#i like exploring the wru side

[a-whump-muffin]

bad apple!! (2)

the start of a manhunt...

CW: box boy universe, no whump just a seedy megacorporation stalking its (former) employees

---

Roy Himmel isn’t a real person, and disappears from this world just as quickly and quietly as he entered it. 

Karl almost doesn't believe his own eyes when he takes a proper look at Himmel's file. He was hired from a career fair at Syracuse University, a university he definitely did attend and graduated from with a degree in linguistics. It has all been stored alongside his resume and onboarding paperwork. After he was hired, those files were basically forgotten and left to collect dust.

When Karl is asked to unearth Himmel's file for the first time in five years, he initially finds nothing remarkable about it. It's not until he reviews the man's emergency contact list to report if he has any relatives or significant others to worry about his sudden disappearance that Karl runs into a dead end.

The phone number listed under his emergency contact is out of service. The person he listed as his emergency contact is the owner of a bookstore in a city halfway across the country, who once communicated with Himmel over the acquisition of a rare book in Romanian and nothing more.

Karl's job is almost entirely based around facts. There is little room for speculation where he is concerned. He runs background checks and investigates potential acquisitions all day long, and he knows an anomaly when he sees one. People lie, but the records don't.

He is determined to make Roy Himmel's life make sense, but the deeper he looks, the more it begins to defy all logic.

Although he doesn’t normally leave his department, he finally accepts that he isn’t going to learn any more about the man from his personnel file. He decides to head straight to the staff room to find out what Himmel’s file can’t tell him. Himmel was apparently friendly and well-liked by his colleagues. Karl hasn’t met many people who can resist talking about themselves to their colleagues at least a little bit.

He turns to the most normal of the day shift handlers - Petersen, who isn't likely to string him along for the fun of it.

"Hannah," he starts, plastering a smile on his face. She notices him entering the room, but doesn't lift her head until he approaches the table where her lunch sits, mostly untouched. "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Is this about Roy?" she asks, amused. A hint of derision colors her words. The handlers always make such a big production of it when one of their own "leaves" the job. Karl suspects it's out of necessity. They're a decently close-knit bunch. No one wants to be associated with the dropouts or failures.

"Yeah." Karl slides into the chair across from her, takes out a notepad. "Did he ever talk to you about his life outside work, what he did on the weekends? Any family, friends, anything?"

Hannah hums in a teasing, speculative sort of way that's entirely intentional, but her eyes wander off to the side in thought and she takes a second too long answering.

"...Well, come to think of it," she says, her brow furrowed slightly. “No. When you were talking to him, you weren’t talking at him, if that makes sense.  If you told him about your girlfriend’s stupid sister getting in your face about what we do here, he’d actually listen, not just nod like he had better things to do. But, now that I think of it, he never really talked about himself.”

“Can you think of anything?” Karl presses. “He had to have mentioned something.”

Hannah picks at her nails as she thinks back to all of her previous interactions with the man. She was hired only a few months after him. Karl doesn’t believe that Himmel managed to avoid talking about himself in the five years since he started working at WRU.

“I don’t think he was very close to his family,” she says, but she doesn’t sound too confident. “He always said he didn’t have any particular plans for the holidays.”

It’s purely speculation, not a fact, and that grates on Karl’s nerves to no end.  

“He wasn’t going out with anyone,” she adds. 

She can’t remember him ever mentioning any hobbies, either, and he has no social media accounts. Nothing. A few stories from his college days, but Karl already knows he attended Syracuse University. That’s nothing groundbreaking. 

Karl has a diploma and the tax documents to prove Roy Himmel is a person who really exists, but he’s beginning to have doubts despite the proof. 

He receives more or less the same answers from the handler who mentored him when he first joined the company. 

“I kinda figured he didn’t want to talk about it for a reason,” Cruz tells him with a shrug.

Karl is grasping for straws when he suggests, “Was he an internal hire?”

An internal hire is someone who was initially in the pet program, who for one reason or another makes a better handler than a trainee. They’re rare, but it happens occasionally, and some of them have already had their memories wiped by the time they transfer roles. It could explain why he never spoke about himself — he might not have remembered anything at all.

“Nah,” Cruz says. “Not as far as I know, though he’s definitely got the looks for it.”

Karl shoves his discomfort with the statement to the back of his mind. Handlers are known for being flippant and crude — it doesn’t matter that this was once a colleague. 

“But he never once said anything about his past? Nothing?”

“Nope. I kind of figured he came from the Midwest, but he’s real good at languages. Can imitate any accent you name, so who really knows? If you asked him where he’s from, he’d just say ‘nowhere interesting’ and turn the question right back at you.”

Great. Nothing but more speculation. For the first time since he started working here, Karl goes home with more questions than answers. 

—

Karl opens a much deeper investigation the next day. He worked for a private investigator for a short time before WRU hired him, so he already knows all the tips and tricks of the trade. WRU holds the certifications and licensing needed to run as thorough a check as anyone can ask for, so all he needs to do is run the queries. 

When he uncovers — or, rather, what he doesn’t uncover — is at once astonishing and completely predictable based on his current progress. 

Roy Himmel didn't exist prior to his enrollment in college. The high school transcripts he used to apply to the school must be fake, and needless to say, no birth certificate exists either.

Any pets that enter the system are erased as people from that point onward, but no one is denying that they once existed and had rights and a life like any other citizen. This situation with Himmel is impossible. People’s pasts don’t just disappear like this — wholly and completely. 

The only reasonable conclusion is that Roy Himmel was a lie all along. 

“In short…who the hell is this guy?” Karl says, flicking the file with a snort. He glances at his manager, Collier, but he seems just as perplexed. “As far as I can tell, Roy Himmel doesn’t exist. Whoever doctored his identity did a pretty good job, but they didn’t go that far back.”

“The question is why he bothered at all,” Collier says, which is a perfectly valid point. As long as there’s nothing egregious about the applicant’s history, WRU’s handler program will hire just about anyone who suits the job. According to the things his coworkers said about him, Himmel never gave off any red flags. If his past was so unsavory he had to hide behind a false identity, Karl doubts he would have been able to come across as so normal and unassuming. 

There’s only one lead Karl has left, which he didn’t think to investigate initially because no one would steal company property, then proceed to hide somewhere as predictable as his home address.

“Wait…where did he live before he moved into company housing?” Karl says with a sense of urgency.

“How am I supposed to know?” Collier replies, vaguely amused as he watches Karl flip through the printouts he compiled. “That’s your job.”

“Right, right,” Karl murmurs, distracted. He pulls out the onboarding documents and searches for Himmel’s permanent address. He had to list one when he was hired. They wouldn’t have accepted a temporary address. And if he has a home address, he can track down everything. 

There. 

“Here. Chicago!” Karl circles the address in triumph. Collier leans forward and whistles as Karl searches the location on the internet. “What is it?”

“That’s on Lincoln Avenue,” Collier points out. “How and why did he end up working here? If he’s from that sort of neighborhood, he should have been a client, not an employee.”

It’s a simple matter to look into the residence’s purchase history, but revealing the name on the deed to the house doesn’t tell him much at first. He already knows Roy Himmel isn’t real. He has no way of knowing if he has any relation to Morgan Seidel, the owner of the house at that address. 

