Text | un: carcinoGeneticist | Per Romance

[klawful]

AS SOME PERSONAL ADVICE, SINCE APPARENTLY THIS PLACE IS ABSOLUTELY *INFESTED* WITH HUMANS, I NEED TO INFORM THE MAJORITY OF YOU HOW HUMILIATINGLY SIMPLIFIED YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF ROMANCE IS.

LIKE, SERIOUSLY, IT'S EMBARRASSING, AND SEEING CONSTANT OBLIVIOUS ATTITUDES ABOUT PERFECTLY HEALTHY SOCIAL DYNAMICS MAKES ME WANT TO BE SHOT DIRECTLY INTO EVERY SUN THAT HAS EVER EXISTED AT THE SAME TIME. I SWEAR HALF OF YOU ARE GOING TO DIE ALONE AND IT WILL BE ENTIRELY YOUR OWN FAULT BECAUSE HUMANS ARE SO GODDAMN INCOMPETENT AT THEIR OWN EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A COLLECTIVE SPECIES MORE HELLBENT ON SELF-DESTRUCTION BASED ON NEGLECTING THEIR OWN NATURAL FEELINGS.

I AM AWARE THAT I AM PROBABLY EXTENSIVELY INSULTING YOU NOW INSTEAD OF HELPING YOU. ALL RIGHT, I NEED TO SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET TO THE POINT BEFORE HALF OF YOU HAVE GLAZED OVER. IF YOU'RE STILL READING THIS, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE FUNCTIONING BRAIN CELLS, REALLY PROUD OF YOU FOR MAKING IT THIS FAR IN AN EXTREMELY SHORT TEXT. LET'S GET ON WITH IT.

FIRST LESSON: YOU HAVE YOUR EMOTIONS FOR A *REASON*. I DO NOT KNOW WHY YOU ALL INSIST ON BURYING EVERY SINGLE NATURAL INSTINCT YOU HAVE LIKE IT'S A HOT PIECE OF SHIT OF SHAME YOU JUST SQUATTED OUT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE.

THE GENERAL RULE OF THUMB IS: IF YOUR EMOTIONS FOCUS ON BETTERING YOURSELF, THEY ARE GOOD. IF THEY SERVE TO KEEP SOMEONE ELSE FROM BETTERING THEMSELVES, THEY ARE BAD.

IN MY CULTURE, THE IDEAL ROMANCE INVOLVES BEING THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF POSSIBLE THROUGH YOUR CONNECTIONS TO OTHERS. IN A PERFECT WORLD, YOU HELP YOUR PARTNERS AS MUCH AS THEY HELP YOU AND IT BECOMES THIS BEAUTIFUL SYMBIOTIC SITUATION WHERE EVERYONE CAN MUTUALLY BENEFIT FROM THEIR PERSONAL DYNAMICS.

WHICH LEADS ME TO THE SECOND LESSON: I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA WHY HUMANS HAVE THIS EXTREMELY NARROW, SPECIFIC IDEA OF ROMANCE. THERE IS A MULTITUDE OF WAYS TO BE ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE. THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOVE PEOPLE, SO WHY REFUSE THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF RELATIONSHIPS YOU FOCUS ON? WHY PUT ONE RELATIONSHIP ON A PEDESTAL AND LET ALL YOUR OTHER RELATIONSHIPS SUFFER BECAUSE OF IT? THAT ISN'T HEALTHY NO MATTER WHICH QUADRANT YOUR CULTURE IS OBSESSED WITH.

THIRD LESSON: WHERE I COME FROM, WE HAVE ROMANTIC QUADRANTS. LEARN THEM AND BENEFIT FROM THEIR EXISTENCE. YOU ARE SO FUCKING WELCOME AT HOW MUCH THEY WILL DRASTICALLY IMPROVE YOUR SHITTY LIFE AND HOW MUCH SENSE THEY WILL MAKE TO YOUR VARIOUS RELATIONSHIPS:

MATESPRITSHIP: THE FLUSHED QUADRANT IS PROBABLY THE CLOSEST THING TO "TRADITIONAL" HUMAN LOVE. THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO YOU HAVE STRONG POSITIVE EMOTIONS TOWARDS THAT PROVIDES YOU WITH PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCES BOTH EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY (NOT TO GET TOO NC-17 HERE). THIS IS YOUR MATESPRIT.

