#anyway yeah she's got a lot of dog characteristics but that's not one of 'em anon lmao

[monty-glasses-roxy]

I am SO SORRY, but every time you talk about animalisms or dogisms my brain goes right to Roxy having to be on a leash any time they go out so she doesn’t poop in a neighbor’s grass.

SHE'S NOT THAT BAD LMAO

[microcos-pod]

Micro-Cosmos S1E7 Transcript: Miraculously Misplaced

(“Hello world. This is Chronicling Log One, of Doctor Felix Augustine Couvillion.” CONTENT WARNINGS: yelling, peril, brief claustrophobia, mentions of unreality, paranoia, and the fear of going insane.  Transcript begins below break.)

[THEME MUSIC PLAYS]

ANNOUNCER Futuristic Trail Mix Productions presents Micro-Cosmos: A Science Fiction Podcast.

[THEME MUSIC FADES OUT]

*** [sfx: external storm ambiance echoing through the cave, button press]

FELIX Um... hello world. This...This is Chronicling Log One, of Doctor Felix Augustine Couvillion. I am the science officer on duty with Omnitarian Establishment Crew, erm... zero three... no, we're um...

Zero-one-three-seven-F. Yes. It says so right here.

You'll have to forgive me. Ordinarily, when I make these recordings, they're for my own notes, or for my scientific peers. I am not used to simply... documenting the goings-on, especially... my goings-on... when confined to a cave.

According to Athena, this is for a chronicling protocol called a Code Drag. It refers to, if memory serves, a distress situation without a contingency that, at present, makes mission objectives impossible to complete. That is to say, we have been "dragged" off course. There is no contingency plan for a cinderburst. Cal says they're too rare to even warrant such a thing, nor is there enough research to determine how one could occur here. If these storms supposed to be characteristic of desert terrain, however, I would say Ophiuchus is hardly a suitable candidate. Not that I can research such a claim when I have no signal to reach any external databases that could be of help. No, that would be too easy.

Instead of that, what I do is I sit inside of a cave, talking to myself, and try to avoid going... slightly mad. If I wasn't there already, of course. I wonder how Athena manages it.

For the sake of my friend, however, I am sucking it up and beginning with these entries. I've been procrastinating for long enough, so, I will see to it that I make this log faithful to its purpose, and as honest as I can manage. I'll start with a caution, though. This cave is dull, even considering what you would expect from a cave, namely: not much. For that reason, I'm afraid I cannot guarantee you anything riveting, my dear listener. Consider yourself to be warned.

So, I hear you ask me: What have I, Doctor Felix Couvillion, been up to, now that myself and my friends have spent about... oh, a day and a half inside a damp, cavernous lair of darkness? You ask me, 'Felix, what are the Tales from the Tunnels? The Stories from the Stones? The Accounts of'... a, a, um... a cave. The cave, which I'm sure I will have memorised every vein of by the time daylight decides to reappear.

In short, I've been working. Making note of the vegetation in here, and how it might help us. I've found a new variant of fruit-bearing vine, actually. Edible. Similar to a terran gooseberry. It will make for a decent snack, once my trail mix finally runs out. A sad day, that will be. Somehow I don't find this discovery as exciting as I should. The Commander, she tries hard to keep our morale afloat, but... you know. It hasn't been long, and somehow, I already feel as though we are... contained. Stuck in some version of a time capsule, and... preserved until the next moment we are meant for is to resume.

[Felix sighs.]

FELIX (CONT'D) There's no wildlife in here, as of yet. No water either. That makes sense, on paper. The fact of the matter is that carbon-based animal life needs water. Including us. In a worst case scenario, our current water supply wouldn't last us. So, I either solve this problem, or we all slowly die of dehydration, sucking the juice out of vine berries as a last ditch attempt to survive. Yeesh. Not a pretty picture, hm?

Which is why I will make my third trek to scout a potable water source this afternoon. If I'm able to find room in my busy schedule Oh! In between my rounds, though, I have found something to pass the time-He stops again. This is... what a chronicling log is for, yes? Cataloguing however our time is spent inside an unavoidable disaster?

Sure it is. Anyways. I have... wait for it... I have rediscovered my love for card tricks! And I can still manage to do them, too. It's like it never left me, in a way. Like riding a bike for the mind. Or, as Morgan once put it, riding a bike for nerds. Here, I'll show you. ...You can’t see me. Dammit. Well, let's try it like this, then. Were you here, dear listener, you would shuffle the deck. You would pick a card, only in your mind. And then, you'd give the deck back to me, and after a series of convoluted detours through what seems like a magical process, the card would end up in your pocket, a place it certainly shouldn't be. Ta da! Okay, okay, a magician shouldn't reveal his tricks, I know. But I can't contain myself, so I'll give you a tidbit. I forced a card on you, at the start. You thought it was your choice. It wasn't. It was, likely, the Ace of Dishes. Good card. I'm fond of it. It's an interesting thing, that trick. According to the logical part of your brain, the card should be in the deck, with the rest of its friends. It’s family, if you will. Your eyes told you it should be there, and so of course, you're expecting it to be there. Or were you? That card, from the second you or I chose it, when you saw it, and we convinced each other that it was special, or different, the, hm... well, the zeitgeist of the situation told you that by the end of the trick... that card wasn't going to be in it's rightful place. It wasn't going to be like all the others. It was going to be... miraculously misplaced. In reality, the misdirection relies on both expectations. It needs the voice of reason, and the voice of the little child inside your brain that really really really wants magic to be real, just so it can stir a whit of joy. In my experience, though, most things in life that are misplaced from where they belong, it's... not a good situation. Take our example. One looks down at the flowers for a moment, giving the storm just enough time to sneak up and tap him on the shoulder, and... Abracadabra. Misdirected... misplaced from mission objectives. This kind of thing... does not bring much joy, does it? That's my insight, anyways. And that's about as much as I can fill a Chronicling Log with, for now. I'm going to check up with the others. Um, Doctor Felix Augustine Couvillion, ending Log One.

[sfx: button click]

***

ATHENA ... That's a dog?

