#bloopy speaks

[goobobbers]

✨Let's talk about OCs!✨How would you describe your OC's personality/aesthetic? What's your favourite thing about them? Tell us a fun fact(s) about your OC or their creation!

❤️Send this to at least 3 people to spread some OC appreciation!❤️

OH OK OK !!!! hi mutual cacturne… i hope you are ready to hear more abt crex :-)

1. their personality is hard for me to put into words, best way i could describe crex is that they feel emotions very intensely. they’re a bit sensitive, but they can definitely stand up for themselves at some points. they’re generally just good hearted, kind and all that. kind of lets people walk all over them but they learn that it’s bad eventually.

2. their aesthetic .. man how do i say this without just being like ‘hehe bard’ UMMM well aesthetic wise with their clothing is mainly just regular bard clothes of the sort, something they can perform in if playing their lute arises at some point. they wear lots of that forest green and gold combo, i think it compliments them pretty well tbh. their warm colors generally push out the way they act in my brain. but yeah if i had to choose some stuff for their aesthetic it would probably be like… lutes, old sheet music thats kind of yellowing, orange blossom flowers, gold lining on everything, dyed lace and lots of jewelry with charms and gems.

3. i’d say my favorite thing abt them (going design wise just bc) is probably their legs or ears… I AM VERY BIASED OK i love satyrs very very much! i like their goat ears a lot (they have ear twitches when someone touches them. just in case ur curious) and their legs r kind of hard for me to draw on occasion but i love love their curly fur… their hair too UGH i love everything about them

4. ok so about crex.. they’re really good at cooking but god they do not know how to bake. would probably try to make cookies for karlach and sigrid but the whole kitchen smells like burnt dough. about their creation, they were genuinely made on a whim along with their name. months ago i got the satyr mod for bg3 and they kind of just stuck in my brain permanently

I HOPE THIS WORKS!!! i am so bad at answering these

[nu-metal-confessions]

I need sid to serenad me to sleep in his alien language

.

[woubleyou]

One of my favouritest Bloopy details that I haven't really seen represented in the few fics I've seen for her, is that the personal pronoun she uses in her Japanese dialogue is 'watakushi', the distinguished and slightly antiquated one that you only hear from like a waiter at the most expensive restaurant you can find, or in a very formal political speech. She speaks fancy...

[waitingongravity]

Alright, so. So there's PLENTY of unfinished business in the Abyssal Hunter storylines.

Let's look at what we know of already and what that could mean:

First off, the stuff that has already been established in previous events: There were three big leaders in the Church of the Deep: Quintus, Amaia, and some other dude who has only been referred to as Him. This Him is acquainted with Specter during her time as an experiment subject. We can pretty safely assume that much like Quintus and Amaia, He will be the one orchestrating the events of next uhhh... event. Besides that, we have Ulpianus and the Last Knight. Those two swam off into the sunset at the end of Stultifera Navis, and we can only assume that they are still hunting seaborn to this point. The curious thing with the Last Knight is that we got to see him plenty in IS3. We know he's a powerful piece of work, and that in true Don Quixote fashion he is unreasonable with. The real question for me is what the hell he's going to do in a world where Ishra-Mla hasn't taken over yet. Will he be more helpful? Proooobably not. Speaking of: ISHRA-MLA. I've seen a lot of speculation over whether Skalter is fully non-canon to the main timeline, or if she is merely an eventuality. Skadi's condition is not looking good, and we haven't really been presented with any possible solutions. Specter is fighting off infection and insanity through her seaborn blood, but Skadi's issue is seaborn in nature. That being said, I'd like to stay optimistic. Skadi's arc has been an upwards one, even if it's only slightly. I'd like to believe that the difference between IS3's timelines and the Canon is that Skadi had more time to grow stronger mentally and emotionally to resist the pull of Ishra-Mla. Or at least stall long enough to find a solution. Of course, this transformation is also affecting Specter and Gladiia. Much like oripathy, they may be doomed, but maybe there's hope for a comfortable life.

AEgir is a nation we know next to nothing about since they're all the way in the Water. An unknown settlement of AEgir was spotted right under the Stultifera, and we know Ulpianus preventing the Hunters' return to AEgir is one of the reasons why the fish apocalypse didn't happen. Whether that is just proximity to the ocean or something in AEgir itself, I think we'll be diving out of Iberia and into that AEgir colony. I doubt we'll go into AEgir proper, but that doesn't mean AEgir won't send its own people out. Okay, now for the operators relevant to all this: The obvious one is Andreana, our lonely cuttlefish. She is essentially a cheap walmart knock-off Abyssal Hunter, so many think that she'd be getting an Alter or some story focus as she goes full fledged (full scaled? Whatever.) While I see that as a possibility, a lot of Andreana's character is just NOT CARING about any of that. She outright rejects the opportunity from Kal'tsit to learn more, and wants to leave her mysterious past behind her. Honestly, I can respect it. My guess is that Andreana might get involved but stay out of it, unless someone (like her employer Incandescence who we've yet to see in-game) gives her a reason to care.

So who else do we have involved in this? Well, Deepcolor is pretty sus, and the only other AEgir operator besides Skalter. I'll be honest, I always thought she was up to no good. Do NOT trust her >:I. There's also the chance she's some loose AEgir agent or something that lost contact after the Great Silence. But I still don't trust. Here's the sleeper pick: Blue Poison! The curious thing about Anura, besides how cute they are, is that they were enslaved by AEgir and brought to Iberia in hopes that their toxins could be a new weapon against the seaborn. This puts Bloopy in an interesting position as both someone with a vested interest. Hell, she could truly be the secret weapon in the event.

With all this in mind, here's my idea for what the event could/should be. Ulpianus can be the new 6 star, whatever he's a loser I don't care about him. More importantly, BLOOPY ALTER as a limited unit. That's right, Andreana can keep her gun, we all know she loves that thing more than anything. Let Bloopy be the first 6 star Arts Defender or something! Or a new Fighter since we know she boxes. I dunno, just make her busted so I can feel vindicated in my love for her. and finally, 5 star... I dunno, some AEgir girl from the settlement under the Stultifera. Give me a manta ray girl! Flat friend. Or angler fish? Hmmmm. As far as the plot, I think it'll be a two-pronged threat. On one end, He and the rest of the Church of the Deep implement a final plan, either relying on the super advanced tech AEgir have, or simply being the culmination of the evolution which has been a running theme for these events. Under Tides saw the seaborn evolve to talk, Stultifera Navis saw them evolve to be incredibly powerful and adaptive. Who knows what we'll see next? As for the AEgir settlement's conflict, I think we could see a next step in the other relevant issue in Iberia: the persecution of the AEgir peoples and the role of the Inquisition in the fight against the sea. I doubt the settlement will be safe for long, so perhaps over the course of the story we will see them integrated into Iberia, and offer their own tech/abilities in exchange for a stronger frontline. Of course, all this is assuming that the settlement isn't just an long-abandoned ruin. I'd also like it if the Doctor actually got involved in this event. Kal'tsit is a given of course, but I think the Doctor's presence might be appropriate for the conclusion of this trilogy. Much how like Lone Trail concluded the story started by Mansfield and Dorothy's Vision, there might be big story turning points at the end of this. And given the forces involved? This wouldn't be surprising. Anyways this was a super disorganized ramble I typed mid-ttrpg session so I'm sure I missed a lot or messed stuff up. I'd love to hear any more speculations, this stuff is very fun to think about.

