#ugh we're in another cycle of

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

when a new Blorbo drops and all the girlies go gaga, you'll forever find me scratching my head in disbelief because I can't comprehend any other Blobo but Stephen Strange

[slightly-knot-insane]

Hi! Are you still taking orders or something? If so, I have an idea for you~ For example, a werewolf × a Fox!the reader is like enemies-lovers. Where we tease him all the time, and it really annoys him, ho-ho~

I was listening to a song when I got the inspo for this. It's in Croatian, by a band called Tutti Frutti, and the lyrics go like this (my translation):

Kao srna gonjena preko snijega duboka (Like a pursued doe in the deep snow) Iza moga ramena skloni se od lovaca (Hide from hunters behind my shoulder) S oba oka sklopljena (With both of your eyes closed)

Thank you for the ask! This fic got a bit long so I'll split it in two, I apologize ^^'

Don't You Dare! (part 1)

Monstertober 2024 - day 13 [ Mating / Hunting season ] by @/ozzgin

[ m!werewolf x fox hybrid fem!reader ]

You two grew up together. Since your clans have lived next to each other peacefully sharing a vast forest for many years, that wasn't so unusual. You and Ash were friends when you were kids, but he was too shy and aloof for your teen tastes, and you slowly grew distant.

Today, for the first time, you were tasked of guarding the eastern part of the forest. The hunting season began just a few days ago.

"Ugh, you're so booooring," you complain. "Let's at least play a game."

"We're supposed to be watchful," he retorts.

"You know hunters never come this far so early. It will be a peaceful evening, I just know it. Come on, Ash, truth or dare?" The werewolf huffs and keeps walking in front of you. How dares he ignore you! You take your staff and smack his ass.

Ash jumps from shock and swings his strong arm, ready to strike. With a swift leap backward, you escape him, giggling. When he realizes it was only you teasing him, he growls. He is kinda cute when he's angry. "Don't do that! I could've..."

"What? You're too big and slow for me. Truth or dare, Ash? I'll slap your cute ass until you accept."

His werewolf ears fall behind and he awkwardly rubs the back of his head. With another huff, he continues walking. "Uhh... Truth?"

"Have you ever orally pleased someone?"

He trips and turns toward you in shock. "That's a really private question!"

"That's the game, pup, you know the rules." You loved calling him pup because he was three years younger than you and everyone knows werewolves mature slower than fox hybrids.

He scowls at you but answers, as quietly as he could: "Yes..."

"Oh you're a big man now! Good job, pup, I'm glad you know how to please your partners." He shakes his head and continues walking, faster than before. You run after him. "I choose dare!" You're sure he heard you, but he was quiet for quite a while before asking his question.

"I dare you to—" but he suddenly stops and sniffs the wind. He looks at you and and swallows hard. "D-do you know you're... you're about to..."

Why is he so uncomfortable all of a sudden? "Ash, speak up, I can't hear you!" you shout, impatiently dragging your fox tail across the ground. But the silly big pup in front of you continues being awkward. You can sense he is blushing, even though you can't see that on his canine face. "ASH!"

A rifle blast shuts you up, and a bullet flies dangerously near Ash's face. Hunters!

Instinct immediately kicks in and you start running. You are faster than Ash, but you would never leave him behind. Hunters are apparently too far away because they don't shoot again. Still, your heart is racing, fear and excitement electrifying your blood and also... also...

Oh no.

Your cycle. You're in heat! It's still early and you can focus on other things, but... You need to get to a safe place, quickly.

"Ash, I'm—"

"I know," he immediately replies, checking your surroundings. "There is a waterfall not far from here. The water will hide us and our tracks."

You change direction and very soon you hear the rushing in the bottom of a ravine. Of course, you and Ash have no problem getting down safely and you jump into the shallow stream. It is cold and fast, but walking upstream will confuse your pursuers. Also, you need to warn your clans as soon as possible. Yes, you need to focus on that. Only that. Not on how tall Ash is or how good he smells. Or how you always thought he was smart and sweet. And how you saw him swimming once. Or how you wanted to push your finger into his sheath and see what's inside. Or how... shit.

Your pussy started aching, itching, pulsating from need. You had to press it, rub it, stimulate it somehow or you'll go mad. You squeeze your thighs together, pushing your fist against your entrance, with a weak whimper - and you trip, almost dropping your staff. "Fuck, Ash. I can't hold it."

Ash stops but doesn't help you - he hasn't said a single word the entire time or looked at you. And he was constantly trying to walk upwind from you. "Do it quickly and we'll continue. I'll... keep watch."

That idiot pup. "Ash..." Your voice got a note of urgency. "Don't make me beg."

His ears perk up and he stares at you all big eyed, looking like a virgin doe-eyed buck. You roll your eyes, irritated. "Just my luck - I'm horny as a rabbit, and stuck between rifles and a cherry boy. Maybe rifles will give me..."

You are interrupted by a hand grabbing your throat. The other palm is on your ass squeezing it like a sponge. Ash is in your face, snout almost touching your nose. He is quietly growling, but you feel that tremble in your core.

"You chose dare, didn't you?" he asks you. His palm slides from your ass, follows the roundness of your hips and cups your mound. The tip of his finger immediately finds your aching clit. You gasp. "I dare you not to scream when you cum with my knot inside you."

[ part 2 ]

[dewdropdinosaur]

Bound to Break Boundaries

HUSK X READER Summary: Y/N is the Hotel's desk clerk but in reality the unofficaly therapy friend. But even therapy friends need therapy so what happens when Y/N gets fed up? Warnings: Mentions of therapy and alcohol. Rating-PG For the amazing @gxstiess Also part inspired by @irkimatsu blurbs which I adore 😅 Requests Open - See Masterlist for Details

In the heart of Hell, the Hazbin Hotel stood as a beacon of hope for the damned. Within its eccentric and chaotic walls, there was one individual everyone turned to when their sins and sorrows weighed too heavily: Y/N, the hotel's front desk clerk but in reality the unofficial therapist. Her room, cluttered with mismatched furniture and flickering candles, was a sanctuary where demons came to unload their burdens.

Every day, Y/N listened to the rants of the hotel's inhabitants. The hotel's ragtag group of residents had come to see her as a beacon of calm and understanding amidst their endless turmoil. Every day, demons and lost souls would seek her out, eager to unload their problems and frustrations. Whether it was Angel Dust's relentless complaints about his latest escapades or Alastor's cryptic musings, Y/N listened with unwavering patience, offering advice and a compassionate ear.

Yet, as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, the weight of everyone else's problems began to take its toll on Y/N. She was always there for them, always ready to help, but no one ever seemed to notice when she was struggling. The endless cycle of listening and advising started to wear her down, chipping away at her own sense of well-being. A day will typically contain the following: 

Angel Dust comes bursting into the room, dramatically throwing himself onto a couch. "Y/N! You would not believe the day I've had! That slimeball Valentino tried to mess with one of my gigs again. Ugh, he just can't leave me alone!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, Angel. What happened this time?"

"He sent one of his goons to 'remind' me who I belong to. Can you believe that? I told him where he could stick his reminders, but it's getting exhausting."

"I know it's tough dealing with him. Have you thought about what boundaries you can set or how you can stay out of his way more?"

"Boundaries? In Hell? Ha! You're a real optimist, Y/N."

