#within the wires transcripts

[solar-sunnyside-up]

Within the Wires S2 Ep3 - Alt reality Podcast

With the removal of nations in 1952, came the removal of the semblance of nations in the years that followed. Flags were destroyed, anthems forgotten, and vast buildings meant as much to give status to governing powers as to serve a practical purpose were demolished. There was preservation, of course, when the buildings in question were seen as having cultural significance outside of their nationalist roles, but often this included the careful moving of the building in question to a more remote area, where its presence would no longer inhibit the development of a more practical, necessary building.

Buckingham Palace, by this time more a symbol than a useful building and taking up valuable mid-city space, was carefully taken apart to be reassembled in Somerset as a museum to the history of former England. This process began in 1959 and took 18 months to complete, and in that time the once grand and revered palace became a shell and was taken away, brick by brick, until it was an empty space. And then a new complex of affordable housing, shops and office spaces was constructed in its place.

Atieno’s painting depicts the palace almost halfway through being dismantled. It is not particularly true to life. Indeed, it is close to full fantasy. Look at the demolition crew, each carrying with graceful ease upwards of half a dozen blocks on their backs. These stone blocks are almost 50 centimeters wide, and nearly as thick. Examine the crew member on the lower left. Their unnaturally wide smile. The sharp angle of their back.

How much can you carry on your back? How much do you smile when you do it?

In addition, the interior of the palace was stripped in the beginning of the process, in order to prevent looting and damage to invaluable artifacts. Atiano, however, recreated the rich décor in the half-undone building. Lash red carpets, stretched across the exposed floors, and lavishly upholstered furniture stands in its place. There are even ornate vases on rare marble pedestals, next to broken walls and wrecking balls.

Notice the shadows across each room. They appear at first to be simply cast by the cranes that surround the building, or by the clouds that scutter along the sky above. But if you look closely, these shadows appear almost humanlike, ghostly figures left behind.

Do you see the ballroom on the right side of the painting? Which monarch’s shadow do you think is represented here? One of the Henrys? [whispering] Victoria herself? Or perhaps it is of the, at the time, still living George the sixth, the last monarch of the Commonwealth, not a ghost at all, but an incorporeal symbol of a new powerless vigor.

It’s possible to interpret this is Atieno’s sympathy for the displaced monarchs, or regret over the loss of national borders and national identity. Many historians mistake Atieno’s criticism of the new society for cultural conservatism. Alphra Bond of the times called “The Palace Removed” [mocking voice] “facetious slander. Atieno wants to preserve history and culture, but not a the cost of progress and peace,” Bond wrote. I have trouble picturing this is as being the case. Claudia had little respect for personal ownership of anything, whether a palace or a paintbrush. Indeed, I often found her to have considered my paint brushes as her won, even when they were propped beside –my- easle, still wet with paint. She saw no sense in anything, if that thing was not going to be shared.

So regretting the loss of a lavish palace inhabited by one family seems to me unlikely for her. Claudia told me a story of inviting Bond to a gathering at her home in Cornwall. When Bond arrived, the entire party was wearing masks and silently staring at her. She tried to start several conversations, but upon realizing the futility of the endeavor, Bond drank a glass of champagne, ate a cucumber sandwich, and left calmly.

I believe that the shadows in this painting represent the future, not the past at all. The people who would find use and life and joy in the space left by the building. The ghostly figures belong to the people who right now [whispering] are living and breathing within the new walls that arose to replace those taken down.

Or of course, it could mean both those things, or neither. It’s possible Claudia simply saw it as an image she liked and adapted it to suit her fancy. Perhaps I shall ask her about it, when she – resurfaces.

#within the wires #season 2 ep3 #hopepunk #anarchist #transcripts #ive always loves this podcast omg #fiction #podcast #recs #long post

[the-griffons-saddlebag]

⚔️ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺! Wond of Fireballs
Wand, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster) ___ This wand functions as a “wand of fireballs.” However, during the wand’s creation, the spell’s transcription was riddled with arcane mistakes. As a result, casting “fireball” from the wand can lead to unpredictable outcomes. Whenever you cast the “fireball” spell from the wand, roll a d20 and use the table below to determine the spell’s effect. Regardless of the outcome, the spell’s effect is centered on the point you target with the wand and uses a save DC of 15. If the wand casts a different spell, any extra charges spent as part of using the wand increase the spell slot level of the new spell as well. | d20 | Effect | — | 1–4 | 𝙒𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡. You cast the “flaming sphere” spell. This version of the spell creates a tightly-wound sphere of ragged, spinning wire. On a hit, the sphere deals piercing damage instead of fire damage. When cast in this way, the spell doesn’t immediately require your concentration; if you don’t choose to begin concentrating on the spell at the end of the turn you cast it, the spell ends early. | | 5–8 | 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙡𝙡. You summon a Large bull in the nearest unoccupied space to the targeted point. Use the giant boar’s statistics for the bull, except that the bull is made of pure fire and is an elemental instead of a beast. The bull takes its turn on initiative count 20, and it always attacks the creature closest to it on each of its turns. On a hit, the bull deals fire damage, instead of its normal type. A creature that touches the bull or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage. The bull remains for 1 minute or until it’s reduced to 0 hit points. You summon two bulls at the location when you cast the spell with 4 or 5 charges, or three bulls when you cast it with 6 or 7. The additional bulls appear in the nearest unoccupied spaces to the first bull. | | 9–12 | 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡. You cast the “ice storm” spell instead. This version of the spell creates falling, flaming rocks instead of hail, and deals fire damage instead of cold damage. | ...Continued in the comment below! ___ ✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon's Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

#illustration #digital art #dungeons and dragons #dnd #d&d

[utilitycaster]

I know this is a broad question, but do you have any thoughts/metas youd like to share on the Honour Among Thieves movie that you havnt already? Any unpopular opinions? I personally thought they did brilliantly with adapting RAW to a more structured linear story that made it easy to follow and also make sense within the world and story, especially for those unfamiliar with the crunchy mechanics. If not, then feel free to ignore!

