#Also carlos is one of the few choices cecil got to make and it turned out so good for him and thats gotta be something

[bulkhummus]

cecil palmer is the embodiment of not having the choice of choosing — and how all the choices that get taken from you, either by your own hand or by some external force, are versions of yourself you will never get to meet, because they never existed. not negatively, not positively but just as a simple fact. you are the path that you have walked and are walking.

[video-killed-the-radio-host]

My Love, Come and Save Me ch 1

This is chapter one of part one of the Teach Me To Be Bad series

-------------------------------------------------------

Cecil waves as the last few students trickled out of the classroom. He loved his students but he was also ready for the weekend. He picks up the stack of papers into his bag and does one last sweep of his classroom. He knew it was empty but it was a habit he had picked up a few years ago.

He picks  up his cardiagain and drapes it over his shoulder. He was looking forward to spending the weekend with his boyfriend Carlos and his group. Carlos called his group Cientificos Locos. They were basically a gang but Carlos said not to call them that because it sounded tacky. Either way, the group were nice people.

Rochelle and Terry were Carlos’ right hands. Rochelle worked at the school with Cecil. The red haired woman was a fierce, protective woman who stood up for what she believed in.

Terry was a man who was always quick to make a joke but was stone cold when necessary. He never misses with his gun. Cecil felt safe with him the moment they met. Terry was flirty, especially with Cecil but Cecil knew it didn't mean anything. Everyone knew he was loyal to Carlos and Carlos alone. Still, his reactions were pretty funny whenever Terry made Cecil blush.

Jason and Riley were the only married couple in the group. Riley is a cop and Jason is a barista with Cecil's best friend Earl. Jason was relatively soft spoken while Riley was never afraid to speak her mind.

Nilanjana was a smart woman. She always had a strategy. She was the tactical agent of sorts. Always on her toes.

Lastly there was Meliko. Meliko was the daughter of a rival gang member but left her past behind for a more peaceful way of life. She is a lirbrain during the week and a bartender on the weekend. Her weapon of choice was the knife.

Cecil finally makes it to his car and unlocks it, giving one last wave to the other kindergarten teacher, Tyler Stewart. Tyler waves back and calls to behave. Cecil blushes lightly and waves him off.

He leaned down to unlock his car and is struck on the back of the head and blacked out before he hit the pavement.

-----.-----

Carlos leaned against the house, cigarette in hand as he waited for Cecil. He hadn't heard from him in the last hour and was getting a little concerned. He knew Cecil likely got caught up talking to Rochelle, which wasn't unusual. He sighs and flicks the cigarette away. He looks up as he hears tires on gravel. Rochelle pulls up in her pick up and steps out after turning the truck off. She pulls her hair out of its tight bun, red curls flying wildly.

"Hey Roch. Where's Cecil?"

Rochelle looks at him in confusion. "I thought he was with you. He told me at lunch he was coming straight here after the bell. Have you heard from him?"

Carlos stands up straight and digs out his phone. He dials Cecil's number and listens to it ring. He gets voicemail. Panic grows in his gut as he tries again. Voice mail. Then his phone pings. He looks down. A text.

Carlos, I will not be able to make it tonight. I aplogize

"Something is wrong." Carlos looks up.

Rochelle looks over his shoulder. "What do you mean? It just says he can't make it."

Carlos shakes his head. "No. Its to formal. Cecil never uses my name when texting me. He always uses some kind of pet name. And he'd never use "will not" in a text. He says it takes to long and his attention span can't handle it. He'd use "won't" and he misspelled apologize."

"So?"

"He's an English major. He doesn't misspell words." He turns the phone's screen off and takes a breath. "He never misses movie night." He looks up at Rochelle. "Something is really wrong. Get everyone in the living room. We need to find out what happened."

Rochelle nods and follows Carlos inside. Nearly everyone is already in the living room. Terry is sitting near the fireplace. Riley and Jason sat on the couch. Nilanjana was curled up in an armchair. They all look up when Carlos enters the room.

Carlos looks around. "Where is Meliko?" He asks.

Jason looks over. "She gets off in ten minutes."

"Where's the other half of C Squared?" Riley asked. "I'm starving."

"You're always hungry Riles." Terry teases. "But yeah? Where is the pretty boy? I need me some sugar."

Carlos sits down with a heavy sigh. "He's missing."

The atmosphere in the room changed suddenly.

"How long has he been missing?" Riley asks, sitting up and digging out her phone. "I'll get a BOLO put out."

"I'm not sure…"

Terry's body language changes. His face darkens and his shoulders are drawn in.

"When did you last hear from him?'

"Well I got a text from his number but It was not Cecil. I know that for a fact."

-----.-----

"Oh...he really is pretty."

"Not as pretty as me."

"Of course not beautiful. You will always be my favorite."

There was a soft squeal. Then a chuckle.

"I'm just saying, we could have some fun with him."

Cecil wanted to flinch away from the hand on his face. Or at least open his eyes. Scream. Do something! But all he could do was stay still and listen.

"Where are we going to keep him until it's time to play?"

"Oh…..the Blue Room. What do you think?"

"Oh….yes. But we are going to have to change him. Those clothes are just dreadful."

"I'll have Tyler do it. Come on. It's you time my love."

