singillatim | open / radio killed the penmanship star

Entry tags:

open / radio killed the penmanship star

Who: Cornelius Hickey & OPEN
What: futzing with the radio, dog times, hot springs
When: throughout the month of August
Where: Milton

Content Warnings: nudity in the hot springs, will add as needed

morse code / ota
Hickey occasionally is smart. He doesn't exactly know what Morse code is, but he knows that this radio Marra gave him can only send dots and dashes. Obviously there must be some kind of language or code used, simply because it would be remarkably useless to communicate with otherwise. So, might as well do some poking around, see if there's anything useful or any code books in any outposts—Lakeside has the hydrodam, that might be useful. It takes him a while but he finds what he's looking for: a basic guide to Morse code.

Anybody who's got one of the shortwave radios that Marra gave out will soon hear a message repeated, a few times a night, as Hickey tries out his new toy (and also, more importantly, just tries to get more fluent in Morse code):

THIS IS HICKEY. CAN YOU HEAR ME?

wolf mode / ota
Every now and then, Hickey just has to cut loose and enjoy some time as a wolf. It's easier, after all. He likes Billy, he likes his human friends, and honestly it's gotten so much easier here now that certain people have died and/or vanished. But every now and then, when he's focused too much on Morse code or worried about their provisions for the winter or stuck on some boring human concern, he just takes a moment to forget all that.

Sometimes he hunts. Hickey as a wolf is small, with reddish gray fur, and a wirey build. Anybody in the wolf pack is invited—hell, there are times when Hickey goes up to his mates directly and just bluntly asks if they want to hunt this evening. There are times when Hickey can be found out in the woods, squirrel in his mouth, looking up at anybody with a 'what are you going to do about it?' sort of expression. And there are times, few and far between, when Hickey just plays. He romps in the snow, digging down with his paws, shoving his snout in before leaping and bouncing all over the place.

hot springs / ota
Hickey doesn't usually take clothes along when he's in wolf mode. He's destroyed a few too many shirts via shifting and honestly, it's a pain in the ass to get dressed in the cold. He'll go out in the afternoon then come back home at night, happy and tired, slipping through the town when most people are asleep and nobody can bother him (and, just as importantly, he can shift back into a person close to home).

So that means when Hickey decides to take a break from being a wolf and just soak in the hot springs for a moment or two, he does it buckass naked. Dick out, limbs sprawled, just absolutely enjoying his moment of relaxation.

Sorry anybody who's coming into the hot springs and who wants to relax themselves, there's a naked man lying next to the hot springs, feet in the water, back resting on one of the rocks slightly warmed by the temperature, sunning himself like a lizard. Hickey does not want to move right now.

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Konstantin has never been up to the hot springs before. But these days, feeling much better and more hale than he ever has, taking little excursions is something he goes out of his way to do. And what better time to check out the place that he's heard so many people talking about?

He enjoys the hike up, the stretch of muscles, the crisp chill of air working through his lungs. Exploring his way through the cave leading to the springs is another thrill; he thrives off of this territory that's been uncharted by him yet, by the newness of it all.

There's another surprise waiting when he actually reaches the place. The cosmonaut pauses, surprised to see someone there, but he doesn't seem put off by the actual nudity, and he smiles bright and warm. What's a little nudity amongst men? Amongst comrades??

"You look like you're enjoying yourself."

When Hickey hears Konstantin's voice, he slips into the water of the hot springs. Not out of any sense of modesty, not really. But because there's a few scars that he'd really not like people to see. Somebody accidentally getting a look at his dick, whatever, he's become a lot more comfortable being naked now that occasionally it's most practical when shifting to a wolf. Somebody accidentally getting a look at those lash scars across his arse?

Yeah. Won't happen.

"Way I figure this, might as well enjoy it while I have the time," Hickey grins, as if this is a perfectly normal conversation. "Come December, I won't want to leave the house unless I have to."

Looks like (great?) minds think alike, for Rorschach has (unfortunately) headed to the hot springs with the same idea in mind. Ever since Levi the elder had quite literally given him a bath against his will and shamed because of how much he stunk, he's been doing his best to stay on top of his hygiene. Really, the whole town should thank Levi for that service.

He likes using the hot springs both to get himself and his clothes clean. His mind is elsewhere about a thousand miles away, which how he doesn't realize Hickey is there until he's already right there at the edge of the hot springs. Oh great. Someone he hates and on top of it he's naked. Rorschach is trying very hard not to freak out, given he knows it will only give Hickey ammunition against him, but it's very clear from the rigid body language he's wound up as tight as a violin string and just as likely to snap.