MOIRALLEGIANCE: THE PALE QUADRANT IS ALSO A POSITIVE DYNAMIC, HOWEVER, THIS RELATIONSHIP TYPICALLY FOCUSES ON BEING THERE TO PROVIDE ABSOLUTE AND COMPLETE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO YOUR PARTNER. IT INVOLVES BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THEIR FLAWS, HELP THEM BE THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES, AND THEM TO DO THE SAME FOR YOU. YOU CALM THEM DOWN WHEN THEY ARE WORKED UP, YOU KEEP THEM SAFE FROM THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. THIS IS YOUR MOIRAIL OR PALEMATE.

KISMESISSITUDE: THE BLACK QUADRANT IS RELIANT ON PURELY NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. THIS IS ABOUT THE HATRED AND ANIMOSITY YOU FEEL TOWARDS ANOTHER. THE KEY HERE IS THAT THIS IS EXTREMELY MUTUAL, WELL-BALANCED, HEALTHY HATRED. MEANING YOU ARE ACTUAL EQUALS IN TERMS OF STRENGTH OR INTELLECTUALITY OR SOMETHING. THE POINT IS *NOT* TO KILL OR DEFEAT YOUR KISMESIS, BUT TO CONSTANTLY CHALLENGE EACH OTHER INTO A BETTER VERSION OF YOURSELVES THROUGH RIVALRY. ALSO YOU PROBABLY WANT TO FUCK THEM. SORRY. THAT'S JUST HOW IT GOES. IT IS EXTREMELY COMMON WHERE I COME FROM FOR THE BLACK AND FLUSHED QUADRANTS TO CONTINUALLY SWITCH. THEY ARE AS EQUALLY ESSENTIAL TO YOUR WELL-BEING SINCE THEY KEEP YOU ON YOUR FUCKING TOES AND RESPECT YOU IN WAYS THE OTHER QUADRANTS MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND.

THIS RELATIONSHIP IS QUITE TUMULTUOUS. AND IT CAN BE VERY UNHEALTHY IF THINGS ARE UNBALANCED BETWEEN THE TWO WHICH IS BASICALLY WHY WE HAVE...

AUSPISTICISM: THE ASHEN QUADRANT. THIS IS LESS OF A ROMANTIC QUADRANT BUT RATHER A DEALING OF ROMANCE. THIS IS A WILLING THIRD PARTY STEPPING IN TO WILLINGLY HELP FACILITATE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OTHERS. THIS IS CRUCIAL IN OUR SOCIETY TO ENSURE ALL OF YOUR PARTNERS AND RELATIONSHIPS ARE ACTUALLY HEALTHY AND FUNCTIONING. THE AUSPISTICE IS NOT NECESSARILY ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED IN THE OTHER PARTIES, BUT IT ISN'T UNCOMMON TO SEE AN AUSPISTICE WHO IS LONGING FOR ONE OF THE PARTIES AND IS HOPING THE ASHEN QUADRANT MIGHT GIVE THEM A LEVERAGE TO ANOTHER RELATIONSHIP.

AND THAT IS THE SHORT AND SWEET VERSION OF IT. YES, IT IS WILDLY COMPLEX AND YES HEARTBREAK IS ABSOLUTELY FUCKING FROTHING AT THE BRIM IN OUR CULTURE. QUADRANT VACILLATION IS A RAMPANT PROBLEM THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SORT OUT WHAT QUADRANT FITS YOUR RELATIONSHIP BEST. IT IS PERFECTLY NATURAL TO FEEL AND IT IS FINE IF YOU HAVE A PARTNER WHO FITS ALL QUADRANTS BUT YOU SHOULD REALLY CLARIFY THAT KIND OF THING SO YOU CAN BOTH BE ON THE SAME PAGE.

