#but they're professionals

[softquietsteadylove]

more spicy chapter for the spy AU please? 🤏

"Holy shit," Gil groaned as he flopped into the bed loudly. "What a day."

It had been a hell of a mission, from start to finish. There was some rescuing, some extrication, some very narrow escapes. But at least it was completed. All they had to do was actually get back home to report in. But that could wait until tomorrow.

"I agree," Thena sighed heavily, lying herself down next to him more delicately. They didn't usually make stops after a mission, since the only real safety for them was back at base. But this stop was necessary to avoid the suspicion of boarding a flight right then and there.

Gil stretched his arm out, slithering it under Thena's neck. Other than that, he remained on his back.

Thena rolled over, keeping her head cushioned on his arm and shoulder and tucking herself into his side as well. She inhaled as his head tilted, hovering closer to hers. "We said we wouldn't."

"Oh, right," Gil mumbled, even as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"We did," she repeated as she leaned into him more. His arm moved and his fingers toyed with a few strands of her hair. "We did."

"We did," he whispered as he rolled over too, nuzzling her face until his lips could find hers.

"We promised," she whimpered into the kiss, even as she grasped two handfuls of his shirt. She straightened her spine and her legs, pressing herself closer to him.

"Did we?" he inhaled against her cheek before moving his lips to her neck. He rolled even further, until he could lie over her. He flicked open a button of her dress. "Why did we do that?"

"Because," Thena inhaled as he worked on two more buttons before running his finger along the edge of her bra. She wasn't often in civilian clothes.

"Because?" he prompted, enjoying taking his time and burying his face in her cleavage.

"The job," she uttered simplistically, her considerable mental faculties leaving her as Gil dragged his teeth along the inside of her breasts.

They said they couldn't be physical anymore because of the job. It could interfere with their effectiveness, and complicate their partnership, something upon which their lives depended.

That one instance in the garage had been a mistake.

"We're off the clock, Ghost," Gil chuckled into her shoulder as he moved his hands to work from the bottom up, slipping up her dress. "If you want me to stop, just tell me."

It would make good sense. It would be better for the mission, and for all future missions. It would be probably be better for their work partnership, too. Certainly their handler would feel better about not having to suspect that their feelings were more than professional.

"Talk to me, Thena," he whispered, pulling away from her just to look her in the eye.

How she loved him. She loved him in every cover, every mission, every rare instance in between when they were just Gil and Thena, partners since the beginning. She loved everything about Gil, and she always had.

It was only recently that she had added his body to the list of things she loved most about him.

Gil moaned as she pulled him into another kiss, firmer than before. He wrapped his arms around her to truly hold her, his hands sliding over her.

Thena gasped as he pulled her dress up the rest of the way. His fingers were deft and firm, immediately slipping into her underwear. Gil never wasted time when there was a mission at hand. Her hands closed into fists, rumpling his shirt hopelessly.

"Easy," he rumbled into her ear, his voice low and rough. He stroked and circled his fingers, coaxing her pleasure out of her. "Just relax, sweetheart--I got'cha."

Thena inhaled sharply and let it out, although it trembled the whole way. Her whole body started trembling as he circled a particular spot, his thumb pushing against her most tender nerve centre as leverage. She stared up at the ceiling, clinging to him as if she were at sea. "Gil!"

He pulled up hard, keeping his hand still as she writhed against him gently. He was far from done, but he considered this a necessary step. He bent his head to kiss her cheek, "that's my girl."

Thena tilted her head, whimpering again as she felt him pull his fingers out of her. She didn't give in to pleasure often. She didn't consider herself someone who needed it often, either. But the things Gil could make her feel...

"You good?" he asked, their voices soft, their breathing mixing together in the silent room.

She nodded, her chest heaving. Gil laid over her again, having gotten his belt undone and his pants out of the way just enough. They didn't have the luxury of ripping all their clothes off and making tender love. Nor could they afford to fuck like wild animals rutting against each other. What they could afford was a quick relief of tension in a whole world against the two of them.

Gil kissed her as he pushed in. She groaned; his fingers were already thicker than she was used to, and he was much, much thicker than that. He peppered her face with kisses, "you okay?"

She nodded, clawing at his back as she adjusted to him being fully inside of her. This was actually the first time they were being connected in this particular way. Her head felt like it was floating off her body, her vision was starry.

"S'okay, just breathe," he whispered in her ear.

