#engineering updates

[leadengineerabstergo]

Tbh, I didn't expect to be working this late. Alex went home so it's just me.

We heard about the, uh, problem that is happening recently and are working to fix it. I think I almost have it as well.

~Rupert

[fantastic-nonsense]

however bad of a day you're having, know that it's not nearly as bad as whatever the Crowdstrike security team is going through since waking up this morning

[anonomi]

Compilation of merc handwriting I could find across the update logs. So far could find Spy, Sniper, Engineer (I believe that's his handwriting), and Soldier (either he got Spy to write it for him or he is actually really good at calligraphy). I could also add Saxton Hale but his handwriting is literally everywhere lol

Correction: It's actually Miss Pauling, not Soldier. Misread "It's" as "Hi" I still believe in Soldier's secret talent however

[martiestudies]

7/100 days of productivity

[230425] i found out i really like studying with company + my math professor is so funny and passionate and knows SO much!!!!

[nevadas-explorer]

i post again after 5000 years...

color refs for various flavors of guy

[digonthis]

Catered Audience- Pt. 4

Spencer Agnew x f!Reader

1.8k words

( ᴅᴍ ᴏʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ ғᴏʀ ��ᴀɢ :] )

slow burn-ish, fluff, mutual pining, all that shit

part 1 part 2 part 3

tags (ily): @midnightdragonzero @stand-tall-pineapple @anarchisticedtea

‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧♡‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧

Spencer loved the Smosh holiday parties… for the first hour.

After that it tends to become more exhausting than anything else. Everyone was either drunk, babysitting the drunks, or starting the next big office rumour thanks to stupid drunken actions taken out of context.

That’s exactly why, upon arrival, he snuck away to one of the smaller rooms in the venue, one with a tv that him and Alex had discovered the year prior, and ended up watching a movie after the boredom of the late-night party set in. This time, he was a little more prepared with clone hero on his laptop and the guitar controller he’d swiped from the office for the occasion. Once satisfied that the setup would bring a smile to Alex’s face a few hours from now, Spencer adjusted the collar of the ugly christmas sweater he’d been coerced into wearing and made his way into the party.

Music, lights, food, crowds of people, and a million selfies he was encouraged to join in on overwhelmed him immediately. Being on everyone’s instagram stories was a given for this kind of event, so he threw on his best photo smile and an awkward thumbs up. He soon found Alex, whose sweater was even uglier than his own. Through the regular slew of joking insults that they greeted each other with, Spencer swore he could see an irregularly cheerful smile always on Alex’s face, as if he had something planned that he couldn’t keep to himself for long.

Spencer let that be for now, turning his attention to Ian’s little opening speech. It was more of a stand-up routine really, poking fun at everyone while simultaneously acknowledging all the hard work and progress they’d accomplished this year. It ended with a toast, almost everyone had a glass of something bubbly in hand, and a ravenous applause. Alex nudged him gently, but Spencer paid it no mind. It was only after three or four nudges that he actually turned his attention to his friend, following his gaze again until it landed on a group of the girls standing a few metres away, toasting their own glasses. Angela, Arasha, Courtney, and… someone else. Facing away, he couldn’t make out who it was.  Alex just kept looking at him with that stupid smile as gears refused to turn in his brain.

“Hey man, is that uh… the…”

“Yup.”

“Oh. Huh.”

That was all Spencer could manage, his brain short-circuiting as he realized that it was definitely her. Even from the back, he recognized her hair, and his ears picked up that familiar laugh, watching her shoulders shake at a stupid joke someone had made. 

He quickly realized confirmation of identity would come very soon as she started to turn around, eyes flickering around the room. She seemed to be looking for something for just a moment before returning to the conversation. “Go talk to her.”

Spencer 's gaze snapped to Alex, appalled by his request. “I’m not gonna just- she’s a stranger!” “She knows you from the videos, i’m sure. She made you a cupcake.” Alex replied coolly, before draining his glass. Spencer stood and thought for a moment, trying to think of how he could start a normal conversation. Alex must’ve sensed his apprehension, grabbing another glass for each of them. “You’re the least awkward guy ever, you know. Just be normal. Chill.”

“Nah, I don’t want to freak her out. Especially after all the stuff in videos lately. I’m not worried about it, really. Let her enjoy the party…”

This was obviously a bit of an excuse, but Alex decided to let it slide. He saw the way Spencer was holding onto the drink he’d given him, eyes flickering to where she’d stood every few seconds. Thankfully, work parties at Smosh were always jam-packed with things to do, so it wasn’t long before some game or speech or tik tok filming would take his mind off of the unexpected party guest.

