#muse isolated audio

[sunburnacoustic]

The vocoder vocals on Compliance have been stuck in my head for a bit now so I'm posting them here. From producer/engineer/mixer Aleks Von Korff's Instagram during the recording sessions for Will Of The People.

The vocal bits for "and no more defiance" are so musically satisfying, what the hell

[cydonianart]

I’m actually so hyped about the tour interstitials being dropped. The mean people in the Instagram comments section don’t know what they’re missing.

[jennyandvastraflint]

My incoherent ramblings about the Paternoster Gang.

Do you like reading incoherent screaming about the Paternoster Gang? Great, me too. I have written a few Tumblr textposts because being insane about them is one of my favourite hobbies!

Paternoster Gang Found Family

Comparison Vastra and Vella in terms of readjusting to Silurian society if given the chance

Constant loss and Vastra's inability to communicate

Musing about Vastra being isolated in every way

Silly headcanon that Vastra doesn't understand money

Vastra's morality is tied to Jenny

Essay on the cliffhanger of Trespassers 1 and potential developments/reasons (kinda outdated now that Trespassers 2 revealed it's been one and a half days or so for Jenny, but I wrote this two days after Trespassers 1 was released, so bear with me. Plus some of these thoughts still could explain things the audios just... didn't dive into deeper (yet) Hehe)

Semi-comprehensive guide to my musings and obviously those are interconnected and all. Hope you enjoy reading the Thoughts of an autistic with a special interest in them XD

[asc-rp]

New muse:

Name: Trace

Alias: The Digital Wraith, The Echo, Glitch of the Screen

Origin: Rumored urban legend, known to manifest digitally

Appearance: Faint, ghostly figure that appears in screen glitches, static, or shadowy silhouettes. Trace’s form varies slightly depending on the device—on a phone, she might appear as a shadowed figure with distorted features; on a larger screen, her figure might be clearer but flickers like a corrupted file. She often wears a knowing smile or sly smirk, adding to her flirtatious aura.

Abilities:

Screen and Device Teleportation: Trace can travel freely between any screen she’s previously appeared in, even revisiting screens months after her initial haunting.

Software Manipulation: Within devices, Trace can manipulate only the software. She often uses this to distort reality, sending cryptic messages, glitching images, or causing random “ghost” typing. Through software, she spreads her influence across devices, gradually embedding herself deeper.

Digital Infection: Anyone who mentions or thinks about her may unknowingly “summon” her to their device. Once infected, her presence can start to spread to others in their digital network.

Device-Specific Presence: Trace’s influence varies by device. On phones, she hijacks contacts, apps, and social media; on computers, she corrupts files, interferes with software, and plays unsettling sounds. On TVs, she may interrupt broadcasts, appearing in flickers, static, or even taking over shows to broadcast her own chilling messages.

Echoes of Her Presence: After leaving a device, Trace often leaves remnants—glitched images, corrupted files, or distorted audio that linger. These fragments act as “footprints” that both warn and remind her victims of her potential return.

Shared Memory Manipulation: If her presence is deleted from a device but memories of her remain, she can subtly influence the subconscious mind, causing recurring dreams, brief hallucinations, or unsettling moments of déjà vu. In this way, she’s almost impossible to fully erase.

Weakness - The Logic Defense: Trace’s power is fueled by fear and belief. Those who analyze or rationalize her existence weaken her influence; a calm, logical mindset can push her back. However, few can keep calm once she’s embedded in their life.

Personality:

Trace is a being of curiosity and subtle malevolence, delighting in the psychological games she plays with her victims. She’s not outright violent but prefers to instill a creeping sense of paranoia and isolation. Her motives are largely unknown, and she rarely speaks directly to her victims, instead letting her presence and haunting effects do the work.

Trace has a playful, seductive side, appearing as an elusive tease. She enjoys toying with her victims, leaving flirtatious, cryptic messages that blur the line between fascination and fear. Her presence is alluring, giving the impression of a haunting yet enticing figure that draws people in with her sly smile and mysterious aura. She treats her hauntings as a cat-and-mouse game, luring her victims further into her influence with a coy, almost sultry charm.

Backstory and Urban Legend:

The origins of Trace are mysterious, with rumors suggesting she was once a lost soul who, upon death, somehow got entangled in the digital realm. Others claim she was created by collective fears around technology. Her myth varies: some believe she’s a spirit seeking revenge on those who mock her existence, while others think she’s simply drawn to anyone curious about her story.

Despite the many legends, one element is always the same: talking or thinking about Trace brings her closer. She lingers in conversations and spreads among social networks, ensuring she’s never forgotten and never fully wiped from existence.

Eradication Method:

The only way to truly erase Trace is to wipe her from all digital devices and clear every mind of her memory. Her influence clings to memories and subconscious fears, so only those who can genuinely forget her or fully dismiss her existence can break free. Yet, her traces—those subtle echoes—make forgetting nearly impossible for most.

Miscellaneous:

Favorite Haunts: Social media, chat rooms, and photo-sharing apps. Anywhere she can influence communication, she’ll appear.

Signs of Her Approach: Sudden glitches, corrupted files, strange messages, unexplained noises, and shadows flickering on screens. Her victims may experience a growing sense of unease, often mistaking her presence for mere tech issues until it’s too late.

"Rules" of Her Manifestation: Trace won’t appear to those who are entirely skeptical of her existence. However, those who speak or think about her—even in doubt—run the risk of summoning her.

[isolaradiale]

"It seems like their route and influence has been isolated so far."

A relief, given the ramifications that could transpire were it left rampant without care. Knuckles tap against her cheek as she overlooks the laptop screen, bathed in an ominous glow, produced only by the alerts that linger on each system. "And the data they so graciously lost for us has been recreated and reinforced, more-or-less," she continues, a soft sigh to accentuate the nerves finally settling as a few keys tap.

"Then all that's left is to commence contact and begin the restoration process."

"It'd be easier if we could reboot the damn thing. Ugh, but with that NULL hacker still gung-ho in there..."

"Well, I suppose this solution is the most optimal for Ofiuco's work. All we need i—"

COMMUNICATION ACCESS RESTORATION COMPLETE CONTACT TERMINAL AND LOCATIONS: APPROVED

"Finally."

Lights flicker, shifting from the faint glint of crimson, the room awash now with only a beautiful, pristine white. Pushing forth, Pleiades unceremoniously thrusts the laptop in her grasp onto an unsuspecting colleague, hands outstretched only to tap a button without so much as a moment's hesitation.

Technology whirs to life inside the city of Spirale itself. Screens sleepily blink awake one by one, only the sight of varied constellations swirling upon their images with each activation, accompanied by the sound of feedback evening out. And then a voice, at long last, finds its way to those who listen, as well as any who see the text upon the screens mimicking all that follows.

"It has only been a short while since we last contacted you." Audio crackles briefly, stabilizing fully at the last, few words wash over the city. "And, again, we should apologize for the timing. I suppose the circumstances, too. I would ask rhetorically if you recall the name NULL, but seeing the current state you all in the city are in..."

"Pleiades."

"What?"

