#mt: last days of summer

[sofnaskinder]

Team Nébula!! 🌌

Last summer I started a new Blue Rescue Team game. I've always picked Pikachu as the Hero since I was little: in fact, I got Pikachu and Mudkip for PMD2 and then did it again for PMD1 because I love that duo so much 🥹🩵💛

But I wanted to try something new for the first time, because having the same team twice felt weird... and I got Eevee on the quiz! I named her after myself as usual, but now that I've turned her into an OC I picked Nova instead (which is how I named my Jolteon in HGSS around that time too, but I thought it'd suit her more)

And then there's Eco!!! I tend to pick Water types as partners, they're so cute... I tried my best to choose something else but I just couldn't ignore the croc...

One day I want to make more art of these two. My idea while redesigning them here was to enhance the colour blue (because haha Blue Rescue Team haha did you notice that). They both have blue eyes and I made them more pale than in-game. That's also why Nova is shiny, because I can give her a blueish gray tone that way (+ it looks cool)

Regarding other main characters, I've been thinking about making Gardevoir shiny as well so she fits in the blue theme...? And giving Ninetales the Alolan form would be perfect for Mt. Faraway! Luckily Absol is blue already hehe

I'd still like to make fanart of the regular game too, but this is a fun AU I've been thinking about a lot lately. I hope you like it <3

Here's some more art of these two! I did this one a couple of days ago:

And this is from a few weeks ago!:

Random Eevee as well that's not necessarily the same one:

[ramp-it-up]

Sugar High

Simple Sugar | Sugar is Sweet | Sugar, Cubed

Summary: I revisited Sugar and the boys from the Sugar is Sweet séries, and let me tell you. Bucky and Steve sure have grown up from their college days. Bucky left and lied; Steve stayed and lied. Tony sends you to Tokyo with Steve and well... On a weekend trip to Kyoto, you and Steve have a real talk on Fushimi Inari

Word Count: 1.6 K

Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader; mention of Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI. Not Beta’d. SMUT. Read at your own risk. Roommate/Co-worker au, ANGST!, Steve apologizes, lots of angst, talk of hurt and Bucky suffers. Another tattoo! Basically, you are doomed.

A/N: This is related to the Sugar is Sweet and Sugar, Cubed au, but can be read alone. This comes after Simple Sugar. I was reflecting on the fact that @yenzys-lucky-charm is really interested in this unfinished series of mine, and the fact that this time last year, I was on a plane back to the US from Japan. A time was had. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hokkaido. We had a blast. But one of the most magical moments was when we hiked Fushimi Inari. I did it with a UTI. 🙃 But it was amazing. Mr. Inari is magic, so I had to include it here. Pics of the torii gates and the overlook at Kyoto mine. Let me know if you like this bit of angst.

I no longer have a taglist. Please follow @rampitupandread and turn on notifications to learn when I post! 😘

I Do NOT Consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself

-------

Mt. Inari Trail, Kyoto

Rain turned the mountain path into a river of silver.

Droplets slid down moss-slick stone and drummed softly on the endless red torii gates climbing toward the clouds. You were soaked through your hoodie and leggings, but it was peaceful.

You ducked beneath the low eaves of a wayside shrine. A fox statue kept silent guard, its granite fur jeweled with rain.

Steve jogged up a heartbeat later, cap dark with water, chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm.

“You good?” 

“I love it. The quiet,” you said, steam curling from your lips.

“No crowds. No noise.”

He smiled.

“Magic. Feels like a place you can start over.”

You didn’t answer, not at first. Rain rattled the bamboo gutter. Steve’s gentle gaze searched your face.

“I keep playing that night in Tokyo on repeat,” he said, voice dropping. 

The words vibrated through the wood at your back. 

“Every sound you made. Everything I failed to say.”

Your pulse thudded. 

“That’s the problem, Steve. You lied to me about Bucky. And what you didn’t say, in the elevator, still screams louder than what you did say in bed.”

He flinched. Rain pattered off his brim and down the rigid line of his jaw.

“I didn’t tell you he was injured because I was too afraid you’d leave for him once you knew how bad he was hurt. Too selfish to share. And I should’ve shut him down in that elevator,” he admitted.

“But I froze. And it damaged you.” 

His breath fogged between you. 

“Let me earn your trust back. No lies. No silence.”

You didn’t pull away when his fingers slipped between yours. 

“You sure honesty won’t break us worse?”

“We’re already cracked,” he said.

“Honesty’s the only thing that might fix us.”

The torii tunnel shimmered behind him, red lacquer slick as new blood. You exhaled, let go of his hand, then stepped back into the rain.

—--

You walked another ten minutes in silence. 

The shower tapered to a mist and stone foxes watched from every bend, their eyes green with moss. In a clearing a lone cherry tree spread budding branches over a weather-worn bench.

You sat, damp clothes clinging, heart knocking against your ribs. Steve stood at the overlook, city lights blinking in the far distance.

“Maybe we were doomed from the start,” he said to the dark.

“Or maybe we just needed less ego and more time.”

You huffed.

“Might’ve required different men.”

He laughed under his breath. 

“Yeah. Might’ve. But we were so good at the pretending part. That summer in Stark House... god. The three of us? We had no clue what we were sitting on.”

“You mean the pile of unresolved sexual tension?”

Steve huffed a laugh.

“That, and the closeness. The quiet parts. The way he used to fall asleep with his hand in your hair, and how you always used my shoulder when we watched movies.”

You blinked slowly, the memory heavy in your chest.

“What a time,” you murmured.

Steve turned, his wet lashes glowing in the moonlight.

“The dare isn’t about sex anymore, Sugar. It’s about truth. About finishing the sentence we choked on back then.”

“What if we finish it wrong?” you whispered.

“Then at least we tried.” 

He offered his hand again. This time you took it without hesitation.

—-

You found a small izakaya near the base of Fushimi Inari, a quiet spot, the kind that didn’t cater to tourists. 

Inside were wood-paneled walls, paper lanterns, and a few handwritten menus tacked up above the open grill. The scent of soy and charcoal filled the air. 

You were the only foreigners in the place, but no one paid you much attention. Maybe it was the rain.

Maybe it was the way Steve watched you like he was still catching his breath from that conversation on the mountain.

You ordered sake; you both needed it. He poured for you and you let him.

It was cozy and dim. Your clothes were damp from the hike, but the warmth from the shared nabe pot had you melting into the wooden bench seat across from Steve. There was music playing softly, something vintage and jazzy.

Your legs brushed under the table. 

His knee stayed pressed to yours.

“So,” you said, sampling your sake, fire blooming down your throat.“Those contests with Bucky. Explain.”

Steve smirked, wiping broth from his mouth with the back of his hand.

“God, we were idiots. We had whole arguments over who could make you laugh harder, who you hugged longer, or who got the last fry off your plate.”

He shook his head.

“But the truth is, I think he and I both knew the second we met you that we had both already lost. Our hearts. To you.”

You didn’t respond. But Steve pressed on.

“You remember the night we all crashed in the media room?”

You laughed. It was early on in the fellowship. The first week.

“Under that terrible knit blanket?”

Steve laughed too.

“God, yeah. You were in the middle, wearing my hoodie and his sweatpants.”

You shook your head, smiling.

“We didn’t even make it through the movie.”

“You fell asleep on my chest. Bucky wrapped himself around your back like a goddamn furnace.”

“And you both had hard ons by sunrise. I remember.”

Steve blushed, but you didn’t let him off the hook.

“You two practically eye-fucked me in Theory of Advanced Quantum Mechanics the whole next morning.”

Steve chuckled. 

“We were twenty-one and dumb. And we thought we could play it cool.”

Silence fell between you again. Not awkward. Not empty.

“Truth is,” Steve said, voice lower than the music, “we never stopped wanting you. Either of us.”

You set your cup down, eyes locked on his. 

“Maybe I never stopped wanting… both.”

Heat flared behind his gaze, but his hands stayed on the tabletop, knuckles white with restraint.

“Then quit punishing the three of us. Let’s talk to him. Together.”

You sat with those words as the server brought grilled skewers and hot miso, as you refilled his cup and then your own.

“Been a long time since I felt that… safe,” he murmured.

You nodded, voice small.

“Or that stupid.

A breathy laugh escaped him. “Both.”

You set your cup down, fingers steady for the first time in months.

“Maybe,” you said, meeting his gaze, “we should talk to Bucky."

“Together?” Steve asked.

“Together,” you answered.

—---

Bucky’s Apartment, West Side, 10 pm the next day.

It was cold in the apartment, but Bucky didn’t move to fix it. He just stood at the window, jaw clenched, watching a streak of neon ripple across the Hudson. 

It had been three days since he heard you were reassigned.

Sent to Tokyo. With Steve.

Not him. Of course not him. He deserved that.

Hell, maybe he deserved worse.

He hadn’t known at first. Just noticed you weren’t at the office. Then no one responded to his pings. 

Then Tony's assistant gave him a tight-lipped “She's been reassigned indefinitely. Stark’s orders.”

And then the kicker: Steve had been sent too. You were together.

Bucky leaned his forehead against the glass. He deserved this exile.

The memory returned on an endless loop: his own voice, filled with jealousy, asking you which cock you preferred; Steve, frozen. 

Your face registered shock, then something worse. Disbelief and betrayal.

The moment the lights cut back on, your expression fixed in his memory like a photograph he deserved to choke on forever.

He’d wanted you to hurt the way he’d been hurting. Mission accomplished.

Outside, a barge horn moaned; red lights crawled along the opposite shore. Bucky exhaled a breath. 

Congrats, Barnes. You finally found a cavern she wouldn’t follow you into.

He scrubbed a hand down his face, and the itch started then on his lower left ribcage, right over his heart. He lifted the hem of his tee.

A clean black glucose ring stared back. Simple chemistry. One loop, six peaks. You in his blood, permanent as marrow. He’d never told you. Never thought he had the right after that elevator.

It wasn’t even an original idea, Steve’s ink had inspired his.

What would you say if you saw it?

Maybe: You don’t get to keep pieces of me, Bucky. Not after you broke them.

A chill climbed his spine. He dropped onto the couch, and time slipped; minutes, maybe hours, blurred into gray. He almost powered off his phone when the screen flared.

Catalysts & Curves ⚗️

That group thread had been dead for well over a year. He tapped it on impulse.

A photo filled the screen.

A scandalously shaped croissant splayed on a café plate, glossy and indecent under fluorescent light.

Beside it, a paper cup: SUGAR scrawled in Sharpie.

Sugar: This croissant just propositioned me. Send help. Or napkins.

Bucky’s chest tightened with shock first, then a bloom of something hopeful.

Steve had already replied.

Steve: Told you that place was cursed. That pastry looks dangerous. Don’t eat that, or anything. You’ll be doomed to stay there forever.

