#<- tinkering later because neat

[thesecondhandwoman]

BIRTHDAY GIRL

Caitlyn x f!reader

Synopsis: It is Caitlyn’s birthday, and you wanted to make it perfect, especially as her girlfriend, even if you made it a bit excessive.

A/N: Just had to write something for this woman’s birthday (she turned 24/25 in the fanfic).

The morning light filtered softly through the curtains of Caitlyn’s bedroom, painting the room in shades of gold and lavender. You perched carefully on the edge of the bed, balancing a tray loaded with breakfast delights: fluffy pancakes drizzled with syrup, perfectly scrambled eggs, fresh fruit arranged in a neat fan, and a steaming cup of coffee. A single rose sat in a vase beside it all, adding a touch of elegance Caitlyn would certainly notice.

Taking a deep breath, you leaned over to gently nudge her shoulder. “Caitlyn,” you said softly, your voice warm with anticipation. “Time to wake up, birthday girl.”

She stirred, her brows knitting slightly before her lashes fluttered open. Her soft blue eyes, still hazy with sleep, locked onto yours. “What’s all this?” she murmured, her voice low and drowsy.

“Good morning to you, too,” you teased with a grin. “Breakfast in bed, because today’s your day, and I plan on spoiling you properly.”

A smile crept across her lips as she sat up, her hair falling in tousled waves around her face. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble,” she said, though the soft blush coloring her cheeks told you she was already touched.

“Oh, but I did,” you replied, placing the tray on her lap. “You only turn, uh, twenty-something once.”

She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “You’re terrible at this guessing game.”

“Terrible at guessing, sure. Great at making you smile, though,” you said with a wink.

“Did you really forget my age though, baby?” She joked while looking back down at the tray.

“Pssh, no, I was just joking, Mrs. 25 years old.”

Caitlyn chuckled again, her elegant fingers wrapping around the coffee mug. She took a careful sip, her eyes closing briefly in appreciation. “Perfect, as always. What would I do without you?”

“Probably forget it was your birthday,” you teased.

She rolled her eyes but smiled. “Fair point.”

As she ate, you stayed close, enjoying the peaceful morning with her. Every bite seemed to make her more at ease, her usual sharp and focused demeanor replaced with something softer, more relaxed. It wasn’t often Caitlyn allowed herself to be doted on, but today, she accepted it gracefully.

Once the tray was empty, Caitlyn set it aside and reached for your hand. “Thank you,” she said, her voice sincere. “This was a lovely way to start the day.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” you said, leaning in to kiss her lightly. “The day’s just getting started.”

Her lips quirked up in amusement. “Should I be worried?”

“Not at all,” you promised. “Just be ready for a few surprises later.”

She gave you a knowing look but didn’t press further. “Well, I’m intrigued.”

After Caitlyn left for work, the real madness began. Piltover’s streets were their usual chaotic blend of merchants shouting, tinkers advertising their wares, and enforcers patrolling with sharp eyes. You darted between stalls and shops, collecting everything you needed for the evening: golden and sapphire balloons, streamers, candles, and a perfectly wrapped present hidden inside your bag. The pièce de résistance, however, was the cake.

The bakery owner handed it to you carefully, the chocolate confection topped with elegant swirls of frosting and decorated with delicate candied flowers. “You’ve got good taste,” she said with a grin.

“Thanks,” you replied. “She deserves the best.”

By mid-afternoon, your apartment was a bustling hub of activity. Streamers crisscrossed the ceiling, the banner proudly declaring HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAITLYN! in bold letters. The table was set with plates, utensils, and the centerpiece cake surrounded by tiny party favors. You even managed to string up fairy lights along the windows for extra charm.

The doorbell rang just as you adjusted the final balloon. When you opened it, Vi stood on the other side, holding a small, poorly wrapped box. “You know, you’re making the rest of us look bad with all this effort,” she joked, stepping inside.

“Somebody has to,” you teased back. “And Caitlyn deserves it.”

Vi smirked but didn’t argue, setting her gift on the table. “She’s lucky to have you.”

The guests trickled in after that, which were Caitlyn’s colleagues, Ekko, Jayce and Viktor, even Jinx (who, after a stern warning from Vi, promised not to set anything on fire). The room filled with laughter and chatter, the perfect backdrop for the celebration ahead.

When the clock struck 7:00, Caitlyn’s key turned in the door. You quickly shushed everyone, the room falling silent as the door creaked open.

“Hello?” Caitlyn called, her tone cautious.

“Surprise!” everyone shouted, the room erupting in cheers.

Caitlyn froze, her wide eyes darting across the sea of smiling faces and the colorful decorations. When her gaze landed on you, standing front and center with a proud grin, her expression softened into something you couldn’t quite describe—relief, happiness, and love all wrapped into one.

“You did all this?” she asked, stepping further into the room.

“Of course,” you said, walking up to meet her. “Happy birthday, Cait.”

She hesitated for only a moment before pulling you into a tight hug, her arms wrapping securely around you. “Thank you,” she murmured into your ear. “This is perfect.”

The party was a smashing success. Caitlyn blew out her candles to a raucous chorus of “Happy Birthday,” her cheeks pink with embarrassment but her smile never wavering. She opened her presents with genuine delight, though Vi’s gag gift (a questionable sweater) earned an exaggerated groan.

As the evening wore on and the guests began to filter out, you found Caitlyn sitting on the couch, the soft glow of the fairy lights framing her silhouette. You joined her, leaning into her side as she wrapped an arm around your shoulders.

“You really went above and beyond today,” she said softly.

“I wanted it to be special,” you replied. “You deserve that.”

She looked down at you, her sapphire eyes catching the light. “You make every day special, you know.”

You felt your cheeks flush but didn’t look away. “That’s because you make it easy.”

She laughed quietly, then leaned down to kiss you. It was slow and sweet, the kind of kiss that made time feel irrelevant. When she pulled back, her expression was tender.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

You smirked, trying to lighten the mood. “Well, you didn’t complain when I started leaving coffee at your desk every morning.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “That was bribery, and you know it.”

“Worked, didn’t it?”

She kissed you again, cutting off whatever witty comeback you might’ve had.

The night ended with the two of you curled up together under a blanket, the remnants of the party scattered around the room. Caitlyn’s hand traced gentle patterns on your arm as you rested your head against her chest.

“This was the best birthday I’ve ever had,” she murmured, her voice soft and content.

“I’m glad,” you said, snuggling closer. “You deserve it, Cait.”

She kissed your temple, her lips lingering. “You’re my favorite part of today.”

“And you’re mine,” you replied, tilting your head to meet her gaze.

The two of you stayed like that, wrapped up in each other, the world outside forgotten. In that quiet moment, surrounded by the glow of the fairy lights and the faint scent of cake in the air, you knew this day would be one to remember.

A/N: Happy birthday Caitlyn (and any others who also have the same one!)

[duhshereadz]

More Arcane head cannons because I can’t stop:

---

Jinx (Powder)

- She has a habit of giving her bombs cute names, like “Boomy” or “Snappy,” and talks to them as if they’re her friends.

- She bites her nails so much that she paints them just to make herself stop, but the paint usually gets chipped after a day.

- She doodles all over her arms when she’s bored, even though she knows it’ll smudge.

- Jinx absolutely hates vegetables, but she’ll eat them if you lie and call them “explosion fuel.”

- She has a surprising knack for sewing and will patch up her stuffed toys obsessively.

- She hums offbeat, made-up songs when tinkering, and sometimes they turn into actual catchy tunes.

- Jinx would totally put googly eyes on her weapons for no reason other than to make herself laugh.

- She hoards random shiny objects and insists they’ll be “important later,” even if it’s just a bottle cap.

- She’s constantly barefoot because she hates the feeling of shoes.

---

Vi

- Vi makes terrible coffee but drinks it anyway because she’s convinced it gives her “character.”

- She’s surprisingly superstitious and always knocks on wood when she feels like she’s jinxed something.

- Vi collects random keychains from places she visits and hangs them all over her belt like trophies.

- She pretends not to care about her hair, but she secretly spends time making sure it’s styled just the right amount of messy.

- She gives people nicknames that have nothing to do with their real name.

- Vi can’t whistle, and it drives her nuts when others do it effortlessly.

- She’s an amazing dancer but will only admit it when she’s had a few drinks.

- Vi always takes up too much space on couches, sprawling across them without a care.

- She secretly loves fluffy, cozy blankets and has a stash of them in her room.

---

Caitlyn Kiramman

- Caitlyn cannot function without a proper breakfast, and she gets cranky if she misses it.

