#fan to fan sharing of files is like nothing else

[countrymusicandcher]

Proof that Kate & Anna McGarrigle fans are different:

A guy cintacts me on an online forum. He wants help figuring out how to share some files of McGarrigle live recordings he has lying around. After some back and forth we agree he upload to We transfer and send me a link. So he does, saying "here's the first bunch". I click, expecting anywhere between 10 and 50 tracks from one of two occasions.

But NO

THIS GUY SENT ME 307 INDIVIDUAL TRACKs FROM AT LEAST A DOZEN DIFFERENT PERFORMANCES.

And this is "the first half" wtf!?

[lomlhwa]

y'know what they say about guitarists (c.s)

pairing: guitarist!san x vocalist!reader

preview: san has watched you flirt with entire crowds. he just wants some of that attention too.

tags/warnings: fem reader, mentions of drummer!mingi, bassist!yunho and stage manager!seonghwa, ONE BED TROPE WHO CHEERED, possessive san, spit play, pet names (good girl, pretty girl, sweet girl), praise, pussy drunk san, dacryphilia, lots of hickeys, unprotected penetration (wrap it before you tap it), creampie, cockwarming

trigger warnings: n/a

w/c: 2.0k

song recs for this fic: any chase atlantic tbh (slow down, swim, heaven and back)

a/n: this lovely fic is dedicated to @kitten4sannie to celebrate my return to writing! i hope you like this ml!

as you’re onstage playing a gig for a couple thousand people, you feel like you’re in your element. nothing feels better than being onstage with your bandmates. your hips sway to the music coming from the musicians sharing the stage with you.

you give playful winks and body rolls to the fans in the front row. something that always catches your guitarists eye. though, his rhythm never falters. 

jealousy always courses through him. he wants to receive those playful gestures from you. you even wink at mingi, your drummer from time to time. the beloved bassist, yunho, receives the most of your onstage affection. hugs, cheek kisses, etc. makes the male fans jealous. makes san’s blood boil. 

your angelic voice rings through the in-ear monitors that each band member wears. it sends shivers down san’s spine. so talented and so incredibly beautiful.

as your gig ends, you giggle and thank the fans who attended. “thank you guys so much for coming! i love you! we’ll see you next time!” you bow and flounce your way backstage in your cute outfit. your band members follow suit, bowing and running backstage.

“thank was great guys! well done,” you stage manager says. you wrap your arms around his shoulders and smile. “thanks hwa.” you let go of him and turn to yunho. “yuyu, your guitar playing was extra good today!” you exclaim, smiling so brightly that the sun might have competition. you peck his cheek before running off to your stylist to get changed.

san’s shoulders slump, knowing that he won’t receive those small actions of affection from you. “feeling left out, sannie?” mingi asks, towering over the smaller guitarist. san nods, not bothering to look up at mingi. 

“why don’t you just talk to her? there’s gotta be a reason she’s reserved around you,” yunho points out from across the room. his makeup artist is hunched over him, removing his makeup ever so carefully. 

“talk to who about what?” you say, suddenly coming out of your dressing room. you’re beautiful even now; no makeup and in your pajamas. “no one. nothing,” san blurts out. fuck. he’s so stupid. “okay,” you smile, sipping your water through a straw. 

“you guys ready to go back to the hotel?” you ask and the other three members nod in unison. you grab your bag and head for the door. “san’s rooming with you tonight, y/n.” you look back at yunho with wide eyes. “oh! um, okay.” you give san a confused look before heading out the door.  

san flips yunho off before following you out the door. you all pile into the company van and sit in comfortable silence as you head to the hotel. you file out of the van when you pull up, security making sure no fans get to you. you scurry into the building and do your best to sneak into your hotel rooms. you sigh dramatically as you get the door shut. 

you turn around to find san staring at your hotel room in horror. “what’s the probl-” you cut yourself off when you find that your room only has one queen sized bed. “shit,” you mutter. you drop your bag on the floor before you whip your phone out and dial seonghwa’s number. 

“hwa, what the actual fuck? one bed?” san can hear seonghwa trying to explain. he picks up pieces of the conversation. something about this being all that was left when he was booking. something else about telling you to suck it up. you mutter some insults before hanging up on seonghwa.

“i can just sleep on the floor, it’s fine y/n,” san drops his bag on the floor and sits down on the ground next to the bed. “no, san, we can share the bed. we’re touring. i don’t want your limbs to ache,” you shake your head as you climb into the bed. you pat the space next to you and he clambers onto the mattress. 

after a couple hours, you’re both laying on your backs in the dark, in silence. “hey y/n?” san says, finally breaking the silence. you give him a soft hum in response. “can i ask you about something that’s been bothering me?” he asks. you hum again.

“why don’t you give me the same attention you give mingi, yunho and seonghwa? no hugs, no pecks, nothing. you’ll skip over me just to give the ones beside me those things. why? did i do something to make you uncomfortable? or scared to do those things for me?” san can feel you tense up next to him. he wonders why that’s how you reacted. 

“cause…” you trail off. san can see the outline of you sit up in the dark. “cause i have a crush on you. if i gave you that affection, i would never survive. if i gave you a single hug, i would never let go. if i kissed your cheek, i would never be able to keep it from turning into a real kiss,” the confession hangs in the air like a spiderweb. he sits up, like you did. “why didn’t you tell me?” san asks. you sigh and shrug, despite the fact that he can barely see you.

“i didn’t wanna ruin the band dynamic. i didn’t wanna risk you not reciprocating and making things awkward between us. i was just scared that-” san pulls your head back so he can meet your lips with his. it’s swift, but it’s enough to make you sputter in shock.

“i’ve liked you since we even started this band, sweet girl.” despite being in the dark, he maneuvers you onto your back and hovers over you. his cologne envelops you and you shiver. 

“can i…. kiss you again?” san asks tentatively. he ghosts his fingers over your ribcage, making you squirm. “yes, please, san,” you respond. with your permission, he connects your lips in a surprisingly soft kiss. he lips melt with yours, finding a slow pace. his tongue drags over your bottom lip, asking for your plump lips to part.

your warm mouth welcomes san’s tongue as it pokes and prods at your inner cheek and fights with your own tongue. your hips grind up into his, searching for friction. he groans against your lips and it sounds more beautiful than any sound that’s ever come out of his guitar. 

his hands gravitate towards your hips to hold them down, keeping you from grinding anymore. “we can’t…” san whispers. “they’ll hear us.” you shake your head and pull him back down to you, kissing him more feverishly. “fuck… you make it so hard to resist you.” you whine against his lips, fighting his weight holding your hips down. “please, i need you.”

you can feel a moment of hesitation from him before he just lets himself relax into you. his hands leave your hips and you immediately grind up. his jaw falls open and you shudder at the sound that comes out of him again. 

you grab his hand and drag it under your shirt, wrapping his hand around your breast. your spine arches as he pinches your nipple between his thumb and pointer finger. “sannie-” your breath gets caught in your throat when his mouth moves to your neck and he nibbles on your skin lightly. 

“fuck, i can’t wait. let me undress you, sweet girl,” san begs you, his voice low and desperate. you tangle your fingers in his hair and nod as well as you can. his hand leaves your breast and helps his other hand to lift your shirt off you. you lift your torso up to allow for it to come off you completely. he wastes no time in allowing his own shirt to follow suit. your hands run down his chest to his abs, pressing against the muscle lightly. his hands undo the drawstrings on your sleep shorts, sliding your shorts and underwear down together. 

“off,” you mumble, clawing at his plaid pajama pants. he giggles and slides his pants down, discarding them with the rest of the clothes. he runs his hands over your bare thighs, spreading your legs gently. san’s hands run up and down your skin as he leans back down to kiss you. “condom?” he whispers and you shake your head. “no, wanna feel you.” 

san continues to kiss you as one of his hands moves down to his cock, stroking it a few times. he lines the tip up with your hole and sucks in a deep breath. he presses your thighs apart as he shoves his cock inside you, sheathing himself to the hilt. your hips stutter as your walls flutter around him. 

your jaw falls slack and san finds purchase in kissing your jawline and your throat. he pulls out to the tip before slamming back into you and you slam your hand over your mouth to keep from crying out. 

san lifts himself onto his palms to trap you between his arms. “you know what, sweet girl?” he says between thrusts, “you’re fucking mine. you hear me? mine,” his lips are right next to your ear, whispering these words into your brain. “you belong to me,” he grabs your face and forces you to face him.

“your lips? mine,” he kisses you roughly before pulling away again. “your pretty tits? mine,” he leans down to kiss your skin, leaving dark marks in the wake of his lips. “your pretty little pussy? it’s fucking mine,” san speeds up his thrusts to prove his point. your back arches and his tip jabs at the perfect gummy spot inside you. 

“fuck, you’re such a good girl. your pussy is so fucking good. so wet, so warm. you take me so fucking perfectly. my pretty girl. open your mouth for me,” you open your mouth immediately and he leans down to spit in your mouth. “swallow.” your jaw snaps shut to swallow his saliva. 

as your orgasm builds up, tears spring into your eyes. your chest heaves with tight sobs of just how fucking good it feels. “are you crying? does it feel that good, sweet girl?” you wipe your tears away messily, embarrassed that you’re even crying.

wiping your tears was pointless because when his thrusts speed up again, new tears fall immediately. “fuck, oh my god san that feels so fucking good,” you cry out, a little bit too loud. your thighs spasm as you try to close them, but san’s hips between your legs keep you wide open. 

