#alice wired for sound

[why-i-love-comics]

DC Pride: A Celebration of Rachel Pollack #1 - "Doom Patrol Block Party" (2024)

pin-up by Marie Llovet

[knee-stockings]

So I’ve been listening to lots of podcasts at work lately to break up the monotony of my office job. Mainly they’re horror, suspense/thriller, drama, that kind of thing. Trying to give ratings without spoilers~

(Check out updated pod recs here)

The Left Right Game (a journalist investigating an urban legend that gets increasingly more dangerous as they go): 5/5, this being one of the first ones I listened to set the bar really high tbh, it was great, immersive sound design, genuinely suspenseful and creepy moments, interesting plot, my only gripe is that I didn’t love the ending but I couldn’t dock a star just for that, highly recommend, maybe I’ll retire to Wintry Bay someday 

Alice Isn’t Dead (delivery trucker goes searching for her believed dead wife, comes across supernatural towns and creatures and a conspiracy that goes way deeper than one missing woman): 5/5, so so good, enjoyed a lot, I loved learning the truth about the Thistle men, still don’t completely understand oracles but that’s okay, some delightfully creepy moments, this will be high on my recommendation list (also it’s by the Welcome to Night Vale people, which I actually haven’t listened to lmao)

Harley Quinn and the Joker: Sound Mind (it’s a Harley Quinn origin story basically): 5/5, very enjoyable, sound design great, plot was fun, I don’t know how accurate this story is to the original Harley Quinn origin story but I liked this a lot

The Burned Photo (two women try to fight a familial curse haunting their bloodlines): 4/5, not bad at all, I thought the sound design was great and immersive but I thought the monster’s voice was a bit goofy idk, the plot wasn’t bad though ofc it was pretty bittersweet and sad in the end, tho I think it was never going to be happy for everyone involved

Blackwood (group of teens investigate the town urban legend and uncover more than they bargained for): I can’t decide…3.5 maybe? It was okay. I didn’t love it or hate it, I’m pretty neutral about it. It was interesting enough

Gaslight (girl goes missing and then reappears to her best friend years later with little explanation): 3/5, feels like there should be another season, wasn’t as dramatic/suspenseful as I thought it would be (maybe that’s my own fault tho, from the description and stuff I thought there would be more to it)

Ice-Cream (teens suspect the friendly neighborhood ice cream man of abducting little kids and uncover a dark secret): 4.5/5, interesting and a lil creepy, there’s something oddly funny about hearing someone scream “fuck you Beelzebub” even in context, sound design is pretty good and voice acting is great, finale was also pretty good but I’m docking half a star bc of that very last bit and bc I said so, overall short n’ sweet, no pun intendo (I’m kinda glad that it’s only the one season and not super long, gives the feeling of not overstaying its welcome. Also in awe that they made it within like a month, gonna go listen to their other podcast Cascadia too)

Cascadia (submarine expedition to uncharted waters, gone wrong, we almost died!?): 5/5, by the Ice-Cream people so I expected great sound design and voice acting and said expectations were met tbh, yes god love the drama, ocean depths are inherently scary to me so this is top tier horror, season one was chef’s kiss beautiful and I heard season 2 is coming so I’ll be waiting eagerly for that

Listening now:

Within the Wires (season 1 is relaxation cassette tapes from another world, season 2 is a guided museum tour I think): also by the WTNV people, interesting so far, the plot that unfolded in the first season was cool to watch as it played out, but also I am so sad. I like it so far

Rabbits (girl goes searching for her friend who disappeared because of this mysterious Rabbits game): feels like a really slow start after a few episodes, I kinda wanna get to more action soon please

Wake of Corrosion (apocalypse where characters are trying to find other survivors and also answers): mild shrug, not sure what to make of it just yet. Only like 2 episodes in so I think I need to give it a bit

Ars Paradoxica (scientist accidentally invents time travel and is thrown back to the 1940s): pretty interesting so far, science is fun 

Spoiler comment for Cascadia under the cut bc it's the one I just finished and I have Thoughts

As much as I enjoyed Cascadia, when I think about the expedition for more than 2 seconds I get confused. Not the whole alien thing, that’s fine, it’s Badger and Maria and their ulterior motives. Why in the world did Badger spend millions of dollars to make a submarine that’s faulty on purpose? And there was so much media coverage around it so the second something went wrong reporters were practically beating him over the head with microphones, so why risk so much bad press? Plus sacrificing three other talented divers who trusted him with their lives??? That’s the most confusing to me. There’s no way Badger foresaw them getting attacked underwater and losing Declan alone, so he must have been fully prepared to lose captain AND crew. Holden said that he saw Badger as a father, and yet he chose Holden to die? He said he handpicked them, so what did Holden, Alia, or Iris ever do to him to deserve being sent on a suicide mission? Doing all this just to get rid of Declan and be with Maria doesn’t feel right. Feels like there should be something more there. Tldr: surely Badger had another reason for conducting the suicide mission, right? Also since season 2 starts with Lila all grown up, a diver just like her father, I wanna know her opinions of her mother and of Badger. Did she learn about her mother’s betrayal? Is Badger still involved in funding deep sea diving or did the FBI take him out of that? Omg who’s the father of her little sibling…I’m so curious…

[cetaitlaverite]

Why All This Music? - The Millie and Brady Cut

a/n: if you’re new here, this can be read on its own or as a companion piece to my multi-chapter fic (rosie x oc) ‘why all this music?’ but be warned that millie and brady are side characters in that one!!

if you’re not new here, hi!! i’ve missed you guys!! absolutely no one asked for this but i thought it was time for millie and brady to finally have their moment. if you ever wondered what, exactly, transpired between these two idiots when they were sneaking around in the bg of watm then you're in luck, because here's a snippet!! hope you loveee <3

Millie was scowling. So much so, in fact, that the muscles in her face were starting to ache. Her eyes were narrowed and her teeth were clenched, her eyebrows perched low over her eyes. Her hands were grasping fistfulls of her skirt in her lap. “Bastard,” she muttered, and there was no way he could hear, but from across the room John Brady smiled, as though sensing her displeasure.

That only made her scowl harder.

Across the table from her, with her back turned to the subject of Millie’s wrath, Jem was tipping her empty glass back into her mouth, trying to lap up the lingering droplets of beer.

Millie paid her no mind, her attention firmly elsewhere.

The band finished playing their song and there was a brief spell of quiet in the interim. Chatter seemed to become louder now that there was nothing to shout over, the sound of feet shuffling on the dance floor awkward as it became audible. John Brady, his saxophone lowered during the pause, was smirking at one of the female ATA pilots standing by the bar, the nicer one who had a bit of a reputation as a heartbreaker. Her name was Alice, Millie recalled, and she was pretty. Not as pretty as her friend, the only other female ATA pilot who had her own reputation for being a live wire, equally as likely to bite as she was to play fetch, but pretty in a softer, girl-next-door kind of way. Pretty enough that she didn’t ever seem to find it all too difficult to secure herself a dance partner whenever she so desired. And today, apparently, she so desired John Brady.

“Bastard,” Millie muttered again.

Millie had never spoken to Alice other than over the radio when she was ferrying but suddenly she despised her. She didn’t altogether know why. It was none of her business who John Brady did or did not choose to entertain. She didn’t even like the man, more to the point, so it should have amused her that Alice-of-the-ATA was about to take him to bed and then break his heart. But it didn’t amuse her. It infuriated her. Almost as much as that stupid smirk on his face and his stupid hair and his stupid saxophone. Who played the saxophone these days anyway?

“Idiot,” Millie said out loud.

“Sorry?” Freddie asked as she set two pints of beer and a glass of wine onto the table, having just returned from the bar. 

When Millie glanced up she found Freddie frowning and realised with a start that Freddie thought she was the idiot.

“No,” Millie said quickly, “not you, Fred. Him.” She gestured with her head towards the band but Freddie didn’t need specifics, as soon as she glanced in that general direction she knew exactly who Millie meant.

“What’s he done now?” she asked, eyebrows furrowed as she returned to her seat between Millie and Jem.

“It’s not what he’s done,” Millie replied, her lips twisting back into a frown as her eyes returned to Brady, “it’s what he is. And what he is is an idiot.”

“And a bastard,” Jem added helpfully as she set her empty glass down and reached for the fresh one. “At least, that’s what Mils has been muttering to herself for the better part of twenty minutes so I’m assuming she means Brady and not me.”

“He is a bastard,” Millie defended herself. “Earlier he sought me out to tell me my instructions on the radio weren’t clear enough. I said if he was a decent pilot to start with he wouldn’t need such specific guidance. My job isn’t to mother him down the runway. But he told me my instructions are lazy. He said he’s always irritated when he gets me on the radio before a mission.”

Freddie snorted into a sip from her glass of white wine.

Millie cut her eyes at her. “What?” she snapped.

Freddie was grinning. “The two of you are both as childish as each other.” She shrugged, her eyes dancing. “He’s glaring at you right now, just so you know.”

“Thought he was too busy smirking at that fucking ATA pilot,” Millie all but growled.

“Who?” Freddie asked. “Finley?”

“Alice,” Jem corrected. “She’s got her eye on Brady tonight.”

“Right,” Freddie said. She and Jem exchanged a meaningful glance which served only to infuriate Millie.

“What?” she demanded.

Jem snickered but took a long gulp of beer to avoid having to reply.

Freddie simply shrugged. “Nothing.”

Millie turned her eyes back on Brady and, sure enough, he had one of his maddening scowls on his face. His eyes on her were narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed, his lips twisted unpleasantly downwards.

Millie scowled right back at him and raised her middle finger in his direction. Before he could similarly swear at her, she turned away and gulped down half of her beer in one go. “I want to dance,” she declared, setting down her glass. She planted her hands on the table and pushed herself up to standing. “Where’s Benny?”

“In the corner by the bar with Meatball,” Freddie said without even having to look. She seemed to have developed some sort of sixth sense for always knowing where Meatball was at any given moment but it came in handy occasionally.

“Who’s he with?” Millie wondered.

“Ev and Dougie, last I checked.”

“Yep,” Jem confirmed, the only one of them who could see in that direction without having to turn around. “Just the three of them. Four if you count Meatball.”

“Always count Meatball,” Freddie said.