- She’s weirdly good at chess, but she plays so competitively that no one likes going up against her.

- Caitlyn absolutely has a planner and writes everything in it, even things she doesn’t actually need to remember.

- She’s awful at video games and gets super flustered when she loses, which makes Vi tease her endlessly.

- Caitlyn secretly loves cheesy romance novels but keeps them hidden on a high shelf.

- Her guilty pleasure is eating dessert before dinner when no one is looking.

- Caitlyn’s handwriting is ridiculously neat, but she gets annoyed if anyone compliments it too much.

- She’s terrible at telling jokes, but her deadpan delivery somehow makes them funny anyway.

- Caitlyn refuses to wear mismatched socks—ever. It would ruin her whole day.

---

Jayce Talis

- Jayce is a terrible cook and once managed to burn water, but he insists he’s “just experimental in the kitchen.”

- He talks to himself when working, narrating every step like he’s in a tutorial video.

- Jayce has a stash of energy drinks he tries to keep secret because he knows they’re unhealthy.

- He always takes forever to get ready because he’s obsessed with looking polished, even if he’s just going to his lab.

- Jayce is weirdly good at folding fitted sheets, but he keeps that talent to himself.

- He tries to keep plants in his apartment for “aesthetic reasons,” but they always die within a week.

- Jayce collects notebooks but never fills them out because he “doesn’t want to waste them.”

- He has the worst poker face and can’t lie to save his life.

- Jayce has an elaborate skincare routine and won’t go to bed without following it.

---

Viktor

- Viktor sometimes forgets to eat while working, so he keeps random snacks hidden in his desk drawers.

- He’s the type to re-read books he’s already memorized just because it brings him comfort.

- Viktor hums classical music under his breath when he’s deep in thought.

- He’s absurdly good at mental math and sometimes mutters equations when he’s bored.

- Viktor absolutely talks to his tools and machines, even apologizing to them when they malfunction.

- He hoards broken parts or failed prototypes because he thinks he might use them “someday.”

- He doesn’t drink coffee, preferring tea, but it’s always cold by the time he remembers to drink it.

- Viktor sleeps in the weirdest positions, like half-falling off the bed but somehow comfortable.

- He’s lowkey very sentimental, keeping tiny mementos from his childhood in Zaun.

---

Silco

- Silco keeps his surroundings ridiculously neat and loses his temper if anything is out of place.

- He’s surprisingly good at card games but gets irritated when people accuse him of cheating.

- Silco never, *ever* lets anyone touch his chair in the office. It’s his throne.

- He prefers bitter drinks and thinks anything sweet is “a waste of time.”

- He secretly practices his speeches in front of a mirror to make sure he sounds menacing enough.

- Silco keeps a journal, but it’s filled with cryptic notes that only make sense to him.

- He absolutely hates bright colors and insists on everything being muted or dark-toned.

- Silco’s a night owl who rarely sleeps, and when he does, he can fall asleep sitting up.

- He secretly enjoys playing mind games just to see how long people take to figure it out.

---

Ekko

- Ekko is the type to doodle on absolutely everything, from walls to random scraps of paper.

- He always carries a deck of playing cards with him, and he’s amazing at sleight-of-hand tricks.

- Ekko has a sweet tooth and will go out of his way for pastries or candy.

- He has an old, beat-up notebook full of his plans and ideas, but it’s barely legible to anyone else.

- Ekko’s ridiculously good at climbing, treating it like a sport even when he doesn’t need to.

- He likes making little gadgets just for fun, like wind-up toys or tiny flashlights.

- Ekko is a surprisingly good dancer, but he only busts out moves when the mood strikes.

[kinardcopter63701]

bucktommy + early in their relationship + the very first time buck gets to say "i can teach you" to tommy

thanks for requesting, hope you like it! :)

Tommy was so cool. That was the thought that kept running through Buck's head, even two months into their official relationship. The man was a pilot, he tinkered with cars, knew Muay Thai, went to trivia nights, liked monster trucks, and—much to Buck's amusement—watched all the trashy, over-the-top romance movies. It didn't matter how many times Buck glanced at him or thought about him—he couldn't stop that giddy feeling from bubbling up inside him.

The thing was, Tommy didn't keep it to himself, didn't brush off his skills or downplay his interests. If anything it seemed like he wanted to share it with Buck. Back when Buck was desperate for Tommy to pay attention to him and their conversation briefly turned to flying lessons, and later to Muay Thai, Buck didn't look into it more than having excuses to see Tommy again.

Yet, Tommy stuck by his words, and a few weeks after their coffee date, Buck found himself sitting in the cockpit of a helicopter, the sun shining and no emergency in sight. The best part wasn't just the thrill of being in the helicopter—it was watching Tommy. If it had been anyone else, Buck would have interjected, asked questions, or shared random facts he'd read online. But with Tommy? His mind was blissfully empty, hanging onto every word as Tommy rattled off information about each button, explaining what it did and when to use it.

The Muay Thai lessons were similar in that respect, even if they were completely unsuccessful in actually teaching Buck anything. But, in Buck's defense, how could anyone concentrate when Tommy was guiding him through stances and moves with those lingering touches to fix his posture—especially when those shorts Tommy wore left very little to the imagination? It was a miracle that Tommy had his own setup at home, because if they'd been in a public gym, Buck might've been facing indecent exposure charges with how distracted he'd gotten.

The point was, Tommy was cool and he was constantly teaching him something new. Which Buck loved. He loved learning from him, loved the way Tommy's eyes would light up when he got to show him the ropes. But every now and then, there was this nagging feeling in the back of Buck's mind—this thought that maybe he didn't bring enough to the table. He wanted to contribute more, to offer something back, something that would make Tommy look at him even half as awe-stricken as Buck felt when he watched Tommy in his element.

But what could he teach him? It's not like Buck could sweep Tommy off his feet with a kiss that unlocked some hidden part of him he didn't know existed. And as far as work went, they both operated in the same field, so it wasn't like Buck had any neat, life-changing trick up his sleeve that Tommy didn't already know.

So Buck might have spiraled a bit. He went down a few rabbit hole researches late at night. At one point, when he felt particularly desperate, he might have typed out 'cool things to teach to impress your boyfriend' into Google. His team was not spared from this spiral either. In fact, they heard all about his thoughts about this important issue whenever they were en route to a call.

"Buck, the guy's with you because he likes you, not because he's looking for a new skillset," Bobby finally chimed in over the headset, putting a stop to yet another rant. "So show him something you like."

That was great advice. Solid advice. Advice that Buck might have... half heard. The part about Tommy liking him for who he was? Yeah, that might have gone over his head. But the bit about showing Tommy something he liked? That could work. He could definitely find something he liked, and it could still be something Tommy didn't know.

The first try was, perhaps, a bit too obvious, but cooking seemed like a fair bet. They hadn't had the chance to enjoy a homemade meal together yet. Most of the time, if their schedules lined up, they'd order takeout or hit a diner for a quick bite. So Buck thought, why not invite Tommy over a little earlier than usual and—just casually—show off his cooking skills in the process? Maybe, if he played his cards right, he could even teach Tommy a thing or two.

His plan came to fruition a week later. It was more than enough time to decide on the meal -with some help from Bobby-, practice… a few times. He was all set. So, with butterflies in his stomach, Buck invited Tommy to the loft one evening and brought him into the kitchen with the excuse that the meal would take a bit longer to prepare.

Tommy took it all in stride. With a glass of wine in hand, he leaned back against the counter by the fridge, slipping easily into conversation about their day. He even complimented how nice the food smelled. Everything was going according to plan.

Until Tommy glanced down at what Buck was doing and gave a small hum.

"You know," Tommy said casually, "if you peel ginger with the edge of a spoon instead of a knife, you'll save more of the flesh."

"Hm? oh, yeah," Buck mumbled absentmindedly before the words fully sank in. He froze mid-peel, eyes widening. "Wait, you know how to cook?"

"Evan," Tommy chuckled, taking another sip. "I might be no Bobby in the kitchen, but I know my way around."

"Oh," Buck grinned, though inwardly he groaned. "That's great!"

Dammit.

The next idea popped into Buck's head was in a middle of a call at a small restaurant-slash-bar. They were there to put out a fire that had broken out in the back when the bar area caught Buck's eye. The shelves lined with bottles and the cocktail shakers sparked a memory. While Tommy often opted for craft beers, who could really say no to a well-made cocktail, right? Buck's mixology days might be long behind him, but he still remembered the basics.

So, Buck found a sleek rooftop bar that hosted cocktail workshops. After a quick chat with the manager—and maybe slipping a few extra bills to ensure they'd get some privacy—he set up their next date.

