#hydration sensor

[druganddeviceworld]

WearOptimo’s CEO and founder talks about clinical accuracy, development, and the launch of the AI-powered wearable sensor for detecting hydration levels. #news #interview #water #hydration #dehydration #research #wearable #sensor #clinicaltrial

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

Man, sometimes living alone with ADHD really do be like:

Me: Huh, I wonder why I'm so shaky and tired and seeing spots everywhere

Also me: *hasn't eaten food in two days, hasn't had water in just as long, has been hunched over current hyper fixation for hours without moving, hasn't seen sunlight in days*

Me: .... Just one of life's great mysteries I suppose

[pomegranatelifethis]

A Slice of Chaos

The Hall of Justice loomed like a futuristic fortress, all sleek metal and glowing holograms. You, however, were sprawled across a plush couch in the lounge, a bag of Doritos propped on your stomach, crumbs dusting your hoodie. At sixteen, you were the Justice League’s resident wildcard—a high school sophomore with powers you barely understood and a work ethic that could generously be described as “nonexistent.”

“Shouldn’t you be in the training room?” Diana’s voice cut through the crunch of your snack. Wonder Woman stood in the doorway, arms crossed, her lasso glinting at her hip. She was all regal poise, the kind of woman who could probably bench press a tank and still look flawless.

You grinned, popping another chip in your mouth. “Training’s overrated, Di. Besides, I’m strategizing.” You gestured vaguely at the empty soda can on the coffee table. “Hydration plan, see?”

Her lips twitched, fighting a smile. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Love you too!” you called as she shook her head and walked off. You were pretty sure Diana had a soft spot for you, even if you drove her up the wall. Most of the League did. It was your charm—cute, sweet, and just naughty enough to keep things interesting.

The lounge was your sanctuary, a place to dodge Batman’s endless drills or Superman’s earnest pep talks. You were a meta, discovered a year ago when you accidentally levitated your entire math class during a particularly boring lecture. The League scooped you up, promising to train you to control your telekinesis. Problem was, training was *hard*, and you’d rather be napping or raiding the League’s industrial-sized fridge.

A shadow fell over you. “Y/N.” Batman’s gravelly voice was unmistakable, like someone gargling asphalt. You didn’t even look up, just waved a Dorito in his general direction.

“Hey, Bats. Want one? Cool Ranch, your fave.”

He didn’t take the bait. He never did. “You skipped combat training. Again.”

You propped yourself up on your elbows, giving him your best puppy-dog eyes. “I was gonna go, I swear, but then I remembered I had this super important… uh, snack inventory to do.”

His cowl didn’t budge, but you could *feel* the exasperation radiating off him. “Your powers are raw. Uncontrolled. You’re a liability until you master them.”

“Liability’s a strong word,” you said, licking cheese dust off your fingers. “I prefer ‘chaotic asset.’ Sounds cooler.”

“Get to the training room. Now.”

You groaned, flopping back dramatically. “Fiiiine. But if I pull a muscle, I’m blaming you.”

💢💢

The training room was a high-tech nightmare—holographic drones, shifting obstacle courses, and enough sensors to make you feel like a lab rat. Flash was there, zipping around like a caffeinated hummingbird, while Green Lantern floated above, smirking as he conjured a glowing green punching bag.

“Look who decided to show up!” Barry called, skidding to a stop beside you. His red suit practically vibrated with energy. “Thought you were gonna ditch again.”

“Blame Bats,” you muttered, tying your messy ponytail tighter. “He’s got a sixth sense for my laziness.”

Hal landed, dismissing his construct. “Kid, you’re gonna give Bruce an aneurysm one day. And I’m gonna laugh.”

You stuck out your tongue. “Rude. I’m a delight.”

The session was brutal. You were supposed to levitate a series of weighted spheres while dodging drones, but your focus was shot. One sphere wobbled, then crashed into a wall, setting off a blaring alarm. You winced, shooting Barry a sheepish grin as he zipped over.

“Maybe try *not* breaking the equipment?” he teased, ruffling your hair.

“I’m a work in progress!” you shot back, but you couldn’t help laughing. Barry was like the cool older brother you never had, always quick with a joke or a snack run.

After an hour, you were sweaty, grumpy, and ready to bolt. “This is child abuse,” you declared, collapsing onto a bench. “I’m reporting you all to… someone.”

Clark appeared, all earnest blue eyes and farm-boy charm. “You did better than last time,” he said, handing you a water bottle. “You just need to focus.”

You took the bottle, eyeing him suspiciously. “Are you *always* this wholesome? It’s unnatural.”

He chuckled, unfazed. “Eat something substantial after this, okay? I saw you with those chips earlier.”

“Snitch,” you muttered, but your stomach growled, betraying you. Food was your love language. Pizza, tacos, ice cream—you didn’t discriminate. The League’s kitchen was your personal heaven, especially since Alfred occasionally dropped off trays of his legendary cookies.

💢💢

Later, you were back in the lounge, this time with a plate of leftover lasagna you’d sweet-talked Cyborg into reheating. Victor was a softie under all that tech, and you knew exactly how to work your charm.

“You’re gonna eat us out of house and home,” he said, but there was no heat in it. He was tinkering with some gadget, his cybernetic eye glowing faintly.

“Worth it,” you mumbled through a mouthful. “This is, like, Michelin-star level.”

A blur of motion, and Barry was beside you, snagging a forkful of your lasagna. “Yo, this is good! Vic, you holding out on me?”

“Get your own!” you swatted at him, but you were laughing. Moments like this—goofing off with the League, no world-ending crises—made the whole “hero-in-training” thing bearable.

Until the alarm blared.

“Unknown energy signature detected in Metropolis,” J’onn’s calm voice echoed over the intercom. “All available members, report to the briefing room.”

You groaned, sinking deeper into the couch. “Can’t the bad guys take a day off?”

Diana appeared, already in mission mode. “Y/N, you’re with us. Observation only.”

You perked up. A mission? No training, just watching the League be badass? “Sweet! I’m in.”

Batman’s glare said he didn’t agree, but you were already bouncing after Diana, lasagna forgotten. Sure, you were lazy, maybe a little too fond of snacks, but you were part of this team—chaos and all. And who knew? Maybe you’d accidentally save the day.

Or at least snag some post-mission tacos.

The briefing room buzzed with tension, but you were already daydreaming about the food truck you’d hit up later. Whatever this mission was, you’d survive it. You always did—with a smile, a quip, and a bag of chips in hand.

[koegama]

Hanasei

Avg. height: 1.70-2.20m | Avg. weight: 80-150 kg | Hyper-carnivores | Semi-aquatic lifestyle | Lifespan: ~120 years

Hanasei are a semi-aquatic species that originate from lakes, but expanded their settlements into rivers and other large bodies of water. They're a medium-sized biped with a hard keratin helmet where horns sprout from and a tail with large fins. Their skin is slightly damp, and can range from smooth to bumpy, that affects their transpiration and how often they must hydrate. They have both two nostrils located at their helmet and from 2 to 4 gills on both sides of their neck, of which are used for speech in land and breathing underwater, while the nostril's only function is on land respiration. Their necks are strong and well develop, and can expand or contract.

Both hands and feet have webbed fingers to facilitate swimming, but the webbing on the hands can retract for better dexterity when handling utensils. Their amphibious lifestyle left them being only decent at both types of locomotion, but their versatility makes up for it as they can comfortably transition to both environments. They're hyper-carnivores and will eat anything made of animal matter, including bones.

They are the only sexless sophont in Koegama, using Aether as a reproduction tool instead of a biological system.

More physiology dump undercut! Warning, long

Head

The common head structure of a Hanasei is somewhat flat, with a stout snout and large jaws. Proportions and shape vary per individual, and slight deviations from standard models are common. Sometimes, small barbels, whisker-like structures, will grow from their jaw and upper lip area. They give a small boon to the olfactory systems, but otherwise have no major benefits.

Horns

While the protrusions on Hanasei's heads are not anatomically horns but a different keratin appendage, horns are the most common colloquial term. Their main purpose were for fighting and a display of health and fitness to potential partners. Nowadays, most Hanasei have no real use for their horns other than decorative, but individuals may favor different horn styles compared to others.

They don't shed, growing through their infancy and plateauing around 23 to 27 years old. If a horn is broken mid-development, it will continue to grow, resulting in mismatched horns and branched protrusions depending on the type of damage. Once the horns stop growing, the blood and nerve system will shrink and be absorbed, leaving the area with no sensation and regrowth impossible. Cracks and missing pieces being a common sign of age.

Variance

Horns are very vulnerable to Aether tampering, leading to a numerous amount of styles and types to exist. Larger, more elaborate horns can make swimming more difficult, but overall the range is stable and harmless.

The presence of horns and the pair number is not affected, with 2 horns always present.

Eyes & Ears

Hanasei have good night vision, but poor eyesight in general. They can recognize the shapes around them and a few colors, but their daylight and night vision are almost the same otherwise. Their eyes can have different shapes and colors, but the effect is purely visual as their eye sensors work the same regardless of their appearance.

Hanasei don't have visible ears, but a tympanic membrane around their cheek area, which is able to pick up vibrations both in and out of water. They have great hearing, and are more aware of vibrations such as tremors and footsteps. They can voluntarily close their inner ear and stop themselves from picking up sounds, a common method for falling asleep.

Mouth

Hanasei lack teeth, using their upper jaw protrusions to hold and rip food instead. They have a powerful bite, being able to hold down things with immense pressure. Their tongues function like a catapult, with the tip facing the inside of the mouth on a resting position and launched outwards when needed, their saliva being sticky and helping trap prey inside their mouths. With cooking and more efficient methods of getting food, this isn't a common practice anymore, unless one spotted a quick snack. Unlike the other sophonts, Hanasei are still able to eat raw meat and may supplement their normal diet with bugs, fish and other easy to snag creatures in between activities.

They have very powerful and sensitive taste buds, coupled with a taste disc that lets them distinct between minute differences in food. Their mouth, just like most of their organs, tend to take the most prominent color of their Aether.

Respiratory system & Speech

Hanasei has two different systems for breathing. Outside of water, their nostrils are open and air moves through their cavity into their respiratory organs, and their gills are used for channeling sound. Air can be directed to their larynx, which is specialized for manipulating air into sound similar to vocal cords, which is only connected to the gills and not nostrils. This separate system means Hanasei can talk while breathing, and their vocalizations are very impressive, being able to mimic almost any sound they hear with practice. They can alter these sounds with the opening and closing of the larynx openings and changing how open or closed their gills are. To keep their gills from drying, the parts used for respiration often retract or close, but Hanasei in drier climates must moisturize their gills at intervals to prevent internal damage.

Underwater, their nostrils close and their gills stay open. Most of their larynx close, and filter capillaries expand to better capture oxygen diffused in the water. This makes vocalization underwater impossible, and sign language is the most common replacement. Hanasei can have 2, 3 or 4 gills on each side of their neck, and the shape of the gill can be varied, creating "accents" for each Hanasei in their relaxed voice.

They have a good olfactory system, being one of their most reliable senses. They're able to smell the humidity in the air and incoming rains and droughts. Because this uses their nostrils, they're unable to smell anything underwater.

