#{ we’re back home | space verse }

[lulublack90]

Prompt 11 - Home

@jegulus-microfic November 11, Word count 563

Previous part First part

Regulus cringed internally as he followed James, Sirius and Remus down the flight of stairs and out into the pouring rain. He had no idea what had possessed him to suggest the art show, but here he was clambering into the back of James’s car— apparently, Sirius had called eternal shotgun years ago—and on their way to the gallery on the other side of town.

“So when did you get into painting then?” Remus asked pleasantly while James and Sirius argued over what music they would put on. 

“Oh, er, I think I always liked art. Our house was full of dusty old oil paintings, and I was fascinated by how the artists had made it look like the eyes were following you. Took me years to figure out how to paint them.” Regulus answered, going into far more detail than he usually would with someone who was basically a stranger, but something about Remus made him want to spill his guts. He was so calm and sincere that Regulus had a hard time not trusting him. 

“Wait!” Remus gasped excitedly. “You know how to do that?” Regulus nodded. Remus grabbed both of Regulus’s hands in his and earnestly asked, “Can I commission a portrait of myself with the creepy eyes? I want to put it in Sirius’s office to freak him out.” Remus leaned conspiratorially. “He’ll hate it, but he won’t take it down in case he upsets either of us,” Regulus decided there and then that he was going to be very good friends with Remus Lupin. 

“You pay for the supplies, and I’ll do it just for the knowledge that Sirius will wig out every time he sees it.” 

“Deal,” Remus grinned at him mischievously and then grabbed the phone Sirius had plugged into the car’s speakers and put on NSYNC, to which two unhappy moans chorused from the front seats. “They both hate them, and I take great joy in singing the songs word for word as loudly as I can, so I’d cover your ears if I were you,” Remus warned before launching into ‘Bye Bye Bye’. Regulus grinned widely, loving how Remus was torturing his brother, not so much James, but this was just too much fun. He did something he never thought he’d do and he joined in. 

“I know that I can't take no more. It ain't no lie. I want to see you out that door. Baby bye bye bye.”

“Oh gods, there’s two of them,” Sirius complained as he put his hands over his ears. Remus leaned forward and prised Sirius’s fingers away from his head as the last verses started playing and sang loudly into the gap he’d made. 

“Bring it home Regulus!” Remus beamed, still holding Sirius’s hands away from his ears. So, Regulus did what he was told. He shuffled forward and scream-sang. 

“Don't really want to make it tough. I just want to tell you that I've had enough. It might sound crazy, but it ain't no lie. Bye bye.”

“We’re here,” James said as he pulled into the car park and found a parking space. He turned to Regulus with the most dazzling smile. “You have the most beautiful voice, my love, shall we go look at your beautiful art?” Regulus felt the blush coming before the heat even hit his face. James was a total menace.  

Next part

[wolfjackle-creates]

Emapthy Verse

Part 7

Story Summary: Jazz is struggling as the only liminal in Gotham. Interactions with regular humans just feel so hollow when she's used to the dual sense of language and projected empathy from ghosts and liminals.

But everything changes when she literally runs into another liminal on the way to the library. Maybe she can make this work after all.

Jason just has so many questions.

Parts 1-6

Word Count: 1k

-----

Jason exited the bus at Jazz’s side in Elmerton; it looked like your average small Midwest town. Across the street from the bus station was a cafe and Jazz grinned at him as she took his hand and pulled him over to it.

“I can’t believe we’re almost home! I can’t wait for you to meet everyone.” <excited, happy>

Jason pulled on her hand to bring her closer so he could kiss her cheek. He sent back his own <happy, curious>. “You sure I’m gonna make a good impression?”

Jazz rolled her eyes. “Danny will give you a hard time. But that’s just because I’ve dated some real jerks in the past so he automatically doesn’t trust anyone I bring home. His behavior will be a reflection on me, not you.” Her <exacerbation> filled every word.

<concern, righteous anger> “Is there anyone I have to beat up? You know I’m good for it.”

She laughed and projected her <gratitude, amusement, don’t you dare>. “If you even try, I’ll kick you out to spend Thanksgiving at Wayne Manor.”

Jason shuddered. <horror> “Right, no searching out your exes.”

He felt a <delight, good to see you> that felt so different from Jazz that he stopped in his tracks. But Jazz kept hold of his hand and was waving widely with her free hand as she dragged Jason into the cafe. “Angela, Trisha! You’re here!”

Two girls—one with dark brown hair, the other with light brown hair—were waving back just as exuberantly. Both were dressed for the November chill and had rolling suitcases sitting by the corner table they’d taken.

Jason set down their bags against the wall as Jazz ran over to hug them. The strong emotions of <hello, happiness> filled the space. Jason was content to hang back and watch them, a small smile on his face.

Suddenly the lighter haired one broke the hug and spun to face him. “Woah! You just projected? Jazz, where’d you find this guy?”

Jazz grinned and settled back at Jason’s side, sliding an arm around his waist. “Gotham, can you believe it? I was so homesick and needing some good death-talk. I was maybe two weeks away from transferring somewhere that had at least two other Amity Parkers when I literally ran into him outside the public library. Instead I got to stay and got a boyfriend out of it.”

“How could you!” screamed the dark-haired one. But she was projecting <relief, happy-for-you>. “You haven’t talked to us for months! We’ve been worried about you all by yourself. And here you are, just waltzing back with a boyfriend you never bothered to mention.”As she finished, a thread of <frustration> did work itself into her emotions.

Jazz frowned and sent back <I’m sorry>. “Honestly, I wanted to. But Jason here didn’t know anything about liminality. So I didn’t want to talk about him until he got used to that. And my courses have been hell. I’ve so many projects constantly.”

<annoyance, forgiven> “Just don’t forget us again, okay? Hello, Jason. I’m Angela and this is Trisha. We’re both studying at Ohio State. We’re high school friends of Jazz’s.”

Jason shook both their hands. “I’m Jason. Not in school at the moment, but I work odd jobs around Gotham.”

“You should think about enrolling,” commented Jazz. “You’ve mentioned how you wanted to study literature when you were younger.”

Jason grimaced and knew he was failing to hold back his <uncertainty, dread>. “I’d need to finish a GED first. And my jobs are keeping me real busy. Not sure I’d be able to spare the time to go to class.”

Trisha cut through the awkwardness with a laugh and <tired>. “Well, classes are killer. I’m almost regretting going to college right now.”

Jason laughed as well <thanks>. “Honestly, seeing this one”—he nudged Jazz—“and her workload is making me reconsider my former college aspirations.”

“Mr. Baxter isn’t going to be here for another hour,” said Angela. “Get yourselves a drink and something to eat and join us.”

“Has anyone else arrived?” asked Jazz.

“Oh yeah. With your arrival, there’s a good dozen of us in Elmerton right now. No one else from our grade, though.”

Jason kissed Jazz’s temple. “Take a seat; catch up with your friends. I’ll go order us drinks. Any requests?”

Jazz sent him a wave of <gratitude>. “Tea and a scone.”

The barista’s smile was strained when he went up to place their order. But she was professional and only asked what he wanted. Behind him, he could feel the excitement between Jazz and her friends as they began debating Thanksgiving day traditions.

While waiting for their order, he heard the employee whisper to her coworker, “More Amity Parkers.” She used the same tone someone from Metropolis might say “Gothamite” and Jason bristled.

He must’ve let something leak, because Jazz, without turning to look, sent a forceful <don’t>.

Jason rolled his eyes and huffed. <fine>

She reiterated the silent order. Through their silent communication, her conversation with her friends didn’t so much as pause. But the <amusement> from the other two women was quite clear.

The barista who handed him his orders squeaked as she called out his name.

It took all of Jason’s willpower to keep from raising his eyebrow at her and give a simple, “Thanks.” If the muffled laugh from Jazz was anything to go by, though, he wasn’t as successful at holding back the <really?> that he was feeling.

Jazz had told him about Bruce’s visit. Maybe he could learn how to hold back his feelings, too.

But he pushed the thought to the side. For now, he wanted to focus on the upcoming meeting with Jazz’s family. And what better way to practice than by meeting her friends?

He sat down next to his girlfriend and flashed the other girls a smile. “So, do you have any good stories about Jazz from high school?”

They burst out laughing while Jazz feigned offense. Jazz’s friends were more than happy to tell him about the things Jazz and her brother had gotten up to during their high school years.

Jason, in turn, told them about her time in Gotham. Including the time Batman and Nightwing paid her a visit in her dorm room and freaked out her roommate. They thought it was hysterical that Jazz was now in a single because housing had no idea what else to do with her.

The hour wait for their transport passed so much more quickly than Jason had expected.

-----

Hope you guys enjoy this glimpse into Jazz's life beyond just Danny.

Updates will be sporadic, but please check out the Subscription Post if you want to be notified when I do!

[tamapalace]

Bandai Globally Announces Tamagotchi Uni!

The big announcement is finally here, and Bandai has not disappointed! Bandai has officially globally announced the Tamagotchi Uni! Uni stands for Unique, Unite, and Universal. This Tamagotchi is packed with new features, and for the first time ever, features Wi-Fi connectivity to connect to the all-new Tamaverse.

Let’s talk software.

The Tamagotchi Uni is truly global, as you boot the device you’ll be asked which language you would like to use. Supporting the global release, languages supported are English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese all one on device!

First, on the Tamagotchi Uni you will raise a Uni Tama that’s one-of-a-kind, inside and out! A UniTama is a Tamagotchi character you can rate to be completely unique. There are unique personalities that your UniTama can have, including shy, energetic, chill, and spoiled.

Next are favorite things, you can place items in your room, and if your UniTama likes them, playtime might be more fun! The animations are just adorable. Fashion & Furniture, you can style your Tamagotchi with the cutest accessories. Arrange your very own room to give your unique Tamagotchi character a beautiful home, truly unique!

There’s even a crafts feature! Gather DIY instructions and materials to create accessories in your favorite colors. You obtain these instructions and materials using the Tama Walk feature.

The Tama Walk feature uses the built-in pedometer similar to the Tamagotchi Smart. Your Tamagotchi will be able to collect craft materials and instructions through a walk. Several images show that you can walk in several different locations and collect items, you’ll find a bunch in just a 20-minute walk!

Tamagotchi Uni is all about uniting. There are many ways to connect and play with friends! Raise your UniTama’s together. When using the connect features, a Wi-Fi symbol will appear in the upper left-hand corner of the Tamagotchi Uni.

First, you can play by connecting Tamagotchi Uni devices together, and your friends Tamagotchi will be added to the built-in friends list.

Second, you’ll be able to exchange items, you can gift items you’ve purchased, or DIY items you’ve made through the crafting feature.

Third, you can craft together. Trade materials and make items together.

Lastly, propose, we’re so excited to see that marriage is back! If your friends UniTama says yes, your Tamagotchi character can get married. Some exclusive Tamagotchi characters are born through the Connect feature.

Universal, for the first time you can link up to the world with Wi-Fi! This enables users to download items, and meet Tamagotchi characters from around the world in the Tamaverse.

The Tamaverse is a virtual space available on the Tamagotchi Uni, some features require a Wi-Fi connection. The animation when your Tamagotchi enters the Tamaverse is just adorable and futuristic, how cute is the Tamagotchi egg VR headset?

You can interact with unique Tamagotchi Uni Tama characters from around the world in the Tamagotchi world’s meta verse, the Tamaverse. Jump into the Tamaverse with your own Tamagotchi character you raised.

Using built-in Wi-Fi, Uni can connect to an online environment called the Tamaverse. There are several locations to visit in the Tamaverse, and Bandai even has a map posted on their website:

Entrance - At the entrance you’ll meet Tamagotchi characters from around the world! Pay attention to how they greet you: you’ll see various languages.

Tama Square - Separated into three different areas.

Tama Party - The partner of your dreams exists somewhere around the globe! Approach any UniTama that catches your eye. This is the dating feature where you can find a partner.

Tama Travel - Choose a tour to go on a globetrotting adventure! Make memories that’ll last a lifetime. Pictured are a vacation to the Egyptian pyramids, and a boat ride with a whale jumping out of the water. This feature reminds us of the travel feature on TamaTown!

Tama Fashion - Sample global fashion! Register your Tamagotchi character’s outfit and share it with the world.

Tama Arena - Work together with or compete against other Tamagotchi characters in limited-time game events! Keep a lookout for the latest event info!

You can also enter download codes to download items and Tamauniverse areas! Download codes can be found on product packages, in campaigns, events, and more! This reminds us of the codes we used to enter into the Tamagotchi Connection series. The input code can be entered and items will then be downloaded.

For the first time ever, your Tamagotchi will receive software updates. Updates offer more ways to play! Events are held in the Tamaverse’s Tama Arena, and you may see something interesting at the Area Gate!

Catch up on the latest Tamagotchi Uni News with the Info feature. Renew Info to see what’s happening! You might even get some surprises!

As if that was not enough, the Tamagotchi Uni also features some of your favorite classic features, with some changes. Including feeding your Tamagotchi food and snacks. Using the toilet and bath, the Tama Mall and Arcade where you can earn Gotchi points and spend them.

