#spotted bay bass

[corroded-hellfire]

Prompt Day 19: In the Garage

Word Count: 977

Rating: T

Pairing: Eddie x Reader

CW: Language

Summary: Eddie gets a nice surprise at work when you come in with a car problem.

Thank you to my darling @munson-blurbs for helping me when my mind was blank ❣

@corrodedcoffinfest

Eddie always stays in the bay with the cars when he’s at work. The only reason he would go into the office portion of the garage is to clock in, clock out, or use the bathroom. Yeah, he had been trained on how to do intake at the front desk when customers come in with car issues, but why would he want to do that? Why stand in the same spot for hours, listening to the boring smooth jazz coming from the speakers, and talk to people about their car issues?

When people try to mimic the noise their car is making, he can never decide if he wants to laugh or grit his teeth so hard that his jaw shatters. That would at least get him out of the conversation. 

The whole reason Eddie became a mechanic is because he’s good with cars. People, not so much. Give him a torque wrench and a spark plug gapper and he’s good to go. 

But one day, Eddie decides he really wants to work inside, behind the counter.

Eddie closes the hood of the jeep he was just working on and pulls the red rag hanging over his shoulder down so he can wipe some of the grime and grease off them. It’s impossible to get it all.

Music is playing on an old radio shoved into the corner of a workbench. Over the pounding bass, Eddie hears a car door slam in the parking lot and his head turns in that direction. Through the open bay doors Eddie sees the most beautiful girl he’s ever laid eyes on. 

“Whoa,” he mutters under his breath. 

His dark eyes follow as she walks across the parking lot, towards the front door inside.

Eddie practically hops over a Subaru as he rushes to the door that will lead him into the same space as the beautiful woman. 

There’s already someone working the front counter as Eddie gets there, the beautiful woman headed their way.

“Brian, go ahead and take a break. I’ve got this,” Eddie mumbles to his coworker. 

Brian, in his late fifties, only has to look up from the desk to understand why Eddie is trying to usher him out of the way. He chuckles and steps back, allowing Eddie into the space.

“Good luck, son. Let me know when my impromptu break is over.”

Eddie nods, eyes widening in an attempt to tell Brian to get the fuck out of here. Luckily, he slips into the back just as you approach the counter.

“Hey,” Eddie says before mentally cursing himself out. Hey? That’s all I’ve got? God damn it, Munson, pull it together. 

He’d gone into fight or flight mode when it came to being the one to assist you and not given one damn thought about what to say to you.

“Hi,” you respond with a smile that almost makes Eddie’s knees buckle. 

“So, uh, what can I do for you?” Eddie asks. He certainly means that in more ways than one.

“My engine temperature gauge is all the way on hot,” you explain, hooking a thumb over your shoulder, in the direction of your car. 

Your car isn’t the only thing that’s hot, Eddie thinks. 

“Yeah, that’s no problem,” Eddie says. “I can take a look at that for you.”

His mind scrambles for a reason to ask for your name and phone number—when he remembers that’s his role right now, to get your information. Unfortunately, that would make him seem like an absolute creep, not to mention unprofessional, to use your intake form to hit on you. Asking you out would probably also venture into unprofessional territory. The thought disheartens him before a potential loophole springs to mind. When you come to pick up your car, you technically wouldn’t be a customer anymore. That should also give him a few hours to come up with something cleverer to say than, “Hey.”

“Alright, we’ll give you a call when it’s done,” Eddie says.

“Thanks.”

You turn to leave, and Eddie is caught between being sad you’re going away and enjoying the view as you head towards the door. But you stop before you get there and step over to a bulletin board hung above a drinking fountain. 

Eddie sees you looking over a flier for his upcoming Corroded Coffin show at a new bar and he perks up in excitement. 

“That’s a great band,” Eddie says.

“Yeah?” You turn your head to look at him in question.

“Oh, yeah. The lead singer is great. I mean, really amazing. He also plays lead guitar. Not to mention the great hair he has.”

Eddie does his best to keep a straight face and leans forward, resting his forearms on the counter. An amused smile quirks your lips as you slip your hands into your back pockets. 

“Huh. And is he maybe a mechanic during the day?” you ask. 

Now he can’t hold the smile back any longer. He ducks his head and licks over his lips, seeing if he can school his face back into neutrality, but it’s in vain. With a shrug of his shoulders, he looks back up and meets your eyes.

“He might be.”

“Hmm,” you hum thoughtfully. “Then I agree. He does have a good head of hair.”

Eddie’s smile beams even wider. When’s the last time he’s been this happy at work?

“You should swing by. Check out the show,” he offers.

You pretend to consider it, tilting your head from side to side as if you’re thinking it over. 

“I think I’m free that night,” you say. “And since this lead singer is so good, I guess I’ll check him out. Them. Uh, I’ll check them out.”

Eddie didn’t think he could smile any wider than he already was, but your slip-up does the trick. 

“He looks forward to it.”

[lynzishell]

The Past 💛 Atlas

Upstairs, the club is already full and alive with music and lights and people. While the others walk out on the dance floor, making their way toward the DJ booth, I stay back, allowing myself a few minutes to acclimate. I find a spot in the back, out of the way, and watch the crowd on the dance floor as they smile and cheer and dance, some goofing off and laughing with friends, others serious and focusing only on the music as they move. It occurs to me that it’s been years since I’ve been to a club. Dawn used to drag us out all the time when we were in college together, and I got kind of burnt out on it after a while, but I’m glad I came out tonight.

I look past the dancers to the booth and recognize the DJ as our co-worker Kamryn, her signature bright pink ponytail swaying as she dances behind the decks. I had no idea she did this kind of thing, but she’s good.

It’s not long before I find myself moving my head and shoulders to the beat, the rest of my body itching to be set free and move as the bass thumps in my chest and a familiar warmth radiates through my limbs. As I expected, the tablet Lex gave us contains MDMA and something else, and whatever that something else is multiplies the sensation and I feel it hit me all at once as my entire body flushes with heat and a gentle euphoria lifts my anxiety up and away.

I look around to try to spot Ash, and as if I manifested him with my mind, I see him walk out of the crowd right toward me. His black t-shirt is soft and thin and hangs on him just right, and my mind flashes briefly to the exposed skin underneath. Catching myself, I take a breath and look up quickly to see his playful smirk. “Are you gonna come dance, or what?” He asks.

“Yeah, I was just about to.”

“Let’s go then.”

He extends his hand to me, and I take it, letting him lead me through the crowd to the middle of the dance floor where the moving lights and loud music and energy of the dancers take over. I let it envelop me and flow through me as I let go and dance and become part of it all.

[music]

I look over at Ash and am immediately mesmerized by the way he moves, weightless and fluid. I’ve seen him dance dozens of times, and he always looks good, even when we’re just fucking around in his living room trying to make each other laugh, but this is different. His footwork is quick and smooth and hypnotic, his weight shifting, pulling him side to side, crossing over and back again. It’s a style so distinctly urban that I can’t help but wonder where the fuck in Brindleton Bay he learned to dance like that. I can’t take my eyes off him.

Part of me is tempted to reach out and pull him into me, but I also don’t want to interrupt him. I watch as someone else comes up behind him and tries to dance with him, but he shrugs them off and shakes his head, clearly wanting to be left alone to do his own thing. So, I leave him be and dance beside him, keeping my hands to myself. It’s probably for the best anyway… I have an image of Lex popping up between us if we get too close, as if I’m a teenager again at a church dance being monitored to “save room for Jesus”. Little did they know what Henry and I had gotten up to earlier that day. I smile to myself at the memory. He may have broken my heart in the end, but that day… that was a good day. It feels nice to be able to enjoy a happy memory without being dragged down by all the sad ones attached to it, even if only temporarily. I silently thank Lex for whatever she gave me… and thank myself for only taking half. The night is already starting to blur around me as it is.

Soon, a song comes in that drags me gently out of my wandering thoughts and wraps around me like a warm blanket. It’s beautiful, layered and flowing like waves, the beat quick but more subtle than the others, a welcome reprieve. I look over at Asher and he smiles at me, nodding; he likes it too. Letting the beat guide me, I close my eyes and move to the music, feeling it wash over me as I lose myself again.

[1:50] The song slows and gets quiet sooner than I’d like it to, but I take advantage of getting a moment to breathe. Ash is grinning up at me, and I get the distinct feeling he’d been watching me.

“What’s that look for?” I ask.

“Having fun?” He was definitely watching me.

I laugh a little, more flattered than embarrassed, “Yeah, you?”

He shrugs casually, but, judging by the size of his pupils and the grin on his face, I’d say he’s feeling as good as I am.

“Where’s Lex?” I wonder, realizing that I haven’t seen anyone else from our group in a while.

Ash searches the crowd for a moment before pointing to the far end. I turn to see her familiar mop of ginger curls, and smile when I see her laughing and dancing with her friends.

“Enjoying her birthday, I see.”

“Yep.”

[2:20] The music dips quieter as the layers are removed bit by bit. When I turn back to Ash, my smile falters as I look him over, the image of his shirt lifting up refuses to leave my mind, and my body trembles from the effort of holding myself back from reaching out to him.

My desire (or desperation?) must show on my face because he peers at me through his long lashes, gives me a playful grin, and asks, “What?” The way he says it comes out like a dare, and I watch as his eyes dip down and then slowly follow the lines of my body back up until they meet mine again, making my heart race and turning the last ounce of my willpower to dust at my feet.

[2:40] The music is starting to rise, so I gesture for him to come closer. When he leans in, my body reacts instantly, as if each and every individual cell is reaching for him, so I take his hand and I put my mouth to his ear and say the only thing I can think of to say, “I want you to kiss me.”

Our cheeks are so close that I feel the disturbance in the air between them as he smiles. He pulls back, and holds up a finger, telling me to hold on. I watch curiously as he listens to the music, nodding his head to the beat, as if waiting for something.

[2:55] A second later, he looks back at me with an excited smile, and in one swift motion, he reaches a hand to the back of my head and pulls himself into me. The second our lips touch, I feel the energy rush through my entire body as the music drops and the crowd around us erupts in cheers and dancing.

Maybe it’s the drugs, maybe it’s the music, maybe it’s him, or maybe it’s the combination of it all, but it’s the best kiss I’ve ever had.

Prev // Next

[mousetoe-wc]

I Got bored one time awhile ago and made a list of every prefix plus some into organised sections so I thought I might as well share.

