#World & Local News

[bet-on-me-13]

Unknown, the Wandering Hero

So! We all know the typical Vivisection AU, right? Danny is revealed to his parents and they take it in all the wrong ways. They capture him, Vivisect him, and eventually he manages to escape with the help of his friends.

But what about his Rouges?

Sure, we all like to think of some of the more friendly ones like Ember, or Sydney, or Johnny 13 and Kitty, but he has WAY more Evil Rouges than good ones.

Without Danny there to reign them in, the Rouges spread out across the world to fulfill their obsessions, unhampered by the Heroes and Villains of the world that have no means to fight them.

And Danny? He feels responsible. He was the one to open the Gate, he was the Sacrifice, the one to let them through. And when the going got tough he just up and left? No, that won't do.

His Obsession is Protection for a reason, and nothing has changed. All he needs to do is expand his area of focus a little.

Danny, after healing up, starts wandering the world in search of the Ghosts who have escaped into the Mortal Realm. He battles all of his old foes, as well as many new ones who he hadn't met before.

His travels take him far and wide.

He defeats Skulker in Metropolis, as he is trying to hunt down the Super Family for their pelts. They are the last of their race after all, so he is inclined to try and hunt them. Honestly dealing with Skulker was easy, dealing with the Rich Asshole who was funding him was a nightmare.

He chases down Spectra in Gotham as she tries to feed on the misery of an entire City. (Thanks to @impyssadobsessions for the idea, this Prompt specifically). She is actually a very tough fight, especially powered by both the Misery of an Entire City as well as his Own Misery, but he manages.

He defeats Technus is Central City, as he tries to Raid Star Labs for their advanced Tech. It actually took a while to beat him after he amped himself with all that Power, and he did need help from the Local Hero to deal with him. He's just thankful Technus is one of the more "Harmless" ones.

After every Victory, he sends them back to the Realms using the Banishing Spell that Sam taught him a while back (the only bit of magic he ever really managed to master).

He knows they'll eventually find their way back out, but it's all he can do anymore. It's his eternal Punishment for unleashing them out into the World in the first place. He was the Catalyst for this Situation, now he was tasked with Fixing it, no matter how long it took.

...

The Justice League is caught in a tricky situation a the moment.

In the past few months, they have been encountering more and more of these Extra Dimensional Beings known as Realms Ghosts across the World.

Justice League Dark has had some success in battling them, but even they are getting tired of having to deal with every single incident alone.

They did get approached by a Government Agency known as the Ghostly Investigation Ward that seemed to want to help, but it didn't take long to realize that their main Aim was to Genocide the entire Race. The JLA had quickly cut ties after realizing that, and took what little Tech and Information they had been able to gather.

Still, it wasn't easy to deal with these Entities.

Thankfully, they have had some outside help. An Unknown Being has been routinely showing up whenever a Realms Ghost appears and defeating them, before using a (as described by Constantine) "Rudimentary Banishing Spell held together by willpower and luck" to send them back to their home Dimension. There's honestly no way it should be functional, but he did make it work either way.

They don't know much about this Unknown, aside from the fact that he seems to be the only one able to consistently damage the Realms Ghosts. His Powerset leads them to belive he may be from the same Dimension, or at least drawing his power from the same Source, but as he actively avoids the League and takes every opportunity to not talk to them, they know they aren't getting any answers any time soon.

Over the past few months, they had affectionately started referring to him as Unknown, creative they know, because they could never get his Real Name. Sure, some of the Realms Ghosts seemed to recognize him, but they always called him stuff like "Whelp" and "Punk" and "Usurper", which were not very good names to use when referring to him. Although the last one was a bit concerning.

They had only managed to trade a few quick words with Unknown in the past few months, but it was enough to get the Gist of it. He was just doing his job, sending the Realms Ghosts back where they belonged. There was apparently a Tear in Reality letting them through, but he seemed hesitant to reveal what he knew about it.

After a few months of sparse interactions, they eventually managed to convince him to at least take an Emergency Communicator. Just in case. They even let him take it apart to look for any Tracking Devices, which earned them a small bit of trust. They took whatever wins they could.

Fortunately, it seemed he never did need it. In fact he was getting more and more efficient with every battle, defeating his foes in half the time it would have taken before.

Unfortunately, it didn't last forever. One day, the Communicator went off, a distorted voice quickly saying, "Need backup, some of them decide to Team Up" before cutting out.

They quickly rushed to his location, finding an active battlefield with no less that a dozen Ghosts battling Unknown. And he seemed to be on the ropes.

With their arrival, the combined force of the Justice League and Unknown eventually managed to defeat the Group of Ghosts. Justice League Dark volunteered to work on the Banishing Spells while the others cleaned up the damage from the Battle.

One of them approached Unknown to make sure he was ok, and froze.

During the battle, Unknown's Mask had been Torn off, and they could finally see the face of the Hero they had been working with for the past few months.

And he was a Child.

[wileys-russo]

Hayley Raso + “you’re such an asshole I can’t believe I like you” + playing video games together ! 🧎‍♀️🫶🏼

world class II h.raso

"hay, baby you can't sleep yet." you wandered past the lounge and noticed the australian start to drift off, shaking her ankle as she groaned and opened her eyes.

"why?" hayley sighed deeply, rubbing her face and crossing her arms over her chest. "because the entire point of your jetlag plan is so you're back and fit to train a few days before your match babe." you smiled sympathetically.

"baby i could just take a tiny nap? then i'll still sleep tonight!" the brunette tried to bargain as you shook your head. "not part of the plan, and as both your girlfriend and a physio i have to ensure you follow that plan!" you laughed, gesturing for her to sit up.

you and hayley had met during her season at everton. you were only a trainee physio then, on work placement to finish your degree but you'd caught the australian's eye right away, the two of you getting along like a house on fire.

hayley was sat with a proud smile at your graduation, still only a friend to you then but not for a lack of trying, you only taking her attempts to flirt with you as banter and not yet clicking she wanted to be much more than just friends.

after you were fully qualified you quickly found yourself with a job offer in manchester for the devils, though still with 6 months left on your lease you stayed living where you had been and hayley amped up her efforts to woo you.

finally you clicked that she wasn't just being friendly on a drunken night out with some of her friends who were visiting from australia that she'd insisted you join, two of them quickly pulling you aside and asking when you and hayley had started dating it all suddenly made sense.

fast forward a couple of years and you'd both made the move to spain and were living in madrid, hayley still playing football and you working in a local sports clinic, working more with younger kids and teenagers who came up from the academies than directly with a team like you had been prior.