The sitter is back when you’re busy! Make sure to get back home before 6:00PM before the sitter leaves.

Lastly, the Tama Social is back! Your Tamagotchi might post to socials! Posted pictures can be sent to your smartphone. This is exciting because you’ll finally be able to get the photos off of your Tamagotchi and onto your phone and of course post them!

There are some new characters and returning characters! 21 popular and new Tamagotchi adult characters that appear in the Tamagotchi Uni device and are waiting for you to meet them. Characters include Mametchi, Kuchipatchi, Mimitchi, Memetchi, Shykutchi, Bigsmile, Hypertchi, Picohutchi, Woopatchi, Bubbletchi, Unimarutchi, Weeptchi, Kikitchi, Simagurutchi, Sebiretchi, Neliatchi, Momotchi, Milktchi, and Gozarutchi. There are two secret characters which Bandai is only display the silhouette of, can you guess who they are?

Bandai has also posted a video explaining all of the Tamagotchi Uni features:

Let’s talk hardware.

The Tamagotchi Uni features a watch strap so that you can wear it on your wrist like a watch, or you can play with Tamagotchi Uni outside of the strap like a traditional Tamagotchi. Available in two different shell colors that are both very vibrant, unique, and feature a translucent back.

The Tamagotchi Uni uses a built-in lithium polymer battery that is rechargeable using the included USB-C cable. Long gone are the days of needing to use AAA batteries.

The pink shell features a pink Tamagotchi Uni body where the wavy design around the screen is green and blue. It also features blue translucent buttons, back, and buckles on the strap.

The purple shell features a purple Tamagotchi Uni body where the wavy design around the screen is green and pink. It also features pink translucent buttons, back, and buckles on the strap.

The Tamagotchi Uni you purchase anywhere around the globe will be the same device, but the packaging will differ. The packaging in Japan resembles the Tamagotchi Smart packaging, and the packaging outside of Japan resembles the Tamagotchi On & Pix packaging. Content in the boxes includes the Tamagotchi Uni (which includes the strap), a USB-C charging cable, and instruction manual.

Let’s talk release.

The Tamagotchi Uni will be released on July 15th, 2023 globally in countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Japan, and possibly more. Preoders are now globally available from many retailers. In the United States you’ll find them on Premium Bandai USA, and Amazon for MSRP of $59.99.

To get the word out, Bandai has partnered with both Charli D’Amelio, a global active influencer with over 150 million followers on TikTok and Kemio, a charismatic video creator with a huge following among young people and active globally.

Both have officially been appointed as Tamagotchi’s “Tama Family” ambassadors. They’re also both featured in the new Tamagotchi Unit promotional videos, and commercials. What is the Tama Family? A Tamagotchi fan who loves Tamagotchi. Once you start raising Tamagotchi, you will join the Tama Family.

This is huge news. The Tamagotchi Uni is packed with new features, new connectivity, and being released globally this summer! Preorders are now available globally with a MSRP of $59.99 USD and official release date of July 15th, 2023 globally!

Be sure to check out the Tamagotchi Uni, and place a preorder with your preferred retailer!

[writtenbyjeanofarc]

#!! - 𝑰𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑻 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑴𝑺𝑶𝑵 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵 — 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 ; ᴄᴏʀᴏɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅᴀʏ

(Cross-posted from my AO3)

CHAPTER ONE - CHAPTER TWO - CHAPTER THREE

𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖊: smut.

𝖕𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌: Griffith X You (fem! Reader)

𝖘𝖞𝖓𝖔𝖕𝖘𝖎𝖘:

Having been spoiled by your father as an only child after your mother’s death, there existed you, a young, yet rebellious maiden known amongst Midland as Princess Scarlet. Being the subject of envy by commoners who wanted nothing more than to overthrow the kingdom, you were rather…..indifferent. As a princess, you exercised pride in your achievements, deeming you fit for the role of succeeding your father on the throne.

Even after your father’s death caused by poisoning, your dream to have your own kingdom never faltered in the slightest. In fact, ruling over Midland with an iron fist has been made easy and simple considering your royal blood.

Subsequently, your ambitious demeanor and philosophy attracted none other than the military genius who led a group of mercenaries known as the Band of The Hawk. Sir Griffith; a man who never fell short of what were to be defined as a noble, if it were not for his common blood.

To put it simply, Griffith never planned on building his empire overnight. Instead, he harbored ulterior motives where he would rather…..bend you, the Queen, to his liking before taking over Midland.

….And the consequences of YOU having a fragile ego never ceased to reveal itself.

𝖈𝖜: none as of now.

𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗’𝖘 𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊:

No smut for the first chapter!

To minors: this space isn’t for you. Berserk is a warning in itself. Go away. Do not interact.

Anyways, I’m back with a new fic and it’s basically my own version while still keeping the canon verse of Berserk clear.

In this verse, expect certain things:

— Princess Charlotte does NOT exist.

— YOU are the Princess/Queen of Midland.

— The story will mainly focus on Griffith, not Guts.

Before commenting, I would like to caution you for potential rape/non-con elements (it’s Griffith we’re talking about here) to be depicted in later chapters of the story.

What I write is pure fantasy, and is mostly just me projecting on my original character (in this case, Queen Scarlet) who has a rather peculiar relationship with Griffith.

Anyways, grab some popcorn, and chill a little while we watch our original character slowly get taken advantage of by the devil himself.

The Kingdom of Midland. Such is a name given to the central region of the Physical World where nobles dominate and savages eliminate. One had the luxury of resting within the comfort of their own home while dining with only the finest cuisine made known to man. The other had to hustle and kill for the sake of money and survival…....while for potential evildoers and traitors, the sake of achieving their dream.

It was your coronation day after all, one of the most awaited events in all of Midland’s history. Following your father’s death caused by an incident of poisoning, the nobles immediately turn to you as a successor to the throne. You were a bit nervous, so to speak, but ready to accept your new role and give your speech as the newly appointed ruler of Midland.

It was already sunset, the halls decorated with red roses, bushes, and your favorite type of flower, the Amaryllis. You just loved the sight of red the way you liked your tea. Red, so to speak, was your favorite color. It just looks and feels powerful, like the way sunlight pierces its way through your eyes. You liked shoving your presence down people’s throats, to make them remember your name as you rejoiced in your own superiority as the new Queen.

Red was the visual embodiment of your dream—to rule and render yourself capable of building your own empire. Because of that, the King, your very own father, feared for your safety. And boy, was that prediction true.

Not only was your safety compromised, but prior to meeting the White Hawk who was addressed as Sir Griffith, things went downhill after that encounter as a sudden number of royal guards dropped dead. Not only were you disgusted by the smell of blood that filled the hallways the week before your coronation, but the five words whispered to your ear was what sent chills across your spine. Those five words made you shiver in questionable fear despite you taking it as just an empty threat.

“You belong to me, Princess.”

And then came the surge of mysterious events such as your father’s death.

Supposedly, you were expected to be excited for such an event like the coronation ceremony as you longed all your life to become Queen, but something about the whole situation didn’t feel right. You were at a loss for words, being unable to understand why your father was poisoned in an instant and how planning the ceremony felt rushed.

You shivered at the thought of meeting the Band of the Hawk once more, immediately suspecting that one of them killed your father.

“Our beloved guests, our crowning guests, respected parents of the nobles, and that of the civilians. Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.” announced the event speaker of the ceremony. “Once again, we have gathered here to witness the coronation ceremony of the Royal Family to be headed by Queen Scarlet and the rest of the officials appointed to serve her Majesty. Kindly rise for the ceremony proper.”

A huge audience of youngsters stood to give thanks towards your family for a job well done in leadership, singing songs of praise as time passed by. You were, of course, getting quite the goosebumps knowing your time is up as a princess. However, you can’t help but falter, thinking of your father’s untimely demise just about two weeks ago.

You were lost in thought, unable to pay attention to the songs sung in honor of you. Something was very wrong. You sweat and panted hard, not because you didn’t know what to say or do given the situation, but because you didn’t want to actually meet up with Griffith and the rest of his comrades due to some suspicions about the leader’s motives.

“Before we start, may I request everyone to observe silence as the ceremony begins to maintain its solemnity. Reserve your ‘hoorays’ for the latter part of the coronation. Thank you very much for your full cooperation.”

The rest of the coronation ceremony followed. You were nervous, biting your nails as you slowly prepared your speech in front of thousands. You knew Griffith would be watching

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

Alas, it was your turn to give out a speech that serves as a public declaration of your aims, intentions, and actions to be taken to further improve the economic and sociocultural growth of Midland.

Standing up, you could feel the eyes of crowds searching you from head to toe, but none of them ever gave you the impression that someone was truly watching you.

At the exterior of the venue, there sneaked a young man with white, flowing hair and a pair of blue eyes. It was him. Griffith. He didn’t make his own presence clear before you, he covered his tracks very well. But, little did he know, you could peek at his silhouette from afar. Knowing he made his way past the guards with extreme caution showed his prowess in strategy and disarming opponents with great ease.

Yes, he just wanted to hear your speech. After all, knowing how someone would open up about a fraction of their lives would be crucial in undergoing one’s plan to achieving their dreams, yes?

This was your moment. You let out a deep breath and spoke clearly as you cleared your throat.

“Greetings, my beloved fellowmen. It’s been a pleasure having to meet with you all to this very moment.” you greeted the audience with a friendly, approachable tone. “Throughout this memorable day, I was able to discern all your prayers dedicated to me and my family, especially in honor of my father’s passing. As an inherent successor to the throne, I have maintained a significant awareness through the years that my people, spread far and wide throughout every continent and ocean in the world, were united to support me in the task to which I have now been dedicated with such solemnity.”

The muffled voice of your speech was rendered audible to Griffith from the outskirts of the palace. He was perhaps….fascinated by your rather….pushy attitude on things. It didn’t take long before he palmed the area between his hips, hiding such an unsightly appearance as he began to fantasize about you under his control. He wanted nothing more than to dissect you in every detail possible, to know your deepest fears and motives of having to rule such a flawed kingdom. But little did you know, was that he wanted this kingdom all to himself.

“The ceremonies you have seen today are ancient, but some of their origins are hidden in the mists of the past. Their spirit and meaning still rise from the flames of finiteness. Perhaps, they still shine more brightly than we’ve expected them to do so. I have pledged allegiance with all my heart that I shall lead this kingdom, uplifting it further to claiming a thousand more victories than you would ever anticipate. Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.”

Griffith’s eyes narrowed as he hid behind the doors alongside the two guards who were apparently slain before they could even fight back.

He wanted you.

And there was nothing more satisfying than breaking one of the strongest, most powerful women who once took an interest in the art of swordsmanship. But he would rather not challenge you to a duel; not because he underestimated your capabilities, but because he saw such barbaric acts to be unbefitting of a lady with high status.

An hour later, trumpets played as the Grim Reapers of the Battlefield were to be promoted as bodyguards, yes, bodyguards, of your kingdom. The King trusted you to this group of mercenaries who promised nothing short of protecting your integrity and wellbeing as the princess. But one thing’s for sure, it’s that their leader was bound to be missing.

You stepped down from the stage to observe your audience for any problems which may arise from the White Hawk’s absence.

“Wait, where’s Griffith? But he was just here about minutes ago!” Rickert exclaimed. “He can’t just be wandering out in the open like this! Griffith! Hang in there! We’re on our way!”

“Cut the crap.” Guts said, alerting his fellow comrades. “There must be a way to proceed with the ceremony without Griffith being of any concern.”

“But Guts-”

Recognizing and appreciating your bodyguards (or perhaps, some new friends) wasn’t all that bad. Perhaps you were intimidated by some of the mercenaries, but they played an integral part of your big day.

It was only one moment within that band that spooked you, it was the White Hawk revealing himself—it was Griffith. By that moment when Griffith claimed you to be his, you began to not take those words lightly and managed to develop a slight sense of fear. What did he exactly mean by that?

You brushed off your thoughts on the matter and shook hands with nearly all the members, with Griffith being an exception (obviously). Rumor has it that he’s still hiding where the sun doesn’t shine, covering his tracks in order to reveal himself before you in the very end.

And God forbid what kind of plans he had for you that night.

[glossysoap]

Omg I was thinking about RTC again and it got angsty fast😭

I kept thinking about before Hydra, Y/n and the boys thinking about kids. Thinking about retirement to start raising a family of their own

But when Y/n is "killed" the boys feel sick thinking about a baby. Even seeing a woman with a baby out at the store makes them feel nauseous.

Then after they get y/n back, and shes back in their arms, they're catching themselves thinking about it again.

----

I imagine you three are in bed one early morning, and you're still fast asleep, but Simon and Johnny are content with just watching you. They find themselves imagining a baby sleeping on your chest. Would it have Simon's hair, and your eyes? Or Johnny's nose and your ears?