All the ones that aren’t cannon to warriors, yet at lest are bold

Describing names

Colours: red, russet, copper, golden, amber, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink, white, gray, black, ebony, dark, pale, silver, brown, tawny, fallow

Pattern, Texture + Size: spot/ted, dapple, speckle, freckle, brindle, patch, mottle, ragged, tangle, kink, bristle, fuzzy, curl/y, wooly, soft, sleek, little, tiny, small, slight, short, tall, long, big, heavy, crooked, broken, half, stumpy, shred, torn, jagged

Actions + Character: flip, pounce, bounce, jump, hop, crouch, down, low, drift, flail, strike, running, fidget, mumble, whistle, snap, sneeze, shiver/ing, shining, flutter, fallen, lost, rush, fleet, quick, shy, sweet, brave, loud, quiet, wild, hope, wish,

Other: claw, whisker, dead, odd, one, spike, fringe, echo, song, hallow, haven

Elements

Time + Weather: day, night, dusk, dawn, morning, sky, sun/ny, moon, storm, lightning, thunder, cloud/y, mist/y, fog, snow, blizzard, ice, frost, dew, drizzle, rain, clear, wind, breeze, gale, shadow, shade, bright, light,

Earth/Water/Fire names: stone, rock, boulder, slate, flint, pebble, gravel, sand/y, dust, mud/dy, meadow, hill, rubble, river, ripple, whorl, float, rapid, shimmer, lake, swamp, marsh, wave, wet, bubbling, splash, puddle, pool, creek, fire, flame, flicker, flash, blaze, scorch, ember, spark, ash, soot, cinder, smoke

Plants

Trees: alder, aspen, birch, beech, cedar, cypress, pine, elm, willow, oak, larch, maple, bay, rowan, timber, bark, log, wood, twig, acorn, cone, seed, spire

Berry/Nut/Fruit/Herb: juniper, elder, sloe, holly, yew, mistle, bramble, hickory, hazel, chestnut, nut, apple, cherry, cranberry, olive, pear, plum, peach, chive, mint, fennel, sage, basil, mallow, parsley

Flowers: aster, poppy, primrose, rose, bluebell, marigold, tansy, pansy, briar, cherry, daisy, dandelion, daffodil, tulip, violet, lily, myrtle, thrift, yarrow, heather, lavender, blossom, bloom, flower, petal

Other: leaf, frond, fern, bracken, sorrel, hay, rye, oat, wheat, cotton, reed, pod, cinnamon, milkweed, grass, clover, weed, stem, sedge, gorse, furze, flax, nettle, thistle, ivy, moss, lichen, bush, vine, root, thorn, prickle, nectar

Animals

Mammals: mouse, rat, mole, vole, shrew, squirrel, hedgehog, bat, rabbit, hare, ferret, weasel, stoat, mink, marten, otter, hog, wolf, hound, fox, vixen, badger, deer, doe, stag, fawn, sheep, cow, pig, lion, tiger, leopard, lynx, milk

Birds: robin, jay, cardinal, thrush, sparrow, swallow, shrike, starling, rook, swift, dove, pigeon, crow, raven, duck, goose, heron, wren, finch, swan, stork, quail, gull, lark, owl, eagle, hawk, kestrel, buzzard, kite, hoot, feather, bird, egg, talon

Fish, Reptiles + Amphibians: pike, perch, pollack, trout, tench, cod, carp, bass, bream, eel, minnow, fin, snake, adder, lizard, turtle, frog, toad, newt

Bug type Names: bug, lady or ladybug, moth, spider, ant, snail, slug, beetle, bee, wasp, dragon or dragonfly, bumble, worm, maggot, cricket, fly, midge, web, honey

Skyclan + Warriorclan: Bella, Billy, Big, Harry, Harvey, Snook, Ebony, Monkey

[aqua-the-smiter]

I DID IT. I WROTE SOMETHING FOR MERMARY Selkie!Ferrus Manus x Argena Seeva (oc) Argena meets a rather peculiar stranger along the seashore. Ferrus is a selkie bc Scottish Iron Hands make brain go brrr. SFW Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR7QTKe1D7Q Writer's note, Ferrus's seal form is a leopard seal :3 Divider by @squishyowl

It was the most beautiful singing Argena had ever heard.

The voice was male, and it was unusual to think of a man’s singing as beautiful, but there was no other way she could describe it. It was deep-bass deep-and as clear as sunlit seawater. It was strong and steady, the singer’s voice never wavering or breaking or missing a note.

Once a fair and handsome seal-lord lay his foot upon the sand For to woo the fisher's daughter and to claim her marriage hand. "I have come in from the ocean, I have come in from the sea, And I'll not go to the waves, love, lest ye come along with me."

It split the quiet, late summer air. Her singer wasn’t loud, per say, but it carried easily over the sound of the lapping waves and up the short cliff to where she had been perched on her mare. Quickly, she slid off the bay’s back and tied her reins around a post she had driven into the ground some years before for the purpose. She pushed her way through the long grass and heather to peer over the cliffside, hunkering down to let the long stalks curtain her.

There, among the rocks, far away from the other seals that populated the shore sat a man. He was huge. Even from this distance she could tell he would easily tower over her. His skin was pale and scarred, glistening from the seaspray. His body was all coarse black hair and hard, thick muscle from his broad shoulders to his strong legs. Despite his obvious strength and bulk the way he sat was almost elegant, draped over the stone he was sitting on with the same effortless lounge a seal would. His face looked like it had been chiseled from white mountain rock, as scarred as the rest of him was. His eyes were a bright, oddly metallic silver and his short hair black as shale.

There were two things that stuck out about his appearance, aside from his sheer size and obvious power he exuded. His arms were gloved from the very tips of his fingers to around mid-upper arm in interweaving knotwork tattoos. Clearly done with loving detail, and absurdly intricate. Second, an enormous sealskin cloak rested over his shoulders. It didn’t look like any sealskin she’d ever seen, both big enough to wrap up a draft horse and colored differently. Black or dark gray on the back before shading to a lighter gray on the sides, and dappled with dark spots. The flippers hung down over his chest.

It has nearly as much fur as he does. She thought with a small smile.

She sat for a while, head in her hands, listening to him. No human should have been able to sing so enchantingly. Especially not a man who looked so tough and strong. And rather handsome, now that she studied him for a while. She hoped she was able to keep the ditzy look of pleasure off her face. Such a sweet voice for such a strong man.

"Lord, long have I loved you as a selkie on the foam. "I would gladly go and wed ye and be Lady of your home But I cannot go into the ocean, I cannot go into the sea. I would drown beneath your waves, love, if I went along with ye." "Lady, long have I loved you: I would have you for my wife. I shall stay upon your shoreland though it robs me of my life. I will stay one night beside you, never go back to the sea, I will stay and be thy husband though it be the death of me."

Wait…

Her head snapped up suddenly as a thought struck her.

The sealskin…his voice. 

No…it couldn’t be, could it? Surely not.

Argena remembered back to when she had been a child, and her father would tell her and her older brother stories before bed. About faeries and elves, kelpies and the nuckelavee. And…selkies. At the end he’d always told them that there had been fantastical creatures once, a very long time ago, but they had shrunk away from the world as men grew more numerous. It was something she kept in mind even now in her adult life. For example, growing increasingly wary of the odd white horse that lived by a deep pond and always seemed to stare at her whenever she walked by. 

Like it knew she wouldn’t fall for that.

“I didn’t think there were any of you left.” She whispered softly.

It took her a moment to realize he stopped. What’s more, he was staring right at her. His piercing silver eyes met her gold ones, and she felt her heart skip. 

“You may as well come down here, if you’re going to sneak around.” He said, sounding none too pleased about it.

Her mouth went dry as she extracted herself and slowly picked her way down the cliff. Her bare feet sinking into the sand and her skirts billowing in the sea breeze. She stopped a few paces away from him, and he sat up, attentive.

“Do you make a habit of spying on others?”

“Do you make a habit of sitting naked in the middle of nowhere?” She asked back, a little annoyed.

His jaw worked for a few moments before he conceded. “Aye, fair enough..

“I come down to this stretch of beach often.” She explained quickly, not wanting things to be even more awkward. “I heard you singing and stopped to listen. You have the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard.” She told him earnestly. 

He inhaled sharply, but his stance relaxed. “It’s been a long time since I heard something like that from a mortal.”

“So you’re not human?”

“No. Of course not.” “Ha! I knew it!” Argena crowed triumphantly. “You are a selkie, aren’t you?.”

Then she paused, and held out a hand. Realizing she may have sounded a little rude.

“It’s an honor to meet you. Don’t misunderstand me. I just…I thought you were all gone. I never would have dreamed in a hundred years that I would meet a real one.”

After a moment he accepted the offered handshake. His was huge and engulfed hers. It was warm and slightly damp. The tattoos were even more intricate up close, and covered his palms as well.

I thought you were all gone.

Her words stuck with the selkie for a moment. He had been under the impression that humans largely didn’t believe in anything magical anymore. As new beliefs swept over the land and as they continued to advance. They were relegated to superstition and fairy tales. Some pockets still believed, of course. Some always would. But most didn’t, and even now he still wasn’t sure of how he felt about it. For all his strength and power, he wasn’t fond of being forgotten. It might be better that way.

But he had to admit it was nice to be recognized. 

“Do you have a name?” She remembered something vaguely, about fae names being important.

He didn’t seem to hold the same truth. “Ferrus. And you?” “Argena. Er, you can just call me Gena, please.”

She sat on the rock next to him as he gazed out to sea, deep in thought. It was a little awkward, and she wondered if she’d offended him somehow.

Good job, Gena. You meet a real magical creature and you piss him off within the first five minutes.

The sun was starting to go down, turning the sand golden and making the water shimmer and flash. The light breeze carried the scent of heather and thistle flowers, mingling with that of the salty ocean air, and the sound of the waves and cries of the gulls overhead were making her drowsy. Finally, he spoke.

“We’re still around. We were never gone. It’s just wiser to keep to yourself these days.”

“Hm?” She looked up at him. He sounded oddly melancholy. “So there’s still selkies around?”

“Not just us. There’s still plenty of…I suppose you would call us mythical beasts now. Dragons and faeries and unicorns and kelpies. Albeit many in lesser numbers. But as I said. It’s just wiser to retreat from the world. There will always be places wild and untouched.”

Gena frowned. “Not all humans would mean to harm you.”

Ferrus nodded in agreement. “I believe you. You are right in front of me after all. We have been sitting here for a good while and yet you haven’t asked to touch my sealskin, or reached out for it.”

“I figured that would have been rude even if you weren’t a selkie, seeing as how we’ve just met. And I promise I have no intention of stealing it. If there was even a chance I could overpower you.”

“There is not. But just by that alone I feel that you are at least somewhat trustworthy.”

She flushed, a bit flattered. “Honestly? I’m just in awe to meet you in the first place. I was raised on all the stories and old tales. I would never dream of taking your sealskin. Has…has anyone tried to, in the past?”

His expression darkened. “Once. My brother stole it from me, and hid it so well I couldn’t find it. I don’t know how, some magic or other. I went to all my other brothers and asked them for help, but none of them would. So I beat the truth of that wretched little bastard. Since then, I haven’t spoken to any of them. So I am amused, if nothing else, that a little mortal woman such as yourself has more respect for me and mine than my own family.”

“I, well…you’re welcome." She couldn't imagine having a family that awful. Hers wasn't perfect. They drove her nuts on occasion, what with her brother treating her like a child at times, her younger sister conspiring to make her chores infinitely longer than needed, and her mother dismissing her as a dreamer with her head in the clouds, constantly pestering her to accept a marriage proposal already. But it wasn't all bad in the slightest, and she loved her family. 

"I don't think mine are anywhere near that bad, but they drive me up a wall too sometimes. I have a brother and a sister. How many siblings do you have?"

"18 brothers."

"18?!"

"One of my brothers has a twin. It would've been 17 otherwise."

"You have 18 brothers and nobody helped you?!"

