#limbus headcanons

[pvlvsdog]

Hello! I have a request. Can a sinner react to a rather dangerous but calm-natured reader? Like if a sinner gets into a fight and the reader just looks at them, they'll shut up right away. The reader might have a dead-looking look. The reader didn't mean to do that. The reader just had something bad happen to them in the past, which is why they have that face.

Meursault wouldn’t question you much as to why you’re so stoic. To be honest, he doesn’t need your reasons, he just gets it. I would even go as far as to say you quickly become his favourite coworker because you don’t waste your time on unnecessary expressions and inflections. You get your job done and get to the point, communicating with you isn’t a hassle. He can vibe with that, since he tries to do the same. You two aren’t exactly alike, if asked he would probably even provide a detailed list of clear differences. Which is about the most upfront he will be in signifying he is paying attention to you (without asking at least, if you ask, he might kind of admit it). You are jaded by life, your walls are too tall to scale and many had given up, instead resorting to sneaking nervous glances at you whenever you appear in their peripheral. But Meursault is only ever impressed by your abilities and never pushes you to be a completely different person. Though, if asked, he may sometimes advise you to try and let your protective layer of numbness lower, for the sake of your own mental wellbeing

No other way to say it but Sinclair idolises you. Not in a very obvious way. But he is drawn to the mysterious aura. Scared but aroused intrigued by your presence. You are everything he isn’t. People respect you, you seem to have your emotions under your control and you fight with a deadly determination. Not much is known about you and when you do speak, it always leaves him wondering about more. He had gotten smacked a solid few times when your ferocious but calculated fighting distracted him from killing off an enemy or two. That gap between you makes him a bit too scared to approach for some time, he shrinks into himself thinking of how many of his failures you witnessed. How many times you tore through bodies only for him to cry out for a home that will never be when he is once again killed off on the side? How many corpses you fed to the strange vehicle you all travel in while he had to wipe his own gore-induced vomit off his shoes? Of course, I don’t want to make him seek like a sad wallflower, he has his moments. But this is not about him being below you or anything, I just think you excel in those exact areas he feels insecure about. And he can get a bit too focused on that to see that you’re just one of a whole group of his very traumatised coworkers and there would be no harm in approaching you, since he wishes to know you better. I think he would get the courage to do it after his canto, trying to engage you in small talk. Now it’s up to you how you react to that, but if you encourage him (to the extent the walls you’ve built allow you to), you’ll have a loyal friend. And perhaps something even more intimate, but if you don’t make the first move, I don’t promise he’ll be quick with such confessions. I do however have to note that, as he grows more secure, you two are bound to butt heads.

Now, unlike Emil, Ryoshu doesn’t waste time to approach you. Your technique is immaculate and she tells you as much. But your emotionless exterior prompts her to say “you’re N.F.” (“No fun” as Sinclair helpfully explains). Despite her claim, it’s no secret she likes to mess with you a bit. It’s nothing grand, but her presence is definitely made known and she says her quips here and there, clearly curious about how you’ll respond. She likes working with you too, since you’re pretty dangerous towards your enemies. Despite her seemingly carelesless attitude toward you I think if you were to be the next person to have to revisit your past, she’d be one of the most attentive sinners

There’s one certain thing when you interact with Gregor. You make him nervous. He is a yapper and the word count only goes up when he’s nervous. But nobody can shut him up like you, every time you give him that famous cold stare of yours. To be fair, I think Rodya would love you for it, given you interrupted more than one of Greg’s badly executed improv “performances” (brought on by some danger he’s trying to deescalate). However, he can also recognise your mannerisms well. He knows that empty look, he knows that coldness in your tone. He’d seen it in a lot of soldiers back in the day and even more often with veterans he has encountered. So even if you do make him nervous, he’s usually the first one to give you some grace if your presence is making people uncomfortable. He understands well, that there are some untold stories that keep everyone up at night. He is not privy to yours, but the least he can do is show you the understanding he himself feels (at large) undeserving of

Rodya’s a bit less merciful when it comes to leaving you be. Her carefree persona often clashes with your gruff demeanour. She likes to point out and comment on the way you act. Your “creepy expression” or the way you never try to include yourself in the collective fun. It makes her all the more jealous to see that despite how much you don’t try to be liked, you still get praise for how deadly you are in fights. Others still admire your skill and precision and you don’t even have to try for it (or so she bitterly thinks, though she wouldn’t say such thing out loud). However, I think over time she would maybe grow a little used to your presence. She only pretends your death stares don’t scare her and she’s always up to throw a small quip your way. But as your canto approaches, I could see her being one of the first people that try to talk to you. Sure, part of it is that she wants to feel like she’s useful. You’re always so professional, brave and composed so there is a part of her that gets off on the fact that she’s the one helping you. Not the other way around. Because though you might be this great employee and fighter, she’s still the outlet you need

Outis is hard to read here, but I recon you could quickly become one of her favourite coworkers. You’re not as painfully literal as Meursault, but you still get your job done well and don’t waste your time on unnecessary sentiments and flailing around. However, as soon as your indifference extends to the manager, she’s the first one to tell you off. I like to joke about Outis being down bad for Dante but I see if more so as her ‘projecting’ (from the dialogue I’ve read). As in, she can totally imagine being in their shoes and she is very aware that your attitude can sometimes be the opposite of helpful. Other than that, I can see her praising you plenty. Sure, it’s a bit like being called a ‘pleasure to have in class’ by your teacher (ykwim) but at least she’s nice? Plus I can see her offering you a little understanding when you get your painful past exposed. As much as she can sympathise with Dante, she also gets that there are situations that are bound to make one build walls around themselves. It’s a survival tactic she’s far too familiar with

Similarly, Don is mostly unbothered by your presence and the way you act. She includes you all the same and the only thing that would deter her or upset her is if you’re overtly judgmental of her ideals. Not that she would hate you. Your fighting skills and ability to appear collected are a source of her amazement for sure. I would even go as far as saying she’s one of the few coworkers that threat you ‘normally’ (though none of them are normal, with all due respect)

I can see Yi Sang, after his canto, trying to make friends with you. He can see that you are as reserved as he once was. And though you remain devoid of emotion (at least on the surface) he will attempt to get to know you more. Even if you reject it, he will not judge you. Though he wishes he got to know you more, now that he has opened himself up to the idea of closeness

One could assume that Faust is like that too. But she is a bit more judgmental (as seen in her interactions with Heathcliff) and though her own calm demeanour rarely changes, she’s more prone to commenting on your specific behaviour. Especially given that you are more of a ‘brute’ in her eyes (speak little, threatening and one of the most brutal fighters), she might make a small quip here and there if you question her plans. I think if they go in the direction they seem to, she might become more open to human error and in turn, look down on you less

Heathcliff isn’t too fond of your terrifying gaze. I feel like he is one of the sinners that experiences it more often and it annoys him that you have such an effect on him and everyone around him. He doesn’t like feeling weak and vulnerable, understandably so, if you get to know about his past. He would be more eager to tell you off but he’s not daft, he has seen you fight. Even the knowledge that he will be brought back to life isn’t reassuring enough when faced with the possibility of dying such a brutal death. He is certain that in this regard you are worse than a vicious distortion. All that aside, he isn’t the one to turn a blind eye to injustice and pain. And since your past is bound to be revealed, in those more vulnerable moments he would be much more understanding. If a bit frustrated. He knows how it is to keep building walls around yourself and let all the awful thoughts fester inside. So while he understands just how much you’ve been keeping to yourself, he will not be gentle with his words. It’s not anger, just pure frustration to see another teammate close themselves off. He has proven multiple times that seeing others go through the same he did/does hits him tenfold (being frustrated that Ish is going after a goal that is destroying her vs the winter story where he almost gets killed because of his need for revenge*). So to see you close yourself off further and resign yourself to a life of cold indifference instead of letting your companions in will not be something that goes ignored by him