Cecil hears the giggle again and it grates his nerves. He felt a pinch and he was once again dragged into unconsciousness.

-----.-----

Carlos stands in front of the lit fireplace, staring at the dancing flames without really processing them. How could he let this happen? How could he drag Cecil into this? How could he let himself believe that he could keep Cecil safe? That he could be happy?

"Hey." A soft voice said behind him.

Carlos turns and clears his throat. "Terry."

"This isn't your fault. You know that right?"

"But what if it is? I have enemies. Cecil- he's the only innocent one here."

"And we will get him back. We all love him. You know that." He puts his hand on Carlos's shoulder. "By any means necessary."

Carlos nods. "Any means necessary."

-------------------------------------------------------

I know this chapter was short but it's only ground work. Next chapter will be longer i promise

@lady-dmaris

@whiny-top-alligned

[catboythanatos]

hello i am HERE for cecilos week... ive had a helluva day so everyone say thank you last week me for writing most of this bc i could not have written anything today omg. im SO excited to do this prompt week and to see all of the great content everyone’s gonna make!!!!

Day 1: Fashion/Science!

Cecil Palmer was … an interesting character. Carlos had only been in Night Vale for about a week now, and he was avoiding the radio host like the plague. The embarrassment and surprise of hearing his name on the radio so much had scared him away, and while he was a little intrigued, he would just rather avoid that problem entirely until Cecil inevitably forgot about him and moved on.

He had only formally met Cecil once, and he had been in the middle of some ... very important science at the time. Carlos would probably describe Cecil as a man who was not tall nor short, not thin nor fat, but that's about as far as he could go, since he did not make eye contact once during their entire encounter, out of the nervousness of never knowing which eye to look at, which was heightened by the fact that Cecil seemed to have three.

The day of that encounter, he was teased by all of his coworkers when they heard about it on the radio, and he had not gone back to the radio station since.

But of course, you can only successfully avoid someone for so long…

Out at the Ralph's buying groceries, something caught Carlos’ eye. It wasn't polite or proper to stare, so Carlos refrained, but he glanced down the aisle a few times to catch glimpses.

The person was facing away from Carlos and into the aisle. The outfit they were wearing was eye-catching in almost every way imaginable. Their shirt, a red crop-top, had long, semi-transparent bell sleeves that stretched down almost to the floor, and their pants were a shiny metallic silver. From these two things alone, Carlos was given the impression of some sort of avant garde fashionista, but then there was more. To top the whole outfit off, they were wearing lime green crocs. Now, Carlos didn't know enough about fashion to really make any assumptions, but it certainly caught his eye, to say the least.

The person turned, and he quickly turned back at the macaroni and cheese on the shelf in front of him so he wouldn't be caught looking. He didn't realize that the person was walking towards him until he heard:

“Carlos! Hey!”

Carlos looked up, and was surprised as he met Cecil's eyes.

“O-oh,” he said. “Hi.”

“You shop here? Wow, that's so crazy, right?”

Carlos ignored the fact that this was the only grocery store in Night Vale, and the fact that Cecil was being awkward. He found himself staring at Cecil's exposed midriff.

“Carlos?”

“Uhm. Yeah.”

“How are you settling in?” Cecil shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and his wispy sleeves swayed across the floor.

“Fine,” said Carlos. “Um… It’s good. Everything is… good. You know, science… and whatnot.”

“I'm glad to hear it. Anyway, I, um, should finish on with my grocery shop here, and leave you to yours.”

Carlos nodded, turning to the mac n’ cheese again, wishing he was wearing a lighter jacket. It was hot in the Ralph's today.

“I do need some macaroni, though.”

Cecil reached for a box at the same time as Carlos did, and their fingers brushed up against each other. They each pulled away, laughing awkwardly.

“I’m sorry--”

“I--”

“No, you go ahead.”

Carlos didn't move. He looked from Cecil's hand, up to his face. His breath caught in his throat.

“Sure,” he choked finally, grabbing the box off the shelf without looking and dropping it into his cart. “Thanks.”

---

After that second encounter, Carlos was only more determined to avoid Cecil. Well, truthfully, he wanted to spend more time with him, but he was getting feelings he didn't know how to react to and thought it would be easier to pretend that he didn't exist. Of course, listening to Cecil detail their interaction over the radio certainly didn't help.

He was lucky to have been in the car, by himself at the time of hearing the broadcast, because his fellow scientists would definitely have teased him, both for the way he acted and the way Cecil talked about him.

The next time Carlos saw Cecil, he was wearing a polka-dotted button-up tucked into a high-waisted skirt, and the fuzziest looking jacket Carlos had ever seen. He wore round, purple sunglasses, which had a third lense that covered his forehead. Previously, Carlos had been sure that the eye on Cecil's head was just a tattoo or something, but this was mildly disturbing evidence to the contrary. Or he was just very committed to the aesthetic, which did not seem unlikely, given the rest of his outfit choices.

“Hi, Carlos!”

“Cecil, hi!”

Despite not wanting eye contact before, Carlos felt mildly intimidated suddenly that he wasn't able to see Cecil's eyes. It made him feel vulnerable, for some reason. It was Cecil's outfit in general that probably intimidated him, though.

