#slider lives for the chaos

[wearerandomlyyours]

Ice: *Distracted* Mav, where are you headed, sweetheart?

Mav: *deranged giggle* I'm celebrating the Ides of March!

Ice: Okay, have fun.

*Ten seconds later*

Ice: He had a knife, didn't he.

Slider: *sips his coffee* He did, indeed.

[felassan]

Cliff notes on the new info on Dragon Age: The Veilguard in today’s issue of Game Informer (magazine hub link):

Edit/update: I tidied up this post. ^^

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In CC you can customize things like shoulder width, chest size, glute size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, nose crookedness, and more

There are hundreds of sliders for body proportions

CC detail: “Features like skin hue, tone, melanin”

There is nudity in DA:TV, “which I learned firsthand while customizing my Rook” in CC

Rook’s backstory also affects “reputation standing”, along with the other previously-known things like in-game dialogue etc

Lords of Fortune are pirate-themed, “piratic”

Rook ascends because of competency, not because of a magical McGuffin, contrasting with the 'destiny-has-chosen you’ angle DA:I has for the Inquisitor

Rook is here because they chose to be, “and that speaks to the kind of character that we’ve built. Someone needs to stop this, and Rook says, ‘I guess that’s me'”

The 4 voices we can choose for Rook each have a pitch shifter in CC

The game starts inside the bar (as previously detailed in other coverage)

In some dialogue wheels there is a “romantically inclined ‘emotional’ response” option. These are the replies that will build relationships with characters, romantic and platonic alike, but you can ignore them if you want to. Giving a companion the cold shoulder might nudge them into another companion’s embrace however

Bellara’s surname is Lutara

In the streets of Minrathous (in the opening segment of the game), there is a wide, winding pathway with a pub which has a dozen NPCs in it (is this The Swan tavern?)

The devs used the DA:TV CC to make each in-world NPC, except for specific characters like companions

There is smart use of verticality, scaling and wayfinding in the gameplay

If you play as e.g. a qunari Rook, the camera adjusts to ensure larger characters like them loom over those below. The camera also adjusts appropriately for dwarves to demonstrate their smaller stature

Neve Gallus is described as being capable

The Venatori Cultists we fight in the opening segment of the game are seizing the chaos caused by the demons unleashed by Solas’ ritual to try and take the opportunity to take over the city

As you traverse deeper and deeper into Solas’ hideout, more of his murals appear on the walls, and things 'get more elven'. Rhodes says “this is because you’re symbolically going back in time, as Minrathous is a city built by mages on the bones of what was originally the home of the elves”

At the heart of Solas’ hideout is his personal eluvian

Demons are fully redesigned in this game, on their original premise as creatures of feeling that live and die off the emotions around them. “As such, they are just a floating nervous system, pushed into this world from the Fade, rapidly assembled into bodies out of whatever scraps they find”

In the opening, we stop Solas’ ritual and save the world. “For now” anyways. Rook passes out moments later and wakes up in a dream-like landscape to the voice of Solas. He explains that a few drops of Rook’s blood interacted with the ritual, connecting them to the Fade forever. (I guess this is why they said in the Discord Q&A on June 14th that Rook has good reasons to want to avoid blood magic)

He also says that he was attempting to move Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain (confirming who the two Evil Gods are) to a new prison, because the one he had previously constructed was failing. Unfortunately, Solas is trapped in the Fade by our doing, and the two gods are now free. “It’s up to Rook to stop them”, thus setting the stage for our adventure

Rook wakes up after this with Harding and Neve “in the lair of the Dread Wolf himself”, a special magical realm in the Fade called The Lighthouse. It’s a towering structure centered amongst various floating islands. This is where the team bonds, grows, and prepares for its adventures. It becomes more functional and homier as you do. “Already, though, it’s a beautifully distraught headquarters for the Veilguard, although they aren’t quite referring to themselves as that just yet”.

Because it was Solas’ home base, it's gaudy, with his fresco murals adorning various walls, greenery hanging from above, and hues of purple and touches of gold everywhere. Since it’s in the Fade, which is a realm of dreams that responds to your world state and emotion, the Lighthouse “reflects the chaos and disrepair of the Thedas you were in moments ago”

Clock symbols over dialogue icons signal optional dialogue options

At this point you can head over to Neve, engage in dialogue, and try and flirt with her

There is a dining hall in the Lighthouse. A plate, cutlery and a drinking chalice are at the end of a massive table. Matt Rhodes says that this is a funny and sad look at Solas’ isolated existence, and an example of the detail BioWare’s art team has put into DA:TV. “It’s like when you go to a friend’s house and see their bedroom for the first time; you get to learn more about them”

There is also a library, which is the central area of the The Lighthouse. It’s here that the party will often regroup and prepare for what’s next

The team decides that it must reach the ritual site back in Arlathan Forest. Corinne Busche said that the writer was "missing unique dialogue options here because I’m qunari; an elf would have more to say about the Fade due to their connection to it. The same goes for my backstory earlier in Minrathous. If I had picked the Shadow Dragons background, Neve would have recognized me immediately, with unique dialogue”

The team decide their next move. They go to Solas’ eluvian and back through to the ritual site in Arlathan Forest. However, it’s not fully functional without Solas, and while it returns them to the Forest, it’s not exactly where they want to go. Then a demon-infested suit of mechanized armor known as a Sentinel attacks them, and two NPCs appear to save you: the Veil Jumpers Strife and Irelin. Harding recognizes them, which you would expect if you read the comic Dragon Age: The Missing. They are experts in ancient elven magic. A cutscene ensues and we learn that Strife and Irelin need help finding Bellara Lutara. This cutscene is long and has multiple dialogue options.

“There’s a heavy emphasis on storytelling and dialogue, and it feels deep and meaty, like a good fantasy novel. BioWare doesn’t shy away from minutes-long cutscenes”

For Rook, this story is about what does it mean to be a leader? We define their leadership style with our choices. “From the sound of it, my team will react to my chosen leadership style in how my relationships play out.” This is demonstrated within the game’s dialogue and a special relationship meter on each character’s companion screen

Bellara is deep within Arlathan Forest, and following the events of the prologue, something is up here. Three rings of massive rocks fly through the air, protecting what appears to be a central fortress. Demon Sentinels plague the surrounding lands.

In gameplay/combat, players complete every swing in real time. Special care was taken in development for animation swing-through and cancelling. We can dash, parry, charge moves, and a completely revamped healing system that allows us to use potions at our discretion by hitting right on the d-pad. You can combo attacks and even ‘bookmark’ combos with a quick dash, which means that you can pause a combo’s status with a dash to safety and continue the rest of the combo afterward

Abilities can be used to customize your kit. They can be used on the fly as long as you account for cooldowns

When you pause and pull up the ability Wheel, it highlights you and your companions’ skills. There you can choose abilities, queue them, target specific enemies, and strategize with synergies and combos

Each character plays the same in that you execute light and heavy attacks with the same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way, regardless of which class you select

Sword and shield warriors can hip-fire or aim their shield and throw it like Captain America

Warriors can parry incoming attacks which can stagger enemies. Rogues have a larger parry window. The mage the writer played couldn’t parry at all. Instead they throw up a shield that blocks incoming attacks automatically, so long as you have the mana to maintain it

On the start/pause screen: it has the map, journal, character sheets, skill tree, and a library for lore information. You can use it to cross-compare equipment and equip new gear for Rook and their companions, build weapon loadouts for quick change-ups mid-combat, and customize you and your party’s abilities and builds via an easy-to-understand skill tree. There aren’t in-depth minutiae, just "real numbers". For example, an unlocked trait might increase damage by 25 percent against armor, but that’s as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like a Wall of Fire to your arsenal if you’re a mage. As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100 percent bespoke to each class, you’ll work closer to unlocking a spec, complete with a unique ultimate ability

“Sentinels and legions of darkspawn”

Combat is flashy and quick, with different types of health bars. Greenish-blue represents a barrier, which is taken down most effectively with ranged attacks

The game is gorgeous, with sprinkles, droplets, and splashes of magic in each attack a mage unleashes

The game looks amazing on consoles both in fidelity and performance modes

The mission to find Bellara is called “In Entropy’s Grasp”. You find her. She is the first companion you recruit (as Neve auto-joins). If your background is Veil Jumper, you get unique dialogue here with Bellara. She explains that everyone there is all trapped in a Veil Bubble, and there’s no way out once you pass through it. Despite the dire situation, she is bubbly, witty, and charming. She is spunky and effervescent

Companions are the faces of their factions, and in this case with Bellara, their entire area of the world. She is our window into Arlathan Forest. She is described as a sweetheart and a nerd for ancient elven artifacts, which is why she’s dressed more like an academic than a combatant. Her special arm gauntlet is useful both for tinkering with her environment and taking down enemies. While Neve uses ice magic and can slow time with a special ability, Bellara specializes in electricity, and she can also use magic to heal you. Her electric magic is effective against Sentinels. “However, without Bellara, we could also equip a rune that converts my ice magic, for a brief duration, into electricity to counter the Sentinels”

If you don’t direct your companions in combat, they are fully independent and will attack on their own

You progress at this point through the Forest, encountering more and more darkspawn. Bellara says that they have never been this far before because the underground Deep Roads, which they usually escape from, aren’t nearby. However, with “blighted” (BLIGHTED!) elven gods roaming the world, and thanks to the Blight’s radiation-like spread, it’s a much bigger threat in DA:TV than any prior DA game

The Forest has elven ruins, dense greenery and disgusting Blight tentacles and pustules

The style of the game is more high fantasy than anything in the series thus far and almost reminiscent of the whimsy of Fable. Matt Rhodes says that this is the result of the game’s newfound dose of magic: “The use of magic has been an evolution as the series has gone on. It’s something we’ve been planning for a while because Solas has been planning all this for a while. In the past, you could hint at cooler magical things in the corner because you couldn’t actually go there, but now we actually can, and it’s fun to showcase that.” The Forest’s whimsy will starkly contrast to the game’s other areas. The devs promise some grim locations and even grimmer story moments because, without that contrast, everything falls flat. Corinne says it’s like a “thread of optimism” pulled through otherworldly chaos ravaging Thedas. At this point in the game, Bellara’s personality is that thread

We can advance our bonds with our companions on their own personal quests and by including them in our party on main quests. Every Relationship Level you rank up, shown on their character sheet, nets you a skill point to spend on them. “The choices you make, what you say to companions, how you help them, and more all matter to their development as characters and party members”. Each companion has access to 5 abilities.

Each companion has issues, problems, and personal quests to complete. “Bellara has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you’re on” (They’ve said that all of the companions have this too in previous promo material)

You progress deeper into the forest and Bellara spots a floating fortress and thinks that the artifact needed to destroy the Veil Bubble is in there. To reach it, we must remove the floating rock rings, and Bellara’s unique ability, Tinker, can do just that by interacting with a piece of ancient elven technology nearby. Rook can acquire abilities like Tinker later to complete such tasks in instances where Bellara, for example, isn’t in the party

Bellara has to activate three of these in the Forest to reach the castle. Each one you activate brings forth a bunch of Sentinels, demons, and darkspawn to defeat

You can create Arcane Bombs on enemies. It does high damage after being hit by a heavy attack

It sounds like mage characters can charge heavy attacks on their magical staffs. “then switch to magical daggers in a second loadout accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick attacks”

Some enemies are “Frenzied”, meaning that they hit harder, move faster, and have more health

After a few more combat sections, including against a Frenzied sentinel, we reach the center of the temple. In there is an artifact called the Nadas Dirthalen. Bellara knows that this means “the inevitability of knowledge”. Before we can progress, a darkspawn ogre boss attacks, hitting hard with unblockable, red-coded attacks and a massive shield that you need to take down first. It is weak to fire

After defeating it (it’s a climactic arena fight), Bellara uses a special crystal to power the artifact and remove it from the pedestal, which destroys the Veil Bubble. Then, the Nadas Dirthalen comes alive as an Archive Spirit, but because the crystal used to power it breaks, we learn little about this spirit before it disappears. Bellara thinks that she can fix it (fixing broken stuff is her thing), so the group heads back to the Veil Jumper camp. The writer’s demo then ended.

The design of the game is not open world. The devs describe it as a “hub-and-spoke” design where the needs of the story are served by the level design. A version of DA:I’s Crossroads return (the network of teleporting eluvians) and this is how players will traverse across northern Thedas. “Instead of a connected open world, players will travel from eluvian to eluvian to different stretches of this part of the continent”. e.g. Minrathous, tropical beaches, Arlathan Forest, “to grim and gothic areas and elsewhere”. Some of these areas are large and full of secrets and treasures. Others are smaller and more focused on linear storytelling. Arlathan Forest is an example of this, but it still has optional paths and offshoots to explore for loot, healing potion refreshes, and other things.

Each location has a minimap, though linear levels like In Entropy’s Grasp won’t have the 'fog of war' that disappears as you explore like in some of the game’s bigger locations

The game has the largest number of diverse biomes in DA history

The Thedas of DA:TV “lives in the uncertainty”. “the mystery of its narrative”, “the implications of its lore”

The writer is surprised by BioWare’s command over the notoriously difficult Frostbite engine, and by how much narrative thought the dev team poured into these characters, even for BioWare.

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[source: the Game Informer pages from Issue 367 - the cover story from June 18th (link), two]

[caystar13star]

I was reading this article and it talks about how Jon Hamm basically went into his role on Landman without really knowing what it was (he thought he was doing a superhero show). That reminded me of another interview where he said he didn’t know what his role would be on Top Gun Maverick- he just wanted to be in it.

So imagine a Cyclone who is an incredibly talented aviator, and a brilliant officer who climbed the ranks almost as fast as his hero, Iceman. He has a reputation for being in the right place at the right time, even if he isn’t always sure what he’s doing there. In short, he’s a bit clueless.

His best friend, Solomon, is usually there to pull him back on task or bail him out if he runs his mouth about something. Warlock and Iceman shared many drinks over the years, commiserating about their respective wingmen.

