#Carl Ramsey

[altered-statuses]

Golden Avatar - A Change of Heart (Los Angeles: Sudarshan disc, 1976).

Back cover detail by Carl Ramsey

🎧Mixes of vintage N E W A G E music🎧

[diioonysus]

art aesthetics: dark acadmia

[boardchairman-blog]

**Shots of the Episode**

The Mandalorian (2019)

Season 3, Episode 5: “Chapter 21: The Pirate” (2023) Director: Peter Ramsey Cinematographers: David Klein and Paul Hughen

[pedroramscal]

Lost in the darkness

I always wondered how much of an iconic duo Ellie and Carl Grimes would make (my apocalypse kids <3), so I figured I'd start a fanfic where Carl is part of the journey too.

Not a romantic fic.

Takes place during the first part/season of The Last of Us

Warning: blood, death, swearing, your typical apocalypse things

Wordcount: 2.3k

There were many things Joel Miller hated. And the infamous quote of the Fireflies was on top of his list.

He found it ironic that the Fireflies were encouraging people to step up against FEDRA and look for the light while blowing things up at the QZ.

Living his life as a smuggler, his only goal of his was to find his brother, Tommy, who just stopped answering his calls. He knew that sending a message back was time-consuming but now it has been too long.

He knew how different Tommy was from him. He always wanted to be the savior after all the fucked up things they had done. And Joel understood that even though he barely had feelings left anymore.

The remained ruins of his personality and humanity were usually brought out by certain factors.

Such as the goddamn kid in the sheriff hat who never gave him peace.

Just as he could finally get rid of the FEDRA soldier who gave him a friendly warning to not leave the QZ at the moment, he let out a shaky sigh and weighed the options he got left.

Joel turned around and felt his body freeze when he noticed Carl Grimes sitting in the middle of the staircase that led access to the top floors of a building that’s clearly seen better days.

”How long have you been sitting there?” Joel furrowed his eyebrows, wrinkles deepening on his hard face.

”Long enough.”

Joel glanced to the side before sinking his hands into his pockets.

”Didn’t they tell you to not stick your nose into other people’s business?” Joel asked, his voice confident and dominant.

Carl shrugged before bouncing his knee up and down.

”Your parents didn’t teach you anything?”

Pain shook Carl’s heart but the fourteen years old boy’s face remained expressionless. The days when he’d let Joel Miller out of all people get under his skin were gone.

Despite the old man’s harsh words and bones chilling tone, Carl wasn’t threatened. He wasn’t a little boy anymore. He had seen and been through too many horrific things to get scared just like that.

”No, my dad taught me how to use a gun. That’s more helpful than manners nowadays.”

Joel let out a deep breath while studying the bruise on the boy’s face. It was certainly new, hence as he didn’t see it on him last night.

”And look where did that get you.”

Carl scoffed and pushed himself up, leaning against the rail of the stairs.

”I was already here when you decided to run your drug business here in plain sight while execution is taking place.”

”And why are you here specifically?”

Joel didn’t have to think twice to realize that after everything the Grimes boy had been through, he didn’t want to just stand on the square while they hung those people.

Carl never told him anything about his past or the whereabouts of his family. Not that he ever asked but he would have expected a kid his age to be more communicative.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Joel how uncomfortable Carl has become in only a matter of seconds. He was a tough kid, that was sure and Joel couldn’t help but wonder what kind of inhumane things he had to go through to get to this cold state.

Sometimes Joel felt like he was looking into the mirror whenever he was facing Carl.

The coldness and dark thoughts clouding his eyes, the face of someone who had nobody in this damned world… it was all too familiar to him.

But it wasn’t his business or problem to try to change Carl and remind him that he was only a kid after all.

”Whom did you piss off this time?” Joel asked after a few beats of silence, nodding toward the boy’s bruised face.

”Chris Ledstone.”

Joel sighed and a scoff took over his face.

”So much for your keeping your head low.”

Carl groaned, ”Spare me the lecture, Joel.”

”I would if you’d keep yourself to your word.”

”I didn’t start it.” Carl defended himself in a sharp tone.

Teenagers.

”I don’t care,” Joel glared at him. ”You keep getting into trouble long enough and everyone will hate you.”

”Good,” Carl stormed down the stairs with heavy steps. The metal painfully cracked beneath his shoes. ”I never intended to be everyone’s favorite person anyway. I’m not letting Ledstone or any other asshole walk through other people for their entertainment.”

Joel grabbed Carl’s skinny arm, stopping him from walking away. Carl shot him a deadly glare which he undoubtedly got from his father.

”Is this what the fight was about? Chris screwing around with someone weaker than him?”

Carl didn’t answer, only dropped his gaze to the ground.

Joel let go of his arm, searching for the boy’s eyes, ”I understand your reasons but some people have to learn how to stand up for themselves. You can’t solve other people’s problems all the time."

Carl knew Joel was right but his brain was stormed off with unsaid harsh answers. Just because someone was weak that didn’t give others the right to bully them.

”Now go and put some ice on your face before Tess sees it.”

