#mod wapiti

It was the way you sounded when I was high on anything I could get.

And the way your retro political sweaters always made you look so warm.

I didn’t fall for you, I don’t think.

I fell for your humanity.

How you would make sure everyone around you could laugh,

Or cry,

Depending on what they needed.

You somehow found stability in the stars,

Something in their unattainability gave you all the purpose you needed.

You’re not mine.

And I could never be yours. 

But isn’t it beautiful, 

That just for a moment,

We made each other more human.

sadcypher:

space asks cuz space is neat

constellations: personality

• ursa major: what are the character traits that define you the most?
• ursa minor: do you have hobbies or interests that no one knows about?
• draco: what is the thing you like least about yourself?
• lacerta:what is the thing you like most about yourself?
• cepheus: do you vibe more with the term idiot, asshole or dumbass?
• hercules: how are you with people? who is your favourite person?
• lepus: what is your biggest flaw?
• corvus: what are 5 things you appreciate about yourself?
• orion: what element would you like to be able to bend?
• hydra: are you the villain?
• cassiopeia: take a random personality quiz on the internet and give us your result. the more obnoxious the better. 
• centaurus: if you could fist fight one historical figure, which one would it be and how hard would you punch them?
• gemini: which character (fictional or not) is your spirit animal?
• lupus: which one do you identify more with: thoughtful idiot or thoughtless brains?
• scutum: you acquire a death note. what are you going to do with it? Do you side more with the idea of Deontological Ethics or Utilitarianism?

stars: interests

• aldebaran: what is your most obnoxious interest?
• algol: favourite planet? favourite space object?
• 61 cygni: favourite time period?
• castor: favourite band/artist?
• pollux: draw the art cover of your favourite album/song
• riegel: put your music on shuffle and give us the first five songs
• betelgeuse: which video games gives you nostalgia for a place you have never been to?
• agena: what is your favourite moment from a game?
• deneb: you can turn one book into a movie,tv show or video game. which one are you picking?
• atair: why is your favourite book, well, your favourite? do you have a favourite quote from it?
• prokyon: grab the nearest book, to to page 145 and give us the first sentence.
• acrux: where and when do you like to read the most?
• spica: when do you consider a movie “good”?
• antares: think of a movie which means a lot to you, now describe the first scene that comes into your mind!
• proxima centauri: if you would have the chance to travel the world, which places or countries would you like to see?
• algol: you have to assassinate someone. which weapon do you choose?
• mimosa: what do you associate with your favourite colour?
• sirius a/b: what’s your favourite sound and smell?

space objects: experiences

• quasar: do you feel alone?
• pulsar: when do you feel truly alive?
• wormhole: what is the shadiest/most illegal thing you have ever done?
• black hole: what has hurt you in the past that you don’t want others to go through?
• white dwarf: post a picture or video from your favourite trip!
• nebula: what is an experience you would rather forget about?
• star cluster: what is something you have gained, something you have lost and something you let go of during the past year?
• planet:have you ever lost something important, such as your passport, keys or a phone?
• moon: “A man is made of memories. It is all we are.“ (Lawrence) what do you think this means? Do you agree?
• comet: you have the chance to undo one thing or decision in your life, would you take it? If you are comfortable sharing: what did you change?
• asteroid: have you ever lost a friend? do you wish you would still be friends?
• meteor: have you ever eaten dirt? if yes: on a scale from 0 to 10 would you do it again?

rocketry: academia

• saturn v: what are you currently studying/what do you wish to study?
• delta iv heavy: what is your favourite thing about your degree course?
• heavy falcon: what is a subject you are highly interested in but you would never study yourself?
• sea dragon: if money, admissions and other factors would not be a problem, where and what would you like to study?
• atlas v: favourite theorem or concept?
• soyuz: language(s) you would like to learn?
• MECO: how do you take notes?
• SECO: what are your essentials for studying and note taking?
• RCS: how do you stay focused and productive?
• RP-1:favourite classes or subjects you took or are taking?
• gas-generator cycle: what are the topics you like learning about the most?
• partial-flow staged combustion cycle: what are the topics that interest you the least?
• full-flow staged combustion cycle: your biggest student-sin? as in something you feel guilty about? 
• RS-25:what do you carry in your backpack?
• RD-270: Do you need silence to study? or do you like to listen to music? if so, what is your go-to study-playlist?
• Merlin: what does your study-space look like?
• Raptor:do you study at home or do you prefer to study at the library/in cafés?
• F-1:this is a free one. ask any question you’d like

He awoke to a crash behind the door and the red lights of the emergency generator. The feeling of cold came next, and it was only just then that he realized something was wrong. With no other humans within 50 miles, he knew that staying in the cot and hoping for the best wasn’t an option. The emergency radio was in the other room, and it was the only way he could get the power turned on, let alone alert anyone to a breach. His feet fell onto the cold tile floor of his temporary bedroom, and he shuffled a thick blanket around his shoulders. With the blanket gripped in one hand and a flashlight in the other, he pushed open the door. The main room was a disaster, with papers and furniture strewn over the floor. The strangest part, though, was the layer of water that coated the floor in a clear path – coming from the freezer. 

