#Royal slinger

[willstafford]

Hurry Up and Wait

WAITING FOR GODOT Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, Wednesday 25th September 2024 Long before I read this play during the first year of my Drama degree, I encountered an artistic expression of alienation from existence.  I’m talking about the vultures in Disney’s The Jungle Book (1967).  These mop-topped scavengers have a scene in which they struggle to find something to fill their time.  “What…

[bouncingkadachi]

Thinking about Bug Buddies again because I cannot get over Lala Barina. Since it looks like the Research Expedition is running several different operations concurrently from the Wilds camp please imagine another unit created to study any historical Rider connections amongst villages and cultures in the Forbidden Lands, given the discovery of the Seikret (palamutes I can understand the Guild not asking questions about, but here's a new domesticated wyvern).

The unit:

Rider and Hunter pair -> heavy hitters

Smithy (2) -> doubled to deal with increased gear demands

Scrivener -> liaison between the Royal Paleontology Scriveners and the Hunters Guild.

Their Rider can't operate a Slinger to save their life, but that's alright because their Nerscylla more than makes up for it. They eventually hunt down a Lala Barina and in true Rider fashion, steal an egg. Now they have a fluffy baby spider. The other units don't quite know how to deal with them but at the same time they're also looking forward to the day when the fluffy bug is big enough that they can all nap in luxurious fluff on their off time. That must be an experience.

The Nerscylla's official name is Battle Bug but we call her BB for short. They also call the tiny Lala Barina "Baby" so if you call one, the other is also scuttling along behind. It's cute if you call for BB and get the baby as an extra. It's terrifying if you call for the baby and get BB looming out of the darkness at you.

[suguruslut]

Your wedding (part 2)

𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘴

<<< 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙖𝙩𝙨𝙪🐉| 𝙏𝙤𝙧𝙖🐅| 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙖🐕 >>>

Gwen’s Note: ayyyeee part 2 of the big day!!

🐉𝒯𝒶𝓉𝓈𝓊🍳

-nothing about your wedding day went unplanned, from the classic Japanese garden venue to the dessert table. Tatsu actually distracted from his nerves by planning everything so carefully, but found his nerves went away when you two finally met at the aisle

-Tatsu cried on the inside, definitely. he wanted to look cool for the photos, but internally? a sappy mess. he never imagined ever having a wedding day of his own, so this was a huge moment for him as a person, and he almost lets a few tears drop when you two exchange rings

-Tatsu means every vow he says, and isn’t at all embarrassed by your first kiss as a married couple. he even manages a not-entirely-scary smile afterwards. seeing your glowing face is all he needs to allow his stone faced mask to crumble

-as for the reception, Tatsu keeps your money bag close at all times, but once you reassure him no one will take your gifts, all his attention returns to you (and the delicious food he picked out, feeding you the best bites and making sure neither of you drink too much, because, well...you’d both be asleep in minutes)

-so many pictures! Tatsu doesn’t want to forget a single thing about this day, and makes sure you two pose with all your friends, family, the cake, the garden, anything and everything, showing everyone how amazing his s/o looks today and every day

-can Tatsu dance? he tries his hardest, that’s for sure. even if he couldn’t feel his feet, if you wanted to keep dancing, Tatsu would never say no

-your first dance song is Double Rainbow by Katy Perry. you felt that this song described your love very well

-in spite of Tatsu’s original worries, your perfect Japanese garden wedding goes smoothly, and Tatsu always says it was by far the happiest day of his life

🐅𝒯𝑜𝓇𝒶𝒿𝒾𝓇𝑜🍰

-Tora may be a crepe slinger, but the man wants his wedding to be fancy af, even if only 15 out of the 30 people you invited show up. he’ll put everything together himself by your design, may even ask Tatsu for some DIY ideas for centerpieces. anything for your big day. anything.

-your wedding is at a public park, the one Tora privately proposed to you at, a special place for both of you. lanterns are hung on trees and give off a nice light source for the entire area

-you don’t even want to know how many people Tora threatened into giving you wedding stuff for a cheaper price...if your husband wants golden thrones at your head table, who are you to stop such a king? everything is gold, gold, gold, with a splash of blue here and there to match your rings

-Tora isn’t really into traditional vows and such, very straightforward with his meaningful words to you, and yes, much like when he’s been drinking, Tora will burst into tears the second you start speaking. similar to Tatsu, he doesn’t really know how an ex-yakuza like him got so lucky as to have a normal life with you, but he’s eternally thankful

-Tora’s sister is the maid of honor. she laughs at her brother as he sobs before quickly pulling himself together and kissing you like he means it. the dramatic bitch even dips you down for more dramatic effect

-obviously the food is a big deal. Tora made the crepes himself, an excessive amount he insisted was necessary. he feeds you the best one and smiles when he sees whipped cream all over your lip, feeling confident you both made a good choice by agreeing to stay together forever

-both of you want to show the other off, so you make a long round of saying hello to your guests, arms wrapped around each other the entire time (yeah, so Tora isn’t the only dramatic one in this relationship...what of it?)

