Consider, the AE crew playing horror games and it’s poor March’s turn on the controller, but reader serves as her emotional support by being a comedian, kinda like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SErWi_NZ8DI&t=62s
If this link doesn’t work it’s just Markiplier playing Fatal Frame 2 and making funny noises while reading the taboo tome. XD
Press X to Panic
Summary: The Astral Express crew gathers for a cozy horror game night, with March 7th bravely (and nervously) taking her turn at the controller. Thankfully, you’re by her side as her emotional support comedian, lightening the spooky mood with jokes and over-the-top commentary. While March struggles to handle the game’s scares, Caelus brings his Gen Z flair, Dan Heng offers quiet amusement, and the room is filled with laughter, camaraderie, and wholesome chaos.
Tags: Astral Express Crew (Caelus, March 7th, Dan Heng) x Reader, Humor, Fluff, Horror Games, Found Family, Emotional Support, Lighthearted Chaos, Comedy Relief, March 7th Focus.
The lights of the Astral Express flickered dimly as the crew settled in for one of their rare moments of downtime. The usual hum of the train was replaced by laughter and playful banter, the crew gathered in the lounge for a much-anticipated horror game night.
March, with her usual spark of enthusiasm, was eagerly clutching the controller, though her nervousness was apparent. Her eyes darted between the screen and the rest of the crew, trying to psych herself up for what lay ahead.
“Alright, it’s time for me to shine! I’m gonna do this!” she cheered, though her voice wavered.
Caelus, leaning back in his seat with a laid-back expression, raised an eyebrow. “Bet. We’ll see how long you last, though. You’ve got this... if you don’t panic too hard.”
“I’ll be fine!” March said, trying to convince herself, but the controller shook in her hands.
The rest of the crew was gathered around, each of them either anxious or excited to watch March’s impending demise at the hands of the ghostly horrors that awaited her on screen.
You sat beside March, always her emotional support and comedically prepared for the situation at hand. You grinned, already planning to provide her with some comic relief.
“Don’t worry, March, just remember: the scarier the game, the funnier I get,” you quipped, offering a wink.
“You think you’re funny?” Dan Heng, ever the stoic one, asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice, though there was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
“Absolutely,” you replied, resting your chin on your hand dramatically, “because nothing says ‘comedic relief’ like absolute panic and awkward breathing. Just wait for it.”
March finally took a deep breath and started the game. The room fell into an expectant silence, the eerie music from the game heightening the tension. The moment a ghostly figure appeared on the screen, March squealed and immediately dropped the controller, her hands flying to her face in a mix of embarrassment and sheer terror.
“I can’t, I can’t do this!” she squealed, looking at you for comfort.
With a theatrical sigh, you turned to her and offered a comforting pat on the back. “Alright, alright, March, no worries. Take a breath. What’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like the ghost is going to come out of the screen and—”
“Boo!, you’re dead!” A ghostly figure jumped on the screen with a dramatic pop-up, causing March to shriek.
“See? Told you it wouldn’t be that bad!” you chimed, even though March’s face was now a few shades paler.
Caelus, reclining lazily in the background, finally broke his silence. “Yo, that ghost is low-key a vibe though. Like, it’s got the drip.” He smirked, clearly teasing. “I mean, the ghost has better fashion sense than me.”
“Caelus, you cannot be serious,” March shot back, though the faintest laugh bubbled up through her fear.
"Bro, I’m dead serious," Caelus responded nonchalantly. "This is giving me major ‘ghost trying to flex on everyone’ vibes."
The energy in the room shifted from nervous to playful, as everyone took their turn to gently poke fun at March’s reactions. You, however, stayed in your prime, leaning into your role as her emotional support—by adding hilarious commentary.
You leaned in closer to the screen as March steeled herself to continue. “Okay, you’ve got this, girl. Let’s face it, you’re gonna be fine. The ghost is literally just here to vibe and chill. Look at him. He’s probably just like, ‘Yo, can I get a selfie with you?’”
Dan Heng gave you a side glance, though his lips twitched in amusement. "You're impossible."
“Impossible? Nah, I’m just the emotional anchor here, bro. We’re gonna make it through this game with no stress,” you retorted dramatically.
