#kinda a filler chapter

[sehtoast]

Tender Threads CH4 (Homelander x OC)

chapter four: the new you

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

summary: time to look the part, little spider. out with the old, in with the new.

With every job comes the good and the bad.  Up until now, it had been mostly… fine?  Not awful by any stretch, but Benjamin hasn’t had much to complain about.  Again, until now.

He’s been in this office for hours.  Fucking hours.  One would think Stillwell would’ve at least warned him that the two men prattling off marketing and merchandising concepts never took a breath between their eight trillion sentences, but no.  

Not even a smidge.

Good ol’ Seth and Evan…  

Benjamin finally snaps back to attention when the topic shifts for the umpteenth time, though not by the grace of a whiteboard eraser wiping away sloppy diagrams and stick figures.  This time the two jump halfway across the room to a sheeted mannequin that has been begging to be unveiled the entire time.

“And so, obviously, we were thinking that it was time for a fresh image!  Something flashy, something… you.”  Seth– or was it Evan– says with a child-like giddiness. 

“The pros in the design department worked overtime for this one.  You’ll love it!”  Evan– or… Seth, perhaps, chips in, just as eager as his hive-mind counterpart.

“What’s wrong with my suit now?”  Ben asks, voice scratchy from how long he’s sat in silence.  And why the fuck do you guys alternate sentences like that… eesh. 

But there was no reason not to anticipate this.  In fact, the bug could practically smack himself upside the head for not even entertaining the idea.  He was a product now… and he had to remember that.  They’ll change everything about him to better fit their image.  Well, everything he hadn’t been able to protect under his contract.

“Spider-Man,” rings that mother-knows-best voice the bug has come to know all too well.  “There’s nothing wrong with your current,” she pauses for a moment, pursing her lips as if thinking of a way to call him shabby without being too backhanded.  “Homemade suit.”

Yeah… still backhanded.

“We just think you’re deserving of something a little more… special.  After all, you’re in The Seven now.  You deserve to look the part.  Have all the toys, and so on.  Who doesn’t like an upgrade?”

“And just wait til you see what we’ve got for you!” Says one of the duo. The pair take their spot on either side of the mannequin and grab a handful of the cover.

Please don’t suck.  Please, please don’t suck.

Ben’s mind runs to the worst ideas possible.  What if they changed his colors?  What if they pull some bullshit with the mask and it’ll only conceal his face partially?  That’s in the contract– they fucking know better– what if–

The sheet is ripped away faster than he can process it.

This suit of his… It’s always been Benjamin’s second skin.  His armor against the world.  Silly as it was, his suit was a part of him.  An identity, perhaps.

And now a new one stares back at him almost as if it yearns to be chosen. This new skin, this new him.  

Ben rises slowly from the couch to circle it, inspecting every little detail.  The subtle things.  The not so subtle things…

The spider emblem had been enlarged, nearly as long as the whole torso.  The legs cut off where red once met blue– now black– on the sides.  An interesting color choice, and one probably meant to ensure his scheme wasn’t too similar to Homelander’s.  Gray accent lines run through the blackened sections in intricate patterns, weaving a hexagonal texture.

Ben reaches out to touch it despite his own gloves shielding him from sensation.

The new suit’s webbing textures are raised slightly from the body, and the sections are larger too.  It’s less… cluttered this way.  Undeniably easier on the eyes.  His hand slides up to the shoulders where the signature Vought V logo is stamped in a white, leather-like material.  Sure to never fade and certainly never go unnoticed.

Down the arms, paper thin lines of dark red dance sporadically, damn near indistinguishable from the black of the suit.  An oddity catches the bug’s attention.

The same V shape on the shoulders is at the wrists, right where his webs emerge, almost as if to function as funnels.  Something to spare him the design flaw of the unsightly holes in his current suit.

Rounded, friendlier looking lenses stare into his very soul.

He can hear the sound of those two yammering on about… something, but he doesn’t process a word of it.

This is him now.  It’s like an energy emanates from it, begging for a symbiotic relationship.  Benjamin feeds the image and, in return, the image feeds him security.

