#you're keeping this locomotive in.... motion

[wanderingcas]

title: paradigm

pairing: dean/cas

tags: apocalypse au, angst w/ a happy ending, slow burn, h/c

CHAPTER 3

The roadside motel, barely one star on a good day pre-apocalypse, stands in the gloom and rain like a shimmering oasis. The lodge style, with each room having its own entrance and therefore just one door to barricade, makes for the perfect quick escape.

And, better yet: the vending machine outside the abandoned check-in office is full and waiting to be purged.

Both Dean and Cas wordlessly complete their tasks: Dean locks the windows and draws the curtains while Cas shatters the vending machine’s glass with the butt of his shotgun. Dean waits until Cas is through the door with an armful of snacks before settling the heavy dresser against it.

Dean whistles in appreciation as Cas dumps the contents of the vending machine on the table: chips, candy, mints, mini energy shots. Everything a starving man in the middle of the apocalypse could want. “Geez, Cas. How’d you know about this place?”

Cas shrugs, settling himself on the faded pink flower comforter of the only bed in the room. “I saw this motel when I was coming into town. I assumed it had a vending machine of some sort.”

Dean shakes out his wet hair, droplets flying every which way. “Yeah, but a full one?”

“It was a lucky guess.”

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[rottenpumpkin13]

ACGSZ (as kids) board the Polar Express. What happens?

Sephiroth:

First time outside the lab. Clutching his standard, white lab pajamas like a security blanket.

He takes a seat and keeps looking around the train with suspicion, "The physics of this locomotive are impossible. Also, why is no one concerned about a strange man collecting children at night?"

Refuses the hot chocolate at first because "Professor Hojo warned me about sugar and foreign substances." Ends up trying it out of peer pressure and immediately falls in love. His eyes widen at the first sip—it's his first taste of chocolate.

Tells the other kids he never got presents, not even for his birthday. Genesis looks horrified.

Accidentally ends up on the roof and has a philosophical conversation with the hobo about the meaning of life.

Genesis:

Bounces onto the train in festive red pajamas and a little robe, all big smiles and boundless energy. He's missing one front tooth and can't stop grinning because his mom isn't here to worry about appearances and tell him to close his mouth.

He gulped down his hot chocolate eagerly, then began theorizing how he could replicate the recipe. "I bet it has nutmeg! Angeal, do you think it has nutmeg?"

"Genesis, sit down," Angeal groans, tugging him back into his seat for the third time.

Gets into a heated debate with the conductor about the train being a metaphor for "the journey of life."

Is a walking mini dictionary/ encyclopedia combo, is eager to tell everyone all about the fun facts he knows, and tells other children stories.

Horrified to learn Sephiroth doesn't believe in Santa. Spends the rest of the ride trying to convince him and tells him all about how Christmas is magical.

Angeal:

Only here because Genesis dragged him along. Begrudgingly sits down but ends up lecturing the other kids about train safety. "Hold the rail, Genesis. Don't hang your head out the window, Zack. Cloud, are you feeling okay? You're looking pale."

Keeps pulling Genesis back into his seat, which becomes a full-time job.

Lowkey guilty about enjoying the hot chocolate because his parents don't get to try it. "They'd love this." Feels even guiltier when he accepts a second cup.

Tries to help the staff maintain order, which the conductor finds both helpful and annoying. The conductor repeatedly tells him to "take a break, kid."

Gets emotional over the broken toys in the back of the train.

Zack:

Becomes best friends with every kid on the train in under five minutes. "What's your name? That's a cool name! Wanna play a game? What's your favorite Christmas carol?"

Organizes a "Guess That Christmas Carol" competition. Ends up singing too loudly, which makes Sephiroth laugh for the first time.

"GUYS, WE'RE ON ICE! WHY ARE WE DRIFTING? THIS IS AWESOME!"

Convinces the conductor to let him touch the controls and to drive the train.

Cloud:

Cloud is the last child to board, running through the snow with his little scarf trailing behind him. He almost missed the train, but the other four pulled the emergency brake.

Shyly accepts Zack's excited ushering and sits in the corner. Gets motion sick almost immediately.

Slowly warms up to the group, tells them he doesn't receive much presents because his mother can't afford them, Sephiroth nods in solidarity and the two bond over their lukewarm feelings about Christmas.