MILES Yeah. It's supposed to be! Like... bark?

ALEX Sorry, I... honestly thought it was supposed to be a sock puppet.

MILES Sock puppets don't have ears!

ATHENA ...An ear?

ALEX That's an ear?

ATHENA I mean I figured it was an animal of some kind, but-

MILES I never claimed to be good at shadow puppets, okay?

C41 Clearly.

MILES Cal, you don't have tangible hands, you don't get an opinion.

C41 At least I know that dogs aren't that long.

[sfx: approaching footsteps]

ALEX Yeah, actually, kinda... looks like that little cat thing that bit Felix.

FELIX It was a spray, not a bite. That makes it sound a lot more gross, actually.

[Alex claps her hands.]

ALEX Nice to see the party's finally here!

FELIX Hm? "Party"? That's new.

ALEX Did you bring the deck of cards?

FELIX Of course.

ALEX Then you're the party.

[Felix laughs.]

ALEX (CONT'D) Where've you been?

FELIX Recording my first chronicling log. I figured an update on my perspective was in order.

ATHENA Oh, good, thank you. How'd it go?

FELIX Um... well, I think. A bit meandering, maybe. Not anything special.

ATHENA Honestly, however they end up going is fine. It's just a matter of getting an account from everyone of how they're doing and what's going on. That's all I really have to do, most of the time. You'd be surprised how useful a ramble is when you have it on file. What did you meander about?

FELIX Oh just... you know. Something that I've been brushing up on. Here, I'll show you, actually.

MILES Sure, just share your talents with the class I guess.

C41 This should be interesting.

[sfx: unboxing and shuffling playing cards]

MILES What is this?

FELIX It's a card trick.

MILES A card trick...

FELIX Correct. Can I have a volunteer?

[Athena, Alex and C41 respond positively.]

FELIX (CONT'D) Miles, thank you, so kind of you to volunteer.

MILES My hand was not up.

FELIX Here, shuffle these.

MILES Ugh. Fine.

[sfx: cards shuffling]

FELIX No, don't give them to me! That's against the rules.

MILES Oookay. I'll keep em.

FELIX You're thinking of a particular one, I can tell.

MILES Uh... sure. Six of stars?

FELIX No, no, that's not it. Come on, this one only works if we convince each other that it's going to work. It was a low card, something... special.

MILES Low, and... special? Like an Ace?

FELIX It was an Ace?

MILES Yeah. Yeah, an Ace.

FELIX But not the Ace of Stars? We've got Planets, Comets, Dishes and Stars, but... How about you pick two of those, Officer Abbott?

MILES Dishes and Stars.

FELIX We'll keep the Dishes and the Stars then, and get rid of the other two. But it wasn't Stars, so the Ace of Dishes, then?

MILES Yeah.

FELIX The Ace of Dishes was the first card that came to mind, you're sure?

MILES Yeah.

FELIX Perfect. Athena, could you pick a number for me? It could be anywhere between, er... one to ten.

ATHENA Seven.

FELIX Seven. Very well. Miles, can I have the deck back?

MILES Oh, that's allowed now?

FELIX Of course, don't be silly. Now, I'm going to pull seven cards off the top of this deck that Miles shuffled and, well... we'll see what happens.

[sfx: cards being drawn from the deck]

FELIX (CONT'D) One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

Oh... dear, that's not it.

MILES Jack of Comets. Figured it wouldn't-

FELIX Indeed. Wait, Miles, what's that?

MILES What's what?

FELIX In your shirt pocket.

[sfx: an emphatic rustling and card flip.

FELIX This?

MILES The... Ace... of Dishes. Wait.

[Athena applauds.]

[Alex laughs.]

ALEX Hey now, how the hell did you do that?

FELIX Ah, ah. Magicians. Secrets. You know the rules.

ALEX I bet Cal knows.

C41 I have... an idea or two, but I'm not exactly sure, really. Nice job.

FELIX Thank you.

MILES I don't know how you did that. I am going to find out how you did that.

[sfx: lots of movement]

[Indistuguishable frenzied comments from the crew.]

***

[sfx: echoing footsteps, very distant external storm ambiance.]

[sfx: button click.]

FELIX Doctor Felix Augustine Couvillion. Recording Chronicling Log... Two, I suppose. Though it hasn't been long.

I had to escape from Miles's endless, somewhat terrifying questions. I fear those will be a common occurrence from this point on.

Anywho. I am currently... well, I don't know exactly where I am. My analog compass says I am southeast of our campsite, which is just outside the entrance to the tunnel system. But, I'm not so sure. You would think this little gadget would be unaffected by the storm, but the cinderbust seems to be acting on all of our other equipment as if it were somehow a geomagnetic storm. This, of course, may mean it is confusing the compass needle as well. 

So I'm not sure I can trust in that bearing. What I do know is, I took a left. So at least I have that to go on.

I did promise the Commander that I wouldn't stray too far from the camp when I'm alone. But I'm not alone. I'm on the hunt for a source of water, and I'm taking you, whoever will listen to this, with me for the journey. So technically, I'm keeping my promise, while getting results. Hopefully. Hopefully getting results. It isn't like I have any real reason to be concerned about my safety. Like I had mentioned, there have been no encounters with wildlife as of yet. Then again, I've been wrong before. It would be just my luck to end up being wrong again. But, I survived Mercutio, ergo, I could likely survive anything. The little devil.

[sfx: flashlight clicks on]

FELIX (CONT'D) Let there be light.

Ah. It appears we've reached a choice to make. Hm. Left... or... right. I'd rather not go in a circle. Right it is.

Left, then right. Left, then right. Left then... right. Okay.

So, anyways. I hadn't had any previous luck taking a right initially, where I first chose to go left. My left. Not... upon return- never mind. I know what I mean. I hadn't gone too far that way, in any case. 

Only today did I figure out the loophole in my promise, and... in terms of balancing my very busy schedule, I figure that it's best not to spend all my time fretting over dehydration. Going prematurely mad is not in my plans.