So the years move on, and Ice starts to worry about Maverick. They aren’t getting any younger, and he’s the last of the flyboys to settle down. Even Slider is seriously courting his young aviator (Fritz).

Ice thinks about who he could set Mav up with that would be interesting enough to hold Mav’s attention. He thinks it needs to be a man. Yes, Maverick enjoys the company of both men and women, but he’s a little more pliant, he gives himself over more completely to men.

It needs to be someone fairly tall. The main reason Slider and Mav had hooked up so many times over the years was the fact that they were enamored with each other’s size. Ron loved wrapping Pete up in his long arms, covering the smaller aviator, and protecting him.

Mav was still painfully touch-starved after all these years, and he loved being cuddled. Ice did his best when he was around, but the more stars he added to his collar meant less time for his wingman.

It was a meeting at Top Gun that gave him the idea. He was going over orders for Cyclone and Warlock and he looked at his protege with new eyes. A conversation with Solomon afterwards confirmed the fact that Beau was in fact both gay and single. Solomon was thrilled with the idea of unleashing Mav on his unsuspecting wingman.

During the mission prep, Beau has no clue that Mav is flirting with him, or that Iceman set them up. He is focused on the mission parameters and trying to contain the chaos that is Maverick Mitchell (and his new squadron of mini-Mavs).

When Mav goes down, it hits Beau like a freight train. He can’t be gone. Beau needs him. He wants him.

Solomon holds him up and keeps him from giving into his panic. When they finally crash land on deck, Beau’s first thought is to recreate the picture of Ice and Mav, with a little more kissing. He settles for what he hopes is a professional looking acknowledgment.

Mav is preoccupied with Bradley once they get back on land, but Ice invites them to dinner, and seats Beau next to Pete. With the tall admiral in close quarters, Mav seduces him successfully.

They date, fall in love, and live happily ever after.

[callsignthirsty]

Stuck at the Navy Ball

So… I decided I wasn’t done playin’ with the boys.

As this is a continuation of the original Stuck in the Middle fic, I highly recommend that you read through that before diving into this. Could you dive headfirst into this? Yes. There might be a little confusion, though.

Inspired by a comment someone left on SitM over on AO3.

Pairing: Tom “Iceman” Kazansky x F!Reader x Ron “Slider” Kerner Summary: You, Ice, and Sli haven’t lost that loving feeling. So when the flyboys are reunited at the 1986 Navy Ball, it's only natural that they bring a bit of chaos with them. Word Count: 4200 Warnings: Smut, bets and wagers, under-negotiated situations (but everyone involved is fine), fingering Chapter: 1/4 Minors DNI

gif originally posted by neuromancer1888

Chapter 1: Under the Table

The invitation arrives early in September, printed on thick cardstock and addressed to your brother. But if Viper’s words are to be believed—and you’ve yet to hear of a situation in which they aren’t—Pete’s attendance isn’t exactly optional. So the summons finds its way from the trash onto the fridge, rough edges taped back together.

Please Join Us For the 211th Navy Ball. Monday, October 13th Washington D.C.

Cocktail Hour 1700 | Ceremony Begins 1800 Live Music. Food. Dancing.

The same invitation has Carole positively giddy. Born and raised in Virginia, she’s been looking for an excuse to fly east to visit her parents. And for a party? Isn’t that swell! Arrangements are made for Bradley to sleep at his grandparents on the night of the ball before Goose—whose PT-mandated wheelchair has landed him desk duty—is home from work.

Which is how, roughly one month later, you find yourself in Goose’s room at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, sharing precious mirror space with Carole. Breathing in Aqua Net while putting the finishing touches on your looks.

The hotel calls the four of you a taxi, Goose’s wheelchair is stuffed into the trunk, and then you’re off to meet your date.

Singular.

There hadn’t been a question of if you’d attend or whose arm you’d decorate once Pete’s invite arrived. Officially, you’re at the ball with Ice. After Layton, Ice had made it a point to be seen with you while he was off-duty. Your relationship, which you’d tried to keep on the down-low, was worth showing off publicly after he and your brother had dropped their rivalry in favor of mutual respect. Friendship. 

But the other half of your relationship was still very much under wraps. 

That fact hadn’t stopped you from nodding eagerly when Ice pulled you close to ask you to attend the Navy Ball with him. Ice wants to climb the ladder, and earning stars is more than clambering into the cockpit every morning or disappearing on a carrier for the better part of a year at a time. It’s politics. It’s achieving perceived milestones on or ahead of schedule. And in October, for Lieutenant Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, naval aviator and promotion hopeful, it’s attending the Navy Ball with a woman on his arm.

Pete wrestles the wheelchair out of the trunk while Goose pays the cab driver. As you step into the crisp October evening, you marvel at the palatial, white-stone building that is to be the backdrop of your night. A steady flow of servicemen and women crossing beneath grand archways with their dates for the promise of a good night.

You aren’t left alone to gawk for long before you catch sight of them chatting with someone or another: decked in their whites, Slider leaning against the wrought iron rail and Ice to his side. Ice’s gaze flicks to you instantaneously, as if he’d felt your eyes land on him. The natural pout of his lips morphs into a grin as he excuses himself from the conversation and moves toward you against the flow of the crowd. Slider follows close behind, ultimately making his way to Goose, Carole, and your brother. But you catch the hesitation in his step. The course-correct.

Events like these will be challenging for the three of you—that had been a foregone conclusion—but this knowledge doesn’t make it any easier. It feels all sorts of wrong to have Slider keep himself at such a purposeful distance when you’re used to his proximity. Even at the O Club, he manages to stand close. Doesn’t shy away.

Before your mood can be irreparably embittered, Ice takes your hand in his and coaxes you into a slow spin. “You’re beautiful,” he coos as he kisses your cheek, and a delicate smile lights your lips. 

The dress had been a surprise. Something you’d insisted on buying yourself despite Ice and Slider offering to pool their money for something truly extravagant. But after years spent in the foster system, even the thought of spending money on something so frivolous left a bad taste in your mouth. Instead, you’d taken Carole, your more comfortable budget, and found an old gala dress at a thrift shop. The sleek, black velvet gown up to your collarbones with the slightest sparkle as the fabric shifted beneath the store’s old lights ticked all your self-imposed boxes. A dress fit for an aspirational young officer’s date, even after Carole added a slit up the left side to show a little leg and “bring the dress into this decade.”

“Look who’s talking,” you say, squeezing Ice’s arm as it’s offered to you. Typically, the change of season calls for blues, but the Navy Ball is an exception to the rule. You wonder whose wife you have to thank for that because although your boys look damn fine in both, you have a not-so-hidden preference. “And Kerner didn’t clean up so bad, either,” you shoot in Slider’s direction with a playful grin.

“Surprised?” Slider asks, brow raised. You shrug because, no, you’re not surprised, but you aren’t sure what to say that will fly under the radar. And that’s the name of the night’s game. That doesn’t stop Pete from rolling his eyes as he passes you with Goose and Carole on their way to the building’s ramp.

The closest you ever got to a ball before tonight was prom—not yours; you’d been on staff at the venue. Frankly, you’d half expected you and Pete to have been blacklisted, given your father’s ill-gotten reputation, but they let you in without issue. You wonder if Pete’s face appearing on the front page of every magazine in the English-speaking world has anything to do with it, but you keep that to yourself while Ice, ever the gentleman, escorts you further into the event. 

If the outside of the building is beautiful, then the inside is magnificent: all barrel vaulted ceilings decorated with Romanesque gold leafing and warm mahogany. A vast hall that steadily fills as guests arrive for cocktail hour and to mingle before the evening officially kicks off.

Slider spots Carole’s shock of blonde hair by a table with easy access for Goose and herds Ice in her direction. They aren’t alone at the table. “Merlin,” Slider barks, bounding over to shake his fellow RIO’s hand. “I thought you were stationed over the Atlantic. What’re you doing here?”

“Turned out to be an exercise. Over and back in sixty-two days.”

“And just in time for the party,” the woman at his side chips in, and Merlin wraps an arm around her to pull her close.

“Oh! Tom Kazansky, Ron Kerner, my wife, Laura.” Ice takes the opportunity to introduce you in turn. The conversation is easy-going, Ice and Slider filling Merlin in on their time instructing at Miramar.

Slider gets in several quips about Ice having a list of officers whose asses he needs to kiss to speed up a promotion when Ice spies one of said officers. He gently tugs you in the right direction so you can play the part of the doting girlfriend. The officer—a captain—quickly introduces you to his wife before he and Ice talk shop.

You manage to pluck a champagne flute from a waiter’s tray, sipping daintily and nodding along with the captain’s wife. Considering most of your knowledge concerning the Navy revolves around the planes your brother flies and the stunts he’s pulled in them, the conversation goes in one ear and out the other.

Not that it matters. Your role tonight—thankfully—is just to follow Ice around and look pretty.

The captain’s wife finishes her champagne in record time, and though you’re hesitant at first, you aren’t too far behind her. It is at this point, glass empty, that Slider appears like your guardian angel. “Captain,” he nods. “Ice.”

“Captain Reid, have you met my RIO?” Ice asks, knowing full well that Slider has no interest in schmoozing. Much like your brother, Slider is there because it is expected of him. Unlike Pete, Ice doesn’t need his friend’s emotional support or commiseration to make it through such events, mandatory or otherwise. Every opportunity like this is one Ice can use to his advantage. 

Slider offers the captain a firm handshake. “Lieutenant Ron Kerner, sir.”

“Your RIO? I thought you were stationed at Miramar?”

“The perks of winning the trophy, sir,” pride leaks through as Slider says it. He and Ice worked damn hard to finish at the top of their class. “We’ve been together since flight school. When Ice took a teaching position at TOPGUN, I followed.”

“And how does a man of your stature fit in the cockpit, lieutenant?” the captain’s wife asks from beneath heavily painted lashes.

The grin Slider offers her is loose. “It’s a bit of a squeeze, but no complaints so far.” The minute narrowing of Ice’s eyes says behave. You nearly avoid snorting, hiding the unladylike compulsion behind the rim of your empty flute, a reflection off the crystal drawing Slider’s eye.

“Actually,” Slider says, hand twitching as if he’s had to stop himself from resting it against your back, “I noticed your glass is empty.” Sli nods toward the bar, an invitation to refill your glass. You look up at him with a grin—a genuine one, not the soft smile that’s grown stale throughout Ice’s conversation—acceptance on your lips when–

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Ice’s brow wrinkles, noticing for the first time that you’ve finished your drink.

”I didn’t want to interrupt,” is your bashful answer.

”Don’t be ridiculous,” Ice says. ��I’ll come with you.”

”You don’t have to leave.” Slider will take care of me, you don’t say.

Ice picks up on the silent part but blatantly ignores it. His eyes take on that warm, charmed look, tongue peeking out before his lips curl into that honeyed smile you love so much. “You’re too good for me,” he says as if it’s a secret meant only for you. There’s no doubt he means it, but something about the way he’s playing the sentiment up for the brass makes it feel different in a way you’re not entirely comfortable with. No mistakes. “If you’ll excuse us, sir. Ma’am.”

Captain Reid is already turning to walk the room with his wife when Ice’s eyes narrow into what can only be described as a glare at Slider, his arm cementing itself around your waist in a way that probably looks far more relaxed than it feels.

”What?” Slider asks, shooting for casual, but now you’re not sure you’re buying it, either. “I’m just trying to do my part so you can talk to everyone on your list.” The subconscious flex of Ice’s jaw, as if he wishes he could chew out his frustration on the butt of a cig or some gum, doesn’t go unnoticed, but it does go unheeded. “Admiral Benjamin is on your list, right?” You perk up. As in Penny Benjamin? “I think I saw him by the corner with wife number three and Commander Johnson.”

“You know,” Ice says, his grin glacial, “it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if you rubbed elbows at an event like this.”

Slider scoffs, though it’s affectionate. “Why bother? We both know my military career ends when you take a desk job. Besides, I think my time is much better spent keeping your date’s cup full.” You’ve all agreed to go to the bar, but no one is moving. The tension between Ice and Slider is palpable.

”Okay,” you interrupt. There’s something off about their banter tonight. You’ve seen Ice stare down many a handful of people since landing in Miramar, but never Slider. It’s enough to raise a sculpted brow. “What am I missing?”

Slider senses blood in the water. Sees the smoke in the air. The grin he gives you is far tighter than the one he gave the captain’s wife. He opens his mouth, but Ice beats him to the punch. “You said something about grabbing my date a drink.”

Slider’s jaw clicks shut, but his grin isn’t so easily wiped away. “More champagne?” When you nod, Slider picks his way toward the bar while Ice escorts you to the side of the room where there’s more room to breathe and a lesser likelihood that someone will overhear when he presses close. “Sli’s upset that you’re with me tonight.”

That’s it? You hadn’t thought the arrangement would bother Slider so much. The three of you had discussed it and mutually concluded that you should go with Ice. That you had to go with Ice. Was Slider having second thoughts?

“Well, not upset,” Ice concedes at the concern that drags your lips down. “But he was talking a big game.”

Color you curious. “What’d he say?”

“Well,” Ice pulls you closer so his breath tickles your ear and you can smell the mint on his breath, “he thinks he can get you off before we leave the building. Steal you away while you’re being my pretty little girlfriend for the brass.” You gulp. Where is Slider with that drink?

”Oh.”

Ice chuckles. “Yeah. Oh. But I’m not worried.” Two fingers find their way under your chin and lift until your eyes meet Ice’s. “I know you’ll be good for me.”

“What’s the winner get?”

”Bragging rights.”

”And?”

It’s impossible to miss the way Ice’s eyes flit to your lips and linger there because he can. Those are the perks of being your date out in the light of day. “Can’t that be it?”

“Could be,” you breathe and slowly wet your bottom lip with your tongue, delighting in the way gray-blue eyes track the movement, “but it isn’t.”

Ice double-checks that no one is eavesdropping on your conversation. “You remember what got delivered the other day?” Your breath hitches. Yeah. You remember the catalog order you’d put in for a remote-controlled toy. The excitement and disappointment that had come with unfortunate delivery schedules. “Single-night, exclusive access once we’re all home.”