Carlos looked down to the sand-strewn pavement beneath their feet. Cecil wore knee-high black boots with a heel too high for Carlos to even imagine walking in. It definitely made him appear tall, which normally, he was not.

“How's … science? Have you found anything particularly scientific recently?”

Carlos took a small breath and allowed himself to detach from the situation. Science was something he could always talk about, no matter the circumstance or situation.

“Lots of things,” said Carlos. “...Almost everything, actually. Your town is… incredible.”

Cecil laughed, and Carlos looked up to see him blushing, and also sweating. A lot.

Carlos was sweating too. He wasn't sure if it was for the same reason.

“Everything here is… strange,” Carlos continued. “And beautiful.”

Cecil’s breath audibly caught in his throat. Carlos realized what he had done a little bit too late to stop it.

“What kinds of things?”

Carlos was glad that he couldn't see Cecil's eyes at that moment, because he would definitely not have been able to handle the eye contact.

“E-everything.” He faltered. “Science things, I mean. Like, um, the materials. And the sunsets being out of time. And loud? The sunsets are also loud.”

“They can be quite loud,” Cecil agreed. “The materials, though. You mean the materials you found in my studio?”

Carlos blanched. There hadn't really been any materials. He had been there to meet Cecil that day, and he had gotten flustered and grasped at straws for an excuse. “Um… Yes…?”

“Did you learn anything new about them?”

Carlos shook his head. “N...no.”

Cecil scratched an itch on his leg, and his hand left an imprint on his velvet skirt. Carlos stared at it. “No…” he repeated absentmindedly. “I'll, um, I'll tell you if I find anything new,” he said, promptly fleeing.

Carlos wasn't sure if it was him, or Cecil, or what, but something about Cecil was overwhelming in an unprecedented way. He would never judge someone on what they wore, or their appearance, but something about Cecil and his outfits were just… distracting. He considered himself too busy with work to unpack the reasons and feelings behind that for a long time. An entire year, actually. Apart from chance encounters here and there, he would not see Cecil without strictly and explicitly stating scientific reasons. Not that he didn't appreciate Cecil's affections… he just didn't know how to deal with them. Luckily, that only lasted a year, and it only took one near death experience to open up his eyes.

On their first date, Carlos selected one of his most stylish lab coats, in an attempt to impress Cecil with his fashion sense. Cecil had looked so dashing in his tunic and furry pants.

Carlos later learned that avant garde high fashion was not exactly Cecil's grand inspiration. He was a lot lazier with how he dressed than Carlos had imagined. Sometimes he would even sleep in one of his over-the-top outfits and wear it again the next day. He did consider himself ‘spared from the sphere’ (a notion which terrified Carlos greatly) but he wore mostly whatever he found comfortable and suiting for the day. He didn't even own a mirror, which initially struck Carlos as peculiar. This wasn't to say that he put no effort in, of course not -- he definitely went over the top for aesthetic purposes frequently. But he didn't own a mirror. He just sort of looked down at his outfit and decided, ‘sure, this works.’ Or maybe he didn't even look at all. It fascinated Carlos -- who typically spent a lot of time fussing with his hair and clothing in the mirror every morning. Many things about Cecil fascinated Carlos. But his fashion sense… Carlos had different feelings towards it than just fascination.

Night Vale was incredibly scientifically fascinating, but Carlos’ interest in their fashion wasn't really scientific. It was one part awe and two parts envy. Carlos envied Cecil. He tended to dress in ‘scientific casual’, as he called it, but he had more of an affinity for fashion than he let on…. But he had never been able to express himself that way in the outside world. He already got made fun of enough for having pierced ears… he wouldn’t dare venture into clothing items considered ‘feminine’ by the world. In Night Vale, though… no one judged. Everyone was accepting. It still took him quite a while to build up the courage, to stop hiding behind the comfort of his jeans and flannel shirts and lab coats, but he eventually brought it up to Cecil, a few weeks into their relationship. Cecil was understanding, and more than happy to help.

The first time he went clothes shopping with Cecil, Carlos almost started crying right in the middle of the store. Crop tops, skirts, sequins, glitter, tights, stilettos -- anything you could dream of -- and it was all unisex. There were dresses made for men and dresses made for women. He could wear whatever the hell he wanted and nobody would question him. No one would shout expletives at him in the streets, no one would misgender him, he had no family here to judge him... Cecil, despite his total sense of normalcy with all of this, seemed to understand perfectly. He threaded his fingers through Carlos' at his side, and softly asked: “Anything you wanna try on?”

Carlos’ eyes gleamed. “So many things.”

---

When he walked into the lab for the first time in a dress, he was greeted with the first catcall he had heard in quite a while.

Carlos felt a little embarrassed, but he didnt feel threatened by wolf whistles coming from his coworkers.

“Damn, boss!”

He laughed. “Got it, Nils, I’m hot. But I'm here to do my job -- be professional. I'm also,” he said pointedly, snatching his lab coat and goggles off the desk, “taken.”

Nilanjana whooped. Another scientist rolled his eyes. “Trust me, we all listen to the radio. We know.”

Carlos didn't know what to say, so he just winked at them, giving a little twirl of his dress. Nilanjana shot him a smile. “On a serious note, though,” she whispered, “I'm glad to see you embracing Night Vale fashion. It suits you.”

