#[ benjamin & ashen ]

[linaswashere]

Family Room New York Family room library - large transitional enclosed family room library idea with beige walls, no fireplace, and brown flooring.

[vampirediaries101]

Living Room Formal New York Photo of a large, enclosed, transitional living room with beige walls, a stone fireplace, a standard fireplace, and dark wood floors.

[deanohgorman]

Formal - Transitional Living Room

Inspiration for a sizable, enclosed, transitional living room remodel with a beige color scheme, a stone fireplace, a standard fireplace, and a media wall.

[trxangleboy]

Formal - Transitional Living Room Inspiration for a sizable, enclosed, transitional living room remodel with a beige color scheme, a stone fireplace, a standard fireplace, and a media wall.

[thisisacommentary]

Formal Living Room in New York Photo of a large, enclosed, transitional living room with beige walls, a stone fireplace, a standard fireplace, and dark wood floors.

[ellie-is]

New York Transitional Bathroom Inspiration for a large transitional master ceramic tile and gray tile porcelain tile, gray floor, double-sink and tray ceiling alcove shower remodel with beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, gray walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door, gray countertops and a built-in vanity

[westernwearforwomen]

Living Room - Transitional Living Room

[blieve-bactive-bhealthy]

Transitional Bathroom in New York

[honorhearted]

@songandflame

Although accustomed to putting on an act, Benjamin was not used to the rampant filth, flirtatious jeers, and stench of ill repute found along these P.arisian docks. A leering woman with rotting, yellowed teeth all but fell into him and he jerked aside, tugging his coat in closer, lest he find himself robbed of his hard-earned coin.

This was a mistake, he thought. But no...L.afayette had insisted upon this area being prime for potential targets. Men became foolish in the arms of women -- sadly, Benjamin knew this from personal experience -- and attempting to breathe through his mouth to avoid the sour, suffocating stench of human waste, he quickened his step until he was in the heart of debauchery.

There were women all around him -- some young, some old, some robust, while others were barely standing. Benjamin pitied these poor waifs. Avoiding their eyes, if only to fight against his natural impulse to soothe, to aid, he faltered once he spotted a young woman with hair the color of bottled sunshine.

The sun... It hadn't been out in days, and helpless but to gravitate toward her equally crystalline eyes, Benjamin approached the woman with a nervous tremor to his step. He would never, ever debase a human being in such a way, and yet he forced himself to maintain the act as he lifted his coat, revealing a coin purse strapped to his hip. "I..." He cleared his throat, hating how damnably dry his mouth felt. "A moment of your time, Miss. Please?"

A wave of shame rushed over him -- most especially once the other women started catcalling how they were better or more suitable for his needs -- and grateful when she started leading him off toward what he presumed to be her chambers, he held his breath before offering, "My name is John... If you promise to do everything I say, I can guarantee a lot more than coin."

The name was a lie; he didn't yet know if this thin, ashen woman could be trusted -- and offering her what he hoped to be an appeasing smile, his heart knocked up into his throat once the door closed behind them with a loud and final click. "Ah..." Nervously, he reached inside his coat before presenting the coin purse. "Name your price, and I'll see if I can double it. What I've come calling for is unlike anything you're accustomed."

[mariacallous]

The most controversial Israeli comedy sketch of the current war is just 88 seconds long. Aired in February on Eretz Nehederet, Israel’s equivalent of Saturday Night Live, it opens with two ashen-faced officers knocking on the door of a nondescript apartment, ready to deliver devastating news to the inhabitants. The officers are greeted by an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man who is similarly stricken when he sees them.

“I’ve been terrified of this knock,” he says. “Ever since the war began, I knew it would eventually come for me.” But before the pained officers can continue, he interjects: “Listen, there is no situation in which I will enlist—forget about it.”

It turns out that the officers have the wrong address. This is not the home of a fallen soldier, but of one of the many thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews who do not serve in Israel’s army, thanks to a special exemption. As the officers depart to find the right family, the man calls after them, “Tell them that we prayed for him! We did everything we could.”

The gag struck a nerve. Channel 14, Israel’s pro-Netanyahu equivalent of Fox News, ran multiple segments denouncing the satire. Commentators for right-wing media outlets called it “incitement,” a term typically applied to pro-terrorist speech in Israeli discourse. Why did a short sketch warrant such an overwhelming response? Because it took aim at the most vulnerable pressure point of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition—one with the potential to cause the current government’s collapse.

Since Israel was founded in 1948, it has fielded a citizens’ army with mandatory Jewish conscription—and one very notable exception: Ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, yeshiva students do not serve. This dispensation dates back to David Ben-Gurion, the country’s first prime minister. A secular Jewish socialist, he saw Israel’s ultra-Orthodox as the dying remnant of an old world, and when the community’s leadership requested an exemption from the draft, Ben-Gurion calculated that it was a small price to pay for their support. At the time, the ultra-Orthodox constituted about 1 percent of Israel’s population, and the exemption applied to just 400 young men in religious seminaries.

That was then. Today the Haredi community numbers some 1.2 million, more than 13 percent of Israel’s total population. And because this community has the highest birth rate in the country, its ranks will only swell. In other words, the fastest-growing group in Israeli society does not serve in its armed forces. Since October 7, the divide has been thrown into stark relief. After Hamas massacred 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped hundreds more, the country initiated one of the largest mobilizations in its history. Children and spouses departed their families for the front, leaving fear and uncertainty in their absence. Nearly 250 soldiers have since been killed, and thousands more injured. Many Israelis spend their evenings at home fretting about that ominous knock on the door.

Meanwhile, Haredi life has largely continued as usual, untouched by the war and its toll. Yeshiva students have even been photographed enjoying ski vacations abroad while their same-age peers are on the battlefield. Some ultra-Orthodox individuals do voluntarily serve in the army, and others act as first responders, but their numbers are small enough to be a rounding error. In February, a record-high 66,000 military-age Haredi men received exemptions; just 540 had enlisted since the war began. Put another way, more Arab Israelis serve in the Israel Defense Forces than ultra-Orthodox Jews.

The Haredi carve-out has long rankled Israel’s secular citizens. Yair Lapid, the center-left opposition leader and past prime minister, rose to prominence in 2012 on a campaign that promised “equality of the burden.” Before him, the right-wing politician Avigdor Lieberman built his secular Russian constituency on a similar pledge. But what has changed since October 7 is that this discontent is no longer emanating solely from the usual suspects, such as the left-wing Eretz Nehederet, but from supporters of the current governing coalition, including the more modern religious right.

Unlike the ultra-Orthodox, Israel’s religious Zionist community is fully integrated into the country’s army and economy. Sympathetic to Haredi piety, it has typically sat out the debates over conscription—but no longer. In early January, a religious Zionist educator from Jerusalem published an “Open Letter to Our Haredi Sisters.” In it, she implored ultra-Orthodox mothers to encourage their sons to enlist in the IDF. “This reality is no longer tolerable,” she wrote. “For those who think that their son is not suited for military service, we say: Many of our children are not suited to be soldiers. None of them are suited to die in war. None of us are suited to sending a child to risk his life. We all do this because it is impossible to live here without an army … and we are all responsible for one another: it cannot be that others will take risks and risk their children for me, and I and my children will not take risks for them.” The letter now has nearly 1,000 signatures.

