#a mutually beneficial arrangement

[aflockofravens]

Also, Jinshi in "How to Buy Out a Contract" was hilarious.

Do you think he's prettier than me

I was contemplating your murder but my future wife cat thinks you'll make a good brother in law so I'll let you live

My future wife cat trusts you, so I trust you. Don't fuck it up.

Have some money to leave my future wife alone forever go marry her sister

Did you see that Gaoshun? I did a socializing. Do you think Maomao will be proud of me?

Also Lihaku is precious. What an adorable golden retriever of a man. He went from absolute disdain at Maomao when she approached him for an escort to being like "help me little sister, I'm in love".

#Maomao and Lihaku's relationship development has been delightful #i like to think they genuinely like each other they're just too emotionally stunted to know how to say it properly #it started out as a mutually beneficial arrangement where they both got something they wanted from it #but Lihaku didn't have to keep her in the loop about the secondary warehouse theft #and Maomao didn't need to put in a good word with Pairin even if she thought they'd be a good match #i think they're friends #and i think this is constantly going to vex Jinshi for the rest of his life lol #Maomao: Jinshi you're the most jealous man I know #Jinshi: you know other men?! 😭😭😭 #the apothecary diaries #jinshi #maomao #lihaku #my last remaining brain cell

[redlinesavvy]

You can edge your computer by scrolling on your phone and wiggling the mouse whenever the screen starts to dim from inactivity.

You're not allowed to stop running those pretty little fans just because I'm not playing with you. I want you nice and ready for me so I don't have to start you up again when I feel like going back to using you.

#it's a mutually beneficial arrangement #tech #redline speaks

[somebody-already-took-this-url]

You’re in her DM’s, I’m in her ao3 comments pleading for more wlw smutfic. We are not the same

#ao3 #meme #ao3 funny #as an author I gotta say. she is also in my ao3 comments asking for more wlw smutfic #this is a mutually beneficial arrangement

[ghosts-of-love]

only a hundred words i'm afraid x( but i really really love this passage and would love to get your commentary on it :D hope your holiday is off to a good start!

And amongst that, the three of them always meet for lunch every Friday at Kitty’s Café. The Captain makes sure to maintain his façade of careful neutrality when listening to Pat’s stories, not reacting to them with any more or less emotion than a good friend would. It’s a tough line to walk, but he manages it. 

It’s often not just a Pat thing. For example, it is important to him that he doesn’t let any of his friends know how humorous he finds them, except for the eponymous Kitty of Kitty’s Café, and that’s only sometimes, in his moments of weakness. 

Okay so! I know this is a short bit so I'm not going word for word or anything but I've somehow still got a lot of thoughts about it! apologies for what is definitely the most rambling and incoherent response i've ever achieved 😅😅

I think the thing here is that, in the same way that in the Ghosts Archive book the Captain reveals he thinks he has bad posture - this Captain thinks that he must have a very expressive face - it is something he realised as a teenager and tried his best to get rid of going into adulthood. And honestly, yeah he's right, people can tell when he's annoyed or bored quite easily - teachers would call him out on it in class, which is how he realises. It's not a problem as he grows up until he gets closer friends (ghosts gang whoop whoop) and Pat.

I feel like at some point in the past, the early days of their friendship, Pat told a story and the Captain let out an uncharacteristic 'my god, that's outrageous!' and it was so surprising to everyone that he saw them all exchange confused looks - he took it to be a negative thing, whereas they were all just like, 'woah hey, this guy can be expressive??'. I know I didn't mention the other ghosts in this fic but they are there and all friends - I'd hoped mentioning Kitty was enough to show that haha. Anyway later in the bathroom mirror at home and he imagines then studies his own face and thinks 'oh god, i look ridiculously enamoured, everyone must know'. and it's at that point that he knows he's gotta try harder to hide it (at this point Pat is still married and he doesn't want anyone's pity about being in love with a married man, and then Pat is getting divorced and he doesn't want anyone's judgement for being in love with a soon to be divorced man, it's all very complicated, and there's never a good time to admit anything to anyone).

