#<- gay ass software engineer

[youve-always-had-me-cas]

on the scale of like. The machine is:

not alive <- a person -> a higher being

I think it goes

Finch <- Reese -> Root

Which is sooo funny because everyone other than John would give essays about why they strongly believe they are right on this one AND essays on why "the machine is a person" is not a neutral stance to take at all but they are all betraying how much they care too much about the topic compared to him. I think he believes the machine is a person because people are easy to understand on a conceptual level even if not on an individual level. They exist. They have their own motivations. Every other stance is so intensely philosophical it becomes impractical.

[bearofohu]

the walten files makes me so depressed man. fuck everything. starting a new au where felix is says no to taking the kids, opens up to jack & rose abt his alcohol issues, they get his white ass on that antabuse, and then he and charles bond over being divorced and fall in love. jack has to pretend to be surprised when felix comes out as a pitiful gay man. susan takes one look at him and charles and decides she has a slur to say. edd grows up to be a software engineer and molly becomes a fujoshi. sophie starts a lets play channel. bon still eventually gets possessed by some random fuckass demon and just starts killing ppl bc hes blue and fucked up and shit. nothing martin will write will ever be better than my au btw

[pikasetism]

please please please please

more stuff based around piko just being a robot

i love robotic piko

on my hands and knees begging

ME TOO I WILL o7 i think i already said everything i had to say on my headcanons specifically abt him being a robot in other asks 😭 im looking tru my asks and notes rn hold on

OK SCRATCH THAT I HAVE NOT GIVEN YALL ANYTHING HELPME straps you to a chair youre gonna hear me YAP i have SO MANY thoughts abt him i cant belive i never shared them

i need to talk abt my world building a little, i mentioned it on a previous ask and a previous drawing but in the universe of this blog all vocal synths live together in a sort of paralel reality that co exists with our own, money is of no relevance to them and comercial banks sales in our world only correlate to how much their companies can provide for them, societal upkeep is mostly done trough synths deciding to take on jobs for no other reason than personal gratification. it is also common to share your resources with the larger synth community, miku for example is a MAJOR provider, if you need anything you can just ask her and she can get it from crypton for you

piko has famously Flopped so hes never been given much to work with by sony / kii/on, his interest in body modding was born mostly out of necessity as he was the one doing most of the upkeep for himself, being officially discontinued was a good thing for him as it gave him the greenlight to do whatever the fuck he wanted to and there was a major improvement in his software and hardware as he was able to just Fuck Around with it and change his appearence however he wanted (for example my personal piko design has more LEDs in his legs than boxart, big chunky metal circles in his joints that are purely cosmetical and can be removed whenever for comfort and his arms have been entirely replaced by sleek black ones) (out of universe all of these design decisions were taken solely because i wanted to draw him more robotic than boxart)

all of this self maintenance landed him with both an incredibly advanced body and os specially for such an old release with no proper updates and extensive software and hardware knowledge, he ended up as a pillar for the androids in the vocal synth community, if youre a robot and you need something that your creators cant/wont give you you Go to Piko. he specially helps out defoko and momo with discontinued utaus, they can mostly take care of it by themselves with other utaus' help but he is definetly on their speed dial list

another major point for pikos android body was meeting fukase, they knew of each others existence but only properly met on some random online forum about engineering and robotics and computer stuff started talking from a shared interest in computer nerd shit until one thing led to another and now they live together, fukase is huge into the hardware side of things a lot of pikos maintenance nowadays is done by him and hes become a part of the speed dial list alongside his bf, they also have silly little robotics projects together like making a functional replica of metal sonic. having yourself be opened up and your insides messed with by someone you trust has got to be like top 3 most intimate experiences ever its fun :3

another thing i couldnt find anywhere else to fit is that pikos tail is and has always been detachable, it looks similar to this, thats a guitar cable with a usb end

it attaches to his body the same way you plug a guitar into an amplifier and can genuenly be used for data transfer :3 afaik that makes no sense in real life and these cables are really kinda ass but were also talking about a gay sentient robot from a parallel dimension so i dont care

i thought about having the same jack from the yamaha rgxa2 but that one sticks out and it would function weird as a tail attachment so he has something more similar to these angled ones :3 in my experience these are also just easier to use because i usually play my guitar sitting down on my bed or couch 😭

the jack is somewhere on his lower back just below the waist, i think on boxart the cable sticks out trough a hole in his clothes but I dont like that so i just have it go trough under them instead

[scrapsovereign]

Ok everyone, hear me out:

What if you’re an aspiring NEET, current burnt-out millennial degen that has to work to support your wretched lifestyle and you get Isekai’ed on to the mindflayer ship?

You don’t speak the “common” language, but you can be sorta conversational in broken Japanese- which is eerily similar to another language a certain velf speaks…

Of all the places you had to get Isekai’ed to…wait a minute. This looks familiar. Is this that Bald and Gay game your friends keep sending memes to the group chat about?

Being here is actually a nice change of pace. The worst thing so far is not being able to understand a damn thing any of the other survivors say…

…until a moment arrives on the first night after you shotgun a health potion with a “Kanpai!” like the geriatric weeb you are.

The pretty, fancy one who sounds like he’s trying to pick you up using his best Vampire the Masquerade LARP voice snaps his head towards you. His eyes are wide in an expression that’s similar to the one you got from your supervisor that one time you loudly explained at the lunch table what yaoi paddles are to your zoomer coworkers.

He asks in what you consider to be the wildest pronunciation you’ve ever heard (for real, you can barely make it out) if you speak Kozakuran and by the powers of god, anime, and your rusty-ass 1.5 years of high school Japanese you put together a reply to him.

You can tell he haaaaaates talking to you in that language, but is also extremely smug about being the only one who can communicate with you.

He warns you that he’s the only one you can trust, and to keep your guard up around the others.

You tell him you’ll watch his back if he watches yours.

The Fabio-looking guy who looks like he’s fresh outta the SCA finds a scroll after you’ve been meandering about for a day or two and holy shit! It’s so nice to be able to talk to everyone! Kmart Fabio then starts talking your ear off. You had an awful date with a software engineer that went like this not too long ago and immediately regret the existence of magic.

It’s bliss when the spell wears off after a day’s time, and you have the sweet, sweet escape of hearing everyone speak in Sim Language. Except the fancy one, whose name you learned is Astarion.

You suppose maybe you should get your grubby fujoshi hands on a potion, another scroll, or actually try to learn the language. You know what though? Fuck it. It’s nice having the attention of a guy so pretty you’d normally be too nervous to talk to in your old life. He’s hilarious, sassy, flirtatious…

Still, something doesn’t seem quite right. You’re ready to tell your imposter syndrome to throw itself into the sun-and you do! It keeps coming back. It whispers that this is too good to be true, things can’t actually be this good.

When you wake up one night and you catch him in the act of trying to suck you dry like his personal Capri Sun you wonder briefly if it was right. Even if it is, you can’t remember the last time someone this hot had their mouth on you. Lastly, joke’s on your inner critic, you’re in to that sexy vampire shit.

