#Retail cleaning systems

[james-joyces-right-eyeball]

ACAB: All Customers are Bastards

[sirianasims]

Psssst! Hey! Yes, you! We need to talk about clubs:

Using the Clubs for Immersive Gameplay

Of all the systems that Sims 4 has, the club feature is probably one of my favourites (Restaurants are a close second, but they're not why we're here today!) Clubs are one of the easiest ways to increase your immersion when you play and make the random townies that show up on community lots just a tiny bit less random.

The Basics

Often, people are mostly concerned with the groups their active sims are in. You might already have a club to keep track of your sims' closest friends, study group, or baby daddies, we don't judge here.

Clubs are also a great way to automate what you want your sim to be doing with less micromanaging, but for immersion, we're actually more interested in clubs for the sims you don't (or rarely) play.

WTF are the neighbours doing?

Most of the pre-made clubs are kinda meh. I prefer to add my own so I can make my community lots just a bit more lively and make sure people's activities make just a tiny bit of sense because the autonomy in this game is not great. These are just for inspiration based on clubs I often add to my own game:

A group of teens who meet at the retail clothing store to try on clothes and gossip about Nancy's nose job or whatever.

A local bowling league (complete with uniforms) who meet and bowl - just don't fuck with The Jesus.

An HOA of Karens who meet at the park to clean, raise property values, and be mean to people.

Geeks and gamers who meet at the local arcade to awkwardly flirt over pizza.

Comedians who meet at the local comedy club - you can even use the club doors to make a VIP backroom only for the performers.

Sports teams - such as a basket team who meets at a local basket court, or a swim team who meets at the local pool (you can even give them tiny matching speedos!)

Scouts! The scout feature is cute but it's a rabbit hole, boo! But you can make a Scouts club, complete with uniforms, and have them show up in parks where they can do various activities and work on their badges. Add a teen or two to supervise the younglings, their parents will be so proud, aww.

A sorority or fraternity in university who meet up at the local bar in matching varsity jackets to make all the other students feel inferior.

A group of old ladies who meet at the park to knit or cross-stitch and brag about the accomplishments of their descendants.

A "business" club, usually CEOs, lawyers and such, who meet in fancy bars to hold important business meetings and probably commit white-collar crimes, so predictable.

If you have a sim with an office/work from home job and you'd like to pretend they actually go to work, you can make an office building and a group of "coworkers" who'll show up to drink coffee, chat, and work on computers next to them in the office. It'll even simulate rotating desk assignments for an instant capitalist hellscape!

The possibilities are endless, and I find the club feature really useful to add little interesting scenarios to the background of my gameplay.

Thanks to SQOTD for inspiring this!

📩 Simblr question of the day: according to you, what are the most underutilized gameplay features in the sims games you played, dlc included? - @simblr-question-of-the-day

[octagava]

<- Day 25: Secret | Day 26: No Powers AU | Day 27: Love ->

some close ups and about the AU:

Frankly, I had been thinking about this AU long before I even decided to draw it for today's prompt. Of course, Dazai is an ex-assassin (taking on Sakamoto's role in this case), while Atsushi is the retail worker he fell in love with and promptly married (Atsushi being Aoi). They don’t have a child together, but they have Kyouka, who is a mix between Lu and Hana’s characters.

She was the daughter of the Izumi family (this world's equivalent of a Triad family), but after her parents were killed, she was supposed to be taken in by a "family friend." However, she ran away before that could happen. Atsushi, who had just lost his adoptive father at the time, found her beaten and bruised. He took her in, fed her, and she became his so-called sister. This all happened before Dazai even entered Atsushi’s life.

Then there’s Akutagawa, who takes on Shin’s role. He was searching for Dazai not only because he had been given a hit on the man, but also to prove that he had grown stronger and could stand on his own. He was promptly defeated, and because of the mess he caused, he was roped into cleaning the store—eventually joining as a worker.

In this AU, Dazai's appearance changes not because he deliberately tries to disguise himself, but purely due to self-care. During his assassin days, he was heavily depressed more so than usual. His hair was black because it was filthy, and straight because it was greasy. His complexion was pale due to malnutrition, and he always carried a weird smell of fish. In short, his hygiene was terrible, a direct result of his depression and his willingness to do nothing but rot. His mental state dragged him down, worsening even further after the death of someone he cared about. However, over the years, his depression has improved. While it hasn’t completely disappeared and he still struggles with suicidal tendencies, this is the best he has felt in a decade; he’s much happier now. That said, his past mental state and struggles should not define him as a person. Back then, he was constantly surrounded by death, suffering, and the worst scum on earth, without the strong support system he has in the "present day." Many other characters in this AU also deal with difficulties or trauma, including Kyouka, Akutagawa, and Atsushi. But for now, this is the basic gist of the AU.

[konansock]

Mod Update: Club & Business Activity Expanded - MORE Business update!

Happy Simming, Simmers! After Business and Hobbies released, I tested my mod in the new system and found more opportuny, as well as bugs to be fixed! So here's a major update to the mod.

Bug Fixes:

Various Text and Images were missing from the first version, they're fixed in this new and improved update.

Tend Stall now officially works as intended.

WooHoo Business:

Apparently this is one of the most anticipated feature of WooHoo Addon, but it wasn't working before, now it is.

The present activity WooHoo will still work with restrictions, for Simmers who just want customers to be intimate with their partners and sleep at a hotel.

New activity has been added: WooHoo with Small Business Employees (for customers) and WooHoo with Customers (for employees). You need to pair them up so customers have employees to ask for WooHoo. Don worry, they won't ask for WooHoo from random janitors who was only assigned the task 'Clean'!

They're now fully autonomous, and your small business even earns money from it! Charisma, Fitness and Romance skills affect the payout.

As customers, you can expect to check in your favorite small business for a casual WooHoo, too!

Photo Studio:

I always wanted a way for my Sims to pay some Simoleons and take their photos. You can sort of simulate it with the updated Photography activity.

Employees will Tend Tripod along with Photo Studios now, and taking pictures for customers with tripods now earns them Simoleons. It just does not display on the text. Photography skill and Fine Arts Degree affect the final payout.

As a customer, you can see the employees Tend Tripod. They're just cosmetics and don't actually matter. You just strike a pose with your Pose Player and select Ask for Photoshoot either from a Tripod or the Ticket Kiosk. Selecting the photographer affects your payout.

Self service as a customer now also cost you Simoleons.

Fashion Studio:

The Make-Up Chair and Wardrobe Pedestal is probably the ACTUAL most asked feature in this update. It's HERE!

Your can assign employees the task Tend Make-Up Chair and Tend Wardrobe Pedestal. This is necessary for customers to find a hairdresser/cloth designer.

For NPC Customers, once you choose the activity Be Styled or Be Outfitted, you can just let the Make-Up studio or Clothing studio work in the background, and you'll earn money from it. Fame and Fine Arts Degree affect the final payout.

However, manually Offer Make-Up/Hairstyle/Outfit will earn your Sims more Simoleons. Manually Offer to Update Appearance on Wardrobe Pedestal also earns your Sim money.

If you want to also earn money from Offer to Update Appearance interaction on Make-Up Chair, use this mod by LittleMsSam.

As a customer, you can choose any interaction on the Make-Up Chair and Wardrobe Pedestal, and you'll be styled/outfitted for a fee! Note that only Ask to Update Appearance lead your Sims to CAS and allow you to customize, the other interactions are random.

Tarot Reading:

Life and Death allowed us to open a Tarot business, but not as a customer? This is fixed in the mod.

Front Desk Assistant:

This is so random but some kind Simmer asked for this feature. Requires Get to Work though. While the Front Desk is tended, customers will be automatically welcomed, helping you a tiny bit in customer rating.

Grocery Shopping:

The Get to Work Lice Freezer now works with Small Business! Stock up with snacks, fizzy juice, harvestables and farm products, and watch your business grow into local Sims-mart!

Works with Brazenlouts' Produce stand, too!

As a customer, you can also purchase ingredients stored in the retail fridge.

Occult Training:

Occult Training now earns you money based on your rank and length of mentorship.

Note that Occult Training is very strict on customers, so this might not be a good idea for long-term business.

DOWNLOAD HERE

[kaccvcate]

My friend's couch back in Mississippi was infested with fleas, which I'm deathly allergic to. So, right before I left town, I broke out head to toe, and a month later my skin is still violently reacting. The rash goes all the way up my legs, and I have a patch on my side, and on my elbows as well. I used to get prescribed steroids for my skin reactions, but no doctor has been willing to diagnose or treat my general immune system problems without insurance (I have a lot of severe symptoms, but specialists for my type of condition are extremely expensive to see.) Last time I saw a doctor she prescribed an epipen for when I have anaphylaxis, but I was never able to afford it for over a year, so the pharmacy deleted it. I've been homeless on and off since I was a teenager. I used to work multiple jobs, but my immune system reacting to random things eventually made normal retail and restaurant jobs actively dangerous, so I had to give it up....plus working multiple jobs didn't even reliably keep me housed, one of my employers even complained I was using the shower to bathe when he knew I slept in the parking lot at night. I worked my ass off six days a week for him! I don't have family to help me out, so every time I lose my income for even a short period it's impossible to stay housed. This is especially compounded by the fact that I'm sensitive to most common household products, and it feels really unreasonable to go into someone else's home and be like, hey, can you get rid of all your air fresheners and scented candles, and stop using 90% of the cleaning products you like...I mean, it just isn't fair to put that burden on others. I had a couple doctors recommend me for the dole for disability when I was in New York, even my case worker was confused that I kept getting denied, but it is what it is. I'm unable to use any normal hygiene products, I'm allergic to all of them, I can only use expensive all natural handmade soap and baking soda for my teeth, or else I'll have sores and cysts all over. Only certain clothing materials can touch my skin or I have a reaction. If anyone walks past me wearing strong perfume, I'll have a horrible asthma attack and possibly go into anaphylactic shock.

Anyway, I usually use tea tree oil and hydrocortisone, for this...peppermint oil helps more but is harder to find. I'm about to be out of both medicines, so I'll have to sit outside the pharmacy with my gay little sign and hope someone helps me out.

What is it like being disabled and homeless? It's like invisible fire ants are attacking my legs 24/7. And everyone says "ewwww why are you barefoot" well, because friction from shoes makes it ten times fucking worse instantly 🤮

[w-sims]

The Sims 4: Businesses & Hobbies... My First Impressions

I started playing around in the Businesses & Hobbies, running a gym. Here are a few things I've noticed that might be of interest.

You can assign employee tasks and uniforms (up to 5) per employee. At my gym, this meant I had a personal trainer whose tasks included mentoring and cleaning, along with a massage therapist whose job was to, well, offer massages. They each had different uniforms, too.

It feels a lot more customisable, with each employee being able to have their own role.

I am now imagining the way I could have pushed this further, including having a maintenance employee whose tasks included cleaning and repair, along with a barista if I'd added a café. The fact they'd each have their own appropriate uniform really feels like a great feature to include, and makes the business feel like it has a lot of depth to it.

Overall, I'm impressed with the customisation available in the Small Business features. I do wish it had been an overhaul of the Get to Work retail system, or some kind of amalgamation of the two. This feels a lot more robust, a lot more thought out and having businesses on residential lots (as per The Sims 2) feels correct.

[hierba-picante]

I'll Be There Ch. 2

Didn't read chapter 1? Well, here it is!! :]

Edit: Fic is now on AO3!

WEEEE CHAPTER TWO!!

Summary: YIPEEE YOU GOT THE JOB!! :D Now you gotta tell your little brother the good news!

Word Count: 7.7k!