and then whenever he puts on his neutral listening face, he's sitting there nodding and thinking 'i am getting a good grade in friend' etc until it becomes second nature to him after so many years.

it's also like. if he reacts to everyone with the same level of emotion (or lackthereof) then he can never be accused of favouring anyone. but also, they can all definitely see through him. they see the little smiles he does, they see how careful he is around Pat, they might not fully understand why, but they share looks and in the early years they talk about it behind his back (not in a bad way, just in a slightly concerned way) until they forget a bit too and becomes normal for them all.

And along with the being-in-love-with-Pat bit, you've also got that kind, fatherly side to Cap - which we also see when they're hanging out with Joanie's children over Christmas but yeah - that he doesn't want to show to his friends because he thinks it makes him vulnerable. man's not really got a father figure to speak of, so...

Not to be cringe but I actually based this small passage (and all the thoughts and feelings behind it) on specific people in my family and how we all interact - my mum, uncle and granny. they just. idk how to explain it. but the bit about not letting his friends know how funny he finds them is basically what i can only assume is going through my family's heads too. it feels like it's always a competition to be the funniest person in the room, but it can't be loud, outrageous humour. it's like a quiet, dry, clever wit and you've won the family gathering if you get a sensible chuckle out of everyone else who is otherwise pretending they don't find you funny. this makes it sound like i don't like them - they are the better side of the family and i love them so much. but yeah, i often base a lot of the Captain's family dynamics on my own because i think it fits well with his character in a modern au.

I also think in this fic (and all of my fics to be honest) the Captain spends a lot of time trying to make Pat laugh in a similar sort of way (a bit like he does in the show, a bit like my family does) and then quietly (proudly) smiling a little to himself, but only after checking that other people are laughing too so that he can pass it off as laughing at his own joke.

And then, obviously you've got Pat's perspective which is that they're best friends and they're very close and he's met his family and they love him and they have weekly lunches (with Humphrey but still) but the Captain always seems tense in a way he's always had to explain as anxiety or autism or something he can't understand and may never. Ironically the only times he doesn't seem that way are when they're alone together, because the Captain is thinking less about how he's being perceived, and he's able to relax and be more himself.

crikey that was a lot of words and i don't think that any of it actually makes sense haha! i hope that you got something from it though and if you want me to explain anything else more then i can definitely try!!

also my holiday was BRILLIANT thank you for asking!!

#ask game!! #the captain #mutually beneficial arrangement #bbc ghosts #patcap #bbc ghosts fic

[hangmanbradshaw]

Steph I want to ask about at least three wips because they are ALL intriguing but what got me was the question mark. "political marriage?" Tell me more please

Mo <3 You are WELCOME to ask about 3 if you want insane, maybe coherent responses. Ahhh political marriage? was this weird angsty idea I had one night out of nowhere and simply had to write part of it out. No clue what I'm going to do with it yet. Sometimes I do this and then it ends up morphing into another idea or being infused into another WIP like a frankenbaby but when the dialogue/idea is in my head I gotta write it? So anyways...here's a snippet?

Bradley gave him a look. “You know what I mean.” “What, love, romance, is that what you’re talking about?” Jake asked, eyebrows raised. Bradley stared at him, a silent confirmation. He said, incredulously, “That’s not us.” “It could be.” Jake blinked several times. “Bradshaw-“ “It could be us, if we tried. If we actually gave it a shot.” “This was always the…arrangement. Your ring on my finger, your dick in my ass every Friday, a smiling partner on your arm at work parties. We both knew the deal going in.” “It’s not enough.” Jake was sure his eyebrows must have been sky fucking high. “Pardon?” “No, not like that. I mean.” Bradley cut off, cursed. He closed his eyes and refocused then said, “I see those moments, sometimes, when the real you slips out. I just…I want to know that part of you.”

