#anyways what does one do in this scenario

[shidoglazer]

doing the “think fast im another girl!” trend on bllk boys

ft sae rin kaiser nagi reo shidou

sae

“think fast im another girl!” you lean in to hug him and he immediately shoves you away. its only natural that a footballer has quick reflexes right? you ended up on the floor, bewildered as he looks at you with the nastiest side eye. “its common sense to not overstep with celebrities. are you dense?” he knows its one of your silly pranks, but he’ll entertain you anyways

“babe-” you burst out laughing and he crosses his arms and looks at you with a glare. “its sae to you. babe is for my girlfriend.” and at this point, you can’t stop cackling while he rolls his eyes and goes back to washing the dishes

rin

“rin, think fast im another girl!” he’s surprised, eyes widening every so slightly as your hand trails to his jaw and starts caressing it, “oh wow your jawline is soo shar-” he immediately backs off from you and put his hands in front of his body like a security guard. “..don’t touch me?..” he says with a confused tone, because he didn’t even have a single second to process it before you went on with your act.

“oh but babeee! don’t be like that!” you lean in again, and this time he really doesn’t know what to do. did the act end? “oh, okay.” he says, still unsure and you immediately have a dark aura radiating off you. “excuse me? okay? you’re gonna say okay when another girl calls you babe?” oh. this is when the act ended. “i mean. back off. fuck off, even. i have a girlfriend and she can maul your face off.” and its hard to keep up the angry act when his clueless face makes you want to giggle. “you’re insufferable!” you say as you squeeze his cheeks together and kiss him.

kaiser

“michael, think fast i’m another girl!” you lean in, your hands leaning against the arm rests on either side of his body while he stares at you at a disinterested look. he knows he’d never act like this in a real life scenario, but he just wants to get you riled up for the fun of it. “can you cook?” you narrow your eyes at him, and you continue your act anyways. “..yes??” “can you clean?” “yeeess??” “alright. can you shut the fuck up? ‘cuz my other woman doesn’t do that.” “EXCUSE ME??”

you tug on his ear and drag him to the ground, and well. long story short, now he has a big, red, swollen bruise on his head

nagi

“sei, think fast im another girl!” you wrap your arms around his chest from the back as he plays his switch, “ooh what’re you playing? you’re so handsome!” and all he does is ignore you at first, and when he beats the level and theres a short intermission, he gets up and walks to the other side of the couch, plopping down and immediately sinking into it like he’s some sort of liquid.

“..hey don’t be like that! you’re not even a liiitle interested in meee?” you jog over to the side of the couch he’s at and start to play with his hair, and now he finally talks. “lea’me alone.” “whyyy? we’d be such a good match!” “uhh..” he takes awhile to reply, focusing on his game. only after a few seconds of silence he finally responds. “cuz my girlfriend could kill you. and she’s pretty. you’re not, so.” and you end up on the floor beside him wheezing.

reo

“reoo, think fast im another girl!” you start twiddling with his hair “you’re so cutee!” and not even a second after, he’s swatted your hand away and gave you the most judgemental side eye ever. eyebrows furrowed, eyes narrowed and twitching, lips in a frown— “get your dirty hands off of me. who even are you?” and this is genuinely the first time you’ve seen this side of reo.

“jeeesus, okay babe i see you!” you giggle, immediately out of your act, but reo wasn’t. “not the peasant calling me babe.. get out of my way.” and theres a long pause. “reo.” another pause. “the acts over.” its like a switch flipped in him, and he’s acting like the other persona doesn’t even exist. “ooh who’s this pretty lady??” his hands trail to your waist and pulls you in closer, and you squint your eyes at him.

“not the peasant from 5 seconds ago??” “completely 2 different people, that was the peasant, not my glorious princess in front of me right now.” you giggle and playfully hit him, leaning into his touch anyway

shidou

“ryu, think fast im another girl!” you lean in to hug him, but he’s immediately slammed you onto the bed (would be the floor if you were actually another girl) “oh hell nah.” he runs to the bathroom to wash his hands after touching you, overdramatic as usual before running back, hand on his hip and the other fixing his hair.

“first of all, my wife is beautiful, and you’re an ugly whore, and i’m beautiful too, so if 1 plus 1 equals 2, why do you think you have a right to touch me? second of all-” he was about to go all off on you if you didn’t cut him off “okay, okay! jesus christ ryu, you really don’t know the concept of holding back??” you say as if you’re disappointed, yet the smile stretching on your face proving uou wrong.

“not when it comes to my pretty princess.” and you just giggle at that, getting up to kiss him but he backs off again, “woah woah woah, is this my princess or the whore?” “the princess, ryu.” “alright, just doublechecking.” he leans into to kiss you, smiling a little as he does so

[twilightofthesandwiches]

I mean I do see the logic in speculating, like, if Queen is obviously meant to be a parallel of Carol

And Tenna is kind of a parallel to Asgore…

Does that mean that King is also a parallel to someone from Susie’s life? What would that say about her parents? ... Something very bad, probably.

Especially since we do have some red flags about Susie’s home-life already. Like the fact she never told her parents about her sleepover at Kris’ despite Toriel specifically telling her to do so.

And just… generally acting and talking about her past in a way that makes it clear she never really had an emotional support system before Toriel and Kris. At the best case scenario, Susie's parental figures seem to be pretty negligent. So it’s not really a leap to speculate that King’s terribleness is also a reflection of their behavior.

But… it’s important to remember that… we don’t need to just speculate. There is a very important person in Susie’s life that is already clearly reflected in King’s behavior and personality. And that’s Susie herself.

Like, some of these parallels were kinda obvious from the get-go. The quotes, the hidden eyes, the embrace of violence and total disdain for friendship and pacifism… but I think the more we got to know Susie, the deeper the comparison goes.

King’s whole motivation and his anger at the Lightners is based on the fact he was, like the other Darkners of Card Castle, a toy whose Purpose was to be played with, but they all ended being abandoned and unwanted in an unused classroom. His feelings of rejection, grief and failure metamorphosing into a desire to lash out at the world and fully embrace a self-image of villainy.

And that’s… literally all of Susie’s Deal in Chapter One. She was the lonely kid that no one wanted to play with, she was in her own words…

She says this when she’s empathizing with Tenna’s situation, but both in the imagery of the broken toy and her coping mechanism (lashing out and being always on-guard rather than clinging and cloying) she’s a lot more similar to King.

It’s just a matter of both Susie herself being less open to empathy and retrospection back in Chapter 1 and King actively rejecting any attempt at a connection by being a Huge Fucking Bastard (unlike Tenna, who was very clearly trying to honestly explain his emotions). But in retrospect, the comparison is definitely there…

Like, the thing about "Quiet people piss me off" is not just the echo of the sentence, it's also a very similar context.

Susie realized that Kris saw her eating chalk and immediately assumed the worst of them. That they hate her, that everyone hates her and is just waiting for an excuse to kick her out. With Hometown School being where both Toriel and Noelle are, the only people who have ever been nice to Susie at this point in the story... Even if she's trying to play it up like she's Scary and Edgy, I think she's legitimately afraid of the possibility.

She's just projecting all of her abandonment trauma and paranoia and distrust, all of the past times she's been hurt, on Kris' silence. Quiet people piss her off... because they act as a mirror to the frustrations she's stewing in anyways.

And this is just the same with King. Due to his own trauma of being abandoned and cast aside, he assumes the worst of the Lightners, assumes the worst of Kris. That they will never care for Darkners, that they will never care for him. That they are no different than the Lightners who locked them away in the Classroom in the first place. That they are as gleeful about the idea of abandoning all of Card Castle once again as Susie thought they were about the idea of getting her expelled.

He took advantage of Ralsei's kindness because he couldn't believe the Lightners he's working with will ever care enough to give him a future, and he is projecting all of the neglect and abandonment he has experienced, the way he thinks all Lightners must feel about him, unto Kris' silence.

I think you can also draw a parallel with how King is actually uniquely rebellious for a Darkner (especially as a Not-Shadow-Boss), trying to to actively reject his Purpose for a new one, inspired by the Knight but actually created by himself.

In retrospect, having more Darkners to compare him to, that’s an act of Freedom that can’t be taken for granted. I think you can compare it to Susie’s constant assertions of her free will and her constant rebellion against the control of the Player, the Plot and the Prophecy itself.

