#been getting into nightvale too

[2-wuv]

what's so funny is it wasn't even Kim forming that got us into DE even though kit formed before we properly got into the game. no. no it was fuckin inland forming of course ajakakdkaksxkskdkdm

[mossflower]

You ever try Alice isn’t dead? It’s a podcast from the Nightvale guy about a lesbian searching for her wife in a truck! It’s my fave fiction podcast it’s creepy and funny and weird

heard of it!! it’s in the ever growing pile of ‘things i should check out sometime’ lol

[respectthepetty]

Pride Petty Watch (The Untamed) 1/?

I let the crowd pick which two blacklisted shows I would watch from my Petty List, so I flew through the first one knowing I had this 50-episode beast waiting for me. People have warned me that the first two episodes wouldn't make sense, there are a ton of characters to keep track of, I need to watch it at normal speed, and I need to keep the sound on. Therefore, I was already mad before I hit play, yet somehow I started the first episode, blacked out, and emerged five episodes later.

Which means I like it so far, and here's some quick reasons why:

Before I start, these two better be an item because they are my favorite BTS song aka "🔥" and since I haven't seen them in the present yet, I'm fearing something happened to them in that great battle in the past, and if so, I'M GOING TO BE BE LIVID! I've had them for three whole minutes, and they are everything to me, so I feel this story is going to fuck me over.

Everyone is chasing after this golden black snitch, yet nobody is catching it, so although there is a lot of death happening, I'm laughing.

If you squint, My Stand-In and The Untamed are the same. Boys who fell off a cliff come back in another body only to live the same life with the same people and make the same bad decisions. Cool cool cool.

This current lecturer is stating nobody could find the body but he fell into fire/lava, so what body were they thinking they would find?! Also, don't think I didn't catch homeboy getting in trouble in the past for asking in class what happens when a spirit demands revenge and the instructor got upset because look where we are now! Possession of a body for the sake of revenge. Should've entertained the question, professor, because sixteen years later, it will come back to haunt you, literally.

And homeboy applied his own theory of making the possessed bodies work for him to fight the other body. He is a smart cookie, and that's why the original Moo Moo person gave his body up to him.

@dribs-and-drabbles, if this is why you told me I needed the sound on, I'm confident I'm not going to remember this melody. And how is he playing a leaf right now?

I can't take this seriously. This feels like an 80s music video, and he is about to hit me with the hottest synthesizer intro.

And the sword has the golden black snitch in it. *Pikachu face*

I can't play an instrument but for a DIY flute made out of bamboo on the spot, I thought his playing was excellent. For people being saved from being squashed, they are some haters, and I would have stopped playing just so they could suffer.

I picked up that sister is dead in the future, but her kid is a brat, and I would've been mean to him too.

And did the brother really kill him in that battle on the hill because when the entire crowd was like "you killed him, right?", he was looking like . . .

So this is the brat's daddy? It would make sense that a man who shut down an entire hotel for his party would have a son who sets 400 traps so nobody else can catch anything. The privilege is genetic.

I like him AND I respect him. He has priorities and they are to drink and party because even when he came back in that other body, he snatched the liquor. As the opening showed, he's here for a good time, not a long time.

I don't like Fuddy Duddy. He can remember 3,500 rules (this place is where fun goes to die), but couldn't remember to tell my party bro that his sister and brother were inside? Everybody just left homeboy without a note saying where they are, and Fuddy Duddy had the information, yet was too busy lecturing about rules. AND committed the ultimate party foul and wasted the liquor. Make that the 3,501th rule! He's lucky he can lay the synthesizer so well.

This is where the big battle is/was (Nightvale, Nightshade, NightWhatever), and I hope this man died in it because he is doing TOO MUCH! "I don't fear death; I fear boredom" YOU'RE boring! Shut up and go collect the pieces of that dumb rock, Thanos Jr., so we can get this battle going.

HE BROUGHT A BIRD INTO CLASS! This is the everyday American high school class.

Why is everyone in the Fire Nation so pissed? Is it because it's hot there? All of y'all are doing too much except for that sister and her brother. I know that brother was the zombie guy from the statue fight, so that means the main homeboy was talking to Fire Nation sister at the graves. That was her family's grave, and she must be a good person, who is probably dead now too.

So they can all play magical instruments? They're like Josie and the Pussycats, playing gigs between fighting crime.

The brat's dad is gold, the Cloud Recesses (what is this name about because they should be a lot more fun with a name like that?) are white and blue, and the Fire Nation is red, so it's odd that homeboy had the dark blue robes with red underneath before coming to school, and keeps getting really friendly with the fire people. Plus the cloud people's power is blue, but his comes out in bursts of red. Is his daddy really Fire Nation? Get Maury on the line.

