#frazzled beep boop

[bad-eggs-comic]

Bottoms exchanging gay knowledge

[autumnmist101]

New Life Sick fic

Hello! I'm new to posting here, but wanted to share this story I made towards the beginning of the New Life SMP! If you like it let me know and I may post more!

“Just a little more coal an’ this soup will be ready.” Scott Smajor says as he packs some more coal into his stove. He had spent all morning trying new recipes until a little Good Guy came around and asked him for some soup for Gem. The pour girl had recently come down with an illness since turning into a blaze.

Upon hearing the news Scott had quickly set to work making just about every comfort recipe that he could and now had a decent amount that he could take over to his friend. He just needed this last soup to finish before he could leave.

“An’ done.” He smiles before placing the last of the soup into his lunch pack. He teleports outside and took the way-stone over to Gem’s place where he was met with a giant villain-like tower. Looking past that, he could see Gem’s starter base, one of the walls having been charred.

“Guess she must’ve sneezed.” He chuckles before going up to the door of the new build.

“Knock knock!” He calls, rapping on the door. However much to his surprise a little copper golem Pearl answers.

“Beep boop.”

“Hello Pearl, I came to see how Gem is doin’.” He explains as Pearl let him in.

“Beep boop.” Pearl says again before leading him up the ladder to Gem’s bedroom. There the two find the pour blaze under a mountain of blankets with ashes scattered about and some even overflowing from the bin beside her. The blaze herself looked no better, only little puffs of smoke emitted from her skin rather than embers, her hair was frazzled to no end, and she was shivering violently.

“Beep Boop.” Pearl said for Gem to turn to the two.

“O-oh. Hi Sss-s-Sc-Scott.” The blaze stammers, sitting up as the two came over. He could hear her teeth chattering as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“I heard you were sick. Thought you could use some soup and such.”

“Beep Boop!?” Pearl perks up before digging in the lunch pack and grabbing a bowl. She holds it up and dances around making Gem giggle.

“You j-just made a fr-friend f-for life.” She says pulling the blanket closer. Pearl stops her happy dance and frowns.

“Aww, what’s wrong Pearl?”

“Sh-sh-she c-can’t act-tually eat it. Only c-copper.”

“Beep boop.” Pearl frowns before walking back over and offering Gem the soup.

“Gem, have you tried checking your temper’ture?” Scott questions as Gem drinks some of the broth. “If it gets too low you could be in serious danger.”

“We can ma— ahke— Ah Choo!” She sneezed into a tissue for it burst into flames.

“Bless you.” He says with Pearl in her golem talk.

“Thank you.” She says, “But we can actually make thermometers?” She questions for Scott to nod.

“Beep boop beep boop!?” Pearl asks for Scott to tell her the crafting recipe. She then scampers off to make it.

“So, I take it she’s been your little helper for the time bein’?” Scott questions for Gem to smile.

“Yeah, though she used to talk normally until I said she should only talk in beeps. I was joking, of course, but she’s committed to the b-bit.” Gem says before shivering again and taking another soup from the pack. “S-so how’ve y-you been Sss-Sc-Scott?”

“Oh, fairly well. Though I got lost in the nether the other day. Apparently, my teleportation isn’t interdimensional, though I did find some stuff while there.”

“Ooh like wha-ah-ah choo!”

“Bless you.”

“Thanks.” She sniffs, “What stuff did you find?”

“I found some gold, a strider spawner, a fortress, some dressers, and an abandoned city. Honestly though, the city had already been kind of raided.”

“It may have been the one Fwhip found. I know he got a lot of stuff. He also said he put down a way-stone.” Gem says setting the bowl aside.

“I thought about making one but didn’t know if they were interdimensional.”

“I think so, but I’m not testing it.” She sneezes again, “My days in the nether are over.”

“Aw you mean you don’t want to move there? It is warmer than it is here.”

“I’m sure. Too many awful mobs live there.”

“I think Sparrow would say the same thin’.” Scott chuckles, “Sausage says he met him right after he came out.”

“How is Sparrow? I haven’t seen him since I was a swarm.”

“He’s good. Still a human but he’s working on a mechanism that could give him powers.”

“Give him powers? What? Is he making a blender that’ll mix him and something else?”

“Mm hm. Sausage told him that he just had to die, but he’s not too keen about that idea, since he’s only a human. Though I think Martyn mentioned that—”

Thickth

“Gem?”

Thickth

“Uh- uh oh.”

Thickth

“Gem your freezing!” He shoots up to find a flint and steal. Scrambling to every chest and barrel he could see.

Thickth

“F-fire!”