The grassroots pressure on this issue from the non-Haredi religious community has risen to the point that Bezalel Smotrich, the ultra-nationalist politician and finance minister who has courted Haredi votes, joined the anti-exemption campaign, at least rhetorically. “The current situation is outrageous and cannot continue,” he said last month. “Israeli society’s claim against the [Haredi] community is just.” But this demand may be one that Netanyahu cannot satisfy.

Much has been written about Netanyahu’s dependence on the Israeli far right to remain in power. But the backbone of his coalition for many years has actually been the ultra-Orthodox political parties. They stuck with the premier after he was indicted on corruption charges, and they refused to defect to the opposition even after Netanyahu failed to form a government following successive stalemate elections. Today, the far right provides 14 of Netanyahu’s 64 coalition seats; the Haredi parties provide 18. The Israeli leader has richly rewarded this loyalty by ensuring an ever-growing flow of public subsidies to ultra-Orthodox voters and their religious institutions. Because Haredi men can maintain their military exemption only by remaining in seminaries until age 26, they rarely enter the workforce until late in life and lack the secular education to succeed in it. As a result, nearly half of the ultra-Orthodox community lives in poverty and relies on government welfare—an unsustainable economic course that is another perennial source of Israeli angst.

The Israeli public—and especially the Israeli right—was previously willing to look the other way on Haredi enlistment to advance other political priorities. But now, in a time of perceived existential conflict, Haredi enlistment has become a prime concern. Israel faces war with Iranian proxies—Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north—and it needs more soldiers, not more people who can’t be drafted. To cope, the country has extended reserve duty for current enlistees, further underscoring the disparity between their experience and that of the ultra-Orthodox. A long-standing fault line in Israeli society has now produced an earthquake.

Recent polls show that Israeli Jews—including majorities on the political right and center right—now overwhelmingly oppose blanket Haredi exemptions. A February survey found that an astonishing 73 percent were against exemptions—up 11 points from November. A poll released this week similarly found that 73 percent of Israeli Jews, including a majority of people who voted for the Netanyahu government, oppose the billion-shekel subsidies to Haredi institutions that are included in the government’s current budget proposal.

Unfortunately for Netanyahu, he’s running out of time to solve this problem, and his usual stalling tactics may not suffice. That’s because not just the Israeli public but the Israeli Supreme Court has put the issue on the agenda. Back in 1998, the high court ruled that the ultra-Orthodox exemption violated the principle of equality under the law, and ordered the Parliament to legislate a fairer arrangement to replace the existing regime. Since then, successive Israeli governments have tried and failed to craft such a solution, constantly kicking the can down the road. Months before the war, the current government set a March 31 deadline for passing its own legislation to resolve the Haredi-draft issue. This was widely expected to be yet another exercise in equivocation, leaving most of the ultra-Orthodox exempt so as to keep the coalition together, and likely setting up another showdown with the Supreme Court. In other words, more of the same.

But more of the same is no longer enough after October 7. With the public incensed at what many see as Haredi privilege, Netanyahu is facing revolt within his ranks. Most notably, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has publicly called for an end to the exemptions and said he will not support any legislation on the matter that is not also approved by Benny Gantz, a centrist opposition lawmaker and rival to Netanyahu who sits in the country’s war cabinet. But any Haredi-draft bill that satisfies Gantz and Gallant is unlikely to satisfy the Haredi parties, who perceive enlistment as a threat to their cloistered way of life. And if no new legislation is passed, the IDF will be required to begin drafting the ultra-Orthodox on April 1.

As this deadline approaches, tensions have exploded into the open. This past week, Yitzhak Yosef, the Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel, declared that “if you force us to go to the army, we’ll all move abroad.” The ultimatum drew widespread condemnation, even from within the hard-right government. “Drafting to the military: A good deed!” retorted Smotrich’s party. “Army service is a huge privilege for a Jew who defends himself in his country and a great deed,” added the far-right faction of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. It’s not clear that these worldviews can be reconciled, and the failure to bridge them could bring down the government.

Polls show that the overwhelming majority of Israelis want Netanyahu to resign, either now or after the war; that most Israelis want early elections; and that the current hard-right coalition would be crushed if those elections were held tomorrow. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, surely aware of those surveys, called yesterday for Israel to go to the polls to choose new leadership. The problem for the Israeli public is that no external mechanism forces Netanyahu to hold new elections, and the terrible polls for his coalition give its members every incentive to swallow their differences and keep the government afloat rather than face voters. Haredi conscription is perhaps the one issue that could shatter this cynical compact.

It’s never wise to bet against Netanyahu, Israel’s ultimate survivor. He will pursue every possible avenue to paper over this problem. But if he fails, his ultra-Orthodox allies could be compelled to leave the coalition, breaking it from within to force elections and freeze the status quo until a new government is sworn in. And if that happens, Israel’s other civil war may claim its first casualty: Netanyahu’s political career.

[sehtoast]

Yearning (Homelander x OC)

18+ | 4.5k, yearning, slow-ish burn, spidersona oc, conqueror!au homelander, description of a corpse, pre-relationship pining, shared shower, first kiss, mild-ish smut, thigh riding, web-hole oral, finger sucking, 'i love you's, hurt/comfort | Fic Directory

gif by @blindmagdalena

He is the one who makes Homelander want to change everything. He is the one who brings warmth to these cold ruins, who smiles sunshine over this ashen world. He, who captured the heart of the god of death and destruction, is life and rejuvenation. 

He is kindness. Light. Peace.

He is the god of love, and he is everything to the god of death. 

He is the calming stillness that greets bloodied, shaking hands. He is the balm that soothes the ache, the water that quenches the agonizing thirst. He is the hand that pulls souls from the rubble of fury and pain and breathes relief into their lungs. 

He is simply Benjamin, and Homelander has no idea how he ever survived without him. 

Who would he be if those eyes hadn't cried on him the first time he delivered death in their presence? Who would he be without the hand that holds his while he judges the unworthy? How many lives have been spared simply because Benjamin was in the room? 

Too many. Far, far too many. God has softened his grip on his kingdom. 

And yet, they've not even shared their first kiss. Since his adventure in the other world, Homelander has always known they were destined to be together. They were a force transcending their own universe. He just had to wait. 

And wait. 

And wait. 

He had to show Benjamin that there was something inside of him worth loving. That he was more than a reaper, more than pain. 

There was love inside, buried so very deep– but it was there. 

It is there. 

He demands only the best for his Benjamin.  The best food, the best drinks, the best clothing and bedsheets.  He even has his own room in the tower.  A new, special super suit tailored to compliment his own.  The boy didn’t understand at first.  Why in the world would he lavish such things upon his assistant?  

Because he was more than that, obviously.  He was more than a footstool, more than a blood bag, more than meat meant to do his bidding.  Benjamin had heard the rumors surrounding the comings and goings of those who came before him, but the position paid exceptionally well and he was drowning in a world of financial misery.  He was prepared to be a doormat for the rest of his days just to get by, but he was surprised one day to find his debts wiped away.  Student loans settled, transition related surgeries paid off– his fucking credit score at a perfect 850 all within one week’s time of starting his new job.

When he expressed his glee about such an odd and godsent occurrence, Homelander simply winked at him.