[dustedmagazine]

Eyelids — A Colossal Waste of Light (Jealous Butcher)

A Colossal Waste Of Light by Eyelids

The first thing you should know about the Eyelids is that they have, collectively, been in a lot of bands. To recap the high points, Chris Slusarenko has done time in Guided by Voices and the affiliated Boston Spaceships. John Moen played drums in the Decemberists, Heatmiser and the Jicks. Bassist Victor Krummenacher is a veteran of Camper van Beethoven and Cracker. Jonathan Drews played with Dolorean, Jim Talstra with Dharma Bums and Paul Pulvirenti with Atomic 61 and Nervous Christians. It’s not quite a supergroup on the Travelling Wilburys level, but there’s a lot of talent packed into its power-pop-into-psychedelic arsenal.

The second thing you might want to understand is that they wear their experience lightly. A Colossal Waste of Light has all the hallmarks of an album made for the pure love of the game, for kicks, if you want to put it bluntly. It’s loose and enthusiastic and full of joy. The radiant jangle, the bloopy bassline, the dreaming, coasting vocal line of the title track all speak to substantial talent and skill — but at play. There are hints of Pollard’s surreal tunefulness, of the Sadies’ psychedelic swirl, of Fountains of Wayne’s graceful way with a line, but very little stress or striving.

The Eyelids wrote these songs remotely during the pandemic, but there’s no trace of jerry-rigging in these pristine tunes. “Everything That I See You See Better” melds spirals of power pop guitar with roughhousing drums and bass without a seam, the vocal harmonies drift over with frictionless ease. Yet, as for many artists, COVID’s restrictions on in-person interaction opened up opportunities for wider online collaboration. They tapped Tim Buckley collaborator Larry Beckett to write lyrics, and got Peter Buck (who also produced) to play 12-string on two tracks. You can hear Buck in the expansive twang of surf-psychedelic “Lyin’ In Your Tomb” and in the more urgent and angsty “I Can’t Be Told.”

Colossal Waste of Light is garage-y power pop from a bunch of guys experienced enough to get the details right without sweating them. Good stuff.

Jennifer Kelly

[cinema-hallucinations]

Prompt: generate a concept for a comedy about a man who accidentally launched a cult and the wholly made-up deity that ended up as his roommate. (With credit to @writing-prompt-s)

Title: Embrace the Bloop!

Tagline: To preach around is human. To find out is divine

Logline: Barry, a down-on-his-luck motivational speaker, accidentally starts a cult with his nonsensical self-help mantra, "Embrace the Bloop!" Now, he's stuck living with the manifestation of his made-up deity – Bloop, a flamboyant, glitter-loving entity with zero divine power who thrives on Barry's growing cult following.

Characters:

Barry Jenkins: A struggling motivational speaker with a knack for cobbling together nonsensical self-help jargon. He stumbles into creating a cult after a drunken rant about embracing life's "Bloopiness" (meaning the unexpected chaos and absurdity).

Bloop: A flamboyant, gender-nonconforming entity manifested from Barry's subconscious. Bloop thrives on attention and adulation, despite having no actual divine powers. They wear outrageous outfits and speak in cryptic metaphors filled with pop culture references.

Brenda: A cynical ex-accountant and Barry's only remaining friend. She provides a grounded voice of reason amidst the growing cult madness.

Chad & Tiffany: Two over-enthusiastic and gullible followers who become Bloop's most devoted disciples. They constantly try to appease Bloop with ridiculous rituals and offerings.

Plot:

Barry Jenkins, desperately trying to revive his flagging motivational speaking career, delivers a speech fueled by cheap tequila and existential angst. In a rambling diatribe, he instructs the audience to "Embrace the Bloop!" – a nonsensical phrase meant to represent accepting life's random chaos.

To Barry's surprise, the audience latches onto the Bloop concept. A series of viral videos and misinterpreted quotes propel him into accidental cult leadership. A dedicated following gathers, hailing "Bloop" as a new deity.

Desperate to escape this newfound responsibility, Barry attempts to confess the truth. However, his attempt is interrupted by a blinding flash of light. Emerging from the light is Bloop, a dazzling entity in a shimmering jumpsuit, materialized from the collective belief of the Bloop followers.

Barry is now stuck living with Bloop, who thrives on the constant praise and offerings from the cult. Bloop, despite their flamboyant personality, is clueless about actual divinity. They provide no real guidance, instead encouraging more ridiculous rituals and self-help jargon.

Brenda, Barry's only sane friend, tries to reason with him about the cult, but her voice is lost in the throng of Bloop worshippers. Meanwhile, Chad and Tiffany, the most devoted followers, take Bloop's pronouncements literally, leading to increasingly absurd situations.

The climax involves a major event – a Bloop convention attracting international attention. Barry must find a way to dismantle the cult before it spirals out of control, all while dealing with the increasingly demanding Bloop as a roommate.

In the end, Barry manages to expose the truth about Bloop's non-existent divinity, prompting most followers to disperse. However, a small group remains, finding comfort in the absurdity of Bloop's message. Barry, now a cult leader turned cult deprogrammer, accepts his accidental role as Bloop's caretaker.

Humor:

The stark contrast between Barry's mundane life and living with a flamboyant, glitter-loving entity.

Bloop's nonsensical pronouncements and bizarre demands as a deity.

The awkwardness of religious rituals based on Barry's made-up self-help jargon.

Chad and Tiffany's over-the-top devotion and attempts to appease Bloop.

Themes:

The power of belief (even misplaced belief) to create reality.

Finding humor in the absurdity of life.

The importance of authenticity and staying true to yourself, even after accidentally starting a cult.

[unfoundhoney]

toe the line ; part two ↠

↠ slimecicle x fem!reader , platonic!jschlatt x fem!reader ; angst , fluff in future chapters

↠ masterlist

↠ part one ; part two ; part three ; part four

↠ @ochabby @nottheotheruser @d0vesatdawn @ashturnedtomist @bloopi @enderhoe @plaguenecromancer

Your clothes are damp and heavy in your hands as you move them from washer to dryer. It’s quiet in the apartment. The silence has been amplified for the last few days, an effect that carries through to now, as you switch your laundry. You’re bent at the waist, feet nearly off the ground as you reach down into the the washer to get the few remaining socks at the bottom of the basin.

You see movement in the doorway and turn your head to check what it is. You find Charlie stood in the doorway to the laundry/storage room looking not unlike a deer in headlights as you lock eyes with him.

You’re quick to look away. “Hey.”

“Hi,” he returns slowly. “Um, sorry, didn’t know you were using the washer.”

“I’m not.”

You pull yourself out of the washer and toss your last few socks into the dryer.

“Anymore,” you add.

As you set and start the dryer, Charlie remains hovering in the doorway as far away from you as possible. He steps out of your way as you leave the room.

“All yours,” you say.

“Thanks,” he calls after you.

You return to your room.

This is how it’s been ever since “the incident” on Friday, four days ago. The fairly spacious apartment you used to love sharing with Charlie now suddenly feels tiny, pushing you into closer vicinity of Charlie than you want to be right now.

You know you should probably talk about what happened, what was revealed, but there’s a part of you that’s still mad at him. There’s another, much bigger part that’s scared that if you acknowledge it again, you’ll never be able to move on from it. That if you actually talk it out like adults, if you tell him any more about how you feel and have felt for him than he already knows, you’ll lose him forever.

