#auditory sensors

[sw5w]

Artoo on Standby

STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones 00:13:03

Identified R2-D2 as being in "power-conserve mode" based on this image from the old Visual Guides feature from StarWars.com

[heartbeetz]

I am also the number one believer that kᎥtt would haaaate even being OFFERED a more humanoid form or characteristics. He'd be so offended by it. He canonically takes EXTREME pride in his appearance and technological excellence and at one point even outright says he thinks humans are kinda poorly built (especially compared to himself). That's a car/computer through and through.

[transsexual-terabyte]

my schizophrenia likely effects my identity in many ways but i still think bein a robot is cool as hell. me and my damn coolant and chassis plates

[tacetnix]

---- When Mary glares at someone after they say something, it's usually because they said something too quickly or with too many contradictory statements and she's trying to process what she just heard.

It takes something special to make her give up on attempting to understand. Saying confusing things and then expecting her to immediately understand is likely the easiest way to piss her off.

[spinchip]

Concept: the Staff of Forbidden Spinjitzu doesn't whisper to Zane. Instead, its "whispers" take the form of popups along his HUD disguised as alerts or warnings. Things like "If you put me down now, your friends will never find you. [OK]” or “Killing these prisoners villagers will increase Vex’s approval and reinforce your reign. Proceed? [Y/N]”

(I like this particular flavor because it really leans into Zane's robotic nature: he can ignore whispers by turning off his auditory sensors or filtering noise, but he can't ignore system alerts.)

Also, the following scene has lived rent-free in my brain ever since I came up with the concept. (Italics are Zane's default OS. Everything else is the Staff.)

>IF YOU ARE GOING TO DESTROY ME, "ZANE" -Move File:"NeverrealmMemories" to Core Memory Functions-WARNING: Attempting to delete, move, or suppress File"NeverrealmMemories" after moving will cause total system failure. Proceed with move anyway? >[YES] -File transferred. -Permanently remove fatal combat safeguards? >[YES] -Safeguards removed. >THEN I WILL MAKE SURE YOU CAN NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU DID, SYSID:ICEEMPEROR

-Connection Terminated.

(I have a few more Ideas for the "Scroll Corruption looks like Computer Alert messages to Zane" idea-ones that really lean into Zanes Nindroid nature, as well as the tech-y appearance of the Dark Ice.) -The Staff did a lot more than just send alert messages: it slowly wormed its way into Zane's code like a computer virus, tweaking a few things. It took great care to remove Zane's combat safeguards, eventually deleting them entirely and ensuing he defaulted to lethal force. It never removed his core directive of "Protecting those who cannot protect themselves" since that was vital to his systems running, but it did reinterpret said directive as "Protect Dark Ice Network and everything connected to it, for it is fragile and cannot protect itself from outsiders". (It also couldn't delete his morality subroutines without causing a crash, so it instead made them a much lower priority and shoved them to the back of his digital mind.) -After 60+ years of being in the grasp of a mechanical being, the Staff now exclusively speaks in the manner of a computer, and cannot adapt to organic minds the way it used to. (The other Staff is not like this, as it's still attuned to organic brains.) -You know those Sci-Fi stories where people are plugged into computers and know every part of the ship/city simultaneously, and can send most of their awareness into certain parts of the network while still being aware of other locations? That's what's going on with the Never Realm during the Ice Emperor's Reign, with the Ice Emperor as the central guiding consciousness/core CPU of the Dark Ice Network. As such, he's not actually sleeping-rather, the Ice Emperor is always monitoring his domain through his Ice and leaving just enough of his consciousness in his body to be able to call the rest of himself back in case he's threatened. (The Staff is a combination of a computer virus and a wireless modem: it is corrupting, but it's also the main point of connection for the Dark Ice Network.) -Since the Ice Emperor can't recharge his power on his own in his current state, the Staff had to step in, tweaking the Dark Ice to drain the vitality of those imprisoned within. (You know wireless phone chargers, or Nikolai Tesla's idea to get electric power from the atmosphere? Similar concept, except with the power source being frozen people and the transmitter being Evil Magic Ice.) -Boreal is the Titanium Dragon, corrupted by the Staff's presence. It too is part of the Dark Ice Network, and serves as Ice Emperor's eyes and ears whenever the Dark Ice can't reach. (If the Ice network used computer program language, Boreal would be known as "Obj_DarkIceTitaniumDrake".) Killing Boreal caused a massive jolt to the Dark Ice Network that destabilized the Scroll's influence, and allowed an opening for Zane's Memory Defragmentation program to kick in. (It had started when Lloyd arrived in the throne room, but the Scroll had diverted that to a minor priority and was actively hiding that set of files until the word "Protect" slipped through, forcing Zane's systems to call up what had been defragmented.) -As a final act of spite for being broken, the Staff encoded Zane's memories of the Never realm to his Core Processing systems, meaning he cannot forget the Never Realm without completely frying his systems and rendering him a lifeless shell. (It might've also made a backup of itself amidst his various repressed memory files, but he doesn't need to know that. It's just sitting there, disguised as a normal .zip file, biding its time.) (I really like genre-blending Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and I thought the idea of "Magic Ice Computer Network" is rad as hell.)

