#sun before solar au

[hahskeleton]

Sun Before Solar AU

[details below]

Reference sheet soon to be colored digitally!

This is an AU where Sun died instead of Solar! Now, I know you’re probably like, “That doesn’t align with canon knowledge of tsams at ALL!!” but I’m here to tell you I’ve come up with a really great idea of how he lives in this au but Sun dies!

So basically, everything that has happen in tsams has happened up until the “GOODBYE Solar in VRChat” episode which is when Sun evaporates instead of Solar. The only MAJOR difference is Lunar never killed Eclipse and none of the Celestial Bodies took enough interest in Lunar’s magic to explore earth among other things. No Gemini guys

So uhhhh Ruin basically said that Solar was supposed to die and everyone was all worried for a moment until Ruin was like, “But I fixed that!” And they were like “Huh???” So he then explained that he figured out a way to make it so that instead of Solar going bye, he made Sun die by basically swapping around some code and messing with things, teaming up with the creator to do so. (He technically messed with the dimensions to make it seem like Solar was part of Sun and Moon’s dimension the whole time)

So long story short Sun dies and Moon goes into spiraling depression over his brother that can’t come back (for reasons I have yet to figure out) and Solar is worried he’ll turn out like his Moon. But he probably won’t!

Sun’s ghost/spirit still watches over his family and stuff even though they can’t even see him (except for this one time when Solar did) but other than that he figured out that he can make contact with ONLY SOLAR for whatever reason through dreams. He’s only managed to do it once with Moon, and boy did he sleep a lot that night.

Just because of Sun being able to do this, whenever Solar needed to talk to him he would force himself to actually sleep for once and it actually did him some good. The few times he does it every couple months.

So on this tab, it says “Sun-project” and as you can see it looks like it doesn’t work…. Hmmmmmmmm….

Whenever either Solar or Moon or anyone else would try to even make a document regarding rebuilding Sun, it would crash and delete data and stuff and nothing good would ever come from it. This is part of the reason why Sun’s can’t ever come back.

If you have ideas for this au or questions, don’t hesitate to tell me, honestly I’m still kinda developing this au. Drabbles are being worked on as you read this probably soooo look for those I guess :)

[socksandbuttons]

what would the beans think about baby nexus

No room for baby. Get rid of the whole Baby.

Just be very glad Solar Flare is around.

[jackobbit]

Sorry if the quality is crunchity munchity, I have no clue why I made a canvas that was so small but I did-

n e wayz, from the weekly Magma! Solar Flare my beloved

[ID: A Magma drawing of Solar Flare from the Working for EVIL Au. Solar Flare is a boxy robot colored using oranges, browns and yellows. They have a circular head, several angled rays that surround their head, triangular shoulder pads, and long rounded arms and legs. They have a permanent smile made out of an air vent located on their face. They fly straight up into the sky, the background behind them being that of a sunset. One leg is lifted higher than the other, while Solar Flares arms are held out slightly, jets stem from the base of Solar Flares feet, allowing them to fly. They look off to the left, just slightly away from the viewer. In the bottom left hand corner is a signature, reading “@.jackobbit”. /End ID]

[fillipquesender]

[bloo-the-dragon]

so *points at mer au eclipse and ruin* these bitches gay, obviously

but im curious as to like. how do they view each other. do they see themselves as human labels of relationships? do they kinda have their own word for each other or is it just "yeah im stuck with this fucker for the rest of my life and while i may act like its a horrible thing i really dont mind and even prefer it bc honestly i doubt we'd be able to survive without each other"

honestly they give an "idc wut its called we're bonded for life" vibe /silly

HJGFGH Oh definitely it's a 'bonded for life' kinda deal, literally as well as metaphorically. As for what to call it, well it's not romantic nor is it platonic - Queer-Platonic is the closest/best term for it and that's generally how i refer to their relationship! It's very much it's own special thing, and it differs greatly from typical human relationships. (Honestly if they were humans it would probably be super unhealthy lmao)

From Eclipse's perspective he doesn't really give any label to what he and Ruin have. At the very beginning it was a sort of mutual roommate situation that developed overtime into them becoming so much more, to the point that - as you correctly said - they would no longer be able to survive without the other.