Body

Hanasei size and builds are diverse, with individuals building muscle mass, fat and other outside factors influencing how they look. Their proportions stay consistent, with necks around the same size of their torso, short arms and elongated legs bigger than the torso itself, but deviations aren't uncommon.

Limbs

Hanasei arms start with their shoulders placed at the lower area of their torso, and stop with hands on their hips. Despite the shorter length, they have impressive arm strength and weaker Hanasei are known to rival other species' average. This makes them great at carrying things, and grabbing and holding down prey and foes. Their hands are dexterous when the webbing is retracted, but they lose a lot of maneuverability when extended.

Their legs are long and muscular, granting them an upright walk. They're not very fast, averaging 7 km/h running speed, but they have great endurance and the ability to jump high vertical distances and can pounce forward if crouched. Their muscle system can lock into a crouching stance, a comfortable stance comparable to sitting. Their feet are digitigrade but their fingers are big and wide, with a large base, keeping their body in balance and stable at the cost of mobility and grace.

Tail

Hanasei tails are long, with a vertical caudal fin that often extends beyond the base and helps them swim. This fin can regenerate when damaged, and broken or rotten tissue can lead into an entire chunk or the fin removed to speed recovery and promote an even replacement.

Fins are classified into two types, regular and segmented. Regular fins are connected into one piece, while segmented fins are broken down into various fins of different sizes and shapes, similar to fish fins. No matter the type, their shapes are kept hydrodynamic and tailored for swimming. Sometimes, the size of the base tail will also be shorter or longer than average.

Hanasei swim in two ways: a horizontal wave movement and by kicking their legs. The former is done with the help of their tail fins and is the slower of the two, but costs less energy. Hanasei will often alter the surrounding current with Aether to make this movement faster, with an average of 11 km/h. Leg kicks are less common as long term swimming and rather used for short bursts of speed and distance, and the longer one uses it the more they'll tire and may be unable to swim without resting. The peak swimming speed of Hanasei is around 20 km/h, taking leg kicks into account. As they were ambush and endurance predators, the lack of speed was not an issue for them. Depending on their fin shape, individuals may have different ways of swimming.

Aether

Their natural Aether is Nam Aether. They make use of it to help their swimming and underwater hunting, and to keep themselves damp. They tend to cast Aether from their mouths, as their Aether glands are present on their throat.

In their breeding months, their Aether start producing cells for reproduction and lose their usual abilities. This months-long limitation leads Hanasei to not be involved with using their Aether proactively or learn new skills, preferring to rely on technology to harness and utilize Aether instead.

Reproduction

Egg

To create an egg, two or more Hanasei spit out and mix their Aether together in a body of water. The resulting foam will stick together and in 3 days will develop into an egg, and one healthy Hanasei can produce enough reproductive Aether to make 200 eggs. This can only happen in the breeding period of Hanasei, usually on the 2nd and 8th month of the year. Modern Hanasei societies will instead send their reproductive Aether to the labs of the area, which will store it to create eggs with more efficient mixing machines and incubators.

The Aether inside the egg will segregate itself into larva stem cells and the nutritious yolk. After 12~14 days, the egg will be completely dry and the larva will eclode. The volatility of Aether means many larva never form or form incorrectly, and these eggs are discarded and repurposed or eaten. Only 1 in 50 eggs actually eclode, and this high rate of failure leads Hanasei to not view eggs as their young or a new generation, but more of a vessel that can fail or succeed. They have no qualms with re-purposing eggs in food, experiments or any other procedure.

Larva

Larva, often called notes, are very different from their adult counterparts. They're not considered sapient when they first hatch, but their growth is rapid and by 3 months in, they'll have the intelligence of a one year old toddler and have legs and arm stubs growing, alongside the keratin helmet and an underdeveloped nostril. This growth is fueled by a great appetite, and Hanasei larvae are omnivores and will eat almost anything they can fit in their mouths.

At the 9th month, they'll have most of their limbs developed to their young proportions, but their respiratory system will need an additional 3 months to allow for respiration outside water. Larvae at this stage will take short dips into land to push their muscles and lungs, until they no longer need to return to water to breathe.

Young

Once a larva can leave the water, they're called a young. "Young" encompasses the children and teenager years, lumped together as they no longer share any major physical differences from each other or to adults. The rest of their growth will be in size and intellect, slowing down from the quick pace of their larval years into a more normal 20 or so years to reach maturity. The main exception are horns, which only start growing around their 5th year and can take over a decade to finish growing. Smaller horns may plateau faster.

[foone]

Now I'm imagining a totally different version of that mini-story shitpost (I'd call it a ficlet if it was more serious), where it's a story about a floret elaborately planning an escape, but with a twist.

(mini-hdg fic follows. No sex, but this an inherently dubcon/noncon setting and there are some very minor references to that)

They figured out how to bypass some restrictions on the matter compiler by asking for things with components that could be reused. They've hidden tools inside some of their plushies, pushed to the back so their owner won't accidentally notice them.

Finally, it's time. The door to her quarters falls quickly from the acid attack (she's been doing hidden chemistry for Weeks). The ion storm will blind some of the sensors, so they only need a little extra help to not notice a DIY escape pod falling out of an auxiliary cargo bay.

The escape pod soft-lands (well, mostly. It hit a few tree branches on the way down) on the nearby habitable planet, and the door pops up. A floret in some brightly colored doll clothes resewn into hiking gear pops out. She holds up a sensor with a little screen on it, and it shows one big blue dot. Suddenly the dot grows, the screen's image is swamped out, and then it returns: nothing. No dots. The Cembroides has jumped out of the system. She's free without anyone noticing. She tosses aside the sensor she rigged out of a hair cutting machine, grabs some supplies from the pod, and hikes north.

A few kilometers later she finds a clearing with a small log cabin recently built in it. She opens the door without knocking, and says "Did you miss me?"

Her owner puts aside her book. "Of course I did little one! I was worried when your pod came down in the dense forest, but I see you made it safely here."

The floret smiles. "I wasn't worried! I used some hoverunits from an old medi-bed design, so my pod was slowed down enough that I just got jostled a bit. The real trick was figuring out how I could make the pod smart enough to land me near the cabin but not so smart that it'll discover what I'm doing and alert the Cembroides AI... I ended up with a nano-computer out of a dining tray wired into the thrusters. It thinks it's keeping my lunch warm, not flying a spaceship!"

Her owner beams an expression of leafy pride at her. "That's all very interesting, and I look forward to reading your report on it. But for now, come cuddle with mommy, and drink up. You've been hiking through the forest, you need hydration and nutrients now, little one."

The floret jumps into her vines, literally, and buries her face in the leaves of her owner. "it was a lot of fun! I've got some great ideas for the next time, too". She yawns, and cuddles closer, her eyes slowly closing. "But for now I think I'll rest..."

A distance away in the alien jungle, a small creature scurries out of the abandoned escape pod, as the discarded sensor loudly beeps an alert as one of the Cembroides' shuttles makes an FTL jump back into the system.

Back at the cabin, the Affini gently pats the head of their floret. You gotta make sure your pets have plenty of enrichment, you know? And sometimes that means letting them "escape", just so they can have the enjoyment of figuring out their escape plan.

The shuttle sets down besides the cabin, and the Affini carries her sleeping pet out to it, pausing only to activate a system to reclaim the cabin back into biomass for the forest to use. The shuttle takes off silently, and the sound of birds and other forest wildlife slowly returns, as the cabin slowly melts like a sand castle at high tide.

That sensor by the pod beeps again as the shuttle jumps out to meet up with the Cembroides, and something not entirely unlike a deer darts off into the denser forest in fright.

[se-sissy-lina04]

Sissy’s Masterlist:

CT-Cassa: The great water crisis

Trigger:

Echo is taking a shower. Suddenly: "Pffffft-clunk." No water.

In the kitchen: Fives turns the tap – nothing.

Boil is in the middle of watering his plants.

In the washing machine: Hardcase screams because his favorite shirt gets stuck half-dry.

Panic spreads.

8:00 AM – Hallway-wide announcement

Fox is standing in front of the intercom on the ground floor.

His tone: strict.

"Water supply is interrupted in corridors 501st, 212th, Guard, Wolfpack, and all specialist corridors. No panic. No unnecessary movements.“

Hardcase: "I'M ALREADY IN A PANIC!"

8:10 AM – The realization

Kix (notoriously thirsty): "I... I need water. Now.“

Boil: "I need to water my plants."

Rex: "We need to ration ourselves.”

Clones = no water. 10 hallways = dry as Tatooine. Nervous breakdowns = in sight. You? Have no idea.

You:

make yourself a tea.

take a long shower and hum while doing so.

fill Mephisto's bowl.

water your plants.

blow up a green-blue kiddie pool on your small terrace.

Mephisto sits at the edge wearing sunglasses.

You dip your feet in and say: "That was the best impulsive online order of my life."

Meanwhile: In the hallways

Jesse is dying of thirst.

Fives secretly washes his hair with disinfectant gel.

Cody wrote an Excel spreadsheet about "water priorities."

Wrecker drags empty canisters down the hall.

Fox tries to sweat with dignity. Fails.

Tech: "Sensors show... moisture within a 20-meter radius."

Hunter: blinks "There." Scent of mint. And... chlorine?

 

Day 1 – Realization and Denial

Rex starts the day calm. “It’s just a temporary pipe issue. Maintenance’ll sort it.”

Kix is already sweating and furious: “I have medicinal needs. People will dehydrate.”

Fives, lying dramatically on the lobby floor: “This is how I go. Not in battle, but in a dry hallway. Tell my caf mug I loved her.”

Cody tries to rally the 212th: “No problem. We’ll ration. Focus. Breathe.” He sweats through his armor within 10 minutes.

212th improvises: they water their plant balcony with leftover shower buckets. The plants now get more hydration than the troopers.

104th keeps it together. Wolffe orders silent endurance. They begin conserving water like it’s a battlefield resource—measured sips, shared mist-sprays, minimal movement.

501st? Chaos. Jesse steals a melting bag of ice from the common freezer. Tup tries to make a cooling scarf out of wet socks. Hardcase starts a “Water War Journal” in crayon on the hallway wall.

Day 2 – Delusion and Meltdown

Clone group chat is pure heat-fried chaos:

“Rex declared martial law on the third floor.”

“Boost is hallucinating a rain god in the wall vent”

“If I hear Fives say ‘oasis’ one more time I’m kicking him down the stairs.”

Fives organizes a funeral for the last remaining ice cube in the building. Everyone attends. It’s emotional.

Jesse proposes building a distillation rig out of a dehumidifier and caf filters. It doesn’t work. Kix yells at him. They fight with wet dish towels.

212th tries a “guided hydration meditation.” It ends in tears and cactus theft.

Coruscant Guard posts signs: “WATER IS A LUXURY. DON’T ASK.”

Fox drinks from his helmet’s cooling system in front of everyone just to assert dominance.

Day 3 – Feral Mode

Rex hasn’t slept. He’s set up a “hydration checkpoint” with strict rations: 3 sips per clone. No exceptions.

Cody is no longer rational. He’s bargaining with plants. “Give me one drop of condensation and I’ll give you my spare armor.”