“Twisted, isn’t it?” He gave her a rueful smile. “You’ve been better to me than all of them. The real foot in the nads is that the one who stole my sealskin was my best friend. There used to be times I’d forget we weren’t twins.”

“I assume you never want to speak to him again.”

“I do not.”

They fell silent again, but this time it was a little more congenial. He decided he liked this mortal woman. She was kind, but not flat. There was a spark in her. Very beautiful too, with those bright gold eyes and long wavy black hair. Her skin was fair but not nearly as much as his. And, he noted almost absently, she had a very nice figure.

Ferrus held a section of his sealskin out to her. “You can feel it if you’d like.”

Gena stared at it in surprise before looking back up at him. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. I’m offering it to you.”

“Ah…alright then.”

She had been curious, and so reached out to brush her hand against it. It didn’t feel at all like she was expecting. It was covered in thick, dense fur. The section he’d offered had been sitting in the sea spray, so it was slick, smooth, and almost oily. It felt nice against her hand, and she stroked it a few times like she was petting it.

“Not what you expected?”

“No, but it feels nice. It’s so smooth too. I bet it’s really comfortable to curl up under.”

That got his first real smile out. “It rather is. The waters I tend to frequent are very cold. Even more so than here.”

“Do you not live around here?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t, for a long time. I may come back though. This is my homeland in a way. I prefer it here over anywhere else, but I wished to disappear for a long while.”

“This would be the first place your family looked?”

No reply this time, but he nodded.

“What else do you know about me?”

“About selkies you mean? Well…” She put a finger to her lower lip as she thought for a moment. “I heard one version of the tale that said you couldn’t be on land past midnight or you would die. But I never thought that made any sense. When would you be able to turn into a human when you took the skin off otherwise?”

“Why indeed?” And she felt a little happy flutter as she saw she’d made him smile again. Ferrus was a rather dour selkie. “What else?”

“I knew about your singing. Although that also varies from story to story. And I know a lot of stories about humans stealing sealskins and forcing the selkie to marry them. I never liked those. And I know that selkies are said to be indistinguishable from real humans underneath, except for all being very good looking.”

“My brothers were all very aware of that little tidbit. They seemed to think I didn’t fit the bill.”

“Well they’re not the ones who you’d want to be attracted to you anyway. They’re your family. For what it’s worth, I think you’re a very handsome man. Er, selkie.”

Ferrus laughed. It sounded vaguely like a seal’s bark, but warm. “You don’t mince words, do you? You’re a very honest woman.”

“Just telling it as I see it. Besides, your family sounds terrible.”

She glanced up at the sky again, before suddenly standing upright. 

“Damn it all! It’s getting late. I should get going so I’m not going home in the dark. Thank you for talking, Ferrus. I’ll never forget it.” Gena gave him a small curtsy.

“...I will be here tomorrow, if you’d like to continue this. Gena.” He offered slowly. It had been a very long time since he’d spoken to anyone. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed it. The sound of another voice. Hers was sweet and silvery and calm.

“Wait, really? Sure. I would love to talk with you again. Imagine me befriending a real selkie.” And she laughed with the sheer joyful absurdity of it. 

“Befriend?”

“Why not? I wouldn’t mind being your friend.” She smiled at him, and began making her way up the cliff. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, Ferrus.”

“Aye. You as well. Stay safe, Gena.” He called after her. Then she was gone, disappearing over the ledge with a final wave of goodbye.

He lingered on the rock long after the sun had begun to dip below the horizon, pondering what had just happened. It had been…centuries since he’d last actually talked to someone. The last time had been when he’d gotten his sealskin back. He gripped it tighter, pulling the precious thing more around his shoulders. Time had passed by without his notice. And it seemed he’d grown much lonelier than he wanted to admit to himself. His decision had been spur of the moment, but it might be nice to have a companion again.

Pulling his sealskin over himself fully, he finally slid into the water and disappeared into the deep. But he’d be back for sure. Maybe he’d sing the rest of that song for Gena, next time he saw her.

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

Love Me Bitterly [Chapter Four] Game On [Adam]

Warning(s): family drama, OC, Adam being Adam.

Tag list: @lala-1516

Previous chapter

No Minors Allowed!!

A sharp, loud knock on the front door woke Marcella from a dreamless sleep. She sat up on her bed, ignoring the chill of her apartment as her nightie rode up her thighs. It was not dawn yet, or else her eternal clock would have woken her, but she knew it was early. 

Marcella reluctantly crawled out of bed and tottered to the front door, noting that the sun had yet to come up. She held back a tired yawn and opened the door; the person on the other side made her turn to stone. 

Mother. 

Once it sank in, Marcella stood up straight and saluted her, placing her hand over her heart. Imelda, a blonde in her late 50s frowned. She might have been her parent, but she was also her Commander.

“Are you still in bed?” 

“I wake up at 6,” Marcella uttered. 

She waited for her mom to order her into a relaxed position before she stepped aside and let her in. 

“What do I owe the pleasure?” 

Imelda hummed. Her armored gauntlets clanked as she reached out to touch Marcella's p-bass. Her dark blue eyes glanced around the room, settling on the DIY press and frames scattered across her table. 

“Celeste would be proud.” Her aunt. Imelda sighed. “I came to tell you personally that as of today, you are no longer on library duty. Consider yourself blessed.”

Did that mean…

“I can return to my post?” 

Imelda gave her a pointed look. 

“Yes, though I do not think you are ready. It's too soon.” 

“Then why are you sending me back…if I may ask?” 

Marcella didn't understand her reasoning. Did they need her that much? Rilea did say Imelda was busy as of late. She watched her mother cross the living area and sit at her spot near the bay window. 

“Are you and Adam close? He is courting you isn't he?”

Adam. Did she know him? Marcella frowned. 

“No. How do you know he was courting me?” 

Unsuccessfully, she opted to mention. 

“He came to me yesterday and argued for me to take you off library duty. I admit, at first, I disregarded him as a foul-mouthed fool, but as one who shares a rank with me, he knows the value of a warrior,” Imelda explained. “He threatened a transfer.”

Marcella widened her eyes. A transfer. 

“Me, an Exorcist? I–”

“Do not dwell on it. I said no. He's a sly little Virtuous. Someone up high in the hierarchy must have his back.” Her eyes narrowed. “Was it you who asked him to speak with me?”

Was she serious? Marcella returned the glare. 

“I have spoken to Adam only once…and furthermore, I don't need him to fight my battles for me. While I was sore about the punishment I understood why you demoted me.”

Unexpectedly, Imelda guffawed. 

“As expected of my daughter.” She stood and sauntered over to Marcella, resting her hand on her cheek. “I'll see you at headquarters. But do remember, if you slip up again, Adam will not save you no matter which Seraphim he has on his side.” 

Marcella bit back a retort and shook her head in understanding. She escorted her mother out, then leaned against the door with a deflated sigh. While the visit was unpleasant, she was pleased that she was allowed to return to the field. 

I guess I owe Adam a thank you, even though he made the situation worse.

What was he thinking? How did he know? 

Her mother was a proud woman and even more spiteful while in command of the “Powers”. She was not certain what punishments her mother had in store for her. 

For the next few hours, Marcella rushed through her morning routine in a bit of a daze. She made a strawberry smoothie for breakfast, then bathed and got dressed in her work uniform. With what time she had left, she checked on the clovers and the buttercups inside the wooden press, then bound them again; the instructions said it sometimes took weeks.

Now that she was reassigned, she would have less free time, which worked for her. At least she would not be bored to tears waiting for the flowers to press.

Speaking of work. 

Marcella rinsed out her cup and put it in the sink, then left her apartment. She had a feeling that it was going to be a long day. 

And she was right. 

While she was permitted to return to Earth, she was assigned to observe, which entailed that she sit and watch the cosmos through a viewing portal. It was tedious work. Not much ever happened on Earth or in Heaven, besides the tragedies that angels had no business meddling in - such business is what got Marcella in trouble to begin with. She would be sure to mind her Ps and Qs this time, as the humans called it. 

At break, she flew to Seraphim Square for lunch and bought an extra donut from Sweetly. As much as she did not want to see Adam, she felt like she at least owed him a thank you for sticking it to her mom, even though it annoyed her more than anything. 

The Exorcist Headquarters was a block from the Gates of Heaven, on the far side of Halo City. Marcella slipped inside and sauntered down a bright hall, the faint and lifeless sound of an electric guitar without an amp echoed through the vacant building. She followed it, curious as to where everyone was. 

The sound brought her to an office door with a stained glass window that depicted a floral meadow on it. She traced a pink lily, then knocked. The guitarist continued to play, so hesitantly she knocked again. 

“Fuck,” someone grunted. The sound of clashing notes followed. Then a chair squeaked. “I told you dumb bit–”

As Adam pulled the door open, on the verge of unloading a mouth full of curses at whoever was interrupting him, he noticed Marcella on the other side and immediately shut his mouth. 

What was it that Nera had said? She didn't care for his mouth. Not like she knew what he could actually do with it. Adam grinned at the thought, prompting a curious look from Marcella. 

“Should I come back another time?”

“I was…planning,” Adam lied. 

Marcella hummed. 

“Do you play often without an amp when you plan?”

He was impressed. The display on his holographic mask mocked his emotion, much to his annoyance. Adam dismissed it and crossed his arms. 

“I play better with an amp. But Lute was all ‘Bitch, bitch. Can't focus. Bitch, bitch’.” He puppeted his hand like a mouth to emphasize his point. 

Marcella frowned. 

“It wasn't bad…what I heard.”

“Duh! I fucking rock.” Adam noticed the unamused look on her face and rubbed his arm. She was a hard woman to impress. “You play…good too, from what I've heard.”

Marcella felt her face heat up. 

“You've heard me play?”

He acted like it was no big deal and hummed. 

“In the square a few times. I dig the girly pop meets heavy metal vibe. It's hard-core and hot.”

A part of her was flattered, but the other part felt replaceable. Adam didn't seem to know much about her aside from how she performed. She was not even sure why he liked her. Perhaps he didn't. 

“Look, I wanted to thank you for what you did. That's the reason I came here,” Marcella mentioned. She offered the box with the donut in it to him. “I hope you don't mind sweets.”

“Fuck yeah,” Adam declared, taking it from her. 

The women he went after never bought him food before. He was flattered. Taking out the donut, he hummed as he sank his teeth into it. 

“You're welcome. A badass like you shouldn't be confined to lame-ass library duty.” 

He did not know a thing about the reason she was demoted, but she was thankful otherwise. On another note, he complimented her, in one form or another, three times now. There was some underlying attraction there. Cat and mouse games were not her style, so she swallowed her pride and looked him in the eyes. 

“Are you…interested in me or something? I want to know if I'm reading this wrong.”

“And if I am, babe?” Adam retorted smugly. 

Marcella had a feeling he was. But why? She frowned. 

“I don't…know you though.”

“I'm Adam, the first man,” he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. His eyes narrowed. “Everyone knows of me.”

In some way, yes.

“Prestige is one thing but that doesn't mean I know you,” Marcella countered. 

What kind of fucked up logic was she trying to make? Adam was confused. His LED mask glitched, then corrected itself unsure what emotion to display.

