#it's more about soft sciences and less about chemistry

[captain-jale]

Scrolling on Google Scholar, researching for those essays y'all are bragging about

[jessamine-rose]

༻ The Golden Ratio ༺

Another deleted scene from Chemistry which I just had to recycle. May you all enjoy this fluffy, non-yandere take on Dottore and the science of love (≡^∇^≡)

♡ 0.9k words under the cut ♡

“Zandik, look over here! Aren’t these specimens remarkable?”

“Yes, they are,” he replies dismissively.

You frown, turning away the patch of Rukkhashava Mushrooms. Your classmate is still tinkering with the Ruin Guard, completely absorbed in his research.

“Liar. You didn’t even look at it.”

He doesn’t even try to deny it. “Can’t you see that I’m busy? If you allow me to finish my research, I can promise my full attention later.”

“But that’s what you said with the last sample,” you point out. “Is it too much to stop and admire the scenery for a few minutes? You are utterly rigid.”

Though you wouldn’t have fallen for him otherwise.

Zandik gives you an unamused look. “And you are too carefree, though I may recognize such childlike curiosity as befitting of your Darshan.”

You give him a bright smile. “Thank you for the acknowledgement!”

Was that a compliment or an insult? Either way, Zandik has been observing you!

As of now, your research expeditions have yielded little progress in your relationship. Your crush remains distant, focused on his work, at odds with your research approach. Still, you are thankful for the opportunity to witness him in action. To spend time with him.

Your own research is sufficient. You sit on the grass and watch Zandik, committing his visage to memory. After a few minutes, he breaks the silence.

“I am intrigued,” he says, “by your attitude to my research. The Sages always scold me whenever I express my fascination in these ancient machines.”

His research notes are neatly arranged beside his tools. The pages are marked with meticulous reports and detailed drawings. His enthusiasm practically bleeds into the paper.

You approach him, uncaring of your close proximity to the Ruin Guard.

“Well, I must disagree with them. No matter how dangerous those machines can be, they are still something to study. One might claim they are no different from my research specimens.”

“Ah, yes. Your little plants and animals,” he replies, glancing at your research notes. “And why do you research those subjects, may I ask?”

“Should there be an important reason?” you ask, adjusting your Amurta scarf. “It’s because they’re beautiful. Simple as that.”

Beautiful, mysterious, vital to this world.

“I did not take you for the poetic type,” he muses. “Anything can be deemed beautiful from one’s subjective perspective.”

“That is true,” you agree, “like your interest in the Ruin Machines. But objectively speaking, there are mathematical theories which can explain our prevalent standards of beauty. The golden ratio, for instance.”

“Ah, yes. That old thing.” A confident smile appears on his face. “I’ve read a thesis about the golden ratio in relation to facial aesthetics. Apparently, I am a good example.”

“Not a surprise. Many people find you handsome.”

“And what about you?” Zandik resumes eye contact, scarlet eyes tinged with amusement. “Do you agree with that conclusion?”

Your cheeks flush. “W-Well…yes, since you claim that your face fits the golden ratio.”

“That is an inadequate basis for your answer.” He stands in front of you and caresses your cheek, preventing you from looking away. “Why don’t you personally test that hypothesis? I will do the same with your face.”

He’s so close.

“All…all right.” You stay still and focus on his face, making the mental measurements.

His facial proportions are more or less congruent with the golden ratio. There are some details which may serve as basis for a counterargument, however.

His bangs obstruct your complete analysis. You’ve always adored his messy hairstyle, those stray curls which complement his character. You know from previous interactions that his hair is soft to the touch.

There is also his boyish, sharp-toothed grin which is equal parts manic and mischievous. His calm, close-mouthed smile is more aesthetically pleasing, but it lacks his unabashed ardor. Nevertheless, you are captivated with both versions, especially when those smiles are directed at you.

His eyes. They are like red suns, always bright and intense. There is a fascinated gleam in his gaze whenever he comes across something new.

It is beautiful. All of him.

His voice is what brings you back to reality.

“I am done with my measurements,” he announces.

“I…I see.” You give him a nervous smile, acutely aware that he is still touching your face. You’re blushing; can he tell? “So am I. Why don’t you go first?”

“You are beautiful.”

What?

Zandik taps his fingers on your cheek, tracing lines on your face. He’s close—too close, your flustered expression trapped in his ruby eyes. His expression is serious yet neutral, as though he is merely studying a specimen.

“A…according to which theory?” you stutter. “The golden ratio?”

He smiles at you. “I am speaking from my own personal opinion. If the laws of nature say otherwise, I must disagree and prove them wrong.”

A specimen worthy of his full attention.

Words fail you. What can you possibly say after receiving such a compliment?

Ever the diligent scholar, Zandik lets go of you and returns to the Ruin Guard.

“That is all I have to say,” he says. He picks up a rusty cog and takes notes. “And what of your observation? Do you find me beautiful, ______?”

You remain in your spot. “...Yes, I do.”

His tone is smug. “Objectively or subjectively?”

Honestly, why did you fall for someone like him?

“I’m not sure,” you admit.

“I see.” Zandik gives you one last smile, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. “Let us continue this experiment later. I am not one to be satisfied with ambiguous results.”

♡

This was originally written for the second chapter of Chemistry, but it felt too “close” for Dottore and Assistant! Darling’s early relationship. So I just edited and moved it to the last few chapters. But I couldn’t waste the lovely thought of Dottore’s s/o falling for the parts of him which aren’t considered beautiful by the golden ratio, so here we are~

Anyway, I hope y’all enjoyed this deleted scene ft. college crush Dottore ૮ ˶´ ᵕˋ ˶ა

Tag a Dottore enjoyer!! @gum-iie @sirbotik @surveyycorps @boundinparchment @ruayiri @darherwings @oofasleep @oh-no-i-am-here @nicebonescomrades @diaboliravioli @ryo-ri @unloadingdata @sodomewithlifern @maaarshieee @dottoreslittlelabrat @poweredbyghostadventures

[rebornologist]

Gosh, do you know how much your works are valued??? I hope you do since for some, especially me, these works have been the only thing fueling my ten year long love for khr~ Anyways is it OK to request for college and romantic headcanons of Giotto?

♡♡ hiii dear! Thank you so much for your kind words. If you don't mind, I've just compiled all of my Giotto HC reqs instead of making multiple posts, since there is a (variable) amount of overlap between them.

♡ Giotto in College & in Love ✧

༚✧⁺˳₊˚‿︵‿︵‿୨୧ ⁺˳₊ ♡ ₊˳⁺ ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿˚₊˳⁺✧༚

Giotto was not particularly outspoken in class settings, but he was a fine student and fairly active and keen to engage with the local community. He went in undeclared and eventually settled into political science because it was simply what interested him, in addition to a lot of philosophy and some studio art electives. He’s a good writer, and can whip up a crazy effective grant proposal. He enjoys creating things with his hands, such as pottery, forging simple metal jewelry (namely rings), and painting. As he got caught up with work more, he got less and less time for those creative hobbies.

He participated in a lot of direct action groups on campus and ran for some position in the legislative branch of the associated student government. He had a group of close friends that included G and Cozart, and the group would be found floating around, sitting on grass in the quad or in the student community building’s meeting rooms, discussing various things that may or may not be related to student gov.

Giotto is a pretty hopeless romantic, in the way that.. he has a tendency to see the world through rose-tinted glasses, firmly believing in the good of humanity. While he romanticizes the grind, his partner would likely be the one that reminds him to take a step back and rest. He’s surrounded by people with big hopes and dreams, as he should, but it can be a little too inspiring. He’ll lose a lot of sleep because he spends time thinking about the good and the bad and the ugly and the beautiful.

His partner is always there to listen to him ramble about his hopes and dreams, but they’re also there to ground him, remind him to pay attention to them, to get ready for bed, snuggle up, meditate, literally anything to take his mind off of what his next move is. Sometimes, the next move should just be.. nothing, for now.

They remind him that they want to go into the ceramics studio next week, and he pauses. His breath is held still in his chest as the constantly turning gears slow almost to a stop, and he takes a moment to process before he exhales audibly, with a soft smile “...it’s been a while, huh?”

Initially, he was very formal in the way that he pursued his s/o-to-be. They started as colleagues or friends, and something about them just.. caught his eye. For being such a well-spoken man, he cannot put to words what exactly made him feel so strongly about them, but he feels it very viscerally. He opens doors for them, bringing them tea and coffee, gifting them a little painting or a handmade mug, before finally mustering the courage to ask them out to dinner with a whole ass bouquet of flowers.

I don’t see him as anything but a friends-to-lovers type of man. Even on a first date, the dialogue and banter flow as usual, and there is a natural chemistry on top of their preexisting friendship. He tries his best to pace himself in terms of what is considered a “natural” progression of the relationship, but it’s almost as if he knows that he’s all-in with his partner from the get-go. His loyalty and devotion is unmatched.

One time, as a joke, his partner referred to him as their husband. He malfunctioned right then and there. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging. He laughs it off in front of his friends, as if that was a regular occurrence. Afterwards, on the way home, he hits them with the “Do you really think of me like that?” silence… 30 seconds later, he speaks up again as he is driving, “Hypothetically, when do you think is a good time to get married?” It’s adorable. It does become a regular occurrence after that.

I have written a bit on this before, so ngl.. idk what other bases.. to cover

He’s confident, but he doesn’t have a huge ego. The times where he feels most egotistical, actually, is when his partner is so painfully attracted to him. He’ll catch them gawking at his hands as he adjusts his watch and jewelry, and a playful smile dances across his features, golden eyes twinkling with mirth.

“Like what you see, dear?” He fans his fingers out, displaying the rings on his finger, before flipping his palm upward and gesturing salaciously for his love to come closer.

Is really sweet and enjoys teasing and worshiping every inch of his lover, just so that he can take note of every reaction. He’ll notice every little gasp, every flinch, twitch, whimper, etc. He loves a vocal partner.

Sex is something that he enjoys taking his time with, so if there’s something that you want to leverage to pull him away from his work, that might be it. He tries really hard to stick to his scheduled activities, but he doesn’t mind getting distracted by his s/o for longer than planned. At some point, he starts to account for that when he plans for the day or the week.

It’s really funny when he hits them up with the, “hey babe… my sweet.. angel, darling… I know that we have our date tomorrow afternoon, but.. I have a meeting that evening..” his s/o knows exactly what’s coming, “are you available to.. start earlier so that we can have more time together?” UM YES.