The date itself was really fun, though Buck found it difficult not to ogle Tommy in his nice button-up shirt, paired with a thin jacket that outlined his biceps all too well. Still, Buck managed to tear his eyes away long enough to actually make the Pisco Sour. He showed off the shaker technique he'd learned back in the day, enjoying the attention Tommy was giving him as he rattled off the steps.

Once Buck finished, he handed the shaker over to Tommy who then measured out the ingredients and glanced at him.

"So like this?" Tommy asked innocently.

Then, to Buck's dismay, he proceeded to replicate the exact shaking technique Buck had just demonstrated. The liquid poured smoothly into the glass, not a drop wasted. Buck watched, feeling a familiar sense of defeat settle in.

"Let me guess—you're also secretly a mixologist?" Buck groaned, half-joking but already knowing the answer wouldn't go his way.

Tommy smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Nope. But a buddy of mine owns a bar, and he taught me a few things on quieter nights." He shrugged, his smirk widening. "Also, I paid attention to what you did."

Buck couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Of course you did."

And just like that, Buck was back to square one. Even worse, he was running out of ideas—fast. He could probably count on one hand the things he could potentially teach Tommy, and two fingers were already down. This was supposed to be easy, right? Just find something he was good at and teach it. But somehow, with Tommy? Impossible. How was he supposed to impress someone who always seemed one step ahead of him?

The next time an idea popped into Buck's head, he hesitated to make it a full-on date. Not because it was particularly difficult or out of their comfort zone, but because Tommy already tinkered with cars, and there was a good chance he knew a thing or two about motorcycles too. As much as Buck would love to rent a couple of bikes and hit the road with nothing but wind and open air, he had a goal in his mind.

"Do you like bikes?" Buck asked casually, after the waitress dropped off their coffees.

They didn't have much time, just enough for a quick coffee at a spot halfway between their stations before their afternoon shifts kicked off.

Tommy paused mid-bite of his cupcake, raising an amused eyebrow. "In what capacity?"

Buck shrugged, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, but his eyes gave him away, fixed on Tommy's face for any sign of interest. "I don't know… riding them?"

Tommy tilted his head, licking a bit of frosting off his finger, his expression thoughtful. "I guess it's alright. I've been on a few before, but I prefer being in the sky."

Buck let out a quiet, defeated hum, taking a sip of his coffee. "Fair."

Tommy gave him a curious glance. "Why? You want to go for a spin or something?"

Buck shrugged again, trying to play it off. "Maybe someday, just a passing thought."

Tommy raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but didn't press further.

The time it actually happened, Buck didn't plan it. It wasn't even on his mind. They had overlapping 48 hours off, a rarity, Buck was quickly learning as their relationship grew. So they tried to make the most of it, and after Buck casually mentioned how nice it would be to hit the beach, it wasn't long before they had packed up a bag with towels and snacks and hit the road.

Buck was right, the water was unreal.

They found a spot not too far from the water, laid out their towels, and settled in for a lazy day. It wasn't until they were in the water for the second time that Buck noticed a small shack by the shore offering surfboard rentals.

He pointed it out to Tommy who looked at it for a moment. "I'll grab a beer instead. But go on, give me a show, baby."

Buck would have frowned, perhaps even asked questions about Tommy opting out if his mind didn't short-circuit at the nickname.

"Right, yeah. A show. Sure," Buck mumbled, still dazed, but already heading toward the rental shack. If Tommy wanted a show, Buck would give him one.

And the show was given.

It wasn't until Buck was back on shore, collapsing onto the towel with a cold beer in hand, that he remembered the question he'd been meaning to ask.

"So, how come you didn't surf?" Buck asked casually, glancing over at Tommy.

"Never really had the chance, I suppose," Tommy replied, sitting beside him, propped up on his elbows, sunglasses shielding his eyes as he gazed out over the water. "My folks weren't the beach type."

"Yeah, I get that. Mine aren't either," Buck said as he propped himself on his elbows, mimicking Tommy. "I only learned when I hit the road after leaving home. Met a girl who gave me some very... personal lessons."

Tommy chuckled, lifting his sunglasses onto his head to meet Buck's gaze. "Yeah? Must've been nice."

"I can teach you," a smug grin spread across his face as the idea formed. And if that grin turned a little more teasing, well, he couldn't help it.

"Yeah?" Tommy raised an eyebrow, already sensing where this was going.

"My fees are very competitive," Buck added with a shit-eating smirk, holding back a laugh when Tommy gave him a playful shove.

"Yeah, I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Tommy chuckled, rolling his eyes, though his smile didn't fade.

"Mhm," Buck hummed, standing up and turning to offer Tommy his hand. "Let's go."

"Wait, now?" Tommy asked, his expression turning skeptical as he hesitated, glancing toward the water.

"No time like the present," Buck grinned. "Besides, the waves are perfect right now."

With a dramatic sigh, Tommy took Buck's hand and let himself be pulled up from his seat. "Alright, alright, But just so you know, if I end up embarrassing myself, you're the one getting dunked in the water."

Buck laughed, already imagining the inevitable splash. "Deal."

[cairavende]

Worm Arc 18 thoughts:

Well that sure just happened

I'm fine

Noelle ate my daughter. But I'm fine. It's fine.

Her girlfriends are gonna save her!

I'm fiiiiine

Anyway, that's like, the end of the arc so there's a lot of other stuff that happens!

Taylor casually drops that she's mostly blind in conversation and Brian kinda freaks out. Understandably.

She got eye drops that she is supposed to be doing but never mentions doing them. I'm very disappointed in her. I'm also worried her eyes aren't going to ever get better.

I do love that the moment Dinah says she only has a 58% chance of going home and Taylor realizes it's because of her, she forces the situation by taking Dinah home right away. She is far from perfect, but she does have her moments.

RACHEL LET DINAH PET HER DOG!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! LOOK AT THE GROWTH!!

One of my favorite lines, when Taylor asks Dinah the chance of trouble before they go into the medical clinic "When there's trouble, it's you.  Eighty percent of the time." Just, kinda embodies the spirit of Worm I think.

I'm still fine.

Taylor sure thinks about Rachel as Rachel a lot now, instead of mostly as Bitch. GAAAAAY.

I really want to know what's on those papers Dinah left for Taylor. Triumph saw them but didn't seem to react. One might have been a message for him, since Dinah would know he would see it. Something that will come into play later maybe.

I love Parian making a giant wiener dog for everyone to ride on. Like, it is a definite upgrade in transportation from "door with glass stuck in it dragged down the street" but it doesn't have much of a supervillain vibe to it.

Noelle just starts it off with grabbing possibly the strongest cape available in Brockton Bay. At a minimum, one of the most versatile to clone. No big deal. Not like even just normal Vista could become very dangerous if she wanted to be evil.

Freaking PRT all "this is a Class A instead of a Class S cause Eidolon is a big man baby and needs to punch something all on his own to prove he's strong". Sure are helping people Alexandria. Good job. What a hero.

I think Eidolon is Bargain Bin Scion. Scion Lite. Blue Light Special Scion. A shitty version of Scion created by Cauldron basically.

Clockblocker is so fucking fascinated with Skitter it's amazing.

Tattletale made Eidolon maaaaaad! I love her.

I'm perfectly fine.

The scene with meeting the Chicago Wards, oh god I loved it so much! Skitter tells Bitch to clear the plywood out of a window and she just instantly fucking kicks it open, then a giant swarm comes in and swirls around everyone and covers Skitter, making her hair move and trailing bugs behind her like a gown, and then starts speaking with the swarm. And Tattletale waits until the perfect moment before asking the Wards their names and powers, very clearly backing Skitter up as her 2nd. Just such a "ok I was playing nice but now I need you to know who you are working with!" power move. Fucking amazing. Also it was Skitter being assisted by Bitch and Tattletale! GAAAAAAAAAAAY!! LESBIAN SUPERVILLAIN POWER POLYCULE!

I think Grace has neat powers but could have been more creative with her name. I fucking love Tecton though, assume tinker. Dude has got to love fights like this, where he is allowed to do all the property damage he wants. He'd make a good villain.

The other two are kinda neat too but they didn't last very long.

Every time they are going anywhere Bitch specifically offers Skitter a ride. GAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

I love seeing the range of power adjustments the clone Vistas get. Some are pretty basic - can do stuff from farther away or not be slowed down if a lot of people are around - but then we get ones like Paper Mario Vista and Imagine Dragons Vista, with much more wild powers.

Everyone stand back while Eidolon goes and shows us all how strong he is! God.

