#or more like. NOT admit to relating to it

[tanadrin]

hey op#don't pretend there's no harm in processed foods ok?#food#technology

i think it's interesting that whenever this topic is discussed--including whenever people try to go "well, maybe this constant low-grade orthorexia that is extremely popular in our society due to a combination of the naturalistic fallacy and a vaguely conspiratorial mindset about everything that people for some reason think makes them savvy" people can't be any more specific about what they're worried about than generically invoking the specter of harmful chemicals or "processed foods."

if there is evidence for specific ways of processing food that cause physical harm to people, talk about those specific processes. if there is evidence of specific legal food additives that cause harm (and perhaps should not be legal), talk about those specific additives. but it frustrates me that a bunch of ambiguous correlational studies that get reported on badly in mass media and don't even reliably replicate get digested by pop culture into vague FUD about "processed food" and "preservatives" and in practice very few people can explain what specific evidence for specific harms exists for the questions we're talking about here

what specifically are the "bad preservation methods"? what specific claims have you seen that they are bad? i think people really underrate the extent to which they treat as ironclad and self-evident truth attitudes about the world built on the shakiest of vibes, and ffs, research on nutrition--especially as reported on through, like, headlines passed around on social media--is among the shakiest and vibiest of all domains of human knowledge.

and i'll admit here that part of my pugnaciousness on this topic is bc it's kinda frustrating that we can watch multiple societies around the world rot from the inside right now because people are letting the vibes online construct their worldview for them, lapsing into paranoia and reaction--in both left-wing and right-wing flavors no less--not because institutions are failing but because the negative emotions that excite the limbic system spread particularly effectively on social media. and nutritional woo and wellness and related nonsense is a huge vehicle for that--even the version that people think is reasonable and toned-down. but the fact of the matter is if you live in an OECD country the food supply is extremely safe, food additives are extremely well studied, and they are extremely well-regulated by government agencies; hell, in some places they may even be too well-regulated, as in the case of the EU's paranoia around GMOs. i would wager most countries probably have food regulators who operate soundly in principle, though poorer countries often have more limited state capacity that can make enforcement difficult.

but of course the details of food additive regulation (to say nothing of nutritional science) are complicated and not common knowledge and it's easy to make something sound like a conspiracy when nobody knows the specifics of how something works. so a lot of people are spending a lot of time and effort to make people scared of the food they eat, to sell their own bullshit cleanses and supplements or just for social media clout. and they're bad people. but also you're kinda dumb if you fall for it.

people who for very silly reasons want to market prepared food products without preservatives in them who then discover why we started putting preservatives in prepared food products in the first place (because without a preservation method food quickly grows stale, and frequently also moldy or downright toxic) is a consistently good bit. like people really seem to think we put Evil Chemicals in food on purpose for no reason.

[prlssprfctn]

Hi, hope you're doing well!! Regarding to your post about Jason admitting that he's not feeling loved by Bruce, i have a few things to add (as the unloved feeling child lmao)

My father is a disciplined man, especially in academic terms. He'd always make rude comments about me, this goes as far as threatening to abuse me physically if i'm not doing "enough". One time, he was arguing me about my academic success and he actually told me that how he brags to his coworkers about ME. How smart and easy-going i am, how my major is really hard and i always studied away from home starting from high school and i was so brave because of this. This took me aback because he rarely tells my face that i'm enough.

I felt that post, right in my soul. We know how Bruce talks about Jason to others after his death. And probably after he came back too. The JL members, friends at the galas... How jason was a bright kid, loving, strong, brave etc... But to his face? He never did.

So, picture me this. Jason finds out about this, when he is on a mission where he encounters another member of JL. They tell him "Bruce was right about you." and he assumes the worst, words like rough, violent, agressive etc. However, they hit him with the "You're really as good as he says."

And i feel like, this actually makes it worse for him. Why is it so much easier to talk about your love and pride on your kid to a stranger than to that kid directly? Jason feels not appreciated enough and he was fully accepting of that fact until that moment. But now, hearing the words he had ached so bad to hear from a stranger, he feels like undeserving of that appreciation. He had thought that no matter what he did, bruce would never be proud of him. Now he thinks that he just doesn't deserve to hear it. (Which probably makes shit worse because it would cause an anger in him, a rightful one imo)

This could be just me projecting lmao, because i actually started crying after reading that post. Love your works so much dude, you rock.

hi! firstly, totally can relate. though, my father is a lesser man than Bruce ever would be, and the situation between us is more complex, i certainly felt flabbergasted after hearing how he praises me to others, while we literally claw on each other's throat etc, etc. sending love.

secondly, y e a h-

that's right on point with canon, too! Bruce always admits to others that Jason is the best, one of the best kids he knew, but once he is faced with Jason himself, he says the complete opposite: "you were never meant to be Robin, you cannot handle this, etc". and that's of the main problems with their relationship, isn't it? Bruce always fails to show his true feelings regarding Jason to Jason.

he mourned him, he lost half of himself the day Jason died, and everyone keep thinking that Jason is ungrateful for doubting his father's feelings regarding that, but how Jason can know? how, if what he sees is this: his father, despite being his legal-adopted father, buried him under Todd surname, not Todd-Wayne. he buried him with Sheila as if mocking the cause of his death (in reality, I assume, Bruce never investigated the details of Jason's death, which is arguably worse). he made him them memorial as a good soldier, not a son. Jason's room (despite fanon) stopped existing at one point in the Manor. he continued picking up kids in the Robin mantle, as if Jason's death meant nothing - and he became just a precautionary tale, despite dying like a hero; as a hero that Bruce taught him to be. and the moment Jason actually comes back? he gets a batarang in his neck.

and, yes, we as readers know that for Bruce it was different - that he probably buried him not as Todd-Wayne and along with his mother because he thought that Jason would want this. that memorial wasn't his doing. that his grief is about hiding things and never mentioning him, about screwing his own memories and twisting narrative to calm himself down, to drown fault at least a little bit. that Tim's situation wasn't about Bruce's choice. but we are readers, we see all POVs. Jason cannot do that. he analyses what he sees, and what he sees is indifference bordering with hatred and despise.

so, yes, Bruce can tell Clark and others that Jason was the best out of them as many times as he wants, but at the end of the day is about being able to show it to Jason, both with words and actions. because at this point, he won't be able to convince Jason just with words.

[dxxtruction]

I'm genuinely concerned that iwtv (tv) spells out EXACTLY how Louis is unreliable in his narration, but people spin this into what they think unreliable narration more generally means to them, and not what it means to this narrative. Just to be clear here are the ways Louis IS unreliable (If I happened to have missed something feel free to add):

Louis shows signs of forgetting which are normal in people who've endured long term traumatic events. Any relevant pieces of information forgotten are however righted, and sought to be righted.