I'll probably say some more stuff eventually; the reason I can write so much CR meta so quickly is that at this point I'm pretty fluent with the characters and I spend a significant amount of time like, cross-checking the transcript each week, but for anything else chances are it needs to bounce around in my head for some amount of time.

I guess I said this before I saw it in response to an earlier question, but I'll double down now that I have: I did not think they should have had explicit actual play cameos/references nor required any mechanics knowledge (which they did not!) I fully agree with the intentions the movie had: to use a fantasy lexicon and story structure that's immediately recognizable to people who are familiar with D&D (and even more so to those familiar with Forgotten Realms), but is completely accessible to some random person who just wants to watch a fantasy movie. I had a great time as an adult who's been playing D&D for some time, but I think I would have had a great time if I'd seen this exact movie as a teen nerd with no experience with TTRPGs whatsoever. Like...wanting CR cast cameos or more obvious D&D mechanics references feels like wanting a gold star for "getting" it and like, man, can't you just have fun for a bit? Get some concession snacks and enjoy yourself.

It's sort of comparable to TLOVM. In D&D 5e as played, we understand that Keyleth, Pike, Vex, and Scanlan all have access to healing capabilities (and that it's good to have overlap within the party). In a show with far, far less time than the luxurious hundreds of hours of actual play and the visible gears and wires of mechanics, you simplify and have the characters specialize. What's important is that you tell a good story that feels like the stories that come about through playing D&D, not that you adhere to mechanics precisely.

My only other major opinion at this time is that if you are playing around with the idea this is a D&D game (and to be clear I'm totally for that as fanon, I just think it should never be established in the film), Xenk is 100% an NPC who briefly travels with the party, not a drop-in PC, although to be fair paladins are just kind of Like That.

#answered #faltermoth

[showfallmediamaintenance]

[Video transcript begin.]

[The recording starts off seemingly in the front shirt pocket, as per usual. The maintenance tunnels on either side of the person whom the recording device belongs to. Something behind them screams, the shriek sounding to be made up of more than one entity. The metallic stomping nearly overpowering any other sound.]

?: Fuck fuck fuck fuck shit god fucking damn it.

[Voice identified: Edgar.]

[Edgar continues sprinting, the monster's footsteps still loud, echoing off the walls.]

[This continues for the next 30 or so minutes, the maintenance tunnels finally turn to the regular walls of the mall, they appear to be in an empty hallway somewhere. Edgar is yanked backwards, he yelps in pain, hitting the floor.]

[The creature, now identifiable as S.V2, towers over him, already swinging an arm down. Edgar rolls out of the way, the hit collides with the floor, cracking the tile. Edgar jumps back up and readies his crowbar.]

[S.V2 opens its maw, the flesh holding it together stretching itself thin, holes begin to form, a snapping and tearing noise is heard as it reaches its limit. It emits a noise that can only be described as 15 people screaming in agony at once, the skin on S.V2’s main body ripples underneath, the wires within its skin wriggling like worms or maggots, piercing the slowly rotting flesh. The inside of the TV appears just as grotesque as it had been each time before. The eyes pressed up against the screen appear… shinier than before. Clear liquid dripping from them. Tears.]

E: [Muttered.] Dear god.

[An arm is swung towards Edgar, he jumps out of the way, but it nicks his arm, he breathes in sharply, but doesn’t make a sound. Without hesitation, he swings his crowbar at S.V2’s TV. A loud crack is heard as the metal weapon collides with it, he swings again, another crack, this time his crowbar comes back stained red, he keeps going. Each swing he takes damages the TV more. As this happens, S.V2 frantically swings for Edgar, but they manage to miss half the time. Within 4 minutes of this, S.V2 collapses, too much damage done to its head to continue to function. It lies face down, the TV broken beyond repair. It sits in pieces.]

E: I– I’m sorry, Zach. I… hope this is enough. Rest in peace.

[As Edgar takes a step back, S.V2 twitches. He freezes. It twitches more, the wires under the skin pulsate, seemingly moving together instead of on their own independently. The man remains frozen as a mixture of flesh and wires rise from holes in S.V2’s body to the TV, snaking their way into the crevices and holes and dents made by the crowbar. The wires hold the TV in place, and the flesh acts as a sort of glue. Everything is fused back together, and S.V2, much to Edgar’s dismay, rises again.]