But despite your ultimate fear right now being making another wrong move and losing your best friend, the apartment is still suffocating. You text a friend, pack a bag, and tell Charlie you’re spending the night somewhere else.

You’re curled up in the corner of the couch, hugging an empty beer bottle. There are several other bottles in the same state as the one in your hands, a few others on various surfaces near where your drinking partner and host is sat on the ground. Schlatt looks over at you and your vacant expression, watching you for a moment as you stare blankly at the rug ahead of you.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

He’s asked you that multiple times since you arrived at his house a few days ago. You’ve only gone back to the apartment when you absolutely need to and if you’re able, you avoid Charlie entirely during said visits. It’s pitiful, really, the lengths you’re going to to avoid speaking to him.

“It’s weird how much you can miss someone who you haven’t even lost yet,” you answer.

“So, no.”

“No.”

“Alright, well, have you considered the fact that you’re hiding from him and pushing him away?”

“He pushed me away first,” you counter. “It was insufferable trying to live in the same space after what he read. It’s worse than a rejected confession; those were my thoughts, translated and poetic on paper and never supposed to be seen by anyone else. That’s where all the embarrassing emotional stuff I’d never say out loud goes and now everyone has heard it.”

“If I’m not making fun of you for it, no one else will either,” Schlatt tells you. “Yes, it’s cheesy and grossly romantic but it’s not something your friends will make fun of you about.”

“I’m gonna be honest, I don’t really care what anyone else thinks,” you say.

“Bullshit.”

“Okay, yeah, you’re right, I do care, but I care infinitely more about losing my best friend.”

“You haven’t lost him.”

“I’m in the process of losing him. Neither of us knows how to function after my involuntary confession. Like, you can’t just move past that, especially since I didn’t get the opportunity to ease into a gentle ‘I like you’ and just came right out the gate with ‘I long for him with every fiber of my being.’ Think about being in his shoes and hearing your platonic best friend say something like that about you; how do you respond to that?”

Schlatt takes a deep breath, “I don’t know.”

“It sucks,” you say. “It sucks so hard.”

You set your empty bottle on the end table beside the other two you’ve had.

“You want another?”

“No.” You lie down on the couch. “I’m already sad, getting more drunk will only make me more sad.”

“Has he tried to talk to you? Or is ignoring the massive fucking elephant in the room a mutual, silent agreement?”

“The second one.”

“Did he say anything about you staying here?”

“I avoid him most times I got back for anything.”

“And when you haven’t?”

“Hey, you’re home,” Charlie said as you entered the apartment quietly.

Most days around this time, he’s in his office working. When you came, he was sat on the couch watching TV. Because it was Saturday, of course, stupid, stupid Y/N.

“Yeah,” you returned in what you hope was an unbothered tone. “Just gonna grab some clothes and stuff.”

“Oh okay.”

You think maybe just maybe there had been a dit of disappointment in his voice but that’s probably just hopeful thinking. You quickly stuffed your backpack with some things then went to head out again.

“Why have uh... why’ve you been gone so much?” Charlie asked.

You hesitated by the door. Why have you been gone? Why do you think, Charlie?

Instead, you say, “Because Schlatt’s an expensive bitch. His guest bed is better than my regular one.”

“... You’re staying at Schlatt’s?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, cool. See you around, then.”

“See you.”

“But that was a lie, obviously,” you say. “Your guest bed is nice but I just can’t handle how suffocating it is to be in the same space as him and not be able to have things the way they were. I just- I miss being able to joke and laugh with him and how we’d eat breakfast together and our movie nights."

"Ignoring him won't make your feelings go away."

"It might."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder or whatever."

You pick apart the details in the ceiling fan above you. You know he's right. You've spent so long ignoring your problems. Sure, hiding it all from Charlie seemed like the right move, but maybe if you'd been able to confess on your own terms, drop subtle hints and work into a noncommittal "I like you" then maybe- maybe you'd be able to salvage your friendship. But now...

"I miss him," you murmur through tears.

You aren't even sure when you started crying. Mama always said to never cry over a boy. Yet here you are. You like to think Charlie is a bit more than "just a boy"; he's your best friend, one of the most important people in your life. Somehow, that doesn't soften the blow or make you seem less pitiful.

Schlatt definitely knows you're crying at this point. His non-acknowledgement of it is appreciated.

You know you'll have to face Charlie eventually, but for now you sniff and ask, "Do you have anything stronger than beer?"

[oncillabrigade]

bloopy, you are a pure being, and my native English speaking ass was also confused.

When I was 12 and just started using tumblr I freaked out a lot cuz English isn’t my first language so I thought no reposts meant I couldn’t reblog stuff and it made me so sad and also I’d get really angry when I see people reblogging stuff cuz I thought they were ignoring the artists wishes on purpose

[bp-best-froggo]

So with the English Dub of Arknights coming out soon how do you hope Blue poison sounds?

See, I'm not really all that familiar with English VAs, so I can't really point at anyone and go: "... that". Unless I take some time into researching but that'd probably take a while.

In general, I'd prefer it if they didn't stray too far from her Japanese voice, because that one is perfect for her.

Couple of points tho:

- I like the soft way her JP VA speaks with. It's really soothing. So I'd love if they kept that tone.

- I usually don't think it makes a lot of sense for an EN VA to match the higher voices from Japanese - just because it always sounds off in English. For Bloopy I think her voice is deep enough that it could be reasonably imitated. They shouldn't pitch her higher than that tho.

- Since she's from Iberia, she should get a Spanish accent. I'm not sure it would fit her, but it would be pretty funny.

- If they decide to go with a different tone, I hope they let her sound more friendly than mysterious. She's basically an assassin in a way, but she's very approachable and friendly otherwise. They have to put that warmth in her voice.

All pretty vague, but I don't know a whole lot about voices or voice acting. Hope it answered your question tho!

[nobody-knose--archive]

finally got around to listening to sketches 3d today and man! man! oh boy! liveblog under the cut!

-piano. exactly what i was expecting

-vibrato huh

-ayyy that's some. funky percussion

-this is like the fullerenes or something. a song about an Interesting Lady

-and there's that one grainy string synth/sample that andrew uses a lot & also appears in hawaii part ii

-more percussion. this is so cool

-i wasn't expecting this to be quite so minor key

-man if that was courtney on the flute there i think that'd be sick

-sing it andrew!

-i'm already having a more cheery time than i did with nat

-zubin???

-i will absolutely have to review that voice

-wait what the fuck is happening to her

-darling you good?

-anyway. classic andrew horowitz funky out-of-tune synths

-rattle rattle

-more out of tune piano. what song is this

-oh shit!!! this is the song my friends like

-tambourine <3

-you & me? sides of a coin? good & evil?

-so weird hearing all these lyrics i've seen in the song channel sung aloud for real

-andrew is doing some good singing here. he's good at carrying the melody on his own even though i've not heard much of that from him in the past save fate of the stars maybe

-he's always been good at that percussion

-all different types of percussion. tinny little gong like it's the whole world & you acoustic

-tambourine <3 <3

-so incredibly weird knowing what the lyrics are going to be without knowing what the song sounds like. i know how these words go in order but don't know how the melody carries them

-interesting thing about sketches so far. it's very strong & powerful but it doesn't block out the world like other new songs will. i'm not being taken somewhere else it's more like the whole rest of the world is being highlighted

-alright what's next?