Tries the hot chocolate but drinks it too slowly and it gets cold. Zack swaps cups with him. In fact, Zack has made it his mission to make sure Cloud has the best time ever.

At the North Pole

When Santa arrives, Sephiroth is picked to receive the first gift. Everyone else cheers, while Sephiroth looks very out of place.

Santa asks him what he wants. Sephiroth thinks of asking for his mother back but pauses. He looks at Genesis excitedly ranting about Santa, Angeal trying to stop Zack from terrorizing an elf, and Cloud shyly smiling and giving him a thumbs up.

"I… I want our paths to cross again someday," he says instead, looking at his newfound friends.

Santa smiles knowingly. "Consider it done."

None of them remember the night when they wake up. But when they meet again years later, it feels like fate.

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

I've an anthro tiger character who can walk/run/etc both bipedal and quadrupedal. Within the scope of the story he also becomes an amputee - so now hes missing his entire left arm and his right leg up to the knee. I've figured out that bipedally he mostly uses a crutch. but is there anything i can do for him that'll still let him scamper around? I've not been able to find reference for animals missing limbs in a similar configuration.

alright this one was fun. mobile aids for non-human bodies can be tricky, but it's cool and important!

the first step of course is making sure you can keep a character design relatively consistent in both a bipedal and quadrupedal stance.

(image description: simplified sketches of a feline character standing on all fours as well as upright on two legs. their left arm and right leg have also been colored over in red to note that these limbs are missing. there is also a note on the image stating that the arms and legs should be roughly the same length. end description)

keeping the limbs similar in length is important for quadrupedal motion, if you want the spine to be kinda parallel to the ground. otherwise, you get sloped backs which are not the best for smooth motion. but the more important part of this ask is the matter of mobility aids for a character that moves between bipedal and quadrupedal motion! so let's talk about that.

for one thing, if your character is not using a leg prosthetic, they'll need two crutches when they walk upright. one crutch is helpful when you have two legs but one of them is weaker, and in that case you'd use the crutch on the strong side, actually.

I previously reblogged a post about proper cane usage, but it can apply to crutches as well! and from what I've seen, the crutches that have a forearm brace are the most popular for comfort and ease of use. your character happens to be missing an entire arm on the same side he would be using a cane or crutch if he had a leg prosthetic on. so that does make things tricky. alternatively, he could use a leg prosthetic and not bother with a cane or crutch. but! you don't have to do that. you can still give him crutches, leave his right leg without a prosthetic, and even give him a versatile prosthetic for upright and quadrupedal motion!

conveniently, cats are well documented to manage just fine with three legs, whether they are missing a back leg or a front leg! there's even at least one cat out there missing both front legs and doing fine! so, your tiger fella really only needs one prosthetic to do both kinds of locomotion, I think. here's what I've got:

telescopic/collapsible arm prosthetic-crutch-combo and a collapsible or folding forearm crutch that can be carried on a belt when not in use.

(image description: the same feline character sketched upright and on all "fours", this time with added mobility aids. the notes on this sketch say "one leg, no prosthetic, requires two crutches. cats get along fine with three legs." the mobility aids drawn on the character include a folding forearm crutch and an arm prosthetic strapped to the left shoulder that can be extended into a tall crutch for walking upright. end description.)

play around with it until you're satisfied! if you just want a leg prosthetic instead, no crutches, then I think he could use the exact same prosthetic both upright and on all "fours" without the use of an arm prosthetic.

(image description the feline character again, this time showing a simple leg prosthetic that attaches at the knee, has a small thick piece bending slightly back, and then a longer straight rod ending in a foot pad. end description.)

you'll have to adjust the exact proportions and design to better match your character, of course, but these are the options i thought could work for your idea. I hope that's helpful and gives you more ideas for how you want to draw him! good luck!

[antiquatedsimmer]

As the women engaged in pleasant conversation in the parlor, Eddy and Daniel made their way out of the kitchen through the side door, embarking on a leisurely stroll across the sprawling expanse of the property.

