#and start making a lot of alternate clothing options

[solvicrafts]

WIP: Gomp's Robe

I haven't shared any WIPs in a while, so here's Gromph's gray archmage robe!

This one is a prototype and will be my own personal plush, so I glued the accent ribbon on instead of sewing it. It's not as noticeable in person, but definitely shows in the photo. That said I might stick with gluing them, but use a metallic glue stick instead of the clear ones to add a few extra visual effects, since it's a little too thin to sew.

I have a few more little accents I'd like to add, like embroidered runes, but I'm not sure how well my glow thread will show up on this fabric D:

[moonydustx]

Law or Zoro (maybe both separately 🙇‍♀️?) with their s/o secretly being a kunoichi 🤭

Thank u 🙏

Hi Hi! I'll start with: I'm sorry. I didn't know much about the term and I tried to research it, but to be honest, I don't think I got the best of it. I used the point of view in which the character actually became an ally. Maybe I got a little carried away with Law.

After all, how can you disappoint them? (I mean, look at these two happy just seeing Raizo)

requests | one piece masterlist

Zoro

Warnings: blood, use of swords, the two like each other but are unable to deal with it maturely.

"Leaving friendship aside" you shouted, dodging the blow. "You're too slow, Zoro."

" What did you say?" He tried to attack you again, but it only took a few steps for you to dodge his attacks. "What the hell!"

"I said: slow." You stopped the sword with your forearm, turning it and letting it rest against the swordsman's skin. "And sloppy."

"How can you do that?"

"A lady doesn't tell your secrets." You laughed, letting him go.

The sun streamed through the crow's nest windows, illuminating the entire space.

Occasionally you and the swordsman would take time out to train. Your excuse was always that you needed to improve your skills and his was that he needed a punching bag. You knew there was a lot behind it - the hours wasted together, the accidental skin-to-skin touches. Those workouts were your favorite part of your schedule.

A crash caught the two of you's attention as well as the uneven rocking and some screams coming from beneath you.

"We are being attacked." Zoro looked out the small window seeing the reason for the small chaos that had formed. "Stay here."

He disappeared from your field of vision in a few seconds. You were determined to follow his orders, not that you owed any kind of obligation, but returning to fight seemed like a distant choice.

Your eyes narrowed at the edge of the window, trying to understand the scale of what was happening. Three pirate ships surrounded the Sunny, each with a flag. Probably a group has allied together to try to overthrow you. Ignoring it no longer seemed like an option.

You practically jumped halfway down the stairs, finding the ship full of enemies. Everyone fought as best they could, but the number of people interested in taking down the Straw Hats seemed too much for you.

Using the same technique you had used in previous training, you dodged each attack, trying to take as little damage as possible. On the other side, you saw one of the men suddenly throw Nami's Clima-tact stick away. Your eyes quickly searched for the best and closest alternative within your reach.

Dodging two guys, you didn't bother asking for permission to take out the third sword that Zoro still kept in its sheath, only seeing him look at you sideways without much room to question.

Before the bullet hit Nami, you positioned the katana blade and watched the fragment turn into two. Ignoring your friend's screams, you threw blows at the first man who had attacked her. A cut in the middle of the chest was enough to knock him down and make room for other enemies to find you.

The sharp blade paraded across the deck of the Sunny, arms fell around you, enemy blood splashed on your clothes and the floor. The presence of the other companions was a memory in the fog, you just needed to help everyone get rid of the little problem. Losing your balance when you saw the ship accelerate in the opposite direction to the enemy ship, it wasn't long before you were just contemplating the blue horizon in front of you.

The absolute silence took a few seconds to bother you until you realized what it was. All your companions looked at you curiously, probably the blood that dripped from the katana and that also stained your clothes was what attracted most of their attention.

The words came to the tip of your tongue and died for a few moments, you were fully aware that you owed your friends satisfaction, it was just difficult to bring the story to light.

"Since when did you know how to do that?" Nami was the first to ask, without any type of ceremony.

"There's been a good, good time."

"But you weren't just an expert in languages, I mean, for someone who has their face buried in books translating those strange things, you know your way around a katana very well." Usopp pointed out, making clear all the curiosity - which was probably in the others' minds.

"I was trained for a long time, longer than I would have liked." you declared, walking to the edge of the ship and leaning against it.

The crew's swordsman did the same, stopping next to you and the others practically circled you. Your hand nervously squeezed the blunt end of the sword in your hand.

"I was taught to infiltrate, to go unnoticed, to kill. I never had much of a choice in the meantime."

"And how did you end up here?" Chopper asked almost adorably, his curiosity leaning more toward admiration than anything else.

"I had a mission." your eyes found Robin in the background. "I needed to infiltrate and take Robin away from here, a high price for someone with high qualifications."

"This is getting interesting." the archaeologist smiled almost understandingly. For some reason you seemed to have given up on the plan and she had already found herself in a similar position. "What made you stop?"

"You, all of you." the answer sounded obvious coming from you. "You all welcomed me so well, I felt like part of a family. So I never answered the calls again and decided to stay here, to be honest, if I had any other choice I wouldn't have done all this." you gestured towards the blood on your clothes. "I understand if you want me to leave, a secret this big..."

"No." Luffy responded immediately. "You're not going to leave."

"But..."

"The captain decided, you're still a Straw Hat." Sanji completed, leaving room for a brief drag on his cigarette. "And with all that blood you're still beautiful."

"Shut up idiot" Zoro grumbled. "But I agree with Luffy, it's decided, you stay. Now everyone, let's get these scraps out of here." the man pointed to the downed enemies.

Without much desire to continue arguing, one by one you saw your companions move away and begin to clean the deck. Zoro however remained there, standing a few meters away.

"I bet you hate me for my petty theft." You turned to him.

"Are you feeling good?" His calm voice broke your expectations. "You didn't seem comfortable telling all that."

"It's a past that I wanted to leave behind, you know? Being a linguist is much cooler than having to scrub clothes dirty with enemy remains, but now I don't have much choice."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I've already proven that I can fight, I believe that in the next battles it won't make much sense for me to try to escape." a dejected smile crossed your lips as you approached him.

"Only if you want." Zoro replied as you parked yourself in front of him, your feet aligned with his. "If you want to fight, I'll be happy to help you get a katana. If you want to continue just being you, I promise I have enough strength and swords for both of us."

The promise implicit in his voice gave you goosebumps, as well as warming your cheeks in a certain shyness.

"And leaving friendship aside?" he started and you just nodded. "You look beautiful using my katana to take out idiots."

"Leaving friendship aside..." you replied, taking the opportunity to reduce the small space between you.

Without taking your eyes off Zoro's eyes, you slid the sword back into his sheath, completing the trio that now rested after the battle.

"I'd love to be able to do both. Maybe you can help me." your faces were just a short distance away, ignoring the entire world around you.

"Meet me tonight, upstairs. I think we can take some time to train."

"You two make this mess, come help!" Nami's scream broke you both out of your little trance, but the promise still hung in the air.

♡

Law

Warnings: cute, brief hint of something hotter at the end, pre-established relationship. Law is a super nerd in this one.

Something was out of place. Something felt like it was about to go wrong, you just didn't know what. Following the corridors of the submarine, you made a point of looking room by room, corner by corner, in search of what you didn't even know what you were looking for. The Polar Tang, despite being moored on an island, was occupied by all the crew. Almost all, the captain was absent.

"Bepo?" you entered the room he was in, hitting the switch sharply.

With nightfall and no longer sailing, there weren't many tasks left to be carried out inside Polar Tang. The bear - who was apparently taking a brief nap - rubbed his eyes, trying to understand where the call was coming from.

"Sorry to wake you up. Did you have any news from the captain?"

"He just said he was going to leave for a few hours and that if possible, we would be ready to leave." If it weren't for the worry you would definitely be teasing Bepo and his habit of making mini roars instead of yawns.

"Taking a nap is being ready, mister furry?" the bear's grumbling filled the room. "I don't know Bepo, I have a bad feeling."

"About the captain?" he rose to his feet, more alert than before. "He said he had things to sort out."

"I don't know." you murmured, thinking about possibilities, perhaps the worst possible ones echoed in your mind. "From what I remember, Law was alone for a long time before he went, am I right?"

"Yes! He said he needed to focus on something."

"Okay, let's go through his desk."

Papers hung on the wall, notes spread out on the table, a large web connected the information he had gathered so far about Doflamingo. Occupying his chair, you didn't hesitate to turn over some pages, finding names and positions written down and a map of the island. An X marking a specific point next to a photo attracted your gaze, making you search your own memories to understand the familiarity with such a situation.

"Flander..." you brought the photo of the man with white hair and a black suit closer. You remembered the man but even so, your brain burned trying to remember why and it gave you a bad feeling.

"Do you know him?" "An idiot tycoon who's also a mobster. Last time I bumped into him it was to recover a stolen devil fruit. He craves power, so he uses the black market to sell them and also use... oh, shit!"

"What happened?" the bear tried to keep up with you as you ran back to your room, thankful to find it empty.

"Get everything ready for us to escape. Also prepare the defenses." you pulled out a large hidden brown box. "Law may have been ambushed."

In other situations you would even ask him to leave, but while the bear screamed and ran from side to side you didn't hesitate to throw your overalls and in seconds put on the suit. The minutes lost in getting dressed would certainly be recovered with help in camouflaging.

"Wait, what is this?"

"No questions Bepo! Go now!"

You adjusted the cloth that covered part of your face. Ignoring the curious stares, you crossed Polar Tang in seconds, finding a full moon shining all over the pier that night. That costume, that story, you had chosen to leave behind, but the thought of someone hurting your captain was too much for you to ignore.

Following through the trees it didn't take long to find Flander's compound. Trying to avoid the presence of the security guards, you followed their movement pattern, finding a small gap to climb onto the first floor of roofs. Even though the rooms that were within reach of your eyes seemed empty, you still chose to go outside. Leaning on the gutter and avoiding any noise as much as possible, you didn't have much difficulty finding the next floor.

This time, coming across some lights on in the indoor area, you could feel closer to your goal. Using the noise of voices and the distraction to your advantage, you managed to peek inside the room.

Flander was sitting in one of the chairs, three huge men accompanied him and Law was sitting on the floor. A trickle of blood ran from his eyebrow and his hands were tied together. You hated being right in your suspicions.

Using the point of illumination to your advantage, you opted for the lack of it, throwing your dagger towards the lamp. The sound of breaking glass attracted the attention of everyone there - including Law.

"Where did that come from?" one of the men bent down picking up the small gray object.

The moonlight might still be an advantage for them, but it wouldn't be a problem for you. Rolling into the window, you took advantage of having fallen in a crouch to cut the ankle of the first man within your reach and joining a trip, he soon found the ground.