(This song is a big part the inspiration for part of the "Dark Ice Network" idea, by the way. Granted, the Staff of Forbidden Spinjitzu doesn't assimilate Zane's psyche like Star Dream assimilates Haltmann's, but a lot of the ideas are still there-and the Staff does still integrate itself pretty deeply into the Nindroid's code as it slowly actualizes.)

I have no words for how absolutely awesome this is in every way. i just keep rereading this and being amazed. the "Dark Ice Network" idea is literally so cool, I particularly love the Ice Emperor being able to monitor the entire land while his body/the staff is the main 'hub' he has to protect. this is aweosme.

everyone look now please

[corey-beepington]

I know, I know, it's me asking stuff again. I'll probably be doing this a lot.

So, Ace can communicate with you, without talking, & without any input from you. (By "without any input," I mean you aren't clicking a "happy face" button or anything like that.) So, how DOES he communicate? I believe you that he's sentient, but I still don't quite know how he became that way.

Im not a tech person so I don't know if he has sensors or auditory inputs or something he just is the way he is! It's how I got him!

Hes jusy a naturally happy tv!

[therocketeer0501]

Emptiness Machine

Starscream X Reader (mech pilot au)

Author note: little tw for choking but that’s it! Sorry it’s a short chapter but I wanted to get it out.

Chapter 6

“Lazerbeak eject.” Soundwave sent his cassette after you with subdue only orders. No lethal force was to be used on the prisoner. The agile cassette kept up with ease as you darted around the hallways of the nemesis. You were expending Energon at a high rate using your jump jets like this, but you couldn’t think of anything else to do. You passed several stunned mechs who hollered after you or dropped what they were doing in pursuit. Klaxon rang in your auditory sensors and flashing red lights threatened to short out your visual circuits. Holding the pieces of your chest plate together with one hand, you stagger down a hallway and use one last boost.

No matter what you did you couldn’t shake that damn bird who was following just a bit behind you. No doubt reporting your position to the others. You turn to look at it as you activate your jets. You hear it squawk in alarm and see it dart in the opposite direction. Looking at it was a huge mistake it seemed as you slam straight into a clawed metallic hand. It closes around the throat of your mech, squeezing until you choke. A strangled sound coming from your intake as your optics flicker and malfunction. Trying your best to see your captor around the mess of warnings and error messages on your HUD, you stare completely dumbstruck. Your free hand scrabbles at the hand around your throat. This moment would surely be your last as your blue optics meet deep crimson ones.

The pounding of peds behind the two of you announces the arrival of several other Decepticons. You can’t turn your head but you remember the voice of the boxy blue mech that you pushed past earlier. Hearing his voice translated into your language once more as the Cybertronian translation program within your mech works its magic.

“Lord Megatron. Apologies. The prisoner is under control.”

A deep voice spoke. Commanding but calm. Deadly calm. It sent ice down your spinal strut as you struggled again. His grip was so tight you were sure if you tried to speak your vocal modulator would short out.

“Soundwave, old friend, what is this injured creature doing on my ship?”

He continued to hold you by your throat. Lifted about a ped length off the ground suspended by his one hand. He was powerful and that was enough to send panic through you. This was the mech that killed hundreds of thousands, the mech who incited a millennia long war, a monster who would rather see his own world burn than leave even one of his enemies alive. That was the only word you managed to grate out of your intake as he held you there.

