#Cadal

[gothmusiclatinamerica]

Followers in or near Los Angeles, California:

Chilean post-punk trio Cadal is going to be performing here on November 7th at the Slipper Clutch, along with Spanish-language, US-based goth acts Velas Negras and Poderosa, and also Warsaw Pact who is also special in their own little way.

Cadal also going to perform in San Diego, California the next day and in various places in Mexico (and not just Mexico City either!) before and after, though I don't have the precise location information for those and I recommend following them on Instagram if you want to find out the specifics.

[nugothrhythms]

Music video to “Ciudad Perdida,” a 2022 single by Santiago, Chile-based post-punk trio Cadal

[peace-comes-dropping-slow]

"All liars!"

Rest well, Ewan Muir and Terry Innes. May your afterlives be as entwined as your fates always were.

(Loosely inspired by one of my favorite movie posters.)

[alienbabydraws]

spending some time drawing some old ocs

you'll never guess what franchise he belongs to

[greatgoldlion]

[drea-s-artblog]

Pretty noodle

[thesleepyfable]

~ SWTD: Still Here AU Part 1 ~

Trots' Reflection:

A first of many chapters I have planned for the Still Here AU. This turned out to be much longer than I expected, so that might be the case for future chapters. If you enjoyed this, then thank you, and let me know if you want Muir or Gibbo's chapter next. Rennick's chapter will be released last.

Part 2:

'Oh fuck. Is that...Trots? Jesus Christ.'

Caz stared in horror at what his friend had become. From the waist down, Trots was just an amalgamation of flesh that spouted tendrils to keep his balance whilst his uniform had been torn to near shreds, leaving only pieces hanging from his arms and upper chest.

Is this why Gibbo didn't want to be looked at? He couldn't blame the poor bastard.

With his eyes wide and the muscles in his neck twitching, Caz knew this was only one way to get back to Roy.

Shit.

He gave himself a moment to calm down before turning the torch off and quietly opening the door. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and he had to hold in a gag from the rank smell that struck his nose. He couldn't afford to be spotted, but the noises from Trots' cries of pain and repeating of words carried an echo throughout the room. Caz, for a moment, thought Trots had already seen him and was playing the long game to lure him further. To make himself smaller and quieter, he crouched and awkwardly tip-toed over broken glass and anything that could make a sound.

An open cupboard gave him a moment to breathe again. It only took 10 seconds, but it felt like an eternity for the leccy. He peered out and saw Trots at a better, or in this case, worse angle. 'What the fuck...?' Caz noticed Trots' legs below the knee hanging against the growth. Every few seconds they would twitch, but The Shape had them firmly in place. And whenever they tried to move, Caz noticed Trots made a groan in agony. There was nothing to be done and Caz knew that.

Thinking quickly, he grabbed a Cadal mug by his feet and aimed it towards the other side of the room. He shuffled some of his body from his hiding spot and tossed it over the small pile of laundry machines before quickly tucking himself back in.

Clunk.

Trots reared his head with a curious 'chirp' and took the bait. No longer distracted by the strange light, he crawled along the floor, clearly in pain, as the tendrils latched and detached themselves from anything they could reach. Caz came out of hiding and slowly crept for the stairs. Just up here, and he'll be back with Roy. Then they can make a new plan to -

'W-What?'

Trots' voice made Caz stand still. He slowly looked back with a mix of shock and confusion across his face. Trots' cadence was different. It didn't sound altered by The Shape trying to copy his speech patterns. It was him.

'What the fuck is this?' Trots stared at his reflection in pure shock. His heart raced and his stomach sank as he tried to make out what he was seeing. 'Is that me? But, how - I'm...' Caz slowly followed his voice and glanced at Trots, who was holding a door with all the strength he had. At any moment he could rip it off its hinges. He saw Caz's reflection and turned to him - eyes wide and mouth dry - gesturing to the grotesque mass. 'Caz. What - what happened to me?!' Panic was now, and rightfully, starting to set in.

'Trots? Are you - Okay, okay, just calm down.'

'Calm down? Caz, I look like I've been put through a fuckin' blender!'

'Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Fuck sake.'

A small pause lingered for Trots. He wasn't one for swearing or raising his voice. Even The Shape couldn't replicate that. A tendril moved to close the machine door. It must have been subconsciously because Trots' body and breath shivered, and his eyes squinted.

But that was good, wasn't it? He could control the mass now.

'How ye' feeling?' Caz asked, unable to take the silence.

'Better,' Trots answered with an exhausted tone. 'My mind felt like it was being pulled all over the shop.' It was a strange and painful sensation. He could compare it to being in a coma. He was aware of what was going around him, but couldn't react. His mind and body were on auto-pilot yet he couldn't focus enough to fight back until he saw his reflection. Then it was like a fog had been lifted.

'I'm sorry wee man.'

'For what?'

'I heard ya through the door. I tried getting to ya, but it wouldn't budge. Do you remember what happened?'

Trots nodded. 'Aye. It just shot through the window and latched onto my leg. It felt like someone had taken a knife and was stabbing me over and fuckin' over again. And,' he scoffed. 'Now I'm here.'

'Well, I'm not leaving ya here, pal. I'm gonna to fetch Roy. He's in the pantry.'

'What about the others?'

'Brodie's with Raffs. Poor bastard was shaken after his dive. Finlay and Douglas are looking for Gibbo in engineering, and I spoke to O'Connor. He's with Bruce and Fergus.' He'll leave out Innes. 'Of course that bastard Rennick is still kicking. Probably tucked away all nice and cosy in his office.' He took a quick glance to the stairs. 'So, you with me?'

'...Alright.'

The pair moved in silence. The only thing breaking that was either the stairs echoing with Caz's footsteps or Trots letting out a groan of pain. Both of the men knew The Shape wasn't done with him yet. Trots could control his mind, body and soul, but this thing was slowly mutating him to survive. Who knew what he'd look like by the end of it.

A part of the wall had collapsed from the tendrils. A shooting pain ran through Caz and Trots' head as they approached. 'It's trying to lure us in, Caz.'

'Just ignore it, mate. Here, help me push it back.' Caz can easily slip through the smaller space, but Trots certainly wasn't. He wedged himself halfway between the wall and used his shoulder the push. The wall behind him was used as a base for his feet. 'Come on, Trots.' It wasn't going to budge by itself.

Using all the tendrils and his shoulder, Trots could feel the wall slowly move back. Caz began to slide to the other side, giving Trots room to follow and to an area where the wall wasn't leaning as much. The Shape was stubborn. It was oddly strong for something that looked like ribbons.

'I thought you were a boxer,' Trots bantered with a smirk.

'Yeah. A boxer,' Caz retorted. 'Not a heavy weight lifter, ya prick.'

Both men suddenly burst out laughing, which must have attracted Roy who awkwardly stood at the canteen door. He had noticed Trots and began to go through the same emotions as Caz, frozen in place.

'Erm, Caz.' He got their attention, and the pair turned to him, still stifling laughs.

'Oh, hey Roy. Give us a hand, will ya?'

[lilkumquat27]

An AU if Caz actually did survive and was rescued, except he’s so racked with PTSD and survivors guilt it’s as if he wish he died on the rig, anyway. He’s constantly burdened with questions from the government who are now monitoring him and his family under a looking glass. As well as Cadal who are likely trying to take him to court for some BS so they don’t have to be liable for the disaster. His marriage with Suze falls apart because he’s completely shut off and riddled in guilt for the death of Roy. He wakes up to his girls crying and firstly thinks it’s the wails of Muir and Addair and sinks back into survival mode. He never really leaves survival mode after the Shape’s invasion. Even home in the comforts of hearth. He’s still on the rig. He can still feel Innes’s hands slip out of his own. He can still hear the crash of the dryer door from Trots. He can never look down a hallway without seeing Rennick chasing him. The faces of the deformed and mutilationof his best mates whenever he closes his eyes. The worst of it is, he doesn’t know if it’s trauma or if it’s whatever that ‘thing’ was. If possibly he brought it home with him. And he’s just dreadfully waiting for the day he will turn like Rennick or Gibbo. Until then, he relives the horror everyday. Bits and pieces he didn’t even know happened coming back in the worst moments, turning him frigid. Making him just as alone as he was when he was just trying to survive.

