Chapter Text
Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint where exactly a story starts. Often there are so many small events that culminate into one major event that it’s hard to tell which one really set everything into motion. But other times, even the strangest and most unexpected of results can be traced back to one single moment in time; one event that lead to one life-changing decision.
A catastrophic snowstorm in the middle of a hot, dry desert town was one such event.
Snow covered every last bit of Night Vale in a cold, oppressive blanket. The streets were empty and every citizen huddled in their homes or businesses for warmth. Only the sound of a familiar voice could be heard throughout the town, sending words of reassurance to all of his listeners.
“Listeners, I hope you are staying warm and safe. I am snowed in at the station and am unable to leave. The snow just keeps coming. I have never seen snow like this in all my years. We’ve seen cold, and we can deal with cold. But snow? My dear Night Vale, we are not prepared for snow, and especially not this much of it.
“During the Weather, I went though our Lost and Found closet here at the station. No one else is here in the building, and Station Management doesn’t seem affected by the cold, so I didn’t feel bad taking every blanket and coat I could find. I’m as warm as I can be, and I hope you are too. I wish I could go home to make sure my husband and my son are staying warm, but I am stuck here until the storm stops for long enough to dig out my car.
“Night Vale, I will be here. I will keep you all informed if there are any updates about the storm. We’ve made it through so much worse than a simple snowstorm, so I know we can come back on the other side of this stronger as well. Stay tuned next for the sounds of wind and cold, and good night, Night Vale, good night.”
With a heavy sigh, Cecil shut down his broadcast for the day. The whole show had taken on a much more somber tone than he would have liked, but the storm raging through Night Vale was nothing short of dangerous for a town that was barely equipped for even a flurry, let alone a blizzard. Trying to do a more upbeat show would have been irresponsible.
He wrapped himself in more blankets and took out his phone. Thank the lights in the sky that the storm hadn’t knocked out any cell towers or power grids. He was just about to dial his husband when Carlos’ name lit up the screen.
“Hey bunny,” he answered, putting the phone on speaker and setting it on his desk so he could put his hands back under his many layers.
“Cecil? Cecil, honey, are you really stuck at the station?” There was so much worry in Carlos’ voice. Earlier that day when the snow started to come in quicker, he had suggested that Cecil stay and broadcast from home. The snow had been coming in flurries for a few weeks and Cecil assumed he’d be fine enough going to and from the station.
“I am,” Cecil confirmed, wishing he had listened to Carlos and stayed home. “My car is buried in snow right now. There’s no way I can get home in this. I’m safer here at the station.” He closed his eyes. “How are you and Esteban? Are you staying warm?”
“We’ll be fine, I promise. I made soup for dinner and we’ve got a ton of blankets in the living room. Esteban helped me make a couch fort for us to sleep in and stay warm! And Aubergine has been extra cuddly in this cold, so that’s been a welcome bonus too.”
“Gonna have a sleepover with Papá and ‘bergine!” Esteban’s little voice chimed in, and Cecil smiled. He couldn’t believe how quick Esteban was growing up.
“Oh yeah?” he asked. “I bet you and Papá and Aubergine will keep each other nice and warm in that fort! I wish I could be there with you, but you send me lots of warm thoughts, okay? And give Papá plenty of extra hugs for me, alright?”
“Okay!” Esteban replied.
“I love you both so much,” Cecil said. “I promise, I’ll come home as soon as I can.”
After exchanging no less than a dozen more ‘I love you’s with his husband and son (and even hearing a few soft barks from Aubergine), Cecil hung up the phone and prepared to spend a cold night in the station. It wasn’t his first time sleeping in his studio, and it wasn’t even his first time staying overnight due to something dangerous going on outside, but it didn’t make it any easier. It took the better part of an hour for Cecil to finally stop shivering and fall asleep in his chair.
A heavy knock and the sound of ear-piercing static at his studio door woke him from his restless sleep sometime in the middle of the night. “I already told you I’d be staying overnight,” he muttered, not moving to open the door for Station Management.
A deep red envelope slid under the door and into the room before the static faded. With a deep sigh, Cecil removed his layers of blankets so he could grab the envelope in trembling fingers.
Ugh. Maybe he should go make some tea in the break room. At least it would keep his hands warm enough to get them to stop shaking.
“Envelope first, Cecil,” he said to himself as he opened the letter. Inside the envelope was a velvety purple letter with oozing black writing that read ‘URGENT BROADCAST’.