Eddy's eyes widened with intrigue as he absorbed the news. "Well, I'll be damned! A full-fledged Railsystem right here in Henford? "

Daniel, standing tall with a rugged demeanor, nodded with a sense of authority. "Yep," he replied, his voice resonating with confidence. "It's going to be a grand undertaking, my friend. We're still in the early stages, mind you. We're busy mapping out potential routes and acquiring the necessary parts to ensure the steam train functions flawlessly."

"It's going to be a grand undertaking, my friend. We're still in the early stages, mind you. We're busy mapping out potential routes and acquiring the necessary parts to ensure the steam train functions flawlessly."

Eddy turned his head towards Daniel, "Do you happen to know why they decided to begin construction through Henford? It seems rather distant, and the community is very close-knit. "

"We're nearing the end of our Western Expanse, Edward," Daniel said with a tinge of melancholy in his voice. "The days of the wild west are fading away, giving rise to a more civilized era. "

Daniel's countenance shifted to one of resolve as he spoke, "Out here in Henford, my friend, we witness the seeds of a promising future. The vast expanse of land holds great potential for a blossoming community. There's ample room for the construction of factories, bustling businesses, and stately homes. The men I've had the privilege of working with, esteemed businessmen who helm locomotive companies, are fervently seeking to establish extensive trade routes connecting cities near and far."

Eddy squinted his eyes, using his hand as a makeshift visor to shield them from the piercing sun. "You know my sentiments 'bout them overconfident industrialists. Them fancy men with their top hats and deep pockets, struttin' 'round like they own the world, noses high up in the air."

"Seems to me, this is nothin' but a bunch of wealthy folks gone mad, chasin' after more gold. They wanna tear up this land in Henford, disruptin' the natural order of things. Ain't sound thinkin', if you ask me."

"Ya know, Daniel, I've witnessed it all before," Eddy remarked, "These grand plans of progress, tearin' up the land, buildin' tracks, and hopin' that shiny locomotive keeps chuggin' along. But what happens when that contraption breaks down? You're stranded, dependin' on a hunk of metal rather than a trusty horse."

He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "A good horse, now that's somethin' reliable.

"These young folks today, they're all caught up in this newfangled technology. " he scoffed

Daniel turned to Eddy his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Well, Edward, I must say I didn't expect you to be such a skeptic. But hear me out." He motioned towards the vast horizon, his hand gracefully sweeping across the landscape. "This train system, it's not just about the fancy inventions and speed. It's about progress, about opening up new avenues for hardworking folks like yourself."

Eddy let out a hearty laugh, his voice tinged with a hint of skepticism. "Well, I reckon I'll believe it when my eyes behold it, Daniel."

[gabbythegoosequeen]

I'm not going to pretend to be an engineer, so take what i'm about to say with a grain of "maybe she's talking nonesense"

You could design a more effective way to transform the motion with 2 gears (like a steam locomotive) but you would need one extra perpendicular axle, and you would need to offset the piston. Which depending on what you're trying to achieve might not fit in your space constraints.

But an issue with this compact system would be wear. The central piece moving like a lever has 3 different bearings, on which you apply non rotation forces. So they need to be designed to withstand those lateral forces. The rotating axle is also cut in half to fit this "lever", weakening it. This means that, especially if this is meant to run for long periods of time, you need to carefully build these parts to make them as durable as possible. And/or make maintenance of these parts easy. And let's not talk about the vibrations this thing would cause if it goes fast...

Non rotation forces being applied also means that the system creates a lot of resistance, which implies two things : 1- i hope your piston provides enough thrust to move that thing at all. 2- you NEED inertia in the axle to keep it going, otherwise, like you said in your previous tags

It WILL get stuck.

So that's an edge case system to use when you can't fit a simpler, more durable gear system.

ROTARY_PISTON

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 21st December

I was just saying we got no Christmas songs this year, and look what happened. Better late than never, I guess? Though, with Christmas songs like this, maybe best not to count your chickens before they hatch...

Poetry in Motion - Johnny Tillotson (peaked at Number 1)

Before we get to the Christmas novelties, though, this. The first thing I thought, honestly, was that wow, this is some pure rock and roll sleaziness. The whole thing's just a shot of concentrated thirst, after all, as Johnny sings about how when I see my baby / What do I see? I don't know, Johnny, what do you see? Poetry in motion, apparently. You see, her lovely locomotion / Keeps my eyes open wide. She's like poetry, see her gentle sway / A wave out on the ocean / Could never move that way. Translation? He's watching her butt as she walks, and damn, that girl's butt is fine.