By all means, he could quit this daunting job and focus on his heroics, but something stops him.  Not the material things, not the gifts or the rush of power when he realizes that the god of this world has chosen him as his favorite– no, none of that.

It’s when that god looks at him with big, doe-like eyes that he feels something telling him to stick around.  The first time Homelander ever took his hand, Ben knew something in that man needed him.  Maybe it was the tremble in his touch, or the overwhelmingly sad look in his eyes, but Ben decided to stay for Homelander.

Every day, they grew closer.  Every day, Benjamin chipped away at an exterior made of steel, revealing bits and pieces of a scared, lonely, pained man underneath.  God may rule his kingdom, but he is alone.  

Well, he was alone.

He’s not anymore.  When it all hurts too much, he knows where to go.  He doesn’t have to turn a town into a crater or eviscerate a gaggle of non-believers; he can go to Benjamin.  He can float down to that window and find a warm heart that will shield him from the pain.  He’ll find a shoulder to lay his head on and a hand to hold.

The next day, he’ll realize he’d miraculously fallen asleep, and the boy did everything possible to make him comfortable. Removed his boots, detached his eagle epaulets, tucked a blanket around him.  Then, beside him on the floor, he’ll peer down and find Benjamin sleeping peacefully.

He’ll feel something akin to pain tugging at his heart, but it’s more than that.  It’s so much more.

He’ll wake the boy with a thumb stroking at his cheek and a smile fit to melt glaciers. 

“Wake up, little spider…”

 He feels privileged to lay beside him in any capacity, though he wishes his lovely Benjamin hadn’t slept on the floor.  Homelander realizes that he wants to see those beautiful brown eyes flutter open every morning for the rest of his life.

Sometimes they would run around the city together.  Ben would swing while he followed closely behind.  They would make it a game of chase, or sometimes just a simple race.  They liked to hang out on top of the Queensboro Bridge, on the tower overlooking the decimated ruins of Rikers.  Mostly, though, they enjoyed the perches of the Chrysler Building at night time.  Sometimes they talked about everything.  Other times, they just enjoyed the silence and each other.

Regardless of location, Benjamin would hold his hand.  He never mentions the tremble, never laughs at how nervous it all makes him.  Instead, he asks–

“Are you cold?”

He snorts a laugh.  He’s full of padding and has enough V pumping hot through his veins to kill most supes.  Is he cold?  

What a beautiful thing to be asked.

“Are you?” He counters.  He’s thrilled when the bug nods.  Thrilled to pull him closer, arm around his shoulder, eyes cooking up a faint glow. 

“Trust me?”  He asks.  

Benjamin looks at him with raised brows, clearly a little nervous at the idea.  

“I– Yeah.  Yeah, I trust you.”

He has the bug tilt his head back and he flickers the weakest beam of heat he’s ever conjured over various parts of his body. The moan of contentment sends a shiver down his spine and it took a titanic level of self control not to focus that beam of heat right between his legs.  It’s the first time he’s ever used his powers for something so… gentle.

 Ben ends up in his lap before long.  He’s thankful for the cup in his suit. 

He wakes the next day in Benjamin’s room.

In his bed.

Beside him.

Clad in only his briefs, he slides a leg through their shared warmth beneath the blankets until he can hook it around one of Ben’s.  They did nothing more than sleep beside each other, but it’s the most intimate feeling in the world to him.

He’s never slept better before in his entire life.

A lopsided grin spreads across his face and he snuggles up close to his little spider.  An arm around his waist confirms he, too, is only in his underwear.  He dances a thumb in circles over a hipbone.  It’s the most he dares to do.  

Ben is a heavy sleeper and a late riser.  Even the sun blasting through the curtains isn’t enough to rouse him.

He dozes off once more.

There comes a day when he finally snaps.  Some nuisance in the staffing department combined with too many unwanted, painful flashbacks in one day, and it leads to a bloody mess painting an office.

He wants to eviscerate whoever called Benjamin in to fucking handle it.  

He’d lingered too long, remained at the scene– but what other choice did he have?  Run the risk of his little spider seeing him like this?

As fate would have it, neither choice would spare him the shame.

Benjamin walks in and his eyes go wide.  Homelander swears he sees fear, horror, disappointment, disgust– everything he’s never wanted to see reflected in those precious brown eyes.

He tries to speak, reach out a hand, anything– but he doesn’t want to scare him.

The body on the floor is torn in two.  The head of it is a pulpy pile of muck just mere feet away.

What were they thinking, sending Benjamin in here?  Worse yet, what is he thinking when he takes a step inside?  There’s blood everywhere.  It stains the white soles of his shoes the second he comes closer.

And closer.

Closer.

Homelander steps back with each of Ben’s movements.  His chest heaves with frantic breaths.

It’s not supposed to be like this!  He’s good!  He’s good, he’s good, he’s good– he’s not bad!  He’s– He’s tried so fucking hard to be good!

His back presses against a bookshelf.  He can feel the heat radiating from his own eyes and it must feel so hot as Ben comes even closer.

“It’s okay,” he reassures.  “It’s just us.  It’ll be alright, Johnny.”

Johnny. 

Oh, how he loves that name.  Loves to hear it, loves to be called it, loves to know he’s still worth being called something so wonderful.

When his little spider slips his stained gloves off and grasps his bare hands, he crumbles.  It’s the first time he’s ever cried in front of him.

“Please don’t hate me…”

He even falls to his fucking knees.  It’s so much worse when Ben follows him down.

He hides his face against Ben’s neck.  He remembers the day he dematerialized in the other world.  How the Benjamin there hugged him through the panic, through the fear.  Told him what he needed to hear.

Just like his Ben is doing now.

“I could never hate you.”

He hates himself for crying harder.

There is no lecture for what he’s done.  There’s tears– his own and Ben’s– but the bug doesn’t torture him with talk of why he was wrong, why he shouldn’t have done it, nothing.

Ben leads him out into the hallway.  Has Homelander keep his eyes locked on him as they make their way to the elevator.  They ascend higher and higher.  Ben keeps his hand pressed to the back of Homelander’s neck.  Comforting and grounding.  The fingers that dance through the bloody, sticky nape of his neck are even more so.

It’s not the penthouse that Benjamin brings him to, but rather his own apartment.

“Let’s get you out of that, okay?” 

His pride goes up in flames when Ben sees his body for the first time.  

His totally unsculpted, normal body.  A far shot from what the suit makes him look like.

But the bug doesn’t say anything about it.  Doesn't make any faces. Just collects the soiled material and tosses it into a laundry basket.

Homelander sits nearly naked and vulnerable on the seat of the toilet.

Ben turns the shower on and offers him privacy, but he’s so quick to snag him by the wrist and wordlessly beg him to stay.

There’s still a light tremble in Ben’s hand.  He hates himself for causing it.

“How do you wanna do this?”  Ben asks him. 

He chews his lower lip and casts his gaze down to the floor.  Curse him and all of his stupid fucking inhibitions; he always goes quiet when the bad things happen.

“Do you want me to just sit in here?”  Ben gives him a moment to nod.  

He doesn’t. 

 “Do you want me to– I mean, I can get in and help if that’s what you need.”

He gives the weakest confirmation.

