#Ghost in the Shell Release Date

[marvelstoriesepic]

Angstober (day 17)

Pairing: Endgame!Bucky x Reader

Prompt: “Shhh…”

Word Count: 3.4k

Warnings: allusions to deep depression; very slight mention of suicidal thoughts; mentions of an eating disorder (neglecting food due to mental health problems); sad!Reader; sad and desperate!Bucky

Author's note: I'm so late, so sorry!! Actually planned on ending this way more angsty but I just couldn’t. Hope you still like it!

Angstober Masterlist

Not that you’re counting, but it has been 14 nights now. Two weeks. Nearly 340 hours since Bucky returned. He came back, along with everyone else who had vanished for five long years. But nothing else seemed nearly as significant as the feeling of seeing him again - the man you loved before the blip, during the blip, and thereafter.

Obviously, this was supposed to be a moment of pure, unadulterated joy. And it was for a moment. But you never felt the weight fall off you, that great release where all your problems just go away and nothing is left but love, relief, lightness - the kind of peace you can finally sink into.

But peace is far from what you feel.

You carry something in your gut; a stone lodged deep, heavy, and smooth to the touch but sharp on impact, that pushes your insides down and twists the knots in your belly into nausea. It’s guilt. So thick and visceral, it hurts, your body trying to reject it, to shake it, but you can’t breathe it away.

Because it’s also the 14th night of you leaving the warm and cozy embrace of two arms - one flesh, one metal - and the feeling of a chest pressed against your body just to sit out on the balcony, the exact same you spent ceaseless and lonely nights on when the world had emptied itself of Bucky Barnes.

Back when this place was only yours for the better part of the blip. With an old armchair placed to overlook the stars and form changing moon blinking at you from the blackness overhead. As if each of those tiny bright dots stood for something specific.

Bucky is asleep inside the bedroom, you’re supposed to be in right now. Wrapped safely in his arms, surrounded by the comfort of having him back. But the truth is, this comfort you should feel suffocates you.

You’re frozen. Stuck between two worlds. The one where you lost him, where you had to endure five long years without him, and the one where he returned as though no time had passed at all.

Five years living without him just for him to return to earth within the blink of an eye as if it was nothing. As if the time spent alone wasn’t agony in the worst sense of the word. As if your suffering didn’t even happen and everything just went back to normal in seconds.

You don’t know how to react. You don’t know how to be normal again. How can you just slip back into a love that feels like it was frozen in time for him but battered and painful for you?

It hasn’t been easy for anyone, you’re aware of that. Disappearing or not. Suddenly re-entering a world that had moved on without you, a world you never knew you even left, is a scary thought. But, honestly, it’s so much worse for Bucky. Your stomach, again, churns in pain.

Bucky has already lost so much of his life, trapped in decades he was never meant to live, a ghost haunting the wrong era. The world keeps slipping through his fingers, time moving around him while he’s frozen in place. Literally even. And now there goes another five years.

But you just can’t turn your head off. And you hate yourself for it.

The truth is, you’re not the same person you were when you met Bucky, started dating him - the one he fell in love with. A bright spirit, an effervescent soul, full of light, energy, softness, with a laugh that was infectious. That version of you is gone, taken by the same breeze that took Bucky years ago. What’s left was a hollow shell, lost in the grief of your greatest love story.

Time wore you down, erode pieces of you that you didn’t even realize were fading away until there was hardly anything left. Just bare bones of who you once were - a thin foundation, fragile, with crumbs already falling to your darkest depths, ready to be swept away for good.

How can you possibly go back to the person Bucky expects you to be? How can you pretend to be the version of yourself he fell in love with when it doesn’t exist anymore? When what’s left of her is irredeemable, too far gone to be resurrected?

You’re certain you’ll only end up disappointing him. If you haven’t already.

Fourteen nights you’ve been out here, on this balcony, sitting in that chair, wrapped in the dark, keeping yourself apart from him when you know you should be beside him. When all you ever wanted was to be beside him again.

Thirteen of those nights, Bucky has noticed your absence. The first night he found you out here, sitting in silence, you nearly snapped at him, frustration and confusion at the way you feel bubbling up so fiercely, you didn’t know how to contain it.

You told him to leave you alone. Insisted on it for so long until he finally, reluctantly relented, slowly retreating back inside with a tremble in his breath and clenched fingers. You knew he would respect your request. You also found out that he didn’t sleep a wink that night, since you didn’t come back to bed, wearing circles under his eyes that matched yours as he made you some breakfast in the morning you barely ended up stomaching.

Since then, you haven’t asked him to leave. Though you don’t really engage him in conversation either, only letting him linger. His presence is gentle, never pressing, always so patient, but it doesn’t make it easier. If only, it worsens the guilt, its fingers tightening around your chest, digging into your skin painfully. You don’t know how to let him back in, not when you’re still so tangled up in the person you’ve become - someone so worn-down, you don’t recognize yourself anymore, afraid to be confronted with the harrowing reality by looking in a mirror.

And every night, you wonder, silently asking the night sky, how much longer it’ll be before he realizes that the person he loves is someone he lost.

You’re waiting. Waiting for him to notice that this new version of you isn’t enough.

Every time, Bucky comes out to you, bringing you something - blankets, jackets, his hoodies, a cup of tea still steaming in his hands, or thick socks to warm your feet. He gets you all the things you never thought to grab in your rush to escape to the balcony, to get lost in the night air that bites into your skin but usually feels oddly comforting in its coldness. The chill always manages to give you a small sting of reality.

You never make the first move to wrap the blankets around yourself or pull any of the clothing items on, so Bucky usually does it for you. And he’s nothing but kind. Patient and soft in ways that almost hurt to witness. It’s in his eyes, in the way he watches you, never pushing too hard, never demanding more than you can give.

But his worry is etched into every corner of him like he is carrying it in his very bones. It’s heavy on his brows, weighing them down in a furrow that never seems to ease, lips pressed into a slight frown that tugs at the corners even when he tries to soothe it out.

It’s in the way his hands twitch, as if he’s fighting the urge to reach out and pull you close, but stops himself because he’s unsure if you want him to. He’s constantly walking that fine line, balancing between the space you seem to want and the need to be there, to comfort you, troubled with his own helplessness.

It’s in every considerate gesture, every thoughtful thing he does to make sure you’re okay, or at least giving you a sense of solace.

And yet, you can’t bring yourself to really talk to him. To explain what’s going on in your mind. To voice the fear that now lives there and which places it travels and where it settles down, lodging itself deep into your conscience, roots spreading and festering.

There’s no way to explain what drives you out here night after night, sitting in the darkness while your returned love waits for you inside.

It’s not that you don’t want to. God, you want to more than anything. But the words just won’t come, not making it past the lump in your throat. You’re trapped in a loop of thoughts; confusion, and guilt guiding them to twirl in your head like an indecipherable storm.

How do you even begin to explain that the person he’s so worried about isn’t really there anymore; that you’re afraid you’ve changed too much; that you’re not sure how to go back to the way things were, or if you even can? So while you remain silent, your mind races and your heart aches with the weight of everything you can’t say.

There are so many ghosts in his life and you don’t want to count yourself as another. But you don’t have it in you to do something about it.

As expected, the door to the balcony opens, quietly, slowly. It gets shorter, you notice. The time it takes him to realize you’re gone. As if he instinctively wakes up the second you leave his embrace. As if he barely has to stir to know you’re missing, to feel the cold, empty space where your warmth should be.

You wish he had given you just a little more time. Woke up just a little later. Nausea pools in your gut.

“Sweetheart.”

You pick up his whisper. You intended to ignore it, just as you had intended to ignore the quiet shuffle of his steps, the way he appeared in your peripherals like he always does. But the way his voice reflects so much of a fragility you can’t and don’t want to describe, your head lifts almost on autopilot, responding to him before your mind can even catch up.

He’s crouching down to your level in front of the chair you’re perched on, carefully lowering himself to your eye level. You hadn’t even acknowledged the bowl of pasta he brought until he set it down on the small table next to you, food you hadn’t even glanced at all day. As well as the blanket draped over his forearm he now deliberately wraps you up in. His hands linger on your arms longer than needed until he almost reluctantly pulls away.

He doesn’t take his eyes off you. Not for a second. Gaze so intense and solid, it undoes you. They’re filled with everything you try to run from, everything you try to bury deep inside yourself, everything you try to hide from.

You avert your eyes at the new wave of pain that tears right through your chest, intended to knock you off that chair, perhaps even off that balcony. Your silence is wearing on him and you know. You know that his brows are creased in worry, that his hands are trembling as they grab onto his knees to prevent himself from reaching out to you because he thinks that’s not what you want. That his touch is unwanted. His lips are pressed together as if holding back the flood of words he’s too afraid to say out loud.

Still, you don’t open your mouth. You don’t move closer to him to feel some of his warmth. You don’t look at him. All you do is let him down, night after night, as he watches you drift further away.

From yourself.

From him.

“Please eat something, love.”

His pleading voice again reaches you with the force of a knife, thrown straight to your heart, tearing through the blanket, your thin clothes, your skin, to embed itself into the organ that once held something so precious. A love so fierce, not only for the man in front of you but for the woman he fell for. For the woman that’s now lost in a body filled with coldness.

“Not hungry.” The words fall flat from your lips, monotone, your voice as hollow as you feel inside. There’s no weight behind them, no energy. They’re the same words you’ve been giving him all day, all week - really, for two weeks straight.

Actually, you haven’t been hungry in what feels like forever. The idea of eating, of caring for your body, feels so distant, so unimportant, perhaps even ludicrous, that you’ve stopped thinking about it entirely. Your stomach knots itself in protest but the thought of offering sustenance to your weary body pales in significance amidst whatever storm is brewing inside your mind.