E: [Quietly.] You–

[Edgar is interrupted by S.V2 swinging its arms towards him, grabbing him by the torso, and slamming him directly into a wall, and he screams in pain. His phone falls to the floor, managing to remain angled towards Edgar, who is hovering at least two feet off the ground, and has an extremely pained expression on his face. Tears stream down his cheeks as he stares at the mechanical and organic monstrosity that has him pinned to the wall. S.V2 appears to be using what would be its forearms to keep him stationary. It shoves him into the wall with more force, Edgar attempts to push S.V2 away, but to no avail. A singular drop of blood trails down the wall behind him.]

[The TV head opens again, and lets out that horrible scream, right in Edgar’s face. Before it backs off, letting Edgar drop to the floor in a shaking heap. It shambles away, leaving Edgar to curl up on the tile. Hands over his head, sobbing.]

[This continues for 15 minutes, and he finally pushes himself up to his knees. His expression is one of pain and devastation, he is bleeding, as well. He weakly stands, and grabs his phone. Placing it back in his shirt pocket, before stumbling back into the maintenance tunnels. He walks for 30 minutes, before going up to a dead end that is coated in dried blood, two bags are near it, he doesn’t even bother to look in them before sliding down the blood covered wall, and starting to sob once again. His heaving echoing off the walls. He’s alone.]

[Transcript end.]

#showfall ask blog #showfall media #showfall #encoreverse blog #transcript #cw body horror #cw blood #cw gore

[popculturelib]

Another book on canning and victory gardens is Home Canning in Wartime: A Victory Guide to Canning, Preserving, Pickling, and Drying (1943) by Elsie Clark. Notice the phrasing in chapter one that likens a woman's effort in the kitchen to a soldier serving in the war. It was part of wartime propaganda encouraging every American to participate in the war effort and military-industrial complex even if they were not enlisted.

Included here is a page of recipes for canning grapefruit, peaches, pears, and pineapple, as well as a time table for processing fruits and vegetables. Image transcripts are below the cut.

The Browne Popular Culture Library (BPCL), founded in 1969, is the most comprehensive archive of its kind in the United States.  Our focus and mission is to acquire and preserve research materials on American Popular Culture (post 1876) for curricular and research use. Visit our website at https://www.bgsu.edu/library/pcl.html.

1. Canning in Wartime

"LADY," says Uncle Sam, "it's your war. Win it."

You are the top sergeant in your own kitchen, and that's one of the most important battlegrounds in the war on the Home Front. Solving the food problem is in your hands—and it's a job that takes a good deal of skill, and thought, and hard work. You've been baking delicious cakes without sugar and preparing miraculous meat dishes without meat. You're spreading the butter thinner, and using margarine. You've budgeted your ration points so that they supply the family with the greatest nourishment and food value. And those freckles on your nose, and that crick in your back prove that you've been doing your share of hoeing in the Victory Garden.

Now here's another job that you can tackle just as important as anything you've done yet—and that's canning a supply of fruits and vegetables for your family.

Can What You Can

After you've taken what you need for your table out of your garden, can every surplus for future use. There are just as many vitamins and minerals in canned foods as in fresh cooked foods, and you will be storing up health and energy for your family. Your ancestors preserved and pickled and brined and salted food to last them through the winter, because they couldn't go down to the corner grocery to replenish their supply. Now that [page ends]

Grapefruit

(yield: 1 1/2 medium size = 1 pint)

Wash and dry firm, ripe grapefruit. Peel off thick skin, along with white membrane. With a sharp knife remove sections of grapefruit. Pack firmly into sterilized jars. Cover to within Y2 inch of the top with grapefruit juice. (Sugar may be added when used.) Seal according to lids used (see page 25). Process pints and quarts in boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.

Peaches

(yield: 2 to 2 1/2 pounds = 1 quart; 1 bushel = 18 to 24 quarts)

Use freshly picked, firm, ripe peaches. Grade for uniformity and degree of ripeness. Put enough for 1 quart into a wire basket. Plunge into boiling water for about 1 minute until skins slip off easily. Then plunge into cold water. Remove from water. Quickly slip skins from peaches, cut in half, and pit. Clingstone peaches may be canned whole if you wish. Drop pieces as you cut them in a salt solution to prevent discoloration. (Use 1 tablespoon salt to 1 quart of water.)

Make a syrup of 1 cup of sugar to 2. cups of water; or 1/2 cup of sugar plus 1/2 cup of honey or syrup to 2 cups of water. Bring to boil. Simmer peaches in the hot syrup for 4 or 5 minutes to shrink them. Pack tightly into hot sterile jars, cut side down, to 1/2 inch of the top. Bring syrup to a boil. Pour boiling hot over peaches to within 1/2 inch of the top. Seal according to lids used (see page 25). Process in boiling-water bath for 15 minutes.

WITHOUT SUGAR. Can peaches in their own juice. Crush soft or imperfect fruit, add a small amount of water to start juice, and a few cracked pits for flavor. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes until fruit is soft. Strain. Bring to a boil. Simmer prepared peaches in this juice for 4 or 5 minutes, pack and process as above.

Pears

(yield: 2 to 2 1/2 pounds = 1 quart; 1 bushel = 25 to 28 quarts)

Can pears when they are very slightly under-ripe. Grade for uniformity. Work with enough fruit for 1 quart. Wash. Peel with a stainless steel knife. If pears are small, can whole, removing core with an apple corer. If they are large, cut in half and core. Drop them into a salt solution to prevent discoloring (1 table-spoon salt to 1 quart of water). Prepare a medium syrup of 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups of water; or 1/2 cup of sugar plus 1/2 cup of honey or syrup to 2 cups of water. Bring to boil. Allow 1 to 1 1/2 cups syrup for 1 quart. Simmer pears in the syrup 4 to 8 minutes, according to ripeness and size. Pack into hot sterile containers, cut side down, to within 1/2 inch from the top. Cover with boiling syrup. Seal according to lids used (see page 25). Process in the boiling-water bath for 20 minutes.

