[mothernatureknows]

eye contact usually comes easy to maddy, she’s subjugated to it almost 24/7, delivering news to patients and talking to fellow practitioners. she’s pretty much a natural, never afraid to focus her attention to the other person with her full gaze…but this situation is proving to crumble all of that to the ground. being within a dozen feet was difficult but now, face to face, she can feel her eyeballs tremble at meeting his eyes.

his observation throws her off guard, bringing her attention now down to her hand rather than his eyes (a small relief actually). crap. she is bleeding, and far more than she’d like. the darkness in her blood beginning to drip onto the tile floor. it’s almost, almost funny to her that they’ve somewhat switched from last time they were together.

she moves with him, slightly dumbstruck and at a loss for words. how should she respond? should she go autopilot and treat it? should she say that she’s seen worse? should she say that she’s been on the receiving end of much worse treatment and this is only a fraction of the pain she’s been in?

maddy decides to do neither, actually mustering a careful smile and says, “sorry for…for almost bleeding on you. i don’t know what i was thinking,” she wrings her hands together out of instinct, now spreading the mess. “c-could you stay and help me with it?”

[pcstscripts]

the irony's not lost on him— how it's now maddy who's bleeding this way and that and staining floors— but beck behaves. he decides that now probably isn't the best time to crack a joke at it, no matter how much he's itching to.

so he's matured, really. this is character development.

but maddy does make it really hard. the discomfort of being together again after the last time in combination with how insistent she is that he actually stick around (is it her first fucking day being alive or something? shit—) only makes the desire to just leave itch more. but he figures if this isn't addressed now, then luna will absolutely swindle him into addressing it later.

and... he's missed maddy too.

so he swallows the discomfort and cocks an eyebrow. "isn't this your job or something?" he questions with a small nod to her hand. he's not trying to insinuate anything, really, just that— doesn't maddy keep people alive every day? shouldn't she be an expert in doing the goody goody things? it has been a while since, you know, beck's tried to mend any wounds.

still, his hands rest on her shoulders as he gently turns her around back toward the kitchen and tap tap taps to guide her back. "wash up before you start painting the town red. luna's gonna think i fuckin' did something." for the record, he didn't! this time! thanks! beck wants the record to show that this was all maddy's doing and maddy's alone!

but beck still grumbles: "frigid bitch."

[mothernatureknows]

a breathy laugh escapes her at the irony of the situation, now coming to terms with her fresh injury. “occasionally, yes, but it’s harder when you’re doing it by yourself,” she winces now, the pain steadily creeping back up. she’s half glad she didn’t hit one of her digital arteries, but the bleeding is steady nonetheless, the stark red now encompassing her full hand.

his frigid touch temporarily distracts her from the pain and, rather than being discomforting as she would’ve believed so long ago, maddy finds herself relieved at his approach. she obediently follows and snorts at his comment about their mutual friend. “i don’t think she’ll mind, really. she’s left…worse at my place,” maddy responds honestly. she can’t count how many times luna has visited her at unseemly hours of the night with an injury that’s trailed every which way in her home.

( that’s why she’s changed her flooring to tile a while back. )

she dips her injury into the sink, the sudden rush of cold water dousing the blood from her skin, releasing a sigh from her lips. “‘m sorry that you have to see all this. um, could you grab the first aid kit from the bathroom?” she requests, rinsing off the last of the running blood. some of it has stopped, but there’s still a bit pooling through.

once he’s returned, she takes the kit gratefully and begins mending herself up. “…luna bamboozled us both,” she says with a light chuckle, finishing the stitching. “do, um…do you know why she needed so many peanut butter jars?”

[mothernatureknows]

you know when they say that life sometimes flashes before your eyes during stressful moments? this happened to be one of those stressful moments.

from the moment they locked eyes, maddy’s mind reverted back to the incident, flashes of red and her own scream echoing in the recesses of her mind. a sudden desperation to flee overcomes a part of her brain, a trickle of sweat beading down her spine.

(should she? he's blocking the only way out but there are other rooms in the small apartment. she can easily duck into a corner and cry her eyes out until luna comes...much like she usually does.)

yet, she's rooted herself to her spot, painfully clutching the sharp edge of one of the jars with her hand. the longer she looks, the more rapid her breaths are coming and the faster her heart beats. at this rate, she's praying that her white-haired friend will make a surprise appearance behind him, and clear up this entire mix up.

but maddy knows better.

and while she's debating about running, about evading this entire situation, he's already beating her to it and starting to step away and she's...

a semi-bloodied hand is clutching him by his shirt, faintly tugging him back into the apartment. maddy doesn't know what force propelled her forward, or how she managed to cross the room in 0.5 seconds, but now she's almost face to face with the same person who could never make her think straight.

"stay...please."

[pcstscripts]

everything happens kind of quickly. beck fully expected to make a quick getaway, find himself some place warm and entirely new, and pretend like this never happened. but maddy's clutching his shirt with her bloody hand before he knows it and suddenly— suddenly he's just rooted where he stands.

like, yeah, he could pluck her little hands off of him and run into the horizon, but as much as his instincts are telling him to escape, he equally just... doesn't want to. maddy was a friend, once. she saw him once. she treated him like he was still alive once. it's weird to pretend as though none of that had never mattered, or that it doesn't matter to him now.

it's what has him pausing despite his instincts. he grasps maddy's bloody hand and tugs it off his shirt (he has enough bloody shirts, thanks.) and although he'd love to turn on his heels and hightail it out of there, he just... pauses. maddy has a weird way of making him do that. he keeps maddy's hand in his, blood and all, and dares a small step back.

"you're bleeding everywhere," he comments, "weirdo." see! he's totally over what happened! he can make jokes about it so obviously he's fully and wholly healed! like— there's obviously no problem between them and that's why he's so nonchalant!

beck is, however, closer to puking the longer he's around maddy. so when he drops her hand, he ushers her more inside to where they can be in the same space but very clearly not in the same space.

"d'you forget that it hurts, or somethin'?"

[mothernatureknows]

eye contact usually comes easy to maddy, she’s subjugated to it almost 24/7, delivering news to patients and talking to fellow practitioners. she’s pretty much a natural, never afraid to focus her attention to the other person with her full gaze…but this situation is proving to crumble all of that to the ground. being within a dozen feet was difficult but now, face to face, she can feel her eyeballs tremble at meeting his eyes.

his observation throws her off guard, bringing her attention now down to her hand rather than his eyes (a small relief actually). crap. she is bleeding, and far more than she’d like. the darkness in her blood beginning to drip onto the tile floor. it’s almost, almost funny to her that they’ve somewhat switched from last time they were together.

she moves with him, slightly dumbstruck and at a loss for words. how should she respond? should she go autopilot and treat it? should she say that she’s seen worse? should she say that she’s been on the receiving end of much worse treatment and this is only a fraction of the pain she’s been in?

maddy decides to do neither, actually mustering a careful smile and says, “sorry for…for almost bleeding on you. i don’t know what i was thinking,” she wrings her hands together out of instinct, now spreading the mess. “c-could you stay and help me with it?”

