#Starship Iris season 1

[iffeelscouldkill]

Fic: the old stars are of no importance

Summary: In which RJ McCabe has more emotions about listening to a drunken group singalong than they'd expected. Set during season 1 episodes 9 & 10 and the aftermath of episode 10.

Also posted to Dreamwidth & AO3, or just keep reading for the fic!

---

Junior Agent RJ McCabe is having a terrible day.

A terrible week, actually. Or make that a terrible career.

RJ is no stranger to hard work – no-one can power through the Academy and get a Junior Agent role at twenty-three without working incredibly hard. But since Park was tak- since Park was rightfully apprehended, it’s not felt like hard work so much as desperately paddling to keep their head above water. All the weird stares, the muttering, the pointed questions from their superiors that RJ answers as honestly as possible while frantically analysing the words for anything that could reflect negatively on them.

They go from urgent briefing to the office to one-on-one report with the Major General to another briefing to the office to home, finally, though they’re barely sleeping. RJ is pretty sure their blood volume is 95% caffeine, lately – thankfully the IGR doesn’t test for that.

In recognition of the awfulness of break room coffee, they brew it at home and bring a big flask with them. Or they would, except that this morning they tiredly fumbled the pot while pouring and scalded their hand, causing them to flinch and drop it, splattering half of the coffee across their tiny kitchen floor. They lost ten minutes to the clean-up and they have half as much coffee as they need, damn it.

All of which is to say that they’re not in the mood for Junior Agent Goodman’s attitude.

“Twelve hours of nothing?” RJ repeats as they stare down at Goodman, whose normal mask of impassiveness has given way to annoyance. He looks tired, but RJ is no stranger to all-nighters, and Goodman shouldn’t be either if he wants to get anywhere in the Republic.

“The crew was mostly asleep for part of it,” Goodman responds. “Is there coffee?”

“It’s dreck,” RJ says. They’re wondering if padding out their stock of coffee with the break room sludge will result in halfway drinkable coffee. It will probably just taint the decent stuff.

“Yes, because I drink break room coffee for the delicate aroma,” Goodman says, his sarcasm acidic, and RJ’s patience snaps.

“I don’t want to write you up for insubordination—”

They listen to Goodman’s rationale for throwing away a full twelve hours of audio, interjecting with pointed questions. When Goodman says, “Trust me,” they almost snort. Trust Goodman. Trust Goodman after his leading questions about Park and his poorly-hidden recording device. After RJ had confronted him about the recording, he’d simply smiled and said, “You can’t be too careful.”

RJ is just taking his advice. They hold out their hand. “Hand me the headphones.”

The audio picks up mid-conversation, and at first it sounds like so much nonsensical rambling, until RJ is able to pick up the thread of what the insurgents are talking about. Edict 1837. Any confession by a known criminal needs to be transcribed, analysed, and examined for veracity – no matter what the contents.

RJ has to suppress a smirk when they realise what Goodman has been dealing with all night. For once, they’re glad they’re the ranking Agent.

They’re tempted to skip over it, but they can at least listen to the entirety of the group’s confessions. Patel and Tripathi’s knowledge of Republic laws and edicts gives them the advantage in creating, if not convincing confessions, certainly detailed ones. Jeeter’s is less elaborate, but would require a qualified Ancient Pre-Crisis Languages expert to verify. The Dwarnian Krejjh’s ‘confession’ is a pure flight of fantasy – no-one rational has believed Dwarnians can shapeshift since at least 2175.

As for Violet Liu – RJ would have expected her to choose a confession oriented towards her history as a Republic scientist. “The lead singer of Birdie and the Swansong” is just silly.

Their finger hovers over the fast forward button as Patel drunkenly challenges Liu to “prove it”.

And then –

Violet Liu starts to sing.

“So long, can’t dodge the dawn, red light shines on and on and on and on and on...”

RJ has heard Violet sing before, during 'Report 1: Violet Liu', but there's something startling about hearing her suddenly strike out into song, a little unsteady but clear and melodious.

The note hangs there for an uncertain few seconds before Patel takes up the next line.

“But it’s not the sea that’s coming for me-”

And then Liu joins back in-

“-and it’s not the storm, no, it’s not the storm…”

Tripathi starts playing a guitar – they’ve heard her idly strumming it in her room during downtime – and suddenly they’re all singing.

“When I go to sea, don’t fear for me,

“Fear for the storm, fear for the storm!”

RJ squints in confusion, forehead creasing. What are they all doing? Is this a taunt? Because they know they’re being listened to? Why else would the whole crew be sitting around singing like they don’t have a care?

(Fleetingly, RJ wonders what it would be like to have that level of comfort with a group. An image of Nan and Ferdy flashes across their mind’s eye before they quickly squash it. They’re getting distracted).

“So gather your charts and your portents,

“Throw them aside,

“The old stars are of no importance,

“They’re not what I navigate by...”

In hours of monitoring, RJ has never heard the crew sing together, yet they harmonise seamlessly like they’ve done it a hundred times.

The words are – nonsensical, just old-world seafaring imagery of seas and charts and stars. But the way the group sings gives them an energy; makes them important. Like they might be the last thing you’ll ever hear.

“Though I may burn, the heavens may learn to fear for the storm...