Hickey was perfectly content to vibe, to just take a little catnap before popping back into the hot springs to warm up before heading back outside in wolf form. But he hears the noise of someone approaching, the rustle of feet in the snow, and he opens up one lazy eye, propping himself up slightly to get a better look.

Great. It's this guy. Fucking hell, can't a man have a rest in peace? He takes comfort in the fact that Rorschach looks like he's going to vibrate out of his skin.

Hickey moves to lie back down on the rock, still spread out lizard style, back and rear flat against the rocks, eyes looking at the ceiling, as he lightly sasses, "Plenty of room in here for you to have a soak as well. Good weather for it."

Rorschach is absolutely not going to have a soak and they both know it.

Honestly, Hickey playing around with a new toy is quite possibly the least offensive thing the other could be doing. It's why Billy doesn't look bothered at all by the other bringing that back with him one day - as long as it's not spreading fur all over their perfectly cleaned house, he'll accept it.

So he just lets the other fiddle with it - though a man can get curious about it after a while. Billy knows just as little (or, by the time Hickey learns, definitely less) morse code as the other, but he can at least recognize the sound of it, having heard it before.

It makes him raise an eyebrow as he approaches Hickey while the other is seated in their house, sending one of those messages.

"Morse code?" He asks. "I can't tell if you are sending a message, or only messing around."

Look, he doesn't even mean it as an insult! He literally can't tell, it's all the same to him!

Edited 2025-08-17 21:27 (UTC)

There has been a noticeable reduction in fur and a noticeable reduction in leaving behind random nonsense that he's chewed up all over the house since Hickey got back from Silverpoint with his brand new toy.

"Trying to send a message," Hickey muses. "If I write it out all ahead of time, I think I've got it. But it's quickly translating the things coming in that trip me up."

He'll be able to translate Morse code soon enough. He's Cornelius Hickey, he can do anything! But even Hickey's ego knows to not write checks that he can't exactly cash—he's not super good at Morse code right now.

Well, that definitely means the radio is a keeper. Maybe it explains why Billy doesn't seem to be in a very argumentative mood right now. He is indeed just easily accepting the other's claim that he's actually sending out coherent messages.

Billy even comes over to sit at the table as well, watching what the other is doing as he speaks up again.

"Are there that many messages coming in? Do you know who is sending them?"

Konstantin waits until the other man's slid down into the water and seems settled, then starts moving carefully closer, mindful of the proximity of the water, its slippery edges, and also the steam coming from the spring. He's aware that the thing in his body reacts to extreme changes in temperature, so he doesn't need to get too hot too fast.

On the other hand, it's been pitching pits about being so cold all the time, so a bit of heat should make the thing happier. He just needs to take it slow.

"Smart man!" he grins right back, easy-going. "Winters are especially brutal here, so I think you have the right idea. I've actually never been before, believe it or not. It's nice!" He casts a look around the hot spring, taking it in. "Like a little slice of paradise."

He's never more thankful that people can't actually see what expression he's wearing than moments like this. His face is burning up with a combination of embarrassment, shame, and some other emotion. It's something he's not about to pick apart right there in the situation. Or anytime later on for that matter. Repression is a hell of a coping mechanism.

"Good place for a murder too." Was he actually considering doing away with Hickey at such a vulnerable moment? Not really. Rorschach's got someone else on the brain currently in the form of Dorian that needs to be taken care of, and as much of a pain in the ass as Hickey can be personally to him, he hasn't done anything lately that requires Rorschach to act.

Hickey idly raises an eyebrow at that. Buddy, he is relaxing. This is time to relax. Why the fuck would you attempt to ruin the mood by talking about murder?

He knows why. Because Rorschach's a poorly socialized little freak who has no idea how to actually have a conversation. But Hickey doesn't say that part out loud. Instead, he continues the conversation with,

"Road to Silverpoint's better. Stage it right, it'll look like they froze to death. There were plenty of corpses out there when I made my trek, one or two more won't be suspicious."

"Right?" Hickey grins, obviously enjoying the feel of the water. Don't mind him as he scoots slightly to the other side of the hot spring, opposite from Konstantin, back to the wall. He's just giving the man space to slip in! Certainly not trying to hide anything, nope, not him, not at all.