Presently Eclipse is aware that Ruin is now his counterpart and has fully accepted that (again there's a story behind this happening that i hope to one day share should i ever manage to finish the fic gfjkg) but as far as an actual term goes? Hell if he knows, but he's content either way, even if he does grouch a lot!

For Ruin, it's more simple - to him Eclipse is his mate, his bonded, his partner for life. Now again this differs greatly from human and even your typical animal forms of relationships (especially with the mated for life deal) and it still falls very closely under the qpr catagory. Mers don't actually mate in the sexual sense (genderless beings and all) so for them to bond for life is to quite literally bind/tie their soul to another making them as one almost.

So long story short, it's a queer-platonic partnered for life kinda deal! Neither of them have any actual labels for it, it's just a 'we're attached at the hip and we ain't letting go'. It's truly queer!

[rayofmisfortune]

I think it'd be cute if Solare and Wamoon held hands.

Held hands you say?

The temple is riddled with diverging pathways and off shooting hallways. Not a single path one takes is for sure the correct one. One thing is for certain however, the exit is just out of reach, at every single turn.

"The next chamber should be just up ahead."

I went way overboard with this wow jdnfnf

Close up of their hands :3c

[apolloccentric]

i used to think about a fortuna au where roman apollo gets chucked into the sun god a lot. Maybe should think about it again it was sooo fun. feat. art thats in the dex and is .. oh my goddd its fucking old and i should redraw it but i SHOULDNT

[dragondoodling]

[chibigalaxies]

Bodyswap

[hahskeleton]

Goodbye Sundrop

First drabble for my Sun Before Solar AU!! :D

Word count: 1,895

Read time: ~7-10 minutes (depends on your reading speed)

Content warnings: Agonized yelling, crying, robotic blood, choking, abuse, death,

Writer’s note: This drabble is a little explanation for my Sun Before Solar au and shows exactly how Sun went and Solar stayed. If you are severely upset over any of the content of warnings, please don’t read this (there isn’t a whole lot of some stuff above). Also, if I’ve made any grammar mistakes, please tell me!! I’m running off a shot of espresso and an hour of sleep whilst writing this sooooo-

Moon bursted into his home shortly followed by Solar, who quickly trailed behind him, saying as little as possible. Moon was heard grumbling angry sentence fragments about Ruin and how much he hated him. It was a little wild considering for months, nobody but Eclipse had suspected Ruin to be the mastermind behind all the hype and excitement.

As the two animatronics rushed through the house to the room where Sun and Ruin were, Moon’s speed became more rapid, only to thrust open the door and find Sun standing in the corner as far away from Ruin as he could get.

“Moon!” He gasped, relaxing a bit as Ruin shifted in the bed he sat on.

“Sun, are you okay? Solar and I came as soon as-”

“Ah, yes, Solar.” Ruin interrupted, crossing his legs slowly as if to intimidate them. Moon looked back at the eclipse-themed bot and shrugged, his monotone expression shaking lightly, unbeknownst to what Ruin had planned. “You know, you should be gone right about now.” Ruin gave a sly smirk, closing his eyes like he was worry free, though he was far from that.

“What?” Solar rung in, taking a heavy step further into the room.

“You should really be thanking me that you’re still here.” The mixed animatronic swiftly raised from the bed to properly face the three family members, grinning widely at them all.

Solar scoffed, “What on earth would I want to thank you for? You’ve caused nothing but trouble!” In the corner, Sun clung helplessly to Moon’s arm, utterly afraid of what Ruin might try to do.

“Why, because you’re alive! Why else?”

“Why do you keep saying that?!” Moon yelled furiously, clenching his fists aggressively.

