#goldenpunk fic

[ravenwraithe]

Black Holes and Stars

or Pav really wants to kiss Hobie, dammit

as always, translations are at the end xx

also the songs are clickable (they take you to Spotify <3)

Pav was never going to order an uber again.

The first two cabs cancelled because of the new year’s rush and the third cab they ordered and had it reach them had a milkshake spill on one seat. Making the seating capacity three instead of four, for their four person group. Pav’s heart jumped into his throat as Gwen called shotgun and Miles called dibs on the seat behind Gwen. Leaving Hobie and Pav to share one seat. Where Pav was right now, sitting deathly still on Hobie’s lap, aware of every shift of fabric, every little breath fanning across the back of his neck, every little hum when at the end of his deep rebervating huffs of laughter.

Now, Pav has had prolonged contact with Hobie, but in the form of extremely complex handshakes, the occasional headlock and the most frequent of all, being thrown straight onto Hobie during fights. This was different. This was intentional and intimate. This was feeling the intoxicating heat of his body for all of the forty minutes of the ride. This was a situation where Hobie could feel the goosebumps erupt all over his skin with the brush of a finger. This was dangerous. Pav zoned back to the conversation, having lost track of it an eternity ago.

“-I’m actually offended that they’re allergic to kiwis,” Miles continued, deep into storytelling to notice Gwen's sickening smitten stare. “Like, they look like they should love kiwis, but noo, they are allergic.”

“Wha’s a kiwi, anyway?” Hobie asked, leaning towards Miles over the spilt milkshake.

Gwen turned to Hobie the same time Miles whipped around. Pav tried his best to shoot an incredulous look at Hobie without shifting his body, a task that proved to be almost impossible.

Silence blanketed them, broken by Kamariya playing on the radio and the occasional horn in the traffic.

“Hobie, have you never had a kiwi?” Gwen had almost fully turned around in her seat and Pav didn't have the heart to point out the police officer scanning the traffic.

“My world’s on the brink of total anarchical collapse, ‘aven't got a scooby ‘bout kiwis because I’ve got other things to do,” Hobie shrugged, fiddling with the window button.

“My bad, Hobie. We need to fix that immediately,” Gwen nodded.

“Wha’? My universe?”

“No, not that. Not yet, I’m talking about a kiwi.”

“Damn, an’ here I though’ you were gon’ fix me problems.”

“Your problem is a government. I can't deal with my own father, the government is a whole another cake.”

“Ye, ye’ those are the fightin’ words, Gwendy.” Hobie leaned out further yet, putting his hand on Pav’s waist, for balance-

Don't ask Pav the colour of anything, he doesn't know. He’s pretty sure his lungs are beeping the same error message as his brain.

“Eat shit, Brown.”

“Alright children, càlmate."

“Ain't you the underage un’?”

Pav was hearing words, but his remaining three brain cells were trying to process the warmth of Hobie’s hand seeping through the thin linen of his shirt, the contours of his hand perfectly fitting around Pav’s side. Waves of shivers ran down his skin like the waxing and waning shadows cast by the amber lights outside.

Pav looked at Hobie, neck straining, to see if he could see his thoughts in his eyes, and instead met his own eyes, thoughts and emotions all reflected in the kaleidoscope of Hobie’s eyes.

Pav wasn't the only one feeling the pull, right? He wasn't. He couldn't be the only one, when Hobie’s eyes grew impossibly deeper, the browns receding, like a blackhole and its glowing event horizon, and Pav had no choice but to crash. A little bit more and-

“Hey lovebirds! We’re here!” Miles called, rapping sharply on their side of the window, opening the door.

Pav reeled back, ridiculously thinking about spaghettification, because his face was on fire and his legs felt like cooked noodles.

“I’ll give ya ‘lovebirds’, you fucker-” Hobie launched himself at Miles, chasing him around, leaving Pav to pay.

“Bhaiya, zara QR code dikhana, PhonePe kar deta hun.” Pav nodded at the driver, who was distractedly chewing some gum.

The guy took out the code on his phone. “A word of advice; do something about that guy. You two were painful, literally ankhon se ek durse ke kapde utaar rahe the. Abhi I need to go, dry clean the seat where the last customer sat, and sprinkle ganga jal where you both sat. Thank you and happy new year, I hope no one else has to witness you both- doing whatever that was- I feel like I need a shot of ganga jal as well.”

Saying Pav felt mortified was a massive understatement. He wanted the earth to crack open under him and swallow him whole as he paid the money, with a generous tip.

Hobie hung back a bit away from earshot, but that still didn't stop him from bugging Pav about what took him so long. Pav valiantly did not blush more as he refused to elaborate.

***

“You have games here?” Miles’ eyes shone with excitement. “I thought we were just going to get drunk on cheap drinks and dance while other couples make out.”

“You can't technically drink yet, new guy.” Pav pointed at the thick, black ’X’ on his hand.

“I can. I did. At Hobie’s,” Miles grumbled as Hobie put an arm around him.

“Yea’, me’ mandem fucked aroun’ the nuclear subs at fourteen, you definitely could drink and smoke when you are seventeen."

“Stop that, you ass,” Miles hit Hobie upside the head, ducking out of his chokehold. “All of you are so mean to me.”

“I’m not mean to you,” Gwen poked Miles in the shoulder. “I am literally so nice to you.”

“You are the worst offender, Gwendy, you didn't let me ride shotgun.”

“Awwh, but I really wanted to.”

“I wanted to, too.”

“I could make it up to you,” Gwen leant closer to Miles, taking his hand. Pav could see the dark blush take up residence on Miles’ face. Before Pav could interrupt, Gwen was pulling him away, into the crowd with a shout of ‘see ya’ around!’

“We should get us a drink.” Hobie’s breath tickled the shell of Pav’s ear, and he couldn't have stopped the shivers if he had wanted to.

“We can't, Maya Auntie would hit me with the jhaadu if she sniffs out anything suspicious on me.”

