#saying goodbye to aperture is hard to do

[flynndesdelca]

For Day 15 (Chell) of @chelltastic’s Portal Drawtober 2023 Challenge. As I’m not really an artist, I chose to write short pieces for the prompts.

Wipe those tears off and make your heart proud

The first day had seen her not move from the spot, sitting curled up next to the Companion Cube as though in a sort of trance.  Her mind had felt so sharp on the elevator ride up, coming up with plans and contingencies and courses of action, but actually being free had killed most of that momentum.  She had been content to sit in the silence, listening to the wind rustling the stalks of wheat and the distant sounds of animals.  It had felt like some sort of fever dream to Chell after so long of the sounds of Aperture, of the background hum of ventilation and the distant sounds of machines and the constant creak of the structure itself.  It was impossible to believe that this was real, and she truly did expect to wake in utter disappointment in a corner somewhere that she'd tucked herself into in order to take a nap.

The next day forced her to move because without the cocktail of adrenaline and whatever else GLaDOS had pumped into the air her body was falling into a more natural cycle. Specifically, she was hungry. Alarmingly so, she realized.  Who knew that sitting for a day without eating would have that effect? As she'd been in and out of hibernation and kept in carefully controlled environments for so long just how her body functioned had become a sort of a mystery.  She could remember distantly how it worked, but actually experiencing it again was just as feverish as being outside had been.  Being surrounded by wheat had the promise of flour, but as she lacked the means to grind it efficiently, as well as a the other things you put into flour to make it not just ground wheat, it was unpalatable.  Plus the whole concept of wheat grown above the land that Aperture occupied...it certainly looked normal, but much like everything else about the place, she suspected that it was definitely beyond it.

In the distance she could see trees, and that was where she headed off to.  She left the Companion Cube where it was, a landmark.  A pointless landmark, as the electrical shed itself stood out well enough in the sea of gold that contained it.  Still, she felt better knowing that it was there, rather than lugging it with her on what her mind was saying would be the trip of a few hours.  She set off through the field, eventually finding a large copse of trees to wander through.  The shade was nice, she felt, and more than that, she could hear birds.  It was a simple matter to climb the trees and look for nests, and she found a few small eggs that way.  She had no idea if the eggs were even edible, but it didn't matter at this point.  Either it would be nourishing, or she'd wind up dead from hunger.  She also found a couple of mushrooms, small brown ones that she distantly remembered from books as a child.  Whether that meant they were poisonous or not she couldn't remember.  Again, she could eat or she could eventually face starvation. Cutting through the woods had been a small cold spring, the water clear.  She didn't see any fish in it, but perhaps she could follow it and find a larger lake where there could be fish.

Figuring out what to do with her obtained food had been tricky.  With everything laid out on top of the Companion Cube she had set about the next step, which was starting a fire.  She understood the basics of starting a fire, but finding the materials to do so had been trickier than planned.  It was infuriating to think that all the materials she needed were just underground, but she was not going back.  She was not going to be deterred by a little camping.  She had just gotten out, and she had known that it was not going to be easy.  She hadn't backed down from anything thrown at her so far, so why should starting a fire be an unsurmountable challenge?

It was already sunset by the time she managed to coax sparks from the small firestarter she had concocted, but that was enough, and she gently nursed the tiny coals into a small blaze.  Thankfully there was a lot of dry vegetation she could use.  The little fire seemed homey somehow as the shadows of night fell across the field, its light blazing in defiance.  Just like her, she thought.  She could see herself in that hard-won little fire.  

Actually cooking the things had been another issue she'd been thinking about during her preparations.  Finding a long, flat rock had given her an idea, and now she quickly set up the other rocks she'd dug up, making a stand for the flat rock to rest on over the fire.  She let it heat up, waiting until she could feel the heat emanating off of the rock when she held her hand over it.  Hopefully that would be hot  enough.  She cracked open the first egg, which made a huge mess of broken shell everywhere.  As she didn't particularly feel like wasting it, she grit her teeth and went with it, starting to mix the egg around on the hot rock with a flat stick she'd found and felt would be a good spatula replacement.  Another egg, cracked much more carefully given how delicate they apparently were.  The yolks were dark, so much darker than she remembered seeing before.  They were so small, the amount of egg she had gotten from them was negligible, but it would do.  She added one more, deciding to keep the rest for later.  Once the eggs had really started to cook she dropped the mushrooms on top, stirring the whole thing around.  A really crude omelet, but an omelet all the same.  Better than nothing, after all.  The smell was driving her crazy and it was so hard to wait until she felt as though whatever dangers might have lurked in said food had been cooked out of it.  She ate it off the rock with the spatula-stick, and it was burning hot and slightly crunchy from the egg shells, but somehow it was the most delicious food she could remember eating in a very long time.  It was a victory, she decided.  She'd overcome another hurdle.  She couldn't help but glance at the shed smugly.

The next day she managed to revive the fire, and ate one of the eggs that way.  She was hoping to explore along the river a bit more now that she'd found it, maybe finding fish or other food.  She returned much later in the day sweaty and tired, but with a couple more eggs, some more mushrooms, and a fish that she'd managed to spear with a broken stick.  She had plans to improve on said stick design, and that meal was much more triumphant than the last, the fish roasting pleasantly skewered over the little fire.

The next few days passed in much the same way.  She followed along the river and the small lake that it fed into, exploring more and more.  Yet each day she found herself returning to the shed in the field.  As her exploration took her further and further, she would have to push herself to make it back before it got too dark.  One night as she sat there, trying to rekindle the fire that had gone out hours beforehand, she couldn't help but wonder why she kept coming back there.  She'd gone far enough and figured out enough to make small camps anywhere else.  She'd seen some signs of actual human life last time.  If she had kept going instead of turning back, she might have found civilization of some kind.

The next day she tried exploring in a different direction, pushing the previous day’s thoughts out of her mind.  Again, she ranged far, and returned late in the day, and couldn't help but wonder why.  She'd torn off one leg of her jumpsuit to make a little pouch to carry food she found in, and she was so good at starting fires now that she wasn't worried about that.  There was no reason to come back to that place.  Her thoughts chased themselves in circles around her head all that night, and left her in a dreamless, restless sleep.

The next day she went out again, but it was a passionless, drifting effort that took her along places she'd already been.  It was nothing new, but it was familiar, and comfortable, and all at once she turned and ran back to the field and the shack and the Companion Cube.  Grabbing onto it as though its rough surface and pointed corners would comfort her, she found herself crying.  Why was she crying? What had happened? She already knew, just like she knew why she had not strayed from that spot.  Having a place to return to that was familiar had been a comfort in a world that had left her behind.  Perhaps it hadn't been the implied hundreds of years, but it had been long enough that there was nothing familiar left to her.  Whatever had happened had swept the world clean, and anyone left there were the descendants of strangers.  Despite her drive and her fierce determination to survive and to be free, the thought of leaving behind the last bits of everything she had known was a terrifying prospect.  She'd faced down death how many times now? All the horrors that Aperture had to offer she had borne…  but yet, the idea of leaving the facility and all of the trauma it had inflicted onto her sent her into a dull panic, one that had driven her to return there every night.

Mechanically she set about making food and eating, and attempting to sleep.  But sleep did not come that night, and she tossed and turned and stared at the stars, stared into the dying embers of the fire that she had coaxed into being one more time.  She stared at the dark shadow that she knew was the Companion Cube, and the nearby electrical shack with its tiny emergency light that cast dim shadows all around.  All comforts, but all reminders of just what she had suffered... and what she had overcome, in the end.

The next day she packed up everything she could take with her in her little pouch.  She put out the fire carefully, stamping it down and digging up the ground to bury its remains.  She cast one last long look at the shack, then hefted the Companion Cube in her arms and turned away.  She walked through the field, letting her feet take her down the familiar path she'd worn into it, towards the trees and the river and the lake and whatever else laid beyond.  She didn't let herself look back, not even once.  Tears pricked at her eyes, but she forced herself to march onward until at last she was in the shade of the trees and the shed was too far away to see anymore.

She sat down and let herself cry again.  It shouldn't hurt to say goodbye to all that had happened, but yet it did, somehow.  She had been given her freedom, she needed to take it.  To find herself.  Who was Chell, in this world? Not a test subject for Aperture, not anymore.  That chapter of her life was closed, the Companion Cube the bookmark to remind her that it existed, but that it was over and done and behind her.  It was time to find out who the new, free Chell would be.

[airamsao3]

Truth Serum...?

drabble

pairing: talon interrogator reader/ramattra

words: 669

cw: stalking

✧ AO3 ✧

"He's all ready for you, tiger." Sombra is the only one there to welcome you to your stomping ground, and you give her a quick nod. The executives keep watch from a healthy distance-- lord knows what augmentations the leader of Null Sector has or hasn't disclosed to them. He's a danger. A maverick.

And you're there to find out exactly what he wants from Talon. From tailing your squad.

"Thank you, Sombra," you say, and enter the room, hearing the clicking of her clawed gloves behind you as she waves goodbye.

The overhead lights are bright and harsh, so harsh that even you are forced to squint under the intense glare before your vision adjusts. The light suffuses the silver of Ramattra's chassis with an almost ethereal glow, his bone white faceplate staring back at you like a skull. Despite his position, he exudes a raw, unadulterated power that demands submission and deference by virtue of his presence alone.

But you are not one to be outmatched, especially not in your territory.

You circle his seat, noting the soft whirring noise of his eyes as they track your every movement. "Tell me," your tone is accusatory and venomous, already convinced of his guilt, "what are you planning? An attack? A betrayal, perhaps? Has Talon not given you absolutely everything that you've requested?" You stop once you're face to face with him, and tip his chin upwards with your pen.

"No," he says, and a slim thread of steam wafts from his back. "No such thing."

"I find that hard to believe," you say, and make a signal behind your back to Sombra, who's watching from beyond the one way mirror. An answering code is flashed back to you, from the seemingly innocuous flickering of the light above.

 Is the code working?

Yes.  

You frown, incredulity and rage seeping into your expression. "Gathering intel, then? Trying to find our weaknesses?"

"No," he answers breathlessly, "I simply wanted to see you."

You physically recoil. "What?" An unbidden flush crawls up your cheeks, your blood running hot, then cold.

You sign behind you again, rapidly,

 What did you do?!

To your chagrin, Ramattra keeps speaking, as if a stopper has been removed. "I'm sorry," he says, but you cannot tell if it is genuine, his expression is unreadable, his body is completely still-- "I could not keep myself from you, not even whilst you were sleeping. I wished to commit every detail to memory, from the way your eyes moved underneath your skin, to the way your chest rose and fell with each delicate breath." It becomes increasingly difficult to remember the cipher to the code as the light dimly flashes in front of you, obscured by the thick, heavy steam pouring out of the omnic in front of you.

Ha. Ha. Ha.  

That brat!

"I'm sorry," he says, sounding all the more remorseful, "I am lesser than a beast. I could not help but wish to be close to you, to the point of obsession. Even now, I struggle to remain within these superficial binds, such that I do not lose myself in my passions, such that I do not ravish you where you stand."

You back away, your pen laying forgotten on the tiled floor, and still, he's looking at you with that same unreadable, intimidating gaze. Your hand fumbles for the doorknob, desperate to get out of the situation, and your heart rate doubles as he breaks out of his restraints and approaches you.

His hands slam into the wall behind you, and his face is so close that you can see his actual eyes-- the aperture is blown so wide they're almost a solid black. "Please," he says, madness and lust coagulating in his voice, ringing through the fog, "may I kiss you?"

And as you descend into nigh panic as you're stuck between your responsibility and a ravager, you can just dimly make out the two letters Sombra keeps signing to you over and over.

Lolololololol.  

[thedorklegacy]

The Dork Legacy 4.3 part 1

GladOS: It is time to begin the experiment.

Butch Shopper: Hmm...that boot looks pretty nice. I wonder if it's worth buying...

GladOS: Hello, Human Shopper! I see you considering one of our fine Aperture Science Unipedal Coverage Systems! You must be the star of Insert Hometown Here to have such fine taste!

Butch Shopper: Well, now that you mention it, people do kind of look up to me...

GladOS: It is obvious why. Even in your records, it says that you are a very smart individual. And attractive.

Butch Shopper: Wow, really? Yeah, I guess I am kind of a catch!

Butch Shopper: Oh, I wonder if this is the cake that lady was talking about...?

I accidentally cropped out the part of the picture that said "Your business has gone back down to level one!" and something about keeping an eye on your customers. LOL.

Must be the witching hour. Here goes Bilbo...

And Shelby...

And Einstein. Goodbye, old buddy. I'm gonna miss ya. D:

Einstein: Eh, no offense, but I won't miss you too much! Look how huge this drink is! :D

LOL HK-47. :P

Here's Bilbo's old-man makeover.

And Shelby's! Ain't she just the sweetest thing!

Shelby: I was born to be a gramma! :DD

Bilbo: *WHACK*

Shelby: Oooh my dentures flew out somewhere!

GladOS: Phase one of the experiment: HUGE FAILURE. It's hard to understate my satisfaction. :(

Hay thur, Bao-Dur!

Bao-Dur: ...Your wife's a bitch, then you die.

Legacy readers, I present to you the most adorable picture ever to be featured in this legacy.

Originally posted at katu_sims.

[comfort-charrie-berry]

TimeCrossed (Portal fic) Chapter 4: The break room

Word count: 938

Warnings: None!

Enjoy! -Berry🍓

Chapter three here!

The week went by slowly, as it always does when something exciting is coming up. 

Whenever Chell had to bring something to his area of offices she’d come discuss with him how his mother was and if she should bring anything with her. 

Richard caught on immediately and grilled Wheatley until he had to tell him the full story. 

“Bird watching? Not a fancy dinner or a trip to the pictures?” 

Wheatley shrugged, keeping his eyes on work. “It’s not a date, mate. She’s just, just visiting.” 

“To meet your mom?” 

“Yes?” 

“And see your house that you grew up in” 

“…Yes?” 

Richard gave him a look. “Buddy, that’s a serious date you have on your hands.” 

Wheatley blushed. “She’s just popping by to watch birds with my Mum. If anything she’s only coming to see my Mum.” 

Richard shrugged and went back to work. “If you say so lover boy.” 

On his break he walked into the business kitchen to grab his lunch. 

There stood Chell, holding a small child.

She smiled. “Hello. You on lunch break?” 

He nodded. “Y-yeah. The one time in the day I can stretch my inhumanly long legs. Who’s your friend there?” 

She hoisted the young boy higher on her hip. “This little guy is my cousin. Dad invited his brother and son over to see the place and they left the son with me for a bit.” 

“Ah okay. Understandable. You seem great with…um children.” 

