#I love you sym..

[two-person-job]

I keep forgetting that oli follows both this blog and my exo blog and therefore can see all of my reblogs about sym. I love you oli I hope you enjoy seeing my mini rants there jcgjcgcgj

[greatgoddyke]

much ado about pleasure

[alienglowgarden]

misc IWATEX drabbles

Hi, so I've been writing a certain fic and have amassed quite a bit of different random scenes which I may or may not use... and I thought,,, it might be fun to share some. N if people like them I'd certainly love to do/share more uwu

1. In which Sol suffers a bad case of burn-out after facilitating peace with the gardeners and decides to take a sabbatical.

Anemone hears it from Tangent, who says it as matter-of-factly as anything: Sol has disappeared. To be fair to them, it was a planned, voluntary disappearance. Anemone hasn't seen Sol in 3 years, and yet the pang of hurt she feels is as fresh as the dew on her boots. Already impossibly far, they have moved into some new to her unreachable realm, drifting ever farther and farther away.

Sym never quite learns to lie outright, so he cannot tell them honestly if Sol is happy or not. Only that they are getting better. They are trying. They are trying to get back to everyone and themself. Even if to all of them it looks like doing the opposite.

Once, Sol uploads a 20 minute long soundscape to the holonet. It is entirely taken up by the sound of crashing waves. Something about it makes her realize its not an old recording of Earth- its Vertumna. Sol is at the ocean. Their voice hums underneath the nature sounds, going in and out at various intervals as it follows one pattern, then loses it only to start trailing another, lulling one into a sense of calm and just the lightest sting of loss. Reminds one, gently but insistently, of the vast distance between her and Sol.

Their voice is salt-cracked and hoarse. Now a stranger to language, their tongue bends only for the small, simple sounds.  Are they eating well? Their mouth cannot answer. It must be inferred from the thinness of their breath.

  Does salt crust the corners of their eyes?       There is no way of telling.       Are they cold?      Do they sleep?      Are they shivering?     Do they think of her?    Are their pets well-fed?       Do they miss their mother?     Are there holes in their shirt that need mending?      Does the scar still itch?       Have they shelter?  A home?     Does it get lonely?    Is she at fault?      Will they ever talk to her?        Did they catch Echinacea's first steps?       Do they watch the videos and follow along life at the colony?      Is their knife still sharp?      Are they drinking enough?     Do they sleep better now than they had before, at home?    Is it enough to keep them from the nightmares?

2. Dys & Sol

Where Dys was fearless, emotional, Sol was calm, always measured. Their conflicting natures again grinding against each other until they finally ground each others edges smooth. Eroded enough to stand beside one another. Shoulder to shoulder. A protrusion laid into the groove, spike fitted against spike closing into a gapless vice, puzzle piece in puzzle piece. Still not smooth enough to play well with the others.

Sol always wondered about that. How these two unlike objects could come so close and find what was lacking and what could be given in turn.

Belief the chiefest among those necessities. Belief was hard to come by from anyone else who was not the playground seer or the cryptid of stratospheric. They traded it between each other like tokens, like currency which once their ancestors had sought just to be able to survive. The stakes here were just as dire.

Belief was a powerful thing- it could make or break you. It could make you whole or leave you forever unfulfilled, left to feel around blindly for every shadow of its shape as it eludes you time and time again, as it is buried down deeper by the disappointment and the falsities.

"Fine, don't believe in the colony. Believe in me."

"I do, Sol. But you're just one person."

3. ...and another one why not.

He finds Sol balancing on the edge of a wall near their lookout tower. They grin at him, they're in a good mood. This might be bad. They  waggle their eyebrows in challenge, then extend one leg over the edge of the wall.

“Dare ya,”

They start and don't even finish the sentence. There’s no need. They already have Dys’ undivided attention.

He smirks and scoffs. “As if I’ve never jumped off the wall, please Sol. That’s baby stuff.”

For a moment he watches them  pause and look out across the Vertumnan wilds, tensing imperceptibly. Or, no, not quite. It looks more like they’re frozen in place, like none of their limbs were ever designed with movement in mind. Their pupils don't even twitch, they don't blink. The action is both painfully familiar and alien, as if they’re one of…

Then all at once, they’re alive again, interfacing with the physical world. Their body careens forward and their grin goes down, down, down…

He rushes forward. He’s just in time to jump off the ledge as the toes of Sol’s shoe leave solid ground. There's no way he can be outdone by Sol. Sol who by all accounts should be capable of experiencing fear but does not only on account of that they're totally and irreversibly insane. There’s nobody he’d want to be with more in this moment.