That said, there is something pretty wholesome to it, in a way you don't always see in more modern songs - it's not just about Johnny ogling his girlfriend, you know? He's trying, in his own way, to affirm her, you get the sense, hence the lines about how there's nothing I would change, and how she doesn't need improvement / She's much too nice to rearrange . You could imagine that she maybe has some self-image issues, but Johnny loves her just as she is, and is keen to tell her - along with the rest of the world! And even if that's not the backstory you're meant to read into this, there's also something pretty cute in the lines about how much he loves to see her dancing - not because she's hot, this time, but because she's dancing alongside him, a flower of devotion / For all the world to see.

And on top of some genuinely cute lyrics, just the most 1950s / early 1960s accompaniment, lots of whoah-oh-oh-oh doo-wop touches, some lovely, lazy saxophone accompaniment, rifle-sharp drumming and of course, that hammering piano beat. The players, here, are some top-level talent, too, with Boots Randolph on sax and Floyd Cramer on piano. I've not gone too far into looking at session musicians, in the rest of this project, but both of them are names I've seen on other tracks, and Floyd Cramer's about to hit the charts in his own right. Them - and the bass player, one Floyd Chance - are rightly seen as legends in the industry, and part of the so-called "Nashville A-Team", a loose grouping of players who appeared accompanying everyone from Elvis to Bob Dylan. They typically came from a country music background, but as you can hear here, they ended up playing all sorts of stuff, including a lot of huge rock and roll and rockabilly tracks, and they really make this track. Not that Johnny doesn't have a clean-cut charm of his own, either, but there's just a lot going on here, beyond just what he's bringing - and it's all pretty great, so kudos to the producers and audio engineers, I guess?'

Lonely Pup (In a Christmas Shop) - Adam Faith (4)

Meanwhile, what to do with this? I feel like the obvious point of comparison is Tommy Steele's Little White Bull, from the previous year, as a cute, Christmassy bit of fluff. Except at least that song had the dubious honour of coming from a film. This one, as far as I can see, didn't - somebody just thought that hey, we could sell a song about a dog in a pet shop at Christmas, waiting for an owner. And clearly it worked, because this got to Number 4, but still. It feels flimsy, emotionally manipulative and just kind of twee.

The other obvious point of comparison, 1952's How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?, at least had the thing going on where the singer's man is going away, and she wants a pet who can keep him safe, in a fun flip of the typical gender-roles. This, meanwhile, is a "please buy a dog" song at its most "route A", in its most basic, uninteresting form. I mean, soft brown eyes that seem to say, / Stay a while, I want to play? Lines asking Mister Santa, if you would / Send him someone, oh so good? Lines straight out telling the listener, pity him, he's got no pop? Urgh. I've already told you, I'm not buying a dog!

Musically, it's definitely Adam Faith, lots of strummy guitar and background strings. We've added some jingling sounds and xylophone, to make it more Christmassy, though, and we've oomphed the strings up to almost Mantovani levels of drippy excess. Plus, there's the children's choir. Because of course there's a children's choir. There are very few songs that actually benefit from the addition of a children's choir (off the top of my head, I can only think of One More Brick in the Wall) and this is no exception to the rule. Not wholly unlistenable, but definitely not something I'm going to be seeking out. Apparently all this was orchestrated and managed by John Barry, of all people, who I really thought would have more taste, but there you go. Merry Christmas, I guess.

And thus 1960 rolls to an end, with a song that sounds, to my ears, very 1950s. This isn't a huge shock, as it usually does take a while for a decade to "find its feet", as it were. It'd be weirder if the 1960s arrived fully formed, honestly - especially when so many of the artists involved, especially session musicians, stayed the same. The names on the singles change, sure, but at the end of the day, half these songs feature the same 20 or 30 people on most of the instruments you're hearing - and the other half are trying to sound like the first half, with avrying degrees of success. Or they're singing about lonely dogs in a Christmas shop. You know, as you do.

Favourite song of the bunch: Poetry in Motion