“i’m gonna cum, i’m gonna cum, please,” your hands claw as san’s biceps, your climax being right there. “me too. where do you want it, pretty girl?” he asks, his hips becoming more and more feverish. “inside, fuck, cum inside me.” san bites his bottom lip as his thrusts become sloppier.

you wrap your arms around his torso and bring him down to you so you can dig your nails into his back. he rests his body weight on his elbows and you clench around him. “cumming,” you whisper as your back arches for a final time before stuttering back down. the intensity of your walls gushing around him finally sends san over the edge. 

the two of you just lay there completely still as ropes of cum fill up your abused hole. your legs wrap around his hips so that he won’t pull out before you want him to. “you’re so perfect. you’re so beautiful, so pretty when you cum,” he strokes your hair as he whispers in your ear again. 

“let me pull out so you can go to the bathroom and then we can sleep, okay?” you shake your head. “no. no. stay. roll over so i’m on top. lemme sleep with you inside. please. please, sannie,” you begging goes right to his head and he does exactly as you asked. with you situated on top of him, cock still inside, he pulls the blanket over the two of you. “we have to get up early to shower though, okay?” you nod.

_____________

“good morning love bugs. your throat gonna be okay to sing tonight?” yunho smirks at you and you smack san. “hey! i was the one who said they were gonna hear us!” he cries out. “at least you finally fucked,” mingi comments. 

“yeah, real fuckin good,” seonghwa comments, looking exhausted. he was in the room right next to yours. he shakes his head. “i’m sorry hwa.”

“get in the fucking van.”

© lomlhwa 2024

[bcacstuff]

Timeline 12 March 2024 - June 2024

For completeness and to consult when there’s discussion about his whereabouts. In addition to the previous timelines.

Timeline 12 covers 2 March 2024 - 29 June 2024

For previous dates see timeline 11

On 2 March he's at the Hyrox races in Glasgow, some fan pics were posted. He was registered and results showed up on the website, but it's unclear if he competed himself or someone else in his slot as he never posted any pics

In the weeks after he stays in Scotland a fan pic was taken on March 6th in Doune

Same day he posted some stories from Loch Lubnaig, recording a promo for MoM and getting interviewed by Charlotte Reather at his home for The Field magazine.

On 17 March he posts a story showing the St. Patrick Parade in London. A day later Paul Telfer posts a pic saying he met Sam in London over the weekend. Another fan pic taken on 20 March shows he's still in London.

On 21 March Starz finally get the word out OL S7b will be released in November, fans are not happy. Most likely they recorded the same day a promo showing S8 production started Monday 25 March,

while we already saw he was back home on Friday 22 March by a story, and a post on 24 March, the last one recorded over the weekend

More fan service posted on 1 April by Starz and confirmation of a 4 day break over Easter, back to work on Tuesday 2 April

On 13 April he's at Landcon 6 in Paris where he tells they've been filming S8 for 3 weeks now. Lots of videos and pics are shared as well as a live blog (also see my archive)

The next day he's registered for Hyrox Cologne but doesn't turn up, instead he's spotted by 2 fans in Paris. He flies back the evening of 14 April to Edinburgh

On 21 April he's spotted in Edinburgh by 2 fans, he apparently is there to treat his OL team on a lunch at Tony Singh's Supperclub in Edinburgh. In the evening he's spotted again

The next day on Monday evening 22 April he visits Midhope Castle with AN, where he's gifted some socks, but everyone is more curious what he's holding in his hands as it looks like a map or documents!

On 25 April he's in Edinburgh getting interviewed, two youtube videos are posted on 24 May

The weekend of 27 & 28 April is the MPC Gala weekend, lots of videos and pics are posted from the workout session on Saturday evening and the Peaker Games at Murray Filed on Sunday and the closing Gala. (see my archive for more footage)

On 30 April, his birthday he gets his birthday cake at the read through of Block 2 S8.

On 4 May he posts a couple of selfies showing he's in London. The same day a fan spots him in Kensington having lunch with SHer. He went to see her race at the Hyrox event in the same area, he didn't compete himself despite being registered (again)

It's unclear if he has been on set the week after, there are some doubts. Though he seems to be (back) home on 14 May when he posts a story from a magazine which shows his kitchen counter on the background.

The next day 15 May, he's clearly back on set showing his trailer which seems to be decorated during his absence by a costume designer (he tags). It's food for jokes during the next days and week.

On 24 May he posted a video announcing from the decorated trailer he'll be at Top Shelf in SF on October 5&6.

On 29 May an article is published by JJ of him holding hands on Dean street in London with a 'mystery woman', which caused quite some stir, he even adjusts the settings on his IG for some days

On 30 May he drives Dries Vos around Glasgow on his motorbike as if nothing happened.

On 1 June (OL Day) a teaser for S7b is released and a final date is announced (22 November)

On 2 June he posts a video and pics from a Kayak trip he apparently had the day before with some of crew members

On 5 June he posted a video joking about Taylor Swift who's going to give some concerts during the next weekend in Edinburgh which most of the cast will attend per his saying

On 7 June he apparently attended a concert of James at the OvoHydro in Glasgow. Most likely with a crew member as that person posted about it as well

On 8 June the main cast of OL and Maril and publisher Louisa attended the Eras Tour Concert from Taylor Swift in Edinburgh. Many posted their videos and pictures (more in archive)

The weekend of 15 June he stayed at the Avochie Estate where he spent an afternoon fly-fishing on the River Deveron

On 21 June he posted a story showing the new Mudlarking book from his kitchen counter

On 23 June he did a self-guided mountainbike ride at Comrie Croft, some fans posted a picture at the Tea Garden at Comrie

On 29 June he attended (again) the Giorgio Armani Tennisclassics. He was spotted seating in the audience next to a woman who turned out to be Alice P. showing some PDA

Other timelines:

Pre Hawaii timeline

Timeline 1 August 2020 Timeline 2 September 2021 Timeline 3 February 2022 Timeline 4 August 2022 Timeline 5 October 2022 Timeline 6 January 2023 Timeline 7 April 2023 Timeline 8 June 2023 Timeline 9 August 2023 Timeline 10 October 2023 Timeline 11 December 2023

[sehtoast]

Tender Threads CH6 (Homelander x OC)

chapter six: mentorship

chapter directory | slow burn, hurt/comfort, fluff, spidersona as original character, original trans male character, smut, sublander

summary: time to learn the ropes, bug boy. hope you're ready. it's just one week with homelander, how bad can it be?

She hates me.  She fuckin’ hates me and there’s no two ways about it.

Why else would Stillwell do this to him?  A mentorship?  Mandatory training? Benjamin had half a mind to be irritated with Starlight for being the reason this was even a thing.  That mugging she stopped the other day– same one she got in trouble for?

Yeah…

Now Benjamin had to suffer for it.  Learn the ropes, Stillwell had said.  Learn to be a Vought hero.  One week with each member, sans Noir due to the more sensitive nature of his missions.

At least it goes reasonably fast. Most of it, anyway.

From Starlight, he learns to use his position and influence to uplift outreach programs and charities, along with applying his image for promotion to a wider audience.  Despite his annoyance with the whole ordeal, Benjamin finds that he doesn’t mind Starlight one bit.  In fact, the two of them got along splendidly, sharing their life stories from their silly small town upbringings and how different their lives had become.  By the end of the week, Ben freely keeps his mask off around her and hardly minds her knowing about his secret identity.  

A-Train was a bit of a jackass if Ben was being entirely honest, and he spent most of the week watching the speedster practicing his fraction-of-a-second laps or signing his image away to endorse yet another sports company.  With him, Benjamin began to connect the dots of which supe represented what facet of life as a Vought hero.  Starlight was charity; A-Train was product licensing.  By the end, though, A-Train had begun to grow on the bug.

The Deep managed to be the worst week by far.  Benjamin spent his time listening to the aquatic supe drone on and on about sea creatures.  Their feelings, what they said to him, what they said about Benjamin, which fish at the aquarium found the bug attractive– Jesus fucking Christ please save me– how beautiful the sea is, and just about any other mindless drivel that disphit could ramble on about.  With him, Ben learned about scripted saves.

Few, if any, rescues performed by The Seven were authentic.  Some, but certainly not all.  Real ones seemed to only occur on a right-place-right-time basis.

And absolutely none of The Deep’s saves were legitimate.  Together, they tackled a staged smuggling bust at the harbor, much to Ben’s embarrassment.

His week with Maeve was spent sparring and bonding over cocktails and martinis.  Wasn’t hard to find the connection between the note of alcoholism in her file and the way she drank.  Had Benjamin been trying to keep up, he’d have probably needed his stomach pumped.

To each their own.

Four weeks turned to five, which was the one Ben had been most petrified to reach.

A week with Homelander.

He’d been so anxious the night before that he barely slept at all.  Must have been when the sun was rising that he finally dozed off in the warmth of his fuzzy blankets and silky sheets, bare legs rubbing between the textures like some kind of snuggly cricket until sleep overtook him with a force.

He doesn’t even wake for his alarms.  The trickling of light through the curtains fails to rouse him.  Life is… fine.  His dreams are nothing, but sometimes that’s all they need to be.  Just simple, comfy nothingness, that’s all–

“Mmm, cozy little setup you’ve got here.”