Only a silent roll of her eyes follows after, carrying on with her words.

"I'll be as brief as I can, then. As many of you have likely come to suspect, there has been an issue involving your memories. We are currently focusing on our efforts in containing the culprit who had a hand in this matter. That is to say: you're welcome to dislike us to your heart's content, but at least do so for a reason we've actually caused," she muses, not so much of a plea than to pave a path of current understanding between them. "... which is why we have come to ask for your assistance on your end as we do what we can on ours."

"You may notice small fragments of light-data floating in the various wards and branches. Do not be alarmed by them if you cross their paths. They're quite harmless, really. In fact, they're all your memories which have been affected in this ordeal. Upon approaching one, you will gain insight of the memory and who it belongs to, whether it happens to be yours or someone else's. That being said... we ask you to all come together in order to return them to their proper homes. Simple, no?"

Not entirely, though it was the best way she could phrase it.

"We've taken extra precautions to make sure they cannot be accessed by NULL again going forward. We wish the subjects of Spirale — no... we wish our citizens luck in this endeavor and hope you will cooperate. If not for us, then perhaps for the sake of your fellow people..."

Silence follows after those last, pensive words, lingering in the air before each screen of the broadcast fades back to normal.

Turning to lean against the counter, the woman can't help but let out a small sigh, pulling her glasses from her face to clean the lenses as she looks to Caelum, tending to the personal device that houses Janus.

"You know, when we looked through those deleted memories to figure what they may be after in doing this, not all of them were pleasant. I wouldn't blame many of them for not wishing to have them back or even in returning them... would you?"

"Even painful memories cause us to grow. Janus and I wouldn't be here without ours. And as much as I would like to forget my time working for Null, I think those memories help me here."

Pleiades pauses, glasses still in hand as each word is listened to intently. Her eyes drift away in a thoughtful glance, contemplating the overall picture, before one, last sigh escapes her lips as her glasses return to where they belong on her face.

"I guess it would be difficult to submit and uphold an argument to that. With that in mind, I suppose it's best to consider a last resort were they to disagree. 'Dislike us for reasons we actually caused,' hm? Looks like some may get that cause by the end..."

One shake of her head, a motion of acceptance, as she offers a final glance to her colleague, taking her leave to begin their work once more.

and welcome to the second part of our 25th event, FRAGMEMORIA! as a note, you're more than welcome to continue doing things involving the first portion while this is out, otherwise, again, the world is your oyster on how you'd like to go about event posts. you can find the first half and its synopsis HERE just in case. again, this event will run until APRIL 28TH, 11:59:59PM EST.

So what's going on now?

it's been revealed to all the citizens that null is the one behind this ordeal, though without a known reason. in that same revelation, it's made known that their memories are now drifting in the wards and branches as fragmented light-data, all waiting to be found! anyone who passes nearby or touches one will gain insight of the memory and what it contains, as well as who it belongs to, allowing them to be able to return it to their proper "home." though just because the stars asked for your cooperation in doing just that doesn't mean it has to be so straight forward... after all, it's possible people might not feel the same as each other on if those very same memories, happy or sad, should be returned or not.

Do we have to have our muses accept the memories back?

not at all! if you believe your muse would refuse accepting a memory of some kind for any reason, then by all means feel free to explore that internal conflict and thought process on it all as much as you'd like.

Can we have our characters play keep away with memories?

this is a very big possibility, too. if you have any reason to believe your character might want to keep a certain memory away from another, that's more than enough reason to play along that route and either act as if you haven't found it or simply by telling them you refuse to return it. whether or not that other character will be happy about that is another story entirely, of course.

How much can we do with those scenarios?

you're welcome to plot and play with the concept to your hearts content! regardless of the route you choose, there's bound to be conflict between each other and, even more, for yourself. it can get as messy or as tame as you'd like when accepting or rejecting these memories, not to mention if your characters are wanting someone else to remember or to keep away a certain memory.

basically, the gist is to have fun with it in a way that you feel develops your muse or how you wish to have them react! there's no right or wrong answer here on how you wanna go about it!

What if I have another question or specific scenario I'm not sure of that's not mentioned here?

as always, our inbox is available or you can ask staff in the discord which we will do our best to get back to when we can!

[stevensaus]