Carlos looked down at the dress, grinning. He thought so too.

[wtnvwritings]

Forgotten Lunches

AO3 Version

Relationship: Cecil/Siren!Reader/Carlos

Rating: General

Wordcount: 2.4k

Summary:  You, Cecil and Carlos are in a happy, loving relationship together. This is just a view into one day of your lives, a day where both of your boyfriends have forgotten their lunch at home--so you decide to bring it to them.

Note: Totally used the headcanon by @welcometonvheadcanons​ on how Cecil signs his text messages--I think it's adorable!

Click here for more information about the siren race

It comes as no surprise when it’s revealed that both Carlos and Cecil have left their lunch at home. When you stepped into the kitchen, half-dressed and still groggy with sleep, fate seemed more than happy to answer the question of ‘what will I do today?’ with a very simple answer.

Deliver the lunches of your forgetful boyfriends, of course. You can’t call yourself surprised, considering that not one, but both of them got up late for their respective jobs, tossed on clothes and tried to hurry their morning routine to but a fraction of what they’d normally give themselves.

For Cecil, it was a quick dash to the bathroom, a throwing-on of clothes and a very quick peck to yours and Carlos’ cheeks before he dashed like a breeze of cold wind out the door.

For Carlos, he was at least a little more calm, even while hurried--he had looser hours to his job in the research facility, after all, so the two of you were able to enjoy a joke or two at the expense of both of your lover. Still, he got ready and left before you could remind him to grab his lunch, the food you’d made for both of them the night prior.

What were the odds for the alarms for both of them failing to go off?

Not entirely impossible, as the morning itself would have.

You eye up the two neatly-wrapped lunches, only briefly considering if you were lazy enough to simply text both of them to come home on their break. The thought came, settled in your thoughts for a few seconds, and then you gently pushed them away in favor of being a more-or-less good person.

Besides, you haven’t had a chance to walk around town without the need of research on your back--a couple days off work has been sorely needed.

You ready yourself slowly, glamour forgone in choice of feeling the space and universe around you in your truest form. It isn’t much different from being under the shade of human glamour of course, not physically, but there’s the mildest sensation of freedom that comes with not having to wear another layer of being.

And it’s nice to shapeshift at will, if only to reach an extra limb or two out around you to gather up your outfit for the day.

Since most of your clothes fit a human form, you keep such a shape--two arms, two legs and a single head utop your shoulders, a bit of hair atop that single head. It means at least that you get to pick out something to wear with ease. 

You pluck your way through the closet, passing over some of Cecil’s clothes with a soft smile on your face; though he’s quite comfortable in his human form and in human-shaped clothes, he is certainly not afraid of tailoring some outfits to match other forms with other shapes. You’re hoping that Cecil will one day feel more comfortable in his unglamored body, but that’s a personal issue for every siren to deal with on their own time and willingness--a life lived among humans can influence one’s sense of beauty and self-confidence quite a bit.

Just as you’re about ready to leave the apartment, you remember something important, and quickly grab the soft, thin cloak sitting on one of the hooks near the door. You pull it over your shoulders, the hood over your head, grab the forgotten lunches in a bag and make your way out the door.

 The sun is always bright and hot in Night Vale--on the days it decides to lift into the sky, that is. Some days don’t have a sun and that’s alright, not everyone can be so confident in the way they light up the lives of others.

Still, today is one such bright, hot, sun-filled day. Though it’s certainly nice to have a step-up of cape twirling around your body with every hot, desert breeze, it’s not exactly an accessory by choice. For whatever reason it is, trying to bare your unglamored skin to the sun of Night Vale for long periods of time leaves you feeling ill, struck with flu-like symptoms that last a day or so, depending on the level of exposure. 

It’s gotten better over time, and you are almost curious if it’s something specific to Night Vale’s sun, as opposed to the sun of other towns. You have yet the chance to ask Cecil, though you also wonder if he would know anything himself; again, he doesn’t tend to tend to exist outside his glamour very often.

An interesting thought, nevertheless. Maybe Carlos would like to look into such a curiosity, if he has the time between all of his other experiments and questions...and other things that scientists do.

You catch a familiar face every now and again as you walk, cloak billowing behind you in vibrant color that looks so stark against the dark of your skin and form. You greet them always with a smile, even a soft chuckle when you explain why you’re out and about.

“My boyfriends left their lunches at home,” you’d say to each one who asks. “They were in such a hurry this morning!”

“It’s a good thing they have a partner like you, dear,” Old Woman Josie had said, surrounded on either side by her tall, heavenly friends, friends who were certainly not angels, but who definitely waved at you in a warm greeting. “Tell Carlos that I’ll be coming by the center later today--he’s been wanting to look at one of my old family relics.”

It doesn’t take too long to get to Carlos’ research center. Maybe ten, twenty minutes at most of a walk, though most of it is spent at intersections, waiting for the flashing lights of wilting lilies so you can safely cross from one side to another. It lets you get your thoughts in place at least, let them jumble about your mind until they have found a place to settle.

By the time you arrive at the center, the sun is high and hotter than before. You’re eager to get out of the sweltering air and into a slightly-less-sweltering building, if only so you can finally pull back the hood on the cloak and see a little bit better.

