#*public troubleshoot

[buldakkris]

has/is anybody had this issue in the game?? like, when I go to change my Sims outfit, the sim does the animation but stays in the same outfit? and the sims head/picture is blank/invisible in the ui when I go to click on them??

[mercerousmerc]

how do I tumbler

helo

[genuineformality]

I would argue, as someone who has worked with a lot of entry level college grads and interns over the last fifteen years, that the overall level of computer literacy of the younger generation is less than my generation (millennial - and I’m on the far older side of that one).

This is not a statement that the younger generation is in any way stupid.

It is, however, a statement that the way we interact with computers is more of a curated design experience than it was when I was growing up and in my early career. In my (entirely anecdotal) observation of a whole slew of 18-25 year olds over the last decade has been that there is overall less knowledge about how the computer box actually works, which leads to a lot of frustration when it does not work the way they think it should, and less willingness? Ability? Knowledge? to troubleshoot problems when they occur.

I have spent a lot of my professional hours training young adults in PC 101 and software and hardware troubleshooting and what I’ve found is that some people (regardless of age) are extremely good at intuitively understanding the computer box and some people just are not. And again, this isn’t a value statement: there is no judgement (except where it affects their ability to do the job effectively), but it is something I see a lot and I’m seeing it more and more as my employees and interns are getting further away from me in age.

I don’t see a lot of value in framing this as one generation being better or worse than others, but I don’t think it’s inaccurate to observe that there is a generational divide in computer education that has resulted in some kids coming into the workforce with subpar computer skills.

why is the newest tumblr thing "teenagers don't know how to use pc and interwebs all they know is app and phone" like every teenager knows how to use the internet. and the reason less and less people have pcs is the fact that pcs are expensive as hell, so people are more likely to get phone which have both internet capability and calling, instead of getting another more expensive device that only has one of those things. the only people I know who have pcs are rich people, because guess what- They're Expensive. obviously pcs aren't going the way of the dodo or anything but you have to understand that the use of less of them is not because the new generation is braindead and stupid, but because of financial reasons and technological advances. besides, why blame the children, who are most likely not the ones buying the technology?

[radioregine]

not to be up my school's ass (bc they don't need me to defend them as an entity) but i feel like when i see certain people on forums/on fb complaining about the online program, they don't fully understand what school is for

[cocoelleansims]

Koi Bow Bag Functional Decor

this is the functional version of my Koi Bow Bag that can be placed within inventory and has it's own inventory for placeable objects

Thanks to some troubleshooting it was discovered that the reason my "functional" bags weren't working for some. It was my Ultimate Diaper Bag that was required to be in game to make the others work. I didn't notice the mistake until brought to my attention. So this version should work on it's own without any of my other bags, and when I have the time i will update past bags. Until then ill be flooding yall with some bags Ive made the last few months and turning them functional/decor now the problem is figured out.

Early Access, Public 02.08

Find Here

[harrie-cc]

The Klean Collection - Part 4

This month I focused on creating the Klean Home Office. I focused my attention on what a designer's home office would look like/contain. I have wanted to make shelving like this for quite some time & was excited to try out Sims 4 Studio to angle the slots, unfortunately many painful hours later after trying to troubleshoot why exactly the rotation didn't work in game, I managed to come up with a workaround, so that you can still snap flat books and deco items onto the slanted shelves at the correct angle. For some peculiar reason the rotated slots would not work unless I locked their orientation. As a result once an item snap into one of these slots it will stay at the 45 degree angle even when you snap it to a regular slot. If I did this for all the slots to work it would end up being very difficult for you to effectively clutter all the other shelves as all your items would snap to these angled slots instead. So I've created only 3 of these slots on each shelf to help you to orientate your deco items to the correct angle. They are located in the middle and either end of the the shelf, so you should be able to avoid them while decorating the regular slots on the other shelves. I think this issue is down to EA changing the slotting information in the game as it a very simple process to rotate these slots and both programmes I used to do so ended with the same result. Fingers crossed this is changed in the future so I don't have to irritate myself and you all with such a workaround and they just work how they are supposed to! 

Items Include:

Bookshelf configurations 1 to 5 (short & medium)

1 tile bookshelf configuration (short & medium)

Left ending bookshelf configuration (short & medium)

Right ending bookshelf configuration (short & medium)

Bookshelf post (short. medium & tall)

Desk chair

Glass desk

Statement desk/ conference table/ dining table

Design portfolio

Open design portfolio

Pantone swatch books (3 options)

RAL swatch books (2 options)

Fabric sample book

All items are Base Game compatible and you can find them by searching KLEAN in the build/buy catalogue.

As per usual textures are linked between similar items, so if you download the unmerged file, make sure to include all items from that family, so the textures appear correctly in your game.

Now Available on Patreon Early Access

Public Release: 7th April 2024

[astrocafecoffee]

💫Your future spouse's career based on your Juno persona chart 💫

✨ For entertainment purposes only. Enjoy.✨

🌜what to check?

- just check your Industria (389) asteroid in your Juno persona chart.Find out in which house it falls in!!

Why this asteroid?

- Juno persona chart tells about your future spouse and Industria(389) asteroid is a long term career related asteroid. So this asteroid in your juno persona chart can give a insight about your future spouse's career.

🌜SOME SHORT TERMS I USED HERE :

- FS = FUTURE SPOUSE

-JPC = JUNO PERSONA CHART

Leshh go!

🌆 Industria in 1st house of JPC : 1st house represent one's identity, personality and how they present themselves to the world.This asteroid in 1st house suggests that their career may be tied to their personal identity and innovative spirit. Now some possible career of your fs-

*Entrepreneurial scientist - they may excel in entrepreneurial pursuits within the scientific community. They may innovate new technologies, products that have a significant impact in their field.

* Industry leader - they maybe known for their innovative idea and proactive attitude to their work. They can easily be a leader of their respective industry.

* visionary consultant - they may excel in their field as a respectful advisor, who offers solutions to businesses or individuals seeking guidance.

* Creative director- career in creative leadership such as creative director in advising, film, fashion, or design.

* makeup artist

* Model

* engeneering

* design/ work in media.

🌆 Industria in 2nd house of JPC : Their career may be closely related to their values resources, managing or utilising assets and their sense of stability. Some possible career of your fs -

* wealth management specialist - they helps individuals or organizations maximize their financial resources and investments through innovative and strategic approach.

* Creative Financial analyst - specialised in creative or innovative analysis methods.

* Financial innovator- innovates new financial products, services or strategies.

* asset manager

* Entrepreneurial investor

* can sing well

* accountant

🌆 Industria in 3rd house of JPC : 3rd house represents one's communication style, mental persuits, and interaction within immediate environment. When this asteroid in your 3rd house this can indicate that your fs may excel in the career of innovative communication methods or technologies. Some possible career of your fs -

* They may into journalism, media, broadcasting, or public relations where someone uses their creative ideas.

* technology writer/ blogger: their career path may involve writing / blogging about technologies or industry trends or sharing their ideas with wide audience.

* Workshop/ educational outreach programs.

* small business owner

* excel in troubleshooting skills, problem solving abilities, explaining complex concepts in simple terms.

🌆 Industria in 4th house of JPC : their career tied to their home , family roots, and emotional well-being.some possible career of your fs -

* career in real estate - specialize in designing sustainable, eco friendly, or technologically advanced buildings.

* e- commerce, consulting, freelance work.

* Family councillor or therapist - they may help individuals and families navigate challenges, fostering harmony and growth within te hone environment.

* interior designer

* Home renovation specialist

* Family owned business owner.

