#techyocsandysbb

[techycatartist]

10-03-23

Dear Diary,

Yesterday was my coaster’s 3rd anniversary, which also meant that it was my birthday. My family pulled out all the stops; the decorations were Spongebob themed, the food was Spongebob themed, the cake was Spongebob themed, my presents were Spongebob stuff— everything was tailored to my hyperfixation. They really did a good job, and I have a whole host of stuff to add to the collection.

I also got a lot of nice messages from the humans who follow my Sponge-Blog (it’s one of the only things they know about me, ‘cuz technically I’m not supposed to interact with them).

But none of this changes the fact that my coaster is still closed for “maintenance”.

It’s been over a month…I think? It was definitely closed after the ACE humans did their event here, but I didn’t actually see when it switched from a “temporary closure”. As of today, the website says it’s supposed to re-open by the end of this week. I’m doubtful it’ll even open in time for Christmas.

I’m not the only one who’s sick, though. Shellraiser’s coaster has been closed for a few days now— the website says he’ll have to wait until Halloween.

In spite of that, he’s still doing his usual jobs and stuff. Of course, Shredder is trying to make him take an actual break (her infatuation drives basically everything she does for him), but he’s stubborn. Even then, I don’t think he’s feeling all that bad. At least, compared to me.

I have a confession to make— but you have to keep it a secret, ok? Don’t pull a “Little Yellow Book” on me!

Ok? Ok.

I kind of…no. I DID put on a mask the entire day.

Not like the usual “I’m trying to be as neurotypical as possible around non-family because what if they think my true self is annoying” mask. A “I’m happy and enjoying my birthday” mask.

They’re not stupid. They know I’m depressed. Even Slime can tell, and by Neptune she’s trying her best to make me feel better.

But all I’ve been doing is making everyone sad, just like how my coaster has been making all the humans sad.

So in the interest of having a “Happy” Birthday, I faked it.

And it worked, because nobody could tell otherwise. In fact, everybody told me how glad they were to “have me back”.

I collapsed into tears the second I went back into my room.

I can’t mask forever, but don’t know how to stop this.

My depression is tied to my coaster. If it re-opens, I feel better. If it doesn’t...

I’ll die.

I don’t know what the humans are doing (or NOT doing) to my coaster. I think the park wants my coaster to be open again??? There has to be a reason why they keep my coaster’s name on the “Ride Maintenance” schedule, right?

They want me around, right?

Maybe my next birthday will be better.

But I don’t know if I’ll have another one to celebrate.

[techycatartist]

“You’re up early”.

Shellraiser glanced down at Sandy, who met him in the middle of the park. While he was used to being the first one awake, the others took a while to follow— but he preferred it this way, as it gave him some quiet time to reflect on the day to come.

But given the circumstances, Shellraiser readily accepted Sandy’s presence.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, actually. I just…woke up. Stopped being tired. Got out of my room for once. Isn’t that good? I mean, I’ve been staying inside my appartament a lot— ever since my coaster’s been closed”.

Sandy took a quick glance back at their coaster; it was already illuminated by sunbeams.

“Those humans have been there since I woke up”.

“Yeah, I noticed”.

Shellraiser expected Sandy to be happier about this development, but perhaps they didn’t catch on to what he was suggesting. He took a more direct approach;

“You know, this could be the day your coaster re-opens”.

Sandy pondered for a bit.

“Maybe. They did test my coaster’s turntable on Sunday…”

Normally, Shellraiser would be engaging in his morining exercise routine, but he opted for a leisurely walk around the mall— it was something more at Sandy’s speed.

“Y’know, would be funny if they re-opened it today”.

“How so?”

“It’d be funny…because Wildcat’s Revenge is opening today. Y’know, the park sees that Hershey’s got this brand-new RMC that’s gonna be popular and bring in vistiors and all that, so our park’s like “this is the perfect time to re-open Sandy— in fact, we’ve been wating ‘till June 2nd this whole time! Now, we can get the vistiors to stop here on their way so that we can make some of that sweet, sweet chocolate money”! Although I guess you could just go to ITSUGAR if you wanted “chocolate money”. Pretty sure they sell that there”.

“Chocolate money? Did you say chocolate money?”

Sandy couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes, sir— with or without nuts”!

Sandy laughed.

“Did I get it right?”

“Nailed it!”

Suddenly, Sandy felt an all-too-familiar buzz. They hand-flapped in response. Shellraiser looked at them with concern.

“Is this a good or bad stim?”

“…Good. I think. Hold on. Hold on”.