[mothernatureknows]

@pcstscripts

this was...rather confusing. maddy only meant to drop some things off, assuming that luna would be home. she hadn’t expected the silence and the unusualness of luna leaving a note for her. placing the groceries on the counter, maddy carefully picked up the torn piece of paper, scanning the letters as they read:

out. back soon. chill while i come back. - L

the brunette gave a short purse of her lips, letting out a soft sigh. luna had a funny way of being somewhat flimsy and flighty, not that maddy is complaining (hospital shifts also made her as such). Yet, luna’s been even more flighty and leaving her in situations alone.

ever since the…incident, maddy has altogether been completely out of sorts. her head has been spinning and the more she tries to make sense of it, the less she can seem to grasp. she’s pondered the literature and questioned a pastor or two about it but to no avail. beck’s alarming state of being has riddled out all logical thought.

not to mention, the uncomfortable ache left in her heart.

such ache keeps flaring up now and then, even worse when luna tried to have a conversation about him last week. it was altogether strange to have the white-haired woman want to initiate communication, let alone something as deeply sensitive as his being. maddy attempted to put it to rest, lest it put their relationship at risk, but luna insisted.

even then it was hard to stomach.

carefully placing the note back on the counter, maddy began the process of rifling through the bags, producing several jars of peanut butter (a not-so-subtle request from luna). she organizes them by expiration date when a noise is picked up by her ears.

“home already?” she presumes it’s luna, no one else has a key but her and the latter. “i don’t see why you would need so much, but I grabbed a few and made sure that they’re—”

she turns and lets out an audible gasp, green eyes staring. “I-I…didn’t know you were here.”

[pcstscripts]

beck stops by luna's place often enough to be haunting it. regardless of whether or not luna allows it (or rather, loudly complains about his presence), beck spends many nights tucked in her couch cushions— especially with the weather turning colder. him being an unwanted roommate is usual.

what's unusual is luna enticing him with food. like— beck's a man. he's a simple, one-celled organism. it takes very little for him to be interested in any given plan. so when luna told him there were treats in store for him if he camped up, beck's a bit suspicious.

he'd be damned if he gave up free food, but he's still suspicious.

beck rolls up to luna's with a fresh sketchbook under his arm (courtesy of the five finger discount, of course,) and tunnel vision for luna's couch to while the woman waits on his every beck and call. pun not intended. the warmth of the inside hits him first, and then—

shit.

he's frozen right where he stands, between the door and the hallway beckoning him to make a quick getaway as if he were never here to begin with. his body can't seem to make a decision either way— to continue further into the lion's den or to turn around and pretend none of this had ever happened. he just... stays. hand on the doorknob, door wide open, he stays. he can't figure out how to do anything else.

he's totally going to scoop a dick-shaped hole into all of luna's condiments, though. later.

"likewise," he manages. his eyes finally flick over to maddy. it's only after seeing her that his feet get brave— take insecure little steps back out the door.

"i didn't... know you guys were hanging out. i'll be out, then."

[mothernatureknows]

you know when they say that life sometimes flashes before your eyes during stressful moments? this happened to be one of those stressful moments.

from the moment they locked eyes, maddy’s mind reverted back to the incident, flashes of red and her own scream echoing in the recesses of her mind. a sudden desperation to flee overcomes a part of her brain, a trickle of sweat beading down her spine.

(should she? he's blocking the only way out but there are other rooms in the small apartment. she can easily duck into a corner and cry her eyes out until luna comes...much like she usually does.)

yet, she's rooted herself to her spot, painfully clutching the sharp edge of one of the jars with her hand. the longer she looks, the more rapid her breaths are coming and the faster her heart beats. at this rate, she's praying that her white-haired friend will make a surprise appearance behind him, and clear up this entire mix up.

but maddy knows better.

and while she's debating about running, about evading this entire situation, he's already beating her to it and starting to step away and she's...

a semi-bloodied hand is clutching him by his shirt, faintly tugging him back into the apartment. maddy doesn't know what force propelled her forward, or how she managed to cross the room in 0.5 seconds, but now she's almost face to face with the same person who could never make her think straight.

"stay...please."

[mothernatureknows]

@pcstscripts

this was...rather confusing. maddy only meant to drop some things off, assuming that luna would be home. she hadn’t expected the silence and the unusualness of luna leaving a note for her. placing the groceries on the counter, maddy carefully picked up the torn piece of paper, scanning the letters as they read:

out. back soon. chill while i come back. - L

the brunette gave a short purse of her lips, letting out a soft sigh. luna had a funny way of being somewhat flimsy and flighty, not that maddy is complaining (hospital shifts also made her as such). Yet, luna’s been even more flighty and leaving her in situations alone.

ever since the…incident, maddy has altogether been completely out of sorts. her head has been spinning and the more she tries to make sense of it, the less she can seem to grasp. she’s pondered the literature and questioned a pastor or two about it but to no avail. beck’s alarming state of being has riddled out all logical thought.

not to mention, the uncomfortable ache left in her heart.

such ache keeps flaring up now and then, even worse when luna tried to have a conversation about him last week. it was altogether strange to have the white-haired woman want to initiate communication, let alone something as deeply sensitive as his being. maddy attempted to put it to rest, lest it put their relationship at risk, but luna insisted.

even then it was hard to stomach.

carefully placing the note back on the counter, maddy began the process of rifling through the bags, producing several jars of peanut butter (a not-so-subtle request from luna). she organizes them by expiration date when a noise is picked up by her ears.

“home already?” she presumes it’s luna, no one else has a key but her and the latter. “i don’t see why you would need so much, but I grabbed a few and made sure that they’re—”

she turns and lets out an audible gasp, green eyes staring. “I-I…didn’t know you were here.”

[mothernatureknows]

"fuck no!!" luna's full body does a weird, and rare, instance of discomfort and disgust by scrunching up her face and raising her shoulders to her ears. why would she WANT to know that shit?? she doesn't even have any remote interest in what color earrings maddy wears, let alone who she fucks. now that beck has even suggested that horrible possibility, luna is helplessly trying to block the image of her closest girl friend and him doing the nasty in any which way.

she spits up the mouthful of ice cream that she was going to swallow, dropping it back into the tub of ice cream. wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she mirrors his bird until he admits the truth. "you told her? you told maddy?"

fucking great. fucking G-R-E-A-T. it's not luna's business, of course, whether beck spouts his shit and reveals what he is, but did he have to tell the person who would take it the hardest? now everything is actually clicking into place and luna hates nothing more than being wrapped up in drama.

"you really could've just fucked her," she sighs, putting the tub of ice cream now by his good hand. then maybe maddy would've been a glowing, deflowered and annoyingly extra happy person than the skittish and extra anxious woman she was of late.

one hand sifts through her hair, visibly wincing at her next words. "I could...talk to her about this. maddy's naive but she's unnervingly forgiving. maybe she'll look past-" she gestures to all of him- "this." not to mention, once they make up, he can use maddy's infinite pantry for lube substitutes but she'd rather not make that "helpful" suggestion.