Bucky never relents. Never gives up. Never stops trying.

But it’s heavy on him.

The pained sigh that ripples through his body, drags his shoulders down, his entire frame. His desperation is so evident, it’s standing out like a light that wants the attention of the darkness around you. His pain almost echoes like a sound, ringing in your ears.

He bows his head, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment.

Another stab. Another twist of the knife, that never really leaves your body anymore. It’s always sharp. Always intense. Always piercing. Because it never ceases to hurt when Bucky is in pain.

And he’s in pain because of you.

It’s always because of you.

His despair now is an extension of the love that triumphed against odds, yet now feels so misplaced, so undeserving in the wreckage that was left behind.

Every line of his body screams misery and it’s so unlike Bucky to carry it so openly. He’s not able to stop his hands from shaking, even though he’s clenching them into fists that leave his skin white. He’s not able to ease the tension in his jaw, the way his breath catches as though he’s holding back more words, more pleas, more desperation.

You know it’s your fault. You know this is a love he still holds for a person that doesn’t deserve it anymore. He holds on so tight. So fierce. And that’s what hurts the most.

A new sensation wells up, one you had consciously buried for the past 14 nights. One you hadn’t let yourself feel every time you got lost out here. It grips your throat, wraps itself around it, and squeezes, cutting off the flow of air. It’s choking you, as if in triumph, confronting the tidal surges of emotion you’ve been holding back for so long. It stings behind your eyes, making them swell and burn as tears form faster than you can stop them.

The sob that forms in your belly takes shape in a revolting way and you can’t grasp it properly.

So, when it finally escapes, it’s heart-wrenching. The sound rips from your chest violently and guttural, tearing through your lips before you can do anything to keep it inside. Your hand flies to your mouth, desperate to stifle it, but it’s useless.

Bucky’s head snaps up with so much vigor, and he stumbles in his rush to reach you, arms shooting up, eyes wide with alarm. His hands move toward you without hesitation, disregarding the fragile boundaries you had set, the cautious distance he believed you’d wanted.

You’re shaking, shoulders trembling with the power of the cries that rack through your body and he pulls you against him.

He cradles your head against his chest, his other arm pulling you closer, closer, closer. His grip is so full of anguish, holding onto you like his very life depends on it, his warmth fighting against the chill that’s been living inside you for such a long time.

Your sobs come harder, sounds muffled by the fabric of his hoodie. Bucky tries to hold you tighter, letting you crumble against him.

Minutes stretch out and your cries don’t let up. Each breath you take is painful, rough, and with every shudder that convulses your body, Bucky grasps you firmer.

“Shhh… it’s okay, baby, I got you.” His voice sounds so soft but frail, hoarse with the effort of keeping himself composed. He keeps whispering, though his words tremble on his lips as if he’s battling the same ache that’s threatening to break him apart all the same. His face is buried in the crook of your neck, and you can feel his breath against your skin, shaky and uneven, trying so hard to be the anchor you need.

“Shhh…” he breathes again, but there are tears in his tone. He’s holding on so solidly, gripping you as if letting go would mean losing you entirely.

“I’m sorry,” you cry, the words tumbling out over and over because it’s all your scrambled mind manages. It’s the only thing that feels true in the mess of your awareness. The silence, the distance, the weight you’ve placed on him, on his shoulders, which should be free from burden after the hell he’s been through. He’s only just come back from five years of being lost to the world, and now you’re drowning him in your own grief. And that makes your tears come without control, the guilt crushing.

“I’m so sorry,” you sob again, the only thing you can offer. An apology isn’t enough but it’s all you have. Because you don’t know if you’re supposed to hold onto the hope that maybe, one day, he’ll forgive you for being too much, for not being who he needs anymore.

Bucky shakes his head against yours, strong, fast; his breath broken. “No,” he breathes, rough and thick. “No, baby, don’t apologize. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Squeezing your eyes shut, you try to drown out his voice. He’s too nice. Too sweet. Too forgiving. Too patient. Too Bucky.

Shaking your head, you grip onto him. “You should leave me.” It’s louder than anything you’ve said the whole night. It’s more resolute. It sounds more like you, but it still doesn’t seem to come from you. Because never in seven years did you believe those words would ever make it past your lips. Would ever even be formed in your mind.

Bucky pulls back. Not harshly, but urgently, in a panic, determined. His hands cradle your face and he only moves his head away a little to get a better look at you. His eyes, wet and glassy, lock onto yours, filled with pain so stabbing it matches your own. But there is a resolution in his eyes, a firmness in the small glimmer of blue.

He shakes his head as if something is breaking in him.

“Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that,” he whispers, his thumb brushing away the tears on your cheeks that keep rolling down even as his own spill over. His touch is so gentle, so tender, so loving and you feel the guilt that settled deep inside you in a war with the longing you had felt for so long. The longing to feel his touch in a way that always knocked the breath straight out of your lungs. The longing to have his eyes sear right through you as if you’re the only thing in the world that holds worth.

“This isn’t your fault,” he continues. “None of this is your fault, Y/n! Alright? Nothing you could do would make me leave you. Hear me when I say this, my love. Hear me when I say that I'm here. And I'll stay.”

A sad, wobbly smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “There’s no getting rid of me, sweetheart. Nothing you could do would ever scare me away.”

Something cracks open inside you. His words, his touch, his gaze, everything is so full of love. And even if it’s just a little, the compressing weight of guilt loosens. It will take many more nights for it to completely leave you but Bucky will walk this road with you. You’re sure; because in his eyes, the way he holds you against him, you finally see that he’s not asking for the person you used to be. He’s asking for you, as you are, as you’ve become, broken pieces and all.

He’s still loving you with a depth your guilt could never reach.

[zeldabotwbrainrot]

Hi 👋

Could you possibly do an Egon x reader where she’s possessed by gozer and how he would either or save her/ the aftermath???

-👻

Oh

My

God

I’m naming you Spoopy Ghost Anon :)

I’m pretty sure it’s the Keymaster and Gatekeeper that can possess, not Gozer themselves, so I took it upon myself to make y’all the Gate Keeper Zuul.

“You’ve messed with the wrong scientist”

Egon couldn’t believe his eyes when he reached your apartment. It was a total wreck, the one night he was able to get the slightest bit of time off, and this happened. He wasn’t one for date nights, not like Venkman. But something felt off. He went to the nearest payphone and dialed the Ghostbusters Headquarters number.

“Ghostbusters how can we help you?” Janine’s voice crackled through the phone piece. Egon took a breath and sighed “Look [Names] place has been wrecked and with all the trouble they were having, claiming there was a temple in her fridge and such, I can’t help but think my research was correct. And if it is, you need to send the other three.”

Janine was froze before she put the phone down and hit the red button. The other three slid down and rushed to the Ecto 1 (that Egon had graciously not taken, opting for a cab) and rushed down to your apartment complex. Once they arrived the place was indeed a mess. They loaded their proton packs on and went in, something definitely wasn’t right. Egon knocked on your apartment door and you opened it, looking very different.

“Are you the Keymaster?” Egon looked at you gone out, but knew that the only way in was to agree. The others were currently hidden waiting for his signal “Yes, I am the Keymaster” you let him in, and after what seemed hours of struggling he managed to get you asleep. He went to the others his appearance slightly messy.

“She will be fine for now, however we have to go back. There’s not much we can do.” They headed back and jog a few hours later the police brought in someone claiming to be the Key Master searching for the Gate Keeper. Of course Egon knew straight away, but the damn Health Inspector decided to shut the grid down, releasing thousands of spirits. Egon yelled at him before all four ghostbusters were dragged off to the cells and the Keymaster made his way to the apartments.

A few hours later:

The boys were allowed out and permitted to save the city from Gozer. Once they reached the apartment Egon was the first to actually rush up the stairs, he needed to make sure you were okay, but when they finally made their way to the roof you were stood on one pedestal the key master on the other.

You were both turned into ugly looking dogs and this infuriated Egon. He knew he had to save you. Once they’d confronted Gozer, tried to use their Proton packs (and failed), and Ray had conjured up a 100ft Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, everything seemed at a loss until Egon realized. It was risky but it would save New York and you. He explained it and they quickly agreed wanting this hell to end.

“You’ve messed with the wrong scientist Gozer” Egon growled under his breath as he and his fellow ghostbusters turned their proton packs to maximum.

They crossed the streams of the proton packs destroying the door as the monsters that came from it. The after math was messy and overstimulating for Egon but when he glanced at the stone dogs his heart sank, that was until you began picking your way out, a hand popping out. His heart rate quickened as he helped you get out of the dark stone shell and held you close kissing you.

A smile spread across your face as you kissed him back. You didn’t care he was covered in marshmallow fluff, he’d saved you! Once he pulled away (and Venkman and made multiple gagging noises) they made their way down to the waiting ambulance, staying by your side. That’s when he decided to tie the knot with you so he could always protect you.

“[Name?]” he tapped your shoulder as you were talking to a paramedic. You turned around and he was down on one knee. He’d been plannin on proposing since you’d hit the four year mark and he’d already bought the ring. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful golden band with a heart shaped ruby on it “Will you marry me?”