“Okay, not the same guy,” Karl says under his breath. He ran a quick search for one Morgan Seidel, and the results brought up the photo of a tall young man with auburn hair. Apparently, he’s the art director of an art museum in the area. Most importantly, he bears absolutely no resemblance to Himmel. Karl exhales harshly. 

It seems this is a mystery that will take longer than a single afternoon to uncover. As aggravated as it makes him, it’s been so long since a challenge like this one has presented itself at his fingertips.

#box boy universe #bbu #i like exploring the wru side #and the casual evil of the whole business #in which roy is a cryptid

[pigeonwhumps]

A look at what a BBU Tumblr dashboard might look like!

@bbu-on-the-side

CWs: BBU, pet whump, dehumanisation, everything that comes with that

🐢 turtleonhigh

As you start contemplating gifts for your loved ones, remember guys, a pet is for life, not just for Christmas! If you've never had a pet before, Domestics or Platonics are the best starter pets, but make sure to do your research thoroughly to keep your pet happy and healthy. Additionally, adopt, don't shop! There are so many pets desperately in need of loving homes. If you're insistent on purchasing from a supplier such as WRU rather than a shelter, choose refurbished. Give a pet the second chance they deserve!

🌟 thetruthinourstars

In Liberation this month: The shocking truth of WRU training away from prying eyes

🥸 bookworm420

https://www.liberation.com/20240423457899

(again. A year and a half after the first article and they're still having to expose it because no-one will listen...)

Oh come on, OP, everyone knows that's bullshit, spread by pet lib manipulators. Everyone: this is what bad actors look like!

🦀 just-a-crab

Sources?

#and before anyone leaps on me #i mean both of you #a reminder to always check where informations coming from

🍵 tea-and-pets

If prev was a pet, what would you give them as a little treat?

🐳 awhaleofatime

You guys are sick and perverted fuckers, I hope you know that

🌵 prickle

You're in the minority there mate

https://www.yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/explore/HumanPets

🐳 awhaleofatime

🌞 sunshinestarlight

Stfu and let people have their fun, dude

#if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all #pet love #srsly dude leave us alone #polls

🐭 mouseandsammy

Sammy just adores his new outfit! Look at him go!

🌞 sunshinestarlight

❤️

🪶 fansofafeather

Ew, why am I getting WRU adverts on my dash constantly? Do I look like someone who would buy a pet to you?

🦴

Yes

🪶 fansofafeather

This was originally just a vent, but since you asked so nicely...

Does it help? Does it really?

Sources:

Stats show that 42% of vulnerable young people surveyed are scared of being picked up by WRU. Furthermore, spending on welfare in the UK has decreased by 26% over the past ten years, with ministers even saying that those who need help should become pets and go where they're wanted, where their "place" is. Vulnerable people need help, not encouragement to sign their lives away, and the pet industry isn't helping with that (even if you say that it isn't WRU's fault for merely existing, their adverts aren't glowing examples of a non-manipulative company).

I could go into way more detail, about the manipulation and propaganda, and what's been associated with them over the years, the politicians in their pockets holding up legislation that would hinder sign-ups, not to mention that this is actual, literal slavery, but I'll leave it here for now. If you're actually bothered you can ask, but I get the feeling you're not anyway.

How do you see your future? | YouGov

How do you feel about the alleged forced sign-ups by WRU and similar companies? | Liberation

Fact-check: Has welfare spending increased? | BBC Verify

Secretary for Work and Pensions overheard suggesting that welfare recipients "go where they're wanted" and become pets | The Guardian

WRU adverts 2000-2024 | National Archives

👯 pet-love

Callout post

Be aware. User @/sam-the-multifandom is an active member of the pet lib community, who has engaged in targeted harassment of pet owners and supporters. Evidence is in their top posts. Block and report, and spread the word to other members of the community so we can stamp out this disgusting behaviour.

👁️ eyesonthewall

Oh ffs OP. This is your evidence? Seriously? Stop lying and go back to the hole you crawled out of.

💗 nolongeracult

Proving OP's point right there. I'm former pet lib, and I can honestly say it's the most toxic community I've ever been a part of.

🍰 twopets-twocakes

Even more than the Star Wars fandom? 😝

💗 nolongeracult

YES

#pet love #their choice #petlib is toxic #love your pet #pet for life

#whump #whump writing #whump community #bbu #box boy universe #fake tumblr dash #bbu community

[justplainwhump]

Day 1: (Re-) Introduce yourself and give a little overview about your BBU writing / creations, favorite tropes, and the like. If you want, this is the moment to advertise yourself!

@bbu-on-the-side [Prompt BBU Community Days Day 1]

Hi, I'm Sara, whump writer of several years, and the person behind the BBU Community Days.

My favorite parts about BBU writing are the psychologial and societal aspects of it. I love to dive into themes of recovery, identity, and the pieces of character and sources of strength that remain. (Examples: Pet Safety about a double agent confiscating an abused pet and trying to teach her a self determined life - and learning from her in return; as well as Making Angel, about a successful young woman purposefully kidnapped by a man she said no to, who during training, captivity and recovery tries to find an identity that is neither the pet nor the person she was before).

Secondary, it's the sources of like, mundane evil. Handlers in the facility "just doing their jobs", owners who think they do their pets a favor, all the bystanders, who just accept the system as it is. (Examples for this: Tyler, the handler who realizes he's a bad guy far too late; Ali, the hairdresser who gets pulled into working for WRU by his charming boyfriend; accountant Gemma who is gifted a pet and thinks it could help spice up her relationship).

There are so many stories there, and I love finding them and exploring them.

Apart from the ones mentioned, there are many more, you can find them in my masterlist here.

A note though - I am an adult, and so is my target audience. Most of my writing is 18+ and especially in the BBU it contains themes of noncon and dubcon. Often this is in a context of recovery, often it is not explicit, but it does happen, so please always consider the content warnings.

Looking forward to meeting new writers and finding new stories, and I wish everyone a happy 15 BBU community days!

#bbu community #bbucd #whump intro #bbu intro post #about me

[maracujatangerine]

BBU Community Days

Day 1: Introduction

@bbu-on-the-side

* {Day 1: Introduction} Introduce yourself and give a little overview about your BBU writing / creations. If you want, this is the moment to advertise yourself!

Hi! 👋

My very first post in the BBU (and on Tumblr) was on the 7th of July 2021.

I had accidentally stumbled upon some BBU stories perhaps a week or so ahead and devoured them. I was really fascinated with the concept of a shared but open world for writers to play around in and I also really liked the writing format: write short posts, string them together into a necklace of a story.

That first post has by now blossomed into a masterlist of Lydia and Coriander’s first time together and a long (and ambitious, if I may say so myself) collaboration with @whumpzone. In my writing, I like to explore the consequences of WRU and boxies in the world. I noticed that many stories portrayed lonely caretakers, so I wanted to write a gregarious caretaker with lots of friends who also get involved. There’s a strong focus on comfort and recovery. The heart of my story is the evolving relationship between Lydia the caretaker and Coriander the boxie.

I love being part of this community. Internet and social media seems too often like a hellhole that brings out the worst in everyone in ways that reverberate out into the real world. Here, I feel like I have rediscovered internet in the way it was supposed to be, as an international community where people share their best.