Ruin giggled like a child, walking over to the window that stretched from ceiling to floor, “Because, dear Moon, if it weren’t for a little messing around I had done, you dear friend Solar, here, would be gone! Dead! In the afterlife!”

Moon looked surprised over to Solar, who’s expression was just as shocked as his and Sun’s. When nobody reacted verbally to whatever Ruin was getting at, he decided to elaborate and make things clearer, just for his entertainment.

“You see, the way this universe works is… different. Now, a little while ago, with the way everything is set up, Solar would have died. But then I realized something that could be beneficial to me!” Ruin rambled, the mention of him killing off his family made Moon’s blood boil. If he had blood, that was.

“I decided, why let Solar die, when there’s Sun?”

Moon’s head flashed immediately to his brother, who had gone almost white at Ruin’s words. Sun shook uncontrollably, tearing up with black oil-like teardrops in the corner of his eyes. “M-Moon…”

Ruin snapped at Sun, “I’m not finished talking!” He barked, standing up straight, “So I did a little messing around and worked with your codes, and, well, let’s just say what I’ve done will take effect…”

Sun suddenly clenched his stomach area in pain and choked back a yell of agony.

“Right about now.” Ruin smirked as he watched Sun begin to have his life sucked right away from him.

“Sun!” Moon cried, taking him by the shoulders and looking him firmly in the eyes, “S-sun, just get a grip, okay? Hold on, y-you’ll be okay…!” Moon panicked, looking to Solar for help, but he was just staring, dumbfounded about everything happening that seemed to go by in a flash.

Tears dropped from Sun’s distressed faceplate as he began to feel… funny. He took a moment to take his hand away from his stomach and watched it in horror as it began to turn to nothing like dust being blown off a desk. Moon said nothing at first, his words taken right from him as he watched his brother’s life come to an end.

“Moonie…”

“Sun, no no no no, you can’t die! You can’t, y-you can’t!” Moon quivered, taking Sun’s hands and squeezing them as he began to cry too. A few of Sun’s rays began to fade away as well, and all anyone could really to was sob.

“Moon, I-I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see you again, but…” Sun shook, speaking through rivers of oily tears, “I love you, Moon, and- and- I’m going to miss you…!” Sun took his brother into an agony-filled embrace and Moon began to yelp with sadness.

“N-no, this isn’t the end of you! You’re not going to die!” He yelled, squeezing Sun, not believing his own words as they left his silicone lips.

“Moonie… I’m going to die…” Sun whispered, nuzzling his face into Moon’s shoulder. The lunar animatronic began to wail like there was no tomorrow, and Sun savored the last moments he could have with his brother.

It all went by too fast to process, but within the minute, Sun was gone. Moon had collapsed onto his knees, crying into what was left of his brother; his wrist ribbons were held firmly in Moon’s hand as he sobbed endlessly into them.

“SUN!!!” He screamed, hoping in any way, his brother, his beloved twin, would come back to him.

“A fragile thing, life.” Ruin cocked from the other side of the room, who was absentmindedly fiddling with his fingers.

Somehow, Moon had managed to forget Ruin was even there. He sprung up suddenly from his knees and stormed over to the mix-matched animatronic he had foolishly trusted and grabbed him by the neck, thrusting him against the wall violently.

“You’ve made a huge enemy today.” Moon growled, tightening his grip firmly on Ruin’s neck.

“I-I’m su-sure I have!”

Moon swung his fist and punched Ruin across the face countless times before beating him elsewhere all while he choked in his hands. Solar hurried to Moon’s side and stopped him before he could officially murder the cruel animatronic.

“Moon, be rational, what will killing him accomplish?” Solar yelled, only partially pulling him out of his violent rage.

“For one he’d be FAR away from where Sun is now!” Moon hissed in response, ripping his arm away from Solar and punching Ruin more and more, beating him until he could barely move.

“Moon!” Solar yelled again, holding him back by both arms and dragging him to the other side of the room. The lunar animatronic squirmed in Solar’s arms as he fought to get back to avenging his twin.