It’s been a few months since Carl was found outside of the Boston QZ. He had nothing on himself but scars, dirt, ghosts in his eyes, and his Beretta. He never answered any of the questions the guards had asked him while looking for any sight of infection which wasn’t a new thing.

One of the guards suggested that Tess could look after the boy and help him adapt to his new home which was pushing Tess over the edge. Carl saw how much she was trying to get to know him but he never gave too much away about himself.

Considering the fact that Tess had a son whom she couldn’t kill made their situation even more bittersweet. She never talked about her son but the undeniable pain and wonder were always clear in her eyes.

Whenever she looked at Carl, she was wondering what her son would look like if he would still be alive, what would he do, and how different things would be with having two boys under her roof. She had a feeling that her son would have made friends with Carl pretty fast which would have helped the outsider boy warm up much more.

But she was working with what she could get.

Most of the time Carl was always around in the QZ after school, never leaving a message behind and he’d always show up quite late. Tess was worrying every time she went home to the empty apartment but she couldn’t force him to do anything.

Carl nodded and stepped away.

”I suppose you don’t have a pill for that, do you?”

Joel turned after him with an exhausted look on his face.

”You’re pushing your luck, kid.”

Carl gave Joel an empty smile. ”Been pushing it ever since I was born, old man.”

***

The rest of the day was a blur. Joel lost himself in the maze of maps, trying to find the shortest way to Wyoming while nightmares were haunting him from the night Sarah died. Her voice was still echoing in his head while she was bleeding out in his arms, terror filling her eyes that once were happy and bright.

The painful memories and the weight of his broken watch just intrigued him even more to leave the QZ and find Tommy as soon as he could.

He couldn’t lose anyone else.

After taking the sight of Tess’ beaten up face in, he realized that they had to go down the hard way. Not that he minded, he would have been more than happy to beat Robert’s face in. That fucker had it coming. Not only for screwing them over but also to let his men lay their hands on Tess.

When they finally had a lead, they weren’t patient to wait around anymore. They had to step up before it was too late. Navigating their way through the basement of an edifice and Joel giving lectures about the building’s structure, they finally found the right place.

With their guns in their hands and serious look on their faces, they searched the floor full of bodies.

Joel was more than disappointed to find Robert dead as well. But his confusion overwhelmed his frustration when he saw Carl kneeling above Robert’s corpse.

”Carl.” Joel’s voice cut through the silence like a knife, causing the boy to turn around.

Tess sighed and gave Carl a look of anger.

”I thought you were at school.”

Carl stood up, gripping his pistol like his life depended on it.

”I was on my way but then I heard all the shooting and…”

”And you decided to join the party?” Tess finished it for him. She was furious now and her face darkened.

Carl dropped his shoulders, realizing that he could not give any right answers to the adults. He knew he shouldn’t have come here but his curiosity was always bigger than his compromise to do what he was told.

He knew he was too young but he hated when adults only treated him like a kid. He could have been more helpful if they would have trusted him with actual duties like his father had done.

He missed how useful he was in the prison before they were attacked and the place tumbled to the Infected. Now, he was nothing to others but a teen whose only purpose was to sit at school instead of helping defend the QZ and the people in it.

He couldn’t save his mother, father, or sister. So, this was his only chance at redemption.

He had to keep these people safe otherwise he would be nothing and he wanted to be worthy of Rick’s legacy.

”Are you out of your fucking mind, kid?” Joel snapped as he lowered his gun. ”You could have died too!”

”But I didn’t.” Carl fired back with just as much fierce.

”Why don’t you do what you’re told? Why is it so hard to listen to us?”

”Because I’m not a burden!” Carl snapped. ”I know what is beyond these walls and I’ve been through so many things that you couldn’t even imagine. Unlike most of the other kids around here, I actually know the world and who the real monsters are.”

Joel remained silent as he acknowledged the fire of anger filling Carl’s eyes. He knew the boy wasn’t kidding but that didn’t settle his rage one bit. Carl was still reckless and impulsive. And those two things didn’t make a good combo.

He had to learn how to stay behind and help from the other side but Carl didn’t want to sit in the back. Not after what happened at the farm or the prison.

Carl knew that danger could show up any day and he wasn’t allowed to let his guard down. Ever. Just like Rick had told him.

No more kid stuff.

He felt sadness pull him down as he tore his gaze away from Joel’s. They didn’t understand him and that was alright. But that didn’t mean that he was going to let himself be another target ever again.

All the sleepless nights, the nightmares, and the guilt that was eating Carl from the inside were too much for him to comprehend.

”What would have happened if you got a bullet in your head too?” Tess stormed to the boy, her eyes never leaving him.

Carl didn’t answer which made Joel’s stomach turn. He couldn’t have come here hoping that he’d die too, could he?

Carl was afraid of death but lately, he became confident with its thought and presence. If his death would have helped someone then his sacrifice would have been worth it. And he could see his family again.

”I’m all right as you can see,” said Carl in a lower tone.

Tess’ expression dropped as she took a shaky breath. She grew more fond of the boy than she would have expected herself to. Suddenly, she found herself pacing around like a mother who had been told that her child was hurt.