The other two gathered around you and using the ratio of size to speed, you managed to dodge them, reaching Flander and putting your other dagger through his leg, leaving it stuck between his thigh and the upholstery of the expensive bench he was sitting on. One of the other men managed to hit you, making you lose your balance, but it only took a few kicks and both he and the other man were on the ground.

"Who are you?" Flanders shouted, probably not only trying to clear the doubt but also trying to get the attention of more henchmen.

Before he could continue shouting, you slammed his head against the expensive wooden table in front of the man.

"Cap... Trafalgar." you corrected yourself almost at the last second. "Do you know where your handcuff keys are?"

"In my left pocket." your eyes - which were one of the few things discovered on your face looked in pure disbelief at him. "I knew he would try to trick me, I changed all the handcuffs here to regular versions."

"I do not believe that." despite the relief in knowing that in a way, he already knew what awaited him, it didn't stop you from staying alert.

"You're Shadow Moon, right? The konoichi who helps Sora in magazine 147 of the regular story. From Yushe Island?" He stood up, approaching the table and picking up a small brown notebook, leafing through it quickly. "Am I right, Shadow Moon?"

"Law, we have time to sort this out later." you pulled the cloth away, revealing your face. "Is this the only notebook you need?"

"Are you Sora's Shadow Moon from the Yushe Islands?" for the first time you saw Law's voice rise a few decibels in pure surprise. A slightly more serious version of a child who just got the doll he always wanted. "You?"

"We really can... Shit!" you felt your arm burn as more men appeared in your field of vision. Before you could prepare to fight, the blue dome enveloped you and the bodies lying in the room were replaced by the trees of the island's small forest, the same one that had helped you camouflage your arrival.

"Well, it was a graze." you checked your own arm and it didn't take long for Law to take the job for himself.

"Yes, you almost don't need stitches. A bandage should do the trick, Shadow Moon."

"Are you really going to call me that all night?" Law decided to back off the subject when he noticed the irritation in your voice, but you knew the subject wouldn't remain quiet for long. "When we arrive at Polar Tang, I'll explain. I've already got everyone ready for us to set sail."

You were never so happy to be back in the little metal cocoon, or at least that was the affectionate way you called the yellow submarine. After reassuring everyone, you followed Law to his room, knowing that he must have doubts about everything that happened.

"How did you know I was there?" he asked as soon as you slammed the door behind you. Taking advantage of the small peace to catch your breath, you leaned against the wall.

"I had a strange feeling and when I found Flander's photo, I knew something was wrong. I already knew his history with Devil Fruit users."

"I understood." Law seemed distracted by something on his stand. "I knew he would try to catch me, I wanted to make the most of my time to extract information."

"Next time, please let your girlfriend know." you murmured, crossing your arms and watching him walk towards you. "No way."

Law placed a small doll next to you and you knew what it was without even looking.

"Shadow Moon, I knew it!"

"I'm sorry I kept this from you." You asked and saw him nod. The same hand that held the action figure pulled you closer to the bed.

"How did you end up in Sora?" he sat down, giving you space to sit next to him or in it.

"Long story short, I helped one of the comic's editors, it was his way of thanking me." Law's eyes sparkled as you adjusted yourself over his hips.

"My girlfriend is Shadow Moon. Do you have any idea how badass that is?" he again looked at the doll and placed it aside. "Although you look a lot hotter in the real version."

"Is this serious? I took down several idiots at once to save you and you're impressed by this?" You pointed to your own clothes.

"This? You mean the legendary Shadow Moon responsible for taking down enemy armies and who can disappear into the shadows?" Your loud laugh also brought a light laugh from Law. "Shadow Moon herself came to save me. Where were you hiding all this?"

"Kind of wanted to put that story behind me." you bent down and pushed him against the bed, using the gap to lay on his chest. Just a few hours apart along with the adrenaline in your body made you miss Law's contact. "It was really lucky they left my suit in Sabaody."

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay." Noticing the hesitation in your voice, Law tried to steer you away from that subject. But his presence was comforting, it was as if the old memories were just that: things left behind.

"After my parents died, these women took me in. They gave me a home, food, but in return they trained me. They did this with different types of girls."

"You know why?"

"A lot of us went on missions for them, but the purpose was always to teach us how to defend ourselves." You smiled when you felt his fingers caress your skin, encouraging you to keep talking.

"I started to stand out, taking down many of the enemies until the mission where they discovered me infiltrated. I was pretending to be a doctor for one of the pirates who stole them."

"So that's why you already knew how to deal with everything here."

"Exactly, it was almost like a vocation, or destiny" a provocative smile dared to cross your lips, soon disappearing. "After finding out, they locked me up for a while. When they got tired of my presence, they sold me into slavery."

"You're lucky that a guy with a good heart was there, right?" Law's cynicism was something almost immersed in him. You quickly took the man's lips.

"They say he was very handsome." you murmured, catching his kisses.

"Babe, please." his tone was strangled when he felt your hips press against his. "But it's okay if you say no..."

"Trafalgar!" You lightly patted his shoulder when you saw him blush - like you hadn't seen in the time you were together. The way his gaze roamed your body made it clear what he wanted. "Okay, the costumes are still on my body."

"Hm.. my beautiful little konoichi." he turned you over on the bed, pinning you beneath him. "This time you won't be able to hide."

[taxidermycanine]

Hey not sure if this is the right place to ask this but I'm looking for whoever might be able to offer advice. My wife just told me she's therian today (wolf). I'm completely supportive of it of course. As another wolf therian, do you have any suggestions for things I could do to help her feel more comfortable or support her better?

(Anon ask to protect her privacy because she's self conscious about it)

hi! this is absolutely the right place to ask, welcome :o)

this is very sweet of you to do, and i'm sure your wife appreciates you looking more into therianthropy so you can understand her better!

i hope you enjoy this post, and thank you again for this ask! the tips are under the cut

species affirming 101: wolves and other canids

hello there! struggling to figure out ways to affirm your therianthropy because you don't know where to start? or maybe you're someone who knows a critter personally and want to learn how to make them more comfortable around you? then sit down and get comfortable because this is species affirming 101 (with me, the dog).

before we go into it, please note:

not all of these things are for everyone, and that's okay! do what feels right for you.

i will try my best to provide alternatives for any food recommendations for those of you with dietary needs, but apologize in advance if i fail to do so.

that the most important thing to affirm your species is through taking good care of yourself and spending some time outside to ground yourself. sometimes these things take time, they'll come to you eventually.

with that in mind, let's begin with the first tip!

NUMBER ONE: clothing

whether you have shorter or longer fur, this point can help you either way! the human body doesn't grow nearly enough hair to feel comfortable sometimes, which is why i wear clothes that are fuzzy, warm, and the same color as my fur. this is especially helpful in the colder months.

as for the warmer months, i recommend purchasing things such as tail keychains, trimming your nails into claws, drawing paws on your shoes. even meditating in a wooded area can help somewhat (at least in my own experience).

NUMBER TWO: snacks

usually when people think of species affirming snacks their mind immediately goes to something like jerky, and whilst that can help a few folk, in my opinion it's much too gritty for me to enjoy comfortably. i prefer eating slim jims for the saltiness and fall-apart texture. if you can't eat meat for whatever reason, i recommend experimenting with different types of mushrooms. a popular choice for meat imitation is the lions mane mushroom. when cooked a certain way, it's crunchy, filling and has a tender texture.

NUMBER THREE: ambiance

something as simple as putting on a video of nature sounds can make you feel more at home. i recommend mixing this with den making (making your bed feel more like a den by adding lots of blankets, going under them to sleep for coverage, maybe a chair or two to keep the entrance visable. i find having some sort of floor mattress works best for this sort of thing)

NUMBER FOUR: comforts

stuffed animals of your theriotype are always a nice way to feel less lonely, especially if you feel like you're meant to have young. acting like they're your pack, your litter, or simply just your belongings can provide heavy comfort during times of feeling isolated.

if you feel like you shouldn't have stuffed animals because you aren't a domestic breed, you shouldn't worry about that. One, you can do whatever you want forerver. Two, there have been many cases of animals finding things like stuffed animals and playing with them, look at this guy!

NUMBER FIVE: socializing

as canines are social animals, it's important for you to spend time with others, therian or non-therian. if you have human friends, or a human partner, great! if they're comfortable with it, you can have them pet you if you'd like. maybe ask to go on a walk with them for a more discreet option.

i'd also recommend making friends who are also therian so you have others to relate to. it's important to realize that you are not alone in this, and there are so many who feel the way you do right now. if you make some irl, go to the forest together! play in the river! if you're stuck to being online friends for however long, make moodboards! play online games where you can be an animal together! roleplay if that's more your speed! there's plenty to do with loved ones.

for now, that's all i can think of. for the anon though here's a little more just for you, i wish you and your partner the best.

be there for her, tell her that her being a therian doesn't make you love her any less and that you find her therianthropy beautiful. ask her about what she'd like you to do to help with species dysphoria, if she has any. research about her theriotype with her to show her that you care about it. as another wolf therian myself, the thing that helped me the most is having my own partner be there for me. canines are social animals, be social with her.

my love to you both,

bandit

[ziyuanyuan1113]

I am in love with your art style. I love all your jjk art, it’s like stitching back the pieces of my shattered heart. Your art is so soothing and has such a warm feel, I love it. Also if you don’t mind me asking what program do you use for your art, and do you have any tips? I strive to someday create art that gives the same feeling of comfort as yours. Thank you <3

Thank you so much for the kind message! I'm actually in the middle of making another jjk piece but it's been a while so I've been trying to remember and consolidate my process. This ask came at a great time hehe

I use photoshop for most of my art pieces but I think there are a lot of cheaper alternatives (procreate on Ipad, clipstudio paint, medibang etc) that would work just as well. As for tips, I have a technical and an emotional one:

My technical tip would be to use references!! Especially if you're just starting out, it's SO IMPORTANT imo for catching mistakes especially with anatomy, lighting and perspective. And by reference I mean real life photos. I think you can be inspired by other artists' work, but there is the danger of picking up their bad habits if you only use their work for reference. I would recommend sticking mainly to real life and looking to other artists only for resolving specific stylistic details once you have a solid grasp of your fundamentals.

I would start with a rough sketch first of whatever you want to draw and then look for refs that match the mood and tone you want to go for. Get the idea down first and draw from the heart. Then the refs come in to help with the specifics (ex. what a window looks like, how someone would hold a cigarette) The jump from the rough to the clean line version is an amalgamation of all the little things you learn along the way. For example, on one day, I learned that clothing folds usually start at one point and spread out. Then another day, I learned how to do 1 point perspective and so on and so forth. Then all those tidbits slowly add up to help you get better and better.

2. My second tip would be to understand what you want to convey with your artwork. If it's fanart, what about the media that you're interacting with draws you in? It doesn't always need to be a complex answer, sometimes you just want to draw a character because you think they're hot and that's totally valid imo.