-7/4 hummingbird????? or is this 6/4???

-no no no it's 5/4 and doing funky things with the onbeat i love this

-asking questions to a little creature is the best kind of pasttime and i mean that

-man andrew mixed this really well he's just. incredible at that

-he's making each song distnict while also giving sketches a clear theme

-a minor turn. i like that

-now what could this be?

-not lemons & pears yet?

-daisy fingers hell yes

-another song about a lady

-spoke mostly harmony oh you clever man

-thank you andrew for doing more with time signatures than tally hall ever did. first 5/4 and now 6/8

-the combination of very out of tune & rough percussions and incredibly beep bloopy synths is so cool

-conversations with a lady. this feels like a story of andrew visiting another world and being like "might as well write some songs about the fellows and stories round here"

-the whole album, i mean

-i am inspired by you, andrew

-this whole album is everything i could've hoped for and more

-the interesting thing about it is how few questions i find myself asking. i'm just looking at this stuff i have and being like wow! &, cool! not what i usually do with new albums

-divine inspiration bay be

-that's like. the opposite of an 80s fadeout

-oh that is absolutely the little sfx from the beginning of perfect at the end

-wait speaking of at the end

-no this is have a nice day interludinal

-is this a polyrhythm? there's a 4/4 type thing in the background and the foreground is. not on the onbeat i can say that much

-man i am going to have a nice day

-he's a good musician, able to make so much music out of a single interval

-lemons & pears!!!!

-toy orchestra my beloved that's the fuckin toy piano bay be wooooo

-but man oh boy does this sound absolutely different with only a one single guy singing

-ukulele in the bg? toy orchestra <3

-interesting being able to actually hear like. all of the lyrics for real

-some of the little riffs are gone and there are quite a many more

-hello?

-oh okay

-yeah i heard about the fucking gunshots that doesn't mean i was prepared for them

-the chorus sounds so nice i love this

-guest vocals?????????? whomst????????????

-who is this lady i'm so curious is she from the old toy orchestra? that'd be amazing

-breakdown time and it sounds so similar to the toy orchestra one. man

-at the end is. not the end of the album

-i think the thing that's getting me and not prompting as many questions is the fact that like. i hear these songs and hear tally hall songs. andrew's singing & i could hear this on a tally hall album with ease. it's strange

-i think the hi-hat and other little bits in this song, for example, reminds me of ross

-andrew's always tried hard at rock, and percussion is a massive part of that-wait he's scat singing i can finish that thought later i love this

-his songs are also very easy to sing along to without meaning to. first time hearing them and here i go

-anyway percussion is a massive part of rock, andy's always had an affinity for percussion, i think that's what's making me think of tally hall so much, or at least be. comfortably experiencing this in the same way i would a tally hall album

-i can't say the same of hawaii part ii

-if there's anywhere that lists the credits somewhere i'd like to see if ross worked on this at all but. i'm pretty sure he didn't

-where am i-oh shit a crowd

-nowhere else this is a song i think i know nothing about

-all that shit i was saying about rock percussion and now there's a whole entire drumkit going here

-alrighty

-that is not only andrew singing! again! who are you

-.....casey shea?????

-you sound like casey shea sir??????

-you are either casey shea or someone else who sounds like a beatle (affectionate, instead of derogatory)

-good guitar shit

-is that a third voice or does andrew just sound like that?

-madi diaz???

-i'm probably just guessing her because of the rendezvous but. there's gotta be someone more

-a whole lot of love going on here and i do appreciate it

-is it 80's fadeout time now? hell yeah

-oh yes the rainbow connection! a cover and the final song of the album (not counting the bonus tracks, which i will be listening to)

-i think i may have heard this before? or at least the minor rendition

-stylophone?

-humming. classic move

-theremin??

-music box is also cool. i swear i won't just be commentating on the instrumence alright

-what on earth is this sample in the background. steadily getting louder

-man andrew is a great singer. the consistent double vocals/heavy vibrato suits him well

-i will assume these are samples from like. the muppets movie

-does sketches (3d or otherwise) have a pdf like hwptii & nat? i sure hope so because i will enjoy looking at it

-vocalizing again let's a go

-more gong wahoo

-bonus track time <3

-tomorrow & today is a song i know pretty damn well i hope he's more legible now

-mostly the same as the 2011 version but it certainly is updated i can tell. more echo on these beginning lines

-piano is stronger. there may or may not be some added flairs. not a whole lot blatantly changed but i can say. i'll remove the 2011 version and replace it with this one for charlie

-there's a riff in my right ear that i don't remember and i like it

-this bit right here is more legible in general thank god it was incomprehensible originally

-the stomping percussion is Goin places

-and to end the whole song- you know yesterday fueled by a listen of nat i came up with an abundance of thoughts on writing styles in tally hall and especially how andrew's songs go places and what the journey's like and while that essay really won't fit into this liveblog i really enjoy how tomorrow & today has no destination in mind and it's a gradual trip but you never look back

-such strong g&e vibes

-misfortune bay be! time to replace the other misfortune charlie has with this

-sheet music???? jenny where did you find this? [referring to the image used in the video she uploaded i listened to] also this is still not the whole song i know the original misfortune wasn't but it feels strange to start this far into the song

-chords my beloved i could fucking play this song i'm so hyped about that

-toy orchestra solid soda real <3

-the one and only studio recording toy orchestra did. this is some of the best evidence for steve gallagher's voice we have

-also the audio is higher quality than the yt upload i think

-oh a casio organ not a real organ. okay i can't complain

-i like the sound of the piano at least. also this is horrendously gorey i like it

-andrew horowitz horror writer extraordinaire

-these sound like the sorts of drum synths my electric organ has

-i actually can't tell if that one's a guest vocal or andrew just being a very very good singer

-this sounds like some sort of recording you'd take of your kid's music school performance

-oh it's over

-fuck that was good

[greywindys]

thoughts.

I feel like I haven’t done bullet points in ages, but today feels like the day to do it. Release dates always low-key stress me out because I’m always at work and jumping on and offline until I get home, but I would consider today a happy day 😌. This will cover a hodgepodge of topics, possibly won’t be organized (as my past bullet point posts have been) but that’s the nature of hobby blogging. Nowhere else but tungle can you do this. Bless.

First, I want to start with giving thanks. Thank you, Ed, Jamie, or whoever makes the call, for telling us when to expect the next episode (September! Maybe on my birthday??? 👀). Christ. I wasn’t a fan of never knowing when the video would drop. Not to be too tmi, but I’m an essential worker. It’s hard to plan my day sometimes. Announcing premieres the day before, when I often have my work week planned weeks in advance, isn’t a fun thing to try and workaround. I’d love to time a premiere with a vacation, but that’s literally impossible.

A second thanks for not making this a re-hash of “Aries” like I feared. Murdoc looked surprisingly and refreshingly innocent in this video, though I don’t think the plot line regarding the portals has come to head just yet.

Speaking of Murdoc - look at him!!! Thank you, animators (okay, so there’s a theme of gratitude in this entry), for drawing him with a body type that reflects his lifestyle. He looked like how I imagine him - a narrow frame (he’s not a large or broad man by any means), with a little bit of a belly, and clearly out of shape...slim, but out of shape. I stan.