So his bird buddy gave him porn, which he gave to Fuddy Duddy, who then ripped it up. No wonder why he is so good at school and remembers 3,500 rules. Got nothing but time on his hands since he isn't using his hands doing anything else by being so repressed.

Fuddy Duddy just said he doesn't touch people, yet in the very beginning he snatched homeboy's hand without hesitation, so he wouldn't fall to his death. Then, he snatched that premium liquor for him. I see you and your heart on your sleeve, my man! Just like this water demon, the feelings are sneaking up on you and snatching you up!

Should've bought her the comb, bro, because she's going to be dead after that big battle since she was sent to snoop for the Fire Nation. Even though she is trying to help her brother, I feel this will be y'alls Romeo and Juliet moment.

So the brother was always going to come back from the dead since he already was cursed(?), and my homeboy is once again proving to be a friend to all. I like you, and I will learn your name, hopefully by episode 28.

Only three marks healed in the present, so whoever is the last mark has to be one of these hoochies, and the more backstory I get, the more I think it's going to hurt when I find out who the last mark is.

Half these people have already died leading up to that big battle and the other half will die as homeboy sets out on his Kill Bill journey, so like . . .

"You and I have unfinished business"

*slams on the 'next' button*

[wolfythewitch]

i’ve been putting off listening to tma bc it seems so long but you seem to be getting through it kinda fast so, is it shorter than it seems/is it worth the length?

also bonus question what’s your opinion on podcasts/audiobooks in general

Uhhh each episode is around 20-25 minutes long so it isn't too bad to get through haha. It is worth the length yeah! Very fun. The more statement-y ones I listen to while on the train/doing homework, and the more lore ones I sit and pull up a transcript haha

I think they're neat. I used to listen to podcasts a lot more a few years ago. I was very into the penumbra podcast, and I listened to a few others like brimstone valley mall and and a bit of nightvale (and more but I can't remember the names). I don't listen to them as much now because they make my brain hurt after a while agsjshs but I chase the same high with video essays

[almightytuba]

it’s been too long since ive listen to or made nightvale art!! a quick sketch bc i’m getting back into it :D

[bullet-prooflove]

Welcome to Nightvale: Sean Archer X Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @to-grow-in-and-to-love @mandy426 @icefrye19 @toasted-stiletto 

Sean’s relationship with you starts because of a book.

You’re in front of him in the queue at the café in Med when it slips out of your bag and hits the tiled floor, the pages fluttering open, revealing an array of multi-coloured post its. You’re too busy ordering too notice. It’s when he raises to his feet after picking it up that he comes face to face with you.

You’re pretty, so pretty that Sean doesn’t expect it. His mouth goes dry for a second before he holds up your book.

“You dropped this.” He says shyly as he hands it back to you.

“Thank you.” You say as you take it from him and place it back into your bag. “I’m reading it for my book club.”

“Welcome to Nightvale huh?” He says as he tucks his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “I’ve heard the podcast but I’ve never read the book.”

“The podcast is much better than the book.” You tell him as you wrap your hand around your takeout coffee cup and raise it to your mouth. “I can lend it to you if you want? Maybe we can talk about it afterwards.”

His cheeks colour as a smile breaks across his features.

“I’d like that.” He tells you as he gives his own order to the server behind the counter. “They have a live show coming up in June. I’m on the fence about going, I’m not sure how it’ll translate in the real world.”

“I’ve been thinking about it too.” You say as he waits for his coffee. “A lot of podcasts are doing it now, I kind of feel it’ll be like online dating, great in theory, disappointing in real life.”

He laughs then because yea, that’s kind of true. He doesn’t do apps but he’s heard the horror stories from the guys he lives with.

“Online datings not really my thing.” He confesses as he picks up his coffee and gestures towards a table. He expects you to make an excuse, a reason to leave but instead you slip into the offered seat and he finds himself sitting down across from you. “I’m not sure what you can learn about someone from an online profile. They don’t really give you the whole picture.”

“Or they send you the ‘whole picture’ once you’ve connected.” You joke and he blushes when he catches your meaning.

“Unsolicited dick pics are not my thing.” He tells you, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t even know how to get the right angle. There has to be an art to it right?”

You laugh then and it really is the loveliest sound.

“What is your thing?” You ask him and Sean shrugs his shoulders.

“Honestly I’m trying to figure that out.” He tells you, his gaze lowering to his drink as his thumb chases over the ridged cardboard. “I’m taking some time, trying to learn who I am.”

“Can I tell you a secret?” You ask him, your elbows coming to rest upon the surface of the table.

“Sure.” Sean says as he leans in close and the scent of your perfume floods his senses. It’s airy and light, like the first breath of spring on his skin.

“I know this looks all put together but I’m still trying to figure my shit out.” You says gesturing at yourself. “Truthfully I feel like we’re just all a work in progress.”

It’s the kindest, most insightful thing that anyone has ever said to him.

