#meddling in things it doesn't understand and trying to weaponize them

[tetanus-detonation]

I just spent all day mainlining the Monuments Mythos and there's nobody I can talk abt it with without sounding insane 😭😭

[ilikelookingatthings]

@myfaveisfuckable

hmmm…you make a compelling argument. though I still struggle to see it as a actual romantic ship because how the hell am I supposed to ship them when both already have the perfect people for them already.

Though I too understand the erge to ship too dudes in yaoi kissy face. but much like all of my ships, gay, strait or poly if they have someone who seems like a better love interest already I struggle to split them apart even in hypothetical. My mind just screams if i have to take out the rival is it truly love, doesn't matter to me if haruhi's mom took herself out of the picture.(frankie is fair game for this scenerio in contrast).

I shudder and envy about the ability to turn that off.

That said you make some compelling arguments.

Loid is efficent and good at his job and is doing good things which could seem similar to haruhi's mom who is a confident lawyer who saved the dad before and who saves people with justice. So he COULD maybe hit in fujioka's strike zone. and making the blonde parallel between Haruhi's interest in Tamaki is cute. Though it does falter a bit for me since Haruhi's interest in Tamaki ended up being more his personality and her tastes lining up with her mom since tamaki is similar to haruhi's dad(especially when we saw that flashback).

I think its clever how you made a parallel with the rich school situation and how to make a good impression not being a single parent would be preferable. Though maybe try making that the grandmother's fault ( if thats the route your scenerio with take), as it could work if she'd meddling since that doesn't seem like something Tamaki's dad would do or judge about.

Also is Anya in this scenerio still? because it feels like haruhi's dad would be the one needing a fae relationship to help haruhi in. So are BOTH of them needing to not be single fathers were both have a child or is Loid just taking advantage of the situation that Fujioka needs to not be single to help give himself a in without needing to involve a random orphan?

because technically you could combine it a bit with the Eden subplot since there is that rich school for kids.

and Haruhi is smart so its a bit difficult to imagine loid would risk that she might figure him out.

Though the parallel you have of Haruhi and Loid when it comes to some repressed feelings due to being goal oriented is actually a good pattern to use.

Also how deadly are the scenerios loid will be dealing with here? is it just intel gatering? because considering how intense we know the rich people get in japan...its kindof hard to imagine they arent aware of loid and his ornaization to some degree at times considering kouya's police squad and honey being known as a weapon.

There is also the meshing of politic tones to consider.

Would it just be loid adjusting to Japan/being in the Oran universe or is westalis and... the east country(name escapes me) still countries in this universe where loid was just deployed to japan because spy stuff.

because while in you canon i would perfer the actual spy plot and job involved...there is at least a hypothetic fic version where loid and Anya retired to Japan so he could keep her and he's doing more soft spy stuff.(though I suppose that could still work in actual canon where loid just stays on as Anya's dad to keep a longterm finger on the pulse as a dad due to all the school connections as Loid forger).

A bit mean about kyoya's dad...kyoya tends to handle him by himself and the dudes not evil XD

Though..not gonna lie even if I can't imagine Loid and Haruhi's dad falling in love... even just the business marriage of convenience staying platonic(the yor and haruhi's mom ship is too strong for me to get past personally for romantic)... but still VERY happening and still VERY legit is still pretty entertaining and opens alot of interesting windows to explore the characters since even if the canon spyxfamily loid and Yor aren't offically romantically interested in each other yet(even if mentally we've all shot to the finish line that they clearly have that connection that it will happen). and making a friendship version could then slow boil others to then be open to the romantic version.

Though there also alternative ways it could go like what if Loid is actually a family friend type of deal..like they are associates...like one of the cross over movies on detetctive conan. SO then you'd keep the existing of both canons seeming unchanged but connect them with a subtle way to mesh the too.

