#universe City

[universe-friday]

EXCERPT #28:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

[...]

I haven’t seen her since I last spoke to you, old sport. It’s been harder to wander the streets of the City these days. It’s been harder to get up and get the day started. Thalia and I were so close… We went from spending all our time with each other, to not speaking for days at a time.

What possible reason could she have…? For someone who cares the same way, she certainly doesn’t enjoy showing it.

It is so hard to read her mind. She doesn’t give me much to base any guesses on… If only she would talk to me. Have a conversation with me. One that doesn’t lead to her deflecting, or running away.

Every time I think we’re so close, but then the tide just goes back in again. And when that wave comes crashing back into shore, are we ever able to ebb and flow the way we once did?

Or am I back to drowning, waves crashing into my lungs I am no longer able to scream…? Did she ever hear me? Can she hear me?

I suppose I never recalled walking to the beach in the first place, old sport. But I found comfort in the waves. I found myself in the waves.

[A small and distant knock is heard in the background. Equipment rattles. Radio stutters in astonishment.]

Hello…?

THALIA: Can I come in…?

[Beat.]

THALIA:  Please, Radio. Can we talk?

RADIO: …Okay. Come in.

[Door squeaks open, footsteps approach.]

RADIO: Hold on. Let me just mute this call quickly.

[A button is pressed, but sound continues to play. A chair squeaks and footsteps get further away. A conversation begins from afar, distant and quiet.]

THALIA: Radio, I… I am so sorry.

RADIO: I know. You say this every time… Do you want to get to a point?

THALIA: I want to be with you. But… I can’t.

RADIO: What do you mean, Thalia? What do you mean, ‘you can’t’?

THALIA: I mean that I can’t. I care for you… So much. I have never met anyone else like you. But, I just can’t be with you.

RADIO: I don’t understand… That makes zero sense, Thalia.

THALIA: I know. And I’m sorry. I can’t… I can’t explain it very well. I just- I have other commitments-

RADIO: Other commitments?

THALIA: In the City. And I-

RADIO: What can even be meant by ‘other commitments’? There’s someone else?

THALIA: No, Radio. There’s no one else. I just… I can’t be with you.

RADIO: We’re in the City… What possible- What do you mean… I… How could you have other commitments? You don’t have time? How is it possible to have that problem here, Thalia? I run out of things to keep myself occupied, stuck here. And with you gone, even fewer things. And I just have to be stuck here while you go and do other stuff? Leave me, even though I love you?

[Silence. A quiet, but suppressed sob is heard as it breaks past Radio’s boundaries.]

THALIA: It’ll pass…

RADIO: But what if-

THALIA: I love you too. And it’ll pass.

[A much louder sob is heard. It comes from both Radio and Thalia, this time.]

RADIO: [Quietly, through tears] Will I ever see you again…?

[Beat.]

THALIA: I think… that wouldn’t be good for either of us.

[The conversation fades into radio static. After a while, this fades to silence. Until a melody softly begins to play.]

♪ There’s nothing left for us anymore Why aren’t you listening? Why aren’t you listening to me? There’s nothing left. ♪

[justasolitarianboy]

[purpletrashcans]

Frances separating herself into "school Frances" and "real Frances" is so fucking relatable

[sillentless]

⭐

[friday-answers]

they are gonna hate me for this but...

OSEMANVERSE MOOTS ‼️‼️ may i have your attention!!!!????

my lovely friend is a film student who created their final project inspired by radio silence, creating a film version of a universe city excerpt (well, multiple excerpts cut up into one) with some of their own words.

i think it is AMAZING with this awesome fucking TWIST at the end which is just so so cool

if you would be kind enough to check it out, it's here! on youtube ^_^

thank you :,] hope you enjoy it as much as i do

[plutonicbees]

in distress. stuck in universe city. send help.

last drawing for ace awareness week! i always say that aled last is so gender but i am also enthralled by their hints of demisexuality throughout heartstopper/radio silence and the fruition of it in his coming out scene with daniel. love aspec representation in the osemanverse, ty alice <3

[id in alt text]

[pessimistic-gh0st]

Just a friendly reminder that Frances Janvier was the 'Dr Who girl' in Becky's birthday party in Solitaire

Michael Holden is the 'Winter Olmpyian' who gives a talk at the academy in Radio Silence

Tori Spring is the girl Frances talks to when Aled performs the first live version of Universe City at the end of Radio Silence

[iamthedamndonutdrawcat]

4 years after reading radio silence for the first time i am the characters age and suddenly i feel this deep-rooted heartbreaking connection to them. idk what happened here. frances 💘

[plutoisnotaplanet42]

People, who have RADIO SILENCE as their favourite book, have exactly 5 moods:

Wishing the Universe City Podcast was real.

Craving academic validation while, at the same time, procrastinating completely.

Listening to the few snippets we have from Universe City on repeat.

Wishing the Universe City Podcast was real, again.

Beeing sad about never getting to have what Aled and Frances have.

[vague-bisexual-crimes]

yoo it’s a February Friday this is just like Radio Silence

[tearsonthepage]

fav part of the osemanverse is how everyone listens to universe city. everyone.

i can just imagine the paris squad talking about it and getting excited for the next episode release and aled is sitting there trying not to cry because he feels so seen and loved and understood for a moment.

[fairyb0ii]

[whatyousyeiswhatyouget]

Sometimes I think if nobody spoke to me, I'd never speak again.

- Radio Silence, Alice Oseman

[purpletrashcans]

Okay but Frances' mom and Nick's mom could be besties, they have potential

[sillentless]

BIRTHDAY BOY IT'S ALED'S BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABYY

[normalpeoplethiings]

“I’m sure you think I was complaining about nothing. You probably think I'm a whiny teenager. And yeah, it was all in my head, probably. That doesn't mean it wasn't real. So fuck you all.”

- Radio Silence, Alice Oseman (2016)