There are some interesting mineral formations on the ceiling. It may be worth taking a sample to submit on my way back. They're a sort of bluish-white, and they seem to form in hexagonal clusters, about three to four centimetres in length. Quite pretty. Pretty enough to understand the appeal of geology, if only for a moment. No offence to geologists, of course.

No luminescence is visible from the formations. My torch is the only current source of light. I suppose luminescence would have been too much to hope for. It is... rather dark, this way. Miles wouldn't like it. I don't think Miles likes many things, come to think of it. There's a grumpy individual if you ever did see one. But, a decent traveling companion when the mood strikes them-

[sfx: walking stops]

FELIX (CONT'D) Dead end. Hm. I'll make a mental note.

[sfx: footsteps resume]

FELIX (CONT'D) That's annoying. Back the way we came, then.

It might have done me good to bring Cal along. Most of their functions may be, er, rusty, at present, but they still have the sensors for these sort of things. Or perhaps I should have brought the Commander. Navigations, and all. Eh. I'm still not too far. And I have you, don't I, my trusty comms friend?

Even if you're not one for conversation. The brooding type. Strong and silent. I can work with that. And I can be fairly sure that I'm-

[sfx: footsteps stop suddenly]

FELIX (CONT'D) What?

[A long silence.]

[Felix swallows and chuckles nervously.]

FELIX (CONT'D) Well. I... must not have been paying attention as well as I'd thought.

I've just... I've just come up against another dead end. Where I thought... no, where the entrance to this passage should be. Where... where it just... was.

It can't have just... filled behind me. I would have heard the crash.

Right?

Same tunnel. Same... crystals. Perhaps a bit more on the indigo side that I had originally noticed. No more, or, um, less lacking luminescence.

Alright, er... Perhaps I took a turn and passed it. I'll retrace... my steps. What you're looking for is always in the last place you check, right?

[sfx: footsteps]

[Felix breathes shakily.]

[sfx: sound of distant running water fades in]

FELIX (CONT'D) Do you... do you hear that? That sounds like...

[sfx: the water sound recedes, replaced by storm ambiance]

FELIX (CONT'D) Sounds like... wishful thinking.

No, I could've sworn. I could have sworn. I'm not mad. I'm not.

FELIX (CONT'D) Don't you look at me like that. You're a bundle of wires and metal. You're not capable of going mad, only getting broken.

I... I wonder which is worse.

[sfx: a draft blowing in from the right side]

FELIX (CONT'D) Well. I... hadn't noticed that before. There's an offshoot path here, in between... I suppose in between dead ends. It must... it would have to lead deeper into the cave. I can't... This doesn't make any sense.

[Felix struggles to look inside the narrow path.]

FELIX (CONT'D) I can't make out anything inside. Very dark, but... But there's a draft. Meaning... it must lead outside. No daylight, however.

Well, of course there's no daylight, Felix. Remember why you're here in the first place.

[sfx: the draft stops unnaturally abruptly]

FELIX (CONT'D) Well, that doesn't make any sense, now does it?

The wind from the passage seems to have... turned off. Just... just like that.

I should just go back the way I came. Yes. That's what I should do.

[sfx: the sound of running water resumes]

FELIX (CONT'D) Wait... is... am I hearing that right...?

Not right now, thank you. I could do without the difficult decision.

Fine. Fine! Fine then, I'll just...

[He struggles further to get inside the path, with a few laboured mutterings.]

[Felix pants.]

[sfx: water droplets hitting the ground.]

FELIX (CONT'D) Yahtzee.

[sfx; unscrewing a thermos, letting water drip inside]

FELIX (CONT'D) I'll have to ensure this is potable, first. Or if I can make it potable. I'm sure it will be fine... Either way this is a good sign for our continued survival.

[sfx: extremely loud shifting of rock]

FELIX (CONT'D) What in the... What was that?

I've got enough of this to test but... The only problem is, I don't know that I could find it again. I... almost certainly don't know where I am.

[sfx: another creaking shift of rock]

[Felix gasps and exclaims.]

FELIX (CONT'D) What... I'm sorry, I just... felt a shift there, it startled me.

There's obviously an explanation for this but... I don't think I'm in any state to continue this trip. I need... I need to get back to camp.

[sfx: footsteps resume]

FELIX (CONT'D) Next time, if I ever come back this way, I'm bringing someone with me.

[sfx: running water fades out]

FELIX (CONT'D) Wait, uh... where... but I had just looked through...

I can't see that passage anymore. Where I got the water. Can you?

Of course you can't. I'm talking to myself. I bet no one will ever even listen to these. It isn't as if you care. You let this happen in the first place, sent us somewhere new without contingencies, and I'll bet you still don't feel responsible.

It's there. You can't see it from this angle, but it's there, you just can't see it in the dark.

[sfx: extremely loud stone creaking and moving]

FELIX (CONT'D) I need to go. I need to... I need to leave.

[sfx: running footsteps]

[Felix pants.]

[sfx: footsteps slow and stop]

FELIX (CONT'D) Left or... right? I swear, this doesn't... what was that goddamn sound?!

No. No, you shouldn't hear this. Am I transmitting, or... is this a recording-

[sfx: comms click]

***

[sfx: comms click]

ATHENA -were just looking for you.

FELIX I know, I know, I lost track of time-

ATHENA Alex was worried sick, we thought we heard you yell-

FELIX Well, that's very kind of her, but I-

ATHENA Felix... are you okay? Did something-

FELIX I'm fine.

ATHENA Okay.

Next time, maybe, take one of us with you. Or at least tell us when you'll be back.

FELIX Sure, sure. In any case, it was a success.

[sfx: unscrewing a thermos]

FELIX (CONT'D) Water. Fresh. Hopefully potable.

ATHENA That's great! That's a relief. Okay. Where did you find it?

FELIX Oh. Heh. Funny you should ask, actually.

ATHENA Oh?

FELIX Yes, I... see I was fine, but along the way I got a little... lost, it wasn't anything to be concerned about, but... I may have a little trouble finding it again.

ATHENA Oh.

FELIX Ah, but, don't worry.