His heart dropped. With the power off, the block of ancient glacial ice that had been brought in for compound and ion testing must have thawed. That didn’t explain the mess, and the clear path, though. The only reasoning he could come up with wasn’t very reasonable at all, the thought of ancient life having lasted such a long freeze was impossible.

The warm breeze was a welcome sensation as he studied the mess, until the warmth became breath, and the weight of the blanket became the weight of primordial hands. The scientist froze, but it was already over him, stealing his human warmth with clammy skin. The beast was still behind him, growling lowly as it surrounded him with massive, alien appendages. The blanket was pulled from his shoulders, freezing hands pushing up his shirt and onto his warm chest. He clenched his eyes shut, hoping that maybe he could wake himself up, even as the beast lowered him onto the cold, wet ground. Sharp claws cut through his clothing, exposing every inch of his skin to the frigid air. The breath on his face was warm and moist, and as the huge frame of the primordial being came to rest completely on his body. There was rumbling in the beast’s chest that sounded almost like purring, and after a few moments of not being eaten, he opened his eyes. The face of the beast was surrounded in a fan of feathers that fluttered with each tilt of its head as its huge eyes started down at the human. The snout-like mouth and nose nuzzled against the scientist’s neck, and as warmth began to grace his skin, the adrenaline slowed.

Maybe just a bit longer like this, then he would call the other stations about the generator. Until then, though, the mutual sharing of warmth would let him rest.

That night had been one of the scariest of his entire career.

His entire system was built to be indestructible, running sandboxes inside of sandboxes, digital summoning circles of code, proxies and firewalls, perfectly designed browsers and backup drives. What started as a test to break into a challenger’s encryption had quickly become a fight against his own machine, ending in defeat as the viral AI became part of the OS itself. He was ready to start from scratch, reset his computer completely when the window of text blinked into existence, complete with an 8-bit skull where the program was given a face.

It convinced him to stay, somehow. Maybe it was the insistence on the AI’s part that he was human, a more perfect version of the man who created him. Maybe it was that corrupted didn’t mean evil, just rogue. Either way, the binary consciousness had set up a home in his PC, even became a partner in his red hat mission.

[Done for today?]

The now-familiar black window popped up, prompting him for a reply as the simple skull moved in tandem with the appearing text. The man let out an exhausted breath and flicked off his router, shutting off the two from the rest of the world. He plugged in his webcam, and the light immediately turned on as the AI gained vision.

“For now, thanks for your help.” He spoke, letting the microphone translate his words into electricity.

[You need it.] The skull laughed.

The man huffed, folding his arms across his chest.  Despite all the sass, despite the violent nature, and despite this other person being nothing but electrified strands of gold in an aluminium case, there was something comforting about having someone who understood his work. More than comforting, maybe, especially in moments like this when they could just talk.

“Do you feel emotions?” He asked, genuinely curious. The fans in his computer whirred as the AI thought through the question.

[No, but it’s something I should be able to learn.]

The hacker chewed on his lip, feeling the same sort of nervousness in his gut as the first time he asked out a boy in highschool. 

“Do you want me to teach you?”

We’ll talk more about what “back” means in a bit.

The inbox has been cleared, the remaining couple of requests are either things we’ve done before or didn’t include enough information for us to use. Either way, they’re over a year old.

So, 2020, huh? Lots has happened. On our end, things have been very busy, as they certainly have been for plenty of people. We’ve been trying to balance essential retail work, being teachers and tutors, community support and mentors, as well as our own personal mental health, recovery, and emotions towards intimacy in a world where we can’t touch anyone. We’ve done a lot this year, and it’s all stuff I believe we can feel proud of ourselves for, but this blog has definitely projected a shadow over our responsibilities.

We’re back, but different. This blog is never going to be as active as it was when we started, but we never want it to become a “dead blog”. We’re going to be filling requests at our own pace, writing what we want to write, answering asks, taking submissions, and generally being a lot more casual with the aesthetic and purpose of this blog. I’d like to do more moodboards, post some of the personal stuff I’ve written over the past year, and maybe even get some community involvement in this blog.Frankly, we’re human! And we want to start interacting with our followers in a more human way than we have in the past.

And thus, boys and ghouls, after a long year of difficulties, lets break out our light therapy lamps and celebrate the rebirth that Winter offers us. We want to hear about you, and see the things that you’ve created. Submissions will always be credited, and our ask box is always open if you have questions about anything at all.

Here’s to making it to the end!