“Fear for the storm.”

Liu sings the final lines, and then Krejjh exclaims, delighted,

“Oops – I guess we’re all Birdy and the Swansong. What a coincidence!”

The whole group bursts into laughter, and RJ’s finger stabs angrily down on the fast forward button.

“Don’t tell me it’s all like this.”

They pretend not to see Agent Goodman rolling his eyes.

---

The rest of the day blurs past, the usual chain of reports, audio, meetings, exchanging terse words with Goodman (who’s even more sarcastic thanks to his all-nighter), more reports, more audio.

They dismiss Goodman at the end of the workday, even though overtime is the norm in the Republic to the point where the ‘workday’ doesn’t really have a beginning and an end. (This was less depressing to RJ when they thought the agents were all getting overtime pay). He quickly goes, obviously not wanting to wait around for them to change their mind.

Silence descends.

RJ mechanically fills in a few more forms, initials some reports, getting caught up on the endless paperwork that’s generated by active cases. The Rumor audio isn’t being logged as it’s coming in; last night was an exceptional case in the aftermath of the insurgents making contact with the other Violet Liu, but based on the subsequent twelve hours of audio and today’s similar experience, they’ve determined it’s a more prudent use of resources to analyse it after the fact.

So, there’s no reason for RJ to be going over to the bank of audio desks and slipping on a pair of headphones. An audio file has just come in, but RJ pulls up an older file and scrubs through it, looking for the right timestamp.

They’re just double-checking Goodman’s work – making sure nothing was omitted when investigating the insurgents’ confessions under Edict 1837. A missed detail could give rise to a lot of additional paperwork, and their department can’t afford another blot on its track record. They pull an empty notepad towards them and poise a pen over it, ready to take notes.

But the notepad stays blank throughout the confessions, and then the singing begins.

“So long, can’t dodge the dawn, red light shines on and on and on and on and on…”

Maybe the lyrics could be – could contain some kind of code? RJ scrawls, The old stars are of no importance, and then just as quickly scratches it out. Code for who? That wouldn’t make any sense. The words don’t mean anything.

“So gather your charts and your portents,

“Throw them aside...”

RJ has never been one for music or singing (especially in public); they always shrugged Nan off when she tried to cajole them into karaoke. At the Academy, they’d sat on the sidelines during that kind of drunken, raucous group bonding, nursing one drink and wishing they could be literally anywhere else. Eventually, they’d started making excuses about work to catch up on.

Listening to the Rumor crew sing should sound like that – the kind of alcohol-fuelled stupidity that RJ has never wanted to be a part of.

It shouldn’t sound like –

Like family.

“Though I may burn, the heavens may learn to fear for the storm…”

The song ends, and RJ quickly hits ‘stop’. Almost guiltily, they navigate back through the audio to where the beginning of the song would be.

Distant footsteps sound in the corridor, and RJ goes very still, listening. Clark went home hours ago, so it’s not her.

They refuse to look around furtively, because that would be childish and also, they’re not doing anything wrong. They’re just doing their job.

RJ hits ‘play’ again.

“So long, can’t dodge the dawn…”

---

Chaos reigns as RJ, Park, Liu, Patel and Krejjh dash towards the window where Tripathi hovers with the heisted spaceship. The Vre Chel Noke nanoswarm, which had been a thick, shimmering mist around them seconds ago, hovers ominously like a warning.

It’s enough to keep Goodman and the other guards from trying to retaliate as Tripathi begins helping each of them into the open spaceship door. (RJ was tempted to take a potshot at Goodman in the chaos, but they told themself they’re better than that. Also, they didn’t want to waste any time). RJ is keeping their eyes fixed on Park, deliberately not thinking about what they’re doing, just thinking about the next moment. Stay alive. Get out of here. And then – we’ll see.

As Tripathi holds out her hand to RJ, though, they can’t resist a last glance behind them at everything they’re leaving behind. They thought this building would be the site of a long and (hopefully) distinguished career; it was practically their home, their life – until recently.

A line bubbles up in their mind, and RJ stifles the absurd urge to laugh. The old stars are of no importance – They’re not what I navigate by…

RJ turns away and accepts Tripathi’s hand up into the ship.

---

All things considered, it’s not surprising that only a few hours after joining the crew, RJ finds themself in the middle of a group singalong.

The mood is a mixture of tense and exhilarated in the immediate aftermath of their getaway. Everyone is visibly exhausted, Park possibly most of all, but it’s clear they’re all too wired to sleep or rest. They wander around the new ship, acquainting themselves with the layout and the rooms. The Rumor crew all exclaim over the size of the mess hall, which is pretty small to RJ’s eyes, but they guess anything would seem impressive compared to the homemade junk bucket the crew were flying in before.

The crew have a couple of bags stowed away, stuffed with supplies – all that’s left of the old ship. RJ thinks fleetingly of their small, bare apartment. There’s nothing they’ll miss.

Jeeter – Brian – makes some food and crucially, coffee, which is as bad as the break room dreck, but RJ will inhale anything at this point. The group chatters, their voices still surreal for RJ to hear in person and not through headphones.