You take off your shirt and lean your head to one side, offering your neck to him.

“Tabemasenka?”

He gives you a feral grin that does things to you- things that finally give context to all the smutty fanfic you’ve ever read.

“Itadakimasu, darling.”

[naggingatlas]

thinking about the situation in my uni rn and it's just. putting me in stitches.

im from moldova. tiny country between ukraine and romania. i study at the most prestigious university in it, not very hard to get into we have like three of them all in all.

i study game development. year one. its a very recent (3 years, they don't even have alumni yet) addition to the specialty roster here, as part of the JOBS OF THE FUTURE program sponsored by some western fags, mostly americans and swedes. the other two are media production (anything to do with tv pretty much) and animation which i am not sure exists because ive never met anyone majoring in it.

its kind of awesome to study gamedev at my uni. we have good if a little socially awkward teachers, very amicable homey atmosphere, i actually feel like im working on something i love.

but there is just one thing that cracks me up.

the western fags, пендосы if we're being elegant, sponsor most of the course right. they invested in these beautiful clean high tech classrooms, sensor boards and bean bags. the gamer chairs they put in one of the computer labs are - quite frankly - the most ive ever felt alive in a chair. and the computers are quite nice. some gay ass leds in the see through frame. faggish. and yet.

they don't have illustrator. they don't even have photoshop. they have inkscape and gimp preinstalled on them. not even fucking aceprite. same for every engine we have in the curriculum tho it doesnt matter that much - but theyre still all free to use apps. and ive just been wondering. how.

because they know our teachers are still gonna show us how to do work in illustrator instead of fucking inkscape right. they know that. they paid for the classrooms, they paid for these unnecessarily bright machines. and yet they insist on "oh if you can't afford these adobe licences you shall never pirate".

i have not met a single person from a post-soviet country who had ever paid for one piece of software they use for work. in all of my twenty years of life. from hobbyists to cream of the crop in their profession. not a single one. i was taught how to pirate by my grandma at 6 years old.

fucking inkscape man.

[facelesskiwami]

OC Spotlight: Vincent and Boxcars

Vincent (that bigass cat) and Boxcars (that sleep-deprived dog) are a gay-ass couple. Vincent is a cousin of Vi's, and is a huge introvert. He works as a freelance software engineer, which thankfully doesn't require him to leave his apartment.

Boxcars, his roomate and boyfriend, is a chill, supernaturally lucky guy who works at a local comic shop. He doesn't try to push Vincent to do anything he doesn't want to do, and is content staying home during evenings and watching torrented anime.

They're both complete nerds, and their favorite activities together are buying figures, emulating obscure japanese-only visual novels, and playing decades-old MMOs.

(by roundedpentagon)

(by batspid2)

[trainsgenderfoxgirl2816]

Keir, I'm currently 16 but my birthday is at the end of November my zodiac sign I believe is Sagittarius

My favorite color is red for autism and Communism no Lucky number yes my father had a pitbull named smooches and my mother has a fluffy little lapdog named serenity ive lived in Seattle for most of my life but i was born in Orlando i dont know how tall i am bug im about 6 foot my foot size is known only too my mother and i have no idea how many shoes I have

Uh I'm pretty good with 3 dimensional visualization like very good, no I'm not really psychic but I do have pretty good pattern recognition, anything that toby fox makes, nimona, a transfem catgirl or a femboy (who else), yes but not for a long time, no Church wedding, yes I'm a moon worshiper and in getting into witchcraft, yes especially with my shitty health, no trouble with the law yet but that will change as soon as the revolution arrives, uh no celebrities, showers, black socks, no, no not really not for anything other like being a notable activist or revolutionary, i have autistic music taste, no, a single pillow, I sleep on my side, my mothers house is 4 bedroom 4 bathroom, my eating habits are very unusual, I have never fired a gun but i woild like to learn Second Amendment Rights, yes I have tried archery, Gay is my favorite word, and Fuck is my favorite swear word, the longest ive ebery gone without sleep i believe was 30 hours, yes im covered in scars and bruises from my health issues, HOW THE FUCK I AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW IF I HAVE SECRET ADMIRER?!, um I can lie very well but I really like to overshare so I'm also pretty bad at keeping the lie for a Long time, perhaps, as for my accent I have Echolalia so I collect accents, my personality type is gay autistic transgender Communist, my most expensive piece of clothing is idk, my tongue I don't know what a curled tongue looks like, innie, I might actually be ambidextrous since I wrote equally shitty with both hands, kinda scared of spiders, BBQ RIBS, uh, I am a trash possum, my most used phrase is either train good car bad or fuck around and find out, my most used might be fuck, it takes me 5-90 minutes to get ready, used to have a gifted kid ego but it got popped, I crush lollipops, OF COURSE I TALK TO MYSELF ITS WEIRD NOT TOO, Yes I sometimes, shockingly good singer, biggest fear is fascism or climate change destroying everything i care about, gossip?, uh I don't watch most movies, long hair short hair feels vile, I can name all 50 states the periodic table too but I won't, probably either history or geometry cause I'm weird, Introvert Peopling is exhausting, nope never SCUBA dived but my dad has, climate anxiety, um sometimes it depends on wether or not I see something moving, yes I am the epitome of Um Actually 🤓, no not really, uh no I don't know enough people for that, no not really, no ive never drunk any alcohol the smell makes me feel sick, no but i woild very much like too when i turn 21, uh this girl in some of my classes and that might not have been a crush since I'm pretty sure I'm aromantic, no piercings yet but want to get my septum pierced, no I cannot roll my Rs, I have no clue how typing speed is measured, i think that fastest ive ever ran was about 6 mph, my hair is a coppery brown but i want to dye it red or pink or maybe Miku blue, my eyes are blue and so is part of my sclera (most people have white sclera), I might have MCAS so I'm allergic to whatever my body decides it doesn't like that it doesn't like, no I do not well technically I do for one of my classes, my father is a software engineer he worked at Amazon for 12 years and worked at Grindr until they did union busting and he is looking for a new job, no i do not like being 16 i feel powerless, CAPITALISM I HATE CAPITALISM AND CAR DEPENDENCY

I do not like my given name so I made a new one from my middle name, yes I have and it's all the most non binary ass names youve ever heard like fern, moss, cedar etc, don't care as long my children are queer, my strengths are unintentional charisma, pattern recognition, a vast array of surprisingly specific knowledge, etc, my weaknesses uh I'm in constant pain, I have trauma and shit, I have a tendency to lash out, I'm also stubborn, and in not as open minded as I wish I was, and I can't fucking write and I can barely read,

My chosen name is derived from my middle name,

My ancestors were not royalty they were farmers from Ukraine and Belarus more specifically they were Wolgadeutsche,

I am covered in Scars, Bruises and stretch marks because I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and a skin picking disorder of some kind, my bed spread is all the colors, and my room is Tuscon Red

