#you guys wish you were on my wavelength.

[krikidilly]

New au getting cooked up atehe agiggle

[wannabeschyulersister]

in a world of boys he’s a gentleman

Despite only dating for six months, it often felt like you and Carmy were on the same wavelength. There were times where you both could communicate what you were thinking with a simple look. He often could tell what you were feeling just by your body language. 99% of the time he was right.

Which is how he knew as soon as you walked through the back door of the Bear that something was wrong.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” He asked you as you started taking your coat off.

“Nothing.”

Carmen grabbed your hands to stop you, “(Y/n), what’s wrong?”

You huffed, “Nothing is wrong, Carmen.”

Carmen. Not Carmy or Bear. Not Babe.

Carmen.

It definitely set off his inner alarm.

“I’m not lettin’ you into that kitchen without you telling me what happened.” He stood his ground. You knew he was being serious.

“There’s this construction worker at the new bakery down the street that tried to catcall me nearby. He’s just an idiot and wouldn’t shut the fuck up.”

“Did he touch you?”

“No, nothing like that. He just didn’t catch the hint that I’m not interested and then called me a “bitch” because I ignored him.”

In that moment, you could see the fury ignite in Camry’s eyes.

“I’ll be right back.” Before you could grab his arm to stop him, he brushed past you and out the back door.

“Richie!” You shouted as you put your coat back on.

It was only a matter of seconds before Richie rushed to you, “What’s goin’ on?”

“Your cousin is about to do something very stupid.” You answered him.

“If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that fuckin’ sentence.” He said before leaving out the door with you right on his heels. You could see Carmy was already ahead of you both at the end of the alleyway. He turned to his left and made his way down to the new bakery.

“Carmen!” You shouted as you hurried to try and catch up to him. You knew he wouldn’t stop.

“Yo! Cousin!” Richie ran faster than you did and was closer to Carmy but you hurried as quickly as you could.

As you turned left, you could see that Camry was at the bakery. The construction worker that hit on you was standing outside. He was taller than Carmen but lankier. Thankfully, he was alone.

“Are you the fucker that called my girl a “bitch”?” You heard Carmy ask the man as you caught up to them.

“And if I did?” The guy dropped his clipboard on the ground and stepped up to Carmen.

Richie quickly stood between Carmy and the asshole that started all of this mess. Camry tried to shove Richie away.

In that moment, a million different scenarios ran through your mind. The majority of them didn’t look good. You didn’t want Carmen to get hurt by some dumb idiot that didn’t know how to respect women.

You placed your hand around Carmen’s bicep and tried to pull him towards you, “Carmen, this guy isn’t worth it! Let’s go back to the restaurant.”

Carmen was practically seething at this point. He wished he could’ve had a few minutes alone with the creep to teach him a lesson. He was partially mad at himself because he normally walked with you to work but he needed to be at the restaurant earlier than you that morning.

He was positive that creep wouldn’t have said shit if he’d walked with you.

“Call my girl out of her name again and I’ll fuckin’ smash your head on this cement!”

By now, a couple of the creep’s coworkers came out of the store. They grabbed him and started pulling him back inside. You heard one of them tell him that he was already on his second strike with their boss.

“Cousin! It’s time to go. You better be glad that I was here because that dude would’ve whooped your ass.” Richie tried to joke to made light of the situation.

“Fuck off.” Carmen told him before he grabbed your hand, “Are you okay?”

“You shouldn’t have done that, Carmen.” You mumbled as Richie walked ahead of the two of you. You just wanted to get back to the restaurant and forget about what just happened.

“I wasn’t going to let some idiot disrespect the woman that I love.” Carmen explained to you.

You didn’t say anything else on the short walk to the Bear. Richie was already inside telling everyone what happened. You were positive that you were going to hear about it all day.

“Hey, c’mere.” Carmy grabbed your hand again and led you to the small office. He closed the door after you stepped inside, “Are you mad at me?”

You shook your head, “No, of course not. I just don’t think it was a wise idea for you to confront that guy.”

Carmy walked towards you and cupped your cheek lightly with his right hand, “I don’t care if it wasn’t wise. I’m not going to let any dumb fuck ever call you out of your name.”

You leaned into his touch and he brought his other hand and placed it gently on the back of your head. You rested against his chest. “Thank you, Carmy. My protector.

He felt a little better that you were calling him by his nickname again. Carmy kissed the top of your head, “Anytime, (Y/n).”

You both took a moment to bask in the silence while still embracing. The rest of the day was sure to be filled with the loud noise of the kitchen but the moment between the two of you put you both at ease.

After sharing a few soft and meaningful kisses, you pulled back and sighed a little, “We probably should get out there. I’m sure everyone is wondering what we are doing.”

Carmy reluctantly let you go, “Yeah, let’s go and get the day started.”

You took off your jacket again and set it on the coat hook, “You should get Richie a nice gift.”

“What? Why would I do that?” Carmy asked confused.

“Because that guy would’ve beat the shit out of you.” You joked.

Carmy cracked a smile as he gave you a tap on your behind, “Is that so?”

You nodded playfully, “Absolutely. I probably should be thanking Richie right now instead of you. Actually, I think I’ll go do that now.”

Carmen quickly grabbed you by the waist and drew you closer to him again as you laughed, “Well aren’t you hilarious.”

[thoughtsonkm]

Mimi-san & Kookoo-san

This photo really fulfills my need for aesthetic shots

This episode (and probably the whole trip) is like the biggest, warmest, lingering hug someone could give you. Not letting go for a long time, until after it's over you're left with a full heart, teary eyes and a sense of unprecedented calmness.

~

So no Tokyo for us (as expected). That city really is theirs and theirs ONLY. (I read that ppl saw them with a camera in that ramen shop in Tokyo, so now everyone's thinking of a possible GCF #2 but that would be INSANE)

~

Jimin stop ruining the romantic moments JK creates, challenge failed! (he really does live up to the "conceal, don't feel" idea)

~

This ritual of Jimin singing Kook's new singles on each trip, is very very cute.

~

THE BABIEST OF THEM ALL another bean here⬆️

Did they lowkey have a gentle monster sponsorship? Way to go Jikook 👏🏻👏🏻

I know it's always been Jimin's go to brand for glasses so it feels kinda full circle. He should be some kind of brand ambassador for them.

Oh hello mister 'I can eat yo fingers but not yo potato peel' (I get it tho)

This is the single softest Jikook moment ever!! Period. End of discussion.

Sharing earphones, romantic music, beautiful scenery, calm setting, head on shoulder. - Who says romance is dead? 😭

Not even the background animation can ruin this for me. (ingenious idea nonetheless)

I CANNOT deal with the sweetness of this daughter talk. DO THEY KNOW WE'RE INSANE??

My guy starts talking about a family. The other guy he's gripping tight is already discombobulated, gulping, eyes going left and right lol

Jokes aside he really would be the most gentle, bestest, most caring dad ever 😭 (I promised myself to not get emo during this episode, I'm saving the waterworks for the inevitable last ep.)

~

I do remember they (especially Jimin) used to be pretty fluent in japanese so I'm guessing since they haven't done Japan promo since 2021, they forgot a little bit..

~

Imagine Jimin in a jazz bar with a 10 year old whiskey in hand, flirting with his bf.. Improv kings!

Happiness looks so good on them.

~

I love that from time to time they almost forgot they had a show to shoot. A DAMN JOB to do 😂

~

I present you a compilation of Jungkook saying how happy he is, how much he loves it and how good it is, during this episode.

~

LOL at them doing the english meme thing. Just two simple guys with ONE BRAINCELL. Looks like one of those random af videos they would watch while learning english.

~

Oh yes, we do indeed enjoy y'all gradually getting raggedy and fat 😂😂 He's hilarious, he's on a roll ladies and gents.

Jungkook half wishing they were the same age so they could "twin" even more (I'm sure that would be so convenient for you Jk 👀) as if it's possible for them to be even more on the same wavelength than they already are.

I do feel like in the distant future it would be such a good option for them to transfer and live in Japan cause it does seem like their favourite place in the whole world and the one place they feel themselves the most.

Sapporo in their 40es would be like a little hidden paradise for them to be somewhat free..

(let me dream)

[toomanyideasandfandoms]

I knew you'd like the idea >:3

Just imagine the characters having an intervention meeting without the creator and they bring THAT up and the notebook along with it and the entire room just goes to silence and no one know how to bring the fact that close to half of the deaths later on were of their own creator's hands.

You're right though, I def think that Sumeru would actually make the problem worse and potentially cause a relapse in which case another nation takes over and Sumeru is seen as worse or inferior for causing more pain to the creator (like the little hypocrites they are smh)

Imagine there's some pages on the old notebook of just describing how they felt and the reader can see the slow descent to madness as each death happens and it's like forbidden knowledge for them to the point that it actually like becomes risk of being lethal, so they kinda stop looking into it and just try their best to heal their creator and just leave the skeleton in the closet, per say.

I forgot to put my little thing on the last post but here it is again! I have way more ideas for sagau that i will probably never get to write so i'm happy to share them!

🍌anon

🍌 anon I want you to know that I am eating everything up cause MY GOD THE WAVELENGTHS WE'RE HAVING AAAAA

And ohhhhh ohhhhhh forbidden knowledge, your brain rn omg. CHRIST ALMIGHTLY

Some of the notes would actually be forbidden knowledge, especially if we're talking the early ones and if the creator was isekaied before Sumeru's archon quests. Omg- NO ONE CAN READ THE FIRST COUPLE OF EDITIONS, besides for Traveler-

Wait....this just made me realize something. I FORGOT TO EVER THINK ABOUT THE TRAVELER, WHAT ROLE WOULD THEY EVEN HAVE??? OH GOD HOW COULD I OVERLOOK THIS WAIT

Putting a pin in that for later (slamming my head against the wall over this)

But yeah Traveler is probably the one that creator would be closest too, because they have to be the first ones (besides Nahida or Neuvillette) to know the truth. So when the notebooks are found they're the only ones allowed to read it. So they would be at the meeting and conveying what is necessary but also keep the important parts our for the sake of the creator's privacy and to keep the forbidden knowledge from infesting again.

What probably keeps them at an advantage is the language creator uses can only be read by Traveler since Teyvat's language is usually translated for us in game in our own languages.

And also yes Sumeru would be worst, glad we agree. BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF THE AKADEMIYA, Azar fucking sucks and would never understand. BUT- if we're talking with Alhaitham being the acting leader then there's a higher chance for them. Especially with the other Sumeru characters being there, and Nahida!! Nahida would be a godsend since she obviously would have the most knowledge, both known and unknown, and also would be able to peer review others ideas based on when she's read the memories of the creator (poor baby got traumatized tho-)

PLUS! Kuni (Wanderer name I use, making sure that's known) being our body guard, ain't no way creator is dying even if it is their wish. Combine that with Cyno also on guard duty and you got a chance of healing way better then whenever Azar (fuck that guy seriously) was in charge.

[di-42]

September's Scrumptious Fictions

Another month where I wish I could have read more fictions! But definitely some gems in the ones I did read, among which a couple of stories that touched me at a very a deep level, and I'm so, so glad I read them!