It would definitly get interesting if the mom was still alive..but could make an interesting way to use how we don't know that much about Haruhi's mom....if it turned out she was connected to Wise network of peace keeping. and loid was a associate...kindof like how I've seen a fic were people cross over spyxfamily and the other similar anime were two dudes being assasins are taking care of a kid. Or at least that she is aware of wise and has helped a bit since they help give her some info about certain clients....that coudl get interesting since the haruhi's dad could be brought in a a normal civilian type to compare...or he could have the role of frankie or even just loid and him exchanging tips...and considering some of the scenes where haruhi-s dad works and how he HAS been an informant before...he could have met one of twilights personas.

after all he IS twilight...he doesn't HAVE to stick with the loid forger identity....

There is also cross over potential if say...Anya was an exchange student who transferred in for a bit and Loid or even Yor or both came as guardians or the like. or being a speaker or teacher for special classes that Ouran brought in(only the best).

Then of course the balance of have they known eachother in the past or is this new meetings.

huh....Its weirdly satisfying to imagine them as already being friends due to be associated in the past due to the job which could connect to the disguise aspect of loid's job. both of them need more friends...though it could also bring in the family friend at that inn haruhi worked at...especially since we know the refreshing owner's daughter does get connected to that yakuza's leader's son don the line through haruhi.

Hmmm....then of course there are the options of not letting go of Yor at all. She could be involved in various ways...and its 2023. Throuples are a thing now and she has that cute side that matches a bit of Haruhi's mom cute side of going flustered at points and being badass and more aggressive about justice since Yor was the one who stepped up to help that old lady in canon first when loid was going to let it go at first. and she brings alot fo sweetness and love into the mix...though a quad could with haruhi's mom still in the mix is also a option.....

just friends could work...but its kindof cute.

Though anyone else now imagining yor, loid and amya just vositing for a bit. either a tempoorary ta=ransfer for just a job thing and anya getting involved in shenagans.....

though now i'm just imaging Loid and Haruhi's dad being close enough one cold neg the other about Yor while the other being a outlit about feelings and memories about haruhi's mom.....

ooooh. or since timelines can shift...imagine loid and haruhi's mom being the closer ones fondly looking over at Yor and Haruhi's dad. Haruhi's dad just being wonderful with Yor andtrying to build her confidence up and Yor being so awkward but sweet and acepting of Haruhi's dad. Maybe the mom getting tips from loid about makeup and other aspects since she wants to support her father...

Some options that could be interesting if you took the trope of how Haruhi's mom and dad meeting due to him witnessing or knowing info about a criminal and just making that happen alot. lowkey involving thorn princess or twilight and his many disguises XD

I'm just imagining Haruhi's mom and dad being comfortable in calling out the other in having some small crushes on the forgers XD

Gotta say though you do make some compelling arguments

stamp of approval where I don't quite ship it but I say its a valid cross ship anyway. you put in the mental work. you earned it.

and giving ouran high school host club crossing over with spy family as a idea is great even without romance since all of those ridiculous rich people.

I wonder if Yor or Loid could have helped hide Tamaki's mom from the grandma. or they could be connected to that lady who stole from the twins. oooh Yor could be summoned to give Honey a real fight sometimes...or frankie could be one of the info gathers kyouya's family uses. Heck it could even connect to the other rich kids that Anya knows and their familys.

Rants!

Forjioka: God. Can you imagine. Haruhi finally thinks she's getting a calm dad and then Mr Loid 'anxiety' Forger enters the chat. Anya meeting the host club... Haruhi Anya neurodivergent siblings eating peanuts and watching the utter clownery of the host club... Two men, who on the surface resemble the construction of the average nuclear family but in reality are anything but.. modern era Loid is trying to get close to the parents of the host club through Haruhi instead of Damien and the Desmonds... Parents day at the host club, anyone?? God .

You x my mom: she has a lot of dogs... Dog sons in law is a pretty good perk tbh but she also has me and I'm annoying

[khorren]

Three of the Faes had pivotal moments in Ebonhawke. Madison, Kyra, Alexis.

Madison + Alexis are twins, born and raised in Ebonhawke. They would have been brought up in Divinity's Reach but their grandfather squandered away their family fortune so that arc of the family moved before the girls were born. Their parents were taken by Charr during battle outside Ebonhawke and presumed killed in action. The girls were then looked after by the people of Ebonhawke until one day a distant cousin showed up to look after them.

HOOBOY THIS GOT LONG.