As expected, a few hours passed and Spencer had exhausted any energy he had to think about the girl. There were a few times they’d locked eyes, but neither had bothered to talk to the other. He usually kept an eye on where she was, just for his own peace of mind. For the last fifteen minutes, there was no sign of her, so he assumed she’d gone home. A twinge of regret hit him, just a little, for not just doing what Alex said and talking to her, but the guilt didn’t last too long as he remembered his setup from earlier.

Slipping away from the group he was standing in, long since tuned out of the conversation, Spencer made his way to the room he’d left the guitar hero in. Hearing soft music coming from the room, he silently cursed Alex for starting without him before shoving the door open in a playful huff, ready with a quip about patience before immediately choking on his words.

There she was. The girl who hadn’t left his mind for weeks, surrounded by empty cups of booze, high heels abandoned, dialled in and absolutely shredding Alice in Chains.

She was mumbling the words along too, and from the looks of the notes flying on the screen it was quite the tough difficulty setting. She kept up, eyes never leaving the screen as obviously experienced fingers hit the fret buttons and strummed away. She had the telltale blush of a drunk across her cheeks and nose, even spreading a little to her ears, and her eyelids drooped a bit every now and again before snapping back to high alert. To Spencer’s delight, the door wasn’t loud enough or in a position where she’d seen him walk into the room, so he took a moment to appreciate the sight.

The song ended before he’d figured out what to do or say, so he simply walked over and sat next to her, clapping along with the applause coming from the game. Her eyes widened as they finally met his, the grip she had on the plastic guitar tightening before she quickly pulled it off, offering it up. “I didn’t mean to mess with your stuff, I just haven’t played since I was in college and wanted to see-”

“Good song choice, do another.” He stated plainly with a gentle smile. She was obviously a little startled, but nodded before slowly putting the guitar back on. “I still want a turn after, though. Just need a minute to decide what to play...” Spencer added, adjusting his sitting position on the floor, intent to watch the girl and the screen at the same time.

She took a few minutes to scroll through songs, humming along to a few previews before settling on Nine Inch Nails. “I could never do the solo at the end as a kid, it always killed my hands…” She muttered, setting the difficulty to hard and settling her fingers on the keys as the beat started up.

She played the majority of the song with ease, but just as she said, the solo came around and she fumbled it immediately. Teeth dug into her bottom lip as the screen flashed red and the song abruptly ended, making her giggle nervously. Spencer, who hadn’t realized how invested he’d become until that moment, unclenched his fists and leaned back with a soft smile. “That shit was tough, I can’t blame you…” He mumbled, shifting a little. She began to pull the guitar strap off again, but he placed his hand on her’s for a split second before pulling away. “At least try one more time, you were close!”

It took a little convincing, but the drunken, glazed over look in her eyes turned to determination at his insistence and she booted the song back up again. He was now sitting ever so closer, His hip almost bumping hers as she dialled in on the song. Note after note, Spencer was painfully aware of the approaching solo, the alcohol in both their systems making the feat far more important than what it actually was.

Before he knew what he was even really doing, he had slid over to sit behind her. The pads of his fingers pressed to the tops of hers as he tried to find the frets, the notes started rolling in. He felt the way she tensed against his chest for a moment before leaning into him, now only focused on strumming as tipsy giggles fell from her lips. The song filled the silence of the room as Spencer handled the solo almost mechanically, gently pinning her fingers to the buttons, puppeting her through the tough stuff without problem. 

He quickly released his hand as she whispered a quiet thank you, feeling her hands regain control, hard part was done. A quick nod of acknowledgement was meant to be his cue to slip away, even if it was barely in her peripheral, but he hesitated on moving out of her personal space as he noticed the gentle pressure on his chest hadn’t gone away. She was still leaning on him. He sucked in a generous breath, hoping his heartbeat wasn’t going any crazier than it already had been, and settled in to watch her play the rest of the song. He held his breath a little at her shaky ending, but let it out slowly with a smile on his face as she seemed to brighten up at finally finishing the track, giggling fit returning as she let her head fall back on his shoulder so their eyes could finally meet. “You’re pretty good at that, you know.” 

Spencer could only smile and nod at first, looking away after a moment of taking in how pretty her eyes were up close. “I work on the games channel here, it’s kinda my job to be pretty good at that stuff.”

That only makes her laugh again, adjusting the guitar again and holding it up against her body. “Your turn now, only fair. Pick a song.”

His arms wrap around her carefully, taking hold of the controller and beginning to scroll through songs. He could only pray that it would be a little longer before Alex showed up to play with them, fully unaware that Alex had been the one to tip the girl off to the hidden game room in the first place. Nobody would be bothering them, that was for certain. As Spencer began the next song and the girl settled against his chest, the sting of biting his lip in concentration was the only way he could stay convinced this was anything other than a dream.