March, still shaking, picked up the controller again. She slowly moved her character through the hallway, peering around corners.
“This is so intense,” she muttered, inching forward, every step slower than the last.
Suddenly, the screen flickered. A ghost leaped from the shadows, and March screamed, throwing the controller up into the air.
“March!” you shouted, laughing as the controller flew, “We were literally this close to making it through. But hey, no shame in the game!”
“I’m sorry!” March said between breaths, completely overwhelmed but now laughing at herself. “This is too much for me!”
"Bro, it’s just a ghost, chill,” Caelus chimed in again, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Don’t let it gaslight you like that. Just ignore it and it’ll go away, like a bad tweet."
“You sure?” March asked, eyes wide as she glanced at the others.
“Absolutely,” you said with a grin. “Now, get back in there! Ghosts only get more dramatic if you let them win.”
With a deep sigh, March took a deep breath, her face scrunching in determination. “Okay, okay, here we go.”
The game continued, but now the room was filled with a different kind of energy—one where even Dan Heng cracked a rare smile, March found a small bit of confidence, and Caelus, of all people, offered a small chuckle.
Eventually, the game concluded, and March let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “I’m never doing that again.”
“Next time it’s my turn, right?” you asked, your voice pure mischief.
March shot you a playful glare. “I swear, if you even look at that controller next time, I’m hiding it.”
The crew laughed, and for a moment, the tension of the horror game faded, replaced by the warmth of friendship and the undeniable joy that came from their shared shenanigans.
It wasn’t just about defeating the game; it was about the bonds they formed, the laughter that broke through the fear, and the understanding that, no matter what happened, they would always be there for each other.
And if that meant being March’s emotional support comedian for the rest of the night? Well, you were more than happy to oblige.
Just as long as it was running at the top of my head, picture this scenario:
The Banana Splits, on their Road Trip of Redemption from that awful horror film treatment, turn out to have a stop in Wisconsin Dells as includes an evening appearance at the Elm Street Plaza in concert and mirth, opening, more or less, as thus:
BINGO, taking stock of the mostly tourist-type audience for the show: How were we to know people were actually going to show up in the first place?
FLEEGLE, slightly surprised: Who else would they be expecting, the Black Cat Tour?
SNORKY: [Rather blatant honking, which Drooper interprets as "Whatever that was."]
BINGO, trying to keep things a little crazy: Alright, if I may take a little survey here ... how many of you in the audience see yourselves as locals or even as tourists in your hometown? [Modest number of hands raised in response]
DROOPER, trying to be pragmatic about it: And I just hope some of you don't get the takeaway that the rest of you just filling the seats here are tourists trying to make up for the loss of the Tommy Bartlett Waterski Show these last couple of years! [Laughter]
BINGO: Which, I understand, had an evening performance--
FLEEGLE: And you're quite right they did ... as if chorus-line dancers winding up at Pebbles Flintstone's birthday party once--and it turned out to be by mistake--wasn't silly enough! [More laughter from the crowd]
DROOPER: But at any rate, folks, it's rather wonderful of us Banana Splits to be here in the Waterpark Capital of the World this evening, and let's just all have a hot time in the old time tonight--
(Which turns out to be the cue for the opening numbers, a medley essentially of "We're The Banana Splits" and the show theme tune, "The Tra-La-La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)", followed by some vaudeville-model exchanges and banter)
Hey! When I write I usually wind up making it more dark than intended. How do I add comic relief and/or know when to add it?
As someone who consistently finds their writing darker than intended (or even imagined), I understand the struggle of finding a way to lighten up the mood a little bit.
When it comes to comedic relief, here are a few ways to incorporate it in your writing:
The comedic relief character or moment:
- A serious character makes a sarcastic comment that is taken literally
“Yes, you should definitely jump off the bridge.”
“Well, if you say so–”
“The hell? No–stop!”
- A literal comment is taken as sarcastic/joking
“If you hit that button, the entire room will explode”
*rolls eyes* “You mean this button?”
- Characters who blurt out whatever they are thinking
Could be a curse word coming from a character who never curses
Blurting out something embarrassing
Word vomit
- Have a character get their words mixed up
Think of sound-alike words: they say “Cherry” instead of “Ferry” or something.