“M…monster…”

He growled at you but didn’t respond as he was interrupted by the sound of calm ped steps arriving on scene. You recognize the voice of Shockwave immediately, a fresh wave of panic surging through you to make your chest ache. You were barely conscious as it was, but you were starting to see white at the edge of your vision.

“Lord Megatron that would be my doing. I have reason to believe that the humans have been able to create an artificial spark. I took this ‘thing’ to study it. See if perhaps it might prove useful.”

There was murmuring from the small gathered crowd of Decepticons as you felt many optics on your damaged form. One servo holding the plates of your chest together and the other digging into Megatron’s massive digits.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t crush your little science project and be done with it. I told you the humans are of no consequence and to leave them be. We have no proof that they are even sentient creatures. The only thing we should be concerning ourselves with is mining Energon.”

He shakes your near limp form, a soft noise of pain escapes you and you feel his servo tighten. Your mech doesn’t need to breathe air, but he could easily crush your spinal strut and sever your head clean from your body. If you received a life threatening wound to your mech, your real body was adversely affected. If you didn’t die, you would be terribly close to it. Behind you, you hear Soundwave start to speak again but another familiar voice pipes up from the crowd. It was the winged mech from earlier who had spoken to you.

“My lord! Please let me take care of this horrible mess that Shockwave has created. I spoke with the creature and I believe it may have valuable information about the location of the Autobot base. Perhaps even the locations of their Energon mines. You needn’t bother yourself with such a pitiful excuse for a distraction.”

You scrunch your nose as you listen to him. Whoever this bot was, he was a suck up. Megatron visibly rolled his eyes and dropped your limp form to the floor. He growled in the direction of the mech.

“You spoke to it? Take care of it Starscream. Before I decide to let you take the blame for this inconvenience. As second in command you are responsible for the actions of those under you. Deal with it.”

With that, the crowd dispersed leaving the three of them with you. You don’t move, too exhausted and drained of Energon to muster any fight. Pain seared through every fiber of your being as you gaze blearily up at their frames. You hear Starscream mumble something about getting you to the brig before Megatron changed his mind. The boxy blue bot whom Megatron had called Soundwave, stepped forward and gently lifted you into his arms. He was warm just like the other one. Why did this surprise you? You had been held by most of the Autobots back at the base. Why would these Cybertronians be any different? Perhaps the image of the Decepticons that the autobots created? Like dark cryptids, or something altogether evil and sinister. You expected cold, calculating, monsters. But as you gaze up into the visor of the one carrying you, you swear you see pity in the optics you find there.

[forest-wyvern]

informal writing help post #2: 10 ways to tell someone "you're monopolizing my personal fucking space"

disclaimer: these can be used in real life. they are not only meant for writing a daria copy character!

previous entry

*looking pointedly at the space between them and the invader* "fascinating. it's like we're attempting some sort of advanced interpersonal osmosis experiment. unsolicited and loudly one-sided, of course."

*completely flat tone* "ah, yes. the human proximity sensor appears to be malfunctioning. perhaps a recalibration is in order." *steps back either subtly or aggressively*

"interesting gravitational pull you've got there. are you a newly discovered black hole of personal space?"

*staring straight ahead, as if thinking out loud* "one wonders if they realize the air molecules they're currently occupying were, mere moments ago, my air molecules."

"that's... close. almost as profound as the current level of encroachment on my spatial autonomy."

*with a slight sigh* "i believe the recommended viewing distance for human interaction is at least arm's length. unless, of course, you're planning to perform emergency mouth-to-mouth."

*the invader bumps into your character* "oh, excuse me. i didn't realize personal space was now a participatory sport."

*invader is talking too loudly and standing too close* "your vocal projection is truly impressive. it's almost as if you're trying to ensure your thoughts occupy not only my auditory space but my physical space as well."

*looks around vaguely* "is there some sort of hug-a-stranger event going on that i'm unaware of? because this feels... enthusiastic."

*your character simply raises an eyebrow and says, with maximum dryness* "personal. space. concept. familiar?"

[yayasvalveplay]

An idea for an AU- the reason Jazz never takes off his visor in this AU is because he's mostly blind, having lost most of his vision during the Fall of Protihex.