You catch the attention instantly of one of Carlos’ scientists on his team. She’s a young girl, a bit newer than the rest but with eyes that glitter like stars and a mind as sharp as a knife.

“Hey Sammy,” you say pleasantly, gently raising the bag in your hands in a gesture. “Carlos forgot his lunch at home. Where’s he at right now?”

Sammy smiles in turn and gently points to one direction of the room--because the entire research facility is really just one big room, built using the foundations of the old Night Vale High School gym, which had been itself built before school officials realized that a gym shouldn’t be located several miles away from the school itself.

There’s some dividers separating the spaces claimed by several members of the team, but it’s still one large room filled with bustling scientists going about their daily experiments and research.

“He’s over by the table,” Sammy finally says. “You know, the one that’s not real?”

You can’t help but chuckle.

“The one that looks real but, by all accounts, is not?”

She echoes the soft noise of humor, the little joke between you staying just that before you step through the makeshift laboratory to find one of your two likely-hungry boyfriends.

Of course you find him by the table, an ordinary-looking table of four legs and mild detailing around the edges. He stands next to it, one hand on his chin and the other propped on his hip. His hair looks a little frazzled, as if he’s recently run his fingers through it, but he otherwise doesn’t look half-starved.

“Hey,” You say, gently pulling his attention away from the non-existent piece of furniture. “You left something at home this morning.”

It takes a moment before Carlos finally turns to look at you, recognition slowly dawning over his features where there was focused annoyance. You see his eyes light up behind the safety goggles over them, and he takes a few steps close to you.

You lift his lunch from the bag, carefully wrapped in decorative cloth, and handed it to him.

“You were in quite a hurry,” you say, gently teasing. “I don’t know how you and Cecil slept past your alarms.”

Carlos chuckles sheepishly, setting the wrapped box onto a nearby desk.

“It might have something to do with how late we were up last night,” You can almost feel a gentle warmth over Carlos’ cheeks as he speaks, not entirely meeting your eyes for a few moments. “I should have gone to bed earlier, but you sound so pretty when you sing like that.”

“Carlos!” 

The reprimand is hardly firm, hardly with any edge--it’s said with a half-hidden smile behind your hand and a little blossom of warmth in your chest. It brings forth a flicker of memory from the night before and, oh yes, the three of you were up far, far later than normal.

Carlos takes a moment to adjust himself, gently pull at the buttons of his un-buttoned lab coat.

“I assume Cecil forgot his too?”

You nod gently.

“I’m planning on delivering it to him,” You feel a mild annoyance at the back of your words, but nothing that you try to hide from Carlos. “I don’t look forward to going back into the sun, it’s really hot out today.”

“Oh I know,” Carlos agrees quickly. “The sun was really loud this morning too--I had such a hard time focusing on the results from my tests.” 

He sighs, and a moment passes between the two of you. It’s a moment of gentle familiarity, a moment that doesn’t inherently need to be filled with sound or words--it’s just a moment to let the topic of conversation flow and ebb as it needs.

After another couple breaths, Carlos perks up, looking at you in mild curiosity.

“Why don’t you see if Cecil can just come here for his lunch? You won’t have to walk anywhere--I don’t want you getting sick from the exposure.”

The words make you feel warm inside. Carlos knows very little about sirens, he hasn’t had much time to ask the sort of questions and in the level of detail he likes, but it’s obvious he’s made the effort to remember what little details he’s able to pick up from observations and conversational snippets. It means a lot to you and, honestly, he presents a rather nice idea.

“I can text him, I bet he’s probably hungry by now anyway.”

You set down the other wrapped box beside Carlos’ before shuffling up beside him, phone in one hand and a smile on your face, the unspoken gesture to get a picture of the two of you to send to your mutual partner.

Carlos doesn’t respond at first, so you start to wrap your arm around his shoulders-

-but quickly retract it when you feel him flinch against your touch. It surprises you more than worries you, bright eyes blinking against the shadowy backdrop of your face and realization slowly dawning over your thoughts.

“Bad touch day?” Is all you need to say, to ask in careful and loving communication.

Carlos mulls over the question and eventually nods, as if he was reluctant to tell you. It’s not uncommon for him to try and push his boundaries on comfort, especially on the days he can’t even stand to be brushed against, but you’re slowly learning to pick up the queues to help him communicate those little things better with you (Cecil has long-since learned of Carlos’ many nonverbals).

You offer him a comforting smile and situate yourself to stand beside him, far enough not to press against his shoulder, but close enough that you’re able to get both of you in the frame (though it does help that you can extend your reach farther than most non-amorphous beings). You snap the picture and quickly send it off with a couple ot teasing messages.

[11:46 a.m.] You: I think a certain radio host left his lunch at home this morning 🤔

[11:47 a.m.] You: If you want it, you’ll have to come visit your two favorite people before we eat it up ourselves ;P

[11:47 a.m.] You: [Photo attached]

You and Carlos find an empty table (one that actually exists) and a couple chairs to settle yourself down. By the time that you do, you feel the vibration of your phone and glance over the message sent in response.

[11:49 a.m.] Cecil: I’ve been starving since I left the apartment, it appears one cannot live off coffee alone. Sincerely, Cecil.