I'm 100% FINE.

Side effect of being blinded probably, but it is neat how good Taylor is getting at listening, and sometimes even seeing, through her bugs! Just listening in on Eidolon and Noelle from blocks away.

Imp almost gets crushed to death by Eidolon's gravity power cause she ignores warnings from Skitter to run. Sounds about right.

Noelle making rat clones and bug clones (that Skitter can't control) is fun.

Fucking projectile vomit attack suddenly! Did Noelle absorb the girl from the Exorcist??

Texas Wards kinda getting their ass kicked. (Also what the hell is going on in Texas that the whole state apparently just has the one Wards team, vs most places have a Ward team per city?)

Fight is going kinda poorly. Travelers show up to help! And then Trickster betrays everyone to feed my daughter to Noelle! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm fine.

The Most Powerful Man in the World Interlude thoughts:

Scion just really is empty in there isn't he?

Not a person, just a construct of the entities in 3 dimensional space. Sphere moving through Flatland and being seen as a circle style. No mind, just does what this guy tells him.

Duke is a very good dog.

Kevin talking about Scion 100% sounds like someone talking about a lover that has been lots of trouble for them but that they just can't quite.

Lisette is having a weird day.

I really wonder how the next Endbringer attack is going to go now that Scion has been told to kill them. Wonder if it'll be different.

Crusader Interlude thoughts:

Shockingly, it turns out that the Nazi is an asshole. News at 11.

Night and Fog were basically constructed by this Gesellschaft group. Seems like a branch of Cauldron pretending to be Nazis for more control over things. Or maybe not directly a branch of Cauldron, but they get powers from Cauldron. Maybe not related, but they make weapons, which is very much what Cauldron can do, and we haven't seen anyone else yet reliably make powers with control over the outcome.

This poor TA is having a bad day.

Taylor triggered 2 or more times in that locker. I was 100% positive of that the second the TA said "You can’t really distinguish a single trigger event from having two in quick succession." I probably should have realized this earlier.

Really curious where Theo and Aster's stories are going. I could see one or both of them being a major part of the end of the world (based on stuff from Trickster's visions on stuff from Noelle's interlude I'm thinking a 3rd or 4th generation cape might play a part in it), but I could also see them being red herrings.

Theo is upset but realistically getting abandoned and left with the PRT is the best option that could have happened to him.

Jessica Yamada Interlude thoughts:

This poor woman

Faultline Interlude thoughts:

OH MY GOD Gregor and Shamrock are super fucking cute together!!!!

Faultline is amazing and very organized and detail oriented and an assertive leader who wears a dress shirt with slacks and cowboy boots and threatens to get a bullwhip and I would really like her to tell me what to do k thx.

Not positive I would trust the minor precog abilities of Shamrock to make me Simurgh proof, but it's better than nothing.

The quarantine zone of the city of Madison is doing great!

Wasn't expecting to get to see Matroyshka again, that's neat! She should probably stop eating people but otherwise she's fun.

Faultline just not being able to stand Tattletale is wonderful. I hope they bother each other for years to come.

I like this crew, so I was not happy that they got really fucked up by Contessa. But I also want to like Contessa (as much as I can like someone who works for Cauldron) and this did make her seem really badass.

Noelle Interlude thoughts:

I'm fine.

Regent keeping up the jokes under pressure, good for him.

Finally got some good descriptions of Noelle's powers doing stuff which was very good.

I'm fine.

Also fun to see various clones and their powers.

AND THE VISION! OH MY GOD THE VISION! So much good info from that. It helped me get a much better idea of things and confirmed a lot of things I already thought. (Like Cauldron has basically hijacked an entity, more or less. Not the details on how though.)

I'm fine.

The fact that Noelle can let the god dandruff take control is interesting. Like her connection never got fully closed compared to other people. Which is what I assumed only taking half a vial did. Really curious to see if we ever get more info on Oliver.

Her Earth Bet self is like, 15 years younger. But still has the same name. Kinda wild.

I'm fine.

Also her Earth Bet dad gave her the name Echidna, which like, I get it's the mother of monsters or whatever, but I can only think of the cute adorable little creature!

I'm fine.

I obviously wish Eidolon had been able to defeat Noelle and save my daughter but him having a big sad about it not being fair that he can't get stronger is pretty funny too. I do not like the guy.

I'm fine.

I'm sure Tattletale has a plan and everything will work out.

I'm fine.

I'm 100% absolutely fine.

[louroth]

Well, well, well. Would you look at what the cat dragged in. (it's me, Lou!)

The time is here, and oh man, do I have a lot to say! Ever since this post was posted on my personal tumblr, on the fifth of may, I have been working like a machine on all things OUROBOROS. I had originally planned for this to just be a progress report/ announcement on what I will be working on now that I am free of the shackles of work, but, somehow, I managed to finish all bullet points, and more. So, let's get into it!

First off, the title.  Ouroboros becomes all capitalized OUROBOROS. Idk. It's neat. Next!

Art. Whew. I didn't think I could draw like this anymore- drawing has been more of a struggle than writing has been, forever, always- it was something I really strived to become good at, for a time. And I gave up. Only to pick it up again when I started ouro, and ever since I released that pressure, something just clicked and I have been churning out art like never before. I don't know if this is a fluke, a stroke of luck or if all that hard work I once did slaving away with menial art practice… but I'm grateful nonetheless. (A note on official RO art: I lost my ipad pencil somewhere on the lawn, lmao. I haven't been able to get a new one yet, so there is a slight delay here.) I am hoping that I get to make some commissions too, in the near future. Visit the forum to see some works in progress (amongst them, Yor's RO portrait!)

Onto the hellscape that is coding! I have been growing more proficient with CSS and html with the help of the ones that run so that we can walk; I have studied and researched and tested and tinkered until my eyes crossed, finding my way into this medium with the incredible guidance of the giants of whose shoulders I stand on. I will talk about this in detail on a later date. So I think it's finally time to reveal that yes, I am working on a twine version of ouro. I will develop it in tandem with choicescript; the porting over from one to the other isn't the herculean task I thought it would be.

Why am I doing this? Because I need to have a save system. I am continuing to write the whole alpha draft in choicescript in hopes that CoG will announce the ability to have a native save/checkpoint system, but if that doesn’t happen, I can’t publish this story without one. Unfortunately, I am not willing to code in a savesystem in choicescript myself, because this will be a large game, with far too many variables for that to be sustainable. Trust me, no one is more disappointed by that fact than me. If it comes to the point that twine publishing will be what I do, I will set my sights on writing a smaller game for hosted games. 

Now the meatier announcements!

New Socials!

Tumblr: You are looking at it!  This is the new, exclusively OUROBOROS blog where I will share all announcements and sneak-peeks, and future updates. I worked together with the dev of the theme and made it oh, so pretty and functional. Please check out their portfolio here, if you are ever in the market for sprucing up your (desktop version) of tumblr. They were a pleasure to work with. Amongst other things, it has a gorgeous header (again, only if you visit on web and not mobile) where I am showcasing fanart and official art. Go check it out! This month, I am showcasing a truly breathtaking art from KAIRELART, and you can find the full art here, or follow the links in the “FEATURED ARTIST” tab in the top bar.

I hope you enjoy this new haven for OUROBOROS! I will be answering questions once a week (saturday) and ramping up as I adapt to this new schedule, more on that further below.

My old tumblr, honeypeabrain, will revert back to being my personal blog. Feel free to keep following me there, but know that it will be inundated with shitposts, crass humor and the occasional poetry dump and personal post. You’ve been warned!

Discord!

By the good graces, this was ROUGH to set up. Working with discord bots is akin to wrangling code, and it was well and truly, a war. But with the help of many, it is finally all done and ready for anyone to join and talk to me and others about OUROBOROS and anything else between heaven and earth. 

I will also greatly appreciate if any future bugs and feedback are submitted through here, so I can keep easier track of it. Come join us! (18+ ONLY.)

Patreon & Ko-Fi

Yep! Ko-fi is just a place to toss me a coin if you wish to help me towards the goal of new PC parts to make testing easier, or to just show appreciation for those that have it to spare. Patreon however, already has a multitude of posts and will be a hub for exclusive NSFW sidestories that you get to vote on, loredives and extensive sneak peeks, Q&A’s, polls and weekly dev logs. 

Right now, there are only two tiers, but I expect it to grow as my story does. I have many plans, but I am going at a steady pace. 

Amongst tiered content, there is a (free) NSFW story with female MC and Idren to read there right now, if you want to check it out! I am mgoing to post it on tumblr and the adult thread here over the weekend.