They glance at Park, who looks more relaxed than they’ve ever seen him. The Rumor crew are sharing details about what happened to each of them during ‘The Plan’; Park volunteers a little about his own part, though there’s a conspicuous lack of detail about anything related to Zone Z. Sometimes the conversation falls awkwardly silent when the subject comes up. RJ isn’t about to push, and can tell the others don’t want to, either.

Trip- Sana and Krejjh determine it’s safe to set the new ship to autopilot, and Krejjh comes into the mess, intensifying the noise and cheerfulness. RJ tries not to stare; they’ve never been in close quarters with a Dwarnian (well, before shooting Krejjh earlier) and have only ever seen them in Republic training footage and, uh, Sh’th Hremreh. But Krejjh seems to find them fascinating, too, gamely questioning them about their ‘sharpshooting’ skills. Apparently sparing their life carries more weight than shooting them in the leg.

Eventually, Krejjh’s attention turns to their fiancé and the wider group, and RJ, no longer observed, lets their shoulders slump. They’ve drained the last of their coffee and want to ask for more, even though they’re practically vibrating. Adrenaline has carried them this far, and they don’t want to find out what happens when they crash and the reality of what they’ve done hits them. Part of RJ feels like they left their body back at Headquarters; or like they’re about to blink and wake up in their office chair with Goodman glaring at them.

“You okay?” Park asks in an undertone, and RJ jolts, upsetting their thankfully empty cup. They open their mouth to reply, but then Sana calls, “Okay, everyone!”

She’s holding a guitar, and RJ stares, wondering how much space that must have taken up in the supply bags. Arkady groans, but she doesn’t look angry. Violet covers her mouth in amusement, and Krejjh cheers.

“I thought we could christen our new ship with a bit of a song,” Sana says earnestly (RJ is learning that ‘earnest’ is Sana’s default mode). Park’s eyes widen, which makes RJ glad that they’re not the only one experiencing slight panic. Is it too late to sneak out? Sana plucks at the guitar strings, twiddling the pegs to tune them. She strums a chord and nods, satisfied.

“What shall we start with? Any suggestions?” Her gaze alights on Park and RJ, and she smiles encouragingly. “McCabe – do you want to suggest a song? You don’t have to sing if you’re not comfortable.”

“Uh…” RJ would like to suggest something less – incriminating, but unfortunately, there’s only one song currently on their mind. “What about... ‘Fear for the Storm’?”

To their relief, Sana doesn’t ask questions. “Good choice!” she says, and RJ feels, ridiculously, pleased. Park quirks an eyebrow at them after Sana looks away, but RJ just shrugs, not wanting to explain.

Sana strums a few opening chords, and Violet and Arkady begin, singing the first line together.

“So long, can’t dodge the dawn, red light shines on and on and on and on and on...”

RJ sits back in their chair and fractionally, begins to relax, letting the singing wash over and around them.

Quietly, too quietly, to be heard beneath the singing, they hum along.

---

A/N: So the idea conception for this fic went something like this:

Me: Okay, I've got this fun idea I want to write about the real lead singer of Birdie and the Swansong listening to the Iris casefiles and reacting to the group singalong-

My brain: I have an even better version of that idea!

Me: Yes?

My brain: What if McCabe-

Me: OH MY GOD

...Go on...

I have one (1) character whose perspective I'm consistently inspired to write from and can do so at the drop of a hat xD (I was trying to write this in a few days for the Small Fandoms Surprise Scramble on Dreamwidth. I succeeded!

The idea that became this idea was sparked off by listening to the full cast version of Fear for the Storm and having some Emotions about it again :D I remember how captivated I was by this song when listening to Episode 9 for the very first time, and so the idea of giving McCabe some of those Emotions was a very appealing one. Poor thing is going through it.

This also gave me a chance to write about the immediate aftermath of Episode 10, which I had not done before!

[boombox-fuckboy]

May 3rd is Bandcamp Friday, which means artists on Bandcamp get more out of your purchases. Why not support some of your favourite fiction podcasters, and get some crisp audio in the process?

Fiction Podcasts

Anamnesis (Full Audio Drama + Soundtrack)

Awake

Camlann (Season 1)

The Dungeon Economic Model (The Complete Series)

Folxlore (Part 1 • Part 2)

Inn Between (Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3)

Old Gods of Appalachia (Season 1 • Season 3)

Sidequesting (Season 1 • Season 2)

The Tower (Part I • Part II • Part III)

What Will Be Here

Podcast Specials

The Deca Tapes (Puzzle Box)

The Dungeon Economic Model (Halloween Special)

Leaving Corvat (TEMPLE OF SLEEP)

Welcome To Night Vale (Live Shows: Condos • The Debate • The Librarian • The Investigators • Ghost Stories • All Hail • A Spy in the Desert • The Haunting of Night Vale)

Where The Stars Fell (The Christmas Chronicle)

Music From Podcasts

The Adventure Zone

Aftershocks (Soundtrack)

Alice Isn't Dead (Music From)

All My Fantasy Children

Among The Stars and Bones (OST)

ars PARADOXICA (When I'm Not Here • Electric River (End Theme))

The Ballard of Anne & Mary (Soundtrack)

The Big Loop (OST: FML • The Fugue )

The Deca Tapes (OST)

The Department of Variance of Somewhere, Ohio (OST: Season One • Season Two)

Dreamboy (Silent Night, Holy Night)