Alexis + Madison's tale

1305 twins born

1313 parents disappeared, assumed killed in action by charr outside Ebonhawke. Distant cousin Kyra comes on the scene to look after them

1314 - 1326 Kyra trains them in magic and martial weapons. Heavy emphasis on magic training. Pushing the idea that magic should be used liberally and use it to solve all problems without mercy.

1326 - Twins have literal change in faith and follow their patron gods to help rather than thieve and destroy.

Madison becomes a champion of the gods helping people across Tyria, eventually joining Balthazar when he returns.

Alexis devotes herself to Dwayna, spending some time in the Priory learning about the family, healing, and the Brotherhood of the Dragon. When the Zephyrites come to help with the rebuilding of Lion's Arch she goes off traveling with them.

The twins re-unite in Path of Fire, and after Balth's defeat Madison loses most of her magic and it's up to Alexis to train her back up without using faith as a motivator.

Kyra's tale

1295 Kyra born in Divinity's Reach

Family is extremely religious but don't seem to worship the six. Kyra doesn't quite understand but follows family's footsteps.

1308, age 13 she's told about the family worship.

Here we side-track.....

Around the year 1000 there was a religious scholar named Simon Fae. He researched all things god, past and present.

He had two sons, Jayne a sea-faring merchant with a small army of daughters across the world, and Liam.

Liam followed his father's footsteps with religion, and in particular studied the fallen god Abaddon.

Liam's family has worshipped Abaddon, mostly in secret, for decades, though they do search out like-minded families, and try to recruit others to follow their deity. Strong magic users especially

They got shunned from the rest of the Fae family generation after generation, they all seemed to know about Liam's offshoot of the family and wanted nothing to do with it. Abaddon fell for a reason.

Back to Kyra!

Kyra's family learn of the two Fae twins now without parents. They've been searching for family members for decades. Magic is strong in the family and if they could get some of them over to their side they could become extremely powerful. Kyra is sent to Ebonhawke aged 18, (1313) to train the twins in hope of bringing them into the fold.

1326 she loses the support of the twins, ransacks Lion's Arch anyway out of rage and ends up dying. Tit.

1330 in the mists she gains more power as the Commander's poking around Siren's landing. A priest of Abaddon returns to the area, also meddling.

1332 she escapes the mists when Kralk is ripping portals through everything. She's hellbent on destroying the person she feels responsible for her death.

With Balthazar dead she gets it in her head that other gods can be destroyed. She wants to take down Kormir for her part in taking down Abaddon and receiving his power.

Sidenotes

Kyra's family have a trinket/device that detects the Fae family nearby.

Ruby has her own trinkets she gives to the family to mask whatever magic Kyra's family is using. She's been very very clever about making sure the family gets these trinkets over generations. She erases their names from any history she can get her hands on so that Kyra's family cannot find them without some serious effort. (There's still many records in the Priory, just in the deep archives where most people can't go)

In 1307, Kensi (human Rev, still a Ritualist at the time) left the Mists to warn Ruby that the world was changing and things need to be put in place to ensure the Fae family survives.

Kensi coming back to Tyria, to Divinity's Reach pings the device that tracks Faes, but is quickly masked by Ruby

It's enough to spur Kyra's family into action and start looking for Faes. It wasn't until 1310 that they find the twins and their parents in Ebonhawke and they begin putting into action the plan to send Kyra there to train the twins. The family tried to get to the parents, but they were already aware of the wicked ways of the family. Kyra was able to get to them in 1313 and her goal was to hone their magic skills and lure them over to Abaddon worship...

[victorianraccoon]

hello, welcome to my Ted talk.

Today we will be discussing "Tales from the SMP". But before I blow your minds with my theory/realization we must first talk about the butterfly effect.

So, have you heard of the butterfly effect?

The butterfly effect, is used to say the smallest of actions can lead to catastrophic events. Like, for example, a butterfly flapping it's wings causing a hurricane.

Now the important part of the butterfly effect here, is where it was first brought up.

The term was coined by meteorologist Edward Lorenz in 1960. He studying how small changes within his computer algorithm would lead to massive changes to the final outcome.

As cool as that is, Edward Lorenz wasn't the first one to really instill the idea.