NOTE: I stupidly didn't realize that patreon had a review process after I pressed launch, which I did just a few minutes ago. Sigh. I am going to post the short on tumblr and the adult forum thread as soon as I get to it.

It is not mandatory by any means, so if you do choose to support me, you have my eternal gratitude as these places will be the sole source of income for me.

Onto writing:

The best news out of this whole bunch is that I have worked so hard on editing and writing, that in the past month I have all but finished a two chapter update! I have a chunk of about 5-6 thousand words left to write, and I am going to buckle down over the weekend to see it through. I wanted to have it done so badly for today, but I lost three days of writing time last week due to still being weighed down with work. I hope it isn’t too disappointing to have to wait until monday for the demo update! I am going to post a link to an as-I-write updated demo on Patreon and Discord, if you want to see the ugly face of raw wip drafts. Otherwise I will post the demo update here on Monday with a comprehensive post!

And now!  the biggest news is… from now on, I am writing full time!

This is what I have been tossing and turning about every night ever since Easter. It started as a silly idea while talking to some friends and family about how I was looking for a change in career. And then, little by little, that idea whittled down to a plan, carefully carved by my partner and his whispers of a happy future, a finished dream project, and something to be proud of until the day I wither and die. 

Somewhere between then and now, I grasped a tiny sliver of bravery and held on for dear life. 

I quit my job as a teacher, and instead of accepting a cushy office job, I started behaving as if OUROBOROS and writing was my work (for all the moments I could afford). I have researched and tried different methods from week to week, and although I was still tired from work, I felt like I was onto something that could build into a sustainable future. 

I have no doubts that this journey will be bumpy and long, but sometimes all it takes is to take that first step, and do it with determination. It might all crash and burn and fail in a spectacular way, or with a whimper, but then I will know that I have tried. I will know that I gave myself the chance to be who I want to be, work on what means so much to me. 

And that’s it. I think the hardest part of formulating this post (I’ve written about 50 versions of it!) is getting to the point; the kernel of what makes it so special to me. So, in my heart of hearts, what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm gonna give it my all- and while I know the road to having a sustainable career in writing is rough and ever winding, I do know for sure that I am ready for a challenge, to pour my heart and soul into it until the day I rush out of the office screaming IT IS DONE. IT IS DOOOOONE!!! 

If you decide to join me, I will treasure your company like a lantern in the dark. Hand in lovable hand, let’s fucking go.

[1ore]

How did you go about developing the written language for moribund? When it appears in your art there's something about the shapes that's very visually satisfying !!! It feels a lot more unique to me than scripts in media I see that are often just substitution ciphers of the alphabet, and as I'm trying to go about making a written language for my own world I always get caught up on what it should look like

Thank you so much for reaching out! I love nothing more than to talk about Satik. I’ve been tinkering with the alphabet for a couple of years, so I’ve forgotten the rationale for some of the older design choices, but I’ll do my best.

satik momence for reference...

I think the biggest breaks I’ve had with Satik are either a.) stolen from a language during self-study or b.) happy accidents that came from developing the Diasporas, where some aspect of their lives gave me ideas about how the script should look.

Exhibit B: Satik came about because I thought it would be neat to make a script that didn’t use spaces to separate words or sentences, and also wasn’t character-based, like kanji or mandarin chinese. Mostly I was thinking about what use a written alphabet would have in Ser life. They’re traditionally a maritime people who only had space for what they could fit in their boats. Paper texts don’t mix well with seawater, and there’s not a lot of room to store clay tablets or sheafs of embossed leather. Anything they write would be engraved on tools, embroidered on clothes, painted on bodies, whatever. It would need to be space-efficient and easy to read, regardless of the medium it was written in.

My answer to this, at least back then, was to make up an alternating “bracket-case” where the first and last letter of each word is a bracket-shaped glyph that encloses the regular-case letters. This way I could separate different words without using empty spaces. I think I was also inspired by quotation marks as they appear in mandarin chinese and japanese.

if you were to represent this using the english alphabet and upper/lowercase, ITWoulDLooKLikEThiS.

Is this actually space-efficient? I find it increases the line height and buffer between letters, so No It Is Not. But I think it’s neat, so it stays.

Other than that, I made up letters based on what felt right and whatever design rules occurred to me later.

Because of the brackets and my own neuroses about geometry, I was drawn to hard angles, arcs, and circles for Satik’s letters. I like the contrast between them. I wanted to reduce stroke count and make sure that the individual characters were easy to recognize, even if you wrote them really shitty and fast, or with a fixed line weight, heavy ink, whatever. One of my pet peeves in constructed languages is scripts that are overdesigned without daily use in mind. Bracket-case might horseshoe back into being overdesigned and extraneous but we shan’t interrogate this.

There was a lot of iterating where I would make up words and write short sentences to stress-test the script. Some letters were confusing or tedious to write or didn’t look good in certain combinations, so I had to go back and tweak them. I’m still tweaking them. I am haunted by letters.

You might notice that some of Satik’s letters are similar to letters in the English alphabet. Sorry to say I took a page out of the Daedric alphabet and used these to make Satik easier to read and write for me. Being an English-speaker influenced a lot of the early decisions I made about the Satik alphabet in an unconscious way, too. Learning Japanese has helped challenge some of those assumptions. It’s fun to see what you can do with katakana and hiragana that you can’t do with latin letters. I guess I’m saying that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel and contrive cool new twists on the written word from scratch. if I can give you an excuse to use constructed languages as a way to learn real languages, especially endangered ones or ones you were never taught because of assimilation, I think that would be pretty cool.

Some other decisions were decisions of convenience in a different way. English has a lot of phonetic ambiguity and redundancy with letters like c, x, q, etc. they change pronunciation depending on the circumstances. Satik letters are phonetically unambiguous (mostly) and represent a discrete phoneme, never a combination of phonemes. Satik also has a relatively limited inventory of sounds. some sounds that are separate in other languages are considered identical in Satik, like zh/j/sh and v/f. Yeah it supports the kind of minmaxed austere, practical energy I wanted for the script. But it was also so I didn't have to make up more letters than I needed to LOL.

I think it becomes easier to design new stuff for the alphabet once you've got some guardrails down, whether that's a few letters under your belt or some design rules. Later on, I had Satik borrow the glottal stop from Arish. It’s represented as a continuous line that cuts through the middle of the word and joins the outer bracket-case letters together.

I thought it would be fun to make the written glottal stop feel like the spoken glottal stop, where everything ceases for a second. it was easy to play with the brackets to make that happen. funny how this stuff just kind of snowballs once you've got some basics down.

Satik ... !

[princess-of-the-corner]

So glad you liked this https://princess-of-the-corner.tumblr.com/post/751753011437682688/also-sorry-last-ask-xd-but-remember-that-alt-3 :D Thanks, plus some fun facts:

1: In the original idea I tinkered with Lila being present as Volpina/Chameleon fighting Fu. She's still being exploited by the villains like Chloe but is either less aware of it or the method is slightly different.

2: I ended up going with the Lila-Kyubi-Chimera mostly because I recalled a neat post arguing S3's climax wasn't excited and should have had Chloe try to use all the Miraculous, do so, be a huge threat, then go comatose for the drama. Basically it felt more dramatic and clear cut as an ending, even if part of me liked the idea of expanding the villain team.

3: The other reason I went for it is because I think Season 3 can be arguably called Gabriel's true 'fall from grace'.

Like, even ignoring the later seasons, before season 3, Gabriel could at least make some wiggle room for himself to be "Not that bad" or "redeemable."

Sure, he unleashed monsters on Paris, but that was to get a wish that would undo that/be worth it. & he can argue they didn't do too much damage, that if he won he could use Miracle Cure, that he didn't make them try to murder his son's childhood friend out of spite, ETC.

He even considered dropping the whole thing when Adrien was endangered,.

Even the Lila situation could be argued as just keeping an eye on her to see if she's still angry at Ladybug and nothing else. Invasive but not permanently harmful as actively grooming her for it.

But in season 3, even if we ignore the time travel episodes... oh boy.

He actively endangers Adrien's life to see if he is Chat Noir.

He uses Lila as basically a child soldier/sleeper agent & even dangers her in the process with Oni-Chan.

He has said sleeper agent actively harass, undermine and threaten another teen for the express purpose of Akumatizes her & her class.

He also uses said agent, himself, his adult partner, and multiple monsters to actively threaten, manipulate, gaslight and traumatize another teen to sufficiently break her that she'd join his cause.

These are very much intending to cause trauma and groom children as tools to act as his soldiers. This is very much crossed the moral event horizon where deniability of being a bastard was plausible.