“Does tha’ mean I shouldn' drink either?”

“Why wouldn't you? I want you to have a good time.”

“‘know plenty ways to ‘ave a good time that don't include no tumblin’ down the sink.” Pav could hear the smirk in his voice. He didn't know what he could do other than melt into a puddle on the floor. Still, he shot him a mock glare.

“Smooth like sandpaper, bada aaya Romeo,” Pav managed, and for a second he believed in his own bravado. “How about I show you some tumbling?” Pav hooked his finger in Hobie’s collar, pulling him down, down, down, till their faces were level. Pav could feel himself getting lost in the deep black of Hobie's eyes. “Kya bolti tu?” Pav murmured, voice breathless and husky.

Pav could see the exact moment when Hobie’s self restraint shattered. The irises of Hobie's eyes were swallowed up by the gravitational pull of the black of his eyes, and Pav couldn't wait to be swallowed up too.

He leans in closer, anticipating, hoping-

Someone- Someones- collided with them, bringing all of them down. For the second time that day, Pav found himself very acquainted with Hobie's body.

He feels Hobie’s arms holding him, a futile attempt to protect him from the floor, considering he's currently flat against the same, breath knocked out of him yet again, this time for multiple reasons.

“Oh we're so sorry! So, so, sorry- Just, I was looking for my friend and Saswat here was annoying me an’ I wasn't watching where I was goin’-” The person rambled on at a frankly terrifying speed as they got up. Hobie huffed as helped Pav up, “It’s alri’e, jus’ watch where you goin.”

“We’re so sorry, let us buy you something as an apology,” The person gushed, and then hit the guy- Saswat- in the stomach, urgently whispering that sounded a whole lot like ‘kuchh bolna, gadhe’.

“It's alright, really,” Pav conceded, sensing another word vomit if he didn't stop the train wreck of a conversation that was happening. “We should get going, do our own thing, you know-”

“You should join us for a game of spin the bottle,” Saswat winked. Pav wasn't sure what that meant. “We can buy you a drink then. Come with us,” Saswat swung his arm over Pav’s shoulders, walking him straight into a circle with about 5 people in various degrees of inebriation in a loose circle, sprawled over bean bags, and love seats. Pav thought one of them looked familiar. Like really familiar.

“Meet our new friends!” Saswat announced. This is- uh- what's your names?” He hissed urgently in his ear.

“I'm Pavitr, and that's Hobie-”

“Right, yeah, this is Pavitr and that's Hobby,” Saswat declared, gesturing grandly, plopping onto the only empty barstool. Pav and Hobie squished themselves into a wide-ish armchair. At least it was a step up from still on Hobie’s lap, Pav thought wildly, thighs pressed against each other.

“Not again,” The other person groaned, sitting down next to a girl with long greyish dyed hair. “I can't do this again.” They muttered and Pav got the feeling that he wasn't supposed to hear it.

“Saswat, you whore,” The familiar looking person reached over, tugging on his ear.

“Shut up Achari, maine toh kuch kiya bhi nahi hai,” Saswat slapped the person’s hand away.

“You are thinking it, you don’t even have to do something,” Achari replied. “Also I feel like I know the short guy.”

“Hey, watch who you're calling short!”

“But you are! You are practically matchbox sized, you could fit in an ikea bag, or a suitcase!”

“Alright, Athanni stop antagonising Pavitr, we're here to make new friends. Right, Annz?” The silver haired girl turned to the person who caused the collision, who turned an interesting shade of red, muttering ‘yep, ‘spin the bottle’ ek doston waala game hai, definitely’ under their breath. Pav had no idea if the silver haired girl didn't hear that or pretended not to because she went on.

“Here are the rules: spinner kisses whoever the bottle lands on and because we are not big fans of forcing someone to kiss, you can skip kissing and instead take a big sip of your drink,” The silver haired girl- Pav can't just keep calling here that in his mind- said. Annz side eyed the girl.

“Tammy, you know I don't have a drink, and neither do the new kids.”

“Then you'll just have to kiss me,” The girl- her name being Tammy, apparently- responded with a cheeky grin.

“Stop it, I can't breathe with all the UST you guys have, ugh,” Athanni drained the last of their drink in one big gulp, slamming down the bottle in the middle. “Let's get this ball rollin'!”

They spin the bottle.

Pav wondered why he and Hobie were still there, playing a kissing game with strangers, as he watched the bottle spin around, practically blurring.

They could just leave, right? Pav glanced at Hobie, and they met eyes. Pav froze. Hobie’s eyes had never looked so dark as they did now. “Wish we were alone now.” He whispered, only for Hobie, because he did. He only wished they were alone, maybe in this room, maybe in the whole world. Or maybe Pav wanted everyone to just look away and not pay attention, because the only attention he wanted was Hobie’s.

They hadn't broken eye contact for a moment. Pav could see a familiar emotion on Hobie's face, an emotion that made Pav’s stomach swoop with elation, the same emotion that made him want to giggle wildly when Hobie was too close, the same emotion that rose in his chest and up his throat when they were close enough, close enough to-

‘Your turn, short boy,” Athanni’s voice pulled him back to his frustrating reality.

“What?” Pav asked, trying to keep the irritation out his voice.

“Spin the bottle. You know, the game,” Athanni smiled, faux innocence dripping off their face.

“Y- yeah, the game, right. Uh-” Pav reached over and gave the bottle a weak nudge. It leisurely turned around three times.

Before coming to a stop at Hobie.

Pav could have kissed Athanni or even the bottle but he didn't, because he was going to kiss Ho-

“There you are Pav, I've been looking all over for you!”

If Miles was spiderman, he surely could survive a fall from the top of the Qutub minar, right? Pav turned to look at Miles, fighting his way out of a rather thick crowd of people, hand clasped tightly with Gwen's, who appeared to be expertly nursing a drink within the crush of the crowd.