I'M NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN BEING THE TOWN AUSPISTICE, BY THE WAY. I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOUR INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIPS. BUT AS A RULE, I CARE ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS IN GENERAL AND IT IS SINCERE TORTURE TO THINK ABOUT HOW MANY IDIOTS ARE WALKING AROUND DENYING THEIR OWN FEELINGS. IT MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM.

WHICH I HAVE ALREADY DONE SO MANY TIMES NOW.

BUT YES I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR TO GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PROBABLE ROMANTIC AWAKENINGS THIS POST WILL NO DOUBT AROUSE. THERE IS NO SHAME IN REALIZING YOU HAVE HAD A TOTAL HATE-BONER FOR SOMEONE FOR TEN YEARS AND ARE PROBABLY IN SOME KIND OF LOVE WITH THEM. IDIOT.

OKAY BEFORE I WRITE ANOTHER SHORT ESSAY, I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO SHUT THE FUCK UP NOW.

EDIT BY FUTURE CARCINOGENETICIST @ 3:25 AM

WOW, I AM SO FUCKING INEPT AT THIS SOMEONE REVOKED MY FUCKING ROMANCE GURU CARD THAT I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE.

I FORGOT THE CARDINAL LESSON FOR HUMANITY BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE THIS WILD FUCKING OBSESSION WITH GENDER: YOU ARE NOT "BROKEN" OR WHAT THE FUCK EVER KIND OF BRAINWASHING YOUR KIND HAS PUT YOU THROUGH...IF YOU LIKE THE SAME GENDER YOU IDENTIFY AS. HOLY FUCK. OR MULTIPLE GENDERS. OR NO GENDERS. ATTRACTION IS A GODDAMN SPECTRUM AND WE FEEL IT AS SUCH FOR A REASON. BECAUSE! IT'S! MOTHERFUCKING NATURAL! IF YOU DON'T FEEl ATTRACTION LITERALLY NOTHING ABOUT YOU NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. IF YOU'RE HORNED UP, IT'S FUCKING FINE AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT A MONSTER ABOUT IT. JEGUS.

OKAY NOW I'M DONE.

Comments

un: agentmothman | text

[zib]

This is... actually really fascinating. I've never really thought about how romance works with other alien species before...

... well, except for one, but they seemed to act as if their species only cared about hatred and saw any other feelings as "mushy and gross human worm baby nonsense".

[But now he has to wonder if some of Zim's attempts on his life were... attempts at flirting?? God, hopefully not, given that Dib killed him and has the other's brain attached to his own now, so this is a level of inquiry he did not need to examine closely today...]

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[klawful]

YES, IT IS INCREDIBLY FASCINATING. THE MOST FASCINATING THING ANYONE COULD EVER TALK ABOUT EVEN.

(Karkat's not even being sarcastic. There were few topics more interesting to him than the complexity of romance throughout the universe.)

OUR KIND CARES DEEPLY ABOUT HATRED AND IT IS OUR PRIMARY EMOTION, BUT WE ARE CAPABLE AND EVEN ENJOY FEELING MORE TRADITIONALLY "POSITIVE" EMOTIONS. BUT I THINK HUMANS HAVE A NARROW IDEA OF WHAT HATRED EVEN MEANS. HATRED CAN BE VERY SENTIMENTAL AND VALUABLE. IT ISN'T JUST SOME BLIND WEAPON TO BEAT SOMEONE WITH.

(Karkat would 100000% consider what Zim did as flirting, whoop.)

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[zib]

[Zib considers it for a long moment, before he then types--]

Okay. So say, hypothetically speaking: there's this guy that I hate. Like, a lot. We fight all of the time in life-threatening situations over the fate of Earth.

But the idea of anyone else getting rid of him instead of me somehow makes me feel worse. And... he's also acted like he wanted to be the only person who ever "tormented and got rid of me" and that anyone else trying wasn't allowed.

Would that be what you mean about hatred being sentimental?