You can maybe also say something about King’s strong ties with Jevil and the fact that Susie is the one who can equip the Devilknife and has unique interactions with the Jeviltail?

You can also kinda rope Lancer into the metaphor. As, like a representation of Susie’s inner child who just wants to goof-off and have friends. Susie watching Lancer try and defend her from King is both her seeing the value of her friendship and trust in in real time and also metaphorically her desire for fun and friendship piercing through the toxic coping mechanism she’s been trapped in until now.

Of course, that doesn’t mean King can't have any inspiration from Susie’s home life. Darkners aren’t just, like, a one-to-one representation of one specific person all the time. Sometimes there are multiple parallels with multiple people. Queen is like a goofy funhouse mirror of Carol, but she’s also a lot like Berdly

And Tenna isn’t just a mirror of Asgore, he also reflects Toriel’s own melancholy about her children growing up

(And if you wanna lean into the whole separation-anxiety-ridden child of divorce thing, probably Kris’ feelings as well. I… think Tenna might just be a whole slew of Divorce Angst from a bunch of different angles and the comparison to Asgore is just the most obvious because he’s the Multiverse’s Most Divorced Man.)

So yeah, it’s not unlikely that King’s treatment of Lancer might be also a reflection of Susie’s probably-shitty parental figure(s). It feels probable, but even if we never get any farther detail about Susie's home life... I still think it’s important to remember the clear King-Susie parallels, I feel a lot of people kinda overlook them...

[cloudcountry]

SUMMARY: when you and your favorite ghoul bathe together!

COMMENTS: NON SEXUAL INTIMACY MY BELOVED

TAGLIST: @as1iiiwhaa @astralsocfactory

Jin demands you come over, in typical Jin fashion. I think he’d take rather lavish bathes, while still being rather simple. Prefers to just sit in the bath and rest with you rather than fuck around. Honestly? When you’re there with him, he might even fall asleep and grumble about getting all pruny.

Tohma invites you over for a bath with grace and poise. He has everything prepared by the time you get there, and will insist on washing your hair. He’s very gentle (and even takes his gloves off, woah) just to pamper you. He really is thankful for everything you’ve done for him—and this is his way of showing you that.

Luca does get a bit embarrassed at the thought of bathing with you, but ultimately he finds his rhythm. Since you’re so close, he finds that it’s not as weird as he thought it would be. If you splash him a little, he’ll flick some water back at you, a rare youthful smile on his face. He can finally relax for a moment.

Kaito is covering his face the whole time. Sure, it’s not that big of a deal, it’s not! But also, it’s you. And you’re so good looking he doesn’t think he’ll manage to take a bath with you! Once you coax him in, he relaxes almost immediately, insisting on washing your hair and back for you. Kaito will spoil you rotten until your whole body is pruny from staying in the water for too long!

Alan is very gentle with you. He doesn’t get embarrassed about nudity at all, so you don’t have to worry about it being awkward. He’s the type to apologize when he catches on a single snarl in your hair and you have to tell him that it didn’t even hurt. He’s sweet like that, and will take very good care of you. :)

Sho takes a LOT of showers, so getting him to slow down and take a bath is an achievement. He takes simple ones but washes himself thoroughly, and will take care of you in much the same way. It doesn’t stop once you’re out of the bath though! He’ll pamper you with hair masks and face masks and everything else.

Leo takes very luxurious baths. There are bath bombs and moisturizer and bubble bath and so many bottles. He’ll make fun of you if you look at his collection weird and might even call you stinky. RUDE! He’s mean but he’s good at washing your hair, surprisingly gentle. If you do something out of his routine he’ll insist you stop and follow his lead. Leo knows best, after all!

Haru is a tough case. Good luck getting him in the bath at all! He’d much rather take a quick shower and run back out, but he knows that isn’t what you want. Better to just run a bubble bath and let him splash around with you, giving you two matching bubble beards. He’ll enjoy it more than way anyway, since he’s always on the move!

Towa wants a nice scented candle lit bath, no exceptions! It’s just like in all the romance shows he’s seen, and all the cliche scenarios he’s heard about. To think you would go this far for him, you must really love him! The atmosphere isn’t soothing though—Towa still likes to play, and you’ll have to remind him that the floor will need cleaning if he keeps splashing...

Ren is very embarrassed about it. He doesn’t even use that many products, so why would you even want to bathe with him!? There are other ways to be close! It’s like getting a cat to take a bath, I am not going to lie to you. If anyone can coax him in, it’s you though! Make him grumble and whine about how you’re unfair as he tenderly washes your back. He loves you.

Taiga thinks this is going to be the most entertaining bath he’s ever had. He doesn’t get embarrassed about it, if anything he’ll try to embarrass you. He flicks water at you occasionally just to see you shoot playful glares in his direction and splash him back. Just be careful you don’t start a battle you can’t win!

Romeo uses the most expensive products for his bath that money can buy. He’s always been more of a lavish spender, so you’d better be grateful he’s extending his products to you, BB! It’s a bit silly, the way he’s trying hard to keep up his front while relaxing...just let him know that he doesn’t have to worry about you judging him ever.

Ritsu is a tough case. I think he has very scheduled showers to maximize productivity, so you’ll have to bring this up with him in advance before you can bathe with him. He may not look at it, but he’ll do anything for you if you ask. Gets matching shower caps and towels and everything that he believes people should have for a proper “bathing-with-your-business-partner” experience, even if that’s not a thing. Please, humor him. It’s sweet.

Subaru takes very soothing baths. Like, dimmed lights and candles and all. You might fall asleep depending on how tired you are! Subaru takes a lot of pride in taking good care of you, but he can’t touch you so he’ll do his best. If you need help washing your back he’ll be so focused on not brushing your bare skin. Definitely a nice time though!

Haku...Haku Haku Haku. Asks if you need help undressing. We all saw this coming. He’s a dorky ass guy who’s going to slip into the water and then say something like “come in, the temperature’s just right.” You can give him a kiss but that won’t shut him up, if anything he’ll just yap worse! He’s a very sweet person to take a bath with though, he will spoil you rotten.

Zenji is flattered you would ask him to do such a thing and accepts immediately! He can’t prepare something like that on his own, so he’s relying on you to do so. Zenji really wishes he could help! He ends up sitting next to you in the bath, still fully clothed mind you, watching you lovingly as you wash your hair.

Edward is going to be on your ass about it for NO reason. He’s so weird about it. Rest assured, once you actually get in the bath with him, he’ll relax right away. Might even fall asleep, honestly—especially if you opt to wash his hair for him. What can he say, he’s weak to your touch. You’ve always been so gentle with him.

Rui will initially refuse, but you can tell he’s very interested. It sounds nice to have you all to himself for once, where he could pamper you and pull out all the stops...if you keep trying, you can convince him. He’ll prepare the entire bath to make up for the fact that he can’t wash your hair for you. Sweet man.

Lyca is still getting used to being able to bathe / shower regularly. If you convince him to take a bath with you, it will be a very nice experience! He’ll help you wash your hair and you’ll help him with his—even if he is a little rough with you, you can tell he’s trying really hard to be gentle. Introduce him to some skincare too, if you feel brave! It’s fun to see his reactions.

Yuri is beet red the second you offer. If you manage to actually get him into the bath with you, don’t tease him or else he will RUN. Once he realizes that it’s supposed to be relaxing, and that bathing with you isn’t even that bad (hello?) he’ll warm up to it! Honestly, he would pull some research out of his ass about how bathing with someone you love is healthier than bathing alone...which is probably right. Wait, love!? He didn’t say that!

Jiro doesn’t really bathe. If you ask him to bathe with you, he’ll start stripping right then and there. Give him a date and time to save the Mortkranken students! Once you’ve got him in the bath, he’ll do the bare minimum before trying to get out after five minutes. T0T Jiro, get back in the tub! You’ll need to pamper him until he gets the idea and returns the favor to you.

[towasdandelion]

Texting Jabberwock and Frostheim ghouls "If I get arrested you're my one phone call"

Something silly for today (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) (before we dive into some angsty angst)

At first Ren throws his usual "okay" but then he rereads and he's actually very concerned? Just what the hell is happening if you're saying stuff like that? His head is instantly filled with weird scenarios of him having to help you "clean up" after whatever you did. How annoying! (Notice how he's concerned more about the work that comes with it rather that your supposed crime? Yeah that's Ren for you) At least you can still count on him!