Get To Know Me Uncomfortably Well

PLEASE DON’T LET THIS FLOP AHHHH

1. What is you middle name? 2. How old are you? 3. When is your birthday? 4. What is your zodiac sign? 5. What is your favorite color? 6. What’s your lucky number? 7. Do you have any pets? 8. Where are you from? 9. How tall are you? 10. What shoe size are you? 11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? 12. What was your last dream about? 13. What talents do you have? 14. Are you psychic in any way? 15. Favorite song? 16. Favorite movie? 17. Who would be your ideal partner? 18. Do you want children? 19. Do you want a church wedding? 20. Are you religious? 21. Have you ever been to the hospital? 22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? 23. Have you ever met any celebrities? 24. Baths or showers? 25. What color socks are you wearing? 26. Have you ever been famous? 27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? 28. What type of music do you like? 29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? 30. How many pillows do you sleep with? 31. What position do you usually sleep in? 32. How big is your house? 33. What do you typically have for breakfast? 34. Have you ever fired a gun? 35. Have you ever tried archery? 36. Favorite clean word? 37. Favorite swear word? 38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? 39. Do you have any scars? 40. Have you ever had a secret admirer? 41. Are you a good liar? 42. Are you a good judge of character? 43. Can you do any other accents other than your own? 44. Do you have a strong accent? 45. What is your favorite accent? 46. What is your personality type? 47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing? 48. Can you curl your tongue? 49. Are you an innie or an outie? 50. Left or right handed? 51. Are you scared of spiders? 52. Favorite food? 53. Favorite foreign food? 54. Are you a clean or messy person? 55. Most used phrased? 56. Most used word? 57. How long does it take for you to get ready? 58. Do you have much of an ego? 59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? 60. Do you talk to yourself? 61. Do you sing to yourself? 62. Are you a good singer? 63. Biggest Fear? 64. Are you a gossip? 65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen? 66. Do you like long or short hair? 67. Can you name all 50 states of America? 68. Favorite school subject? 69. Extrovert or Introvert? 70. Have you ever been scuba diving? 71. What makes you nervous? 72. Are you scared of the dark? 73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? 74. Are you ticklish? 75. Have you ever started a rumor? 76. Have you ever been in a position of authority? 77. Have you ever drank underage? 78. Have you ever done drugs? 79. Who was your first real crush? 80. How many piercings do you have? 81. Can you roll your Rs?“ 82. How fast can you type? 83. How fast can you run? 84. What color is your hair? 85. What color is your eyes? 86. What are you allergic to? 87. Do you keep a journal? 88. What do your parents do? 89. Do you like your age? 90. What makes you angry? 91. Do you like your own name? 92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? 93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child? 94. What are you strengths? 95. What are your weaknesses? 96. How did you get your name? 97. Were your ancestors royalty? 98. Do you have any scars? 99. Color of your bedspread? 100. Color of your room?

[floorgazing]

@lostwcnderlands sent 🎤 for a lyrics based starter — accepting !

song — halloween by noah kahan. muse — lincoln "link" reed ( he / him ), 25, cis man, gay. software engineer with a longing for a life at sea.

it's not halloween, but the ghost you dressed up as sure knows how to haunt, yes, it knows how to haunt.

they've been here before, the two of them. they've been here thousands of times, in this predicament — stood outside of a party that link couldn't stand being inside of anymore, even though he'd been the one to insist on coming in the first place. hey, free booze is free booze, man. but — they both know he doesn't need anything free, they both know his mom's maiden name is vanderbilt and attending these parties has a whole lot more to do with having a socially acceptable reason to be drunk off his face. doesn't change that he never knows what to do once people start talking at him, once they start expecting a party guest and not just someone who shows up to deplete the punch; so, leave it to him to eventually sneak out, dragging his best friend just two paces behind him every time. it's one of many things that have become too regular, too mundane.

"i'm leavin' this town, and i'm changin' my address." wrong. he won't. it's been said before. he's always done with his job, he's always done rotting in the same place, he's always this, he's always that. link's never been anything but talk, especially when he's this drunk, rocking back and forth on his heels, staring into the ripples of this pool water with pocketed hands. "i know that you'll come if you want." this is spoken gentler, even if it's an equal amount of drunken nonsense — he's trying to say thank you, maybe? thank you for standing by me. yeah... could be that, but it could be a whole lot of nothing, too. link exhales as he wavers back on his heels, lowering his ass until it meets the lawn chair out here, and when he keeps talking, he feels like he knows what he's talking about. "i'm losin' myself in the tiniest objects," his head shakes, eyes locked with his reflection in the water. "i'm seein' my life on a screen."

[dihalect]

met someone today with a tattoo of a potato plant, from tuber to flower. and i like the thought of a plant tattoo with roots. and the structure of roots made me think of (graph theory) trees. which in turn made me realize that i would LOVE to have a graph theory-themed tattoo. because it's my favorite subfield of math (in its intersections with/contributions to cs and linguistics <<<3333), i really love it, and i am that autistic motherfucker i guess

[soaps-hoe-141]

Watcher Lore

Joined the Royal British Army at 16

He’s a Scot from Glasgow (credit @delightfulbeardthing thanks for the help with the accent regions <3)

World class software engineer

Has committed crimes and that's why his ass stuck in the navy

His dad is an Admiral

He is a Private

Transmasc he/him

Bisexual af; That man be cuffing jeans like it ain’t nobody’s business

Ginger

Gaymer

Man has gaming addiction

Was definitely iPad kid growin up

He’s the type of guy to have four monitors and a double PC

Is very competitive when he gets on the sticks

Has a twitch channel

He’s not a twitch partner though cause he has to spend so much time on base he doesn’t get to stream all that much

However he strives to be pro-level and he definitely got the talent

Only game plays casually is animal crossing, but even then he was a turnip hoarder and has billions of bells in the bank

Prefers FPS so he can scream at the criers

Soft but will kill you (especially in video games, it’s no holds barred)

Likes EDM

He’s a tattoo man, loves them

Loves body modifications but nothing too extreme

Started with piercings

Then moved to tattoos

Has tattoo behind his ear

One tattoo on the left side of his chest that peeks out from underneath his shirt

A celtic knot on the inside of his left middle finger

Has septum, lobe, orbital, and upper lobe piercings

Loves snakes in particular but has a soft spot for all reptiles and pets in general