“Please…” 

Homelander has peeked under Ben’s clothes countless times– seen him naked and writhing in the other world– but the sight of him so close is… He’s breathtaking.  Homelander’s praying he doesn’t end up hard from the sight of him stripped down to his underwear.  

Benjamin offers for him to keep his briefs on, but he takes them off before stepping in.  Might as well.

The bug keeps his underwear on, but little is left to the imagination when the water soaks the fabric.  Homelander shuts his eyes to keep himself under control.

His mind runs with the image anyway.  With the touches to his bloodied face and neck, the scratches to his scalp.

Benjamin washes him with such care.  He tries to return the favor and he’s so damn clumsy about it that he’d kick his own ass if he could.

Just the same as the bug did for him, he lathers a soft cleanser over his face and neck.  Rubs it in little circles, thumbs it over his cheekbones, into his brows and onto his forehead.  Ben’s eyes are closed.

He still trusts him even after what he saw.

Washing his hair is a joy in and of itself.  Sudsing up those brown locks, combing through them with his fingers, shaping them into weird styles.  The giggle from his little spider brought the first smile to his face since Ben had found him.

He cleans Ben’s hands of dried blood, too.  Even tries his best to get it all out from underneath his nails.  Benjamin doesn’t deserve to be stained with his sins.  The god of death should never tarnish the god of love.

The god of death should never tarnish the god of love.

And yet, he’s leaning in anyway.  Some flicker of confidence, some bubble of courage to do it– but he can’t.

He can’t ruin this sweet boy with his love.

He rests their foreheads together instead.  Shuts his eyes and lets the water flow over them.  It won’t run cold– Vought Tower has tons of hot water– but they stay there long enough that it should’ve.

Ben dries him.  Dresses him in his own clothes.  They’re so soft… They smell so nice– like him.  The shirt is a little tight, but he doesn’t mind.  Not when it’s Ben’s.  

They lay on the bed together.  Neither says a word.  Neither needs to.

Ben ends up ordering food from the staff chefs.

“You gotta eat something, pumpkin.”  He tells him.

Pumpkin.

That’s what the other Ben always called his Homelander.

“Here,”  the bug holds up a fork wound tight with pasta.  Somehow it looks more appetizing than the identical bowl Homelander had been reluctantly poking at.  Probably had more to do with the person offering it than anything else.  “It won’t bite.  Promise. That's your job.”

He leans in and takes the bite with downcast eyes.  

“Attaboy!”

But that… That makes his eyes go wide and his cheeks flush.  Maybe he should eat his food after all.  

Their conversations lead into an explanation of what happened earlier.  He tells it as simply as he can.

He got overwhelmed.  A bad, bad day.  A horrible day.  And then some fucking meeting happened and he saw red when the employee made an offhand, snarky comment.

Ben nods along until the end.  He doesn’t interrupt Homelander.  Doesn’t critique or shun him.  He just listens.

Nobody’s ever done that before.  Nobody but him.  Madelyn would have put her foot up his ass in some form or another.  Same with Maeve.  Stan would’ve torn him down bit by bit.  Vogelbaum would’ve ordered corrective measures…

Ben just listens.

“Next time,” his little spider takes his hand.  “Just find me instead.”

What?

“We can handle it together, y’know?”

He doesn’t know what to do with that at all.

A week later, he's lounging in Benjamin's room while the web-head practices playing his guitar. He's never been one for music, but Ben's playing is incredibly soothing. 

“Any words to that one?” He asks out of the blue. 

“Yeah, but I can't sing for shit.” Ben hums a laugh. 

“Doubt that,” Homelander sighs. “You're you. You can do anything.”

Ben looks at him with a bashful grin, but Homelander's eyes are shut and he doesn't see. 

“Alright, you asked for it.” He strums a slow chord progression.

“I thought that I had everybody by my side.” 

“Then I went and blew it, all sky high.” 

“And now she won't even spare a passing glance.”

Homelander peeked over in excited anticipation. 

“All because I… RIPPED MY PANTS!” 

Ben breaks out into giggles over a joke Homelander's certainly not in on, but strums away nonetheless. He doesn't sing along, but his laughter was music enough. 

“I don't get it,” he deadpans when the playing stops. 

“Ehh, after your time.” Ben winks. “Not that you're old or anything. It's from SpongeBob. It's funny, trust me.” 

“Christ.” John groans. “If you say so.”

Ben sets the instrument down with a wide smile on his face and plops onto the bed by Homelander. 

“Cute when you're confused.” Ben says casually, but his eyes widen and his cheeks flush the second he realizes what he said. “S-Sorry, I mean–” 

“Oh, really?” Homelander props himself on his elbow to look directly at his little spider. His grin cuts from ear to ear, thrilled beyond measure at such a slip up. “What's cute about me, huh?” 

Ben shakes his head and giggles bashfully. “It's– I meant–” 

“Ben, Ben, Benny, Ben, Ben,” he sing-songs. “C'monnnnn, make me feel as cute as you say I am!”

Benjamin's blush grows deeper, turning his cheeks a beautiful crimson. 

“I dunno, you just– you get a cute little half smile but you hide it quickly. But it’s always so genuine and I just think it’s cute.”

“Mmm, tell me more.” He teases.  Truth is, he fucking loves hearing this from Ben.  Cute is a good thing.  He’d rather hear sexy or handsome, of course, but this is still a fucking amazing sign.  And that blush?  Now that was cute.  “When else am I cute?”

He cages Ben on the bed with his arm when the bug tries to wiggle free.  He grins at the bubbly laughter from his little spider.  Homelander could hold him in place like this all day and never tire.  He’d have to fess up.  

“C’mon, Benjamin!  Earn your freedom.”

“I– Johnny!”  He whines.  “Fiiiiine.”  Ben stills himself with a deep breath.  He tries to ignore how close they are.  “You just are, y’know?  You have cute eyes and a cute nose.  Your hair is really nice and you have a pretty smile– when you’re smiling for real.”

“Oh, you flatter me!” Homelander lilts.  There’s a part of him– same as the day Benjamin cleaned him of blood– that feels guilty for what he’s pushing for, but he can’t stop.  He’s practically hovering over Ben at this point.  Faces mere inches apart.

He could kiss him right now and–

The bug’s phone goes off loudly in his pocket.  Normally it’s muted, but…

“Sorry, I gotta–  I was expecting this.  Sorry.”

Homelander leans back and gives him space to answer.  From the sound of it, it’s that nephew of his asking for advice for something that could’ve fucking waited until literally any other time.

He rolls onto his back and huffs in disappointment.  Homelander listens loosely to the conversation.  Homework help.

He has half a mind to ban homework.

Maybe he made too loud of a sound, because Ben reaches back and ruffles his hair and shoots him an apologetic smile.

Seems like every time he thinks they might finally seal everything with a kiss, something stupid happens.  It’s like fate, no matter how clear it seems that they should be together, demanded that they wait.  If it’s not interruptions, it’s his inhibitions.  A fear that one wrong move would undo months of… god, could he even call this work?

Some time passes, with Ben droning on about some weird literary rule, and then it’s silent.

“Sorry,” Ben tells him once again. “Kid took an honors class but he’s kind of terrible at the subject.”

He knew a little about Ben’s family.  Not much, but enough.

