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unlikelywrestlingfan · 1 year ago

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Elle's Forbidden Door Predictions and Wishes

✨Preshow✨

Athena vs. Billie Starkz (Women's Owen Heart Tourney Match): Want: I hope they both have fun!!! - Athena deserves the world and I want her on my tv, but it would also be cool to see Billie advance. Let's go women! Prediction: Athena - but I won't be surprised to be wrong.

United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher, and TJP) vs. LIJ (Shingo Takagi, Bushi, and Hiromu Takahashi): Want: LIJ - LET'S GOOO LIJJJJJ BOIIIIS Prediction: LIJ - Honestly, this could go either way? But LIJ shall be my guess.

Stu Grayson vs. El Phantasmo: Want: Stu - STUUUUUUU Prediction: ELP - Idk????? He hasn't won in a while.

Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun) vs. Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero and Trent Beretta) & El Desperado: Want: Roppongi Vice & Despe - ALWAYS LOVE A ROPPONGI VICE REUNION. DESPE STILL SCARES ME BUT HE'S COOL. Prediction: Roppongi Vice - idk, this is just a guess

✨Main Card✨

Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay (IWGP US Heavyweight Title Match): Want: Kenny - MUST I EXPLAIN? Prediction: Ospreay - he lost it to Kenny at WK, now he's on the hunt for revenge and retribution, and he'll do it in Kenny's home country.

Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada: Want: Okada - KILL HIM OKADA HEHEHEEEEEE - I love Bryan, I do, but I would like him to join the line of corpses that litter the path of Okada's legacy. Prediction: Bryan - Honestly? I'm not sure. But I feel like it might be Bryan. So I'll go with that.

Sanada vs. Jungle Boy Jack Perry (IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match): Want: Sanada - K I love JB, but like. I don't want Sanada to randomly drop to him. Sorry JB. Prediction: Sanada - I just cannot see Nooj giving JB the Heavyweight title on an open challenge randomly in Canada. So yeah Sanada takes this.

MJF vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (AEW Men's World Title Match): Want: Tana - LET'S GO TANAAAAAAA TEACH THAT BOI A LESSON Prediction: MJF - MJF is not going to suddenly lose the title to Tana. As much as it would be fab, it would also be very counterproductive to the story he's on.

Le Suzuki Gods (it hurt me to type that - Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki) vs. Sting, Darby Allin, & Tetsuya Naito: Want: Sting, Darby, and Naito - I love Murder Gramps, but STING STING STING Prediction: Sting, Darby, and Naito - I'M GOING BACK AND FORTH ON THIS ONE TBH

BCC & Friends (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Shota Umino, and Konosuke Takeshita) vs. Elite & Friends Contentious Allies (Hangman Adam Page, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, Eddie Kingston, and Tomohiro Ishii): Want: Elite and Co - I. Like I'm leaning Elite Plus Eddie and Ishii, but like. I love them all? I want Elite and Co to win. Prediction: Elite and Co - I feel like, since BCC took the big win at Double or Nothing, Elite and Co take it here. It will be very chaotic.

CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima (Men's Owen Hart Tourney Match): Want: Kojima - Uh. I don't really know Kojima, but I'm not very fond of Punk atm so. Kojima. Prediction: Punk - Punk is definitely winning this.

Orange Cassidy vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Daniel Garcia (AEW International Title Match): Want: OC - This is a match full of so much amazing awesome ahhhhh but I want OC to retain. Prediction: OC - OC?

Toni Storm vs. Willow Nightingale (AEW Women's World Title Match): Want: Willow - THAT'S MY GIRILE!!! Toni is fab, don't get me wrong, but I am all about the Girl With the Power Prediction: Toni - her title is on the line, and I don't expect her to drop it yet. Especially when there's a chance Hayter could recover in time to win it back at All In.

#unlikelywrestlingfan #elle watches ppv #forbidden door 2023 #i am fully prepared to be wrong XD

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kennyyomega · 6 years ago

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au | a terrible fate characters: sam wright, charlie mcgrath, adam tourney, marisol bowers

Snapping him out of his thoughts is the scent of something mouth-wateringly delicious being placed in front of him. Marisol smiles her polite little smile and places a hand on his shoulder. Something flickers in her expression similar to the chick at the motel earlier before saying, “Enjoy your meal!”

It makes him flinch.

Seconds later he finds Flickering Guy staring his way again. Sam has never been afraid to meet someone’s gaze, but it doesn’t feel like he’s looking at that guy’s eyes so much as he’s looking at something else’s. A wave of uneasiness spreads from head-to-toe and he loses the battle he’d normally win, turning his attention to his food.