Her little hums and sighs as she watched the screen, the smell of her hair, the way he felt her tense and focus for difficult riffs and hum along to the lyrics she could recall… maybe he was dreaming, after all.

[bruhstation]

hello tumbled er

greetings and salutation. it is I, senja heterocaine, speaking to you through your favorite home screens. now you might be wondering: where on earth has senja heterocaine disappeared to these past 5 months? well the answer is as simple as it gets

I focused on my studies.

well yes that is the main reason. but that's like the nerd "obvious" answer. there’s other reasons too. some of which includes me getting into new interests, revisiting my old, hibernating interests, getting involved in university organizations and events, getting more involved in big family stuff since I'm the oldest and the only of-age grandchild of grandma from mom's side.... lots of stuff

so I just finished the third semester of premed school right. honestly speaking, with how I was losing motivation on drawing, the art block post-art fight, and lack of time, I decided to well, take a break. and it’s pretty convenient too since it was early on in the third semester. during the entirety of it I was feeling pretty proud of myself like "oh I've been studying a lot. I've taken a break from drawing and blog stuff. surely things will get better" and it did! not immensely but it's significant enough that for once I don't feel an indescribable sense of terror after the semester ends. the focus of this semester was about reproduction systems and growth and development which is pretty fun? we get to use models and medical phantoms hands-on and poke them with needles and other rube goldberg contraptions. I did miss breeding bacterias in petri dishes and seeing my friends burn the microbiology lab’s ceiling like last semester though. my grades are also improving… slowly but surely

(aftermath not pictured: me lounging on the couch scrolling through quora to see if there are people currently in college wanting to drop out)

maybe I was aiming too high. at least my grades are better than the previous two semesters and my social life is much better than it was back in high school. speaking of exams -- I went through my first osce exam around a week ago (practical exam to see if you can actually perform the skills labs lessons from the entire semester like you're a real physician). it was the most terrifying day of the month. my dentist said I have a big tongue and that’s why I can’t speak properly if I’m being too fast. ntm I WAS NERVOUS!!! MY FIRST OSCE!!! with how I memorized everything I needed, I was pretty confident that I'd pass, though. I didn't and retook the exam the next day. the prelude was the worst crash out ever

ah ptooey. I'll just take it like a champ. my tutor who's 3 years older than me and currently in the anesthetic rotation of co-ass told me that things will get easier but that's very subjective. he's a medical olympiad student after all. my parents are pretty happy though with how my academic life is becoming better so that's that

LETS MOVE ON TO SOMETHING LIGHTER. section B: what I've been getting into ever since bruhstation was put on cryostasis

you know Transformers One (2024)? the transformers movie directed by josh cooley? based on the Transformers(tm) franchise by Takara Tomy and Hasbro? most tragic break up movie of the decade? I watched it twice, squealed once, and left me broken and inconsolable for weeks on end. it made me revisit my dormant transformers interest after 5 years. I've reread the idw comics (mtmte, LL, taao, main transformers comic), and is currently checking out more (reading the wreckers saga right now). god it made me miss rodimus and friends' zany space opera adventures. I've always envisioned casa tidmouth to have the same tone as mtmte... the oftentimes dark humor, fridge horror stuff, weird magic/science, the roller coaster of emotions, confronting the past... its crazy good.

stories where misfits and knuckleheads band together in a confined space while having crazy doctor who-like adventures am I right. like I want casa tidmouth to be like that. remind me to thank 14 year old me for this trip down memory lane. and as usual, I tend to make self-indulgent crossovers of any interest I'm thinking about at the moment with casa tidmouth

a terrifying sneak peak on what's to come.

I've been working on my oc projects too. you may have seen some of them on artfight (graciela, saudade, altair, etc) but I've been focusing the most on graciela and saudade's universe, children's heterotopia. it has the largest amount of characters in any story I've created (not counting casa tidmouth), the most effort put into planning the stories and weaving in its themes about capitalism, patriarchy, period-typical bigotry, etc. there's human experimentation and they're given powers that range from punching super hard to time and space displacement. I also inserted whatever I wanted into the story. sure, yes, there's a lesbians-only organization of which its members are named off the knights of the round table, theres a mafia that focuses more on the family drama and attempted parricide from all angles, and tragic assassin maids of which their names are wuthering heights references. also if you've been following my main tumblr hajimedics for a while, you might've seen my three fairly oddparents ocs. well I've given them the tezuka star system treatment and inserted them into children's heterotopia as well.