She did so, slowing her breathing until her startled muscles could relax. She turned her head, seeking his lips again. He gave them, and she demanded his tongue as well.

Gil moved gently, never one to risk hurting her in any way. He nuzzled her cheek, both of them breathing for their lives. They had both done underwater training, could hold their breath for upwards of five minutes. But they were panting for air.

Thena gripped the muscles in his back as his hips met hers. She tried not to sink into the feeling of it and keep her mind alert. But the feeling of Gil inside her, a heat like nothing else filling her. The warm, solid weight of him surrounding her and the musky scent of him mixing with the scent of their intimacy. She felt dizzy.

"Thena," Gil uttered, sounding more strained as he moved somewhat faster. He nipped at her neck, feeling around for her pulse until he could pay it proper attention.

"Gil," she gasped in response, her voice high and stringy--fluttery. Everything felt fluttery right now. She wasn't a fluttery person. Her codename was not Butterfly. But her whole body trembled as she felt him swell even further. "Gil!"

He pressed his lips to her cheek again, and she could feel him smiling against her skin. "Sorry, you sound really cute right now."

Thena felt herself clench around him reflexively. She blushed.

Encouraged, Gil picked up speed even more. His arms dragged over the bed sheets, curling around her protectively, hoarding what was his. His breathing came faster and rougher, his leverage angle changed.

Thena sought his mouth again, hungrily this time. Her legs slithered around his and her hips rose to meet him halfway. She was much closer than she anticipated, and probably closer than he thought she was. "Gil, yes, so close."

What few words she did have to offer seemed enough for him. He moved his hand to grip a handful of her behind, "any time now, hon."

Thena bit into her bottom lip as he continued to push and push her closer. She was a seasoned spy, and there was little she couldn't endure. But she would give up absolutely anything to come right now.

Gil let her dig her nails into him as she came around him, her whole body shaking as she gripped him. He groaned into her hair splayed over the sheets as he followed, spilling into her unabashedly. He smashed their lips together again before reeling himself in, making their kisses more gentle again. He held her cheeks, looking for signs she would never speak aloud. "You okay?"

Thena opened her eyes, blinking up at the ceiling again before Gil moved into her line of sight. She was still seeing stars, everything hazy and dreamlike. Her biochemical addled brain sang Gil's praises as she looked at him, screaming at her to yearn for him.

He kissed her again, their lips moving languidly. He still held her like she was fragile, and he was still lying over her like she was all his.

She was, in ways she couldn't afford. But she clung to him, even as he pulled out of her, even as he laid down beside her just to pull her closer once he was comfortable. Her hands sought his skin like she was burned and he was the salve.

Physical pleasure was too dangerous for the brain to endure.

Thena sighed as she settled against his chest. She was far too exhausted to move, and she had no desire as Gil pressed his lips to the top of her head and exhaled deeply. She rose and fell with the rhythm of his chest, as if bobbing along at sea on a raft of him.

"I've got you, Thena," Gil mumbled before dropping off into sleep, his fingers entangled with hers and his arm around her shoulders.

She nuzzled into his chest, just this once, to indulge her silly, love stricken brain. He had her in ways he didn't even know about--ways she could never really tell him. But just for tonight, she could add her body to that list.

#Thenamesh Spy AU #Thenamesh 18+ #some soft spice #welcome to the tasteful spice hour #don't read this on the bus #I mean do what you want but I will not be held responsible #Thena poor Thena #she's here trying to be like I am a world renowned spy #I can handle a simple act of physical intimacy #and then she gets one good night #and her brain goes #ahhhh Gil Gil Gil Gil Gil Gil Gil #Gil I love you so much ah you're so strong and handsome and let's cuddle together #of course she just looks as blank as ever #and she's telling her brain to knock it the fuck off #but they're professionals #they get up the next day #clean themselves up a little #they get on a normal plane #like normal civilians #carrying billions worth of international intel #maybe he gets a little cheeky #he takes Thena's hand in his and asks the flight attendant if his wife can please have an extra pillow #she glares at him but he leans over and whispers that she's cute when she glares at him #and all that happens is she gets flustered and pretends to go to sleep #they definitely don't hold hands under the blankets

[ministarfruit]

day 12: karma ♡

(femslashfeb prompt list)