Whether or not he’ll feel… whole like this remains to be seen, but… it could’ve been so much worse.

“Well,”  Stillwell says abruptly.  “It won’t put itself on.  Bathroom’s right there.” 

Ben steps back as Seth and Evan strip the suit away from the mannequin, all but force it into his hands, and shuffle him into the bathroom.  Hell, they even shut the door behind him as a courtesy.

The process of stripping is still its old painful self.  Indentations of seams on skin, elastic marks, and especially that flattened mask-hair Ben always dreads.  And what a wreck he is in the mirror.  Dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, uneven scruff on his jaw that he definitely needed to shave at least two days ago, anxiety-bitten lips…

Christ, man.  Look at you…

But it’s not like he could blame himself.  Between the daily antics of settling in at Vought and being the same ol’ hero at night– which had been strongly discouraged, by the way– Benjamin hasn’t had any time to take care of himself, nor sleep more than the odd half hour here or there.

Is that a fucking pimple??  Eughh…. Wash your as soon as you’re home.  Hell, do it now.

He lets the tap warm up a bit before scrubbing frantically at his face, only half tempted to use whatever antibacterial gunk Stillwell kept in her private bathroom.  At least the water wakes him up a little.

The new suit comes with its own challenges, but is somehow easier to put on.  The material quality is leagues better and it allows for stretching much more willingly.  In fact, it’s damn near completely comfortable… breathable, even.  

The back zipper though… That one would be Benjamin’s enemy until the day he either died or hung up the spandex.  

The mask takes him by surprise when he lifts it.  It has an odd weight to it, not necessarily heavy but definitely not what a mask should weigh.  He flips it inside out and the culprit is a solution to all of his woes.  

Gone are the days of a face shell to make him look a little less ridiculous and keep dental work off his list of injury expenses, now replaced by– judging by pressing his thumbs– thin padding liners full of some variety of what he assumed to be oobleck.  Solid when force was applied, soft when left to settle.  They hit all the sweet spots, too.  Jaw, cheekbones, temples…

One last look in the mirror, and he slips it on.

“What the fu–”

Ben stumbles backward a bit as load screens and transparent windows stack upon one another in his field of view.  Welcome messages, tutorial pop ups– the whole nine yards.  His eyes rake frantically through everything, trying to peer past the overload.  He swats his arms as if to smack the windows away, but they go nowhere.

He shuts his eyes tight, sighing with deep frustration.  One more fucking headache…

That seems to have disappeared the second he reopens them.

Huh…

And then he does a double take.  Just as his brows were, his lenses were arched.  The bug leans over the vanity and gets damn near nose to nose with himself, wiggling his eyebrows, widening and squinting his eyes, watching with fascination and disdain at his now emotive lenses.

He groans.

No more making bitchy faces behind the mask, huh?

Gone were the days where he could roll his eyes and hide his flippant reactions behind the mask. That’s probably exactly why Vought would spend god only knows how much money developing tech like this. Marketing likely decided he needed to be personable, not just another blank face like Noir.

When he finally gets the gumption to exit the bathroom, the two are all but biting at his ankles.  “How is it?” They ask in their nearly creepy unison.

“It’s uh…” Ben starts, wondering exactly what the decorum rules were for conveying a complaint.  “About halfway up my ass.”  Not a lie.  “Can we adjust that later or–”

“Absolutely not!” Chirps one of the two.  “Polls show the ladies love a man in tights, and you’re sure to see an uptick in approval if you flaunt what you’ve got!”

Christ…  

Ben decides not to dignify that with a response.

Stillwell lets loose a brief, pleased chuckle.  “Well gentlemen, a job well done as always.”  She praises, ushering them to the door.  Ben arches a brow at their audible hoots and hollers of celebration as they make their way down the hall.  “Now, Spider-Man, how are you finding things at Vought so far?”

If false sincerity had a smell, she’d be stinking up the room.

“I’m uh… I’m good.”  Ben shuffles, tilting his head from side to side to convey the so-so-ness of his state.  Not that it’s been bad, but it hasn’t necessarily been good.  And how could it be, really?  His whole life was uprooted by the American Jesus himself.  A smooth transition was helpful, but the start was still awful.