Or something like this: 

"Y/N, I'm really struggling to keep everyone's spirits up. I just want to help everyone find a better path, but sometimes it feels like no matter what I do, it's not enough. Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" Charlie cries into one of the soft pillows Y/N keeps on the “therpay” couch. 

"Charlie, you have such a big heart and you're doing your best. It's natural to feel overwhelmed sometimes, especially with a task as monumental as this."

"Thanks, Y/N. It's just hard to keep going when it feels like we're making so little progress."

"Small steps can lead to big changes. Don't lose hope."

Or like this: 

“Y/N, I can't stand it anymore! Alastor is driving me up the wall with his constant meddling. How am I supposed to keep things under control with him always undermining me?"

"That sounds really difficult, Vaggie. Have you tried talking to him directly about how you feel?"

"I have, but he just laughs it off or turns it into some twisted joke. It's infuriating!” 

"Mybe we can come up with a different strategy together. You shouldn’t have to handle it alone."

One evening, as the sky burned a deeper crimson and the hotel hummed with restless energy, Y/N found herself overwhelmed. Vaggie had stormed into her room, venting about Charlie's latest overly optimistic scheme. Before she could even catch her breath, Niffty appeared, anxiously rambling about a mess she couldn’t clean up. When Angel Dust burst in, dramatically recounting another altercation, Y/N felt her patience snap.

“I can’t take this anymore!” she finally exclaimed, her voice shaking. “I’m not a bottomless pit for everyone’s problems. I need a break!”

There had always been one person in the hotel who never seemed to darken Y/N’s doorstep or in this case, therapy couch. Husk tended to keep to himself, serving also as a pseudo therapist for the more alcholically inclined patrons of the Hotel. Maybe he could offer some advice, because he never seemed to tire of other’s issues at least that s how it seemed to Y/N. 

"I told you, kid, I ain't interested in your therapy sessions. But if you must know, the bar's been low on stock, and running this joint is a pain in the tail. Happy?"

"I understand, Husk. Running the bar is a lot of responsibility, and it sounds like you're dealing with a lot of stress."

"Shut up with the therapy crap. Just gotta keep pouring the drinks and hope for the best."

With a sigh and a deep sip of a glass of some strange amber liquid she didn’t bother asking the name of, Y/N softly spoke up. 

"Husk, I don't know how much more of this I can take. Everyone just keeps unloading on me, and it feels like no one even notices that I might need a break too."

"You've been everyone's rock for so long, kid. It's okay to need a break yourself."

"But who am I supposed to talk to when I’m the one feeling down?"

He poured himself a drink and took a sip, his gaze thoughtful. “You’re a good kid, Y/N. Too good for this place sometimes. But even good people need to look after themselves. Otherwise, you’ll just end up as broken as the rest of us. I ain’t too good at the advice part but I am here to listen if you need it kid.”

The unexpected comfort in Husk’s words brought a lump to Y/N’s throat. She hadn’t realized how much she needed someone to tell her it was okay to take care of herself. “Thanks, Husk. I really needed to hear that.”

He gave a gruff nod. “Anytime, kid. Now, drink up and take a damn break. Let someone else handle the chaos for a while.”

Y/N smiled, a genuine, relieved smile, and raised her glass. “To boundaries and breaks.”

Husk clinked his glass against hers. “To keeping our sanity, one drink at a time.”

As she took a sip, she felt the weight on her shoulders lighten, just a little. For tonight, at least, she could breathe easier, knowing she wasn’t alone in this hellish hotel. And maybe, just maybe, she could find the strength to set her own limits and reclaim a bit of peace amid the chaos.

[corruptedcaps]

Eco Warrior

I can't believe the nerve of those corporate jerks! All we were doing was peacefully protesting their evil company and they threw this gross sticky chemical stuff all over me! I should wash it off but I need the evidence for when I go to the cops tomorrow. It's infuriating how they think they can just silence us like that. But you know what? This won't stop me. I'll fight even harder now. We're in this together, and we're going to make sure they're held accountable for the damage they've done to people and the environment.

Change of plans with going to the cops, I woke up to find the chemicals had soaked into my skin. They haven’t left any evidence in me. I guess I should be thankfully. Although I think they may have contributed to this tan I have now. But that's not the point right now. I need to focus on getting to the new protest today. We can't let their tactics deter us. We have to keep standing up against their injustices and fighting for what's right. Let's get out there and make our voices heard again.

You won't believe how well the protest went today. Our voices were louder than ever, and it felt like a turning point. But here's the craziest part – those corporate guys actually came over to apologize for splashing me with chemicals! Can you believe that? They said it was a mistake and that they want to make amends. They even offered me a role as a protest liaison within their company. It's wild, right? I'm torn though. Part of me wants to take the chance to make change from the inside, but another part worries it might just be a ploy. What do you think babe?

So, I just got back from my first day as a protest liaison, and I'm kind of surprised. The corporation is actually really nice, and they went out of their way to make me feel welcome. They even gave me a bunch of free makeup, creams, and lotions to try, as a way to show their products aren't harmful. I've already put some on, and I have to admit, they feel pretty good. They make my body tingle all over, especially my boobs. Bigger? No I don’t so. It's probably just the outfit I'm wearing today. I think you just like what you see, mmmm come closer baby.

It's frustrating to deal with some of my protestor friends calling me a scab and a corporate shill just because I'm working with the corporation now. I have no sympathy for their attitude. If they can't see that I'm trying to make a positive change from within, then that's their problem. Honestly, it feels like jealousy more than anything. I mean, the corporation even gave me a raise already and has let me use all their products for free. That must mean I'm doing something they value. Plus I’m sure it doesn’t help that I look so much better then them now as well. The company’s products really are like magic. Mmmm all this talk of how good I look I’d getting me in the mood, take off your pants.

Like my new car? My company bought it for me for doing such a good job. Protest liaison? No they’ve moved me into marketing and sales where I’m excelling. It helps that I’m a walking billboard for them. As for the protest, honestly, I don't really care about it anymore. Things change, priorities shift. This is where I am now, and I've got better things to focus on than those who still think shouting on the streets will make a difference. It's all about playing the game right, and clearly, I'm winning. So, if you'll excuse me, I've got more important matters to attend to than the past.

Ugh, those protestors are getting on my nerves. Yesterday, they nearly ruined my new fur coat as I was walking into work. Can you believe their audacity? Pathetic losers, the lot of them. I need to find some muscle to deal with them, get them out of my way once and for all. It's like they're stuck in a never-ending cycle of futile resistance. Well, I won't let them stand in my way or mess with what I've built. I am vice president now after all, I deserve respect. Time to take control and show them the real power of influence.

Oh, look at you now. Splashing you with those chemicals did wonders, didn't it? Just like they did to me. Of course at first I had no idea the chemicals were changing me into the mega bitch you see before you but once I realized what my companies products were doing to me, I couldn’t get enough. It’s so hawt to see the concentrated formula change you so quickly. You've become quite the imposing figure, muscular and mean. It's good to see loyalty in action. From now on, you're my enforcer. Those protestors won't stand a chance with you by my side. Let's make sure they understand that challenging me comes at a price. Together, we'll show them what happens when they fuck with me.

You know what? It turns out, it was a much better plan to turn those protestors into my new executive board. All it took was a little splash of those chemicals, and their loyalty was sealed. With them backing me, it was easy to ascended to the position of CEO. Funny how things work out, isn't it? They thought they were fighting against me, but now they're working for me. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes, the best way to bring about change is from the inside. And now, I've got the influence and control I've always wanted. Make less products? No dear we’re doubling our output now, I want an army.