But just imagine the heartbreak they feel when you tell them about that procedure. How you can't have kids because of it. But its even worse for you, seeing the way their faces crumble, their shoulders sag, it makes your heart hurt

RAHHHHHHHH I’M SCREAMING AT MY PHONE

i NEED you to know that this scenario/concept has occupied my rat brain for SO long omg we’re on the SAME WAVELENGTH i’m telling ya.

now, i’m just doing little bullet points because i PROMISE i’ll be including this in the fic (or at the very least a long ass drabble, so fem/afab readers can read that while gn/male readers can choose to stick to the og fic that doesn’t have reproductive organs mentioned)

ready to comply masterlist here!

tags/warnings: talk of pregnancy/infertility/babies, black widow sterilizations, fluff then angst angst angst.

word count: 1.5k+

playlist:labour - paris paloma, the fruits - paris paloma.

revelations ; rtc verse

pre capture:

simon and johnny would’ve definitely dreamed and fantasized about having children with you. building a family with you.

they would go back and forth on who should be the father, although clearly they would be happy either way! but all in good fun, they would imagine a little boy with johnny’s fluffy hair (maybe trimmed into a mohawk to match his daddy’s) paired up with your eyes. or a little boy with your nose and hair paired up with simon’s dark brown eyes.

but what they hope for the most is a baby girl, a mirror image of their favorite person.

because they already love you so so much and your features and attributes already occupy their mind so much, they just melt at the thought of a little mini you running around.

they could just imagine your baby girl as a perfect mirror image of you. with your bright, joyful eyes and the giggly smile whenever she would laugh at johnny’s tickling and simon’s jokes.

the two boys make a tentative plan to retire in a few years time, after ensuring that there were other skilled soldiers to take their place. they would have had a large home be built for the three of you, with plenty of extra space for any babies. they would either decide on a cabin or a cottage, either one would be built on a nice plot of land. big enough for you to garden and grow produce, as well as your favorite flowers. the boys would tend to the land and make sure the grass doesn’t get overgrown. the land would also give plenty of space for any dogs to run around and tire themselves out. the boys would also make sure to have a hot tub or pool installed in the backyard, because they knew how you loved to swim — especially in the summer.

so that was their plan. building a perfect, cozy home for you and their future family. with every fixture and feature that you ever wanted, with the walls painted in any color.

they would just have to overcome their fears of confessing to you first.

of course, they never got that opportunity.

captured:

the second that they saw the footage of you “dying”, the hopes of raising children died with you.

every time a child was mentioned, a pit would form at the bottom of their stomachs. that could be them. that could be the three of you, with your little family. raising a perfect kid.

any time that someone on base would bring their baby to base, the boys couldn’t focus on anything. their hands would shake and their breath would get heavy. if they were doing target practice, their shots would miss the target. not by a lot, but enough for anyone to notice. enough for them to curse and reload their gun. if they were training, their defenses wouldn’t be as strong. their heads wouldn’t be in the game. they would just be thinking the entire time about that random private bouncing their newborn baby on their hip. god forbid the baby was a girl, too. if it was, all they could think about was that you should be bouncing a giggling baby girl on your hip. smiling down at your mini-you, even while you checked up on patients.

meanwhile, the very first time that you were unconscious at the HYDRA headquarters, those doctors had sliced through your lower abdomen and yanked out any of your reproductive organs. any fallopian tubes. anything that could be used to carry a child or give birth.

the 141 wouldn’t even know you were missing yet, and here you were — the ability to have children being stripped away.

back to the boys. whenever they were on a mission, those feelings would follow them.

i just imagine, the 141 being stationed in las almas. remember the scene where soap and ghost are driving with alejandro and rudy? and they see the kids being sold balloons by the cartel members who were holding guns?

aside from being disgusted in general by cartel members preying on kids, they were also disgusted because those kids could be their kids. their kids with you.

they would feel so nauseous. their hands would be clammy and their breath would be heavy, panting.

whenever they saw those kids, they couldn’t help but imagine them with your features. with your eyes and your nose and ears. with your hair and your smile. they imagined them as a mini-you.

that thought just about made them jump out of the vehicle as it was moving, and shield those kids from the cartel. they would gently push the kids behind their hulking forms so they would be safe from drugs and assault rifles.

post hydra:

okay, so pretty quickly after you were recovered back to 141, the thought of having a family with you had returned to them — despite their best efforts.

you might not even remember everything yet. hell, you might not remember anything yet.

all you do know is these people are familiar. you get flashes and fragments of memories that are filled with the 141, especially simon and johnny.

in the flashes of memories, you see a man’s blue eyes look at you with joy and yearning. his eyes would crinkle at the edges as he would smile or laugh. lord, his laugh. it was comforting. it was loud and warm and all consuming. it was such a harsh contrast from all of the sick cackling that would echo throughout the bunker, from all of the handlers and other subjects that would revel in your pain. his laugh was right. it was home.

the flashes of memories you had for simon were more… conflicting. the flashes would be straight from the bunker, when you were getting manhandled during training or taking flat-out beatings for punishment. you would remember all of the times that your back would get thrown across your handlers knee. you would remember the nauseating crack that would send chills down your back, and it would still make you recoil when you hear it in your mind. you would remember getting thrown into walls and crumbling the drywall, or getting thrown into mirrors and the shards of glass getting embedded in your back.

how does simon tie into that, you ask? your memories would begin to splice together, some in the wrong order or with the wrong details. in those memories of you getting beaten, you wouldn’t see your handler or some hydra soldier. no, you would see a hulking man wearing all black military gear — sporting a united kingdom patch and a skull mask.

so with every hit or punch, every throw or crack, you would see the same man that claims he knew you before you were captured. the man who called himself “ghost” or “lieutenant” would be the hydra soldier throwing the punches. he would be the one breaking your bones.

because of this, your breath would hitch and your posture would straighten as soon as he came into your sights. your mind and body would go into fight or flight mode.

of course, sooner or later, your memories became clear and untangled. they were in the right order and they included all of the correct details.

you would still have walls up after you remembered everything, but you wouldn’t be skeptical of them anymore.

when you’re actually with simon and johnny, it’s.. definitely an adjustment. it would be one thing if you were with them before you’re capture but you never even got to start with that! you had to start with being in a relationship with them after you had already been tortured, brainwashed and amputated. you had also already had a forced hysterectomy..

which leads to the problem at hand.

you would spend each and every day at the base with a pit at the bottom of your stomach. you would be guilt ridden. guilty about all the people you killed, all the people you hurt. every young black widow you murdered in order to spare them from the abuse of cruel handlers. you would feel guilty because you knew how much simon and johnny wanted a family — how much they wanted kids. and you knew that you could never give them that. literally, you could never give them that.

when you heard them whispering to each other, gushing, about, “how adorable your child would look!” or “I wonder if they would have her eyes!”, you shut down.

you added another insecurity to your already growing list. another reason to numbly stare at yourself in the mirror and hate what you see.

you shut down. and no one noticed.

for months you would put on a façade of still having a uterus. you would pretend to wince from cramps, even going so far as to clutch your stomach in pain. you would get some menstrual products from the medical station and pocket them in your duffel bag as proof that you “had periods”.

while you kept up this façade in order to make your boys happy, simon and johnny would find themselves imagining you swollen and glowing with their baby. they would imagine the joy written on your face when you read the positive pregnancy test. they would imagine you sprinting into their arms, laughing into their necks as they wrapped their arms around you. always careful not to squeeze you too tight. they would imagine your bump growing gradually, week by week, taking pictures of it every time. simon and johnny would always have one hand on your baby bump in those pictures. they would imagine themselves holding your hair up for you while you threw up into a bowl, rubbing your back to comfort you. they would imagine shushing and cooing to you while you experienced the sickness, to make sure you knew you weren’t alone. they would imagine your ankles and feet growing swollen over the trimesters, and they could just imagine themselves rubbing your feet while you laid on the couch and watched television, your hands resting on your baby bump. they would imagine preparing for the baby and they could feel their hearts filling with warmth as they imagined it. they would design a nursery in the home they bought, filled with stuffed animals and children’s books. they would paint the walls in a pastel color, a nice soft sage green that wasn’t too boyish or too girly. it would be just right. they would buy a white wooden bassinet and they would sit down in that room and build it with such care. they would purchase the most comfortable baby mattress and pair it with hypoallergenic sheets and baby blankets, both with cute prints and designs. one blanket would have cute little giraffes and tigers and lions, while another blanket would have cute puppies and kittens, with bows and pink details. finally, they would imagine you giving birth. of course, they would have been heavily prepared for the hospital trip. they would have multiple duffel bags packed and sitting right next to your shared bed, packed with all the necessities — chargers, headphones, blankets, spare clothes and more. they would claim each side of your hospital bed, simon on one side and johnny on the other. both sitting in those uncomfortable chairs but never uttering a complaint because it wasn’t important, and frankly their own comfort never would’ve even crossed their mind. not when you were having contractions every minute after enduring labor for almost twenty hours. they would be holding your hands so so tight, and letting you squeeze their even tighter. they would already feel bruises and sprains forming because of your super strength, but that was a small price to pay for the life you were bringing into the world. they would murmur comforting words and encouragement into your ears, leaning into you as you pushed and pushed. they would use their free hand to wipe away any sweat or hair that might have clung to your face. they would pepper sweet, thankful kisses to your face over and over — so grateful to you for enduring such pain and exhaustion. then, they would finally imagine the moment where the babies cry would echo throughout the hospital room.

their fantasies would soon be dashed away when they find out the truth.

they found out when you and the task force were packing up for a mission that would be spanning a whole month. you were done packing up when laswell had approached you in the locker room where everyone was packing, and she was carrying a grocery bag with her. she made a beeline for you and when you asked what she needed, she held out the grocery bag for you to take. you peeked inside. it was full of pads and tampons. she had brought them for you to pack for the mission, because she didn’t know about your procedure either.

so, because you thought everyone else was too preoccupied with packing to watch or listen to your conversation, you waved her and the bag off.

her brows crinkled in confusion before shooting up in excitement. “oh my god - are you..?” she trailed off, gesturing to simon and johnny, who were still putting their gear on.

you let out a bitter laugh at the sheer irony. “oh god, no.” it was laughable at this point.

“so don’t you need replacements of your other products?” she insisted.

you sighed. “no, i won’t be needing them.”

“you won’t be needing them now.. or?”

“ever? yeah. i won’t be needing them ever.” you grabbed your duffel bag and walked out of the locker room. she paused for a moment and then her face froze in realization.

what you didn’t know is that your two boyfriends had just caught the last minute of your conversation, where you admitted to never needing menstrual products.

and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together on the reason why.

©️ glossysoap 2024. please do not steal, copy, plagiarize, translate, or repost any of my works without my permission. do not steal any elements of my theme without permission.

[sitkowski]

this delicate balance ( noah sebastian x nicholas ruffilo )

pairing: nicholas ruffilio x noah sebastian cw: none. a little bit of angst, mentions of post tour burn out. pretty much just fluff. word count: 860 author's note: more soft boys from my riptide verse. this is set in the same time frame as twin skeletons. title comes from "existentialism on prom night" by straylight run. i think i hurt myself a little bit with this one. divider by @saradika-graphics ✨

⇉ masterpost || taglist signups || the riptide verse masterpost

Waking up without an alarm, without someone telling him where he’s got to be and what he’s got on his schedule is a new concept for Noah lately. The band has been going non stop, and he has to remind himself out loud that this break is for the best. That if they didn’t take it, if he didn’t take it, he was going to become resentful of it all. He’d never been more grateful for the band—his family—than when they told him they were basically making the decision for him, all he had to do was agree to it. And now, here he is, sleeping in and waking up with Lydia tucked into the space behind his knees, and the sounds of Nicholas talking out in the hallway, presumably to Jerry since Dave is sleeping on Nicholas’ pillow beside him.

The door’s already half open, but when it opens more, Noah lifts his head to see Nicholas peeking in.

“I’m up,” Noah murmurs, trying to stretch without disturbing the cats. “What time is it?”

He looks around for his phone, but doesn’t see it. And when he looks to the other side of the bed where Nicholas’ alarm clock usually sits, he sees that something’s been tossed over the display so he won’t see the numbers.

“It’s almost one.” Nicholas says as he comes further into the bedroom.

Noah went to sleep around midnight the night before, and his eyes went wide as he does the mental math. “You let me sleep for thirteen hours?”

“I put your phone in the kitchen too. You needed it, you didn’t wake up once in the middle of the night. Trust me, I checked.”

He can usually sleep that much and more after a tour, but normally he’s ready to bounce back after a day or two. It’s been two weeks, and he still feels the burnout. Never ending jet lag. Not wanting to do anything but sleep and usually that’s pretty fitful the first few nights home before he starts to feel normal. Normal isn’t coming so quickly this time.

Nicholas making sure that he slept fully through the night does something to his heart, and he gently extracts himself from the bed and shuffles over, immediately wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. He feels stupidly grateful, and doesn’t know what to say. That's been happening a lot lately. But he doesn’t really need to say anything, Nicholas knows. Reaching up, he pulls Noah’s head down to press his lips to his forehead.

“Why don’t you shower, and then we’ll figure out what we’re gonna do today.”