I don’t think Ishmael would have much against you on the daily basis. Though she thinks your methods are a bit much (in context of the killing), she sees you more as just another eccentric teammate. And she has plenty of those. If you say something very dark and edgy, there will be a very characteristic sigh heard nearby. I think if Heath’s bored and happens to not napping on the bus, he’d try to count every time she makes that noise. It’s that much of a routine occurrence. However, although she might not always vibe with you, your reliability does provide a certain level of comfort for her. Like, she might not understand you (which is a big if a given with everyone on the bus due to how little you share) but at least her intrusive thoughts of failure are a bit eased by knowing that there are people who are competent and will try to help things go over more smoothly than what Dante can provide

Speaking of Dante. They are… not the greatest at reading emotions and people. So your lack of emotion is a factor in how they perceive you. I kind of can see a scenario where things are going terribly for you but you shrug it off (just another miserable day of existace…) and they go like <oh, okay. I’m glad you’re doing fine>. AT BEST they might think to themselves that something seems off and wonder if something did bother you a bit. Oh and also I think they also are a bit scared of being on the receiving end of your terrifying look. They might not read people well, but they do notice some patters (Greg being silent = Greg being sad, Faust looking straight at them = bad) and they know they messed up when your eyes pierce their soul. Even if you didn’t exactly mean to do that. That do appreciate your combat skills though!

Though Hong Lu doesn’t speak a lot in group settings (usually at least, he will still make inquiries and comments if something intrigues him), he can peak you apart so easily it’s scary. This is like the opposite of Dante I think. Hong Lu sees your actions for what they are - results of something horrible. Doesn’t judge you or anything. But sometimes when you do act all though and scary, he will say something that just applies to you so well. Other sinners think he’s gone mad (they don’t know how accurate his “innocent” musing was) while you’re left to wonder if the bloke has some sort of magical foresight

Wasn’t sure if you wanted romantic or not so I just did like general headcanons on how I think sinners would react to a character like this. With a little sprinkle of romance here and there. Wasn’t sure how to get it right for a while, cause this is a specific character instead of a scenario and it all honestly depends on how they act towards a certain person (like, perhaps I did get it wrong in assuming they wouldn’t side with Heath when he was still arguing with people early on or they would actually love Greg’s improv) so it’s tricky to write. So it might not be what you wanted, I get that

[impending-day]

limbers. project moon sleeper agents. im collecting data

so im making an au where limbus company people exist on like. this planet. normal earth. and i wanna see what headcanons yall have of them if they were like. irl Adjacent

im also thinking more along the lines of disability adjacent, cause the fic im planning to write with these headcanons is gonna touch a lot on sides of life and situations that tend to make people. not uncomfortable per se but i cant think of a better word. its a slice of life type thing but all their lives are shitty and realistic and im 100% certain they all need some type of psychiatric help in this au

anyways. pls tell me ur headcanons so i can kick my feet and giggle. gimmie the genders n the pronouns. gimmie the weird oddly specific projecty ones. maybe sinclair was raised in maryland and learned how to make killer crabs idk tell me abt em

[pristinepastel]

i hope queequeg ends up having face tattoos as well i think thatd be awesome

i was curious what the moby dick ver of queequeg looked like and i saw quite a few renditions and they all had polynesian full body linework. so cool;;;;

[agere-lc]

Regressor Ishmael headcanon time because she's on my mind!!

Regresses anywhere from 3-6

Pacis pacis pacis!!! Has a collection of them bc she loves switching it up

Whale plushie that she carries around at all times while regressed, will cry if she drops it

Toddles around regardless of age, sometimes falls over because she loses her balance

Baby babbles baby babbles

Half finished coloring pages all over the place

Can and will cry over anything and everything

[pvlvsdog]

I feel like most sinners have some sort of praise kink or need for affection and attention because of what’s happened to them.

Hmm sort of? In my opinion, there are a few that like those things more than the others, yk. For example there are quite a few lines where Heathcliff reacts strongly to praise/compliments and you can kind of see he wants attention, at least from specific people. Take that time when others were discussing Ishmael’s past (CIV I think? It was when they first mentioned her being on a boat) and he butts in with a boat joke, clearly expecting a reaction from her (even in CV when he jokes about being spanked Dante notes that they can almost hear Ish reacting to that. Which btw, is a bit wild). So like, definitely uses the quips to get attention, in a class clown sort of way? [affectionate]. And given his flustered reaction when he was informed that Dante’s club comment could be a compliment, praise is definitely going to work well on him. Same with characters like Gregor or Emil. Greg’s unused to being perceived in a positive light in general. The best he ever got is being a useful tool for his mother, but that’s just as awful and beyond that, he was generally labelled as dangerous and disgusting. I’m… not sure if he would take compliments and attention in a way Heath or Rodya, for example, would. He’s more bitter, more convinced that this stuff just isn’t something someone like him gets. Sure, he’s nice and friendly (Dante notes that when he’s silent things seem off since he’s usually the one trying to lighten the mood and chat to other sinners) but there’s no doubt that he’s pretty cynical about the world. He’s very defeatist and doesn’t expect good things from life. Add to it his particular sensitivity to being compared to a pest (something Heath points out at one point) and I think he wouldn’t trust your intentions when you tell him kindly or pay special attention to him. I mentioned it before but I think the best word here would be exasperation. He doesn’t know what to do with himself. And even if he wants to receive your affection “the proper way” he’s lost on what that way would be. His life up to this point didn’t provide the kind of environment where one learns the ropes of human connection. So he shifts under your gaze, freezes upon gentle touch, stumbles over his words when you give him compliments. And that is when he can even spot them. Mostly he just misses the hints. So yeah, I mean, he could use more of that kind of treatment, but don’t expect him not to fumble spectacularly. With Sinclair it’s a bit better? He clings to the feeling of being cared for and liked. It’s something he knows from his past and misses dearly. Plus like, I might joke about him liking milfs but in the book he’s very affected by the idea of a ‘maternal woman’ in a romantic way. Same with his older friend, he likes the way Demian offers him guidance and protection. In the game you get that too with how much he enjoys getting treats or how easily convinced he is by Rodya to perform. So all three things you mentioned would have an effect on him for sure. Only way it wouldn’t work is if he’s um. Going through it. And doesn’t think his actions deserve much in terms of being rewarded. Like how he told Heathcliff that he wouldn’t want to get praised for the way he was trying to make things right for Pilot. Rodya, on the other hand, would not turn down any praise in my opinion. Her self esteem is in shambles and much like her book version, she needs and craves being told good things about herself. She wouldn’t admit it, but her thoughts are rather horrid, so she will use any words that counter her inner doubts. And with the way a lot of the things she does are in relation to being recognised as the hero of the story, your attention would definitely be well received as well. The last one miiight be a bit of a stretch, but Yi Sang just could use more positive connections overall. After his canto you can see him seeking out interactions and experiences more. And I think he deserves to hear nice things. It would make him happy I recon.

But then we have characters like Ryoshu, who, in me eyes, wouldn’t care for attention in general. Like, if you’re romancing her then sure, listen to her talk about art, but that’s not very universal. In general, she’d rather have you understand and appreciate her art than be overtly doting. This would also overwhelm Don a bit, as (I haven’t played her canto, forgive me if I don’t get it) her way of connecting with you is more that of exchanging worldviews and stories. And trying to get you interested in her Fixer stuff. Obviously, you will fluster her with specific compliments, but it’s not a crucial part of building a relationship with her. Lastly, I think you would need to lean in more so on the understanding when building a relationship with Ishmael. Cause like, attention is only a small part here, she needs someone to see with her eye to eye and maybe even challenge her when she’s fixating on the wrong path. Like, I’m not saying you shouldn’t give her attention. But in terms of pure fluff I think it would do a better job if you got her to relax and let go a bit, especially when her anxieties are getting the best of her. Like, get her to stop frantically gripping onto feeling of control. But like, if we’re talking specifically praise, I’m just not sure that it would work as strongly, like compared to Heathcliff for example yk. But I mean, showing affection and being attentive towards your partner is not a miss so, like, go for it

I don’t have much notable thoughts in terms of others. Like yeah, I can see like, Hong Lu liking that type of treatment too. So I guess there’s that? But like I generally agree, I just wanted to share my ‚most’ and ‚least’ receptive to someone being to them the way you described. Despite the formatting, those are my loose thoughts I wrote on a bus haha not like scenarios or anything. Though if you want that from me, I’ll take an ask like that

[pvlvsdog]

Uh hi!! I have never requested for LC so if it's.weirs sounding. Sorry.