“Come out with me.” He says softly, his eyes meeting yours. “We can go see that show, bitch about it afterwards.”

You pause for a moment and he realises he’s been too bold, too forward. He draws away, but your hand captures his, thumb skating over the hollow of his wrist.

“I’d like that.” You tell him, the edges of your mouth tipping up into a smile. “Really I would.”

Love Sean? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[utilitycaster]

you got me. i binged all of midst in two days and it was great, but now i dont have a lot of other podcasts to listen to. do you have other good fiction podcasts you like?

DO I. I am not the Most Podcast Person I know but I definitely follow a lot because I drive a lot and walk a lot and put them on in the background while I do chores. Also, I'm sticking to scripted/plotted fiction here and not actual play but I can provide some actual play podcast recs too, though none are terribly obscure.

Wolf 359 is a completed podcast but a great binge. It also is science fiction and deals with capitalism and corruption and complicated characters and weird space stuff; it regularly makes the "great fiction podcasts" to check out and I think is closest to Midst in that it's also a tightly plotted work that goes to a natural end point.

I frequently talk about and recommend the Silt Verses and the thematic nature is remarkably close to Midst, but the vibe is very different. It has a lot of folk and body horror elements (audio-only, but they are absolutely present). Also covers the "man what if capitalism and religion were working explicitly in tandem" element of Midst with the added dimension of "what if there were many many gods and and they all demanded literal, physical sacrifices". Sister Carpenter is cut from a similar cloth as Lark and I love her dearly. To draw other comparisons would be to spoil it. It's on season 3, which will be its last. It is extremely intense in that when I fell behind I found it tough to binge without taking breaks, but it's really fucking good. (I also recommend this to people who like Candela Obscura, though that's more for eldritch horror vibes).

The Penumbra Podcast is great because it has two separate storylines (it was originally intended to be an anthology, but people fell in love with Juno Steel specifically). I like both, but Juno Steel is the more popular one - it's set in the future, in our solar system but in space, and follows Juno Steel, a private eye. It's extremely weird neo-noir. There is a homme fatale and a fantastic cast of characters, and it's also an interesting ongoing plot. The Second Citadel is more fantasy rather than sf though it's also kind of in that general New Weird bucket and is even harder to describe but I think it's underrated. It's also on its final season but it's been going on a while so it will take a bit for you to catch up.

Within the Wires is also a podcast I've recommended in the past. It's by the people who do Welcome to Nightvale which isn't listed here both because I assume you are aware of it, and because that's an ongoing slice of life sort of thing; there are plots but there's sort of that sitcom-esque "nothing really changes the status quo" element though the earlier era had some more structured stuff. Anyway, Within the Wires is found audio, so each season is different - the first is relaxation cassette tapes, the second museum audio guides, the third voice memos, etc. There are callbacks/connections between seasons at times, and I would recommend listening to at least the first two seasons in full (which are very strong) to get a sense of the world before hopping around later. The reason I recommend it here is because the worldbuilding is spectacularly done in a way that reminds me of the elegance of the worldbuilding in Midst, and because it's found audio, while it's one narrator per season you will get those weird asides and interesting tonal choices.

Tentative rec for Camlann, a roughly modern day post-apocalyptic take on Arthurian legends and the folklore of the British Isles only because it just started and has 3 episodes. I like it, but I don't know what plot it's building to (nor how long it will be; they have funding for one season but aren't sure about future ones.)

[vvkingofgaybisciutsvv]

Listening to horror podcasts have really made me think about what im truly afraid of (shocker/s) because like. Tma and nightvale never scared me all that much. I was only ever scared by the "Freefall" episode of tma. To me its just a cool and epic story and honestly nightvale is too funny for me to find it scary.

But listening to Malevolent? Ive actually been frightened, but still not by The Horrors. I get scared from John and Arthur's argument of the day and just how vicious they are to each other. Like. The fact that two people who are as close friends as they are can still cut each other so deeply. Something I value deeply in my relationships is trusting the other person not to hurt me like that, and making sure they can trust me the same. So i guess it's terrifying to confront the reality that its entirely possible that, in the heat of the moment, someone that you trust through everything would break it without a second thought.

[darlingian]

✨Weekly✨Tag✨Wednesday✨

I was tagged by @suchagallabitch

1. if you could switch bodies with anybody for only one hour who would it be and what would you do?

I'd be a wild horse. I'd do horse things.

2. whats your most trivial / dumbest hot take?

I don't think cheese is that great. I like it. I even have cheese types I enjoy more than others. But I could live without it.

3. if you had to teach a college course what would it be in?

The Outlander book series. I have so much to say about it. Or the impact The OC has had on popular culture.

4. season 12 of shameless is suddenly happen and youve been put in charge! what plot point(s) are you gonna make happen?