I wanted to get into regular writing practice for years and have struggled with it, all of you have helped me so much with that. I am also absolutely humbled by the kindness and the awesome reception that you all have given my writing. ❤️

#bbucommunity #bbu #day1 #box boy universe #box boy multiverse #whump event #maracujawrites

[gottawhump]

* {Day 12: Decisions} What is something special about your setting (be it BBU or adjacent)? Does it differ from the "standard"? In what way does this decision influence the story you're telling?

@bbu-on-the-side

Originally I was going to skip this because I couldn’t think of anything special or different about how I handle the BBU. Everything I’ve done, someone else has done before. (And I’m fine with that, because I often take inspiration from others’ writing, and often I haven’t written it before.)

But @justplainwhump reminded me that Carlisle’s Sanctuary is a new and unique concept I came up with. (However, this is a sandbox universe and I’m happy to share it, if anyone else wants to use it.) It is a WRU-backed safehouse-like place for Pets who’ve outlived their owners or their usefulness to live out their lives.

However, I did steal the concept from the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary and mapped it over to the BBU. Pets given to the Sanctuary always have a home there. People can foster them, potentially for the rest of their lives, but the Sanctuary retains ownership rights and responsibilities. Prospective fosterers get vetted. They are encouraged to meet the Pet they want in the Sanctuary, ideally more than once. There are home visits before a fostering is agreed upon, to ensure proper treatment and accommodations.

It’s a whole Thing, which is probably why it demands its own series and cast.

I was also reminded that I explore how financing of safehouses, and differences in pet liberation groups, not necessarily differently but perhaps more In depth.

So thank you again, @justplainwhump, and I hope you don’t mind my paraphrasing your words for the last bit.

#bbu community days #damn 12 #decisions #world building

[whumpsday]

BBU Community Days #11: Exploration

i'll answer this one in parts because it asks a lot of different questions!

Is there a premise you like to follow in BBU settings? A focus on a specific character dynamic that you want to explore deeply?

i've always been drawn to recovery-centric stories in BBU, and less-so on the whumping itself. i love a story that starts with a stranger caretaker taking in a traumatized boxie whumpee, with whumpee-thinks-caretaker-is-their-new-master trope. can't get enough of it, i will read this premise a thousand times lovingly.

Themes that resonate with you?

dystopian settings are, generally, critiques of unsavory aspects of our own society, exaggerated to the extreme to make a point. BBU is no different, and themes of anti-capitalism are everywhere in BBU works. WRU does what they do, torturing people in facilities and selling them off, to make money. at its core, BBU is a collection of stories about downtrodden people trying to survive in a capitalist hellscape, and ain't that relatable?

What drew you to BBU, and what made you stay?

i especially like BBU among various institutionalized pet whump settings for a few reasons. first-off, it avoids the implication of minor whump entirely, which is a squick of mine, while still allowing for a whumpee who knows nothing but pain and conditioning due to the memory wipe. i also really like the whole 4-category system (domestics, romantics, platonics, and guard dogs), as it allows for so many different types of stories.

@bbu-on-the-side

#bbucommunity #day11 #exploration #bbu

[whumpinggrounds]

Gotcha Day

my first non-Febuwhump piece of writing! here goes :) this is set before the last day of Febuwhump (You Have To Let Me Go) and i mean i really don’t need to explain much i don’t think bc it’s fairly self-explanatory but i am nervous so. yes

tagging @shapeshiftersandfire and @killtheprotagonist ! lmk if you want to be added/removed from being tagged it is a lot a lot of content so sorry about that

CW: lady whump, pet whump, dehumanization, memory loss, discussion of scars, past burns, implied non con,

Director Hammond’s office is much like the Director herself – alternately welcoming and terrifying, depending on what mood has struck her. Today, the curtains are open, the room is filled with light, and the Director has a bouquet of flowers on her desk in a vase. That’s good, right? All of that is good.

Mara still feels the nerves in her stomach buzzing like a hive.

“I don’t want to drag this out,” the Director begins, and Mara’s heart sinks. It’s some polite dismissal, something like that. There’s a self-satisfied little smile playing around the woman’s lips, and Mara tries to brace herself, folding her hands neatly in her lap and staring down her doom with icy eyes. “We have decided to let you train her. 067493.”

Stunned, Mara stares at the Director. There are no words in her mouth, no words in her head. She wants to speak, knows she should speak, but she can’t. An incredulous smile starts to curl up her face.

“Now, before you get too excited, there are some conditions.” Despite her lecturing tone, there’s a smile on the Director’s face – probably because of Mara’s huge ferocious grin. “She’s not your pet, technically speaking, not until the trial period is over. Obviously, she’s coming with what we call a factory defect, so you got very lucky there, otherwise we’d never let her go. She’s not fully trained, but honestly, Ms. Langford, we’re not going to spend the money and time to finish out the training on a model that we’re essentially giving away.”

“Yes.” Mara’s head is nodding on her neck like a bobblehead. “Yes, okay, that’s fine. That’s okay. That’s so okay.”

Amused by her eagerness, the Director nods. “Good. Now, primarily, Ms. Langford, we want to explore two things with 067493, and we feel that gifting her to an employee, while highly unusual, will give us an opportunity to answer some outstanding questions.”

“Okay.” Mara’s heart is racing. God, she feels like she’s going to pass out any second. “Okay, so, so, um, what are those questions, then? The things…what it is you want to, um, explore?”

The Director smiles at her, fondly, warmly. “First of all…” she pauses for effect, “some of the higher-ups loved this therapeutic aid idea. If it’s workable, there could be a strong market there. Of course, we’ve been trying to work a caregiver angle for a while, but the medical stuff is often just too complex for pets. This emotional approach could give us a very similar sector, but with none of the concern about pets operating medical machinery incorrectly.”

“Y-yes.” Mara’s breathless, dazed, struggling just to keep up. “Yes, definitely-”

“Now, not everyone is convinced, but enough of us think that it’s worth a try. Which brings us to our second objective.”

Here, the Director pauses long enough that Mara can stop focusing on her breathing and look up inquisitively. Finally, tentatively, she prompts her superior. “Ma’am?”

The Director shakes her head as if to clear it. “Yes, well. What we are interested in is…is…” she purses her lips, clearly wondering how to explain. “Pets who may end up living with someone they know or recognize from their former life. As you know, pets are prone to false memories.” Mara nods dutifully, despite knowing full well there’s no such thing. “We want to see if our Boxies can be taught and trained in such a way that they can be…reintroduced to their old life, or one like it, while maintaining good behavior and accurate memory blocks.”

“That sounds…” Mara swallows. “That sounds…difficult.”

“Indeed.” For the first time, the Director looks grim. “Of course, that’s exactly what you’re attempting with 493, and if you could pull it off…we’ve had some interest. People who want to…serve their loved ones in a more straightforward and simplified fashion.” For just a moment, Mara tunes out, thinking with a sort of horrified fascination on the kind of environment that would lead to someone wanting to erase themselves while staying where they were.

Or, even worse, Mara pictures someone coming in asking for a loved one to be erased, returned sweet and pliable and empty. She barely represses a shudder. Ignorant of Mara’s internal monologue, the Director forges on.