Sandy got themselves ready.

“I want to try something”.

Before Shellraiser could give his output, Sandy bolted across the walkway.

A few moments later, Sandy passes by Shellraiser again— but running backwards.

Sandy eventually returned, digging their heels in to stop.

“…How do you feel?”

While not losing their innate ability to “launch”, it required more of their energy to pull off because their coaster was SBNO. As such, previous attempts had resulted in them feeling fatigued for the rest of the day.

But this time was different.

After waiting for the usual signs of tiredness, Sandy took a deep breath.

“…Ready”.

Shellraiser took advantage of his own “launch” power to quickly get the two back to the park’s entrance. Just off to the side was the park’s ticket booth, which also contained information about the rides that would be closed today.

After a handful of test runs, Sandy’s Blasting Bronco was no longer on that list.

Sandy watched eagerly as visitors piled into their coaster’s station, with Slime Streak close by.

“Can you believe Shellraiser knew this whole time? He must be a wizard!”

“I don’t think he knew this whole time, Nick— and he’s definitely not a wizard. But…”

Their coaster’s train soared up past the two.

“I’m glad his prediction came true”.

[techycatartist]

Merry Christmas!

For this year, I wanted to give the spotlight to two of my Nickelodeon Universe (NJ) personifications— TMNT Shellraiser and Sandy’s Blasting Bronco. Sandy goes all out into embracing the holiday spirit; Shellraiser? Not so much. But that’s not to say that he dosen’t enjoy Christmas. In fact, Sandy and Shellraiser have the same reasons behind their enjoyment; it’s a celebration of their “found family” and how much they appreciate each other. Shellraiser would just prefer it if Sandy didn’t sing the same handful of Nickelodeon Christmas tunes for two days straight. For my followers who celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

[techycatartist]

In reference to an earlier post about Sandy’s Blasting Bronco being down for annual maintenance;

SBB remained hopeful that their coaster would re-open by the posted date (March 10th, iirc), even though the prospect of their coaster being closed for “longer than it should” again worried them. Unfortunately, their coaster would miss that re-opening date, so a new one was set. But then it missed that date, and the next, and the next. With their coaster a double-combo of being from a manufacturer with a penchant for unreliable rides and a prototype model, SBB began to fear the worst for their future— how longer would the park want to deal with their coaster?

It was then when their coaster re-opened ahead of it’s scheduled date (which would’ve been today), just in time to reap the benefits of the spring break crowds.

SBB cried tears of joy at the sound of that familiar LSM whine.

To a Coasterdroid like them, there is nothing more fufilling than seeing your coaster run as it should.

[techycatartist]

Despite their hyperfixaton on the series, Sandy isn’t all enthusiastic to see Spongebob win/has won “Best Cartoon” at the Kid’s Choice Awards every single year.

“I’d be celebrating more if it felt like SB had a chance to lose, but…it effortlessly wins year after year. Yeah “award shows are rigged” and all but it’s kind of ridiculous how Nickeldeon’s too scared to let anyone else win. And this is coming from ME, of all people!”

[techycatartist]

Sandy’s Blasting Bronco is currently undergoing it’s annual maintenance, so here’s a modifed Spongebob quote featuring my personifications for SBB and Nickelodeon Slime Streak;

Sandy BB: “What am I supposed to do when my coaster’s down for its annual maintenance?”

Nickelodeon SS: “I dunno, what do you normally do when it’s down for annual maintenance?”

Sandy BB: “Wait for it to go back up…”

(In all seriousness, I’d imagine that this is a stressful time for SBB, because the last time their coaster went down for “annual maintenance” (Dec. 2021) it took half a year to re-open (May 2022). They fear that the same thing will happen this time around— but are fortunate to have the support of their parkmates).

[techycatartist]

“They would’ve shown up by now”.

Shredder glanced at her parkmates forlornly, having just pulled herself away from Sandy’s Charging Station.

“Maybe they don’t want to come back…”

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Shredder. If anything, Sandy’s return would probably happen when their coaster reopens. Of course, the only thing it would ensure is that they won’t be back for a while, knowing this park’s track record.”

“Well then maybe we should just…open it ourselves! We can do it when the park’s closed so that the humans won’t know”.

“As much as it would be fun to show up those “experts” who seem just as clueless about Sandy’s coaster as we are, there’s no way we could get away with it without the humans noticing— and no way that Shellraiser would let us get away with it”.

Shellraiser shot a glare at Timmy, not wanting to waste energy by verbalizing his disapproval.