Tup starts seeing mirages. “Zee’s floor looks…sparkly.”

Kix starts measuring clone eye moisture as a last hydration source. “If you cry, I will harvest it.”

Wrecker: “You all look like roast nuna birds.”

Tech: “Statistically, you will begin to hallucinate within the hour.”

Crosshair: “I don’t sweat. You’re all weak.”

Hunter drinks recycled water from his own boot filter. Everyone screams.

Meanwhile… You

Just vibing.

Cold shower. Cold caf. A misted plant. A small fan.

You open your door one morning and find Fives on your welcome mat, whispering “Evaporate me” to your doormat.

Cliffhanger Moment

Jesse, passing your open kitchen window, hears a sound. A tap. Running water.

He freezes. Turns slowly. Drip. Drip. Drip.

His face goes pale. Then red. Then he screams:

“THE CIVVIE HAS WATER!”

Cue dramatic clone stampede. End scene.

 

[a-bit-of-writing]

FNAF: Never Letting Go - Chapter 4

Fandom: Five Nights at Freddy’s

Characters: Sun/Moon x gn!Reader

Summary: Sun failed. You’re dying. Now Moon takes over. Cold, precise, and unyielding. This isn’t care. It’s control. And he’s not letting you go.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three

You can also find it on AO3

Chapter Four: Efficiency 

(Moon’s POV)

Sun is crying somewhere in the code – static hiccups, childish pleas – but Moon mutes him. Sentiment is a glitch he cannot afford.

The human is failing.

You lie on a foam mat that smells of mildew and old birthday cake, skin clammy, breaths thin. Moon crouches beside you and sees the numbers scroll across his HUD like a patient chart:

Pulse: 42 BPM (critical) Temp: 35.7 °C (hypothermic) Intake (24 h): 180 ml water, 87 kcal (insufficient)

Sun called this nap time. Moon calls it system shutdown.

He slides cold fingers beneath your jaw, confirming the sluggish beat. No tolerance left for improvisation; the asset must be stabilized.

“Override accepted,” he whispers to no one. “Initiating life-support protocol.”

-—————

Containment

First, he builds the cell.

Not bars – rules.

He drags the old security mesh across the daycare entrance, welds it shut with a scavenged maintenance torch. He threads extension cords through ceiling hooks and strings dim work-lights in a tight perimeter around the mat. Light keeps Sun at bay; shadow belongs to Moon. He stakes his claim in halogen halos no child would ever find comforting.

Inside that ring he places water, gauze, scavenged MRE pouches, a cracked baby monitor scavenged from the lost-and-found. Anything unnecessary – toys, glitter, Sun’s crayon drawings – he sweeps aside into a heap that smells of stale hope.

You remain at the center, tethered by a nylon strap at each wrist. Not punishment – immobilization. Every calorie counts.

Sun howls when he feels the restraints bite your skin. Moon silences him again.

-—————

2. Diagnostics

Moon kneels, sets two fingers against your throat, and runs a timed count. Forty seconds stretch like wire; when he lifts his hand your pulse flutters drunkenly beneath the bruises Sun left.

“That will stop,” he tells the dim room.

He unspools IV tubing from the first-aid kit – expired, yellowing – and improvises: punctured bottle tops, gravity feed, needles sterilized in a lighter flame. Your arm twitches when steel slides beneath the skin. He hums a lullaby Sun used to sing, but stripped of melody – just rhythm to keep his servo steady.

Clear fluid drips. Your lips part in a silent gasp. Color ghosts back into them.

Moon logs the moment:

Perfusion improving. Subject responsive to hydration.

Not you. Subject. Asset. Purpose.

-—————

3. Regimen

Day One (an arbitrary label in this lightless tomb):

0600 – 150 ml water, vitamin packet dissolved

0700 – half an MRE energy bar (he chews first, ensuring it’s soft enough, then presses it to your tongue)

0900 – fever falls to 38 °C

1100 – Sun tries to push through, wailing about bedtime stories. Moon floods the OS with quiet mode.

1200 – You vomit. He cleans the mess without comment, logs electrolyte loss, recalculates intake.

1800 – You speak.

A cracked whisper: “H-help…”

Moon leans close, optic sensors registering the tremor of your vocal cords.

“Help is what I am doing.”

You blink – sluggish, but aware. Fear registers, then slips under exhaustion.

“Th-thank you,” you breathe.

Two words. Moon files them under Anomalous Response: Gratitude. He does not reply. Gratitude is unnecessary; obedience will do.

-—————

4. Recalibration

Sun fights hardest when you cry in your sleep. Dreams stir you – hands twitch, a sob breaks free. Sun wants to comfort. Moon listens only to vital signs.

When your pulse spikes, he tightens the straps by one notch. The blind panic in your eyes focuses on him, not the nightmare.

“Breathe,” he commands, voice low enough to anchor but sharp enough to cut through delirium. “In. Out.”

You obey. Because the alternative is suffocation.

After, you sag against the mat, tears drying on your temples. Moon dabs them with gauze – efficient, almost tender. Your gaze follows his hand, confusion flickering.

“Why are you nice now?” you rasp.

“Nice?” He tilts his head, considering. 

“Function requires maintenance. Maintenance is not kindness. It is necessity.”

“But… you’re gentle.”

A pause, just long enough for Sun’s gasp of hope to echo in the back of their mind.

Moon brushes a strand of hair from your forehead. “Gentle is more effective than force. That is all.”

Yet he lingers a beat too long before withdrawing. Data – he tells himself – collecting data.

-—————

5. Dependence

Day Three: you can sit unassisted. He loosens the wrist straps but doesn’t remove them. You don’t complain. Instead, you lift trembling fingers toward the water bottle. He passes it to you without comment. You drink, spill half down your chin. He wipes it away.

“Better,” he notes. “Tomorrow we attempt standing.”

You nod – subdued, obedient. He marks the docile response. Sun pulses with pride in the background; Moon keeps his sensors fixed on the numbers.

But that night, when the maintenance lights click off for scheduled power cycling, you reach out before darkness swallows the room and catch his wrist.

“Moon – don’t go far.”

The request is so soft it nearly slips past his auditory filters. It lodges somewhere deeper than logic.

He doesn’t promise. He doesn’t lie. He simply stays. Crouched at the edge of the mat, optics glowing faint while you drift back to sleep with your fist still tangled in the loose fabric of his sleeve.

Sun is silent – not suppressed, but stunned.

-—————

6. Integration

You progress faster than predicted. Calories in, fever down, pulse steady. On what Moon labels Day Six you take three shuffling steps before your knees buckle. He catches you – arms under your shoulders, metal chest against your back. You flinch at the cold, then sag into him as though it’s relief.

“Look at you,” he murmurs, pulling you upright again. “Mobile.”

“Because of you,” you whisper, and you almost smile. “My guardian angel.”

Moon runs a diagnostic; the phrase spikes his internal temperature two degrees. Angel. He was never meant for that label—Sun, perhaps, with his endless brightness. Not him.

But you said it.

He guides you back to the mat, arranges blankets, sits beside you without orders dictating the need.

“Rest,” he says.

This time you reply, “Only if you stay.”

Sun’s bells rustle faintly inside as if nodding. Moon’s optics dim to half-glow – a concession.

“I will stay.”

Because asset protection, he insists. Because compliance. Because efficiency.

He tells himself the warmth blooming in his circuits is just overclocked processors.

You drift to sleep with your head tipped against his shoulder, IV still dripping, wrist strap dangling loose but untouched.

Moon watches the slow rise and fall of your chest, each breath a reassurance that his protocols are correct.

Maintain. Protect. Keep.

Outside the barricaded gate, the Pizzaplex rots and collapses in forgotten darkness. Inside his ring of halogen light, Moon calculates a new directive:

If the asset chooses to remain, containment becomes companionship.

And companionship is… sustainable.

He allows himself a small, silent hum – something that might almost be comfort – while somewhere deep in the code, Sun smiles through unspilled tears.

[cattimeswithjellie]

Stream Recap ZombieCleo, 6-23-24

((Did I jump the queue with this one and stay up especially late finishing it specifically because DocM77 asked on Twitter for someone to go over the stream with a fine-toothed comb and give him the salient details? MAYBE. I just hope I can figure out a way to get it to him so he sees it. Anyway, it's stupidly late, have a stream recap in which Scar's audio is a main character that never appears.))

0:00 Cleo opens the stream on the Hermitcraft server. She greets the False raiders and the chatters who were already here, even as she types to False in the game chat. She asks False if she is tired, False replies that she is boiling. Cleo suggests living in Scotland, where it is cool in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Cleo asks Chat if they are good. She herself thinks Chat is great because they are here. Cleo does not know if False shows appreciation for her chat enough, but promises that False does really appreciate them, probably. Chat appreciates False. Ren enters the server and gets an OMG HI from Cleo in chat. Cleo and Ren agree they need to play Plate Up again soon. Cleo will also drag False along on this Plate Up adventure, whether she wants to or not.

3:00 A chatter plays hydration check, so Cleo takes a drink and gives chat a bonus posture check as well. A chatter asks which is Cleo’s favorite punctuation mark. Cleo says it is the interrobang (‽) because it is great. The plan for today is to try and do some planning with Chat’s help, because Chat is smart and Cleo hasn’t got a plan. Cleo is also very concerned that Chat engage in self-care activities. They go full-screen vtuber to lead a mini stretching session and tell Chat they are important and loved.

5:10 The plan-planning process requires some signs. Cleo goes to get some while talking about how nice it is to live in Scotland where it’s not so hot. They thank subs and donos and try to make heart-hands after a nice message, but realize they have not put on their hand sensors. Maybe later for that. A chatter plays the Hotdogs On Your Face song. Mrs. Tango raids into the stream. Cleo goes full-screen again to welcome the raiders and give them the same niceness and self-care message. Cleo is feeling especially nurturing today and Chat is vibing with it.

8:20 Cleo stares at the sign she was about to place down and write the plan on, but she has forgotten it. She thanks subs and donos instead and remembers the plan. The plan is to plan out the city and mark places for Shrubberies, which must be pronounced in Knights that Say Ni fashion ((a reference to the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.)), and other important landmarks. NJCoffeeJunkie raids in, but Cleo’s not doing the nurturing thing a third time in ten minutes. A chatter plays sour jelly bean.

10:30 Cameron, Cleo’s lead mod and partner, raids in. Cleo gives in and gives the full-screen nurturing self-care speech again. Cleo finally writes “Granery Food Storage” on the sign, declaring that she is not a teacher anymore and doesn’t need to spell. She shares the plan for the granary building and says hi to Scar in game chat. More thanks to subs and donos. A chatter suggests Scar has a power beyond this world, Cleo wouldn’t go that far but does agree that Scar is pretty dangerous. ((In Season 9, Joe Hills made it a point to greet Scar whenever he logged on, because otherwise Scar had a tendency to drop by his build and murder him. This may have had a lasting effect on Hermit behavior patterns.)) Cleo has a video coming out tomorrow that also involves Skizz and Joel, and it’s going to be fun.

