Chapter Text
”Stanley, have you ever experienced an erection before?”
[Excuse me?]
It had been several resets since the Narrator first created his new body. What began as an overwhelming, and confusing flood of sensory data had leveled into something far more manageable. He was increasingly occupied with exploring and understanding this new form and all it had to offer. Registering every new sensation and exploring all the bells and whistles of human biology that he had so long been bewildered by.
The older man ignored Stanley’s confusion and pressed on. “Most articles talk about fantasizing to help with getting “turned on”. Which means getting erect, if you didn’t know. I really couldn’t think of anything to fantasize about, other than my game getting the recognition it deserves. And that wasn’t enough to get me erect. Do you see the issue here, Stanley?”
Stanley could only stare in bewilderment as his brain struggled to compute what was actually being said to him right now.
”I would really like to see how this physical pleasure sensation feels. It's always exciting experiencing new things. And this body has so many different sensory inputs!! There is so much to feel!”
“I tried self gratification, but I must have been doing it wrong because I did not experience an “erection”. Though, I might have not programmed that appendage right… That wasn't a detail I thought I would have to put much thought into.”
The Protagonist sat on the chair opposite of the Narrator with his hands in his lap, staring down at the desk between them. His eyebrows furrowed and face beet red.
“Anyways. I then read that the most efficient way of experiencing this pleasure was with a partner. Now let me tell you, Stanley. There are so many ways to do this! Many argued about which is best. I, personally, was very interested to see how oral stimulation works. I cannot see how putting an erection in a mouth could be pleasurable for either party.”
The Narrator paused and regarded his companion after his monologue. ”Oh dear. You appear to be a rather deep shade of red at the moment, Stanley.”
Stanley’s head shot up and his eyes frantically avoided The Narrator’s questioning gaze. He couldn’t think of a proper response after being bombarded with an entire monologue about how his once faceless, omnipotent, god-like foe was trying to make himself cum.
“Stanley!” The man in front of him snapped his fingers. His thick eyebrows poised in a questioning manner, exaggerated like the rest of his expressions. “Are you well? Or do I need to reset your model again.”
[No.] Stanley signed.
”No…what? You are unwell or you do not want me to reset your model? Which is it, Stanley. You need to be more clear with me.”
[No reset.]
The Narrator sighed dramatically. “You’re too simple, dear boy. Why must you insist on being so hard to read.” He leaned back in his chair with a groaning protest from the metal beneath, crossing his arms as he regarded the simple fellow. “Well, are you going to tell me what's wrong, or do I have to figure it out myself.”
[Why are you telling me this?] Stanley finally asked.
The Narrator scoffed and threw his hands up. “I told you I was going to try and figure out this “human” thing and how your bodies work! You fickle things are so strange! I’m just now getting used to experiencing heat and chills!” It was true that he was complaining non-stop about not being able to regulate his temperature. How utterly miserable it was experiencing chill bumps and a runny nose when he was exposed to the cold for too long.
“Ugh, anyways.” The Narrator grunted and pushed back forward in the chair, another groaning creak erupting as he did so. “Are you going to help me or must I find other needs to figure this out. It’s going to pester me until I find out if it is an error I made with the model, which I highly doubt it is. Or, if I need a partner to stimulate it correctly.”
So he was being serious.
[You want me-] Stanley started signing slowly [-to jack you off. To make sure your dick works…]
The Narrator erupted into a chorus of choking noises, his tail flicking behind him as he babbled incoherently. “How crude!” He adjusted the glasses on his nose with a sniff, lifting his chin as he spoke. “You make it sound like some sexual favor. I am simply requesting your assistance with potential coding issues.”
[Is that not what you’re asking?] Stanley’s hands sped up as he communicated his confusion. He truly was puzzled as to why he was being let in on this information specifically. He knew the Narrator’s need for understanding everything. And he especially knew his obsession with perfection. But why with that specifically?
“Well! I thought you’d like to be let in on part of solving a problem for once, instead of being the problem, like you always are!”
Since when did The Narrator ever care about what Stanley wanted to do.
“I enjoy new things, Stanley. You might not, but I DO. I created this body to better understand your human model and how it works. What is a creator if he doesn’t understand his own creation!” He was standing now, beginning to pace the length of the desk while Stanley still stayed seated, his eyes followed his movements. The Narrator wasn’t even looking at him now, gesturing to the ceiling and the room around him instead.
“Yes! That is what this is all about! You wouldn’t get it, Stanley!” His tail flicked excitedly as he monologued to himself, voice growing more and more passionate.
“This is the bond between an artist and their art! I simply wish to understand!” The office echoed The Narrator’s last words back as his voice crescendoed.
The hum of the monitors filled the silence after the older man went quiet. Stanley sniffed and shifted in his seat.
“Ugh, my head is aching now.” The Narrator groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing up his glasses as he did so. He took a deep sigh, tail swaying lazily as he made his way back to his chair. Stanley regarded it with interest, wondering what it might feel like. Was it smooth, like skin? Was it rough? Fuzzy? His mind wandered more.
Did he have some form of control over it? Like an extra appendage? What was that called again? He remembered reading about it in an article about monkeys one time. He thought for a moment more.
Prehensile tails!
He perked up with a smile. Yes! That was it! What an odd fact to remember. He wondered how much thought the Narrator had even put into the tail, since it was an odd thing to add to a model that was supposed to be human. Humans didn't have tails. Unless Stanley had missed an evolution in his (???) time being in The Parable. There must have been some meaning or use for it for The Narrator.
Stanley watched the tail flick from one side to the other of The Narrator’s body, swinging like a metronome.
Was it tactile?
Swing
Did it have a lot of nerve endings?
Swing
“-ley!”
Was it sensitive?
The tail was snapping aggressively now.
