#automatic geometry

[channelflippingwithaemerge]

atlantis?

[ionthezeraora]

holy shit it's robert topala

[tobytheeggo]

Not going to school because of the thunder bestowed upon thy (cramps)

I can dilly dally today

[krawdad]

Aha! I knew you could link blendshapes to camera position

[italladdsup]

dumbification training. I wake up in a decently sized room, my feet chained to a chair with a computer in front of me. I'm sitting on a pair of vibrating dildos, one in each hole. A shock collar sits unoticingly comfortable around my neck, and a pair of headphones sit on my head.

The computer turns on. It seems to be on some sort of standardized testing program, the same ones you'd see students taking in a classroom during exam week. Questions headline the top of the screen, with the answers lined up in a multiple choice format. The instructions tell me to answer honestly and to the best I can. It doesn't say how many questions there are. The headphones play a soft buzzing noise and read out the questions.

First question pops up. It's a reading comprehension question. I skim over the paragraph, and I answer the question correctly, only to be met with brief electrocution. The screen moves automatically to the next question. Something about geometry, i to answer it correctly, but I'm shocked again when I do. Third question, something about English grammer. I'm shocked again. This keeps up for a few more questions.

By the 10th question, I can't take another shock, so I purposefully answer the question wrong, just to see what would happen. The screen flashes and in an instant, all my pain is gone. I feel a brief sense of relief and relaxation wash over me. The voice in the headphones praises me for answering 'correctly'

Next question appears on screen, and it's... harder? It's another reading comprehension question with a brief paragraph, but I'm struggling to read it. It's like the words are just flying past my brain. I get the question wrong, the voice praises me, I get hit with a wave of relief, and the dildos beneath me start to vibrate lowly.

The questions start to get simpler, going from high school level questions to kindergarten level questions. Every time I get one wrong, the vibrators get stronger I get blasted with a wave of pleasure. At some point I stop even reading them, I just answer at random to feel even more pleasure.

The questions start to get hornier, like asking me what a certain sex position is or how to perform a certain act. When I answer those correctly, I get edged. The screen 'asks' me to repeat mantras, and rewards me with pleasure when I do so.

It asks me, "does it feel good to be dumb?" "Does it feel good to obey?" and of course I answer yes. "Who thinks for you?" Master does. "What do you know?" Whatever Master tells me I know.

At the end of it, the screen turns into a flashing spiral. The voice tells me what a good job I did at learning how to be a dumb slut. The dildos thrust into me at the highest vibration speed, and when I get permission to cum, I have one of the greatest orgasms of my life.

After I cum, I've lost nearly all my ability to think for myself. I can't read anything above basic children's books, and can't do any math more advanced than basic addition. I cant remmeber how to write unless i'm told to write something.

But it's fine, I'm a dumb slut. I love being a dumb slut. All dumb sluts need to know is whatever their Master tells them to. Master thinks for me, and I'm so happy and grateful he does. Master is so smart, it's only right for him to think for me.

[whirligig-girl]

NWR No.1 and SLYM No.11513 at a dual gauge interchange just outside of the city center.

SLYM No.11513 is an Advanced Steam Locomotive native to Gymnome--a coal-burning steam engine operating at high pressure, with technological improvements to allow it to rival the efficiency and ease of use of a diesel locomotive, such as electronic controls, compound expansion of steam, a gas producer combustion system firebox, dual exhaust, and automatic firing and oiling. 11513 was built some time in the 2340s, and survives to 2381 as a museum piece.

NWR No.1 is a much older locomotive and from another planet altogether, built 1915 for the LBSC railway as a one-off prototype for a six-coupled shunter to replace the aging Terriers and to supplement the much larger E2-tanks. NWR No.1 made it to the North Western Railway not long after it was built, having been allocated there for the war effort. It is not clear how a locomotive built 465 years in the past on planet Earth made it intact to Gymnome, nor how its gauge perfectly matched Goo'iw Broad Gauge, at least not without invoking some kind of universe-spanning magic railroad, or perhaps the notion that this is all a simulation being run in some kind of virtual reality in some alien starship.

(no this isn't canon.)

Artist's notes:

Earlier today I doodled this in my sketchbook.

And when I got home i decided, hey, I have my Thomas 3D model, and I have the game model of the Advanced Steam Tank Engine... why not actually stage them together and draw them to-scale. The size difference is greater than I expected--partly I think this is because the Thomas gauge-1 prop was not designed with scale in mind, so it's bigger than British Railways loading gauge. Granted, they are at different gauges (standard gauge versus roughly meter-ish gauge), but the loading gauge on the advanced steam engine is very wide.

My first attempt at the drawing was from a very different angle:

But I quickly realized that you can't actually see the Advanced Steam Engine's wheels, and that's a major design aspect.

So i chose a different angle.

I constructed the dual gauge track before anything else.

And before long (the better part of 2 hours) I had the line art finished.

The Advanced Steam Engine ended up being a hybrid between the original illustration I did of it months ago, and the game model--with most of the geometry accurate to the game model, but with the subtler detailing of the illustrated version.

Thomas was meant to be a sort of hybrid of the Gauge 1 Prop from the TV series and a realistic loco. I prioritized the geometry and simplicity of the gauge 1 prop in most respects, but added details below the running board, in particular brake rigging, sanding gear, and these blade-like protrusions of the frames which i'm pretty sure are some kind of debris deflector, a british version of a cowcatcher. There's also snifters on the cylinder saddle, and the whistle is made of two different lengths to justify Thomas' multi-tone whistle.

The original background was going to be this marshland with (electricity-generating) windmills in the background, a callback to that first shot in the Thomas & Friends opening credits, but I hated how it felt like the middle of nowhere, so I introduced the retaining wall and an alien city scene.

British steam engines are generally given very shiny liveries which reflect the environment in interesting ways, so I made sure to do that justice, using a GWR 14xx autotank as reference.

By contrast, the Advanced Steam Tank Engine is kept in a more workwormlike condition, with a somewhat faded matte paint work and a fair amount of grime.

The original illustration of the advanced steam engine, for comparison.

Finally, a version with faces.

[blegh-110]

i. "i was enchanted to meet you" | Sam Monroe

Pairing: older brother's bestfriend!Sam x fem!reader

Summary: Older brother’s best friend! Sam Monroe who you really got to know when you were 15 and he was 17.

Warnings: None

Word count: 1.9k

A/N: This is chapter II of this series where I am using songs from Speak Now, enjoy!

Your sophomore year of high school was great.

One reason being that you had finally made a friend who was in three of your classes; geometry, honors english, and P.E.. 

The second reason being that Sam was in your very last class of the day, introduction to art. 

Neither of you were artists, or even good drawers. But that was what made your time together so fun. There wasn’t a day that went by where you two didn’t make fun of each other’s drawings. 

“Sam! It’s supposed to be an orange!” You laughed with tears in your eyes as you stared at your poorly done drawing of a peeled orange half. 

“(Y/N), it looks like a vagina.” He covered his mouth with his hand as he tried, very badly, to hide his laughter. 

And because of your constant noise-making, and talking, and interruptions, the teacher decided to move Sam across the room. But that had made it almost worse. You couldn’t even look at him from your seat because the situation was just too funny, you would have to look away before you’d burst out laughing. And as soon as class was dismissed and the two of you would leave the classroom, there was nothing holding back the bottled up amusement anymore and you both would walk out of school with tears in your eyes. 

It all happened so often that you didn’t want to stop your enjoyment and go home. And neither did Sam, you guessed. Instead of leaving you and driving back to his own house, he began driving you home and dropping you off. Which then turned to driving you home and hanging around the house after you bravely asked if he wanted to come inside for a little bit. And it got to the point where he automatically turned his car off when he parked on the street, having already set his mind on spending more time with you. But this didn’t happen every single day. 