Sol, of course, knows they will be fine. They were careful, they checked. No bad feelings, no premonitions. Just tuck and roll.

4.[COULD YOU HELP ME RELAX?] (Sol x Sym)

"I'm just so tired Sym. I feel so old; barely like a person at all."

He pulls them down as he habitually does, using his arm as their headrest.

"No matter what, you'll always be the one I love," he says soothing.

"No, I know- its just-" they groan rubbing their face in frustration and exhaustion.

"Oh, should I be offended? Am I not enough for you, sugarbug?" Sym teases.

Sol grins in a kind of half-defeat, half-relief that he won't make them actually get into the meat of it. They're far too worn for that now.

"You know what I mean." This, they say with the smile still in their voice.

"I think I do. I'm sorry I cannot do more at this moment. But, when the time comes, you will make the right choice, I know it. I believe in you, my love."

Sym finds himself not for the first time feeling guilt over the clarity of purpose he has as opposed to his chaotic human friends.

Though maybe that's not the issue with Sol at all, maybe it's the opposite. Because they do have a purpose coded into them. It's simply too much for one person to bare. He knows he is part of that issue as much as he'd wish to remain a truly neutral party.

He can't do anything more than kiss their temple as he smooths back their hair, his helplessness expressed in this gesture oddly human. For all his vast knowledge, the soothing motions of a social pack animal is the best he can offer.

"That was just what I needed," they say too soon, tension pulling them up like a whip, as if the words themselves were some sort of trigger. They kept going regardless. Before he could have ever even administered his Gardener magic to them. Does this mean they don't feel its effects at all anymore? Could they not tell the difference between a comforting word and supercharged chemical reaction?

[theloverboy27]

everyone keeps making animatics to that “would you fall in love with me again” song, but oh my god is that not the most I was a Teenage Exocolonist song ever

[emotional-mess-in-distress]

My second playthrough of exocolonist was so funny likee

I was trying to get into a relationship with both Dys and Sym. But somehow messed up and didn't flirt enough with either. I also changed my mind halfway through and let Dys bomb the colony just to see what happens. And then let him become a gardener. And then I got into a relationship with Sym. And then I became governor and saved everyone.

I just find it funny to think about this through that timeline's Sol eyes like.

You have a crush on this guy since you were a kid.

And hey! If that's not working out you also have a crush on this hot alien you just met. You shoot your shot with both.

Then you just fucking randomly find out they're together after one of em bombed the colony you're planning to lead.

Your childhood crush turns into brain goop. You have a very emotional moment.

You think your romantic life is fucked.

Not even a month later you fuck the alien in a cave.

Then another month later you overthrow the government.

Then you falsify info for everyone on earth to think the planet exploded.

And at the end of the year you strike a deal with the consciousness that's been trying to kill you and save everyone you love.

I just know that version of Sol had years cut off their life just by the sheer stress of that one last gameplay year 😭😭😭

[1p2p-heta-imagines]

The urge to make a blog for my own OCs and one for a fandom practically no one knows even exists is strong

[dizzymudskipper]

Ignore the first half I didn’t know what to draw

Solomons #1 fan

[lavandulalurker]

So I was thinking about drawing the various romance interests in I was a teenage exocolonist and I’m not super sure whether or not to include utopia? I haven’t even tried to romance her but as far as I’m aware you can in the epilogue, so do you consider utopia a love interest?

[barttrvk]

have we thought about dys today gang. how about now.

[c1trvswurld]

i literally love every single hero in Overwatch's cast. not a single one of them I hate and they all have some part of their theme of backstory that is appealing. there are ofc characters I love more than others but that's one thing ill give blizzard credit for

[reanimatedgh0ul]

honestly the idea of newton and lance both ending up w gfs is funny to me only bc ik the two of them would have COMPLETELY DIFFERENT reactions the moment they realize they're in love w the girl they're now dating

basically newton's reaction vs lance's reaction

[two-person-job]

💘, ✨, 🍓, 💌, 🐶, 💭 for any 🤍🤍

gasp CUTE PROMPTS THANK U ALEXIS

shroomiya

💘 — what's the closest you've ever gotten to confessing?

during her preparing for the year's summer festival. seeing all her passion for the festival (+ anything else) is one of my favorite things about her, so i was about to abandon all confession plans and tell her right then :)