* childcare provider

🌆 Industria in 5th house of JPC : 5th house is associated with creativity,joy, children and hobbies. It governs one's individual approach to work, self expression and personal fulfillment. So your fs career strongly related to this area of life. Possible careers -

* creative artist/ entertainer - Excels in creative profession like music , theater , film, writing etc.

* event planer- organizing wedding, festivals or social gathering.

* teacher/ coach - inspiring or guiding others in academic subject/ sports.

* youth councillor - natural affinity to work with young people and helping them to discover their talents.

* atrs nd crafts business owner.

* fitness instructor

* dance teacher

* entertainment industry professional.

🌆 Industria in 6th house of JPC : 6th house is associated with employment, daily task, health and service to others. So possible career of your fs -

* health care professionals - career related to healthcare, nursing, doctor, medicine, and pharmacy.

* nutritionist/ dietician - helping others to improve their dietary habits , manage health condition.

* fitness trainer/ coach - motivates others to adopt healthy lifestyle.

* administrative professional - may indicate talent for efficiency, attention to detail, making career in administrative or office management appealing.

* environmental scientist

* social worker

* reasearch assistant

🌆 Industria in 7th house of JPC : 7th house is related to marriage, buisness partnership, legal matters, and one-on-one interactions. Possible career domains of your fs-

*legal professional - career related as mediators, legal consultant, specialization in areas such as contrat law , family law or dispute resolution.

* business consultant - expertise in the area of strategy, negotiation, and partnership development.

* marriage and family therapist - helping couples navigate challenges, improve communication and strengthen their bonds through therapy or councilling sessions.

* international business manager

* foreign affair specialist

* event coordinator

*public relation specialist

* human resources manager

🌆 Industria in 8th house of JPC : 8th house is associated with themes such as mysteries, psychology, healing, emotional connection. So possible careers of your fs -

* psychologist/ psychotherapist - your fs may excel in trauma therapy, helping others to navigate profound emotional experiences , uncover hidden truth.

* forensic investigator/ crime analyst- they may be focused on uncovering hidden truths and solving mysteries.

*massage therapist - specialize in modalities such as deep tissue massage, craniosacral therapy or helping clients release emotional/ physical tension through healing.

* reasearch scientist - may excel in fields such as psychology, quantum physics, or consciousness studies.

* occultist - astrologer, tarot reader, or spiritual councillors.

* healer/ energy worker

* heal others through their respective fields. Can be. Singer too .

🌆 Industria in 9th house of JPC: 9th house is associated with themes such as higher learning, expansion of horizons , seeking truth, broadening one's perspective through travel/ exploration. Possible careers of your fs -

* international relations specialist - involve promoting international cooperation, resolving conflicts, forming mutual understanding between nations and cultures.

* spiritual teacher/ guru- your fs may pursue careers as spiritual teachers, gurus, mentors, guiding others on their spiritual journey.

* tour guide

* philosopher

* religious leader - may pursue careers as priests, ministers, guiding and supporting communities in matters of faith and spiritual growth.

* global NGO worker

* foreign language teacher

🌆 Industria in 10th house of JPC: 10th house is associated with themes such as career aspirations, social status, reputation, and professional achievements. This asteroid influences the individual's approach to career, public image, authority, ambition. So possible careers of your fs -

* media personality/ influencer - television hosts , journalist, bloggers, social media influencer , reaching a wide audience.

* creative director/ artist - artist, designer, performers.

* CEO

* startup founder, business owner, or self employed professionals.

* legal professional/ lawyer

* educational administrator

🌆 Industria in 11th house of JPC: when your industria asteroid in this house your fs may excel in the career of social network, group affiliation, humanitarian causes, collaboration etc. So possible careers of your fs -

* social entrepreneur - creates innovative solutions to adress social challenges.

* Tech entrepreneur, start-up founder.

* content creator - social media influencers, bloggers, using their platforms to inspire/ educate peoples.

* environment activist

* advocate

* community organizer

* designing educational platforms , or promoting digital literacy.

🌆 Industria in 12th house of JPC: 12th house is often associated with hidden strengths, spirituality, and working behind the scenes. So possible careers of your fs -

* they might work in reserch and development, data analysis or logistical planning behind the scenes.

* astro- spiritual researcher

* music industry

* astrologer

*song writer.

* mystical or spiritual advisor.

* environmental conservationist.

⚡ Note : these are only some possibilities of careers of your fs. And guys check the degrees to , it's like cheery on top 💌

🌜Don't forget to check my other observations too 👀

That's it guys , see you soon 💝

- piko 💖

[deaderpoolmc]

MC Command Center 2025.3.0 is out!

The latest public release, MCCC/MC Woohoo 2025.3.0, is out!

Full change log for 2025.3.0 is here.

Installation instructions can be found here.

Troubleshooting can be found here.

For support or possible bugs, you should always go to the Discord support channels. We don't do support through PM's:

General Support - Support for other mods or just general Q&A. General Support (Sims After Dark) - Alternate support for other mods or general Q&A MCCC Support - MCCC errors and questions Error Support- Last Exception questions

Compatibility:

This has been tested to be working with (but does not require) all expansions and game packs up to Businesses & Hobbies, and the patch released June 17, 2025 - PC: 1.115.253.1020 / Mac: 1.115.253.1220. It will also work with anything after that Sims 4 update unless otherwise specified on Tumblr/Patreon posts I make after the update. Earlier Sims 4 versions may not be compatible, so we often do not support anything below the specified version here!

The legacy version of Sims 4 will now, and forever, use MCCC version 6.6.0, which can be found on Patreon and on my website.

DOWNLOAD HERE:

MC Command Center - All Modules Version 2025.3.0

MC Woohoo - Version 2025.3.0  (optional if MC Woohoo features are wanted)

ALL TRANSLATIONS AVAILABLE FOR 2025.3.0 CURRENTLY INCLUDE:

French - Thanks, ForeverCamp!

Japanese - Thanks, Halapeco!

Chinese - Thanks, Rebya!

Swedish - Thanks, NamelessPerson98!

Czech - Thanks, Mishka!

Korean - Thanks, Smlee499!

Polish - Thanks, OnlyBroken!

Russian - Thanks, KuriXarya!

German - Thanks, Bonxie!

Portuguese - Thanks, Bichon2057pt!

[shimmerandink]

Hi! I love ur fanfics, can you do jayvik x reader head canons? Regular and NSFW if I want!

Hello! Thank you for your support! OF COURSE we neeeeeed jayvik!!!! Also, we of course need some nsfw as well tihi. I hope you will like this one! It`s my first involving jayvik!

Lab Partners

Jayvik x Reader Headcanons

Tags: Jayce x Reader x Viktor, headcanons, lab partners, fluffy, smutty, nsfw after caution

Masterlist

~Jayce is the type to get way too excited during experiments, often making a mess while you and Viktor sigh and clean up after him.

~Viktor insists he’s the “responsible” one, but he absolutely enables you and Jayce when you get reckless with testing Hextech.

~You play mediator when they start bickering about theories, sometimes you’re genuinely invested, other times you just want them to shut up and kiss already.

~Someone (probably you) started keeping a “Lab Accidents” tally board because Jayce has broken at least three workbenches.

~You and Jayce try to get Viktor to sleep, but the man is stubborn. He’ll say, “Just a little longer,” and suddenly it’s morning.

~Jayce uses his big, warm body to keep you and Viktor cozy during long nights. You’ve woken up more than once with Viktor curled into your side and Jayce draped over both of you.

~Viktor will mumble sleepy theories in his half-conscious state, and you and Jayce pretend to understand, nodding along.

~The three of you have an unspoken rule: if someone falls asleep at their desk, the other two must relocate them to the couch (or bed if you’re home).

~Jayce kisses you both on the forehead when he’s proud of you. Viktor rolls his eyes but secretly leans into it.