The Dungeon Economic Model (Royal Musical Accompaniment • Chill Beats to Build Profitable Dungeons To)

Eeler's Choice (OST)

The Fall of the House of Sunshine

Folxlore (Music To Dance With Your Inner Demons To)

Friends At The Table

Gospels of the Flood (Soundtrack)

Greater Boston (Soundtrack, Seasons 1-3)

The Grotto (Soundtrack)

Hello From The Hallowoods (Starcrossed Gods OST)

It Makes A Sound (Wim Farros: The Attic Tape)

Kane and Feels (OST: Volume 1 • Volume 2)

Lake Clarity (OST)

Leaving Corvat (Re-mastered soundtrack)

Liars & Leeches

The Lost Cat Podcast (Musical Features)

Malevolent

Midnight Radio (OST)

Mockery Manor (The Music Of: Season One • Season Two • Season Three • A Midwinter Night's Dream)

Neoscum

Nowhere, On Air

Old Gods of Appalachia (What is Sung Under The Mountain Vol. 1 • The Land Unknown (Theme) • The Bride • Familiar & Beloved)

Our Fair City

The Pasithea Powder (Theme • Mary Ann • Odysseus)

The Penumbra Podcast

The Polybius Conspiracy (OST)

Re: Dracula (Concept Album)

ROGUEMAKER (Soundtrack)

Rogue Runners (OST)

Skyjacks (Call of the Sky)

Station Blue (OST)

The Strange Case of Starship Iris

This Planet Needs a Name (Albums: The Nameless Songs - Landing - Growing - Shifting)

The Tower (Original Score: Part I • Part II • Part III)

Unplaced (Soundtrack)

Unseen (Soundtrack)

Where The Stars Fell

WOE.BEGONE

Wolf 359 (OST: Volume One • Volume Two • Volume Three)

Zero Hours

2024 Bandcamp Friday Dates

May 3rd

September 6th

October 4th

December 6th

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

Who is the Sexiest Fictional Podcast Character?

After receiving 219 submissions for 152 characters from 52 podcasts and a round of preliminaries, we have our brackets!*

*20 characters from the podcast Welcome to Night Vale will appear later in a Night Vale-only bracket.

Round 1:

Scripted Bracket

Isabel Lovelace (Wolf 359) vs Cyrille (5 Minuten Harry Podcast)

Krejjh (The Strange Case of Starship Iris) vs Lady Ethel Mallory (Hello From The Hallowoods)

Lord Arum (The Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel) vs The Witch Queen A.K.A. Daughter Dooley (Old Gods of Appalachia

Warren Kepler (Wolf 359) vs Ashley "Ash" Ramis (Georgie Romero is Done For)

Brutus Feels (Kane and Feels) vs Shan (SPINES)

Sir Caroline (The Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel) vs The Dragon Narrator (Unseen)

Alé (The Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel) vs Hester/The Narrator (Within The Wires: Season 1)

Thistle/The Woman (Alice Isn't Dead) vs Sam Bailey (The Sheridan Tapes)

Peter Nureyev (The Penumbra Podcast: Juno Steel) vs Butt (Pounded In The Butt By My Own Podcast: Episode 1)

Alice (Alice Isn't Dead) vs Diggory Graves (Hello From the Hallowoods)

Antigone Funn (Wooden Overcoats) vs Ryan Dallas (EOS 10)

Martin Blackwood (The Magnus Archives) vs Galileo (Let's Make A Music)

Lucifer Kane (Kane and Feels) vs Gin (Story Break: Heaven Heist)

Amaryllis of Exile (The Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel) vs Mabel Martin (Mabel)

Pilot Pereya (The Penumbra Podcast: Juno Steel) vs Hester Oleta (Within The Wires: Season 1)

Strelitzia (Additional Postage Required) vs Harold "HBD" Bastion Demetrius (The Soft-Boiled Detective)

Akmazian (EOS 10) vs Everyone from The Strange Case of Starship Iris

Damien (The Bright Sessions) vs Mari Datuin (Hi Nay)

Count Dracula (Re: Dracule) vs Static Man (Archive 81)

Dragana Vukovic (The White Vault) vs Elias Bouchard (The Magnus Archives)

Agnes Montague (The Magnus Archives) vs Vega Rex (Vega: A Sci-Fi Adventure Podcast!)

Mina Murray (Re: Dracula) vs Nicholas Waters (Archive 81)

Mark Bryant (The Bright Sessions) vs Laura (Hi Nay)

Georgie Crusoe (Wooden Overcoats) vs Kate Burnham (The Bridge)

Keisha (Alice Isn't Dead) vs SAYER (SAYER)

Chance Sequoyah (The Penumbra Podcast) vs Yaretzi (Hello From The Hallowoods)

Buddy Aurinko (The Penumbra Podcast: Juno Steel) vs Dane (Dreamboy)

Sadie Doyle (Thrilling Adventure Hour: Beyond Belief) vs Hera (Wolf 359)

Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives) vs The CryptoNaturalist (The CryptoNaturalist)

Rita (The Penumbra Podcast: Juno Steel) vs Lou (Archive 81)

Dr. Joan Bright (The Bright Sessions) vs Ashvin Beeharee (Hi Nay)