I've also gotten into UTAU production! I've made a number of UTAU covers but haven't uploaded them to youtube. only shared them around with my friends on priv twitter. a good friend of mine assisted in the creation of my own UTAU voicebank! their name is TORKA (like "torque"), their voice bank has a slight accent when singing in japanese (because I'm their voice lol) and CV-only, their in-universe lore is that they're an intergalactic train conductor picking up wayfarers and outcasts trying to find a place in the vast universe, and I love them dearly

moving on! this is a thomas the engine and company blog THIS IS A LIFE UPDATE POST

I'd rather not discuss about how I'm doing mentally in deep detail BUT what I'll say is that I can't confidently say "I'm doing better" or "I'm doing worse" because it always depends on the days. things are okay-ish nowadays. some days are scary. some days are boring. I still experience delusions, (ironically) worried about my anhedonia, and believe that certain bouts of confidence will trigger a jinx, but I think I've been controlling myself well? at least? I keep internalizing the belief that I'm an adult. 20 years old. I have to act accordingly and my life in real life is ten times more important than the internet. things are going to change more and more once I graduate premed and began the co-ass program. I have to think 10 steps into the future. building successful connections before you turn 30. sigma grindset and all that. sorry that was my father using my body as a spirit medium

AND ALSO. ALSO. BACK TO THE BLOG DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER THAT ONE TIME I PROMISED TO MAKE A COMIC BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE 1000 FOLLOWERS POLL AND NEVER DID UNTIL NOW. I'm terribly sorry. I promise I will get into it I SWEAR procrastination is kicking my ass. I have to plan the dialogue and script and stuff AND DRAW BUT

BUT HERE’S THE FUNNY THING

THE BLOG REACHED 2000+ FOLLOWERS A FEW MONTHS AGO

NOW WHAT DO I DO TO CELEBRATE?

I don’t know honestly. I haven’t done the 1000+ followers celebratory comic, and NOW I HAVE 2000+ FOLLOWERS. THERES 2000+ OF YOU NOW!!!!! THAT’S CRAZY (IN A GOOD WAY)!!!! I thank you all for sticking with bruhstation through thick and thin for around 2 and a half years. I’m glad for all your support, fanarts, asks, and such truly. like wow. 2k. in such a short time too! thanks guys. admittedly, I feel kind of guilty to leave everyone hanging for months with nothing to give, especially with such a high follower number. and realistically? I don’t think I’ll be able to draw as much as I used to. like I’ve said earlier, I’ve been busy with my personal life and oc projects. it’s not like I’m abandoning this blog any time soon? I’m just speaking from a logical perspective, given my status as a student and (possibly, hopefully) future doctor too. I don't want to burn myself out posting like thrice a week, answering asks daily, I want to take things slow. at my own pace. maybe I'll focus on designing side characters as well and thinking about their roles in the story! but that's for another day. I’m just glad everyone’s still sticking around and enjoying my silly stuff

I do want to draw more for this blog! I want to put thomas and co. in more situations. make them dance for all our entertainments. but when you’re an adult, you realize that you have your own priorities. you can’t always do the things you wanna do. you can’t just drop something you don’t like out of the blue. sometimes you have to sigh, scratch the back of your neck, and brave it while saying “I sure am getting old”

oh and also I'm a butch lesbian now. still he/they (heavy preference on he/him), still preferring masculine terms like "mr", "sir", "guy", still as crazy as ever. still aroace too and not interested in dating, something that's been a constant in my identity ever since I'm in early high school. little have changed I can assure you this. I am still senja. senja heterocaine from the net.

and thus concludes senja’s life update post! what will the next post after this be about? something gordon-centric again? serious colored art? old men yaoi? silent hill UK localization? place your bets. everyone loves a good laugh

[treatmelikeasmut]

The Artist and the Engineer Part 1//Chapter Five//Paint Thinner

<<PREV Master List NEXT>>

Pairing: Viktor x Fem!Artist!Reader

Series Synopsis: Heimerdinger wants a commemorative painting done of Viktor, who is not fond of the idea. It doesn't matter how pretty the artist is.

Chapter Synopsis: The artist takes her unexpected guests to away from Viktor's hiding spot. But her late fee might end up being more than she's willing to pay.

Word Count: 2.6k

A/N: Check out some canon drabbles I wrote during the May Drabble Challenge! They're little sneak peeks into bits coming later in the story!

Don’t forget to like, comment, and reblog your favorite fics ❤️

____

You knew it was risky. Demanding to go to a second location to have this conversation. You didn't get to make demands, and especially never about meeting spots. You usually were forced to run with whatever hand they dealt you. But all you could think was, don't look over your shoulder. Don't let them know he's here. Don't get him involved.

Kuegler wasn't supposed to be here. Him and the big hulking thing called Boulder. The academy was supposed to be your safe haven. A place too prestigious for them to be. In a way, you had the advantage. Now you just had to get them to leave. The threaten of Heimerdinger was enough, it seemed. For now.