-your first dance song is What If Love by Wendy. sappy? yeah. but your new hubby loves Touch Your Heart, so that’s that song

-all in all, Tora was certain your wedding was the best one of the spring season (yes, even better than Tatsu’s), and no royal wedding could ever top it

🐕ℳ𝒶𝓈𝒶🥡

-You guessed it...Masa was late to his own wedding ceremony. you forgive him, ofc, knowing he wasn’t leaving you at the altar and instead was just being his usual procrastinating self

-Masa is a big baby, but he tries his hardest during your beach ceremony to hold his tears back. he forgets most of his lines and has to have the official repeat everything four times, his antics getting laughs from the small audience gathered. there isn’t much tradition going on, mostly things randomly thrown together from movies you two had seen ( “Yakuza Gets Married” )

-Tatsu is the best man, obviously, given he basically planned the entire wedding for you two. he subtly helps Masa through the ceremony and held onto the beautiful gold rings (probably real gold...) which Masa bought from a “guy he knows” for 11,000 yen

-although your wedding was cheap and simple, the beautiful water backdrop at sunset made for a pleasant and fun event, food brought out immediately after Masa finished blushing from your first kiss as a married couple

-Masa trying to toast...oof. most of it is incoherent, despite him having a high alcohol tolerance, but you manage to remember everyone that helped you two put together this day (because you needed a lot of help). there isn’t much drama on your wedding day, mostly just fun and mishaps, all of which Tatsu gets on camera

-your first dance song is 2 Much by Justin Bieber, modern, short & sweet

-even with a small wedding, you and Masa both agree that it was the most fun you’ve ever had, getting your fancy outfits covered in sand from all the dancing you two do

𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝟙 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖

[barcodeboyz]

Why Fortnite: Vibin is a great season because y’all treated it too harshly

- RAVE CAVE (please come back please)

- Shuffled Shrines (literally such a fun location)

- Rainbow Royale

- Gave us the hammer assault rifle and two-shot shotgun

- Also gave us the Spiderman web slingers back, just repainted to be the Grappler Gloves

- Naruto crossover

- Malik in the battlepass

- Snap too but not everyone likes him the way I do

[shakespearenews]

Theatre

Sir Michael Boyd brought visionary gleam to Shakespeare and Stratford

News of the death of Sir Michael Boyd at the age of 68 has come as a shock. Boyd took over the directorship of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2003 when it was at crisis point. It had a deficit of more than £2m, had forfeited its London base in the Barbican and, in the words of its former literary manager, Colin Chambers, was in danger of becoming a corporation rather than a company. By the time of his departure in 2012, Boyd had restored the RSC to something of its former glory and I would highlight three facets of his achievement.

... For a start there was his skill as a director. It first hit me in 1999, when as an associate to Adrian Noble, he did a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream – the best since Peter Brook’s – that turned the play into a foot-stamping erotic fertility rite. But Boyd’s greatest success came with his eight-play cycle of Shakespeare’s histories which reached fulfilment in 2008. At its heart lay the idea, to borrow a phrase from TS Eliot’s Four Quartets, of “time future contained in time past”. You saw that at the start of Richard II when Jonathan Slinger’s king stepped gingerly over the corpse of Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester: a vital image in that Richard’s implication in Gloucester’s murder leads to the unravelling of his authority which in turn produces decades of civil strife.

[sonourge]

‼️PINNED‼️

• Call me Thrasher���� I’m ThrasherScourge over on Twitter, where you can find my nsfw art.

• 21+ account! I write and discuss adult fanfiction.

• Queer romance, DILFs, monsters, horror. ⚰️🕊️ Rarepairs, weird kinks, dark themes & sensitive content. All characters are 19+!

• Anti-harassment. If you support harassing individuals over fiction, this isn’t the spot for you.

• Multishipper! Sonadow, Sonourge, and Sonjet are my big three and I tend to gravitate toward a lot of rarepairs. Primarily queer ships live here.

• ThrasherScourge is my main Ao3 account. I also have a “dead dove” account under HedgehogHarem.

• If it sucks, hit da bricks! 🏃🏼💨

My Fanfics 🌙

Royal Blue

(collaboration with VocaSonic) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/39286155/chapters/98308548 ONGOING

Ships: Sonadow, Sonjet (Sonjetadow endgame)

"I want him at my feet," Jet cooed, letting Sonic's head woefully drop back down in his tired spell. "I want him in my bed."

"My prince," Shadow said firmly, "Jet. You're lucky to not have had your skull shattered, and you want to make a bed mate out of him?"