#it's giving mutually beneficial political marriage turned love #it's giving arranged marriage #it's giving mr & mrs smith #so many paths this might end up taking #asks #my fics

[azatas]

thinking about tasi pulling an uno reverse on astarion twice as a catalyst for him actually confronting his feelings for her

first when she turns him down the second time like "sorry but i was in a dark place and i used you to try and feel something and that's not fair to you" as he stands there like 😨 because one, "yeah we're using each other but i thought we weren't acknowledging that??" and two this is the start of her ruining his plan because he's actually a little disappointed and it's horrifying

and then uno reverse again when she starts offering to let him drink her blood in act 2. his "you deserve a reward let's have sex" becomes her "i tried to kill you in your sleep do you want to feed on me?" and miraculously astarion is the one that's finally like "okay we should probably talk about this"

#dee plays bg3 #bg3 spoilers #oc: tasi #astarion x durge #<- for filtering bc apparently other durge players are being insufferable #anyway she definitely knows he's also using her when they sleep together even if she doesn't know why #but she's trying to be a better person now so she apologizes anyway lol . also she genuinely likes him as a person atp so she feels bad #i talk a lot about tasi at her worst but she's generally a pretty upbeat person! not very broody! her bad days just happen to be Very bad #and i'm trying to work out the beats of her and astarion's relationship in my head #i think i like the version of his confession better if it's before meeting araj but i also like araj being a Moment for him #where he's like “wtf this mutually beneficial arrangement has become beneficial only to me and i'm actually not happy about that” #so i think it goes “i don't think we should sleep together again” -> araj -> durge scene and tasi offering her blood out of guilt #-> astarion's confession #just “oh fuck she respects me as a person i can't DO this” lmfao

[scary-senpai]

Idk. Felt cute, might delete later:

—Oi, wolfboy. Sit.

Suiryu watches him with the patience of a river carving itself into rock. The effect on Garou is the same; wearing him down as he wears away.

Garou narrows his eyes. —Why?

Suiryu sighs, shaking his head. —Why, why…You love that word, don’t you?

But Suiryu is already shifting his body, making more space, trusting that Garou will follow as surely as smoke follows beauty, or night follows day.

Above them, the sky flares with the first flames of a firebird sunset. Lurid hues of orange, and red consuming pallid shades of yellow and blue.

Garou is shivering. From the cold, from the scene, and from something else. He digs his fingernails into the bare flesh of his crossed arms. He shouldn’t feel like this.

—Sit with me, Suiryu says. Please.

But Garou’s body is already moving for him, toward him, moving on its own. There’s no question of heart; it doesn’t occur to him. But the answer comes easily enough.

Suiryu watches with a sly smile and eyes you could drown in—how chilling, how dark, how deep.

Garou stares back with eyes like flame; with a gaze as readily kindled as extinguished.

#one punch man #opm #opm fanfic #garou #garou x suiryu #idk probably won’t delete? Unless I come up with a wildly better draft and even then #my drafts are like my children I love all of them equally #it’s just that some of us are no longer on speaking terms #if you couldn’t tell it isn’t going to end well #I think I am getting tripped up writing this bc at that age / in this scenario I am definitely Suiryu #as in ‘indulging people’s desires without understanding that they have different feelings about sex than I do”’ #‘so uh we did some stuff last night… technically what does that make us?🥹’ ’idk dude very close friends?’ #I bring a ‘consenting adults are free to explore whatever mutually beneficial arrangements best suit them’ to the conversation #that many heterosexual men do not like to hear from a 21 y/old girl #(and still don’t really like to hear from a 30-something woman tbh) #anyway sir please kindly get dressed and leave my dorm room I would like to go back to drinking $5 Trader Joe’s wine & reading atlas shrug #*shrugged #plot twist ! the entire time I was asexual which in retrospect explains a lot

[eilooxara]

Anyone out there know how to make custom shoes and want to do it for free as, I don't know, a sex thing or something?