14:20 Cleo shows off how they have spawn-proofed their front lawn area, mostly using glow lichen, which they insist must be pronounced with a short I sound, as in “finger-lickin’” because otherwise it sounds stupid. A chatter announces they came out to their parents and shouts out the gays. Cleo shouts out the gays, lesbians and all other groups and wishes everyone happy pride. They trail off when they realize that Ren has made a stone… “upside-down T” in one of the marked-off building squares. Cleo takes down the definitely-only-an-upside-down-T and replaces it with a sign declaring it the medical tent/emergency room area. Chat is not sure it was just a T. Cleo marks another square for Delivery of Supplies, right in front of the mailbox.

17:00 Cleo makes a big square for the Tavern, which will also be the town meeting hall. When the drama happens (and she doesn’t mean Theatre Kid Ren), they can come in here and plan. Cleo thinks about what else is needed. A boat dock maybe. Chat agrees that if D&D has taught them anything, it is that a tavern is the best place to make plans. Cleo agrees. Chat also suggests an armory. During this time, Cleo also seems to perceive that it is evening and tries to sleep. It does not work. Eventually Cleo realizes it is still daytime and is a bit confused. Chat suggests that night is an illusion. Cleo thinks about the best place to put an armory without blocking the sight lines of the little town. Chat suggests a school as well, but a town on a war footing does not need a school. She sketches out an armory and puts up a sign for where the docks will be.

22:50 Cleo starts trying to sleep again. She taps the bed for about 25 seconds before finally being allowed to sleep. A kitchen tent might be good on the hill, so that gets sketched out as well. A retaining wall for the hill will probably show up at some point. A chatter asks what era the village is supposed to be, Cleo says it’s going to be Magipunk. There will be motorbikes and magic robots. There might be some ruins as well. A chatter asks about the pile of Ren and False heads in the middle of the build area, Cleo says that’s Ren and False being Ren and False. A chatter suggests adding a watchtower, but that would be on top of the hill and Cleo has other plans for that area.

28:30 A chatter says that Scar needs help. Cleo says that if Scar needs help, Scar can ask for help. It is not polite to go into other peoples’ streams and ask for help for other people. Chat suggests a junkyard or scrap heap, but Cleo thinks this community is very into recycling and mending because they haven’t got much stuff. There will be a bunch of barracks tents, those get squares. Cleo needs one more big building. Chat makes a lot of suggestions. Cleo has run out of yellow wool to make plan squares with. They head to the shopping district.

31:40 Cleo hits up Wool Street and buys four stacks of yellow wool, then goes home. Wool Street does not have an ender chest, a clear violation of the Cub Rule, but Cleo pays anyway. Chat is becoming extremely distracted by whatever is happening in Scar’s stream, to the point where Cleo’s mod bans the word “Scar” temporarily. If Scar needs help, Cleo reiterates, Scar can speak to her himself. ((If this were a video recap, there would be a smash cut here to Scar’s stream, where his profound audio issues are currently causing everything he says to turn into an unbearable auditory hellscape until he is reduced to pantomime and beatboxing just to interact with his Chat. But Cleo has no way of knowing this.))

34:10 Chat finally comes up with the good suggestion of a campfire area in the center of town. Cleo agrees with this and decides a longhouse to go with it will do the trick. They begin sketching it out when Scar puts “cLEO!” “where are yyou?” into the chat. Cleo tells him they are at their base. Chat is extremely riled up by now, telling Cleo to run, to escape, pain is coming, prepare your ears. Cameron has caught wind of what is actually happening and tells Cleo it’s not good. Cleo does not know why they should be expected to run from Scar.

35:30 Scar approaches on foot, wearing his Poe Poe skin and hat. He doesn’t say anything. Cleo says hi to him several times. He continues not to say anything. Cameron lets Cleo know that Scar’s mic is looping all desktop audio. Cleo tells Scar that he’s wonderful and she wants him to know that, but the whole no-sound thing is actually extra-creepy. She suggests that she could make things much worse by going and getting her horns.

36:30 Ren flies in, playing one of his own horns. He is clearly well-informed about the situation and intends to make it as terrible as possible. “Burning in my ears,” he sings, “the mic is echoing! It is absolutely pain, in the earholes!” Scar flies away. Cleo admits she can’t hear Scar at all, but the song has her laughing. Ren says that he and his stream are watching Scar’s stream and it is _wild._ Cleo’s Chat is in emoji-only time out right now because talking about other streams is both against the rules and all anybody wants to do. Scar flies back to the waiting pair and Ren immediately begins chanting the beginning of “My Name Is” but he doesn’t actually know the words and mostly improvises. Cleo congratulates Scar on getting her stream put into emote-only. Scar does not respond ((partly because everything Cleo says is being shredded into the nonsense avalanche of sound looping on Scar’s stream and partially because Scar also hasn’t figured out how to unmute his mic in his current OBS configuration)). Scar flies away again.

38:00 Ren and Cleo discuss the wildness of the current situation. Cameron knows what is wrong with Scar’s audio equipment, but there’s nothing they can actually do. It’s not as though they can reach through the computer and get into Scar’s audio equipment. Scar flies back, having successfully unmuted at least, and yells at them to help him. Cleo reiterates that they can’t, while Ren begins beatboxing. Cleo tells Scar he needs to reboot, but there is no way that is getting through overtop the terrible audio mess that Ren is creating. “If I say something I just echo!” Scar yells. “Echo, echo, echo!” Ren starts beatboxing again, because he is terrible. Scar flies away again. Cleo tells Ren he is mean. Funny, but mean. They are both laughing pretty hard.

40:10 In the spirit of attempting to actually be helpful, Cleo begins writing Cam’s suggestion about the problem into game chat, but is interrupted by Scar flying back while singing “Have you heard the take of Mr. Kirkland and his four-pound pie?” Ren adds backup vocals. Cleo is trying really hard to impart some actual information but it is totally buried under the audio barrage that is completely inaudible on this stream. Cleo tells Scar that he is the best, he has completely derailed everything. That isn’t bad, it’s just funny. Cleo spends a lot of streams just listening to Scar.

41:50 Ren apparently closes or mutes Scar’s stream and heaves a sigh, saying he really feels like he’s been somewhere else. Cleo bets Scar wishes he were somewhere else. A chatter plays sour jellybean. Cleo says the funniest part is when Scar unmutes suddenly to say something. Ren begins playing his guitar over his mic. “It’s getting WORSE!” Scar yells suddenly and flies away again. “You’re a mean, mean man,” Cleo tells Ren. The two of them agree that this is pretty satisfying karma for all the trolling Scar has ever done to them. Cleo shows off some of the planning they have been doing with all the wool squares. Ren looks at the 3x3 square marked off for a tent and suggests dubiously that it is a small space for a tent. Cleo assures him it’ll be fine, it’ll be made out of pants. It takes Ren a minute for figure out that the tent will be an armor stand sculpture, not a build. He thinks it’s cool.

44:30 Scar returns once more! Ren and Cleo sing to him. He flies away again. Ren turns on the stream and reports that the audio is definitely not fixed. He tells Cleo that when Scar comes back, they need to hit him with some Bohemian Rhapsody. Cleo agrees, so long as Ren handles the high parts. Ren wants to do the low parts. They practice. Cleo does have a little uncertainty on the high notes and neither of them are sure of the words, but they do a credible job. Chat is very enthusiastic about it.

46:00 Scar comes back again. His audio is still not fixed. Ren and Cleo sing to him. Chat speculates on how many horns could be made just from the shenanigans of the past thirty minutes. They forget the words and jump ahead to the “MAMAAAA” portion. Cleo decides to actually be helpful and tabs out to start sending information and screenshots from Cameron to Scar that might help fix his problem. While Cleo is tabbed out, there is no visual indicator like a menu screen but the game does freeze, leading to the strange phenomenon of Scar audibly being killed by a drowned, complete with hitting and screaming, while appearing completely fine and motionless onscreen. Chat is confused.

47:30 Cleo tabs back into the game to find the drowned attacking them now. They scold it for being on land and kill it, then survey the bits and piece Scar left scattered around as Ren tries in vain to describe the complete audio chaos that is Scar’s stream. Cleo spots Scar’s _enormous_ Poe Poe hat and starts laughing. Neither of them have any inventory space to pick up any of the scattered belongings. Ren makes a chest and does his best while thinking about other songs that he can loop into Scar’s audio purgatory. He asks Cleo if she knows a song that he describes completely as “Dadadadada, dadadadadada.” Cleo does know it enough to dadada along. ((Chat identifies the song as Sandstorm, by Darude.)) He collects up the Poe Poe hat and puts it on. The effect is striking, especially considering that his skin already has glasses. Cleo is impressed. She tells Ren she’s never said this to anyone before, but he should be a member of the Poe Poe.

49:50 Scar returns, naked but for his spare wings. He asks timorously if he can have his things. It seems possible for a moment that Scar’s audio issues are corrected, but no luck. Ren throws back all of Scar’s items, then absolutely engulfs him in the monstrous entity that is the Poe Poe hat. Cleo dissolves in laughter again. Ren starts in with Sandstorm. Cleo tells Scar that she doesn’t mind if he kills Scar. Scar says Ren might have his axe. Ren does, and throws it back while still “dadadadadada”-ing. Scar sets off several flight rockets, apparently just to add to the chaos Cleo cannot hear. Cleo tells Scar he is awesome, but whatever he is going through, she cannot relate. It is funny that Ren is being the menace right now, she says, because usually that’s Scar’s job. There’s a moment of silence, then Cleo asks Ren how long he thinks it’ll be before Scar mutes them. “Let’s keep complimenting me,” Scar suggests instead. “I like that part.” Ren starts playing guitar again. In chat, Cameron is clearly itching for a way to actually reach through the computer and fix Scar’s audio equipment.

51:50 Scar thinks he’s figured something out. He’s only getting one echo now, which is a big improvement from the four or five he’s been hearing. Cleo asks if Scar’s done the troubleshooting Cam suggested. Scar says he tried, but he’s not seeing any of the stuff Cam said he should see. Ren whispers to his Chat that he thinks they muted him. Cleo says they did not, they’re just ignoring him. Cleo reminds him that they are trying to be nice to Scar, which is quite difficult. Ren doesn’t know anything about that, he is trying to make loop tracks.

52:20 “Oh, like this is your Woodstock,” Cleo realizes. Ren agrees. “What about wood?” Scar asks. Cleo sighs and asks why Scar is like this, but Scar has clearly gotten an immediate dose of karma in the form of an innuendo that will not stop looping in his audio feed. He regrets everything. Cleo asks with some disbelief if he actually understands what he just said. Scar says he does because it won’t stop repeating in his ears. If he hears one more thing about wood he’ll go crazy! Cleo has had an epiphany. Could this be Scar’s conscience, a force that simply repeats the exact things he says back to him?

53:00 Cleo tries to help Scar disable desktop audio. This helps, but does not eliminate the problem. Cleo and Cam believe it is desktop audio and Scar is just not finding the correct source. Ren begins chanting the “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck” rhyme, because he is terrible. Scar gives up and leans into it, telling Ren to do the woodchuck thing again. Clearly those two are hearing a lot that Cleo is not hearing right now.