You squealed and nodded yes kissing him, what a day, you were possessed by a demon demigod, saved by the love of your life and now he proposed. It’s enough to tire a girl out

“I told them they’d messed with with wrong scientist”

[writingmochi]

the future is not a straight line. it is filled with many crossroads. there must be a future that we can choose for ourselves. - kiyoko, akira (1988)

cast: jake ✗ fem.reader (featuring many other idols)

synopsis: as the world entered the middle of the 21st century, many things have changed for the better or for worse in the newly united korea peninsula: the preparation for the succession of the new conglomerates of the past decade, the uprising of deviant androids, and the new layer of life shield by walls of codes. in the middle of it, two beings are trying to understand each other and the situation of the world they live in; an unknown territory

genre: cyberpunk, cyber noir, psychological thriller, science fiction, dystopian future, politics and philosophies regarding artificial intelligence and humanity, romance, drama, angst, mature content (war and revolution, explicit smut)

based on: video game cyberpunk 2077 (2020) and detroit: become human (2018), anime serial experiments lain (1998), and tv show succession (2018-2023)

status: to be released

message from the moon: remember that this story is fiction and do be careful and read the warnings at the top. all the idols mentioned here are not what they are in real life.

in celebrating one of my muses' birthday, here is a series that i have been ideating for about a year now! i know it's very unconventional but i want to explore more of this genre, especially since i don't see it much in enhablr *thumbs up*

taglist? right here

TEASER

project android | cyberspace advertisement | the rebellion

INTRODUCTION

united korea | from south seoul | from north seoul

cyberspace interactive

it's your chance to use cyberspace! want to know the databases and the characters more? come visit us! coming soon, 2024

THE STORY (tentative date and amount of parts; will always gonna be 3 acts but may divided into smaller parts)

act 1 (2024)

no matter where you go, everyone is connected- iwakura lain, serial experiments lain (1998)

warning(s): tba

act 2 (2024)

i am superior in many ways, but i would gladly give it up to be human - data, star trek: the next generation (1987-1994)

warning(s): tba

act 3 (2024)

man is an individual only because of his intangible memory. but memory cannot be defined, yet it defines mankind - puppet master, ghost in the shell (1995)

warning(s): tba

taglist: @raeyunshm @endzii23 @fluffyywoo @camipendragon @hiqhkey @wccycc @cha0thicpisces @y4wnjunz @yeehawnana @beansworldsstuff @kimipxl @blurryriki @reallysmolrenjun (special tag for @ujunxverse as the very 1st supporter for this series XD)

© writingmochi on tumblr, 2021-2025. all rights reserved

[arrietty-rune]

Annoying stuff but what if we could make TAWOG characters' birthdays based on the first episode they appear/ or by one of their centered episodes (or another special idk)

Here's some i did (i used U.S releases, also all are non canon except Nicole's one) :

[UPDATE: Added Sussie, edited Rob' s one]

-Gumball: May 3rd (based on the first episode of the show aired)

-Darwin: February 15th (based on the date of the Origins: part 1)

-Anais: January 5th (based on the Rival: Anais is born in this episode)

-Richard: June 20 (based on his first centered episode, the Laziest)

-Nicole: October 12th (canon, mentioned in the Web)

-Penny: October 9th (based on the Shell's release date)

-Carrie: June 27th (based on the Ghost's release date)

-Tobias: March 9th (based on the Anybody: his birthday is shown in this episode)

-Rachel: August 8th (based on the Party's release date)

-Banana Joe: October 7th (based on the Banana's U.K. release date)

-Bobert: August 22th (Date of the Robot's release date)

-Leslie: November 6th (based on the Awareness' release date)

-Sarah: November 3rd (based on the Fan's release date)

-Alan: January 15th (based on the Saint's release date)

-Carmen: September 8th (based on the Best's release date)

-Masami: July 31th (based on the Storm's release date)

-Teri: February 14th (based on the Matchmaker's release date)

-Sussie: June 12th (based on the Pony's release date, her birthday is shown in it)

-Rob: March 5th (based on the Nobody's release date)

-Julius: August 7th (based on the Lesson's release date)

-Lucy Simian: January 31th (based on the Ape's release date)

-Nigel Brown: April 9th (based on the Pact's release date)

-Steve Small: April 21th (based on the Advice's release date)

-Larry Needlemeyer: February 23th (based on the Stars' release date)

[theaddictedwatcher]

Hello everyone!

The series I will introduce to you today is an American science fiction series categorized as cyberpunk. Created by Laeta Kalogridis (Avatar, Shutter Island, Alita: Battle Angel) and based on the novel of the same name written by Richard K. Morgan which was written in 2002, the first season of the series was commissioned by Netflix in 2016 and was released on the streaming platform in 2018. I'm going to tell you about the Altered Carbon series.

As always, let's start with a short synopsis: In a future where humans can transfer their minds from one body to another, Takeshi Kovacs -a rebel- is brought back to life 250 years after his death to solve the vicious murder of the richest man in the world -Laurens Bancroft- in exchange for his freedom. He must find allies, pay attention to every detail, and remember what he was taught as a diplomatic corps to succeed. And a short technical presentation : - Created by Laeta Kalogridis. Based upon Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon trilogy. - Music by Jeff Russo. - Main cast: Joel Kinnaman, Renée Elise Goldsberry, James Purefoy, Kristin Lehman, Martha Higareda, Dichen Lachman, Chris Conner, Ato Essandoh, Trieu Tran, Anthony Mackie, Lela Loren, Simone Missick, Dina Shihabi, Torben Liebrecht.

THE PRODUCTION

As I said in the introduction, Netflix ordered the series in January 2016, fifteen years after Laeta Kalogridis - the series's creator- optioned the rights for a film adaptation of Richard K. Morgan's 2002 novel Altered Carbon. According to her, the complex nature of the novel and the fact that the subject matter is rated R made it difficult to sell the project to a production company. But that was before Netflix launched the project as a series! In fact, the series was one of the many dramas commissioned in a short space of time by the streaming platform, which had committed to spending $5 billion on original content and agreed to make it a project for a mature audience over the age of 16.

Laeta Kalogridis co-wrote the script and was executive producer in addition to her role as creator of the project. Richard K. Morgan, the author of the novel, acted as a consultant during the production of the series. The first season - consisting of 10 episodes - was released in 2018 and the second season - consisting of 8 episodes - will be released in 2020.

In 2018, Netflix also announced an animated film derived from the series to ‘expand the universe’ by adding new elements to the story's mythology.

Titled Altered Carbon: Resleeved and released in March 2020, a month after the release of season 2, the feature film uses character designs by manga artist Yasuo Ōtagaki (Moonlight Mile). It is written by Dai Satō (Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop) and Tsukasa Kondo, directed by Takeru Nakajima (Sword Art Online) and Yoshiyuki Okada, and produced by Anima Studio. It also features an original soundtrack by Keigo Hoashi (Square Enix's Nier franchise) and Kinuyiki Takahashi.

Following the release of the second season and the animated film, Netflix decided in April 2020 not to renew the series. Unlike the cancellation of other series, the decision to cancel Altered Carbon was not linked to the COVID pandemic but stemmed from the lack of return on viewings to the production costs. In fact, the series is the most expensive Netflix production to date and, although production costs have not been disclosed, Joel Kinnaman - who plays Takeshi Kovacs, the series' lead character - said they had “a bigger budget than the first three seasons of Game of Thrones”.

Enough introductions, it's time to get to the heart of the matter! To be perfectly honest, I didn't enjoy watching this series, but I'll come back to that later. I didn't manage to watch it in full and haven't seen the film, although I'll give it a chance one day. In my observations and remarks, there could be questions that remain with me and which may have been answered in the episodes I couldn't bring myself to watch.

THE UNIVERSE

But let's start by giving you more information about the universe into which the series plunges us. The first season takes place in 2384, in a futuristic city called Bay City. In this future, a person's memory and consciousness can be stored on a disc - called a stack - implanted in the back of their neck. The shell can be human or synthetic. In the event of physical death, these storage discs can be transferred to a new envelope. However, if a person's disk is destroyed, then their death is final. While theoretically, this means that anyone can claim immortality, in practice only the richest people - the Meths - have the means to do so through the use of clones and remote back-ups of their consciousness. But these are very expensive and so reserved for a certain financially comfortable elite.

In this reality, Takeshi Kovacs - played by Byron Mann (Skyscraper, The Big Short) in flashbacks - is a political agent with mercenary skills. He is the only surviving soldier of the Envoys, a rebel group defeated during an uprising against the New World Order.

In the first season, which takes place 250 years after the destruction of the Envoys, Kovacs' stack is pulled from the prison where Kovacs was sentenced by Meth Laurens Bancroft. Played by James Purefoy (Solomon Kane, Churchill, Rome), the 300-year-old Bancroft is one of the richest men in the established worlds. Bancroft offers Kovacs a new shell - played by Joel Kinnaman (RoboCop, Suicide Squad) - and the chance to solve a murder and get a new lease on life.

The second season of Altered Carbon begins 30 years after the conclusion of season 1 and finds Takeshi Kovacs - played by Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Civil War, Black Mirror, Notorious) - the sole surviving soldier of an elite group of interstellar warriors, continuing his age-old quest to find his lost love, Quellcrist Falconer - played by Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton, The Good Wife, Masters of Sex). The season picks up some of the characters from Broken Angels - the second book in the series - but has a plot closer to that of the third book in the series, Woken Furies.

THE POST-CYBERPUNK GENRE

The term post-cyberpunk was first used around 1991 to describe Neal Stephenson's science fiction novel Snow Crash.

In 1998, in an article entitled Notes for a post-cyberpunk manifesto, the writer and critic Lawrence Person identified the emergence of a post-cyberpunk current. Cyberpunk was popular in the late 1970s and 1980s (Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, William Gibson's Neuromancer). Lawrence Person defines post-cyberpunk as ‘bringing in characters and settings different from cyberpunk, and, above all, making fundamentally different assumptions about the future. Far from being lonely outsiders, post-cyberpunk characters are often an integral part of society. They evolve in a future that is not necessarily anti-utopian (in fact, they are often bathed in an optimism that ranges from caution to exuberance), but their daily lives remain marked by rapid technological renewal and ubiquitous computerized infrastructure.’ (Notes for a post-cyberpunk manifesto, 1998).