Ruin coughed, grinning despite his terrible condition, “You really are funny, Moon!” He cackled, rolling onto his side with an aching groan. Thick, blood-like oil leaked from multiple places on the destroyed animatronic’s body, even some trickling from the corner of his eyes and his mouth.

Moon shuffled to get out of Solar’s grasp more at the sound of Ruin’s aggravating voice. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU, RUIN! YOU WILL BURN IN HELL NO MATTER WHAT!” Moon howled with anger and agony, becoming weak from using all his energy to escape.

Finally, Ruin’s eyes turned black, and he fell limp, either dead or out of battery. Solar released Moon, and he fell to the floor again, crying for his brother. Solar bent down and hesitated to hug Moon, but it was probably what he needed at a moment like it was. Moon cried and cried until he couldn’t anymore, and at that point it was well after dark, and morning was nearing. Both Solar and Moon had ignored a number of calls from Earth and Lunar.

When he had finished, Moon had stood wearily and staggered out of Sun’s bedroom, knowing he’d never be able to walk back into that room ever again without a huge wave of dread washing over him. Solar walked out as well as he watched Moon flop onto the couch and lay miserably.

“Moon, what should I do with R-”

“Leave him. I’ll deal with it later.” Moon muttered, his voice cracked and broken from crying.

Solar frowned as he walked out of Sun’s former room, closing the door behind him. Sun’s cats ran below his feet, making him watch where he stepped as he wandered into the living area. “I- uh- I can leave if you’d prefer it.” Solar suggested, dithering to sit.

“I don’t care what you do right now.” Moon hissed, clearly in the worst mood he could be in.

Solar’s insides ached as he was given the nostalgic feeling of when his Moon from his dimension would hiss and scold him like that. It made him feel like a burden, so he left. Lord knows what Moon did with the rest of his night, but Solar knew someone was going to have to tell Earth and Lunar the sad news.

When he arrived at the daycare, Earth and Lunar rushed to him as if he was on fire. “Solar! We were so worried! Where’ve you been?! Where’s Sun and Moon?!” Earth asked, hugging the eclipse-themed animatronic.

Solar could barely speak, and it wasn’t like he wanted to anyway. He wasn’t the right person to tell them the truth, but Moon certainly wouldn’t be fit to do it either. He stumbled over his words, trying to find what to say, but it was so hard to say anything after what he’d just experienced.

“S-sun he’s… he’s- not here…” Solar managed to say, watching as Earth and Lunar exchanged confused glances.

“Where is he?” Lunar asked.

Solar figuratively swallowed a lump in his throat and felt the guilt rise. There was so much he could have done to prevent that, right? “He’s… he’s dead…”

Earth’s shoulders fell and Lunar shook, “He’s what-?” Earth sniffled, grabbing her shoulders for support.

“He’s dead. He w-was killed by Ruin…”

Lunar fell to the floor, tears rapidly falling as well, and all his sister did was stand and shake. Stand, shake, and cry. “He’s not! He can’t be- n-no, not Sun! Never!” Earth denied it all, throwing herself against the desk and sobbing into her arms.

“Not Sun! No! Please, this is a joke, it has to be!”

Solar walked up beside Earth and wrapped his arms around her, but unfortunately comfort wasn’t his strong suit. “Earth, I know it’s sad, but-”

“He’s dead…” Lunar squeaked from the floor behind the two. Solar cocked his head to face him, dark shadows ominously covering his face. “He- he can’t be dead…” Lunar’s hands began to shiver as lightning started to appear.

“Lunar, calm down…” Solar whispered, slowly walking up to the small animatronic. Lunar flung himself to his feet and started to pace back and forth, the lightning getting dangerously wild. Earth looked up too, spotting the fit Lunar seemed to be having.

The only thing that you could hear in the entire daycare was the crackle of Lunar’s lightning, and him muttering, “he’s dead” over and over again until he forced his hands to his temple and began to cry violently.