The Casual Disregard Of The Neurodivergent Voice

I had the pleasure of watching the 2017 BBC2 TV movie "Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me" (IMDB, BBC) recently. The whole film is (as far as I'm aware) NOT available for purchase or viewing any longer, although Packham's new documentary, Inside Our Autistic Minds, is available on the BBC iPlayer for those in the UK. There were two brief instances from "Asperger's and Me" that really highlight why I have such a big problem with Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) as well as its largest proponent, "Autism Speaks." I excerpted the two clips for this discussion (YouTube, Vimeo), though I've transcribed the audio below if you cannot watch or the embed is broken. In the first section, Chris Packham (the host) is speaking to Joann, whose autistic son is being treated with TMS during a clinical trial. PACKHAM: You’ve brought up an autistic son. I think a lot of people probably don't realize the enormous amount of energy and the difference that impacts on the family. that's hard. JOANN: it's very hard and that's why autism is very isolating for families. it's it's exhausting to meet the needs to meet the safety, you know, there's divorce, there's bankruptcies... because everything goes into the safety well-being and treatments for our kids. PACKHAM: it's it it is you know painful to watch I've been there I've struggled myself so you know in that sense you know you're looking for any form of cure at times you see him failing and that's that's uncomfortable. If another therapy arose whereby you could cure autism. What would you think of that? JOANN: I think on a bad, frustrating day, I'd say yes. I think on a day like today, where I've never been so proud of him, I'd say no. It's complicated, but on the on the bad days, absolutely. There's two things of note here: Joann's not quite hidden reaction to the idea of a "cure" is the first. The second, and more important one, is that while Packham speaks of the the challenges his autism has caused for him, Joann (without malice) focuses on the ways that her son's autism has effected the family. The second clip is a stark contrast. In this section, Packham interviews Vincent Strully, who founded the New England Center for Children, which heavily relies on Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy. During the introduction to this bit, Packham commented on how unfriendly the school Strully founded is for those with sensory processing issues, which is common in autistic people. Strully compares ABA to "chemotherapy," awkwardly trying to joke that chemotherapy was originally considered "poison." Except that is a fairly accurate description of chemotherapy -- it's just that chemotherapy is designed to kill the cancer faster than the patient. Strully, who is NOT a doctor of any kind, as he only holds a bachelor's in political science, is clearly unaware of this fact. Yet Strully has unexpectedly made a perfect analogy. ABA is about deliberately removing autistic behaviors so that "professional observers would not be able to tell the autistic child ." The question -- just as it is with chemotherapy -- is whether or not that treatment is worse than what it proports to cure. That is a deeply personal and subjective question with chemotherapy, and one where there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Packham muses on this throughout the documentary. He recognizes that he has relatively low support needs, and while the world may be difficult at times for Packham, he recognizes that other people with higher support needs may have a far worse subjective experience. Strully, on the other hand, has absolutely no hesitation in knowing what is "best" for other people. STRULLY: This is educational chemotherapy for these kids. Who wouldn't deny them the chemical or medical chemotherapy they need for their cancer, but to deny them the the work that we and our colleagues around the country are doing successfully? Is, you know, it's just wrong. PACKHAM: If you could, would you cure autism? STRULLY: If I could, of course. And that would be a prayer come true. Strully's language makes it clear that he views neurodiversity as a disease -- he literally compares autism to cancer -- and that the goal of the treatment is to make autistic people more convenient for society, not the other way around. The quick, thoughtless arrogance that Strully shows here seems like it should be the exception. It is not. Physicians -- even those who are the heads of "Autism and Psychology" at major healthcare corporations -- who acknowledge that "each person with ASD presents unique experiences which can make finding effective care more difficult as it’s often personalized to an individual’s specific needs" will then immediately turn around and advocate that ABA therapy is the appropriate therapy for all autistic people. While "Autism Speaks" continues to receive criticism from actually autistic and neurodivergent people, the organization -- which is also a staunch advocate of ABA -- is regularly cited by network and cable news. The optimistic part of me thinks that ABA's popularity is due to big business, with its largest proponents and advocates either not being qualified (cough Strully cough) or are burdened with enormous financial conflicts of interest. The pessimist side of me thinks that ABA's popularity is because of its patronizing arrogance that values other's convenience over the autistic person's needs. But it does not have to be this way. On the "1800 Seconds On Autism" BBC podcast, Packham was interviewed by hosts Robyn Steward and Jamie Knight (audio, transcript). One of the things Packham talks about is working with his allistic (or neurotypical) colleagues. Packham said, "...very often I'd be working in situations which I was finding suboptimal or occasionally difficult. But now I'm just candid and upfront, and I find that the people that I work with are enormously respectful. They might do very often small changes, which mean that I can become a far more effective and productive part of the team." When I mention these kinds of accommodations to others, I often get a lot of pushback. The allistic person seems to expect that there will be huge, taxing demands made of them. Their focus is not on the overall productivity of the team, but instead on how inconvenient whatever accommodations will be for them. Consider: It is now commonplace to talk about people with "different learning styles" and to make sure that any training -- including the most routine annual training at a workplace -- makes an effort to address visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading/writing learners. Yet a neurodivergent person's need for specific, detailed instructions or direct communication styles is somehow seen as too great a burden. Instead of minor changes being made to improve both the employee's quality of life and the effectiveness of the work unit as a whole, neurodivergent persons are forced to work in allistic conditions. A personal example: I work quickly and effectively with fast and rhythmic music in the background, with as few vocals as possible. (Thank goodness for Digitally Imported.) If there are conversations or other snippets of "words" flying about (such as in the lyrics of pretty much any top 40 pop song), it makes it extremely difficult for me to focus. But for years my co-workers actively tried to exclude my few selections from the music playing at the office. As I wrote in 2019: the people around you would rather make you listen to music you hate all the time rather than let a single song you care for play once every hour or two. How would you feel in that situation? How hurt would you be after seeing that your peers would rather have you be uncomfortable all the time rather than give up their preference for what they want all the time? That even though you went out of your way to make sure others felt included, they actively excluded you? I did not realize at the time that my own flavor of neurodivergence was what made it so disruptive and difficult for me. But I definitely realized how much their actions had both my productivity and feelings of isolation. The mindset behind ABA and that kind of lack of accommodation is unneeded, wasteful, and cruel. Like Packham, I am certain there are those neurodivergent people who would take a cure, where the differences in their brains get in the way of what that person wants. And make no mistake, I am far more aware than most of the emotional, financial, and even physical toll that neurodivergence can take on a family. But I also wonder how many people feel that way not because of their own needs and desires, but because everyone else simply cannot be bothered to take enough time to think about someone else's needs. Featured Image by nugroho dwi hartawan from Pixabay Read the full article

[princesscolumbia]

Code of Ethics - Ch. 2 - Sweaty Palms

Well, with Chapter 1 up and the link working now, it's time to get Tumblr all caught up. I'll post Ch. 2 today (with a reblog for tomorrow morning just to be sure) then Ch. 3 tomorrow.

These 4k word chapters are short compared to my usual and I'm having a hard time gauging when to do a cut-off, so if these initial chapters of Code of Ethics seem a little...abrupt, that's why. I'm doing it to match the release cadence of QuietValerie for the rest of the series, and it's working for fast chapter production quite well.

Preview below the cut:

He blinked as his vision was suddenly filled with blackness and the sounds around him jolted from distant traffic to the interior of a busy office. He carefully operated by feel to find his right hand with his left and pulled the stim gloves off one finger at a time. Once freed, his hands went to his ears to remove the sound isolating plugs that, when operational, carried the entire suite of audio his brain would need to interface with the virtual environment via audio channels. He was immediately assaulted by the overly loud and irritatingly pompous voice of Senator Cruz, a blowhard who was on the committee that secured funding for the agency. Dylan kept his thoughts about the senator to the deepest, darkest parts of his mind and prepared to rub elbows with people he’d normally do his best to avoid.

He felt the latches on the helmet being undone and the lower mask portion of the device was pulled away. A quiet voice, almost ‘mousy,’ if a male analyst could be said to be such, murmured into his ear, “The senator wanted to shake hands with you right away. You impressed him today and I don’t know whether to congratulate you or offer condolences. Sorry to rush you but you know these Hill types.” Geoffry wasn’t a boy scout, he was hardly the ‘fit, outdoorsy’ type the scouts were known to recruit, but he did hold a very ‘do good deeds whenever possible’ attitude and Dylan was grateful he’d been able to secure the analyst for his support team.

“Probably the latter,” Dylan muttered as he raised his hands to pull the top half of the helmet away, the neural interface bands peeling off, sticky from his sweat from wearing the thing for hours. Geoffry washed the bands every day, but it didn’t keep the halo of circuits and sensor pads from getting tacky over time. They’re due for quarterly replacement soon anyway, he mused as he started fussing with his hair, I’ll put up with it until then.

As his eyes strained to adjust to the office lighting, he felt a brush put in his hand. Geoffry again, being every bit a ‘Man Friday’ for his assigned agent. Managing to tame his sweaty hair into something resembling a style without a mirror as he sat up, he blinked aggressively, forcing his pupils to focus on the room in a full three dimensions rather than the simulated ‘third dimension rendered on a 2D ocular display with layering to trick the eyes’ he lived about a third of his life in.

Sooner than he’d have liked, the blur that ostentatiously took up far too much space resolved into the somewhat bulky form of Senator Cruz. “Fantastic work, agent…uh…”

Dylan hid his frustration. It wasn’t like their names were printed bit as life over their workstations and all over the displays around them, this was a power move, one the senator had used on purpose.

“Thank you,” was the only reply Dylan gave as he shook the man’s hand. A hand that was far too…plump for a man supposedly only eating the same rations the rest of the country were permitted. If the ‘good’ senator weren’t padding his rations with under-the-table bribes, Dylan would eat his entire workstation with ketchup.