[flowerslut]

Haha despite not having posted in 10 years, my blog shows my teenage angsty self so perfectly i will never delete it :) I have a question if its alright, one of the things I love is the way you've written the relationship between Rosalie and Jasper. I always felt they must be close and Rosalie wouldn't share her human last name with him if they weren't. However they both had a very different violent past and i imagine it being difficult at the beginning. How do you think they bonded?

THE PERFECT TIME CAPSULE BLOG I love to see it thank you for preserving such vital history 🤝

I'm so happy you asked this because I answered this pretty thoroughly a few months ago here in this ask. but I love that you ask it in reference to their starkly "different violent" pasts, because like yes!!!!! they're on opposite ends of the spectrum there! sure they both have 'fucked up' backstories, but in this case Pretzels is Not The Same and I looooove zeroing in on this to add another layer of "rosalie was definitely not okay with their arrival NOR SHOULD SHE HAVE BEEN! *gestures to jasper's Everything*"

rosalie was a victim of a horrific crime who was changed via carlisle to save her life. jasper was very much not a victim at the time that maria found him and was changed as a form of recruitment for a very different army in a very different war. now of course there are arguments to be made about jasper being a victim in this circumstance, and while there is nuance to it (after all, what would drive a 16 year old to run away from home in the 1860s to join a brutal, deadly war that they'd probably end up dying in if they stuck with it?) I typically have to disagree when people like to try and pass jasper off as this innocent little baby Who Knew Nothing Better 🙄. but I digress, this isn't about jasper. this is about rosalie's and jasper's contrasting starts to immortality which I find so interesting

I love rosalie and jasper's relationship for sooo many reasons and this completely different start to 'life' is a big one! rosalie was a victim of intimate partner violence who was changed into a superpowered bloodthirsty immortal vampire. after this she sought revenge, killed her killers but did it without spilling their blood, reclaiming some measure of power despite now existing in this life she never wanted and pretty goddamn miserable because of it. jasper was a perpetrator of violence even before he gained immortality (even without "seeing any real battle" or whatever bs line they gave him in the movie) which only escalated when maria found him and he was gifted with his own superpowered bloodthirsty vampirism. then, surprise! his has an extra superpower! which helps him to control this army and continue this cycle of violence, but slowly it begins to wear on his mental state until this "monster of the grisliest kind" becomes a depressed meandering nomad destined for suicide if we're being real here

again, I won't get into it too far or this answer could be another 1k+ words long, but even in eclipse, jasper doesn't try to dodge responsibility or moralize when he's telling bella his story, he just tells it as it is. (which I've said before but I adore as a character choice. it makes him so much less bastard-man-coded than edward because of it. and thank GOD 💀) but I find it so so so interesting that the two cullens (hales) that bella has less of a grip on are the ones who come from such violent backgrounds! but! on different ends!! of this spectrum of violence!!! it makes it that much more meaningful to me when you see them take each other's sides in midnight sun, as they seem to acknowledge that if someone's gotta make the tough choices, it'll be them 🤩 ugh I just love them so much, yknow?

[cloudyzeusy]

I Hate Silence ||

pairings: jay jo X owen knight

genre: smut

warnings: A/B/O, knot

Jay Jo was a silent character so nonchalant so it was a surprise he gets as much fans as he does. Especially when his boyfriend Owen was the exact opposite outgoing, bossy and a absoloute flirt.

That silence pissed his boyfriend off to no end. It was cute in their day to day but during sex was too annoying.

Jay always seemed to muffle his moans as if he was ashamed of people hearing him.

Owen for the sake of his Alpha's pride had to put a stop to it. He had never encountered an omega who wasn't vocal during sex but then again Jay isn't a normal omega.

"C'mon Jay follow me." Owen said gesturing to his black sleek car as they stood outside of the gates of their school.

"I can cycle I brought my bike after all." He replied.

"Omega." Owen stated raising his eyebrow daring Jay to complain and he didn't well more like he couldn't. So without much verbal fuss, except a few mumbles of words he wouldn't be brave enough to say to Owen's face, he got in.

"Here." Owen gave jay his favourite wasabi flavoured treat trying to appease him. He pouted but took it he wasn't a fan of being omega'd on at all well maybe during sex but he would die before he confessed that. "We're going to my apartment, okay?"

"Fine." Jay muttered not like he had an actual place at home with his mom.

“Come on lets go.” Owen grinned as they reached the apartment.

As they both made their way upstairs and entered their apartment Owen connected their lips together lifting Jay up by his ass carrying him to their bedroom. Their kiss was sloppy but passionate and Owen took control of it they separated for air. Leading Owen to kiss down Jay’s neck leaving hickeys making him moan out loud.

Jay got down and sat on their bed watching through hooded eyes as Owen undressed following suit they tossed their clothes onto the floor and embraced once again. They both smiled before they kissed it had been a long time since they had some alone time. Especially with how busy Jay has been with Mockingbird practice.

As they kissed Owen’s hands wandered their way to Jay’s hole which leaked slick. “Mphnf Ow-Owen what are you doing.” His hands trying to stop Owen’s in their track which as you might have guessed did nothing.

“Jay come on has it been that long you don’t you play with yourself.” Owen teased with one hand he grabbed Jay’s struggling ones and with the other he slowly began fingering Jay. Owen watched Jay’s face morph from indignation to pleasure, so he added two more fingers stretching Jay open in preparation for his cock.

“Alpha~ ple-plase stop im gonna cum ugh.” Jay whined desperately trying to move away from the probing fingers that repeatedly hit his prostate Owen just smirked pressing kisses and bites against jay’s skin.

“Let go okay can you do that for me omega~?” Owen grinned not stopping the pace he put a hand around jay’s throbbing cock jerking him off the stimulation felt too good making Jay reach his climax.

Owen reached down lining up his cock to the slick filled hole pushing in immediately envolped by wet heat. He groaned as he began thrusting in jay just felt that good. Jay just moaned and drooled as he was used as a sex toy for his Alpha’s needs. Owen marked up Jay’s neck laying his claim over him again.

Jay tried to move away needing to catch his breath as he got his voice fucked out of him but owen just brought him right back onto his dick. Owen groaned at the sight below him “You gonna cum again princess?” Owen growled locking eyes with him Jay nodded quickly.

“Ye-yes.” He stumbled over his words feeling his stomach clench as his dick leaked he came hard panting and Owen was not that far behind. As Jay felt Owen’s knot form inside him as it expanded fully he felt his cum filling him up. Owen collapsed on top of him as they waited for his knot to go down.

And if they went for another round I guess you would never know.

No matter how many times Jay’s friends saw Jay and Owen together it was always weird to see the nonchalant Jay being pampered and teased by Owen and blushing!?.

So, when they saw an embarrassed Jay walking into class with Owen behind them looking smug as hell they could guess what the Alpha and Omega pair did the day before. Especially when Jay came closer, and they could spot all the marks and lovebites and smell Owen all over him.