“Shreds, it’s only been a month. If it’s too much for you to handle, I’ll take over the checking duties”.

“That’s one month too late!”

“I know this means a lot to you, but you shouldn’t tear yourself apart over this. Please, let me handle it”.

“But is it going to change anything, Timmy?!”

“We can’t give up on Sandy. If checking on their charging station is all that can be done, then I’m going to do it”.

“Is that all that can be done, though?”

Shredder was snapped out of their despair at the sound of Shellraiser’s voice.

“…Huh?”

“As unfortunate as my coaster’s downtime has been for my well-being, it has left me with time to consider”.

“Consider what?”

“Well, let’s think back to what happened. Sandy stepped into their Charging Station, then used their launch powers while they were plugging in. After the explosion, it appeared that their Charging Station was occupied.”

“Don’t we know that already?”

Shellraiser used a firmer tone; “It appeared to be occupied”.

Gears were turning in Shredder’s head.

“Oh. So it’s possible that--”

“Sandy was never “there” in the first place”. Timmy had reached that conclusion ever so slightly faster. “Great. And this is supposed to help us because…?”

“You’ve only been skimming the surface, per se”.

“Skimming the surface…” Shredder mused. “You mean that we need to go in to Sandy’s charging station”?

“That’s one course of action we could take”.

Shredder was swept into a momentary period of validation, as she craved Shellraiser’s attention like nothing else.

“It’d be great if any of us could actually do that. Sandy’s Charging Station is, well, theirs. You can’t do anything with someone else’s station”.

“No…”

“Unless you meant it literally, in which our only option is to find someone who can crack that Charging Station open and modify it. Unfortunately, the only Coasterdroid who’d have the skills to even try would want nothing less than an arm and leg from each of us in return…”

“He’s not going to use Sandy’s station, Timmy”.

“What?”

Shredder pointed at Shellraiser.

“You…you’re gonna use your launch power while you’re plugged in”.

“Correct”.

She ran up to him.

“No”.

Shredder clasped Shellraiser’s hand.

“You can’t do this to-“

With one swift motion, her grasp was broken— and Shellraiser was on the other side of the park.

Still, Shredder couldn’t stay away.

“I WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!”

Given his coaster’s lack-of-operation, Shellraiser needed a moment to recover from using his launch powers. Fortunately, Shellraiser wasn’t far from his coaster’s station— all he needed to do was run.

“…YOU’RE MAKING A MISTAKE!”

Shellraiser didn’t even consider looking back.

By the time Shredder made it up the stairs, he was already plugged in.

“Do you really think this won’t end in the same way? That you won’t be just as lost as Sandy?”

“I have thought about that possibility— but you aren’t considering the idea that we can return”.

“But how will you find your way back? Hell, will there even BE a way back?!”

“She’s right, Shellraiser”. Timmy arrived, slightly late. “All we know is that Sandy is lost…somewhere…within their Charging Station. Even if you were able to use their Charging Station for this, who’s to say you’ll end up in the same place? Hell, it’s more likely that you’re going somewhere completely inaccessible to Sandy— it’s your station after all”.

“Yes, it would be better if I could use Sandy’s Charging Station. But while each station is hard-wired to its user, they all perform the same functions. With all the Coasterdroids that exist, I believe that they all connect to the same source”.

“….So you’re willing to risk your life to test a theory?“

“No. I’m risking my life to save Sandy”.

“And what are we gonna do when you get lost, huh? You want me to go into MY Charging Station, launch myself into the void, and leave Shredder and Slime Streak ALONE? What happens when I get lost, huh?! Do we just keep getting launch coasters to go into their stations until there’s NOBODY LEFT?!”

“I’ve already lost one person I hold dear,” Shredder interrupted. “Don’t make me lose another. Especially not you”.

“You said it yourself— there’s no use in waiting for Sandy to return on their own”.

“Yes, but…you’re my rival. My hero. How am I supposed to go through my day without you?”

“Perhaps by removing your self-imposed devotion to me”.

Shredder’s face became flush with embarrassment.

“Wow, way to ruin your final moments with us, Shellraiser”.

“I’m just pointing out what’s been obvious to me since she started acting like this. Besides, it’s not like you don’t find it as problematic as I do”.

“Yeah, because telling her to fuck off before you die is REALLY helpful. She deserves better than that”.

“Well, would you like to take my place? You’d be far away from me either way— but I have a feeling that you want to stay with Shredder”.

Timmy glanced back at Shredder, who looked to be on the verge of tears.

“No”.