Thickth

“Pearl!” Scott calls scrambling to a cabinet by the window. He glances out. Spotting a lava pool.

He runs back to Gem. Scooping her up and teleporting outside. He throws her into the pit, taking some fire damage due to the splash.

“Sc- Scott!” He hears her sputter. He looks back to see she had gotten her color back with the embers beginning to emit from her skin again.

“It worked! Your saved!” He cheers as she glares up at him from the pool.

“Yeah, but next time give a girl a warning. I could’ve drowned.” She chuckles wiping some lava off her forehead.

“There you two are! Good gracious! I thought you had died!” The two hear Pearl say. She walks over, the newly made thermometer in hand, and sees Gem in the pit.

“How’s that working for you?” She asks dropping the thermometer onto the stone ledge around the pit.

“Fairly well actually.” Gem states, “What took you so long?”

“Your chest monster. Honestly Gem, it’s a nightmare!” Pearl sighs, “Anyway how’s your temperature?”

“It’s still kind of low but better than what it was.” She pauses, grabbing some of the lava in a bucket before climbing out. As the three head back to her base, passing the way-stone on the way, Gem thanks Scott for saving her and for bringing over the soup.

“Don’t mention it," Scott says, stepping up to the way stone. He chuckles, "you just take care of yourself and don’t burn down the forest.”

[secondstartotheleftpodcast]

FULL SEASON TRAILER: Second Star to the Left

A queer sci-fi podcast about loneliness, wonder, and connection in space.

Written by E. Jade Lomax (ink-splotch/dirgewithoutmusic) and Aysha Farah / Directed and Edited by Rachel Kellum

Starring Ishani Kanetkar and Jorin Baas

Our ten episode show premieres February 20th!

Listen to our FULL trailer here:

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Castos

Trailer transcript below cut:

BELL

Sighs. Gwendolyn Hartley, Scout-Explorer class of ‘66. My name is Bell Summers, and I’ve been assigned to work as your minder for your five year mission. They assigned me three months ago, which is when I first tried and failed to contact you.

GWEN

That’s not my fault, okay-- we were trained with the computer system, you know. I didn’t know I was blocking out a real live person every time I denied the computer speech access.

BELL

You’re a real scout now. Things don’t go like they do in training.

     <Ping>

GWEN

So are you going to, like, listen to everything I do, Summers?

BELL

Yes, but I’m only on your direct line four hours every other day. The rest of your time is yours.

GWEN

The rest of my time is the settlement office’s. But I get what you mean.

     <Ping>

BELL

--you’re going to exhaust yourself, and fall down a crevice, and--

GWEN

I bet you’re great at parties.

BELL

I bet you stand on tables.

     <Ping>

GWEN

It’s just a routine malfunction? From what you were saying, it seemed like they were really freaked.

BELL

Wouldn’t you be if you dropped out of hyperspeed?

Their sensors went haywire for a few seconds with some sort of broadband radio burst, and now he says it’s like they’re being dragged backwards-- even though there’s nothing out there. But Nguyen’s always been fanciful when he’s frazzled. He’s got a good first mate, they’ll calm him down.

GWEN

What if it’s not a malfunction? What if it's not the ship? Did he send you a recording of the radio burst?

BELL

It’s Nguyen, he sent me everything. (IRRITATED) Except the engine readings

     <Ping>

GWEN

Listen, Captain Fakir--

FAKIR

Oh, Captain. I like that. I think I like you Gwen Hartley.

GWEN

Fantastic.

FAKIR (THREATENING)

It’s a good thing when management likes you.

     <Ping>

BELL

Just… checking Mikail’s line again. I wish they gave us more feeds on you guys. I don’t understand how I’m expected to do this work with nothing but a comm line.

GWEN

Live data streams are expensive.

BELL

Expense is not a valid prioritization when making decisions about individuals’ lives and safety.

GWEN

We signed a contract. We signed on for this.

BELL

I am aware.

     <Ping>

BELL

At some point you need to wonder how much your life is worth.

     <Ping>

GWEN

Scouts sign up knowing the risks.

     <Ping>

BELL

We were the ugly truth.

     <Ping>

FAKIR

How many wrenches does one scout-minder need?

     <Ping>

BELL

Gwen I don’t want to regret any of this, please.

Maybe you would have made different decisions-- or I would have. I can learn from this, I can hate some of the things that are happening--

But I’m glad to have known Mikail, and Priyanka... and you.

     <Music starts up>

     <Music continues under words>

GWEN

The sky, Peter... I wish you could see it. It's blue, but the shading's not quite right. I can't think what to call it other than 'blue,' but it's so easy to see I'm nowhere near home.