Have you ever heard of "A Sound of Thunder"?

It was a short story written by Ray Bradbury, and first published in a magazine during 1952. To pretty much summarize the plot of the story, it is about a man going back in time to kill a dinosaur and then dooming humanity.

To be more specific about it, There is a company that holds onto a time machine, going by the name of "Time Safaris Inc.". Unsurprisingly, They use it for "Time Safaris", in which they let people go back into the past and shoot a dinosaur of their choosing.

The main character of the story is "Eckels", who shows up to Time Safaris Inc. and ends up requesting to shoot a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Before Eckels is brought to the past, the tour guide takes a minute to explain how they plan out the process. The guide says that the Tyrannosaurus Rex they will be shooting is about to be killed by a falling tree. So that upon killing that T. Rex, they will only be effecting the way that the T. Rex dies and don't end up effecting anything else. They even remove the bullets from the bodies as to not leave anything behind.

Time Safaris have also ended up setting precautions. They have set up a metal floating pathway above the ground so they don't touch the ground and end up crushing the plants and/or insects.

The Time Safari guides heavily stress how important it is to Eckels about how he cannot walk off the pathway.

"Don't stray from the path."

What ends up happening for the rest of the story is, once Eckels sees the Tyrannosaurus Rex, he ends up panicking. He steps off the pathway, and crushing a butterfly by mistake. This causes a change within the timeline so major that it greatly effects the human language. There are probably more changes to the present of that world, but we never got to see them.

Now, we are going to take a step back for a moment.

"Don't stray from the path."

Sounds... awfully familiar... doesn't it?

CC!KARL JACOBS, IF I AM PICKING UP WHAT YOU ARE PUTTING DOWN, THEN YOUR CHARATER HAS SCREWED THE TIMELINE

I will rant as to how Time Travler Karl has probably doomed the future in a minute, but I gotta be serious about my theorizing.

We have only seen five episodes of tales of the smp, which is not a ton of sources of info to go off unfortunately. Episode two probably isn't even "cannon", but eh I can't really say.

But we have seen the future once.

Episode three.

The one where Ranboo apparently had a moment where he really liked the idea of bioshock, built a city underwater, then had kids who made false assumptions from screwed up historical documents of the events of the Dream Smp.

There is a problem with this though.

Episode one, he was in the past. Some peasant village that dealt with some murders, probably one of the beginning settlements of flordia.

The issue about this is because since we haven't seen a future without Karl meddling in someway, that means we do not have a untouched future to compare this touched future against. We cannot figure out the type of time traveling rules are in place. Time traveling rules differ from story to story, but they tend to be--

1) Time is set in stone. You change minor events but you cannot change major events.

2) Time is malleable to a point but crushing a bug won't kill the world.

3) Stomping a butterfly to death can somehow mess up the human languages. Sneezing will end the world you are fucked everything is fucked the sun is collapsing because you had to sneeze you bastard you

So, the events that are happening could either be completely time traveler Karl Jacob's fault, or they could always be happening no matter what Karl Jacob's does.

Also there is complete possibility that it's a time loop, which those are confusing as hell and im not even going to try to talk about that.

But if that's the case, that means he's losing his memories for nothing.

All three are quite bad.

Also? There is a complete other possibility on the fact that what is going on in the dream smp could be the "best" timeline. I am not saying Time Traveler Karl thinks that what has happened is the best timeline, but it might be the best it can get.

( The descendent into madness starts here)

Time travel is so fucking complicated in the way that technically speaking if it is happening now in the past, it has already happened here.

Time travel is a very genuinely interesting story telling method, I'm not going to lie about that. It allows for more interesting settings and characters, but holy shit. The part of my brain that enjoys understanding storylines and timelines starts having a conniption whenever its brought up.

But there are so many loopholes that are left behind. Like- Time travel in its self is a Paradox! If the problem has already been solved, then why go back to fix it? Then there is nothing to fix the problem in the first place!

I hope as CC!Karl keeps releasing more of the series it will fill in more holes and answer more questions, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's just me looking too deep into things when I should just enjoy it face value.

Also? I know I am going somewhat on a tangent here, but I have started and I cannot stop. But there legit biological consequences of time traveling! Do you know how much disease Time Traveler Karl has probably been spreading around???