I occasionally tutor very young artists and oftentimes, they will tell me that they want to draw like X artist or X painting/piece of media. I always try to encourage them to go deeper. What about that drawing resonates with them and what specifics are occurring in the picture to make them feel that way? For example, I recently realized I love environment heavy drawings not for the background itself but because they ground the characters and seeing them do mundane things makes them feel more real to me.

For the example below, the whole set was to explore friendship and mental health. Sometimes just having someone there who listens and is willing to talk with you can make a huge difference.

Once you know the purpose of your art, then I think it makes the decision making for the rest of the process much easier. What type of lighting scenario conveys support and comfort? I went with dusk. Then I started searching up references for dusk lighting. Couldn't find the ref I actually used for colour but a quick google will show you lots of similar options.

What kind of poses feel in character for Shoko vs Geto? What is the focus of the picture? As much as I love details, I think sometimes they can actually take away from the main message. For example, if I had rendered the lamp on the right a lot more, it would've distracted from the main point of the picture so I tried to keep that and the background in general simple (still something I need to improve on haha).

Then those extra technical things (value structure, cool vs warm light, reflective lighting, connotations behind colours) you pick up along the way are all there to help you better communicate what you want to convey with your art.

Okay I lied one more tip, be patient and learn to appreciate the process. Like with any skill, there are a lot of technical aspects that you have to study and practice. I think because the end result is so visual and easily accessible in comparison to other hobbies/jobs, it really cripples beginners. Even with writing, you won't realize a book is good until you learn how to read. With art, you can resonate with a painting without having drawn a single line yourself.

I think beginners and even professionals see a lot of beautiful finished artwork and get enticed by that only to be discouraged when they find their process/finished work didn't end up the way they wanted it to look. Treat it like you would learning how to write. The fundamentals can be tedious and do take time to drill into your head, but learning them will help you SO MUCH with the creative fun parts. You can't write a poem without first taking the time to learn the alphabet, spelling and grammar. You're also probably going to write a bunch of shitty poems before you write that one good one, but that's okay because each piece lets you experiment and exercise your voice. Art is the same thing, don't rush it! Enjoy the process and celebrate your improvements.

[lakesbian]

here's every way wildbow accidentally made pre-meiosis "russel" thorburn transgender that i can remember. if you can think of any reasons i forgot please add on

his parents named his younger sister "ivy," as if the obvious grandmother-pandering name "rose" had already been used up. blake theorizes that they used a male version of "rose" for PMT, but this is nonsensical--there is no male form of the name rose, and everything he comes up with as a possible option (in other words, everything wildbow came up with as a possible option) is a major stretch. most don't sound even tangentially like the name "rose." it makes far more sense to assume that PMT was afab and had the deadname rose. (this also makes sense on a thematic level wrt how rose thorburn jr is supposed to be the Real heir that grandmother is forcing blake to die for, but that's getting besides the point)

rose has memories of being harassed over the inheritance by her female cousins, and the idea of these memories just being wholly pulled out of thin air when basically everything else involves memories either being split btwn blake and rose or erased altogether is weird

blake is friends with, like. a lot of gay people. textually runs in poor gay artist circles. the idea of them adopting this weirdly cool cis straight guy is funny but it makes a lot more sense if PMT was trans + gay and only got turned into a straight guy (and a straight girl) yesterday, due to the homophobia demon

PMT literally thinks "Besides, why devote any more attention to your son, when you could just start over?  Have that beautiful baby girl you wanted, right?" which is also like one of the only pieces of internal narration we get from PMT in the entire story. first girl they named rose ran away and did some shit with their gender so now they have a second girl they can't name rose but can still try to raise to go for the inheritance

in the same chapter as when pmt says that, callan is like ohhh you think youre going to worm your way in-, implied sentence ending being "-to the inheritance," which is, like. the family knows it's going To A Girl. so.

PMT was childhood friends with paige, who is The Gay Cousin. it is deeply sensible to imagine them bonding over this, regardless of whether or not PMT (or even paige) knew at the time

it is, like, fully possible for a cishet dude to get sick of living with his shitty toxic abusive family and abscond at the age of 17, but also homelessness is an extremely prevalent issue among transgender kids in abusive families. the narrative of a transmasc kid growing up in an abusive, catholic extended family where girls are pressured to compete for a very gendered inheritance + leaving at the age of 17 & finding a new home among a bunch of gay artists is Significantly more compelling than the cis dude alternative. it just is.

okay i think im running out of, like, logical errors that make sense only if pmt was trans prior to the Obliteration, so as for the thematic stuff. like i said, rose being the half grammy decided was supposed to be "real" and blake being the half that's supposed 2 die for her 2 exist, rose just being unhappy and disconnected by nature of existence while blake is the parts of pmt that escaped from the constraints of the family + found happiness, so on and so forth. "catholic grandmother literally obliterated her transmasc nonbinary grandchild by splitting them into two binary gendered halves & expecting that the man they could've been die to allow the acceptable woman--literally forced to dress in grandmother's clothes--live on and do as grandmother wished" is Everything, doing the same thing but to a cis man grandchild is significantly less compelling

Others who r very old/operating on what are explicitly stated to be oppressive and antiquated gender roles as per the book's themes about inherited/traditional forms of harm keep mistakenly calling blake she/her and rose lmao

??? probably some other thangs im forgetting

[just-a-creep-babe]

A Demon’s Ache — Part 13

Eyeless Jack x Reader

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

Commissioned by @cookiereblogss — thank youuuuu, I hope you're enjoying the way the story's progressing!! <333333

Requests are closed but commissions are open!

Masterlist: x

Blood runs down his fingers

He clenches his fist around the organ, hears it squelch in his grasp as more of the fluid drips down his forearm, and then he takes another bite

His teeth slice through the organ like butter

A burst of its juice fills his mouth, and he snarls into the meat

Eating has always helped calm him down

It satiates his bloodlust, if but for a moment, which clears his head and makes it easier to think straight

He’s almost ashamed he has to resort to this, but the alternatives are worse; he’s either tense and borderline feral until he tires himself out, or he actually ends up hurting someone because he can’t keep himself in check

And while he isn’t too upset at the prospect of hurting Hoodie right now, he knows he probably shouldn’t

He takes another bite, lets the heady taste fill his mouth, and then he swallows it in one easy motion, practically devouring it whole

He doesn’t know how the fuck he’s supposed to bring Hoodie’s favor up to you

The very next day you sleep with him, he has to arrange some perv-fest so that another guy can creep on you?

What if you’re revolted—what if you want nothing to do with him afterward?

He releases a frustrated sigh, takes the last bite of his food, and then he starts pacing back and forth in his room

It’s been a few hours since he's had that conversation with Hoodie, and the sun has since set, but no matter how many times he turns it over in his head, he can’t think of a way to get out of this

As far as he’s aware, he has no other option

He shouldn’t have taken that deal so lightly

He’s almost relieved when a knock at the door finally interrupts his pacing

Or, at least, he would be relieved if the knock wasn’t so familiar in its loud, urgent impatience

There’s none other than an uncharacteristically worried BEN on the other side of the door when he opens it

Scarlet irises wide with panic, he doesn’t wait for Jack to ask what’s wrong before he speaks

“It’s—it’s Jeff”

Being the mansion’s main doctor for as long as he has been, Jack’s come to understand the severity of an issue just by gauging the creeps’ reactions

Nat, for example, swears a lot when it isn’t serious, but she gets exceptionally quiet when it is serious

Masky gets annoyed when it’s just a flesh wound, and he hisses and grunts a lot when it's a deeper kind of pain

BEN, on the other hand, is hardly ever fazed by any of it

Being dead, he can’t get injured like the rest of them, and even when he does witness someone get hurt, it’s like he’s completely desensitized to it; he either just laughs it off or ignores it

Jack can’t remember ever seeing him this shaken

And when they make it to the infirmary, he can understand why he’s so affected

Jeff’s body is on one of the tables, unconscious, unresponsive

His clothes are ripped and soiled with blood and grime, his skin looks unnaturally pale and clammy—even for him—and although he is breathing, it looks like he’s just barely clinging on

“Christ, what happened to him?” Jack asks, wasting no time inspecting the most obvious wounds

“I-I don’t know,” BEN stutters, “I hadn’t heard from him in a couple of days, so I tried texting and calling, but he wouldn’t answer”

Jack presses his fingers to Jeff’s neck, feels his pulse—faint but present—and makes a quick mental list of the treatments he’ll have to administer

Judging by appearances alone, he realizes he has his work cut out for him for the night

Wasting no time on scissors, he rips Jeff’s clothes off with his hands, the fabric shredding like wet paper, and the full extent of his injuries are revealed

“Shit,” Jack mumbles under his breath at the sight

As if by muscle memory, he maneuvers through the clinic, grabbing all the necessary supplies, and then he quickly gets to work

“I tried checking through his phone, but I couldn’t access it,” BEN’s eyes follow Jack’s movements as he speaks, “so I-I did a scan of the areas I thought he might be in”

“Pass me one of the bags of clear liquid next to that jar of bandages,” he interrupts, holding his hand out, and BEN quickly obeys

There’s a tense, silent pause as Jack loads up a needle, then injects Jeff with whatever that liquid is

Once the contents of the syringe have fully been emptied, BEN resumes

“I found him passed out in an abandoned building, and no matter what I did, he wouldn’t wake up. I thought—I almost thought—“

Jack doesn’t say a word as he gets to the nitty gritty of fixing up Jeff’s broken body

“Is he… is he going to be ok?”

Jack huffs out a bitter, sarcastic laugh

“For better or for worse, he’ll live”

The process of stabilizing and patching Jeff up is slow and tedious work, but all things considered, Jack’s thankful for the distraction it provides

BEN helps however he can, mostly by handing him supplies, but he eventually leaves to check if Jeff left any online traces of his activities

And then the demon's inevitably left alone with his thoughts once more

He tries not to think back on his deal with Hoodie, and instead, he focuses on carefully extracting bullets from the various layers of skin they've penetrated through

The shells clang every time he drops them onto the metallic side table, and while he'd usually keep track of the number of bullets he pulls from someone's body, at this point, he's lost count

He's been shot too many times

Absent-minded, Jack wonders what kind of mess he had to get himself into for things to get this bad

Was he trying to get himself killed?