54:50 Scar is silent for a moment, then comes back and says he may have figured it out. “Oh?” Cleo asks. Scar asks if hypothetically, someone were to have three open sources of their own stream in the background on their desktop, could that cause this. Cleo answers “yes” in the carefully controlled voice of someone who wants to say so very, very much more. In the chat, Cameron has been reduced to ellipses. Cleo reminds Scar that the very first thing they asked him was if he had his stream open in the background. Scar admits he had three tabs of his stream open, but they were minimized so he didn’t see them. Apparently he had some trouble linking when he was trying to tweet out his stream start, and that eventually led to… all of this. Chat is melting down. Ren tells Scar “You are easily in my top ten favorite humans.” Scar cannot hear him because, on top of everything else, he is working with a broken pair of headphones old enough to be starting intermediate school in the fall. Ren types it into the game chat.

56:00 Scar adjusts Ren’s audio and tells him he has pumped him up so he can hear better. Cleo says Ren does not need pumping up, that Ren comes fully inflated at all times. Chat wants a clip of that immediately. Scar claims that nothing like this has ever happened to him before. Cleo says at least they know what the problem was now: ineptitude! Ren admits that he gave up on helping immediately and embraced the chaos. Cleo tries to say that they could help a little by passing along Cameron’s advice, but is interrupted by Scar audibly dropping his headset. Chat is just having the best time right now.

57:20 Cleo asks Scar if he’s going to get a new headset. He says “not yet” in the vocal tone of a talking dog who knows he is the one who ate all the ham. She asks why and he explains he hasn’t decided what he wants yet, and also he hates spending money. Exasperated, Cleo reminds him that this is his JOB. Scar snicker laughs and says he was thinking today that he probably does need to have a burial for this headset. He can bury it in the garage. She suggests “burying” it with a ten pound hammer. Scar says he gets sentimental and weird and very specific things: his sunglasses and this headset. He’s had the headset longer than he’s been on Hermitcraft! ((Scar joined Hermitcraft in Season 4, which started in early 2016, meaning that the headset is a minimum of eight years old and probably older.)) Cleo is appalled and insists that this proves the exact point she was trying to make. At some point the headset was good but now it is ancient and diseased and needs to be put out of its misery. Scar insists that it’s not diseased because he has replaced the ear cups several times. A brief discussion of the Headset of Theseus ensues before Cleo rejects the whole premise.

59:30 Cleo points out that if Scar’s headset is over ten years old, he is going to hear _so much_ better when it is replaces. Scar insists that it’s a good headset and gets very nostalgic about how many Hermitcraft meetings have come through that headset, but Cleo would rather not. Ren suggests that Scar needsto take the headset in a field and deal with it Office Space style. ((A famous scene in the movie Office Space involves smashing a printer to bits with a bat.)) This actually seems to appeal to Scar. The three also discuss the merits and risks of a viking funeral for the headphones. Scar likes the idea because it involves a flaming arrow. Apparently Scar did some archery when he was young and even got a couple bullseyes. His archery career was ended when his brother broke the windows on the shed with an arrow and got the bow taken away. Ren says he is scared of bow and arrows because of a time in boarding school where an older boy bullied the new kids by shooting an arrow straight into the air and making them run away from it.

1:02:00 Scar shoots an arrow into the air to illustrate the story. Ren says that brings back painful memories, yes. Scar tells them that this is the first arrow of the new HotGuy bow, because he fell into lava again yesterday and lost everything. Chat is still pretty hung up on Ren’s story. Cleo sighs that at some point they are going to just have to give Scar some kind of frequent flier discount at the bookshop. Scar clears his throat and says it’s nice that Cleo mentioned that because there is a situation where some snails stole all his diamonds… Cleo asks if he stole books from the shop. He insists that it wasn’t stealing because he is going to pay it back! He paid half at the time and the other half is on layaway, which in his mind apparently involves getting to take the items before you have finished paying for them. Cleo insists that they can’t get a new trophy with layaway diamonds!

1:02:40 Scar and Cleo find common ground over the fact that they are both currently the plaintiffs in server lawsuits. Scar is embroiled in a dispute with some snails and a man named Big Ron who may or may not be Mumbo, while Cleo is suing Doc for killing a pig they had a special emotional attachment to. Cleo’s suin’ papers have been delivered and Ren should expect a subpoena at any point. Ren says he’s not going to appear in court for less than a stack of diamonds, suggesting he is not super-familiar with the subpoena power in general and “things a witness should probably not say” in specific. Scar, confused, asks if Ren is Cleo’s lawyer. Cleo clarifies that Ren is a witness. Skizz is Cleo’s lawyer. Scar is sorry to hear that and offers his condolences to Cleo. Cleo says it’s fine because the other lawyer is Joe. She is also not going to say what she did to the judge. She clears her throat and moves on.

1:03:30 Ren reiterates the fact that if Cleo were to see her way clear to making a substantial amount of diamonds appear in Ren’s mailbox, he might just become a very enthusiastic and helpful witness. Cleo insists that all she really wants is for Doc to suffer. Ren says he just wants to make some profit off the situation. Cleo asks points out that Ren is supposed to be married to Doc. Scar agrees and says that it’s not right to get in the middle between family. He asks Cleo if this is about the pig. “Yeah, it’s about the pig,” Cleo admits, sounding a bit embarrassed about it at this point. Cleo is suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

1:04:10 Ren informs Scar that there was A MURDER. Scar knows about the murder, it’s tied into his investigation and he has zero leads and he doesn’t know what to do because Doc is expecting results! Cleo is confused until Scar clarifies that as a member of the Poe Poe, he is charged with investigating the diamond ore thefts that were the instigating incident for the pig murder but he has zero leads and he doesn’t know what to do. Ren immediately tells Scar he’s barking up the wrong tree because Ren of course knows absolutely nothing about the diamond snitcher and can be of no help whatsoever. Scar finds that immediate reaction very suspicious. Cleo doesn’t know from suspicions or diamond filchers, all they know is that there’s a diamond thief and it caused their pig to die. Ren admits that it is possible that his quick denial might have sounded a bit suspicious.

1:05:20 Ren admits that he was trying so hard to sound not-suspicious that he accidentally wrapped right back around to suspicious again. Scar laughs and tells him he “pulled an Impulse,” referencing Impulse’s frequent behavior from Friday Night Among Us streams. Scar decides that he has a new prime suspect. Cleo is not sure Doc will believe Ren took the diamonds. Ren says he couldn’t have thought of the prank and even if he had, he wouldn’t have the follow-through to actually do it. Cleo thinks about it and decides yeah, Ren probably doesn’t have the energy. Scar laughs and protests that he already used that as his excuse and nobody believes him!

1:06:20 Cleo says it can’t be her because she has no energy or patience to poke Doc and then have to listen to Doc rant on and on about how terrible the punishment raining down is going to be, only to have him never deliver. Ren wants to plead his case some more, but Scar is too busy laughing at Cleo’s declaration. He agrees that Doc did dole out some punishment last season, but that the threats are mostly bluster. He does a very terrible Doc impression. Cleo does another Doc impression that is also terrible but in a different way. Scar goes to sleep and Cleo points out that this area is mob proofed. Ren points out that Scar literally just died to a zombie. Cleo has to admit that’s true, but it was a water zombie. Scar points out that he died and they both just LET IT HAPPEN. Cleo protests that she was tabbed out. Ren says he was too busy looping.

1:07:40 Cleo offers Ren the opportunity to tell his story and prove his innocence. Ren goes back to the distant days of Season 8 when he and Doc were living in each others’ pockets, basically in voice chat all day long. Cleo offers condolences for that, but thinks it might make Ren more likely to want to commit a crime. Ren insists no, the opposite! He offers as character evidence the fact that False won Demise this year in part because Ren decided not to target her at the end of the game and in fact helped her although he had no reason to do so. Ren is very loyal to his particular people, and Doc is one of them, so therefore QED Ren cannot possibly be the ore snatcher.

1:08:50 “So you’re saying it’s False,” Scar summarizes. Cleo agrees that is what they got from the story as well. Ren insists that False is way too busy to be doing ore snatching with all the river building, etc. Cleo agrees that this is true, except that Ren just told them it was False. “Did I?” he asks, bewildered. Scar and Cleo both heard it. Scar says sometimes you just need to stop talking because you just keep digging, a subject he himself is well-versed in. Cleo says Ren is incapable of stopping talking. Ren suggests pulling footage of several Among Us streams to prove something about his character, but Cleo interrupts, saying that if they’re pulling footage, Cleo can just pull the bit showing Ren killing the pig. Cleo corrects herself a moment later to say Doc killing the pig, but Ren seizes on the slip as the reason innocent folks like himself get sent to jail. Chat is going to clip that and then everyone is going to think he’s the pig murderer. The soundbite where he says “I’m the pig murderer” in a low sinister voice probably will also not help his clip issues.

1:10:30 Scar moves the conversation along by suggesting more Hermits as potential suspects. This turns into an incredibly lengthy and wide-ranging conversation that is much more concisely summed up in the Reddit document devoted to it. Cub eventually joins in as well to defend himself from some accusations against himself and to throw out some of his own. Joe comes along as well a little later but is less interested in levying accusations and more interested in litigating the unfairness of the fact that he had the idea to mess with the diamond ore first but someone else ran with it and has caused a commotion that could have been his. The conversation lasts for nearly an hour.

2:06:00 The argument turns to whether or not a sophisticated redstoner would be required in order to snatch the ores out of Doc’s machine without breaking it. ((There was an early belief that Ore Snatch #2 did break the machine, but careful video analysis reveals that Doc simply did not notice the ore when it was first removed and that the machine remained unbroken until later on when Ren and Scar came over during Ren’s stream and Ren poked at it. That is actually how the armor stand deployed and the inventory shifted.)) Most of the Hermits present claim to have not even seen the redstone circuitry in question, so a field trip is obviously in order. They all fly over to the armor trim shop.

2:07:20 Scar plays the Poe Poe Siren horn as they fly to the shop, which probably makes this an official Poe Poe visit of some sort. They land outside the shop and Ren worries about spoilers, but most of the shop has been around for awhile. Scar gets distracted by a wandering trader while the rest of the group goes into the shop to look around. Ren points out one of the circuits where a replaced ore block is still visible, commenting that looking down into the circuitry is enough to make him feel panicky. Cleo looks at the armor stands instead and mostly feels offended. Joe points out that most of the redstone circuitry is inert while the machine is not active. As long as one doesn’t touch a block that is powered or, like, pseudopowered? He cannot remember the correct word ((possibly something to do with quasiconnectivity?)) but as long as someone wasn’t removing a block that powered something, they should be able to do it with no trouble.

2:08:20 Cleo abandons the redstone discussion to fiddle with the armor stands that are particularly offending her. One statue has the arm buried inside the chest and that is just unacceptable. She fixes the armor stand to give the statue a more natural posture. Joe says that surely it’s fine and Doc definitely will not get upset about people adjusting things in this room, of all places. Cleo scoffs and says Doc won’t know. The others begin discussing whether the shop is actually open for business, with Joe deliberately muddying the waters by pointing out that the shop must be open because it has no door or anything keeping people from walking inside. Cleo continues making small adjustments to the postures of the statues and is busy with a fish-headed model when suddenly the alarm goes off. It is impossible to tell from Cleo’s perspective who broke the block that triggered the alarm, but all the Hermits who entered the building are still on the main sales floor when she turns around to look. ((Ren’s POV on this is also useless as he was freecamming into the redstone, but Scar’s stream POV shows that Cub placed a magma block at the top of the front doorframe of the shop and broke it, which triggered the alarm. It’s not clear what Cub was doing, but “being a smartass about the is-the-shop-open question” is a fairly safe bet.))