Despite Carl keeping a distance between them, she couldn’t help but care for the lonely and broken boy. She knew he didn’t deserve to live in a world like this and lose his family at such young age, that’s why she was trying so hard to let him know that he wasn’t alone anymore.

An unfamiliar grunt interrupted their argument, causing all three of them to turn toward the voice while raising their guns at the same time.

Joel gave Carl a stern look, ordering him silently to stay behind and Carl obeyed. Joel was first in line while sneaking to the corner with Tess behind him. Carl fell a few feet behind as Joel glanced around the hall.

”Shit… Oh, God.”

Carl didn’t recognize the woman’s voice but from the sounds of her grunts, she was obviously hurt. In spite of hearing that she must have been shot, he still felt threatened by her presence.

Joel was tense as he was taking the sight in front of him in. Two injured women leaning on each other, cursing in pain. Just when he thought that one of them sounded familiar—

The door beside him swung open and someone ran against Joel, letting out a determined scream with a knife raised in the air.

Joel didn’t even realize what was going on, he was acting out of reflex. Before the knife could slice into his flesh, he turned his torso and snuck a hand around her back, pushing her forward, right into the wall.

The girl slammed helplessly against the wall, dropping her knife before collapsing to the ground.

”Fuck…” she stammered in pain and looked up at Joel with fury twisting her face.

Joel stared at the girl with confusion as Tess and Carl walked around the corner, catching up to him. Carl felt surprise wash his confusion away, it was one thing that he snuck in and skipped school for the rest of the day, but what was she doing here?

”Joel?”

Joel’s eyes found Marlene who looked as surprised as he was from the girl’s attempt to stab him on sight. The Firefly was the last person he expected to meet today.

”Marlene?”

[hexensalbei]

twitter reminded me that on this day ten years ago britcore signed their long-term contracts 🥺

[thenerdsofcolor]

Hollywood Legend Carl Weathers Breaks Down 'The Mandalorian' and High Magistrate Karga

Hollywood Legend Carl Weathers Breaks Down 'The Mandalorian' and High Magistrate Karga @themandalorian @TheCarlWeathers #GreefKarga

Very few names have persisted in the medium of film and television the way Carl Weathers’ name has. From playing Apollo Creed in the first 4 Rocky films, to hunting Predators with Schwarzenegger, playing golf with Happy Gilmore, and now ruling over a planet in a galaxy far, far away, Weathers’ name and reputation as one of the greatest genre franchise stars on the planet cannot be disputed. And…

[jerzwriter]

What makes you finish Open Heart and decided to write a story about the main LI doing the most despicable thing?

Who hurt you this much? Lol

(Just kidding... it was PB, wasn't it?)

The FIRST thing I wrote when OH ended was this:

OH Alternate Ending

That couldn't be more nauseatingly gooey.

As to DTI, I still think it did great things for Ethan. Allowed him to finally break free of the pain he had been carrying and move forward to a life outside of a self-imposed prison. Nothing bad about that. But, as in real life, true progress rarely comes without some pain - I almost think it's required to grow. Ethan is HAPPY at the end of DTI, just not in a fairy tale kind of way, in a real way.

As to who hurt me, we have a list, but that's OK - because I'm titanium. :)

[geopolicraticus]

TODAY IN PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY

Carl Becker and the Problem of Historical Facts

It is the 151st anniversary of the birth of Carl Becker (07 September 1873 – 10 April 1945), who was born in Waterloo, Iowa, on this date in 1873.

Becker was among the most noteworthy of American historians, and he reflected on his historical practice in several works, especially “What Are Historical Facts?” and “Everyman His Own Historian.” The problem of historical facts is one we have encountered before and will encounter again, so I take up Becker on historical facts and how interpretations of facts are shaped by worldviews.

Quora:              https://philosophyofhistory.quora.com/ 

Discord:           https://discord.gg/r3dudQvGxD

Links:               https://jnnielsen.carrd.co/

Newsletter:     http://eepurl.com/dMh0_-/

Text post:        https://geopolicraticus.substack.com/p/carl-becker-and-the-problem-of-historical  

Video:              https://youtu.be/BALTUGl0OR4  

Podcast:          https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/AylV5ZSvIMb

[michaelcoffeysthoughts]

Finished The Mandalorian Season 3

This was an enjoyable season that takes the main story in some interesting new directions. The season implements new lore about the Mandalorians and sets up some interesting arcs for the future while keeping the episodic plots that are generally enjoyable. The returning characters are given some great moments while the new cast is implemented well. This is a good season that keeps the show's fun, exciting tone.