VARIATIONS: Add a few drops of mint extract and a little green coloring for minted pears; a piece of ginger root for a gingery flavor; or a few red cinnamon candies for spiciness.

Pineapple

(yield: 2, medium sized = 1 quart; 1 crate of 30 pineapples = 12 to 16 quarts)

COLD PACK. Select pineapples that are ripe, but not soft. Twist off top. Scrub. Cut crosswise into slices about 1/2 inch wide. Peel slices, removing eyes carefully. Trim and cut out core with a doughnut cutter if you wish to leave slices whole. Otherwise core and cut into convenient pieces. (Use peelings and cores for juice.) Pack into sterile jars. Cover to within I/2 inch from the top with a boiling hot thin or medium syrup of I cup of sugar to 2 or 3 cups of water; or 1/2cup sugar plus 1/2 cup corn syrup; or 1/2 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup honey to 2 cups of water. Allow about 1 cup of syrup to 1 quart jar. Seal according to lids used (see page 25). Process in boiling-water bath for 30 minutes.

#bgsu #food canning #food preservation #victory gardens #can it forward #grapefruit #peaches #pears #pineapple #recipes

[fansplaining]

Episode 192: Death, Mourning, and Fandom

In Episode 192, “Death, Mourning, and Fandom,” Elizabeth and Flourish talk about the complicated dynamics around death within fandom, where our connections to each other can be deep but transient. Jumping off an article Elizabeth recently wrote for WIRED on the AO3’s Fannish Next-of-Kin feature—which lets you leave your fanworks to a fellow fan if you die—they talk about the failings of other digital death policies, disconnects between peoples’ fandom personas and regular lives, the differences between losing a fandom friend and a favorite fanwork creator, and how rarely the subject of death is talked about—in fandom or more broadly.

Click through to our site to listen or read a full transcript!

#fandom #fansplaining #cw: death #fannish next of kin #ao3 #fanfiction #cons #death and fandom #celebrities

[tiptapricot]

(Suggestive/body part related content in preview)

And finally my second preview for @sanguinevampirezine’s ferociously fresh 18+ add on 👀 If you like robots, vampires, and semi-sexual body horror (and are 18 or older) check out the add on content! And if not, check out the rest of the fangtastic works the main zine has to offer!

I had sUch a delight making this piece and I’m sOOOO EXCITED to get to share it auGgh!!! Preorders are open, go grab a copy now!

[ID and transcript: a preview for a zine add on story. The text is stylized, imposed on a red background splattered with blood. It reads: Shuffle Off That Metal Coil, written by Michael H.

He cannot shake the thought once it has taken hold. It is so simple, so right. The vision of fresh mass swelling within him makes L57PA keen in rushes of binary and spiking heat, muffled in the safety of his own mind and the padded walls of a storage closet.

Could his wires pump with more than volts? Could they grow full and warm and squeeze against his gears? Could his servos stain his chassis red with the fresh pink strain of muscle? The images whirr through his mind at night, his exhaust ports blowing in overtime. (End of preview snippet.)

The zine’s info is visible at the top and bottom of the image, reading: Sanguine, An Original Vampire Zine. Pre-orders now open. October 13th to November 26th. /end ID]

#ask to tag #EEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHE #literally top ten stories I’ve done in a while I’m SO happy with it and SOOOO happy I got to help create for this project with it #wHOo!! #my fic #my-fic #vampire zine #sanguine zine #vampires #vampire #vampire characters #vampire writing #the fruit is talking again

[night-vale-presents-described]

Introducing Night Vale Presents described!

[Plain Text: Introducing Night Vale Presents described!]

Howdy! This is a blog inspired by @rq-described, dedicated to adding descriptions and transcripts to all fanworks of shows by Night Vale Presents. This includes Welcome to Night Vale, Random Number Generator Horror Podcast No. 9, Alice Isn’t Dead, Within the Wires, Good Morning Night Vale, I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats, Dreamboy, Unlicensed, Start with This, Our Plague Year, and The Orbiting Human Circus.

As part of this blog, we’ll be compiling all already described fanworks. If you’re a blog that makes descriptions or transcriptions, then feel free to reach out to us.

We’ll be trying to describe and transcribe things we find on our own, compile described and transcribed fanworks, and describe and transcribe stuff submitted to us. You can submit links with asks or submissions, and tag us in posts you want us to describe or transcribe.

All descriptions and transcriptions are allowed and encouraged to be added to original posts.

On another note, saying “we” in this introduction was perhaps dishonest, because I am but one person. [Plain text: “On another not, saying “we” in this introduction was perhaps dishonest, because I am but one person.” crossed out.]

As of 17 July 2023, we are three people! If anyone wants to be a mod, then feel free to fill in this form to apply.

(Below is edit log)

4 July 2023: Second mod added.

7 July 2023: Tagging us in posts to transcribe is encouraged, descriptions and transcriptions are encouraged to be added to original posts, edit log added.