Bucky’s thumbs hovered. Then sarcasm, his only armor, tumbled out.

Bucky: Looks like Steve’s understudy. More layers, too.

Message sent. Regret hit instantly, but before he could second-guess himself, a reply.

Sugar:  …

Three dots pulsed. Bucky waited, his breath held.  

Sugar: Okay, that was funny.

He smiled.

Bucky: Glad Japan hasn’t dulled your pastry-radar. You good?

There was a pause long enough for his heart to riot. 

Finally,

Sugar: Getting there.

Twelve letters, one soft promise. Not forgiveness, yet, but a rope tossed into black water.

Bucky grasped it with both hands.

The neon outside blurred as moisture glazed his eyes. And for the first time in three nights the apartment didn’t feel so cold.

Somewhere across the world you were laughing again.

He let that be enough to breathe.

For now.

——-

Next part: Sugar Shack

[typewritingyip]

Arcturus Three

Part Two - Pasts

Part One

Warning: Mentions of Real Events

———

In the two years since the launch of Arcturus One, the world had changed and not necessarily for the better in every case. The increased number of attacks was starting to frighten the public and there was still no discernable end in sight. 

From the time that the crew of Arcturus One, there was a never ending stream of news worthy events; 

On July 18th Detroit declared bankruptcy, Prince George was born on July 22nd, September 16th led to 12 deaths in D.C Navy Yard, both Serena Williams and Sebastian Vettel claimed their fourth championship titles on October 27th, and  Nelson Mandela died at 95 on December 5th.

In 2014, on February 22nd ‘El Chapo” is apprehended, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappears on March 8th its 200 people aboard; confirmed non-Quintesson attack, an avalanche kills 16 on Mt. Everest on April 18th, in October Malala Yousafzai wins the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, 

For the first part of 2015, on January 20th a musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda hits the stage called Hamilton, a pilot intentionally crashes a plane and kills 150 on March 24th, April 25th holds a 7.8 earthquake which kills thousands in Nepal, Ireland legalizes same-sex marriage on May 23rd, and same-sex marriage is then legalized across the United States on June 26th after reaching the Supreme Court. 

The world kept turning and events continued occurring. Hundreds of thousands of innocents were killed in the time post launch. Miami, Edinburgh, São Paulo, Sanghai, and Stockholm were all coastal cities which faced attackers between the summer of 2013 and the summer of 2015. Further multiple inland cities were attacked. Over a million civilians were confirmed dead with another million or more remaining missions. Billions in property damage were done.

There had not been a moment of rest for 90% of pilots across the world, many of the experienced pilots with more than a year of service in have started experiencing overuse while new pilots attempt to reach the survival rates of the first and second generation pilots. 

The third generation of pilots has only a 3% survival rate.

—

Most of headquarters was quiet, all the engineers working away in the warehouses and everyone else was watching the attack off the coast of New York. Three mecha were assigned there currently, which was a drastic increase from even a year ago.

The number of attacks was increasing rapidly and the number of new pilots was too, even though only one or two new suits were made every year. That number was only really replacing the suits that faced a catastrophic failure. The number of new pilots was trying to replace those lost in catastrophic failures too. 

They were starting to lose this fight and there wasn’t a legitimate way forward, everything they tried was just getting more people and pilots killed each day. The only hope that currently was held, laid in the hands of the Arcturus pilots. 

People were even loosing hope in that, after the public announcement of Cliff’s disappearance and then the lack of information released the further Arcturus One was getting from Earth. There was a few conspiracy theories about that crew, some people were pulling together the released footage and comparing it to the last few years, saying it was the same.

Not very many people know that Arcturus One was also technically missing, certainly it was kept from the public and their families, but a few pilots knew. How could they not?

Jesse was walking through the halls of MECHA, trying to find literally anyone to talk to. Ever since the announcement it felt like other pilots were avoiding him like the plague, other than those a part of the mission. Maybe they were starting to be seen as bad luck, he really couldn’t tell you. 

All of the offices he’d been to were empty, most of the staff watching the attack on New York as if it were a sporting event. To be fair, they had to watch the attacks to ensure that the suits didn’t face a failure or start machining parts before they got back. It was becoming more and more stressful to be a mech engineer. 

Brushing a hand through his hair, Jesse peaks into another office before sighing deeply, it was a ghost town. Turning back around, Jesse starts towards the hanger, it wasn’t the place he really wanted to go but he couldn’t stand being alone while an attack was happening.

It was hard for most pilots to sit and watch the attacks, new hardwiring instilling a strong desire to be out there fighting, a new instinct. Jesse certainly wasn’t the right person to talk about it, maybe Percy, it was loosely explained at the beginning of compatibility testing but who really paid attention to that.

—

Nine Years Ago - March 2006

There were certain things about this world that felt like they were falling apart and rebuilding at the same time, mostly cities and people. People were trying to rebuild their lives and cities were trying to rebuild everything else. Jesse Nelson, sixteen, had seen the cities around him fall and rise then repeat the cycle. 

When you grow up in the ruins of a less than cared about city, it’s something that becomes normal, watching everything around you be rebuilt while nothing changes for you.

Oakland California had been almost burnt down in the first attack on the bay, what little was rebuilt was where most of them lived. Even twenty something years later. There were clear road ways and a few schools, it was labeled good enough.

Jesse had grown up in the rubble with his mom, dad having died in a different attack, but the two of them were enough in his eyes. With his backpack slung over his shoulder, Jesse was making his way through to school, ducking under the breezeways built into town. 

It was mostly washed up convex boxes from the port that they were using to protect the major thoroughfares for the city. 

There were a few of his classmates loitering in the dark, more than likely reading the news or making illegal bets on the next battle. It made Jesse’s skin crawl sometimes, seeing how people forgot that most of the suits that were trying to save the world had people inside of them. 

With a deep sigh, the entrance to his high school was mostly blocked, pulling his bag off he tossed it onto the security table before lifting his arms up to go through the metal detector. Security around the so called next generation was high, even from themselves. No one could bring in anything metal, flammable, or sharp. 

When the scanner beeped, Jesse couldn’t help but swear and a few other people who lined up behind him laughed. Stepping aside, his bag was grabbed by the security guard and he shuffled off to the side, it would be at least thirty minutes before he’d be let in. 

Lowering his head, Jesse stared at the floor, scowling at it. 

The metal detector went off again behind him and not even looking up, he slid along the bench to make room for whoever was behind him. 

After a minute, when no one joined him, he looked up and back towards the security checkpoint. 

A man stood there in the nicest suit that Jesse had ever seen, wearing a bright smile, and for a long moment, Jesse wondered how he got here without being mugged. He was still talking with the security guard, hand in pockets, smiling and looking around at everyone as they went through security. His eyes wandered over to Jesse and paused there, smile turning more so into a smirk, before looking back at the security guard. 

“What’s his crime?” The man pulled a hand from his pockets, hooking his thumb towards Jesse, “He set off the metal detector, we have to wait for the principal to clear him.” The man just simply shook his head, “He’s with me.” It took a moment for the security guard to actually respond, “Sorry?” His smile returned, “He’s with me,” he looks over and gestures, “Come on kid, I’m springing you.” Jesse gawked before grabbing up his bag to follow. 

That was the moment his life changed forever. 

The man started into the school and towards the gym, Jesse just caught up, “Uh, who exactly are you and why am I with you?” With a light shrug, the man tucks his hands back into his pockets, “I’ve gone by my call sign for the better part of my life, so call me Swindle.” Jesse whistled lowly, “Damn, that’s unfortunate.” Swindle grinned. 

“Yeah, I hear that all the time, so kid, what’s your name?” Jesse sighed deeply, “Jesse.” Swindle nodded, opening the door to the gym for him, the door was blocked off by a curtain and the room was dark, “Well Jesse, I think you may want to sit in on this assembly today. How old are you?” Ducking under the curtain, Jesse looks around slowly, “Sixteen.” Swindle hummed, “And family?” Jesse glances back, “It’s just my mom and I, why?” Nodding a bit, Swindle ducks under the curtain and looks around the space, “Cause I think you’ll want to sit in on this assembly.” He moves into the room.

Slowly, Jesse follows, looking around the darkened gym, “What’s it for?” Swindle checks the podium and picks up a packet from it before offering it to him, “MECHA is recruiting, offering benefits for your family, college education rebate, the works. If you’re found compatible, you could be the person that saves your city next.” Taking the packet, Jesse stares at it, “Wow.” He opens it and stares at the number on the first page before moving to sit down, getting out a pen.

Swindle smiled sadly, watching as he had done dozens of times, as someone far too young signed away their life.

By the time June had rolled around, out of the hundred and four students who had signed up for compatibility testing, less than a hundred passed the written test, then only six passed the full testing. 

—

Each hanger had a slightly different layout, the one at headquarters was the largest and could hold twenty mecha. At present, it only had the three Arcturus Three suits plus suit eleven. Vortex was still going through reconfiguration after the catastrophic glitch that had happened with Felix behind the wheel. 

Jesse, Hot Rod, wandered in and tried for only a moment not to swear before shaking his head, “Fuck man, I was hoping for pleasant compant.” Rusty grumbled, checking through a tool box, “And I was hoping to be alone.” Jesse grinned and walked over, stealing the stool to sit on, “What are you doing here man? Thought you only agreed to be on the Iliad if the people here left you alone.” Rust hummed and closed the lid to his tool box, looking up.

He frowned lightly, “Kid…” to be honest, Jesse looked exhausted and hadn’t been sleeping well. His own reformatting was scheduled a few days from now to adjust for the new tech in his suit, “I’m fine Ratch, just tired.” He attempted to lean back and nearly fell off the stool.

Rusty was quick to grab hold of him, “You’re dead on your feet, you’ve been wandering around avoiding TV’s, haven’t you?” Rolling his eyes, Jesse resituates himself on the stool. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Rusty grumbled before grabbing the toolbox, then the front of Jesse’s shirt, “Come on kid, we’ll both get away from the news for a while.” Jesse shook his head, “Hey, come on Ratch.” But Rusty shook his head, “No.” and kept pulling.

Jesse stumbled a few times, trying to get Rusty to let go of his shirt and nearly slid in the mud once they were outside.

The familiar sprinter vehicle brought Jesse a bit of relief, knowing he wouldn’t be alone with Ratchet did make him feel a bit better, glancing at Rusty he was finally let go.

He almost dove into the passenger seat, “Hey trouble.” The engine purred lightly, a small screen on the dash lighting up.

“Hey yourself, fragger.” Jesse couldn’t help but laugh even as Rusty got in and scowled at the screen, “Both of you, behave.” Shaking his head a bit, Rusty puts the tool box in the back seat and buckles in, “We’re just going back to the warehouse kid.” The engine revved lightly before they backed out of the space.

The cab turned comfortably cool even with the humidity outside, the ground soft from that morning's rainfall.