The food’s okay, but just as greasy and bad for him as he wanted it to be. The sounds of the diner fade into the background as he tunes everything out and doodles on a piece of napkin as he eats. It’s been nearly a month since he left Tucson, and even though there’s hundreds of miles between him and that shit city he feels like he hasn’t gone far enough. Is there really any running away from the shitshow he let his life devolve into? He can still hear the nurse’s voice echoing in his head after he woke up from the overdose: You need to see somebody or you’re going to die.

At the time he brushed off the comment with an arrogant roll of his eyes and some slurred words, but when his head cleared and he was left alone to discharge himself from the hospital it hit him like a ton of bricks. You’re doing to die. Sure, that might not be such a bad thing, he thought, but standing in the rubble of his life in the aftermath suddenly made it terrifying.

Sam breaks through the napkin he was doodling on from pressing down too hard, tearing the thin paper in a jagged line. The once intact, scribbled in dark heavy lines, eye stares back at him from the torn napkin. He stares back at it, the diner around him seeming to fade for good until it’s just him and this booth until someone puts a hand on his shoulder.

He nearly jumps, reaching up to smack away the offending hand, eyes darting to the figure standing above him.

“Y’should leave,” the Flickering Guy says.

“Uh, what?”

“You should leave,” he repeats as the static retakes his form in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. Sam doesn’t miss it. “This whole town. Leave now. You shouldn’t be here.”

The stranger the Flicking Guy was eating with puts a gentle hand on his shoulder and pulls him a little bit away from the booth. “Sorry,” he says, a pitying expression on his face - not directed at Sam, but at his friend. “Ignore him. Enjoy your meal.”

The friend, though he comes off as more of some kind of caretaker, tries to pull Flickering Guy away, but his feet are planted too firmly to move him. He raises a hand slowly, pointing at the torn napkin doodle. “That’s why y’should leave.” Sam stares down between the doodle and the two crazy guys invading his personal space.

Despite the shiver running up his spine, Sam says, “You guys mind fucking off and taking your weird shit somewhere else? I’m trying to fucking eat.” Flickering Guy - and he does flicker again and Sam does attribute it to the drug bender he’s been on - finally unglues his feet from the checkered floor and stumbles off outside with his caretaker-buddy in tow.

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badluckcllub · 6 years ago

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ok i was having trouble conceptualize adam in desolation sound (if that makes any sense lmao) but ok. here are the solid basics for now:

orphan, parents died in a house fire when he was six

unofficially adopted into the mcgrath family, grew up w charlie

over time william sees potential in adam and begins to ~raise him~ for the role of williams numero dos

when he’s 28 adam goes through an experiment based on ancient occult sciences

the experiment is a success!!! hooray! now he’s not all human and a supernatural killing machine

specifics for when i’ve finally fleshed things out more lmao

(charlie goes thru the same experiment later on and it’s a failure w/ big consequences :( )

#not writing*#verse | desolation sound #oc | adam tourney

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thetimelordbatgirl · 4 years ago

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Shattered Sight OCs

Description of Series: Shattered Sight is a next gen on Disney Descendants that is also inspired by Once Upon a Time with the plot and in Season 1, focuses on breaking the curse- is only based on first two films and the first two books, with hinted rewritten D3 in events prior to the kids.

Summary of Series: Once upon a time...... There was a kingdom named Auradon, ruled by its king named Ben, son of Beauty and the Beast, and his wife Queen Mal, daughter of Maleficent, with their sole heir Princess Kaida. But on the princesses 8th birthday, something happened that consumed the entire kingdom, and Auradon seemingly became no more. As soon as Benedict, known as Ben, gets a knock on his apartment door from a girl claiming to be his daughter named Kaida, Ben soon finds his seemingly normal life falling into chaos, lost memories and madness with a bit of magic there and then, and in the centre of it all, a glowing red rose...... Link: https://www.quotev.com/story/11039640/Shattered-Sight/1