17 July 2023: Third mod (sort of) added.

27 July 2023: Third mod actually added.

#wtnv #random number generator horror podcast no. 9 #alice isn’t dead #within the wires #good morning night vale #i only listen to the mountain goats #dreamboy #unlicensed #start with this #our plague year #the orbiting human circus #night vale presents

[c-schroed]

Podcasts I Adore - Within the Wires, Season Five: Voicemail

What would the subversive artists think, Nan, if they knew you were coming to watch their show. All of these cynical idealists with their disgruntled disquiet, their painted bodies and disruptive language and grotesque dance? They would probably say “Who’s the cop?” And I would tell them “Hands off. She’s mine.” And they would not change the subject to prop stations and costume repair, because they fear arrest the way they fear a tattoo. It’ll be painful yes, but a proud mark of a proud artist. Their souls are made of leaves. Their souls grow and sway and change and die and rot and renew. Being prematurely plucked away is part of the profession. At least the fear of it is. Although I don’t think any of them have ever known anyone who was. It’s all “this one time in the 80s” or “my friend’s husband’s co-worker’s something was.” Artists getting disappeared by the boogeyman. It probably doesn’t happen, but what if it does? I don’t know, Nan. You’re not just some tool of the system. You’re different. That’s what we usually say, right? “Not this one. They’re different!” We can’t know that. But we can’t know anything. I’m just going off intuition. I’m relying on my gut. And my gut says “I’m drunk, Indra. Figure it out yourself.” And I did. I figured out you’re different. I figured it out based on your lips, because they’re pink and soft and they smiled at the right spots in the show. That’s the data on my bar graph. That’s my internal memo. Attn: Indra. Regarding: Hot cop, second row. Kiss that spy before the night’s over. And I did.

Sorry for the long quote. Originally I just wanted to start this review with

Hey. You didn’t answer. Hey. Nan, I wanted you to answer. Answer me, Nan. Nan. Naaaaan. like your name, you know. Short and simple but low and sweet.

But then I went through the transcripts in the gorgeous-as-always WtW Wiki, to find the exact wording, and I remembered that each episode is full of favourite quotes. Because season five is my absolute favourite. It's the peak Within the Wires experience, if you ask me. And I'll most happily elaborate why.

Of course, season five continues Within the Wires modus operandi of telling its story via found audio tapes from an alternate history. This time, we listen to the tapes of an old answering machine. However, this season comes with two narrative twists: Firstly, we have two protagonists, whose connection will unfurl in the course of the season, and secondly (and more importantly), this time the story is told in reverse order.

We start with an answering machine message from Indra to Nan, her former lover, five years after they broke up. Indra is at ease, she has a wife now and a teacher job she loves. But we will encounter other faces of her, too. Cold resignation, outright anger, drunken lovestruckness. Because someone seems to go through old answering machine tapes, in reverse order. Maybe to find Indra's first message? Maybe out of sheer nostalgia? We will not find out, because as usual in Within the Wires, we do not get much more than Indra's perspective.

Except that this year we will also hear a few short messages from a person named Gwen Nettles, agent of the Internal Investigation Division, the infamous secret police of Within the Wires' alternate history. And Gwen of course is somehow connected to Indra and Nan, as we will find out. But Gwen's messages are always short and mainly add some information that will make most sense in hindsight. In fact, one of her messages even made me fucking sob in tears of joy on an open street when I listened to it again after finishing the season's final episode. Because the timelines are just so marvellously connected. But back to Indra.

So once more, we're more or less stuck with one point of view. And by the messages that our protagonist leaves on mostly the phone of her lover, we witness an almost classically star-crossed love story. The ambitious actress of a subversive theatre company and a government employee fall in love. It can't go well for too long, we know that. And thanks to the story being told in reverse, it's not a secret waiting for us. Instead, it's a fascinating take on this kind of story. It has it's dramatic moments (like Indra lashing out at Nan's answering machine in episode three), but thankfully it starts and ends just lovely. Hopeful and warm, with lots of little pleasant surprises.

And that is mostly thanks to the most darling protagonist a podcast rom-com can ever wish for. Amiera Darwish voices her Indra charming and mostly lighthearted, but always with enough depth to not make her seem stereotypical. Norma Butikofer, on the other hand, voices Gwen Nettles as good counterpoint to the main protagonist: Calm, professional, but also not devoid of emotions and needs. In my eyes, season five is even more character-driven than the other seasons, and its two voice actors do an absolutely marvellous job in making that work.

And when we turn our attention to the music and score of this season, we even find one more twist: In seasons one to four, the music was diegetic; it could either have been added to the audio by the protagonist (seasons one, two, and four) or it played in the background (season three). In season five, however, the music is not part of the found audio, it's just added by the producers for atmosphere. And don't get me wrong, it does a lovely little job in giving even more of a rom-com feeling, but it's also a bit of a pity to say goodbye to the more elegant ways of adding music in the seasons before.

But even with that little bit of a slightly bitter pille, to me season five is perfect. It excels at telling us a story of tragic love, and thanks to its rather unique narrative structure manages to have two positive and hopeful endings. That both brought me close to crying tears of joy. 10 out of 10 points, thanks for the ride!