-Lip and Brad buy back Born Free together -Ian works on becoming an EMT again -Mickey reconnects with his siblings -Debbie and Sandy get back together -Carl quits his job as a cop to work full time as a bartender/owner of the Alibi -Carl explores his sexuality -Franny comes out as non binary -Fionna gets engaged and the family has to figure out how they're all going to come together for the wedding

5. who would be your godly parent? (can be any mythology).

Hades. 🖤💀🔮

6. what’s something you love about yourself?

*rrrreeeeeeee... brrrrnnnnggggg... zneensjdkkkk* *heavy dial up noises*

7. describe your day in 5 emojis:

🌃👭🤦🏻‍♀️🐈‍⬛☕💻🤳🏻😴

8. what shameless character do you think you could beat in a fight?

Hmm... I think I could take Karen. I could probably hold my own against Debbie. Definitely Jimmy-Steve.

9. tell us 2 truths and a lie, we’ll try to guess the lie!

I had a pet mouse in my locker in grade 8. I have never been out of Canada. I have broken 3 bones.

10. do you have a pet(s). if so how did they get their name?

My cat's name is Cecil. He's named after the mysterious host of Welcome to Nightvale.

11. show us a meme (or picture) that captures your essence

I'm gonna tag @too-schoolforcool @michellemisfit @deedala @gardenerian @gallawitchxx @mickeysgaymom @creepkinginc @iansw0rld @thepupperino @milkmaidovich @heymrspatel

12. whats your typical coffee / tea / beverage order?

Iced coffee/latte with oatmilk or London Fog.

13. use a song to describe the last 5 years of your life?

[birlwrites]

Alack and alas, I have no knowledge of horror myself let alone gothic horror. I've been thoroughly recommended The Magnus Archives and Welcome To Nightvale (a hybrid podcast and book set up I think?) by a friend whose taste I trust well enough which are horror but uh no clue about the subgenre.

I can however offer elemental discussion adjacent to your (Harry Potter) Regulus Black fanfictions based on your one line: "fire just dies" and this post about Barty if Regulus dies: (nevermind searching is taking me too long).

"fire just dies"... when not sustained by something external! Therefore Barty fits it spectacularly! Regulus gets to be some kind of Hestia equivalent feeding Barty continual logs of affection and needing things of Barty. Evan in general gets to be magic fire dust which only influences or changes the colour of the flames for a little bit but doesn't sustain them (perhaps the occasional thrown wad of balled-up newspaper as Evan won't shut up about passing on Interesting Stories). Barty's mother gets to be the chimney (stopping him from dying of building paternal-smoke inhalation), the stone hearth stopping him from burning himself/his own house down when the fire is controlled and sometimes gives long-lasting lumps of coal but not enough to keep a whole fireplace going. Barty Senior gets to be both gasoline and fire lighter as a motivation, pushing Barty to burn out but blaze bright and fast in response as he does so. Other friends occasionally throw handfuls of twigs/branches/flammable materials at Barty but not consistently really.

Voldemort with Death Eater Barty (hopefully not lachrimae future Barty) simply gestures to a pyre bonfire labelled "Demonstrate Your Faith In The Cause! The Party Never Ends!" that Barty subsequently throws himself onto draws great destructive direction from finding suitable Guy Fawkes Substitutes to throw onto (muggleborns, blood traitors, traitors to the cause, loyal ministry members, his own father... etc).

Hopefully, the metaphor isn't too far removed from the style of Barty's pre-approved Cyprian Silkwood's style. But so long as it hits vaguely adjacent to being entertaining.

i've been recommended the magnus archives as well, with the fascinating addendum of "i've never thought about worms the same way ever again." i feel like i'm going to end up listening to it and then sending terrified messages to the person who recommended it to me

they really are regulus black fanfictions afjskhgjkfd as evidenced by the fact that i named barty's mom 'harriet' fully forgetting the series is about a guy named harry. normally i try to avoid super similar names like that unless it's for Plot Reasons but in this case i just. did not recall

THE METAPHOR ABSOLUTELY HITS. associating barty with fire appeals to me because of the, like... dual-purpose of it as a weapon, a tool, and a destructive force. he needs constant fuel and room to maneuver - he can't be smothered and he needs something to motivate him to keep going, and i LOVE your comparison of crouch sr to gasoline and a fire lighter YES ABSOLUTELY

i'd say voldemort is also gasoline in his own way (not in lachrimae you will be pleased to know, barty's actually one of the characters who has a Less Bad Time in lachrimae!!), but he's judicious in how he uses it. less dumping a ton of gasoline on the fire and more a steady drip. he doesn't want barty to go out too early, but he's fine with barty self destructing as long as it's in a useful way

and regulus connected with the earth element is also fun because i think he really is like the earth in a way - kind of [literally] overlooked/stepped on until he decides to become a Problem. he's always there, he doesn't disappear, he's so reliable that you don't notice him, and whoops you weren't paying attention to the Danger and now you've died in a mudslide

