#sterner stuff

[reloha]

When Eloise wanted to protect Penelope, she risked her own neck. When Penelope wanted to protect Eloise, she risked Eloise's neck too.

And heart.

Eloise Protecting Pen Vs Pen "Protecting" Eloise. A Contrast.

Both seasons of Bridgerton ends with either Eloise or Penelope "protecting" the other from the queen.

Season 1 ends with Eloise sneaking out from Daphne's ball in order to hinder an attempt to reveal LW. She does so because she thinks that she has convinced LW to take back the damaging stuff she said about Marina and Pen's family. Although she was mistaken as to LW's identity, the fact it was Pen all along did mean she was saved.

So Eloise's motive was to protect Pen, and the outcome was that Pen was protected, and Eloise decided to risk herself in order to protect Pen. She risked the queen's wrath, when she knew the queen was determined to unveil LW. None of this mattered. She wanted to help her friend and this was the way to do it.

When Pen decided to "protect" Eloise, she did so by taking information given to her in trust, exposing it to the entire world in the most inflammatory terms possible, and then played the victim when Eloise found out.

Penelope did this instead of coming forward as LW, having dismissed the suggestion out of hand on the flimsy reasoning that the Queen "might not believe her", even though Pen has accomplices to back her up.

She does this instead of writing favourable things about the Queen, because she doesn't want to change what she writes to protect her friend. She does this instead of telling Eloise so she and Eloise can make a plan together, because she doesn't want Eloise to know about LW, possibly because she's scared of Eloise "taking over".

All of this Penelope prioritised avoiding over not causing Eloise pain.

When Eloise wanted to protect Penelope, she risked her own neck. When Penelope wanted to protect Eloise, she risked Eloise's neck too.

[makemeimmortalwithahug]

honestly, I have so much respect for Edwin for going through with his confession. Because if I had been ripped away from the love of my (after)life at the moment I want to pour my heart out to them right back into Hell, relived my seventy years worth of trauma and then escaped with the love of my (after)life, I'd probably be so emotionally drained, I wouldn't even be able to answer a simple yes or no question, much less cONFESS to my absolute favourite person my UNDYING love for them

I'd be lying down, waiting for the rain to wash me away and make me feel like a person again

[lets-try-some-writing]

How do you think the bots and cons will recast learning how humans give birth

Oh good gracious this is going to be so very fun to write.

Human Birth

The bots were well aware that humans reproduced biologically and gestated their young within their bodies. That much they knew. And Ratchet had been made aware of some of the complexities of human gestation and... reproduction after flipping out after Miko's period started in base. However most of the finer details of the human birthing process were not known to them. And since it had no real bearing on their mission on earth, none of the team every really bothered to ask about it.

But eventually curiosity led one thing to another and a few months after Smokescreen's arrival and upon having nothing better to do, he couldn't help but ask.

Smokescreen: So you humans have this weird mark on your abdomen. What is it? I've seen it when you stretch sometimes.

Jack: Ah, that's what we call a bellybutton.

Smokescreen: Alright, so what is it?

Rafael: It's a bunch of scar tissue that covers up where we were attached to our mothers during our development.

Smokescreen: So you were attached to your carrier by a chord of sorts?

Miko: Yep, and when we are born it gets cut so that it doesn't hurt us during or after the birth.

Smokescreen: Interesting, but how do you humans get out of your carrier once you finish developing? Your females don't seem to have a hatch or anything.

Jack: About that...

Hearing the conversation the team began to start gathering around. Optimus lingered a ways back, Arcee and Bulkhead went about their duties pretending to not be interested, Bumblebee turned down the volume on his video game to listen, and Ratchet paused in his efforts to hear what was said. The children noted this but did not comment as June made her appearance to teach Smokescreen about the process that is human childbirth.

First she made the bots aware of the process involved in the production of offspring which earned her a few odd looks but beyond that no real signs of disgust. The bots were not exactly enamored with the process, but they understood the concept of materials needing to come from the Sire to assist in the gestation of the young within the Carrier.

Ratchet found it odd that Carriers were left so wildly unprotected during the later stages of their gestation, not having any armor to guard the vital place where her young developed. Optimus seemed more concerned over the fact that the process of starting the gestation process was so unreliable. On Cybertron if a bot wanted offspring they would go to the well and collect a newspark, but the human method seemed littered with uncertainty and it bothered him. Arcee and Bulkhead were left a little weirded out by the idea of intercourse as a whole but accepted it as a quirk of organics. Bumblebee and Smokescreen however were more interested in how the human infant got out of the Carrier rather than how it got in.

Seeing this June continued, sending the children away and pulling up a video of childbirth used for educational purposes. She expected the bots to take it as apathetically as they had accepted the knowledge of how human children are conceived.

She was wrong.

Smokescreen purged the moment the birthing process began, falling to the ground and unable to stop himself from clearing his tanks in response to the horrifying sight. Bumblebee crushed his video game controller in terror as he watched the human woman in the video be practically split in half. He would have purged too if it weren't for the fact that Optimus hastily covered his optics and audio receptors moments after the video began. Bulkhead however was not as fortunate and booked it out of the room to purge slightly more eloquently the second the baby's head started to come through.