“Didn’t even know they were friends,” Millie remarked, but she took another big sip of beer and smoothed down her skirt nonetheless. “See you later,” she offered, then turned on her heel and made her way over to the aforementioned quartet without further comment.

Benny noticed her almost immediately and smiled. “Millie Harlow,” he greeted as she neared. He straightened out his posture and his uniform as he watched her approach.

“Benny DeMarco,” Millie returned with a smile. “Fancy a dance?”

“With you? Always.”

Millie laughed, holding out both of her hands towards him. “Such a gentleman,” she said. “Can’t you teach your friends to be more like you?”

Benny rolled his eyes jovially as he handed Meatball’s lead off to Blakely and placed both of his hands in Millie’s. “Don’t tell me you and Brady are at each other’s throats again,” he said, leading her towards the dance floor.

“Brady and I are always at each other’s throats, Benny,” Millie replied pleasantly. “You should know this by now. But tonight he’s royally pissing me off. So tell him to stop being a bastard at the next available opportunity, would you?”

Benny shook his head with a poorly concealed smirk but said nothing, turning as they came to a stop at the edge of the dance floor and getting the two of them into position.

Millie could feel Brady’s eyes on her the entire time she was dancing with Benny. He was supposed to be concentrating on his sheet music as he provided the sax to this upbeat jazzy tune, but every time Benny spun her she caught a glimpse of his eyes narrowed on her, his jaw hard and his jaw muscle pulsing.

Millie felt a thrill every time. Each part of her he set his eyes on became warm, as though he was laying his hands there. She was smirking to herself by the time the song came to an end because this was exactly what she’d wanted, but then the large majority of the band were dismissed in favour of those remaining playing a slow song, and then she was catching sight of Brady leading none other than Alice-of-the-ATA onto the dance floor. The two of them came to occupy the empty patch of floor right beside Millie and Benny. Because of course they did.

“Hi, Benny,” Brady greeted pleasantly as he drew Alice in close.

“Brady,” Benny greeted back. “Nice playing.”

“Thanks. Feeling inspired.”

Millie refused to look at him. She set her eyes on the pins on Benny’s collar, biting into the inside of her cheek. 

“Benny, you know Alice, right? She’s a ferry pilot with the ATA.”

“We’ve met a few times,” Alice cut in. “But only briefly. You’re the one with the dog, right?”

“Yeah,” Benny confirmed. “Meatball. Won him in a game of craps.”

Alice laughed.

Millie tightened her hold on Benny and surreptitiously drew herself closer to him.

“You met Millie yet, Alice?” Benny asked next.

“We’ve been working here together for a while now,” Alice informed him with an audible smile. “Millie helps me take off and land over the radio sometimes.”

At this, Brady let out a low, sarcastic hiss. “Unfortunate. You wanna get Fred on the radio, really. Harlow, here, is a lazy wireless op.”

Finally, Millie looked up and met his eyes. Her smile was sour and venomous. “You know, Brady, you’re the only pilot I’ve ever spoken to who has ever had any complaints. Did you ever once stop to think that maybe you’re the problem?”

“Maybe I’m just the only one with the balls to say it to your face,” Brady fired back.

“Maybe you’re the only pilot who wasn’t able to safely ferry in his plane from pissing Greenland. Maybe you’re the only pilot who needs to be spoon fed landing instructions. Maybe you’re the only pilot who has a problem with me because you’re a shit pilot, Brady, did you ever stop to think about that?”

“Brave words from someone who spends more time flirting with everyone over the radio than delivering landing instructions.”

“Not that you’d know because I wouldn’t dare flirt with you.”

“Because you know you’d get rejected.”

“Because I’m not interested,” she corrected sharply.

Brady rolled his eyes. “You and I both know you’d be interested if I was interested.”

“You and I both know that you’re a fucking arsehole, John Brady. I wouldn’t go for you if you were the last man on earth, let alone willingly.”

“Such pretty language from a lady,” Brady mocked. “Yeah, you’re a real prize, Harlow.”

Millie opened her mouth to retort but Alice cut right across her, likely sensing that there was no end to this argument in sight. “Are we actually going to dance or are you two just going to argue while Benny and I stand here like lemons?”

Millie and Brady stared each other down for a few more seconds before Brady scoffed and stepped back from Alice. “Don’t feel like dancing anymore.”

“Me neither,” Millie growled.

“Wonderful. Benny, would you like to dance?” Alice asked.

“Love to,” Benny replied.

“Prick,” Millie ground out as she turned and passed Brady on her way off of the dancefloor.

“Heard that,” Brady taunted.

“You were supposed to,” Millie told him over her shoulder before making a beeline straight out of the officers’ club. After all that she needed a smoke.

Unfortunately, Brady wasn’t willing to let her off the hook. He came stomping out of the officers’ club right behind her, muttering under his breath all the while, and when Millie stopped to lean back against the outside wall of the club he took hold of her elbow and towed her behind him further away from the door.

“What the fuck, Brady?” she demanded, wrenching at her arm to free it from his grip. “Let go of me!”

“Stop acting like a brat, Harlow,” he fired back and kept on carting her with him. He led her into the darkness, walking in silence, until they ended up in the small alley between two buildings.

Now, Millie finally managed to tug her arm free. She was seething when he turned to her. “What the fuck?!” she demanded once more.

“What is your problem with me? Huh?” Brady asked. He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving not with exertion but with frustration. His eyes were stormy as they glared down at her.

Standing this close, Millie became conscious for the first time of just how much she had to crane her neck back to meet his hard gaze.

“What is my problem with you?” she echoed with a scoff. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, Harlow, I am fucking serious. What’s your problem?”

“What’s your problem with me?!” Millie demanded of him right back. “You waited outside the tower for me just so you could insult me! You don’t do that with anyone else!”

“You were the first to insult me after my belly landing when I first got here. I didn’t even know you then!”

“I wasn’t insulting you -”

“Then what were you doing?!”

“Why were you listening to my conversation anyway?!”

“You were talking too goddamn loud to ignore it!”

“Well, I wasn’t insulting you! I just said I thought the crash landing was unfortunate,” Millie told him, tilting her chin up higher to assume an air of defiance. “Not that it’s any of your business, for the record.”

Brady’s eyes were still blazing. “You laughed after.”

Millie scoffed. “Oh, come on, Brady, your feelings are not that fragile.”

The set of Brady’s jaw was hard. “How are you and Fred such good friends? She’s so sweet to everyone and you’re -” He faltered.

“What?” Millie snapped. “What am I? Choose your words very carefully, John Brady, or I swear to god they’ll be the last you ever say.”

“You’re so fucking annoying,” he hissed.

“Oh, I’m annoying?!”

“Yeah! You are!”

“You’re worse than I am! I can’t do anything without you getting on my back about doing a bad job!”

“I can’t go anywhere without you staring at me!”

“I can’t dance with anyone without you interrupting me!”

He kissed her so suddenly and so fiercely that her back hit the wall. His hands on her jaw kept her close.

Millie’s hands were on his chest, relishing the racing of his heart beneath her palms, the hardness of the muscles of his chest. Her lips were feverish in their attempt to keep up with his.

When his hands descended to her waist, hers twined into his hair, twisting and tugging at the strands as his tongue slipped into her mouth. He pushed one of his legs between both of hers, pressing his knee up against her, and groaned into her mouth. The sound of it, the vibrations it sent into her own mouth, woke Millie up. She pushed him back, gasping for breath, and sputtered, “What the hell did you do that for?!”

Brady didn’t quite know where to look. His eyes flitted from her face to her hands to the wall on either side of her and down to his own hands, like he couldn’t believe where they’d just been. “Well, I -” He grasped frantically for words. “I just - I don’t know!” he finally decided.

Millie stared at him hard, her expression cold, before she lurched forwards in turn, wrenching fistfuls of his jacket towards her and pressing her lips firmly to his. They resumed their previous rhythm immediately, hot and fiery and insistent, passionate and desperate, tugging and pulling and pushing at each other, trying to get closer than it was possible to get.

That was, until Millie set both of her hands on his chest and gave him a push back as firm as it was sudden. “You’re stupid!” she accused, pointing one finger at him. With that, she turned and fled the scene, her footsteps rapid, leaving Brady panting and disoriented, utterly bewildered, in her wake.

Once safely back in her hut, Millie shut the door behind her and fell back against it, raising one shaking hand to press against her tingling lips. And, in spite of herself, she smiled, just at the memory of the feeling of his lips and the taste of his tongue and the smell of him, how it had been to feel his heart racing beneath her hands.

Her smile fell right off her face when she remembered who it was, exactly, that she was mooning over.

Once again she was scowling. “John Brady,” she hissed to herself, “you are on such thin fucking ice even a feather would send you under.”

[theanxiousghostartist]

TMAGP 22 Spoilers (theories and reactions)

Pre Case (Lena & Gwen):

Gwen got away! Yippee!

It's really interesting that she called [Error] the "watching figure." Definitely solidifies the Eye energy (literally lol) coming for them.

Also, Lena calls both Ink5oul and [Error] "externals," I wonder if this is what avatars are being called in this universe. Perhaps because they don't know what they are?

I love Lena's reaction! Honestly, I'm wondering about how much dangerous work she was put through by the OIAR.

So Gwen's keeping the title but not the work? I wonder if Lena will slowly provide her information Elias-style and she how she reacts...

Also, a ministerial visit is coming up. I wonder if the people visiting are more involved with the Externals.

Gwen doesn't really argue with Lena about the job. I wonder if Lena is trying to scare her away from further investigating. For now, at least, it seems to have worked.

Mrs. Kelley??? Lena is/was married???

Case:

The case is a letter from Hans Berger to Dr. Richard Caton from December 1924, with Augustus narrating. Both Berger and Dr. Caton have conducted/are conducting experiments to study the brain, more specifically - they are taking data of brain signals. Herr Schmidt is the subject of Berger's experiments, which involves adding metal coils under the scalp and recording the signals with various devices. Berger would ask questions about the self, and when Schmidt would answer, Berger and his wife/assistant, Ursula, would record the results. After the initial results were in, Berger contacted Konstantin M. Bykov about his experiments with finding and separating the "self" (I got Stranger vibes from Bykov). After Schmidt's consent, Berger continued his experiments using silver wires now, which gave similar results to the first experiment. After a Buried/Eye type dream, about a deep, dark ocean full of dark secrets with unknowable radio signals overhead (perhaps the Web is involved too?), Berger made a new device with a telegraph to translate the signals, and experimented again of Schmidt. This time, there were rhythmic noises that got faster when asked questions about the self. Berger then put these questions into the telegraph while waiting for Ursula to finish recording the results, which led to quick signals from the telegraph, that translated to something that was alone asking for help to get out (presumably the wires). Schmidt suffered a seizure and died, with the wires forcing themselves out of his head.