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[klawful]

(Oh man. This poor bastard.)

YEAH, NOT GOING TO LIE, MAN. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A MATCH MADE IN BLACK ROMANCE HEAVEN. IT'S IN THE POSSESSIVE NATURE. LIKE, IF YOU PLATONICALLY HATED THIS GUY AND WANTED HIM GONE, THEN IT WOULDN'T MATTER AS MUCH TO YOU HOW IT HAPPENED OR WHO MADE IT HAPPEN.

BUT IT'S THE PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT OF YOU BOTH SPECIFICALLY WANTING TO MUTUALLY DESTROY EACH OTHER.

IN THIS "HYPOTHETICAL" SITUATION, HAVE EITHER OF YOU HAD A VERY CLEAR OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY KILL EACH OTHER BUT JUST DIDN'T FOR SOME REASON YOU CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN?

ALSO ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN HOW OBSESSED (HYPOTHETICALLY) HOW OBSESSED ARE YOU WITH GETTING RID OF THIS GUY?

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[zib]

[The longest pause, and then--]

I... yeah, I guess? I mean, he's stolen my organs and done all other kinds of things that probably should have killed me, but somehow didn't...

[...]

Does... having previously tried to make a device that would allow me to try to get rid of this person and any version of him across every timeline in existence put me as a "ten" on this hypothetical scale of yours?

[klawful]

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? THAT PRETTY MUCH PUTS YOU ON A TWENTY. THAT'S SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY SPENT ON THE IDEA OF DESTROYING ONE PERSON THAT IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY CUTE.

I'D BE DOWNRIGHT FLATTERED IF A KISMESIS OF MINE WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT TROUBLE JUST FOR ME.

IT'S BASICALLY LIKE WAVING A GIANT "PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO ME AND NOTICE ME AND ACKNOWLEDGE ME AS WORTHY OF YOUR HATE PLEASE THANK YOU" FLAG. I MEAN WHEN THAT PERSON IS ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT NIGHT AND DAY AND WHAT YOUR NEXT EXPERIENCE WITH THEM IS GOING TO BE LIKE...

KIND OF EXPLAINS ITSELF.

[zib]

Oh.

[Zib is suddenly so glad that this is text and not video because he does not want to know what kind of face he is making right now during this conversation.

Especially considering that Zib is still wanting to kill all Zims in the universe while he's here as we speak, but now he's not sure if he should mention that.]

This is... a lot to take in all at once here. Except for the part where I don't think he would have found any of this cute because that word probably falls under the umbrella of "mushy sentiments humans have" that he made fun of.

[klawful]

YEAH IT PROBABLY IS A LOT. HUMANS ARE RIDICULOUSLY SENSITIVE TO CHANGE.

HE IS CORRECT. IT IS PRETTY MUSHY, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY LESS TRUE. THE THING ABOUT A KISMESIS IS THEY GIVE YOU A LOT OF MOTIVATION AND KEEP YOU INTERESTED IN SEEING THE NEXT DAY EVEN IF IT IS OUT OF SPITE.

[zib]

Well... even if that's all true, I've never thought about, uh... wanting to do any of the stuff I've heard people talk about doing when they're in love normally?

Still don't, really. It always seems kind of gross to me from what I've seen and heard of it.

[Holding hands seems like a fast way to get your hands germy and sweaty, and the few adults he may have ever accidentally glimpsed kissing while running around town were rather disgusting...]

[klawful]

WELL OF COURSE YOU WOULD NOT THINK TO DO STUFF LIKE THAT WITH THEM. THE DYNAMICS OF A KISMESIS AREN'T LIKE THE DYNAMICS OF THE FLUSHED QUADRANT. WHEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS BASED ON HATE, YOUR GESTURES OF AFFECTION ARE GOING TO BE A LOT MORE NEGATIVELY CENTERED.

BUT ALSO THERE WILL BE A FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF RESPECT AND TRUST IN THIS WEIRD WAY THAT IS UNRIVALED IN THE OTHER QUADRANTS.