Tags!: gn!reader, many hijinks, no use of y/n, Gregory is a little shit, the daycare attendants are goofy, Moon, Sun, and Eclipse are all separate animatronics!, Daycare attendants have transatlantic accents, Alternate universe- Canon Divergence, self insert, 2nd person POV, slight angst, comfort,

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Gregory finished his last bite of pizza, happily taking a sip of his soda to wash it down. The pizza itself was one of the best he’d eaten. Served hot and loaded with cheese and sauce, each bite was just as good as the last. The crust itself was good too. Garlic seasoning on it with specks of cheese baked on top of it. Pleased with himself, he packed his left overs in the box it came in. He couldn’t help the swing of his legs as he looked around the food court, absentmindedly drumming his full stomach. 

“But…I wanted that one…I want the cone” her voice cracked. 

Noting the few families sitting at their assigned tables, he glanced at a pair of siblings. An older brother laughed as his little sister spilled ice cream on the table. Her fishbowl eyes watering as she stared blankly at her now empty ice cream cone. Her brother grabbed a napkin and wiped her face clean. Taking a new napkin, he dried her tears.

“Come on, I’ll buy you a new one. In a cup this time okay?” he cooed as he helped his sister out of her chair. 

The older brother gave a small smile and picked her up. “You still have your cone, you can take a bite of it as you eat your new ice cream.”

Her eyes twinkled, “Yeah! I can!” Her legs excitedly kicked against her brother’s abdomen. He winced a bit as he carried her away.

Your little brother couldn’t help the slump in his shoulders. When was your interview done? How long could a retail position take to interview? He grumbled as he sunk in his chair. Irritated eyes glancing over to another family at a table. 

Two parents were seated with their baby boy and daughter. Their father was cleaning the little boy’s face while their daughter took bites out of a pizza. Gregory’s posture straightened a bit, watching the parents give attention to the boy. He felt the ends of his mouth curl downwards. The father’s phone rang. He briefly looked down at it, dismissing himself from the table with a kiss to his wife. Passing his toddler over to his oldest, who happily carried him on her lap. She offered a sip of cola to her sibling, who excitedly grabbed at the straw. Their mother affectionately tucked the hair behind her daughter’s ear.

Gregory ripped his eyes away from the happy family and took a shaky breath. Clammy hands gripping his box of pizza as he walked away. Jealousy gripped at his chest. Your interview had to have been done by now, it just had to.

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Pansy had walked you out of the daycare, showing you how to use your employee watch. It was a baby blue banded wrist accessory, adorned with happy clouds smiling up at you. She showed you how to open the door and reminded you to not worry about locking it. It had its own self locking system. Amongst door accessibility there was also communication within the watch. Not just from Pansy but from the company as well. They had been kind enough to implement a small map you were able to open in the watch if you needed. A little orange dot to mark where you currently were. An emergency call option was also given to you, in the case you didn’t have your phone on you.

Your new manager also left you with a bag for your uniforms. There were three to choose from, each with a duplicate to use in between washes. The first one shined with yellow colors. A yellow short sleeve button up with, of course, suns dancing across it. Paired with a sun ray headband. The second was a navy blue short sleeve button up, stars with sleepy expressions leading towards the ends of the shirt. A night cap was given for this uniform. The appearance of sleepy stars littering the cap. The last uniform was a calming orange, short sleeve button up. Little eclipsed suns fashioned in a linear pattern. Another sunny ray headband similar to the last one, only this pair was two toned to match Eclipse’s own rays. You just had to make sure you wore work appropriate pants and shoes. They gave you the freedom to accessorize your uniforms, even offering you a handful of patches and pins of the daycare attendants to use. 

Placing the headpiece back into your gifted tote bag, you reached for your phone to call your brother. You smiled as you swiped through your contacts. Oblivious to him already walking over to you. Your walking stuttered to a halt as you felt his forehead fall to your stomach.

“Greg! I was just going to call you, I got the job!” you cheerily greeted him with good news. He stayed silent. Quirking an eyebrow, you set your phone in your bag and gave him your full attention. “Hey…Gregory?” 

The car ride was quiet with the exception of faint radio. You'd glance over to him every now and then to see his eyes glued to the window. Watching the world pass by in front of him. Thoughts swarmed your brain as you tried coming up with remedies for his state of mind. Maybe you guys could watch a movie. You could buy his favorite snacks and let him pick the film. Watching a movie would demand his entire attention. Or you could get back to teaching him how to crochet. Something to keep his hands busy would keep his mind off things. You'd see which one he'd prefer once you got to that point. 

Still nothing.

The new items sat on the floor next to your feet. This wasn’t like your brother. You were expecting him to give some sort of light hearted snide remark. Or even congrats. But there was nothing. You kneeled down in front of him and cradled his face with one hand. “Are you okay? Did something happen while I was gone?”

Finally, he raised his eyes up to meet yours. His once smirking eyes were now puffy and red. Your brows knitted together as you inspected his face for any hints as to why he came to you like this. Taking a look at his hands, you gave them a once over as well. Arms and legs, nothing new.

“I’m here now, what do you need?” you offered. His pizza box in his hands crumpled in between his fingers. He couldn’t help the sob that left his gritted teeth.

Immediately, you took the box from his hands and offered your own for him to hold. He took them without hesitation, using them to hide his face. You wiped his tears away and moved his hair out of his eyes. Glancing around to see where he came from, you noticed the food court some feet away. Watching a family leave with happy smiles. Hiding the growing worry on your face, you smiled softly at him, now understanding what was causing his distress. You pulled away and offered your name tag for him to look at.  He sniffled and tilted the plastic side to side. Dimly watching it change between three images. Slinging your bag on your shoulder, you carried him with one arm and his pizza leftovers with the other. 

Upon arriving home, Gregory stood by the door with his pizza, waiting for you to grab your things. He watched you twist the keys to the door and stared as you left your bags by the coat rack. 

“I saw a family today...” he muttered under his breath. Pausing your actions, you gave him your full attention. “I was...jealous,” he admitted. You gently took the box out of his hand and placed it on the couch.

“And...sad…sad I don't remember how our parents were…” Your heart squeezed as you listened to your little brother. 

Gregory was very young when the accident happened. No older than six. You yourself were still a child, halfway done with high school. It was a traumatic experience for the both of you, but Gregory had been there to witness all of it in its entirety. You were at a friend's house studying at that time. It wouldn't be surprising to you if the trauma caused Gregory to block out a lot of his childhood. That includes his memories of mom and dad. 

“I have some old family albums, we can look through them together,” you offered as you began to take your shoes off. “I'll tell you stories too, anything you want.” 

Your brother sat on the couch. “That'd be nice…” he trailed off. Kicking off his own shoes without much effort. He curled himself into the cushions. “I'd…like that…” he murmured. 

Turning to face him, you watched as his breathing relaxed. His breath was slow and long. Eyes closed and peaceful. He'd fallen asleep. You watched solemnly. Walking over to him, you scooped him up just like you had when he was small. He didn't move at all, completely limp in your arms. Only moving to cuddle his way into your neck. Giving a big sigh through his nose once he was comfortable. 

You glanced over at the clock to check the time. 3:32. Too early for a nap. But, you couldn't blame him. You didn't know how long he'd been crying before he came to you. He used up so much of his energy that it completely exhausted him. As you made your way up the stairs, you couldn't help the soothing circular motions your hands wove into his back. 

Gently, you turned the doorknob to your shared room. Your side of the room hadn't changed much. Just a new desk and some new pictures you've made a habit of thumb tacking to the wall. Gregory's had a new bed to accommodate his growing size. His small child desk had been switched out with your old one. He had his own fairy lights strung along his wall, a few books littering his bed, and some sketch books. Your brother had grown up to take an interest in drawing. Nothing too serious, just fun doodles of robots and whatever cartoon he'd seen that day. 

Cradling him with one arm, you leaned a bit to push his books off, making sure to break their fall with your foot each time one fell. You leaned a bit too far as you reached for a stray sketchbook. Causing his limp body to sway off yours. Immediately, you cradle his head and gently place him back against your chest. Staying still to see if his breathing had changed. Nope, same relaxed breathing. You gave a quiet “phew” as you pulled his sheets aside. Carefully placing him in his bed, you watched as his brows weakly met. He reached back for you once he felt your warmth had gone. Laughing softly, you brought his sheets over him. His hands immediately grabbed at the fabric. He brought them to his chin and nuzzled himself into the pillow. Face once again peaceful as he continued to sleep. 

Softly tracing your thumb against his cheek, your smile fell. Eyes following his still present tear stains. You couldn't clean them now, you'd already disturbed his sleep. Not wanting to disturb his sleep, you stood up and left the room. Keeping the door ajar and making sure the fairy lights had been turned on. You could go out and follow your initial movie plan. But, that'd mean leaving Greg here alone. The thought of doing so after all that made your stomach churn. No, you wouldn't leave him by himself. 

There was crocheting too. You made your way to the living room to see if you still had enough materials. Opening the closet, they smiled back at you. The threading hooks were still in their bins along with some thick pastel pink yarn. Checking off the list in your head, you then walked to the kitchen. The cupboards hoarded your various mugs and loose leaf tea assortments, all waiting to come together for a warm cup. Chamomile could be a good choice, even hibiscus. A quiet evening home could do him some good. Then again, so would the movie. A walk out to the store to get some fresh air after all that sounded nice. 

You couldn't decide on what to do. You grit your teeth, and painfully grind them. You ultimately decided to let him make the choice. That'd allow him more freedom and give him enough space to feel more in control again. Yeah! The grinding of your teeth stopped as you happily got started on some dinner. 

Chicken and rice was what you both usually had. For one, the rice was easy to come by in giant bags. And two, chicken was the least expensive protein you could get your hands on. Gregory preferred his grilled and seasoned with lemon. Normally you'd have left the meat to marinate overnight, but you fell asleep at your desk the night before. Your brother would have done it himself, but he too fell asleep at his desk. A habit you felt guilty of passing down onto him. 

Getting lost in your thoughts, you made quick work of washing the rice. Running through five rinses, the water pooled up clear. The rice cooker beeped joyfully as you put in the bowl of rice, happy to have been fed. Your feet absentmindedly carried you to the fridge. Reaching down, you grabbed two lemons to season your chicken with. As you made your way back to the counter, you grabbed a knife and the cutting board along with a bowl. The zest of the lemons’ scent struck your nose as you cut into its flesh. Bringing the bowl to your side, you began to squeeze out its juices, making sure to pick out any seeds that had fallen in. You set the squeezed halves aside to use as candy for later. 

Your mind drifted to the times you and Gregory made sweet treats out of lemon and orange peels. They were his favorite in the beginning, but they were quickly pushed aside once you introduced him to gummy bears. It's been a while since the two of you had any homemade candy. Now there was another option to help your brother unwind. Some good old fashioned family bonding. Aside from peel candies, you'd make ‘cakes’. No baking involved. Just some packaged cookies, cream, canned fruit slices and some sugar. The cookies would be used to border a container and layer the cream and fruit. With a dusting of sugar to go on top. You could make those too if he decided he wanted to. 

Your eyes glanced at the clock, four twenty-nine, fingers absentmindedly brushing against the lemon peels. Your mind blanks as you watch the clock's small hand glide over the numbers. 

Something's missing... 

You glanced back down to the bowl of lemon juice then to the empty cutting board. Scoffing to yourself, your palm made contact with your forehead. 

PeyPey snuck his way around the sleeping children. Carefully carrying a random sock he'd found. His partner, Caro, was weaving her way through the sea of sleeping bags. The daycare's guests had been put down for a nap. All faintly snoring, some louder than others. Disorganized at first glance, but each child belonged to a small group.