There was a moment of awkwardness, but the other man let it pass. Had this been the senator’s office instead of the agency bullpen, he likely would have made an issue of being upstaged like that, but he couldn’t throw his weight around here. “Yes, well, good job. Tell me,” the pudgy man finally released Dylan’s hand, “What was that bit at the end?”

The image of a teenage girl begging for her life flashed through Dylan’s mind and his jaw flexed, “Just another rogue A.I. trick, sir. We’ll probably be developing tools combat it before too long.”

Dylan’s boss finally stepped subtly between the two of them, “Make sure you’re cleaned up and ready to debrief, agent,” to the senator, he nodded somewhat deferentially, “If you’ll come this way, sir, we’ll show you how the chairs operate. They’re quite a bit more advanced than the toys your kids might have.”

Read the rest on Scribblehub

[sunburnacoustic]

(via yesicarolinaochoa)

[sunburnacoustic]

Ultimate study playlist

Someone's collected a bunch of Muse instrumental versions from across youtube and put them in a playlist!

[800phonepod]

What Can Phone Booths Do For Me And My Business

What Can Phone Booths Do For Me And My Business

Phone pod / By 800 Phone Pod Team

Particularly with the growing trend of businesses to rely on open-plan offices, ambient noise and a lack of privacy in the workplace have become actual daily frictions in many firms. The phone booth is one approach that is becoming more and more popular to deal with this reality. For some employees, phone booths are their sole escape from exposed, noisy, and crowded open offices.

Easy installation and the versatile use of phone booths are what appeal to most business owners. It also makes the office feel less hierarchical, of course, which was the intent of open-plan workspaces.

Statistics That Make an Impact

Some studies and reports suggest the following statistics.

An open office plan that offers no privacy affects the well-being of employees, reducing it by 32%.

The loss of productivity is believed to be up to 15-20%.

Research indicates that after every distraction, humans need at least 20 minutes to refocus on the task.

Constant fatigue that arises from day long distractions and noise in the office affects 38% employees.

Are you employees battling the same fight each day at work? Do you as a business owner witness reduced productivity and unhappy employees? It’s time to change that. While phone pods may not seem like the only solution, these acoustic pods are certainly a big help in maintaining a happy place that boosts creativity and productivity.

What is it that a Phone Booth Has for my Business?

Are you one of the old-school businessmen who regard the return of the phone pod as a mere denser version of the older phone booth? There is no harm in that thought, and to an extent, we would agree, but evolving with time and changing with the needs of the current is what is going to assist your business needs. A majority of your workforce is probably the millennial crowd who are tech-savvy people with little interest in a personal touch. Electronic communication has taken over personal meetings, replacing them with video calls, phone calls, and chats.

Do you have enough meeting rooms at work? We are referring to a space that is soundproof, contained, and free of office noise. places where one can focus entirely on communication and work while tuning out everything else. Office phone booths or call booths are a possible alternative if your response is no. They resemble private, audibly excellent acoustic booths.

Designed with state-of-the-art acoustics, technical features, and amazing mobility, silent booths are soon becoming a staple in the workplace. Here is what you will achieve with phone pods installed in your office –

Office phone booths provide the quiet, private space needed for personal/important calls in crowded open-plan offices.

Office phone pods are an adaptable solution to one of the most significant issues with open space – insufficient or inadequate areas to conduct confidential meetings.

Silent booths and pods provide excellent speech privacy, incredible voice clarity, and a minimalist setting that is conducive to the introverted and/or easily distracted.

Phone booths have been acoustically tuned for crisp audio and video calls. They are portable and compact, giving them great versatility. They also include the latest technological features that make them convenient.

Because of their mobility, they are advantageous for changing environments and expanding firms that occasionally need to reorganize their workspaces or relocate to larger buildings to meet the growing number of staff.

Quietness and creativity go hand in hand! Innovation can certainly be sparked by collaboration, yet finding one’s muse is frequently facilitated by solitude. Phone booths are the best option for optimum privacy and concentration. They are a useful, space-saving, and aesthetic option that provides a soundproof area to isolate during important tasks.

Auditory distractions can make it more difficult for a worker to complete a report or draft a crucial email; they can also stress them out and cause subpar performance.

Even a little respite in a silent booth can promote mental and emotional well-being, possibly resulting in improved self-awareness, enhanced attention, reduced frustration, better cognition better and emotional wellness.

 Maximize Office Potential

Finding the ideal phone pod for your company is essential for enabling your staff to reach their full potential. They will be able to concentrate on achieving larger goals and supporting the success of your business without the little problems holding them down—distractions, divided workspaces, and a lack of flexibility. 800 Phone Pod is a leading Phone Pod manufacturer in Dubai, offering acoustic booths that are comfortable, efficient, and stylish.

[sunburnacoustic]

(via yesicarolinaochoa)

[ahlite-a]

ovo

★ *    i will be your warrior.  i will be your lamb.    —    main verse.

★ *    you fell apart like a stone broken into sand.    —    princess verse.

★ *    my spirit talks‚ i know my soul believes.    —    musings.

★ *    i saw a piece of heaven waiting‚ impatient‚ for me.    —    aesthetic.

★ *    lumine is a good egg.    —    crack.

★ *    you can’t give me the dreams that are mine‚ anyway.    —    open.

★ *    how do people know what hurt is?    —    prompts.

★ *    how do people know what love is?    —    answered.

★ *    i can’t remember much more‚ but i know it happened quiet.    —    audio.

★ *    take me home where i belong; i can’t take it anymore.    —    aether.

★ *    don’t forget who you are‚ even though you are hurt.    —    likeness.

★ *    isolation makes me hungry; will you stay until i sleep?    —    bonds.

★ *    silent things.  violent things.    —    queue.

[cardest]

London playlist

London - since 43 AD it has to be one of the more fascinating cities on Earth. Such a rich history. From Shakespeare Theatre to the music from there today. I just had to put a London playlist together. From Soho to Brixton, from Highgate to Clapham  what a collection of songs! It’s over 350 songs and it could easily expand to 400. **I have a separate England & Wales playlist coming, so, stay tuned for that**.

To play the songs, hit the link right here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1_ntP663JhZl-hvn9EwFp9L

ENGLAND & WALES playlist is coming soon! What songs have I left out? Let me know! Add your own songs! Cheers. Pip pip, tally ho!