Marcella frowned. He clearly wasn't getting what she meant.

“It's not fair to write him off without giving him a chance.”

She knew that Rilea was right, but all of this seemed pointless. Did he want to get to know her? Or did he want to count her as just another mark in his list of women he took to bed?

“If you don't want me to get to know you as a person, then we need to draw a line here and now. I'm not against one-night stands, but the notes and the gifts are redundant,” Marcella stated. 

Adam was shocked. For once, he had no words. Not even when Marcella reached out and touched his arm. He was courting her, wasn't he? He wasn't sure. 

“Thank you again, Adam. I need to get back to headquarters.” 

Her touch was soothing, so soothing, then the sensation was gone. He stood at the door, watching like a fool as she turned and sauntered away. Even when she disappeared out of sight, he stood there, mask glitching. 

What the fuck just happened?

Where was Lute when he needed her?

[because-she-goes]

black lace

warnings: birthday boy matty, nora being bi, charli and george, matty being possessive, swearing, pre-smut? Enjoy!

Nora was on her fourth glass of wine. The bass thumped around her and the rest of her and Matty’s friends in the dark London club. They were there celebrating his birthday, Nora buying the group bottle and table service until 4am. It was his 29th after all, why not go all out to make it fun for him. She could feel Matty’s eyes on her body even from his spot on the couch 15 feet from her. Her… suggestion of dress skimmed her body beautifully, heels wrapped delicately around her ankles and golden M pendant hanging between her collarbones gracefully. She felt electric.

Matty felt high just from watching Nora. Her hips swinging to the rhythm, head bouncing, brown hair flying around her. She was right about the dress, Matty buying it for her for that exact reason - it framed her body like the masterpiece it was. He saw it in a store a few days ago and his mouth dropped just looking at it on the mannequin. He bought it without even looking at the price tag and ran out of the store. The black lace hugged her curves perfectly, like it was custom made for her. When he had bought it, he came home bouncing. Begging her to try it on and give him a twirl, he must’ve stopped breathing. She was the hottest human being he had ever seen.

That’s when he felt George sit next to him, handing Matty a fresh cold beer. Matty takes the drink gratefully, thanks his friend and looks back to his girl. “Ocean Drive” by Duke Dumont playing over the speakers, Charli takes a step to the dancefloor handing Nora another red wine. The two girls - both a bit pissed - interlock and swing to the music. Nora’s arms drape over Charli’s shoulder, Charli’s fall to Nora’s hips. Long, red nails dipping into the flesh. Their faces are literally inches apart and Matty feels like his heart is gonna pop out of his chest any second. George however is cackling, proud of his bold girl for going after who she likes. This was definitely not Nora’s first rodeo, remember Amber….yeah. They ended up having a fling after rehab, but it was only for fun and no feelings got involved. That was a fun couple of months, Nora remembering her.

Matty takes a long sip of his beer, eyeing Nora like he could eat her alive - he might later he thinks. Nora swings around, facing him now. Her eyes lock onto his dark ones, a devilish smile forms on the corner of her mouth. He feels like he can’t even breathe. Charli moves Nora’s hair to the side, giggles and says into her neck “Let’s give them a real show huh baby?”

“Oh say less, Charli. I think George likes how pretty we are together,” Nora teases.

“Oh him? Yeah he’s used to this babes. Loves when I dance with pretty girls, but go home to him. Yours however looks like he is gonna pop a blood vessel any second.” Charli laughs.

The two girls now facing their partners, Charli expertly plants a purple bruise right on the side of Nora’s neck, right where her sharp jaw slopes down into her collar bone. Kissing, licking, teasing the skin underneath. “Fuck…” Nora mutters, breathlessly. Her knees almost melt and she looks at Matty again. “Feels so fucking good, Charli.” She moans wickedly, Nora’s waist grinds into Charli’s - needing to tempt Matty enough, while also keeping herself at bay.

Matty is gonna destroy her later and she can’t wait. He looks at her with nearly black eyes, taking another sip of the beer. His jaw ticks at the thought of how Nora would sound as he did the same to her later in the same spot, reclaiming his girl.

Finally having enough, he stands up and downs the beer. Handing the cup to George who is not even bothered by the two girls having their fun, Matty strides over to his Nora, and like out of a movie he plants the hardest, roughest, most possessive kiss to her bitten lips. Their bodies go into a frenzy, Charli taking her leave and going to sit next to George.

“You are in deep shit, Downey.” He spits at her, smirking.

“Happy birthday, Baby! Go as rough as you’d like.” She taunts, matching the smirk. Thanking god the music is so loud that no-one can hear them.

“Cig break?” He asks, already having her wrist in his hand and walking out of the club.

“Absolutely, Birthday Boy.” She basically moans in his ear as they walk to the car parked outside.

[greekstar]

Warrior cat name Ideas Prefixes - A-Z A Acorn Adder Amber Ant Apple Arch Arrow Aspen Ash Asher Alder Amber B Badger Bark Beech Bellow Birch Berry Bird Black Blizzard Brave Breeze Bright Brown Bell Bug Beetle Bluebell Blue Bounce Brindle Brush Bush Buzzard Buzz Bee Bumble Bass Basil Bubble Brine Beaver Bison (I feel like this only goes good with ‘horn’ or Bisonpelt/fur.) Bat Bone Butterfly Burdock Broken Bramble Bracken Bay Brisk Blossom Briar Boil Branch Bud C Cloud Cloudy Crystal Cold Cricket Cliff Cardinal Crying Cougar Coyote Cobweb Chick Cow Cave Cheetah Carrot Coral Cactus Claw Cedar Cherry Cinder Clover Copper Creek Crooked Crouch Crow D Dew Dewy Duck Dusty Dust Dune Down Dagger Dodge Dolphin Daisy Doe Dapple Dappled Dark Dawn Dead Dove Drift Dusk E Eagle Ebony Echo Egg Eel Ember F Fallen Fallow Fawn Feather Fennel Fern Ferret Finch Fire Flame Fleet Flint Flower Flow Fly Fox Freckle Frog Frost Furze Fuzzy Foal Falling Fall G Gale Gust Golden Gold Goose Gorse Gorge Grass Gray Green Grass Goldfish Guppy Ghost H Hail Half Hare Hawk Hay Hoot Hazel Heather Heavy Hollow Holly Honey Honeycomb Hummingbird Horse Happy Hornet Hound Heron I Ice Ivy J Jagged Jay Joy Jaguar Jackdaw Jump Juniper K Kestrel Kink Koi L Lake Larch Leaf Lark Leopard Lichen Lightning Lily Lion Little Lizard Log Long Lost Loud Low Lynx M Maggot Mallow Maple Marsh Meadow Milk Minnow Mint Mist Misty Mole Moon Morning Moss Mossy Moth Mottle Mouse Mouth Mud Mumble Mink Muddy Moonlight Mountain Mushroom Monkey N Nettle Needle Nut Newt Night Nimble O Oak Oat Odd Olive One Otter Owl Orange Ocean Orca Opal P Pale Perch Pool Pike Peak Prickle Pounce Pine Petal Petal Pebble Pear Patch Pirate(kittypet or loner) Polar Peach Panda Pond Pigeon Plum Q Quail Quick R Rabbit Rain Ragged Rat Rattle Root Raspberry Reed Red Robin Rock Rose Rowan Rubble Running Rushing Rush Russet Rust Rye Raven Raccoon Rustle Rattlesnake Ravine Rapid S Sage Short Sheep Sedge Shrew Slate Slow Snail Sneeze Sorrel Soot Spider Spruce Sun Sunny Swallow Shallow Shade Sharp Scorch Sand Sandy Sky Silver Smoke Snake Soft Snow Sparrow Speckle Splash Spotted Squirrel Stalking Stalk Stalker Starling Stone Storm Stumpy Stump Sweet Swift Shred Sloe Shell Seed Shimmer Shimmering Skunk Spirit Squid Shy Sound Summer Sapphire Spiraling Spiral Shark Saturn T Tall Talon Tooth Timber Tiger Twig Tumble Thorn Thistle Thrush Tawny Tangle Ting Trout Torn Toad Tiny V Vine Vixen Void Vole W Wasp Weasel Web Weed Wet Whisker White Whale Wild Willow Wind Wolf Winter Wisteria Whisper Whispering Water Wave Waver Whisper Watermelon Whistle Wood Y Yellow

Yew

Yarrow- suggested

You guys DONT WANNA KNOW how LONG this took. I’m crying. And I might’ve missed some so feel free to send me messages in chat to request me editing it and putting it in some (not like messaging but the. Chat in this post lol.)

@cryptidclaw I also did this for our Au to help us with renaming.

I will get to suffixes soon I promise.

[lordsofcorbina]

I’m looking to get into fly fishing the bays and surf here in San Diego. My main interests are Corbina in the surf and corvina in the bays. I’ve caught tons of corvina on top water baits and plenty of Corbina on split shot sand crabs. I have no idea where to start when it comes to fly fishing. I wouldn’t mind fly fishing for spotted bay bass also. I was field staff for z man and kayaked the bays for a few years. Caught many large spotties. Just looking for something different to challenge me. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

If you have a tube or yak . One of the popular areas to bay fish the fly is Glorieta bay.

Corvina on the fly is a lot trickier since they move around a lot. In the winter fish the back bays where the water temps are warmer.

Beans are everywhere right now Torrey Pines all the way up to Carlsbad have fish.

If you have sight fished them with live bait it’s basically the same game except you’re trying to get a reaction bite. The fly has to presented to the fish close enough so they can see it and in a non threatening manner. The beans give free tutorials on what not to do. 😉🙂 Cast at a lot of fish and observe their reactions.

You already have a head start over most folks since you fished them on bait successfully.

Question for you?

How did you find this site?

I don’t advertise so it’s all by word of mouth.

Anywho…

Good luck out there.

[nocompromise-noregrets]

Writers' Month 2023 Masterlist

Thank you as always to the mods of @writersmonth, one of my favourite events, to everyone who prompted me this year, and to everyone who kudos'd, commented, liked and reblogged!

1 blossom and on an island - An Outcrop of Rocks and Grass for @spiced-wine-fic - Rings of Power, Bronwyn and Arondir spot a potential settling place.

2. camping - and we will carry on - Hobbit, modern reincarnation AU, Bard takes the kids camping, in the hope that the place he found last time will help them recover from their loss.

3. festival - She's So Fine - Hobbit, modern heavy metal AU, Sigrid isn't quite sure what she's doing when she invites the rest of Thranduil's band back to their campsite, after Thranduil's dragged her da off into the darkness, especially because Thranduil's bass player is the most beautiful woman she's ever laid eyes on.

4. memories - Everything We Have Learned for @verecunda and @glorf1ndel - LotR/Hobbit, part of My Heart Is An Empty Vessel, Legolas and his father begin to talk about his mother at long last.

5. sun and poolside - Summer Sun - King Arthur (2004), one uncomfortably hot day, the people of the fortress take a trip north of the Wall.

6. surf - Ride the Waves for @antares0606 and @bae-owyn - LotR, part of A Little Piece of the Sea, Imrahil tells Legolas of a popular pastime among the young (and not-so-young) of Dol Amroth.