It’s not lost on Noah that there is no itinerary, no schedule he’s got to follow. If he wanted to turn around and go back to bed, he could. But he takes a shower, which at least helps him feel a little more awake. When he goes downstairs finally, he makes himself a cup of coffee and takes it out onto the back patio, where Nicholas is sitting with his sketchbook.

“Any plans you wanna make?” he asks, not looking up from his drawing.

Noah gets a little distracted just watching him draw, something he hasn’t had an opportunity to do very often. He wants Nicholas to tattoo him again at some point, he’d give up every last inch of bare skin left over for him to fill in. But he doesn’t realize he hasn’t answered the question until Nicholas is looking up at him expectantly.

“I mean, not really? Half the day is already gone and—”

“Do we need to talk about you deserving things again?”

Noah blushes hotly at that, trying to fight off a smile at the memory of just a few days ago. “Not right this second, no?”

Because he knows the whole point of taking this time off, was to actually try to use the break to relax. And the more he thinks about it, the less guilt he feels about it. There’s not some magic fix, but he’s glad to have Nicholas there with him. As if he’d be anywhere else, he knows he wouldn’t make it through any of this without him.

“You’re gonna wait me out if I don’t give you an answer, aren’t you?”

Nicholas puts down his pencil. “If you wanna do nothing today, then do nothing. It’s entirely up to you.”

“Okay. Let’s order burgers from that hole in the wall place down the road, and do absolutely nothing today.”

“Yeah, we can do that.”

Sitting aside his sketchbook, Nicholas starts to get up, probably to go and grab his phone to place the order. But Noah doesn’t let him get far. He sets aside his coffee cup and tugs him down onto his lap.

“One more thing I want today.” Nicholas hums out a questioning noise, smiling. Noah reaches up and pushes his hair behind his ears. “Can I have a kiss?”

Leaning into him, Nicholas loops his arms around Noah’s shoulders, pressing his lips to his cheek. “As many as you want, sunshine.”

Noah pulls his mouth to his, deciding to take him up on that offer. Lunch can wait.

⇉ taglist:

@deathblacksmoke @ladyveronikawrites @circle-with-me @baddestomens

@rumoured-whispers @cookiesupplier @dominuslunae @malice-ov-mercy

if you ’d like to be added to the taglist, you can find the form at the top of this fic! thanks for reading/reblogging 🩷

[heyiwrotesomethings]

I made my promise I would make a request of this so here it is. May I please request y/n and Shinobu from different fics all meeting each other? Like for an example, painter reader and demon Shinobu meeting y/n from another fic and human Shinobu. Or maybe cat demon y/n meeting y/n that could mimic everyones voices. Maybe one modern y/n and Shinobu meeting the demon slayer timeline Shinobu and y/n.

Sorry the list got so long, you don’t have to do all of them, these were just examples :D

Anyways thank you for your time and I hope you have a great day/night! Take care and stay safe! <333

Into the Shinobu-Verse

Shinobu Kochou Variants x She/ Her and They/ Them Reader Variants

A/N: You know what? I think this turned out pretty good! It’s goofy, but I think that helped me work faster. Here are the links to the fics that got their own little spot light in order of appearance Fic1 Fic2 Fic3 Fic4 Fic5 Fic6 Fic7 Fic8 Fic9 Thanks for reading, hope you like it! Word Count: 3,901

“Okay, okay, everyone stand still, stay calm, and remain quiet so we can establish assigned seats and then we can sort all of this out in a timely manner.” Shinobu called out over the crowded tea room, it was the largest space they had that could fit all these… uncomfortably familiar faces.

“(Y/n) can you make sure everyone stays connected to who they came with?”

“I’ll try my best.” (Y/n) sighed, as tired as they were anxious to see all these alternate versions of themself that had suddenly popped into existence one by one, or two by two if you counted the Shinobus they came in with. “Okay, can everyone stop talking please? Hey, be quiet everyone! Hello?! Please?! Oh, come on—!”

A loud, very convincing siren noise screeched from within the crowd and everyone clammed up, swiveling their heads to find the source of the noise. It was one of the (Y/n)s, her Shinobu had been the only one to cover her ears in preparation and rolled her eyes playfully at the disruptive mimic.

“Uh, thank you for that.” (Y/n) cleared her throat.

“No problem, me!” The mimic flashed a thumbs up over the crowd.

“Okay, um, mimic me and your accompanying Shinobu, you can sit right here.” (Y/n) motioned them over to a spot on the tatami floor and gave them each a paper with the number one on it. “These will help us keep track of who is who and who comes from where kinda I guess.”

“Excuse us, can we please just skip this and figure out how to go home now?” Another (Y/n), quite noticeably older than most spoke up, “We have children we need to pick up from school in a few hours.”

“Really, kids?”

There was a mix of curiousness, confusion and envy that came over the space.

“Can you turn on the AC or something, it’s insanely hot in here.” The accompanying Shinobu groaned, wiping sweat from her forehead. “Or is this a completely historically accurate mansion from the Taisho era or something?”

“What is… AC?”

“How do you not know what AC is?”

“It’s a completely modern mansion!”

“I can’t even get any cell service here…”

“What era are you from?”

“The Reiwa era, obviously.” The older Shinobu spoke matter-of-factly.

“Reiwa?!”

“What’s that?!”

More confused murmurs began but (Y/n) yelled over them, asking everyone to settle down once more.

“Listen, we will work as quickly as we can to get everyone back to where they belong, just bear with us, go sit next to group one please.” She handed two scraps of paper with the number two on them to the older couple.

“Okay, uh, how about you?” (Y/n) pointed to another version of themself who was dressed in much the same odd clothes as the one they had just checked in, but this (Y/n) just looked at them like a startled deer. “Um,” she pointed more obviously, “I’m talking to you, come forward with the Shinobu you came with please.”

“Oh geez,” the Shinobu beside the other (Y/n) stepped forward, “She doesn’t speak Japanese, and mine isn’t that great either. We’re from America.”

“Oh, okay!” (Y/n) spoke up before the crowd could grow in volume again, “come take these papers and sit beside group two, please.”

“Sure,” this Shinobu came forward and perched her strange, blacked out glasses on top on her head, and scrutinized (Y/n) as she took the papers, “So Taisho, for real?”

“…Yeah.”

“Damn it! I really wish I had my gear with me! This has ghost shit written all over it!” She said to her accompanying (Y/n) in their native tongue.

“Okay, I don’t know what you are saying, but please move along, much more to get through!”

A commotion in the back of the room drew (Y/n)’s attention and then could see swords had been drawn.

“Hey! Hey! Put those swords away! What are you doing?!”

“These two are demons!” A few of the Shinobus responded tightly, “And these traitors are protecting them!”

“She has never hurt anyone! You leave her alone, or I will not hesitate to cut you down as well!” The Shinobu protecting the cowering feline demon threatened.

“You know how much I love to feed off negative emotions, but I’m feeling a little too full right now.” The other demon (Y/n) murmured in a strained joking tone to their own Shinobu variant who was in a similar protective stance in front of them.

“Enough!” Shinobu called out, her voice carrying more weight than (Y/n)’s at the moment, “(Y/n)’s right, swords away! We don’t know what the situation is like in everyone else’s plane of existence. Unless you are on the verge of being attacked, you must leave those demon variants alone!”

“Thank you”, the four called, relieved. They carefully made their way to the front and took the four and five group numbers and sat closely together, finding comfort in their solidarity.

“Okay, how about you two next?” (Y/n) quickly got back to work. The sooner they got this taken care of, the sooner they could go to bed and sleep off the headache they felt coming on.

Without a fuss they came forward and that was when (Y/n) noticed that they were both splattered with blood. No wonder the couples around them seemed concerned.

“Oh my! Are you two okay?”

“Oh yes, just fine,” the Shinobu in the backless, black dress smiled, (Y/n) caught sight of the sprawling, flowery back tattoo she had as this Shinobu twisted around to observe herself, “we’re actually glad to be here. We were in a bit of a pinch.”

“I almost had them.” The (Y/n) with her groaned. “Now that we’re here, who knows what those bastards are up to? You know how much I hate loose ends.”

“One thing at a time dear, once we figure out how to get back, we’ll do a complete overhaul.”

“That’s some back tattoo,” a (Y/n) from the crowd spoke up, “Are you part of the Yakuza or something?”

“Or something.” The Shinobu smirked and gave a wink as she took the group six papers.

That (Y/n)’s accompanying Shinobu shot the other a warning look, pulling her partner possessively into her body.

“Okay— wait, Mitsuri? What are you doing here?” (Y/n) had looked out upon the crowd again to see a bright pink and green shock of hair that stuck out from the room.

“Um, I’m with these two actually?” Mitsuri sounded almost unsure, but held the (Y/n) and Shinobu she came with an assured tightness as if she was afraid of being separated.

“That’s weird… why would you be here from another plane if no other Mitsuris are?” Shinobu pondered alongside (Y/n)

“Ummm… oh!” Mitsuri snapped, “Maybe it’s because all three of us are dating each other like all you couples seem to be?”

There was a smattering of noise, probably from (Y/n)s and Shinobus who were thinking they just might have to shoot their shots with their Mitsuris when they made it back home.

“That makes just about as much sense as anyone being here in the first place I guess.” (Y/n) handed the group of three, three pieces of paper with the number seven scribbled on them.

“Okay, you next!” (Y/n) pointed at another (Y/n), then made them stop when two Shinobus followed along with them. “Oh, wait a second, do we have our first mix up? Is there a (Y/n) out there who lost their Shinobu?”

“Nope. This is normal for us actually.” The (Y/n) spoke up. They took note of the bewildered looks they were receiving and shrugged, “Cloning mishap.” As if that made it sound any less insane. The trio stepped up and took their group eight papers, smirking when they heard a couple mutterings of ‘lucky bastard’ from the crowd.

Finally, after nearly a half hour of sorting, the last group was seated and (Y/n) sunk to their knees, exhausted. At least now this was Shinobu’s show to run, hopefully she and the other Shinobus would figure out how to get everyone back where they belonged soon.

“Alright everyone, let’s go through each group and see if there is a connection between what everyone was doing before you were sent here. Group one—“

There was a sudden snapping and popping crackle noise and a flash of purple light. Everyone flinched, but not because of the sound or light itself, they had all arrived in much the same manner, but what did disturb them has the immense demonic presence that had suddenly enveloped the room.

“Ah,” the demon Shinobu that had appeared at the front of the room stretched one set of arms over her head and her secondary arms out in front of her, four piercing eyes scanned the room appraisingly and a fanged grin spread across her face, “Not quite what I had in mind, but I can work with this.”

The room was filled with a twang of swords being drawn by all who had them. The energy this demon emitted left no doubt that she was sinister.

The (Y/n) who had appeared with the demon, anxiously clung to her deep purple kimono with paint stained hands.

“Such protective little ants.” The demon Shinobu’s eyes darkened and her grin curled into a sneer, “I’m only collecting what is rightfully mine. Afterwards, you all can be in your merry ways.”

“And what could we possibly have that belongs to you?” Was the sentiment that was heard from the crowd.

“As if it isn’t obvious, a pity I’m not as intelligent in ever universe. I will be taking all the variants of my beloved artist back home. Worry not, trust that I will take care of them better than any of you could ever dream of.”

The room erupted in a chorus of angry and nervous voices.

“Silence!” The demon’s butterfly wings fanned out, sharp and black as midnight with large, iridescent toxic purple rings.

“Shinobu-sama, please,” the Artist carefully maneuvered around a wing to clasp her arms around two of Shinobu’s, “maybe this was a mistake.”

“Wanting you is not a mistake.” Demon Shinobu assured grouchily.

“Well, no… but maybe wanting more than one of me is?” The Artist murmured quietly, looking down at her feet.

“Nonsense, if one is good then adding more could only make things even better. Now,” she spread her free arms out to sweep over the crowd, “come forward my little pets.”

No one moved an inch, making the demon roll her eyes and huff in frustration. She just couldn’t fathom what was making the (Y/n)s stay put. Couldn’t they see she was superior to all the other Shinobus by leaps and bounds? Better than them all combined, even?

“Then I’ll just have to be a little more persuasive.”

The demon brushed her (Y/n) off of her arms and spread all four limbs out into an ‘x’ shape. Then with a couple beats of her wings, she emitted a purple dust that soon spread throughout the room.

Then chaos.

One by one, (Y/n)s began fading away, slipping right through the desperate fingers that were grabbing at them. Those with swords leapt forward at the demon, but she and her own (Y/n) were fading as well, the echo of an evil cackle was all that was left behind before a heavy silence filled the room.

But then one shuddering breath from somewhere within the crowd and everyone began breaking down in their own ways. The Mitsuri variant hand her hands full trying to bring comfort to every other Shinobu she could find along with her own, trying to stem the flow of her own tears.

“Everyone stop.” Shinobu, the one of this universe, called over the crowd, “Sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves won’t get us any closer to getting our (Y/n)s back!” She seethed, eyes blazing. “We have work to do. If anyone can figure out how to find them, it’s us.”

Everyone in the room began to steel themselves, nodding and agreeing and rallying around each other. They were the biggest scientific minds in most of their universes, if they put their minds together, they could figure this out.