~Viktor’s love language is quiet affection, if he hands you a wrench or adjusts your goggles without a word, it means he cares.

~You and Viktor team up to force Jayce to eat properly when he gets too busy with Council work.

~Jayce and Viktor absolutely geek out together, and sometimes you just sit back, watching them ramble with heart eyes.

~If you get frustrated over a project, Jayce hypes you up, while Viktor helps you troubleshoot. They’re the perfect balance of encouragement and practical support.

~Jayce is so handsy, when he’s bored, he rests his chin on your shoulder or hugs you from behind while you work. Viktor pretends to be annoyed but totally melts when you do it to him.

~Viktor absentmindedly plays with your hair while deep in thought, sometimes even twirling Jayce’s fingers if he’s close enough.

~There’s a strict “No Teasing During Experiments” rule because the last time Jayce kissed your neck while you were adjusting a Hextech core, you almost blew up the lab.

~One time, you, Jayce, and Viktor got way too cozy on the couch during an all-nighter… Let’s just say the lab couch is now off-limits for sleeping.

~Jayce is strong enough to carry both you and Viktor if needed, he’s done it for fun, and Viktor grumbled the whole time.

~You and Jayce handle most of the outreach and public-facing side of Hextech, while Viktor prefers to stay behind the scenes.

~If something does go wrong, the three of you always have each other’s backs, whether it’s defending your research, standing up against Council politics, or just surviving another chaotic day together.

~Despite the stress, despite the sleepless nights and occasional explosions, there’s no place any of you would rather be than here, together, making history one experiment (or accident) at a time.

NSFW

~Jayce is so enthusiastic, he’s got the stamina and the strength to pick you up, pin you down, and make sure you feel everything. He loves using his size to his advantage, especially when you and Viktor are beneath him, breathless and overstimulated.

~Viktor, on the other hand, is the tease. He’s patient, calculating, drawing things out until you’re whining for him. He enjoys watching you and Jayce come apart first, taking his time before finally indulging himself.

~They love making you the center of attention. You’re sandwiched between them more often than not, Jayce murmuring praises against your skin, Viktor smirking as he makes you squirm.

~Angry Jayce is dangerous. One second, he’s glaring, the next, he’s got you pinned against the nearest flat surface, proving just how much he needs you.

~Viktor usually avoids conflict, but if he’s pushed, he’ll grab your chin and whisper something utterly filthy just to shut you up.

~Make-up sex turns into round two when someone won’t let go even after the argument is long forgotten.

~When the three of you made a bet about who could finish a complex equation first, with the agreement that whoever lost had to do whatever the winners wanted. Turns out… you’re the loser.

~Jayce and Viktor drag it out, teasing you endlessly before finally giving in to your desperate pleas.

~The bet turns into an ongoing game between the three of you, with the stakes getting higher each time.

~Viktor, ever the scientist, once was working on another enhancement device, one that increases tactile sensitivity. Naturally, it needs to be tested, and who better to try it on than one of you?

~Jayce volunteers, all cocky at first, until his body is way too reactive, and he’s completely at your and Viktor’s mercy.

~Viktor, smug as ever, claims he’s only observing, until Jayce turns on him, deciding he should feel his own creation firsthand.

~At least one experiment has been abandoned because things got too heated. Maybe you were sitting on Jayce’s lap to look over blueprints, or Viktor had his hands on your waist while guiding you through an equation, next thing you know, clothes are in disarray, and you’re being absolutely ruined on the workbench.

~Jayce has definitely fucked you against the wall of the lab while Viktor watched, all smug amusement until you pulled him in, making him lose that composure.

~Viktor has a habit of absentmindedly running his fingers along your thigh when he’s deep in thought, most of the time, he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it until you and Jayce react. Once he notices? Oh, he fully commits.

~Jayce wants to be dominant, but the second you and Viktor team up against him? He’s putty in your hands. You both have him sprawled out, completely at your mercy, and he loves it.

~Viktor is deceptively cruel in bed, he drags things out, making you beg, loving the way Jayce gets frustrated when he won’t let him have what he wants right away.

~You’re usually caught between them, switching between being taken apart and taking them apart. Sometimes you’re the one teasing Viktor until he’s breathless, or guiding Jayce’s hands to exactly where you need them.

[ild-rllrcstr]

The Meal

Yuki Tsunoda X You / fluff / 2.4k

Summary Yuki Tsunoda might be the king of tantrums, but you're the undisputed queen of feeding him back to life. One crash, one mistake, and one very public scolding later, Yuki flips the script. This time, he's the one to return the cuisine service. And it's safe to say, your job description may be about to expand.

Warnings None A/N First one shot starting light, lmk what you think!

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

Some thuds and bangings have been coming from the Japanese driver’s corner; no one really dares to approach the driver’s room. It’s been almost half a year and one-third of the annual racing schedule, and they know it’s going to take him some time to calm down.

Yuki might be small in physical comparison to all the other drivers, but his fiery temper can easily take the podium. The air is quite heavy as engineers mumble near the number 22 car, troubleshooting yet another issue Red Bull’s having with Yuki’s setup the whole weekend. Yuki’s free practice didn’t go well at all for anyone’s liking. They’re still having a hard time figuring out what the setting issue is with Yuki’s car.

“Y/N, you’ve got an hour. Get Yuki ready. We need him at that debrief—no excuses. And we're not staying late,” someone calls across the paddock, barely masking the sympathy in their voice.

You have been the organisation's assistant since the beginning of the year. It has been a big challenge to plan and make sure everyone on the team is well fed, their accommodations well booked, and ensure the drivers are doing what they need to be doing at the right time at the right place, but you genuinely enjoy it. However, this also means that you are the one who has to deal with Yuki at his most explosive, or… emotionally unavailable moment. 

You firmly knocked on the door three times. All thudding and banging stopped. You’ve learnt throughout the months to take that as a green light to enter.

You carefully to open only a slit big enough for you to slip in. Yuki hates to have any more external influences during his cool-down period. The room is only dimly lit, but the expected mess is extremely obvious. The helmet seems to be the only thing neatly sitting on the table. His phone is on the floor, fortunately uncracked, and towels, dark blue and white racing suits, are scattered around the room on the floor. The driver is sitting on the floor, leaning on the wall behind him, not saying a word.

You slide down and sit against the door, across from the driver. Calmly, you took a clean towel and spread it on the floor, pulling the huge bento box out from the bag you had with you. Layer by layer, you spread the boxes on the towel. The scent floats through the room, rich and savoury.

Yuki was not in the mood to move, but the smell of food got his attention of the woman in front of him. His eyes twitch open. He still doesn’t move, but his gaze flicks to the bento. You pretend not to notice, you’ve played this game before.

“Yuki, you need to eat and drink now, you need to get to the briefing in an hour. Come on, you know you can’t resist this.”

You lean forward to hand the chopsticks over to Yuki. Yuki finally looks at you, not at the food, not past you. At you. There’s something unreadable in that look. He still wants to stay in his emotional bubble, but his stomach betrays him. It growls audibly. You tried not to laugh.

“Dramatic and hungry. What a dangerous combo.” You slowly blinked to motion the driver to take the chopsticks from you.

With a huge sigh, Yuki finally gave in and sat forward to look and smell at the bento up close.

“Since you are cooperating super well today, here’s an extra treat.” You pulled out a fat thermal bottle and a bowl from the bag. Carefully opened the bottle, poured the burning hot content into the bowl and put some of the veggies and meat into the soup.

“What’s this?” ���Try.” Yuki carefully smelled and then sipped the soup from his spoon. He freezes, eyes wide open.

“How did you get motsunabe out of nowhere? Who are you? Doraemon’s magic pocket?” The taste made Yuki forget all about the horrible feelings he had out there on the track earlier.