The little boy opened his amber eyes and looked at Wheatley. 

Wheatley waved at him and smiled. 

The boy hid his face in Chell’s hair and giggled. 

Chell smiled. “Sorry, he’s shy.” “No it’s okay. I am as well, of course. I understand you little man.” 

She swayed a little to help lull the boy to sleep and Wheatley felt an odd warmth in his chest. 

“He had a busy morning. Was so excited to see his uncle and ask if he could go to space.” 

“Space?” 

Chell chuckled and rubbed the boy’s back. “Yeah, it’s his dream to go to space. Scientific dreams run my family I suppose.” 

Wheatley’s boss and another well dressed man entered the break room. Wheatley backed up instinctively and watched them. The other man walked to Chell and took the now sleeping child from her. 

“Thank you hon. How’d you get him to sleep after all his excitement?” 

Chell smiled and then looked to her father who answered, “What’d I tell you? Chelsea is as good as they come. She’s going to do many scientific breakthroughs in her time, just you wait.” 

Wheatley busied himself by trying to look for his food and act like he was not listening, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed Chell’s expression become more forced.

She nodded and stood straighter. 

Her uncle checked his watch and sighed. “Well I hate to cut this short, but I gotta get home. The wife is making a big lunch for us and we don’t wanna be late!” He leaned over and gave Chell a side hug. 

She smiled and hugged him back. “Good to see you Uncle Joseph.” 

“Good to see you too honey. And don’t let your dad overwork you okay? If he causes any trouble you call me and I’ll give him a stern talking to.” 

She chuckled and nodded as the two men shook hands and bid their goodbyes. 

Wheatley tried to sneak out of the room around Chell’s father but he was stopped. 

“Wheatley! How’s my favorite records boy?” 

The man pat Wheatley on the back hard. 

Wheatley tried to get air back into his lungs after the blow. “I’m in accounting, sir.” 

“Ah accounting, records, same thing! Hey listen, I heard you were on a call with my daughter recently?” 

Chell’s face grew worried and Wheatley looked at the man, trying to stay calm. “Yes, I had a question about the latest delivery but I didn’t want to bother you.” 

She looked at her father, wondering if he’d fall for it. 

“Working on a weekend are we, Mr Wheatley?” 

“Y-yes sir. You know me, always making sure that good ol’ Aperture science is running as smoothly as it can!” 

The man gave him one more hard back pat. “That’s my boy. Good job. Just, call me next time okay? You have my personal number.” With that he left the room. 

Chell and Wheatley stood silent and glanced at each other. 

“Well um, that went, that went well. I think? But I suppose lying to your father isn’t the best course of action if I want to be your friend is it?” 

She shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself. “No it’s okay. My dad can be…a lot. If you’d have told him the truth, I don’t think it would’ve ended well.” 

Wheatley swallowed hard. “U-um. Okay. Should I be worried?” 

She shook her head. “No. I’m a grown woman, I can do and see who I want.” 

That didn’t ease his fear but he trusted her so he nodded. 

“We still on for Saturday morning?” 

“Yeah, that is if you, if you still want to come?” 

She nodded and put a hand on his arm. “Are you kidding? I’ve been looking forward to this all week!” 

He smiled. “I have too! You’d not believe how much my Mum is getting ready. She’s got her bird book all ready, along with a bird encyclopedia and several books she got from the library. The woman is crazy.” 

Chell laughed. “I love her already. Tell her I’m looking forward to it just as much as she is.” 

[cestcirque]

Hi, is it okay to ask for a few writing tips?

So I've decided to come back to writing after almost 8 years of not doing it, and of course I thought it was a good idea to get back to it in a format I've never done before, a SMAU 🙄😓

I'm having a hard time trying to get the point of each chapter across through texts. Sometimes it feels like a character messages the other and it feels so unnatural like, I try to explain the context of something (like a characters bg story) and it feels like overexposition.

My main difficulty with this is making sure that the readers get to know and feel what happened outside of the "phone" without necessarily having to write out a scene, because there's a lot of subtly and body language in written scenes that help with the build-up of emotional plot points. Without that, I feel like the climax of my story is a little...lackluster?

Since you two beautiful stories that definitely made me FEEL things without having written parts, I thought of asking you if you ever had this problem and how did you overcame it.

Omg 🥺 yes, always down to give writing tips!!! I’m so touched it’s me you want to ask 💕 I truly think there’s so much you can do in SMAU and I wish more people explored it in depth

I’ll direct this towards SMAU but some of it is just philosophy for prose writers as well! ⤵️

I had trouble at first too, but it’s really just a shift in thinking. Instead of action, the focus is character—SMAU is literally all about how people interact with each other, and in my opinion that gives more opportunity to hone in on some very specific emotions

When it comes down to it, it’s like you’re writing a script. And in order to write a script, throw out that prose mindset. Just throw it out 😝 Body language doesn’t exist here!

Think about the scene you’re trying to write. Obviously first make sure it’s a *necessary* scene to advance plot / develop character. Then consider the following, in this order:

1. Don’t be afraid to let important things happen “offscreen”

First step is to let go of the details, esp when your characters are doing things in person. With SMAU, you don’t need to tell your readers everything! In fact, it’ll be impossible to tell your readers everything. The trick here is simply showing that your characters experienced it nonetheless. But rather than giving a play-by-play after the fact (one of my pet peeves 🙄), consider how the action would have changed the way they speak to each other

Something like… “God, why didn’t one of us bring an umbrella?” “Ugh next time I’ll check the menu before making a reservation.” “Weird that the park closes early on Sundays.” “Was nOT expecting it to be that much to rent a car.”

OR to focus on character… “You know you didn’t have to sneak out this morning.” “No fun, at least come inside next time.” “Not even a goodbye?” “What, missing me already?”

2. Find a good reason for each interaction to be happening in the first place

So you’ve figured out which scenes can happen offscreen… but wait, what if your characters are physically in the same space or there’s an in-person action that’s absolutely crucial to your story? Well, what would cause someone to text about it? Find the reason. My biggest pet peeve in SMAUs is when characters start texting each other while they’re in the same room… they’re only doing that bc the writer didn’t find a good enough reason

I’ll use Step 7 of Aperture as an example. The scene at the bookstore is where I struggled the most in the “no prose” challenge. Yet the solution was so simple once I shifted my thinking: “Akaashi help, I’ve lost you.” “Sorry sorry, I’m on the second floor. Literary fiction.” Two lines of setup. And now they can have their conversation

3. Say as much as possible with as few words as possible

Once you know all your interactions are on solid ground, try to write dialogue that tells you more than just the words. Say things without saying things. This is what I try to do in general, even in prose. Always try to do this. I think over-explaining is the mark of an amateur. Remember you’re not the only one on the court thinking—readers can connect the dots too

Example. My absolute favorite line of The Cardinal Set was in Page 21 when the interviewer asks Atsumu if he lost track of the prompter. He says, “Not at all, forgive me. I don’t believe I could’ve made it through that speech if I wasn’t looking at her.” Not only does that tell you what’s physically happening in the studio, but also exactly how he’s feeling

An easier exercise might be to ask yourself how a character says “I love you” without really saying it. We all say it without saying it sometimes—“get home safe” or “have you eaten yet?” or “I saw this and thought of you.” Shirabu said, “Let’s start over, okay?” Semi said, “I’m literally already getting ready to go out.” Atsumu said, “I will never disclose her name.” Akaashi said, “I’ll be back in a bit with stuff to make you breakfast”

4. Remember a SMAU is not just limited to “social media”

If you’ve gone through the first few steps and there’s still something that you can’t articulate quite right, maybe you can tell the story with a different frame. I mean I spoofed a whole online article, for God’s sake 😅 and that was probably my favorite thing to write

Think about how much you do on your phone! It’s a lot! All the world’s a stage! Back to Step 7 again, I literally added in that Google search screenshot hours before posting it, simply bc I realized I could??? Like it’s amazing how much the visuals on your phone can help tell the story

5. Do things that can only be done in SMAU

Last miscellaneous piece of advice. Seems basic but I think people still forget it bc the format is already so different. Why did you choose SMAU in the first place, and not any other method of storytelling?

Point being SMAU is a completely unique way to write. What really sells it is proving that you couldn’t have told this story any other way. I mean what’s the point if you could just as easily tell the same story in prose? I talk a lot about visuals having equal weight in the plot, but you can do it solely with writing too—in no other medium can you so easily sext the wrong person 🤣 and you can’t even try explaining these alternating conversations in prose

So experiment! Go wild! You can do so much more in SMAU than you think!

[cyrillean]

Here's a sasara playlist i spent too long putting together!

tracklist under the read more

arrow by half•alive (i know that i can't run forever / but i can't stand still for too long / this heart is afraid to beat slowly)

this city by patrick stump (from every corner / to every block / whether it’s warm or storming or downright stupid hot, hot)

a mask of my own face by lemon demon (i'd rob my own apartment and i wouldn't give a damn / i'd blame it on the person that nobody knows i am)

kidoairaku by task (i want to be able to have serious conversations / if i could, i'd want to always be smiling)

thinkin bout you by frank ocean (got a beach house i could sell you in idaho since you think i don't love you, i just though you were cute)

wires by the neighborhood (he tells me to be raw / admits to every little flaw / that never let him sit upon the top)

charles by balloon (it was you who said goodbye / even with tears running down your face / if you're going to erase yesterday like this, that's enough / laugh it off)

miss missing you by fall out boy (i will sing to you every day / if it will take away the pain / and i've heard you got it, got it so bad / cause i am the best you'll never have)

hard times by paramore (walking around with my little rain cloud / hanging over my head and it ain't coming down / where do I go? gimme some sort of sign / you hit me with lightning, maybe I'll come alive)

it gets better by fun. (it's hard to stay inside my head when words keep pouring out / like starlight crashing through the room, we'll lose our feathers / yes i know it hurts at first but it gets better)

so what by the mowgli's (anything you say a million times is gonna sound insane / maybe it's a waste / maybe everything is these days)

street fight by smallpools (hit the ground, nobody to hold / i'll lift you up again / lost and found on the side of the road / i'll bring you back again)

do it all the time by i don't know how but they found me (we're taking over the world / a little victimless crime)

glory and gore by lorde (tired little laughs, gold-lie promises / we'll always win at this, i don't ever think about death)

ghost city tokyo by ayase (it's alright / someday it'll be alright / god knows how many times i've told myself / but even now, i fade into the tokyo night alone / almost like a ghost)

some nights by fun. (and some nights i'm scared you'll forget me again / some night i always win / but i still wake up / i still see your ghost / oh lord, i'm still not sure what i stand for)

all i want by walk the moon (the river of cars keeps flowing / all i can see is what's in front of me / this isn't where i thought i was going / this isn't who i thought i would be)

omen by mother mother (something about the world today / makes a boy feel a little insane)

what's good by tyler the creator (i see the light / dracula, dracula, dracula / suck me first, i might get back at you / is that shit clear? check the aperture / hahahahahahaha, i can't laugh at you)

it's alright by mother mother (oh hey / i had a night / i had a day / i did one million stupid things / i said one billion foolish things / i'm not okay)

blinding lights by the weeknd (the city's cold and empty / no one's around to judge me / i can't see clearly when you're gone)

home by vince staples ft richie kohan (i wanna be home free / where's one that was lonely / but i'm ready and waiting / for my day of salvation / and i'm patient)

in my city by ellie goulding (rolling down the streets in my new town / with the lights blinding and my heart weighed down / i think i'll get a job stealing people's thunder)

still feel by half•alive (lost in the in-between / or so it seems / i'm out of control / floating in outer space / have i misplaced a part of my soul? / lost in the in-between but it can't keep me asleep for long cause / i still feel alive)

spotlight (new regrets) by patrick stump (every word's a new regret if you say it right / every wound can be forgotten in the right light / oh nostalgia i don't need you anymore / 'cause the salad days are over and the meat is at my door)

roaring 20s by panic! at the disco (oscars and emmys and grammys / everyone here is a trophy / and i'm sipping bourbon, the future uncertain, the past on the pavement below me)

wilson (expensive mistakes) by fall out boy (there's nothing more cruel than to be loved by everybody but you)

when the party's over by billie eilish (quiet when i'm coming home and i'm on my own / i could lie / say i like it like that / like it like that)

surrender by walk the moon (and for all the pretty mouths and pretty words that turn me up / i just end up at your house)

begin again by purity ring (my moon, oh, my moon / not even into another eternity / would stop your lovely orbiting)

i wish i had a shatterproof heart (i wish i was more confident / so i wouldn't overthink everything i say / it's not / something i can easily find anywhere, / but i'm not giving up anymore)

lost in the wild by walk the moon (now i'm tracking you into the city / under the pressure of traffic lights / i'm chasing the clues you left me / that you might still join me in the wild)

dance apocalyptic by janelle monae (but i really really wanna thank you / for dancing 'till the end / you found a way to break out / you're not afraid to break out / but i need to know / if the world says it's time to go / tell me, will you freak out?)

fifteen minutes by mike krol (see it's times like these with a change of heart / it was over and done with before we had a start)

coward montblanc by deco*27 (which of us was loved by which? / back then, all those years ago / it's all disappearing, fading away / though i know it's still somewhere deep in here)

catabolic seed by the scary jokes (i'm safe / i'm whole / i've got it under control / i'm safe / i'm whole / i've got it under control / and i will protect you / even if you won't protect me too)

are we still friends by tyler the creator (don't get green skin, keep in contact / don't say goodbye, smell you later / no, i can't / i don't wanna end the season on a bad episode)

[confusedunit]

The Resonance Project - Tommy Coolatta

[Content warning in the second section for alcohol, and mentions of a growing alcohol dependency. Calhoun's not doing too well.]

During Second Major Temporal Event

One of the things about being of a species that could effect time is that you don't process time as other species did. Or, do? Could? Tommy was unsure of the grammar to use.

What he did know, was that it was hard to date thoughts and experiences when that just...wasn't how his brain worked. His memory was much more...abstract than that. It was based off of temporal events.

When time is your jam, it was much easier to pay attention to the times that it didn't work, as opposed to the times that it did. He'd labeled the most recent event, when they'd gotten Dr. Freeman back, as the Second Major Temporal Event. The first, of course, was arriving there in the first place.

Adding to his already disjointed memory was the exhaustion he'd been under for far too long. But he knew the memories were still there, even if he didn't know where they were at the time.

He'd find them eventually, if he looked hard enough.

Before First Major Temporal Event

Tommy turned the empty can in his hands, lost in thought. He had hoped that game night would still be a good tradition to keep up with, even with the circumstances, since humans tended to do better under constant conditions. But the tension in the air told him this was less of a consistency thing, and more of a 'safety in numbers' thing. He could still work with that.