"you're no fun." hayley pouted with a frown as you shook your head. "maybe not, but neither is being medically benched because the team physios catch wind you're too tired to be cleared to play." you warned lightly, her eyes widening.

"you wouldn't!" hayley sat up properly now with a scoff. "i would love, if it meant you avoided any and all risk of injury." you promised softly, running a hand through her hair and shrugging.

"i wish you'd stayed working in england." hayley mumbled as her eyes began to once again feel heavy. "well aren't you absolutely charming." you rolled your eyes, turning to leave as a hand grabbed the back of your top.

"sorry! i'm just tired." hayley groaned, pulling you down onto the lounge and trapping you in between her arms and legs in a tight bear hug. "i know baby, but this plan will mean you aren't tired like this for very long." you twisted your neck to sweetly peck her lips.

"will you play fifa with me then? i was getting my ass kicked at tillies camp and i have to make sure i can hold my own before the next one. i didn't win a single game!" your girlfriend huffed, forever hotheaded and fiercely competitive much as it amused you to watch.

"love i've not got a clue how to play. in fact hay you banned me from playing because it was 'too hard to watch' remember?" you quirked an eyebrow as a guilty smile curled into her features.

"babe that was ancient history, i'm a new much more patient woman now." hayley grinned as you let out a loud sarcastic peal of laughter and tapped at her forearms to let you up.

"it wasn't even eight weeks ago raso." you hovered over her with a shake of your head, suddenly pulling back as she tried to sit up and capture your lips in hers. "oi! come here and give me a kiss." the australian frowned impatiently.

"no." you smiled, standing and heading toward the kitchen to make lunch for the pair of you, not at all surprised at the sound of footsteps hurrying after you.

"hayley!" you gasped as a body barrelled into you almost taking you down to the floor before your girlfriend grabbed your hand, spinning and dipping you, holding you just from falling as your heart raced.

"don't do that! its not funny." you smacked her chest with a thump as she laughed and you scowled, trying to move past her but before you could take another step her mouth was pressed against yours, feeling the winger smile into the kiss.

"you're a child sometimes." you pulled away and smacked her on the head with a magazine that was handy on the counter, only causing her to smile wider clearly proud of herself.

"that can wait! just one game? it'll help keep me awake." your girlfriend tugged you back from the kitchen with her best puppy dog eyes as you sighed. "fine. one game!"

"how the hell do you defend? i forget the controls!" you moaned in annoyance, only having had possession for about two seconds this entire half as your girlfriend knocked back goal after goal.

"hayley!" you huffed as she made her player do a backflip after another goal and cheered loudly in your ear, kissing your cheek apologetically from where you lay between her legs, your elbows resting on her knees and your back pressed to her front.

"you said this would be easy." you complained as the game stopped for half time. "no, i said i would put the match settings on easy." your girlfriend corrected as you pinched her thigh unimpressed with the answer.

"you're winning 8-0 surely you can spare five fucking minutes to show me the controls again?" you huffed before she could click to resume play, a lazy kiss pressed to your jaw as she dropped her remote and her hands settled over yours.

"when you attack you click this to pass, this to clear, this one to sprint and this one for a header or a short ball, and this to shoot." she explained slowly, pointing out the different buttons as you nodded.

"when you defend its the same sequence just different results. this one to chase, this one to tackle, this one to slide tackle and this one to clear." your girlfriend explained as again you nodded, doing your best to follow along.

"so does this mean you might let me keep the ball for more than thirty seconds and maybe even give me a pity goal?" you asked hopefully as the winger grabbed her own control and grinned.

"not a chance darlin." she stole a kiss and clicked resume before you could bite back with a remark. the second half you played a little better, but still you failed to score and conceded yet another five goals making it so hayley won with a whopping 13-0.

"that was humiliating." you scowled tossing the remote to the side onto the lounge and rolling your eyes. "thats life, win some you lose some. i feel a lot better about my results at camp now! thanks baby." her hands settled either side of your face and tilted your head back so she could press kisses across your skin.

"you're welcome." you rolled your eyes, gently tugging her hands away and sitting up, glancing to the screen only for a moment as your head snapped back to it and you frowned.

"world class!? you said you put it on beginner." you turned to glare at your girlfriend who shrugged, quickly turning off the tv and sitting up on her knees.

"did i? guess i must have clicked the wrong one babe, sorry." she grinned, pushing you to lay down as her face hovered over yours, not an ounce of remorse in her eyes.

"you're such an asshole, i can't believe i like you." "only like?" "barely tolerate." "what happened to love!" "maybe if you weren't a world class bad loser, you might get some."

[xanticore]

𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

Genre: fluff

Note: this is my first metallica fic so pleaseee keep that in mind. I hope whoever reads this enjoys.

Setting: late 90s ~ early 2000s..ish

Summary: Kirk is on tour and he decides to stop by the local guitar store. He ends up staying longer than expected when he overhears a riff that sounded impressive. Assuming it was a guy, but was taken aback when it was a girl...a girl who doesn't seem to know who he is.

It was the weekend and I was starting my weekend off, our next show being on Thursday and Friday of next week. This gave me time to myself to find local comic stores and guitar shops. I was honestly in my own little world as time passed by quickly; I didn't mind at all because I was going to do the whole process again on Sunday. I left the comic book store with a new manga and some new released volumes. All Junji Ito works, no surprise there.

The next stop of the day was the guitar shop. The air was cool and the store was just so fucking huge, It was heaven to me. The store had a variety of items. Vinlys, cassettes, cds, and even some band posters...but my main focus was the guitar wall. All different types of styles and colors, different collaborations of pop culture, anything you could think of-this store probably had it.

A guitar that has been newly stock was the black and red Les Paul. It looked so gothic and vampiric. Younger me was just screaming at me to get it...which It was my plan. I asked a worker to take it off the shelf so I could practice some riffs on it. Just as I imagine; it was a smooth and crisp sound. A sound I was looking feel and I probably would make this guitar debut when I head to Japan.

It was already 5 pm and James was just blowing up my phone. I forgot all about our band dinner. I sighed packing up my things and unhooked the guitar from the amp. On my way towards the front to ring up my guitar, I overheard a riff coming from a room that was being occupied. It looked like it was a guitar lesson in session.