“No, that’s– you’re fine.”  He sputters.  God, did he act too mad about it? 

“Thanks, but still.  Now, where was I?”  Ben huffs a laugh and assumes the same position as before, only this time he’s the one leaning over Homelander.  Not as close as before, but it’s…

The fact he went back for it drives Homelander mad.

“Cute things, cute things…” he muses as he scans Homelander's face.  “Here,” he taps his index finger to Homelander’s upper lip, tracing over the length of it.  “The right side flares up just a liiiittle bit more than the left.  That’s cute, t–”

Oh, fuck– fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

He did it without even thinking.  Without a fucking second of hesitation, no– god, no he shouldn’t have.  But it was right fucking there and his body just did it.

He’d taken the tip of Ben’s finger in his mouth.  Laved his tongue over it and suckled firm just once before realizing what he’d done.

His lips are locked tight against Ben’s knuckle, but he dares not move an inch.

“That’s… huh.”  

At least he doesn’t sound mad.

“Is this your way of showing off to me?”

And that sounded like a fucking flirt.

Does that mean… does that mean he should keep it in there?  Does that mean it’s okay?  His eyes flutter open just the tiniest bit to find a warm, fascinated smile.  

He tastes so good.  So, so fucking good.  Every taste of stolen underwear in the world paled in comparison to him here, now, like this.  There’s something about his… his skin.  The taste of it.  The scent.  The slightest flare of his nostrils and he picks up something… something amazing.

He grasps Ben’s wrist and his thumb rolls over that spinneret and he knows exactly what that scent is, that taste…

There’s fucking pheromone glands in there.

Among other things, as indicated by Ben's reaction… 

He realizes it's a fucking erogenous zone, too.

“O-Oh,” the web-head gasps.  His mouth is agape with heavy breaths, his eyes are dilating.  All that from one touch of Homelander’s thumb.  “Y-You– Ah!”

He has every opportunity to pull away, to rip that finger from Homelander’s mouth and jump right off the bed.  Hell, he could even cling to the ceiling for distance– but he doesn’t.

Homelander sucks his finger in just a little deeper, presses the pad of his thumb just a little harder.  Ben’s noises make him harden in his suit.

Their eyes lock and he knows.

Over the intense pheromone release of the spinneret, he can smell it.  Benjamin is wet– no. 

He's fucking drenched. 

Homelander can practically hear each little throb of his pussy, each near-silent squelch of slick between his ravenous walls.

“Johnny…”

The way Ben whispers his name with such a shaky breath sends a jolt right between his legs.  He wants to return the feeling tenfold.  Wants to see Ben feel just as fucking good as his mere presence makes him feel.

He slips the finger free and pulls Ben’s spinneret flush to his lips.  He pecks sweet little kisses at the edge of it, watching the smaller openings flare around the larger slit.  His arm has found its way around Ben’s waist to keep him close– a nice little way to realize his hips have started to grind against the bed.  He shuffles Ben’s body just enough to wedge a thigh between his legs.

“O-oh my god…”  Ben’s face falls to hide against his neck and Homelander's pleased as can be at the pitchy moan sung in his ear at the first swipe of his tongue.  “That’s– k-keep going…”

He tastes so, so fucking good.

It should be a crime for something so sweet to have been kept from him.

Homelander’s hips raise to meet the minuscule press of his cup and, in doing so, he pushes his thigh against Ben’s heat.

Ben keens weakly and starts to grind against him.  The bug’s fingers seek to stroke his cheek, stuttering with every swipe, every dip of that tongue into that sweet little opening.

It’s everything– everything Homelander needs to get closer to his own release.  Not even a touch to his cock, just the knowledge, the fucking feeling of Ben getting off on him.

Because of him.

The god of death has tainted the god of love.

He gasps sharply against Ben’s wrist.  Lips have pressed to the exposed part of his neck and he’s out of his fucking mind.

Ben is kissing him.

Benjamin is fucking kissing him.

His tongue juts out and he wriggles the tip deeper into that delicious slit.  He rocks his leg up against Ben, squeezes around his waist, helps direct him to ride it out.

Drool trails down his chin, but he can’t possibly care about that.  Why in the world would he ever focus on himself when his little spider was right there?

Is this what the fates wanted?  That he should have such an enrapturing taste before their lips could meet for the first time?  Were they meant to fall into one another before such a simple act?

But he could change this!  He could.

 He could and he fucking should.

If he could stop being so fucking selfish and demanding more and more of that sugary sweet flavor, he could break away and kiss his little spider for the first time.  He could lock lips with him, savor the most simple act of love, if he could just–

The taste is torn from his mouth, leaving behind only tiny wisps of webbing.

A hand tangles in his hair and Ben’s forehead presses to his.

That hand he’s been suckling on falls to cup him through the suit and he sees stars.  His breath catches, his eyes roll back, he’s so close, he–

“Be–”

The press of softness and warmth cuts him off.  Moving against him, breaths panting between pecks, Ben kisses him with a tenderness unlike anything he’s ever known.  He’s mewling and it’s downright pitiful, but he feels everything.

He cries out open mouthed against his little spider when his orgasm hits.  His cock weeps in the confines of his suit, relieved only by the press of the hand between his legs.  Ben pants against him until a shaky moan rips from him to signal his own undoing.  Each thrusts against the other, clinging, grasping, needing.

“Johnny– oh god!” 

Homelander’s too far gone to do more than moan through his gaping mouth.  He’s ascended from hell to heaven.  

This is…

He feels so…

So warm.  So peaceful.

Where is the shame?  Where is the anticipation of being told to go?  Why hasn’t Ben rolled off of him yet?

Is this how it was always meant to feel?

Like basking in the sun, floating above the clouds, but… so much better.  He, who has graced what humanity’s ancestors believed to be the heavens, knows no height above this world could feel like this.

No solar glow nor moonlight breeze could tingle the way Benjamin’s peppered kisses do.  No sound more melodious than that huff of joyful laughter.

“I think I’m in love with you.”

And nothing in the world more powerful than those seven little words.

It takes a concentrated effort to reply through the torrent of emotion he feels.  The words come out shaky and tearful, but they come out all the same.

He’s safe enough to say it.

He can let those words fly free without fear.

“I know I’m in love with you.”

The kiss that follows is even better than the first.

[chayscribbles]

chayscribbles’ monthly writing update ☆ june 2023

☆ STATISTICS.

words written: 13 022

projects worked on: Andromeda Rogue mostly but i've been swatting at Shiny New Ideas left and right with a tennis racket. also i thought about Gemini Heist really really hard and i think that counts for something

proudest accomplishment: AR1 draft 2 is done!!!!!!

books read: After Atlas by Emma Newman; Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson; Exit Strategy (Murderbot Diaries #4) by Martha Wells. all excellent reads. (sidenote two out of three of these books involve murder investigations and the third has murder in the title. i'm sensing a theme in my reading.)

☆ GENERAL COMMENTS.

i am still terrible at being consistent at writeblr-ing. i guess this is just my life now.

i'm debating using camp nano to actually hunker my ass down and get some writing done on gemini heist, but between work and apartment hunting and a possible move by the end of the month i don't know how feasible that's gonna be :') we'll see.

and no i'm not glossing over the fact that i have a finished second draft. i'm just saving my screaming for below the cut.

more specific wip-related comments + featured excerpt below.