Saying all of this, the canon seems better. Way better. Or really any AU not as depressing. Perhaps Caz would find the means to finally heal and return to his family if this AU was a thing. But it would be a lot of time and help needed. A lot of help.

[gothmusiclatinamerica]

"Viaje Similar" by Santiago, Chile-based post-punk trio Cadal off of their 2023 album Fiesta Nueva

[keymanwritez]

Still wakes the deep headcanons !

Trots

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

° Very clean, doesn't really like messes and will chew someone out if they mess up his work station

° Has two brothers and one sister

° Never been married

° Likes tea more than coffee

° Okay ish with children, though the messes they bring and when they scream drives him to insanity

° Enjoys having the same scheduled meals each week, gets somewhat upset when it changes

° Cannot handle the smell of ribs, it absolutely will make him gag and throw up

° Has tried so many times to talk to Rennick calmly about safety on the rig and got shut down so many times that he just gave up on doing it calmly

° Enjoys keeping gifts and things hes given on display, he's proud of everything he has

° Used to be a calm person but now is more likely to anger

Infected Trots time 💔

° Sees his family, like his mother, his brothers and his sister etc

° Is tormented by the fact that he doesn't have legs anymore

° most of his pain stems from his lower half due to how corrupted it has become from the shape

° Feels pure anger towards Cadal, more than when he was alive

° Dies in excruciating pain akin to the other infected

° In my recovery au he gets pissed at Rennick a lot more due to him learning how Rennick wanted to leave everyone else and his actions during the crisis

° Recovery: he really cannot stomach a lot of foods, he just can't eat them without vomiting

° Recovery: Hates his body no doubt but also gets irritated at the mess it makes in his words

Finlay

﹏﹏﹏﹏

° One of the strongest on the rig no doubt

° Would've won the dart tournament final if it ever happened, dunno why I think this I just do

° Actually likes the ocean a lot, just doesn't like being on an unsteady and falling apart oil rig

° Talks with Rennick sometimes, They sit down and drink either coffee or alcohol together

° She lets him rant a lot but has no problem telling him when hes wrong about something or a situation

° Still gets pissed when he does stupid or selfish shit though

° Enjoys milk in her coffee and that's about it

° Talks to her son whenever she can, Keeps the letters he sends in a decorated box with photos

° Not a picky eater but doesn't really like canned ravioli, she'll eat it just doesn't like it

° Her and her husband are divorced but not on bad terms

° Hangs with Muir and thinks he's funny as shit, a little too reckless for her though

° Bisexual but doesn't really care about partners at the moment

After the events of the game 💔

° Sometimes would need to take a break due to hearing her son, over and over again

° Hummed the song he was singing to try and calm down

° Despite what it seemed in the game, she was fucking terrified of the shape

° It unsettled her deep in her soul and she finally knew why when the rubble fell on her

° Wanted nothing but her son in the end, to hold him, to hug him, or just to see him

° She knew she would never get to see him again though and that would be a good thing for him

° Recovery: Was confused and then disturbed when she woke in her cot

° Recovery: She was dead and she knew she was, maybe this was purgatory ?

° Recovery: Took a while for her to become comfortable around the infected again

° Recovery: Felt like shit for being distant but couldn't bear to be around the infected or anyone in general

° Recovery: Called her son almost immediately after finding out she wasn't dead

Muir

﹏﹏﹏﹏

° Love pranks, I think everyone agrees in the fandom XD

° Does not like swimming, never was a fan of it, knows how to though

° Once pulled a prank on Rennick and almost got fired

° Has never grabbed the correct helmet and probably never will

° Enjoys jokes a lot, puns not so much

° Can actually be pretty mellow, especially when he's tired

° Either wakes Innes up with a kiss or a smack on the stomach, either one it just depends on the day

° Once made a paper rose for Innes for Valentine's day

° Hangs out with Finlay sometimes

° Does not like coffee but drinks it to stay up

° Once fell asleep at breakfast and woke up with new eyebrows

° Don't know where I saw it but there was a post that he had a daughter and I liked that idea

° Has two left feet when it comes to dancing, or almost anything tbh

Infected time y'all 💔

° Saw Innes and his daughter

° All he really remembers is feeling alone and being angry at that

° Like they had all left him to fend for himself

° He wanted Innes mainly and was angry at him for leaving

° At one point his vision soloed in on Innes and saw his terrified face

° He was confused

° When he finally got Innes he didn't even realize he had killed him

° He thought that he was just sleeping, he didn't kill anyone else after that

° He just held Innes, his love

° He didn't even realize he was going to die until he was

° Tried his best to keep Innes body safe as he died

° Recovery: Was akin to the others confused on why he was back

° Recovery: He couldn't believe he was back, he felt joy and then the realization what he did hit him

° Recovery: He tried to hide somewhere on the deck away from the others

° Recovery: He didn't want anyone to see him due to guilt

° Recovery: Not even Innes

° Recovery: Eventually Innes coaxed him to talk to him and Muir just sobbed and apologized

° Recovery: It took him a long while to adjust to not being able to go inside and his new form but eventually he slowly went back to some of his old self

° Recovery: He doesn't think he'll ever be the same again though, emotionally

° Recovery: Cried on the phone when he was allowed to call his daughter

Brodie

﹏﹏﹏﹏

° Sees Raff as a son of sorts

° I really liked @/lilkumquat27 's au where Brodie had a son but lost him due to cancer so I kinda headcanon that now too-

° Feels odd for viewing Raff's like that but dismisses it a lot

° Likes coffee with chocolate in it [ me too Brodie- ]

° actually enjoys the ocean a lot, loved going swimming in Skye with his family

° He finds one of the best feelings in the world is to eat a warm meal when your cold

° Hangs with Finlay when he can, he finds solitude with her

° Would laugh when he lost against her in the dart tournament if it ever happened

° Not really competitive, doesn't see the point in getting angry over that stuff

° I associate the song ' Everything stays ' from adventure time with him, don't really know why it just seems to fit him

° Loves the moon as well, thinks she's gorgeous at night

In game time 💔

° Was mostly trying to keep a level head

° Threw up after seeing what happened to Raff's in the dive bell

° He actually threw up a lot during the events of the game

° Kept saying in his mind to just keep on going

° Heard his son talking about octopuses and the ocean in his mind

° Just kept going through most of it, only taking short breaks to think things through

° Was terrified but somewhat content when the water and oil started to raise

° That soon disappeared as the phone cut out

° Tried to keep his mind on Skye and his son but couldn't, all he could focus on was the pain of not being able to swim and drowning in the oil

° Recovery: He woke up sputtering, he was so confused and hurt

° Recovery: Finally broke after that and just sobbed

° Recovery: He sobbed for hours before trying to collect himself

° Recovery: Tried to ignore the pit in his stomach but it kept getting bigger and bigger

° Recovery: Hugged Raff's so tight he couldn't breathe, apologized endlessly for letting him go in the dive bell and for what he went through

I shall make another one with more characters later but these are some of my headcanons for my favorite characters !!!! explodes

[theblankstar]

Finally, the long awaited, long ass head canon post!

