piece of promotional material is a distant shot of a small cropped Jasmine Amy Rogers set to a black background full of twinkling lights and a big set-piece in the air reading "BOOP!" in red and white letters with lights of its own. the headings of this compilation are of no importance, but they are the following: "BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical..." from the New York Theater Guide" is a headline twice; then, "With Broadway Hopes, New Bet..." from WTTW News; then, "Broadway-Bound Betty Boop..." from Deadline; and, finally, "BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical..." from Playbill. end of text; end of this image's description specifically.]

[/then the end of all image descriptions]

boop-boop-a-doop

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #230

When was the last time you consumed alcohol? Good question, idk.

Are you interested in creative writing of any sort? Sure am, I do forum animal RP as a major hobby.

Can you ever see yourself and your ex back together? No, not with any ex.

Did you get ice cream from the ice cream truck when you were little? Do they still have an ice cream truck where you live? Sometimes, yeah. I don't know if we still have them.

What has been the most traumatic experience of your life? Does it still bother you? Losing my first real boyfriend that I made my entire identity and source of happiness and worth. I've healed A LOT and it doesn't bother me much anymore, but I have my moments, especially if I'm listening to a song that brings me back.

Where was the last place you got completely wasted? I've never been drunk.

Have you ever changed the prices of items at a store? Not when it wasn't my job. I might not have ever even gotten to this point on the jobs I had where this was a relevant duty, but I feel like I have before.

Would your parents disown you if you got pregnant? No, I'm a grown-ass adult with parents that thankfully love and support me.

Are you going to any concerts or festivals this summer? I'm sure I'm not.

Any baby names you think you might name your future kids? If Girt and I actually had kids, Miquella or Mikella Lynn and/or Sage Llane.

When was the last time you had sex? I'm going to be the 30 y/o virgin and no I'm not happy about it, but I try to be understanding of my partner's no less than debilitating performance anxiety.

Think back to your most important relationship, was it all your fault it’s over? I honestly think Girt is my most important relationship, and it's not over.

What’s your favorite color? Shades of pink. Mostly lighter ones.

Ever had a black eye? No.

Did your most recent kiss take place in/on a bed? No, his car. He was too tired to come in that night.

Has anyone seen you naked in the last 6 months? No. Even with Girt, I never FULLY take all my clothes off because I'm just too self-conscious. He's basically seen everything at one point or another, I just don't care. I'm more comfortable and less rigid when I'm covered in some places, my lower legs especially.

Last person to cuddle with? Girt.

Do you prefer hot or cold drinks overall? Cold.

Do you know how to tie a tie? No.

Are you a fan of hot chocolate? Do you like it plain or do you prefer to add things like whipped cream or marshmallows? Yes, completely plain. I don't like the texture of whipped cream and once the marshmallows start to dissolve, I don't like that texture, either.

What caused your last injury? I stubbed my fucking toe super hard. I shattered the toenail.

What’s the smallest thing you’ve ended a relationship over? Nothing "small." There were all valid reasons.

Would you rather order a starter (appetizer) or a dessert? Or would you be able to manage a full three courses? Usually, appetizer. I can RARELY manage a full three courses, I'm gonna be suffering.

How do you get most of your news, if you pay attention to it at all? Ha, Facebook, honestly.

Have you or a member of your family been diagnosed with COVID yet? I as well as multiple other family members have gotten COVID at one point or another.

Are you a vegetarian? If so, what persuaded you to stop eating meat? If not, is it something you’d ever consider? No. I had a phase where I tried, but it is simply not sustainable for me. I am too picky with my autism. I would be malnourished if I really tried to dedicate my life this way.

Do you prefer rice or pasta? Pasta, but I enjoy both.

Did you do laundry yet today? If not, do you need to do any before you go to bed? I admittedly don't do my own laundry; my mom likes to do our laundry together to save resources. I am responsible for putting my clothes away, though, once she separates them into baskets.

Have you ever had a friend that you found extremely annoying but put up with anyway? I wouldn't consider that person my friend, soooo...

Who was the last person you sat beside at a restaurant? My mom.

Peaches or plums? Peaches, I guess. I like both. I eat peaches far more.

Do you read books or magazines more? Books.

Would you ever dye your hair blonde? No, only for the purpose of adding color to it.

Who was the last person you took a picture with? Uh... I think Girt?

Do you like Redbull? I've never tried it.

What’s the last kind of Vitamin Water you had? I don't drink it.

Do you like to kill people on the Sims? I was never into the human Sims, I only played two animal versions.

Have you used Limewire before? Of course I have.

Are you or were you in a band? No.

Is the taste of alcohol appealing to you? Not at all. That's why when I drink alcohol, it has to be very light and fruity stuff.

Was your first crush on a male or female? A guy.