"I come here often. I've got one of those gifts, yeah? Mine is that I can turn into a wolf. I've got a system going. Spend all day out and about hunting or exploring as a wolf, come back here to relax as a person, shift back and slip back to Milton with my prey." Hickey idly shrugs as he muses, "Used to bring clothes. But I ruined a few too many pairs of trousers shifting forms so I figure it's easier this way."

Plus, it's the hot springs. People are absolutely naked in the hot springs. What's he going to do, carry wet clothes all the way back to Milton? Fuck no!

"Nah," Hickey says, with a little shake of his head. "There are a few messages, but it feels a lot like what I'm doing—making sure this thing works, practicing, things like that. I'm signing mine, but I don't think anybody else is."

There's a possibility that people are signing their messages and it's just due to Hickey's unfamiliarity with Morse code that he's translating them poorly. But will Hickey ever admit that he's mediocre to bad at things? Like hell he will. Obviously this is other people's fault, certainly not his.

"Something like this...I can see it being useful someday. Best to learn more about it now, when things are quiet, so I don't get caught flat-footed."

Konstantin draws a little closer to the edge of the water. It's tempting for sure to want to get in, but he definitely needs to take it slow, gauge how his alien parasite reacts... as one does.

So he just starts slowly taking off his boots and socks, leaning to roll up his pant legs so he can sit down carefully at the side and dip his feet in. There's a pleased exhale at the sensation; okay that's nice. But he's soon enough quirking a brow in curiosity by what the other man says.

"Ahhh, you're one of the wolves." He says it conversationally; look, this whole town is full of varying freaks. There's a group of people who can turn into wolves now; it's fine. "Like Chloe. Speaking of—" He grins again. "You're one of her guys, aren't you?"

"Fuck you, she's one of my guys," Hickey retorts. But based on the bright smile on his face and the teasing tone in his words, he's not super serious about that 'fuck you.' It's just the sort of things that friends say to each other, no malice in there.

That being said, Hickey is absolutely one of Chloe's guys.

"Nah, she's one of my best mates here. Keeps my head on straight, you know? Far too many people here aren't practical, so it's nice to have one who is."

It's been nearly four months of Little keeping himself reclusively hidden away. Finally, as August creeps towards an ending, he starts coming around again. It's still very cautiously, rare occurrences, and he's still keeping mostly to himself. But he now has two people he's feeding from regularly, and although he doesn't drain enough to ever really be satiated, it's enough to keep the hunger controlled. Constant, but controlled.

If he's going to be a member of this community again, he needs to sort out who all triggers this cursed hunger in him now. Some do, some don't, and until he knows someone is safe to be around... can he ever really relax in their presence? So he spends some time carefully seeking out those he hasn't seen in a while. (And more have gone by now, he's learned. Jopson is gone.)

It's been a long time since he paid Hickey a visit. Little already knows that Gibson conjures up that demonic appetite in him now. But what of the other man in that household? (And maybe there's a part of Little who needs to check in on Hickey regardless, who wonders if he's still here. It's not that they're friends, but... they're something.)

He lingers off and on around Hickey's cabin for a bit, more comfortable outdoors now that the season is changing, the sun no longer so unbearable; even so, he waits until it's almost night. Finally after a while of haunting the place, Little sees movement in the distance and recognises Hickey as returning home from wherever he was up to.

He pauses, awkwardly, and then starts shuffling forwards just as awkwardly. Yes, he was just standing around waiting for you to get home...

"Mr. Hickey... Good evening."

...what's going on here.

Because obviously something is going on here. Why's Little here? What's Little doing? Crozier's gone, Jopson's gone, he hasn't talked to Fitzjames or Irving in a while, so what's Little's game? What's he doing? Hickey is instantly a bit tense, confusion shining through as he gives Little a small frown.

Whatever this is, he doubts it's good. But what the devil is this to begin with?

"Good evening," Hickey says, with a little nod. "Been well lately?"

This conversation is so awkward.

"I suppose it might be useful if one day someone tries to contact us from the outside world."

If, that is. Billy doesn't necessarily have all that much hope in it, somewhere between their previous situation back home and the fact that they haven't really met anyone like that here in this place yet, even after all this time..

But it's not like he's fully discounting the possibility here. Hickey is right - it can't hurt to learn, at least. Especially when the other could stand to have a harmless hobby.

He thinks about it for a moment, but then seems to realize something else, asking: "Where did you get it from, anyway?"

Konstantin, who is still learning how to Make Real Friendships, is only delighted by the easy sort of comradery, and laughs just as easily: a sound that echoes loud and boisterous in the cavern.