Towa is not happy at all! What do you mean one phone call? Arrested? He's confused. Who is daring enough to try taking you away from him? He'll make them regret. If you don't want to experience a sudden downpour and thunder that will make everyone pray for their lives then you better explain what's really going on... It might take a while to reassure him but he will understand in the end, more or less. Well, at least you know he's got your back no matter what! (I feel like he would defend you even if you did something bad so..)

Haru's eyes widen when he reads your message. Did his sunshine get into trouble? Just how bad is it? Before you can explain what's going on he's already abandoning his work and gathering his stuff, ready to go wherever you need him. With that being said, he does breath a sigh of relief when he finds out you were simply testing his reaction. He'd hate it if something bad happened and he wasn't there to help you. I guess it doesn't even matter if you're the one at fault or not..

Tohma lets out a sigh, silently hoping you're not actually being serious. Though unfortunately he's already used to your... "talent" of getting in trouble. Well at least he knows how to stay calm. That's the experience speaking! You just wanted to see his reaction hm? Good, then he won't have to deal with a new batch of work. What work you might ask? He won't hold back from anything when it comes to helping you out. You can be sure of that.

Jin is always ready for whatever you might want to throw at him I'm pretty sure (as long as it can be solved with money) so he won't waste time asking unnecessary questions. Just tell him whatever is going on later, he needs to know that you're safe first! Oh you were just joking? Well too bad cause he wasn't. He actually demands you to come to him first before acting. Will support whatever you want or come up with something even better. So be careful, okay? Just saying.

Kaito is on a verge of passing out. He had his fair share of "interesting experiences" so his mind is filled with scenarios of what possibly happened! And right now when he got you to be his girlfriend? Life is so unfair! Anyways, don't expect him to just wail, he would actually help no questions asked, even if it meant risking going to jail with you. You were just seeing his reaction? Oh thank God. He already has your whole wedding planned in his head and he's glad it is going to happen after all. (Hint hint katio you gotta pop the question first)

Luca is the sweetest ever, always. He will literally never judge you even if he personally disagrees with something. Are you in distress? Do you need to talk? He's right there for you! He'd rather have you talk to him first instead of jumping into action without thinking. He's calm and collected too. Whatever it is he will help and make sure you're okay. Oh, it's just a reaction test hm? Well, it doesn't change anything. Everything he said and did was sincere.

[v6quewrlds]

imagine a pregnancy scare with justin.

author's note⠀⁎⠀angst warning. unwanted pregnancy, mention of abortion.

The thud of her heart in her chest more closely resembled a bass drum than the gentle patter of rain outside her window. She sat cross-legged on the floor of the bathroom, leaning back against the closed door, her arms crossed, her eyes staring straight ahead at the minimalist wallpaper pattern that had been Justin’s choice. Her index finger tapped an even pattern against her arm where she had folded her limbs across her chest; a steady tap, tap, tap for her to focus on instead of the ticking clock in her mind—or the way that Justin just could not seem to even pretend to understand why this was not the best-case scenario.

“We could make it small and intimate. Just us, an officiant, our families, maybe a couple of close friends,” Justin rambled on, his eyes lighting up as he painted a picture of their hypothetical wedding. “If we do it in the next month or so, nobody’ll be curious about the timing.”

Her eyes remained glued to the wall as she processed his words. The concept of marriage and parenthood had always been something they talked about in the distant future. Not like this, not because a slip-up had pushed them into a corner they hadn’t prepared for. She took a deep breath, letting it fill her lungs before releasing it in a shaky exhale. “Justin,” she began, her voice more deflated than she anticipated, “why does it matter if people realize I got pregnant before we got married? We’re adults. This isn’t the 1930s. I think people know we have sex.”

Justin’s cheeks colored slightly, his gaze dropping to his feet. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I just want to do the right thing, you know? If there’s a baby coming, we should be together. Married. That’s what I’ve always wanted.” His voice was earnest, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that his excitement was a knee-jerk reaction to the fear of becoming a father out of wedlock rather than genuine enthusiasm for the life-altering event.

The universe must have sensed she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, the 5-minute timer on her phone ringing out before she could collect her thoughts. She stood from her spot on the floor, quietly thanking Justin as he helped her up instinctively, his hand finding the small of her back as she shuffled over to the counter of the bathroom sink.

She couldn’t believe that after all the precautions they had taken—or rather, that she had taken—they were in this situation anyway. She had always been the one with the plans, the one with the clear vision of her future, but now, the very foundation of that vision was crumbling beneath her. The nagging voice of her grandmother echoed in her mind, warning her of the dangers of allowing herself to bend to the smooth charms of a man with a dreamer’s heart and the suppressed but inevitable ego of a star athlete.

“Turn it over. I can’t look,” she sighed, her face a canvas of anxiety as she held out the pregnancy test. Justin’s larger, calloused hand took it from her trembling grip with a steady gentleness. His eyes scanned the results, and she watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard.

“It’s negative,” he finally said, the words seeming to hang in the air longer than they should have. She felt the world spin back into focus around her. The tension in the room eased ever so slightly, and she managed a weak smile.

“Oh, fuck, thank God,” she whispered, her hand flying to her chest. The relief that flooded her was so palpable it was almost tangible, a warmth that spread through her body and chased the shadows of fear away. She leaned into Justin’s embrace, feeling the tightness in her chest unclench as his arms wrapped around her.

Justin’s grip was firm, his heart thumping in time with hers. He kissed the top of her head but remained silent. As the moments ticked by, she felt the weight of his excitement slowly morph into a subtle, stiff disappointment. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but she knew him too well to miss it. She pulled back to look at him, her eyes searching his for any sign of the spark that had been there moments ago.

“It’s negative,” she repeated back to him, her palms pressed flat against his chest. The words hung between them like a confession in a quiet church. She searched his eyes for some sign of relief to mirror her own, but instead, she found a growing pool of sadness.

“Yeah,” Justin said, clearing his throat. His eyes darted away from hers, focusing on the floor again. “It’s for the best, right?” But the question lingered in the air, unanswered. She could feel the shift in his mood, the way his arms had loosened around her.

“Justin. We’re not… I mean you weren’t…” Her voice trailed off as she realized the gravity of what he was feeling. He had wanted this, more than she realized.

He shrugged, his eyes meeting hers again. “No, you’re right. I just—” he cleared his throat again. “If you’re not ready, we’re not ready. That’s—” another clear of his throat, “that’s fine.”

Her own emotions stalled at his reaction. “Right. We’re not ready,” she echoed, confusion embedding itself into the lines of her face. “I’m sorry if I didn’t make it clear. I know we’ve talked about it a lot lately, but having a baby isn’t exactly on my to-do list right now,” she said, her voice softer now, trying to navigate the sudden awkwardness that had formed between them.

Justin forced a smile. “It’s okay, babe. I get it. We’re still young. We’ve got time,” he said, his thumb gently stroking her arm in a reassuring motion. But she could see the hesitation lurking beneath the surface, words at the tip of his tongue that remained unspoken.

“But you’re disappointed.” She spoke plainly as she searched his face for any hint of his true feelings. The silence stretched on, thick and uncomfortable, until finally, Justin sighed heavily.

“A little, I guess. But it’s not about me. I want what’s best for you, for us, for… whatever we might have together in the future. I just thought—with us being together for so long, and with us talking about it so much, I figured we were on the same page. Or at least close to it.”

“Meaning?” she prompted, her voice a mix of curiosity and caution.

Justin took a step back, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I just… I wanted this baby with you.”

Her heart squeezed at his words. The realization that he had been dreaming of a future she hadn’t even allowed herself to consider brought a fresh wave of discomfort crashing over her. “I don’t know how else to say this without hurting you, but this whole scare terrified me. It made me realize that I’m not ready for any of this—not marriage, not kids—not now.”

When Justin didn’t answer right away, she continued. “All I could think about when I was sitting there waiting for the timer was how my life would change. And not in a good way. My career, your career. Everything I’ve worked so hard for would have to take a backseat to a baby that we hadn’t planned for. And I don’t want to get married just because we have a baby. That’s not a good reason to tie yourself to someone for life.”