[pcstscripts]

listen. beck gets it, okay? he gets that this looks like it's all his fault, because he's the only one with cards to show, and maddy's all weird and stuff because of it. he gets the path luna's taken from point a to b but—

but it's not his fault this time, okay? it didn't happen however luna thinks it did, and beck didn't mean for it to happen at all. he didn't mean to ruin things like this. he didn't. so he quiets. there's no use arguing— correcting luna on what actually happened, saving his dignity, whatever— so beck only rolls back onto his back and stares at luna's bathroom ceiling, wonders how many crimes he must have committed in his past lives to get a friend who only thinks the worst of him.

not that he's given her any reason to think otherwise, but still.

"that's up to you," he says finally. he sighs into the air like he has breath to sigh. "it'd probably be good for her to have someone to talk to about it or something. i don't think she's really in the mood to look past this." beck lifts his hand and motions to himself, too. there's not really any looking past that he's dead. no matter how much he and luna ignore it, beck is what he is. dead.

"she probably doesn't know that you know anyway. you can have a sleepover about it and trauma bond. cute."

[mothernatureknows]

"we don't have-" she stops herself with an annoyed sigh, finally reaching her own emotional limit. it's funny, really, that luna will need to be doing the convincing this time around. maddy always, ALWAYS is trying to convince Luna to live life on the brighter side of things and be more accepting of change and shit.

luna would much rather be trying to convince maddy of drinking brandy than question her entire existence.

"...i'll talk to her," she replies after a beat, pulling loose knots of her hair. "she'll listen to me."

and hopefully understand.

[mothernatureknows]

her gaze narrows at his snort, a slight purse in her lips. didn't maddy like beck? had luna been reading all those weird signals incorrectly? granted, luna has hardly had a semblance of a love life nor has she harbored any romantic feelings for anyone she can think of. hell, her life's been so fucked, she doesn't even know if that'll ever be in her cards. but! she can surmise that maddy has been harboring something for the half-dead guy in front of her...and it's definitely more than friendly.

"waddaya mean 'shitting her pants?" she asks, a hint of disbelief slipping through the end. "no, she hasn't said anything about you. in fact, she hasn't mentioned you at all...did something happen between you two?"

normally, luna would stay out of people's business, only because she couldn't give a shit about anyone but herself, but this has definitely piqued her interest. it wasn't every day that her two closest (rather, ONLY) friends were having issues within close proximity to her...

especially about each other.

she rolls her eyes at his assumption, but can't help but silently agree. there was a very, very, very small number of people luna could consider agreeable enough to hang around and, she regrettably confesses to herself, beck happens to be on that short list. she proves such companionship with him by handing him her spoon, resting now on the floor with him. "how weird? you didn't try to...y'know?" she furrows her brows, a shiver of disgust running through her figure. the last thing she needed was details of whatever-the-fuck they were doing together, especially after the shit beck was doing with her peanut butter.

she sighs then, taking back the spoon and refilling it with ice cream. "...thank fuck she's not."

[pcstscripts]

beck has to tell himself that no, it's actually not that crazy that maddy hasn't mentioned anything about him. considering his pure existence is enough to give her a heart attack, it actually makes sense that she'd tuck every detail of him in a file in her brain labeled do not open. but the bigger, more annoying side of him is kind of offended! there's so much to mention about him! how sweet he is, how cute and handsome he is, how nice his hair is, how he has a big fat dic—

"—jesus fuckin' christ, luna—" he's rolling around, flopping onto his belly like a sea bass just to raise his eyebrows properly at her. "if maddy and i fucked, would you want to know? like, actually. you'd wanna know every which way i fucked her?"

it figures, though, that luna's mind would automatically go there. beck's kinda that guy, and maddy's kinda that girl who would fall for it. but let the record show that he's not that guy with maddy! and that's why he's flipping luna the bird, sure to swap arms he's leaning on so she gets a fuck you with his right hand, in case she couldn't understand the one from his left. see? beck's considerate.

"she just... found out i was dead, i guess." the little flip of his hand does kind of suggest that it wasn't as traumatic as it was, and, to be fair, it was really only traumatic for one of them. and it wasn't beck. "she didn't take it as well as you did." for the record, it's not really her fault. it's not beck's fault either, and all of that arguably makes everything like, a shit load worse.

but it's cool. beck's really cool as he rolls back over— the world's coldest rotisserie chicken— and stretches his legs out on luna's sink. the woman should get a bigger bathroom, honestly.

"it'd kinda be better if we fucked, though."

[mothernatureknows]

"fuck no!!" luna's full body does a weird, and rare, instance of discomfort and disgust by scrunching up her face and raising her shoulders to her ears. why would she WANT to know that shit?? she doesn't even have any remote interest in what color earrings maddy wears, let alone who she fucks. now that beck has even suggested that horrible possibility, luna is helplessly trying to block the image of her closest girl friend and him doing the nasty in any which way.

she spits up the mouthful of ice cream that she was going to swallow, dropping it back into the tub of ice cream. wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she mirrors his bird until he admits the truth. "you told her? you told maddy?"

fucking great. fucking G-R-E-A-T. it's not luna's business, of course, whether beck spouts his shit and reveals what he is, but did he have to tell the person who would take it the hardest? now everything is actually clicking into place and luna hates nothing more than being wrapped up in drama.

"you really could've just fucked her," she sighs, putting the tub of ice cream now by his good hand. then maybe maddy would've been a glowing, deflowered and annoyingly extra happy person than the skittish and extra anxious woman she was of late.

one hand sifts through her hair, visibly wincing at her next words. "I could...talk to her about this. maddy's naive but she's unnervingly forgiving. maybe she'll look past-" she gestures to all of him- "this." not to mention, once they make up, he can use maddy's infinite pantry for lube substitutes but she'd rather not make that "helpful" suggestion.

[mothernatureknows]

she's gonna pretend she didn't hear that, continuing to nurse the ache in her back. luna has much, much more important things to do than experiment with non-lube substitutes. in fact, she has a very important business deal in the works that needs tending to, but she'll worry about that later tonight.

"she's...doing things," she shrugs halfheartedly. maddy has been unusually quiet as of late, her bubbly-ness not so bubbly. luna would typically chalk that behavior up to double shifts in the clinic or patient complications but maddy would've made that known. lately, in the times that luna has visited, maddy barely meets her eyes, leaving food and drink ready for the former and skating off to her room. "fuck off," she says, with no heat behind her words. "maddy's been weird. i dunno what the fuck happened to her, but something's...different."

it's more than luna likes to admit, but she can't help it. beck knows maddy well enough at this point, so luna figures she'd offload a bit of her concerns. speaking of which--

"do you think...you could visit her soon?" she asks, switching hands on the ice cream tub. "she likes you, right? maybe that'll make her stop being weird."