There were times when you had to send him home. It wasn’t for anything serious, in fact, you wanted nothing more than to spend more time with him. But there were days where you had a big test coming up or tons of homework to finish or an essay due the next day, and you knew you would get none of it done if Sam was in the house. 

“Sam, get out!” You giggled as you lightly pushed him to the front door, your fingertips burning at the touch of his back.

“Alright, fine. But what am I supposed to do?” 

“I don’t know, go hang out with your other friend?” You clearly hinted at your older brother, ready to close the door and start your essay that was due the next day. It was your fault really. You had a whole week to finish it, but you kept pushing it aside because you wanted to be with Sam instead. So your whole school day was spent outlining and finding evidence with any spare time you had, and just generally stressing out. 

“He’s at football practice though.”

“Then just watch.”

“But it’s boring.”  

You gave him a pointed look. 

“Okay, okay, I’ll go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said while leaning in for a hug then leaving.

One thing you quickly learned about Sam was that he was actually quite attentive and affectionate. He always knew when an exam was coming up for you because of the way you became less talkative and more isolated as the date got closer. He didn’t want to bring that observation up to you though because what would that do? So he did the best he could to make those few days just a little bit better for you. Which included buying you study snacks on your way home, keeping quiet in your art class and instead listening to music together, and sometimes helping you study if you let him. You didn’t notice it at first, too caught up with the thought that you might fail the exam. But when you did eventually catch on you somehow fell even more in love with Sam. 

And the one thing about him that made it harder to breathe was his need for physical touch. Whenever he saw you at school he was quick to leave his friends and greet you with a hug and ask how you’re doing. In your shared art class he was always shoulder to shoulder with you. If he thought you were too far from him, he’d hook his fingers underneath your seat and pull your chair right to him. When the two of you would walk home, his arm would always wrap around your shoulder and pull you close to him. If he saw you walking to class he was happy to take your books and walk you there with a hand on your back. And when it was just the two of you at your house watching a movie, he’d lean his entire body on yours and take a nap. 

You wanted so badly to return those affections. You wanted to wrap your arms around him, you wanted to match his excitement when he saw you in the halls, but it felt impossible for you. And you knew that Sam wouldn't mind, but you just weren’t very good at showing affection the way he did. 

You also learned that he was a bit… possessive and protective of his stuff. He was asked a few times by other students if they could borrow his drawing supplies, or even the brushes provided by the classroom, and he always, meanly, said no. Or when you constantly witnessed him smack your brother's hand away from his bag of chips. 

“Sam, c’mon, I didn’t eat anything for breakfast and I didn’t bring my lunch!” Your brother exclaimed while trying again to steal Sam’s food.

“Get away from me.” He grumbled with smiley fries in his mouth,  

“You’re never this way with my sister.” 

Which was true. He was always sharing his stuff with you. Whether it was food or letting you keep his pencil because you couldn’t find your own, and it was always the pink Paper Mate ones. He was also always offering or making you take some of whatever snack he had. 

“Here, have it.” And he gave you the last oreos he had bought from the cafeteria. 

And there was a time when you were paired up for a project with the boy who took you to the dance in your eighth grade year, the one who you let copy your homework. When you first heard your name with his own you wanted the ground to swallow you, but then he surprisingly brought the whole situation up and apologized for it. And you couldn’t hold a grudge if you wanted to, it happened two years ago and he seemed good now. So you forgave and forgot and the two of you planned to get the assignment started during lunch in the library. Unfortunately, Sam wasn’t as forgiving as you were.

“Didn’t he make you cry? Why don’t you tell the teacher you just don’t want to be partners with him?” He asked while opening his car door for you. 

“Sam, it’s okay! He said he was sorry and it’s not like I’m hanging out with him.” He scoffed at the last part then closed it after you had gotten in. 

“You better not because I’m not over it.”

“Did he take you to the dance?”

“No, but I was the one who saw how upset you were. Hated seeing you like that. I just don’t want him to think that this could be a second chance or something.”

“I appreciate your concern, I really do. But it’s not going beyond a school project, I promise.”

“Okay, but if he tries something, you tell me first.” You rolled your eyes with a smile and nodded your head. You didn’t dare tell him but you felt more than just appreciative, you felt cherished and looked after when he got this way, which wasn’t the first time. And each talk left you wanting him even more. 

And the last bit of his personality that you learned was his introvertness, which again, surprised you. Especially since your brother was actually a pretty sociable person. Like you, Sam was not one to see a large crowd and want to partake in it. The only difference between the two of you was that when you were put in a situation where you were surrounded by a lot of people, your heart would quicken and your hands would get sweaty. You were nervous to talk to other people and felt like you had to. But with Sam, he simply didn’t care to talk to them, he didn’t want to and he made that very clear. 

“Fuck that.” He said when the both of you saw that the school Market was taking place in the courtyard. The market took place for a week, and it was where students sold their own goods. You made the mistake your freshman year of trying to walk through it and go home, but you were always stopped by another student trying to sell you something, whether it was a sticker or their homemade soap, and it was a nightmare. 

There was one time you accidentally got caught up with one of them and they just wouldn’t let you leave. They were selling some homemade body care products, soaps and bath bombs, and you gave every excuse you could to nicely shut them down.

“I don’t have enough money.”

“I really have to get home.”

“I’m not really a bath bomb person.”

“That’s okay! We’ve got lip scrubs! Here, smell these.” Then they proceeded to shove different products in your face while telling you their prices. And while giving a tight lipped smile, you felt a hand wrap around your own. You didn’t have to look to know it was Sam, thank god. 

“Hi, would you like t-”

“Nope.” And he walked away with your hand in his, telling his fellow classmates to “fuck off” as he continued to walk through the market. It felt so natural, like it was supposed to be this way. You’d never felt so comfortable with Sam like this. Before, you were always too overwhelmed by his presence and your own feelings that it became too much. But there you were, holding his hand until the two of you got to his car. 

And it all went away when he graduated. It was a terrible night for you to watch him be handed his diploma, an official sign that the friendship you had built with him was over. You were proud of him, there was no doubt about that. But as soon as the graduating class threw their hats in the air you had to bite your lip to keep your cries from coming out. There was a hollowness in your heart that swallowed any emotion you could feel. 

When the ceremony was over and you and your family went down to the field, he ran right to you and gave you a soul crushing embrace. One where it lifted you off the ground and you had to wrap your arms around him. His graduation gown burned against your cheek. It was a bitter-sweet moment. 

When you got home after a celebration dinner for your brother, you thought about your times with Sam and cried the entire night, wishing you had never met him in the first place so you could save yourself from your heartbreak.