Benjamin barely registers the words as his eyes blink open, vision bleary, just to shut them again.  The cool air wafting about with every rotation of the ceiling fan tickles his shoulders.  The bug gives a weak groan and stretches his legs, poking one out from beneath his knitted blanket to splay across the bed.  Instead of its usual plush resting place, it lands on something firm.

Did I leave something...?

Ben slides his leg over the intrusion, trying to get a feel for whatever it is.

“You could buy me dinner first, you know.”

Huh?

Ben sucks in a deep breath and lifts his head, blinking slowly until–

“The fuck!?”  He yelps, scrambling toward the edge and clutching a cover to his bare chest.

“About time, sleepyhead.”  Homelander says, grinning from ear to ear as he lays beside the bug as if there were nothing wrong with any of it.  “Please, what’s with that face?  I can’t be the worst thing you’ve ever woken up beside.”

“Wh– why– what–”  Ben sputters, brain too foggy to coherently tell him to fuck off, too startled to give him shit for such a brazen violation of his boundaries.

“You overslept.”  

“So you got in my bed?”  The bug asks exasperatedly, eyes wide in disbelief.  “D’you know what boundaries are or–”

“Do you know what an alarm clock is?”  Homelander quips, all too happy with himself.  “Just go get ready.  The more time you waste, the longer we both have to be out tonight and I don’t particularly don’t wanna drag this one into tomorrow and overlap the days.  I also like to sleep, you know.”

“I–”  Ben shuffles to move out of bed, but stops.  “Can you like… look the other way or something?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I’m like… very naked under here.”  Ben blurts.

Homelander looks at him, hums, then covers his eyes with his bare palm.  “Fine,” he says.  “Won’t look.  Scout’s honor.  Just go get ready.”

Benjamin will never know that Homelander cheated his way out of that little promise.  Didn’t count as peeking if he didn’t peek– which he didn’t. He did, however, peer through his hand to see the bug scurry away with a little knitted blanket wrapped around his body.  Not that the blanket could stop him from seeing anything anyway.

There isn’t much that he hasn’t seen at this rate.  He’s watched Benjamin shower, seen him get ready or undress after a long day, seen him peel the spandex suit from his body and slump into bed as naked as the day he came into the world.  Hell, he’s seen even more than that.  Not like there was much awareness on Benjamin’s part back when Homelander had caught sight of such performances, but all the same… 

The first sight of Benjamin’s bare body caught him off guard.  Along the lower ridge of his pectorals sat two long scars, each running from his sternum to just below the pits of his arms, light pink in color and not terribly jagged.  Seeing them up close before the bug woke had been exhilarating in its own right.  Even more so to peer through those covers and catch that special sight that always left him unwittingly licking and suckling at his lips.

Ever the curiosity, it seemed. 

Homelander chooses to remain in Benjamin’s bed while the bug hurtles through his morning routine.  While Ben showers, Homelander rolls and buries his nose in the ruffled sheets.  The warmth of them is… different.  He’s done this before, tons of times actually.  He’d plopped himself into Ben’s bed back at the bug’s old apartment and relaxed before heading back to the hustle and bustle of the tower, but basking in it?   Inhaling Ben’s fresh scent, committing it to memory, the lingering heat making it seem like the bug was right there–

He almost hates himself for feeding this fixation.

Almost.

Their first stop for the day is the set of Homelander’s current movie: Homelander Origins.   Just an ordinary introduction to the entertainment industry, right?

“Oh Jesus– oh fuck!!” 

Homelander has him by the arms, dangling him thousands of feet in the air, flying at a mach whatever-the-fuck.  Ben’s body streamlines horizontally, almost perfectly parallel to Homelander’s as they zip through the clouds.  The bug’s stomach is practically in his throat and he’d long since threatened to barf in his mask only to be told that such an occurrence was a personal problem.  Turns out, Benjamin hadn’t totally conquered his fear of heights.  Diving off the Empire State Building was one thing, but this? This was a whole ‘nother ball game– practically a form of fucking torture.

Only after he stops wailing like a big baby on his first roller coaster ride does Benjamin wonder how big the shit-eating grin on Homelander’s face must be.  He must be thrilled to be instilling such terror in the bug after being held up due to Ben’s inability to wake up on time.

Benjamin spends the bulk of the flight staring up at Homelander, finding, as predicted, a satisfied smile splitting his features from ear to ear.  Every so often he looks down and winks, blue eyes twinkling with excited mischief.

“Well, you know what they say.”  Homelander chirps as they begin their descent– slower, thankfully.  “First time flying is always the hardest.”

The bug all but kisses the ground.  “Concrete!  Oh, beautiful, beautiful concrete!”  

He can practically hear Homelander’s eyes roll.

Once the theatrics are wrapped up and Benjamin’s stomach ceases its acrobatics, the two make their way inside of the studio hangar. In truth, Ben never thought he’d be setting foot in a Vought set– ever, actually.  It’s intimidating.

Which, of course, turns him into a bit of a lost puppy.  He stays practically glued to Homelander’s heels, even when it’s time for the makeup chair.

The bug watches with fascination as Homelander gets his on-screen face applied and his windswept hair fixed up.  The makeup artist doesn’t look overly thrilled to be working on him, but his captain barely seems to care.  In fact, he keeps his eyes shut, almost as if he refuses to look in the mirror at himself.  It was only when he would gaze in Ben’s direction to say anything that he bothered opening them at all.

The next half hour is spent rehearsing his lines, and Ben is far from a stellar actor.  Homelander complains more than half of the time that the bug’s line delivery is subpar, that there was no way for him to get his head in the right space because of his pathetically unconvincing delivery, that there was a snowball’s chance in hell that the bug could ever actually swing his own movies– any number of jabs.

Ben simply laughs it off.  “You plucked me off the streets, y’know.”

“And?  What, you can’t read lines like a normal person?”

“Apparently not, Mister Shakespeare.” Ben giggles.  He’s got his mask off while they’re alone in the dressing room, which somehow feels less vulnerable than usual.  Perhaps knowing that Homelander’s been looking through it the whole time has desensitized the bug to the idea of it, or maybe it was the fact that he’s been literally face to face with him so many times now whether by having it yanked off his head or just simply not having it on to begin with.

Homelander just shakes his head, drops his script on the table, and motions for Ben to follow.

Watching him perform his scenes is a whole different kind of beast.  All that talk about being in the right headspace seemed like just a load of hot air.

Homelander is flawless.  Line delivery perfect, body language spot on, expressions perfectly emotive… truly the whole package of an incredibly talented actor.  Ben watches, almost totally mystified until the director’s insistence to have multiple takes of the same scenes gets boring enough to warrant fiddling with his phone instead.

Beyond his own antics, the only other thing left to entertain him was Homelander’s half-hearted little tour guides around the set between breaks.  So you know what to expect when it’s your turn, bug boy, he’d said.  Homelander’s oddly patient throughout, showing little if any irritation when Ben asks objectively stupid questions or wants to swing by the snack table.  Though he does give some commentary.

“Careful,” he chides.  “You do wear a spandex suit.”

“Mhm,” Ben hums in return, chewing on sliced bell pepper.  “It’s vegetables, dude.”  But that’s exactly the kind of shallow commentary the bug had figured he’d be walking into after joining.  Hell, Vought tried to stick him with a meal plan for exactly the same thing Homelander just said.  High protein, low sugar, low carbs…

Yeah fuckin’ right.

They kick back again for a while in the dressing room to chat.  

“So how’d you even end up joining The Seven anyway?”  He asks, red webbed feet kicked up on the table in front of the couch.  This was overdue.  If Homelander was going to be metaphorically up his ass, breaking into his home, monitoring his performance, showing him the ropes, and whatever else ol' stars and stripes may cook up, then Ben was going to at least try to bond with him.  If he was stuck with the guy for the rest of however-the-fuck-long that contract was, then it only made sense to make the process less painful.

A flicker of… something flashes across Homelander’s face. “Oh, you know… Knew a guy who knew a guy.  Saw me in my little league games, threw me an offer right out of school.”

“Huh,” Ben purses his lips.  “Sounds like a blast.”

“Doesn’t sound like you mean that,” Homelander says.

“Well… You’re not wrong.”

Homelander’s lip twitches and that same little break in composure sweeps his features once more, disappearing just as fast as it came.

“Sorry,” Ben says with a tight lipped smile.  “I just… I dunno, actually.”  He huffs a small laugh.  “Y'did better than me, at least.  I was waiting tables right out of school.  Hey, what was school like for you, anyway?”

A tense moment passes, though Homelander’s irate energy seems to dim.

“Why do you care?”  Not a question terribly like him, being Mister Center-of-The-Universe and all.  He’s never asked anything like that before when Ben has inquired about him– granted that’s only been a small handful of times, but... "I'm not here to play fucking Twenty Questions with you."

Ah, yeah... Hit a nerve. 

Which means there's far more than what meets the eye to that picture-perfect story Vought's flung around on every screen and print medium that'd run it.

“I just–” think, Ben.  Think.  He worries his lower lip between his teeth for a second, anxiety bubbling.  If he lies, Homelander will know.  He’d already seen that super power earlier with an assistant who lied about why they were late.  Honesty was the best policy… “It’s– I just–”

Homelander arches a brow.

Ben lets loose a heavy sigh, letting as much tension free as possible.