“Gwen convinced the DJ to play some english songs, come join us for a dance!” Miles said, smiling ear to ear and Pav could not stay angry.

He got up, nodding at the group of strangers. “This game was fun, thanks, but now we must go.” Hobie didn't even wait till Pav was done to start tugging him away into the crowds. Pav heard a chorus of ‘byes’ and maybe a ‘go get it dude!’ as he let himself be dragged away.

***

“I believe you owe me a dance, chodu,” Pav smiled, pushing Hobie over to the masses, where people were swaying to Radha.

“If ya think you can keep up, you're sorely mistaken, me raspberry tart,” Hobie said, leaning on the wall, stretching his arms above languidly and it was all Pav could do to not jump him right there. “You like to dance close?” Hobie asked, resting those arms on Pav’s shoulders like a middle school dance, “Or closer?” He slid his hands down to his waist, pulling him in, and how could Pav breath with them pressed together like that?

In the dim lights and thundering beats of the dance floor, a voice broke through. "Pav! C’n you te’ me where the res’room is- I really need th’ pee." Gwen appeared, giggling and speech slurring, and Pav wished that homicide was legal, not for the first time, not during this night, not in his life. Hobie leaned away, and Pav lamented not cherishing their proximity more.

He didn't think he hated Gwen, but at the moment Gwen was being particularly annoying, of course not intentionally. Or at least Pav didn't think it was intentional, because who would want to interrupt two people desperately trying to have a moment together, that's just weird.

“Hey-uh! Gwen!” Pav smiled, probably way too brightly considering his circumstances. “The restroom is on the other side of the club- uh, where’s Miles? Did he leave you alone?” Pav frowned. Miles was supposed to stay with Gwen. Unaccompanied minors and Gwen’s state aside, they were using the buddy system to not lose track of each other in the crowd. They were being responsible, but not anymore, apparently.

He was realising it would have been better to just stay back in his room with Hobie, because at least no one would fucking pop in with useless fucking questions when Hobie’s hands were ghosting his waist, with his breath on his lips-

Pav shook himself out of his funk. “C’mon Gwanda, We’d better go find Miles before he makes another eldritch entity sulk.”

Pav definitely did not think Hobie’s guffaws lacked a little sanity, nuh-uh.

They wove through the crowd, somehow managing to keep track of Gwen, who wandered off like a kid in the metaphorical candy shop too many times to count. Pav secretly relished Hobie's hand in his, a leftover from their position of moments prior.

The warmth of Hobie’s hand was different than the pressing heat of the bodies around them, more comforting and somehow, more exciting at the same time. Hobie was rubbing little circles on his knuckles and Pav could swear he felt sparks.

They can get through this. If nothing else, Hobie was going to sleep over at his, he was going to have this, nothing could stop him from doing this.

“Pav! Pavitr! Hobie! It’s time for countdown!” Miles called from the little balcony jutting out, overlooking the gigantic Christmas tree in the square. A large billboard counted down in big red numbers, 17 morphing into 16.

Gwen all but collapsed on Miles, who caught her easily, keeping her upright. Pav breathed a sigh of relief.

A breath that got caught in his throat. Because Hobie was looking at him like he wanted to eat Pav alive.

Everything stilled to a stop as Hobie spun him around, holding their hands between them. Pav could hear the dull chanting of ‘ten, nine, eight-’ as he stepped closer. A light chilly breeze blew, whispering through among them, carrying the sweet smell of cheap cherries, a cologne Pav had given Hobie months ago, and a familiar musky smell underneath it all.

A bead of sweat rolled down Hobie’s neck. Pav's eyes were glued onto it, following the paths it took over the contours of his neck and Pav wanted to taste it, to be it.

Five.

Hobie moved one hand to Pav’s waist, caressing his sides and his arm, coming to rest on his cheek. Pav let out a shaky breath.

Four.

Pav moved closer, their bodies brushing, separated by their clasped hands. Pav let go, pulling Hobie in by his neck. Their faces were a breath apart and-

Three.

-his saccharine warmth enveloped Pav in a sweet kiss. Pav’s breath stuttered again as his heart kicked into overdrive. Pav started to return the press, and Hobie pulled away. Pav whined, following.

Two.

“Sorr-”

One.

“Sorry mat bol, kasam se- idhar aa-” Pav pulled Hobie into an open mouthed kiss, as the fireworks went up, lighting up the skies in brilliant gold and silver. Pav’s insides felt like fireworks too, all warm and restless, He wanted to touch, he wanted to feel Hobie all over, his hair, his face, his strong shoulders, his wiry arms, his-

Pav pulled him closer, stepping back closer to the wall-

-Only to find himself hanging over thin air, over the railings of the balcony, over the deafening crowd in the Mumbattan square, supported only by the arms of one Hobie Brown. Pav shivered, the metal railing cold against the small of his back. But Hobie was warm. Pav couldn't resist snuggling closer, burying his hands in Hobie's hair, while Hobie’s mouth did wonderful things down his throat and on his collarbones.

Hobie pushed him further yet, shifting their gravity, dipping him over the railing so he was supporting the both of them from a high drop, and Pav let him, losing himself in his ministrations. If Pav was going to fall, Hobie's arms would only catch him.

He couldn't wait to take an uber back home.

