#black mesa bee

[thatonefreemanversefic]

was looking through my old notes, felt like this was something tumblr needed to see

[heyitsburtburt]

Minecraft Christmas Build Advent Day 4

Not much to note about yesterday. Just a bunch of digging and exploration really. While trying to find supplies for all the building I'm going to be doing.

First of all, did you know that sometimes trees can grow w/ a beehive attached? What the heck.

The bees in this game are so cute I can't bring myself to cut down their tree ;-;

And other than the business of picking flowers, finally getting an enchanting table set up, the grueling effort of taking down some Blazes to get an brewery going and all that, it's been pretty chill

And of course, as I mentioned before the exploration. I found a red mesa. Now I just gotta find a black mesa ;)

And of course I got an ender chest as well.

Once I get another one going, I'll be ready to make a more permanent move to the snow biome. And than I'll to continue gathering supplies. I would debate trying to fight the ender dragon just so I can actually access shulker boxes but... I should be able to go without...

Hopefully...

if i have to cheat them in that's another story but i'm not going to do that...

See ya'll tomorrow

[just-a-random-person24]

Barney's Mind episode's 13 and 14!! 15 is going be up right after these two!

Episode 13

• hates rocks

• needs a serious vacation

• going to throw a medkit at the first Alice scientist he sees to see if they die from proximity of health

• hates gymnastics. Finds it and figure skating boring

•likes NASCAR and football. Cause of course he does

• doesn't know how the trees know he's near them because they have no ears or eyes

• doesn't know how to power on the teleporter

• kicks the generator to turn it on

• likes when things listen to him

• “Barney uses crowbar! It's super effective!”

• needs a new flashlight cause the one he was equipped with is a shake-to-light flashlight. Says its because Black Mesa is too cheap to buy batteries

• “There's no way I'm in some little miniature ant farm, and someone is recording my every move and thought for some strange TV series and posting the videos on a website.”

• just wants this all to be a nightmare

• lost his wallet in Xen. Rosenberg also owes him money now

• thinks the scientists like making the guards do the dirty work

• thinks Rosenberg is more boring than Zoidberg

• damn counter: 2

Episode 14 (both parts)

• says hi to a dead guard

• very surprised about another person shooting the aliens

• says the guard and scientist is more useless than Twitter

• doesn't know how the marines got down there before him

• “grumble”

• doesn't get the soldiers torch

• about to make a comment about Gordon living in a basement, cuts himself off because he's very excited about satchel charges

• “Barney Calhoun, postal worker!”

• severally underpaid

• “What the w-t-c-crap-face-balls is this?”

• The coolant waterfalls make no sense. Claims it's Willy Wonka type shit

• says the marines aim worse than Stormtroopers

• Shoots the soldiers radio then realizes he could've used it to call for help

• wishes he was an evil scientist. Was going to talk about Gordon again before getting interrupted multiple times

• headcrab cut his cheek :(

• needs a script writer

• doesn't want the cut to scar up but then says it'd be badass and that chick's dig scars

• hopes Lauren is okay, figures she is cause she's in Denver that day

• wonders when a basement turns into a catacombs

• doesn't understand the point of the coolant swimming pool

• says a job pushing barrels around would suck

• surprised how fast the coolant pool filled

• “Go! Away! Zap-face!”

• yells at the bees to get out of his hair. How'd they get in his hair if it's covered by his helmet? shrug

• really has no clue what the deal is with the coolant

• assumes he's killed 20 thousand aliens at this point

• doesn't like Barney the Dinosaur or Teletubbies

• Star Trek joke

• thinks the coolant would be really cold and tingly because of the electricity

• recognizes the guard! it's Carl!

• “why does everybody I meet die?!”

• says Carl still owes him 5 bucks even though he died

• tired of people dying

• says his phone charges in 5 hours

• damn counter: 9

[activate-shadow-of-the-window]

Day 10 of No One Except @mr-orion Asked November (NoOneExOriAskNov).

