This request will be for when you do see iron lung but i needed to request it before it left my brain
So the ahwm worms kicked in, so my request is that Simon gets into Yancys jail as a prisoner and reader and yancy try and help him acclimate to prison life.
I imagine that yancy tries a choreographed song to welcome Convict, but it kinda puts him off because this is a prison and a punishment, not a ymca. Meanwhile reader is more normal about this and shows him that its gonna be okay, so Convict latches into them first as his friend.
Yancy: aw come on, eyes was gonna bes his first friend!
Yeah the AHWM worms got back into my head too <3
I'm imagining this as an AU where Simon/Convict ends up in the M(ark)CU before shit goes seriously wrong
.....
"So....you think you can just waltz on in here like we ain't notice yous??! Think you were so "big" and "tough" in that bulky outfit of youses??!"
"Um...no?" Simon's gaze shifted awkwardly between the prisoners in front of him, still trying to make sense of who these people were....
Or even where he was to begin with.
Last time he checked, he was still welded into that iron casket of a submarine by the C.O.I. No windows, no doors, no escape--he wouldn't have been able to get out without compromising the hull integrity.
They insisted that the mission was "bigger" than him. Bigger than his concerns about having any kind of exit.
They weren't going to let him go unless he earned his freedom: by doing the dirty work of scavenging the blood ocean for signs of life, or anything else that could aid humanity's continued survival.
He was told that he only had to go down there once...
But he was lied to.
They dropped him back down a second time to collect a sample of the unknown entity that he found--something he previously assumed to be the skeleton of a giant mutated fish, now coming to terms with the fact that it was very much alive, consistently stalking him, talking to him..
After spending an eternity steering blindly, charting out the map, getting several concussions, dealing with radiation poisoning, and being severely dehydrated and deprived of oxygen to the point of hallucinating some batshit crazy things--
He passed out and winded up here, at a different kind of prison complex that wasn't aboard a rusted space station drifting amongst the dead stars.
Here, there was warmth.
Here, there was...light.
Somehow, the air didn't feel so heavy.
Despite the more welcoming environment, he had no idea how he got here in the first place. Did they transfer him while he was unconscious? And if so....why?
Were they finally satisfied with his discoveries? Was it enough to give humanity hope? Would they live on without ever knowing the name of the criminal scumbag who risked everything to save what little remained of it?
Or was he just another cog in the machine? Merely replaced by a new one to further explore that dreaded ocean?
His head was swimming with questions, and nothing here could give him the answers he wanted. All he could do was get accustomed to this new location the best he can.
But he quickly realized...these inmates acted very different from those he's served time with.
They seemed to be quite the sociable bunch, being allowed to mingle and eat with each other in the cafeteria. None of them were clad in heavy uniforms stitched together haphazardly, nor were any of them shackled to the point where they can't move without a guard's escort.
In fact, he noticed some have made "fashion statements" out of their chains, as if they were proud to wear them. As if they accepted them as part of their identity.
What prisoner would want that? Surely not him..
They did make him remove his original uniform during processing, which he was thankful for as all those layers were so goddamn heavy. But at the same time, it felt so...strange to not have them on when he's worn them since his incarceration.
Despite being dressed like everyone else here at HTP, he still felt extremely out-of-place....and it didn't help matters when a small group approached him, their apparent "ringleader" being an man of slightly shorter stature, with slicked-back hair, tattoos on his arms and knuckles, and a white shirt and striped pants.
He had barely spoken a word since he came here, and this guy was already taunting him, either trying to intimidate him...or trying to goad him into a fight.
He's no stranger to violence, nor being treated as less-than-human. So he remained on his guard.
"You have any idea what we do to newcomers??"
"Let me guess..." He scoffed, a deep scowl written on his face. "You like to beat them senseless? To prove that you're better than---?"
"Woah, woah, woah wait! Wait."
Unexpectedly, the tattooed inmate's demeanor completely flipped on its head as he put his hands up, eyes comically wide and frantic at the mere suggestion of violence. "No! Th-That's not...yous got it all wrong, pal! We ain't barbarians!"
Now Simon was confused. "You're...not?"
"Of course not! You sees, what we like to do here is welcome new family members...in song!"
"....song?"
"Yeah! Yous gonna love it, trust me! We'll make ya feel right at home!" There was a huge grin on the ringleader's face as he turned to the people behind him "Okay guys and gals, just like we practiced." He whispered, snapping his fingers.
The room became dim, with two spotlights appearing to shine down upon them both. Nobody else.
The convict flinched at the sudden brightness, putting his hand up to shield his eyes. "What the f--"
"Five, six, seven, eight!"