"And they still won't answer me!" Calhoun dropped his gesturing hand to the table, other hand holding the beer he was glaring at. He'd been skirting the line of what was healthy to drink for a while now, but he'd just managed to drop the stress smoking he'd picked up after Dr. Freeman's disappearance, and no one was quite ready to start the next conversation yet. "Six damn years, and- and they just..." He dropped his head to the table.

Tommy reached over to rest a hand on his shoulder. "I know..."

"And- and now Harold's gone, no one can find anything about Bubby still..." He turned his head to look up at him. "...'m almost scared they're gonna...come for more of us."

"Black Mesa isn't targeting the Science Team, Mr. Calhoun. What...what reason would they have to do so?"

He shrugged, almost spilling his beer. "Why would they suddenly vanish Gordon and end testing of resonance in Anom? Why would the main Bio department burst into flames? Why would there be calls for clean up teams to the other half of Bio, and suddenly there're no Harolds around?" He struggled to sit up again. "It's...it's suspicious as hell. And I know I gotta be on their shitlist from buggin' them so much. It's a wonder I've still got my clearance."

That was Tommy's doing, though he knew he couldn't admit it. He'd advocated to his dad on Calhoun's behalf, and his dad convinced Administration to look the other way. Protection, even if a roundabout way. "You just think it's a conspiracy." Even as he said it, a part of him agreed with the other man's words.

"'course I do. Fuck the government!" He muttered to himself for a bit, before he sighed. "...Can't leave though. Can't leave without him."

He smiled a bit. "Mr. Freeman?"

"We were thick as thieves, and twice as sharp. Promised him I wouldn't quit until he left." He rolled his shoulders. "And well...I don't think he left. Not without saying goodbye."

He heard a quiet conversation going on in his kitchen, and thought for a moment. He and his dad were looking into what had happened, and he knew he'd probably be tagged in soon, if his dad was really getting as close as he said he was. He moved a hand to one of Calhoun's. Time to take a risk. "...Mr. Calhoun."

He blinked slowly. "...Yeah, Tom?"

"...I'm going to- to find out what happened. But I need- need you to trust me." He felt himself shaking. "Do you trust me?"

"'course I do, Tom. Trust you the most outta...almost anyone."

He gently squeezed his hand. "Then you can't tell anyone I told you this. But you- you keep them all safe, okay? Mr. Vance, Mrs. Vance, Mr. Kleiner, little Alyx..." He shook him lightly. "You protect them, you hear me?"

Calhoun almost looked sober, for a moment. "Loud and clear."

"Once...once I figure it all out, I'll come back for you all. We'll- we'll make sure Black Mesa pays. Together." He smiled a bit. "Because we're the Science Team. And- and we stick together."

Calhoun finally grinned. "Hell yeah."

Late During First Major Temporal Event

Tommy would regret that moment for the rest of his life, when he froze up as the military assaulted Gordon. That he'd been unable to stop them.

He'd seen the look in Benrey's eyes as he'd fled, knew him enough at that point to realize he hadn't meant harm even as it happened.

Bubby, though? To betray Gordon...not just Gordon, but the whole team's trust...Tommy's trust...

As Dr. Coomer ran off, Tommy's arm shot out, grabbing Bubby by his collar and slamming him against the wall.

"Agh- Tommy! Tommy, let go, we have to go!"

"Why would- why would you do that?" His voice was strained. "Why?"

"They're following him- they just want him! We can-" He winced. "I thought we could get him back- we just have to-"

He slammed him against the wall again. "Just had to what? Kill him first?"

"No! Tommy-" His hands shot out to grab Tommy's wrists. "You have to believe me-"

"I owe you nothing."

"We have to play their game to get out of here alive! They shot at him before, but how was I supposed to know they'd-"

Another slam. This time, it left Bubby's glasses askew, and Tommy could see the fear in those blue-grey eyes. For a moment, they caught him off guard. Bubby could act like an adult as much as he wanted, but there was still a part of him that had never had the chance to grow up. And any human would be a child, compared to Tommy's own species. …Maybe the scientist just didn't understand. "They. Are trying. To kill us."

Loud steps echoed behind him. "Freeze!"

"Tommy! Let go!!" Bubby's fear was finally blatant, written all over his face.

He knew that Gordon would survive. Black Mesa wouldn't risk killing off one of their experiments, after all. But the fact that Bubby would sell them out like this, even if it was at the coaxing of Benrey who literally didn't know any better...Fuck. He was angry, and he felt the grudge starting to form and fester. He forced it to unravel, break apart and fade.

Bubby wasn't a murderer. He wasn't a cruel man. But he was a scared man, and scared humans do the stupidest things, because no matter how old they get they never forget how to act like a child.

Well. Maybe a temporary time out would get it through his thick skull.

Tommy gave Bubby a sharp glare, and dropped him roughly to the floor. "Okay."

"Ow!" Bubby winced, trying to scramble to his feet.

Tommy knocked him back down as he stepped over him. "I assume," He glanced back at the soldiers. "You're here to collect Subject 83?"

Bubby froze. "Wait-"

"Because no one is permitted to leave Black Mesa?" He dragged out the sentence to prove the point. Playing by the 'rules' would no longer do them any good. They had each other, and couldn't trust anyone else, regardless of how unhealthy that sounded when he thought it aloud. "Go for it." He crossed his arms. "He's all yours."

"Tommy! Please-"

In a flash of yellow, he was gone.

Just Before First Major Temporal Event

Few memories of his are hazy. But this one is. He remembers it only vaguely.

His father came back, told him what he'd found. The experiments. The location. Asked if he could take this project on, protect his friends until they could be extracted.

His father had said he'd been too busy keeping Black Mesa out of even worse trouble, to keep an eye on this too. That he'd also been tasked with checking into Aperture.

Tommy had agreed.

Even for someone able to disconnect from time, it felt so long ago. And it hurt to think about.

It was the last time he'd been able to hug his father.

He missed him so much.

Early Into First Major Temporal Event

It got lonely, during the tests. The others, as connected to time as they were, never remembered anything. Other than Benrey, who he had been surprised to meet for the first time, after hearing so much about him from his dad.

Well, guess there was an exception to every rule, after all.

But he couldn't always talk to Benrey about his fears and worries.

…Though, he could make someone that he could.

He reached out into the universe, and gathered materials. He collected and pressed, molded and created, before adding time to the mix.

He'd always wanted a loyal companion. Sunkist would be that.

Stardust and dirt of Earth, blood of Galaxy and Space, Time and Life and Kindness, and so so much Love. And finally, a bit of his own life Essence, to jumpstart the process.

When he first lifted the small squirming puppy up in his hands, shining such a vibrant yellow just like him, a hint of blue around the eyes a blessing from his dad, he knew he had made something extraordinary.

He was the perfect dog.

[ducktracy]

158. porky’s romance (1937)

release date: april 3rd, 1937

series: looney tunes

director: frank tashlin

starring: joe dougherty (porky), berneice hansell (petunia, babies), mel blanc (excited petunia), billy bletcher (time munches on narrator)

i’ve been looking forward to reviewing this since the day i first typed my review for bosko, the talk-ink kid. so you’ll have to excuse me for rambling on more than normal, i’m really passionate about this cartoon. there’s so much to say!

first off, this cartoon means a lot to me. it’s the first one i checked out on my own accord. i caught wind of who carl stalling was and wanted to listen to a piece of his music to familiarize myself. i saw his depression era compilation of music, and included was the opening number for this cartoon, which absolutely blew me away. i looked up the cartoon and watched it and instantly fell in love. porky was fat! porky has a different voice actor! porky was INTERESTING! porky was killing himself! i had never seen anything like it, so it holds a special place in my heart. i had a vague idea of some directors, like bob clampett and chuck jones, but had no idea who the hell this “frank tash” guy was. but after watching it, i knew i’d love him. and i do!

secondly, this is joe dougherty’s final appearance. while mel is undoubtedly the better porky, i’ve really come to appreciate joe. he gets a hard time because he had a real stutter, and one of the repeated criticisms i see is that it sounds too overdone. true as that may be, he couldn’t help it, and i applaud him for working as long as he did. i mean, a little over 2 years, that’s a decent amount of time! and he does have talent. we’ve seen and heard much worse. so i’m a little sad to see him go, but excited at the same time knowing wonderful things are ahead. i love this particular era in looney tunes history, the porky’s romance to, say, porky’s badtime story era. there’s this sense of newness and freshness—new voices, new characters, new directors. you feel the change happening before your very eyes. it’s all so exciting!

i’ve rambled enough, and i’m certainly going to ramble much more, so buckle up! after petunia pig rejects porky’s marriage proposal, porky seeks a noose for comfort. when the suicide attempt goes wrong, he’s then launched into a dream sequence about their potential marriage life... and realizes marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

this cartoon has a unique opening to it. before the title card itself, we are presented with “leon schlesinger’s new looney tunes star: petunia pig!” curtains draw to reveal petunia positioned in front of a microphone. yes, this is petunia’s first appearance! she has quite an interesting history. she appears only in 3 frank tashlin cartoons, where she was depicted as a sultry, sexy foil for the bumbling, not very sexy porky. bob clampett would adopt her in 1939 and make her to be much cuter, giving her hair and a much more naïve demeanor. she hardly has any cartoons at all, yet somehow managed to live on through the dell looney tunes comics and in future looney iterations.

petunia greets her audience warmly, opening with “my public! i hope you pictured my liking--i mean, i hope you lictured my picking... i mean... i--” overcome by nerves, petunia struggles to read the script in front of her and greet the audience. this little bit was inspired by the short lived 1936-1937 radio program community sings. the offscreen announcer attempts to calm her down. “shhh, petunia. don’t get excited, don’t get excited...” petunia’s furious outburst (vocals by mel blanc, of course) of “EXCITED!? WHO’S EXCITED?? I’M NOT EXCITED!!!” comes from comedian professor tommy mack, who would do the same slow routine and then the explosion with the “WHO’S EXCITED?” line. tashlin’s the woods are full of cuckoos is an entire tribute to community sing.

the curtains close on petunia, and then we’re actually greeted with the title card. an absolutely stellar rendition of “i wanna woo” underscores the title and the opening scene. a happy porky whistles along to the music as we have a montage of him buying necessities for petunia. a diamond ring, some roses, some chocolates. what a good guy! i love the visuals in this cartoon. everything is so sleek and modern--it’s evident tashlin was enamored with the art deco style. and that song again is just beautiful--it’s why i investigated this cartoon in the first place!

porky finishes his routine as he approaches petunia’s house, dancing up and down the stairs before ringing the doorbell. i love that face of his as he poses by the doorbell, throwing his bouquet in the air and catching them in his hand. he’s awfully full of himself.

inside, petunia approaches the door, her brat of a dog fluffnums by her side. for some reason, fluffnums was attempted to be pushed as a reoccurring character, with model sheets and drawings of him surfacing around the studio, i guess for publicity, but he only appeared in this cartoon. same goes for the iceman in i only have eyes for you (his name is sammy sparrow?) and the parrot in i wanna be a sailor. petunia opens the top portion of her door to see her visitor, and we see cocky old porky posing with his hat hilariously tipped on his face. petunia, for whatever, isn’t very pleased, turning her nose and marching away, stomping her foot. “porky pig! pooh-pooh!” in the same rhythm, the dog barks the same amount of syllables, stomping its little paw. warm welcome.

a lovely, downtrodden chorus scores porky as he trudges away tearfully, wilting, pausing only to kiss petunia’s nameplate on her house. suddenly, fluffnums looks out the window and barks for petunia. “what is it, fluffnums?” then, petunia spots the box of chocolates porky carries along behind his back. we then get this BEHEMOTH of a scene that displays how tasteful of a director frank tashlin is: 6.5 seconds, 157 frames, 10 cuts. petunia rushes out of her house at the speed of light and urges porky back inside her home. the scene has CLARITY--you can understand what’s happening, unlike the rapid cutting in porky in the north woods. this scene is genius. petunia throws a dazed porky on her couch while she gorges herself on the chocolates, cooing about how glad she is to see him.

mark kausler identifies the animator as volney white (though the thick eyebrows make me think of bob bentley. mark’s a wonderful source of information i gladly accept everything he says, because he’s right 99.9% of the time) for the scene where porky tries to reach for a chocolate himself. fluffnums, ever the threatening guard dog, growls. we have a great back and forth scene as porky sheepishly pets the dog on the head, reaching for a chocolate and still getting growled at. the charade continues until porky finally snatches one, sticking his tongue out in childish defiance at the dog. as porky lifts up his trophy, winking towards the audience at his act of outsmarting, the dog jumps up and eats the chocolate himself, breaking a hole in porky’s boater hat in the process. (no dogs were harmed in the making of this cartoon!)

seeing as this is joe dougherty’s last cartoon, he doesn’t speak very much at all. in this scene, the animators had porky facing AWAY from the audience so they wouldn’t have to animate his lip movements. it was pretty clear that everyone was tired of working for dougherty. instead, porky’s body jitters as he speaks. they used a technique called staggered exposure, which was mixing up a sequence of drawings to get that jittery effect (so instead of going in a sequence of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and so forth, it would be more like 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and so on.) “why petunia, i want you... you.. you to.. be in love.. that is.. um.. will you.. uh... er, uh.. may i.. that is... won’t you... will you... aw, shucks. will you marry me?”

just as porky finally manages to spit out his confession, disaster strikes. petunia’s bastard of a dog pulls the carpet out from under porky, sending him flipping and falling in the air. because of this, petunia ridicules and laughs at him. porky is now absolutely devastated, leaving petunia’s house for good. i love the detail of his ears and bow tie wilting. carl stalling’s music is on point in this cartoon: an underscore of “the little things you used to do” backs up the scene here. that song was sung at the end of the coo-coo nut grove, where the entire nightclub was flooded in tears.

the next scene is strikingly somber and surprised me greatly the first time i watched it. we iris in on porky writing a suicide note, a noose tied around his neck, tied to a tree branch. the note simply reads “dear petunia, i love you. goodbye forever -- porky” the camera panning out is a little janky and rough, but i digress. porky wipes away his tears, pulling a photo of petunia from his pocket and giving it a kiss. with that, porky jumps.

because of his weight, the suicide attempt fails as the tree branch breaks, porky toppling to the ground and hitting his head. thus launches a dream sequence as his surroundings spin around (by unscrewing the lens of the camera, screwing it (counter)clockwise in front of the aperture), melting away to the exterior of a church. wedding bells chime victoriously. inside, petunia and porky give their vows. porky struggles, stuttering “i d-d-d.... i-d..d-” the officiator whistles (a dougherty era running gag), and porky spits out his final “do.”