Is not particularly kinky himself, but super open minded to trying out anything that his partner may be into. He loves to please, so he’ll definitely at least be open to hearing about any fantasies they would want to fulfill. Some things are off the table, he’s not a huge fan of play that revolves around non-consent because he’s kind of.. a softie through and through, but he dabbles in praise, gentle degradation, being a pleasure dom, etc.

He’s a little more interested in group play than you’d expect, because he’s fairly romantically monogamous, but if a partner asked to bring other people into a sexual scenario, he’d be like, “oh.. oh, yeah.. are you thinking of [redacted]?” IDUNNO Y/N ARE YOU?!?!

��� a/n: rb with who u think redacted is

[hergan416]

@shreddedleopard has tagged me in another 6 sentence "sunday"

The less this is Sunday the better it is tbh

True tumblr meme right here

6 sentences of a wip + tag 6 people

This is from something I started for the "merchandise" prompt of Sherly week and never finished... and also is 7 sentences for completing the thought

Sherlock Holmes (the man) was tall and lean with an over-exposed neck. His mouth was constantly open, whether it was to smile too-widely in glee over nothing, or to jabber about useless topics that Louis drowned out more often than not: forensics and medical science and chemistry, his latest monographs and cases, difficult formulas and criminal psychology. Once he even discussed musical theory with his brother for over a day. And his eyes were a bright, sparkling blue that could put a sapphire to shame. 

Sherlock Holmes (the toy) was stout and round, with stubby limbs added only as an afterthought. He had no neck to speak of, his mouth was sewed shut in a thin-lipped smile, and his eyes were made of dull, lifeless, black thread. He was soft and supportive and quiet and gave good hugs.

No-pressure tagging hmmmm I'll try for different people than last time @straycrayoncrypt @eternallaughter @shinyphoenix @millenni-em-tauk @arielxlazarus @arien-elensar

[strawberrywindow]

Hey if you’re doing that ship thing….. Justin Hammer and Emil (or) Emil and Jen

Oooooh I will do both lol!

Justin and Emil

Ship It

1. I have complex feelings for this ship bc I also really like them as just platonic shitty best friends but when I do ship them I think they're very cute together in a lowkey toxic way. 😂 What made me ship them was thinking that they're essentially the evil version of the science bros ship (Bruce and Tony) and how funny it would be at how horrified Bruce and Tony would be if these two dumbasses who are both convinced they're Bruce and Tony's arch rivals started dating. And then I actually got attached to the ship, it started off as mainly crack 😂. Another big attractor was chatting with you about your Justin and Emil bc they've got some wonderful chemistry going on in your rewrite 🤧

2. My favorite thing about the ship is how opposites attract it is lol. Since we've got smarmy, fancy, CEO asshole meeting super soldier actual (reformed) nutcase who mutated himself into a monster for fun. The opposites but then also the similarities bc at the end of the day they're both wildly insecure with enormous egos and they're both sluts for money and attention. Like I feel they'd be 10/10 conmen together once they're both out of jail 💀 But those similarities also can allow for some softer parts in the relationship too bc they understand each other better than anyone else what it means to throw your life away for a revenge fueled whim and wind up taking the fall for even the stuff that WASN'T their fault. Also definitely still not being over the people that drove them to such lengths in the first place. Like they def talk mad shit about Tony and Bruce together. It's healing 🤗

3. Unpopular opinion is probably just shipping them in general agssgshdhfhf, neither of them are very popular lmao but that's why i like them. The rare pairs are always the best 😭

Jen and Emil

Ship It

1. These two make me feral, I love them so much. 😭 The She Hulk show made me ship them bc I really enjoyed how much these two genuinely seemed to grow attached to each other. Emil seems so appreciative of Jen helping him and then at the end there's the moment he protects her from the Intelligencia guys. 🥲🥲 And then Jen similarly becomes attached to him, she takes him up on his offer to come back to his ranch anytime if she feels she needs a break from the real world and then she is legit hurt that mans has been violating his parole behind her back. 🤧 I think she wants him to be better than he is willing to currently try to be, he's working on things still 💀, which just adds another layer to their relationship. I like to think if Emil has any shot at being actually redeemed in the MCU it's going to be through how he cares about Jen which just warms my heart so much. And while mans can be an asshole he's always been nothing but kind to Jen and she absolutely deserves a guy who's going to treat her well 🥲🥲🥲

2. My favorite things about the ship are how soft it allows them both to be. And also the angle of how Bruce is gonna handle it bc him being okay with Jen defending Blonsky in court is a lot different than this dude dating his cousin 😒😒😒 🤣 But mainly for Emil and Jen I just really love the idea of a more romantic relationship being a very good thing for them both. I think IF there is a person Emil will be less selfish for in canon it's probably going to be her (unless Nadia winds up being introduced in the MCU) and I think Jen would do well with being with someone that's going to move heaven and earth for her bc in She Hulk currently she's still pretty insecure when it comes to dating due to prior shitty experiences. I want her to be loved fr fr 🥲🥲 And then again, also the funnier side of things where there's the possibility of them being a couple but on opposite sides bc there's a lot of shenanigans that could ensue from that, like at some point mans will need to get a new lawyer if he doesn't shape up 😂.

3. Unpopular opinions uhhhh probably considered so by anyone who thinks that Jen can do better than Emil, which she definitely can lmfao but again, I've not seen many people also ship this, only a handful and most people who ship it seem just as in it for the vibes as I am so I'm not sure if I have any unpopular opinions for it 😂

Thank you for the ask!! Sorry for going off on a whole ass rant 🤣❤️

[tokkias]

love ain't a science, don't need no license summary: What had begun as a normal afternoon study session is derailed when Natsu and Lucy discover that the only chemistry they are are interested in studying is the chemistry going on between them. ao3 nsfw cw

Their chemistry textbooks and English readings had long since been abandoned, strewn to the side, piled up amongst the clutter that filled Natsu’s bedroom. Instead, the two had decided that cuddling up on the bed together would be a much better use of their time.

Her head rested on his shoulder, her arm wrapped around his torso while her leg was lazily draped over his. He had one arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her in closer to him, while his other hand mindlessly tangled through her hair

His hand had found its way under the hem of her blouse, mindlessly rubbing circles into her waist with the tips of her fingers, eliciting a soft squeak from her as he hit a particularly sensitive soft. As soon as the sound left her mouth, she was filled with an impending sense of dread. Letting Natsu know any of her ticklish spots was nothing short of a death wish, and it didn’t take him long to have her pinned down to the mattress, a mischievous smile plastered across his face as he began his assault on her sides.

Lucy desperately grabbed at his wrists, trying to pull them away as his fingers dug into her sides, pushing her into a bout on non-consensual giggles, but the more she tried to get away, the more eager he was to keep her trapped.

“N-Natsu! Stop!” she managed to cry out between laughs.

“Not until you say the magic words,” he chirped, the roguish look not once leaving his face

“Ple- ah-! Please?”

Her pleas were futile as he moved his fingers to her stomach, continuing to try find the spot where she was most ticklish.

“Nope!”

She clenched her eyes shut, trying to distract herself from his attack as she wracked her brain for what his arbitrary “magic words” could be.

“I love you?” she choked out in desperation, which was met with her freedom from his tickles, and a kiss pressed against her lips before she even had the time to gasp for air.

“Yeah,” he beamed, “I love you too.”

Lucy’s cheeks were dusted pink at his declaration, still not used to the way he could say words that carried so much weight with such ease, though, she supposed that she was no different. It felt so easy to say it; to love him, like it was the most natural thing in the world, like they were really, truly, meant to be.

Fingers tangled in his pink locks, she pulled him down for another kiss, this one less innocent than the last, open mouthed and hungry, as if her body was trying to tell him something her brain could not. Natsu returned the kiss with equal fervour, a little rougher than she might have expected, but welcomed nonetheless. She let out an involuntary moan as his tongue entered her, which only encouraged him to push their boundaries even more. Without thinking, she hooked her leg around his, pulling him even closer until she felt his hardening length press against her through his pants.

A soft gasp left her lips at the feeling, and Natsu suddenly pulled away, cheeks flushed in mild embarrassment.

“Sorry,” he murmured, “can’t really help it.”

They had gotten hot and heavy before, she had felt his hands roam almost her entire body, but they had never pushed it much further than this. This was all new territory to her – to both of them, but the idea of going further with him, scared her, just a little. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about it before; thoughts of Natsu plagued her brain on lonely nights when her hands snaked between her thighs and she came undone. Growing up she had it hammered in her brain that her body was sacred, that she would have to keep herself “pure” for her betrothed, and while she had never subscribed to that way of thinking, she could never help but feel a twinge of shame every time the heat pooled between her legs. Natsu never judged her for it, never pushed her beyond what she was comfortable with.

“It’s okay,” she breathed out, her cheeks growing hot under his gaze.

Feeling brave, she pulled him closer, grinding her hips against him which elicited a soft growl from him. In response, he thrusted himself into her, letting her feel his now fully erect length against the wet patch spreading in her panties.

“Na-ah! Natsu-” she whimpered, eyes rolling to the back of her head.

Taking her moans as a sign of encouragement, he grabbed onto her hips and began to thrust against her, harder this time, groaning at the delicious friction it caused. She bucked up against him, craving more, more, more.

Her hands moved up to his chest, clambering to undo the buttons on his shirt. Taking the hint, Natsu paused his thrusts to help her out, shrugging his shirt off and tossing it to the floor. Lucy sucked a breath in at the sight and couldn’t help but ogle at his bare chest. Of course, she had seen it many times before when he shed it after rugby practice, or even when they were just lounging around together on a particularly sweltering day, but this was somehow different. This was more… intimate. She rested her hands on his collarbones, dragging them down his skin as he dipped down to kiss her once more.

With his lips still attached to hers, his hands began to fiddle with the buttons on her blouse, undoing each, one by one, until the fabric fell to the sides, leaving her breasts exposed, covered only by the fabric of her lacy white bra.

They parted only when Lucy felt desperate for air, pushing him away at his shoulders before she watched his gaze move down to her almost bare chest. He knew he shouldn’t stare, but he really couldn’t help himself. So many nights he’d fantasised about her as he relieved himself, thinking about how they would feel in his hands, or how they’d bounce up and down as she rode him.