What made it stranger was to see them acting like a married couple – Jay sitting on Owen’s lap, their bickering, and they had matching lockscreens. But hey they were happy to see their cold hearted omega in love~

[silverynight]

Okay, but what if Tanjirou knew everyone had a crush on him? Like he doesn't say anything because he doesn't want to make anyone uncomfortable, and he also thinks it's just a "phase" (it is not), but he knows most everyone that likes him as more than a friend. He can smell it, as well as see it. His mom also used to warn him about how much attraction he gets within the village, and she told him it would happen anywhere. He didn't believe her, but this wouldn't be the first time his mom was correct. So, naturally, he knows the Hashira love him. But, once again, he doesn't want to call anyone out or anything. Until one day a slayer is asking for his help, shy and timid, while another is straight up flirting with him. He's very respectful, but the Hashira are a bit irritated.

"Ugh! I can't stand them!" Sanemi growls, picking at a scar on his arm.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Tanjirou questions after they leave, frowning at the displeased looks on the pillars faces.

"They're all over you. Pathetic." Iguro mumbles, Kaburamaru hissing.

Tanjirou tilts his head. Shinobu sighs, a fond smile on her face. "They obviously have a crush on you Tanjirou." She shrugs, expecting him to deny it. They don't usually straight up tell him, but she couldn't help herself. But, Tanjirou laughs shyly.

"Ah....I know" he says embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck. The Hashira are silent. Then-

"You know?" Giyu says, eyes wide. Tanjirou nods, a blush on his face.

"Yeah...not to sound conceded, but I know everyone who has a crush on me....it was like that back in our village too." He smiles sweetly, hands coming together in front of him. "I just never say anything because it's not my place. If anyone feels they want to address me about it, I'd be glad to talk about their feelings! No one ever does completely though, so I leave it be." He shrugs. Each pillar is red, staring with the obvious thought cycle- HE KNOWS?!

The Pillars just stare at him in silence while their minds are full of chaos, they're panicking because they don't know what to do. Should they talk about it? He knows it, but he just told them he's not going to bring it up or acknowledge it...

"You know about us?" Finally, Giyuu blurts it out.

Tanjirou nods, smiling at them.

"I know you have a crush on me, but it'll probably pass..."

"No," Shinobu cuts him off, surprising him.

"We're in love with you!" Kyojuro tells him, prompting him to turn completely red.

"In l-love? But... I thought, I mean I'm a no–"

"You're what?" Sanemi almost growls. "If you're going to say something like you're a nobody I'll bite you, Tanjirou."

"You're amazing, darling!" Mitsuri sighs dreamily. "And kind and sweet and–"

"Please!" Tanjirou giggles, cheeks turning pink again. Part of him doesn't believe it, but they look so sure...

"Now that you know how we feel," Obanai cuts in. "And you know it's not just a crush. What do you think?"

"Would you give us a chance?" Muichiro asks, hopeful.

"You don't have to, Tanjirou..." Gyomei assures him, stroking the boy's cheek. "We'll still be friends even if you don't feel the same."

Tanjirou covers his face with both hands before taking a deep breath and looking back at them.

"You mean... like... dating all of you at once?"

"I don't see a problem with that," Tengen grins before winking at Tanjirou.

"O-Okay... I'd like that."

[triptychcryptid]

Kings of Gravity Falls AU:

Sherman buys a couple of video game consoles and games for the kids to keep at Stan's, and he also REALLY wanted to see his brothers struggle with modern video games.

Dipper and Mable are doing DDR in the living room, Sherman sitting on the couch, watching while he's on his second beer (it's the weekend and he's been dealing with his now-13-year-old gremlin brothers, AND his own grandchildren. HE. NEEDS. THIS.) Their set ends and Mabel gets a B on hard while Dipper gets a C on basic for their last song.

"Yes! Suck it, Dip Dip! Alpha Twin! Alpha Twin!"

"Ugh, why are you so good at this?" Dipper says, punching her in the arm to get her to stop.

" Because I'm the ALPHA TWIN!" Mabel yells, punching Dipper back. Sherman chuckles as he takes another swig of his beer.

"We were summoned by the dulcet sounds of Sibling Rivalry." Stan says as he and Ford walk in. Stan turns to the TV. "What's this? Some sort of Video-whatsamajig?"

"It's Dance Dance Revolution, Grunkle Stan! My favorite game ever!" Mabel exclaims excitedly.

"Huh. Intriguing. How do you play?" Ford asks, watching the screen and rubbing his chin with a finger. The Mystery Twins explain the game and do a round to show them.

"You wanna try?" Dipper asks. He would pay $1,000 to see two old men in teenage bodies try playing DDR.

"I don't see why not! Ain't like we're gonna bust our knees or anything now! Waddya say, Sixer?" Stan elbows him in the ribs.

"Yes, this looks quite fun! I'd like to try." Dipper and Mabel get them set up on Beginner and tell Stan to pick the first song. He cycles through a few, then selects one. The first song goes...about as well as you'd expect. They have trouble keeping up and keep returning to center after every move, which makes them miss arrows. But by the final stage, they manage to mostly hit the arrows. After their set, they high-six.

"That was fun! And a great workout, too! I may have to incorporate this into my exercise routine." Stan rolls his eyes at his twin, then turns to Sherman.

"Yo, Shermie, you wanna play?" Sherman waves his hand dismissively.

"Oh no, I-"

"Stanley, Sherman could hurt himself trying to play this! He's not as young as we are." Ford chastises Stan.

"Oh, yeah, you're right. I'd probably beat his ass because he's too OLD. He'll throw out his back. Bet he's never even played before." Stan replies with a shit-eating grin directed at Sherman.

*Ooooh, THAT'S how you're gonna play this, you little shit? * Sherman thinks as he gets up.

Sherman hands his beer to Dipper, who exchanges a brief grin with his sister. "Here, hold this for Grandpa for a minute, Buddy."

Ford gets off his mat for Sherman, who looks down at it and gingerly steps on. Stan grins at him.

"Wanna make this interesting, Sherm? You beat me at this game I just barely learned and I'll give you 100 bucks."

Ford scoffed from the sidelines "Oh Stanley, be nice!"

"No, it's okay, Stanford. I've been dealing with Stan being an ass for a VERY long time. " Sherman turns to Stan. "I'll take that bet. I hope I don't hurt myself playing this newfangled video game." Sherman proceeds to select one of the japanese songs, and before Stan can even register what's happened, Sherman sets himself to Expert and starts the stage.

"Yeah, go Grandpa!" Dipper and Mabel cheer Sherman on as Ford desperately tries to hide his laughter, watching Stan get his ass handed to him by a man who is physically more than twice their age.

Stan doesn't even make it through the stage. Sherman finishes and dons the same Shit-Eating grin Stan had before.

Ford finally stops trying to hide his laughter. "Fucked around and found out, didn't you Stanley?"

"Can it, Ford!" Stan says while Sherman gets his beer back from Dipper.

"Pay up, Wiseass." Sherman says, holding out his hand. Stan grumbles, but pulls his wallet out of his back pocket and hands Sherman a $100 bill.

"Smug bastard." He says, then grins "Gotta hand it to ya though, that was a good hustle." Sherman pockets the money.

"Yeah, well I learned from the best."

[nayruwu]

Heyy~,

Are you still keeping up with the ONS manga?