☆ COMMENTS: ANDROMEDA ROGUE (draft 2)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(i wasn't kidding about the screaming.)

so this draft now sits at 85.7K, which is about 11.8K added from the first, and although it is still faaar from perfect it is definitely... better than the draft i finished 2 years ago. it's insane how much my writing has improved, between all the reading i've been doing and first drafting the two sequels of the trilogy.

that being said there still are a lot of things i know need to be fixed, but i'm at the point where if i try to fix them on my own i'll be stuck on them forever.

enter the betas!!! i'm planning on doing an ~official~ beta call next week but honestly if you're interested in beta-ing this book feel free to hmu right away!! ultimately i want to self-pub this thing (which is quite overwhelming to think about hhhhh) but one thing at a time :')

☆ FEATURED EXCERPT.

i really couldn't decide what snippet to post so this was admittedly chosen a bit at random lmao. this is from when the gang is approaching their destination for their expedition.

On the external display, Mohani loomed ahead, growing larger every second. The planet was almost entirely a deep blue, except for some white spots at its poles. It reminded Finneas of his final glimpse of Ghillairde when he was leaving it behind for the last time. For a disorienting second, it almost felt like he was returning to his birth planet. But soon, the ship was close enough to see the sandy outline of the continents. The blue wasn’t all ocean. Some of it was trees. He directed the ship towards the landing coordinates just as Petra arrived in the bridge, clutching several barf bags. “Good to see you’ve come prepared, Lacroye,” he commented. “You’re already looking green, and we haven’t even entered the atmosphere yet.” She grumbled something unintelligible in response as she took her place in the copilot’s chair.

one of my editing notes for draft 2 was to make Petra's starsickness worse😆

☆ TAGLISTS. let me know if you want to be added/removed to any of them.

general taglist:

@nicola-writes @dgwriteblr @the-orangeauthor @onomatopiya @quilloftheclouds @ashen-crest @writeblrfantasy @celestepens @stardustspiral @pepperdee @extra-magichours @avi-why @lefttigerobservation @chazzawrites @bardolatrycore @innocentlymacabre

andromeda trilogy taglist:

@bebewrites @nicola-writes @dgwriteblr @the-orangeauthor @onomatopiya @akindofmagictoo @quilloftheclouds @nora-theteawriter @ashen-crest @corpsepng @writeblrfantasy @toboldlywrite @celestepens @stardustspiral @pepperdee @cheerfulmelancholies @extra-magichours @writeouswriter @cilly-the-writer @lefttigerobservation @rose-bookblood @drowsy-quill @chazzawrites @cynic-and-chief @enchanted-lightning-aes @aesa @outpost51

[thegrimoiresvoice]

(I FINALLY posted something for my Mortal Kombat AU! If anyone is interested in designing the kast or if they're just interested, my DMs are open. Enjoy!)

HEROES OF THE WU SHI ACADEMY

Raiden, the Eternal Storm (Liam O'Brien) Species: Demi-God (Thunder) Hair: Electric silverish blue, long Kasual Outfit: White dress shirt, grey dress jacket, black dress pants, white boots Kombat Outfit: White long-sleeved robes, electric blue long coat, gray hiking boots, silver metal gauntlets, gray metal hat with engravings Weapons: Staff, amulet Arcana: Thunderstruck (electric flight, projectiles and telekinesis)

Kuai Liang Oniro/Scorpion, the Ashen Hope (Cody Christian) Species: Human Hair: Dark crimson, top knot ponytail Kasual Outfit: Yellow sleeveless hoodie, red long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, black boots Kombat Outfit: Yellow, red, and black Lin Kuei garbs, black Lin Kuei boots gray arm wrappings, yellow metal mask Weapons: Kunai on a rope, kusarigama Arcana: Smolder (pyromantic teleportation and projection)

Bi-Han Oniro/Sub-Zero, the Frost Sentinel (Roger Craig Smith) Species: Human Hair: Silverish blue, messy Kasual Outfit: Dark blue jacket, gray wicking shirt, black bulky pants, hiking boots Kombat Outfit: Dark blue, silver, and black Lin Kuei garbs, dark silver gauntlets, dark blue Lin Kuei boots, black and blue ceremonial cloak, grayish blue metal mask Weapons: Broadsword, ice weapons Arcana: Shiver (cryomantic projection and creation of weapons)

Tomas Oniro/Smoke, the Silver Eclipse (Benjamin Diskin) Species: Human Hair: Gray, shoulder length Kasual Outfit: Gray hoodie, black leather vest, silver dress pants, black sneakers, fingerless gloves Kombat Outfit: Gray and silver Lin Kuei garbs, black Lin Kuei boots, black gauntlets, black gas mask Weapons: Karambit knives, grenades Arcana: Shroud (smoke clouds emanate from his body, allowing him to disappear)

Syzoth/Reptile, the Venomous Outcast (Todd Haberkorn) Species: Zaterran Hair: Dyed green, shaved on one side, long on the other (VISAGE FORM)/Dull yellow, dreadlocks-like scales (TRUE FORM) Kasual Outfit: Dark green hoodie, sunglasses, stitched khakis, dirty sneakers. Kombat Outfit: Black trench coat, green hoodie, hiking boots, stitched-up jeans, green mask, goggles (modified to Zaterran war robes in True Form) Weapons: Zaterran hatchets, acidic saliva, sharp teeth, and claws Arcana: Vanish (straight-up invisibility in both forms)

Empress Mileena, the Thorned Rose (Erica Mendez) Species: Tarkatan (Formerly Edenian) Hair: Raven, wild ponytail Kasual Outfit: Maroon long-sleeved shirt, silver tank top (red Halestorm logo), maroon sweatpants, high-heeled boots Kombat Outfit: Fuchsia and copper Edenian armor, fuchsia vented mask with metallic clamps, arm guards, bladed high-heeled boots Weapons: Sais, Tarkatan blades Arcana: Blink (teleportation)

Princess Kitana, the Quickwinded Blade (Britt Baron) Species: Edenian Hair: Dark silver, long and flowy Kasual Outfit: Dark blue shirt, black jacket, gray pants, high-heeled boots, blue mask Kombat Outfit: Blue, black, and silver Edenian armor, metal surrounded gloves, high-heeled boots, blue and silver mask Weapons: Bladed fans Arcana: Tempest (hurricane-force winds when spinning)

Countess Jade, the Sage Assassin (Kelly Hu) Species: Edenian Hair: Brunette, twin tails Kasual Outfit: Brown short-sleeved shirt, green hoodie, green skirt, knee-high boots, Kombat: Green and brown Edenian armor, brass gauntlets, silver cloak, metallic boots, green mask Weapons: Dual-bladed staff, throwing glaive Arcana: Passwall (projectiles can pass right through her if she concentrates)

Tanya, the Guiding Hand (Cree Summer) Species: Edenian Hair: Black, twin buns Kasual Outfit: Black and gold leather jacket, black jeans, gray sneakers Kombat Outfit: Gold and black Edenian armor, ceremonial robes, helmet Weapons: Naginata, Tonfa blades Arcana: None