As usual I will tag the writers whose Tumblr usernames i know, so they can know they bring joy to their readers. Hope you enjoy these lovely stories as much as i did! If you do, please, please, please, let the writers know!

WIPs:

Wavelengths & Frequencies by @shadesofecclescakes and imposterssyndrome @maaikeatthefullmoon (Rated E, chapters 9/?)

If you feel like you're going through one of those phases where you need to curl up on a sofa with a cup of hot chocolate and something good to read, something safe and reassuring, then this fantastic fiction is for you. It's a human AU enemies-to-lovers fiction where Aziraphale and Crowley can't stand each other, but work for the same media corporation as radio DJs and have to attend charity events together. The characterisation is spot on and the humour great. And what an incredible soundtrack! I honestly can't tell you how happy each notification of a new chapter of this story makes me!

You're The Bad Guys by Nebz_AlphaCentauri @alphacentaurinebula (Rated E, chapters 12/?)

Cold War human AUs in which Aziraphale is an MI6 agent ans Crowley a KGB agent. They get assigned to the same mission in Berlin in 1981. They're on opposite sides. Great characterisation and suspense! And great nods to canon!

Love Lost Is Sweeter When It's Finally Found... by Hopeless_old_romantic_67 (Rated E, chapters 13/?)

After the Second Coming has been averted God allows Crowley and Aziraphale to live as humans for as many loves as they want, but with no memory of who they really are. Welcome to a Quantum Leap-y fiction, inspired by the video Past Loves by Børns. Unlike me, most of you will probably get all the names refernces!

My own WIP And I Did (Rated E, chapters 9/14)

Post season two fiction featuring Supreme Archangel Aziraphale and Grand Duke of Hell Crowley. Satan tasks Crowley with leading Hell to the End of the World. God tasks Aziraphale with leading Heaven to the End of the World. They both have made their choice and they were never going to make a different one.

Complete works:

Wrong Turn by anticyclone, D20Owlbear (Rated Teen, 37,565 words)

Honestly, I don't know why this fiction touched me so much. I just couldn't stop thinking about it for days after I finished it. It's a post season 1 fiction where Crowley suddenly finds himself in a parallel universe at the time the apocalypse is just about to happen. The Crowley and Aziraphale in that universe have a different history to our Crowley and Aziraphale. All our Crowley wants to do is to go back to his universe and his very own angel, but how? As you follow the main plot and focus on Crowley's thoughts and actions, you'll start slowly feeling the other story get hold of you, and it won't let go until the very end and beyond.

Happiness, More Or Less by mllekurtz (TheKnittingJedi) (Rated M, 21,445 words)

If you read only one story out of this list, make it this one. This human AU moved me so very much I cried. Crowley moves into his new flat in Soho, only to discover the flat in haunted by the ghost of the owner of the bookshop downstairs. I won't tell anything else about the plot other than it does have a very sweet happy ending, and it gets there via a rollercoaster of emotions. This is really one of those fictions that leave me in awe of the fandom's talent and creativity. Read it, read it, read it!

Time Marches Forward by @bellisima-writes (Rated M, 129,182 words)

Post season two story with an incredible plot! This story has multiple POVs, including Adam's, who's one of the main characters, and rightly so! Aziraphale is in heaven as supreme archangel, while on earth Adam and Crowley form a very strong bond. We follow their journey in the two years between the end of season two and the second coming. Lots of angst with a very happy ending!

One Shots:

Accidental Sleepover by MetalMiez (Rated Teen, 11,525 words)

Set after season one, this fiction is a sweet account of how Crowley and Aziraphale get to confess their feelings to each other. There are references to season two, but in this what-if universe it never happened.

We Keep Love In A Photograph by @itsscottiesstark (Rated G, 2,066 words)

A very sweet and credible account of what might have happened next on that night in 1941, and what Aziraphale and Crowley's thoughts might have been.

One Perfect Day by PirateFanatic (Rated Teen, 4,821 words)

Canon universe story where Crowley and Aziraphale are safe. In fact, they are about to go to a wedding. As Aziraphale dresses up, Crowley moans that he doesn't want to go, but Aziraphale doesn't give him a choice. And, in the words of the writer, with good reason.

The Bentley And The Pumpkin by graywings @smua70 (Rated G, 1,559 words)

Such an incredibly sweet and fun story, told in the Bentley's POV! The poor car was feeling lonely there in the South Downs, away from the hustle and bustle of London. But not to worry, she'll have her happy ending!

[m1ssunderstanding]

Get Back Rewatch 55 Years On: Day Five

The thing is I absolutely love the album that comes out of this mess. Like I know a lot of people do not like Let It Be, but so many of my favorite songs are on it. One of them being “I Me Mine.” The walz element is haunting, and I can read the lyrics as anti-capitalist even though George himself mostly wasn’t. 

Laughing my head off at two boys from one of the best grammar schools in England, who have at this point made millions off of their writing, genuinely not knowing whether it should be “more freer” or “more freely”

The difference in how George shows Paul his new song vs John is striking. For Paul, he’s relaxed, nonchalant. For John, he stands up and performs it. And I think both are a defense mechanism, poor baby, because clearly, although Paul was very supportive of the song while they were alone, when John is roasting it, Paul just laughs along and George has to go “I don’t give a fuck whether you like it.” 

Ah, the famous “up-against-a-wall” conversation. Paul comes in all dominant and sure. “Haven’t you written anything else? Haven’t you?” But then John touches him, and makes him laugh, and Paul’s a melted, goo-goo-eyes mess. This is the real reason why John got to be the leader isn’t it? Because Paul was too damn soft on him to ever follow through with his bossiness.

Their scouse sounds BEAUTIFUL compared to the stupid ugly RP and MLH’s transatlantic shit.

“And now John’d like to say a few words on the subject.” John starts singing, Paul strums along and joins in on the “chorus.” They can’t communicate like healthy people, but they Can do this. 

So Peter Jackson took out Paul’s bitchy nod at Yoko as he’s stealing her man in real time right in front of her eyes. Unforgivable. But he kept in this adorable laugh, so that’s something. 

Three more covers that I think *mean something* ���Stand By Me” and “Spinning Like a Top” by Paul, followed by “You Win Again” by John. Yoko’s sweet little shoulder kiss. Thank you for taking care of the poor wet kitten, girly. Maybe don’t introduce the poor wet kitten to heroine, but you do you, I guess. (OP recognizes that poor wet kitten is also an adult capable of making his own decisions)

The cut from Paul literally dancing to get John’s attention straight to John dancing with Yoko while inside Paul’s head a silver hammer is clanging ominously. I can’t. Followed by the knowing, loving smile from Ringo to Paul. You know, those moments when you validate your friend’s bitchy thoughts with a look. 

George is literally SO big inside himself, you know? You have to have superhuman self-love abilities to watch your friend – who is supposed to be helping you – shamelessly make fun of your art . . . and just “Do you wanna do that walz on the show? That’d be great.”

But did you guys know John was actually a really great mover?

“Yes, alright. Just sod off.” I love John. Paul’s people-pleasing ass would literally die first and he needs John to do this kind of shit for him and John’s only too happy to.

The moment when Paul and John are on the same wavelength about Dennis O’Dell’s stage. 

OK but. Did John get the clear plastic idea from Yoko’s art exhibits? 

“Any time we do anything it’s always got to be the best.” Poor Ringo. They’re all literally so tired of carrying so much weight for such a long time. 

“See, I’d watch an hour of him just playing the piano. Cause he’s so great.” With that fond, loving, smile. SUCH big dick energy here. The others could NEVER. 

“And I’ll have the plastic when you’re finished.” Literally for what, though? John, you little hoarding goblin. 

And then Ringo responding to MLH’s “I love you” with “Yes, I love you too.” Yeah, Ringo wins the prize for most healthy beatle of the day. 

*Pattie Boyd voice* “I just wish I knew what was going on there. But something. Something.”

Ugh, John looks so hurt. So tender. So heartbroken. While Paul is over there playing a damn funeral march because that’s the only way he lets himself express anything. But I actually love how Dennis O’Dell knows the clearest path to cheering John up is to say that Paul liked his idea. And how well it works. They’re literally so obvious to everyone but themselves. 

I love the bit when John walks in on the rest of them discussing the live show and MLH calls, “We’ve decided. We’re going to Africa.” And Paul hurries to cut in, “No we’re NOT.” Because he knows exactly how John can get and he’s going to nip this in the bud before John gets let down. And of course, John is all “YEAH LETS GO LETS GO!” And he’s talking about how they always wish they were recording abroad. “We could be in LA, or FRANCE.” (side eye emoji) 

Paul’s “Well said, John.” and “I’ve seen it, John. I went to the premiere. I thought you were great.” Why do all your compliments to him have to be in silly voices? Like, I know you think everyone is going to call you a pussy for saying something genuinely kind to your best friend, but they’re not, and he needs it. 

Holy shit this was a long day. See you all tomorrow with another long-winded-ass post.

[lady-ashfade]

To be fair to that anon with a great request idea.

They probably sent it to a few as not all write the requests. Which is fair. You guys are the writers you guys get to chose what the hell you want to write.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with sending it to a few so long as you can link it to the request. That then shows how you were sent it if another writes their own idea for it too.

Plus being able to compare and see how different or how each writer might have been on the same wavelength for ideas is cool.

The only ones in the wrong are the muppets who think it is okay to send threats to people. They are the pricks. Not you, the writers or the anon, the person who wants an idea wrote out by multiple awesome writers.

You are valid in what you said but at the same time don’t take it out on request blogs/anons who just want to see their fave writers write what they thought of and see it brought to life by your awesome writing. Plus like I said above some ignore requests and some just don’t want to write that request which is fine. But that is why they send it to more than one.

I don’t mean to be a bad person here. Or a prick. I am going to be a prick to the jackarses though who think sending threats is something that should be done. You lot can feck write off. Let people enjoy writing what they want, let writers write a request that was sent to many and see how different but wonderful they could all be.

Anyway I am sorry this is so long. I hope it makes sense. You and anon = good, pricks who send threats which is why you wrote what you did = shitheads.

I hope you have a nice day and I look forward to reading more of your awesome fics. (I do hope one day you may decide to write what the anon wrote as it sounds like a wicked idea and with your amazing writing it would be so so so damn good, again it’s up to you. I understand if you don’t want to).

Have a good Sunday 😁

No I get where you’re coming from for sure. I hope one day we can all do the same requests.

But if I had wrote the request and didn’t see that someone else with a bigger platform did it- I’d most likely getting threats.

This is not mine, but a lovely person @starless-nightz

I am really upset that people do this is, which is why I put it in my rules. Which someone should always read. I was completely upset. I am valid in my feelings because I know first hand what things like this can do.

Link here for the post of someone doing something similar to someone else.

The problem with sending it to a few writers, it doesn’t go over well. If I didn’t see my FRIEND make it then who knows if someone else got it and they got hate, or me, or someone else.

And I already have a idea similar to that. But I will never write that request to show peoples that it’s completely wrong. I’m not mad at you lovely Anon! But theses things can’t be easily fixed. People need to learn. Also I’m not okay with writing what someone else has done for this reason. That’s a big no no in this community and I, and others feel strongly.