more volney white animation as the lovebirds exit the church, waving to the crowd that surrounds them. and, of course, fluffnums is there too, begrudgingly carrying petunia’s veil in its mouth. we cut to porky and petunia happily riding in their car, a victorious JUST MARRIED banner waving in the wind, with shoes attached to strings on the bumper marching along in time to “in my merry oldsmobile”. porky’s license plate reads BOOB -- a good indicator of how frank tashlin felt about porky.

a lovely overhead layout of the honeymoon hotel porky and petunia stay at (with, of course, an underscore of “honeymoon hotel”, which was also the title of a 1934 earl duvall merrie melody). the elevator rises to the top floor in syncopation with the music. a nice silhouette shot of porky and petunia, and rather suggestive at that. they kiss, and the last we see before a fade out is porky turning off the light in the apartment.

billy bletcher voices the narrator as a triumphant fanfare blares. “TIME... MUNCHES ON!” rather disconcerting eating noises, and then we open to a very rotund petunia and fluffnums gorging themselves on chocolate. not the most flattering depiction of a woman, but the ironic “laughing” of the clarinets and horns playing “oh, you beautiful doll!” is a wonderful touch. i love when the scores themselves serve as jokes. 

pan across the apartment, the score melting into another rendition of “i wanna woo” as we see poor porky hard at work. i adore the layout of this entire scene. porky busies himself with all the odd jobs petunia has (presumably) thrown onto him, washing the clothes, ironing a dress, cooking the food, washing the dishes. he unsuccessfully attempts to balance the chaos, trying not to kill himself in the process. pay attention to how the furniture is arranged. the stove, the sink, even the ironing board, they’re all slightly diagonal and at an angle. practical? absolutely not, no one has their furniture arranged like that, just jutting out. but in animation terms, it’s more than practical. it’s so that you can see the details clearly, so that you can see every little thing happening. the clarity of the scene would be muddied if the furniture was arranged the way it should be--you may miss details like the pan burning on the stove or the looming pile of dishes. this is some super smart staging, and the architecture is just beautiful within itself. porky struggles to keep up with the demands, but fails, burning food, clothes, etc. you’ll notice that when he fails to balance a pile of dishes, the china crashing into him as he flops down on the floor, whatever he’s cooking in the pot boils over as well. everything just explodes at once. 

meet porky pig jr, porky pig jr, porky pig jr, porky pig jr, porky pig jr, porky pig jr, porky pig jr, porky pig jr, and so on. all of the babies start screaming at the noise (bob bentley animation), and petunia puts in her two cents by yelling “porky pig! shut those kids up!” porky rocks one of the cradles back and forth, reassuring her “i’m doing the best i can, petunia dear.” petunia marches forth, wielding a rolling pin as she retorts “don’t dear me, you WORM!” with that, she beats porky relentlessly over the head with the rolling pin, all of the kids shouting “GIVE IT TO HIM, MAMA! GIVE IT TO HIM!” which is another radio show catchphrase of some sort.

finally, we’re met with reality. porky sits in a daze on the ground, petunia stroking his cheek with fluffnums at porky’s other side. petunia puts on her best sympathy act, cooing “oh porky, i’m so so-ree! you’re my honey man. i’ll marry you, darling, honey bunny boo...” while petunia showers porky in all sorts of pet names, he looks up at his suicide note, remembering his dream where petunia was an abusive slob. they had trouble with the camera movements again--when they came out of the dissolve, the camera was in the wrong position slightly, creating a double image.

this is one of my favorite endings to any looney tunes short. a terrified porky jumps up at zips away into the horizon (with that great electric guitar zoom/twang sound effect i love so much), petunia shrugging and fluffnums making a ! mark appear over his head. suddenly, porky retreats, snagging his chocolates from petunia and running for the hills. a beat... and he returns once more, only to give fluffnums a well deserved swift kick in the ass. the music score in this scene is just lovely, nice and jazzy. the timing is succinct, and i love the guitar zoom sound effect. iris out.

as you can see, i love this short, a lot. while i love the blow out, i think this is my first true favorite that we’ve seen so far. it’s so dark, and i don’t even like dark stuff! it just feels so different. carl stalling is in tip top shape with his music scores. every single piece is lovely, especially that beginning. the animation is fun, the expressions are great. i wish i could articulate my thoughts better, because i really just love this cartoon a lot. i’m super happy it was one of the first i had seen, because i probably wouldn’t be typing these reviews had i not. frank tashlin’s cinematography is STRONG in this one. the camera cuts, the angles... this is a beautiful cartoon, inside and out. i feel bad that it’s joe dougherty’s last appearance, but understand at the same time. great things are ahead, revolutionary things! i’ve warmed up to joe quite a lot. i’ve found nothing in terms of what he did after his tenure as porky--wikipedia (not reliable, i know) states that he attended medical school before becoming a voice actor, so good on him! anyway, i absolutely love this cartoon and have seen it multiple, multiple, multiple, MULTIPLE times. it’s strikingly different in tone than what we’ve seen and what we WILL be seeing. it’s not just your everyday frank tashlin porky cartoon. this one stands out, and i implore you to watch it.

link!

[bondibee]

whoa remember when I made Content

Here’s a technically nsfw LaaC thing! Yeehaw  In which GLaDOS just wants to do a perfectly innocent test and Chell is a little shit

Chell had been back in Aperture for a little over a week already, but it didn't feel like it had been that long. Settling into life back underground was proving a little harder than she had anticipated, even though it was remarkably comfortable compared to the way she'd been living on the surface. There was nothing GLaDOS could say to get her out of that big soft bed before noon, or stay in the shower for less than thirty minutes. It was odd in a way, to think of Aperture as comfortable considering her history with the place, and those less than pleasant memories still held a prominent spot in Chell's mind. For as nice as her new little apartment was, finding a rhythm with GLaDOS, her only companion down here, and presumably the person she'd be spending the rest of her life with at this point, was… tough. They'd learned a bit about each other during their long climb back up from the depths of the facility together, enough for Chell to realize she might've been unexpectedly fond of the AI, but it wasn't as if they'd grown up together. GLaDOS seemed a little unsure of the situation herself, and for the most part acted as if Chell wasn't there unless she wanted attention, of one form or another. She was obviously out of her element, but then, so was Chell. She didn't exactly have a slew of successful romances to look back on for reference, not counting a messy slew of one night stands and drunken club encounters. So the cycle of their days together was still rocky, with neither party entirely sure how to interact with the other now that the initial joy of their reunion had worn off.

For Chell, figuring out just what exactly she was supposed to do now was the hardest part. GLaDOS didn't give her any restrictions other than “Please don't break anything.” which Chell was pretty sure she could ignore without too much consequence, so really the world was her oyster. But she was bored. Before returning she had given some thought to what she might spend her time doing down here, but not much. Honestly she was still shocked that GLaDOS let her back in at all, her goodbye had seemed so final. Chell had half expected GLaDOS to just shoot her through the door or, much more likely, not respond at all. She hadn't really considered that she would just… walk right back in. That GLaDOS would want her back. But she did. And now Chell was here, and she had to figure out what to do.

For now her usual afternoon go-to activity was to pester GLaDOS in the central chamber while she tried to work. It wasn't as if Chell could go much further than there and a few repurposed offices without any portals, so it was either that or… stare at the ceiling. So she finally dragged herself out of bed and pulled on a jacket- GLaDOS kept it freezing in here- and headed down the hall.

The core was predictably in the middle of the chamber, her massive robotic chassis hanging still and dark in the center of the room. She was human today, luckily. It was much easier to talk to her like this, but there didn't seem to be any clear reasoning behind which body she chose to be in at any given time. The instant Chell passed through the door GLaDOS broke her attention from the array of monitors before her and shot her gaze over to her visitor.

Chell waved.

“Oh, hi.” GLaDOS said, sitting up straighter in her chair and running her fingers carefully through the snowy hair covering her blue eye. She fidgeted slightly before settling on crossing her legs. “To what do I owe the honor…?”

Chell chuckled softly as she approached the glass platform where GLaDOS sat. She shrugged in response, hands in her pockets and eyes downcast. She felt a little underdressed now with her gray sweatpants and messy hair still loose around her shoulders. Glados always dressed much too nicely to just be sitting around all day, Chell thought. Black heels, black stockings, tight black skirts, today the blazer was black too. It couldn't be a comfortable go-to outfit, but it did look nice. Perfect hair, perfect makeup, perfect nails, perfect posture. GLaDOS was beautiful, strikingly so, in a way that made her hard to look at for long without making Chell turn her head away in nervous laughter. GLaDOS herself was equally awkward, though she did a better job of hiding it.

“Well,” she said, “Do you need anything?” GLaDOS tilted her head to the side slightly, giving a glimpse of her right eye as her gaze flicked over Chell curiously. “...Or are you just going to stand there looking pretty?”

Laughter broke from Chell's lips, and a slightly unsure smile came to GLaDOS’s. Chell leaned over before she had a chance to think through it too much and caught the core's chin in her hand, guiding her into a kiss. If nothing else it put GLaDOS at ease a little, Chell could feel her relax and she sighed softly into the kiss. This time it was GLaDOS who bashfully averted her gaze, looking down at her lap when Chell pulled away.

“Well, uh, it's nice to see you too.”

Chell smiled, and nodded to the empty space beside glados in her chair.

“Oh! Yeah, go ahead.” She scooted over a little to give Chell more room, but it was still a comfortable squeeze with both of them there. Chell was getting used to sitting in here with her, after a while GLaDOS would relax against Chells shoulder and let herself be held. Today though there were dozens of thick black cables extending from her back, a new development and an explanation for the strange affixed to her back. The wires ran up to the chassis in a messy tangle and Chell couldn't quite figure out a good way to get an arm around GLaDOS without touching them, which she didn't really want to do. While she considered the situation, GLaDOS sat up abruptly.  

“Oh- hold on.” She leaned forward and turned on the microphone, Chell noticed the harsh shift in her tone when she spoke into it. “What are you two doing? Honestly I should've scrapped you for parts ages ago.”

Chell swung her feet awkwardly, recalling feelings of watching a friend get yelled at by their parents.

“Yes, you.” GLaDOS continued, “Who else would I be talking to?”

Chell could hear faint distressed beeping behind GLaDOS’s sigh as she slumped back in her chair. “Ugh, sorry. They're useless.”

Chell glanced over the monitors for a few moments, and she had to agree. The test the poor little bots were trying to solve was simple enough, and Chell had it figured it in just a few seconds.

“...Frustrating,” she mumbled.

“You don't know the half of it.”

“...I could do it.”

At that GLaDOS shot up straight and looked Chell dead in the eye. Almost immediately though she caught herself and relaxed, looking back at the monitors nonchalantly. “Well, I… I'm sure you could.”

Chell raised an eyebrow in questioning.

GLaDOS continued, “I mean, if you felt like it… there are a few tests you could try. Just some I had lying around.”

Chell smiled, and nodded. Back when she first met GLaDOS she had thought that testing was pretty fun, up until she tried to kill her. The ones after they both woke up again probably could have been fun too, if GLaDOS hadn't still been trying to kill her. But, now GLaDOS was much less likely to commit any murders, so why not give it another go? It wasn't as if Chell had anything better to do down here, and maybe it would be something they could do together.

“Really…?” GLaDOS asked, probably thinking back to the same close calls that Chell was remembering. “It… is dangerous you know. There are no safety considerations in place.”

Chell rolled her eyes. She’d made it through all of GLaDOS’s little tests this far, a few more would be a breeze. Not willing to give the core any more time to doubt Chell got up and stretched her arms, signaling just how ready she was to do anything other than sit around bored for another day.

“Well, fine, if you're going to be so pushy.”

Within no time Chell found herself holding a shiny new portal gun, disappointingly not the same one she'd carved her name into before, with new long fall boots on her feet and very little patience. She bounced idly in the elevator as it went down, and down, and down, to wherever GLaDOS had been building the new testing tracks. Chell tried to keep a mental record of where exactly she was going, just in case she needed to get back out. Finally the elevator slowed its descent, and came to a smooth stop. The doors opened, and Chell all but ran down the dark hall, ignoring the sign on the wall like she always had.

“Think you can beat your record?” Came GLaDOS’s familiar voice over the speakers, a strange callback to before they were quite so friendly. Chell nodded confidently to the nearest camera, and set off.

------

So, maybe that confidence was a bit premature. It took Chell what felt to her like an eternity to solve the relatively simple puzzle, and then once she did figure it out it took even longer to actually execute it. Thankfully GLaDOS had been fairly quiet the whole time, Chell didn't really need any comments about how much difficulty she was having catching a stupid cube. All she had to do was push the button, and then jump in the portal, and if her timing was right down the millisecond, apparently, everything would work and she could take the cube to the laser, and the laser through the portal, and maybe then GLaDOS would let her get some lunch. Chell took a breath and tried her best to calculate the time again, before giving it one more try.

This time would have been perfect, but instead of catching the cube she managed to slam into it mid air and ended up landing hard on her side with a small cut on her cheek. She groaned in frustration, and tossed the portal gun away toward the far wall.

“Hey, careful!” GLaDOS chided, “Do you have any idea how expensive that device is?”

Chell nodded against the floor, pretty sure that GLaDOS had told her before exactly how expensive it was, and she hadn’t listened. Slowly she sat up, and steeled herself to try again. It was going to work eventually, it had to, she just had to keep trying.

Thankfully it only took two more tries to get it right, and from there the rest of the test was easy. Chell carried the cube over to the laser and angled it through the portal to activate the switch. As she lined it up properly GLaDOS spoke over the speakers again.

“There, fina- ah-”

The sound of the speakers abruptly cutting out was covered by that of the exit door sliding open. Chell looked up curiously, signaling to the camera by the door. What happened?

She waited, but no response came, so she just shrugged and headed onward. It was a little strange to not hear GLaDOS’s voice as she walked into the elevator and waited through the short trip down, but Chell supposed the AI didn’t really have a reason to talk to her much now, since she was no longer trying to get under her skin. Even so it was somehow eerie to enter a new test chamber and hear nothing, so Chell paused in front of the first camera and waved to it.

“What?” GLaDOS asked, after a short delay. “Yes, I see you.”

Chell tilted her head to the side as she listened to the voice. GLaDOS must have still been in her human body, if the heavy breath behind her words was anything to go off of. Her tone was so different than it had been just a few minutes ago, but at the same time there was something familiar in it, like Chell had heard her talk this way before… Oh.

Chell couldn't stop the low chuckle that escaped her throat at that dawning realization.

“What? What are you laughing at?” GLaDOS insisted, her voice unmistakably hurried and unsteady.