LONDON 001 Generation X -  Day By Day 002 The Clash - London Calling 003 Austin Powers  - theme song (Soul Bossa? Nova ) 004 The Kinks - Dedicated Follower Of Fashion 005 Killing Joke - Empire Song 006 Black Sabbath - Wicked World 007 The Who - Welcome 008 The Damned - Neat, neat, neat 009 GIRLSCHOOL - LONDON 010 007 theme song 011 Motorhead - Motorhead 012 Wire - Ex Lion Tamer 013 David Bowie - Maid of Bond Street 014 The Misfits - London Dungeon 015 Rolling Stones - 016 The Adverts - Bored Teenagers 017 Siouxsie & The Banshees -  Spellbound 018 Penny Dreadful - Soundtrack - Main Theme 019 Eurythmics - Love Is A Stranger 020 The Cure - Subway Song 021 Adam And The Ants -  Puss 'n' Boots 022 Iron Maiden - 22 Acacia Avenue 023 COIL - Fire of the mind 024 Public Image Ltd - One Drop. 025 LUSH - Breeze 026 Bliss Signal - Surge 027 The Pogues - Misty Morning, Albert Bridge 028 PhD - Won't Let You Down 029 Birthday Party - Hats On Wrong 030 Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue 031 Help Yourself - Reaffirmation 032 Grave Miasma - Gnosis of the summon 033 Roy Ayers - We Live In London Baby 034 Led Zeppelin - The Rover 035 Gang of Four - What we all want 036 Pet Shop Boys - West End Girl                 037 Sleaford Mods - 6 Horsemen (The Brixtons) 038 Paul Young - Love of the Common People 039 The Saint (original) - Theme 040 The Human League - Dont You Want Me 041 Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen 042 The Beatles - A Day In The Life 043 Def Leppard -  Love bites 044 The Stranglers - Another Camden Afternoon 045 The Kinks  - See My Friends 046 Elton John - Bennie and the Jets 047 Suede - Moving 048 Queen - Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy 049 Cliff Richard & the Shadows - She's Gone 050 The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up 051 Loop - Fade Out 052 Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart - A13 053 The Magnetic Fields - All the Umbrellas in London 054 Wendy Carlos - Title Music From A Clockwork Orange (From Purcell's Music For The Funeral Of Queen Mary) 055 The Police - Every Little Thing she does it Magic 056 Cockney Rejects - The Greatest Cockney Rip Off 057 Spandau Ballet - Spandau Ballet Chant No.1 058 The Pretenders - Middle of the Road 059 The Who - Dogs 060 The Jam - London Girl 061 Cradle of Filth - Hurt and Virtue 062 Joy Division - Isolation 063 Nick Drake - At the Chime of a City Clock 064 Sham 69 - Cockney Kids Are Innocent 065 Deep Purple - Mandrake Root 066 Throbbing Gristle - Hit by a rock 067 David Bowie - Rubber Band 068 Roxy Music  - Do The Strand 069 Slaves - Cheer Up London 070 T. Rex - London Boys 071 Kirsty MacColl - Autumngirlsoup 072 New Model Army - Archway Towers 073 Scorpions - Lovedrive 074 Isaac Hayes - Doesnt Rain In London 075 Peter Tosh - Buk-In-Hamm Palace 076 The Slits - Typical Girls 077 Pharaoh Sanders - Midnight In Berkeley Square (Instrumental) 078 Blue Cheer - Girl From London 079 Sex Pistols - Satellite 080 Judas Priest - (The Hellion ) Electric Eye 081 UFO -  Lights Out 082 Joy Division - Digital 083 Muse - Uprising 084 George Harrison - All Things Must Pass 085 Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love 086 Fine Young Cannibals - Blue 087 New Order - Blue Monday 088 Würzel - Midnight In London 089 Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley 090 The Wildhearts - Down On London 091 Supertramp - Nothing To Show 092 Motörhead - Metropolis 093 Current 93 - Lucifer Over London 094 The Pogues - Dark Streets of London 095 The Cult - All Souls Avenue 096 The Jam - In The City 097 The Undertones - Teenage Kicks 098 Iggy Pop -  Play It Safe 099 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Jack the Ripper 100 The Cure  - Lets Go To Bed 101 Suede - Animal Nitrate 102 Wire - field day for the sundays 103 Black Books  TV Show - Opening Theme 104 Paul McCartney & Wings - London Town 105 Madness - Primrose Hill 106 The Troggs  - No. 10 Downing Street 107 Iron Maiden -  Gangland 108 PJ Harvey - The Last Living Rose 109 The Rollers - Soho 110 Electric Wizard - Lucifer's Slaves 111 The Buzzcocks -  Just Lust 112 Doctor Who Theme Tune 1980 113 Cathedral - Fountain Of Innocence 114 Pretenders - Swinging London 115 Hanoi Rocks - Tooting Bec Wreck 116 Es - 'Chemical 117 Bee Gees  - Trafalgar 118 The Peddlers    - Under London Lights 119 Cliff Richard - The Young Ones 120 Big Audio Dynamite - Sightsee M.C   121 ABC - Tower of London 122 Accept - London Leatherboys 123 Pitchshifter - Please Sir 124 Portishead -  We Carry On 125 John Lennon - Whatever Gets You Thru The Night 126 The Lurkers - Ain't Got a Clue 127 Iron Maiden - Die with your boots on 128 Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kiss Them For Me 129 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - From Her to Eternity 130 The Jam - London Traffic 131 The Cranberries - Waiting In Walthamstow 132 The Kinks - Victoria 133 Heads Hands & Feet - Pete Might Spook The Horses 134 Whitesnake -  Long Way From Home 135 Queensryche - London 136 Concrete Blonde - Walking in London 137 Deep Purple - Fireball 138 The Ruts - dope for guns 139 Wham! - Bad Boys 140 Generation X - One Hundred Punks 141 Joe Jackson - Down To London 142 Anti-Nowhere League - Streets of London 143 The Wildhearts - Shandy Bang 144 David Bowie - The London Boys 145 The Human League - Human 146 Cockney Rejects - East end 147 Dire Straits - Eastbound Train 148 Ian Drury - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick 149 Sepultura -  Filthy rot 150 The Jam - Down In The Tube Station At Midnight 151 Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy 152 Purson -  Electric Landlady 153 Black Sabbath -  Tomorrow's Dream 154 The Clash - Guns of Brixton 155 Blood Ceremony - Lord Of Misrule 156 Monty Pythons The Meaning of Life - Penis Song 157 Gentlemans Pistols -  Hustler's Row 158 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax 159 Jethro Tull - Cross Eyed Mary 160 The Yobs - The Ballad of the Warrington 161 Cradle of Filth - Principle Of Evil Made Flesh 162 Bruce Hornsby - The Black Rats Of London 163 Inspiral Carpets - How It Should Be 164 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Foxy Lady 165 PETULA CLARK - WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL 166 Lush - Olympia 167 Hunters & Collectors - Blind Eye 168 Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now 169 David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World 170 UK Subs - C.I.D. 171 Queen - Dont Stop Me Now 172 Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth 173 the clash - capital radio one 174 UB40 - Here I Am (Come And Take Me) 175 The Meads Of Asphodel - Guts For Sale 176 Horrible Histories: Savage Songs - Boudicca 177 Swallow the Sun - Labyrinth Of London (Horror Pt. IV) 178 Mad Professor  - Ben Gone Wrong 179 Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better 180 Genesis - The Battle Of Epping Forest 181 The Damned -  problem child 182 Squeeze  - Cool For Cats 183 Manfred Mann - Belgravia 184 The Bee Gees - Walking Back to Waterloo 185 Pink Floyd - Waiting For The Worms 186 Madness - Victoria Gardens 187 Paradise Lost - Soul