“Just good?”  Suddenly a concerned look not unlike a mother tending to her tearful child flickers over her features.  “Has anyone been giving you trouble?”

“No, no– it’s just a lot, y’know?”  

“I understand.  You should know how glad we all are that you came around to the offer.”

Coerced, but sure…

“You were our top pick, after all.” She says with a tilt of the head and a soft smile.

If the vibe wasn’t so damn off-putting, she might actually be kind of sweet.  Benjamin might just buy into that mother dearest tone if it wasn't for that unsettling, opportunistic corporate zombie look in her eyes.

“Now I know you’re already acquainted with Homelander, but it’s certainly about time you met the rest of the team.  Follow me…”

[ofmdee]

keeping his scales clean 🤭

[shreddeddescent]

if my shit becomes too leo and raph focused its like. well you see. they didnt fucking get along for so long and then became close friends at 15/16 so they like. have to make up for shit.

also if they end up ignoring their little brothers problems uhhhhh its gonna come back to bite em in the ass later dw HHHHHHH

[negativepeanuthoarder]

Our Cracked Heart Begins To Reform

Chapter Six

cDrunz + cSapnap (and this chapter also has platonic rivals and platonic endersmile)

13.1k words

Teen and Up Audiences

No archive warnings apply :)

Sapnap sighs and nods, looking back at his book and quill. Yes, he'll leave everything alone, just like he always does. He's good at leaving things alone, thank you very much, he hasn't ruined or killed anything in days, and he isn't planning on it anytime soon.

He knows, deep down, that his poor mood is just cabin fever, but goddamnit, he just wants to feel like an asshole for a little bit.

Due to a recent round of AI scraping on AO3 you unfortunately need to be logged in to read the fic :(

Reblogs are ALWAYS appreciated even if you don't read the fic! :D

[decoloraa]

Trip to Central Chapter 2 is finished (read on Ao3)

This fic tells the story of how Casther and Val finally got together. It‘s sure to happen, the big question however is HOW they‘re going to manage facing their feelings for each others and confessing them.

[asmo-cosmetics]

i am once again begging y'all to stop glorifying the nix hydra era

[enidsinclajr]

back from vacation here is hunger games au chapter 5 hehe

[starglitterz]

can u imagine if i post ch9 of serendipity tmrw... the world would not be ready

[steam-powered-blinders]

Steam Powered Blinders

Polly's reaction

It hadn't taken them long to get from Charlie's Yard to the house in Small Heath. As usual, Tommy didn't bother knocking and just walked in like he owned the place, which maybe he did in some capacity.

Arthur and John had followed Tommy inside and the Walter 'bots were a little more skeptical, but followed inside after them anyway. They could hear Tommy starting to speak to someone else in the kitchen but as they enter it and see an older woman, she immediately goes on the defence.

John had been closest to her, so she grabs his gun straight out his belt and points it at the mechanical people. Tommy is quick to start talking to her again, assuring her that they aren't a threat. The Spine, Rabbit and The Jon have their arms raised in surrender so she doesn't shoot them. Even if the bullet would not hurt them as it would a human, they still didn't want to have to fish one out of their chassis or fix said chassis when they don't even know if they'd be able to get suitable materials for the job.

Once she finally puts down the gun, resting it on the table near her, which was an okay compromise, they finally put their arms down. Tommy leaned against the kitchen counter while Arthur and John sat down. Polly glanced between the boys and the metal people before finally taking a seat as well, gun still very much in reach of her. With affirmative from Arthur that they were allowed to, the automatons sat down too.

"Right, so what's the reason for the three human-like machines in our kitchen?" Polly asks, sounding annoyed more than anything, almost like her nephews had brought home a dog instead of three sentient automatons.

"They got shipped to Birmingham instead of San-Diego," Tommy says matter-of-factly and this seems to annoy Polly only more. "That doesn't answer my question," she barks it like an order and Rabbit has the fleeting notion to leave the table and do something else.

