#writing aids

[gwen-tolios]

Genre Word Crawls

For Illinois Novel Quest next month, I built some word crawl games! We're hosting 33 events over November, but I get that not everyone can make evening writing sessions so here are some simple challenges people can play by themselves or with friends.

They're pretty easy - just roll a d6 and take up the challenge of the corresponding number!

If you liked these, consider donating to my Kofi? ☕

[lords-of-mayhem]

Ultimate Omegaverse Questions/Ask Game

Here's a list of tons of omegaverse centered questions with the aim of letting you further explore the universe and build it your own way. Feel free to use this as an ask game, a reference sheet, etc. Please just do not repost without credit. (I also apologize if any of these are rephrased versions of each other <3)

How similar to wolves are they in your world? Can they shift? If so, how much? Is it voluntary or involuntary?

Do betas exist in your world?

If betas exist, what roles do they play? How are they seen by alphas? Omegas? What is expected of them as a whole?

Do betas date alphas, omegas, and/or other betas? Is there any stigma around a beta dating an alpha or omega?

How long do ruts last? Heats? How often are they? Are they debilitating or manageable? Does it depend on the person?

Are people's presentations known at birth or do they have to present?

If they present, when do most people present? Is it easy to tell what someone will be beforehand?

Is there a stigma around alphas? If so, what does it look like? How are they viewed? What's the role they're expected to play?

Is there a stigma around omegas? If so, what does it look like? How are they viewed? What's the role they're expected to play?

Are alphas and omegas discouraged from spending time together? Are they encouraged to?

Are arranged partnerships a thing in your world? Does everyone have one or just certain people? How is the arrangement decided?

Do alphas court their omegas? If so, give an example of what this might look like. Do omegas court their alphas? If so, give an example of what this might look like.

In a beta x alpha/omega pairing, is courting involved? If so, which way does it go? Does that change based on if they're with an omega or alpha?

Do betas have a scent? If so, how strong is it? Does their scent change based on any factors?

Is the "alpha voice" a thing? If so, does it work? Are the results consistent or do they depend? Is it possible for omegas/betas to ignore it? Is it accepted socially or looked down on?

Conversely, does an omega equivalent of this exist?

What is omega anatomy like in your universe? Do omegas have a penis, a vagina, or something else? Does it depend on the omega?

What is alpha anatomy like in your universe? Do female alphas have a penis? Can alphas knot outside of sex? Can they do it outside of rut?

Can omegas get pregnant outside of heat or do they have to be in it?

Are there physical differences between an alpha and an omega? Height, voice, build, etc.?

Who generally makes up a pack? Family, friends, a mate, etc? Does this change throughout a person's life? What's the dynamic usually like? Is one person more "in charge"?

Is preheat/prerut a thing? How long does it last? What are the usual symptoms?

Is it possible to be trans? (A person born an omega who identifies as an alpha, for example.) If so, is it accepted?

Do heat and rut suppressants exist? If so, are they accessible? Is there a stigma around them? Are there any limits to how long someone can use them? Do they have any negative side effects?

Are male omegas able to get pregnant? Impregnate?

Are female alphas able to get pregnant? Impregnate?

Is a person's presentation random or based on genetics? Do certain families have a higher rate of alphas/omegas/etc?

Are alpha x alpha and omega x omega pairings a thing? How common are they? Is this accepted? Is one accepted more than the other?

What roles are associated with being an omega? An alpha?

Is polyamory a thing in your universe? Is it common? Is it stigmatized?

Are people able to have more than one mate over a lifetime? Can a person get "divorced" for instance? Is the process easy or difficult?

Is it expected that pairings will have pups?

What does the mating process look like?

What kind of scents are typically associated with omegas?

What kind of scents are typically associated with alphas?

If betas have a scent, what kind of scents are typically associated with them?

Do soulmates exist in your universe? If so, how are they identified? Does everyone have one? Is it possible to fall in love with someone who isn't your soulmate? If so, how does it work?

Do alphas tend to be more dominant or submissive? What about omegas? Betas?

Do omegas nest? If so, what's usually included in the nest? How often do they do it?

Do alphas or betas nest as well? If so, what's usually included in theirs and how often do they do it?

Do alphas get aggressive with one another? If so, how common is it? Is it looked down on or just accepted as normal? Are there certain things that cause it?

Is it hard for alphas and omegas to ignore their instincts? What do they usually give into the most?

How do the different presentations usually treat one another? Are they condescending? Kind? Are there certain things they expect from the other presentations?

Are mates treated as equals? Is one mate considered more in charge than the other? If so, which one? What does this look like in daily life?

Do omegas have friends who are alphas? Is this normal or looked down on? Does it change once one or both people are in a relationship? Is it more socially accepted for alphas to be friends with omegas or for omegas to be friends with alphas?

Are there drugs to induce heat/ruts? What are they used for? Are they accessible?