”That’s quite a lot on the line.”

”It would be,” Ice concedes, one large hand spanning the small of your back, warming you and holding you close enough you can breathe in his cologne, “but you can be good for me, right, baby? I’ll make it worth your while.” You nod, a little dumb as you inhale teakwood, sage, and sea salt.

It’s sure to be a profoundly satisfying night as long as you can stick to the script.

“I’m not going to make it easy on you,” Slider promises, appearing by Ice’s shoulder.

”Wouldn’t be fun if you did.” Ice’s smirk is all cocky confidence, cracking only when he notices Slider has only fetched two flutes of champagne.

”Only got two hands, Tommy,” Slider says with a toothy grin, “but I’ll keep her company while you grab yourself a glass.” The crystal buzzes with the steady fizz of bubbles, your fingers brushing Sli’s ever so slightly before Ice pulls you back into the throng.

The room becomes more difficult to navigate with each new attendee, but Ice only seems more in his element as cocktail hour drags on. He introduces you to a flurry of officers and their wives whose jewel-tone dresses all start to blend together, brushing shoulders with the men who ultimately control his upward trajectory. 

On his arm, you smile and nod, interjecting where appropriate because, despite the smattering of female officers present, the Navy remains very much a boy’s club.

Still, it’s nice to be shown off so publicly. To delight in the knowledge that Ice’s attention never strays far from you despite his planned schmoozing. You preen each time he introduces you to someone new with a tender look—there are many things tonight that may be manufactured, but that look isn’t one of them. 

An ache blooms in the ball of your foot as Ice delivers on the same script over and over to increasingly dismal company. The throbbing is nothing compared to the pinpricks in your cheeks, though. Beauty pageant smiles are their own form of torture. But this is important.

It’s all for a good cause.

Tonight is important to Ice, so it’s important to you.

You’d do anything for your boys: ignore every sour expression at your last name, force a pleasant laugh along with each rear admiral’s wife, stifle a relieved sigh when everyone is invited to find their seats for dinner.

The flyboys have claimed three closely clustered tables during your absence, forcing others to walk around them as they spill into the spaces between each table, leaning close to make up for the distance forced by post-graduation reassignments. Viper is curiously absent, or perhaps Jester had pulled the short straw and been stuck with babysitting duties.

But there’s someone you don’t recognize at your table, sat between Merlin and Slider, a stranger in your midst. A smile splits Ice’s face when he spots him. “Cougar?” The man stands and pulls Ice into a quick embrace, Ice’s hand on the man’s—Cougar’s—shoulder. Ice makes quick work of introducing you to Bill Cortell and his wife, Maria. “Cougar and I were like brothers in flight school,” Ice beams. “We were supposed to meet up at TOPGUN, but–”

”It turned out for the best,” Cougar cuts Ice off goodnaturedly with a quick nod toward Pete. “Besides, desk life isn’t so bad.” Ice raises a brow at the assertion while Goose lets out a ‘bullshit!’ “Okay,” he cedes, “it’s pretty bad, but I wouldn’t give up being at home with Maria and the kids for the world.” Maria, who is heavily pregnant, rests her hand over her bundle of joy.

The lights choose that moment to dim, commanding stragglers to find their seats, but neither man moves. Slider stands up. “Here,” he offers Ice his seat on Cougar’s left because the two clearly have some catching up to do. Ice takes the seat while you slide over to stay seated next to him, and Slider takes your spot as the lights come up on the stage for the opening ceremony.

By the time everyone is seated and some speaker makes his way to center stage, Ice is only half paying attention to the night’s program. He and Cougar have a lot to catch up on in appropriately hushed whispers. You’re about to zone out when you’re yanked back to the present by a hand on your knee.

Above the table, for prying eyes, Slider doesn’t give anything away. Attention seemingly focused on the stage. Below the table’s skirt, however, you press your thighs together as Slider’s hand massages the skin exposed by the modified slit in your dress. Familiar callouses drawing senseless patterns above your knee. His hand stays there, occasionally giving you a comforting squeeze, like he knows you crave reassurance through gentle touches after being dragged so far out of your comfort zone. It’s nice. Before long, between the buzz of quiet conversation and each soothing caress, you relax back into your chair.

Polite applause fills the room as the admiral gives the podium to the next presenter. Pete and Carole chuckle at something Goose murmurs. Wolfman yawns. Someone coughs. A waiter comes around to top off champagne.

You wrap your fingers around the delicate stem of your flute, raising it to your lips in the same instant that Slider’s palm shifts so it’s wedged between your thighs. Your sharp breath is lost in the crowd as nimble fingers creep higher, never once pausing their massage.

The corner of Slider’s lip tugs the slightest bit up. Smug bastard. When you’re sure no one is paying attention, you give his wrist a tug, but instead of retreating, Slider brushes a finger against the flimsy fabric of your panties.

Your heart jumps into your throat as you become hyper-aware of how loud your breathing is, and your brain kicks into overdrive. Can anyone hear you over the clink of glasses? Your nails dig into the meat of Slider’s wrist in surprise, but you’re fairly confident that the rest of you looks normal—suddenly, you’re not sure what that means.

Is this the way a normal person’s mouth rests? The way a normal person sits in their chair? You need to leave, but you can’t. Being good for Ice, among other things, means not causing a scene. Not fleeing the room in the middle of a presentation. Not letting anyone know that while your boyfriend dutifully splits his time between the podium and his colleague, his RIO is pushing your underwear to the side for better access to your cunt. How you’re responding to his touch.

“Hey.” Pete’s giving you a strange look from across the table. “You okay?” From the way he’s pulled a face, you missed the bar for normal, and now Goose and Carole are also looking your way.

“I’m fine,” you hiss. “I-” need a distraction. You mentally stumble as Slider continues to stroke up and down your slit, his fingers spreading the wetness until they glide effortlessly through your lips.

The universe grants your wish when the crowd bursts into polite applause and the mic is turned over to the next speaker. “Isn’t that Admiral Benjamin?”

“As in Penny Benjamin?” Carole perks up, sitting tall in an attempt to get a better look at the stage while Pete bangs his head onto the table. Probably. You’re admittedly not paying attention.

Pleasure zings up your spine as thick fingers nudge your clit. A reward for redirecting the eyes on you. It’s everything you can do not to press your hips into the pressure or let your head loll back with a gasp. And with Penny’s father keeping attention off of you, Slider hooks an ankle around yours to encourage your legs further apart.

You shouldn’t, but Slider has always been convincing.

Ice won’t be particularly pleased with how promptly you gave into Slider’s suggestions, how readily your legs fall open, but that’s barely a blip on your radar as firm circles rub into your clit. The devil on your shoulder whispers that if Ice had really wanted to win, he shouldn’t have allowed himself to be so easily distracted. 

None of that matters nearly as much as it should when your heart pulses between your legs.

A hand lands on your velvet-covered thigh. Ice. “Sweetheart.” You whip your head around too quickly for the move to be anything but suspicious. Like you’ve been caught with your hand—or someone else’s—in the cookie jar. You try to focus on the cool, grounding pressure of his touch. It’s working, you think, but your leg is still trembling from the effort it takes to keep still. Keen eyes move from your face to your leg, trembling under his touch, to your lap, and then to Slider, where they narrow almost imperceptibly. “You alright?”

With a nod, you reach past your champagne for water to wet your dry throat. “Just taking it all in.”

A poor choice of words. Ever the opportunist, Slider presses a finger into your hole, the stretch delicious and unexpected enough that you almost choke. If anyone catches the color on your cheeks, you hope they’ll blame your earlier drinks.

“I was just saying I didn’t know Maverick had a sister,” Cougar says, this time loud enough for the table to hear him.

“He doesn’t talk about me much.”

“Yeah,” Pete scoffs, “because when people find out about you, this–” he gestures between you and Ice “–happens.”

“You got any other sisters, Mav?” Chipper’s question from the next table over prompts Pete to load a pomegranate seed onto this salad fork. He’s ready to launch, but a disapproving look from Jester dissuades him. Goose flips Chipper the bird in a show of solidarity.

“So when did this happen?” Cougar asks, eyes flitting from you to the blonde on your right.

Slider chuckles and leans into the conversation at the same time as he crooks his fingers. You bite the inside of your cheek. The circles Ice is rubbing into your knee aren’t as distracting as either of you wants them to be. “He hasn’t been able to keep his hands off of her since we made it to Miramar.”

Hypocrite. You clear your throat. “About five months?”

“Aw,” Maria sighs in that way so many in long-term relationships do. You try and fail to focus on that as a second finger prods at your opening before pushing in slowly. “You’re still in the honeymoon phase.” Thankfully, Ice steps in with a reply because all you can hear is the blood rushing in your ears when Slider rubs his fingers against your sweet spot, thumb applying steady pressure to your clit. Your nails dig crescent moons into Ice’s wrist in a last-ditch attempt to ground yourself because if Slider keeps this up, it’s going to take a miracle to keep you from causing a scene.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Viper’s unapologetic quip appears from seemingly nowhere. Your own personal savior. “I need to borrow Iceman and Slider, Maverick and Merlin, Hollywood and Wolfman.”

You shiver at the abrupt emptiness. Slider wipes his fingers, dripping with arousal, off on the tablecloth, eyes locked on Ice.

Next Chapter

[supaishi-tanuki]

Yes I made a fan-child, I am brain poisoned with these ding dang blorbos 💀 pls send help lmaoooo

This is Mizuchi :D half red-eared slider, half tiger shark.He’s a little brat, a nightmare child. Regardless, his parents love him a lot.

“Who is his favorite parent?”

Easy answer: Leo

But only because Leo spoils him the most. Shiki isn’t too happy with that 😂 So he has to play the “responsible killjoy” parent lol When Mizu was a toddler, Leo and Shiki caught him holding an unlit dynamite. Ever since then, both of them are paranoid and try to keep him away from trouble lmaoooo

My reasoning (hc) that Leo would be the type to spoil his children and dote on them and mildly enables the chaos. I’m actually working on a twin for Mizu :D Meaninggg DOUBLE THE TROUBLE! Ok but fr fr tho, Leo wants his kids to live happily and JUST be kids. One that he really didn’t get to enjoy, considering the amount of trauma after the movie. Same for Shiki, coz he had a super rough childhood.

Anyways, I wanna draw em more coz im v attached to this little family <333

[pollyna]

Sam, better known as Merlin, is the best worst matchmaker who ever lived and he loves to organise blind dates for his friends. And that's how he ends up sitting on a triple blind date for Carole, Goose and Slider with the people he thinks are the best for them. Maverick for Carole, Hollywood for Slider and Wolfman for Goose. But the moment they're sitting, all six of them, at the table it's pure chaos because nobody is talking with the person Merlin thought was the perfect match. Goose is shifting sits to be between Carole and Slider who are already halfway flirting with him, Hollywood and Wolfman are talking about something Merlin doesn't even try to understand and Maverick is eating his dinner like nothing of that is his problem. Only twenty minutes later, when Carole is sitting on both Slider and Goose, another man Merlin doesn't know comes in, sits in front of Maverick and asks the guy if he stopped by the supermarket to pick up the dessert or not, before kissing him. Right there. In front of Merlin and Carole who was supposed to be his date.

Merlin ends up ordering two shots of whisky and then four trying to understand how nothing has gone has it should. The other seven people seem way less concerned and more than happy.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Angeal wants to host a potluck for his boyfriends friends. He only asks that the boys actually try and put some effort into their dishes.

Because of our baby's latest obsession, Angeal specifically asks Sephiroth to avoid bringing Halloween candy.

He begs asks Zack to not bring a family sized box of Hot Pockets.

What do AGS + ZC bring to the table? How does the actual potluck go?

Chaos obviously ensues, by the way.

The Potluck From Hell

• Even though he's organizing it, Angeal's making sure to over-contribute to the potluck! You know, just in case.

• He's got apple sausage sliders for Genesis, Bolognese pasta for Sephiroth, beef stroganoff for Zack and schnitzel for Cloud. He trusts his friends will follow suit and contribute with their own fun dishes.

• He was wrong.

*Angeal stands in his doorway looking at Sephiroth, who holds a jack-o'-lantern-themed bowl full of candy*

Angeal: Sephiroth no.

Sephiroth: Sephiroth yes.

Angeal: A bowl of candy does not count as a dish.

Sephiroth: But it's food. It's edible.

Angeal: It's pure sugar. I asked you to bring a meal.

Sephiroth: This is a meal.

Angeal: Says who?

Sephiroth: Says the last eight meals I've eaten.

Angeal: YOU'VE BEEN EATING NOTHING BUT CANDY FOR TWO DAYS?

Sephiroth: .....Maybe.

Angeal: Give me that! *he snatches the bowl away from him* Go and come back with an actual dish!

*Angeal slams the door in Sephiroth's face*

• Angeal, still fuming, is prepping the table when he hears his doorbell ring again. He rushes to answer it. Zack and Cloud stand there holding huge taco trays.

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: I've been living a nightmare since last night.

Angeal: Why?

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: We were up all night making the tacos, right?

Angeal: Right.

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: And I already had reservations about going down the taco route because you know how Zack is with tacos, right?

Angeal: Oh, right!

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: We got the first tray done and Zack ate it all in two seconds.

Angeal: Oh my god??

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: I know. And he did that three times. We had to start from scratch three times. I had to lock him in the broom closet to get this done.

Zack: Mexican fi—

Cloud: SHUT UP!

Zack:

Angeal: Just...just go inside guys...

• While the boys head inside the apartment, Sephiroth shows up again. This time he's holding an industrial bucket filled to the brim with jelly beans.

Sephiroth: Beans are a great source of fiber and rich in—

*Angeal slams the door in his face*

• Fifteen minutes pass. Cloud and Zack are helping Angeal in the kitchen when the doorbell rings again. Angeal rushes to answer it.

• Genesis stands there with three bottles of wine in one hand and a glass dish covered in tinfoil in the other.