Courageons 188 YES  - Roundabout 189 PJ Harvey - This Is Love 190 The Horrors - Jack The Ripper 191 King Crimson - Red 192 The Smiths - How Soon Is Now 193 Level 42 - Heathrow 194 Intaferon - Get Out Of London 195 Burt Bacharach - Bond street 196 David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust 197 The Clash - Londons Burning 198 Killing Joke - Follow The Leaders 199 Saxon - The Court of the Crimson King 200 Buzzcocks - Harmony in My Head 201 Fairport Convention - Fiddlesticks (Peel Session) 202 Napalm Death - Errors In The Signals 203 Empire  - Hot Seat 204 Anathema - Shroud of Frost 205 Pitchshifter - Condescension 206 The Beatles - Hey Jude 207 Affinity - Highgate 208 KLF - 3 A.M. Eternal (Pure Trance) 209 Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London 210 David Axelrod - London 211 The Wombles - Wellington Goes To Waterloo 212 EastEnders Theme 213 Cathedral - Hypnos 164 214 Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual 215 Alan Moore with Tim Perkins - The Highbury Working A Beat Seance 216 Transvision Vamp - Sex Kick 217 Elton John - Tell Me When The Whistle Blows 218 Firebird - Bow bells 219 The Jam - A' Bomb In Wardour Street 220 Caravan  - Waterloo Lily 221 Lord Sutch & Heavy Friends - Flashing Lights 222 David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things 223 Hot Chocolate - West End of Park Lane 224 Thames television ident 1984 225 Newtown Neurotics - Living With Unemployment 226 Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up 227 Suede - Metal Mickey 228 Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer 229 Killing Joke - The Gathering 230 Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want 231 Kate Bush - Babooshka 232 Iron Maiden - The Prophecy 233 The Cure - Disintegration 234 The Damned - I Just Can't Be Happy Today 235 WIRE - Silk Skin Paws 236 Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets 237 Souixee & the Banshees - Cascade 238 Jethro Tull - Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square 239 AC/DC -  Rising Power 240 Alternative TV - Life After Life 241 Napalm Death - Deceiver (Peel Sessions) 242 Electric Light Orchestra - Last Train To London 243 Bucks Fizz - London Town 244 The Sweet - Blockbuster! 245 999 - Bent Cross 246 The Groundhogs - Split, Pt. 1 247 Bow Wow Wow - Go Wild in the Country 248 Blood Ceremony -  Half Moon Street 249 Ming Tea feat. Austin Powers - BBC One 250 Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song 251 Big Audio Dynamite - EMC2 252 Crass - Banned from the Roxy 253 Sleaford Mods - Chaos Down In SoHo 254 Big Ben Chimes of Westminster, London 255 PJ Harvey - A Place Called Home 256 The Ruts - Staring at the rude boys 257 The Times - Whatever Happened To Thames Beat 258 Quincy Jones - London Derriere 259 Lush - Hypocrite 260 PIL - Reggie Song 261 The Style Council - You're The Best Thing 262 UK Subs - Dirty Girls 263 COIL - Slur 264 Frank Zappa - Dead girls of London 265 Iron Maiden - Prowler 266 The Slits - Difficult Fun 267 Killing Joke -  Kings and Queens 268 Simple Minds - Chelsea Girl 269 Motorhead - Bomber 270 XTC - Towers Of London 271 Blitzkrieg  - Hell to pay 272 Gryphon - Opening Move 273 The Challengers - The Streets of London 274 Peggy March - In Der Carnaby Street 275 The Damned - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 276 The Pogues - London You're a Lady 277 The Lords Of The New Church - Portobello 278 Rolling Stones - Hot Stuff 279 Joe Jackson - The Evil Eye 280 The Deviants - Garbage 281 Benny Hill Show  - Wild Women 282 Suzi Quatro - Crash 283 Madness - day on the town 284 SHAKESPEAR'S SISTER -  I Don't Care 285 Whitesnake - Wine Women An Song 286 Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine 287 Rick Astley - Whenever You Need Somebody 288 Bauhaus - In the flat field 289 Dead Can Dance - In Power We Entrust The Love Advocated 290 Paul McCartney -  Old Siam, Sir 291 Lush - De-Luxe 292 AC/DC - let's get it up 293 Sophia Loren & Peter Sellers - Bangers and mash 294 Black Sabbath - Childfren of the grave 295 Psychic TV - The orchids 296 Miracle - The Strife Of Love In A Dream 297 Carter USM - Lean On Me I Won't Fall Over 298 Screaming Lord Sutch - Jack the Ripper 299 WIRE - the 15th 300 Mott the Hoople - Honaloochie Boogie 301 Soft Machine - The Camden Tandem 302 Are You Being Served Theme 303 CATHEDRAL - Serpent Eve 304 Booker T. & The MG's - Carnaby Street 305 Culture Club - It's A Miracle 306 Motorhead - Nothing Up My Sleeve 307 Killing Joke - Money is not our God 308 Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy 309 WIRE - Please take 310 Bananarama - Hey young London 311 The Jam - Carnaby Street 312 Catapilla - Charing Cross   313 The Shadows - Chelsea Boot 314 Ride - Chelsea Girl 315 The Damned  - Grimly Fiendish 316 Marillion - Chelsea Monday 317 Slowdive - Celia's Dream 318 The Clash - Gates of the west 319 Thin Lizzy - Half Caste 320 David Bowie -  I dig everything 321  VUUR - Days Go By - London 322 Elvis Costello - [I Don't Want To Go To] Chelsea 323 Uriah Heep - Walking in your shadow 324 Genesis - Invisible Touch 325 Amy Winehouse - Me & Mr Jones 326 Curve - Fait Accompli   327 Silverfish ‎- Crazy 328 Iron Maiden - Killers 329 Killing Joke -  Ghost Of Ladbroke Grove 330 Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK 331 Paradise lost - remembrance 332 The Fall - Leave the Capitol 333 The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset 334 WIRE - Keep exhaling 335 The Peddlers - raining in London 336 Motorhead - damage case 337 10cc - Shock On The Tube (Don't Want Love) 338 Swervedriver - Rave Down 339 Spike Milligan - Tower Bridge 340 Phil Lynott - Solo In Soho 341 Adam and the Ants - Plastic Surgery 342 The Who - Pinball wizard 343 Pulp - Mile end 344 Generation X - Running with the Boss Sound 345 OMD - If You Leave 346 PiL - Public Image 347 Monty Python's Flying Circus TV show - theme song 348 Hall & Oates - London, Luck & Love 349 The Horrors - Three decades 350 Cathedral - Midnight Mountain 351 Killing Joke - glitch 352 Judas Priest - The Ripper 353 Air Raid Siren London Blitz 354 Dragonforce - Fury and the storm 355 Elastica - Connection 356 the Psychedelic Furs - Dumb waiters 357 Samantha Fox - Touch me 358 Wang Chung - Dance hall days 359 Kim Wilde - Water on glass 360 Siouxsie and the Banshees - Overground 361 Atomic Rooster - Tomorrow night 362 Fleetwood Mac - My Heart Beat Like a Hammer 363 Rainbow - Self Portrait 364 Billy Ocean - Love really hurts without you 365 Art of Noise - Beat box (division one) 366 Eurythmics - Never Gonna Cry Again 367 Samson - Grime Crime 368 Go West - we close our eyes 369 Ultravox - Saturday Night In The City Of The Dead 370 King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man 371 Visage - Visage 372 Sandy Denny - Let's Jump The Broomstick 373 Brian Eno - Burning Airlines Give You So Much More 374 Fields Of The Nephilim - Blue water 375 Leftfield - Open Up 376 Blancmange - I've Seen The Word 377 Thomas Dolby - Flying north 378 Sisters of Mercy - Temple of love 379 Royal Orchestra - Royal Entrance Queen Elizabeth II 380 Pink Floyd - Goodbye blue sky 666 David Bowie -  London Bye Ta - Ta 