Renée Minkowski (Wolf 359) vs Clara Page (Who is Aldrich Kemp)

Unscripted Bracket

Pickman (Friends at the Table: Sangfielle) vs The Shadow Man ('Til Death Do Us Blart)

Beacon (The Adventure Zone: Amnesty vs Glenn Close (Dungeons and Daddies)

Oscar Wilde (Rusty Quill Gaming) vs Grand Magnificent (Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage)

Taako (The Adventure Zone: Balance) vs Bathin (Stella Firma)

Lup (The Adventure Zone: Balance) vs Sago Glegg (Rotating Heroes: Arc 6)

Sans Undertale (Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined: Authority) vs M. Leopold Duvall (Friends at the Table: Sangfielle)

Duck Newton (The Adventure Zone: Amnesty) vs Chine (Friends at the Table: Sangfielle)

Tryst Valentine (Campaign: Star Wars) vs Mini Smithson (Chapter and Multiverse: Masks)

Gable (Campaign: Skyjacks) vs Hector Hu (Friends at the Table: Bluff City)

Michael (The Adventure Zone: Dust) vs Nicky Close (Dungeons and Daddies

Zolf Smith (Rusty Quill Gaming) vs Fourteen Fifteen (Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage)

Coco Cashmere (Hey Riddle Riddle) vs Trexel Geistman (Stella Firma)

Killian Fangbattle (The Adventure Zone: Balance) vs Henrietta Salm (Pest Control: Fate)

Kalvin Brnine (Friends at the Table: PALISADE) vs Lye "Lyke" Lichen (Friends at the Table: Sangfielle)

Indrid Cold (The Adventure Zone: Amnesty) vs Rigour (Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight)

Chunt (Hello From The Magic Tavern) vs Suvirin Kedberiket (Worlds Beyond Number: The Wizard, The Witch, and the Wild One)

Tender Sky (Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage) vs Pox (NeoScum)

The Firbolg (The Adventure Zone: Graduation) vs Ron Stampler (Dungeons and Daddies)

Azu (Rusty Quill Gaming) vs Hadrian (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron)

Moonshine Cybin (Not Another D&D Podcast: Bahumia) vs Caspian (Just Roll With It: Riptide)

Amber Gris (The Adventure Zone: Ethersea) vs Jens Lyndelle (Not Another D&D Podcast: Trinvyvale)

Perennial (Friends at the Table: PARTIZAN and PALISADE) vs Throndir (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron)

Nadiya Jones (The Adventure Zone: Commitment) vs Ibex (Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight)

Cassander Timaeus Berenice (Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight) vs Tech Wizard (NeoScum)

Vermillion "Milli" Blue (Friends at the Table: PARTIZAN) vs Dak Rambo (NeoScum)

Rainer (The Adventure Zone: Graduation) vs Mercedes Oak-Garcia (Dungeons and Daddies)

Thisbe (Friends at the Table: PARTIZAN and PALISADE) vs Echo Reverie (Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage)

Kravitz (The Adventure Zone: Balance) vs Henry Hogfish (Not Another D&D Podcast)

Aubrey Little (The Adventure Zone: Amnesty) vs Glenfyr "Glen" Gladewyn (Not Another D&D Podcast

Cel Sidebottom (Rusty Quill Gaming) vs Adelaide Tristé (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron)

Kardala (The Adventure Zone: Commitment) vs Jacqui Green (Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight)

Hella Varal (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron) vs (Former) Confessor Bartholomew Lamentations (The Unexplored Places: Ruin's Gate)

[iriscasefiles]

Thanks for the recent reminder re. the Starship Iris Patreon. I've just signed up and hope that helps a bit! Is there any other way to donate to support the show? I discovered Starship Iris after both seasons 1 & 2 had already aired. Since then I've re-listened multiple times (it's got me through some really rough times). If there's a way to make a one-off donation, I'd be happy to do that too.

thank you so much, greatly appreciated and so glad that the show has been able to help you at all.

if you'd like to check out our merch store (i don't think i've promoted it in a while), we sell via teepublic and we have some extremely good designs—including Landers Never Stand Down, Birdie and the Swansong, and SPACE BEES—all of which you can get as a variety of shirts, or mugs or prints or stickers, etc.

if you'd rather just donate a flat amount, you can do that here.

thanks again! i say this all the time but this show would be genuinely impossible to make if it wasn't for our wonderful, supportive audience.

[falderaletcetera]

Arkady: So, the Carmen Gambit is Jeeter’s pretentious name for one of the easiest short-term cons of the modern age. Named for the novella, obviously. Violet: Sorry, what? Arkady: Carmen. It’s about this broke Roma con artist. There’s a scene where she’s about to be arrested for a street brawl, and then she realizes the officer’s from this tiny, remote part of Spain. Carmen plays on his sympathy by pretending she’s from there too. “Oh, I was only punching that dude because he insulted our glorious homeland” blah blah. Part of him knows she’s lying, but he’s so homesick-- That’s the thing, right? All of us living out here in space. Go back one, two generations and most of us are from someplace else. Another planet, another station. Earth. They raise you on stories of a place you’ve maybe never even seen, until it’s just an outgrowth of your imagination. So we fly around and we spread out farther and farther, and in the meantime, in the back of our minds, we’re constantly nostalgic for someone else’s memories. Violet: That’s beautiful. Arkady: Yeah, here’s the real beauty. It makes people stunningly easy to con.