Before he could process what the hell was going on, his interrogator--a man who previously acted like he was ready to fight him--jumped onto a nearby table, wearing white gloves and a top hat. That same spotlight began tracking his movements as he danced around.
Music was coming from nowhere in particular, as well as colorful lights shining on the floor and walls while he sang about how excited everyone was to have a new prisoner in their midst, assuring him this was the "best place" to be.
What?
How did that make any sense?
What kind of prison allowed this behavior? This was supposed to be a place of punishment, right?
And where did he get the hat from???
Simon could only stand there, dumbfounded, certain that he was only imagining all of this...
Yes. He had to be.
There's no way he could have truly escaped from that submarine.
It was only a matter of time before he regained consciousness and woke up back in that hot, rusted, irradiated tin can...forced to complete his mission and be haunted by that fucking sea monster for the rest of his journey--with nobody except his own company.
Once again, he'd be yelled at for wasting time and damaging equipment, treated as nothing more than a tool to further their own-
"Hey!!"
A loud voice suddenly rang out over all the music, and just like that.....everything stopped.
A record scratch was heard somewhere as the singing and dancing ceased, as the lights returned to normal. The prisoners looked around, bewildered, their ringleader no different as he removed his hat.
Simon thought it was a warden or guard coming to shut down all the noise, so he was surprised to see that it was you instead--another inmate with a rather...handsome and/or beautiful visage that almost caught him off-guard for a second.
But you look like you meant business, as you stormed over to the man on the table, scowling up at him like a disappointed parent.
"No. We're not doing this again, Yancy. Get down from there."
'Again? What do they mean by "again"?'
"Wha--bu...but we have a LOT more fun welcomin' new people this way!" The man--Yancy, as he was apparently called--stammered, gesturing wildly to Simon. "Look at 'im! He was starting to-!"
"I don't wanna hear it. Just..get down, please. Before you scare off another one."
A series of mumbles and grumbles left him as he relented, stepping off the table while everyone went back to what they were normally doing. He hung his head low, acting like a child as he shuffled to your side, pouty and silent.
You sighed softly, patting him on the back. "Look, I'm sorry. I love all the songs you make, alright? Just...let me handle this one. You've already had your turn anyways."
Nodding, he shuffled away, while you turned back to the newbie with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about him. He gets...a bit overexcited whenever we have new arrivals."
"Yeah, um...I could tell." Simon cleared his throat. "It was...certainly a lot to take in."
"He's a dance major, but his career hasn't exactly taken off since he's been incarcerated. So he loves to show off his talents here." You chuckled. "Come on. Allow me to show you around the place."
.......
"This grass? It's....It's all real?"
"Yes, um..all of it's real." As odd as the newcomer's question was, you said nothing more as you watched him fidget with the blades of grass poking through the courtyard's chain link fence, twisting them between his fingers.
He was seemingly...mesmerized by them, for reasons you didn't quite understand. But you chalked it up as him being locked away and isolated from the outside world for so long that he couldn't believe the grass here was real.
That was...a rather depressing notion, making you wonder what crime he could've committed to warrant such a sentence.
Then again, he did say something about being held in a space station prison, so maybe....he just missed Earth a lot.
But you were happy to help him readjust and get acclimated with life here.
This guy was clearly scared and confused. It'd take more than just a silly musical number to help him feel at ease. It would take patience, kindness, and understanding---all things that were apparently foreign to him, given his refusal to leave your side ever since you interrupted Yancy's performance.
Sitting down beside him, you cleared your throat. "So...you said that one moment, they sent you on this death mission in a submarine that's barely holding itself together, and the next...you're here? Seems like they just gave you a transfer."
"But here's the thing...I would have known if they were going to transport me." He uncoiled his fingers from the grass. "They made it pretty damn clear that I wasn't leaving that sub until they were satisfied with what I found. They were getting more specific with their demands...even when I was losing my fucking mind trying to find my way around."
"Jeez. All of that sounds...awfully harsh for a punishment. If you don't mind me asking...what exactly was-?"
"You don't wanna know."
That single, blunt sentence silenced you immediately, and you could see just how uncomfortable he was becoming, as he began messing with the pendant attached to his left wrist. One that held the seed of a plant or tree sapling of some kind.
You faintly recall seeing him throw a fit with the prison guard who tried to confiscate it during processing. But they eventually let him keep it (mainly because they were a timid rookie who'd surrender if a prisoner so much as glanced at them in a threatening manner).
"Okay, I understand." You nodded. "But I'll tell you what I did. Because I think you'll get a kick out of it."
He remained quiet, although his eyes were now focused on you.