Like anyone recounting a personal narrative, Louis states how things occurred from this limited perspective and worldview of the personal. He has a personal idea of himself he'd like to get across, much like anyone. He is not omnipotent. But while most might be fine if the person receiving this story interprets their experiences differently, offering to wider perspective, Louis is often very particular about the ways it must be described fitting how he can already perceive it. Which makes for times of there being a rigid perception of events, where broader narrative introspection could've offered a more truthful telling. Though sometimes this actually keeps it more truthful. This character flaw, if you will, is what Daniel is around to challenge, and he's very successful at it, even when his challenging can push in the wrong directions and draw up the wrong conclusions. Bringing up latent memories, and digging out hard truths Louis has long not admitted. At least hitting on something real, in any case. Meaning, for us, the audience, we are still in relatively reliable hands even with this in play, and so are not actually that off from truth when it is being told by Louis, who is intentionally seeking to tell it, even get it. Merely, our narrative is being, in ways, restricted as to how much is being told, and, outside Louis control, obfuscated in its reliance deliberately. (which we'll return to).

To jump off from this, Louis does withhold. He can sometimes tell Daniel something then never explain or have an answer for it he's willing to say. But we see this most apparently in how the diaries exclude certain events. That he doesn't detail much of his time with Armand, especially sexually, is a more subtle way of this. He withholds narratively to protect others, and respect them and their histories from being exploited. Though in other instances he withholds moreso to protect himself from this, and the image he wishes to present to Daniel and thus the world. One could see the act of presenting he and Armand's relationship as, firstly one where Armand is his servant Rashid, but then one of far more affection than it really holds, at this point in time, as withholding the truth as well. One could go a step further and say he does this to preserve a sense of agency and control over his inner and personal life, not just over the interview, but over this relationship as a whole. In a sense, Louis editorializes because the reality of things is beyond what feels his right to tell, and otherwise be endangering to his sense of self to tell. Louis usage of language is another way he keeps a sense of agency, as he can still pick the words he chooses to describe his life, even if his life has been largely out of his control. He can't in ways tell the full truth without giving up something he's simply unwilling to give.

Related to this, how he defends things, or is defensive of things, portrays a distorted idea of reality, but an honest portrayal of his own perspective on it. Most starkly I'd say is his claim to consider himself not abused.

His complicated feelings, especially about loved ones, give rise contradictory statements about people and events. Where he can claim one thing, and likely claim it from his personal feelings about it, but we are then shown events where this claim doesn't exactly live up to itself in every way, in his or others actions.

However, the main way Louis narrative becomes unreliable is through the lies and distortions manufactured into it and the ways in which the interview is undermined by conflicts of interest in it. Louis story is in fact one containing lies, and active distortions of events/thoughts, beyond normal forgetting, because of Armand's conflict in letting the truth be told. Mind though, that by the end of the story, much like [1] these we can presume have all been corrected for. Or at the very least who this information truly pertains to, Louis, is shown to have no interest in questioning that it hasn't been. What is relevant to have been the full truth has all been said.

There's a bit of a cultural thing influencing the interview. By this I mean Louis and Armand together had created a culture of politeness and respect, which discouraged and fought down getting at the heat of conflict, or emotional and mental vulnerability. Setting aside differences. Leaving things unaddressed, or burying issues, making up quickly, and in incomplete ways, as a means of maintaining a peaceful environment, leads to a level of transactionally met falsehood of how either is portraying themselves, especially in relation to one another, playing into what seems beneficial to them, more than what would be confrontational of the truth between them. Armand offends far more aggressively in this, and one can only guess this comes more from a rearing much more solidified in this kind of culture where there is a multitude of rules around maintaining a facade of 'nice' behavior for a presumed benefit of the group. Whereas, even if Louis follows this in some ways, he is more often seen to push against this, actually. (see; 'acting out')

There was a period (post 2x05 especially) where he makes claims about Armand, with no real way to back them, but for the purpose of continually marking Armand as a traitor. So, making purely emotional claims as opposed to knowing he's getting the facts straight. Discrediting Armand, even if he might be telling the truth. (debatable, of course, but I feel the need to include it anyhow).

The only real thing left of Louis unreliability in our conclusion is some residual effects of his doing where things are then left unanswered, and the information to be found in other peoples perspectives, which Louis isn't held responsible to be knowing about. So it's highly doubtful these are to where Louis is ever to be discredited on his telling of things, more that he just simply can't account for everything without betraying himself, and can't be held responsible to what he simply can not have known, or others controlling his narrative either.

To summarize what this all then means is that Louis is not telling any sort of story, at any point along it, worth discrediting, let alone fully, and wherever he was swaying in that direction, past or presently, it has been corrected for, or at least questioned, to where we can draw all the reliable conclusions on it through inference and sound interpretation. Making what we are left with by the end of season 2 the most reliable version of events of Louis personal perspective, even if quite a good sum of it is still left to this inference. It is because of what is left to inference, and what is something outside the realm of his personal perspective, that makes us the more unreliable sources of determining these events. WE are more likely to be distorting it by this point in the story, than Louis is shown to be. Our judgments, can do more impeding on what ends up being Louis honest account, than Louis ever was.

What Louis unreliability is not, is ever entirely dishonest - is ever one making up events, or turning them into something they were not. Everything we are told is a personal account of things that actually happened. It's certainly not one where, by the end, you can point at anything, and claim there's an irreparable falsehood about it. Perspective on events change, but that they had happened and in a sequential way, does not. One might not like or be satisfied with his point of view, yet this changes nothing. Memory is a monster, but Louis', a monster himself, is still real. These are his true memories as he is remembering them.

Beyond that, the more imperative story told here is the emotional one. On this journey of truth telling, Louis is also relieved of being unreliable about his emotions, and in the conclusion, he's living shamelessly for who he is, past and presently. This opens new doors for his character to exist beyond memory. The interview was a journey of self acceptance, and one's fight for having and reclaiming a self. The true take away, frankly, is that Louis got this, and nothing we can infer and interpret otherwise about his truth, where it is left open, can take this away from him.

I guess this is all to say Louis 'unreliable narration' is actually something he works through, perhaps in its realistic entirely (we are always a little unreliable). It's something that gets righted as a major part of the resolved conflicts that happen over the course of the interviews events, as so we, like Louis, are also resolved of this unreliability if we hold it to that same level of being the truth. And that is also if we are inferring and interpreting things left open properly, which is hard to say, even for Louis. That is where all of that 'unreliability' rests on is the things left open to question still, or gain new perspective on, and not that any one part of what we were presented with is falsely constructed. As we have actually gotten it reconstructed out of that.