Noticing his slack jawed stare, Lucy lifted herself up, removing her blouse and fiddling with the clasp of her bra until it unhooked, letting her breasts spill out and leaving herself completely bare under his gaze. With one hand, she gave herself a gentle squeeze, silently giving permission for Natsu to touch, and he wasted no time doing so. He revelled in the way that her skin spilled between his fingers as he squeezed and palmed at her, bucking his hips against her once more as he thought about how good they would feel around his cock. An involuntary squeak left her lips as he squeezed her nipple between his thumb and index finger before leaning down to capture the other in his mouth. Lucy’s head fell back into his pillow as she let out a drawn-out moan at the feeling of his tongue flicking against her sensitive bud. She tangled her fingers in his hair once more, digging her nails into his scalp when his teeth grazed against her nipple. Natsu smirked a little at the reactions he was getting out of her before moving his attention to her other nipple, licking and sucking at the neglected bud, making her whimper and moan at his touch.

She had let him run her hands across her body before, let him palm at her clothed breast as she sat in his lap, clawing at his back as his tongue slipped past her lips, swallowing ever moan she let out. She had never let him go this far before, and he had always been content with that, but hearing the noises that she made as he explored her body, he wasn’t sure he would ever want to go back. He wanted her, needed her, needed to make her scream, to hear her moan his name as he pleasured her in every way he knew how. Just the thought of it made his dick throb with need.

He pulled away as he felt her shimmy out of her skirt, leaving her in nothing but a pair of delicate lace panties, decorated with a tiny pink bow at the centre. He leaned back, settling into his position between her legs to admire the view before him. Her hair had become slightly tousled, and her face was flushed a deep red from embarrassment at just how much she had enjoyed that.

For the first time, he got to take her all in; see her exactly as she was, and he smirked a little knowing that this was all for him.

She was absolutely breath taking.

He had always known she was pretty from the very first moment he saw her across campus, but right now may have been the most beautiful she had ever looked, and it struck him all at once just how god damn lucky he was to have her. His hands rested on her hips, as his eyes trailed down her body, from her lips, all the way down her abdomen, to fall onto that pretty pink bow that wrapped her up, just like a gift meant for him.

“Can I touch you?” he asked, the words soft and gentle, but coming out a little more hesitant than he intended.

“Please.”

Finally, with her explicit permission, he pressed a finger into the wet patch of the fabric, which was rewarded with a content sigh from Lucy. His fingers trailed up slightly, exploring this new part of Lucy that she had been so generous to share with him. Really, he had no clue what he was doing, all of this was still foreign to him, but he took his time trying to figure out just what made her feel good, and he think he found it when she bucked into her hands and cried out with pleasure.

“Yes! Ah~! Right there!”

Following her command, he began to rub circles into the spot through her panties, enjoying the way she thrashed and moaned as he did so. He pressed down harder, making her choke out another pleasured moan, but stopped when he felt her hand grab his wrist.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked, brows furrowed in confusion. He had thought, based on her reactions, that he was doing a good job, but the way she had stopped him was sending him mixed signals.

“No! Not at all,” she reassured him, “Just, um…”

With her free hand, she pushed her panties out of the way, and guided his fingers to her entrance.

“Oh,” he murmured in quiet realisation.

Lucy shifted slightly, feeling a little awkward in his hesitance, wondering if maybe she should just pull her skirt back on and pretend none of this had ever happened, but before she could even begin to consider it, he pushed two fingers inside of her. A choked gasp escaped her at the feeling, gripping at the sheets as she got used to the way he felt inside of her.

She was hot, and wet, and tight around his fingers. She clenched around him the moment he entered, but she was so slick with arousal that he had no trouble thrusting in and out of her. He went slow at first, letting her get used to the feeling of having him inside of her, but he needed to give her more, make her come undone with just his two digits. It didn’t take him long to increase his pace, goaded on the soft whimpers she let out as he worked himself in and out of her.

“Oh god- Oh- Naah-ah-! Natsu!” she cried, all but sobbing in absolute ecstasy as he fingered her.

Hearing her moan out his name like that drove him fucking wild; he needed to hear it again, and again and again. He needed to know she was his, and only his, needed to stake his claim on her by making her cum in his hand.

Lucy had touched herself before, but her slim dainty fingers were nothing compared to his thick calloused ones, they couldn’t reach as far or stretch herself out the way his did. He was able to get deeper than she ever had before, and the way he curled his fingers inside of her elicited a type of pleasure she had once never thought possible. Just when she thought she had hit her peak, he dragged his thumb over her clit and she felt herself be pushed over the edge. Her whole body shook and nothing but babbled moans were able to escape her lips as she reached a high that her brain and body were barely able to comprehend.

Fingers dug into the sheets as she finally came down, her chest rising and falling with every gasp for air as she tried to pull herself back together after letting herself become unravelled in his hand.

Natsu removed his fingers from her spent pussy, now completely drenched with her cum, and curiously bought them up to his nose, taking in the scent of her undoing. Shit, she smelled so fucking good, and the thought passed through his mind that she might taste even better. Without giving it much thought, he dragged his tongue along his fingers, savouring her salty, musky taste. Any other time Lucy might have scolded him in embarrassment, but having just come down from her high and still incredibly aroused, she couldn’t help how much seeing him clean her fluids off of his fingers turned her on.

Seeing the way lust clouded her eyes as she watched, a smug look crossed Natsu’s face before he shifted himself to lean over her, hands pressed into the mattress on either side of her, holding himself up.

“Didja like that, Lucy?”

Not bothering to dignify him with a response, she pulled him down into another kiss, arms wrapped around his neck as she tasted herself on his lips. Their kiss was hungry, needy, for more, more, more. After months of yearning and fantasising, Lucy was ready to go all the way, to share herself with him completely. Her hands moved down to tug at his waistband, suggesting that they would be more appropriate on the floor.

“Off,” she demanded, pulling away from their kiss.

“Geez, so bossy,” he joked, earning him a weak smack on his shoulder before he tugged down his pants and boxers, kicking them off to the side.

After seeing the way he gaped at her when she first stripped down, she felt a little less ashamed than she maybe should have been about the way she gawked at his exposed cock. No amount of feeling him up through his pants could have prepared her for his length and girth, and seeing it in its full glory almost made her nervous for if she could take him.

Almost.

She didn’t even bother acting bashful when he caught her staring, instead she lifted herself up to remove her panties, pulling them, albeit, rather ungracefully, down to her ankles, earning a cackle from Natsu when she accidentally kicked him in the shoulder.

“Don’t laugh!” she scolded.

“Hey! You were the one who kicked me!” He retorted, grin still plastered across his face.

Lucy rolled her eyes at him, but her expression softened when her gaze met his and what they were doing, what they were about to do, finally began to sink in.

His hands made their way to her waist, caressing her skin as he softly dragged them down to sit at her hips.

“You’re pretty,” he said, barely louder than a whisper, “I love you.”

And god, yes, he loved her so much, he loved all of her, wanted all of her. He wanted to feel every inch of her skin against his own, memorise every dip and curve of her body, hear every sound that she made.

“I love you too,” she replied softly, and in her words, he felt his heart swell with need, to have her, hold her, take her.

He lined himself up with her, still dripping wet from her first orgasm, and she shuddered at the feeling of his head prodding at her hole.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” she breathed out.

He gripped onto her hips as he slowly pushed himself inside, her grip even tighter around his cock than it was around his fingers, barely able to supress a groan as he pushed even deeper. A soft whimper left her lips as she found herself adjusting to his size, a hot sting overcoming her body at the way he stretched her out. Her legs wrapped around his waist, hooking her feet behind his back to hold him fully sheathed inside of her. The sensation of being filled completely was incredible; nothing like she ever could have imagined in any of the fantasies her mind had conjured about him.

Ready for more, she bucked her hips and pulled him closer with her legs.

“Shit Lucy,” he grunted, eyes clenched shut at the sensation, fingers digging even deeper into the supple skin of her hips.

“Sorry,” she murmured.

“No, that was-” he sucked in a breath, “that felt really good.”

Encouraged by her movements, he began to pull out before going back in with a few experimental thrusts that were rewarded with a delighted mewl from Lucy.

“Ah- y-yes! Just like that!” she cried out, “More! More~!”

Following her demands he began to thrust deeper, harder, pulling her onto his cock as he rutted into her pussy. His mind was stuck in a haze, consumed with nothing but thoughts of her, Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. Any intention of being gentle with her was washed away as she choked out pleasured sobs with each rough thrust, giving her just what she wanted, giving her more.

“Oh god,” she whimpered, “N-Natsu!”

The way she sobbed and moaned in pleasure, unable to form any coherent thoughts or words, made his dick throb inside of her, and after that he wasn’t sure how much longer he would last.

“Fuckin’ hell Lucy, you feel so fucking good.”

She didn’t have it in her to be embarrassed by his vulgar language, instead finding herself turned on by the way he praised her.

“Shit,” he groaned, throwing his head back as his hips stuttered into hers.

His hands moved from their spot on her hips to explore even more of her body, one palming at her breast while the other brushed over her clit, making her entire body jolt at the sensation.

“That feel good?” he asked her, only to be met with a soft nod as she threw her head back into the pillow, her jaw slack as he continued to pump into her. “You’re so fuckin’ beautiful Lucy,” he grunted, barely able to contain his moans, “I wanna make you cum.”

She tried to form some sort of coherent response to him, but she could only find herself letting out sobbed moans.

“I- I’m- nghh ah~!”

“Yeah, come on, cum for me Lucy, fuck, I wanna see you cum.”

His thrusts became more erratic as he tried to hold himself back, wanting to push her over the edge before he let himself finish, but the way her pussy tightened around him as her body thrashed around in complete bliss made it increasingly difficult for him to keep going. He pulled one of her legs over his shoulder, his other hand still working circles into her clit.

Each thrust, reaching deep inside her, his tip meeting the wall of her cervix, had her seeing stars, and the way he played with her sensitive nub had the coil twisting in her insides ready to snap.

“Oh- Oh god-” she sobbed, “Nastu! Natsu-!”

Her body writhed in absolute euphoria as she came completely undone, this time even better than the last. Natsu gave her a few final thrusts as she rode out her orgasm, before pulling himself out of her, gripping his cock with his fist and giving himself a final few pumps before he spurted a thick stream of cum onto her bare stomach.

With a final grunt, he flopped down onto the mattress next to her, lazily tossing an arm over her as he nuzzled into her neck.

“That was awesome,” he mumbled against her skin.

Lucy chuckled slightly at his childish choice of language to describe what they had just done, but in her spent state, she could hardly find herself thinking of any better words.

“Yeah,” she sighed, “that was really good.”