#minifemslashfeb2024 #ace attorney #franmaya #franziska von karma #maya fey #noooo babygirl don't have the same generational trauma as me aha ur so sexy #we're the. we're the daughters of the . the legends we don't want to inherit #'mini did you draw franz for this prompt solely because her name is von karma' don't worry about it #HONESTLY DID NOT THINK I WAS GONNA MAKE THIS ONE #had to go to the dentist today instead of drawing yuri #life is so cruel </3 #but it's okay I have to shill my narrative foils agenda #back at it with the franmayas.... #WHO LOVES PARALLELS #ME!! I LOVE PARALLELS!!!! #'karma' is referred to very loosely in this #but my idea personally was that they're betraying their family legacies #and THAT is karma for the way they were treated growing up #yeah I had all these thoughts at the dentist btw #thinking about yuri while two women have their hands in my mouth (professional) (normal) (not clickbait) #hope that helps

[taxinealkaloids]

i love the tower princes. i love that there’s absolutely no way in hell that this friendship is even remotely good for either of them. love that they assuredly are making each other SO much worse with every second they spend together. 

#tlt #the locked tomb #ntn spoilers #my art #anyway ever think about how the empire of the nine houses is pretty much singlehandedly being run by ianthe #and not only are the 2 people who are supposed to outrank her no help at all #they're actually actively detrimental to the empire's functioning as they are both deep in their depression spirals #and won't stop trying to start the apocalypse like they wanna start the apocalypse so BAD!! and ianthe doesn't even want to #be saving the world. girl wants to be villainous. she's stopping the apocalypse with an air of 'UGH i have to do EVERYTHING around here' #you really can't blame her for needing a chew toy. luckily kiriona is right there and she's basically a professional chew toy. #she's used to it. who knows what she'd even do with herself if no one was chomping on her. so it works out!! (not)

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

(loosely) that scene from potc... its so Them i think...

#apologies for the low quality scribbles i simply couldn't be fucked!! <3<3<3 #and they're a lil funky.... i havent drawn em in a while.... #but geez. man. oof. ough #the potential of the pining + Names ouagshashjafkanvfla #THE RITUALS ARE INTRICATE #scribble salad #franklydear #welcome home #ever since finding out how they call each other by last names my brain has been Mush over that #the layers!!! the potential for development!!! #what would the transition to first-name-usage look like #i feel like they're gonna be on first name basis Before they actually refer to each other by their first names #and maybe frank will call him eddie first.... maybe.... #leaving eddie to be the one maintaining a sort of 'professional' distance #but in the process making their interactions Way more intimate and emotionally Charged than they would've been otherwise #its about the suspense... about the 'am i allowed to know what your name feels like'.... #the 'i want nothing more than to know what my name sounds like in your voice' #receiving your mail and waiting for the time he finally allows that little distance to be closed with one simple syllable #or delivering the mail and waiting for him to open both doors w/ hand & name #both an allowance and a confirmation and an answer and a promise wrapped up in one little word #Im Just Speculating & Rambling at this point #OUGH FRANKLYDEAR <3<3<3<3 #i cant wait to watch them really go Through the Horrors while falling in love #bc when nothing is real or certain what else can you cling to but each other #so abnormal about them.... #wh has opened my eyes to the inherent romanticism & pain of mail carriers #they will always come to your door but they will also always leave #and the gifts they give you are always from someone Else #all you can hope for are those Moments where your fingers brush as they hand over letters #where the only true words between you are the ones hidden away in ink and belonging to neither of you

[canisalbus]

the anon saying they wish vaschete were plushies inspired me

.

#oh no #oh #oh boy #they're adorable #I'm sorry but I'm just mentally smooshing their soft round little heads together #their expressions! #the teensy paws #really feeling that cute aggresion #you made their faces translate into simplified plush form so well #I'd be lying if I said it never crossed my mind how neat it would be to have plushies of them #not as merch but like to keep as mascots and have them sit contently next to each other in some nook of my home #I'm not completely hopeless at sewing but I've never designed patterns quite as complex as this #and I think commissioning a professional for a set is likely beyond my budget so eh one can dream #gift art #makedamnsvre #own characters #Machete #Vasco #from a technical point of view #I feel like I'd be adamant about keeping Vasco's ombre ears and muzzle but they could be potentially difficult to execute #unless you airbrushed them by hand or something I don't know how this works #and I'd probably be really picky about the texture of Machete's fluff as well #finding a faux fur with the right length curl and springiness might be hard #honestly I think I might have easier time if I tried art doll/ooak route because that permits more painting and sculpting than pure sewing #but then the squish factor would suffer

[showsandshowtunes]

what do you mean that at reeve's last show the principal obc was there and they gave orpheus and eurydice an alternate ending by having reeve and eva walk out of hadestown up the golden staircase?? what do you mean?????!!!!??