Has severe claustrophobia

Man can’t stand small spaces

One of the few gays who can actually drive

He love he Koni &lt;3

[kibblemode]

part 2

johnathan crowe, he/him, bisexual, 54, white, family friend of cecil n prim | battle theme

johnny is a family friend. hes known haven since they were teenagers, and theyre very close. johnny has a very loud and extravagant personality, which often overwhelms ppl he meets. hes known cecil and prim since they were really young. he is the 2nd to last boss of the game, he uses the opportunity to prepare cecil for the fight against haven

apollo/polly, he/they, nonbinary + gay, 24, white, cecils best friend | battle theme

apollo was cecils bestie before he got sent to the surface world. theyre very high energy and kindof like a golden retriever type dude. they Can however get very jealous and they do get that way over jona and cecil being close so they end up being the 3rd to last boss of the game and their fight is supposed to be pretty hard since theyre fast + dude just flashbangs your ass

hunter golden, he/they, cishet, 20, white, prims boyfriend

hunter is prims boyfriend who lives in the overworld. hes pretty chill and laid back, and has a very one sided friendship with cecil. ur typical stoner skater dude type, overall hes a really nice guy. he texts with prim a lot after shes sent to the surface

ruby ivanhoe, she/they, nb + lesbian, 34, white, arcade owner | cutscene theme

rubys the owner of a local arcade in the town prim and cecil are staying in, shes really chill and doesnt really leave the arcade since she pretty much lives there. shes like avgn except shes not as vulgar

S.A.M., it/he, het????, mentally around 30-35, no race since hes a robot lol, alices invention/assistant | battle theme + cutscene theme

SAM is short for something but it likes to be called that bc it likes the name. it was invented by alice to help her around her lab but its AI gained sentience one day after an accident. cecil and his friends wind up in alices lab for some reason and something TBD happens that makes SAM go awol and they have to shut him down or something idk

vesper, he/it/they, het(? hes a train?), 62, still no race hes a train, cecils """friend""" + primary mode of transportation | battle theme + cutscene theme

vesper is a train thats controlled by an AI. hes pretty rude and just generally Not Nice but he has his moments. hes basically meant to be the way to change levels/locations/whatever. he was specifically sent by annie to help/protect cecil and prim but he hates it

alice chadwick, she/her, cishet, 36, black, software engineer

alice is the head software engineer for segs company. she invented SAM in her own free time, and has several other computers to help her around the lab which are Not sentient. shes very friendly and outgoing, and gladly helps cecil and prim learn about human culture, since she knows that seg isnt human

oc for cpcs info under the cut

cecil davis, he/him, cis + gay, 26, mixed (white/hispanic), prims older brother + main protag | battle theme

cecil is the main protag of the game, he lived in the underworld w/ his mom annie before she sent him to live with his uncle seg in the surface world. externally hes very serious n can be stern sometimes but hes a good guy overall ^_^ he has a younger sister who he'll protect with his LIFE they love each other lots. in fact sometimes he can get a little Too protective lol. he befriends jona and his friends bc seg accidentally shows his true nonhuman form to him while cecil and prim are with him so cecil makes a deal w jona in order to protect their identities (jona is an aspiring paranormal journalist) and thats how the game starts out LOL

prim davis, she/her, cishet, 18, mixed (same as cecil), cecils little sister | cutscene theme

prim is cecils little sister abd the secondary protag of the story. she was also sent to the surface world by haven to live with seg, since she hasnt seen cecil in person for over 9 years. shes very kind and good natured, but she can have moments where shes a little hotheaded. she loves her brother dearly and has a great relationship w him :] she also has a boyfriend in the overworld and is Not happy w her dad that shes separated from him

jona chen, he/him, trans + bisexual, 25, chinese, cecils friend | cutscene theme

jona is cecils first and closest friend in the surface world. hes a human but knows that cecil is Not due to seg accidentally revealing their nonhuman forms in front of him. hes an aspiring paranormal journalist and investigator, so hes Suuuuper interested in learning about cecil and prims respective cultures. he also gets permission from cecil and prim to let his close friends see them as they truly are. he ends up being super close with cecil and even asks him out near the end of the game, whether or not cecil accepts is up to the player tbh

gulliver hitchcock, he/him, cis + bisexual, 28, white, jonas friend

gulliver is one of jonas friends. hes very country and lives in the middle of nowhere. him living so far from the city means cecil and his friends spend a lot of time there. he unknowingly saves his friends from an escaped underworld beast of some sort by hitting it with his truck. hes the second of jonas friends to be introduced in game

daisy evergreen, she/her, cis + bisexual, 30, ugandan, also jonas friend

another one of jonas friends. daisy is the first to find out about cecils true identity after jona, but thats mostly because she figured it out on her own. shes pretty even tempered and cool in the face of danger, her friends usually go to her for advice. in game she is the first human introduced, cecil walks her home after she gets lost in the towns neighboring woods

seg janson, he/him, cishet, 56, white, cecil and prims uncle | battle theme + cutscene theme

seg is a rich conman who jointly owns a banking company in the city. before the start of the game hed never met his niece and nephew, but after meeting them he cares for them deeply. he gives cecil a job to protect his identity but accidentally allows jona to see their nonhuman forms like i said earlier. he lives in the middle of the small town jona and his friends live in, in an abandoned church he made into a mansion. later in the game its revealed that he lives in the surface world because he preferred it to the underworld, and he prefers living with humans instead of preying on their weaknesses

misty goodman, she/her, cis + lesbian, 25, white, ALSO jonas friend

yet another friend of jonas. shes a blogger who lives in the city, and is the last to find out about cecil. she can be pretty rude and blunt about most things, but she also has a rare kinder side. despite her personality she loves her friends and would do Anything for them, even is she doesnt say so. she helps jona with his amateur journalism by using her talent for photography to provide him with pictures to use in his articles. basically his partner in crime

radon, he/him, trans + het, 33, white, weird guy + resident fucked up scientist | cutscene theme + battle theme

radon is somewhat of an urban legend around the town. hes a chemist who studies radioactive materials in his free time (which he has a lot of) in his lab under his house. he tends to experiment on himself a lot, since he ran out of """test subjects""". he rarely leaves the lab, usually injecting himself with chemicals snd documenting the results. cecil winds up in his lab by accident, and witnesses radon inject himself one too many times, which causes him to turn into a gross monster that cecil kills in self defense

haven davis, he/they, cishet, 52, hispanic, cecil and prims father + main "villain" | battle theme + cutscene theme

haven is basically god, and rules over the overworld with an iron fist. he can be pretty emotionless and serious, but is still a good dad overall. he is the final boss of the game, his need to protect his family results in him trying to erase jona and friends' memories of everything they weren't supposed to see. this leads up to him being the final boss of the game, cecil stops him by defeating him in a heated battle. hes not a terrible person per se but he definitely does some fucked up shit to humans he considers a threat to the secrecy of both the overworld and the underworld

annie janson, she/her, cishet, 49, white, cecil and prims mother | cutscene theme

annie is cecil and prim's mom and shes like. literally the devil and is considered head of the underworld lol. shes divorced (her ex husband haven lives in the overworld with prim, meanwhile cecil lives in the underworld with annie) i dont have much character wise but i like to think shes a bit of a hothead but still a decent mom to her kids

[macrotiis]

Forreal tho it’s so weird to see someone going goat for the ppl with some of the most high paying jobs in this day & age being all “these ppl are gay too you know” like c’mon.