[olreid]

it feels like this season would be a lot better if it was aimed snd described to be like. horror *themed* rather than actual horror. Like, D20 is at its core a comedy dnd show, and it's a tight line to walk to get all 3 of those to come together if you want something actually horrifying, but if they just went like. the Nightvale route where it's playing with horror stuff rather than attempting to be legitametly scary, it would work a lot better for their format. but alas :/

yeah i agree, a lot of my frustration comes from the fact that it was specifically billed as horror but isn't doing the work to deliver on that promise. although knowing what we know now, i honestly might still be having these issues if it was a horror comedy. one of my real problems with how the season has been handled is how this weird blend of horrific reality and comedic tone has served to reproduce hegemonic notions of the acceptable forms that bodies and persons can take. brennan introduces a monstrous npc and then makes them available to serve as a punchline, prompting players react to them dismissively and with disgust. there's not much critical interrogation of the circumstances which might produce nonnormative bodies and beings, nor much attempt to get to know these people as people rather than gimmicks and sideshows. rapunzel, for example, is not allowed the space to share her backstory in its full complexity, how the circumstances of her childhood led her to become what she is, because the party is too busy exclaiming at how icky it is that she can climb walls or listen with her hair or whatever. that ableism in horror post was going around again this week but truly one of the easiest shortcuts to take in horror is 'haha look how weird and different this is, isn't it gross and scary and bad?' this despite the fact that the season specifically set itself the task of troubling and critically interrogating the dichotomies of good/bad, hero/villain, monster/human set up in our cultural myths and fairytales.

when people try to emulate horror uncritically and without a working knowledge of generic history and conventions, i do think a lot of the time what happens is they end up just relying on the power of a series of horrific images rather than creating plots and structures that actually produce horror. they're literally supposed to be in a time loop but they're not being forced to repeat anything. instead of trapping the characters within structures social or philosophical, or turning them against each other, or making them question their reality, what happens in almost every episode is that the party encounters an npc they think is gross. they gag and shriek. they move on to the next. the party grows closer, having defined themselves by what they are not. their camaraderie, built on the backs of these people who have adapted to their circumstances in order to survive in ways that are not beautiful or easily understandable, is the force that will save the world, because that's how d&d works.

[just-an-enby-lemon]

The man in his bed isn’t his husband.

He looks almost like his husband, more than even Kevin did, an almost perfect copy except there’s clearly something wrong - something “normal” , the end of the wonder. He sounds like his husband as well, the perfect honey voice he felt in love with. He had the looks, the voice and the ring and therefore it would make more sense for him to be his husband than not but just like the house that didn’t exist the man that came back from the radio station that day defied logic.

Carlos had missed the radio broadcast busy with scientific discoveries and tik tok videos and the series of small anxious breakdowns that the presence of Janet and the presence of the University of What It Is in Nightvale, his home, was causing. He had left home early to take Esteban to kindergarten and when he came back Cecil had already gone to work. And if it was a little early, Cecil had mentioned he wanted to check something up for a possible very important news report. 

So Carlos went to work and got distracted and missed the radio show. At the time he thought it would just mean that Cecil would mention it at dinner, pretend to not be disappointed that Carlos missed it and need some extra cuddles. He doesn’t know what he would have done if he had listened to it. If he had noticed how un-nightvale the program had been. Just a normal radio show.  Straight up from anywhere else.

A small voice in his brain screamed that maybe if he had just listened to Janet, if he had helped her, if he hadn’t been avoiding her calls like the plague, her arguments and insults and how she seemed to not realize how her science was poison instead of the pure thing they loved, maybe he would had been able to plead, to beg, to offer anything so she would just let Cecil go. But deep down he knows it is a lie. There is no debating with Lubelle and her people. The moment Cecil attracted her curiosity it was done. She was poison like that. A truer intrusive thought screamed that if he wasn’t so afraid of his past, so sure it would never come back to bite him he could maybe have helped Nightvale to get ready for if or when the university finally came. It was harder to ignore this voice but the memory of Cecil talking about how everyone had things that they regretted and there was no pointing in dwelling on it helped. 

Carlos missed the radio show. 

He didn't listen to the abnormal normalcy and instead he went home unconcerned, believing that a nice dinner with his family would just take the anxiety and stress away. It was his day to cook just like it was Cecil's day to pick Esteban back from school. And he had extra time to make dinner and be oblivious to the end of his perfectly imperfect little world. 

But eventually Cecil came home. Carlos heard his voice talking a little bit too condecently with Esteban and tried to ignore the alarm bells, Cecil likely just had a bad day, it happens. It doesn’t justify being mean to their son but he can understand it. He isn’t the only one affected by Janet's presence in Nightvale and the death that it caused. Until:

“And that’s why you shouldn’t have any feelings towards the moon, Esteban, don’t be stupid, darling, it’s just a rock in the sky. Honestly, Carlos, you should have already given some basic science lessons to our son.” 