All news on the radio stayed off.

—

One of the suits was destroyed, two of the pilots died, and one was in the hospital under critical condition. They were losing and not quickly, but a slow and agonizing loss.

Arcee had watched the attack from her barracks, a nearly empty room besides for a handful of cots, a futon which she sat on, and the old school CRT television in the corner. The space wasn’t much, but it was home, the same as hundreds of other barracks had been to thousands of pilots. 

It was hard to help it, she held her head in her hands by the end of the massacre. It was painful, watching those you cared about get utterly destroyed. Most pilots tried to get to know each other, even if it was for the comforting thought that you’d have at least one person at your funeral. 

She’d known Daniel, his dad and grandfather had been pilots too and now they all were gone. 

Leaning back slowly, she drags a hand through her hair and sighs shakily. This way of life, the people you had the pleasure of knowing, was getting harder and heartbreaking.

They were dying faster and younger, surviving a year or two was becoming a rare state of affairs and anything more than that was making you a legend. It used to be surviving more than five years, there were only a handful left that survived ten years, who were still alive at least.

Picking up the legal pad that was on her coffee table, she stares at the pilots of the previous Arcturus missions. 

To be perfectly honest, she didn’t know most of them very well besides Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, that was only because the twins were such characters. Breakdown was a legend in the east, but most of his family was. Then there was Hound, he was the model of a hybrid-class adaptation. Cliff was, well, Cliff. It was hard not to know the guy.

Even with all of that, before she had become hybrid-class herself, being in the rescue class didn’t leave much interaction with striker class pilots. Especially not in her patrol region.

—

Washington DC was projected to be an early target of the Quintessons; name still unknown on Earth, invasion. 

It being the capital of the first country attacked, there was a lot assumed back then. A warehouse was built quickly and ready to be equipped with anything from military units to eventually mecha suits. 

Three strikers, along with three rescue class were scheduled to be in that area at all times. As the years passed that number dwindled to two strikers and one rescue. 

It had taken Arcee years to be allowed to test for compatibility, her mentor blocking it for ages, until Arcee had finally seemingly accepted the fate of being unable to test. Of course once his guard was down she went in for the written test in New York on an off weekend and when she came back with a near perfect score, even he couldn’t block compatibility testing. 

Compatibility testing is something no pilot would ever willingly repeat and they choose to rarely speak on it, or their experiences with it. According to some related pilots it was slightly different between them but it was not a commonly talked about subject that would go into detail.

Acree of course, had passed with flying colors, which made her a prime candidate to be in the rescue class with a ‘score’ that high. The higher compatibility the more drastic the class. 

DC had been beautiful once, before the war, though now it was just the bare essentials and what wasn’t was put up by the civilians for the sake of it being broadcast every other week. 

The day not long into her career where both strikers were incapacitated and she was the only thing standing between the enemy and civilians, well, she pushed her suit to do things it wasn’t supposed to do.

It was meant to be a bright sign of hope, in its shining white and pink, that day it was stained green and was mostly broken when it was all over. 

Her career as a rescue had been short lived, too much potential to waste it, even when her friends and family begged. The light white and pink traded for grey and fuchsia, not perfect but hers. Her suit and life, the work for the sake of the world, it was a calling for some like Acree and a demand of others. 

—

His fist had left an imprint on the metal table in front of him, it was bleeding and he tried to ignore the light electrical shocks shooting into his fingertips. 

All the scientists and engineers had to watch the attacks, had to watch the suits and people they put together for this be torn right back apart time and time again. It was for the sake of science, or so said Shockwave.

Perceptor scowled at the screen, shifting his glasses back up his nose. His hand was bleeding lightly, but both were shaking.

It was painful to watch the suits of fellow pilots be torn apart, it was painful to watch all the hard work that he’d put into it be destroyed, the funding wouldn’t let him repair and replace that exact suit and neither would Shockwave.

Someone new and more horrible would have to take its place.

Rubbing between his eyes, Percy’s glasses were shoved up on his forehead. Taking slow and deep breaths, it was hard. This job was hard and there was nothing that he could do about it.

Turning off the monitor, he sighed slowly before standing back up, shoving his glasses back on and moving across the workshop.

Shockwave was not in the lab today, last seen stalking around after Swindle and Blur for whatever reason. It was his newest pastime and most of the engineers didn’t seem to miss the man in the welders helmet. 

It took a moment, standing there and looking around at everyone else who was still watching the attack for Perceptor to remember that he needed to breath. Lightly scratching at his implants, he bites his lip slightly before retreating for his locker.

Most of them wouldn’t get it, they saw their hard work being destroyed and the loss of some acquaintances, maybe friends. But for Percy, it was different, it would always be different. 

His implants itched from the anxiety of it all, one of the many side-effects he’d experienced in the last few years. The implants that started at the base of his skull, like many pilots, to the extension wires that ran from them down to his hands.

On the days when he was nearly pale with illness, the wiring was almost visible through his skin.

Grabbing up his bag from his locker, Percy was trying to keep breathing evenly. Trying not to panic. There were very few he would willingly be around when in a state like this and he was thankful that they were part of his Arcturus crew. 

The lock slammed back into place as he started down the hall. 

Though his bag hung at his side, his bleeding fist was wrapped around the shoulder strap, he couldn’t think about anything but the past. 

—

He’d been found compatible when he’d come over to the United States, looking for work in the field after he got truly tired of the mess in England’s system. Percy wasn’t a soldier and didn’t want to be. Not for the British army, not even remotely. 

With his mother being from India, it was more than just a sore spot for them, and he tried to move past it. 

Science had always been a big interest of his, miniature microscopes and wiring kits were the toys of his childhood. Labeled the nerd very young but content with the quiet reading time and long hours at home.

When he was young and his parents had worked with one of the few private companies for mecha design in the UK, they had lived in London, the first few attacks on the city had never reached the deeper parts of it. Not close enough to the post-war apartment blocks he’d called home.

It was the attack of 97’, when Percy was ten, that sent them to the countryside. As if the war was again sending children out of harm's way but it was him and his mother. He would always be grateful that she came along, even after the train lines were destroyed and contact with his father was limited. So long as he had her, it was easier to bear. 

Being the nerdy one out there, that had been harder, and being the son of an immigrant made that even worse emotionally. Life isn’t easy for those who chose the path that they did, but he was thankful for it, grateful for it.

Through primary and secondary school, Perceptor just kept his nose down and walked the halls like a shadow. It was where it was comfortable and certainly where his bits of happiness lied. Though university is where he thrived, electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, mecha design, physics, and computer science. Just to name some.

It was the job offer from MECHA in the south-eastern United States that changed it all, the written test in the contract was just a bit of fun to it all.

He’d rather never mention his compatibility testing. 

From there, it was just doing the work and loving the work. Even though his work was often destroyed in battle, there was too much effort and care put into it to give up. Arcturus had simply stared him long and hard in the face, before his name joined the list of dozens of pilots. 

So many of which were no longer with them. 

He knew, deep down, that there was something they could find out there, he just had to see it for himself. 

—

The warehouse was loud with both Deadlock and Hot Rod in the secluded corner. Ratchet was currently working on a piece of equipment, hopes for more things that could hide the kid when they were launched into space. It was idiotic, sent to space to die when staying would lead to death regardless.

There was a crash and both the kids behind him swore, he sighed slowly and lowered his head to the worktop.

This wasn’t going to work, there was no way that they could get Deadlock into space without the other pilots finding out. Him and Perceptor going was bad enough, but adding the kid into the mix was just making everything more complicated. 

One of the doors at the front of the shop banged open, “Rusty, I would appreciate a word, did you watch the attack, I—“ Everyone in the space stood frozen, staring at each other. 

As if the day couldn’t get any worse, Ratchet moved over and pulled Perceptor in through the door, slamming it shut. So much for the big no trespassing sign Swindle insisted that he had, he’d had more visitors in the last few weeks than he’d had, well, ever. 

Hot Rod was gawking and Deadlock had dropped his obscenely large hands in front of the redhead, angry that Ratchet was out of his reach and conversing with the outsider, the stranger. 

Perceptor was staring, though his hand was throbbing where it was still bleeding, Ratchet took one look before slowly directing him back across the space, “We are going to discuss what you see in a moment, the fuck did you do to your hand?” Ratchet shoved the poor scientist down onto a stool, none-to-gently. 

He was still gaping like a fish when Deadlock started to growl, “I, I hit a table.” The staring contest dragged on.

Swearing, Ratchet went about wrapping Percy’s hand, being careful, shooting looks that screamed, ‘Shut the fuck up’ over his shoulder and Deadlock continued to growl and his hands muffled Jesse’s voice. 

It was going to be one very long night. 

———

A/N

I did not originally plan for the chapter to end this way, so sorry for the cliffhanger as it will probably be another few weeks before the next chapter is posted of this.

This week is apparently the week of delays to my Monday and Friday schedule… I knew I was going to be busy yesterday, I just thought I’d have more done than I actually did. And today is when I’d usually start the work on part 33, but I’ve got so much to do. So that might also be delayed till Tuesday, if not just postponed till Friday…

Anyways, I am going to be making a post about re-vamping my tag list this week, so keep your eyes peeled.

Tags

@lunarlei68 @whirlywhirlygig @loop-hole-319 @pixillandjester @alek-the-witch @not-a-moose-in-disguise @goddessofwind8water @neurologicalglitch @dersereblogger @pixel-transformers @mrcrayonofdoom @wireplaces @twilightfreefaller @original-blog-name-2 @devilangel657 @robbin-u @miniartistme @starwold @tea-enthusiasm @valeexpris606 @celticdoggo @bird599 @agentsquirrelsgotrobots @aquaioart @thatwandercat @artdagz @seisha974 @halenhusky309 @leethepiper @cat-cassette @sirassban @cosmique-oddity @garbageenthusiast @xervias @azulabutterfly @fryseem @spring-mc @echo-circuit @aghostsnail @wooblewooble @ask-glory-haddock-and-others @nonsscrapheap @magichats @iminahole247 @omgflyingderpywhale @thetrexartist @naaaafam @elegantmantaray @emichusai @waterlilykitty @diabolichare @ham4ponyo @osqindaxend @sunnyvibesanddoodles @ratatatata248 @ijustneedausernaneplease4444444 @sprook-children @fooolisher 

And once again thank you to @Keferon for this amazing AU

[woodlandwizard77]

A Step by Step Guide to Losing Your D**k

I recently wrote a series of messages to my aunt talking about all the steps I need to do to get bottom surgery, a penile inversion vaginoplasty at Mt. Sinai, in the next year or two. Its a long list. And everytime I added something she had a sort of “wow thats rough” reaction, but to me its just the to do list. So I decided to write them all out.