Is it common for friends to help out with heats or ruts? If so, in what ways? Just taking care of them or the sexual part as well?

Are alphas, betas, or omegas better with pups? Are they equally good with them?

Is casual sex/one night stands common? Are they looked down on or are they accepted?

Is there any service to hire an alpha/omega for sex? Is it more common to hire alphas or omegas? Is sex work accepted?

Is there any service to match people for heats/ruts? Is it common? Is it accepted?

Do packs have to approve of the alpha/omega that their packmate is seeing?

Is physical affection common between friends? Is it more common with one presentation than another?

Are alphas and omegas raised differently than each other? If so, how are alphas raised? How are omegas? How are betas?

Can an omega's heat trigger an alpha's rut? Another omega's heat? Can an alpha's rut trigger an omega's heat? Another alpha's rut?

What are the symptoms of a rut?

What are the symptoms of a heat?

What traits/instincts do alphas have?

What traits/instincts do omegas have?

What traits/instincts do betas have?

Can an omega produce slick outside of their heat?

Are there more alphas or omegas? Or an even-ish amount? If there are betas in your universe, how many are there?

Are alphas rare? Are female alphas rare? If so, are female alphas seen as more desirable?

Are omegas rare? Are male omegas rare? If so, are male omegas seen as more desirable?

Does mating (claiming someone as your mate) have to be consensual? If not, how does that work?

How much control does a person have over their mate?

Do different emotions change how someone smells? Does sickness? Pregnancy?

Does a person smell different when they're mated versus when they're single?

Do people's scents mix with their partner's? If so, how long does it take? How long does it take to go away once they break up?

What kind of birth control options are available in your world?

Do omegas' heat cycles sync up? Do alphas' ruts?

Can an omega's heat sync up with an alpha's rut? Does this happen only when the pair are dating/together or does it happen to anyone in close proximity?

Are restrooms/locker rooms based off of presentation or gender?

Do dorms allow alphas and omegas to room together? Do they allow alphas and omegas to room with betas?

Is it common for platonic alphas and omegas to live together?

Are there weddings in your universe? Is a wedding different from a mating? (For example, can a couple be married but not mated?)

[novella-november]

Okay, I've been playing around with the Voice to Text tool built into Windows computers as an accessibility option for those who struggle to physically write or type their works, and it's working pretty decently!

but the second half of this post time actually using voice to text tool. to type it. There's a few small spelling things, but I think there is a way to calibrate it to your speech. Though to be slightly more accurate. I'm just not sure where to find that, because I've only been fiddling with it for a few minutes. Right now, I had auto punctuate turned on and had turned off. Profanity Filter. I am using a pair of generic $10 Bluetooth headphones. They have a microphone belt into them. But if you have a dedicated microphone, that would probably work even better. you can download different language packages to recognize different whereas. in different languages you can type in more than just English. and I am hoping there is a way to add auto correct to certain names. In words so that I can say it how it's pronounced in a different language and have it be spelled correctly in English. such as for "Arsenal, Lupe". "Arsen Lu Pan". which as you can see voice access does not want to spell correctly. or will spell as just random words that sound like his name. LOL. As then, Lupin. Arsene Lupin. It wants me to pronounce his name as "are-sane Loopin" And even then, it does not get it correctly. Most of the time. anyways. So while it is not perfect, this is just like the base thing built into all windows computers. There's probably actual programs that let you train it on your voice that would be even better for dictating your novel, but this is an option anyone with a windows Computer should be able to access for free!

Back to typing by hand: if anyone has any tips, tricks, or guides for using Windows Voice Access for accurate dictation, please feel free to share here!

for those wondering, my favorite Public Domain character's name is spelled "Arsène Lupin" and is pronounced close to "arson" but with an "e" instead of an "o" -- Arsen -- and Lupin is pronounced Lou-pon, not loo-pin, hence why the English language voice access is having trouble parsing it lol.

If anyone knows of how to manually add corrected words and spelling to the Voice Access Dictionary, that would be great for anyone who plans on writing fantasy or scifi novels, or just anyone like me writing about ""our son blue pond"" as speech to text commonly spells it 😭

[shard010]

Writing aids

Did I daydream this, or was there a website for writers with like. A ridiculous quantity of descriptive aid. Like I remember clicking on " inside a cinema " or something like that. Then, BAM. Here's a list of smell and sounds. I can't remember it for the life of me, but if someone else can, help a bitch out <3

[sami--onley]

Judy suffers from a lack of food and medicine.

I, Sami, do my best to provide her and her sisters with vitamins and care, holding on to hope despite the difficult circumstances.

Donate to Judy; every contribution makes a difference in her life and gives her a chance for a better future.

Donate here🍁

[deoidesign]

A general cane guide for writers and artists (from a cane user, writer, and artist!)

Disclaimer: Though I have been using a cane for 6 years, I am not a doctor, nor am I by any means an expert. This guide is true to my experience, but there are as many ways to use a cane as there are cane users!