I continued to listen and soon heard a solo. It was definitely in the metal genre. Whoever that dude was; shredding that guitar like it was the last thing on earth. It intimidated me how good it sounded. Almost making me jealous of how I didn't think to use this type of style in a song.

I heard them stop and minor shuffling going on in the room. I quickly walked away and acted like I was looking at the vinyls. I glanced over at the door and saw a tall beautiful girl. She nearly took my breath away. The way she played really matched her style of clothing. She was a goth but it was familiar style I've seen in Japan. Her hair was dyed a dark red and her make up was flawless.

I needed to compliment her and asked her about that solo of hers. I was stupidly stuck in my place but managed to get to her with a sudden boost of confidence. "H-Hey, nice guitar. I heard you playing in that room. You sounded amazing." I complimented her with a smile in admiration.

She smiled back and looked somewhat excited. Did she recognize me? Did she not expect a guitarist from the most known metal band of all time-

"Thank you so much! Are you also a fan of Malice Mizer? I was playing one of their songs."

"Malice Mizer? never heard of them.."

The girl frowned but soon lit up when she started to explain the band to me. "It's a rock band from Japan. Visual Kei style of music over there. I'm really into bands like X Japan and Dir En Grey."

I've never heard any X Japan songs but I definitely seen posters of them in Shibuya. I know they are well loved and idolized in the era of rock music over there.

"There's actually a Malice Mizer cassette next to you of their new album. You should buy it and give them a listen? They won't disappoint." She giggled. I eyed her movements when she moved closer to me, only to pick up the packaged cassette tape. The cover had a silver cross and the band's name in black in the middle. But enough about them, her little giggle was just so cute. If only I could hear that from her more often.

"I'm Kirk."

"(name)"

A beautiful name as well. I didn't want to add anymore details of my name because I knew it wouldn't matter and honestly...i'm really enjoying that. It felt more natural to speak with a non fan. Nothing was forced and she genuinely seemed to enjoy just talking about her favorite music; unlike some girls i'd meet at clubs.

"Well Kirk, I hope to see you around?"

I didn't say a word but I just nodded. I tried to stay positive but it was a pain I wasn't gonna see her again. I bought my guitar and cassette watching the cashier put it in a case. I left the store happy and somewhat sad, but, seeing that girl smile just brighten up my mood...

I hope to see her again.

a/n: so what we thinking?? yay or nay?

gif from: @ba11ltongue

dividers: cr to owners

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for August 16, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 22:28 (KJV): 28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. Proverbs 22:28 (AMP): 28 Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.

Thought for the Day

This verse has both natural and spiritual implications. Landmarks in ancient Israel marked property boundaries. A stone, a stake, or other monument was used to establish and prevent infringement of property rights. A wicked person would remove a landmark, either out of coveting someone else's property or to mislead people in order to attack them. In Western cultures, a landmark has come to mean primarily some conspicuous object or building that serves as a guide to travelers. Therefore, this verse is telling us to respect the property rights of others, as well as the hereditary rights that our fathers have set up in the past. Neither should we tear down a marker that is used for guidance. This causes confusion and can cause people to lose their way. For instance, when I go back to my old home town, they have changed the streets and torn down old buildings. I cannot find my way around and must get a new map or ask a local person for directions. This does not mean we should not change things for the better - but with change we need to consider those who look for the old landmarks, and identify the old streets by leaving or referencing the old names.

Young Christians should respect their elders' boundaries. There are reasons for the boundaries, and the younger generation would be wise to honor them. This is actually part of obeying the commandment to honor our parents (Exodus 20:12). Young people, in their desire for independence, will often disregard their elders' advice, sometimes to their own detriment. Satan is trying to rid our nation of the ancient moral landmarks that our founding forefathers set in place, especially the Ten Commandments. He knows that without these standards in the earth, he will be able to destroy society. Without respect for authority, our world will be reduced to chaos.

The same can also apply to teachings. Some of the so-called "new" teachings in the Church are really not new at all, but old erroneous ones. They are "winds of doctrine" that toss people to and fro. The Lord gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to help us walk in the right way, that we may mature in Christ. It is wisdom to listen to our godly church elders. "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-14).

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for the elders in my family, and also the church elders before me, who have paved the way for my life to be blessed. Even though I qualify for this office myself, may I always be childlike and humble in realizing that without my elders, I would not be one today. May I always honor and appreciate them. Help me to respect the young people in my life and not discard their ideas, but be able to embrace those ideas that come from You, not allowing pride to prevent me from recognizing the things You are giving them. Lord, may You restore the hearts of the fathers to the children in our day. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen From: Steven P. Miller, @ParkermillerQ, gatekeeperwatchman.org Founder and Administrator of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Group Thursday, August 15, 2024, Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA.  X … @ParkermillerQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sparkermiller.JAX.FL.USA, Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956 #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO.

[jo-harrington]

Corroded Coffin Fest - Day 14 - And the Winner Is...

Summary: Corroded Coffin wins their first award...

Word Count: 616

Rating: T

Warnings/Themes: Angst, brief FOI references, introduction of Phil the Manager, Wayne being the best uncle/dad in the world

Check Out the Main Post for @corrodedcoffinfest here! Even if you didn’t start on Day 1, you can still join!

Tagging: @the-unforgivenn at her request.

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

It takes them a while before they reach their first award show.

A long fuckin' time actually.

Years.

They never expected to hit it big overnight; shit, Eddie had already almost been on that path once so he didn't expect fate to tempt him again. He was almost too happy to put in the work this time, instead of strike a vein of luck and "right place, right time."

"All of your victories will be much sweeter when you work hard for them," Wayne told him over the phone in the summer of '88, when they'd been boo'd at a show out in Muncie as they'd tried out a new original song. "Keep your eyes on the prize."

That was the same night they met their future manager, Phil.

The 90s saw the boys leave Indiana for Chicago, for a while at least.

It was the biggest city that Phil could convince them to move to, but it opened up a ton of opportunities for them.

"It's within driving distance of home," Wayne pointed out as they'd packed up the van. "In case you ever get homesick."

They still struggled. Still had to find second jobs to help pay the bills, but their performances were in abundance.

Bars and fests and a few weddings. That had been a weird gig but paid pretty well. And if it was an Italian wedding? They knew they were eating well and bringing leftovers home.