The chicken. 

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Some children couldn't sleep unless all lights were off, others had trouble without a night light. Then there were kids who slept like tornados. The attendants took care in organizing where each kid would go. 

A handful would sleep furthest away from any lightsource, they were Moon’s. He was the best at seeing things in the dark and was the stealthiest among the others. He took pride in knowing no kid would wake up on his watch. Anytime he noticed one stirring, he'd simply hum a soothing tune. Ten times out of ten they'd get right back to snoring. 

Another group would sleep closer to a window who's curtain opened slightly at the bottom. They were Sun's. His rays produced a faint light, allowing him to sit peacefully in the center of the sleeping children. In the past, he had a notorious streak of waking everyone up, so he was more than happy to sit and act as their nightlight. 

The remaining kids were left to Eclipse, PeyPey, and Caro. Their group of children could sleep anywhere. The three attendants often had to make sure their kids weren't sleeping in painful positions or pulling blankets over their faces. Naturally, the couple's tiny size allowed them to easily do their work without waking anyone up. Eclipse mainly sat in guard, watching for anything that could happen. Offering his strength when his small two friends needed it.

As the hour went on, Sun couldn't help but ping his friends with a little message through their shared server. 

“When do you think the gift shop will be done?? I'm ecstatic to see our new coworker again!!” His eagerness was kept well hidden by his shut eyes. 

“Not long, I've seen where they keep the merchandising and sweets. Perhaps a day or two?” Moon offered his input as he delicately placed a child's hand back into their sleeping bag. 

“All in due time. Though, with all the staff bots moving around I'd say a day at most,” Eclipse commented. 

“A day sounds right, I'd say,” PeyPey agreed as he sat down next to Eclipse. 

“Maybe even half a day if we're lucky!” Caro added as she settled on the other side of her towering friend. 

Sun's rays couldn't help but spin at the notion. Half a day? Why that'd mean you'd be here tomorrow morning! He couldn't wait to see you again. A new coworker meant a new friend! A new friend meant more fun and memories to have! He calmed his rays as he snuck a glance through the curtain peak. As expected, staff bots running about with arms full of supplies. Some brought in signs that required the aid of two to carry. 

“Caro might be right, the gift shop looks as good as finished! They're just organizing the shelves and adding some signage to the walls!!” Sun exclaimed. 

“And it's only five thirty! The plex doesn't close until ten!” she excitedly pointed out, drumming Eclipse's leg. The latter chuckled and turned to glance at his twin, “Looks like we'll be seeing them tomorrow then.” 

“New coworker, New gift shop, we might be busy tomorrow too. If this new spot gets advertised enough,” Moon pointed out. His faceplate resting in his palms as he watched his enamored twin keep track of all the staff bots. “I wonder what kind of person we'll get to know tomorrow”. 

PeyPey chimed in. “A new one,” he laughed quietly to himself and his girlfriend couldn't help but snort. 

Moon's eyes rolled. “Ah yes, how could I not have expected that.” He smiled over to the smaller animatronics. 

“A completely new one, one we've very much never, ever seen before,” Caro teased as a smirk danced across her face. 

“Alright, alright, keep that up and I won't let you hang around that smart alec anymore,” Moon challenged as his own smirk grew. 

The female animatronic gasped as she scrambled to hide in Eclipse's lap. Her partner followed after her. 

“Moon, dear brother, please don't joke like that. She has a hard time telling the difference.” The orange brother frowned at his lunar sibling. 

“Darling, I wouldn't let that happen. Come out please,” PeyPey attempted to coax her out.

Moon sighed, guilt dripping into his chest. “I didn't mean it. I'd never take you away from your boyfriend, dear. I'm sorry.” 

Caro peeked her head out, “Never ever?” Her hand reached out to meet PeyPey's. 

The moon laughed, “Never ever.” 

The female animatronic happily took PeyPey's hand and yanked him into Eclipse's lap. The pair giggling as their tall friend shook his head. 

He felt like he was babysitting the couple now. “I wish Moon would,” his comment fell on deaf ears.

You and Gregory sat at the small dinner table, sharing the meal you just finished preparing. He smiled as he took another bite of rice and chicken. Tear stains gone and his eyes now well rested. The color in his face was restored as well. Your cheeks rose as you watched him eat. It was relieving to see him back to his usual self. 

Sun's rays danced. “Puppy looove~” he sang.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄

“So, Greg, what do you wanna do after dinner?” you asked as you took a sip of your water. Ready to give him your previously planned options should he not have an idea already.

Your brother hummed in thought, “We could go back to the pizzaplex if you want,” he replied with his mouthful. 

Nearly choking on your water, you took in a big gulp to avoid it. “But, do you want to?” you asked him with sincere curiosity and a bit of worry. 

Gregory gently danced his head side to side, happily chewing on another bite of food. “Yeah, I wanna.” He smiled up at you from across the table. 

You nodded. “Is it alright if I ask why?” You prepared yourself for whatever answer he could give. It was safe to assume he'd want a bit of space from the place after what happened that afternoon. But to want to go back now? It concerned you a bit. 

He looked off to the side. “I want to have a better experience, one with you.” He blinked away his embarrassment. Briefly flitting his eyes to yours before looking away again.

The strings of your heart tugged as you replayed his reasoning in your head. “Aww, Greggy!” You couldn't help but get out of your chair and immediately pepper kisses into his hair. 

“Agh—! Hey!” he fussed. Half pushing you away with one arm and half allowing you to smother him. 

You chuckled and placed one last kiss on his cheek. “You don't let me baby you anymore.” Faking a pout at him, you leaned down to be eye level with him. 

He rolled his eyes. “Yea, cause you act stupid.” He smirked and watched you gasp. 

“Nuh uh,” you retorted as you walked back to your seat. 

“Yuh huh, you do,” he challenged with a laugh. “You say stuff like ‘Aw my little Greggy! My good little Greggy eggy baby boy!’” he mocked. 

Your eyes narrowed, “What else do you expect from your ‘favoritest favorite person’?” It was your turn to smirk as his jaw shut closed. “Your ‘bestest sib ever!’ or how about ‘the coolest sib’?” challenging his taunt with two of your own. 

 “I'm surprised you remember those,” he grumbled as he poked at the few remaining rice grains on his plate. 

You took your victory with a bow. “I could never forget such titles,” you said, a smirk growing as you took your last bite of food. “But, yes, I'll take you there. What time is it?” you asked. 

He glanced at the clock above your head. “Seven fifteen,” he answered. 

You chugged the last of your water and rose up from your seat. “Alrighty then, go grab your shoes. We have about three hours ‘til they close,”giving your brother orders as you push your chair. 

He excitedly ran over to the living room. Nearly tripping himself as he came back to push in his chair and place his dishes in the sink. Your eyes follow him as you let the warm water run. Doing the dishes now could waste some of your limited time, so you opted for letting them soak until the two of you came back home. 

The excited thumps of shoes sounded in your ear as you dried your hands off with the kitchen rag. You couldn't help but laugh to yourself. Gregory was, without a doubt, a little shit. But, on occasion, he was a cute kid. Which, in your eyes, was all the time. Little shit or not, he was cute regardless. Especially now as he ran back to you and stopped at your side. 

“Come on! Get your shoes!” he hurried you while pulling you to the living room. 

“I'm coming, I'm coming!” Your laughter never leaves as you reach your shoes by the door. 

“They have the best pizza there! Come on, let's go share one! Oh—and ice cream!” He resumed pulling you out the door. You gave your boots a quick toe kick to the ground as you followed him, feeling them secure to your feet.

“We just ate, pudge!” You cackled watching him open the car door for you. “Plus you have leftovers from earlier!”

“I'm a growing boy, I can use more food!” He scrambled into the passenger seat. Too excited to walk around to enter properly, he wormed his way in from your lap. 

You wiped the growing tears in your eyes. “Can't argue with that.” Watching him click his seat belt in and kick his feet in excitement. 

Upon arriving at the pizzaplex, you couldn't help but notice the stark difference in the parking lot. It was a lot more full now compared to when you arrived for your interview. Finding a parking spot was a nightmare. Numerous times you had to turn back into the same line, thinking you saw a space available. Only to be met with disappointment as the space was taken by a small car. Gregory had his head sticking out the window trying to find a good spot. 

“There!! Right there!!” he shouted and pointed to an empty spot.

Immediately you swerved into it, promptly backing up slowly to properly align yourself within the lines. You glanced at the sign in front of you, squinting as you tried to read the small writing. ‘Employee parking only,’ it read. You looked around and noticed you were at the front of the plex. After so much back and forth, you felt silly to not think of looking for this type of spot initially. 

“Alright, let's go eat some pizza,” you said as you reached for your bag. Gregory gave a celebratory shout before climbing out of the car. 

You made sure to attach your daycare watch to your wrist, just in case anyone asked about your choice in parking. It'd also help to familiarize yourself with its features. 

The automatic doors welcomed you in. The sounds of arcade games and the clamoring of voices overlapping each other was all enough to make your head spin. The ping of your watch grabbed your attention. Glancing down, you quickly swiped at the notification on the screen. 

“What's that?” Gregory half shouted over the numerous sounds. 

“My work watch, looks like they fixed up a schedule for me already,” you answered. 

To your delight, you'd been given a consistent schedule. Mondays through Fridays you'd work from 9 am to 5:30 pm. You had two ten minute breaks as well as a paid lunch break that had been scheduled into your work days. Luckily for you, that meant work would start tomorrow—tomorrow being Wednesday. Viewing all the chaos before you, you were grateful you'd be done with work before it got to be this crazy. The perks of working in an area with smaller children. 

The daycare had closed its doors a little more than an hour ago. Staff Bots were roaming around and picking up any small debris the attendants might have missed. The lights dimmed once everything had been cleaned and sanitized. Which left the daycare attendants to retire to their rooms behind the stage.  

Your attention is pulled by your brother leading you to a nearby food court. He looks back at you with a smile. A laugh rumbled in your chest as you watched him with adoring eyes. Happiness sprung into your heart, overjoyed your new job allowed you to see this side of Gregory. 

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄

Admittedly, while PeyPey and Caro were naturally the same height as the other attendants, they preferred to unwind in their smaller forms. Often sleeping in the room of whomever had been carrying them that evening. PeyPey yawned and curled himself into a complete ball in Sun's arms. 

“Aww, someone needs to be put to charge~” Sun cooed as he opened the door to his room. 

Pale yellow walls with warm orange light fixtures in the shapes of suns danced into view. A bed with white sheets laid at the corner. It had an orange bed frame to match the room. On the opposite side stood a wooden desk with small doodads in its cubbies. The tiled flooring was a happy yellow. Small plants in clear acrylic vases hung about his room. Some floral, others just greenery. An orange loveseat sat just a few feet away from his desk.

His small friend hummed in agreement as he briefly opened his eyes, “Where's Caro?” 

The solar animatronic settled him into a small nest of blankets and pillows atop his desk. “She wanted to go for a night stroll with Eclipse!” A small charging pad rested beneath the small animatronic.

“I wanna go see her,” PeyPey groaned to himself as he tried swimming out of the blankets.

Sun quickly bundled him up. “No no sir, you need to charge! Your battery is running at five percent,” he frowned. He tried not to laugh as he watched his friend squirm in the swaddle of sheets.

The small animatronic frowned up at Sun, squinting at him. “I can find her just fine on a five percent charge,” he grumbled. 

“As your friend and handler, I insist that you stay put and don’t push yourself,” Sun calmly stated.

PeyPey growled and rolled over to his side, facing his back towards Sun, causing the latter to gasp loudly, then stick his tongue out, fully aware that his small friend wouldn’t be able to see.