"We thought they could stay here until we figure something better out," Arthur supplies and Polly is none too impressed with that notion. "Where are we going to put them? The rooms are full now that you boys are back and I don't think the extra bed will be strong enough to carry their weight." She objects, or maybe just points out the facts, it's hard to tell.

While the humans go back and forth about letting them stay here or not, the three automatons communicate with a language all their own. It's whistles and chirps, sounding like music notes and pieces of instruments to make the noises that allow them to communicate.

"Where do we go if they can't house us?" Rabbit chirps at Spine. On the other side of her brother, Jon leans into Spine's side and sighs a plume of steam. "We'll figure something out and I'm sure Tommy will help either way, I trust him," Spine whistles back, only vaguely noticing that Tommy perks ever so slightly at the use of his name in their music language. He forgot Tommy may have picked up a few select words from their time at the front lines.

They tune back into the conversation just as it seems to settle on a decision. "Fine, but I don't know how we'll feed three more mouths," Polly concludes.

"Oh, we don't need to eat, Miss. We just need some water for our boilers and the occasional oil change!" Spine states cheerily, giving a bit of information about them. Polly seems momentarily surprised that Spine speaks so clearly and deep, but nods to show she heard him.

"Then it's settled." She says with air of finality and the tension in the kitchen seems to dissipate slightly.

At that moment, another woman walks in from a doorway that they assume leads to some stairs, a pre-teen (?) boy just a few steps behind her. She pauses at the sight in the kitchen and the boy bumps into her, wondering what the matter is.

They are introduced as Ada and Finn, Tommy's sister and youngest brother. Ada is quick to adjust, offering them tea or even an alcoholic drink but they decline, only Rabbit asks for a glass of water and Polly spends a couple minutes eyeing how she manages to 'drink' it.

At least that night, Rabbit, Spine and Jon were all in one piece and sleeping sitting on the couch with their heads and shoulders leaning on each other. It was the best stasis they'd gotten since the war began.

[dravidious]

You're more amazing than an integer between 0 and 100

When I made my outline for my latest story I realized "Wait. The protagonist is just angry and miserable for like 75% of the story. This isn't fun. Oh no what do I do???" And then I remembered that the premise involves the protagonist being taken to a palace. With a wide variety of luxurious Things to enjoy. So that just kind of solved itself.

Protip: If your sub's bad mood is bothering you then simply give them a steak that's more expensive than their entire house.

[padfoot-lupin77]

Reasons to write: calling yourself a writer. Seriously. It’s so uplifting. It’s so majestic. Saying “yeah I’m a writer”. I write. I create. And it makes me happy. How awesome is that???

[topazshadowwolf]

The boys meet the baby, and Dream goes on a field trip.

[child-of-the-cosmos]

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 <- You’re here! - Part 5

(~2,000 words.)

You've always loved the morning air. Something about it was always so.. full of life. You'd been walking through the forest for about an hour now. Following a path engraved in your head. Damp branches cracked beneath your feet. The glow of the sun just barely peaking out from the trees above you. Small droplets would fall here and there from the leaves above. It seemed the rain really did a number on the forest. In a good way, of course.

The smell of oak and damp soil hung lightly in the air, hints of a sweeter aroma- wild flowers, wafted from a few patches nearby. It was something only the rain could bring. You had made your way through the hardest part of the hike, which honestly wasn't too hard since you picked the easiest path. It was a little narrow, being covered with leaves and small brush scattered around, but it was easy to see that the path was now beginning to clear and opening up into a new zone. Your favorite area.

You've seen tons of things coming through this particular path. Small squirrels, a baby fox and their mom, a raccoon, a large centipede, and now... A large deer? No, that wasn't quite right.

There was something there, for sure. You could tell that much from here. But the real question is, what exactly was it? A human? That'd be impossible. No one really came this far out... at least, no one that you've seen. As you got closer you were able to make out a figure, then a color. Okay, definitely not human. Either that, or they were wearing a LOT of yellow right now.

Was there something in your food this morning? There'd have to been, for you to see something like this. But.. you've been completely fine up until now. You were close enough to hear a faint voice. It was so quiet... you could barely hear it- but something was... off about the sound of it. It was then that it hit you that this thing wasn't breathing at all. You were close enough to see scratchy movements, and exposed wires by it's arm. A robot. Animatronic, to be exact.