Babylonian Prince Jet has captured the unruly 'Blue Phantom' to serve under his heel in the most humiliating of ways. Tasked with breaking the unlikely slave is none other than the best trainer in the kingdom; Shadow the hedgehog.

Diamond in the Cuffs

(Collaboration with VocaSonic - side story to Royal Blue) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/44493277/chapters/111912745 COMPLETE

Ships: Mimic/Slinger, Infinite/Gadget

Gadget the wolf. Ex-Resistance. Brand new slave to the deadly mercenary leader Infinite. Dedicated and misguided, a horrible truth about his new owner unfolds during his first day in captivity, but Gadget may lack the kind of self-preservation that would send a normal person running for their lives.

Slinger the ocelot. Pet of the Babylonian court. Slave to Mimic. His days of being in the Resistance are long gone, but that's not to say all old wounds are fully healed. There's a disturbing past hidden under the doting exterior of master and pet, one that's been kept from anyone until now.

You’ve Got Imposter Syndrome (series)

NFWMB

(part 1) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/38758530 COMPLETE

Ship: Sonadow

“You were just trying to kill me,” he said, with flat incredulity.

“Dramatic,” Shadow replied, to Sonic’s open-mouthed disbelief. “I wasn’t trying to kill you. You know that.”

He did know that. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be a petulant little shit about it, still.

—

When your arch nemesis; turned rival; turned world-saving partner; turned kinda, sorta friend falls into a conundrum of epically horny proportions, the reasonable course of action is obvious. Right?

Dogs Don’t Go to Heaven, Scourge

(part 2) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/38781510 COMPLETE

Ship: Sonourge

“How did you know?” was Sonic’s only reply, quills bristling, ears falling in miserable discovery.

Scourge snickered again. The way he raked his pale eyes up and down Sonic’s body was probably a little insulting. But, really. He couldn’t help himself.

“Like that would be hard to figure out,” he scoffed. “We’re opposites, baby.”

—

Sonic treads dangerous waters with an old foe, and neither are leaving unscathed.

Maelstrom

(part 3) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/40529631 COMPLETE

Ship: Shadourge

“Are you here to sleep with him,” he finally said, realizing he’d have to indulge if he wanted to understand at all, “Or to make me jealous about it?”

Neither; both; all of the above, Scourge thought.

“You left out our third option, Stripes.”

“I am absolutely not going to sleep with you.”

—

Neither of them thought of the other as a true contender. At least, not until today.

No Limits

(Collaboration with VocaSonic) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/39038703/chapters/97652583 COMPLETE

Ship: Sonjet

Leaning back, but not yet making a move to rise, Sonic met him with a chagrined, lidded gaze. Flatly, with a slow grin curling at his mouth, he said,

“Want me to do anything else while I’m down here, Jet?”

He did. Not that he would ever admit that.

(The following are under my pseud HedgehogHarem)

Shrike

(Collaboration with VocaSonic) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/41361150/chapters/103717146 ONGOING

Ships: Sonadow, Metadow (Sonmetadow if you squint real hard)

Armed with a new machine that corrupts chaos energy, the Eggman Empire has finally won. Using Sonic as the very weapon to attack the people he once used to protect, the resulting effects on him leave the rest of his deepest desires and emotions flipped on their heads. The most important of which is only sated by none other than Shadow, who finds himself stripped of his power and left to survive in the ring with the monster his old rival has become.

As the world caves in

(Collaboration with PlurmpDankensteinMcFlurten) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/46277845/chapters/116510500 ONGOING

Ships: Sonegg, Sonadow if you squint (not the focus)

Black Doom has begun wiping out all life on the planet. Shadow has let his hatred blind him. Sonic has nowhere to run. Robotnik has his own plans.

At the end of the fucking world, there’s nothing left to do but hold on to each other.

What I Wouldn’t Give

(Collaboration with HuntedHart) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/43368535/chapters/109018105 ONGOING

Ships: Sonegg (x2)

Dr. Robotnik is the tyrant emperor of a ruined Mobius, and Sonic is the one enemy he's never been able to crush. Tinker is a reclusive scientist, and Sonic is a pest he can't help but feel responsible for.

A rift between universes causes the two Sonics to trade places. Robotnik is delighted to exact his frustrations on a Sonic who can't fight back. Tinker faces a totally foreign Sonic with the kind of scars he can't help but feel even more responsible over.

Laphog

(Collaboration with HuntedHart) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/41323890/chapters/103616961 ONGOING

Ships: Sonegg, Sonadow (later), background Sonally and Sonknuckles

Now he was getting it. Robotnik’s smile widened, watching realization and panic dawn on Sonic’s face. ‘You can’t,’ Sonic had said, and Robotnik laughed. “Can’t I?” he said. “And how are you going to stop me?”

Sonic had always escaped before; had always come out on top one way or another. For the first time, he's not so sure.