[11:49 a.m.] Cecil: Also, you’re both looking beautiful and perfect. I like how you shifted your hair today. Sincerely, Cecil. 

[11:49 a.m.] Cecil: Give Carlos a kiss for me, I’ll be there soon! Sincerely, Cecil. 

You smile and relay the messages to Carlos, who’s face lights up with warmth in return. With a great care, you lean across the table and lay a gentle peck of lips over his cheek, then sit back into your chair, chin lightly pressed over your palms.

"Old Woman Josie told me she’ll  be stopping by later today,” Your words relay the message the woman had told you earlier. “Something about old relics you wanted to look over?”

Carlos all but blooms in excitement, the emotion unfiltered and absolutely beautiful over his face. It’s almost contagious to see him like this, surrounded by the things he loves and so ready to start babbling off about them at any given moment. He’s waiting for words though, a verbal confirmation that you want to hear his excitement as much as he’s yearning to talk about it.

“So,” You finally say, a smile on your lips, focus entirely on your partner. “Tell me about them.”

And so the air of that section of the laboratory is filled with the soft, energetic sound of Carlos’ voice as he explains just that, the two of you sitting together as couples do, waiting peacefully for the third member of your relationship so all of you can enjoy lunch together.

You couldn’t ask for better mates than Carlos and Cecil.

[castyourpodtothewind]

CYPTTW Review #8 - Welcome to Night Vale

Who the hell are you?! Hi! I’m Taylor and I recently dived headfirst into podcasts! I have since binged on several of them and decided to make reviews of the ones that really stood out. These are not going to be big, professional reviews (I’m lazy) but they should hopefully contain information to help you get into some great new listens!

Where do you listen to your podcasts? My personal recommendation for listening to podcasts is the Pocket Casts app, available for Android or iPhone. It costs $3.99 to buy, but I think it's super worth it, since it has a lot of great features and zero in-app ads, which to me is worth every penny. But if you like free apps or just don't have the scratch right now, my runner up is Podcast Addict. It's free and has some (but not all) of the features Pocket Casts has, plus you have to deal with the ads. But if you don't like either of those, do some searching! There's lots of options out there.

---

Name of Podcast: Welcome to Night Vale

Creators of Podcast: Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor, Night Vale Presents

Genre(s): Horror, Humor, NPR-style

Start and End Date of Podcast: June 15th, 2012 - Present

Number of Episodes: 134 (as of 9/15/2018)

Release Schedule: New episodes every 1st and 15th of the month!

Where Can I Find It: http://www.welcometonightvale.com/

Donation/Patreon?: Can be found on their official site!

Age Rating: This show is notorious for getting pretty violent and creepy at times. PG-13.

Where I Am Now: Caught Up

Official Summary: Welcome to Night Vale is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.

Representation?: AND HOW! This podcast has one of the best reputations for representation, and it’s well deserved. Whether it’s LGBT, Jewish, Muslim, POC, Non-Binary, People With Disabilities, any combination of those things and more, this show is extremely refreshing for those who love a diverse cast that is treated as the most normal thing in a strange town.

Transcripts?: There are two illustrated transcript books available for sale so far, but a diligent fan has been making up-to-date transcripts and they’re awesome, so go check them out! @cecilspeaks

Trigger Warnings?: Death, Body Horror, Gore, Unpleasant Sound Effects, Disturbing Content

How Long To Listen Before Giving Up?: I fell in love with this show instantly, but if you’re new, I would listen until at least episode 13-20.

Anything Else I Should Know?: They do tons of live shows and sell recordings on their Bandcamp page! They also have released two novels and the aforementioned transcript books. They have also confirmed that FX has picked them up for a TV series!

If You Like This, You Might Also Like: King Falls AM, Limetown, Alice Isn’t Dead

Pros

This show is known as “The Gateway Podcast”, and I feel that’s a very deserving title. This show was, like to many others, my first podcast, and it definitely deserves a lot of credit for opening our minds to what this medium could be. The show told a new story in a very creative way and I love how many people it’s inspired to make their own podcasts. While it eventually led us to find other series to sink our teeth into, I think we still definitely owe it praise for how much work got put into making this a very special series. It is still a wonderful podcast and if you’re new to the medium, this show is an excellent place to start and will probably be the first on people’s list of recommendations.

Changing Carlos’ voice actor was a great choice. For those who don’t know, Jeffrey Cranor, co-creator of the show, originally did Carlos’ voice, but stepped down from the role when he realized it wasn’t a good thing to have a straight white guy play a gay Latino character. Dylan Marron was brought in (and his voice is ADORABLE) and they even gave a believable canon reason for why the voice was different. It warms my heart to see people actually do the right thing as far as diverse casting is concerned.