Ppl bitch about theatre kids but you know ppl in theatre barely make a living these days

I will absolutely make fun of your ass for being all “what about the software engineers & architects” coz those fuckers are some of the most high payed fuckers outta all us nerdy queers. Especially those of us nerdy queers with learning disabilities that barred us out of that shit.

[jjba-hell]

Revoked

Still late for day 2 but I am enjoying the hell out of these prompts. (Today’s prompt was sci-fi)

Trigger warnings for the death of the ice cream gays but lemme know if I missed anything else.

Summary: a weird mismatched team of busted up aliens and half-blood humans just dealing with some shit.

For the lovely: @lasquadraweek2021

“You should really just transfer to a new body Pros. Humans aren’t supposed to live this long, babe.”

You grumble probably more to yourself than to the man whose forearm you were tinkering in. Well... maybe tinkering wasn’t the word either. He needed another repair and honestly you can’t help but feel like Risotto only offered you the air-mattress in the ship because so many of these psychos have bio-tech they can’t afford to upkeep.

“Sure, I can’t afford a rewire but I can surely afford getting my brain transplanted in a new body.”

“Human bodies are so easy to grow though.” You peer up at him over your magnify glasses with a wriggle of eyebrows. “Fully grown in a quarter rotation? Come on I still have to wait another half rotation to buy a swimsuit let alone grow a body.”

Prosciutto flexed the hand you were working on to spite you but all you did was strap the wrist down and switch off the impulse circuit before getting up and walking toward the exit of the ship where the others were sprawled out in the soft baby blue grass of the planet you were hiding out at.

Melone’s gaze shot from laptop up as you kicked your untied boots from your feet and slid into the grass, barely hearing him as he asked “Any luck with Pros’s arm?”

“I can’t keep mending the same two wires that keep popping off. Its best we find a place that can handle Babyface’s software and get a new one.”

“Still not budging for just replacing the whole thing?” Formaggio asked from somewhere across the clearing.

Like he was one to talk- Akils like him grew back heads and limbs, there wasn’t exactly a need to know anything about biotech.

“Nope. Are all humans this stubborn?”

“I think its the half Megnu in him.” Illuso was the one to chirp in this time.

“That’s still not confirmed.” You sat back on your feet to try and spot your teammates.

“Well he won’t let me analyze.” Melone sighed- continuing to worry away at the clear glass screen that held all his designs.

Melone truly was a bit of a madman to you- he designed the entirety of his body on that simple glass tablet and yet couldn’t finish his face in time before the feds were on him for unethical medical practice- ironic considering he was only putting himself through the strain of fitting his brain into a piece of machinery. What his official titles were in his old field were beyond you.

“Pesci’s not all Scud and he’s not half as stubborn.” You commented and with a soft hum the team fell back into silence.

“Where’s Ris?”

“He’s in bed- that last jump took a toll on him.” Illuso finally rose up from the grass himself heading a bit further away from the clearing, probably wandering after Ghiacchio who was asked to take a lap after he froze off Formaggio’s finger.

You clambered up a few steps to find your captain with the old-fashioned two-way radio in his hand as he lay passed out on couch of the shared living room.

Risotto would rather be caught dead than caught like this so, with intent, you stepped up to take the radio out of his hand. He seemed to gently wake at your fingers prying the piece or equipment from his hand.

“Shit.” He grumbled. “How long-?”

“Ghiacchio’s not even back from his lap- don’t worry. Just head off before they catch you.”

And with a slight groan he rolled up and disappeared down the hallways to his bunk which sounded with an ungraceful “clunk” as he fell into the bed.

Your name got hollered with the slightest tone of desperation from Prosciutto and with that you were back doing your part in the team behind the scene.

“You’re a purebred?” Prosciutto had eventually asked after a few minutes of boredom at watching you weld wires back to the motherboard.

You couldn’t help but laugh. “What am I? A dog?”

He seemed to swallow his words.

“Where do you think I’m from?” You tried to smooth it over.

“Caestea- at least your appearance would have you look like that.”

Another laugh. “I’m from Earth, Pros.”

His eyes widened. “Impossible.”

“Oh yeah. My parents weren’t exactly refugees but they are most certainly not human. Fuck knows what my genetic makeup looks like but thankfully I certainly age like a Caestean. You are all human, huh?”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “Not that there are many of us left.”

In a sense you felt bad for him. You’d seen photos of Earth long before it started to mimic its brother planet Mars but you rarely thought of how wickedly the planet must have lost its life before intergalactic intervention. Humans were strangely scared and selfish creatures but no one deserved to die because there was no clean water to drink.

You shook off the macabre though before closing up Pros’s arm and putting away the tools. “That should do for now but we really do need to think of a replacement in the near future.”

“Thanks.”

It was a half-assed thank you but it surely caught your attention. Pros was a little too prideful to give just anyone a thanks but nonetheless you returned the sentiment. “No problem.”

Outside the boys were fighting again- or rather Ghiacchio was arguing as Formaggio was pushing his buttons while Pesci grilled a rather obscenely colorful fish over the fire-in-tin.

“Oh just the person we needed to see.”

Getting clasped with two arms over the neck was bad enough but from Sorbet and Gelato, now that was trouble waiting to start.

“Oh gods, what do I have to offer this time.”

“Don’t be so serious!” Sorbet cooed darkly.

“We were just hoping you could help us out with the next target.” His boyfriend added.

If you could just roll your eyes back far enough.

“Wandering off from our captain’s orders doesn’t sound like something I’d want to get myself involved in.”

“Not even for a bionic manufacturer?”

“Or a healing bay, for the ship? Surely you could install those things no problem.”

Honestly it was hard not to fall for the stereotype that all Makzi’s do is play dirty and haggle like merchants but here you were, stuck between them and being tempted into breaking formation with them.

“And what would I have to lose?”

“Nothing much-“

“Maybe some face with Risotto.”

You couldn’t help but scoff. “You want me to convince him?”

“Exactly- he might actually consider something if it came out of your pretty mouth.”

“Or rather, if he could come in it.”

You took one step back and bowed out of the hold between the two of them. “Fucking sleezes. Your shit’s gonna get you killed, mark my words.”

“So its a no?”

“Its a fuck no, Sorbet. Vile comments aside, that shit is expensive, even dent-jobs sell for millions... that kind of money is too big a job for us to handle right now and stealing one even more. Get your heads out of your asses before you come up to me with more dumb shit, next time.”

And with that you slipped back beside Illuso as Pesci was grilling up the third fish for the night. Looking back at what you had said was not untrue. That night you were restless in your bunker above Formaggio- Illuso peering behind the sliding divider across the little hallway that ran between the bed bunks.

“Something on your conscience?”

“No.”

“You sure?” You nearly leapt out of skin as Formaggio’s forehead popped up just below your chin outside your divider. “You’ve turned and kicked like 10 times, babe.”