___

Translations:

scooby - clue

Càlmate - calm down

Bhaiya, zara QR code dikhana, PhonePe kar deta hun - brother, show me the QR code, I'll phonepe you (phonepe is like cashapp, or apple pay or google pay, you get the gist)

ankhon se ek durse ke kapde utaar rahe the - undressing eachother with your eyes

abhi - now

ganga jal - hindu equivalent of holy water (water for the holy river ganga)

mandem - friend group (i think? i might be wrong but im too sleepy to check rn)

nuclear subs - pubs

ankhon se ek durse ke kapde utaar rahe the - you were literally undressing each other with your eyes

jhaadu - broom

tumbling down a sink (?) - a drink

bada aya romeo - you think youre a player (romeo)? (also desi pop culture yk)

kya bolti tu? - watcha say? (not 'what do you say', important distinction, bc that sentence hella informal and so casual, it also a old bollywood movie ref)

kuchh bolna, gadhe - say something, asshole

maine toh kuch kiya bhi nahi hai - i haven't even done anything

ek doston waala game hai - sure is a friends typa game

Qutub minar - A tall historical tower in India in delhi (? im too sleepy for this, im like 60% sure its in delhi)

chodu - fucker

raspberry tart - sweetheart

Sorry mat bol, kasam se- idhar aa- - don't apologise, i swear to- come here-

AN

istg i gave myself carpal tunnel with them, they just kept missing the kiss on and on

they might be kinda ooc but lets be real we're all here to read them kiss a million times

there are some inside jokes and some oc interactions you might not get but ykw life is short fuck it

a million thanks to goldenpunk artists server for this opportunity and another million thanks to the people in there, so amazing and encouraging

this is for you sera, ghost and starr, yall really made me post this on time (technically its not 2nd jan everywhere yet, stfu)

also idont think im a 100 percent coherent rn, so lemme know if i missed something and thanks for reading, have an amazing day

(and if you got the time pls comment makes me more motivated to write than a national award fr)

[drizzlingcups]

Guilty by Association by DrizzlingCups - Multifandom https://archiveofourown.org/works/48979246 via @ao3org

Hobie meets Pavitr and takes him on a ride across the multiverse. He’d thought there was nothing quite like the impulsive decision than making such a commitment to a traumatized stranger.

Is he biting more than he can chew though?

“Hey, mate,” Hobie stood them both up, his hand on the other’s back trying to comfort him still.

He clicked on something on his wrists, and instantaneously, a whirl of colors appeared in front of where a shed should be, blinding lights spiraling at its center.

“What if I make it up to you and take you to ‘im right now? What d’you say about that? Him from other universes. You can see ‘im again.” He’d offered with a comforting smile, a little triumphant at the fact that he finally managed to work through the portal watch without glitching. A recent achievement he had yet savored the glories of.

“You….made your own portal without help from the society?” Pavitr looked awe-struck, and he’d taken it as a compliment. “Yeah. Took awhile. Rummaged through the old Alchemax building for parts. But anyway, what I’m getting at is, you can see your vampire boyfriend again.” He chuckled, trying to bring the mood up.

Pavitr only looked at him with eyes he couldn’t read, tears still rolling down his face. Hobie tried to guess if he looked thankful or offended that he’d offered that.

“No.” Pavitr closed his tearful eyes. “No….I wouldn’t be able to take it, and it wouldn’t be the same.” He answered, and Hobie had to stop himself from clapping at the iron-resolve because he knew he wouldn’t have done as well if he were in his shoes.

“That is the responsible and mature choice. You ought to be proud of yourself.” He smiled, patting his back again.

“I want to get out of here and make it up to you still. How’s about we go multiverse hoppin’? Would that take your mind off it?” Hobie suggested instead, taking Captain Anarchy’s ideas for a vacation into consideration. And what better way to spend it than with a traumatized stranger?

“I don’t think that’ll get it off my mind, but I’d appreciate that so much.” Pavitr wiped his tears away. “Sure, Hobie, let's do it. Let’s travel the multiverse.” He beamed at him, his red eyes changing into shining crescents, and Hobie had to pause for a moment because the way he changed his expressions so quickly kind of freaked him out.

“Alright, mate, you first.” He gestured to the portal as if holding out the door for him.

“Please call me ‘Pav’.”

He smiled at the nickname. “Okay. You first then, Pav.”

The two stepped in the blaring lights, horizontal gravity tugged them forward, and immediately, they were launched into a world where colors bleeded out only the brightest they could.

Their first sight was a field of butterflies and flowers, stretched far and beyond the horizon, lovely pastel-painted hues draping the imagery of it all. The only problem was that the flowers were the same height as buildings, and the butterflies, the size of marsupials.

“Hobie, where the hell are we?” Pavitr looked to him nervously, and Hobie assessed the area entirely clueless. “Beats me, mate.”

The nonchalance in his voice was staggering.

Pavitr’s face changed into that of disbelief, “Your watch? The coordinates??”

“Coordinates? Oh no, ‘m not well adept at all that technical stuff. This watch just takes us to random dimensions.”

Pavitr’s jaw fell down the floor. “It what?! How do you get back to your dimension?” Pavitr stood there almost totally at the loss for words at how reckless this Hobie was.

“Oi, Pav, ‘m not that stupid. I have a go home button.” He pointed at the tiny button by the side of the watch, relief flashing over his companion’s eyes. “This is still pretty wild though.” Pavitr breathed.

“Thought you did your research on me. Should’ve known I’ve got a knack for being a smidge unhinged.” Hobie had tread forward, slapping the low-hanging petals of a hibiscus flower with the exact circumference of thirteen sun hats.

“Yeah well, you don’t sound so cool when you claim you are.” Pavitr had mumbled, following his tail into god knows where really.

“Never claimed to be cool.” Hobie was walking forward aimlessly, wanting to put his heart into the whole multi-dimensional travel experience. He slid through an aloe-vera plant that stood tall like a waterslide, and chopped vines with the thickness of trunks. “But in Spider-punk’s world, ‘unhinged’ is synonymous to cool, so you just complimented yourself.” A voice trailed behind him, its tone always somehow too teasing for one who claimed to be going through grief. It had been singing some lines in a language he didn’t understand as the Jacaranda bowed to them lowly like bells.

Hobie gave him a smirk, “Their cabinet tell you that?”

———————————————————————-

I’ve come from my little cave I brought to you a new GoldenPunk fic!!! Had a lot of fun with this one I practically sped through writing it in six days!! I hope you give it a read! Thank you <33

[demigod-of-the-agni]

#LongPost: A Few Hyper-Specific Things About India for India-Based Stories and Art

No this isn't a cry for more Indian-rep in Spider-Verse stories. (It is.)