7. in the mountains - A Silver Ribbon and the Sea for @spiced-wine-fic - Rings of Power, Bronwyn on the journey to Pelargir.

8. fishing - One of Us - Fishermen's Friends, Morgan joins Jim on the boat one morning, and they figure out his place in the band.

9. warmth and home for the summer - Fresh Water for @spiced-wine-fic - Rings of Power, Bronwyn, Arondir and Theo investigate the island across the bay from Pelargir.

10. sandcastle and lifeguard AU - Unpredictable for @eowyn7023 - Hobbit, Sigrid meets a very nice lifeguard when Tilda gets into trouble swimming in the Long Lake.

11. sweat - Like A World Ending - Peaky Blinders, Arthur Shelby never came home from France, not in any of the ways that matter.

12. lemonade and band AU - Walk of Shame for @scary-grace - Hobbit, modern heavy metal AU, Bard hadn’t been looking forward to doing the walk of shame back to the campsite from Thranduil’s tour bus, but having company does take some of the edge off it - although given that the company is his eldest daughter, he isn’t entirely certain how to feel about it.

13. fan and cruise ship - A Fan for the Stage for @myeaglesong - Hobbit, modern heavy metal AU, Thranduil's band is booked on a metal cruise, and Bard and co are invited along.

14. bonfire - A Talisman for @redeemer46 - Hobbit, part of My Heart Is An Empty Vessel, Thranduil has never quite been able to understand why the people of Dale kept the Midsummer bonfire as part of their celebrations, after what happened to their old home.

15. blue and neighbourhood barbecue - Better Late Than Never for @antares0606 - Hobbit, part of the modern AU A Kiss In The Cold And Dark, at a street party for the coronation, Thranduil gets to know some of Bard's friends, and makes a decision.

16. energy - Ash and Dust for @piyo-13 - LotR, the twins are so tired of their endless quest for revenge, but they can't admit it to each other, and they can't stop.

17. at a wedding - Court Etiquette for @inthecrevicesofmycrispytoes - Hobbit, Thranduil is very bored at the wedding of Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo Baggins, but then he meets the new King of Dale, who has never been to one of these events before.

18. restaurant AU - Mr Underhill's Finest Seafood Specialities for CyanSoul on AO3 - LotR/Hobbit, Frodo is flustered to realise that famous food critic Thorin Oakenshield has booked a table at his Uncle Bilbo's seafood restaurant. Not nearly as flustered as his Uncle Bilbo, though, it turns out.

19. cloud, Passing Shadow - LotR, the twins take a moment to rest, after the end of the War of the Ring.

20. fireworks - A Rain of Coloured Stars for @myeaglesong - LotR, on the slopes of Mount Doom, Frodo has a brief, bright memory of home, before the Ring came into his life and changed it beyond repair.

21. hammock - Outwitted - LotR, the twins have a habit of hogging Glorfindel's hammock, but Glorfindel doesn't really mind all that much.

22. human/non-human AU - Rewilding for CyanSoul on AO3 - LotR, modern merpeople AU, Faramir, recovering from the loss of his brother and his father in the wake of Eye-Corp's failed attempt to ruin their seaside home with a giant golf course and marina, meets a strange woman swimming in the sea near his uncle's island home... (CyanSoul tells me this is the first mermaid!Éowyn fic on AO3! :D )

23. storm and in the woods - always played a part for @scary-grace and @spiced-wine-fic - Hobbit, modern reincarnation AU, Thranduil watches Bard's children exploring the ruins of his home, and marvels at how alike they are to their predecessors, how much he has missed them.

24. summer - Climbing Upwards for @spiced-wine-fic - Rings of Power, Bronwyn and Arondir, in their first full summer on the island, contemplate the future, and Arondir gives their new settlement a name.

25. relax and at a concert - floating high above for @eowyn7023 - Hobbit, modern heavy metal AU, Sigrid, at a really sensational rock show, takes a moment to drift off, thinking of how great her life is just now.

26. found - the tale as it is told for Anon (if you have an AO3 please let me know, I'd love to make this a gift to you!) - LotR, Imrahil tells Legolas how Dol Amroth was founded and named.

27. on the beach - a treaty of friendship and love for @verecunda - LotR, part of A Little Piece of the Sea, Legolas has a conversation with Imrahil's grandson Alphros, and another with Lothíriel, about Imrahil's sons' disdain for him.

28. bright and mythological AU - Restoration for CyanSoul on AO3 and Anon on here (if you have an AO3 please let me know, I'd love to make this a gift to you!) - LotR, modern merpeople AU, Faramir adjusts to having a mermaid for a - well, 'girlfriend' isn't the right word, and he's still not quite sure what is.

29. fireflies and at a cabin - Honey-Cakes and Mead for @sallysavestheday - LotR/Silmarillion, Glorfindel and Ecthelion, reunited, pass a quiet evening in Valinor.

30. happy and children - little sunshine for Anon (if you have an AO3 please let me know, I'd love to make this a gift to you!) - LotR/Hobbit, Thranduil and little Legolas encounter a deer and her fawn, and Thranduil learns that there is still happiness in his world, although his wife is gone.

31. fall and at a hotel - Another Night in Room 305 - Hobbit, modern AU, Bard has to go home at the end of his conference, but hopefully he and Thranduil will be able to stay in touch…

31 fics for 31 days, 38,483 words (phew!) - back next year!

Next from me: Innumerable Stars 2023, and a fic whose premise came to me in a dream. :D

[glapplebloom]

Is this the best issue of the entire crossover series?

The first story of this comic sees everyone’s favorite musical couple in Octavia and Vinyl stuck on Cybertron. They find the Student Six who were at their concert hoping to hear sick beats. Octavia wants to bring them back home (even if they don’t know how) until Soundwave comes in to capture them. He still thinks Megatron wants magic so he doesn’t know Sombra is behind the barrel.

The two sides attack (basically Smolder and Soundwave) but the cave they were in collapsed. So they have to break out. Soundwave tries but fails. Vinyl tries by making a makeshift Bass Cannon (Reference) but that too fails. Soundwave tries again, but bringing out Ravage and Laserbeak. That too also fails. Also, I love the fact Ocellus gets excited when Ravage gets out. KITTY!

With all solo efforts failing, Vinyl believes a collaboration is in order. So the combined efforts of Soundwave, his crew, Vinyl and Octavia break through the collapsed cave and free themselves. That’s when Soundwave realizes Megatron is out of commission. So he believes to continue this alliance for the time being. After all, they did promise to give some magic to them.

Now how could this comic get better? Best Pony shows up to team up with Ratchet: the Autobot Doctor. They’re trying to find a cure and need a subject to experiment on. They happen to capture one but to Ratchet’s dismay, not only was this Transformer not under mind control but it also happens to be the one Decepticon Ratchet hates over all others...

Knock Out! Basically, what if Rarity was a Transformer and Evil. I recognize him from Pime and he is fun in that series. Not as deep, but apparently the comics help with that. Since Knock Out likes to play for the winning side, he was pretending to be under mind control to be on said side. But when Ratchet plants a bomb to get him to work on his side, Knock Out has no choice but to join along.

Honestly, Knock Out and Rarity belong together. They play off each other so well. And when he thinks Rarity is going to see Cyberton as just a boring warzone, Knock Out gives her the tour of the sights of the beauty of Cybertron. One of these tourist spots just so happens to be a gathering place for Transformers under Sombra control to get energon.

Knock Out doesn’t need convincing as Breakdown is among the crowd. Rarity shows impressive magic for a fashionista. More impressive than the series finale. Magical Tornado. But Knock Out grabs one of Ratchet’s devices to keep a few at bay, including Breakdown. It kept them frozen but not for long. Ratchet increased Rarity’s ability to cast magic so she can hold up these robots, including Breakdown.

But to truly free him, they need the Magic of Friendship. Specifically, Knock Out’s friendship with Breakdown. It’s basically a declaration of love and it works. Even better, he didn’t really need to say those things out loud. Ratchet believes they found the cure, but Sombra reveals he has been keeping an eye on them and is waiting for them.

My two favorite Transformers, the Student Six, Octavia and Vinyl, Ratchet and Knock Out still having their Prime relationship, Knock Out basically declaring his love to Breakdown (and they are a couple in the comics), this is definitely my favorite issue of these crossovers. This includes the first one. Heck, even Sombra looks impressive and he’s just sitting there. Makes me want to bring Knock Out into GLAB. I highly recommend this issue.

[northwest-cryptid]

oh mann. squeaking of music. you got any artists with slow relaxy type music you like? and what's your favorite instrument? and what are your top 3 video game ost's? ...three questions at once, the terrible tripler... but as a beast who loves music, i am always ravenous for music opinions...

Not gonna lie this is kind of a hard ask not only because it's a lot to answer about a topic I tend not to talk about much but because I don't really know artists so much as I know songs, and to top it all off I don't really do "top" stuff, or "favorite" stuff; it's hard for me to pick or rank a lot of the things I like, I use the term "one of my favorite" or "among the best of" when I talk about things I really like because more often than not I'd say that about ANYTHING I really like, I don't really have a favorite artist or a top OST or anything.

Most of my music consumption is random, I'll listen to playlists on youtube or soundcloud or bandcamp and such. A lot of the time an artist is less of a concern to me because majority of my experience has been that they have one song I really like, followed by about 12 more in the album that are kinda just okay but lack the style that I enjoyed so much.

That being said I'll do my best to answer since I do enjoy getting asks and you actually took the time to send me this so I will respect that by taking the time to answer it :D

Let's start with the chill relaxing stuff!

As far as Artists go if you don't mind some more kinda weird tones in your relaxing music I think Monster Rally is a great artist.

A few core examples of their vibe can be heard in Lovely You:

as well as one I really enjoy, Color Sky:

They have a very unique sound in my opinion and I have a lot of interest in this kind of music since it hits a weird spot for me somewhere between acoustic jam session and weird vaporwave-y daydream music.

Almost all their music is between 1 and 2 minutes and contains these short loops and layered instrumentals with occasional lyrical influences. It's pretty fun and keeps my ADHD at bay with no song being too long.

For something a little more pop-ish I also enjoy TV Girl though I don't know if their music counts entirely as "Relaxed" since it can be a little faster. I've listened to them for years, a lot of their music reminds me a lot of my time in an indie band. They play a lot of the "soft punk sad boy" type music I'd see a lot in the indie scene. I often find myself singing or humming along to these whenever I'm cleaning the house or cooking dinner.

A few tracks I like a lot are Birds Don't Sing:

Lovers Rock:

and The Blonde:

Though to be honest I like a good bit of TV Girl's music so I'm trying to not list entire albums here lol. I try not to get hipster about it because for whatever reason it became oddly popular as of the last couple of years and I heard someone refer to it as "weirdcore" once and nearly died on the spot. I don't even dislike Weirdcore I just have a lot of thoughts on the idea of what the hell a genre is at this point.

Important note I am also 100% the sort of person who chills out and relaxes to Happy Hardcore and Eurobeat. So please consider the fact that my idea of relaxed varies wildly from like lounge jazz to club hardcore depending on the day. (There's literally a song that came out 7 years ago called Chillcore and it summarizes my thoughts on the subject perfectly I'd have been 21 when that song came out and I still occasionally hear it and go "yea" to this day.)