Anon might not have meant harm. But they could cause harm. And it’s in my rules-

Anyone sorry if I came off as a asshole but this really needs to be said. I’m so tired of seeing people get hate. It makes me really upset. But you’re lovely, and I also hope to do what you said in the future and get your point of view and wish- that we all can do asks. I just find it disrespectful.

Also if they weren’t Anon i would have messaged them privately instead of what I made.

I’m sorry to the person who sent that request, but it’s not something to do when many others with the same rules for requesting get ignored. I’m happy to talk to them privately and explain. But I will never, and I mean never be afraid to speak my mind.

Sorry if I seem like a asshole again, this message has made me cry and feel overwhelmed.

Edit: I am over having a panic attack- anon I love you and you’re really nice. I will try and be a better person

[gunilslaugh]

Hey hey, I've been lurking around lowkey stalking your content bc it's so cute and addictive 💕Your writing style is just chef's kiss

If it isn't too much trouble, would it be alright to ask about a fluffy winter dynamic with xdz? Winter is always portrayed as a sad season, but I've always seen it to be comforting, peaceful, and fun. Especially now that it's summertime where I live, I get in my feels sometimes yk?

Anyway this is getting too long now hehe. You don't have to write it if you don't want to or if you're too busy though! Take care and best wishes 💕

You are so sweet! 💜 Writing this made me want winter to hurry up and come, specially because where I live is stupidly hot. You take care too.

All members (• ^ •)

Summary: Fluffy winter dynamic with Xdinary Heroes

WC:~1k

Warning:grammar

photo not mine credits to owner.

Gunil

•Walks with your hand in his jacket pocket. Most days your hand is encased with the warmth of his own hand. On extra cold days there’s the added warmth of a heat pack squished into his pocket as well. It becomes second nature to him. His hand just automatically takes yours and brings it into his pocket when you guys go out into the cold. You don’t even always notice it yourself, only realizing your hand is in his pocket when you need it to do something. 

•Doing up each other's coats. If you're not wearing a hoodie or sweater Gunil always makes sure to either zip or button up your jacket before leaving the house and you do the same to him. When you meet up with him and sees that your jacket is undone he’ll shake his head. Mumbling about how you could get sick as he does up your jacket. Although sometimes he’s no better and you say the same thing as you do up his jacket.

Jungsu

•Drinking hot chocolate. On those especially frigid days Jungsu loves nothing more than snuggling up with you while drinking hot chocolate. You guys either watch something together, listen to music, or just simply talk. It doesn’t matter to him as long as he gets to spend time with you. Basking in the warmth of one another and the hot chocolate, temporarily forgetting about the cold surrounding the outside world.

•Writing your initials on fogged up windows. The first time he did it the two of you were on the bus. He wrote his first initial with a plus sign followed by yours then drew a heart around it. He then eagerly tapped you on the shoulder to show you his artwork. You took out your phone, snapping a picture of it to save the memory. Ever since then it has become one of your guys' things. He would write his initial then one part of the plus sign. You would complete the plus sign then write your own initial and you both would draw half of the heart.

Gaon/Jiseok

•Playing in the snow. From building snowmen, making snow angels, to having snowball fights, the two of you did it all. His favorite was building a little snow family with you. Both of you would go to check on your snow family everyday after making them. Feeling sad when they melted away, or some prick destroyed them. He’d be lying if he said he didn't enjoy cuddling with you under a blanket after spending time playing in the snow, just as much.

•Getting matching sweaters. It didn’t matter if it was a holiday sweater or just a normal sweater he just wanted to match. Would take photos of you guys in your matching sweaters and pick one to put as his wallpaper. Coincidentally wearing them on the same day would make Jiseok so happy. Would talk about how you two were on the same wavelength that day. It would quickly become one of his favorite sweaters and he would never let anyone borrow it.

O.de/Seungmin

•Trying out seasonal drinks together. Made it a mission to find the best seasonal drink. The pair of you would go around to different cafes trying out the limited time drinks. Although both of you became leery of peppermint drinks after having one that tasted like toothpaste. Playing rock, paper, scissor to see would be the sacrificial lamb whenever you came across a peppermint flavored drink. A gingerbread hot chocolate ended up a hidden jem.

•Late night walks to admire the lights. Seungmin would keep one arm wrapped around you for warmth. The two of you would just stroll around the streets admiring how pretty the hung up lights made everything. Stopping to take a few photos together when you found a location to be extra beautiful. These late night walks turned out to be very therapeutic despite the cold nipping at your faces. Just enjoying each other's presence and appreciating the multi-colored lights, brightening up the dark.

Junhan/Hyeongjun

•Baking cookies together. Hyeongjun loved baking cookies with you. It was a time filled with laughter and joy. Always somehow managing to make some misshapen cookies or accidentally decapitate poor gingerbread men. You guys worked your way through a list of different types of cookies, to see which ones you liked the best. Sharing the cookies with others was nice too. It seemed like there were always cookies lying around somewhere filling your place with a delicious scent.

•Having movie nights. Watching movies with a nice warm drink and snacks was a great indoor, out of the cold activity that both you and Hyeongjun enjoyed. The cozy atmosphere created with the blankets draped over you guys and a scented candle burning. Watching Christmas movies to help build the spirit was fun, but you didn’t only watch them. Movies of all genres worked just as well. Occasionally the movie would only be background noise to your conversations or filling the silence as you both snoozed away on the couch.

Jooyeon

•Unexpected snowball fights. It was a game the two of you played. Seeing if you could catch the other off guard and what better way to do that than throwing a handful of snow at them? It always leads to an impromptu snowball fight since you can’t let them get away with it. Maybe it was a bit childish, but neither of you cared. It always elated you both. The fight would end with whipping the snow from each other’s clothes and warm hugs. Then going back on your merry way.

•Sledding. The pair of you deemed it one of the best winter activities. Complaining about the hike up the steep hill was inevitable, but the ride down made it well worth it. The two of you would race each other down the hill and as punishment the loser would have to carry the sled back up the hill. As fun as it was, it was also a very tiring activity. After arriving home and changing your clothes you guys would just slumped down onto the couch and take a nap together.

[moononmyfloor]

In the 1st Quarter of 2024 Cdramaland...

2nd Quarter, 3rd Quarter, 4th Quarter

1. The Hope

Nothing can be better than a Zhang Ruoyun drama to start the year with. One of the best High School shows I've seen in the recent years, it had an amazing balance of explosive emotions of youth and jaded realism. It would appeal to viewers of all age ranges and I felt so so much nostalgia and relatability from beginning to the end. It was funny, it was smart, it was beautifully acted down to every minor role. (I pretend that last 30 minutes didn't happen, though)

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2. Wang Qiang (as Li Ran from The Hope), Zheng Hehuizi as Yang Caiwei from In Blossom)

LOOK at that babie😭🥺. Don't you want to pinch his cheeks? One of the most darling characters I had pleasure of watching recently, I wish a bright, bright future career for Wang Qiang. He portrayed the classic outwardly-prickly, marshmallow-inside teenager archetype with amazing nuance.

And Yang Caiwei oh Yang Caiwei.... as one of the shows and characters that created quite the buzz recently, I don't have anything more to add to the discussion. I can only say: lady, thank you for taking up a role that is FINALLY convincingly scarred, unkempt, dirty and not strikingly goddess-y from the first glance, and playing her with such gusto the true, genuine beauty of the character was drawn out with no external effort at all.

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3. The Hope

This drama utilized music so beautifully than 99% idol romance dramas ever would. Atmospheric music that elevated the scenes with lyrics that fit, not to mention writing three whole songs to be FULLY performed in-drama for character purposes. It felt like a musical at times. Talk about dedication.

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4. Pan Yue's, from In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li (Only few)

I mean

How many costume drama wardrobes can top these embroidery and visibly high quality fabric? Not to mention they actually look wearable in daily life, and not just ornate for "main character's costumes" reasons. They are actually quite simple, if you think a bit- but immensely tasteful. AND

My FAVORITE thing about not just his, but all costumes in this show that I've rarely seen other dramas do is: They repeated the costumes! Many times! Almost all of them! And that added so much to the groundedness of the character. Rich young master having a runway-worthy wardrobe? Nothing new. Him wearing them again and again because that's what a normal, reasonable person does? I'm sold.

I loved the plain but in an elegant and carefree way styling of the two leads of Shen Li whenever they were having recluse times. *This* is exactly how I imagine immortals too- just vibing and not decked in gold from head-to-toe because they are simply beyond it. Whenever the show changed to the typical bejewelled guzhuang garb in heaven scenes, it immeadietely visually reduced the show to just another xianxia. First Till the End of the Moon and now this😭. Guys, pick a consistent style and rock it proudly! A signature look is very important especially if you are aiming to create an impactful all-powerful character! I see no reason the gods couldn't do all the grand court and fight scenes in these robes either, honestly that would've served drive home the nail that the gods function on a different wavelength than humans.

(Also Wtf was even that Shen Li in a Greek goddess like getup? [last image] Not that it's not pretty BUT *waves hands around helplessly..)

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5. In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li, The Hope, Baking Challenge

In Blossom posters had a perfect balance of traditional Chinese ethereal elegance mixed with gothic horror mystery vibes.

I LOVED the "how I imagine the peaceful cottagecore fairytale like life of my great-grandparents" vibe of Shen Li posters. It's giving lore.

Really liked the "hooligan teens on retro album cover" aesthetic of The Hope posters too.

The whimsical food posters of Baking Challenge were also fun.

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6. Detective Chinatown 2

I didn't even know a Detective Chinatown S2 was even coming like...until it did and it was like a second new year because I LOVED that show and it was the most unexpected pleasant surprise of the year- especially when almost all the main cast members were returning. And the first few eps were amazing too and didn't do a disservice at all to the previous season and I got my hopes up thinking we'll get to see a continuation of the Roy Chiu-Janine Chang arc too... only for the show to pull the rug and did the exact same thing as the previous season- the main character withdrew from the story by midpoint. Oh my gods. I want to find this show's creators and give them a good shake. Have some Janine jiejie pics from first season though just for the nostalgia's sake.

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7. Baking Challenge

If you aren't deterred by barely-legible machine subs, give this one a try. It's a fun little food drama that doesn't take itself seriously yet has a lot of heart. And for The Untamed fans, there's our Lan Sizhui (Zheng Fanxing) in it, and he's still the same cutie pie!

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8. Pegasus

I watched five episodes, it's a solid show, fun too, it's just that I'm not very into racing AND Hu Xianxu is still a baby in my head😭😂 To convince me that he's a rich CEO with his own romance and adult problems will take at least 20 more years!

I see him parading like this and couldn't help but want to laugh hysterically lol. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT. He's an amazing actor! But still..

I hope he doesn't try to force-rush his shift to adult characters, either.