Chell could practically see the flush on her cheeks as she spoke, remembering clearly the AI’s trembling words as she lay panting in Chell's bed the other morning. She shot a quick smirk at the camera, and walked on into the test chamber. ‘In it for the science’ she said. Yeah, right. Chell would have scoffed before but now the situation was just funny, and kind of cute. And it gave her notably more motivation to finish the next test. It wasn't difficult, and she was pretty certain she had it figured out after her first scan of the room. However as soon as she started placing portals, GLaDOS spoke up.

“Wait- I-” She sputtered. Chell paused in her tracks and looked back at the camera with feigned curiosity. “You… don't have to hurry, you now.”

Chell chuckled again to herself, and carried on. GLaDOS might have said not to hurry, but this chamber was simple, and it wouldn't take long no matter how Chell solved it. As she stepped carefully over another laser a low, approving hum sounded over the speakers. If GLaDOS had been like this from the start maybe things would have been different, at least a little. But then… why hadn't she? Chell thought about it as she maneuvered behind a turret to place a portal on the far wall- GLaDOS had never been so compromised by testing before. Maybe it was her new body? But then she ran tests from it often enough, and didn't seem to have any trouble. If anything watching Blue and Orange test just seemed to annoy her. For a moment Chell wondered if it was just because it was her, if GLaDOS had feelings for her now and that somehow changed things. She shook her head, deciding that was silly. The only other variable she could think of were the new wires connecting GLaDOS to her old body.

Slightly distracted by her musings Chell picked up the turret and carried it over to the ledge, and dropped it into the acid below to get it out of the way.

“Oh.”

Chell looked back at the camera again, and it actually turned away. She grinned. GLaDOS really was adorable sometimes, when she wasn't awful. What else would she like? Chell wondered, looking around the chamber for another turret to drown. Unfortunately there was only the one, so she kept going.

It was easy enough, and the solution Chell saw upon first entering the chamber turned out to be the right one. It took her less than 10 minutes to get the cube she needed over to the button that would unlock the door. As she trotted over to it GLaDOS’s voice came over the speakers once again, sounding impatient despite her best efforts.

“Oh, good, just- … Well, you know what to do from here.”

“Hm?” Chell paused, setting down the cube. Had GLaDOS almost said the solution?

“No don't put it down, come on!”

Chell raised an eyebrow, and smirked. She picked up the cube again.

“Good, just- Chell!”

The test subject's shoulders shook with silent laughter as she set the cube down again, this time right next to the button.

“I know what you're doing. It's not funny.”

Chell shrugged and nodded, thinking that it was in fact pretty funny. She climbed up and sat on top of the cube.

“Oh now you're just being mean.” GLaDOS whined. Her voice was becoming notably less patient, and less composed. Chell stretched her arms and leaned back, relaxing against the cold metal of the cube.

“Chell. Chell get up.”

“Hm?”

“Come on, it's right there,” GLaDOS groaned, “Stop stalling!”  

“Said not to hurry.”

“What- ughh.”

Chell yawned and closed her eyes, laughing to herself at GLaDOS’s frustrated groaning.

“Fine, I see, clearly this chamber was too challenging for you to solve.”

Chell rolled her eyes, GLaDOS could do better than that.

“You're just- where are you going? Hey!” GLaDOS called after Chell as she hopped off the cube and wandered over to the ledge. She aimed her portal gun at the far wall again, lining up a shot.

“What are you… don't you dare. You'll have to do it all again- no!!” Chell could hear GLaDOS hitting something, the arm of her chair maybe? As she stepped through the portal and back to the other side of the room, and back through the emancipation grill right in front of the entrance. Both the portals immediately blinked out of existence, along with the cube.

GLaDOS let out the most exasperated cry Chell had ever heard, her voice getting quieter near the end as she presumably moved away from the microphone.

“Ughhh! You. You have to be the worst test subject who has ever set foot in this facility.”

“High praise.”

“I hate you.”

“I hate you too.”

Chell blew a kiss to the nearest camera, and went on her way to solve the test again. This time around it only took a few minutes, mostly just the time it took her to walk around, she wasn't in any rush after all. All the while GLaDOS grumbled and admonished Chell from the central chamber, the pitch of her voice rising with the rate of her breath as Chell made it back over to the door with her new cube.

“Okay, now just. Don't do that again.”

Chell paused, and thought about it. She thought about it some more.

“Chell!”

“Where does it go?”

“Oh my god.” GLaDOS groaned. Chell swore she could hear her foot tapping quickly in the background. Chell laughed, but she couldn't keep this up forever. It was a little mean, and GLaDOS was starting to sound less playfully annoyed and more genuinely angry, so she moved the cube over the button. GLaDOS’s breath caught in her throat in response- her fed up growling giving way to silent anticipation.

But, Chell wouldn't let her off that easily. She lowered the cube down slowly, and just barely let it rest on the button. The door wasn't even activated, but apparently that was enough for GLaDOS’s system if the squeaky gasp that escaped her was any indication. As soon as that sound left her lips though, Chell moved the cube away again.

She grinned at the ensuing scream that cut through the room, accompanied by the clattering of a clipboard hitting the floor.

“Chell for fuck’s sake.”

“Language.”

“Ugghhh.”

“Ask nicely.”

“What…??” GLaDOS sounded absolutely attacked, her voice shrill and uncomfortable and breathy. “No! Just put--! Ughh, Chell come on.”

Chell shook her head, still holding the cube just a hair's breadth above the button. She wished that she could see GLaDOS’s face, she could hear the movement of fabric and would've killed to see GLaDOS squirming and fidgeting in her chair. Chell looked at the camera and raised an eyebrow. Well?

“You do not need me to ask you to do your one job.”

“Hmm…” well that wasn't the right answer. Chell lifted the cube up higher and started to move away. Flicking her eyes back to the other side of the room again.

“No-! No no, wait, don't start it over again!!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah- just. Finish the test.

“Finish the test…?” Chell repeated, trailing off in suggestion of one more little word.

“No.” GLaDOS said sternly. Her voice was starting to lose some of the edge of frustration, so Chell quickly tapped the cube back down on the button. GLaDOS squealed in response, a cute high pitched little sound that quickly degraded into a shriek of annoyance.

“You're awful!! God!”

Chell rolled her eyes and nodded.

“Y-you can't stay in there forever, you have to solve it eventually!”

Chell shrugged.  

“Look just do it and I'll- I'll give you something. I promise, you'll like it!”

“Hmm…”

“You're ruini- ah!! Stop that!!” GLaDOS yelled over Chell's laughter as she tapped the cube down again, her voice now shrill and wavering.

“Ask.” said Chell.

“I am asking!”

Chell gave the camera a look. GLaDOS knew what she needed to do, it wasn't hard.

The AI groaned deep in her throat, and grumbled again, “No.”

Chell sighed, and turned back toward the ledge, taking the cube with her.

“No!! No- no no, wait, turn back around, Chell!! Don't you dare.”

Chell paused, but didn't turn around.

There was a moment where she could tell GLaDOS was thinking, mulling over the options in her head. She mumbled and whined and cursed, before finally, she did it.

In a low, growly voice, GLaDOS mumbled “Please.”

There, now was that so hard? Chell smiled triumphantly, and finally dropped the cube on the button.

The noise that GLaDOS made in response was positively lyrical, a deep, throaty moan that Chell was starting to become familiar with but still sent a rush of heat through her body. She stood still for a moment listening, picturing GLaDOS’s pink cheeks and furrowed brow- the tremors of her body as her voice finally gave way to ragged panting.

“Move.” GLaDOS commanded between heavy breaths. Chell startled from her position of staring vaguely in the direction of the speaker and hurried through the open door and onto the elevator. Even GLaDOS’s harsh tone didn't wipe the smile off her face though, she felt as if she'd just learned some great secret.

“Feel good…?” She asked as the elevator doors closed behind her.

“Shut up.”

Chell smirked, but that faded when she realized the elevator was moving in the wrong direction, remarkably fast.

“It seems you found an… unexpected bug.” GLaDOS said as the elevator rose. “How nice.”

A sudden worry overtook Chell- GLaDOS didn't exactly sound happy. She racked her brain trying to remember if there were any good routes away from the central chamber, just in case GLaDOS was really angry with her. Slowly the elevator came to a stop, and the glass doors opened.

Chell scanned the room, but GLaDOS was still sitting on her throne, legs crossed, chin in her hand.

“Come here,” she said.

Chell cautiously stepped into the room, and walked about halfway over to the central platform.

“That was not nearly as satisfying as it might have sounded to some people.” GLaDOS glared from the shadow of her chassis, tapping her foot on the glass platform.

A tension left Chell's shoulders as she realized she probably wasn't in danger, and slowly she closed the distance between herself and the core.

“No?”

“No. And you don't get to start things like that and not finish them properly.”

A small smile tugged at chells lips as she walked up the stairs. “Oops.”

“Just come here, you monster.”

Chell grinned, and scooped GLaDOS up in her arms. The smaller woman melted into her body instinctively, wrapping her arms and legs around her easily.

“You know,” she said, “you still have to finish the rest of the tests.”

Chell rolled her eyes, and shut GLaDOS up with a kiss.

[sarcasticgaypotato]

(( Whoops, I did it again. For @bondibee‘s ‘LaaC’ verse, based on some musings we’ve had. )) Chell was dead. Death happened to all humans eventually, so it really ought not to have been so surprising. Chell lived longer than most, much longer in fact. At least a solid ten years more than GLaDOS’s initial estimate. Of course, that was only because of GLaDOS. As Chell started to get older and her body started to underperform, GLaDOS was there to step in.  If Aperture could make a gun that shot holes in reality, they could certainly improve upon pre-existing technology meant to support human life. So, as year after year went by, and bit after bit of Chell’s natural body failed her, GLaDOS hooked her up to some new machine that would kick the the can down the road a little bit further, at least until the next upgrade. But eventually, it got to a point where Chell started turning her head away, scowling at the prospect of whatever new machine GLaDOS had designed for her. It was almost as if she didn’t want to live another year. Another five. Another ten. Yes, she was old and weak and bedridden, yes she could hardly sit up, and lived off an IV drip, but she was alive. Chell was barely a shadow of the athletic, quick-thinking, tenacious, test-solving woman that she had once been, but she was still Chell.  GLaDOS had kept her brain deterioration to a shocking minimum, and so Chell was very much still in there- if she had been reduced to some wheezing old hag who couldn’t remember her own name, GLaDOS might’ve given up sooner and let her go- but sometimes she wondered if that made things harder. Chell knew who she was, where she was, and what she had been able to do. To then, with full understanding and memory, watch herself lose those capabilities, one by one, had been painful. The powerful test subject that GLaDOS had come to love now... seemed nothing but tired.

And so, when she was on her deathbed, Chell had actually smiled. Her lips pulled gently upwards as she rested a frail hand on GLaDOS’s balled up fist. As if that was supposed to comfort her.  GLaDOS had been fighting tooth and nail to save her this time, but she hadn’t been prepared, her latest prototype wasn’t ready and- “GLaDOS…?” GLaDOS looked up, blinking tears- she wasn’t crying. Was she? Her cheeks were wet but she wasn’t crying- out of her eyes, and trying to focus her gaze on the woman in front of her. “I…” Chell’s voice came out like a croak, sickly and weak, and far from the attractively low growl that it had been in her prime. GLaDOS couldn’t help but wonder if something was making it painful for her to talk, hence the way she paused in-between each word.  Frantically, the AI tried and determine what it was.  Maybe she could get her some water, some medicine, something to make it easier for her to say what it was that she needed to say. But the rest of Chell’s sentence didn’t come. GLaDOS waited, and she was met with silence. “Speak.” ... “ ...I said SPEAK damn you, now is not the time to play mute again!” GLaDOS rose her voice, trying to ignore the way that her pitch dangerously wavered and threatened to crack.  A flare of anger rose in her chest that burned white hot, as she stared down at Chell, who lay there, ignoring her. Ignoring her with glassy eyes and a chest that no longer moved up and down with raspy breaths, there was nothing but silence. Silence that was only broken by the cold, hard sound of a flatline. GLaDOS’s anger was replaced with freezing cold dread.  A pit of ice that formed in her stomach, and slowly spread outwards. Chell was dead. And GLaDOS wasn’t ready. Chell had been on death’s door for far too long now, but GLaDOS had stubbornly shook her head and refused to believe it. Chell couldn’t die yet. She still had another year in her. Another month. Another day. GLaDOS just needed one more day. One more hour. Five more minutes. She needed Chell, she couldn’t lose her. She couldn’t say goodbye yet. And days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Soon, it had been a decade since Chell died, and GLaDOS still could not bring herself to let it go. Chell’s body was perfectly preserved, held in stasis exactly the way it had been merely minutes after death. It was tucked away in a secure room, then locked up. GLaDOS hadn’t looked at the body since the day Chell died.  Seeing it would only make her death more real, so she tried to pretend it wasn’t there. Chell was dead, and GLaDOS couldn’t handle that.  So... maybe, she didn’t have to. It had been a decade, and GLaDOS finally started to move forward. Not move on, but not stay stagnant. That wasn’t very good science. She threw herself into her work instead, completing a project that she had been forbidden to do.   Chell had never wanted this, she had said as much, no matter how much GLaDOS had tried to convince her otherwise. But that was alright.  GLaDOS could let herself be selfish, that was not the worst thing she had ever been called.  Chell could hate for a hundred years if she wanted, and that would be fine. Time would soon be irrelevant to the both of them. All GLaDOS needed was to be able to hold Chell in her arms again. Warm and alive, and in her prime.  And GLaDOS had the technology to one day do so. GLaDOS could grow a body. If she could make dozens of human forms for herself, she could make a perfect copy of someone else’s. She had Chell’s body, she could take whatever samples she needed, and go from there. She had Chell’s brain scanned, she need only turn memories and feelings into lines of code.  If GLaDOS herself could exist like this, so too could Chell. And so she worked, tirelessly, to perfect the process that the scientists before her had created.  They had found out how to create robotic life with a human base, but that wasn’t what GLaDOS needed.  She was made from the building blocks of Caroline, but she was still someone new. GLaDOS didn’t want to make someone new. She just wanted Chell back. But she would be careful. She would be cautious, she would check every line of code, every second of the process. She would find where the scientists who created her went wrong, and she would fix their mistakes.  She would do this right. Unfortunately, defying death was not so simple.  And for as much as GLaDOS could, and would oppose the natural order of things- her existence alone spat on the process of organic life- that did not mean that the universe would not fight back. When she first brought Chell online, she had been eagerly waiting at the not-so-human’s side.  Chell’s new body was as young and powerful as it had been when they first met, lively looking and healthy. Chell’s eyes, when they opened for the first time, shimmered with life, and seemed leagues away from the exhausted dullness they had held the last time GLaDOS saw her. But nothing was ever as perfect as it seemed. This was not the Chell that GLaDOS had spent years with, fallen in love with. This Chell did not look at her with fondness or affection.  It first met her gaze with guarded confusion. Perhaps… she did not recognize GLaDOS’s human form.  She had made this one to look exactly the same as it had been when she first inhabited it- it was only fair, she would not put herself in an old, weaker body if Chell got to be youthful- but it was possible that Chell would’ve expected to see the same form that she had looked at before she died. So GLaDOS spoke, reminded her who she was.  The Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System. And Chell changed. It did not take long for GLaDOS to realize her mistake. As Chell grew more and more defensive, looked around the room for means of escape or attack, GLaDOS knew that she had brought Chell back, but she had brought a version of her back that was robbed of half her life. A Chell that looked and thought the same as she had all those years ago. Stuck with only GLaDOS’s murder attempt as the most recent memory in her head. It was too cruel, GLaDOS decided, to see her like this.  She did not wait so long to be met with someone who looked at her with anger, fear, and confusion. She could not stand to be with a Chell who did not remember how tenderly she had held GLaDOS, kissed her, loved her. GLaDOS did the only thing there was to do. This was only the first test of many, she had an eternity to figure the process out to bring Chell back.  She had everything she needed to tweak the the system and start again as many times as she needed.  This was a minor setback, nothing to worry about. Yet…GLaDOS couldn’t quite stop the tears that fell from her eyes. Tears that cut paths through her makeup, and washed away the splatter of blood that had sprayed against her skin. She was only getting rid of a failed experiment. But Chell was dead. Again.