I know people look down on taking one thing that happened one time, and using it to create a whole new identity for a character, but I’ll be obsessed with the idea of gamer!2D for at least another 48 hours. Where is the alternate timeline where Murdoc and 2D develop their own games instead of music? Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet AU? Murdoc is Rob McElhenney‘s character? Idk who 2D is in this, but you get the idea.

The 2Doc was in more than just the lyrics! Learning that the game was a gift from Murdoc is a nice touch that they didn’t have to add, but they did. 2D gifted him foundation. Murdoc gifted 2D a captains hat. They’re exchanging gifts (if Murdoc is telling the truth). Murdoc also allegedly got 2D ice for his thumbs. Perhaps he’s still “bromancing,” but you never know. I’d argue that Murdoc gifting anyone anything for any reason is big for him. Not bring up another raven comparison, but per the internet, corvids “bring gifts to people who feed them a lot and pay attention to them, or even rescue them.” He better listen to what 2D was singing to him!!1 Look, Murdoc! He’s giving you attention!

The song itself was okay. My current ranking of Song Machine songs goes as such: Momentary Bliss, Désolé, Pac-Man, Aries. I haven’t listened to the other two yet...heh. I appreciated the intentionally dated sound of “Pac-man” (the bloopy noises in the back reminded me of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode”), but atm, I don’t feel compelled to listen to it again. I’m not the most honorable Gorillaz fan in that regard. I don’t always like their songs.

BUT overall, I really enjoyed this video. I’ll end on a final note of gratitude and say that I can’t wait to take some more time to go through the Murdoc frames and make some more photosets, and think more about 2Doc. I feel like I’ve been fed well.  

[supposed2bfunny]

2D gets self conscious of his speaking voice sometimes. and he’ll just get really quiet, mumble a lot, and generally be unresponsive during interviews. murdoc notices this and starts asking 2D questions about things he knows the lad likes. “oh by the way, have you seen that new album that came out recently? it had that bloopy synth vibe everywhere. 2D, you love bloopy sounds, yeh? what’d you think of it?” *2D proceeds to rant about how much he loves synths and explains his replications of them*

2D sometimes being nonverbal is a BIG YES!! Not even solely because he’s self-conscious about his voice (although comments about the way he speaks can definitely trigger a quiet episode).

Even if the only talking he does that day is just info-dumping about the things he really likes and the rest of the day he contributes little to conversations, Murdoc is fine with it.

Even if Murdoc doesn’t give a rat’s ass about which 80s zombie movie remake has the best special effects, it’s worth it to ask, just so he can see 2D light up as he launches into a rant about it.

[queerasflux]

idk about anyone else, but I still use phrases and ways of speaking that I picked up from loved ones throughout my life, and I still use them even decades after I've forgotten their name. I don't remember the name of the girl I sat with in french class, but I still refer to all mermaids in my head as "ariels" because she couldn't ever remember the word for them. I describe small, round but flexible objects as "bloopies" because that's what my friend in science class would call them. I always say "beep" after something beeps, because my friend in fifth grade would do so. we're made up of the things we love, and part of that is other people. isn't that wonderful?

have you ever noticed you pick up little habits and phrases from the people you love? it’s no wonder our hearts are so easily broken when people leave. we become a reflection of the people that we care about and those personality traits stick with us even if the people don’t

[alienshea]

And now, for no absolute reason, I will give every Gorillaz song from the main 6 studio albums my rating from 1-10

Self-Titled

Re-Hash: 7.5/10

Bopping tune, 2D doing his own backup vocals make me swoon, Noodle is great as always, no one really knows what the lyrics are but they’re valid

5/4: 6/10

Better than average,not the best song i’ve ever heard but still pretty good, kinda uncomfy with Noodle screaming about someone turning her dad on, drumbeat makes me wanna dance, wished they couldve made the music video

Tomorrow Comes Today: 7/10

The kind of song that gets stuck in your head all day, love the overall sad tone, music video makes me laugh now bc that one murdoc gif, makes me cry when i have depressive episodes

New Genius (Brother): 7.5/10

Love 2D’s voice in it, lyrics hit home a little bit for me, have never skipped this song tbh, overall pretty good song

Clint Eastwood: 8.5/10

I literally know all the words, I love the rap, iconic, there’s a reason it’s popular, Del is everything

Man Research (Clapper): 3/10

oooo boy i’m gonna get shit for this one, i always skip this song, i can’t stand the whole “yeah yeah” thing, the only great part about this song is the “tHiS Is a bReAkFaSt ClUuUuuUB!”

Punk: 6.5/10

gets me turnt, toooooo short, tbh i like any song where 2D yells

Sound Check (Gravity): 9/10

looooove this song, gives me body chills when the drums kick in, love the deep ass voice, overall emo kid bop

Double Bass: 8/10

nice jam, I like listening to this when I do homework or art, relaxing

Rock The House: 8/10

legit makes me get up and dance, great rhythm, music video is beautiful

19/2000: 9/10

amazing bop, gets me pumped, iconic af, first gorillaz song i ever heard and first music video i ever saw, n o o d l e

Latin Simone: 7/10

I don’t speak spanish so i cant really sing along, love the feel of it, will listen on repeat, prefer the english version but im biased

Starshine: 6.5/10

idk I don’t really listen to this one, not a bad song i just wouldn’t play it on repeat or actively look for it, i do like the vocals

Slow Country: 8.5/10

love the feeling this song gives me, kinda like im just floating, super chill song to get high to, have never skipped this song, i like the lyrics

M1A1: 8/10

super fun song to sing along with, honestly the best song they couldve ever chosen to start a concert, he   s c r e a m

OVERALL SCORE FOR SELF-TITLED: 7.5 (rounded up)

Demon Days

Last Living Souls: 9/10

absolute favourite song on the album, breakdown gives me chills, constantly changing it’s tune and i love it, the basssss <3

Kids With Guns: 6/10

I love singing the chorus, great song to have in the background, chill af

O Green World: 7.5/10

i love the instrumental of this one, vocals give me chills, kinda wish you could hear the singing more tho

Dirty Harry: 6.5/10

bopping beat, i love the rap part, overall not really the type of song i’d play on repeat but not bad

Feel Good Inc: 8/10

first and foremost the fucking bass of this song is the reason i’m learning bass, chorus gives me chills, kinda overused but i understand

El Manana: 6/10

kind of a meh song for me personally, not a bad one just not the greatest

Every Planet We Reach Is Dead: 9/10

banger, the reason im also learning guitar, vocals are on point, has made me cry before

November Has Come: 7/10

love the chorus, rap is kinda meh for me, i like the beat

All Alone: 5/10

not really a song i listen to, i like the bloopy noises

White Light: 4/10

I always skip this one tbh, better than man research but not by much

DARE: 6.5/10

this song haunts my dreams, its like the best kind of elevator music, on another note you fucking go noodle

Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey’s Head: 7.5/10

I WANNA BE A COWBOY BABY, narrative is really fucking good tho

Don’t Get Lost In Heaven: 8/10

beautiful, usually dont like gospel-esque music but i love this, gives me chills

Demon Days: 6.5/10

not my favourite tbh, meh for me

OVERALL SCORE FOR DEMON DAYS: 6.5 (rounded up)

Plastic Beach

Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach: 7.5/10

i love snoop dogg, also this song gives me good vibes

White Flag: 5/10

ehhhh not a fan of this one, i usually skip it, i like the orchestra tho

Rhinestones Eyes: 8.5/10

i fucking love this song, great tune great vocals, i never skip it, i even got my boyfriend to start loving this song even tho he doesnt really like gorillaz

Stylo: 9/10

jesus this song, makes my heart hurt, i absoultely long singing along to this, his voiceeeee, bobby womack!