Start transition DONE

Most insurance companies and surgeons require you to have socially transitioned and have done HRT for at least 1 year at the time of operation

For social transition, this was March of 2024

For HRT it will be January of 2025

Get a referral to a surgeon (I am here)

In my case, Mt. Sinai in Manhattan

My Doctor referred me, but Mt. Sinai takes self referrals

Start laser hair removal

Book a consultation (I am here)

Go to laser frequently enough to satisfy surgeon

Convince Mom and Dad to help out DONE

Get 2 letters

Social Worker (1)

PCP's Office

Social Worker (2)

Mt. Sinai

Consultation with Mt. Sinai’s team

Wait 3-6 months (I’m here)

Bring letters

My insurance only requires 2, less than Mt. Sinai thinks insurance will need, and Mt. Sinai provides 1 of them. Meaning the other is through IHS Behavioral

Schedule Social Work pre surgical consult appt

Schedule Mental Health and Medical Clearance with Registrar

Go to NYC for 1-2 nights, maybe for each, hopefully just once

Maybe also for Social Work thing

Consult with Surgeon

Wait until I’ve worked about 12 months to get short term disability

Probably summer (ASAP) and when Mom has time off

Do logistics

Book an airbnb, hotel, etc for recovery

Starting a few days after OR date and lasting a little over a month

Within a 90 minute drive of Mt. Sinai

Rural enough that Mom is comfortable to help and can go home if someone else shows up

Probably New Jersey, maybe Hudson Valley

Has at least 1, preferably 2, separate bedrooms

Has 2 beds

Has ADA accessible entry

Has a kitchen

Has a full bath, preferably and a half

Has internet and preferably a TV

Lodging for Mom + Dad/care team while I’m in OR

Probably 5-7 days

Preferably with a 1-2 day buffer period before OR date (included in the 7 day estimate) so I can enjoy the city

Either within a short walk from Mt. Sinai or on the same subway line as Mt. Sinai

RW, 1, or ACE

Someone to help me get from recovery location to Mt. Sinai while not in NYC

Develop and get list of items needed for recovery

Dilator

Pads

Gowns/loose clothing

Comfort food

Coordinate missing 8-9 weeks of work

Take care with who knows what before I leave

Inform HR, department manager, and work friends whats up

Get cleared for surgery and get an OR date

Probably a 6-12 month date from clearance

Get pre clearance testing through PCP or a lab in hometown

Go to NYC for that if need be

Week Before Surgery

No alcohol, no aspirin, NSAIDs, herbal supplements, or fish oil

Consult for other non aspirin blood thinners (which I am not on)

No alcohol for 3 weeks after as well

Tylenol/Acetaminophen is okay

Go downstate

See friends from NYC?

Bring Mom/Dad?

Do something fun in Manhattan

Get a COVID test

Take an anti-bacterial bath

Day before surgery

Breakfast before 9am

Last meal

Drink Golytely bowel solution around noon

Chemically induced diarrhea

Clear fluids only after golytely

(includes coffee, tea, water, broth, some juices)

Nothing goes in the stomach after midnight

Some medication okay with a sip of water

HRT??? (switched to injections)

Get surgery (a penile inversion vaginoplasty)

1 to 1+½ days

I’ve heard of as long as three

3-5 day hospital stay

Mom and Dad probably stay in Manhattan then

Go to recovery location

Drive with seat reclined

Stay for 4 weeks, pretty much bedridden

Go to follow ups

Dilate

Go home

Continue recovery for another 2-4 weeks at home

Follow up with PCP

Return to life

[smoshyourheadin]

Sunshine and Soda Cans

Part 1 - Fizzes

you’d joined smosh in summer last year, just after anthony’s return. you’d watched smosh with your brother as a kid, so getting this editing job was a dream come true. although you hadn't watched their stuff in years, you quickly adapted to the quick thinking environment.

you got the job from your roommate angela, who was a cast member. you guys are super close, so when she mentioned that they had an editing vacancy, you jumped at the opportunity to leave your job at a marketing company to go work woth her. living with angela proved useful, because after your first day, you asked her about spencer, and oh did she have stuff to tell you.

“hey hey, whats the deal with the uh, spencer guy at work?” you said to her at dinner.

“(Y/N) ITS THE FIRST DAY AND YOU ALREADY HAVE THE HOTS FOR SPENCER?? I MEAN I’D UNDERSTAND IF IT WAS SOMEONE LIKE-” she began shouting, laughing at your face as you blushed

“jelly i- please, just- okay yeah, he’s cute but i don't want to make a move, he’s basically my boss!”

“this is also true. okay so…” she begins to ramble to this spencer guy you, as you eat your spaghetti. he’s so totally your type, but would you make a move? you can't decide.

the days passed, and soon enough you’d been at smosh for a month now. angela, being angela, had one day let slip to amanda of your small crush on spencer

“(y/n)!! get your butt over here!” she beamed at you, so you obliged, because who wouldn't listen to amanda? she's 6 feet of pure love, you listen to everything she says

“a little birdie, who cant keep her mouth shut after two glasses of wine, told me that you like spencer?” she looks at you, a certain glint in her eye

“okay, maybe, JUST maybe, i have a teeny, tiny crush on him. BUT i don't think im going to make a move.” you looked into her eyes, feeling dejected, because you felt he would never like you back.

the events that ensued, you couldn't even keep up with. every day on set, amanda would rake you into a conversation she was having with spencer, or angela would ask you to go to his desk give him something off her. you weren't nescaserily complaining, but it was less than ideal, because you became a stuttering mess around him.

“hey spence, um- angela wanted me to give you this, i mean i dont know why she didnt bring it herself, its kind of lazy, she is, i mean- she isnt but she has me running around for her, but thats friendship right? i mean i’d make her do that, but not if-”

he gazes up into your eyes and gently places a hand on your arm, sending small jolts through your body.

“dude, it’s just me, relax!” he smiles at you, as you give him the mt dew kickstart angela sent you over to give him.

“tell angela thanks by the way!” he said, as you walked over to angela, who was trying not to break out into a big smirk

“oh spencer! angela is making me do things for her! oh woe is me! hold me incase i fall!” she placed the back of her palm to her forehead, dramatically falling into amanda’s arms

“hey! thats not what i sounded like! right? i didn't. right.” you said, becoming increasingly concerned if it was that obvious. courtney, erin d, and arasha walked over to you guys

“hey dudes,” courtney began “whats up with you guys?”

“oh, i bet theyre taking about how (y/n) is totally into spencer” arasha said, stifling a giggle.

you stood with your mouth slightly agape, gawking at her remark.

“is it really that obvious!?” you whined, slumping into a chair.

“i mean,” erin looked at you, as you tried folding into the air to disappear, “we’re the only ones who’ve noticed so far, but i don't think the boys have caught on! i think you're good”

“maybe minus josh,” courtney added, “i was sat with him and he asked me about why (y/n) was ‘oogling at spencer’ on that board af video. but he wont tell, he’s too nice”

a few days pass, and your crush on spencer had become slightly bigger. taking advantage of this, courtney decided to make you, angela, and spencer (the ‘golden trio’ as the fans called you) do an episode of who meme'd it.

“hello and welcome everyone to a brand spankin’ new episode of who memed it!” shayne began, earning a small round of applause from the crew.

“today, we have everyone’s favourite roommates and spencer!”

you were leant on angela’s shoulder, but perked up to smile at the camera

“hi guys!” angela grins at the camera, waving aggressively

“dude!” spencer yelled at shayne “why cant i be the favourite roommate!” he looked dejected

“spencer, we lived together and i have never slept worse, the only thing in our apartment was mt dew and granola bars!!”

“okay, you got me”

you look over at him and giggle, feeling your cheeks begin to warm up

as the rounds go on, angela is on 5 points, you’re on 4, and spencer is on 8.

“okay, next meme!” shayne boasts

the next thing on screen made everyone cackle.

immediately, shayne starts giggling, and puts his fists against the wall, not being able to look at any of you. angela is crying with laughter, and even spencer is giggling. you just stare into the camera in shock.

through tears, shayne manages “oh my- all- alright who memed it, was it tommy, josh, was it courtney, or was it erin, our lovely producer”

you each place your guesses, and its revealed to be a secret shayne meme. you swear you could burn holes through him.

after wrap, you went off with angela giggling about some of the things, your mind still racing from being so close to spencer. for so long. it was cringey, yes, but you felt so exited when you were around him, you couldn't help it!

but little did anyone know, spencer was just as infatuated with you, and he was waiting for the day be mustered up the courage to ask you out

[the-bar-sinister]

Blue Prince, Red Prince (2218 words) by Dave Strider Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Simon P. Jones (Blue Prince) Additional Tags: Mystery, Retelling, Multiplicity/Plurality, Family Secrets, Nostalgia

Summary: Simon P. Jones inherits the Mount Holly Estate and tries to unravel the secrets of its halls, and the mystery of his family legacy with a little help from his old friend the Red Prince.

-

"A fine looking place for us to inherit, don't you think so, Simon?" the Red Prince purred. He was leaning on one of the pillars of the entrance hall with his arms crossed, glancing around the large, imposing room much the same way that Simon himself was.

If anyone had been with Simon they would not have seen the Red Prince there at all, but Simon was not surprised to see him at all. At 14 years old, most of Simon's peers had long lost their childhood imaginary friends, but Nomis, the Red Prince, seemed to have never felt the need to depart. Rather, he had grown with Simon, ever his exact twin, and while they often found themselves on opposite ends of an argument, Simon was glad to have someone to confer with in the privacy of his own mind.

"Of course you like it," Simon sniffed, pleased enough to answer Red aloud since the two of them were alone. "You've always loved grand, imposing things like this."

"Well, I am a prince after all." Red smiled teasingly and tossed his hair. "But don't you like it? You always liked it when we used to visit."

"I don't think I have seen enough of it yet to know whether I shall like it or not."

Simon's footsteps echoed on the marble floor as he stepped into the belly of the room, approaching the small table in the center of it, and the envelope that was sitting there.

He ran his thumb over the grain of the paper as he took the envelope into his hands. 

'Open only in the event of my death' it said, in familiar all-together too cheerful handwriting. That handwriting belonged to his great uncle, Herbert Sinclair, the Baron and master of Mt. Holly, whom Simon had not seen since he was around seven years old. Half of his lifetime.

"Former Baron and Master of Mt. Holly," Red took pains to remind him. "You're the Baron now."

"Not yet," Simon murmured. "You heard it in the will the same as I. I have to solve some kind of riddle first."

Uncle Herbie loved riddles, Simon remembered that much from when he was a child, and from birthday cards and postcards the man had sent. Always riddles and puzzles. Simon hadn't been surprised to be confronted by a last one after he had died.

"Close enough," Red scoffed. "We both know you'll solve it, Blue. With my help at least. We're very clever."

"Maybe."