*Maleficent ‘Mal’- wife of Ben- mother of Kaida- Queen of Auradon. *Benjamin ‘Ben’- husband of Mal- father of Kaida- King of Auradon. *Evie- wife of Doug- mother of Beryl, Lazuli, Carnelian and Topaz- Royal advisor. *Doug- husband of Evie- father of Beryl, Lazuli, Carnelian and Topaz- Science teacher. *Jay- husband of Audrey- father of Wyetta, Diesel and Raiden- Tourney coach. *Audrey- wife of Jay- mother of Wyetta, Diesel and Raiden- Fashion designer. *Carlos De Vil- husband of Jane- father of Austin and Fae- I.T Teacher. *Jane De Vil- wife of Carlos- mother of Austin and Fae- Magic teacher. *Li Lonnie- adopted mother of Xifeng, Ping and Chao-Xing- ROAR Coach. *Chad Charming- father of Garrett- travels a lot. *Uma Hook- wife of Harry- mother of Meredith- Captain of the Lost Revenge. *Harry Hook- husband of Uma- father of Meredith- First mate of the Lost Revenge. *Gil- father of Gabrielle- crew mate of the Lost Revenge. *Mad Maddy- mother of Arthur- Magic Assistant. *Anthony Tremaine- father of Anita- travels a lot. *Jordan- vlogger. *Ally- resides in Wonderland. *Freddy- resides in Wonderland. *Dizzy- Fashion teacher. *Maleficent and co- on the Isle. *Belle- former Queen of Auradon. *Beast- former King of Auradon. *Enchantress- the person behind the curse.

*Mallory ‘Mal’- mother of Kaida- Artist. *Benedict ‘Ben’- social worker. *Genevieve ‘Evie’- wife of Donald- mother of Beryl, Lazuli, Carnelian and Topaz- fashion designer. *Donald- husband of Evie- father of Beryl, Lazuli, Carnelian and Topaz- science teacher. *Jason ‘Jay’- husband of Aurelia- father of Wyetta, Diesel and Raiden- football coach. *Aurelia- wife of Jay- mother of Wyetta, Diesel and Raiden- works in fashion. *Charles- husband of Hana- father of Austin and Fae- works in computers. *Hana- wife of Charles- mother of Austin and Fae- teacher. *Suyin- adopted mother of Xifeng, Ping and Chao-Xing- dance teacher. *Gary- father of Garrett- works in newspaper. *Nerina- wife of Henry- mother of Meredith- works at the docks. *Henry- husband of Nerina- father of Meredith- works at the docks. *Gale- father of Gabrielle- owns the local cafe. *Addie- mother of Arthur- works as a cop. *Mitchell- father of Anita- works in a shop. *Callistra- therapist. *Moniqua- works in local IN. *Daima- TV news reporter. *Ivy- works in Fashion. *Adam- co-owner of library. *Isabelle- co-owner of Library. *Titania Fay- mayor of town. *Wayland- headmistress of school. *Felicity Volante/Violet- owner of a shop.

*Kaida ‘Kai’- daughter of Mal and Ben/Mal and Ben- Princess of Auradon/Student. *Wyetta ‘Wy’- daughter of Jay and Audrey/Jay and Aurelia- Princess/Student. *Diesel and Raiden- twin sons of Jay and Audrey/Jay and Aurelia- Princes/students. *Beryl and Lazuli- twin sons of Evie and Doug/Evie and Donald- students/students. *Carnelian- daughter of Evie and Doug/Evie and Donald- student/student. *Topaz- daughter of Evie and Doug/Evie and Donald- wants to be like mom/wants to be like mom. *Austin De Vil/Austin- son of Carlos and Jane/Charles and Hana- student/student. *Fae De Vil/Fae- daughter of Carlos and Jane/Charles and Hana- normal kid/normal kid. *Li Xifeng/Xifeng- adopted daughter of Lonnie/Suyin- ROAR player/dancer. *Li Ping/Ping- adopted daughter of Lonnie/Suyin- sports player/sports player. *Li Chao-Xing/Chao-Xing- adopted daughter of Lonnie/Suyin- girly type/girly type. *Garrett Charming/Garrett- son of Chad/Gary- student/student. *Meredith Hook/Meredith- dughter of Uma and Harry/Nerina and Henry- pirate/student. *Gabrielle- daughter of Gil/Gale- pirate/student. *Arthur- son of Mad Maddy/Addie- Artist/Student. *Anita ‘Ani’ Tremaine/Anita ‘Ani’- son of Anthony Tremaine/Mitchell- student/student.

#megan's ocs #megan's fanfiction #OC's masterpost #original series OCs

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lady-of-the-spirit · 4 years ago

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If you’re still doing the made-up fic title game: “Love Song” “Punchline” “This Will Be The End Today”

I’m still doing them!