And that was it.

The end of the world.

Carlos laughed nervously. Maybe it was a bad prank? He knew better of course but denial wasn’t just a very scientifically fascinating river in Egypt.

But still he served dinner and tried to pretend everything was okay. A soft peck on the lips, some nice dinner and a classic “how was the work”. Cecil called his food exotic and Carlos wanted to kill someone. So of course when Cecil said he had made a visit to Doctor Lubelle before work and she had run some tests on him and “it was totally normal, I don’t understand why I was so fused about it” , Carlos knew who he wanted to kill and was deeply regretting telling Cecil that violence wasn’t the answer days ago. 

The rest of the night was just a long terrifying disaster and Carlos had no idea what to do. They talked about normal boring things that neither he nor Cecil cared before and Cecil throwed away the food they usually left for the Faceless Old Woman because it was a silly superstition and ignored her whispers as if he just couldn’t hear her. Not even when she did the annoying nails on a chalkboard noise she did when extra angry with them. Carlos whispered he was sorry. 

When it got to Esteban’s bedtime it was Carlos who read him to sleep, even though it used to be one Cecil’s favorite activities, as his husband, no, the empty person using his husband’s face, was judging all of their toddlers books as weird and inappropriate. 

And as soon as he came back from his son’s room he discovered that Cecil was starting to pull the sheets of the mirror’s because it was a “silly superstition” and “normal people don’t do that”. The memory of what happened last time Cecil was in front of an uncovered mirror, of finding his husband on his knees in the middle of a panic attack, hands inexplicably bloodied would never leave him. It took so long to convince Cecil that he was real and while the man pulling the sheets wasn’t really Cecil, not when it mattered, Carlos knew this wouldn’t stop another episode or something even worse if he did that.  So he stopped it. There was no point in arguing with Janet and therefore there was no point in arguing with the Cecil she created. But he could ask, he could mutter “I know it doesn’t make sense but please keep them covered, for me” with the certainty that Cecil’s love for him was one of the few things that Janet couldn’t explain away no matter how hard she tried. It still hurts to see Cecil’s confused expression marred with implanted consdecession. And it hurted even more when his face became soft and to see that for a second he was being himself again and saying “of course, my lovely Carlos”.

They go to sleep and Cecil mentions a wardrobe change as he looks for sleeping clothes and Carlos has to hold himself from just going without any plan to the University of What It Is improvised location and give Lubelle a very violent piece of his mind. 

But he is a scientist and scientists always prepare themselves first. 

So he smiles and nods and tries to not think about how Janet for sure will call him tonight and how he doesn’t think he will be able to ignore her today. Tries not to hurt this fake version of Cecil, because it isn’t his husband's fault and Cecil has always been more fragile than he wants people to know and he doubts Lubelle's shitty transformation changed that. 

The man who isn’t his husband sleeps soundly at his side. But Carlos doesn’t sleep. He cries and he regrets and he starts to plan. Because he is going to get his husband back and he is going to make sure that Lubelle and her gooms (because they aren’t scientists, not really) will give all the wonder they took before leaving Nightvale once and for all. 

Is time to confront his past. And Carlos is afraid. But scientists never cower towards adversity. And Carlos is above all a scientist.

[janis-1987]

Cecilos week, day 1

First Meeting Cecil had been dying for a chance to talk to the cute new scientist who had arrived in town just a few days ago. Normally, he was really good at just happening to run into people that he wanted to see. But for some reason, Carlos was different. He didn’t want it to feel like he was stalking him, of course, he knew that could come across as creepy rather than endearing, it’s how he had scared off a past potential boyfriend after all. So, he decided that maybe it was best for him to just hope that he would run into Carlos naturally. 

Today was like any other day really, Cecil had just finished his shift at the station and had ran out the door to avoid anyone that may have been coming after him should he have accidentally said too much about something. He would have time for reeducation later, right now, he really just wanted to meet with Carlos. He gribs the fabric handle of his satchel as he makes his way to Nightvale Community College, the station needed a new intern after the last one got pulled through a mirror and trapped in the mirror world. Cecil had warned them that the mirrors were covered for a reason, some people just don't listen. That, and a reminder on his phone popped up reminding him that he was supposed to be a guest speaker there today. 