“Stanley!!”
Stanley jumped at the sudden intrusion of his musings. He jerked his attention to the loud sound and encountered The Narrator’s displeased face. Stanley was getting used to seeing that expression more often than others.
“Did you lag!?”
[Just thinking] Stanley shrugged. The Narrator’s tail perked up at that.
”Oh! What exactly were you thinking about? Were you perhaps considering what I mentioned earlier? You must have been. I told you, you would understand! It’s such a simple thing. Really, there is no meaning behind it!” He hummed for a second, pondering, before clearing his throat. “Despite the articles stating these physical intimacies are commonly shared between “lovers.” His expression twisted, lips pursed in distaste.
“You humans have to put meaning behind everything.” He shook his head and crossed his arms with a large sigh.
“If you don’t want to help me out, then fine. I put a lot of effort into this body, and I would hate to miss out on such an experience as physical pleasure! Trust me, Stanley, if I was able to figure this out without the help of another person, I would have done it already.”
[I know as much about this as you do.] Stanley admitted. [I don’t even know if mine works. I’ve never had the need to do…that] He looked away with an embarrassed blush at the end. Despite never having experienced sexual urges or experiences, Stanley just knew that these things were usually more…private.
Now that he thought about it, had he even seen his before? He had never undressed before. Why would that organ even be needed in a game such as this. Was he sure he even had one? What reason would that have been created for? He assumed it was for the same reason as why the Narrator created his own; for the simple sake of accuracy.
“Well, why don’t we put that to the test too!” The Narrator beamed, clapping his hands together.
Stanley’s head whipped back to face his Narrator with wide eyes. He wasn’t sure he was ready to test out his own mechanisms just yet. He was curious about a lot of things, but that wasn’t something he had thought much about exploring. Figuring out the Narrator’s…functionality (or lack thereof, if he couldn’t get it to work properly) was more appealing at the moment.
[We will get yours to work first.] Stanley eventually signed meekly with an almost apologetic smile on his lips.
“Oh, wonderful!” The Narrator cheered, standing up with triumph. His tail perked up significantly, the arrowed tip swished back and forth excitedly. “Now, you have to tell me your thoughts on my design. I tried to make it as anatomically correct and proportionate to my model's size as possible.”
Stanley heard the metallic jingling of a belt buckle, followed by a sharp zip. His eyebrows shot up as the Narrator began sliding the leather belt out of the belt loops to disregard it on the desk. His brain had no time to process the sliding down of brown slacks to the floor as he was met directly with plush, hairy thighs and remarkably yellow briefs.
”Is something the matter, Stanley? You look rather shocked.” The Narrator paused with his hands on the waistband of his briefs. He shifted his weight onto one leg as he regarded his companion with a wary gaze. Stanley was having a hard time averting his gaze from the strangely alluring shift of muscle in his thighs, and the instantly recognizable bulge in his underwear. He felt his face involuntarily heating up. Panicked by the unintentional sensation, and the further scrutinizing glare of The Narrator as a result of his lack of response; Stanley ducked his head to his chest and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Wh- I…You-!” A flustered babble of half words and huffs of disbelief arose from the silence. “I can’t believe you!!” Stanley heard the hasty shuffling of fabric as The Narrator grumbled. “If you find my body that hideous you could have said it!”
Stanley’s eyes shot open at that comment, he looked up to see The Narrator fumbling with his slacks, struggling to slide the belt back through the loops with agitated hands.
“Was it the body hair? The skin? The thighs?” The belt rattled noisily as he yanked it through the last two loops. “I tried to make this body as accurate as possible to a human’s body. If you are displeased by any of those features I suggest taking a look at your own body from time to time.” He finally fastened the buckle with a huff and looked up to meet Stanley’s stare.
“What?”
[There’s nothing wrong!] Stanley quickly signed, his eyebrows raised in exaggeration. He sighed heavily, irritated with the Narrator jumping to conclusions so quickly.
“You are testing me, boy.” The Narrator growled, jaw tight as he regarded Stanley with a scowl.
Stanley stared back.
A beat of silence passed, not even enough time for Stanley to lift his hands to begin a sentence, and the Narrator’s hands were up in the air.
“Blast it all!” He exclaimed, “why did I even ask you in the first place. I knew you were not going to take this seriously! You’re Stanley for god’s sake! Of course you’re going to do the complete opposite of what I ask! Even if it is a simple favor. Even if it is something that would benefit the both of us!”
Stanley just stared, dumbfounded as his companion rambled on, stomping back to his chair. A shrill metallic creak resounded as the chair was decompressed violently.
“You can go now. I have no need for you. I can figure this out on my own.” The Narrator huffed as he yanked up the lid of his laptop and clacked noisily at the keyboard. “Go and do whatever the hell you do, boy. I won’t bother you anymore with my abhorrent figure.” He wouldn’t even look up to see if Stanley was trying to sign to him. The man’s eyes stayed fixed on the screen, brows furrowed and face red as he typed furiously on the unfortunate laptop.
Stanley stood stationary, glaring as the old man continued to throw a tantrum. He battled between listening to him and just departing the room, allowing the storyteller to mope by himself. And going behind the desk and smacking him upside the head. Demanding that he listen to Stanley.
…
Stanley stomped his foot once, attempting to grab attention. The Narrator continued his stare-off with the laptop. Stanley stomped again while snapping his fingers. The incessant clacking continued.
Bastard.
Stanley huffed, took three steps forward to reach the side of the desk, leaned over and slammed the screen down.
“You little-!”
[ I will do it. ] Stanley cut off the man with a sharp hand forward. He stared pointedly at the wide eyes meeting his own. The Narrator blinked rapidly for a few seconds before a slow grin cracked the shock across his features.
“Oh, brilliant!”