Genesis: I brought Swedish meatballs!

Angeal (in shock): No way.

Genesis: Way.

Angeal: You brought a normal dish and drinks?

Genesis: Yup!

Angeal: You were responsible with a task.

Genesis: Yup!

Angeal: And you cooked the meal from scratch like I asked you to?

Genesis: Duh!

*Angeal breaks down crying and pulls Genesis in for a hug*

Angeal: I'm so proud of you buddy~

Genesis: I know. I'm great, aren't I?

Angeal: Wait, there's something sticking out from your pocket.

*Angeal pulls out a business card from a Swedish restaurant*

Genesis:

Angeal:

Genesis: That's not mine.

Angeal: It was in your pocket.

Genesis: That's not my pocket.

Angeal: You're a fraud. Get inside.

• The boys are all hanging around and finishing up with the cooking and the setup when the doorbell rings.

• Angeal drags his feet as he heads to the door. He's fully expecting to see Sephiroth holding more candy.

• Instead he opens the door and is met with...

Angeal:

Sephiroth:

Angeal: You have got to be kidding me.

*Sephiroth holds out his halloween candy chocolate lasagna*

Sephiroth: Lasagna is a meal.

*Angeal sighs and holds open the door*

Angeal: Just get inside. And go help Cloud tie Zack to the radiator. He got ahold of the tacos again.

[vikenticomeshome]

Cyberchase Character Discussion (for your local Cyberchase trivia quiz) - #6: Slider

Alright, here's your boy.

It's about time I got around to him, right? He's, what, the most popular character in the whole show?

Slider was one of a slate of characters introduced in Season 3. So, he didn't get an original "Meet the Cybersquad" entry. His first ever appearance would have been on the Cyberchase website during their "Who's New?" promotion. We get to see Slider and Creech, who both went on to appear in numerous episodes. We also get to see Nero the Animal Hero, Mister Z, Roxy, and Sheldon. I don't think those four have appeared since their debut episodes.

So, what did we learn about Slider here?

Lives in Radopolis

Loves to skateboard and is really good at it

Can fix anything

That's not alot to go on. With how Radopolis is, the second point is kind of redundant. Later on, they did give us more facts on his official trading card.

He's 13 years old (or is that Cyber-years?). We'll assume that this makes him older than the Earth Brats. His favorite color is red. He enjoys speed (going fast), string cheese, and sneakers. He dislikes busy-bodies and The Hacker, with an emphasis on The Hacker. He's great at skateboarding and building stuff.

His favorite line is just "Cool." To be fair, he doesn't seems like the sort of person to bother with a proper catch phrase.

Slider appeared for the first time during the gang's second trip to Radopolis, in Season 3 Episode 2 "Borg of the Ring". When he first shows up, he rescues Inez, Matt, and Jackie from a tire avalanche. He is notably unconcerned about the chaos unfolding on Radopolis. It's only after they mention The Hacker and/or The Totally Rad Ring, that he accepts that he has to do something about this.

Matt: Thanks for saving us.

Slider: (smiles, nods, and starts to leave)

Nezzie: Wait, you can't just leave us here! We need a ride!

Slider: Not my problem

Jackie: But we have to stop Hacker! He has the totally Rad Ring!

Slider: Just became my problem.

We know that The Hacker used the Rad Ring to remove everyone's wheels. Slider has a substitute for a wheel on his board, in the form of an aluminum can. This suggests that he has already been impacted by The Hacker's actions. And yet, he needs further motivation to get involved. It makes me wonder if he was testing that can as a replacement to the wheel, skated off while lost in his own head, and didn't notice everyone else's wheels disappearing around him.

Of course, we have to talk about Jackie and Inez immediately crushing on him.

This is something that continued into the series. He looks confused or weirded out in the show.

In also continued in Ron Barrett's official comic, "The Great Cyber-skate". He's shown to be oblivious to what's going on here.

"Borg of the Ring" also introduces his rivalry with Matt. Well, okay, it was more of a one-sided rivalry where Matt was being an ass and Slider barely noticed, but we got some good Matt faces.

We also get this shot, where Matt and Slider are racing to Point Dune, and Slider overtakes Matt easily.

Relax shippers. They just met. This is a children's educational show.

Which one of you drew that?

Anyway, back in "Borg of the Ring", we get a scene where Digit is trying to figure out how to make the ring. Matt offers to show him how. And then, something odd happens.

Slider: We need to adjust the radius.

Digit: Uh-huh, what am I missing here?

Matt: Don't worry Didge. The radius is the distance from the center point out to the edge of the circle. To change how big or small a circle is, just change the radius. I'll show you.

Slider: Nevermind. I'll make it. And I've got just the tool to do it.

Yeah, Slider got sick of listening to the lesson of the episode and just interrupted it. Is that allowed?

Okay, I've put it off long enough. Let's talk about Slider's dad.

We first hear about Slider's dad in "Snelfu Snafu Part 1", where Slider finds the Syncholator and a note from dad telling him to use it to find him.

However, he accidentally uses the ID code for the Encryptor Chip, which reveals that it is on an auction site. At the same time, we just had a radio contact from Dr. Marbles stating that he found the chip. This leads to a short scene that I had forgotten about until now.

Slider: Maybe he (Dr. Marbles) is the one selling the chip.

Digit: Never!

Slider: Cyborgs have been known to switch sides, you know?

Slider immediately goes with the idea that Dr. Marbles, Motherboard's technician/husband(?) has betrayed her. The Encryptor Chip is the only thing that can cure Motherboard, and Slider speculates that Dr. Marbles is trying to sell the chip for personal gain instead.

Near the end of "Snelfu Snafu Part 2", Slider assembles the Syncholator with additional parts to amplify its power. They need to use it to locate and retrieve the Encryptor Chip to recover Motherboard's soul. However, the modifications means that the Syncholator will burn out after one use.

Jackie: Wait a minute. Is there somebody else you need to find?

Slider: My dad. I was going to use the Syncholator to try to locate him

Slider: But if I'm ever going to have a chance to find him, Motherboard needs to be saved first.

As far as I know, this is the first time Slider tells Matt, Jackie, and Inez even a little bit of his tragic back-story. And the show takes his sacrifice of the Syncholator seriously.

Anyway, before we really dig into "Measure for Measure", let's have Matt and Slider get in way over their heads trying to babysit Podlings.

For the purposes of keeping this short and relatively focused, I won't go into too much detail about Slider and Coop's story. However, I will hit the high points.

Back in the day, The Hacker and Coop worked together on a device called the Transformatron, which could transform one thing into another. However, Coop realized that The Hacker was going to use the Transformatron to take over Cyberspace. So, Coop ripped up the plans and sent them elsewhere.

The Hacker took his revenge by swapping Coop's helmet for one made of red magnetite. This damaged Coop's hard drive, causing him to age prematurely.

Coop knew that the magnetite was dangerous enough to harm Slider. So, he left Slider behind in Radopolis, while he went into hiding on Discardia to develop a cure for magnetite poisoning.

The show never states how long Coop and Slider were separated. Keep in mind that Slider is only 13 when we meet him. Slider doesn't appear to have any other family or any sort of support network before the Earthlies show up. At some point, Coop learned that the cure to magnetite poisoning requires magnetite as an ingredient. However, borgs cannot work with magnetite. It's not clear whether Coop came up with any plans after this point, or if he gave up completely.

And then, Digit and the Earthlies arrived. They are immune to magnetite and able to finally mix the cure for Coop.

Yeah, The Hacker comes along, poisons Slider with red magnetite right in front of Coop, and takes Slider as a hostage. We learn that red magnetite damage causes Slider's feet to grow very large, preventing him from running away.

Hacker: Now I have the NIC and your son. Welcome to your worst nightmare, my old friend.

Yeah, this whole storyline is shockingly dark for a children's educational show. I'm glad that they made it. I don't believe I watched this back when it came out, but I would have found it amazing as a kid. I think most kids, either back then, or today, would be able to handle it just fine.

We get a happy ending. The Earthlies are able to save Slider, recover the NIC, and even heal Coop's own magnetite poisoning. And so, Coop and Slider were re-united and ready to get back to skateboarding.

Matt appears to have let go of his one-sided rivalry with Slider. The last episode containing such a rivalry was Season 6 Episode 6 "Team Spirit", where Team Motherboard competes in the Olympics . With Jackie injured, Slider needed to come in to substitute. All the data suggested that Matt needed to handle the swimming section, while Slider needed to handle the final run up to finish line.

Matt was committed to making the final run himself, to the point of refusing to compete. As they needed three people to compete, this selfish decision would have caused Team Motherboard to forfeit.

This wasn't really about Slider as much as it was down to Matt wanting to prove himself to his hero, Zeus. Near the end of the episode, while Matt is thinking it over, Slider comes forward to say something. However, before he can say it, Matt stops him and agrees to give the final run to the finish line to Slider, for the good of the team.

With those stories wrapped up, what else can we say about Slider. Well, there is something unusual here. Let's put him next to Matt for a moment.

Let's take his shirt off real quick.

Let's take Matt's shirt off as well.

Alright, now let's put Slider next to our other favorite Cyborg child, Creech.

For a Cyborg child, Slider just looks like an Earth Brat. If you needed to ding him on something, it would be his rectangular eyes. That's not a pre-requisite for Cyborg children, as Creech has oval eyes. However, we don't see any humans with that style of eyes.

I doubt that there is any real push to change Slider's model. I'm not pushing to change Slider's model. Still, this was kind of a strange choice, especially considering that Creech and Slider both arrived in Season 3. Why does Slider look almost human, while Creech gets the antennae and circuit-board-trace treatment that more closely aligns her with the Cyborgs?

[aew-regression-cove]

caregiver tom 'iceman' kazansky X pete 'maverick' mitchell headcannons

.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *･ regressor reader

Calm and Chaos. They balance each other out, Ice is a calm Caregiver. He has a rough idea of what he's doing and can follow through relatively well with limited issues. Mav is pure chaos, he does not have a plan, he does not want a plan he's completely winging it.

I see Maverick as a flip (specifically regressor in topgun and caregiver in topgun maverick). Whilst I see Ice solely as a caregiver!!!

^ (Personally) Mav is dada (or Baba if he's also regressed) & Ice is Papa or Daddy.

Maverick cannot cook to save his life, he can be trusted to get snacks and maybe like a sandwich or microwave meal but that's about it lol. Ice is fussy with what you eat wanting you to eat well as to keep you healthy and in his words "I love him but let's not put that in your body, yea?" He'd say as he's making pasta or something instead- Realistically I can't see him being great at cooking either but y'know, it's better than Mav's cooking so 😂 (Ice does make brilliant baby bottles tho!!! If you drink warm milk he is a master at getting the temperature just right for you!!!)

Mav would sneak you snacks whilst Ice is making dinner-

When Ice is in charge of cleaning and stuff the house/room is military levels of clean, he is absolutely dedicated. You've finished playing with a toy? If you are old enough then he will prompt you to tidy it up, if you're not he'll do it with you (hand over hand type help). Mav could be the exact same level of clean as Ice if he wanted to.. but he doesn't want to. He likes a little bit of mess, in his opinion he likes that it "makes it looks lived in" and "feels like home". This isn't to say he'd let the space get dirty, however messy is a yes. It's also partially out of spite, he's in charge and he doesn't have to be super military level of clean.

Plane themed everything!!! This was started by Mav as he found it entertaining and Ice encouraged and joined in. paci's, paci clips, toys, blankets.

Slider or Penny would babysit you :3

Ice is the type of caregiver that would dress you super nice when going out whilst Mav would debate (and has) taken you out in pajamas (both you and him wearing them 😌)

Maverick can get a little reckless but he would never put you in serious danger- if you ever got accidentally hurt he'd freak out, especially if it was caused because of something he did or encouraged!!!

The two of them got you a goose stuffie!!!

They love telling you stories!!! Ice prefers traditional story books whilst Mav prefers telling you stories about being in the air. Mav would absolutely tell you stories about Goose and all the trouble the two of them would get into!!! 😭

Mav and Ice would love taking you to the beach, you guys would play volleyball!!! They'd take you together and individually, whenever Mav takes you on his own he normally forgets sunscreen and you pretty much always end up with sunburn because you guys just got too distracted- Ice ends up scolding him constantly for it. (This was based on a conversation I had with @agerefandomrambles 🙏🏻)

They'd babysit Rooster and he'd basically become your big brother!!! <333 (you to get into all sorts of chaos)

They would absolutely spoil you!!!

Tagging - @agerefandomrambles , @babydagger86

ⓘ if you want to reblog, let me know and I'll decide to temporarily unlock the post or not <3

[saltsicklover]

SURVIVORSHIP BIAS

Survivorship bias, a logical error in which attention is paid only to those entities that have passed through (or “survived”) a selective filter, which often leads to incorrect conclusions.

Pairing: Tom "Iceman" Kazansky/Pete "Maverick" Mitchell Word Count: 3500+ Rating: T Part: 1 of ? Warnings: Swearing, Head Injury, Amnesia, Typical Canon Violence, Goose Lives, Iceman is overprotective and down bad, Maverick is... here. Notes: Not proof read, all mistakes are my own. Based off a poll I did a long time ago, lol. I do not consent to my work being copied, translated, or shared. Amnesia fics are not new, this is just my take on it! I hope you enjoy!!

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Tom "Iceman" Kazansky have been many things. Fighter Pilots, members of the esteemed US NAVY, friends, uncles, and all around good people. The pair have always been two sides of the same coin, the only thing separating them is the pebbled ridges of the edge.

Life has been this way for almost as long as Tom has been in the Navy. The pair, Tom and Pete (who were just Iceman and Maverick back then), were stationed in sunny California with the best the Navy had to offer. At least, the best that time around. It was only a matter of time before the next class of the "Navy's Best" would be roaming those same halls. The proverbial coin was formed that first night at the base's watering hole, their meeting nothing like the fairy tales. There was no first glance that broke away into love at first sight. There was no knowing, there was only acknowledgement and unspoken challenge; a formed edge splitting them, and joining them, two parts of the same whole.