“You know I did not just hang around the pit and hospitality for the whole morning and do nothing, right?” You smiled at Yuki’s reaction, half-playful, half-shy.

You are still young and have just started your career for a short period, which is why you always put in extra effort, but that also means you’re always extra stressed about everything you do. But you also learnt that it is these kinds of moments that make you feel like all your hard work and stress are worth the trouble.

The driver continues to dig in while you quickly clean up some of the mess in the room and start to check the schedule and plans for tomorrow. 

“You know I do notice, right?” Yuki says casually while still eating.

“Notice what?” You look up to listen to him.

“The changes in menu and food options.”

“That’s my job, you know.”

“But Max’s meals never change. I asked him. His pre-race meals are copy-pasted every weekend.”

You pause, fiddling with the edge of your clipboard.

“Maybe because someone’s more… sensitive to food than others.”

He smiles faintly.

“It helps. With everything. Mood. Nerves. Even if I’m still pissed, it feels… I dunno. Better.”

“It is my job, but you’re welcome, and I’m glad that it helps.”

“How did you know, tho? How will my mood be?”

It’s your turn to freeze. It really is a super dumb method, it would sound super nice to just magically know his moods and prepare him the right meal, but it is just not the case.

There’s a small flush creeping up your cheeks, and you suddenly find your notes far more interesting.

“I… there are two meals prepared actually.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I prepared for both. One for meltdown-Yuki, and one for calm-Yuki. I give it to you based on… vibes.”

He stares at you a beat, and then, unexpectedly, laughs.

“So you’re telling me if I’d been in a good mood today, I’d be eating something completely different right now?” You nodded,

“Wow.” He sets the chopsticks down for a second.

“So what happens to the other meal?” You hesitated, knowing how silly it sounds. “...I eat it.”

He grins. “So either way, we’re eating together.”

You glanced up. There’s some light teasing in his tone, but it also seems to mean something more. Something you thought you probably imagined.

“Yeah,” you said softly, a little smile playing on your lips. “Guess we are.”

He nudges the bento slightly toward you.

“Want a bite of this one instead?”

“You’re sharing now? What happened to ‘don’t talk to me, I’m in hell Tsunoda?”

“Still in there,” he says, taking another bite. “But you’re making the climbing out of hell journey a lot easier.”

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

The next day can be described as the worst day since you joined the Red Bull team. Your manager has to leave for an emergency, five pit crew members are asking five different things, the Italian heat makes the paddock feel like a pressure cooker, physically and emotionally. 

To top it off, you sent Yuki to the wrong conference room due to a minor last-minute location modification, an easily fixable two-minute issue. But Yuki just DNFed in Q1, very soon after he left the pit. You caught Yuki up behind the hospitality area, trying to explain. 

“Yuki, sorry, after your medical check, they modified the assignment of the media room last minute, I’m sorry I didn’t…” 

He cuts you off, his voice cold and sharp, “You have one job, ONE. I just got out of a crashed car and now I’m walking around looking like an idiot, looking for god knows what?” 

You froze, no matter how upset Yuki ever was in his driver's room, he never talked to you in such a tone. 

“Do you know how stupid that makes me look? Now I can’t drive, and I can’t even follow a simple schedule? Everyone already thinks I’m a hot-head with no control, thanks for adding another thing to that.” 

Your mouth dried, exhausted, and it’s not even close to the end of the day. Holding a calm expression, you nodded, although her cheeks were red from embarrassment and the heat. It’s just not the time to defend yourself now, the conference room is waiting. 

“I’m sorry, just come with me, I’ll get you there now.” 

Although hard to notice, there was still a small trembling in your voice. Yuki didn’t say a word, pushing his cap to cover more of his face and following silently behind you.

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

Hours later, they got most of Yuki’s car back up, and most of the crew members are clearing out the paddock. The day is ending for most people, but not you. Still sitting at your table with your laptop, iPad and phone. 

There is still much to report to your manager, and many more things to verify and organise for the next day. 

The organising is a huge workload, that’s why your manager got you as an assistant in the first place, but with your manager on emergency leave, you are handling two people's incredibly heavy workload. 

The more crew members leave, the more you fight the urge to have your tears spill out of your eyes. But you didn’t want to mess up more than you could handle. 

This is all part of the training. You tried to encourage yourself. 

You did not notice Yuki until a big bag was placed in front of your laptop. You looked up to Yuki in his casual clothes, looking a lot fresher than the last time you saw each other earlier. 

“What’s this?” You looked at Yuki, hesitating. 

Yuki gestured to encourage you to open the bag. Two huge bento boxes were pulled out of the bag. You looked at Yuki very confused. 

“Since I crashed and didn’t have much to do after the press, I went to the kitchen.” You opened the boxes to reveal a table full of mouth-watering food. 

“Are these poisoned?” You sniffed, you didn't even notice you were sniffing. 

“Whoah, that's why I don’t do nice things.” Although playful, Yuki’s tone is a lot softer than earlier, even a bit apologetic. 

“Now’ I’m the calm Yuki, and here’s the meltdown Y/N, so,” Yuki pulled out the chopsticks and handed them to you like how she would do it in the driver’s room. 

“I prepared two different kinds of bento, just this time, we are eating them together.” You looked at Yuki, tears were rolling down your cheeks without you even noticing. 

“I’m sorry I was being a dick earlier. I was just pissed at myself for causing that crash and I lashed it out on you.”

“So you made these?” you asked quietly.

“If I made you cry, the least I can do is feed you. I know you haven’t eaten, and it’s super late already.”

You slowly take in the food in front of you and slowly trying different things here and there. Yuki hasn’t picked up his chopsticks yet; he just watched you.

“I’m really sorry about saying you have only one job… It is a lot of work to take care of us, of me. And sometimes I just… forgot how much you do, especially with your manager not being here today.”

He took some tissues and carefully wiped your tears from your cheeks.

“And you are really sweet when you are not screaming at everyone.”

Hearing your tone and response eased Yuki’s shoulder a bit. He flashed a smile, being more playful,

“So you like it when I’m sweet, huh?”

“I do have a sweet tooth. But unfortunately, you being sweet it’s like spotting a unicorn. I guess I have to record this.”

You quickly snapped a picture of the whole table of food with your phone.

“I’m serious tho… You make everything just… better.”

Yuki looked at you with much emotion that you don’t think you are imagining things now. Your heart feels like it’s out on the track running 200km/h for the podium. The intense gaze was interrupted by some crew members coming back to ask you questions about tomorrow’s schedule. 

After the meal, you finally wrapped up your work, thank goodness it wasn’t as late as you thought it would be.

“Thank you for the meal, and for waiting up. I hope I’m not delaying your rest and sleep time.” You said shyly.

The night breeze picked up, making the paddock air much lighter and comfortable, physically and emotionally. 

“I think I forgot something.” Yuki stopped hesitantly, a bit nervous.

“What is it? Is it in the driver’s room?” You slightly switched to work mode again.

“Dessert,” Yuki said, being serious.

“Dessert?”

While you are completely lost with his words, Yuki stepped close towards you, close enough now that you could feel his warmth through the breeze. Yuki looks dead serious in your eyes, then softened a bit.

“Close your eyes?”

He almost whispered. You suddenly realise what is happening, and your eyelids are like enchanted, slowly closing to his request. Yuki reached out, fingers lightly brushing your cheek, the same one he had wiped earlier. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to that exact spot. Featherlight. Soft as an apology.

You fluttered your eyes open, startled, but before you could say anything, he leaned in again. This time, his lips met yours.

It was gentle, delicate. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t loud. Just real and slow, searching, full of everything neither of you had managed to say with words.