[meolcwifes]

I played Alone Among the Stars and had a nice time!

//BEGIN RECORDING: 20:24 SSC 15/03/35

//THIS IS THE LOG OF SOJOURNER KESTREL VISH.

+ Made planetfall as the suns set; after making camp, I set out under the light of the close-orbiting moon to investigate bands of phosphorescence visible 1.5 miles off, over hard terrain (dry, rocky bluff interspersed with 'hoodoos' eroded by wind). After ascending nearby escarpment, it becomes clear that phosphorescence is a property of certain strata of the rock formations themselves.

+ have followed river from its headwaters in the bluffland, and established base of ops. in high-sided canyon. Where higher elevations dry, lifeless, this area thrives; thick stands of fleshy plant life, fern-trees upward of 20' in height. Veins of sap seem to carry residual phosphorescent properties found in minerals deposits, river silt.

+ Caught my eye as I stopped for meal. further downriver I have found the remnants of some kind of construction: a low dome-shaped structure topped by a platform, reachable by stairway. All built of dry red-veined stone (abundant around river). Platform dominated by stone ring, roughly human-height in its aperture; study reveals its opening to align with the rise of the moon.

+ On leaving my leafy canyon, I find myself in dry hills again. Rounding a bend, I am faced suddenly with another ruined structure: carefully designed to blend into the land around it, a ciruclar area paved in stone bricks, surrounded by what appear to have been towers. The complex strongly reminiscent of small spaceport.

+ The weather has grown hot, and I have retreated to another river-canyon. This is forested with 'trees' like huge, swaying, coiling rosemary bushes. After much difficulty I manage to climb the ropey branches to harvest the fruit I see growing in the upper canopy. Thick and oblong, edible, something like a fibrous cucumber in texture. Sweet, somewhat peppery flavour.

+ Planet listing entered into Ekumenical Database as planet 'Sapsorrow' - name pending ratification. __________

+ Planetfall; fierce windstorm makes landing difficult. I make contact with small outpost of genemod settlers. Their aircraft shepherd me through storm, and the community gives me hospitality.

+ My first venture out of my hosts' territory cut short; their homestead is located on a volcanic 'island' in the middle of a hot sulphur lake.

+ After breakfast and tending to repairs on the ship, I catch my first sight of native life on the planet: an airborne plantform, something like a vast sail of kelp suspended in a 'rigging' of roots and held aloft by this world's forceful air currents.

+ Planet registered in Database under inhabitants' name: planet 'Ciuciush' - indigenous identification, ratification unnecessary. _________

+ Touched down on a black outcrop of rock near the equator - planet distant from sun, largely icebound - made camp on ridge overlooking the rough blue field of a glacier. From out my viewport as I made tea, I spotted the blackened wreck of what looks like an old transmition aerial, projecting from the ice. No signs of construction around me otherwise.

+ Surveying the glacier; I didn't see them at first - my snow goggles limiting the range of my vision - but I heard the whirr of their motorsledge. A research team from the Polis-Worlds. They crewed the station whose aerial I saw yesterday, before a fire consumed it and much of their assembled data; they make for another station on the far side of the mountains.

+ I am travelling with the researchers now; I haven't room in the ship to carry them, but the sledge moves faster now we've moved what supplies we can onboard. Progress impeded today by an unexpected ice barrier - the glacier's surface is variously pitted and upthrusting into weird daggers many storeys high. Tove - a geologist - and I climb one to get a better view. We'll have to go around the rough ice - at least a half day of travel.

+ As we progress along the spine of ice, we find that some of the pits contain liquid water - unusual! We refill our stocks.

+ Scouting ahead, Tove and I find the bare framework of another transmitter. 'The original survey team put down around here', she says. 'I thought they were further from us, though'. Ekumenical contact was apparently first made 20 SSY ago; Tove and her team are part of the ratification effort.

+ The descent from the glacier is exhausting. We are forced to disassemble the sledge; I ferry goods down in Penelope's Loom, but much of the journey is still a hard, dangerous climb. We are successful. Two days later: we have reached the research base. I manage a goodbye to Tove and my comrades of the past several days before they are consumed by a series of debriefings.

+ Planetary designation: Mahler. Ratification ongoing. __________

+ The skies here are thick with swarms of insects, hovering like flocks of starlings. They coat every surface with a tarry substance, which has found its way onto the Loom's exterior almost immediately. I have spent the morning attempting vainly to clear the viewports of the stuff.

+ Scanners reveal something on the lakebed; with great difficulty I fight through the thick skin of swarm-secretion which floats on the surface. It clogs my breathing apparatus, clings to my limbs. Not until get below it can I clean myself off, relying on oxygen backup. I am rewarded with the sight of a majestic stone sculpture: an enormous, beautiful face, its features human but made uncertain by erosion. Patches of mosaic scintillate under my searchlight.

+ The waters of this world hide such beauty. In a caldera lake, the surface clear of the omnipresent bugs of the lowlands, I find another statue. Tiled in long red oblongs, a huge human figure; the position of their arms evokes something ritual, prayerlike. The people of the world were or are truly wonderful artists.

+ Took water samples from a channel cutting through the highland rock. As I take a break from rowing, I spot through the water a trio of tiled figures, deep at the bottom and surrounded by a garden of tissuelike vegetation. I will miss this place.

+ Listing entered into Ekumenical Database: planet 'Monumence' - name pending ratification. ___________

+ Planetfall at mountain peak - atmosphere at lower elevations dangerously thick. A low stone wall rings the area, hemming in the mountaintop like an ancient fortress.

+ Pausing during the preparation of my landing and camp site, I see dark outlets carved into the cliffs above me. Perhaps the mountain *is* a fortress?

+ At night, the snow turned green under the hazy light of the moon as it filters through the atmosphere, the Loom is rocked by something outside. A small herd of animals: quadrupedal, avian, long-legged. At least 10' at the shoulder. The nuzzle the warm ground around the ship, perhaps for food.

+ I inspect something which I took initially to be a flying creature, but which has hung in the same place the last three days. It is an aerial structure; no sign of habitation - merely a lonely metal shell, a bunker in the sky. Its engine and means of staying in the air are opaque to me.

+ Though my record of this world is incomprehensive, I feel deeply uncomfortable here and have decided to leave. There is a presence that I do not like, and feel to have intruded upon.

+ Planet logged in Ekumenical Database: designation 'Broch' - name pending ratification. This article lacks physical data. __________

[spoldhamauthor]

Guest Author - Richard Writhen - on So Lost in Words

​I am very pleased to welcome author Richard Writhen to So Lost in Words. Scroll down to read an excerpt of his new book 'The Angel of the Grave' and to find out more about the author, his work and where to buy his books.

The Angel of the Grave (The Celestial Ways Saga Book 0)

Out Now

BECOME THE FIRE.

An intelligent little girl encounters a talented witch at the local fair and finds out that it's all in the family.

Interconnected by dreams, two young orphans embark on the long path to find a bloody revenge.

A wealthy lady travels hundreds of miles to become a baroness, but when she consults a diviner, she finds out that she may be in way over her head.

An excerpt from The Lady Waits (Chapter Three)

Shortly after dawn, the expensive clipper effortlessly cleaved its way through the frothing green waters that lay off of the coast of Corsc. It approached one of the many gray wooden quays there, and its crew began to take down the sails. The ship had been painstakingly crafted by the greatest artisans that the continent of Mestes could offer. Its thick hull was fashioned from a black pine-wood, which had been sanded and then sealed with a mixture of resins. Its hull was painted; some of the segments were a midnight blue in color, and others an olive green. It was almost fifty feet in total length, featuring a towering center mast and three billowing white sails, each painstakingly embroidered with long red lines.

Once it had been secured at the dock, it was almost immediately boarded and searched by several representatives of the Hruutian Guard. That force had been stationed there on the coast in virtual perpetuity, in order to prevent a profusion of illegal substances that had been smuggled into Galgran from neighboring countries. It only took a few minutes for the black-booted soldiers to find that all of the vessel’s papers were in order; then, its passengers were allowed to disembark, filing down the gangway in a steady stream.

One of the very last people to step off the ship, Marissa Seftrey was a fresh-faced young woman of about twenty-one years of age. She had a folded parasol under one of her arms. She was dressed in a light pink dress, with a bonnet to match, her chestnut brown hair falling in cascades from under it. A wide pink bow tried vainly to hold everything in place. Marissa was originally from Caledavor, one of the countries on Mestes, the continent that lay to the south of the Watley Peninsula. She had brought some of her homeland’s artwork with her on the voyage. She was followed closely by a middle-aged woman with somewhat darker brown hair, who was pulling a wheeled chest. This was her maidservant, Neticia de Mont Noir. The two were followed in turn by three male servants of varying ages, who had been hired on the ship, to carry the rest of their luggage.

The procession proceeded to the end of the quay, then stepped onto the continent of Holrud for the first time. Marissa stopped them all for just a moment, and surveyed the panoramic view of the southern coast that greeted them there. Off in the distance, she could see hills and small villages. Even further, beyond them, there was a great walled city; it was imposing in its size, with a river running through its north-west corner. The minutes went by, as they stood there. Quickly becoming bored, Marissa began to tap one of her leather-shod feet on the cobbled dirt of the road.

She was waiting for someone, her eyes scanning to and fro, up and down the street. She had been corresponding through the mail with a baron of great nobility; her voyage across the sea had been planned for many months. She had come almost due northward from her home city of Bethel in Caledavor, Mestes, and was headed for the estate of Westmere. It was located in the borough of Wallins, in southern Malentan, on Watley Peninsula. She had come all this way to be the baron's blushing bride. The marriage that had been completely arranged for her by her mother, as her father had passed away when Marissa was still a teenager. She had been informed in the baron’s final letter that he and his men would be waiting to pick her up, at around the time of her arrival on the peninsula. The rest of the journey to the barony of Wallins would be undertaken by coach.

After waiting a few more minutes, the three hired man-servants put down the rest of her bags. She handed them their gratuities, and they said goodbye to her and then began to walk back to the ship, being part of its crew. The two women were left at the end of the dock. After she and Neticia had waited for the better part of fifteen minutes, they were finally approached by a man. Marissa smiled warmly at him and asked, “Baron Wallins?” A wide smile immediately painted itself across his thick, coarse features. “Why, the very same. And you must be my lady?”

“Yes, it’s me. Marissa Seftrey. Pleased to meet you.”

Marissa looked the man over quickly; right off the bat, she was a bit taken aback at his lack of height. He had bushy sideburns, a moustache, and scruffy hair. His clothes were quite unkempt, most notably a thread-bare black cloak which had apparently been mended many times. He also looked to be far older than his mid-twenties, which she knew for a fact to be the baron’s age. She noted that there was an odd glint to his bloodshot eyes, as if with some unknowable intent to it. So, she posed him a careful question. “You look … different from how I had pictured you. Where’s your coach …? And all of your men … ?!”

The man licked his lips quickly before replying, “Oh, the coach? It’s parked just down the street a bit. And I sent the boys off on another errand … for now.” Grinning at the two women, he then offered Marissa his arm, while she had to exchange a quick look with Neticia to bolster her courage, she hesitantly took it. He led her in a stroll down the wide fairway between the buildings of what appeared to be a small town. They were as far south in Corsc as it was possible to go.

In an even tone of voice, Marissa managed to say, “If I may be so bold, sir … you look to be a bit shorter than six-foot-six. I may not have the most trained eye, but I have certainly seen my share of men in my day.” The short man smiled at her again, even wider than before. “Oh, is that what I said in my letters …?!” His rheumy eyes left hers and gravitated downward, to stare pointlessly at the street for a few moments. It began to dawn on her that while they were heading north, he was also leading her, gradually and inexorably, towards an alleyway on their right hand side.

The sloping roof of one of the buildings had covered the aperture between it and the next one over, forming a dimness there that approached the darkness of night. She looked from one side to the other for a few frantic moments, only then noticing an odd odor coming from the man’s proximity. He stopped them, and caught her by the chin. Her chestnut brown eyes focused on his strange black ones.

“No, don’t look about. This is a very dangerous area. Even the slightest appearance of impropriety will arouse suspicion, and you can’t trust anyone. Just follow me, and I will lead you through safely.”

Marissa wrenched her face from his grip roughly, and then began to straighten out her dress, though it needed no real attention. They had gone no more than four paces further when she suddenly felt the front of the man’s body pressed hard against hers. His gloved hand found her mouth and slipped over it. As she dashed to her lady’s aid, Neticia began to scream, vainly swatting at the man’s head as hard as she could with her own closed parasol. He staved off her attacks easily with his other hand, and withdrew moments later, but retained Marissa’s arm. She was so surprised by the sudden reversal that her exclamations trailed off into mere whimpers as the offending hand fell away from her face. She turned about, only to find that her captor was now standing motionless; he was staring down the street at another man, who was striding towards them.

