Disc 3:

Snow

Carlos shook his head at the reading coming from his spectrophotometer. He'd put so many different dyes in the tap water; it didn't make sense. The absorbance should have changed, should have fluctuated almost dramatically.

The scientist was recording the current number down in a chart when his phone vibrated on the table next to him. Begrudgingly, he tore himself away from his work to answer the call.

"Carlos," he sighed, leaning against the black lab table.

"Oh, good. You're okay," The broadcaster released his breath. "Is the world ending?"

"What are you talking about, Cecil?" The over-exaggerated, worried tone of the other's voice almost made Carlos laugh. "I-I don't think so."

"B-but outside! The sky, beautiful Carlos. The sky!"

"Huh. I'm usually the one flipping out about that stuff," Carlos said, mostly to himself. He held his phone between his ear and shoulder, brushing a curl away from his eyes. "Calm down. Tell me what's going on."

"Can't you see it?!" Cecil's panicked yelling made Carlos jump a bit. "There is wet, white stuff falling down from the clouds!"

Carlos laughed. "Cecil Palmer," he scolded, twirling his red pen around in his fingers. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Wha-? No. Carlos, seriously," The radio host pleaded. "I'm scared."

"Okay, okay. Let me take a look," Carlos pushed himself away from his table, walking over to a basement window. He used his spotted coat sleeve to clear the fogged glass.

"You have nothing to be afraid of," Carlos assured, smiling to himself. "It's just snow, Cecil."

"Never heard of it."

"Really?" The scientist observed the snow fondly; it reminded him of more normal days. In all honesty, it reminded him of almost anywhere he'd been in research but Night Vale. "You'd think that you'd have seen it once or twice. I mean, there was that glacier out in the sandwastes a few months ago."

"... will it hurt me, Carlos?" Grinning, Carlos pictured Cecil's horrified face, staring out at the snow flakes from his dark apartment window.

"No. It's harmless," Carlos shook his head, switching his phone to his other hand. "Listen. I'll be over in a second. Sit tight, okay?"

Carlos drove through the snow (which was not wet, but dry and great for packing) halfway across town to Cecil's apartment. He wasn't surprised to find the other watching eagerly for him from the second story window.

Tightening the gray scarf he'd thrown around his neck before leaving his home, Carlos stepped out of his truck and into the midsummer, desert wonderland. He smiled happily up at Cecil and motioned for him to come down.

It didn't take long for his boyfriend to make it to the entrance of his building. Cecil stared wide-eyed out at Carlos, shivering in the thresh hold.

"C'mere," Carlos opened his arms and grinned. "I'm not cold."

Hesitantly, the announcer stepped out into the flakes. "Why is it so freezing?" He complained, examining his surroundings. "This is absolutely - "

"You're such a baby!" Carlos hurled a snow ball straight at Cecil's face. It nailed him right between the eyes and nearly knocked his black glasses to the ground. Carlos nearly doubled over when his boyfriend's stare settled menacingly on him, his eyes visibly turning a darker shade of purple.

"That. Hurt," Cecil hissed, wiping his face with his arm.

"Aw, stop it," The scientist, hands in pockets, made his way over to the shivering broadcaster. "How is it possible that you've never even heard of snow?"

"City council, probably," Cecil responded, laboriously forcing it through chattering teeth. "But, gosh, Carlos. This sucks. Hard."

Carlos snickered, taking off his scarf and draping it around the smaller of the two's shoulders, before pulling him into the warmth of his arms. "Okay, now you really are trying to seduce me."

"It's just your imagination," Cecil retorted, settling gratefully into Carlos' comforting embrace. "I'm too cold to function that way right now."

"Mm, you'll warm up in a bit," Carlos teased, kissing the top of Cecil's short, blonde locks. "You wanna go inside?"

Cecil nodded and twisted out of Carlos' arms. He was pulling his key out of his pants pocket and opening the door when he felt another, larger snow ball pin him in the back.

"Carlos, you asshole! This is my favorite silk vest!"

"Yeah, yeah. Stop whining and get in there. The sooner you're warm again, the better."


Spectrophotometers. I love those things. They are my favorite part of chem class. Also, snow. Because I live in the are of the US where that huge storm is hitting. Heh, guess what? One of our high temperatures over the next few days is -1 degrees Fahrenheit. I MEAN WHAT IS THIS LITERALLY ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO IT WAS 60 DAMN DEGREES. GAHHHHHH. Rant over. :)

Please review! And thanks to those who reviewed already! I'm gonna try to get a fourth one up tonight, too. Maybe even a fifth.