“Please don’t babe me.” You frown at him but you answered the gnawing feeling by asking. “Where are Sorbet and Gelato?”

“Probably in their bed.” Illuso answered as if there wasn’t a more logical answer.

“Wanna put money on it?” Your eyebrow raised.

“And catch them in the act? Daaamn you’re dirtier than I thought.”

“Come on then, 10 drinks at the next stop they’re not in their bunk.”

“Shit, I can’t miss on that opportunity.” Formaggio’s divider slid open all the way to allow him to plop with bare feet to the double bunks at the end of the hallway.” You and Illuso watched in trepidation as he knelt down and knocked. There was no answer save for Risotto’s stern frown behind the top divider making an appearance. “What do you want?”

“Are Sorbet and Gelato in there?” You piped up first.

The angry frown turned into concern as he slid out of his bunk to replace where Formaggio was. He slid the door open to reveal one big empty bed.

What you’d have given to be wrong. But instead the panic bit you all and soon you were messily slipping on boots and running around the ship to find the missing lovers.

Pesci checked the engine compartments he might have accidentally left open, Pros checked the storage while Risotto was seeing if he could track them on the radar. It was only when you were hoisted onto the roof by Formaggio that the dread set into your bones.

“Tell Ris to switch on the overhead console lights.”

You called back down below you. Part of you wished you didn’t... since all it did was put them on display.

It was a vile thing that made Risotto’s eyes grow darker than they already were and once dawn broke, you and Melone quietly put the bodies into the best makeshift body bags you could manage. The lake a few paces away was where you last saw those body bags.

After you left that pit stop you sat in silence in the communal meeting area, your legs flung over one of the armrests in your seat- staring blankly at the coffee table you’d nipped from a market not too long ago.

“So... what’s the plan?”

You asked at anyone who would listen.

“Do we go on as usual? Find their families?”

“Revenge?”

Your head turned to Prosciutto as he was enjoying one last drag of his cigarette.

“You’re brave.” You huffed a bit of laughter at the thought. The big boss and his cronies- the only real reason none of you strayed from Risotto’s orders was way up on a station so far up the intergalactic alliance ladder that you’d have a better shot at killing the king of Gnomia B908 and getting away with it.

“Why not?” Illuso was the one to back it. “Surely we could track the sick fucks that did it.”

“You’re thinking too simply.” Risotto grumbled over his fist. “They didn’t get themselves killed by accident. This was deliberate- a display not to challenge the higher ups.”

“Any idea what they were planning?” You sat up, propping your elbows onto your knees.

Risotto kindly pulled up their hidden plans- your name encircled in red a few times. They seemed to have had their eye on a biotech printer and medbay that was once used by the Boss himself.

“What’s the relevance of an old medbay?” Pros posed the question to you- Melone was up front with Formaggio.

“Medbays need to keep track of any irregularities in DNA to avoid any incompatibility issues. Its one of the few things that can’t be wiped because its burned into the drive. They were trying to expose the Boss’s identity.”

“And they were planning on risking us all in the process?”

You pointed at a little arrow shooting off your name once more. “They figured I could remove and replace the hard drive before anyone noticed.”

Your throat felt dry as you realized what that meant. Whoever this person was... if they could follow something as irrelevant as a used medbay to keep their tracks clean... chances are you were all, at best, being watched.

The thought must have been shared as Risotto didn’t breathe a word as he moved to the front of the ship and changed course to an unaffiliated vector you know damn well you’d probably be searched and cleansed for.

To no one’s surprise the pristine white towers blinded and no sooner than two seconds of coming into orbit of one of the bigger planets you were requested to land.

You stood beside you captain as the ship docked and you waited with your hands behind your head to greet the haz-mat team. “You must be pretty serious about this if you’re willing to get sit in their prison.”

He gazed down at you and with a deadpan tone simply said: “You’ve escaped, I’m certain you could do it again.”

[dougtfs]

The Dumbslut potion seems to have had a particularly strong effect on Thomas – or “Tommy” as he now calls himself. One sip was enough to make him forget his job as a software engineer, forget how to wear clothes, forget everything but the pleasure of offering up his ass.

It was the second sip that gave him the enormous cock.

Read more tales of sexy gay transformation by Douglas Benjamin: https://amzn.to/2l5xrFF

[kimblewrites]

wip intro - ANAST4S1A

(title very likely to be changed)

pov: limited 3rd

stage: first draft

genre: fiction, political, thriller, 

themes: found family, lgbt+ / poc characters, hacking, government takedown hell yeah, rich people, ptsd, my characters needing therapy in general but they actually go get therapy, recovery, chaotic characters being chaotic,

Synopsis

Corine Fernsby is one of the only survivors of the FBI takedown of the hacktivist group Anonymous, and int he 10 years since, she had made an effort to go unnoticed by the government radar.

Unfortunately, that has been made difficult by the persona of “Anastasia”, a late Mask’s daughter rumored to have survived the Fall. Though Corine dismisses this as an urban legend, vowing that her mask has been hung up for good, there is no denying that Anastasia is sought after as one of the greatest hackers of her time. 

In the wake of a CIA hack, Corine receives a software engineering job offer at billion-dollar tech company InnoTech in New York. Upon arriving, however, she realizes she wasn’t hired to write code as much as she was recruited to break it. Enter the rising Hacktivist group known as CatchMe, led and funded by none other than InnoTech CEO Nathaniel Waters. 

InnoTech has been contracted by an unnerved government to patch the very bugs that Nathan and his people secretly exploited in the first place. And as desperately as Corine wants to turn away from her old life, she longs for the opportunity that Nathan extends to her; to rise again, to avenge a martyred family, and to embrace the cybernetic crown of the so-called Princess Anastasia. 

Characters

Corine Fernsby: female, 27, bisexual, mixed-race (white/Persian, not sure which country yet). “Anastasia”, daughter of late Anonymous exec, and was 17 when the FBI took down Anonymous. One of the only survivors. A brilliant hacker, but exhausted and trying to play by the rules. Emphasis on exhausted though. 

Nathaniel Waters: male, 30, straight, caucasian. CEO and founder of government-contracted software development company “InnoTech”, but secretly leads and funds the Hacktvisit group CatchMe. Orphaned. Arrogant, ambitious, visionary. 

Wyatt Stride: male, 33, gay, caucasian. Youngest White House Chief of Staff in history. Has been a friend of Corine’s for 5 years and has tried to hire her on multiple occasions. High-key gay for the President. 

Jessica Parlor: female, 30, lesbian, African-American. Has known Nathan since college. Handles public relations for InnoTech. Not a hacker, but still a part of CatchMe. Could (and would) kick your ass. 

Faris: male, 15, caucasian. Nathan’s adopted son of 6 years. Comedic relief, soft. Doesn’t go out in public much. A CatchMe hacker taught personally by Nathan. 

Andre Portland: male, 41, bisexual mixed-race (African-American/Caucasian). President of the United States. Main antagonist. Has been in politics his whole life. Likable, charming, an absolute bastard. 