Superfast Jellyfish: 8.5/10

quirky af, i love de la soul in this one a lot, have never skipped this

Empire Ants: 9/10

so beautiful, has made me cry, both of their voices are so soft and lovely ugh

Glitter Freeze: 6/10

starts off strong but when it starts sounding like a drill i usually yeet out

Some Kind Of Nature: 8/10

used to be my favourite until i started listening to the album more, 2d’s part is so soulful omg

On Melancholy Hill: 8.5/10

so sad and amazing, music video is probably my favourite, is me and my best mate’s “song”

Broken: 9/10

ugh beautiful, i know all the words and always sing them loud af, has never skipped this song, honestly is everything

Sweepstakes: 5.5/10

not a big fan, i usually skip this one, not a horrible song just not for me

Plastic Beach: 7.5/10

love it, better at the beginning than the end, still a bop

To Binge: 10/10

WHEEEW BOY, i love this song, its so sad and amazing and gay jesus christ, the best thing murdoc has ever done

Cloud of Unknowing: 7/10

soulful and beautiful, again bobby womack!!

Pirate Jet: 7/10

i love the tune bc it gets me feeling ~spooky~, lyrics dont really make sense but thats okay

OVERALL SCORE FOR PLASTIC BEACH: 7.5 (rounded up)

The Fall

Phoner to Arizona: 8/10

gets me bopping and grooving, great music to play in the background while writing or doing art, my go to for when i draw or need background sound while I relax

Revolving Doors: 9.5/10

OOF, it so sad and it makes me feel things, i scream the lyrics errytime

Hillbilly Man: 10/10

fell in love with this the second I heard it, has been my favourite song of all time for over 2 years now, will never skip it in my life, i yearn to learn the guitar 

 Detroit: 6.5/10

generally a good happy bop, usually play it as background sound

Shy-Town: 6/10

nice to the ear, i don’t really like the prerecorded vocals of 2D but when Damon sung it live it sounds much better

Little Pink Plastic Bags: 8/10

i love it ugh, relaxing af, will never skip

The Joplin Spider: 9/10

big love for this song, its just soooo goooood

The Parish Of Space Dust: 7.5/10

big cowboy energy, sounds so sweet, 2D’s voice is unnnf

The Snake In Dallas: 7/10

good for when you wanna party but you’re depressed and can only stay in bed, love the little robotic sounds

Amarillo: 9.5/10

i meeeean what can i say, this song is so sad and gay and beautiful, ive cried while listening it this, will never skip

The Speak It Mountains: 7.5/10

this track is really weird and creepy and kind of not a song but i adore it anyway

 Aspen Forest: 8/10

beautiful sounds, the piano is so soothing, will play this on repeat while i zone out

Bobby In Phoenix: 9/10

i wanna cry every single time i hear this bobby come back

California and the Slipping of the Sun: 7.5/10

this song so so pretty and i cry every time ugh, he sounds so fed up im sorry pretty boy

Seattle Yodel: ???

what

OVERALL SCORE FOR THE FALL: 8 (rounded down)

Humanz

Ascension: 8.5/10

absolute banger, i get pumped everytime this comes on, skys falling bb

Strobelite: 7.5/10

i used to hate this song but then the music video came out and i tried it again and now i love it dont @ me

Saturnz Barz: 9/10

theres so much i could say about this song ans the mv unf

Momentz: 9/10

banger, i dance like a maniac every time i hear it, will never skip

Submission: 8/10

gives me a good chance to work on high notes, makes my skin tingly

Charger: 8.5/10

2D’s voice is so griity and i can help myself

Andromeda: 8.5/10

I’ve never skipped this song, has made me cry, makes me dance

Busted And Blue: 9/10

has made me cry several times, vocals are everything, will never skip

Carnival: 7/10

is a bop, don’t really listen to it much anymore but it’s alright

Let Me Out: 8/10

i love it, one of my favourites to rap with

Sex Murder Party: 4/10

ehhh dont like this one, i always skip it

She’s My Collar: 8.5/10

i dont want to admit the things 2D’s voice in this makes me wanna do

Hallelujah Money: 7.5/10

hated this at first, grew to love, very soothing

We Got The Power: 9.5/10

gets me FUCKING PUMPED, we do got the power fuckers

OVERALL SCORE FOR HUMANZ: 8.5 (rounded down)

The Now Now

Humility: 8.5/10

summer bop, makes me wanna dance, have never skipped

Tranz: 9.5/10

i love singing along to this bc it makes me feel sexy oops, always screams the lyrics

Hollywood: 7/10

not a huge fan of this but ill listen to it, favourite part is the chorus, also snoop doggy dogg

Kansas: 9/10

oof this song makes me cry, i always scream this 

Sorcererz: 7.5/10

ooo them vocals thooo, makes me relaxed

Idaho: 8.5/10

i love this song sm, one of my favourites of all time to sing, i wanna learn the guitar for this

Lake Zurich: 8/10

I love to listen to this while relaxing or writing, makes me wanna dance, COWBELL

Magic City: 8.5

always dancing to this, billboards on the moooon

Fireflies: 10/10

yall saw this coming, i always cry, its so somber, in close competition w HillBilly Man for my all time favourite

One Percent: 6.5/10

only song on the album i would skip and it isnt even that bad

Souk Eye: 10/10

its so gay and sad i love it sm

OVERALL SCORE FOR THE NOW NOW: 8.5 (rounded up)

So after months of me saying i’d rate the songs in order I finally did! Now keep in my the overall scores are averages, my personal rating for each album is:

Self-Titled: 8/10

Demon Days: 7/10

Plastic Beach: 8.5/10

The Fall: 8/10

Humanz: 7.5/10

The Now Now: 9/10

thanks for reading, i did this so i wouldn’t have to write an essay oops! <3

[noodlelove15]

Gorillaz Character Backstory: Stuart ‘2D’ Pot

Birth Name: Stuart Harold Pot (Also known as 2D or Stu-Pot)

Date of Birth: May 23, 1978

Birthplace: Hertfordshire, England

Stuart Pot was born on May 23, 1978 in Hertfordshire, England to David and Rachel Pot. His last name was originally Tusspot, but his father changed it to ‘Pot’ before he was born. His mother was a nurse who provided Stuart medications for his headaches and his father was a mechanic and fairground owner of the Tusspot’s Fairground. Stuart grew up in Crawley, England where he was educated at St. Wilfrid's School. Growing up, he had decent grades in school (but wasn’t too intelligent) and was known as a very kind person who loves music. When he was 10 years old, he would bounce around in his room listening to The Clash, The Human League, Augustus Pablo, and many other musicians. Stuart was fascinated with musical instruments like keyboards, moogs, drum machines, melodicas and many others. His father would help him make custom made instruments so that Stuart would play around making ‘spacey sounds’ and ‘bloopy noises’ with them. When he was 11, he fell off a tree and hit his head, causing all of his hair to fall out. When it grew back, it was a deep ‘azure blue’.

An old picture of 2D (foreground center) during his school days at St. Wilfred's school

Stuart soon worked at a music shop known as Uncle Norm's Organ Emporium when he was 19. But on August 15, 1997, hooligan Murdoc Niccals purposely crashed his car through the shop window in order to steal instruments. His bumper crashed directly into Stuart’s face, causing an 8-ball fracture on his right eye and putting him in a coma instantly.