This guide will not include: White canes for blindness, crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs as I have no personal experience with these.

This is meant to be a general guide to get you started and avoid some common mishaps/misconceptions in your writing, but you absolutely should continue to do your own research outside of this guide!

This is NOT a medical resource!!! And never tell a real person you think they're using a cane wrong!

The biggest recurring problem I've seen is using the cane on the wrong side. The cane goes on the opposite side of the pain! If your character has even-sided pain or needs it for balance/weakness, then use the cane in the non-dominant hand to keep the dominant hand free. Some cane users also switch sides to give their arm a rest!

A cane takes about 20% of your weight off the opposite leg. It should fit within your natural gait and become something of an extension of your body. If you need more weight off than 20%, then crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair is needed.

Putting more pressure on the cane, using it on the wrong side, or having it at the wrong height can make it less effective, and can cause long term damage to your body from improper pressure and posture. (Hugh Laurie genuinely hurt his body from years of using a cane wrong on House!)

(some people elect to use a cane wrong for their personal situation despite this, everyone is different!)

(an animated GIF of a cane matching the natural walking gait. It turns red when pressure is placed on it.)

When going up and down stairs, there is an ideal standard: You want to use the handrail and the cane at the same time, or prioritize the handrail if it's only on one side. When going up stairs you lead with your good leg and follow with the cane and hurt leg together. When going down stairs you lead with the cane and the bad leg and follow with the good leg!

Realistically though, many people don't move out of the way for cane users to access the railing, many stairs don't have railings, and many are wet, rusty, or generally not ideal to grip.

In these cases, if you have a friend nearby, holding on to them is a good idea. Or, take it one step at a time carefully if you're alone.

Now we come to a very common mistake I see... Using fashion canes for medical use!

(These are 4 broad shapes, but there is INCREDIBLE variation in cane handles. Research heavily what will be best for your character's specific needs!)

The handle is the contact point for all the weight you're putting on your cane, and that pressure is being put onto your hand, wrist, and shoulder. So the shape is very important for long term use!

Knob handles (and very decorative handles) are not used for medical use for this reason. It adds extra stress to the body and can damage your hand to put constant pressure onto these painful shapes.

The weight of a cane is also incredibly important, as a heavier cane will cause wear on your body much faster. When you're using it all day, it gets heavy fast! If your character struggles with weakness, then they won't want a heavy cane if they can help it!

This is also part of why sword canes aren't usually very viable for medical use (along with them usually being knob handles) is that swords are extra weight!

However, a small knife or perhaps a retractable blade hidden within the base might be viable even for weak characters.

Bases have a lot of variability as well, and the modern standard is generally adjustable bases. Adjustable canes are very handy if your character regularly changes shoe height, for instance (gotta keep the height at your hip!)

Canes help on most terrain with their standard base and structure. But for some terrain, you might want a different base, or to forego the cane entirely! This article covers it pretty well.

Many cane users decorate their canes! Stickers are incredibly common, and painting canes is relatively common as well! You'll also see people replacing the standard wrist strap with a personalized one, or even adding a small charm to the ring the strap connects to. (nothing too large, or it gets annoying as the cane is swinging around everywhere)

(my canes, for reference)

If your character uses a cane full time, then they might also have multiple canes that look different aesthetically to match their outfits!

When it comes to practical things outside of the cane, you reasonably only have one hand available while it's being used. Many people will hook their cane onto their arm or let it dangle on the strap (if they have one) while using their cane arm, but it's often significantly less convenient than 2 hands. But, if you need 2 hands, then it's either setting the cane down or letting it hang!

For this reason, optimizing one handed use is ideal! Keeping bags/items on the side of your free hand helps keep your items accessible.

When sitting, the cane either leans against a wall or table, goes under the chair, or hooks onto the back of the chair. (It often falls when hanging off of a chair, in my experience)

When getting up, the user will either use their cane to help them balance/support as they stand, or get up and then grab their cane. This depends on what it's being used for (balance vs pain when walking, for instance!)

That's everything I can think of for now. Thank you for reading my long-but-absolutely-not-comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when writing or drawing a cane user!

Happy disability pride month! Go forth and make more characters use canes!!!

[cy-cyborg]

Free Manual Wheelchair Reference Models

ID: A banner with grey 3D models of 5 kinds of manual wheelchairs in a line in front of the disability pride flag and text that reads "Manual Wheelchair References" /End ID

For disability pride month, I decided to release a pack of 3D manual wheelchair models.

The pack includes 5 wheelchairs:

2 Active urban-style chairs (one of which includes a smart drive)

1 off-road active chair

1 children's wheelchair

and 1 standard "hospital" wheelchair).