CatchMe Hackers: In total, there’s less than a dozen CatchMe or “Catches”. But they’re all highly skilled, cybernetic geniuses, who work from the basement of Nathaniel’s home. They will all be further fleshed out in the story. 

Alright, that’s it! I may do one of those google slides / comic sands presentations but I didn’t have time for that so here we go for now. Reach out to be added to the taglist. Lots of this stuff is also subject to change so yeah. 

[choices-betch]

Lost on You (Mona x MC)

Chapter I: when the party’s over Description: It’s been 6 years since the Mercy Park Crew split and Lexi is about to graduate from law school. Despite her valiant attempts to move’s on, an unexpected event sends her reeling in the past. Pairing: Mona x MC (Lexi Padilla); OC X MC Chapter warnings: some NSFW content, light cursing  Notes: After the RoD ending I was NOT satisfied and needed to have some semblance of control and resolution with Mona lmao so here this is. I don’t know how many parts it will be; I’m estimating maybe 4? We’ll see where it takes me, but it’s gonna be angsty. Thank you to @pauclaws for the prompt that got the wheels turning! Let me know if you want to be tagged in future chapters. Song accompaniment: when the party’s over - Billie Eilish Tags: @maxwellsquidsuit @scarlet-letter-a0114 @whoinvitedalx

Chapter I: when the party’s over

Lexi gathered her belongings after handing in her last final, sighing in relief as she headed out the door; finally this hellish semester was over, and with that, her final year of law school. Lost in thoughts of what cheap wine she could snag and curl up on the couch with that evening to ignore the world around her, she was startled when she ran into something hard. She looked up to a grinning face, stepping out of the way to avoid blocking other students exiting.

“I know I’m sexy but damn, girl,” the man joked with a wink, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. Lexi grinned at him sheepishly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Sorry, Joel. Got distracted,” Lexi apologized, clearly embarrassed.

“My devilishly handsome features do tend to have that effect on people,” Joel responded with a wink, eliciting an eye roll from Lexi. “What are you off in a hurry for? Celebrating tonight?”

Lexi eyed him dubiously, shaking her head. “The most exciting part of my night will be deliberating between Zinfandel and Rosé.”

“Boooorriiiinng,” he chided, motioning for Lexi to walk with him. “Unacceptable. You just finished your last day ever of law school, girl! You’re coming with me and my friends to a club downtown.”

“Clubs aren’t really my thing,” Lexi responded with a cringe. On the rare occasion she went to one, she seemed to attract the people with the worst pick up lines, not to mention smells.

“It’s a gay club, trust,” Joel said dismissively, waving her off. “It’s gonna be fire.”

“I don’t have the money for that,” Lexi hesitated, her resolve crumbling.

“We’ll pre-game at my place.”

“I—“

“Nope!” Joel interrupted, “You’re coming. I’m not letting you rot alone on your couch in ratty ass grandma underwear when you could be gettin’ some ass. You’ve done nothing but throw yourself into school since I met you and I’ve had it! You’re coming with.”

Lexi barked out a laugh; he wasn’t wrong. They’d met on the first day of law school and for the last 2 years Joel had been trying to get Lexi out more, to help her relax...no such luck. Lexi finally relented, agreeing to go. After hashing out the details on where to meet, Lexi headed back to her studio in an effort to regain some energy for the night ahead. — Lexi shook her fingers through her hair as she doused it in hairspray in an attempt to secure her beach waves. She straightened up, staring at herself for an extended period of time before sighing. Lexi had thought getting a shoulder length cut a few months ago would make it easier to style, thus forcing her to do something with it, but clearly her hair was hopeless. A glimpse of a drawing in the background caught Lexi’s eye. The significance of this time of year wasn’t lost on her, as was the case with every year that passed. Six years later she still thought, what if...?

Despite Mona’s demand that Lexi forget about her and leave her alone, she couldn’t and wouldn’t. Lexi managed to figure out where Mona was being held (though found very little else) and wrote to her religiously...at first. But she never got a response, with one exception: her birthday. Every year she would get a hand drawn card, which she always treasured and had displayed in her room, but it was always followed by silence. That hurt worse than anything Mona had done. Just as Mona said - words meant nothing; it’s what you do that counts, and doing nothing said everything. Still, Lexi continued to write, less frequently as the years went by, and still, only a birthday card once a year.

She didn’t know why she couldn’t let go. It’d been a few months of passion followed by six years of absolutely nothing but those few and far between glimmers of hope that Mona had the same difficulty forgetting her. Still, those memories stayed with her as vivid as if they’d just happened. Sometimes, she could even swear she still felt Mona’s lips on her mouth, her neck…

Lexi snapped out of her thoughts, suddenly conscious of her fingers grazing her lips. She shook her head, gave her makeup and short black dress a once over one last time, then grabbed her belongings and headed to Joel’s.

She walked around the complex, glancing between her phone and the door numbers; surely she was missing an area, but after circling multiple times she was about to force Joel to come escort her.

“You look lost.” Lexi looked up in alarm, locking eyes with a woman gazing at her in amusement. “Sorry, I’ve just seen you circling around a few times. It was disorienting.”

“Why were you watching me for that long?” Lexi retorted, eyeing the woman cautiously and getting into a defensive stance. If this lady was some sort of serial killer, Lexi wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Whoa, calm down killer,” she joked, holding her hands up in defense. “I was smoking...a few times, actually. Social anxiety plus clubbing is not fun. Although you certainly look like you’re about to enjoy your evening.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lexi was growing frustrated, and she didn’t know why this random stranger was getting under her skin.

“I just meant you’re dressed to kill,” she clarified, scratching her neck. “Well, this went horribly awry. I only meant to offer to help you find what you’re looking for.”

Lexi relaxed slightly, eyeing the woman briefly before sighing.  She wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She gave the woman the unit she was looking for and the woman chuckled, looking around awkwardly.

“Yeah, it’s uh...down this way. Joel’s one of my best friends; heading out with the gang to celebrate his release from the prison of law school,” she joked. “Come on, I’ll walk with you.”

The woman introduced herself as Jordan, a software engineer that had been friends with Joel since undergrad. Lexi observed Jordan’s physical appearance for the first time. She wasn’t particularly tall - maybe 5’6 at the most - but she had a solid build accentuated by her button down and chinos. Her caramel hair was pulled back in a tight bun, strong jawline more prominent as a result. Lexi silently appreciated the view, knowing from her behaviors over the years that’s all it would be. After finally making it to Joel’s apartment and being introduced to his group of friends, everyone did a few tequila shots before requesting a Lyft.

Lexi squinted slightly as she entered the dark club, disoriented from the pulsing neon lights. She adjusted the band on her wrist as she looked around, following the group toward the bar.

“What are you drinking?” Jordan asked, her hand gently touching Lexi’s lower back. Lexi looked at her, dazed for a moment; it’d been a long time since an innocent touch felt that intimate. Not since…

Lexi cleared her throat and forced a smile. “Whiskey, on the rocks. Make it a double.”