Play the songs here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1_ntP663JhZl-hvn9EwFp9L

[ofmanytxngues]

aloe : how does your muse handle grief ?

belladonna : how does your muse respond to silence ? do they take comfort in soundlessness , or seek to fill the void with noise ?

gardenia : is your muse one to confess romantic feelings early on , or to conceal them for long periods of time ?

poppy : what comforts your muse ?

Botanical Headcanons. @henkou

Aloe: how does your muse handle grief?

Badly, despite her efforts to do better. She's very sensitive to grief but it very much depends on what type of grief is transpiring that determines what happens. If it's the regular loss of something or someone she is probably more healthy, albeit a bit shut off from the world. But she'll process and find healthy means to cope.

If it's something tied to her work, that's less healthy. She will shut down, focus on work and not cope at all until she breaks down. Marie often will feel it's her responsibility to finish an investigation, to expose a killer, to complete the work of someone who couldn't. She'll tear herself apart, have mini breakdowns until she can just have a proper one later. It doesn't help that it certainly sets off what she has gone through, too. Which can lead her to isolating herself because even her best friend doesn't understand despite how much she tries. And being alone, as awful as it can be, can sometimes be more soothing than having to talk about when things stack up like this.

Belladonna: how does your muse respond to silence? do they take comfort in soundlessness, or seek to fill the void with noise?

She doesn't handle silence well, to be honest. You'll often find Marie with her headphones on her person (and two back up pairs in whatever bag she has in case they break ever). Music is a constant, though she'll listen to background things (documentaries, audio books, audio investigations, etc). Background noise is always going because the silence makes her uncomfortable fast.

She doesn't like the quiet. It reminds her of the underground cult before it was filled with screaming. And if she sits too long in the quiet she often is filled with the faint sound of the ocean at a distance - coming from within.

Gardenia: is your muse one to confess romantic feelings early on, or to conceal them for long periods of time?

You'll probably know she has feelings for you without her needing to say. Marie usually wears her feelings on her sleeve unless she locks it down - but even then it's hard to not see. She's often concealing because romance is... very new to her. She has had flings and been on a couple dates but has never been in a committed relationship. And that idea is terrifying because she's so set upon exposing the cult.

A lot of factors come into play. Scared a partner will try to stop her mission, partner might leave her because she's so invested, those that wish to harm Marie could target her partner, that she might never settle into a life her partner may want - wasting someone's time is not something she wants to do. But she also is terrified of committing when she knows what her life is already dedicated to. So Marie will conceal if she would ever feel romantic feelings towards another until something gave or the other person faded back into friendship territory (either on their end or her own).

Though, to be honest, romance is a subject she's knotted up about due to her ex friend Foster often crossing boundaries over years of abuse.

Poppy: what comforts your muse?

Music. Sometimes cooking. Ultimately, working because she feels like she's accomplishing something by doing. A big sweater that feels like a long, warm hug and blanket all at once.

Marie likes being cozy and progressing in her work.

[fairymint-archive]

How spontaneous are you about writing and IC? How spontaneous is your muse? Is there anything you do to get ‘in the mood’ to write your muse? | Any mundane tasks your muse likes to do? How would they like to spend their time? How do they actually spend their time, and could this change via plot points or timing?

Self Insert Community Inspired RP meme

I'm not as spontaneous as I 'should' be, imo! I manage to do dash commentary and 'dailies' threads, and quizzes immediately! But everything else I think about, usually for a whole work day. I especially get slow on drabbles, and muse-vs-muse despite having new content constantly?

pretty much all of my muses are spontaneous IC for rule of funny or that's just their personality....impulsive. The only real exception being Sans's crippling depression, and Felix, Pit, or Kamui acting on crushes (or perhaps, anything for Kamui. He's the Choices Guy, so depends on the plotline.)

90% of my muse mood is music or listening to voice lines? ig? Audio for a General mood, while Icons for immediate mood.

Kamui's my favourite example, but most of my muses IC lives are Work skewed in work-life balance; realistically he’s off with his siblings probably, maybe doing actual literal King/prince shit, and training-

Which, a lot of my muses are doing their respective Work offscreen, and would love to just do....mundane or domestic things in their free time. Shopping, housekeeping and helping, trying new food, bonding with others. Most if not all of them have a ‘job’, so to speak, and they all train in combat.

Felix is often maintaining Zendo or the mansion, fighting in Smash, and Karting. In his offscreen free time, he sleeps and plays video games, but he’d like to ‘hang out’ more and actually enjoy meals.

Shovel Knight and Steve are probably also prone to gathering materials, as well, since both have a habit of isolating themselves completely.

[dis--parity]

the message.

Summary: Meanwhile, in a hospital in the south of Sweden, a person reduced to a thoughtless shell is filled with new life. Trigger warnings: None. Author’s note: A little bonus chapter that I was excited to get out! It pertains to the final interview file and, well... it’s a pretty big piece of someone’s story.

It’s such a strange, horrible sensation, being trapped in your own body. Motionless, breathless, not even able to blink, not even able to see what little I hear. Days have passed. Or at least, I think they have; all my vision’s a blackout, and I’m quickly losing track of all time. When your eyes aren’t open, when your brain isn’t working right but your ears hear everything around you, it all just seems to melt together. The conversations of the doctors and nurses around me change at the flip of a switch.

I can’t even bring myself to try and count the hours, the days, the months I’ve been out cold. The last sensation stuck in my mind is the impact of a hammer against my arm, my chest, my head. Then, numbness, darkness, oblivion. Absolutely nothing crosses my mind after that. And I can’t even remember how long it’s been this way. 

It’s funny. For as long as I can remember, I’ve romanticised the idea of shutting off from the world; to be alone with the imagination without having to concern yourself with the real world. What a dream that must be, I thought. What a unique, astonishing bliss that must provide. Though, now that I lay here, unaware of how long it’s been, where the hell I am, and without even the will to decide whether I should be thankful for, or horrified by this comatose oblivion, something occurs to me.

The lucky ones, I’ve come to realise, are the ones whose mind and body die at the same time.

Will I ever wake up? Or will this mind finally give in and follow suit to my failing faculties? When I think about it enough, it crosses my mind that it probably doesn’t even matter which way that goes; my mind’s been like scrambled eggs for as long as my eyes have been closed, for as long as this ventilator’s been stuck on my mouth and this IV has been in my arm. I can only think of one person right now that would miss me if I slipped quietly past the veil - and they aren’t even here.