I kept the recorder running.

ATHENA Uh... well, that's good. It definitely makes my job a lot easier.

FELIX Well, yes, and I... wasn't alone.

ATHENA Right.

FELIX And! And, perhaps if I give this a listen, it would help me figure where I got turned around. Nothing a second journey won't fix.

ATHENA Not alone this time.

FELIX Not alone the first time because I personified my comms but... yes I see your point.

ATHENA Well, let's give it a listen, then.

FELIX Okay. Okay, okay, okay.

[sfx: button pressing]

FELIX (CONT'D) It should be my most recent... input, let's see here. Ah. There.

[sfx: button press]

RECORDING FELIX Doctor Felix Augustine Couvillion. Recording Chronicling Log... Two, I suppose. Though it hasn't been long.

[sfx: a sudden click, lasting static]

ATHENA Um, Felix?

FELIX ...Yes?

ATHENA Was that the end of the recording?

FELIX No. Definitely not.

ATHENA Then why... did you stop talking?

FELIX I didn't stop talking, I kept it running the whole time, I only turned it off just before I saw you!

ATHENA Something must have happened, then. Can I see it?

FELIX Sure, sure.

ATHENA It doesn't look like a corrupted file, in fact, everything seems to be working fine. Out here, at least.

Maybe the storm messed with your comms too, somehow. Or maybe... maybe there's some good conductors in the stone too, deeper in the cave, that could have thrown off your signal, or...

FELIX Or it could have been my own fault.

ATHENA It happens to the best of us, Felix.

FELIX Well, finding that source again just got infinitely harder, didn't it?

ATHENA Maybe? I don't know. Either way, we have time before that search becomes urgent, and, at least we know it exists. Hopefully we never really have to worry about it at all.

FELIX That doesn't make it any less frustrating, though, does it?

ATHENA Well, technology is wonderful, when it works. I appreciate the fact that you were recording anything for me at all, I know that code protocol can be a pain.

FELIX Well, strange as it sounds, I'm glad these protocols exist. It makes it seem like an effort is being made to keep things sorted, I suppose.

ATHENA Keeping our ducks in a row?

FELIX Precisely.

ATHENA Well, I can only hope. I've never had to run a crew-wide chronicling operation before outside of a drill. I was hoping I would never have to.

FELIX One narrator of this comedy of errors should have been enough?

ATHENA Precisely.

Anyways, do you want to head back to camp now? Everyone will want to know you're alright.

FELIX They were really worried?

ATHENA Of course they were. Alex wants her ducks in a row, too. An odd one out wouldn't be good for us.

FELIX Like an Ace of Dishes.

ATHENA Only, we were pretty sure you weren't in Miles's pocket.

[Both laugh.]

ATHENA (CONT'D) Here.

[sfx: footsteps]

ATHENA (CONT'D) This way.

***

FELIX Chronicling Log of Doctor Felix Augustine Couvillion, third part.

It's past evening now, into the night. I think the others have gone to bed. Yet, it appears that I can't sleep. Something about today unnerved me. There is no explanation for my confusion, except my own anxieties, my paranoia, what have you. I know that.

I know that in the same way I know that the walls of a cave don't move around you. Not unless you are very patient, dead, or mad.

In my case, the jury is still out on the latter.

A planet isn't conscious, it isn't sentient, it shouldn't know who I am.

And yet, there's nothing left of that recording to even tell you what I mean. All that's left is how I remember it, and that perturbs me.

Here's the thing: I can tell myself that I lost my way in a dead end simply because I am afraid of what happens when I turn my back. But if I deem that fear a sound rationalization... then I may have something to evaluate. A time of soul-searching, hopefully. In the company of a snack.

ALEX Yikes. Deep. Make sure you have your coffee first.

FELIX Commander! Where did- I'm sorry, I thought you were asleep with the others, did I wake you-

[Alex laughs quietly.]

ALEX Shh, shhh! Athena and Miles are still asleep, I was just... I was... never mind.

[sfx: Alex sits down.]

ALEX (CONT'D) You recording?

FELIX Er, yes. As redundant as it may seem. 

ALEX Redundant?

FELIX Yes. Just between you and me, boss? I doubt anyone will ever listen to these.

ALEX You really think so?

FELIX The good folks back at headquarters tend to overindulge on bureaucracy. Efficiency is prioritised to the detriment of efficiency.

Perhaps the duty will be passed on to an Artificial Intelligence like our friend. I suppose that works just as well.

ALEX There's the silver lining I was waiting for.

FELIX Oh, don't rely on me for that.

ALEX Why not? It's worked so far.

Case and point: that card trick was probably the silver lining of my day. And I still have no idea how you did it.

FELIX Really?

ALEX Really. No clue. Unless Miles was in on it, but I seriously doubt that.

FELIX I can show you.

ALEX Yeah?

[sfx: rustling through a bag, cards rustling, flipping and shuffling]

FELIX Certainly.

Now, the first thing is, Miles didn't pick the Ace of Dishes. I did. And then I convinced them that they did. And convincing Miles Abbott of something is probably the hardest part of any trick, so if you can manage that... this next part is quite easy.

ALEX The next part is the actual trick, you mean.

FELIX The convincing is the trick. If you can't even convince yourself that you can do it, make a card do something miraculous, how are you going to convince the people watching?

ALEX Good point. Teach me.

FELIX Very well. So it looks like this, when we actually do it. Pulling it out of a pocket.

[sfx: card flick]

FELIX (CONT’D) But really, we're just folding the card behind quickly as you flick it off the bottom of the pack, like that, and then... you cup it into your palm when you reach out. It never leaves your hand.

[sfx: the same card flick, but slower]

[sfx: a card sliding]

ALEX Oh. Ohhhhh, okay! Gimme one.

[Felix laughs.]

[sfx: passing Alex a card.]

FELIX Give it a try.

ALEX Okay... so... take it from the bottom of the... deck, and then-

[sfx: a similar card flick, a similar card slide]

ALEX (CONT’D) Like that?

FELIX Yes. Exactly.