Justin nodded, his eyes on hers but seemingly looking through her. “I understand that. I just thought that maybe…I don’t know. I knew you were hesitant, but I was ready to step up. Whatever you wanted, however you wanted to do it, I was in. Shotgun wedding or no wedding, it didn’t matter to me as long as we were in it together.”

She took a moment to think, allowing Justin to take her hand, his thumb tracing small circles against her skin. “What if the test was positive, and I decided I didn’t want to have the baby?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The movement of Justin’s thumb halted as if the oxygen in the room had been sucked away, his eyes widening with shock at her question. He couldn’t have expected this turn in the conversation. The silence grew heavier until it was almost tangible, pressing against her chest and making it difficult to breathe.

“I don’t know what I would have done,” Justin admitted after a moment, his voice barely audible. The weight of her question hung over them like a storm cloud, darkening the room. “But I would have supported you, no matter what.” His hand tightened around hers, his eyes searching hers for some semblance of understanding.

She took a deep breath, trying to sort through the jumble of emotions. It was difficult to tell if he was offering her reassurance out of genuine belief in their partnership or out of that innate instinct he had to do the right thing, say the right words to make everything okay.

“But you would’ve wanted me to keep it, wouldn’t you?” she asked sadly. She could see the conflict in his eyes, the struggle between his own desires and his love for her.

“Sweetheart, I—it’s your decision. I would have liked to be a father, but I could never force you to do something you didn’t want to do,” Justin replied, his voice strained.

Her chest tightened, and she looked down at their entwined hands. The silence grew like a chasm between them, a stark contrast to the comfort their embrace had brought moments ago. She felt a tear slip down her cheek, and Justin’s thumb wiped it away before she could hide it.

“Justin,” she said, her voice trembling. “That doesn’t make me feel better. You can’t say you’d support me just to be the good guy. I don’t want you to be the good guy; I want you to be honest with me.”

Justin took a deep breath. “If you’re not ready to be a mom, then I understand. But honestly, if there’s a baby, I’d want us to go through with it. I wouldn’t want to miss out on that, even if it’s hard. And if you didn’t want to keep it, sure, that would be hard for me, but I’d still support you. I can’t lie about that.”

She felt a lump form in her throat, her eyes welling up. She didn’t know what to say to that. The reality was, she wasn’t ready for kids, and she didn’t know when she would be. The thought of losing Justin was just as terrifying as the thought of being a mother right now. But she knew she couldn’t lie to herself or him. “I’m sorry,” she managed to croak out, her voice muffled by Justin pulling her into his chest again.

“No, no, don’t apologize,” Justin whispered into her hair, holding her close. “We just need to figure this out together.” He kissed the top of her head, his grip tightening around her.

[cosmerelists]

Stormlight Characters Being Offered a Hug...From Hoid

Characters offered a hug requested by anon. :)

[Includes WAT spoilers in 2 entries--entries with spoilers are marked!]

Partway through writing this list, I realized that this anon specifically requested Stormlight characters, not characters in general. Whoops! I had already written 3 non-Stormlight scenarios. so I'll just leave 'em as a bonus and make the rest Stormlight. (This is also why I made it about Hoid, as I thought it had to be someone who could Hug across the Cosmere. But anyway, I'm just going with it.)

So if Hoid was offering hugs to (checks notes) Stormlight characters, how might they react?

1. Nightblood

Nightblood: Oms, oms, it's happening! Szeth: ...Oms? Nightblood: (Oh my Stormfather--Lift taught me that) Nightblood: I don't have arms, though! Nightblood: Szeth! You have to be my arms! Szeth: ...Can't this man simply hug you? Nightblood: IT HAS TO BE MUTUAL, SZETH

2. Kaladin [WAT Spoilers]

Kaladin (suspiciously): Is this some sort of necessary skill that I need, like when you told me to learn the flute? Hoid: It is a hug. Kaladin: But, like, a hug necessary to save the world, or...? Hoid: A hug because you look like you could use a hug. Kaladin: Well okay... [Kaladin & Hoid hug!] Kaladin: ... Kaladin: That was kind of...nice? Hoid: You are so welcome.

3. Dalinar

Dalinar: I must refuse. Dalinar: I only hug my wife. Hoid: But...Connection? Dalinar: I can offer a firm handshake. Perhaps a fist bump. Hoid: You are SO Alethi sometimes.

4. Navani

Navani: I must refuse. Navani: I only hug my husband and my toxic yuri science partner. Hoid: You and Dalinar sure are cut from the same-- Hoid: Wait, what was that last part?

5. Lopen

Lopen: Do you know, when I lost my arm, my mother said to me, "Lopen, it is because your hugs are too powerful, and the powers above feared you and had to take away at least one arm so that your hugs would be those of a mortal." Lopen: But now both my arms are back! So the mighty hugs can live again! Lopen: But are you sure you are up for a Lopen hug? Hoid: I'm immortal. I think I can risk it. Lopen: Very brave of you indeed!

6. Lift

Lift: Bear hug! Arms AND legs! Lift: Wow! You're so skinny! Lift: I could almost believe you're trustworthy! Lift: Almost. Hoid: ...Thank you?

7. Dieno

Dieno: Oh please. I've been escaping from hugs since before I could walk! Dieno: At least give me a challenge! Hoid: I was mostly just trying to give you a hug. Dieno: With just your arms??

8. Jasnah

Jasnah: [idly, not looking up] Oh, no thanks. I had a hug last month. Hoid: [The saddest, wettest eyes] Jasnah: What?

9. Shallan & Adolin [very mild WAT spoiler]

Shallan: Of course! I'll always hug the man who saved my childhood! Shallan: [hugs Hoid] Adolin: And to be honest...I'm just up for hugs generally. Adolin: [hugs Hoid...but for longer than Shallan does] Shallan (mildly): Always got to hug men longer than me, huh? Adolin: I haven't lost a hug duel yet, and I don't intend to start!

10. Renarin

Renarin: Oh, no thank you. Hoid: I respect that.

11. Eshonai

Eshonai: Wow! A human bonding ritual? Eshonai: So cool! Eshonai: Wow! You are so squishy with no shell! Hoid: Can't...breathe...hug...too...strong... Eshonai: Whoops! S-Sorry about that!

Bonus! The non-Stormlight Characters I accidentally wrote:

12. Vin

[Hoid is lying on the ground, huddled around himself] Elend: Right in the solar plexus, huh? Vin: H-He came at me with his arms stretched out! I thought it was an attack!

13. Tress

Tress: Awww, I'd love a hug, thank you! [Tress & Hoid are hugging!] Ulaam: What a sweet moment. Ulaam: Do you know what would make it better? Tress: ...I don't need any extra arms, Ulaam. Ulaam: So you've never head of hugmaxxing?

14. Kelsier

Kelsier: I love a good hug. Kelsier: A hug is like a smile--in a world like ours, it's a big "F you" to the powers to be to express small moments of happiness. Kelsier: That being said... Kelsier: I DON'T hug CORPSE SURFERS Hoid: What a strange personal rule. Kelsier: I'M NOT THE STRANGE ONE HERE

[diabolicalevil]

Since hc reqs are open, what kinds of flirting/courting tactics work best for the primarchs? Like what is the one thing you could do to make each of them blush and stammer like a schoolgirl. (Lowley w Dorne I feel like if you compliment his fortress constructions he's a gonner.)

(Love your take on the primarchs btw, theyre always very fun to read. Thank you so much for your hcs!!)

What flirting works best on the Primarchs?

OH THIS IS FUN I'm glad u enjoy my headcanons I lovee making them. I honestly can't imagine a lot of these guys blushing maybe those r my own demons but this is mostly things they're into. I continue to stay silly

Warnings: none

Lion El'johnson: it's not necessarily flirting but needing him is very attractive to him. if you overtly ask for him depending on your stage in the relationship he'll be a shit about it but he does want you to be almost helpless without him. sure, you don't need him specifically to help you with that but he likes it when you act like you do.