[rainbowsky]

Hello Rainbowsky, hope you are doing OK! I just wanted to say, I saw GG and DD's photshoots for fashion week, and people are talking about them both carrying tulips (red for GG and white for DD). I was wondering if tulips have any cultural significance, if it's just a common thing to do in China for a festival, or is it something GG and DD have done intentionally? Thank you for listening :)

Hi sasukeforhokage-blog1! I'm doing OK, thanks. Hope you're well too!

Yes, for both of their photo sets they were seen carrying tulips. And just in case anyone's wondering - no, they haven't carried them in these fashion week photo shoots in the past.

I saw a C-turtle post about the number of flowers each was carrying, claiming GG was carrying 18 and DD was carrying 23. I have counted them both.

The bouquet GG has is definitely 18 tulips.

DD's, no matter how many times I count I get at least 24 every time, but it's hard to be precise because part of the bouquet is obscured in every shot it appears in.

Others are free to do their own counts and come to their own conclusions.

As for significance, I don't think we can read too much into the flowers themselves. It's quite traditional - even cliche - to carry a bouquet around the streets of a famous European city. It's also very photogenic and romantic, so perfect for photo shoots.

Tulips are also quintessentially European (although they originated in Central Asia). Europe is at the center of the tulip industry, and incredibly gorgeous, high quality tulips are readily available pretty much everywhere.

The fact that they both used tulips in their photo shoots, though - that is definitely 👀. And in fact, when Yibo Official posted the photo set (which also gets shared to his solo supertopic), they omitted the tulip photos entirely, even though they were some of the nicest from that set. I suspect they might have been too controversial, because solos are notoriously oversensitive about connections like this*.

*And I admit I cackle when I see them tip-toeing around solos in this way.

YBO did share the tulips on Instagram, though - where a huge percentage of his followers also follow GG.

Did GG and DD do this intentionally? Of course. In my opinion there's no other explanation. At the very least, it (once again) absolutely proves the 'GG and DD hate each other and are trying to avoid associations with each other' narrative to be completely absurd and clearly false. However, I'd take it even further and say this was an intentional candy on their part. This is the sort of thing they still like to do from time to time.

Not much more to say about it than that.

Here are some related posts on my thoughts about why they do these sorts of things:

What BXG Might Mean to GGDD

Relationship denials and the GGDD supertopics

Are GGDD’s intentional candies/kadian meant for each other, or for turtles?

You might also find my masterlist post helpful.

[c-sand]

I cannot believe youre a fellow poljon believer

Oh, my friend, I absolutely am. Like, I don't know what's going on in those books George won't release -- maybe nothing related to pol!jon will ever touch that world. But? In the world of the show?? There is not a single thing on this planet that anyone could say to convince me that Jon actually had any authentic feelings for that woman. I know that's the official narrative -- heard. But... I'm sorry, but I've never seen a man look more miserable around the supposed love of his life.

Every single acting choice Kit made, from the second the characters meet, says, "I am not down with this woman." And his interviews suggested the exact same conclusion. His interviews legitimately make no sense, if pol!Jon wasn't something he was operating with. Because, if he actually loves that woman (despite hating everything she stands for and looking like he wants to die, every single time they speak, INCLUDING when he's actively having sex with her) and is legitimately on her side and wanting to support her, than he isn't making any moves, being more political, or manipulating anyone 'in a kind way.' He's just a dumb man who gets completely blinded by a beautiful woman... Which is kind of lame, considering who Jon is and who we know him to be.

They filmed literal scenes where his people mock and spit at her feet and he LAUGHS. He doesn't care. He only cares that she sees him suppressing a laugh. And then stared her down the second she makes a thinly veiled threat against Sansa. Show!Jon is cooking up plans, whether the show wants to admit it or not.

[frownyalfred]

Hey saw that mean bookmark you got and just wanted to say, for one thing anyone that does that shit should reconsider a few things. Primarily how they're engaging with fandom, if you don't like something, if you don't want to read sex scenes, if you don't like a trope, all of that is up to you how you engage with. There are thousands of Batman fics, Superbat included, that aren't explicit or only include fade to black style writing.

And for the other thing, what an author wants to write or enjoys isn't up to us to critique in a fandom space. I've never really gotten the pro/anti ship discourse cause I've always been pretty firm about sticking with a stay in your lane methodology. Sure, I prefer that people fully tag a fic so I know what's in it, but if they miss a tag I also possess the ability to back out. Nothing requires I keep reading it.

And most importantly, if you really want to read a fic but don't want to read the sex scenes? Just scroll. I'm not a big reader of explicit stuff, when I got curious about the coral room fics I did a lot of scrolling ngl. It's just not something I enjoy reading, but the rest of the fic was great and the plot was interesting so i didn't mind it. I think more people need to pick up that methodology. Don't want to read it? Don't read it. Don't want to read it he sex but want to read it? Probably a little weird I'll admit, but like the scroll features built in babes.

Sorry this got a little long, but just want to say as a writer I totally get the annoyance I fully dropped off a fic when I got a semi mean comment and years later I still struggle to pick it back up so don't let them get to you! They're just mean and think they can get away with stuff in an anonymous fashion. Call them out, and while we should avoid outright attacks let them be named and shamed at least in this little corner of the internet.

Thank you so much. Yeah, I don’t want people attacking them, but I also think if you’re bold enough to purposefully leave a mean PUBLIC bookmark, you should absolutely be fine with people seeing it and judging you.

I’m a big fan of scrolling! Dude, I love sex scenes, I like sex, and even some days I’m like “ehhhh get back to the plot please” and move on with my life. That doesn’t mean the fic is bad!

And as someone else mentioned on another post (thank you) that series isn’t super porn heavy, in relation to other plot events. There’s a LOT going besides sex, and you can absolutely scroll past those scenes (which I warn for at the beginning of every chapter).

You don’t get extra points for forcing yourself through a sex scene you don’t like and then complaining about it. You’re not a martyr, and again — the next chapter button is OPTIONAL. Somehow this person pressed it 31 times without realizing that.

[cynisterlycylly]

here's a collection of my Murder Drones headcanons because I like yaping about Murder Drones

- Cyn likes to watch people sleep. This has nothing to do with the solver btw she just like that. She likes how calm they are when they're asleep.

- V loves trashy romance novels, the more sappy and lovey-dovey the better. A quarter of her memory is dedicated to her romance books. Also she has killed to keep this a secret and she will kill again.