The best part about it all was that they had fun.

All of the pictures from their performances were bright and fun. Even Eddie's wild hair mid-headbang couldn't hide how big his smile was. It was their livelihood but it was never just a job to them.

Then they got their first song on the radio, and things started amping up.

Just one song. Not a full album, not yet. And only on some local stations in the middle of the night.

They still had some ways to go, but it got more people talking. Got some more fans. Sold some more shirts and buttons, got their name big enough to open for bigger bands, which led to even more fans.

Then it was a whirlwind, and it never stopped.

A contract, then an album, and then...then...then...

Then they needed to make some big decisions for the band. Some of the biggest decisions of their careers, of their lives.

"Gotta honor your roots in the Midwest," Wayne mentored them one night, on behalf of all of their families.

He'd driven up to Chicago from Hawkins at Eddie's call; he admitted that he was probably in over his head, but they didn't want advice from anyone else. Not even Phil.

"If you want to move out to Hollywood or New York or wherever...of course you can. Just don't forget where you came from."

"Like we're gonna sell out," Dave scoffed.

"Never said sell out," Wayne held his hands up defensively. "I said don't forget where you came from. You're good, salt-of-the-earth kids. You've worked hard, you deserve your success. I don't believe in much but...flashy places like that? They're filled with just as much desperation as potential. They're where the Devil waits for you to lose it all."

Word of wisdom.

But also words of inspiration.

Because it wasn't long after that conversation that they released a single that turned out very successful for them. Both with the fans and with the rest of the music industry.

It opened doors and skyrocketed them to success.

Into their dreams.

And into a handful of velvet-lined seats as they waited with anticipation.

"And the award goes to..." the presenter opened the envelope. "Salt of the Earth, Corroded Coffin."

[gingertg]

So…

Today is great… we thought the battery on my car was the only problem… that’s $250… got to the parts store, tested old battery yeah it’s dead 25 cranking amps instead of 350… bought the new battery… got it home… car starts, then the charging systems alert comes on again… rushed it to the local shop, they are diagnosing it now but expect the repair to be between $500-700… now I got to find that money… shit this sucks… why can a trans woman never just be much less get ahead in this world :( if your in a good position and can help out please dm me… if not please reblog and give me a hug… I really need hugs…

[itsawritblr]

I am SO fucking sick of "shock" endings.

SPOILERS for the British version of "Professor T," Season 3.

.

.

So. I've been only moderately interested in the crime drama Professor T. I only watched it because Ben Miller plays the titular character, and I loved him in Death in Paradise. So far I haven't really enjoyed the series, because it's yet another attempt to amp up the quirkiness factor of the main character in a detective series in a not very likeable way. He's Monk, really, but with plastic gloves.

Anyway I tuned in to the Season finale just because I was cynically curious how they would end the season. I was already pissed about what they'd done with his ex-lover, DCI Christina Brand, who allowed the already fucked up professor to go to jail rather than reveal the truth which would have cost her her job. After he'd been there for a while and was on trial for attempted murder she finally confessed and quit. Asshole.

I was stupid enough to allow the finale to raise my hopes. Jasper learns the truth about his father's death, reconciles with his mother enough to peel off his ever-present gloves, and to cry and feel happy. Meanwhile, DS Dan Winters proposes to DS Lisa Donckers and she accepts. Huzzah! Happy endings all round!

But this is British TV. They don't do happy endings. (Looks like this story arc was part of the original Belgian series. If so, fuck you Belgium.)

In a nutshell, this happens to DS Lisa Donckers.

So she's run over and dies slowly, and Jasper arrives just in time to witness his protege's dying gasps, and is so traumatized he puts his gloves back on, signalling that he is again separating himself from the world. And of course she hears her fiance's voice calling for her on the phone as she dies from being crushed by a car. And of course DS Winters arrives too late and there's the woman he'd asked to be his wife dead in the road.

Are we having fun yet?

The writers wanted the audience all happy for Jasper and looking forward to his full recovery from a terrible childhood, but oopsy do, they were just jerking us around. Fuck you and your Happy Ending, we can't have Healed Jasper because the series can only exist with an emotionally crippled, psychologically screwed up main character. We'll add new characters next season, but don't get too attached, because we may kill them off as well just to keep you on your toes.

Maybe some people like to play "Who Dies This Season?" I don't. I don't like books, movies, or TV series that mistake emotional manipulation for good storytelling.

I miss Richard Poole . . . Oh. Wait. They killed him off, too. They didn't have to kill him. They could have just had him return to London, to his roast beef, perfect tea, and the snug in his local. But nooooo. It's funner if the character the audience luvs diiiieeeess.

[crowandmousewritingco]

Guitar Picks and Drum Sticks

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Paring: trans!Dio x punk!Benny

Words: 1.3k

Rating: PG (I don't know whether it did be G, PG, or PG-13 due to language)

Warnings: Hints of past transphobia and foul language.

Summary: Benny, the drummer for a local punk band, Guilty Until Innocent. Dio, the bassist for the local goth band, The Dreamed Echoes. Both find them selves kicked from their bands on the same day, and then happen to find each other on their ways home. After talking for a bit, they decided to play together some time. Will something more come out of them hanging out?

Author: Mod Crow

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*Benny’s POV*

Sitting behind the drums, Benny tapped out random drumlines using his well loved sticks and the rubber rim guard. Getting lost in his own little world, Benny was oblivious to what his bandmates were talking about. 

“Hey, Benny, can the guys and I talk to you for a minute?” Looking from the drums to Cyprus, the lead singer and the person he’s known the longest, a look of questioning. Without getting up or saying anything, Benny laid his drumsticks across the top of the snare drum and gave a soft nod. Staring at his bandmates, Benny could feel the pit of his stomach get tight and heavy, something bad was going to happen and he knew it.

“Dude you’re a kickass drummer, and this is a kickass band,” Benny’s pale and piercing eyes flicked to Hasan, the band’s bassist and the newest member of the band. Hasan had only joined because the man that Benny had been talking to -who said he was down to join the band- ghosted him last minute. While watching him, Benny could see Hasan getting uncomfortable, almost like he was scared to say the next part. “Fuck man, Mars you do this shit.” Benny’s normal hard and cold look, softened with confusion. Looking to Mars -real name Marlowe- Benny knitted his brows together.