[pcstscripts]

oh maddy's been different, has she? seems pretty obvious, considering beck kinda left her questioning everything she knows simply by existing. but like, hey, beck didn't ask to die and never move onto an afterlife, did he? and! and maddy didn't ask to befriend some dead kid, did she? how fucking cruel it is, that they've ended up here.

"does she?" beck snorts. like seems generous. "she was all but shitting her pants last i saw her." which again! isn't her fault! there isn't really a good way to react to finding out someone you've befriended is actually dead. but beck was once alive too, and the alive parts of him still hold hurt for that.

the dead parts think she's right, though. the dead parts don't blame her.

so the dead parts shove the alive parts down down down, making them quiet even though the bitterness— the hurt, it seems— wants to be louder. maybe time has done him some good, after all. "she didn't say anything about me, did she?" it's rhetorical, the way beck asks it now. "never thought you'd be asking me to grace anyone with my presence but, damn. maybe you do like having me around."

beck's free hand waves around, waiting for luna's spoon. "things are weird with maddy." duh. "she's not like you."

[mothernatureknows]

her gaze narrows at his snort, a slight purse in her lips. didn't maddy like beck? had luna been reading all those weird signals incorrectly? granted, luna has hardly had a semblance of a love life nor has she harbored any romantic feelings for anyone she can think of. hell, her life's been so fucked, she doesn't even know if that'll ever be in her cards. but! she can surmise that maddy has been harboring something for the half-dead guy in front of her...and it's definitely more than friendly.

"waddaya mean 'shitting her pants?" she asks, a hint of disbelief slipping through the end. "no, she hasn't said anything about you. in fact, she hasn't mentioned you at all...did something happen between you two?"

normally, luna would stay out of people's business, only because she couldn't give a shit about anyone but herself, but this has definitely piqued her interest. it wasn't every day that her two closest (rather, ONLY) friends were having issues within close proximity to her...

especially about each other.

she rolls her eyes at his assumption, but can't help but silently agree. there was a very, very, very small number of people luna could consider agreeable enough to hang around and, she regrettably confesses to herself, beck happens to be on that short list. she proves such companionship with him by handing him her spoon, resting now on the floor with him. "how weird? you didn't try to...y'know?" she furrows her brows, a shiver of disgust running through her figure. the last thing she needed was details of whatever-the-fuck they were doing together, especially after the shit beck was doing with her peanut butter.

she sighs then, taking back the spoon and refilling it with ice cream. "...thank fuck she's not."

[mothernatureknows]

"i dunno, go haunt her place, for all i care," she grimaces while handling some of the aforementioned substitutes, tossing them into the nearest trash bin. "she'll even cook you a three-course meal for visiting."

despite the sarcasm dripping from her tongue, luna can confirm that maddy would bend over backwards for anyone. hell, luna has visited more times than she can count-- more often unannounced!--and maddy would always accommodate for her best friend.

she hesitates for a moment, now checking her freezer, deeming if he deserved the bag of peas shelved at the bottom. well, so far, her tub of ice creams seem to be untouched. based on the dents and all, luna can tell she was the last culprit at scarfing down the frozen treat.

she grumbles and gives a pathetic shake of her head, swiping the bag (and a tub of ice cream!). "fucking crybaby," the bag drops dramatically at his feet, close to combusting but not quite.

luna holds the tub to her still-aching backside, sighing at the cold penetrating her skin. "...my peas are for your wrist only."

[pcstscripts]

"you can't fool me. you'd be fucking your peanut butter if i went anywhere else." it's true! beck's like... not entirely sure what luna does when he's not around, but he's certain that he's the main character of her life! like— look at them now! how much zest can a gal have without a beckett seong in their life?

not a lot, beck's sure.

besides, there's that whole thing with maddy that beck's not entirely sure is still a thing or not. she's really sweet— maddy is— like, far more than beck deserves. it's just.... beck's beck, you know? and maddy's... you know? alive. alive and looking at beck through rose-colored glasses when the reality is that beck's just messy. grimy.

beck rolls over and claims the bag of peas (peanut butter peas now, actually) to hold against his wrist. "how's she, anyway?" he hums. his head lolls to the side, eyes luna curiously. he is curious about maddy. "she's still putting up with your frigid ass so she must be sane, at least. or... maybe insane to still be dealing with you."

[mothernatureknows]

she's gonna pretend she didn't hear that, continuing to nurse the ache in her back. luna has much, much more important things to do than experiment with non-lube substitutes. in fact, she has a very important business deal in the works that needs tending to, but she'll worry about that later tonight.

"she's...doing things," she shrugs halfheartedly. maddy has been unusually quiet as of late, her bubbly-ness not so bubbly. luna would typically chalk that behavior up to double shifts in the clinic or patient complications but maddy would've made that known. lately, in the times that luna has visited, maddy barely meets her eyes, leaving food and drink ready for the former and skating off to her room. "fuck off," she says, with no heat behind her words. "maddy's been weird. i dunno what the fuck happened to her, but something's...different."

it's more than luna likes to admit, but she can't help it. beck knows maddy well enough at this point, so luna figures she'd offload a bit of her concerns. speaking of which--

"do you think...you could visit her soon?" she asks, switching hands on the ice cream tub. "she likes you, right? maybe that'll make her stop being weird."

[mothernatureknows]

cost effective, her ass. honestly, there were some actual, safe, materials that could very well serve his purpose for—

fuck, STOP. it’s bad enough she’s got maddy rearranging half her shit at home, luna does not need to be thinking like her find-safe-alternatives-and-save-the-world best friend right now. focus. beck. jar. PULL.

just as she finishes that line of thinking, she can’t even think anymore when she hears that damn pop, and her body careens backwards into her sink.

“FUCK!” she exclaims, her spine colliding with the porcelain, pain flaring almost immediately. her towel slides off then, revealing the light brown traces in her white hair. they have sporadically dried, some sticking to her forehead and the rest curling around her neck.

a groan burns through her lips as she sends an icy wave up her back, numbing some of the pain. "dumbfuck," she groans again, tossing the peanut butter jar into the bathroom trash. "you—i'm gonna tell maddy to stop bringing food to my place."

she swats away his wrist and steps around him, getting ready for the scavenger hunt that was finding all of beck's lube-substitutes. "can't have shit in this house," she grumbles, opening her refrigerator. "next thing i'll know, he's gonna fuck my ice cream tubs and pour milk on his tits."

[pcstscripts]

well damn, luna, beck doesn't control when his hand gets stuck in a jar of peanut butter. and he does not appreciate that luna's acting as though this whole adventure is because of him either! what was he supposed to do? exist on earth without peanut butter? the horror!

(and, for the record, it was totally worth the throbbing pain shooting up his arm from his wrist now. a boy can never complain when he has a peanut butter belly.)

"the fuck you will!" spits beck. he's an angry giraffe, he is, neck whipping around and clutching his pearls with his sticky hand when luna dares threaten his stock of snacks. "just 'cause you survive on hatred doesn't mean i do too! what the fuck am i supposed to do without maddy force feeding you?"

beck gives a little yelp as luna swats his wrist— throws himself down on the floor because luna's just taken him the fuck out like the mean, cold, hateful woman she is— "you could at least throw me a bag of peas after you've maimed me. slip in a chicken nugget or something too while you're at it."