If so, are you disappointed with the plot development of ONS?

ohh, interesting question!!

it's hard to answer, because my interests are so far off from what is actually happening in the manga right now. so i'm a lot more biased towards "ugh, this sucks" right now, but i'll try to work around it and really think of what bothers me beside the lack of my beloved scrunklies.

generally i think my biggest issue right now is how different the story today is to the events before. if you tried explaining to an anime only how the true villain of the story is actually a six-winged nonbinary hoe with depression that keeps their child's corpse in the hiiragi's basement, they probably wouldn't believe it's the same series. and i know that this was planned from the start, and kagami didn't just come up with shikama three weeks ago, but it still feels bad to have everything that was set up in the beginning of the manga not really matter anymore. they centered the whole start around the world ending, and it makes sense that there was never much worldbuilding because now it's just another thing that happened.

what were the interesting points back then? the apocalyptic setting! the ever looming threat in form of the vampires trying to enslave the remnants of humanity! the unshakeable rule of the hiiragi family suppressing those below them! there were tons of charming characters introduced that probably won't ever show up again (one of which even has backstory with an um, ex main character, i'd call yoichi. goodbye plot relevance). now none of that really matters anymore. it's a kind of "hey there's this bigger threat and bigger secret that renders everything that happened in the past meaningless!" that i don't really like. so what does it matter that krul dies and ashera loses her? they were angels in the past! their souls are bound together! they'll see each other again soon!

i'm not a fan of soulmate plots. i need at least 7 books of explanation for why these two characters like each other before i can see the relationship as true and meaningful. this is also why i can't bring myself to be interested in mika/yuu anymore, but i don't want to put a target on my back right now. they're good, alright. just not for me.

another thing that bothers me is how we're supposed to relate to, and perhaps even root for shikama. they were set up in both vampire reign and catastrophe as this incomprehensible force that planned the fate of the entire human race, leaving them as nothing more than figures on a chess board. and that's cool! that's terrifying! but shikama and the other angels turned out to be... not really incomprehensible at all. they're just humans with wings and special powers. to me, that's pretty underwhelming. maybe a different, more stylised approach to telling the story of angel mika would have made it easier to enjoy for me. something that wasn't just another version of "someone i love died and i didn't want them to so i did this thing". maybe that's the point, a cycle doomed to repeat, but... i don't know, i guess i expected something else.

so no, i don't like the recent developments. i can't think of anything i like about it, honestly. but that's a me problem. most people seem to like it, especially the mika enjoyers that have gotten their wildest dreams fulfilled these past few years! it's a little sad that my brain lost interest in him, i'd be a lot happier with the content we're getting.

this sounds extremely negative but oh well! i still look forward to the chapters and am excited to see what happens next, but without the thought of "hey, X scene has to happen at some point, it'll just take a while", i probably wouldn't be here anymore. i'll just wait for that and let the rest pass me by. yuu the floating eye, sure....

sure.....................................

sure...........................

[enigmatist17]

Whumptober 1 - Race Against The Clock

Search Party

---

It had been nearly a solar-cycle since the most recent Decepticon and Autobot skirmish, and Thundercracker was still missing. Of course Megatron didn't care, the damned mech never did, too busy already immersing himself in the following sure-to-fail scheme.

Predictable as always.

::// SkyUwU -Starscream, where are you going? //::

::// StarSupreme - Where does it look like you idiot? I refuse to let Thundercracker waste away on this accursed planet. //::

::// SkyUwU - Meet you at the usual spot in 20 klicks? I've got a kit left over from last time. //::

::// StarSupreme - ....very well. //::

There were a few ways out of the Nemesis that didn't alert the entire Decepticon force. While Starscream absolutely loathed using the narrow tunnel system that had been built as a potential evacuation route, he met up with Skywarp with no resistance. His trine mate was brimming with anxiousness, zapping back and forth around their meeting point while occasionally checking their comm, perking up when Starscream landed beside him without a sound.

"You'll do better using your energy for the search ahead." To most, it would have sounded cruel, but Skywarp knew his leader well enough, transforming into his alt with a chirping noise. The battlefield was a few hour's flight from the base, the seekers primarily silent along the route save for the occasional chirp or click as they flew in a pattern older than the planet they'd been stuck on, a dance non-aerial bots could never hope to understand. They peeled away from each other once the former battlefield came into view, the area littered with blaster craters and impressions from bots getting thrown around. They had fought in a valley littered with dense foliage and several rivers crisscrossing throughout the area, neither Con surprised that Thundercracker was not in view.

"Start from the South, I shall come from the North." With a nod Skywarp adjusted his heading, Starscream choosing to search from the ground. Patches of energon that had leaked from wounds served as a rough guide for the seekers, Skywarp eventually noting a rather large trail leading away toward a section of the valley that led to a sheer drop toward the nearby ocean.

Thundercracker was lying on the rocky shore, the last of their trine looking the worse for wear.

"Found him!" Skywarp zapped down to his brother's side, glad to see there were no visible signs of energon loss. "TC?"

"Ugh...S...Sky?" His words were slightly slurred, optics flickering on and off as his brother dug out a med kit from subspace. "Did..did we win?"

"Sort of, but that doesn't matter right now." Skywarp began welding the worst of the wounds as Starscream joined them, the trine leader frowning as he knelt beside Thundercracker. "We're gonna get you all fixed up, and then back to base where you can recharge in the good berth."

"Skywarp is right, I suppose I'll have to allow it." Starscream scoffed, servos checking the backside of the injured seeker's helm to ensure they weren't missing a vital injury, pleased to only find it was dented from his fall. "Report solider."

"Stupid...auto-slagger Ironhide..shot my wing." Thundercracker sighed when Starscream snatched a painkiller from the med kit, pressing the small glowing patch onto one of his wings. "Trie..d to comm..."

"We're here now, it'll be alright." Skywarp hummed, welding another large wound closed for the journey home, smiling when Starscream started clicking at his injured trine member in a tone he reserved only for them. Thundercracker ended up dozing off to the comforting sounds, eventually bundled up to be carried back to Nemesis by the duo once Skywarp was satisfied.

Not the worst end to a battle, but as long as they all made their way home eventually, it would do.

[nekodere07]

I broke the code Pt. 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

AO3 link to the fic!

Joel we're booooooored

The soil crunches underneath Joel's boots as he beelines to the back of the wagon with a loud yawn, grabbing two empty barrels and wrapping them on either arms to his sides. Once he deems them firmly secured on his hold, he turns back to the entrance of the inn, heading to the creaking staircase that leads him to their room.

I can't believe you're doing chores of all things

what a moron

Taking a deep breath, he closes the door behind him with a soft click, having to physically suppress himself from slamming it right here and then. His eyebrow twitches as he attempts to filter out the mocking comments, rendering them into white noise whilst he heads back to their wagon.

They won't live it down if he slacks off, so he has to at least do his share of the responsibilities.

LOL

LMFAO

HAHAHA

blood

He's such a child, he should've just refused instead of listening to Etho

#obsessedmuch

Joel bites his lower lip and controls himself. If he retorts to what they're saying, he'll just be playing on the palm of their hands.

Do they even have any, considering they're disembodied voices?

tbf he's obsessed so it can't be helped

pfft

True

its fun to see you getting flustered

YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEE

That's it!

“Listen here, you losers!” Joel growls as he slams his fist beside the wagon, producing a thundering sound whilst he takes a few deep breaths. “Grian kept on insisting like an idiot that we each have to contribute! Which was why I had to comply, otherwise he'll make me sleep outside. Etho just happened to butt in when I already decided to do it, alright?”

