#highly-skilled technicians

[loustyleshtommo]

the villain: you can either do as I say while letting the whole world believe you’re a big bully, or I give everyone a copy of the key to your castle. Your choice.

[sanguinesky-if]

Sanguine Sky

DEMO [Public] [Updated 11/05/2024] genres: romance, modern-fantasy, supernatural, mystery, dark-fantasy.

Sanguine Sky is a work-in-progress modern dark-fantasy interactive novel. The story is heavily focused on romance, characters, and relationships.

The story rated 18+, contains mature and distressing content that may be triggering to certain individuals. It is recommend to check the full list of warnings before you proceed to the story. Please exercise caution and take care of yourself.

Word count [Public]: 96k [excl. code] | 116k words [incl. code] Word count [Patreon]: 180k [excl. code] [Updated 09/11/2024]

You are a detective, tasked with investigating mysterious murders that have taken place in your normally quiet and peaceful hometown, Fallenmor. 

With two victims confirmed already, the initial one being your former mentor, Detective Bergmann, the situation couldn't seem more dire. Or so you thought until you received the news of another body, a possible third victim, discovered at the police station. In your very own office. 

An accident, a mere coincidence, a straightforward warning, a looming threat, or something entirely else… Whatever is happening, you feel it affecting you, awakening something both significantly familiar and distinctly foreign inside of you.

If only you knew that this was just the beginning… Things could have been different. 

But back then, in your ignorance, your singular concern lay with a pressing question: if you failed to find the murderer, who would become the next victim?

➤ Play as male, female, non-binary or trans; straight, gay, or bisexual.

➤ Customize your appearance and shape your personality.

➤ Take on the role of a detective, immerse yourself in the work of the police station.

➤ Embrace the mystery of your existence, or reject that inner sight of you.

➤ Seven romance options to choose from. Select their gender, be shy or bold, or focus on your goal without pursuing anyone.

All ROs are player-sexual and gender-selectable [M/F].

Kyle / Keira Moreno

Your colleague, a police inspector, and one of the rudest people you have ever met. Sharp and stern, K is surprisingly perceptive, and they use it to really see you. The good, the bad. Everything. Appearance: icy blue eyes, dark red hair, very pale skin.

Alexis 'Lex / Lexie' Conlan

Your best friend, and also your former partner from times when you were just a patrol officer. With a heart of gold and an approachable attitude, L always chooses you over the others. Appearance: forest green eyes, copper hair, beige freckled skin.

Morgan Schoivell

Your other colleague, a highly-skilled lab technician. M is rather reserved when it comes to emotions, and after almost a year of working together, M is still a walking mystery for you. Appearance: dark brown eyes, ash blonde hair, light skin.

Roderick / Rebecca Reyes

The commanding agent of the Criminal Investigative Division (CID) team sent to catch the killer. Overbearing and ruthless, R has their own way of getting things done. Appearance: gray eyes, blonde hair, pale skin.

Theodore 'Theo' / Theresa 'Tess' Vazquez

Another member of the CID team. With a cocky smile, T is full of flirts and sneering comments, regardless of the occasion. T has no doubts about what they want and isn't afraid to vocalize it. Appearance: dark green eyes, black curly hair, rich brown skin.

Isaac / Iris Brailsford

I looks the most mature and approachable of CID's fellow agents. Looks can be deceiving, though. Working behind the scene and watching from afar, I carries all the scars within. Appearance: hazel eyes, dark brown hair, olive skin.

Sebastian / Selena Goldstein

Someone new and temporary, S has a velvety voice and a perfect smile that doesn't reach their eyes. You're not sure if your paths will cross in the future, but something tells you S can't be trusted. Appearance: black eyes, long black wavy hair, bronze skin.

Other notable characters:

Your twin-sister: Your sweet, kind, caring, and gentle twin sister. She always tries to be there for you, and show how much she appreciates you, no matter what. Chief of Police, Kendrick Nash: Your boss, who is not handling his job so well after the recent death of his husband, Klemens Bergmann. Detective Klemens Bergmann: Police chief's husband, who happened to be a senior detective and your mentor. He was the first victim, murdered under mysterious circumstances.

A full list of warnings is available in the demo before beginning of the story. I recommend to check it before you proceed to reading.

Links: DEMO | CoG Forum | Q&A | Romance | Tags & Links | Patreon | Ko-Fi | Error Reports |

Thank you for your interest ♥

[digitalsymbiote]

Scars and Memories

CW: Self harm, Scarification

There’s a ritual among certain groups of Mech pilots. Usually ones who are a bit more, esoteric. Pilots who’ve maybe spent too much time in the cockpit, but are too skilled for command to remove them from duty.

It’s a known fact that the more time a pilot spends in the cockpit, the more attached they become to their Mech. Each mech is practically tailor made for its pilot after all, with the hours upon hours of synchronization training that their IMP goes through. Swapping pilots between Mechs is not only unheard of, but almost impossible given how they work.

Pilots that fall into these groups are often so skilled and highly valued, that command assigns a units most skilled mechanics and technicians to their fireteams. This means that nearly every scratch that one of these Mechs receives on a sortie is repaired as quickly as possible, to keep the Mech in top shape for its next deployment.

Initially, the pilots hated this. Pilots have always held onto scars and scratches like badges of honor, marks to prove that they survived a particularly harsh engagement. But the boost to performance and mission success was such that command wouldn’t budge an inch. So the pilots pivoted to a different tactic.

The first time you saw it happen you almost called a paramedic, but then you noticed there was actually one standing by, and no one else in the hangar was paying it any mind.

The returning pilot was kneeling in front of their mech, combat knife dripping blood in their hands, carving the lines of the wounds their mech had taken into their own flesh.

There was a reverence to it. No one impeded on the pilots space, even the paramedic standing by was staying a few paces off. The mechanics were moving slow with the repairs, giving the pilot enough time to memorize the scars on their machine before they were buffed away.

You realized then why so many veteran pilots are covered in brutal and jagged scars, despite the cockpit being the most well protected part of a Mech.

And maybe on your next sortie, you carved a line into your skin where a stray round had nicked your machine.

The metal may heal, but the flesh remembers.

[heretichromia]

The most frustrating thing to me about the increasingly popular trend of depicting the Abyssal Hunters as a nuclear family, of a husband and wife Ulpianus and Gladiia with their two children, is that

Gladiia and Skadi are roughly the same age.

Gladiia was described as a "young Consul" in Specter the Unchained's module at the time that Laurentina became an Abyssal Hunter. From her own module, though we don't know her exact age at the time, she became an Abyssal Hunter very shortly after obtaining independence from her mother.

Skadi, meanwhile, was not a child soldier. In Path of Life, we learn that she was in fact a highly-skilled technician prior to becoming an Abyssal Hunter, skilled at her job in a way none of the other technicians could quite emulate.

Ulpianus is certainly older than both of them. He was the first Abyssal Hunter, and was already an established and renowned scientist by the time he became one. But if he's older than Skadi to a degree where he can see this woman in her 30s as a daughter, then why the fuck would he see a woman Gladiia's age as a romantic partner?

[irrlicht-writes]

Behind-the-scenes hc thingies for Cash or Check! I probably forgot like half of them, lol.

Are they hc's when it's my own fanfic...?

-Alastor dislikes sex -Alastor didn't start out liking kissing, but kissing Vox makes his lips tingle and that's quite interesting let's keep doing it -He likes feeling weight on top of him (Vox optional) someone should introduce him to weighted blankets -He likes sleeping on top of Vox so he can hear/feel his heartbeat (Vox not optional, sadly) -He keeps everything Vox gave him, even if he might forget he has it in the first place -He doesn't mind following in a dance but he usually ends up leading anyway even if he keeps doing the woman's steps -He used to go to every opening night of Vox's movies and talked about them in his radio show when he knew Vox wouldn't be listening -Not that Vox will ever know, but when there was a competitor, they would "miraculously" disappear -He loves Vox, but he doesn't have the words to say it -If things had gone differently, he might've been open to having sex with Vox one day willingly -He has stolen some of Vox's clothes but has never worn them (he's unsure why he took them it just felt right) -He dreams about eating Vox sometimes -Vox is special to him, even more so than Niffty -Alastor doesn't know how or when he fell in love, Vox was just something entertaining/interesting at first before that shifted -Vox gets forgiven for everything, he can literally do no wrong (that doesn't mean he won't get shamed to oblivion for mistakes it's just that Alastor will forgive and move on) -He can yap about Vox for hours and not realise what he sounds like (Husk is a prefered suffering victim) -He has gender dysphoria (usually it's hardly an issue but lately it's been getting worse I wonder why) -As a child, he killed fifteen dogs in eight months' time -He tried to kill himself twice but didn't succeed -He's far-sighted but due to convience, he'd wear his glasses all the time -Alastor's initial, unspoken reaction to Vox's first proposal was "Are you fucking insane?" -In the same vein, he got a ring custom-made for Vox (it's white-blue with shark motif) -Alastor rarely ever gets in the mood and when he does it's more like a chore and Vox is not required to assist (Murder only gets him in the mood for more murder) -He indulges Niffty in her roleplay sometimes (pretending to be the big bad evil king with her as his princess) (Husk usually serves as the loyal royal steed (he's not being asked)) -Alastor likes soft things, although he's not entirely aware of it -He's a tease and likes to flirt but he's also prone to just walking off in a conversation (Flirting only goes one way, not the other) -Alastor's favourite position is none of them -He is the last to sleep and the first to wake -Unless Vox is there; when Vox is there Alastor falls asleep as soon as he gets tired

-Vox loves Alastor -He likes it whenever Alastor would put his hands on Vox's chest (it makes him feel big and strong and manly) -He loves how dainty Alastor is -His small waist is making Vox feel things that are not pg13 -Alastor absolutely terrifies him, like a beautiful monster -Vox used to be more creative, but it slowly drained out of him -Rodriguez doesn't work for him anymore, but they still have contact from time to time -Vox had been married with three children he didn't care for and often forgets even existed -He used to coerce young girls to have sex with him -Alastor is the first one he's tried his bisexual side with -He loves Al, but he also loves Val -When having sex with Val, he sometimes accidentally calls him Al (which Val often just hears as his own name so Vox's screen is spared destruction) -Vox's favourite position is all of them -Even while surrounded by highly skilled technicians, Vox usually only trusts himself and Alastor to handle the tech in his head -He has more wet dreams about Alastor than he likes to admit -He loves the soft fur on Alastor's body -While he won't pry, he'd really like to know the stories of Alastor's numerous scars - they are a part of the man he loves -Vox loves Alastor so, so much -He's not into feet at all, but Alastor's hooves are a completely different thing -His clothes on Alastor drive him insane -Calling Alastor a girl is a little like a game to him - he likes to be a big man -He doesn't really understand Alastor most of the time but he hardly lets that stop him -He'll never tell anyone but Alastor squeaks quietly when he sleeps

-Niffty's human name was Alice and she got adopted from an orphanage when she was seven -Neither of them know it, or will ever find out, but Niffty is in fact Alastor's biological daughter -Alastor yapped about Vox on three seperate occasions, so Rosie had the man investigated before concluding that her bestie had, yet again, went and picked up a stray -Velvette is a lesbian and considers Bunny to be "one of the girls" -Velvette and Alastor play HellVille together

-Everything you see posted is the first draft (let's not count notes) which probably makes me a bad author :) -I also probably forgot about half of what I wanted to write here :)

[when-the-doves-cry]

+ Information post +

Good morning, evening, and night to all of you jumbles of code on my computer screen, and welcome to my Sprunki ask blog! (Note: I have a friend who also runs a sprunki ask blog, check them out! ) The 'owner' of this blog is Jevin. You are allowed to ask the others questions, but if the questions are not specifically directed towards anyone, Jevin will be the one to answer. Moderator is 18+, and in turn this blog is directed towards a 15-16+ audience. Triggering topics will be covered (Rape/assault, kidnapping, drug use, abusive relationships) and words will not be censored or danced around (Murder, suicide, death, etc.), please ask to tag if the posts are not properly tagged already. In this universe, things are a little different than the canon information. I strongly suggest reading more so that the confusion is minimal.

Timeline stage: BEFORE the incident. No deaths have occurred. Vincent is growing uneasy. Long post, beware!

A few characters go by different names in this universe. Owakcx - Lime Black / Blackhat - Vincent Jevin - Harpy 29 / Male [ftm] / 5'1 -He is not a cultist, but he does tend to keep his distance from everyone outside of work -College student -Works as a priest -'Married' to Lime (not a legal marriage and neither of them have shared this information with the others) -Vague relationship with Tunner (Lime is aware and approves of this) Sky - Bear 14 / Male / 5'8 Highschool student -Lives at home with Jevin -Collects Sanrio stuffed animals -Softspoken and a little awkward Oren - Alien 28 / Male [ftm] / 5'3 -Works as a technician at an arcade during the day, DJ's raves at night. -He spends his free time streaming or making podcasts -Polyam with Raddy and Pinki, romantic with both Raddy - Psuedo dragon 30 / Male / 5'6 -Works as a carpenter and mechanic -Spends most, if not all of his free time working out and training for... something. He's not open about what this something is. -He has wings, but they're vestigial, too small and crumpled to allow flight -Polyam with Oren and Pinki, only friendly with Pinki Clukr - Human 48 / male / 5'2 -Works as a mechanic, highly skilled in the field of robotics. -Married to Garnold, they have a somewhat strained relationship -'Parent' of Funbot and Funbyte Funbot - Robot Ageless, has the mindset of a young child / he/it / 4'9 -Stays at home with Garnold -No occupation, simply an overcurious 'child' Vineria - unknown 22 / male [ftm] / 6'4 -Botanist -College student -Spends most of his time in the community garden -Ex's and best friends with lime Gray - Demon 19 / male / 5'7 -College student -Softspoken -Wendas younger brother Brud - Unknown 28 / male / 6' -College professor, teaches mathematics -Mild extropia strabismus  -Wears a grey beanie instead of a bucket -Close friends with Vincent Garnold - Cyborg 51 / male / 5'4 -Works as a technician -Married to Clukr, they have a somewhat strained relationship -'Parent' of Funbot and Funbyte Lime (OWAKCX) - Unknown, human? 30 / male / 5'11 -Works as a real estate agent -Had himself checked into a psych ward after an intense depressive episode where he met Vincent. Due to what happened between the two in the ward, Lime left in the condition he's in today -Sometimes spirals off into gibbering nonsense and shakes all over, but he's still fully there mentally -'Married' to Jevin (not a legal marriage and neither of them have shared this information with the others) Mr. Sun - Sun objecthead 50 / male / 5'5 -Principal at Sky's school -Minor character -Interested in Mr.Tree -No relationships with anyone aside from Vincent, good friends Durple - Dragon 32 / male / 7'5 -Works as a mechanic alongside Raddy -Rather quiet and reserved, wears his heart on his sleeve -Incredibly strong, but must be treated gently -Close friends with Simon Mr. Tree - Spriggan 50 / male / 6'4 -Assistant Principal -Minor character -Interested in Mr.Sun -No relationships with anyone else Simon - Alien 26 / male / 5'10 -College student -Best friends with just about everyone, very loud and outgoing -Vaguely related to Oren Tunner - Pangolin? 27 / male / 5'11 -Sheriff -Friendly with everyone, but not exactly friends with anyone aside from Jevin -Keeps to himself -Vague relationship with Jevin Funbyte (Funbot computer) - Cyborg ageless / he/it -Minor character, unlikely to play much of a role in this Wenda - Turkish Angora 20 / female / 6'2 -Very polite and kind, but a little awkward -High social anxiety, but cannot be left alone for too long -Good friends with Pink -Middle child of the family (Gray, Wenda, Vincent) Pinki - Holland Lop 26 / female / 5'4 -Works as a florist and wedding photographer -Often spends her free time working out with Raddy -Good friends with Wenda -Polyam with Oren and Raddy. Romantic with Oren, friends with Raddy Vincent (Blackhat) - unknown 30 / male / 6'3 -For now, Vincent stays locked up. Nobody knows of his darker intentions.

[yousadclownofaman]

Whipstitch Whitehall, Western Transplant & Settlement Leader.

Im embarrassed that I haven’t posted all my new fallout characters yet…this is Whipstitch Whitehall, from Vault 49 out in OK originally, but she’s made her way through to the Commonwealth & has made a living setting up small communications relays between settlements in the northern Commonwealth. She’s got a little arms dealing business on the side but that’s for later, details under the cut!

Vault 49 was established under a private airstrip used for politicians & eccentric billionaires living in the Four Corners region of the pre-war western United States. With a focus on preparedness and wilderness training, Vault Tec’s plan for 49 was to initially shock the well-to-do political class into a proverbial state of “freeze-fight-or-flight” following the inevitable nuclear apocalypse. Herded into Vault 49 alongside these social elites were a selection of local farming families chosen by a quad-state area Super Duper Mart raffle, who would be dispersed throughout the same living quarters as their former governors & elected officials. Intermarrying was highly encouraged, and living standard incentives were even instituted in the early phases of Vault Tec’s V49 Overseer Agenda to establish families of mixed parentage; results were mixed for several short generations, but Vault 49 eventually came to be known in the middle territories as one of the more successful experiments surviving into the new post-nuclear landscape.

Much of the senatorial & gubernatorial class died out in the first few decades; pampered lifestyles with extensive robotic assistance led to a group that could not handle the stressors of Vault life. Those few hardier families who could handle themselves mingled with the general population & within 2-3 generations Vault-Tec Overseer reports would have been full of rigorous training regiments, roll call counts, test scores and biometric data. The program for V49 dictated that all inhabitants be trained in extensive wilderness preparedness (akin to pre-war Eagle Scout programs) for the first 150 years after initial sealing—after which control over the vault’s main door would be relinquished to the current Overseer via a Vault-Tec official password transfer. With the Overseer’s discretion the main door would be allowed to open whenever necessary, and a system of scouting parties would be established shortly after. Phase 2 of Vault-Tec’s program would come into effect here.

Whipstitch’s parents were both particularly talented community leaders; her mother was head technician in the V49 Water Processing Plant, and her father was on the Science & Exploration Board for several years before they had little ‘Stitch. She grew up as a talented target shooter, an excellent swimmer, and with a propensity for tinkering which carried her through V49 “Blue Ranger” training; a gauntlet designed to harden potential scouting party members. Whipstitch took her chance when she could to leave the vault and see the greater world, only bits of which she’d seen previously from others’ scavenging hauls—and never came back. She feels pangs of guilt from time to time when the skies hang red with radiation storms, reminding her of the dusty prairie sky back in O-Kay. Stitch took all those skills from V49 and trained up her people skills along the way, managing to gain some small notoriety as a handy builder/engineer & quite nifty with small energy weapons.

[sticktopia]

Happy Accidents (RocketPrincess AU)

When a drunken one-night stand leaves Mango with an accidental pregnancy, he has to figure out how to keep his secret safe. Turns out, it's easier said than done when the baby's other parent is literally his boss.

⚠️Warning: Mpreg⚠️

Chapter 4

It had been a few days since Mango’d been to work. Today was his first day back. He was kinda nervous. But he’d been taking the medication. He should be normal enough to get through the day without being suspicious.

Mango stepped into the building casually. He walked to his office with no issues whatsoever. It seemed Clay kept her promise. Good. The last thing he needed was-

“CONGRATULATIONS!!!!” Mango yelped as he fell backwards on his butt. He winced before looking up. His office was full of both familiar and unfamiliar faces; some belonged to his underlings, others were the mercenaries, and some were the medical staff. Mango stared at them all with wide and confused eyes.

“Wh-what-“ Smith stepped forward and offered Mango a hand. Mango took his hand and was hoisted up. “I-I-I don’t-“

“You’re pregnant Mango! This is something that needs to be celebrated!!!” A nurse said as she pulled Mango into the room.

“Coral!” Smith followed the pair into the room. Upon entry, everyone swarmed Mango with “congratulations” and “we’re so happy for you!” Mango gripped the strap of his bag, trying to keep his breath steady.

“P-pregnant? N-no y-you’re mis-“

“It’s no mistake! We saw it!” Another nurse said, stepping forward excitedly. She gripped Mango’s hands and excitedly hugged him. “This is so exciting! No one in a high-up position has ever been pregnant before!”

“Wh-where did you hear I was pregnant? I-I’m not!” Mango said, trying to keep his calm.

“We saw it! In the report! You’re pregnant!” Mango buried his face in his hands. No one was supposed to know he was pregnant till he felt more comfortable about it. Well, there go all the plans he had.

“Coral, Venus. Stop harassing the man.” Smith said sternly. Primal then grabbed the two nurses by the back of their shirts.

“I think you two need to leave.” She said before tossing the two out.

“I believe all of you must leave now.” Hazard said sternly.

“And if ya don’t.” Ballista turned their face into a gun. “We start blastin’.”

The room was immediately cleared out within minutes. Mango stood in the middle of the room hugging himself as the gang of highly skilled mercenaries exited. Well, except for Smith. He ,instead, approached Mango.

“Hey. You ok Mango?” The head agent asked, placing a gentle, yet caring, hand on his shoulder. Mango tensed and sniffled a bit.

“Y-ya know… I really didn’t want anyone to know yet…” Mango admitted. “I-I’m still… still trying to process it all myself… I, I guess the whole company knows now huh?”

“Unfortunately. News like this spreads like wildfire. You and I both know this.” Smith said softly. Mango sniffled and wiped away a stray tear.

“Stupid hormones.” Mango sniffled as he pulled away from the agent. Smith’s hand hovered in place before slowly, hesitantly, lowering.

“Do you want to go-“

“No!” Mango snapped, turning back to the agent. “No. I’m not going back home! I’ve already been gone for three days! That’s three days too long!”

As Mango rambled, he took off his bag and started pulling out the blueprints and papers. Smith stood and watched as Mango threw himself into his work. It was impressive how fast Mango was able to shake off the initial shock, but it still worried Smith. He approached the slightly shorter stick, his hands placing themselves on Mango’s shoulders once again.

“Mango!” Mango looked up at Smith with glossy eyes. Smith’s eyes softened as he saw the stress and fear in his friend’s eyes. With a sigh, the head agent stepped around the desk and pulled the distressed technician into his embrace. Mango stiffened before relaxing and embracing the pseudo hollow as well. Mango trembled in his embrace, terrified and stressed.

“I-I didn’t want this! I-I-I just-I wanted to keep it quiet! I didn’t need the whole company knowing that I was pregnant!!! It’s embarrassing!!!” Mango sobbed. Smith held his friend tightly. The stick was clearly in a lot of distress. He figures it must’ve taken a lot of courage for the expecting stick to even get in the car to get to work this morning. Smith stood silent, rubbing Mango’s back and holding him tight. After a few more moments of this, Mango suddenly pulled away.

“I-I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to do that.” Mango sniffled, wiping his tears.

“Hey hey, it’s ok Mango. I’m your friend.” Smith chuckled as he approached the technician once more. “I’m gonna be here for you no matter what you know.”

“Really?” Mango sniffled, turning to face the other stick. Smith smiled and nodded.

“Promise it. And I don’t break my promises.” Smith said, taking his sunglasses off. Mango sniffled and smiled a bit.

“Yeah… Th-thanks… Pivot.” Mango said, looking away.

“Oh Ho Ho.” Pivot leaned into Mango a bit. “Using my first name without a threat? That’s a first. Am I gonna be hearing that more?”

“Shut up.” Mango softly chuckled as he stepped away from the agent. “I have work to do. Get outta here.”

“Alright alright I’m going.” Pivot chuckled as he walked out. Just before the agent left the technician’s office, he paused and looked back over his shoulder. Watching Mango work for a moment.

“If anyone starts harassing you,” Mango looked up, watching as Smith spoke. “Call me and I’ll come running.”

“Oh my creators you’re such a nerd.” Mango playfully scoffed. Pivot simply chuckled before placing his glasses on his face and exiting the office.

*********

Everywhere Mango went for the next few days, he felt like there were eyes on him. Everyone was staring at him, whispering about him. 

“He banged the boss.”

“He’s pregnant with the boss’ child.”

“What a slut.”

“No wonder he rose through the ranks so fast.”

Mango tried to keep his cool. Acting like he heard nothing. Like he wasn’t pregnant and nobody had anything to say. But his knees shook with every step, threatening to buckle as he put his weight on each leg. 

“M-Mr Tango!” The sound of the voice jolted Mango from his thoughts. The stick whirled around to face a younger looking stick.

“I heard that you were expecting! Is this true?!” They excitedly asked. Mango stiffened for a sec before relaxing. Or, doing his best to look relaxed.

“I’m not expecting. Whatever you’re hearing from others is a lie.” Mango stated. He walked by the stick, but they followed him.

“You know, it’s nothing to be ashamed of if you are pregnant. It’s just, every employee who got pregnant working with Rocket Corp quit their jobs! You’ve been head technician for only a few months now. Are you really going to give such a title up for a baby?” Mango paused and turned to the stick.

“Look kid. I’m not going to give up my position for anything. This is the best paying job I’ve ever had and I refuse to lose it. Something like pregnancy won’t make me quit.” Mango said sternly. The stick smirked as Mango finished his statement. That confused Mango greatly.

“What? What are you smirking about?” Mango demanded. The stick chuckled and hummed.

“Oh nothing. But you totally just admitted that you were pregnant.” They teased. Mango’s face dropped in horror as he thought about what he said.

“I-I didn’t say I was pregnant! You’re putting words in my mouth!” The stick laughed as they poked Mango. Mango smacked their hand away with irritation.

“Stop it.” Mango growled.

“You totally are pregnant. According to everyone here, you’re normally so calm and patient and like a dad. But here you are. Snippy and short fused. Plus, the face you made when I said you told on yourself was all the confirmation I needed.” The stick smirked. Mango was close to truly snapping when a hand was suddenly placed on the stick’s shoulder. The stick turned around, their smirk quickly falling as they saw who it was.

It was Victim. And they were PISSED.

“Excuse me intern. I would appreciate it if you DID NOT harass my head technician.” Victim said with a very irritated smile.

“O-oh! M-Mx Victim! I was-“

“I do not care what you were doing. Now if you excuse us, we have a meeting to attend.” Victim said as they tightly gripped the intern’s shoulder. The intern winced before Victim released them and walked by.

“Come Mr Mango.” Vic simply said. Mango glanced back at the snooty intern before following his boss. If Mango was being honest, he didn’t want to follow Vic around. It made his stomach churn. He felt lightheaded and clammy; gross.

“I will have to fire that intern. I will not stand such toxic behavior in my workplace.” Victim scoffed as they readjusted their tie. Mango just awkwardly shifted behind the boss. He really was starting to feel sick now.

“Mr Mango.” Mango’s breath was caught in his throat as he nearly bumped into the hollow head.

“Y-yes sir?”

“Are you alright? You seem to be much more unfocused than you normally are.” Vic said as they pressed the button on an elevator. Mango gulped and rubbed his arm.

“I-it’s nothing. Rumors are rumors after all.” Mango said as the two entered the elevator.

“That is but a fact. Rumors are not to be believed unless the person the rumor is about steps up to say something. Their word makes it final.” Vic hummed as they pressed a button, the door closed and the elevator began to rise. Mango sighed and rubbed his face. If he was going to see this through, his boss should at least know.

“Well… the rumor is true…” Mango muttered. Vic glanced up at the head technician with their eyes, studying Mango’s face and body language. They hummed and nodded.

“Ah. So it is true then.”

“Well, no one was really supposed to know. But I guess we have some nosey nurses on our hands.”

“Hm. I will have to fire them.”

“What?! You don’t-“

“Sharing a patient’s information without consent is illegal, you know. And if they are so quick to share something as simple as a positive pregnancy, who knows what else they will share about our company if they were to get their hands on such information.” Mango hummed as he thought about it. From what he was aware of, that was quite true.

“So, do you think there’s something you can do about the rumors?” Mango nervously asked.

“Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do. Rumors abide by no rules. No matter how hard you try to enforce them.” Victim said apologetically. Mango simply hummed in acknowledgement, unsure of what else to say. Unfortunately, Victim didn’t have anything more to say either. Causing the elevator to become uncomfortably quiet. The silence continued to make Mango queasy. Mango inhaled softly and wiped his lip. This anxiety was going to kill him. He needed to say something! But what was it that he could say without sounding weird?

As Mango cycled through things he could talk about in his head, the only options that showed were remembering that night or telling him the baby is his. Mango gagged on his anxiety. He leaned on the back wall to try and keep himself upright. Vic noticed the motion and half turned to the technician.

“Are you alright Mr Mango? Is the elevator making you feel sick?”

“A-a bit.” Mango groaned. “M-motion sickness.”

Vic was about to speak when the elevator stopped and the door opened. Mango immediately dashed out the door and to the nearest bathroom. If he was going to blow chunks, he wasn’t going to do it in the hallway for everyone and anyone to see.

Mango made it to the toilet just in time. He coughed and choked on the anxiety. His head spun as his heart raced. This stress was not good for Mango whatsoever. Once he was done, the orange stick exited the bathroom; only to see Victim standing there.

“Are you well Mr Mango?” Victim quietly asked. Mango glanced up and down the hall, checking to see if anyone was approaching.

“Just, normal symptoms. Nothing I can’t handle.” Mango said, looking away from the hollowhead.

“Hm. If this does continue to be an issue for you, I could send you on paternity leave.” Victim says.

“Well, that is something I needed to ask you about.” Mango said as he and the boss continued their way to the board room. “Since I’m the head of technology, I was hoping to be let on paternity leave before the pregnancy starts showing.”

“To keep your secret?”

“More or less for safety. I mean, I don’t think working around explosives and chemicals while pregnant is very safe.” Vic hummed and nodded in consideration.

“Yes. That sounds about right.” Vic says as the pair stepped up to the board room. “We shall continue this conversation later. Right now, we must meet with the other members.”

Chapter 3-(Chapter 4)-Chapter5

[nex-kyit]

I can't stop thinking about Mell. She's so interesting and theres still so much we don't know about her and her history with Starhammer.

Like we know she was grown in a lab. Its implied she was raised alongside others but what happened to them? What happened if they failed to become Aether technicians? After Mell stopped the Stellar Synthesis labs? Presumably they were given an education, but was that only for stuff relevant for becoming a technician? To keep her dependent on the corporation, I wonder if Mell wasn't taught life skills like basic financial literacy, cooking, world politics, etc etc. Considering how she had to be transferred in and out of labs in an ENCLOSED container and had to break out, it seems like she wasn't even allowed to leave the lab or see the outside world, at least not without permission. She probably wasn't paid, girl was basically kept captive and used for free (+ highly skilled and expensive) labor and she still says it wasnt that bad???

When she dismantled Stellar Synthesis labs, what then? Where did she go? Did she immediantly begin work on Starhammer? Mfhfm theres so much between her and Starhammer and we really only got to see the very end of their relationship. What made Mell hate the Advocates? WHEN did she begin to hate the Advocates, before or after Starhammer joined them? Did she go to them for help, to report Stellar Synthesis labs crimes, only for the report to go nowwhere, and she to realized that the Advocates had been bought off? Was Starhammer her attempt to repair the Advocates, or was it only after he joined and rose in the Advocates where she began to realise that the Advocates were corrupt?

“So you haven’t killed anyone else?” (The Engineer Ch.12) <- Maybe I'm looking to deep into it, but what does this line mean?? It implies that Mell saw/heard about Starhammer killed someone, and that was when she began to suspect something was wrong with him. Theres also how Mell is very anti-murder, which I'm sure could probably tie into it as well. And their whole conversation in this chapter feels like a continuation of a past one, probably the one that made Mell leave Starhammer for good.

On that thought, how did Mell and Starhammer seperate ways? Mell abandoning Starhammer seems a bit hypocritical since her main thing for making him was to not be forgotten, and I doubt Mell would turn around and try to forget about him. And she clearly still cares about him.

mmh theres still so much I could cover, I've spent countless hours thinking about her.

[menonlywrestling]

France 1969

Older/Younger lovers Pro Tag Teams.

David 59 and Francois 28 first met when David was Francois pro wrestling trainer. They have been a couple for 10 years, have been a tag team for 7, and tag champs for 5. They have seen off all competitors in those last 5 years and seem unstoppable. Strong and highly skilled ring technicians, there isn't a hold they cant apply or get out of, and they want to keep the belts until David retires at 60, and will stop at nothing to make sure that happens.

Maurice 51 and Leo 35 have been a couple for 2 years and a tag team for 2 also. They first met as singles wrestlers, when they faced off against each other in a bloody epic pro battle, that ended in a draw. The sexual tension was intense and they fell for each other HARD, becoming a couple and a tag team shortly after that bout. It's taken them 2 years to rise through the ranks to get to this title shot. After a muted start, once they found their feet, they began absolutely destroying competitors. A vicious duo, they're not just happy winning bouts, they want to teach their opponents a lesson, and they get so turned on watching each other making other wrestlers suffer, especially when they burst them open, or KO them. Before brutally fucking them afterwards, obviously. Now they're coming for those belts.

It's a double submission match, with a 60 minute time limit.

[cyngawolf]

The full Imposter Syndrome trio drawn in the style and design of Mashed's "There's Something About Knuckles."

I have given them their own occupations within this world as well.

________________________________________________________

This Trio is from a smaller neighboring city which is known for their farmed goods. This smaller city will often trade their farmed goods for the larger walled city's technological resources. These cites have a very healthy trading system and are trusted allies with one another. However, not all of the residents are...trustworthy...

Dr.Starline- The head scientist and technician of the small city. He is in charge of managing and programing the technology his city receives via trade. Although highly intelligent and well skilled at his craft, he is NOT truly an ally. He has a secret deeply rooted obsession with Eggman and is fascinated by his evil work. He strives to be just like him and had been experimenting with chaos emeralds in order to harness their power in the same manner as the demented Egg. He completely loses himself to his delusions and the power of the raw Kaiju chaos he cannot control.

Surge- The head of the Guards/Soldiers, she is the top dog of her field and takes her job extremely seriously. Her reckless and borderline manic personality has gotten her into several extremely avoidable dangerous situations. She seems to have some sort of electrical attraction since he had been struck by lighting at least ten times. It also appears that she has a resistance to the negative effects of such high voltage. Citizens have nicknamed her "The Lightning Rod" due to her tendency to be struck so many times. Many think her existence in general to be nothing short of a miracle because most don't survive a direct lightning strike, let alone ten!

Kit- Kit is the primary mechanic of the city. He follows the blueprints Starline provides him and builds most of the tech present within the city. He loves to swim and had recently discovered how to weaponize water. Rumor has it he can hold his breath underwater for at least 15 minutes. He is a shy little fennec pup with a nervous and rather quiet voice. He is sensitive and takes criticism extremely harshly and will do anything and everything to improve himself even at the cost of his own health. He openly has a huge crush on the neighboring city's mechanic Tails.

Once every three months Surge and Kit will visit their neighboring city primarily so Kit can see Tails.

[loominggaia]

(The following article is a bit spoilery, but I've been working on this stupid concept for years and I just want to post it already. Still not happy with the design, but I can tweak it some more in the future. Since Ojio is a sci-fi geek, I wanted to give his invention a hokey retro futurist/anime flair.)

CHROMIGHT MECHASKEMA

OVERVIEW

The ChroMight Mechaskema(™) is a device invented by Ojio Paramonimos, founder of Chromight Technologies. It is a robotic body-augmentation that is custom tailored to its user. The mechanical framework permanently interfaces with the user’s nerves and organs, enhancing all bodily functions. Mr. Paramonimos himself describes it as “a mechanical shell”.

Once connected with the Mechaskema(™), users experience increased strength and speed, enhanced senses, and various other abilities which can be customized with modules, such as flight and water-breathing.

The Mechaskema(™) draws power from the user’s own energy reserves, meaning the user must eat more calories to accommodate extra power draw. Additional modules will draw even more power, and at a certain point it becomes impossible for the user to keep the device powered on calories alone. In these cases, additional power sources such as petrol, arcane crystals, or batteries must be used.

BENEFITS

Mechaskema(™) users (also known as “chromen” or “chromies”) enjoy a wide range of benefits from their mechanical parts. The device efficiently recycles calories into energy, eliminating the need to defecate altogether. Its blood purification system can filter disease and improve healing speeds, and may even allow the user to eat toxic materials with little to no harm.

The device can also slow the body’s aging process, but how much depends on which modules are used. This enables short-lived species such as trolls and minotaurs to enjoy longer lifespans. The device can also compensate for missing limbs and failing organs, effectively acting as a life-support system for sick users and allowing them to function normally.

In addition, the devices allow users to bypass the need for sleep using supplemental energy sources, giving them more waking hours for productivity or recreation.

Mechaskemas(™) are available in 2 models: basic and ultra.

The basic model offers many benefits and customization options, but is less powerful than the ultra model and cannot support as many modules. Its design is less invasive, leaving more of the user's flesh exposed and bodily functions unaltered. It may interact with some organs and other body parts, but not all of them.

The ultra model offers maximum benefits to the user and many slots for modules, but its heavy power draw can prove burdensome and even dangerous to the user if not managed properly. This model requires a supplemental power source to function, such as a battery. It is highly invasive, as it interacts with every part of the user's body.

SIDE EFFECTS

Mechaskemas(™) are a permanent body augmentation. Because they interface so heavily with the user’s biology, removing them is a fatal process. This also means that the user is at the mercy of the device’s core mechanisms, and should any of these mechanisms fail, the user may die or suffer severe biological damage. Broken mechanisms must be fixed or replaced promptly, but they are expensive, and this can only be done by skilled technicians.

Not everyone is a good candidate for a Mechaskema(™). The ideal user is a biologically mature adult, financially upper class, and technologically savvy. They should never plan to travel far from a ChroMight Technologies repair center, in case of a critical mechanism failure. The devices utilize several materials that are forbidden by the Nymph Pact, meaning chromen will struggle to survive in Great Kingdoms where the pact is in effect, and may be banned from those territories altogether.

Mechaskemas(™)  depend entirely on a power source. Calories, arcane energy, solar, petrol, or electricity are all options depending on the user’s model, but when these sources are not available, the device will begin consuming the user’s body. Allowing the device to run out of power leads to serious consequences, such as permanent bodily damage and even death.

In addition to food, the devices also require water to function properly. More advanced models require more water, which they utilize for cooling and other systems. Becoming dehydrated causes the device to malfunction and will lead to the user’s death if it is not corrected promptly.

Chromen experience increased hunger and thirst as a result of their mechanically-augmented bodies. Using supplemental power sources and water-management modules can mitigate these side effects.

The Mechaskemas(™) are mechanical devices, and as such they require maintenance. Regular oiling, polishing, and tune-ups will keep them functioning optimally, but failing to take care of these machines will lead to poor performance and possibly death to the user.

Over time, users will become more and more dependent on their devices to survive as their bodies begin to atrophy. Older users experience a phenomenon known as “module creep”, where they require more modules to keep themselves alive as time goes on.

Mechaskemas(™) are not free, nor are their power sources, replacement parts, modules, or maintenance. In fact these things are all quite expensive, so choosing to become a chroman is not a decision to be taken lightly. At a certain point, a chroman’s survival becomes entirely dependant on how much money they have for repairs.

MODULES

Each new Mechaskema(™) comes equipped with a set of standard features, depending on whether it’s a basic or ultra model. If users want more features, they must purchase modules. Modules are extra parts that attach to the device and enable more features. Each module draws additional power, and more sophisticated modules draw even more.

Some smaller modules can be added and removed without consequence. Others are more invasive and cannot be removed without killing the user.

Modules can perform a virtually endless number of functions. Each one falls under a broad category, and these categories include: Health, Utility, Defense, Energy, and Miscellaneous.

The following is a list of popular modules from each category:

HEALTH: Blood detoxifier, pacemaker, aging deceleration, synthetic womb, pain blocker

UTILITY: Enhanced strength, optical zoom lens, speed boosters, lights, artificial gills, wings, jetpack

DEFENSE: Armor plates, blades, guns, spikes, spell magnifier

ENERGY: Water tanks, fuel tanks, water vaporizer, fuel burner, solar panels, battery slots

MISCELLANEOUS: Radio, calculator, voice modulator, sexual enhancers, cosmetic modifications

CULTURE

Mechaskemas(™) are a novel technology in the world of Looming Gaia, and public opinion on them varies wildly. Some staunchly disapprove, viewing them as an insult to nature, and believe they will lead to allkind’s demise. Others support the technology, believing it can change many lives for the better.

Currently the devices are only available in Zareen Empire, but ChroMight CEO Ojio Paramonimos wishes to expand this technology to foreign lands in the future. Critics argue that chromen become entirely dependant on the company’s technology, and must keep surrendering more and more money to ChroMight Technologies as they become more dependent on their devices. Because of this, the company faces frequent protests and media scrutiny.

However, many corporations and even world militaries are very interested in Paramonimos’ creation, and have invested in his research in hopes that they can benefit from this novel tech in the future.

Mr. Paramonimos is under immense political, ethical, and financial pressure from all sides, and while his invention could possibly lead to disaster, he claims his only intention is to create a better future for allkind. He believes the marriage of flesh and machine will open the door to a safer, cleaner, and smarter tomorrow.

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[husband-steve-cortez]

#with Kaidan. Reave is canonically a new thing he can do#but I'd say realistically he can still pull and throw enemies around#much better than Miles can#but warp+throw is all you need to tear through an atlas mech#and I like the idea that in *that* regard Kaidan may actually be weaker

I generally like the idea that "biotic power" is more a matter of how much you can do without wearing yourself out than like, any kind of brute power thing.

So I like the concept that really, even despite the migraines, Kaidan can rely on his biotics more heavily than Miles can, and Miles has to be much more controlled and precise about when and how he uses his biotics because he can't go all day, but he can really tear through certain targets quickly when pressed and that's really what he's gotten good at using his biotics for, while tech shores up his other weakness.

I also like that as a possible reason that in me1 he uses barriers but switches to tech armor in me2; he has better implants (because why not with everything else we're giving him) so he can use his biotics more offensively rather than mostly sticking to passive; a bastion sentinel "uses biotics for defense or opponent immobilization", and really I mostly imagine Miles in me1 fighting similarly to a Vanguard, mostly using biotics to barrier himself and tank while only occasionally lifting or throwing, and not doing so as well as Kaidan.

(and I kind of pretend stasis isn't there despite definitely using it a lot)

Doesn't help that I feel like sentinel's role kind of changes a lot over the course of the games…mostly that a tanky sentinel in me1 is going to be more biotics focused while 2 and 3 have more of a tech focus with tech armor. You also lose your biotic crowd control options in favor of cryo blast; I guess throw is kind of crowd control, but not really.