Anyway. I recently went to India, and after returning to my hometown in Tamil Nadu, I reintegrated a whole slew of memories and collated new facts.. And considering I've been wanting to do one of these for quite some time (and because I need a new variety of Pavitr Prabhakar content), I thought it'd be cool if I shared some of my experiences and ideas with you.

It's best to take this with caution, though: the only places I've been to are Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, and a few towns located close to the Eastern Ghats, so my knowledge is heavily South India-based. I know for a fact that there are various similarities and differences between other geo-cultural areas of India, which is I why I've linked the other cool India Resources here as well.

In Which I Ramble About Pavitr's Character Design and the Indian Cultural Stuff Related to It by @chaos-and-sparkles (+ my addition + @neptune432's addition)

A culture post for the girlie pops (and non-girlie pops) looking to write Pavitr Prabhakar accurately by @summer-blues-stuff (+ my addition + @fandomsfeminismandme addition)

Also a timely reminder of @writingwithcolor's wonderful resources on writing about South Asian characters respectfully and sincerely

Now, for the things I've noticed in South India..

ANIMALS

There are a lot of street dogs. Like... a lot of them. And honestly it's so hard not to go up to one and give them a snack or two. The most notable dog breed is the Indian pariah and they can be found all over India. Mixed dog breeds are also common and results in a variety of features like differences in build and coat colours.

There are also other types of animals are pretty common to see alongside the roads.

Cattle are seen a lot (cows and bulls are easy to distinguish; cows (left) have udders and a small hump on their back, while bulls (right) are generally stockier and have a super-defined hump on their back). I'm pretty sure the specific cow breed is the sahiwal cow. They are either herded into paddocks for grazing or can be found wandering city streets on their own.

Goats are often herded by farmers into large masses of wool and horns and are guided to paddocks to graze. Sometimes, like cattle, they'll be found wandering city streets on their own.

Chickens are usually kept close to stalls and homes. These chickens are not plump and fluffy like most Western chickens, but are quite skinny. Mottled feather colours are usually a result of mixed chicken breeds. In Tamil Nadu, the most common chicken breed is the asil chicken.

Various birds are often seen flying around traffic if they’re not disappearing into the sky, the most common being crows, pigeons and mynahs. (The chart below on the right is not an inexhaustive list of birds; you best search them up yourself.)

TRANSPORT

There is obviously a huge amount of trucks and lorries and buses. They all have beautiful designs or crazy LEDs or large detailed fluorescent / iridescent stickers that are impossible to ignore, whether it be at high noon or midnight.

Expanding on that, the most common method of transport are motorcyclse or scooties, cars, and autos.

Also, as expected: traffic is insane. It’s horrible. It’s exhilarating. Western honking is akin to swearing, but here? Honk whenever you want. Honk if you’re happy or if you’re sad. You get a million dollars if you honk. You need to honk. It’s more important than breathing

Similarly, road rules don’t exist. Well, they do, and the Indian government does everything it can to make sure people do follow the rules, but based on the aforementioned honking, most people don't. Everyone just drives. Most bikers and motorcyclists don’t wear helmets. Only a few people wear seatbelts. Cars and motorcycles drive on the wrong side of the road and right into oncoming traffic. The chance of someone dying is 99% but it’s countered by desi stubbornness.

ENVIRONMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

Houses and buildings are painted different colours!!! Pastel pinks and purples and deep teal hues, either plain colours or decorated with elaborate murals. This also applies to interiors. I reckon it was surprising to a lot of people when they were confronted with Mumbattan's vibrant colours, but honestly: coloured buildings slap, and it's based on the real thing. They are a sight to behold. Couple that with the architecture and oh boy- you've got such a beautiful environment.

From @jettpack's concept art for Mumbattan buildings

jettpack's concept art of the Mumbattan collider

From @chenfelicia's concept and colour keys of Mumbattan

Don't be shy to really immerse in crazy descriptors - that's how you capture the liveliness of cities like Madurai and Mumbai and ultimately, their physical manifestations like Mumbattan.

Funny enough, movie posters and political banners and flyers are EVERYWHERE. They’re huge and take up entire billboards, or congregate along walls so it becomes practically a collage. It's impossible to ignore the image of "Makkal Selvan" Vijay Sethupathi about to beat some poor loser into a pulp with a stick, or the political parties roasting each other on paper with impressive photoshopped graphics.

To tie in to the point about transport: there are hundreds of coffee stalls and snack shops and one-of-a-kind food stands. You can’t go 200 metres without running into one, either on the highway or in the city. I remember having jaggery coffee on my first night in India, and guys- it tasted so fucking good. I only wish I can transfer the taste to you. Absolutely splendid.

The climate in India is generally very humid and warm, but that doesn't mean we don't get cooler days; it is obviously cooler on winter nights. Also I've heard from many conflicting sources on India's seasonal weather (probably due to India's geograpghy), so you will have to talk to someone who is from India to really confirm. I've somewhat boiled it down to five seasons:

Summer - May-Jun; very hot (35-45ºC/95-113ºF), characterised by shrinking water bodies and droughts if there aren't any rainfalls; this time is good for plant growth/harvest if you've successfully managed water supplies

Monsoon - Jul-Aug; (34ºC/93ºF) very variable in terms of timing, characterised by torrential rains and floodings; the raining itself probably lodges somewhere in Jun-Sept but the aftereffects are felt long after the rains have stopped

Autumn - Sept-Nov; cooler but humid (25-35ºC/77-95ºF), and generally much drier since it transitions from autumn to winter

Winter - Dec-Feb; much colder, but the extent is dependent on geographic regions (20-25ºC/68-77ºF)

Spring - Mar-Apr; humid (33ºC/91ºF), sudden downpours, only occasionally do you get pleasant weather in this time

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

For some reason, there are still loud speakers blaring out music across the roads and as far as a few city blocks. I honestly thought that that had died out by the time my parents had graduated university, but it still seems like people like hearing music played at 120 decibels.