Fulgrim: likes traditional flirting, shocker. winks across the room, innuendos, intentionally brushing against him, all that, but he especially likes it when you act coy about it. you sicken everyone around you please think of ferrus manus he's suffering

Perturabo: compliments of his work and dunking on his idiot sons are attractive to him. however he, being stupid, has not put 2 and 2 together that not accepting a compliment and causing a problem leads to less compliments. maybe he'll figure it out one day.

Jaghatai Khan: not only going along with his misadventures but suggesting them. he is one of the least accepting of your status as a baseline for the simple fact he wants you with him while he rides

Leman Russ: an earnest and sincere interest in running and protecting his legion alongside him

Rogal Dorn: non sexual power play, or just ordering him around. telling him to sit, stand, kneel, turn around etc and having him do it immediately. he's pledged his loyalty to you as a lover and a servant. also ☝️ reprimanding him. praising and compliments go into this pretty nicely

Konrad Curze: looking into his eyes directly without fear or hesitance

Sanguinius: biting HIS lip. while you're kissing I mean. he laughed, mainly out of embarrassment, the first time it happened but regularly tries replicating that scenario so you do it again

Ferrus Manus: banter. aside from fulgrim he's so used to stone faced, highly logical and efficient talking men that often when you give him a bit of cheek and tease him he folds

Angron: fighting back, or putting him in his place rather. generally likes it when you fight him, he feels less like a gun poised to kill you that way. but being command to sit down and shut up does it for him

Roboute Guilliman: physical flirting. he's a very sensible man who can handle what you throw at him. with the exception of randomly groping, stroking, fondling etc him. doesn't even have to be sexual I'm afraid. hes just like that

Mortarion: god what doesn't make him (internally) blush. he's starved for attention. throw a rag and tell him to fetch it for a kiss I don't know man

Magnus: very hard to catch him off gaurd or fumble him but it's possible. usually challenging his intellect gets a one way trip to the warp but, to an extent, he enjoys back and forth with you. posing a question he hadn't thought of or pointing out a flaw in his thinking etc

Horus Lupercal: banter also, but it has to go on for a while until you get a fatal hit on him. afterwards he's visibly trying to hold it together until he gets a moment to pull you aside

Lorgar Aurelian: another one who desperate needs to be told what to so. but. specifically he has a foot fetish I'm sorryy. you told him to take off your shoes for you and he floated towards you like a pie on a window sill anyway moving on

Vulkan: horrendously sappy man so telling him you love him or something. he knows you do and he himself says it all the time but god does it kill him to have you whisper it sweetly

Corvus Corax: holding his hand and pulling him to your side

Alpharius/Omegon: I don't think you could ever truly catch them off gaurd but you could entertain them. they like games and puzzles and quizzes with their flirting. it's enrichment. if u give them a really good one you get to be sandwich filling

okkii this was a fun one, hope u like it anon and I didn't stray TOO far from the vision

[innerclouddaze]

Corrupted TrBBH and Ace transcript of their first conversation (Bad POV)

VOD ID Bad's stream : 2502083599

"The Realm SMP - Day 210 - Learning and Growth"

Time stamp : 01:22:36 - 01:49:21

B = trBadboyhalo (corrupted)

A = trPili/Ace

====================================== B: Hello, Pili Dtowncat.

A: Full name is crazy.

B: What are you up to?

A: Oh, nothing. I'm in my house.

B: Did you need something?

A: I needed to talk to you, yes.

B: Oh, okay. What do you want to talk about?

A: About life, you know. Just in general?

B: How are you feeling?

A: I'm feeling good.

B: Ah, that's good.

A: Um...Bad, are you corrupted?

B: That would be crazy.

A: Yeah, wouldn't it, right?

B: I just had a little snack.

A: You just had a little snack, but you're not...corrupted?

B: Ha ha ha ha. That's a good one, Pili Dtowncat. Why, do you ask?

A: Pangi's concerned about you.

B: Oh. Why?

A: He believes that you're corrupted, and that it's my fault.

B: Is he concerned about you?

A: No.

B: Why?

A: I'm quite the opposite. He actually...I think he's mad at me. You know what? I think Pangi cannot handle being told the truth. That's what I think.

B: Why do you think that?

A: Oh, he just kinda said something amongst the lines of, I don't wanna talk to you anymore. After I told him the exact truth of the situation that was happening.

B: Oh, I see.

A: Uh, yeah. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little bit disappointed. I thought he'll be a little bit smarter, but he wasn't.

B: Why do you think that?

A: Cuz he is dumb, because he can't comprehend basic things.

B: Hmm...I don't know. He seems very caring.

A: He is caring, but that does not make him smart. At the end of the day, if he can comprehend the real world scenario and how everything really works in life, then what's the point if he's really caring?

B: I see. Do you think he's naive?

A: He lacks experience. I feel like...How I'll describe it is sometimes you're still living inside of a bubble, and you think the world worked in a certain way, and you think that you're doing the right thing, but once you realize in the greater scheme of things, that doesn't really matter that much.

B: Hmm...I see.

A: Hmm...Let's put things like they are. Let's just say, A, there's a scenario where...The world would end up corrupted, right?

B: Yes.

A: But it already is corrupted. The corruption had existed before, now, and it will start existing even in the future. No matter what happens, right?

B: Yes.

A: But also, B. Let's just say that there's a mass extinction event, like the dinosaurs. We can talk about the dinosaurs. Let's say that there's a meteor, a big one, that blows everything up and kills everything in it. What is the difference between a scenario where the world is sending and the corruption is there, or a scenario where the world is sending and everything gets vaporized by a meteor? At the end of the day, the truth is that the world will still spin. Life somehow will make its way with the corruption or without the corruption. And it doesn't matter because they're both mass extinction events. And the people in this world will cease to exist so it doesn't really matter to them because they won't be there anyway.

B: I see. Does it matter if the corruption goes extinct then?

A: The corruption will never go extinct.

B: Why?

A: Because the creators, and the beings that keep us here, they are all made of corruption at the end of the day.

B: Yes.

A: The corruption was here before us, and also be here afterwards. It will always make and find a way to come back.

B: Yeah, hmm...

A: So. I'm gonna ask you...because this is a genuine question.

B: Yes.

A: Are you gonna drop the act?

B: Hmm...Am i acting?

A: Yes.

B: Oh...*looks down and walks behind Ace* *trBBH's tone shifted* I don't know, Pili. I see what you're saying. I think I understand, but...

A: What do you see? What do you feel?

B: I think...that Pangi just cares...a lot. I think he cares about you, and about me.

A: He does not.

B: Hmm... But would it be so bad, Pili?

A: For what?

B: To be cured. What they call cured.

A: *laughs* I would love to see them try.

B: I understand, Pili. What you said...it's true. It's like...having...a big hug from a friend. A friend who's always there. A friend who never leaves you. A friend who always cares about you. That's what it feels like.

A: Yeah, I said that. This is why I like the corruption. And this is why I'm working with the corruption. But I'm also that friend. To you.

B: But is it real? Is the feeling real? Is it worth the pain that it causes Pangi, causes the people who care about us?

A: Well first of all, I don't give a fudge about Pangi at this point.

B: Oh...*looks down and off to the side* Hm...

A: Listen Bad, sometimes you need to realize that you can give everything to someone. But no matter how much you give to them, they will never give that same amount to you. And sometimes it's okay to be selfish. And sometimes it's okay to drop someone, but they don't care about you. As much as you care about them.

B: I see. And you think Pangi is like that.

A: Well, I'm just gonna say that I think if Pangi cared a little bit more, he would've put more effort for this whole thing to be avoided. At the end of the day, he did have a say in this. No, actually, let me backtrack. He did not have a say. He didn't even omit. He didn't even post. He just said, "Okay!". And carried his own way. He could've saved his friend multiple times, yet he didn't.

B: *looks down and up at Ace* You are correct, Pili.

A: Yes. Do you remember all those times where...Pili 2 was around? No one really cared to help him. No one really cared to hear him. There was clearly something wrong with him, yet...Oh, it's okay, you know. He's just like that. There was a moment that maybe this whole thing could have been prevented, stopped. But no one really did anything, just point fingers. Because the truth is that everyone saw him as a bad guy. But in reality, they were making the bad guy everyone's actions. The things that a lot of people did to him were mean. And maybe that's why everything is like it is today. And I'm gonna be honest...I think Pangi...He's confused. He doesn't really know what he wants. He just acts on emotion. He lacks that...rational...thinking...or whatever. He likes to please everyone, but he can't even please himself. And that's why he always ends up losing every single friend. He lost his spirit for his friend, and he keeps fighting his friends and having conflicts and everything, 'cause you have to realize that you can't really please everyone.