That edge was there in each and every aspect of their lives, Pete's the Yin to Tom's Yang. One was reckless while the other was controlled, both spirals of chaos and jet fueled adrenaline giving way to hazy drops while they clung to each other. All sweaty palms against Namex green, nimble fingers tugging on zippers and pinching plastic buckles, breaking away the parts of themselves called "pilot" and baring their truest selves. They had breathed life into each other since that first week. What began as animosity boiled into sexual tension. Post sex clarity had Tom's face pressed into Pete's stomach while the smaller man carded his fingers through Tom's sweaty hair. The gel is no longer holding, allowing the gentle curl to return to its natural state. Tom still remembered the warmth of Pete's fingertips against his scalp and the way his fingernails would graze the nape of his neck just right. He remembered how warm Pete felt beneath his cheek, the sweat sticking their skin together. It should've been gross, but instead it felt like a small declaration of love. A taste of something real that had to remain unspoken. Tom let his fingers draw inconsistent patterns against the slope of Pete's ribcage, his fingertips dipping into the spaces between them. Bone to soft flesh and back again. He didn’t know then how many I love you’s and other whispered sentiments would be left on his tongue with him to do nothing more than taste. They didn’t yet know of the sweetness that was coming. 

That was 1986. And where there is sweet, sour is sure to linger.

1990 was a wave of ice cold reality that took the pair under. Tom and Pete, (now more often known as Ice and Mav) and their RIO's, Nick "Goose" Bradshaw and Ron "Slider" Kerner had been called back to Top Gun for a strictly off the books mission. One of those missions that could change the tides and win you a couple very shiny awards that wouldn't see the light of day for at least thirty years.

It was supposed to be out and back, a little flight over the ocean to take out an off the record boat, no bigger than a crabbing vessel that had wandered into the wrong waters. It was all hush hush, no backup required. Missiles, guns, whatever it took to wipe the little boat off the map, pilots’ discretion. After all, the tides are subject to change under the smallest bit of wind blowing in the right direction. Mav and Goose were set to take off first, followed by Ice and Slider. They were to fly in from opposite sides, bisecting over the boat just long enough to drop a couple of missiles and get out of dodge. Easy on paper. Easier in the air, that was until the instruments went out and they were flying blind. RIOs’ eyes on the vessel below, pilots’ just missing the closeness of their companion jet. It was a simple thing, a mistake in the darkness of the still erupting dawn. The pair clipped wings, sending each jet out into a spin. Around and around they went, their target blown to cinders below.

 The spin threw Maverick's turned head back achingly hard against his headrest, the dizziness having taken over his senses. Iceman and Slider spun too, but Ice was thrown outwards against the thick straps of his seatbelt. The wind was knocked from his lungs, but he recovered faster than Maverick did. If it hadn't been for Goose yelling at him from the back seat, Jesus Mav, level us out!, at just the right time, they would've ended up ejecting.

The first place the foursome ended up after returning to the carrier was the infirmary, laid out on cots while they waited for the ship's doc to release them. Sweat still dripped under their suits, skin sticky and damp. 

Maverick got his bell rung, left with a bad concussion, an aching neck and a light ringing in his ears. There were a couple missing bits in his memory, but nothing the doctor on board could do a whole lot about besides hoping the pieces would fill themselves in before he got seen on shore. He couldn't remember what he had for breakfast in the mess before the mission or the bunk he was temporarily assigned to. Little things, but Ice couldn't help the worry that sat in the space between his lungs, the sourness of it crawling up his throat..

TEMPORARY MEMORY LOSS DUE TO BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, his chart read, the bold letters glared up at Tom. The blond gulped, running a hand through his messy hair. The action itself hurt, hell, he ached something fierce. Ice himself had some bruises and deep, red indents on his skin from the edges of his seatbelt. The color sort of matched the pretty red mark that ran from above his  lover’s eyebrow, down and around the edge of his face, right where his helmet sat. 

Goose and Slider were in perfect condition aside from the normal bumps and bruises that come from pulling a difficult maneuver. The ghosting of seat belt bruises that would be gone within the week. Bastards. It always seemed that those two lucky fuckers made it out of the worst of it without too much trouble. The realization made Ice wish he would've given Slider a harder time when the oaf broke his collarbone over an intense game of beach tag that ended in a hard tackle courtesy of Wolfman. 

It had taken what seemed like forever to get cleared by medical, then sent back out to the deck to be loaded into a plane, piloted by some LT that spent his time playing Taxi Pilot for those coming on and off of the carrier. It was almost business as usual after a mission like that, aside from the knowledge that the debrief with an encore of being stripped down by their superiors had been waived all together. As far as the brass was concerned, the Top Secret mission had been completely squared away. Everyone came back alive, no international incident to tend to as fall out. A win is a win. 

Once they touched down back in North Island after far too much traveling over the past day and half. They were all looking forward to getting home and sleeping off that bullshit mission. It was two weeks before Pete and Nick had to return to Pensacola while Tom and Ron were needed back in Lemoore by the following Monday. It wasn't long, really, but the group were looking forward to getting to spend some time together, shooting the shit and drinking like they had after the Layton mission.

It had been four years since the four were together, all standing still in the same place instead of passing like ships in the night. It wasn’t rare for two or three of them to inhabit the same place as California seemed to be a hub for them all, but the four of them in the same place at the same time was something incredibly hard to come by. It was comfortable, the comradery something they’d come to define more as familial love, rather than pure friendship, not that any of them dared say such a thing out loud. 

"What do you say, boys? Want to head straight for Lemoore or do we wanna crash in a hotel for the night and make the drive tomorrow?" Tom throws the question out with a casual shake of his wrist, his eyes locked in on the face of his watch. His chest aches as he draws a deep breath in, refocusing his eyes on the trio of men. There's a conscious effort to keep his eyes bouncing between them, though he wants nothing more than to hold his lover’s face in his gaze. 

He had to fight to keep from throwing his arm around Pete, desire burning in him, to bring his lover in for a much needed kiss. It's missions like that one where he knows the minute they get home, they are either going to be tearing each others' clothes off, or screaming blame at each other for anything that went wrong, alongside anything that could have.

It's always been like that for them, started after Layton and they never quite grew out of the habit. But then and there, staring at Pete and the sweat dripping down from his hairline to his jaw, he wants to kiss him. Tom’s eyes drag down the gash on Pete’s face, the mark cluttering his pretty features in a way that turns his still boyish looks into something more manly. Or maybe it’s more rugged, more chiseled and hard in a way Tom has never seen before. A feeling stirs within him, making a home near the discomfort and worry still nestled in his ribs from their time in the infirmary. 

If there is one thing Tom knows for a fact, it’s this, Pete Mitchell has an uncanny way of awakening a mix of feelings in him that he’s never felt before. 

Then, as Pete shoved an elbow into Slider's stomach, he wanted to laugh, so he did. That was a common substitution for them, laughter in places of kisses, of hand holding, of the quiet intimacy that normal couples got to enjoy. Where they couldn't kiss, a look would do, but a shared laugh was always better. Something to share the sweetness on his tongue. A part of Tom hated this fact, the hate stuck somewhere deep in his bones. He knows why they can’t be open with their love for each other. He knows the consequences of their actions and how each moment they steal away could end their careers. Who wants to hire a gay, disgraced, former Naval Aviator with a dishonorable discharge? That question is neighbors with the hate he holds deep within him, and so he hates, but he keeps his distance. 

"I don't know about you guys but I'm beat, and considering you two are crashing our place, I think we should head back tonight," Slider laughed at the look he receives from Ice, that “are you serious” look at the blond casts from under his brows. Slider's wry smile only grows bigger. They all knew the house in Lemoore was owned by Ice and Mav, it had been for almost three years at that point and it was Slider who was crashing long term. Goose crashing on the couch when he found himself in town without the rest of his family was normal, but made it all the more fun for Slider to tease about.

"I'm good with that, looking forward to crashing," Mav answered honestly, an exhausted smile ghosting over his lips. Maverick has never been able to sleep on airplanes, too anxious to let himself fully relax and drift off. He’s been awake since the day of the mission, now looking worse for wear. Ice had to look away to keep himself from jumping his partner right then and there in the middle of the base parking lot, eager for a kiss though Mav looked like he was barely keeping vertical. Call Iceman a greedy man, a selfish one -it doesn’t matter when it comes to Pete Mitchell- because it’s true. His hand found a home on Pete’s shoulder, if only long enough to squeeze it reassuringly. Iceman’s ready to crawl out of his skin to get closer to him. 

"You're not supposed to sleep, remember, Mav?" Ice's tone went gentle as he took a step back from Mav. "Doctor's orders. Night sleep only, and someone has to wake you up every hour to make sure you're doin' alright. You've got an appointment at the clinic on Lemoore come Monday morning.” Pete looks dejected, expression then obscured by the heels of his hands pressed against his eyes. 

It’s not just Ice eyeing Maverick, Goose is too. Part of him wants to reach out and slap Mav encouragingly on the back, but he is just too damn tired to muster up the energy. Goose knows hospitals and doctors make him uneasy after a bad bout of pneumonia took his baby sister when he was four. Through the exhaustion, Goose shares a look with Ice, and all Ice has to do is nod. 

He’s got Mav. Simple as that. He’s got Maverick. 

That’s the consistent unspoken topic between the two, Goose and Iceman. They knew each other in flight school, were friendly when they ran in the same circle but they were never close. Their priorities were just too different for the pair to mesh any better. Goose was busy courting Carol. Ice’s focus was the NATOPS, shitty bathroom handjobs, and keeping Slider out of trouble- in that order. After graduation they didn’t see each other until their TDY to TOPGUN and by that time Goose was more protective over Maverick than any other RIO he’d ever seen. Of course, that was back before Tom knew everything he knows now. And through the accident at TOPGUN that left Goose on bedrest through the following year, the group of four became closer. From wingmen to fast friends. And somewhere in there, though the timeline has gone hazy with the passage of sand through the glass, Tom Kazansky and Pete Mitchell fell in love. So to say Ice and Goose pass the baton that is care-for-Maverick back and forth, communication rests in looks and nods. Quiet for the safety of their careers and the protection of Maverick’s pride. 

"How bad do you think traffic's gonna be? It's been a minute since I've driven in Saturday night California traffic," Goose inquired, almost ready to slump down and nap against his duffle, right there on the still sun warmed pavement. Slider pulled the bag from his fellow RIO's hands, only to toss it into the back of his truck.

"It shouldn't be too bad," Ice lied, the fact of it evident on his face. "Hopefully back before midnight,"

Mav checks his watch, the face of it swirling a bit in his vision with the sunlight, "That's... So many hours from now, Ice." There’s a whine-like quality to his voice and it hits Ice right in the chest. Part of him wants to laugh, to tease the younger man. Then a thought pops into Ice’s head, he’s injured, you prick, and then he feels somewhere between idiot and plain ol’ bad. 

Slider, however, laughed. 

No one bothered enough to throw out an actual estimated time of arrival after that. Soon after, all the bags had been thrown haphazardly into the back of Slider's truck and the group piled in. Slider and Goose up front, partly because they're taller than the other two, but because it made sense to them all that Ice was to be in charge of watching out for his husband.

Ice has Maverick. 

They'd only been on the road for about a half hour before Ice unbuckled his belt in the back of the cab, which earned him a strange look from Maverick. As risky as Maverick is when it comes to his job and his life, one thing he has never played around with is seatbelts. If there was a seatbelt to be used, Maverick would be locking it into place without a second thought. Maybe it’s because every jet his ever flown had safety belts, or maybe it’s because the man had never fully trusted anyone behind the wheel- the fact that he doesn’t have a commercial drivers license refutes this statement- but nobody’s ever questioned his adamant use of the safety device, not even his husband. 

The truth of the matter was that Pete’s mother was thrown through the windshield of her Rambler when she had a head on collision with a box truck. She never wore a seatbelt, and no one could ever say for sure that it would have saved her life, but Maverick knew better than to play with fate that way. And now, as Pete watches Ice unbuckle, he has a strange desire to reach out and catch his wrist. He wants Ice to wear his seatbelt, and the fact that he isn’t is bothering him a lot more than it rightfully should. After all, Slider isn’t wearing his, and Goose didn’t start until after Bradley was born. But God, he wants Ice to buckle back up. 

The uneasy expression on Mav’s face was new, yet Ice paid no mind to Mavericks' wary look, instead picking one leg up and twisting so his back laid against the side of the cab, his legs up on the bench seat.

"What are you doing?" Maverick asked, a wrinkle in his brows. His voice had come slightly pinched, the exhaustion weighing on him now swirling along with the new anxiety of his wingman playing fast and loose with the safety laws. Ice nudged the younger man's knee with the toe of his boot, a hint at the other man to move. He didn’t. 

"Attempting to get comfortable," He groaned, nudging Pete again, "Now would you unbuckle and come here so I can stretch my legs out?" Ice missed the flash of disbelief that flashed over Pete's face before his features settled into confusion once more. Another beat passed before Ice huffs out something unintelligible under his breath. He leaned forward, unclicking Pete's seatbelt himself. He took Pete by the upper arm before dragging him back with him, Pete's back meeting Ice's chest. Their legs in front of them across the rest of the bench seat, their knees still stuck bent but arguably more comfortable than they had been moments before. Ice's arms made their way around Pete's middle, the younger man going rigid.

"Ice what are-?"

"Just relax, hmm, Mav?" Ice hummed in his ear, sticky sweet, as one of his thumbs made small, loving movements against his ribs. For a moment, Ice wondered if he should’ve been gentler with his husband, but the thought passed as quickly as it came as he settled into his embrace. If Ice noticed the pickup in Pete's heart rate, he didn't mention it. With a terribly long deep breath, Maverick managed to let himself completely slump against Ice's sturdy frame, head leaned back against his shoulder. It had been more comfortable than he could have predicted, but the spinning pain in his head kept him from thinking of that fact for too long. 