Thus any remaining 'redeeming' features he has are squashed beneath that weight. & while redemption is always possible, it becomes a helluva lot harder her than it was even a single season ago.

mm

Honestly I say that disregarding Chat Blanc that Gabe is only in the start of being in the 'oh no he needs his ass kicked' level. Because his purposeful endangerment of Adrien is controlled, and not much worse than the rest. And even Lila and arguably Chloé still fall into the category of all the other Akumas of 'hey they have problems might as well use it to my advantage'. Like it's a step up because he's being more directly involved in the situations, but it's not full horrible and he's just building on things that are already there.

I think the NY Special where he threatens WWIII is the definite 'oh you're FAR gone' line.

[theredengineapologist]

Ranking Every James I Own

Lego Duplo James:

12/10! MY FAVORITE JAMES! He's cute! He's chonky! He's easily portable! I can push him on a track or without! And he can sit next to my laptop politely as a little desk buddy! Plus, he's got side rods! Adorable and versatile! What more could you want from a little engine?

Easy S-Tier James.

Also! Since he's so big, he can fit doll sunglasses. Which allows me to do silly goofy things with him like this.

Trackmaster Motorized James:

10/10! A solid James!

I'm not sure what year or model he is, but I've had him since childhood (along with Lego Duplo James and Take-Along James). And now, over a decade later, he still works like a charm (albeit, after some cleaning and tinkering). He's not the fastest of my motorized trains, but he is my favorite (duh). I would like to add that he is the fastest of my battery-powered Jameses, so he gets an extra point for that. I love watching him run and carry things. And his gentle wirring noise is quite comforting.

Magnet Take-Along James:

6/10. The Mid-est James. :/

Don't get me wrong! I still love him very much. But against the other James's, he doesn't quite measure up. And the whole point of this post is to pick favorites (and also to show off all my Jameses *cough cough*).

There's nothing wrong with him at all. But just compared to the other James's he's a little basic. I do appreciate the details in his cab though! That's a nice touch!

My favorite thing to do with him is to attach him to the Aquarium train. It's the coolest rolling stock I have, and it makes him feel special.

Battery Powered Wooden Railway(?) James:

9/10! A very cool and interesting James indeed!

This James was a gift from a good irl friend of mine, and is the second new engine I've gotten after getting back into Thomas as an adult! He's a bit strange (/positive) in the sense that I'm not quite sure what line he's supposed to be a part of. I'm guessing Wooden Railway because the style of his wheels looks identical to my other Wooden Railway engines, and also because his tender is made of wood. But truth be told, I don't know for sure.

He starts running by pushing a button (I like pushing buttons). And he has a little light! That's so neat! Another cool thing about him is that he's able to run on my old Trackmaster tracks! So I can watch him go alongside all the others!

The one thing that makes him lose a point is that he's very slow (the slowest of my battery-powered Jameses). But I suppose that can't be helped because he is quite old. But whatever the case, I think he's a very neat James.

AEG Splash Tank Motorized James:

7/10. He gets points for being cute and chonky. The wave details on his paintwork are beautiful and that's why I got him (I can practically feel James preening himself at that comment). However, he loses points for being slow and frequently getting stuck on the tracks 😔 (I know he probably needs his own AEG tracks but shhh.....)

AEG Push-Along James:

10/10! I LOVE HIM! HE'S MY BABY!

He's adorable and small! A real pocket-sized James (and I've checked! He really can fit in my pocket!)! Also his face is just adorable! Very squishy looking!

Now I can already hear you saying, "Randy! The take-along James is also smol! Why is the AEG James ranked higher?" Well, it's for 1 reason: the hooks. To me, the hook feels more stable than the magnet, so I can carry AEG James around in my hand or my pocket without worrying about his tender falling off.

But most importantly, the hooks allow me to do my favorite activity: hooking up my AEG James to my AEG Edward and letting them puff around my house together.

LOOK AT THEM! LOOK AT THEM BEING HUSBANDS! Edward puffs in the front, and James is his back engine, just like many of their HIT-era episodes together. AEG Push-Along engines letting me live out my 2x5 fantasies fr ❤💙

[lumeha]

Character ask game: 4 and 12 for Quattro

I already answered both here but this is an excuse to actually make a FE Quattro and thus I will be talking about him more :3 thanks !

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

So, there is this one Fates exclusive class called the Mechanist, based on the creation and use of karakuri puppets as additional units and as their mount (which is extra fun honestly). And it would be extremely fun to adapt Quattro to it - which is why I was thinking about making a nohrian inspired version, since Nohr leans a lot more toward a more western fantasy aesthetic.

Basically convert the gimmick puppets into actual puppets to be used as weapons of war and replicas to add to the army. Have Quattro be what would be a recruitable ennemy unit - or at least have him appear as an ennemy and maybe later a green/neutral unit that can be recruited via a Shark or Trey convo (let's be honest it's either of these two, it wouldn't be anyone else)

I do think the funny thing about the Arclight brothers is that their designs don't need a lot of change to work for a FE setting either, it's kind of delightful

It's just really fun to think about him tinkering over puppets that are weapons of war, honestly. Also I feel like that would work with what we see of his dueling in general.

(also I think a settings similar-ish to Fates is actually kind of great for Zexal, because of how separate the dimensions are, I think it would work well ?) (also it's because I think it's neat for FE AU to bring elements from GBA games or Fates in particular and I don't think Zexal works well with the GBA games, or I guess maybe the Elibe ones........ I need to finish FE6)

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I really like the idea that he can't see too well from his scarred eye. Absolutely not fun to deal with, but considering how his scar looks, there's no way his eye wasn't affected too ?

[ronin-deactivated19851026]

my pinkie cooper page update:

uploaded all episodes and left a link to a youtube playlist. there's a list of episode release dates, maybe i should individually link them too lmao

tinkered with title fonts (the font is called "designers bold" btw)

made simple design for table of contents and picked some link colors

all images are now clickable and open in their original size in a new tab

redesigned some image containers a lil bit the similar way i did the table of contents but i'm not sure if it looks good

to do list:

make "back to top" button work through some other script cuz now it just kinda set to jump to header instead of actually going back to the top of the document

the unreleased merch section was confusing the fuck out of me because i don't get how to make a centered grid of elements so going to figure that out later. idk why and how it appears to look fine right now lmao

i also want to put images in the doll section into a neat grid too but i keep messing it up even harder

clean up the code a lil bit and move styles to separate css file, i'm currently coding it all in the same file cuz i'm a clown

make a meta link preview

make a section/gallery for my dolls but i should wash them and fix their hair first

i also forgot that characters have small official bios that i was planning on ripping the info off the defunct website but idek where to put it atm

[strivia]

Just a heads up before I say any of my headcannons. I have only seen the animated show and small clips of the streams, so if any of these contradict the story (outside of the obvious), sorry not sorry.

I like to think of Percy and Scanlan getting together sometime before the Briarwood arc no matter how out of character it would be, it causes a lot of the story to differ from cannon which is super fun to think about.

I've always headcannoned Percy's mother as a musician. She wasn't a bard, but she played a lot of instruments, and taught Percy, Cassandra, and a couple other of their siblings how to play piano. This is the reason Percy found himself attracted to Scanlan, music was a safe place for him, even if he didn't care to play anything himself.

Scanlan and Percy's mothers had very similar lullabies for their children, which Scanlan plays whenever he or Percy are struggling to sleep.

This is actually inspired by another fic, but Percy's love language is gifts and he definitely makes different instruments for Scanlan, or repairs the ones he already has.

A big headcannon of mine is that Cass wanted to be a bard, but because of the Briarwoods, she couldn't. After the Briarwoods are dead however, Scanlan teaches her a few spells. Percy and Kaylee get along well, but they aren't particularly close. Scanlan and Percy adopt a few kids, a boy, and later two twin girls. That's all I'm saying because they could be their own ask tbh.

Anyway, sorry this is so long, this ship is so small I was able to go through the tag in like 30 minutes, so I came up with A LOT of stuff for these two lol.

We have pretty similar experiences with the material then! I have poked around a bit more with the stream, mostly episodes of arcs that interested me, but the animated show was also my gateway into the fandom.

Early campaign time-frame Perclan is very fun to me tbh, partially because it allows for character exploration without the high stakes we get as the narrative goes on. (That said, high stakes are equally fun in ships)

Although not ship fics, I have seen some lovely incorporations of Percy's relationship with music in his relationship with Scanlan. Music as a comfort and as a way of grounding is an angle I really love, and not just in Perclan! I have a ship in another fandom I feature this heavily with as well.