Moon knocked on his brother’s door. “Sun? Is something the matter?”

The twin jumped at the sound, scrambling to his feet as he ran to open the door. “Moony! I was just putting PeyPey down for an early charge, but he insisted on seeing his girlfriend.” His optics glared at the bundled animatronic. Who, in turn, glared back at the mention of his name.

The lunar animatronic chuckled at the news. “So why don’t you let him? If he can’t go to her, just ping her to come here,” he suggested.

Sun’s shoulders rose in a shrug. “I’d been so wrapped up in trying to charge him that the thought completely slipped my mind…” He turned back and watched PeyPey’s tired eyes slowly blink one after the other. 

The solar animatronic looked amongst the many children. “Which one is yours?”

With a sigh, he did what his twin recommended him to do.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄

Eclipse had been walking around a food court with Caro on his shoulder. Animatronics weren’t gifted with taste buds, but they still had receptors to feel. It just so happened that Eclipse favored the sensation spicy foods brought. His usual meal consisted of nachos swimming in hot sauce and jalapeňos. As well as a cup of pickled jalapeňo juice to wash it all down with. His brothers weren’t much of a spice fan as he was. Moon favored sour tasting things, enough so to keep eating them until the acids scarred his synthetic skin. Sun, on the other hand, liked sweets the most. The only word he could use to describe the taste was light and happy. That meant more scorching spice for Eclipse, which he was happy about. The seven foot tall animatronic excitedly got in line. The thought of his nachos made him bounce on the balls of his feet excitedly. So much so that he failed to notice his new coworker in line right in front of him. But Caro was fully aware.

“Interviewee!” she excitedly called from Eclipse’s shoulder.

You and Eclipse jumped at the sudden shout. Hesitantly, you turned to see the source of the sound. A sigh of relief escaped your lips as you looked up to see your new coworkers. Minding the other eyes staring, you began to converse with them. “Ah—hello you two. Eclipse and Caro, right?”

The two nodded their heads. “Right you are, dear,” Eclipse answered. He curiously eyed you, “Say…what’re you doing around here? Not that we mind, do forgive me. But, last I checked, we don’t see you until tomorrow morning.”

Caro gasped. “You’re right! What’re you doing here newbie?” she asked you.

You swallowed down a laugh as the two animatronics prodded you to answer. “I’m here with my little brother, Gregory!”

His small friend jumped off his shoulder. “I gotta go!”

Caro's burst nearly makes your eyes pop out of their sockets. The taller animatronic scrambling to reach for her. 

“Hey! Where are you running off to?” he called out to her. 

“I got a ping from Sun! I'll be back!” she hollered back as she wove her way through guests. 

Eclipse sighed. “Well, uhm...where were we…Right! Where's your little yoot at?”

Your hand pointed towards a booth. There, Gregory sat while swinging his legs. Happily munching on a slice of pizza, blissfully unaware of the set of eyes on him. 

“Aww, he's a darling one,” your coworker commented. “He takes after you, I suppose.”

The line continued to move as the two of you talked.

“What do you mean?” you asked.

The animatronic hesitated for a moment. “You both have a certain disposition…hmm...Happy? Content? Generally positive I'd say.” 

Your brow raised curiously, “Do we now?” 

He nodded, glancing back at your brother. “Yes, you both may look different, but I can tell the two of you are siblings. The way you carry yourselves is what nails it down. Why, I can picture you eating that pizza. Take me and my brothers for example. While physically I match Sun more, my personality is more like Moon's. We both have a sort of calm air about us. I'm sure our first run-in was evident of that,” he chuckled to himself. 

A snort escaped you. “Hard to argue with such compelling evidence...I guess I forget to notice the way I carry myself,” you admitted. 

The line drew you both closer to the front counter. 

“I’m sorry, dear, I didn't mean to make you feel self-conscious,” he apologized with a hand on your shoulder. 

“Oh—! No you didn't, really! I just don't pay much attention to myself is all—haha,” nervous laughter creaked out of your mouth. 

You weren't much of a conversationalist either. Your nervousness clearly showed as you tried to remain calm. What a great first impression this was. 

Eclipse seemed to notice your unease, taking away his hand as he inspected you with his optics. He took your word as true. You had bags under your eyes, a faint purple hue dusting them. Your hair a mess, and…was that a grain of rice on your cheek? 

“Come here, you have a little something over there,” he motioned his cheek with his hand. 

You squeaked in embarrassment, quickly brushing the spot. “Did I get it?” not noticing the grain was still there. 

Your coworker smiled. “No, here let me just...” he trailed off. He chuckled as he leaned down, “Silly.” His metallic finger tip made contact with your skin. 

His comment was enough to have you feel sparks from your face to the roots of your hair. The gesture alone could set you on fire. Your eyes shut from embarrassment as you felt him gently swipe at the grain. Giving you a satisfied hum, he pulled away. 

“There we are, spick and span,” he complimented as he dusted off your shoulder. 

The line moved once more. It was your turn to order, but you were wrapped up in staring at your coworker. He maintained eye contact with you, curiously eyeing your face for any other grains. Satisfied when he saw nothing else, he darted his eyes off to the side before looking into yours once more. 

“...Do I have something on my face?” he questioned. 

“N-no! Uhm…” you trailed off. 

“Next in line please,” the staff bot snapped you out of your thoughts. 

Shaking the embarrassment off, you walked up to the counter. “Hello! Can I please get two ice cream cones? One vanilla and one neapolitan?”

The staff bot nodded its head and pressed some things into the register screen. “Will that be all for you today?” it asked. 

“Yes, please,” you nodded, reaching for your card. 

Eclipse snatched your wallet. “Ah-ah—employees eat for free here. Didn't they tell you that?”

You gasped excitedly. “You're right! I can't believe I forgot Pansy mentioned that!” You turned back to the staff bot before quickly whipping your head back to Eclipse. “How—how do I show that I'm an employee? I don't have my name tag with me.” 

Your colleague chuckled, glancing down at the blue accessory on your wrist. “You have your daycare watch on, don't you?” 

You were immediately thankful you remembered to bring it along with you, but feeling silly you forgot you had it, you tapped at its screen. Flipping through different faces, you landed on your employee ID. Scrolling down did nothing. But when you swiped to the side, the little digital card flipped to show a barcode. 

“Do I show them this?” you questioned Eclipse. Making sure to reach your wrist up high enough so he can see. 

He delicately held your hand. “Correct!” Giving a pleased nod, he gently brought your hand back to you. 

Your excitement bubbled as you showed the staff bot your digital ID. It stared at it briefly before grabbing a hand scanner. The red led light made contact, showing the transfer was complete with a beep. 

“Employee number 1-b-987, a pleasure to meet you. I will be right back with your order,” the staff bot disappeared to the back all without turning its back to you. 

“PeyPey, please just ping me the next time you want me here,” Caro whispered as she cuddled up with him in the blankets. 

You took this moment to examine your coworker. He was true to his word. While his warm color palette and sunny rays were reminiscent of his brother, Sun, his demeanor wasn't like his at all. Sun was, well, very sunny. A literal ball of sunshine. Eager, peppy, joyful, it was enough to make you smile at the memory of your first meeting. Eclipse was more reserved, calm. You haven't had the chance to fully meet Moon beforehand. The only instance being when he apologized for his brother's behavior and quickly introduced himself and the others. Eclipse hasn't lied to you yet, so you could only assume Moon really was as similar. 

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄

Her boyfriend chuckled as he pulled her in closer. “I will.” His smile widening as he stared into her eyes, “You're really pretty.” 

She smiled and rolled her eyes, “Uh-huh, and you're very handsome and pretty and sweet and loving,” she rambled. “But stupid.”

The small animatronic choked on his air. “Nuh-uh, nuh-uh.” 

Sun had been sitting on his bed, messing around with a little puzzle cube a child gifted him. “Yea, listen to your girlfriend,” he suggested. 

Moon was sitting beside him, watching him fiddle with the piece of plastic, “I agree.” 

PeyPey groaned before laughing sheepishly, “Is it because I wanted to go looking for you with only five percent?”

Caro nodded, her eyes never leaving him. “You need to take better care of yourself,” she frowned. 

The small animatronic shifted in the nest of blankets. “I will, I'll try to be better, I'm sorry.” 

She smiled at him. “Thank you.” She sat up and turned her attention to the twins before her. “Can one of you two get me an order of nachos? The same way Eclipse gets them?” 

Moon lifted himself off the bed. “Swimming in hot sauce with jalapeños?” he questioned with a stretch. 

She nodded, “Yea! Oh and please tell the interviewee I said sorry, I ran off in the middle of a conversation with them.”

Sun sprang up and nearly tripped over himself, “They're here?? Now??” His lunar brother rubbed his side that he bumped into. 

Caro smugly eyed the excited animatronic. “Yessir, they're in the food court with Eclipse.

 Chatting up a storm.”

Moon bowed his head, glancing up at his brother. “Well, safe to assume you're coming with me?” he grinned. 

Sun excitedly nodded and grabbed hold of his brother's hand. “We'll be back, Caro!” He raced off with Moon catching up to his pace, hand in hand.  

PeyPey chuckled. “I think your snack is gonna be a while.” 

His girlfriend laughed and cuddled into his embrace. “I don't mind. Now get some rest.” 

You stood by with your ice cream cones in hand, talking it up with your coworker as he waited for his order. You learned that he was the youngest of his brothers. The completion for his model was a week after his two brothers were finished. So, by a technicality, Moon and Sun were twins. He was their little brother. But, neither of his older brothers viewed it this way. To them, they were all the same age. Might as well be given the fact they were all checked off as public ready on the same day. 

Her boyfriend hummed and held her tighter. “Yes, boss.” 

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄

“The day I met them, they were so ecstatic. I could really feel their electricity, you know,” Eclipse reminisced. 

He looked longingly at his own hands. “I was so scared, petrified even. The idea that I was to become this extravagant entertainer. It made my casings shake. But, everything came easy once I finally got to meet my brothers,” his hands clasping together. 

You smiled at his story, a warm feeling in your chest. 

“Sun and Moon…I can't imagine a day without them. I spent my first activation days alone in an empty room. Nobody would talk to me, not even the mechanics. And when I did get to talk to somebody, it was great news! It was Pansy who told me I'd be meeting bots like me—brothers even! Sun was so kind and patient, and Moon was so gentle and made sure I was comfortable in the space I was in. I couldn't have asked for better brothers…Don't tell them I said that, they won't let me live it down,” he laughed and gave you a playful tap on your shoulder. 

A whistle fell from your mouth. “I won't tell a soul,” smiling up at him with your proclamation. 

His laughter hummed in his chest, “My brothers mean everything to me. They're the reason I can do anything at all. Sun gave me optimism and Moon gave me confidence. One day, I'll pay it back to them. I'll find a way to repay them for everything they've done for me,” he said to himself mainly, but to you as well. 

You also learned that Eclipse wouldn't be getting his own smaller friend. It just wasn't planned. PeyPey was assigned to Sun initially, but later on signed off to Eclipse as well. Caro was assigned to Moon exclusively. Each pairing has a special server that allows for exclusive connection and remote controlling. Of course, neither brother felt comfortable enough to use the remote option. Eclipse explained it felt wrong and immoral. Rightfully so. They weren't keen on keeping secrets either. The only time that had ever happened was when Caro had developed feelings for Peypey and would spam Moon's notifications with messages. 

Eclipse laughed. “You'd think they were made for each other wouldn't you?”

You urgently nodded, excited to hear more of their pasts. 

He sighed. “Truth be told, she was programmed to be Moon's girl.” 