You tried not to hurry as you lead them out the door. Away from Viktor, hid away like a promise to be kept. He would probably never speak to you again after this. But at least he would be safe, and that was all that mattered. No one else suffering for your mistakes.

Down the hall and to the right was a storage closet, this was where you ducked into. It was just big enough for a person's worth of space between you. Given that just Boulder was the size of three grown men. They were too close for comfort. In here, you were a rabbit in a fox den. At the mercy of claw and tooth in a second if provoked.

Boulder glared down at you out of his one good eye; he was never the smiling sort. Better suited to be back up while Kuegler was the talker. You wondered how he could fit through any sort of doorway. He was the one you were most frightened of, even if he was never the one to lay a hand on you.

This close, you could see just how puckered and angry-looking Boulder's scar was. It ran from the back of his bald head, through one eye (which had been replaced with a stone), carving a nick through a thick nostril and both lips, before disappearing under his chin. How he had survived that wound, you would never know.

Kuegler stood across from you. Sandy hair buzzed at the sides, and the top kept only a finger's length. The only thing not a complete mess about him being a meticulously kept beard. Most of his scars were on his hands and arms. Criss-crossing in thick bands. It was easy to see a few had once been stab wounds. Kuegler was Silco's messenger boy. His debt collector. And, if it came to that, your judge, jury, and executioner.

There were a couple fresh bruises and scrapes. A thin cut across his cheek. So, he hadn't been lying about getting beat. You had to play this right. You didn't want the favor to be returned.

The contents of the letter had your stomach tying itself in tight knots. In the year of transactions, never had you been tasked with any kind of 'late fee.' And it wasn't as if you'd been late by days. Just mere minutes.

"I can't do this," you insisted, waving the paper. "Is he insane?! - Actually, I already know that answer."

"This is yur price fer da late payment, song burd," Kuegler said, crossing is arms. The muscles rippled with every movement. If you weren't so worried he was going to break your neck, you might almost want to use him for an anatomy study.

"But this? This is valuable stuff, they'll notice if it's gone. - Isn't this pushing it?"

"You're pushin' it," Boulder warned.

You swallowed thickly. "All I'm saying is that stealing from the academy is risky. How am I supposed to -"

"Not our problem, sweet 'art," said Kuegler, shrugging. "Silco wants it. You figure out 'ow to deliver."

"What am I looking for? How do I know when I found it?" you asked.

Boulder took a step towards you, glaring down his nose. "Ain't our problem. Boss expects it in a fortnight."

"A fortnight..." you muttered, aghast. Then louder, "Two weeks?! You're kidding."

"You know Boulder 'ere doesn't 'ave a sense of 'umor," chuckled Kuegler, to which Boulder grunted. "You better pay up - and on time this round, girly."

"Or next time," growled Boulder, "your payment will be in blood."

"Trust me, he'll be far too 'appy ta juice ya."

"Where?" Your shaking voice betrayed you. "You can't come here again. It's too risky. - I-If I get banned from the academy, then Silco will never get what he wants."

"Girly has a point, bruver," Kuegler mused, stroking his beard. If you didn't know him, he might almost look contemplative. "It were already risky to 'ave this meetin'. Next time, we'll go to the usual place, then take ya 'round to da boss. Make sure you don't disappoint."

Kuegler moved like he was going to the door. Then his fist was coming at your face quicker than you could react. Pain exploded through your left eye, radiating across your cheek, through your ear, and down your deck. You crashed into the shelf behind you. The back of your head snapping hard against something. Shocks chased down your back then worked through your hips and tailbone as you hit the ground.

"Consider that a reminder," Kuegler said, "we'll be back in a week ta check yur progress. Don't worry - we'll find ya. As ya said, can't pay the boss's due if yer banned from this...fine...establishment. Let's go, Boulder. We got real werk ta be doin'."

You breathed hard through the pain. Each inhale a sharp jab. Eyes watering with it. Boulder grunted at you, then followed Kuegler out the door. Leaving it ajar. Don't cry, repeated over and over in your head. But the tears wouldn't stay in. They flowed freely, dripping onto your shirt. Soft sobs escaped your throat. You couldn't even curl into a ball or cover your face, the pain radiating through you was too much.

You didn't know how much longer you could do this.

Your fingers were still healing. They were more painful than you'd thought broken fingers would be. There was bound to be leagues of new bruises and cuts. Maybe even a concussion. You weren't a fighter. If you were, you never would've gone to the academy. You'd be rotting somewhere in Undercity with only blood to your name. The way it was going, that was all that was going to be left of you anyway.