All the wheelchairs are based off either wheelchairs I or friends of mine have used

Downloadable here!

or on the Clip Studio Paint Asset Store (ID 2097442) (there's been an issue with the CSP version, but the models in the download folder can be imported into clip studio paint until I can fix it)

More info about the download contents below:

The first download link includes the original .Blend file with all 5 chairs, as well as individual .obj or .fbx files the chairs (All but 1 have an .obj file, as they're only meshes. The chair with the smart drive is rigged, which is why it has an .Fbx file instead so it will retain that information) as well as a "read me" file that explains in more depth what kind of disability/character/lifestyle each chair is made for (These are just what I had in mind when I designed them, they are usable by other characters who don't fit the suggestions for the most part!) I wanted to include the Read Me contents in the CSP Asset Store listing, but CS said it was too long lol.

Also, as the title says, these files are free to use! While it's not mandatory, I would appreciate credit if you use them (or even just a tag so I can see the cool art you make with them!!)

I actually made these ages ago, the original plan was to use them in a series of posts then release the pack, but I never got around to making the series and so they've just been sitting here. I took a day off from art fight attacks to clean them all up and get them ready to post. If you experience any issues, let me know and I'll try to fix it up.

I had a couple more that were supposed to be in the pack including a sports (basketball/Tennis) wheelchair and some different styles of wheelchair, but I think the files corrupted so once I fix (or remake) them, I'll probably make a second pack.

If you have any issues, please let me know!

[athelind]

Y'know, I have a stable of OCs, and I have a fairly interesting setting, but after three or four decades of mucking about with them, I have never really been able to come up with a compelling STORY.

Maybe I should start playing with the "Plot Wheel" concept.

Heh. Since the characters and setting are my own take on picaresque Sword & Sorcery, using a version of Random Encounter Tables is an appropriate homage.

Plot Wheels

I showed a couple of examples, one old, one modern, on this post.

The old wheel was one of several supposedly used by "Perry Mason" writer Erle Stanley Gardner, and while the photo on the other post is an exercise in squinting, this website has the transcribed information from at least four wheels.

Here they are, though some - "servant", "heroine's maid" - are showing their age, so tweak and update as required.

I wouldn't suggest relying heavily on these - but at the same time, Gardner produced 119 or 82, the number varies, Perry Mason novels and according to Wikipedia at the time of his death was the best-selling American author of the 20th century.

So he may have been onto something after all... ;->

*****

A: Wheel Of Hostile Minor Characters Whose Function Is Making Complications For The Hero

These folks put obstacles in the hero's way and make it difficult for them to reach their goal.

1. Hick detective. 2. Attorney. 3. Newspaper reporter. 4. Detective. 5. Business rival. 6. Rival in love. 7. Father of heroine. 8. Blackmailer. 9. Gossip. 10. Meddlesome friend. 11. Suspicious servant. 12. Hostile dog. 13. Spy. 14. Incidental crook. 15. Hotel detective. 16. Thickheaded police.

B: Wheel Of Complicating Circumstances

1. Hero is betrayed to villain by spies. 2. Every move the hero makes takes him from the frying pan and puts him into the fire. 3. Heroine's maid is a spy. 4. Father of heroine is hostile to the hero. 5. Detective believes the hero is guilty and tries to arrest him/her at a critical time. 6. Hero commits an incidental crime. For example, he/she is caught speeding and is arrested. 7. Witness mistakes hero for villain. 8. Hero violates the law and is sought. 9. Heroine's mind is poisoned against the hero. 10. Some character is not as represented. 11. Rival in love tries to discredit the hero. 12. Zeal of hick cop upsets plans.

C: Wheel of Blind Trails By Which The Hero Is Misled or Confused

1. Witness lies. 2. A document is forged. 3. A witness is planted. 4. A client conceals something. 5. A client misrepresents something. 6. A friend pretends to betray the hero. 7. The villains assistant pretends to betray the hero. 8. A vital witness refuses to talk. 9. False confessions. 10. Genuine mistakes. 11. A witness takes flight. 12. A witness is kidnapped. 13. A witness commits suicide. 14. A witness sells out. 15. Planted clues. 16. Impossible statements.

D. Wheel of Solutions

How the hero surmounts the obstacles thrown in his way.

1. Gets villain to betray himself through greed. 2. Gets the villain to, of his own free will, plant additional evidence. 3. Plants fake evidence to confuse the villain. 4. Fakes circumstances so the villain will think he / she has been discovered. 5. Tricks the hero's accomplice into confessing. 6. Villain is hoist by his / her own petard. 7. Villain killed while he / she is trying to frame someone. 8. Gets villain to overreach himself/herself. 9. Meets trickery with horse-sense. 10. Squashes obstacles by sheer courage. 11. Turns villains against each other. 12. Traps [tricks?] villain into betraying a hiding place. Hero either a) creates a fake fire, or b) gives him / her something else to conceal, or c) makes it necessary for the villain to flee (and so must take something out of the hiding place).