- Uzi is a Sonic fan and she claims her favorite character is Shadow (but secretly her true favorite character is Amy, she just won't admit it). N doesn't really get Sonic but he will listen to Uzi talk about it for hours just because he likes hearing her talk. (Also his favorite is Silver)

- N is actually not that affected by horror movies, he has seen and done worse after all. But he does use horror movie nights as an excuse to snuggle Uzi and V.

- Tessa practices kissing on J once or twice.... Maybe three times but that's just what friends do, and J almost overheated after was completely coincidental, don't read into it there just gal pals trust me.

- Khan loved fishing before all the water froze and the fish died, kinda related but J also likes fishing.

- Nori really doesn't want to be the type of parent that judges her child partner but Uzi is testing her patients. She could handle a boyfriend, a girlfriend and a nonbinaryfriend, hell she would accept her dating a human, but no Uzi had to date not one but two of disassemble drones (NUziV is cannon because it's awesome) and Nori is terrified that the 3rd one will come home one day.

- post finale Thad and Cyn became surprisingly fast friends, Thad isn't really all that bothered by being friendly with someone who has tried to kill and eat everyone he knows (mainly because he kinda desensitizes to it) and he thinks she's fun to talk to. And Cyn just like anyone who would talk to her without all the baggage of her own actions.

- still post finale, Cyn has a little soundproof box she is put in when Uzi wants alone time, Cyn used to hate it and tried to escape the box, until one day she did and she saw something she didn't want to see. She still hates the box but she now knows better.

- Cyn whispers evil into Uzi's ear when she's asleep, like literally she repeatedly whispers the word evil into Uzi ears just to annoy her.

[noira-l]

TL;DR - I totally relate to that.

That’s so true. I started writing fics in July, completely unprepared, after getting caught up in community. At first, it was exciting, but after discovering some really amazing work, something inside me just snapped. Ever since, I haven’t been able to see my own writing in any positive way. I constantly feel like I need to "fix" my old work because it feels unworthy of being on the same platform as so so many talented authors.

Even when I come up with a cool idea, I can't seem to finish it. I feel like I’ve burnt myself out creatively because I’ve already given up on myself. I would do many things differently if I went back in time.

And honestly, I feel like my writing doesn’t even fit the platform. I think my stories have so many problems: they are too long, too detailed, too stuck to canon (even with some twists or changes), or everyone is ooc. I want to write so many fics that are really in jjk universe, but I think no one here wants them. People simply don't want to read that kind of stories anymore. It seems like there’s more focus on popular tropes and writting as many bed scenes as possible - and seriously, admitting that makes me feel pretty depressed.

What the fanfic-writing process has become;

Finish reading a fanfic and feel awful about one's own writing then proceed to try and create works "as good as" that story. Or try to replicate that authors writing.

Scroll through social media for what fandoms are popular right now to see where you can join and get your writing seen.

Take in every piece of writing advice there is and then stress, trying to create an award-worthy fanfic story.

Crying because you can't describe your bedroom scene the way your fave fanfic writer did in their story; or because you can't describe your character's facial features like the way the advisors of writing on Tumblr said you should.

I must include this and exclude that to get my fanfic-writing respected and seen

I'm nervous about whether others will like or hate my work when I share

I don't wanna write, I have no inspo, but I must write cause I'm in this fandom that's hot right now and all my fellow writers in said fandom are posting

What fanfic-writing started as and should be;

You enjoy a piece of media, art, song, etc., you're hungry for more and so you write an extension of the universe to include stuff you wanted to see, that the original creator didn't include. No rules, no standards, and no restrictions.

Excited to just write and share a work. If others love it, it's a plus

If you want to write excellent fanfics, that's very fine as long as you're having fun and you're not stressed.

[concretejunglefm]

coming to bother you with this

i keep thinking about noah being so soft with reader, like holding them after a long day, loving all over them, telling how much he loves them, etc.

or the other way around, with them telling him how much they love him, soft soft stuff like that

I love nothing but soft thoughts and I've been have so many recently just not able to put them into actual words, but this thought made me 🥺 I hope you don't mind 💕

CW: mostly fluff, but mentions of negative thoughts, struggles with depression, loss and recurring nightmares.

There was once a time when Noah would wake up in the night to find you lying there, waging with the war behind your eyes. Now, it seems like you’ve switched places. You sleep peacefully beside him, your body tucked against his, because despite wearing more layers than him in comparison to his own stark sleepwear, you still feel cold and always attempt to steal his warmth.

Noah has woken from another nightmare, the same one that has plagued his waking thoughts for days. The circumstances may differ, but the outcome is always the same: this life you share is not his to keep. Every time he closes his eyes, it’s taken away from him and when he wakes, he expects to find himself back in his old room, the one he left almost a year ago when you entered his life.

When he does wake, he finds himself in a moonlit room—the same one he’s been sleeping in for the past year, building and sharing memories of his own with the person he loves lying beside him.

Normally, sleep would come easily, but he refuses to succumb, too afraid of reliving the nightmare he dragged himself out of and for the rest of the night, he lays awake, battling sleeps attempts to pull him back under. As he does, he listens to the faint sound of your breathing, a comforting reassurance that you’re still here with him, and this is real.

Noah doesn’t wake you, not wanting to disturb you with the trivial and absurd thoughts his mind has chosen to torment him with. However, it’s as if you’re deeply connected to him on a level that draws you out of your sleep, and he hears the faint whisper of your tired voice.

“Noah, what’s wrong?”

He can’t hide from you, no matter how hard he tries. He’s never been able to keep his face from spilling his worries. Instead of fighting it and telling you to go back to sleep, he rolls over onto his side, his long arm falling over you. He feels your fingers find his as your gesture of comfort before you nestle yourself closer.

In the darkness, he tries to make out your features, using the faint moonlight to trace them. He notices the way your brows knit together in worry as you look up at him and contemplates his questions relating to the storm of worries currently raging in his mind, and decides to start with a lighthearted opener: “Do you remember when you asked me if I’d still love you if you were a worm?”

You laugh. You didn’t expect the question and you laugh. Your laughter fills his heart with warmth. It comes not from a place of ridicule, but a soft, sweetness. “Of course I do,” you say. “You had promised to build me my own terrarium to carry me around.” Your voice, filled with sleep, makes him smile. He remembers the moment you mention, how you knew that to be the moment you had fallen for him completely.

Noah had already fallen long before that, but had been too shy to admit it.

Sometimes, like now, he wants to delve into his concerns and ask you, “Do you love me?” with the same playful yet serious tone that you used when asking that question and before he can control himself, those exact words come stumbling out.

Silence follows and he glazes at you in the darkness.