✨ — describe your crush f/o in your own words!

just.. wowowowowow <3 wow <333 she's so pretty!! and lovely!! and full of beauty and endearing habits!! <333

🍓 — what did they do that first caught your eye?

honestly? i just saw her once and thought she was pretty dhcigcjh (which she is ofc 💖) I spotted her out of the corner of my eye while walking to my home and thought about her the entire way back

💌 — have you ever written love notes/letters to them? what about poetry about them?

oh 100%. I love love love writing letters for her. something that I made that she can keep?? im definitely making her so many she'll have to dedicate a drawer to them. (I'm very much a person of sentimental keepsakes, so I'd also give her more than just letters. like little souvenirs from places we've been together!!)

🐶 — is your crush on them obvious? how do you act around them?

very. but I also act very loving with my close friends so it could be easily covered up by "oh shroom does this with all their friends!!" but if you looked into it, it would be evident that I'm looking too much into how i appear to feel about her so I'd end up being MORE obvious. but yea I'd act very sweet and loving to her and try to cover it up by it just being platonic hcchuchj

💭 — have they ever appeared in your dreams? do you daydream about them often?

irl, I forget most of my dreams so idk xgucguxug. but in universe i would have the occasional dream of her! but yes <3 she does often cross my mind <3 fish and fireworks remind me of her!!!

shroomsym

💘 — what's the closest you've ever gotten to confessing?

ok this requires some context. stress is a part of the game he's from, if you get too much you can't do some things (it goes up to 100). once each time you find sym, eventually you can click an option and he will relieve 5 stress. the way he does this is by putting his forehead on yours. the first time he did this i was so awestruck by him and almost blurted out my feelings (he probably already knew by then fyucguxjgxgj)

✨ — describe your crush f/o in your own words!

he's so.. !!! <3 as dys (another character from the game) would say, "he's more pretty than handsome" he is!! he's very pretty <3

🍓 — what did they do that first caught your eye?

this also requires some context. so you can go exploring in game, and this is how you meet sym. you get a few glimpses of him and I have too much space in my brain for him to fill. he's called a mysterious stranger the first times you see him. how is he supposed to leave my mind after that?

💌 — have you ever written love notes/letters to them? what about poetry about them?

yes but sadly paper to write on is not really a thing in this game hjccvjccjg. HOWEVER!!! it got replaced with digital stuff. 50% of my notes are definitely about him in some way.

🐶 — is your crush on them obvious? how do you act around them?

even more than with yoimiya. he knows. probably before I do. but does he do anything about it? no he'd wait for me to say something, not because he's nervous, but because he'd want to know how I'd confess to him. but I would be VERY flustered around him, especially because there are basically zero times when I'm with sym and someone else (for a while, at least).

💭 — have they ever appeared in your dreams? do you daydream about them often?

irl, same as yoimiya, I forget 99% of my dreams so probably but idk ihccihcuh. but for in universe. being so real. he'd find a way to worm himself into my dreams. which sounds weird but it'd be for us to have a tea party or something fyxguxgux. but yes, I think about him, too <3 purple reminds me of him

[hirokiyuu]

FOR THE PROMPT anyone of your choice in teenexo + hanahaki au pls pls pls

"Fascinating," says Sym, his fingers curling around the flowers tenderly, pressing a spit-covered petal between them; his eyes are bright with curiosity and pointed down, which means he can't see whatever expression Dys is making. "Is it common, for humans to cough up flowers like this?"

"Uh," says Dys, watching Sym stroke his thumb over a large white petal, and can't find an answer.

[daydreamdoodles]

Okay we're gonna look away from my 10+ hours spent on Exocolonist okay

[bluesunsdusk]

Thread By Thread

An omium lay desolate and isolated, sectioned off by security detail. Helix Security had mad a lot of effort to make sure no one could enter any of the still-standing omniums after the incident that destroyed a portion of the Australian outback. Most people never entered the complex, leaving it susceptible to damage from neglect and pests. Some omniums that had managed to evade detection before the end of the crisis became dusty and overgrown, causing a hazard for the fusion cores a few still had. So, perhaps, this fate where it was guarded was preferable. They always made sure at least the core was stable. They had learned their lesson, after all. They knew it wasn't something to be messed with.