Because here is the thing about time, as it marches on, so does evolution. Evolution is always happening and occurring, some instances more noticeable then others.

If you were to go back in time, not only would you be exposed to very old diseases that your body might not even be able to recognize since how different they appear, you are also bringing newer, more specialized and better adapted diseases into the past.

Where people's bodies are not trained against those diseases.

AT ALL.

SO NOT ONLY HAS TIME TRAVELER KARL JACOBS FUCKED UP THE TIMELINE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, HE HAS ALSO UNKNOWNINGLY BECOME A BIOLOGICAL WEAPON.

KARL JACOBS IF YOU INDEED ARE TRYING TO MAKE A CONNECTION TO THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT AND THE STORY "A SOUND OF THUNDER", I HOPE YOUR CHARACTER DOESN'T FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ECKELS.

LITERALLY DO NOT STEP ON THE BUTTERFLY AGAIN PLEASE.

TDLR:

I lose my fucking mind over the possibility of there being a connection of the butterfly effect between "A Sound of Thunder" and tales of the smp.

[woodsofblight]

I thought of something: What if there was an AU where Ly tried to use the remaining magic that exsited to create a weapon designed to defeat the pirates, however while it did work, due to the lack of magic, these creatures knew nothing else BUT war, to the point where peace doesn't exist in their dictionary, and thus Ly had to set on a quest to either find a way to stop her crazed creations, or cure their hunger for war and complete the project fully?

I like this idea! I have a firm belief that the one thing above all that could pose a significant ‘threat’ to Ly, is herself. Whether it’s by overexerting herself or just plain trying to meddle with things she doesn’t precisely understand, namely A WEAPON TO SURPASS METAL GEAR

Case in point, such ‘war-beasts’ would probably be very difficult to handle, though a lot of it depends on how they experience the lack of a war, or conflict in general. If they can’t be taught, obviously that’s a problem in the long run, though I can’t picture Ly trying to destroy them. I don’t think she’d be one for annihilation, not unless it really comes down to the world coming to an end. As for ‘completing’ them? That depends on whether she dares to further meddle into the way they work, since it’s possible she could make it worse. Makes me wonder how they’d behave around her as well? Would they acknowledge her as a creator? Revere her? Shun her?

Short for either destroying or remodeling them, the best idea would be to just let them loose in the Desert of the Knaaren. They might actually enjoy it there, so long as they find nourishment in just arena fights, and since Knaaren are basically invincible anyway, they could technically duke it out forever.

Unstoppable force meets immovable object.

[sarcasticgaypotato]

It is possibly angst, but what if, as GLaDOS and Chell's bond becomes stronger, the AI starts to feel despair because she wishes Chell to stay by her side forever? GLaDOS doesn't want the woman to grow old and die, but at the same time she doesn't wish to be like Cave Johnson, who forced Caroline into a fate of unwanted immortality. Maybe she could map human's genes and find the one responsible to old age and use idk nanotechnology to stop it.

(( Oooh, very angsty anon! I like. ))Only a madman would try to defy the passage of time. Something so unknown, yet so profound. Something that no one fully understood, yet everything abided by. From plants, to animals, to the very earth that they lived on. Everything bent to the will of father time.But if there was someone, a person or an entity confident or foolish enough to try and stand up to such a force, it would no doubt be Aperture Science.They had tried to meddle with time at least once in the past, but they hadn’t been even remotely close to fully defying it.  The experiments failed, their attempts barely making a dent on the fabric that they so wished to rip.Those men were driven by curiosity, the need to play with things that were deemed off limits, wanting to control forces they couldn’t even begin to understand. The second attempt however was much, much different. The forces behind it were no longer mere curiosity and a need to prove one’s abilities, but something much stronger. Love.