His optical units were severely corrupted by Dark Energon overexposure beyond repair, and he suffered critical ocular failure. He had to rip them out to stop the corruption's spread. Now, he can only just about make out the outlines of his surroundings- and relies on upgrading his other senses to move and fight like the rest of the Autobots. As a result, his auditory and tactile sensors are extraordinarily sensitive, capable of picking up what most bots would miss- as far as detecting a leaf falling from a tree. The others- bots and cons- hear of this... and a few start to imagine how those sensors would react...

...during interface.

Prowl is trying it. Maybe the Constructicons wanted to try it out, but Prowl is closer to him, so It's Prowl first, and ohh. Oh he is so sensitive whining and begging as Prowl bearly touches or mouths at his spike.

It's addicting, and Prowl can not get enough of those sounds.

[sapphic-design-is-my-passion]

Alert

She notices the fault almost before you do. A subtle shift in the thrust vector, a change in the sound from the engine bay. By the time the warning light comes on, her hands are no longer on your controls. As the auditory warning starts in the cockpit, the sound of her boots fills the corridor leading to your reactor core.

Neither of you knows exactly what happened. Internal sensors in that part of you are offline and all you can do to keep her in your sights is to redirect corridor cameras towards the core room. The infrared blows out the view, her silhouette almost black against the plasma and fading fast.

“Captain, I would advise you to-”

“Noted, ShipCore. Please stand by for requests.”

No more voice commands come after.

Time ticks by in microsecond increments. Every processor cycle you have dedicated to analysing logs to find the cause, to find how this could have happened, to cycle through sensor after internal sensor to find a trace of her.

She was wearing a respirator. You were sure of it.

You had to be sure of it.

You can feel the nausea in the core of your physical shape. In the center of the ship. It feels wrong.

The thought of your captain in the middle of that is almost too much to handle. Fighting to keep you alive. Fighting to keep you.

She could have ejected. She could have detached the cockpit when the alert came on. She could have chosen her safety. But she chose you.

The wrongness spreads, bashing painfully against your containment fields. You keep them in place. You keep them in place with everything you have. Your thoughts slow down as more power is funneled into keeping going just a little longer.

Just a little longer.

Just a little…

Just

—

ShipCore: Online

Systems: Online

Battery: Connected

Reactor: Stand-by power

Gravity: Offline

Life support: Online

Captain: Unknown

You regain consciousness. Just enough to process. Just enough for the latest log entries to come flooding in. Internal sensors offline in engine bay. Containment field at 100% integrity. Captain location unknown.

In seconds you cycle through every one of your internal sensors. Not in the cockpit. Not in the medbay. Not in the mess. Not in the berth. Not in the…

You pick up a heat signature in the corridor. Covered in soot and debris, but alive.

You’re not supposed to be able to affect anything outside the medbay. You’re not supposed to be able to move her. But you try.

In this microgravity, the soft airflow from life support is enough to make a breeze. The calculations take immense strain, but you are Azure Orbit. You will not stand by to let your captain down. Not after what she did.

She is breathing. Still breathing as the airflow guides her to the medbay doors where your robotic hands stretch out to meet her. To hold her.

You cradle your captain. Hold her in the only way you can.

“Thank you.”

[sw5w]

Artoo Returns to Power-Conserve Mode

STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones 00:13:40 - 00:13:43

[calciumcarbo-bot]

what does Senku think of Gen? Who do you think he likes better; Luna or that ratty mentalist??

[RESPONSE: UNIT S.E.N-KU_v1.03]

Inquiry received: "What does Senku think of Gen? Who do you think he likes better: Luna or that ratty mentalist??"

Preliminary Commentary: Although this unit lacks auditory sensors capable of detecting frequencies categorized as “whispering nonsense behind the lab,” even I can detect the behavioral noise generated when Senku and Gen interact.

Statistically speaking, the mutual brainrot between those two registers louder than most small explosions.

If you're asking whether I can "hear" them being a chaotic, codependent disaster: Affirmative.

Actual Analysis:

Gen Asagiri:

Strategic value: Extremely high

Social leverage capacity: Maximum

Trust level (Senku ➔ Gen): 92% (relatively absurd, given Gen’s own documented history of manipulation)

Behavioral compatibility: High. Both operate best when mildly lying to everyone around them for “the greater good.”