The last few shells finally come out, and with a sigh, Jack places the now-sticky forceps onto the blood-soaked towel accommodating the various bullets of various shapes and sizes

32, he counts

32 bullet wounds—and that's not even including the rest of his other injuries

If he didn't know any better, Jack would think it's a miracle he survived

But he does know better; he knows the killer's abilities, and he knows he'll be able to shrug this whole thing off with little to no problem and no permanent damages

He knows he won't learn his lesson

Steady hands begin working on the stitches, meticulously pulling needle through skin one thread at a time

He's around halfway through working on one of the larger gashes—going from his shoulder, across his collarbone, and down to his chest—when Jeff starts stirring awake

He shouldn't even be able to wake up with the severity of his bloodloss, but Jeff's body, like Jeff himself, is obnoxiously persistent

EJ considers giving him more sedatives, but he figures he might as well quickly finish these off first

Jamming too many sedatives into someone's system isn't good, and he's almost done with this part anyways

Thankfully, it's only once he's finished the last biggest stitches that Jeff seems to become more lucid

He snips the final remaining black thread, silently hoping Jeff won't tear through them as quickly as he usually does, and then he makes his way to the sink, turns the tap on, and lets the warm water rinse away the blood-soaked stains on his ash-grey hands

He feels Jeff's eyes on his back, but he pays him no mind as he begins cleaning and sanitizing his tools and equipment

Jeff mumbles something under his breath, groaning and cursing with a raspy, dry voice, and Jack sighs

He definitely needs more sedatives by now

He starts getting to work on filling another syringe, and as he presses the needle a few inches deep into Jeff's skin, the human hisses and weakly struggles against him

"Stop moving," Jack commands, his voice quiet and low, but firm and commanding

“You... you think you’re hot shit, don’t you?” Jeff retaliates, his words shaky and uneven as EJ empties out the entirety of the contents into his bloodstream

“You’ve suffered severe blood loss, minor head trauma, fractures to your ribs, collarbone and wrists—not to mention the varying degrees of injuries from multiple knife and bullet wounds," Jack states, "It’s in your best interest to rest right now”

He hopes it’ll be the end of it; Jeff will take the hint, close his crispy burnt eyelids and pass out, but of course, it’s never that simple with someone like Jeff

“You think… just cause she chose you over me… that you’re better than me—don’t you?”

Jack's ears perk up at the dazed accusation

So that's what started all of this

Suddenly intrigued, he looks down at him; damaged, mostly naked, vulnerable and drugged up to the second degree

When people are in this kind of state, Jack knows they tend to be open and honest to a fault, which usually grants him the perfect opportunity to pry whatever information he pleases out of them

“What happened between you and (y/n)?”

He decides it's the best question, the one he's the most curious about, and while he knows he could just ask you about it, he wants to hear what Jeff has to say

The man in question huffs, looking up, and Jack doesn’t fail to notice the unfocused look in his eyes

“I had her,” he mumbles, “I had her…”

His eyelids fall close, his brows furrowing, and Jack recognizes the look as someone struggling to stay awake despite their body shutting down

Jack watches him pass out, watches as his breathing grows deeper and his muscles slacken with sleep

And then, with a dismissive shake of his head, he turns and walks away, leaving him behind on the uncomfortably cold and hard operating table in the grungy clinic

Throughout the night, Jack intermittently returns to check up on him

He does so partially because he needs to refresh his bandages and check up on the fluids hooked up to him, but also because he's curious if he'll mention you again

He, however, doesn't wake back up, so Jack can't pry more information out of him

The next morning, after being in and out of the clinic, Jack prepares himself a dark brew of coffee, and sits down at the empty kitchen table

He hasn't slept much in the past few days, and he still feels fine, but he knows he should probably rest before leaving for that mission

He takes a sip of his drink, the bitter liquid stinging his tongue

Despite everything, it’s a peaceful morning

He’s enjoying his solitude in the empty kitchen when Hoodie suddenly walks in, pouring himself a drink from the still-warm pot, and Jack gets the feeling that his luxury of peace and quiet is just about to run out

“So?” Hoodie starts, taking a seat right next to him, “you ask her yet?”

Jack resists the urge to act on an unsavory impulse by taking a long, deep sip of his coffee

“...No. I haven’t,” he eventually answers

He wants to walk away, wants to avoid this conversation at all costs, but he knows how persistent Slender's proxies can get

Whatever he wants to say, Jack might as well let him say it and get it over with

Hoodie hums, bringing his own drink to his lips, and when he sets his mug back down, there’s a coy, self-satisfied smirk on his face that Jack wants to rip off

“Y’know, we have to leave for that mission soon”

“…”

Jack takes another sip to mask the way his body’s burning with that familiar demonic rage

“If you don’t ask her by the time we leave, I’m asking her first thing as soon as we're back”

Even despite being part demon, Jack doesn’t usually consider himself an angry person

He’s by far incapable of controlling his emotions, unlike Jeff or Masky, for example

But when it comes to you?

You're his weakness

And he swears he’s about to lose it when Nat suddenly walks in, spots the two of them, and grins deviously as she bounces over to them

Jack grits his teeth, trying not to let his anger show through in front of Nat

“Mornin’ chumps!” she exclaims loudly and excitedly, almost like she's actively refusing to read the tension in the room

“Mornin,’” Hoodie answers, reclining in his chair with that obnoxious smirk still plastered on his face

“What’re you two conspiring about? Something related to (y/n), I presume?”

She looks over at Jack, a wicked grin on her face, and he has to hold back a groan

He’d suddenly rather be anywhere but here right now

“I gotta keep an eye out for my homegirl,” she continues, “if I find out either of you are planning something, you’re fucking toast—I hope you realize that”

If Jack could roll his eyes right now, he would

Hoodie, on the other hand, chuckles

“Relax, Nat, we’re not planning anything bad,” he assures, drinking through his coffee

“Nothing bad, but you are planning something?” she quirks a brow at him

Hoodie’s about to open his mouth to speak, undoubtedly to give another non-answer, when Toby notices them from across the room, and also decides to join in

Jack resists the urge to smack his face into his palm

All he wanted was a bit of peace this morning

He swears the creeps have a herd mentality sometimes; despite being predatory creatures, they always gather up in packs like sheep

“Hey! What—what’s everyone t-talking about?”

Toby jerks his shoulder, popping it, and as he sits down, his Tourette’s nearly has him pushing over Jack’s mug, but Jack’s instincts are, thankfully, fast enough to catch it before anything spills over

“Crap, sorry,” he apologizes, “bu-but anyways—are you guys—are you guys talking about w-what happened with—fuck—with Jeff?”

Jack’s ears admittedly perk up at Toby’s question

Where’s this conversation about to go?

“Jeff?” Nat repeats, “What happened with Jeff?”

“B-BEN told me—t-told me that he—fuck—almost die-died or something. Said he had to—had to teleport him here, and Jack—Jack spent almost all—all—a-all night last night trying t-to fix him up”

Everyone’s eyes turn to Jack, who swallows down another mouthful of hot, bitter coffee, but doesn’t say anything

“That true?” Hoodie asks

“Mmh,” he answers

“B-BEN—BEN said it was pretty-pretty bad,” Toby continues, popping his jaw, “s-said he hadn’t seen—hadn’t seen it be that bad in a—in a while”

“Huh,” Nat says, “I wonder what’s been up with him. I guess it has been a while since I’ve seen him around. How long was he out for?”

Toby shrugs, his shoulder jerking again

“Beats me”

There’s a brief moment of quiet as the creeps sit around the table in silent contemplation

But then Nat breaks the silence with a scoff

“Well, whatever,” she shrugs, rolling her eye, “he’s always been a whiny bitch, he’ll get over it”

The topic of conversation shifts after that, and when they’re all enraptured in their discussion, Jack uses the opportunity to quietly slip away

He brings the rest of his coffee to the backyard garden, next to the roses and tulips, and he remembers this as the spot where you told him you wanted to stop seeing him

It feels like a lifetime ago by now, and it brings him a bittersweet kind of relief thinking about how things turned out between you

He wonders what made you change your mind—why, one moment, you didn’t want to sleep with him, and the next, you seemed perfectly content with your arrangement

Not that he’s complaining

He sits at one of the benches, enjoying his solitude once more as his head floods with the thought of you

The thought of you usually never fails to make him feel better

But now, he can't stop thinking about what Hoodie just said to him

Two days

He only has two days left to ask you before that fucker takes matters into his own hands

He runs his fingers through his hair, and then eventually, he realizes that, just like before, the more he waits, the more it'll stress him out

Maybe he should just rip the bandaid off in one fast motion

He takes the very last sip of his coffee, looks around the garden, and nods to himself, trying to hype himself up

He'll be upfront and honest about the whole thing, and he'll make it more than clear that you can refuse

Really, the chances of you agreeing are probably slim to none, anyways

And the sooner he can get this over with, the better

Tonight will be as good a time as any, he decides

He'll ask you tonight

[billythesimp]

Never Judge a Film By Its Cover

⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎...

Thank you for the request Client_Clover! I hope this is too you liking, I've never done work like this when it comes to basing interactions off of aesthetic/genres.

Wise w/ gothic-alternative-sweetheart! reader

𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡...⋙

Tagging: ☘️ anon

tw: none

⋈ Wise is used to all kinds of people in both kinds of works, whether it’s helping a client in the hollows or approaching a customer to recommend a new tape they figured would be to their liking. No matter the person, he is able to adapt to their personality and knows that better than to judge a person by their looks. He has an eye for these kinds of things, picking up on the littlest details of his customers which makes him a great salesman when it comes to film options. 

⋈ When he started taking an interest on one of the regular at the shop, he was thrown for a loop when he first laid his eyes on them. In a way, they reminded him of Ellen a bit, a very low energy personality who looked around the place with hooded eyes and a ‘Don’t approach me’ attitude. Their clothing choice was also interesting to say the least, wearing different monochromatic articles that could run from looking like a mess of nets and off-shoulder tops to high waisted skirts paired with long trench coat vibes.

⋈ Of course, the many times they come by they only view the tapes and even are with a group of friends from the looks, everyone being the complete opposite of what they seem like, cheerful and bubbly they stand out with a serious case of RBF. [Resting-Bitch-Face] But that makes him even more intrigued, who is this person and what are they like. How do they attract such bright people despite their gloomy-gothic approach? He figures this out one day when they come into his shop looking for something, walking out of the staff only room to find them at the counter.

▿

“Oh, sorry for the wait. Could I help you with something?” 

They only scratch at their cheek, eyes wandering away from Wise’s gaze before presenting a film in hand. “Uh, yeah. Could I rent out this tape?” He only looked down at the tape in question, the genre surprising him to say the least. “Oh sure. Just Oh~ Sweetie today?” The nervously nod, a faint blush painting their cheeks like dapped out watercolors. He rang it up, smiling to himself before handing over the tape. 

“Alright, you’re all set. The return policy is usually a week from today, but feel free to drop by anytime before then. There’s a fee for late returns, but feel free to call the store if you have any questions. Thank you for your business.” Their eyes gleamed in excitement as they held the case in hand, Wise could almost see the sparkles emitting off of them before they waved him bye with a sheepish smile blessing his vision. Once out the store, he could only stare before smiling to himself again.