Anyways Reader teasing the sinners? (Hc or smth. Whatever works best for you! :D)

No worries! Oh, if you’ve only seen the stuff my irl group left in my inbox /lh /nm /aff this isn’t weird at all! I try to work with hcs when I can, but not specifying that is on me, so until I get around to editing my bio, I suppose I do drabbles n stuff too. Or try haha

UNEDITED

Ryoshu lets out a ‘hmpf’ sound in a what that you can’t really tell if she’s annoyed or amused. She’s considered pretty intimidating by most so it is a bit funny to her to see you acting so bold. Especially when others look at you with disbelief. A few times you could swear the corners of her lips moved upwards. After all, she does enjoy a good quip or any other display of sharp wit. Which then leads to her teasing you right back, though her timing is always unexpected. It’s almost like a little game you two play, seeing where you can push the other one (within reason). And if asked, Ryoshu will shamelessly admit that she enjoys that part of your shared routine

With Rodya it’s a bit hit or miss. It really depends on what you say and it’s hard to read what will get a pass. I mean, to someone who doesn’t pay much mind to her, everything gets a pass. But there are times where you unknowingly will hit a sore spot and her joking demeanour will become a lot more rehearsed. Her main way of avoiding her self conscious thoughts is by making little jabs at others, so don’t be surprised if her ‘silly payback’ stings a bit. Sometimes it’s fine. But it’s not easy to tell if your teasing will make her blush or if it will ruin her day. Her ego, despite the front she puts up, is incredibly fragile and even when you’re innocently teasing her, she might assume you’re looking down on her. Even if she won’t outright say it, you will feel her discomfort shortly after

It’s only a little less unlikely for Don to misconstrue your words. Her love language is very earnest and genuine, so sometimes she just doesn’t get the purpose of your teasing. However, she’s less likely to assume anything bad by it and mostly it gets the desired reaction out of her. Doesn’t really tease you back though, it’s just not her style of affection, I think

You’d think Hong Lu falls somewhere in the similar category but he’s way more witty than he gets credit for and he goes along with your teasing. He sees it as the playful banter it is and when you least expect it he’ll innocently say something to get you just as worked up as you wanted to make him. Always a bit of a (pleasant) “jumpscare” when he does that. Hard to out-tease the lad, but it’s always a good time for both parties when you try :3

Ishmael gives you the most typical reaction. She’s way more used to being the one that does the teasing so when you start with your sillies, she tries to “fight back”. No luck though, you usually get her to flush and there’s no doubt your words affect her. She huffs something out for you to shut up but she’s not very convincing whenever she does so

But if you think Ish reacts strongly, you need to look at Heathcliff. Most times he’ll get absolutely awkward about it. Sure, sometimes he’s a bit oblivious. A bit like when he got offended that Dante thought he frequented clubs. When he was informed that it was a positive kind of comment, he got all awkward and didn’t really know what to do with himself, since that was not the kind of comment he expected to be directed at him. So if you want him worked up and temporarily not-functional, I absolutely recommend teasing the bloke

On a surface level, Faust is not only not affected but not very receptive to your teasing. She responds very matter-of-factly and with the same seriousness in her vacant eyes as if she was announcing the end of your work day. But don’t be fooled. There are occasions where she’ll pull an uno reverse card on you. Responding calmly she’ll inquire about the meaning behind your playful comment until you verbally run into a corner to the point where you’re admitting to the affectionate undertones of your teasing. You don’t even know how she does it. One second you’re being all silly and flirty and the next you’re all surrendered telling her how you like her, getting flustered by her painfully practical approach

The main difference with Outis is that she might genuinely not get it. Her guard’s always up and she’s been restless for so long, without a safe place to call her own, that playful banter almost seems like a luxury she can’t afford. She’s still in the mindset of surviving day to day (I mean… her job doesn’t exactly make it easy to let go of that notion) and you’re so casual with her. It makes her feel like a version of herself she had to bury a long time ago. But because of that contrast, she sometimes needs time to catch your teasing tone. She never assumes you mean anything bad by your comments, she likes you enough to grant you her patience and understanding way more than the others, but it takes up to 3 tries for her to catch the intent of your words. She’s not very good at reading back, but if you want to try flustering her, this is a good start

Then we have Meursault. He just really doesn’t get it. Each comment you make gets a painfully serious response out of him and you can’t really tell if he’s messing with you or if he really doesn’t get it. Knowing him, it might be the latter. Though if your teasing is more of the physical kind, you might affect him a bit. On the inside though, sorry, but he won’t let that kind of feeling you give him affect his “professional approach”

And we’re back to characters you would make an absolute mess out of. This time, the title goes to Dante. They are so used to being a tool and not having people pay much close attention to them (other than examining their changed body) that your teasing takes them by surprise. Add to that the fact that they can be rather awkward at times and you get the picture of your manager being delightfully graceless in their attempts to give any proper reaction or response. A few times your coworkers joked that you broke them. That did not help to make Dante more coherent

Before opening himself up, Yi Sang would be rather defeatist, not engaging much in your silliness. But that changes after he gets some time to grow and heal when the bus leads him to revisit his past. It’s much more easy to get a blush or a faint smile out of him and he might even surprise you with some (quite wordy) responses of his own

The only word to describe Gregor’s reaction is ‘exasperated’. He’s not like, outright mad or anything. Yeah, I mean, you do kind of have to watch not to hit a painful spot, but it’s easier to avoid with him (just no bug stuff and you’re pretty much in the clear) plus, as awful as I feel for saying this, he’s way too defeatist to counter most painful comments too. His main thing though is that he can’t believe how bold and blatant you are. Especially teasing him in this way. Him, out of everyone in the bus. I mean, he can’t call himself a catch and the way he sees it, there are much more attractive, put together and younger people you could be going after. Publically at that. Besides, some things you say are just way bolder than anything he could even say when drunk (or so he tells himself, tipsy Gregor is not as subtle as sober Greg would like to believe). If you knew him less, you could think that the way he sighs and shakes his head is a sign of total rejection, but that’s not the case. To be fair, if he tried to respond properly he would probably be more awkward. Romance is foreign to him and it stresses him out that he can’t really guess what people say in situations like this. The way you know you did good is when he completely goes blank. Honestly, he looks a bit staggered. The one time he did try to make a sound, he sounded like that too-

Lastly, Sinclair is a tough one. Because I don’t think it’s just so cut and dry that I can just say he gets cute and blushy. He’s… eager at heart (he wants to have someone, so having you show interest is definitely big for him) but so inexperienced and anxious, it doesn’t help his case. But he’s also one of the sinners that is used to being seen less-than and his insecurity makes him fear that your teasing might have different implications. He’s been called useless and naive, amongst other things, so many times. And he doesn’t want to be seen as some weak willed pushover. Especially not by you. You don’t think that, do you? He prays you don’t. His work is tough on him as is, it would be a lie to say you aren’t a beacon of light amongst his gore and guilt filled world. You’ve seen how easy it was to get him down when his coworkers made comments about his appearance. So it’s 50/50 with him. He might try to object. Sometimes he might actually come off too strongly. Other times he just fumbles with his words. And sometimes, when he is sure that your comment is definitely a good natured one, he just fumbles in general. Honestly, this is a half joke but I can almost see him blurt out ‘I want you’ in response like one time and then scurry off terrified wishing to never be resurrected again

[pvlvsdog]

X-ray: what I think is down there

Take this as my own personal musings, definitely influenced by people who introduced me to the game. Stuff like that just sticks with me and sometimes it just seems more fitting than whatever alternative I could come up with

Nsfw! Unedited!