Addair:

•He may not like the unions very much, but he's more than willing to listen to Trots whenever he starts rambling about them. He knows nobody else does, so he's always there.

•A pretty decent cook. While he isn't Roy level, he knows exactly how to handle himself in a kitchen. He can make simple dishes, but they're never bad.

•Cannot drive to save the life of himself. He failed his driver's test every time he attempted it. Do not put him in a car, he will crash it. And he will blame the car itself.

•A great hugger. Not even joking. He may not seem like the type for affection, but get close to him and he will become the most affectionate person out there.

Alex:

•Band kid. He played percussion and trumpet back in high school. He can only vaguely remember notes and music, but he is more than willing to re-learn it for the crew.

•Loves urban exploring. His hometown is full of abandoned places, and with that, comes a natural curiosity and drawing towards them.

•Absolutely loves loud music. He will eat that shit up. He loves rock as well, rock and hardcore metal. Put him at a KISS or The Smashing Pumpkins show, and he will fan girl.

•Not the best at math. While he was good at it for a period of time, he eventually reached a state in which he could not do it anymore.

Archie:

•Accident-Prone. Archie has broken his bones one too many times while attempting to do something. While he knows the danger of this, he really doesn't care and just sees it as a test to his will.

•Likes dystopian novels. He can be found sitting in his cabin reading one before bed every night. Of course, he tries his hardest to keep them hidden, but he will ramble when someone asks about them.

•Gets upset easily. While he is understanding, when something doesn't have an expected outcome, he will get upset. He won't have a meltdown, but you can see his face turn red and him looking like he will cry.

•Went to a private school as a child. Archie wanted to be an engineer originally, so his parents had enrolled him into a private school meant for the rich. He gave up that dream.

Banky:

•Has sensitive hearing. He heard things ten times louder than what they're originally supposed to be. It makes him get really upset when he can't find somewhere quiet.

•Has lots of burn scars on his hands from welding. While he does try to be cautious, Cadal probably didn't buy the proper gloves for welders, so Banky has scars on his hands from where the sparks got him.

•Prefers to be alone. Banky has barely any friends on the rig, because of his usually quiet personality- and the fact he just preferred to be alone since it was silent most of the time.

•Was raised by his grandparents. Banky grew up not with his parents, but with his grandparents. They taught him everything about welding and how to fend for himself.

Billy Chamberlain:

•Was good friends with Caz back in their younger years. They drifted apart and forgot each other after Billy had to move away for his parents work reasons.

•Not typically violent, but not afraid to stand his ground. He believed that what he was saying was right, which prompted him to get socked in the face by Caz.

•After the Beira D explosion, he took money out of his own pockets to pay for the funeral and burial expenses. This is when he remembered who Caz was, and what they used to be.

•Smokes a lot. Billy grew up around a lot of businessmen who smoked, prompting him to begin as well, since it was so normalized. He's toned it down now, but has 1-2 a day.

Boyd:

•Used to preform back in Scotland. He would grab his best instrument, typically a lyre, and he would play in the streets. He was really good at the lyre, at that. So it drew crowds.

•Usually more logical than emotional. He tries to approach certain situations with empathy towards a person and their issues, but this is taken over by his main trait; being apathetic.

•Boyd finds it hard to relate to people on the rig. He physically cannot bring himself to be put in someone else's shoes, even if it meant being able to understand and help them better.

•Absolutely hates warm climate. He moved from more Western areas after going to boarding school, and he hated how hot it felt down there. He swore he would never go back down there.

Brodie:

•Has a phobia of heights. He never knew what it was, but being so high up above the ground had always terrified him. So when he started working on the rig, he refused, and I mean, refused to look down.

•Prefers the company of reptiles than mammals. Yes, he does love cats and dogs, but reptiles has always been his absolute favorite. He has a pet chameleon back at home named Green Bean.

•Very confident in his own abilities. Brodie believes that if he can be confident in being able to do something, he would be able to do it easier. This has been his mindset for a while now.

•Cannot sing. When he attempts to sing, it sounds like a broken record that cannot be spun back. He has been told numerous times to get off of the singing stage.

Bruce:

•Hates mashed potatoes. While he does love a good fry or baked potato, he refuses to eat them mashed. This is because once a bug had flown into his food, he ate it, and got sick.

•Good friends with a member of Cadal. He hasn't told anyone about it because they would rip his head off, but he does have a friend within the board that gives him things from time to time.

•Has two brothers. Both of them are enlisted into the army, and therefore, not around usually. He takes care of the house/his parents when they're both not around to do it.

•Visually impaired. He's completely blind in one eye, and losing his vision in the other. He planned on retiring from the rig life so that he could take it easy at home.

Caz:

•Can dance pretty well. He's a huge disco baby, and will groove out to any song he finds catchy. He dances by himself usually, but if Suze or one of his weans are around, he dances with them.

•He lets his daughters dress him up as a pretty princess or a fairy. He will sot there for hours as his girls smear make-up across his face, or put him in the most outlandish outfits possible.

•Used to do track in high school. Caz is a pretty fast runner, so it is no surprise that he used to do track before he graduated. He was actually the best runner in the school.

•Wears knee/arm/leg/elbow braces before working. Caz tends to work in confined/dangerous spaces, prompting him to wear braces in order to protect his own skin from danger.

Dalgleish:

•Oldest of his family. Dalgleish has many family members, due to the fact his family tree is large and very expansive. He does have older cousins and such, but in his family he is the oldest.

•Hates pancakes and waffles. You will not ever catch him eating them. He says they're too fluffy and puffy for his liking, and that he would rather eat bugs than them.

•Very open-minded. He knows the works of the world, and he does have his own opinions on things, but he is more than willing to look at something in another perspective, even if it doesn't seem right.

•A hopeless romantic. Dalgleish, once he's fallen in love with someone, is practically hopeless to save. He's all over the person, giving them the upmost affection and treasure possible.

Davros:

•Was the weird kid back in school. Davros always kept to himself back in his school days, and liked things that other people didn't like, labeling him as a weird child.

•Has lots of surgery scars. Davros was never a careful child, and always ended up putting himself in some kind of danger. Even now, as an adult, he's still beyond reckless. Hence, he has a lot of surgery scars.

•Loves to go skydiving. He may not seem like the type of person for adventure, but he absolutely loves to go skydiving. Specifically, in the early morning or late evening.

•Has decent handwriting. While it isn't perfect, at least it is readable. He's been trying to make his signature look better, but he can't help to put some letters in cursive, and others in comic sans font.

Dobbie:

•He has hypersomnia. Dobbie can sleep through anything and everything you throw at him. Another crew member has to wake him up each morning to ensure he won't sleep through his shift.

•Really good at making jokes. He may not seem like the type of person to have any sort of humor, but he can always lighten up a room with an awful joke or two.

•He crashed a lawnmower into the neighbor's fence, and then proceeded to blame it on the dog. Mind you, Dobbie has never had a dog a day in his life, and only saw them in books and magazines.

•Very generous person. He's always giving back to people he loves and cares about. He manages to do things with a smile, and give things away he knows he'll miss.

Douglas:

•Douglas almost died from drinking coffee one time. He drunk cup after cup that morning, and proceeded to faint when trying to do his job. There is now a limit on the amount of coffee a person can have.

•He's a horrible liar. For some reason, he cannot bring himself to lie to somebody over something petty and small. However, if it's something that could get him fired, he becomes even worse at hiding it.

•He has horrible long-term memory, but impeccable short-term memory. He can remember something in two seconds flat if it happened recently, but if it's something that happened a while ago? Yeah good luck.

•Absolutely hated science in high school. He had attempted to do an experiment with chemicals, and ended up blowing the whole lab up. He is still paying off that debt.