[aerialtaluniverse]

My top 30 hot men of the year:

Declan Rice

Vito Coppola

Anthony Harding

Tom Prior

Dan Goodfellow

Matty Cash

Owen Warner

Jonathan Bailey

John Stones

Jack Laugher

Rupert Penry Jones

Ben Chilwell

Aaron Evans

Andy Robertson

Thomas Inge

Ryan Prescott

Joe Bryan

Aaron Ramsey

Adam Peaty

Reece Noi

Jack Grealish

Phil Dunster

Ross Barkley

Theo James

Mason Mount

Max Parker

Carl Cashman

Rob Holding

Dominic Thiem

Taron Egerton

[t1oui]

ok so does anybody remember the movie chef from 2014 with jon favreau and sofia vergara? i'm thinking jily au

obviously it'll be james as carl, lily as inez, and harry as percy

featuring mary as molly, sirius as martin, xenophilius as marvin, barty as tony, dorcas as ramsey (let this girl RUIN LIVES!!!), and dumbledore as riva

just... imagine it

[star0mania]

TWD OC U3U

"I am Eddie Delkins. The Theatre Kid and Carl's awesome boyfriend....NOW EAT THIS SUCKA!" 

Full Name: Edward "Eddie" Delkins

Preferred name: Eddie

Age: 10 (season 1) 12 (season 2-3) 13 (season 4-5) 14 (season 6-8) 15 (season 9)

Date  of Birth: Unknown

Place of Birth: Utah

Gender: Male

Birth gender: Female

Titles: -The Theatre Kid -The Class Clown

Nickname: Eddie (various people) Eds (close friends) Eddie Spaghetti (best friends) Stupid nutbrain (sister)

Sexuality: Panromantic, Demisexual

Weapon: A baseball bat with needles

Personality: Kind Honest Brave Bold Adventurous Funny Loyal Caring Independent Stubborn Impatient Sarcastic  Kind of innocent? Cocky "You hurt them, you die" Tries to make people feel better about the currant situation- 

Hobbies: Playing on piano Solving puzzles Playing with his pet fox Reading Playing on the drums Drawing  Magic tricks

Best Friends: Carl Grimes 

Friends: Judith Grimes Your OC Daryl Dixon  Hershal Greene Beth Greene Mikey Lori Grimes Maggie Rhee  Glenn Rhee e.t.c

Enemies: The bad guys pfff

Family: Cole Moncreo (adopted father), 31, deceased, got beaten by Negan's bat Actor: Pedro Pascal

Elle Delkins (twin sister) alive Actress: Bella Ramsey  Crush: Enid Rhee (soon becomes her girlfriend)

Terrence Delkins (brother) 15, deceased, got shot by Eddie after getting bitten by a walker in season 3 Actor: Tom Holland

Millie (mother) 41, deceased, eaten by walkers -Picture: Unknown-

Jacob (father) 41, deceased, got shot by Rick in season 5 because he was an enemy working for an enemy group, The Fireflies (yes I made it up).

Firestar (pet fox) deceased, suffered from starvation in season 9

Rofee (pet dog), deceased, got stabbed by Elle after getting bitten by a walker in season 9

Cottontail (sister's pet rabbit) alive

"Terry, why doesn't mommy and daddy love me?...."

Actors:

Kid:  Jackson Robert Scott

Teenager: Cameron Boyce   (RIP  our favorite Carlos De Vil  <//3)

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

"I'm so glad my awesome boyfriend is okay!"

Love Interest: Carl Grimes

Ship Name: Ceddie Edarl Carlddie

Music in Me- HSM Never Enough- The Greatest Showman A Million Dreams- The Greatest Showman Heather- Conan Gray Teenage Dream- Katy Perry Heat Waves- Glass Animals Rewrite the Stars- The Greatest Show(edit version) Cheerleader- OMI Love is Love- Trey Pearson  A Thousand Years- Christina Perri Bad Romance- Lady Gaga Dandelions- Ruth B.

Love languages: Physical affection Quality touch

Relationship tropes:  sun + moon Energetic x Tired Endgame Right person, wrong time

Relationship Status: Season 1-2: Friends Season 3-4: Crushes Season 5-8: Dating

Relationship Variants: Robin x Finney (TBP) Shinsou x Denki (MHA) Kai x Adam (The Hollow) Amity x Luz (TOH) Kirishima x Bakugou (MHA)

Character variants:  Sammy (JWCC) Hawks (MHA) Izuku (MHA) Squirrelflight (Warriors) Michael Afton (FNAF) Luz (TOH) Rodrick (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) Richie (IT) Boris (The Goldfinch) Hiccup (HTTYD) Jack Frost (ROTG)

Dead or Alive: Dead

Cause of Death: Influenza 

First Appearance:  1x2, Guts  First Line: "For a kid my age, you're kinda short, short-stack"--- to Carl Grimes when they meet Last Appearance:  8x2, The Bridge Last Line: "Meet ya'll on the other side..."---- to Elle and the group before succumbing to the illness

Theme songs: Mary on a Cross- Ghost Ghost- Justin Bieber  Lovely- Billie Ellish Its Been So Long- The Living Tombstone  Waiting on a Miricle- Encanto Requiem- Dear Evan Hanson Walking the Wire- Imagine Dragons Enemy- Imagine Dragons Believer- Imagine Dragons Changes- Hayd Daddy Issues- The Neighborhood  Home- Nick Jonas Family- Mother Mother See you Again- Wiz  Khalifa Poker Face- Lady Gaga Boys don't Cry- The Cure

For the Delkins family: Its been so long- The Living Tombstone Afton Family- KryFuze

"I should be dead...but I'm not...." "Hurt my friends and I will kill you..."