I bid you welcome to the Land of the Sunrise, one of the four major continents of the World of Four Horizons! It is located near the Ocean of the First Horizon, from which the sun rises every morning. Just a sketch map for now, but I’ll clean it up later. My first map in a couple seasons, and it’s for my fanfic worldbuilding project…

Below the cut is all my lengthy worldbuilding nonsense.

Here is a list of the nations, their rulers, their biomes, and their general appearances, in alphabetical order, that call this continent home.

- Climbing Spires is located in the southern red desert, its buildings of sturdy metal and built into the sides of buttes and mesas. Cub Fan Voidstars, a half-vex exile, rules as Sovereign of the Red Rock Crown, over humans, vulture-folk, camel-folk, and thinking husks.

- Dragon’s Spine is located on the largest and only true mountain range of the continent, its buildings being mostly sturdy castles that fly purple banners. Commander X, an enigma in armor, rules as the first Wearer of the Dragon Crown in ten generations, over a sparse population of humans, goat-folk and free iceologers.

- The Drained Lands are the only unclaimed territory of the continent, so desolate and dangerous are they. It used to be the home of the nation of Geyser Heights, a place of fish-folk that once ruled the entirety of the Lapis Sea. The only known survivor of the Evaporation Disaster is XB, a wandering dolphin-folk messenger.

- Elsewhere is located in the western savanna, its buildings being a strange amalgamation of countless architectural styles. Joe Hills, a completely normal human, rules as the first and only occupant of the Other Throne, over seemingly every sort of people imaginable.

- Evergreen is located in the western hilly taiga, its buildings whimsical and elegant, from grand castles to tall bridges to quaint villages in dark wood and green. Gemini Taylor, a deer-like fae, rules as the Queen of the Crown of Needles, over fox-folk, wolf-folk, humans, and other cold-weather faeries.

- Great Acacia is located in the southern windswept savanna, its buildings sprawling, colorful, and almost all parts of massive temple complexes dedicated to the Acacia divinities. Pearl Moon, a llama-folk, rules from the High Priestess’ Throne of Histories, over other llama-folk, horse-folk, meerkat-folk, ostrich-folk, and humans.

- Iceberg Metropolis is located in the northernmost lake, a place cold enough to have its own icebergs, its buildings modern, pale, and sleek. Keralis is the current Mayor of the Blue Ice Crown, with another wolf-folk, Iskall, as his vice; the two administer a population of more wolf-folk, goat-folk, humans, and a few iceologers.

- The Labyrinth is located in the southern jungle, its buildings swooping, golden, and intricate. Impulse Esvee, a wild ocelot, rules as the Emperor of the Emerald throne over other ocelots, cat-folk, humans, panda-folk, and bat-folk.

- Livingstone is located in the western hills and forests, its buildings ruins of a long-lost nation retaken by nature. Bee Double Oh, an insectoid fae, rules from the Moss Throne as lord of horse-folk, fae, humans, and a few spider-folk.

- The Maw is located in the formidable ice spike biome north of the Lapis Sea, its subterranean buildings harsh, practical, and made of stone. A Doctor Mk-77, whose species is not known, leads this underground world with the Deepfang Crown on his head, alongside strange thinking zombies, skeletons, spider-folk, and humans.

- The Neverglades is located in the cold northern swamp, its buildings craggy and foreboding in black. Tango Tek, a third stray, a third blaze, and a third human, rules from the Basalt Throne over thinking drowned, skeletons, witches, humans, and a few hoglins that managed to stave off zombification.

- Permafrost Springs is located in the eastern snowy plains and half-frozen lake, its buildings stately and columned in white and blue. Cleo, a rather long unlived zombie, now sits on the Everfrost Throne, and rules great ranks of humans, thinking zombies, iceologers, and goat-folk.

- Sunset Coast is located along the edge and into the shallows of the south Lapis Sea, its buildings gilded and reaching for the sky in copper and browns. Grian Sunset, or Virida, depending on who you ask, is the parrot-folk Sitter of the Dusk Throne, the first ruler of this young nation of other parrot-folk, a few humans, and a couple panda-folk from across the sea.