Don - giant cock. No other way to put it, I think she has the best of both worlds and while I definitely give her decently sized tits when I draw here, there is a penis down there and it is both huge and thick. Is it clean or taken care of? About as much as her shoe-covered feet are

Heathcliff - a pretty big penis, has some girth and a little of a curve to it with noticeable veins. Not the biggest on the bus but it’s surely up there

Meursault - a penis with well trimmed hair. It’s a bit above the average in length but very thick. Clean, good dick, probably a good time to have it in you

Ishmael - hairy pussy. She doesn’t waste time to trim so there is a decent amount of hair along with a happy trail. It’s well, sort of clean. She doesn’t do anything fancy, probably knows better than to use hand soap but she doesn’t care enough to do anything beyond the bare minimum

Hong lu - I think it would be a penis but I’m willing to hear you out if you think otherwise. I think it’s well taken care of, very long with not a lot of girth to it. Not much in terms of visible veins I imagine

Faust - a vagina covered in white, fluffy hair. She keeps it very clean but doesn’t shave or trim, she sees that as a hassle and the hair doesn’t bother her or anything, if you have a problem with it she figures it’s none of her business

Rodya - immaculately smooth and well maintained pussy. On one hand she doesn’t like to follow fads that are set up by society to make you spend more money, but she also likes to feel like that’s a bonus to what she already has to offer. A bit hypocritical, but that’s a bit of her thing. Like, she likes that she is the most conventionally well taken care of in that area even if she is aware that the mainstream preference doesn’t hold much relevance in the grand scheme of things

Ryoshu - also a vagina. She keeps the hair short for comfort only, but doesn’t like to shave it completely, I think

Outis - again, vagina and yet again hair that is only a little trimmed, not as neatly as Ryoshu’s though. She just does it when she feels like it, it takes up a bit of time and she cares more about resting before another work day. It’s not that well washed either, she just can’t be bothered

Dante - I think they have a vagina. It’s hairless but more so because I generally think their body is pretty hairless to begin with. They try to keep it clean but also I’m not sure if they remember all the proper ways to do so. Probably used hand soap and calls it a day

Yi Sang - honestly this one could go either way. If it’s a penis then it’s average in length, no bigger veins, with not much girth or hair. It it’s a pussy then it’s a nicely washed one, shaved (‘just in case’)

Gregor - PUSSY. VAGINA. I firmly believe in trans Greg and that’s a hill I will die on. I don’t think it’s very clean on trimmed at all. It’s probably pretty hairy too. Most days he doesn’t feel like going out of his way to wash it and just ‘lets the water do its thing’. Would

Sinclair - hhhh I’m sorry but. Personally I imagine a penis and I don’t think it’s very big (both in terms of girth and length). It’s noticeably short and has some light hair around it. He’s the type of person to apologise when undressing in front of you, give that man some confidence please. I also fw some trans Emil art so I’m not saying you guys are ‘wrong’ or anything, I can definitely see that. I just personally think it’s a penis

[pvlvsdog]

Crack hc of the hour: Sinclair got this good at deciphering what Ryoshu is saying because of reading Wattpad-style ‘x resder’s /j

[pvlvsdog]

How would Sinners react to a proposition of skinny dipping? You don't have to write all of them ofc :3

Ohhh, you are going to be the end of me /pos /nm the way I had to ponder this for so long. I’m dying

Unedited! Slight nsfw themes (mentions of nudity) ahead!

Hmm, I think Don is all for it as a fun adventure. Like, oh cool you want to swim in a lake together, this will be so fun, you can find something to jump into the water from or splash each other. If she’d be excited for having sone fun in the lake with someone, it’d be you. Those are her thoughts for exactly ten seconds before it hits her that skinny dipping also includes both parties being naked, preferably away from everyone else and pretty intimate. Her eyes get a bit wide as she’s hit with that realization but she’s Don, of course she won’t back down. Might blurt out something like ‚naked?’ Just as that thought enters her mind, not that she minds. She just doesn’t have a filter. And is very eager to do the activity with you still. Still, her openness doesn’t mean she’ll be normal about it. I could see her making quite a ruckus about sneaking off with you (not even to show off and let others know, she’s just like that plus you gave her a lot of positive emotions to process) so your little skinny dipping session will be anything but a secret. Bonus is that for a good while after you ask, you could swear her cheeks turned a semi-permanent shade of pink. The shoes stay on of course. Even when you question her about it, she’ll respond like you’re the one being silly for expecting anything else

Again with sinners being anything but normal, we have Sinclair. He’s another one who will ask the same question of „…Naked?” But in his case it’s not prefixed with excitement and joy. Not that he wouldn’t want to do it. He just didn’t expect you to propose that and even if you did, he’s still a bit surprised that you proposed that to him. He just simply… wasn’t expecting this. And with the insight I have from reading his book, I would guess that the whole concept would bring him more stress than joy. First of all, he doesn’t like himself all that much, so the perspective of stripping in front of somebody he likes… is anxiety inducing. Besides, despite keeping it all well hidden and marinating in his brain, his mind - more often than not - leads him uh. Places. He starts thinking about things he… really feels bad for thinking in relation to his favourite coworker. About your body and the connotations of your proposition. Lewd possibilities cross his mind and with each one he feels more and more awful. This is much worse than the ambiguously wet dreams plaguing his mind (as they do in the book), since at this point he at least doesn’t realise who the motherly figure in them is. But he knows you. And he feels like he shouldn’t be thinking about you in that way. You’d find that disgusting, find him disgusting. You probably already do. And he wouldn’t blame you for that. In the past (again, in the book), it took one lewd comment about a local shopkeeper from his schoolmates to get him flustered to the point he gave up on coming to the store. And he’s not much better now. A huge part of him, one that dislikes both the inside and outside of his own self, is screaming at him to decline. But there is something in the way you look at him so kindly, waiting for his response, that pushes him to ignore his innate instinct to run. You swear you could see cogs turning in his head and steam rising (sorry, that metaphor was uh, not purposefully crafted) as he mulled everything over to finally agree. But not before asking if you’re sure. I mean… you did ask. But he’s so stressed, he would rather make sure that you mean what you’re saying. The last thing he’d want is to make a fool of himself in front of you. You reassure him that your proposition still stands and you meant it. However, when push comes to shove he probably would still, albeit apologetically, ask if he could maybe stay in his shirt and boxers. Especially after seeing you strip. With a lot of encouragement you could maybe get him to give that up, but it would take a lot and he would be… rather guarded. Either way, as time in the lake goes on, he would relax a tiny bit and it would be fun. Mostly staying emerged in water though. Give him time. And uh. Don’t look down when you two get out of the water. We all know what is happening there as his eyes nearly drill holes in your figure, but I think he would actually die permanently if you acknowledged his hhh. Reaction

Rodya is much more chill with it. She gets excited right away and praises you for the good idea. When you tell her that it would be just the two of you and that she was the first person you thought of when the idea popped into your head, she grins. Well obviously she was, who’s more fun on this bus than her~ despite the self assured words and tone, there is a bit of pride as she says it. She proposes to make it a little adventure, to sneak out and make it a fun secret between the two of you. Definitely not because she’s a bit salty that you were the one to come up with the idea. I mean she likes you, she “should” come with something special to add here to impress you. Though it’s a bit reassuring that you thought that she was the best person to share this moment with. She makes the whole event ten times better, coming up with a way to sneak off unnoticed. Even if you are concerned about Vergilius finding out, she waves you off. She’s been in deeper shit than this, no need to worry. She has a way with words, as she claims. As you two strip, she teases you a bit and shamelessly takes off her clothes, fighting against herself not to show just how much she’s seeking out your starstruck gaze. Again, she tells you to relax as she watches you strip, letting slip a comment or two that are bound to rattle your brain for the next week. But for now you two enter the water. She yelps a bit and complains that it’s colder than she’d like. Overplaying the act a little bit, though you can definitely tell she’s cold. If you’re taking the temperature worse, she’d comment on it, saying how it’s crawl who the ‘cultured’ folk is. ‘Lowly ones are too used to freezing colds, it’s very easy to see~’ she says about ‘commoners’ in a playful but matter-of-factly tone. You could easily imagine Heathcliff contemplating drowning her on the spot on a bad day if he was present. But there’s no one around. Only you and her. And despite her poorly masked insecurities, this little activity you share is sure making her feel special