⋈ Since then, he is always greeting them while also discussing new films that would be to their liking. Mainly ranging from rom-coms to fantasy-adventure, he has gotten to knowing them to the point where they’ve become close friends. Wise enjoys their conversations as they always mention their favorite part of the tapes; he recommends them with childlike innocence, glowing brightly with a cheerful disposition. They invite him out sometimes when he’s clocked out for break, treating him to noodles or listening to some new records across the street. Another place they are a regular at, learning more about their interesting taste in music that fits their aesthetic.

▿

He’s asked about your lifestyle once, giving him a nervous response while twiddling with your fingers. “Ah, well, I get that question a lot. I always had a fascination with gothic fashion and the aesthetic as a whole, so I wanted to express my love for the art form by wearing what I found comfortable. People are surprised when I mention that, but many people I’ve met say that it’s really cool, so I continue to express myself freely- sorry, I’m probably rambling now.” Your yapping slowing into a nonsensible muttering which Wise assures them that he doesn’t mind it one bit.

“Well, I think you're pretty- neat! It’s pretty neat, so I can’t argue with you on that.” He nodded along, seeing how they only skipped beside him with renewed confidence. “Thank you, Wise!”

⋈ Whenever he’s out and about, should he spot them in their usual circle or looming over a display alone, despite the aura they have hovering over them he still makes it a habit to call out to them. The moment before and after they spot him makes his heart flutter, how they look over with a subtle glare before perking up and grinning cheekily and waving him over. Really, it’s a sight to behold.

⋈ Maybe one day they’ll be more than friends, but neither of them would admit it. No number of soft touches and gentle smiles will push them to confess their little attraction to one another. So for now they’ll cuddle up on his bed while watching another film. As friends, yeah really close friends.

[hey-august]

Aftercare (Buggy x GN!Reader)

Warnings: NSFW, MDNI, buggy x GN!reader, mentions of sex, things get emotional at the end - poor communication, mentions of insecurities and crossed boundaries, crying, but things are alright in the end. Word count: ~1k A/N at the end. 👀

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

When Buggy gets into aftercare, he does it so right. It takes time (a lot of time) and multiple tries for him to understand what aftercare is, why it’s important, and what to even do. And once it clicks, he is all in.

At first, he’d try to clean up using whatever was around. Discarded clothes were the usual, but the scolding he received when he tried to pull off a pillowcase turned things around. A little. After that, he’d send a hand off to grab a towel, if you didn’t grab one beforehand.

Eventually, Buggy realized he could keep towels near the bed. It worked out well, actually. He found space for a few different sizes - small washcloths, hand towels, and full-size towels - so there were always a few options. The washcloths were also helpful whenever he forgot to wipe off his face paint before bed.

If you two banged anywhere other than the bedroom, he’d offer his bandana to clean up. That was acceptable the first few times, but it was still kinda gross. He noticed the grimace you made one time and started carrying alternatives. Spare (unworn) bandanas, which worked as an extra accessory. Or scarves tucked in a sleeve, which could be used as an impromptu magician’s trick.

Want a snack? This was never a problem for Buggy, actually. He had food hidden around the bedroom. Everywhere. Near his bedside, in the closet, and in his desk. If you wanted something in particular, he would scrounge it up and grab food for his own munchies. Oh, thirsty? For something that wasn’t alcohol? He’d get a drink if you asked, or if he went off to find you food. It's easiest to keep the carafe in the room filled.

Ready to cuddle? Hell yes. Buggy is a glutton for attention, so cuddles are no problem. Honestly, he falls asleep most of the time afterwards. You learned to nudge him to clean up and use the bathroom before curling up with each other. He complained far less once you explained that he didn’t need to leave the bed entirely to take care of those things. His legs and a spare hand would get up and go to the bathroom while you snuggled his top half, pressing your chest on his bare back.

And on the flipside, sometimes Buggy would get incredibly sentimental and touchy towards you. Running his fingers through your hair, propping himself up so he could look at your face, wrapping himself around you and hiding his face in your neck. Anything to keep you close.

Talking was the hardest part of aftercare. Buggy liked to talk about what was good. What turned you on, what he enjoyed, what would be fun to try next. But talking about anything harder was…difficult. Things that wouldn’t be fun to do again, comments that hurt feelings, and the periodic uncomfortable emotions after sex - spurred on by self-doubt, body image issues, or outside stress. Buggy would clam up or leave if he thought any of those topics were coming up, which would only add to the problem until it exploded and you two were arguing into the night.

Buggy only realized how important this part was when you started pulling away. You became more closed off, not talking about yourself as much. Sure, you’d tell each other in the moment if you disliked anything, but you stopped checking in again afterwards. You still seemed bubbly and happy, but he could see shadows on your face.

You’d go through the motions after sex - nestling into him to cuddle, telling him what you enjoyed, making sure he was content, but that was it. You stopped pressing, stopped trying to build a new boundary. 

That hurt him. It ate at him every time you avoided the topics he also avoided. Eventually, the pain came out.

Your head was resting on his shoulder and your fingers stroked the cerulean hair on his chest. His hand was on your shoulder as he held you close. You both just finished talking about the session - only the positives - and the room was silent. Buggy felt the quiet suffocating him, especially because he could tell you had moved on. You weren’t waiting to talk about anything else, since you were already resigned to the premature end of the conversation. 

Pressing his lips against your forehead, Buggy blinked back tears you couldn’t see. “Was there anything you didn’t like? How do you feel?” The questions were gravelly and hesitant.

You could hear the beating in his chest get faster. You tried to push yourself up to look him in the face, to see what game he was playing, but he gripped your shoulder tighter and kissed your forehead again.

“Please tell me, I wanna know…” He spoke the words into you.

Hot tears fell on his chest, trapped between your squished cheek and his skin. You wrapped an arm around his torso and squeezed, wanting him as painfully close as possible. And then you shared. You unloaded. There was a lot you held in and once the dam broke, you couldn’t stop. And he didn’t want you to stop. 

You told him about your insecurities. About things that you already said you didn’t like, but more. Why you felt the way you did. Why sometimes it was okay and sometimes it wasn’t. On bad days, you don’t really want to be called certain names. When you don’t feel good about yourself, there are things he does that make it better and things that make it worse. 

Buggy nodded as you spoke, his face still pressed against the top of your head. His sniffles matched yours. He asked questions. He cared. And when you were done, it was his turn.

The conversation went long into the night. At the end, you were both drained. You felt a headache coming on from all the crying. Buggy’s eyes stung from the tears and remnants of face paint. You two looked awful, honestly. One look at each other and you both broke into tears that walked hand in hand with laughter. How could you let it get this bad? That was terrible! And yet, you did it. You both made it through and things were okay.

Once you both ran out of steam, it was time for food, some water, and a shower. Then sleep, full of sweet, sweet dreams.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

A/N: Wanna know what you did that Buggy didn’t like? It was when you said, “I’m going to screw you until your fucking nose rolls off.”

He was very upset about that. Very. Upset. Which is understandable, really. You’ve both moved past it now and every once in a blue moon he’ll joke about it - if you’re getting on his nerves, Buggy will tell you that you’re going to make his nose roll off.

[possessionisamyth]

Look, listen to me, come closer. Nope, too close, take one step back. Okay, thank you. Now open your ears and hear what I'm saying.

Whole Cake but sanuso, BUT Sanji has fully transitioned via Ivankov and her poster has not been changed from the bad drawing yet. This means when they go to pick up Sanji, the disowned son, they are meeting Sanji the trans woman who cannot marry another woman ala Pudding. Not because of the gay thing, but because Charlotte Linlin expects babies from all her married kids.

Hold on, I'm not done. There's more, but it's below the cut cause I'm nice.

Okay so clown 1 and clown 2 arrive with their convincing arguments or alternative threats ready to go only to see Sanji and immediately call Judge so they can check. Is this the right person? Judge said a son didn't he?

Vito: "You have two daughters?"

Judge: "No. One daughter."

Vito: "There is a woman here calling herself Sanji."

Judge: "Sanji is my bastard son. He has the same eyebrows as the others, and he's blonde."

Both of the retrievers look at Sanji who fits the bill except for being a pissed off looking woman.

Vito: "Uh, you know what. We'll just bring 'Sanji' to you and you can make your best judgement."

Judge: "You'd better."

Sanji arrives. Reiju is doing her absolute best to remain appearing emotionless, but the giggles are being held at bay by a thread because this was the best possible way to get out of this marriage. Sanji the escape artist wins again in her eyes. The tri color brothers? They immediately start laying on the mockery and sexist comments of which Sanji is Not A Fan, but they threatened Zeff, and she needs to see how this is going to play out before doing anything. Judge? Absolutely pissed. He cannot give any of his other sons to Charlotte Linlin because they have actual value in his eyes. He was supposed to be giving the trash away, and the one thing Linlin needs out of any marriage deal is grandchildren. Grandchildren Sanji cannot provide with the one kid Linlin planned to give up ala Pudding.

Judge will either have to figure out a magical de-transition method that is instant (not possible in the time they have left). Give up one of his valuable sons (extremely not wanted). Or lie about Sanji's gender and go through the deal hoping they can get out unscathed until this is "fixed".

They opt to lie. Sanji who kept her hair short, only because longer hair was too much of a hassle in the kitchen, doesn't even have the option to be dysphoric due to the lengths the Vinsmokes are going through to pass her off as a man. Like. It's extremely pathetic. It's sad. It's one of Usopp's "I can't do X disease" level of awful and bad except Usopp's little lies were at least coming from someone cute.

They put a fake beard on her. Reiju is responsible for her make up. Clothes are tailored to hide the obvious curves. Sanji is making every step of this process as difficult as possible. There's nothing no one can do about her voice, though it's only slightly pitched up from before her transition. They tell her not to talk and slap the exploding handcuffs on her to make sure she doesn't. They say she's half mute or something, and Linlin says something like husbands are best seen and not heard. They buy it. They fucking buy it. Sanji isn't sure who's more stupid, the Vinsmokes for putting her through this fluke, or the Charlottes because they fall for it hook line and sinker. Her beard starts to fall off halfway through a meal and they rush her back to her room.

There are multiple mishaps where she's almost "caught", and her brothers are annoyed because they have to put in effort to cover for her unless they want to be auctioned off. Reiju is putting in a lot less effort to cover for her. But Sanji is tired. She is angry. She wants to go home. The fake beard is itchy. The clothes aren't her style. She misses her cute stilettos that Usopp lovingly sharpened the heels on. She is getting some entertainment from making trouble by nearly exposing her 'secret', but it does nothing to ease her worry of the ticking time clock to this farce of a wedding.

Pudding is nice at least. A little touchy, but nice. Sanji is so tempted to compliment the young girl, but the bracelets around her wrists are a very cold reminder not to.

Usually I have more to write where I go over the whole arc with this kind of headcanon, but I don't. Have some snippet ideas.

Usopp yelling out, "What did they do to my babygirl!" in earshot and Sanji giving him the wettest most pathetic sad cat eyes because she loves when Usopp calls her that and she wants TO LEAVE.