[sugar-petals]

Do you think the kibbe system is rigid towards women's heights (especially women who aren't short)? I get that a tall woman won't be a petite type and a petite woman won't be one of the big 3, but I feel like people are quick to even rule out AVERAGE-height women (who should have the widest types to be under?). Amber Liu, at an average 5'6 looks like a FG and doesn't appear that vertical, but she automatically gets categorized as D just because she is not short. There are also some average height women who look round and curvy, who don't look elongated. I also don't get why these same people can allow short women to be part of the big 3 despite lacking in the height department, like how is the 5'0 Mae West a verified SD? I'm surprised the 5'7 Audrey Hepburn is a verified FG and that the 5'7 Beyonce is a verified R, despite not being short. On the other hand, there's no way Gregory Peck should be a SC at a towering 6'3! If he was a woman, there's no way they would let that happen...

i think it is not rigid enough! hence the many mistypings of david listed above — but he himself says he is better at typing in person rather than looking at pictures (i'm the opposite: i want to do my little line drawings 😂 thus the image must be 100% static, while typing in person is crazy hard to me). that explains his new york personal consultations. he has to see the person talk and move.

david determines ID by presence first and geometry second. i insist on the other way around like you do, which is why i agree with your points. body geometry is more measurable, how one comes across is not! but in his mind, "presence" can overpower the actual height of a person. a couple inches outside the usual height range of a type cannot stop david's vision lmao!

mae west for instance has to be some romantic or SN type in reality, but her larger than life public image and wardrobe were SD-ish, she wanted to be that type. mae was often photographed in huge hats and on pedestals: kibbe typecasts that way, he uses the celeb's curated screen impression. he doesn't care about mae inventing giant double decker heels that obviously gave her more vertical.

in regular heels, we see how everyone towers over her, and there is no vertical impression. mae is tiny and looks her height.

a true SD in huge heels like sofia loren dwarves almost any man except other big 3s. they stand out everywhere.

since he bases his typology on those old hollywood legends who have long passed and many people hurriedly ask him about typings via smartphone pictures, i see his struggle/inaccuracy. i would try to look at candids instead, street fashion of a person with less filters etc, but that's not how david rolls. he likes and types the illusion. no pragmatism or base in reality, he is a poet.

plus celebs have always had surgery to look like other types, wore makeup to become someone else, and also made themselves taller/smaller on paper, another barrier to good typing (say, what if audrey was actually 5'4 and mae 5'8?). and good point, classics are undertyped: let's not try to cram moderate heights into other subtypes of more extreme yin and yang categories. e.g. a very moderately tall person with a sharper face and frame is not a tall dramatic but rather a DC! (if they're symmetrical ofc)

also, some typings are based on the wardrobe of a celeb that might not even be adhering to their type. and one typing sticks and that gets defended. e.g. gregory peck, of course he has to be big three, not a moderate size + small yin soft classic! peck was dressed as a classic, but those suits clearly show his true FN width underneath. soft subtype waist emphasis looked terrible on him. he was massive, broad first + vertical second are his characteristics!

TLDR: we need even stricter height requirements with less nonsensical exceptions (!) and kibbe has to see more celebs in person. roll him out to the met gala!

[devildogdemon]

YOU DID IT 👏👏👏 AND IT’S DELICIOUSLY RIDDLED WITH TEEN PRETENTIOUS ANGST BRILLIANCE 🙌

High School AU Peeta Mellark listens to Iris by Goo Goo Dolls and leans his head against the bus window like he's in a music video.

[riordanness]

fictional — [p.jackson]

pairing: percy jackson x reader

wordcount: 2.1K

warnings: none

‘i put myself in another world, where i can be any other girl, cause i don’t really wanna face it. cause if it isn’t real you can pretend all you want…’

I sigh as the lyrics of ‘Fictional’ by Khloe Rose filter through my headphones. My head leans against the cool glass window of the bus, bumping my forehead every time the driver goes over a pothole.

Hey, call me crazy, but this is probably the most relatable song in existence. At least to me. Falling in love with boys from books and movies was basically my job at this point.

I had one, though, that meant more than all my other ‘fictional boyfriends’.

Percy Jackson.

I’d grown up with this character, laughed with him, cried with him, held fast and braved the storm with him. I’d adopted his personality, tried to be like his girlfriend, acted as if we were best friends, talked to him, dreamt about him, read and written fanfiction about him, anything you can think of. I am obsessed, and no, I’m not ashamed of that fact.

I’m five years running with this crush now, and it’s not going anytime soon. I let out another sigh as I realise, yet again, that this is impossible. He’s fictional, as much as it hurts to admit. He isn’t real, and I can’t live my whole life pretending to date and marry a fictional character. Life just doesn’t work like that. Sadly.

The bus pulls up at school, and I climb off, slipping my headphones into my pocket. I’ll probably get them back out during a boring lecture in one of my classes, but for now I’ll just keep the daydreaming at a minimum.

“Hey, girl.” Andie sidles up to me, nudging me with her shoulder. “What’s kicking?”

“Nothing,” I deadpan. “Unless you’re a goat, like Grover Underwood.”

Andie laughs, my sarcastic comment going right over her head. I love her to death, seriously, but the girl hasn’t got an ounce of sarcasm in her. She’s the most literal and honest person ever, but she’s also super sweet and sincere. So, sarcasm isn’t even a word she knows.

“I’m not a goat, silly,” she giggles. “But guess what?!”

“Yeah?” I am actually kind of interested. Andie usually has all the gossip (somehow), so her news tends to be pretty good.

“There’s a new guy in our class today,” she squeals. “Apparently he just moved here from New York.”

“New York is where Percy Jackson lives,” I say automatically. “I wanna visit there someday so bad.”

Andie rolls her pretty eyes. She likes Percy Jackson. I made her read the books, and she did, but just so that she knows what I’m talking about most of the time. “You and your fictional boys, I swear. This is a real boy, y/n! You need to get your head out of a book for once if you ever wanna meet somebody.”

I shrug. “Real boys suck though.”

And even Andie can’t argue with that.

I’m doodling in my notebook, half listening to Mr Mintar explain something about geometry. I’m not terrible at maths, so I figure I’ll just catch up if I need to. My brain doesn’t want to pay attention today.

I perk up, though, when I hear something new.

“Students,” Mrs May, our principal, announces. “We have a new student joining us today. Please be kind to Mr Jackson and show him around. Remember, you were once a new student yourself.”

Jackson? Like Percy Jackson? How cool is that, I thought to myself. I yank my headphones out of my ears and glance up.

A boy is talking quietly with Mr Mintar; who is probably explaining what we’re learning and where he’ll sit. We have assigned seats in basically every class, because a few boys in our grade are idiots, so I sit alone in every class. Apparently, other students are very likely to copy my work if they’re sitting with me, so the teachers decided to make me sit alone all the time. It’s kind of okay, though. Means I can do whatever I want with no one to tell on me for listening to music.

I watch as Mr Mintar talks with his hands, waving them a lot. The boy has his back to me. He has messy black hair, and he’s wearing jeans, converse and a blue hoodie.

Mr Mintar gestures at me, and I sit up straight. The boy glances quickly, nods at Mr Mintar, and I realise what’s happening. He’s being assigned to sit with me, which probably means I'll also be assigned his personal ‘welcome-to-our-school’ guide. Which means I’ll be forced to be this guy’s friend for the next few weeks. Yay.

The boy turns to face me, and I swear my heart literally skipped a beat. Now, this wasn’t like those dumb fanfics where a girl’s celebrity crush just so happens to turn up at her school for some stupid reason, and they fall in love blah blah blah.

This was an honest-to-goodness ‘what the hell is happening’ moment. The boy now walking towards me looks exactly how I’ve always pictured Percy Jackson in my mind. The same crazily messy black hair, loose and slightly curled at the edges, twisting around his ears and falling in his eyes a little bit. He has the same smattering of freckles on his nose, the same tan skin, troublemaker grin, the same glint of determination in his eyes.

And gosh, I’d know those sea-green eyes anywhere.

The boy slides into the seat beside me. “Hi,” he says softly. “You’re y/n?”

I can’t do anything but nod, and I try to not stare at him too hard.

“You’re supposed to be my guide, or something, I think.” The boy sounds apologetic, like he knows how annoying being forced to be a school guide is. “And I’m supposed to sit with you in all my classes.”

I nod again, a little dazed. Even his voice is Percy Jackson-coded. A slight rasp, a little accented, ugh.