The following are the main differences between post-cyberpunk and cyberpunk:

Like its predecessor, post-cyberpunk describes a realistic near-future rather than distant futures set in space. The focus is on the social effects of technology deployed on Earth rather than on space travel.

Cyberpunk typically deals with addicted loners in a dystopia, whereas post-cyberpunk tends to deal with people who are more involved in society, from the middle classes of the population, and there are very detailed descriptions of the characters' environment.

The post-cyberpunk individual tends to be warm and funny, attempting seduction through optimism after years of seduction through dread with the cyberpunk individual, who is colder and more sinister.

In cyberpunk, the alienating effects of new technology are highlighted, whereas in post-cyberpunk, technology is society. Post-cyberpunk therefore allows more technocratic themes and themes relating to the downside of technology to be included than cyberpunk.

Post-cyberpunk also offers a more realistic description of computers, consisting, for example, of the replacement of traditional virtual reality by a network of voice, image, sound or holography based on the Internet, or the abandonment of metallic implants in favor of body modifications using biotechnologies (particularly nanotechnologies).

Post-cyberpunk undoubtedly emerged in part because science fiction writers and the general population were beginning to use computers, the Internet, and PDAs without suffering the massive digital divide predicted in the 1970s and 1980s. The underlying idea was therefore to humanize the construction of cyberpunk universes and bring them closer to the life that the world's population could envisage in the future with the new technologies that were flourishing. The nightmarish visions engendered by the genre, including and especially in the popular imagination, covered what such a future could contain that was desirable. This is not to say that technological paradise is just around the corner, but that it is possible to be healthy and sane in a hyper-technological universe.

Emblematic works of the genre such as Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell, and the video games Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible War by Ion Storm, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided by Eidos Montreal have all played a large part in democratizing the genre among a wider audience.

DIFFERENCES FROM THE NOVEL

As I haven't read the books, I'm giving you the information as I found it during my research into the series. I think I'll try to read the novels one day because, like the animated film, I'm very interested in the theme. As someone afraid of the direction our society is taking, of its relationship with technology, and in particular of its untimely and irrational use of artificial intelligence, I'm always interested in the warnings that artists try to convey through their work, whatever the medium. And I like to think that just because I didn't like an adaptation - it can happen - doesn't mean that the original material isn't worth discovering.

The first season is based on the novel Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan, published in 2002. This is the first volume of a trilogy recounting the adventures of Takeshi Kovacs, a post-cyberpunk techno-thriller series set on the West Coast of the United States at the end of the twenty-fifth century. Although the adaptation retains most of the main plot points of the first volume, the series introduces several major changes to its characters and organizations:

In the novel, the Envoys are elite soldiers of the Earth-based United Nations Protectorate, the complete opposite of the rebel freedom fighters portrayed in the series, who hail from Harlan's World where Takeshi Kovacs was born.

In the book, Takeshi Kovacs was imprisoned for his independent work after leaving the Envoys, whereas in the series, Kovacs is a captured rebel.

Reileen Kawahara's character in the novel was merely Kovacs' ruthless underworld boss and had no blood relationship with him, unlike their brother/sister relationship in the series where she is played by Dichen Lachman.

The Envoy who trained Kovacs in the book was Virginia Vidaura, whereas in the series she is only a minor character. The role of her trainer and her story are carried over to the character of Quellcrist Falconer, who in the third book is the messiah-like historical figure.

Falconer's rebellion did not take place during Kovacs' training, as in the series, but long before Kovacs was born in the books.

In Richard K. Morgan's novel, the Hendrix Hotel is a crucial character. It's not just a Jimi Hendrix-themed building, but also an artificial intelligence in the guise of Jimi Hendrix that has a strange bond with its only guest, Takeshi Kovacs. With Hendrix's estate refusing to license his image for the TV series due to its violence, series's creator Laeta Kalogridis chose the likeness of Edgar Allan Poe - played by Chris Conner - and a Victorian hotel for the replacement AI in Poe's image and said it would juxtapose well with the futuristic look of Bay City.

In the books, Kristin Ortega - played by Martha Higareda- is a much less important character. The main female character in the series, the dedicated detective doesn't have a devastating fight with the Ghostwalker, nor does she get a new super-powered arm. Her subplot with her family and religion isn't explored in the book and she isn't captured and tortured by Rei - although she is tortured all the same. Also, in the book her partner is called Rodrigo, not Aboud, and he doesn't date her mother.

And these are just some of the changes that were made when the novels were adapted for Netflix.

THEMES

Let's move on to the themes addressed in this dystopian work. Many of the themes addressed by the series - such as the human-machine interface, the alliance between technology and our society, cyberspace and objective reality, hyper-urbanisation and artificial intelligence - are recurring themes in cyberpunk and post-cyberpunk works.

Because of the technological implications, the subject also raises moral questions. Is murder always immoral if it is consensual and the victim can be reimplanted in a new body in the space of a few minutes? The police themselves issue permits for spectacular fights to the death, organized in the homes of the rich, with husbands and wives teaming up to fight to the death for entertainment (the winner receiving a new, improved body).

However, another major implication was raised during the first season of Altered Carbon, which Laeta Kalogridis herself underlines: the separation of soul and body and the question of gender identity. If you could choose your own body, would you choose the one you were born with? This is a critical question for transgender people or those whose gender is fluid, and, for the show's creator, the subject was only touched on in this first season. However, she told TheWrap in 2019 that she would like to explore this dimension in more detail :

“The idea that this kind of technology creates interesting intersections between your idea of your physical self and your idea of your inner or spiritual self, or your idea of being fluid in some way, certainly the idea of reassigning your gender, becomes a whole lot easier if you don’t actually have to do it surgically. At the very least it becomes different. You are still in a body you weren’t born in. And I think exploring the idea of being able to recreate the physical self in another different way, I mean we’ve barely scratched the surface of that. And LGBTQ, and so many issues, and the ways in which we feel comfortable or uncomfortable in our physical bodies, are things that I think the show is very right to explore but has not yet been able to do. Certainly first season. We touched on it a little bit — but not much. I mean if we did get a second season — which we don’t know yet — but if we were to get a second season, I would definitely say that was one thing we frankly didn’t have time to touch on and wasn’t dealt with in the book at all. We went a little further than the book did, but honestly, it was just about time.”

What's interesting to me about these themes is that the creators - Richard K. Morgan and Laeta Kalogridis - are both aware that technological developments of all kinds are changing the structure of the world, just as cars, air travel, the Internet, and cell phones have done, and that they're not trying to wrap a soft pink cloud around the dangers that could await us in a few decades.

COSTUMES

There's one aspect that surprised me, it's the costume work in the series. Having read that the production had created approximately 2,000 costumes for the series, including 500 unique, made-to-measure pieces, I was expecting to get a real kick out of this. And although the work of Ann Foley (Marvel's Agents of SHIELD) for season 1, Cynthia Ann Summers (The Last of Us) for season 2 and their teams is visible, I was expecting more grandiose costumes, especially for the Bancrofts who are one of the wealthiest families on Earth at the time of the story. The artistic direction chosen was to make simple, realistic costumes to illustrate the fashion of the future, while adding a color palette and specific details, notably for the Meths.

However, I really like the idea of subtle costume changes for characters who use the same body envelope to differentiate them, as with Miriam Bancroft and her daughter Naomi - both played by Kristin Lehman. Upon this subject, the actress declared that she was very interested in the challenge this ambivalence would require and that it was quite different from her usual roles.

SHOOTING LOCATIONS

The series was mainly filmed at Skydance Studios in Vancouver, Canada, where they stayed for eight months to shoot the first season. Most of Altered Carbon's scenes were created on green screen and in CGI to accentuate the futuristic effect of the universe.

Lead actor Joel Kinnaman told Canadian publication K5 News about the shoot:

"We had a set three soccer pitches deep. Around 400 or 500 extras were bustling around us, it was a real living city, with noodle stores, construction workers and police officers… You could just breathe in the universe without having to imagine anything."

Some of the sets were filmed in real locations, such as Laurens Bancroft's gardens pictured above which were filmed in the Rose Garden at the University of British Columbia, or the hall of the Marine Building, which served as the Bancroft family home.

The former Canada Post building was used as the setting for the Wei Clinic, where Kovacs was tortured. The scenes with the Envoys were filmed on the Sea to Sky Gondola suspension bridge in Squamish.

Other filming locations in Vancouver included the Convention Centre West Building, the VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre, the UBC Museum of Anthropology and the Qube.

MUSIC

Finally, I'd like to mention the work done by Jeff Russo (Umbrella Academy) and his team on the series' soundtrack, which is, to me, the only real positive point of this adaptation. What I particularly liked about their proposal is that they managed to combine very modern tracks like techno or hard rock (e.g. Karate by BABYMETAL) with much older pieces like jazz masterpieces by Django Reinhardt or even classical music (Anton Dvorak or Mozart). Mingling this alliance with the original creations composed by Jeff Russo for the series allows this soundtrack to create the unique atmosphere of each scene, making it easier for viewers to identify the characters and the stakes involved.

To be perfectly honest, when I was writing this article, I was listening to the series' soundtrack which, even outside the series, is very catchy and captivating. Even though I wasn't really hooked on the series, it allowed me to immerse myself in this universe and draw some personal reflections from it. For me, it's one of the greatest proofs of a successful composer's work: managing to draw someone into a specific universe using a few pieces of music alone.

CONCLUSION

And we are done with the Altered Carbon series. If you've made it this far, thank you for reading and staying!