GLaDOS didn’t like to think about the passage of time.  What did it matter? She would live forever. Time was something that affected living beings, and she was not alive. Not in the traditional sense.  And so, for the longest time, she hardly even thought about the ticking of a clock.But that all changed with Chell. A human. A foolish, foolish human. She had wormed her way into GLaDOS’s heart, grabbed onto it, and wouldn’t let go.  Trust and affection came slowly, but before she knew it, the AI found herself caring for this girl with every fiber of her being.She checked, and it had been years since they put down their weapons and called a truce. Quite a few years actually, almost fifteen.And, upon looking back on old footage, GLaDOS could not deny that Chell changed somewhat with age.  She was not an old woman by any means, but little changes were noticeable. A small crease in her brow, formed by how much the girl furrowed it. The traces of lines under her eyes and at the corners of her mouth when she smiled.  Not counting her time in cryosleep, the ex-test subject was only almost middle aged, but it was enough to get GLaDOS thinking.Chell aged like any human would. Slowly but steadily, she would get older. Eventually, she’d be weaker, unable to do the athletic stunts that she pulled today. Her body would fail, and she would die.She would die, and she’d be gone, and GLaDOS would be alone once again.GLaDOS could not let that happen.That night, she held Chell closer than usual.  She didn’t loosely drape her arms over the human’s body while they both rested, she held onto the woman like an anchor, keeping her body as close as she possibly could. Chell had let out a small, surprised chuckle, murmuring a questioning comment towards GLaDOS’s sudden clinginess.  For a moment, the core debated voicing her thoughts. But… she didn’t. It was late, and perhaps it would just be better for the both of them to get some sleep.  Surely she’d just forget about this whole aging thing for a while when morning came.She didn’t.Unfortunately, the core had a bit of a bad habit when it came to over thinking things like this. Worries and ‘what ifs’ would bounce around in her head, getting worse and worse and building her anxiety until one of two things happened. She cracked under the pressure and Chell noticed, often helping to calm her down and work out the issue, or she continued to hold it in, and furiously try to find a solution to the source of her anxiety. Sometimes it worked, but frequently the situation would get worse and the former would end up happening regardless.This time, however, GLaDOS didn’t think Chell would be able to help.No doubt if she knew the AI’s worries she’d simply give that bittersweet, knowing smile that came up whenever the topic of humans came up, and respond with something that should’ve been soothing, if GLaDOS could only listen to sweet nothings.‘We have plenty of time.’‘Let’s just enjoy what we do have.’‘Well then, make sure you make the most of my youthful energy.’Somehow, these were all responses that GLaDOS could easily see coming from Chell, and each one caused a deep pang of hurt to bury into her chest.Chell didn’t understand the feeling of immortality. You could not live in the moment, you could not simply enjoy the now. Constantly the thoughts of the future haunted.  Chell could live her life to the fullest, and be content when she passed.  GLaDOS could not have that. She would be forced to remain the same while Chell changed, and eventually died.  How could she enjoy the now, when what seemed so far away was also creeping up so quickly?She had to fix this.  She knew not how, but she had to.  GLaDOS could not let Chell slip through her fingers, it would hurt too much.And so, the core got to work. So many humans had searched for immortality throughout history, surely it must be possible that one of them was at least a little close to being on to something?Unfortunately the answer was, not really. ‘Magical spells’ and mixtures of herbs, weird chants and something to do with virgins and moonlight did nothing for GLaDOS.  She needed something tangible. Something with cold, hard science.She threw herself into her work. She researched, she poured over any piece of information she could find. She tested her theories on any animals she could snatch off the surface and breed for mini test subjects, hoping to find some good signs.Throughout all this, Chell had noticed the AI’s odd behavior. She had confronted GLaDOS about it, but the core quickly became defensive on the matter and refused to talk about it. Chell, understanding that the topic was not one that GLaDOS was ready to share, was patient.  She stayed by the robot’s side, and treated her no differently.In turn, GLaDOS found herself desperately trying to juggle working as hard as possible, while still trying to dedicate as much time to her human as she could.  After all, if her experiments failed, she would have wasted all this time that she could’ve been spending with Chell.It was a mental war, constantly waging in her head, pulling her at the seams. And it was not made any easier by a lingering thought that persisted in her mind whenever she felt hopeless in her endeavors. If she could not stop aging itself, if she could not find a way to keep Chell’s mind and body alive and healthy forever, there was one other option.She could end up like GLaDOS.  