“We will get them back!”

***

Demon Shinobu was getting impatient. Her new playthings were very, very slow to warm up to her and a few had attempted to behead her more times than she’d like to think about. She was a gracious host, gave them everything they could ever need. Why couldn’t they behave?

“How is the art going, lovelies?” She asked a group.

“Oh just great. I think I got you just right.” One of them slid the paper over to her with a smirk.

It was an unrefined, scribbled illustration. Not the least bit dignified. Her four eyes were looking in completely different directions, tongue sticking out, among other things.

“What are those lines signifying?” She asked pointing to the wavy lines that her form seemed to be emitting.

“How much you stink.” The (Y/n) shrugged with a roguish smile, accepting the high-five another (Y/n) offered them.

Shinobu blinked all four eyes simultaneously, looking thoroughly unamused.

“Children.” She muttered.

“I’m thirty-three.” The one who provided the high-five retorted.

“Well I’m over two hundred years old so that means nothing to me.”

At another table further away, the Artist sulked, half heartedly painting along side a few of her variants as she had been for the last few weeks, hardly saying a word most days.

“You aren’t trapped here like us, are you?” One (Y/n) whispered. “You like, actually love her.”

The Artist signed and nodded solemnly.

“So you probably like us being here as much as we like being here.” Another (Y/n) spoke up, “You should tell her that! Your word probably carries way more weight than ours. If you told her to send us all back to where we belong, I bet she’d listen.”

“Shinobu-sama does as she pleases, it won’t matter what I say…” the Artist said, continuing on with painting her depressing scene.

“Sure it will, you got a better chance than any of us do at least, really. Don’t you want her all to yourself again?”

“Of course I do!” The Artist didn’t yell, but it was the loudest the rest had heard her speak since they knew her. “I just don’t think it’ll matter…”

“Sure it will. Just try once, please, for all our sakes. We have Shinobus of our own that we long to get back to and I don’t know about you guys, but mine is definitely not coping healthily about this whole situation.”

“Neither is mine.”

“Nope.”

“Definitely not.”

“She probably hasn’t slept at all!”

“Our Shinobus all have one thing in common. She loves us unconditionally. It’s the same for you, it has to be.”

The Artist looked around the table, then across the art studio at all the gloomy and depressed variants of herself. They all looked as miserable as she felt. She owed it to them to at least try to talk to her muse.

“Okay… I’ll talk to her.”

“Thank you!”

“You’ve got this!”

“Demon or not, she’s a Shinobu at her core. She’ll listen to you!”

The Artist stood from her table and allowed the reassuring hands of her variants push her forward on wobbly legs. She had never gone against Shinobu like this before, or even in general honestly. She was always far too eager to please her and far too meek to voice any disagreement. That was how they ended up like this in the first place. Perhaps if she had spoken out against her muse’s plan, everyone would still be in their own universes none the wiser.

She swallowed thickly and approached the demon who turned to her as soon as she felt her coming.

“Shinobu-sama, I would like to, oh, um, I’m the (Y/n) who—“

“I know you are my first pet. Just say what you want to say.” Shinobu’s words sounded abrupt, but the Artist knew that was just how she spoke sometimes. She could be just a little impatient. The Artist thought it was cute.

“How can you tell it is me?”

“You think I couldn’t tell the original masterpiece from all these flimsy copies? Don’t make me laugh. Now tell me what you have to say, I’m in the midst of trying to convince these foolish demon variants to eat a human or two so they can get stronger and reach their full potentials.”

“Well, um,”

“Hahh, we will talk in the hall then,” Shinobu lifted her head up to address the room, in a semi-sweet voice “remember, try to escape into my woods and you’ll be as good as dead!”

She then pulled the Artist out of the large studio space and a ways down the hall of her sprawling mansion. The Artist’s mind was still spinning from the compliment the demon had tossed her way. She thought she was a masterpiece!

“Now talk, don’t think I haven’t noticed you acting cold… have the variants been giving you a hard time?” She added as an afterthought, showing a flash of fang at her displeasure at the thought.

“No! Not at all!” The Artist answered hurriedly, “It’s just… don’t you think that maybe… you should take them back to where they came from?”

“They’ll get over it soon enough I’m sure. Can’t be rebellious forever. I can handle whatever pettiness they throw at me. I’m not afraid of a little hard work. You don’t have to worry about me, pet.”

“It’s not about that it’s… well…”

“Yes? Spit it out.”

“Never mind. I’m sorry.” The Artist backed out. She was a fool for ever thinking she could do this. She began mentally apologing to all the people she left in the studio as she turned around to walk back, but the demon stopped her in her tracks and spun her back around with a flurry of arms.

“No, no. No never minding. You disrupt me like this, I expect to hear the reason. Speak, pet.”

“It’s nothing…”

“It is something and you will tell me now.” Shinobu murmured darkly. “Don’t test me further.”

The Artist swiftly shook her head and tried to turn again, but it hard when there were four insistent arms pinning her in place.

“Don’t. Be. Difficult.” She hissed. “You’re usually so good—“

“I want you to send the variants home!” The Artist suddenly snapped. “I want all of your attention on just myself again!”

She breathed heavily for several seconds and Shinobu stared at her dumbfounded. When the Artist had time to process what she said, she quickly ducked her head down and shrunk into herself as best she could with Shinobu’s arms around her. Not much longer after that, she heard the demon chuckle and renew her grip, pulling her close.

“Is that so, pet? You want my attention?” She cooed, “My, I’ve never seen you speak your mind like this and you look so expressive too. It’s very cute.”

Shinobu’s wings unfurled and wrapped around the Artist in a comforting manner that she rarely shared, save for a few occasions when she was feeling possessive or even rarer occasions when she felt particularly cuddly.

“Do you really want me to send them all away? Would that make you happy? Don’t think I haven’t noticed how drab your scenes have been lately.”

“Yes. It would make me happy for it to just be us again.”

“So selfish, pet,” before the Artist could tilt her head away in shame, Shinobu brought it back with a finger, “I like it.”

The Artist gave her a shy smile and Shinobu gave a delightfully evil-looking grin in return.

“But may I just keep a few to devour at my leisure?”

“Please don’t.”

“Very well. You are lucky I am so accommodating to your silly little whims.”

***

“Check the math again.”

“Who has seen Variant 27? She was supposed to be back from the bookstore an hour ago!”

“En went looking for her, apparently that bookstore is on the other end of town in her universe. She will be back any minute!”

The Shinobus (plus one Mitsuri) had been toiling nonstop, researching all they could about travel through dimensions, time, space, whatever they could get their hands on. So far they had yielded little results. They were starting think this was part of the demon variant’s blood art. No one would say it out loud, but they were all beginning to think that they had no hope in getting their loved ones back.

That is, until they heard that snapping crackle that had haunted what little sleep they had allowed themselves. They were all up in arms until their (Y/n)s began fading back into existence then they were rushing in for bone crushing hugs.

Among the last of the arrivals was the demon Shinobu and her (Y/n), both looking extra close to each other.

“Hurry along, chop-chop. Everyone found who they belong to? Good.” The demon sounded completely disinterested in even her own words, ready to go back to her normal routine.

“You’re setting them free just like that?” A few Shinobus asked skeptically.

“Yes. They’re obnoxious and grating. I can’t stand them for even a moment more.”

A couple more Shinobus felt comfortable enough to joke that they felt the same, even suggesting that the demon take theirs back despite how frantically they had been searching over the last few weeks.

“Too bad, your problem now.” The demon snapped her fingers and flicked her wings, this time, (Y/n)s and their Shinobus had begun to fade. “I’m sending you back to your original dimensions. When you arrive, it will be the same day it was when you left. Wish I could say it was a pleasure, but it wasn’t.”

The crowded room was filled with goodbyes, variants which had become friends waved and thanked each other for keeping themselves sane and soon only two pairs remained, the original duo from this dimension, and the demon and her artist.

“See, it wasn’t that bad, right?” (Y/n) smiled at the Artist.

“It wasn’t. Thank you for giving me that push I needed.”

“And thank you for getting me back home.”

“I did that.” The demon scoffed. “Anyway, enough of this. I don’t know what it is, but seeing myself in this sorry human form in making my head ache.”

“I could say similar things about your sorry state.” The human Shinobu quipped.

“I’m ready to go as well.” The Artist hugged the demon’s left arms, dissuading her from turning their little quips into a full out brawl.

(Y/n) and Shinobu waved goodbye to the variants as they faded from sight. When they were gone, Shinobu all but collapsed in (Y/n)’s arms.

“I’m so glad you’re back.” She whispered against their neck.

“Glad to be back, I missed you so much.” (Y/n) hugged her tight. “If I’m tired, you must be down right exhausted. Have you been eating enough?”

“Yes, Aoi had everyone working overtime in the kitchen to keep us fed. If we didn’t eat, she’d have force fed us. She was already mad enough about us overworking ourselves as it stood.”

“Good ol’ Aoi.” (Y/n) smiled. “Let’s get you into bed.”

“Only if you’re coming with me. I don’t feel like you’re really here just yet.” Her grip on their clothes tightened a little for emphasis.

“Of course. Nothing would make me happier.”

[ofstoriesandstardust]

we could leave the christmas lights up 'til janaury (b.r.b.)

a/n: this was written for a mutual who i have not spoken to in many months but is lurking around here somewhere (so if she sees this she should come say hi). this is just 2k words of fluff my dudes

summary: Rebel and Rooster finally make a home together.

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist | same mistakes-verse

warnings: swearing, a good helping of MavDad, i did extensive research on property deed changes in california for no reason, one reference to sex if you squint

word count: 2.3k

“You have a tiny bed.” 

You look up from your phone to see your fiancé, who’s standing with his hands on his hips, eyeing the sight in front of him. Buddy had definitely been getting bigger and had been taking up more space on the bed than when he originally came home with you. Rooster had been a little bit grumpy about that fact, bemoaning the fact that the dog loved to wedge himself in between his parents and it meant he couldn’t cuddle with you as much, the damn koala bear. 

“It’s just so unfair.” Rooster groaned, letting his head plop down onto the top of the bar. You raise an eyebrow at him, thoroughly unimpressed. 

Hangman gave a chuckle, smirking at you over the top of his head. “Bradshaw, are you really getting jealous of a dog? Your dog?”

“Hey, he’s my dog. I’d get him in the divorce if Rooster and I were ever to get a divorce, the same way I’d get Bob in the divorce.” Coyote lets out a loud laugh at that as Hangman continues to smirk. 

“Still Bradshaw, I’d say this is a new low.”

“Shut up.” 

“You know, I could just get a bigger bed.” Rooster sighs as he sits on the wedge of bed Buddy has left for him and he raises his head, annoyed at the movement, choosing to hop off the bed. You chuckle as Rooster rolls his eyes.

“Dog’s a damn drama queen.” He mutters and you turn to him as he settles on the bed next to you, back up against the wall. 

“He gets it from you.” You whisper and he nudges you as he kicks his legs over the bed, slipping them under the covers to entangle them with yours. “So, a bigger bed? I’ve had this one forever anyways.” He hums as he wraps an arm around you, tugging you towards his chest. 

“Or...” He trails off, looking down at you.

“Or?”

“Or... well, I was thinking you could move in with me. You know, finally.” 

You shift slightly, moving to be eye level with him. “Yeah, I’d love to.”

He gives you a soft smile. “Yeah?” 

You nod, humming as you place a soft kiss on his lips. “We’re getting a new bed though.” You whisper against his lips, feeling the hair of his moustache rubs against your skin.

He smirks, placing his hands on your hips to pull you onto his lap. “Oh, obviously.” 

“Yeah, and we’re getting rid of those ugly curtains in the living room. I love your Mom, but they’re ugly.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know that Mav picked those out.” 

You roll your eyes.

“’Course he did.” 

-

“Why do I have so much shit?” You hiss, practically sitting on the suitcase to get it closed.

Someone laughs from your doorway, prompting you to look up. Your Dad’s there with an amused grin on his face, hands in sweatpants pockets. “I take it packing’s not going well?” 

You sigh, sliding off of the suitcase. “I’m pretty much done, I just… Why do I have all this crap Dad?” 

He shrugs. “I don’t know, it’s your money.” 

“I knew I was overdue for a spring cleaning but holy shit.”

Your Dad side steps a box, sitting down at the foot of your bed. “I gotta admit kiddo, I’m a little surprised you guys have taken this long to officially move in together. You guys practically do live together as it is.”

“You saying you want me out of here?” You ask, quirking an eyebrow. 

He fixes you with a look. “I just meant that I figured you wouldn’t want your Dad around so much and might want to have your own space. You and Brad have been together for a while now.”

“So have you and Penny and the two of you don’t live together.” You point out.

He sighs, holding his hands up in surrender. “That’s only fair. But-” He says, leaning forward so his forearms are resting on his knees. “We aren’t talking about me.”

“Yeah well, I don’t know, I know I didn’t exactly grow up in this house but it’s always felt like home, you know? Didn’t want to give that up you know. I didn’t grow up here but I did grow up here in a lot of ways, especially the last few years. And I guess it was nice to know that I always had somewhere to go if shit hit the fan and you know, Bradley and I broke up. Didn’t want to sacrifice it and not have a backup plan, I guess.”