Cecil and Carlos are CANON. It’s easy to take for granted, but still, it’s amazing. It’s a slow burn until their relationship really starts to take off, but I felt that was a very realistic view of them finding each other. The show is great at dropping little hints every now and then that they’re getting closer, then finally bringing it to the forefront when they become official. And you get to see their happy moments of domesticity, their adorable conversations over text and on the phone, hear why the two love each other more than anything, and even get to see realistic arguments and realizations of your partner’s flaws. I feel like their relationship is written very believably and Cecil Baldwin and Dylan Marron have excellent chemistry with each other. A lot of fans are divided about the Desert Otherworld arc, and while that arc did drag on for quite a while, I think it was a good way of showing conflict between the two of them without having them outright fight or go for cheap drama. Like Joseph Fink said on Twitter, (paraphrasing here as I can’t find the exact Tweet), “If you think being long-distance is the worst thing that could happen to a couple, you have a very dim view of relationships.” And as someone who was personally in an extended long-distance relationship until a few years ago (Hi Eileen~), that really hit home for me. It was nice to have that represented on the show.

If you’re one of those fans (like me) who missed the original piano riff that opened the show, it officially comes back in Episode 114. That was nice to hear again.

THE CONCEPT EPISODES, ESPECIALLY EPISODE 133. HOW DO THEY KEEP DOING THIS. THEY’RE SO GOOD.

Cons

The biggest complaints I can really think of with this show are arc fatigue and plot lull. While this show does have numerous plot threads (and the plot threads actually go somewhere, even if it takes a while) it can be a long time after you first hear about a plot before they ever mention it again, or, like with the Desert Otherworld arc, can take over a giant chunk of episodes where it seems like nothing is moving. This can also make things confusing, like in many cases where you can’t remember this person or thing the show is suddenly referencing if you haven’t listened to the show a second or more times.

Not really a complaint the show can do anything about, as I know he’s got his own projects going on and is technically a guest star….but I really wish Dylan Marron could do more episodes. As of Episode 133, there was a 33-episode gap between appearances.

MY RATING: 7/10 GLOW CLOUDS - This podcast will always have a special place in my heart. After a long break away, somehow I always keep getting drawn back to Night Vale. It’s a podcast that excels at taking you on a journey to a strange and mysterious place that seems frightening, but also comforting, where being who you are without questions or apologies seems like a fair trade for danger. I always recommend this show to people who are still confused about what a podcast is, and while many other shows have taken up my attention since, this will always hold the mantle of the first one to make me dive into the medium. So turn off the lights, turn on your radio, hide under the covers, pretend to sleep, and fall in love instantly.

[dccomicsnews]

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Director: Laura Belsey

Writer(s): Lauren Certo and Kristen Kim 

Starring: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Pannabaker, Jesse L. Martin, Tom Cavanaugh, Danielle Nicolet, Emily Bett Rickards, Katie Sakhoff, Neil Sandilands, Hartley Sawyer

  Summary

While Barry is being treated to his bachelor party from the male members of Team Flash, a girls’ night out turns dangerous when Caitlin’s hiatus comes back to haunt her.

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Positives

The guest spot of Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak was a good first nod to the viewer of the incoming levity of the episode, as well as Team Arrow’s official introduction to Ralph Dibny’s bizarre abilities and sense of humor. Seeing Ralph stretch his upper torso down the hall of the Speed Lab shows how much the creators of the series want to develop Elongated Man. Further, Ralph’s involvement in Barry’s bachelor party – uninvited, as the case may be – and his lecherous side revealed through choice of venue shows he hasn’t gone squeaky clean from last episode. This is a thankful realistic approach, whereas they could have gone the aforementioned route and had fans scratching their heads skeptically. Largely, Ralph’s journey to the hero he’s known as in the comics will be a gradual episodic subplot this season.

The focus was not so much on Barry this episode, as the focus was shifted on the female members of Team Flash plus one. As promised in the title, the guys too a backseat while the ladies got together to kick ass, complete with female writers and director. Girl power was enhanced moreso by two female antagonists: Caitlin’s alter-ego Killer Frost, and guest Sackhoff’s metal-wielding Amulet. In this episode we finally find out about what Cait was doing those months away from S.T.A.R. Labs and the exact nature of her relationship with Amulet. Through the girls’ night out, the team learned more about the exact nature of the split personality of Killer Frost. The characterization has altered slightly from last year, especially after her experience with Savitar. While still cold, Danielle portrays her as slightly more approachable, and that last scene with the unseen conversation with Team Flash the next day shows there’s been a bit of a merger between the two. The makeup also looks a little more grounded, and the eyes are only shimmering when ice effects are needed. I cracked up at Felicity’s Incredible Hulk crack – Universal or Marvel better not sue somebody – and how the team tries to deal with the potential powder keg in their midst that could go either way.

Speaking of loose cannons, Gustin got to show off more of his comedic abilities as a punch-drunk Barry in The Golden Booty scenes; every moment was a laugh-out-loud reaction, especially him weepily asking out of context questions (i.e. “Why couldn’t Rose make room for Jack on the door?”) and him announcing his secret identity to the complete disregard of all in attendance. While there is usually a balance between drama and comedy for the character, seeing Barry intoxicated showed hilarious layers. This was a change up given that Carlos usually shoulders most of the funny moments per episode. 