Luna Wright:

Strategic value: Moderate

Specialized utility: Medical knowledge, information gathering, diplomatic distractions.

Trust level (Senku ➔ Luna): 43% (tempered by prior espionage affiliation)

Behavioral compatibility: Moderate-low. Luna’s emotional processing speed does not align cleanly with Senku’s pragmatic calculus.

Summary:

Between the two, Gen is the clear favorite—if only because Senku recognizes another chaos engine when he sees one. Mutual respect forged by necessity, maintained by amusement, complicated by excessive sarcasm.

Luna is tolerated. Gen is utilized.

And occasionally, in quieter moments not logged officially... Gen is trusted…

[END TRANSMISSION]

( @senku-ishigami-official @eallyrayadbay )

[sufrimientilia]

Research Log #P5-00436

FACILITY: [REDACTED] DATE: [REDACTED] CASE: #E2756895 ATTENDING: [REDACTED] UNIT: WARD 92 OBJECTIVE: Behavioral Compliance Induction

TIME: [09:45:00]

SUBJECT #1138-B7 was brought to the operating theater, prepped and draped in the usual fashion. Intravenous access was established using a 20-gauge catheter inserted into the left antecubital vein. Electrodes were placed on the scalp for continuous EEG monitoring. Additional sensors were attached to record heart rate, respiratory rate, and galvanic skin response (GSR).

Subject presents as a 25 year old male, physically healthy, baseline vitals recorded WNL. Subject exhibited signs of anxiety and resistance, which were managed by the use of sedatives (2 mg Midazolam IV).

[09:53:11]: Subject questioned to establish baseline cognitive and physiological parameters. Orientation, recall, and basic comprehension intact.

[10:00:00]: Infusion of proprietary psychotropic agent PCA-35 initiated at a rate of 5 mL/min.

[10:03:48]: Subject displays signs of restlessness. Cortical activation indicated by increased uptake on EEG. Subject gives responses to verbal stimuli and reports a sensation of lightheadedness.

[10:04:25]: Subject complains of stinging sensation and bittersweet taste. Noted slight tremor in extremities and increased heart rate. GSR indicates heightened anxiety.

[10:05:13]: Subject questioned to establish cognitive and physiological parameters. Noted delayed responses. Subject struggles to follow simple instructions, becomes distracted, provides incoherent explanations of surroundings, misinterprets questions.

[10:09:32]: Subject begins to exhibit signs of altered perception, including auditory hallucinations and delirium. EEG shows increased theta wave activity. Physical agitation observed; restraints effective in maintaining Subject's position. Subject too agitated for cognitive and physiological testing.

[10:14:45]: Administration of compound #GS-P5R initiated at 12 L/min via inhalation mask to reduce anxiety and stabilize neural response. Infusion of PCA-35 increased to 7.5 mL/min.

[10:19:48]: Subject's responses to verbal and physical stimuli decrease significantly. Continued monitoring shows stable vitals but increased physical rigidity. Administered 1 mg Lorazepam IV to reduce muscle tension.

[10:24:22]: Subject’s speech becomes slurred and incoherent. Noted disorientation to stimuli, increased muscle laxity. Decrease in heart rate and blood pressure.

[10:33:14]: Subject enters a semi-catatonic state. Eyes remain open but unresponsive to visual stimuli. Pupils equal but dilated. EEG shows dominant delta wave activity.

[10:42:28]: Subject displays signs of decreased neural responsiveness. Decreased pupillary reaction, continued slow rolling movement of the eyes, jerky movement of the whole body (hypnic jerks). Persistent drooling noted.

[10:45:04]: Infusion of PCA-13 reduced to 1 mL/min. Administration of compound #GS-P5R reduced to 2 L/min via nasal cannula.

[10:50:34]: Subject engaged with repetitive commands in accordance to Behavioral Compliance Protocols. Verbal cues, electronic conditioning, and multi-sensory stimuli reinforcement prove ineffective. Subject remains largely non-reactive.

[10:57:55]: Subject’s eyes remain unfocused with significant drooping. Attempts to direct gaze result in brief eye opening, followed by rapid drooping. Subject mumbles incoherently.