[mothernatureknows]

"i dunno, go haunt her place, for all i care," she grimaces while handling some of the aforementioned substitutes, tossing them into the nearest trash bin. "she'll even cook you a three-course meal for visiting."

despite the sarcasm dripping from her tongue, luna can confirm that maddy would bend over backwards for anyone. hell, luna has visited more times than she can count-- more often unannounced!--and maddy would always accommodate for her best friend.

she hesitates for a moment, now checking her freezer, deeming if he deserved the bag of peas shelved at the bottom. well, so far, her tub of ice creams seem to be untouched. based on the dents and all, luna can tell she was the last culprit at scarfing down the frozen treat.

she grumbles and gives a pathetic shake of her head, swiping the bag (and a tub of ice cream!). "fucking crybaby," the bag drops dramatically at his feet, close to combusting but not quite.

luna holds the tub to her still-aching backside, sighing at the cold penetrating her skin. "...my peas are for your wrist only."

[mothernatureknows]

"because I like my privacy??" Luna scoffs, annoyance growing with each passing second. she knows it's not the first time he's done this-probably not the last-but it ranks up in the worst times he's popped up. the very worst hasn't happened yet...and Luna will rue the day when it arrives.

"fuckin'--hold still," she adjusts the towel on her head, drying off her hands as best as possible. "I can't grab it if you're swinging it like your limp dick."

she's curled her hands over the jar when he states his apparent intention. for a horrifying moment, she glances down to see if any of said peanut butter is clinging to his pants, then looks back at him with unrestrained disgust.

"that's fucking nasty," she tugs with a grunt, widening her stance to get more leverage. should she even consider telling Maddy the poor fate that befell the peanut jar? the innocent brunette has seen her fair share of wild shit in the ER, but Luna is convinced she doesn't need to see any more in her personal life.

"what else-" tug - "have you been using-" tug - "for lube??" she grunts again, bending her knees further. "could you fucking pull with your legs, for fuck's sake?"

[pcstscripts]

oh yeah. hold still, she says. hold still, as if beck's whole livelihood isn't on the line here! if he loses his hand, he's like, as good as dea—

oh right.

"it's cost effective. you're fuckin' welcome." the nerve luna has! beck's out here trying to find multiple uses for her things so save her a few bucks and what does he get for it? being chastised for barging into her bathroom in a state of emergency and judged for his pastimes. rude, awful, mean woman she is. beck's helping!

"put your ass into it, you fucking popsicle—" with one hard tug, beck's wrist slips from the jar with a loud pop, and then it all happens in slow motion: beck's arm flailing back, globs of peanut butter flying around, beck himself landing straight on his ass and prompting a loud groan. it's like, not luna's fault he's a wrist and an ass down, but he's going to say it is anyway.

he flops his limp (swollen) wrist at her. "'m not telling. but between you and me, stay away from your mayo. and honey. the dijon's kinda spicy, if you're into that."

[mothernatureknows]

cost effective, her ass. honestly, there were some actual, safe, materials that could very well serve his purpose for—

fuck, STOP. it’s bad enough she’s got maddy rearranging half her shit at home, luna does not need to be thinking like her find-safe-alternatives-and-save-the-world best friend right now. focus. beck. jar. PULL.

just as she finishes that line of thinking, she can’t even think anymore when she hears that damn pop, and her body careens backwards into her sink.

“FUCK!” she exclaims, her spine colliding with the porcelain, pain flaring almost immediately. her towel slides off then, revealing the light brown traces in her white hair. they have sporadically dried, some sticking to her forehead and the rest curling around her neck.

a groan burns through her lips as she sends an icy wave up her back, numbing some of the pain. "dumbfuck," she groans again, tossing the peanut butter jar into the bathroom trash. "you—i'm gonna tell maddy to stop bringing food to my place."

she swats away his wrist and steps around him, getting ready for the scavenger hunt that was finding all of beck's lube-substitutes. "can't have shit in this house," she grumbles, opening her refrigerator. "next thing i'll know, he's gonna fuck my ice cream tubs and pour milk on his tits."

[mothernatureknows]

it's a wonder how unphased Luna has become about, well...a lot of things. she rarely reacts when it matters and has a penchant for exploding over small things. like this morning, for instance. she was oblivious about the guy she gave a broken nose to but was LIVID at the scalding coffee he had originally dumped on her head.

had it been an accident? maybe.

was she gonna let it ruin her day? absolutely.

just when she thought her day couldn't get any better, here comes Invisible Mcgee with his shit-for-brains antics barreling through her bathroom door. luna had long presumed that beck was a fleeting presence, coming and going as he pleased. she never quite knew when he would appear but quickly realized he loved to make an entrance.

she blinks rapidly a few times as she buckles her belt, white strands peeking through her towel. her brows immediately furrow in annoyance, blue eyes glancing back and forth between the jar and the dumbo now attached to it.

"would it fucking kill you to knock?" Luna grumbles, unconsciously adjusting her shirt. "peanut butter? since when do I..." she trails off as she remembers that her loyal and only best girl friend probably stocked up luna's cupboard last time she was here. maddy did have an annoying habit of casually leaving basic necessities in luna's apartment and never bothering to take them back.

"the fuck were you trying to do with so much peanut butter, go viral and be the new peanut butter baby?"

[pcstscripts]

"why the fuck would i knock?" and seriously! why would he? beck's in an out so often he like, basically lives here without the living. and the paying rent. besides, if the worst thing that can happen is walking in an luna naked, then, hey. they've already crossed that bridge, haven't they?

but luna's doing a whole lotta yapping and not enough pulling, and beck's flailing his arm around like a fucking town crier— jar as his little fucking bell and everything. can't she see he's in distress here? he's wasting away. he'll die again if she doesn't help him out.

"i wanted peanut butter," he says, stating the obvious. the obviousness that he doesn't state: he's never hungry and never full, which leads luna a jar of peanut butter down and said jar stuck around his precious wrist. he could, of course, be honest about all of this, but instead:

"i wanted to see if it'd make a good lube. doesn't, by the way."

[mothernatureknows]

"because I like my privacy??" Luna scoffs, annoyance growing with each passing second. she knows it's not the first time he's done this-probably not the last-but it ranks up in the worst times he's popped up. the very worst hasn't happened yet...and Luna will rue the day when it arrives.

"fuckin'--hold still," she adjusts the towel on her head, drying off her hands as best as possible. "I can't grab it if you're swinging it like your limp dick."

she's curled her hands over the jar when he states his apparent intention. for a horrifying moment, she glances down to see if any of said peanut butter is clinging to his pants, then looks back at him with unrestrained disgust.

"that's fucking nasty," she tugs with a grunt, widening her stance to get more leverage. should she even consider telling Maddy the poor fate that befell the peanut jar? the innocent brunette has seen her fair share of wild shit in the ER, but Luna is convinced she doesn't need to see any more in her personal life.