"I know what you mean. She's one of my favourite people to call a friend." There's a visible warmth in his eyes and smile alike; it's clear he has just as high an opinion of the woman. "I think I might have lost my mind a long time ago in this place if she hadn't been around."

Lately, there's been an odd fear rising that he might lose her. The Old Bear's protectiveness is one factor, but there's also the fact that he has recently lost one of his closest people here. Mourning Svetlana has been... very difficult.

"You're either Hickey or Gibson," he continues though, smiling as he waits to learn which one. He has yet to properly meet either of them, but they've come up often in his chats with her.

He can feel it as soon as the other man is only the slightest bit nearer, and Little draws to a quick halt, tensing.

Hickey has... whatever it is that he's craving. He still doesn't quite know how to make sense of why certain people do or don't — but Hickey has two feats that Little doesn't have, which means he seems particularly appetising.

Edward doesn't draw any closer, and he lifts the lapels of his coat higher, guarding his jaw and mouth. If he's acting very suspiciously... he's horrible at hiding when something's wrong. And instead of answering the question himself, he immediately throws it back at the other man, eyes locked on him expectantly.

"It has been a while. I thought I should come and check in on your state."

"Hickey," he says, with a little nod. It's odd to be so close to someone that a friend of theirs knows who you must be, solely based on what your name is. Hickey never really had anything like that back home, he never had that sort of closeness where other people talk about you. Closest thing he had to that was the expedition and even then, there were thousands of other factors coloring that closeness before 'friendship.'

It's...nice. Odd, but nice.

"You're one up on me with that," he lightly teases, keeping the mood light and easy. "I've seen you around, but I don't know your name. Mind giving me an introduction?"

"Last time I went to Silverpoint, I spoke with that woman in the lighthouse. Marra. She gave it to me."

And for a moment, Hickey stops fidgeting. There's a pause, a pause that's obviously someone deciding what to say and how to say it. After a moment, Hickey continues.

"I asked her about the lighthouse. If she saw anything, any sign of ships or anything like that. Nothing. She's been keeping the lighthouse going, but for two years, she hasn't seen a sign of anything."

It's entirely possible that there isn't anywhere else to go to. That, for whatever reason, Milton is all they have left. It's odd. A bit terrifying. But certainly odd.

Why does this feel like a trap?! This feels like a trap! Like he did something wrong or someone thinks he did something wrong and sooner or later he's going to be accused of misdeeds. The vibes for this conversation are wild. Little's acting odd which therefore almost instantly makes Hickey act odd and cagey in response. He has no idea what's going on and he doesn't like it.

"Well, I'm fine," Hickey says, shoulders tense, everything tense, ready to bolt like a frightened rabbit if needed (or to pop Little in the jaw. He's not sure which option will win out.)

"Nice of you to stop by." No it isn't! What's going on? "Want to step inside?" Why is he asking that?!?

"I'll take notes," Rorschach says dryly, that tone so ambiguous it's impossible to tell if he is being serious or using bone-dry sarcasm. Just another barrier to hide behind when he's having a conversation with someone who has no clothes on.

Part of him wants to leave but Rorschach has a prickly sense of pride within him. To leave now would seem like a retreat to him. He'll stand here and talk, trying to pretend all the while he's not intensely uncomfortable with the entire situation.

Hickey is still tense, still ready to bolt if the situation calls for it. Rorschach attacked him and Billy in their home. Who knows what that lunatic would do when it was just Hickey? Considering Hickey doesn't have a weapon on him, his options are shift and run or shift and tear this man's throat out.

Which really, nobody would miss Rorschach if he tore his throat out. It's a public service!

One thing is certain: Hickey's own stupid sense of pride is butting up against Rorschach's. He was here first! He's not going to leave! The other bloke needs to leave!

"Planning for a dip?" Hickey lightly asks.

...

It's an implication he picks up on very easily. It's the only logical conclusion to draw from an announcement like that, after all. And though it doesn't necessarily surprise him - really, Billy figured that if there was any outside world that could reach them, there would have been signs of it by now - it's also not exactly the most pleasant thing to think about either.

Maybe that's why he's quiet for a moment before he speaks up again, looking at the other man as he does. "Two years is a very long time." Speaking the obvious. Billy knows they are thinking about the same thing in this moment, anyway. They have to be. "It isn't as if we are as far out as we were back home. There are actual villages here."

If people could look for them here, they would have.

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open / radio killed the penmanship star

hot springs

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morse code

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cw: internalized homophobia

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wildcard for more Cursed Chats!

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