Dunbar:

•A heavy sleepwalker. He once walked all the way to the pontoons, and ended up just floating on his back the entire night in the water. To say it was surprising to see he was still alive the next morning.

•Cannot stand being alone/by himself. Dunbar gets paranoid easily when it's just him by himself. He'll begin to murmur and mumble about how terrified he is of whatever is going on.

•He has an older sister. One time, when they were kids, his sister picked him up and spun him around on her shoulders. She ended up tripping and Dunbar fell out of the second-story window.

•He hates going to the doctor's office. Dunbar is terrified of needles, making him absolutely hate whenever he has to get a check-up. He has to be forced to go.

Finlay:

•Finlay almost drowned in a river as a child. She doesn't have a fear of water, but sees it as a challenge now. She will literally kick water if it meant she can challenge it.

•Her nails are extremely bitten. She chews on them when she gets nervous, causing them to be practical stubs. It's a bad habit of hers that she cannot let go.

•She once stole a lollipop when she was five years old at a supermarket, and to this day she still feels guilty about it. She wanted to return it ten years later, bur thought she'd get arrested.

•She drives a motorcycle on the mainland. She can do just about any trick on it, and is involved in her local biker gang. Despite this, she's actually really fun to be around.

Gibbo:

•Really likes the color pink. Since he is a mama's boy, he's always been surrounded by various objects that were in the hue spectrum of pink. He adores the color.

•He gets nightmares every night of his mother's death. He refuses to sleep unless being reassured by someone he loves that everything is going to be alright.

•Gibbo gives his significant other a shiny rock he loves. If he has no shiny rock on hand, he will ramble to them about bugs and insects of the such. He'll even show them the ones on the rig.

•While Gibbo is portrayed as the stupider one in his friend group of Trots and O'Connor (and does stupid things sometimes), he's actually very intelligent if you're being serious with him.

Gregor:

•Very socially awkward. Gregor cannot handle himself in certain situations where he is working with a large group of people. He tends to get nervous and cry when things get too stressful.

•Prefers to be alone. Gregor doesn't mind working with one or two people, but believes his best work comes from being alone. He works much more efficiently when alone.

•Hates salt. He cannot stand anything that's salty or tastes even mildly salty. He will quite literally spit it out in the trash and glare at the person who gave it to him if he tastes it.

•Mama's boy. Gregor, much like Gibbo, grew up without a father and therefore, has an incredibly strong bond with his mother. He's also very empathetic because of this.

Henderson:

•Very lucky. Henderson seems to win at just about every game, every gamble, everything. He has incredible luck when it comes to almost anything, and this luck has saved him one to many times.

•Really likes softer and more gentle music than loud and brash ones. Tunes like The Ink Spots, Tears for Fears, and the Carpenters really are his favorites when it comes to music.

•Cannot stand the smell of smoke. Henderson gets sick easily, and therefore, cannot be around certain things. He hates, hates, hates. The smell of smoke and fire, it makes him sick.

•Prefers tea over coffee. Henderson likes tea more than he likes coffee, and this is due to the taste. Tea tastes much better to Henderson than that of coffee. "Less sweet" he says.

Innes:

•More of a dog person than a cat person. His family owned several dogs throughout his life, so he had a particular fondness towards them. He can easily tell if a dog is mixed bred or not.

•Grew up in the suburbs. He's never lived out in the country, and frankly, never enjoyed it either. The over all suburbs and their whole feeling of being surrounded by a community comforts him.

•Loves to go fishing, but cannot stand to go hunting. The quietness and the stillness of life when it comes to fishing calms and soothes him. He loves to sit in his boat for hours, and catch and release, over and over.

•Hated the ocean. As a kid, Innes couldn't stand the ocean. The vastness and what lied beneath those waves always scared him. He refused to step anywhere near it, and just watched from afar.

Kelly:

•Very loud. Kelly's voice is naturally loud and brash, you can hear him from practically anywhere on the rig. While he doesn't speak much, when he does, it echoes.

•Played the drums before. Kelly used to be in a rock band before coming to work on the rig. He quit mainly due to it no longer being his choice of a profession, but thinks about it every now and then.

•Can see in the dark extremely well. Due to a genetic mutation, he can see incredibly well in dimly-lit areas, prompting him to work the nightshift singularly.

•Grew up in Greece. Kelly isn't Scottish, Irish, or English. He's actually Greek. His family moved to Scotland in search of better job and working opportunities, taking Kelly with them.

Mary:

•Never cusses. She's the last person anybody would expect to curse for any reason at all. If she does end up letting it slip, she's either extremely pissed or just tired.

•Worked in a hospital for a few years. Mary worked as an anesthesiologist for a few years, before she decided to work in a retirement home and help the elderly and sick out.

•She despises cranberries. She cannot stand the taste nor texture of them. However, if someone wants them, she's more than willing to get them for that person.

•Did softball in high school. She is an excellent pitcher and hitter. She has great aim and also good coordination and calculating skills. She loves to go against people who want a friendly competition.

McLoud:

•The quietest person on the rig. He never speaks to anybody, and only communicates with his head and hand movements. He had never spoken on the rig a day in his life.

•A very creative person. You give McLoud a piece of paper, some time, and he will come back with the most creative piece you have seen. He and Innes are best friends because of it.

•Wears contacts because he hates his eye color. His eyes are naturally a greenish-yellowish color, and he absolutely hates it. He wears blue contacts every day because he prefers them more.

•At coffee beans regularly. McLoud ate coffee beans every day on the rig, and promptly got himself banned from ever going near the coffee pot ever again.

McLurg:

•Choir kid. McLurg can sing pretty well, despite his scruffy-like voice. He was a bass singer when he preformed, and could sing pretty damn low. He has lots of pictures of himself in his choir outfit.

•Has never sweated a day in his life. Due to something with his genetics, McLurg does not sweat at all. With this, he has never been able to figure out why other people say it's hot/cold out.

•Cannot tell the different between their, there, and they're. McLurg was never able to get the difference right, and still cannot for the life of himself.

•Excellent at math. If there's one thing McLurg is good at, other than his job, it'll be math. He's practically prodigy level. With that, he can solve equations in less than two seconds if he merely sees them.

Muir:

•More of a cat person than a dog person. He prefers the company of cats since they're much easier to get along with, and therefore, are arguably better than dogs.

•Grew up on the country side. He only ever went into town to help his father sell the produce they had made for the season. He always preferred the quietness of the ranch than the busy cities.

•Prefers hunting over fishing. He was never the one for stillness of life, but is always more than ready for a challenge. He hunts big game, like I'm talking moose kinda game, and he loves the adrenaline rush.

•The cosmos terrified him as a child. He never once wanted to know what was beyond their own world, in fear of discovering something that'll frighten him. Muir preferred to keep his feet on the ground, and not venture out into space.

O'Connor:

•Unlike Mary, O'Connor loves cranberries. He can sit there for hours and eat a packet of cranberries, after packet of cranberries. Mary genuinely has to stop him from eating one-hundred packs a day.

•Was a heavy smoker, but has since been able to break that habit since Mary came around. He's been on a good recovery streak ever since he met her, and vows to remain sober.

•Absolutely loves the Winter time. Mary's birthday falls in December, and by then, he's usually home from the rig to celebrate. It's also because he loves how pretty Scotland looks in the winter.

•Did wrestling back in high school. O'Connor previously wrestled in high school, and he always won every game he had went to. He was the top wrestler in the district.

Raffs:

•Can barely hear. Raffs was naturally born with poor hearing, leading to him needing hearing aids in order to understand what was going on around him. Despite this, Raffs does his best.