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO SHOW AFFECTION. YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO GO THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE. IT'S ABOUT DOING WHAT FEELS RIGHT FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND YOURSELF.

[zib]

But I don't want to have any kind of affection for them... all we do is fight and trying to defeat each other every time he comes up with a crazy plan to take over the Earth.

[Well, save for the one admittance he had that it would piss him off a fair bit if someone else interfered in this back and forth of theirs... is that really something that can be considered a sign of affection?

There is one other thing that comes to mind though, but admitting it out loud is... maybe pathetic and sad, and he does not want to be seen as that.]

[klawful]

WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CONSIDER IT ROMANTIC, YOU KNOW. BUT IT IS A RELATIONSHIP. THIS POST IS MEANT TO EXTRAPOLATE ABOUT THE FACT THAT VARIOUS RELATIONSHIPS ARE EQUALLY VALID AND IMPORTANT TO SOMEONE'S LIFE.

AND I GUESS TO SHOWCASE THAT ROMANCE CAN BE A MORE COMPLEX EXPERIENCE THAN ONE CATEGORY OF EMOTIONS.

I GUESS THE QUESTION BOILS DOWN TO HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THIS PERSON IN YOUR LIFE, AND IF THEY WERE SUDDENLY GONE FROM YOUR LIFE, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? ARE YOU RELIEVED TO NO LONGER BE FIGHTING WITH THEM OR DO YOU KIND OF MISS IT?

[zib]

[Aaand there it is, the thing he was kind of trying to avoid bringing up admitting here.]

... That's...part of the reason why that device I mentioned before was made, actually.

[He doesn't clarify what he means by that, but Karkat should be able to connect the dots here.]

[klawful]

(Oh yeah. He immediately connects the dots. He almost feels bad for this specific humanoid.)

NOT TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU FEEL, BUT IT DOES SOUND LIKE YOU HAVE SOME DEGREE OF GENUINE AFFECTION TOWARDS THIS INDIVIDUAL. JUST NOT IN A CONVENTIONAL HUMAN SENSE, BUT YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS ARE VALID. THERE ARE MANY POSSIBILITIES AS TO HOW WE CAN FEEL FOR EACH OTHER.

IT'S NOTHING TO FEEL ASHAMED OF.

[zib]

[He very strongly disagrees with that. Even the most unconventional person would probably look at "killing your rival and equipping their life support system to you so now they're forever a part of you" as maybe too much, in addition to the whole "genocide of multiple realities and timelines" thing.

But what he ends up saying instead is--]

Thanks... you're probably the first and only person who has ever said it like that whenever I tried to talk to anyone else back home about them.

[Which is true. The kids at Skool, Gaz and his Dad... they always just treated him as weird and insane for his obsession with fighting Zim.]

[klawful]

(It's a good thing Karkat was far from any sort of human. To him, it seemed fairly reasonable, but his kind was also savage as hell. Zib's relationship at least seemed mutual rather than one taking advantage of another. In Karkat's books, that was as healthy as a rivalry could get.)

YOU ARE WELCOME. IF YOU EVER NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT, I'M AROUND TO LISTEN.

ALSO FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH CROSS-SPECIES RELATIONSHIPS ARE REALLY SUCCESSFUL AS FAR AS I HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED.

[zib]

[That's actually rather nice of Karkat to offer. He will have to remember that when he feels like talking about Zim again.]

Really? Do you have someone like that in your life?

[klawful]

YEAH. MY FRIENDS ALWAYS USED TO ANNOY ME WITH THEIR SHIT ALL THE TIME BACK WHERE I COME FROM. I DON'T MIND IT.

YES, I DO. AND DID. MY OLD BOYFRIEND IS A HUMAN AND WE USED TO ANTAGONIZE THE HELL OUT OF EACH OTHER. THEN OUR RELATIONSHIP TURNED INTO SOMETHING ELSE. IT WAS EXTREMELY SATISFYING.

[zib]

Huh... no wonder you seem to know what you're talking about, if you're speaking from experience like that.