The blush that rose up his neck and ears only managed to make him hotter against Ice's chest. Ice’s breath against Pete’s neck had him on edge. The warmth of it tickled his skin in such a pleasant way that Pete couldn't help but allow himself to enjoy the gooseflesh taking over his skin. This was intimate, far more intimate than any wingmen should be- at least that’s what Pete thought- but the slow movement of Ice’s thumb against his ribs lulled him into a sense of security. 

Pete spent most of the ride zoning in and out, listening to the drawled conversation of the men in the front seat. Music crackled through the stereo but its volume was turned so low that each song blended into the next, a lulling drone of guitar strings.The sun set as they drove, the blue sky turning smoky orange and vibrant lavender filled Pete’s eyes when they seldom cracked open. Ice held him firmly in place, keeping his lover pressed fully against him and for the first time since the ending of the mission he felt like he could breathe. In the safety of the backseat, Ice let his lips press gently into Pete’s hair behind his ear, a gentle touch no more than a kiss gentle as butterfly wings. Pete stirred a bit in his arms before falling right back again, his weight no more his problem. Ice felt whole. 

Ice’s tender sweeping of his thumbs against Pete’s middle as he pulled the smaller man back firmer into his chest so they could rise and fall together lulled Pete to rest, but as Pete would drift, Ice would nudge the space just behind his ear with his nose before whispering a quiet hey, you’ve gotta stay awake, Mav. It left Pete feeling a sort of conflict he didn’t know he could feel. 

Suffice to say, it was a long ride home for the group, but Pete let Ice hold him the whole way and tried to keep his mind from the feeling of Ice’s feather light kiss. He decided early on that it would be easier to forget about it, chalk it up to the cramped truck cab and the damn concussion. But most of all he tried not to think about how badly he wanted Ice to press his lips to his neck again. 

[newwwwusername]

Can you do a platonic Autistic!Vaggie and Angel fic?

Vaggie has an overstimulated meltdown due to having to deal with everyone's antics and surprisingly Angel comforts her

Do not repost this on other sites. It will be cross-posted to AO3 under the same username.

Content warning for self-injurious stimming and depictions of an Autistic meltdown

Normally, Vaggie was good at ignoring the chaos of the hotel and all of the constant talking and whining and bitching from what few residents lived there.

Vaggie generally didn't get too overstimulated at the Hotel. She'd fought on the front lines before, back when she was an Exorcist, so she knew how to endure the noise well enough. The lights were generally kept pretty dim for her sake, by Charlie's insistence. Alastor had suggested a few times that they made the place brighter but one look at Vaggie was all Charlie needed to shut that idea down.

However, at this particular moment, her brain wasn't handling everything as well as it should've.

Sir Pentious and Alastor had gotten into a petty, loud argument about the semantics of... Something, and the noise was only made worse by the occasional two cents from the Egg Bois, who couldn't seem to decide which side they were on.

Over by the bar, Charlie was enthusiastically going through a list of ideas of how to make that part of the Hotel more friendly, much to Husk's annoyance. Angel sat by, occasionally throwing in a vulgar comment.

And Niffty was... Well, being Niffty and loudly tormenting a few roaches who had found their way into the main area of the hotel.

Vaggie stood by the staircase, trying her best to keep herself calm and collected even as all the noise grew louder. It was a losing battle, though, especially as her brain began to focus in on the sound of the lights and the AC as well. It was Angel who saw her race upstairs, so he casually walked away from the bar- Charlie and Husk were too deep into discussion to even notice him leaving.

Upon going upstairs, Angel quickly made his way to Vaggie's quarters. He opened the door (which she hadn't locked in her overwhelm) and immediately spotted her sitting up in the bed, curled in a ball, and hitting herself in the head repeatedly.

He quickly but calmly got up onto the bed. He didn't want to touch her when she was clearly overwhelmed so he instead picked up one of the pillows on the bed and gently put it in between her hand and the hand she was hitting herself with, just to minimize injury.

He got up again and walked over to where the light slider was on the wall and dimmed the lights in the room. Her hitting died down a bit with that and he could now more clearly hear the low whine repeatedly emanating from her vocal chords.

"Vaggie?" he said in an uncharacteristically soft voice as he once again sat down on the bed in front of her. She didn't give any sort of response- Verbal or otherwise- So he figured that this probably wasn't a talk-through-it type of meltdown. Realistically, all he could really do now was keep her company until she calmed down.

Eventually, she tired herself out enough for the meltdown to end and she just sat there, avoiding Angel's gaze. She was embarrassed- This was embarrassing. She felt embarrassed when it was Charlie seeing her like that- But Angel Dust?

She was about ready to curl up and die.

"Ya okay?" Angel asked. She shrugged. "Can't talk?" She nodded timidly. "'Kay, hold on a sec" he told her, pulling out his phone and opening the notes app. He handed her the device with a weak smile. "There ya go"

'Sorry about that' she typed out. He frowned.

"Ya don't gotta apologize fo' that" he told her earnestly. "I know we ain't all tha' close, but I ain't gonna judge ya fo' somethin' like this. Ya can't help it"

'Thank you for the pillow and the lights and for not leaving me alone'

"I figured no one else was gonna cause they were all distracted" he told her honestly. She supposed that was fair- I think they both would've preferred if it was Charlie there with her instead of him, but it also could've been worse. "D'ya wanna be left alone?"

'No, it's okay. You can stay if you want'

"Alrigh' then" Angel leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling while Vaggie recovered from her meltdown. He wondered if he could call her a friend rather than an acquaintance.

Vaggie figured that they were probably friends.

[24hrfrog]

flower au stuff :3

what i have in my head when thinking abt it~

best way to talk abt dynamic is a football player vs the present of student council trying to get the new guys attention

mav doesn’t automatically fall and isn’t easy to fluster, more like takes the flirting head on 💀

slider is interested immediately because ice is, monkey see monkey do

if ice wasn’t around, the tattoo and piercing business he & slider owns would shut down fr

slider and baby brad interactions is chaos vs ice and baby brad is a well distinguished gentleman and his polite son lol

if the daggers would make an appearance it would be pretty brief and just referring to pre school peers brad has, side story of baby brad having a playdate and the three adults trying to control them lol

slider’s tattoos are ocean/sky war themes, like full sleeve tapestry of a huge ship and a anchor trailing down his arm and a dog fight scene on the forearm of the planes falling, lots of cloud/debris, and angel wings on his neck, on the opposite arm it’s basically following the same theme (these go all the way to his pecs), on his back its three chained up dobermans and smaller scattered stuff on his thighs n legs

ice is very much a drawer too but is more secretive about his work, hes not fond of tatting and hence he just sticks with piercings

slider has more piercings than ice bc ice literally uses him as his model (like when a kid would use a teddy bear and give them piercings lol)

ice has only a few smaller tattoos of more calming scenes (still thinking abt what)

when slider pulls up to mav’s with a new piercing or tattoo he’ll gross him out with it and thinks its amusing 💀

mav never wants a piercing due to the very understanding fear of it getting ripped of. he also just never thought of wanting a tattoo but just cuz he wouldn’t know what and why he would need one

ice is a germ freak real.

slider picked up ice’s habits of waking up early and cleaning so the shop and their shared living space is always clean

idk ice and sliders relationship situation but theyre real comfortable with each others presence and a lot of customers end up thinking its a couples business when they walk in lol

ice is actually rlly warm body temperature wise and slider on the colder side

carole is a successful wedding planner and travels internationally for her work, typically she brings goose if she needs an extra pair of hands and brad is in mav’s care often (doesnt mean they dont love him tho!)

baby brad says he has two dads and one mom bc of how much time he has with mav

mav is the owner of the flower shop after carole gave it to him due to her schedule just getting too busy, goose is still a co owner and is in the shop whenever he is able

both shops have their living space above it

slider throws pebbles at mav’s window across the street to bother him

slider and ice share a bed, when they first moved in there was only one bed they could afford and they just didn’t mention buying a second, ice says it’s bc than they’ll have to rearrange the whole place to make a new bedroom and it would take too much effort

brad looks more like how miles teller was when he was a baby than 86 baby brad

ice and mav and slider are a lil different looking than in 86, maybe just a lil older, mav has a bit more muscle on him for sure and sliders hair us more grown out and curly

[thedo0zyslider]

Hell Of A Ride - Chapter One: We're Floating Away, My Bodies In Space - 3k Words

"We've had a hell of a ride, but you thought we were riding to Heaven. Well, I motherfucking lied, so crank that funky shit to eleven!" Leo's perspective of the Prison Dimension, being rescued, and all the chaos and family trauma that happens afterward. It's anything but pretty, and a certain turtle feels like he's the eye of the metaphorical storm. [Title from Hell Of A Ride, by Bo Burnham]

TWs: Descriptions of Violence, Leo going through a traumatic event, slight talk of death/accepting it

The first and only thing Leonardo can feel right now is pain. Sharp, excruciating pain that is absolutely everywhere. In his shell, in his legs, in his arms, in his face, everywhere . It is the worst pain Leo has ever felt, even worse than what the Shredder had done to them. Than what earlier in the day had thrown his way. He just wishes it would stop, but knows it’s not going to stop. That it’s never going to, as long as he still has breath still lingering in his body. He knows this isn’t going to stop till he is dead .

Kraang Prime lets out yet another screech, another sound that makes his eardrums feel like they’re breaking, before slamming the arm of his suit into the slider again. Leo doesn’t even put up a fight, not anymore. Not after the fifth or so beating. There’s no point in doing so. He sealed himself away in this dimension for a purpose. He’s going to die anyway. He always was. And on the very small and off chance that Kraang Prime lets him live; thirst and starvation, and their injuries will claim the both of them sooner rather than later.

He is being thrown around like a ragdoll, and it sure is making him feel like one. The Kraang leader picks him up like he was nothing, and throws the slides miles and miles into nothingness. Throws him distances Leo’s not even sure he could travel with his katanas, if he still had the both of them. And then he always catches up just a second later, like the space is nothing. Like all the debris and dumb rocks his victim had banged into on the way there are nothing, because they are nothing to him. Especially in that stupid suit.

Leo coughs up blood, and he is hit again. And again, and again, and again, until his whole body feels like a bruised and bloody pulp. Until he himself feels like some kind of horrible injury. But Leo knows not all of his bones and stuff are broken, because he is still holding the picture. He could not hold it if Kraang Prime had broken all his bones. The slider keeps the small piece of home close to him, keeping it safe the best he can, and lets it ground him as he momentarily just floats through nothing.

To make this more bearable as he floats and flys through nothing, and to give himself something other to focus on than the darkness and the beatings, Leo has started to make a mental list of all his injuries, where the pain is coming from and how strong it is. Shutting his eyes and doing that is better than staring at Kraang Prime as he slowly kills him, that’s for sure. Putting his medical brain on is also a pretty good way to keep himself from crying. Leo really hates crying.

The slider takes a breath in between hits, getting all the air he can as the dimension’s natural floating debris gives him temporary shelter. It hurt when he inhaled and exhaled, so a broken rib or two most likely. Something could also be wrong with his lungs themselves, due to how much he’s been smacked around. Even despite his shell and biological engineer to protect his inside. Draxum and had made all four of them to be weapons of war, but they were still just flesh and bones at the end of the day. Flesh and bones could only take so many hard hits before breaking, no matter how much science you stuffed in them.

He focuses hard, despite whatever pain comes next, and feels the rest of his body. The picture is still clasped firmly in his hand. His other hand feels like hell, and he can’t move any of his fingers. Same with that forearm. His other shoulder feels dislocated. Leo thinks his plastron and shell are both cracked, along with broken femurs and a severally fucked up knee. His head isn’t injured, but he suspects it will be soon enough.

For one last moment of peace, Leo thinks of much medical supplies and downright miracles it would take to heal all of this. He thinks of many medical supplies and stupid colored band aids with dumb little cartoons Mikey would relish in stealing from the local pharmacy. He thinks of the Lou Jitsu and Jupiter Jim ones the box turtle would buy his older brother, and how he would happily place them on top of his medical gauze covered limbs. Leo thinks of that with a smile, remembering how Mikey had done just that after a bad fight with the Foot one day. To lighten the mood, as he’d claimed. And because Jupiter Jim was awesome .

He thinks of how Donnie would complain about the blood and how gross is was, and can’t help but force a small chuckle, even with his fucked up throat and diaphragm. His poor twin always hated blood and stuff, but had made himself learn some basic medicine anyways. Because he was a nerd and totally thought Leo was so cool for being able to understand the one science he just couldn’t get behind. Donnie hadn’t said that, but he knew it was true. They were twins, after all.

Leo thinks of how Raph would nag him for being this hurt and dumb, after getting out of overprotective big brother mode, of course. And then he’d playfully hit the slider in the shoulder and offer to spar when he felt better, and then worry so much over hurting him again the spar would be lame. Leo thinks of how often his big brother had patched his wounds then accidentally reopened them later, a surge of affection flowing through him. The big guy never really got a hold of all that extra strength and size when they were just kids. But he was better now. Though it didn’t stop him from hitting Mikey just a bit too hard every now and again.

He thinks of how, whenever they get injured, April finds out what it would cost in human medical bills; her curiosity getting the better of her. And then she complains and grumbles how lucky they are to not have to deal with insurance and what not. He thinks of how his father would care for him when he was younger, even if he often times lacked in most things parental. He thinks of how Draxum would scold him for injuring his perfect creation, then bring him medicine later anyways. He thinks of how Cassnadra would worry over him in her own way, doing so by giving him tips to get better. He thinks of how, whenever Sunita came over, she brought them yokai food they couldn’t get anymore. (Because, ya know, wanted criminals and all that.) Especially when they were injured. He wonders what they’re slimy friend would bring him now, if she were to see all this….

Leo thinks and remembers all of this with a smile, and a few stray tears he didn’t permit falling out. Though the slider supposed, if he is going to die in here, he should at least let himself cry a little. Especially since he won’t be able to do anymore when he’s dead, supposedly. Leo has no idea if ghosts can cry, but figures he will be finding out shortly. His new favorite alien seems to be close, if the ever approaching smashing of rocks says anything, and is probably more determined than ever to send him straight to the ancestors. 