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

Backstory: Edward "Eddie" Delkins was born to a "happy" married couple named Millie and Jacob Delkins.  He had two siblings. An older brother named Terrance and a two-year younger sister named Elle. His parents always expected a lot from him but hey, he still loved them. He revealed he was trans when he was 6 but of course his parents didn't like that, but his siblings accepted him and helped him go through treatment. When the outbreak happened, he was in his room, reading until he heard his older brother yelling. When he went to check what was going on, he saw two zombies eating his mom. He   lets out a horrific scream as his brother practically threw him, his sister's bunny Fluffball, the family dog Rofee and his sister into the van and drove off. They soon find Pedro who raises them like his own children. In season 5, the Delkins siblings and their dad were reunited. Elle and Eddie had their suspicions and didn't trust him but Eddie pretended to so he could get the truth from him. Once Eddie and his dad were alone, Eddie's dad told him about his plan to wipe out the survivors and demanded him to join them, even guiltripping him but Eddie refused, causing his dad to go off the edge. He soon went  to the survivors and attacked them with the Fireflies. But the fight stopped when Eddie shot his dad. And the rest is history :D

𝐹𝒶𝓋𝑜𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒𝓈;

Spicy Food:  Butter Chicken

Sweet: Candy

Book: Warriors

TV show: Stranger Things

Movie: IT

Anime: My Hero Academia

Manga: MHA and Assassination Classroom

Animal: Foxes and Wolves. Can't forget bunnies or dogs

Song: Running up that Hill by Kate Bush

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 8.27

Beer Birthdays

Fred Bowman (1944)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Barbara Bach; actor (1947)

C.S. Forester; English writer (1899)

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel; German philosopher (1770)

Tarzan of the Apes; fictional character (1912)

Jeanette Winterson; English writer (1959)

Famous Birthdays

Patrick J. Adams; Canadian actor (1981)

Andreas Alföldi; Hungarian archaeologist and historian (1895)

Fernest Arceneaux; singer and accordion player (1940)

G.W. Bailey; actor (1944)

Gordon Bashford; English engineer, Range Rover co-creator (1916)

Tim Bogert; singer and bass player (1944)

Carl Bosch; German chemist (1874)

"Downtown" Julie Brown; V.J. (1959)

Sarah Chalke; actor (1976)

Alice Coltrane; pianist and composer (1937)

Jeff Cook; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1949)

Audrey C. Delsanti; French astronomer and biologist (1976)

Daryl "The Captain" Dragon; pop singer, songwriter (1942)

Theodore Dreiser; writer (1871)

Charles Fleischer; comedian and actor (1950)

Tom Ford; fashion designer (1961)

Chuck Girard; singer-songwriter and pianist (1943)

Samuel Goldwyn; film producer (1882)

Jeff Grubb; game designer and author (1957)

Johann Georg Hamann; German philosopher (1730)

Lyndon Baines Johnson; 36th U.S. President (1908)

Tony Kanal; British-American bass player and songwriter (1970)

Tom Lanoye; Belgian author, poet, and playwright (1958)

Ira Levin; writer (1929)

Alex Lifeson; Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (1953)

Norah Lofts; English author (1904)

Glen Matlock; English singer-songwriter and bass player (1956)

Katharine McCormick; biologist (1875)

John Mehler; drummer (1948)

Kenji Miyazawa; Japanese author and poet (1896)

Ann Murray; Irish soprano (1949)

Giuseppe Peano; Italian mathematician and philosopher (1858)

Kim Petras; German singer-songwriter (1992)

Jimmy Pop; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1972)

Norman Foster Ramsey Jr.; physicist (1915)

Man Ray; photographer, artist (1890)

Martha Ray; actor (1916)

Harry Reems; porn actor (1947)

Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens; actor, comedian (1952)

Robert Richardson; cinematographer (1955)

Tommy Sands; pop singer (1937)

Diana Scarwid; actress (1955)

Sonny Sharrock; guitarist (1940)

Reece Shearsmith; English actor, comedian and writer (1969)

Léon Theremin, Russian physicist, engineer, Theremin inventor (1896)

Kay Walsh; English actress and dancer (1911)

Tuesday Weld; actor (1943)

Chandra Wilson; actress (1969)

Lester Young; saxophonist and clarinet player (1909)

[novafire-is-thinking]

Rules: shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist and post the first ten tracks, then tag ten people 🎶

Thanks for the tag, @lets-try-some-writing! I listened to all of the songs you listed (and previewed the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack since my attention span is too short for a whole album at the moment). I must say, I like your taste in music!

Anyway, I’m going to have so much fun with this since some of the songs that came up are part of a yet-to-be-created playlist for my Soundwave’s backstory. 😏 10 songs from my ever-changing Dishwashing On-repeat playlist coming up. (Yeah, there’s a story behind the “dishwashing” name. lol)

The Assailant from Arcane

(Spotify | YouTube)

Gladiator!Soundwave stepping into the Pits of Kaon, ready to take on Megatron(us)

Light Em Up by Daniel Gunnarsson

(Spotify | YouTube)

I have this on my ‘To Be a Lost Lighter’ playlist, but my newest interpretations are Soundwave @ Shockwave in the first sequel to my Big Bang fic (platonic) and Orion Pax @ Shockwave in IDW1 (romantic, perhaps?)