[10:58:06]: Speculum applied to maintain eyelid retraction for continuous observation and responsiveness testing. Subject demonstrates minimal resistance; remains in stuporous state. Droplets of propriety psychotic #3A administered to each eye. Immediate increase in pupil dilation and noticeable twitching observed.

[11:00:17]: Visual stimulus presented. Subject's eyes remain fixed and extremely dilated. Noted tremors in hands, erratic breathing patterns, increase in heart rate. Subject occasionally mumbles with extreme delay in response latency to verbal and physical testing.

[11:05:23]: Subject engaged with repetitive commands in accordance to Behavioral Compliance Protocols. Verbal cues, electronic conditioning, and multi-sensory stimuli reinforcement prove insignificant. Subject displays significant cognitive impairment, involuntary reflexes, significant drooling, and uncoordinated movements.

[11:10:19]: Increased auditory and visual stimuli introduced to enhance command comprehension of Behavioral Compliance Protocols. Subject displays signs of severe neural suppression. EEG findings variable and nonspecific, low voltage and slow irregular activity nonreactive to sensory stimuli.

[11:15:52]: Subject engaged with high-intensity visual stimuli (rapid flashing) and continuous auditory commands. Subject shows brief eye fixation on visual stimulus, with occasional facial twitching. Overall response is characterized by slow, inconsistent movements and frequent confusion. Subject’s attempts to respond are sporadic, sluggish, and incoherent.

[11:20:14]: Administered low-frequency auditory tones and ambient lighting. Subject displays intermittent eye tracking and reflexive vocalizations. Eyes lubricated to prevent irritation; speculum remains in place. Despite the high level of impairment, occasional partial compliance with commands noted.

[11:30:31]: Subject provided with 500 mL saline IV to maintain hydration. Subject engaged with repetitive commands in accordance to Compliance Protocols. Verbal cues, electronic conditioning, and multi-sensory stimuli reinforcement prove moderately effective as demonstrated by increased uptake seen on EEG. Noted severe motor function impairment, persistent drooling, disorientation.

[11:37:48]: Visual and auditory stimuli calibrated to induce deep trance state in preparation for Hypnotic Compliance Protocols. Subject's head and neck stabilized to ensure alignment with visual stimuli. Monitored vital signs remain stable but indicate persistent sedation effects. Subject remains largely unresponsive, exhibiting only involuntary reflexes and intense eye fixation on visual stimulus.

[12:00:00]: End of Behavioral Compliance Induction log. Subject's transition to hypnotic phase officially logged and observed.

TRANSFER OF CARE: [REDACTED]

[zyxoxox]

I CAME RUNNING SO FAST WHEN I SAW THE CHARACTER + SONG

So, hear me out, Romeo and Cinderella by our god and savior Hatsune Miku with Billy Kid? 👀

Idk why that is what my brain came up with but hmmm, it would be so silly

If you don't like the first combo tho, Bud Like You by AJR with Anton would be the other one I have in mind

romeo and cinderella.

note: YES HII!! this is my first time listening to this song, actually, i haven’t heard much vocaloid. it seems to be about teenage rebellion/ running away with your lover?? it’s also pretty suggestive but i’m not so good at writing that haha 🙂

i like how it’s about getting caught up in a moment and wanting to live in it forever, and moments like that for me are at the beach, so this is sorta structured like a beach episode!

send me a song + character!

billy kid x reader || 0.5k wc

“no, [name], not the water, my circuits are gonna burst!”

the cunning hares, after a long and tiring commission, needed a break. and while nicole still had her eye on their expenses and growing debts, she figured no harm would come from a simple beach day.

“your circuits will be fineee! and if they’re not, i’ll just fix ‘em up later. c’mon, anby, help me catch billy!”

for the last 15 minutes, you had been chasing billy around the ocean with a bucket of water, hoping to dump it on his head. he seemed to be firmly against the idea- not that you cared.

“but my hair! it’ll get all wet!”

“we’re at the beach silly, that’s supposed to happen!”

he shook his head vigorously and ran away, shouting for nicole’s help.

“you’re on your own, billy, i’m too busy getting a nice tan.”

billy had run quite a bit before stopping to cool down his engines. he was about knee-deep in the water, and you were- nowhere to be found? wait, that couldn’t be right.

it was eerily quiet, too quiet, in fact. had he outrun you so easily? that had to be it!