As far as favorite instrument goes I'm very partial to drums, drums of any kind. I think they're overlooked so much but then I'm bias because I'm a drummer so like of course I love drums. Any song that makes good use of drums is okay in my book. I will never forget how hard I cringed when the Bassist in my band once said "Bass is more important than Drums any day of the week, I mean literally who has ever heard of a drum solo?" I just sat there like "dude why are we even in the same band if you don't value my contribution" though she was something else in terms of like... superiority complexes. Regardless!

I may not have a top 3 Video Game OSTs since there's so many good ones out there and so many good options depending on your mood, but I will list a ton of good ones depending on the kind of mood you're in.

To keep with the theme of chill tunes let's start with a banger and one of my favorite game OSTs as to also kind of answer top 3.

VA-11 Hall-A has an amazing OST and I'm going to do the really basic bitch thing of saying you gotta listen to Every Day Is Night:

I used to listen to this a lot whenever I worked my night shift, it gave the title a very literal meaning to me. The synth jazz was the perfect companion for long nights on the job when I needed to chill out and vibe for a bit.

Keeping in line with the relaxed but perhaps a bit more anxiety inducing; I've spoken about it a lot, you know it; you love it, it's Lobotomy Corporation's very own No Warning:

Lob Corps whole OST has some absolutely beautiful tracks, everything from techy synths and chimes to entirely orchestral sweeping performances. I have a soft spot for this game and it's OST, as well as the OST of Library of Ruina, it's sequel, for which I'd like to highlight Malkuth's Battle Theme:

Specifically the third tier emotion level of this song, never before have I heard "battle jazz" done so well, not only is it classy; but it KICKS ASS. There's so much I could say about this game and it's OST in terms of themes and such but I digress, for now we'll move on because I got a lot to go through.

Next up we're looking at a more fantastical setting with Mabinogi's OST, which has a ton of genuinely amazing music, but one I want to highlight is the major main theme of the game which will always give me chills and make me cry a bit from nostalgia. More specifically the version performed by the FILMharmonic Orchestra:

This song means more to me than I can properly explain, there's so much emotion behind it for me as someone who has played this game for half my life, who met my partner through this game; and who's life has no joke been absolutely changed by this game. The OST has always been a part of my life, we even play music from this game while decorating the house for various seasons. The entire OST is so varied and expansive and there's almost always something to fit my mood.

However when I'm looking for something more upbeat, and I need to get my blood pumping I turn to a bit more action oriented music, which is where games like ULTRAKILL absolutely fit the bill. I cannot warn you enough this song is the musical equivalent of shoving shrapnel in your ears, and I mean that in the most admirable way possible.

Heavy techno and metal vibes, you got electric guitar that's basically fighting the synth lead for the spotlight despite the two working in perfect harmony to encapsulate this absolutely disgusting rhythm.

However sometimes I want to be upbeat without the sensory overload which is when I turn to Xenoblade (takes place on Earth) to fill the niche. I've been really vibing to the jazzy upbeat nature of XC3's OST lately, and the game has been pretty fun too :D

Now see this is why I dislike answering all this in one ask, I can only post 10 videos per post. So now I just gotta link things like this:

Xenoblade 3 OST - Brilliant Wings AKA This Jazz Band Is Fighting For Their Life

I'll cut this short since Tumblr is an ass and won't let me keep posting videos, but I cannot stress enough that when it comes to music with me there are no "top 3" OSTs, or favorites. Music is a mood setter, it's a tone; it's a vibe. I gotta listen to the right music at the right time, if I'm not feeling up for it then I won't like it.

To me there's so much out there I love, and to limit myself to a top 3 is hard because it depends entirely on the day. If I'm going through a chill phase then I'm going to favor tracks with more relaxed and chilled out influences, if I've been mowing down hoards of demons in ULTRAKILL for the last 5 days straight you better believe I'm not listening to anything other than like DOOM OST and extremely thrashy techno.

I hope this answer is satisfactory regardless!

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Dynaco Addendum...

After listening for the last couple of days, I have noticed a very slight amount of hum from the Phono and all sources to the left, which fall underneath that broken wafer.

So it looks like we'll be applying the Roseannadanna Principle: It's always somethin', and eventually replace that broken switch with the spare I got on eBay.

But I will say this...it took me awhile before I noticed it, since you have to have the volume turned up to nearly max for it to really stand out. And it is only on the phono, special, and tape-head inputs. The tuner inputs and the Spare are flawless and quiet.

So before I do any serious transcribing of vinyl, I will need to pull that broken switch and spend another day soldering. I think I'll wait at least a little while. The FM3 is pulling in KDFC clear as a bell, with just an improvised dipole out of ten feet of speaker wire, split for the last three feet, and pinned up near the ceiling. Nearly as perfect as I used to pull in KMFA back in Austin.

I'm also moving some things around to make my little "control center" work better, more efficient use of space. Set up a shelf unit I've used on and off for 20 years or so...we got it at Thrift Town ages ago. Wood, each shelf uses four metal pins to settle onto.

It will hold most of the records that really need to be moved into a better spot, as well as one of the Mac monitors, my old Realistic mixer and some other sound stuff and general tchochkies I like having out.

I've really been enjoying KDFC all day today...that tuner is just bulletproof! It's never had any kind of issues. None. I got it back in '03 off eBay! It's got that bass-y presence only tubes have, and once it finds the station it locks it in...solid, too. Every slight turn of the dial here in SF Bay there is another station, and the FM3 never fails to zero-in on the signal.

I will need to spend the next couple of days doing some baking (kiddo's mom commissioned some cookies for a NYE party), so the Source Switch will have to wait until...next year. lol.

[angst-fairygodmother]

48 for Spotify with Joe Velasco?

A/N: I think I lost the plot a bit, but it came out quite nicely anyway, if I do say so myself.

Word Count: 500 exact

Rating: M - heavy makeout/foreplay; implied sexual content; one use of a swear

Spotify Wrapped Mini Fics

Your skin buzzed with the phantom hum of the bass that had been playing in the club. A knee pressed between your legs, and the hard plane of a muscular chest leaning in kept you pinned against the cool surface of the wall. In contrast, the lips that trailed along your neck and collarbone in your lowcut dress, seeking all the spots that made you sigh, were warm and soft.

You couldn't, and didn't really want to resist the moans that his tongue pulled from you as it danced across your skin. His breath smelled like beer in a way that was more intoxicating than nauseating and his laugh was throaty, practically a hum at your reaction. When the light grazing of his teeth entered the equation, you squirmed, thighs clenching around him and hips rolling for any friction you could find. One of his strong hands cupped your ass, sending a shiver through you as fingertips touched the bare skin where your skirt had risen. His other hand tangled into your hair, tugging on it and tilting your head back so that you looked into his green eyes, their pupils blown wide with hunger.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me sweetheart?” he muttered, words tickling across your face.

“I have a theory,” you teased back breathlessly. 

"Oh yeah? Enlighten me."

You smirked and shifted your weight so that you could grind your core against his clothed erection, making him nearly whine. 

"Fuck me. Not that I'm complaining, but I wasn't expecting you. What are you doing here?"

"I had a date tonight," you admitted softly, knowing it might bring the beautiful moment to a screeching halt but also that he knew you too well for you to lie to him.

"Oh?" His face remained frustratingly impassive and his hands continued to wander teasingly. 

"One of the process servers that Carisi uses all the time. Nice guy. He invited me back to his place…"

"Did he now?"

"And I almost got in the uber." 

Joe stopped moving, body poised on the edge of stepping back, the whole relationship teetering on a precipice. You felt cold, compared to only seconds before, but it was too late to take the words back. 

"But then I realized something."

He waited, eyebrows raised.

"There was only one place I wanted to be, one person I wanted to be with: right here, with you."

Joe stayed quiet, his expression betraying his inner turmoil at your words. And if you were being honest with yourself, you couldn't blame him for it. The two of you had been hooking up since he joined SVU months ago, and you were pretty sure you'd both caught feelings by now, but neither of you would admit it and progress your relationship past semi-regular booty calls. 

"If you really mean that, then I have one request."

You nodded, knowing that no matter what he asked of you, you'd give it to him.

"No more bullshit. Just stay."

[downwiththeficness]

Shadow and Veil-Chapter Nine

Summary: Eva Moore’s life was a carefully constructed fiction.  Every day, she did exactly what her mother in law, her husband, and his  best friend expected of her. No mistakes. And, that was going pretty  well for Eva right up until a huge complication literally tried to run  her over. Now, she’s faced with trying to keep the pieces of her life  from falling apart while attempting (and failing) to keep her feelings  for her husband’s new business partner at bay.

A/N: This fic is a sister-fic to A Need So Great and A Need Unleashed.  You do not need to have read ANSG or ANU to read this fic, but there  are Easter eggs from those fics in Shadow and Veil for readers with keen  eyes.  This fic is explicit for canon-compliant blood, gore, violence,  and sex. As such, it is intended for an adult audience, only. A/B/O  dynamics come with their own warning. Anyone under the age of 18 should  not interact with this work. I do not consent to reposting this work to  other platforms. Reblog only to Tumblr.  

Word Count:~3600

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Eva rummaged through the kitchen pantry, pulling out anything that even remotely looked like a snack and throwing it over her shoulder to land on the island. Having dug around on every shelf and in every drawer, she stood before the mountain of chips, pretzels, cookies, and candy with her brows drawn together.

“This is about as good as its going to get,” she said to herself.

In the cabinet storage beneath the island were all of her platters, bowls, and serving utensils. She tugged a long serving board from the bunch along with several of the less valuable bowls. Quickly, she plated the snacks in what she hoped was an appetizing spread, making little adjustments as she went. Then, she picked up the board by its handles and carefully walked around the corner and down the hall to The Lounge.

Crossing the threshold, Eva took four steps into the room and waited to be acknowledged. The band was sprawled out around the room—the drummer was standing next to the bar talking to Mr. Jimenez, the bass and guitar player were looking at Josh’s (rarely used) stereo, and the singer was sitting on the sofa opposite Eva talking with Josh.

She shifted on her feet, looking to catch her husband’s attention. He was preoccupied with a rather effusively gesticulated story being told by the blonde next to him and it didn’t look like he would notice her any time soon. Her arms were starting to hurt from holding the heavy tray. She didn’t want to drop it, but she also didn’t know if she would be allowed to set it down without Josh’s approval.

Thankfully, the drummer, a man with hair that reached his mid-back, glanced in her direction and hurried to assist.

“Let me take that,” he offered, already halfway to relieving her of the tray.

“Thank you.”

“No,” he replied with a wide smile, “thank you. This looks awesome.”

She returned his smile, “Its no problem, really.”

“You didn’t have to do this,” then, to the room, “Hey! We got grub!”

Conversations stalled as the group dug in. Eva stood near the bar and folded her hands in front of her as she watched them pick out handfuls of what they wanted. There were nods of approval all around, which she tried not to feel too proud about.

The singer spotted her and called out to Eva around a mouthful of marshmallows, “Come sit with us.”

Eva glanced at Josh and, not seeing any censure in his expression, perched beside the blonde on the sofa. She was a beta, smelled like flowers.