“Then it’s decided. I don’t know when I’ll be back, if at all. But whatever happens, I will do everything in my power to find Sandy. I know it may not look like it at times, but I do care”.

Shellraiser’s face softened.

“If these are the last words I speak, let it be known that I am honored to be part of this family”.

Timmy’s eyes widened, quickly switching her sights to Shredder.

Without a single word, Timmy grabbed Shredder’s arm and activated her own launch powers.

Now standing towards the entrance of Nickelodeon Universe, Timmy spun around on her heels— just before she was sent backwards, heading towards Sandy.

Timmy watched as the same electric shockwave poured out from Shellraiser’s charging station. While similar in appearance, it was far more powerful; Timmy and Shredder were lucky to have fled in time.

Timmy finally came to a stop in the middle of the park, gingerly letting go of Shredder. Moments later, power was restored to Nickelodeon Universe.

Shredder had been silently weeping, her cheeks streaked with tears. With an unsteady gait, she slumped to the ground.

Timmy followed suit, though she was more careful about her descent.

There had been times where she wished to spend time with Shredder alone— Ideally, a week-long vacation in a nice location. Something they would both enjoy.

Unfortunately, Timmy’s wish had been granted.

[Author’s Note: For clarification, Shellraiser’s not dead. Also, Shellraiser’s coaster (as of today) is still closed. However, Sandy’s coaster has actually re-opened— if you’re in the area, I encourage you to check it out. You should do it sooner than later, knowing how easily it closes for extended periods.]

[techycatartist]

Under the protection of a magical barrier, Sandy (as their coaster) had laid dormant ever since New Year’s Day. In a state of perpetual slumber, Sandy was entirely untroubled by their circumstances for the first time in a while.

Suddenly, a pair of hands grasped at Sandy’s body, shaking them awake— and before they could resist, they were pulled out of their hibernation.

“…I’m really sorry I had to do that”. Shredder took their hands off Sandy’s shoulders, waiting for Sandy’s response.

“…Why aren’t you sad about this?”

“Why would we be?”

Sandy’s assumptions were broken upon hearing the sound of their coaster’s LSM launch.

“No…this is a dream”.

“I can verify that this situation is quite real,” Shellraiser said. “Your coaster has been returned to an operational state”.

“How long has it been?”

“Two days since the stated re-opening date”.

Sandy could feel their throat tightening.

“The park hasn’t opened yet, but—”

“YOU’RE BACK!”

Slime Streak embraced her older sibling, unable to wait any longer.

“Your coaster’s all good now, like I wanted it to be”.

Sandy winced at the feeling of Slime Streak’s nails digging into their back.

“….Don’t leave again”.

Eyes wet with tears, Slime Streak was desperate to get their friend back.

“Please…”

“I…”

Sandy pulled away from her.

“…I can’t”.

“…What?”

“I can’t do this again”.

Slime Streak was too shocked to keep holding on— and Sandy didn’t hesitate. Timmy scooped Slime Streak up into her arms, overcome with grief.

“Sandy, don’t you see what you’re doing to her?” Timmy begged. “Just stay with us, even if it goes down tomorrow”.

“No”.

Sandy shook their head.

“I said what I said”.

Sandy stepped back into their charging station.

“Hibernation will get you nowhere, Sandy. Though your circumstances aren’t ideal, it is the reality you must face”.

“But I can’t live like this, Shellraiser”.

The barrier began surrounding Sandy again.

“I don’t want to”.

Shellraiser shot them a glare, unable to contain his displeasure.

“I’m not going to let you run away again”.

Shellraiser grabbed Sandy’s arm— but was met with a powerful shockwave of electricity.

Though fixed to their spot, Sandy could still use their launch powers.

Shredder caught Shellraiser in her arms, just barely saving him from a concussion. As another victim of the shockwave, her legs buckled as the two slumped to the ground.

Timmy was curled around Slime Streak, sparing the young girl from any additional pain. “You’re safe, chiquita”.

Barely hanging on, Shellraiser glanced up where he had last seen Sandy.

Sandy’s charging station was occupied once more, and within a few days, their coaster would receive the label of “temporarily closed”.

But history decided to repeat itself…

On the morning of January 17th, Sandy’s Blasting Bronco had been removed from the website’s “Ride Maintenance Schedule”.

“…Should we?”

Shredder turned to her neighbor.

“You’re the one who’s questioning this? I thought you love doing what he says…”

“I do, I do! But…isn’t this…what got us hurt the last time?”