Liu Kang, the Rising Champion (Johnny Yong Bosch) Species: Human Hair: Black, spikey Kasual Outfit: Red jacket, white undershirt, blue pants, silver dress shoes, red headband Kombat Outfit: Black leather jacket, white garbs, baggy black pants, arm wrappings Weapons: Nunchuck staff Arcana: Ignite (fireballs, fire kicks, and summoning a fucking dragon)

Kung Lao, the Shaolin Cyclone (Greg Cipes) Species: Human Hair: Brown, small ponytail Kasual Outfit: Brown long-sleeved shirt, blue vest, stitched jeans, knee-high boots Kombat Outfit: Black and red armored vest, black armored gauntlets, brown pants, knee-high boots Weapons: Chakram fedora Arcana: Tele-Nado (spinning teleportation)

Kenshi Takahashi, the Psychic Scarlet Saber (Yuri Lowenthal) Species: Human Hair: Black, short Kasual Outfit: Black blazer, red undershirt, silver dress pants, dress shoes, black sunglasses Kombat Outfit: Black undershirt, red armored overcoat, black dress pants, dress shoes, blindfold Weapons: Sento (ancestral katana, also helps him see without eyes) Arcana: None

Johnny Cage, the Narcissistic Nutcracker (Sam Riegel) Species: Human Hair: Dirty blonde, short and messy Kasual Outfit: Dark blue blazer, dark green vest, jeans, black sneakers, tinted green sunglasses Kombat Outfit: Kevlar vest, baggy blue hoodie, padded pants, combat boots, sleeveless gloves, tinted green sunglasses Weapons: None Arcana: Showman (bright green, grayish silver, or dark red shadowy aura that enhances his abilities depending on his mood)

Sonya Blade, Semper-fi Do or Die (Ashley Johnson) Species: Human Hair: Blonde, braided ponytail Kasual Outfit: Black long-sleeved undershirt, desert camo pants, dark green vest, grenade sachel, military cap, combat boots Kombat Outfit: Dark blue futuristic stealth armor, armored hiking boots, military cap, grenade bandolier Weapons: Handgun, grenades, wrist laser projectors, combat knife Arcana: Perfume (toxic violet gas that can also cause horrific burns)

Kurtis Stryker, the Riot Guardsman (Matthew Mercer) Species: Human Hair: Dirty blonde mullet, stubble Kasual Outfit: Black jacket, blue undershirt, black cargo pants, combat boots, fingerless gloves, police cap, sunglasses Kombat Outfit: Black and blue futuristic riot armor, tactical visor, noise-cancelling boots Weapons: Nightsticks, handgun, taser, grenades Arcana: Sentinel (surrounds him in a red, bulletproof aura)

Kabal Ramirez, the Speedy Redeemer (Nolan North) Species: Human Species: Black, messy Kasual Outfit: Beige coat, green vest, stiched-up khakis, hiking boots, arm guards, hidden respirators, metal mask Kombat Outfit: Armored long coat and vest, lightweight armored boots, spiked knuckle gauntlets, hidden respirators, metal mask Weapons: Hookswords, throwing saw, flashbangs Arcana: Roadburn (super speed)

Zeffeero/Rain, the Flood of Ambition (J. Michael Tatum) Species: Edenian Hair: Dark purple, long Kasual Outfit: Purple work jacket, yellow dress shirt, dark indigo pants, black dress shoes Kombat Outfit: Purple mage's cloak and robes, purple mask Weapons: Katar, scepter (doubles as a bo staff) Arcana: Monsoon (hydromantic teleportation and projection, mild electrokinesis)

VILLAINS OF THE GREAT LEGION

Shao Kahn, the Legacy of Onaga (Kevin Michael Richardson) Species: Drakespawn Hair: Bald (but he has draconic horns and scales) Kasual Outfit: Dark red business suit, gold undershirt, black dress pants, crimson knee-high boots, Kombat Outfit: Red and black Drakespawn armor, shoulder cape, skull helmet Weapons: Hellbringer (Axe/Hammer), spears Arcana: Dominance (ego-driven reddish black aura strengthens him)

Shang Tsung, the Damnation Dealer (Steve Blum) Species: Edenian Hair: Black, long Kasual Outfit: Yellowish green undershirt, black coat, gray jeans, dress shoes Kombat Outfit: Yellow robes, black armored segments, black boots Weapons: Tekko-kagi claws Arcana: Souleater (literally steals souls to fuel his power, allowing him to assume their forms and powers)

Sullivan Kano, the Hand of the Black Dragon (Hugh Jackman) Species: Human Hair: Black, messy and ratty goatee Kasual Outfit: Black vest, cargo pants, combat boots, bandolier Kombat Outfit: Red and black armored vest, arm wrappings, combat boots with hidden knives Weapons: Cyber eye (shoots lasers), big knives, throwing blades, pulse grenades Arcana: None

Zheng Sektor, the Cybernetic Cinder (Matt Lanter) Species: Cyber (Formerly Human) Hair: Dark red, ponytail Outfit: Dark blue undershirt, red leather jacket, padded dark red pants, combat boots, blue-tinted goggles/red helmet (retractable) Weapons: Flamethrower gauntlets, explosive missile darts, red pulse blades Arcana: None

Goro, the Fists of Blazing Rage (Fred Tatasciore) Species: Shokan Hair: Black, ponytail Kasual Outfit, Black jeans, red Shokan royal robes Kombat Outfit: Black and red Shokan armor Weapons: None Arcana: None

Skarlet, the Blood Bathed Berserker (Cherami Leigh) Species: Drakespawn/Edenian Hair: Red, shoulder length, spikey Kasual Outfit: Black jacket, red undershirt, silver jeans, black boots Kombat Outfit: Black and red leather armor, goggles, red metal mask in the style of Outworld surgeons Weapons: Large scalpel, blood weapons Arcana: Clotted (blood magic through projection and creation of solid blood weapons)

Baraka, the Diseased Shredder (Scott McNeil) Species: Tarkatan (Formerly Edenian) Hair: Bald (but covered in bone-like, sometimes metallic spikes) Kasual Outfit: White short-sleeved shirt, brown jacket, black stitched-up jeans Kombat Outfit: Silverish blue armor, Asgarth Tarkatan banner wrapped around torso, dark red armored pants Weapons: Tarkatan blades Arcana: Fortitude (enhanced regeneration, not hampered by Tarkat)

Roman Valerian/Tremor, the Sandman's Quake (David Sobolov) Species: Human Hair: Silverish brown (with stone-like cracks in his skin) Kasual Outfit: Beige cloak, dark green undershirt, bulky black pants, golden medallions, hiking boots Kombat Outfit: Hooded brown armor, anti-dust mask, combat boots Weapons: Hammers, battle axe, occasionally carries a shotgun Arcana: Terra (seismic waves, crystal growths, rock generation, and lava spurts)

Reiko, the Scrappy General (Gregg Abbey) Species: Drakespawn/Edenian Hair: Silver and black, Mohawk/ponytail Kasual Outfit: Red Great Leigon sports jacket, black jeans, combat boots Kombat Outfit: Red and silver spiked armor, red gauntlets, skull medallion, armored pants, combat boots Weapons: Warhammer, knife, spear, throwing stars Arcana: Shade-Rage (red aura increases strength when angered)

OTHER STUFF

Arcanas are like Semblances from RWBY, being powers connected to the user's soul. Some have them, others don't.