Simon finally stopped hesitating, and slipped the pages out of the envelope to read whatever it was his uncle had to say to him. As he looked it over, something about the warm, genial tone of his great uncle's words made his throat tighten, and heat threatened to spill over from the corners of his eyes.

He hadn't cried when he'd heard the news, or at the funeral. It had seemed too distant then. Or perhaps a prank or a joke by his silly uncle who was fond of such things. But now, reading the words written directly to him, he couldn't help himself.

"You may not remember, but I have fond memories of your many visits here as a young boy, and I hope these rooms provide you with as much amusement as it did in those lost summer days."

Of course he remembered. Uncle Herbie's house had been an endless source of fascination when he was little. A great mystery. A castle for a king. An endless wonderment.That was because the Mount Holly estate wasn't just an ordinary house, it was a Drafting House.

Drafting Houses were a mechanical wonder, the operations of which Simon still didn't fully understand. What he did know was that they were a sort of building, generally grand old estates but there were some smaller examples, too, where instead of the locations of the rooms being fixed, they instead moved on a grid plan in a way that meant that one had no idea what room a door might lead to on any particular day.

He remembered getting up early in the morning when he was a child and toddling along behind the old house manager lady, watching her with amazement as she drew and drafted the first rooms for the morning.

"So you do like the house then," Red teased. He had snuck up behind Simon and was leaning over his shoulder to read the letter along with him.

Simon wiped his eyes. "I told you I don't know. It might be altogether a chore to have a house where the rooms don't stay put."

Red grinned. "You don't really believe that, Blue."

Red was right, of course, no matter how much Simon protested. Despite the hot tears in his eyes, his stomach was practically in knots with excitement at the prospect of getting to explore the estate himself, and finding out how to solve the strange riddle that his uncle had posed to him.

He took a breath and made his way through the rest of the letter. Its contents weren't anything surprising, as Uncle Herbie wrote, he already did have a good idea what his challenge would be from the reading of the will. Find the mysterious "46th room" of Mount Holly's estate. He was glad to see from the letter at least that his Uncle believed in his ability, rather than posing the challenge due to a lack of confidence in him.

"Well of course, otherwise he'd have left it to someone else." Red stroked his finger over the second page of the letter. "Pity we can't bring anything in from outside, I would have started by trying to knock down a few walls!"

"Red!" Simon's cheeks puffed out as he snapped scathingly at the bratty prince. "That's exactly why that stipulation is in there, I'm sure. Besides, what fun would knocking down walls be? I want to solve it correctly."

"Knocking things down is fun," Red pouted. "But have it your way, I wouldn't want to disinherit you and miss out on being Prince and Baron."

"I don't need a title," Simon protested. Despite that, he didn't want to be disinherited either. If nothing else, it would probably disappoint his father, who had been very excited to see him off on his journey.

He finished the letter, the rest of which just went over the other stipulations (no staying over night, no taking items off the property) and took care to remind Simon how a Drafting House worked.

"He definitely still remembers you being seven," Red drawled. "Of course you know how it works. What's the line at the bottom mean, do you think? That he says Grandmother used to say?"

"Don't go where the path leads, abandon the path and go where you want it to lead."

Red grinned widely. "Sounds like grandmother would have approved of my knocking things down."

"Oh hush, you, that's not what it means!" Still, Simon laughed as he shook his head. He smoothed each page of the letter and held them carefully up to the light, looking for any watermarks or hidden writing.

"Find anything?"

"Nothing. If there are any clues in there, I can't find them yet." 

Carefully, Simon folded the pages back up, and slipped them into the envelope, conscientiously setting it back on the table. Then he flipped open the bag on his hip and pulled out a fresh notebook.

"Look at Mr. Comes Prepared," Red teased, as Simon jotted down a few notes about the letter.

"You really think I'm going to be able to solve Uncle Herbie's request without writing a few things down? Maybe your memory's that good, but I don't trust mine quite as much."

"I'll forgive you for your lack of perfection." Red leaned his chin on Simon's shoulder. "So if there's no clue there, then how do we start?"

Simon snapped his notebook shut and put it away. He scooped up the other piece of paper that sat on the table accompanying the letter, a blueprint, and tucked that away, too. "Simple enough. We draft a room."

His soft footsteps were the only sound as he made his way to the entry chamber's center door.

Find the 46th room. That was his task. The problem was that a Drafting House was drawn on a grid, and Mount Holly's grid was five by nine– five rooms across and nine rooms (or 'ranks') deep. That made an exact 45 rooms.

"Maybe we should start prying up floorboards," Red suggested. 

This time again Simon had to laugh. "You're incorrigible. Let's at least get the lay of the land, first."

He reached out, and put his hand on the doorknob, turning it until there was a first click. As the click resounded through the quiet hall, a series of plans drew themselves across the door for Simon's perusal. 

Kitchen. Hallway. Nursery. Those were the rooms that were apparently on offer for this door. Simon remembered that it was called the 'drafting pool' or something like that, but it wasn't of much concern to him. Rather, the ability to summon one of three rooms into being seemed as much magical as it did mechanical.

"Well," Red huffed behind him. "Hallways are boring, and I'm not hungry enough that you should make me lunch yet."

"There might be a clue in either of them," Simon pointed out. 

Despite that, he and his red twin seemed to be in agreement about which room to draw first. 

Simon turned the knob a little further, to click his selection into place, and then pressed the button to unlatch the door. There was a moment of hesitation as the mechanisms operated, and the door swung open.

Simon and the Red Prince stepped into a room they hadn't been in since they were very little.

The nursery. 

It was like stepping into a memory so hazy that it might have been a dream.The star-painted walls, the rocking horse, the blocks, the big, ridiculous goose. The two crib-beds. When Simon had stayed there he remembered believing that one crib must have been intended for him and one for his red twin, but now that he was older he guessed that it was just a room that had been reused.

"Nostalgic," Red murmured. He walked into the room, hands behind his back and glanced around as Simon followed him. "I don't remember these being here."

Simon glanced at the wall, seeing the pair of framed sketches that Red had noted, but he shrugged. "I guess they can't keep everything the same forever."

"Well, they ought to." Red only pouted a moment before he started shuffling around the room, squatting next to the stacked blocks. "I could knock them over."

"Please yourself." 

Simon rolled his eyes, but he heard the blocks topple as he brushed past them on his way to the nightstand. He sighed as the red prince giggled.

He was about to make another comment when he saw what was sitting on the nightstand between the two cribs. A copy of a bright, eye-catching book so beloved that Simon and Nomis had worn through two copies in their youth.

The red prince scrambled up from the pile of blocks to where Simon was standing. "It's our book!"

Simon nodded, feeling that tightness in his throat again, and gently scooped the book up with the reverence it deserved.

The Red Prince, by Marion Marigold.

Their book. The one Simon's mother had written for them.

Before she'd vanished.

Red put his arm around Simon's shoulders and leaned on him, as Simon turned the pages softly. They muttered the old, familiar words together as they turned the pages.

"We always loved this book," Simon murmured. "But it always made me feel like she was mad at me."

"I remember," Red sighed. "You asked your father if she left because you liked red too much."

Simon's gaze lingered on the last page for a long time. When he was little, he'd wondered if his mother had left because she hated him. Or because he wasn't a good enough son. Or because he didn't spend enough time outside, preferring reading and puzzles instead.It had seemed to make sense as a child.

Now he was old enough that nothing made sense.

He took a deep breath, tying to let the tightness in his throat and the tension behind his eyes ease. Dwelling on his mother wasn't going to solve the mystery of the 46th room.

But Red's focus wasn't so easily broken.

"Didn't it have a different ending? When she read it to us? Before it got finished?"

Before it got finished. Before it was published. Before it was a bound and printed book, the Red Prince had been a few pages that Simon's mother had painted herself.

"I don't remember." Simon shook his head. "Come on, this room's a dead end. We need to draft a room that goes somewhere."

Simon turned to go, but Nomis caught his wrist and stopped him. "You should bring the book along."

He shook his head. "Just leave it here."

For a moment, Nomis looked sad. It was strange on his face. Normally Simon was the one worrying about things, and the Red Prince was all smiles.

"Whatever you say, Blue."

[plumbaleena]

Spice Up Your Sim's Calendar with Custom Seasonal Activities!

The Sims is boring AF right? Well, we have to always come up with creative ideas to make this game more interesting and THANKFULLY there are many mods to help us with that! However, you don't always have to have mods to make the game a little more fun, and here's one example of that! Calendar ideas!

🌼 S P R I N G

Calendar day ideas /

🌼 Egg hunt day / set up your calendar to have the cute little bouncy flower bunny come and celebrate while colorful eggs pop up around your home! Take spring pictures, dress in matching outfits and have a picnic outside!

T r a d i t i o n s / Egg hunt, flower bunny

🌼 Spring break / Take a week off with your family to go on a vacation, maybe to the beach, or even the woods for memories to last a lifetime.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel

🌼 Spring cleaning / Take time to clean your house, move some things around, get rid of things. Start fresh!

T r a d i t i o n s / Cleaning

🌼 Earth day / Plant some flowers, herbs or vegetables, tend to your garden, pick up trash and maybe go help someone else with their garden too.

T r a d i t i o n s / Gardening, cleaning

🌼 April fool's / Do mischief and silly things to other sims, maybe prank some toilets or buzz some hands, who knows maybe you'll find something about mischief that tickles your fancy.

T r a d i t i o n s / Mischief spirit

🌼 Mother's day / Have your littles make spring crafts for mom, help to make her breakfast, or serve up some tea or lemonade. Head over to her house for a visit if you're on your own and spend the day together maybe even go to the spa!

T r a d i t i o n s / Give flowers, give gifts, tell stories, thankful spirit

🌼 Spring fling/dance / Take your sims to a spring formal where you can dance the night away (preferably not the cowpoke) and dress in light pastels for sweet matching photos.

T r a d i t i o n s / Party spirit, art & music spirit

🌼 Flower festival / Head on over to a flower field, and give flowers to those you hold dear. Spend the day outside enjoying nature or putting a flower crown in your hair and soak in the sun while you take a stroll.

T r a d i t i o n s / Give flowers

🌼 Love/Valentine's day / Take your loved one on a date to a romantic spot you wouldn't normally go. Make sure to enjoy each other's company and no phones allowed! Slow dance under the moonlight, or steal a kiss under the stars. Don't have someone? Make it a gal/palentines day instead! Enjoy spending time with your favorite friends watching movies, having popcorn or even indulging in a pillow fight.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a date, [or if single, invite guests], romantic spirit, watch romantic tv

🌼 Daddy/Daughter dance / Take your little princess to a dance she'll never forget. Dress up in matching colors and treat her like she's the queen for the day! Take lots of pictures to forever remember that special day.

T r a d i t i o n s / Art & music spirit

🌴 S U M M E R

Calendar day ideas /

🌴 Father's day / Celebrate good old dad with some summer crafts, a bbq, and a hang out by the pool. Toss a football around, maybe kick back a few EAPA's and have a day to remember with your pops.