His murmurs turned to gentle kisses that he placed on her neck, moving up to her jaw before he propped himself up with his elbow to admire Lucy in her post-coital glow. Noticing the pool of cum he had left on her abdomen, he grabbed his discarded pair of boxers to clean her up, before tossing it back to the floor.

“Natsu!” she reprimanded, “That’s so gross!”

“What? It’s not like they haven’t had cum in them before,” he joked, prompting Lucy to lightly whack him on the arm in embarrassment. “Hey, I was thinkin’ about you every time it happened,” he added, only building her embarrassment, her cheeks flushing a deep red as she buried her face in his chest.

Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled over to his back, pulling her on top of him, savouring the feeling of her skin against his. As his fingers dragged mindlessly through her hair, he contemplated just how lucky he was to have her, to hold her. She was truly the most gorgeous, brilliant, most incredible woman on the planet. And she was his. She wanted to share everything with him, let him have her in any way he wanted, and if he had any say in it, he was going to make her scream and writhe with pleasure any time she would let him.

The gentle and steady rise and fall of her chest suggested to him that her eyes had fluttered closed, having drifted off in his arms in post-coital bliss. His arms wrapped loosely around her waist as not to disturb her peace, and he decided that maybe reminding her of their chemistry homework could wait just a little longer.

[krinsbez]

Random Superman Thought

So, I dislike the trend in recentish years of portraying Krypton as a dystopia. There are any number of reasons for it and I'm not going into them ATM.

My general preference, in fact, is for it to be utopian. Not a utopia, that isn't really possible, but vastly better than our world is. And this is in large part because of science. Not just physical science, advanced technology and the like, although obviously they have this, but "soft science". they have advanced fields such as economics, sociology, and poli. sci. to a degree that they are as rigorous, or even more so than geology and chemistry are here on Earth. They have therefore been able to create a society that, more-or-less works, fairly and justly for almost everyone.

Because yes, while the percentage is minuscule, there are people who don't fit in. That said, as a general rule, the reason don't fit in because they want to hurt other people.

OK, so now we come to one of the parts that I know is controversial, because one of those soft science fields that they've advanced is psychology. They have the means to safely and humanely alleviate, treat, and even outright cure 99.9999% of mental illnesses. The important thing, is that this isn't coercive. If you are diagnosed with a mental illness, there is no stigma and no judgement. Up to a point (and we'll et to that in a bit) is is entirely your choice whether or not to seek treatment, and what that treatment will be. if you want to be cured outright, that's fine. But if you want to just have your symptoms alleviated, that's also fine. And if you don't want to be treated at all, that is ALSO fine. Regardless, no one will think less of you or treat you like a freak or a bad person or put pressure on you to make a different choice. Accommodations will be made for you and nobody will suggest that there's anything wrong with that.

(not...sure how they would deal with conditions that produce self-harm, but I'm just going to table that)

But like I said, up to a point. And that point is when you start hurting other people. I don't mean hurting their feelings. Nor do I mean hurting property. I mean when other people end up in the hospital and such. At that point someone from the Military Guild* shows up and politely suggest you should maybe see someone. And at first that's all they do, because again, it is your choice.

If you persist in actions that harm others, they continue to be polite, but measures taken become stricter, though as a general, it never becomes stricter than they, again very politely, keep you under surveillance and step in to stop you from hurting people.

But. If, say, you blow up a moon, or torture 23 men to death in your basement, or try to take over the world? Yeah, at that point you have lost the right to say no to treatment.

The thing is, if someone doesn't willingly participate in therapy, it isn't going to work as well. And figuring out what to do with such people is something they're still working on (again, utopian, not utopia). In the last decade or so of Krypton's existence, they began experimenting with the Phantom Zone. People sent to the Phantom Zone can't harm others, nor can they be harmed. They don't experience physical discomfort. They don't even age. They are isolated from society, but are able to see what they're missing. And just in case, Fort Rozz has facilities where they can safely return to physical form and have visitors and so forth if it becomes too stressful. And all they have to do to be released is agree to go to therapy so they can be treated from their desire to hurt people. Which they generally do after about a few months to a year, long before any serious psychological damage is done, and also they can treat that, anyways.

it is not, by any means, a perfect solution. In fact, it's fairly controversial, and they're always looking for something better. The problem is, of course, that Krypton blew up and people who were not expected to spend more than year in the Phantom Zone ended up being trapped there for decades.

Does this concept work to make the Phantom Zone compatible with a society that is not a utopia but is utopian?

*Since they haven't had a war in centuries the phrase "Military Guild" refers to peace officers. And before you comment, as a general rule, they they aren't Bastards. Mostly they direct traffic, do social work, mediate disputes, deal with wild animals that wander into residential areas, but on the exceedingly rare occasions crimes are committed, they deal with that also.

[jcmarchi]

This 3D printer can watch itself fabricate objects

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/this-3d-printer-can-watch-itself-fabricate-objects/

This 3D printer can watch itself fabricate objects

With 3D inkjet printing systems, engineers can fabricate hybrid structures that have soft and rigid components, like robotic grippers that are strong enough to grasp heavy objects but soft enough to interact safely with humans.

These multimaterial 3D printing systems utilize thousands of nozzles to deposit tiny droplets of resin, which are smoothed with a scraper or roller and cured with UV light. But the smoothing process could squish or smear resins that cure slowly, limiting the types of materials that can be used. 

Researchers from MIT, the MIT spinout Inkbit, and ETH Zurich have developed a new 3D inkjet printing system that works with a much wider range of materials. Their printer utilizes computer vision to automatically scan the 3D printing surface and adjust the amount of resin each nozzle deposits in real-time to ensure no areas have too much or too little material.

Since it does not require mechanical parts to smooth the resin, this contactless system works with materials that cure more slowly than the acrylates which are traditionally used in 3D printing. Some slower-curing material chemistries can offer improved performance over acrylates, such as greater elasticity, durability, or longevity.

In addition, the automatic system makes adjustments without stopping or slowing the printing process, making this production-grade printer about 660 times faster than a comparable 3D inkjet printing system.

The researchers used this printer to create complex, robotic devices that combine soft and rigid materials. For example, they made a completely 3D-printed robotic gripper shaped like a human hand and controlled by a set of reinforced, yet flexible, tendons.

Play video

“Our key insight here was to develop a machine-vision system and completely active feedback loop. This is almost like endowing a printer with a set of eyes and a brain, where the eyes observe what is being printed, and then the brain of the machine directs it as to what should be printed next,” says co-corresponding author Wojciech Matusik, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT who leads the Computational Design and Fabrication Group within the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).

He is joined on the paper by lead author Thomas Buchner, a doctoral student at ETH Zurich, co-corresponding author Robert Katzschmann PhD ’18, assistant professor of robotics who leads the Soft Robotics Laboratory at ETH Zurich; as well as others at ETH Zurich and Inkbit. The research appears today in Nature.

Contact free

This paper builds off a low-cost, multimaterial 3D printer known as MultiFab that the researchers introduced in 2015. By utilizing thousands of nozzles to deposit tiny droplets of resin that are UV-cured, MultiFab enabled high-resolution 3D printing with up to 10 materials at once.

With this new project, the researchers sought a contactless process that would expand the range of materials they could use to fabricate more complex devices.

They developed a technique, known as vision-controlled jetting, which utilizes four high-frame-rate cameras and two lasers that rapidly and continuously scan the print surface. The cameras capture images as thousands of nozzles deposit tiny droplets of resin.

The computer vision system converts the image into a high-resolution depth map, a computation that takes less than a second to perform. It compares the depth map to the CAD (computer-aided design) model of the part being fabricated, and adjusts the amount of resin being deposited to keep the object on target with the final structure.

The automated system can make adjustments to any individual nozzle. Since the printer has 16,000 nozzles, the system can control fine details of the device being fabricated.

“Geometrically, it can print almost anything you want made of multiple materials. There are almost no limitations in terms of what you can send to the printer, and what you get is truly functional and long-lasting,” says Katzschmann.

The level of control afforded by the system enables it to print very precisely with wax, which is used as a support material to create cavities or intricate networks of channels inside an object. The wax is printed below the structure as the device is fabricated. After it is complete, the object is heated so the wax melts and drains out, leaving open channels throughout the object.

Because it can automatically and rapidly adjust the amount of material being deposited by each of the nozzles in real time, the system doesn’t need to drag a mechanical part across the print surface to keep it level. This enables the printer to use materials that cure more gradually, and would be smeared by a scraper.

Superior materials

The researchers used the system to print with thiol-based materials, which are slower-curing than the traditional acrylic materials used in 3D printing. However, thiol-based materials are more elastic and don’t break as easily as acrylates. They also tend to be more stable over a wider range of temperatures and don’t degrade as quickly when exposed to sunlight.

“These are very important properties when you want to fabricate robots or systems that need to interact with a real-world environment,” says Katzschmann.

The researchers used thiol-based materials and wax to fabricate several complex devices that would otherwise be nearly impossible to make with existing 3D printing systems. For one, they produced a functional, tendon-driven robotic hand that has 19 independently actuatable tendons, soft fingers with sensor pads, and rigid, load-bearing bones.

“We also produced a six-legged walking robot that can sense objects and grasp them, which was possible due to the system’s ability to create airtight interfaces of soft and rigid materials, as well as complex channels inside the structure,” says Buchner.

The team also showcased the technology through a heart-like pump with integrated ventricles and artificial heart valves, as well as metamaterials that can be programmed to have non-linear material properties.

“This is just the start. There is an amazing number of new types of materials you can add to this technology. This allows us to bring in whole new material families that couldn’t be used in 3D printing before,” Matusik says.

The researchers are now looking at using the system to print with hydrogels, which are used in tissue-engineering applications, as well as silicon materials, epoxies, and special types of durable polymers.

They also want to explore new application areas, such as printing customizable medical devices, semiconductor polishing pads, and even more complex robots.

This research was funded, in part, by Credit Suisse, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the U.S. National Science Foundation.

[vinxwatches]

watching disenchantment season 2

ok, setting up the story with the king, now what will they be doing with bean?

huh, moms reflections disappeared when the water was hit. makes me think she's not really there. something like an illusion can be seen in waving water as it's too hard to figure out how it should reflect.