"My friend and I broke into a museum to steal some ancient box. It...mostly went off without a hitch, but then I stupidly suggested taking a helicopter as our getaway vehicle. And that's when I realized....neither of us knew how to fly one."
Part of you expected him to be humored. To at least crack a little smile at the punchline, but his face never changed. He was still wrapped-up in his own thoughts. You weren't sure if he was even listening.
But you shrugged and continued. "Soooo now we're here. He tried breaking us out, though one of the guys here beat him up. Dunno where he went after that, but that's when Yancy showed up and convinced me to stay. And he's got a point....there's nothing really for us out there. Not for me, at least. You have anyone waiting for you on the outside?"
"....no." He muttered. "There's...no one left in my life. Not since..."
He wanted to speak of the Quiet Rapture, but he didn't know if that would make him look even more insane.
Here he was, talking to you about space stations and blood oceans.....how could he possibly tell you that every person on every planet vanished in an instant?
The answer was simple. He couldn't. You wouldn't believe that. Because you're here. You and so many other people who may have friends and families waiting for them.
This place was just like the Earth he read about.
"Well that makes two of us, then." You sigh, looking around to see if Yancy was nearby. And you did spot him chatting with some people, somehow not noticing either of you.
For now, you'd rather keep it that way.
"I was part of a rebellion."
"Hm?" Glancing back at the convict, you tilted your head. "You were?" It's surprising that he was willing to open up to you this soon, but it seems your story motivated him enough to share his own.
"Resources were scarce..and..we..my brothers..." He stopped himself to exhale a shaky breath, trying not to get so choked up. "I've...gotten a lot of blood on my hands. More than any of them. They called me the Butcher. But...I-I wasn't proud of it. I didn't want...I....I didn't mean to-"
"Hey."
Feeling a pat on his shoulder, he looked up and saw your sympathetic expression. No fear. No disgust. Just understanding. "You don't have to tell me anything more if you don't want to."
"...thank you." He sighed in relief, rubbing a hand across his face. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be like this. I guess I'm just...I'm still trying to figure out how I got here and why that guy decided to break out into song....this is prison, right?"
"It is. Just...a very different one, obviously. But it's leagues better than that shithole up in space, I'm sure. They take good care of us here....as long as we don't try to stab the guards." You gave him a reassuring smile. "The worst punishment we get here is solitary confinement or bathroom duty."
"Really? Even....killers?"
"Yancy murdered his own parents, and he still gets meals daily and takes showers that are hours long. I don't like him hogging all the hot water, though.." You grumbled.
"What?" His eyes widened slightly. "He just...told you that?"
"He tells everybody. We sorta have this...pact where we're not supposed to talk about his parents unless he brings it up. It's a pretty sensitive subject."
"And you feel safe around him..even though he's got blood on his hands?"
"Of course. But don't be fooled...underneath all that toughness is a soft heart." You chuckle. "I apologize again for that crazy first impression he left...but I promise you'll like him a lot. He was an asshole to me too when I first arrived, but now we're best friends."
He continued to be astonished by the lax system of this jail. No convict aboard the C.O.I would ever be permitted to sit with other convicts in a cafeteria...or even be allowed to address each other by name.
To the wardens, using their names at all would be seeing them as people, and a killer like the "Butcher" didn't deserve that.
Why attach a name to someone who's gonna be welded in a submarine with a minimal chance they'd make it out alive?
You, on the other hand, wondered what kind of terrible prison system he was shoved into that didn't look out for its inmates as well as it should have.
This poor guy had no friends. No family. Nobody whose names he knew. No convict to share his struggles with.
But you could be the first.
"Ah! I can't believe I didn't ask for your name yet. Shame on me. You know mine already, but you are...?" You put your hand out, waiting patiently.
"Simon." He reached back, clasping his gloved fingers with yours, the handshake firm.
God, he hasn't heard or spoken that name in a long, long time. It felt like a breath of fresh air--especially as your smile grew tenfold.
"Simon. I like that name. I think you and I are gonna be great--oh!"
You were suddenly pulled against his chest, wrapped in the tightest hug known to mankind. You were surprised, but welcomed the gesture nevertheless as you hugged him back.
But you grew worried when you heard his breaths become shaky again, feeling his whole body tremble...as if he was trying his hardest not to cry.
"Hey...you're okay." You consoled him with a pat on the back. "I got you. It's all gonna be okay."
"Is this real..?" A small whimper escape his lips. "Am I really safe here? God, please let this be real. I don't want to go back there. I...I can't..." His voice cracked in desperation.