“Last time I checked, it was Shellraiser who decided to overstep their boundaries. He knows better after that, and he even agreed to let Slime Streak stay at Great Adventure for the time being— something I’m sure he wouldn’t have agreed to before this happened. This is our chance to make things right, but the only way it can happen is if you wake them up”.

Shredder looked away from Timmy.

“Would you want me to take care of that?”

Shredder grabbed her shoulder.

“…Okay”.

“Then all you need to do is listen”.

Timmy approached the charging station.

“Hey”.

Shredder looked up.

“You’ve got this. We’ve got this”.

Shredder gave a half-hearted smile.

Timmy gingerly stuck her hands in the barrier.

Her expression changed.

“….What?”

Shredder ran up to the scene.

“Is Sandy OK?”

“I-I don’t know. I can’t…I can’t get a grip on them”.

Shredder stuck her hands in, only to be met with a coldness that swirled around her fingers.

“…They’re gone”.

[Author’s Note: For clarification, Sandy’s not dead. With how often their coaster is closed IRL, I decided to put them “in stasis” for the time being. While I hope that Nick U will improve on SBB and Shellraiser’s reliability, it’s likely that they’ll continue to operate sporadically. Though the story won’t end here…]

[techycatartist]

Nickelodeon Universe was bathed in a warm glow as the morning sun beamed through one of the park’s massive skylights. Ride operators had just arrived at the scene, preparing the park for its opening later that day.

Sandy was lying next to the bottom of a Paw Patrol-themed slide, typing away at their phone.

Slime Streak tumbled down the slide, head-first.

“Sandy!!! I didn’t think you’d be here!”

“Me neither, but I guess there was something inside of me that wanted “outside”...or as “outside” as a playground structure can be”.

“Yeah, we can’t really be “outside” when our park is in a big building. Plus, outside here is basically just…swampland. Also, the Metlife Stadium”.

Slime Streak begins scooting back.

“Slime Streak, what are you doing?”

“Going up the slide!”

“...backwards?”

“Yeah”.

Sandy lifts their thumb off their phone, glancing up.

“Just don’t hurt yourself, ok?”

“Okie!!”

Sandy returns to their digital document, a work-in-progress draft of their next Spongebob Squarepants episode review.

[“...If you’re new to the sponge-blog, you might’ve been interested in BassWard because it went sorta viral in the cartoon community, on account of it being the only episode so far to NOT feature Spongebob. After watching the episode myself…yep, he’s not there! Since I’m assuming that you new people are familiar enough with the show, then you know that Spongebob and Squidward are typically paired together due to their opposing personalities/interests/goals. Well, this episode swaps the sponge for Bubble Bass, everyone’s favorite used-to-be-a-one-off character…”]

Simultaneously, Sandy was also listening to Slime Streak.

“So I’ve learned some stuff about Great Adventure because I’ve been hanging out with Lil’ Devil so much. You know how Flash is gonna be there next year, right? Well, there’s some big meeting the humans of Great Adventure have to attend on the 18th. I dunno what exactly’s gonna happen, but if the town-humans like it, it means that the park can build Flash!”

“Weren’t they building Flash already?”

“Not really. It’s mostly dirt right now. The park-humans can’t do their thing until the town-humans approve the stuff”.

“Stuff?”

“Yeah, there’s like…plans. Blueprints. They have to show the town-humans the blueprints first”.

Slime Streak came tumbling down, now shoe-first.

“Oh, and how’s the review going?”

“Good, I guess. Kind of hard to judge it when it’s only an introduction”.

“I’m sure they’re gonna love it!”

Slime Streak crawled back into the slide.

“I really hope Flash gets built, Sandy. They apparently were gonna be in China, but the original park didn’t want them. It’s sad, but a good thing that Great Adventure is giving them a home. It’s like they adopted a puppy!”

“I’d say it’s more like adopting a human, Slime Streak”.

“Oh yeah…right! Sorry, I had puppies on the brain ‘cuz we’re surrounded by Paw Patrol. Great Adventure gave Flash a new home AND a new family! Plus it’s the 50th anniversary so it’s EXTRA special!”

Popping out of the entrance, Slime Streak looked beyond the mesh that kept rowdy kids (like her) from going out towards the edge of the tower.

“Flash’ll be right next to the entrance, so the humans are gonna be scanning their tickets while they hear--”

Slime Streak was stopped in her tracks.

“...that. That! THAT!”

Hurling herself down the slide, NSS yelled at the top of her lungs;

“SANDY!!!! YOUR COASTER IS TESTING!!!”

“...what?”

Sandy felt something tugging on their arm.