- The Tangle is located in the southern mangrove swamp, what few buildings it has being converted fragments of giant, ancient machines. Ren Dog, a name taken in pride and in shame, is the first and only Lord of the Vine Crown, commanding a small population of wolf-folk, drowned, and humans that are willing to follow such an exile.

- Technicolor City is located in the eastern plains and forests, its sprawling buildings painted in bright colors and standing in cheery ranks. Scar Timely Good, half vex and half elf, wears the hat-like Crown of Colors, and happily rules a motley population of humans and animal-folk of all kinds.

- Umbra is located in the central dark roofed forest, its hidden buildings polished and strangely lifelike in the shadows of the trees. False Symmetry, an unknown sort of dark fae, sits on the Darkwood Throne, and rules odd humans, fox-folk, bat-folk, and fae.

There are three other major continents, one for each cardinal direction. In the west, there is the Land of the Sunset, where the Empires rule the land. In the north, the Land of the Equinox, and in the south, the Land of the Solstice, are… nonexistent. For now.

[asprinterandamarathon]

BOTR - Day 34 - July 18, 2024

5am. Still dark outside. We got up, got dressed, pulled the shades off the windows, rolled off the leveling blocks, and quietly rolled out of the campgrounds. We drove out of the park and east on highway 50 towards Gunnison.

We climbed over a pass before the sun was enough for us to really see what was around us. The mountains were pretty close to us. They were steep and jagged. After a number of miles, we passed the other end of the Black Canyon.

Sunrise with the reservoir in the distance!

Then it all opened up. We saw a damn that held back the Blue Mesa Reservoir, fed by the Gunnison River. Mountain peaks, smooth hills, and buttes surrounded the reservoir. The hills were golden and sparsely tree covered.

50 wound along the side of the reservoir. We rounded a turn to see a line of traffic waiting for the pilot car to start leading vehicles across the bridge. We fell in line and waited. Wordle, Connections, Stands, Spelling Bee…

The line moved forward and we crossed the 100 yard span across the reservoir. The bridge had been stripped down and looked like it really needed the repairs that it was getting. Fortunately, all cars made it across without issue.

On the other side, workers were getting ready to start their shift. It wasn’t yet 7am. They all wore yellow safety vests and floatation vests. I don’t know how deep the water is below the bridge but I’d expect that falling in wearing work clothes with tools would be catastrophic.

We made our way up the lake and pulled over in a day use area. We were both ready to jump out of the van when we noticed it had been swarmed by green flying bugs. With that, we simply washed up and changed in the van then moved in to Gunnison for breakfast. Diane hadn’t really seen the town when she passed through so we walked the main street for a bit. That gave me a chance to work off the chorizo and chili verde eggs benedict I had had earlier.

From the day use area.

Next stop, Salida. I hadn’t seen it and I was curious. What a cool town! Blocks and blocks of shops, galleries, restaurants, bars, and more. Many restaurants sat right on the river. The town celebrated the river with a large park. We could easily spend some time there but we wanted to continue east.

Alpaca ranch north of Salida. Zoom in.

We drove up towards Buena Vista and then headed northeast on 285 to FairPlay for lunch and ultimately just west of Denver for the night. The views in 285 were quite stunning. It was amazing how desolate it was even though we were just a couple hours outside of Denver.

Northeast of BV.

More northeast of BV.

FairPlay had the old mining town thing going for maximum tourist dollars. Although much of it looked authentic. And the restaurants seemed to serve as many locals as out-of-towners.

Old town FairPlay. A mining town in its day.

Once in Denver, after 4 days of camping with no services, it was time for long showers and a sit down dinner in a restaurant. A walk and a nightcap later and we were asleep in a comfortable hotel bed.

Different views that what we had been seeing over the past 4 weeks.

Local wildlife. Prairie dogs along the highway.

[crazy-valley]

Replayed portal! So more thoughts!!

PHaNTOM: "You're not a good person. You know that, right? Good people don't end up here."