ALEX Alright. Alright, okay. So... from here...

[sfx: a quick card flick, a quick card slide]

ALEX Like that?

FELIX Ha! You picked that up quickly, sir.

[sfx: repeated flick and slide of the card performed by Alex]

ALEX I can do more than play Go Fish, Couvillion.

FELIX That's for certain. It's double trouble for the rest of the crew, in any case. Two magicians are better than one, you know.

[sfx: card sounds stop]

ALEX Oh, man. Miles is going to hate this.

***

ANNOUNCER Micro-Cosmos: A Science Fiction Podcast.

This episode, Miraculously Misplaced, was written by Lauren Tucker, edited by Luka Miller, and directed by Jesse Smith and Lauren Tucker. It starred Jesse Smith as the voice of Athena Romero, Jackson Rossman as the voice of Miles Abbott, Luka Miller as the voice of Alex de la Cruz, Kaleb Piper as the voice of Felix Couvillion, and Pippa van Beek-Paterson as the voice of Cal. Original music by Julia Barnes, and sound editing by Tobias Friedman. Be sure to stay tuned to our feed for upcoming episodes from the new backpacking intergalactic adventure from Futuristic Trail Mix Productions. Enjoying the show, and want to give us a boost? You can support us by rating and reviewing us on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts, or telling a friend about us. To follow the show and find transcripts, you can find us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram as @MicroCosPod. Questions, comments, and concerns can be emailed to us via futuretrailmixpros@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. ***

[gcldveins]

OK HERE IS .. headass number two, francine howards !! i rlly do love her doe <3 definitely above sully but maybe that’s partially because it’s crystal reed.. ALSO disclaimer before we get started .. these next two intros will not be as neat and extensive as sully’s because 1) they’re newer muses and also 2) i had sully’s bio ready from a roleplay a looong time ago so just a warning !! anyways, let’s get crackin’ !!!

overview

✎⌠crystal reed. cisfemale. she/her⌡❝ — well, look who’s just arrived ! if it isn’t the one and only francine howards. though, around here they’re known as the spitfire. don’t tell ‘em i said this but the thirty-five year old medical examiner kinda has a reputation of being critical and domineering. but y’know, they can be loyal and passionate too. typical leo. anyways, welcome home and stay safe frankie ! ❞ 

statistics

full name: francine marie howards

nickname(s): frankie, if you call her anything else prepare to get merked

date of birth: august 15th, 1985

hometown: mystic hollow, connecticut.

gender identity: cis gender

preferred pronouns: she/her

sexual orientation: pansexual

hogwarts house: slytherin

aesthetic: label makers, button-up shirts, the smell of freshly printed paper, blazers worn with jeans, fine jewellery, three cups of coffee before noon, colour-coded files, messy hair, black loafers, worn out books

distinguishable characteristics: almost always looks pissed dfnijsn

pinterest board: here

their song from the sigh no more album bc i love this album and it makes me Sad™: thistle and weeds

background: cancer tw

— born and raised in misty hollow, frankie grew up helping raise her two younger brothers while their mom worked long hours as a nurse at the local hospital. their dad had left them a few months after the birth of their youngest child, frankie was only seven years old but she remembers the day clearly.

— so because of this, frankie had to grow up a lot faster than she needed to, taking on household and familial responsibilities that most children shouldn’t need to. which is why she became known as a sort of stickler throughout her childhood.

— she became your typical over-achiever in high school, always wanting to make her mother proud as well as, deep down, wanting to make her dad regret ever leaving them — even though he was no longer in their lives. as a kid frankie would dream about the day he came back, begging for them to take him back. kinda .. fucked up, i know.

— anyways, frankie never took her eye off the prize. competitive and conscientious, she graduated high school as the class president, valedictorian, as well as the captain of their rugby team. she had left zero time for friends, whatever free time she had left was put towards volunteering at the hospital where her mom worked at.

— she got accepted into harvard for a bachelor’s in honours biology, she went into this program thinking she wanted to become a surgeon but changed her mind half-way through. frankie just didn’t enjoy the idea of working with .. live people all day. but she still really enjoyed the subject of biology and so she decided that becoming a medical examiner might be a better fit.

— so after her bachelor’s degree she went the whole nine yards, she stayed at harvard for their medical school and then went to john hopkins for he residency. after she earned her fellowship, she moved to new york for a job opening and has stayed there up until recently ( maybe a few months to a year ago )

— frankie’s mom was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer so she came back to take care of her. while frankie’s not ecstatic about it — she was the type in high school to have that mindset of “ i’m gonna get the hell out of here and never come back ” — she would do anything for her family. 

— on the bright side ! misty hollow’s own medical examiner just retired, so she’s still able to do what she loves, kind of. not as exciting as the stuff she sees in new york, but it’s better than nothing.

personality

— she is... a little bit on the freaky side, not gonna lie. she’s really passionate about her job and loves her work, a total workaholic, but seeing as her work involves hanging around dead bodies all day, that can come across a bit weird to some people.

— it doesn’t help that she’s also really into gory, horror films and sits there at the worst parts with a fascinated grin. and if you try to open up to her she’ll probably hit you with a Fun Science Fact.

— has a zero tolerance for bullshit, very frank ( ha.. h a... ) and tells things how it is. if you need an honest opinion, frankie’s definitely got your back. maybe a little too well.

— a little aggressive and rough around the edges. she grew up around brothers so she always had to fight for her spot at the dinner table. but frankie is also used to bossing them around too so .. that side of her shows up pretty often.