Love Song:

This is reminding me of an idea for a Descendants fic I had a while back. The story was about Winter, my OC and the daughter of Snow White. Winter and Audrey have been best friends since they were young. The fic takes before and during the events of the first movie, with Ben telling them about his plans for the VKs to come to Auradon. Winter and Audrey are both a little freaked, especially since the kids of the enemies of both their parents are coming, but Winter’s more concerned about Audrey because it’s Maleficent’s kid and the Evil Queen is kind of small potatoes compared to her. It’s basically going through the first movie, Winter becomes friendly with Evie through classes, and then the events of the tourney game happen and Audrey is dumped, and Winter goes after her when she runs off. THEN we get to the good part - Audrey decides that instead of Chad, she’ll date Winter! Because Winter is her best friend and it makes sense! Winter is totally on board because Audrey is her best friend, after all. Then of course it becomes a typical fake-dating plot where both of them start falling for the other. :0

Punchline:

An Avatar fic. Sokka is trying to tell jokes, but because of various reasons (interruptions from people or other events), no one will let him finish. Will he ever get to finish it? It’ll be a 5+1 fic - five times Sokka wasn’t able to finish his jokes and one time he was. The joke he’s able to tell will be genuinely terrible.

This Will Be The End Today:

Probably a oneshot of my Accidental Antichrist Acquisition AU. The Last Day, where Adam is supposed to end the world, but before the events of the airfield. Adam is convinced that ending the world is what he’s supposed to do, even though he hasn’t given in to his Antichrist powers. The Horsepeople are preparing, and are working out if they’re going to take their bikes for traditions sake or if they’re going to take the family car like they probably should. They’re all prepared for the end of the world, but at the same time they’re really sad because they know the end of the world means the end of them and their family. Meanwhile, Adam is hanging out with his friends, and they’re trying to work through his idea that he has to end the world even though he doesn’t really want to.

#ask #go-sullivan

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safrona-shadowsun · 6 years ago

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30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection?

(Echo actually had a massive collection of stuffed animals that clergy members accumulated for her since she was adopted into the fold -- especially from her father. Many of them covered her cot at the Argent Tourney grounds when she was stationed there, at least until more Knights started to come to the priestess for counsel or Tourney training. It got to be a bit embarrassing, and she opted to replace them for more conventional fur throws, her collection now a colorful secret in a chest that serves as a makeshift nightstand.

She can't seem to part for the miniature Mr. Pinchy plush the Cardinal Adamant gave to her years ago, of course. It's next to the best to the real Pinchy. Stuffed toys are a little more cuddly.}

{Thanks @renwyck ! With mentions of @niklosadamant }

#Echo Adamant #Alt

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cskyan · 4 years ago

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Dwayne Johnson Reveals 'Black Adam' 2022 Release Date Hollywood Reporter

Black Adam Release Date Confirmed - IGN IGN

Dwayne Johnson Unveils ‘Black Adam’ Summer 2022 Release Date During NCAA Tourney Game Deadline

Black Adam Takes Over Times Square, Announces New Release Date CBR - Comic Book Resources

Charles Barkley catches flack in The Rock's 'Black Adam' promo March Madness

View Full Coverage on Google News

#Global News #Feeds #GoogleTop

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dragon-tooth-collection · 8 years ago

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‘OC Interview’ Ask Meme

You know, I answer a decent amount of prompts and post some headcanon stuff sometimes, but it's pretty rare that I'll do something with an OC's 'voice' and I'm very much out of practice with this sort of thing. Not that Adam’s is as difficult as it could be since his way of speaking reflects his overall casual nature, but still. Thank you @shanayxd for the tag~

1. What would you prefer: a diplomatic dinner with Josephine and a few nobles; a quick snack with Leliana; or a chess-match or a sword training with Cullen before breakfast?

"I'm not one to pass up snack time. Josephine does her best to make sure I survive these diplomatic dinners, but given the choice I would... Rather not. I don't enjoy putting on faces just to impress some of our more *esteemed* guests.

I don't use a sword, but I'll train with Cullen and his early risers if I'm still awake. Just don't expect my mind to be functional enough for chess when it's that early."

2. Do you bring small (or big) souvenirs from your trips? For example, a silver spoon from the Winter Palace or a bottle with sand from the Hissing Wastes?

"Of course I do. I'll grab anything that stands out to me, within reason. I mean, I don't go around stealing things. But there's a lot of small treasures out there that have to have value to someone.

A lot of our people come from lives where getting a gift is unheard of. If one of those little toy soldiers we find everywhere can remind one of mine of home, provide that small boost of morale, then it's worth the extra weight in my pack."

3. If you could organize a sport tournament at Skyhold, what kind of sport would you choose?

"A joust! ... Okay, well, maybe we don't have room for a joust inside Skyhold itself. Maybe we could set something up in the valley?

I've been wanting to take Stormwind jousting since I got him. He would love it. Maybe they'll let us into the Grand Tourney."