Suddenly, yet just as anticipated, the debris in front of him shatters into pieces, and Kraang Prime has found him again. He always does, he’s always just a few seconds behind. Never much more. So, right before Leo is picked up and thrown into even more floating rocks, he braces himself for the impact. It doesn’t do much good. He feels things pop out of place. He feels things snap and crack deep inside him. This is not looking good for Hamto Leonardo.

He gets thrown around like a ragdoll some more, for what feels like an eternity. Kraang Prime screams obscenities at him as he further injures the slider, though Leo has stopped listening a while ago. He’s sure, if he would ever go to sleep again, that those words would re-enter his brain and haunt his dreams forever. Those screams and words, all so grating on his very injured ears, also make the minutes feel like years; on top of the pain and the Prison Dimensions general nothingness that it’s name guaranteed. He’s maybe only been here ten minutes, maybe twenty maximum, but it feels like decades have passed. And maybe, Leo thinks as something else in his body snaps, he has been here for decades. Time might not work the same here. His brother might already have moved on, grown up, made new lives for themselves, and here he still is. Slowly dying to a fucking alien dictator. The same one he let free in another timeline, the same one he let kill the family that’s living happily without him right now. If that isn’t the definition of both tragic and poetic, then the slider doesn’t know what is.

And then before Leo even knows what’s happening, there is a glowing Orange light, and the crushing feelings of warmth and love and fear and hope . The Purple and Red energies, the ninpos that reach into this cold and foreign place, are not far behind the Orange. It seems, that against all the odds, that his brothers have found a way to save him after all; just as he was having his last thought about them. Right on cue, just as he would expect. 

 Time doesn’t work differently here, after all, Leo finds as the colors wash over him, and start to drag him up. Their ninpo’s still feel the same, young and full of energy. Not old and a little lifeless like Splinter’s does. Mikey’s, which is the strongest right now, still feels like wonder and joy and childhood . Donnie, the fiercest one of all, still feels all pixelated and buzzy in a way that can only be described as something uniquely Donatello . And Raph, who has the most desperate ninpo of all his brothers, still feels like love and protection and strength . The realization comforts Leo much more than he thought it would, even as Kraang Prime screeches again. Though this time, the alien’s tone is more angry than it was before.

Leo reaches out weakly, with both his most uninjured arm and his ninpo. His limbs are weak, hsi energy is weak, even though he wants it to be stronger. But it’s fine, because his brother’s are more than making up for it. The sheer mystic energy coming from that portal is way more than enough to rival whatever they were doing in the final Shredder fight, and that’s saying something. That had all the Hamato ancestors ever . This portal is just made of three turtles and a whole lot of brotherly love.

“Took you guys long enough.” Leo jokes, his voice sounding hoarse. Mikey lets out a scream, and makes the portal as wide as he can. Leo doesn’t even wanna know how the fuck his baby brother made that thing, but sure he’s he’’ be excitedly told all about it later; when he’s all sick and bedridden. Raph and Donnie each grab his arm through the opening, hoisting him upward, and the slider grabs back the best he can. Their energy surrounds him, protective and strong. For a good minute there, Leo thinks he’s not doomed to his fate after all, and that he’s actually going to get out of here.

And then, for another horrible minute, Kraang Prime has surged forward and grabbed ahold of his leg. He is trying to drag his enemy back down, so he can finish him off. So they can both die in that awful place together. Leo’s stomach drops at the touch of cold and unfriendly metal on his calf. He doesn;t wanna go back to accepting death, and counting injuries. He wants to live . He wants to see Raph smile again and hear Donnie complain and watch Mikey draw. He doesn’t want to go back to the darkness, he wants to live so badly it hurts .

And then, in a moment of pure rage, Donnie makes a giant purple drill and nails Kraang Prime straight in the face with it. His twin’’s anger is so fierce to feel in this form, though ninpo, and Leo had forgotten that. The intensity of it almost makes his grip on Raph’s hand slip, but his big brother is holding on for the both of them. He makes his whole arm bigger, right as Kraang Prime is knocked back into nothingness, and pulls all three of them out and back into New York City. Leo has never been more thankful to see this place in his life. 

Before the portal closes, the slider remembers his katanas. He uses the last of his strength and ninpo to bring them back to him, one flying out of the Prison Dimension and right past all their heads. There is the distinctive sound of the other, that he could not remember how or where he’d left it, hitting the ground nearby. He doesn’t think his brothers notice it, too busy with getting him back and keeping the Kraang at bay. Right after that, and if as on cue again, Mikey closes the portal right on that stupid alien’s, winking and saying something cool as he does so. Then the portal is gone, and the world is still and silent for a few seconds, and Leo and his four brothers all fall onto the ruined ground of New York.

And that is how, despite all the odds and feats that literally should’ve been impossib;e, Leonardo Hamato gets his ass saved from death via self sacrifice and brutal revenge. Because his brother’s loved him too much to leave him, even if had lived a whole lifetime without the three of them somewhere else. Again, if that isn’t poetry, he has no idea what is.

The slider is brought back to earth again, lying somewhere in New York. Everything seems to go in slow motion as his brain catches up and his family crowds around him, seconds feeling like several minutes at once. It’s disorienting. Leo kinda hates it. But, at least it lets him take everything in. Even if there is a high chance he’ll forget most if not all of this later, his probable brain damage being likely to play a huge factor in said memory loss.

Leo lays flat on his shell, looking at the pale orange of the New York sky, the sun slowly setting over the disastrous day. It’s a sight the slider never thought he would see again, a fact he had made peace with. Just looking at it kinda makes him want to cry.

His brother's faces are what really make him want to sob though, beautiful sunset be damned. Mikey’s looking at him, relief and the biggest tears anyone’s ever seen clouding his eyes. Though there is still the tail ends of fear behind his baby brother’s joy, like he was scared Kraang Prime would reopen his portal and drag Leo down into the Prison Dimension with him, for a second time in one day. His baby brother’s hands are shaking. Leo’s medical brain clocks it before he clocks how he himself feels. Those aren’t good shakes at all, they’re straight up muscle tremors from using too much mystic power. If Leo was in a better state, he’d be rushing the box turtle home to the medbay ASAP . Draxum’s gonna kill them for letting Mikey do that to himself. (Realistically, none of them could’ve stopped him from doing it, not even Raph. Or the big bad and scary mad scientist himself)

Raph looks like he’s glad Leo’s alive, and like he wants to wring his throat out for that stunt he just pulled. Which, yeah, fair enough. If the roles were reversed, Leo would be holding himself back from punching the guy right now. Raph’s left eye is cloudy, from where the Kraang had gotten him. Leo can’t help the stab of guilt that pierces him when he sees it. There are cracks in his big brother's plastron, and his left arm looks scarily unnatural with all the blood and whatnot covering it. He looks so happy to see the slider, but also so tired at the same time. Leo can’t digest everything that face makes him feel right now

Donnie’s face is the worst. He’s crouched over Leo, examining him; watching the blood flow from his wounds with concern. What little medical knowledge the softshell knows is already going through his head, Leo can see it in his twin’s eyes. He feels bad he never gave their siblings any more than basic first aid training, especially now. Donnie’s probably gonna have to bear the brunt of the medical work, since he at least knows how to set a bone back, and the softshell is horrible squeamish. Sorry ‘bout that one, Dee.

There are tear streaks staining his brother's purple mask and left over tears lingering in his eyes. His twin had been crying. Donnie hadn’t cried since they were nine. Maybe ten. Leo hated seeing him cry. He hated causing it, more than words could ever describe. The softshell’s hand is firmly gripping an uninjured area on Leo’s forearm, and is crushing it, refusing to let go. Even as gross blood flows all over it and absolutely activates Donnie’s sensory issues. It’s a sweet gesture, once Leo realizes what it is. Even if it is a little gross. He doesn’t think Donnie’s going to let go of him for at least a few hours. 

His twin’s shell is exposed, there’s a million injuries littering him. Leo wants to shove battleshell over him and protect his poor brothers spine as much as he wants to heal Mikey’s arms and look at Raph’s eye. He can’t do that right now, there’s too much of his own blood flowing onto the floor. The slider is stuck on the ground, breathing heavily as reality comes back to him. Finally, he was starting to get sick of being disoriented on top of all the horrible amounts of pain he’s in. Thankfully too, that had been so unfun.

“Leo? Leo, are you there?” Raph’s voice breaks through the fog that is Leonardo’s brain, and he can finally hear what his family is saying to him. They’re mouths have been moving ever since he first saw the sunset, but his ears have only just stopped ringing. He thinks there’s a good amount of misplaced blood in them, and the rest of his head as well. He briefly wonders if his head will explode from it all, or if it will just be wiped away and join all the blood on his hands instead. The first part seems a lot more appealing to the slider.

Mikey and Donnie are saying things too, just as Leo starts to focus more on his surroundings. Their voices are sadly drowned out by how intensely he’s staring at the place around them, wanting to fully get his bearings before he does anything. And hey, wait a minute, he recognizes this view of the sunset. The skyline. The view of the city from here. At first, he had assumed they were somewhere in Manhattan or something. They had been fighting the Kraang so high up in the air, there was no telling where they would find themselves when gravity pulled them all back down. But clearly, that was not the case, because the slider was laying on like, possibly the worst spot in the whole of New York City.

“Ew, are we on Staten Island? ” Leo jokes, the weirdest way to confirm he’s okay, and then promptly passes out. The blood loss finally got to him, it seems, with how light and woozy his head feels in the moments before it all goes black. That, and the excruciating pain. He’s at a ten out of twenty on the pain scale, at least. Maybe a thirty if we’re feeling generous. Passing out is more than a relief, even if he does lose consciousness with his family’s worried cries filling his ears. At least now, in unconsciousness, he will get a rest from the pain. Just for a little bit.

But it will not give him a rest from some other things. It will give him quite the opposite.

[teddy06]

Everyone wake up the new AU I’m never gonna write just dropped

Hear me out:

IceMav Yours Mine and Ours AU

Either version, but I’m partial to the original

Basically with Iceman and Maverick as Frank and Helen and the daggers as their respective kids who are all working together to try and get them to divorce

I’m thinking Ice and co (Bob, Halo, Hangman, Yale, Harvard, and Coyote) have been living in San Francisco for a while bc Ice has a semi permanent station there

For the most part, they’re on the chiller side, a little more regimented, but all in all sort of like a regular family

But then Maverick and co (rooster, phoenix, fritz, fanboy, payback, and Omaha) move into the city becuase Mav was reassigned

These kids are like your average military brats (bc Mav keeps doing things to be reassigned) but way more chaotic

Their house is loud, obnoxious and kind of like an introverts nightmare

Anyway, eventually, Ice and Mav start seeing each other, maybe goose or slider sets them up, and the kids are Pissed

They’re constantly trying to put them off each other, and then starting their own rivalries with each other at school and the whole mess is getting worse (Bob and Phoenix are the one kids that actually get along, but they enjoy contributing to the chaos on occasion)

Then Ice and Mav get married and the attempts to get them separated just get more and more wild as all the daggers are forced to move in together

[pudding-parade]

Get to know you - Sims Style

@rstarsims3 tagged me for this a while back, and I'm finally posting my answers, which took me a while to compile because 1) Blabbity blab blab blab, as usual, and 2) Still needing lots of rest and stuff, so no sitting at a computer for hours on end.

But here we go! I'mma put my blabby answers and my tag list behind Ye Olde Cut.

What’s your favorite Sims death? What an odd question, especially to lead off… Well, I guess if I had to pick one, it'd be the one from TS2 where cloudwatching occasionally brings a satellite down on the cloudwatcher's head. But generally, mine die of old age, if they manage to get that far. I play with long, but realistically proportional, life stages, mostly because I'm almost always playing "experimental" saves where I'm "road testing" rulesets and such, so I need a lot of time to work out kinks and test ideas and stuff.)

Alpha CC or Maxis Match? I land on a combination of more-realistic (but not ultra-realistic) stuff for CAS, but for everything else, like with furniture and deco and stuff, I tend to prefer CC stuff that visually fits in with the EA stuff in terms of style and textures and whatnot, so that the CC doesn't stick out like a sore thumb when combined with EA stuff. In fact, my "go-to" CC for build/buy is stuff that adds on to EA stuff, like more doors/windows that match an EA door/window.

Do you cheat your sims weight? What, to make the fat ones skinny? The skinny ones fat? The skinny ones buff? No. I don't see why I would. It's easy enough to make a sim gain or lose weight without cheating, which I'm assuming means just using the sliders.

Do you move objects? Is there anyone who doesn't? That's a serious question. Is there any one who doesn't? I want to know.

Favorite Mod? I'm leaving aside the NRaas mods because I don't see them as mods so much as things that are just essential to make the game playable in the often-weird ways that I play. There are others that I also consider just essential for when I'm playing in certain styles, especially for more primitive settings. But for ones that are optional and just pure fun, I'd nominate all of @thesweetsimmer111's baby- and toddler-related ones.

First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack? I know for TS2 it was Seasons. For TS3…For a long time, I had just the base game, which I got when it came out, but didn't play beyond trying it out and then going back to TS2. Then, years later, I got a new computer and decided to give TS3 another try, but I couldn't find the CD or DVD or whatever it was, so I bought a combo pack with the base game, Late Night, and the High End Loft or whatever it is stuff pack, so I guess it would be Late Night. Other than that, I bought all the other TS3 EPs in one go when EA had them on sale for 50% off via Origin, which that combo pack forced me to install. (But which I am now free of again. 🏴‍☠️)

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing? As aLIVE. Because that is when the game is live. Games do not live, but they can be live. See, this is one reason why English sucks.

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? Here's a thing about me: I don't really get attached to the pixel people. For me, they're just tools. I'm guessing it's because I'm not a storyteller when it comes to Sims, so I don't see sims as characters. Sure, sometimes I find one endearing for one reason or another. Usually, they have traits that make them assholes, and I like to watch them create chaos and ruin wherever they go. One of the founders of the Random Legacy that I will get back to one of these days is one of those. But I find I like other people's sims more than mine, though that's more of a testament to those simmers' story-telling skills than anything else.