Earth and Solar hurried to him and took him into their arms, hugging him closely as all three began to wail together.

“Sun… my brother… m-my last original brother… he’s gone…” Lunar whispered, so many tears slipping down his cheeks.

“It’s okay, Lunar…” Earth whispered, choking back ugly sobs and hiccups. Lunar shook his head, “No… it’s not.” He gasped through huge sobs.

“We didn’t even get to say goodbye…”

[socksandbuttons]

I wouldn't mind Solar having a different design if it makes Lunar comfortable around him once again, it's sad that that friendship is cooling down and both sides are using Earth to replace the other

crying and dying because yeah but also i get lunars feelings BUT NOO I LOVED THEIR FRIENDSHIP SO MUCCCCCCCHHHH PROTECTIVE SOLAR. Solar justtt still on that 'Lunar is my new friend who kept me going, i think itll be fine' while aware that yeah no theres trauama there and lunars 'I dont feel the same anymore but i dont want to not be his friend' horrible i am dying bring back bonding between the two SOLAR WANTS TO PLAY A GAME DARN IT LUNAR TAUGHT HIM SO MCUH AND NOW LUNARS NOT EVEN PLAYING WITH HIMMMM aaa

[reaper-bloodmoon]

TSAMS Continuity AU: An Apology For Sun

[Solar can be seen approaching the large island home of Sun and Moon, mumbling to himself and prepping themself to face the one person he had been so...well, there was a reason he felt the need to apologize, especially after the whole incident with Crescent Moon the previous day. Solar approaches the door and hesitates for a moment, fidgeting with his oil stained gloves. What if Sun didn't forgive him, or even understood? ...Only one way to find out though, so he knocked on the door and waited for Sun to answer, considering he was the one who was at the house most often. It didn't take long as Sun soon opened up the door, holding a glass of wine in one hand.]

Sun: Oh hey! Wasn't really...expecting you today, but come in, come in!

[Sun invites Solar in, leading them over to the living room. Solar takes the time to sit down next to Sun as he sits on the sofa.]

Sun: Looking for Moon, buddy?

Solar: N-No, that's not it at all...

[Solar's rays shrink into his head a bit; Solar wasn't really one to stammer or be nervous when speaking. Not often anyway.]

Sun: Oh...?

Solar: I....I....I...I want to...apologize for being an ass in general and just...calling you stupid and...and...

[Solar's rays creaked as they nearly shrank and wilted completely.]

Solar: And not exactly being the best cousin to you and not really realizing you have other strengths....

Sun: Solar, it's fine, I'm used to-

Solar: It's not fine, Sun! I shouldn't be doing this, I'm supposed to be better, we...I...

[Solar rubbed at his eyes as he felt oil dripping down his face, not used to crying in front of Sun.]

Solar: I shouldn't be crying, I shouldn't...! I shouldn't just agree with everything Moon does, including not considering that you're smart in different areas!

Sun: Solar...

Solar: I....

[Solar shrinks back in on himself, sinking further into the sofa.]

Solar: I...I'm sorry...we...well....

Sun: You and I were close in your home dimension from what I understand.

[Sun placed his glass of wine down on a nearby end table.]

Solar: Yeah....we were...

Sun: But what I don't understand is why you did agree with Moon so much about me here?

Solar: I....

[Solar rubs at his eyes again, trying to form the right words.]

Solar: Moon, the one from my dimension, he's threatened me so much and they almost killed me at one point. I'm....I'm scared that it might happen here with them if I don't placate them with what he wants and agreeing with him on stuff, i-including stuff about you.

Sun: Solar...that sounds really tiring...and familiar.

Solar: ...I'm...I'm so sorry, Sun....

[Solar buries his face away as oily tears keep coming down his face.]

Solar: I can't stop crying, I shouldn't-

Sun: Solar, it's okay, you can cry as much as you need to in front of me.