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Negatives

I didn’t really buy Sackhoff’s accent. I know they threw that in to both enhance her femme fatale performance and distance her from her sci-fi protagonist past, but it was unnecessary. The characterization of Amulet was enough without it. The idea of The Weeper’s tears used as a hallucinogen seemed like a mundane threat with very few applications. Seeing Iris step up and reach out to Killer Frost although she and Caitlin Snow were only “work friends” was good, but why was Felicity not involved? I always felt that these two brainy babes were closer. Emily felt a bit underused in this episode, I find, and her arc involving Oliver and Team Arrow seemed too important to just shove under the rug. The wild side of Cecile’s daughter seemed shoehorned in for levity, and Joe’s mixed feelings about being a father for the third time and the heart-to-heart with a sobered Barry could have been reserved for later.

Although Harry seemed to take a little bit of a backseat in this episode, there is a noticeable plothole. Given that Harrison Wells is a deceased confessed murderer on Earth-1, how can he stroll in to the CCPD and post bail for the guys without an eyebrow raised? At least H.R. had an image inducer to disguise his facial features. And with what money? Surely his currency is different on Earth-2. As for The Thinker, his last-minute appearance could have been reserved for the prologue of the next episode; the writers have already gotten across the notion of him being this season’s puppeteer villain. There’s no need for him to be in every show

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Verdict

While good character development with key characters, major power players like Felicity were ignored. This is a merciful 4 out of 5 largely because the character growth of the Frost-Snow dynamic as a point of interest and the hilarity of the bachelor party and Grant flexing his comedic chops. Plus seeing a girl-centered episode of a predominantly male-centered show was a good change of pace

  Review: The Flash 4×05 “Girls Night Out” Director: Laura Belsey Writer(s): Lauren Certo and Kristen Kim  Starring: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Pannabaker, Jesse L.

[phannibal]

fandom tag meme

@tardisly tagged me to do this, tysm!!!

1. Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s):

i had a little river/doctor spell awhile back, particularly river with thirteen, so i'll go with that!

2. A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind (bonus points: who was that person).

doctor/clara maybe??? i really don't ship them romantically but i can at least see the appeal of it now, i used to be totally opposed to it.

3. A pairing you used to love, but it all fell apart for you.

it hasn't rlly fallen apart but i'm not as absolutely obsessed with tenrose as i used to be (like seriously, idk if i can convey in words how much i loved them)

4. Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what?

some of my 2014 instagram edits were probably so terrible that they could be considered cracky, but other than that nope!

5. What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

either harry potter or percy jackson-- i read pjo before hp but i never rlly stayed a consistent fan of pjo (although i do still love it!)

6. Do you remember your first OTP, if so who was in it?

hmm, i remember in pjo i preferred percy being with rachel than annabeth before i ever knew what shipping was, so i'll count that as it!

7. Name a fandom you didn’t care/think about until you saw it all over Tumblr.

everything i've ever been into? seriously tho, this is why i got into doctor who (and the other shows that were *ahem* associated with it), yuri on ice, stranger things, like.. literally everything lmao

8. Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike).

clara had rlly good development and was super badass (i'm kinda neutral on her ig, leaning more towards liking her tho)

9. Name three things you wish you saw more of in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

imma agree with the past ppl and say i wish there was less head writer discourse, it's fucking annoying and just a never ending battle of opinion. it'd also be nice if there was less gatekeeping-- i don't see it that often but it's annoying to see ppl get turned away bc they haven't seen every episode or aren't interested in classic who or smthn. #3 i wish there weren't any sexist assholes like the ones that oppose thirteen, but thankfully most of them seem to have removed themselves :)

10. Choose a song at random; which ship or character does it remind you of?

(i had to shuffle a few times to get to a song that i actually knew jfndnsksk) it's youth by troye sivan, and it reminds me most of ten and rose bc like they ran away together n rose was pretty young

11. A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships.

none tbh, my interests are pretty mainstream.

12. Your most scandalous headcanon for your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s).

noneee

13. Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything)?

rose is bi, amy is bi, clara is bi, and the doctor only chooses gryffindors to travel with (ok ik that isn't true but seriously isn't like every companion a fuckin gryffindor??)

14. 5 favorite characters from 5 different fandoms.

bill potts- doctor who

ginny weasley- harry potter

cecil palmer- welcome to night vale

arya stark- game of thrones

15. 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms.

river/doctor- doctor who

cecil/carlos- wtnv

cas/dean- supernatural

16. 5 brotps:

clara/twelve

bill/twelve

amy/eleven

donna/ten

harry/hermione

(if they were supposed to be different fandoms... oops lol dw just has so many good ones)

17. Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged).

ok I know I mentioned it up there but I literally fucking hate the show runner discourse SO MUCH bc ppl who don't like moffat have this weird superiority complex bc they think he's the devil and rtd is a saint and it's like??? Bitch half ur facts are deadass just wrong and they just twist shit and it gets spread around and it's so damn annoying. but then the people who hate rtd are just as bad bc they think they're special for actually liking moffat and that they're geniuses for seeing rtd's flaws and it's like???? Damn b both writers have their faults but neither of them is the fuckin antichrist or whatever. the worst is when either of these ppl tries to make the writers seem like raging sexists-- oh rtd hated women bc donna didn't have a choice in her memory wipe!!!1!1 nah it's not like she would've literally died if the doctor hadn't done that, and it's not like saving people from dying is is ENTIRE THING like how do you even twist it that badly?? also moffat has literally paved the way for a woman doctor soooo aNywaY i'm done that actually got rlly long lol oops