Without missing a beat, you move closer, your hand searching for his face in the darkness as you come to cradle his cheek. “Noah, of course I love you,” you say, trying to calm the raging waves. However, their intensity remains, threatening to overflow, especially as he feels the gentle warmth of your breath and the soft press of your forehead against his.

“What if I don’t deserve this? What if I don’t deserve you?” He despises the fact that he’s allowing himself to indulge in these darker thoughts that currently haunt his mind, and that he’s even giving them a voice. However, the relentless gnawing at him makes it incredibly challenging to suppress them.

The constant worry revolves around wanting to give you the best and fearing that he isn’t capable of it because he’s not used to keeping the people he loves to this extent. Throughout his life, he’s experienced varying degrees of loss, and he couldn’t bear the thought of losing you, especially now that he’s become so vulnerable with you, letting you into his heart completely. The two of you are already on the path to starting a life together, yet some days, he’s plagued by the idea and worry that he’ll lose you, that you’ll decide you want better, and deserve better than him.

It’s your voice that pulls him back as he spirals within his own mind. Your fingers gently stroke through his hair, a soothing caress on the crown of his head as you whisper softly into the darkness.

“Noah, I love you, and I’m not going anywhere. You’re the most selfless person I’ve ever known, not just to your friends but even to those you don’t know.” You move hand to press against his chest, over his heart, your touch soothing the rapid beating of it. “You deserve happiness, and if you believe I’m a source of that, then I promise you that you deserve me. I want you, and I love you, and I’m so grateful to have you in my life. I’ve never felt more fortunate.”

Each word you speak further calms the dark thoughts in his mind, driving away the storm and pulling him further into your embrace. He has no words to respond with, instead meeting you with a soft, loving, and wet kiss. He hadn’t noticed the tears that roll down his cheeks, unsure if they had started before or after your assurance. Regardless, they currently feel less sad than when he had woken earlier. He feels less sad because now, a majority of that feeling has been replaced with your love and assurance, matching what he always provides to you in these moments.

tagged: @fadingangelwisp @deathblacksmoke  @geminigirlfromfinland @fuck1ng-queen @xxkittenkissesxx @lacy1986 @ami--gami @floodflameschosen @dominuslunae @tosoundlessdarkistare @alwaysfightforwhoyouare @lonelydragonlady @th4t-em0-k1d @amelia-acero @dollieomens @I-love-the-smell-of-you-blood @sitkowski @athenexe @trvshdxddy @collapsedglasshouses @overmydeadbodysblog @xmads-omensx @ajordan2020 @astronoids @death-ofpeace-ofmind @ichoosetenderomens @chey-h @blade-dressed-in-red @bloody-spades @concretenoah

[dragqueenstarscream]

l want some headcanon sfw or nsfw anything! about optimus TFA! begin with a taller muscle buff women and for more detail she's the same highe of scraper or a little taller then him!

for context, compared to scrapper, optimus is like this:

which i love, we need more short king representation, but anyway!

- considering how big decepticons are compared to autobots in tfa, it wouldn't surprise me if his buff gf was an ex decepticon, someone built like strika.

- optimus is used to being shorter than others by this point. hell, bulkhead is taller than he is. but it's one thing for him to just acknowledge it and another thing for his partner to actively tease him for it.

- she's not afraid of using her strength to tease him. she'll use him like an armrest, lift him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and call him nicknames related to his height, all of which gets him a little grumpy and embarrassed.

- still, it's nice to have a gf that big on his side. if someone like sentinel doesn't take him seriously, all she has to do is stand right behind optimus, as if to say, "if you're gonna mess with him, you're messing with me, too," and it's usually enough to get people to knock it off.

- not to mention, as much as he doesn't wanna admit it, optimus likes being the little spoon.

[starsfic]

AITA for calling my SIL a bitch?

For context, I(NB) married my husband(M, who I'll call N) after a while of knowing each other, but a very short romantic relationship. He is the middle child of five, between his sibling (NB, the SL of the title), a brother(M, called K) and then a sister(F, called H) and brother(M/NB, called L).

None of them are related by blood, but all's parents were part of some secret society that decided to murder their children. SIL escaped and managed to save the other four before calling the cops. That's not important. What is important is that they started a company together, and it is quite big. The other three have their own side careers, but SIL and N's life is this company. As a result of that, they are quite close, with N freely admitting that SIL is his favorite sibling.

However, N decided to start his own company, based on a few ideas he had about running the main company. I was one of the first hires, which is how we met. And while it's still fairly young, it is rising rather quickly, to the point that it has stolen some clients from the main.

N has apologized for this, but over the years, there has been a noticeable distance between him and his siblings. N has told me that it felt like this for much longer, with K terrified when N developed a childhood interest of becoming a mortician.

One of the things is a party to celebrate the day that SIL was awarded the adoption of the other four. It is rarely the actual anniversary, but a day close to it, due to everyone's schedules. In recent years, N has felt like he has been deliberately kept from joining, with the party scheduled some time he couldn't make it. I have heard him have to turn it down, and he always sounds so sad, even when SIL offers a private dinner afterwards to celebrate. He keeps a stiff upper lip in public, but I have found him crying in private.

To add more, SIL and I have never really gotten along. N suspects this is because of two things: 1. SIL and I are rather alike, sharing a manipulative streak and a hunger for power(yes I will admit to this) and 2. N is also SIL's favorite. He was the first they saved and SIL raised him from a baby. SIL thus feels a possessiveness over N, to the point to where they actually tried to bribe me into leaving him when we announced our engagement.

Now, this year, I suggested that we have a company party to celebrate the anniversary of our company. N agreed and even suggested that we include a wedding part, since most of the staff couldn't attend our wedding. I agreed.

And then the invitation to the adoption anniversary came and N turned it down, since we will be busy getting things ready for our party, and did so rather quickly becausehe had a meeting to attend. The fact that he sounded happy about it and then just hung up I think threw SIL off, because they called me to understand.

The adoption anniversary party has been scheduled at a time N could make. We would only be looking at a few party venues that morning. I explained, however, that we had made plans that day to work on other things, so we would be busy.

SIL got annoyed and pointed out that it had taken so much lifting to find a time that N could make. I pushed back with the fact. that the effort had not been made before and we ended up having a loud argument about it.

(It was loud enough that security ended up being called because someone on the lower level thought I was being attacked.) There was a lot of accusations thrown at screaming level and I think SIL was actually upset- they don't yell, they think it's a waste of oxygen.

And then I called them a bitch.

Now, I have called SIL a bitch. In private, with just N or his sons and his friend. I have called them a bitch around their own siblings, when they won't tell SIL what I said. I know they call me insults in private as well. However, we have never actually insulted each other in conversation before. It feels like a line.

They went quiet and I think I panicked.