This case gave off a lot of Eye and Buried vibes - Berger seeking knowledge buried in a person via burying wires into Schmidt's head (Schmidt was also "imprisoned" during this experiment as he was strapped to a chair with a variety of leather straps). The discovery of the Self also read very Stranger to me.

So Augustus has only been in 3 episodes so far:

• 4 - slaughter violin requires blood - prerequisite to Grifter's Bone ? (TMA)

• 18 - talking corpse (first case with tape recorder and compelling; confirms Alice's story)

• 22 - experiments, seperating self, something wants out

I have a theory about this:

So Augustus is the most rare computer entity, with many theories (including my own) saying that he is Jonah. I wonder if his cases that he is reading are a way of communication when he gains semi-sentience. First (ep 4), a sacrifice is required, perhaps a warning about what is to come with the Institute, or perhaps it is what it is required to free him. Next (ep 18), a confirmation of the supernatural forces at play and that something from TMA came over to the OIAR universe. Even the supposed dead can talk. Now (22), he wants out. He is buried in information and battling with the self. He wants out.

Post Case (Sam and Alice):

Sam found out about Alice tinkering with his computer and is angry about it. He is right in one regard - Alice does sound hypocritical by saying the Institute stuff is crazy but then goes on saying how the computer is setting him up. However, I am on Alice' side. Like she says- she's trying to protect Sam and stop him from going insane, like Colin appears to be (he probably knows a lot about what's going on, and thus is not actually insane, but just seems to be). Alice does have ulterior motivation, however - she wanted to get close to Sam again. Maybe romanticly, maybe platonically, but she wanted to get some kind of relationship with Sam, which is why she's being so protective of him.

Although from Sam's side, it seems that her protectiveness was overbearing when they were dating. Sam views what Alice sees as protective as controlling. This might be related to their pasts:

Sam - We know his parents were pretty controlling with his schooling (especially since he was "gifted") and his career (I believe it was said that his parents pushed him down the law path), so naturally, when he has freedom, he takes advantage of it. Therefore, when Alice's protective instincts kick in, she ends up coming off as overbearing and "invading on his privacy and freedom."

Alice - We know she grew up as an older sibling to Luke, which is probably where the protective instict comes from. She (judging from their established relationship) seems to have been very protective of him for a while now and may have acted like another parent for him when they were younger. She shows she cares by basically being an older sibling, more specifically, being extremely protective. At times, she thinks she knows what is right for someone else and will push them down the path she thinks is best for them. She's trying to help, this being done without any malice whatsoever, but she can get too overprotective.

While Sam values freedom and choices, Alice values protection and keeping her loved ones safe.

Post Case (Sam & Celia):

Sam says Alice "pushes his buttons," which makes sense, as they value different things. Sam calls Alice a jealous ex, which is interesting to me. Is this all he sees her as? Not a friend, but someone who is jealous of Sam and Celia? While Alice is jealous of Sam and Celia, that doesn't seem to be her motivation. However, I understand that Sam is angry (which he has every right to be), and he probably didn't mean this as harsh as he puts it. He clearly values Alice and their friendship. I hope the two can make up.

It's really interesting that Celia associated Sam's conflict with Alice as him continuing to investigate the Institute. Perhaps it's again the freedom vs. protection values? Or just her trying to slip it into their conversation?

I appreciate Celia asking Sam if he's sure about investigating the Institute and giving him time to think or back out.

"Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood."

THE BOYS HAVE BEEN MENTIONED!!! WE HAVE OFFICAL MENTIONS OF THE BOYS!!! BY NAME!!!! JON AND MARTIN!!!! LETSGOOOOO!!!

Right now, I'm thinking that Celia is slowly revealing information from her universe about the Institute to Sam (possibly after fact-checking it in the OIAR universe).

[randomly--accessed--memories]

I wrote something!

Of course it's gender swap stuff that gets me to actually write– that's what happened in my last fandom, here it is, happening again. I do have an idea for a mainverse scene that I'd like to write too though, and now I'm over the hump with this, hopefully that'll be easier to start!

Word count: 733. God, writing fiction is slower than writing normally.

-

“Alice!”

“Yes, Vox?” Alice replied airily, turning her attention away from her microphone, which she had been polishing oh so diligently, and turning it toward the sound of hurried, oncoming footsteps.

She turned in her seat and was met with a flash of blue and red as Vox practically skidded to a halt before her.

“How do you like it? I think it’s pretty. Niffty made it for me— I’ve never met a man who’s such a dab hand with a needle and thread, I swear! He’s so- but I wanted to see how you liked it. I think it’s pretty, but we can change it if you think-” Goodness, she talked a lot now.

Tuning out Vox’s inane babble, Alice flicked her eyes across the new outfit that seemed to be the cause of all this excitement. A red, sleeveless button-down blouse and one of those silly, wide skirts that were in style during Vox’s time on Earth, patterned with cyan lightning bolts on top of plain, navy blue.

Far simpler than Vox’s old style. She’d always had a taste for glamor, for ostentation. Even when she’d been a young sinner without the money necessary for the silken gloves and wide-brimmed hats she favored as an overlord, Alice recalled her trying her best to at least give the facade of wealth and glamor. What a vain creature she was— or rather, had been.

The new outfit was almost girlish in its simplicity. Not practical for the handyman (handywoman?) job Alice had assigned her, but Alice highly doubted that all the brainwashing conditioning in the world could convince Vox to wear dungarees.

Alice was vaguely considering telling Vox to return to Niffty and request the outfit in black and white— the colors she had favored back when she had been safely under Alice’s wing— when her eyes fell upon the large, white rectangle that rested over Vox’s left breast.

It was a name tag. Similar to Charlie’s, in a way, but much larger, with the name “VOX” emblazoned upon it in what Alice could only assume was Vox’s own handwriting.

Oh.

The poor thing couldn’t remember her own name, so she needed a label across her chest to keep her from forgetting.

“It’s lovely, dear.” Alice said abruptly, cutting across Vox’s endless chatter— goodness, what was she going on about now? Tap-dancing?

Vox’s face lit up— literally, as her screen’s brightness appeared to jump several settings— her eyes shining with that adorable, slavish, mindlessadoration that Alice had grown so fond of these past few days. She began babbling again, even faster than before, and gave a little twirl— presumably to show off the skirt— that sent sparks flying. If one of those sparks triggered yet another electrical fire, Alice would not be taking responsibility.

“It’s only missing one last thing.” Vox froze, eyes wide; she never could handle “rejection” well. Alice smiled indulgently and extended a finger, beckoning Vox forward, then pointing down to the space beside her chair. Without hesitation, Vox hurried to the foot of Alice’s seat— the foot! Oh, this was rich— sinking down into a kneeling position at her side.

Smiling fondly, Alice delicately undid the red-and-black striped ribbon that hung at her collar. For a moment, she considered tying it around Vox’s neck (the neck whose wires she’d oh so tenderly severed one at a time all those years ago), but instead chose one of her antennas (the one she had bent in a dozen different places during the process of creating the New Vox).Vox let out a small, sharp gasp as Alice tightened the ribbon around the metal rod— those things were somewhat akin to exposed nerves, to Alice’s understanding; what a silly weakness— her facial display flickering out for a moment before reappearing with a wide-eyed, anticipatory expression.

“There. Now you look perfect.”

Once again, Vox’s face split into that same, worshipful grin from the last time Alice had complimented her. Two gifts— the new, old head and now something to wear on it— in as many days; Alice truly was in a generous mood this week.

“Thank you, Allie, thank you so, so much.”

What a sweet creature she had become.

For a moment, Alice’s eyes flicked away from Vox’s adoring face and towards the hotel bar. She met Husk’s stoney gaze, who immediately looked away, pretending not to have been watching this interaction. Alice’s eyes returned to Vox, and she smiled indulgently down at her lovely little creation.

“You’re welcome, doll.”

[queenofcats17]

The Ink Demonth 2

Today's theme is tea.

Enjoy Audrey having a very normal time!

==============================================

"Ah, awake at last~"

Audrey slowly came back to consciousness to the sound of a woman's voice and the tinny music of a phonograph. She was vaguely aware of being seated on some sort of raised chair as she blinked blearily and looked around.

She was in some kind of... dining room? Or library? She wasn't sure. To her left and right were bookshelves and columns. The floor was the same tile as in Wilson's home, but it was chipped and broken here, with pieces of tile and pools of ink scattered about. The room was dim, lit only by the bare bulbs hanging on wires from the ceiling. Moths fluttered around them, further diminishing the light.

In front of her was a large banquet table, laden with cakes and donuts and pots of tea. Lost Ones were seated on both sides of the table, sipping from tea cups and eating the provided sweets.

And at the head of that table... was a woman. Audrey couldn't make out many details due to her blurry vision and the dull throbbing in the right side of her head, likely from where she'd hit it when she'd fallen. But even with her limited vision, she could tell the woman looked more humanoid than the Lost Ones. Audrey could make out yellow skin and a black dress. Sort of like Allison...

"I was almost afraid you'd miss my party," the strange woman cooed from where she lounged in her chair.

"What...? What's going on?" Audrey murmured, clutching her head.

"Ohh. Seems you're just a little overwhelmed." The woman's voice dripped with sickly sweetness, but Audrey found she didn't care. The woman's voice was... beautiful. Low and husky, like the sort you'd hear in a smoky nightclub.

"It's alright, honey. I understand," the woman continued, still in that faux-sweet tone. "It's not every day every day you get to bask in the glory of... an angel!" The woman's voice went up an octave on the last two words, sounding rather like the voice Audrey had heard used for Alice Angel.

Now that her vision was clearing... The woman did look like Alice Angel. She had the black dress, the horns, the halo. She looked more like Alice than Allison had at least. Come to think of it... Porter had mentioned there were two Alices. What had he said again? Something about one being fair of face and the other stopping at nothing to achieve perfection?

"An... angel?" Audrey echoed as the woman hopped off her chair and began to approach Audrey. Her movements were slow and languid, like a big cat stalking its prey.