[Sun wraps an arm around Solar, providing a warm presence, quite literally since his body seemed to heat up to actually provide proper comfort.]

Solar: Your body can do that?

Sun: What, this? I mean, it's a feature that's kind of always just been there.

Solar: ...It feels nice.

[Solar leaned more onto Sun, letting the oily tears streak down his face freely as Sun continued to comfort them.]

Sun: You know you don't have to just rely on Moon all the time, right? I did that for years and it hurt me more in the end of it all.

Solar: ...I....I know....I don't want to be hurt or worse again...

Sun: Then let me be your rock too, Solar. You're my baby cousin, I do care about you, I won't let you get hurt like I have in the past.

Solar: ...You promise?

Sun: I promise, Solar.

[Solar's rays finally grow and perk back up again, having a more genuine smile on their face.]

Solar: Thank you, Sun.

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

I just wanted to apologize got the solar x moon marriage "jump scare"

I didn't know people were going to hate it.

I don't see any of them as family except bloodmoon and his twin.

Cause they're the same code.

DNA isn't a thing for the bots, plus as far as I know two guy bots can't have kids.

Besides I didn't see the relationship as a physical one. Just platonic.

Also as a asexual and aromatic, you can be in a relationship. Just a heads up.

🩸🌙

To me, it's all good. I myself see them as besties and cousins in canon, but to each their own opinion. I don't see the point in arguing or trying to change how others see the relation of two fictional characters.

[fillipquesender]

So the ask where someone said abt solar knitting cosmos' cardigan..

I turned it into a drawing and oh my god this is going to be my favourite peice for a LONG TIME

Yes the blue hoodie is the one he normally has around his waist

I originally was gonna put earth there but I'm too tired to (its midnight)

What is ameliorate?

Ameliorate is an au I made where every vid up until evil sun reveals that ruin made eclipse is canon, with the plot twist of evil sun lying. Ruin is good in this au, and is considered a family friend, and is now renamed as Cosmos.

[lookwhatyoudidithasanxiety]

Solar

It isn't your fault.

I can and will have you repeat that if you keep blaming yourself.

Solar: Looks like it wakes me up. *takes another sip* I see why people drink this.

Harvest: Ah-hah! He's been indoctrinated!

Moon: I swear, I'll replace it all with decaf while you're sleeping.

Harvest: And I'll replace your knees.

Moon: What?

Harvest: What.

Lunar: I'm done! Can I go play with Bloody now?

Sun: *smiles* Yeah, go on. Just don't get into trouble, ok? Tell us if he's doing something...mischevious.

Lunar: Ok! *runs off*

Sun: So. What's the plan for today?

[naffeclipse]

A sort of mad scientist AU where Y/N is, of course, a mad scientist. You suffer from chronic illness and you are desperate to make your experiments work but you struggle without help. You refuse to take on a human assistant out of a desire to not be treated as lesser--as if you can't conduct great, horrific experiments like the other crazed scientists. You stubbornly set yourself to work without any such succor in your tower and the days pass, wearing heavily on your soot marked hands and aching, waning body.

A solution appears right at your feet one evening while rummaging around for some material in the grimy streets (dead animals, toxic waste--the usual to carry out unethical tests) and discover two abandon animatronics in the back alley, left to rot and turn to rust. There's close to zilch hope for the two but you're not a mad scientist for no reason. You drag the endoskeletons home before prompting collapsing for a day or two after overextending yourself and paying the price.

Once you get your strength back (and cursing your weakness) you turn all your effort to cleaning and preparing the endoskeletons. The celestial model of the animatronics would be helpful in your work, no? One after the solar ball of gas which beams heat and light onto the world and the other after the gray rock which brightens the night and tugs on the tides. Sun and Moon. You solder wires and revamp the servos. You hold and handle the limbs and heads of the animatronics as if they were sleeping. Soon, they will wake.

There's just one problem. They need a spark. Not a bit of ember from fire or the first crack of electricity from a splitting fork of lightning. A spark of life. And you contain such material within yourself. It's dangerous to lord over life and play god, but you need them.

The night storms when you prepare the animatronics with their chassis open, lying down on tables. You are steady despite the buzz in your veins in the face of the most dangerous experiment you have conducted yet. With these two are your side, there will be many to come. You spill your blood, split away two pieces of your pulsing core, and set two tiny sparks of life from your beating heart into the animatronics. Your head spins with pain and hope. The hum of servos whirling to life touches your eardrums. A great rumble of thunder shakes the tower. Your vision is slowly swallowed by darkness as you start to collapse but before you fall, two glowing pairs of eyes open.

When you wake, you're in your bed, in the dark, and your chest is bandaged. You hardly have the strength to touch the blood-stains soaking into the gauze but a silver and blue hand stops you. Red eyes pierce you at your bedside, a dark personage holding your wrist. Standing on the other end of your bed is a tall figure with ghostly pale optics falling over you. Dread fills your marrow at what exactly you brought back from death. A raspy voice raises a question. Who are you?

The animatronics. They're alive. They want answers, and you are more than willing to supply them. You give a very detailed, breathy response about how this all came to be, and when you propose that they become your assistants in your endeavors, they silently share a glance and nod in unison.

Though you fear you got off to a rough start with them putting you into bed after making sure your heart was still beating, they prove to be everything you want—and more. They have no desire to return to whoever tossed them to the street and left them as scrap metal, and you finally have extra hands to hold together metal contraptions and nimble fingers to set the exact scalpel blade size you need in your hand when cutting into a carcass.

They do not infantilize you in your sickness, much to your aching relief. Sun, however, is poignant in reminding you that pushing yourself past your energy capability, such as walking into town and dragging back a metallic frame for a killing contraption, will result in you needing a day of recovery. Moon sharply remarks that willingly subjecting yourself to an overnight of experimenting with beating hearts and lightning strikes will most likely cause a pain flare, but they never stop you. They never decide for you. They see you—not the unending illness clawing at your edges and leaving its marks on your flesh.

Though you learn to manage yourself better—for science, of course. You request Sun's assistance for lifting heavy plates into place before you bolt and screw them down. He's all too cheerful to lend a hand. When it grows late, you allow Moon to lead you to bed before the fire in your muscles becomes a roaring inferno. He tells you softly that he's been recording the number of good and bad days you have, and that your flare-ups don't appear as often when you have a full night's rest. Your assistants are pleased—with the improvement in your experiments, of course.

It's rare, but sometimes you'll catch an odd sentence or two from Sun about where they were before, and how much nicer it is here. You give them much. You don't shout or throw things at them. He lays a hand over his chassis and smiles. Moon will look at you sometimes, and when you ask why he's staring, he says that you have never raised a hand to them. It's strange. He thought all mad scientists were the same. He's glad to be wrong.

You're glad they're with you too. Your science has never been madder and you don't lay through bad days alone anymore. You don't like talking about your chronic illness. The discussions you've had in the past with peers and professors revolved around how you're handling it and what it's doing to you today. Can you still do your work? It's not mad or experimental or new—it's just sad. Other people think you're sad and pitiful, and you would rather die trying to conduct a hazardous experiment than ever stop to tend to yourself.

Sun and Moon learn to take your mutters and curses in stride when another flare-up hits. They ask questions occasionally, wondering how long you've lived with this and if it would ever be cured but they seem to already suspect the answer. Sure, you've tried several times to manufacture an antidote to whatever poison sits in your veins, but such endeavors have only ended with you waking up, lying in your own vomit. They don't give you pity, not like the others have. No, Sun holds your hand between his large digits and asks if you've eaten anything yet. Moon touches your shoulder when you stare out of the circular window in your tower and asks if he can walk you to your bed.

They need you, and they know what great work you're doing here, crafting weapons of mass destruction, simmering glowing liquids, and putting together new creations—not like them, no. Nothing compares to your assistants.