[klawful]

YES, I AM EXTREMELY EXPERIENCED AND ALL MY OPINIONS ON THIS ARE DEFINITIVELY BETTER THAN MOST.

I USED TO BE WAY WORSE WITH THIS SHIT, ACTUALLY, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT.

[zib]

Really? How so?

If you don't mind me asking about it, that is.

[klawful]

I DON'T REALLY MIND. HONESTLY, MOST OF MY COLOSSALLY EMBARRASSING RELATIONSHIP MOMENTS ARE IMMORTALIZED ONLINE ANYWAY FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.

OKAY MAYBE NOT HERE BUT I'VE BEEN USED TO IT FOR LONG ENOUGH THAT IT FEELS DUMB TO NOT BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT. I'M RAMBLING. OKAY, SHUT THE FUCK UP THEN AND GET ON WITH IT, DIPSHIT. I WILL, I WILL.

(Yes, he is absolutely arguing with himself right now. Don't mind him.)

I DEVELOP ROMANTIC FEELINGS QUICKLY AND I MISINTREPRET GESTURES AS ROMANTIC COME-ONS REGULARLY. THE FIRST TIME I TALKED TO ONE OF MY HUMAN FRIENDS, I IMMEDIATELY FLIRTED WITH HIM AND WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW WE WERE DESTINED FOR EACH OTHER. IT WAS SO FUCKING BAD. AND HE WAS ALL "BLAH BLAH BLAH I'M NOT A HOMOSEXUAL SORRY DUDE" AND I BASICALLY WANTED TO DIE. GRANTED, I WAS JUST A STUPID KID SO THAT SOCIAL FLOP IS TO BE EXPECTED.

BUT IT JUST HAPPENED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND OVER THE YEARS I STARTED TO REALIZE MY AGGRESSIVE DESIRE FOR ROMANCE DID NOT NECESSARILY MEAN I INNATELY UNDERSTOOD ROMANCE AND I TOOK A LOT OF TIME TO SELF-REFLECT ABOUT MY OWN FEELINGS AND HOW I HANDLED MY OWN ROMANTIC SITUATIONS. I LIKE TO THINK I MATURED SINCE MY MOST RECENT RELATIONSHIP LASTED ABOUT FIVE YEARS AND ONLY EFFECTIVELY ENDED SINCE I ARRIVED HERE.

[zib]

[It's fine, Zib has moments like that too where he ends up arguing with himself.

Anyway, Zib reads all of this and nods along, right until he gets to the end.]

Wait... does that mean you consider your most recent one to be ended because the other person you were in a relationship with wasn't brought here too? What will you do if they also show up here at some point?

[klawful]

NOT ENDED, JUST IMPROBABLE NOW. I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH HIM AND CONSIDER HIM MY BOYFRIEND JUST NOW MY OLD BOYFRIEND FROM A LIFE DETACHED FROM THIS ONE. I'M MOST LIKELY ON A DIVERGENT TIMELINE AND THERE IS A MINIMAL PERCENTAGE OF EVER SEEING HIM AGAIN EXCEPT FOR IN MY DREAMS. IT MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITH THE SQUID-REINCARNATION THING TOO, BUT I'M NOT TOO UPSET BY IT. WEIRD TIMELINES ARE COMMON ENOUGH BACK HOME.

I HIGHLY DOUBT HE WILL SHOW UP. IF HE DOES, HE COULD BE FROM ANY TIMELINE, ONE WHERE WE NEVER GOT TOGETHER, OR FROM WAY BEFORE WE GOT TOGETHER, SO IT WOULD DEPEND ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT SENSITIVE CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE'S A VERY MINIMAL CHANCE OF THE ONE COMING FROM MY EXACT TIMELINE COMING HERE, I THINK. STATISTICS SAY UNLIKELY.

[zib]

[Oh yeah, he gets that, given Zib's own experience with diverging timelines. Still...]

And if that one in a million chance does somehow happen, what then? Would you just be dating again and continue on from where you both left your shared timeline?