She could be put into a machine and made to live forever.  GLaDOS could even make her an android body that looked exactly like the one she had now. It would be so… easy.  She’d never have to worry about losing the girl again.… The thought alone made her sick.  Despite having no gag reflex in her body, thinking about doing something like that to Chell made the core want to vomit.  Perhaps when they first met she might’ve wished that fate upon the human, but not now. Not after all they had been through.  GLaDOS cared for a precious few things in this world, and those she did, she would never want to see destroyed.  While the transfer to a robotic body could technically work, GLaDOS knew first hand what it did to you. How it felt. The violation she had experienced as a result.Chell would not be the same after that.  And even if the girl did it willingly, GLaDOS knew she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to do it. So, the core kept searching. She kept studying, working, desperately searching for an answer, refusing to answer the little voice in her head that reminded her of the easy way out of this.Finally, when it seemed she was at her breaking point, she found something. Nanotech, used to alter the makeup of human genes. Creating a perfect replica of Chell’s DNA, and training nanobots to recreate the correct cells, and take the place of damaged and weakened ones.  She tested it on creatures with very brief lifespans, as short as a few days.  After tinkering with it, she found the life of an insect expected to live no more than two days could survive nearly two weeks in good health.  She was stunned. Thrilled, nervous, almost ready to cry.  She’d no doubt need hundreds more tests done to make sure it would be safe and effective for humans but… she might’ve found the cure to time.That night when Chell entered her chamber, GLaDOS practically ran to the girl, sweeping her up in her arms and peppering her face with excited kisses.  Even if just for tonight her anxiety faded. A possible solution was in sight, practically in reach.  This was the happiest she had been in months, and it showed.  Chell, despite her confusion, beamed just as brightly as GLaDOS, seeming to be over the moon that her lover seemed genuinely happy about something.  She had been worried about the core, and while that worry would likely still remain until she got an answer to GLaDOS’s odd behavior, for now she just seemed thankful for a ray of hope.However, when GLaDOS eventually did tell her what she had been doing, Chell hesitated.She frowned somewhat, seemingly torn.  Humans weren’t meant to live forever, and she was unsure if she even wanted to.GLaDOS was devastated.  She urged Chell to trust her on this.  She wouldn’t live forever, but her lifespan could be more than doubled in length.  Hell, if GLaDOS could figure it out, she might even be able to make the girl’s body feel even younger than she was now if she wanted.  But she begged Chell to, at the very least, let the core extend her life.Chell did not know how to react at first.  She stared at her lover, searching the core’s optics for the truth behind all this.  In Chell’s mind, this was coming out of nowhere. She was not old or frail; why did the AI worry so?“Please, Chell… I…I can’t lose you.”GLaDOS practically croaked this out, the weight on her heart finally crushing enough to cause her to break in front of the girl.  She no longer cared about holding an appearance of strength or indifference, not now.  She just needed to put this fear to rest. To tame the growing panic in her chest whenever she glanced at a calendar or clock.She hardly noticed that she had fallen to her knees, the cold floor not registering in her mind.  Instead, what made her look up was Chell’s warm arms wrapping around her.  The girl kneeled down, and pulled GLaDOS to her chest, letting the android listen to her heartbeat for a moment. The sound was something of a comfort to the core, but now more than ever. The soft thump of a living, beating heart.A strangled sob escaped her throat without warning, and she could feel the slight burn of tears forming in the corners of her eyes.  A pointless addition to her android form; she was going to stain Chell’s tank top.The human didn’t seem to care.  She ran her hand up and down GLaDOS’s back, murmuring soft words of comfort. Her voice was no longer alien to the AI, but somehow it still made her non-existent heart skip a beat.“���I’m not going anywhere yet, GLaDOS. And… I will think about your offer.”That was the closest thing to a yes that GLaDOS needed right now.  She would perfect her tech needed for the operation in the case of the girl saying yes, and in case she said no…GLaDOS’s hands fiddled with something, a piece of metal that looked a lot like a computer chip. On it, was a small, digital clock, able to be set to a number of years, months, days, and hours.   If Chell said no, GLaDOS would fix her problem in a different way.She would never ask Chell to live as an android and survive forever.   She would much rather live like a human, and give herself an expiration date.