Your Dad sighs. “You’d always be welcome here, kid. I really hope you know that. Even if ten years down the road, you’d have this place as a home. That would never change.”

You sigh, standing up from the floor to join your Dad on the bed. “Dad, I know you’ve been wanting to sell this place for a while. I know Penny’s realtor friend gave you a quote on how much you could get. I know you’ve just been waiting for me to get out of here.” 

He shrugs, arms still resting on his thighs. “Gotta admit that I’ve been using you as an excuse as to why I can’t get out of the house kiddo. Maybe you’ve also been my backup plan.” 

You let out a breath, leaning back on your palms. “What a fucked up father daughter duo we make.”

He lets out a small laugh, shaking his head. “This is actually maybe a good time to talk to you about this, kid.”

“Talk about what?”

“I’ve been thinking-“

“That’s never good.”

He shoots you a pointed look. “I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s about time Penny and I move in together as well. We’ve been dating this time around almost as long as you and Brad have.”

“Yeah? Good for you guys. You can smother Amelia now.”

He shoots you another look. “And I’ve been thinking that you know, I’m getting up there in years, and I just want to make sure everything’s squared away for when I’m gone.”

“Dad…” 

He glances at you. “How do you feel about transferring the title into your name?”

“Like… the title of the house? Like our property deed? You want to give me the house?”

He shrugs his shoulders again. “The house has always been yours. Was always gonna be yours. I left everything to you and Brad, you know. Figured we might as well get a head start on it.”

You gap at him. “Should I be worried about you? Are you feeling okay?” You reach over to press a hand to his forehead. He laughs lightly, batting your hand away. 

“I’m feeling fine. I just want to make sure you’re taken care of when I’m gone. And it would make me feel better to know that the legal and physical stuff is squared away.”

Part of you wants to make a joke about how he’s going to live forever so he shouldn’t worry and the other part of you is entirely stunned, although not surprised, your Dad has put this much thought into what would happen to you if he were to die. 

He’s been thinking about that since the day Goose-

“Dad.” You whisper. 

“You don’t have to say yes. And you can think about it of course, I know you might not want to take on this place, but-“

The sob you let out catches both you and your Dad off guard as the emotions come pouring out of you before you can stop them. He reaches over, pulling you into a hug. 

“Kiddo, it’s just a house. It’s four walls and a roof, really-”

“It’s not just a house. This was our house when I was at UCSD and this was our house when you and I were bouncing around the world and this was our house when Ice got cancer and this was our house where all my friends got to call their home too.” You say, wrapping your arms around his chest as the tears roll down your face. “I don’t wanna leave.” You whisper. 

“Kiddo…” He whispers, rubbing his hand up and down your back.

You sniff. “I mean, I do wanna live with B and Buddy but this is my home.”

He sighs. “Like I said, a house is just four walls and a roof kiddo. A house is just a house. A home is what the people inside make of it.” He squeezes you. “You made this house a home. You made it a home for me and for Brad and for all of the Daggers. I know you have so many memories here. But you’re gonna have so many more in your place with Brad. You already do have so many in that house. And now you get to move into a place where it gets to be entirely your own and you get to share it with the person you’re gonna spend the rest of your life with. Brad didn’t take putting that ring on your finger lightly.”

You sniff. “Yeah, I know.”

“I mean it. Asked me for my permission and everything.”

You raise your head, looking at your Dad curiously. “Did he really?”

He laughs. “Yeah, he did. Kid was terrified I was gonna say no. He loves you so much, he really does.”

You sniff again, letting your arms fall from your Dad as you smile. 

“I know he does.”

-

Bradley groans as he lays down on the bed next to you. You quirk an eyebrow at him. 

“What are you groaning about, mister? I’m the one who did all the hard work.” 

He grins, reaching out for you. “I don’t know, I stood there and looked mighty pretty.” 

You roll your eyes as he plants his hands on your hips. “Yeah, okay.” 

He snorts, before kissing your cheek. “You know what I can’t get over?” 

“What?” 

He grins at you again, a childlike excitement on his face. “This is our house now.” 

You grin back at him. “It is, and we get to do whatever we want.” 

You both break into giggles, the excitement being too much. 

“I know you’ve pretty much lived here the last few months, but it’s nice to finally make it official, you know?” You nod as your dog hops up on to your bed, nestling in at your feet. Bradley smiles at Buddy before beginning to run his hands through your hair. “Hey, how was the last night at your place? Mav cry?” 

You shake your head. “Actually, surprisingly, I cried.”

Bradley shifts so that he can look down at you. “What? Why?” 

You shrug, watching your dog’s steady breathing. “Dunno. Was just weird I think. I grew a lot in that place.” 

He hums, his hand working on detangling a knot in your wet hair that must have formed sometime after your shower. 

“I can imagine. You’ve lived in that place since you were like 19, yeah?” 

You nod. “Yeah, and that place we had on base growing up never really felt like home. That house was the first place that had really felt like a home rather than just somewhere I slept. The closest I ever got before that was here.” 

“Funny now, how it all kind of circles back to this home.” 

You nod, thinking about this house. The weekly dinners you used to have with Ice and Carole. The memories you have from growing up playing hide-and-seek with Bradley, the movie nights Carole used to have with you when your Dad was out of town and Bradley would be out with friends. 

This house had only ever emanated love, a feeling that could be felt in its walls the minute you stepped through the door. It was a feeling you could recall across decades, even from your earliest childhood, the fuzzy memories of Goose and Mav and Carole, when that was all you had ever needed,

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the most important part.” 

He laughs a little, chest vibrating against yours. “Oh yeah, and what is that?” 

“Dad’s moving out and giving me the house.” 

He startles, pulling back from you so that he can look you in the eyes. “What? He’s giving you the house?” 

“I guess.” 

He shakes his head, looking a little dazed. “I just figured he’d sell it.” 

You scoff. “He’s not going to get shit for that place.” 

“So are you going to sell it?” 

You shrug. “I don’t know, I haven’t totally thought about it. I guess maybe we could invest some money in it and fix it up, rent it out.” 

“Actually, that’s not a half bad idea.” 

You turn at him, offering him a small smirk. “I got good ideas sometimes.” 

He rolls his eyes, pulling you back down to his chest.

It’s quiet for a minute, the only noise really being Buddy’s breathing and the fan, but you know Bradley isn’t asleep yet. 

“If only little us could see us now.” 

“You think they’d be happy with us ending up together?” He whispers back. 

“Well, I know they’d be thrilled to hear that we’re having a sleepover every night for the rest of our lives.” 

He lets out a full belly laugh at this, waking up Buddy who huffs and shifts on the bed. “Yeah, except our sleepovers are way better now.” 

You roll your eyes at him. “Shut up.”

He laughs again, before settling back down into the bed, taking in the moment.

“Hey, I have a question.” 

He hums, indicating you to ask. 

“I know Christmas is a few months away but do you think we could leave the Christmas lights up until January?” You can feel Bradley smile against your cheek. “We can do whatever you want, honey. It’s our home now.”

[catmansquad]

Special (2)

An irritating Spider-woman leaves you on edge, fortunately, the man you love can make you feel all better...

(Miguel O'Hara x M!Reader) (Pokes M!Reader tag. "C'mon... Do something...")

‘What’s up Spider-fans! It’s Spider-Selene here once again! There’s a whole lot of you who’ve been sliding into my DMs about seeing Across the Spider-Verse. Well, guess who’s gotten her own special invite? That’s right; I’m in Spider Society!’

She held up her phone, still recording as her other hand held up the silver-white bracelet that swirled with a soft neon blue light. ‘For those who don’t know me-? Seriously, how can you not? Well, let’s take it from the top; I was bitten by some radioactive guy in a spider costume- some sort of Halloween party at a power plant gone wrong-, and since then I’ve been the one and only Spider-Selene; half-spider, half-witch, and full on badass! Fighting crime and saving the world with kickass acrobatics, pure love, and white light magic! Well, I’m already in good; got some tight-knit friends… Uh… Like Ben! Hey, Ben! How’re you doing big guy? Just telling all my fans about how I’m-!’ ‘… Friends…?’ Ben hung his head, face vanishing beneath his messy dyed locks, voice low. ‘… My life truly can spiral into darker depths.’ Spider-Selene blinked, a little nervous laugh escaped her before she swiftly turned on her heels, panning her phone away from him. ‘Yeah, he’s just being himself- we’re really actually good friends, like… Uh… Like me, Jess and Peter! Heyy!’ She waved them down, watching the two in particular pause in their conversation and look to her. ‘Hey! I’m just telling all my fans about us, want to tell them about-‘ ‘Actually, Peter, I really need to get back home… We’ll catch up later, yeah?’ Jessica gave him a soft, fond smile, that Peter matched and quickly strode off. As soon as Spider-Selene’s masked face snapped to Peter, he shrugged with an apologetic smile. ‘Yeah… Sorry, I’d love to stick about and chat, but I promised I’d look after Mayday tonight; MJ’s having a girl’s night out. See you later!’ With a “thwip” of webbing he was off, leaving Spider-Selene staring at the empty space they had once been.

‘So, you know the difference between the movie and the actual Spider-Society? Well, the bracelets are different, for one… But the really bad thing is… Well…’ She panned the camera, over to where two figures lurked by a futuristic water cooler; tall and powerfully built, a man clad in the venom green suit of a scorpion with his tail lazily curled on the floor, and a man in green and purple carrying a fishbowl helmet under one arm. ‘… Last world I explored? Literally built in the skies; farmlands, windmills, quaint little towns. Local population had wings.’ Mysterio gestured calmly the glint of a fond smile on his face. ‘Why do you get lucky? Mine was a swamp where the trees would try to strangle you with their roots.’ She returned the camera back to herself. ‘See? Literal. Villains. Just walking about with travel bracelets on. In Spider. Society. I… I mean, Mysterio’s kinda hot though, but the point still stands! It’s for Spider-People!’ ‘What did she say?’ She froze up, slowly looking back to where the pair stared at her. Scorpion’s expression narrowed further, his tail lifting from the floor. ‘M-Mac, don’t get carried away now.’ ‘Listen, you entitled little s-‘ ‘Mac.’ Mysterio’s hand on his shoulder seemed to calm whatever rage was building. ‘Look.. Spider-whatever… This place is for all of us to explore and chart the dazzling expanse of the multiverse. Perhaps no-one explained it to you- perhaps you just didn’t want to listen- but me and Mac? In our worlds, we’re the heroes. Don’t take Mac too harshly, he’s had it rough; his local Spider-woman is a terrible villain.’ A look of concern crossed his charming features as he glanced over her shoulder. ‘Perhaps it’s not any particular heroes or villains you should be worried about….’

She turned on her heels, and hurriedly tried to shove her phone back into its pocket. In a sleek black suit, you approached, peering from behind neon blue glasses, the scroll of data running across the lenses. ‘You.’ You paused before her, hands behind your back. ‘Spider-Selene.’ She corrected you, and you shook your head. ‘Lyla, pull her profile, please.’ The scroll of data stopped as you surveyed what had been brought up. ‘Hanna, please come to my office at your earliest convenience; you and I are going to have a little talk.’ She cringed softly at the mention of her name, like a scolded child who knew she had been caught out by a teacher. Finally, she hung her head, all confidence fled. ‘Yes, sir…’

You relaxed back into the chair of your office; its soft cream walls, shelves lined with tokens from other worlds, and the sleek desk with its hardlight screen scrolling the data that passed through the building. Sighing you, pulled the glasses from your eyes and set them aside, blinking at the world as it truly was.  It was fascinating, just how easily you had slipped into this life, this job, in another world and time altogether. Your eyes glanced at the bracelet on your left wrist, the silver-white sparkling in the light, the engraving of a many-branching tree visible upon its surface. Gabriel had a wonderful sense of style for designing their aesthetics. How different your life had become solely because of one extraordinary, wonderful man… The soft knock on the door, the door with that bore your nameplate and title beside it; “Head of HR”. Lyla’s hologram flitted into being on your desk. ‘Got Spider-Selene, here for your chewing out.’ You sighed and sat up straight, feet flat on the floor and pulled the chair closer to the desk, trying to look professional. ‘Let her in, please.’

She slinked across the threshold as the door slid open, hands clasped nervously as she waited for your judgement. ‘Sit down.’ The chair opposite creaked as she did as ordered. You waited for a time before clearing your throat softly. ‘Since it’s nearly lunchtime, I’ll make this brief as I’m sure we’re both hungry…’ You closed down the screen and leaned on your elbows across the desk, no barriers between your eyes. ‘Hanna, I’ve been receiving some...  complaints about you, recently. I know you’ve only been here a month and you might need time to settle in, but the frequency has quickly become… worrying. I deal with Spider-People relatively frequently, some are worse joke tellers than others…’ Realising you were beginning to drift off-topic you cleared your throat softly. ‘These complaints state that you have been… Irritating, unprofessional, and intrusive. Invading private conversations, recording and photographing without permission, and conducting yourself inappropriately in a manner that could be construed as sexual harassment.’ You watched the eyes of her mask grow wide, and you resisted the urge to grit your teeth at the last one. Needless to say, that Miguel certainly didn’t appreciate having his ass groped by yet another Spider-woman who thought he was the hottest thing since fire. ‘N-no! I’m not intrusive! I’m a superhero! I’m a good person!’ ‘We’ve also had complaints about… junk being left around the premises by you.’ ‘No! No, those are crystals and blessing bags! They’re to promote good energy and fill the space with white light… Y’know… cause I’m half-witch.’ ‘Riiight…’ You rolled the word, tone dry, you wished you had a drink beside you, something to stretch out the awkward silence.