It's funny. I lived a year in space, and I'll probably never fly again.

But I've got lots to do.

BOOTS

Whirr, beep

GWEN

Hey Boots, yeah, what you think? Gonna be a good day?

BOOTS

BEEP-boop

     <Music continues>

Second Star to the Left. Launching February 20th 2021

     <Music continues>

[minusgangtime]

Yeah, I'm alright! You're good!

*She mostly just seemed a bit frazzled. Without having a true physical form, she was a bit more resilient to damage than a person.*

I think this magic anon thing is almost over, anyway.

- Star

"Boop, bap! Skebeep bap beep bip beebop boop bop!~ (Hey, Star! I'm back to my normal size already!~)"

[cheeseeatingtrashmonster]

Sweet and Sour Secrets

Ao3

Day 4: Spa Day

-

"Hey, Bee."

Marinette's voice through the phone was off. Chloe didn't know how, but it was off, and she didn't like that. She was Chloe, though, and didn't know how to ask what was wrong, so what she ended up saying was:

"I expected your call hours ago."

Chloe cringed. Not the worst thing she could have said. Definitely not anywhere near what she wanted to say, either.

"I expected to get to call you hours ago." She sighed. "It was just one of those days, you know?"

Chloe glanced at the papers strewn around her. Her father refused to come out of his room, too depressed and hurt from a fight with her mother to do his job as mayor or hotel owner. She'd been trying to do both, along with her homework, for most of the week.

"Yeah, I do."

Marinette hummed in sympathy. "Is your dad still not up to working?"

Chloe flicked a request for emergency increased funds for street cleaning across the desk and watched it slide off the edge to the floor. "Apparently not. But that's boring. What happened to your day? I barely saw you at school today. Didn't you have some sort of babysitting thing this afternoon?"

Marinette whimpered and a repetitive, dull thudding sound came through the phone that Chloe recognized as Marinette lightly bonking her forehead into her desk. "He tore a design."

"What?" Chloe screeched. "Some snot-nosed brat laid his hands on your gorgeous work of art?"

"He's not... that bad..." She did not sound convincing.

Chloe tapped her pen against the desk, narrowing her eyes at nothing. "Which one?"

"Um... the... the dress. The red and pink one."

She gasped. This was the piece that Chloe had been pestering Marinette to make for herself for an upcoming gala they were both invited to attend. "How bad was the damage?"

"Um..." She took a breath and said in a rush, "It's kind of most definitely ruined but I think I can save some of the panels from the skirt so it's not like I'd be starting completely from scratch?"

"Marinette!"

"His mother paid me double and said she wouldn't ask me to watch him again."

Chloe sighed. "Does paying you double at least cover the cost of the fabric?"

"Mmmmaybe?"

"Honey, that's really not-"

A screeching crash interrupted them.

"Akuma," they said at the same time.

"I'll see you in a minute," Chloe said.

-

"Ladybug!" Queen Bee gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. "What- what happened to you? We were just talking, and you didn't say anything about-"

"Bee, we really don't have time for this," Ladybug said, closing her eyes and suppressing a sigh. "But I know you, you won't let up. I got caught in the rain at the park while babysitting. That's why I had to take the kid up into my room. I haven't had time to fix my hair since."

Ladybug's hair was messy and frizzy, bits sticking up everywhere, and her pigtails were standing stiffly at odd angles from her head. Usually, no matter what the team members looked like before transforming, if they were able to put it out of mind, it didn't become part of their appearance when transformed. Marinette must truly be frazzled for her disheveled hair to be visible after her transformation.

"Come over after this," Queen Bee said, whipping her spinning top at the akuma. “I have this great new deep conditioning treatment-”

“Good evening, ladies!” Chat shouted as he yeeted himself directly at their opponent.

“I haven’t done any homework yet, I have an essay for history due tomorrow.” Ladybug took a running start and wrapped her yo-yo around one of the lower beams of the Tower and launched herself feet-first into the akuma’s side.

“We could do the treatment another day,” Queen Bee said before charging up Venom.

“That sounds great. I really need a nice, relaxing self-pampering day,” Ladybug said, hooking the akuma’s arm with her yo-yo and yanking him off balance.

“I found a great new eye cream you two have to try,” Chat said, using his baton to knock Queen Bee out of the way of the akuma’s flailing tail.

“One of these days, whenever we reveal,” Ladybug said, “you’re coming over for self-pampering day, too.”

Queen Bee finally got an opening and stabbed her Venom into the akuma, freezing him just before his claws would have crushed her into the ground.