“We are proposing that you take 067493 home as your Domestic. You will be responsible for making her into a…a prototype, essentially, for this therapeutic aid program. You will also be expected to report any aberrant behaviors that could conceivably result from…ah, memory confusion.”

“I can do that.” That all sounds absurd, and difficult, and unfair, but Mara doesn’t care right now. All she cares about is getting Jude and taking her home and, and having her. Having her back.

“We’re going to allow you an adjustment period, and then we’re going to ask that you bring 067493 in for regular checkups, where we’ll be looking for signs of this memory confusion, as well as updates on your progress.”

“That…yes, that sounds very doable.”

Once again, the Director smiles fondly across the desk at her, and Mara has a funny, frightening feeling that she’s become Barbara Hammond’s newest little pet project. “I believe that it is, Ms. Langford. Despite the cosmetic defaults, she seems like a sweet thing. I can’t wait to see what you do with her.”

___

When Handler Collins leads Jude out, Mara’s heart about stops in her chest. There she is. There’s Jude. There’s…Jude, and not Jude.

A pair of black shorts, a WRU white t-shirt over skin that’s much paler than last time Mara saw it. Her stocky frame diminished, all her old rugby muscle losing or lost. She looks like...Mara hates the cliche, but she looks like a ghost of her former self, literally. Skinnier, paler, a whole lot more haunted. Her hair, her hands, the freckles and the way she walks just a little pigeon-toed – that’s Jude, that’s Jude all the way. The flat, false calm in her face and the fear in her eyes…that’s someone else. Swallowing, Mara clasps her hands together in front of her, trying to quell the urge to reach for her girl.

“Here she is!” Handler Collins throws his hands out grandly from his place beside the boxgirl. “All yours.”

“Wow,” Mara manages. “Uh…wow.”

Collins shakes his head. “Wow is right. But, hey, wait – you want to check the damage?” He’s still grinning, like it’s no big deal, like it’s all a joke. Mara sucks in a deep breath. The-the Box Babe in front of her is wearing a t-shirt, but Mara can see her cracked reddened palms and wonders what the thin cotton over her chest is hiding.

“I…I guess, yeah. I mean, I’m taking her either way,” she mutters, trying for a joke. Collins is more than happy to laugh at her.

“Shirt off, 493.”

Hesitantly, the trainee obeys, darting a wide-eyed glance at Mara as she does. The cotton goes over her head and oh.

Oh. There, on the right side of the girl’s chest, is the burn, red and angry and raised, covered in blisters. The scarring is worst on her collarbone, but the pink, stretched, destroyed skin crosses her neck below the line of her collar in one direction, creeps toward her armpit in the other. Mara’s horror must show on her face, because the girl flushes, looks down.

“That’s um. That’s pretty bad.”

Handler Collins shakes his head. “You don’t have to tell me. Fucking Underwood. Fuck.” He spits on the ground near the trainee’s bare feet. “She’s finished the antibiotics she’s supposed to be taking. The vet thinks she should be set. Just uh, she’s got this stuff she’s supposed to spread on it.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Mara can’t stop staring at the burn, at the way it glares out, crimson and furious, from Jude’s pale, freckled skin. With effort, she tears her eyes away, to the downturned head of the waiting boxgirl. “Put…uh, put your shirt back on.”

The girl obliges quickly, and, Mara imagines, gratefully. She’s too well-trained to even wince when her movements stretch and ripple her healing skin. Mara’s eyes move hungrily over her face, her skinny body, searching for the parts of Jude she recognizes. The girl keeps her eyes on the ground but her cheeks go pink under the scrutiny.

“Doc, I gotta say.” Collins is shaking his head, and reluctantly, Mara turns her attention to him. “I don’t know how you got this one past the Director. I mean – a Box Babe for free? After what, ten months of working here?”

“Fourteen,” Mara corrects, a little too quietly. She clears her throat and tries again. “Over a year, Handler Collins.”

Rolling his eyes, Collins dismisses her with a flap of his hand. “A couple months, a year, whatever. A matter of months and you’ve got yourself a bonus worth tens of thousands? You must’ve shrunk the Director’s head to get her to agree to this one.”

Mara manages a tight smile for him. “I’m definitely…I definitely feel lucky.”

Leaning in, eyes gleaming conspiratorially, Collins puts his mouth near Mara’s ear. “You have good reason to feel lucky, Doc. Me and the guys – well, you’ve given some good advice, these past few months. It’s helped. And business is up. Company’s talking about padding the paychecks a little, and you’re a part of that, you know?” He gives her a hearty slap on the back and Mara forces a smile. “You’re part of the team! And the pet’s a gift from the company, but we thought, hey, why not a little something from us handlers, for our good doc?”

A shiver runs down Mara’s spine. “What…” she wets her lips, tries to sound amused, curious. “What did you do?”

“We only had a week or so to do it. Director Hammond decided so late, and all. But, but look, we crammed in some Romantic training, just for you.” Collins’ leer is too much. “None of the positions, of course, that shit’s extra, but a few of the lines, a few, ah…habits you might like.”

Mara thinks about him touching Jude and wants to tear the grin right off his face, wants to snarl and scratch and chew him out right there. Instead, she finds the girl’s eyes, searches there for some help, some hope, some recognition. Anything.

Her new Box Babe looks back at her with eyes that are flat and dull and empty.

#pet whump #lady whump #bbu #box babe #dehumanization #memory loss #past burns #discussion of scars #scarring #implied noncon

[sgstories123]

An Extra Package

As Keith walked out of his office building in Tanjong Pagar for his lunch, he saw a familiar figure seated in the Starbucks in the building. He waved to the figure and his old friend from his university days, Desmond, waved back. Keith turned and walked into the Starbucks.

“Hey Desmond, fancy seeing you here.” Keith said as he sat down in an empty seat next to Desmond. Turning to the tall, dark woman on the other side of Desmond, he smiled and said “Hi, I am Keith. I am Desmond’s friend. I don’t think we met. What’s your name?”

“I am Nazirah. Nice to meet you.” The woman replied.

Keith looked at the woman closely. She was a very attractive Malay woman. She was tall and slim, with long flowing black hair. Her skin was smooth and dark. She wore a long, black dress, with a plunging neckline, revealing plenty of cleavage, even though her breasts were of average size. She did not seem to be wearing any bra as far as Keith could see.

Keith pulled his gaze away from Nazirah reluctantly as he realised that if he stared any further, he will be considered rude.

“Why didn’t you call me since you are here? I could have joined you for coffee.” Keith reprimanded Desmond.

“I am working, bro. Not like you leh, always so free.” Desmond smiled.

Keith looked at the laptop on the table and the file with several pieces of paper. He knew immediately that Desmond must be trying to sell Nazirah insurance.

“You want a drink? I am just about to go get coffee.” Desmond offered

“No lah. You are working, better not disturb you.” Keith replied.

“Okay. Frappucino for you, right?” Desmond confirmed Nazirah’s order before walking away.

“So how do you know Desmond?” Nazirah asked Keith.

“Oh, we went to university together.” Keith replied.

“You worked in this building?” Nazirah asked.