Cecil stretched his arms out above his head and sat back at his soundboard. “An update on the storm, I hope.” Without reading the rest of the letter, he adjusted his headset and turned on his microphone.
“Hello, Night Vale,” he started after flipping on the “On Air” sign. “I know it is quite late and many of you are likely asleep, but Station Management has just slipped an urgent broadcast under my studio door. This is quite unorthodox and unlike my usual broadcasts, so I’m hoping it’s an update on the snow situation.”
Cecil looked back at the dark letter and read it verbatim into his mic. “Storm Update: More snow to come, but we will have a brief respite until sunrise. Temperatures are to rise steadily over the next four hours before dropping back below freezing and then to subzero temperatures. Please plan accordingly. This broadcast will be repeated until sunrise.” He turned away from the microphone for a moment to yawn.
Cecil repeated the statement once more before pausing for a few heartbeats. That certainly wasn’t the format of a typical weather report. “Well, listeners,” he continued, “it sounds like if you, like me, are stuck away from home, this might be the best time to get back home or to another safe space. I know I will be taking advantage of the melting snow to get back to my husband and son!” He smiled. Spending a cold winter night snuggled with his family sounded a whole hell of a lot better than being snowed in at the radio station.
“And with that, dear listeners, this broadcast will be put on repeat and the next time you hear my voice live, I will be back in my home studio! Good night once again, Night Vale, good night!” He removed his headphones and shut off his mic before wrapping a single blanket around his shoulders and walking to the lone window in the studio. There was still a considerable amount of snow on the ground, but the storm had indeed stopped. He would need to dig out his car, but Cecil could at least try to make it home now that falling snow wouldn’t obscure his vision while driving.
He was sure Carlos would be asleep, but he still pulled out his phone to text his husband. As he did, the phone started to ring in his hand and he flinched, almost dropping it. The number wasn’t one he recognized, though that wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.
“This is Cecil Palmer,” he said, answering the phone and expecting a government agent or secret police officer.
“Why, hello friend!” a familiar voice responded.
Cecil groaned. He hadn’t heard that voice in years (not since the accidental – and frankly quite horrifying – “All Smiles Eve” broadcast from Desert Bluffs Too) and would have been more than happy to never hear it again. “How did you get this number, Kevin?” he hissed.
“That’s not important, silly!” Kevin laughed. “But I did just hear a stray broadcast from Night Vale! Sounds like you’re having some weather troubles!”
“We’re fine, Kevin,” Cecil said through gritted teeth. “Plus it’s two in the morning. Why are you even awake listening to my broadcast?”
“Oh, I was just getting Donny some water and sneaking him a little midnight snack – don’t tell Charles!”
“Who – ” Cecil started before cutting himself off. No. He didn’t care who ‘Donny’ and ‘Charles’ were. “Kevin, I’m trying to get home to my family. Ignoring the fact that you have my number, why the hell are you calling me?”
“Cecil, Cecil, I’m just here to extend a friendly offer from the city within your city!” Ugh, that cheery voice was just insufferable. “You are clearly having some snow troubles, and it never snows here in Desert Bluffs Too! In fact, I’ve never even seen snow. Or ice. Ever! I’m just saying I’m extending an olive branch if you ever need to come here.”
Cecil pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed into the phone. “I am never going to Desert Bluffs, Kevin. And the real Desert Bluffs is gone, anyway. You’re just living in a copy in the Desert Otherworld. We’ll be fine and will make it out of this snowstorm. We drove you and Strex out of here, I’m positive we can drive out snow, too.”
“Well you’re just no fun at all, dearest double – ”
“Don’t call me that,” Cecil interrupted. “Again, I will not be going to Desert Bluffs, and I definitely won’t take my family there either. Good-bye, Kevin.” He hung up the phone and shoved it into his pocket, completely forgetting he had intended to text Carlos before Kevin’s call came through. He was going to have to see if he could find a way to block radio waves from getting into the Dog Park (and, in turn, Kevin’s ‘new’ Desert Bluffs).
With an exaggerated groan, Cecil gathered as many coats as he could comfortably wear and walked out of the station and into the cold night air. The sky was clear for the first time in days, but it also meant that it was bitter cold, cutting right through all of his coats. Cecil was sure he could wait until the predicted rise in temperature, but he was more concerned with getting home to his family as soon as possible.