4. What future would you prefer for your Inquisition without the Exalted Council problem?

"We persevere. Regardless of what Orlais thinks, regardless of what Ferelden thinks, the world is still in peril and we have an obligation to protect it.

It's just getting started. To step back, to lay down our blades now just because some pompous assholes think we should, it'd be like turning our backs on the rest of Thedas."

I don't remember who's done this one already and who hasn't and I'm a bit deirious on cold medicine so hey, steal it if you like it just tag me so I can see it~

#Answers #Adam Trevelyan

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splatoonpolls · 8 months ago

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SPLATOON OC TOURNEY ROUND 3 BATTLE 3

Adam J Moreno by @shadow3142 vs Trito by @toldentops

PROPAGANDA/BACKSTORY

ADAM

Adam is my Agent/Captain 3! He's been through a lot during his time as an Agent, and for a long while it turned him into a very bitter person. However, in the two years following Octo Expansion, he joined a turf war team, cleaned up his act, made some life-long friends, and even started dating his girlfriend, Jessie! He's a bit intimidating, but beyond his tough exterior, Adam is an unbelievably loyal friend and is extremely passionate for what he believes in. However, while his love is is greatest virtue, it's also his greatest flaw and his Achilles Heel. When his friends and family are threatened, he will stop at nothing to keep them safe, and will easily sacrifice the many for the lives of the few.

TRITO

World's silliest bloblobber main. Sounds like a new yorker. Used to be in the octarian army and got selected by Kamabo Co. to be a test subject. An accident from a malfunctioning machine and nearly getting sanitized due to it leaves him with a really nasty chest scar. Hides out in the deepsea metro until Agent 8 dismantles the whole thing. Goes to live on the surface, plays Anarchy with his team and pretends none of that stuff ever happened. Never seen without a shirt on to cover up the scar. "Fuggetaboutit"

#splatoon oc tourney #splatoon 3 #splatoon 2 #splatoon #polls #splatoon polls #splatoon oc #fandom tournament #poll time #tumblr poll #tumblr tournament #tournament #character tournament #bracket tournament #tournament polls #character polls #poll tournament

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splatoonpolls · 1 year ago

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splatoon oc tourney, round 2 batch 1 battle 5

BTW PLEASE CHECK OUT THE PROPAGANDA/BACKSTORY SECTION BEFORE VOTING!

Adam J. Moreno by Shadow @shadow3142 vs Violet Toyama by @snowy-squids

PROPAGANDA/BACKSTORY!

adam

violet

“The daughter of a teacher and a retired sharpshooter. Her father would teach her to be sharp and smart, and how to use Chargers as soon as she could pick up a weapon. At age 14, she’d leave home and go out to the city, and at age 17, she would get wrapped up in Agent stuff, being labeled as Agent 3 by Captain Cuttlefish. Due to her competence, she dealt with the Great Zapfish situation easily, but felt heavy amounts of guilt over it. 2 years later xe would find herself in the Deep Sea Metro, and ultimately ended up in the deepest parts of it, where the worst experiments took place. Xe would be caught by Tartar during this time, injected with an experimental serum, and set loose in the lab. Xe almost murdered Samantha, Agent 8, but both survived and clawed their way out albeit with physical and mental scars. They would take a break from Agent duties shortly after, until the role of Captain was forced onto them. They are not happy about this, but have been a fairly good leader for the group. Right now they are mentoring Mike an Octoling courier who found himself tied up with the Squidbeak after a delivery gone wrong.

#splatoon oc tourney #splatoon #splatoon 2 #splatoon 3 #polls #batch 1 #splatoon ocs #tournament poll #poll #tumblr polls #bracket #poll tournament #fandom tournament #character tournament #tumblr tournament #bracket tournament #round 2

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badluckcllub · 6 years ago

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true friendship is when you both undergo the same horrific forced possession experiment and only one of you comes out of it functional but you hold no bitterness towards your now ultra-scary, massively powerful best friend even though you spend every morning vomiting black bile

#verse | desolation sound #oc | charlie mcgrath #oc | adam tourney #bffs no matter WHAT #you'll never make me tear them apart #not writing*

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badluckcllub · 6 years ago

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verse | desolation sound ch | sam wright, stevie brewin, charlie mcgrath, adam tourney, marisol bowers summary | sam wright plans to spend one night in desolation sound, but desolation sound wants more than one night out of him.

chapter one of who knows how many. ps. this is long so if you actually read it i love you with all my heart.

Things have been unchanged in this sleepy little town for decades. People are born, people die, but only within the confines of the city limits. Those who stumble across this place tend to leave as quickly as they arrived as if some unseen force compels them to put as much distance as possible between them and it.