“Yes. On the 27th floor. I am working as a financial analyst.” Keith responded.

“What a coincidence! I worked in this building too, on the 15th floor. I am in Marketing. We should have lunch together sometime.” Nazirah smiled.

At this moment, Desmond showed up with the coffee.

“Okay. I guess I got to get going. Don’t want to disturb you. It was nice talking to you, Nazirah. Here’s my card. Call me when you want to have lunch. And Desmond, you are really a horrible friend not to call me for coffee especially when you are with such an attractive lady.” Keith faked an angry expression, before laughing and waving goodbye.

An hour later, Keith was back in the office after his lunch. He had only worked for about an hour when he saw a WhatsApp message from an unknown number.

“Free for dinner tonight?”

“WRU?” Keith typed.

“Nazirah. We met at Starbucks during lunch?” The message came back quickly.

Keith smiled to himself. Looks like he made an impression.

“Sorry. I did not know it was you. Sure. Let’s have dinner. Meet you at the office lobby at 6 pm?” Keith typed quickly and held on to his phone while waiting for a response.

“Ok.” Keith pumped his fist in the air. “Yes!” he shouted in his head.

A thought crept into his head. He texted Desmond a short message. “Bro. I am going for dinner with Nazirah tonight. You not going out with her or anything like that, right? Let me know. Don’t want to do something stupid.”

He waited for a while but Desmond did not reply. Maybe he is busy with another client. He hoped Desmond’s relationship with Nazirah is purely business. He was really looking forward to the dinner.

At 6 pm, Keith met up with Nazirah at the office lobby. He drove them into town to have a nice steak dinner with a bottle of wine. Nazirah suggested that they drink some more at her apartment and by 10 pm, they were in her condominium unit, seeping wine and dancing to soft music in the living room.

Keith had his arm around Nazirah’s waist. As they dance, he pulled her closer so that her breasts were pressing against his chest. He ran his fingers through her long, lustrous hair with a nice, floral smell. He bent down and kissed her on her full, thick lips. Nazirah pushed him gently away and smiled at him.

“Let’s go to my room.” She pulled him into her room and he sat down on her bed. “Give me a minute to change into something more comfortable.” She smiled and walked into the bathroom, closing the door after her.

Keith smiled and removed his shirt, folding it neatly on the dresser. As he took off his pants, his phone dropped on the floor. He picked it and saw a message from Desmond.

“Bro. Nazirah is not your type. She has extra ‘package’.”

Keith did not understand the message and texted Desmond. But at this moment, Nazirah was already out of the toilet, dressed in black leather bra and panties.

“I see you are ready.” She purred, walking over to Keith.

Keith put his phone aside and hurriedly removed his underpants. He did not even bother folding them but left them in a bundle on the dresser.

“Always ready for a beautiful woman.” He smiled at Nazirah.

They kissed again, but this time, their tongues explored each other’s mouth deeply. Keith grabbed Nazirah’s breast, pushing away the leather bra and exposing two perfect globes with small, dark nipples. Keith smiled. So that is what Desmond meant about the extra package. Nazirah had fake boobs. They were too hard to be anything but silicon. He prefer natural breasts as they were softer, but these are such perfect globes that he did not mind them very much.

He licked on the nipples and Nazirah responded by moaning loudly. His hands reached for Nazirah’s pussy but was stopped when Nazirah held his hand.

“I am having my period. Don’t touch. Dirty, ok.” Nazirah whispered.

Nazirah pushed Keith towards the bed and made him sit down, his cock nowl hard and erect, pointing upwards at the ceiling. Naziah crawled on all fours towards Keith. Without saying another word, she took Keith’s cock in her mouth and started sucking him off. As the pleasure built up, Keith moaned in pleasure.

Nazirah got up and made Keith lie down on the bed. She continued sucking his cock, squeezing it harder so that Keith was now lost in his pleasure. Nazirah wetted her fingers with her saliva before slowly pushing first one finger and then another until she had three fingers fucking his anus, heightening his pleasure as his cock was being sucked. Keith could not take it any more. He groaned loudly before shooting his load into Nazirah’s mouth. She continued sucking until every drop was swallowed before licking his cock clean.

“God, that was awesome. It was one of the best blowjob ever.” Keith gasped. “Too bad you are having your period. If not, I think it will also be one of my best fuck ever.”

Nazirah smiled and turned her ass towards Keith’s face. Expertly, her hands removed a small patch of leather, revealing her puckered anus. “Fuck me here.”

Keith’s cock became hard again. He knelt behind Nazirah, positioning his cock towards her asshole. He spat some saliva onto his cock, lubricating it before slowly pushing it in. It was tight but Nazirah adjusted herself so that within minutes, Keith was able to push his own length into her. He fucked her slowly at first, but the pleasure became more intense with each thrust. With Nazirah’s sexy moans, he found himself thrusting harder and faster. It was one of his most intense anal sex ever. Even though he has just release his load, he felt his balls tighten, ready to shoot another load. He bent forward and hugged Nazirah tightly as he released his second load into her.

Twenty minutes, he was dressed and out of Nazriah’s apartment. As he walked to his car, he realised that Desmond had left him a message.

“Nazirah has a cock. She is a ‘he’.”

[mostlyjustwhump]

Gunpoint

Chapter 2 of Lucky’s story.

Things do not go as planned.

TW: Verbal abuse, physical abuse, blood, gun, death threats, BBU, human trafficking, modern slavery

Taglist: @shapeshiftersandfire @slaintetowhump

By the time Tyler came home, Lucky was antsy with anticipation. He strained against the chain as soon as he heard the car pull in and the door open. Tyler laughed when he opened the bathroom door.

“Hey Luck! Eager to get going tonight?”

Lucky nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir!”

Tyler unlocked the chain, and Lucky scrambled to hug him. He laughed more, hugging Lucky back. “Missed me that much, huh?”

“Mhm!” Lucky wondered when a good time to ask his question would be. He knew he still had to wait a bit more—Tyler was probably still a bit frazzled and burnt out from work. He’d get a much better shot later. Lucky unwrapped himself from Tyler’s arms and picked up his water bottle and the remains of his lunch. “How was work?”

Tyler shrugged and sighed melodramatically. “Work was work. My coworkers were a pain, but at least the workload itself wasn’t bad.” 

Lucky nodded sympathetically, despite not being able to relate in the slightest. He wished he had coworkers to talk to throughout the day. Even annoying ones would beat staring at the bathroom wall and pretending to have a person’s life all day.

Tyler straightened, loosening his tie. “Anyway. I was thinking we could have linguini for dinner?”

“Right on it, sir!” Lucky scrambled to the kitchen. He put the water bottle in the sink, and threw out the remains of his lunch. What else could he do to make Tyler more likely to agree with his idea? He picked up a pot, filling it in the sink. The sound of running water relaxed his mind as he explored the possibilities. Some garlic bread on the side of dinner, maybe? Tyler liked garlic bread. He could even make a special dessert! Chocolate pudding would be easy enough to prepare, especially if he used the microwave.

He put the pot on the stove, salting the water and pouring the pasta in. A few rooms over, he could hear Tyler flicking through news channels. Lucky half listened as he prepared the sauce and garlic bread.

When he was putting the bread in the oven, he heard news that made him freeze. 