#the emotional impact this had on me #the emotional impact this ENTIRE SHOW has had on me #i will always love the original broadway cast of hadestown #like they're my family fr #what am i gonna DO without them #need to get super rich and influential so i can bring them all back together for one last show and record it professionally #hadestown #hadestown musical #hadestown broadway #reeve carney #eva noblezada #amber gray #patrick page #andre de shields #broadway #musicals

[akanemnon]

Intermission

If I gathered anything from my last post it's that a lot of you guys like Kris with braces and others wondering about the bite mark on their phone case. This one's for you both.

FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT

#deltarune #deltarune fanart #deltarune comic #kris dreemurr #kris deltarune #asriel #asriel dreemurr #comic #they're just claiming it as their own #completely normal human behavior #trust me #I'm a professional #jk I have no idea what I'm doing #my art

[royalarchivist]

I say this in the kindest way possible, but I think this style of prose is more appropriate for a personal account rather than an update account. I have no idea who's being talked about half the time. 🥲

[ Tumblr meme via @mikaikaika ]

#QSMP #Philza #Edited #Phil #Let me know if this needs an additional tag #I don't think this necessitates a discourse or neg tag or whatever because I'm being silly but I'm happy to add one if folks need it #I won't post this one on Twitter I don't think because I genuinely don't want to hurt anyone's feelings #but. I feel very strongly about this. It's not helpful #I say this as a fan and as a professional writer (who also worked in the Marketing and Communications field for far too long) #The prose is nice! It's very whimsical and they're having fun! But I don't think it's appropriate for an updates account #I recently turned off notifications for QsmpEN and I'm considering muting them because half the updates just aren't helpful to me #I want to be able to speed read through the update thread I don't want to spend an additional 30 seconds trying to decipher who's who #I don't like posting complaints so I tried to make it a funny complaint #because I do think feedback is good! And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way #but at the same time: these update writers ARE volunteers #(As a side note -- I personally think anyone running a large social media account should be paid) #(I did that for a few years and it was hell. I can't imagine doing that and NOT getting paid for it) #But anyways #They're all volunteers so I don't actually wanna go all pitchforks and torches on them (which I wouldn't do anyways even if they WERE paid) #I'm just venting my frustrations in what is (hopefully) a funny way #but you're welcome to disagree! That's ok too #Portfolio

[difeisheng]

Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023) // Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

#screaming crying sobbing i've been wanting to combine waymond's speech with fdb forever but didn't get around to it #join me in crying over xiaobao again #mysterious lotus casebook #fanghua #fang duobing #li xiangyi #ashton's edits #gif #ashton originals #this was a learning curve and they're not even good gifs. truly gifmakers who do this for fun at professional quality #are the backbone of this fucking society

[ethanhuntfemmefatale]

sometimes i think about an AA universe where Edgeworth didn't have to be shuffled off every 5 seconds so he could maintain credibility as a rival....where Phoenix didn't have to win every case...yes AA is a game yes i understand why it did that for the narrative. but when I look at those lonely scared 24 year olds from AA1 i can't help but think that their version of a happy ending would be to be able to get used to each other. to face each other over stupid cases and small things. Sometimes one winning, sometimes the other, until it hardly matters anymore, all that matters is finding the truth together. I want them to take each other for granted!!! i want them to look at the other across the courtroom and say "time to face this bitch for the hundredth time i guess!!" these poor bastards have never had anything approaching emotional stability before let them have each other damn it

#idk im just. emotional #i feel like at that age?? at that place in their character development??? romance aside that would be legit be #the best happiest situation for both of them. and i feel things when i imagine it #we see so much of the grand gestures intense moments side of their relationship #they're always helping each other in their darkest moments and stuff like that but i wish they could also have #a very mundane professional dynamic. bitchy and prickly and earnest cause they both care a lot. and loving in their way #it's sad to me that so much of fic revolves around the idea that 'when phoenix and miles start dating miles will finally stay' thats #so tragic!!!!!!! am i the only person who thinks that's tragic #the game had to keep them apart for Narrative Reasons but i know my boy miles edgeworth and he would want to get bored of that spiky hairdo #and that handsome face. from seeing it in court so much. #narumitsu #wrightworth #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #ace attorney #aa1 #aa2 spoilers #aa3 spoilers

[ssstrawberryflowers]

you listen to me now.