< My review of season four

My review of the Within the Wires novel >

#within the wires #wtw #within the wires season 5 #podcast #podcast review #podcast recommendation #science fiction #alternate history #romance #romantic comedy #schroed's thoughts

[showfallsquigandiris]

/Video input received/

/Source: HS: IR-15/

/Starting transcript/

…

[The camera opens on to an average hallway in the Mall, the camera lightly bobs along to footsteps.]

Iris: Where the hell is this damn rogue Security? The Mall isn't really that big, I swear I should have found it by now. 

[There's a frustrated huff with an undertone of static from Iris before the camera suddenly jolts to a stop, very faintly fast footsteps can be heard.]

[Quiet whirrs can be heard within Iris as the camera slowly slinks more towards the nearest wall. The panels of Iris’ face can be seen shifting at the edges of the camera frame as the rapid footsteps approach, heavy breathing joins in.]

[The person running finally comes into view. They’re in the typical Showfall uniform with a mask that has a crack running along one side. The camera jerks as Iris crouches behind a pillar, but the employee never leaves the center of focus.]

[Right as the employee passes Iris, there is a brief guttural rumble followed by a not loud but piercing sound that can only be described as a roar.]

[Despite their heaving breath the employee’s efforts seem redoubled as they continue sprinting past Iris. The camera raises back up before flicking around, but the source of the piercing roar isn’t spotted.]

[As the camera refocuses on the employee the rumbling returns. This time it seems to be coming from out of view directly above the employee. They freeze, and look up.]

[A screech of metal on metal and the employee takes a desperate step before a few singular wires followed by a dark and moving mass land heavily on top of them.]

[The resulting crash silences any last words of the would-be escapee as whatever has dropped from the high ceiling into view messily separates their head from their body.]

Iris: Oh shit.

[What has to be a Security tosses away the head. The Security’s entire front half splits open vertically, starting somewhere under the TV-like head and ending at the abdomen.]

[The gaping hole appears to be a mouth, complete with unorganized metallic teeth. It’s hard to tell but the mouth doesn’t actually look like it goes anywhere.]

[It’s made especially difficult by the body disappearing inside with only a few also messy bites. The mouth closes back up. Wires slither into place, making it impossible to tell there was a mouth there in the first place.]

[There’s some small whirrs and Iris’ face plates click back into their usual place as the camera slowly starts to approach the Security. One of Iris’ arms can be seen rising to give a wave.]

Iris: Nice catch! 

[The Security’s TV head tilts to the side, the camera quickly mirroring its movement.]

Iris: I don’t think I’ve ran into you before in the Mall! I would remember a Security like you!

[It's TV head tilts back to its normal position, the camera following once more as the Security lets out a brief low rumble]

Iris: You’re a bit bigger than most of the Securities around here, aren’t you!

[The large Security slowly lowers itself to the ground, it's TV head staying angled directly at the camera.]

Iris: Hmm, usually even you Mall Securities would have said something back to me by now… Unless you’re another one of the special ones…

[The camera locks on the Security as as the camera slowly starts to move circularly around it. Its head doesn’t move much to follow.]

[Stopping back in front of the Security, one of Iris’ fingers is seen at the bottom of the frame, a small metal tapping noise follows.]

Iris: And the fact you ate that guy, instead of just leaving the body or bringing it back to a superior…

[The camera backs up a bit allowing for the sitting Security to be seen in full.]

Iris: You're a bit of a mystery, aren't you!

[The Security makes no sort of response. And the next two minutes are spent with the camera only minorly shifting and the occasional hum from Iris.]

Iris: I wonder…

[One of Iris’ hands can be seen starting to raise, but at the same time the Security slowly lumbers to it's feet. Turning away from the camera and walking off.]

Iris: Oh! Bye then!

[All four of Iris’ arms are seen waving at the Security until it turns a corner and is out of frame.]

Iris: Hm, I wonder if the Mall wouldn't mind me taking this mystery off their hands.

…

/Video input ended/

/Uploading transcript…/

/Upload successful!/

#showfall ask blog #encoreverse blog #showfall media #transcript #iris #security

[rosetheex-editor]

[Audio transcript begin.]

[A knocking is heard at the door, and someone answers it, sighing as if unable to see anyone through the peephole. The door is opened, with audible hesitation. A moment of silence is broken by an artificially generated voice.]

?: Rose Henderson, I am sorry for your loss. I understand that now may be a bad time, but it would be appreciated if you provided your undivided attention. This may be of interest to you.”

[Voice unidentified: Please try again.]

[Another long pause.]

W: I was the Watcher assigned to Edgar.

[Someone interrupts their voice sounding more forced out, rougher and quieter than the other person.]

?: f- fuck off.

[Voice identified: Rose.]

[Rose slams the door in watchers face. Through the door, W continues to speak.]

W: I am not here on business. I have something to give you, if you care to listen

[There is no response.]

W: Since his passing, I, the individual, have done some thinking. Perhaps moreso than I ought to have.

[The metal sound of crutches are heard, as if Rose is looking for something.]

W: Earlier… I had stated my interest in you as a person. At the time, I had believed that this was due to your potential to be a Watcher. But this was not the case.

[The sound of crutches stop.]

W: In truth, I believe my gaze fell upon you due to a kind of empathy I had developed. I saw a part of me within you.

[Rose interrupts again, this time swinging the door open. The sound of it hitting the wall is followed up by the sound of an object swinging through the air.]