•Cannot stand the taste of eggs. Eggs taste beyond nasty to him, and he refuses to put any of them in his mouth to the point in which he will literally just throw them out.

•Knew Gibbo in high school. The two were the bestest of friends, until Raffs had to move. The both of them have forgotten each other by now, and have genuinely no clue of their past memories.

•Has a scrapbook. Raffs keeps a scrapbook of things he enjoys in his room. It's inside one of the drawers, and occasionally looks through it for memories sake.

Rennick:

•Divorced twice. Rennick is absolutely awful at relationships, and everyone on the rig knows it. He values the work more than a relationship, and has always had that mindset.

•Originally did not want to work for Cadal, but the money he was offered made him join. He did the best work on the rig before becoming the manager, and knows the value of what they are doing.

•Knows exactly the ins and outs of the oil rig. He's been working on the Beira D for the longest out of everyone, and had memorized every little place on it. With this, he is no one for confusion.

•Has visions of things that go wrong. He is usually on high alert because of dreams of an accident happening on the rig. Usually, they are true which makes him even more cautious.

Roper:

•Knows everyone on the rig from face alone. Roper has excellent memory, ergo, he recognizes everyone on the rig just from their face alone, and always greets them.

•Has back issues. Roper's always has trouble with his back, weither it be pain or sudden stiffness. He plans on getting it corrected somehow, because it is a real burden on him.

•Used to have two sons. Roper was married once, but since has divorced. His two sons, named Callum and Lennox respectively, have not spoken to him in a few years after the divorce.

•Got himself an intense fear of the darkness. Roper sleeps with some kind of light on in his room. The light that peers in from the moon is just enough, but also not enough. So he keeps a lamp on.

Roy:

•A natural chef. Roy was born as a natural cooker, and by heart, knows how to make the best dishes possible. He's very skilled at the craft, and just about everyone loves what he makes.

•A gentle giant. Roy may seem big and scary at first, but he's truly kind and light deep down. He gets along with everyone fairly easily, and has no issues with people.

•Has barely any enemies. Like I said, Roy is kind to just about everyone he meets, and gives everybody a chance despite what has been said about them. Barely anybody hates him.

•A big football fan. He never once played the sport himself, but he absolutely loves watching people play it. He went to every game that his high school hosted, and I mean every game.

Scooby:

•A very funny person. Scooby cracks jokes at the worst possible times, and attempts to make a situation better when it comes to that. He attempts to make everything amongst everyone happy and such.

•Awful at darts. Give him a dart and it'll end up in the window to the side somehow. He's had to pay for a lot of things on the rig because of his god awful aim.

•Grew up in the big city his whole life. Scooby grew up in the city, and therefore knows the ins and outs of them. Give him no map, but drop him somewhere, and he somehow knows where everything is.

•Went camping a lot as a child. Since Scooby was in the big city, his family and himself would go on camping trips during his breaks from school. They would do all sorts of things; fishing, hunting, swimming, etc.

Sunil:

•Sunil grew up in a wooded area. He knows a lot about the forest and what lies in it due to living here. With that being said, he can identify any plant or animal you present before him- even obscure ones.

•6'0. Sunil isn't the tallest person on the rig, but he is most definitely not the shortest person on the rig. He's the average height, and it doesn't affect him in the slightest.

•A big history nerd. Specifically, the history of biological life and how it came to be. He has tons of books in his room that just describe the origin of life itself from all over the world.

•Hates spinach. He cannot stand the flavor of it, nor how crunchy it is in his mouth. However, mix it with other flavors and make it practically masked? He'll eat it right up.

Suze:

•Was in NJROTC in high school. Both her mother and father were in the army, and she had plans to join as well. But she got a change of heart later in life for no reason.

•Writes like a doctor. Ever since she learned it from her mother, every little thing she signs looks like a doctor wrote it. You can barely read what she writes due to it.

•Curses like a sailor when she gets frustrated/upset. Suze doesn't get upset often, but when she does she tends to cuss more than usual, leading to her going into just a swearing ramble.

•Keeps a lot of mementos throughout the years. She has a whole box of keepsakes dedicated towards things she has collected throughout the years, and likes to look through it.

Trots:

•As I've mentioned in the past, Trots' father was a coal miner. Trots also wanted to follow in the man's footsteps, and even helped him out in the minds when he was a younger boy.

•The loudest person whenever he gets excited about something he is talking about. Trots will raise his voice when he's getting passionate about something he enjoys.

•Talks in his sleep. Trots can often be heard rambling about things he loves and likes in his state of resting. With this, people have literally came into his room and woken him up, to tell him to shut it.

•Almost broke his neck one time while carrying a some metal pipes to another part of the rig. Before he worked in accommodation- or rather got transferred- he was a deckhand. He almost snapped his neck from the pipes leaning against him too much.

[pickleddandelions]

I played the SWTD teaser game (Oil Strike '75) and I'm curious if anyone knows if the characters R. O'Leary and O. Jones are mentioned in the main game somewhere?

Here's a screenshot that mentions both of them:

And here's one that kinda implies that the first thing O'Leary did after almost dying was filing a safety complain:

Unrelated to my original question, but it took me playing the teaser to realize that Trots is named after the autor of the poem the game takes its name from. Oil Strike '75 ends with it.

If you stay on that screen for a bit the audio of Trots transforming starts playing.

Last screenshot:

You can download a virus on Cadal's servers by calling the Hot Singles hotline. That's it.

[zeondraws]

Before I keep forgetting

Discord folks know, but for those who don't. Secret Mode published a companion game for Still Wakes The Deep before it came out:

I won't spoil much rn, but this will definitely hint a bit more about the games lore. And tells us that Cadal is not being truthful with us and hides a much bigger secret.

[sukipershipper]

Your Darling Irish Rose - SWTD Oneshot

(TW: lots of swearing and something sliiightly naughty but nothing too much lol, have fun!) -----

Cillian…Seems like it’s been so long since I last held you. 

I keep looking out the window, expecting you to be coming home, just like you always do. But each day leaves me feeling more disappointed than the last. 

I know you’re working hard though.

I know you’re doing your best and that’s what I know is important. 

I just wish I could be back there with you. 

But…you know better than any that fate is a cruel mistressIf she weren’t, we wouldn’t be apart

I really hope the rig allows you home for Christmas…I miss you more and more each day…I’ll be waiting every day for you…waiting until I can hold you in my arms again and hear your beautiful voice, mo ghrá…

Please don’t forget to write…love…your darling Mary

P.S you better have shaved your face when you get back mister, I know you love your stubble but it looks horrid on you <3

The little scribbled heart at the bottom of the page made his heart flutter. He rolled his eyes as he let out a low laugh, his lips barely touching as he read the paper once more. This would’ve been the 10th time he had read it. The letter itself was sent a month ago but it was the last letter he got from Mary. He loved reading her latest tellings of the day, so he felt saddened that he hadn’t gotten a letter from her recently. But he held onto hope that she was just busy and had forgotten. The two had always been busy bodies. From the small coffee shop they ran together in the streets of Dublin, which she now ran with her sisters, to the work they did together on the Beira. Mary was a very beloved face on the rig. She was one of the few doctors on board. Though her profession was hindered slightly due to poor equipment provided by Cadal, she still managed to do it with relative ease. 

She had many good friends onboard, minus Addair. Hell, even Rennick liked her, thought she was the sweetest thing to roam the earth. And, of course, O’Connor adored her so. The nights they weren’t busy he’d take her into his arms and they’d waltz under the stars to a tune playing in the crew lounge, only barely audible through the walls but a beautiful melody that would envelope them both as they swayed together. 

He longed for her touch as much as she did for his. 