I find my voice. “That’s cool. I’d be happy to show you around and get you into the groove of things here at East High.”

The boy smiles, and he has little crinkles at the side of his pretty eyes, as if he smiles a whole lot.

“Awesome. I’m Percy by the way.”

I blink at him, absolutely sure he’s pulling my leg somehow. “What do you mean?” I ask.

Percy frowns. “Like… my name? The thing that people call me? It’s Percy. Percy Jackson.”

I just stare at him.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asks.

“Your name is Percy Jackson?”

“Yeah?”

“Like the book character,” I add, surprising myself with the calm in my voice. Inside my head, though, I was screaming.

Percy’s brow furrows. “A book character? I dunno. Never heard of a book character called Percy, but there probably is. I don’t read that much. Dyslexia.”

I nod slowly. “Of course.”

Percy frowns again, then chuckles a little. “You’re weird. I like you.”

My tongue feels like someone’s deep fried it in the microwave. I try to swallow, and it’s nearly impossible. “So you’re not messing with me right now? You’re really called Percy Jackson, and you have dyslexia and probably ADHD, and sea-green eyes, and your hair isn’t dyed, and…”

Percy laughs again. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. What’s this about?”

I shake my head. “You wouldn’t understand if I told you.”

Percy raises his eyebrow. “Try me.”

It’s been a week since Percy’s arrival, and I’m still about 89% sure I’m dreaming. Not that I usually dream like this, but still.

I’ve spent basically all my school hours with Percy, as well as half my bus rides home, as his mum lives nearby to us.

The longer I know him, the more I’m sure that he’s real, that he’s actually here, and that he’s really, truly, Perseus Jackson, the not-so-fictional boy I’ve been in love with forever.

The weirdest thing, though, is the night after he arrived, I got home and all my Percy Jackson books and merch were gone. Mysteriously vanished. Even Andie doesn’t know what I’m talking about when I bring up PJO.

It’s like that movie, Yesterday, where everyone forgets about the Beatles. It’s like that, but with Percy Jackson. Oh, and obviously I have a real Percy to replace it; whereas Jack in that movie didn’t really have that.

Anyway, it’s crazy, it’s probably a hallucination, and it’s absolutely incredible. I’m spending every single day with my absolute favourite person in the universe, and he’s real.

The boy I’ve cried over, laughed over, loved for years… He’s here. He’s real. And he’s my friend.

“Marshmallows are not designed to be eaten alone,” I argue, pouting a french fry at Percy. “They aren’t even that nice anyway, but especially not when you eat them dry. All the powder, like, clogs up your throat and it’s disgusting. If you eat them on their own, you’re crazy.”

Percy laughs. “I hate them in my hot chocolates. They get all gooey and mushy, and… ugh.” He makes a face.

I roll my eyes. “You’re insane.”

Percy shrugs. “At least I don’t hate rice.”

“Hey!” I protest. “I have sensory issues! It’s not my fault the feeling of rice in my mouth makes me feel sick.”

“Hey, I know,” Percy says. “I was just kidding. I’m sorry.”

I relax. “It’s okay.”

I stare at him a moment, realising once again that this is really happening to me. That his pretty sea-green eyes are actually looking at me.

“What are you thinking about, love?”

“Huh?” I snap out of my trance, sitting up straighter. “What did you say?”

Percy smirks. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

To be honest, I barely remember. “Uh—nothing. Trying to think of what to do this afternoon after school.”

“You don’t have plans?” he asks.

I shake my head, and sip my chocolate milk. It tastes terrible.

“You’re going on a date with me, dummy,” Percy says, so casually I almost miss it. He leans his head back and throws a grape in the air, catching it in his mouth. It’s surprisingly attractive.

“Wait,” I say. “What?”

“You.” Percy points his finger at me, then himself. “Me.” He makes a swirling motion with his finger. “That new waterpark by the beach.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You’re asking me to go on a date with you?”

“You aren’t saying no.”

“No,” I reply, my voice soft, “I’m not.”

“Wow,” I say. “That’s an epic waterpark.”

Percy grins down at me, his eyes looking extra pretty in the afternoon sunlight. “You wanna race to the gate?”

I pretend to think about it for a second, then begin sprinting as fast as I can. I hear Percy gasp in laughter, then start after me. He catches me easily, his legs much longer than mine, but as he does, he scoops me up into a hug.

“Hey!” I shriek. “Put me down!”

I can tell he isn’t taking me seriously though, because we’re both laughing too hard. Percy eventually drops me gently on the ground. I can’t help but suddenly miss the feeling of his bare chest against me. I blink, and instantly shake those thoughts away.

“Buy me an ice cream and I’ll let you win all our races from now on,” I tease.

Percy scoffs. “Darlin’, you couldn’t win if you had a jetpack on.”

I try to ignore the flutter in my chest and roll my eyes. “Could so, and I don’t need any old jetpack.” I flex my nonexistent muscles. “You see these? I’m perfectly fine on my own, thank you.”

“Oh, oh yeah of course. Sorry, your majesty.” Percy has a stupid grin on his face, and I have an urge to kiss him right then and there.

And so I do. I grab hold of his shoulders, pull myself up onto tiptoe, and press my mouth to his. “I love you, Seaweed Brain,” I whisper into his lips.

Percy wraps his arms around my waist, causing the flutter to return, more greatly this time. He deepens the kiss, his head tilting downwards to accommodate my shorter height. His lips taste of the jellybeans we were eating earlier together. He had insisted on eating only the blue ones, of course.

The world around me blurs, and fades, and I’m left with only him, only Percy Jackson. His fingers on my waist, his mouth on mine, my heart in his hands. I am completely and totally his, as I’ve been forever, but now? He’s completely and totally mine too. My not-so-fictional boy.

[strawberrymanifest]

Finally accepting the 3D never mattered

If you’ve been wondering how to ignore the 3D and accept 4D/imagination as the only reality without neglecting the 3D or living in denial, then this is for you.

This post is heavily inspired by this post by @4dbeingguide so check it out after.

This part of their post made “ignore the 3D” click for me and what I’m going to be building on:

“what if what i’m doing won’t make anything manifest in the 3D?” then boo-fucking-hoo? it wouldn’t even matter because that’s not where you live. you’re 4-dimensional. […] think about this question: “what if it doesn’t manifest in the 2D (a world of only length and width)?” i bet you’re like “womp womp? the fuck would that have to do with me? it’s not real and I don’t live there!” give that SAME energy to the 3D. you live in the 4D.”

So if we remember geometry class, we understand that the 2D is a hypothetical world of only length and width. (Think of a square). And the 3D is our world, with length, width, and depth. (Think of a cube)

The 3D takes the 2D and adds another dimension; depth. Likewise, the 4D takes the 3D and adds another dimension; your inner world of thoughts, beliefs, and assumptions.

So when we say 4D/imagination/inner self is the true reality, we can still acknowledge that 3D world exists! We just know that our reality is more than what the 3D is showing us. Let me explain.

You have never experienced a 3D circumstance without your mind generating some kind of assumption about that circumstance. For example, if you see a red round fruit your brain automatically assumes that it is an apple (or it assumes idk what that object is).

You cannot see the 3D without automatically assuming something about it. In this way, you have never “experienced the 3D”. You can only experience the 3D + assumptions of it aka the 4D. The 4D/imagination is your only reality.

You don’t live in 3D, you perceive it from the 4D.

The 3D is real. But what it’s showing us doesn’t matter once we see that the 4D, our thoughts and assumptions about the 3D, are the only thing that we truly experience.

You are not experiencing difficult circumstances. You are experiencing difficult thoughts and assumptions about the circumstances.