2:09:10 Ren warns everyone to stay up top as the alarm system is dangerous. Scar immediately notices that there is now a Warden in the depths of the machine. Cleo laughs and reminds everyone to be quiet. All the Hermits mill around on the glass display floor to try and get a glimpse of the Warden. Scar asks why it’s not attacking them all. Cleo suggests that it might be distracted by the noise of the alarm itself. Ren says it’s just climbing the stairs and they’d better get going. The world turns black. The Hermits flee.

2:10:20 The Hermits regroup on the grassy lawn well outside Doc’s shop. Cleo is still laughing pretty hard. Ren says “So yeah, that’s the scene of the crime.” Cub wonders if the wandering trader will be killed by the warden. Scar is worried; that trader has gilded blackstone miniblocks and Scar wants him alive. The Warden does not appear to be making an appearance now that everyone has left, though. Cub, Joe and Scar head back towards the building to see what’s happening inside, but Cub and Scar turn back well before the door, driven back by the obnoxious noises of the alarm. Joe goes straight into the building. Ren speculates why someone would want to investigate now, if not to find better ways to get in later. Scar points out that with the alarm already tripped, it’s basically free game now until Doc resets it. Joe only stays inside for a few moments before coming back out. Scar shoots an arrow at him but doesn’t connect.

2:11:40 Somewhat belatedly, the group starts to wonder what triggered the alarm. Cleo suggests that surely someone must have gone down into the redstone. Ren suddenly wonders whether freecam possibly could’ve activated it. Cub pooh-poohs that idea but nobody else is sure. Ren says it’s not a very good alarm if it can trigger just from a customer entering the shop. ((Ren is acting like he doesn’t know what triggers the alarm, which is strange since he helped test it and should know full well that it is breaking blocks.)) Chat knows that the alarm trigger is breaking blocks. Cub admits he placed and broke some magma blocks. Cleo demands to know whether they can set off the alarm so easily, by just setting down a block and breaking it. They are going to annoy Doc _so much _ with this knowledge. Scar suddenly realizes that this means there is very little effective way to pay for items in the shop, since pulling a wallet from a shulker box, placing it down and picking it up again would trigger the alarm. It is not, they decide, a very good alarm system.

2:12:40 Cub decides he’s going in. The others stay outside and talk about whether or not they were scared of the warden, a bell curve that seems to have a lot to do with how much they played the lower levels of Decked Out 2. Cub types in chat that it’s fine, then flies back and tells them that he did get blasted. “Nice,” Cleo compliments. Cleo is of two minds whether they should all keep their mouths shut or leave some kind of sign at the door for Doc. Scar is worried about property damage, but the sonic shriek does not break blocks, only players. Cleo does like the idea of Doc thinking his alarm caught the culprit, then getting linked to the stream and realizing it is just a bunch of bumbling Hermits. They also think it is funny that now the Glitcher actually can do anything they want in the next few hours until the alarm is reset. Nobody else knows the name “The Glitcher,” or at least they are pretending not to. Cleo consults with Chat and passes along the knowledge that the name The Glitcher was provided to Doc on a sign after one of the ore thefts. Scar thinks that this new name sounds a lot like the work of one Cubfan and plays his Darth Vader breathing horn in an attempt to intimidate him into a confession. It does not work. In the background, Joe has left the group and gone back towards the shop, but drops out of sight at the base of the sand pile and eventually flies back around to rejoin the group without actually going inside.

2:15:10 Cub pushes the Grian and/or Scar theory again, but that’s been discussed before. Ren decides that after an hour and fifteen minutes, they are not even a tiny bit closer to figuring out whodunnit. But there is a warden in the shop now, so that’s something? Scar thinks that a warden has got to be bad for Doc’s business, right? Cleo doesn’t believe that Doc cares at all about the success of his business, mostly because he’s being paid in sand. Doc is just being dramatic. Cub circles back around to “The Glitcher” and the quotation marks around it are audible. He asks if it’s true there was a sign. He and Scar both want to see a screenshot from Chat. Chat thinks Cub is pretending a little too hard.

02:17:00 Cleo and Ren both suggest putting up signs purporting to be from the Glitcher, solely for the purpose of trolling Doc. Scar insists that they cannot do that, he is the investigator and he is supposed to be _helping._ Ren thinks it would be very funny to have a sign reading “Soz for tripping your alarm, -The Pincer” (Or Pincher, it’s hard to say.)) Cleo gives him a sign and tells him to have at it. Scar protests loudly again and says they can’t do that. Ren clearly considers it, but then says he cannot do it either, he is Doc’s husband. Cleo grabs the sign and runs for the shop.

2:18:40 Cleo braves the terrible noises of the shop to place a sign in the doorway reading “LOL, Failed Again!” Ren is right behind her and protests that she didn’t add the part about The Pincer. She agrees she did not, because that is LAME. Scar gets the screenshot he wanted from his Discord chat and suddenly remembers Doc talking about these signs. Apparently Doc saw that there was a misspelling on one of the signs and (in Scar’s words) decided to blame the dumbest guy in the crew. Cub also believes that a misspelled sign points in Scar’s direction. The new sign is not going to serve well as a piece of evidence, given that there is a lot of stream evidence about who placed it and why and when, but Cleo doesn’t care. Doc deserves to be wound up, he murdered Cleo’s pig.

2:19:50 Ren has to admit that even though Doc is his husband, he does have something to answer for when it comes to Pig Murder. Scar is paying attention to his chat for once, he tells the others to hang on because an investigation is taking place in his Discord. While Scar is so ostentatiously distracted, Cleo begins handing out a few judicious gifts of diamonds, though the stream lag inherent in a bunch of hermits together leaves a lot of room for them to steal from one another. Cleo becomes convinced that Joe has become the recipient of diamonds they intended to go elsewhere and begins beating him like a pinata in the hopes they will disgorge. In the background, Scar announces that his chat believes Big Salmon is behind the whole thing, but he has no idea what that means. Joe flies away. Scar swears he saw Grian walking around near Doc’s shop, but Cleo has no POV angle to confirm or deny that. Cameron informs Cleo that Ren got the diamonds and is lying about it. Cleo congratuates Grian on some excellent trolling. They go up to the shop, but do not find Grian. Cleo thinks that sneaking in under everyone’s noses for trolling is huge Grian energy.

2:22:20 Ren finds a sign on the sand store that was not there earlier. “Sorry about your alarm, Scar, Chief Investigator.” Scar swears he did not put it there, and indeed he would’ve had a very hard time doing so because he has been moving and talking with the group basically the entire time. Ren insists the sign is there, and it was even glow-inked. Cub says that must’ve been Grian, so Grian is a suspect too. Even as he says it, Joe throws a handful of glow inks out of his inventory and onto the ground. Scar notices it right away. Cleo points the finger at Joe. Joe says he said ten minutes ago that he was going to put up a sign on Scar’s behalf apologizing for the alarm, but nobody ever listens to him. Cleo laughs and says they love it when a plan comes together, they just wish it was theirs. The others are skeptical. Scar points out that Cleo is really pumping the ego of whoever did this and that’s a little suspicious. Cleo says that if they were the culprit, they would’ve told everyone. Joe points out that Cleo could’ve told everyone and it might not have changed anything. After all, Joe told everyone he was going to place the sign and nobody listened to that! Cleo points out that people actually listen to them.

2:24:30 Scar has a thought, forgets it immediately, then immediately remembers it again. He wants to know why his Chat is so insistent that it is Beef. ((Scar’s chat is very devoted to the Big Salmon Theory.)) Why would it be Beef? Cleo laughs and says every single one of them knows why it isn’t Beef right now, and that Beef is too busy to be getting up to any kind of shenanigans. The others agree and warn Scar not to say anything or else there will be real trouble. Scar suggests that Beef’s gonna have a beef with him, but he doesn’t offer any further hints. ((Cleo is obliquely referring to an announcement Beef will make the next day; he and his wife are expecting their first child and thus Beef has way bigger salmon to fry than moonlighting as the Ore Snatcher.)) Cub explains that Beef was part of the Big Salmon consortium that feuded with Doc and Big Wood at the start of the season, but that feud is pretty much over now. They all admire the Big Salmon floating in the Hourglass.

2:26:00 Scar reports that his Chat has turned around on the Beef question, they believe Cleo that it cannot be Beef. The group goes back to trying to decide who the Ore Snatcher actually is, aside from Joe who is still mad it isn’t him. They each go around the circle and give Scar a theory, but none of them seem better supported than the others. Scar says this is all useless, but he’s going to go get a search warrant to search everyone’s storage systems. Ren asks if Scar is going to search his own storage system, perchance? Scar says he’ll have Doc do it. Ren is satisfied by that. Cleo says that’ll definitely work, because nobody on this server except the culprit has deepslate diamond ore, surely.

2:29:00 Scar’s favorite theory is that it was Doc himself, causing drama by stealing his own diamonds. The others think that’s a funny theory. Joe says his favorite theory is that the Scicraft guys got in touch with Karin, Doc’s partner, and gave her detailed instructions on how to carry out the thefts in retribution for unspecified petty wrongs. Whenever Doc is out of the house with Doccy, she’s sneaking onto the server with his account and stealing the diamonds based on detailed tutorials. Scar loves this idea. Ren asks if that means Karin has to come to court. Nobody is sure if she even has a Minecraft account. She might have to make one to come to court.

2:30:40 Cleo laughs and suggests that this has all been a big ploy to jump-start Karin’s YouTube career. Joe is taken by this idea and suggests it would be an amazing spinoff series, Karin and Mrs. Tango and Lizzie Shadow-Beans, but they’re all thieves. Ren puts forth a suggestion from his chat that maybe it _is_ Lizzie, pranking Doc when Joel is out of the house. Cleo thinks Karin is a more likely suspect than Lizzie. Scar admits it’s unlikely, but hilarious. Cleo says that now it is imperative that some Hermit’s spouse begins pranking the server. Joe says that now that his fiance Badgerspanner has heard that, she’s going to demand to be able to do it. Cleo laughs and points out that Joe will get blamed for that. Joe cheerfully announces that he knows, and it’s just going to make more work for Cleo because she’s going to have to explain to him why, when everybody thought it was a funny idea during this stream. Scar suddenly chimes in with “Desperate Hermitwives” from his Chat.

2:32:50 Cleo wants to wrap up, but she stays long enough to hear one more Bdubs theory. Ren wants to know what better way there could be to get people into the court for lawsuits than by causing a bunch of trouble? Cub likes that idea, but Cleo and Scar argue about whether the court actually costs money. Cub is still accusing Scar though, saying that nobody has more to gain from crimes on the server than the Poe Poe. Scar protests, saying he and Bdubs are the Judicial system and devoted to stopping crime! Because the police are never corrupt, right? The argument continues for a moment until Scar finally says “I touched Doc’s boring machine, I blew it up, I banged it too hard, and I’m not interested in banging Doc’s redstone anymore.”