"make dreamland great again" ok that made me to a dry spittake (it's like a spittake, except you got nothing in your mouth to spit out). we're getting extremely political here. like that's just condemning trump, now way to avoid it.

damn, that's a horrible way to go. if you're lucky you'll run out of air quick.

i mean obviously that wasn't going to be how we'd get rid of the first real villain, but damn would it be great if she died.

ok, that's a lot of honestly on the nature of witchhunts.

oh, luci is whistling the elves song, and elfo is pulling pranks. it seems like they're going to do some cool shit with those two.

oh damn they are just killing of major side character at present. like they had the chance to return to a level of status quo, but no, the story is moving forwards. would love it if the pirate queen stuck around.

the forest sign is always a fun joke.

don't like mixing settings too much, but i would love to see bean do well in steamworld.

random note about something in the first season but i never took the time to properly appreciate their hell. it's not eternal torture. sure, there's some, but the real hell is having to experience the worst part of your life over and over and over again, being forced to dwell on it forever. now this requires a mind that would dwell on it, but of those that do little could be worse.

man bean can be very oblivious to romance. i'm sure that started headcannons of things like ace or aro. this isn't critique of such headcannons btw. those groups so very rarely get explicit representation so headcannon is the only way to go. i means lesbians do get such representation yet i'll still headcannon bean as missing hints from guys because of being gay, only slightly inspired by posts i saw in the past.

one trope i hate is magic is just science. it makes it so magic is limited by technology, it has hard borders, it can't grow, it forces magic into the structure of science. and at the same time it tends to remove the logic of science, if science is responsible for magic it can't follow the logic we know. luckily, this isn't that. a think i like is magic is a part of science just like any other part of the world. instead of forcing magic into the structure of science it forces science into the structure of magic. it's not that magic has the be ordered or have defined boundaries, instead this is using a lens of realism in a good way. if you live in a world with magic then people would want to learn about it just like people in a world with chemistry want to learn about that. people will try to learn about it, how to use it and how to use it reliably. magic can be as hard or as soft with or without rules, this is about how people act towards it and i love it. this isn't that either. instead it's magic is science we don't understand yet. this is just reality. your pain goes away when you chew on willow bark or "tea" brewed from it? until you figure out neurons and painkillers it's clearly magic, yet it's just everyday stuff to us now. now i hate this when it makes magic less impressive, but magic in this show has always felt more like super chemistry (it functions like chemistry, but it's effects are way more extreme) instead of magic, so i think it works here.

Elfo making friend in the freakshow is really nice.

ok, bean is oblivious to romance even by my standards

i'm very interested too where they are going with lucy. is he going to continue his arc of being more good? and damn the king has it rough. being aware of going crazy? that has got to be one of the worst things that can happen to you.

oh, that's a twist. remember that bit block about magic? yea, turns out i may have been wrong.

gosh i hope this romance is for real. if it is it's really well done.

"when does scurvy kick in" today in questions you should never ask yourself. also 3 months without vitamin C. so don't go without fruit for a long time. if you do and you start taking vitamin C again you'll make a full recovery in 2 weeks. this has been a PSA, i guess.

man, so many double meanings. and that better not be the last of her.

ok, mother daughter moment between oona and bean is amazing. i mean i wouldn't add drugs to the mix, but i also wouldn't add alcohol or smokes, and many other people would, and i fail to see a difference between alcohol and drugs (alcohol is a drug after all) and can help some people.

oh, we're "eh tu brutus"ing this? oh, more then i expected at the start... oh shit, i know how brutus'll be. oh, that plan was even worse in a way.

oh, the border is like the dutch belgium border (very niche joke. so highways in the netherlands are exceptionally smooth compared to those in belgium. you can literally feel the change as the ride goes from smooth to bumpy or vice versa. their roads are way better lit though.)

damn, that felt like a filler episode. but a very good one. s2ep8

they got the most important part of a siege correct: make sure people don't starve. walls generally mean people can't get in, that they can be held off, even with much smaller numbers (100 to 1 could be withstood), but both sides would try to starve the other. inside could stock up on food, but outside to get more.

didn't know if they would ever get here. but i'm happy they did. becoming queen, the end of the long arc of struggling for the ability to have any control. now i hope she's actually able to stop whatever is coming. if she can't and has to leave to get help then sure we'll have some drama in the realm of "i was in charge but i failed" but i think actually having her able to complete that one arc would be a lot more interesting. instead of self doubt it would be a weight of responsibility, and i think seeing bean deal with that would be a lot more interesting. the title of the next episode, "Bean Falls Down", doesn't instil me with confidence though.

they payoff to the green smoke is... not great. but lets see where they go with it.

that certainly makes the dress she's wearing fit. and damn they sure love getting everyone in peril and split up at endings to parts. also Luci's death and end are amazing.

oh, the intro promises bean with weapons, would love to see that more.

at least she's not a willing damsel in distress. it's always fun when you don't know who's going to save who.

no matter what that was a plan subverted. supposedly everything up to now was one big plan, or at least a lot was, but this was 100% a plan subverted, a true win.

and damn that's a neat new hook. sadly this time no lesbian lover i fear, but i (always) hope i'm wrong on that.

well you don't have to call me out for watching a cartoon at midnight... also it's not midnight (that'll take like 80 minutes)

damn, that's a neat way of resolving some old arcs. but wait, we never got bean with a bow? did this episode go trough some big revisions?

anything chaz is always sinister yet actually good. and it's such a funny running gag. wholesome, in a creepy way.

interesting change for Zog, would love to see where it goes

oh, that throw away joke was foreshadowing wasn't it. the show is rather good about it. and no i won't tell what i'm referring too so now every throw away joke is suspect in your head :P

the conflict was... meh, but the things it set up are very neat.

oh those two ruling together? this'll last for about a minute.

oh how testicles can fuck up your ability to sing. threaten to cut them off? don't threaten me with a good time.

seriously with the amount of secret tunnels in the castle and the rock it's a miracle there's still any rock.

oh, that's not the water creature i was expecting, i was hoping the return of Mora (not off the table yet) but these are creepy little fucks.

oh, yea, they'd all be fucking dead.

also if you ever have to repare to swim with clothes: lose as many clothes as possible; you wearing a vest or skirt that's easy to take of? TAKE THEM OFF. ESPECIALLY take off your shoos. they are heavy and restrict movement of the Most important body part while swimming.

please don't let this be a "she gets distracted from the real problem by romance" plot. just let her have something nice, please? oh, seems like not the plot, and instead a message that's the EXACT OPPOSITE... nice. also "there's never a right time for romance"... do you really have to call me on my bs of "i'll wait till i start hrt"? common, it's not fair if my escapism is calling me out. oh, so many twists. romance gets more complicated, a new addition to the plot, and what we learn will be a twist for the characters in the future.

the dream element of dreamland has really grown on me. it started feeling a bit contrived, but they use it interestingly. "it's not what you want, it's what you deserve" oh fuck that is so good. kind of like the end of raiders of the lost arc, but with much more interesting parts to it. it's literally karma juice

oh, OH, that's a good twist on what the dream is doing. but why is she her mom? fucking hell she needs therapy. serious vibes of "this could kill me, but eh fuck it it may not"

the intro promises something good. bean working trough some serious shit with her unconcious. the title, "bean falls apart" not so much. and it's a finally, which so far have always ended bad. serious fear for the show: it end on one of those bad endings and then gets cancelled. and the plot continues to thicken. it could be good for one person, but fuck man. honestly this is a series i want to end. not because it's bad or getting worse, but because i want a good ending to happen. i just want things to work out. like even the extremely slow moving plots are fine but there's just so much worry it won't get the good ending the characters deserve. everyone grew so much and i just want them to be happy.

[silversimp]

Old Chemistry (Jean x Reader)

A sfw one shot about rekindling with your first love at a friend's wedding~

Reader could be any gender- 1,500 words

Weddings seem to get less fun as you get older, each friend finding love is so nice and so awesome for them… but each passing year you spend swiping on dating apps and trudging through the bar scene trying to find anyone worth your time is making each engagement announcement feel like knives in your back. Of course by now you could have settled for a few guys you've dated, one even proposed… but it wasn't right. It's not their fault though, you'd just already met the one, and managed to let him slip away. 

Jean was perfect, you'd met in college and hit it off immediately. A randomly assigned lab partner in chemistry of all classes, 'how cliche' you tell yourself and roll your eyes every time you find yourself thinking about the day you met him. He was the kind of guy you'd normally be too scared to talk to if you'd seen him somewhere, but wish you could hit on him because he's probably the most attractive man you've ever seen. Conversation flowed seamlessly though, Jean was funny and charismatic. 

It took one whole week before you realized you'd fallen head over heels, if he asked you to jump you'd ask how high without missing a beat. Jean was a chemistry major, which meant he actually had an interest in the class you were only taking as a requirement. He was always quick to help you when you didn't understand, and he was never patronizing about it. The perfect man through and through. You'd often spend days in the lab imagining a future with him, something you'd never really found yourself doing for anyone else before. 

One month into being lab partners Jean asked if you wanted to meet for dinner to go over notes. Sure you'd met outside the class to talk about class before, but only ever at the library or in the hall after class. No, this was clearly not about notes. You could tell as he asked, the way his hands couldn't stay still, his eyes shifted to the right without meeting yours, and you'd never seen him blush before that moment. Unsurprisingly, when you went out for dinner neither of you brought your lab notes or even talked about chemistry. Instead you got to know one another, and he only became more and more perfect. 

A few weeks later and suddenly you were meeting for lunch almost everyday, dinner most nights, and you'd even introduced your friend groups to each other. By the end of that semester Jean was your boyfriend, your first college boyfriend and it only took a month to realize he was also your first love. It's funny, back in highschool you told a handful of guys you dated that you loved them, because that's what you're supposed to do in a relationship. But with Jean it was real, hell until then you'd had no idea what love could even begin to feel like. Now you can only describe it as him. 

Love is Jean Kirstein. Love is big hands, that always seem to be warm, holding your hips as soft lips paired with stubbled skin drag down your neck. Love is big brown eyes glued to you as you walk into the room, smile on his lips always reaching those eyes when he smiled for you. Love is listening to that beautiful voice explain science terms you'd never begin to care about unless it was him speaking. Love was Jean Kirstein. Too bad it all ended when he left you for his highschool crush. 

Your first love lasted a whole two years. Two years that shaped your entire idea of what a relationship should be, and no one since can compare. Jean broke up with you three days before summer break junior year, told you his feelings had begun to fade, and only a month later he posted a picture of him and Mikasa on Instagram. Worst part was you knew exactly who she was, not by her face but by her name. You and Jean were close, shared so much about your pasts with each other. Enough to be comfortable talking about previous relationships and such. Jean had told you all about how his first love was Mikasa Ackerman, one of his friends' girlfriend. 

