My best friend’s husband is very protective of me. We were at a friend’s house eating and drinking, when someone who we had not met came over. This guy was a friend of the host, and was already a bit drunk. I introduced myself to him, Tên tôi là Jessica. I really only know a few sentences in VN, but I try. Yeah, what is your real name? I respond Jessica. He asks over and over, meanwhile I can see the rage building in bestie’s husband. Finally, Anh says Her name is Jessica! You got a problem with that!? The asshole then gets real quiet. I knew in that moment that Anh was about to pound this drunk asshole into the ground, because the belligerent and aggressive asshole would not leave me alone.
The screen cap that was posted may be fake, who knows? But I remember that moment, from like 5 or so years ago, vividly. It was that very moment that I realized that they were not friends—they were the family that chose me.
It's still nice to read. I want to imagine the world is like this, I want to imagine things are simple, at least for long enough to read a textpost story.
In my neck of the woods (that means area where I live and has nothing to do with wooded areas), the phrase means the same thing and I interpreted it as such and that the asshole started to pop off on her (that means suddenly start talking angrily rather than whatever your mind may have conjured if you hadn't heard the phrase before).
It's very likely a wish fulfillment fantasy story, why would it have involved the asshole only walking towards her (which is possible to do with obvious intent, but still ... what would he be apologizing for later in the story?) when you can literally make up anything you want?
I think I interpreted your "stretch" comment appropriately ... If you meant that Catoblepas was literally becoming a Mr. Fantastic like superhero, then I have no idea how to respond to what your said and I apologize for the wall of text that makes no sense in context.