I firmly believe that asking Outis to skinny dip would leave you more flustered than her. Maybe she’d be surprised at first. Taken aback. You could see something in her demeanour shift as she lets out some semi-flustered explanation that it could be amateurish considering your “service” to the company. But she has a soft spot for you. So, after asking Dante (yes, she has to ask them, it’s the ‘professional way to conduct such procedures’) she informs you at what time she’ll be waiting for you. The initial surprise has worn off and from then on, oh, you’re cooked. She’d strip in a very matter of factly fashion and when she stands in front of you in all her glory, it’s hard not to blush. At the slightest hesitance she informs you that this is nothing to be embarrassed about. Her tone both confident and a little… affectionate? You could swear there was a glint of warmth in her eyes when she said it. Genuine warmth shining through her collected exterior. Times at war are (you don’t dare to correct that with a ‘were’) tough and back in her day she had seen contless soldiers in such situations. This is nothing to be ashamed about. Didn’t you request this bonding time between the two of you? It’s a good way to bring you two closer. She proclaims so with confidence, but as her words hit her, she adverts her eyes and adds that it’s good for teamwork. So what are you waiting for? It’s hard to disagree or prolong the ordeal, so soon enough both of you get into the water. She sways effortlessly along with the current and for once you can see her expression soften a little as she goes along with your attempts at small talk. Sure, that civil, personal part of her is a little rusty, but it glimmers though the cracks as she recounts some little facts and situations from the passing days. It’s hard to let her guard down. But as she watches you, submerged in the water beside her, she feels like it’s not impossible to feel something else than a calculated need for survival

As you ask Ryoshu to indulge you in your request, she takes her cigarette out of her mouth and quirks her eyebrow at you. ‚What For?’ She questions you with amusement. No matter your reasoning, she ponders for a second, snickering a little. It’s… sort of cute you want to involve her in your plans like that. Especially since it’s a bit of a bold ask, all things considered. Finally, a smirk plays on her lips as her eyes travel up and down your figure and she replies. ‚Alright, Why Not’. She’s not bothered by the whole concept, though your daring request is for sure positively interesting to her, as I said. You two set the time (well, you do, she’s chill to go along with anything really) and she tells you to lead the way. She’s not too bothered to just walk out even if you want to go during company time. She’s curious to see where it’ll go. Only when you two did yourselves of your uniforms does she change her demeanour a bit. She’s a woman of the arts after all. And there’s nothing shameful in her gaze as it drags across your body, noting every curve and scar. She definitely has eyes of an artist. And in that moment, you feel like the finest muse she had ever had (which… could be concerning considering the type of art she dabbles in, but this time her thoughts are definitely going different places than gore. For the most part). She’s fun to spend time in the water with. Witty and attentive, she gazes at the scenery around, though each time her eyes end up on you again. Albeit she’s an enigmatic woman, it’s very clear that this experience made you two somewhat closer

The real issue when asking Faust to go skinny dipping with you is to get a straightforward answer from her. Or just any answer that would tell you what she’s thinking. But it’s Faust we’re talking about. So, when you ask her if she’d be down to go skinny dipping with you after Dante officially ends the work day (you know she wouldn’t agree if this wasn’t the case) she tells you that ‘all employees are permitted to use the next twelve hours as they please, to rest, use the restroom or destress’. She says it as if she was stating the obvious. Well, she is, in a sense, but it doesn’t mean she’s making herself clear in this context. She’s doing anything but that. After you press her a bit and explains, that her response was, indeed, a “yes”. Although a very faint smile is tugging on her lips, as she asks you about the time and for the briefest of times you could swear that her (usually very distant) gaze settled on you. Still avoiding the eyes, but as it falls below your face, you wonder if it’s about something different than her habit of avoiding looking at faces this time. With how enigmatic she is, she isn’t giving you much to go off on in terms of decoding her thoughts. Even when she shows up at the time you two agreed on (seems like she appeared just as the clock struck the exact minute, but after getting to know her, that doesn’t surprise you at all). Gracefully, her hands work their way around zippers and buttons until the last item of clothing slides off of her body, only to be folded and set aside for later. Her soft, pale skin seems radiant and she waits for you to rid yourself on the uniform as well before emerging herself in water beside you. When you look at her, her eyes barely leave the surface, tracing the lines of the ripples her movement makes against the current. However, each time you look away, you can almost feel the burning gaze that settles on your figure and takes it all in

A gentle, happy smile settles on Hong Lu’s lips as you present him with the idea. How curious! Is this some sort of a ritual or a pastime poor people have? He would love to do it, he never had the chance to~. First being hungry and now taking clothes off and getting into dirty water for fun, this job is giving him so many new experiences! He asks what the purpose is. Of being naked and swimming in some (probably at least slightly contaminated) water. You didn’t suspect he knew about the horrid state of things outside of his bubble, such as water being bad/polluted, but his state of surprise seems to be contagious when you find yourself wondering about the degree to which his ignorance is a choice. As your expression clearly changes at his words, he gives you a lazy, quizzical smile. His questions need to be answered and I, dear reader, wish you good luck because you will need all of it to explain to him why you want to be in the water - alone and without clothes - with him specifically. After he seems satisfied (though you’re sure the last one or two questions were asked in an effort to fluster you), he tells you to get him when you’re ready to depart and head towards the destination of your ‘curious activity’. Once there, he gently pulls off his clothes with a bit of excitement, clearly looking forward to taking part in your plan. Before you get a chance to lead him into the murky liquid, he happily shows you his folded stack of clothes. They look… a bit unconventional in the way he had put them, but he acts with such glee that it’s hard to stay indifferent to his achievement. He tells you that he had other people handle such things before, but since that’s a thing of the past, he had learned to do it on his own. He’s very happy to share this new skill with you. It’s after that, that you two finally go thought with your plan fully. Shivering a bit, he asks if the water will be heated up. It’s up to you if you want to inform him that it’s not how natural bodies of water work or spare him such information and assure him that the longer you two stay emerged, the warmer he’ll feel (omitting that it won’t be due to any manmade mechanisms). All in all, even something you wouldn’t personally call “and exceptional experience” is like a brand new adventure with Hong Lu by your side. His musing and eager inquiries never let you drift off or grow bored. And if you’re unsure about how stimulating a chat with him can be, I assure you that his body will provide a whole array of visual stimuli as well, all on display for your eyes to explore

Next 3 couldn’t have been written without the help of my friend (you, dear anon haha^^) and I hope I didn’t disappoint~