I ended up hanging up and texting N.

By the time we got home, we had been bombarded with calls and texts. The other three had been informed. It was a range of insults towards us and pleadings to please talk, with SIL only trying to reach out twice to N. Once in a text, the second in a voicemail, both rather calm, except in the voicemail, it sounded like they had been crying. Not because of the insult, but of some other stuff I said about their dynamics.

N thinks I responded naturally. He is not the biggest fan of the fact that I insulted them, but he thinks they had it coming, with the party and everything else, even the attempted bribery. As he stated:

"I expect one day that I will open the news to find out that one of you murdered the other and set the entire city on fire to do so." Also, "Yes, of course I would bail you out if you did."

I don't know how to feel.

[lichbarry]

The problem with Odile is that she is much like Siffrin. Sure, she's not very prone to emotional outbursts, but she still has a track record of recklessness that I think goes largely unaddressed? I truly do think she acts on impulse much of the time and either reasons it out later or has enough experience that it happens to pay off. But she's one of the ones that gets excited when she's low health in battle; she'll let her own feelings and concerns go unaddressed unless someone else brings them up first; she admits herself that she'll do anything to protect the people close to her, and we see her do this to a fault.

She is the most literally mature and tends to be the voice of reason/"straight man", but does that equate to mental stability? Rhetorical question-- we know it doesn't, we just played a whole game about that. Moreover, is she actually the most rational among the party, or do we just treat her like she is because she's "the analyst" and is the (second) most reserved? Is it because she's the one that's observant enough to figure Siffrin out? Because that doesn't mean anything. That doesn't equate at all to her own stability or mental regulation.

Odile buries her feelings as much as Siffrin does and the party is largely none the wiser. We are largely none the wiser, because we're exclusively seeing her from an outside perspective, just like how from an outside perspective Siffrin seems a little off but fine. After all they've gone through, we don't have much evidence that she'll actually handle it well. She's handled life-changingly stressful situations so far by keeping a tight leash on any concern or emotion that's not the most pragmatic (save for her phobia or impulse responses like the attack on Bigfrin.) With what we know about her, she's going to try to choke out any lingering fears or negativity on her own private time, which we can't guarantee will go well.

That's why I'm campaigning for the answer to be Bonnie.

We do know how they respond to things. They're emotionally volatile. They're defensive about what hurts them and have angst surrounding their loved ones making sacrifices for them & matters of their independence/agency. They're moody and aggressive... just as much as they are silly, and inquisitive, and more than willing to accept & return the love and support they're given as long as there aren't any misunderstandings.

These are all perfectly typical and even debatably healthy behaviors, considering they're a preteen going through an apocalypse. They are many things, and on some matters they are naive, but they are so emotionally intelligent. They process new information with a fervor, they find their own ways to translate others' experiences into something they can understand and relate to, they largely comfort and let themself be comforted (even if they're gonna be angsty about it.) They have been through so much already even prior to the game, and while there are some things they struggle with that they hide (their concerns over the death talk and everyone- especially Siffrin's- self-sacrifical behaviors), I don't believe we see them hiding anything that was not obscured/miscommunicated to them first. Their anger at the King, their concern over their sister & how much they miss her, their desire to be helpful & contribute, their willingness to admit when they don't know something or when they're intentionally trying to self-soothe (like with the Tear dreaming comment)...

They're taking all of this really well.

And with their support system being around them all the way to Bambouche, and then who knows how far beyond, I think they would continue to take it well. Is there going to be some remaining angst? Some anger, some nightmares, some uncomfortable moments? Yeah. But having negative emotions doesn't make them not mentally stable. They will continue to be as sensible as they can be expected to be, they will continue to speak up when both they or others need help, they will continue to do their best to process what happened in ways they can actually understand.

Bonnie's only "insanity" is being "insanely well-adjusted to world-endingly traumatic circumstances." They're going to come out of this the best of anyone.

[dialalagirl]

Heyy lovley jester 🥰 how do you feel about Physco analyzing Reiji? Mostly because I do not understand him at all 😭

I don't get what his trauma is, why he's such a bitch, why no one blames him for killing Edgar?? Like wtf its literally his fault what do yall mean 😭😭 I mean I know it's supposed to be " He was ignored by his mom and put against Shuu " but I see none of that in his More Blood story?? His background is him popping out the womb with world domination in mind. Like he genuinely confuses me but I also love how messy he is

one psychoanalysis coming right up! on the condition we pretend MB reiji didn't happen because that route was unabashed dogshit, sorry not sorry 💀

I'll admit, butler-bitch-san is not an OBVIOUSLY sympathizable character. to compare (even if you're not the biggest stan), subaru's more readily understandable given that he is the product of rape/incest, one clearly schizoaffective mother, and being isolated from the other siblings in having no full-blooded sibling to relate to and/or share the burden of his troubles. reiji's mother merely ignore him. thus, it would seem as though he got off easy by Sakamaki family standards

BUT. this is where I shall challenge this dismissive narrative presuming we are basing this analysis on HDB. childhood abuse can just as easily manifest as emotional/physical neglect. reiji was not merely dismissed by his mother for 18 years. no, he basically slaved away for likely centuries to reach intellectual/social levels that we couldn't even begin to reach in our lifetimes for a mere ounce of his mother's attention (which typically signals a parent's love, even though I don't necessarily believe this is true in Beatrix's case). meanwhile, shu received it in spades due to something out of reiji's control (i.e., the order of his birth) DESPITE in all other ways failing to meet the standard expected of the eldest

couple the above with the fact that:

DL vamp society places unusually high emphasis on the value of the eldest (case in point, the cordelia/oreo dynamic); AND

his father follows the classic 'just-out-for-ciggies' model of parenting

bro basically is wholly unwanted and unloved

despite this I believe the later games hint at this, he does not necessarily hate shu nor necessarily covets his position, but resents the fact that he has the opportunity to live up to his parents/expectations and is strangely at peace not doing so while he is worst kind of perfectionist, never being satisfied DESPITE trying his damn hardest so relatable, tbh

let's be honest, the sakamaki household is not a fertile ground for breeding the ability to introspect into how, in Reiji's case, having too much attention is just as bad as having none

thus, we have the famous edgar/village burning incident. considering that killing = ultimate expression of love in vamp world, it is reasonable to think that reiji did this out of some misguided love for shu to try to get rid of the reason that he is strangely at peace with defying expectations, so he would be forced to meet them in order to achieve peace. only for that to backfire when shu basically gives up on any semblance of living. all that outward vitriol he displays towards shu I believe is a form of projection, another expression of dissatisfaction towards himself for failing to model shu into the son his parents wanted him--a responsibility key in his supportive role as second son (i.e., shu is not the 'good-for-nothing', he is).

also, I would wager that his desire to acknowledged is such that even the negative kind would do, hence the above (where shu will always be aware that REIJI and REIJI ALONE took away the one thing good about his childhood)

why he ultimately loves yui in HDB is because she is the first person in his life that truly acknowledges and appreciates him, so much so that he becomes more concerned with saving her from her predicament with cordelia than raising his mom from the grave to make her acknowledge him

tldr: bro crumbles at the slightest bit of attention

[doodler16]

I feel super bad because Valentino is a character I really like visually and conceptually but he is such a horrible character.