#more wish fullfilment au shit #they're like high school students #if i didn't have more projects tied to improving my professional skills i'd be elaborating on this au #ultrakill gabriel #ultrakill #v1 ultrakill #gabv1el #fan art #v1 has this slit in their skirt for mobility reasons just so you know #mine #my art

[scintillyyy]

the thing is. i don't particularly love the whole steph sends assassins after tim at the end of robin thing. but it is fascinating to me as one of those things that dc's like "okay, this did happen because we need it to have happened (it's pretty important as far as setting up steph and tim to move on to red robin & batgirl, it's extremely important that steph makes a mistake that causes harm so that tim is upset with her & so there's a justifiable reason steph can't be spoiler anymore & to set the stage for their dynamic in the reborn era & because her doing this to tim is also important to maintain tim's self-isolation at the start of red robin because if he had a girlfriend to depend on who he wasn't mad at he wouldn't be quite so self-destructive), but at the same time we desperately need to pretend like it did not happen (because if it did, and steph sent assassins after tim, he's entirely justified in being mad at her & also if she did that dick would probably feel about steph the way he feels about jean-paul valley)"

#actually my most unpopular opinion is that i think that dick is probably like. very neutral on steph as a whole #given that tim absolutely would get dick in the divorce and dick would be on tim's side as far as being upset #at the ways she's hurt him (not that tim is a saint in the rship i just think that dick is allowed to be messy & biased and on tim's side) #like everytime he sees steph he probably remembers the phone call with tim. it's hard not to look at her #and not see tim breaking down at the side of the pit #and if the assassins did happen he's probably also upset and irritated about that #anyways i think he can be very professional & i think he definitely comes around to 'she's a competent vigilante who deserves to be there' #and he's probably grateful as to how she gets along with damian & has been good for him #but i just can't picture them hanging out outside of work. they're the epitome of coworkers to me

[teplejtrouba]

a detective who has a partner🔍 and a partner💕 who are friends so the three of them end up doing a lof things together and the detective refers to them as "my partners" and doesn't realise this makes everyone think they're polyamorous (they do end up polyamorous by the end of the story)

#once people start making remarks and they do realise they're apprehensive to the idea at first #(the detective that is. the partners just find it funny i think) #in a shocked and confused way #like “why would you think that! a is my best friend and b is... also my best friend. but one of them is my colleague and the other my spous #“i do not have an unprofessional relationship with my colleague! ...well i do #but a completely platonic one!“ #(they do get up to a lot of hijinks together and it wouldn't be true to call them completely professional) #the detective doesn't stop calling them 'my partners' they just have a monologue about the nature of their relationship locked and loaded #it's a friends to lovers very slow burn to get to the throuple part but we do get there eventually #character concept #yes i initially imagined the detective as a man because i love men and most famous detectives unfortunately are men #however this would work very well in any gender scenario. all three of them are non-binary in different ways. all of them are women. #i think the main detective would be really fun if she was a Philomena Cunk type of character. very smart but So dumb and self-assured #really the main thing the detective needs to be is autistic

[magnetothemagnificent]

Non-ADHD and non-autistic disabled people whose only idea of ADHD and autistic people is shaped by media depictions of a nerdy white boy or a quirky goth girl with low support needs: "Yeah ADHD and autism are destigmatized and we should ignore people with ADHD and autism in favor of real disabilities. I am very smart and progressive."

Lateral prejudice towards other disabled people will get us nowhere.

#actually disabled #ableism #lateral ableism #autistic people face disproportional police violence #especially if they're not white #I know people who have been severely hurt socially financially and mentally because of their adhd and/or autism #there's a literal anti-vax movement of people who think autism is worse than polio and measles and shit #adhd and autism are not destigmatized #just because a handfull of privileged adhd and/or autistic people managed to succeed and mask very well #doesn't mean that's the majority of the adhd and/or autistic experience #there's a reason autism was classed as a schizophrenic disorder for a long time #because the outward symptoms of autism and schizophrenia can be very similar #parents of adhd and autistic kids talk openly about wanting to murder their children and some even succeed in doing so #and people sympathize with them #autism and adhd can manifest in auditory processing disorders and communication disorders #which to a non-professional appear indistinguishable from physical hearing impairements and neurological disabilities #adhd symptoms can be so similar to brain cancer that I know someone who died because his cancer was caught so late #actually autistic

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Baby Taylor's baby voice is so endearing and it's going to be bittersweet to "lose" that on the TVs, but I'm really excited to hear how they clean up (or not) the production on Debut. I mean I know they're going to make it as accurate as possible to the originals, but I mean in the actual sound mixing and stuff. Because I feel like this album could benefit the most from some of that! Which is not to say that the original is bad BECAUSE IT'S NOT, but I think there is subtle stuff they can do with the mixing/blending/instrumentals/treble/etc. to make it shine even more.