See the difference? See how this frees us from caring about the 3D?

Anytime a 3D circumstance happens that is “against” your desire remember that the 3D is not telling you don’t have your desire. The 3D can’t tell you anything, it’s just a bunch of shapes and colors. It’s your unconscious reaction to the 3D that is telling you that you don’t have your desire. And that is something you can change.

You are experiencing your unconscious thoughts/reactions, and you are calling it “difficult circumstances”.

You need to stop, become aware of your reactions to the 3D. Realize the 3D is not what you’re upset about, your assumptions are upsetting you.

But you know about the law, so you can change what you assume. Affirm, visualize, accept that it is done, and persist, in spite of what your mind’s automatic reactions say.

To wrap it up:

I personally don’t subscribe to the idea that “the 3D isn’t real” bc of course it is we can literally see it. However I do believe that the 3D doesn’t matter because it is not what we truly experience.

If you still haven’t been able to let go of what the 3D is showing you it’s because you haven’t realized that the 3D isn’t what is bothering you. It’s your mind’s unconscious belief system that is producing unfavorable thoughts related to the 3D.

The reason you’re struggling is because you don’t realize that every thought you have is an assumption, not a fact. Once you become aware of this you see that all that needs to change is your thoughts/beliefs/assumptions. If you are struggling to “just change” your beliefs, I will be making a post on how to stop being a victim to subconscious beliefs very soon.

(This is my first long post so lmk if anything I said wasn’t clear, I’d love to answer any questions!)

[usafphantom2]

The Last Cat: The F-14 Tomcat and its Fleet Air Defense Role

The final member of the Grumman cat family, the F-14 Tomcat, with its signature variable-geometry wings and twin-engine design, became an iconic symbol of the Cold War.

Darrick Leiker

The Last Cat F-14 Tomcat

Creating the Cat

A product of the “Grumman Iron Works” (Grumman Corp.), famous for producing rugged fighter aircraft such as the F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat during World War Two, the F-14 is a variable-geometry twin-engine all-weather interceptor/air-superiority fighter built under the newer company name of Grumman Aerospace Corporation.

The final member of the Grumman cat family, the F-14 Tomcat, with its signature variable-geometry wings and twin-engine design, became an iconic symbol of the Cold War.Creating the CatThe Claws of the CatF-14 Specifications and VariantsCombat Air Patrol Cat FightsStray Cats

When a program known as TFX (Tactical Fighter Experimental), established by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, produced a naval version of the highly-touted Air Force F-111A, it soon became obvious the aircraft was not going to live up to requirements or expectations as a replacement for the Navy’s McDonnell Douglas F-4. Soon after McNamara left office, the too heavy General Dynamics-Grumman F-111B naval version was forgotten.

In July 1968 the Navy requested proposals on a new carrier-based fleet defense aircraft under a program known as Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX). Designs came from General Dynamics, North American Rockwell, Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV), McDonnell Douglas, and Grumman. Grumman was announced the winner of the design competition in Jan. 1969 with the company’s Model 303 proposal.

Grumman’s Model 303 design was a two-seat design and was built around a weapons system known as the Hughes AWG-9. Two Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofans would power the large aircraft, and, following Grumman’s tradition of naming aircraft after cats, the new aircraft became known as the F-14 “Tomcat” and would be the last “cat” produced by Grumman, with the first flight taking place on Dec. 21, 1970.

The F-14 was the first of the Teen Series of fighters for the United States, and was designed to establish complete air superiority in the vicinity of carrier battle groups at sea, perform interceptor duties, reconnaissance missions, as well as a secondary role attacking tactical targets. The variable-geometry wings adjusted automatically between 20 and 68 degrees, sweeping back for intercepting at high-speeds, and swung forward for lower speeds used for loitering and increased endurance during patrol duties. The rugged landing gear was designed to withstand carrier operations for the heaviest and largest U.S. fighter ever built for carrier operations.

After completing carrier trials in the summer of 1972, deliveries of the aircraft, now designated the F-14A, followed in Oct. of that year with the commissioning of the first two F-14 squadrons, VF-1 and VF-2. The F-14 would go to sea as an operational aircraft for the first time aboard the carrier USS Enterprise on Sept. 17, 1974.

A prototype F-14A during armament testing in 1973 with the wings swung forward. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

The Claws of the Cat

The heart of the F-14’s ability to perform its fleet defense missions was the Hughes AN/AWG-9 weapons control system, which could track up to 24 targets at once and allow 6 of them to be fired upon simultaneously. With roots in the Douglas F6D Missileer and the F-111B, the system and its powerful radar had look-down capabilities exceeding 150 miles and, combined with the AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air (AAM) missile, the Tomcat was the perfect weapon for interception of long-range threats to naval assets.

The AIM-54 could carry a 132 lb warhead at speeds up to Mach 5 at a range over 125 miles, providing air defense of the fleet over an area consisting of 12,000 square miles at altitudes from near sea level to altitudes attained by aircraft and tactical missiles. An incredibly expensive missile, it was also very effective, carrying its own radar guidance system, allowing the F-14 to concentrate on and engage multiple threats. The AIM-54 was a large missile with a length of 13 ft, wingspan of 3 ft and weighing close to 1,000 lb. The F-14 could carry up to six Phoenix missiles, but normally was loaded in smaller quantities of two or four with a combination of other AAMs.

Medium range AIM-7 Sparrow missiles could also be carried by the Tomcat for BVR (Beyond Visual Range) aerial targets, as well as shorter range AIM-9 Sidewinder for closer targets. Racks allowed various combinations of “iron bombs” to be attached to the aircraft. Multiple weapons loading schemes allowed the F-14 to be configured for a variety of roles defending the fleet against aerial threats at various ranges or attacking ground targets, with a capacity for a mixture of ordinance of up to 14,500 lb. Drop tanks could also be thrown into the mix to extend range.

For close-in engagements the Tomcat also had a General Electric M61A-1 Vulcan 20 mm rotary cannon mounted in the forward fuselage on the left side. A total of 675 rounds were available for the Gatling-style gun capable of a rate of fire of up to 6,000 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity around 3,400 feet per second (FPS).

An F-14 with a full load of six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles makes a turn with its wings in the swept position. While an effective long-range fleet defense weapon, it was unusual for the maximum number of AIM-54s to be carried, usually two or four were carried, augmented by AIM-7 and AIM-9 missiles. Tests showed the Phoenix effective not just against enemy aircraft, but against some types of incoming missiles as well. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

F-14 Specifications and Variants

Grumman F-14A models were supplied to the United States Navy totaling 478 in number. The A variant was powered by two Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-412A afterburning turbofans producing up to 20,900 lb of thrust each and giving the aircraft a maximum speed of Mach 2.34. Maximum wingspan was 64 ft 1.5 in and 38 ft 2.5 in at the maximum swept position. Service ceiling was 56,000 ft. Overall length was 62 ft with a height of 16 ft. Maximum take-off weight was 74,349 lb. A crew of two consisting of a pilot and a rear seat officer known as a RIO (Radar Intercept Officer), or sometimes called NFO (Naval Flying Officer), sat in tandem with good visibility.

An F-14B model was proposed utilizing the Pratt & Whitney F401-PW turbofans with a prototype produced from an existing F-14A and known as the “Super Tomcat”, but was placed in storage after a handful of flights. It would be used later a testbed for the General Electric F110-GE-400 engines producing 28,200 lb of thrust with good results. Later, some F-14A models were fitted with General Electric F110-GE-400 engines, designated F-14A+ and eventually re-designated the F-14B in May 1991. The new engines were more fuel efficient and also increased performance. These Tomcats received the ALR-67 Radar Homing and Warning (RHAW) system along with other upgrades.