August 15th, 1997: D-Day  (Full storyboard could be found in Rise of The Ogre)

Murdoc was soon arrested and sentenced to 30,000 hours of community service and had to spend 10 hours every week taking care of the now vegetablized Stuart. One day, while doing car tricks at a car park trying to impress some women, Murdoc performed a 360 spin with Stuart sitting in the backseat with no seat belt on. Due to Murdoc’s reckless driving, Stuart flew out of the windshield, hitting his head on the curb, fracturing his other eye, and awakening from his coma. After sliding his face on cement for about half a mile, he slowly stood up and turned to Murdoc. Impressed by his look, Murdoc made Stuart his front man for his band and lead vocalist and keyboardist. Murdoc also nicknamed him ‘2-D’ which stands for the ‘two-dents’ in his head. Stuart, now known as 2D, was now part of Gorillaz. 

Quotes:

“I know there's a rumor going around that my real name is Stuart Tusspot or sumfink, but that's not true. It's Pot. Stuart Pot.”

"I never really thought about anything as far as I can remember."

“Just a peppermint tea for me.”

“Oi Murdoc! I need your help tying me shoelaces!”

"Rock'n roll is like space, right? It's infinite, innit, so you can like, be whatever. And I am whatever. Whatever is my father and my mother. And my nan. You just gotta let it out. Forever, and whatever, amen."

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

"Hello...You lost me at hello..."

Fun Facts:

2D is a big fan of Zombie movies. His favorite is Dawn Of The Dead

He’s ambidextrous

Before Gorillaz was officially formed, Murdoc hired Damon Albarn to be 2D’s vocal coach so that he can sing better. 2D ended up sounding like Damon whenever he sings.

2D is suffering from acute Stockholm Syndrome.

He also has a pickle allergy.

Back in Phase 2, during his hiatus from the band, 2D completed his Law degree.

In the Gorillaz debut album, 2D wrote a song dedicated to Murdoc titled ‘New Genius (Brother)’. 

He also wrote a song to cheer up Russel titled ‘Mr. Softy’s Balloon Race’ back in Phase 2. 

2D has 3 different voice actors. Damon Albarn voices him when he sings and Nelson De Freitas voices him when he talks. His speaking voice is now provided by English comedian and actor Kevin Bishop in Phase 4. (No news on whether Nelson will return to voice 2D again) 

[littlemissgeek8]

This was brought about as a result of multiple things, including getting sick myself recently and the wonderful anonymous mention that Tommy has a pretty gnarly scar on his chest. So, I knocked out about 2,600 words of fic to go along with the picture I drew today. XD Enjoy!

“He’s not here today, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Deborah Kim turned her attention from the interior of the gas station to the young lady working the pump. “Not here? Why not?” It wasn’t like Tommy to miss work, at least not in the few weeks she’d known him. That’s why she made a habit of stopping by after her own work was done, because she’d at least get a chance to say hi on a semi-regular basis.

The young lady-- Julie, going by the name on her uniform-- shrugged. “I dunno, he’s just out today. I think someone said he called in sick?” She twirled a piece of dyed blonde hair around her finger. “Probably got Frank’s cold, he was out the other day too.”

Deborah drummed her fingers on the steering wheel and sighed. “We were supposed to go out tonight,” she said softly. So much for those plans.

“And he didn’t call you?” Julie sounded skeptical as she hung the nozzle back up on the pump.

“I’ve been working,” Deborah explained, pulling her purse onto her lap and taking out her wallet. “Maybe I’ll stop by his house instead and see how he’s doing.”

 “Good luck. I don’t know how you stand it-- I mean, sure he’s cute, but it’s gotta be like dating a tall, blond tombstone, right?” Deborah shook her head as she counted out the money on her lap. It would take far too long to put her feelings into words, or even explain how she’d met Tommy. Even if they’d only been together a few weeks, Deborah knew there was a much sweeter person behind the quiet, distant exterior Tommy projected. She paid for the gas with a polite smile before starting her car and driving off in the direction of the grocery store. There were a few things she needed to pick up before she could pay him a visit.

The road up to the Jarvis house was long and dusty. Deborah had only driven up it herself once or twice; most of the times she’d visited Tommy had been driving. It was a lovely drive, at least, even if she’d gotten a little lost at one point. The woods didn’t look nearly so threatening in the daytime, with the sun filtering down through the green leaves, bathing the world in warm summer sunlight. Finally the cabin rolled into view and she parked in front, marvelling again at how pretty the house was. It would have been an expensive cabin for sure if it had been up to Tommy to buy it, but from what she’d picked up from him and the short time she’d spent with his sister, it was the house he’d grown up in.

Deborah fished a few plastic bags out of the passenger seat, then walked up the steps to the front porch. Her hands were clammy as she stepped up to the front door. Hesitantly she knocked, the sound echoing around her on the porch. A few minutes passed with no response. Deborah peered inside the house through the large glass window in the door. The downstairs was dark, and she couldn’t see any movement inside. Again she knocked, harder this time, and waited for a response.

Nothing.

For a moment she debated just going home. Tommy might not even be home, after all… but his truck was in the driveway, taunting her as she turned to leave. Besides, she’d even made a trip to the store for this, she’d come too far to chicken out. Tommy’s sister Trish had mentioned a second key hidden nearby, so Deborah glanced around the porch for likely spots. There was a welcome mat right under her feet which could easily hide a key. As she bent down to look, she braced her hand on the doorknob which promptly turned under her weight, sending the door swinging inwards.

She nearly lost her balance, but righted herself before she ended up splayed out on the floor. Figures he forgot to lock up again, she muttered to herself. That was a habit he desperately needed to break, even if few people came up to the woods she couldn’t trust that they wouldn’t come across problems. Or bears.

The downstairs was as abandoned and dim as she’d thought from outside, but when she looked up the stairs she could see a light in the hallway above. Cautiously she walked up the steep wooden stairs, sticking close to the side next to the walls. There wasn’t any railing on the other side and the last thing she needed was tripping off the side of a flight of stairs today. The stairs opened onto a short hallway on the second floor, with several doors opening onto it, but the lights were off in the hallway too. However, on the side of the hallway opposite where the stairs came up, there was an open door spilling light into the dim room, and Deborah could hear the faint bloopy sounds of computerized music.

She’d never been in Tommy’s room before, but she supposed that must be it. The clamminess had returned to her hands as she softly walked over to his door-- what if he was upset that she’d come over? Was she somehow invading his privacy this way? But at the same time a knot of worry had settled into her stomach that if he was sick enough to not go to work, he must be really bad. The thought of stepping into his room without permission was terrifying, honestly, so instead she reached her hand in and knocked lightly on his open door.

Almost immediately there was a loud cry and a great deal of thrashing about, followed by the music abruptly cutting out. “W-who…?” Tommy’s voice called hoarsely, before dissolving into harsh sounding coughs. Throwing caution to the wind, Deborah poked her head in, clutching the plastic bags she was carrying to her chest.