Suuuuuuure

keep telling yourself that

just admit it… you're obsessed with etho

Joel groans painfully, grabbing a handful of his chocolate locks and pulls as hard as he can, slamming his forehead towards the wagon for good measure. He can't lose his cool. Not when they're all exhausted from the long journey. His friends can't handle his ‘mood swings’ when he eventually gives in to the voices’ call.

if only the previous patrons were this entertaining to watch

🤝

Exactly

right?!

what do you mean?

oh the newbies didnt know

Now im curious

The least he can do is to not get in their way.

all the previous ones love to keep their distances

ugh

GROSS

imagine being a loner what a loser

L

L

It was difficult to see any intriguing events outside of battle

did someone say blood?

Not now

:(

i like joel better bec of dis

one way or another hell backstab them for sure

With a huge gasp of air, he does his breathing exercises and accompanies it with stretching both of his arms above his head, lowering it when he exhales before raising it again as soon as he begins the cycle again. He's already used to the voices’ antics—taunting him for as long as they desire—so he knows what to do whenever they pester him and eventually demand for blood once more, satiating their thirst with his assistance.

“Joel!”

He jolts violently at the call, swirling around to see Impulse jogging towards him, waving his arm with a big smile on his face. No matter what the dwarf says, Joel will always think of him as some sort of teddy bear. Considering he's so good-natured and how he secretly adores the warmth of the man's hugs, he's not really beating the allegations. But that secret is only between him…

what about us???

YEAH!!

…fine, them as well.

“Hey, Impulse! What's up?” Joel greets casually with a smile, swiftly tucking his hands to his pockets.

Impulse peeks over the now empty wagon and gapes, leaning back to stand to his full height as he makes eye contact.

“I see you're already hard at work! I'm very impressed.” Impulse compliments as he nods approvingly.

“It's good to stretch these muscles every once in a while outside battle, you know?” Joel shrugs his shoulders before stifling a yawn.

Impulse's smile seems to drop for a moment before it returns. Based on how fast it was, he ignores it and treats it as a trick of the light or something.

“But it's also good to take a breather.” Impulse advices thoughtfully. “Grian is already off to hunt down for his artificer friend, and Etho is sewing another one of his masks in our room.”

Joel's clammy hands are starting to soak his pockets.

“I'm cool. I still have to gather logs for our next journey whilst it's still bright out.”

“That's fair.” Impulse stops for a moment. “Hey, how about we check out this town's tavern later?” He nudges his head to the side, giving no indicator of the specific location.

“I would love to, but it's my turn for tonight’s lookout, remember? We can't afford me being tipsy and all.”Joel explains nonchalantly.

boooooooooooooooooo

it wouldve been fun

😭😭😭

If it had been any day, he would've probably accepted the offer. It's his best opportunity to escape his responsibilities and simply fool around. Unfortunately, they've been getting more and more restless recently, so he has to steer clear of people until their slowly rising bloodlust completely subsides. As funny as it is to annoy Grian, he has to restrain himself.

He can't risk another accident to increase the list of reasons to ban him from a settlement, after all.

“Oh, man. That's such a shame.” Impulse shakes his head and turns around, facing his broad back towards Joel. “I heard that they've been offering discounts for any drink during weekdays, and I thought it was a good idea to save money and enjoy their beverages at the same time.” He slumps his shoulders with a dejected sigh.

“Wait, did you just say discount on any drink?” Joel perks up, already feeling the saliva gathering in his mouth. “You're not pulling my leg, are you?” He raises a brow sceptically.

“I would never!” Impulse gasps in disbelief and faces Joel once more. “You know about me and my hobbies, man. I would never lie about such a thing.” He points out in a serious manner.

“That's true.” Joel places a hand under his chin, considering his later plans for a moment.

“How about we play a game?”

“A game?” Joel repeats.

“Yep!” Impulse pops the p. “Whoever empties thirty tankards last gets to pay for all our drinks. Won't they taste better when free?” He leans forward and holds out his giant hand with a smirk.

“I couldn't agree more.” Joel grins. “I'm in! You're so going down, Impulse!” He shakes the offered appendage with his own small one.

He doesn't remember anything after that.

AO3 link to the fic!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

[dramarants]

trying to come to terms with the bewildering final 10 minutes of tteotm:

first and foremost, undeniably, the technical and narrative execution this ep was choppy, weirdly paced, ambiguous (not in a cool OE way, just literally hard to follow - how are we in the tomb, why is she back in devil bride attire, where did the scale in the last shots come from, why did qingyu's fucking hair need to turn blond, pang yizhi what did you finally understand cuz I sure as hell don't??) and left a lot of loose threads. with all the build up to his sacrifice, you want some sort of twist or surprise but nothing comes. the ending is so abrupt and this is always and forever gonna leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

the last eps especially emphasized legacy and, with li susu returning as a goddess, I must assume the immortal realm learned the truth about ttj's sacrifices and believed it. ttj gets his roses.

I'm gonna pretend ttj explained the zhaoyou situation to her too

in fact if we're in imaginary land jiwu grew the fuck up and, upon realizing the depth of ttj's friendship in spite of everything, becomes riddled in guilt for a while and fiercely protects ttj's memory

a child!! literally how to carry a legacy and memories into future generations

ttj's destiny was to suffer and resent the world + give up his body and soul to carry out the devil god's will

instead, he embraced the light, learned to cherish the world, bore other's resentment in his final trial (strength that I sure as hell don't have! even saving jiwu from himself!) he remained in control of himself, choosing to sacrifice his body to stop the devil god's plans

the love was there and for once, to break a cycle of pain and sin, overcome the consequences in the mortal world, for ttj and lss, it was fucking enough!

by destroying the evil bone in his final moments he prevents the devil god from ever returning, truly the world's savior

his death was mostly on his own terms, with purpose he didn't have before

saving a part of his divine essence in the scale to continue to protect susu was a full circle moment

in fact ttj embodies mingye in a ridiculous number of ways by the end, from his actions to his values down to his clothes, yet another way to stick it to the devil god fate

he looks at peace in his last shot during the battle and in the scale

they had to cut scenes and therefore couldn't elaborate on the post all-in-distress world

or dedicate the 30s it takes to show him regrow from the scale or something lbfad style 🤧

it seems like he could hear susu when she was speaking to the kid? so he can follow his wife and daughter's lives knowing he's loved and respected until his return that I am headcanoning??

by being in the scale, he keeps his promise to stay by her side forever and accompany her in moving forward through parenthood and the ordinary life he dreamed of

in fact ttj never has to defend himself or put up with bs again, his fight is over and he gets to watch a harmonious world that he and susu made possible

susu my girl, having faith in him and understanding everything immediately and wishing to meet him again

bearing the cross of the only living god and continuing, again, their legacy, protecting their love and the world

she was ready to die with him!! like!! fuck till death do us part I'll share your burden let's embrace and face the end together!! a sparkle bathed version of ttj trying to die with her in ep 29!!

nothing can come between them anymore they fricking ensured that

plus them in the heavenly realm, the only two gods existing, removed from the world and basking in that moment where the devil god no longer exists and it isn't a dream 😭

the tomb scene was so heartbreaking in the good way

these characters have been on such an incredible, unhinged journey and looking back, there's so much more to unpack and appreciate

ugh it's not a bad ending cuz it's sad, I mean how many of us predicted he'd die for the greater good a long time back, it's just the way it ultimately played out was... somehow disappointing

but you know what I enjoyed the path here so much and can imagine their path ahead enough to forgive it and continue loving tantai jin and li susu and tteotm overall anyway

[jordan-lovelock]

[Jordan walks idly through the Tower, their code getting a feel for a new walk cycle. They talk to themself in a quiet voice.]