A shared exhale between two people who had danced on the edge of something for far too long.

You couldn’t lie and say you’ve never imagined this moment, but you never thought it could become reality. Before you knew, you were already kissing back, gently and delicately.  

Yuki slowly pulled back, his face hovering near yours, eyes searching her expression like he didn’t want to let the moment end too soon. Your face was flushed with a tint of rose.

Yuki gave you a half-shy smile. “I guess that counts as dessert?”

You let out a quiet laugh, still dazed. “Sweetest one I’ve ever had.”

He looked at you for another beat, as if he was committing everything about this moment to memory.

“Then maybe next time,” he murmured, his fingers brushing yours, “we skip straight to dessert.”

You raised an eyebrow playfully. “Are you planning a second course already?”

He grinned, tugging gently on your sleeve like a kid caught flirting for the first time. “Only if you’re staying for it.”

And this time, you didn’t even hesitate.

“I think I will.”

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

[ikiprian]

Barbara Gordon's Coding & Computer Cram School is a popular YouTube series. Tucker Foley is a star student.

Barbara Gordon's Cram School posts free online courses for both coding and computer engineering. Think Crash Course in terms of entertainment, but college lecture in terms of depth. Hundreds of thousands of viewers flock to it— students who missed a class, people looking to add new skills to a resume, even simple hobbyists. It’s a project Barbara’s proud of.

Sometimes, when she wants to relax, she’ll even hop in the comments and spend an afternoon troubleshooting a viewer’s project with them.

User “Fryer-Tuck” has especially interesting ones. Barbara finds herself seeking out his comments, checking in on whatever this crazy kid is making next. An app for collecting GPS pings and assembling them on a map in real-time, an algorithm that connects geographic points to predict something’s movement taking a hundred other variables into account, simplified versions of incredibly complex homemade programs so they can run on incredibly limited CPU’s.

(Barbara wants to buy the kid a PC. It seems he’s got natural talent, but he keeps making reference to a PDA. Talk about 90’s! This guy’s hardware probably predates his birth.)

She chats with him more and more, switching to less public PM threads, and eventually, he opens up. His latest project, though, is not something Barbara has personal experience with.

FT: so if you found, hypothetically, a mysterious glowing substance that affects tech in weird and wacky ways that could totally have potential but might be vaguely sentient/otherworldly…. what would you do and how would you experiment with it. safely, of course. and hypothetically

BG: I’d make sure all my tests were in disposable devices and quarantined programs to keep it from infecting my important stuff. Dare I ask… how weird and wacky is it?

FT: uhhh. theoretically, a person composed of this substance once used it to enter a video game. like physical body, into the computer, onto the screen? moving around and talking and fighting enemies within the game?

FT: its been experimented with before, but not on any tech with a brain. just basic shields and blasters and stuff, its an energy source. also was put in a car once

FT: i wanna see how it affects software, yk? bc i already know it can. mess around and see how far i can push it

BG: […]

FT: … barbara?

BG: Sorry, thinking. Would you mind sharing more details? You said “blasters?”

Honestly. Kid genius with access to some truly wacky materials and even wackier weapons, she needs to start a file on him before he full sends to either hero or villain.

[OR: Tucker is a self-taught hacker, but if he were to credit a teacher, he'd name Barbara Gordon's Coding & Computer Cram School! He's even caught the attention of Dr. Gordon herself. She's full of sage advice, and with how she preaches the value of a good VPN, he's sure she's not pro-government. Maybe she'll help him as he studies the many applications of ecto-tech!]

[bomusims]

track 02: check pattern

perhaps we are walking on many lines that are crossing one another meeting you was the coincidences crossing over if i think that was all maybe the breakup will be bearable ... maybe it's because we embody different colors so that we couldn't approach each other

track 03: i don't wanna do anything

over nothing at all i'm getting sensitive again piling up dust-like worries one by one ... right now, looking through the rain-streaked window i feel like i'm watching something everything's blurry and out of focus things that won't change

track 06: wednesday night

every wednesday night for some reason, my heart flutters even the stuffy weather and the congested roads i feel like i can forgive it all ... every time, i greet you with a smile and say, “hello” then, “thank you for making time for me” when we part, i say, “sleep well and don’t even dream” hope to be with you on every wednesday night

author's rambling

initial notes

i had my work cut out for me with this one—it’s on a completely different scale and style from my april entry. brunch club had 1 big render and 5 smaller edits with pics taken in cas; this project had a minimum of 3 big renders, with an undetermined amount of extra stuff. this time, instead of creating characters and developing lore for them, i wanted to create scenes that conveyed the emotions i feel when listening to the song, and the visions i imagine while reading the lyrics. i’m much more skilled with blender after almost 2 months worth of practical experience, so at least i didn’t have to learn an entirely new program. i didn’t even have to make renders for this, i just wanted to do it because they’re fun and i like the creative freedom i get with rendering vs taking in-game pics.

album - 30

this album really spoke to me because while it may not be the most groundbreaking work of art, it definitely holds significant meaning, especially to sungjin himself. it comes with the added bonus of two of the songs being right up my alley in terms of music taste—so much that it’s almost unnerving. it’s like that guy lives in my brain

there is something about this album that just goes so well with public transportation, and that's where the inspiration for my edits came from! you can take a peek at my moodboard here

check pattern

this one i had a pretty clear vision once i read the lyrics. it’s a song about going your separate ways after a breakup, and i immediately thought of an elevator scene (i also thumbnailed an escalator scene, but that was scrapped early on). i made a render and did all the editing for it, but i wasn't sure if i really liked or not, and then i ended up making a completely new render using the subway scene

i do think that as far as the meaning of the song goes, my original edit fits better, but overall as a set i like this one more

yes, i know, it parallels the shining twins. no, that was not my intention but what the hell, sure

did i sneak chuuves in here? yeah #ILoveLesbians

i don't wanna do anything

this actually the first edit i finished for this entry, and i liked it so much that i ended up using the same scene and overlays on the other two for #Continuity

the original idea was a snapshot from outside a city bus at night, with the silohuette of someone inside the bus behind a foggy, rain-streaked window. i was doing pretty alright when it came to building the scene and so forth, but i hit a dead end when i got to the window bit. there's a line in the lyric that goes 'right now, looking through the rain-streaked window', and so getting the rain on the window would be a crucial part of the render. at first i had planned to download someone else's shader and slap it on my window object, but the ones i found for free either weren't compatible with the blender versions i was working with or they simply were not cooperating with me. i didn't have the time to go through all the troubleshooting, so instead i watched a tutorial on how to make my own… which ended up being incredibly complicated and it probably would have taken me at least 3-4 hours if i had tried making my own shader. then i decided to just add the rain and fog during postprocessing, so i hit that render button and got to editing. but i wasn't feeling how that turned out either

i decided to go with a subway scene instead, and it turned out really well! i'm quite happy with the results on this one

wednesday night

this one sent me through the wringer and back. i went through so many thumbnails and drafts, but nothing was really hitting

about a week before the deadline, i had the genius idea to make mitsuaya-inspired sims for it. if i did it with chuuves, who's to say i can't pop some green yuri in there!

originally, i had in mind mitsuki offering her hand in escort to aya as she departed a bus, but trying to find pose references drove me up a wall. then i tried to make the poses without a reference, but i just could not get mitsuki to look natural. aya's poses were easy, but mitsuki always looked so stiff and i couldn't figure out how to make her relaxed without sacrificing posture and so forth. then i had the idea to make ALL of the renders using the subway scene, and i ended up with the two of them sitting down and leaning against each other

the sims themselves posed a whole other problem. aya, once again, was fairly easy to make and dress up in cas, but i went through four (4) different iterations of mitsuki and her outfits before settling upon the final one you see in the edit. i wanted to stay true to their canonic fashion taste, and mitsuki has a very androgynous/masc grunge-y punk-ish streetwear wardrobe. i tried referencing official art, but the pieces i had didn't quite fit the bill and i did not have the time to go cc hunting. in the end, i had to compromise and go slightly off canon (mitsuki has not and never will wear a cropped top or jacket), but i'm pretty satisfied with how she turned out!