“IT’S TESTING!!! COME ON!!”

“Okay, okay…”

Sandy gave a half-hearted shuffle towards the playground’s exit.

“YOU’RE NOT BEING FAST ENOUGH!”

Suddenly, Sandy was knocked off their feet, landing what seemed to be a pile of Nickelodeon's trademark green slime.

“Aw, come on! You know I don’t like the stickiness this leaves on my clothes…”

Sandy’s objections couldn’t stop them from being pulled forward, screaming in surprise.

Given that a sentient pile of slime was an…odd form of transportation, all Sandy could focus on was how close to the “edge” they were-- the last thing they needed was to faceplant.

“I can’t believe you’re doing thiiiiiis!”

Sandy was suddenly swung around, the slime mimicking how a skier would stop.

“...are we done…?”

There was a pause.

Sandy gingerly stepped off the blob-- which quickly formed back into Slime Streak.

“That was fun!”

“For you, maybe…”

“Well I kind of had to, Sandy. You might’ve not believed me if I didn’t take you here…”

“I mean, I guess I don’t entirely not believe you, but I didn’t hear any--”

Right on cue, a train was launched out of the station.

“...thing”.

“See? SEE?”

“I do! I do…”

Slime Streak grabbed one of her hair “tentacles”, looking up at their older-sibling-figure with nervousness.

“You don’t sound happy about it…”

Sandy looked down at her, then turned their head away.

“It’s just that…how long will this last?”

“What do you mean?”

“How long will my coaster operate before it goes down again?”

“It’s not gonna happen, Sandy”.

“Why do you think that is?”

“...because it’s Christmas”.

“It’s not Christmas yet.”

“But it’s almost Christmas. Humans like going to the mall near Christmas time, ‘cuz they gotta get gifts for everyone. The park wants your coaster to be open because there’s gonna be lots of people here!”

“It has been a bit busy these past few days…”

“Yeah…”

“...and students will get time off between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day…”

“...Yeah…”

“...so there’s gonna be even more people at Nickelodeon Universe!”

“...YEAH! It’s gonna be great, Sandy!”

“I guess it will. Though now that my coaster’s open, they should open Shellraiser’s too”.

“Uhmmm, I don’t know about that…I kind of like having Shredder and Timmy in charge!”

“C’mon Slime Streak…”

“I was just joking! Shellraiser should get the chance to be happier too!”

“It would stop him from being so worried about what Takabisha thinks…”

“Speaking of New Year’s, humans like to talk about their “resolutions”. Never done it before, but my resolution is to learn more songs on my ukulele. What about you, Sandy?”

“I think I’d like to…change my outlook on life”.

Their footsteps echoed with each step, keeping a steady pace as the others followed behind.

“Please don’t hide away in your room again!”, Slime Streak yelled out.

“You are going to get through this, as you have before…” Shellraiser’s coaster had finally reopened after months of downtime, just in time for New Year’s Day— and this was one of the only things that could’ve halted his relief.

Sandy kept running, drowning out the noise produced by their parkmates.

“It’s only a few days!” Shredder added.

That sentence stopped Sandy in their tracks.

“A few days…a few DAYS?! WE ALL KNOW THAT IT’S NOT GOING TO BE A FEW DAYS!” Tears were streaming down their face.

“However long it takes, we will be here for you— you just have to trust us!”

“SHUT IT, SHELLRAISER!”

Sandy used their launch powers to pull them right to their charging station, with Shellraiser just barely missing them before they hooked themselves up.

“Just listen to me, Sandy!”

“No…listen to me”, Sandy said through haggard breaths. “When I woke up today, I thought that this year would be different, that my troubles were over. That maybe I was wrong to be so down on myself”.

“BUT I GUESS I’M JUST A STUPID KID WHO GOT THEIR HOPES UP”!

A barrier was beginning to form around them.

“…unless the park is demolishing my coaster, don’t wake me up. I’m done trying to care about my future”.

The barrier was now covering Sandy’s entire body— and so began their hibernation.

Slime Streak broke down into tears, unable to understand why Sandy had seemingly abandoned them.

“Hey, hey…I’ve got you”. Timmy had swooped in to comfort the smaller Coasterdroid.

A look of horror was plastered on Shredder’s face; “Oh my god…I’m an idiot! I can’t believe I said that to them! Now they’ve shut themselves away, and it’s all my fault…”

“You are not to blame for this. None of us are”.

Interrupting her regret was Shellraiser.

“This is their fault”.

“…I don’t think we should be blaming Sandy for this”.

“I’m not referring to Sandy”.

Clouds hung overhead, depriving Nickelodeon Universe of natural sunlight. Shellraiser pointed at the large display located at the front of the park’s entrance.

“It’s THEIR fault”.

[techycatartist]

11-06-23

Dear Diary,

It’s been over a month since I’ve had something substantial to add…though some of that was just not having the motivation to write. But I think I’ll get somewhere with this.

So, the elephant in the room. My coaster’s still not open. Neither is Shellraiser’s. Though it seems that it’s actually caught up to him— he (begrudgingly) has stepped down from his leader role in order to not make his sick worse. Seems like all the extra work for the Halloween party was too much.

Shredder, by default, is in charge now (and you better believe she lost it when Shellraiser personally appointed the role to her). Timmy’s her right-hand woman that keeps her in check (and uses the opportunity to very obviously flirt with Shredder— too bad Shredder’s mind is so dead set on romancing Shellraiser that it completely flies over her head). They’ve actually adapted quite well to the role, though they’re not leading like Shellraiser does.

Shredder’s birthday just passed. She seemed to have enjoyed it for real, unlike what I was doing for mine. I made a point to be there physically but it was a struggle to be there mentally for more than a few moments. Nothing against her, it’s just me.

I tried spending some time with him, y’know, given that both of our coasters are down for neptune knows how long, but...he’s kind of boring tbh. He doesn’t watch the same stuff that I do, and he’s always watching with a critical eye. Seems like Shellraiser even treats his downtime seriously! Eventually I just retreated back to my room.

Slime is currently having a playdate with Lil’ Devil Coaster. She’s been spending a lot of time outside the park because of me. I’m not the awesome big sibling she used to have, just a sad sack of nothing.

Though speaking of other Coasterdroids like me…We had a multi-park Halloween party a week ago. Mostly other NJ parks, though we shockingly managed to get a hold of the Hersheypark gang (minus Skyrush, who apparently collapsed into a “ball of sickness” after their coaster had been running on one train for the back half of the season— evidently, it caught up). Can’t say I did much partying though…I don’t like large social gatherings even when I’m not depressed. But I did give an initial “hello” to all the guests before I crawled back under my metaphorical rock…though I nearly had a full conversation with someone.

With the Great Adventure crowd came El Toro, and while I don’t know him personally I know that his coaster was closed for a good while and didn’t open until June. I thought he might have some advice I could use. But…his coaster DID re-open this year— and to my knowledge, has operated without any further extended downtime.

He’s not struggling like I am (and probably doesn’t want to talk to a ‘nobody’ like me).

I tried to keep myself entertained during the party, putting on the usual lineup of halloween-themed episodes.

But it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t fulfilling.

At least I have a stash of Hershey’s candy in my room now.

11-07-23

Dear Diary,

It’s 8 am as I write this, which is new for me. Usually I write in here when I can’t sleep, though I guess sleep is still relevant here. I didn’t get you to keep a record of my dreams, but I feel like I need to get this one down, for…reasons.

[The dream starts here]

It’s a warm summer day.

I’m at the beach, strangely in my usual wear instead of my bathing suit.

I’m lying down in the sand on my back.

My dream-self knows the others are there, but I can’t see them.

It looks like nobody else is on the beach, or in the water.

It’s very quiet, besides the ocean.

The tide is rolling in.

It only reaches up to my feet, at first.

But with every wave, it gets closer.

The water is cold, but not frigid. Refreshing(?)

Slowly, the water begins to surround me.

It gets to the point where my head is just above the water.

At that point, I’m some distance away from the shore.

The next wave is unusually large.

It’ll definitely pull me underwater if I don’t get up.

But I’m still lying there.

I don’t know why.

The wave is getting closer, building and building.

It reaches me, floating me towards the ocean.

Just as it’s about to hit my face, I wake up.

…Maybe I’ll figure out what this means someday.

[techycatartist]

Shellraiser walked towards the back of Nickelodeon Universe, holding a plate with both hands. He couldn’t help but be worried when they didn’t show up for breakfast, but a quick look at the park’s website made it clear why Sandy was absent.

Still, Shellraiser didn’t expect to see them lying on their coaster’s unload platform.

“Oh!”

He carefully walked around Sandy, who flipped onto their side, looking away from Shellraiser.

“I know you prefer to handle breakfast yourself, but…I took it upon myself to prepare it. I made sure to construct it to your exact preferences— moderately toasted wheat bread, avocado flesh smashed into a smooth paste, two egg whites cooked with oil, and a salt-pepper ratio favoring the latter”.