[crossed-worlds]

for Camo because we need to know

betrayal: Has your OC ever been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust? Has your OC ever betrayed someone who trusted them?

Camo was indeed betrayed, the Elite Guard of Solaria were the Diamond Cutters of their world. Five highly trained specialists entrusted with the saftey of the royal family: King Helios, Queen Hestia, Prince Solar, Princess Blaze, and baby Princess Spark. Camo was in the unit for ten years, having joined when fresh out of Ocearian Military training school with a mastery in espionage and stealth. The other members were Scope the Ocelot (Slinger alternate), Crystal the Monkey (Claire alternate), Soot the Lion (Smithy alternate), and Track (Whisper alternate). Camo was specifically assigned to Blaze but he was often disguised as a regular palace guard, a koala to be exact, and didnt usually give away who he was to many people.

During a meeting with the other Elite Guards, Camo had noticed that Scope was running late and had gotten up to go see what the problem was. As he was heading out of the room, he heard the sound of a gunshot. Fire arms are a rare weapon in their world, due to the nature of what may happen when they are used around magical substances. Like the cockatrice gas that they used to power the lamps through the whole palace and city. The whole place went up in a flash of fire and shrapnel, most of Camo's right hand side was burned in the magical flames....thus killing the cells on that side of him that allowed him to shape shift.

He only knows of two people who own fire arms....and only one was a sharp enough marksman to know EXACTLY where to shoot to cause the whole capital to go up in flames.... Scope. Their marksman. Camo is hoping he's wrong. That it was some outside group. But....after finding the executed bodies of Crystal and Soot....he has little hope that he's wrong. Scope killed the royal family, killed countless across the city, then hunted down the remaining members of their team....Camo is lucky that he is still alive, and he can only pray to Sol that Track is somewhere out there....alive and safe. Because if she's not....he can't promise that he'll stay sane.

[themosthatedbeingg]

Kid meme: Striker x luci

{{ Yoo plz I would love this }}

send me a pair name and I'll tell you what I think it would be like if they had a child.

• Name: Steel Morningstar

• Gender: male

• General Appearance: Imp dragon with 4 wings , and a Mane of blonde hair and standard Morningstar cheeks , and a rattle snake tail and red eyes ,

• Personality: typical gun slinger but with a royal air about him, prince of hell but isn’t afraid to get dirty and rough and tumble, say anything about his parents and you’ll be dead in the dirt . He knows he’s hot shit and better then others but doesn’t try to flaunt it too to much ~ just a bit.

• Special Talents: horse riding , sharpshooter , strong fire magic and flight, shape shifting abilities .

• Who they like better: Lucifer

• Who they take after more: Striker

• Personal Head canon: it was supposed to be a secret friend with benefits that ended with Steel being made .. it was tough at first but Steel knows his fathers love him even if they are learning how to love eachother .

• Face Claim: Josh Katz ( from badflower)

[dzmoot]

SPIDERS OF THE LOST LARK (PART 2)

We are home!

Spidercron I landed near the academy under a jubo tree as each spider gingerly exited the vehicle. Cino stayed behind as he always did to run the proper diagnostics on the ship to make sure everything was operating to it's full capacity. Still, disappointment over the events on Junglexio loomed over each spider's head. Another artifact in the hands of that retched Arman and another day closer to their father's school being turned into rubble island. Flydon was a little upset to hear the news but buzzed happily on seeing his children again regardless and complimented them on their extraordinary effort as they all gathered around the nourishment hookah to refuel.

The next artifact you go after, I'm sure will be the one you steal. The two headed devil's days of swindling you spiders are in the single digits.

Everyone had a laugh of course and Leaps nearly dropped his large barbell on Slinger's head. Weblette, digging into another book quickly put it down as they all heard the gong sounding doorbell. She dashed to open it to be greeted by, to her surprise, a royal spider guard from the great palace. The guard told them all to report to the throne room of Queen Aggamillia at once. All of them hurried away upon the webby road as the queen's palace got closer and closer with each step. Upon entering it and walking into the enormous throne room which made their voices echo, they saw the queen for the first time in the spidery flesh. They had seen holograms of her giving speeches as children but they could have never imagined how big Aggamillia truly was. She made them all look like aphids.

Dear adventure seeking spiderocians. It is my understanding that your father's school is to be demolished and you wish to acquire an artifact to get the money to save it.

Slinger, the oldest of the spiders stepped forward.

Yes, your majesty. Father Flydon's academy has been a mainstay on Dinhcara for several years. Many of the greatest web weavers have come out of that school including each one of us. It's only right we preserve our father's legacy for future generations, for the next great web weavers.

Aggamillia chuckled.

I completely understand, my child! It's only natural and just that you wish to do what is right and save your father's school. In fact, I wish to help you in the matter!

All of the spiders' eyes nearly bursted from their sockets.

You wish to help us?!?!

Aggamillia smiled.