You dropped your cones. “Huh?!” A gasp slipped from your mouth as your eyes shot down to your fallen desserts. 

Your colleague rumbled with laughter as he reached for napkins. Leaning down, he made quick work of the mess. 

“Does that mean PeyPey was supposed to…?” you trailed off in thought as you watched him clean. 

“Be with Sun? Nope. The initial idea for our group was to be the guys band. Be the sort of all male talent engine, y’know? Caro wasn't supposed to be able to play any instruments, she was supposed to play the role of Moon's ‘lovely lady.’ Chime in on a few songs here and there. And, I suppose it worked like that for a while. But, neither her nor Moon liked it,” Eclipse sucked in a gulp of air through his teeth. He stood tall.

“Management wouldn't listen to either of them. It became a weekly visit to parts and services for the two of them,” He looked down at the floor. “Constant rewiring…it was awful. I couldn't stand seeing their forced smiles.” 

You placed a gentle hand on his, urging him to continue. 

A smile crept up on his face. “Sun and PeyPey changed everything. My brother taught Caro how to play guitar, even went out of his way to find internet videos about other instruments and how to play them. PeyPey used all of his free time on Moon and Caro. Showing them ways to calm down and prevent any more visits to parts and services. Pretty soon, PeyPey started developing feelings for her. Just in time too, management couldn't keep up with Moon and Caro. They ultimately decided to give the two and the rest of us free will,” he triumphantly stated. 

“Thank you for sharing that with me, Eclipse. I feel honored that you view me as someone you can tell this to.” Your cheeks warm as you give him the most genuine smile he's seen from you. 

“And thank you for listening! I didn't mean to ramble that much—you have a really welcoming air about you,” he comments with a spin of his rays. 

“Interviewee!” an outburst rang from behind the two of you. 

Both of your heads swivel as Sun and Moon make their way to the two of you. 

“Speak of the devil,” Eclipse teases you with a gentle jab to your shoulder. You snicker and playfully shove him.

Speak of the devil indeed. 

TAGLIST WEEE!!

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@cosmog-mcgee

@antwithwaffles

End of the second chapter!! Similar to the previous chapter, my good friend, MY BOOBOOBEAAAAR @by-the-chapel-gates was my beta reader!!💖💝💘:D Many thanks goes to her!! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as well!💖💝GRACIAS!!!💖💝Please leave your thoughts below!

[boneandbourbon]

long ass rant about the "gen z stare" trend incoming

i've worked at the same store since i was 14. i'm a young adult now. that's years of berating, wiping down carts and getting yelled at for mask mandates i didn't make at the height of covid, and smiling at people snapping their fingers in my face because i didn't hear them the first time. i make $11/hr. the livable wage where i live is between $17-25 depending on what source you ask. $11 does not cut it when gas is $3.25 a gallon, and you're trying to afford toothpaste and put something in a college fund.

so no, i don't look thrilled when i'm scanning your groceries. that's not a "gen z stare"; that's exhaustion. that's chronic pain. that's having just dealt with a man twice my age calling me a "retarded tranny" because we're out of the chew he wants. that's pushing down the full-body cringe after being asked if i have a boyfriend, then a girlfriend, then "what are you anyway?"

i hear about this trend online. mostly from people old enough to be my parents complaining that "gen z doesn't say hi anymore" or "they just stare at you like robots". you think we're being cold? stunted? ruined by the pandemic?

you mean the pandemic that tore away our education, put our families out of work, and tossed us into a workforce that treats us as if we're lucky to be there at all? the one that made us essential workers but didn't make us essential humans?

you think i'm rude because i didn't say "good morning" fast enough while trying to decode your mumbled, passive aggressive jabs at the self-checkout machine? maybe i didn't hear you, or maybe i've just reached the point where i can't put energy into being cheerful for people who don't even see me as a person.

and omg can we please retire the same 5 jokes every customer seems to think they've invented?

"not ringing up? must be free!"

"you look bored, lemme give you something to do"

"wow, they have you working on a holiday?"

"i bet you're just dying to scan this big cart of mine"

"you must have done something wrong to be stuck here on a beautiful day like this!"

like yes of course they have me working on a holiday. because you're here. you and a hundred other people who "just needed a few things" and decided your convenience outweighed someone else's day off- someone else's chance to spend a holiday with their family. because that's how retail works. that's how capitalism works. it runs on the assumption that someone else will always be available to serve you. and i'm that someone.

i don't make the schedule. i don't set the prices. i promise i'm not bored- i'm overstimulated and trying not to snap. these jokes don't make the day go faster. they just remind us how many people think customer service workers exist for their entertainment. i've heard the same lines a thousand times, and they stopped being funny before i turned 15.

you think gen z is lazy? i've held one job longer before the age of 22 than some of these critics have in their lifetime. i've been doing customer service since middle school. i've cleaned blood and shit out of the bathroom. i've been screamed at over expired coupons. i've held my tongue when coworkers made jokes about me being trans. i've rung up men who stared at my chest and ass the ENTIRE time, even when i wore my sweater in july just to avoid that. i've kept quiet about the micro-aggressions i face on the daily at the hands of customers who think it's funny i'm Deaf and disabled.

we aren't standoffish. we're tired. we've grown up watching the world fall apart, and now we're expected to smile through it for minimum wage. we're not being introverted or asocial. it's that we've learned the hard way that being pleasant doesn't protect you from disrespect. that kindness is often expected, but rarely returned. emotional labor that's entirely unpaid.

so when i stare blankly at you from behind my register, it isn't apathy. i'm just doing what i can to exist in a system that keeps asking more from me than it gives. if that bothers you, maybe ask yourself why you expect me to fake joy in a world that's given me so little reason to actually feel it.

let's stop calling it the "gen z stare" and call it what it actually is: burnout. tip your fucking barista. hold your tongue when your cashier accidentally scans something twice and doesn't remove it within 4 picoseconds. or at the very least, stop filming us for content when we refuse to put up with your disrespectful comments and attitude. we're not your clowns. we're people.

[teddy-the-queer-wizard]

queer wizard back at it again

barely started t and honestly if it doesnt work out (if i dont like the changes or it becomes illegal idk) i honestly do not care

i feel like ive given myself permission to *live* my life however i want to, moving towards things i *want*

do you know other than maybe like "oh shiney new toy i an afford" (like a game system or something) ive never really decided or thought about things that i want from life. things that would make me happy.

because if you dont have strong desires for things they cant take them away from you and youre only a little disappointed

im in such a good mood.

and like because my family knows i want to transition and is (currently) leaving me alone about it i dont have to sneak around about everything that might give me away or have my family stumble upon my bag of needles and think in doing drugs

i can just try and experiment and do things and care about things

like. ive always been a depressive anxious person. and im not silly enough to think thatll go away just because i have what essentially is a new hobby and am planning on shopping for things (gotta love that retail therapy)

but like. hey if im getting on t, im going to be greasier. smellyier. to counter act that i need to shower every day - ah but i want to keep the pink hair so i gotta work on taking care of my hair while bathing my body every day - ah but ill need clean clothes everyday - ah but your sheets have to be cleaned regularly too - ah but ill be at work where I'll probably be sweaty and i dont want to actively stink at work like that one guy who was hated for it - ah but i want top surgery and they wont do it if my bmi is too high maybe ill have to start working out like my friend does

you see where this is going right? this *one* thing has me rethinking how im taking care of myself because while i am lazy if its something i care about its worth the effort... which means i gotta care about myself

i know therell be days i struggle or skip things or whatever but honestly thats not going to take away from the amount of effort i will hopefully be putting in pretty regularly.

and im planning for my future with my friend. making active steps to do things to make it happen and figure out how we're going to get there.

im prioritizing not just what i cant not do, but things that will make me and my friend happy. or make things easier on us.

im investing in life for the first time in my life and thats pretty cool

[aggroindustrial]

this is a small glossary with all the terminology i used in my newest shauna fic. if you haven't read it yet you can check it out here <33

Icarus: The wealthiest district in the city. Reality overlays are used to hide the lower-class zones—residents of Icarus can't see the city’s decay unless they disable the filters. Clean skies, artificial sun, and shiny chrome everywhere. The illusion is expensive—and tightly controlled. The best cyberdocs work in this zone.

Devine: The “in-between” district of the city. A dense, grimy sector where most mercs, scavengers, and tech dealers live. Not exactly lawless, but too chaotic for corporate comfort. Street markets and second-hand cyberware vendors are common in this zone.

Eden: The lowest and most dangerous district. Black-market weapons and surgeries—which are performed with cyberware stolen from clinics and corpses, most of the time infected with viruses—outlaw AIs, and ruined buildings.

Cog: A derogatory term for people who are augmented. Implies they're no longer human, just replaceable parts in a machine.

Daedalus Paramedics: Premium medical care. They charge a subscription in exchange for rescue and treatment, no questions asked. Fast and efficient. Pretty much like the Trauma Team from Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberdocs: Medics who install cyberware implants. Only the ones who work in Icarus are officially licensed, but all of them know what they're doing—most of the time, at least. Basically the same as Ripperdocs.

Asclepius: A multinational corporation that specializes in pharmaceuticals, bioengineering, and nanotechnology. Officially, they create miracles for the less fortunate. Unofficially, they create dependencies on cyber implants.

Reality overlays (ROs): Augmented reality filters used to “beautify” grim reality. Rust turns into gold, ruins become skyscrapers, and poverty vanishes with just a flicker of code.

Double-X: Stimulants that enhance senses, boost cognitive abilities, and push the body past its limits. The legal way to acquire them is to buy them in Icarus from an official retailer. They're sold a lot cheaper—and dirtier—on the black market. Comes in blue tabs, marked with two white Xs on them.

Eclipse: A small sub-district between Devine and Eden. Home to cheap junk dealers, dingy underground bars and unregulated cyberdocs who can patch you up for free, but risk a data infection, or worse.

Sahara: Sub-district in the outskirts of Eden, where illegal drift racing, gambling, and drug dealing is more common than one might imagine. The police don't bother stopping them anymore.

Clean-Skin: Slang for someone with no cyberware.

Infinite Purity: Radical anti-augmentation group. Most of the group's members are edgy kids and orphans turned rebels who hate augmented people. They are responsible for multiple acts of vandalism and assault. Similar to Purity First from Deus Ex.

Soul Burn: A common side effect of stimulants. Manifests as memory fragments bleeding into real-time vision.

EMP ammo: Bullets that can cause serious physical damage, but are mainly designed to disrupt electronic devices and systems, in this case, cyberware.

Loop: A luxury narcotic, similar to morphine. Fabricated in Sahara.

Red Sun: Sub-district in Devine. One of the safest neighborhoods.

[zerodderty]

homestuck is the ikea of narrative.

Or maybe the Ikea store is just the Homestuck of retail experiences? Stay with me here.

ikea stores are built like this:

They're these really narrow hallway corridors that carry you from one furniture “setpiece” to another

And the store doesn't hide this fact- it kinda accentuates at every corner how linear your path here is, and in a lot of ways it's a cheesy wink at how constructed all retail stores are, how each retail store is just funneling you to the stuff the company wants you to buy, and any illusion of "natural ordering" is just that- an illusion meant to lower your guard and making it easier for the marketing magic to work its charms on your subconsious mind.

Even the shortcuts aren't really shortcuts. The store advertises the little points you can "cheat the narrative" by breaking the intended sequence, but that doesn't really matter now does it? You're still going to get to the end, you're still going to get to the finish line one way or the other no matter what you're gonna walk out past the cash registers and go back to your car so if you want to get there sooner rather than later it's not like you're "winning".