[sunshineandrosesnoraincamemyway]

I wish there was a website where you could input a character's description (height, weight, sex, medical conditions, etc.) And a situation (car crash, falls, stabbing, etc.) And it would calculate for you from most to least likely the injuries that character would receive, potential complications, and how long it would take recover. This would make writing injuries SO MICH EASIER if I wasn't guessing at everything

[akanemnon]

Shouldn't there be a minotaur in the labyrinth? Who put this goat here? This is not accurate to the mythology! /j

FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT

MASTERPOST (for the full series / FAQ / reference sheets)

[mellosdrawings]

I'm a fervent "genuine cane user Azul" believer, just so you know. It just makes sense ? Guy who's got his legs cut from eight to two, who has bones and has to face gravity for the first time in his life, etc.

In the original Little Mermaid story, the mermaid's legs actually hurt her a lot whenever she took a step. Maybe it's not to that point for Azul, but he's explicitly said to have poor balance and stamina. A cane would just be the perfect mobility aid for him in all aspects.

[keferon]

Guys. Hear me out.

Remember when in Cyberverse everyone got their minds transferred into fake artificial digital simulation of an infinite fucking parade while their bodies were imprisoned? Now. Imagine Shockwave trying to pull that kind of move on First aid.

Under the cut:)

First aid feels wrong.

Which isn't weird, but this kind of wrong is brand new. It's not nausea from drugs or weird withdrawals after neural connection. It also doesn't feel like a concussion.

It feels like he's a lab mouse running through a maze.

There's the cheese. There's the electric shocks. There's no way out and never has been.

He thinks it might be the fault of Pharma's new drug. Or his fucking pilot position is finally eating away at him, or Vortex is finally done playing with him and just broke his brain.

There are people running around him, each of whom definitely knows what their place is and where they need to go. Everyone has a purpose and a position and some important job to do. They hardly even talk to each other, just nod and run on.

Amazing synchronization.

First..Felix feels like a kid lost in the mall.

He has. He has to do something, right? What does he need to do? Fuck. What day is today anyway?

He heads over to the schedule board and stares at it like an idiot for a couple minutes. It's Tuesday. The work day is in full swing. All the shifts are here. But he doesn't recognize the names of the employees. All the pilots are accounted for, but his name isn't on their list.

Must be a mistake?

He turns away from the board and looks around the room once more, this time more carefully. He just needs to find someone to ask. Preferably someone familiar.

He can’t recognise anyone.

The feeling of strangeness doesn't get any less.

The uniforms on the people around him are similar. But not the same.

The badges are all another color.

And he's surprised by this, but at the same time some part of his brain tells him that it's all familiar and he's seen it before.

“.... then I thought, we could do something different, you know?”

Felix flinches as Swindle and Onslaught walk past him. They are clearly in the middle of some sort of discussion and don't notice Felix staring at them.

Swindle is wearing a pilot's suit. Onslaught is wearing one, too.

Screw the weird schedule. THIS is wrong.

Onslaught frowns, but when he opens his mouth there's a strange amused respect in his tone

“You slippery eel.”

Swindle smiles. His smile, Felix notices, is not the same at all. He doesn't look like an actor from a commercial. He looks like a worn-out but proud of himself man.

It's wrong, but he's seen it before, it's strange but it's familiar. He wants to go up to Swindle and ask what's going on. He wants to understand the damn schedule. He wants to...

…

First Aid feels wrong.

Which isn't weird, but this kind of wrong is brand new. It's not the nausea from the drugs or the weird withdrawals after a neural connection. It also doesn't feel like a concussion.

It feels like being a lab mouse running through a maze.

You got the cheese. And here's the electric shocks. No escape. Never has been.

It's all the same.

He's not sure where he's going. Everyone around him seems very busy. Running about their own business, not paying attention to him and--

What is he supposed to do? He can't remember what day of the week it is. Shit. Is it Tuesday? He can't remember.

Does he need to find a schedule?

Everything feels weird.

By the schedule board, he almost crashes into Swindle.

“...You realize, if we can both get out of this shit, we can get others out too.”

Onslaught...still looking strange in his pilot suit instead of his usual uniform. Swindle pokes him in the side with his elbow as they both walk past Felix, completely ignoring him

“You just. Think about it. Even if you can't fire Offy from the pilots, you can at least free him from these disgusting experiments.”

Felix wants to go over and say hello. Politely and unobtrusively. And also kindly ask, “what the hell, boss?”

But you see it every day, his brain tells him. Have you forgotten?

It makes him feel wrong.

Here's the board, here's the schedule, just lift your stupid head up and see what you're supposed to be doing.

He looks at the board. It's Tuesday. It's dumb sheets that don't have his name on them. He wants to go up to Swindle, he should go up to Swindle, right?

…

It's all wrong, but it's a new kind of wrong. It's not from drugs or neural connection. And it's almost certainly not a concussion.

He's feeling.... hell, what day of the week is it? Tuesday right? He looked at the blackboard yesterday.