“Cyprus I don’t know why you tried to make Hasan this shit, mans a massive pussy.” Hearing Hasan start to say something in return, Mars raised their hand stopping Hasan’s word in their tracks. “Look man the three of us think you’re talented as fuck drummer, but you aren’t the drummer the band needs. Your play style is harsh. Too harsh for us.” Benny sat there on his throne, brain replaying one part of the sentence just said to him, ‘you aren’t the drummer the band needs.’ 

“Let me get this right, you three came to a shared decision that I’m the one in the group who isn’t,” Benny raised his hands, while talking he bent his fingers in the air to signify quotation marks. “What the band needs.” Benny looked between the three others, his cold and hard look morphed into one of annoyance. As the four of them existed in silence

“Yeah, well fuck you guys. The music sucked, I was the only reason people showed up to those shitshows we called concerts.” Snatching up his drum sticks, Benny turned from the other three guys who he -only five minutes earlier- called band mates. Walking out of Cyprus’ garage, Benny raised the hand holding his drum sticks just high enough to show over his shoulder, and erected his middle finger. A final salute to the remaining members of Guilty Until Innocent.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

*Dio’s POV*

“Hey Dio, Raven and I need to talk to you.” Dio looked up from the bass that he was -only seconds ago- tuning. Carefully removing the strap from around his shoulders, Dio opened the beat up case that kept his bass safe. Once empty handed, Dio looked up to the other two of the band, Raven and her girlfriend, Ember.

“What’s up? Are we changing the set list for this weekend’s show or something?” Dio stood up from the amp that he had taken up as a seat. Now on his feet, Dio looked down slightly to the others. Normally Dio wasn’t taller than others, but he had finally gotten himself a pair of new boots. 

“Umm…no actually. Know that Rose and I love you Dio, you are still one of our closest friends,” Dio furrowed his brow, both confused by what Ember was hinting at and frustrated about how she seems to be beeping around the bush. “We’ve been talking these past couple days and we think it’s for the best that we continue The Dreamed Echos as a two person band rather than it being the three person band it is now.” Dio had to stand there a second, he was being kicked from the band? The band he helped put together. The band that he wrote ninety percent of the music for.

Nodding to the two of them, Dio bent over and collected his things, his bag, notebooks, phone, small things like that. Once he was sure that he had all his smaller things in his bag, he carefully picked up his bass. Turning to face the two women, Dio looks between them. Clearing his throat, he talks, his voice cold and almost emotionless, “Have fun with my band.” Shoving past them, Dio walked upstairs from Raven’s basement, and then slipped out the back door. The late September night air, chilly compared to Dio’s skin, or at least the small amount of skin showing.

Walking home, Dio could feel the anger bubbling in himself. How could two of his closest friends -or at least that’s what they were- kick him from the band he helped form? Scoffing to himself, Dio turned down the dimly lit alley that he always takes home. Dio liked the alley, hardly anyone walked down it in the day, but at night? No one walked down it, no one dared to with the increasing crime rate in the area. 

Feeling his shoulder collide with something, or rather someone, Dio turned his head to look at the person. Dio was expecting a homeless person or a junkie, but it wasn’t either. No, the person who had run into Dio was a taller, well built, blue eyed, punk man who didn’t appear to be much older than Dio.

“Sorry man, I wasn’t paying attention and I’m not really used to people walking down this way at night.” Dio watched as this other man reached up and scratched the back of his neck. While doing so, Dio could see a bit of tattoo peeking out from under his shirt sleeves. Snapping his eyes to the man’s face, Dio shook his head softly.

“You’re fine. I’m not really used to seeing others down this way at night either.” Dio stood there for a moment, feeling the heavy awkward silence. Eyes scanning over the stranger, Dio was looking for something that he could relate to. When Dio’s eyes fell on the drum sticks in the man’s other hand, he nodded towards them.

“You play drums, so does that mean you’re part of a band?” Dio looked from the drum sticks back to the stranger’s blue eyes. Before the stranger answered, Dio watched as he shook his head, chuckling dryly.

“I was a member of Guilty Until Innocent, but they just kicked me from the band with no fucking explanation.” Dio could hear the bitterness in the other’s voice, he could also relate to that bubbling anger that the other was feeling. 

“I get that. I was the bassist for The Dreamed Echos before they booted me saying that they thought it was best for the band. Which doesn’t make any sense because I’m  the one who came up with the name and I wrote most of their music.” Dio shook his head, still in disbelief that he had actually been kicked. 

“The Dreamed Echos? Why does that sound familiar?” Dio was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of the stranger’s voice, but before Dio could answer, he was talking once again. “The Dreamed Echos, isn’t that that band with the two goth girls?” Dio sighed softly as he nodded. Clearing his throat, Dio stuck his hand out, wanting anything to change the subject.

“I never got your name, granted you also didn’t get mine. I’m Dio.” Feeling the brunet grab his hand and give him a shake. The first thing Dio noticed was how surprisingly soft the drummer’s hands were. 

“I’m Benny. Dio, now that’s a cool ass name. It kinda sounds like you could be Neo’s evil brother or something.” Hearing Benny laugh at his own joke, Dio couldn’t help but let out a chuckle of his own. The dark dressed man wasn’t used to people saying things about his name, at least not kind things. When Dio had come out to his parents and told them the name he was choosing, his dad made a comment on how his -now dead- name was given to him and it should be something that he cherished. But how could Dio cherish a name that wasn’t his own? His deadname was one forced upon him, it was a name attached to the image of the perfect daughter that his parents wanted but didn’t get. 

“I should get going before it gets any later, can I maybe get your number? You seem pretty rad and I’d love to get together and shoot the shit or something like that.” Dio nodded, being pulled from his thoughts. Pulling his phone from his bag, Dio handed it to Benny, and Benny did the same. Handing back Benny’s phone, Dio took his back and slid his phone back to where it was just moments before. 

“I’ll call you later sometime,” Watching Benny start the walk in the direction he was going, “Bye Dio.” All Dio could do for a moment was stand there and watch Benny walk off, when his mouth finally caught up with brain, Benny was long out of sight. Mentally cursing himself, Dio turned and continued on his way home.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

*Benny’s POV*

One week later

Plopping down on the couch, Benny let out a tired sigh. This past week has been non-stop havoc, first his work had called him on both of his days off, he had to run his roommate, Frankie, to the ER because Frankie thought he was just as qualified as any roofer to fix the leak, he wasn’t, then Benny and his brother, Will, got food poisoning from some sushi place that Will had heard of on the radio.