If anything, by deluding yourself with that power you're just lowering your guard again, making it easier to be funneled into the things Ikea actually wants you to buy.

And that's fine! Kinda! By being so tongue in cheek with its exaggerated linearity, you can really lead shoppers through a much more planned, deliberate, almost spectacular experience with an almost Disneyland feel. You have pacing, peaks, valleys, little specific niches that can target specific people and not just broadly appealing displays. The little constructed rooms almost work as "setpieces", showing all the pieces of the store's collections put together in these grand ways that create much stronger tone and scene than any old Jcpenny's could.

And that's the thing, right? Jcpenny a while ago did this thing where they stopped it with the 4.99 9.99 shit and just made every item a clean flat price and it failed miserably, I mean like "bankrupted the company" miserably

People don’t like being reminded about how much they’re spending they want to be fooled they want to not know. They want to walk through the stories they are familiar with and not think about what they mean or who is trying to convince them of what, and having a work that dispels its own illusion makes it that much harder to get lost in it in the way people demand to be lost in their stories. They demand characters that go through their arcs well, their proper arcs the one set up by older stories and genre conventions and cultural expectations and the education system and their governments and their parents because that's what you're supposed to do, right? That's just the natural path, it's just science! You don't wanna disrespect science, do you? What, are you too good for the old stories? Too good to do it the right way? Who the fuck do you think you're fooling anyways, everybody knows what you really are.

That's right: a savvy furniture shopper.

But if you let yourself look, if you are okay with the realization that you’re being fooled, you can just have fun with the spectacle itself or hang out in the food court (dreambubbles), you can learn the systems for its own sake not out of some false idea of shortcuts that might take you through the store faster but only to the same destination as everyone else

And then at the end you take what you’ve learned and buy a shitton of stuff in this huge dense frantic warehouse binge, if you want to, and then you leave ikea and get in your car and drive home.

Ikea is less a store and more the framework of a store, stripped bare to leave the skeleton open and exposed

This is maybe upsetting/frustrating to people who just wanted to go buy a couch because they saw a cool ad of that couch making out with a desk on Tumblr in 2012, but also you can buy a couch at Wayfare or Costco or whatever, you go to Ikea to go to Ikea

And maybe, just maybe, going to Ikea and understanding why Ikea exists will make you a little bit better at buying couches and not just flocking to the first fancy display item you see at the window

… the metaphor falls apart a little here but I think the rest carries

[4myrx]

OC BIOGRAPHY: Free Wings

[ Lookism Masterlist ]

LEADER

Yugyeom

STATUS

Active

AFFILIATIONS

Mainly Workers, though their true loyalty lies with Yugyeom.

HISTORY

Free Wings first started when Yugyeom helped Nam Donggeun protect his wife and infant son from a gang, who intended to kill them due to Donggeun being a whistle-blower. Donggeun left the gang soon after the incident and became loyal to Yugyeom instead.

Yugyeom hadn't given him a second glance, merely smiling before leaving after he was sure Donggeun's family would be safe. The next time he came back to the city Donggeun lived in, there was a new gang called 'Free Wings'.

The first person to welcome Yugyeom into the city was none other than Donggeun, who was very bright and friendly with his new boss. Yugyeom didn't acknowledge them at first, only being polite whenever he came across them, but he didn't expect it to grow as quickly as it did.

The man Donggeun must've been an expert at this, Yugyeom had thought. Why not, after all.

Yugyeom soon chose to acknowledge their existence and step up as their leader. When the gang grew larger than he thought, he build a ranking system to help him manage easier. A talk with his brother, the chairman of Workers, has led to them having their own jackets and salaries for the executives.

ORGANIZATION

Free Wings is a surprisingly large group that had spread all over the country. They do not have any ranks aside from Yugyeom as their leader, four executives, deputies, and managers. Their goal is unclear aside from awaiting Yugyeom's or the higher rank's orders. While they wait, they either 'clean up trash' by acting as vigilantes or run their own business, as long as it's legal.

The executives look over the entire group in the leader's place. They report to the leader by the end of the week, receive reports from deputies, and get orders from Yugyeom every once in a while.

Each city or town has at least one group consisting of at least 4 members with a 'manager' leading said group. They would report to their respective deputies, who are higher ranked than them. Deputies are appointed a city or two and would look over their city's group(s), reporting to the executives by the end of the week.

Overall, they're free to do whatever they like, excluding anything against the law. Should they be caught doing anything illegal, the manager in charge of the group would have to step in.

Should it be a higher rank breaking the rules, an executive or Yugyeom would personally handle it. Only if the offender is a lost cause they will be kicked out. Oftentimes, they try to fix the situation.

MEMBERS

LEADER: Yugyeom

The official yet reluctant leader. He hadn't want the position or the gang in the first place, but only kept the title because Nam Donggeun insisted. Plays the leader whenever he feels like it.

EXECUTIVES: Nam Donggeun, Lotus, Kang Yeoreum, Kimura Aoki

The four people who manages and looks after the entirety of the gang in Yugyeom's stead most of the time.

DEPUTY

There are at least one deputy in a city. They oversee the entire city's Free Wings groups, no matter how many that may be, and responds to the executives.

MANAGER

Manages the grunts of their group, responds to deputies. There can be multiple groups and managers in one city.

GRUNTS (Normal Members)

Their role are as any other fighters in Lookism's roles are— fulfilling orders from the higher ups and beating people up if they're ordered to.

GRUNTS (Info Broker)

They work in all sorts of jobs— retail, waiters, servers, chefs, police, etc— but that was all merely a disguise. Their real jobs are info brokers who sell information to customers. They don't give out information freely, though. A customer must know certain secret codes and phrases and say them to a grunt before being allowed a service. In a way, Free Wings is Gen 2's the White Tiger Job Centre.

Info brokers are not allowed to quit their positions as easily as normal members. Once they quit, they will constantly be watched as to ensure no information leaks out since they know too much.

TRIVIA

Since they're affiliated with Workers, and the fact that they're Yugyeom's gang, only the executives are paid handsomely.

Deputies, managers, and normal members can earn money by running their own business. Sometimes, Yugyeom or the executives will hand them a mission.

The best way to make lots of cash is by directly asking Yugyeom for a mission. No matter what it is, he's known to pay a lot compared to the executives. Due to this, you'll never fail to see an entourage following Yugyeom wherever he goes.

Most of the members were former criminals, thugs, or people in need that had met Yugyeom and were given a second chance at a better life, thus their intense loyalty to him.

Aside from their uniforms, they also have a badge similar to Workers in the shape of a wing. Members would carry it around or wear it whenever their uniforms are off.

[cortosis-ct]

The Bad Batch and their jobs (Modern AU)

In my headcanon they all started out as soldiers. After getting out and accidentally acquisiting Omega, they desperately need money and take any jobs they can get. Eventually, everyone finds something they actually like.

Hunter:

Retail sales associate aka Walmart slave and getting yelled at by Karens all day. He's also doing freelance cleaning jobs, the grosser the better the payment. Think hoarder apartments with fifty cats or scat orgy hotel room cleanup.

He works hard on getting his record cleaned up and eventually secures a job at the fire station. He becomes a firefighter and will eventually be a lieutenant and later captain.

Tech:

Fast food worker which means lots of being yelled at by hangry people who are unhappy with the way their BigMac was stacked. He takes any extra shift he can get.

After several failed rounds of applications, he hacks into a big company's system and puts his name on top of the candidate list. He ends up supervisor for some bank insurance IT stuff with lots of numbers.

Wrecker: Miner. It's hard work and long hours in the dark. He actually earns the most of all of them but that's because it's fucking dangerous and depressing.

The leading instructor for the demolition expert trainees blows up. Wrecker, having had professional training in the military and lots of experience at not getting blown up (again), is their best take so he becomes their new instructor for the new hires.

Crosshair: Nobody is really willing to hire him so he's an unlicensed taxi driver most nights. (He hates everything about it.) He also signed up as a freelance roadkill collector job in Hunter's name and takes the calls when he doesn't have passengers.

He meets railroaders when cleaning up railkill one night. When smoking he mentions how much he hates being a taxi driver and the railroaders recruit him for their company. He becomes a traindriver and finally doesn't have to interact with his passengers.

Echo: They call it online sales associate marketer and customer service advisor. He calls it tele-scam-marketer. Many people yelling at him but at least he can work from home.

At a parent-teacher conference of Omega's school he helps another parent with a technology problem. He's like: "I tried to get rid of that problem for hours and you did it within five minutes. You gotta be a master software engineer." and Echo's like "I get payed to get yelled at as a telemarketer". Turns out the guy is an HR associate at an IT company and gets Echo a proper job.

[newtiepat00tie]

Concepts

THEM>> Thinking about making a drabbles fic to get all my ideas out, probably not gonna add in much plot. I just wanna play around with dynamics. This is my baby, Hiccup(Johnny) and his adopted son Florence.

Little drabbles, facts and plots

-Hiccup has severe anxiety, mostly triggered when he feels he has no control. He has prescribed medication for this.

-Undiagnosed neurodivergent(TWINS) ADHD, though he exhibits some autistic traits he is not autistic.(TWINS)

-Hes basically made up of many personal traits of mine, sprinkle world crushing trauma and a cute nickname all in a trench coat.

-Suffers PTSD after the loss of his brother, he lacks the coping mechanism to heal in a healthy manner and is stricken with grief if he's reminded of that loss.

-Didn't have a good childhood either, dead parents at five and passed around in the foster care system all his life.

-his only constant was his brother and lifeline, who's now gone and leaving him scrambling with no way to cope and no real support system.

-Shit ton of therapy.

-Funny enough, he's trying to pursue counseling as a career. With unresolved trauma he's gonna ignore, he's gonna go a help everyone else.

-Hiccup was 17 when he first met Florence, who was only about a year.

-Florence was a foster child, originally with Hiccups foster dad.

-Their foster dad wasn't a good person, he mostly fostered for the money.

-Hiccup was forced to parent Florence while their "dad" did whatever.

-Their foster dad was very neglectful if you couldn't tell. Held no interest in the kids but played a very caring front to everyone outside.

-There was a few other foster kids that came and went, but they were never around long enough to form a significant bond.

-They were also around Hiccups age(15-17), but he couldn't bring himself to bond with them. Reminded him too much of someone he'd lost.

-He grew very attached to this child, and grew fearful of the day when he would hit 18 he would be kicked out of the system.

-gotta love it😒

-He was in fact kicked out at 18, expecting this, he had saved up money from several customer service and retail jobs.

-Hiccup was forced to leave Florence behind for a good few months. Balancing his life thrown out into the world he couldn't exactly start the adoption process for Florence.

-Hiccup was 18 at this time, Florence was about a month away from being 2. With no contact he spent a lot of that time stressed out and worrying over him.

-It was actually a long and difficult process to work on adoption, one I really don't feel like going into detail. But he finally won custody over Florence when he was about 20.

-Within that time he was visiting whenever he could.

-The process was finalized when Florence was about 3, turning 4 soon. Officially Hiccups adopted son.

-Once Florence was in his care he'd do everything in his power to make sure his kid has the childhood he never had.

-Though Florence got basically everything he asked for, he was very emotionally intelligent and very appreciating of his stressed out dad.

-Hiccup worked very tirelessly to support the both of them, working two jobs at a time while still trying to spend time with his kid.

-After a few years of retail and night schooling, running off of little sleep he was able to score a job at the Fazbear pizzaplex.

-It was just general staff, doing whatever was needed at the time. Manning the registers when the staff bots were down, cleaning bathrooms, taking out trash, unpacking inventory, general stuff.

-Easy work, and for 30/hr? Sure the shifts were brutal sometimes, but he needed that money.