“Tonight, a lost pet was found injured on the side of the road,” the local news anchor proclaimed in a nonchalant, almost chipper, tone. Tyler wouldn’t skip past this one. In the year or so Lucky had been in the house, Tyler had never skipped past the ones about bad things happening to stray and runaway pets like he skipped past the ones about wars, injustices, and the rare case of pet abuse that made it on television. Tyler turned up the volume. Did he know Lucky listened?

The microwave beeped, and he ran over to take the pudding out. The newscaster prattled on. “The pet, referred to as Reese, was found a couple miles south of his home. He sustained a few broken ribs and internal injuries.” Lucky put the pudding in the fridge to set, listening intensely. “Fortunately, his owner was quick to report his disappearance and law enforcement was able to find him before his condition could get any worse. His owner, an esteemed member of WRU’s marketing department, is shaken but relieved. I imagine I’d be relieved too if my company had such a good pet insurance policy after something like that!” The newscaster stopped to laugh at her own joke before returning to a more serious tone. “Police advise owners to install protective measures to keep pets from wandering off. Even if you feel your pet is well-behaved, it never hurts to be safe!”

Lucky let out a shuddering sigh. He wished Tyler wouldn’t play stories like that. Tyler worried about him running away so much, even though he’d never even had the chance to. It was unproductive to worry about himself ending up dead or hurt in a ditch, so he tried not to think about it as much as Tyler seemed to.

He started to plate the food, giving his owner a noticeably bigger portion. There was no time to feel sad over the news. He had a goal to accomplish, and if it involved being perfectly cheerful to placate Tyler’s worries first, that’s what he’d do.

“Dinner!” Lucky called, bringing out the plates to the dining room and sitting down. The TV shut off. 

Tyler walked in, stopping to smell the air. “Smells good in here.” He looked at the food and his eyes brightened. “Wow! Looks great, too.”

Lucky smiled. He thought it looked pretty good too, especially after he put in the effort to put the flaked parmesan on top and garnish it with a few herbs. “I felt like doing something extra good tonight.” 

Tyler sat and took a bite, nodding. “You’re on a roll today, Luck.”

Lucky could barely contain his excitement. It was working. Tyler would definitely be more open to listening to him now. He squirmed happily in his seat, starting to eat his own food. He wondered when he should bring it up. He figured he should at least wait until he brought the pudding out, otherwise the extra effort to make it would have been pointless.

Tyler shook his head. “Terrible what happened to that pet, huh?”

Lucky forced a bite of pasta around the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. “Yes, sir,” he said in a small voice. He had stopped thinking about it. Why did Tyler feel the need to bring it up?

“Wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t feel the need to run away. You’re too smart for that, huh, Luck?” Tyler looked at Lucky expectantly.

“Of course, sir. I’d never do that to you or myself.”

Tyler smiled. “Atta boy.”

Lucky’s mood brightened a bit again. He said the right thing! Not only that, but he couldn’t remember doing a wrong thing all day! If he asked the right way, this just might work. For the rest of the meal, he mentally reviewed all the ways he might possibly bring up his idea.

When all the food was gone, he stood up to collect the plates. “I made dessert too!”

“Wow, really? Awesome! What is it?”

“I made pudding! We can eat it when we watch TV!”

“Alright!” Tyler pumped a fist into the air, then laughed a little self-consciously. “I’ll wait for you and the pudding on the couch!”

Lucky went to the kitchen, humming a jingle he heard on TV. He put the plates in the sink and walked to the fridge. It was almost time! A sudden spike of nervousness struck him. Oh, gosh, it was almost time. He stopped, one hand on the refrigerator handle. Did he really want to do this? What if it went badly? What if Tyler took it the wrong way? He shook his head and steeled himself. It was a great idea and he knew it. It would benefit both of them, including Tyler, so Tyler would have no reason to say no.

Still, Lucky put whipped cream on the pudding before carrying out, as a last touch. Just in case that made a difference.

The living room was almost a relaxing area, with a worn couch across from a large flatscreen, but since it was the room closest to the front door, Tyler kept a gun attached decoratively to the wall above the couch. The gun effectively made the room unsettling to any guests that Tyler invited, but Lucky loved it. It was the spot he felt closest to Tyler, the spot he watched the people on TV with their better lives, the spot he almost felt normal.

Lucky settled in next to Tyler on the couch and handed one of the pudding bowls over, Tyler eagerly accepted it, putting a heaping spoonful into his mouth.

“Mmm!” Tyler picked up the remote and flicked through Netflix, looking for something to watch.

Lucky stared into his pudding bowl, using his spoon to poke at the dessert. He took a deep breath. Now was the best time.

“Hey, um, sir?”

“Yeah?” Tyler barely seemed to be listening.

“I was thinking… so, um, some people bring their platonics to work to help them with disabilities? I think, um, I think we should maybe do that.” Lucky hadn’t looked up from his pudding once while he spoke. Tyler was completely silent, so Lucky went on, hoping to fill the tense silence. “I mean, you wouldn’t have to worry about being scared at work, and—”

“Is this not good enough for you?” Lucky cringed into the couch. The spoon kept clinking against the bowl in his shaking hands. No, no, no, no… this wasn’t how it was supposed to go!

He forced words out of his frozen mouth. “Of… of course not, sir, I just think it would be good—”

“Bullshit!” Tyler slammed his pudding bowl on the coffee table so hard, Lucky cried out at the noise. “I’m the owner here! I know what’s best! Don’t you dare forget which one of us is in charge!” Tyler grabbed Lucky’s hair, yanking him forward. Lucky yelped in pain, dropping his bowl on the ground. It broke. Tyler yelled louder. “Now look what you’ve done!”

Lucky reached down, trembling, to pick the pieces up. “I’m, I’m sorry sir, but you’d be less scared, and I—”

Tyler shoved him onto the ground. His arms were cut on the broken pieces of the bowl, pudding staining his shirt.”You what?” 

“I don’t want to be locked up all day!” Lucky blurted. The reality of what a damning thing he said hit him, and he started sobbing, choking out more words around his cries. “Please, sir, I...I can be useful...let me clean, at least… please…” 

Tyler stood up, face twisted in harsh fury. “You know.” He raised his voice. “You know why I keep you there, and you still insist on leaving?” He laughed, but there was no humor in his voice. “I want to protect you!”

“I, I know, I’m sorry—”

“Do you want something bad to happen? To wander off, get lost, and die alone? To be murdered if robbers break in? To be stolen and hurt? Is that what you want, huh?”

“No—”

Tyler laughed again, voice rising hysterically. “Well, if you have such a death wish, why don’t I kill you right now?” Lucky tensed, horror rising in him as Tyler took the gun off the wall. “I could do it, you know. No one would care. You aren’t as important as you think you are, Luck.”

Lucky tried to force his voice to remain steady. Tyler was right—if he were shot right now, no one outside the house would care. Most likely, no one outside the house would even find out. “Sir, please—”

Tyler swung the gun to point at him. Lucky whimpered, curling up on himself. His heart hammered so hard he felt like it was going to burst from his chest. How had this gone so wrong? It felt like the room was closing in, leaving him no escape. He vividly imagined bullets blowing him to pieces, and curled up even tighter.