Do you think you look better with long hair or short hair? Short.

Have you ever had to apply for disability? Yes, but I didn't get it.

How many of your grandparents are alive currently? None.

What are three emojis you use a lot? Crying, laughing, and the sparkly heart.

Do you follow any sort of special diet, and if so, what? No.

Have you ever had an eating disorder? No. I have binge-eating tendencies, but I don't think it's with enough regularity to be considered a disorder.

Do you have any bruises on you? No.

Are you ticklish? Very.

Did you reject or accept your last friend request? Reject, it was some rando.

Did you have a good childhood? Mostly, yes. There were negatives, especially with my dad and the dangerous neighborhood I grew up in, but in general I had a good childhood.

What pets did you have when you were growing up? God, a lot. Cats, dogs, a lizard, ball pythons, mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, fish, guinea pigs, my sister had a rabbit, and I might be forgetting some.

Would you ever date someone who had issues with substance abuse? No, I am not getting involved in that.

[TW: CHILD LOSS] Do you know anyone who has had a miscarriage? I know a number of people. This is sadly not uncommon at all.

What’s your last ex's opinion of you? She'd probably be happy to see me dead, and I don't think that's an exaggeration. Shame on me for not keeping someone's confessed Nazism a secret.

Are there any major drama queens in your family? Yep.

Do you like Stephen King novels? I've never read any.

What is one adventurous thing you’d be willing to do? (ex: skydive) Cave exploration, but not in narrow cave systems. I don't fuck with that. I'd only be willing to explore wide caves and not go TOO terribly deep.

How many email accounts do you have? Two that I actually use.

Does the place you work have music playing? What sort? I don't have a job.

What’s your favourite type of donut? Either just glazed or chocolate frosted.

Has someone ever tried to start an argument with you over Facebook? What happened? Oh for sure. Sometimes I'll just ignore people, but more often than not, I'll argue my point. This happened recently and the woman realized she was wrong and just changed her focus entirely and replied in this really funny "oops I fucked up" sorta way. She literally wanted to argue that images you find on Google are never modified or AI, they're cold hard facts. I couldn't fucking believe it.

When you’re at home, do you spend most of your time in your room? No, I'm in the spare room. I lived in bed in my bedroom too long and it was terrible for me.

Do you have a hard time admitting you’re wrong? Not really, no. I suppose this could depend on the topic, but in general, I'm definitely willing to admit when I realize I'm wrong.

When were you the saddest in your life? After the breakup with Jason.

Who in your family has been married the longest? (and how long?) idk

Do you take your shoes off when you come inside? Yes.

What was the first social media site you ever used? MySpace.

Have you ever been catcalled? Not to my recollection.

Have you ever cut your own hair? Nah.

Are you a fan of video games? Yes. I'm not as obsessed as I was when I was younger, but I still enjoy them.

What’s your favorite color combination? Black and gold.

Has anyone besides your family seen you naked? If so, who? Jason, *basically* Girt, I talked about this recently. Oh, I remember as a young child taking a bath with my best friend.

Do you know how to use Photoshop? Yeah. I'm not a graphic design expert or anything, but I know a good deal, especially when it comes to photography-related functions.

Do you have the right time set on your microwave? Yes.

Have you ever been arrested? For what? No.

Where did you go today? Lunch with Tobey for Mom's birthday. Shortly we'll be going to dinner with my sisters.

Where is your favorite person? Maybe at work now? He has to do night shift for a while and I hate it.

What mode of transport did you take to high school? My mom drove me. Occasionally I would ride home with Jason on the bus to his house.

Have you ever made an item of clothing? No.

Who was the last person who cooked something for you? A cook at the restaurant.

Who was the last person who touched your hair? Besides me, Girt probably.

What was the last vegetable you ate? Green beans.

When was the last time you had a sleepover? Girt hasn't slept here in months, we don't do that a lot. He sleeps fine, I usually don't. I need a bigger bed.

[psychologeek]

Suicide Prevention resources

And other mental health resources for use of the public. (Also fic recs.)

In case you're interested (and haven't noticed), chapter 17 of "Some of Them" has been published.

this chapter contains Damian and Tim having a Conversation. (Shocking, I know.)

This series deals with hard/dark topics, though non-graphic, as I try to keep it low-rate.

About suicide

Why do I make this post?

I have several fanfics that deal with mental health issues, include one about suicide and healing (that was written in co-op), fso it's a post I've been considering writing for a long time.

Writing "Sweet Dreams" made it even more crucial, as it contains a main character's suicide attempt (on screen, not detailed) and the mindset. I had the scene I couldn't add to that fic.