This is a complicated issue but people are not piss poor. Yes, India is a developing country, and yes there are slums and there are homeless and there are those who are stuck in a horrific sociocultural cycle, but people are rapidly getting into high-paying jobs at much higher rates than before. Overall, India is getting better; do us a favour and not have us be represented by the same poor struggle-riddled Indian stories that Hollywood and Western media is are fond of portraying.

@neptune432: One thing I think it's important to acknowledge though is how your experience in India changes depending on your caste. I feel like most of the indian voices talking online are savarna (I'm not an exception) so this doesn't get brought up as much. It's a complicated issue and one that I don't think non-indians (or savarna indians) should worry about tackling in their work, but it's worth saying because what's assumed to be everyday aspects of indian culture are actually specific to things like caste, class, and what region you're in. ex: in kerala, there are also examples of people eating on banana leaf with lots of vegan food for special occasions (namely during onam). but veganism is heavily tied to brahmanism so most of these people will be savarna. even if they eat meat otherwise, the specific interest in eating vegan for special occassions has clear implications. Though many people of different castes eat meat, it's a practice that gets discriminated against, being treated as barbaric and unclean. this is because of brahmanism and is usually only strictly followed by brahmins. dalits/bahujan usually face the worse treatment for their eating traditions. there's also the fact that hinduism is more of a recent term and a broad umbrella where many different gods and cultures have been put under (and usually done forcefully). a lot of local dieties and specific cultural practices come from outside the vedic traditions of aryans (upper caste north india), but now are treated almost as one thing. ex: kali is a south indian (dravidian) goddess who's still heavily worshipped there and who later got adapted to brahminical traditions. that's also why south indian practices of worship are different from the north and are discriminated against ex: north indians getting angry at the idea of worshipping kali by drinking alcohol and smoking even though it's an older tradition than theirs. these traditions are often connected to dalit/tribal cultures as well, which adds to why these traditions are attacked. Now, I don't feel comfortable with non-indians writing about india in general but I feel it's important to mention these things cos most people don't even realize they're only getting shown certain perspectives. How many people don't even know they're a north/south divide, for example? People are fed narrow viewpoints on India and assume that's everything to know. it's a problem cos that's what the brahminical forces in india want. This is all very general info too and I'm no expert so it's worth more research (like reading what dalits have said on their experiences). I'm not trying to criticize you btw, I just wanted to add some things cos this has been on my mind for a long time now. Couldn't have said it better myself, neptune!! (I barely mentioned it at all lmao) The caste system despite it being "abolished" still defines many traditions within India, and almost always in harmful ways. Like @summer-blues-stuff and I have mentioned in their post A culture post for the girlie pops under the Religion and caste section, it's best to leave the caste and social hierarchy alone even if you've done your research. That doesn't mean you shouldn't talk about it, it's just that people, especially those of non-South Asian decent, have to be extremely careful about it. Introductory resources on the caste system can be found on ABC, Pew Research and The Conversation.

Furthermore, the automatic assumption is that people living in shacks or remote villages have no access to greater populations and resources, which I'm happy to completely disprove. Guys: majority of the people living in my village, a rather remote village, have phones on them. Ranges from iPhones to Androids to good ol' Nokias.

(And, side note: as an Indian, I get amazingly pissed off when people's ringtones are set to maximum volume and play the same famous part of a famous song every time they get a call. Like shut the fuck up. At least quieten down? Please??)

(Also this might be a South Indian thing but Man some people are so entitled. Dudes you do not need to rub your ego into my face. Dudes you can, you know, keep all the cool things you think will get other people jealous out of the public eye. At this point I'm not jealous of what you Have, I'm pissed off at the Audacity To Think You Can Make Me Feel Bad About Myself With The Things That You Have).

Alright. Moving on.

Tiny temples and shrines are everywhere, dedicated to broad-Hinduism deities like Ganesh, Shakthi, or Vishnu; other times, they are shrines built for local deities that protect a particular village. For example, my village dedicated a little plot of water-logged land to a benevolent spirit called Subbamma, where people would leave offerings or place their sick/injured animals at the water's edge so that Subbamma could heal them. These tiny temples are almost always super colourful and amazingly detailed despite their small size

It could be a whole month before a celebration like Diwali but it’s the perfect time to set off hundreds of fireworks and firecrackers. People are just inconsiderate in many ways, it seems.

Some women wear strings of jasmine flowers in their hair. This might be completely regional-based, but most if not all women, ranging from little kids to old ladies, will wear these strings of jasmine in their hair. It's supposed to represent good fortune and beauty, and it smells wonderful.

@esrev-redips: #i usually only visit the north side of india (went to banglore and or chennai once) but im pretty sure most women in mumbai wouldnt wear #flowers in their hair unless they were of an older generation #they dont in new delhi at least and i t h i n k you can compare them but im not sure since i dont live in india either Thank you esrev!!!!! glad to see an old hunch be confirmed!!!

Normally you can wear any type of jasmine, but the common subtypes in Tamil Nadu are ஜாதிமல்லி (jathimalli; "Spanish jasmine"; left) and மல்லிப்பூ (mallipoo; right).

Eating food from a plate made from a banana leaf is more than just an aesthetic, and is often reserved for certain occasions; other times we eat from metal or ceramic plates. I can't vouch for other areas of India but I've been told the reason why banana leaves are predominantly used for large gatherings is because they can signal to diners if the food is rotten or has been poisoned; supposedly the leaf itself starts rotting and releases liquid, but I personally have never seen this happen. But of course, there are also other reasons as to why banana leaves are used (all of which are valid) ranging from being an eco-friendly disposable plate, offloading nutrients into food, or even to make the food taste better. Pick whichever reason you like.