It broke your heart even further, knowing his punishment must've been so torturous, so emotionally and mentally scarring that he couldn't tell what was reality anymore, even with you right here in his arms.
All he knows is that he didn't wanna go back in that goddamn submarine ever again. He only endured it because he wanted to survive long enough to see humanity carry on. To atone for the great sins he committed in the name of Eden.
But after you assured him everything here was real, you included, he realized.....he was finally free.
Not from imprisonment, yet free from them.
They can go and complete that stupid mission if they wanted to. They likely would have forgotten his name anyways.
Whatever brought him here, into this strange universe where the Quiet Rapture never took place and humanity flourished....he was eternally grateful for it.
How it happened didn't matter to him anymore.
"S-Simon, you're uh...kinda crushing me a little..."
"Huh? Oh! I am so sorry." He suddenly let you go, embarrassed by his actions as he looked the other way, his demeanor sheepish. "I-I don't know what came over me...sorry..."
"It's okay. I didn't mind it. You probably needed it after whatever you've been through." Your smile returned, softer. "You look scary, but you're just a big ol' softie who ain't use to our ways. But you'll fit in soon enough. We'll make sure of that."
Simon glanced back at you, a tiny smile of his own appearing on his face. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Not all of his burdens were put at ease...but many of them were.
For the first time, he felt like he could truly live.
And that's all he ever wanted.
"Thank you.."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"So how's our new buddy?"
"He's cool. His name is Simon, and.....wait, what do you mean OUR buddy?"
"Wh...he's told yous his name first? Oh come on, that was supposed to be me!" Yancy pouted, slumped in the chair as he looked at you with sad brown eyes. "He was likin' our lil' musical ditty! We spent hours rehearsin' it! And then you come and rain on our parade!"
"Yancy, I warned you that one day, this whole YMCA shtick was gonna scare off a new inmate. And guess what? It almost did. I expect you to say sorry to him later."
End Of The World trio!! (Simon - Iron Lung, Mark - In Space With Markiplier, Dave - The Edge Of Sleep)
This is an au I made back when we only had a teaser for the movie (and iirc, not even the book for The Edge Of Sleep) when I was EXTREMELY obsessed with TEOS and markiplier egos. So, now that the movie came out, I wanted to draw this trio again as a little tribute to 13 year old me.
The proof of my insanity lies here (old art warning)
engineer mark and darkiplier.. but with swapped clothes!!
took a quick doodle request from twitter and kinda ran with it.. LOL. alt version and maybe speedpaint video under cut!!! if i can get it to work..
My original vision is the one I put above a sthe main image, but then I started thinking about swapping their outfits entirely..!!! so i had to do an alt.
Also, below is the speedpaint which i realised i could record after i had started the lines.. LOL so sorry it starts randomly!!! hopefully it works.
happy pride from the detroit police department !!! i cant decide on Gavin being just a mean homosexual or a closeted firm denier of his gay thoughts. i like both headcannons lowk
Summary: you were finally back in your cryopod after saving the ship yet again, but the engineer has something he'd like to tell you, but he can't work up the courage to tell you while you're awake
Warnings: requited unrequited love, fluff, love confessions etc
A/N: I've been working on this for so long, but its finally here and I hope you guys like it!
You had returned to cryosleep, the ship was safe, your crew and the colonists were accounted for, and you could rest. The crew members you had awoken to assist you seemed to follow your lead.
All except one.
The engineer was still awake.
He couldn't bring himself to go back to his pod yet, so he sat beside yours, leaning against it.
He was talking quietly.
Even in the haze the cryo chamber caused you could hear him.
“I know you're sleeping, but this is the only way I can tell you this,” you had never seen the engineer look so serious.
“You're just so brave, Captain, you've saved us all, saved me, so many times..” he sighed, “but I'm not brave, I'm a coward. I can't even tell you how I feel in person, out loud, to your face.”
He did this several times, and you continued to struggle against the chambers desire for you to remain still. At this point you almost wished for another problem so the program would disengage itself.
This was probably the seventh or eighth time the engineer had come to sit beside you. There were days he'd sit in silence, deep in thought, and there were others where he couldn't seem to stop the flow of words coming out of his mouth. Today definitely matched the latter.
He was telling another story where you'd done just the right thing in the knick of time. You wanted to tell him that what you'd done had been a panic response, not a well thought out solution to a problem. Even if you were able to say that, he wouldn't believe you. He always saw you in the brightest possible light.
The times between his visits were hazy, and your mind moved sluggishly, and your body even more so. You'd gotten so close to the release button, you could almost touch it.
Almost
You were so close.
You could tell he was coming back.
His footsteps echoed loudly through the silent ship.