"Alice Angel, to be exact," the woman said. "Sent from above. Impending perfection."

As she moved closer, Audrey could see that half of the woman's face was mutilated and deformed. She had no left eye, only a gaping socket that leaked ink down her face. The ink pooled in holes in her left cheek which revealed her blackened gums and ink-stained teeth.

Even with the mutilated face, though, the woman was... stunning. She had the same features as Allison, but on Alice, they seemed... sharper, more mature. Allison's eyes had been wide and alert, while Alice's were hooded and sultry.

Audrey instinctively swallowed as Alice reached the chair. "What... What do you want?" She asked, hoping her voice wasn't shaking too much.

Alice laughed, leaning on the back of the chair. "Ah, right to the chase. I like that. The truth is, honey..." She disappeared, walking around the back of the chair. "You're one of a kind. I have to say..." Her face appeared on the other side of the chair now. "I'm an instant fan."

"Well, I... I'm not from here," Audrey said, shifting uncomfortably in the chair.

"And yet, there's something so... familiar about you." Alice leaned in close. "Like I've met you somewhere before."

Audrey's heartbeat began to speed up. Her face was inches from Alice's. She was almost certain that Alice was supposed to be threatening her, but this also felt... strangely like flirting? She didn't know if she should be terrified or turned on. Maybe a little of both?

....God, was there something wrong with her?

"But I suppose we can get to that later." Suddenly Alice was moving away, heading back to her seat at the head of the table. "This is a party, after all. And you're the guest of honor, honey."

"Would you like some tea?" One of the Lost Ones asked, getting up from their seat.

"is it... actually tea?" Audrey tried not to cringe.

"It's the closest thing we have to tea down here," another Lost One piped up. "It's not that bad," they added quickly.

"It's not great either," a third muttered darkly, although they too took a sip of their tea.

"We take what we can get." Alice sighed dramatically, draping herself over the armchair as if it were a throne. "To think, this is what I've been reduced to. Stealing from that bastard's pantry like some common thief!" Her lip curled in a snarl and she slammed her fist into the arm of the chair before flopping back.

"You took this from... Wilson?" Audrey frowned slightly.

"He's the only one around here with any proper food," Alice replied, gesturing to one of the Lost Ones. Said Lost One immediately got up and began pouring a cup of tea. "And since I refuse to scavenge like the others, stealing is what I must do."

"Our angel is kind enough to share with us," the Lost One who had poured the tea said as they brought it to Audrey.

"So you... protect them?" Audrey asked slowly as she somewhat reluctantly accepted the offered tea cup. A brief sniff made her cringe. The tea smelled burnt and acrid, and vaguely of ink. But it was hard to tell whether the ink smell was coming from the tea or the room around her.

"An angel must protect her flock," Alice said before immediately making a face of disgust. "Ugh... I sound like Sammy."

"You know Sammy?" Audrey asked. Although she knew she was going to regret it, she took a tentative sip of the tea. Almost immediately she spat it out. The ink smell had been coming from the tea. It was the first thing she tasted.

"Told you it was bad," the pessimistic Lost One muttered.

"It would be harder not to know Sammy," Alice said derisively. "He just loves sticking his fingers into everything, pretending he's some kind of savior." She rolled her eyes. "As if that will absolve him of his sins."

"His sins?" Audrey echoed. A Lost One passed her a donut, which she was more than happy to take a bite of. It was stale and tasted vaguely of ink, but she wasn't going to be too picky.

Alice's expression grew dark. She sat up in her chair, folding her arms. "He betrayed me," she said, her gaze fixed on the table. "He said I had talent. He said I'd be as big as Bendy someday. And then he went and gave my role away! To that- That Allison!" She slammed her fists on the table, jostling the dishes. "It was my role! Mine! He didn't have the right to give it away!"

The Lost Ones chimed in with statements of agreement.

"He didn't have the right."

"You were perfect, my angel!"

"He never should have replaced you."

Audrey just chewed on her donut. It would probably be a bad idea to mention that she'd met Allison. She wondered if Allison was still looking for her. Back in the sewers, Allison had said she would come for her. Had she?

"But enough about him." Alice quickly composed herself, leaning forward towards Audrey. "I want to know about you, honey."

"Well, uh, what do you want to know?" Audrey asked, awkwardly clearing her throat.

Alice's smile widened. "What do you want to tell me?"

Audrey paused, leaning back in her chair as she thought. She had to be careful here. It was clear that Alice had a grudge against Sammy for replacing her. And given that decision likely came from Joey to begin with, Alice probably had a grudge against Joey too. Like everyone else in this place. So admitting she was Joey's daughter was definitely not a good idea.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to ground herself. She could do this. She could play this game.

Then, she opened her eyes and began to speak.

[f4iry-bell]

Stained Shirt and Two Seats for One

a very long title, im so sorry about the setting of first chapter not being clear and switch of what is going on eacothers heads?? though its written in third person pov. first chapter is very terrible pls bare with me. its just for funies.

this is a regular x f!reader. anyone can read it.

NOTE: after TBH but AU where there is no tgg or anything that involves tgg(no avery's game, or alice being alive, etc etc). reader is 23-24. grayson is 26-27 y/o. im sorry for making gray kinda old ITS FOR PLOT REASONS.

warning: unclear setting 🧍‍♀️.

Y/n blinked rapidly as she was trying hard not to scream out of pain and anger. The hot liquid poured all over her burnt like hell. And the colour choice of her top was definitely not helping. At least she doesn't have to immediately meet her client as soon as she lands in London. Some of the people who passed by looked at her stained shirt and the man in front of her who looked so perfect. No, literally, he might just be perfect.

“My sincere apologies.” He apologised and his tone stated neutral, he sounded apologetic but yet not.

“It's okay.” She says giving him a poor smile while she looks at her top.

“It's not okay, your shirt is ruined.” He states.

“No, I was on my phone while I was walking, it's also my fault.” She said and watched him take his white handkerchief out handing it to her.

“I was not looking as well.”

“Thank you, but I don't think it's going to help.” She chuckled but his face remained neutral.

“I’m sorry again” He kept apologising and she kept saying ‘it's fine’

Finally they both parted ways. Grayson was thinking about the incident and the girl, he ruined a perfectly styled outfit. It was simple and probably comfortable for flying. He remembered that his flight is about to take off in 30 minutes. He can't let that event bother his whole plane ride.

As Grayson walked inside the flight through the economy, he recognised one person sitting in the middle, the girl whom he poured his black coffee on. She was wearing a cardigan over her stained shirt. Her wired earphones disappeared in her wavy hair. She sat in between a weird old man and a woman with her baby on her lap. She looked so done. He can't imagine how bad her day must be. First, he pours coffee on her and now she has to sit next to probably two worst types of people you would find on a plane. He couldn't help himself. He walked to her seat, fortunately he didn't have to tap on her to make her notice his presence. She looked at him once he was near her seat and unplugged her earphones from her ears with a confused look. Probably wondering why he is here.

“Hi.” She said and gave him an awkward smile as if this man did not just pour hot coffee on her.

“I have an offer,” He said. “For you.”

“Oh. um, oh” He can tell that she was super confused by her response.

“You have a seat in first class” He informed her.

“Huh?” She was still confused.

“You heard me. I have a seat for you in the first class” He was trying to be clear.

She can tell that this man was about to board in first class when he poured coffee on her just by his looks. But why is he offering his seat? Because he poured coffee on her? And where will he sit? In her seat? He looks like he never travelled out of first class.

“Oh you don't have to give up your seat. It's fine.” She smiles.

“Ma’am, I'm not giving up my seat. Take the offer” He ordered, getting kind of impatient.

“You’re not? But you said that you have a seat for me”

“True”

“So, your seat”

“Yes. My other seat” He added “You'll be sitting next to me”

“You have booked two seats?” She asked. Was he supposed to travel with someone? His outfit might say that he was supposed to travel with a business partner or assistant.

“I always do. Now if you're done with your questions, we must leave before the airhostess asks us” He said.

She blinked a couple times not believing what just happened. She stood up and noticed the lady with her baby was giving her a jealous look. I mean she can't blame the lady, who wouldn't want to travel in first class. She took her small backpack with her.

She spoke as they walked “So um why'd you book two seats?” She didn't want to pry but she was going to sit next to this man for hours, she didn't want it to be awkward throughout.

“As I've mentioned already. I always do”. He replied. Showing no interest in a conversation. He is giving her a seat in first class that should be enough of an apology for the coffee, right?

“But why?”

“Because I do not like sitting next to strangers. You'll be surprised to find out even people who travel first class want to engage in unnecessary conversations” He told her. She gave a nod. She made a mental note to not engage in a conversation with him.

Grayson noticed it, he also thought that she is quite polite and beautiful too.

She tried hard not to think that he is an arrogant asshole, well he is giving his seat to her so he must be fine. She made sure not to make silly conversation with him or not talk at all. This man booked two tickets just so he doesn't have to engage with others. He must hate people. Y/n was not a fan of people or small talk with strangers either so it's not hard for her to keep her to herself. But if the awkward silence is too loud she won't be able to help herself, she will just say something random.

The plane ride was quiet as Grayson wanted. He liked the fact that the girl did not try to have any small talk with him. All though he tried his best to mind his own business he kept noticing what she was doing, for the first half an hour of the flight the girl was writing something on her notebook. He wanted to peek but it would be too obvious. After some writing she took out a beige eye mask and then rested throughout the flight. Watching her like a creep he decided to do the same as well.

It was like an unwritten rule to walk out of London's airport together for them. Like the plane ride the walk was also quiet. Grayson had a car waiting for him outside already, the girl on the other hand was waiting for a taxi. He wanted to offer her a ride but he thought it was probably too much.