He stops. And makes a titanic effort to concentrate the jelly his head is now filled with instead of his brain.

Today is Tuesday because?...because yesterday was Tuesday? And the day before that, too? This is some kind of trippy shit, not a broken neural connection….

He's not looking for the schedule. He's seen the schedule a million times and he knows what's gonna be on it.

He's not sure where he's even going. The layout of the base is different. Not much, but enough to confuse him. He's still stubbornly checking out every familiar place he can find.

He doesn't get it, he doesn't get it, he doesn't get it, he doesn't get it, he doesn't.

He still doesn't see a single damn familiar face.

Ambulon's gone, Pharma's disappeared somewhere too. No Tailgate or Wheeljack anywhere to be seen. And the layout is a little different and all the badges are the wrong color and Felix can't even read what's written on them because every time he tries all the letters blend into an indistinguishable blur.

He's trying to talk to someone. Anyone. But everyone either brushes him off or straight up ignores him. It's like he's a ghost or a lunatic or all of the above.

Everything is so familiar, but at the same time it isn't and his brain frantically clings to the last possibly familiar thing.

Vortex. He needs to find Vortex.

Even if it is him who is going insane and not everyone around him. Vortex is insane in his own, unique way, but he won't ignore him. He may get a good laugh, but it's still better than blindly poking around every corner by himself.

First Aid feels wrong.

Which isn't weird, but this kind of wrong is brand new. It's not nausea from drugs or weird withdrawals after neural connection. It also doesn't feel like a concussion....

He snaps at himself. NO. Hell no.

Vortex. He needs to find Vortex.

The hangar looks surprisingly dark. The people look unfamiliar. And another schedule board beckons him to come over and check to see if it really is Tuesday, but he ignores everything and heads straight for his Mech.

Vortex hasn't changed a bit. Even the radius at which people avoid him is exactly the same.

And looking at him doesn't give Felix that fucking sense of wrongness.

He sees Vortex a lot. He just knows it. The thought is natural, in contrast to the others. That's good, that... It may sound strange, but Vortex is the most normal thing he can perceive right now.

He feels like he's grown little wings. His feet carry him up to the open cockpit and he barely notices the steps beneath him.

Vortex is here and he will understand and even if he doesn't, at least he won't ignore him. Vortex gets bored too quickly so he never minds distractions, no matter how absurd and...weird..they…

Huh…

Felix almost climbs into the cockpit, but freezes, right on the way in.

It's empty.

He crashes into that realization like an invisible wall.

The cockpit.... is clean.

It doesn't smell of chemicals or scrubbing agent. There are no thin streaks of old browned blood in the seams and crevices. There are no dents or stains on the edge of the visor.

The cameras are dead still and the screens are off.

There's no smell of stale blood or decay.

There's no one here.

But the back of his neck still tingles with the sensation of someone else's eyes staring at him.

“The fuck do you think you're doing?“

First Aid flinches startled and turns around.

There is a pilot standing a few feet away from him with a cigarette in his hand.

“..I’m..”

“I wouldn't stand there if I were you” smiles the stranger eying him with a suspiciously bloodthirsty smile “those things are glitchy as fuck. Might chop off something important.”

First Aid continues to stand just under the open visor. Maybe it's surprise or maybe he's too used to the idea that Vortex won't cut him in half. The pilot in front of him looks.... geez, where has he seen him???

Has he ever seen him at all? That green suit looks awfully familiar.

And the voice. There should be more mechanical notes in that voice, First Aid thinks. It should have more static and reverb and squeaks and rumbles and clicks and that quiet hum that sounds when the cockpit systems are turned on...

First Aid jumps off the Mech.

“Vortex...?”

The pilot casts him only a slightly surprised look at first, but a moment later recognition flares in his eyes.

“What the fuck....AID??”

First Aid instantly takes a swing and punches him in the face hard enough to send him wiping the dust on the floor.

“You!!!”

“Ha,” says Vortex from the floor. “Hahahahah ooooh Do it again! ”

First Aid kicks him. Vortex laughs like he's been told the world's happiest joke.

He sounds…alive. Alive and human and there’s no metal in his voice and

“What the fuck?”

Vortex stops laughing, but still doesn't get up off the floor

“What's the last thing you remember?”

First Aid still does nothing but stare at Vortex stunned. The human Vortex. Victor? Shit

“Until Tuesday, you mean?”

Vortex hums

”Till Tuesday.”

What was before Tuesday?

Another Tuesday. And another and another and another and another.

Someone from downstairs bangs loudly on the railing and berates Vortex for a safety violation, ordering him to put his cigarette away.

Vortex points his middle finger down somewhere and throws the cigarette over the railing.

Oh god. Oh shit.

First Aid swallows nervously.

“Shockwave...he used something...to control you-Mech...I mean. He did something, I think. I remember I couldn’t move couldn’t do anything. And now I’m in this hhhhplace? I don’t really recognise it.”