It stays this way for year and years and years, and then one day it doesn’t.

Samuel Wright is the catalyst for all the events that follow. He is the one who stays. Later on he’ll say that it was difficult to tell the difference between the paranoia of coming down from drugs and the unsettling feeling that something was always lingering just beyond his field of vision. He’ll say his biggest mistake was pulling off the road and staying for the night.

There doesn’t seem to be any other cars in the motel’s parking lot when he pulls in. The sound of the car door slamming shut echoes strangely around him. Sam peers into the office to find it empty, too. He’s starting to wonder if maybe this place has been very recently abandoned when a voice rings out from somewhere behind him.

“H-Hi there. Hi. Can I help you?”

She looks startled to see somebody here, but he doesn’t take much note of it. He looks her up and down from behind his sunglasses. The chick looks like she just got finished running a marathon in the forest. Weird. “Uh. Yeah. You work here? I need a room.”

She continues to stare at him slack-jawed. It’s really not that big of a deal that someone’s here for a room, is it? The dishevelled woman finally clears her throat and nods her head.

“Sure. Yeah. Lemme grab you a key.”

Sam follows her inside the motel’s blessed air-conditioned office, finally pushing his cheap sunglasses up onto his forehead, brushing the hair away from his face in the process. He looks exhausted, red-rimmed eyes, cheekbones that cut too sharp, a weariness hanging off his bones like a second skin. He leans against the counter as he fishes his wallet out from his back pocket and asks, “How much for a night?”

“Seventy bucks. Here. Fill this out for me and then I’ll grab you your key.” She slides a clipboard with a relatively short form for him to fill out. Sam scribbles his information out in a relatively legible style before sliding it and the cash back over to her. When he straightens up, Sam finds her staring at him again, something churning behind her eyes.

“Is there something on my face or what?” He’s too fucking tired to be deal with strange people’s shit. He’s been on the road for something like ten hellish hours; all he wants to do is lock himself up in a room and pass out.

Her eyes widen and her cheeks flush pink with embarrassment. “Oh. Uh. No. Sorry.” She turns quickly and grabs a key from off a hook behind the desk. “Here. Room number six is all yours.” There’s a brief pause, a subtle shift of something in her eyes, and then with a smile a bit too wide, a bit too forced, and with a bit too much cheeriness, she says, “Enjoy your stay!”

It makes him flinch.

Sam stumbles out of the less-than-adequate room number six mid-afternoon, the same cheap sunglasses haphazardly on his face, and shoves his way into the office to get a coke from the vending machine. The coins clink in and the can hits the bottom with a heavy thud.

The girl from the other night is still behind the desk, the same overly-cheery smile fixed on her lips. She looks significantly more cleaned up than she did the night before. She says, “Enjoying your stay?”

He answers her with an uneasy look before leaving as abruptly as he arrived. There are still no other guests here but him, but he takes no more notice of that than the way the motel girl longingly watches him step off the property.

Sam heads down the road of this dreary town to the main square in search of a cheap diner. The sunlight is bright enough to have him squinting a bit even with his sunglasses on, the sound of cicadas humming in the air.

God, how the fuck did he get here?

It started with the drugs. He reaches into his pocket to reassure himself that the small baggie of pills is still there. And then he had to run away. It’s the cliche story of a junkie: guy gets into drugs, drugs get into him, yadda yadda yadda. The rest of it goes about the same way you’re probably thinking about right now. Guy’s life blows up in his face. He loses his girl, he loses his job, he loses his apartment. He almost loses his life.

So he leaves. He runs and runs some more, hoping to leave all his bullshit in the dust behind his wheels. This isn’t the first town he’s stopped in and it likely won’t be his last, but it seems like no matter how far he goes the guilt, the loathing, and the regret continue to wrap around him like an anaconda suffocating its prey.

He pops two of the pills from his pocket, washes it down with the coke, and then crushes up the can, chucking it into the front yard of an abandoned looking house. His past can’t keep running to catch up with him forever, can it? It’s got to get tired eventually. Right?

Right.

All thoughts of his past are forcefully shoved in the back of his mind. There’s no time to dwell on that bullshit right now when he’s hungry for something cheap and greasy to satiate his cravings.

The town itself - whatever it’s called; he can’t even remember the name of the place - feels hollow. The streets are lined with a few cars, mostly worn-down trucks, a smattering of open businesses lining the main strip. The rest are closed and boarded up; those that aren’t have windows that are smashed in, glass littering the sidewalk. Sam saw only three people from his ten minute walk from the motel to the diner and he can’t help but wonder if people actually live here or not.