“I’m once again sorry about your clothes. Have a good life” He started and ended the conversation without even giving her time to speak. He didn't care if she thought he was rude, he will never see this girl ever again.

next part →

[ultearlight]

Can I ask which will wood songs make you think of which podcasts? Thanks

OH MY GOD YES

WTNV - Black Box Warrior

TMA - Hand Me My Shovel, I'm Going In

Alice Isnt Dead - Suburbia Overture

Within The Wires - White Noise

Red Valley - Thromodynamic Lawyer

The Dead Letter Office Of Somewhere, Ohio - Vampire Reference In A Major Key

Hello From The Hallow Woods  - Falling Up

(Bouns; You Liked This (Ok Computer!) )

Malevolent - ...well, better then the alternative

And Camp Here And There dosen't get one cause there whole sound track is Will Wood

And these are just like the podcast as a whole, I have different songs for specific characters if people are interested in those 👀

(Also prediction for The Magnus Portocal - The Song With 5 Names. Totally not because its Hand Me My Shovel companion song)

[musicaltheatregirlsandsongs]

Hi! I finished up the list of songs that made it in, I still need to make the brackets, and will post those once they’re done! Complete list under the cut

A Little Fall of Rain - Les Misérables

A Little Priest - Sweeney Todd

A Musical - Something Rotten

Agony - Into the Woods

All you wanna do - Six

Another National Anthem - Assassins

Another Suitcase in Another Hall - Evita

Anthem - Chess

Any Kind of Dead Person - Ghost Quartet

Anything you can do (I can do better) - Annie Get Your Gun

Balaga - Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

Being Alive - Company

Belle - Notre-Dame de Paris

Brain Dead - A New Brain

Burn - Hamilton

Cabaret - Cabaret

Carnaval del Barrio - In the Heights

Carrying the Banner - Newsies

Cell Block Tango - Chicago

Chant - Hadestown

Come what may - Moulin Rouge

Confrontation - Jekyll & Hyde

Costume Party - Come from Away

Dead Girl Walking - Heathers

Dead Mom - Beetlejuice

Defying Gravity - Wicked

Dentist! - Little Shop of Horrors

Die Schatten werden länger - Elisabeth

Don’t Rain On My Parade - Funny Girl

Drink with me - Les Misérables

Dust and Ashes - Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

El tango de Roxanne - Moulin Rouge

Epic III - Hadestown

Epiphany - Sweeney Todd

Esmeralda - the Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Everybody’s got the right - Assassins

Feast or famine - Black Friday

Feed Me (Git It!) - Little Shop of Horrors

For Good - Wicked

Get Down - Six

Gethsemane (I only want to say) - Jesus Christ Superstar

Giants in the sky - Into the Woods

Glory - Pippin

Go Tonight - The Mad One’s

Good Kid - the lightning thief

Heaven on their Minds - Jesus Christ Superstar

Holding to the Ground - Falsettos

How Can Love Survive - The Sound of Music

I’m Alive - Next to Normal

I’m Breaking Down - Falsettos

Ich gehör nur mir - Elisabeth

If I had my time again - Groundhog Day

If I were a rich man - Fiddler on the Roof

Inevitable - The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals

Independently Owned - Shucked

Joseon Swag (조선수액) - Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon! (스웨그에이지: 외쳐, 조선!)

Judas - Clown Bible

Juntton - Gambämark

King of New York - Newsies

Land of Yesterday - Anastasia

Le Monde est Stone - Starmania

Les Rois du Monde - Roméo et Juliette, de la haine à l’amour

Let it out - The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals

Letters - Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

Lilacs - Preludes

Loser Geek Whatever - Be More Chill

Losing My Mind - Follies

Love will come and find me again - Bandstand

Madame Guillotine - The Scarlet Pimpernel

Michael in the Bathroom - Be More Chill

My Grand Plan - the lightning thief

No One Else - Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

No One Remembers Achmed - Twisted

Noel’s Lament - Ride the Cyclone

Nonstop - Hamilton

On My Own - Les Misérables

On the Verge - Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown

Once and for all - Newsies

One Day More - Les Misérables

Place, je passe - Mozart l’opéra rock

Popular - Wicked

Prologue - Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

Prologue: Tradition - Fiddler on the Roof

Quartet at the Ballet - Anastasia

Quiet - Matilda

Rebecca Reprise - Rebecca

Requiem - Dear Evan Hansen

Revolting Children - Matilda

Ring of Keys - Fun Home

Santa Fe - Newsies

Seize the Day - Newsies

Sick to Death of Alice-ness - Alice by Heart

Skid Row (Downtown) - Little Shop of Horrors

Solo - Octet

Starchild - Ghost Quartet

Sweet Transvestite - Rocky Horror Show

Talia - Ride the Cyclone

Telephone Wire - Fun Home

The Ballad of Jane Doe - Ride the Cyclone

The I Love You Song - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The New World - Songs for a New World

The Opera - Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

The Pitiful Children - Be More Chill

The Point of No Return - The Phantom of the Opera

The Song of Purple Summer - Spring Awakening

The Starry Night - Starry

The Thrill of First Love - Falsettos

The Torture Tango - Spies are Forever

The Turning of the Key - The Clockmaker’s Daughter

There! Right There! - Legally Blonde

This World Will Remember Us - Bonnie & Clyde

Time Warp - Rocky Horror Show

Tonight (Quintet) - West Side Story

Touch Me - Spring Awakening

Twisted - Twisted

Unlikely Lovers - Falsettos

Usher Pt. 3 - Ghost Quartet

Wait For Me - Hadestown

Wait For Me (Reprise) - Hadestown

Waving Through A Window - Dear Evan Hansen

Wenn ich tanzen will - Elisabeth

What would I do - Falsettos

When the going gets tough - Spongebob Squarepants

Wilkommen - Cabaret

You Gotta Die Sometime - Falsettos

Your Daddy’s Son - Ragtime

Your Fault/Last Midnight - Into the Woods

30/90 - Tick, Tick… Boom

[queer-science]

First thoughts on new magnus Protocol episode

Magnus Protocol episode 21 spoilers below:

First off:

We're so back!!!!!!!!!!

Second off, what the actual FUCK?

So Celia implying she had the ability to go back, but Jack doesn't, does that mean Jack is native here?

And then the whole magnus institute being treated closer to a cult in this universe, it's less of just some poor saps stuck there with one guy being a devoted follower of the Eye, now it's like they're all actual followers of the Eye, even bringing up schisms (like sects of a religion) on how they think the belief behind Y2K will affect their ritual.

And of course there's the whole some guy's doppelganger crawling from the earth and pulling him in, so that's 2 doppelganger we've seen, (1. Dude and his half brother, now 2. This guy), I'm thinking that the archives universe is bleeding over, if Celia switched, and with multiple doppelganger appearing more frequently I'm starting to think that there may be some growing overlap

Then there's Alice with the whole acknowledging someone in the computers, and treating then with sentience asking about them purposefully giving magnus statements.

And now for the titchular-bitchular Gwen (and Ink5oul), so Gwen doesn't do too bad for a horror protagonist, she wasted no time getting the hell out of dodge and even found help, however, from what it sounded like Ink5oul began controlling the guys barbed wire tattoos and making them real, meaning Ink5oul's tattoo powers aren't just over their own tattoos, but seem to be over any tattoo, and Gwen drops her phone (like that guy dropped his arm)

And for the biggest moment, we here a tape recorder click, and then ad Ink5oul grabs Gwen and trys to get to work, Gwen gets compeled, and begins giving a statement of her own (I for a split second thought it was Julia's from MA:9) and even Ink5oul is freaked out at it, and then some figure (surrounded by whispers like a wind(which could be like Jon's cassettes like we hear in the Web's lair)) appears and says "Mine" "All of them, mine" (who is all, the OIAR?) But doesn't do anything to Gwen at the moment and instead talks about others "There is more." "No. Not here. Elsewhere..." and just leaves, leaving the tape recorder behind where it fucking bites Ink5oul before clicking off.

So the transcript calls this thing "[ERROR]" which is what the thing that appeared at the end of Sam and Alice's outing to the archives was called. This thing is acting like some ghost of the archive, like not the archivist of the past kind, but like if Jon fully lost humanity, but Jon is in the computer, I'm thinking this could kinda literally a ghost of the archive, when the protocol was enacted and the archive burnt down this could be what someone became to survive, or maybe this worlds version of Jonah and he became this monster because of how the powers work here (maybe something about his fear of death and his allegiance to the Eye) or this could be the result of the "universal transmutation" or the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

The tree of knowledge is something I doubt the institute would let burn, so them keeping it for themselves makes sense, and them using it to try and gain higher knowledge would track, and maybe they and the fruit are responsible for that one guy turning into plants (MP:3).

Hopefully next episode answers something, and of course makes me freeze and go "😐" or go "they said the thing!"

[amethystunarmed]

Reconnection

Word Count: 1613 AO3 Link “Well, well, well, this is a blast from the past, now isn’t it? Love hearing your voices through dime store speakers again. What was the phrase he used?” She emphasizes he, like they should know exactly who she is referring to. “Gives it a sort of... lo-fi charm?” And, for the first time since Sam has joined the OIAR, Chester’s voice stops of its own accord, midway through a statement. ~~~ Sam watches his computer have a mental breakdown. (The original Archives Cast are the Avatars in the Protocol Universe.)

It’s in the middle of a talker, of course, when everything goes to shit. 

It had been a normal day. Alice is humming over her coffee. Gwen is grinding her teeth as she tries to ignore it (probably the reason Alice has been humming for over a goddamn hour). Colin was off somewhere, probably ripping more wires out of the damn walls. Lena hasn’t spoken to Sam since their impromptu meeting, and Sam is pretty sure he is better off for it. Sam himself is doing his best to ignore the current statement like Alice advised (he’s failing), while Chester prattles on about a man reading subway goers their violent deaths hours before they happen. 

Like he said, normal. 

It’s then that a woman walks out of a door Sam has never really given much thought to. He isn't really sure where it even goes. (Has it always been there?) But the thought leaves him as he becomes much more focused on the woman in front of him.

The woman is mousy, bookish, and larger than life. She wears her hair in a high ponytail, frizzy curls spiraling out in wild waves. Sparkling horned rimmed glasses adorn her face, and she wears a brightly colored sweater over an even brighter skirt. It is floor length, and covered in trippy neon spirals that Sam can’t help but stare into. And her hands... Her hands...

“Who the fuck are you?” Alice shouts, and Sam suddenly remembers just where he is. What is happening?

“Ma’am, you can’t be-” Gwen says, hard steel in her voice, but she falters. There’s something like recognition, like horror, dawning on her face. The woman ignores her, eyes locked on Sam’s computer.

“Well, well, well, this is a blast from the past, now isn’t it? Love hearing your voices through dime store speakers again. What was the phrase he used?” She emphasizes he, like they should know exactly who she is referring to. “Gives it a sort of... lo-fi charm?”