Leaning his head back on the couch, Benny pulled his phone out from his pocket. Unlocking the phone, Benny scrolled around on it. As Benny scrolled mindlessly, he felt like he was forgetting something, but what? Sitting his phone on his lap, Benny thought to himself, what was he forgetting? When the memory of what it was he was forgetting Benny quickly picked up his phone, unlocked it, and maneuvered his way to his contacts. Scrolling through them, Benny was looking for one name in particular. Seeing the name, Benny’s thumb hovered over Dio’s name. What if Benny waited too long? Was a week too long or was it too short? What if Dio thought Benny was weird because he didn’t wait enough time?

Swallowing back the anxiety bubbling in his throat, Benny pressed Dio’s name. Watching the small call button pop up, Benny hesitated for only a moment. Hitting the call button Beny brough the phone to his ear. Listening to the ringing, Benny was certain that Dio wasn’t going to answer the call.

“Took you long enough to call me.” Benny felt himself relax at Dio’s joking tone. Chuckling Benny responded in an equally joking tone.

"What can I say, I didn’t want you to think I was obsessed with you or something.” This time it was Dio who chuckled.

"Oh no, please, be obsessed with me. Please fuel the ego that I definitely have.” This time the both of them shared a laugh between the two of them. Once the laughter had died down, a silence hung between the two of them, but it wasn’t an unpleasant silence. 

“Oh! You were in a band and kicked too. I was wondering something,” Benny leaned forward on the couch, eyes looking toward his room, “Would you wanna play together sometime? I play drums which isn’t as important, but I saw you were carrying a guitar case.” There was silence again, this time shorter lived.

“It’s actually a bass guitar, but I’d be down to hang and play a bit.” Benny felt a smile creep onto his face. Opening his mouth to talk, he heard Dio speak up once more, “Also, drums are like the backbone of a band. Sure the guitar and bass play the recognizable bits, they wouldn’t be able to if the drums weren’t there helping keep some kind of rhythm.” Dio’s voice was softer this time, not in volume, but in tone, his words normally felt sharp and stabby, but now? Now Dio’s voice sounded like his words and tone was laced with relaxation and maybe something else. Something that Benny couldn’t quite pin.

“Cool, do you want to come over to my place or yours?” Leaning back again, Benny laid his head back, his head resting on the back of the couch. As Benny sat there in the silence he could feel a subtle anxiety creeping up his spine, sitting up on the couch a bit Benny couldn’t help but bounce his leg. Was Benny asking to hangout too soon? Was asking to hangout at one of their houses too much? Was it too far? Fuck, does Dio now see him as some kind of creep?

“Yours. Please. My place is…it’s a disaster of a mess and there isn’t enough time to try to clean this.” Benny tuned back into reality hearing Dio’s voice. Nodding to himself, Benny did a quick look around the living room. There were a few things that needed picking up, but it wasn’t too bad. Smiling, Benny stood from the couch, crossing the living room, and walking into the kitchen, he made a beeline to the fridge.

“For sure! I warn I do have a roommate, occasionally two. Well, more like one and half roommates.” Hand resting on the refrigerator’s handle, Benny stared into the fridge, eyes not studying the contents. “Sorry. What were we talking about? Oh! Yeah, my place is fine, my roommate might show up tonight, he might stay at his boyfriend’s place. I’ll uh…I’ll text you my address. Cool?” Sitting there in silence for a moment, Benny took his bottom lip in between and teeth and chewed at it slightly.

“Yeah, that sounds perfect. Sorry, was making sure I had everything in my bag.” Benny heard Dio’s voice and let out a breath he wasn’t aware that he was holding. 

“Okay, cool. I’ll see you soon then.” Benny can hear the nervousness in his voice, could Dio…? Swallowing back the nerves and any thoughts that tried to spawn, Benny heard Dio give a simple, ‘Okay. See you’ and then the click of the call ending. Moving his phone away from his face, breathing out a sigh of relief -becauses the phone call didn’t go up in flames- and made quick work of sending Dio his address and apartment number.

Putting his phone into his back pocket, Benny raked a hand through his hair nervously. As he stood there in the silence, his brain flooded with thoughts, a single thought screaming louder than the theres. Closing his eyes, Benny took a deep breath before letting it out with a muttered curse.

“Fuck..."

'''''''

All Works Taglist

@for-a-longlongtime @romanarose

Pedro Chacacter Taglist

@littlemisspascal @burntheedges

@carusolikey @thebeldroramscal

@morallyinept @lady-bess

@pedrostories @rivnedell

@pascalsanctuary @readingiskeepingmegoing

Thanks to the lovely @nicodefresas for the chain divider.

[bouncingkadachi]

Lute and Ratha1 Headcanons

Mostly cobbled together from the vibes I get from them in where I currently am in game (Geo-Fulkright), and what I hope is happening with him in the timeskip and through what's going on in MHST2.

Lute

local mountain child off the see the world (voluntarily)

His parents were craftsmen and so weren't bound to the Riders' Code of never being able to leave the village. Unfortunately, they passed away when Lute was very young, so rather than recalling the exact details of stories from the outside world that they would have surely told him, he just has a fierce longing for it that he can't quite explain properly.

Loves a good city walk whenever he gets to a new place. He wants to see all the popular spots and eat the local cuisine. His coinpurse is always a little flat from buying souvenirs to send back to his friends.

His base state of being is that of a real easy-going sort of fellow. It has somehow been amped up since living in Reverto's house in Gildegaren. This initially distressed Popola, who already has to deal with ONE Reverto, but thankfully Lute seems chronically incapable of staying home long enough to create a messy house.

Since Reverto moved to Lulucion, Lute's taken over Reverto's house in Gildegaren as his base of operations when he's in the city. You can tell when he's in town because his Velocidrome can be found at the harbor, trying to convince the sailors to slip him a treat.

"Mr. Lute can you please stable your dinosaur?" "Oh my bad, let me get on that right now." Now repeat this process multiple times a day. The Velocidrome is having a refreshing drink in the town fountain. It is what it is.

Can cook and is quite good at it!

Used to be a crybaby as a child. He doesn't cry nearly as much nowadays, but he's definitely the most open about showing when he's down when compared to Lilia and Cheval.