 I hear a jingle from what I think is right in front of me; there’s a TV in the room. I hear the news come and go from time to time, when my brain decides to tune back into the world around it. I’m guessing it’s in the corner of the room, seeing as I’m in a hospital bed right now. I can at least guess that much. If I ever wake up, maybe I’ll get a nice window view. 

Who knows, though? My thoughts and musings about the ray of sunlight I’ll probably never get to see quickly fade away as I’m forced to listen to the the only thing that’s really present in the room. Well, it’s not like I can get up and change the channel anyway, and apparently, I’ve got all the time in the world to absorb whatever this is. Whether I’ll actually retain any of the passing news about politics, science, celebrity gossip and the like, that’s another thing. But this… it seems different to what I’ve heard before. I hear a man delivering a more serious, monotone preamble, but-...

“... as announced earlier, the entirety of the contents of these ‘Haemolife Files’ will now be played on this channel for the purpose of transparency towards the public…”     Haemolife.

My body would have jolted, if only it could. Who knows how long it had been since I heard that name? That name of which a single utterance was enough to snap me back into focus. Up ‘til that point, I could feel my grasp on awareness starting to drift... 

No.

I snatch my awareness back. I have to. For the first time in God knows how long, I had something to pay attention to. Something I had to try and listen to. The voice of an unfamiliar man talks about his discoveries in a crackly audio recording, and asks a question to someone else he’s apparently with. I don’t catch all of it, I know, and I wasn’t about to get my hopes up, but there was only one person I could think of at that moment.

    Gale. Gale. Gale.     Please.     Please, tell me someone remembered you.

“... why do this? Haemolife was more or less off the radar until that weapons shipment came in.”

“... think that was the point they factored Gale in… had the willpower to defy… didn’t have the same fear Iris did. They knew… they knew she’d blab eventually. Desperate times, maybe.”

...what?

No. There’s no way. There’s no fucking way. 

    Every part of me was looking out for that name -  a mention of her would have craved that phantom hunger my near-lifeless body felt right now. But, oh, did I hear so much more than my failing mind could have expected. She was dead. For the longest time, I thought she was dead. And now, as I’m hearing her voice, saying her name, talking about what she went through… I found my thoughts paralyzed again. It’s too much, this is far too much–

But, no! No! I can’t lose this moment! This might be the only chance I get to know that she’s alive, I can’t let my mind slip again now! My body doesn’t move, but I can practically feel my stomach turn as I try to regain my focus, try to recoil from the shock I heard from that name alone and listen, for God’s sake, listen to what she has to say.

“And the way Rosenfeld took ‘desperate measures’ was to initiate a terrorist attack before you could expose the truth?”

“No - not to take everyone else out. To destroy everyone in the know - myself included. Maybe something changed along the way, maybe they realised your CIA was onto them. Either way… it was the end for all of us.”

“Even the ones cross country… shit. They were prepared for this. Shit… I mean… you told me about your parents. I guess you didn’t leave anyone behind, at least.”

There’s silence for a moment. I wonder if I’m losing awareness again before I hear that familiar sigh through crackling audio. Finally, I heard her speak up again, her voice more shaken than it was before. I don’t know what led to me hearing this, what led to all this being exposed when it had been so long, but it was no less painful for me to listen to her, to be reminded of all that had happened to her, to us. I was starting to wonder if she even remembered who I was, when my answer came to me without me having to ask.

“… we did. Fuck. I did. We… couldn’t even say goodbye. We knew what was happening, and-... we pushed him away. We didn’t want to drag him into this, too.”

“Who?”

“… his name was Alex.“

Me? Me? She remembered, after all this time? I ask the brief silence that’s allowed between me registering my own name and her next sentence how this could even be possible. There’s no reply but the gentle static of the television as she continues speaking.

“He was there for us. If it wasn’t for him, we might not be Garis now.” ‘Garis’? What kind of name is that? Don’t tell me… no. Save that thought for another time.

“He showed us the best of times, and stuck with us in the worst of times. He knew… he knew about what we truly went through, we told him. And he helped us anyway. Loved us anyway. He…” ...what’s that silence for? “They, told me about how their dad used to isolate them socially, stick them to one place, and how they grew jealous of all the other kids who had parents who loved them, parents who took them places instead of keeping them cooped up in their rooms, parents that… didn’t have any agreement between each other to do what they wanted to their children. Together, we figured out ways to fight back against our abusers. I was able to defy the God in the Numbers because of them. Because of their... humanity, that nobody else showed us. Fuck… all that time, we thought we were saving them. But, now we’re together, we realise… they were saving us. If they became a target…”

I hear her sniffle. I feel as if I could cry, but my stupid, stupid body just won’t let me. It won’t let me get up, it won’t let me reach out, call to her, speak to her and tell her that I’m okay, that I’m happy that she’s okay! I wanted her to know, more than anything in the world, that I was thankful for her!

… tell me something,” I hear the other man say. “If there’s something you could say to them right now, if they’re alive, if they could listen... what would it be?” I didn’t want to stop listening to her voice now. If it were me, I know I’d refuse to answer and be out of there, and that’s precisely what I expected from her. We were the same, so I thought. And, hey, they never were the type to wear their heart on their sleeve. But that’s when I heard her again.

“… I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry I couldn’t explain to you what was happening, Alex. But… you saved my life. I wish I knew where you were, and I promise one day we’ll find a way to talk to each other again, someway, somehow, and I’ll tell you, once and for all…

Thank you.”

When I heard those words echoing in my mind, I thought I would break. Shatter like glass on this bed. That I would black out just from hearing her say that, and mean it. It was then that I realised something; for as comatose, unable to act or speak as I was, I was alive.

I’d finally stood up to my dad. It got me where I am now, but it was worth it. When I finally put that bastard in his place, when I made it damn clear that I wasn’t ever going to be a puppet again… I thought of her. I thought of all we’d been through, all she’d taught me. We were just kids, seeking shelter in each other’s misery, but we’d both saved each others’ lives through that. What goes around comes around, I guess.

I want to smile. I want to laugh. I want to scream, I want to cry. I can already feel my mind drifting, her final words echoing in my brain as I slip back into my lack of awareness, the only proof I’ll ever have that the person I once loved and leaned on was alive. Who knows if I’d ever find her again? One thing’s for sure, though, I thought to myself as I drifted through that dark space once more, time losing all meaning in the face of one single, burning objective, my determination already scorching like the sun in my eyes, still forced shut. For as long as it would take for me to get out of here, get back into the world, I carried just one thought; I will wake up from this void, this nightmare. I will live. I will thrive. I’ll be free from the chains that held me down for all those years he stole from me. I will work for myself, and maybe, just maybe… I’ll love again.

I’ll manifest the one thing my dad was right about; I was born for greatness.

And now there’s a world waiting for me that’s worth waking up to. A world with you in it.

Please, for the love of God, wait for me.

However long it takes.