The question is answered when he finds a diner - Twin Moons Diner - and pushes the door open.

A little bell, like something from out of a slice-of-life film, rings above the door as he pushes it open into diner. It looks like every person in town is here for brunch. They all turn to look at him and look they do. It’s unnerving enough that Sam remains standing in the doorway with one hand still on the edge of the door, wondering if he walked in on something he shouldn’t have. He makes eye contact with a guy that looks to be about his age and surprised to see a stranger here.

It’s a highway town. What do these people expect?

Sam and the strange guy become locked in a staring contest and then it happens: for a brief second the guy seems to flicker. It looks like something from an old VHS tape that’s seen too many plays in its years, like the TV stuck on static, and then it’s gone. Sam blinks, rubs at his eyes, and lets the door shut behind him with another tinkle from the bell.

The guy looks away sharply and stares down hard at his half-eaten breakfast. The guy sitting with him looks sympathetic, but doesn’t say anything.

Sam stares for another moment before something seems to shift, and the air in the restaurant loses its tension. Everyone turns back to their meals and their conversations, chatter filling the air, but the tension doesn’t leave Sam. He hesitantly slides into a booth by the wide windows and steals a glance at the Flickering Guy. It was just a trick of the light, right? He’s too tired, too strung out, too many things. All he needs is coffee, another pill (which he promptly, and not-so-surreptitiously, swallows back) and some greasy food.

Yeah. That’s all.

A waitress is hovering above him before he can even blink and she’s already pouring steaming coffee into a bland ceramic mug. “Afternoon, darlin’, or is it still mornin’ for you?” Wavy, muddy-red hair pours down the waitress’ shoulders, some of it pulled back with a clip, one hand resting on her hip, the other holding the coffee pot. Her nametag reads Marisol, and underneath that is the word ‘manager.’ She smiles brightly with the edge of something sharp. Like the rest of this place it catches Sam off-guard and he stumbles over his words.

“Yeah. Something like that.” The ghost of a sardonic grin flashes across his features as he slides the mug of coffee closer, words a little slurred as the warm haze of the pills begins to wrap around him.

The waitress - Marisol, manager - drawls out a laugh, accented with something Sam can’t quite place. “Well, what can I get you, darlin’?” she asks.

“Surprise me. I don’t really give a shit.” he says, gesturing vaguely with his hand before taking a sip of the coffee. The high has him too lost in the beginnings of a comfortable daze to bother reading over the menu with much more than glazed eyes. “Just make sure it’s greasy.”

“Sure thing. The greasiest meal comin’ right up just for you.” She gives Sam a wink, and leaves him to his high and his coffee. Sam exhales, allowing his body to slump into the diner’s surprisingly comfortable booth.

Yesterday’s drive was long as fuck and equally as uncomfortable. There was no reason for him to have driven so long; he must have passed through a good six towns he could have stopped in for the night, but something compelled him to keep going until his eyes threatened to shut behind the wheel. As much as he carries a death wish around with him he doesn’t want to act on it in a grisly car crash on some highway that rarely anyone ever drives down, so into that shitty old motel he pulled into. He presses the palm-heels of his hand into his eyes, takes a deep breath, then runs a hand through his unkempt hair.

It makes him flinch.

As he forks a pile of hashbrowns into his mouth, he finds Flickering Guy staring his way again. Sam has never been afraid to meet someone’s gaze, but it doesn’t feel like he’s looking at that guy’s eyes so much as he’s looking at something else’s. A wave of uneasiness spreads from head-to-toe and he loses the battle he’d normally win, turning his attention to his food.

The food’s okay, but just as greasy and bad for him as he wanted it to be. The sounds of the diner fade into the background as he tunes everything out, including the stare, and doodles on a piece of napkin as he eats. It’s been nearly a month since he left Tucson, and even though there’s hundreds of miles between him and that shit city he feels like he hasn’t gone far enough. Is there really any running away from the shitshow he let his life devolve into? He can still hear the nurse’s voice echoing in his head after he woke up from the overdose: You need to see somebody or you’re going to die.

He nearly jumps, reaching up to smack away the offending hand, eyes darting to the figure standing above him.

“Y’should leave,” the Flickering Guy says. His features are drawn tight, dark circles rimming his eyes. He’s tall, but he’s hunched forward as if he’s trying to make himself smaller. There’s a borderline crazed look in his expression.

“Uh, what?”

“You should leave,” he repeats, enunciating each word carefully, as the static retakes his form in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. Sam doesn’t miss it. “This whole town. Leave now. You shouldn’t be here.”