An F-14C variant was proposed powered by two General Electric F101DFE engines along with improvements in avionics, radar, and fire control systems. However, the C model was never produced and most of these improvements were incorporated into later production F-14As, F-14A+(B), and eventually the F-14D.

The final Tomcat variant was the F-14D, with a total of 37 being produced before further production being stopped by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney in 1989. An additional 18 F-14As were converted to the F-14D.

Notable upgrades to the F-14 throughout its service life include the TARPS (Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System) controlled by the RIO, which included an extra display for viewing reconnaissance data, allowing the Tomcat to assume the role of the retiring Vought RF-8G Crusader. The Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) gave the F-14 a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera for nocturnal operations along with a laser target designator for guiding laser-guided munitions. Ground attack capabilities improved in the 1990’s with the addition of the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) system along with the capabilities to carry GPS guided weapons. ROVER III was added to some Tomcats to provide full motion video (FMV) real time to forward air controllers in the early 2000’s.

An F-14D of VF-31 “Tomcatters” during the type’s last operational cruise in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005/2006, armed with a GBU-12 Paveway II. (Image credit: U.S. Navy)

Combat Air Patrol Cat Fights

On August 19, 1981, two F-14s were engaged by Libyan Sukhoi Su-22 “Fitters” over the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea. In what became known as the Gulf of Sidra incident, the Tomcats from VF-41”Black Aces,” operating from the carrier USS Nimitz, were able to evade the hostile missile fired at them and returned fire splashing both Libyan aircraft.

The American aircraft were flying CAP (Combat Air Patrol) while a Lockheed S-3A Viking ran a pattern over international waters that were contested by Libyan leader Gaddafi as belonging to Libya. Both Su-22s were destroyed by hits in the tailpipe from heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. It was the first aerial victories for the F-14 as well as a historical first of all aircraft involved being of variable-geometry designs.

Shortly after the incident two MiG-25 “Foxbat” aircraft operated by Libya headed towards Nimitz with F-14s turning them back, then once the F-14s turned for home, the MiGs turned back towards the carrier only to be chased away once more.

Jan. 4, 1989 saw the Libyans once again throw variable-geometry aircraft against American F-14s in a second incident over the Gulf of Sidra, when a pair of MiG-23 Floggers was downed in the Mediterranean Sea north of Tobruk, Libya. Two pairs of F-14s were conducting combat air patrols while operating from the carrier USS John F. Kennedy, when a Grumman E-2 Hawkeye detected the MiGs departure from an airfield near Tobruk and heading north toward the carrier battle group.

One pair of Tomcats operating with VF-32 was directed to intercept the MiGs while another pair of F-14s from VF-14 flew cover for Grumman A-6 Intruder aircraft operating in the area. The intercepting F-14s began tracking the Floggers 72 nautical miles away but, unlike most previous encounters with Libyan pilots, the two MiGs did not turn back once detecting the radar sweeps from the Tomcats.

F-14A Tomcat 160403 on the deck of the USS Nimitz the day after the aircraft shot down a Libyan Su-22 Fitter. (Image credit: U.S. Navy)

The two pairs of aircraft continued to converge head on, and despite multiple maneuvers, the MiGs insisted on placing themselves on head-on approaches to the American aircraft. With the MiGs consistently showing aggression, they were determined hostile and one was shot down with an AIM-7 Sparrow, followed by the second MiG being downed by an AIM-9.

During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Tomcats performed CAP duties over the Red Sea as well as the Persian Gulf, along with strike escort missions and reconnaissance roles. With strict Rules of Engagement, the F-14 was limited in utilizing BVR weapons such as the AIM-7 and the AIM-54; however the AWG-9 radar emissions frequently sent Iraqi aircraft retreating at a great range once they were “lit up.”

On Jan. 21, 1991 the F-14 suffered its only loss to enemy action when one was hit with an SA-2 surface-to-air missile near Al Asad airbase in Iraq. The F-14 shared the skies with Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-15s conducting air combat patrols. A Mi-8 helicopter would be the final kill for a United States Navy F-14 when it was downed with an AIM-9 on Feb. 6.

Nicknamed “Bombcats,” F-14s finished out their career utilizing enhanced ground attack capabilities in Bosnia during Operation Deliberate Force, in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They performed these duties well and also helped enforce “no-fly zones.” However, the Tomcat’s career was coming to a close.

Stray Cats

Despite attempts to market the F-14 abroad, only one nation besides the United States purchased the F-14. Originally sold to the Imperial Iranian Air Force in the 1970s, the Shah of Iran was deposed from power leaving these potent aircraft and their Phoenix missiles in the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) in 1979.

Although not involved in fleet defense roles, Iran used the aircraft and the AIM-54 with good success during the Iran-Iraq War 1980-1989. Out of the original 79 purchased, small numbers of Iranian F-14s are thought to still be airworthy despite the lack of spare parts due to American sanctions, and at the time of this writing it is unclear how they have fared in the recent conflict with Israel.

An Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force F-14 on landing approach. Sold to at the time America’s ally, the revolution of 1979 removed the Shah from power and placed the aircraft in the hands of those hostile to the United States. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Putting the Cat out

Despite performing well and having extremely potent and effective weapons and capabilities for fleet air defense, the F-14 Tomcat was retired from active service with the Navy on Sept. 22, 2006 at NAS (Naval Air Station) Oceana, Virginia, after Grumman had produced a total of 710 aircraft. The potent AIM-54 Phoenix missile was retired previously in 2004. The last flight for an F-14 in U.S. service was on Oct. 4, 2006.

The Tomcat had become very expensive to maintain and being a mostly analog plane in a digital world, it was replaced by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet that is capable of carrying the new AIM-174 “Gunslinger” long range AAM. Many F-14s are now on display in museums and parks with engines and critical components removed in order to prevent parts being harvested and used by the Iranians to keep their F-14s in service. Made famous by the popular 1986 Top Gun movie, the legendary Tomcat is well recognized and loved by both movie goers and aviation enthusiasts everywhere.

@TheAviationist.com

Several retired Tomcats are on display in museums and parks, the example here on display at Eisenhower Park in WaKeeney, Kansas just off of I-70. F-14A 160925 was a TARPS capable aircraft. (Image credit: Author’s Collection)

[monkeyssalad-blog]

216 Jaguar Mark II 3.8 litre Saloon (1963) 400 FLA by Robert Knight Via Flickr: Jaguar Mk.II 3.8ltr. (1960-68) Engine 3781 S6 DOC Production 30070 Registration Number 400 FLA (London) JAGUAR ALBUM www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623671588245... The Jaguar Mark 2 is a medium-sized saloon car built from late 1950, replacing the similar looking Mark I It came with a 120 bhp (89 kW; 120 PS) 2,483 cubic centimetres (152 cu in), 210 bhp (160 kW; 210 PS) 3,442 cubic centimetres (210 cu in) or 220 bhp (160 kW; 220 PS) 3,781 cubic centimetres (231 cu in) Jaguar XK engine and a 3.8 litre XK engine similar to the unit used in the 3.8 E-Type but different inlet manifold and carburation (two SUs versus three on the E-Type in Europe) Compared to the Mark 1, appearance of the car was transformed by an increase of 18% in cabin glass area greatly improving vision. The car was re-engineered above the waistline, slender front pillars allowed a wider windscreen and the rear window almost wrapped around to the enlarged side windows. The radiator grille was amended and larger side, tail and fog lamps repositioned. Mechanically the front suspension geometry was rearranged and the rear track widened Four-wheel disc brakes were now standard. Power steering, overdrive or automatic transmissions could be fitted at extra cost. The 3.8 Litre was supplied fitted with a limited-slip differential Diolch am 92,667,428 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr. Thanks for 92,667,428 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated. Shot 23.04.2022 at the Bicester Spring Scramble, Bicester, Oxfordshire 158-216