“I’m Lizzy.”

“Eva.”

“Josh’s wife, right?”

Eva nodded.

“Thanks for letting us hang out,” Lizzy said, “Your house is huge.”

Startled by the frank assessment, Eva could not keep herself from a nervous laugh, “Thank you.”

“Our place is kind of a shit hole, but its home, you know?”

The drummer made a sound of disapproval, “That shit hole is a nice place, man.”

Lizzy was unconvinced, “There’s rats, Gene.”

“There’s rats everywhere, Lizzy.”

Eva leaned a bit towards Lizzy, “I can confirm that. Rats can get in almost anywhere.”

She learned that lesson the hard way. One of her first hidden stashes of money got eaten up by the little creatures when she didn’t wrap it carefully enough. Now, every bit of her money was stowed away in metal boxes.

“Alright, alright,” Lizzy conceded, “Its not that bad.” She held up a finger, “But, this place is really nice. Josh told me he was a doctor. You must be head honcho somewhere, right?”

Eva hesitated before saying, “I’m the accountant for the family’s pharmaceutical company.”

Lizzy’s eyes widened, “That’s a big deal, right?” Not waiting for Eva’s response, she turned to Josh, “She’s a big deal.”

Her husband was all smiles, “Eva is pivotal to the finances of the company.”

Across the coffee table, Mr. Jimenez had taken a spot next to the drummer. He rested his weight on the arm of the sofa, observing silently. Eva could not meet his gaze, not after what he’d said at dinner. She was too afraid that she would reveal something in any small, shared look. It was a mistake Eva couldn’t afford to make with Josh so close.

“So, you pay her the big bucks,” Lizzy said with a tease in her voice.

Eva brushed her hand over her brow to conceal the wince. Josh didn’t pay her anything. At least, he didn’t pay her anything that could be considered a salary. She got a weekly allowance that covered the occasional wardrobe update and gas for the car Josh let her drive. Everything else was put on the company card where it could be tracked.

“I don’t pay her nearly enough for all the benefits I get. She handles all the boring paperwork so I don’t have to.”

Lizzy case Eva a sly smile, “I bet she’s good at it.”

“The best,” Josh said. He was no longer smiling and there was a tension around his eyes. Eva began a desperate mental search for a way to change the subject.

“Careful,” Mr. Jimenez cut in, “You keep singing her praises and I might be forced to have Eva come work for me.”

She nearly dropped her face into her hand. Did he have to antagonize her husband?

Eyes narrow, Josh’s voice was firm, “She’d have to want to work for you first.”

Mr. Jimenez was undeterred, “Kidnapping, then.”

What the fuck are you doing? Eva thought, hysterical. Having dinner with them, complimenting her, being nice to her, these were all excusable in light of their business partnership. But this was almost a threat—no, this was blatant threat. Open. Honest. Clear as day.

It was some kind of miracle that none of Josh’s new friends seemed to notice the rise in tension between the two men.

Certainly not Lizzy, who asked, “Are you also in the pharmaceutical business?”

Mr. Jimenez shook his head, “I’m in shipping and transportation. But, Dr. Moore and I are working on a project together.”

Lizzy made a soft ‘oh’ of intrigue, “What kind of project?”

“The boring kind,” Josh answered with an air of finality, “Eva, we haven’t offered our guests any drinks.”

That was her cue to become invisible. The conversation had revolved around her enough and it was time for Josh to re-take the spotlight. She stood and walked behind the bar to mix a large batch of cocktails. In her absence, Josh led the group towards another topic. The band, apparently called Stag Nation. Like, stagnation as in standing still, but two words, as the drummer explained. They were working on their first album. According to Lizzy, the studio guy was a real creep, but Jim (the guitarist) set him straight after he made a pass a Lizzy.

Rather than pour individual glasses, Eva stirred up a pitcher full. She set it and enough glasses for everyone on yet another tray and carried it over to the coffee table. As the drinks were poured, the bass player mentioned the stereo sitting along the back wall near the sliding glass doors.

“You don’t have that many albums,” he said, “for such a nice set up.”

“Ah, man,” Lizzy groaned, “Leave him alone.” Then, to Josh, “Marcus is an audiophile. Half his room is records.”

Marcus was almost convincingly offended, “Those are classics.”

“Most of them don’t even play. They’re literally falling apart.”

“That’s because they are classics!”

This went on for a while as the cocktail in the pitcher was slowly drained. Eva got up and made another. The topic still hadn’t changed by the time she returned with the second round, much to the annoyance of everyone but Marcus and Lizzy.

Gene leaned forward and dug around in his back pocket, “If y’all are gonna keep this shit up, I’m gonna need a joint just to listen to it.” He produced a baggie of what was clearly pot and held it up, “You good if we smoke in here, brother?”

Eva looked at Josh with raised brows. He was no stranger to pot, often smoked with Alexei on their nights out—which Myra could absolutely never find out. But, these were strangers, not his best friend.

“As long as you’ll share,” Josh replied.

Apparently, he didn’t care. Eva hid her surprise by taking a drink from her glass. Quick, effective hands rolled the joint and Gene lit it with Jim’s lighter. Puff. Puff. Pass. Around the circle it went. When it got to Eva, she demurred.

Lizzy poked her arm, “C’mon, its not gonna kill you.”

Josh laughed, “It might not kill her, but Eva’s a real bitch when she smokes. Isn’t that right, Eva?”

It was true. Sort of. Eva didn’t mind the high so much, but it made her less careful. Her words, her facial expression, all revealed what she actually thought and felt. She was a bitch when she smoked because she smoked around Josh and Josh always made her feel like a bitch.

“Its better for everyone if I don’t,” Eva said with a tight smile.

Lizzy shrugged and the joint kept going around—until Mr. Jimenez, too, refused. He had work in the morning and needed a clear head. Eva assessed him for sincerity, then looked down at the coffee table where his half empty glass sat. Had he refilled it even once? How many drinks did he have with dinner?

Mr. Jimenez caught her looking and he cocked his head to the side in question. Was she going to call him out? Eva held his stare for a moment, then looked away. She didn’t have the courage.

When the joint was nothing more than a tiny roach, Marcus got up and started up an album. Frank Sinatra crooned through the speakers. Jim razzed Marcus for picking such an old record, but Marcus just said that it was one of his dad’s favorites.

“At least he still talks to his dad,” Lizzy said as she picked up another handful of marshmallows, “I haven’t even seen mine since last Christmas. He’s convinced I’m singing the devil’s music.”

Eva sympathized with Lizzy. Her parents were equally strict about the kind of music she listened to growing up, “Maybe he’ll get used to it.”

Shaking her head, Lizzy began putting the marshmallows onto the tips of pretzels like tiny skewers, “Nah. He kicked me out when I was sixteen. I only go back to see mama. You got family around here?”

Eva flinched, then worked to correct herself. There was no way Lizzy could know the minefield she’d just stepped out into.

Josh, his eyes drooping, laughed, “She hasn’t had family for a couple years, now.”

Lizzy’s mouth opened in confusion as she looked between Eva and Josh. It was clear that she sensed that there was something being said between the lines and that she was looking to walk back the conversation to a safer topic.

Eva took pity on her, “They died in a plane crash.”

Looking over Lizzy’s shoulder, Eva silently asked Josh to leave it alone. They had guests and they didn’t need to know all the dirty secrets of her marriage. Josh’s mouth thinned and he grabbed his glass to drain it.

“I’m so sorry,” Lizzy breathed.

“Its fine,” Eva replied, “It happened a long time ago.” Then, because she needed to get as much distance as she could, “That pitcher’s almost empty. Let me get y’all another.”

Grabbing up the pitcher, Eva stood and put the bar between herself and the rest of the people in the room. Her hands were shaking as she measured out liquor, mixer, and ice. As she worked, Eva viciously swallowed down the need to cry from grief, from guilt. By the time she poured the drink into the pitcher, Eva was almost as numb as she needed to be in order to get through the rest of the night.

Sinatra’s voice faded away, replaced by CCR.

Eva looked up to find Mr. Jimenez approaching the bar, glass in hand. He set it on the bar and leaned on a forearm beside it. There was a softness in his eyes that unsettled her as much as it made her want to press her cheek to his.

“Did you not like the drink?” Eva asked, needing to talk about something completely innocuous.

“Its a little sweet for me.”

She nodded, reflexively reaching over and grabbing a decanter, “Try this. Its got more fire in it, less sweetness.”

He watched her pour, caught the glass as she slid it across the bar at him, and drank. Eva replaced the decanter as she waited for his verdict.

“Better,” he pronounced.

Eva let herself smile in pleasure. She was about to give him the name of the liquor when an excited squeal took the attention of the entire room.

“You guys have a pool!” Lizzy turned and grinned at Josh, “We gotta go swimming. Right now!”

Another excited yell and the sliding door was pulled open so that Lizzy could run out into the back yard towards the in ground pool. Eva looked at Josh, who was already moving around the sofa. He was smiling, which was good. Her shoulders dropped and she released a slow breath.

“Looks like its time to take this outside,” Eva said as she rounded the bar, pitcher in hand.

Mr. Jimenez watched her the whole way, waiting for her to pass him before he followed. Eva felt the weight of his eyes as she cleared the sliding door. An unwilling smile crossed her lips as she watched their guests disrobe and cast their clothes aside, some of them balancing awkwardly on one leg. At the far end of the pool, near the ladder, Josh was shrugging out of his slacks.

“Eva! Come swim with us!”

She shook her head at Lizzy, “Its too cold for me tonight.”

It was not too cold. Though the summer was near its end, the water would still be warm enough to swim for a few more weeks. Eva set the pitcher down near the edge of the pool and moved to sit on one of the lounge chairs. She gathered her skirt around her legs and folded them beneath her.

Movement to her right. Mr. Jimenez sat on the chair next to her.

“You’re not going for a swim?”

“No,” he replied, eyes on the water, “There’s no place to hang my suit. It would wrinkle.”

“God forbid,” she murmured beneath her breath.

“You aren’t swimming.”

Eva rolled her eyes, “There’s no place to hang my dress.”

He laughed and the hair on her arms stood on end. The sound of it made her stomach flip in her belly, made it difficult to breathe. She swallowed hard and focused on Jim who was doing a front flip into the water. A round of rallying cries went up all around, which made her chuckle.

From this distance, they were just a group a friends having a good time—drinking, laughing, getting high. If Eva didn’t let herself look too closely, she could almost believe that this was a normal night in a normal house.

But, only if she didn’t look too close.

And so, Eva looked at the sky.

“I’m sorry to hear about your parents.”

Eva sighed. If she had a dollar for every time that was said to her she wouldn’t have to steal from her husband. She let the silence hang, tugging back the barb on her tongue. It wasn’t his fault. People often felt compelled to acknowledge her grief.

“It happened a long time ago.”

“Years?”

She hummed in confirmation, hoping that the starlight would dry the tears that threatened.

“My mother once told me that grief has no expiration date, that you can’t put it on a schedule. She said grief was how we knew we loved.”

Eva turned to look at him, her face a mask of confusion. How could he say something like that so casually? Mr. Jimenez—Diego—was just…sitting there. Drink in hand. Legs outstretched. On a fucking lounge chair.