I can't believe they're gone. All of that just for nothing? Just for another kick in the balls? Heh. Balls. God, stop that, you'll summon the testicular torsion wizard. What fucking testicular torsion wizard? Ugh, that guy. I hate that guy. What the fuck are you guys talking about? Yeah, yeah, the testicular torsion wizard, we've all seen him. Okay, pausing my grief for a second, I think we need to discuss the testicular torsion wizard. I don't think we do. Uh, I think a wizard specifically designed to torse my balls is a topic we need to smooth over really quick. What's there to say? It was honestly kind of hot.~ Oh my god, don't listen to Lovebug, they don't know what they're talking about. It was horrible. Constant ball torsion. I am so glad I wasn't awake for that. Hey, can we focus on the fact we're now responsible for more children? Mm. Nah. Oh fuck, I left Mini alone. What if I brought her here? Uh. Jordan- Yeah? What? Okay, this isn't working. Ice Guy, what do we call you? Heh, we could call them the cool one! We are not doing that. They're lame. The Knight of Everlasting Winter will do. Nuh uh. That's so long, man. I'm called Lovebug, please! Nobody's objecting to that. Why do they get to be Jordan? Uh, because I'm the original. Fuck you? We're all Jordan. I'm Lovebug. Yes we get that. Girliepop I am trying to contribute to this discussion here. You all make it so miserable. What the fuck did you just call me? Can we get back on track. What are we calling Icicle over there? ...Just Winter will do, then. Winter? That's so lame. Pick a better name. I had a better name, but Jordan stole it. Sorry that I get to keep the name because you stole my identity first. Nuh uh. The fuck you mean "Nuh uh?" You literally did that. I think I should throw us off a cliff. That would be fun. What the fuck don't??? We're responsible for children! Mini's the only one I care about. If we call you Winter will you not throw us off a cliff? ...Fine.

[hardtchill]

For me it’s the never ending cycle of procrastination and then severe anxiety because I procrastinated. In the moment where I have a list of things to do, I can never find the motivation to do it (this is another ADHD problem of mine) bc it seems like a lot of work. This then leads be to put it off. Then later (when the deadline gets closer) when I actually need to get the work done I get really anxious because there is so much that I need to do. (I end up doing the work though with the pressure of a deadline and it’s usually some of the best work I’ve done) (there is a good TedTalk on that). For me also it’s the sensory overloads and the overwhelmingness of emotions as well neither of which are fun to deal with but people always brush them off as being hormonal or emotional. They never seem to take in the fact that there is usually a bigger reason for my emotions and don’t know how to deal with them when it gets severe.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiKtOXfopeEAxWQvokEHZnGB58QtwJ6BAgYEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Darj7oStGLkU&usg=AOvVaw1AUHnSCwcJf4K2nVFQsQq2&opi=89978449

Ugh, dude you're describing my life. This is exactly what i want to share because so many people still look at ADHD as either the thing 10 year old boys have or the happy go lucky brain thing that makes you funny and creative.

Meanwhile we're over here struggling to start a project because getting a dopamine hit in 20 weeks when i finish the project just isn't something my brain can process. I need the instant gratification and i need it now.

And then there is the sensory overload (or understimulated) that can cause extreme mood swings which make you act completely insane or make you sit on the edge of your bed for 45 minutes because you just can't get up.

[melancholypancakes]

Author note: I eventually want to make a fanart comic of this.

This plot fanfic is inspired and reference to @asktheheiress

This isn't canon to @frillsand au but a headcanon of how i think my OC Brienne would confront Wally's attitude of being cruel to the humans

This is at the beginning of their friendship and she is tired of Wally treating the humans horribly

Brienne is a puppet activist and will continue fighting for puppets rights but won't allow to cycle to continue where humans and puppets harm one another.

I have yet to make Brienne Velvet's backstory in the actor au.

The plot of this little story takes place when she's reading fan letters.

Warning: Trigger warnings for fights between friends; racism/ rights of puppets and humans that may make anyone feel uncomfortable.

If you're uncomfortable with any of this type of context please don't read and I will note this isn't a toxic relationship just arguments between friends that gone to far.

...

{Miss Brienne, have you ever lost your temper with someone? Like gotten beyond furious with them?}

[Of course, I have lost my temper...]

Yelling could be heard in the studio as the staff hid away from the commotion.

The puppets' friends were concerned about why they were fighting but Eddie knew someone had finally confronted Wally...

"You can't just hurt humans whenever you feel like it!" a female puppet voice was heard.

"Just because you're the main character and a BIG star doesn't mean you can do whatever the fuck you want!" she continued to confront her male counterpart.

The female was Brienne Velvet and the male was Wally Darling, they were fighting yet again.

"Humans have the same emotions and feelings as we do. They may not be as delicate as us but they can feel pain!" Brienne growls.

"You could've severely damaged, Samatha's arm. All because she accidentally messes up your coffee!" Brienne angrily exclaimed

"So what?! She should've known better! Let me ask you this "Activist" How many times have we puppets made mistakes?" he asked rhetorically.

"Too many times, we didn't get easily off by humans. Oh no! We got ripped to threads or have our limbs torn off because we're just "toys"!

he was enraged at Brienne's belief of humans and puppets living "peace" after what they did.

" Not all human and puppets aren't bad. If you hurt humans, you're showing were just as bad and cruel as them!"

she gets in his face as she expresses herself.

"For goodness sake, we're suppose to be in harmony together not against each other!" she exclaims, trying to reason with Wally

"Oh please. "Peace", "harmony" Those humans don't give a shit! Why the hell should I?!"

he mocks her as she glares daggers at him.

"They'll never change. Can't you see that or are you that blind from your judgment " He continues to mock her judgment.

"Don't even bother to give me your ridiculous fantasies of peace. You're so naive and blind."

He scoffs at Brienne acting like things could change.

Brienne was getting overly frustrated and irritated by Wally's attitude.

"Ugh! Do you even listen to a word I say?!" she yells in frustration.

"Why should I, they're just filthy humans! They don't fucking matter"

Wally yells back, not caring if her feelings were even hurt for a second.

[ sometimes...you just.]

Brienne clenched her hands into a fist, attempting to hold in the rage, frustration, anger.

Then she snaps and raises her hand in the air...then.

A loud noise was heard, A slap. Brienne had lost her cool and slapped Wally.

[Lose your patience...]

[Even if I regret it. I won't apologize.]

It was silence for a while, Brienne has never, EVER lost her temper.

Wally was distraught as he held his right cheek before storming out of the studio.

Brienne whimpers as she falls to her knees...frustrated, angry, and filled with regret. 

[A Velvet NEVER does...]

[iviarellereads]

System Collapse, Chapter 1

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Murderbot Diaries, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

In which we're back on the forward-track of the timeline.

Dr. Bharadwaj once told Murderbot that she thought it hated planets because it feared being judged expendable and left behind on one. MB lied to her, and said it's because planets are boring. Well, planets aren't boring, but it's less-boring in a bad way. Especially when you're investigating pre-Rim possibly alien contaminated sites in an environmental suit because you were being weird about wearing your armour.

MB decides to back up the conversation a bit for context.(1)

About 47 hours before our story starts, MB wanted to punch something in the face, preferably Art, or itself. They were already on the alien-contaminated planet. MB was surveilling a building. Having chased Ratthi,(2) Iris, and Tarik into the building, Hostile One, an agri-bot like the ones MB found scary in Network Effect, couldn't fit to follow.(3)

Art is asking for a status report, and MB waves it off, but it wants MB's personal status, not mission status.