[astra-ravana]

Working With Carnesiel

Master Of The Eastern Wind

Enn: "Ayen On Ca Carnesiel Zodira On Kaien"

Rank: Emporer

Colors: Light blue, teal, yellow

Herbs: Lavender, dandelion, lemon grass, peppermint, sweetgrass, eucalyptus, thyme, vervain, eyebright, chamomile, hyssop, yarrow, blue lotus, phlox, copal, wild bergamot, bluebell, anise, marjoram, caraway, celery seed, periwinkle, clary sage, acacia, Queen Anne's lace, meadowsweet, wood betony, tansy

Crystals: Rainbow fluorite, celestite, vlue kyanite, apophyllite, angelite, danburite, Herkimer diamond, scolecite, aquamarine, blue lace agate, afganite, chalcedony, ajoite, turquoise, phenacite, tanzanite, herderite, petalite, desert rose, ulexite, faden quartz

Element: Air

Planet: Mercury

Zodiac: Gemini (Libra)

Metal: Gold, mercury

Tarot: The Magician, The Chariot, The Lovers

Direction: East

Day: Wednesday

Animals: Eagles, butterflies

Domains: Mastery over wind, breath, and etheric currents, atmospheric phenomena, storm/weather magick, whispers on the wind, air spirits, aerial intelligence, mental/intellectual sovereignty, abstract reasoning, higher logic, pattern recognition, languages, codes, occult sciences, sacred geometry, invocations, channeling, spiritual downloads, Third Eye opening, inspiration, mental lucidity, dream messages, scrying, spirit communication, automatic writing, ascension, astral projection, relocation, travel safety, spiritual maps, speech, verbal clarity

Offerings: Feathers, notes, incense, poems, eagle/butterfly imagery, representations of weather (clouds, lightning, rain drops, etc.), collections of knowledge, bells/chimes, spell scrolls, satin/silk, origami birds, airy/fluffy pastries, champagne, honey comb, kites, wind whistles/flutes, Mercury dimes and other rare coins

Sigil:

[coldgoldlazarus]

I would love to hear more about the "Towers of the Archipelago" project, it reminds me of the Heroica games

Sure! And yeah, I can definitely see the resemblance, with this sorta "overworld" style map at least ^.^

I did have a more detailed version of the lighthouse island and the adjoining one, from last week, but I kinda got bogged down in details and cheating geometry to facilitate that, thus the switch to an even more reduced scale for the time being.

Towers Of The Archipelago is definitely still in the early sorta "vibes-based" stage of the idea, but it's also a coalescence of a handful of different fragmented ideas that have been floating around my head for the past several years, so there isn't a whole lot to talk about just yet, but I can still give a rundown of what there is so far.

It's pretty strongly inspired by Moon Rhapsody, a gorgeous but unfinished zeldalike game I found on itch.io a year and a half ago, (albeit without the nsfw stuff that one has,) though somehow the recent release of the first chapter of ENA: Dream BBQ had a hand in making my angle finally coalesce lol.

Probably mainly just because of this specific area in it, plus making me want it to be a first-person-adventure game for the vibes.

---

Anyway, yeah, so as the big map and the name imply, picturing a big archipelago connected by bridges, where most of the islands have small villages on them; but every village has to have a big tower of some sort (lighthouse, radio tower, weather reading station, pagoda temple, factory smokestack, harbor crane, etc.) that kinda defines that town's role, in the big trade ecosystem they all have going on between them.

Lots of youkai and monsters and stuff just casually living alongside humans, (can swap between cute humanoid and full cryptid forms at will, picturing a kasa-obake being a major character) tech level is like, kinda random but leans more toward oldtimey industrial revolution level but with some like, 60s/70s computation stuff in the bigger towns?

And there's a spooky island further off from the rest that only appears at night; its village is completely empty, and its tower is a Numbers Station.

Also something something about the moon and sun being alive and watching people? Like big Luna and Celestia vibes, but more as deities than as rulers, though still don't know exactly what I wanna do with that. They'd be tied to an observatory tower and a heliography tower, respectively, though; in the big map here, the heliography tower is the one just a couple islands away from the southwest lighthouse, while I'm imagining the observatory being more toward the northwestern part of the archipelago, atop a more mountainous island.

In the more detailed map of the lighthouse and crossroads island, I included a wrench piece looping around a diagonal stretch of bridge, just to cover a gap between the pieces, but that led to the idea of like, there being these big ancient magic gates around the bridges, normally open by default, but which automatically close up as a defensive measure.

In general, the concept for the setting (islands all with their own towers) has been bugging me for A While, but I didn't have anything to do with it yet.

---

But thankfully I do finally have something of an actual premise now, even if it's still pretty basic. A big storm with a tinge of something supernatural rolls in, making the normally-placid sea routes unsafe from turbulent waters, but also triggering all of the bridge gates across the entire archipelago to close at once; cutting off the islands from one-another completely.

The protagonist is a girl from the small southwest lighthouse village, and somehow she has a way to make the gates reopen even before their lockdown ends, so she either gets sent, or decides on her own, to go head out and try to get to the bottom of what's going on, and reconnect all the towns as she goes.

The real trouble with this is that I don't know what "the bottom of what's going on" entails either; I just figure in classic quest tradition it's something way over her head that she has to work her way up to meeting head-on.

Though it's probably something unrelated to the spooky disappearing Numbers Station island I mentioned earlier; that I see being just another feature of the islands, eerie and inexplicable as it may be; whereas whatever the storm brought is an outside factor.

Also given what I mentioned about youkai earlier, kinda wondering if it would be interesting to make the protagonist herself one, though I haven't settled on anything for sure yet.

---

Just kinda picturing an animated cover or titlecard thingy, with the main character in the center, mostly in shadows but holding a storm lantern that's illuminating her face and part of her body. Then the silhouette of the lighthouse behind her in all black, except for the windows at the top; and then more distant silhouettes of some of the islands and the other various towers kinda spread out on either side of it, also all in black except for the blinking red air traffic lights on top of those. Very razor-thin crescent moon up in the sky, surrounded by clouds in the shape of an eye.

Comfortably spooky, I think that's the phrase for the vibe I'm going for.

So yeah, it's a thing. :)

[cr-ok]

contains some spoilers for the ARG

Bill Ci. My Brainrot Guy.