"Woah," What was an animatronic doing out here, of all places? Civilization was far away from this point, you had made sure of that when you first moved into these woods. But to see something like this...

"What.. are you?" You already knew the answer, but this was amazing! You've never really seen an animatronic like this one. The ones before were pretty much void of any colors, and only gave out automated messages last time you checked... which admittedly had been a while. You're knowledge on robots were pretty limited- if you could call the little info you had on them knowledge that is. But from what you could tell... this one was different. You had heard they were getting pretty lifelike before you moved and left the city- but this, this was something new.

The figure- no, robot  was now looking at you. Maybe you scared it? Was that even possible?? You didn't know, and didn't have much time to think about it either. Because as soon as it saw you- it started moving. In the worst way possible. You watched in horror as it slowly maneuvered it's body to face you. Well, it's upper body. It's lower half stayed still, facing the same direction you first saw it in. You stepped back. Cool or not, you did not sign up for any of those horror movies you had watched on tv.

You glanced at it's arm again. It was holding it, almost as if a child would cradle their wound; Close to their chest, somewhat scared for you see it.

It just sat there and watched you. You couldn't get a read on what it wanted.

You tiled your head. Was it hurt, then? If so, does that mean people started building robots with pain receptors?? but... why?  Why would someone want something like that- and could that even be possible in the first place?? You'd have to think about that later. Whoever built this thing definitely had a lot of money though.

You were beginning to feel uncomfortable with the overwhelming silence. It was still staring at you. Menacingly. It hadn't moved an inch since it first contorted it's body. Just what was this thi- Crackling. Then soft humming. It was very quiet, almost like a whisper... then, "S-ssssorry" It spoke.

Sorry?  You were taken aback. Out of all the things it could've said, it said sorry? But why?? You inched closer, just a bit... If it was willing to communicate then it couldn't be that dangerous, could it? So it technically wouldn't hurt to communicate back... right?

"Sorry for what?" You asked. It seemed pleased with your response, perking up just slightly before slouching back down. It looked like it was fighting to stay awake. The grip on it's arm loosening. What was wrong with it? Well you didn't really need an answer, because it started talking again. Their words were slurred together, but you could just make out what it trying to say. "Plea---se," It began to slump to the floor, earthy forest below surrounding it, "H-h-h-helllp us."

Then... nothing.

Did it just die??? You slightly began to panic. Wait- no, right... it's a robot. Pretty sure robots don't die.. hopefully. So, it's not dead? Then... You snapped your fingers and walked closer to it. Right, things like this needed a charge! It's probably out of battery. Does it need like a.. double A or something? That's always worked for your tv remote.

You knelt down, glancing over it's features exposed by the earth beneath it. Light golden rays lined it's head, and you could see a wide smile plastered across it's face. Okay, this thing definitely wasn't a remote, but.. it'd still have to charge and all that, right? So there were still some similarities... you could work with this. Robot or not, your weren't the type to just leave someone alone, especially if that someone personally asked you for help.  

You gently looped your arms around theirs, careful not to touch the one with the open wires. You huffed and lifted. This thing was quite heavy. Even though you were pretty confident in your strength right now, you doubted you'd be able to carry it all the way down.

So, you did the next best thing. You lifted and decided you'd carry it at least half way, run and get your wheel barrow- somehow put it in, and push it the rest of the way back to your house.

This, was much easier said than done. And you quickly found that out. Firstly, you didn't take in account how tiring it was to carry this thing- plus run back and get the wheel barrow, just to jog it back up to where you left it (luckily it was fine), Then somehow get it in the wheel barrow- (which was very hard but you managed), Just to finally wheel it back down the rest of the way.

Once you actually got back home, all you wanted to do was sleep. But sleep wasn't an option right now. You still had to get it inside. You sighed, lifting one last time to carry it up your porch stairs and inside your house. You sat it down near a wall and flopped on the floor. You stared at ceiling. Home... finally.