I love Moths, moths are my favourite insect probably, so a character inspired by moths is already up there for me (I wish Vaggie had a better moth motive tbh) PLUS I love the whole Heart theme he also has going on, I feel like it actually justifies him being red, and the purple makes a really nice analagous color scheeme.

Then there's his POTENTIAL as a villain. Out of all the Vees he is the one who clearly has a more presonal conection to a main character of the cast (Vox and Alastor just have weir beef with eachother, and Velvette has no relation with any of our main cast) and I feel like if he wasn't written like a volatile stupid clown (Cause let's face is in all his scenes he is either super dumb, or super agressive) but more of a suave manipulative person that doesn't inmediatly come across as an abuser but more of a smart manipulator. He could possibly be one of the best antagonists in the show. There are a lot of stuff about him that make me go "Yeah I like this character" but I also feel like I can't say I like him because people will think im a rape apologist, which I'm not. I just like his design and potential, I don't condone his actions at all and obviously Angel doen't deserve to be trapped with him.

It's just the fandom/criticdom is so strict that I feel like the moment you compliment/like Valentino for whatever reason they all jump at you and consider you a rapist by defect. When people don't do this with let's say Alastor, who is ALSO an abuser, yet people never hate on his fans for "Being slave owners" or "having control/powerhungry fantasies" or whatever. I find it very hypocritical and double standarish, if I'm honest.

Yeah, liking Valentino is a double edge sword. If Valentino’s whole personality wasn’t a rapist personified then I’m sure at most or half of the fandom would openly like him. I do see YouTube comments walking on eggshells when it comes to him.

Even I will admit when watching the show with my brain off, Valentino was at least top 5-10 characters I enjoyed. At the end of the day, me personally I don’t care if people like or compliment Valentino. You can obviously like an evil character and still acknowledge they are bad.

Though, there are some people in the standom who are very protective and say very questionable things regarding Valentino which do not help their case. Obviously there are bad actors in the fandom who go way too far.

Valentino is supposed to be a suave manipulator:

💀 But the show doesn’t illustrate that aspect. Season 1 just showed a man-child rapist who complains and beats up his sex slave any chance he gets. He has so much potential. Valentino could’ve been the Slade of the Vees. Getting into the Hazbin Hotel squad’s heads, planting seeds of doubt: especially to Angel Dust. Indirectly cause drama in the hotel, the possibilities are endless.

The difference between Alastor and Valentino is the way they conduct and interact with their slaves. Valentino uses any chance to beat, exploit, rape Angel Dust. Valentino is super aggressive and annoying to deal with. Alastor is also a loser but he has a prim, proper, mysterious reputation to uphold.

Alastor’s interaction with Niffty and Husk are practically nonexistent. When Niffty and Alastor do interact, they are pretty chill so far. Husk and Alastor’s only interaction is in episode 5, where Husk expresses concern about Mimzy to Alastor and brushes Husk off. Alastor teases and mocks Husk similarly to another overlord (wink, wink nudge nudge) does to him. Then Husk exposes Alastor’s ass, causing him to forcibly use the chain and threaten him.

Whether you see Alastor threatening and dragging Husk with chains is abuse is up to you guys. You guys can argue about it. Me personally, I want to wait because Husk, Alastor, and Niffty’s dynamic is so nonexistent that’s hard to put a read on how Alastor treats them especially Husk. The other big difference is that Valentino is rapist and Alastor isn’t.

[mortish-writes]

some reassurances!!! i'm honestly glad you wrote in the zealot route alongside the heretic. i'd argue, from what i've seen, the zealot is pretty popular and she's a breath of fresh air in the genre. as someone personally religious (not christian), its nice to see someone navigate their fate and believe in it, but also come to terms with how it's been abused, revised, etcetera. also, opens the possibility zealot would be into other religions outside the confines of her own, which i find interesting. her also getting an option to hold out until marriage because of her own trauma as a bastard is also juicy and to be fair reflects how some people irl are. it's realistic for people to have misgivings about new arrangements that challenge their beliefs and to still hold onto them, despite revelations, because they decide this aspect at least is still worth keeping,,, zealot mc also has a point bastards won't be treated well and society won't be kind (and she's not hurting someone in choosing not to fornicate until marriage is involved besides the plot). gives her more control of the situation too, as you mentioned, and honestly makes her more proactive. heretic is sweet and deserves a hug, and i do like her, but the biggest reason I find zealot more fun and interesting is because she's punching the plot than just reacting to it like heretic, who's getting the plot's punches (i usually love angst, but imo zealot shapes the plot a bit more than heretic and it works better as an if for me),,, also, her character development will outwardly be more prominent. i can't wait to make her love being a mom and admit she loves these brutes! and that's the other thing too: i prefer her relationship to the guys vs. the heretic's because of taste, especially with valdricht.

so while you probably could've be further along if you just stuck to the heretic, imo it was the zealot who we were first introduced to and made us interested in the game! she still has her fans and i'm really grateful we have more than one way to play the MCs, especially with cult route coming up! sorry, this was long, i just wanted to come and bat for my girl a little bit because she's a big reason i got into the game and i find her more relatable and dynamic.

Wow, I was just about to head to bed and I'm so glad I checked Tumblr first. This is so thoughtful and I really needed to hear this. There's been this invisible gremlin on my shoulder all week grumbling "you could already be on night 10 if you hadn't added another route."

Even though the Heretic route is canon I actually love the Zealot route. I think a lot of times religious characters are written derisively (unless they're like nature worshipers or something) as if they're just mindless sheep. One of the things I really like about the Zealot is that she approaches everything from the framework of her faith, but she's also intelligent and open to learning new things. Far from being mindless, she simply lacks an alternate framework of understanding, and part of her character arc will involve developing that.

At the risk of getting a little too personal, I was raised by a pagan mom in a deeply Christian multi-generational household. Most of my childhood was my mom and my aunt battling for my soul. Weekends were a mix of Bible school and learning to channel energy into crystals. While other kids were playing tag, I'd be sitting in a tree contemplating whether my aunt was crazy or my mom was going to Hell. As an adult, I look back more favorably on my upbringing because it gave me an appreciation for both people of faith and the irreverent folks who give the finger to organized religion.