It was a bit before the stinging faded. Before you could push yourself up on your feet without your legs collapsing. You had to wait for the bitter hate to pass, so that you didn't chase after the pair and pick a losing fight. Maybe if you let them kill you, your life would be payment enough. Maybe they'd leave your parents alone. But then you also wanted to survive, if only out of spite. You were going to crawl out from under Silco's thumb, even if it killed you.

"I hope Viktor's okay," you muttered, double checking before limping into the hall. "I hope he doesn't hate me too much. - Or maybe it would be better if he went to the professor..."

The trek back to the studio seemed to be miles long. Gratefully, it was empty. The side door ajar. Which meant Viktor had followed your instructions. You could only pray you'd held the pair off long enough for him to get back to the lab. You weren't sure what they would do if they found out he'd been there and overheard.

Slowly, you began to clean up your workspace. You soaked the paint off your brushes, put the canvas carefully back in the cubbie, along with the pallet once it was covered. The paint wouldn't dry, at least. Disappointment burned in your gut. You were actually having fun. Viktor was good company. Then, of course, they had to come and ruin it.

You would have to come back at night and finish what you started. Heimerdinger told you that you were welcome any time. Even during the late hours. You'd hoped you weren't going to need to take advantage of it. But maybe you could hide out here for a little while. The letter from Silco still burned behind your eyelids. It was short, but enough to fill you with unbridled dread.

You owe us a late fee. Some of the academy's hextech will suffice.

Below it was his signature and a wax seal embossed with the Zaun symbol.

Hextech.

Of all things you could've been tasked to steal, it had to be hextech. Viktor's work. The thing he was worried the portrait sessions would detract from. It wasn't difficult to realize that work had been everything to him. And you were going to take it...

No.

You couldn't. The idea was entirely appalling. You wouldn't do that to him. To the people who counted on the advancements hextech made. If Silco got his hands on it... There had to be another way.

Something else.

Anything else.

If only you knew what you were looking for. You never looked at what Viktor had written in his notebooks. Maybe next time you saw him, you could pickpocket something. Then at least you'd know what to look for. You'd just have to make sure it got put back before the session was done. No - he'd notice, surely. There was no question of that. Viktor wasn't stupid. In fact, he was incredibly observant. Asking invasive questions, even though he didn't know they were. Things he could deduce just from watching you.

And you knew he watched you very intently.

Enough to where you had to force yourself to keep a straight face. Keep your eyes on the page as much as you could. Keep your distance. Fallon had put a thought into your head that you didn't want. One that tried to worm Viktor from just a pretty art subject into the realm of attractiveness that made your heart flutter. But you wouldn't do that to him. To anyone. Your life was a mess; you refused to bring anyone else into it.

Viktor would stay your art piece. Immortalized. Frozen. And, unfortunately, a means to end when all was said and done. You were regretting everything that lead you here. More people were getting involved than you wanted.

You were already regretting telling Fallon everything. What if Boulder and Kuegler found out she knew and went after her? She was just a kid. Her whole future was ahead of her. If only she wasn't such a fixer. She kept trying to weasel in and find ways to help. But there was nothing she, or anyone for that matter, could do to help straighten out this disaster. You only had yourself to rely on.

Right now, you just hoped Viktor would uphold his side of the bargain. Would it be easier if Heimerdinger just kicked you off academy grounds? Maybe. Still, the prospect made your stomach slosh. This had been your home away from home. You couldn't lose that.

Beyond that, if you were banned, word would spread like wildfire. No more paying jobs. No more clients, new or otherwise. You'd be forced to move back with your parents. Probably work for Silco until the end of your days. Just another piece of garbage left to rot.

But if you didn't find something to present Silco - you shuddered to think what would happen. They wouldn't just torture you. They'd go after everyone you cared about. Every person you'd ever made contact with. Including Viktor...dear sweet Viktor with his honey-colored eyes. Vats of liquid amber. You wouldn't be able to finish his portrait and hold up your side of the deal with Heimerdinger.

If they ever were sent after either of them... Viktor they'd force into servitude, putting that brilliant mind to work for whatever twisted things Silco wanted. The professor would probably be handed over to a Yordle hunter. Or they'd both be killed without hesitation just for being involved with you. Then your parents. Then Fallon. And you just couldn't bear the thought of signing their death warrants like that.

You scribbled a note to Viktor, something short and vague. Now to get it to him. But how? Where was his lab? You'd never gone to the engineering wing before. The last you wanted was to wander aimlessly. Heimerdinger would know. A pulsing pain in your eye reminded you of how you looked. The image confirmed when you passed the tall mirror. Scrapes and cuts up and down your arms, a few on your face. Blood leaked from your hair line and nose. Your eye was already bruising and swelling. You could hardly see.