“Thank you,” she croaked, meaning it.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, meaning it.

A loud shriek drew her attention to the pool. Josh was lifting Lizzy and throwing her into the water while her band mates cheered him on. Gene dove in after her, waves rippling outwards. Jim, in vengeance for Lizzy, used both arms to slosh water at Josh. New friends playing old childhood games.

“I need a drink,” Eva announced, slapping both hands on her thighs.

She rose and skirted the edge of the pool, hustling towards the house. Inside, she headed for the bar and grabbed a decanter from it, pouring a healthy amount and taking a long pull from the glass. This night wasn’t going at all like it was supposed to. Eva didn’t, exactly, know how it was supposed to go, but it definitely wasn’t this.

From outside, she heard Diego call out to Josh, asking where the bathroom was, followed by Josh’s muffled reply. Eva refilled her glass and capped the decanter, setting it back in its place. Her first step toward the door was more of a stumble, Diego’s body blocking her intended path.

“Its through there,” she pointed towards the hallway, “first door on your right.”

He nodded wordlessly, his eyes focused on her. Eva stood still as he moved forward. His steps were slow enough to give her time to make a decision about what she was going to do, how she was going to react. Even that extended courtesy wasn’t enough.

Eva held onto her roiling emotions by the skin of her teeth. She was unable to move, to think. All she could do was breathe—which only made things worse. Her nose was filled with his scent. It invaded every synapse of her brain, loosening the muscles of her shoulders and neck until she felt as pliable as taffy.

Diego lifted a hand a ran the back of his fingers down the open neckline of her dress. His wrist turned so that he could press his palm over her stomach. The weight of it grounded her against the burn of hormones that rejoiced in the touch. Eva was reduced down to her omega core as it recognized the alpha before her.

Encouraged, Diego stepped closer, the hand on her stomach smoothing around to her side. He leaned down, nose brushing her jaw, and inhaled. The exhale was not much more than a low groan, but it was enough to startle Eva out of her stupor.

“You have to let me go,” she whispered, checking that no one had noticed their absence.

He shook his head, free hand taking her other hip and pulling her closer. She wanted to be closer, wanted to know what it felt like to be pressed against him. Only long held fear and self-preservation could overrule her body.

Palm on his chest, Eva dipped her chin to catch his gaze, “Diego. Let me go.”

The use of his name seemed to bring him back to the present. He blinked rapidly, then stepped back and around her, walking steadily towards the hall. Eva drew in a cleansing breath and forced herself to walk in the opposite direction.

Outside, she took a sharp right and ducked under the raised terrace. Setting her drink down on the concrete, Eva opened a storage box and pulled out several pool noodles and tossed them into the pool.

“So you don’t drown,” she explained with a smile. “I’m going to bed.”

Lizzy pulled one of the noodles down around her hips and sat on it, “Good night! Thanks for letting us come over!”

Eva waved at her, “No problem.”

Bending down, she picked up her glass and walked back inside. She grabbed the tray of half eaten snacks and dumped most of them in kitchen trash can. After setting the bowls in the sink to be cleaned up the next morning, Eva turned off the light. She crossed the hall, one hand on the banister, when the bathroom door opened.

Diego stopped, one foot in the hall, and stared at her. Eva took the moment to memorize his face, the openness of his expression, before she gave a small nod and ascended the staircase. He watched her until she cleared the landing and turned down the upstairs hallway.

In the safety of her room, Eva closed the door and leaned against it. This was getting out of hand. She didn’t know why Diego was inserting himself into her life—no, she knew. Eva knew.

Every omega knew the stories of finding an alpha that was so compatible that staying away was impossible. It started with cartoon princesses and white knights, moved on to angst ridden teen movies, and finally evolved into R-rated thrillers that came out every Fall.

Eva never placed much stock in those kinds of stories, though she heard local gossip now and again about a pair of lovers bonding within weeks of meeting. It never occurred to her to want such a thing or to think it would ever happen to her.

And, here she was, knee deep in it.

“I hate this so much,” she said to the empty room.

It was sort of true. Mostly, it was a lie.

Eva closed her eyes as she remembered the heat of his hands on her. Her nerves still trembled in the places where they touched. She wished she had the courage to kiss him, to take what he so clearly wanted to give her.

She couldn’t let that happen.

She couldn’t.

If Eva kissed him, she knew there would be no turning back. Her whole world would be shattered into bits, revealing a whole new existence where he sat at the center. She wouldn’t be able to hide it from Josh, certainly not from the ever perceptive Alexei. Eva would be caught red handed and there would be no escaping the consequences. Not for her. Not for him.

They would never survive.

[clatterbane]

10 Songs On Repeat

Tagged by @fivekoboldsinacoat. Put the Spotify "on repeat" playlist on shuffle and share the first ten results, then tag ten people. (Or, I guess, if you don't use Spotify, share your top ten songs you listen to on repeat.)

Also, following his lead in linking to YouTube for accessibility. I preferentially went with live performances where possible, unless the sound quality sucked too bad by my own totally subjective standards. Just didn't have the spoons for more translation work today, but I also included a few lyric snippets where I could because why not.

The "On Repeat" can be pretty dangerous, dealing with somebody who is as prone to going off on neurospicy kicks as I am. Instead of, say, a couple of weeks of nonstop Delta blues, '80s synth, or Latin American metal? This time, we've apparently got wall-to-wall Swedish punk-adjacent stuff. (Which is more likely than most other genres here to not be English language. Handier for me learning Swedish than for most of y'all!) It's also mostly from newer bands.

Heavily featuring both Bäddat För Trubbel, who spent the 2010s (roughly) paving the way for trouble here in Malmö--and Trubbel, who evidently already found it in Gothenburg!

Mascara Snakes - "Vakternas Skräck" (live) - ("The Terror Of The Guards")

Bäddat För Trubbel - "Bäddat För"

Svart Katt - "Våld Mot Tjänsteman" ("Assault Against Officer")

Trubbel - "Tro På Mig" ("Believe In Me")

Viagra Boys - "Down In The Basement" (live). (Out of Stockholm, but their singer grew up in the Bay Area. I am still mad I missed seeing them across the bridge in Copenhagen a few months ago.) How're you going to explain your sex life to your wife?

Bäddat För Trubbel- "Bättre Män Än Mig" ("Better Men Than Me")

Viagra Boys - "Worms" (live) - (From an awesome session.) Also, one rather bizarre Korean horror movie (?) fan video I just ran across.

Hjelle - "Arbetsförmedlingen Ringde" (live) ("The Employment Agency Called")- (Yeah, same guy from Bäddat För Trubbel. I've been enjoying his voice and sense of timing, OK? 😅)

Svart Katt - "Bara En Spegel" ("Only A Mirror")

Trubbel - "Gbg City" (This live video is quite the extravaganza of pasty jorts-clad flesh, from last summer. In best Gothenburg style, evidently.) - Better audio studio version.

Continuing on to Spotify's "Repeat Rewind", for some wider representation over the medium term lately. Still pretty heavy on the punk-adjacent stuff, but I guess that's where my head has been.

1. Gnome - "Ambrosius" (These guys out of Antwerp are pretty awesome in general, for what I guess you'd file under stoner/doom metal with a sense of humor--where you can actually hear the bass in the mix. There's no real choreography in this particular lvideo, which is a shame.)

You can eat from the ground

2. Refused - "Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine" (live) - (Also a Swedish band, btw. In a good 2012 performance.)

And I'm still certain that what motivates me is more rewarding

Than any piece of paper could be...

Rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in

3. Suicidal Tendencies - "Till My Last Breath" (Yeah, really feeling it today.)

But I'll never let all this emptiness win

Until my last breath I'll be a fighting man Not just with my fist, but my mind and I got a plan...

Until my last breath, I ain't nobody's bitch Until my last breath, I'll keep pissin' on the rich Until my last breath, I'm gonna do it, I ain't gonna just try Until my last breath, I'm gonna hold my head up high...

I'm never letting go Until my last breath, the whole world's gonna know Until my last breath, I'll be keeping a score Until my last breath, I'll be fighting for more

4. Ramones - "Mental Hell" (Not their best album, but I still have a weak spot for it.)

I'm not feeling very well

5. Viagra Boys - "Milk Farm"

They say that you can get delirious from layin' off the sauce

But I don't know nothin' 'bout that

'Cause I ain't ever laid off

6. Alien Nosejob - "Television Sets" (live) - (And I finally just thought what one part of this reminds me of. Major flashing lights warning on that video.)

I don't need no cigarettes

I don't need no booze

I don't need the TV set

I don't need the news

7. Riddarna - "Vi Kommer Att Dö" (Keepin' the titles cheery over here: "We're Going To Die". But, better make the most of it!)

8. Dwight Yoakam - "Purple Rain" (live) - (Impressive tribute, when I already respected Dwight quite a bit. Studio version.)

9. Motörhead - "Tear Ya Down - B-Side - 'Louie, Louie'"

Gonna show you what I'm all about

I'm gonna shoot you down tonight

I don't really wanna freak you out

10. Orkan - "Rik Rikar Rikast" (live) - ("Rich Richer Richest" - Studio version with significantly better sound quality.)

To translate the chorus:

Have you forgotten what equality means?

Have you forgotten what solidarity means?

Have you forgotten what generosity means?

Have you forgotten what honesty means

I always feel awkward tagging people for this sort of thing. But, I will have a go this time: @soilrockslove @adrawatcher @theonewhopoops @floorbananamotherfucker @reddragdiva @kelpforestdwellers @queerdo-mcjewface @birdblogwhichisforbirds @supernini235 @ailurinae @katisconfused @ajax-daughter-of-telamon @soilrockslove @medleymisty

[flavorcountry]

Instant Band Night 20 is May 11!

Instant Band Night is back again soon and you should come! Are you in the San Francisco Bay? Maybe? Do you know anyone who lives there? Probably?? Wanna just reblog this and help out???

You can probably guess what happens there, but here's how it goes:

1. The stage has a drum kit, guitar, bass, keyboard, and mics

2. We draw names out of hats to make instant bands that get 5 minutes in the green room to plan a 5-minute set. That's usually one (1) song

3. A hat-drawn artist will draw the band's gig poster on a meeting room easel pad while they play

The first rule of Instant Band Night is: �� YOU 👏 DON'T 👏 HAVE 👏 TO 👏 PLAY 👏 AN 👏 INSTRUMENT 👏 TO 👏 ATTEND 👏 

Every show needs an audience! You can be part of it!

The second rule of Instant Band Night is: We guarantee you (the audience) an astonishingly excellent time

You'll see something you've never seen before every 5 minutes, it's gonna be great

The third rule of Instant Band Night is: Bring a friend or three!

May 11 2023

ALL DETAILS HERE (INCLUDES A VERY GOOD FAQ)

It comes back every other month on the second Thursday, so if you miss this one, mark your 2023 calendar for July 13, Sep 14, and/or Nov 9

I've Blazed posts about the previous Instant Band Nights and a few people actually showed up who were either from Tumblr directly or got sent by friends who were, so I'm just going to keep doing it

If you want to hear about future Instant Band Nights, you can add yourself to the email list here: