#i also just got a handheld sewing machine

[woolydemon]

wait I realized I can sew. I can make my OWN klapolly tsum tsums that ARENT whitewashed >:]

[kismetmoon]

turned my boy into a marketable plushie

[ID: four photos of a handmade plush of an original stylised Flatland character named Atlas. Atlas is a light grey isosceles triangle with dark grey scars on his side and eye, one eye, black limbs and a black tail.

In the first image he is sat down on a bed with floral bedsheets and white pillows. He is directly facing the camera.

In the second image he is sat on the bed beside a ginger cat who is looking at the camera.

In the third and fourth images he is laid down flat on a green rug. His back is to the rug in the third image and his back is to the camera in the fourth image.

End ID].

[revcleo]

ok I'll go through each of these sections adding something: 1. If you are making your own patches (which is awesome and cool) then like try and use acrylic paint not poster paint, you can buy cheap acrylic paint but don't buy it too cheap, if you buy it too cheap it will not come out of the tube after like one use (UK heads talking about places like The Works) Daler-Rowney Graduate Acrylic will work very well and one tube will last ages. Make sure also to not use the cheapest brush, your finger will work better than a really really shitty brush. If you're buying a brush then just make sure to buy one from an actual art store and not "The Works", something like artdiscount.co.uk looks fine.

If you are still at school and have art lessons, why not sneak a piece of fabric in and use your school's supplies? 2. Spikes are kinda expensive! True! It's like £30 for 100 similar size ones on ebay. You can also buy a packet of nails and like stick them through fabric I suppose, it would look cool. Nails aren't super expensive. But all of these super sharp things are made of metal which can hurt you, like if you are in the UK your GP can give you a free tetanus shot, otherwise just make sure you keep any wounds clean with soap and hot water.

Something you can also do to make sure you are keeping yourself nice and safe is use leather to protect your hands if you are handling sharp metal. Note: pleather won't work here, but maybe a bunch of canvas will. You can get leather by filling in the form for free samples from an upholstery company. Just google "free samples sofa fabric" Or by finding some abandoned shoes and cutting them up.

3. Military surplus is still kinda cheap! Check out your local Milsurp places. If you want to order online from one, to make delivery cheaper order with some friends. Check out ebay auctions also, like, sure 2am will work for people selling things straight but you'll often get a discount on the auctions. Also if you are in the UK, check OLIO it's got plenty of people giving away free clothes. If you are in the UK you can also get free clothes from the people leaving them outside of closed charity shops. Charity shops have to throw away all those clothes, so like, they are free for you to do what you want. Charities can only take clothes in the charity box etc. 4. A lot of sewists are old and have developed arthritis, there's a lot of things out there to help people with arthritis do a lot of sewing. Like compression gloves, special tools like easy-thread needles, third-hand clamps so you don't have to hold the fabric weird, rotary cutters so you don't have to use scissors. Like there's so many.

I don't recommend fabric glue generally just because it's pretty shit, the reason why cheap factories use it is because it's cheap and it makes things look like they're attatched, it's just bad. If you find sewing on a patch hard, then just use bigger stitches. You also can make friends with someone who will sew it on for you.

Similarly do not try and make this easier by buying a handheld sewing machine for like £5 those are worthless, they do not work.

Also if you are trying to save money by buying dental floss don't bother:

That's about 600m of floss, £7.50, that's cheapest I saw

This probably isn't amazing, but you get 5500m of it and it will be better than dental floss.

honestly though you won't need more than this for a long time:

And this stuff is great. It's not very expensive to buy good thread and needles.

Avoid: small needles in a massive bulk pack it's more false economy, I don't like hemline needles either, or the ones in the white and blue pack. Test your needles by seeing how easy it is to bend them. Ones that bend super easy tend to be really bad for sewing. Cheaper needles also have worse holes, so your thread catches on them.

I recommend: John James needles

or pony needles

They tend to be comparatively easy to find and fairly cheap. If you need help threading a needle you can use these: https://www.jjneedles.com/buy-needles/general-hand-sewing/easy-threading-sewing-needles-sizes-4-8.html self threading needles, I've seen a blind sewist use them even.

If you can't afford a needle find someone who sews and ask them for a needle.

5. I would not recommend going into random household bins for fabrics, no matter how rich or poor someone is you will get mostly not fabric.

Places you can get free fabric: asking for samples from some places, asking charity shops if they have any they are throwing out, checking olio, asking friends and family if they have clothes they are throwing out, going into the bins of clothing shops to see if they are chucking things out, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7_eqNyIRl8 these sorts of public bins (big dumpsters) (note: danish video, but it is in english, but i don't think most people will find such good stuff, maybe checking in feb improves your chances, maybe the danish just chuck out so much good stuff)

My mum once got me a massive amount of leather from taking a pair of scissors to an old sofa she found, so that's also something you can do. I sometimes take apart old umbrellas I find but warning: that material doesn't hold up well over time. Especially if you do something like make an outdoor cushion. Might work ok for patches for a while at least.

if anyone sees this and has any questions about how to sew or make anything them hmu did you know you can make buttons out of old coins and fabric

I'm seeing a lot of people say that punk fashion is expensive and inaccessible, which is very wrong. here is a list of some ways you can make punk fashion easier, cheaper and more accessible for you, since that's... kinda the whole point.

others are encouraged to add onto this!! (just don't recommend corporations like amazon. not cool.)

1. patches!! you don't need to buy them. DIY patches are not ugly or boring. in fact, they are encouraged here!! DIY, in my opinion, is always the best thing to do when it is an option and is safe to do so.

2. speaking of DIY, spikes!! you can make them!!

cut the top and bottom off of an empty can. cut down the middle of the cylinder and flatten it, so it's just a flat rectangle of metal.

cut out a shape that is kind of a third of a circle, but around 3/4 of the curved edge is taken up by triangle shapes. (I'm not very good at describing, so here's a badly drawn picture)

roll it into a cone, leaving the 4 triangles sticking out at the bottom. this bit is optional, but you can fill it with hot glue to make it more sturdy, just be careful touching the hot metal. I tend to hold the cone by one of the triangles with a bit of fabric wrapped around my fingers for this bit. cut 4 small holes in your fabric in this kind of shape:

and put the spiky bits of triangle through the holes. fold the triangles in on themselves to secure the spike in place. boom. spike obtained. this is one I made and attached to a little piece of fabric to test this method out:

3. battle vests!! (like the base jackets). the best places to buy these are charity shops and second hand websites in my opinion, but if anyone else knows any better options, please reblog with those!!

a good trick I find works well on eBay is to filter search results to your country (or state? can you do that in the US? idk) so that a: fast delivery because local, and b: all the sellers of everything that shows up are in YOUR TIME ZONE.

why is this important? when people sell something for really cheap, it goes FAST. check eBay at like, 2am or something. all the scalpers in your area are asleep. grab the cheap stuff while they can't.

4. sewing!! want patches, but can't sew for whatever reason? I've heard of a lot of people with joint conditions like arthritis complain about the inaccessibility of patch stuff, and that does sound extremely annoying, however:

safety pins!! while they are still a little fiddly, they're much less work so you don't have to fiddle about for long. if you can, you could even ask a friend to help, since it doesn't take long at all I'm sure someone will be willing to help out!! (I know I would, but that's just me, and I love this kind of thing). safety pins on clothes are also widely considered to be a symbol of solidarity, so if anything, you're adding some extra love and meaning to your patch pants/battle jacket.

if that's still too fiddly, fabric glue is always an option. unfortunately this means you won't be able to remove/reposition patches, at least without leaving a massive patch of residue, but if you're ok with that then fabric glue is probably your best bet.

for people who prefer sewing: as for where to get the thread, I've heard a lot of people recommending dental floss, as it's apparently much cheaper and works just as well. I haven't tried this myself so can't confirm that, but I thought I'd share it regardless.

5. where to get fabric!! old clothes. rip em up. you don't need any kind of fancy fabric from the craft store. my patches are made of old jeans that I grew out of.

don't have any old clothes and you don't want to waste any good ones? I'm not sure about other countries, but in the UK, as long as you're not on private property (trespassing), dumpster diving is perfectly legal.

I definitely ;) do NOT encourage ;) trespassing rich people's land ;) to steal from their dumpsters ;)

or tbh it doesn't matter too much how rich the person is, since it's all going to landfill anyway. if it's in the bin, it's free game, but you didn't hear that from me. ;)

please add onto this where you can!! and if I missed something or got anything wrong, add that on too!!

[teyvat-writer]

(Idk what your rules are for submissions so I thought I'd send it in here just in case. Sorry haha)

This is for 🦊 anon, I just wanted to say, good luck with surgery stuff.

And some tips for learning to sew: start with plushies. Theres TONS of techniques thats used in plushie making that is used for clothes as well. a pattern maker I personally really love is https://cholyknight.com

They have incredible patterns, both paid for and free. They also have a tips for beginners page and all their patterns are marked with which difficulty. They also have tips on which kind of fabrics to use for that plushie, how much you need, a list of everything you need for that plush etc. They also have some patterns for clothes, pouches etc. I know they have one on their etsy for a hoodie with a ton of extras like ears, wings, thumbholes etc.

Also, if you do buy a sewing machine, espessially in the beginning, you wont need alot of those fancy stitches. You can usually get away with only a handful for Most projects. And try to buy one where you can return it easily. That way you can try it out, feel how it sews before deciding whether you keep it. I currently have a sewing machine that I got as a second hand from a late family friend. It works well, but sews too quick for my liking, making it more difficult then it has to be. And those 'handsewing machines' (advertised as being handheld sewing machines) do not work for shit, dont get them, trust me I wasted my money on that shit.

Another thing, if you want to practice for example sewing straight lines, or corners, or curves. Get a piece of paper, and print out some of the things you want to learn to sew (so if its straight lines, get a piece of paper with just a bunch of straight lines) and put that under the sewing machine, without putting the thread in. Its an easy way to practice and you wont damage any fabrics nor use any thread. The only thing is: keep in mind this can make your sewing machine needle very blunt alot quicker then usual. Its the same principle as why you have seperate scissors for fabric and for paper. Paper makes that shit blunt as SHIT.

Anyway I hope that helps lmao, feel free to dm me if you ever want more tips lol

@lostmyshadesanon foxy!!! Here r some helpful tips from a very considerate fella!!!

[20dollarlolita]

Cheap Sewing Machine Review: Janome Mini/Basic/Fastlane/Derby

<They’re all the same machine>

I have a lot of people ask what a good, cheap sewing machine is. I own a lot of sewing machines, so I have opinions on the matter. My general rule is that you cannot buy a modern, new sewing machine that is better than most older sewing machines you can get at Goodwill for $20. Not better for the price. Just better.

As a collector of sewing machines, I do have a bias. I like all-metal machines. Plastic pieces don’t last 40 years, and they definitely don’t last 111 years, but cast iron and steel will not fail you even after a century. (well, that’s not completely correct. All the cast iron and steel machines made before 1901 that failed us did so 50+ years ago and were thrown out, so natural selection has ensured that the existing ones are worthwhile)

But, if you HAVE TO buy a modern sewing machine, and you have an extremely small budget, there’s some options.

First thing to consider: shipping costs money, even if you are buying somethign with “free shipping”. Someone’s got to pay the shipping dude. Shipping costs money. Most heavy packages cost more to ship than lightweight packages. Therefore, there’s a certain validity...I’m struggling to say this because it goes against everything I’ve said on this blog...certain...certain validity...okay there’s a certain validity to buying an all-plastic machine.

Urgh, I hate that I said that.

Anyway, someone returned one to my store and we just have to damage them out due to an agreement with our contractor, I bought it. First thing to note: almost ALL sewing machines I’ve bought new have had a small piece of fabric under the presser foot, with some sewing to confirm that all the stitches work. That’s not just on nice machines; I’ve gotten one of these with a $21 children’s toy machine. I’ve gotten one of these with a $3 handheld stapler-style machine. I did not get one with this machine. It didn’t inspire confidence.

So, after I did that test for myself, first thing I did was take the machine apart.

For starters, in case you didn’t know this, the little dot on the screw head means you use the screw head with the additional flutes instead of your regular phillips head. Any time you’re finding that one of your screws just won’t unscrew properly, look for the dot. Tip there.

Or maybe you can’t unscrew it because this screw is in a terrible place. Note that taking this cover plate off to access the bobbin casing and hook is absolutely a thing that you would reasonably do in regular machine maintenance. This is a thing that a reasonable end user would be expected to do, and the fact that you can’t do this with a normal screw driver (and that the machine doesn’t come with a specialty-shaped screwdriver, which some do) is utterly infuriating.

I’m also just biased against things that are designed to be thrown out instead of had basic maintenance performed on it. I’m semi-okay with things being thrown out instead of having moderate repairs done, but this is really basic maintenance here. You should be able to remove this plate instead of throwing out the machine because it’s dirty down there.

That said, it’s ALL plastic down there, so if you get a large thread jam, it’ll probably snap some part and you’ll have to throw it away.

Also, note that those screwposts are plastic. Be very careful that you’re not cross-threading them when you put the screws back on after you replace your throat plate...good thing those screws aren’t hard to reach or anything and it’ll be super easy to screw them in straight or something.

Throat plate grooves are metal and attached with screws. This means that, if another kind of throat plate was available, it could be switched.

There’s no work light in the upper part. A couple of metal parts in here for pieces that move a whole lot. The thread uptake lever is plastic, which makes me nervous. That’s a part that’s pretty easy to break off, and if it breaks, your whole machine is garbage now.

There’s also no slot in the thread uptake lever, so you have to thread the thread through the eye like you’d thread a needle. This is slow and it annoys me. Wheeler&Wilson had the slot in the thread uptake lever figured out in 1895 so I don’t know why Janome doesn’t have it in here in 2020. Okay, actually, it’s because the slot would add to the cost by requiring the piece to be metal, so now it REALLY bothers me. This is a corner that shouldn’t have been cut, since it results in this part being inferior in two different ways.

Also, note the funky looking presser foot. I don’t know why it’s shaped like that, but we’ll get back to it.

BTW if you took all the screws off the back plate and then panicked because one is longer than the others and you don’t know where it goes, the long one goes here. You’re welcome.

I don’t have pictures of the other guts but I can confirm that all the other gears are plastic.

As for sewing: the foot switch is just an on/off switch. There’s no variable speed. Plugging a Janome variable speed pedal into this one, unfortunately, doesn’t magically give us variable speed. A girl could dream.

The bobbin doesn’t declutch. This means that the needle still goes up and down while you’re winding the bobbin. This makes me very anxious. It’s actually kind of dangerous, so you might want to take the needle out before winding a bobbin. I don’t necessarily want an auto-declutch for this, but just having a manual declutch like on an old machine would be super great.

On the subject of safety, this machine also has no light and no on/off switch. This means that it looks like it’s off even when it’s on and, if you’re not careful, you could step on the foot switch without realizing it and sew through something you didn’t want to. Make sure to unplug it if you’re not using it.

Again, this thing is LOUD. I don’t know if that’s a side-effect of the plastic itself, or if it’s a side-effect of sloppy tolerances on the plastic parts, but it sounds a lot like a Big Mouth Boogy Bass novelty toy, without the singing.

The presser foot this comes with just utterly baffles me. What’s the purpose of the ridges? To make the needle harder to thread? is it a safety thing?

Regardless, it’s a standard low-shank foot, so you can make it into a snap-on adapter, or just replace it with a regular low-shank foot. However, the bar it attaches to is plastic, so you probably want a pretty lightweight foot to avoid stripping the screws.

In terms of stitches, you have a fully-variable centered straight stitch, a left-aligned straight stitch with a fixed length, three zigzag stitches that do not have variable length, a scallop stitch, and a tricot stitch. Why is the scallop stitch included? We just don’t know.

I’d love to have a variable-length zigzag, even if it’s only available in three widths. I’m not sure what’s going on with the internal cams that makes it not possible to control the length of the zigzags when they have the tech to control the length of the straight stitch, but I assume it makes money somehow.

So, in conclusion,

When you get an all-plastic machine, you’re trading longevity of the machine for portability and price. Worth a note, if you want a portable machine that lasts, they do exist, just at a higher price point. But if your budget is under $100 and you’re okay treating a machine like it’s made of glass and throwing it out when the plastic parts wear down, this is a pretty good option. There’s no replacing parts since repair parts aren’t available, and they’re plastic, so they’re more likely to snap, but that comes with the plastic machine territory. As far as plastic machines go, I like it. The design is good. It’s nice and lightweight and it’s cheap.

It also feels cheap. Seriously, if you want this to last, treat it like glass. Don’t yank jammed thread out, keep the working parts clean, never ever oil it (don’t oil plastic parts ever!), be patient, always roll the handwheel towards you when pulling the fabric away until the thread releases, keep the presser foot up when you’re winding a bobbin, and just be very nice to it. And maybe invest in some earplugs to cut out the sound.

I don’t know if this is a case where this machine is notably worse than a $150 machine (especially a Singer one, since modern Singers’re kind of garbage in general). I know it is notably worse than your average $300 Brother or Janome, but it’s also less than a third the price. You’ll need to judge how much sewing you do, how much you need a variable zigzag, how much you’ll need a controllable speed, how much you can appreciate the sewing process when all you're hearing are the plastic gears and motors clacking together in an effort to barely sew some sort of seam.

But yes, as far as plastic machines go, it’s not terrible. It’s got a lot of features. Machines in this price range often are fixed straight stitch only and might not come with bobbin winders, have goofy tension systems that don’t work properly, and couldn’t sew a seam to save its life. This machine also uses commercially available bobbins and needles. It’s designed to function like a regular machine (hand wheel turns int he same direction, bobbin is dropped in normally, bobbin winding uses a common tension system, presser foot lever isn’t in a weird place) meaning that you could give this machine to a child who might be interested in learning to sew, with the idea that they could graduate to a more-featured machine that will last longer and sew thicker fabrics when they show they’ll still have interest in sewing next month. This comes in a ton of colors, which, let’s be real, is why I bought this.

This is also great if you don’t sew entire garments or quilts from scratch, but you want a machine on hand to do repair work or small alterations. Just save up for another machine and keep an eye out at your local thrift stores to see if a good machine pops up there.

[always-and-forever-a-killjoy]

Hello fuckers! This is the ridiculously long fic I've been vagueposting about for like weeks. 23k words sitting in a doc! I'll be trying to post maybe once every two weeks, but once school starts again it will be a lot harder to get out 3k words in a week. I have seven chapters written, so I'll consistently update for probably 2-3 months and then no promises after that. This is going to be a fucking epic.

Note that not all warnings  apply to all the chapters, so I'll be warning for triggering/upsetting content in each chapter individually. Please heed those!

You all also get to play a game of 'guess which song the chapter title is pulled from', which is made more difficult by my music taste ranging from musicals (les mis! DEH!) to my chemical romance. I'll let you know what the chapter title was from when I post the next chapter. Also, the POV switches each chapter, so that info is also in the notes.

Title: Coming, Coming Home

Chapter Title: Do you want to live out loud?

Chapter Wordcount: 3099

Summary:

The story of 109 WKIL, from the mother that began it to the daughter who saw the end of it.

Warnings: None for this chapter!

Taglist: @wishiwasthemoon-tonight @sleevesareforlosers @stressed-depressed-emo-mess @tasteofamnesia @dagger-queen @no-braincells-here @piratecherricola (message me, send an ask, or reblog/reply to one of my posts if you want to be added or removed)

AO3 Link

(Actual fic under the cut)

It began with a handheld radio.

The killjoy who was already beginning to be known as Dr. Death Defying had stolen quiet a few of these portable transmitting devices when he left the army of the corporation called Better Living Industries. Now, he began to give them out, one after another, to the small clusters of rebels who were just beginning to call themselves killjoys. With those, the groups kept each other updated for a while, passing whispers back and forth over the airwaves. The positions of squads of dracs, who had extra supplies, where there were good buildings to scavenge from or shelter in.

Those were highly effective in the small rebellion, news passing quickly between the few rebels, but as more killjoys began to enter to desert, take up the colors and masks and ray guns and form themselves into a true rebellion, it was getting to be not enough. 

“We need something with a wider reach.”

Dr. Death Defying was sitting at the so-called strategy table (which in actuality was a shitty kitchen table strategically repurposed), listening to White Lily talk about rebellion. It was another ordinary afternoon, or as ordinary as one could get in a post-apocalyptic nuclear desert plotting to overthrow an evil mega corporation. The sun was shining brightly overhead, and he and his best friend, the fiery spirited White Lily, were in a partially wrecked house out in Zone Four, where they had been staying for most of the time since the Helium Wars. Both former soldiers, they had served together for a little bit after D had first been recruited. He had been transferred to a different squadron soon after, and they hadn’t deserted together, but they’d met up after the wars and become close friends. Two dreamers who wanted to save the world, she had said. And so now they were trying to do just that, one killjoy recruit at a time.

“If this is going to be a true revolution, Walkie-talkies aren’t going to cut it,” White Lily went on. “We need a way to reach more people. Get the word out quicker.”

“Did you have any particular ideas?” Dr. Death Defying asked dryly.

Her eyes gleamed in the way that meant she did, in fact, have an idea. “A radio station.”

“A what?”

“A radio station. I know I sound crazy, but hear me out. If we can get our hands on the equipment, a lot of killjoys already have radios and that way we can also reach the ones with only a car radio. We broadcast news- who’s dead, where bli is attacking, just generally what’s going on. We can also make speeches over the radio, like what’s his face, the president guy, did with his fireside chats."

“FDR. And you can make speeches over the radio.” It wasn’t that he couldn’t, per se, but he would rather leave the main speaking part of it to her.

White Lily briefly made a sad face, but was back to determination within seconds. “Right, well I can make big speeches if you do daily announcements and news, deal?”

“Deal.” They realized a second later what they had just accidentally agreed to and sighed. 

The other just grinned. “Time to get some radio equipment!”

And so it began with a hand held radio and a duo of Helium Wars survivors, and 109 WKIL was born.

109 WKIL didn’t actually broadcast until two full months and a new crew member later. It turned out to be not exactly easy to get their hands on the equipment necessary to send out signals, and neither of them knew precisely what running a radio station required anyways. They researched as best they could, asking around and reading any old books they could find, but supplies were scarce and electronic equipment especially so. And so they didn’t get the radio station fully running until after the arrival of their third crew member.

It was another of the somewhat lazy afternoons in the desert when Cherri Cola showed up at their house in a stolen BLI News Van. White Lily was gone, off talking to a small band of neutrals and trying to persuade them to aid the rebellion, so it was Dr. Death Defying who was there to see a no-longer white van screech to a stop. He kept his ray gun close as he stepped outside, since the van was Better Living Industries, but the side of it had a sprinkling of graffiti and it was covered in dust, which reassured him somewhat.

“Hello?”

The van’s engine clicked off and Dr. Death Defying breathed a sigh of relief as a lean teenager hopped out, squinting in the sunlight. They were clearly a killjoy, given the pink mask, and they also wore scuffed jeans and a too-small black jacket despite the warmth of a desert afternoon. Their hair was brown and a sandy mess, and they were perhaps an inch or two shorter than Dr. Death Defying. They were completely and utterly un-intimidating with the sole exception of their eyes, which blazed with fierce and bitter kind of anger. 

“Another killjoy?” Their voice squeaked a little, undoing any effect of those fiery eyes, and they cleared their throat. “Uh, another killjoy?”

At loss for words, he nodded. “I’m Dr. Death Defying, he/him and they/them.”

“Cherri Cola.” They fiddled with their shirt hem. “He/him.”

“So…I’m assuming you’re looking for White Lily?”

“Was actually just looking for a place to stay the night,” Cherri Cola mumbled. “I didn’t realize you were already staying here, I can leave-“

“Absolutely not, get inside.” They hoped their voice didn’t sound too firm. “White Lily and I are happy to let people stay with us who need.”

“Oh.” D pretended not to notice the relief on his face as he ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks.”

“Of course. Do you want to come into the shade? It’s baking out here.” He didn’t mention how hot the other killjoy must be in that jacket.

“Yes, please.” 

So he led the strange teenager inside, half-wondering what made the teen’s eyes so old and filled with hurt and rage. It wasn’t an uncommon sight in the zones, per se, but this kid’s eyes were striking in their pain.

“So, how old are you?”

“Sixteen, you?”

“Twenty. Do you want some power pup? We’ve got a bit of extra, I think.”

Cherri nodded eagerly, and he devoured everything D put in front of him. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to pull off a raid or anything, and hacking vending machines isn’t as easy as it looks.”

That would explain why he was so lean. “You’ve got the look of someone who’s been out in the desert a while.”

“Almost since the end of the wars.” There was no need for him to specify which wars. The Helium Wars loomed over everyone and everything, desert and city. 

“Ah. I’ve been here since the very end of the wars, so not too much longer than you. My friend White Lily and I were both deserters, we met up and decided to stick it to the man, as it were.” 

“So you live together?” Cherri Cola’s face had softened into curiosity.

“Yep. We’ve been sheltering in this house for quite a while now, but we’ve lived together for longer than that.” 

Cherri nodded. “I’m on my own. Runaway from Battery City, never found a crew. It must be nice to live with your friend, though.”

At that moment, said friend came tromping through the door. “Hello, D!”

“Hey, Lily!”    

Cherri waved with a quiet “Hello.”

“Hello, random stranger in my kitchen!”

Dr. Death Defying sighed. “White Lily, this is Cherri Cola, he/him. Cherri Cola, this is White Lily, she/her.”

“Nice to meet you,” Cherri said politely. 

“Nice to meet you too, kid! So I’m assuming this softy offered you a place to sleep for the night?”

“I did, he needed a place to stay.”

“Softy.” White Lily turned her grin on Cherri Cola. “You’re welcome to stay for a bit, we’ve got a nice place and an extra room, so I don’t see why you wouldn’t.”

“I can pull my weight,” he offered quietly. “I know how to sew and some first aid and a little bit of fighting, but I’m not great yet.”

“What makes you think you have to pull your weight for us to give you a room for a night?” Lily’s face was genuinely concerned. “Can’t believe I’m going to say this, but chill, kid.”

There was something in Cherri’s eyes that reminded D a little of a wounded animal as he glanced up at Lily. “You’re sure I don’t have to be helpful? I can do a lot of things- okay, not a lot, but I’m pretty good at fixing things and I know how to fire a ray gun, even if I can’t really do hand-to-hand combat.”

"Well, if some dracs attack, then you can put that to good use,” D told him.

“Wait, did you say you can fix things? Tech skills?” Lily leaned forward, and D didn’t have to see her face to know what she was thinking. 

“My…I knew someone who’s an engineer,” Cherri explained. ��“I know how to fix a lot of things.”

“You don’t happen to know anything about radio equipment, do you?”

“Lily,” D sighed.

“Some, why?”

“We could use some help getting a radio station off the ground. And shush, D, if he’s going to stay anyways, we might as well figure out if he can help.”

“A radio station…do you have a transmitter? Or anything of the sort? And you need modulators.”

“We’ve got the modulators,” D told him. “We need a transmitter, the little one I found isn’t near powerful enough.”

Cherri Cola frowned, tilting his head. “Well, I’ve got a news van with what I’m assuming is a very powerful transmitter, haven’t tried to use it yet, though. We’d have to figure out how to make it work with audio instead of video, but I bet you could use the antenna from that. An FM station shouldn’t take too much technology, depends on how wide you want the range to be. Power is probably more of an issue?”

“We’ve got some large batteries, do you think we need a more permanent power source?”

They talked until the sun was starting to set, Cherri having quite a bit of useful advice and knowledge to supplement what little research D managed.

And after Cherri was safely asleep in the spare room, Dr. Death Defying and White Lily convened back at the shitty kitchen ‘strategy’ table. 

“You’re not seriously thinking of letting him stay forever,” Lily said as soon as she had taken her seat.

“Why not?” Usually, it would be Lily who asked this question, but “He needs a home.”

“This better not be fucking Socks all over again.” Socks, being, of course, the cat D had tried to take in during the Helium Wars. Not only had he been a lot of trouble, he had eventually run off onto the battlefield, and neither of them had been able to stop him. They could only assume he had been killed in the final days of the wars.

D still regretted that, but this was different. “He’s not a cat, Lil. But he does need a safe place to stay. Besides, you were the one who was grilling him about radio station technology.”

“At first. Then you took over with all your technical words and phrases.”

“All we were doing was talking transmitters.”

“Nerd boy.” 

D sighed. “Anyways. He can clearly be helpful, given how much he knows about radio technology and other things, and he’s obviously in need of a place to stay.”

“Well, we’ve got one of those at least,” Lily sighed. “He better end up a good radio station assistant for you.”

D knew that meant Cherri was staying. “We’ll offer to let him join in the morning.”

“We will.” Lily’s face was serious. “Be prepared for him to say no, D. We’re not famous yet, but being friends with rebellion leaders probably isn’t an easy lot.”

“Of course not.” The flashlight they had hung for light flickered. “We’ll warn him about a friendship with us means, but we can’t just kick him out.”

“Technically, we can, but we’re not going to.”

“Absolutely fucking not.”

The next morning dawned slightly overcast, which was rare in the desert. It provided somewhat of a gloomy atmosphere as Cherri Cola wandered into their living room area with a tired “Morning.”       

“Morning,” Lily yawned back. D was the only one properly awake at the crack of dawn, always an early riser. 

He found it somewhat amusing how non-functional Lily was until she had had some coffee or gotten some adrenaline from a fight. “Good morning.”

Cherri settled down in one of the chairs cautiously as Lily opened her mouth again. “So, D and I were talking. Big softy that he is, he wants to let you stay with us if you want, and I figured you might be pretty handy when it comes to radio stations.”

“Don’t let her twist it, she’s equally on board.” D resisted a sigh. “We do have to warn you, we’re leading a rebellion. Lily is, at least. I’m something like a right hand, I suppose. So it will be dangerous and difficult to be friends with us, and the radio station will not be an easy endeavor either.”

“Can’t be worse than…” Cherri trailed off. “Can’t be worse than wandering the desert on your own in a stolen news van. Do you really want me to stay?”

“Hey, we always want another pair of hands.” White Lily’s joking tone didn’t get a grin out of him.  “You seem like a neat kid, why not let you stay?”

“Guess so.” Cherri yawned again. “So, do you happen to have a screwdriver? I think I’ve got some ideas about the modulators.”

So Cherri Cola came to live with them. His primary occupation was trying to get the radio station able to broadcast, alongside Dr. Death Defying, combining each of their respective technology skill with a lot of guesswork and the knowledge gleaned from whatever books they could find. He rarely went on runs with White Lily at first, but as they found out a week or so in, he turned out to be more than a decent shot with a ray gun.

“Holy fuck, Cola.” White Lily was staring at the empty can he had just knocked over- from a distance of a hundred and twenty feet, further than D or Lily had managed yet. 

“Is that a good or a bad ‘holy fuck’?”

“Good. Holy shit. D and I haven’t hit that yet, not with a shitty little ray gun like yours anyways.”

“What’s wrong with this ray gun?”

“No offense, but that’s a piece of shit.” D watched as she took the ray gun and weighted it in her hands before handing her own to Cherri. “Feel what this one’s like- it’s a little heavier, but it’s a lot nicer. Yours doesn’t even have a stun setting.”

It took him one or two practice shots, but within a few minutes he was shooting even more effectively.

“A hundred and FIFTY feet! D, did you see that?”

“I did,” D told her, glancing over at the youngest of their little trio. “Cherri, we need to get you a better ray gun.” 

The better ray gun would have to wait, though, as the next day, they finally found the last few pieces of equipment and things that they would need for the radio station. They had decided that 109 WKIL would broadcast from the news van Cherri had arrived in, since the antenna was already attached and that way it could be portable if Better Living Industries managed to track their signal. So a few days of fixing later, they had cobbled together a working radio apparatus that could broadcast at a range of thirty miles or so. It had taken a lot of swearing, banging around, and failed test runs, but eventually they had it figured out.

The very first broadcast fell to D, as it was decided he would be the main DJ, and he settled at the panel a little nervously. Cherri was crouched beside him, fiddling with the last few cords. 

“Think we’re good to go,” he whispered.

"Right. Here goes nothing.” D took a deep breath. “One-oh-nine in the sky and the pigs won’t quit, welcome to the very first broadcast by one oh nine WKIL, the rebellious radio station of the desert. I’m Dr. Death Defying, and I’ll be your usual DJ, keeping you updated on all the news from claps to raids to Mad Gear concerts.”

The script had been decided on beforehand so that he didn’t stumble too much, but he still had to pause to take another quick breath and steady himself. “We’ll be doing our broadcast at this time every morning, pretty soon after alarm clock radiation, and we’ll be fanning the spark of this desert into a flame. So tune in, listeners, for all the latest updates, weather, traffic reports, and the best music we’ve got. One oh nine in the sky, this is Dr. Death Defying signing off.”

Cherri gave them a broad grin and a thumbs-up as D fumbled to click the right buttons to get the music going. D grinned right back, and White Lily came charging into the van a few minutes later, brandishing the radio they had been using to test their broadcasting capabilities. 

“It worked! You came though loud and clear, even a good ten miles away, and you’re already getting good at this. I told you, you could do it!” She gave him a high five, grinning, and turned to Cherri. “And good job, soda kid! You’re already a radio station technician.”

Cherri laughed and high-fived her. “Wasn’t expecting to become one at sixteen, but not the worst place I could have ended up.”

They had tried to spread the word as best as possible about the radio station beforehand, so D knew there had been a fair amount of killjoys already listening to the first broadcast. And word travelled quickly in the desert, so he didn’t doubt their listener base would grow over the years. But for now, the rebellion was small, and the twenty-one-year-old leader and her two best friends were heading inside for a celebratory breakfast of power pup.

[redrobin-detective]

Sometimes a Family is a Professor Robot Dad, a Goth Gamer, a Paranoid Occultist, an Undercover Alien and his Robot Dog

“Good Evening my offspring are your hungry child bellies ready, for your dinner” Professor Membrane asked as a flying drone zipped around the room spooning bits of nutritious sludge onto their plates. Gaz didn’t look up from her handheld game simply moved the plate around with her elbow so the food landed appropriately. Dib was too busy glaring at the third member of the table to notice or care that goop was thrown at his head. Zim smiled demurely as he scooped some sludge off of the wall and took a bite.

“DELCIOUS Father Membrane Professor Sir, truly genius,” the green child said as he folded his hands in front of him, making no move to eat more. “Now please tell me, in extreme detail, the events of your day, specifically the schematics of your latest weapons and evil plots. Tell Zim.” Dib hissed across the table. 

“Dib do not hiss at your new green brother, especially when Junior’s asking such astute questions about my marvelous inventions,” Membrane beamed, reaching over to pat Zim’s head. The alien practically purred at the contact. “After dinner I would be happy to take you down into the lab and spent hours explaining how to use all of my technology.”

“Dad you can’t be serious!” Dib exclaimed, making to climb up on the table but Gaz pulled him back into his seat with one hand. She was tired of seeing his footprints all over the table. “Why can’t you see Zim is an alien, I mean look at him, he’s green, and he’s just using you to try and destroy the Earth!?”

“LIES, L I E S,” Zim shouted, also looking to climb onto the table when Gaz forced him back down. “But if you are planning the destruction of humanity, Membrane Father Sir then I would be very interested in hearing about it.” Zim said primly to the Professor.

“Do you see? Can none of your see what’s right in front of you??” Dib wailed letting his head fall onto his plate of various food splatters.

“Now, now, calm down my insane impressionable son,” Membrane soothed, patting one of Dib’s hands. “Every young scientist goes through a phase in their life in which they wish to destroy and dominate the Earth. It’s perfectly natural, I, Professor Membrane, had some truly wicked ideas when I was a young lad.”

“Really?” Zim and Dob asked at once only to glare heartily at one another. 

“Of course,” the Professor laughed. “Oh I had some truly devious inventions back in the day: lasers that turned people’s bones to gelatin, a device to reverse Earth’s gravity, I even built an earthquake machine that would have ripped apart the Earth’s core and sent entire continents hurtling into space!” 

“Dad!” Dib exclaimed with a horrified look at his father while Zim looked up from where he was taking detailed notes.

“No, don’t listen to the Dib Brother, please continue Sir Membrane Father.”

“But I grew past all that nonsense,” the Professor said with a little wave, “destruction for destruction’s sake is a miserable and ultimately futile exercise. Desolation never lasts long, humanity is always building and creating so anything that is broken will always be made again. It’s far more rewarding and interesting to make new things for the world.”

“But what if we find validation in destruction, what if my Tallest I mean, my poor deceased parental unit figures, only care for my ability to enslave other inferior beings?” Zim asked quietly, clutching his notebook to his chest. Dib scoffed and averted his eyes. He hated seeing his mortal enemy looking vulnerable, almost as much as he hated Zim looking up at their his Dad with such open admiration.

“Then your old parents were fools, Junior, for true happiness lies in creation,” Membrane explained, setting a hand on Zim’s shoulder. “I gave up on my dreams of conquering when Dib and Gaz came into my life, and now that you are a part of our family, you too can help us spread peace and goodness to the entire planet.” Conflict stole across Zim’s face, Membrane’s words and comforting touch at war with his loyal Irken Invader blood. He was prevented from answering by a high pitched screaming noise and Gir smashing through the window and face planting onto the floor.

“I JUST STOLE A GUN!” The little robot keened gleefully, unzipping his suit almost completely in order to pull out the weapon. “I’M GONNA USE IT TO MAKE GUNBO”

“Excellent work Gir!” Zim shouted, starting to stand again when Gaz slapped the back on his knee and he also fell face first into his food, undeterred, he stood up again. “We shall use this “gun” as part of our multi-step process to take over this filthy, disgusting worm planet!” That said, Zim grabbed the gun and ran off into the house laughing maniacally. 

“Zim! You won’t get a chance because I’m going to stop you!” Dob screeched, jumping out of his chair and chasing after. Well first he tripped on his coat and fell to the floor but then he got up and ran after his adopted brother. 

“ARE YOU GONNA EAT THOSE CANS?” Gir asked pointing to the empty cans that had been used to make dinner.

“No, please enjoy strange green dog I don’t remember purchasing,” Membrane said tossing the empty cans to Gir who ate one and shot lasers at the other two, scooping the ashes into a cup and slurping it before wandering off. “My goodness technology sure has improved dogs since my day.”

“ZIM! WHEN I CATCH YOU- AHH!” There was the sound of laughter and screaming from both boys as the sound of gunfire filled the house. 

“Dad, Zim and Dib are being loud, can you sew their mouths shut to make them stop,” Gaz grumbled, hunching over her video game to try and drown out the sounds of insanity and suffering resounding through the house.

“Oh Gazlene,” Membrane sighed happily, picking his daughter up and setting her in his lap. “That’s just what brothers do, sure Dib may be deranged and obsessive but he’s been so spirited since we adopted Junior. I think he’s a good influence on the boy.” The sound of a flamethrower coupled with Zim’s laughter activated the sprinkler system.

“I hate this family,” Gaz hissed.

“And I love all of you,” Membrane sighed happily, putting Gaz under one arm and standing up to go wrangle his two reckless sons. Life as usual, in the Membrane household, was good.

[c0rpsedemon]

-it took three weeks but i FINALLY finished genshin's ar 25 ascension quest.... this might sound trivial but it matters to me. my kaeya has also finally managed to get up to 1023 in damage for the first time. also his friendship level is at 4 now.

-my dad got me mcr tickets!!! it's for the thursday they're playing at td garden so if you're there say hi or don't bc i'm super not allowed to have any social media so if you do be like. subtle.

-i'm applying for a job that'll take place during the school year, more specifically i'm applying for my town's ymca afterschool program so i'll get to see my kids year-round

-i got a 5 on the ap test for us history

-i love the nasuverse i know you can probably already guess this but i love love love love it sm no matter how much i rag on it

-i've decided to get into baking! i've only made microwave mug brownies so far but i gave one to my mom and it convinced her to allow me to use the oven. i've never been allowed to use the oven before so i'm super intimidated. i started out thinking that i'd like the aesthetic of baking more than actually baking as i do with most of my "hobbies" but. i actually really like it a lot.

-CLAUDIE MY BELOVED she's so cute i'm making a big order of ag stuff when she comes out bc i've also been planning to get stuff for my corrine. if you don't know what i'm talking about go in the american girl tag rn and look at the leaks of our newest historical girlie. she's so so so cute.

-i've decided to make peace with my sewing machine. and by that i mean actually put an effort in to learning how to use it instead of just glaring at it and taking out a handheld needle

-sing 2 is my enemy

-my skullector dracula finally got here and she's been sitting in box for like. a month bc i'm scared to touch her

-i borrowed my dad's laptop to play f/sn on (i've only watched youtube playthrough's before and trust me actually clicking the buttons changes things 100% i love it sm more now) and then almost immediately got distracted and tbh i kinda want to switch to playing tsukihime bc i want to get into the greater nasuverse (thanks /strange fake) and also bc i think not knowing the plot will draw me in more

-i've decided that this december i'm getting my own pc but to be more specific i'm getting one with one of those nice builds and it's going to mainly be for playing vns. and not just for type moon vns i want to read umineko so bad and i have a list of others too. i'm waiting until december though bc i'll be 17 and that's a more SeriousTM age where it'd at least seem like less of a whim. also novelty doesn't run on mac and maybe i'll make my own vn or smthing who knows

-currently trying to figure out how to

-i haven't spent a single cent from work yet and i'm kinda proud of myself but i also kinda want to go on a spending spree but i'm also kinda scared to spend it and ultimately i think i'll be preordering some anime figures

-specifically i have my eyes on that one mo dao zu shi figure. oh my god it's gorgeous. i hope the yen goes down even more by the time i'd have to pay for it though.

-finally switched from messenger bags to a backpack so hopefully this is the end of my back problems era

-i've decided that the only way to deal with my problem of not being able to do. Anything. offline bc my attention span is fucked is to face it head-on so when school is back in session i'm going to be more offline than i have since i was 13 and checked tumblr once a week bc i followed ~8 blogs

-this may make me sound like a weeb but. i'm going to try and learn japanese and it's like. 50% bc of my love of the nasuverse/the lack of translations for so much of it and 50% bc i have a deeply embarrassing pipe dream where i get to write or at least translate an official type moon work

-i have so so so many like. completely-developed fanservants in my mind but i'm too deeply embarrassed by the fact that i haven't read/watched/ Every Single Piece Of The Source Material to talk about them unprompted. i also have mage ocs but they're going to be the same until i go through Every Single Piece Of Nasuverse Canon which is. all of fate and then some

-i only have 10 total kids this week which is good bc i have the biggest event of my dad's business's year and i have to go work for him immediately after camp ends and if there were any more i'd have to work longer

-please give me anime/vn recs before i die of type moon poisoning

-i've decided to read the heaven's official blessing series which is big bc i haven't gone in blind to... anything. in a while

-this is your semi-regular reminder that wei wuxian and lan wangji invented romance. ough i adore them. i need to order volumes 2 & 3 of the books sm.

-i've figured out what my first tattoo is going to be when i turn 18. it's going to be the sword in the stone and it's going to be between my shoulder blades

-i've been sword and also armor shopping recently but i'm nervous about spending my paycheck

-i have more friends rn than i have since elementary school i'm so happy

-i designed my logo for when i'm a super famous fashion designer and it's the greatest thing since the chanel double c's. technically i designed and posted it months ago but. that was the default font and also far too streamlined for me. a proof of concept so to speak. here's the final design i think you can see exactly what aesthetic i was going for bc of. y'know. everything about me

[id: a logo with two uppercase rs in a vaguely medieval style, they're facing away from each other and a line is drawn between them which forms an uppercase h in the middle]

it's been so so so so long since i've been like. actually on here fr and not just refilling my queue and logging off so i feel like i need to like. provide some sort of list of updates

[batslime]

Ok I just joked about how I always start cosplays and don’t finish them but I’m pretty pumped tonight

Not only did I finally try out this little handheld Singer sewing machine thing I got that works PRETTY great, the only con so far being that it can only do a running stitch but will be so great for traveling, but also I FINALLY found the issue with a machine we got YEARS ago that we couldn’t quite troubleshoot. The bobbin tension is too loose but something about the screw/ tension device on the bobbin case must be defective because no matter how far I adjust the screw either way the tension doesn’t change.

A new bobbin case will only run me a few bucks, I’ll bring the machine in to get a second opinion when I buy it but otherwise it looks like I’ll finally have access to a functional machine again instead of trying to sew entire costumes by hand lol!

Also here’s me fitting the pieces for Mitsuri’s sword together the other night ( being a hobbyist entomologist is great I don’t think I’ve seen anybody else use pins to fit eva foam before lmao ) plus my supervisor:

[4colorrebellion]

4cr Plays - Woven (Switch)

Video games, perhaps more than any other visual medium, have the ability to place their consumer in an infinite variety of worlds not possible in our own narrow reality. Games take place in everything from photorealistic deserts to lush mountainscapes sketched in thick strokes of ink. Naturally, then, games like Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Yoshi’s Wooly World have looked to textile crafts for inspiration.

While those games simply used yarn, leather, and linens as visual inspiration, the new 3D exploration game Woven goes a step further - drawing on the ideas of textiles as inspiration for gameplay mechanics.

I sat down this week with the Switch version of Woven ahead of its launch today. Read on for my impressions.

Woven follows a stuffed animal - a lumpy elephant who has seen better days - named, appropriately, Stuffy. Stuffy’s world used to be a peaceful utopia where knitted creatures lived in harmony... until the machines came. Smoke-spewing creatures and artifacts have begun to litter the landscape. One day, Stuffy stumbles on Glitch, a metal firefly who has lost his memory. Glitch needs help to recover his identity. Stuffy needs help to do, well, everything. Together, Stuffy and Glitch will get to the root of the metallic mystery that threatens their world.

Woven is a 3D adventure game. While it visually reminds me quite a bit of N64-era platformers - with the use of bright colors and cute mascots - it relies less on tight timing and reflexes and more on your problem-solving skills. You explore massive environments, looking for the tools you need to solve puzzles gating your progress. Both Stuffy and Glitch have a variety of tools that can help get through the puzzles scattered through the worlds. Glitch can operate machines, shine a light in the dark, and examine objects, while Stuffy can do things like move blocks, sing to birds, and leap over obstacles.

Now, Glitch can operate machines, right? Stuffy is a stuffed animal, right? Well, the world is full of sewing machines. Sewing machines can be used to alter Stuffy’s fluffy body for whatever task is at hand. You can swap out Stuffy’s arms, legs, torso, and head for different designs found on blueprints across the world. You can also change the textile and color used for each part, using different patterns scanned from the environment. See a patch of plaid on the wall? Get Glitch to remember it for later.

This customization is both cosmetic and functional. You can freely mix and match different parts and colors to create the Stuffy you want to use. Want Stuffy to be bright pink? With patches of leather and plaid? Great - you can do that. This customization is also the core of the gameplay as well, as your choice of parts determines the abilities that Stuffy will have access to at any given time. For instance, you might need elephant arms to push a huge stone, and rabbit legs to leap over a wall.

This customization is a great gameplay concept, and makes great use of the concept of textiles as more than just a cool-looking visual motif. The ability to customize your protagonist and tune them for a set of tasks gives you a wide and interesting toolbox for exploring the world. In a way, you can think of Woven as “my first adventure game”. None of the puzzles I’ve encountered were particularly difficult to solve, but required just enough thought that I think Woven would be a great game for kids to play.

While the core ideas behind Woven are great, I think the implementation of those ideas could use more work. The levels themselves are huge, but are largely empty and could use more visual hints to guide progress. There were multiple times where I got lost and just wanted a map to reference. The controls also feel a bit sluggish, like there is a bit of a delay before movements register. Overall, this was not a huge problem, but it also did not feel quite right either.

On the Switch, Woven is a mixed-bag when it comes to the technical performance. The overall art direction is quite nice. Character designs are strongly reminiscent of Rare’s N64 games - Banjo Kazooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day - and the levels are colorful and fun. However, the game is not well optimized for the handheld system. In portable mode, the game is extremely blurry, making me mildly nauseous at times. I’d recommend playing this on one of the other systems (it is on all of the consoles and PC). 

Overall, there are a lot of good ideas at the heart of Woven. The core gameplay mechanics are interesting, particularly the customization of Stuffy. However, sluggish controls and poor technical performance make it hard to recommend the Switch version in particular. If you are a crafting aficionado, you might find something to love here. Others may want to steer clear.

A copy of Woven was provided for this article.

Official Website

[kujo1597]

Actually, That Was a Good Thing

The confrontation with Jaune Diamont went fairly well. For the first time in a while Peridot’s life wasn’t a complete mess full of stress.

Well, apart from the usual stress of debt and just anxiety in general.

Peridot was in a relationship with a wonderful beautiful hilarious woman. 

This woman’s family welcomed Peridot with open arms and have helped with some major things.

Things were going great for Peridot.

You can also read this on Archive of Our Own.

Chapter 11

Peridot stretched out and took in the sun shining through her window.

What a wonderful beautiful day.

The restraining order was filed.

Thanks to woodworking and sewing she figured out how to sleep in Amethyst's bed without killing her back. She made a board to lay on one side of the bed.

Things were finally looking up for Peridot. Even in terms of money. She’s been working extra hard and her reputation has finally hit a level where she’s been getting a lot more work. She was now able to move out and into a place nicer than a shitty tiny apartment in a terrible neighbourhood.

Although she’d prefer something better and Lapis did say that she could keep living with her as long as she’d like. 

Peridot didn’t see the next ordeal just around the corner.

Amethyst looked at Peridot and smiled. Her partner’s mood was at an all-time high. It was nice to see that cute lopsided smile more and more often.

This time it was present as Peridot was playing ski-ball.

“Man Peri, you’re really kicking ass today,” Amethyst was at the machine next to Peridot’s; she rolled her ball and got the lowest value. “How do you do it?”

“It’s actually just a matter of knowing the exact slope and having good control over your power and angle,” Peridot explained as she got another ball in the highest scoring hole. “Each machine is ever-so-slightly different and you must account for that.”

“So I take it that’s why you always play on that one.”

“Correct,” another hit.

“You gotta teach me sometime,” another miss.

“Alright,” Peridot threw her last ball then walked over to Amethyst and observed. “You’re throwing a bit too hard and your wrist keeps twisting.”

“Yeah, I kinda fucked it up while homeless.”

“Oh. Well, you’ll just need to account for it.”

Peridot watched Amethyst roll a few more balls up the slope slowly adjusting the angle and curiosity got the better of her.

“So how did you break your wrist?”

“Shit, man... that day is a blur,” Amethyst laughed. “After I broke my wrist I stole a homeless guy’s booze and drank until the pain went numb.”

“O-oh...” Peridot didn’t know what to say.

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Amethyst waved her hand. “That’s behind me now. I’m like a shark, always moving forward.”

Peridot couldn’t help frowning, that... isn’t healthy.

Before she could say anything she heard Mr. Smiley’s voice.

“Dag-nabbit, Punch Buddy broke down again!”

Peridot was torn, address Amethyst’s issues... or help Mr. Smiley by digging into a machine...

Mr. Smiley sounded very upset and she could talk to Amethyst some other time so Peridot decided to see if she can help him.

“Would you like me to look at it?”

“Oh, Peridot,” she had startled him. “How much do you know about fixing games?”

“Well, I’ve fixed a few broken consoles and handhelds,” Peridot replied. “I also studied engineering in college and was in the robotics club.”

Mr. Smiley seemed surprised. “Heck of a lot more than I did when I started this.” He stood up. “Alright, take a look.” His eyes looked firm but he was still smiling. “But if you break it you have to pay for the professional repairs.”

Peridot rolled up her sleeves and got to work as Mr. Smiley and Amethyst watched. Amethyst had no idea what was going on and even Mr. Smiley had a bit of trouble keeping up with Peridot’s fast motions.

Before they knew it Peridot asked Amethyst to test the game.

“You need to eat some spinach,” the machine said as it displayed an abysmally low score.

“Are you kidding me?” Amethyst protested, “that was my strongest punch!”

“I’ve seen you punch,” Peridot frowned and gave the machine one of her newly-honed punches.

“Was that a mosquito bite?” The machine displayed the lowest score possible.

“I’m not that weak,” Peridot’s slight muscle definition was clear as she rested her chin on her hand. “There must be something wrong with the pressure-plate.” She turned to Mr. Smiley. “Do you have a spare?”

He sighed. “No, and this machine is so old that parts for it are impossible to find.”

“Well, if you give me a week or two I could fix it,” Peridot offered hesitantly. 

“Sure,” Mr. Smiley took her offer with one of his more genuine smiles. “He’s doing me no good like this anyway. But remember, if he breaks you pay for ‘im.”

“Understood,” Peridot offered a handshake and Mr. Smiley accepted it. “I’ll keep you posted.”

“Thanks kid.”

Unfortunately Peridot hadn’t even considered how she’d get the big heavy machine home.

Fortunately Amethyst had the good idea of calling in an old friend, Greg Universe, Steven’s dad. A man Peridot’s only seen a few times as he picked up Steven for father-son day. He seemed nice enough.

And sure enough, he was. Greg had no problem at all with helping load the machine onto his van and driving Peridot home. When they got there he helped unload it. All while smiling and playing songs on cassettes.

Thankfully Amethyst understood that Peridot was eager to start on her new project and agreed to hang out with her later.

They separated with a kiss and Peridot immediately got to work on that pressure-plate.

It only took a few days for Peridot to fix Punch Buddy. Greg was nice enough to drop her and the machine off at the arcade.

Mr. Smiley inspected it and seemed impressed. 

“So did you add that thing we discussed?” He asked.

“Yep, I added the sensitivity adjuster,” Peridot replied, she reached around the dummy and pointed at a well-hidden zipper with a small lock on it. “I tried to hide the modification both to not ruin the aesthetic and so people hopefully can’t find it and cheat.”

“Excellent,” the smile on Mr. Smiley’s face almost seemed diabolical, he did try to rig the ring toss after all.

Peridot bet that he wanted to rig Punch Buddy.

A part of her regretted giving him this power.

But the cheque being passed to her made that regret go away.

“Now, it isn’t much but I couldn’t not pay you,” Mr. Smiley said. “You did a bang-up job.”

“Thank you Mr. Smiley.”

“Would you be up for fixing my other machines too? I’ll pay you for it of course.”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Enthusiastic somehow wasn’t a strong enough word to describe Peridot’s response.

Mr. Smiley laughed. “Good! I don’t have any work for you at the moment but I’ll call you when I do.”

“Oh,” something occurred to Peridot, “would you be able to drop off and pick up the machines? I only have a two-door car and I don’t want to keep bothering Greg.”

“I’ll try, but most repairs will be simple enough for you to do here in the arcade.”

“You’re okay with me just working for you in plain sight?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Mr. Smiley’s brow furrowed.

“Well, I don’t exactly have a ‘front-desk face,’” Peridot didn’t get why he didn’t see that plain-as-day.

“Now who told you that ridiculous crap?” The smile was still present but Mr. Smiley looked mad.

“A lot of people, not with words but the disgusted looks say it all,” Peridot thought for a moment. “Well, my mother put it into words fairly recently.”

“From what I hear your mother’s a real piece of work. Don’t give anything that woman says any value.”

“Oh, uh, thank you.”

“You’re a good kid, all those employers really missed out.”

Mr. Smiley patted Peridot’s shoulder. “Now how about you give Punch Buddy a few shots before I make him tougher?”

“I can’t dance.”

Amethyst had called the next week asking if Peridot wanted to go to a rave.

“Aw Peri. Half the people don’t dance anyway so you won’t stand out.”

Peridot sighed. “Even so, aren’t drugs all over the place at raves?”

“Not this one. Sour Cream’s are clean, he’s a good kid. And you’ll like the music he plays. You’re into dubstep, right?”

“Yeah, I am. But, uh, are we going to be the only adults there?” Peridot hoped her voice didn’t sound like she thought that adults going to a teenager’s rave was weird. 

“Nope! Ages six to... however old Nanafua is.”

Peridot himmed and hawed for a bit. “Okay, I’ll go. But if I don’t enjoy myself I get to leave early and you have to indulge me.”

“How so?”

“My knee has been bothering me lately and your kisses are the only cure.”

Amethyst laughed. “I’ll do ya one better and throw in some kisses on your stump too.”

“I don’t understand how you enjoy that; it gets so sweaty. I mean, I won’t complain.”

“You know I like the taste of salt.”

“Eeeeewwww,” Peridot giggled.

Amethyst laughed and they talked for a bit after making their plans. 

Peridot didn’t expect the rave to be at the same warehouse as Amethyst’s wrestling matches.

She had decided to wear a dark shirt with a glow-in-the-dark UFO print on it under a bright-green hoodie. She debated wearing shorts because her prosthetic foot would glow under a blacklight but it was too chilly for that.

Amethyst arrived wearing a bright pink hoodie with a white shirt underneath it. During the cooler months Amethyst had started to wear jeans with star-shaped patches on the knees.

“Hey Peri! Lookin’ good.”

They hugged and kissed. 

“Thank you, you look good too.”

“Shall we head in?” Amethyst offered her arm and Peridot took it.

The rave was already underway, an interesting mix of dubstep and chiptunes pulsed through the warehouse. A good number of people were dancing with glowsticks in their hands.

Much to Peridot relief there were also people not dancing and were instead talking and drinking, if Amethyst was correct, non-alcoholic beverages.

“You gonna try dancing?” Amethyst asked Peridot.

“No,” Peridot replied, “you can though. I’ll enjoy watching you.”

Amethyst frowned. “Alright. You know, you don’t have to be good at it.” 

“I know,” Peridot sighed. “I just don’t want my knee to give out in public. Or for my unfeeling feet to slip.”

“Feet?”

“Nerve damage.”

“Ah. Okay, I’ll be sure to dance extra good for you.” Somebody caught Amethyst’s eye. “Ugh, see that douchie looking guy?”

Peridot looked where Amethyst was pointing and saw a brunette taking in the crowd.

“The one with the neckerchief?”

“Yeah, his name’s Kevin. He hits on every girl and doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Ew.”

“You bet, so stay away from him,” Amethyst tried to think about how to phrase the next sentence. “You’re probably safe since he’s into more feminine girls. But still be careful around him.”

“Will do.”

Amethyst joined the dancers like the old pro she is and Peridot tried her best to mingle. She ended up chatting with one of Sour Cream’s internet friends about video games.

Naturally Peridot didn’t get too sucked into the conversation to not look at Amethyst dancing. Amethyst would make eye-contact with Peridot every time she danced extra sexy.

The movements of Amethyst’s hands and hips were hypnotic and very pleasing to look at.

Just as things reached a high, Peridot heard a familiar shout.

“GET OUT OF HERE!”

Peridot’s heart pounded. What happened to Lapis?

She rushed out towards the voice and saw Lapis with a very tall muscular woman with vitiligo and beige hair. She bared a bit of a resemblance to Amethyst actually...

Then Peridot remembered.

That’s Jasper!

As Peridot was about to greet her, Jasper spoke to Lapis.

“Why won’t you take me back? It’ll be better this time.”

Amethyst noticed that Peridot vanished and tracked her down. She looked between Lapis and Jasper.

“Because what we had was bad.”

“I’ve changed, you’ve changed me,” Jasper took a step forward. “Lapis, please.”

Lapis’ voice was firm. “No! Jasper, I handcuffed you to a bed and didn’t let you go.”

“I asked you to do that.”

“Then when you changed your mind I kept going. It was awful.”

Something clicked in Jasper’s mind. “Y... yeah. You did keep going. But that’s what I wanted!”

“At first! But I didn’t respect that you changed your mind! Then we kept yelling at each other. The whole time we were together, just constant yelling and angry sex. That’s awful! Why do you want to come back to that?”

“Because I’m the only one strong enough to handle you!” Jasper sounded passionate but also a bit unhealthy. “I may be a brute but you’re a monster.”

And that’s what caused Peridot to step in. She would not let Lapis’ recovery take another sharp plummet.

“Lapis isn’t a monster,” Peridot said firmly.

“Peacock? What are you doing here; Amethyst says you don’t dance,” Jasper shook her head, she got off-topic. “You’re glaring at the wrong person.”

Amethyst stepped in. “Peri, seriously? You heard what Lapis did and you’re sticking up for her?”

“Lapis feels bad about what she did, that means she’s not a monster,” Peridot was miffed, Amethyst knows that Lapis is recovering from her horrible life.

“Fucking seriously,” Amethyst turned to face Jasper. “Did she ever say ‘I’m sorry’ to you?”

Jasper shook her head. “No.”

Amethyst slapped her thigh. “Fukkin’ knew it. Same goddamn thing she does to Peri.”

“You don’t have to say ‘I’m sorry’ to be sorry,” Peridot argued. “If you ask me, actions speak louder than words. Do you have any idea how many empty apologies I’ve heard over the years?”

“That doesn’t matter! Even if that’s true, Lapis does a shitty job of showing that she’s sorry. You still drop everything to care for her. Nothing’s changed! She hasn’t learned and neither have you!

“Hey, I’m standing right here,” Lapis interrupted. “Quit talking abou-”

“-SHUT UP!” Amethyst didn’t let her come close to finishing. “Just shut the fuck up! The only good thing you’ve ever done is take Peri in! And I’d argue that it ain’t even that good because you use her as an emotional sponge! She’s always a wreck after consoling you!”

Lapis looked at Peridot. “Is that true?”

“Not a wreck, Amethyst is exaggerating,” Peridot’s first instinct, as usual, was to make sure Lapis didn’t get too upset. 

“That’s it! I can’t take this anymore!” Amethyst threw up her hands. “C’mon Jasper. We’re leaving.” She grabbed Jasper by the wrist and started to storm off.

“Amethyst wait,” Peridot called after her. “There’s a good reason why I do that.” Peridot caught Lapis’ eye and couldn’t continue, not infront of her.

“Well?” Amethyst crossed her arms.

“It’s something we need to discuss in private,” Peridot approached Amethyst. “I’ll phone you tomorrow once we’ve cooled down.”

Amethyst glared at Peridot. “No, we’re doing this right now!”

“Okay, fine,” Peridot’s stomach felt twisted-up. Amethyst has never been this angry before. 

They walked somewhere private.

“So, what’s your great reason for making yourself miserable for a blue-haired bitch?” Amethyst’s voice was an unsettling mix of sarcasm and rage.

“And that’s why I wanted to wait,” Peridot’s irritation got the best of her.

Amethyst glared.

“Look,” Peridot said after taking a breath; in and out, just like her therapist taught her. “Lapis has been in a bad place for years. I need to help her out.”

“And why’s that?”

“I was getting to that,” Peridot snapped. She dragged her hand down her face. In and out. “Because, when she’s happy I’m happy.”

Amethyst huffed and turned on her heel.

“I’m not finished,” Peridot said feebly.

“I’ve heard enough,” the look on Amethyst’s face was like a knife to Peridot’s gut. “You like her more than you like me.”

“What? No! Amethyst!”

“I should’ve known better! This always happens!”

“Amethyst, talk to me,” Peridot was confused. What always happens?

“No! I’m done! Goodbye Peridot.”

And with that, Amethyst was gone.

Somehow being called “Peridot” by Amethyst hurt worse than the yelling.

[elizabethfortierne]

Buy it on Amazon - http://ift.tt/2ED6JIW - Buy Portable Sewing Machine, Amado Professional Handheld Sewing Machine with Adjustable 2-Speed Double Thread -- Click the link to buy now or to read the 23 4 & 5 Star Reviews.Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp6rQW--t3yQr-k1y6UQpkw?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 Buy Portable Sewing Machine, Amado Professional Handheld Sewing Machine with Adjustable 2-Speed Double Thread I love it. Its functional and works just like I was expecting. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Jacob Just got it. This is awesome and the price you pay for the quality you get can’t be beat. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Charlotte Click http://ift.tt/2ED6JIW to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. MULTIPURPOSE: The Amado handheld sewing machine comes with both a pedal and a button. If you are a beginner, you can make use of the manual pedal which allows you to control machine while the on/off button is more ideal for experts who are comfortable operating the machine automatically. Lastly, it work virtually on all fabrics so you won't have to own different machines for different garments. MODIFIABLE SPEED: It also allows you to automatically adjust the sewing speeds. This means that you can learn or sew at your own speeds without necessarily having to mess your garment. AC/ BATTERY OPERATED: This product is versatile when it comes to embracing multiple power sources. If you live or are travelling to areas without power you can power it using batteries and vice versa. 6 MONTHS GUARANTEE: This handheld sewing machine ensures that you will love the experience as it is backed by a 6 months guarantee. Inside the package is also s practicing package to work on before you start the actual sewing. I was hesitant about purchasing online, but after opening the package I could not have more surprised at how easy it was and how good the quality is. Amazon Review.... Reviewer : Michal Click http://ift.tt/2ED6JIW to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. ***Let Us Know What You Think… Comment Below!!*** Watch my other review Videos – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp6rQW--t3yQr-k1y6UQpkw Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp6rQW--t3yQr-k1y6UQpkw?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 #Amado, #Portable Sewing Machine, Amado Professional Handheld Sewing Machine with Adjustable 2-Speed Double Thread This is a review video for : B076V958GV Manufacture : Amado Related Videos in Channel

[kathyjamesfre99]

Buy it on Amazon - http://ift.tt/2ED6JIW - Portable Sewing Machine, Amado Professional Handheld Sewing Machine with Adjustable 2-Speed Double Thread Coupon -- Click the link to buy now or to read the 23 4 & 5 Star Reviews.Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHjlAzt7FTlKMIgATXRQXwQ?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 Portable Sewing Machine, Amado Professional Handheld Sewing Machine with Adjustable 2-Speed Double Thread Coupon I love it. Its functional and works just like I was expecting. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Jacob Just got it. This is awesome and the price you pay for the quality you get can’t be beat. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Charlotte Click http://ift.tt/2ED6JIW to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. MULTIPURPOSE: The Amado handheld sewing machine comes with both a pedal and a button. If you are a beginner, you can make use of the manual pedal which allows you to control machine while the on/off button is more ideal for experts who are comfortable operating the machine automatically. Lastly, it work virtually on all fabrics so you won't have to own different machines for different garments. MODIFIABLE SPEED: It also allows you to automatically adjust the sewing speeds. This means that you can learn or sew at your own speeds without necessarily having to mess your garment. AC/ BATTERY OPERATED: This product is versatile when it comes to embracing multiple power sources. If you live or are travelling to areas without power you can power it using batteries and vice versa. 6 MONTHS GUARANTEE: This handheld sewing machine ensures that you will love the experience as it is backed by a 6 months guarantee. Inside the package is also s practicing package to work on before you start the actual sewing. I was hesitant about purchasing online, but after opening the package I could not have more surprised at how easy it was and how good the quality is. Amazon Review.... Reviewer : Michal Click http://ift.tt/2ED6JIW to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. ***Let Us Know What You Think… Comment Below!!*** Watch my other review Videos – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHjlAzt7FTlKMIgATXRQXwQ Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHjlAzt7FTlKMIgATXRQXwQ?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 #Amado, #Portable Sewing Machine, Amado Professional Handheld Sewing Machine with Adjustable 2-Speed Double Thread This is a review video for : B076V958GV Manufacture : Amado Related Videos in Channel

[jennywlacle]

Buy it on Amazon - http://ift.tt/2ED6JIW - Discount Portable Sewing Machine, Amado Professional Handheld Sewing Machine with Adjustable 2-Speed Double Thread -- Click the link to buy now or to read the 23 4 & 5 Star Reviews.Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzZNNZLRB-MXobcAeGkPbbA?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 Discount Portable Sewing Machine, Amado Professional Handheld Sewing Machine with Adjustable 2-Speed Double Thread I love it. Its functional and works just like I was expecting. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Jacob Just got it. This is awesome and the price you pay for the quality you get can’t be beat. Amazon Review... Reviewer : Charlotte Click http://ift.tt/2ED6JIW to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. MULTIPURPOSE: The Amado handheld sewing machine comes with both a pedal and a button. If you are a beginner, you can make use of the manual pedal which allows you to control machine while the on/off button is more ideal for experts who are comfortable operating the machine automatically. Lastly, it work virtually on all fabrics so you won't have to own different machines for different garments. MODIFIABLE SPEED: It also allows you to automatically adjust the sewing speeds. This means that you can learn or sew at your own speeds without necessarily having to mess your garment. AC/ BATTERY OPERATED: This product is versatile when it comes to embracing multiple power sources. If you live or are travelling to areas without power you can power it using batteries and vice versa. 6 MONTHS GUARANTEE: This handheld sewing machine ensures that you will love the experience as it is backed by a 6 months guarantee. Inside the package is also s practicing package to work on before you start the actual sewing. I was hesitant about purchasing online, but after opening the package I could not have more surprised at how easy it was and how good the quality is. Amazon Review.... Reviewer : Michal Click http://ift.tt/2ED6JIW to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. ***Let Us Know What You Think… Comment Below!!*** Watch my other review Videos – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzZNNZLRB-MXobcAeGkPbbA Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzZNNZLRB-MXobcAeGkPbbA?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 #Amado, #Portable Sewing Machine, Amado Professional Handheld Sewing Machine with Adjustable 2-Speed Double Thread This is a review video for : B076V958GV Manufacture : Amado Related Videos in Channel