I think Roxxana was headhunted from the agency (aka black mesa in this universe cause that's funny) and started working from Zor there and making robots. Sure, the people were...intresting. she heard about a guy who kept releasing bees into the test chambers for no reason. Which...is a little concerning, but she had all the resources she needed to build all the robots she wanted! Well, mostly prototypes, and then Caliente put them on the production line, but still! Oh, and Zor did throw her two favorite glorified calculators into test chambers, and she had to watch them shoot her babies but...she did get... dental? And tumors.... Okay. the job sucks. But hey, robots are cool!

PHaNTOM: "In layman's terms. speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out"

The portal gun! It's pretty much the exact same. Portal there portal there boom boom very cool. I like the idea of the portal 1 and portal 2 portal gun's having different visual designs/partical effects because they are slightly different modles of the same thing.

PHaNTOM: "You euthanized your faithful Companion Cube more quickly than any test subject on record. Congratulations."

Phoenix is Chell, and I have to address the elephant in the room. The name on the potato project. Aka Chell. Aka Phoenix. I'm no theory guy, but I had to mention it at least once for my own conscious

PHaNTOM: "Maybe you should marry that thing since you love it so much. Do you want to marry it? WELL, I WON'T LET YOU. How does that feel?"

AAHHH THE DESIGNS okay so i have more thoughts for the others but I thought about it and whent "that's too hard to do in whiteboard" (for example Hivemind has a honey honeycomb pattern painted into them)

Repairs on the death engine are a pain in the ass so why not make the person who created it explain what each part does while you use their face as a flashlight —some zoraxis employee probably

Caliente's eye has practically no light coming from it. The dim light is because why would he need any, and it would just be a distraction to workers. Their eye shutters are stuck in place to protect their eye glass from loose parts being flung, and their paint is holographic, so they are more easily seen. Also, Zor likes ironic theming

I will be mentioning the fact that Solaris is themed after the sun despite dying from moon rock poison and working with moon rock for years. And I just think Zor thought it would be really fucking funny to do that

PHaNTOM: "It was a morality core they installed after I flooded the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin to make me stop flooding the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin"

I'm thinking now. Because both handler and Juniper take over the position of wheatley whose lines go to who. Handler probably is the one in charge of the test subjects, so that whole section goes to him, but Juniper taking over means he the part of him failing to understand a paradox goes to him, and it's so funny to imagine

PHaNTOM:There was even going to be a party for you. A big party that all your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend, the companion cube. Of course, he couldn't come because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn't come either because you don't have any other friends. Because of how unlikable you are. It says so right here in your personnel file: Unlikable. Liked by no one. A bitter, unlikable loner whose passing shall not be mourned. 'Shall not be mourned.' That's exactly what it says. Very formal. Very official. It also says you were adopted. So that's funny, too."

Planning to play Portal 2 (for the 20th time) again soon so I can get more ideas for this ( ・∇・)

i blame @crazy-valley for this :P

i expect you to portal 2. or something. au ideas under the cut

Phoenix is a test subject in the extremely questionable and very abandoned Zoraxis Laboratories. Reginald is the core that woke them up and guides them through the beginning of the game, though they take a detour in order to pick up another core named Juniper since Reginald INSISTS that they’ll need his help. while trying to get out they accidentally wake up the boss of the facility: PHANToM (do NOT ask me what it stands for) and thus Phoenix gets trapped once again.

i’d imagine that in this au, Juniper takes PHANToM’s place as boss and promptly goes mad with power and turns on Phoenix, Reggie, and PHANToM, leading to Phoenix and PHANToM being stuck in the dark, ancient underbelly of Zoraxis. they hear a lot of audio tapes from a Doctor Zor, who used to be CEO before they died from moon rock poisoning or something. they yell about how they’re going to get Solaris to make a combustible lemon that’ll burn your house down.

i don’t have any specific ideas for the end of the game but i would imagine that it ends with Juniper either electrocuted out of PHANToM’s body or lost in the void of space.

other random bits: instead of Space Core, that’s Hivemind and he just shouts “bees?! bees!!! bees!!!” nonstop when you’re holding him. i think Prism mighttttt take the place of Ratman but idk. lmk if you have any ideas to add!