Obviously he never pursued her, since she was dating his friend all through high school. Maybe it should have been a red flag. Who admits they were in love with their friends girlfriend? Unfortunately, Mikasa and her boyfriend broke up and then, coincidentally, you and Jean broke up. You've tried to get it over for the past ten years, but here you are parking outside a church for another friend's wedding you couldn't even manage to get a plus one for and stuck in thought about stupid Jean. 

The wedding was nice, your first college friend, Sasha, had married some chef she met while working abroad. Really it was a beautiful wedding, but the only thing you could focus on was Jean. No one told you he had been invited, sure it wasn't too crazy since your friend groups had merged and he'd become pretty close with Sasha. Still, it was unexpected. More importantly, you hadn't seen Mikasa at all. 

Four shots and two cocktails from the open bar later you found yourself dancing stupidly with some old friends you hadn't seen in years. Jean, of course, was still on the forefront of your mind. Your eyes always seemed to catch him as he entered your field of vision. Your eyes even met with his a few times. 

Suddenly he was approaching, a lazy grin on his lips and his hands in his pockets. He was just as handsome as he ever had been, beard grown in now and his hair slicked back. He looked like a model in his suit, his tie now loose around his neck and the top three buttons undone on his shirt. It almost felt like a dream, the blur from the alcohol only adding to the effect. 

You can't quite figure out what he's trying to say over the music, his voice too low. So you find yourself leaning in, standing close so you can hear him. Those large hands you've missed now ghosting around your waist, lips a hair from your ear as he asks, "should we step outside?" A shiver runs down your spine as you nod yes, his large palm on the small of your back as you walk out to a balcony. 

The conversation wasn't the most interesting, just catching up and dancing around the question of whether either of you are single. His hands seem to be unable to get off you, his eyes unable to stop drinking in your appearance. Then it felt like the world paused, eyes meeting his as his arms tangled around your body. Like a moth to a flame, you were drawn to him. Your own arms hooked around his neck as he leaned down, lips just as soft as you remembered as he gently kissed you. He'd always been such a gentleman, the way he touched you like you were delicate and important no matter how many times you told him he could stand to be a little rougher.

One kiss led to another, which led to another, which led to leaving together. Both too drunk to drive you ended up walking back to the hotel together, it was only a twenty minute walk and you had ten years of catching up to do. Jean was a professor now, teaching his own chemistry class. He and Mikasa had only lasted four years, she ended up leaving him for the friend she dated in highschool. Well, apparently they aren't friends anymore now. He focused on himself after that, working hard to get his masters and even bought a house. 

By the time you got to his hotel room the alcohol had mostly faded, and despite having probably come to his room for sex it didn't happen. Instead catching up and talking while snuggled up in his bed was all that happened. It felt like the beginning all over again, laying in bed and talking about your lives until the sun came up. Giggling about how long you managed to talk to each other as you watched the sunrise through the window. It was nice, but the stinging feeling in your chest just persisted. 

Sure, the evening was perfect but what does today or tomorrow hold? A few soft kisses trailed along your neck as Jean settled into the bed, arms wrapped tightly around your waist. He'd given you a t-shirt and sweatpants to wear, both were far too big and extremely comfy. He opted to go shirtless, only wearing boxers. Jean rested his head on your chest as you laid on your back, your arms draped around his fit frame. Warm orange light filled the room as the kisses turned to snoring. You decided to think about everything later. For now you just wanted to enjoy the moment, fleeting or not. 

[daja-the-hypnokitten]

Jukebox reviews part 9! For context, see my post “A Project” under this same tag. If you want to see a full list of his EMCSA stories, they can be found here, sorted alphabetically.And if you want to see some of his drabbles, check out his blog at @jukeboxemcsa

 Situation

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

3/15/2009                                     mc ff

Heh, such a thing to read when I'm planning to be flying in just a handful of days, and will be at the airport hours before my flight. Not that I'd particularly enjoy being in this position - it's one of those ace things - but still, the idea of being brainwashed to be sweet and doing what I'm told is always fun. I do hope Heather enjoys sex more than I do, though. It's quite an abuse of authority, regardless, but a hot one! 8/10 spirals

  Invisible Touch

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

3/21/2009                                     mc mf md

Jack and Diane are back! And I think for pure comedic lines, this has my favourite of any of the stories yet - “Quite sure. No Opera Ghost, of either the Pratchett or Webber variety.” Maybe that's just because I have a major soft spot for Phantom of the Opera (and do enjoy using Music of the Night to sing a partner into trance), but still. Jukebox outdoes himself here, even as I would hate to be in Diane's position. The suggestion itself? Brilliant! Her awareness that its her own subconscious? Sublime. Doing it in public, *at an opera*? That's just beyond the pale, Jack. But despite that, I love the chemistry between these two, making this an easy 10/10 spirals.

  Only Happy When It Rains

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

3/29/2009                                     mc mf ff sf

This is a good sci-fi story, but it hits just enough of things I dislike that I feel unable to give it a fair rating. If you like alien planets and parasitic (or potentially symbiotic) control, you'll probably get more out of this than I do. 3/10 spirals for hitting a bunch of not-quite-squicks.

  Talk Dirty To Me

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

4/5/2009                                       mc ff hm

This squicked me out too much to even finish it. If y'all like students controlling their teachers, take a look, though!

  How Far We’ve Come

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

4/12/2009                                     mc ff

This one's a little sweetly romantic, if you squint. I do wonder what Zoe and the others look like, outside of spring cleaning time, and how Martine interacts with all of them. But I appreciate the deep dive into the "how" of the control, seeing the cascade of effects of each bit of control, and how Martine handles it. It hits a number of sweet spots for me, though the lack of consent in play makes me enjoy it slightly less than some others. 8/10 spirals.

  Goody Two Shoes (Jukebox)

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

4/18/2009                                     mc ff

heh, I'm glad to see Chasity getting some comeuppance for how much she talked over Paula's objections, but maybe not quite this way. I do hope Paula's participation in this whole thing is consensual, but I somehow doubt that. It's an interesting story that focuses less on the control and more on how Paula is effected by it day-to-day, but what we do see of her control and the conditioning process are satisfying. 7/10 spirals.

  Unsent

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

4/25/2009                                     mc

This story is a bit hard to follow, for exactly the reasons that Justine highlights as she writes, but all the same, it's interesting. I'm not entirely sure that I *like* it - it's a good experiment in storytelling format, but between the challenge to follow it and just how much sex is intertwined through it all, it doesn't go much past "interesting" for me. Someone who likes the sort of "brainwashed sextoy babbling about her enslavement" narration may enjoy this, though. 6/10 spirals.

  Weird Science

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

5/3/2009                                       mc mf ff fd hu

Oh hey! Penelope from "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"! This is fun, and also relatable AF as a gal who has a degree in science. Mad science isn't *my* interest, of course - I'm far too neutral good for mad science - but I still relate to her anger and frustration at the gatekeeping, and more power to her. The mind control here isn't even all that mean, really, though also a little too sudden for my preferences. Mostly I just like the story. 7/10 spirals.

  Push

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

5/9/2009                                       mc mf

This is an interesting description of a mind control power. And I'm impressed by the ... not control, exactly, but precision of how he uses it. I dunno if it's really *erotic,* really, but it's a good story of control and power, and the consequences of using that power without caution. 8/10 spirals

  Hip to Be Square

 date uploaded   date updated     Tags

5/17/2009                                     mc md fd mf ff bd ds ex ma hu

None of this is how neurons or the brain work. AT ALL. I know we don't actually see the explanation of how the effect is caused, but even what IS shared doesn't pass my BS detector. Having said that, it's an interesting premise, for sure. I'm fairly sure just boosting intelligence wouldn't cause the sort of effect that the increased interest in books brings - after all, social conditioning has its effects just as strongly as academic pursuits. But it's fun to see the change and the questioning of social norms, even if it's so far out of the realm of realistic for me not to even consider it sci-fi. It's pure science *fantasy.* 7/10 spirals.

[zmeydeva-arch]

hello! i hope you don’t mind me asking who your favorite writers are, or writers you get most inspiration from? your writing is breathtaking and i’d love to take some notes x

hello anon ! definitely don't mind this question at all and thank you for the compliment i'm just glad anyone is reading my writing and enjoying the experience while they are it. as for inspiration and the like, i feel like i should preface this response by saying that all the writing i consume, while serving as inspiration, it is never my intention to replicate or directly emulate any of the writers/books i list below. even so i do think trying to mimic the writing style of other writers can serve as a good exercise for pushing oneself or exploring different methods of the craft but it shouldn't be the only kind of writing you do.  ultimately, you do yourself a disservice as a writer by not trying to find and refine your own narrative voice. 

that being said, when it comes to books and authors i turn to for inspiration and aspiration… there are a few and they range in genre and don't all fall into the fantasy realm squarely

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone is a book i CONSTANTLY find myself reaching for whenever i am in a slump. it is lyrical! it is weird! and it is a book that rather show than tell to a degree of utter obstruction. unfortunately, i haven't read much of these authors' other works so i cannot speak to them as a whole. but this novel in particular is such a short and gripping read i cannot recommend it enough 

tamsyn muir is another author who constantly floors me with her command over plot. this woman is a mastermind and she includes NOTHING in her stories that is unnecessary or does not serve the larger arc of the story. the way she writes is gross, funny, and visceral. truly it could not be further than the kind of writing i do on this blog but she is an author that constantly shows me the sky's the limit when it comes to what you can get away with writing wise, if you are bold enough to try! also that comedy writing is such a skill and the smarter it is the funnier it can get. 

recently i have been tasking myself with reading more poetry and not just novels. in my search i have come across the works of franny choi. she is subversive; she tackles heavy topics like race, gender, and mental illness in a way that cannot be described as anything less than pure emotion. she is also isn't too afraid to run with an animal motif either. "watch me kick / back to life. tentacles / & teeth. resurrected electric. revenge ━ squirming alive / in your mouth / strangling you quiet / from the inside out… "  these lines rewired my brain chemistry and i ordered her collection 'soft science' weeks ago and it has yet to arrived off the backorder list 💔

maggie nelson is another queer poet and author that writes in a way that holds nothing back. her poetry is not meant to be pretty; it minces no words. she gets straight to the point no fluff necessary. the argonauts and bluets are both books i read in college and have not left my brain since. both books focus on romantic relationships either in fruition or decline by employing vignettes and insight into specific moments to get a glimpse at the whole of romance, or a romance gone sour.

now i feel like my whole blog is an homage to angela carter and this is absolutely a basic choice but if you have never read the bloody chamber and other stories you are missing out on the gold standard of fantasy retellings. i am pretty sure this is the book that inspired leigh bardugo to write the language of thorns and i will die on this hill. anyway Highly recommend and again another short read that is pure atmosphere and rich in fable. 

i am sure there are a few other authors i missed on this list but this is what is coming to mind right now. thank you for question! it is always fun to talk about what i enjoy reading and hopefully you find something here that you might love and inspire you as well 💗

[annastrxng]

Random question because I'm curious: do you relate to Anna at all? And/or do you have some similarities with her?