R: w- what is it? do you want me to c- cry for you? i'm all c- cried out."

W: No. I… want to help. I believe that you feel similarly trapped. You never had a chance to grow up, you never had a chance to be happy. We are similarly unfortunate to be part of powers beyond our control.

[After a small pause the voice continues.]

W: So I’ve decided to ask you something that nobody has ever asked… me.

[Another small pause.]

W: What do you want?

[Rose drops the object, seemingly a baseball bat on the ground with a thud as she falls with a slightly louder thud.]

R: i… i want to be happy. b- but i realize… to do t- hat. i want to k- keep my promise to r- ruby. even if she was d- dead when i made it… i want s- sparrow to b- be safe.

W: Sparrow. I see. You will likely find what you seek in this, then.

[Noises of Rose struggling to stand up, using Ness' barbed wire bat as a crutch, is followed by the sound of Rose grabbing something.]

R: t- thank you… s- sorry for… almost hitting you with a b- bat. I don't u- understand why you're doing this all of a sudden. but it’s a- appreciated.

[After a few moments of awkward silence, the voice can be heard leaving as Rose shuts the door.]

[End transcript.]

#showfall ask blog #encoreverse blog

[stormfireproductions]

Interview with a Storyteller: Ester Ellis Welcome to the interview side of the Storyteller Project and Tales from the Hearth: Interview with a Storyteller. Alongside modern folk tale experiments such as "The Wedding Gift", your host--Lisette Alvarez--will also be interviewing fellow storytellers across mediums and experiences to explore the position of a storyteller within their community and culture.    CONTENT WARNING: Discussion on mental health, mortality, and references to writing that discusses suicide.    Ester Ellis is a Los Angeles based Sound Designer and Writer best known for her work on "Dungeons and Daddies", "Hit the Bricks" and "Arden". She created the isolation horror podcast "Station Blue", and the surreal microfiction "The Goblet Wire".   Follow Ester on Twitter @EsterTheEsper   Mentioned resources: Vulture article on the state of podcasting in 2023 Characteristics of White Supremacy   Transcript auto-generated via Descript.   The next Interview with a Storyteller will be shared February 15, 2023 and the next audio folk tale experiment will run beginning March 1st. Stay tuned by signing up to our newsletter, or wherever you find your hearth!        via Tales from the Hearth https://ift.tt/pQryO3c January 31, 2023 at 04:30PM

#audio drama #Tales from the Hearth #fiction podcast #podcast #storyteller project #our shows

[glowtech]

within the wires s1 episode 6 is like. wow. idec about the rest of the series but like read this fucking transcript. love. augh

[emmybeearts]

Day 2: Invisible

Our first day on Atria. Each of us were dropped off in different parts of the globe to maximize our efforts to preserve the biological makeup of as many animals on the planet we can find. There were an overwhelming number of pseudo-plants and crab-bug species from the moment we stepped on-world. But my focus is primarily the ever diverse species of notoclades that inhabit Atria. 

One of the first first notoclade we came across was an animal Lily said was called a Bark. It’s a bit of a strange name, but bark makes sense. It's all directly translated from Kyurallian, and the word for ‘outside layer of a tree’ and ‘the animal that sticks to, and looks exactly like the outside layer of a tree’ are the same word. 

We were lucky to have spotted it. Its’ body is completely transparent and when up against the polyp trees of this forest, it looks almost completely invisible. It was a perfect specimen to highlight both the similarities and differences between the notoclades of Atria and the vertebrates of Earth. While the layout of the endoskeleton is very similar, it has six limbs as opposed to four. It is a member of what we call the fused limb family, as the back two sets of legs have fused together and work in tandem to become a single pair of far more powerful legs. I imagine the bark could leap incredibly far and it wouldn't surprise me if those flaps of skin between its secondary-legs and rear legs allowed it to glide like a flying squirrel.

Further differences include: four eyes, a silica based bones as opposed to our calcium phosphate bones, a reinforced spinal column, a three part skull consisting of no maxilla; but 2 horizontal mandibles instead, and finally and most importantly difference: the melon. 

The melon is a unique sensory organ for the notoclades of Atria. It's named, in English, after the organ that allows for echolocation in cetaceans on Earth. Because, when studying Atrian specimens that fell through the rift, we believed the organ held the same purpose. However, it's a recent discovery, following the arrival of the Kyurall, that the Atrian melon is significantly more complex. 

On Atria, the melon contains both highly sensitive electroreceptory cells as well as a complex web of electrocytes that receive and send out a variety of complex electrical signals. The brains of Atrian notoclades are hard-wired into the melon, so they literally can't live without this organ. It has multiple uses including scanning for prey and can be used to deliver a mild stun. However, its primary function is communication. 

Notoclades don’t vocalize to communicate like we do, rather their melon projects electrical signals into the air like a form of biological morse code. These signals can be picked up by anything else with a melon within range. It's believed that, the more intelligent the animal, the more complex they can get with these signals, until you end up with a species like the Kyurall who have a full language, communicating exclusively in these projected electrical signals. 

It's very nice to find a healthy, living animal from this planet for the first time. Typically, life that accidentally comes through the rift is either dying or very dead. I've classified hundreds of animals from this planet, but getting to finally see one thriving in its natural environment feels so refreshing. It's only been one day, I'm very excited to see where I'll end up on this journey. 