“Oh, so now you’re nice and obedient. It’s too late for that, you know.” Lucky looked up at the man who was going to be the end of him. His vision was blurred by tears, but Tyler almost seemed to be smirking.

Lucky tried to force himself to beg, but all that could escape his throat was the word “please”. He said it again and again, barely above a whisper. He raised a weak, trembling arm, trying to put a hand on Tyler’s foot. It was over. He was going to die. Oh god, he was going to die.

“You’re getting blood on my socks.” Lucky recoiled his arm. It was covered in smeared blood from his cuts. He curled back into himself. Begging had only made it worse. All he could do now was wait.

He mentally detached himself from his body. A heart still pounded somewhere, but it didn’t feel like his heart. Eyes watered, but they no longer felt like his. Even the bleeding arm felt disconnected from his existence. He’d mentally run away like this many times in the Facility, but this time would be his last. The ability had served him well, anyway. He waited outside himself for the fatal shot.

It never came.

Suddenly, Tyler was carefully pulling him back up on the couch. Lucky’s head spun. What was happening? He blinked, glancing around. The gun was back in its place on the wall, as if nothing had happened. Tyler gently held him, running a hand through his hair as he cried. He was such a helpless mess, sobbing, covered in snot, blood, and pudding, yet Tyler, still well put together, was pretending not to notice.

“Shh. Shh. You didn’t think I was really going to shoot you, did you?”

Lucky couldn’t respond. He couldn’t even think clearly enough to string together a coherent sentence. He simply buried his head deeper into Tyler’s shoulder, sobbing out his fear and confusion.

But he couldn’t believe Tyler. He was certain that Tyler really might have killed him, no matter what reassurances he was muttering now. He knew what had happened, even if Tyler didn’t want to admit it to himself. He was sure of it.

#Lucky #Tyler #BBU #Box Boy #boxboy #box boy universe #verbal abuse #tw verbal abuse #physical abuse #TW physical abuse #blood #tw blood #gun #tw gun #gun tw #tw human trafficking #human trafficking tw

[butterflydm]

why r u? - ep 4

The more we get into WRU, the more apt the title feels, because it seems like so many of the characters are struggling to understand each other and missing each other's PoV.

Tutor and Zon are the two main pivot points for this, as they're both trying to understand the teasing they're being subjected to by Fighter and SaiFah (respectively).

For SaiFah and Zon, I get the impression that the accidental kiss in their backstory made SaiFah really look at Zon for the first time and essentially opened a new set of possibilities that SaiFah is under the impression that he and Zon are mutually exploring. And Zon accidentally reinforces this idea whenever it looks like SaiFah is questioning it -- every time Zon rejects SaiFah, SaiFah does back away a little, but then something happens to make Zon either actually flirt back or the situation is engineered to make it look like that’s what’s happened.

For Fighter and Tutor... SaiFah and Fighter are both described as having 'talked to' or 'seen' a lot of girls but while, for SaiFah, this has involved at least some kissing, we learn from HwaHwa that Fighter doesn't do anything like that with her. It seems like a very real possibility (unless I missed something; I'm going off the translation) that Tutor is the only person Fighter has ever kissed and might be the first person Fighter's ever actually been attracted to, judging by how Fighter doesn't seem to have fully processed what his behavior towards Tutor means. It doesn't seem like Fighter even has the vocabulary to describe what it is that Tutor makes him feel - has made him feel since that first time Fighter looked at him during Tutor's student orientation.

From Tutor's side of things, I feel like he's spent a lot of time in their backstory trying to figure out if Fighter is attracted to him or is mocking him. Being the object of Fighter's affections has to be pretty exhausting, because as soon as Tutor sees signs that Fighter actually is into him and makes attempts to get some clarity, Fighter would immediately go into aggressive/defensive lockdown mode and deny the possibility (apparently usually by throwing himself at HwaHwa instead). And this behavior has been happening for over a year now!

And the saddest part of that side of things is that in the moments before Fighter shoots himself in the foot, it’s clear that the attraction is mutual. Like, if Fighter could have gotten out of his own way for long enough, he could have very happily had a boyfriend for months at this point.

#fightertutor #saifahzon #why r u the series #wru the series #why r u? #why are u spoilers #those these are pretty general i don't think i actually spoil anything specific from ep4 #bl meta post #poor hwahwa #and poor tutor #they are both currently victims of fighter's inability to process his own attraction to tutor

[justplainwhump]

BBU Community Days: Introduction | justplainwhump

[Prompt Day 1]

Hi! I'm Sara, the person behind @justplainwhump and @bbu-on-the-side. I'm pretty excited for this Community event and to get to know many new writers, stories, characters, and fun worldbuilding takes!

I've been writing in the BBU for a bit shy of two years now, after befriending some amazing writers and realizing that this world they wrote in was so much more than I expected it to be (more on that on day 6!). I also roleplay sometimes, but tbh mostly I love to lose myself in discussions on worldbuilding and character development.

My main focus in writing are and have always been characters, what makes people tick, how their characters shape their interaction and vice versa. These are the things I search for and explore in my BBU writing, too. What drives people in this universe? How does one decide to get a pet? How would a freed pet look at the world, and how would others take advantage of it? How would a rebelling teenager feel about the family pet not allowed to have dinner with them? How would a handler cope, matching with his trainee's past self in a dating app? How would an ambitious young accountant working off her student debts react when gifted a second hand pet?

These are the sort of stories I write, and I love finding by others.

Note - My characters usually focus on or at least feature female protagonists; and oftentimes venture into adult/nsfw territory; so please keep in mind that my blog is 18+, and mind the content notes on my writing.

(More under the cut)

I have a couple main storylines set in or around the BBU (note - all of them touch on or contain nsfw elements); here are the two I'm mostly working on right now:

"Making Angel" is a series of scenes and stories in the life of Angel, from her training as a Romantic in a top secret facility, via a flawed recovery with an abusive caretaker to finding purpose in pet lib and as an advocate against WRU.

"Way over his head" is a spin-off to Angel, a story following junior handler Tyler Parker who slowly realizes he's a bad person and very reluctantly tries to make up for it. However, he learns the hard way that his employer is not reluctant at all when dealing with handlers having second thoughts.

There's so much more, several stand-alones, "Ira's story" about a quiet and incredibly resilient young woman going through many hands before she finds a family for herself, and the finished novella "Mark and Gemma get a pet". If you ever need guidance through all of this, let me know and I'll gladly point you at things you might like :)

But for now, that's it about myself! I'm looking forward to meet you all, mutuals and new friends, and very excited for the coming days!

#bbu #bbucommunity #introduction #bbu intro #about me #meta

[maracujatangerine]

BBU Community Days Day 12: Decisions

@bbu-on-the-side

* {Day 12: Decisions} What is something special about your setting (be it BBU or adjacent)? Does it differ from the "standard"? In what way does this decision influence the story you're telling?

Hmm… One thing that makes a difference with many of the other BBU stories is that I’m imagining my story to take place in the UK, whereas many writers seem to have opted for the USA. (Albeit my sort-of fantasy version of the UK - apologies to UK readers. 😄)

When I started to write Lydia and Coriander I didn’t want to place the story in Sweden, since it felt too far away from everyone else. Also, I honestly couldn’t imagine that we would allow a system like the BBU here even in the near dystopian future (though recent unfortunate political developments have made it less unlikely since then, I’m afraid). I have been to the States only once (to New York, if you’re wondering) and I have lived in the UK, so that felt like a better choice.