Calling a rifle a “boom stick” or something: this can happen if your character speaks a different language, or is from a different place, or fumbles with their words a lot
- Insert an inappropriate response that makes the reader giggle
Someone proposes, and a character starts choking on their wine
The villain threatens to kill them, and the hero holds up a hand and yawns
Speeding away from a bank robbery when a character pokes their head from the back seat and announces, “Wait, we’re missing Tony!”
Anything to create that, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” moment
- Introduce a blunt character to a sensitive topic or person
“Your face is blazing red.”
*Clamping hands on face* “W-what? Oh, sorry, I just…”
“Did you confess your love to him?”
*Eyes opening wide, going even redder*
*Enter romantic interest, having heard everything* “Sorry, what?”
- Likewise, have a sensitive character navigate around a blunt topic
“Listen. When someone asks you how they look… you can’t just say they look like a bloated toad.”
*looking confused* “So I’m expected to lie?”
*Swallowing hard* “You’re, uh… no, not lie exactly… just be nicer?”
- Create a massive misunderstanding between characters
“I thought you said you were pregnant!”
“I wasn’t talking about me!
- When a character is oblivious to the obvious
“So… explain to me again just what happened.”
*pulling hair out of head* “Did you not just see the explosion?!”
“So that’s what that was!”
- The unexpected comment from the smart aleck character
I always think of El Dorado when Tulio and Miguel are adrift at sea with no supplies and no land in sight:
“Tulio, did you ever imagine it would end like this?”
“The horse is a surprise.”
Utilize humourous language:
This can be in the form of:
Puns
Funny Words
An unexpected metaphor or simile
Misused Idioms
Click here for more ideas!
Oh, and here.
Make the situation funny:
You know how this one goes…
When to use comedy:
To release the tension in your writing
If you want to lighten up your writing (if you personally feel like its too dark, depressing, gory, or some of your readers feel it necessary)
To remind readers that there is a light at the end of the tunnel
To give the reader some relief
When comedy hurts: Click here
If you’re writing about a serious/heavy topic (illness, injury, abuse, rape, assault, life flashing before the eyes, etc.), inserting comedy can take away from the gravity/seriousness of the situation
Comedy can undermine the credibility of a character, making them appear less threatening. If you want a villain who gives nightmares, leave the comedy out
Comedy can also make your character look like a jerk. If you have someone in the hospital, and you want your character to come across as kind and considerate, you don’t want the first thing comes out of the character’s mouth to be some horrible, brash joke. You’ll want to match the dialogue with the tone.
If your reader cares about a character, humiliating them won’t make the character laugh. It will make them cry.
“If you have a genuinely serious or emotional scene, don’t make that scene into a joke–treat it with the gravity it deserves”
Comedy during a sincere high stakes/dramatic scene will take away from the moment. Readers will not like the interruption, especially if emotionally invested.
See the above link for more ideas!
And this link as well: Tips for Writing Dark Stories, Settings, Characters
I also want to put out there that darkness is not bad! Sometimes darkness makes a novel or writing snippet more powerful. Sometimes the heaviness needs to be felt.
Something I’ve found fascinating for a while is when a sequel or spin-off to a movie focuses on the comic-relief side characters.
It’s like in the effort to make the funny sidekick a legit main protagonist, they accidentally create a character that’s actually more interesting than the original lead. I mean, when you think about it, all of the franchises here are basically about a fairly well-adjusted guy who overcomes their one flaw and lives happily ever after.
But then you get to the spin-offs, and who’s the hero now? A fat, loud-mouthed irritable parrot who used to be a villain. A smart-aleck incompetent meerkat who’s shunned by his entire colony. A tiny, nervous albino bat with a cracking voice who runs a traveling show. A dumb, egotistal lemur who wants nothing more than to party all the time. All of them have funny accents. And yet in the end they prove their worth, without ever having to change their core personality.
Sometimes I wish more stories just skipped the whole handsome-guy/beautiful-girl and go straight to the weirdo that nobody ever expected to be the big hero. I’ve been seeing it a little bit in animation this century (Lilo & Stitch, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, Wreck-It Ralph), but mostly it’s still the traditional setup with some variations- although I’d say the best movies lately go for similar but definitely less out-there unlikely heroes.