You could hear Slinky chitter curiously as she peered at you from her cage. She had witnessed you struggle to carry it inside and lay down on the floor. You lifted a hand and waved at her. "I'm fine Slinky, just tired." You said.

You could see her staring at the hump of metal leaning on your wall from your peripheral. "Had to help a friend." You clarified. Slinky had always been anxious around guests, especially humans. She had her reasons... you knew that. That's why it helped to introduce them as a friend when they first meet Slinky. And family if you're really close to you- like a relative. You could tell Slinky was still tense as she looked between you and the robot, sniffing and moving to and fro in her cage. She was still anxious about it. You sat up to fully face slinky. "Hey... it's okay." You started. "They're a friend, they won't hurt either of us... okay?" You leaned over and rubbed her fur through the cage. She relaxed a bit. You watched as she cast once last glance at the robot before fully settling down. You hummed. This was good. You didn't want to stress her out. Actually, it was the last thing you wanted.

Once Slinky was satisfied with your rubbing, you quietly sat up and walked over to the robot. Okay... now what? You knelt down in front of it, hoping to at least get an idea of what it needed. You hadn't noticed before, but something really messed it up. Did it get into a fight? Something big laid A deep gash across it's chest, and there were multiple other cuts lined on it's body. There were some on it's arms, a few by it's face (though those definitely weren't that deep, more like light scraps if anything), and one more lining it stomach. One you definitely recognized as teeth marks. Yeah, it definitely got into a fight... most likely with a predator.

From what you knew it was still functioning with all this going on... so maybe it was still okay. Something you could handle later after turning it on. It was then that you noticed a tiny little compartment on it's side. It was closer to it's back, so you had to gently bend it over to get a better view.

The hatch was barely visible- actually it was almost seamless, but you could tell there was a tiny screw holding something in place. You got up and ran to your backyard, ignoring how slinky glanced your way before falling back to sleep. You had a screwdriver that was the perfect fit for that. Well, more like a set you could attach to a screwdriver.

It was a gift you were given long ago by a relative who thought you'd like it. You didn't really have a place to put it back then, so you just moved it to the shed in the backyard. the shed was a small thing.. or maybe it just looked that way. There was so much clutter you couldn't really tell.

You didn't really have a lot space to move, but there it was! The screwdriver set! Right where you left it. Satisfied, you triumphantly walked back in the house and sat back down near the robot. You hooked up your screwdriver and started twisting. You really hoped this was what you thought it was... and not something that would just confuse you more.

With one last twist the screw was out. You sat it on a table nearby. You pulled the latch open with anticipation. In the compartment revealed a small cord and a usb plug thing. You knew what this was! Well, kinda. Your tv had something similar. Which meant one thing. You could plug it in! You squealed in what could only be described as joy as you quickly plugged it into a socket nearby.

...

Nothing. Well that's to be expected, you thought. You had only just plugged it in. You knew it'd take way more time for it to turn on than just a few seconds.

You sat up and stretched, a soft yawn bubbled up as you walked over to Slinky. There was still a lot of the day ahead of you two... plus the robot. So you three. But honestly, right now you could use a nice nap. It seemed like Slinky agreed with you, already fast asleep in her little ball she curled herself into. You tiptoed into your room and picked up a spare blanket you kept near your bed. You had others.. but this one was your favorite. It was your favorite color... plus you didn't feel like looking for the other's right now. You walked back into the living room and laid on the couch. Might as well make yourself comfortable. You wanted to keep an eye on the robot. Plus, you wanted to stay with Slinky... you didn't want to leave her there alone. You glanced at the robot one last time, eyelids heavy. As you fell asleep you missed the small blinking light flash across the robots eyes.

1%... 16 hours until fully charged.

[amtrak12]

My spouse read chapter 12 of my Lucifer fic and he called it my best chapter yet :') Definitely did not expect that for this one, but I am Pleased.

[retiredcultistredux]

(S-Sorry, Hyness!) No! I won't let you! *Tugs other side of Hyness's hoodie* -☘

[Out here playing tug of war with Hyness' arms, huh.]

[starlitcrows]

chapter 17 of the ff7r fic!