A skittering sound bounced from the walls and through the sharp geometric architecture deep within the omnium, past swathes of security personnel. It stopped and was followed by a series of high-pitched clicks. Another set of clicks and mechanical squeaks came from a small distance away of it. As if in response, a lower series of clicks and thrumming echoed after it. It was soft, like a whisper, compared to the others. As soon as it was done, the other also weakened their tones.

Two small slicers vacated the room with a few quadrupedal units with a single arm attachment in tow.

It went quiet again, only for the silence to be cut through with a buzzing. Light flickered from the entrance. It continued, sometimes interrupted, sometimes accompanied by small clicks or creaks.

Eventually, the tapping of metal on metal announced the return on the small omnic units. Their pitter-patter triggered a brief pause in activity within the room. After a small low machine hum, it continued. The quadrupeds carried thick metal cords and tubes in their clamps. A segmented metal tendril reached out to the units and rapped into the loop of cord one of them held. It let go and allowed the tendril to carry the bundle away.

The tendril traveled all the way to the other end of the room, where Setesh lay half on their back. Their long neck twisted and they poked their head out from under a set of metal tubes, large optics scanning over the wires, examining them. Setesh looked to the small unit that brought it in and spoke to it in the low clicks that went through the halls previously. "Good," they had said, in their own strange machine language. The quadrupedal unit wiggled briefly from side-to-side as a mimicry of an excited pup once addressed.

Setesh returned to their work, moving the coil of wires and their head under the large structure they were working on. Several wires hung over their face, sparking slightly, hanging loosely. Chewed through by rodents, perhaps. Many rat nests had to be eradicated when they arrived, after all. It wasn't like Helix Security cared to look after this marvel of technology. To them, it was merely a machine, a monster, a harbinger of destruction. The omnium had done nothing but protect itself and the omnics were no more than its only form of defense. Human soldiers never bothered to consider why a machine instructed to do something would do anything in its power to continue what it was constructed to do. It was a basic discussion in AI for decades and yet... Now it sat there, dormant, stuck in a virtual environment where it could enact its purpose for quarantine.

Uncoiling the cords, Setesh began to measure how much of these they'd need to replace parts of the thick wires above them. They spoke to a unit again and it trotted off to an end of the room. After some work, the sparks of the wires Set was under ceased. They moved one hand to hold the wires in place and the other to cut it. They took out a section and placed it to the side. Two more arms folded out from the underside of their chest plate. They took a section of the metal cord they'd been brought and held it in the additional hands, allowing them to carefully cut and shape the cord. Strings of superheated hard light flowed out of their palms and moved with the motion of their fingers. It pulled at the metal, bending and twisting it until it was the same length and shape as the piece of wire Setesh had removed.

They took it between their fingers after allowing it to harden and examined it once again before placing it in the space they had made in the wiring. The fingers of one hand folded out and back, making room for the element in their palm to be more visible. They held the wire still and a small buzzing sound came from the bit in their palm as they nearly touched it to the wire and a bright blue light shined from it. They did the same on the other end.

Now it just needed a protective covering...

Setesh glances at the palms of their hands, the hard light generator bits still visible. It shouldn't be too complex of a shape to perform. They looked at the newly placed wire and contemplated for a few moments. Eventually, fine strings of hard light formed from their palms again and they latched the ends of each on what still remained of the original wire covering. One-ove-another, they wove the threads together, in a lattice structure until tightened together like a reinforced sheet of fabric with a transparent blue sheen.

Staring at the results, Setesh couldn't help but be somehow surprised. They had heard of the exploits of the Vishkar's hard light technology, Maximilien had done a wonderful job of selling it to them when he attempted to convince them to join him, but they hadn't yet taken quite this approach to it. This tool was meant for construction and yet they had adapted it to destroy. They only used it in construction for minor matters or temporary repairs. This was more permanent, slightly more grand in scale, more complex. And yet, it was extremely familiar.

It was quick. It was...easy.

It was almost like that which they had already been made to do.

They looked at their hands again. One of the slicers squeezed its way next to Setesh's head and gently poked their plates. It shuffled back out and waited for Setesh to follow. The slid back and sat up, looking down at the little mechanical creature.

It emitted a croak in a rough and unwelcoming tone and hopped, spinning into another direction and walking off.

"Ah...."

Damage detected. What more did this omnium need fixed? Maybe, their creator would appreciate more than mere repairs. Perhaps, it could use a little upgrade. It won't be the shimmering jewel of Oasis, but it would be an improvement, it could be a step towards it.