Lent his Viper Bite to Cheval when the latter was investigating a Nergigante in Terga. There's a decorative eye on it, see? It'll be like he's also there taking in the sights.

He does try to maintain a neater hairstyle just because he's on the go so often and it annoys him when it gets all over the place (he truly does not understand how Cheval handled it free for so long). But he's also a bit vain and didn't want to cut it all short, so he maintains a fade and lets the rest grow long enough to be tied back. Now he looks "stylishly windswept."

He looks scrawny but there's a shocking amount of weight behind his punches. Please I hope we can punch Cheval I didn't get to punch Kyle and I still feel robbed of that let me punch the rival.

Wears modified Arzuros armor if he's not dressed down in his Hakum village wear. (I am trying to see how far I can get without changing armors because I just like the look of it the best OK)

It won't be until he's older that he can freely admit that he didn't take Cheval seriously enough when the latter first started talking about leaving the village. He thought that it was in line with Lilia, who was thinking about her future options and daydreaming of the big wide world, like he did. It makes Lute uncomfortable to consider how his venture out of Hakum Village would have been like if he had been more attentive to Cheval, mostly because he's not confident that he would have looked for Cheval with any more urgency even if he had.

Ratha

The Black Blight has stunted his growth. Spending the better part of a year and a half living on his own while attempting to suppress the Blight has also upped his naturally aggressive tendencies. Fully grown, he's a small gold crown.

Always walks behind Lute's right shoulder so that Lute covers his blind side. His hearing is also a bit muffled on that side after taking Dr. Manelger's attack head on, so it's reassuring to have his Rider there.

Always curls up counter-clockwise to cover his blind side.

Occasionally plops down next to Lute when they're out camping so that he can drop his head into Lute's lap. He's making up for a year and a half's worth of lost snuggles.

Popular with the sailors at Gildegaren port, who love to rib him about that time he dropped in and caused havoc among the cargo.

Deeply distrusts Nargacuga

Enjoys making Cheval's life difficult as payback for the Incidents he'd been put through, much to Rathi's exasperated ire.

Loves a cuddle with Rathi, when circumstances permit.

[neverendingrelease]

Releasing Today, May 20 2024!

Neural Shock is a top down tower-defense where you play a character who can also shoot the enemies.

Aquium is a fishing simulator where you catch fish for your aquarium.

Margoq's lair is a roguelite dungeon crawler with an inventory system and a spell combination system.

Way of Rhea is a puzzle game based around colored doors and teleporting/timing manipulation.

LOGIX: The Missing Part is an FPS puzzle game where you need to fix the logic in puzzles by using companion cubes. It kinda has a big QUBE vibe going for it.

Yolk Heroes: A Long Tamago is an idler game where you raise a gameboy color hero as they progress through their lives. It seems like there are a bunch of minigames to play along the way.

Little-Known Galaxy is a casual life/farming sim in space where you get to meet/date aliens/clones/etc, while collecting and farming space flora.

Speglar is an old school arcade style multi-person arena game where you pilot spaceships or tanks or something around an arena with mirrors that bounce your bullets around. It's probably fun if you've got some people local to play with. Speglar is a funny word.

Escaping DandyLand is a (frustrating?) 3D platformer that supplies a barrage of colors and looks like it escaped out of ENA or something.

Excelios is an Excel-themed 2D platformer. I have no idea what the story really is, but you basically play the Excel logo, and Clippy helps you out?

[thetruearchmagos]

Swift Seas And Whirlwinds

On 'Le Cordon Sanitaire', In 'Brief'

And if you'd like to know why I'm calling this brief, it's because the text below's been copied over a discord worldbuilding rant I went on in a writing server I'm in, and not the text I've currently got in my drafts which goes into significantly deeper detail on the broader subject here.

That said, enjoy! You'll probably enjoy it more than the full one!

Tagging @athenswrites @theprissythumbelina @caxycreations @hessdalen-globe @avrablake @vyuntspakhkite-l-darling @coffeexafterxmidnight.

A/N: So, turns out the 'brief' post exceeded the 4,096 character limit to hit 5,971. So... we're breaking this into two parts, mmkay? The rest'll be in a reblog

When it comes to the forbidden areas that loom in the background of Swift Seas And Whirlwinds, there were few places in the Worlds quite so akin to a black hole on the maps as Le Cordon Sanitaire. That short title encompassed a vast expanse of impenetrable jungle spanning nearly a million square kilometres, accounting for the majority of the Pasiphae Jungle region of southern Nouvolouis. An invention of the malignant regime slowly creeping into the halls of power of a then fledgling Republic of Nouvolouis, this legal fabrication would provide cover for the brutal, rapacious subjugation of the region's populace, in one of the great untold massacres of the 12 Worlds. The Pasiphae Jungle, which constituted the majority of the continent's southern regions, stretched from the Aukati Sea in the east to the long mountains out west. It was a sparsely populated land, and for as long as anyone could remember the domain of the Aukarugyal peoples and their tribes, which until recent history had existed as a vassal in name to the former Goilac Empire. The dissolution of the old regime, to cut a long a story short, left the now Province of Pasiphae as one of the few former Imperial clients which would choose to tie its fate to the new Republic which had risen in its place. The optimism of these early days, however, would not last long. Leaving a more in depth discussion on the 'revanchist' and authoritarian politics of Nouvolouis to another time, we turn to the impact that this political upheaval would have on Pasiphae. The recognition of the region's self governance and autonomy, which put the Aukarugyals on equal footing to the nation's Gollandiac majority, had stung both the pride and pocketbooks of many who remembered and enjoyed the exploitation of the Empire's heyday. Now ascendant in the battlefield of domestic politics, these autocratic forces, collectively known as 'La Clique', would set their sights on correcting this mistake. The introduction of the Cordon itself came at the tail end of a decade of effort spend undermining the constitutional protections and self governing rights of this southern Province, an insidious process which proceeded in parallel to the destruction of the nation's democracy more widely. In Pasiphae, the provincial government's authority to regulate enterprises within its borders was curtailed, handed over to an increasingly autocratic central government. As the titanic commercial interests of the nation - a holdover from the Empire's state-run entities now 'privatised' but still wielding great power - amped up their investments in the region, the promise of vast natural wealth hiding under the forest floor served to justify their ruthless exploitation and often intentionally destructive practices. Their actions seemed almost designed to insult and demean the interests and wishes of the local Aukarugyal settlements, and when their peaceful political speech went nowhere it was replaced by sporadic, often limited outbursts of violence in an attempt to drive away the 'invaders'.