He picked up his pace, holding his cat ear headband on his head as he ran down the street, he did not want to lose that again. He waves to a few friends as he rushes down the streets, taking a few less than ideal back ally shortcuts to get there in time. He takes a moment to catch his breath before he enters the college.  Cool air hits his face, a nice feeling after running in the sweltering heat outside. He makes his way into a bathroom, he was glad he had enough time to change before he had to go into the class, it would have been embarrassing to enter the class looking a mess. He doesn’t look at the uncovered mirrors of the bathroom as he rushes to get into a stall. He removes his Hawaiian shirt and leather pants. Instead opting to change into his extra long jorts with a pair of matte silver leggings and his black poncho. He steps out of the stall, still stuffing his clothes into his satchel as he makes his way out of the bathroom.  He knew he was going to be a little late as he speed walks down the hallway to the Communications department. When he saw him, Carlos. He was standing in a group of people, talking in hushed tones about something most likely scientific, his perfect dark black hair tied in a loose ponytail. Cecil feels his heart rate speed up, and he does everything in his power to appear as normal as possible. Their eyes meet and Carlos gives Cecil a cordial nod, and he nods back. Still in a rush to get to his lecture. 

His lecture takes about two hours, and he had to admit, he was more than a little distracted, hoping he would get to see the handsome scientist after his lecture finished. But despite that, he really did try to focus, this lecture was important to him. As soon as it's over, he chats with the professor as the students filter out and then finally he is free to leave. 

He walks back down the hallway he came in, and his heart sinks slightly as he sees that Carlos is no longer in the hallway. He had expected that of course but it still was a little disappointing to have not gotten the chance to talk with him. 

That’s when he hears him, his voice like music to Cecil’s ears. He smiles and feels giddy childlike excitement as he hears him talking in someones office a few doors down, and his first thought is to hide. But before he gets the chance, Carlos is in the hallway. 

Cecil wants to say something, anything, but for once in his life he finds himself at a loss for words. 

Luckily for him, Carlos speaks first, “Hey, you like science?” He asks in that voice that could make Cecil melt in seconds flat. 

His voice remained firmly caught in his throat, he couldn't say a word, his brain racing as he tries to speak, he didn’t want to make it awkward and without his voice all he can do is nod.

“You wanna see something scientifically interesting?” He asks, his deep brown eyes sparkling in the florescent light, he brushes a strand of curly hair that had come loose out of his face. 

Again, Cecil’s voice failed him and all he could do was nod. Carlos smiled at him and lead him up the back stairs of the Earth Science Building, taking him to the roof. 

As once they arrive at the top, Carlos points to a field at the edge of town, were a hazy column of darkness stretched from the middle of the field into the sky. 

“What is that?” Cecil asked, finally finding his voice. 

“I’m not sure, but it can only be seen from this exact angle and distance, watch.” Carlos explains as he takes two steps to the right, Cecil following his lead, and it was gone. They took two steps back to the left and it was back. Their feet fell into perfect unison, like a small barn dance, between just the two of them. Cecil couldn’t help the smile on his face, this was amazing in his eyes, he was getting to spend time with the man he had fallen head over heels for, and he wasn't making it weird. 

“That is scientifically interesting,” he said, worried he might be overselling his interest. He then continues, “you can also see my apartment building from here. It's always there. It doesn't disappear.”

Carlos looked over the town and then back to Cecil and asked, “Which one is it?” 

Cecil pointed it out, it wasn’t very interesting in his opinion, just a normal building with a green roof. 

Carlos nods his head, and smiles as he looked at Cecil, “That has a nice roof. Good shingles.” Cecil couldn't help but smile, he wanted to talk more, he wanted to at least get his number, but Carlos got up, his phone buzzing, “I have to go to a meeting. It was nice talking to you Cecil.” 

“It was nice talking to you too.” Cecil says with a smile. He stays on the roof a little longer, he didn't want to make it weird by going down the stairs at the same time, plus, he liked the view. But after he felt like enough time had passed, he made his way down the stairs, and decided to head home, still beaming over the compliment Carlos had given him. The first compliment Carlos had given him.

[clockworkspider]

I just read this post on 2010s nerd culture and I feel like it's probably referring more to late 2010s as well as a very different side of nerd culture than the one i'm familiar with.

Cause like... to me nerd culture and fandom has always been... not quite the same but very very connected. So to me early 2010 nerdom was singing les mis aloud on the street. It was grey-painted teens spotted in down town. It was hetalia fans just cosplaying at the park. It was recognizing anime fan merch (**FAN** MERCH!) on people's bags and being like "I'VE SEEN THAT! I RECOGNIZE THAT!"

And honestly there was nothing more genuine and sincere than that.

And there's something to be said about the fact that the major defining fandoms of that era were hetalia, homestuck, nightvale, and superwholock. (Marvel and HP were there but they stuck around longer and aren't specifically 2010s.) We all cringe at a lot of these but 3 of those listed started as indie works. And superwholock was NOT A THING marketing wise, fans on tumblr just organically decided to... respond to everything with gifs from 3 unrelated fandoms consecutively. (Contrast this with Barbenheimer, which was also started organically by fans, but the marketing team of Barbie deliberately leaned into it to milk the hype, which incidentally ended up causing controversies in Japan.)