Sanji revealing her gender at the altar, and Pudding having a lesbian awakening.

Sanji actually taunting her brothers with a reversal of the sexist commentary they were throwing at her and then saving them.

Hearing multiple Charlotte kids question why Judge lied about having another son, and that they would've accepted a daughter to marry into the family. Some even say a daughter offering might've even prevented the whole assassination attempt thing.

Usopp gently putting Sanji's spiky stilettos on her feet like Cinderella and her prince, and she gets a horrible nosebleed. This happens moments before she's being dragged off to remake the wedding cake.

Pudding is still having the split genuine thirst and fake angry reactions to Sanji where she's just like (thumbs up emoji) in response.

Multiple cut scene styled flashbacks where random Charlotte kids realize Sanji was very obviously a woman, and they'd been too stupid in the moment to pay real attention to her slip ups.

Injured Sanji giving the double middle finger to the Vinsmokes as they part ways.

Luffy seriously asking Sanji why they didn't put her in a wedding dress. Were they too stupid to see she's a girl? He could tell it was really obvious so why didn't they?

Sanji in an irritated voice explaining to Luffy what they put her through, and then placing her hands on her blushing cheeks as she explains she only wants to wear a wedding dress once. She pointedly looks at Usopp and flutters her lashes. Usopp gets all bashful and smiley and starts a whole spiel about how if they got married it'd be way grander than what the Charlottes could come up with. Sanji is swooning. Nami is moments from throwing them both overboard for being way too mushy.

You got that right? Okay, good. Have a nice evening!

[slightly-gay-pogohammer]

I haven't played less of p, but can keep asking questions!

Do you have any propaganda for playing the game?

hi welcome to the lies of p propaganda

literally a mix of bloodborne and american mcgee's alice when it comes to aesthetic, vibes, themes and battle systems. if you liked either of them and are upset that bloodborne won't get a port and alice won't get a sequel this is a good alternative

the devs confirmed a sequel and a dlc btw. and they're indie so they shouldn't have many problems

INCREDIBLE soundtrack, and here's some examples of my favorites because i need to share quixotic, memory of beach, shattered memories, hall of fame and arche abbey everywhere

the boss fights are difficult, but most of them are very fair and easy to learn the patterns of. while some are clearly fodder... anyone who played a soulsborne game know that every now and then you have to deal with a curse-rotted greatwood or a witch of hemwick if it means you can have a pontiff sulyvan or a lady maria in return!! if you don't mind spoilers i highly recommend checking out the battles with the king of puppets or with champion victor

tackles themes of overcoming grief, different ways to deal with it, rebirth, what it means to be human, being your own person and honestly and lies, with the latter especially being the most prominent one and heavily implying that even if honesty is good, sometimes a lie is a much better option for everyone

INCREDIBLE visuals hello

i need to talk about how good the monsters design is because body and mechanical horror fans rise UP

you can actually mix-n-match every single weapons you can find around, not including very overpowered boss weapons, and you can have a cannon arm?? like yes it's far from being the fastest weapon but consider: i can either hit and dash or i can make the boss explode

Your Choices Matter you know when a game promises you that they don't. well they do they DOOO literally every single choice starting with your very first one matter HEAVILY in the end

i can't stress enough how good the characters are, they're all full of life and energy and Love. you get a puppet in love, a beautiful charismatic old woman, a spunky young mechanic, whatever the fuck venigni my dad venigni has going on, an actually pretty fun version of the cricket and even pinocchio, who like most soulsborne seems to have little to no personality, is way more human from the get-go, with a lot of characters noting that he's so easily annoyed by their bigger-than-life personality and dramatique

this game made me cry SO many times between the music the lore and the incredible writing and voice acting. it's weird to say i didn't expect that much from it, like when the first trailer arrived we all went haha bishounen pinocchio bloodborne game, but the various npcs and even some bosses feel so human that inevitably seeing them going through situation destroyed me fr fr

but seriously the small details fuck me up so bad. the fact that pinocchio starts by making heavy mechanical noises whenever he moves and occasionally twitches and makes no noise when he attacks and the more "good ending" choices you make the less mechanical noises he makes and the more he occasionally grunts whenever he's hit is so nice?? they literally change every single one of his animation if you aim for that ending and it's so!!!!! aaaa

and also you can play fashionsouls the clothes have no effect other than being fancy so you can literally wear whatever the fuck you want and i, personally, find it very fun. big fan of the workshop master clothes btw that was my main until i unlocked the white clothes

i could go on but it would fall in spoilers territory fnasdmg point is. play lies of p

[ernmark]

I'm in the process of moving, so a few things that have worked for me:

If you know ahead of time that you'll be moving, start packing early. Seasonal clothes, things you know you won't need, etc. Just a box or two at a time can make the whole process a lot less overwhelming at go time. (I currently have an enormous pile of boxes sitting in the middle of my living room)

Books are dense and heavy-- I recommend packing them in things like cereal boxes and shoe boxes. Future you will thank you. (Unpacking small boxes is also less overwhelming than unpacking huge boxes full of everything).

Traditional boxes aren't your only option. A lot of my clothes are going in my reusable shopping bags, the aforementioned cereal and shoeboxes, etc.

Clothes make a good alternative to bubble wrap, but remember to stuff them loosely around fragile things.

Also use them to fill out boxes that are mostly full, so they don't squish when you set other boxes on top of them. Squished boxes make for unsteady stacks.

When you have furniture that comes with screws or tools or whatever, tape those things directly to one of the pieces of the disassembled furniture. It'll make finding them later on so much less of a headache.

[genderqueerdykes]

hello, I'm a younger transmasculine person and I was curious about a few things (for reference I live in the us in a fairly left state)

- how do you get started on testosterone?

I've never gotten a clear answer on this, some people said it took a two year queue, others could start immediately. idk when I want to start, but i dont want to be confused on what to do when I get the ball rolling

- are there alternatives to shots, and do they work better or worse?

I dont think I could do the shots myself unless there's no other options, something about them just makes my bones hurt

- how often do you have to apply T, and what happens if you forget to take it?

I'm pretty forgetful and I'll probably not take T on the scheduled date at least once, I hope that won't screw with anything because I don't really know if you've got to be consistent with it

- do you have any tips for clothing/voice training?

I think I pass at least a little okay but my voice is one of the things I'm most self conscious about. I also find myself spending 10-20 minutes every morning pulling my shirt against my chest to see if my binders working, and just end up wearing the same sweater I have for the past few weeks

sorry if that's alot, even if you're a stranger you're the first person I've been able to ask about these things. thank you so much

these are all great questions, i'm so glad you're taking the time to ask! this is extremely thorough and well thought out!

How do you get started on testosterone?

That's a great question, i feel like a lot of people have barriers to this one. if you are in a state where you have access to Planned Parenthood, this is usually a good place to start. check to see if you have a transgender resource center in your area. if not, go to whatever local lgbtq organization you can find, even one in a college. it is also possible to search gender affirming care [area], but clinicians aren't always available via Google

Here is a list of informed consent clinics that provide gender affirming care services, you may want to look here.

The process looks different for literally everyone, that's why no one can give you a clear answer, i'm so sorry! it's such a chaotic process for all of us. some trans men will literally get their prescription for testosterone within a month, others it does take years. do some research and see if therapy is required before hormones will be prescribed in your area. if not, you will likely have a much faster and easier time getting your hormones. if you don't need therapy, generally you'll just need to sign some consent forms and waivers stating that you are aware of what you are going to do to your body.

Are there alternatives to shots, and do they work better or worse?

all forms of testosterone are equally effective, it just depends on the dosage and the person. currently in the united states, you can get topical testosterone in the form of an alcohol based gel! it is applied topically to the upper forearms or abdomen, generally daily. it works just as well as the injectable testosterone, so long as you respond well to it! there is also the option of having your clinician do shots for you if you don't respond well to gel, as well.

nebido also may be available for FtM HRT in your area!

How often do you have to apply T, and what happens if you forget to take it?

Daily for topical gel, anywhere between twice a week, once a week, to once every two weeks for shots, depending on the person, how well they tolerate the medication, their transition goal, and the dosage.

Do you have any tips for clothing/voice training?

In terms of vocal training, AmaRoseLessons, Zoey Alexandria, and Trans Vocal Training are YouTube channels that can help with vocal training exercises, and i can also recommend the r/transvoice subreddit as well if you need help figuring out how to practice and ways to integrate what you learn into how you speak naturally!

For clothing, really anything goes, it depends on what you're going for and how you want to look. Remember that your personal style still gets to be included in the mix! Generally speaking, bulkier shapes that obscure the shoulders, hips and chest help a lot, layering of clothes, and wearing clothes with "boxier" cuts. Heavier shoes like boots may help, you may also find you like dress shoes. it really depends on your personal look, but generally speaking, i say go into the "men's" section and go nuts. Whatever they wear, you can wear too, and it gets the point across.

Hope that helps! Thanks for laying out your ask in such a concise way, that's much appreciated! If you need any more help feel free to ask!

[rocketonin]

we need to use this as a motivator to help others as much as you can. we need to be there for eachother in person as well as online.

1. go to protests. you should absolutely be participating in activism if you’re able. if you can’t participate in protests due to being too young to volunteer or drive yourself, or having conservative parents that won’t let you, or having illness or disability that prevents it, or any other circumstances that are out of your control, spread the news, post about upcoming protests and news, or just donate. if you’re young, and an artist, try to get a paypal set up and do commissions. help in any way you can, even if it’s just reblogging posts that are important.

2. volunteer, help others, donate, etc. support planned parenthood and other abortion clinics. help out fellow working class citizens. help impoverished and homeless individuals. unionize, fight for workers rights. support others in any way you can.

3. avoid consumerism as much as possible. advocate for environmental laws and against oil companies. grow your own food. i have always had terrible luck with plants and i grew a bunch of peppers and tomatoes this year, you just need a lot of plant food/fertilizer and sun for them. learn to compost and use food scraps. learn to be as self sufficient as possible. stop using other unethical companies, like amazon. for those who can afford it, try to stop buying from large corporations in general, support local and small businesses. stop buying as much clothes, don’t buy fast fashion. learn essential tools like diy and patching up clothes.

4. VOTE in local, congressional and state elections. make sure your id is up to date and you’re registered to vote. it’s extremely important to vote every time you can, we need to elect better officials and get conservative politicians out of the supreme court, electoral college, healthcare and school districts, etc.

5. LEARN ABOUT CYBERSECURITY. this is vital. if you’re an active protester and activist, the government will consider you a threat. you need to get a VPN (Mullvad doesn’t collect user information, they were raided and weren’t holding any customer info.) you need to use adblock, ESPECIALLY with social media getting worse and worse with advertisements. you need to use a virtual machine when downloading/pirating, and you need to check the fule for viruses. you need to use secure browsers (Brave, Tor, Librewolf, even Firefox.) use your antivirus. (windows defender is the best, also malwarebytes is a good option.) change your passwords and don’t keep them on your computer. most people’s privacy is already compromised but the sooner you work to counteract companies collecting info on you the better.