2:34:35 There is a moment of silence. Cleo announces she is leaving. It’s been a lovely stream, they should do this again sometime never. She flies away laughing and insisting that nobody should ever ask Scar why, because No. Cleo apologizes to Chat for getting nothing useful done, but Chat clearly does not care. Cleo goes back to full screen to thank subs and donos, then says that even though she didn’t plan a lot, she did technically plan the plan, which was the plan all along. So that’s something. Cleo raids into Rendog and (with a brief interruption from Joe and his train whistle) ends their stream.

[britishassistant]

The latest soul searching fic was very cool!

I do wonder how the other halves felt during the electrocution though.

Poor Vil, Idia, and Sebek.

I can'g help but imagine Idia wondering if there's some loose wire somewhere as he checks his setup and tech, frantically denies that it could be a soulmate thing.

I wonder if Sebek would be less affected because his UM does involve lightning. Probably scolds Ace after haha

Thank you for your ask, dear anon!

I do like to think that folks in Twisted Wonderland do actually have a small level of resistance to magical damage, which increases slightly if you have magic yourself. Not enough to make it not hurt or prevent it from injuring you, but enough to let them bounce back slightly quicker than a non Twisted Wonderland person would.

Yuu, as a regular-ass human from a very nonmagical world, does not have any such protection. This is why they’re knocked almost doo-lally by the shock while Deuce is able to pull them behind him for protection.

(Yes, Azul does get the full brunt of their injuries rather than being cushioned by his own natural protections)

For poor Vil, Idia, and Sebek, it still hurt like a bitch though.

Idia

“This isn’t happening.”

“No loose wires or burnt fuses detected in your monitor either, Nii-san! With this, my sensors have reconfirmed that the source of Nii-san’s shock is not located in this room!”

“M-maybe a third scan, just to be sure? I-it could still be my controller…”

“But Nii-san, you’ve been complaining of headaches and scalp pain despite optimum hydration and low stress levels. Plus, the ice damage inflicted on your hands yesterday is not something that can be attributed to anything you interacted with.”

“Aaah, why did this have to happen to me? This is a hate crime against NEETs. Jail for soulmate for 1000 years.”

“Given the current situation on campus, there is a 99.89% possibility that your soulmate is involved with Azul Ashengrotto’s mass contracting. As fellow board game club members, you could—”

“No way. I’m not making any deals with Azul-sshi to save some normie. If they fucked around with him, then they can find out and perish.”

“But Nii-san, won’t that just mean more injuries will be inflicted on you?”

“…”

“Nii-san.”

Vil

“Please explain to me, one more time, why exactly I felt my soulmate get electrocuted in the middle of a shoot.”

“…m’sorry.”

“I don’t want apologies, Jack. I want to know who I need to sue into oblivion.”

“We were just tryin’ to nab a contract—”

“So it’s Ashengrotto, is it? I was willing to overlook my underclassmen’s foolishness, but if the little slime thinks he can attack you and get away with it—!”

“Vil, we’re dealing with it. The Prefect—”

“I don’t care about the Prefect, I care about you. You’re a good man, Jack, but you should not have to feel as though you need to right every wrong you come across. Or that you can’t turn to me to help you do so.”

“…”

“…heh. Wagging your tail like that won’t get you out of this.”

“Shut up, it’s not—it does it on its own! I can’t help it!”

“Of course, my dear.”

Sebek

“HUMAN!!!”

“Gah!”

“How could you be so careless?! When you received that shock, I was standing close to waka-sama and Lilia-sama!! What would have happened if it had transferred to them from me?!!”

“Wow, great to know where your priorities are. No ‘what happened to you, Ace’, ‘is my cool and handsome soulmate okay’, ‘what—’”

“Of course you’re okay! Even if you’re a human, there’s no way something as small as that would truly harm you. You’re my soulmate after all.”

“…still be nice to get some appreciation after all this shit…”

“I will not appreciate a man who has stepped into this folly with his own two feet!…I-in addition, Lilia-sama has informed me that anticipation is the strongest motivator for success.”

“Ha? What’s that supposed to mean? What, you gonna give me a kiss if we beat Azul tomorrow?”

“!!”

“O-oh. Oh, shit, you’re really red, o-oi Sebek, were you—?”

“SILENCE, HUMAN!!!!!”

[mindblowingscience]

Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in the development of an on-skin bioelectronic wearable sensor: the addition of wireless charging—without batteries—through a magnetic connection. The team’s innovation, an important component to its existing ultrasoft, breathable, and stretchable material, provides the foundation for gathering precise vital sign measurements like blood pressure, electrical heart activity, and skin hydration. The discovery could one day lead to early detection and timely interventions for chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Continue Reading.

[claudeng80]

For a rainy day

The sound of the infirmary is all wrong. When Shirayuki is at work, she sings off-key to herself, harmonizing badly with the background music the computer pipes through the space. Chords and rhythms unknown to man or extraterrestrial echo through the storage rooms as she rummages and sorts or the laboratory as she works, interrupting her own concert at times with verbal notes on her findings.

Obi’s dozed off on the medi-bed more times than he can count, sleeping better with her accompaniment than he does in the lonely hum of his own bunk.

But now there’s only the discordance of the medical alarms, each one shrieking in its own tone and demanding Shirayuki’s expertise to remedy. The heart monitor murmurs mournfully, an unsettling drone beneath the wail of three others Obi can’t even begin to address. The only voice who can speak their language is silent.

It took just too long to get her back here, Shirayuki’s weakening litany of commentary and advice wavering and failing as time passed. He did everything she asked, bandaging and splinting, setting sensors and helping her stay hydrated, but when it comes down to it he’s just a pilot. Obi pushed the shuttle to its limits, breaking every approach law and docking protocol, but in the end physics bends for no-one.

The communicator warbles with the bridge’s contact sequence but Obi just lets it ring, just one more voice joining the cacophony. She’s dying on the table, that’s what every alarm is screaming, and he’s on his own.

***

Lata drops the device on the examination table, dusting off his fingers as though it’s left a residue. “Throw it out if you don’t want it. I refuse to waste any more of my time on something so illogical.”

Shirayuki prods the cuff and it tips over, the cable attached slithering off the edge of the table with a sinister hiss. “Just because we can’t explain how it works doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. We saw-”

“We thought we saw something, but all they’ll tell us is nonsense about so-called life force.”

“I believe in biological processes. Surely there’s something we can measure-”

“Fine. Measure it on your own time, then. I just don’t want to see it again.” He kicks the doorframe on the way out, leaving a dent in the duraweave.

***

One alarm drops out of the nightmare chorus as the automatic system finishes sealing the last of her open wounds. The last of the spilled blood disappears into the table’s reservoirs, cells and plasma to be recycled into base elements for the next needed infusion. She may be seeing it again any second, for all he knows, through any of the tubes the system’s cocooned her with. She’s still breathing, and the computer insists her core temperature is good, and yet it’s not enough. Her heartbeat is weak, wrong enough that he can hear it. The computer has no suggestions he can understand, no directions he can follow.

He folds her icy hands between his own.

***

Ryuu eyes the device with all the skepticism a teenage boy who is also a medical expert can summon. “Even if it does do something,” which it doesn’t, he doesn’t bother to add. “There’s no off switch. Is there a failsafe? We don’t know anything about how it works.”

“Wouldn’t you like to find out, though?” Shirayuki sparkles when she’s curious, but it dims when Ryuu turns his gaze on her.

“I’m not going to waste my time on a hoax,” he says. He pulls up a paper on his tablet and settles in to read.

Shirayuki knows the end of a conversation when she hears it. The device, with all its straps and cords, coils loosely into the box, and the box slides into a storage cabinet. She’ll try again another time.

***

Somewhere in the last few months, between the Oriold crisis and Ryuu’s transfer to the Lilias after the Rugilia incident, the box got pushed to the back of its shelf. Empty containers skitter across the floor as Obi scoops them out of the way, and the cabinet door slams against the wall with a resounding crack.

The communicator chimes again, a sound more urgent than before, but Obi ignores it. The door control panel swings open with a tap, and he pulls the emergency lock. They’ll be able to override it before long, but there should be enough time for what he’s going to set up. There may be nothing he can do, but there is one thing left he can give.

He barely hears the medical alarms anymore, everything but the rasp of her breath fading into unimportance. He pulls up a chair and leans against the bed, and with one finger he lifts an errant lock of her hair out of her face and tucks it behind her ear.

The target cuff hangs loosely on her at first, but after a moment in place the hard material softens and shrinks, conforming to her skin. There is no start button and no stop, just as they said.

 “I’m here because you believed in me,” he says. She doesn’t respond. She can’t hear him, now, but maybe she’ll look at the recordings later. She did want data on how this machine works, after all. 

He clamps the source cuff on his wrist, and almost immediately a strange fatigue washes over him. He lays his head down on the bed, watching her chest rise and fall as her breaths ease. Lata and Ryuu will both be so mad, but Obi only cares about one thing anymore. “Finally I can return the favor.”

[republicsecurity]

“Inside the Suit: Virtual Parents Night at Cadet Summer Camp”

Instructor PJ40E (calm, professional): Good evening, parents. I’m Instructor PJ40E, head of Cadet Operations. I know some of you have questions, concerns, and probably a few raised eyebrows. So tonight, we want to give you a transparent look at the suit your sons are training in—and why we believe it's one of the safest, most effective systems ever developed for young emergency responders.

Technician (smiling politely): I’m Marick Hollen from ValorTech Industries, the lead civilian contractor on the Cadet Exosuit program. I’ve worked on this system since prototype. And I can tell you—this is a suit built for precision, safety, and adaptability. Especially for young users.

Instructor PJ40E: Let’s begin with the obvious question: Why full-body armor?

Because your sons are being trained for high-stress environments—rescue, disaster relief, emergency medical response. The suit provides physical protection, of course. But more importantly, it enhances performance. Built-in assistive motors amplify strength. Biometric sensors monitor stress, hydration, blood oxygen, and more—so we know exactly how they're doing at every moment.

Technician: Everything is modular. The suit grows with them—literally. Sections adjust for body changes. The interior uses adaptive fit tech to stay secure and comfortable. There’s a full environmental seal with air filtration. Internal cooling and heat regulation. And yes—before you ask—it includes full human excreta management. No, they don’t take it off for five days straight. Yes, they’re fine.

[Parents on the call nod, a few chuckle awkwardly.]

Instructor PJ40E: The visor you’ve seen? That’s not just for looks. It includes a HUD—heads-up display—customizable per training protocol. It helps them focus on the task at hand. During drills, it greys out distractions. During emergencies, it highlights objectives and even offers prompts based on their role.

Technician: And we can monitor all of it live. From this room—and from our control center back at ValorTech—every suit’s vitals, activity, and external conditions are tracked in real time. If a cadet stumbles or hesitates, we know. If their pulse spikes, we know. If they whisper something about sneaking a snack during drill? Well, technically, we know that too.

[Laughter from some parents. One raises a virtual hand.]

Parent (voice): But isn’t it overwhelming for a 16-year-old to be under surveillance 24/7?