Ugh, my status. I wasn’t supposed to come down to the planet again. Me, ART, Mensah, Seth, and Martyn had all made that decision, because of redacted.(4) I had even had an assignment during this day-cycle, sort of. It wasn’t really busywork, but it wasn’t not busywork, either. Karime had an in-person meeting planned with a faction of colonists at the main site habitation, and Three was going with her for security while pretending to be a human (always a fun time) and I was supposed to monitor Three and make sure it knew what to do and to not let ART give it anxiety. (Or more anxiety than it already had on its own.) I had been lying on the bunk in one of ART’s cabins watching The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon (episode 121, on repeat) while waiting for Karime and Three’s shuttle to arrive at the meeting site, when ART had slammed into my feed and said, I need you.(5)

Art couldn't use a pathfinder to take out the agribot, because that explosion would hurt the humans, so it became MB's turn.

On the feed, Ratthi asks how MB is doing. MB says it's fine, but not to let anyone get closer to the ag-bot's tentacle. Ratthi says it's a growth stimulator,(6) and it's fine, there's no rush.

You’re not fine, Ratthi, for fuck’s sake. (For however many corporate standard years, all I got from humans was “Run in there now no matter how likely you are to get blown to tiny pieces when a quiet tactical approach has a higher percentage of success” and now it’s “Oh no we’re fine, we can hang out in this objectively terrifying immediately hazardous situation for however long.”)(7)

MB continues to grumble in its thoughts about humans' penchant for understating things, and how Bharadwaj says even good changes can be stressful. While it does, its drones keep scouting for a position to take a good shot at the ag-bot with the recall beacon Art decided to repurpose to take it out. MB is glad for a weapon that won't bring it close enough to get its ass handed to it, again, by one of them.

A paragraph is spent comparing this ag-bot to the ones in Network Effect, and how similar and different the alien contamination was. Another paragraph is used to show Seth explaining the recall beacon, and apologizing to MB for having to go on-planet despite whatever the earlier redacted portion was. MB told him it was fine, and reiterates to the reader that it's fine, just fine, dangit.(8)

At any rate, a drone finds a good vantage point, but something about the threat assessment number, as well as the likelihood of successful retrieval, gives MB pause. As it reviews the numbers and the situation, it realizes it's not going to work. This is the problem with letting Art and the humans come up with the plans, really, and MB would have been more proactive about it, but the redacted incident.(9)

MB is on the move again, and sends its calculations to Art in place of an explanation. It would love to have Three here, but that would mean interrupting Karime's meeting, which is very important. And, there's no reason MB can't handle this. It already has a new plan, even! And threat assessment likes it more, because the explosion is further from the humans.

MB drops two transponders then gets the ag-bot's attention. It gives chase, and as it approaches the first, MB signals to detonate it… but the ag-bot jumps, as the contamination must have increased its processing and access to local networks.

As it's about to land on MB, two things happen: first, MB rolls to point the launcher for the last recall transponder up at it, and second, MB receives a ping from another SecUnit. At first it assumes it's Three, somehow, which would be embarrassing but also a relief. Only, it literally can't be Three, there wasn't time for it to get here, which means… it's a Barish-Estranza SecUnit.

Four days after Preservation showed up in Network Effect, a B-E explorer had arrived with three fresh SecUnits, minimum. The B-E group has been more proactive about evaluating the situation and talking to the colonists. Art ran the numbers, more than once, and it wasn't worth just killing them all on principle.

The other SecUnit hits the ag-bot with projectiles, right in the central processor as well as some shots to break it up, as it falls toward MB. MB, for its part, is able to roll out of the way of the debris. Art says that was too close to a murder attempt.

MB has everyone lock down for security, since it knows what a SecUnit is capable of intercepting, and runs all its new and improved human movement code. It asks if they can call off their SecUnit, and tries to groan and rise like a human would have in its situation. It even makes the effort to look at what it now terms B-E Unit1, and as Ratthi runs up to check on it, it asks him to pretend to help it up.

Ratthi, thankfully, picks up the situation immediately, and tells the B-E party that was too close. MB thinks about what it would have done differently, or at least tried to do.

(Obviously this is not actually what I’m upset about, it’s just easier to be angry about B-E Unit1’s fuckup and/or disregard for minimum client safety.) Safer to be angry about it, ART said on our private connection. I was not even going to respond to that. ART had told Mensah it wouldn’t push me. Just because its MedSystem was certified for emotional support and trauma recovery it thought it knew everything.(10)

Iris goes to meet the B-E leader, with Tarik close by and wearing his visor the way MB is, so it doesn't look out of place for covering its face. The leader is someone they've seen before, Sub-Supervisor Dellcourt, who is one of the smart ones. Iris thanks them too-politely,(11) and asks if they'll be billing later. Dellcourt says they'll add it to the creditor's statement.

MB explains how the billing is not a joke, Pin-Lee and Turi, Art's accountant, have been preparing a counter-bill if this ever ends. Money fights between corps are common and boring.

If you wonder why Art has an accountant, Martyn said Art is perfectly capable of doing its own accounting, but ends up with extra numbers that not even their best accountants can track. Turi does it with hardcopy backup ledgers, to make sure Art can't edit the data. There's a question about whether Art is making up numbers for fun, or if it has credit balances somewhere they don't know about.

Back to the story, where Dellcourt asks what business they have here. Iris asks the same. MB thinks it's some human posturing thing it doesn't understand, but it's pretty obvious Iris's group has been repairing the routers, and given the projectiles Unit1 had, the B-Es were looking for contaminated bots.

MB takes another aside(12) to describe the first interaction between the fresh B-E explorer and Art, which ended with B-E scuttling off and probably believing Art is an asshole human commanding officer. It clarifies that Art's sapience is a secret from everyone except the ranked levels of its university, and its team, and MB's team, so B-E have no way of even guessing what Art really is.

The rest of the B-E group is watching MB and the other humans. MB is glad it refined its human movement code, so it knows what to do with its hands. Still, it can tell Unit1 is staring at it. Iris, whether she noticed this as well or not, turns to thank Unit1. Dellcourt is dismissive, saying it's a SecUnit. Iris ignores him, and her team collect their equipment and leave.

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(1) Much appreciated, old friend. (2) Hey, I thought Murderbot was the only one sticking around for Art's missions! Nice to see another familiar face. And, Ratthi's really grown on me this reread. (3) Nice callback, not mentioning the book name (I did that myself) but making the connection for the reader. (4) Do you think we'll get an unredacted version of this in the book? Is it just referring to the events of Network Effect? (5) And, of course, what is MB going to do when its friend is in need? Help, that's what. (6) Oh that's what they're calling it these days? (7) Yep, sorry, people acknowledge your personhood now, and will be as polite to you as they would try to be to anyone else. (8) The more you say it, the less I believe it. Sorry. (9) Every repetition just makes me more curious. Why is this event redacted? (10) And to be fair, Art knows a lot. MB's just as stubborn as Mensah was about needing emotional help and support. (11) I very much imagine this in the vein of the "Bless your heart" of the southern US. (12) Every other paragraph in this opening chapter, I swear. To some degree I understand the necessity, since there's obviously been some time skip, and things need clarifying, but even so.