(so I wrote a 3-shot sequel. Which I'm currently on chapter 20 of 😭😭)

I had this written since “sweet Dreams”. This scene is the reason I wrote this fic. This I wrote in August: I don't know how, but I want somewhere when he goes "I failed, I couldn't even die" And someone answers "No, you succeeded. You succeeded to survive, even through everything you've been through. Even though your brain was fighting against you, you managed to survive. And you are so, so brave for it". Bc it's so important to say it. The way we talk about things matter. When we define "sucsessed/failed" suicide by "dead/not", instead of succeeded/failed to SURVIVE, it matters. And refraining it, surviving as an act of strength and success... I feel like it can help others, too. This was a reframe that really helped me.

I'd try not to spoil, but in SoT mental health issues are... very present. Not only in the way we usually see it in media, but also in the more slippery ways. The ways that your mind is wired around things you can't stop picking. Things like hypervigilence and expecting for the worst (even when it won't come) and the ways we hurt those we love-

Those are all present there.

(I can write a more detailed post about it, if anyone's interested.)

And.

The road it took in chapter 15, wasn't something I planned.

But once it came, I couldn't ignore it.

(Because we don't talk about it, and people who feel the same things keep believing it's their fault, that they are damaged, that they are bad.

Because we can't look away.

Please don't look away.)

And in a way, I think -

(I'm doing for the little girl I was, that no one ever saw her warning signs, because no one looked closely. I'm writing it for the friends I've lost and for those who are still fighting.

I'm writing it for you, dear, because you are IMPORTANT and UNIQUE and UMEXCHANGEABLE, no matter what your mind may lie.)

Some things:

Suicidality is a real thing, a real issue, and we need to talk about it.

Yes - kids do commit suicide. That's why knowing the signs and how to help is so important.

(you can't find if you look away)

We need to talk about child suicidality.

Kids DO suffer from mental health issues, and we sse suicide attempts at kids as young as 6/7.

Ignoring it, or saying "it won't happen to me/my kids/friends", only lowers the chances to help those who need it.

You can live with suicidality.

It's hard, but you can have GOOD and HAPPY life, even if things look very very hopeless now.

It can get better, even if for some of us it may come-and-go as things change in life.

Suicidality is, sometimes, sort of a coping mechanism. When it feels like the only way to escape, to make things stop. To make the pain end.

It's a normal reaction to abnormal situation.

(As said by my Ex*, who tried to commit suicide at 19. And this saying helped me through a rough time.)

*Last time I heard from him, he was in his 30s, married with 3 kids. It was a Facebook post about a hobby craft, and he seemed proud of himself.

I know.

I've been struggling with suicidal thoughts since I was twelve.

(And I'm still here.)

~

About the situation in chapter (and fic in general)

Let me be clear - Tim is also a kid. Damian's mental health shouldn't be his responsibility.

HOWEVER in real life, just like in comics, sometimes things aren't optimal. Sometimes a younger brother or a friend is telling you something and asking you to keep it a secret.

Sometimes things change, and you're scared about them. And that is part of what I'm trying to show here. And hopefully help someone.

Depression (Signs & Symptoms)

Depression affects how people think and feel about themselves, and how they act. The signs can be subtle and easy to miss. Someone who is depressed might:

act irritable or easily annoyed

be self-critical, focus on failures, or feel guilty

lose interest in friends, activities, or school, or stop enjoying things they used to enjoy

engage in risky behaviors, like drug and alcohol use, or self-harm

sleep too little or too much or have a change in eating habits

have low energy or trouble concentrating

complain of headaches, bellyaches, or other pain

say things like “I wish I were dead” or “It would be easier if I weren’t here anymore”

Suicide -

Immediate warning signs that someone may be thinking of suicide include:

talking about suicide or death in general

looking online for ways to kill oneself or buying items to use in a suicide attempt

talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live

engaging in self-destructive behavior (drinking a lot of alcohol, taking drugs, driving too fast, or cutting, for example)

visiting or calling people to say goodbye

giving away possessions

If you're not sure what do I mean, try to look up in the fic - does Damian show any warning signs? Do you see warning signs in anyone else's behaviour?

Feel free to take it to the next level, and consider:

Do you think Tim acted properly?

What would you do if it was your younger sibling?

A friend?

~

Sources:

For Parents:

How to talk to kids and teens about suicide, age-appropriate (Utah University).

Tackling the topic of suicide with your child – a guide to having the conversation (Black Dog institution)

 

What to do when someone is at risk

Have an honest conversation

Talk to them in private

Listen to their story

Tell them you care about them

Ask directly if they are thinking about suicide

Encourage them to seek treatment or contact their doctor or therapist

Avoid debating the value of life, minimizing their problems or giving advice.

 

For teens (but can be useful for adults as well):

My Friend Is Talking About Suicide. What Should I Do?

en español: Mi amigo está hablando sobre el suicidio. ¿Qué debería hacer?