“I’m sorry, the front door was open. They said you didn’t come into work today and I was worried…” Tommy seemed to be half-off his bed in the far corner of the room, the blankets tangled up around his legs. His face was flushed from coughing, and his hair was mussed where it wasn’t plastered to the sweat on his forehead. Finally he stopped coughing and stared at her with tired, unfocused eyes from behind a pair of glasses she’d never seen him wear before. For a moment it looked like he was going to speak, but instead he gestured her over before sinking back against a mountain of pillows on his bed.

His room was cluttered, with a few tables by the door and a shelf by the wall, half full of books with dusty figurines crowded to one side. Several latex masks were hung on hooks on the wall, or tossed on the corner of one of the tables. Across from his bed he had a small television set up, with a slightly battered looking NES next to it, one of the controllers resting on the bed near him. An empty glass sat on the little side table beside him. Deborah pulled over a chair and sat down nearby. “I figured it had to be bad if you didn’t come into work. Are you doing okay?”

Tommy shrugged. “Haven’t thrown up in about three hours, so better than I was.” His voice was already soft naturally, but now there was a rattle to it that set Deborah’s teeth on edge. He reached for the glass beside him, but pulled his hand back with a frown when he noticed it was empty.

“Do you need more water? I can get you some,” Deborah offered. “Have you taken any medicine? How’s your temperature?”

“I can get water,” Tommy insisted, but Deborah shook her head.

“You almost fell out of bed a minute ago, Tommy. You’re staying put.” She picked up the glass and walked to the door.

“Bathroom’s across the hall, the tap water’s fine,” Tommy’s voice called as she left. She smiled, opening the door to the bathroom and filling the glass with water from the sink. Then, she opened up the medicine cabinet and poked around until she found a thermometer and a bottle of acetaminophen. The glass of water she handed to Tommy when she got back to his room, before sitting down and taking out a small box from one of the plastic bags at her feet. Inside were several sets of plastic surgical gloves, one of which she put on then she switched on the thermometer.

“When you’re done I want to take your temperature,” she said holding it out to him. Tommy frowned, clearly reluctant, but he put the glass back on the table and popped the end of the thermometer into his mouth. When it beeped, he handed it back to her. 99.8, the digital face read. Deborah switched it off. “High, but not dire, I think you’ll live.” Tommy gave her a small, tight smile. “How do you feel otherwise?”

It took a while for him to respond; when she’d put on the gloves she’d seen something flicker in his eyes. Probably too much like his time in the asylum, she thought. Finally he spoke. “Well, I ache all over and my nose keeps running but it’s too stuffy to breathe through. I haven’t taken any medicine since… nine am?”

“Any nausea?” He shrugged, then gave a small nod. Deborah poured a dose of acetaminophen into her hand and handed it and the glass to him. “That’s for the aches and fever, and I brought some Vicks VapoRub in case you were congested. I’ll need to spread it on your chest… I-if you don’t mind, that is.” A bright red flush crossed her cheeks. Internally she chided herself for being so foolish-- it was a purely medical procedure, but it was just so embarrassing nonetheless.

Tommy took the medicine, then looked at her with one raised eyebrow. “Um, okay?” He was only wearing a button-down shirt over his boxers, and she noticed now it wasn’t even buttoned as he pulled it open. A strong smell of eucalyptus spread through the room as she opened the little blue jar and scooped out some of the ointment with her fingers. She leaned forward to spread it on his chest, but her hand stopped before it reached him.

There was a white, slightly jagged scar slicing its way across his chest, right up his breastbone towards his neck. The nervousness in her heart turned to worry at the sight-- that was an injury that was intended to kill. Tommy glanced at her, then down at his chest. “Oh,” was all he said.

“It looks like it hurt,” said Deborah softly, as she began spreading the ointment across his chest.

“It did.” He’d clammed up again, his pale blueish-gray eyes growing cold. It was clearly something from his past he didn’t want to remember, and it wasn’t something Deborah wanted to push on. The curiosity gnawed at the back of her mind, but it was Tommy’s story and he’d tell it when he was ready to. She finished with the ointment and closed the little jar, the silence hanging between them like a fog.

Finally she forced herself to speak. “Have you eaten? I brought soup? It’s just canned but it won’t take long to heat up, and I- I brought stuff to make ginger tea to help settle your stomach…” The tension in Tommy’s shoulders melted away and he smiled faintly at her.

“That sounds good, thanks.” Deborah clasped her hands together in her lap, rocking back and forth a little. A big smile crossed her face in response.

“I-I’ll go get that ready then! I’m sure I can figure out your stove!” She stood up quickly, almost knocking the chair over, and gathered up the bags to carry downstairs. The sounds of 8-bit music echoed down the hallway as she left the room.

“Be careful it’s hot. Um, both of them are hot,” Deborah said, indicating the bowl of chicken noodle soup she’d placed next to him and the mug of ginger tea she’d made. “I wasn’t sure how you’d like the tea prepared so I only put in one spoonful of sugar, but I can add more if you need it.” Tommy put down the controller to take the bowl, blowing on the spoon to cool it off. He sipped at it and winced.

“Yeah, it’s hot.” He put the bowl back on the table to cool for a bit. Deborah sat down next to him with a bowl of her own. For a moment the heavy silence came back while they waited, before Tommy sighed. “I got that scar a few years ago, when I was over at Pinehurst.” He shifted slightly, staring off into the distance. “There was an… incident. And, as a result, a local paramedic started killing people he thought was responsible, but making it look like Jason had come back. We fought--” Tommy rubbed the side of his hand along the scar on his chest, “--and I got a machete to the chest in the process.” He glanced over at Deborah who was staring at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. “I lived and he didn’t. But it was a hard part in my life and I don’t like reliving it much.”

Deborah bit her lip. “I--I’m sorry, you didn’t have to tell me.”

“It’s okay,” Tommy said softly. “It hurt less to talk about it than I thought it would. And I wanted you to know. I’ve only ever told Trish about it before now.” A smile crossed his lips, a more genuinely peaceful one than she’d seen the whole time she’d known him.

Deborah smiled back at him. “Well, thanks for trusting me with that, then! It… it means a lot.” She played with the spoon in her hand, meeting his eyes for just a moment or two before lowering them again. “So... um… what were you playing?”

Tommy looked at her, raising one eyebrow. “Um, Super Mario Bros. Look… I’m sorry about our date tonight, Deb. I didn’t mean to--”

“--No, this is fine, really! I like helping, and I’d feel really bad if you had to be stuck home alone all night when you’re sick like this!” She rocked back and forth in her seat a little as she spoke. “So… do you want a player two? You can laugh at how many times I die?”

Tommy chuckled, before coughing a few times again. As he caught his breath, he pointed over to the NES on the table. “The soup needs to cool off anyway, second controller’s over there. Reset the cartridge while you’re up, please?” Deborah grinned and stood up to grab the second controller and reset the game. As she sat down, Tommy reached out to take her hand, meeting her eyes for a moment. “Deborah? Thanks,” he said softly.

She squeezed his hand a little in return. “Anytime, Tommy. Now, I’m gonna kick your butt at Mario!”

Tommy pulled his hand back and picked up his controller. “Have you ever played before?”

“How hard can it be?” Deborah asked with a grin. And as soon as her turn came around, she ran directly into the first Goomba and died immediately, while Tommy laughed himself into another coughing fit next to her. Unphased at her digital demise, Deborah glanced over at Tommy with a smile. She hadn’t known him very long, in all honestly, but this was the first time she’d heard him laugh that hard since she’d met him. It wasn’t exactly the date she’d been expecting that day, but it was the best one she’d ever had.