I'm a pretty tenacious person and don't like to give up on series along the way - even when I don't like them - so I have to admit I'm disappointed to have to add this series to the short list of abandoned series where it joins The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad (amongst others). Someday I hope that the animated film Altered Carbon: Resleeved will find favor in my eyes and redeem the adaptation of this universe, which at the moment still looks fun and interesting to explore.

Until that day comes, I'll leave you to it. Despite this setback for me, I can only advise you to follow Laeta Kalogridis' work and read this fine interview with her on the Refinery29 website, in which she talks, among other things, about her approach to nudity as a feminist weapon.

For those of you who have seen the series or read the novels, I'm curious to know your opinion, especially if it differs from mine. So feel free to leave a little comment below the article or send me a message, on the blog or on Instagram at @theaddictedwatcherreviews.

Have a great week, happy viewings, and I'll see you next time!

Eli.

[sombrashe]

Please

this is a repost because my original blog was deleted

relationship(s) alejandro x reader, gaz x reader x rodolfo, ghost x reader x soap

content afab gender neutral reader, humiliation, voyeurism, rough sex, no plot but with feelings, established relationship, multiple orgasms, cunnilingus, crying during sex

notes I don't speak Spanish or Scottish Gaelic so I used google translate, sorry if it's not correct

You grunted, Alejandro pulling your right arm against your back while your left hand wrapped itself around his which now gripped your neck.

"Me tomas tan bien, mi pequeña zorra."

He groaned, his cock hitting places you swear had you seeing stars.

"Sí, gracias señor."

"Ah, look at you learning." He chuckled and your stomach did a backflip.

You don't remember how you got into this position, task force 141 and the leaders of Los Vaqueros lined up to take a turn in front of you. There were words of a train and compliments, but you were too blissed out to remember.

You gasped and fell forward when Alejandro suddenly released your neck. Your arm stayed pinned behind your back, but now his hand viciously rubbed harsh circles into your clit. You were so close.

"Necesito que te corras para mí ahora."

You did, a burst of white flashes behind your eyes as you squeezed them shut. Your teeth ground as you rode out your orgasm against his cock. Only when you were standing there on shaky legs panting did he finally pull away.

"You did so well."

He mumbled against the shell of your ear, placing the faintest kiss there. You smiled softly. You stood fully and stretched, your oversized shirt being the only thing keeping you warm in the middle of Alejandro's safe house. You looked around and started to feel a little sheepish, not exactly sure how to proceed you just state the obvious.

"Who's next?"

You were not expecting the argument that ensued.

"No, I should be next. I'm the one dating them."

"Fuck you are, we should be next. Were the youngest and can fuck them out better."

Your eyes widened and you cleared your throat gaining their attention.

"How 'bout I choose, yeah? Make it easier on you?"

Once you heard murmurs of agreement you felt hot as you pointed out Rodolfo and Gaz.

"I want you both."

They grinned and fist-bumped walking over. You barely even heard Soap grumble when Gaz leaned forward catching your lips. You gasped allowing his tongue to explore your mouth when Rudy pulled up your shirt. Your bra was immediately pulled down and your tits were on full display. His fingers pinched and pulled against them and you swear you could cum right now.

"They like it when you're rough with 'em." You heard Ghost say, his voice calm but strained.

You lurched forward when Rudy pulled hard on your right nipple making you moan loudly into Gaz's mouth. You wanted so badly to say names or give directions but that would go against the rules that were set. You were nothing more than a toy for them to use the blow by Graves giving everyone steam they needed to blow off. Gaz kept your lips on his, gripping you by the back of the neck while Rudy rutted against your back.

"It must be real chilly huh?"

You whimpered, the stimulation to your nipples getting to be too much but you were so close to a release. You gripped Gaz's shirt and tried to find release by rubbing your thighs together. Gaz finally pulled away noticing your actions. You were panting, so hot and bothered. Alejandro at least left you both complete, you felt like you were going to explode with all this foreplay.

"Please," you whispered, whimpering when Rudy grabbed you by the chin. The shock of the sudden grip went straight to your core and you came. Your eyes fluttered as a moan left your lips.

"They came!"

Gaz laughed, your shirt had caught on one of your breasts the other side sticking to your hip.

"Told you they liked it rough, nipple play and all."

You looked over at Ghost for a moment before settling your eyes on Rudy's. You opened your mouth slightly trying to give the illusion you wanted to help him out the way he helped you. He grinned and rubbed a finger against your bottom lip.

"Quieres la boca o el chocha?"

"You can have the mouth."

You bit your lip, their refusal to speak about you like you were a person soaking your thighs. Normally you would stop Soap and Ghost whenever they got too mean but at this moment it was sending shockwaves through your body.

Grabbing your hands the two men led you over to a pile of hay lofting a few feet from the table. Flipping you around to face the table Gaz got down bringing you with him. Unzipping his pants he pulled his cock out. You wanted so badly to see it but your brain short-circuited when he slipped into you with ease. You groaned and started moving. His hands rested on your hips as you bounced slowly and fully up and down. Rudy had stepped to the side, allowing the other three men access to the show. You turned to look up at him through your eyelashes, your fucked out eyes making him groan as he struggled to unzip his pants.

"Let me," you tried softly trying to keep your composure. Sitting up more and opting to grind instead of bounce for the moment you unzipped Rudy's pants, pulling his cock out for him.

You were drooling at the sight, looking up at him you tapped the tip of your tongue to his head. Gently placing small licks from the tip to the bottom. Getting into position, one hand on Gaz's knee while the other took hold of Rudy's balls. You started to get into a rhythm hollowing out your checks and bouncing on Gaz's hips.

It didn't take long for the two men to start moaning, their teasing having worked them up just as much as you. You tried to keep your compose but you started to twitch when Gaz reached around and started to press against your clit. Your hand moved from his knee over the top of his wrist keeping him in place while your other hand fished itself into Rudy's jeans.

They came first, both filling you up. You gasped and swallowed Rudy's while Gaz's joined Alejandro's inside your vagina. Rudy leaned downed and caught your lips in a kiss while Gaz pulled out pulling you to sit across his stomach. Squeezing your legs together as Gaz continued his assault on your throbbing clit. Rudy kept his lips on your body, opting to place them against your cheek and forehead as you finally came. You felt embarrassed as you felt a gush, fluid getting caught and mixed with your and Gaz's body hairs.

"I'm sorry," you panted "I'll clean it up." You leaned forwards to stand and grab a towel but Gaz just laughed, soft this time.

"It's fine. I'll clean it up. You have two more soldiers to get through."

Your cheeks burned as Rudy helped you up, you felt as though there were strings attached to your body with how hard your lovers were staring at you. You walked up to them feeling wildly underdressed suddenly, even fixing your top did nothing to loosen their gazes. You tried to act casual, saying goodnight to Gaz, Rudy, and Alejandro getting thanks from each of them.

You walked around searching for your discarded underwear. Your legs felt like jelly and you wanted nothing more than to go to the bathroom and take a shower. You were bent over picking through some hay when you felt two hands and someone's waist pressed against you.

"You did good back there."

You stood up and shifted to look Soap in the eyes.

"Thank you, Johnny, I hope y'all got off at least once?"

You frowned when you noticed both of them staring and shaking their heads.

"Not even once? Didn't even help each other?"

You were shocked, normally when they watch they always get off.

"It's a little different around your fellow soldiers than it is around a civilian."

You raised your eyebrow, "am I not a fellow soldier?"

"You're a combat medic sweetheart, checking a soldier's human anatomy is in the job description."

You scoffed at Ghost's reply.

"Yeah, right. I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Maybe I'll help out Gaz when you two aren't in the room. For his health and safety of course."

Soap breathes out through his nose, his teeth clenched. "Awa' an bile yer heid." Soap scoffed and you frowned.

"Oh fuck off MacTavish, you know I wouldn't fuck someone besides you and Simon without you being there. I don't cheat."

You went to push away from him but his grip on your arms is tight.

"Simon, tell John to fuck off me."

Ghost was silent as he walked towards you two. Waving at Soap who finally let you go. You grumbled profanities under your breath towards Soap who, right now, was the least favorite partner of the two. You turned only to ram yourself into Ghost's chest, holding your forehead where it smacked off him.

"You okay love?"

Soap asked worriedly, you just flipped him off and looked up at Ghost.

"Mmm, why'd you cut me off like that?"

"I'm not sure what you think your doing, we haven't even started."

You went to ask what he meant until it clicked. God you were so sore, you had never taken so many people before and you knew they'd both want a turn. Almost as if he read your mind Soap spoke up.

"Even though you're being a fuckin' brat, we won't both fuck you tonight. You'll get to choose how you want us."

You look over your shoulder, still holding a grudge that won't end until you're blissed out and half asleep.

"I want Ghost to fuck me... and Soap I still want you too... I want you both."

Despite the ache that sentence caused between your legs you knew it was the truth. You could never just take one of them, you'd feel uneven like a bicycle with a flat tire

"Where do you want me then?" Soap asked, his thumb rubbing soft circles on your forearm.

"Inside me, both of you. At the same time. I think I'm relaxed and wet enough for it this time."

You had all tried this once before but you had to tap out with them only halfway inside. Ghost made a sound of disapproval while Soap whooped behind you.

"Bloody hell Simon. Stad a bhith nad fucking chikd"

Soap was on you in an instant, your earlier anger towards him bleeding away as his hands roamed your figure. Squeezing and pulling at your skin before yanking your top up and tucking it back into the front. You shivered against the night chill that swept the barn. Your already tired nipples were hard against Soap's touch. Ghost waited a moment, gauging your reaction before making a move

You reached for him as he unzipped his skull mask, pulling his headgear off fully leaving him in nothing but his black face paint. You tried not to stare too long knowing he would start to feel uncomfortable and you needed this too badly to run that risk.