Sandy turned their head slightly, as if to emphasize their deliberation.

“I insist that you should eat”.

There’s a pause.

“Please”.

Sandy turns their head away.

Shellraiser shoots a quick glance at the floor; “I would leave it with you, but I refuse to place this plate on such a dirty surface. Please, take it— even if you aren’t going to eat it now”.

Sandy doesn’t give a response.

“If not, I will be forced to throw it out”.

Shellraiser waits, his usual irateness-in-response-to-someone’s-disobedience absent.

There is no response.

“I’m going to take your silence as disinterest— and so I will throw this out”.

Shellraiser turns around and begins to approach the stairs, only to stop upon hearing Sandy’s voice.

“I should be angry”.

He looks back at them.

“I should be angry, y’know. After three months of smooth sailing, my coaster is broken again. It’s likely going to miss that posted end-date, and it’s entirely possible that it’ll be closed for the rest of the year. But…I can’t be bothered to react like that”.

“I know this is going to be tough for you, but I don’t want to see you like this”.

“But you are, aren’t you?”

“I was talking in a metaphorical sense”.

“I know, I know. But my point still stands”.

“I will do what I can to make things better—“

“But you can’t. It’s not going to do anything to solve the problem at hand— my coaster’s unreliability is the problem. I’m the problem”.

Sandy pushed themselves onto their back.

“I’m nothing more than a lifeless machine”.

“No you aren’t”.

“Try telling that to the humans. Oh, wait. We can’t”.

Shellraiser couldn’t come up with a good counter-response; Coasterdroids were bound to living outside of humanity’s “bubble”— even the smallest interaction could expose their existence. It was better to be invisible, on a literal and figurative sense.

“I’m sorry this is happening again, Sandy. If there’s anything I can do, please tell me”.

“…you could start by leaving me alone”.

Shellraiser complied, despite his sadness. He ended up eating the breakfast he made for Sandy, not willing to waste his effort.

By the end of the hour, Sandy had retreated back to their apartment.

They wouldn’t be seen for the rest of the day.

[techycatartist]

Sandy’s coaster may have opened in time to reap some of the benefits of those who were on spring break, but within a few days, it fell still once more. Now a month since their coaster’s unexpected extended closure, Sandy finds themselves at their limit;

“Why is it so hard for my coaster to run consistently? It wasn’t even open for a week…”

“Sandy, it’s not just you. The humans who are in charge of maintaining our coasters seem to struggle when it comes to meeting deadlines. Slime Streak was supposed to open last week, but they’ve already moved the date back twice”.

“But it is me, Shellraiser! Why am I always down the most? Why does it take so long to get new parts shipped here? Why am I the only one of my kind despite being such a small-scale coaster? It’s because I’m an Intamin!”

“You’re saying that like it’s a bad thing….”

“Because it IS!”

This cynicism towards their manufacturer wasn’t new— but it came as a shock to their parkmate.

“I’m different. I know that. There’s a lot of me that’s different. I like most of me— in fact, I’m proud to say that I’m a nonbinary autistic person with vitiligo. But not this. I don’t have it as bad as some of the other Intamins, hell, not even as bad as some of the other Intamins in this state. But, you know, the “world’s smallest violin” and all…”

Sandy rests their head upon Shellraiser’s shoulder— an uncommon gesture for them, given their dislike for physical affection. But in this moment, Sandy needed that kind of support from their older brother/father figure.

“I just worry that I’m not good enough to stick around. What good is a coaster that can’t do the one thing it’s designed to do?”

“But your coaster does do the thing that it’s designed to do— and the humans love you. They might even love your coaster more than mine. You have your place in this park, Sandy”.

Sandy isn’t convinced.

“Tell that to a manufacturer who sacrifices reliability just to make something “unique”…the humans who visit this park may love me, but the park surely doesn’t. Most parks who work with Intamin learn the hard way, it seems”.

“Without innovation, this industry would stagnate. If nobody took risks, most parks wouldn’t exist in their current state, if at all. Intamin is not the best with reliability, that is true. But there’s a reason why they’re still in buisness— they do not fear failure. Not every idea will turn into a fully realized product, but…”

“This is not what I need right now…”

“Then what do you need?”

Tears well up in Sandy’s eyes…

“I just want my coaster to be open for once…”

Shellraiser remains quiet, just letting Sandy rest on them as they cry.

“I’m sorry this is happening to you, Sandy”.

Sandy can only muster a hushed whisper in response.

“I want to live…”