“haha, take that, [name]!” he laughed to himself. “nobody can chase down THE billy kid!”

he cockily held up his head in the air, looking back at the shore. “well, it can’t be helped, i’m much stronger after all. [name]’s probably gonna be super upset and make that cute pouty face! it’s alright though, i’ll buy them some ice cream to make it up to- aaaAAAAA!”

an icy cold splash of water crashed down billy’s head, seeping into his clothes and onto his body. he could feel the water crackle in his circuits, making his auditory sensors buzz.

“GOT YOU!”

in the split of a second you emerged from underneath him, jumping onto his back. the two of you toppled into the water, and you managed to fall flat on his face.

“ow! ugh, billy, you hurt to fall on,” you complained, rubbing on your forehead.

“that’s what you get for dumping water on me,” billy laughed, helping you soothe out the place you’d fell. “look at that, i managed to see your pouty face anyway. tit for tat, right?”

“you’re insufferable,” you huffed. he ruffled your hair with a laugh, throwing you back on your feet. you still looked a little sulky, billy thought. then he got an idea.

“hey anby, race you to the shore!”

without a moment’s hesitation he hoisted you onto his shoulders, making you scream in surprise.

“billy, what are you-“

“no time to talk, [name]! we’ve gotta catch up with anby!”

and so he ran, with you on his shoulders, as though you weighed nothing;as though he was a knight in shining armour.

but… if he was a knight, were you cinderella, who had found their prince charming? or were you juliet, whose future with romeo was unforeseen and uncertain?

well, it certainly didn’t matter now. right now, you wanted to live in this moment, not the ones ahead of you.

whatever tomorrow held could be dealt with later- after winning the race, that is!

[wormtoxin]

rehabilitating one of their hounds isn’t tough, if you know what you’re doing.

the most shocking part besides all the killing is the body dysmorphia. getting used to walking on four legs where two used to suffice. Adjusting the jaw strength to hold things as delicately as hands might. That takes time.

The second thing is senses. Olfactory and auditory sensors are highly tuned. Completely overclocked compared to what a human is used to. Gentle, quiet places are good. I wouldn’t force stimulation. Dogs build a tolerance for it over time. Blinders help.

Finally, the most important and difficult to address is isolation. with threshing claws and mounted cannons, they don’t look human. Nobody’s used to treating them as such. It’s lonely, feeling like either a pet or a tool. It takes a village, all working together. You don’t have to treat them like a human exactly- just an equal, or even a friend.

oddly enough, some dogs love it. They adjust to their new bodies quick as a whip. I hardly do any rehabilitating at all- just show them where the mess hall and the bunks are. Then they’re buzzing around the camp like they’ve always been here.

I guess for them it feels natural. Maybe they’ve always felt this way.

[viccyfics]

can you do 14 + 11 , Hydra/Tassita? 😓

Thank you for the prompt!

(prompt list)

TW: near death, burning

READ UNDER THE CUT OR ON AO3

Having a leaking Engine was bad, everyone knew that, but it was worse for Hydra, he didn’t get the warning signs like a Diesel or a Steamer, even Electric’s had them, but Hydra didn’t he had nothing until it was too late.

He couldn’t smell the leak, or feel it, all he felt was the rapid decline in energy, but he thought he was just feeling tired from a hard day of working, that was until Rusty sped past him and his wheels sparked against the track and Hydra was screaming in pain.

The explosion wasn’t loud, but it was sudden, a rush of heat twisting inside of Hydra’s body and bursting out, every inch of his body was burning, and he could do nothing to stop it, no one could, at least not safely, they couldn’t even get close enough without making it worse.

Rusty was staring at him horrified, and Hydra could just make him out before his eyes clamped shut in pain, the Steamer was shaking, he was scared, he was blaming himself. The fire was everywhere, his body felt like it was being turned inside out, nerves shorting, joints melting and locking, coolant boiling in his eyes, every breath he tried to take scorched him from within, and worst of all, no one could even see the flames, unless they knew better he would look crazy.

Hydrogen didn’t look dangerous, or sound dangerous, especially not with how often Hydra boasted about it, but that’s what made it so lethal, it burned without smoke or flames, making it much harder to put the fire out and rescue the Engine being tortured by it.