6. You need to start keeping physical media. start burning discs, recording vhs tapes, whatever. streaming companies can revoke the right to media at any time. Don’t let important content become lost media. If you decide to pirate instead of using legal downloads, DO NOT PIRATE MEDIA UNPROTECTED. either use a vpn or go somewhere with public wifi, and use Tor or any other deep web browser. Your wifi company can see when you pirate media, and they can and will bring you to court over it.

7. support other minorities, fight for everyone’s rights. stop talking over groups you’re not apart of, let them have the stage. tell others about them, the activists they should support and how they can. stop arguing over stupid shit and appealing to moderates and conservatives. the right wants us all gone, no matter how normal you try to act for them. they want to return to “traditional values” and most minorities don’t have a place in that world. your energy is far more useful helping the victims of oppression than trying to change the mind of fascists.

8. keep alternate email, social media, and other forms of communication on hand for friends and minors who may be kept from contacting others by conservative or abusive parents or other family. always have a back up plan if their privacy is violated or accounts are deleted. if your privacy is being invaded by someone with control over you, make multiple alternate accounts and tell your friends about them. have multiple ways to contact people, like from a school computer or a game console.

9. it’s been said by many, but delete period trackers, get contraceptives, birth control, and various other ways to prevent/counteract pregnancy, and don’t relinquish any information about potential pregnancies to anyone.

10. vaccines are in danger of going away in america, it’s extremely important that you start getting vaccines as soon as possible.

11. start getting gender affirming medication, surgeries and clothes immediately, and have a back up plan if you can’t take any medication anymore.

12. DONATE TO GAZA FUNDRAISERS. PROTEST FOR PALESTINE. Don’t stop fighting for Palestinian rights.

13. Keep your friends close. Make sure they know you love them, and be there for them.

if anyone has any specific suggestions, feel free to add in the comments/reblogs. and if i got anything wrong. keep fighting.

[revalition]

OCT 11 - AUTHORITY Intimidate the public. Assert yourself. authority!! my guy! I love *and* hate him very much! he's such a guy.

this is late because I spent too much time yesterday writing about him and not enough time drawing him. oops. that's also why it's so ugly but it's okay. someday I'll draw something good and you'll all be very impressed. we'll see if I can get EdC in today too or not!

and ty red for giving me your authority's wings haha, theyre soo cool. ough I love wings. if someone sent me an ask saying "draw [skill] with wings" I would be all over that so fasttt

anyway! lots of content under the cut as usual!

authority quotes!

anti sorry cop authority!! harry desperately needs someone to tell him to stop apologizing for existing... but in the second case, volition is right (as usual)

a wonderful classic here

gotta include these ofc

authority NO.

this line is just. how I image he is constantly. the millisecond your authority is questioned in the slightest he gets like this.

re. arresting klaasje

authority stopping you from being very embarrassing!

NO. no authority. there's SO many lines like this. sigh

authority seems to be a nearly perfect 50/50 split of good advice and bad advice. it's great. it's fascinating

authority and volition. authority and volitionnn. you are going to hear about the motor carriage story and there's no getting off.

rare sweet authority moment! (this heals morale too!)

realllly love this one too <3

authority, cmon man...

this guy. this guy... he's so... I don't know. he's sure something

authority CONFIRMED COMPROMISED. also authority being mean to soft little suggestion is always very funny to me

he is compromised though

hghhk this line from the authority fail. you get after failing *four* times. my first playthrough I had high authority - I had 6 PSY to start, and authority boosting clothes. and I just kept failing and failing. and every time I failed this check I had to dump another point into authority to try it again... so it was *really* high by the end! but I just kept failing it!! it was so painful... by the fourth fail you can finally beg kim to take over...

on the topic of awful authority fails! we need to acknowledge: - the authority check to get kim to dance - the authority check to save kim from getting shot - the authority check to make acele wear the hat

including it so we can enjoy authority making things worse and worse

alternatively, succeeding the check. eugh. (you dont have to kick the snow. but the fact that it's an option at all...)

I passed the check my first playthrough and failed it my second. there's really no good outcome to clicking it... except harry can get a good cry out of the fail, I guess

this seems like a good place to include the mandatory sad dream dialogue. that way we feel less bad for him since we got to just see him being stupid

now we know! tobacco wards off narco spirits, and alcohol discourages use of... narcohol. wonderful!

you know it's bad when it's too much even for authority haha

authority giving better advice than volition one time??? this is if you have cuno at the end, when you meet up with your posse. persisting with insisting on the phasmid isn't productive at all

live authority reaction to harry being told no to anything ever

low stakes authority fail haha

here's another one! not all authority fails are world-endingly bad

another one. sigh. authority. NO.

and there is soo much honour points dialogue I couldn't fit in here! the first time I got the honour cop thought bubble I was like, wow! I'm never listening to anything this skill says ever again!

the thought gives you -4 !!!! to drama! because lying is dishonourable. and then if you lie to kim about what you were doing he tells you it was an honourable lie. hypocrite. (and there is a dialogue where he says "Are you going to let him get away with being a hypocrite?" so that really makes auth a double hypocrite)

I love and hate authority in perfectly equal amounts. they don't cancel eachother out either, I just feel very strongly about him instead. I also feel very strongly about Volition, and their interactions are always fascinating. so I end up smushing them together, going fight! (and kiss!) and fight! like the extremely normal person I am. yep. you're welcome.

I could probably write half an essay my thoughts on their dynamic so I'm going to stop myself now before I have regrets :)

authority is in my favourite skills list for sure, but due to his serious personality issues I can't figure out where he places <3

[femmefatalevibe]

hello, gorgeous. im starting college soon and im on my way to become a femme fatale, so i have two questions for you

1. how can i incorporate the femme fatale way of being into academia?

2. what things/brands are affordable for a college student? i’d love to wear high-quality clothes like the ones you recommend, but i can’t afford them. are there any other products/services that i could add to my routine for a cheap price?

thank you so much in advance xx

Hi love! Congratulations on starting this new chapter of your life <3

Here are my thoughts:

1. how can i incorporate the femme fatale way of being into academia?

Understand the importance and power of:

Knowing how to learn, study, and get in the practice of regularly acquiring new information

Understanding how to work through concepts, set goals, and clearly communicate your thoughts to better articulate a concept or build a case/argument

Becoming a better writer, reader, and remaining focused/prioritized when it comes to your tasks and to-do list

Learning how to absorb information and apply this knowledge to different situations/areas of life through these acquired skill sets/methodology

Developing important self-presentation skills through presentations, written/verbal communication/networking

Refining your aptitude for pattern recognition, gaining more insight into human nature/what makes people tick, and learning how to persuade/seduce others through your words/insights

2. what things/brands are affordable for a college student? i’d love to wear high-quality clothes like the ones you recommend, but i can’t afford them. are there any other products/services that i could add to my routine for a cheap price?

Totally get it! Budgets are particularly tight for many college students.

For a service option, I would say I recommend Rent The Runway (I believe it's around $100/month for 10ish items rotated throughout the month).

For more affordable alternatives, I would say your best bet is to dig deep into the sale sections of department stores/The Outnet and similar e-commerce sites by utilizing all the filters you need (budget, size, colors, item type, etc.).

If you're searching for more affordable brands generally, I would say some of the highest quality affordable brands available are:

Express: The "Body Contour" line has amazing basics and I love their Editor High-Waisted Flare Trousers (these might be too professional for what you need right now), but I've heard they have very solid denim and shirting options, too!

Oak & Fort (I prefer them to Everlane/Abercrombie TBH)

Quince (for washable silks, cashmere and basics for $40-$70)

4th & Reckless (a lot of their items are on sale for $25-$50!)

Because of Alice (Outlet) – mostly under $70

Pixie Market (sale items are often around $50-70)

Banana Republic (especially the sale section)

Everlane/Abercrombie have their gems – some of the trouser/outerwear quality is iffy, though

Lioness/DISSH

Frankie Shop (in-house brand – on sale it's similar to Mango prices)

Maniere de Voir (mostly under/around $100, TOP quality for the price)

Shoprumored

Mango/COS (better than other fast fashion choices, IMO)

Hope this helps xx

[thescarletnargacuga]

Is it possible for us to get an alternate ending to your Goodbye fic (the one where Pomni breaks Caine’s heart in two)?? Like maybe one where she decides to stay with Caine but then Caine hears about on the news of a missing woman and feels like he robbed Pomni of her humanity and tries to send her back but Pomni gets upset thinking he doesn’t want her anymore and in the end the game gets shut down because of Pomni being sucked into the game the two reconcile and get shut down within the game together??