"what else-" tug - "have you been using-" tug - "for lube??" she grunts again, bending her knees further. "could you fucking pull with your legs, for fuck's sake?"

[pcstscripts]

open to: anyone<3 plot: beck is basically like an annoying house guest who eats all your food and makes conversation at inappropriate times. oops!

"oh shit—" hey. you're probably wondering how beck got himself in this situation: busting through the bathroom door with his fucking sausage hand shoved around a jar of peanut butter like an allergen bracelet. it's a funny story, actually— he was just fucking hungry! and like, yeah, he heard the shower water running earlier, but he figured he'd be safe to come in for help after the solid, like, three seconds he gave them to get dressed. so he's innocent! he was framed, your honor!

framed or not, beck's still standing in the doorway. and his eyes? they're seeing. they travel down and back up again, beck offering a cool, "nice," before he's turning to more pressing matters: his peanut butter hand. "you wanna give this a hard pull for me?" he holds it out. offers his whole life (see also: his hand) out and waggles it around. this is important. "you're outta peanut butter by the way. fuckin' tragic home you're holding down here. no fucking peanut butter, the horror—"

[mothernatureknows]

it's a wonder how unphased Luna has become about, well...a lot of things. she rarely reacts when it matters and has a penchant for exploding over small things. like this morning, for instance. she was oblivious about the guy she gave a broken nose to but was LIVID at the scalding coffee he had originally dumped on her head.

had it been an accident? maybe.

was she gonna let it ruin her day? absolutely.

just when she thought her day couldn't get any better, here comes Invisible Mcgee with his shit-for-brains antics barreling through her bathroom door. luna had long presumed that beck was a fleeting presence, coming and going as he pleased. she never quite knew when he would appear but quickly realized he loved to make an entrance.

she blinks rapidly a few times as she buckles her belt, white strands peeking through her towel. her brows immediately furrow in annoyance, blue eyes glancing back and forth between the jar and the dumbo now attached to it.

"would it fucking kill you to knock?" Luna grumbles, unconsciously adjusting her shirt. "peanut butter? since when do I..." she trails off as she remembers that her loyal and only best girl friend probably stocked up luna's cupboard last time she was here. maddy did have an annoying habit of casually leaving basic necessities in luna's apartment and never bothering to take them back.

"the fuck were you trying to do with so much peanut butter, go viral and be the new peanut butter baby?"

[mothernatureknows]

"It's best to not explain the version of him in our world. You know that would be a breach in privacy, right?"

"...But he asked nicely?"

Hazel levels a deadpan stare at Zephyr, her bottom lip twitching.

"Asking nicely doesn't warrant the right to learn the truth," she explains. "Don't even think about hinting our version in the slightest, otherwise that'll force me to put a strike on you."

Zephyr pouts, sighing loudly. "Oh c'mon, boss, it won't hurt to tell him! What's Minjae gonna do, travel to Armede and take his place?"

"Don't even joke about that, Zephyr," Hazel admonishes, before clearing her throat. "Regardless, my answer is no and that is final. You have more important, and urgent, things to do. Now, go do that before that strike really does become true."

Zephyr's wings flutter as he grumbles quietly to himself, stomping away from their hideout before taking off running, black wings extending to take flight.

He's already several kilometers away from the hideout, fingertips brushing the clouds in his path. He's already charted a course for somewhere that wasn't his actual assigned destination, somewhere that he had already planned on going anyway. Already, Zephyr can make out the large array of flowerbeds and foliage dotting around the Po cottage.

There's nothing wrong in sharing information if it was in the public domain, right? Everyone in the traveler academy knew about the jeweler's life and comeuppance, it wasn't necessarily secret. Sure, Hazel spilled more about him when they were joined as a squad, but those were details that were kind of a given, if Zephyr really put his mind to it. Besides, Minjae was not the type to use information against someone, much less in an evil way.

With all things considered, Zephyr knew that Minjae was an honest man. The latter had always seemed sincere and never stated otherwise. Despite all the human garbage that the winged man had met in his last cycle, Minjae was one of the few that made saving humans worth doing.

With that type of rationale in mind, Zephyr nodded to himself before diving straight to the Po household, stopping right before the shiny, mahogany door. With three short knocks, the man of the house responds, a small Amelia and Penelope in tow.

"Minjae! You're a sight for sore eyes," Zephyr exclaims, crouching down to the two youngest of the Pos. "Hi my little hummingbirds, you two been good with mommy and daddy?"

Penelope nods vigorously, one tiny hand clutched to her older sister's, the other dragging a stuffed animal forward. "We good always!"

Zephyr flashes them both a radiant smile, before standing back up and returning his gaze to Minjae. "So, Minjae, I've actually got a story for you...and I think you're gonna like it."

Long ago, before the rise of the Canterbury generation, there was a generation known as the Dreamers. The Dreamers consisted of all the travelers preceding Hazel's time, including her parents in that mix. As per each generation, there are always notary figures that stand out among the rest.

During the transition ceremony, one of the inductees from Cathair was offered with a...peculiar outcome.

Normally, wherever someone is hailing from, their abilities as travelers merely advance and expand. For instance, all flyers who go through the transition ceremony have their flight powers enhanced and magnified. The portals usually don't provide other abilities otherwise. Yet, with the case of the current royal jeweler, Sujin, he wasn't the same.

Realistically, he was supposed to arrive in the training camp with more enhanced intellect, since Cathairans are hailed for their known intelligence. When Sujin arrived on the other side of the portal, his complexion had changed completely. Silver eyes were subverted to a molten gold, skin radiating a halcyon hue. Once dark locks had lightened to a shimmery blonde, raining down to his waist. The clothes on his back had been shredded and affixed with tiny sparks of light.

He was found screaming.

At the time, their majesties were mystified and alarmed at the reveal of Sujin, his screams of agony resonating throughout the entire training camp. The colonels and general took him into the infirmary bay and kept him isolated for well over two weeks with no favorable outcome.

They said he was mumbling and screaming for the better of the day, when he wasn't sedated. He would speak about random events that people close to him knew had never occurred to him, and would constantly cry gold when it became too much.

Soon, the general became overwhelmed by the prospect of having such an ill traveler among their midst. Other travelers would certainly not be motivated to continue in their training if he continued to plague the ears of all those nearby. There had to be a solution before they eventually...terminated him.

The answer came when the royal jeweler at the time, visited the training camp.

Aura, as he was known, was the best and only royal jeweler of his generation. He crafted the most beautiful pieces that accompanied all in the royal gentry. His reason for being there, so it seems, was to begin making preparations for the royal jewels that would adorn Hazel's parent's graduation ceremony.

As strict as he was, Aura was curious about these rumors regarding the boy who was plagued by visions and cried gold. Why, anyone in the jeweling business would be interested in someone who could internally produce precious metal, no?

However, upon arriving to the isolation pod, Aura was immediately attuned and affixed to Sujin. Aura felt a pull to the agonizing boy, overwhelmed by the latter’s suffering. According to Aura, Sujin was muttering things about a scientist being pulled apart by sun rays and then shifted to a king being deceived by his subjects.