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More posts by me

[anachronistic-falsehood]

EPISODE 17 TRIVIA:

- bizly wasnt expecting them to eavesdrop on tide and harlem, so he and grizzly made up that whole convo as they went . the only things grizzly got in dms to say as harlem was "looking for tide. give no other information about anything"

- theyre talking about potentially interrogating ashe about his intentions/whether hes working with wavelength or not, and grizzly says "dakota really wants to ask him, but he won't take the lead on that because last time, he pursued doug and the base blew up. if william says not to do it, williams word goes." iiiiiii love this dynamic. have been trying 2 keep my personal takes out of the trivia so far but GOD i love u ghostkicks. william looks up to dakota for being the most heroic out of all of them. dakota looks up to william for being smart and knowing how to handle things. they balance each other out so perfectly, if you were to take them each into separate rooms and ask them who the leader of the prime defenders is, you KNOW they would both name each other no hesitation

- yakko: i like how ashe immediately went from talking to wavelength having him be like "stay out of trouble, dont get into fights" to IMMEDIATELY tripping on the train and ripping a guys shirt off and starting a fight

- "i think we should commit petty crime as the purps and then never speak on it or acknowledge it ever again"

- charlie: i think we should start a gang war as the purps. but not like an actual gang war i want to do west side story. i want to smoke cigarettes and be a purple bodysuit greaser

- THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THEM ABSOLUTELY HATING MARK BEHIND THE SCENES bc bizly brought up the conversation he and ashe had in the car by saying "you started to see a side of your dad you havent seen in a while where he was like 'im proud of you' and you think things are gonna start to be different, and then he stops and its suddenly back to how it always is" (<< aaugwaaughghh :[ )

- they realized they havent gone to school in like a week and then decided they should have a prom episode. every day i wish they would have done this

LISTEN. BIZLY. at this point u should just think they're gonna eavesdrop on everything. these kids NEED 2 know things they are the most curious bunch ever if they're not listening in on things they will explode

"if william says not to, william's word goes" oh my god dude. he is like a loyal dog in every universe. he will do literally anything william asks. they WOULD both name each other as the leader of the pd no hesitation. they would. what if i exploded right now. ghostkicks ur everything 2 me

WINTERS FAMILY TORMENT NEXUS. jesus christ. bro i think about ashe and mark all the time always forever. oh my god dude.

PROM EPISODE!!!!! a prom episode would have slapped so hard. brb writing a fic about what a prom episode would have been like (/j /j i have like three million bajillion things 2 write already </3 it would b fun tho. imagine <3)

[jimintomystery]

The Death Mwauthzyx in my Dreams

Just finished watching Dan Olson's new video "I Don't Know James Rolfe," so here's my one hot take on the Angry Video Game Nerd.

The show mainly hit the spot back in the day because you couldn't wait for the Nerd to go after the games that pissed you off, personally. I think I discovered him through the Ninja Turtles episode, and when I found out he also had an episode about how you can't land the plane in Top Gun, I was like "this guy gets it." I couldn't wait for him to take on Bible Adventures and Bart vs. The Space Mutants, and then he did. I wanted him to destroy the Atari E.T. game, and then he made a whole-ass movie about it.

If the show had diminishing returns, it's mainly because there's a limited number of topics he can cover that would already mean something to you, so sooner or later your engagement is going to hit the wall. I don't think there's a way he could innovate around that, creative stagnation or not. There's only so many fiascos that are worth covering, and only so many ways to say "what were they thinking?" If you don't think you can run into the same problem with, say, Defunctland, you're fooling yourself.

I still keep up with AVGN out of habit, just going through the motions. In February, though, he covered Goonies II, which grabbed my attention. I couldn't believe it took so long for him to get around to that one, or that I hadn't ever wished for him to tackle it. I never played Goonies II, but everything I heard about it in the 1980s made me wonder, well, what they had been thinking. So that episode clicked with me like AVGN hasn't in a long time. But that just demonstrates my point--moments like that will come fewer and farther between as time goes on. If you feel like this is his fault--that this is a problem he created or failed to rectify--that seems like a you problem.

In Olson's video, he expounds on the 1967 experimental film Wavelength, and Rolfe's reaction thereof. Dan talks about how watching the dull, largely unchanging shot forces the viewer to engage with it and "what you bring to it." In that sense, I suppose twenty years of largely homogeneous AVGN episodes provide a similar opportunity for self-reflection. My takeaway, then, is that I'm running out of anti-nostalgia to vent about, and I see this as a generally positive direction.

[petty-crush]

“Crimes of Passion”

1984~113 minute director’s cut

-Here is a film defiantly adult. I don’t mean porn like (though it is here for 30 seconds) but full grown humans who have joy, loss, fear, anticipation, mingled with sex and physical vulnerability.

-There are scars all over these people, and I suspect to fully get on the film’s wavelength, the viewer must have some too

-Absurdity also flows through this film. Actor Anthony Perkins in particular hops near the top of insanity quite often, with wonderful results

-There is a scene only in the director’s cut, and involves a police man and a night stick meeting a prostitute, and not in the way you may be thinking

-It is consensual, violent, degrading, startling, and more. The use of the night stick shows how everyone has their own tastes, and some are not that common. But it does make them feel some form of being alive. And between adults who agree, anything goes.

-Earlier on, with another client, there was also toe sucking. As far as I am concerned, both that and the stick are in the “Cool beans. Not my bag but you two have fun” pile. This continuity makes me realize the interesting vastness of pleasure, and how artisanal it is. All are legit.

-These moments of reflection are not the purview of the sex comedy, but the brooding meditation of the truly adult drama. The ability to watch and observe without judgement or criticism. A truly valuable skill (that some seem incapable of in non cinema life)

-Director Ken Russel has a scrumptious eye for photographic detail, and the lighting his cinematographer and gaffer contribute is mesmerizing

-He fully exists in his own zone while giving the actors space to do their thing. I love it

-there are a great many episodic scenes, such as the fabric boss who hires our protagonist to see who is selling his secrets. It concludes neatly, and serves the purpose of being amusing in its own and the reason our guy meets the gal who occupies his mind

-my own favorite is the dying man who is put up to sex with the prostitute by his wife, and finds he cannot muster facades anymore. His tenderness is disarming to us off and on screen

-There is, of course, a great deal of wish fulfillment of China Blue (actress Kathleen Turner-incredible) being a proverbial hooker with a heart of gold. It seems as valid a fantasy as any other shown in this film.

-I find the scenes with our main guy and his increasingly estranged wife to be compelling and at times our sympathies flip back and forth

-Delightful directorial decision; Russell films their most devastating moment in one long take, but adds a fluttering shadow of a curtain over them, giving delicious visual interest

-The night stick and the dying man are more or less back to back. And this sequencing is a cunning move. To a structure fetishist, these are pointless and could be removed easily. But to the emotional canvassers, these prove to be the furthest things from unnecessary, indeed they give the film some of its greatest power.

+The point being…shut the fuck up, everyone who thinks such scenes are excessive or exploitative.

-How many details of the warped (maybe not really a) reverend were added after Perkins signed on? There are numerous “Psycho” dualities; looking through a peephole, dressing in woman’s clothing, and stalking a woman whose last name is Crane

-This film undertows the lust that exists in hearts even trying to be chained up by religious fundamentalists. It is a vivid portrait, and its relative rarity adds to an already immensely enjoyable picture

[canis-or-cannotis-lycaon]

TIMING: A Few weeks ago LOCATION: About the Town PARTIES: Alan @alan-duarte & Gael @lithium-argon-wo-l-f SUMMARY: Gael and Alan chance into each other at a bookstore and they explore what similarities they have that connect them. CONTENT WARNINGS: cheating mentions, drugs mentions

“I just … It never quite looks realistic enough. You have no idea how much supplies I have thrown away out of sheer disappointment,” the clerk didn’t seem to know a whole lot about modelism and Alan was submerged with regrets while the other attempted to come up with a solution Alan already had tried. The answer, unsurprisingly, didn't come from that guy, but from a voice behind. “Anyway…” He didn’t like when people were so nosy they interrupted someone’s personal conversation. He frankly hated that. Turning toward the intruder, the realtor frowned, and the more he thought about it, the more his eyebrows furrowed. That could work, actually. 

“That’s… smart,” a bit more technical than what he was used to coming up with, quite frankly. “Are you also into dioramas and model making ?”  ______________ Why were all these books derivative? Gael was looking for a hobby, not a lullaby, which was all most of these books had to offer him. He rolled his eyes, already having wasted too much time in one area when he could be anywhere else actually reading and just picked one up - it seemed to be about crocheting, of all things. Whatever, maybe he could donate it to the school library. He made his way to wherever the line was and as he approached, he found a man in an active, if one-sided discussion with the beleaguered clerk, though Gael’s unusual hearing could pick up the conversation before he saw them. From what he gathered, there was an attempt to make a simulated fire for a… model or something, he was just guessing and he had half a mind to leave himself out of it but he felt for the clueless employee and he gave a noncommittal shrug, speaking loudly enough to make himself heard behind the duo. “I, uh… recommend a silicon bi-pin lamp with a dominant wavelength of 605nm,” He suggested, leaning slightly and keeping his dark eyes on the back of the stranger who at first seemed to shrug him off before acknowledging what he said. Gael straightened back up as the man turned and asked him about the subject material - so he was right. “I hadn’t really thought about it before,” He admitted casually. “I constructed a model RBMK-1000 Reactor for a presentation on Chernobyl once but I don’t know if that would qualify.” ______________

“Oh you just came up with a solution on the spot then,” there wouldn’t be any awards held for being incredibly responsive, Alan hoped the other was aware of that. His gratitude and respect were, however, worth more than an Oscar. They were rare. “Haven’t meddled with electricity in a bit, though I suppose I’ll have to bring the soldering iron out of the closet again,” the clerk was standing right next to them, and Alan could tell from the held up, weak index , that he was wishing he could vanish or be just anywhere else. “I think I’m good, thank you so much,” for nothing. With a warm smile, he watched the younger man walk off. The werewolf wondered what this guy specialized in, before deciding he didn’t really care. Some people just were useless from start to finish.

“So you do know a thing or two about model making,” this man, however, seemed to know things. That was a lot more valuable. “It wouldn’t be my first pick, but you know, to each their own, right?” A nuclear reactor really wasn’t his idea of a good subject, but the same could have been said about the many planes he had sitting on shelves in his basement. He started out with those, but they were now all in cardboard boxes, getting forgotten. “You said a lamp with… That wavelength, is it a color thing, or …” High school was far away, but he remembered a thing or two from his physics classes. You had to be good at it to be in the air force, although mechanical sciences were more deeply anchored than optical ones. “I’ll need it to flicker. Maybe a transistor could do the job, what do you think?” A pause. “I don’t want to hoard your time, of course. If you have better things to do…” He trailed off. “Yeah, I really don’t want to hold your leg man, you’ve already done your good deed,” he smiled, yet something about his eyes seemed to carry hope and was silently begging him to have no life outside of helping him out.  ______________ The stranger was blunt in his response and opinionated to boot but he hadn’t dismissed Gael yet so the latter figured he must’ve done something right. Or at least not wrong. “A transistor might work but I think you’d be better with, like, a diode to give it that flicker effect,” He replied, setting the book down and placing his hands in his pockets and keeping his gaze on the model-maker. He quirked an eyebrow as the other man seemed to give him an impression of wanting to continue this conversation - either that or Gael had gotten worse at reading people. Either way, he got some hint (though whether or not it was the right one was to be determined) and he gave another small half-shrug. “I literally have nothing better to do,” He removed a hand and gestured to the crochet book he picked up out of boredom. “Gael, by the way,” That same hand reached out in an initiation for a handshake from the stranger.  ______________ “Mmm, maybe,” crossing his arms over his chest, Alan reflected on his options. There wasn’t much he could do now other than try it out now. His gaze went toward the book in the other man’s hands. Crocheting. Not the most common hobby, but who was he to judge? “Crocheting and electronics isn’t a combo you often see,” he commented with a light smile. Holding out his hand to shake, Alan introduced himself as well. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Alan.” 