— The Strange Case Of Starship Iris season 1 episode 5: The Carmen Gambit

[disneytva]

Disney Networks - March 2024 Highlights

Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur

Dog Day Mid-Afternoon 2/3

In the Heist 2/3

Roller Jam! 9/3

Dancing With Myself 9/3

Family Matters 16/3

The Molecular Level 16/3

Shortlidays

Hailey Banks' Disney Mini Movie Marathon 8/3

Hailey's On It!

Mer-made in Oceanside ; Full House (of Bugs) 16/3

The Umpire Strikes Back ; Magician: Impossible 23/3

Bad Bear Deay ; 2001: A Spouse Odyssey 30/3

Big City Greens

The NHL Big City Greens Classic II 8/3

Pupstruction

A Bright Idea ; The Friendliest Frog 1/3

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures

The Caves of Batuu ; Finders Keepers 1/3

The Starship Show ; Nash's Super Busy Day 8/3

The Prince And The Pirate SEASON FINALE 15/3

Firebuds

Skitty Kitty ; Heat Wave 8/3

Wayne's Trains and Automobiles ; Jazzy Buds 22/3

Alice's Wonderland Bakery

Dance of the Cherry Blossoms ; Alice and the Carpenter 11/3

Here Kitty Kitty ; The Bread and Butterfly Effect 18/3

A Spicy Situation / Iris on the Beach 25/3

Mickey Mouse Funhouse

The Trail Less Traveled ; Vardavar! 1/3

Daisy and the Missing Dream ; Daisy's Big Picture 8/3

Goofy Foot Grommet ; The Enchanted Rescue 29/3

Spidey And His Amazing Friends

Tiny Car Caper ; Toothy Fairy Tricks 15/3

[podcast-song-showdown]

Let's hear some words from our ardent audience:

"There is nothing better than a found family spaceship crew all singing together"

"Arden Season 2 dared to ask the question "What if Hamlet Prince of Denmark was a singer-songwriter in rural Montana playing her original songs at the explicably thriving local open mic scene while fighting to own her father's ranch? And what if her songs actually really slapped??" (Honestly it was hard to pick which one of Dana Hamil's songs to submit but this is my favourite.)" (editor's note: that sounds absolutely awesome. Maybe I should listen)

[wall-e-gorl]

Audio Drama Podcasts to Listen to Based Off of Unprepared Casters Arcs

Some spoilers for the arcs and pods and also im not consistent in the explanations, you just have to trust me bro ♡ also i dont mention everything so follow the link on your fav arc(s) at least please

Arc 1, Dragons in Dungeons

Inn Between

You want classic dnd? This is classic dnd. Inn Between tells the story of a dnd adventuring party (no this isn't an actual play) in the moments between the adventure. The adventure is only seen in the previously on/up coming section and if it happens to go on in the Inn. Character focused, you really get to delve into the characters (and the meta players! See arc 7*)

Arc 2, Lovejoy's Four

Second Star to the Left

This is for the fans of the gay cats. Space romance between a scout explorer preparing a planet for settlement and her scout minder, a voice in her ear for a couple hours a week. theres some crime, no cats, and a lot about connections between people.

Arc 3, Gonna Raise Hell

The Strange Case of Starship Iris

Gay Smugglers in Space are trying to solve a mystery and then take down a big power thats not doing whats best for its people. this also could have worked for arc 2 but its here instead for the crew and their history together.

Arc 4, Orb is Life

In Transit

Listen. im not a sportsball person. have a space murder mystery/mystery. it relates i promise

Arc 5, Lives of the Party

Someone Dies in this Elevator

Theres Always An Elevator And Someone Always Dies.

Arc 6, The Glacerian Trail

What Will Be Here?

I havent actually listened to wwbh, but its about building and living on a doomed planet. Which feels fitting to the arc where people are trying to survive against the odds, and in Beryl's case, how to live with the odds.

Arc 7. Wizards off the Coast

Inn Between

Surprise! This one's on here twice, this is one of my favorites so I feel no guilt about it. For arc 7 I specifically recommend season 3 and 4, just because it's a new group with the same meta players! We know it's the same group playing dnd and we can start to see threads between their characters, that we will get to see if it continues into season 5 with the other new party we get to meet. It's not the same as a group returning as the same characters but its similar enough imo. Really though, I recommend the whole show

Arc 8, The King is Dead

RADIO: Outcast

This ones kinda a wild card. a western for the high politics? yea uh its on here because i dont listen to high politics but i think the people who like the character dynamics will find this interesting as well.

Arc 9, Once Upon a Crime

Starfall

Storybook fae magic with your coworkers-turned-family. need i say more

Arc 10, Daggers Out

Re: Dracula

This ones not out yet. It's the podcast version of Dracula Daily, but with all the add ons that podcasts have. Voice actors, sound effects, editing to remove the unnecessary bigotry, soundtracks, ect ect. I put this here for the vampires, just go check out their tumblr honestly

[elliesgaymachete]

I finished season 1 of the strange case of starship iris and I’m literally obsessed….. someone talk to me about violet and arkady….I love all these ragtag rebels so much

[fearforthestorm]

[banners]

these are all just for fun and made by me! pinned was getting too long and unwieldy with all the banners so I'm moving them to a separate post that will be linked in the actual pinned post!