— kind of a control freak, always thinks she’s right.. and unfortunately she usually is so that just kind of reinforces that behaviour.. but yeah, she’s very opinionated and isn’t afraid to speak up for what she believes in

— anddd frankie’s still kind of a new muse, so this is all i really have so far rip

wanted connections

someday.. i will submit this to the main but ! atm, if anyone’s interested, frankie does have two younger brothers !!

enemies pls .. just someone she totally clashes with and whenever these two are in a room together, it’s like cats and dogs. 

people that she works with possibly ? either in the medical or law enforcement field !

close friends ! once you’ve wiggled your way past frankie’s walls, she’s a very loyal and protective friend. will definitely mother you — asking you if you’ve eaten yet, drank water, etc. 

messy exes !! like a high school sweetheart or whatever else. frankie’s not good with this sort of stuff so she could’ve been the one at fault.

a close friend that’s the complete opposite of her ! someone that’s just a lot softer and friendlier and overall nicer gknskdn and these two just click somehow. honestly like grace and frankie but in this scenario she’s grace ksdfsk

drinking buddies ! this could even be the type of friend that tries to get frankie out of her comfort zone to do more fun things, since she’s really more of a homebody.

casual relationships ! hateships ! these are always so fun as well. frankie is the type of woman that knows what she wants and goes after it. she knows she doesn’t do well in relationships so she would probably .. have a few of these

people from her past that are also from misty hollow ! we can discuss the details of this thru plotting <3

i’m honestly down for anything, so if you have any ideas feel free to send them my way. but again, if we can’t figure out a plot between the two of them, we can just do throw them at each other in a random thread and see what happens !!

[doodle-scrapyard]

i am knocking on your window PLEASE do tell us more abt the demon au it looks so epic,,

watch out bro u hav unlocked: a lot of talking (stolen directly from me rambling to andy in dms w/some additions & edits)

Basic concept behind it is that demons will form pacts w/people to get stuff/favors/stronger/just for fun/really depends on who you're asking 

There's 3 main distinctions of demon with a bunch of subclasses that are self explanatory once u hear em so I won't really elaborate on individual powers w/exceptions. ANYWAYS 3 main distinctions are elementals(your lights, your fires, your waters, your winds etc), animalistics(birds, dogs, cats, sheep, etc) and our lovely exception, the Unmentionable(who's only got 2 subtypes: void, who are unstable and usually violent, and undead, who are bad to be around bc they're breaking nature more than everyone else). Generally labelled as unmentionables bc you're Not Supposed To Make Pacts With Them, reason being that they usually have dangerous tradeoffs no matter what you're looking for. 

That's not to say that animalistics and elementals are exempt from asking for some serious stuffs in their pacts, it's just that unmentionables have a high kill rate on whatever human they make deals with. 

Then??? The benefits??? You get to borrow powers from your pacted demon (and take on some of their characteristics temporarily) nd go wild. I'll figure out the logistics of this later just know it's a thing mostly fr me going hoghgoghgohgo design....

OKAY NOW FOR HERMITS. I haven't written about everyone but so far so far, stress is an ice elemental who partially wanted a bestie and partially wanted to get stronger so she traded iskall an literal eye-for-an-eye so they could travel together and do sparring w/hermits. They're like the model elemental example djvdksbdkdg 

Mumbo is a birdie animalistic boyo. Grian won't say why he pacted w/mumbo but says mumbo is a big fat liar bc mumbo always says it's bc grian needed a smart person around. Grian doesn't call up mumbo often to use his abilities but when he does it's for flying. We love these idiots. 

REN. Ren. First problem child. He found Doc one day on the verge of turning into stardust and made an impulse decision pact. Here's the catch: Doc is an unmentionable. Specifically a voidy* boy. Doc wasn't always an unmentionable, he was caught up in a whole mess and (of course it's nho backstory) lost the rest of his friends. Doc asked ren to help him find the nho again, and ren gets to have cursed forbidden powers. Hooray for severely unfair trade offs! *void unmentionables are extremely unstable and prone just, falling apart completely. v powerful but basically held together by duct tape & staples without an anchor point (like how doc has ren)

Joe is also a problem child. He likes collecting things and undead unmentionables tend to bind themselves to objects and spring a pact on whoever picks them up. So of course Joe finds cleo in a shipwreck and she's like "pact motherfucker" expecting him to be japed into doing crazy shit and he's like "only if you help me with writing" and so now Joe just casually has access to one of the most dangerous form of demon magic and uses it to make narrative poems.

now onto new stuffs I didn't ramble about to andy!

zedaph is fully aware that youre not supposed to pact w/2 demons at once bc uh, the toll it takes on ur body in relation to energy output+having to deal with 2 promises hanging over you is Kind Of A Thing. zedaph said “okay but now I have TWO friends” and he only regularly passes out. impulse is an elemental electic boyo & tango is a fire elemental. impulse has cool dragon wings and zedaph borrows that OFTEN for funsies. zedaph is barred from formal sparring because he double dipped on pacts and is frankly kind of op

 wels… welsy also double dipped on pacts . its rly funny tho? for him its actually hilarious. he wants to become this really epic fighter who has a bunch of power & clout but hes more like a glass cannon who immediately just drops the moment a fight is over. it also doesn't help that jevin(who is a lovely water elemental) is viciously apathetic abt fighting. like yeah sure dude I will lend u my power but ur not gonna be able to do anything cool about it. biffa on the other hand wels almost never wants to ask for bc 1 biffa b koala animalistic & is asleep 90% of the time and 2 he goes ham cazy cazy and tends to destroy everyone in a 5 meter radius even if they were an ally. of course this isn't biffas default but how would YOU feel if you were sleeping and someone was loudly shouting for you to start being violent . I would make wels go sicko mode as a revenge. that's what you get for not letting me nap motherfucker

xisuma. xisuma never pacted with any demon according to everyone, but false kinda knew a bit more? xisuma was obsessed with trying to CREATE a demon. of course, what ended up happening was him doing a lot of dangerous deals with unmentionables, before disappearing completely. falsie kinda watched him spiral into nothing but a demon himself. who knows where he is now

anyways false is pacted w/python and theyre an exploring duo & false always comes back to home base w/a bunch of cool shit to trade with the others

uhhhhhh (does a lil dance) yeah yhats what I got

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Future | Chapter 7

It was an unusually warm day for October, just days following Rusl’s eighteenth birthday, and just hours before he left to join the king’s army. As per usual, Telma was insistent on giving him an appropriate send off, though Rusl couldn’t have been bothered with all the fuss. Still, it gave them an extra day off, and the younger kids certainly weren’t going to complain about that. They busied themselves playing in the barns and chasing the cucos around while Telma served up burgers and dogs. Rusl, on the other hand, busied himself with packing his things into the cheap car he bought himself just a few days prior.