Yet, like she had stated, fate was cruel and had separated them. Come the start of the year, Mary found it harder for her to continue her work, and had asked to go back to the mainland until further notice. Rennick, of course, was understanding for her. But with him it was another story. He had barely been allowed to utter the first sentence before being told “Fuck off, ye have a job tae do here, get on it!”

To say that fucked him right off would be an understatement. Mary was quick to reason with him that he is the head of the Pontoon team and no-one could run around down there with such ease as he could. Didn’t ease the separation by much but her promise of letters back and forth helped settle his mind for the time being. 

That was back in January. It was now August and he still waited until her next letter or at least a call from Rennick who she had promised updates for every fortnight. Still, nothing. 

Ah well, she was probably just tired was all. He sat himself up and made his way to the canteen, brushing past a damp spot of the floor that made him roll his eyes, turning his gaze upwards to where a small leak had begun to drip in his room. “Swear, Rennick better fix tha’ shite…” he grumbled, chucking on a warm jumper for the morning before making his way to fix himself some breakfast. He passed a few friends and workmates along the way, eventually stopping at Finlay who was hopping down from fixing the lights above. “Mornin’ Lass!” he quipped, resulting in a light kick and an indignant smirk on her face. “Ye better watch yer mouth! Callin’ me lass, bloody hell…” she chuckled, giving him a shove. “What wuid Mary say, hm?” 

“Oh, pipe down, she’d be ‘avin’ a gaff too!” he chortled. Finlay rolled her eyes with an exaggerated groan as she accompanied O’Connor down the hallway. “Thought ye had fixed tha’ part already?” O’Connor asked, gesturing to the light fixture behind them. Finlay huffed, “Ah did! But Ah swear, is like one thing breaks after the other!” she exclaimed, “Ah tell ye, Cilly,” she spoke - using the nickname Mary often used for him, making him smile slightly. “This rig…is a fuckin’ pile of shite it is…Rennick needs tae put calls through tae get this fixed o’herwise we ain’t gonnae get tae drillin’ at all…Ah mean, look at yer room!” “Ach, I know…” O’Connor grumbled again, “...Swear, it’s like as soon as Mary left this shit started happening…” the thought made him chuckle, “Heh, i-is like she was the ray of sunshine keepin’ this rig together!” he laughed, getting a brief chuckle out of Finlay, “Team effort then, she does all the hopin’ and wishin’ I do the maintenance, hah!” she joked, sending both into a fit of laughter as they descended the stairs. 

As they entered the hallway that led to the canteen, the echos of their workmates rang out loudly, followed by the sound of crashing cutlery and their cook, Roy, yelling at one of the crew, followed by a chorus of laughter as they made their way through the door and into the canteen. 

“MUIR! FOR FUCK SAKES, STOP IT!” Roy yelled, watching as one of the deckhands, a rugged figure with an oddly slim face, danced around on the tables, being egged on by his friends. 

O’Connor laughed at the sight of Muir, laughing even more at Innes who seemed to be egging him on the least but still thoroughly enjoyed the sight (though to O’Connor, Innes also seemed to be enjoying the view from where he stood, Muir’s body turned to face away from him left ample opportunity for Innes to stare at the lads ass) and at their newest cod, Caz who was dancing with Muir, albeit on the ground. He loved the vibrant camaraderie of the crew here, and the way that everyone seemed to laugh and smile along with any of the hijinks that one group may get up to. It helped to lighten the load and lessen the burden he felt of being alone without his beloved, although it didn’t help the twinge of sadness he felt not seeing her in the fray, dancing and jumping along with the rest. 

The man had very little time to ponder it as a loud banging of a ladle from Finlay got them all to settle down as her voice boomed “A’RICHT YA LOT! SIT DOWN AND FILL YER GOBS! NO MORE PRANCIN’ AROUND, C’MON, C’MON!” O’Connor laughed heartily, his respect for Finlay shooting through the roof as he sat down at a table with Caz, Innes, Muir and his two other close mates, Trots, and his best mate from before he even worked on the rig, Gibbo. The two had met when O’Connor took on a chance fishing job on a small boat off the coast of Scotland nearly 10 years ago. It was a good chance for O’Connor to get used to the water's motions and make a good connection to help work on the rig when it was ready to be placed. Granted he wait for that was a whole 8 years after the fact but it worked for him. 

“Took ye long enough!” Innes joked, getting a laugh out of O’Connor once again. “What kept ye?” “Probably gawking at that letter from Mary, hm?” Caz asked. O’Connor nodded, “Just reading her words in her voice makes all the pain and worries of the day just go- WOOSH!” he exclaimed, his hands flying out beside him to punctuate his words. 

“Ye get any new letters from her yet, lad?” Muir asked. O’Connor sighed, “Nae,” he explained, “But hey, there’s always tomorrow…” he spoke, though his voice was a bit uncertain. 

As he sat down, Gibbo slid him a plate he had made for him earlier, hashbrowns, toast, eggs and some delicious strands of maple bacon, before he could even put the fork in his mouth, Trots instantly began yammering on. “The state of this crew, someone needs tae keep ‘em in check!” he began, earning an instant groan from Gibbo. “Christ, not again-” “From the rags on the floor to the parties, ye’d think we were in the states! No care, no rules, no order! Just a big ole, messy pile of fucken’ shi-” “WE GET IT, TROTS,” Gibbo groaned, “Chill out, Cillian’s just sat down! H-He doesnae wanna hear yer nonsense!...Right?” the other man asked, turning his gaze to O’Connor, who sat peacefully eating. He took notice of Gibbo’s expression, one that pleaded with him not to let this go on. O’Connor gave a coy smile, however, “Oh, well, actually…” he began, resulting in wide, horrified eyes from the stocky man beside him. 

O’Connor leaned in close to the Union Rep, “I remember you telling me about a bit of mould in one of the rooms that ne’er got addressed, but I forgot what it was ye saw! Care tae tell me?” “Well, as a matter of fact-” Trots began, his sentences turning into a flurry of rambles as O’Connor sat contently, eating his grub and listening to Trots, all while Gibbo shot him a look of ‘Fuck you’. 

The Irishman simply sat and finished off his plate while Trots yabbed on. The minutes ticked by as he ate, and still, all he could think about was his Mary. He ate absentmindedly, clearing his plate just before Trots finished his rambles. He looked at the clock on the wall and moved to stand. “Well, thanks fer the story, Trots my boy!” he spoke, “I’m sure Gibbo here would be more than happy to listen to ye now-” “Prick” Gibbo muttered through gritted teeth. “But, I best be off,” he continued, about to grab his plate, “Ye know how it is, Rennick needs me in-” *BZZT* 

‘O’CONNOR! MY OFFICE! NOW! NO DAWDLING, MOVE IT!’

*CLICK*

The whole canteen went silent, eyes turned to O’Connor who simply blinked in shock at the mention of his name. It was very rare that O’Connor ever got called up to Rennick’s office, so either he was needed for a new task or he royally fucked up something. Either way, he set his plate back down and sighed through clenched teeth, looking back towards the table as he mouthed ‘Wish me luck’ to them. After a few minutes of darting across the deck and up to the crew lift where he could reach administration, he knocked on the titular door that opened to the office of Davey Rennick. He took a deep breath and pushed it open, forcing a smile. “Mornin’ Sir,” he began, aiming to continue until he saw… “‘Ello, Cilly” Addair spoke lowly, though oddly, not in his usual vicious tone as he leaned against one of the filing cabinets. O’Connor felt his eyes narrow and how fists clench as he stared daggers into the British fuck beside Rennick. “What’s ‘e doin’ ‘ere?” O’Connor snarled, his accent noticeably thicker. 

“He’s here tae help me, that’s why,” Rennick replied shortly. It wasn’t an unknown fact that O’Connor despised Addair with a burning passion. The two had always butted heads and competed to see who could a job better or win at pool. Rennick was very aware of this, often having to scold the two from on the deck just beside his office if he ever saw them in a fight. He knew this was a very risky meeting but for a reason beyond Rennick’s comprehension, Addair had insisted on sitting in on this. So he allowed to go on, but he could see it would require a lot of standing in between the two men as Addair instantly puffed out his chest, standing up off of the filing cabinet and making his way around to meet O’Connor, who instantly straightened up and did the same thing back. 

“Fuck are ye here for, eh?” O’Connor growled, “Ye ‘ere te watch me get tha’ boot, huh? Oh, I bet ye were the one who lied and said I fucked somethin’ up, ay?” “Fuck off, cunt,” Addair snarled back, “Trust me, if I wanted to watch you get thrown off this boat, O’Connor…I’d throw you off myself,” he whispered that last part, his sombre expression slightly fading and giving way to his usual snake-like tone. The comment prompted a low growl out of O’Connor and before he knew it, his hands flew to Addair’s chest and he gave him a firm shove. “YA FUCKIN’ PRICK!” 

Addair retaliated with a shove of his own and the two got into a big shoving match, their hands catching each other as they tried to push the other down. Rennick slammed his fists on his desk, “SIT THE FUCK DOWN, CILLIAN!!” he yelled. The two men stared at each other before O’Connor huffed and took a seat. Addair returned beside Rennick as the boss sat back down and sighed. 

“Look,” Rennick began, “No one’s ‘ere because ye got the fuckin’ sack, a’richt?” he spoke, his voice much softer than O’Connor had ever heard it. “Addair is here because he got a letter incorrectly addressed to him…it was meant tae go tae ye…” he explained. O’Connor’s face scrunched up in suspicion. 

‘Conveniently’ the person he hated the most got his letter? Yeah right. Rennick either read his thoughts or saw his expression because he immediately began to explain again. “I get it, ye two hate each other’s guts, Ah wuid be suspicious too…but believe me, this is the truth…Addair?” he spoke, gesturing for the Fat fuck to speak. “Look, I think yer the biggest waste of space on this rig, and I know ye’d rather want me burned in a furnace than talking to ya…but…” he paused, his hand going to his head. 

O’Connor’s expression softened as he watched the body language change and the mood of the room seemed to shift. 

“This…this was sent from the hospital in Aberdeen…” he explained, “...Me ex is in there…she sent a letter to me filing for divorce…which I still think is bullshit-” “Get to the point, Addair,” Rennick interrupted. Addair scoffed, handing O’Connor the letter. The latter simply stared, “W-Why would I be getting a letter from the hospital?” he asked, his voice no longer carrying his accent, hinting at the vulnerability he felt in that moment. 

“It’s not directly from the hospital itself, but from the address…” Addair continued, “...I uh…admittedly…I had a read of it-”

“Ye read my mail?” O’Connor asked, his voice raising in volume. “Yeah…is from your broad, Marianne, whatever her name was…” Addair responded, “...somethin’ stupid I reckon…” he scoffed resulting in a growl from Rennick. He took over the conversation. “Addair thought it best if ye read it…Mary had sent it personally for ye…” “Ye read it too, Rennick!?” O’Connor yelled, standing up. Rennick stood up with him, “Listen, I’m given’ this tae ye fer ye tae read in yer own time, but I ken ye’ve been waiting ages for Mary to right back…this is why it’s taken so long…” “W-What’s that supposed ta mean!?” “JUST-” Rennick paused and took a deep breath, “Read it, O’Connor…”

The man simply stared in horror at the thought of what was in this letter. Trembles began to take over his body as he opened the letter, his eyes wide as they scanned the page. It didn’t take him long before he found the part that had thrown the whole mood of the office. 

One word that now engraved itself into his mind. 

‘Leukemia’

O’Connor felt his knees buckle, he tried to adjust his footing, his hands on Rennick’s desk barely managing to catch him as he felt his weight overpower him, his body shaking slightly and his eyes wet, brimming with unshed tears that he didn’t want to let fall. He couldn’t even read the rest of the letter. He simply held it in his hands as he took shaky breaths, trying to hold back his sobs. “Sh…S-She…She can’t!” he whispered. Rennick shook his head, “I’m sorry, Cillian…she’s a lovely lass…which is another reason why I needed tae give this tae ye…she found out a few months back apparently…”

O’Connor was in paralyzed horror. The woman he loved, his Irish Rose…was battling the worst thing he could imagine. Hospitals would be hard on her, he knew it, her treatment would be difficult. She would be in that hospital suffering and getting last at every amount of treatment she required. The thought sickened him. But what hurt more was the realization that dawned on him…she was alone.

He was out at sea here, no way to get off with his rostered hours…and she was stuck in a dingy old hospital room by herself…she was alone and he couldn’t be there for her. 

The thought was horrible and he could only stare with wide eyes between the two men before him. Rennick sighed, “Ah’ve let the Mainland team ken…but…it’s unlikely they can get a bird out ‘ere for ye before the Holiday Shift…trus’ me, Ah’m as pissed off as ye right now about it…Ah’ll ‘ave another call for ye, but I cannae promise ye’ll be going back…Ah…Ah’m sorry…” the man spoke, his voice soft and almost trembling itself as Rennick sank into his seat. “Yer…yer free to go…both of ye,” he spoke.

With that, Addair walked out first. O’Connor took longer to go, but once he did, his eyes were fixed on the floor, He didn’t dare look up, his thoughts swimming in a pool of shock and disbelief. He then felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He looked to see Addair, staring at him with sincerity. “I don’t believe to be what makes us friends…I doubt we ever will be…” he said in a low voice, “...but…I’m sorry this is happening…despite how much of a prick ye are to me…and how much I am to ye…doesn’t mean ye deserve this…you or her…Write back to her when ya can…let her know how much ya love her before ye can’t…”

With that, Addair headed back down to Engineering, a sigh of disbelief escaping him. O’Connor stayed there for a while, still processing everything.

The journey between the walk from the office to the canteen was a blur and O’Connor felt as though he wasn’t even there. The room was empty with no one else but him, Roy and Finlay who were gabbing on in the background. O’Connor barely saw their forms, only hearing their muffled voices in his mind.

It was only when Caz’s voice rang out that he jumped back to reality and saw himself surrounded by his friends. Caz and Gibbo knelt directly in front of him, Trots on his left side and Roy on his right as Innes and Muir stood in the back together and Finlay stood with Brodie on the other side behind Gibbo. “Ye a’richt?” Caz asked, his eyes searching O’Connors face for an answer. 

O’Connor didn’t answer right away, simply staring down at his hands. 

“O’Connor?” Finlay called, tapping the man gently on his cheek with her knuckle, trying to pry a response from him. Still nothing. 

Gibbo shuffled a little closer. ‘Cillian…Cilly…” he murmured, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Did Rennick give ye a boot?” Muir asked, a little insensitively but in his genuine way nonetheless. “Did ye want me tae punch him?”

O’Connor shook his head with a laugh. “No…no…” he mumbled, “...I’m fine…It’s not me I’m cryin’ o’er…” he explained. He showed the letter in hand. “Oh, Mary got back?” Roy asked. O’Connor nodded, no verbal response from him, however. 

“Lad, ye’re worrying us,” Trots spoke softly, holding O’Connor’s hand. “Are ye okay? Is Mary okay, what happened?”