The idea of Percy making or maintaining instruments for Scanlan is a lovely idea actually, because that really is a great intersection with the tinkerer that he is.

It's always so fun to see different people's headcanons for stuff! I'm not much of a kid-fic person myself, but it's definitely a really fun space to play in if it is your cup of tea!

I personally am a fan of dynamics straddling the line of platonic vs not, or wildly oscillating around both sides of it. I chalk this up to where I am on the aromantic spectrum, and the fact that 'neat' relationship boxes seem far less interesting to me than relationship dynamics defined internally that might be confusing to an outsider.

Anyway, I personally think Scanlan and Percy could have some interesting either friends with benefits-esque or simply undefined but tactile dynamic that later gets a more definitive label. Something exploratory and maybe more of a comfort that they don't name for a long time.

[duckapus]

When she actually has time to think about it later, she'll realize that it should've been impossible. All foreign code, from entire cities to a Pingas Head to something as small and inconsequential as a pen she'd borrowed from Wareach and forgotten to return, was supposed to have been left behind (and likely fizzle out of existence in the code-dense space between servers, if it hadn't been for a few particularly powerful visitors. not that Jayin knew that. not that she'd have cared if she did know) when the Connected Cosmos Company took GP's copy of the game back.

And yet, she'd found it, wedged in the bottom of the passenger seat collecting dust. A little red-and-white metal ball, scuffed and scratched from years of adventures with a tiny half-faded yellow lightning bolt painted on the front just above the button.

Most of the time, she has no idea what it is, what significance it holds. It's just a neat little curiosity, something to pull out of the glove compartment and fidget with when she needs to Do Something with her hands besides just steer but it's not safe enough outside to stop driving and tinker with the van. With how hectic things get sometimes she'll forget she even has it for days on end.

But in those rare moments, when the memories of her other life burst out of their cage, jumbles and raging and straining so hard at the chains pulling them back that it hurts and she can barely breathe, it becomes one of her last links to reality.

She takes shaky, shallow gulp of air, clutching Pikachu's Pokeball to her chest, and once again does her best to sort through the memories for as long as she still has them.

"M-my name is...Tulip Orpheus.

I am... seventeen years old.

I ran away from home when I was sixteen.

I'm... I am a... video game character...

Seven years ago, my game was...was filled with memes via a mod pack...to b-bring it to life.

I was seventeen when that happened. I am still seventeen because that is the age my character model was designed to be, and the people who modded my game haven't had a reason to change it yet.

I am an-an Avatar. I am the seventh Avatar.

This means that I am an anchor-point that keeps my game stable. If I... die, so does the rest of the world.

I have...two partners, who came with the mod pack. They help me st-stay alive, and they make art with the memes. This also keeps the game stable.

Their names are Super Meme Guardian 7 and Super Meme Guardian 10. They usually just use their initials because that's a mouthful.

There are currently...twenty? Yeah, t-twenty Avatars. But only across seventeen games. Two of them turned out to be evil and are in prison. Three of them died, but one came back. Two are...complicated. There was another complicated one, but that was fixed a few months ago.

I am friends with the other Avatars. I'm closest with a half-genie dancer named Shantae, a Pokemon trainer named Ash Ketchum, and a space-traveling alien delivery man named Captain Ol-Olimar.

I am being trained to defend myself by a Keyblade wielder named Sora."

Another, slightly steadier breath.

"My game...was created by the Connected Cosmos Company.

They took my copy of the game back, and put its data in a new game.

I don't know for sure, but I think they did it to three of the other Avatars too.

They tried to make me forget my time as an Avatar.

It only partially worked.

I don't know why.

I...I am alone." her vision gets blurry. She doesn't stop the tears, "I am not supposed to be alone anymore.

I am alone, I am in danger, and I am scared."

She feels the memories slipping away again, and grips the ball tighter.

"I... I am... real.

My memories are real.

My friends are Real.

MY FAMILY IS REAL!

They're real, and they're coming for me, and nothing will stop them.

And when they find me, I will never be alone again."

The bit of fire she found inside herself burns up far too soon, and she rapidly goes from determined to desperate as the cage door closes once more, "Please let them be real..."

A moment later, she looks around in confusion. She doesn't know why she's sitting on the floor of the van, or why she's been crying, or why she's holding that weird ball.

What she does know, is that she needs to get ready for another hard day of surviving the nightmare her world's become.

Not like someone's gonna swoop in and save her from it, after all.

[mercymaker]

1 - 3 + B for an oc of your choice! 😊

Uncommon Questions for OCs and their creators

I'll do the OC questions for Thoriel, just to switch things up a little bit!

1. What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

Not very long! While Maleane is more of a thinker, who tries to devise a plan of action before getting her hands dirty, Thoriel is very much a doer who just springs into action and rolls with the punches. I think it helps that she's very charismatic, so most of the time things just work out in her favor. But even when there's no action to be diving into, Thoriel is not someone to sit idly. She sings, she dances, she plays her harp. Then sharpens her blades, tinkers with things, finds people to chat with. The girly finds it hard to sit on her hands and do nothing!

2. How easy is it for your character to laugh?

Laughter finds her lips easily! Thoriel loves to laugh and make others laugh as well. And she's quick and witty, so jokes spring up in her mind with relative ease. It's not easy to live a life that feels like a gift, something you owe someone, so she takes every opportunity to enjoy it and laughter is one of the most important aspects of life.

3. How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)

When Thoriel was a wee lil child, Maleane would hum while putting her to bed. Later, when she got a bit older, her mother read stories to her, and then eventually, taught her how to read all by herself. So, growing up, Thoriel was quite fond of reading before bed. When she grew up and left to forge her own adventures, Thori's most likely to write before resting. She sings or plays harp, writes some words down on a piece of parchment, or the edges of a book she's reading. At times she gets lost in a thought and starts writing poetry.

B) What inspired you to create them?

Thoriel just sort of sprung in my mind almost fully fledged. I knew she'd have pink hair because I could totally see Mal's daughter just dunking her hair in a pot full of beetroot juice because she'd think it's so cool to have pink/purple hair! I knew she'd have heterochromia because I wanted to give her something from her grandma. And I think it looks neat and a bit funny considering her parentage and her mother's, uh... company. If you didn't know any better, you could take a look at her, then Maleane and Astarion, and think they're her parents lmao. As for Maleane, she was very much a "oh god, i am finally playing beegeethree, i need to make a character quick!!! panic! oh, i can just sorta make my mage from wow!" case and then I had to untangle all that and justify my choices and make a coherent character out of that (which was not easy!).

[rebbilina]

Meet the Michaelsons (and Moore)

So, let's introduce the family that was briefly referenced in the introduction to Cedar Shore.

(This pose was a pain to arrange (probably mainly because I'm new to poses. In the end, it was still cuter than the one I took with the poses that are in the game, so let's go with it anyway.)

Melanie Michaelson

Age: 53

Aspiration: Family/Fortune

OTH: Tinkering

3t2 traits: Hot-headed, nurturing, charismatic, handy and vehicle enthusiast.

Sexuality: Bisexual (She's not really aware that she is, and I'm not really sure how she'd feel about it if it ever came up. For now, it's not something she really considers and she just assumes that everyone can find everyone attractive. She's been with her husband since she was 17, which is probably a reason she hasn't really explored that side of herself.)

Partner: Peter Michaelson

Kids: Lucas (22) and Oliver (20).

College Degree: no

Lifetime Want: Restore 50 cars.

Melanie is the kind of woman that has a lot of opinions and let's people know about them, as soon as she has them. This has occasionally gotten her into trouble, but this fiery personality was also what made her husband fall head over heels in her in high school. Other than Peter and her sons, the one thing she loves most in this world are cars. She fixes up old junk cars in her spare time and sells them on and makes a little bit of spare cash on the side. This skill is also handy when owning a gas station, as she doubles as the local mechanic.

Peter Michaelson

Age: 52

Aspiration: Knowledge/Family

OTH: Cuisine

3t2 traits: Socially awkward, friendly, natural cook, loves the outdoors and neat.

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Partner: Melanie Michaelson

Kids: Lucas (22) and Oliver (20)

College Degree: no

Lifetime Want: Max out 7 skills

Peter is the quieter of the Michaelson couple. He means well and is a friendly guy, but he hasn't necessarily perfected his comedic timing and doesn't really know how to come back from an awkward silence. Peter is a bit of a geek and loves learning. He'd have loved to go to college back in the day, but it just wasn't possible for him. That's why he's very happy for his sons to have the opportunity, even if that means they haven't been able to come home to visit very often. Peter's biggest interest is cooking, and if you've ever had a sandwich or cinnamon bun from the gas station, he was probably the one preparing it.