‘I don’t know why we have villains just roaming the premises, I mean, surely for Spider-Society they should be sent back to their own worlds, it might damage the Ca-‘ You slammed a hand onto your desk stopping her babbling before she could utter that last, cursed word. ‘No.’ You closed your eyes, exhaling as fingers curled tight into your palm. You blinked your eyes back open, looking up. ‘We are not The Society. We do not wish to be their exclusive club, and we do not respect their views on the theoretical nature of the multiverse. Anyone can be an explorer of the Tree of Infinity. Now, Hanna, I want you to consider this a warning; we expect your behaviour to improve. You are still on probation, and if it does not improve, we may have to say goodbye to you. I will be discussing this matter with Miguel.’ She seemed to sink deeper into her seat at the mention of his name. ‘P-please, can you put in a good word for him with me? Let him know that I think he’s handsome? I-I mean, I don’t mean to brag, but I feel like we’ve got a real connection- we were bitten by the same spider after al-‘ ‘Really? What spider?’ You feigned interest with a gentle smile, knowing she had blabbed herself straight into a corner. ‘U-uh…’ ‘What spider, Hanna?’ ‘Uhh…. Black widow?’ You closed your eyes, chuckling softly as you nodded, and when you opened your eyes again, you could almost make out her relieved smile from beneath her mask. It was time to drop the hammer twice over. ‘Hanna? Miguel wasn’t bitten by a spider. Also, please stop flirting with him. He doesn’t like it, and his boyfriend doesn’t appreciate it. Mm?’ You watched her eyes slowly widen in realisation and drank it in before waving softly, triumphant. ‘You can go now, get some lunch.’

The gloomy room was Miguel’s office in the highest reaches of the tower, illuminated faintly by the sprawling, rotating image of a white tree with many branches. You knew its layout well enough to move through it without falling over anything, as long as Miguel hadn’t moved things around too much. As luck would have it, he had indeed. Your feet became tangled in a mass of cabling that had not been present on your last visit and you felt yourself stumble and begin to fall. You never hit the ground before familiar strong arms caught you and bore you close against his warm chest wrapped in soft clothing. ‘Heh… You’re getting clumsy.’ His deep voice was rich with amusement, right by your ear as he lifted you off your feet with effortless ease. You wrapped your arms around him, squeezing him in a hug with all your might, and his body didn’t yield in the slightest, only a faintly amused huff escaped him for your efforts. ‘You’re the one booby trapping your office to trip me up, Miggy.’ He laughed again and placed a fond kiss to your cheek. ‘Damn, you’ve figured me out… Lyla tells me you’ve been busy. Want to tell me what it’s about?’ ‘Well-‘ ‘Actually, hold that thought. Let’s get comfortable.’

He supported your entire weight with one arm as his other reached out, the “thwip” of the white, organic webbing from his wrist as he launched both you and him up into the upper reaches of his office, to where a hammock of webbing had been constructed. He laid you down on the soft, silken threads and relaxed beside you, the glint of his crimson eyes visible in the faint light. He began to rock the hammock gently with one foot against the wall and you felt utterly safe with one of his arms over your waist. ‘Well… Uh, the crazy witch has been told off. She won’t be groping you anymore. So your ass is safe… Until the next Spider-woman tries….’ ‘Ay dios mio… You think it’s pheromones? You think I produce pheromones that drive them crazy?’ You snuggled closer into him, nuzzling into his neck and sniffing to inhale his wonderful earthen scent. ‘You always smell great to me, Miggy…’ Another little chuckle escaped him, and he kissed the top of your head with a pleased rumble. ‘Uh-huh…? Well, Lyla’s made sure we won’t be disturbed… So, maybe your ass won’t be so safe from me, my love. If you want to do more than just snuggle…’ You snuggled even closer against him, feeling his arm around you tighten with strength that was just shy of hurting- you knew he still held back the lion’s share of his might, he could snap you like a twig if he wanted. ‘I… Think I just want to be with my Spider-Man, right now…’ ‘Heh… Te amo, mi vida…’ He purred as he placed another kiss to your head, still rocking you quietly. ‘I am yours…’

---------------------

I designed Spider-Selene to be an incredibly shallow, irritating version of some of the Spidersonas I used to see around Tumblr. Also I love the fact that she just got chomped by a drunk guy in a costume and the world went "Ehh, techncially that counts". Probably doesn't even have any powers (which would explain why ATSV Miguel had no interest in recruiting her)

[bisnes-socks]

i finally have the time and the right mindset to start focusing on souvenir pop and to actively listen to the songs, with thought and feel. so naturally, i’m also going to write my thoughts down. starting with ako toga više neće biti.

(as with other joker out songs, i'm not touching the lyrics bc i don't speak the language myself, i'll leave the lyrical analysis to those who do)

this song sounds sort of unpolished and rough around the edges and i absolutely love that, so so so much. especially the beginning sounds like a song played by some obscure band in the back of a bar - and i mean that in the best way possible. i mean that the song immediately has like an atmosphere to it, lots and lots of feeling. it builds a picture, it sounds smoky and hazy to me, and i adore that.

this is like the sister song of everybody’s waiting to me. the influences are similar, sort of 60’s sound, the keyboard elements are similar, and there’s similar emotional build in this. and if you don’t know how much i love everybody’s waiting, you can read about it here. but these two songs go hand in hand to me, and they feel so home-like to me. i love being in the musical world and in the emotional space both of these songs create. they’re beautiful.

i love that this song doesn’t go the most expected routes, but it also never gets too wacky. 

writing this analysis, i’ve spent hours working on my big käärijä rhyme scheme and flow analysis project today, so i was in the headspace of counting beats and bars. and so i did that with this song too, just to have the different sections written down for myself, and it actually really helped me to appreciate the structure of the song.

what i noticed is that they keep the song very lively and interesting by interjecting small sections that are different from everything around them. 

the first verse stays one way, one type of sound, until we get to “Pa da otvoriš vrata kô da ništa nije bilo” which is a different section, half the length of the part that came before it. we stop for a wee bit, to sort of take a breath and look at where we are.

and then we go again. and we get a section that again, stays one way, one type of sound, until we get to “Da se grlimo i ljubimo, grlimo i ljubimo, I da si šapćemo da se volimo, I da se sprdamo i smejemo dok si noge grejemo” which has it’s own sound, different to anything before it, most notably because of Bojan’s delivery. so we’ve already had like four different types of sections before the chorus, and interestingly, they weren’t all equal in length, which keeps the listener engaged. smart!

they keep this structure up throughout the whole song. mini transitions here and there that keep you engaged. i especially love both the guitar solo and the instrumental transition bit that comes right after it. you wouldn’t expect the keyboard to come forward like that after the solo, i think it’s a brilliant choice compositionally.

and then the chorus! the chorus sort of.. starts and then starts again. fascinating! so we get “Ako toga više neće biti, Ljubav je najobičnija laž” and then we get one count of four beats of just instrumental, and it feels like we’re building. and then, the same lyric again, almost like we’re starting the chorus again, “Ako toga više neće biti” and so are we going to get the same section again? no! straight into a key change and a musical direction we haven’t heard before. the two bits in the chorus, that both start with “ako toga”, are different from one another in a way that you wouldn’t necessarily expect the first time. and i really really love that, when music takes you on a journey, and you don’t know what the next turn is going to be.

love love love the solo btw, i only wish it was a wee bit louder in the mix.

this is a brilliant sound, they are all absolutely shining on this track. but i have to highlight one member above the others, i’m sorry.

it’s bojan.

first of all, i’m blindly believing this post that says he played the drums, i don’t know the source but i think it was questions directly at them somewhere..? anyway the reason why i’m perfectly willing to believe it is because listening to this song, i thought okay either jure is an absolute magician in creating wildly different sounds on the kit, or this isn’t him. because the drums sound.. sloppy. and again, i mean that in the best possible way. because it fits the overall sound so flipping well. they need to be like this. the drums need to be a wee bit rough and a wee bit “lazy” if you will. those are all things that the sound of the song needs. excellent excellent work there. and he’s not too shabby on the drums at all, there are some excellent cymbal details going on especially towards the end. amazing. and i do not doubt jure’s ability to recreate this sound live, but i think it’s very fitting that bojan played on the album.

and his vocal performance. 10/10 no notes. absolute perfection. exactly what the song needs. so much emotion, so many different emotions packed into the vocal performance, but not too much, he’s not trying to sell us the feeling, he’s just… feeling it himself, and the feeling transfers. i don’t even speak the language, but the feeling transfers. it’s a powerful vocal delivery and i adore him for it.

so all in all, one of my favourite tracks off the album. love it, love it, love it, and bojan in particular deserves a big hug and smooch for this.

[sarah-sandwich-writes]

@fieldsofview thanks for tagging me! I don't have anything new since last time I did the first sentence tag game so instead here's an excerpt of the time travel Harley POV freak out verse fic that is dragging me sobbing and shitting myself out of my writing slump <3

Ben’s eyebrows hike up and he smiles thinly. “Sure. Okay. Are you Tony Stark’s kid? Is that why you were in his lab in your pajamas and you won’t tell me your last name?”

Harley lets out an explosive sigh. “Stop digging, Mr. Parker.”

“So, I’m right?”

“No, seriously. You need to stop. I don’t know what’s gonna happen if— I’ve got a really good thing going for me back home and—,”

He puts up his palms. “Alright, okay. I’ll stop asking questions. You can’t blame me for being curious about the first time traveler I’ve ever met.”

“First that you know of,” Harley corrects.

Ben’s eyes light with the same thrill of discovery that Harley is accustomed to in Peter’s face. “Is time travel normal where you’re from?”

“This is the last thing I’m telling you and I’m only saying it to get it off my chest. I’m here completely on accident. It wasn’t even my goddamn time machine.”

“So it was a time machine.”

“Dude, don’t you know anything about not messing up the time space continuum? Have you watched any sci-fi movie ever? I know you’re a Star Wars fan.”

“There’s no time travel in Star Wars.”

“Yet,” Harley says maliciously.

Ben considers him for a long moment before a slow smile curls his lips. “I think we’re going to get along very well, you and I.”

And a little piece of Harley’s heart breaks.

[wolfjackle-creates]

Congratulations on the 1k followers! It is very well deserved, and I can't wait to see more people find your stuff!

I'm a massive sucker for everything that Empathy!verse, which makes it my request for this event.

Thank you for sharing your works with us!

Sorry these took so long! I had to reread what I'd originally written and then decide what I wanted to do next. But I got there in the end ^.^

-----

Jason exited the bus at Jazz’s side in Elmerton. It looked like your average midwest small town. Across the street from the bus station was a cafe and Jazz grinned at him as she took his hand and pulled him over to it.

“I can’t believe we’re almost home! I can’t wait for you to meet everyone.”

Jason pulled on her hand to bring her closer so he could kiss her cheek. He sent back his own . “You sure I’m gonna make a good impression?”

Jazz rolled her eyes. “Danny will give you a hard time. But that’s just because I’ve dated some real jerks in the past so he automatically doesn’t trust anyone I bring home. His behavior will be a reflection on me, not you.” Her filled every word.

“Is there anyone I have to beat up? You know I’m good for it.”

She laughed and projected her . “If you even try, I’ll kick you out to spend Thanksgiving at Wayne Manor.”

Jason shuddered. “Right, no searching out your exes.”

He felt a that felt so different from Jazz that he stopped in his tracks. But Jazz kept hold of his hand and was waving widely with her free hand as she dragged Jason into the cafe. “Angela, Trisha! You’re here!”

Two women—one with dark brown hair, the other with light brown hair—were waving back just as exuberantly. Both were dressed for the November chill and had rolling suitcases sitting by the corner table they’d taken.

Jason set down their bags against the wall as Jazz ran over to hug the women. The strong emotions of filled the space. Jason was content to hang back and watch them.

Suddenly the lighter haired one broke the hug and spun to face him. “Woah! You just projected? Jazz, where’d you find this guy?”