As he packed the last of the things into the trunk, Karsen bounded up to him excitedly.

“Are you gonna kill people?” Karsen asked, wide-eyed.

Rusl closed the trunk of his car. His gaze narrowed on the boy at his side. “I… what? You’re twisted.”

“Fuck you,” he barked at him. “That’s what you do in the army. Just like in the games!” He clasped his hands together in the shape of a gun, shooting at imaginary targets. “Oh, man, you get to play with all the cool guns and shit!”

“They’re not toys,” Rusl sneered.

“You’re gonna be so badass! Kill all the bad guys, Rusl! Kill ‘em dead!”

Rusl sighed. “Sure, man. Whatever.”

“Are you gonna come back after?”

Rusl met Karsen’s gaze. “Do you want me to?”

Karsen folded his arms over his chest and looked away. “No, fuck off, dude. You’re the fucking worst. I’m glad you’re finally leaving.”

Rusl smiled. He rustled his messy hair with his hand. “You’re a fucked up kid. You’ll never land a chick with that attitude.”

“Fuck chicks,” Karsen said. “They just tie you down. Not me. No way.”

“You might change your mind.”

Karsen rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. You go get married and be a pussy. I’ll live free and easy and have all my money to myself!”

Rusl grinned and put a hand on Karsen’s head, promptly pushing him backwards as he stepped around the boy. But before he could slip into his car, he was pulled into one of Telma’s characteristic hugs. Her arms practically wrapped around his neck, pressing his head against her and nearly suffocating him.

“You better come and visit,” she said. She pushed him away to examine him and wiped a hand across her eyes. “You were always my favorite troubled little soul.”

“Goodbye, Telma,” Rusl said dryly.

“That’s all I get?” Telma dropped her arms and sneered at him. “I raised you, boy! You lived here for eight years, and that’s all you’re gonna give me?” She turned her attention to the camera she had been carrying around with her and raised it up to him. He looked at the camera with an annoyed and exasperated expression.

“Can you please stop with that thing?”

“Never,” Telma said. “I’m gonna need something to show those kids of yours someday.”

Rusl rolled his eyes and moved his hand to block the camera’s view. “Right,” he muttered.

Telma lowered the camera and frowned. “Hey,” she started. “Don’t you keep running away.  I know you’re scared, ‘unnie. But you are not just a pawn in a war that waits on our horizon. You are so much more, Rusl. And that boy - he’s gonna be the greatest thing in your life, hero or not. His future - his destiny - none of it will matter, because he will be your son, and I know you will do everything for him. But don’t think you’re doing him any favors by running from him. Don’t try to stop him from coming into your life. You need him. And he needs you. Understand? And when he comes around, you better let me meet him. You hear me?”

Rusl was hesitant. “Yeah, Telma. I will.”

She pulled him into another hug. “Go be a hero,” she said softly. “This world needs more people like you.”

Rusl let her hug him until she pulled away. He offered her a smile before moving toward his car.

Telma watched as he slipped in behind the wheel and started the engine. He waved out the window as he pulled out of the driveway. She stood alone, watching as he disappeared down the road to live his life.

*****

“I’m putting Rusl under your command,” Impa said.

Dorian’s eyes skimmed the pages she had thrust upon him until he found Rusl. His brows furrowed and he regarded Impa over the page. “This guy?” he sneered. “He’s got a fucking criminal record. Joined nine months ago. Eighteen. No, thanks.”

“Funny,” Impa started. “I don’t recall giving you a choice.”

“What am I going to do with his guy?”

“You’re going to protect him and teach him a damn thing or two so he can keep himself alive.” Impa thrust a finger at the page. “This guy is - will be - the father of the hero.”

Dorian’s eyes widened. He blinked at Impa. “You’re kidding.”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” she sneered at him, pushing herself up on her tiptoes to get into his face. After a moment of staring him down, she backed down and moved back to her desk.

Dorian turned his gaze back to the page. He bit his lower lip as he reviewed the information provided to him. He just couldn’t wait to get a look at the idiot that would be responsible for raising Hyrule’s Hero.

“You’re slacking, Dorian,” Impa said. “You’ve seen him once before. Almost a year ago.”

Dorian’s eyes darted to Impa.

“You need to start seeing people better. Really seeing them. Listen to her. She won’t steer you wrong.” She sat behind her desk. “I want you to go to the Temple of Time,” she said, giving him his orders. “You’re after the Yiga Clan. It’s still unclear how big this clan is, or if they’re all made up of Sheikah, but it seems they’re set on stopping the hero and bringing Ganondorf back. We should not take them lightly. They know how to break the seal, and they are looking for the Master Sword.”

“They won’t find it,” Dorian said.

“They are capable of anything,” Impa reminded him. “We cannot give them any opportunities, here. Purah believes they are heading to the Temple of Time. I want you to take Special Ops out there and stop them before they can make any damages.”

“What about Rusl?”

“What about him?” Impa echoed, narrowing her gaze on him.

His expression turned, looking annoyed with her. “If he dies, there’s no hero.”

“I guess you can’t let him die, then,” she said frankly. “Rusl isn’t in your unit just to piss you off,” Impa sneered. “I made sure the best of the best are in that unit. They will be prepared to take on whatever the Yiga Clan throws at you.”

“I’ve got enough on my plate,” Dorian hissed. “I can’t be worrying about keeping a damn Hylian alive, too.”

“You are more than capable,” she said calmly, ignoring his outburst. “When the hero comes, you will be juggling much more. Get used to it.”

Dorian held his gaze on her for a moment. Then, without another word, he left to fulfil his orders. As he navigated the barracks, his mind wandered to when he could have possibly met this guy. He supposed he would see for himself soon enough.