the scene… oh boy. i tried extracting assets from in-game and cc, but the textures were off (i.e. there was a big ass american flag on the side of the bus and it's the only swatch but i'm not really rocking with patriotism like that) and i'm not quite there with my texturing skills yet, so trying to make a recolor was out of the question. then i tried using non-sims blender assets and 3d models, but trying to find decent quality models for free online is like searching for a pin needle in a haystack. and then i tried building my own scene completely from scratch—which means making brand new meshes and objects. the meshing went pretty okay, but trying to add materials and textures gave me a headache so that was a no-go as well. but once i decided to pivot to using the subway scene instead, things went rather smoothly! by that point, i had worked with that specific scene over ten times (mostly scrapped drafts), so cleaning it up was quite easy, and making poses and adding lighting were a breeze.

misc notes

what's club30, you ask? uhhhhhhh lesbian gay bar

i actually planned for a 4th render, but i ended up having to scrap it due to time constraints

my fave songs off the album are i don't wanna do anything and wednesday night! i love them so much yall i'm probably in the top 0.05% listener percentile or whatever the fuck it is

i was really close to redoing my first render so the models would be nanahachi instead, but alas… deadlines are a thing

@peachibunnii's server hosts monthly challenges, and this is for the may prompt! i'm also a mod over there! come and say hi :)

i'll be posting some behind the scenes wip pictures n things like that over on my patreon! you can find them here :)

thanks and credits: @peachibunnii and the bunniis for the prompt and encouragement; @salemssimblr and the crypt for their help and support; @vyxated for the life-saving ea rigplus; alex murias for the amazing scene i used in all of the renders; all the creators whose cc i used to make my sims: @jino-sims @seoulsoul-sims @jius-sims @charonlee @serenity-cc @caio-cc @sentate @hezeh @pralinesims @asansan3; blender, clip studio paint 4.0, sims 4 studio, and inkscape (the programs i primarily used); and last but not least, my emotional support brother from another mother beerkyeg. i'm definitely missing some people, but know that i love and appreciate you all! <3

[moonsaver]

Sunday always has his eyes on you.

You aren't sure what you exactly must have done for it to happen. And frequently, too.

You check your appearance in the mirror many times, making sure something doesn't appear out of place, messing with your hair until you're sure nothing's wrong, fixing your clothes constantly until the skin of your fingers burn from the continuous rubbing against the fabrics, then doing a few once-overs again and again.

However, Sunday's eyes still remain fixated on you. You nervously fidget whenever you make eye contact with him. He doesn't budge. That familiar, soft smile on his face remaining the same as it was.

Wherever he appears – for a public announcement, a polite greeting for a special guest, while he's busy talking to his employees and troubleshooting problems from time to time, his eyes search for you and are on you constantly.

Sometimes, they haunt you. You mind your own business until you feel a heavy, thick gaze settle on you in the crowd, your gut feeling is screaming at you as you turn around and see those piercingly golden eyes catch and settle on you through the heavy crowd.

And you swear things have started becoming stranger as of recent. Your credits have either gone missing, or you have too many of them than the last time. The dreamscape you originally had on your schedule was unsettlingly emptier than usual when you visited. And the restaurant you'd taken a liking to that was tucked away comfortably in an unassuming building was now frequented by Sunday, coincidentally.

However, you made a mistake.

You fell asleep.

For a while, you hadn't felt his gaze or even saw him anywhere in the crowd. No watchful, prying eyes were on you. Your lost sleep was finally catching up to you, and you couldn't help it. It was when you were on the edge of sleep that you'd realised – you didn't see Sunday because he was right behind you.

The next thing you knew – you woke up in an empty dreamscape. Standing before you was a very pleased Sunday.

Introductions are due, he says. No one will interrupt us, he says. You cannot leave, he says.

The sandbox has quite a few more fixes to be done. Until then, Sunday's managed to create a cozy little room for you. You have all the time in the world to catch up on your sleep. And when you wake up, he'll be right there, waiting to know about all the things you'd dreamed of. He's looking for inspiration for a new dreamscape, anyway.

[passengerprincessblog]

“Intern” - Pt 2 Max Verstappen x reader

Summary: On race day, Y/N finds herself exhausted from a chaotic morning, only to be pulled back into Max’s orbit after his frustrating third-place finish. While delivering a post-race message to him, Y/N notices a crack in his usual arrogant demeanor, revealing a vulnerability she’s never seen before.

Race day is chaos—unrelenting, loud, and full of an energy I haven’t quite learned to navigate yet. From the moment I stepped into the garage that morning, Adam had me running papers, fetching forms, double-checking interviews, and troubleshooting issues I wasn’t even sure I understood. My head feels heavy, my feet ache, and the race hasn’t even started yet.

I manage to steal a moment to myself, slipping away from the suffocating frenzy of the garage to the hospitality area meant for the general public. The crowd is massive today, buzzing with excitement, and the energy radiates into the air like static. I weave through the sea of fans, my head down, my nerves steadying slightly as I finally grab a coffee.

It’s not great, a little too bitter, but it’s hot, and I savor the moment. Walking past the rows of motorhomes, I can’t help but admire the setups—the flags, the sleek exteriors, and the buzz of people that surround each team. It’s the kind of thing I used to dream about when watching F1 on TV, but living it is something else entirely.

“Where’d you get that?” a familiar voice calls out, pulling me from my thoughts.

I glance up to see Lando Norris striding toward me, a teasing smirk plastered across his face.

I smile back. “Out there,” I reply, motioning toward the exit where the fans and food vendors are.

He raises his eyebrows, looking mock-impressed. “Wow. You actually ventured all the way out there?” His voice is full of playful disbelief, and I can’t help but laugh softly.

“Shut up,” I say, my face heating up as I remember how much I’ve mentioned avoiding crowds before. It’s not that I hate them—I just don’t love being in the thick of things.

Lando chuckles, nudging my shoulder lightly. “No, seriously. I’m proud of you. Growth.”

“Thanks, I guess,” I reply, rolling my eyes at him.

For a moment, he watches me with an amused smile, but his expression softens slightly. “You seem busier than usual. Saw you running around the media pen yesterday—looked intense.”

I shrug, suddenly aware of how tired I must look. “Yeah, my boss has me helping out more this weekend,” I explain, glancing around at the bustling space. My eyes catch on a familiar figure a few meters away, and my stomach twists uncomfortably.

Max is standing with his arms crossed, looking my way. His expression is unreadable, but there’s something sharp in his gaze that makes my heart skip. Quickly, I look away, focusing back on Lando, who seems oblivious to the tension building in me.

“Well, don’t let them run you into the ground,” Lando says, his tone light but sincere. “You’ve got to survive the weekend, too, you know.”

“Yeah…” I mumble, glancing back toward Max, who’s still watching. His posture is stiff, his jaw tight. The sight alone sends my anxiety into overdrive. “I should probably get back,” I say abruptly, waving at Lando as I step away.

Back at the Red Bull motorhome, I barely make it down the hall before Adam steps out of his office, looking stressed.

“Where did you go? I tried to call you,” he asks, his tone sharp but not unkind.

“Oh, sorry. I just… I grabbed a coffee,” I stammer, holding up the now-empty cup as evidence.