With the akuma purified and Chat escorting the victim home, Ladybug leaned against Queen Bee. She didn't comment on how much of Ladybug's weight she was supporting, but it worried her to see her girlfriend so out of sorts.

"This has been building up for a while, hasn't it?" she asked, wrapping an arm around Ladybug's waist and ignoring the beeps from their miraculouses.

"My current state of frazzlement?" Ladybug pulled on a pigtail for emphasis.

"Ugh. Ridiculous. That's not a word." She ran her gloved fingers over the flyaway hairs on Ladybug's head. "Being Ladybug is a big job."

Being Marinette is a big job, too, she thought. She hoped Ladybug could see the thought in her eyes.

"I wouldn't trade it for the world, though." She kissed Queen Bee's cheek and unclipped her yo-yo from her waist. "Have a good night, Queenie. And keep thinking up things for our home spa day!"

They both headed home, but Queen Bee felt her heart get heavier with every inch she added to the physical distance between them. There had to be a way to make Marinette feel better and get a break for herself.

Chloe hadn't even fully detransformed before the idea hit her.

"Jean Jean! Grab paper and a pen, write down everything I say, and follow me!"

-

Marinette had barely stepped out the door the next morning when she was grabbed and thrown in a car parked around the corner from the bakery.

“Chloe, what the hell are you-”

"Give me your phone." She held out her hand, ignoring the way Marinette was struggling to right herself from where she had been dumped half on half off the back seat of the car.

"Chloe, whatever this is, can we talk about it on the way into school, please?"

Chloe reached into Marinette's purse, patted Tikki on the head, and took her phone. She unlocked it with the code she had watched Marinette put in so many times and started scrolling through her contacts.

"We aren't going to school." Chloe held Marinette's phone to her ear. "Hello, Mrs. Cheng? I'm Marinette's mystery girlfriend. I'm taking her out of school for today so she can rest and recover from her life for a bit."

There was a pause. Marinette strained to listen to her mom's response, too stunned to take the phone away from her clearly bonkers girlfriend.

"I will give you a number to reach us in case of emergency, but I'm turning her phone off." Another pause. "A spa. I'm paying." A pause. "Good to hear. Thank you, Mrs. Cheng."

"Let me talk to her!" Marinette squeaked.

Miraculously, Chloe handed over the phone.

"Mom?"

"Go rest, honey. We're talking about... all of this when you get home, but I saw how miserable you were last night. I'll call the school and tell them you're sick."

Marinette didn't realize she had started crying until Chloe's fingertips brushed her face. "Thanks, Mom."

"We expect to meet her. Soon."

Marinette looked over at Chloe and thought about how that get together was going to go. She broke into giggles and couldn't stop. Chloe had to take the phone and say goodbye for her.

"Take a nap once we get on the plane," Chloe said, pulling her close. "This is not the kind of place where uncontrolled laughter would be a good idea."

"A nap sounds fantastic," Marinette said, letting herself sag into Chloe. "And you're taking me to a spa? What about all the mayor and hotel stuff?"

"Jean Stuart and I came up with a plan last night. Oh, I got the student council meeting after school postponed, so you don't need to worry about that, and I got extensions on all your schoolwork." She was staring out the car window, straight-faced. Marinette booped her nose just to watch it scrunch and her eyes cross to see the offending finger.

"You did all that just because I had a bad day?"

Chloe softened. Her eyes, her shoulders, the smile she gave to Marinette alone. "I did it because I needed to have a way to help."

Marinette gently pulled Chloe into a kiss by the back of her neck. "You don't have to whisk me off and solve all my problems to help. You listen to me. You help with akumas. You make me happy. You make me happy. Not who you can influence for me, or what you can buy me."

Chloe kissed her again. "Thank you," she whispered. She left her eyes closed and touched her forehead to Marinette's. "Thank you."

They sat there, eyes closed and wrapped in each other's arms while the car's motion soothed them.

Until Marinette pulled away and sat bolt upright.

"Did you say we're getting on a plane to get to this spa? Where is it? Are we leaving the country?"

"Shhh," Chloe said, pulling her back into their previous cuddly position. "Not important."

"Chloe!"

"Also, a shipment of fabric will be delivered to the bakery today. You'll be able to make ten dresses to replace the one that brat destroyed."

"Chloe!"

Chloe kissed her nose. "Oh, just let me do this, Honey."

Marinette buried her face in Chloe's shoulder and breathed in her perfume.

"I love you too, Bee."

[bad-eggs-comic]

A good point

[bad-eggs-comic]

The gang is all here