I'm literally so hungry looking at this. (Realises this is a Pavitr thing to say.) Anyway.

FOOD RECS!!!!!!

Reblog with your favourite foods >:) The list will be routinely updated...

JAGGERY COFFEE (from me) - GOOD FUCKING STUFF. ACTUALLY. if you see it.. GET IT IMMEDIATELY

PANI PURI (from @esrev-redips) - #also you forgot to mention the PANI PURI STANDS AHHHHHH YUMYUMYUM | RRRR YOU'RE SO RIGHT. PANI PURI FOR LIFE ACTUALLY.

JASUBEN PIZZA (from @the-witch-forever-lives) - okay this is specific to Ahmedabad | okay but as specific as it may be that sounds and looks delicious??? hello??????

DABELI (from @the-witch-forever-lives) - this too???? also it LOOKS wonderful i need it right now actually

VADA PAV (from @the-witch-forever-lives) - Also Vada pav from Mumbai is so one of a kind | you are absolutely correct. vada pav is truly something magnificent

I think that's about all I can give you right now. This took me a while to type out. Feel free to ask any questions, or if you have anything you would like to add on, like anything I might have glossed over or your favourite desi foods, please do!!! I'll be sure to reblog your addition and update the original post.

The point is that this post can become one of those few other reference posts that artists and writers and other creatives can use if they ever want to make anything related to India, because it's genuinely so cool to see your culture represented so well in popular modern media.

(And in fanfic and fandom. Especially in fanfic and fandom. you have no idea how many times I've gone insane reading a Pavitr-centric fic or reading comments on Pavitr-related posts and it's just outdated ideas and harmful stereotypes and all sorts of sick bullshit, and it's always to the point where I physically have to go outside and bite into a fresh rhizome in order to ground myself. Like damn, people, you need to know things before you start creating)

So uh, I hope this was helpful if not interesting! Happy early Diwali everyone! Knowledge-over-ignorance and all that; hopefully this post does that notion justice!

[ghostingcrows]

Comic goldenpunk my beloved

[royal-stardust]

wrote this cute goldenpunk fic at 1am last night!! enjoyyy

[sunkraken]

I need you to make a list of your chaipunk recs you have awesome taste (include your own plssss)

here are some of my favorites !!

hurt/comfort:

imagine being loved by me by LiterallyThePresident

Niṣkalaṃka by Hydranomago

Hey, Lover by melandrops 

Eighty Over Fifty by cantijuststayhere

Ambit by Hydranomago

Stardust by maybeebee (Ongoing)

fluff:

Between Two Lungs by LiterallyThePresident

i love to love you by peelingfruits

Candy Challenges by NeuroticErotic

chal chalein pyar mein hum by solivaganteros

angst:

Shades of Red by Chaos_and_Sparkles

don’t belong here by solivaganteros

If not for you (I couldn’t get off this floor) by melandrops

Blood, Chai and Flower Petals by redacteds_works

Glaikit by Hydranomago

Eclipse by melandrops

[bestbouy]

Big thanks to GhostingCrows for letting me write about their little guys!!

Hobie has a rough morning. Maybe being the Prowler is starting to show some unforeseen consequences. Luckily for him, his favorite emo is there to help. Or be incredibly pissed at him. Both? Both. Both is good.

[kaanbaltlakfics]

El peor

Pareja: Hobie Brown / Pavitr Prabhakar (Spider-Verse Comics)

Descripción: Lo dijo, y muy en serio, con tal de ver qué tan lejos podía llegar el «peor Spider-man».

La expresión de Hobie no se inmutó tras haber escuchado esas cinco palabras. Solo apartó su mirada para dirigirla a las pantallas sin imagen, era como si tardara en procesar lo que había dicho, pero Pavitr sabía que no era eso. Hobie, Spider-punk, podía ser muchas cosas pero no era estúpido, mucho menos lento. Más bien intentaba procesar, descifrar lo que había detrás de ellas y cuando logró hacerlo, regresó la mirada a Pavitr. Él seguía sentado, su expresión por igual intacta después de haber dicho esas cinco palabras. Eso podía cambiar, por supuesto. Todo podía cambiar si Hobie decidía hacer algo, lo que fuera; largarse o acercarse.

Y así lo hizo. Un largo paso con sus largas piernas y estaba justo frente a Pavitr. Un movimiento más hacia delante y estaba inclinado, el rostro de Hobie a meros centímetros del suyo y una mano en un brazo de la silla, acorralándolo. Pavitr abrió la boca para preguntar qué pretendía hacer, moviendo su torso hacia delante con la intención de deshacerse de él, pero otra mano en su pecho lo empujó a su posición original y la respiración de Hobie, los pocos milímetros que había entre sus labios y el arete de su oreja hicieron que se tragara sus palabras apretando la mandíbula. Podría patearlo con un solo pie, hacerlo volar hasta la pared más lejana de la habitación con mucha fuerza, tan sencillo como eso. No quería hacerlo, por razones que iban más allá de no empezar una estúpida pelea, por la misma razón que había abierto la boca para decirle aquello.

Pavitr llevó sus manos hasta los hombros de Hobie en un intento, en una señal, de quitárselo de encima, tratando de ignorar el leve escalofrío que recorría su espalda y el zumbido de su sentido arácnido que le avisaba se apartara de allí, rápido, pronto, aunque no hubiera a donde correr ni a donde voltear. Hobie no retrocedió, en lo absoluto. Por el contrario, lo sentía aún más cerca de su cuerpo, como si lo hubiera atraído más hacia él, como si la física y el concepto de espacio no existieran en realidad. La barba de una semana que se había dejado raspaba su mejilla.

—El peor, ¿hum?

Los labios de Hobie acariciaron el lóbulo de su oreja izquierda demasiado lento, demasiado suave, cuando habló. Su sentido arácnido se hacía más presente con cada diminuta fracción de segundo que pasaba. La mano que estaba en su pecho se deslizó hasta su barbilla para tomarla y mantener su cabeza quieta. Dolor. Los dientes de Hobie se incrustaron en su lóbulo, los sintió incluso a través del metal de su arete. Arqueó la espalda, sus manos apretaron con fuerza los hombros.