If you were hoping for a distinct reaction from Heathcliff, you are in luck because it is indeed, definitely strong. When you ask him if he would like to skinny dip with you (either because you like the idea and want company or have just heard of the concept and want to try it out, having picked him as the best suited companion) he looks a bit… taken aback. Sure, he can be loud and most definitely wouldn’t categorise him as shy, but he’s also not blind to the implications of you offering to strip in front of him like it’s some casual activity (it’s not to him, definitely). There’s a lot of things left over from his past and even now, it clearly shows in his approach to intimacy. Not only was he ‘undesirable’ before, he had grown to expect to not have his desires met easily and without fighting for each instance of genuine affection (such as his… favourite coworker offering to be so intimate). In his head it’s still more easy to accept being The Other, the one who pleases those he cares about, someone who constantly tries to earn each instance of affection. Despite his… quite innate state of emotional constipation, he is fond of you and by extension- thinks quite highly of you. For someone who had it so reinforced from an early age that he is below the good and pure people (well, especially one person), it makes sense for you to just be your lovely self instead of initiating anything on you own, directing your attention and intimacy towards him so blatantly. Besides that he uh… well, he is all bark no bite in a sense that he didn’t have a lot of instances where he could get experience. At best he had something like this happen once or twice when he was much younger. Both the way he is and the lingering idea in the back of his head of ‘saving himself’ prevented him from familiarising himself with more. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the question came from someone else. But you get him worked up on daily over much less than skinny dipping. Heck, even when you look at him a bit too intensely during a bickering session he looses track for a moment each time without fail. But he wouldn’t be Heathcliff if he unpacked all of that. So instead your question will get a very annoyed ‚what for’. I mean. Your intentions aren’t that clear to him, like I said, he feels more natural when he’s chasing an idea, than when his desires become something writhing reach, something he doesn’t have to work for. Whatever you tell him to explain your request, it won’t be completely understandable to him because of that. But in the end a strange pull he feels on the inside (again, he’s not unpacking that) pushes him to grumble out something that is almost in agreement to your question. In turn he spends the remaining time being filled with way more tension that what would be considered reasonable. He’s not snappy, but something about the way he holds himself is very different. So much so, that Rodya calls it out at one point. Only then does he let his full annoyance out and while a few sinners muse on what could have set him off like that again, you’re left to wonder if you were the reason for his strange behaviour. He’s stuck between snapping at your coworkers and spacing out. His mind going back to the plans you two made. Each time, he finds that his gaze landed on you again and lets out a frustrated huff. As you two finally depart on your off time, he walks right by your side. His eyebrows knitted together and his eyes looking somewhere off to the side. On the inside he is torn. A part of him wishes to rush towards the body of water and the other part tells him to run back to the bus. In the end he simply walks shoulder in w shoulder with you. Saying nothing until you two arrive at the place. Something stops him from undressing and compels him to instead aim his gaze at you for the first time since you guys departed. It’s then that he finds himself stuck, watching you slip out of your uniform, fabric sliding off of your form 1/2

Hungrily he notes each soft curve and sharp edge that makes up your form, his eyes taking in all the ways in which light and shadow engulf your body, creating a sight he realises now, he yearned so hard to see until now. No beauty mark, no hair, no scar escape his sight. When you turn to him, you could swear that his pronounced chest is rising up and down way pre intensely than it has any business doing so. Heath doesn’t know what to do with himself for a moment. Seeing you so bare, so purposefully there - it makes all the repressed urges inside him turn into a devouring fire that leaves his body sweating and muscles tense. It somehow feels both wrong and cathartic to have someone be here with him so wholly, with such intent. This is not like fleeting glances and meek brushing of the skin that he was told over and over he was undeserving of. This here doesn’t feel wrong or undeserved. Whatever you meant by your invitation here, he can feel that you meant it. He can’t think of what he did to deserve to be chosen out of all the coworkers you two are close to. In all fairness this is so unusual because he is sure that he did not do anything. He didn’t have to dress up nicely, speak differently, act more “civilised” (we… won’t unpack that here hhh). No amount of favours and flowers caused you to trust him enough to bare yourself like that. Somehow, you just did on your own accord. Undressing takes him a second, all those notions racing in his head, having a hard time getting through over his much more thirsty thoughts as he is battling a hard time of his own. The mere fact that his is not sporting a full on erection is more of a miracle than whatever Dante does to bring him back from the dead after battles. Finally you two are naked and if he wasn’t as worked up over you, he’d get an ego boost from the way you looked at him as well. As strong as his self restraint is, even the cold water can’t keep his member flaccid once you two get into the water and he looks at the way droplets explore your body, dripping down each time you emerge from under the surface. They shine and shimmer on your soft skin before falling down and it’s safe to say he’s getting more worked up with each second. It’s even more evident when you try to hold a conversation. Although you will have to deal with his frustrated demeanour and lack of focus, he still makes it worth a while and there’s nothing to regret once your little adventure comes to an end 2/2

As soon as the question exits your mouth, Ishmael cocks her head at you. It that really what you want to do? She also asks you ‘what for?’ Though she’s certainly not as worked up about it as Heathcliff was. There’s no doubt that she has experience with bodies of water and she is the first person to inform you that bathing without any clothes is about the least practical thing you can do. Of course, jumping in with your full attire on wouldn’t work well either, but a minimal amount of clothing is actually very beneficial. She’s not judging you, but don’t expect her not to question what kind of ‘fun’ there is in skinny dipping. So it’s a whole thing and people like to partake in it? Doesn’t make much sense from a practical standpoint, but as you explain to her why it’s actually the whole point to take your clothes off when you two do it, a little smile tugs on her lips. Perhaps she does find your methods of seeking alone time… unique, but she’s not oblivious to the fact that this is you initiating an intimate moment with her. The length to which you’re going to convince her of the vital part of being naked during skinny dipping makes it hard for her not to point it out. She asks you one or two final questions that are solely spoken to fluster you a bit, but ultimately she’s open to try this out. It’s Ish that insists on setting the time and follows through to a minute, waiting to be lead by you towards your set destination. As you undress, she checks out the body of water, humming to herself and giving you updates on her finds. When she’s satisfied that no harm could be caused by your little activity, she turns to face you. Though she acts very casual, her cheeks and ears come close to matching her hair as she eyes you up and down. After a brief pause she begins to take her own clothes off. The sudden change of temperatures leaves you shivering as you two go deeper in, but Ishmael acts unphased. She notes that she did warn you that your fun adventure could turn unpleasant and lead to you catching a cold. With a small sign, she swims closely to you. Body heat transfers underwater just as easily as it does on the surface. Thus, she proposes that you two entangle your bodies closely to keep you from suffering the cruel coolness of the liquid you were so eager to submerge yourself into. Her strong arms wrap themselves around your frame and your chests press together. Though decently athletic, she’s soft and definitely warm. She holds you until it’s time to get out, making sure you don’t freeze. At least that’s the reason she gives you ;3

Right from the start, though calm and unassuming in his demeanour, Yi Sang would be pretty receptive to your idea. All nervousness you might have felt disappear as soon as he responds to your question. He might be a little quiet but it doesn’t mean he’s prudish or judgy, quite the opposite actually. So all he does is nod in agreement and ask what would be the most convenient time for you two to depart. After that, if you are vigilant enough, you might feel his eyes on you a decent amount of times. At one point you can even hear Rodya question why he’s ’smiling to himself like that’ though his answer it too quiet to decipher (and probably a bit too ambiguous to get a proper read on him). In the end he approaches you as your working hours come to an end, asking you if you’re ready to go. He’s so casual about it that it’s hard not to feel at ease, even though his veiled eagerness is definitely a bit flustering. On the way there he engages in pleasant musings with you, listening to your thoughts about the latest happenings or life in general and gladly sharing his own. He’s a bit more relaxed now, whether it’s because he’s off the clock and away from the crowded bus or because he’s speaking with you. He grows a bit more flustered when he sees you take your clothes off and avoids eye contact more than usual when he sees you looking at his naked form, but still manages not to make things too awkward. All in all it’s not a bad time and despite being somewhat a distant person, he is definitely staying pretty close to you physically, sneaking glances each time you gaze at the water you two are submerged in