The rest of the night flew by in a drunken blur of dancing and too many random bodies touching. Jordan got increasingly close over the night, and Lexi didn’t know if it was the alcohol talking or if she was really that desperate for intimacy, but she found herself back in a Lyft, making out intensely on their way to Jordan’s apartment.  She didn’t know what she was doing. Sure, she found Jordan attractive and she definitely felt chemistry there, but there wasn’t anything special about this particular person. Why was she so torn, so desperate for this feeling? 

Somehow they made it to Jordan’s apartment, tangled limbs stumbling through the door and to the bedroom where they wasted no time undressing.

“I’m so glad I came out tonight,” Jordan said against Lexi’s lips as they fell on the bed. Lexi kissed her harder; she didn’t want to talk, just feel. As Jordan’s lips moved down her neck, Lexi closed her eyes, hands going to Jordan’s hair.

Lexi ran her hands through Mona’s hair then pulled her into a passionate kiss, Mona’s half naked body conforming to hers. Mona pulled away slowly then shoved Lexi back onto the bed, smirking as she kissed up her body.

“If I do get killed because of the stupid brotherhood, it might be worth it.”

Lexi blinked back to reality, Jordan halfway down her body by now.

“Is this okay?” Jordan asked, pausing at her underwear. Lexi paused, mind racing as her breathing increased.

Lexi looked down at Mona, perched between her legs with a teasing grin. “You really want me, don't you?” Mona ran her thumb gently down Lexi’s folds, wetness coating her thumb as Lexi twitched slightly. “I can tell.”

“God, yes,” Lexi breathed as Mona glanced up at her, gently sucking the juices off her thumb. Lexi’s breathing hitched, Mona silently urging her to continue. “I want you to kiss me everywhere…”

Lexi nodded, her underwear quickly being pulled off and thrown to the side. Her mind was racing, stuck between the past and the present as it always seemed to be.  Lexi gasped, her thoughts in the present for now at the shock of the intense feelings coursing through her body.

Lexi gripped her pillow, reaching down to grasp Mona’s hair in her hand as Mona’s tongue continued gliding against her.

“Mona, don’t stop...I’m...I’m gonna…”

Lexi’s eyes flew open as her climax overcame her, her legs trembling with every wave of pleasure. As Jordan kissed back up her body, Lexi flipped over quickly, silently and quickly making her way down Jordan’s body.

“You don’t waste time, do you?” Jordan joked breathily.

Lexi didn’t respond, continuing her way down, maintaining every effort to distract herself from the flashbacks she was having; to help her forget. The rest of the night went by in a blur, and next thing she knew she was staring at the clock on the bedside table. Lexi glanced to her right, Jordan sleeping deeply, then scanned the room for her clothes. She slowly got out of the bed, quietly grabbing her belongings before exiting the room. She hurriedly got dressed and requested a Lyft home before making her way out the door, closing it quietly behind her. — Lexi walked into her studio on autopilot and stood just past her doorway, dropping her keys and bag on the floor and staring blankly ahead. After a long moment she snapped out of it, closing the door behind her. She quickly began stripping and walked to the bathroom, her clothing leaving a trail behind her. She turned on the shower hastily, stepping in and under the water without waiting for it to warm. Squeezing a glob of soap onto her loofa, she began scrubbing her body roughly, furiously trying to clean off every touch, bite, lick on her skin; any trace of intimacy left on her body.

She’d been with men over the years, even casually dated a few, but ultimately something never fully clicked; they always felt more like friends. While she found plenty of women attractive over the years, something - someone - kept her from fully pursuing anything. For the first time tonight, she’d felt something since Mona. Perhaps she’d always thought nothing would compare - which she was still right about - but what she hadn’t prepared for was the emotional toll it took after the fact, and why: she didn’t want a connection like that with anyone else.

She paused her scrubbing, eyes stinging and breathing hitched slightly. The tears came quickly and freely, a mixture of anger, guilt and heartbreak. Why? Why did someone have to matter to her when nothing was ever meant to come of it? Why Mona, who clearly wasn’t bothered one way or the other? Why did she have to be so damn persistent instead of listening for once?

She slid down the shower wall, a sob escaping her mouth, allowing the water to beat down on her until it ran cold. Lexi finally calmed herself, standing to rinse her face before turning off the water. She dried herself off and threw on some bed clothes before making her way to her desk. Pulling out a piece of paper, she began to write.

She wrote about her anger, guilt, sadness, resentment; the difficulty she had enjoying any milestone or accomplishments in her life without thinking of Mona or wishing she were there, but most of all her seeming inability to meet anyone without comparing them to her. And they never compared. Lexi hastily scribbled the facility’s address on an envelope, stamped it, then walked to the corner to mail it before she could change her mind. Maybe this was what she needed to finally move on. Lexi walked back to her studio and headed to bed, curling her comforter closely around her as she drifted into a restless sleep. — 2 weeks later

Mona shoved her hands in her pockets as she approached her destination, having gotten dropped off a few blocks down the road to avoid traffic back up. She scanned her surroundings, glancing down at her phone for clarification of where she was headed, then continued on the path. After a few too many turns (and even more curse words), Mona finally made it to her destination, careful to do her best to blend into the background. Announcements had already begun, and Mona scanned the rows of chairs at the front for any sign of familiarity. After searching a few times, Mona’s sight focused on a familiar profile with much-shorter-than-she’d-remembered dark hair beneath a cap. She smirked; sexy.

Just then, the girl looked back, seemingly straight at Mona. Mona panicked, ducking behind other attendees as she moved farther out of view. She caught sight of the girl again, seeing her frown and look around for a few moments before turning to a man next to her.

Mona’s thumb grazed the edges of the folded letter she’d received just as she was about to be released. Perhaps it wasn’t a direct invitation, but there was certainly enough information for Mona to figure it out. Still, what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her, and it kept Mona protected; in control.  Mona stuck around until she saw what she came for, then headed out for her next mission. —

Lexi enjoyed brunch with a few classmates and her dad after the ceremony then headed home for a much needed nap. As she got close to her doorway she took off her heels, sighing in relief as she tiptoed toward her door, her dad chastising her for not waiting until she was inside. She stopped short at the sight of a small package left at her doorstep. Her dad put a hand out to keep her in place, slowly moving forward to inspect the package. After he deemed it safe, he picked it up and handed it to her. Lexi examined all the edges curiously, shaking it gently. She flipped the tag and her knees buckled slightly at the recognition of the handwriting and the message.

Congrats, gorgeous. Always said you were a nerd. xx

“Lexi?” he questioned, concern etched on his face as he reached out to steady her. “Are you okay?”

She stared at the tag for another long moment, mentally telling herself to get it together with a shaky breath before turning the tag over and forcing a smile.

“Yeah, Dad. I’m fine. Let’s go inside.”