He sat down in his usual spot, leaning against your pod, “I love you,” he said after a long moment of silence.
“I've loved you for as long as I can remember really,” he continued, “you'd say I love some sort of idealized version of you, but I love the version of you that remembers the rations I like, and hides the vanilla coffee packets for me because I like them better than the plain ones. You remember everything, that's why I love you.”
He started to stand up, “I don't think you'd ever love me back though,” he admitted, “that's why I keep telling you while you're asleep, because once we get to the new colony, you'll find someone. Someone perfect for you, and you'll leave me behind, and it'll be okay. It'll be okay because I told you, even if you can't hear me.”
There it was, your fingers brushed the button.
Finally, all your effort paid off.
You could do it
You used all the strength you had in your frozen body, and shoved the button down.
The chamber opened with a hiss, steam pouring out, and you essentially fell to the floor. Your limbs were far too cold to support you.
“Captain?” The engineer's voice broke through the haze. It sounded like he had been trying to get your attention for some time if his frantic tone was anything to go by.
“Captain, are you alright?” He continued, “what happened to your pod? Did it malfunction? There must be something wrong with the ship, oh no-”
He continued rambling, as you struggled into a sitting position. As much as you loved hearing his voice, you really needed him to stop talking for just a minute.
Your teeth wouldn't stop chattering.
You supposed that was your own fault, you weren't supposed to use the emergency disengage of the cryopod, but in your mind, and your heart, mostly your heart, this was an emergency.
“You need to stop talking,” you finally got out.
He didn't hear you, he was pacing and panicking, hands gesturing wildly.
“Engineer, please stop talking,” you tried again.
Still nothing, you were worried for him now, he looked so distressed. If he would just stop and listen, you'd be able to fix it for him.
“Head Engineer!” You finally managed to shout, voice shaking because of the shivering that you couldn't seem to stop.
The engineer finally paused, looking at you, brows furrowed in confusion, “captain?” He returned.
“You need to stop talking so that I can tell you that I'm in love with you too,” you replied, using your ‘captain voice’.
You left absolutely no room for argument, but the engineer still managed to look completely shocked.
“You love me?” He whispered, eyes wide.
“I do, I have for the longest time,” you admitted, ducking your head so you didn't have to meet his gaze.
“Why didn’t you ever say?”
“I was scared,” you replied honestly, “you are my subordinate, and I never wanted you to feel pressured to return my feelings, but then I heard you-”
“You heard me?”
You nodded, “the cryopods don't put you to sleep instantly, it takes time, I could hear you, but everything else was hazy. When you said I'd find someone when we got to this new planet, I couldn't let you keep thinking your feelings were one sided, because I wouldn't find anyone else. The person I want has been by my side the whole time.”
He dropped to his knees beside you, and you nearly winced at the impact on his knees, but you were far too focused on him grabbing your face to pull you into a kiss. It tasted like ice and desperation, and you wrapped your hands around his wrists so he couldn't second guess himself.
You only separated from him when you could no longer deny your need for air, but you didn't let him go. You couldn't help but smile when you looked at him, because you couldn't remember a time you'd seen him so happy.
“Love looks good on you, engineer,” you teased gently.
“I think it suits me, captain,” he agreed, “but I like the way it looks on you even more.”
You both knew you'd have to return to your pods soon, it wouldn't do you any good to be awake for the entire duration of the trip, but you needed just a little more time with him.
When you both finally returned to cryosleep, you were in pods next to each other, and when you woke up again, you'd do it together.
There would be struggles in your future, leading your crew and the colonists to form a society on a brand new planet couldn't possibly be easy. You found yourself looking forward to the challenge though, afterall, your engineer would be by your side and together the pair of you were next to unstoppable.
GUYS GUYS GUYS
If you have ever listened to anything I've ever said (doubtful) then PLEASE listen now
This is such a good game please play it
As a Simon Enjoyer™️I have played this for days trying to get every ending
it is a SIMON DATING SIM
IT IS SAD
SIMON IS HOT
WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
No but genuinely this is such a good game, completely free to play, and I know if you give it a chance you will love it. There are 4 endings (as far as I am aware), and it is just genuinely so good.
A mini game where you romance Simon from outside the Iron Lung.
Idk if the link will work but this is what it is called on Itch.io
Reed900? Songs about feeling emotions from the pov of a robot? Sign me up. I heard this and just had to draw something for it. It feels so Nines coded. And ofc i had to make it reed900 because they have me in a chokehold... anyway, enjoy!
amandla
vaporwave
gummygunk
gracieabrams
blakekathryn
2087
prguitarman