With Meursault I can’t imagine a scenario that wouldn’t be a bit silly and surreal because that man really just considers private affections and urges to be not a part of his work contract and thus fails to see the purpose in carrying them out. I firmy believe even getting morning wood is a conscious choice to him. It’s not in his contract, thus he refuses to succumb to it. However, he does value your input. Whether it’s affection or ‘simple appreciation for your efficiency in the workplace’ he is willing to hear you out. It doesn’t mean you won’t have to explain and validate skinny dipping as a pastime, both in excruciating length and detail. You might have to get Dante involved, asking them to please issue an official statement allowing you to depart in purpose of decreasing stress and thus increasing productivity. Yes, it has to be phrased like that. If you get your dear (and confused) manager to comply, Meursault won’t argue. It’s not that he doesn’t want to go. But his wants are not relevant. He is an employee first, after all. It shows in the way he completely disregards any of his personal feelings on the matter. Just hums quietly and agrees. If he is flustered or nervous, it doesn’t show. The best sign you will get from him is that he seems pretty receptive, all factors considered. Another sign that he might be a bit more interested than he is lettting on is that, after your work hours end, he heads towards you with such purpose that one could assume that Vergilius himself had ordered him to. With little to no shame he says ‘the work day ended. We can go through with your plan to go skinny dipping now’. It’s said in front of everyone and you can be sure that at least a few of your fellow coworkers will have a blast bringing it up and teasing you for the next week or two. But it is a worry you will have to mull over later as, just like Meursault said, it is time for you two to leave and head towards your destination. As you lead him towards the water he stays silent and promptly begins taking his clothes off when you two stop. Even in such an intimate action he is very stoic and graceful, leaving his uniform folded by the shore and offering to fold yours as well. Without any shame in his naked, exposed self, he submerges himself. If he is cold, there’s no indication of that. It is after hours though and if you are attentive enough you will see his eyes trailing across your figure. He is yet another sinner that, if you find yourself shivering, will offer to transfer some of his warmth by standing and holding you closely. The action seems almost formal, but it’s doubtful he would propose such thing if it wasn’t you. Silence with him is comfortable. In case you initiate a conversation though, he will respond, carrying the talk effortlessly and casually. Or well, as much as his usual uptight demeanour allowed him to

There is no other way to describe the state you put Dante in other than ‘sheer panic’. For a split second they even start to wonder if they should be getting into the water at all, given their mechanical head. Only to realise that this is no different than the showers they take and will not jeopardise their life or ability to bring sinners back. If it was physically possible, you would definitely see more than one droplet of sweat rolling down their face as they look around and fiddle with their fingers. Suddenly it feels like their limbs had grown too long and their body is all wrong. They shift under your gaze, making a few surprised sounds. If you were hoping to make your poor manager a flustered mess, you sure got it. Finally they ask <is that even allowed?>. And I mean. They are the manager, so it’s not like you’re the one to tell them. They get flustered at that realisation even more. Muttering something that almost could be considered a coherent confirmation they look mortified with their own decision making skills. I mean. They are used to being mocked and used by the sinners, disregarded as a weakling by most (and that doesn’t even cover the way they get treated by those who can’t hear their speech). So it’s surprising that out of everyone you could invite, you felt the most comfortable undressing in front of them. Sure, you make a point to treat them well on the daily, but they always assumed you didn’t think very highly of them, that it was pure courtesy. The more they think about your proposition, the more anxious they get. They like you. A lot. But your question could mean that you are more fond of them than they initially assumed. And they like you so so much. Oftentimes your interactions make their day, making them feel better even after the worst of days. But they always thought it was one sided (why wouldn’t it be? You’re so lovely and they are, as of now, not even the bare minimum. Just some incompetent ‘resurrection machine’ with no memories of the past and ‘questionable humanity’). If this is some sign that you’re sending, if you really like them, they would feel bad for giving into their selfish urges. You deserve someone stronger. Someone more capable. They get so worked up over that, that when you two finally get to it and it’s time to undress they are hit with a new wave of anxiety. Once again their whole body feels so inadequate and out of place. As you stand there naked they can’t help but shrink into themselves the more your beauty hits them. They don’t even remember what is considered attractive. They know their head is definitely a turn off but as they stand with their arms folded tightly like a shield, they start to wonder if any part of them is even remotely appealing by common beauty standards. You have to snap them out of their half horny-half self deprecating gaze and lead them towards the water by their hand, making their stomach fill with butterflies. It certainly takes a while for them to relax, though they do their best to respond every time you say something. All whilst desperately reminding themselves that you aren’t able to see where their eyes are looking 0///0

Gregor is no less caught by surprise and the half grumble-half squeak he makes is definite proof. Your surprising question is definitely at least a bit dreadful. Unlike in the the scenario above, Greg is more so concerned with the physical aspect of things. He treads carefully, trying to gage if you’re not making fun of him, mocking his appearance like so many have done before. Of course, up to this point you were nothing but kind, but after being let down and made to feel lesser by everyone, there is a (rather large) part of him that wonders if you’re not about to join the rest in reminding him just how much of a lowly gross looking pest he is. His suspicion is not very subtle, so you would easily catch on. I mean, after having witnessed so many times just how awfully people spoke to him/about him, you wouldn’t struggle to, at least partially, understand the source of his approach. All you can do is be kind and hope he can read your true intent (since he won’t verbalise his exact fear, he doesn’t like to bring up his modifications if he doesn’t have to). Surprisingly, it somewhat works because he reluctantly agrees to at least try. If he changes his mind, he can just stay on the shore. That kind of setup does make things a bit better for him. If push comes to shove he figures he can just opt out, you’re not putting much pressure on him. Still, he sighs deeply and sighs, muttering something about how he ‘should be smarter at his age’. Please, that man is acting as if he’s on his deathbed whilst being 35, someone talk some sense into him…. Well, either way he follows through in his promise and goes with you at your agreed time. When someone comments on you two ‘sneaking off’ it does nothing to make the situation any more loaded. The closer you two get to the body of water, the more visibly stressed he is. Instead of engaging in his usual small talk, he stays silent as he often does when he gets reminded of his painful past. If the walk was any longer you could safely assume that he would go through his whole pack of cigarettes, if not two. He sort of catches himself spacing out by the end and tries to act like everything’s fine (I mean, in the improbable - in his eyes - scenario that you just genuinely like him, it is a pretty bad look for him to be so silent and gloomy), but there is something heavy in the air. As you reach the shore, he stands to the side. Piece by piece your uniform uncovers your naked body. Only when you’re fully undressed does he start to contemplate yet another issue that could put him in a horrific predicament. While a decent chunk of other sinners, in they were in his place, would be most worried about getting a very obvious boner, he is too preoccupied with just now beginning to stress over the sudden upsurge of strong emotion making his body transform or act on its own. And there is a definite upsurge of emotions when he lets his gaze settle on your figure. He almost doesn’t hear you when you ask if he wants to join you. He’s somewhere between flustered and worried, looking anywhere but at you whilst telling you all the ways this could go bad. Hurting you. Scaring you. Making you repulsed. That last one he doesn’t say out loud but it weights on him nonetheless. Eventually you could maybe convince him. Pressure doesn’t work but letting him know that he has a choice and you are simply glad he accompanied you is going to go a long way. Something something being denied autonomy his whole life. Or something. Aaanyways. That might just get him to join you in the water, after having taken off his clothes as well. He… doesn’t like his looks in general. As a friend of mine put it - he figures the arm at least takes the attention away from everything else. Ouch. But undressing in front of you is a huge step! Kind of has a what are we????? Ringing in his head and making his face red but he won’t say that hhhh. Only when you two go in deeper (he’s very actively trying to submerge himself in the water, though he wishes he was a bit more secure if only to have you above the surface) does he chuckle nervously

2/2 and informs you that he cannot swim. At all. You're happy to learn more about him as always but also that kind of information would be handy to know beforehand. He still doesn't trust his modifications not to act up if your naked body were to get any closer to him, so you two stay a reasonable distance away but refrain from getting ant deeper. As he relaxes a tiny bit, you get to experience his uninterrupted yapping and forget about the earlier worries for a bit. His subtle cynicism shines through his goodnatured jokes and comments and for the first tine in a while he gets to relax a bit. It might take him long to let his guard down fully but it's hard not to smile seeing him at least a bit less beaten down. All i can guarantee is that he will absolutely go over this adventure again and again in his head and for days to come will get flustered in the most random moments. But out of all the outcomes, it's not so bad to have that effect on him, is it? ;3

[pvlvsdog]

Hcs about Gregor's shoulder roach pet? (iirc Pablo was his name)