Most of these fandoms were almost entirely fan-driven. Homestuck and Hetalia fandoms had a LOT of fanfics of fanfics. Most Hetalia fans barely even watched or read the source material. (For the better, in this case.) Fans of these fandoms owned more fan-merch than official merch, and were really... fans of fans. Fan works were often based on other fan work. This is a sharp contrast to Star Wars fandom which came both before and after.

This was also when like... anime fandoms got really big but fans were watching fansubs and reading scanlations. So you had all these fandoms that were most definitely considered nerdy and very passionate, but wasn't really making anyone much money. (Besides a few indie creators and big name fans.)

Nerd culture, at that point, despite growing mainstream, was still counter-culture for the very aspect that they weren't market-driven. They were fan-driven.

I feel like it's really when it got closer to 2020 that both fandom and nerd culture became a lot more market-driven. I think we have MCU and Netflix to thank for that. If you look at Barbie, which is a decent movie, the "fandom" was completely propped up by viral marketing before it even came out. You get this with AAA games too, see Cyberpunk.

So like... I'm hesitate to call umm... the majority of 2020s media fandoms nerd "culture" nowadays. And if, by nerd culture, you mean gamers who line up for PS5 and star wars fans with graphic tees, then... idk if that's quite... correct. Once our attention has been SEO-ed there's no real... culture. You know. Like... the "cultural" part of it simply isn't very there if participants=consumers. And that's perfectly fine for people on an individual basis! I don't mean to revoke anyone's nerd cred or shame anyone personally for participating in consumer culture in a consumer society, I'm just being pedantic.

People still nerd about yarn and crafts tho, and DND. I think those areas has never stopped being nerdy.

[nighvalecommunityradiounofficial]

Welcome to Nightvale!

The Nightvale community radio here.

In this blog I post things that probably weren’t, but could’ve been said on Nightvale community radio. I also say “Nighty-night, Nightvale” every night, instead of the usual “Goodnight, Nightvale. Goodnight.” Enjoy!

I am also always open to suggestions, questions and role play. I am Cecil Palmer, a radio host in a friendly desert community, and I do accept notes and calls :D

Not to be outdone by our rival, @/desertbluffs-communityr4dio, we now have a tag system:

#hey Cecil for asks

#weather for posts with weather music

#desert bluffs for Desert Bluffs mentions or interactions

#wtnv carlos for Carlos (my darling Carlos!!) content

More to be added… perhaps, sometime.

PLEASE NOTICE that my name doesn’t have the “t” in “night vale” because tumblr said my name was too long. If you want to tag me and can’t, that’s why. So. There. Now you can tag me.

Important note: I’m only here to express my weirdness and vibe with Nightvale. I am still trying to get the voice right. I have not listened to all episodes of wtnv because I am new to this fandom.

OOC I use pronouns they/them.

My main is @i-have-41-protons

[conwise]

I have OCs? Literally impossible to tell with how often I draw them

But basically I went to uni for screenwriting and got to develop a TV show and bible/pitch deck and these goobers are the result of that. My show (Faultline 42) was basically an animated series aimed like 9-12 and is pretty much Gravity Falls meets Welcome to Nightvale?

I do wanna do more stuff with them because I actually do love them and their world and story and stuff. Anyways, I'm just gonna post my short synopsis for anyone interested

"Like any 12-year-old, Cerussite “Ru” Jones doesn’t always get along with her parents; their jobs as geologists is to stare at stones, the rock puns are terrible, and they named her after a mineral. She’d give anything for them to just leave her alone.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happens when her parents vanish into a stray rift to another dimension on their cross-country road trip.

Faultline 42 tells the story of this headstrong, rough-cut young girl as she then stumbles upon a hotel with doors to other worlds that sits on the biggest dimensional rift and enlists the help of the human family and monstrous staff that run it to help find her parents among the weird, wondrous, and dangerous worlds ours connects to.

It’s a story with mystery, things beyond imagination, and a twist of humour to keep things fun; think a Gravity Falls meets the popular podcast Welcome to Nightvale. The show features a mix of problem of the week and continuing storylines because running this hotel, and keeping it a secret, causes enough problems on its own. If it were exposed, Ru would lose her best lead to finding her parents.

The only thing is, her parents have already been found.

Ru’s parents have ended up in the Aftershock; a sentient hellscape of a dimension that believes it didn’t get its fair share when reality was created. It possesses them, using them as mindless puppets to reach the sinister goal it’s slowly clawing its way towards, believing that if it can destroy the hotel, all of reality will collapse into itself and it will have everything instead of nothing.

But through all the worlds, oddities, and crazy misadventures, Faultline 42 tells a story about family, about finding them in the most unexpected places (sometimes literally), and about how you never really know what they mean to you until they’re gone.

Ru just has to find hers again before it’s too late."