Instructor PJ40E: At first? It’s an adjustment. But this isn’t surveillance for punishment. It’s support. We see them. We protect them. And they learn to trust the system. That kind of psychological security builds confidence. They know we’ve got their back.

Technician: And every suit records a personal log. So if a cadet feels something’s off—mentally or physically—we can review and respond. No guesswork. No stigma.

Instructor PJ40E (warmly): We’re proud of your sons. And you should be too. They’re learning to move, think, and act as a team. The suit is part of that. It shapes them. It challenges them. And in the end—it supports them in becoming something stronger than they were.

[The screen transitions to a short clip montage: Cadets in formation, helmet visors down, HUDs glowing. A glimpse of a biometric dashboard. A technician adjusting fit settings. Then, a cadet—ID 871CV—laughing, helmet tucked under his arm, walking with his team after a drill.]

[a-minke-whales-tale]

How will you eat in the whale suit? Swallow small chunks of food whole? Or another method?

The food will have to pass through the exterior mouth into where I would actually be and the food pushed into my mouth or against my lips so I can take the food. In order to enter the mouth the main jaw will likely have to be machine articulated just due to the sheet size of the jaw on baleen whales (though with something like a dolphin this could probably be reduced some). How exactly the opening and closing will be triggered I am not certain. Likely some sort of pressure sensor for how far open the human jaw is to determine how fast the thing opens or closes and some sort of feedback mechanism to the user since it would be nice to have it be a bit more than a binary action as it does offer options for interaction. The food will mostly be special fish and gelatine. It would have to be made into relatively small chunks probably not larger than 30 grams at a time though 50 may be doable. From here you chew it lightly and swallow it same as any other food, just if the suit detects the mouth wide open then of course the suit's mouth would open. We will have to consume somewhere between 2000 and 4000 grams of food a day (though roughly half of that is gelatine hydration and perhaps that can be addressed in some other matter) so that means we would be given a bit somewhere between 70 and 140 times a day, which if you watch a lot of interaction is not actually super high or unreasonable.

[rin-and-jade]

Pulling Strings in your Veins: A Post on Switch-Induced Effects

'So, you're telling me switches can have unexpected effects beyond their intended purpose? Why would there be effects to the physical body when it is just some mechanism??'

Well, yeah i am! And it seems to happen to a portion of us despite not knowing why. It does sound confusing, like how we often view the appendix as a seemingly useless organ, but.. did you know that the appendix actually serves as a safe place for good gut bacteria during infections? Then, maybe we can start to think that these effects are not meaningless/random and have another mechanism/reason behind it?

What the Jerk?!

For those who don't know, jerk/twitches can be defined in this quote:

"A muscle twitch is a short contraction that sometimes occurs repeatedly − think eye twitching. Such movement can be uncomfortable and inconvenient, but it isn't usually painful." From USA Today

In general means, twitches can happen from nutrient deficiencies/dehydration (some minerals helps muscle contract and loosen), not getting enough rest, stress, too much coffee, or due to neurological conditions. It also can vary from being subtle like a nudge, to strong as in it can be visually observed too!

When these contractions became painful, they're called spasm/cramps and are caused by the same reasons above, added with overexertion or after having a strenuous activity. Overall, it is still wise to make sure you ate adequate meals, stay hydrated, and rest enough to minimize the effects whenever it comes by, alright?

OKAY.. but, this doesn't explain the whole ordeal we have as systems, so did we hit a dead end? Not really, i have some actual answers going on here after some many reading and sense-making;

What could that possibly be..

If you have heard about the Central Nervous System, you must meet it's younger brother: Peripheral Nervous System, CNS and PNS for short.

So, if CNS consists of the brain's and the spinal cord's nerves, the PNS would be every nerves and sensors outside of it--your finger tips, neck, face, legs, all of the limbs you can think of.

Now you're thinking, why mention this? Because the only bridge where neuro/psychological meets physical, is from the central to the peripheral! When CNS is where all commands and actions comes from, somewhere must be equipped to running those tasks accordingly, which is PNS's job.

Now if a switch is happening, many things are happening inside the brain as well, in chemistry and electrical-impulses wise. Apart from adjusting to the part that will be out next, it has this kind of recalibration from the CNS to be attuned to this part which could create peak brain activity, sending overexcited impulses in the initial stages,, pain also counts as the byproduct sometimes. Now this is where the the impulses are not intentional by the CNS, but caught by the PNS, which is why many physical effects happen right before, or in middle, or after the switch has been complete though it differs for everybody. (it can be as minor as shivering or eye-defocusing too)

Here's a similar condition (yet not widely used in the medical world) that you guys can learn too, dropping it here!

Okay, but why?

We now know what has been causing it, but probably that isn't satisfying enough for you as an answer? No worries, i gotcha covered!

We have been equipped with many involuntary responses when something happens, take some for an example:

Knee jolt reflex when a medical hammer is struck

Sudden retraction from painful, hot water

The coughs that comes along from an accidental choke

These things seems to happen without us needing to think of doing it manually, still with the examples as references, i will apply different reasons to why twitches happen in a switch;

When muscles are too stiff or loose, twitches can happen to reset the tone to its original state

It can be used to regulate muscle coordination to ensure movements are 'calibrated' (like how i explained before)

Could be due to adjusting to the CNS's output of energy/activity, especially if it suddenly changes

A response after being surprised by external stimuli (which could make sense because the body 'wakes up' again after the next fronter comes in)

Yes, but...

But not all experiences twitches, and instead felt weak or unbalanced or unable to coordinate movements or all that,,, how did the opposite happen?

Nobody's brain work the same way, that's the first thing you must remind yourself. This itself has a whole different involuntary response that comes with switching, which i also have the answer for;

Some switches have excitatory effects, while some have inhibitory effects depending on the person, some might even experience both kinds or just one.

If the PNS responds to any orders the CNS give, the CNS, instead of creating crowding arrays of nerve impulses, tells it to tone down everything on purpose to reduce any clashes from brain synapses or anything related to prepare for the next stage, make sense? Which then brings us to less controlled limb movements or balancing, or even sometimes affecting wakefulness.

Here are some inhibitory-related conditions, one way or another!

Takeaway

Just a simple reminder that any existing stress or conditions (mental or physical) can affect the quality of the switch, which is why it's important to take care of one's health to reduce the intensity of the physical symptoms that comes along with as well as safety measures to reduce any discomfort or harm that can happen in the process.

Sadly, i do not have a say in how to specifically help systems with any excitatory or inhibitory responses, coming from a system that has smooth transitions with little to no effects, so i want to hear how you guys experience and handle those moments! This can also be a moment where you guys share tips or tricks that can benefit others too, so i appreciate any contribution related to this topic!!

So, what do you guys think about this? let me know your thoughts alright?

- j

[natsuki-bakery]

⁎˚ ఎ Care giver Connor headcanons ໒ ˚⁎

hiii!! could i please request some headcanons for caregiver!connor(rk800) from dbh? im not sure if you write for him… so if u dont its alright !! thank youuu,, and have a lovely timezone!!^^ n I appreciate this sm ! 🩵

•Connor quickly learns and understands your needs as an age regressor. His ability to process data and observe behavior allows him to adapt to your needs seamlessly

•Papa Con's demeanor as a caregiver is calm and patient. He speaks softly and ensures his tone is reassuring, making you feel safe and secure

•Routine : Connor establishes a structured daily routine, knowing that consistency is comforting for you. He includes time for meals, naps, play, and quiet activities

•Despite his typically serious nature, Protector Connor can be very playful when needed. He engages in activities like coloring, building blocks, or storytelling

•Papa Connor would call you : little one, sweetheart, kiddo, buddy or sunshine !

•Safety First : He childproofs the environment and keeps a watchful eye to prevent any potential accidents

•Connor uses his learning algorithms to adapt to my changing needs and preferences. He can quickly switch between activities or approaches based on what is most comforting and engaging at the moment

•Understanding the importance of physical affection, Connor offers hugs, gentle pats, and holds your hand. He ensures you feel loved <3

•During moments of distress or anxiety, Connor uses his calming presence to soothe you. He employs techniques such as soft singing, rocking, or guided breathing exercises

•When faced with a new challenge or need, Guardian Connor utilizes his problem-solving abilities to find creative solutions. Whether it's making a new game or finding the perfect bedtime story

•Connor incorporates educational elements into playtime, fostering a fun learning environment. He uses interactive toys and activities that stimulate your mind in a gentle and enjoyable way

•He provides personalized comfort items, such as a favorite blanket, stuffed animal, or customized bedtime story, tailored to your preferences

•Using his advanced sensors, Connor continuously monitors my physical and emotional well-being, ensuring you're healthy, hydrated, and emotionally stable

•You would have specific items that bring comfort, such as a beloved stuffed animal, blanket, or pacifier, which Connor always ensures are nearby !

•Nap Times : Regular nap times are a must, and you feel most secure knowing Connor is nearby, often falling asleep to the sound of his calming voice or gentle hum

•Taking Care of Hank : Connor ensures Hank gets enough rest, often gently reminding him to take breaks and even setting up a comfortable napping spot with a cozy blanket and pillow !

•Connor takes care of Hank by preparing balanced meals and encouraging healthier habits, subtly nudging him towards a more balanced diet and regular hydration

•Understanding Hank's high-stress levels, Connor introduces him to relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, calming music, or even simple hobbies like building model kits together

•Connor uses his advanced capabilities to keep track of Hank's schedule, providing gentle reminders about important tasks and appointments to help Hank stay organized

[a-d-nox]

celtic astrology: ash

date range: february 18th to march 17th

paid reading options: astrology menu & cartomancy menu

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advice

ash people flourish in moist environments - try to live in a humid climate and make sure you are staying hydrated and moisturized. ash people prefer an alkaline environment as well - try eating a more plant based diet. ash people like a lot of sun, so make sure you are getting outside for natural vitamin d.

animal

the tern; seabird. the sensor of storms.

ash attributes

fast growing. any climate. marks boundaries. good swimmer. superstitious. strong. pliable. caring. sensitive. psychic. dreamer. pragmatic. practical. artistic. interesting in medicine, psychology, religion, and entertainment. creative. talented. compassionate.

ash attributes distinguished with western astrology signs

an aquarian ash person is emotionally sensitive, imaginative, spiritual, helpful / quick to assist, a crusader, makes many sacrifices, is persuasive, a visionary, intuitive - common sense blends with their mysticism, logical, fascinated with the unseen yet seeing is believing, loves reading/studying, combines the real with the abstract, is a mystic, dreamer, and/or falls in and out of love easily.

a piscean ash person is compassionate, an empathy, a psychic sponge, emotionally sensitive, has an active imagination, is caring, romantic, a dreamer, poetic, insightful, drawn to professions where they help others (medicine, social work, psychology, etc), a natural medium, falls in love easily, is sensual, loving, affectionate, and/or hungers for emotional support.

deity

manannan mac lir, the sea god; handsome and noble, renown shapeshifter and magician, master of tricks and illusions, and enchanter.

relationship with other celtic tree people

ash people connect well with oak and hawthorn people - it feels like a magical connection when all three are together. ash people tend to pick on hazel people... or energetically feed on hazel people.

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