And, for the first time since Sam has joined the OIAR, Chester’s voice stops of its own accord, midway through a statement. “What on Earth...” Sam whispers, but no one seems to be listening.

“You...” Gwen actually stutters, sounding more unsteady than Sam has ever heard her. “You’re the woman from the cafe!”

“Yes, good eye , Gwendolyn,” the woman cheers, clapping her hands together. “Though I suppose I shouldn’t expect anything less from a Bouchard.” Gwen stares at her, face rapidly paling. 

“I thought I was imagining...” She swallows, looking like she may faint. “You were following me...”

“I figured it would be a fun little remix!” the woman exclaims, gleefully. “I do so love to put my own twist on a classic.” She holds out her long, distorted hand. Her fingers bend and retract in the fluorescent lights, and Sam can’t see where one begins and another ends. “I’m Sasha, by the way.”

The red light on Sam’s webcam blinks on. Sasha squeals with delight and pushes past him. The brush of her skirt against him burns like TV static. He yelps and pushes his rolling chair back on instinct, sliding across the office. Hands grab the back of his chair, and he knows it's Alice steadying him, pulling him away.

Sasha doesn't bother looking at him, eyes locked on the webcam with vicious delight. She does a little spin, skirt twirling in kaleidoscopic patterns that make Sam feel ill.

“What do you think? I'm a bit different from before, but it's not like you can tell the difference!” 

Sam’s computer makes a high pitched grinding sound that sounds almost like a wail.

“Cool your processors!” She giggles. “I'm sure you don't need my whole sob story, how I came to be what I am. I ended up just... filling a void. No Michael this time, with no Institute to send him to his doom, and no need to grab Helen to play your friend. But poor Sasha James can't help but stick her nose in places it doesn't belong, and well, we figured you would show up eventually.” She lights up, as if remembering something fondly. “I made Head Archivist at the university, before I died this go around!” Her smile curls through her cheeks. “We both know I deserved it, after losing out last time.”

The computer stutters out beeps, almost an inquisitive dial up tone.

“Of course I remember you!” Sasha cheers, “It makes no sense, and that is kind of the whole deal, isn't it?” She chuckles, and it sounds like squealing spiraling fireworks. “I am so excited you finally arrived. Wait until I tell Timmy about this!”

Sam’s computer clicks and whistles. He can hear the gears grinding.

“He won’t get the joke, of course,” Sasha continues, prattling on like Sam’s computer isn’t making sounds out of an eldritch horror. “But he’ll appreciate the irony once I explain.”

The computer wheezes, like it is taking deep, gulping breaths.

“What, did you think since the Magnus Institute doesn’t exist, it was all sunshine and roses?” Sasha clucks her tongue, “We still had encounters, we just had nowhere to go.” She grins. “I'll have to let all our friends know!”

“Chester has human friends?” Alice nearly shrieks from her hiding spot behind Sam’s chair. “Chester from the ‘puter?”

Sasha tilts her head, back and forth, mulling it over. “Well, human may be a bit of a stretch.”

“F-friends? Plural?” Sam says, fearing what he already knows to be the answer. “There's more of you?”

“Oodles more!” Sasha assures him, head bobbing like a freshly oiled doll. “Basira's a drag, takes ages to get her out of the dark and Daisy is a chore to hunt down! But I'm sure Melanie and Georgie are around. What a power couple, the Slaughter and the End? One to kill and one to collect? Almost rivals the synergy of the Spiral and the Stranger!” She taps her long, long fingers against her chin. “Though, I suppose I may be biased.”

With each name, Sam's computer whirs louder and louder. He swears he hears something inside snap, and a smell like burnt rubber wafts through the room, but it never quiets.

“And of course...” Something changes in her voice then. It's just as light and bubbly as it was before, but there's an edge to it now, like an iridescent butterfly knife. “Jon and Martin should know, too. Shouldn't they, Chester?”

She says the name like it's a joke. The computer whistles like a tea kettle.

“Martin's in a fog most days and we'll have to untangle poor Jon from his webs, but I'll think they'll make an exception. Particularly since it gives them an excuse to see each other.”

The computer stops for a moment, and makes an error sound, like what Sasha just said couldn’t compute.

“Always so convinced you are the center of the narrative, aren’t you?” Sasha scolds. “It's funny, isn't it? Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood, happy together at last. And all they had to do was die.” She peers down her horned rimmed glasses with surprising disdain. “Not that you would know. You still managed to fuck it up.”

Sam didn't know a computer could make a sound so similar to a sob.

“Of course, I could be lying,” Sasha says, shrugging. “You'd know all about that.” The thing’s voice dips, and swirls with a hatred that makes the back of Sam’s neck prickle. “You were so very quick to jump to conclusions, back in the day. So suspicious of everyone but the singular entity that deserved it.”

The computer (the thing in the computer?) makes a low, regretful groan.

“Maybe none of this is true, maybe you didn't doom them all. Again.” She hums a dizzying melody as she thinks. “But... we both know better than that, don't we?”

There is a pause, a moment of stillness. Sam doesn't breathe, doesn't know if he could if he tried.

Then Sasha's perfect peppy persona snaps back in place. “Well, toodles! I have places to go, people to eat. Try not to cut yourself on all those angles, Chester.”

And she skips out the door, which promptly vanishes behind her.

(Sam’s desktop tower shudders, and jerks like it was shoved.)  

Sam curses. 

(The tan plastic cracks along the edges, and bulges.) 

“Should we smash it?” Alice asks.

(The flat panels distend and warp with rippling force.)

“I... I...” 

(Like something is pushing outward.)

“Great, she broke Gwen.” Alice’s voice is high-pitched and frantic. “Sam, please tell me you have a plan?”

(Like it is trying to hatch .)

Sam has no fucking idea what to do.

Before he can say as much, there is another error noise, and blue and white text flashes across the monitor.

“Did it...” Sam is almost afraid to say it, like he’ll jinx it. “Did it crash?”

As if answering his question, the monitor goes complete dark, then lights up with the Windows logo.

Alice, Sam, and Gwen watch in silence as it boots up, unaffected by the dents and distortions in its casing. They stare at it, in rigid stillness, like it will reach out and bite. At this point, Sam wouldn’t be surprised if it did. The start up tone dings, and Sam jumps so hard he nearly falls out of the chair.

And then Chester's voice picks back up, right where it left off, what feels like a lifetime ago. With the strange door gone and Chester back to normal, it’s almost as though nothing has changed.

(But it has. It has it has it has it has-)

“So,” Alice says, voice shaking, “Anyone want to go for a pint?”

[gnrbitch]

Grunge Days pt.4 - Funky Monks

Warnings: Profanity, smoking, drug mention, kinda smut?

Book one/ earlier parts

————

1990, San Diego

“Y/n we’re here!” Layne said as he shook Y/n by her shoulder.

The band had just arrived at San Diego, immediately having to do sound check.

Y/n rubbed her eyes, yawning as she gripped her guitar case. “Sound check- I need like 10 minutes to process the fact I even woke up”

Layne laughed as they walked side by side, “You just need a beer, that’ll cool you down”

“Hopefully they have some, and hopefully i don’t sound like shit, do you know which other bands are on the bill?” Y/n asked Layne, remembering that Susan had told them last minute that other bands would be playing also.

“No clue” Layne shrugged “Imagine sound gardens here” He laughed

Y/n rolled her eyes “They just left to London dumbass”

“Oh yea, I forgot” Layne said, furrowing his eyebrows.

Y/n passed her guitar case to Layne as soon as they entered backstage. “Grab this for me, I gotta go to the bathroom”

“Alright” Layne said, taking the guitar with him as he sat next to Jerry.

Y/n made her way to the bathroom, locking the door as she pulled out, what she liked to call, her ‘travel pouch’ (Which is basically all the things she need to shoot up, and obviously a few heroin baggies).

She sighed out and rested her head on the wall, untying her arm after shooting herself up.

She got up, flushed the toilet even though she didn’t use it, and washed her hands.

Lighting a cigarette as she walked back to where everyone else was, observing the people who were talking to her boys. She assumed they were the band that was doing soundcheck when they got here.

She immediately recognized the singers face, smiling as she searched for someone whom she hasn’t seen in a while.

“Is that John Frusciante I see?” She said, smile still on her face as she made eye contact with the boy.

He furrowed his eyebrows as he silently looked at her for a moment, then his eyes widened “Y/n?”.

“The one and only” She smiled, laughing as he got up and embraced her in a hug.

“Holy shit! No fucken way” He said breathlessly as he grabbed her by the shoulders, getting a good look at her face. “It’s been a while”

“It has, I’ve missed you” She smiled at him, taking in how much like a man he looks now.

“You guys fucked or something?” Sean said, putting his hand on his hip, the other having his drum sticks.

The two old friends looked at each other before laughing, “No” Y/n said as she shook her head, “We knew each other back in 86’ ”.

“Feels like just yesterday you bumped into me” John said as he placed his hand over his heart.

Y/n rolled her eyes, a small smile lingering on her lips. “Alright calm down”

She turned to look at the rest of the boys heading over to the stage, she looked at John, “I’ll catch up with you later, gotta go”.

Y/n walked over to Layne, who passed her guitar case to her.

They fucked around while they did soundcheck, all dying of laughter when Layne tripped over a wire and fell right on his face.

“That- That was the funniest shit i’ve ever seen in my life” Jerry said, clinging on to Y/n as they were laughing.

“Yea fuck you guys” Layne said as he rubbed his head, “That fucken hurt”.

They finished up, had some beers with the boys from rhcp, all a bit tipsy by the time the show started.

*

“Y/n! You were fucken great” John said as he walked up to her.

“Thanks Fru” Y/n smiled at him, handing her guitar over to a roadie. “Wanna go somewhere else? There’s too many fucken people here” She asked

“Hell yea”.

The pair walked over to the bus Alice had arrived in, sitting down. They talked as they smoked some weed.

And even if this made Y/ns heart churn a bit. It also filled her with a sense of relief knowing she wasn’t the only one hooked on dope.

John had pulled out some heroin and offered her some, and of course she said yes.

The pair were silently looking into one another’s eyes, being unable to hold their laughter at how high they looked.

“You look really good Fru” Y/n said as her eyes ran over his face.

“I’d say the same thing about you” He smiled at her, his eyes landing on her lips.