B: Hmm...but...I think sometimes, Pili...that...it's possible...that he can realize the mistake he made. That it takes something else happening, for him to realize how bad he treated someone else. And then he can make up for it, and apologize. And I think he's trying to do that, because another one of his friends is being affected.

A: The truth is, he's worried about you, and he's blaming me for it.

B: But is he not also worried about you?

A: No, he's not. In fact, I could feel his anger, his rage, at the words that I was saying, and to some extent, there were moments when I felt like he was going to pull the trigger on me again.

B: Hmm...but isn't that what he should have been doing, trying to cure you the whole time?

A: No. Killing me is what brought me here. Maybe...maybe if he talked more about how he was feeling, or maybe if he expressed himself more in a better way, in a healthy way. Maybe if he stopped being so emotionally driven, and opened his eyes, and think for once, and try and understand the scenario and the situation of what was happening in front of him. Which is kinda crazy to even think that his little boyfriend, uh, creature, Lukey, um...He kinda figured everything out...easily. And he was kinda the newbie. He was here for about, what, like a couple of weeks? He caught on real fast, but somehow Pangi never really realized.

B: Hmm...Yes. They are different. *looks off to the side*

A: Yeah.

B: I think killing Lukey might help Pangi see the mistake he made.

A: Oh, yes! See, now you're saying awesome things, Bad! Do you think killing Lukey will help Pangi? I don't think so.

B: I think it will help him see what he did wrong faster.

A: I mean, to some extent, sometimes it takes someone messing up to realize...I also feel like maybe...Here's the thing, it's just oh my God, can I just even say how much of a- Ooh, I can't swear in here, can I? Oh, Lord. Oh, there's so many times where the little guy just wanted to say what his heart felt and what his mind was thinking, but he just held back and guess what? He's dead and he died because he never spoke his mind. And if he doesn't speak his mind, maybe Lukey's also gonna die. Isn't that crazy? Oh my God. I don't know, Bad. I- do you think killing Lukey will help? Maybe, yeah, maybe it will. Maybe...And-And hear me out! Lukey is on two lives! It doesn't really matter that much. Like one more, one less, right? He'll probably lose it to himself somehow.

B: Hmm...*looks down* I see...I just...I feel like...

A: Do you wanna kill him? What do YOU want, Bad?

B: I want...us to be friends again. I want us to be normal.

A: Who is us?

B: Us.

A: Me and you? We're still friends.

B: Me, you, Pangi, and our new friends. All of us.

A: Why?

B: Because it's important to me.

A: You know that I'm still your friend, regardless, right?

B: Yes.

A: Okay, so, um, I've worked with situations like this before, yeah, we can do this. So what we're gonna do is, we just gotta act like we're fully corrupted, okay? Yeah, no, we-- I am-- I don't know about you, but we gotta act like corrupted, okay? So, um, what we gotta do is, we gotta make them BELIEVE that the corruption is making us act this way. And then we magically get cured and it'll be like, "Yo, oh my god, my dear friends!" You know, it's kinda like when someone gets sick and they get cured and everyone's oh so happy and it's like, Oh, I wanna spend so much time with you now that you're back. Oh, woo! Let's spend eternity together. Let's go grab food and let's make a cake and let's do this and oh, my dear friend is back! Right? Does that sound good to you? Does that work for you?

B: Yes.

A: Okay, good.

B: And we can all be friends again.

A: Yeah, just like, you know, full of like, the protocol or whatever, once you get like, healed and you say like, I'm sorry I did the horrible things I did. I didn't mean it, blah blah blah blah. It was a mistake, blah blah blah blah blah. You know the script, right? Like, you just...Say sorry, whatever.

B: Yes.

A: Okay. So...Does that sound like a plan?

B: But...Is it real?

A: What? What is real?

B: Like Pangi. Will he really...Will our friendship be real?

A: Yes.

B: Okay.

A: Yes. He will because he's a- he's a dumb little guy that completely forgets about situations and completely forgives everyone for everything, so.

B: Oh...*looks down* Hmm...

A: I don't know! What like- what do you- what do you want from me?

B: I don't know...

A: What do you want?

B: What do you want? Both of you.

A: That's a conflicting question.

B: Yes.

A: I just want to have fun. But also to be happy.

B: Oh. Okay.

A: What?

B: I just...I thought understanding would help. But...I don't know if I completely understand.

A: Me?

B: It. This.

A: Corruption?

B: All of it.

A: Does it not make sense to you?

B: It makes a lot of sense. But...it still...isn't clear.

A: Maybe you just need more of it.

B: Maybe.

A: Like...not to be that guy. But you kinda look like Pili 2 when he just brought...got in here.

B: Hmm..

A: I just feel like you need a little bit more...Ooh, a little bit more cooking in the stove, you know what I mean?

B: Oh...Do you think?

A: 'Cause I'm fine! Why wouldn't you be fine? Right?

B: Oh...

A: It makes sense to me, why is it not making sense to you?

B: So, I just need more cooking.

A: Well it did take me a couple...days to get to this state, so...

B: Have you tried...Hmm...*looks off to the side*

A: What?

B: If I tried more corruption, maybe you could try...less.

A: Whoa, you wanna take me off my meds? Do you know what it's gonna do to me?

B: I don't know.

A: That's crazy, man. Okay, I'll do less.

B: Is that what it's like? Is it medication?

A: Maybe. Medication for the pain.

B: The pain Pili 1 went through.

A: The pain that we both have to burden, Bad. The pain that not everyone can understand and empathize with.

B: But won't that hurt Pangi more?

A: But WHY does it matter? Why does it matter? You should be your top priority! You should be selfish! You should put yourself first!

B: Because--

A: What does it matter if Pangi's not happy if you cannot be happy yourself? You have to be happy first to make the others happy.

B: Because he's Pangi.

A: Yes, Bad. Was Pangi happy before? You got like this?

B: Yes.

A: I don't think he was.

B: Oh...*looks off to the side* What is happiness?

A: I think you're asking the wrong guy.

B: Are you not happy?

A: No. I've never been.

B: Then why? Why the corruption? Isn't it a cure for sadness.

A: Yes. But the absence of sadness does not just...It does not equal happiness, Bad. It's just numb.

B: I see. So, this warm blanket is more of a cold blanket.

A: Not really. My situation is different. I cannot feel happiness. I'm sure you can. This does not have to do with the corruption, Bad. This is anything but the corruption.

B: I see.

A: I'm sure you get happiness. I just...I just think you're getting used to the change like I did.

B: Hmm...Maybe. I am learning.

A: Remember, you gotta cook it a little bit more, Bad.

B: Let it grow?

A: Let it grow~ Yeah, like the song.

B: Okay.

*Lukey says good night to everybody and logs off*

A: Urgh this guy! No! Damn it! Oh no. I'm gonna kill him.

B: Well I guess we can talk later.

A: No, it's okay. No, Bad...uh I'm sorry.

B: Yes.....Don't be sorry, Pili. I just want to help.

A: You're helping. Believe me that you are.

B: I am?

A: Yeah, you are helpful. You've always been helpful.

B: Okay. That's good. *nods*

A: I need to ask you, do you really want to be corrupted?

B: I really just want to help.

A: You know how you will help me?

B: How?

A: By killing Lukey.

B: Would that help Pangi too?

A: Yeah.

B: Okay, then I'll do it.

A: On the long run, yes. It'll make him be more grateful. Kinda like a little wake-up call, you know?

B: Okay. *nods once, looks down and walks to the exit*

A: Wait. Bad.

B: Yes?

A: It'll be okay. At the end of the day. If anything happens, feel free to blame me. You can always blame me. Okay?

B: Okay.

A: If anything, it's my fault.

B: Okay. Take care of yourself.

A: You still need to cook a little bit more. Okay?

B: Okay.

A: You'll start to feel better soon. I'll make sure of it.

B: Okay. Thank you, Pili.

A: No worries. That's what friends are for.