Indeed. I'm quite a collector of artifacts myself. But there is one artifact I wish to acquire more than any other. It will require great strides to get however, but I believe you are all up to the challenge.

Leaps was the next to speak.

What do you want us to find, your majesty?

Aggamillia smiled again.

You will visit my hologram archivist, Anansi. He will fill you in on everything. If you succeed, I will pay your father's heavy debt myself and the Webjitsu academy will remain standing. Good luck dearies!

Thus, the spiders then traveled deep down into the queen's fortress into a large dark dungeon. For the moment, the spiders thought something might very well emerge from the shadows and gobble them up for dinner but at the end of the hallway, a large door opened and a large plump blue spider revealed himself. He was surprisingly friendly.

Whatsup! The queen's told me all about your little dilemma so I'm gonna give you a little speed coarse on exactly what you're looking for and we'll send you on your way, kay?

The spider's entered the small archive room which surprisingly held a plethora of computers and other gizmos, but Anansi used one of his many arms to pluck a hologram projector from the nearby shelf and activated it, revealing what appeared to be some sort of....

Bird? A little birdie?

Itsy Bitsy started to snickered but was persuaded to stop once her brother tapped her on the shoulder. Anansi began giving an exposition dump as the holographic bird swirled around in his palm. To the spiders' surprise, he even typed on his computer and dusted his shelf as he told them everything.

The Lost Lark of Eelio dates back thousands of years, back to the time of the Sur-Kits and the Acks and that entire fiasco with the crystal and stuff. It's very much like one of those wind up music box things you'd find on Earth but it's believed that when wound up, it's melody would cause something wondrous to occur.

What wondrous thing would occur exactly?

Anansi shut the hologram off.

Not a clue, but Aggamillia is hellbent on finding out. It's up to you eight legged wanderers to find it but be weary, many have tried to find this Lark and have perished.

Itsy Bitsy joked to her brother that perhaps they should let Arman go after it and maybe he would perish but she was once again bopped by Eight Leggs. Slinger stepped in.

Knock it off you two! This is serious business!

He then turned to Anansi.

So, where do we start in this quest?

With a little more typing from his computer, Anansi pulled up a picture of what appeared to be some sort of necklace, an amulet to be precise.

In order to find this artifact, you'll need to find another artifact first. This amulet here, it's the missing eyepiece to an ancient statue. It's currently up for sale at the jewelry stand in the marketplace on the planet Abbadon. I don't believe the seller truly knows what he has in fact. Go there, get the eyepiece and then hold it up to the nearby sun. A great light will shine through the jewel in the center and point the way to the planet from which the Lark is kept. But hang onto that amulet, you might very well need it for future use!

The spiders thanked Anansi as they set forth to their ship. Along the way, each one of them speculated what great magic the Lark of Eelio could perform. Slinger didn't really believe in the supernatural and all of that but after his adventure on Gektidas and seeing that teddy bear with his magic wand, his opinions had changed. Leaps believed the Lark could make the winder upper live eternally in the physical realm while Weblette believed it could allow anyone to travel the universe without a spaceship. Both Eight Leggs and Itsy Bitsy agreed, the Lark could grant wishes and they wished more than anything they could save their father's school and become the greatest rock and roll duo in the universe! Finally, they arrived at Spidercron I.

Set course for Abbadon!

Now the planet Abbadon was in the neighboring system to Dinhcara and even used to same currency but the native bird creatures that lived there had been resentful towards the Spiderocians ever since they allowed a great many bird people to be cooked and eaten by a bunch of space pilgrims from the planet Mayflowercus. Thus, Cino reminded the spiders that they needed to wear long cloaks to hide their true appearances, otherwise the birds would surely peck each spider into paste. Leaps was dismayed to have to share his cloak with Itsy Bitsy, it made the two look like some horrid two headed monster, sorta like Arman! Finally, Abbadon appeared on their view screen. It was a tad bigger than Dinhcara and a great many bird people swarmed the skies as they entered the atmosphere but luckily they were able to land Spidercron I out of range.

The capital city, Lacora had many oddly shaped structures different from the neatly crafted nests the spiders saw in the trees on their way there and from a distance they could see a race going on as bird men road on strange creatures that looked like the love children of hyenas and guinea pigs....

with peg legs no less!

After what seemed like hours wandering the marketplace in the capital, trying to blend in and having no luck, sifting through countless trinket vendors and sellers of extra terrestrial nonsense, a metallic golden glow only jewelry could provide caught Itsy Bitsy's eyes.

Found it!

Little did the spiders know that a certain someone was onto them. A bird informant stalking them upon the streets quickly flew his way out to the forest to a campsite.

Ay boss, those spiders youbin talkin bout. They here. They got some stupid blankets on, but you can clearly tell it's them.

And out from the tent like a roadrunner, it was that two headed menace, that retched meanie from Duognus. He groaned so loud, it made the nearby trees shake!