Arcee didn't move and just watched in increasing horror as blood and fluid and all other things she had learned were vital to humans came out with the infant. Ratchet died a little more inside as he observed, taking notes but growing increasingly more terrified with the whole thing, especially when the baby finally came out and looked like a deformed slug. At the same time Optimus kept Bumblebee from watching while still observing himself. The Matrix and his archivist coding urged him to collect the data, but even he felt his tanks churn enough that he was forced to activate his battlemask and rely on the Matrix to dull his increasing disgust and concern.

When the video was over the bots that remained in the room were rather shaky, all of them remaining silent as June packed up and then called out into the base.

June: So that was human birth. Any questions?

The team: ....

Ratchet: How is your species not extinct?

The team were absolutely shook. Discussion of human birthing processes was silently outlawed and the team gained a deep and newfound respect for any and all females.

The male humans may be the strong ones who provide for and protect their mates, (an important role all the same) but the females tear themselves to pieces just to produce one screaming and dependent human infant who will rely on her for nearly two decades. Not only that but every single month they suffer pains and bleed everywhere when they don't go through what appeared to be the hellish experience of producing offspring. Miko suddenly found herself with a lot more sympathy and understanding the next time her period came.

As for the Decepticons? They learned about the human birthing process by accident.

Soundwave was having a grand old time scrolling the internet searching for valuable data on humans when he found videos of the human birthing process. He has never been particularly squeamish, but after reviewing the whole video he vowed to never do so again and sent a copy of it to everyone else of note on the nemesis as payback of sorts.

Knockout lost his scrap at seeing what humans go through to spawn more of themselves. Disgust took precedence above all else and he swore off touching the females whenever possible since obviously they had to be deathworlder monsters to survive that process. Breakdown and Dreadwing despite being both powerful and experienced soldiers felt queasy just watching and the former ended up purging later when recalling the video after refueling. Starscream straight up threw his datapad at the wall upon looking at the video for 0.2 seconds. He is still haunted by the sights he saw.

Shockwave was fascinated by the process more than anything else but found it ultimately a very flawed procedure. What species would willingly tear themselves apart just to birth a singular and largely useless organism? As for Megatron? He watched the whole video through with increasing horror before putting it away and banning the viewing of the video without a second thought. Disgusting and surprisingly resilient organics both awed and terrified him.

[thechloris]

Love the latest Bridgerton sneak peek! (the first few minutes)

We have:

Penelope - who's life was just turned upside down and could really have used a chance to spend 5 minutes in a quiet room breathing.

Colin - who burst in and shouted out his engagement to the room while also being so soft and caring with Pen. Loved how he led her in and then the proud look he gave her just before he announced it.

Eloise - who is wondering how she missed so much about Pen and who still hasn't learned how to do an inside voice. I'm thinking she was more in denial than blind about Polin over the past few weeks, but I'm real surprised everyone didn't hear her shouting about Lady Whistledown.

The Rest of the Family - who are happy and hugging the stuffing out of Penelope. So cute, especially Hyacinth.

And Penelope again - who is crying as she writes up her engagement, fearing everything will be torn away from her once Colin finds out.

[vaguely-concerned]

there's something darkly funny about how desensitized you become to your own mental illness once it's gone on long enough. you really do find yourself in all earnestness thinking shit like 'why am I so tired, I only sobbed my guts out for an hour today'

[annabelle--cane]

mad respect to anyone submitting their stuff to the tma fanfic showcase. one time I sent a friend a link to my fic because they asked for a link to the fic so they could read the fic and they mentioned to me in real life they they had read the fic (because I sent a link because they asked) and I almost entered cardiac arrest. you all are stronger than three of me combined.

[thanflowers]

me when ppl are mean to elspeth: you kick miette? you kick miette like football?

els: pls stop……

[certifiedcoffeeaddict]

going absolutely feral over julius caesar by shakespeare

[anotherhumanpet]

He's lived through these kind of flu bugs before. Miserably, but still he lived. So he and the toilet right now? Best friends and cuddle buddies until he either dies or stops needing it. One of the two options will happen sooner or later.

[sukimas]

there are many useful sorts of mimicry out there but there are some that even i will not stoop to

[ancientrimer]

can you believe that patrick brontë had six children and managed to survive every single one of them, despite charlotte almost making it to middle age

[cto10121]

French Romeo *in the climax, high-ass note, emphatic, no fucks given, GOAT*: WITHOOOOOUT HER, I AM NOOOOOOOTHIIIIIIIIIIIIIING

London Romeo *end of the song, literally last minute, sprinting and throwing this hastily over his shoulder like a live grenade*: Withoutherimnothing!!!

[brainmilkshakes]

When they just rode beast mode, transistors are fried, crankshaft busted, radiator's burnt capacitors in flux and out of energon. But you don't got work tomorrow, making trouble for the crypto-fascist anti-union autocliq, so you're up for round seven.

[madamairlock]

It’s been a week of black coffee (happily channeling Kathryn Janeway), but can I just say…. How did this woman not have more medical issues? All coffee, no food, and she wasn’t dying on the bridge?

[otherworldseekers]

Me: *has several asks and prompts decomposing in her inbox*

Also me: I think I’ll do two different prompt months at the same time!

[apothekosm]

💐🌷spread the love to the people you’re glad you’ve found in this corner of the internet 💐🌷 i can't come up with anything witty like you, but just know that i am forever grateful for your presence, truly. i feel sad for anyone who doesn't follow your greatness 💖

Oh? You've caught me off guard. I didn't realize you'd be stopping by today, Tania, I would've been... uh, working on something else. Do you want a cup of tea, or something? Or?