—Veremos eso.

Dijo tras soltar el lóbulo. Se enderezó para mirar a Pavitr por lo alto, su expresión aún sin cambiado, y estiró su brazo derecho hacia la izquierda. Pavitr llevó su propia mano al lóbulo que había sido mordido y lo masajeó con sus dedos índice y pulgar. El dolor ya no estaba, solo el calor de la boca de Hobie y la marca de sus dientes permanecían.

Link al fanfic completo &lt;3

[sereinreality]

Another comic goldenpunk fic for the people

[chaos-and-sparkles]

PROWLER PAVITR IS OFFICIALLY OUT ✨

(first time posting my ao3 fic to Tumblr anssjskdks)

Just the first chapter of the first fic, not much yet, but this is gonna be a ride from here afjsndnjsmssm

Anyway yes here we go! If you wanna check it out please do :D

[maybeebeee]

Stardust.

Chapter 1.

Read on AO3

“But I still failed.” “You saved a bus full of people.” “It’s not enough! It was supposed to be easy, Spider-Man comes in and saves everybody and we’re done for another day!”

a journey of learning, healing and loving, as only spider-people can.

~

huge thank you to the goldenpunk server for your support, and especially @wulfspyd3r for being my biggest fan <3

[ravenwraithe]

Trickwa aur treatwa anyaji!!

omggg

i think ive posted this before but aldkdjejej

[melandrops]

Hi Melan!! :D I wanted to know if you could make a little goldenpunk drabble about Hobie and Pav about to go on a date and that hobie instead of showing up with his usual clothes shows up with a dress or skirt, it can be styled however you see fit. It's okay if you don't have time to do it, but thanks if you get to read the idea <3

Geat!! Of course :) This one kinda strayed from the prompt but it still features Hobie in a dress so I hope that is enough for you.

“Do you think we’re boring?”

The question comes out of nowhere. Hobie lounges on the bed while Pavitr sits at his desk, reviewing some paperwork he’d had to take home with him. Hobie plucks idly at his guitar, and Pavitr has long since grown used to the sound of it as background noise.

“Probably,” Pavitr replies absentmindedly, shifting his attention to a different set of forms.

Hobie grunts, and it doesn’t sound happy. Pavitr turns his attention to his boyfriend, who scowls into the bedsheets. The sight is enough to make him smile. “Why? Are you missing the glory days? When we would swing nonstop through the city and get in constant near death scrapes?”

Hobie makes a face that doesn’t entirely refute Pavitr’s assumptions. “I guess? Just seems a bit weird that I’m officially boring, now.”

“Well, we aren’t seventeen anymore. No need to be rushing off after the slightest taste of danger.”

30 hadn’t been a year either of them had really seen coming. But the new year had prompted conversations in the half dark, confessing to the desire for a future. The ensuing plans for what they wanted their lives to look like, keeping in mind that actually growing old together was a possibility that stopped seeming like a pipe dream.

“Yeah, but I mean, we could have fun without being idiots.”

Pavitr shrugs. “Did you have something in mind?”

At this, Hobie’s eyes light up. “I bet I could work something out. We could go on a date. A proper date.”

“A proper date, huh?”

“Yeah. I’ll get it all arranged. Don’t worry about it.”

Anticipation starts to make its way into Pavitr’s pulse, something he hasn’t felt in a good while. He grins and returns to his paperwork.

***

Where Hobie’s plans are concerned, Gwen and Miles often end up being dragged into it. Such is the way of life. Some things never change. So Gwen is the one to blindfold him and lead him through the city, insisting that he’s going to like the surprise. Miles is apparently helping Hobie set it up, which could be either incredibly romantic or the most disastrous thing Pavitr has seen since the Noodle Incident of five years ago. Who’s to say?

“You ready?” Gwen asks, her hand clasped in his. Pavitr nods, trepidation and eagerness alike sparking through his veins.

She whisks the blindfold off and the sight is enough to have Pavitr floored.

A picnic laid out on the rooftop. Gingham blankets and nice cheeses and a single red rose in a vase. It’s picturesque.

The view pales in comparison to the sight of Hobie. He wears a beautiful green dress, offsetting his skin tone in a way that feels nothing short of remarkable. The dress hugs his hips and waist but flares out at the base. All of a sudden Pavitr is 27 again, watching Hobie come out of the changing rooms in that dress shop a few weeks before Miles and Gwen’s wedding.

“Like it?” Hobie asks with a grin as he saunters over. The way the dress flutters around his thighs is enough to make any man weak in the knees.

“God,” Pavitr sighs, leaning in to kiss Hobie. He lets the kiss deepen, flicking his tongue out against his boyfriend’s. “You’re perfect.”

“I’ll take that as a yes?” Hobie replies with a raised eyebrow, and that teasing confidence has never changed in all their years. Pavitr kisses Hobie again.

“I love you,” he whispers.

Hobie chuckles. “Love you too, flower.”

[call-me-strega]

idk how tumblrs algorithm works but Update: I put out my chai/golden punk two shot and I’m still working on the next chapter How to Become A Step-Dad, so look forward to that ig!

(PS: Should I put HBSD on my ao3?)

[ghostingcrows]

“Gayatri, I think I’m homophobic.”

There was a long moment of silence on the other end of the phone before, “Prabhakar, you know I’m dating a woman, right?”

-

(Or) Turns out Pavitr didn't have any problem with Hobie kissing guys, as long as it was him he was kissing.

[echoesact5]

working on pink flamingo 3 now and it’s been so long since i’ve been on atsv tumblr- can anyone explain to me why most ppl are calling it goldenpunk now? no diss to the name i think it’s cool asf i’m just curious what i missed out on since i’ve been away