The professor would know those thugs had been on campus. And who knew what kind of trouble that would bring.

Bag slung over your shoulder, you hurried from the studio. The halls were blessedly empty. With any luck, you'd be able to make it off campus without notice. Maybe you'd even be able to avoid Fallon.

You were lost in thought as you walked. There had to be some a way out. You didn't notice someone in the entrance hall until you crashed into them and you both fell in a scatter of papers. Which sent new waves of pain through your body.

But then you saw who it was - the Man of Progress himself. A councilman. Viktor's co-worker.

Jayce Talis.

You scrambled to pick up all the pages on the floor. Some were yours, sketches having fallen from your bag. Others were his. Pages of notes and calculations and runes. A shopping list, you were pretty sure. One page in particular caught your eye. It was a sketch of a device with runes on it. You snatched it, shoving it into your bag while he got his barring.

"Sorry about that," Jayce said. He scrambled to clean everything up. Handing over a few of the papers. "Guess we were both pre-occupied."

"It's fine," you chuckled, "You're Jayce, right?"

"Guilty."

He didn't sound the least bit shocked that you knew him. How many people came up to him in a day and started talking to him? He had to be recognized everywhere. His face was plastered all over the city.

"I think I painted your mom recently. She was a lovely woman."

Ximena Talis was truly one of the nicest people you'd ever met. She went on and on about Jayce the entire time. Gushing about his accomplishments and how proud she was. It almost sounded like she was trying to set you up.

"I thought so, I -" Jayce stopped short and when you looked up, you saw he was staring at you. Frowning. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," you hurried, shoving the rest of your papers into your bag. "I had a bit of an oopsie earlier. Nothing serious. - Sorry, about running into you like that. I have to scoot. But it was really nice to meet you."

You shoved off the floor and rushed towards the front door. Ignoring the protests in your joints. Jayce was caught between picking up his papers and following you. He called after you. You used the opportunity to escape into the crowd of students starting to flood out of afternoon classes.

Your mind was reeling. There were arrangements to make. That drawing gave you an idea, you just hoped it would work. The trick was not to get caught. If Viktor stuck to his word, there was never going to be a favor big enough to repay him. But maybe you didn't have to break into the lab after all.

Maybe -- just maybe -- there was another way.

~*~

TAG LIST

@starmansolar @motheroffae @vintagehellfire @seaweedbumblebee @21-princess @starriekaede @local-mr-frog @tspmovro @hexhoess @shushjayvik @green-haus @bill-nye-the-russianspy @crimsonlegend @jo-the-cosmic-being

[clumsybearstudio]

Check out the brand-new trailer for Hungry Horrors

Our indie roguelite deckbuilder, developed in Godot and featuring hand-pixelled artwork created in @aseprite , brings mythical monsters from British and Irish folklore to life. Instead of fighting them, you’ll need to feed them dishes they love—otherwise, you’re in trouble! This latest update showcases new cards, revamped UI, new monsters, and the addition of an in-game compendium.

We’re also hard at work on our first demo for Steam, so be sure to wishlist Hungry Horrors to support our development! 👇

[leadengineerabstergo]

Ms. Dominika Wilk wanted us to help with a project, yet brought in an outside man to do it. Whatever happened to them?

~Rupert

[bsptourist]

sb_omen_v3

originally created by Someco modified by Anquietas System, Sebastian

[thefluffyrailway-official]

3/4/25 update

Something i've never said here is that Victor's health is very bad since the infection. He's prone to faint if he forces himself too much. So now Kevin has to take care of his father/boss. Oh! And Hiro visits them very often as he worries so much about Vic.

Pup nearly got ran over ;-;

Marion wilk have a very hard talk with Bill and Ben about being careful with pups.

Mason is not their pup, yes, but they should at least warn him or tellim they were going to somewhere dangerous for pups.

Anyway

(AU inspo creds: @steam-beasts <3)

[multiheadcanons]

MEMES AND TRAITS THE MERCS STOLE FROM SCOUT AND POORLY USE TO PISS HIM OFF

soldier: soldier started calling everything a “glizzy” after he heard scout say it exactly once. he was eating a hot dog and said “damn this glizzy is perfectly dressed.” he did not get it, he did not care enough to ask what that meant. he just started calling everything a glizzy. rockets? glizzy. ammo? glizzy. the medigun, fully charged and primed for an ubercharge? “HIT ME WITH THAT GLIZZY, DOC!” this was the beginning of the end with scout, once he got past the white knuckled shock of hearing that man say glizzy way too many times to the wrong things.