[blackmesaspellers]

Go ahead Benrey, spell the word 🔫🔫🔫

The rest of the spelling bee au is under #black mesa bee

[amicamorpha]

streaming Black Mesa tonight with @shoubi-chan !! going live at 8:30 EST on twitch @ soupyzupa (link in notes)

[thatonefreemanversefic]

youve inspired me to make my own freemanverse guy. hes a squid. his name is gordon freesquid. of course

YESSS!!!! SUCCUMB TO THE DARK SIDE!!!

(so. like. do we mean a squid squid, or like. splatoon squids? squid games (i'm sure they were squids in disguise the whole time chat), or like...? a secret third option?)

[notahorseindisguise]

i know im right because its the conceps bay bee!!! i dont need plot i need conceps and Morgan freeman from black mesa is fucking shit UP !!!!! john Wick style

ok i get it. this game series is conceptually awesome. you play as a character who you dont know but who EVERYONE ELSE DOES!! and youre just chucked into these situations. and apparently youre qualified to deal with them. and damn if you dont do just that. and also youve got a crowbar and that becomes yiur signature thing. hes got a signature suit and a signature weapon thats like perfect character branding. good game concept

[strawberrycola]

me when i FUCKING get you

[aaa-wyvern-called-zesty]

watch how fast I can get back on my bullshit in these two easy steps

[just-a-random-person24]

EPISODES 10, 11, AND 12! EPS 13 AND 14 WILL BE UP LATER AND EPISODE 15 AS ITS OWN POST CAUSE THAT ONE IS LONG AF

Episode 10

• different logo. It's! yeah!!

• Forcefully gives Walter guns to carry. Immediately almost gets shot by him

• Took flying lessons! Will come in handy later

• thinks CO2 canisters look like torpedos

• The Shining reference. Thinks he's killed enough people to be qualified as insane

• talks to himself, says he's a little schizophrenic because of that

• has no clue how long he's been stuck I'm Black Mesa for, assumes a couple hours even though his earlier guess was a day

• not happy to see another scientist locked in a train car

• then gets locked in the train car with Rosenberg, tells the military they'll hear from his lawyer

• says he's stealthy as a ninja

• “Barney Calhoun, demolitions expert”

• doesn't know what wound Rosenberg is talking about, says ‘this thing?’ but says it's just a scratch

• gets injects with some *strong* shit. Very high

• thinks Rosenberg was doing pull-ups in the train car after he said he needed to rest

• says he's now ‘totally peaced out right now’

• gets people bits in his mouth, thinks he's a cannibal now

• says being totally covered in blood is a new Gothic look

• was probably not listening when he was told they'd have to go *back* through the facility

• lost count of how many times he's been covered in blood

• assumes he's being shot at because of how much blood he's covered in

• says he'll never meet a soldier he likes

• calls Gordon his best bud :)

• not sure the elevator they're in is safe says he has a bad experience with them

• left behind Walter :(

• damn counter: 0?

Episode 11

• back to the normal logo

• repeated ‘I hate elevators’ while hiding and crouched in the corner

• calls Rosenberg a nerd while he's a ‘buff badass machine-gun toting alien killing security guard.’

• very confused how Walter made it to the labs before him and Rosenberg. More confused than that time he got high and watched an animated version of the Hobit

• finds everything Rosenberg is saying boring

• not surprised he's the only one able to go to the border world

• does *not* like all the lasers of death

• thinks his crappy laptop starts up faster than the teleporter

• the portals tingle

• thinks Xen is creepy

• also Xen is sticky. Fun

• gets stabbed by one of the… pointy tentacle things.

• healing pools are comforting

• gets distracted terrorizing the little light things, reminds himself to focus

• has lots of fun with Xen's lower gravity

• doesn't like caves. Or crawling through things

• hates bees

• thinks the crystals are radioactive

• damn counter; 1

Episode 12

• says that with the aliens, soldiers, and head humpers. Cancer is the least of his worries

• only remembers complex cancer names because Gordon told him them 2 year ago

• confused why a dead HEV suited scientist was carrying grenade shells

• “The tunnel suddenly widens into a small cavern as our protagonist sneaks forward-” Gets cut off by a headcrab but nerd ass moments going on

• getting pissed off by the headcrabs

• says they're as bad as his college roommate, who used to hide around corners and scare Barney. Probably stopped after jumping out and scaring Gordon one time and getting punched in the face. Why was Gordon there? shrug

• thinks Gordon can be badass whenever he wants to. Says he could take Gordon

• needs a name for the Bullsquids. Comes up with Bullsquids cause they remind him of bulldogs and squids.