B: Yes. *few vigorous nods* Yes. That's what friends are for. *jumps a few times*

A: Exactly.

B: Okay. Thank you, Pili.

A: In fact, I think you'll get more friends soon...in a couple of days.

B: I will? Oh boy. Just like the old times. *looks back and walks to the exit*

A: ...

B: *looks back at Ace*...... See you soon, Pili.

A: See you soon, Bad. I'm always with you.

B: I know.

*Bad leaves*

[bbuzz28]

I am not familiar with this comic, but this scenario really reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode I remember watching as a kid on the Sci-Fi channel where an astronaut is tricked into doing exactly this and it was essentially a bigger discussion on the barbarity of the practice of turning sentient beings into public spectacles yadda yadda yadda.

In terms of your take on this with Stanley...what if his possible companion wasn't another human.

Not that he knows that--she looks real, talks with a slight New Jersey accent, hell she even feels real when they sit on the couch together watching his favorite show from childhood those first few weeks.

And she doesn't suggest to being anything other than a fellow East Coast resident. They get along well enough, all things considered. Maybe Stan throws her a few lines at first, but they eventually come to a companionable understanding and just try to live together in this ridiculous scenario that they've found themselves in.

But then she just says...something. Maybe it's something a little too personal, like it was plucked out of his memories and put in her mouth. Something she would have no idea about, because he surely hasn't told her.

And sometimes...he will just find her staring off into space. At the framed clown picture in the dining room, the ceiling, or the mirrored wall. But she's not really...there. It always takes her a second too long to respond to him...almost like she's rebooting.

It all comes to a head at some point, and he realizes she isn't human but some sort of "automated enrichment companion."

Unfortunately, like I said, she has no idea she is anything but a human. I can see it in my mind: they both find out at the same time, late one night when the zoo is closed for some sort of maintenance.

She looks at him absolutely terrified--Stan, what's going on? What's happening? -- before being remotely powered down and falling to the floor. Stan immediately goes to check on her because even if she's some weirdo cyborg...she was his friend. Before he can touch her, she gets stolen transported away.

There is some sort of like. alien loudspeaker that projects through the house--

Stanley Pines- your AEC model is down for maintenance as it has seemingly obtained sentience. AEC's are known for being able to evolve to meet their primary partner's exact needs through brainwave technology- every single one is custom made for the user. A rehabilitated companion will be given once our techs work out the aforementioned bugs, as awareness is not permitted. A satisfaction survey is on the desk upstairs, please leave any notes for our team on ways your AEC model can be improved.

And Stan absolutely breaks down.

He throws a fit--screaming, crying, yelling at the now mute alien management team on where they can stick their supposed new AEC companion because he just wants his friend back.

He ends up tearing the series of rooms apart before feeling incredibly tired. Not...a natural sort of tiredness, but an overwhelming blackout that takes over within seconds.

When he wakes up everything is as it was before--not a picture frame out of place.

That's when the depression fully kicks in.

A new AEC is given, and he completely ignores her (even though she now looks exactly like his childhood girlfriend Carla, even pretends she is her). He doesn't respond to anything she says or does because it doesn't matter anyway.

Nothing he does matters. He couldn't save his friend, and he sure as hell can't save himself. He's going to die here, alone, and it's all his fault.

--

The exhibit that was once incredibly well enjoyed with the comical and lively attraction soon becomes just another boring one. The creature inside doesn't do much now but stare at itself in the mirrored windows of one of its enclosures when it's not eating or sleeping.

--

Stanford Pines, on the run from galactic law of course, stumbles upon this multidimensional zoo. He heard through the grapevine in the seedy underground that a natural born human from Earth was amongst the newly added exhibits, and he needs to know how the hell they got there. Not necessarily out of any compulsion to rescue whoever it is, he's literally on the run from galactic space agents and a geometric nightmare, but the specificity of it being a human being from Earth intrigues him.

Imagine his shock when the face he sees through the reenforced glass is one that he recognizes just as well as his own.

Anyone ever read that one comic where a guy is offered a really great job opportunity, where he gets housing, food, entertainment all included with a six figure salary?

Then he gets to the interview and it turns out hes "employed" as an attraction in an alien zoo where he will be watched by other life forms all day every day, and also he can never go home?

Yeah, so i think we should put stan in there.

No way he wouldnt accept that, even just to sleep in the bed for a week then rob somebody and ditch. Then he gets alien drugged and wakes up in his parents old house with a bunch of aliens staring at him through a glass screen and a paper telling him hes a lifetime exhibit, no vacation days.

Maybe they find carla or some random lady to "complete" the exhibit and (maybe stan tries his luck at first but is totally shot down) they just have to awkwardly live in pines pawns together trying not to go crazy over their insane situation.

Maybe not idk.

Point is, who might be traveling that particular universe by chance who would be quite interested in a zoo of countless multiversal lifeforms?

Cue stanford jailbreaking his brother after finding him locked in an exhibit.

[captainfairygodmother]

Don't you just love it when you're texting her cousin and she explains what her giving her bobble/hair tie to her boyfriend means so you say "I'm too single and gay for this shite" and then you wake up this morning to find "HELP MY MUM READ THROUGH THE MESSAGES AND NOW SHE THINKS YOU'RE A LESBIAN"

[somegrumpynerd]

-Okay but some of the fears that Color has are in fact the same fears that Nightmare has when it comes to Killer.

Like, Color is worried that Killer's so blindly loyal to Nightmare for whatever reason that he wouldn't even think of complaining if he hated it. And at the start that was something Nightmare probably expected. His henchmen should be loyal and obedient and not ask questions nor complain. But now, after years of learning and bonding and softening up significantly he wonders sometimes if that's still the case.

Nightmare knows Killer well, perhaps better than most, but he's not exactly an open book. Especially when it comes to his own wants or needs. More often than not when he makes a request it's intentionally silly or unreasonable for laughs, like asking if they can take Dust to the nearest pet store and try to trade him in. Very rarely does he want something strong enough to make it known, both to himself and others, like asking to keep the first cat he found.

So.

If he hated this. If he truly struggled and fought and agonised with himself about the position he's in and the work he's doing and the life he leads.

Would he say it? Would he realise that was how he felt? Would he even consider saying no was an option?

If Nightmare asked him to do something he really genuinely did not want to, would he just do it anyway because he doesn't believe he has a choice in the matter?

The only way of finding out (besides making a blatantly difficult request of him, which Nightmare is not willing to do) is to simply wait and trust that Killer will tell him if something is wrong. Which... is not exactly foolproof or easy.

But it's part of why Nightmare hates to be around Color too much, because deep down he's more than a little worried that Color could be right and he doesn't know how to fix it.

[quatregats]

Thinking a lot of thoughts about Hornblower's relationships with Barbara and Maria as a metaphor for his larger relationship to social mobility and ambition, and I think there's actually a lot there - not sure if it was intentional, but I do think that whether intentionally or inadvertently, Forester did an interesting job with the parallels.

Quick note beforehand that some of this is based on my constant brief paging through C. Northcote Parkinson's Hornblower "biography", which, while I absolutely abhor his interpretation of Hornblower, gives even more food for thought on this point. I'm also leaning more into his interpretation of Hornblower's background and childhood, as opposed to the TV show's, so it might not work if you're coming from the TV show's perspective.

Parkinson takes Forester's comment that Hornblower was a "doctor's son" to mean that he was the son of an apothecary, rather than a physician like in the show. I'm not a historian of the period, so I would be hard-pressed to actually try to fit Hornblower's father within the 18th-century framework of medical practice, but either way, given his awkwardness around upper-class life and that he seems to have grown up in rural Kent, I think that Parkinson's claim that he was the son of an apothecary, rather than a physician, does have some reasonable foundation, or is at least equally plausible (to me) as the show's.

Hornblower struggles with poverty through most of the series, especially the first half, but even when he is barely scraping by, such as at the start of Lieutenant, this does not seem to be an abnormal state; and when he finally arrives at wealth and success, he constantly wishes to go back to the days when he was a penniless lieutenant, so from this we might also surmise that he did not come from wealth. (I'm also comparing especially to Jack Aubrey, who, while he admittedly makes a hash of coming into large amounts of money, and who also lives perfectly happily on very little, is clearly quite comfortable being the "lord of the manor" by comparison.)