Funny enough, I do very highly relate to Anna. We're both females in male dominated worlds. I shocked my family and friends by choosing a degree that is less demure and timid. I worked security with an all male team. When I was working, I operated a significantly important position-- where it was my job to be the eyes and ears for my crew while also being responsible hundreds of peoples welfares. I was sometimes overlooked in my field because I am supposed to be less intimidating than my coworkers. That isn't entirely the case- as I was trained in how to take a few people down if I had to. And I can and will use a voice that'll knock dread in most people when I have to. I can occasionally be stubborn and unwavering.

Unlike Anna, I'm a decent marksmen especially from sizeable distances.

Like Anna, I have been creepily hit on and stalked while at work. I've had to fend for myself in a few really sticky situations.

I share a lot of Anna's personality. I have zero trouble telling people how I really feel about them, what they've done to hurt me, or why I feel the way I do. I'm usually very amicable and soft towards people I trust, but I do have a sharper edge than most. I can be sarcastic when the occasion calls for it. My fuse is just about as long as Anna's is. (I can not say if that is a blessing or a curse)

I've been engaged before, only to realized that the man I had fallen for, wasn't someone I wanted to be with forever. I figured out he was cheating on me with another woman. A woman he later married, much to my relief. I've also strangely dated a few military men and a nerd.

I also know what it's like to not feel safe in one's own home. It's a hideously awful experience and it's a long story. No, my parents aren't abusive. I have been threatened by an asshat who, knows where I live, promised to come find me because he did not appreciate me exposing his lies.

Anna and I both have a quieted adoration for the sciences. Her with her interest in the stars and spying; and me with my absolute obsession with forensics/ forensic technology and spy gadgets. I did have an interest in studying the constellations.

We both love to read. In the years leading up to University, I was an insatiable devourer of books. I read over 300 books in one school year. My teacher realized that I hated books early on because I wasn't being challenged enough or being given the right materials. Once I got my hands on the appropriate materials, I took off and never looked back.

Anna tends to show a liking for the classics. While I do enjoy them, I tend to be more apt to pick up mystery/crime dramas.

Anna and I tend to have crazy friends. Anna has Caleb and I had two besties in middle-school and high school who, thought randomness was AMAZING (and it was). Anna tends to keep her friends for long periods of time. She's kept her inner circle from childhood. I very much mastered doing the same until University when I got too sick to keep up with everyone. I still have my besties 20 years later. That said, I would NOT even consider sleeping with them. Although there was definitely rumor about me and my best guy friend. Apparently, we had "off the charts" chemistry. I never really saw it, but it was enough, that several teachers approached me.

Oh, and like Anna, I would move heaven and earth for my friends. If they asked, I would try to be there for them-- day or night.

Anna, in the series, tends to exhibit a lot of the same nervous tells that I do. She'll curl her fingers into fabric, clench her jaw, or brace herself in a corner if she has too.

We also share an innovative spirit. If you don't have the answers or solution, improvise. Like Anna, I tend to offer as many creative solutions as I can. They aren't always the right call, but you can count on them being abstract and intuitive.

We also care more about people than we really like others to know.

Anna was accused of in Season 1, sharing her father's views and politics. I too share my father's views on the world. I am very much like my father (almost eerily so). It drives my poor mother insane.

Anyways, I'll cut it off before I ramble on too long. I definitely associate a lot with her even if I'm not really that interesting of a character. XDD

[stories-from-the-warp]

Roleplaying Profile Meme

PLEASE REPOST, DO NOT REBLOG!  Feel free to add to any of your answers! The purpose is to tell your partners about the way you write!  For the multiple choice ones, BOLD all that apply and, if you want, italicize if it’s a conditional answer!

– B a s i c s –

NAME : Al

ARE YOU OVER 18?   Yes / No

IS YOUR MUSE?   Yes (except the Skaven but they don’t live past 20 and can fight at 1) / No

ARE YOU SELECTIVE ABOUT WHO YOU WRITE WITH ON THIS BLOG? No (anyone) / Semi (Are you Warhammer? Yes? OK, you pass) / Yes / Highly / Private (mutuals only)  

ARE YOU SELECTIVE ABOUT WHO YOU FOLLOW ON THIS BLOG? No (anyone) / Semi / Yes / Highly

IF YOUR MUSE IS CANON, HOW MUCH TO YOU ADHERE TO CANON? Not at all / A little / Some / Mostly / Strictly / (OC) I write my own canon.  

WHAT POST LENGTHS DO YOU WRITE? One Liners / Single-Para (at least) / Multi-Para (if I’m describing a fight scene or a location) / Novella

DO YOU USE ICONS AND/OR GIFS? No (Because I have none) / Gifs / Icons

DO YOU WRITE ON OTHER PLATFORMS? No / Yes (Discord)

WHAT LEVEL OF PLOTS DO YOU WRITE? Unplotted (mostly) / Open Ended Plots (if someone has an idea of what they want to do) / Semi-Plotted / Fully Plotted Epics

HOW QUICKLY DO YOU USUALLY RESPOND TO THREADS? Very Slow (more than a month) / Slow (3-4 Weeks) / Average (1-2 Weeks) / Fast (Less Than One Week) / Very Fast (Less Than Three Days)

WHAT TYPES OF THEMES DO YOU LIKE? Fluff (kinda difficult to be warm and soft in the Land of Grimdarkia) / Angst / Smut (depends on the character and what their relation to the other person is) / Action / Tragedy / Domestic / Conversational / Hurt-Comfort / Found Family / Crack (if it’s too funny not to) / Crossovers (if I know the lore of that universe and can reasonably fit my boys in there, i.e. not some shit like Dora the Explorer)

WHAT GENRES DO YOU LIKE? (feel free to add!) Fantasy / Supernatural (because the entire Warp is just kinda like that) / Science Fiction / Historical Drama / Horror / Comedy / Dark Comedy / Romantic / Drama / Action / Adventure / Character Studies /

ARE THERE ANY THEMES YOU’RE UNCOMFORTABLE WRITING ON YOUR BLOG? (not triggers) No / Yes (see my rules) 

DO YOU HAVE ANY TRIGGERS?  No / Yes (see my rules)

HOW DO YOU REQUEST IT TAGGED? - I don’t really mind

– S h i p p i n g –

WHAT TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS ARE YOU OPEN TO? Romantic (depends on the character and how long they’ve known the other person) / Platonic / Familial (if the character even has family to begin with) / Physical / Sexual (depends on the character and how long they’ve known the other person)

WHAT TYPES OF PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS ARE YOU OPEN TO? Romantic (depends on the character) / Platonic / Familial / Physical / Sexual (depends on the character)

DO YOU HAVE OTPS? No / Chemistry only / Yes 

DO YOU HAVE NOTPS? No / Yes (see my rules)

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WRITING SMUT? No / Selectively / Yes (though WHY is sort of important, since my OCs aren’t massive sluts who whip it out for just anybody)

HOW EARLY IN A RELATIONSHIP DO YOU SHIP ROMANTICALLY? Autoship / During Plotting / After A Couple IC Interactions / Several IC Interactions (I’d tell you if I was interested in seeking that after RPing with you for a while) / Slow Burn / Depends on partner & muse

ARE YOU OPEN TO TOXIC SHIPS? No / Selectively (depends on the characters and what kind of “toxic”) / Yes / Never Tried It

ARE YOU OPEN TO POLYSHIPPING? No / Selectively (never done it before) / Yes

ARE YOU AN EXCLUSIVE SHIPPER? No / Sometimes / Yes

DOES CRACK SHIPPING EVER HAPPEN? No / Sometimes / Yes

[dinofelissnow1985]

Of Birds and Butterflies

by DinofelisSnow1985

Chapter 8

Like Sans Red was smart as hardly anyone, but he couldn't put his high intelligence to use since he had no kind of graduation.

And he was boooored.

When Toriel came to check on him, Red asked her if there was any way to get his hands on some mentally challenging reading material.

Toriel thought it over and suggested to ask Sans for some science books. Maybe he would like to try to get his graduation?

Red didn't know that was still possible for adults like him. Toriel assured him that this wasn't that uncommon, a lot of humans didn't graduate in their youth for all kinds of reasons but it was still possible to do it later and even visit a college or university.

Overbearing as she was Tori got Red an evaluation test to find out where he might lack in education. Of course he only knew the history of his own universe, there were some things in maths that had never been touched in his childhood. He knew how to speak, obviously, but he couldn't differ between nouns and adverbs. He aced in any kind of scientific subject however, be it physics, chemistry or astronomy.

He didn't remember where exactly he learned all that science stuff but it made him feel nostalgic and a little sad. All he knew was that he had to have learned it during the time he couldn't remember.

Sans seemed to have some ideas about that, if the look on his face was anything to go by.

The next day Tori brought Red some books to learn what he lacked, including a copy of the history of humans and monsterkind as well as a list of subjects that would be part of the tests he would have to do. She also gave Red her number so he could text her if he had any questions or felt ready to take the first test.

He wrote his first test - some kind of elementaty school graduation to prove the participant had basic school knowledge - less than two weeks later and aced it without breaking a sweat.

The next would be about junior high school grade knowledge.

But Red decided to take a break from learning.

Only a few days after the test Red got the cast taken off. Underneath was smooth bone, not like nothing ever happened, yet straight and healthy and without leaving a scar, besides some rough, slightly misshapen structures that hadn't entirely smoothed out. And the bone had regained the right length.

Toriel carefully took Red's leg in her soft paws and began to mobilize it, starting with moving his foot in its joint, then slowly bending and stretching his knee which also made the femur move in its socket. While she did all this she watched Red closely for any sign of pain or discomfort.

The bone felt a little tender and sore after being immobile for about three weeks.