• really hates bees

• says he doesn't need a bag to hold his stuff because he has Walter

• mimics the dying Barnacle noises

• “soothing warmth of pooly goodness.”

• officially done with being in sewers

• comments on the lack of handrails on an alien planet

• has absolutely no clue if he's going the right way

• says he's a pro at jumping now

• “giant flying donuts”

• more sewers!

• alien sewers smell worse than human ones

• now officially smells. R.I.P

• “yay! I'm alive!”

• thinks about going down and going on the alien trampoline again but decides not to

• damn counter: 7

[chaoticcutiewhirl]

Oh very likely, Black Mesa was a government facility, so they likely had drills and some of them likely got used to things as accidents do happen and being likely something niche lead them to sleep in on their day off. They wouldn’t find out until a Headcrab jumps on them and they think its just a hairless tarantula if they are like a member of secuirty or manual labor forces. as they were characterized as not very smart more often than not.

if there were personal dormitories in black mesa, i wonder if any scientists/workers that were napping just straight up slept through the resonance cascade because they were heavy sleepers

[whilereadingandwalking]

My Independent Bookstore Day Crawl Haul

I bought at least one thing from each bookstore. Which is great for me and tragic for my wallet. I replenished my stack of free indie bookmarks.

In Praise of Good Bookstores by Jeff Deutsch

Whip Smart by Melissa Febos

A Cup of Water Under My Bed by Daisy Hernandez

So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ, translated by Marlupé Bodé-Thomas

Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans

The Crown Ain’t Worth Much by Hanif Abdurraqib

Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty by Dorothy Roberts

In the Margins: On the Pleasures of Reading and Writing by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein

Four by Four by Sara Mesa, translated by Katie Whittemore

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders

I also left with some wonderful zines (satirical/self-care amazement Essential Oils to Destroy the Patriarchy, Never Step in the Same River Twice: The South Branch of the Chicago River Across Time and Space which as a former rower on Bubbly Creek really interests me, Sick Tats, Our Friends the Bees! by Rachel Bard), a cute enamel pin, some great stickers, and an Independent Bookstore Day 2022 mug that I’m obsessed with.

Thank you to all the wonderful bookstores I visited today, and please send love to my bank account.

[crystalirises]

The Zombie and The Ghost

if they won't make up in canon then I'm making a weird scenario where Fundy ran away from Manburg to Drywaters and got amnesia, while everything still plays out the same

does this make sense? no. am i tired? yes. so, have this nonsensical fic X,D

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31985884/chapters/88053052

“Hi…”

Fundy tapped his nails against the door, heart thumping in his chest as he peered through the small crack and up towards the man in front of his house. He never got visitors. He was sure he wasn’t meant to get visitors. He shuffled on his feet, unwilling to open the door for this stranger.

“Hello Fundy.” Oh. The man knew his name. He thought back to that small journal he’d tossed into a bonfire three years ago. People might look for him. People might not. “Daddy’s home.”

His brain froze, the breath in his lungs disappearing as though the stranger had whacked him with a sword. He wasn’t sure if he should slam the door, or laugh. He chose to let out a nervous giggle, eyes darting to the sword that leaned against the back of the door. “Uh… what the fuck?”

The man’s smile wavered, “You don’t remember?”

“No.” 

It was at this point that he tried to slam the door, but the stranger had quickly darted past him, nearly causing him to stumble out of the house himself. Fundy huffed, fear and irritation rising in his chest as the man walked deeper into the house. He wouldn’t be able to kick the man out even if he tried. He was taller, though he did look like a walking corpse. Maybe Fundy had a chance.