Alright fine. Let them get that stupid amulet, give them just a little hope but you three go after them, devour them for late night breakfast if you want! Just get me that eyepiece and if you return empty handed, I'll roast you myself!

The bird trio put on their special protective helmets and hit the sky. What a coincidence it was that Arman was once again after the very same artifact the spiders were after.

As the spiders approached the jewelry vendor, they were shocked to discover that he only communicated in loud "kakahs" and "raaahs". And even then, even with the low resolution picture Anansi provided for them, they still struggled to find the amulet amongst "Large Beak's" ponderous collection. Then Weblette noticed something buried deep in Large Beak's garments.

He's wearing it!

Weblette made her way to the front of the team and began weaving a message. She knew a little of the bird peoples' native language after glossing over it on the way to Abbadon. Upon reading the message, which basically said that they needed the amulet because it belonged to their grandmother, Large Beak went on a squawking, quacking tirade for a few minutes which Weblette could somewhat translate to someone telling someone else to PISS OFF! Then, as a last resort, she used her favorite pastime of hypnotizing people. Now Weblette's hypnotism worked on most creatures with the exception of Flydon and a few, but something strange happened when Large Beak looked into her eyes. He started to sizzle, COOK, fry like hot wings in a pan! Within a few moments, he EXPLODED into a great mist of feathers and goop and Slinger was quick to snag the amulet which went soaring into the air.

That was quite, EXPLOSIVE!

Leaps, who despised puns clunked Slinger on the head as Itsy Bitsy pointed out the strange masked birds that were slowly working their way towards them.

Hey! Who are the stormtrooper looking birdies?

When the spiders realized they were set to attack them, the five of them ditched the long cloaks and scurried away. Arman's trio fired up their wings yet again and hit the skies as they chased those spiders throughout Lacora City, the spiders web swinging from building to building like a certain superhero from Earth or perhaps spider Tarzan. They narrowly avoided the birds' balls of fire which they spewed down upon them from their beaks.

Good thing we have eyes in the back of our heads!

Poor old Leaps was forced to jump like he never jumped before. At the moment, he envied his brothers and sisters something awful.

You darn kids and your sticky stuff!

The quick thinking Eight Leggs shot a web at one of the birds so strong, it stuck to his mask, blinding him and causing him to fly out of control and crash into a nearby building. His cooked body, resembling that of a Thanksgiving turkey came crash landing onto an outdoor restaurant table, scaring the couple sitting there away. Slinger, Weblette and Itsy Bitsy followed his example shortly after and combined their webs to create a giant webby net between some of the buildings, trapping the remaining two birds in it's stickiness. Poor old Leaps was so exhausted from jumping that he plopped down on the city streets, completely pooped. The other spiders helped him to his feet as they made their way back to Spidercron I. At first, they believed they had lost the amulet. However, that trickster Itsy Bitsy pulled it out from under her third arm.

Hahaha! Made you look!

Of course, she was met with yet another clunk over the head from her older brother.

It took an hour or so for Arman to get word on what happened and by that time, the spiders had already departed to space. He grit his two sets of teeth as he threw his arms into the air in rage!

Cursed arachnids! They will not slip through my fingers so easily!

And after making his way into his tent, he contacted his mysterious employer. Who was it?

To be continued.....

[royal-descent]

Asterios Belegnon

Normal Verse:

Aster is the bastard child of Christopher Belegnon, born from an affair with one of his business partners, he was reluctantly taken into the fold of his father's family when his mother passed away, while she did leave him her own sizeable estate his father thought it would be better to grow up with actual family instead of just staff to take care of him. He is quiet around his brothers, and despite not being openly affectionate towards them he cares for them deeply, even if he feels like they view him for the bastard he is. He is a talented musician and devotes a lot of time to that, as well as a secret hobby of dance.

Fantasy Verse:

Asterios is a monster, born from Christopher Belegnon's dalliance and deal with a succubus. He is a half demon, and it is in the contract Christopher signed that he is to be treated like his flesh and blood son. Though he cannot inherit any titles or the throne he loves int he castle and is allowed free roaming of the grounds. He takes the defense oft he royal family, and their blood line quite seriously and when not doing that he prowls the capital to make some deals here and there to increase his powers and collection of souls. His powers make him immune to fire, he can see in the dark, can grow and retract claws at will, create magical binding contracts, control fire, and fly with demonic wings. He is also quite skilled with knives, and a bow and arrow.

FalloutVerse:

Aster is the son of a farmer from the northern California mountains, far enough out that for most of his life they were left undisturbed, a small community that worked together to defend from monsters, they had little foot traffic in the way of humans, only going to resupply in larger settlements and cities once or twice a year. Unluckily a gang of raiders found them one night, and tore the place apart, enslaving the inhabitants and taking them to market where they would fetch some caps.