T r a d i t i o n s / Bar-B-Que, drinking, give gifts, tell stories, thankful spirit

🌴 Summer vacation / Take a week off with the family to the beach and celebrate the summer while the kids are out of school and enjoy times in the sand, swimming in the ocean, and even catching some fish!

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel

🌴 Slip 'n Slide day / Take the fun of the sun outside and enjoy a day full of water! Head over to the water park in San Sequoia, or bring it home with a splash pad and water balloons. Spend all day in your bathing suit and maybe even...streak?

T r a d i t i o n s / Water fun, streak? ;)

🌴 Sulani/festival day / Find out when your local festivals are happening for Sulani and/or Mt. Komorebi and visit them on these days to celebrate the culture of the world. You won't want to miss the turtle hatching or festival of lights!

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel, fireworks

🌴 Summer camp / Have your kids head off to "summer camp" where they can go somewhere off the lot for a week or two and enjoy what it feels like when they're in school! Create a camp for them to attend and bring them back into the house after a week or two, unless they're homesick. Then bring them back sooner.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel

🌴 Family camping trip / Head off to Granite Falls and enjoy camping with the family. Really rough it together and only bring tents, bug spray, and some food and water. See who lasts the longest without a comfy bed.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel

🌴 Simchella/Music fest / Enjoy Simchella for your sims to head to a music festival in Oasis Springs and have the time of their lives!

T r a d i t i o n s / Art & music spirit, drinking

🎃 F A L L

Calendar day ideas /

🎃 Neighborhood potluck / Throw a party and have your neighbors bring food to share for a neighborhood potluck. Share stories, drinks, and company as the leaves start to change for the season.

T r a d i t i o n s / Invite guests, tell stories, party spirit

🎃 Trick or treating / Bring your littles to a special trick or treat neighborhood where you can enjoy candy and perfect spots for pictures!

T r a d i t i o n s / Spooky spirit, trick or treat, wear costumes

🎃 Day of the dead / Make your departed loved one's favorite foods, dance to their favorite music, talk about them with family members and enjoy the memories you had with them. If you can go visit them, bring a candle or a small token to put at their resting place in remembrance.

T r a d i t i o n s / Remembrance

🎃 Family pumpkin carving / Invite family and friends over to sip cider and carve pumpkins! Set up stations and have a contest, and when they're all done display them at the front door for all of the welcome wagon to see.

T r a d i t i o n s / Invite guests, spooky spirit, sports tv

🎃 Visiting the pumpkin patch / A perfect place to go and take pictures, pick the perfect pumpkin, and enjoy the crisp weather is at a pumpkin patch! Visit the local pumpkin patch for all of this, and more.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel, thankful spirit

🎃 Bonfire night / Have a giant bonfire for all of your friends to celebrate the last of warm and longer nights. Enjoy drinks, roasting marshmallows and singing songs while reminiscing about how fast time goes by.

T r a d i t i o n s / Fire, tell stories, thankful spirit

❄️ W I N T E R

Calendar day ideas /

❄️ Welcoming Winter / This day is when there's the first snow! Head outside, build a snowman, make a snow angel, bake a warm pie, or stay inside and cozy up by the fire and read a book. Nothing is more special than welcoming winter.

T r a d i t i o n s / Baking, fire, festive spirit

❄️ Winter holiday / Take a vacation to Mt. Komorebi and enjoy the slopes where you can try skiing or snowboarding for the first time! If you're not feeling adventurous head over to the bathhouse and steam up in the sauna.

T r a d i t i o n s / Go on a vacation or travel, festive spirit

❄️ Winterfest Eve / Celebrate with the family the day before Winterfest. Have a special dinner, sing songs, maybe open a present or two, and have a great evening. Dress in red and green for beautiful pictures!

T r a d i t i o n s / Attend a holiday ceremony, festive lighting, festive spirit, give gifts, grand meal, invite guests, open presents

❄️ Present wrapping/buying / Take a day to go and buy gifts for your loved ones, and make sure you take the time to get something for each person as everyone is unique! Think about checking plopsy, or maybe your little one wants the latest gaming console!

T r a d i t i o n s / Festive spirit

❄️ Go see the giant tree and ice skate / Winterfest is never complete without visiting an ice skating rink or sipping on some hot cocoa while it snows. Take a day to go and see the beautiful Winterfest trees and ice skate to capture the true magic of the season.

T r a d i t i o n s / Festive spirit

❤️ Mods to enhance your calendar /

more holiday icons by littlemssam

random holiday traditions by littlemssam

custom holiday traditions by kiarasims

summer camp by adeepindigo

[verysanebsdfan]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟸: ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ

The Perfect Equation: Good morning world

Ishigami Senku x fem!reader

masterlist tpe masterlist

<previous ・・・・・ next>

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

"I cannot afford to fall asleep," I repeat to myself for the umpteenth time. "The sum of the areas of the two squares on the legs (a and b) equals the area of the square on the hypotenuse (c). Yes. The Pythagorean Theorem." How else to keep yourself occupied other than repeat stuff you learned long, long ago?

Then suddenly, I hear cracking, and I can finally open my eyes, and slowly but surely shake off the thing off myself. "What is it? Stone?" The small fragments or the strange stone that was enveloping me for what seemed like eternity finally fell off, and I was able to stand up. I take a look around. "Where am I?" I mutter under my breath.

The landscape looks different, but there was one thing that assured me. Mt. Fuji. I can see it...

I decided to look around. I am hungry and thirsty. I must find some stream or a river. The sun is just warm. I'd say it's mid-spring. My head is pounding, and I am tired, mentally, I mean. I've been awake for so long that all the buildings have disappeared. Well, awake? No. Only conscious. Which is good, I suppose.

After what seemed like hours of walking, I heard a splashing sound. Water!! I ran towards it and was met with the sight of my dreams. Well, current dreams. Water! I immediately crouched down and looked at the water. "Seems clean enough," I state and gulp down what feels like 2 liters of water, even though it was probably less.

I can finally think clearly; I am no longer dehydrated. Okay. So, do I know what happened? Not at all. Can I figure it out? More or less, yes.

"So, what do I know?" I mutter to myself. Long ago, I was turned into a stone statue, just like everyone I met on the way here. Since there are no buildings around, that must mean the civilization fell. Did the whole world meet the same fate, or did it happen to just some places? Unknown. Where am I? In japan. Probably somewhere else then I was when it happened, must have been nature, maybe some floods came? Seems realistic. I was in Tokyo when it happened. Now, when I look at Mt. Fuji, it looks like I am somewhere around Hakone. I know how it looks here since my grandparents used to live here, and I spent my summer breaks there.

"My best course of action would be to go look around- no actually, I should find shelter and- I'M NAKED?!" I screech. How did I even not notice- well, I mean, no one is probably awake, but still. I soon find some vines to wrap around myself. "Nice," I snicker, "I just hope there were no insects, or worse, spiders, in it."

・・・・・

It's been twenty-six days since I woke up. I have been progressing quite well, I now have a small sleeping place on a tree and also a storage on the ground. I first intended to make it all on the tree, but I am no architect.

Getting food has been no problem for me. There is quite a lot of greens and mushrooms around. All kinds of herbs as well; I found some that have medical use! Which is good in case something ever happens. I also managed to hunt down a doe. It did not make me happy, of course, but I had a lot of meat for some time. I ended up smoking some of it, so it hopefully lasts a little longer. But most importantly, I had skin to make clothes.

I created myself a flowy dress, since if it was tight, it could run up when I would be working or running, and that'd be annoying. I also made something similar to underwear, not quite, though, since skin is not exactly a breathable material... And lastly, I made shoes, or socks, or something in between? I do not want my feet to get cold, of course. I think I might need to create some sort of coat or something within the next few months.

Quite a tricky part of my survival was making a fire, how elementary, you might think. And in theory, it is. But Japan is really Humid, and I am no strong Tarzan. However, I managed. I found some nice rocks near the hot springs in Hakone. Oh, how lucky I was to get transported here. Basically, the iron pyrite in the rocks helped me start the fire. I think that's that. Senku told me something about it.

I miss them so much...

[isabellovelaces]

Wolf 359 characters and their fave musicals

From an MT major who has hamlet due tomorrow 9 am

(Warning some of these might be too niche)

Eiffel - Back To The Future

Now walk with me for this one. It might seem too on the nose but I mean, it’s not your traditional bway musical, the music is very modern, based on a film he likes and probably has seen a thousand times before, and for what I’ve heard it has A FLYING DELOREAN !!! So yeah, I think he’d really like this musical

Minkowski - Rent

She’s canonically a theatre kid and she DEF gives me Sondheim fanatic vibes but if she had to choose a favorite (I don’t think she’d have one, it would change depending on the day) then she’d say Rent because it’s probably one of the shows that made her fall in love with theatre, besides the whole “no other road, no other way. No day but today” message too.

This was the hardest to do so here are some honorary mentions:

Wicked, Sunday in the park with George, Les Miserable, into the woods, come from away

Hera - Love In Hate Nation

Okay I might be biased because I did this musical last summer BUT hear me out. It’s about this bunch of badass girls in a juvie hall in the 60s who fight for revolution against society norms (and end up burning down juvie hall). Plus, a cute love story between two of the girls!!

I just think she would enjoy a catchy badass musical about girls singing against the system !!

Hilbert - Chess

A musical about Russian and American spies in a love triangle and play chess?? Sign him up

Tbf I don’t even think he’d enjoy musicals but if he did I think he’d enjoy chess.

Lovelace - In The Heights

Pushing the afro latina Isabel Lovelace agenda, I don’t think she would enjoy traditional musicals but things like pop/rock and hip hop modern musicals could get a pass. In the heights it’s the perfect balance for her of Latin, hip hop and broadway.

Jacobi - Sweeney Todd

Listen, this guy knows which classical music piece uses literal canons on their orchestra, he would love this one due to all the litters of fake blood that there are. I also like to think he’s a fan of the sopranos for Sweeney, if you’ve ever heard the opening at least, you know the iconic crescendo. Besides it’s a dark musical I think he’d like.

Honorary mentions: Hamilton, it’s the hip hop and rap that would catch him

Maxwell - The Book Of Mormon

The Reverend’s daughter??? Yes. She understands the satire of it, the irony and dark humor. Even though I think at first she would have been skeptical about it but once she gave it a chance it was a hilarious piece with a great soundtrack

Honorary mentions: Moulin Rouge. Idk I just think she’d like the musical

Kepler - Company

As a theater kid Kepler truther, he is another Sondheim fan, specially to compare him to ALW. But I think he can appreciate every piece of musical theatre even if he will always say the old musicals are way better. I think he’d like company since it is a musical about a man his age and his life struggles with such a fantastic and iconic soundtrack

Honorary mention: Cabaret. Ironic, but he’d love everything about it too.

[lou-struck]

Room For Two?

Eijirou Kirishima x reader

~Love is all about sacrifice, you learn this on a hot summer's day when your alone time is lovingly interrupted.

Prompt: Hammock

~This is one of the requested prompts for my Summertime Fun Event. Feel free to check it out. 

It is a picture-perfect afternoon in the height of summer. Although the sun is beating down, you are nestled comfortably in your beloved hammock in the shade, taking advantage of a glorious day off from work.

Your water bottle is nice and cold, and you have several good books tucked away in your tote bag. Needless to say, you are all ready to hunker down for the rest of the day. 

A slight summer breeze rustles the leaves of the two great trees you are tied to, sending the last of the season's blossoms fluttering harmlessly to the ground around you.

In complete bliss, you take a long sip of your water and turn the page.

'This is the life,' you think to yourself.

If only you had more days like this. Maybe you could actually complete your Goodreads challenge this year. Briefly, you wonder why you haven't been able to complete it these last two years when your work hours have been basically the same.

The thought harmlessly flutters away like a passing butterfly as you get engrossed in the novel you are reading, tearing through it with a hungry speed. 

"Hey there, beautiful. Whatcha doing?" a familiar deep voice calls, yanking your attention away from the scene and back to reality.

Oh, right, that's why…

Eijirou Kirishima, your sweet, chivalrous distraction and loving boyfriend stands above you. A big, loving smile on his face that you can't help but reciprocate. 

"Hi, Eiji," you grin, taking in his appearance; he has changed out of his hero costume and into some gray sweat shorts and a black Dynamite t-shirt. But you notice that his handsome face seems to have gotten quite an interesting tan line. "Looks like you got some sun today."

His bright red hair frames his now pink cheeks as he flashes you a shark-toothed grin. "No kidding, that face mask of mine is no joke," he brushes his crimson locks back to show you just how bad it is. You can see the pale outline of his chin where his black face guard sits, contrasting against his sun-slapped skin. 

Your eyes bug out of your head as your jaw drops with stunned amusement. Although you should at least pretend to be concerned, your urge to giggle overpowers your common sense. "Oh my god. Eiji. That's so bad."

"Could be worse," he shrugs, throwing his hands up and walking closer to your hammocked paradise. He runs his fingers along the taught strings that tether you to the trees and presses down on it lightly like he is testing its security. "You've got a nice little setup here Babe. Got room for one more?"

You blink… "On the Hammock?"

"Yeah, it looks cozy," he says, already kicking off his slides and trying to climb onto your little multicolored hammock. Although his quirk is not activated, his ridiculously hard muscles squeeze against you as he lowers his full weight on top of the hammock. 

On top of you…

The hammock rocks back and forth as you giggle and squirm under him. "Eiji, this hammock is small. There is no way we are both gonna fit."

"No way babe, you are not Titanicing me right now," he laughs, blowing you a raspberry. "There is more than enough room for us to have a serious cuddle session."

You are stunned into silence as you try to process him turning Titanic into a verb and pray that if the hammock snaps, you won't be flattened between the ground and Mt. Kirishima.

"This is nice, he hums, lying completely on top of you, although it is not at all cuddling weather.

"Is it?" you wheeze, feeling the spin of your hardcover book pressing into your gut. "I feel like I'm dying?"

He leans off of you slightly and looks at you caged under him. The flustered look on your cheeks brings a smirk to his lips as he presses an apologetic kiss to your sweaty temple. "Oh, Sorry. I guess I should be the one on the bottom." He flexes his bicep for show, "These muscles of mine make a better pillow than a weighted blanket.

"Please…" you rasp, your book still making it difficult for you to breathe.

"There we go," he murmurs, wedging himself between you and the bottom of the woven pattern beneath you until he ends up lying completely under you. Your limbs are pretzeled together cutely, and your book has fallen safely onto the dry grass with a thud. "All better?"

You look at his innocent expression and cannot bring yourself to roll off the hammock and create a new space bubble for yourself.  You relent and lay your head down on his chest and breathe in the subtle smell of his cologne. His arms wrap around you, and the whole odd situation feels awfully comforting. 

You close your eyes and think to yourself that although it's hot outside, maybe sharing a hammock with your favorite person isn't the worst thing in the world. 

"Much better."

[random-townie]

Tweaking up the Festivals Calendar for my save file

Check also the previous post on how I created brand new holidays with new traditions and changed the calendar layout to 21 days per season.

I think festivals in TS4 are generally a really nice feature.

I like the random calls from friendly Sims to invite me to the festival. Sometimes my Sims are stuck in tedious routine and trip to a festival with some friends or to meet new Sims is a nice way to keep yourself reminded not to make every sim day exactly the same.

The thing about the Festivals is that as players we have no control whatsoever on the their schedule. You can freely delete, edit and create new holidays with traditions of your choice without any mods, but festivals just pre arranged by the game and they happen when they happen.

This can be fixed with another great life-quality mods that is very vanilla friendly - Schedule Festivals Yourself by @zerbu.

So here are my rules for the Festival Schedule.

I don't necessarily want certain festivals to happen in winter, I want Sims in their party outfits on a San Myshuno night out not freezing to death.

All of them will happen way less often, because of both game/mod limitation to have only 1 holiday per day and because I want them to be more rare, hence more inviting to take part in them if next one is gonna be only next year.

Humor festival happens after the Bloomfest, think of it as Aprils Fool .

It will be followed by GeekCon on Sunday.

Flea market will be happening on one Saturday each Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Spice Festival as above, but on Fridays.

HSY Cheerleading and Football Team events will happen twice a year - before the Spring Break and Harvestfest in the autumn.

Second week of the summer is when I combined Youth Festival and Series of Sulani Festivals in a row with the Summer Break holidays I added before. I think of some of the worlds like Sulani to be mostly vacation worlds. Sims can plan summer holidays there to attend all of the festivities.

Fishing Competition and Flower Festivals are for the next weekedns, let's give Sulanians a chance to catch a breath from all the tourists.

Beginning of autumn hosts series of Finchwick Harvest Fair events, where all 5 fairs will start in the middle of first week/month and progress over the next 5 days. It's also a chance to have longer vacation in H-n-B to attend local fairs and admire the nature. Locals will have only one chance year to show off their biggest harvest/best farm animals.

After the Spooky night holiday Sims can attend Festival of Light. In my irl home city we have a light festival each year in the autumn, when evenings come earlier to fully enjoy the show.

The first day of winter is Sunday and it is the day when everyone goes to Mt. Komorebi for a Snow Festival.

And last but not least there is Chess and Computer Science weekend in "January".

And here is what it looks so far in my Random Save File . WIP - missing Romance Festival and L&D festivals and more custom icons to better identify some of them. Hope you enjoy it and get inspired to try something new in your game 💚

To schedule Festivals you need to add a new holiday on any day you wish and pick respective festival from the traditions list. It even adds likes to the traditions/festival activities based on your Sims characteristics, which is an extra sweet twist. I still need to play test the mod but I give it much hope.

Shout out to Peter Plays It on YT for his videos on all the festivals to keep me reminded of their character and fit them better in my Sim year.

***

If I ever share my save file publicly I'll surely include all the must have small mods that make the gameplay better and allow customization for things that IMO should just be a part of the game.

[sangoqueenkoko]

Kamisato Ayato

“Please tell me, this is not why you woke me up.”

Fluff

HYDRO MASTERLIST | DRABBLE MASTERLIST

.

Drabble prompt: page 1: #14 = “Please tell me, this is not why you woke me up.”

Warnings? A sad and tired Ayato :(

Featuring Thoma and Ayaka!

701 words.

please note before reading🔻🔻

(i wrote this within two hours with neuvillette idle in the background, “MELUSINES-” shush! and i am really not a fan of this. so it may be rewritten at some point.)

High summer in Inazuma cannot be pleasant for some. Most houses in the city would have the appropriate conditions for such weathers like this. From the small houses just outside the city, all the way to Tenshukaku. As well as the Kamisato Estate.

But the pros of the weather being like this is that it should be cooler in the evenings. Where the sun’s rays shine behind Mt. Yougou, peaking around into the Estates windows. It was warm, but not too warm. It gave the light breeze the lovely warm and fresh feel as the sky slowly gets darker. It was lovely.

Inside the Estate, usually full of the sounds of quiet conversations, quiet and tidy house cleaning, and the fluid yet neat sounds of a thin brush scribbling on some paper. Important paper.

And the person who writes on that important paper is your beloved husband, Kamisato Ayato. The Yashiro Commissioner. The two of you had been married for almost 4 years now. The best 4 years, actually.

Ayaka looked up at you like an older sibling, someone who she turned to when she didn’t or couldn’t want to talk to Ayato or Thoma about something. And of course, to Thoma, you were like another best friend.

No one on the streets of Inazuma could speak of Ayato’s name without thinking of you. And vice versa. Two peas in a pod.

Ahem. Anyway.

Today has been a particularly warm and busy day for the Commissioner, a couple of meetings he had to attend, a trip into the city, and as always, some papers to fill in. So he was pretty spent on energy. All he wanted to do was wind down and relax with his beloved spouse.

Even that wasn’t easy. Just when he was about to finish his last thing for the day, it being the paper work, he realised that he made a spelling mistake. Which was rare even for him. Seeing how well he does his work first time around, it’s odd to see him make such mistakes. This only upset him more. He had to redo that before he could do anything else.

Now he was testy, in general and while trying not to mess up again.

After reading so, so very closely to the first version of the paper, and peaking his concentration, his energy was drained more. And after what felt like an eternity, he was finally finished. Meaning that he could finally be with you.

He finished his bathroom and bedroom routine before going into your shared bedroom.

It felt like a ton had been taken off his shoulders as he realised that he could now relax.

“You feel tense, dearest” you said as he held your hand before kissing the back of it softly, “was today Okay?” You asked with a sweet smile. One that he always melted at the sight of.

He sighed before replying, “the usual.” You know what that meant. You knew it was busy and stressful. But you also knew that he knew how to separate his work life from his home life, therefore he would have time for home life.

But seeing as he had done most of his work today, he could have some time off tomorrow yo actually rest and recharge. And seeing how stressed yet tired he had been as of late. You had a plan for next morning.

You went to sleep that night ready to take action of the plan.

And Ayato went to sleep unaware.

Next morning, after informing Thoma and the rest of the Estate staff of your plan, you got into action. Your idea was to give him… a small spa day. A secluded one to keep away outside business that did not need to be near at all time like this.

“Ayatooo~” you said quietly as the warm sun rays came through the rooms window, “I have a day planned for you.”

He would open his eyes to see that you had your hair pulled back away from your face with a face mask on.

“I figured that you could use some… stress relief.”

To his ‘amusement,’

“please tell me, this is not why you woke me up.”

whoops, it’s shit!

so sorry

[shadowuserannie]

Tips for writing Singaporean characters/stuff to keep in mind

--They will have a second language. That's not even a debate. The three Mother Tongue languages taught in SG schools are Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. However, if you have, say, a Thai character, that Thai character is likely to pick Chinese because Thai isn't an option for them. But Singaporean-born-and-bred are more likely than not to also know a few random bits and pieces of other languages.

note that this is not as limiting as it sounds-just because three MT languages are taught doesn't mean only speakers of those languages exist. Dialects aren't taught, but people do speak them. Hindu can also be an option if your SG character is Indian. Chinese dialects like Teochew, Hokkien, and Cantonese are also options.

--If you're not Singaporean don't try writing Singlish. This is not a threat it's awareness. You can slip a Malay or Chinese word in while they're speaking, but space it apart. Most of us nowadays are better at full English. Please do not just tag "lah" onto the end of every sentence and call it a day. It's better to write us speaking in English, than whatever the hell you just made up.

--We don't mess around with education. What, you thought our declining mental health rate was for show? We have the STRESS. If it's a teenage Singaporean character they are definitely stressing about either O-Levels or A-Levels. Please don't make that their entire personality and call it a day though.

--Most Singaporeans fall into two categories: love spice or cannot tolerate spice. Of course there are in-between but most people love spice. Hawker center stalls have a tray of little chili sauce plates next to the cutlery tins. It's not for show.

--They're not celebrating Christmas. They acknowledge it exists (if you want to have them say something controversial, you can have them get annoyed by the limitless Christmas marketing to tourists that plays into the tourism industry) but it's like just another day for them. Regardless of race/ethnicity, they will definitely know Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, and Deepavali. That's a given. (Unless they're Christian/Catholic.)

--We start school on Jan 2. We end school in November (exact date depends per school). Our school year does not begin in the fall and end in the spring. [This only applies to primary and secondary school. Primary is 6 to 12 years old and Secondary is 13 to 16 years old.]

--Don't make them racist. For the love of whatever you (don't) worship DON'T MAKE THE SG REP RACIST. We respect other races and holidays and ethnicities and religions. Don't have your Singaporean character representing US call slurs or alienate someone who's a foreigner. Have them be accepting because THAT IS WHAT WE ARE RAISED AS. Also there's like a three-year jail time for catcalling a slur.

--Housing in Singapore is either HDB-built [making it a HDB flat] a condo [making it a condo flat] or private property. The last is the rarest because Singapore doesn't have land to spare. We are tiny. We are "Little Red Dot" because you spin a globe and we're LUCKY to get a dot. Anyway no "country" exists in Singapore. There is no empty country space to grow up in. All of us are city people.

--We don't have spring/summer/autumn/winter. We get monsoon seasons due to being a country close to the equator. We get heat that kills us, and it usually rains at least once a week in even the hottest spells. "Coldest" spells can be rain multiple times a day at peak monsoon season. A Singaporean who's touched snow is a Singaporean who has braved a winter country before and not the norm.

--if you create a Singaporean character I applaud you. I'm dying for rep of us. I will pick whatever you have written up solely for the SG character first, then I might stay for the actual plot. please can people remember we exist

[tfp-is-prime]

🔊 Calendar and Prime Day Event!

Behold! More episodes for your summer festivities! Grab a cube of Energon, kick back in root mode, and enjoy the show. 😎 ~

S1E18: “Metal Attraction,” Tuesday, July 9, 2024

S1E19: “Rock Bottom,” Tuesday, July 16, 2024 S1E20: "Partners," Tuesday, July 23, 2024

(Next Episode: September 2024) Each episode will “go live” at 12:30pm PT / 1:30pm MT / 2:30pm CT / 3:30pm ET. DECEPTICONS, ATTACK! There will be a short hiatus between July 23rd and September 10th, but as always, this blog will still be active!

ALSO—

In other news, July 16-17 this year happens to be conveniently dubbed ✨"Prime Day"✨ by a certain corporation. We are not affiliated with them in any way...but we do love the idea of having an unofficial holiday to celebrate TFP and Optimus Prime! So, we looked at the day, and transformed it 😉

Here's our lowkey event:

If you draw artwork, compose a moodboard, or edit a meme of Optimus Prime, we will select a random entry and pin that to the top of our blog through the hiatus!

RULES (any entries that do not correspond to the following rules will not be considered for the random drawing):

- Art / moodboard / meme must be SFW and Optimus-centric - AI generations are not valid for entry - Photography counts as art! If you have an Optimus toy / figure / plushie you want to show off with a fun background, now's the moment you've been waiting for. (Just make sure you don't doxx yourself in any way through your photos. Thanks!) - Any iteration of Optimus Prime is welcome! (It does not have to be TFP, but if you go with TFP and your creation isn't chosen to be pinned, there will be a chance your art might find our Friday Spotlight later!) - Remember that TFP-is-Prime is "real-time spoiler-free" for new viewers who are just finding the show now! That means that if your work includes aspects from episodes not yet on the blog, we won't be able to reblog it until that episode "releases" during the rerun. Please keep that in mind! (You can reference "Metal Attraction," "Rock Bottom," and "Partners," however, since those episodes will all be out before the Prime Day entry is pinned.) - If you want to draw an epic battle shot, keep the energon spill / robogore / etc. no crazier than canon-typical TFP violence.

- There is no "your art must be this good to pass" rule; just make it if you want to! Transformers are hard to draw but give it your best! All skill levels are welcome. - Tag your creation with #tfprimeday2024 so we can find your post! Only Tumblr entries will be considered (for reblogging purposes) but you're welcome to post what you make to other platforms! - Post your work during July 16-17! After the 17th, the event closes (so that we have time to draw a random number from all the entries before the hiatus). - We'll shoot you a ✅ in the replies once we see your post to let you know you've entered the drawing! (If for some reason we miss it and you don't see a ✅ by the 22nd, then you can @ this blog in the replies.) ~

Depending on how many entries we see during the two days, it might take some time for us to compile all of them for random selection. Thanks for your patience! If it so happens that a crazy number of participants swoops in, we might also split the entries into categories (drawings / moodboards / memes / etc.) and select one from each, granting each one time to shine on this blog. We're not sure how many people will participate, so stay tuned as we play by ear.

Again, this is a very lowkey event. Many fandom events occur in July, so we understand if this is a bit last minute. However, if this sounds like fun, and you wanna go for it, we'd love to see what you all make in celebration of (Optimus) Prime Day! Feel free to send us asks if you have any questions not answered here!

[jonphaedrus]

Dear mountain, everything sucks for me right now. Can you tell me about a mountain you love so I can think about something else?

dear friend, today i will tell you about a mountain that isn't really a mountain but it is, to me. today i went to climb mt. bonnell with one of my oldest friends here in austin, and we hiked up both the north and the west trails, past tourists, taking a wrong turn and going down the stairs rather than up them.

mt. bonnell isn't really a mountain, just a fairly upthrust bit of the balcones fault line, if anything about the balcones fault line is "just". it made the edwards aquifer, for one thing, which provides water to most of the state of texas. it also made the texas hill country which is, to my eyes, one of the most beautiful places in the world. i did grow up here, so i am biased, but still.

i know i can trace my mountain obsession back to a very specific inciting incident, but i think if you go even further back, one of my earliest memories is of climbing up the big flight of stairs from the parking lot to the top of mt. bonnell. i was probably 4 at the outside, and it was early summer, and my mother was still alive, and the sun through the leaves left the whole world green-cold and smelling of austin dirt, which is a scent i've only ever smelled here and i can't really describe except to smell it.

today it was drizzly and kind of chilly and grey, and there was fog all along the colorado river, and we talked about opera and went to texas french bread and then came home and watched more opera, and i was reminded how much i love this city and all the little things that make it such a strange and special place.

anon, i feel you on everything sucking. the last year and a half has been pretty dogshit for me, but today was a good day, and there will be more good days in the future for both of us. if you aren't sure if today is a good day or not, i encourage you to make it a better one by taking some time to go up to the biggest hill you can find nearby and go take a look to see what's visible from up top. it can be pretty cool.

[lucystark12]

songs that should be used in season 5 and why by lucy

1- smalltown boy by bronski beat

obvious first draft pick here. genius. it's so mike wheeler coded it makes me want to die. for this song, i'd either like to see it used in a very very dramatic physical fight scene with vecna ala running up that hill or playing very faintly in the background of an important scene like the fight at rink-o-mania. i think the song sounds just eerie enough that it could work in that context but the instrumental is just so badass fight scene coded.

2- operator by jim croce

hopper canonically listens to jim croce!! you don't mess around with jim!! this song has been loved by my family since decades before i was born. it's such a sad but beautiful song and really gives almost a lettergate situation of one side of byler trying to reach the other during the months they spend apart between season 3 and season 4 and if they did use it i would lose my shit.

3- alone by heart

people are theorizing in favor of this song being a part of the season 4 soundtrack and i mean it when i say that if i heard that opening piano of alone i would die. it would be the end of my life. i used to listen to this song on my ipod as an eight year old. it's always been one of my favorites. i don't really know how they would use it and i almost feel like the sound of it doesn't fit in with a lot of the other music in the show in regards to that 80s music sound, but i would die if they did.

4- africa by toto

AFRICA PLEASE COME BACK BABY I MISS YOU!! another song that's easily in my top ten favorite songs of all time, i think this would be such a cute callback to season 1 and would be the equivalent of hedwig dying as far as childhood-ending-events for me because it would just be such a beautiful full circle moment. i would scream.

5- summer of 69 by bryan adams

if we get to see anything taking place during summer (which, problematically, i kind of hope we don't) i need this playing on every radio in town. it just gives such it 2017 stranger things season three in a way that would break (and fill) my heart in such a beautiful way for the last stranger summer. i also think that if this was the song we decided to make viral from the new season's soundtrack that we'd all have a lot of fun.

6- take me home tonight by eddie money

i love the intro to this song like no other. it's tense and weird like the into to sunglasses at night which was used in season 1 in such a perfect way that also reminds me of the vibe of the show. a little tense and scary sounding, but at the heart (or chorus) of it a fun show about positive and beautiful characters.

7- heroes by david bowie

duh.

8- CRAZY TRAIN BY OZZY OSBOURNE!!!!!!!!

DUFFERS. MASTER OF PUPPETS AND NO CRAZY TRAIN? i fuck with crazy train like no other. i'm fully convinced that if i listened to that song on repeat for a few hours it would inspire the willpower in me to climb all of mt. everest in a day. it's such a perfect song for a show like this. i can picture nancy shooting something to crazy train in the background. somebody is frantically running around too. i think they should have just used this instead of master of puppets because the guitar in crazy train is way better (sorry not sorry) but it's never to late to right your wrongs, duffers!