"Hold on, look at me, Angel."

You felt your knees quiver at the nickname. You did as you were told your eyes searching his face while Soap rubbed your nipples with feather-soft touches.

You bit your lip and tilt your head, "God you're gorgeous, both of you."

You had to take a deep breath to keep from falling, your legs exhausted.

"You feeling okay? We don't have to do anything if you need to rest."

Soap said his fingers stopping their movements. You shook your head, your hair brushing against Soap's chin and cheek

"No I need you, I really really need you."

You could sob at the ache in your core. Your nerves were frayed with all the different emotions running through your body; bliss, tiredness, desire.

You wrapped your arms around Ghost and pulled him in for a kiss, you felt wrists moving at your back and knew Ghost was signing to Soap. Feeling your legs being moved gently by Soaps hands you tried to figure out which direction they were going. You learned soon enough when you heard zippers from your front and back. You break the kiss and looked behind you to Soap

"Wait, I want a kiss when you go in Johnny."

He groaned and leaned in. Your lips were soft against his. You gripped at them both when you felt the tips of their cocks push against your entrance. Neither man was particularly big or had much girth, instead, they made up for it in stamina and how well they moved against you. Breaking the kiss you hugged Ghost's neck. Having to reach up high to get a good grip as they ever so slowly entered you

"Let us know if it's too much." Ghost said, his voice finally showing emotion as it cracked with a sign.

Soap on the other hand was a ball of emotion, praising you the entire time he pushed in.

"Rodger."

You stated softly as you took a deep breath in and a deep breath out. Once they were as far as they could go they started moving. If your body was made for it you knew you'd see a bulge where they moved in you the thought caused you to clench around them.

You buried your head in Ghost's chest as your shoulder moved with your tears. You didn't mean to cry, you weren't in any pain or even upset but here you were sobbing as your two partners thrust inside of you.

"Angel.. hey, Johnny wait."

You raised your hand and waved it, giving them a thumbs up that you were okay.

"No, we need words on this."

Soap started rubbing your temples. You lifted your head and sobbed out a please, "please don't stop, I'm so close."

"But-"

"No, please, please, please. I wanna cum so badly, please don't stop. Simon... John, please."

You were still sobbing as you buried your head back into Ghost's chest. You reach out with both hands, placing them on each of their asses to try and force them to start moving again. It took a minute but they eventually did, thrusting into you faster as they tried to help you reach your high. The slapping of their hips against yours along with the muffled sounds of your sobs were the only sounds in the quiet of the night. Soon enough your sobs quieted as your third orgasm of the night took over, your arms wrapped around Ghost's torso squeezing him tightly.

A few more slaps against your skin and they were both filling you up as well, their cum mixed and slid down your thighs and the lengths of their cocks. After they pulled out you leaned into Ghost, your eyes fluttering as you fought sleep. Soap pulled away from your body and you could just barely make out the sounds of hay being shuffled around.

"Are you okay?"

You nod and yawn, looking up at Ghost with a blissed-out smile on your face.

"Yeah.. y'all were amazing. I love you, Simon, I love you too Johnny."

You sounded exhausted and the two men took notice.

"Let's get you into that bathroom so you can relieve yourself and then first thing in the morning you can take a shower, I'm sure no one will argue with you getting first dibs." Soap kissed your forehead softly

"I don't know if I'll be able to wake up for a first-thing shower."

"That's fine too," Ghost said softly, "No one will blame you for sleeping in, we did a real number in you tonight. And tomorrow we'll talk about the waterworks, but tonight you clean yourself up a bit and come to bed."

[bi-bard]

5 Seconds of Summer Songs That Would Describe a Relationship with Carmy Berzatto - Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto Imagine [The Bear]

Title: 5 Seconds of Summer Songs That Would Describe a Relationship with Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto

Pairing: Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto X Reader

Word Count: 1,738 words

Warning(s): mention of break-up

Author's Note: Guess who missed the announcement about this release date?

**Not intentionally written in chronological order**

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

Ghost of You

So I drown it out like I always do Dancing through our house with the ghost of you And I chase it down, with this shot of truth Dancing through our house with the ghost of you

--third person--

Carmen was a wreck.

Well, he was always a wreck. But he was more of a wreck now than he usually was.

He was curled up on his small couch, eyes glazed over yet staring at the TV, his clothes were old and unchanged, and he couldn't remember the last time he ate something that was halfway decent for him.

It was ridiculous. Ridiculous for him to spend days like this. He heard his phone ringing and pinging with text notifications. He had just begged Sydney to take over for a little while. She was pissed but understanding. Until a few days passed. She wasn't being paid enough to deal with all of the shit that the restaurant required.

It was Carmen's fault that he was here. He knew that.

It was his fault that (Y/n) had left.

It was a major reason why he couldn't force himself to look away from his screen. When he did, he just saw what he lost and the very moment that he ruined everything.

It took ages for the phone to finally start to break through the emotionally drained shell that had taken over.

"For fuck's sake," he muttered as he finally pushed himself up. He got to his phone and shut it off, just wanting to return to the mindless sound of the shitty TV.

He tossed his phone back down and just froze.

He wanted to go back to the couch, curl up on the cushion, and continue his everlasting pity party. But he couldn't.

(Y/n) had spent ages in that apartment.

It felt like Carmen could see every moment of it. All at once. Small moments and big moments. Good and bad and... the worst.

He walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer, trying to silence a few thoughts. But when he closed the door and turned back around, it felt like everything got so much louder.

The clearest of them all was the yelling. The screaming. (Y/n) begging for him to talk, him yelling at (Y/n) to leave him alone. It had been the stress. The stress from the restaurant and his family and the career he left behind. It all culminated in him losing his cool on the one person that seemed to never bring him any more stress than he was already dealing with.

(Y/n) didn't leave until Carmen told them to. He screamed it. He got in their face and barely thought about how they refused to move away from him. They only yelled because Carmen couldn't shut the fuck up long enough to listen.

He closed his eyes and put the beer down.

He just needed a minute. A minute free from it all.

Some part of that knew that he wouldn't get that. But he could cope with it... no matter what he had to do.

Wildflower

You're the only one who makes me Every time we Tell you what I like My wildflower

I felt almost entirely out of place when I walked into the Berzatto's restaurant. It wasn't my scene. I had no experience in the field. The only connection that I had was to the family. I had avoided getting involved in the restaurant because I knew the family.

But here I was, walking in as awkwardly as I would if I was walking into class late.

The building was empty. I wasn't surprised by that.

"Camry!" I shouted from the front.

"Holy shit," I heard his voice mutter out of shock before getting louder so I could clearly hear him. "Back here!"

I walked back through the building until I found the office. "Hey."

"Hi," he replied. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Checking on you," I explained, nudging him with my arm. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," he shrugged.

I looked at his desk, scanning my eyes over the messy collection of papers sitting there. "You sure about that one?"

"Don't be a smartass."

"Don't try to fucking lie to me."

"Why are you really here," he asked.

"Your sister called me," I confessed. I heard him muttering 'you have gotta be fucking kidding' as I continued. "Something about me being the only person that you'll listen to."

He chuckled, running his hands over his face.

"Don't worry," I said. "I also think she overestimated the influence I have on you."

"That's not it," he muttered.

"Oh, so I do have influence over you?"

"Shut up," he replied.

"No, we aren't gonna fucking scoot past that, are you kidding," I laughed a bit as I spoke. "Tell me."

"She was right that you had 'influence'," he put the word influence in air quotes. "But I don't need it."

"Well, she would've killed me if I didn't try," I shrugged. "Let's agree to tell her that I tried my best."

"Deal."

I grinned at him. "Now... what influence do I have over you?"

"Jesus-"

"You know damn well that you aren't gonna escape this," I replied.

"It's really nothing," he explained. "Just my sister being an ass."

"Yeah, but an ass about what?"

He didn't reply, instead deciding to just scoff and go back to the pile of papers. He wasn't actually doing anything. He was just flicking through them and shuffling them around a bit, making it look like he was actually attempting to find something.

"Carmy..."

"Busy."

"You're an ass."

"Yup."

I reached over and placed my hand over his. I held it still, not letting him distract himself with papers any longer. He looked at me.

"Talk to me," I pushed.

"There's nothing to talk about," he muttered.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you're stubborn as fuck."

"Or you're a shit liar."

He raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to back down.

"I could call your sister... she'd tell me."

He glared at me. He hated having his sister dragged into things. I knew that. I had already listened to him rant about the very subject. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"She knows that I'll agree with more than anyone else," Carmy finally confessed. I furrowed my eyebrows. "I didn't say that it was a lot more."

"Why?"

"Why the fuck do you think," he asked.

I hated that I couldn't read his mind. I hated that he was so damn stubborn that he couldn't talk to me without reminding me of a toddler throwing a fit.

But fine, if he didn't want to answer me, then I would guess.

I leaned down and pressed my lips against his. I had originally planned for it to merely be a quick kiss before pulling back and dealing with whatever embarrassment came after.

But I didn't get that chance before Carmy cupped the back of my head and kissed me back.

There were a few moments before I pulled away and smiled at him.

"I do have an effect over you," I teased.

He scoffed and leaned away completely. "Shut up."

"Never," I chuckled. "See you around, Carmy."

"Yeah... yeah, you too."

I don't think he knew that I caught how red his face got as I walked out.

Better Man

Darling, all of my wrongs, they led me right to you Wrapped in your arms, I swear I'd die for Your love, your love, I'm a better, better man

I had just gotten home from work and changed out of my work clothes when there was a knock on my door.

I couldn't stop myself from grumbling under my breath. I was just about to take my nightly spot in the corner of my couch. My self-pity was calling to me.