He picked up the sword, keeping it hidden behind his back as he trailed after the stranger. Fundy picked up the small details. Firstly, he smelled like musty dust and rotten flesh. He wore a long trench coat, parts of it torn or burnt off. At the sleeves, there were a few pins attached or patches of cloth sewn onto the cloth. He looked at them, wondering what their significance was to this man. A pin that looked like a disc. A bee pin. A cake pin. A pair of blue and red sunglasses patches. A crown sewed onto the fabric. A black feather patch. A rusty, weird alcohol bottle cap. 

There was another patch of cloth, one that he could hardly see because it was tucked away where the man’s arm concealed it. He caught the colors of red, blue, white, yellow, and black… 

“This is where you ran off to, huh?” He snapped his head towards the stranger, catching those dark eyes that had no light of life in them. Fundy was beginning to believe that he’d somehow met an intelligent zombie. The stranger had picked up a vase which he’d left on the ground. His face heated up, gaze averting as he took in the random stuff that was on the floor. Fundy had decided to rearrange the house again, because there wasn’t much to do on his own. The Mesa was lonely, and Drywaters even more so. It always felt like he was a small fleck of dust in the air, forgotten debris from a war he never got to see. “All these years, this is where you’ve been.”

“Who are you?”

“Oh, Fundy. Did you really forget your dear old dad?” Despite the amused head tilt, he heard the sharp tone of malice underneath the man’s voice. But the man’s eyes told a different story.

“I think I wanted to forget.”

The pain in the man’s eyes grew, but a scowl marred his face. “Why?”

“I don’t know. The journal told me nothing.” When he’d first woken up in the house, the journal clutched in one hand and an empty potion bottle in the other, he knew nothing. Not his name. Not who he was. Not even what he was. “It said it was better if I forget. So, why? Why forget?”

“I don’t know, Fundy. Maybe you just wanted to.” The previous anger had gone from the man’s stance, leaving him hunched and tired. He leaned against the wall, boots coated in dried stains - that had the faint scent of metal - were pressed against the floor, almost like he was putting his full weight onto them. He curled up on the couch, placing the sword on the seat next to him. The man raised a brow, but said nothing about it. “Maybe you were unhappy. Maybe Schlatt and Manburg made you unhappy. Maybe I… I don’t know why you ran away, Fundy. I don’t know.”

“Was I unhappy?”

“I think you were. I remembered you were…” His voice trailed off, almost like he wanted to say something more. He didn’t continue and Fundy could only pick at the loose seams of the couch. He didn’t know what to do. This man knew him, he was his… dad, apparently. Fundy took a deep gulp of air. He’d been alone for so long, he wasn’t sure how to react to this… this man. His ears perked up at the sound of boots scuffing against the loor, “Are you happier here, Fundy?”

“No.” It was the truth. His old self may have thought that loneliness would make him happy, but all he felt was isolation. Some nights, he would think about those words written in that journal. ‘People might look for you. People might not.’ It hurt him. It did. Did no one care enough to look for him? He looked at… His dad. His dad looked for him, didn’t he? “I feel lonely. I am lonely.”

“For five years?”

“I don’t know how long I was here for. I just know I’ve been here for three years, at least, that’s what I remember.” Had he been there for five years? What had pushed him to forget? He looked up, not surprised to see that the stranger had moved closer to the couch. Fundy hesitated, but scooted back to give the man some space. His dad hesitated, before finally sitting down. He looked at Fundy, almost like he wanted to hold him closer. “What happened three years ago…?”

“I died.” Wilbur paused, realizing the question in Fundy’s tone. “Wilbur. Wilbur Soot.”

“Oh.” There was a long stretch of silence. Would that have upset him? His dad dying? At least… he had a name to the face now and that… Wilbur was alive… again. “Welcome home?”

“You know, you’re one of the only few who’s welcomed me back.” Wilbur chucked mirthlessly. He wished he knew why he looked so sad, and how Wilbur had even found him. Fundy moved a little closer, enough so that he was leaning against Wilbur’s shoulder. “I don’t deserve it, Fundy.”

“Are you sorry?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I think…” He buried his face in the man’s shoulder. “Sorry would have been enough for me.”