Vortex twitches the corner of his mouth and finally rises from the floor.

“Well I do.”

He looks like he is sick, First Aid thinks. He looks sick and he looks human and he has arms and legs and eyes and that stupid curly strand of dark hair sticking out from under his helmet and the dark eye bags.

“The bastard made up some sort of dumpster to transfer your consciousness in while he does shit to your body.”

First Aid clenches his hands together

“But there were two of us in the neural connection. And it took two of us to transfer here too...”

It suddenly dawns on him

“Wait. This base, these, everything. This is what the Mech project looked like in your time?? And Swindle and Onslaught and the staff is different and...”

Vortex raises his eyebrows smugly.

“...Here you are ...you're a human...” finishes First Aid.

Vortex pulls a crumpled pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

From somewhere below, a loud angry bang is heard again

“Tex, you bastard stop smoking in here.”

“Fuck you, Off,” Vortex yells back.

Then shrugs his shoulders

“I've always been human. No matter how hard Shockwave and his science shithole try to change that.”

He holds out an opened pack to First Aid

“Want some?”

First Aid feels awful. Terrible as if from the drugs, terrible as if from the neural connection. Terrible as if he had a concussion times two.

But Vortex is here and Vortex believes him and even if it turns out they're the ones who are crazy and not the world around them, at least they're crazy together.

First Aid takes a cigarette

“Thanks...”

_______________

Previous

[kazumist]

HANDLE WITH CARE .ᐟ

✩ — in which soshiro hoshina finds himself getting treated by his favorite nurse, you.

✩ — includes: soshiro hoshina x gn!reader. fluff. cw: mentions of blood and injuries, inaccurate use of medical terms ?? sorry i just used google uhm. wc: 990. established (secret !!!) relationship. reblogs and feedback are much appreciated !!

✩ — note: i became obsessed with these two that i might just write a part two of reader treating him after the tachikawa base raid arc actually.

soshiro hoshina does not play favorites.

when it comes to his subordinates, at least.

when it comes to the medical team assigned to the tachikawa base, however, that is when he plays favorites (though you would never see the vice captain of the third division actually admit that; he prefers calling it his “preferences”). whenever he finds himself in the base’s infirmary, he will always look for you. and when he’s lucky, which on most occasions he is, then he’ll have you treat his wounds. it’s just something that hoshina has grown accustomed to whenever he finds himself there. nothing more, nothing less (a lie).

you were a special case for the vice captain. there was just something about the way you handled his wounds compared to others. call it picky, but he just prefers the gentle treatment that you give his wounds. (how come hoshina constantly prefers to be treated by you when others would treat him the same? isn't that part of your job in the first place?)

(the answer is simple—it’s simply an act of soshiro hoshina asking for some quality time, even if he’s all bruised and bloody.)

“i’m almost convinced that you do this on purpose sometimes.”

soshiro simply grins at you. you weren’t entirely wrong—but it’s not like hoshina asks himself to get hurt when he goes out on missions in the first place. he could handle himself pretty well; he has the high position of being the vice captain of the third division, for christ’s sake. but perhaps it is inevitable that even the vice captain would come out of a mission unscathed.

“i like the concern from you.”

you give him a lighthearted eyeroll, to which he only grins even wider. "i'm sure you do," yet that grin slowly dissipated as he winced slightly at the feeling of the alcohol touching the wound near his eyebrow. “sorry, did that hurt too much?” you asked him, worried that it might’ve stung too much for his liking. this type of close proximity was normal for you and him. after all, it’s not like this is the first time your face was this close to his—though those are times when hoshina feels rather affectionate with you rather than in pain due to some wound he got.

“nothing i can’t handle, love.” he says, recovering quite fast from the alcohol sting. he was then met with a gentle tap on the lips—hoshina knows it was a warning from you. “watch your words, vice captain.” you say, applying a small gauze pad to his wound and securing it with paper tape.

“can’t really help it when you look so pretty up close, sweetheart.”

you ignored his remark but soshiro could see the smile that tugged on your lips at the petname. you then moved on to his next wound, which is on his left shoulder. his expression softens as he watches you inspect his wound, a small amount of guilt bubbling up inside of him. “this is gonna need a little stitch,” you sighed, grabbing another cotton ball, pouring the right amount of alcohol on it, and preparing to gently dab it on the wound. “and this might hurt a bit again.” you give him a heads up.