I pulled my door open, ready to cuss out whoever was on the other side. I stopped in my tracks. "Carmy-"

"Please, don't shut the door," he begged before I could even think of doing so. "I just... I just want you to hear me out."

I leaned against the doorframe, waving for him to continue whatever talk he wanted to have.

"I- I'm sorry," he spit out. "What I did was shitty and selfish and you didn't deserve a fucking ounce of it. I let all of the stress and shit get to my head and I took it out on you and I'm sorry."

"Thanks..."

"I want... I want you back," he continued. "I am willing to do whatever I have to. I'm in a grief support group now. I'll fucking go to one-on-one therapy and give it a shot. Shit, I'll leave the restaurant if that is what I have to do in order to be better. I want to be better for you."

"Don't be," I replied. I stopped him before he could question me. "I don't wanna be your reason for getting better. I want you to get better for you. That's all there is to it. And that is far harder, I know. But it's better."

"Alright," Carmy muttered. "Where does that leave us?"

"I... I can't jump back into what we were," I shrugged. "But I miss you. I really miss you. I... I'm willing to try again. I think."

"Really?"

I nodded, grinning a bit at him.

"Alright. Cool. Good."

"Good."

"Tomorrow night? I'll take you to dinner... somewhere other than the restaurant."

I chuckled. "That sounds nice. Just text me when you're on your way."

"Alright."

There was a small awkward pause before I went to step back inside.

I paused for a moment before stopping the door from shutting. "Carmy."

"Yeah-"

I stepped out and kissed him gently. It was only for a matter of seconds. I don't know what my thought process was at the time. I don't know if I was trying to comfort him or myself or if I was just doing it because I wanted to.

I grinned at him as I pulled back.

"See you tomorrow night," I muttered, feeling my face warm up.

"Yeah," he nodded. "See you."

I closed my door and just kind of stood there for a minute. I took a deep breath.

I wanted this to work out.

I wanted it to work out so bad.

I was just hoping that I wouldn't regret trying again.

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

Navigation Guide

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

[letsjoinhelltogether]

The number

For a few years now I’ve been cursed, or blessed, or just iron marked by this number.

Maybe a bit of context is important, maybe not, but the beans need to be spilled someday.

My first girlfriend and I got together on the 23th and we came full circle by parting ways on the 23th. It was the first heartbreak that I experienced, and it moved mountains inside my body and my brain. Ever since, I started seeing this number everywhere, whether it was the clock, prices, bus numbers, release dates, it basically became my magic number. But magic can be both ways, good or bad. Right? Maybe, but I like to lie to myself and think that it can also be neutral. But the energy revolving around this is always spinning, sometimes bringing positive moments, sometimes devouring my mental, and sometimes just reminding me of the number that’s engraved on the back of my retina. I can see it, I can feel it, I can sense it, but it’s an unstoppable force that has only me as it’s victim. I learned to live with it, to accept it, to understand that maybe it’s just my brain playing tricks on me and giving me a reminder of where I was, where I am.

Whenever the number finds me in a good spot, I take it as a good sign that I’m evolving, I’m growing out of my old shell, improving in ways that I could not see possible years ago, and it makes me happy and thankful for the journey that I’m on.

However, if the number makes it’s way to the surface in a dark manner, I feel the ghosts of the past mocking me for not growing at the rate I should’ve. It sends shivers down my spine, and I feel powerless as my soulidified body is picked up like a ragdoll and thrown in a bowl, surrounded by faces laughing at me, pointing their fingers outwards and comparing me to my potential.

But even so…

Even so…

I must continue to march forward. Whatever life throws at me I know that it’s a challange, a test, a forced push onwards to a new chapter, the pages turn with or without my will, and I have to keep the pace or I will, slow but steady, be forever stuck in the past, with no way of turning all those pages by myself.

So today, 23th, welcome back.

Thank you for pushing me for all of these years and please keep doing so.

For a long while I pondered of tattooing myself, and it will happen sometime soon. But when it will happen, it will be my second marking,

As I’ve already been scarred with the number.

[fetznerdeathrecords]

Monolithe - Black Hole District

Progressive Doom/Dark Metal from Paris, France

Black Hole District is a story in a Tech-Noir style, inspired by Blade Runner, but also Dark City, Matrix, Ghost in The Shell, as well as “hard boiled” literature. The narrator lives in a decaying city, in a dystopian future. Black Hole District is part of the band’s evolutionary logic since their beginnings: progression in continuity. If Monolithe’s musical style remains identifiable, new influences and musical desires enrich each newalbum. This is the case with BHD, which drew on the aesthetics of the 1970s and 1980s, especially in terms of synthesizers, in particular with the use of the famous CS-80 synth popularized by Vangelis, and the appeal of soundtracks of science fiction films. The album is also designed as a movie would be, with a scenario, an atmosphere, a central character whose train of thoughts is provided to the listener through narrations in a “hard boiled” detective style. Eager to offer original music, Monolithe does not hesitate to break the rules of its primary genre, Doom Metal, while preserving its substantial marrow and roots.

1. They Wake Up at Dusk 01:00 2. Sentience Amidst the Lights 10:00 3. Elusive Whispers 01:00 4. To Wander the Labyrinth 10:00 5. Suspicion 01:00 6. Unveiling the Illusion 10:00 7. Benefit or Hazard 01:00 8. On the Run to Nowhere 10:00 9. Moonfall 01:00 10. Those Moments Lost in Time 10:00

Release date: November 15th, 2024 via @hammerheartrecords666

@monolithe_official

[jetwhenitsmidnight]

Flowers for Dead Girls by Abigail Collins

Release date: 9 April 2024

Genre: young adult magical realism

If you like:

Neurodivergent rep (synesthesia, sensory issues, implied OCD)

WLW and MLM solidarity 🤝

Pan representation

Coming of age

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Astra Vaughn isn’t exactly living her best life, with no friends, an absentee father, and a mom everyone thinks is crazy. Plus, she can talk to ghosts.

Astra inherited her mom’s gift, but sometimes it feels more like a curse. Especially when she meets sweet, cheerful, and absolutely gorgeous Isla. She’s just the right kind of girl to bring Astra out of her shell—and maybe more. The only problem? She’s dead.

When Isla enlists Astra’s help with her so-called bucket list, Astra intends to do just enough to help her move on to the afterlife. She doesn’t plan on getting close to her, and she definitely doesn’t plan on falling in love. By the time the list is finished, Astra realizes that her gift might not be such a bad thing after all.

But Isla has secrets of her own. And when the truth behind her death is discovered, even Astra’s love might not be enough to convince her to stay.

Content warnings

Death, slight gore

Medical content, hospitalisation

Chronic illness

Homophobia/bullying

Review

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC! 💐👻

This was such a cute read!!

I loved Astra's character arc, as she learns to be more open and daring. I related to her a lot, with how she's an introvert and struggles to make friends.

When she meets Isla, typical ghost hijinks ensue, i.e. Isla bothering her and Astra begrudgingly going along with what Isla wants. I really appreciated how their relationship progressed so organically, growing from grudging acquaintances to best friends to perhaps something more? 👀

I loved how Astra's and Isla's arcs are intertwined, with Isla helping Astra to come out of her shell and explore new things. I was worried that the story would be just Isla helping Astra, as some romances can be a bit one-sided in that regard, but Astra also helps Isla with [SPOILERS]. I also appreciated that Astra and Isla have to make their hard decisions by themselves.

I wished we could have gotten a dual POV with Isla's perspective. I feel like lot of her character arc happened off page, and we only see parts of what Isla deals with from Astra's perspective. I understand that this is deliberate, to keep things hidden from the reader, but I would trade all the mystery just to know what is going on in Isla's head.

Some other things I want to mention:

Astra has synesthesia (perceives colours as physical sensations) and seems to have OCD or autism but its not made completely clear (counts things and has to do things in certain orders, also has sensory issues, but its stated that the sensory issues are a side effect of being around ghosts so idk)

I loved Astra and Oliver's friendship so much, but damn, Oliver was third-wheeling hard

Astra and her mom worked it out by the end, but lowkey if I were in Astra's shoes I would be a little resentful

[cosmicanger]

Name: Ghost in the Shell x GEEKS RULE

Retail Price: ¥12,100 JPY (approximately $80 USD)

Release Date: July 14/July 15

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb:

One Last Stop meets Cemetery Boys in this swoony YA romance from beloved author James L. Sutter.

Eighteen-year-old ghost hunter Cara is determined to escape life as a high school outcast by finding proof of the supernatural. Yet when she stumbles upon the spirit of Aiden, a popular upperclassman who died the previous year, she learns that ghosts have goals of their own. In the wake of his death, Aiden’s little sister, Meredith, has become a depressed recluse, and Aiden can’t pass on into the afterlife until he knows she’ll be okay. Believing that nothing pulls someone out of a slump like romance, he makes Cara a deal: seduce Meredith out of her shell and take her to prom, and Aiden will give Cara all the evidence she needs for fame. If not, well—no dates, no ghost.

Wooing the standoffish Meredith isn’t going to be easy, however. With Aiden’s coaching, Cara slowly manages to win Meredith over—but finds herself accidentally falling for her in the process. Worse yet: as Meredith gets happier and Aiden’s mission nears completion, his ghost begins to fade. Can Cara continue to date Meredith under false pretenses, especially if it means Aiden will vanish forever? Or should she tell Meredith the truth, and risk both of them hating her? And either way, will she lose her only shot at proving ghosts are real?