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before,” not that he knew everyone, but having been born here, raised here, and having lived here most of his life gave him the sizable advantage when it came to knowing folks : 6 degrees of separation and whatnot. “Anyhow, I’m… have you played Dark Souls?” He paused, “I’m doing the campfire, hence the need for a flickering fire,” he explained. “I haven’t played in ages, I probably couldn’t beat the first boss these days,” he scoffed, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Anyhow, you wanna help me find that diode ? That clerk seemed a bit lost…”  ______________ Alan. Gael wondered as he ran the name through in his head a few times if he knew who this guy was in passing but ultimately concluded that he most likely hadn’t, at least not consciously. “Oh yeah, I moved here a few months ago at the start of the semester,” He explained, putting his hand back in his pocket. There was a pause as the model-maker named Alan asked him about Dark Souls and he had to rack his brain for a moment. “I have not played Dark Souls,” He admitted. “BUT I can help you find that diode; that shouldn’t be a problem.” Regardless of the reason, he wasn’t one to turn down a challenge. “You haven’t, like, checked online for it, though, right? There’s a lot of kits that might have what you’re looking for without the hassle of running around trying to find it.” He suggested.  ______________ “Semester?” Only two categories of people spoke in semesters: professors and students. If people could go back to college at any moment of their life, he doubted this guy was a student. “You teach at the University? I did a conference there last semester,” a pause. “For the business students. I’m a local business owner,” Alan scratched a spot behind his ear absent-mindedly, feigning humility. He had none, but that was apparently unbecoming. 

“Aw, you’re missing out. It’s hard, I’m not gonna lie, but…” He trailed off. He used to play those games with his first husband, though Rafael was always a lot better at them than Alan ever was.

“You’re in electronics? Engineering?” He tried to guess, as he tagged along down the aisle. “I suppose so. I’m not huge on Amazon, but there’s also the hardware store if…” He trailed off. “Yeah, Whitlocks might have it. It’s a 5 minute walk though,” he pursed his lips. “I can offer payment in drinks at the bar, or guided tours of the town,” both would be an introvert’s nightmare, he supposed, but there was a chance the guy was sociable enough if he had the nerve to interrupt a conversation to offer help.  ______________ “Oh, yeah. I teach chemistry.” Gael replied, keeping his gaze on Alan with a sense of curiosity in his tired, yet energetic eyes. He put a pin in the part where the other man said that he owned a business; he was sure to mention it later. “And I do suppose there’s no better teacher of business than someone who owns one,” he added. He paused, noting that Alan trailed off and he wondered if the latter had some memory that kept him from finishing what apparently made Dark Souls so great because if they were going off that brief explanation, Gael wasn’t really sold on “you’re missing out, this game is hard”. As far as he was concerned though, it was small talk that sprung from the model thing so he didn’t think too much about it. “I’ll pass on the game and take your word for it but I certainly won’t say no to a drink,” He agreed. “I’m guessing you’re from around here if you’re willing to offer a tour in exchange for a diode.” ______________ A chemistry teacher at UMWC named Gael. Monty’s words echoed in Alan’s memory then. It couldn’t possibly have been anyone else but this guy. He had promised he’d be discreet about it, and Alan liked to think that he was good with people, when he wanted to be. “Pardon me, but I think I might have heard of you through a common friend,” he pointed out. He lowered his voice. “The man from the farm?” It wasn’t the most comfortable conversation to have. Alan had been through this too, and he didn’t like it then. He sure didn’t like it now. 

“I’m from around here, yeah,” he nodded along, motioning the other to tag along. “My family has been in the region for three generations already, so I suppose you can say I know the area like the back of my hand,” mostly the real estate market, mostly the woods. He avoided certain areas religiously. Yeah, you could say he knew the town well. “Since you won’t say no, I’ll take this as a yes.” ______________ Alan motioned for Gael to follow so he did, but not before his brain seemed to bounce the words the other man had said around in his head longer than he’d have liked. Common friend, ‘man from the farm’? His mind put two and two together rather quickly; this must’ve been the aforementioned princesa that Monty told him about, the snooty friend who Monty spoke fondly of! His mind buzzed with questions but he didn’t want to make it seem like he wasn’t listening to the rest of what Alan had said. So, he instead brought up the second part of the new conversation first. “Three generations?” Gael repeated. “So you’re part of the old blood of the town.” He wondered why he’d never heard the name before but then again, he didn’t know Alan’s last name so for all he knew he might’ve, just in passing. “That means you have insider knowledge on where to get the best coffee and you won’t take me somewhere soul-crushingly disappointing.” He laughed as the duo walked though it didn’t last long and it tapered into Gael turning his head to look curiously, if a little mournfully, at Alan. “You’re… the one Monty told me about, aren’t you?” It was Gael’s turn to lower his voice. “The uh… the other one who sleepwalks.” The professor knew that sleepwalking wasn’t a new concept but he hadn’t had anyone to talk to about it before aside from Monty, and even then, he couldn’t help but get the idea that Monty had something possibly even worse than him. Possibly. His wasn’t–  ______________

“Oh, I suppose you could say that,” there were a lot of families who had been here longer, but the Duartes could pride themselves on being true locals, if that was even something to be proud of. They should have prided themselves on having no one in the family disappear mysteriously, after living in this town for a whole century now. Alan would have been the first to fall this way, he realized. Somehow, he survived. Perhaps he shouldn’t have. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to. “Oh you bet, I won’t be taking you to Starbucks, that’s for sure,” he assured him with a pat on his back. 

“Well, yes,” he set his hand back in his pocket, offering the other a slight smile at the mention of sleepwalking. Yeah, he had once thought about that too. It made a lot more sense than oh, maybe I turn into a wolf at night and wander off into the forest to meet my people. “I’ve been sleepwalking for about ten years now,” his smile grew, and his expression changed. There was no need to get sappy about this. Alan knew, however, that the wolf attack needed to be mentioned. “It started after I got into the woods, one evening. I was heading back home, figured it would be shorter…” He trailed off. This was, all things considered, quite the intimate thing to share, but maybe it would make things easier in the long term. And maybe he’d make friends with another member of his species too? It had been a while, and he missed having someone around who could properly relate. “Anyhow, I couldn’t see much of a thing, but a wolf attacked me that night,” he paused. “Call it trauma, or… I don’t know,” lycanthropy, “but I’ve had those sleepwalking issues ever since…” ______________ Gael listened intently, keeping his eyes on the businessman as the latter spoke about his experience. He found himself comparing what Alan was saying to his own memories or lack thereof… the night, the woods, the attack, the hospital. The way the other man spoke made it seem like– well, he had been dealing with it for ten years so surely he had a much better grasp on what it was, right? A wolf attacked Alan, but Gael couldn’t remember what had happened to him; he just assumed he was mauled by a bear that night in the woods - the scar that screwed up some of the nerves in his lower back was certainly big enough to feel like a bear. “That’s… interesting,” Gael said slowly, keeping his voice from becoming mournful as Alan didn’t speak of it as something he was still… well, not struggling but it was something he was dealing with. He had a few questions he wanted to ask, suddenly feeling as though maybe he didn’t sound quite so ridiculous to someone who had similar sleepwalking issues and Alan was surely a master of coping mechanisms by now, right? He didn’t seem so alone, and yet… The thoughts got mixed up in the chemist’s head and he frowned to himself for a moment. “Ten years?” He repeated softly. “Have you ever, I don’t know, gone to see someone about it?” He hastily added “Not that there’s anything wrong with– I mean that–” He stuttered and cleared his throat, suddenly gripped by some unfamiliar emotion. “Sorry, I didn’t think… I didn’t mean to be nosey,” He concluded awkwardly. “Uhm… Monty told me about you though,” Gael smothered the unfamiliar emotion with a grin; he wasn’t sure if this was what Alan wanted but then again, he also wasn’t sure if Alan wanted to discuss their shared condition. He wanted to ask about the blood, the bodies, the nightmares but he also didn’t want to turn their pleasant conversation into one of either discomfort or begrudging formalities. Or something. Maybe if Alan wanted to discuss it further, he could bring it up on his own terms, in his own time. But until then… “He speaks highly of you.” ______________

“Is it?” Alan’s eyebrows raised in inquiry. It was uncommon, for certain. People didn’t usually have surviving a wolf attack crossed out on their bucket list. He would have rather it never happened. His life was better when he didn’t know about all this, and yet… Would he have walked this road, met these people, if he hadn’t crossed paths with a werewolf? “Nah,” he shook his head. He had, once, but there wasn’t much the therapist could do other than try to rationalize what happened, and ask Alan all sorts of questions he wasn’t willing to tackle. 

Part of him wondered whether the therapist knew. Not once was PTSD mentioned as a cause for his blackouts, and that always seemed weird to him. He didn’t particularly want to find out if the guy knew though. He didn’t want to delve back into that part of his life. This was why he had been hesitant to help Gael out, when Monty asked him, but now that the man stood before him, Alan wondered how he could possibly do anything but that. Still, he didn’t care to elaborate about this, not now. 

Sticking his hands in his pockets, Alan’s eyebrows raised. He knew Monty had spoken to Gael about him, and he didn’t really mind it, considering the circumstances. “You’ve barely asked me any questions,” he pointed out. This much was not entirely true, but Alan figured that this was how he would get the other to ask all his questions. “C’mon, you must have questions that need answering, more important than whether I saw someone to cope with it,” he pointed out with a sympathetic smile. It was easier, pushing the attention away from oneself, in vulnerable times, but Alan was one to do that too, and he could easily spot it. 

“Monty? Of course he does, and I’ll speak highly of him too,” as it usually did at the mention of the zombie, his face lit up. “He’s a great man, and I doubt you’ll meet someone more selfless than him around town,” he affirmed. He hadn’t met everyone, but he’d stand by that statement either way.  ______________ “Yeah, he’s… there’s something about him for sure,” Gael agreed first, his expression softening as he remembered that morning. “He’s…” The man fell silent and simply caught the expression on Alan’s face - the latter, until recently, had this look that wasn’t stern but it was professional but when he brought up the cowboy, sure enough he could tell that the man was affectionate towards Monty. He was starting to wonder who wouldn’t be. Gael also wondered what questions Alan could’ve been referring to. “About… the sleepwalking,” He muttered, glancing down for a moment before his eyes regarded the businessman once more. “I think the questions I have aren’t… I don’t know, it’s–” What, hard to explain? If there was one person he could maybe explain it to, it would be Alan, another man who was found in the woods with nothing but a sleeping bag to protect his manhood. “I guess the biggest one I have is ‘how do I fix it’,” He surmised. “Though I suppose the biggest one should be ‘what’s wrong with me’.” His eyes danced on nothing in particular, as though he were reading something but it was in his head. “But that’s… I don’t know, sometimes people just sleepwalk.” He shrugged. “I got mauled by a bear one night; I remember NONE of it but I assume it just jostled something in my brain.” He glanced down again. “I’m sure I’m just overreacting. I’ve been known to do that,” Gael cast his gaze back to Alan. “You ever think that? That maybe it’s really not a big deal but something in your mind makes you think it might be?” ______________

“How do you fix it?” Yeah, that was precisely why he didn’t want to do this in the first place. He had been there, in denial, trying to figure out what was making him wake up far from his bed, exhausted and lost, wishing it to fucking stop. “You need to learn to control it, those moments where your mind slips,” he eyed him. It was all Alan could do about this : help Gael control it. This was perhaps how he’d make him aware of what he was. What’s wrong with me was a trickier question, somehow. There was nothing he could say that wouldn’t be a lie to some extent. “Same thing that’s wrong with me. We got attacked by a wild animal and it changed us,” that wasn’t really the full truth, but it was all he could do right then. 