“Everything I can find about you online is like, too pristine.”  Perhaps not the best way to say it, but at least it was mostly the truth.  Online really meant in Vought’s files, but Homelander didn’t need to know that.  At least not yet.  “Everyone else– ‘cept Noir, I guess– has like any number of rough spots in their life, and Vought fuckin’ loves to milk ‘em for sob stories.  I mean, just look at A-Train’s struggle movies.  Half that shit is blown out of proportion.  And I know 'cuz I asked him during my week with him.”  Benjamin leans back against the couch.  "I just... I don't believe the bits they put out about you guys, y'know?  S'just money to them.  So... yeah.  I wanna ask.  Maybe get to know you now that you're my boss and all."

“Is it so bad that I’ve had a perfect life?”  Homelander counters, almost too nonchalantly. That flicker returns, betraying him.

“No, just–”

“Does it make you jealous?”

He’s getting defensive…

“Look, man.  I’m sorry.”  Ben raises his hands, sitting forward.  Best to end it before Homelander gets pissed off. “M’just curious about you is all.”

Homelander stares him down for a moment, blue eyes boring into browns that couldn’t quite hold his gaze for more than a flash.  An all too forced smile cuts into Homelander’s face, though the intensity of his gaze fails to falter.

“No worries, bug boy.”

And, just like that, he’s standing to head out for his next scene.

Huh..?

The flight home was much less horrifying than the first time around.  Perhaps Homelander just lacked the energy to torture Benjamin more, as evidenced by his nearly child-like ‘fucking finally,’ groaned once the director announced the day was over.  

This time around, Homelander lets Ben hang on with his arms wrapped around his neck and one of his own around the bug’s waist. The proximity was a little awkward at first, but Benjamin eventually got used to it.  It’s all still pretty terrifying despite the fact Homelander even flies slower.

Benjamin embeds the setae of his fingerpads into Homelander’s suit just to be safe.

He didn’t bother to wear his mask, either.  Once they were in the air, there was no point.  Who would see them?  What phone camera could possibly catch them at such a height?  Besides, the cool air helps too.  Ben’s exhausted in his own right, and the battering of wind against his head helps keep him from dozing off, though he does eventually find it in himself to nuzzle his face against Homelander’s neck to spare his face from the whipping wind, although he does so quite timidly.

It’s odd all around.  Trusting the man who threatened to murk his parents to not drop him.  Burying his face in the neck of the man who stalked him for weeks on end.  Finding it… not totally awful?

Yeah, maybe that was the worst part.  If that somehow meant Homelander was growing on him, well...

Ben always was bad at keeping his nose out of trouble.  And right now, it is very much buried in trouble- literally and figuratively.

Homelander has to shuffle him away from the creeping tendrils of sleep threatening to overtake him.

“Huh…?  Oh.”

Home.

At least, as much of a home as it can be.  They’re hovering outside the exterior access panel to Ben’s tower apartment.  Homelander even brought him close to the wall…

“Thanks, I…” Ben turns his head to yawn, giving a few slow blinks.  “Mm…”

“Get in there before you fall asleep on the wall,” Homelander orders.  The smile is all too obvious in his tone even if Benjamin doesn't quite catch it in time.

The bug gives a weak laugh huffed through his nose.  “Right, right.  G’night, Homie…”  He doesn’t turn around to see if that half-cocked nickname won him a look of confusion, a smile, or potentially even ire.

Benjamin doesn't even bother trying to snack on something before bed.  He simply shuffles to his room, peeling the suit away with every step and kicking it to the floor before flopping into bed and burrowing under his blankets.  He stares at the other side for a while, finding sleep elusive despite how beat he is.

“Can’t believe he got in my bed,” Ben thinks aloud.  He runs a hand over the top of the covers where Homelander would’ve laid.  

Wonder what shenanigans he has planned for tomorrow…

[callmesel]

So I was passing my Percy Weasley folder to another account because my main account has the memory full so I’m deleting stuff, right?

Well, I have found an interesting piece of fan art that I wanted to share.

I’m too lazy to find the original so this is a picture of the fan art.

So, it’s a recreation of the Weasley siblings as the opposite gender, great, Charlie has a little dragon, Fred and George are beside Ginny, I think Ron is the one in green, Bill the one in blue and Percy the one in purple(because of the glasses). Nothing special, right? Well, you’re wrong!

Because you can clearly see and arm touching Percy’s chin as they are trying to take her attention away from the focus and to them. But she still is looking at the viewer as she is driving to somewhere else.

It’s a little detail but is interesting to me because it can mean a lot of things. Like, it can be a representation of how in the canon Percy left the family and this is the way the artist shows it or it can mean something else?

Maybe I’m too into it but you can see that only Percy’s dress is kind of more revealing that the rest and that Bill is kind of side-eyeing Percy, (or Ginny but this is about Percy) , maybe Bill is worrying about this mysterious person trying to take Percy. Charlie doesn’t look very happy either, so maybe that means something too.

But maybe is not anything of that, maybe is not a genderbender for all the Weasley siblings. Maybe the one in the middle is not male Ginny but is actually Bill because he looks too old to be Ginny because he looks older than the twins. That would change who is who but not the fact that Percy is the odd one out because of that mysterious hand.

Can it be that Percy is being taken away? That Ron (I assume is the one in blue) is noticing but doesn’t say anything? That Charlie is judging Bill for not doing anything to stop it?

Idk, maybe I’m just crazy.

I remember that when I made the screenshot it was with a pack of Percy Weasley fan art in a really sketchy website so it can also have another meaning or something. It has a date on the name of the file, 2011 - 06 - 07, so is from 2011.

I don’t even know why but it has being in my head for a while so idk I just find it interesting but at the same time I feel kind of stupid because there is not really anything to talk about but idk.

[nophunleague]

stare decisis: chapter three - ira

ira: latin for annoyance

masterlist

wc: 951

rafael barba x original female character

“I told you this wasn’t going to end well,” Quinn boasts in a sing-songy tone as Barba enters the shared reception between their offices. She’s sitting in a chair across from Carmen’s desk; almost like she was waiting for him to come into work today. She sips her coffee smugly, smirking as he stops in his tracks. 

“Morning Miss Brady. Smug are we today?” he sighs and opens the door to his office, she follows him in.

“Only proportionally to what is warranted.”

“You seemed to be worried about rights violations while we were acting in our official capacities; Amaro was arrested off duty so I’m not sure this act is proportionally warranted,” he says as he sets his briefcase down on his desk. She stalls for only a split second then speaks again.

“It wouldn’t have gone that far if they would have stopped pursuing the case when you told them to,” he rolls his eyes.

“You haven’t been here long enough to make that call. Amaro always ends up in trouble; one way or another,” she already knows that Amaro is not Barba’s favorite person so she largely brushes the comment off. 

“I heard IAB already pulled him in and started an investigation. As reckless and stupid as what he did was, I would hate to see a good cop ruin his career over a creep like Simon Wilkes,” she stares into her coffee mug, her reflection shown in the dark liquid. 

“Tucker has never been his biggest fan so I think he’ll at least take a hit on his jacket for this,” Barba admits as he pulls case files from the briefcase on his desk, eager to get to work. 

“Well that sucks. I’ve got first appearances today so I’ll see you later,” she says to him before slipping off to court for the foreseeable future. 

***

Finally leaving the courtroom after hours and hours of first appearances, Quinn makes her way back to her office when she’s stopped by her name being called out behind her.

“Miss Brady! Miss Brady,” she turns around to see a tall and slender man with short but graying hair. Cop, she thinks to herself. 

“That’s me. And you are?” she asks, he pulls out his credentials and flashes his shield. She recognizes the name from her conversation with Barba this morning. 

“Ed Tucker, Internal Affairs Bureau. I’m here about-” she cuts him off.

“Nick Amaro,” he nods but says nothing else.

“Are you going to ask me a question or just stand there and look stupid?” he almost takes a step back at her tone, she stares him down. 

“My office is under the impression that you staunchly opposed the SVU squad’s continued investigation into the Wilkes case. Is that true?” he pulls out a pen and notepad as he asks; she thinks for a moment. 

“I opposed my colleagues in the Special Victims Unit acting in their official capacities to investigate an obviously disturbed individual.”

“In their official capacities?” he asks, trying to copy down every word she says.

“Yes, but what they do on their own time is not my business,” she explains, adjusting the strap of her tote bag on her shoulder. 

“So you have no opinion on what Detective Amaro did to Mr. Wilkes?” she can sense he’s getting annoyed with her answers.

“I do not,” a small smirk twitches at her lips. “If that’s all Mr. Tucker, I haven’t eaten lunch yet and it’s oh, well, three o’clock. Have a great day,” she glances at her watch and begins to walk away. 

“They fought awful hard to not lead me to you. There’s something more, I’m sure of it,” he calls out from behind her; she keeps walking. 

Olivia is in Barba’s office when Quinn returns from first appearances and her first run in with Tucker. She’s only really returned to the office to grab her wallet before she slips out for a late lunch. 

In Barba’s office she can faintly overhear a charged conversation. “Rafa, if Nick is going to have a chance at getting back on the squad, she’s got to stay away from Tucker,” she hears Olivia plead to Rafael. 

“She’s never met him, so I don’t know how you expect her to stay away from him,” she hears him respond. Grabbing her wallet from her desk drawer she decides to peak into his office as she steps out. 