When Sujin met eyes with Aura, Sujin’s eyes flashed, all muttering subsiding. No one really knows what happened afterwards in the isolation pod, only that the screams had stopped altogether.

Days later, Aura was found walking on the training grounds alongside Sujin, the gold-haired boy hanging on to every word the jeweler said. The general and colonels had desired to know what Aura had done to calm down Sujin, but Aura merely stated that he had finally found his new apprentice.

Fast forward, Sujin became one of the most prestigious graduates alongside the royals. He was not fit to travel, according to him and Aura, but he was to take the place of Aura as new jeweler. The only differences that Sujin offered were that he desired to create jewelry for all travelers and the royals…

And that he could infuse magic into the jewelry created.

Thus, from Hazel’s generation forward, Sujin has been there to create an array of jewelry and magical items that all travelers carry with them. Without Sujin, traveling to other worlds would be that much more difficult.

Still, rumor has it that the disease that plagued Sujin all those days and years later is that he saw all of his lives, of all of his doppelgängers, all at once. Being affected by the portals scrambled his mind and body so much that he gained such an ability and still has visions or nightmares of his doubles.

Only time will tell if this will be for better or worse...especially for the people of Armede.

————

“…And supposedly, if you touch his palm, he can see all your doubles too."

Penelope's eyes widened tenfold, tiny mouth gaping. "All of them??"

Zephyr nods almost in a serious manner at Penelope, dark eyes directed at the toddler.

"If you hold his hands too tightly though, all of your doubles might just come out and get you!" Zephyr immediately reaches forward and snatches Penelope and Amelia, twirling both girls as they screeched and giggled.

"But it's only a rumor. No one in Armede actually knows for sure," the winged man says after putting the girls down, stretching his limbs. "Though it is kinda strange that he only ever wears gloves."

"Will we get to meet him?" Penelope asks boldly, gaze trained on Zephyr.

Zephyr takes a cautious breath, peering from both girls to their father. With a sad and nervous smile, he answers:

"Maybe. But, not in this lifetime."

Or ever.

[mothernatureknows]

“Don’t…move…” Minjae pulls Maddy against him into the small crevice, hiding her from view of something dangerous wandering nearby.

Does time exist here anymore? Maddy feels like the days have bled into each other, coalescing into the same gray murkiness in the sky, the same battle-ridden landscape, the same monsters that lurk in the shadows. Nothing has changed...

And yet everything has.

She's pressed up against Minjae, front to front, her body shaking uncontrollably. This is the THIRD time they've encountered a monster in the last two days, only seeming to increase the more time that she passes in this world. Each time is just as terrifying as the last, her nerves beyond shot.

Wide green eyes lock with agitated brown, hoping and praying for a morsel of comfort and yet...Maddy knows that that would be less than appropriate. She knows that she can't ask that of him, can't expect that from him.

He's not hers, nor will ever be hers, to expect that from.

Thus, she bites her tongue in fear, covering her mouth to mask some of her breathing. Out of instinct though, she still reaches behind her to lock one of her hands with Minjae's, tightly clutching his visibly larger hand.

The surprising warmth of his skin begins to bring back memories of her Minjae, all those times that he had held her hand. She remembers mapping the skin of his hand, tracing her fingers through the crevices and scars, fascinated by the imperfections. She remembers how they would laugh at the clear size difference, how her hand would be completely encompassed by his. She remembers how his touch and hold would bring immediate comfort and delight, bringing her to peace.

She remembers how her hand shook when she said her vows and...and...

Tears start to gather in the corner of her eyes, the once-clear vision of Minjae becoming blurry. She couldn't do that, shouldn't do that. It was unfair of her to start drowning in her own sorrow when there were more important things to worry about.

She could not be that selfish.

Still...she brings his hand to her heart and takes slow breaths, no longer able to hear the monster stomping away in the distance. She takes her hand away from her mouth and gives a gentle squeeze to his hand, offering him a watery smile.

"...Thank you, Minjae."

[happyheidi]

𝖵𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗏𝖺𝗇 𝖦𝗈𝗀𝗁'𝗌 𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗌𝗌𝗈𝗆𝗌

1- 𝘚𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴. 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘨𝘩, 𝘈𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 1888 2- 𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘮. 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘨𝘩, 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵-𝘙𝘦́𝘮𝘺-𝘥𝘦-𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘍𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 1890 3- 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘮. 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘨𝘩, 𝘈𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 1888 4- 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘖𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘨𝘩, 𝘈𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 1888

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

FYI artists and writers: some info regarding tumblr's new "third-party sharing" (aka selling your content to OpenAI and Midjourney)

You may have already seen the post by @staff regarding third-party sharing and how to opt out. You may have also already seen various news articles discussing the matter.

But here's a little further clarity re some questions I had, and you may too. Caveat: Not all of this is on official tumblr pages, so it's possible things may change.

(1) "I heard they already have access to my data and it doesn't really matter if I opt out"

From the 404 article:

A new FAQ section we reviewed is titled “What happens when you opt out?” states “If you opt out from the start, we will block crawlers from accessing your content by adding your site on a disallowed list. If you change your mind later, we also plan to update any partners about people who newly opt-out and ask that their content be removed from past sources and future training.”

So please, go click that opt-out button.

(2) Some future user: "I've been away from tumblr for months, and I just heard about all this. I didn't opt out before, so does it make a difference anymore?"

Another internal document shows that, on February 23, an employee asked in a staff-only thread, “Do we have assurances that if a user opts out of their data being shared with third parties that our existing data partners will be notified of such a change and remove their data?” Andrew Spittle, Automattic’s head of AI replied: “We will notify existing partners on a regular basis about anyone who's opted out since the last time we provided a list. I want this to be an ongoing process where we regularly advocate for past content to be excluded based on current preferences. We will ask that content be deleted and removed from any future training runs. I believe partners will honor this based on our conversations with them to this point. I don't think they gain much overall by retaining it.”

It should make a difference! Go click that button.

(3) "I opted out, but my art posts have been reblogged by so many people, and I don't know if they all opted out. What does that mean for my stuff?"

This answer is actually on the support page for the toggle:

This option will prevent your blog's content, even when reblogged, from being shared with our licensed network of content and research partners, including those that train AI models.

And some further clarification by the COO and a product manager:

zingring: A couple people from work have reached out to let me know that yes, it applies to reblogs of "don't scrape" content. If you opt out, your content is opted out, even in reblog form. cyle: yep, for reblogs, we're taking it so far as "if anybody in the reblog trail has opted out, all of the content in that reblog will be opted out", when a reblog could be scraped/shared.

So not only your reblogged posts, but anyone who contributed in a reblog (such as posts where someone has been inspired to draw fanart of the OP) will presumably be protected by your opt-out. (A good reason to opt out even if you yourself are not a creator.)