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill List Overview & Entry Syntax

a little disorganized

yell at me if I’m missing codes or if something is wrongly categorized

do not worry about spaces/some punctuation marks (",", ".", "-", "+", "&", "@", parenthesis, quotation marks, and slashes)

i. e. "THEYLLSEE"/"THEYLL SEE"/"THEY'LL SEE" all work & have the same output

site does not accept entries with "?"

all characters are capitalized automatically

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill You All are Wonderful People

Busy_Abroad370 CranberrySoft8335 DCode Dog_core fishy--friend FRAMER_FRAMER Hacker88774770 Global-Pepper-5823 marzinstarz moonwytte mothford ohnoimonfire RiotingSpectre themoonweaversden themysteryofgravityfalls thisisnotawebsitedotcom-com wolsalwastaken

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Where to Click

book button below the screen dagger dial below the screen “McGucket Labs” above the screen gold tooth on skeleton jar link below the prism

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Relevant to The Book of Bill

BOYFRIEND/LONELY/LOVE/MARRY ME/ROMANCE/SOULMATE/TRUE LOVE CRYPTOGRAM CODEX DESTRUCTION IS A FORM OF CREATION SCARY/SPOOKS/SPOOKY/SPOOKEMUPS T. J. ECKLEBURG

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Bill, Past & Present

BABY/BABY BILL/DADDY/LALALA/LALALALALA/MOMMY DIVORCE/BREAKUP/ROCK BOTTOM EUCLID/SCALENE/SCRIMBLES EUCLYDIA FAMILY MATTERS FORGET THE PAST IRREGULAR JUST FIT IN RUBBER HOSE

it ends, eventually

SEVEN EYES TANTRUM THERAPRISM VALLIS CINERIS WELL WELL WELL BEING

three outputs

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Stanford, Past & Present

AD ASTRA PER ASPERA DOES GOD EXIST/FACE OF GOD/FRILLIAM/GOD/HELP ME/IS GOD REAL/IS RELIGION REAL/REVEAL GOD/REVEAL GOD TO ME/SAVE ME/SHOW ME GOD/WHAT DOES GOD LOOK LIKE/WHAT IS GOD/WHO IS GOD EVEN HIS LIES ARE LIES I’M STILL ON YOUR MIND/ON YOUR MIND OROBOROUS SORRY

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Riddles

answers in book

RIDDLE

NO/YES

MOUNTAIN DON'T

LYRE LIAR

HAROLD'S RAMBLINGS

UNION MADE

29121239168518

GREBLEY HEMBERDRECK

A RAT/RAT

3466554

TINSEL SNAKE

TORTURE MENTALLY

XGQRTHX

333 SUNDAPPLE LANE, COZY CREEK, IL, 60714-94611

CAESAR, ATBASH, & VIGENERE/MULTILEVEL MARK

EMMALINE BUTTERNUBBINS/BUTTERNUBBINS

DISPENSE MY ANSWER

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Zodiac

DIPPER

enter five times

FORD/SIXER/STANFORD/STANFORD PINES GIDEON

two outputs

GRUNKLE STAN/STAN/STANLEY/STANLEY PINES/STAN PINES

enter eight times

MASON MABEL - enter thirteen times FIDDLEFORD/FIDDLEFORD HADRON MCGUCKET/FIDDLEFORD MCGUCKET/MCGUCKET PACIFICA PLATINUM PAZ ROBBIE SOOS WENDY

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Bill Addressing the User

BAAAA/SAY BAAAA BLACK SHEEP BOO BERRY DESTRUCTION IS A FORM OF CREATION NAITSUAF

use the button and the knob

UNREALITY

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Canon to Universe

ALGEBRA/GEOMETRY/GREECE/GREEK/SHAPE/SHAPES/MATH/PLATO/PYTHAGORUS/TRIGONOMETRY BABBA/DISCO GIRL BLENDIN/BLENDIN BLENJAMIN BLANDIN/BLENDIN BLANDIN BLIND EYE CLONE/PAPER JAM/PAPER JAM DIPPER/TYRONE DUCKTECTIVE FORDTRAMARINE HECTORING HOTXOLOTL JUST BLENDIN KINGS OF NEW JERSEY KOOK KUBRICK L IS REAL 2401 LOVE YA BRO PINES PORTAL REALITY R34LITY SEVERAL TIMES/SEV'RAL TIMES SUCK IT, MERLIN

use Cipher Font B

WEIRDMAGEDDON YOU'RE INSANE

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Directly from "Gravity Falls"

AM I BLANCHIN' BYE GOLD DEER TEETH FILBRICK

Stans's father's name

FIXINIT1 DUCHESS APPROVES/THE DUCHESS APPROVES HOLOGRAM REALITY UNIVERSE/THE UNIVERSE

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Unsure of the Canonicity

ANALOG HORROR/CREEPYPASTA/HORROR/URBAN LEGEND/URBAN LEGENDS BURNED INSIDE BURNSIDE CARD/MY CARD

two outputs

CURSED CURSE WITTEBANE HEY NERD LIES OCCURREMUSITERUM OWL TROWEL PAPER IS BOOKSKIN SHAVE YOUR GRANDMA

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Ciphertology

CIPHERTOLOGY

two outputs

DIONARAP GOODNIGHT SALLY STOD EHT TCENNOC TOURIST TRAP WHICH RELIGION IS RIGHT YOU CAN'T KILL AN IDEA

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Easter Eggs

ALEX/ALEX HIRSCH/ALEXANDER ROBERT HIRSCH/HIRSCH ANSWER ASSHOLE/BITCH/CUM/CUNT/DICK/FUCK/FUCK YOU/GANG BANG/GLORY HOLE/JIZZ/MILF/PUSSY/SEX/SHIT/TITS/SLUT/TED CRUZ/WHORE BOOK OF BILL/THE BOOK OF BILL CHIP/DORITO/NACHO

jumpscare warning

CRYPTO/DOGE/ELON/FORTNITE/GYATT/NFT/RIZZ/SKIBIDI DEATH DISNEY/DISNEYLAND/EPCOT/MICKEY/MICKEY MOUSE/WALT DISNEY EASTER EGG FUCK YOU ALEX/FUCK ALEX HIRSCH GUN/THE GUN HISTORY

four outputs

HOW DO I DIE? HOW WILL I DIE? I SEE/THEY’LL SEE/THEY’LL ALL SEE IS HELL REAL? IS THERE AN AFTERLIFE/WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I DIE/WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE/WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU DIE/WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE/WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE LIFE MEOW/MEOW WOW MONSTER MORALITY NOT A PHASE NOTHING PEAK PINATA OH YES THEY BOTH ONE-EYED KING QUESTION SCREEN SCIENTOLOGY SEASON 3 SEASON 2 SEASON 1 SKELETON SOMETHING TELL ME HOW I'LL DIE TITANS BLOOD TRIANGLE

two outputs.

I'm convinced one is a typo

VIRUS WHO ARE YOU

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Reference to the Show

ABUELITA AXOLOTL BILL/BILL CIPHER/CIPHER/LLIB/LLIB REHPIC/REHPIC

three outputs

BLANCHIN/BLANCHING CARYN

Stans's mother's name

CIA/FBI/NSA CRAY CRAY CRAZ/XYLER DIPPY FRESH GIFFANY

enter this six times

GLASS SHARD BEACH GLOBNAR GRAVITY FALLS JOURNAL 1 JOURNAL 2 JOURNAL 3 MYSTERY MYSTERY SHACK TAD STRANGE TOBY DETERMINED WADDLES

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Cameos

CONSPIRACY GAME THEORY/HELP ME MATPAT/HELP US MATPAT/MATPAT/THAT’S JUST A/THEORY WEIRD

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill Does Not Work; I'm in Shambles

ASS BILL IS SANS BLIND IVAN DRAKE FIDDLEFORD H. MCGUCKET/HADRON FINGERS IN HIS ASS HENCHMAINIACS LEBAM LIGMA LUCIFER MERMANDO OVERLOOK/OVERLOOK HOTEL PLEASE SATAN SEXYMAN SEVRAL TIMEZ SIGMA THEY WILL ALL SEE TOOT TOOT MCBUMBERSNAZZLE TWINK JULY 4/7-4-1921

Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill ⚠︎ 𓁺 ⚠︎ Bill I Have Been Mislead/Fuck You, Internet

BRAINROT BUBBLE

eye in the jar element ID

CUSSES FOURTRAMARINE

spelling error

GOD BUBBLE MCSUCKIT OK KO REPHIC

spelling error

SMALL STILL ON YOUR MIND

incorrectly-remembered