One of the biggest changes in the second half of the series (from The Happy Return/Beat to Quarters onward) is that Hornblower's career comes into fruition; he becomes a decorated Captain, a member of the landed gentry, a Knight of Bath, a Peer, and finally an admiral, and marries into an enormously influential family. He's constantly in conflict about this, until he isn't: he wants to become someone powerful and important, except that he doesn't like the role once he gets it, and constantly wishes about the old days, then feels guilty for wishing for them. Most importantly, he seems to become less and less himself, his mental narrative getting more and more distorted as he tries to mold himself into the person he thinks he wants to be.

I don't think this is a particular novel interpretation, but I think that in light of this, the contrast between his marriage to Maria and his marriage to Barbara is very interesting. If he was an apothecary's son, his and Maria's marriage would make a decent amount of sense - they'd be from similar social backgrounds, and probably a reasonable match, if Hornblower's career had continued as expected. Hornblower feels comfortable around Maria at the start of their friendship and the very beginning of their marriage in a way that mirrors his comfort with the life he's living at that point - which is to say that he clearly knows and understands what's expected of him and how to interact, in clear contrast with later books. But on the other hand, for all that he originally does love Maria, Hornblower comes to find her to be coarse, unrefined, and boring, and feel that she is not good enough for the person he wants to become. It's at the point when he starts to feel that he's moved passed Maria that he begins to take on his new, ambitious, performative persona.

On the other hand, Hornblower feels stiff and uncomfortable around Barbara from the beginning of their relationship, notably for reasons of class, and even in later books, consistently sounds intimidated by her poise and upper-class untouchability. With Maria he doesn't feel enough for her; with Barbara he feels too much, an almost uncouth sentimentality. He craves Barbara's status like a man drowning, but can't hold up under the weight of what it would mean. They have very strong intellectual chemistry, but socially they are a disaster of a couple, and yet nonetheless, Hornblower continues with the marriage because it feels to him like the thing he ought to do, just as he ought to become squire of Smallbridge. He's so viscerally uncomfortable with his position in the later books in a way he wasn't even at the height of his earlier miseries, but he refuses to let himself admit that his ambitions might have led him astray.

I think it's also interesting that the relationship which Hornblower arguably finds the most fulfilling (or rather, it was written very poorly if Forester wanted to make it feel fulfilling for the reader, but nonetheless it was clearly meant to be the most fulfilling for Hornblower) is his relationship with Marie, who sits at a similar odd juncture to him. In the text, Forester says outright that Marie fulfills Hornblower's interest in upper-class women (ambition) while not intimidating him, yet still being a satisfying intellectual partner. Nonetheless, just as Marie and Hornblower can never actually end up together, Hornblower can never actually be comfortable with his position, and no matter how many times he tries to find solace in her, he is eventually forced to continue down the path that he began, making up with Barbara and fully taking up the mantle of Admiral and Peer of the Realm.

In short, I think that watching the way in which Hornblower's relationship with Maria evolves over the course of the early books and the way in which his relationship with Barbara takes up after that ends up being a very neat parallel to his own ambitions and class identity. With Maria he is at home, but bored and restless; with Barbara he gets everything that he wants, but feels like a fish out of water. I think that particular parallel is part of the particular tragedy of Hornblower - he can't ever be satisfied with the person he was, or the person he's become. But I think that adding in aspects of extreme class difference - even more class difference than the general trends of social mobility during this period - also helps to elucidate the fundamental tension which drives Hornblower forward as a character. The world he came from was too small for him; the world in which he moves now is far too big; but there's no in-between option. He has to choose what he wants to be, and sacrifice some part of himself in order to do that, and in light of this reading of him, I think that there's a lot of interesting dilemmas to be raised.

[essektheylyss]

me: okay time to edit. I am focusing.

me, like four paragraphs in: [angrily ranting about some shitty writing advice post I got served on substack today because I found a line that blatantly disproves one of the stupid examples]

[wackywatchdotcom]

glad that the ragatha post seems to be resonating w ppl :)

[sukugo]

sukuna and gojo use binding vows for sex, taking things like orgasm denials or touch deprivation steps further, where the other is contractually bound to not be able to do certain things, like touch themselves or touch the other etc etc 

one such instance being a vow where gojo has a vibrator up his ass, but he can't touch himself or remove it, until sukuna specifically, pulls it out.  

he keeps the vibe in throughout the day, with sukuna controlling it remotely, even as they both go throughout their separate days.  

gojo goes to have his usual breakfast, and meets yuuji at the dining room, they greet and sit next to each other. yuuji is, as always, energetic and excited to see him 

they make conversation, until gojo gives a jolt and starts twitching and huffing. sukuna has turned the vibrator up all the way. yuuji worries and panics and asks him what's wrong. gojo gives a breathy laugh and reassures him. he motions low and tells yuuji about the vibrator inside him, through sudden jolts and soft whimpers.  

satoru complains about it, and yuuji advices to remove it or go and take care of himself.  

except gojo states that he can’t and yuuji puzzles.  

"it's... a pact—mmh!" 

"a pact???" yuuji's voice rises in volume, but he visibly calms, shoulders dropping into a fond sigh. "sensei, you really are..." that's all he can manage to say. reprimand is useless. gojo likes it, yuuji is well aware, he is enjoying every second of this, even as he complains.  

gojo gives a few odd jolts, undoubtedly an odd pattern of intensity from the vibe, yuuji can guess. sudden irregular ups and downs that are not taken well by the man.  

satoru clicks his tongue. "what is that guy doing?" he actually looks irritated for a moment—a look yuuji doesn’t get to see often—until it’s broken with a sigh and his pleased, calm demeanor returns, mimicking the soft waves of pleasure across his thighs. 

still, yuuji can see his hands crumpled at his sides, undoubtedly wishing to use them.  

that's when satoru perks flares up all of a sudden.  

"actually, yuuji,” he turns to look at him, grinning. “you can help me" he opens his legs and lifts the edges of his kimono, his dick peeking out the fabric. yuuji gulps at the sight. satoru motions to it, giving yuuji a wordless look. yuuji hesitates for a moment, but complies, taking his hand to the cock, and starts stroking. 

satoru crumbles under the touch, immediately breathing out his nose and muffling moans. he leans into yuuji, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, fingers clasped in yuuji's kimono, nuzzling into his hair and whining in his ear.  

satoru's sounds fluctuate in pitch and volume, making it known when his vibe's gotten stronger. yuuji keeps his pace and satoru spills in his hand. he twitches and sighs, soft breaths against yuuji's flushed ear. 

yuuji stares at the cum in his hand.  

"you can wipe it on me,” satoru tells him with a breath that's calmed much too fast. “my clothes are already soiled anyways". and yuuji feels bad for it, but he obeys nonetheless.  

satoru takes a hand to yuuji's chin and turns his face to him and gives him a kiss. short and sweet.  

"as a reward." he smiles at yuuji. the boy surprises but takes it happily, cheeks warm and eyes softened, albeit a bit timidly. a tinge of disappointment colors the edges of his face. 

"you want more?" satoru brings his face to yuuji's again. the vibrations have reached a slight plateau, so his voice is steadier.  

yuuji’s face widens a bit, but he nervously chuckles, pulling back from gojo's face. "no, it's alright," he lies. "i don't want sukuna to kill me" 

but satoru’s already pulling into him, breathing into his lips. "i won't let him <3"

"that's...actually reassuring......" yuuji’s eyes flutter shut as satoru's lips meet his again.  

and with that, they're kissing and slowly the vibrations and gojo’s twitching start again. satoru moves atop yuuji's lap to straddle him, and while they kiss, yuuji takes his hand between them and jerks him off again. satoru moans and gasps into his mouth, each jolt mirroring the pulses against his prostate.  

they separate for gojo to bury his face in yuuji's shoulders, arms hugging his neck. he humps into yuuji's hand until he comes against him again. 

he pants and huffs atop the boy, catching his breath. yuuji's gentle arms hold him, fingers rubbing slow circles at his back.  

satoru's breathing calms against yuuji’s neck. 

"yuuji, u're such a good boy."  

yuuji's heart and dick swell. 

[faaun]

Trying 2 be so normal rn