“like i said, it’s nothing that i can’t handle,” he reassured. whether it’s you he’s reassuring or himself to convince himself, neither of you really know. he hissed slightly when the cotton ball came into contact with his skin; it was barely even heard that he hissed in the first place. but you noticed it; you always do. you would notice everything about the man before you and he would do the same.

after cleaning his shoulder wound, you proceeded to prepare to stitch it up. there was no one else in the infirmary at the moment; it was now only you and hoshina there. he silently watched you as you quickly arranged the surgical suture. and even when you started the stitching, the deafening silence was still comfortable. 

soshiro gently raised his right arm since it was uninjured and used his hand to smoothly tuck your other strands of hair behind your ear. you looked at him, raising an eyebrow at his gesture. he smiles at you in return. “your hair might get in the way. we don’t want my stitches to have your hair stuck in them now, don't we?”

you quickly finish up the stitch and put gauze on top as well. “i’m sorry.” soshiro’s apology is as genuine as it always is whenever he gets treated in this same room. “i’m starting to feel quite better now, though. couldn’t do it without my favorite nurse.” he continues, as he grabs ahold of your unoccupied hand.

he hears you chuckle at his words as you interlock your fingers together. “avoid arduous training or activities for a good one week and you’ll be good as new.” you said, sighing as now you’re finally done with treating your boyfriend. “eh? no fair. i have to go help the rookies train the day after tomorrow.”

“i’m sure captain ashiro would let you off the hook in the meantime, soshiro.”

“oh, we’re on a first name basis now?” he asks, and this time it was his turn to raise an eyebrow. you bring your other hand up to his cheek, caressing it as your thumb grazes his cheek bone. he leans into your palm as if it were a reflex. “we’ve always been on a first name basis, dummy.” you say.

“maybe all of my pain could go away if you just gave me a little kiss, you know, as your vice captain.”

“now that’s just abuse of authority. do you ask other nurses for a kiss too?” you pouted.

“that’s why your my favorite nurse.” he replies, clearly emphasizing the word “favorite” as he steals a kiss from you.

yeah, vice captain soshiro hoshina definitely does not play favorites.

[coffeefiction]

The Mech Pilot Au by @keferon has me on a chokehold, so, I'mma procrastinate from writing an actual fic by just writing down incorrect quotes instead-

-----------------------

Swerve: We’ve found the person who stole your identity and was impersonating you.

Blur: Where were they?

Swerve: Eating cheetos and crying in their car.

Blur, impessed: Damn, they really went for it.

-----------------

Jazz: Helpful grammar tip: “farther” is for physical distance, “further” is for methaphorical distance, and “father” is for emotional distance!

-------------------

Prowl: I want to be with you for the rest of my life.

Jazz: Damn, that sounds like a marriage proposal.

Prowl, getting down on one knee: That's 'cause it is.

------------------

Blur: Why cant trees give off something important like wifi??

First Aid: So fuck oxygen, I guess.

-------------------

Prowl: Vortex isn’t answering my messages.

First Aid: Allow me.

Prowl: I tried 6 times, what makes you thi-

Vortex: *replying to message* Hello.

-------------------

*First Aid and Jazz enter a dive bar*

First Aid: Look, I know you’re disappointed but could we at least have a drink.

Jazz, in a scuba diving suit: I would like leave, please.

-----------------

Blurr: Here is my wall of inspirational people. Swerve: Is that a picture of you? Blurr: Yes, I am big enough to admit that I am often inspired by myself.

----------------

First Aid: I don’t think we can mansplain, manipulate, or malewife our way out of it this time.

Vortex: *cracks knuckles* Manslaughter it is!

---------------

Vortex: I can’t do this, it’s against my moral compass.

First Aid: YOUR MORAL COMPASS IS A ROULETTE WHEEL!

Vortex: …Your point?

-------------------

Jazz: First Aid is restricted to decaf for the rest of this adventure.

-------------------

Jazz: I told Swerve to grab snacks for everyone.

Blurr, looking through the options: Why did you grab fruit snacks? Are you five? Who even likes Fruit Snacks?

*Jazz, First Aid, and Swerve raise their hands*

*Vortext from the distance,also raising his hand*

--------------------

Jazz: I think we should have glow stick juice injected in our bones when we're born, so if we break our bones, we get a fun little surprise.

Vortex: What's the surprise?

First Aid: Blood poisoning.

--------------------

Vortex: The only thing keeping me from running away and hiding from society for the rest of my life is spite. I could disappear forever, but there are some bitches whose downfalls I have yet to witness, and I wanna be around when that happens.

------------------

Swerve: Why would anyone want to harm Blurr?

Vortex: Maybe because they met him?

[aucrowne]

Bunny Trio ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ ₊˚⊹♡

➺ More windbreaker fanart

➺ More Furin Trio

[echo-circuit]

Texaid from @keferons Mecha pilot AU has me by the throat and with a weapon to my head so I wrote 1.5k words instead of getting ready for bed.

Kinda saucy, just fyi but here's a snippet! It'll be up on AO3 soon!

"Don’t start,” Felix warned, pulling the blanket over his lap as he navigated the tablet.

“Oh, I’ll start, aiddy baby,” Vortex teased, his voice wrapping around Felix like a tangible thing. “You’re sitting in my chair, in my cockpit, wrapped up like a gift just for me. You think I’m gonna let you off easy?

-------------------------

Edited to add link

Link to full story 👇

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61519687/chapters/157273648