-Was he nervous around the giant animatronics at first? Hell yeah he was. A giant gator that lost his temper and destroyed everything in sight, a very seemingly egotistical wolf who barely gave him the time of day, a friendly but overwhelming chicken, the only one he actively enjoyed the presence of was Freddy Fazbear himself.

-He gave off a very fatherly vibe, so much so Hiccup sought out his presence often. Not having any good parental figures in his life.

-It felt nice to be cared for. Even if it was from a sentient animatronic.

-I'd imagine he grows pretty close to the others eventually. He's affection starved.

-hed probably connect to Monty first, he's seen a lot and experienced a lot. He sees through Montys act, fierce and snappy, pushing everyone away and making himself seem more in control. Hiccup knew that defence mechanism well, hell he still pushes others away sometimes.

-He found several mechanics trying to get Monty go down one day from gator golf, who had scraped his claws pretty badly in one of his rampages. Though none of them dared to get close, trying to lure him back from a distance in their intimidating manner.

-Hiccup, seeing the small signs in Montys body language, for animatronics they were strangely expressive. To him at least. He saw well hidden nervousness, hidden behind twitching that could easily be mistaken for repressed anger. Call him crazy, hell his nerves were burning his skin alive and making his knees feel wobbly. But he'd asked the mechanics if he could give it a go.

-Incredulous, they reluctantly agreed out of curiosity, but still readied their on-site medics.(You'd be surprised how many people get hurt, honestly.)

-Regretting every decision he's ever made, he approached the twitching gator. Who took quick notice of his presence and quickly scowled, rows of teeth bared in displeasure. But Hiccup couldn't miss the way he'd tensed. What could have caused this kind of reaction?

-Monty was standoffish, but he wasn't jumping to the attack. He'd probably recognized Hiccup wasn't exactly a mechanic, he had seen him around the 'plex, carrying one thing or another.

-"They sent a runt after me?" He snarled, though confused as he scanned Hiccup.

-"Hey- uh- big guy. My name's Hiccup." Hiccup nervously greeted, suddenly shrinking in on himself. Hell he was never a people person, let alone to a towering animatronic, who was already tall compared to the average person. But next to his 5'6 self? Kill him already.

-Unimpressed, Monty glowered at him, clearly not in the mood for whatever bullshit that would spout from his mouth.

-"Heard you got your hands all scraped up." He helpfully inquired, very good observation skills there, John.. "Mind if I take a look?" Hiccup added softly,

-Like a cornered animal, Monty snapped with a glare. "Like hell, so you can drag me down to parts and service? With those other assholes." His voice leaked anger, but there was a flash of fear in his eyes, noticeably even through the sunglasses.

-Hiccup backed up, giving more space between the two of them. Though more for Montys comfort than his own. "That's fine, I'm not going to force you if you don't want to, bud." He paused in thought, Monty reminded him so much of someone and he was afraid to admit to himself who. "Want to talk about it?"

-Monty paused at that for a moment, hesitating, what? "About what? The shitty excuse of mechanics, too wimpy to face me themselves or parts and service?" He scoffed.

-"If you want, whatever comes to mind." Hiccup eased, leaning on the railing to discretely ease some tension. "What made you so angry, big guy?" He quietly suggested, tapping his fingers on the cool metal rails absentmindedly.

-Stunned, Monty momentarily forgot his earlier resentment. No staff member has done that before, in the face of something new it left Monty a bit uncomfortable. He knew how to handle and react to staff when they tried to get him in parts and service, forceful, going as far as to control him via his system. But this was unfamiliar and he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

-"Why do you care? Bet you're getting some hefty money just talking to me by those idiots." He snapped, trying to gain back some familiarity in the situation.

-"No, I'm not getting paid to be here." Hiccup almost grinned at that. "Here on my own free will. Just checking on a coworker who's having a bad day."

-Monty stared, disbelief clear in his body language.

-"You don't even have to talk about it." Hiccup quickly added, "we can just sit in silence if you like. Or I can leave and tell the mechanics to come back another time?"

-Monty shifted at that. Silence fell over the two of you, the only sounds that were heard were the noises around gator gold.

-Just as Hiccup was about to give the gator space and leave, Monty spoke up. "Some pushy parents can't take a hint." He hissed. "Crowded me at my greenhouse door."

-Hiccup didn't answer, keeping silent and attentively listening to him.

-"Snapped and pushed past them, then some other random staff member had the nerve to tell me off about it. ME! After watching those ADULTS harass me because they were late to the meet and greets." Monty continued, frustration practically creeping through his joints as he waved about his damaged claws. "Took everything in me not to rip into him, not in front of the kids."

-"Wow, sounds like a bitch." Hiccup commented, disgusted. "I mean you have a right to your own privacy, every waking second shouldn't be spent pleasing entitled people."

-"Right?!" Monty barked "Why does no one get that?! Now I have to go down into parts and service, AGAIN, just for this bullshit." He didn't realize how freely he was ranting, probably felt nice to have someone listen for once.

-"Y'know, glad you didn't rip into that guy though, you have more self control than they give you credit for. Everyone has their breaking point, it's unfair how they don't hold you to that same standard." Hiccup criticized. Growing more comfortable in the gators presence, a familiarity he couldn't quite place.

-Despite himself, Monty let out a chuckle that he quickly covered with a scoff. "Glad someone around here realizes it."

-They two stood in easy silence, Monty cooled down enough to hesitantly lean against the railings as well. There was a beat and Monty hesitated, feeling his damaged claws and rubbing along the dents and scraps. Then offered it up for Hiccup to view.

-Surprised, but unwilling to make Monty uncomfortable, he tentatively brought up his hands, holding them just under Montys damaged claws but not touching to give him the option to back out. A few seconds pass with no change and Hiccup cups the gators hands within his smaller ones, assessing the damage.

-Hiccup didn't know what he did, but one of the joints had gone missing and his lands were littered with dents and scrapped paint. With care, he ran his hand over the injury. He couldn't fix it himself, he frankly, had no fucking experience in fixing animatronics and he wasn't down to make it worse.

-Monty, surprisingly stayed silent through the ordeal, though anyone could tell he was uncomfortable with how tense he was. Having evaluated his options, Hiccup gently let go of his hands in thought.

-"Is there a way to fix it without going into parts and service?" Hiccup inquired. Monty snorted a scoff, but his shoulders were sagged in defeat. He clearly didn't want to go but he knew there wasn't much of an option. "No, these poor excuses of mechanics need to use the repair cylinder down there. Something about being dangerous to do manually." He scoffed, but he knew very well he would hurt them if they did manually, a bit accidentally out of reflex.

-He hated it down there though, being strapped down in that chair and watching the mechanical hands above was uncanny, not to mention the lack of control he would have had over his own body. Sometimes, it didn't even feel like his.

-"Well what would make it more comfortable then? I could try and do it myself and have the mechanics guide me?" He knew that sounded stupid, with his little experience but he could understand being afraid of the room. He'd cleaned down there once and it didn't feel nice.

-Monty barked a laugh at that "You could try, runt. But I think you will make it worse."

-"Worth a try, what if I come with you then? Emotional support." Hiccup suggested, though mostly as a joke. Though by Montys silence he was considering it. Hiccup had been more comfortable to be around, at least compared to the uncaring mechanics who didn't give a rats ass about his comfort.

-"Why not? It'll piss them off so much, let's do it." He responded with a grin, but his shoulders loosened with relief.

-They look on the mechanics face when the duo walked out, Hiccup in one piece and a cooperative gator. Who still snarled at the group with a dirty look before continuing on with this interesting general staff member.

-(yeah I know it's rough, didn't exactly plan that out tbh💀 ROUGH DRAFT LETS GOOO. I have a particular fondness for Monty, Hiccup will too now. Also I'm not trying to baby him, he's not gonna be "oh sad baby who becomes golden retriever with comfort" ew. It's a defense mechanism for him to be more aggressive, but I still see him as this confident in himself guy who is just tired of mistreatment from staff.)

-Who also happens to attach himself to the one adult staff member that treats him with respect, and is also willing to listen to his rants, even something as small as being bothered by bright lights when his glasses fall off.(Hiccup assures him his feelings are always valid, and he won't judge. Monty loves him even more lmao./p)

-Hiccup would probably befriend Roxy next, everyone and their mother has the mc wash out her hair from something gross, but I'm not sure how else they'll connect?

-I'd like to think it happens more over time, rather than instant like Monty or Freddy.

-Call it his people pleaser habits, but Hiccup gives out compliments like candy. Roxanne, bless her heart, soaks all of that attention up like a sponge. I think it would be a cute lil friendship eventually. They would definitely do each other's hair btw.

-Hiccup isn't a stranger to make up and fix ups, he doesn't have a fragile masculinity, thank you. They can have a girl's night.

-Chica would probably join in occasionally, and that's how her and Hiccup would become better friends. A friend of a friend situation.

-They become their own little trio of mischief. Hyping each other up and shit omg.

-When one needs time to compose themselves they just kind of flock together for comfort

-Its a very common sight to see him hanging in one of the glamrocks green rooms(with permission, of course)

-Group bonding<3

-Occasionally Hiccup tries to hang with the Music man, it's tight.

-Hes not as close with the DJ as he is with the glam rocks, but he does retreat to the arcade sometimes to chill and listen to music while he makes himself look busy in checking all the arcade games.

-He adores the little music man though, they're so cute and little. It's rare to come by them though, they usually camp out in the vents.

-He does not get along with the daycare attendant at all at first💀

-He has little reason to go to the daycare, but when he does it's to take out the trash. When he entered past the wooden doors he was greeted with a very tall and unhappy sun themed jester.

-Hiccup has no idea why the attendant didn't like him, he thought it might be a territorial thing?? Or he just didn't like adults. Which, hey, fair, but also he didn't appreciate the passive aggressiveness.

-Sun wasn't outright rude, he still has that cheerful voice, with a condescending edge to it. Think of that one, sickly sweet coworker who jabs at everything you do because they don't like you.

-Sometimes he'd sabotage Hiccups work, just to annoy him

-Other times he'll straight up ignore him, or talk to him as if he were stupid. Pronouncing words slowly and pointedly in that condescending way.

-He's kind of an ass

-Hiccup, knowing when he wasn't wanted, was not about to pursue a friendship with someone who obviously didn't want him in his space. He could respect that so he tried to only go there when needed.

-I like to think eventually Sun realizes that this guy isn't going to quit anytime soon as the months go by, and with how highly he hears the glamrocks talk about this Hiccup guy he lightens up a bit.

-Plus, he's never heard Monty or Roxanne talk positively about staff, ever.

-Though, ever the avoidant Hiccup doesn't take notice of the change and continues to avoid the attendant like the plague.

-Or he just does it out of pettiness, because hey, yeah he's human and doesn't appreciate being treated like shit for no reason for months lol. He's forgiving but he's not a pushover anymore. Learned that the hard way.

-Sun probably apologizes eventually and they become polite aquantances.

-Hiccup still holds a grudge, because you can't terrorize someone for months and expect a warm welcome without a bit of work.