It took a few seconds but soon, soft whimpers escaped him, followed by his shoulders trembling and shaking with pent up sobs. His eyes pooled with tears that were threatening to spill at any second as his whimpers grew louder and more pained. And all at once, the floodgates opened as soft sobs escaped him, he clung to himself holding his elbows tight as he doubled over. Trots leaned on him, giving him comfort in a supportive embrace while Gibbo tried to get O’Connor to look at him, being gentle as his hands tried to cup O’Connor’s face and get him to look. 

“Cillian, look at me- Its a’richt, it’ll be a’richt” he tried to assure him, but it was to little avail as the tears continued to fall and the sobs grew louder and more desperate. “IT’S NOT ALRIGHT!” O’Connor wailed, gripping onto Gibbo tightly who instinctively threw his arms around him in return, “IT’S NOT FAIR…She’s back on the mainland alone, she’s f-f-fighting Leuk-kemia alone a-and I can’t even h-help her…!” He sobbed. The mention of the condition sends everyone into varying states of horror.

“M-My darling, Mary…” he trembled, his body shaking even more as deep sobs escaped him, even louder than before. “O-Oh god…M-Mary…MARY!!” he cried, heaving into Gibbo’s shoulder, the latter only able to close his eyes as he held his friend, the reality of what he faced weighing even heavier on him. 

“I’m so sorry, Cillian…” Gibbo spoke, his own eyes growing misty as he held his friend. Trots, seeing that more of the crew were coming in, knew that this was a matter best dealt with in privacy. He shared a look with Gibbo and the two stood and led him to the accommodation, settling him into Gibbo and Dobbie’s room. O’Connor’s shaking had subsided but the tears still poured. 

Gibbo allowed O’Connor to lean into him, Trots offering a comforting side hug, albeit quite awkward, giving some comfort as O’Connor let out a shaky sigh. 

“I’m sorry, Cilly,” Trots spoke, “That’s something a couple should ne’er go through…that ain’t fair…it ain’t fair at all…and Cadal ain’t lettin’ ya go to see her?” “R-Rennick is tryna sort it out but…h-he reckons there’s no point in getting my hopes up…he was so nice to me about it too…” O’Connor explained, prompting a chuckle from Gibbo, ‘That’s a first, aye?”

O’Connor smiled slightly as he added to Gibbo’s joke. “Nah, what’s a first was Addair bein’ nice to me, fer once…” he commented, resulting in audible gasps from Trots and Gibbo on both of his sides. “No fucking’ way” 

“Are ye pulling me tits right now?”

“Gibbo-”

“What?”

O’Connor laughed, feeling a little bit of levity as he sat there. He held the letter in his hands still, though it was a bit crumpled due to how hard he held it. “I…I hadn’t even read the whole thing…” he explained, “I-I got to the mention of…it…and I stopped…I couldn’t finish it for her,”

Trots looked at him with an eye of curiosity. He held out his hand at O’Connor with a smile, “May I?” he asked. O’Connor stared for a second, simply looking back and forth between Trots’ face and his hand, but he soon handed the paper to his friend and Trots unfolded the crumpled sheet and began to read it aloud for him. 

As he read, O’Connor imagined Mary’s voice speaking to him as he had done every day before now.

“My darling Cilly…

…I’m sorry I haven’t written back in so long…fuck it’s been hard to want to do anything now…

…I feel bad having to explain to you this way but I have no choice do I?...I have Leukemia…I got diagnosed back in July…it wasn’t easy, but rest assured, I have been given the best doctors…I believe one of them may know your mukker, Cameron…she’s been talking my ear off nonstop about her man, can ya believe?”

That part made O’Connor laugh again, imagining Caz’s wife Suze babbling on to his poor Mary in her bed. The thought was as hilarious as it was comforting to him, knowing she was being treated well. 

“...I had struggled trying to put this into words…in fact I didn’t even write this myself, Ms McLeary did! I just…I missed you so much…but I never wanted to burden you with this…I know treatment for someone like me…like either of us would usually be hard…we’ve never had it easy…but Suze is different…this place is different…it’s looking up for the both of us……We’re gonna be fine, I can feel it…just promise me you won’t get yourself hurt or put into a tizzy by that Addair fella…and for the love of all things holy when and if you visit you had better shave that stubble, or no snuggles for ye once I’m better!”

“Better get on it then!” Gibbo joked, the three men all laughing in response before settling down so Trots could continue reading. 

“In other news, the shop is doing well back home, Daisy and Lilliane are taking care of it, and yer old friend Finnegan even popped by for a visit here! He gave me some flowers and told me to tell you not to leave his wellies lying around in the ground, the dogs got em last night and he had to walk in socks and slippers, ha!”

There it was. Her trademark sunshine personality, her golden, bright and peppy attitude made him always smile whenever he saw her. He could practically feel her warmth around him despite her situation and he loved how she could always see the bright side of everything no matter what. 

“I can’t talk for too much longer, but this is just to say, I’ll be okay…we’ll be okay, don’t fret too much about me…I know you’re doing your best and I don;t need anything more than to know that you’re happy…I love you mo ghrá…Come visit me soon so I can hear your darling, bassy voice and feel your arms around me again…my strong, handsome man…my O’Connor

Grá mo chroí thú, Tá mo chroí istigh ionat Mo chuisle

Lots of love, from your darling irish rose

Sincerely

-Mary O’Connor”

O’Connor felt his eyes well up with tears once again, but this time they weren’t of sadness, but of love and longing. He felt the same painstaking feeling of want as he did before, but this time there was a sense of relief, of comfort, knowin that she was okay. 

Hearing her words were like a lifeline to him that he didn’t know he needed and he smiled as he leaned into his friends embrace, feeling a sense of comfort he hadn’t felt in a bit.

She was right…She was always right…

They were going to be okay…

[halfbit]

mini snippet dump (project revive)

i've been consistently hitting my daily goal +some but i don't really have the energy for a lot of tag game responses right now so </3 just gonna share a few things at random.

Sichen smiled, "I was in the area." He held up his satchel, the plain bag bulging with whatever mysteries it contained, "Shopping for my niece." "Aww, what'd you get her?" He peered at the bag, grinning, "I promise I won't tell!" A careful hand shifted position to thoroughly cover a blood stain on the bag as Sichen pulled it away, "I know you two talk. Not working on me."

---

Aelyn Calling was not very alike his father, their eyes were the same color, clear and grey, but his strawberry red hair was bright, and fanned out awkwardly with a mix of ringlets and loose waves making up its shape. His skin was warm, pink in his cheeks, which contrasted oddly with the puffy bags under his eyes even at this age. He shifted his feet, and took a quick breath before bowing, "Nice to meet you." He said— his voice rang clear unlike his awkward presentation, and he glanced over at his father nervously.

---

There he was again, that nervous kid, the skin of his hands went white as he squeezed till his nerves tingled, but he nodded, and his voice didn't shake. "I understand." He stared at the stranger— his brother, now. "…I missed you, Idris."

---

"He's a stingy bitch, yeah? Pay's shit, dog shit, but he brings you back if he likes ya." "If he likes you, he's got a bad eye." Cadal had smirked, pouring until Bekley's glass was full. "You treat me better than my wife, sometimes, Cadal." "You wouldn't be here if you had one, now would you?" Cadal polished off the counter, shaking his head.

---

The black cat stared at the marks, doing nothing more than breathing. Its tail twitched, and it turned its head to look at the small nightstand by the head of Idris's bed. It housed four small drawers, each one with a round copper knob, rather unfriendly design to a clawed paw. It crept closer, nose just about touching the knob of the lowest drawer, staring at the distorted reflection of a black cat on the surface.

[greatrunner]

In the words of Gibbo, "Workers of the world Unite!" It's time to take Industrial Action and wrest ourselves free of the Rennick and Cadals of the world.