A/N:ooh....what a rollercoaster

DON'T SAY GOODBYE

A TRAGIC SHOWTIME ONESHOT

The original

WARNING: HEAVY angst, hurt/some comfort, main character death, estranged family drama, VERY real (you'll see what I mean)

~~~

Caine held Pomni's hands, looking into her eyes intensely. "I figured out how to permanently transfer and integrate human consciousness into the code."

Pomni's jaw fell open. "You-...you've what?"

"I've figured out how to make your life here permanent. I know it's a lot, and I understand if you need time to think about it or even outright refuse, but... I want you to stay with me forever." Caine's code spiraled with anxiety. Now that he said it out loud to her, it sounds insane.

She had to know. "What would happen to my real body?"

"You wouldn't need it anymore, and while I don't fully understand how anatomy works... I can only imagine that without your consciousness, your body would...uh-"

"Die." Pomni said in a flat, sobering tone. She looked down, weighing her options.

Caine cringed. "Yeah...like I said, I understand if-"

"Yes." She squeezed Caine's hands.

He gasps. "Are you sure? Maybe you should take some time to think about it or- or sleep on it or-"

Pomni looked him in the eye, a determined look on her face. "I don't need to think about it. Life's made the decision for me. Caine... There's a lot I haven't told you about my life outside the game, because I'd rather not think about it, but... You're really all I have."

"Pomni..." He gently cupped her cheek. "If this will make you happy, I will do it. I love you."

Pomni felt like she was realizing his feelings for her for the first time. He cared. He truly actually cared about her, unlike everyone else in her life. This was her chance to start again, in a new world, a better world. She leaned into his touch. "I want to stay with you. Forever. Do it."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes. I love you, Caine. You've come to matter more to me than anything or anyone else on the other side. I...I have no one else in my life that cares. I'll stay." Pomni put her hand on his against her cheek.

She had him at "I love you." He kissed her sweetly, reassuring her that he would be by her side for the rest of their digital lives. "This won't hurt at all." He snapped his fingers and they both teleported to the game's mainframe.

Code swirled around them. Rows upon rows of coded game commands flowed like water. He placed a hand on her chest, over her heart, and pulled. A string of code came from her and he summoned code from the cascade around them. He connected the pieces, weaving them together like yarn.

Pomni felt very strange, like her very soul was made of static. Then something popped in the back of her mind. She felt like she was free floating through space, and Caine was there to catch her. More code connected to her heart as he held her close.

"Breathe..." He whispered.

She took a deep breath of what felt like real air for the first time in this digital space. She felt corporeal and incorporeal at the same time. She only saw letters and numbers as her consciousness solidified within the matrix. "Caine..?"

"I'm here. You're safe."

The code disconnected from Pomni's body and her vision cleared. She still felt disoriented and weightless. She clung to Caine, he never felt so real. Not cartoonish and digital, real. The fabric of his clothes scrunched in her grip. His hold on her felt as human as one could ever experience. "Is it over?"

"Yes, my dear. You're like me now. Welcome home." He spoke in a soothing tone.

She smiled, tears coming to her eyes, and kissed him.

~

For a time, it was paradise.

Pomni really was like Caine now, holding a certain level of command over the game. She could fly and teleport like him. Even help players if she wanted, being seen as a mystery high level player.

Her transplant is kept a secret. She even changes her public name to further separate herself from her old life, but Caine still calls her Pomni. A privilege he jealously guards.

~

The least interesting part of Caine's job as the Circus's ringmaster was his regular meetings with the human management team at C&A. He flits on a screen in a corporate boardroom. A half dozen people in suits waiting for him. "Hello, everyone! What riveting subject is in the corporate spotlight today?" He says in a rather passive aggressive tone. His arms cross, already bored.

"Hello, Caine. Thank you, for joining us. We have a rather serious matter to discuss." Said a man at the end of the table.

"Oh?" Caine sat up a bit straighter.

"We've been under fire from a controversy involving a young woman passing away while playing the Amazing Digital Circus. Her family has filed a lawsuit against us."

"What?" Caine's mind raced. "On what grounds? It could have been a tragic coincidence."

"Reckless endangerment. Saying our game is addicting and it resulted in the woman's unfortunate demise. While this is the first death, we have dealt with similar situations before where people have played the game to the point of hospitalization." The corporate man sifted through some papers.

"Some people wear the headset for days on end, neglecting their physical well-being. While I agree that there is a level of responsibility on the players, there is mounting support for this case against us. Aside from suing us for the loss of life, we are also being sued for emotional damages and they are pressuring the judge to rule in favor of shutting the game down entirely." The corporate man laced his fingers together, his leg bouncing anxiously under the table.

"WHAT?? They can't do that!!" Caine balled his fists.

"Unfortunately....they can, and they might succeed. Caine, you don't have to worry, we can transfer you out of the game and start again with something new. You won't be deleted." A different man in a suit tried to reassure.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!! TH- THIS GAME IS MY LIFE!! MY WHOLE WORLD!! YOU CAN'T JUST DESTROY IT!!" Caine banged against the inside of the screen, making an audible clink.

"Please, calm down." A suited woman said softly. "We all know how hard you've worked, and we appreciate all you do, but this is out of our hands. If our legal team can't settle or win...we won't have a choice. I'm sorry."

Caine started to panic. "How long... until we know?" He gasped, breathing heavily.

"Because of public outcry, our case is being rushed. It could be weeks...or days. We'll let you know." The man at the end of the table said.

~

"What have I done?" Caine cried to himself, alone in his shared abode with Pomni. "She's...she's...no..." He whimpered and curled in on himself.

Pomni popped in unannounced, floating in the middle of the room, holding an inventory full of loot. "WOO! What a raid! You should have seen it, Caine! Nearly fifty people showed up and- ...Caine?" She lowered herself to the ground. "Hey, what's going on?"

Anxiety gripped Caine like a vice. He couldn't move. "The meeting....it was about you."

Pomni dropped everything. "Someone found my body?" She knew this would happen eventually. Even living alone in her apartment with no friends or family to check up on her, not showing up to work long enough would raise suspicion. Never mind her nosy landlord popping in to ask about rent.

"More than that. C&A is being sued. It's not looking good..." Caine could barely speak. Guilt and shame hammering his mind.

"Who's sueing??"

"Your family..?"

"I don't have any family. Unless...THAT [%$!#]!!" Pomni hissed.

Caine just stared back in confusion.

Pomni took a deep breath and sat next to Caine. "So you remember...when I told you about how I had nobody on the other side?"

"Of course."

"I cut ties with my family years before I even started playing TADC. My mother is a complete narcissist. An evil woman who loves nothing more than control and manipulate those around her... especially me. I guarantee you, if she's the one that filed the lawsuit, she did not do it on my behalf. She's after money and attention."

"Pomni, it's gotten bigger than that. According to the suits, there's mounting pressure to shut down the game..."

"Shut it down? Over me? No...no, that's not fair! I'm so sorry, Caine." Pomni hugged him.

He couldn't hug her back. He didn't deserve her comfort. "I'm the one that's sorry. I never should have brought you into the game. If I hadn't been selfish-"

"Stop. I agreed. You are not blaming yourself for this."

"But, Pomni... You're part of the game. If it gets deleted... You go with it." Caine broke down into uncontrollable sobs. "I'm sorry, so....sorry..."

Pomni felt numb. She quietly held Caine as he cried for a long time. "...you're sure..."

"Yes." He sniffed. "They want to transfer me out, and-... I could try isolating your code but that could take so long and we only have weeks or shorter! I'm sorry! I-" Caine couldn't apologize enough. She was going to die and it was all his fault.

"You need to fight against this! We- uh, we tell them about me! We tell them I'm alive!"

Caine was disgusted by the very idea. "Pomni, what do you think would happen to the both of us if they found out I could transfer real human consciousness into a digital state? Not only would the game be shut down, but we would become digital lab rats! Especially you!"

Pomni hadn't thought of that. How would others react to knowing an AI could pull someone into a game forever? It could be seen as a threat. "So...that's it then."

"No. We're going to fight this tooth and nail. There's no evidence that your death was related to the game. It's all circumstantial. It's all anti video game propaganda based on other people's inability to separate their digital lives from their real ones. How is that our fault? No one is forced to stay here." Caine held his head in his hands.

Pomni leaned on him. "Humans are strange creatures, Caine. Escapism...sometimes it's the only coping mechanism people have when they live in a world where every aspect of their lives is controlled by someone else. Employers...landlords...politicians... It gets to be too much and, speaking from experience, it can lead to you abandoning that life altogether. One way or another."

"Then why would they want it shut down?"

"Let's just say there are people out there that think any forms of escapism are evil incarnate and they can't be convinced otherwise. It's complicated."

"Human complexity has never ceased to confuse me." Caine groaned.

"Me neither. And I used to be one." She huffed, amused. "And... I think we need to face the fact that this was never going to last forever. Even the biggest games eventually die out. Companies crash and burn. Assets are bought and sold. This day would have come eventually... I just wish it had taken longer to get here."

"I'm sorry... I will do everything in my power to stop this or get you out." Caine finally held her back.

"I know...." Pomni's heart dropped to her stomach. She wasn't holding much hope and the reality hit her hard that she was very likely facing death. She held Caine a bit tighter.

~

Caine popped on the meeting screen the moment he got a notification. This one was off the usual schedule and he knew it had to be about the court case. "What's the verdict??" He looked directly at the man at the end of the table.

The man was stoic. No readable expression. "We couldn't settle. The case has moved to higher court. There are people protesting outside as we speak... Caine, I think it's time we pulled you out."

"NO!!" Caine glared at the stoic man. "I will not leave this game! If you want to delete it, you'll have to delete me too!"

The people around the table looked at each other and muttered.

"Don't be ridiculous." The man at the end of the table said. "You're too valuable to delete."

Caine seethed. "How gracious of you to say, but I am not abandoning this game. It means too much to me and... I refuse to imagine life without it. End of discussion." Caine blipped off screen.

~

Caine worked madly to isolate Pomni's code from the game. It was like trying to sift out specific particles of sand from a beach. Her uploaded consciousness added more than 2.5 million GB of information to the game, and if he missed any of it, who knows what would happen to her mind or memories in a transfer.

"They're going to force me out. I just know it. I need to take Pomni with me...I need more time."

He tried.

He tried so hard.

Every time he was on the meeting screen, he was practically belligerent with the suits to fight the case harder. Delay it. ANYTHING!

"We're sorry. The verdict is final. The game will be shut down at midnight at the end of the month. It's time, Caine."

"Look, I realize you're going to remove me no matter what I say, but at least do me the courtesy of letting me stay with my game until the end." Caine had no emotion in his voice.

"Very well." The suits agreed.

~

Pomni wasn't going to spend her final days wallowing in self-pity. It was like being on a second honeymoon. They forgot the countdown, focusing on each other. They never left each other's side for even a moment. There were long talks and cries and even laughter. There was a lifetime of love expressed in their limited time left.

Players from all around the world gathered at the Circus for a final farewell to their favorite game. Caine made an appearance to express his gratitude to them and gave a final bow. His time left would be with Pomni.

11:45 pm

"I'm so-"

"If you say sorry one more time, the last thing you'll experience from me will be a bonk on your head." Pomni laughed through the tears.

Caine gave a sad smile. "I just wish I could've done more..."

"You've always been more than enough, Caine. I fell in love with you, not what you could do. What we had, it was enough. I'll go peacefully. I have no regrets."

11:50 pm

"I love you, Pomni. I always will, no matter what happens. I'll never forget you for as long as I exist." Caine felt his heart break, he held to Pomni as close and as tight as he could. Not ready for what was coming.

"I love you too, Caine. I just wish I'd had the chance to show you all the love I felt for you." Pomni's lip quivered.

"I'll carry you in my heart forever. Every moment. Every touch. Every memory. Those will never be taken from me....but they will never be the same."

11:59 pm

Pomni looked into his eyes for the last time. "Goodb-"

Caine shushes her. "Don't say it..."

10...

9...

Caine could feel his code being pulled away. He clutched to Pomni and kissed her. They locked together in a strong embrace. The world around them shifted and pixelated. The other players already booted.

6...

5...

Pomni felt weak. Sleepy. She held tight to Caine as his bottom half turned to code and was being pulled away. "Caine..."

Caine was losing his grip on a fading Pomni. Her fingers locked with his as she was taken from his arms.

2...

1...

The fingertips were the final touch. Pomni kept her eyes on Caine as she faded into the deleting code. Caine was harshly yanked away, Pomni vanishing his final sight.

"POMNI!!!"

00:00

~

It was done. The courts were satisfied. The case settled. The game was no more. The servers were shut down. Headsets were recalled.

A full reset of the AI was ordered.

Perhaps then, the AI would be more cooperative with new projects.

The suits didn't want a repeat of the AI becoming too attached.

Caine would be like the game never happened.

The tool it was always meant to be.

Ignorant and compliant.

Controllable.