I can never decide whether Miles canonically still has these talents or if he never had them. I love the concept that Miles/sentinel Shep only has *so* much biotic potential but he's able to apply it in an effective way. But then cool biotic stuff...

[sunnysssol]

Some Suzie headcanons because it's her birthday! 🌟✨️✨

Courageous, intelligent and endlessly determined, Suzie is a kind person despite how cold they initially come across, always willing to help whoever needs it. When helping, she might roll her eyes or sigh at the face of the problem, but "giving up" doesn't quite exist in Suzie's vocabulary— for better or for worse.

Suzie is actually left handed, but they've been trained (read: forced) to become ambidextrous thanks to her tutors growing up. After all, it's not until the late 20th century that the stigma around left-handedness disappeared, and before then it was a widely held belief that left-handedness implies wickedness, or unluckiness.

Suzie's supercomputer brain and overachieving personality work in tandem to create a workaholic whom many Assistants (and by extension, Nations) have never even talked to outside of work-related meetings. They're always doing something, whether it be experimenting or writing and rewriting age-old theories and analyses trying to answer a problem, or out in the world trying to (dis)prove some theory she read about or had for a while, she's always on the go. It's not enough for them to simply learn a skill or understand a concept– they have to do something with it too.

Alongside being enlisted in the army at the time, Suzie had also been hired to work on the Manhattan Project as part of the war effort. Her special position as a Nation Assistant lends itself to a lot of situations, circumstances and sometimes- privileges, that other people of her sex wouldn't be privy to otherwise. The Calutron Girls, that is, the women who worked on the Manhattan Project as operators and technicians crucial to the electromagnetic isotope separation process that would then contribute into the creation of the atomic bomb, were not told of the purpose of the project. It was highly-classified, and only those in higher positions of authority were informed of it.

Her relationship with gender is, as one might guess, a little complicated. Physically, she's very traditionally feminine– from her physical features, to her fashion sense. But personality wise, it's a little different. Yes, her overall high-standards lends Suzie to "typical gf" stereotypes, but the jokes about her wearing the pants in the relationship are not entirely unfounded. Unlike Alfred who feels as though he has to be a leader, Suzie just naturally is, and they've been that way since forever. To keep this post brief, there's always been a lot of challenging gender roles in Suzie's life and she's never been the type to back down from a challenge. They've never really had a label, and it's not like the language existed for it at the time, but for purposes of ease and clarity, Suzie is non-binary.

Suzie is highly skilled in machinery and engineering. Her interest began in the 1730s and flourished in the 1740s, from the introduction of the carding engine, and the numerous innovations in scientific instruments, mathematical theory and watchmaking. She took an interest in steam engines sometime in the 1770s as well, around when the Watt steam engine was first introduced commercially. This interest would continue on into the Industrial Revolution, with Suzie studying and redesigning steam engines for manufacturing, transportation and agricultural processes as a hobby. And in the 1940s, this skill and interest would come in handy when American women began to take on more roles in the workforce, specifically in factories helping with the war effort.

Alfred absolutely blasts Christmas songs in November. It's his most favorite holiday! Well, every holiday is America's favorite holiday, but this one especially! Besides the music, he's already planning activities, what to cook on the day of and what to get everyone on his ever expanding list. Suzie won't blast Christmas songs in November, but they would start decorating immediately after the detritus of Halloween has been cleared up.

"If it doesn't concern me, it's not my problem. I've already got enough on my plate as it is." — Suzie, while a caring person, generally believes in the principle of leaving people and other things alone if she deems that her participation in it is not necessarily important. With everything they do and have done and actually involve(d) themselves in, Suzie has had a mental list of priorities in which they pursue almost religiously. Adjustments do happen, but they're quite few and far in between. First on the list is family and loved ones, of course. Next are things they themselves have committed to either out of their own duties as a Nation Assistant, or just out of her own personal interest and free will.

Besides her work in the States, Suzie had been stationed in Europe for most of WWII, working wherever the higher ups decided they needed her. Administrative/clerical work, supply and logistics, as a radio operator, aerial surveillance, mechanics and maintenance- you name it. But the most significant of all her roles had been in intelligence and cryptography. Having had at least a few centuries of experience in espionage and code-breaking-and-intercepting, Suzie was at least a few leagues ahead of her associates. She's been a civilian since 1945 and hasn't enlisted in the military since, but she worked in gathering intelligence for at least until the early 1980s.

As mentioned earlier, Suzie often works long hours, and even when they're not working, they're probably thinking about it if they're not doing anything else. Highly efficient and focused, she doesn't find herself spaced out very often. But when one sees Suzie staring off into space, she's probably seeing spreadsheets and government seals in her mind's eye. It might be best to give her a tap and talk to her...

And finally, here is the birthday celebrant! She's officially 293 1 year old today!!! 😺🌟✨️

[izicodes]

wow I’m so jealous of you!! in a good way bc I love to see it but I wish I had started sooner as well. you’re 21 and already a junior, when did you start? <33

also tbh I’m kinda scared, I love the designing elements of being a web/app dev but I’m afraid it’s not enough to pay the bills in this economy (us). also, I was opening up about learning to be a web developer to my ethnic uncle and aunt and they were like ? oh and insinuated it’s not as “serious” as compsci and all that stuff but :////

Hiya! 💟

I started my Software Development Technician apprenticeship (working + studying) in Dec 2021, so I started at 19! I learnt HTML/CSS/JavaScript/Python before then for 4-5 months I think?? Then I decided to randomly apply to apprenticeship programs and I got into one! You can read about my journey here: LINK 🤍

I totally get your concerns about the job market, especially in the US. While the tech industry is competitive, there are plenty of opportunities for web and app developers, especially if you're passionate about design. User experience and design skills are highly valued, so you're on the right track! I want to get into that eventually one day, just my head is currently in the 'Learn React, SCSS, get certificates' cloud~!

As for what your relatives said, it's important to remember that there are many paths in tech, and web development is a crucial part of it. It's just as "serious" as computer science, but it focuses on different aspects. Follow your passion and interests – that's what matters most.

If you have any questions or need advice, feel free to reach out! 💻✨