Oh, boy this is a treat^^ just know that I started reading his wiki again to search for good closeup photos of the cockroach and I have flustered myself enough that I closed the tab. I’m embarassing I know 😔😔

I honestly wondered what is the in-universe explanation for this little lad following his around. I feel like, the most likely is that as much as he does not enjoy cockroaches (lightly speaking) he would not outright get rid of the guy for two reasons. 1. It’s like the dad and the cat meme a bit? The cockroach has been around for long enough and Gregor resigned himself to his fate, begrudgingly sharing bits of food with the guy. He would hate it if others found out though. The comments about him and his arm are enough as is so to have them point out that there’s an actual cockroach crawling around? Yeah, he would not enjoy their looks and jokes. 2. As much as it is a reminder of his past (and I’m basing that assumption on that bug scene with Rodya at the very beginning of canto I) it’s Gregor we’re talking about. More often than not he is very passive in the face of mistreatment and a part of him just accepts when others hurt him. This wouldn’t be much different. Yes, it doesn’t feel great to have that lad running around and seemingly following him but he’s used to feeling bad, so. Not like this one thing will be any different

A less depressing thing but one that had me searching the interned with little to no results. In the end I had to pull a friend into it (hiii!!) because this is so… embarrassingly specific. Either way, hear me out. Female cockroaches are bigger, yeah? I’m an American cockroach Greg truther (that belief is not so set in stone, so I might change my mind) but if we want to go with the German cockroach (which makes sense, I get why this one gets brought up the most) the only way that lad is so big is if it’s a female. German cockroaches are dang small! Also only males have wings (not a thing with American cockroaches). Thing is, this one does not (here is where the pictures come in)

Not only are they wingless but also (unless the lighting is strong) darker than most males. If this little guy is Gregor’s symbol then uh. Trans Gregor canon I suppose? I mean, I’m going to have that headcanon wither way and this argument won’t convince anyone, but if you already like the hc, it can be a tiny neat addition that's pretty based in canon

Last little fact. The cockroach seems to only be able to glide. While we know that Gregor can fly if he as wings. That means it’s not the same kind of a cockroach that Greg got the traits from. So perhaps the little lad is a German cockroach and they used American ones for modifications?

Sorry for nsfw but for context, when I’m comparing sexes, this is pretty much what I mean (example shown is of Turkestan cockroaches)

Yeah, they are having sex. Sorry :((

[pvlvsdog]

If sinners were to be bugs/insects etc, which one would they be?

Okay okay okay. This is a really exciting ask, thank you! I did lots of thinking about this one :3

Ish gets a pea leaf weevil. First of all, not biology based, but weevils are generally liked by people on the internet and I like the way they look. Some of pea leaf weevils look kind of ginger too. So that’s a bonus^^ The main thing about this one that it can survive in a lot of places, that little bug is determined to get by and will not be bothered by a simple relocation. I feel like, that kind of goes along with sailing and being on the move, you have to learn to be versatile. But they are known to like dry places, right? Well, my funniest reason to pick this little guy is that a few years back the country was swarmed with articles because uh oh. Turns out they enjoy the sea a lot. And take residence there as well. And if they got some business, they will not stop just because you’re sitting in the way. The seaside is their place, you’re just visiting it 😌😌

Unfortunately, the common pond skater goes to Sinclair. It would make more sense to give that one to Ishmael instead, but I based this one on behaviour only. See, they are just some common little guys, I like them quite a lot. From what I’ve read they move around quite a lot out of fear of being eaten. But, other than being quite frantic and looking harmless, they are uh… well intense. They can bite you and you *will* feel it, I promise. Don’t pick them up, because as scared as they are, they are capable of fighting back if they need to. Plus, just like many other insects, they are partial to things we could consider off-putting such as cannibalism. I picked this species since they remind me of the ‘he’s just a little guy -> oh, he’s a little f-ed up actually” and that fits the vibes I have from him

Meursaul gets a louse. I don’t like them.

After some thought I have to give Outis a giant horsefly. They look chill, many are, based on personal experience it’s very nice to interact with them. But then again, if the female needs it, she’ll bite you. Nothing personal, simple conflict of interest. I feel like that kind of fits with Outis being a bit… suspicious in her intro but they being so patient with Dante (even if it’s not all that genuine). Also I just like those horseflies :3

I see Don as a grasshopper. This one’s fairly easy - she moves around a lot, distinct fair hair (like the grasshoppers signature light green), is easily recognisable. The freaky anatomy and facts are kind of a bonus here. Besides, they are, quite literally, ancient. And Don’s source isn’t all that recent either

With its… quite different name in my native language, the black beauty walking stick just kind of fits Heathcliff. Being named (again, in my language) the devil scare, it’s known for a few things. Of course first and foremost for its intimidation tactics. They look a bit „scary”, at least that’s what I’ve heard people say, and they add to it with their strategy of covering for vulnerability with their scare tactics. Being seen as „fun silly pets” adds to it for me, because from experience I know that the households that do buy them often don’t really see them as like, a „real animal” and they often get treated like toys or reluctant additions to the family. Overall disposable

Based on vibes mostly, Yi Sang is an orchard ermine moth. The colours just make sense for me. Besides, it kind of makes sense from a meta perspective cause their history (the spiecies divide, the unexpected spikes in uneven distribution) is quite interesting and while at first I also looked at Yi Sand as kind of unassuming, the bits of information I have on him now prove me otherwise

Rodya gets desmoxytes purpurosea. It’s a relatively new species, it’s beautiful, popular amongst people. Absolutely amazing. And it smells like almonds. Why? Well, probably due to hydrogen cyanide they produce. Not a surprise considering the hot pink is a pretty good indicator of them being a bit… dangerous to it’s opponents. What girlbosses they are, they get to be cute, hot pink and unassuming AND pretty deadly

Dante gets a summer chafer. Despite being seen as quite useless and a pest, they don’t make much significant damage. Their lifestyle, notably mating, takes quite a toll on their bodies and by the time the female laid eggs a few times (each time the process paired with digging lasts around a day) she passes. They are drawn to light. And look absolutely adorable as a bonus

I wanted to give Ryōshū some sort of a mantis, but I settled on the horrid king assassin bug. This is not a roast, I just think they are and look pretty dangerous while also being damn intimidating. Besides, having a few ways of killing, which makes them more proficient by a long shot, kind of fits in with her whole vibe and the killing thing. I think she would appreciate variety in the craft as well^^

Hong Lu gets the Spiny Flower Mantis. It’s a species well loved and appreciated for their beauty. Look up some pictures, please, they look unreal! The goal is to look similar to flowers. When they feel like they’re in danger, they spread their wings and start flapping them, making the colours on them glimmer. Which I find a bit funny, because it’s also something they do to show off to others. Also having eye-spots kind of sold me on giving it to him, to keep the theme (a lot of art displaying his eyes). They don’t chase after prey, they aren’t known to be a very active species, preferring to sit and wait for things to come to them. Also kind of picky with their living situation, for example they don’t take humidity well in captivity and pretty quickly you will be made aware of that as their home giver

For Faust I settled on a domestic silk moth. They don’t live in the wild since they are pretty important to humans and have been fully domesticated to help out with developing sciences. Mainly, they are tied to research as well as, well, producing silk

Lastly, Gregor. I didn’t want to go for a cockroach, I feel like he gets treated as a vermin enough as is, I really don’t want to perpetuate that (I wouldn’t use ‘cockroach’ as an insult, but he would take it as one, hurtful at that). At first I thought to give him some sort of a beetle. But after thinking more objectively, I settled on a bumblebee. Peaceful, beautiful, soft - overall amazing. Also mostly liked because they are practical to humans, I’m not sure we would like them a whole ton if the argument “don’t kill them, they are useful” didn’t come into play. So that uh… that goes along with certain canon themes. Something something having value if “actual” humans can make use of you. But yeah, well, I don’t want to be all depressing. World cold and hard, bumblebee soft and warm 😌😌