[End Transcription]

#Myart #creature design #character design #scifi art #aliens #scifibruary 2022 #repost

[showfallmediamaintenance]

(ooc: CONTENT WARNING!!!! THIS GETS VERY INTENSE, KINDA. AND HAS GORE. AND DEATH. AND BLOOD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.)

[Video transcript begin.]

[The video begins with someone sprinting through the mall.]

?: Lost him… fucking hell, alright…

[Voice identified: Edgar.]

[Edgar sprints away, starting to laugh, at first it's quiet. Just a chuckle, but… it builds. And builds. Until he sounds absolutely hysterical. Soon, he approaches a door. Two employees stand nearby, one turns, and notices him. Immediately lunging. Edgar dodges the attack, causing the phone to fly out and land propped up against a nearby pillar, facing the door. Revealing Edgar to be standing slightly hunched over, his head tilts to the side, all of his neck joints popping one by one. The bag he has drops to the floor, and the hand without the crowbar in it tenses oddly.]

E: Great, I was getting a little hungry.

[As the employee lunges again, Edgar meets them midair, gaining an advantage and sending the two of them to the floor. He immediately goes for the employee’s throat. Tearing it out with his teeth, the employee attempts to kick him off, but it’s no use. Edgar spits the employees throat out to the side, a look of disappointment on his face.]

E: Just wires. Damn.

[The other employee goes in for an attack, but Edgar stands quickly and swings the crowbar at the employee, sending them to the floor. Edgar strides over to the employee, stepping on their chest, and places the crowbars straight end at the forehead, he raises it slightly and brings it down. Hard. The mask splinters and the crowbar is jammed into the employee’s head. Edgar walks around the employee and places a foot on the lower half of their mask. He yanks the crowbar towards him, splitting their head open, spilling wires and brain matter all over the floor and his shoes. He kicks the upper half of the head like a ball, before picking up the bag and taking out one of the bottles.]

E: [As he walks away, taking something out of his pocket.] This one’s for you, Marv.

[Edgar opens the door, and tosses the bottle in, before sprinting away. An orange glow can be seen from the room. Edgar turns on his heel and stares at the growing fire. He laughs again, one hand going to his head. A hand reaches out of the room, and Edgar sprints over and slams the door shut. There is banging heard on the door, but Edgar ignores it.]

E: [Between breaths.] One down… six more to go… 

[He grabs his phone and puts it back into his pocket, before sprinting off, this lasts for around 15 minutes before he finds his next target, a small room somewhere on the lower floor.]

E: I hope this is the right one…

[The phone is set down, along with the bag, and Edgar enters the room. Leaving a minute later, kicking his leg out and holding a small wound. His left pant leg seemingly had caught on fire, there appears to have been two people in the room, who are now dead in the doorway. The room glows from within, just as the other did. And Edgar continues on with his rampage of flames and murder. Of course taking his phone along for the ride.]

[As he runs, he slows for a moment, glancing at an elevator and a flight of stairs. He chooses the elevator. The elevator music is a stark contrast to the blood covered crowbar. The elevator seems to be playing ‘Walking on Sunshine.’ Edgar sings along to it while the elevator brings him to the desired floor.]

[It dings, and Edgar steps out. No longer feeling a need to run. Now going at a brisk jog. He makes his way to the editor's closet, the trip takes him around 20 minutes. He places the phone down again and enters the room. Someone in a bright green hoodie appears slightly in frame, there is a shout from within the room, and Edgar sprints out, one again on fire.]

E: FUCK– THOSE ARE NOT FOR CLOSE QUARTERS. SHIT–

?: Aye man lemme uh… help ya there.

[The person's voice is distorted beyond belief.]

[Voice unidentifiable.]

[The person pulls out a fire extinguisher, and puts the fire out. Before scuttling away.]

E: Wait! Why did you–

?: I’m a hater! Go do whatever the fuck!

E: I– okay?

[As Edgar turns, another employee lunges at him, Edgar drops the crowbar in surprise. The two fall to the floor, Edgar at a disadvantage. He manages to get his hands into the person's chest area. His fingers dig in, and his arms strain as he attempts to rip their ribcage apart. The employee scratches him, badly, as he tries. It's quite the struggle. A few snaps are heard, and his hands finally move, the ribs he grabbed giving way. He rolls out from under the employee, and stomps on their head, getting more brain matter on his shoes. He grabs his phone and the bag, then jogs off again.]

[Transcript end.]

#cw gore #cw death #cw blood #showfall ask blog #showfall media #showfall #encoreverse blog #transcript #cw cannibalism

[podplane]

The Goblet Wire is probably my most anticipated podcast of this year. I've been hearing about it from Ester Ellis since before it was in production, and my excitement has only grown. It's a surrealist, experimental audio drama with fascinating writing and intriguing sound design. The concept of the show is perfect for the medium its told in, and I can't wait to see how the story spirals out. I can't describe the show better than they have, so here's the description from their website: "A role playing game hums within a global network of power lines, fiber optic cables and obsolete satellites. Players who gain access to this mysterious phenomenon create a projection and are guided by the Dictator to realms not yet known to the conscious mind." I love how the language of The Goblet Wire flows, the vivid visuals it builds in my brain, and the alluring sound design that lends a layer of texture on top. Transcripts here.

#the goblet wire #audio drama #audio fiction #fiction podcast