“I’d really hate to butt into a conversation that doesn’t involve me; but oh wait, this one does,” she speaks and she pushes his office door open, their eyes widening as they realize she’s back. Barba springs to his feet, Olivia merely turns around to face her. 

“Sergeant Benson was merely expressing her frustration with the IAB investigation into Detective Amaro,” he explains. 

“No need to cover it up, I heard. It just so happens that Tucker tracked me down on my way back up here. We had a little chat,” she crosses her arms across her chest as she leans against the door frame, her slender arm saved from the cool metal of the frame by the sleeve of her blazer.

“Well I certainly hope you didn’t contribute to ruining a good cop’s career?” Liv stares the attorney down, not letting up on her position that Quinn should not be involved in the investigation. 

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Quinn doesn’t let up either. Even though she knows she didn’t help or hurt Amaro’s case, she knows the squad still doesn’t like her so whatever she says isn’t going to help in building the relationship with them. “I’ve had a long day. Barba I’m stepping out for lunch. Good to see you Sergeant.”

[imagionationstation]

Hi! I read your TMNT 2012 separated au that you made with ellestrade and it really gave me brainworms so I wrote a small one-shot for it! The characters kinda ended up writing themselves haha.

anyways, wanted to share it with you and also make sure that you're okay with it. Not sure how you feel about other people taking inspiration from you ideas, so if you would like me to take it down, just let me know!

Thanks for sharing such fun ideas. Here's the post (I've also tagged you in it but sometimes tags are weird and don't always show. Also its on my fandom specific sideblog, but I am the same person haha)

Gotta love those brain worms! (Ironic statement from a 2012 viewpoint, actually-) HOLY CHALUPA, BRAIN WORMS IN THIS AU UNIVERSE, WAIT WAIT ACTUALLY WAIT-

*background rambles and spazzing*

Okay, I’m back.

I’m always a-okay with whatever fan things anyone wants to create with inspiration from something I made or helped make. As long as it isn’t containing some stamp that says “this I deem canon” when neither me (nor my partner) deemed it canon, no one ever has to worry with me getting upset over some story/comic/art.

I’m going to give some thoughts and I want to disclaimer.

When I discuss my thoughts on your POV of events in the AU, I will never, in any way, intend to diss or attack the story. I think the flow was excellent and Raph’s analysis of the events occurring was intriguing. I loved it! And nothing I say will be a statement otherwise.

But, since I have a distinct inability to keep my mouth shut when it comes to turtles and you asked, I have thoughts 🧐

My brain is now turning and ya’ll have to deal.

Characterization:

Donnie: Much distrust. Much sass. A strong sense of duty to defend his brethren turtles who don’t deserve it but he’s doing it anyway.

Very on point. Much approval 👌

Mikey: Could not be more perfect. I love him. Sweet soul ✨

Leo: He’s a bit less… Forceful. Cold and calculating. Than I envision.

I’d imagine that he had to learn to shut feelings down in order to survive. Fidgeting/smiling/visibly hesitating is out of the question. Staying in Shredder’s graces meant learning to play the game. His silence is what earns Raph the ability to be loud. The only times that he’s himself is when him and Raph are alone, outside of the sight of cameras, or when someone in is danger and fear/fury overwhelms all else. He seems bland to outsiders and it takes the Hamato brothers a while to see that that he’s just a scared little boi at heart that’s just trying his best in a cruel world.

He’s also set in his beliefs, so he’s going to assume that they’re being tormented mentally, if not physically. There’s no place in his mind that wonders if they were actually safer elsewhere.

I do like your POV, though. Plenty for me to play with.

Raph:

He’s ABSOLUTELY the first to question the differences between how Shredder treats them and how Splinter treats their brothers. He doesn’t jump the gun, but as devoted as he is, he’s never really liked Shredder. I love the implications that he’s been filing away concerns subconsciously and his brain keeps poking him like “HELLO?!”

He’s very deep. I can’t decide how I feel about that 🤔

Shredder would have wanted to fan that temper into something unforgiving and vile. Or course, that doesn’t mean he stops being a sensitive soul. It could… Have something to do with Shredder manipulating him into being angry when he wills it (basically all the time) and solemn and still when he doesn’t (such as during lectures, punishments, etc).

His brain registers this situation as one where he’s not meant to be loud and angry, and so he’s kinda… Shut down. Sassy, but mellow. Processing. Adapting. Letting what happens happen because he’s not meant to stop it.

It’s a reason that Leo gets so defensive when punishments come into play. It forces Raph to feel small. It make him vulnerable.

HOLY MOTHER OF MUTATIONS- I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS NEW TAKE ON THE AU @ellestrade TELL ME IF I’M ONTO SOMETHING

Anyway, commentary:

“in one of Takeō's strategy books he couldn't care less about”

It’s like Space Heroes. He claims so and YET he read, recalls, AND clearly has DEBATED the passage so I call sus vibes.

I get giddy when I think of Takeō discovering Space Heroes-

“Junkō and Kōta— or Donnie and Mikey, whatever false name they’d been given—”

My brain made connections. I don’t know if it was intended, but I always believe that they knew them by Shredder’s names through the beginning of season one, end of season one/beginning of season two they were associating them as both, and then by the time that the City is under attack, they’ve adapted to using their real names. (But the Saki brothers still keep their Foot names.)

So, now I assume this is somewhere in that middle plot.

Fun little Easter egg~

“Takeō and Akihitō were the offense, and Donnie and Mikey were the defense” “They held their own. In fact, they dominated.”

I’m in love with Raph’s simple acknowledgment of their roles in battle. It’s a very practical outline of exactly how their dynamic on the field plays out and he's so certain of his place.

On the other hand, I’m a bit uncertain about whether they’d dominate. I do believe that they are trained and can hold their own, but I don’t know about them being as impressive as Raph&Leo, simply because Splinter trained them to defend and Shredder trained them to kill. The Hamato brothers haven’t had much time to practice in the offensive, especially since that’s Leo&Raph’s job. (In non-AU canon, they are all offensive/defensive.)

I think Mikey might learn that kinda strength at the farmhouse after being taught by Leo&Raph, and Donnie will step back from that, finally finding his place not as a fighter/leader, but as a scientist.

Definitely an interesting take, tho 🤔

“Only now does he think that, perhaps, there was a reason their master made their primary weapons blunts and not blades.”

I am chewing on this line so hard. It’s so powerful.

I can’t even tell you why. It just is.

“Akihitō knows that Takeō isn’t lying. He’d already tried to take tonight's blame all on his own shoulders, spare Akihitō of the punishment. But Akihitō knows all his tricks and he won’t let his brother suffer alone. Again.”

100% behind Raph learning to butt in when Leo tries to take the fall as they get older and punishments get worse.

“Seeing the situation, the evidence glaring at him, Akihitō cannot deny that this wasn’t exactly a great sell. Takeō and him are tied to the ground, trying to convince these two strangers that they would be safe with them. That their clan would not hurt them while that same clan was just about ready to beat them to a pulp.”

I was thinking the same thing 🤣

Leo, dude, seriously. Look around. Think for a second. You are not selling your point. You are doing the opposite.

In the end, it doesn’t even matter. Sensei will always find them no matter where they run. It was better to follow than be chased.

SOMEONE NEEDS TO TEACH THESE KIDS THAT THIS IS A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP. YOU SHOULD NOT FEEL MOTIVATED TO STAY WITH DAD BECAUSE HE WILL FORCED YOU TO REMAIN OTHERWISE. BRUH. RED FLAG.

These were Foot Ninja binds made specifically to hold them. Mutant strength and all.

It makes sense that Shredder would make these. But.

But man. He made those. For them.

Takeō tries to take control of the situation again, the bossy oldest sibling coming out in him.

HA. Got him. Leo is Leo in any universe.

“His name is Mikey.” Donnie glares. “The rat is lying and he has—” “Donnie, its fine.”

Absolutely how they view things. Mikey doesn’t care what they think or do as long as no one he cares about is paying the price. Donnie feels it is a manner of principle that they accept logic and truth.

Leo talking over both of them is valid. This kid, I swear.

“Then tell your older brother to shut up about—”

LEO IS IT OFFICIAL YOU HAVE BEEN DISOWNED

“Sounds like a you-problem.” Donnie stands. “Mikey, we saved them. It's time to go.”

Donnie would die for them <3

A hand lands on his shoulder, and he recognizes it. Takeō always knows when to give support. He’s a good brother. He hopes Donnie and Mikey will know that one day too.

OH. OKAY. WELL. 🥺

THOSE FEELS CAME OUT OF NOWHERE-

He loved his big bro sm hjkhkjhkjhjkkjhkjhkjhku

If Akihitō didn’t know any better, he’d say it was longing.

Oh, don’t worry, he is dying to have other people in his life who genuinely care for him, but as long as you guys are with the enemy, you’re a threat to his baby brother and daddy and not to be trusted

And, just maybe, it could be their world too. 

Oh, so that’s what pain feels like. Glad to be reminded.

[captivemuses]

Comfort food(s): If I'm going purely sweets then I'm going to say Thin Mints. I did Girl Scouts for a large portion of my childhood and those were and still are my absolute top tier favorite Girl Scout cookie and I'm not even kidding saying I could polish off an entire box in one sitting and regret nothing.

Comfort drink(s): Hot cup of coffee. Granted I normally drink iced coffee during the summertime for obvious reasons but hot coffee is still my favorite.