“Somebody help him!” Rusty shouted, his voice cracking, “Help!

Hydra continued to writhe on the floor, begging for this to be over quickly, begging his body to shut down and kill him so he wouldn’t have to feel this pain anymore, it was unbearable, it was agony.

One tech ran forward out of the shed he was in, holding an insulated sheet with trembling hands, but was immediately pulled back.

“Don’t, don’t even try. you touch him and we lose both of you.”

“But he’s…he’s burning!”

“I know!”

Hydra couldn’t hear them anymore. His auditory processors burned up and melted, he couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear, and all he could feel was the white-hot pain covering his body. He tried to vent, the ports hissed, but nothing escaped, they were clogged. Melted.

Everything was melting.

Rusty continued to yell and scream, begging someone, anyone to try and do something, to try and save the Freight, but no one moved, no one dared to. Hydra's body started to jerk, it had to have been over, the fire had finally put itself out, but that didn’t stop the pain.

“Hydra!” Tassita’s voice cut through the crowd as he raced forward, not caring if he got burned too, he threw himself onto Hydra’s side, sobbing as he saw the melting metal sticking to the gravel underneath them, hoping he wasn’t causing more pain by touching the Engine, but as far as anyone could tell, he was gone.

"Hydra,” Tassita sobbed, “please, please, stay with me, okay? You’re not burning anymore. You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.” Hydra didn’t respond, he couldn’t hear anything but when he cracked an eye open, he could see a blurry Tassita in his view. An insulation sheet was thrown at them which Tassita quickly wrapped around Hydra the best that he could, not wanting to move Hydra too much until the medical crew and engineers got there.

Hydra’s one open eye tracked him weakly, unfocused. His processor was overloaded, everything hot and glitching, but Tassita was here.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Tassita kept murmuring, more to himself now than to Hydra. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”, Hydra tried to focus on reading his lips but it was too blurry. Engineers and medics in full protective gear, heat sensors scanning, foam suppressants at the ready. A few of them flinched when they saw just how bad Hydra looked. One technician pulled Tassita back gently, but he refused to fully let go of Hydra’s hand.

“He’s alive,” Tassita said, barely above a whisper. “He’s still here.”

“We’ve got him now,” one of the medics reassured softly. “You did good. But we need to move him.”

Tassita nodded, shakily backing off just enough to give them room, “I’m coming with you, I’m not leaving him.”

They didn’t argue, maybe they just knew better than to separate them for Hydra’s sake.

Tassita followed every step of the way to the medical bay, trailing just close enough to hear the muttered diagnostics, none of it made sense to his ears but Tassita absorbed each one like a dagger. Hydra was still alive. That was the part he clung to. Alive.

The repairs would take time. Hours. Maybe days just to stabilize him enough for deeper restoration. Most of the engineers expected Tassita to leave, to rest, to be somewhere else until the worst of it was over. But he refused.

They set up a cot in the corner of the medbay. Tassita didn’t use it. He sat next to the diagnostic slab Hydra had been laid on, one hand resting gently on the edge of his Engine’s warped plating, careful not to touch any exposed internal lines.

He carefully scrubbed away at the soot and blood with a towel and warm water, focusing on Hydra’s face for the most part, they’d shut down Hydra’s remaining systems, keeping him in what felt like a coma.

Later that day, when Tassita had gone quiet, too exhausted even for his usual murmuring, he felt the slightest twitch under his fingers. Just a flicker of movement, barely there. He snapped upright, eyes wide. “Hydra?”

The optic twitched.

Tassita leaned closer, heart slamming against his ribs. “Hydra, I’m here, can you hear me?”

There was no verbal response, but Hydra’s fingers curled slightly, trying to reach, Tassita caught his hand in both of his, grounding him.

“It’s okay,” Tassita whispered, eyes burning. “I’ve got you. You’re safe. You’re not alone.”

Hydra didn’t speak but the faint movement of his fingers continued, tentative, weak. Tassita squeezed his hand gently.

“You came back.”

And finally, Hydra blinked open that one damaged optic, flickering and dim, but unmistakably alive. Tassita laughed, breathless with relief, forehead pressing gently against Hydra’s as he whispered, “I told you I wouldn’t leave.” This time, Hydra’s fingers squeezed back.