Suffer by Harlen Chung

(Spotify | YouTube)

This one’s in my Chromedome playlist, but it applies to a variety of angsty situations.

Goodbye (from the series Arcane) by Ramsey

(Spotify | YouTube)

The angst of this song is immaculate; I love it so much. There is a very specific, heart-wrenching Soundwave scene I intend to write to go with it:

“I can hear the sound of a heartbeat before it goes out / Won't ever leave my memory of bloodshed all around / And I can see a tear on my father's face before it falls out / Oh my enemy, how could I have ever let you down? Oh

When all these trees saw us grow / Cut our teeth and break our bones right here / We'd play with shields made of stone / Share our dreams and sit on thrones, be still

'Cause I see smoke up ahead and I got steel in my hands, we will / Return like warriors, I swear that we'll find glory up ahead, tell me

Where is my home? / I don't recognize the faces anymore, oh / Where is my friend? / The one I've known since I was only just a kid

I think it's time to say goodbye / Goodbye, goodbye / Goodbye, goodbye, oh / It's time to say goodbye / Goodbye, goodbye / Goodbye, goodbye, oh”

A Sky Full of Stars (cover) by The Piano Guys

(Spotify | YouTube)

I highly recommend watching the YouTube music video for this, as the salt flats and visual effects add so much to the music. I strongly associate this cover with TFP Optimus in particular. ✨

Hopeful by ODESZA

(Spotify | YouTube)

Just cool vibes.

Legendary by Epic Soul Factory

(Spotify | YouTube)

This epicore(?) instrumental is in my Iacon playlist. The city was once the home of legends (both bots and stories), and this captures that vibe nicely.

㆔ by Aether

(Spotify | YouTube)

The word I’d assign to this song is “yearning.” It’s one of my all-time favorites.

Doves by We Are All Astronauts

(Spotify | YouTube)

I love this song so much. It only has 2-3 lines of lyrics—a quote by Carl Sagan—but the quote and the whole vibe of the song make me think of the hypothetical collision of Cybertroniankind and humanity and how we would most likely view each other:

“You’re an interesting species. An interesting mix. You're capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone. In all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other.”

Playground (from the series Arcane) by Bea Miller

(Spotify | YouTube)

The undercity of Zaun in Arcane is very similar to how I imagine Kaon being like before the war. When I listen to the song, I have a scene playing in my head: A young, wary Soundwave wandering the streets of Kaon with Ravage that transitions to him walking those same streets as a gladiator with both Ravage and Megatron present—all three of them aware of the power they now hold. *cries in inability to art*

Tagging @onewingedsparrow @karlyanalora @aecho-again @decepticon-nerd @starscreamgirlfriend @knight-says-ni @spiritshaydra @soundwavesweep @sphnyspinspin @localrobotlover

[pedroramscal]

Lost in the darkness 2.

part 1

Your request had been heard @mochacake2016 now gimme your house :3

Takes place during the first part/season of The Last of Us

Warning: blood, death, swearing, your typical apocalypse things

Wordcount: 2.3k

“You okay?” asked Marlene the girl who was still curled up against the wall.

“Yeah.”

Carl gripped his gun when the young girl leaned forward to take a hold of the knife she dropped when Joel threw her against the wall. However, Joel was quick to step on it before her fingers could even touch the blade.

“Ellie!” Marlene called out to get the angry girl’s attention. She turned to the Firefly with burning eyes but the fury was gone the moment she realized that the woman has been injured.

“Oh, shit!”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be all right.”

“Not if you keep standing there like a goddamn tree,” Carl spoke up, earning an exhausted look from Marlene.

Ellie furrowed her eyebrows at the boy’s voice and turned toward him with questioning eyes. She wouldn’t have expected a kid her age to show up with the intruders. Her surprise didn’t last long, when Carl glared at her in response, she turned her head back to Marlene, not saying a word.

Joel glanced back at Carl to silently order him to keep his mouth shut which the boy acknowledged and adjusted his grip on the gun instead.

“You can’t be stupid like this,” Marlene scolded Ellie in a lower tone. 

Carl found it strange that in a situation where everyone was pointing guns at each other in suspense, Marlene still had time to lecture the teen girl.

“What was I supposed to do?” Ellie beamed. “They were heading to you, they could have shot you!”

“We still might,” Joel responded in a cold tone, thinking back to the corpses laying in the building. They didn’t know who started the fire but it was sure that neither Marlene nor the rest of the Fireflies were saints. 

They couldn’t take the risk.

“So this is who Robert screwed us over with?” Tess walked past Joel and Carl with an unimpressed look on her face. “The Che Guevara of Boston?”

Carl almost smiled at Tess’ choice of words but he remained stoic for the sake of their safety. He couldn't be distracted now.