[little-de-vil]

The First Song (Lyrics and Explanation, oral and written)

The First Song

We come down from mountain-land Down to quarries, past the pine We swim by the river side and skip rocks from mountain mines We take the crystals and the stones Our lovers and loved ones, we’re not alone Us who live on top of good ‘ol mountain-land We hear word from down below, whispers of the life  The ones they lead, the ones who leave to desert, southern life We know not what will ‘come to them, but pray that all is well For foreign land is close at hand with war not endin’ well Yet some still stay in mountain-land, with miners and quarrymen And the old smith takes their men and wreaths it ‘round our land We climb into caves and mines And stand on quarry flats And keep our kin close at hand on good ‘ol mountain-land And in come new folk, bold and strong No hammer or pickaxe Just guns and armor, waving banners of country flag Ain’t got no space to hold ‘em, but they make space themselves Takin’ our homes, our pride, our love, our work They don’t do much in mountain-land ‘sides work us to the bone And push and shove their posca down our throats But I ain’t ever had a taste for the stuff Filled with poison to the brim of every cup No, I ain’t licking no boot or bowin’ down All I’m gon’ do is make my people proud Cut my rocks, mine my stones, hammer and anvil down My love to you, sweet mountain-land for all you’ve done for me I hope to pay it back someday, someday when we are free

I can’t remember how I came about writing this, I just know that I wanted a song that existed after the Dark Days right at the cusp of the Peacekeepers entering. I wanted it to be something that reads as if it’s being written throughout moments of time. The first part is closer to a pre-Dark Day sort of image where there is more freedom among the people and are openly practicing their culture. The second part is after the Dark Days, and the people are noticing the changes that are happening within their community and people are fleeing their native land because of that. For the third part I really wanted to have it be more present and more angry, and not as distant like the other verses with a firsthand view of the Peacekeepers coming in as an oppressive force and butchering their culture and their people. The last part, I wanted it to be more hopeful, but it is ultimately the most treasonous line out of the entire song, which is why it is usually hummed during this pre-harvest tradition and not sung. I wanted the locations to be important culturally, regardless of the song. I keep thinking of this post by @julietasgf where mountains are sacred, respected places for both the living and the dead (hence the ofrendas I mentioned in this post).

[starsandgutters]

Spooky Fics Round 2

Did not make it anywhere near 31 lmaooo but an attempt was made

Round 1

Time Can Do So Much | T | 12k words | Ghost AU

“Well, that explains it, doesn’t it? They messed up, must have booked all their rooms out already, and so they put you in the haunted dorm.” “It’s not haunted,” Kevin says flatly. “Hellooooo. Mr Ghost, are you there?” “If it was a kid that went to the school, I doubt his name was Mr Ghost.” “Can you imagine. What a coincidence.” The door creaks. They both look towards it, but it is still under their joined gazes. “Just the wind,” Jeremy says. “I didn’t think it was a ghost anyway,” Kevin says. “Ghosts aren’t real.”

2. Time of the Month | E | 7.1k words | Werewolf AU

“You are so beautiful,” Kevin murmurs near his ear. “Look at how thick and gorgeous your fur is. And your paw is nearly the size of my head. You could kill me.” Aaron whines in protest. “I know you won’t, but you could. It’s incredible that you don’t. You’re amazing, Aaron.”

3. Blood On My Hands (Like the Blood in You) | M | 12.8k words | Carrie AU

“You’re the devil,” Tilda hisses through her compressed throat. “If your version of god is the one that exists, then I would rather be the devil.” Aaron pulls her forward and slams her back against the wall as she slowly walks through the doorway into the living room. The crosses hanging in the room rattle. There are a lot of them. There’s a particularly large one over the fireplace, the bottom of it sharpened into a point. Aaron could draw it off the hook, turn it so that point is facing Tilda’s chest, and drive it home. There would be a poetic justice to that, she thinks. 

4. The Arts and That Other Stuff | T | 6.5k words | Kinda Love verse

“We should do things for Halloween.” “I think we’re going to Eden’s.” “I know. I don’t mean like a big thing for actual Halloween. I mean we, just us, should do things leading up to it.” “What got you thinking this?” Aaron noses at Kevin’s jaw until he tilts his head, leaves space for Aaron to burrow into the curve of his neck. “You like Halloween.” “Yeah?” “So we should do things for it. I don’t really need much more motivation than making you happy.” “Sap.” Aaron nips at Kevin’s neck. “Okay, vampire.” “I vant to suck your blood,” Aaron sleepily murmurs in a terrible Dracula impression, though not as bad as Kevin’s when he tries to mimic him back. “I vant to suck your dick.”

5. O Knight On Rusty Bicycle | E | 22.3k words | Zombie Apocalypse & Omegaverse AU

“We’re not keeping him. Our supplies are stretched thin enough as it is.” “You kept Neil.” “That’s different.” “Heh. Right. Yeah. Because he batted his big blue eyes at you and you couldn’t say no.” “No, because Neil is a beta. He does not draw attention to us, and his presentation is useful in a lot of scenarios. He does not flag the same attention we do, can navigate situations without pheromones flaring.” “Yeah, just running his mouth we have to worry about.”

6. You Are The Girl That I've Been Dreaming Of (Ever Since I Was A Little Girl) | E | 8.1k words | Jennifer's Body AU

“You’re killing people.” “I'm killing boys, Aaron.” “What the fuck? That doesn’t make it okay. Jean’s a boy. Does that mean you’re going to kill him?” “Obviously not. Only boys who deserve it.” “Mario didn’t do anything!” “He made you sad.”

7. I'd Be Anywhere That You Are | E | 8.1k words | Kinda Love verse

“Sorry this isn’t the most exciting Halloween,” Aaron says, stifling a yawn against Kevin’s arm. It’s not always easy to plan things around their work schedules - see the forever delayed wedding - and Aaron knew he would be tired from his early shift. “I don’t care. Halloween’s your favourite holiday, not mine. I’m sorry yours wasn’t exciting.” “This is good.” They’ve done lots of things for Halloween before. They’ve done the party, ghost tours, haunted houses, and fancy dress nights out. Maybe Aaron is getting old, but he does appreciate a quiet night at home with Kevin. Sometimes their schedules mean that even though they live together, they just pass each other at the door. Only an hour or so overlap here or there, or Aaron forgoing sleep to see Kevin when he’s working nights. (Kevin would probably make this sacrifice if he were capable of not absolutely passing out on the couch while waiting.) Even when their schedules do align, they’re often exhausted from work, and do little more than make dinner and clean up before they’re ready for bed. “This is good.” Kevin dots kisses down Aaron’s cheek.

[doomedandstoned]

New Zealand’s SIDEWINDER Reveal 2nd Single “Prisoner” from upcoming ‘Talons’ LP

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

It's been just a minute since we released our compilation Doomed and Stoned in New Zealand, which we were honored to have preserved by The National Library of New Zealand. The current of underground heavy rock and metal is still strong in The Land of the Long White Cloud (or if you prefer, Middle Earth).

Our latest discovery is Wellington five-piece heavy rock beast SIDEWINDER, who today air their latest single "Prisoner" from the upcoming LP 'Talons' (2024), an album that has some monumentally heavy moments (wait'll you hear "The Depths"). We've already gotten a taste of the band's bouncy heavy psychedelic groove with the first single "Disarm The King," and the second showcases their swagger even further with soaring melodic lines, crunchy southern sludge riffage, chugging bass, and workhorse drumming.

Jem Tupe is a powerful vocalist, on the order of Laura Donnelly from King Witch. She can really belt it out with ferocity and it meshes really well with the swampy might of the band's hefty, hefty low-end. Sidewinder is taking no prisoners with this one -- a big sound through and through.

"Prisoner has been a staple for us with our live shows for years," says guitarist Ben Sargent. "It was our opener for a while and quickly became a crowd favourite. We did a few things we hadn't tried before with the recording: like the whisper track through the verses. A lot of the lyrical content refers to Tartarus too which tied in with overall themes of the album. Big riffs, dissonant verses, lead breaks and heavy bridge sections – Prisoner's got it all."

"Prisoner was one of those songs that came together naturally and without too much difficulty," adds guitarist Thomas Rousell (yes, we've got two axemen at the ready with Sidewinder). "Ben had a banging riff, we threw in some rolling verses and great melodies, it all came together to make a killer track. The crowd have been hearing this one for quite some time now, but there's some special bits added to the recording that really lift the track to new heights."

Sidewinder's Talons strikes on August 23rd c/o Wyrmwood Records (pre-order here).

Give ear...

Talons by Sidewinder

SOME BUZZ

Since their formation in Wellington back in 2021, NZ heavyweights Sidewinder have always summoned the biggest riffs and most monumental of grooves possible to carve their own path out from the underground.

In a short space of time, they’ve proven themselves to be an integral part of the burgeoning NZ hard rock/stoner scene and this summer they return to the fray with their eagerly anticipated follow-up to their 2022 debut, Vines.

Due for release this August, new studio album Talons is a breathtaking byproduct of their tight, high-energy performances and sold out shows with bands like Orange Goblin and Sasquatch. A swirling tempest of bluesy southern rock and grunge in keeping with the quintet’s heavyset approach to sonic exploration, it draws on influences that span decades, from the hard-driven strut of Kyuss to the spirited sensibilities of Church of Misery.

"We’re really excited for this album,” explains guitarist Ben Sargent. “It’s a lot darker and heavier than our last. There are some monster riffs throughout, some great psych and doom sections and plenty of that eerie, swampy blues thing we do too."

Featuring new vocalist Jem Tupe; guitarists Ben Sargent and Thomas Rousell, bassist Sean Fitzpatrick and drummer Grant Lister, Sidewinder is primed and ready to bring it all home in the most spectacular of fashions, with their, “wall of riff-heavy psych, with lashings of delta-blues.”

Produced by James Goldsmith (Beastwars, End Boss, Planet of the Dead) and mastered by Will Borza (Deftones, Smashing Pumpkins), just one listen to "Prisoner" showcases just how heavier, darker, and more powerful they’ve become.

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[sitkowski]

and i'm dizzy on dreams ( nick folio x jolly karlsson )

pairing: nick folio x jolly karlsson cw: none. just smooches and fluff here. word count: 600 author's note: i am combating my crappy work week with soft stuff while working on kinktober fics in the background. so, riptide boys, obviously. title comes from "the mighty fall" by (who else?) fall out boy. divider by @saradika-graphics ✨

⇉ masterpost || taglist signups || the riptide verse masterpost

Days off from tour are usually spent catching up on all of the stuff they don’t have time for while they’re out on the road. It’s all mundane shit, but there’s a certain type of joy in doing stuff around the house, their house, that makes them both stupidly happy about it. Combining all of their things together. Nick puts a shed out back for all of his fishing gear and everything he needs for the motorcycle, and Jolly’s too. Jolly builds bookshelves and fills them with the boxes of books and DVDs that came from both of their places. They hang stuff on the walls, put pictures of the two of them up on the refrigerator beneath a Harley magnet.

Mostly it’s just catching up: catching up on sleep, catching up with friends, and with family. Catching up with each other, even though they pretty much spend ninety percent of their time together already, they’re still learning how to be a couple months later. They were friends first, but there are moments that Jolly will look at Nick, and it just hits him. He’s his boyfriend. He gets to wake up beside him, and hold his hand. He gets to kiss him whenever he wants and take him out on dates.

Jolly knows he’s been in love before, but not like this.

They do their own things too; Nick goes on a fishing trip with his buddies and Jolly goes to visit family. Nick’s already home when he gets back, and he finds him in their living room, half asleep on the sofa even though it’s the middle of the day and they have a perfectly good bed. He abandons his luggage in the foyer and kicks off his boots before crawling over his boyfriend, wedging himself in the space between him and the back of the sofa.

“Well hello to you too, baby,” Nick shuffles around to give him more room, leaning in to kiss him softly. “I could have picked you up from the airport if you’d told me your arrival time.”

Jolly shakes his head, nudging his nose against Nick’s. “Wanted to sneak in. An uber was fine.”

“Missed you,” Nick says as he wraps himself around him. Jolly hums in agreement, sliding his hand around Nick’s back, beneath his shirt. Nick chuckles. “You’ve been home three minutes and you’re already getting handsy with me?”

“I just want you closer.”

Nick looks like he wants to say something impossibly dirty, but changes his mind about it. “If I get any closer, we’re never gonna get away from each other tonight.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Jolly pulls on him until Nick gets the message and curls himself up on top of him. He sighs in contentment, kissing him again.  “I missed you too.” he whispers against Nick’s mouth.

Jolly wraps his arms around him, tracing his fingers up and down his spine as they trade lazy kisses for what feels like hours. Neither of them bother to take it any further, happy with this. He cups Nick’s face in his hands, teeth scraping his bottom lip delicately.

“You should enjoy this while you can,” Nick teases, pulling back to kiss the tip of Jolly’s nose. “Soon we’re gonna have to follow tour bus rules.”

Jolly snorts, “Don’t worry about that, pretty, we’ll find ways around that.”

Letting out an amused noise, Nick pushes back down for another kiss. Jolly’s lips are tingling and he can’t help but smile into it, knowing they’ve got plenty of time for just this. They’ve got all the time in the world now.

⇉ taglist:

@ladyveronikawrites @deathblacksmoke @circle-with-me @baddestomens

@cookiesupplier @dominuslunae @rumoured-whispers @malice-ov-mercy

if you ’d like to be added to the taglist, you can find the form at the top of this fic! thanks for reading/reblogging 🩷