I have also opted for a gregarious caretaker, in conscious contrast to many people choosing to write solitary caretakers. (Nothing wrong with that, I was just more curious about a network of friends and acquaintances being dragged into the whole thing.) I like being able to explore many avenues of characters.

Lydia doesn’t come from a place in society that is used to human pets, whereas her friend Cecilia does, and that makes for some interesting contrasts, I think.

I believe my version of the BBU is likely a bit more governed by rules than some other people’s ideas, killing pets or abusing them is not allowed - but discipline is - and in practice, WRU or wealthy people do get away with it anyway.

If my readers have any other thoughts on differences they see with Lydia and Coriander’s world compared to the rest of the BBU, I would love to hear your point of view. :)

#bbucommunity #bbu #day12 #box boy universe #box boy multiverse #whump event #maracujawrites

[flowersarefreetherapy]

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

*cracks knuckles* alright, let’s gooooooooo!! I love rambling and ranting about my blorbos so much, so thank you for this one!

Alright, so my WIP takes places in the BBU universe so there’s all that filtering into the story and in character’s choices and everything. For example, Gavin, who was a friend of Daniel’s before WRU got to him, is very active in his community in speaking against the BBU system because of losing his friend. Of course, he doesn’t exactly know where Daniel is, but he knows that he disappeared into WRU’s system and was never seen again. He isn’t the only one fighting to change the system. Robin is doing the same in their work and they have occasionally taken on some cases that pit them directly against WRU and their lawyers. It’s been fun to consider how people stand up against this system and then there’s also those who don’t care and think everything is just fine, though I haven’t really incorporated any of them yet. 

History is a little more complicated, since I’m playing in a sandbox so many people have already added to, but I do like to think about characters’ histories and how they got to where they are. A real fast run down is Daniel was kidnapped off the side of the road after a party and Thad was kidnapped from a late night study session at the library. However, unlike those two, Star willingly signed up to join the program since he came from a struggling family where they were given far more responsibility than a child should have in being forced to watch over his younger siblings. He thought joining WRU was a better choice since it would give him everything he thought he was lacking in his family: attention, food, clothing, and a purpose in life (yes, Star is a traumatized bean and I love them to death).

One more thing (as I could ramble on for hours and don’t want to just keep going, lol) is something I want to expand on in the future which is what happens to those who don’t escape from the system. In BBU stories, there’s a lot of escapes and the pets getting free and I absolutely adore and eat up those stories–I’m writing several myself–and the happy endings are fantastic, but . . . i’ve always wondered what happens to those who don’t make it out and I think that would be really interesting to play around with. I don’t want to make another WIP (said every writer ever) but I have a character named Cameron who doesn’t escape from the system and I’m interesting to exploring his story and what happens to him because of that

#thank you!! #i love rambling about my characters so this was a great one! #marz actually talks #answered asks #ask game

[butterflydm]

ep7 WRU Rewatch

I feel like I learn new things about Fighter and Tutor every episode, and I kinda love it. They feel like such complex, thought-out characters. I also love – if a show is gonna do the multiple pairings thing, I actually do find myself enjoying the way that Why R U? is doing it.

It feels like there’s a thematic reason that we’re exploring these specific side pairings, and that they relate back to something either Fighter-Tutor or Saifah-Zon is going through (whether that be about performative affection or putting up emotional walls or pretending not to like someone you like, etc). It adds to that feeling of thoughtfulness. WRU has strong comedic elements, but it also has a sincere heart, I think.

Some odds and ends:

Tong pouts the same way that Tutor does. Siblings for sure. 💖

Tong was just wonderful on many levels. I loved her scenes with Tutor so much -- you could see his sweetness echoed in her and his strength, too. And she was such a good sister, with great advice. Tutor had a gentle coming-out scene with her that just felt so soft and kind and loving. And their goodbye near the end was my favorite scene of the episode, tbh. Her conversation with Fighter was also great -- she saw this nervous goose of a man and reassured him in multiple ways that his affection for Tutor was both needed and welcome. What a sweetheart.

The compare-contrast of Fighter-Tutor being non-genre-savvy vs Saifah-Zon being perhaps overly genre-savvy is something that I find a lot of fun. Part of the drama vs comedy line between Fighter-Tutor and Saifah-Zon is that Saifah and Zon are both aware of BL/romance novel tropes and how they’re falling into them, while Tutor basically laughed off the idea with Zon back in an early episode. 

I find myself deeply interested in the implications of Hwa trying to keep the fact that she’s now dating Day a secret from Tutor, specifically. I mean, she’s doing an awful job, but it’s interesting to me that she’s trying to do it at all, considering that she chose to confide in Tutor (and only Tutor) about the roadbumps in her relationship with Fighter.

There’s a few possibilities that I can think of (list not exhaustive):

a. actually having Kissed A Boy who was willing to ask her, out loud, to be his girlfriend has made her realize exactly how… little Fighter was giving back in their ‘relationship’ and now that she has something that feels real, she wants to keep it private for a while, even from her, well, let’s say ‘best friend’ for now. Most generous possibility. Kinda cute and romantic. Doesn’t lend much to future drama. If the Hwa part of the Fighter-Tutor storyline is wrapped up, then this is probably her reasoning.

b. Day is a rebound and some part of Hwa is aware of this and doesn’t want to commit to anything in front of anyone. Kinda shady. Could lead to future drama.

c. Hwa doesn’t plan on telling anyone any time soon because she wants to still be officially ‘seeing’ Fighter for the sake of what’s happening with their parents. This has definite drama potential for the future if they wanted to go that route.

And, for any of these, it does seem that Hwa – like many characters in the show– felt the need to put up a protective facade for most people, including her friends. She always did her best to pretend that everything was going great with Fighter. And that pretense makes the task of telling those friends that she’s suddenly dating Day... maybe a little daunting. Does she claim to have broken things off with Fighter? (but then what if he publicly contradicts her?) Does she admit to essentially being dumped? (because even if they weren’t officially dating, all of her friends certainly had him roped off as ‘possession of Hwa’) And then almost immediately getting together with someone else? So, I understand why she might want to keep it under her hat for now.

One of the things that I’m really enjoying about Fighter and Tutor is the range -- they can do sweet and tender (Fighter wiping away Tutor’s tears!!!) or they can be passionate and lustful.

...and speaking of lust, as I’ve seen mentioned in a couple of places since I first watched the episode, yeah, Fighter definitely looks down Tutor’s body after he suggests ‘proving it somewhere else’. Mmmhmm. Well, the poor guy does have a whole year of frustrated lust locked up behind all those claims of just ‘teasing’, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Still, though, in public, Fighter?

It was another fantastic kiss, though, and I feel like WRU has done a good job in having the kisses be part of the storytelling process.

#why r u the series #wru #fightertutor #tutorfighter #wru the series #why r u? #bl meta post #lil bit of #saifahzon #hwaday #rewatching and posting more partly because my first long post got eaten by tumblr