Shao Kahn is the son of Onaga (who is incredibly proud of his son's work), and the father of Skarlet and Reiko (who constantly fight over his approval.

Hanzo Hasashi WILL appear, but not as Scorpion, obviously, but also not as a young child either.

[ozblok]

My 10 Lowly Tarnished

°Wiston the Blue° - Lightning Build

°Sorcerer Fraklin° - Magic Build

°Virus, the Ashen° - Fire Build

°Dark Lord Father° - Death Build

°Mister Benjamin° - Fist/Beast Build

°G.K. OzBlok° - Godrick Knight Build

°Mask, the illfit° - Poison Rot Build

°King Midas° - Holy Build

°Samanth, the Red° - Bleed Build

°Starchild Watt° - Cosmic Sleep Build

---------------------------------------------------------

I enjoy my time with all these characters, each one being fun to me in their own special way :)

[memento-morri-writes]

10 songs, 10 people tag

I was tagged by @howlingbreeze (well, technically, you tagged my main, but this is my writing blog, so you get it here.)

Rules: list ten songs, then tag ten people to pass the game on to! (bonus points if it’s from a wip/character playlist!)

All of these are from my ATQH, Fallon, Kristopher, or FxK playlists.

Ya'aburnee - Halsey

don't worry, you will - lovelytheband

Save Me - Noah Kahan

Flaws - Bastille

Forgive Yourself - Em Beihold

HOLD YOU DOWN - X Ambassadors

this is me trying - Taylor Swift

Future Holds - Bastille, BIM

Paper Crown - Alec Benjamin

Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons

If You Could See Me Now - The Script

I'm going to tag @mr-writes @encrucijada @kingsinking @zmwrites @ashen-crest @nicola-writes @midnights-call @oh-no-another-idea @theskeletonprior and @zoya-writes

[doomedandstoned]

France’s ENDLESS FLOODS Return For Mesmerizing  Doomer ‘Rites Futurs’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Today, we hail a powerful new atmospheric gem from Bordeaux three-piece ENDLESS FLOODS. I'm not sure if the band's name is drawn from the Song of Solomon or not ("many waters cannot quench love") or whether it is in reference to something more grim, such as the soul-weathering nature of our era. All that's important is we have a fourth album from the band, which we brought to your attention way back in 2016 when they released their self-titled debut.

Now we ready for a fourth album Rites Futurs, this one featuring a seamless melding of talent from Louise Dehaye (vocals), Stéphane Miollan (guitar, bass, vox), and Benjamin Sablon (drums, synth, vox). Thibault Laisney (who provides some additional guitar) a fantastic job of recording and mixing the record at a/b box studio, the sound is clear, full, and roomy.

The songs certainly give you a lot to think about -- less narrative and more contemplative. Sung entirely in the French tongue, the words in English are no less compelling:

"Planet-piercing silver spear Incandescent like immense flames Chariots arrive slowly The chariots and the burning wind"

"L'Eclair" comes out with bristling guitar and wailing dissonance as the moon makes its appearance in the night sky. The amazing three-person choir is immediately arresting, containing elements classic and modern that flow from beautiful to mysterious to unsettling within a single progression. The jaded crooning at 2:05 rivals those of Undersmile. There are exaltant moments in this song (around 4 minutes in) that tap into a similar vein as Green Lung. Endless Floods are masters at transporting us through moods as naturally as the flow of disruptive waters. This is about light, balance, and contrast.

"Décennie" seems to be about time and how events repeat themselves endlessly in cycles, leading to a passionate climax of cymbals, screeching dissonance, and wailing voices.

Relancer chaque jour l'effet et dans l'echo tout noyer

Lyrics are similarly grim on "Muraille," which might be contemplating the ashen remains of Vesuvius (Nuage de lave mêlé au cristal des murs de flammes). There's something quite ancient about the way the song starts, drawing upon early contrapuntal style. There are doomy elements in play, such as the funeral-esque guitar lead that follows. This is counterbalanced by glistening post-metal ambience and a haunting entanglement of voices that eventually take soaring into the aerosphere. There's something at once meditative and bittersweet about the chorus that concludes the song ("Stone after stone, let's climb airless enclaves").

Louise Dehaye's singing is reassuring and enchanting in the serene unfolding of title track "Rites Futures". As the song developed, there are standout moments you'll not hear anywhere else, such as the distant, riotous warbling of carolers set against a slow, fuzzy, bad-ass headbanger riff with garage vibes that goes shoegazey then has an out-and-out meltdown of black metal tremeloes, finally taking us to record center in a blaze of hypnotic glory as singers coalesce Gregorian chant style. The closing moments settle us into calm, reassurance that after all is said and done, we are always in the ever-present NOW.

Look for Endless Flood's Rites Futurs on Friday, July 12th, with a limited run of cassettes issued by Breath Plastic Records (get it here or here). For many it will prompt you to get into their back catalogue, and summer is the perfect time to do it, especially at sunrise.

Give ear...

Endless Floods · RITES FUTURS (2024)

SOME BUZZ

After a five-year absence, Endless Floods are reunited around vocalist Louise Dehaye, Stéphane Miollan (guitar, bass, vocals) and Benjamin Sablon (drums, synths, vocals). Spanning through the crepuscular and droney doom landscapes of their first three records, they reveal in a prodigious blaze of post-metal, doom and shoegaze driven by the trio’s aerial choirs.

Bordeaux, France's doom metal experimentalists Endless Floods formed in 2015 in Bordeaux around Stéphane Miollan (ex-Monarch, Bombardement, Faucheuse), Benjamin Sablon (ex-Monarch, Bombardement, Shock, Mégot) et Simon Bédy. With “no boundaries in heaviness” as a motto, they raise a prodigiously dense wall of sound by blending drone and doom metal aesthetics with mind-expanding ambient structures, like a sorrowful procession arising from the limbo...

The trio released their self-titled debut in 2015, quickly followed by their sophomore album “II” in the winter of 2017. This drone-sounding assault saw the band sinking deeper into bleakness and minimalism, immersing the listener in a monolithic and feedback-laden sonic experience described by the press as “a vast, never-ending room of heavy” (Cvlt Nation), “a juggernaut of sonic grandeur” (Metal Nexus) or simply “sublime” by Pure Grain Audio. Their third album "Circle The Gold” epitomized a fresh start in their creative process: between chaos and light, the Bordeaux trio transcended genre boundaries while unveiling a more melodic and cathartic aspect of their music.

RITES FUTURS by Endless Floods

After a five-year hiatus, ENDLESS FLOODS now returns with a new lineup and their fourth record "Rites Futurs", to be released in July 2024. About the album, the band comments: "On Rites Futurs, we built a mythology around the idea of the rite of passage. The five tracks symbolize this tipping point into the unknown by evoking ancient traditions where fires extinguished everything in their path."

It was recorded and mixed by Thibault Laisney at a/b box studio (Lestiac, France) and mastered by Ben Jones. Cover art and graphic design by Louise Dehaye.

Constantly maintaining the subtle balance between light and melancholy, soaring atmospherics and granite riffs, Endless Floods deliver their sonic rebirth in forty minutes of a grippingly emotional experience.

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