pyro: pyro eats up a whip and nae nae, no lie. they saw scout do it after a successful push of the payload, and everyone looked at scout weird, but pyro registered that smile, and those movements and committed it to heart. on the next battle, pyro physically dragged scout to a location near the edge of the map, and made a motion to stay still and watch. it freaked scout out until pyro air blasted one, two, three, four of the opposing team off the map; and after the fourth’s screams were cut short from hitting the bottom; they turned slowly to scout, and hit a whip. it’s the only time scout actually laughed. “yeah, get that shit pyro!”

demo: everything scout knows demo knew well before him, it just never came through right with his accent. but when scout started dapping people up demo was ALL IN for that. always brings scout in way too hard and knocks the wind out of him and stings his hands. “you’re not doing it right, lad! like this!” scout never wants to complain because it feels cool to get dapped up by someone he also thinks is cool, though he doesn’t want to admit that. scout does not want demo dapping up anyone else though because they’re not cool enough, except heavy he’s got no opinion on that because it’s funny to watch demo get the wind knocked out of him.

engineer: engineer hits that “gyat DAMN” often because of his accent. scout is convinced he’s using it wrong, that pisses engie off because it’s literally his accent and scout can get the fuck over himself he’s not from the first generation that made up language. sometimes to piss him off he’ll say skibidi toilet with no actual context to go around it. and scout hates that bc he hates skibidi toilet. also an enjoyer of the dap even when heavy and demo practically lift him off his feet with it.

heavy: heavy will dap people up. he loves it. makes him feel like he’s getting closer with his team. will always end a dap by pulling them in for a brief, yet crushing hug. everyone eats it up, laughing after they catch the breath he forcibly removed from their lungs and patting his arm or back, whatever the recipient can reach. also loves to say rizz, it makes his teeth vibrate in a good way. “doctor, you are a rizz master!” “demoman, keep rizzing your weapons!” “i LOVE my weapons rizz!” he doesn’t know if he’s using it right, scout just wholeheartedly assures him he’s using it right.

medic: medic heard scout say something fucks once. now, for him, EVERYTHING fucks. he himself DEFINITELY fucks. he assumed it’s a good thing. there was one time in the throes of battle, he managed to catch scout to heal him, and used the speed boost he got from it to catch up and yell over the din “you’re FUCKING today, scout!” and scout jumped his ass about how he’s not even using it right and he never wanted to hear that again. unfortunately, the doctor is a hellish bastard who loves pissing people off, so now everything does indeed fuck. he definitely fucks. “oh, my medigun? ja, that fucks. and i fuck too.” “doc, nobody wants to hear what you’re fucking, dude”. pissed scout off more when he and soldier were ubered, running into battle, and soldier said very confidently “your glizzy tops ALL OTHER GLIZZIES” and medic responded, making direct eye contact with scout in the heat of battle; “ja, my glizzy fucks.”

sniper: snipes dabbed twice in the privacy of his own nest to see how it felt and couldn’t get over his own shame that he did that. he did it twice because he alternated arms to see if it felt less stupid to do it the other way. it didn’t. he will never bring himself to do that again. that was embarrassing. has a dreadful feeling the other teams sniper saw him do it. sometimes after a really good kill streak he’ll do a small dab as a treat. he does unironically use “deadass”

spy: anything that will piss scout off spy is happy to do. spy has used words he knows does not exist to confuse scout as to the current slang going around. he’ll have scout on the internet desperately searching words that not only don’t exist, but he can’t even spell, just to make sure spy isn’t a step ahead of him. but spy is always two steps ahead of him. spy will say shit just to feel the bostonians eyes burn holes in the back of his skull, only to turn to him and say “what, you’ve never heard that before? look it up!” then hides in his room to watch him desperately search a word he can’t even spell. unironically uses “deadass” because he heard snipes say it once and it wriggled its way into his mind like a worm. he says it after like… everything.

[martiestudies]

6/100 days of productivity

[110425] physical chem is surprisingly fun but unsurprisingly hard. status: persevering.

[pompous-old-windbag]

TF2 Classic got a major update!

In case you weren't aware, TF2 Classic is a fantastic back-to-basics reimagining of Team Fortress 2. Its weapons are more interesting, its gameplay more balanced, its visuals more polished, and its artstyle more coherent.

It's basically Team Fortress 3, and absolutely worth playing!

[deathofhelios]

HES HERE!!!! Please excuse the poor photo quality, we current lack sunlight in Canada.

More product information and links under the cut!!

Price: 12.50 CAD (Just under 9 USD)

Size: 6 CM

This is my first ever time manufacturing charms, so this is all an experiment. Hes already taught me a lot and I hope to make even better quality charms in the future! (Nationals coming soon...)

He is now available in limited quantities on my Kofi, and as a sticker on my redbubble!!