“War must be goin’ pretty shitty for you to be buying from scumbags like him.”

“Yeah, it kinda has been.” Marlene admitted in an impatient tone. She wasn’t in the mood for lectures, especially with the injury on her side that kept bleeding. “The merch was bad and he obviously didn’t take ‘fuck off’ for an answer.”

“Give me my knife.” Ellie breathed and glared up at Joel who wasn’t even paying attention to her.

“Don’t even dream about it,” Carl warned her with a sinister glare.

Ellie sent Carl a deadly look but that didn’t surprise the boy. He had seen that look too many times on people’s faces by now to be affected by it in the slightest. 

“What do you need a car battery for?” Joel asked.

Ellie, losing her last drop of patience, leaned forward again, reaching out. Joel turned back to her, pointing his gun at her face.

“Don’t.”

When Marlene and her friend raised their guns at Joel, Carl immediately pointed his at Marlene’s crouched figure. It didn’t take Tess a long time either to return the favor.

“Not at her.” Marlene ordered. “Point it at me.”

Carl felt his shoulders tense as he was waiting for Joel’s reaction who didn’t look fazed by Marlene’s order at all. Who was she to give orders to them anyway?

Joel’s gaze dropped to Ellie who had her hands lifted up in surrender with uneasiness in her eyes. Raising his eyebrows at the girl’s trembling figure, he slowly turned away from her, still leaning on the knife.

Carl found it ironic how big her mouth was before but now she was afraid to say a word after facing the revolver’s barrel.

Marlene and her partner slowly lowered their guns now that Ellie wasn’t a target.

“And to answer your question, I need it for a better reason than you do.” Marlene answered, out of breath. “No offense, but Tommy’s just one man.”

Joel’s face hardened at Marlene’s audacity. Carl shared a silent look with Tess who was just as unsure of Joel’s possible reaction as Carl was.

“It’s our business to know things.”

“To know things.” Joel echoed, swallowing his anger. “You’re the cause of it. You turned my own brother against me.”

Carl was surprised at how calmly Joel managed to answer when after everything that happened between the Miller brothers, Marlene still had the nerve to call Tommy names. The boy almost expected Joel to shoot Marlene right in the face for the side remark she just made, not acknowledging other people’s lives.

“Okay, Joel.”

“That was a lot of gunfire.” found her voice the other woman covered in blood. “FEDRA’s going to be on the way.”

“I know.” Marlene replied with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Carl dropped his gaze to Ellie who rubbed her aching shoulder with a distant gaze. Who was she and how did she end up with terrorists like Marlene?

Flinching in pain, Marlene exchanged a weary look with Ellie before pressing her lips against each other. 

“We were gonna move Ellie out of the zone tonight. But we won’t make it anywhere like this. Not for a while anyway.” Marlene admitted in a defeated tone. “So, now I’m thinking, you’re gonna do it.”

The alarm went off above all three of their heads at Marlene’s answer. Carl twisted his head at Tess who glared at Marlene in suspicion.

“The hell we are.” Joel answered right away.

“I’m not going with them!” Ellie exclaimed.

“You’re wrong if you think we’ll do your work.” Carl joined the resistance. Not that he was a smuggler but he was the closest to Tess and Joel in the Boston QZ and he felt like a part of their team too. So, he thought he had a right to say something.

“Let me take her.” said the other woman with a determined look.

“Tess, we don’t have time for this.” Joel turned back to Tess.

“You don’t have time?” Marlene repeated.

“Who is she?” Tess asked and Carl gave her a questioning look. He didn’t want to believe that Tess was seriously considering taking the burden from Marlene and her crew. They were the ones who messed it all up because they couldn’t handle Robert. Why would they need to do their job?

“To you? She’s cargo.” Marlene replied easily.

“We don’t smuggle people. Sorry.” Joel spoke again with determination. 

“I can do it.”

“Kim, you don’t have a fucking ear on your fucking head. Could you please?” Marlene started to lose her patience.

Kim slowly dropped her eyes with sadness filling them as if her missing an ear was the most normal thing in the world.

“There’s a team of Fireflies waiting for her at the old State House.” Marlene said. “I know what’s out there. We were going an entire squadron for that very reason. But now I don’t have a truck, I don’t have a squadron, FEDRA is five minutes away. What I do have is you. And I know what you are capable of. For better or worse.”

Joel gave Marlene a dark look while Ellie shifted in her place.

“The kid too, I’ve heard scare stories about you, Grimes.” Marlene’s eyes found Carl, making him feel exposed. He really did have some fame in the QZ. “I know you never play a fair game.”

Carl was surprised to have Marlene, out of all people, the leader of the Fireflies, admitting that he could be a threat if he wanted to be despite his young age. 

Tess, on the other hand, always tried to tone down Carl’s coldness and aggression, so he had no idea how to react to Marlene’s compliance.

Ellie now looked startled a little by this statement. “What are they capable of?”

Carl thought back to the things he heard Joel and Tess doing before they settled down in Boston. Everything he heard about the things they had done was ruthless. They had a lot of blood on their hands but so did Carl, just not in the same way.