The new man appeared enraged; he was panting and red-faced. He also had a handlebar mustache, and was dressed in a dress jacket, over a buttoned leather vest and a white dress shirt. A red cravat was twirled about his neck and he wore well-shined, black boots. He was closely followed by three burly young men. They were dressed with much less style and opulence than their master, in faded blacks and browns, and torn denim pants. Marissa could sense that her captor was considering a sudden bolt into flight. But before he could do so, the new man pointed directly at him and then yelled, “HEY, YOU, STOP !!!” at the top of his lungs, shattering what little stillness the afternoon seemed to possess. Her captor froze up completely at this, and Marissa found herself completely released. As she was a little off-balance at the time, she fell on her bottom in a most unladylike fashion, but was far too terrified at that point to even care.

Neticia rushed over and helped her back to her feet. When Marissa turned about to look down the alley, she found that any shadowy accomplices that the short man might have had were now long gone. She could see no trace of life. By then, the new man’s three young thugs had set upon her captor. The first two of them grasped him by the arms and hauled him away from her bodily; then they drew him up, and the third one punched him hard in the gut. Her captor doubled over, his eyes tearing up and strands of saliva drooling from between his liver-colored lips. When his body had gone fully slack, they threw him down into the dust. One of the ones that had previously held his arms ran over to the alleyway, a black sap appearing in one of his hands. The remaining two began to kick him in the sides of his torso, as he rolled pathetically in the dirt into a broken wooden crate that still bore trace of the juices of rotten vegetables.

By the time the other thug had returned, Marissa’s captor had fallen still, his face slack and mouth agape. The man with the sap shook his head once from side-to-side to confirm the lack of any co-conspirators still in the alleyway. The man in the dress jacket had caught up with the others during the short beating. Assessing the situation, the well-dressed man walked over to Marissa, made initial eye contact with her and extended a gloved hand. Still slightly shocked, she reciprocated, and they gently shook. But, she was nearly inarticulate, and was only able to pant out a phrase at a time. “He was ... the alley … people were in there … waiting for-” she managed.

The well-dressed man smiled grimly. “Yes, yes, I know. But tell me … are you quite alright?” At this, Marissa looked down at her pale beige travel dress. It had been torn slightly at one shoulder, and her hair was somewhat mussed, but other than that, she was fully intact. She looked down the alley once more, then back at the new man. “And you ...”

“Yes, Marissa. I am the real Baron Wallins. This ‘man’ was an impostor, I’m afraid. It’s become a growing problem along the coast-line nowadays, something of a new form of piracy, I hear. No one ever thinks that it will happen to them, and then … well, anyways, please forgive me. I am terribly sorry to have been late … the whole affair is my fault, really.”

“No, you mustn’t blame yourself. It’s so good to finally meet you, in person …” she assured him.

So, Marissa allowed the new man, who was ostensibly the real baron, to lead her by the elbow to a coach that had been waiting just a bit further down the street from where the short man had been trying to lead them. She stepped up and got into it gracefully, but wrinkled her nose at the coach’s musty odor, of old leather and horse sweat. Then, the horses were set off, and the baron rested his elbow on the inside of the door, holding his chin in one hand. After a few minutes, he glanced Marissa’s way again and added, “By the way, welcome to the Watley Peninsula.”

Buy Links:

Kindle Edition –

https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Grave-Celestial-Ways-Saga-ebook/dp/B07Q5VN9GM/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=richard+writhen&qid=1554835651&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

Paperback –

https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Grave-Celestial-Ways-Saga/dp/1092396829/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1554835651&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

Richard Writhen is originally from New England, but has also lived in New York City. He was raised on a steady diet of eighties fantasy films, horror television and universal monster movies. After briefly attending college for music and video, he began his first online serial six years ago. Richard has since been e-published on several notable blogs and websites and is now also the author of three independently published novellas on Amazon: A Kicked Cur, A Host of Ills and The Hiss of the Blade. He has also recently completed his first novel, The Angel of the Grave.

You can find Richard at:

https://www.facebook.com/richardwrithen/

http://www.richardwrithen.wordpress.com

[fulllinestencils]

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[veryangryhedgehog]

“Rabbit Heart Part IV” an Ede Valley story by Hedgehog.

Part IV

Around them, the ground had begun to harden, and the trees had ceased to droop so violently. Yet Murine was not pleased. It wasn’t that she wasn’t grateful for the respite from slogging through inches of mud, but now the wind had begun to blow through the trees, shaking the leaves, and freezing her already wet skin.

That night wasn’t much better, nor the morning after. The wind blew harder and harder, so hard that occasionally Muirne thought she could hear voices among them. The name “Forest of Whispers” was beginning to make more and more sense. Worst of all was that they increasingly seemed to be walking in circles, Muirne was sure she recognized the knots on some of those trees.

“So,” she finally began about mid-afternoon on the second day, after realizing that she might not get a better opportunity. They were taking a break from the endless walking on a moss-covered log, trying to not get blown away. Muirne didn’t want to push Gilveidan, but now she really wanted to know his tale.

He sighed. “I promised you a story, didn’t I?” to which Muirne nodded vigorously. “Where do I begin?” he paused, glancing off into the distance. “I had a sister, Viola was her name. We’ve lived in the wilds for years since our parents died. A monastery took us in, taught us how to use our powers. You think I’m skilled? I’m nothing compared to Viola. She could have destroyed the world, had she had an evil bone in her body.

“I suppose that’s why it found her. Her power.”

“Found her?” Muirne frowned. “What do you mean?”

The wind almost seemed to pick up more around them, and Muirne clutched her thin blanket around her.

“The monastery was built on top of some ruins, it was long forgotten what they were originally for, in the center of the continent.”

“The center of the—” Muirne’s eyes widened.

Gilveidan cut her off with a nod and a grave stare. “This ‘evil’ you’re so eager to defeat? It found her, whispered to her. It corrupted her mind, and she destroyed the monastery. Had it latched onto her further, she and It might have ended the world. So I...” his voice caught. “I killed her before that could happen.”

Muirne opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

“I’ve been wandering the wilds ever since,” he looked down at the ground. “And now you think I’m a monster.”

“No,” she said quickly. “No, I don’t. From what it sounds like, your sister was already gone. And you might have saved the world. It is horrible, so much so that I can hardly bear to think about it. But... you did what you had to do.”

He looked up at her, slightly surprised.

“I’m just sorry that it had to be you.”

“Thank... you,” he muttered, not quite sure how to respond.

“Here,” Muirne reached into her pack and pulled out the drawstring bag of nuts that Eimheer had given her. “These won’t be good for much longer. We might as well share them.”

She grabbed out a handful of nuts and made to hand them to him, but before he could take them, a particularly strong wind blew them from her palm, away into the dark trees. Muirne sighed, but just as she reached into the bag again, the wind stopped. Not slowed or quieted, but just stopped mid-rattle.

Muirne and Gilveidan stared at each other. The wind had been blowing for the last day straight. For it to suddenly stop... it seemed so quiet. They waited for what seemed like hours, though it was probably only seconds.

Then, with an ancient creak, the branches on the trees to her left began to part, forming a tunnel. At the end, a grey light shone through the leaves. The two glanced at each other, then stood and started walking.

Outside the edge of the trees they could see the beginnings of some marble-white ruins, and Muirne was so focused on getting out of the woods that Gilveidan had to grab her arm to stop her from passing directly over a message.

“What?” she asked, and he pointed down to the roots that she had nearly just stepped on. Against all odds, they seemed to be spelling out words.

“Ahead:” the roots seemed to read, “3 doors. You seek the 3rd.”

“That’s... strange,” Muirne said. “Think it means anything?”

Gilveidan started walking. “After everything we’ve seen, I’d be surprised if it didn’t mean anything.”

Muirne ran to catch up with him.

“I don’t supposed those were all the nuts you had?” Gilveidan asked. “They looked good, and I feel cheated.”

She rolled her eyes and handed him a few nuts just as the sky came into view beyond the trees. “You better not eat them all,” she grumbled. “If your cant of doom comes to fruition, I’ll never get any more.”

“All the more reason to eat them while you can.”

Yet try as they might, they couldn't keep up the witty banter as the ruins began to rise around them. At first, there were just a few buildings here and there, bits of rubble or stone foundation, but as they continued walking, the ruins grew into monolithic structures, piles of marble like bones reaching desperately towards the sky.

“Your monastery was here, right?” Muirne whispered.

But Gilveidan shook his head. “We certainly didn’t take up the whole ruins,” he said. “The main building was on the other side. I doubt we’ll see it.”

They wandered on, not knowing quite where they were going. Now that they were here at the center of the continent, they had no idea where they were meant to go.

Until Muirne saw an open doorway. By all means it should have just led to the crumbled foundation behind it. But instead, the interior was black, as if its destination was somewhere else entirely. Muirne almost passed it by, before freezing abruptly.

“What’s the matter?” Gilveidan asked.

But she wasn’t listening to him.

“Muirne!” called the figure behind the doorway, getting closer every second. A boy, a human boy, almost grown and healthy and proud.

“Ceallach...” she barely managed to whisper.

He smiled at her, and waved, a real wave, and a real smile. “Muirne!” he said again, his voice echoing oddly in the space beyond. He reached out to her, but he was so far away that the distance seemed insurmountable. Unless she went through the door.

“Muirne...” Gilveidan frowned, his breath on her cheek. “What are you seeing? Is it... your brother?”

But Muirne couldn’t quite hear him. He was fuzzy and transparent, and Ceallach was growing closer and more real with every second. She took a step forward, reaching out a hand. “I’m coming, Ceallach...:

“This is a trap,” Gilveidan warned, and grabbed her arm.

She pulled against him. “No, let me go!” she screamed, kicking and punching at him. “I need to get to him! I won’t lose him again!”

“It’s not real,” Gilveidan grunted through clenched teeth. “Listen to me: listen to my voice. I am here.”

“Muirne...” Ceallach was growing fainter, fading away.

“Let me go. Let me go...” she cried in frustration, grabbing at Gilveidan’s arm weakly.

“Look at me,” he said quietly, then louder as she shook her head. “Look at me!”

He touched her cheek gently and pulled her face away from the door. “There’s nothing there. It’s just an empty doorway.”

After staring into his eyes for a moment, the world seemed to clear. Muirne briefly glanced back at the door, only to see that he was right. It was just an empty frame. She found herself shaking, and took a deep breath to calm herself.

“Why Gilveidan,” she smiled slyly as she realized how close they still were. “If you wanted to touch me you could have just asked.”

Blushing bright red, Gilveidan stepped back. “It seemed to me that tactile stimulation would be the most effective method of getting you to focus on reality, ehem, as it were.”

She laughed. “I’m joking, you know.”

Ah, yes. Of course.” He cleared his throat. “Regardless, it seems we are to follow the forest’s advice. That door was not the correct aperture. One more false door awaits us.”

He turned away from her rather quickly and started walking, while Muirne laughed and followed behind.

As she truly looked at them, Muirne found the ruins oddly fascinating. She imagined all the people who had lived here in this city, and wondered just what had happened to them. As her eyes traced the entwining vines and greenery, she thought about Atlantis, and how someday the great city would also be so much stone and silence.

So lost in thought was she that she didn’t realize that Gilveidan had stopped until she ran into him. “Gil...?” she asked. “Are you...?”

She followed his gaze to an empty doorway. This must have been the second door.

“Vi...” he shook his head. “You’re... you’re not real. You’re dead. I know that.”

Yet, seemingly out of his own control, he took a step forward. “I... I’m sorry.”

And then stopped and Muirne wrapped her arms around him. “I’m here,” she said. “You’re right. She’s not real.” It felt like he might struggle, and Muirne wasn’t sure she was strong enough to prevent him from breaking her grip, but she gripped tighter anyway. “I’m not going to let go. You want to be forgiven? Help me end this thing that really killed her.”

“I...” he struggled, unable to look away from the door.

“It’s time to let her go,” Muirne whispered. “Believe me, I’m more of a hypocrite than you can possibly imagine saying that, but if we make it out of this alive, I’m going to let Ceallach go too.”

Gil sighed, slowly closed his eyes, and slowly turned away. “Goodbye, Viola,” he muttered, and then, locking eyes with Muirne. “Thank you. Let’s get away from here.”

And they did, very quickly. It wasn’t until they had wandered out of sight of the door and onto a weed-choked plaza that Gil began to breathe again. He gripped Muirne’s hand so tightly that it was almost going numb.

Once, this plaza had probably been a peaceful garden, a piece of the sky amidst a bustling city. Now the flora was overgrown, creeping over each other and up and round, ever upwards, until it had become a knot of vegetation, around which the dilapidated walls barely contained it.

There was only one place where the plant-life had avoiding growing at all costs: an actual door, still intact, the plants creating an unnatural arch around it. Though the building behind it was mostly destroyed, the crack under and round the door made it seem as if it was dark inside.

"It appears we've reached out destination," Gil said as they both stopped.

“Ai.” The word came calm, but inside Muirne was a ball of fear. There was something on the other side of that door, something powerful. It felt as if Muirne’s skin was trying to get up and crawl away.

Gil glanced over to her. “Are you ready?”

“No,” she replied. “But I don’t think I’ll ever be.” They nearly leaned on each other for support. “Well, it won’t do us any good waiting here. Let’s go.”

They went. And as they approached, the door opened quite on its own accord. It was waiting for them. They didn’t even stop, lest their nerve fail them. They just kept walking, into the darkness beyond.

And they found themselves somewhere else. The door did not lead to the crumbling building beyond, but to some other place entirely. Gil produced a ball of light, but there was nothing to shine it on except Muirne’s face. Around them was pure, pitch blackness. The only thing that they could be sure of was that they were going downwards.

It was utterly silent around them, and out of fear, Muirne drew her sword Brandubh. It almost seemed to be... glowing. She could hear the roar of blood thumping through her ears, and Gil’s breath beside her, and that was all.

They both stopped as they saw something ahead of them. A small point of... something, distinct from the inky blackness.

“What is that?” Muirne asked, but Gil didn’t have time to answer, for the point quickly expanded into a ball, growing bigger and bigger until it nearly consumed the darkness around them.

And then Muirne’s head exploded.

It was everything all at once. Every birth, every life coursing through her body. Every first love, every birthday, every laugh, every smile.

Every heartbreak Every fear Every pain Every lonely moment

We are so ALONE

Until we            (die)

Everything            (ends)(dies)(stops breathing)

She was in a bed, coughing and wheezing just wishing the pain would go away please take me away I don’t want to be here anymore I’m going to explode.

She was staring into the empty face of her creation, a perfect replica of the boy who was taken too soon, but it wasn’t him it wasn’t him it could never be and out the window the cold stone rushing past can’t take life without my sweet smiling boy.

And she was trembling as her older brother stared down at her, the blood of so many turning his cheeks rosy as the Truth whispered in her ear they all must die there’s nothing here it all ends in silence don’t kill me brother please I’m scared make it go away.