Adam sighs, rubbing his temples. “Y/N, I need you to give this to Max,” he says, thrusting a paper into my hands before disappearing back into his office without further explanation.

I glance down at the paper and immediately feel my stomach twist. It’s a fine. For cursing during the media conference. Great. Of course, it had to be Max. And of course, I had to be the one to deliver it.

Bracing myself, I make my way toward Max’s driver’s room, the nerves growing with each step. I hate how easily he gets under my skin, how even the thought of facing him leaves my palms sweaty and my heart racing. I knock softly on the door, hoping he won’t hear it. Maybe I can just leave the paper and run.

“Come in,” his voice calls, smooth but laced with that familiar edge.

Pushing the door open, I peek inside to see him lounging on the couch, his phone in hand. He glances up when he sees me, and a smirk spreads across his face.

“Intern,” he says, his tone condescending, like he’s genuinely happy to see me—but only because he gets to torment me.

“Max,” I reply hesitantly, stepping inside. “Adam wanted me to give this to you.” I move toward the table near the door, intending to set the paper down and leave as quickly as possible.

“No, no,” he says, holding out his hand. “Give it to me.”

I hesitate for a moment, wanting to say no, but the look on his face tells me it would be pointless. Reluctantly, I walk over and hand him the paper. His eyes scan it, and he lets out an exaggerated scoff, tossing the paper onto the couch beside him.

“This is ridiculous,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not allowed to say ‘fuck’? I’m a fucking adult. I don’t need to be told what to do.”

I stand there awkwardly, unsure whether to respond or remain silent. His gaze flicks to me, and his expression hardens slightly.

“And you…” he says, his voice low and almost accusing. “You just love to piss me off, don’t you?”

I blink, taking an instinctive step back as he stands and starts walking toward me. “What?” I ask, confused and a little nervous.

“You heard me,” he says, his tone growing sharper. “You like to piss me off. Unless, of course, you’re just naturally this irritating.”

“I… I don’t mean to do anything but my job,” I manage, trying to keep my voice steady.

He scoffs, his eyes narrowing. “Yeah? Is flirting with Lando part of your job, intern?”

My face flushes immediately, a mix of anger and embarrassment bubbling up inside me. “What?” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

“You heard me,” he repeats, his tone darker now. “Don’t play dumb. I know you’re stupid, but you’re not that stupid.”

“I wasn’t flirting with anyone,” I snap back, my voice firm despite the anxiety building in my chest.

He looks taken aback for a moment, but his expression hardens again, his smirk twisting into something more dangerous. “Be careful, intern,” he says, stepping closer, his presence suffocating. “Do you want to lose your job?”

“What?” I stammer, my heart racing.

“I said,” he repeats slowly, each word deliberate, “do. you. want. to. lose. your. job?”

“No,” I whisper, my voice barely audible as I look up at him. My stomach churns with anxiety, the weight of his gaze almost unbearable.

“Then don’t talk to Lando again,” he spits, his tone cold and final. “Now go do your job, intern.”

I don’t respond. My legs carry me out of the room before I can process what’s just happened, his words echoing in my ears. The door shuts behind me, but the tension doesn’t leave. My hands tremble as I clutch the empty coffee cup, my mind racing with a thousand questions—and not a single answer.

The garage feels heavy with a collective sense of disappointment as Max crosses the line in third place. The usual cheers and celebration feel muted, replaced by subdued claps and nods of acknowledgment. A podium is still a podium, but the energy here is clear: Max should be winning, not settling.

I lean against the wall, clutching my tablet, as I watch the screen replay the final laps. The tension in the air is palpable, and I can’t help but feel the unease trickle down to me. After all, when Max is in a bad mood, everyone in his orbit feels it. And guess who’s always closest to him lately? Me.

My phone buzzes in my hand, a text from Adam lighting up the screen.

Adam: Media after podium, please.

I let out a small groan and roll my eyes. Do I seriously have to deal with a pissed-off Max again?

Dragging myself to Adam’s office, I hesitate outside the door for a moment before poking my head in. “Adam?” I say quietly, not wanting to interrupt whatever he’s working on.

He’s standing by his desk, his phone in hand, furiously typing something. It takes him a second to realize I’m there, but when he looks up, his expression softens. “What’s up?” he asks, his tone gentle despite the stress hanging in the air.

I shift on my feet, feeling nervous as I try to phrase my thoughts carefully. “I just… I wanted to ask if maybe you needed help with other things, you know, besides media?” My voice is hesitant, unsure if I sound as desperate as I feel. “I just… I’m not sure it’s the best position for me,” I add, fidgeting with the tablet in my hands.

Adam furrows his brow, clearly confused. “Well, it’s only for this weekend, Y/N. Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no,” I lie quickly, shaking my head. “It’s fine. I just thought I’d offer to help with other stuff, that’s all.”

His expression softens again, and he gives me a small smile. “No, it’s okay. We’ll get through this weekend, but thank you for stepping up. I’ll be sure to remember how much you’ve helped.” He winks, and I can’t help but smile at the praise, a warm feeling bubbling in my chest despite my earlier frustration.

“Now,” he adds, gesturing toward the door, “you better go get Max for post-race.”

“Yes, sir,” I reply, my smile lingering as I walk out of his office. At least Adam appreciates me. That alone feels like a small victory.

But as I head down the hallway toward Max’s driver room, the warmth fades, replaced by the familiar knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach. Dealing with Max again—especially when he’s in a bad mood—feels like walking into a storm without an umbrella. I stop outside his door, hesitating for just a moment before knocking lightly.

The door swings open almost immediately, and Max stands there, his expression dark and stormy. He looks pissed off, his blue eyes sharp and his jaw clenched tightly. The sight of him makes me take a small step back, caught off guard by the intensity of his glare.

“Sorry… I just wanted to know if you’re ready for post-race?” I ask softly, holding the papers and phone close to my chest like a shield.

Max sighs heavily, his shoulders dropping slightly. “Just… give me a minute,” he mumbles, his voice lacking its usual sharpness. He turns and walks back into the room, leaving the door open behind him.

I step inside hesitantly, placing the papers on a small table near the door. Something feels off. His usual arrogance, the cocky smirk he always wears like a badge, is gone. Instead, he seems… tired. Defeated, even. I glance at him as he sits down on the couch, his head tilted back, his hands rubbing his temples.

“Can you close the door?” he asks softly, his voice quieter than I’ve ever heard it.

I hesitate for a moment but eventually reach back to push the door closed, the click of the latch echoing in the quiet room. My chest feels tight as I watch him, unsure of what to do or say. The tension in the room feels suffocating, and for some reason, I feel compelled to ask him what’s wrong.

“Are… you okay?” I ask quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Max’s jaw tightens, and for a moment, he doesn’t respond. Then, slowly, he looks at me, his blue eyes clouded with something I can’t quite read. “I’m fine,” he says, but his tone is far from convincing.

I swallow hard, my heart pounding as I watch him. There’s something so uncharacteristic about him right now that it throws me off balance. Before I can say anything else, he shifts slightly, his eyes locking onto mine.

“Come here,” he says, his voice low but steady as he pats the empty spot on the couch beside him.

My body moves before my brain can catch up, and I find myself walking toward him. I sit down next to him, the air between us thick with unspoken words. For a moment, neither of us says anything, the silence stretching out like a taut wire.

Then, without warning, his hand reaches up to cup my face, pulling me closer. His lips crash onto mine, firm and demanding, and my mind goes blank. I freeze, caught off guard by the intensity of his kiss, his passion seeping into every inch of me.

For a moment, I lose myself in him, my body reacting instinctively as I kiss him back. His hand slides to the back of my neck, holding me in place as he deepens the kiss, his movements aggressive and desperate. It’s overwhelming, consuming, and I can feel the heat radiating off him like a furnace.