Comfort movie(s): Pirates of the Caribbean. More specifically the first three because I heavily prefer those to the fourth and fifth installments. I don't mind the fourth one and I'll willingly watch it if I'm in a mood to binge the series again but I wasn't in love with the fifth one and I just wish certain elements of the movie had happened in earlier installments instead. But I just love the cast as a whole and the soundtrack and I can have it on as the best background noise while I'm doing other things and just be happy. I also have the first three soundtracks at work to use as naptime music and my daycare kids genuinely love the music.

Comfort show(s): Yuri on Ice. I always do an annual rewatch of the show and have done so every year since the show came out in 2016. I'll probably keep doing so just because I'll always love the series even if MAPPA clearly doesn't because the suck-- /gets yanked off stage to not go on an anti MAPPA tangent again

Comfort clothing: Pajama pants. I wear those as much as I humanly can because they're stretchy and comfy, and ngl I'm extremely guilty of wearing them to work a lot only because I'm allowed to wear what I want as long as nothing's stained or ripped or having anything offensive or inappropriate for kids on it. I'm here for comfort not fashion when I clock in to take care of threenagers all day rofl.

Comfort song(s): Anything Lady Gaga. I'm not super familiar with her newest album Chromatica as I am with the previous ones but I'm still a huge fan of hers and I'd 100% go see her in concert again if the opportunity arose, she's worth every penny imo.

Comfort book(s): I don’t really have a set of comfort books to share right now. I might update this in the future with some, but the only memorable story is “You”. I prefer it over the show for sure. The exploration of a man so psychologically twisted that when he finally “settled” and had a kid, he would abandon a son, purely out of disgust, knowing that he would turn out just like him. Also, Guinevere Beck is my favourite. I just perceive her as a human character, somebody with flaws that are outlined clearly, and it was an aspect I really enjoyed. I might even reread the first book, just for her. Side note: the cage is such a cool concept, and I will be taking notes. kidding. not really.

Comfort game(s): Either anything Harvest Moon or old school Pokemon (think Johto region, that's always been my favorite). Those are old school nostalgia for me growing up and you'd have me be happy having to go restart the original Gold/Silver for the 15th time or go start a new save file on Harvest Moon (which speaking of I want to pick up the remake again once I'm out of icon hell and don't have to drag my laptop to work all the time). They're just relaxing turn my brain off games that I love.

tagged by: @iceiclehorned ty for the tag!!

tagging: @gildedsplendors @protectivemuses @reflective-muses @weltenwxndler @ofhope @galactia @crimsononiarataki and anyone else who's been good and hydrated today (and if you haven't you should so you can do this and say I tagged you!)

[sgt-scottymoreau]

Wishes

Summary: Ghost is not a birthday fan, especially when it come to his. Scotty is willing to do anything to make that change, a little.

Warning: None, just fluff

Words: 1k // Masterlist

A/N: Wrote this one a long time ago, but I was waiting for the day to post it! July 13 is my headcanon for Ghost's birthday! Ok, more I did a spin the wheel kind of thing, but considering this was so close to my mom's bday, I kept it XD So, it is July 13 today, happy birthday to my boy 😘😘

Ghost woke up already wishing the day was over. He will have to push through the day like it was any other day because, it was the case right? Just a regular day with nothing special. He got out of bed, looking over his shoulder. She was still sleeping like a log. He smiled softly at sight and went to the bathroom to shower. She was off duty today so better let her get some rest. He let the warm water roll down on his body, trying to let go of this dreadful feeling that was growing on him. He has hated this day ever since… Ghost rather not dwell on it. This was almost twenty years ago. Once he was done, he went on with his usual morning routine before heading off the base. 

When she woke up, Scotty found the flat empty, no noise, no one around. She sighed. She missed him! She was supposed to tell him something important. After knowing each other for more than a year and dating for almost a year, there was still some stuff he didn't tell her. Things that Scotty knew she could just pretend to ignore and let them be. Ghost opened up to her a lot last time during New Year, which was probably something he never did before. That's why she never tried to pressure him into talking about anything else. If the subject of his past had to come up, it was because he wanted to and felt safe to share. 

However there was one thing, one small detail that Scotty had to go behind his back to obtain the information. It was three months ago that she went into Price's office with one idea in mind.

She pushed the door, determined to get the date. Ghost had been evading the subject so much, it was impossible for her to get it. Price who was filling some reports on his computer lifted his eyes and looked at her. "How can I help you?" He asked taking this interuption to stretch his back.  "I was wondering if I could see the Lieutenant’s dossier."  "You know he is your superior, as such, you are not allowed to do so… Why do you need it anyway?"  "Well…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "He refuses to tell me anything about his birthday. I thought I could sneakily check it out myself?" Price smiled at her answer. At least she was honest and straightforward. He went to the files cabinet behind him and started to look for it. 

July 13th. This was the date she had been desperate to find. Scotty went on a guts feeling that he might not had many happy special days if he tried so hard to keep it secret. So she thought she could surprise him a little this morning. Just wishing him a happy birthday, but he left without a sound, she missed the opportunity. Being off duty meant that her day was already filled with other tasks that needed to be done. But maybe there was still a bit of hope. If she could squeeze it between two shores. Her guts also told her that Ghost might do everything to avoid coming back home before the end of the day. 

It was late afternoon when she turn off the car’s engine in the main parking of the base. She was still dressed in civilian clothes, only wearing her pass on her t-shirt. She grabbed the bag from the passenger seat and carefully made her way to Ghost's office. Scotty didn't want anyone else to be aware of what she was about to do. 

Ghost spent his day between the gym, filling reports and training recruits. Anything that would keep his mind off this very regular day. His eyes were reviewing some papers, yet he could feel the heavy burden on the back of his mind. He put down the paper and grabbed his head in hands and let out a deep sigh. Just a few more hours, then he could go home. Spend the evening with her pretend that nothing was going on. The usual routine and honestly this idea brought relief to his mind. 

A soft light caught his attention. He lifted his eyes, seeing a pastry, the size of a single slice, with a candle on it. He frowned. He shifted in his seat to straighten his back and he saw her standing there, with her soft smile. The same one he fell in love with long ago. "What is this?" He asked. 

"Happy Birthday." Scotty’s voice was calm, yet it was easy to notice the hint of excitement and sincerity behind it. 

Ghost looked at her puzzled. "H-how did you know?"

"I asked Price, I did promise I’ll keep it to myself. You kind of avoided the subject and… I wanted to do a little something. This isn't much but I thought you would appreciate it. Maybe next year we could do something better."

The lieutenant remained silent. His gaze shifted between the small gift and her. "I didn't want you to be alone today, but it was complicated with our schedule. But seems like I was able to make it between a few tasks." She walked over him. His vision blurred. He cursed under his breath. It reminded him of the times, his mother would try to make this day a little more special despite everything, despite the absent shithead of a father he had. Till the day he said that he didn’t want to bother with this anymore, the day he decided that his birthday was nothing but a normal day. 

"Are you alright Simon?" She worried. As soon as she was in arms reached, Ghost wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her belly. His shoulders jolted up and down. Scotty smiled and hugged him back, pressing a kiss on top of his head. 

"Yes I am. It's just… I don't deserve you!" Ghost sniffed against her. 

"You don't mean it."

"You are always so kind to me… Wish I could return the favor."

"We talked already about this, Simon. Your love will do more than enough. But if you really wish to return the favor, what about you quitting work earlier so we can spend more time together?"

"Aye, that's possible." He stood up, kissing her on the forehead through his mask. On this they headed back home. Ghost's mind felt lighter and maybe birthdays weren't so bad.

[countrymusicandcher]

Proof that Kate & Anna McGarrigle fans are different:

A guy cintacts me on an online forum. He wants help figuring out how to share some files of McGarrigle live recordings he has lying around. After soem back and furth we agree he upload to We transfer and send me a link. So he does, saying "here's the first bunch". I click, expecting anywhere between 10 and 50 tracks from one of two occasions.

But NO

THIS GUY SENT ME 307 INDIVIDUAL TRACKs FROM AT LEAST A DOZEN DIFFERENT PERFORMANCES.

And this is "the first half" wtf!?