The friend, though he comes off as more of some kind of caretaker, tries to pull Flickering Guy away from the table all together, but his feet are planted too firmly to move him. He raises a hand slowly, pointing at the doodle on the torn napkin. “That’s why y’should leave.” Sam stares down between the doodle and the two crazy guys invading his personal space.

He almost laughs, but a shiver runs up his spine instead and he says, “You guys mind fucking off and taking your weird shit somewhere else? I’m trying to fucking eat.” Flickering Guy - and he does flicker again and Sam does attribute it to the drug bender he’s been on - finally unglues his feet from the checkered floor and stumbles off outside with his caretaker-buddy in tow. He watches them have some kind of half-hearted argument outside before getting into the only car in the parking lot. There’s no real point in driving a car in a town where you can walk everywhere, and that makes the sleek Mercedes-Benz stand out like a sore thumb - especially when the town seems to be crumbling down around everyone.

Marisol returns to refill his mug to the brim with fresh coffee. “Anythin’ else I can get for you?”

“Nah, but... those guys who just left. Who are they?”

She pauses, watching the car make a left out the parking lot before saying, “The taller one is Charlie, the mayor’s son. The other one is his friend, Adam. He works for the mayor. Joined at the hip those two are. You rarely see one without the other.”

They’re long gone, but Sam looks over at the table they were seated at.

“They’re good boys, but mostly keep to themselves these days--” Marisol cuts herself off, looking like she’s revealed a little too much about them. “Anyway, sweetheart. If you need anythin’ else give me a holler.” She’s off to another table before Sam can even say anything else.

Small towns are always so fucking weird.

Letting the strangeness go, he slaps some cash down on the table and makes the short walk back to the diner, leaving the coffee unfinished and the doodled-on napkin behind. It’s midday, but he could probably get a decent amount of driving done today. To where? He has no fucking clue, but he’s never have an end goal in mind. His only plan was to drive until he found a place he felt good about and God knows he feels the opposite of good about this place.

He didn’t bother taking all his belongings out from his car the night before so sweeping through the motel room is a quick event. All that’s left is dropping off the key at the front desk.

The girl is still there, no longer cheerily smiling. “So, like, do you ever get off work?” he asks, dropping the room key on the counter. Her smile is as hollow as the town.

“I live on the property,” she explains. “I own the place, so no. I don’t really. Getting back on the road?”

“Yeah. No rest for the wicked.” Sam laughs, and the girl’s expression brightens up a little bit.

“Well, thanks for staying. Enjoy yourself out there.”

Sam pulls out of the motel, his life haphazardly packed into the backseat of the car, and makes a left down the road. He passes the abandoned looking house he saw earlier, he passes the diner, he passes a lot of closed businesses. As he reaches the outskirts of town he sees a sign for some sort of environmental research facility, and then it and the town is gone.

Tension he hadn’t realized he was holding in his shoulders releases as the town disappears in his rearview mirror.

Now that’s a place he hopes he never has to see again.

But someone out there loves to play cosmic jokes on the unfortunate.

He drives for an hour. Another town sign comes into view and before long he can read what’s written on it:

Welcome to Desolation Sound!

Something makes his stomach lurch and when he drives past the dilapidated sign he feels like he’s about to throw up.

It’s the motel he left but an hour ago, standing wearily off to the left like it’s about to crumble to its foundation. Sam slams on the brakes, the car skidding to a halt and leaving a trail of tire marks on the highway behind it. He blinks, rubs his eyes, then looks again. This time his eyes focus on a figure standing in the parking lot smoking. It’s the motel girl and she’s waving at him with a sad smile on her face.

With his head spinning, he pulls back into the parking lot he left in the opposite fucking direction and gets out of the car on wobbly feat. He doesn’t understand. This doesn’t make sense. He drove down a straight desert road. He didn’t take a single turn, so how did he end up back here?

“What the fuck--”

“I’m sorry, Sam,” Motel Girl says. She flicks the joint to the ground and crushes it out underneath her boot as she looks up at the sky. “I was hoping this wouldn’t happen.”

“What? Hoping what wouldn’t happen? How did I… I drove straight. I left this place.”

“Stop trying to rationalize it,” she says wearily. Motel Girl tosses the key to the room he stayed at the night before to him. “You’ll need somewhere to stay so here. It’s on the house. Not like this shit place is making money anyway.”

Sam catches the key, then promptly throws up on the concrete, his head spinning with the absurdity of it all.

“Come on, Sam.” She gently reaches out to grab his arm and guide him towards the motel office. “Let’s get some liquor in you and I’ll explain it all. It’ll be fine.”

It’ll be fine. Those words will only come to haunt him.

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