Peter and Melanie met in high school and have been together ever since. The idea of opening a gas station in the Cedar Shore area originally begun as a joke. They were driving up to Three Lakes and didn't stop for gas when they probably should have. The last few hours of the drive was spent worrying about whether or not they were actually gonna make it or have to call for help. Luckily, they did, but it became an inside joke between them. A few years later, a house in the area were listed for sale and they decided to do it. They moved, purchased the plot of land across from their house and has built the gas station from the ground up. Now, it's been there for 30 years. Their sons were born in the area and the couple can't imagine a better place to raise a family. They're not entirely sure about Simcity recently taking an interest in their little town. They'd love to have a school and a proper grocery store, but is Simcity gonna care about preserving their beautiful nature and small town ideals?

The Michaelson house. I'm not gonna do a full tour now, you'll get to see it more through gameplay, but both Peter and Melanie loves 50s style, which is reflected in their interior decoration.

Family starting funds: 3 722 (+ house worth 92 271 and gas station worth 61 827) I realise that this makes them a lot more wealthy than sims usually are in the beginning of a BACC, but since they're meant to have lived in the area for a long time and have had all of that time to build up their home and business, I figured it made sense for them.

Since this post was so long, I'm gonna do a seperate post to introduce the Michaelson sons. Coming right up!

[stoneheart-paramour]

take a shot every time paramour tinkers with the timeline/scenes in hiveword

[you are admitted to the ER with acute alcohol poisoning]

i just remembered a few lil things i needed to add, and also realized one of the scenes was redundant due to some other tinkering i did earlier, so i did something else with it. y'know, i used to think that writing a book/story meant having the ENTIRE plot, start to end, set in stone already. like, you didn't start until it was, and then you never strayed from that outline. now it probably does work that way for plenty of writers, but i'm finding that as i go, i often realize something or other would flow better in a slightly different configuration.

when i wrote Autumn Wanderer, i actually don't entirely remember HOW i approached it, if i had a rough timeline all laid out to follow. i did have all the key events worked out and i knew the order they happened, but if i remember correctly, i didn't make a tidy bullet point list of each scene moment-to-moment, i just sorta wrote in the general direction of where the plot was supposed to go.

it's sorta interesting to me now, because i rarely write that way anymore. i can't remember when i actually started doing this - a few years ago, perhaps? - but creating a skeleton of the story/scene from start to finish helps me keep focused on what i'm trying to achieve, and it makes sure i hit all the notes i intended to. yet, i still go "off script" sometimes, following the flow of the scene where it feels most natural. maybe it's just that a bit of structure and spontaneity is the ideal approach for me; who can say.

and so on a larger scale, the chapters, it's kinda the same thing; i've got the "script" as i originally jotted it down, but then as i'm moving through each, i sometimes realize that something should probably happen sooner, or later, or even not at all, or i realize something ought to happen first, that two scenes/chapters need some kind of buffer event(s) between them; it's interesting.

on the whole, none of the broad strokes are changing, i'm still largely following the "script", but it's a lot more fluid, more malleable, than i realized it could or should be. the further along i get, the less solid the script is (well not for a long while yet, but still) but i wonder if it'll tighten up as i go along. i sorta visualize it like a braid or rope; something twisted together from lots of strands. all the plot threads coming together to form the narrative... at the start, it's tight and neat, but towards the end it becomes looser, then maybe a little messy, or tangled in places, and eventually you get to the part where all the threads are completely unincorporated, just waiting for their turn.

when i started writing Autumn Wanderer, i already knew exactly how it ended. not so with this story, at least not yet. i have ideas of course, i know the gist of the conclusion i hope to achieve, but i don't have a clear, neatly organized series events that lead to "THE END" like i do for most everything else. i am of course working towards finalizing all this stuff, but if someone asked me, "so how does it all end?" all i could really say is, "happily ever after" - which is SO corny but idc. happiness is the point. joy is the point. an end to suffering and pain, at least for the characters, has always been the intended conclusion. not that it's going to be perfect and unspoiled of course, but it doesn't need to be. coming to terms with the rough edges of life we can't ever hope to sand down is as important as anything else we gotta do to survive and thrive. but, i digress. the precise final steps to everyone getting to this point aren't known to me yet, but i'll get there when they do lol.

[lilbabydilljr]

Hi I’ve been wanting to post this for a few days but I’ve got no desire to actually write a description. But it’s here if anyone wants! Description will come later, I just dropped my boyfriend off today and I’m kinda sad. Long distance. Blah.

Download (SFS)

Info is now under the cut! Look at me go.

01/18 - If you use any replacement UI built off of Clean UI, please ensure either this package loads after, or delete the turn on images that Clean UI includes. Thank you grilledcheese-aspiration for reminding me! The two turn-ons effected are ‘Musical’ and ‘Neat Freak’ which were originally ‘Hard Worker’ and ‘Unemployed.’

So I will say I probably should’ve done these differently (turn Creative into Artistic as opposed to Vampire, but whatever. They actually started out alphabetical in game which I thought was neat. They’re still fairly close!

But basically what I’ve done here is replace almost all the turn-ons with personality/trait based ones. I’m wishing we could mix and match individual turn-ons actually because as I write this list I’m already worried about people thinking there’s too many supernatural ones. But they’re used in my game so idk. They’re much more relevant than full face makeup I feel.

For badges sims require a silver level to have the turn-on. For skills I’ve increased it to 8 points, and if a turn-on mentions a hobby, a sim either needs 5 points or have it as their One True Hobby.

Fitness/Fatness - New icons, unchanged Swimwear > Adventurous - 3 Vacations, Adventurous, Daredevil, Sailor Formal > Alien - Trait, Skin, Eyes Underwear > Animal Lover - 2 Pet Friends, Animal Lover, Cat Person, Dog Person, Equestrian Vampire > Artistic - Artistic, Avant Garde, Photographer's Eye, Savvy Sculptor, Floral/Pottery/Sewing Badge, Arts & Crafts Hobby, Creativity Skill Stink > Athletic - Athletic, Disciplined, Equestrian, Loves to Swim, Sports/Fitness Hobby, Body Skill Logical > Bad Rep - Negative Reputation, Evil Great Cook > Bookish - Bookworm, Film & Literature Hobby Mechanical > Charismatic - Born Salesperson, Charismatic, Natural Born Performer, Schmoozer, Star Quality, Charisma Skill Creative > Content - Platinum, Lifetime Happiness Skill (side note this one will be the first one to go if someone can come up with something better it is my least favourite) Athletic > Dumb - Absent Minded, Less than 2 Logic Good at cleaning > Foodie - Natural Cook, Cuisine Hobby, Cooking Skill Zombiism > Gamer - Computer Whiz, Couch Potato, Loser, Games Hobby Robots > Good Rep - Good reputation, Good Plantsim > Indoorsy - Bookworm, Brooding, Couch Potato, Hates the Outdoors, Loner Werewolf > Magic - Genie, Witch, Fairy Witch > Mechanical - Servo, Bot Fan, Computer Whiz, Handy, Vehicle Enthusiast, Robotics Badge, Tinkering Hobby, Mechanical Skill Hard Worker > Musical - Natural Born Performer, Star Quality, Virtuoso, Music & Dance Hobby, Dance Skill, Creativity Skill Unemployed > Neat Freak - Neat, Cleaning Skill, Personality Cologne > Occult - Werewolf, Plantsim, Bigfoot, Genie, Witch, Fairy, Mermaid Facial Hair > Outdoorsy - Angler, Green Thumb, Loves the Outdoors, Sailor, Gardening Badge, Fishing Badge, Nature Hobby Glasses > Plant Lover - Eco-Friendly, Green Thumb, Vegetarian, Flower/Gardening Badge, Plantsim, Fairy  Makeup > Productive - Ambitious, Eccentric, Frugal, Gatherer, Perfectionist, Workaholic Full Face Makeup > Slacker - Couch Potato, Mooch, Slob, Personality Hats > Smart - Genius, Logic Skill Jewellery > Stylish - Avant Garde, Diva, Irresistible, Proper, Cosmetology Badge, Fashion Interest Custom Hair > Timid - Brooding, Coward, Loner, Shy, Socially Awkward, Unflirty, Personality Charismatic > Undead - Ghost, Zombie, Vampire

Version 2 Added, Choose one

Fixes Fitness/Fatness names. Those were meant for me only!

Creative > Baddie - Daredevil, Evil, Flirty, Great Kisser, Irresistible, Party Animal, Rebellious traits