Y/n gave him a cocky smile before she pressed her lips onto his.

He sighed as the kiss became deeper, their tongues moving in sync. He moved over to kiss her jawline as her hand moved to his hair, swiftly getting on top of him.

And what was happening outside…

Slash had decided to go down to San Diego last minute. After practice went to shit, Steven slumping over his guitars and Axl not even showing up. He decided to go to San Deigo to go see Y/n.

After the show, Slash tried looked for Y/n, being unable to see her in the crowd of people that were backstage.

He finally asked Jerry, who said she had gone back to their bus after the show.

Of course, he thought, why didn’t I think of that.

Cigarette in his mouth, he walked over to the bus. Thinking of nothing, he went ahead and opened the door.

And his eyes widened, soon becoming jealous at the scene that was in front of him.

Y/n was on the bus alright, she was also on John, kissing his neck as she unbuckled his pants. Both of them shirtless. It was quite the lewd scene.

John opened his eyes, tapping Y/ns thighs as he saw Slash’s eyes burning onto the girl.

“What?” Y/n said, eyebrows furrowed as she looked at John. John nodded his head over to Slash.

Y/n turned back, surprised to see Slash standing there, she quickly used her hands to cover her breast.

“Slash, hey man” Y/n awkwardly said.

Slash shook his head as he turned back and walked out, slamming the door shut.

Y/n flinched and turned back to John.

“What’s his issue” He asked

“No fucken clue” Y/n shrugged

“Do you wanna keep going?”

“I don’t see why not” Y/n said, smiling at him as they resumed their lewd acts, her hands finally unbuckling his jeans.

Slash looked back to the bus, apart of him hoping Y/n would come back to him. But he rolled his eyes and threw his cigarette on the ground as he finally left the club.

Well, not without taking a girl with him.

But the whole time he couldn’t stop thinking about how fucken jealous he is of that Fru kid, he got fucken Y/n. And Slash was left banging some chick who’s name he didn’t even know.

Fucken Y/n

————

Sorry i haven’t been uploading much guys i’ve just been going through some writers block with this story😓😓😓 hope u guys enjoyed though, gonna be trying to upload more.

Tagged: @alysais2cool @hoodiesandicedcoffee @eddiiiieeee

[elliewilliamslover]

The Archer

5. On foot

Here is the Masterlist for this story

"I want tomorrow off." "You and me both." Abby said, walking up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and handing a damp rag to her. She grabbed it and cleaned her face off, throwing the rag to the side when she was done. "We gotta keep looking for the exit, it has to be around here somewhere." Mel said walking around with Manny not too far behind her leaving me and Abby to bring up the rear. "So... how's you and that one dude? I forgot his name." Abby said, breaking the silence.

"Oh, I broke it off with him, I had too, he would always hang out with his douche friends. Plus, he was high all the time, I hated talking to him. It felt like he was always either high or drunk. I just couldn't do it anymore. Besides, I've had my eyes on someone else for awhile now." She replied looking at the ground, kicking a rock she saw in front of her. "Oh, is it Manny? I've seen how he's been looking at you lately." Abby said, a small smirk formed on her face. "Manny? No, ew. He's not my type." "What, Mexican?" Manny said, turning around to look at the two of you. "Yep, sure. That's the entire reason why. Dang Manny, you're really spot on today." Y/n said sarcastically to him, making him let out a chuckle. "I try to be." He said then turned back around and caught up with Mel.

"So who is it then?" Abby said to Y/n, looking her in the eyes. "I'm not telling you." She said, smiling at the blonde haired girl. "Pfft, fine." She said as they caught up with Manny and Mel and a couple of broken glass doors with wires lined in the middle of them. "Manny." Abby had said, calling Manny. They pushed the doors in, moving the shelves that were against it. Manny pulled back one door making some space for everyone to fit through. "Ladies first." He said letting Mel go through, Alice shortly following. "Go ahead Ab's." "You said ladies first." Abby said, smirking at him, making him go before her. Abby got out of the way and looked at Y/n. "You're majesty." She said to her, making a hand motion. "Fuck you Ab's." She said with a chuckle, going through the door.

"Who wouldn't want to?" Abby said to Y/n, closing the door when she came through last. "Me. I wouldn't." Y/n replied, looking ahead at all the greenery in the room. "You sure about that?" Abby said in a low voice in Y/n's ear as she passed her. Y/n's cheeks flushed red, a shocked expression appearing on her face. Abby had never said anything like this to her, ever. "Uh, yes?" Y/n replied quickly walking away to check for supplies. "Hey, I was joking." Abby said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I knew you were, you dumbass." She mumbled the last two words. "What'd you call me?" Abby said, walking towards her. Abby, now standing in front of her, the two of them looked into each other's eyes once more. "I said, you dumbass." Y/n said flatly to her face. "Hey lovebirds! We found a window." Manny said from the other end of the greenhouse. "Manny! Shut the fuck up!" "Fuck you Manny." Abby and Y/n both said, making their way to them.

They soon made they're way out of the greenhouse to a big shop-like building. Abby walks up to a big metal box on the side of the building and gets on top of it. "Abby, be careful." Y/n told her as she climbed a big electrical wire, Manny going up with her as well. "What about me?" Manny said, looking down at her from on top of the building. "You're already up there dumbass, now have Abby open the door." She said, flipping him off and walking to the door where Mel and Alice were already at. "Do you and Abby got something going on that you don't want to share with the class?" Mel asked, making Y/n whip her head towards her. "No, what would make you think that?"

"Oh just the way you guys have been talking to each other sounds a little suspicious to me." She said and they heard two thuds from inside the building, indicating that Manny and Abby were now inside. "How have we been talking?" Y/n asked Mel in a confused tone. "Flirty." Mel said and heard Abby moving something away from the door. "Nah." She responded. "Okay guys come through." Abby said and Mel opened the door letting Alice go first, then herself and lastly Y/n. Manny pushed a soda machine out away from a blocked door and they all went through, Y/n picking up supplies here and there along the way.

Y/n glanced over at Abby watching her at a workbench, working on one of her weapons. "You stare any longer and your eyes will get stuck." Manny said, walking past her. "Go take a look around Manny." Y/n replied to him walking away from where she was standing. "Okey, okey, lesbiana loca con un arco." He said while walking in the opposite direction. "What'd you say?" She yelled to him. "Nothing Chica." He said, chuckling. Looking around the big shop they saw a huge boat lifted up in the middle on the left side of the shop. Abby walked up to a crank on the side of the wall and started moving it in a circular motion making the heavy overhead door slowly rise. "I'll hold it here, go." Abby said, as Alice, Manny and Y/n went out.

The huge door slammed down as soon as Y/n made her way through. "Shit! What happened?" Y/n said to Abby through the thick sheet of metal. "The crank broke. Guys just hang tight, we're gonna find a way up to the roof." Abby said, walking away from the door. It was silent for a few minutes, Y/n occasionally humming the tune of Take on Me while kicking rocks around. "I'm not lesbian, y'know?" "Huh?" Manny said, taking attention from off the roof and putting it onto her. "I'm not lesbian, well, at least what I think, I'm not sure right now, still trying to figure it out." She said, looking at the ground and kicking a rock away from her. "How did you know I said that?" He asked her. "Uh Manny, you taught me Spanish. I knew every word you said." Y/n said laughing.

"Ah right, I forgot. That's cool if you are, I don't mind it at all." Manny said, patting her on the back. "Thanks Manny." She said, smiling at him. "Y/n, Manny, be right down." Abby said from on top of the roof. "Okay!" Manny yelled to her. "So, you like Abby?" He said to Y/n who was now next to him watching Abby and Mel softly descend down the ladder and a flight of stairs. "No, and for your information, I never will." She said looking the other way. "Really? Well what Mel, Owen and I saw at that party, It doesn't seem like you don't like her." He said smirking. Y/n's face dropped as she whipped her head in his direction. "What happened that night Manny?" She asked him in a serious voice. "Oh shit! You actually don't remember?" Manny said chuckling. "No? I was drunk Manny. Tell me." Mel and Abby then walked up to Manny and Y/n. "Ready to move?" Y/n asked them, receiving two nods from both of them. "Man, when we get back home, I'm gonna find a couch, watch a movie, and drink until I pass out." Manny said as they walked to the train yard. "Oh yeah? Which drink?" "Which movie?" "Which couch?" Mel, Abby and Y/n all said one after each other. "Strong questions, the one where the girl rides the wolf." Manny responded to them.

"Good one." Y/n responded while walking into a hole in a brick wall looking for supplies. "I could definitely go for a drink right now, if I wasn't so pregnant." Y/n heard Mel say as she walked back out. "I would kill for some of that whiskey that jake makes, the one he puts those old cinnamon sticks in." She said joining back with the group. "I say, the three of us should get fucked up when we get back." Manny said jumping down into the train yard. "Deal." "Hell yeah." They both said, following in pursuit after Mel. "Let's keep on the tracks guys." Abby said walking ahead of everyone. "Lead the way, your highness." Y/n said catching up to her. She looked around and noticed how there was an eerie quietness that she didn't like one bit. "Guys, we should probably pick up the pace." She said with worry in her tone.

"Those Wolves should've been here by now." A voice on the other side of the train yard could be heard. "Guys, we got Scars." Y/n whispered to the rest of the group making them duck behind foliage. "Y/n, go and take as many out as you can with your bow, we'll be right on your tail." Abby whispered. Y/n slowly walked farther up, making sure to make little or no noise whatsoever. Peeking around the corner of a railroad car, she spots a lone Scar. Y/n raises her bow to eye level, aiming it right between their eyes. She steadied her breathing and took the shot. Her arrow flies off the rest. The broadhead went straight into the Scars skull, making her fall to the ground. She walks silently over to the Scar and grabs her arrow and the pistol they were using, claiming it as her own. Y/n picked it up, inspecting it. "Huh, Beretta 92FS Inox." She mumbled to herself, checking the ammo then putting it in the back of her pants.

Moving up, she took out more Scars, taking their ammo and arrows. "It's them!" "Shit." Y/n turned around looking at Abby who was now running up to her. "I shot one and never saw the other one next to him." She said, out of breath. "And I was doing so well." Y/n sighed, pulling the string back fast, hitting one of them who was running towards her with a big hammer. "It's the Archer!" One Scar yelled to the rest of them. When she became a soldier at the WLF, she was the only one that preferred shooting with a bow instead of any guns which made Isaac favorite her over some of the other soldiers. One of the reasons he favored her was that she would never miss her target. Whether it was Infected or Scars, she never missed. Making her known to the Scars as "The Archer." She became Isaac's second top Scar killer, Abby coming in first. If anything involved Scars, Abby and Y/n that were the first ones called up.