Most of the men Impa put under his command had plenty enough experience to be in the Special Ops. Rusl, however, had only been around for nine months, three of those in basic training. The other six consisted of basic missions, some even bringing them out of Hyrule and into neighboring territories. In that time, Rusl had apparently proved his worth, earning him a place in Special Ops under Dorian’s command. Dorian was less than thrilled with Impa’s decision, especially if he was as important as she made him out to be. But she didn’t care about his opinions, no matter how much he argued with her.

Dorian looked over the fresh, young faces that made up the newest ranks of King Roham’s special forces. He studied each one carefully, considering Impa’s words. She was right; he needed to do better when it came to reading people. But he couldn’t seem to get anything from anyone in the crowd.

He sighed. He started to move his gaze back to his orders when something caught his attention. His eyes scanned the faces once more before finally finding a face he had indeed seen once before. It had to have been Rusl, the kid he had seen less than a year prior in a jail cell. He stared at the young man until Rusl’s gaze locked on his, his brows knit together. Rusl’s lips pulled into a slight sneer and Dorian pulled his gaze away.

Impa was right, of course. He had finally seen for himself. If the hero would come from this guy, then Hylia help them all.

He took a moment to introduce himself to them before diving into their orders, taking special care to avoid Rusl’s gaze. As soon as he finished, he dismissed them to prepare for their departure that evening. He quickly turned away from them, eager to be out of Rusl’s annoying presence. He didn’t get very far, however, before he almost quite literally bumped into Rusl. He sneered at Rusl, and Rusl narrowed his gaze on him.

“Do we have a problem?” Rusl asked.

“That depends,” Dorian said, pulling his shoulders back. “Are you going to give me a problem?”

Rusl regarded him carefully. After a moment, his eyes widened as he recognized Dorian as the young Sheikah he had seen a year prior.

“You,” Rusl hissed.

“Surprise,” Dorian said dryly. He stepped around Rusl, but Rusl followed him.

“Look,” Rusl started. “I don’t know what you think you know about me -”

But Dorian cut him off. “Don’t worry,” he sneered. “I know enough.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“What do you think you’re doing here, anyway?” Dorian sneered at Rusl. “Do you think you can redeem yourself?”

“Well, if I can’t, I can die right along with the rest of the Hylian race.”

Dorian blinked at Rusl. It seemed Rusl knew a lot more than Dorian would have guessed. He supposed, then, there was a chance he knew of his own future.

“What do you know?” Dorian asked carefully.

Rusl’s gaze narrowed on his. “What do you know?”

“I’m a Sheikah,” Dorian said frankly. “I know everything.”

“Right,” Rusl said dryly. “Of course you do.”

“Do you have a problem?” Dorian sneered.

“Yes, actually, I do. I have a problem with being used. Don’t bother try to keep secrets with me, because I know everything. I know you people think I’m going to have some prodigy child that’s destined to save the world. But I hate to break it to ya; you’re not getting your hero.”

Dorian stared at him for a moment, his gaze hard. “You don’t have a choice.”

“Oh, really? Well, what if I just go get snipped right now?”

Dorian’s gaze narrowed.

“You freaks think you’re so damn special,” Rusl hissed. “But I have news for you; you’re just as useless as the rest of us. If the Hylian race dies out, so do you. So does your precious hero, and so does Hylia. And then there will be no heroes to save your precious world. So maybe you should just fucking accept your fate, because I’m not bringing you any damn heroes.”

Dorian’s nostrils flared. He moved his arm up for a moment, then dropped it suddenly as footsteps rounded the corner. He held his gaze on Rusl, and Rusl glared angrily back at him. Their gazes didn’t break until a voice spoke behind them.

“I had to see for myself if it was true.”

Rusl turned to the Sheikah that approached him, immediately recognizing Cado.

“You look better than you looked ten years ago.”

“Good thing,” Rusl said, his eyes narrowing. “Wouldn’t want you to lose your precious hero.”

Cado frowned, but offered no argument.

“Don’t get a big head thinking you saved me,” Rusl hissed. “I’m just a pawn to you people.”

“That’s not true.”

“If I were anyone else, you wouldn’t have bothered to look for me. I would have died out there. I should have died out there.”

“You were nine years old,” Cado said. “No nine year old should have to die like that.”

“I don’t see you looking for other lost and fucked up nine year olds. Just the ones that you can use.”

“Yes. We had orders to find you, Rusl. That’s the reality of the situation. But that doesn’t change the fact that you were a boy that needed to be saved. No one would have walked by you and left you to die, even if you weren’t the one we were looking for.”

“Well, you got your way,” Rusl said. “I’m still alive. Should I just go fuck the next woman I see and get this hero business over with?”

“Fuck all the women you’d like,” Cado said in an annoyed tone. “It won’t bring us any heroes. Like you, there is a woman out there who is destined to be the mother of the hero. Only the two of you can make that happen.”

“Of course,” Rusl said dryly. “What if we never meet?”

“You will meet.”

Rusl narrowed his gaze on him. “What if I don’t like her?”

“See, that’s the thing about destinies,” Cado said. “They usually have a way of working out the way they should. Call her your soulmate, if you’d like.”

Rusl laughed sharply. “Sounds like a terrible RomCom.”

“I don’t regret finding you, Rusl,” Cado said. “I guess the question is, are you going to spend the rest of your life regretting who you are? Or are you going to embrace it and make it something worth your time? Your destiny doesn’t have to be a life sentence if you don’t let it. The choice is yours. You were given a second chance; don’t let that go to waste.”

Rusl pulled his gaze away from Cado. He turned to Dorian, but Dorian was still glaring angrily at him. He huffed in frustration, and without another word, he left the two Sheikah alone. Cado frowned as the door slammed behind him and met Dorian’s gaze.

“I hate that guy,” Dorian muttered. “Why the hell would Impa put him under my command? He’s an arrogant, self-centered bastard.”

“Are you questioning Impa’s choices?”

“No,” Dorian sneered. “But why she’ll ever think we can be a team is beyond me.”

“Give it time,” Cado said. “I think you’ll see you need each other more than you realize.” With that, he left Dorian alone to puzzle over his words.