One of the things I particularly love about the Zealot MC is that her faith gives her the willpower to be more assertive with Valdricht and Serax. She has a better sense of her personal boundaries and she's snarkier even as her former faith is being eroded and replaced with The Weaver's cause. There are also other nuances to her character which I won't spoil, but will reveal how her dedication to her faith made her stronger and more resilient.

At the same time, I love how when the Heretic MC reflects on the same memory as the Zealot, hers is colored with skepticism and a degree of nuance that the Zealot simply isn't capable of. It's clear that she has this deep urge for self-expression and exploration that have been stifled within the confines of the Elodari faith. There's so much potential waiting to burst free when she finally breaks out of that shell.

Anyway, pretty long but it was a really thoughtful message and I'm grateful <3

[quezzzs]

"I don't know. I didn't mean to say that but then he asked if I did want it and then...well you know what else."

"Yeah, a whole blowjob"

"CONNOR-"

Connor tilted his head to the side slightly as he took a sip out of his thirium drink while Nines was trying to quiet down Connor's truthful statement.

"Is that not what happened?" A genuine query left Connor's mouth, stirring his cup with the plastic straw.

Nines had to cover his face for a moment to regroup himself and somewhat cool the heat rush that went to his face. The RK900 sighed as he tried to speak calmly. "Yes, but for the love of rA9 we are in a public space, tone it down."

"Didn't take you for a believer."

"In this case, I'll believe in anything to get your voice box lowered."

In Nines' defense, they were standing outside of one of the few cafés in Detroit that offered safe drinks for androids and bystanders that walked by the conversation did give some weird glances before moving on. Connor rolled his eyes at the reason.

"Listen Nines, first of all this was absolutely unexpected. It's not common for me to hear my predecessor admitting he gave my work frenemy 'head'," Nines' lips thinned more while Connor continued. "For lack of other favorable terms. How else was I suppose to react to the sudden information?"

"That's valid, but you didn't have to scream in the middle of the precinct. I wanted to kill you for that, I hope you know." Nines expressed a bitter pout from the pervious events.

A small smirk formed at the corner of Connor's mouth with the direct threat. "If you wanted to kill me, then why are we here having refreshments instead of fighting?"

"You should stop hanging around with Lieutenant Anderson. You've gathered his talent for a quick mouth."

"I bet Detective Reed thought the same thing for you."

"CONNOR!"

The difference between the two RK models was that Nines takes things too seriously, and although that would've been the same for Connor (pre-deviation), Connor knew when to have his fun.

The RK800 chuckled at how easily flustered Nines could get over some light teasing. "I apologize, I'll refrain from causing further irritation." Nines had never wanted to strangle anyone more than right now.

"Besides all of that, what does that mean for you and Detective Reed?"

Shit. Nines didn't even think about how this would all go down like now.

He really can be stupid, huh?

Nines shifted himself to lean against the bricked wall of the small café behind them, his LED going to yellow. "I am... not sure. I left his apartment when he passed out from exhaustion."

"Damn-"

A sharp turn to the side was all it took for Connor to act like he was looking at something else.

Nines rubbed his temple as he shook his head. "But I do agree that we should talk about eventually. I'd want to get back on track with our murder cases instead of this weird... I don't even know what to call it."

"Situationship?"

"What the hell is a situationship?"

Connor shrugged his shoulders as he finished up his drink and threw it into a nearby trashcan. "You cannot confirm nor deny this odd relation with the detective so I assumed the closest related term for this scenario."

Unfamiliar with the label, Nines did a mental search and had found a few results.

"But we're not romantically involved?"

"Then perhaps 'friends with benefits?'"

"That's... not any better."

══════════════════

"So are you guys having a 'friends with benefits' sort of deal then?"

"Tina, I don't fucking know. It just happened, alright?"

Back at Gavin's apartment, Gavin was making some insta-ramen while Tina laid on his living room couch and browsed through the TV with boredom, trying to get more out of the current topic.

"Gav, he literally sucked your dick. Things don't 'just happen' like that. Don't gotta be shy about it."

A comical irk mark was found at the corner of Gavin's face when he stared at Tina choosing a movie to gossip over. "I'm not fucking shy," He picked up the two instant ramen bowls over to the couch and handed Tina her portion. "It's was a one time thing."

"Bullshit. Drunk actions are sober thoughts."

"It's 'drunk words'"

"Do I care?"

"I should kick you out."

"It's movie night though."

"...I hate you."

"Love you too, bud." Tina patted Gavin's shoulder and prepared herself to start eating.

This gave Gavin some time to think about yesterday night. That damn android.

Nines just had to be perfect at everything.

His work methods.

His manners and formalities.

That mouth of his.

His well maintained haircut.

The slight artificial stubble.

Those grey eyes that gazed up full of need as he sucked on Gavin's-

Gavin really needed to snap out of that before he could think himself down into a rabbit hole of madness. He picked up his bowl and began eating the soft noodles.

"You guys should talk it out though. Don't over complicate shit and get it done. If you wanna fuck and go, no one's stopping you guys, as long as you don't get caught by Fowler."

Mid-swallow, Gavin choked on his ramen when Tina mentioned that last bit. The fact that Nines and Gavin found themself in a sexual entanglement could affect both of their reputations as work partners.

Tina handed a water bottle to Gavin and rubbed his back. "Sorry, but I'm right about that."

The short man chugged half of the water and cleared his throat, wiping his face from any excess. "I know, I get it. I just- Fuck, now I wish I didn't drink."

"Maybe it's not all that bad?"

"How?"

"Well, Nines did say yes when you asked him if he wanted to do that. Think he'd be okay with an 'arrangement'?"

"Tina-"

Before Gavin could interject, Tina set her food onto the coffee table to explain herself.

"Hear me out on this, you haven't had the best luck lately with your love life. Maybe you have some frustrations to let out, and maybe Nines could help you out in that department."

Gavin scoffed at the idea and tried to bring it down.

"No, he wouldn't. You really think he'd waste his time getting down and dirty with me over DPD? He's just as addicted with his job as I am."

"Gavin, it's just a suggestion. Plus, it could probably help sort shit out. You have been acting more bratty lately."

"I have not-"

"Shut up. I don't want to argue about this, but I want you to know so you can try and do something. Now, let's stop talking and start watching White Chicks."

"What-"

"Bear with me."

Gavin rustled his hair and groaned but Tina only ignored his reaction and pressed play onto the movie. He couldn't be mad at her for being right though.

Him and Nines were really a lost cause.

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