#This is a joke but it stops being a joke if anyone says yes I will 100% agree to a mutually beneficial shoebaby arrangement #eilooxology

[batemanofficial]

i have to write a mock cover letter for a class and the urge to just mad libs luke's speech to jabba in rotj is overwhelming

#speak friend and enter #greetings hiring manager who wants me to scab. allow me to introduce myself. i am jaime - final cut user and friend to striking workers. #i know that you are powerful; mighty hiring manager; and that your anger with the wga must be equally powerful. #i seek an audience with your greatness to bargain for employment subject to the wga's demands. with your wisdom #i'm sure we can work out an arrangement which will be mutually beneficial and allow us to avoid any unpleasant confrontation. #as a token of my goodwill i present to you a gift: this unpolished résumé. it is overly verbose and will answer none of your questions

[trollbreak]

Thinkin bout podsol…

#Thinkin bout them sitting in the mud chatting with bugs while they make little bitty mud bricks so they can make a lil bug house for their #itty bitty friends. Thinkin abt them visiting Dexter’s greenhouse and chatting with the pests and convincing said pests to perchance help #out and asking dex to make this a mutually beneficial arrangement. Thinkin bout them falling asleep outside and isohel has to find them #before dawn to bring them back home and very gently taking bugs off of them so they can lay pod down without crushing anyone #Thinkin abt them :)

[kkrazy256]

Was suddenly blessed with many thots for the Came Back Wrong Remedy AU

#sitting at work rotating the mind cow #let’s just say he and palp are just short of throwing hands all the time #and the only reason they don’t is because they don’t know definitively who would win #so they have a mutually beneficial arrangement until the empire rises #one full of murderskfkcje #rattling in my seat I need to talk about this #clone medic remedy #Came Back Wrong Rem AU

[detectiveconnor]

i hope you get to squeeze a cat today

#my cat has taken to body-slamming me so that i will squeeze her. it is a mutually beneficial arrangement #(hi dash i am too stressed to be writing right now but i see things people write for me - ily thank you! - and the memes you send #and those are lovely and nice and helping a lot <3 i am thinking nice things about you all. will be back to do more writing #when i am less stressed!) #ingrid talks #tbd

[ghosts-of-love]

PatCap Fake Dating Christmas Fic

~ 12k

Cap asks Pat to be his fake boyfriend for a 3-4 day trip to his mum’s for Christmas. He has loved Pat for years. This will cause no problems for him at all.

includes: there was only one bed!! lots of roast potatoes! Joanie! Cap’s mum! board games! that uncomfortable feeling of being 45 years old and finding out your mum is dating someone and you’re okay with it in theory but your childhood self is horrified. meaningful presents!

rating: mature (ish) 

#mutually beneficial arrangement #fic #patcap #bbc ghosts

[irrec]

The fact that

I'm seeing all of my international hook ups get engaged has me sick LMFAO

#its fine #i need a post pandemmy roster #that one dude has a whole baby #I guess I only have hoes in American area codes and that is very ghetto #but alsooo I might marry my friend for a mutually beneficial arrangement and I'm so excited to be able to give my ghetto citizenship away

[dajo42]

took a nap earlier. had a dream i posted "youre a transmasc waiting for top surgery, im a cannibal, lets arrange something mutually beneficial" and i had a thousand positive responses. then i woke up and fried some rice and watched smosh

[deathinfeathers]

Mammon told you were using him and apparently he believed

"Using him for what?? I have literally nothing to gain from our arrangement except money and easy travel and i definitely don't give a shit about money!! I do it because I like him! Period! Full stop!"

#I mean networking too but that doesn't mean I'm using him #That's like saying he's using me because I'm a hot commodity and people are thirsty for my celestial ass #That's how business arrangements work #They're supposed to be mutually beneficial