-Though when one of the glamrocks stopped by at the daycare for a birthday party pickup, Hiccup happened to be there getting the garbage bags in his sad little cart. Monty had been the one to arrive, grinning as he picked up the kids. In passing, he greeted Hiccup with a pat on the head, too busy to stop for a chit chat. But anyone would notice the way his tail wagged at him.(His emotional support human)

-And Hiccup would laugh at his retreating figure, a fond glint in his eye that was only reserved for Monty.(Platonically)

-And sun couldn't help but reflect how close this random general staff actually was to these guys. And maybe possibly a little envious of the way Hiccup had lit up Everytime he spotted a glamrock, but with him it was a curt but polite nod. Call it childish but he wanted that kind of friendship(and affection). All the human staff assigned to the daycare were awfully rude and ignored him relatively(not commenting how rude Sun is to the adult staff💀 let's be honest he's only really nice to the kids lmao)

-Cant decide if this would take a romantic or platonic route, idc either way tho

-So he brightens up more, adjusting to Hiccups presence more the few times he gets to see him. Which probably eventually grows into genuine excitement when Hiccup treats them as a coworker, as if they were another human! Very strange indeed.

-At some point Hiccup might lighten up a bit more and respond to his advances with friendliness of his own. Though probably not as strongly and more out of politeness.

-Sun sees this, and he pretends it doesn't hurt a little.

-At some point, Hiccup takes pity and allows himself to visit the daycare in his free time to get to know the attendant more, much to Suns delight.

-He still apologizes for his horrid treatment because wow this guy is actually nice and he treated him as an unwanted presence, and the guy still gave him a second chance(after time passes, grudges are fun)

-I think they'd grow closer after awhile, moving to new friend terms. But hey Hiccup actually smiled when he greeted the attendant so that was a plus!

-Hed still get all jealous that Hiccup was closer to the others still

-Im making this another trauma thing YIPPEE

-Suns only real human interactions is with the kids, the glamrocks don't have much time to visit so he and moon only really have each other as company. Isolation 🤯 and sun doesn't like the adult staff and the few seconds of parent interaction doesn't count. Plus Sun can't leave the fucking daycare and moon can only leave to do night patrols.

-I'd like to have a little build up maybe, where Suns just do overwhelmed and lonely that he just kinda has an anxiety attack right in front of Hiccup(who can relate on a very personal level) and he calms the Sun down enough to talk to him.

-Communication is key, chat, idk Sun probably blurts out all their worries and stuff because he's a bit of a chatter and nerves makes that worse.

-Hiccup finally gets a better understanding of Sun and helps him out of his own mind more a bit.

-Dont worry, Hiccup won't be his only support system, it's not healthy to rely on a singular person.

-They become quite close after that, enough to notice that Hiccup now lights up when Sun comes into view and it just makes his rays do that spinny thing. It was nice to feel wanted.

-Its so cute, whoever invented that ily

-Platonic besties

-Still probably not to Montys level because at this point Hiccup probably made the connection of who Monty reminded him of and promptly latched on to that comfort.

-I imagine moon on a similar boat as Sun at first, he's just more obvious with his dislike lmao.

-He doesn't see Hiccup nearly as much as Sun, but enough to annoy the shit out of Hiccup LMAO

-Hiccup won't admit it, but Moon was also a big reason he didn't try to be all buddy buddy with Sun after he lightened up.

-Moon scared the shit out of him bro

-Moon probably still held onto his dislike longer than Sun, but eventually the guy grew on him and he couldn't help but start looking forward to seeing Hiccup.

-Eventually, when he knows Hiccup has a late shift he likes to go and seek him out for company

-Emotional Support human

-all in all the relationships feel so fun to play around with I might get to writing it sooner than I thought.

-Lets help everyone but himself😃

-I'd like to think this is pre-virus. At least for now.

Thank you Solar Lunacy by Bamsara and every other fic I read for inspo ily

[commercialfencesolutionsinpe]

Top Commercial Fence Solutions in Peoria for Business Security and Curb Appeal

When running a business in Peoria, IL, security, privacy, and professional appearance are essential. A well-designed commercial fence not only protects your property but also reinforces your brand’s image. Whether you're managing a construction site, office complex, manufacturing plant, or retail space, the right fencing solution can make a significant difference.

Benefits of Installing a Commercial Fence in Peoria

Business owners in Peoria are increasingly investing in commercial fencing for reasons beyond basic security. Here are some top advantages:

1. Enhanced Security

Protect valuable inventory, equipment, and assets from theft or vandalism. A properly installed fence creates a clear physical barrier and deters unauthorized access.

2. Improved Privacy

Some commercial operations require discretion. Fencing with privacy panels or slats helps shield sensitive areas from public view.

3. Controlled Access

Add automated gates or keypad entry systems to restrict access and monitor who enters and exits your property.

4. Professional Appearance

First impressions matter. A clean, well-maintained commercial fence adds credibility and visual appeal to your property.

5. Compliance with Local Regulations

Many Peoria zoning ordinances require proper enclosures for certain commercial activities. A local fence contractor can ensure your fence meets city codes and guidelines.

Popular Commercial Fence Types in Peoria

Not all fences are created equal. Depending on your industry and property type, one of the following options might be ideal:

Chain Link Fences: Affordable, strong, and widely used for utility yards, factories, and sports complexes.

Ornamental Steel or Aluminum Fences: Stylish and secure — ideal for professional offices, schools, and government buildings.

Vinyl Fencing: Great for commercial plazas and apartment complexes; offers a clean, modern look with minimal upkeep.

Wood Fences: Often used for restaurants, daycare centers, and outdoor venues needing a natural, warm appearance.

Custom Security Fences: High-security fencing with razor wire, anti-climb mesh, or electric gate systems for sensitive facilities.

Working With a Peoria Commercial Fence Contractor

Choosing the right contractor is just as important as selecting the right fence. In Peoria, a top-tier commercial fencing company will offer:

Free on-site evaluations

Customized fencing plans to match your business needs

High-quality materials built to last through Illinois weather

Timely installation with minimal disruption to your operations

Long-term warranties and maintenance support

Be sure to work with a licensed, insured, and locally experienced fencing provider familiar with Peoria’s business zones and regulations.

Keep Your Investment Protected

After installation, routine inspections and repairs are key. Many fencing contractors in Peoria also offer:

Emergency repair services

Gate automation tune-ups

Fence painting, sealing, or cleaning

Replacement of damaged panels or hardware

Regular maintenance extends your fence’s life and keeps your property looking sharp.

Final Thoughts

Your commercial fence is more than just a boundary — it’s part of your business's identity and security infrastructure. From functional chain link fencing to elegant ornamental options, Peoria businesses have access to a wide range of fencing solutions to suit every need.

Ready to Fence In Your Business?

Partner with a trusted commercial fence installer in Peoria and take the first step toward a safer, more polished business property today.

[crossatlanticsoftware-blog]

Expert Picks: The Best Shopify Website Designers for 2025’s Trending Store Features

The world of eCommerce is transforming faster than ever, and Shopify remains at the forefront of that evolution. As brands aim to deliver exceptional user experiences and capitalize on design-led growth, the need for a skilled Shopify designer has never been greater.

Cross Atlantic Software specialize in bringing together cutting-edge creativity and eCommerce functionality. In this article, we’re diving into the top Shopify website designers to watch in 2025 and sharing expert insights on the trending Shopify store design features that are shaping the future of online retail.

Why Shopify Design Matters in 2025

Before we get into the list of designers and specialists, it’s important to understand why Shopify design is more critical than ever. Online shoppers expect more than a functional website—they want intuitive navigation, fast load times, visually engaging layouts, and mobile responsiveness. That’s where the expertise of a Shopify specialist comes into play.

What Makes a Great Shopify Website Designer?

A truly standout Shopify website designer goes beyond aesthetics. They focus on:

Conversion-driven layouts

Brand-centric user experience

Responsive mobile design

SEO-optimized pages

Seamless app integrations

Let’s take a look at what trends are dominating Shopify in 2025 and who is best equipped to execute them flawlessly.

2025’s Top Shopify Store Design Trends

1. Personalized Shopping Experiences

Thanks to AI and data analytics, personalization is no longer a luxury—it's an expectation. Smart Shopify store design integrates AI-driven recommendations, dynamic product displays, and personalized landing pages. This keeps customers engaged and encourages more frequent purchases.

2. Video-First Product Displays

Static images are taking a backseat in 2025. Leading Shopify website designers are building immersive product pages with background videos, 360-degree product views, and storytelling clips. These elements give customers a real feel for what they’re buying, right from the screen.

3. Mobile-First Design

With more than 75% of eCommerce traffic coming from mobile, top Shopify specialists are prioritizing mobile performance. Think smooth scrolling, effortless one-tap checkouts, and pages that load in the blink of an eye—because today’s shoppers won’t wait around.

4. Eco-Conscious Branding

Consumers are more conscious of sustainability. Modern Shopify store designs are incorporating eco-friendly color schemes, carbon tracking widgets, and transparency tabs to showcase ethical sourcing.

5. Modular Design Systems

In 2025, agility is key. Many Shopify designers are adopting modular design systems—reusable UI components that let store owners update their sites quickly without starting from scratch.

Meet the Experts: Top Shopify Website Designers for 2025

Cross Atlantic Software works with some of the most forward-thinking professionals in the Shopify ecosystem. Here are the types of Shopify website design services that are in high demand—and who’s delivering them.

1. The Strategist Shopify Designer

A strategist isn’t just focused on look and feel—they focus on conversion. They use analytics, customer behavior, and A/B testing to inform every design decision. Our own Cross Atlantic Software design team is known for combining user psychology with clean aesthetics to boost ROI.

Best for: DTC brands looking to scale quickly.

2. The Visual Storyteller

These Shopify website designers are all about emotion. They create visual narratives through imagery, layout, typography, and animation. For lifestyle, fashion, and beauty brands, this approach is especially effective.

Best for: High-end or boutique brands seeking emotional engagement.

3. The Technical Shopify Specialist

Some projects require deep technical know-how. Whether it’s integrating custom features, building subscription logic, or streamlining complex product catalogs, these Shopify specialists bridge the gap between design and engineering.

Best for: B2B, SaaS, or stores with unique backend needs.

4. The Speed-First Optimizer

If performance is your priority, look for a Shopify designer focused on speed. These experts optimize image sizes, reduce unused code, and streamline user flows—all to reduce bounce rates and increase sales.

Best for: Mobile-heavy industries or global brands.

5. The Brand Builder

A great store starts with great branding. These Shopify website design services offer end-to-end support—from logo creation and color palette development to building a custom Shopify theme that aligns with your vision.

Best for: New brands or rebrands that need full creative direction.

Why Choose Cross Atlantic Software?

With hundreds of projects completed and clients across North America, Europe, and Asia, Cross Atlantic Software is more than just a design agency—we’re your eCommerce growth partner.

Our Services Include:

Custom Shopify store design

Theme development and optimization

UI/UX design tailored to your industry

Shopify Plus migration and setup

Full-stack Shopify website design services

Cross Atlantic Software believes every brand has its own story to tell. Our Shopify specialists work closely with you to make sure your store doesn’t just look great—it feels like you.

Client Success:

One of our recent clients, a sustainable fashion label based in Los Angeles, came to us for a full redesign. Their outdated store had a high bounce rate and poor mobile usability.

Our team implemented a modern Shopify store design with immersive video elements, quick-load product pages, and mobile-first navigation. Within three months:

Bounce rate decreased by 27%

Mobile conversions increased by 40%

Average order value rose by 15%

This is the power of working with expert Shopify website designers who understand trends and business objectives.

Conclusion:

If you're planning to launch or revamp your Shopify store in 2025, don’t settle for generic templates or cookie-cutter solutions. Partnering with an experienced Shopify designer or Shopify specialist can make the difference between a store that looks good—and one that converts.

Cross Atlantic Software is passionate about building digital experiences that drive growth. Whether you’re a startup looking for full Shopify website design services or an established brand wanting to refresh your Shopify store design, we’re here to help.

Ready to future-proof your eCommerce store? Contact Cross Atlantic Software today for a free consultation and let’s create something extraordinary together.