Review:

How far would you go to prove that ghost exist? Would you strike a deal with the ghost of a classmate to ask out his sister to prom in exchange for him helping you with your ghost hunting show? Cara is an 18 year old ghost hunter who is determined to escape her town. She wants to make it big as a ghost hunter so when she stumbles upon the actual ghost of Aiden, a popular upperclassman who died, she knows this is her chance to finally make it. Ever since Aiden passed away his younger sister Meredith has become a depressed recluse and he can't pass on until he knows she'll be okay. Aiden thinks that the best way to solve his sister's state is by having a cute girl ask her out. Aiden offers her a deal: If Cara can seduce his sister and take her to prom, get her out of her shell, then he'll give her all the evidence she needs to make her famous. Cara knows she has her work cut out for her, Meredith is standoffish and it's not going to be easy to win her over. Yet with Aiden's coaching, Cara manages to slowly win over Meredith... and actually begin falling for her. Yet the happier Meredith becomes and the closer Aiden gets to completing his goal, the more Aiden's ghost begins to fade. Can Cara keep dating Meredith under false pretenses... or will telling her the truth risk her losing everything? This was an overall cute romance read with elements of ghosts and the friendship in it was nice. My only thing was that I really just didn't like Cara all that much. I loved Meredith and Cara's friends Holly and Elvis were amazing, Cara just wasn't all that great. The romance was okay and I enjoyed the friendship dynamics and the sibling relationship between Meredith and Aiden. Overall if you are looking for a sapphic romance with a touch of ghostly mischief, give this one a go!

Release Date: June 11,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[bensbooks]

Upcoming in 2024: The Ghost of Us

Eighteen-year-old ghost hunter Cara is determined to escape life as a high school outcast by finding proof of the supernatural. Yet when she stumbles upon the spirit of Aiden, a popular upperclassman who died the previous year, she learns that ghosts have goals of their own. In the wake of his death, Aiden’s little sister, Meredith, has become a depressed recluse, and Aiden can’t pass on into the afterlife until he knows she’ll be okay. Believing that nothing pulls someone out of a slump like romance, he makes Cara a deal: seduce Meredith out of her shell and take her to prom, and Aiden will give Cara all the evidence she needs for fame. If not, well—no dates, no ghost. Wooing the standoffish Meredith isn’t going to be easy, however. With Aiden’s coaching, Cara slowly manages to win Meredith over—but finds herself accidentally falling for her in the process. Worse yet: as Meredith gets happier and Aiden’s mission nears completion, his ghost begins to fade. Can Cara continue to date Meredith under false pretenses, especially if it means Aiden will vanish forever? Or should she tell Meredith the truth, and risk both of them hating her? And either way, will she lose her only shot at proving ghosts are real?

The Ghost of Us is a young adult queer fantasy romance, set for release June 11!

[1997thebracket]

Round 1C

Toonami: Enjoy the ride. Toonami is a television programming block and brand that originated on Cartoon Network in 1997. It's known for its distinctive focus on action-oriented animated series, primarily targeting older children, teenagers, and young adults; it introduced a generation of viewers to the decade’s most popular anime, namely Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Naruto and Gundam Wing when broadcasting during the weekday afternoons and evenings, and others like Ghost in the Shell or Full Metal Alchemist during its affiliation with Adult Swim. Hosted by a future-nostalgia fueled robot called TOM (Toonami Operations Module), the block created a unique viewing experience via its space-themed aesthetic and motivational or dry-humored interstitial segments. Toonami has since become a beloved part of animation-focused pop culture, and its impact on the promotion of anime and adult animated action series in the west is significant.

Final Fantasy VII: Alexa, play One-Winged Angel. Final Fantasy VII is a landmark Japanese role-playing video game (or JRPG) released by Square Enix in 1997. Set in the dystopian and technologically advanced world of Gaia, it follows the soldier-turned-mercenary Cloud, who joins a group of rebels known as AVALANCHE to take on the mega-corporation Shinra Electric Power Company and end their exploitation of the planet's life force. Throughout the story, players explore an immersive world spotted with iconic character designs and engage in strategic turn-based battles. FFVII is perhaps the most recognizable title in the JRPG genre and the Final Fantasy series as a whole; the game won numerous Game of the Year awards and was acknowledged for boosting the sales of the PlayStation and popularizing JRPGs worldwide. To date, it has sold over 14 million copies.

[originemesis]

@kugel-bitch from xxx

A skinny shoulder rises until it touches the smooth curve of her jaw, noncommittal, but not entirely dismissive of the notion.

"Mmh...You'd have to ask him...we've got this long distance, low contact sort of thing going on—always been the evasive type—but when he does come around, it's the best time."

"Just—"

Rolling a gilded stud between her index and thumb as the thoughts slowly but surely work their way out of the sleepy haze which has not entirely dissipated from her addled mind just yet. It's getting there, though, little by little, while his presence seeps inside and envelops her senses; his scent, his warmth, the sound of his heart thumping beneath the shell of her pointed ear like a stalwart engine.

"—wish he'd show his face more often."

Speaking of; her digits soon release the ornamental spike, opting instead to explore the much more exotic landscape of Adam's seldom seen flesh and blood visage. And she does it with the sort of delicacy that one would employ when handling something terribly brittle and exceptionally precious—like ancient text etched into wethered paper—plush pads ghost across the subtle lines, careful, meticulous, as if she could decode their history and the secrets that they keep through touch alone. The subtle arches of his cheeks, the gold speckled slope of his nose and the curve of his jaw. None of it goes unappreciated under her thorough ministrations.

An ear flicks in response to the snapping of his teeth and a phantom of a laugh leaves her airway in the form of a breathy huff, but she falls into the kiss seamlessly all the same, hand slotting deep into his rooster's comb of chestnut hair to cradle the nape of his neck delicately within the hollow of her palm.

He knew she was just fucking with him, and half asleep at the attempt at that. Still, he'd meet the idle energy with that of a hawk's huddled over a hen's freshly snatched chick dazed and deposited in a nest for later devouring , preening and snapping at on occasion. A lazy affair. "Well, doesn't he sound like a fucking delight?" He huffed near strands of silver that had escaped their tucking behind her ear, blowing them away in the process of nuzzling around her busted face. "...think he's a cuck and won't mind if I smash?" As if to assure her he was mostly joking, he shifted a wing slung over her back lower to weigh the backs of her thighs down instead. Fair fight if she needed her front talons for any reason. And considering he was good at rooting up several, it wasn't off the mark to briefly consider.

She's good at distracting him though, and for a quiet moment he settles, seemingly satisfied with just watching her pinch at the studs around his collar. The fabric was forced up so high and littered with dagger like points, a testament of heaven for keeping oddities that might probe questions about their favorite pet covered. And though he might have become volatile on instinct towards anyone else that disturbed the area, he only met her offhanded fiddling with a deep rumble as the bass undertone of her occasional clucks.

"Pfft. You're so..." His teeth clicked while he seemed to ruminate on what she was 'so'- somewhat distracted by the edge of her ear flicking at him when he attempted to grant the edge a curious nuzzle. "-sappy." He settled, but not before depositing a glowing patch of holy spit to the patch of her neck directly below a lobe with a lazy lull of an otherwise regular tongue. "So when's the wedding?"

His musing stalled to a steady purr while she felt around the half shadows cast on his face - deeper drenched at more pronounced patches of darkness thanks to both a lack of sleep and a regular shower schedule. The lightest most unimpressive scuff sat at the highest point of his cheek- likely born of the awkward elbowing sustained from that bar confrontation. An accidental bump while shuffling through a crowd that had been the catalyst of what set her off. "Need to save the date so I can crash." With a light cluck of his own, he tasked himself afterwards with preening the peaks of her lips. It was only after the steadying of his head with the lightest guidance that his bouncing thoughts settle to one task- kissing her. The peaks of his wings arched forward during said task, the heavy feathers against her leg digging down and up as if to scoot her in.

"-mrhn, Babe~" He mused midway, not lingering too long from the mounting pressure of each peck. "You're so cute when you're hung over ~ "

[bxsmxth]

Tagged by @padthaifan (nice fish painting btw xoxo)

Last song played: Turn It Off from The Book of Mormon (It kept playing in my head because I work in a very Mormon workplace now)

Favorite color: I tend to like purple on a most stable basis but I have been appreciating various shades of pink recently

Last TV show watched: Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, with my girlfriend

Last movie watched: Ghost in the Shell, also with my girlfriend

Currently reading: My current book is Clearing the Fog: From Surviving to Thriving with Long Covid for reasons which may be obvious considering the title. The last thing I READ though was a certain work I found from a Tumblr post called The Convent School, or Early Experiences of A Young Flagellant (Reader beware: if you choose to look this up out of curiosity like I did, the post wasn't kidding when it said it would make the Puritans of today hurl. TW for borderline incest and far-past-borderline rape and pedophilia. This piece of work is far from a reflection of my proclivities in this area and I ditched pretty early in, so if you are at all unwilling to read some pretty graphic stuff then don't follow my lead)

Sweet/spicy/savory: Sweet

Relationship status: In a relationship

Last thing googled: "Hazu-yari" (which, to save you a Google, is a bow with stabby bits on the tips)

Current obsession: Love Live, specifically Love Live School Idol Festival 2: Miracle Live, a gacha rhythm game that released at the beginning of the month with an expiry date of May 31st, 2024. I'm so galled at the absurdity that I'm just going along for the ride but not spending anything (because 1) it will be around for 4 MONTHS and 2) because of the aforementioned fact, the basically-battle pass available in the JP version is there in the global version but unpurchasable (almost as if Bushiroad themselves knew that selling it would be gutsy (except they're still selling Loveca so ????)))

Currently working on: a load of laundry but I might draw or work on updating my Good Omens fanfic

Uhhhhhhh @dinosaurprostitution @estradized-scentgirl there we go I tagged people too (no pressure though obvs) (also if anyone seeing this wants to do it you can say I tagged you lol)