Fortunately or unfortunately a Deathclaw attack on the caravan south led to all the raiders dying and Aster being one of the survivors as he took a gun and fled into the desert. Without thinking he ran and ran and ran, unable to find his family he wanders the Wasteland now, searching for information and doing what he must to make caps.

Strength 2 | Perception 4 | Endurance 7 | Charisma 7 | Intelligence 3 | Agility 3 | Luck 2

Perks: Pickpocket, Locksmith, Toughness, Rad Resistant , Cap Collector, Local Leader, Black Widow, Gun Slinger

[aicommandhub]

AI Black Box Under Siege: Researchers Revolt for AI Transparency

AI Transparency Battle Royale! Over 100 top AI researchers are throwing down the gauntlet, demanding AI transparency from tech giants like OpenAI and Meta. In a scorching open letter, they accuse these companies of hindering independent research with their restrictive rules. The argument? These supposedly "safe" protocols are actually stifling the very investigations needed to ensure these powerful AI systems are used responsibly! This isn't just academic whining. Researchers are worried that strict protocols meant to catch bad actors are instead silencing vital research. Independent investigators are terrified of account bans or even lawsuits if they dare to stress-test AI models without a company's blessing. It's like trying to warn people about a dangerous product, only to get sued by the manufacturer for hurting their reputation. “Generative AI companies should avoid repeating the mistakes of social media platforms, many of which have effectively banned types of research aimed at holding them accountable,”Authors of the letterTweet Who's Leading the Charge? A League of Extraordinary AI Watchdogs This isn't just a bunch of disgruntled researchers. This open letter is backed by a who's-who of AI experts, journalists, policymakers, and even a former European Parliament member. Let's break down the heavy hitters: - AI All-Stars: Think top minds from places like Stanford University, with names like Percy Liang gracing the letter. These are the folks who build the algorithms, not just theorize about them. - Investigative Journalists: Pulitzer Prize winners like Julia Angwin, famous for exposing tech's hidden biases, are signing on. They're not afraid to dig deep and uncover the flaws these shiny new AI tools might be hiding. - Policy Powerhouses: People like Renée DiResta from the Stanford Internet Observatory, who study the impact of AI on society, are demanding a seat at the table. They want to make sure these tools aren't used to manipulate elections or deepen inequalities. - Global Perspective: Marietje Schaake, a former member of European Parliament, adds international clout. This isn't just a US issue; the potential misuse of AI affects everyone and demands global solutions. Break Free Of Big Tech Control This rag-tag team of code-slingers, truth-seekers, and policy wonks might not wear capes, but they're fighting to ensure that AI serves the public interest, not just corporate profits. Tech Giants: Turning into the Evil Empires They Swore to Destroy? The letter throws some serious shade, accusing AI companies of emulating the secrecy that plagued early social media platforms. The examples are downright chilling: from OpenAI crying "hacker!" over copyright checks to Midjourney threatening artists with legal action The Midjourney saga is a prime example of how paranoid AI companies are getting. Artist Reid Southen dared to test if the image generator could be used to rip off copyrighted characters, and what did he get? Banned! Midjourney even went full-on drama queen in their terms of service, threatening lawsuits over copyright claims. Talk about an overreaction! This is just one example in a growing pattern – tech companies are clutching their precious algorithms, terrified of anyone peeking behind the curtain to find out what their AI creations are really up to. “If You knowingly infringe someone else’s intellectual property, and that costs us money, we’re going to come find You and collect that money from You,” Read the terms here “We might also do other stuff, like try to get a court to make You pay our legal fees. Don’t do it.”MidJourneyTweet The Battle for AI Transparency: Researchers vs. Corporate Control This is more than just disgruntled academics versus big tech. It's a clash of ideologies with the future of AI at stake. On one side, researchers are demanding open access and safeguards to protect us from biased or harmful AI. On the other, tech giants are clinging to control, treating potential misuse like it's some far-fetched sci-fi dystopia instead of a very real risk that needs serious scrutiny. Read the full article

[busterstrouble]

A bad man looking for takers | self para

Date: 15 Feb 2024

Buster woke up in a shock. Not a literal shook shock but the kind when you are abruptly wake up from a dream. Heart racing and his mouth dry he say up in his bed as stiff as a mummy. Blinking…blink…blink… ‘what in the god damn hell was that..’

Buster did not remember being that tired the night of the 14th. There was no reason for him to sleep this hard. It had only been 8 hours…maybe..yet it felt like he was asleep for weeks. Literally it felt like he had been in a coma.

His head was full of memories. Memories of like a movie yet he was himself. The memory of his parents…some convoluted story about them being murdered. ‘That would’ve been more comforting than abandonment.’ There were people counting on him and a legacy to uphold. What kind of bullshit was that. Real twisted way for him to be some pompous royal with a court of people.