Furthermore, if you the OP were offline and didn't know about the opt-out, if someone contributed to a reblog and they are opted out, then your original work is also protected. (Which makes it very tempting to contribute "scrapeable content" now whenever I reblog from an abandoned/disused blog...)

(4) "What about deleted blogs? They can't opt out!"

I was told by someone (not official) that he read "deleted blogs are all opted-out by default". However, he didn't recall the source, and I can't find it, so I can't guarantee that info. If I get more details - like if/when tumblr puts up that FAQ as reported in the 404 article - I will add it here as soon as I can.

Edit, tumblr has updated their help page for the option to opt-out of third-party sharing! It now states:

The content which will not be shared with our licensed network of content and research partners, including those that train AI models, includes: • Posts and reblogs of posts from blogs who have enabled the "Prevent third-party sharing" option. • Posts and reblogs of posts from deleted blogs. • Posts and reblogs of posts from password-protected blogs. • Posts and reblogs of posts from explicit blogs. • Posts and reblogs of posts from suspended/deactivated blogs. • Private posts. • Drafts. • Messages. • Asks and submissions which have not been publicly posted. • Post+ subscriber-only posts. • Explicit posts.

So no need to worry about your old deleted blogs that still have reblogs floating around. *\o/*

But for your existing blogs, please use the opt out option. And a reminder of how to opt out, under the cut:

The opt-out toggle is in Blog Settings, and please note you need to do it for each one of your blogs / sideblogs.

On dashboard, the toggle is at https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/blogname [replace "blogname" as applicable] down by Visibility:

For mobile, you need the most recent update of the app. (Android version 33.4.1.100, iOs version 33.4.) Then go to your blog tab (the little person icon), and then the gear icon for Settings, then click Visibility.

Again, if you have a sideblog, go back to the blog tab, switch to it, and go to settings again. Repeat as necessary.

If you do not have access to the newest version of the app for whatever reason, you can also log into tumblr in your mobile browser. Same URL as per desktop above, same location.

Note you do not need to change settings in both desktop and the app, just one is fine.

I hope this helps!

[angelicyoongie]

PLEASE go to your settings and opt out (toggle on) of the setting that allows AI to scrape your content and reblogs. You can protect both yourself and other creators/authors by doing it!!

[mothernatureknows]

"Here, let me get that for you."

Maddy uses the salve she created from some moss and medicinal herbs on Minjae's fresh wound, checking to make sure that there is no visible infection forming. It didn't seem like he was severely injured, but even the smallest of wounds could be fatal if not treated correctly.

She glances around warily as she finishes patching up the wound, wrapping it in a not-so-dirty shirt. Green eyes carefully admire her handiwork, not totally happy but glad that she was able to treat it. "I believe that you should be fine. We should keep it clean and ensure to change it after a few hours," she states with a small smile. "I think some Neosporin would help if we could find some..."

She sighs shakily, glancing at their hiding place, the sound of growls faint in the distance. "Once we're safer, of course."

**

It's been 2 weeks since Maddy ended up in this world. When she realized that she'd been thrown into another reality entirely, she had been an absolute wreck. She had wailed, sobbed, whined in fear in this new place she was in. Even with the familiarity of Minjae, he was a stranger in this land, and she did not feel comfortable staring into his exhaustion-filled eyes.

In an act of desperation, she had picked up the glass shards that had transported her and tried to piece them together to get back. Her fingers slit and bleeding, vision blurred by tears, she had managed some sort of image, seeing a fractured version of the other version of her laying on her bathroom floor.

In that fractured image, she saw Minjae—her Minjae—come running to see what had happened, his expression startled and confused as to the state that this other Maddy was in. "Minjae!!" Maddy tried to scream through the glass. "Minjae, no! I'm right here! Please, that's not me, I'm right here!" All she managed to see was Minjae's soft brown eyes glance at the broken glass and then back to the other Maddy, bending down to pick her up and move her out of the bathroom.

"No! Please, Minjae, NO!"

She had been screaming herself hoarse, screaming at her everything and also at nothing, until the image faded and all she could see was herself in this world—blood-shot eyes, disheveled hair, and...

WHAT WAS THAT??

This world's Minjae had quickly picked her up and moved her away from the glass, forcing her to sprint away from whatever creature she had seen. Maddy had had no choice but to begin running, forcing her body to move, exert itself in a way that she had never had before. She had clutched tightly to this new Minjae's hand, his skin cold and scarily thin.

This was her new reality.

This was her new world.

And she was terrified.

**

Maddy sighs again, glancing towards the stream to their left. She gets up and washes her hands in the stream, using some of the cold liquid to splash on the back of her neck. The water looks cold and inviting, sparkling in the waning sun. Maddy wants to dunk her head in and take a big gulp but she knows better. She remembers that she and Minjae had watched a few survivor videos on tv, and they never drank from a stream without boiling the water first.

But that required a fire. And a fire was just what would attract those monsters to their location. Based on their levels of exhaustion and Minjae's fresh wound, they couldn't risk it.

Maddy stares instead longingly at the stream, green eyes reflecting the same sparkle. The longer she stared, the more she saw...something. It's not the first time. Whenever they were by a stream, or a semblance of a reflection that wasn't a mirror, Maddy could see fractures of her old life.

And her living it.

She saw the other Maddy trying on fresh clothes, sleeping in their bed, basking in the sun outside on their porch. The other Maddy had a cautious look on her face, like a stray cat they had brought home once. Always wary, never quite settled. It only made it more painful to watch when the other Maddy would never look back at her reflection. The other Maddy would avoid any clear liquids, the bathroom mirror, their room mirror, anything reflective really.

It just made real Maddy hurt all the more. Not just for herself, but for this other Minjae. Other Minjae had known that Maddy wasn't the one he knew. Not when she was wearing fresh clothes and looked properly fed. Not when she was sobbing her eyes out, clearly unknowing of the dangers that surrounded them.

Yet he was kind enough to take her in, help her find out about what this world was about. Other Minjae helped Maddy come to terms with their situation, to learn about the monsters and how to survive. He had done all this without prying too much into her old life.

All of that which Maddy was so, so grateful for.

And to know that the other version of herself wouldn't even look back, just made it all hurt ever more.

Maddy blinks back her tears, taking a deep breath. She couldn't cry anymore, she already cried earlier this morning, it wouldn't help to do it again. Thus, she steels herself, no longer hearing the roars in the distance.

She takes off her sweater before also removing her undershirt, putting back her sweater over herself. Taking her undershirt, she soaks it in the cold water, squeezing some of the water out before going back to Minjae.

"Let's take away some of the dirt, yeah? Get you cleaned up a bit," she states, taking his face in her hands. Carefully, Maddy begins to remove the dirt, showing more of his smooth skin and slightly rosy cheeks. She's smiling as she reveals more, being careful of the few, shallow scratches there. She runs her thumb tenderly over his cheek at the end, having removed most of the dirt and grime. "Good as new," she murmurs, green eyes interlocked with brown ones.

Her heart stutters then, remembering all those times she'd stared into these very eyes and felt hope.

But all she feels now is nostalgia.

And hopelessness.