[banner 1 description: a banner with a desaturated yellow/magenta/indigo gradient background and text reading "CCs can interact but only after watching Inro's Hardcore Season 3: Secret Rivals (it's very important I promise)". end ID]

this is a propaganda post go watch inro's secret rivals

[banner 2 description: a lavender banner that says "OP is a MCYT stan" with a small diamond sword and mellohi music disc on one side and a crafting table on the other. below that in smaller text is "If you say "MCYT/DSMP DNI" then don't interact with me". the text is black, all-caps serif font. end ID]

for clarification here: this banner is meant mostly in a "if you're the kind of person who equates the entire vast and varied field of Minecraft YouTube down to the specific things you dislike, and you're an asshole about it, fuck off, i don't want you here" kind of way. this banner does not mean that we support or condone any given actions! of fucking course we don't support racism transphobia etc!

[banner 3 description: a light blue banner with an Evo symbol and green handwritten text reading "OP is a Watchers apologist btw (heart)". end ID]

this is an ATUS hate blog. the Watchers aren't evil or purple or even have fancy masks go actually watch Evo before claiming that fanon concepts of the Watchers are canon <3

[banner 4 description: a dark outer space textured banner with text reading "haha block people am i right. anyway, podcast laser beam attack!!" the words "podcast laser beam attack are large all caps with many exclamation points and in a bright purple text with flame effects. end ID]

go listen to The Strange Case Of Starship Iris, our url source <3

[runixa]

Aaaahhhh!

I'm listening to "the strange case of the starship iris" for the millionth time.

And the moment when crejj and Brian say I love you to each other in season 1 episode six is so sweet.

Saying it in each other's languages after being so cute.

It melts me every time

[iffeelscouldkill]

Throwback to that time Arkady got the priority status of the Iris case bumped up all by herself

Starship Iris, season 1 episode 2:

AGENT: We have verified the identity of Arkady Patel, a.k.a. Kay Grisham, a.k.a. Ishani Kanetkar. She is a known con artist, a registered subversive, and a suspected army deserter. Too many other crimes to detail here.

[...]

The Starship Iris Case is currently classified as priority six. Due to the involvement of the criminal known as Arkady Patel, it is strongly recommended that this be revisited.

- You can't tell me that Arkady didn't cackle a bit when she listened to this (because the crew have definitely all listened to the reports they starred in). Also:

Starship Iris, season 1, episode 4:

AGENT: Our team is still working to find and tag every false identity connected with the fugitive Arkady Patel. Verified: Kay Grisham, Ishani Kanetkar, and Sister Theresa Margaret. Suspected: Duchess Calpurnia Higginsworth-Cobb.

ILU ARKADY. Who else badly wants a spin-off miniseries entitled The Strange Shenanigans of Arkady Patel?

[tunedtostatic]

I turned my meandering tags from my “Arkady is the baby of the Rumor crew” post into a longer meta thing like the navel-gazer I am because I’m still thinking about this

OP was “Arkady technically being the baby of the original Rumor crew is both funny (because she, not to mention the others, absolutely does not act like it), and heartbreaking (because she, not to mention the others, absolutely does not act like it)” with disclaimer “I haven't listened to the new episode yet apologies if anything in it makes this post tasteless and/or incorrect somehow #I mean incorrect probably no since the only avenue to that would be Krejjh being the Dwarnian-maturity equivalent of < 27 which I doubt” that I edited that if Episode 7 doesn't underline part two of point two, idk what does

#but seriously the 'technically' here is only because of Violet coming next at ~28 #next is Brian at 34 and like there are fandom jokes predicated on the dynamic of Arkady as Brian's big sister #and they're funny because they're not wrong but when you look at the ages Brian is closer to a decade older than her than he is to her age

#of course with the advent of RJ Arkady is not the baby of the Iris 2 #there's probably something to be said about Arkady's animosity toward them in light of all this #to the others RJ is more easily a Poor Misguided Kid while to Arkady (and Violet) they're closer to just being a peer

#anyway I think Arkady's characterization really hits the nail on the head for a character #who had to be competent during trauma during‚ as Violet put it‚ developmentally important years #hypercompetent in professional/social contexts but with large gaps in her personal emotional skills #(*Not* saying this to be nasty about her orientation. Ace adults are adults and being grey-ace is not some kind of adulthood deficit. #but rather the like. hiding in the air vents)

I think one way Arkady is such a delightful character concept is as a dramatization of spending the “becoming an adult” years under stress with no consistent older adult presence. She’s given a gun in desperate circumstances on Cresswin, then goes to the front lines of a war where the adult presence is the terrible leadership, teaching herself skills (“I hack, I lie, I fight”) and becoming superfluously good at them along the way. At twenty-seven, she’s been “doing adulthood” for well over a decade, and in many ways the result is hypercompetence. She’s an experienced deputy leader of the crew who can improvise, collaborate, or take the lead on any challenge. But she skipped a lot of emotional development steps and never had the chance to learn “how to do adulthood” from adults under okay circumstances.