A world he had never seen yet it felt so real. So real that he had a lifelong friend…or a fae who never aged? That spent 30+ years by his side? And he was staying with them and their husband? A thumbalina like little sister pestering him at breakfast? All calling him the dreaded name Keaton. ‘…fucking family name pft.’ It was all so real…the conversations the feeling.

There was a girl…a wolf. Buster got goosebumps. That love interest you meet in a dream. That face always stays with you for days. She was magnificent. Buster longed for the loyalty of the faux romance of the dream. His subconscious surly knew how to give him everything he wanted. Her dark hair with blue eyes that pierced the darkest of days. A pearl in a sea of darkness. ‘Great I’ll be longing for an imaginary girl now all day…’

Visions of him in up tight dress shirts with pantaloons. Meeting faces and interacting with so many. Was he really going to have a gun slinger shoot out with some man with a strong jaw line? Like this was some regency tombstone cross over. It was all so real. The world was real and the conversations were real. Why did he sleep so hard…wild.

Buster has been in Swyn Lake for 10 days. 5 of those days he spent moving into his place. The other 5 he has kept to himself exploring and finding a routine. Maybe this was the first night he felt really comfortable in his new home and he got into that deep deep sleep.

Getting out of bed he went to look in the mirror. He looked just as normal as he thought. Though he half expected himself to be in some tunic type top with some cravat. Hair a bit disheveled but normal and beard in the perfect length to look rugged without trying. So this was just a dream…there was no insane change.

Sure it would be on his mind for the next day or so but it was nothing…the girl though…the pearl…that was something….yet just a dream.

[amestamaqueen]

Sid

True Name: Sid Melroy

Nicknames: S.M., My old partner (Striker), The Sharp-Toothed Slinger

Likes: Violence, Himself, Ruby (Formerly), Shooting galleries

Dislikes: The weak and helpless, Demons of high rankings, Sexual innuendos

Species: Imp-Shark Demon Hybrid

Gender: Male

Age: 23 (Hell Years)

Abilities: Closed and Ranged Combat, Weapons Proficiency, Luminescent Eyes

Status: Active

Occupation: Assassin

Family: Deceased Mother, (Father)

Friends: Striker (Formerly)

Romantic Interest(s): Ruby (Former Fiancee)

Enemies: Striker, Moxxie, Millie, Stolas

Others: Orbit (Former Steed), Royal Family of Ars Goetia

[froppy-butterflyfan2000]

Cappyverse

Mirage: Double Katanas

Beppi: Yo-yo and web slingers

Holly: A blaster from her suit

Duchess: Her Holy Staff that she used to summon bees and a sacrificial knife to purify evil and unclean spirits that she transform from her tiara. She can summon cherubs to neutralize curse energies and curse techniques by playing a trumpet that transformed from her tiara too.

Janaya: His combo weapon - wand/staff, both Bo Staff and Magic Staff/batons hybrid. His staff is used for more than just spell casting. It can be used for fighting. The compact length of the staff is 28 inches, but when it is extended, 73.5 inches. The weight of the staff is 4.1 pounds and the diameter is 1 ¼ inch. His magic staff allows him to focus on his magic and leviates object, from a feather to a table. It can separate into batons.

Hannibal: Claws, fists, fangs, and scythe (for spell casting)

Edda: A whip

Aurelia: A Solarian Blade

Munchausen: Knives, teeth, fists, legs, a gun, Assasin Teapot, Tesen, Spiked Bat, Handgun, Mace, Sniper Rifle, Jian, Arsenic cocktail, foxglove tea, and Shen Gong Wu Weapons: Wuzzy Bunny, Lasso Boa-Boa, Serpent's Tail. The reason why she prefers these weapons because she is a weapon, an assasin.

Zoey: Gaunlets or Boxing Gloves

Hiraya: Mecha Arms

Lunaverse

Niko: Axe, her Celestial Sapien ancestral Ghost and Chemical X hybrid superpowers, and her fist. Later on, Fairy Magic from her father’s grandparent side of the family. In the Lunaverse Headcanon, Nocturne is the child of a Celestial Sapien and a human, who is speculated to be a fairy. Unknown if the mother of Nocturne is a hybrid or a full fairy.

Nergella: Tentacles and Palisman Staff that can changes into an archer bow.

Ivy: A sword and favours plant magic

Sarah: Her Captain America Shield

Asahi: Dimension Sword-Scissors

My Tomstar AU

Rose: The Royal Grimoire (a form of The Butterfly Family’s Royal Wand)

Donald: A Sword

Ordella (Rose x Donald): The Royal Wand

Lilith: The Royal Wand

Rayman: His Scythe

Tales of Mewni

Vincenza: Her Scythe

Hootie: His feathers for arrows and daggers

What’s your OC’s weapon of choice?

[spiderversetweets]

I couldn't help myself