His car was still buried in snow and he had to dig it out. Thanks to the citywide mandate to dig holes everywhere three months prior, the station had a surplus of shovels, and Cecil made short work of the snow. However, the heavy snow also meant that his back was screaming in pain by the time he started his car. Carlos would definitely need to help with any other snow-clearing jobs.
Due to the combination of searing back pain and icy roads, it took Cecil almost an hour before he finally got home. It was still very early in the morning when he pulled into the driveway, but he figured he might as well try to call Carlos. He took out his phone to see a whole slew of texts from an unknown number.
He let out a dramatic huff when he read the texts and realized they were from none other than Kevin.
[txt] Hi dear double! [moon emoji][big toothy grin emoji]
[txt] That offer still stands if you need somewhere warm to stay [sun emoji]
The texts continued just like that. Strings of Kevin-esque emojis and reassurances that Night Vale could flee to Desert Bluffs if needed.
Cecil deleted them all. Why was Kevin so dead-set on his town offering refuge for Night Valeans? Obviously Kevin had to have ulterior motives of a malevolent nature, right?
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed before calling Carlos. The phone rang several times, but Carlos finally picked up.
“Ceec…?” His voice was sleepy and slurred. “Is everything okay, love?”
“I made it home. I’m in the driveway now.” Cecil ran a hand through his hair. “I… I threw my back out shoveling snow at the station.”
A pause from Carlos, and then a soft sigh. “Oh, Cecil… I could have picked you up, honey. Let me come and help you inside though.” The phone clicked as Carlos hung up.
Within moments, Carlos stepped out of the house dressed in flannel pajamas, a faux-fur-lined lab coat, and a pair of Cecil’s bright orange galoshes. He trudged through the snow over to the car, carrying one of Cecil’s canes. “My sweet, reckless Cecil,” he said, a smile on his face as he opened the car door. He leaned in to give Cecil a kiss. “Let’s get you inside so I can give you a massage.”
Cecil took in a sharp gasp when his husband helped him out of the car. It took him a few moments to catch his breath. “How’s Esteban?” he asked through a wince as he grabbed his cane from Carlos.
Carlos gave him a gentle smile and rested his hand at the small of Cecil’s back. “He’s asleep. He’ll be so excited when he wakes up and sees that you came home early. Let’s not wake him though.” They both stepped carefully back into the house. “For now I’m going to give you a massage and make you some tea.”
As they walked past the living room to get to their bedroom, Cecil smiled at the mess that he saw. There was a giant pillow fort made out of couch cushions, and little Esteban was asleep in the middle of it, with Aubergine curled up around him. The dog perked up his head and wagged his tail at the sight of Cecil, but stayed quiet and snuggled up to Esteban.
“How precious...” Cecil whispered before stepping into the master bedroom and collapsing onto his stomach on the bed. A bolt of pain shot up his back and he let out a soft string of curses into the mattress. “I’m glad to be home earlier than expected, but I shouldn’t have done that.” His voice came out muffled.
He felt Carlos’ hands on his back, working his coats and shirt off. “When it snows again, promise you’ll call me or get someone else to help dig out your car?” He rolled his knuckles on Cecil’s back. “You’re so strong, but I do worry when you overexert yourself.”
“I know.” Cecil turned his head off of the mattress so he could speak more clearly. “Did you hear the broadcast, bunny? There should be more snow coming in around sunrise. I think I’m going to broadcast from home for a few days.” He let out a pleased sigh as he felt his lower back pop under his husband’s hands.
Carlos took his hands off of Cecil’s back and was silent for several heartbeats. “Cecil?” he finally asked. “What are we going to do if the snow doesn’t stop? You said it yourself, you’ve never seen actual snow here, and I’m pretty sure you’re as old as the town is.” Cecil rolled over onto his back and sat up with a wince. Carlos held up a finger. “I know, I know, you don’t know how old you are. But… I’m just… concerned. Is there anything we can do, anywhere we can go? Is there a safe place we can take Esteban?”
Cecil pursed his lips and looked away from his husband. There was somewhere they could go. There was even an open invitation to go there. But would it be safe for Esteban? And would Carlos even want to go back to the Desert Otherworld? Should Cecil even tell Carlos about the offer from Kevin?
No, there was no point in even bringing it up. Going to Desert Bluffs Too would have to be their last possible option.
“I don’t know,” he said at last. “I just hope we won’t have to ever consider leaving. The storm can’t get much worse than it’s been, can it?”
Of course, he should have known better. As a professional journalist, he should have known that those words would be nothing more than a ticking time bomb.