Have you made a simself? Only by accident. A few times I've just been randomly moving sliders around and somehow I ended up with something that looked like me at some stage in my life. It stayed that way for a minute or three, before I yelled OH GOD NO! and quickly slidered the horror away.

But to be honest? I find the entire concept kind of creepy, at least in terms of putting a self-sim in the game and playing them as a character. That would just feel weird to me. That said, I suppose it might have been something that would have appealed to me if I had played when I was a kid, but the game didn't exist when I was a kid. Computers didn't exist when I was a kid, at least not in a form that regular people could own and that could fit on a desk. I was in my 40s when I started playing the game. My daughter played TS2 when she was a kid, and she had a self-sim inserted into the stories she would play, so…yeah. Maybe it's a younger-person thing. Or maybe I'm just weird. Yeah, it's probably that second option.

Which is your favorite EA hair color? Probably the black, but even with that I have to add some highlights to it because otherwise the hair just looks like a creature from the void eating the sim's head.

Favorite EA hair? None of them. They all need to DIAF.

Favorite life stage? I don't have one. I have a least-favorite, babies, because they're basically just objects, but once they're actually sims, I enjoy playing sims of all ages equally.

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? I originally bought TS2 just to build in it, and for a couple of years, that was all I did. I only started actually playing the game later. Now, I enjoy both building and actually playing the game, depending on my mood. Usually, I'll have a binge of building, but I eventually come to a point where I'd rather do anything other than build. Then I play the game. Then, eventually, the urge to build comes back. So it's a back-and-forth.

Are you a CC creator? I made lots of stuff for TS2, mostly object retextures/recolors. I've made a few minor things for TS3, and I retexture hairs and add preg morphs to clothing for my own use, but I wouldn't consider myself a CC creator for TS3. In fact, I'm actively resisting learning how to make stuff for TS3 because I really don't want to go down that rabbithole again.

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad? Friends in the sense of "people I enjoy talking to and sharing ideas with and sometimes arguing with here on Tumblr?" Sure. Are those the same as friendships that develop face-to-face in the real world? Nope. But, sometimes I like talking to my Simblr friends a lot more than talking to my real-life friends, so make of that what you will. Y'all are less draining sometimes. LOL

Do you have any sims merch? No official merch, but my brother-in-law is into making pottery, and several years ago he made me a big stoneware mug with a plumbbob on it. Which is ironic because when I play the game I turn off the plumbbobs because I hate them. LOL But I love the mug. It's heavy enough that neither cats nor wagging dog tails nor giant snakes (though he could do it if he focused all four of his brain cells on the task) can knock it off of tables, but not so heavy that I can't comfortably lift it. I use it for eating soup and the occasional mug cake, and also for drinking the awful herbal tea my husband makes me drink, though since the recent surgery, I don't have to drink that anymore! *dances* So now it will just be my soup or cake mug. Or one for tea that I actually want to drink.

Do you have a YouTube for sims? I don't have a YouTube for anything. Well, OK, I have a YouTube account for watching other people's stuff and making playlists of things I want to watch, but I don't post videos on it, and I don't really watch video game-related stuff on YouTube, either.

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing? It hasn't, really. I've pretty much always just come up with wacky scenarios to play and see how they go. In fact, for me, coming up with the scenario and figuring out how to make it work in the game and then inventing a ruleset to govern it is sometimes more fun than actually playing the scenario. LOL

And my Sims all look like the game made them because…the game makes all of them. I just poke the random button until it produces something that doesn't look too much like a freak of nature, then I hit up a couple sliders to remove or tone down any remaining freakishness. (Though I confess that I will spend an inordinate amount of time sculpting the titties of those who have them. Why? I have no idea, other than I just like me a nice pair of titties. Too bad there aren't any sliders for male titties…) Then I just slap on a different hair, maybe change the eye color, and slather on some makeup and facial/body hair and shit until they don't look too stupid, and then off I go. From there, they're all born in the game, and I just leave them as-is, mostly because I can't be bothered. "I can't be bothered" is pretty much my philosophy of life.

Who’s your favorite CC creator? I hate this kind of question. I feel like all they do is disappoint and discourage people if they're never picked. I refuse to do that over something so trivial. So, my favorite CC creator is you, the person reading this. Yes, you. Even if you don't make CC. It doesn't matter. You're the best.

How long have you had Simblr? I started my TS2 one in 2013. (I can remember that only because I know that I started it the same year I met my husband. LOL ) I started this one….2 years ago? 3? Something like that.

How do you edit your pictures? Other than basic cropping and resizing and maybe adjusting brightness/contrast a bit if the pic is too dark or whatever, I generally don't. I don't even use Reshade all the time anymore, only in certain situations, though I do have an NVIDIA profile for the game that adds ambient occlusion and better antialiasing and shit like that. Sometimes, though, I'll decide to photoshop scenery pics, and then I just kind of stab at it with various tools and filters and layer blends and shit until I like I how it looks. There's no actual process involved. I'm random like that.

What expansion/ gamepack is your favorite? I gotta go with World Adventures. Bits of it are a bit, shall we say, culturally problematic, but man, I never get tired of doing those stupid, stupid tombs. LOL Plus, I love that NRaas Traveler allows you to "travel" to any world, and I don't think that mod works without WA, so…. Yeah. WA.

Tagging: I have no idea who's done this, so I'll just tag a few random people, off the top of my head. Feel free to do or ignore, as you choose. No pressure from me! So...@nectar-cellar, @happy-lemon, @erasabledinosaur, @esotheria-sims, @lilleputtu, @littlefrenchsims, @anamoon63, @lazysunjade, annnnnnnnd @papermint-airplane.

[callmemana]

All Grown Up:

Summary: The Kazansky and Kerner’s watch their daughters graduate from High School.

🚨warnings🚨: fluff, soft Slider and Iceman moments.

{masterlist 📚} {previous chapter 📎} {next chapter 📖}

In honor of our baby Mousey graduating HS in a few weeks!

It was a hot afternoon in May on the Miramar base that the Kazansky family were currently stationed at.

Ice and Dragon couldn’t be more proud of their daughters as the couple and the Kerner’s sat by one another to watch this big moment in their children’s lives.

The tight friendship between their parents had been carried on to the Kazansky sisters and the Kerner girl.

When both women were told that they had a low chance to have a baby, it pained them to know that they wouldn’t be able to experience the same things as other couples on the base.

But by what seems like a wish upon a shooting star, within a month of each other, Rachael and Jade found out that they were pregnant.

Tom and Ron were very helpful during the pregnancies and tried to be there for every appointment and when the men couldn’t, the women would be each others support systems.

They were all thankful for this day, the girls because they could finally follow in their parents footsteps and join the Navy and the couples because it showed that their babies were growing up.

The girls were all dressed in their official Navy Officer uniforms, hair slicked back in the mandatory bun, and the Navy chords laying on the back of their necks.

Nerves shot up their backs as they waited in the line before walking out to the football stadium that held the awaiting parents.

Baylie Kazansky, the eldest, started the hand holding train with the two other girls behind her. As the leader, she made sure to care for the younger two.

Raven was in the middle and the youngest of the group, the older girls protected her at all cost and wouldn’t let anyone hurt their Mousey.

Last but not least, was Amanda Kerner. The only child of Slider and Whiskey, but saw the Kazansky’s as her second family.

All the girls had ‘graduated’ in the second semester of the school year and gone to bootcamp between then and now.

Today made it official and would get their diplomas that they worked so hard for during the four years of high school they finished.

The music started and the line moved to the door, one by one all the students came outside and sat in order, just like they practiced earlier in the day.

A speech was made by the Salutatorian before the Principal and the Vice Principal made their own.

A moment of silence was announced for the Military members present and who had passed then the Valedictorian made his speech.

More time passed before the Principal started to call the names of students.

As the last of the surnames that started with J’s were called up to the stage, Baylie buzzed with excitement and squeezed Raven’s hand, who in which returned it and did the same to Amanda.

“Baylie Ann Kazansky,” Mr. Simpson called and with one last squeeze, Bay started her walk to the stairs that attached to the stage.

Thinking quickly she jumped in the air on the last step and did a little heel click, a smile on her face after she stuck the landing.

She heard the shouts of her family as she shook her Principal and the Vice Principal’s hand as she held the diploma and the photographer took the picture.

At the end of the stairs stood a junior who handed her a red carnation with a silver ribbon tied in a bow around the stem.

She was just barely to her seat before her sister was called. “Raven Alice Kazansky-Fischer.” Mouse, as her nickname suggests, shyly took the stage and did the same as the many students before her.

Seeing her older sister cause chaos, just like her mother and aunt would’ve done, decided to also do something.

So, with a half-assed plan created, she slid down the bannister and almost fell on her face.

Amanda Kerner was known for being clumsy, often falling over her own feet, so why would today be any different.

“Amanda Louise Kerner.” She stood up and started to make her way to the stage, glancing up into the bleachers to find her family. Once she did, she gave a small smile and held her head up high.

When she was on the last step she missed and almost fell flat on her face, but at the last second saved herself.

Amanda started to laugh and her face heated up a little embarrassed about the whole thing as she walked up to the Principal and copy the hundreds before her.

After she had her carnation in hand, made her way back to her seat as the next student was announced.

The three girls scooted the chairs closer and held hands again, this time their achievements in the other as they all waited for the rest of the students to be called.

Ron and Jade both could see her body move with giggles and her face flushed a light pink as their daughter took the diploma.

Tom lightly smacked Ron’s shoulder as he laughed at his niece.

The Kerner parents have no idea where their daughter’s clumsiness comes from, both steady on land and in air, but they always had a good laugh about it.

Often making jokes and sharing the moments with Tom and Rachael.

Both couples did this with their children and the hilarious memories that would forever be remembered.

It only took seconds before the laughter turned into tears as they cheered or whistled for their children.

Proud was not the word that could describe this experience, because they all felt like that wasn’t the right one to use.

Both couples felt more than proud for their children, but didn’t know if there was a word to explain how much.

After the last student was called, another speech was made and then the Principal said the sentence that the girls and the couples were waiting for, “Please give a round of applause for the graduating class of 2017! You may move the tassel from the right to the left!”

One by one starting from the closest to the stage, all the lines of students started to exit and were free to find their families.

Ron, being the tall giraffe man that he is, spotted the girls first and guided the others to the recent graduates.

He didn’t wait for his daughter to see him, immediately pulling her into a bear hug and squeezing tighter when he feels her jump, a chuckle vibrates through his chest.

He knows that she realizes who it is after the chuckle, and turns around in his arms to hug him back.

Jade joins not too long afterwards, wanting the father and daughter to have a moment just for them.

Soon Ron lets go for the same reason as his wife, a special moment shared between a mother and a daughter.

More tears are shed as the embrace continues before Jade eventually brakes it, too choked up for words.

Ron stands in front of his little baby, tears gathering at his eyes as he looks at her in the Navy Dress Blues and sees a younger version of her mother.

He lightly punches her chin and whispers, “Here’s looking at you kid.” Amanda sniffles, tears threatening to fall again as she softly punches his chest, “Here’s looking at you dad.”

Ron pulls her into another hug, wanting this moment to freeze in time.

The Kazansky’s are too lost in their own little world to pay attention to the Kerner’s.

Baylie, the daddy’s girl she is, runs to Tom first. His callsign might be ‘Iceman’ but right now, his ice cold persona is gone for his beautiful daughters.

He pulls away slightly and kisses her forehead, “Come home to me, Bay.”

Baylie reaches up to her father’s forehead barely in her tippy-toes, gives him a soft head-butt and whispers back, “Always.”

He doesn’t stop the tears, nor would he want to. Both crying freely as they hug each other tight.

“You’re tarnishing the Iceman name, you know.” She chuckles.

“Right now Bay, I could care less about that, not while I have you in my arms.”

A short amount of time passes before Raven is in his arms.

“Keep me in your heart,” Tom murmurs into her hair.

“Keep me in your mind,” Raven replied into his chest as she squeezed him impossibly tight, knocking the breath from his lungs.

He doesn’t want to ever let go, so blessed to have a moment like this to share and remember as the years go by.

He never thought he’d get to experience his children’s birth, so he was beyond happy to see them graduate.

Rachael lays her cheek against Raven’s head as the two hug, tears falling from her eyes to the young woman’s hair.

Raven was in no better shape than her mother, tears running down her face as they hugged.

After a couple of minutes went by, seeing that Bay and Tom were finishing their little father-daughter moment, she reluctantly let go. “I’m beyond proud of you my little Mouse.” “I’m proud to be your daughter, biological or not.”

Rachael couldn’t hold the gates and started to cry again, but soon was hugged by her eldest. “You know that we’ll always be your little girls right?”

Rachael petted Bay’s hair, followed by a kiss, “I know, I know. It’s just hard to believe that our babies are so grown up.”

Bay didn’t respond, just squeezed her tighter. All the words needed exchanged between them through the embrace.

The memory etched into her minds eye forever.

Individual family moments over, the two families came together and celebrated the girls’ graduation with hugs and ‘I’m so proud of you’s.’

They all took turns taking pictures of each families before asking someone passing by to take a group.

With that done, they all hopped into their cars and headed over to Top Gun where their Aunts and Uncles were gathered and ready to see the Graduates.

When they arrived they were all bombarded with open arms, food and drinks, and ‘congratulations!’

The girls could tell by the warmth and smiles that these strong and brave men and women they’ve known their whole lives were just as proud as their parents.

The girls knew that their support system was always going to be there for every accomplishment they go through and couldn’t be more happy by that fact.

And as the years go by, more and more memories were created and photographed so they could all look back and relive the moments and the feelings they all shared.

Birdie’s Basket🧺: @dragon-kazansky @mrsjaderogers @bayisdying @starlit-epiphany @gracespicybradshaw

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