It all It all ends It all ends in It all ends in silence 

Silence

S

 I

   L

     E

        N

           C

              E

..................

.................

M

Muir

Muirne

“Muirne!”

Tears were running down her face. Tears were running down her face and someone was calling her. “Muirne, the sword!” Gilveidan was shouting. “Use the sword!”

“There’s no point,” she whispered. The Truth was bare before her, the nihilism of the universe closing in. “Nothing matters.”

“It does!” A light bloomed in the darkness. There was Gil’s face, his weak ball of light pushing the Truth away. “Yes, everything ends, everything dies. But the point is that right now, you’re living. You and everyone else on this earth! Take my hand!”

Through the darkness, through the pain and crushing loneliness, there was his hand.

And she took it.

“Don’t look at it, look at me,” he said. “I have good news and bad news.”

“Good news first,” she nearly had to gasp out.

“This whole place,” he began, “Is a small pocket. Small as a pinpoint. You strike it, and we can seal it away in your sword.”

“And the bad news?” she asked.

He paused. “It isn’t just the Truth that will be sealed away. Everything in this pocket will go with it.”

Muirne’s heart fell. “We’re not getting out of this place, are we?”

After a moment, Gilveidan shook his head. “Unless someone breaks the seal, we’ll be here with it forever.”

“Alright,” Muirne nodded. “As long as you’re with me, I think I’ll be alright.”

The ball of light in Gil’s hand grew stronger. “I’ll only be able to hold it off for a moment. Go!”

Muirne turned, Gil’s light burning the Truth as it shrank away, its unearthly call vibrating her bones.

Fear, loneliness You are alone

No, Muirne wouldn’t hear it. She screamed, running towards the Truth, and struck.

The world shattered while the Truth shrieked. But Muirne would not let go, she would not yield. For Atlantis, for her family. She would give her life for there’s. Her tiny rabbit’s heart beat wildly.

And they all fell away, into darkness.

[wesonerdy]

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a wonderful end of summer treat: great acting, well-paced plot, and all the swoony, teen-y feels. This is the quality, RomCom content we deserve!

Courtesy of NETFLIX

  When I saw the first trailer for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before earlier this summer, I just knew that I needed this film in my life, so much so, that I emailed NETFLIX publicity and practically begged them for a screener. And now that I’ve seen this film eight times (EIGHT!!!!!!!!), my initial feelings have only grown.

NETFLIX has been doing the Lord’s work lately by bringing us glorious romantic comedy, and TATBILB is, through and through, swoony and hilarious and heartwarming. Instantly, the films transports me back to my 16/17-year old self, the optimism and feels, coupled with the awkwardness and insecurity of trying to navigate my teenhood.

Now, I haven’t read Jenny Han’s best-seller, so I can’t really talk about the film as an adaptation. (I promise, it’s at top of my TBR list. And FYI: our friends at Fangirlish have an awesome interview with Jenny Han where she reflects on the process of working with the creative team to adapt her book for NETFLIX.)

What I can say is that To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a wonderful end of summer treat: great acting, well-paced plot, and all the swoony, teen-y feels. This is the quality, RomCom content we deserve.

  Lara Jean Song Covey, the middle daughter in an interracial, Korean-American family, is about to begin her junior year of high school. She has just said goodbye to her older sister, Margot, who’s off to college in Scotland. In the absence of their mother (who dies when the Lara Jean, Margot, and their baby sister Kitty are quite young), Margot becomes a maternal figure in the family. Though, their father, Dr. Dan Covey, tries to keep the memory of their mother alive for the girls by cooking Korean food, etc., he sometimes botches things. Margot has been there to clean up the messes and smooth things over.

Margot does something similar in Lara Jean’s life at school. Lara Jean has been on the sidelines of the social scene and mostly relying on her best friend Christine, Margot, and Margot’s boyfriend Josh. When Margot leaves (and breaks up with Josh beforehand), Lara Jean loses 2/3 of her circle. This doesn’t bother Lara Jean too much… she’ll eat lunch in the library (as long as they don’t kick her out for eating noisy foods) and on the weekends, she’ll watch Golden Girls reruns with Kitty. Lara Jean seems satisfied; however, someone in her life wants to shake things up.

Over the last several years, Lara Jean has written love letters to five guys she’s had crushes on. Lara Jean doesn’t mail them, but it helps her to articulate her feelings and make sense of them. Lara Jean hides the letters in a teal gift-box (a keepsake from her mother). But one day, Lara Jean gets a rude awakening when all five letters are missing. Someone has mailed them out!!!

Right away, Lara Jean has to confront three of the guys, Peter Kavinsky (jock and Mr. Popular), Lucas Krapf (who shows Lara Jean a fun time at the 9th grade Homecoming dance), and Josh Sanderson. YES, the Josh who is now Sister Margot’s ex-boyfriend. LAWD!

In order to avoid the major awkward of dealing with Josh, Lara Jean agrees to begin a fake relationship with Peter Kavinsky (who’s trying to make his ex-girlfriend jealous). DRA.MA. Unexpectedly, hanging out with Peter does help Lara Jean to open up and enjoy high school. But what happens when Lara Jean starts to develop real feelings for her fake boyfriend?

  1. Lara Jean is all of us!

Lana Condor dazzles us as Lara Jean! She’s the perfect RomCom leading lady. Several times, Lara Jean shares her love of John Hughes films, and she, herself, could totally be a John Hughes heroine: smart, relatable, a little awkward, with perfect comedic timing, and all-around delightful.

I see so much of myself in Lara Jean, with her passion for bodice-ripper, romance novels, her shyness, and her love of her family. Lara Jean will be the first to tell you that she’s addicted to romance and drama… but aren’t we all, like a little bit?

And though I very much identify with Lara Jean, I recognize that a young, Asian-American woman as a romantic lead in a film like this is something special, something to celebrate, and something to replicate. Because #RepresentationMatters!

  2. Sisters before misters!

Yes, TATBILB is a romance, but, for me, the relationship between the three Covey sisters is the highlight of the film–Margot, the responsible one; Lara Jean, the shy, melodramatic one; and Kitty, the popular one and baby-feminist.

A significant part of the storyline follows the evolution of the way the sisters engage with one another as they’re growing up. Lara Jean is keeping a major secret from her sisters and it does create conflict between them. However, when Lara Jean finds herself in a difficult and embarrassing situation towards the end of the movie, it’s Margot and Kitty who Lara Jean turns to.

By the end, I was cheering “sisters before misters!!!” at the screen and so ready to call my own sisters, too.

  3. John Corbett is the DILF we deserve!

To all my fellow Sex and the City fans, I have to confess that Aidan has always been my favorite of Carrie’s guys. So, now to see John Corbett as a sweet, single-daddy to his girls, is the literal BEST. Dan Covey was so, super in love with his wife and has worked hard to channel all of that love into raising his three daughters. This includes hella awkward conversations about sexual health, all the way to reminding Lara Jean that she deserves to be young and carefree.

  4. Lara Jean’s boys…SWOON!

I didn’t expect to like Peter Kavinsky as much as I did, but he was charming and kind and a great guy for Lara Jean. Peter challenges Lara Jean to have fun and helps her step out of her shell to embrace the experiences of high school and be part of the group.

One of my favorite scenes takes place between Lara Jean and Peter after dinner with Peter’s family. They bond over losing a parent, and Lara Jean reflects on how losing her mother has shaped her fear of love and relationships. In the course of the film, this realization jars Lara Jean into taking some risks. But as they say: no risk, no reward! (Especially if that risk includes making out in a hot tub! 😉 )

While I adore Peter, Lucas is my homeboy. I would take him and his cravat-wearing, cutie-patootie self anywhere. Lucas is a really good friend to Lara Jean and I love how he encourages her.

Then there’s Josh *sigh* Lara Jean’s relationship with Josh is complex, especially because of Margot. Throughout the movie, Josh really struggles with losing his connection to the Covey sisters. While I don’t necessarily want Lara Jean and Josh to have a romantic relationship, I want them to be good friends. And P.S. I think Josh and Margot should get back together.

  5. Awesome music is AWESOME!

I mentioned that To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before hooked me before the end of the trailer, and the amazing soundtrack 100% contributed to the RomCom goodness. I hadn’t yet heard Lauv’s “I Like Me Better”, and after hearing it in the trailer and movie, I downloaded the song and played it on repeat for dayssss. Then I watched the music video on repeat for dayssss and cried at how lovely and romantic it was. Then I texted Katie, my BFF Patrice, and my sister Sey to share it with them, too. *SWOONY SIGH*

The film soundtrack, as a whole, is effervescent, just like the film– “Human Right” by The Strike, “Boyfriend” by Confidence Man, and so much more. You can listen to it on Spotify HERE.

  Friends, this film is MUSTSEE, so make sure to take time this weekend to unwind with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and drown in teen-y, RomCom feels. You won’t regret it! And Team NETFLIX, you might as well just greenlight the sequels now. Js.

  To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before had their premiere/special screening in Los Angeles on August 16, 2018 at the Arc Light Culver City. Check out images from the screening below!

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Courtesy of Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

  FILM REVIEW: ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’, the Teen RomCom We Deserve To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a wonderful end of summer treat: great acting, well-paced plot, and all the swoony, teen-y feels.

[srilankapriceguide]

iPhone 7 Price In Sri Lanka In 2021

Are you looking for the iPhone 7 Plus price in Sri Lanka In 2021? You are in the right place. We are here to help.

iPhone 7 is the successor to the 2015’s iPhone 6s and was announced on September 7, 2016. iPhone 7 Plus is the bigger version of the new iPhone 7. It has a 5.5 inch display and sports a dual camera setup for better zoom quality than any other iPhones released before it. Found the price range from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 164,000.

iPhone 7 will be available in five different colors: Silver, Gold, Rose gold, Black and Jet black. iPhone 7 Plus on the other hand is available in three colors: Silver, Gold and Jet black. Versions are also available in different memory sizes. The base models of iPhone 7 is 32GB while the bigger Plus model is available in three different memory sizes i.e., 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.

What are the best features of iPhone 7?

iPhone 7 is packed with a 4.7 inch Retina HD display touchscreen that has 1334 by 750 pixels resolution and 326 PPI pixel density. It has an advanced 12 megapixel rear camera which features quad LED true tone flash, f/1.8 aperture, autofocus with focus pixels and Optical image stabilization. There is a 7MP front camera which features f/2.2 aperture, face detection and 720p HD video recording.

iPhone 7 plus comes with a 5.5 inch Retina HD display touchscreen that has 1920 by 1080 pixels resolution and 401 PPI pixel density. It has an advanced 12 megapixel rear camera along with dual tone LED flash, f/1.8 aperture, autofocus with focus pixels and Optical image stabilization. There is a 7MP front camera which features f/2.2 aperture, face detection and 1080p HD video recording.

Both iPhone 7 and Plus models have non-removable Li-Ion battery. The battery has 14 hours talk time on 3G and 384 hours on standby.

iPhone 7 additionally features a finger print sensor, touch id and 3D touch and IP67 water and dust resistance.

You can also check out the iphone 11 price here

Is it worth buying an iPhone 7?

Yes, iPhone 7 is one of the best smartphones in the market. It has some great features and good specifications for a price that is almost at par with other flagship models. iPhone 7 and Plus models are obviously the best smartphones from Apple. The new features, design and specs make them an attractive buy.

Why is iPhone 7 so popular?

iPhone 7 is popular because of its new features and design. It has a great display, amazing camera, powerful hardware at a price which is almost at par with other flagship models. iPhone 7 and iPhone Plus are obviously the best smartphones from Apple. The new features, design and specs make them an attractive buy.

Does the iPhone 7 take good pictures?

iPhone 7 has a 12 megapixel primary camera that comes with very advanced features. Some of the major features are quad LED true tone flash, f/1.8 aperture, autofocus with focus pixels and Optical image stabilization. All these features make it one of the best smartphones for photography enthusiasts.

Is the iPhone 7 compatible with Sri Lankan mobile networks?

Yes, it is fully compatible with all Sri Lanka’s mobile networks. It comes in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB models. This ensures that you get a model that will be able to support your phone needs.

Is iPhone 7 waterproof?

Yes, iPhone 7 has IP67 water and dust resistance. It’s not entirely waterproof but it can withstand splashes and spills when you are subjecting your phone to the elements. You should not attempt to take the phone deeper than 1 meter of water.

What is the battery life of iPhone 7?

Battery life of iPhone 7 is decent. It has a non-removable Li-Ion battery. The battery has 14 hours talk time on 3G while it lasts for 384 hours on standby.

What are the best accessories for iPhone 7?

iPhone 7 comes with ear pods that feature lightning connector. Charging and data transfer can also be done using these, but you need to buy a headphone jack adapter to do so. An external speaker known as Airplay 2 is greatly recommended if you use your phone as a portable music player. You will be able to stream music wirelessly to this speaker which can also work with Siri. A high speed car charger is also a good accessory.

Is iPhone 7 hard to use?

No, the phone is very easy and simple to use. You can get used to it easily if you are already using some of Apple’s products. All iPhones come with a great iOS platform which is very user friendly.

What are the benefits of having a iPhone 7 in Sri Lanka for the best price?

iPhone 7 has some great features and specifications for a price that is almost at par with other flagship models. iPhone 7 and Plus are obviously the best smartphones from Apple. The new features, design and specs make them an attractive buy.

Say goodbye to those low battery life, embarrassing low-res pictures, and pesky storage issues you used to have with your old phone. With the iPhone 7, all of these problems are no more as our latest model is engineered with a 8″ inch Battery+, an incredible camera that we sent into space ,upgraded processor so you can download movies in no time and loads of memory so anything’s possible. 

Advantages of iPhone 7 in Sri Lanka

– IP67 water and dust resistance.

– 30 minutes longer battery life compared to iPhone 6S.

– New wide color display for photos and Live Photos.

– 4.7 inch model with more vivid colors, higher contrast, and a new wide color gamut.

– New A10 Fusion chip which is faster than ever before.

– Better performance and stereo speakers.

– More storage with a starting capacity of 32GB.

– New Rose Gold color option along with Space Gray, Silver & Gold.

What are the negatives of iPhone 7 in Sri Lanka?

No headphone jack or home button means you will have to use wireless headphones and rely on Siri for some things like taking a photo. This also means that the phone has one of the most significant changes, design wise as Apple is moving its users towards an all screen display which provides more real estate. It also means that you won’t be able to charge your phone and listen to music at the same time but if that’s something you have been doing then you should upgrade.

Are you happy with the iPhone 7 price in Sri Lanka?

Are you happy with the iPhone 7 price in Sri Lanka? If yes, then do share the article. If not please let me know through comments.

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