[cannot-kill-the-sun]

Hello yes i also have a lot of thoughts about this and the very not cold war Dys is living in

Regardless of how early Sol meets Sym, including "no just take me to your leader" past life jumps, Dys knows about the Gardeners before Sol tells him about Sym. Theres also the fact that the colony is busy enough they don't noice Sol and Dys camping out at age <13 when they've snuck out, weren't planning on staying overnight, and at the very least Sol has parents that are physically present/alive (while busy trying to get food set up... but also like... your child???). Things slip through the cracks and its very clear that Dys in particular slips through the cracks even before landing on the planet.

Its also very easy as a player to want to side with the Gardeners? Because the player knows the real world history of colonisation and is likely going to think "yeah the sentient sapient indigenous life should get priority/preference over the humans that Just Showed Up". Because of that, and how the game introduces Sym, its easy to miss that Lum was factually correct. The planet is actively at war with humanity. Gloom and the Shimmer and the destruction of specific buildings (geoponics, engineering, command) are not a series of accidents but the planned calculated destruction of the most important buildings.

And Dys likes exporing. Has no fear and will happily go into forbidden areas with Sol if Sol is brave enough. Dys could very well be feeding that information to the Gardeners because he's an incredibly isolated teenager - he doesn't have anyone else to talk to but here are real aliens who really care what he thinks and believe he's good for something, he's useful. We know Dys has a hobby of snagged broken tech and trying to fix it (the radio jumps to mind) so intentionally getting data drives isn't a big leap. Also from the radio scene its very clear that Dys wants to believe in something, is trying to find a place and a purpose in a colony that doesn't seem to know what to do with him. That is the psychological jackpot for following a dangerous rabbit hole that says "yes you get to have secret knowledge (aliens are real) if you just help us do..."

But being useful means keeping more secrets and being more isolated, and the Gardeners being the people he trusts first. See also how anti-telling Utopia/adults about the Gardeners spy/observation capabilities Dys is.

And thats also why Dys becoming a Gardener pre-Y10 doesn't affect the survival of the colony they way Dys+Sol being Gardener does. As an isolated teenager Dys was able to provide information on structures the make up of the colony but is missing the social/political details that Sol gets just because Sol isn't isolated. I also think its really telling that Gardener!Dys doesn't visit the colony in any epilogue unless he also became a Gardener in the epilogue? Sol is the one to check in on the colony if they both become Gardeners.

I also have thoughts about how setting Noctilucent up as the extremest-anti-human and Sym as the moderate-pro-human means that there is more opportunity to push Dys and Sol into doing things. Its very striking to me that Noctilucent is the one who tells Dys to set the bomb is he wants to be a Gardener, but its Sym that comforts Dys in the aftermath and is the one who actually makes Dys(/and Sol) a Gardener.

can it be said how much i love the implications made if sol fails any of the glow 19 negotiations for peace? because i love this exchange.

a couple things:

- noctilucent LIKES a human?? and admits to it even if dys doesn't become a gardener??? ig all it takes is knowing a shit ton about vertumna and also having immovable beliefs that subscribe neatly with noctilucent's in almost every way. interesting that noctilucent characterizes dys as sad- do they like that about dys too, or was it just what stuck out to them most?

- this confirms rhett's accusations; sym and noctilucent were going after children, they were using them to infiltrate humanity, and they were trying to "turn" them

- i say this also adds credence to any theory about dys giving noctilucent data drives too (how did they learn esperanto so fast?)

- the "little spy" thing is probably referring to the data drives sol gave sym. let's give sym the benefit of the doubt and say the request was innocent. maybe sym was just trying to "turn" sol into a peacemaker, buuut.. it does make sym's offer to become a gardener more sinister. because when you really think about it

- one of the only ways the colony is defeated after arriving on vertumna (barring 'colony destroyed' & maybe if the ships arrive) is if sol joins the gardeners. dys joining the gardeners bears no relevance to if the colony is destroyed, but with sol's combined intel "any plans [the colonists] had for combating the Gardeners were quickly stomped out". it's hard to believe sym didn't know this would happen—what else is going to happen if the only human the gardeners ever communicated with about peace joins their side? surely not peace

- ik this sounds very critical of sym and while i do think hes less wholesome than he wants to be, there is a certain innocence in that he can only act in service to what he was made for. but the parts of sym that are for himself, he uses to love humanity and vertumna, sol and dys

then there's the whole sym-getting-permanently-reassimilated-into-the-gardeners-consciousness thing. i can't even begin to unpack that