No one bothered to answer Ellie’s question. It was better for her to not know anything. 

“You get her there safely, and they’ll give you what you need. Not just the battery. The whole thing.” Marlene promised quietly. “Fueled-up trucks, guns, supplies, all of it. I swear.”

Carl knew what was going on inside Joel’s head now, even though his face remained expressionless. Marlene just mentioned everything he tried to get so that he could get out of Boston and find his brother.

It was a charming offer, that was sure. But was it worth it? Risking their lives for a girl?

“I swear.” Marlene repeated when Joel refused to tear his eyes away from her. 

Carl was sure Marlene was telling the truth about what the other squadron would have but how could they be so sure that they would pay them after smuggling Ellie out of the QZ?

Joel’s seriousness broke and he turned back to Tess, who called him back to her with a simple side nod. 

Sliding the knife to Tess and Carl with his foot, Joel was about to back away from the girl.

“Asshole!” Ellie glared at him as the distance between them grew with each step Joel took.

“Carl.” Joel gave a glance to the boy who understood him immediately.

“Yes,” Carl nodded and walked toward Ellie with careful steps. The last thing he wanted to do was make the girl jump at him in rage.

“I don’t have my fucking knife on me, do I look like a threat to you?” Ellie asked, irritated, glancing down at Carl’s lowered gun.

Carl was aware that both Marlene and Kim were watching him carefully as he held Ellie in her place but his attention remained on the girl.

He only now noticed the small cut that split Ellie’s right eyebrow into two. He started to wonder if there was a badass story behind that or if it was just a ridiculous accident that left her with a life longing scar above her right eye.

“You look angry enough to be impulsive and hare-brained,” Carl answered. “And I’m not taking any chances.”

Ellie huffed in annoyance and sunk into the wall behind her. Carl almost believed that if they would have met under other circumstances, they might have become friends. She was fierce and confident, just like him.

“What about the hat?” Ellie asked suddenly and Carl furrowed his eyebrows.

“What about it?”

Ellie pointed at the ceiling above them.

“We have a roof above us, in case you haven’t noticed. Why are you wearing that stupid sheriff hat?”

The term ‘stupid sheriff hat’ felt like a nail in Carl’s heart. Only if she knew the story that his hat held. But Carl wasn’t in the mood for explanations. If ever...

“Do you always try to act like a smartass?” Carl asked instead.

Ellie sniffed. “Only when I’m faced with cosplayers.”

Carl let out a deep breath, trying to get rid of his annoyance, and looking back to Joel and Tess who were debating whether to take the deal or not. 

“Y’all talk it through, but please remember that I’m bleeding out.” Marlene raised her voice, her eyes full of pain and exhaustion.

“Do you even know how to use that thing?” Ellie stared at Carl’s Beretta between his hands.

Carl tipped his index finger against the cool metal. He could still remember how awesome he thought it was when Rick taught him how to shoot. Back then, he didn’t think much about the weapon that now rested in his hands. 

Now he didn’t think of it as something cool and awesome but as an object that could either save or end his life.

“Better than you’d think.” Carl grumbled.

“Okay. Here’s the deal.” Tess turned around, interrupting the teenagers’ conversation. “We’ll get her to your crew at the State House. But before we hand her over, they give us everything that we want. If not, we kill her, there and then.”

Carl felt goosebumps raise on his arms when he heard the coldness in Tess’ voice. She never talked to him like that and it felt like she wasn't the Tess he got to know a few months ago. 

“Deal.” Marlene said without hesitation.

Ellie turned to Marlene with betrayal in her eyes. “Really? That fast?”

“You are all that matters.” Marlene looked at Ellie. “My team will not jeopardize that.”

Ellie turned away with an unbelievable look on her face.

“Remember what I told you? Now go get your backpack.” Marlene hurried her, not wanting to waste more time.

However, Ellie remained on the floor, giving Marlene a disappointed look. Carl made notice of how much she disliked Marlene’s decision. They must have known each other for a while now.

“Now, Ellie.”

Ellie scoffed and pushed herself up, not looking at anyone as she walked into the room she broke out of when the three of them arrived.

Carl waited in silence as he heard Ellie moving around before she walked out with a dusty backpack in her hands. Ellie stopped in her movement, giving Marlene a pleading glance even though she knew it was a lost cause.

“Let’s go.” Tess said as she already turned away.

Marlene nodded at Ellie, sending her an encouraging look. Carl almost felt sorry for Ellie who found herself alone in a matter of seconds. It must have been hard for her to leave the QZ with strangers whom they stumbled upon, whether the adults knew each other or not.

Ellie bumped into Joel’s shoulder and stepped on Carl’s shoe as she broke through between them. Grabbing her knife from the floor, she followed Tess with heavy steps.

Carl glanced down at his now even dirtier boot then gave Joel a headshake. 

Joel scoffed and nodded at Carl, telling him to go. Fixing his gaze on the back of Ellie’s head, Carl followed the two of them but could still hear Marlene’s words in the silent hall.

“Joel, don’t fuck this up. Please.”