Y/n switched to the gun she took off the dead Scar, putting a handmade silencer on the tip. Once they had killed them all, they waited a minute, making sure it was completely silent before they started walking again. "Is that one hundred percent of them?" "I hope so." Abby responded to Y/n, patching herself up on the ground. "That's comforting." She said, going up to some boxes placed on the wall, making a perfect climbing pathway to the top. "Guys, i found the way out!" Y/n said cheerfully, pointing at the boxes making Abby smile as they caught up with her. "You can really act like a child sometimes Y/n." Manny said. They reached the top, walking through a broken fence. Y/n looked up at the close tall building that was once apartments, now a prison for anyone the WLF took captive. "Let's go guys." She said walking towards the big gate blocking the way through to the FOB.

Manny pushed the gate, creating an opening allowing Abby, Y/n, Mel and Alice through. Y/n held it open on the other side letting many come through. "More Scars!" Abby said in a quiet, breathy voice. They got behind some steel drums. Abby and Y/n looked at each other and nodded, both pulling out a pipe bomb, lighting the fuses and throwing them at the group not too far away from them. A big bang soon came as they moved into the gas station, aiming at the Scars and shooting if they saw any movement. The group hid behind the counter, looking over it to shoot any Scars. "There's too many!" "I'm running out of ammo here!" Was all they could say as they were cornered in the corner store with nowhere to run.

Out of nowhere they heard the screech of tires on wet asphalt, looking over the counter all of them recognized the trucks with WLF in painting on the sides. "It's our guys!" Abby said looking as happy as ever. "Fuck yeah!" Y/n said as she shot the last bullet in her gun. "Talk about amazing timing." She said walking up to some soldiers. "Talk about still being alive." One soldier said, patting her on the back. She got into the back of a truck with Mel, Abby and Manny in it, looking left at the bodies of the dead Scars. Feeling the truck lurch forward making her look right to the Forward Operating Base.

She never liked that place one bit.

Translations for what Manny said:

 "Okey, okey, lesbiana loca con un arco. - "Okay, okay, crazy lesbian with a bow." (i hope this is the right translation)

[icu-fetish]

Test subject Alice. Part 1.

Alice woke up for the second time in the ICU and was finally convinced that it was all real.

At night, she returned drunk from the club and went to bed, and in the morning, she woke up in a hospital bed. The first thing she noticed was the oxygen mask on her face. She was also put on a neck brace. A feeding tube was inserted into her nostril. The girl could not see but felt the urinary catheter.

Alice's hands and feet were tied to the bed, but there was no need for that, as she could not move them anyway. She could only look at the surrounding equipment and the tubes and wires that were attached to her body. She knew these devices and their purpose well, because she had long been fascinated by the idea of becoming an ICU patient. But she was not ready for that to become a reality.

Alice began to get used to the frequent visits of nurses who gave her injections and recorded readings of her vital signs from the monitors. However, they did not respond to her questions at all. Why is she here? Why is she paralyzed? Did she get sick or have an accident? Is this someone's evil joke? Was she kidnapped by criminals to sell her organs? After another injection, the girl fell asleep.

After waking up, she realized that nothing had changed. The same room, the same sounds of monitoring systems.

Later, a doctor, whom she had not seen before, entered the room. His face was hard to see behind the mask. He looked at the monitors for a while, and then spoke to the girl.

"Welcome to our lab. We've been watching you for a while. Yes, you were kidnapped. You're fine, you can't move because of the paralytic. This is necessary so that you do not harm yourself or others."

"What do you want?"

"We are engaged in the development and testing of advanced technologies and drugs that will save millions of lives around the world. Our laboratory has the most expensive and best equipment, the best specialists from all over the world work for us. However, we need patients for testing. Only volunteers are not enough, so through social networks we are looking for individuals who dream of becoming our test subjects."

"But I'm not sure I want that."

"It's already too late. All last day we spent detoxifying your body. According to the test results, your health is excellent, there are no contraindications. So, we will perform intubation. After that, we will start the experiment."

[alicewhitesblog]

Short Story by © Alice White

Claire Steading, placed her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath, while out walking her Jack Russell Terrier, Buster.

He had suddenly caught sight of a rabbit and immediately gave chase. Claire went running after both animals and watched as they darted through a hole in a chain-link fence that surrounded the half derelict Hallowmas Hall.

Claire managed to scramble up and over the nine-foot wire fence but lagged way behind in her pursuit of her dog.

“Come back boy! Look what mummy has got?” Eventually standing up waving in the air a small dog biscuit in the shape of a bone, hoping the scent of beef essence would carry.

Standing ankle deep in last summer dead vegetation, Claire couldn’t help but stare up at the hall. The place had once belonged to the famous author and now convicted mass murderer, Alastair Croxley. Unbeknown to his publisher and worldwide fans, Croxley would lure women back to the hall and after killing them, immortalise his deeds in fiction.

Claire, shivered has a gust of wind blew around the side of the hall animating the pile of dead leaves at her feet. She was about to call out for Buster again when she heard his bark echoing from within the hall.

Fearing that Buster may be trapped, she bounding up the stone steps to the front door. Inside, the hall was damp and bleak. Drapes hung awkward still attached to their collapsed curtain poles. Claire then screamed at seeing a family of mice scurry out from a hole in the wall.

Buster resumed his barking somewhere within the hall.

Eventually she found him in a large empty room, standing at the far wall scratching at the peeling wallpaper. Seeing that he was OK, she grabbed his collar and attached his lead.

“Come away!” she commanded. But Buster was reluctant to leave. Instead, he kept snarling and growling demanding to finish the tearing of the wallpaper.

Claire wanted out of the hall, but seeing that something was agitating her dog, she decided to stay and find out. Claire tied Buster to a door handle and went back to see why he was scratching at the wall.

Bending down, Claire saw that beneath the wallpaper was what looked like the edge of another door! She tore away more of the wallpaper to reveal that there was indeed a concealed entrance. Once she had peeled back the remaining paper, she placed her hand on the door knob, turned it, and went into the secret room.

Stale air escaped from the room sounding as if exhaling its final breath. The sudden gust spooked Buster, tugging himself free he ran out of the room and out of the hall. Claire was now too intrigued to go chasing after him.

Surprisingly, the room, which she concluded must be a study, was rather tidy, albeit covered in dust. There was a full bookcase running the entire length of the wall. A standard lamp, an armchair and an oak desk. To Claire’s amazement on top of which was a ‘Royal’ typewriter.

Claire looked down on what must have been the original typewriter that Croxley used. Her mind was too occupied to notice that the study door she originally came through, was starting to close, trapping her inside.

Then quite unexpectedly, the typewriter keys sprung into life making her jump and heart thump as the keys hammering out a message. When the typing had stopped she went, with some caution, over to the typewriter. Just two words were typed on the single sheet of paper. Two words that made her fall back against the desk.

‘Hello Claire.'

[mio-nika]

I promised @turquoisewaves07 podcast recommendations

So let's get going. I will not obviously include every podcast I ever listened, only the ones that I really like and sometimes relisten.

1. Knifepoint horror.

Possibly my favourite podcast ever. It's the series of stories written and narrated by a guy called Soren Narnia. They are not usually connected and would sound similar to oneshots of MAG (almost every story starts as "my name is..." just like the "statement of..."). They usually very weird in nature, and it's really hard to explain why I like them so much. I usually recommend starting from "school".

2. Limetown.

Oh, the classic story about "every living person disappeared from this small unassuming town in the middle of the night".

It's like. One of the most famous ones in my list? They even had show adaption?? I never saw it, even tho every time I listen to it I think " fuck, it was really made with visuals in mind". Especially the last scenes.

3. The White Vault.

If it still snowing where you are it's a great one. Small expedition goes to a remote arctic station to fix things. Bad things happen. Interesting that almost the entire crew (both characters and actors) are bilingual and it plays big part in the story. Well, except one character. The Canadian-russian guy played by Peter Lewis. But I like him so I'm not even THAT mad.

4. Mabel.

Hi, so do you like LESBIANS? Mabel is really hard to recommend, because it made almost like a theatrical play where characters are talking in verses. It's a story about fae, lesbians, haunted buildings and women emancipation? It's extremely good. You will want to write lines over all of your walls, on your hands, on your heart.

5. The Big Loop.

It's the second podcast in the list, that is basically one guy writing not connected stories. He's name is Paul Bae and he more famous as one of the authors of "The Black Tapes". He left after the first season and he's probably the ONLY reason why first season is good. I highly recommend starting from "The Surrogate" if you like horror and "F.M.L." if you into hopefull dark comedy.

6. Alice isn't Dead

Do you remember how good were early podcasts writtend by a WTNV staff? I think we starting to forget. It's another "do you like lesbians" story, but its actually so much more. I cried real fuckin tears in a bus after the last episode, not from sadness, but from overwhelming hope for humans.

7. Death by Dying.

I've already recommended it in another post. But if you liked WTNV you need to listen to Death by Dying. It's a series of obituaries from a small weird town written by a guy who are very very VERY weird. He talks to a Angel of Death, he adopts cannibalistic cats and writes his abituaties more like personal stories of stupidity.

8. Small Town Horror.

This one usually gets overlooked, probably because of the very generic name, but for me it's really a hidden gem. Traumatized guy are trying to put together things that happened to him in his childhood and why he's so fucked up. If you really want to read story written by an unreliable narrator, this one is for you.

9. Within the Wires.

I already sang my praises about how good was the early podcasts written by a WTNV, but I will repeat it here. THEY WERE REALLY GOOD. It has a very different styles of storytelling from season to season. The first one is told through a series of mindfullness recordings. The second one is an art lections. Every season happens in the same universe and expands the over-arching story.

10. Spines.

I was thinking that to put as a last one and mostly torn beetween Spines and Girl in Space, but I'm a horror visual girl, so I choose Spines. Our heroine wakes up with no memory in the bath full of blood with a cultist-looking people and a probably other cult victims around her. Slowly she learns that she really is and in that horrying reality she was born.