“A bear heh?” That didn’t track. It didn’t track with what Monty told him. “You remember being attacked by a bear though, I assume?” Another day, he would have to show him his scar, and perhaps that would help Gael with coming to terms with it all, but that wouldn’t be today. Alan was unable to do that today. He wasn’t sure he would be able to do that at all, and just thinking about it made his expression tarnish.

“I think it’s as big a deal as you want it to be, like everything,” you could care or choose not to give a shit, but the reality would catch up on you and bite you in the ass. “I think you should deal with it sooner than later. You don’t want someone catching you wandering around like that, huh? Not everyone’s going to react like Monty,” no, someone would try to put a bullet in him. “If you want, I can help you with that, but it’s not going to be easy,” a tiny part of him hoped he would refuse, but the guy seemed like a good man, and with werewolves being a rarity, Alan could have used someone extra to share his struggles with.  ______________ Gael paused for a long moment, listening intently to everything Alan was saying though the more he spoke, the more something started to knot up in his throat, making it hard to swallow, literally. He didn’t remember being attacked by a bear - how could he? People told him it was a dog but he wasn’t about to consider that it was a dog. What had to have happened is that the way he and Alan were attacked just… created some neurological damage to them. Short-circuiting in their brain, a psychotic defect that caused them to sleepwalk and kill things in that state. Animals, right? Just animals. He thought he liked it better before this topic of conversation came up. Control it. Control what, the parts where he falls asleep, has terrible nightmares where he prowls through the woods as some… demon, then wakes up God-knew-where, in pain, with no idea where he was. “Those are just dreams,” Gael muttered to himself. Maybe they weren’t as alike as they thought, which was fine but the thought that whatever was happening was something that he could change, something that affected him so deeply, it writhed around inside him like snakes. And then there was the part about someone else finding him and Gael realized that… Monty was the only one who had so far. Every other time this defect flared up, he’d woken up lost, hurt, as though he got pulled apart and put back together but he had also been alone. There HADN’T been a Monty or someone else. The professor, uncharacteristically, remained silent during most of this and he pulled his arms close to his stomach, folding them over each other in thought as his brow knitted. Alan offered to help but he found the connection between the help and what it was for nonexistent. “I wouldn’t want to impose,” was what Gael said first, now avoiding eye contact with the other man. “And it– it sounds like how to fix it is that I check myself into a mental ward.” He added before he could stop himself. “Alan, the way you’re talking makes it seem like we’re… I don’t know, werewolves or something.” He scoffed though he said the word itself almost completely silently. “I can’t tell you how to think or what to feel but this sounds like an issue I need medication for.” He clenched his jaw for a moment before glancing back up at Alan, his expression softening. “Sorry, I’m– sorry. I didn’t mean to… I appreciate the offer for help but…” He faltered. ______________

Alan fell silent. He didn’t really have that sort of patience in him, the sort that would allow him to just smile, shake his head gently and explain once again what he meant. He was terrible at this. Talking people into buying or selling was effortless, but things that directly concerned him? Heh. Pass. 

The realtor looked away, hands in his pockets. His gaze fell to the floor. “Just dreams, yeah.” He scoffed. This was fucked up. 

How was he supposed to let this guy know that he was never going to have a normal life ever again, that he’d never be normal? How was he supposed to tell someone that they’d been bit by a supernatural creature, and that they were now one too. 

He’d been through this before, all by himself, and he remembered just how unpleasant it had all been. Alan would force himself to shift until he could begin to control it, even if that meant forcing his bones to grow and shrink, his guts to shift in his stomach in a matter of seconds. At the same time, because he worried himself to death, wondering if one day he’d not accidentally end up mauling his husband, he’d grown further and further away from him. He’d disappear around full moons on business trips, reappear a few days later, feeling tired, filled with guilt, one that Rafael, all too human, could only associate with the worst kind of treason. 

Alan felt like crying. Though he tried not to let it show, and fought the urge to let it pour down, his lip quivered, and as he nibbled on it, he had no other choice but to look away. It was a damn good thing Gael was too damn embarrassed to even look at him. “You’re right,” he snapped. “Maybe we’re both fucking mental,” if his words came from a place of hurt, it certainly didn’t make them fair. “I’m not a damn psychiatrist. I don’t know why Monty thought I’d be able to help you with that.” This was no longer about his failed marriage then, but this creeping feeling that had been steadily rotting inside of him : how much of him had died that night? Was he the same person as before or pretending, like a kid playing house ? He was a monster now, this, he knew for a fact. He could try and save face, claim that nature didn’t build monsters, that nature didn’t care for good or bad, he didn’t feel much like a good person. “But you think I’m batshit for suggesting you could learn to live with it. Maybe you’re right.”  ______________ The two were silent, Gael trying to find the right words to smoothly transition out of whatever was happening right now to more pleasant things - ‘how is that game?’ ‘what kind of coffee do you like?’ and ‘what do you do aside from make models’ were all questions that absently floated in his brain space. However, he wasn’t anticipating when Alan suddenly reacted the way he did. Almost immediately, surprise painted Gael’s face, shortly followed by a cocktail of emotions, mixing being taken aback, a measure of anxiety and more guilt than he wanted - he had a feeling that by saying what he said, he was risking implying that Alan was the same, even if Gael didn’t think they were. “N-no, that’s not what I meant,” Gael tried to explain, his tone shifting. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that– I just…” He sighed, his pride taking a backseat. “I’m sorry. Of course you’re not mental. You’ve been dealing with this a hell of a lot longer than I have and it was wrong of me to think or assume that…” He fell silent again before giving a tired shrug. “That I would know anything about anything.” He had to think about what the best course of action would be going forward - Gael had unintentionally created a minefield, he felt, and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin this potential connection with Alan or possibly even Monty for insinuating that he was wrong. “I… I don’t understand,” He said slowly, his eyes dancing on his hands that were clenching and unclenching in front of him, trying to work out the stress that suddenly accumulated inside him - a fight or flight response to the animal knowledge that he WOULD be left alone with whatever this was that Alan said. “But…” Lie. “I believe you.” Lie. “I’d like to take you on that offer for help.” He gulped. “I trust your insight.” His gaze rose and he looked at Alan, searching for that connection, the wires he unintentionally frayed in an attempt to gather them back up to salvage this. ______________ “Eleven years. I’ve been dealing with this bullshit, this fucking insane bullshit for eleven years,” he might have not been in his other form then, Alan’s eyes glimmered with a light, with a wrath akin to a dog’s. “But sure, go to the doctor, see what they have to say,” he fell quiet then. Rubbing at his face, if only to rid himself, to wash himself of his annoyance, Alan strode a few steps ahead of Gael. He wouldn’t have faulted him for walking the other way while he could. Most people didn’t particularly stand for this sort of behavior, and they were right not to. 

He walked past a bench. He turned around and went to sit there. Where was he even going, striding like that. “I wanted it to go away,” he knew the other could hear him. They had good ears, their kind. Even if he stood meters away now, of course he could hear him. “I thought it would go away, but it won’t go away,” though his words still were spoiled with angered notes, his shoulders no longer seemed so tense, and his eyes didn’t seem to be filled with thunder anymore. “You don’t believe me,” who knew? Maybe he did believe Alan. The wolf sighed, still he turned around to look Gael straight in the eye. “You will have to trust the process. It won’t be an immediate answer to your problems,” but perhaps he’d manage, and maybe through helping Gael how to get a hold of his other self, Alan would finally learn not to detest a whole side of him. ______________ Alan spoke and Gael’s gaze filled with sympathy, knitting in the middle. Eleven years. Gael hadn’t even reached one yet and he didn’t want to anymore but eleven years was sitting on the surface of his mind, simmering, taking its time to sink in and he wasn’t sure when or even if it would. Maybe they were different, maybe Alan really was a… werewolf or whatever but maybe Gael’s problem was something else…? When the other man stormed past him and went to sit on a bench, Gael turned and his gaze followed him though he himself didn’t move at first. Would it be better for him to just… leave? Leave Alan without having to entertain the chemist’s foolish notions anymore? Walk away, tell Monty that he made a mistake, that Alan wasn’t what he needed. Eleven years of sleepwalking, waking up alone, lost, wounded. Was that going to be Gael’s fate? What could Gael possibly do about this, about Alan, about anything? He should turn and walk off as Alan did, return the resentment and the bitterness. Maybe they couldn’t connect. And yet… ‘I wanted it to go away.’ More words in his head. ‘I thought it would go away.’ Alan spoke as though Gael was beside him and yet the other man remained where he was, able to hear him as though they were sitting across from each other at a table. ‘You will have to learn to trust the process’. He clenched one of his fists again, looking down at it. He noted earlier that when Alan spoke about the length of time that he’d suffered, there was this look in his eye, something that reminded Gael of himself. He exhaled and slowly, letting his shoulders droop slightly to make himself seem a little smaller, he made his way to Alan where he turned on the spot once before sitting down next to him, next to the man he didn’t know aside from the things that he felt other people didn’t know. A diode was two parts, sending the flow of energy in the same direction. “Okay.” Gael breathed, somehow knowing that at his lowest that Alan could probably hear him too. Just another side effect of the brain damage, he assumed. “Okay.” He repeated. “If you’re willing to help me then I’m with you.”  ______________ There was silence for a moment, and Alan figured Gael was going to do the only sensible thing then and leave his side. He’d tell Monty things didn’t work out, that perhaps Gael wasn’t ready yet. But the professor seemed like a genuinely good guy, and he felt bad, letting him leave without warning him about what could happen if he didn’t manage to get some sort of self control. He wasn’t sure what it was that convinced the other to trust him. Perhaps it was best not to know. 