#I don't want to say it sounds 'amateur' because it was obviously recorded by professionals #but there are some parts where i notice certain things in how her voice blends with the instrumentation #and I think they're really going to be able to make this part soar waaaaaaay more #like it almost sounds in some parts like she's singing over a karaoke track #instead of a full production if you get what i mean #it's just the difference of 20 years of evolution in sound production and design and in her own increased experience in producing #(sorry my dad does this stuff and like one road trip we spent the whole time listening to the latest mix of an album he was producing #and mixing for a friend and it's engrained in my brain how he was like dictating notes for me to write down so he could go back and fix #when we got home 😂)

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

saw some speculation on FranklyDear in relation to the audios and i want to toss my two cents in

so all the thing's i've been seeing have been people talking about how they're a couple, but they're not acting like it, so that must be Playfellow's influence making them put distance between each other

but i immediately interpreted it as - they're not there yet. there might be feelings, but they aren't Together. cause in the 14 bug audios, i feel like it's pretty clear that these are snapshots of the neighborhood outside of the show. cameras aren't rolling, there are no influences, it's the neighbors just Existing on their own dime

'cause the conversations are more natural! the characters seem more nuanced! there aren't any sound effects! so if FranklyDear is already established, wouldn't we have "seen" that in their shared audio 8-14? wouldn't Eddie have just called Frank Frank, without the immediate (and somewhat flustered) correction to Mr. Frankly? and wouldn't Frank call him Eddie instead of Mr. Dear? plus, idk about y'all, but that scene was a lil romantically charged. a little flirty - especially from Frank's side. the kind of tension you get from budding emotions, not fully-realized ones

they just seem to be in a before state. the beginning stages. and anyway, i remember Clown saying that revealing FranklyDear as an endgame couple was sort of an Accident? i think we were meant to watch it evolve and figure it out along with the characters, the way we will with any other relationships (that we Definitely are not aware of / confident about yet).

we're still only in the prologue of the story, so it'd make so much sense if Frank and Eddie are not yet Involved. we're on this journey With them

#in a parallel universe there are people arguing over whether or not frank & eddie are a Thing #im kinda thankful that's not our reality lol #i think it's going to be fun just sitting back Fully Aware and watching these two Go Through It #i just highly highly HIGHLY doubt they're already together #plus how much more fun would it be to watch it Happen? #to see them experience the conflict and feelings and realizations and how their interactions will likely Change Accordingly #homebogging #welcome home theory #welcome home speculation #before the audios i had a feeling that it would be eddie being the more up-front flirty go-getter of the two #based on clown's art of them & such #but then with the audios eddie is a little more... reserved isnt the right word.... #polite? restrained? trying to keep things Amicable and Professional? #cause in 8-14 frank was the more relaxed teasing one while eddie was a bit of a flustered mess #which might've been because of the bug #but yk... he Did rush to correct himself on how he addressed frank... #and the way frank spoke... idk it just sounded like a slightly different Tone than what they usually speak with #more of a casual drawl. more forward - there was a Weight to it #and the 'you don’t need to be that familiar with them in order to get to know them better' #imo that line stuck out as a kind of a wink wink nudge nudge thing #like a Hey. We Could Get To Know Each Other. #twas a classic 'talking about one thing while saying another' phrase - again imo #oh and also its just occurring to me #if the bug audios are 'present day' like i suspect #its entirely possible that franklydear can only 'now' develop bc theyre - well theyre not exactly Free #but playfellow is no longer 'ruling' over them. the influence and pressure - no matter how subconcious it was - is no longer there #freeing them up just enough to maybe... just maybe... truly Feel and perhaps Express interest in each other #just a thought! #that would be another tally in the box explaining why their interaction in the 8-14 audio was Different #there isn't anything holding them back anymore beyond their (possible) own internalized biases & fears & expectations etc