[neonthewrite]

Let's Go (Tiny) Gamers

Today's prompt is video games. It's probably not a surprise, I landed on the classic "lil guy wants to try a viddy game". Decided to go with Adrian and Colfax, with a lil story set sometime after A Little More Trust (DA) (Ao3). AU cowritten with @creatorofuniverses

~~~

“And Sawyer just lets you play in his video game files? He’s not worried about the, uh, the data or whatever?”

Adrian was intrigued. He’d seen plenty of humans talk about the near-sanctity of their video game files. It hadn’t occurred to him that some humans would be perfectly okay letting someone else play their games, potentially altering the story or missing out on things.

Colfax had also been surprised at first. When he lived in a university building, he heard human after human talk about their various games. The occasional story about a “lost file” or a “corrupted save” was always met with a somber air. It always seemed to him that, unless they were playing collaboratively, humans weren’t keen on sharing their games. 

Sawyer, by contrast, had been ecstatic to share his games with Colfax, along with his favorite movies and shows. Colfax had seen a lot more media since he’d decided to stay in the apartment with the enthusiastic human. Some were more baffling than others, though it was often easier to just humor the guy when he wanted Colfax to give something a try, no matter how nonsensical. He hadn’t shown a single sign of being worried that Colfax would ruin his game data.

“He doesn’t seem to care,” Colfax said, not divulging how strange he felt that was. “I sometimes try some games. To humor him.”

Adrian grinned. He could tell that Colfax probably liked the games more than he let on. If nothing else, they were an intriguing thing that most viri didn’t get a chance to play around with very often, thanks to the secrecy of their usual lifestyles. Adrian and Colfax had opportunities many viri didn’t, including being able to live out in the open human apartments, able to trust their much larger friends.

Though Sawyer and Charlie were out for the day, the viri had found themselves wandering the apartment instead of scouting the neighboring ones for possible supplies. They’d done that plenty of times already. This occasion had found them standing on a couch cushion, and a nearby game controller sat waiting for someone to bother with it.

It was big‒easily bigger than both viri combined, though that wasn’t a very high bar. It would fit comfortably in a human’s palms, with the buttons and joysticks in easy reach for just a few fingers. By contrast, Colfax would have to stretch his arms across the thing to hope to reach both sides. That meant Adrian probably wouldn’t stand a chance, with his much smaller frame.

Still. “Do you think he’d mind if I tried it too?”

Colfax shrugged. “Don’t see why not.” With that, he strode over to the controller and placed a hand over the center button. He leaned into it a bit, and with a beep and a flash of bright light, the controller woke from its electronic slumber. Across the room, the console it belonged to beeped in kind, fans whirring to life.

Sawyer had the TV set to respond to connected devices switching on. Soon enough, the TV and the console and the controller were at the ready, showing the game console’s menu.

Adrian hurried over, standing next to Colfax at the controller and taking in the several buttons and brushing a hand over the strange, almost-rough rubber of one of the joysticks. “Maybe I should stick to something simple. I don’t think I can reach all of these.”

Colfax chuckled faintly. He nudged the other joystick to the side, moving to select one of the games downloaded to the console. “I usually can’t,” he admitted, pushing down on one of the other buttons to select an option that he remembered being mostly forgiving. “I’ll help you.”

[randomscpventblog]

what of those who use rewrites and get harassed for it by... *those* kind of bright fans, like the type of "fan" that send threats, make nazi jokes, and so on, etc. like dont we also get some voice in venting? if i may share my vent:

i don't care if people wanna use bright, that's their choice good for them, but at most i want people to understand /why/ some people might be moving to a rewrite or a different character within the scp universe instead. and same thing goes for rewrite crowd to understand the same. its a spectrum, two extreme ends with a lot of grey in between it. bullying, sending threats, etc whatever from all sides isn't going to help anything.

i personally moved to rewrite because it just felt the best thing to do morally. i like to follow morals, and the moral said to rewrite something new. am i going to bully people and go "delete bright boo!!" no. i could never.

things i do agree: for the character to be deleted, or at least archived the same way the original 166 file was archived on the wiki with a big ass disclaimer, and keep the tales provided by they were written by other uses and not adminbright (example, keeping Major Tom but deleting Code Brown)

things i dont agree: bullying people who chose to either use bright or use a rewrite. agree to disagree.

Everyone can vent if they’d like and your welcome to vent here if you’d like but please just keep in mind that this is primarily meant to be a safe space for Bright users as well as being a place for my thoughts meaning I won’t exactly be impartial or neutral. I however do not condone any harassment and agree that everyone should be able to do whatever they’d like without fear of harassment.

Also I feel like the reason Bright fans vent more here on Tumblr is because rewrites are much more prevalent here and they also get much more support whereas Bright users are simply not allowed to speak in a lot of spaces. Of course this doesn’t justify any harassment but it may explain why some Bright fans go so far plus there’s simply way more rewrite users then Bright users here on Tumblr especially in the Western side of the fandom so that of course means there’s a larger percentage of them who’ve received harassment compared to the few Bright users.

Also also I’m not a big fan of the morality argument, I just feel like basing your interests off of what others tell you is ok to like/support can get depressing pretty quickly. Obviously you shouldn’t financially support bad companies/people but I feel like just straight up not being allowed to simply enjoy something or talk about it is going too far especially when it comes to something as harmless as a character. Of course the choice is yours however I’d just advise you to only follow your own idea of what’s morally correct and not let others bully you into doing what they think is right.

As for character Bright I believe he belongs to everyone but his original author so I agree that AdminBrights works should be removed off the wiki or if possible do something similar to Ao3’s orphaned accounts/anonymous accounts that way even if removal can’t be achieved then at least it’ll limit AdminBrights reach with new users. Everyone else’s works with Bright on the wiki should stay of course as they’ve done nothing wrong.

Anyways this’ll be the third or fourth time I’ve said this but do not send rewrite creators any hate or harassment I expect everyone here to act like adults regardless of age. If I find out anyone of my followers has been responsible for such asks/messages then me and my friends will put you on blast for all of Tumblr to see, this is not funny and your making the rest of us look immature.

[itlivesproject]

hiii! your project is AMAZING and you're all so talented 😭😭 but i have a question if you feel comfortable with sharing. which apps/programs you guys used to recreate the game? I'm interested in developing my own games but have no idea where to start. can you give me some tips? 🙂 tysm anyway!

If you want to make a standalone visual novel, then the program we use, Ren'Py, is perfect! It's free and designed specifically to make visual novels easy to make for everyone, including beginners. I had literally zero understanding of programming when I started working on ILW and just figured it out through tutorials, asking questions on forums, and trial and error.

This is the Ren'Py link.

Because this is long, under the cut I'm sharing some things you'll need to think about if you want to make a visual novel:

Your team:

You don't have to have a team of people helping you with this. You can do it alone. However, I will say that ILW would not be what it is if I had just tried to go it alone. It is so much better than anything I could've dreamed of when I first got the idea. More people on a team = more ideas, more constructive criticism and feedback, and more heads going in together to make a better product. But if you want a team, you need to make sure you maintain an attitude and environment that is open to suggestions and contributions from others. Be ready and willing to throw out ideas you like if it no longer works or someone thinks of something better. Nothing kills the creative spirit faster than defensiveness and competitiveness, so to have a well-working team, open-minded members and sharing your ideas and criticism in a positive way is extremely important.

Art:

This is one of the first things you should really nail down, because if you start working on your game but never figure out the art, everything else will go to waste. For most VN creators, they usually hire out for art. For us, since this is a free fan project, our artists worked for free. We were also lucky to already have a bunch of backgrounds and assets from Choices that our artists could edit, so we didn't have to make dozens and dozens of entirely new backgrounds. If you're going to have to hire out, I'd try to really compress the amount of art you'll need - plan ahead and cut down unnecessary characters who'd need sprites, maybe use a silhouette for unnamed characters, and limit the amount of backgrounds you'll need, because backgrounds take up a lot of space, they take up a lot of time to make, and they're expensive.

Programming:

Obviously, programming is a big thing. If you have enough motivation, you should be able to figure out a lot of this on your own. If you use Ren'Py, be sure to read the documentation, watch a lot of basic tutorials, and just get into the engine and start getting your hands dirty! It seems like a lot at first, but once you get the feel of it, it's actually not too complicated. When it comes to programming, I recommend simplifying everything as much as possible. When I first started ILW, I didn't simplify things much (because I was figuring things out) so what I used to do in three lines of code I now do in one. Limiting the amount of code you ultimately end up writing GREATLY diminishes possibility of errors and bugs. Also, try to get as organized as possible. Make as many folders, subfolders, and text files as you need. Don't try to put the whole script in one file, don't put all the images in the same folder. Good organization goes a long way to making everything a lot easier to keep track of.

Game structure:

Piecing together a branching game is honestly quite a puzzle. Before going into working on your game, you should sit down and figure out game mechanics. What points do you want to include? Personality? Relationship? Romance? Skills? Some kind of narrative scale akin to blood vs shadow? Figure out what points systems you want to include and then figure out how that's going to impact the story and where. When creating love interests, don't just create a character and assume they'll fit themselves into the narrative. Focus on the character as a character first, meaning determine how they fit into the story's narrative, and then think about them as a love interest second. If you do this, it will make them a better character and a more satisfying love interest. Finally, start the game knowing how much variation you want. Do you want something with immense, diverging endings? How much variation do you want within one scene? Because interactive fiction is so determinant on player choices and there can be so many routes, it's not a good idea to just go with the flow and see what happens, because otherwise you won't be able to reconcile all the different routes you likely created. So figure out the overall structure for your story in terms of mechanics before you really start on planning.

Planning and writing:

Once you have the previous stuff figured out, then you can start actually planning the story and eventually, writing it. Again, I'd recommend you figure out the previous stuff first because if you start planning and writing immediately, but then it turns out you can't solve the programming, or can't get art, then all this work will have been for naught. My advice on planning: do NOT skimp out! Additionally, to make the love interests feel more important to the story as a whole, I would recommend the technique of arc outlining, which is essentially when you take each love interest separate from each other and plan out scenes that tie into the story to further their individual character arcs. Doing this makes it easy to figure out where tender relationship and intimate moments can go, and those moments will be more interesting because they're connected to an actual plot point instead of just being like "it's sexy time!" Once you have your plans, you can start writing. Depending on how long your story is, writing can be really difficult. It takes a lot of time and thought, and burnout is real.

Music:

You'll want to figure out how you'll get music for your game. Again, creators usually hire out for this. On the Ren'Py forums, there's actually a specific topic for music that helps you network with composers who are looking for jobs. For us, again, since we're a fan project that's not making money, we could use 1) Choices music 2) tracks from a music library I have a deal with and 3) as a composer myself, I wrote some original tracks. Also, if you're looking for free sound effects, freesound.org is actually perfect for that. It's where I got the siren, forest, and ghost voice SFX!

Distribution

Distribution can be tricky! For ILW, we originally wanted it to be playable online, but we eventually removed that option because 1) saving online was complicated 2) the quality wasn't as good and it couldn't run smoothly and 3) we didn't want people who could download it, play online and have a bad experience instead of downloading it. If you offer an online option, most people will take it. For indie games, I think using something like Steam or itch.io is the way to go. Unfortunately, that will make it so it's not available on Apple products, but to get it on Apple you have to package it specifically for Apple which is difficult, and you have to pay $100/year to be allowed to have it up on the app store in the first place.

Hopefully this helps! This is really just scratching the surface, but here are some things to think about if you're interested in making your own visual novel.

[ephemeralflower]

lauriam and marluxia: two distinct characters

in a 2017 interview following the release of khux, nomura was asked whether lauriam is marluxia. nomura answered “lauriam is lauriam.” most people have disregarded this statement by now because duh--we’ve already seen the differences between members of the organization and their recompleted selves.

however, i am going to argue that there is a further degree of separation between lauriam and marluxia than the other somebody/nobody pairs. 

there are characters like ienzo who has a noticeably different personality from zexion (though i consider him a special case), but the others really aren’t that different when comparing them to their nobodies. their personalities are largely the same. it’s their motivations that are different. 

now, put lauriam and marluxia side by side. lauriam, who cares about his little sister more than anything in the world vs marluxia, taking advantage of namine and using her to do his bidding. lauriam, who feels remorse for lashing out at ventus in the heat of the moment vs marluxia, who stops at nothing in an attempt to steal the keyblade’s power for himself. marluxia’s actions are a regression of the resolve lauriam has at the end of khux. 

naturally, this is a consequence of khux being written after CoM. so, how does nomura reconcile their differences? well, here’s how: marluxia is canonically an amnesiac, as hinted following his defeat in kh3 and is stated in his kh3 ultimania character file. (how canon you consider the character files is up to you, but even so i recommend giving marluxia’s a read.)

it is likely that he lost his memories before becoming a nobody. lauriam, ventus, and skuld (you’ll have to pry “skuld is subject x” from my lifeless body) share the trait of memory loss. memory loss is seemingly a side effect of using the incomplete ark to travel to the future. (ephemer’s pod never activated, brain is ???, and frankly i’m still not sold whether elrena is an amnesiac, but she can tentatively be included with the amnesiacs as well.)

lauriam losing his memories before becoming marluxia explains how he ended up on his little darkness detour and why he had no qualms wasting precious time with the organization--he doesn’t remember his purpose. it also provides for an unknown amount of time for him to gain new memories to base marluxia’s personality around.

ultimately, i consider lauriam and marluxia are separate entities with very different motivations. they share a body, but not much else. marluxia’s character file hints that part of lauriam’s personality leaked through and played a role in his plan to overthrow xemnas, but it is arguable how canon the character files are. i’m all for it, personally. 

there will be some OG fans who complain about this as a retcon until the end of time, but as it stands, khux could not have ended the way that it did without creating a clear divide between lauriam and marluxia. 

lauriam is a protagonist now. i can’t wait to see how he reconciles with his actions as marluxia. 

[dnangelic]

would you still love me if i were a worm

@espectres

' i'm already a monster , aren't i ? ' ( and somehow , for some reason , don't you love me still ... ? ) the sharp , playful grin on his face expresses every mischievous intention at first : let's play a game . no summary , no simple yes or no . ' let me guess ... ' he takes one step closer . just a step , fitting his hands into deep pockets as he eyes the other . the thin , skinny slits of his pupils gradually turn full and round , but he doesn't let himself loom ; fails to cast any sort of shadow over the far-smaller boy who he admired as something no less than the light of his very life . ' are you worried i'd eat you ? '

because he was black-winged , birdlike , bony and cruel ; because he kept sheathed talons at the tip of each cold , marble-esque hand ? ' or maybe you're worried that i'd lose interest because we wouldn't easily be able to communicate anymore , and so i'd try to find someone else . ' abandonment . his head tilts to one side , as if he were contemplating such a scenario . ' ... a worm lives for five , maybe around ten years with enough care and a little luck . ' it's here that the sharp ends of his stare seems to dull and melt with his every hidden , silent tenderness . ' ... well , my feelings would last for far , far beyond that . '

what would he have done if shou , if by some wicked magic , truly had turned into a worm ? the boy was restless . legless at times as it were , trying to make something out of the tossed soil and over-turned loam of his life , sensitive and sometimes even thrashing as one of life's most simplest yet beautiful creatures , one that felt with all of its skin , even blind . one step closer , another . he's closed every distance now , and so the thief's arms wrap about the other . wings wriggle out of their fold , and he lets them fan out and happily flutter as he cradles the other's cheek and lands a gentle kiss onto the top of their head . ' ... i would , of course , still do all of this and more with you . '

he would have kept shou safe . he would have tried everything he could to keep shou happy . he would have sung even if there was nothing to be heard , merely felt ; the reverberations of a lullaby , perhaps ; the firm pulse and pound of his heart and its favor . ' you would still be mine ... ' he bends until their foreheads touch , then hums and purrs as he lingers there , the soft summer flush blooming across his cheeks accompanying the heat in his chest and the steady thrum and pound in his ears . ' ... and i would still be yours . ' palms shifts to intertwine their digits together and he lifts the shared knit of themselves . he grins brightly still , even as his teeth ache and feel to file themselves down , muscles and sinews uncomfortably compressing , feathers and all their strange , connecting bones and limbs retreating away into the hidden , invisible spaces of his back and his very blood .

would you still love me if i was nothing more than an ordinary , clumsy boy ? the question felt almost absurd , ridiculous to pose in the face of someone like shou . and thus ; be it in another form or even with yet another voice , ' you wouldn't have to say anything , either . because i trust you . ' with every secret , with every lonely crevice , the hundreds and thousands of halls and seats within the invisible opera house of his heart , reserved for just one . ' ... i hope you can trust me too . not just when i say it , but when i try to show it , too . i love you . i don't want anything to get in between us . ' if it could have been helped , then he wouldn't let it . ' not even if you really did turn into a worm . '

[atlaslovesedm]

welp…

[SPOILERS FOR III 14 UNDER CUT]

you know that video GD colon put out about how bad generation retro is? what you’re about to read is about on the same league as that.

of all the object show episodes i’ve watched, III 14 was the first that i walked away from thinking “wow! that was shit!” it had so many of the same pitfalls as the previous III episodes did, but somehow even worse (incredible feat, i must say). but i’ll only cover my three biggest problems. starting with…

springy. not unlike how toppinbot describes noisette, springy is beyond annoying. their voice makes my toes curl, and i die a little on the inside whenever they’re on screen. they also apparently had a “haha im evil” twist, which i saw coming a mile away, even without my glasses on. also, they look like a garten of banban/poppy playtime character, just thought i’d point that out.

melodrama. the latter half of the episode was just melodrama. and i mean JUST melodrama. nothing else besides characters just going boohoo woe is me ówò ;-; and half of it is relating to conflicts and arcs in II2 that have already concluded. it honestly just feels like the guys at animationepic only shoehorned so many II2 references into III so they can go “see? we haven’t forgotten about II2!!” as if they haven’t been DISREGARDING established lore from that season, implying it isn’t canon anymore, coupled with the fact that III only is the way it is because AE decided that II2 was “getting too dawk and scawy ;-; uwu…..” like oh yeah THAT business decision wasn’t at all made for marketing reasons. /s

and of course, i’m saving the best/worst for last.

cabby and bot. both of these characters are known for being handled TERRIBLY. for cabby, she’s mentally disabled (my first guess was some form of memory loss, but i honestly don’t feel like double-checking) but is constantly mistreated by writers and characters for her aid, being the files. and for bot, they had a trans-allegory arc stemming from not wanting to just be bow, but the whole reason they exist at all is because AE wanted bow in III, and their personality is basically just bow’s with some sliders moved ever so slightly. (the cabby problem is more relevant here, but you get the idea) and in III 14, the two were paired up for the challenge. just the two of them, they could make it if they tried, BUT THE WRITERS DIDN’T!! instead they figured out some voodoo magic buffoonery that helped them pull off the unthinkable! because during a scene where cabby requests that bot tells her a little about themself to write down in their file, BOT STARTS MAKING UP RIDICULOUS LIES. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, ANIMATIONEPIC, CUT IT OUT WITH THE ABLEISM, WILL YA?! and during disability pride month of all times, too. what were you THINKING?!

so yeah. a fan-favorite character just tried to sabotage a mentally disabled woman’s aid for shits and giggles.

TL;DR, III 14 sucked ass. the entire 27-or-so-minute runtime was used for nothing but melodrama, cabby mistreatment, character assassination, and mascot horror cliches. (boooo springy booooooo booooo get off the stage boooo fuzz the cat did it better)

that’s just my opinion, though. feel free to share how you felt. i’m gonna go watch TPOT 6.