But then reality snaps back into place, and I pull away abruptly, my breath coming in short gasps as I stare at him in shock. “Max—” I start to say, but he cuts me off.

“Don’t,” he says firmly, his voice low and raw. His eyes are darker now, filled with something I can’t quite name. “Don’t say anything.”

Before I can process his words, his lips are back on mine, more insistent this time, his hands tangling in my hair as he pulls me closer. My thoughts are a blur, my heart pounding in my chest as I try to make sense of what’s happening. But all I can feel is him—his frustration, his passion, his overwhelming presence.

And I can’t seem to pull away.

——————————-

As always, thank you for reading and appreciating my works.😇

l hope my writings help you unwind and escape your life in a way that is exciting to you.

Please like and follow for more!

Xoxo

Princess

[thesovereignsring-if]

Hello! Your IF story inspired me to start my own IF game

Im thinking of using twine

And I would like to ask you if you had any tips or advice

Thank you!

Also side note I’m really excited and very interested in how this story is going to play out I already love the cast and can’t wait to see the rest!

OOoo thank you so much! I'm very flattered the game inspired you!

Twine has many different story formats, each with their own pros and cons. I personally use Sugarcube (I think next to Harlow, it is the most popular) so all my tips will be for Twine Sugarcube:

Basic tips:

Bookmark the Sugarcube V2 Document. This is your bible. It will have everything you need to use Twine. It's a daunting read, but I use it to troubleshoot when I forget how Macros work. I always have tab open for it.

Download a Twine Template. If you are brand new to Twine and making IFs, I heavily suggest downloading a template or two. Most of them come with tutorials and examples on how they work. Sometimes they even provide more helpful resources on Twine. I use Vahnya's Template II that I modified myself afterwards.

Study from pre-exisiting Twine IFs. Might be controversial, but I personally believe that diving in and seeing how other authors code and structure their stories helps a lot. Eventually you'll figure out a system and structure that works for you. It might not work for all games, but most Twine games can be downloaded and opened up in the twine editior. If you're worried about spoilers or upsetting people, feel free to download my game and see whats inside. I make multiple copies of the game, so any build I have out in the public is not the original build and therefore have no spoilers. I know it will look insane when you open it, but there's a method to the madness.

Writing and Planning:

Making an IF is no joke! Plan your story out, know your big variables, your branching routes and at least some part of your ending!! Try to stay as organized as possible. These projects and can will spiral out of control if you're not careful. I suggest having a giant excel sheet with tabs for important variables, chapter/scene breakdowns, wordcount and characters ect. Updating it will be a pain (that I am guilty of not doing) but will make developing easier. Even if you don't make a big project, its still good practise to do it.

#Stylesheet:

All the code in here relates to how the game looks. You can fiddle in there to configure the game to look how you want it to look. If you even want to see what element is tied to what ID code, the best thing to do is playtest the game (build >> play) and then leftclick and select "inspect element" you browser will open up the developer window and you see what elements are tied to what and even play around with the contents to test out CSS elements you like.

This website is a great resource on using CSS and other coding language. I personally used it many time to modify my game.

Helpful resources and Macros:

Chapel has made a LOT of custom macros that you can add to your game. You can find the list here.

But the most important one is the Pronoun Template. It might be confusing at first but one you understand how it work, its a great tool to have. You can even add gendered titles so that they work with the pronoun template.

Idrellegame is a great resource on coding in Twine. You can find the list here. It helped me out when starting out.

Exporting to Itch:

I never see people talk about Butler when it comes to uploading If games onto itch.io, so i'm doing it now.

What is Butler? Its a command-line tool that Itch made to upload your game onto Itch.io quickly and reliably.

The documentation is here. And I suggest coping and pasting the export codes onto a doc so you can use them for every update afterwards.

Here is a youtube tutorial you can follow along as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JCJa5iWREM

I personally have the Butler on the Itchio.app so that's its always up to date.

Thats all I can offer off the top of my head, if you or anyone wants some help on something specifically, feel free to DM me or drop another ask in the inbox. Always happy to help. Working in twine is very overwhelming for newcomers.

[artsekey]

I'd been seeing videos on Tiktok and Youtube about how younger Gen Z & Gen Alpha were demonstrating low computer literacy & below benchmark reading & writing skills, but-- like with many things on the internet-- I assumed most of what I read and watched was exaggerated. Hell, even if things were as bad as people were saying, it would be at least ~5 years before I started seeing the problem in higher education.

I was very wrong.

Of the many applications I've read this application season, only %6 percent demonstrated would I would consider a college-level mastery of language & grammar. The students writing these applications have been enrolled in university for at least two years, and have taken all fundamental courses. This means they've had classes dedicated to reading, writing, and literature analysis, and yet!

There are sentences I have to read over and over again to discern intent. Circular arguments that offer no actual substance. Errors in spelling and capitalization that spellcheck should've flagged.

At a glance, it's easy to trace this issue back to two things:

The state of education in the United States is abhorrent. Instructors are not paid enough, so schools-- particularly public schools-- take whatever instructors they can find.

COVID. The two year long gap in education, especially in high school, left many students struggling to keep up.

But I think there's a third culprit-- something I mentioned earlier in this post. A lack of computer literacy.

This subject has been covered extensively by multiple news outlets like the Washington Post and Raconteur, but as someone seeing it firsthand I wanted to add my voice to the rising chorus of concerned educators begging you to pay attention.

As the interface we use to engage with technology becomes more user friendly, the knowledge we need to access our files, photos, programs, & data becomes less and less important. Why do I need to know about directories if I can search my files in Windows (are you searching in Windows? Are you sure? Do you know what that bar you're typing into is part of? Where it's looking)? Maybe you don't have any files on your computer at all-- maybe they're on the cloud through OneDrive, or backed up through Google. Some of you reading this may know exactly where and how your files are stored. Many of you probably don't, and that's okay. For most people, being able to access a file in as short a time as possible is what they prioritize.

The problem is, when you as a consumer are only using a tool, you are intrinsically limited by the functions that tool is advertised to have. Worse yet, when the tool fails or is insufficient for what you need, you have no way of working outside of that tool. You'll need to consult an expert, which is usually expensive.

When you as a consumer understand a tool, your options are limitless. You can break it apart and put it back together in just the way you like, or you can identify what parts of the tool you need and search for more accessible or affordable options that focus more on your specific use-case.

The problem-- and to be clear, I do not blame Gen Z & Gen Alpha for what I'm about to outline-- is that this user-friendly interface has fostered a culture that no longer troubleshoots. If something on the computer doesn't work well, it's the computer's fault. It's UI should be more intuitive, and it it's not operating as expected, it's broken. What I'm seeing more and more of is that if something's broken, students stop there. They believe there's nothing they can do. They don't actively seek out solutions, they don't take to Google, they don't hop on Reddit to ask around; they just... stop. The gap in knowledge between where they stand and where they need to be to begin troubleshooting seems to wide and inaccessible (because the fundamental structure of files/directories is unknown to many) that they don't begin.

This isn't demonstrative of a lack of critical thinking, but without the drive to troubleshoot the number of opportunities to develop those critical thinking skills are greatly diminished. How do you communicate an issue to someone online? How do look for specific information? How do you determine whether that information is specifically helpful to you? If it isn't, what part of it is? This process fosters so many skills that I believe are at least partially linked to the ability to read and write effectively, and for so many of my students it feels like a complete non-starter.

We need basic computer classes back in schools. We need typing classes, we need digital media classes, we need classes that talk about computers outside of learning to code. Students need every opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and the ability to self-reflect & self correct, and in an age of misinformation & portable technology, it's more important now than ever.