He didn’t look at him, still he nodded. “I think it would be good for you,” a pause. “I think it might do me good too,” having someone like him to talk to would be nice, and it would give him a purpose a bit more noble than what he did for his job (not that he saw himself doing anything else). At last, he tilted his head toward Gael, and though he still bore the traces of his outburst of anger, Alan’s face seemed to have softened, and he uttered an apology he knew the other would be able to hear. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so bad at this,”  ______________ Alan chose to look at him again and Gael saw a new, if somewhat hidden, emotion under the latent anger that creased his features. While the aspect of it benefiting the chemist seemed to lighten part of the weight he felt on his shoulders nowadays, he wasn’t going to admit that the thought that it would help Alan made him much more accepting of the idea; he truly found it easier to do things for other people and as far as he was concerned, this was an issue that Alan had for much longer and it didn’t seem like he had anyone to really talk to these problems about. Then again, maybe the professor was just projecting. “You don’t need to apologize,” Gael assured just as quietly. “I shouldn’t have just… sprang any of this on you, especially when you were just out and about looking for a diode for your model.” He couldn’t help but give a half-laugh that came out as a scoff, as though highlighting the ridiculousness of how they got to be talking about what they were talking about. He cleared his throat. “But, uhm… I really appreciate your willingness to help.” ______________ “You’re still helping me out with that diode,” he gave the other a small smile, unlike his usual near-arrogant one. “No copping out,” with a scoff to match Gael’s, Alan gave the other werewolf a pat on the shoulder as he stood back up. “C’mon, let’s go get that drink, then we can figure out when to start working on that sleep walking nonsense,” he’d never been one for beating around the bush, he didn’t have the patience for that. In the end, all that mattered was that Gael agreed to get some help. Alan was both excited and anxious with the perspective of helping him find out what he was. It would be nice to have someone like him to be around, it would be devastating to see Gael lose his mind as he realized what his life would now be like now. Alan could only hope the latter would never come to be, but in the end, it was yet another aspect of life that he would have no grasp on. 

[winged-unicorn-trash-can]

[A4A] Withered Wishes in the Bloody Sea: Iron Lung Audio RP [A4A] [Iron Lung Fan Audio] [Horror] [Atmosphere heavy] [Story heavy]

Storyline-

After the remains of the SM-13 were discovered through satellite footage, curiosity has become peaked. The higher-ups couldn't wait to send the next Iron Lung down. This means another convict will have a chance to pay for their sins and earn their freedom; after all, what is the C.O.I. if not merciful…they are the Judge, Jury, and…Executioner. But this trip will be different; it seems the past will always follow you everywhere, even to the bottom of the Blood Ocean.

Rules:

[ Not a rule, but I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes you may find ]  

-Give credit to me, please, and thank you (Mystic Grove Audio)

-This script is free to use for monetization

-You can improvise and add things if you wish, like if you like a script but it seems to be tailored to a certain gender: change it so it fits what you like! But please, still give credit

-You can share the script outside of Archive, but again, please give credit

-If you make an audio/video, send me a link! I would love to see your work!

-Have fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[The sounds of water pressing against the outside walls of the Iron Lung as it sinks into the Blood Ocean, a few creaks and steam being let out as the intercom system crackles to life]

Intercom: [Crackly and slightly distorted] Closing the port front window, we will soon lose contact. Remember, convict, do your job [Intercom beings to get more distorted as the signal weakens] photograph the points, and you'll get to walk free- [Cuts out]

[The only Sound that can be heard is the Iron Long creaking under pressure. Convict beings to move the sub, pressing the buttons]

[There is a low moan coming from our side, the Iron Lung. Then there is a loud thump as the Iron Lungz shake the sub as it hits something big, and an even louder moan can be heard]

Warden: [Intercom crackles to life, the voice speaks jokingly] Whoa there, Convict, easy on the throttle! We don't want to hurt the big guy! He's one of the few friendlier things down here! Besides, panicking won't do you any good with that limited oxygen [Cuts]

[Convict speaks]

Warden: I'm going to assume you are talking, so let me just say: stop. This is a one-way communication system. The distance from you in the blood ocean to me in the orbiting satellite is too much of a gap for this cruddy system to handle both of our wavelengths. So the tech guys worked it so you can hear me, and I won't have to hear your final gasps of air while you're down there. Win-win! [Cuts]

[The moans and creaks of the Iron Lung can be heard, along with the outside water; something sounds like it just swam past]

Warden: Are you laughing? Cuz the last part was a joke [Pause] well, that part about you dying was; not the one-way communication. I honestly can't hear you sooo… [Cut]

[Convict curses at them]

Warden: I'm just going to assume you are laughing, which is awesome! Love it when people get off on the right foot right away. I think we are going to be great partners. Anyways, since everyone here just calls you Convict, I got my own cute nickname you will call me. The Warden. [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: Or just Warden is fine; honestly doesn't matter because I can't hear you. My main goal is just to help you navigate the Blood Ocean of AT-5 by using the satellite's photosystem. After what happened to SM-8, the C.O.I. wants to keep a better [Jokeling said] "eye" on their subs now. [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: Did ya catch that? That was a pun! [Pause, before a Sigh] Tough crowd…[Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: [Sigh] Okay…so you are going to want to take the sub three meters to the left, then up four; the satellite shows you got turned around from the original direction from the first marker [Cut]

[The muffled water sounds of the sub moving while inside the Convict is pressing the buttons]

Warden: Pause for a sec while I get the new batch of satellite photos [Cuts]

[Pause]

Warden: Uhhh…yeah, okay. [Pause] Keep going up for about five more meters, then turn to the right for about two, then up again [Thinking] , aannndd I think that should put you right next to the first marker! [Cut]

[The muffled water sounds of the sub moving while inside the Convict is pressing the buttons, something moaning off in the distance]

Warden: Okay, and pause for me [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: You are right in front of it. Go ahead and take a photo [Cut]

[Convict presses the button for Iron to take a photo. Just as the photo sound effect plays, at the same time, the intercom comes on for a split second]

Warden: [Creepy, distorted, and soft-spoken. The signal is very weak] Our bones will never be seen; their purity will never be broken free by the rot and worms. The black void keeps a cruel and cold prison. [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: [Normal voice, though sounding a little emotionless] How's that oxygen count? After you take that photo, you better get a move on. One down, only nine more to go~ [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: Alrighty then, [Thinking] you are going to want to move ten meters to the left, then a hard right before going six meters up [Cut]

[Sound of the Iron Lung moving through the blood Ocean, Convict pressing the buttons, hissing of steam]

Warden: So I was looking at your personal record…and before you get mad and say, "Hey! That's private!": I'm bored up here, and you technically lost that privilege of privacy the moment you got arrested. [Cut]  

[Pause]

Warden: Anyways, did you know on your records they don't have your name written anywhere? It has your whole life story: You were born on the EDEN Space station, you were part of the raid on the Filament Station, and [Pause, low tone of voice, almost sadistic] You got a real nice kill count during those nine days on the station… a nice, pretty number, Convict .[Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: Yeah, all of this info, but not a single mention of a name. You are just "Convict-2 0 2 2" [Pause]. It's almost sad. [Pause, soft and kind] What is your name? Do you even remember how your mother said it? [Cut]

[Pause as Listener says their name]

Warden: [Kind in tone] That's good, I guess [Emotionless] I can't remember mine [Soft, manic laugh] Haha… isn't that funny? It can't be helped, I guess! [Cut]

[Pause, The ambiance of the Iron Lung moving through the water. There is the Sound of something scraping against the outside of the sub]

Warden: [Slight Panic] Whoa, whoa!! Convict, slow down! Stop the sub for a sec!! [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: [Under breath] Shit! [To Convict] The photos show that you are riding right up against the rock wall! You need to turn left, then back right…then continue SLOWLY straight. It's gonna be a tight squeeze, but as long as you take it slow, we shouldn't have another SM-13 on our hands [Cuts]

[The ambiance of the Iron Lung moving through the water. A few scraps here and there]

Warden:   [To themselves, unknown, the intercom was turned on. Sad in tone] Oh...another one just went out [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: Ah! Sorry, I didn't mean to turn that on [Pause]. I just saw a star echo go out. [Pause] Really crazy to think that one day, they'll all go. There used to be stars and planets, there used to be LIFE out here in space, and the Quiet Rapture took all of that away [Cut]

Warden: The old books said that the rapture was the mercy before the wrath of God, taking the good souls from the Earth and leaving the evil behind… ain't that something? I guess they were right. Nothing left but a few shitty space stations, filled with shitty people…in a vast ocean of withered stars that aren't even there anymore [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: You know people on Earth used to make wishes on stars. I guess God didn't want to leave any loose ends when he took them… [Pause] Do you have a wish, Convict? [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: Eh, better not tell me. If you tell someone your wish, then it won't come true. Old world rules, I guess… [Cut]

[Pause, more ambiance]

Warden: Right, the photos show that you should be coming towards that last stretch to the second marker; just keep going for about ten more meters [Cut]

[Pause, more ambiance]

Warden: Soo…you grew up in the EDEN Space station, right? [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: I only ask cuz it's the only place left that has actual plant life growing. Living with the C.O.I., we don't have anything like that [Pause] . My whole life, I've never seen a real tree… [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden : Did you guys grow any dandelions? I noticed in the photo offered by your file that you are wearing a resin pendant with a dandelion seed in it. Now I know technically they are considered a weed, but they were my great grandma's favorite flower! [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: She used to tell me all of the fascinating things a Dandelion can do. You could eat the flowers and leaves; you can even use the flowers to make wine and the roots for tea or medicine. And they could survive anywhere, just give them a grain of dirt, and they'll thrive, not to mention the little bastards were hard to kill [Sigh] . I guess we humans got something in common… [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: [Sader in tone] My Grandma told me that you could make wishes on them too…once the flower does, it turns into this white, seed puff ball. She said if you blew on it, each seed would carry a wish for you. [More serious] You know, that pendant you have looks a lot like my grandma's. She gave it to me when she died [Slightly cheery in a creepy way], But it seems I lost it a long time ago, isn't that horrible of me? [Cut]

[Sound of the sub going through the water]

Warden: Pause [Cut]

[Sound of the Sub stopping]

Warden: Great, you are right on the point. Take the photo, check your oxygen, and then get going to the next marker [Cut]

[Convict presses the button to take a photo. Just as the sound effects of the photo being taken play: a very distorted voice on the radio]

Warden: [Very distorted, to the point it's hard to understand] You will have a burial at sea; the rust will seep into your lungs as your coffin sinks into the abyss. [Cut]

[Inhumane scream is heard outside the sub, and then something hits it, scratching against the side, while inside the sub, steam is released, as well warning noise is sounding off]

Warden: [Normal voice, freaked out] What the hell was that!?! [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: [Under their breath] What the hell…? That's…no… that's not right [To Convict]. How the hell did you just get to the other side of the ocean? That's…[Pause] No..no, this isn't right, Convict just stay put for a second [Cut]

[The sub is still using its warning sounds, but then there is a knock coming from outside the sub]

Warden?: [Muffled, coming from outside, friendly in tone] Hey, Convict!?

[Pause]

Warden: [On the Intercom, soft tone] What….? [Cut]

Warden?: [Muffled, coming from outside, friendly in tone] Hey! Mind letting me in?

Warden: [Soft] That's…that's not me…[Cut]

[Knocking from outside the sub]

Warden?: [Muffled, coming from outside, not as friendly as before] Hello? Can you let me in?

Warden: [Panicked] Convict, that's not me! [Cut]

[Distance sounds of gunshots and yelling, more knocking]

Warden?: [Muffled, coming from outside. Slightly annoyed] Come on, just open the door…I know you're in their Convict!