Toriel was impressed of Red's fast self healing. The small skeleton just shrugged. "Guess ya need ta regen'rate fast if ya wanna survive in a world like mine."

That made some kind of sense, in a mildly disturbing way.

Sans and Blue took Red's hands and helped him up. They helped him find his balance and allowed him to hold onto them when he carefully, almost reluctantly, tried the stability of his leg.

The soreness in his leg became a slight pain, but Red had a high pain tolerance due to his past, and it wasn't unbearable, just uncomfortable.

He moved his weight from left to right and back to left a few times to get his leg used to carry him again.

Then he balanced his weight on both legs equally, took a few deep breaths and tried to take his first step.

It was strainous and unsteady and hardly more than a shuffle of his foot, but it was a first step nonetheless.

"That's it, Red. Slow and easy," Sans praised and encouraged, gently rubbing his thumb over the knuckles of Red's hand.

"Wasn't even really a step," Red muttered.

"IT'S A START. YOU CAN NOT EXPECT TO BE FIT FOR A MARATHON RIGHT AFTER YOU GET THE CAST TAKEN OFF. EVEN MY MAGNIFICENT YET IMPATIENT SELF KNOWS THAT, RED," Blue contributed, giving Red's other hand a gentle squeeze.

"He's right, ya know. Here, let's try this..." Sans took Red's other hand from Blue and put both of Red's hands on his shoulders while he steadied Red carefully with his own hands on the sides of Red's ribcage.

Then he shuffled one of his feet backwards a little and gently encouraged Red to follow his lead.

Red shuffled his foot forward and then the other when Sans moved his own foot backwards. That way they moved slowly but steady to Red's desk, Blue and Toriel right at their side in case Red stumbled or couldn't hold himself upright any longer.

When they reached the desk Blue grabbed the chair and held it as Sans sat Red down so the Omega could take a break and catch his breath.

"You're doing great, dear," Tori praised, patting Red on his shoulder.

"SHE IS RIGHT. LOOK!" Blue chimed in, slowly turning the chair so Red was able to see where he'd started.

Red hadn't noticed he'd crossed the whole room with Sans' lead. Said lazybones put his hand on Red's skull and gently scratched his cranium. Red couldn't help the purr that escaped him against his will and he blushed a bright red like a gyftmas-light.

After a short break Blue and Sans got Red to stand up again and lead him to his corner-Nest, from there to his bed-nest, after that he was tired and needed rest.

Sans got them all something to drink and he and Blue sat on both sides of Red, with Toriel at Blue's other side.

"So... when a'ya gonna do mah spine?" Red asked Toriel. The old goat monster looked at him and seemed to take a moment to think.

"I'd like to wait until you are stronger, dear. Let's see how you are in... i would say... two weeks? I want to be sure you can walk properly. One step at a time."

Red snrk-ed at the - seemingly - unintended pun. "Kay. Ya da one wid da experience in healin'. I trus' ya judgement."

---

During the following days Red used some time every day exercising his leg, getting stronger and steadier per day. After only a few days there was no trace of a limp noticable anymore.

After a week Red took on the stairs for the first time since his leg had been resetted.

After ten days he was able to walk the stairs without help and without getting winded.

That day Sans took him to Grillby's for the first time.

"We need to fatten ya up more," he said with a wink and Red snorted. "Yeah right, 'm all bones."

They laughed while Sans held the door open for Red.

As soon as the Fell-monster entered he felt the looks of the other patrons land on him and he froze.

He didn't notice he had started to growl until he felt Sans' hand on his shoulder and blinked, feeling a little disoriented. He deflated immediately and tried to hide behind Sans.

The local skeleton gave the other regulars a lazy wave and took Red's hand, leading him to the bar.

Sans sat in his usual spot and Red scrambled onto the stool next to him, eyeing everyone in the room as if he expected them to jump him as soon as he'd let his guard down.

And that's exactly what he thought.

Sans leaned on his elbows towards the orange-yellow fire elemental behind the counter. "Heya, Grillbz. How's biz?"

Grillby finished cleaning the glass in his hands before putting it aside. "Same as usual, Sans. What can i get for you and your...friend?"

Sans eyed Red for a second and answered, "the usual for me and for Red here the same, but switch the ketchup with mustard, please."

Grillby looked from Sans to Red, back to Sans, then nodded and went to the kitchen.

The 'usual' was a Hamburger menue with fries, for Sans drenched in ketchup. When Grillby brought their food he placed it in front of them, accompanied by a bottle of their respective condiment.

Red threw all his shyness overboard the moment he smelled the mustard and the greasy food. What mustard didn't land on his plate he drank straight from the bottle. And he felt in heaven.

The mustard-drenched meal relaxed him enough that Red let his gaze wander and actually looked at the local versions of the beastly monsters he knew from his own universe.

First thing he noticed, no one wore a collar. In his world the Dogi had collared each other.

Next thing, Doggo lacked his scars but had both his ears, Lesser and Greater Dog looked fluffy and... huggable. His Lesser and Greater had been mangy beasts and liked to gnaw on his bones and left a lot of teeth marks on him.

The dogs played some card game and played apparently for small dog treats, not the kind Doggo smoked, more like some sort of kibble.

There also was some kind of bunny-like monster, obviously drunk, that flirted willy-nilly and even shot him a 'supposed-to-be-seductive' wink. Some other monsters came and went he didn't recognize.

Probably died young in his universe?

Red sighed. He didn't want to think about that.

He almost jumped out of his skin, if he would've have had any, when something audibly sniffed him while he took a sip from his mustard bottle. The next thing he knew was that he was leaning with his back against Sans, who had both his arm slung around him and was murmuring soothing nothings into his acoustic meatus while Lesser Dog sat a few feet away on an other barstool and looked at him like he had suddenly grown a second skull.

The other Guard Dogs at their table had all tensed and their hackles raised. Doggo finally broke the silence after flattening his fur and calming himself. He took a drag from the dog treat he was smoking and blew the smoke through his nostrils. "Hey uh, Sans..." he eventually said, "what's up with your new friend? Blue didn't freak like that when he met us for the first time. No need to lash out at Lesser for being curious."

Sans sighed. "Sorry guys. Red here comes from a bad place and is a little skittish around strangers. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

While Sans and Doggo talked Red was internally freaking out and tried hard to calm down. He finally snapped out of it when he heard a canine whine. He blinked and, by only moving his Eye Lights, looked around until his gaze fell on Lesser Dog. He looked at Red with big dark puppy eyes and drooping ears. He sat slightly hunched over to appear smaller and as unthreatening as possible. Now Red felt bad and unconsciously tried to hide in Sans' side.

Sans stroked Red's skull and talked low and gently to him. "It's okay, Red. It's not your fault. No one got hurt. Lesser only wanted to say hello."

Lesser Dog whined again and sent out his own Omega Pheromones while he slowly and carefully scooted closer again.

The Pheromones helped Red calm down, he knew by instinct that he had nothing to fear from other Omegas, even if he didn't understand his instincts.

He turned his head to look at Lesser from the corner of his good Eye Socket. "'M sorry. Didn't mean ta freak," Red uttered an apology.

The corners of Lesser's snout curled upward a little and he gently wagged his tail.

He slipped from his barstool to the ground, went on all fours and slowly approach Red and Sans while trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. He held his tail low, wagging it gently, tilted his head in a cute manner and kept his ears perked yet relaxed. He sat beside the stools Sans and Red were seated and put his muzzle on the edge of the seat, giving a high breathy whine.

Sans smiled at Lesser, took Red's hand and guided it between Lesser's ears to pet the Guard Dog. Lesser didn't move, only wagged his tail and watched the two skeletons.

Slowly Red relaxed and allowed himself to actually feel the soft fluffy fur. He bent his fingers a little and testingly scratched Lesser between the ears. Lesser gave a joyful whine and pressed into the touch. Red felt encouraged and began to pet the dog in earnest.

Sans felt his own Soul swell with pride for Red, and when he glimpsed at the other Guard Dogs from the corner of his Eye Socket he saw hints of jealousy on their faces. Oh boy, looked like he and Red would have to pet some more dogs.

 

By the time Sans teleported them home Red had practically gotten adopted by the dogs.

[annoyinggalaxycollector]

Look at that pretty downward spiral

I have no memory of creating this tumblr account with this user name. Perhaps about 12 years ago when I was a postdoc doing research on galaxies? Most of my research has been on neutron star systems.

These days I mostly teach. HUGE classes, intro astronomy and physics for pre-meds. I’m a little nervous about the second: for the first I can largely inspire and go soft on grading because this is mainly to keep alive an appreciation for science in their further lives and on the sly promote skeptical empirical scientific mindset, brush up their skills with graphing and numbers and numerical relationships.

The physics is tricker though. Being interesting isn’t my main goal, these students are there to... learn, but often learn to jump through hoops that will face them down the line, mcat exams, higher level chemistry classes. In my generation, we were taught physics through derivation. I know that’s bad, but I’m not sure what best to replace it with. I lead them through the homework problems in class, and those can be tricky--tricky enough I sometimes slip up at first if I solve them cold in front of them. I think teaching through these clicker style quizzes might help, rapidly testing each part of the problem solving process separately--but the classroom has terrible wifi.

Sometimes I receive lovely feedback on my teaching but other days--and perhaps more in the physics class--it feels like a slog. It’s hard not to obsess over the state of the country. My bathroom reading these days is Richard Hofstadter’s book on antiintellectualism. I’m secular left wing Jewish, with world political developments less a fan of Israel and more disgusted by the role it is playing, one of those ethno-authoritarian nations. Domestically amid rising antisemitism, the Jewish lobbying groups have been focussed more on supporting Israel, looking away as some “allies” lay the groundwork for racist violence. With an ideology that Jews need to move to Israel, to unlock the secret video game mod cheat that will give select right-wing Christians bonus Jesus points at the Rapture, or something.

I try to be an ally to other groups, though at the end of the day, the end of the week, I’m just too burnt out to do much, socializing, activism, or my own research dreams.

I think I’ll get a lottery ticket at the supermarket across the street. It’s $1.6 billion now. Crazy, I know! Since grade school I’ve noticed everyone’s so obsessed with win win win, starting with Little League sports teams, up to tRump. Financial independence would be nice, I wouldn’t need a gaudy win. I’d rather walk the woods to find wild mushrooms, ponder quantum gravity and dark matter, or look into my own thoughts and memories to make sense of them...

I wonder what Dall-E would do with the prompt “annoying galaxy collector”? Maybe I’ll adopt Galactus as an avatar.