The result is...like, not to project (second-hand project?) onto fictional characters, but when listening to the podcast it feels like part of Arkady’s ridiculousness is that she’s dealing with the same contrast me/friends who took on some adult responsibilities as teenagers are dealing with. She grew up presenting as “more adult than the adults” and would have been the last person to notice (or be told) she still had growing up to do, but in reality she does have these areas of emotional maturity that never had a chance to develop. (And PTSD she isn’t dealing with, which is kind of a separate but connected issue.) It’s a contrast that seems dramatized by the difference between Kay Grisham/Sister Theresa Margaret/Duchess Calpurnia Higginsworth-Cob interacting with people on the job during a con and Arkady interacting with people in her personal life.

Back to Arkady being the baby of the crew, Arkady’s competence and authority makes her dynamic with the crew interesting. Obviously it’s good she has a home with people who respect her competence instead of treating her like a kid sister because she isn’t in her thirties (can you imagine). But the way Sana, Brian and Krejjh lean on her as a hypercompetent First Mate makes it seem important for Violet to be around to poke at the edges of her issues. Arkady might have a point about Violet’s “huge panicky eyes” making it hard to talk to about her about her past, but Violet having that alarmed outsider POV on the shit Arkady has been through and the ways it has affected her matters too.

(Episode 7 spoilers) Yes I’m annoyed with Krejjh for making impulsive choices that led to Arkady getting shot and then continuing to lean on her emotionally as a shoulder to cry on at the end of the episode, though speaking of projecting onto fictional characters I’ve definitely screwed up in the same kind of ways Krejjh did, so no hate. But I am wondering if them treating Arkady as an invulnerable protector will come up at some point in addition to wherever the thing with Arkady’s PTSD is going.

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

Who is the Sexiest Podcast Character?

After 37,942 votes over 64 polls, we are now ready for Round 2 of the tournament!

Round 1 Masterpost

Round 2:

Scripted Bracket

Isabel Lovelace (Wolf 359) vs Lady Ethel Mallory (Hello From The Hallowoods)

The Witch Queen A.K.A. Daughter Dooley (Old Gods of Appalachia) vs Warren Kepler (Wolf 359)

Brutus Feels (Kane and Feels) vs Sir Caroline (The Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel)

Alé (The Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel) vs Thistle/The Woman (Alice Isn't Dead)

Peter Nureyev (The Penumbra Podcast: Juno Steel) vs Alice (Alice Isn't Dead)

Antigone Funn (Wooden Overcoats) vs Martin Blackwood (The Magnus Archives)

Lucifer Kane (Kane and Feels) vs Mabel Martin (Mabel)

Oleta (Within The Wires: Season 1) vs Strelitzia (Additional Postage Required)

Everyone from the Strange Case of Starship Iris vs Mari Datuin (Hi Nay)

Static Man (Archive 81) vs Dragana Vukovic (The White Vault)

Agnes Montague (The Magnus Archives) vs Mina Murray (Re: Dracula)

Laura Nichols (Hi Nay) vs Georgie Crusoe (Wooden Overcoats)

Keisha (Alice Isn't Dead) vs Yaretzi (Hello From The Hallowoods)

Buddy Aurinko (The Penumbra Podcast: Juno Steel) vs Hera (Wolf 359)

Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives) vs Rita (The Penumbra Podcast: Juno Steel)

Dr. Joan Bright (The Bright Sessions) vs Renée Minkowski (Wolf 359)

Unscripted Bracket

Pickman (Friends at the Table: Sangfielle) vs Glenn Close (Dungeons & Daddies)

Grand Magnificent (Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage) vs Taako (The Adventure Zone: Balance)

Lup (The Adventure Zone: Balance) vs Sans Undertale (Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined: Authority)

Chine (Friends at the Table: Sangfielle) vs Tryst Valentine (Campaign: Star Wars)

Gable (Campaign: Skyjacks) vs Nicky Close (Dungeons & Daddies)

Fourteen Fifteen (Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage) vs Coco Cashmere (Hey Riddle Riddle)

Killian Fangbattle (The Adventure Zone: Balance) vs Kalvin Brnine (Friends at the Table: PARTIZAN and PALISADE)

Indrid Cold (The Adventure Zone: Amnesty) vs Suvirin "Suvi" Kedberiket (Worlds Beyond Number: The Wizard, The Witch, and the Wild One)

Tender Sky (Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage) vs Ron Stampler (Dungeons & Daddies)

Hadrian [Rosana's Husband] (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron) vs Moonshine Cybin (Not Another D&D Podcast: Bahumia)

Amber Gris (The Adventure Zone: Ethersea) vs Throndir (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron)

Ibex (Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight) vs Cassander Timaeus Berenice (Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight)

Ver'million "Millie" Blue (Friends at the Table: PARTIZAN) vs Mercedes Oak-Garcia (Dungeons & Daddies)

Echo Reverie (Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage) vs Kravitz (The Adventure Zone: Balance)

Aubrey Little (The Adventure Zone: Amnesty) vs Adelaide Tristé (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron)

Jacqui Green (Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight) vs Hella Varal (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron)

[artblahrg]

Adjusting to life on the IRIS II. by @iffeelscouldkill

[aroconfusion]

umm did krejjh just die?!?!? there’s no way they actually died right?!?!?