Warden: [Scared] Don't [Cut]

[The Gunshot and yells are growing louder]

Warden?: [Muffled, coming from outside. Angry in tone] Let me in!! Convict, let me in!! Open.The.Door!!

[The knocking turns into banging as the yells and screams mixed with gunshots are right outside the sub. Emergency alarms are going off inside the sub as something large keeps hitting and scratching against the outside]

Warden: [Panicked] I-I can't! I can't do anything, Convict! Because [All sound effects go quiet, and Warden's tone is dead calm] I'm.Not.Real.

[Pause. The normal sub-sound effects fade in, and the outside of the sub is calm]

Warden: [Sigh, then chuckle] Hahah… I'm not real; all I am is just a couple of your brain cells withering away in that head of yours because your oxygen level is low! [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: Or maybe I am real, and I'm just messing with you! Maybe I really am talking to your through the radio… [Sly in tone] Then again, I could be-

[Knocking from outside]

Warden: [Talking from outside the sub] Right outside the window~ Or better yet!

[Pause]

Warden: [Whispers in Convict's right ear] I could be right next to you

[Pause]

Warden: [Back on the radio] But who knows and who cares~ you and I certainly don't! Right? [Cut]

[ Convict asks what Warden is]

Warden: What am I? Tsk…wrong question, Convict. It's better to ask "Who" I am or, better yet...who I was… [Pause] Of course, if you had to ask, you probably don't remember. Not that I can blame you. Here, let me help jog your memory! [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: [Gasping for air, and in great pain] Ah!...n-no...please…negh…ah ah….no please I don't want to…to die [Cough before choking slightly] Don't! Please…stop…stop!! No!!

[Gunshot, the radio goes statistic. Pause]

Warden: In that moment, it was like you and I were the only humans left in Filament Station…left in the whole universe. You remember what you said before you pulled the trigger? [Filled with venom] "It's either you or me, kid…." [Cut]

[ Convict has a breakdown, crying that they are sorry]

Warden: Oh… O.H.! You're sorry? Sorry for murdering me? Or sorry that you got caught? Cuz, let's be real, maybe what you did was a mercy killing. I was bleeding pretty bad, and if you left me there, I would have died either way! Then again, you spending that small bit of time to shoot me and then steal my pendant is what gave the C.O.I. enough time to catch up to you! [Cut]

[ Convict still crying]

Warden: [Annoyed] Enough already! Convict, I'm dead! I can't do anything, let alone forgive you…I can't even hate you. What is done is done. [Cut]

[ Convict asks what happens now]

Warden: [Deep Sigh] From how I see it…you have very few choices. Option A, You continue taking photos, and let's face it, we both know how that will end…[Darker tone] You're not the first Iron Lung to drown down here. [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: Option B, you just quietly sit here and give the C.O.I. the blood they want because FUCK trying to save humanity, right? So what if our numbers are dwindling, revenge will surely save us! [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: Or, you can do the final option. Survie. [Cut]

[ Convict asks how]

Warden: I-I don't know how… [Pause] , But it's the one thing humans are good at. [Pause] In the wild, animals would go off into the woods alone to die quietly; well, we are dying, but we aren't going quietly, and we sure as hell are not alone! [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: "You or me" That's what you said, and you chose yourself because you wanted to live. If you want to make it up to me? Then Live! Because if you can survive this Contivc, so can the rest of humanity [Cut]

[Pause]

Warden: We only have one wish left, Convict… don't waste it. [Cut]

[cubedmango]

Tysm I will gladly offload my rambling to you free causeI've realised that we seem to be on the same level of incomprehensible affliction of the body due to cherry magicism😭🫂BUT NAINAAA OH MY GOODNESS YOU'RE SO RIGHT THAT HAD ME ON THE FLOOR and it also stood out to me as well and because you mean to tell me rokkaku was observant enough to realise something was off between the two of them but couldn't tell they were dating):&:£ like DUDE!

Especially thinking about the fact that he probably regularly catches kurosawa at adachi's desk and kurosawa gets a bit Antsy whenever he's too close to adachi like he's so funny to me l'll always wish we got to see a live action reaction to them walking in with matching rings before the wedding like it must have been so funny watching the moment it clicked for him (at ALSO WAIT. you know when they're hugging and kurosawa is like I've been watching you all this time, magic or not you're still you' + the montage of their moments playing in the back and how he loves him all the same and then he laughed and was like 'you've been reading my mind so you should know anyway right?' I had to pause for a solid 6 minutes and just scream into my blanket because What The Fuck.

cm has bewitched our minds and souls now we share the same wavelength of undecipherable brainrot . peak method of communication honestly whats better than going RRGRAHAGAHG over the blorbos together

rokkakus literally the character of all time like he saw 1) kurosawa taking extra time from his already busy schedule to help adachi 2) krdc spending a lot of time alone even outside the office 3) them coming to work together that one time (and then everyday after they started living together) 4) them being off for those four days 5) kurosawa immediately taking a leave after finding out abt adachis accident and being gone for days 6) them both coming back one day w matching rings . in my head he still didnt piece anything together until they gave him a wedding invite and even Then he went "omg ur both having ur separate marriages on the same day wow u guys are such besties" until krdc have to tell him "No Listen We're Marrying Each Other" at which point rokkaku bluescreens and flashes through his entire mental directory of krdc observation notes for 5 hours straight rethinking everything in complete silence

[fizzseed]

hey fizz !!! for the ficlet prompts : do i wanna know and byler (literally Look At My Blog Title lmfao did u expect anything less?)

have you ever thought of callin’, darlin’? / the nights were mainly made for sayin’ things that you can’t say tomorrow day.

do i wanna know? — arctic monkeys for @willelfanpage

Mike still keeps his walkie on his side table. He didn’t take it with him to California, but it was right there when he returned, even though his mom went through his room to clean it up, even though the earth cracked open under everyone’s feet. 

He keeps the antenna extended permanently these days, just in case of a code red. There’s a pack of batteries in his bedside drawer, too, ever since Dustin gave them to him after the whole Starcourt fiasco. 

Never again, Dustin had said solemnly.

Mike wishes they’d had the same foresight about tapes and Walkmans during their Upside Down mission. 

Since the disaster, things have settled into an odd kind of normalcy. He and El broke up, Max is still in the Hospital, Lucas still sits by her side most of the time, Dustin spends his days in Hawkins High’s gymnasium trying to distract himself from Eddie’s death. 

Mike tries very hard not to think about any of it. 

It doesn’t really work.

He picks up the Walkie, dials in the frequency out of sheer habit, away from the Party’s decided wavelength for some privacy. 

“Hey, Will,” he sighs into the static of the receiver. “I know you’re out of range, so, whatever, but…”

He scoffs at himself. This habit he’s formed, of talking to Will without actually talking to him, probably isn’t healthy. But he never went to see Ms. Kelley, so— jury’s still out.

“There’s so much going on. And I feel like,” Mike hesitates. “Whatever, it doesn’t really matter what I feel, but— I can’t keep up. It’s like… for the first time in my life I don’t have a plan. I don’t know how to fix this. Max is… not waking up, and El thinks it’s her fault and I was fucking lying to her, but she knows. She knows. She’s known for longer than I have.”

He laughs, the sound absent of the joy it should contain.

“Whatever. She’s a better person than I’ll ever be, so she let me off the hook.”

He pauses, stares down at his wrinkled bedsheets, notices a stain on his tank top that he picks at. The white noise of the walkie is comforting, a reminder of simpler times even as red clouds glow in the distance of the 2AM sky. 

“And… I miss you,” he confesses quietly. “I know I messed up last summer. I promise I didn’t mean to, I was just… messing around, I guess. And I know it was a dick move, now. And I never apologized, not to your face. Because by the time we found you, the Mind Flayer was active again, and then shit went down and then…”

Mike sighs.

“Then I was too much of a coward to say anything. For three months. And then… then you fucking moved to California and shit got even weirder. And now— now it’s the fucking apocalypse. And I miss you. I kinda wish you never moved.”

Mike drags his thumb over the stain. It won’t come out. Now, he’s just pressing old chocolate syrup or ketchup or whatever it is into the fabric. 

“You know, the week before I walked around hoping that Lenora would, like, explode or something.” He laughs again. “Just so you’d have to stay. And I know that’s selfish, because Lenora was good for you guys, what without all the Upside Down shit.

“But Hawkins isn’t the same without you. I’m not the same without you. You’re— you’re still the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

“Do you remember that? When we were trying to get the Mind Flayer — Vecna now, I guess — out of you? When you tapped the morse code into the chair?”

Mike smiles at the memory. “I told you asking you to be my friend was the best thing I’ve ever done. And you broke out of his hold, and I was so proud of you.”

He drops the walkie into his lap, letting go of the button. 

“Over and out,” he mumbles to himself. 

Back when he could still do something. Other than be a shitty boyfriend and a bad friend, that is. 

The walkie crackles to life in his lap, and he startles wildly, dislodging it enough to send it clattering to the floor. For a while, there’s just silence on the line, and Mike picks it up warily, halfway through a million disaster plans of what to do if he’s getting a call from the Upside Down. 

The line crackles again, and then:

“I remember.”

Mike chokes on his own spit, trying desperately to keep his coughs quiet enough that he can still hear what Will is saying. 

“Everything else is kinda blurry,” Will says, “but you, talking about the swingset? I remember all of it. Saying ‘yes’ was the best thing I ever did.”

Mike presses on the talk-button. “Will?”

“Yeah, Mike?”

He doesn’t need to ask if he’s real. Mike knows. “Why… why were you tuned to this frequency?”

A beat of silence. “I guess it was the last one I was on.”

He doesn’t say anything else. Mike feels the blood rushing in his veins. So Will heard everything he said. He tries to figure out a way to recover from this embarrassment, to make Will forget he ever said anything. He could just ask. Hey, Will, can you forget that I was spilling my absolute guts on our separate frequency and talking to you even though I thought you couldn’t hear me? 

“You played Should I Stay or Should I Go, right?” Will asks suddenly. 

Mike laughs to himself, presses to talk. “Yeah, yeah we did. It was Jonathan’s idea.”

He catches the tail end of Will’s laugh over the line. “Of course it was.”

Mike smiles. They sit quietly for a bit, long enough that Mike thinks Will has gone to sleep. It’s the reasonable thing to do in the middle of the night, way more sane than dumping your emotions into a walkie-talkie. 

“Mike, are you still there? Over.”

“M’still here,” Mike says quietly.

“You don’t have to fix this alone, you know?” Mike frowns. “It’s— it’s like you said. We’re better as a team. We can fix it together.”

Mike doesn’t really know what to say to that, but he promised Will that they’d do just that, that they’d be best friends again. He wants it so bad. More than he’s wanted anything ever, probably. To go back to normalcy, with Will at his side. So he says:

“Yeah, okay.” He lets himself fall back onto the bed and a shiver runs down his spine as his cold mattress makes contact with his spine. “I’m— gonna go to bed, now.”

“Okay,” Will says, voice small. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Mike answers. “Over and out.”

He lets the antenna stay extended as he places the walkie back on his side table and wraps himself in his comforter.

“Over and out,” Will’s voice washes over him, and then the static over the line breaks.