CONTD. IN PART 2

[autism-resources]

Do you have any tips for making friends as an autistic adult?

Thank you so much for sending this in after I deleted the first ask, it’s really awesome of you and I really appreciate it! 😁 I looked online for articles and guides to making friendships. Here are the autistic adult-specific resources I found:

This is a guide that I found quite helpful:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/family-life-and-relationships/making-friends/autistic-adults

This one has some interesting tips, though they might not all apply to you because they’re based on someone’s experiences. It’s a linear guide which I appreciated:

https://themighty.com/topic/autism-spectrum-disorder/how-to-make-friends-autism

This one is technically for teens, but I found it quite helpful, especially if social cues are hard for you:

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/making-friends.html

This is not necessarily going to have good info in the article because I just skimmed it so I’m not sure. I included it because it has a lot of links and resources which might be helpful. Asan is listed in it and I don’t support asan because of their racist actions:

https://autismandhealth.org/?a=pt&p=detail&t=pt_aut&s=aut_meet&theme=dk&

This article has many different strategies for making social connections as an autistic person. Also if you find images helpful it has very cool illustrations, but they are completely not required to understand if that doesn’t work for you. This is my favourite of all the resources I found:

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Friends-if-You%27re-Autistic?amp=1

I also researched beyond the category of autism to making friends as a disabled adult and found some cool stuff. Also if you’re multiply disabled this stuff might address other things you encounter:

This is an article about making friends from a disabled adult’s perspective:

https://disabilityhorizons.com/2019/04/how-to-make-new-friends-when-you-have-a-disability/

This is an article which guides you through 8 ways to make friends that are accessible to disabled adults:

https://www.endeavour.com.au/media-news/blog/8-ways-to-make-friends-when-you-have-a-disability

Here are a few places I found for virtual connection:

The Hiki app is a friendship and dating app for autistic people over the age of 17. I’ve never used it but a quick search showed me mostly positive reviews.

This is support and social groups for autistic adults for free. It appears to be current but I’m not 100% sure. TW it uses the term aspergers:

https://www.aane.org/resources/adults/support-groups/

There’s also meetup.com which I have no experience with but is recommended in a few things I read:

https://www.meetup.com/topics/autistic-adults/

My perspective

For advice I have, find environments where the social structure is comfortable for you. My example is that I like sports and can feel comfortable in athletic settings if I’m not triggered. Primarily though, don’t de-value yourself as a person people want to be around.

Autistic people often face a lot of messaging that affects self image and esteem in regards to friendships and relationships in general. Give yourself respect and grace, that stuff is really hard when it’s internalized so remember to call yourself on it. 💗

Also @through-thick-and-quinn you and I have had a lot of exchanges on here and you’re genuinely one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, I’d like to talk whenever, and consider you a friend.

[stevetonyweekly]

SteveTony Weekly - July 23rd

Happy Sunday, folks! I went on a bit of a sportsball kick this week so--enjoy those recs. It’s also @Cap-Ironman rec week this week--I’ll be sharing all of my daily recs later today so look for that, and be sure to follow the tag for everyone’s recs. 

Be sure to comment/kudos! 

~*~ 

Average Avengers Local Chapter 7 of New York City by hetrez

Steve and Tony accidentally start a national do-gooders association and fall in love.

No time for losers by gottalovev

Tony Stark: Playboy. Millionaire. Philanthropist. Hockey superstar.

(featuring among other things an unexpected trade, learning to get along with new teammates, pining, the Olympics, and a happy ever after)

Ice Ice Baby (The Hockey Fic) by youcancallmearrow

Tony Stark is a star center, sidelined by a slip in sobriety. Steve Rogers is a goalie, suspended for a punch thrown off the ice.

When the two meet, they're trying to get their lives back on track, both off and on the ice. It turns out, the saying is true: A burden shared is a burdened halved. At least until Howard Stark gets involved.

(A get together fic full of fluff, supportive friends, dad Rhodey, and hockey! But if you know nothing about hockey, you'll be fine, because neither does the author.)

Things We Learned at the End of the World by JenTheSweetie

1. Even the apocalypse can't keep people away from Olive Garden

2. Smoothies do not replace conversations

3. Tony has really obvious sex hair

4. Home might be a little different, but that doesn't mean you can't go back

Didn't Catch You Saying Grace by isozyme

Tony’s straight: he always picks women, not men, so he must be. Steve’s gay, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it.

how much i’ve been touching you by isozyme 

Steve loves Tony, but not enough to listen about the SRA. He loves Sharon, but not enough to stop coming to Tony late at night.

Destiny Deserves Another Chance by KandiSheek

Steve is absolutely starstruck by the pirate who saves his village from destruction. When the mayor offers an omega's hand as a reward for his heroic deed, Steve wants nothing more than to be whisked away towards a better life. Anywhere would be better than here.

He's devastated when the alpha chooses Sunset Bain instead. He never even looks at Steve, which makes sense, considering Steve looks nothing like a proper omega should, what with his height and muscles. It's probably better that he was spared the humiliation. And it's not like Steve has a chance to win the pirate's heart now that he's promised to another.

Or so he thinks.

A High and Lonesome Sound by misslucyjane 

Some nights, Steve still has trouble breathing.

A castaway where no one hears you on a barren isle in a lonely sea by Wolfsheart

A year and a half (give or take a month) after the divorce, Tony is still fighting the residual depression left behind from the way the divorce went down. Having been granted primary custody of their daughter, he's brought Morgan back to live full-time with him in Malibu, and he decided to surprise her with a trip to Disneyland. He lost his 'magic' back when Pepper left, so he doesn't know how magical Disneyland will feel to him, but it'll make Morgan happy, and that's what matters. However, will running into long-time unrequited crush Steve Rogers change all of that?

D-Day: 70 Years Later by Potterwatch97

70 years later, Steve is forced to face a gruesome part of his past. One that he never thought he's live to see.

Tony Stark and the Super Sleeper, or actually, Soldier by RurouniHime 

The one where Steve keeps falling asleep on Tony.

When Hell Freezes Over by KandiSheek

Tony ingests a drug that amps his insecurities up to eleven. It seems like he's extremely susceptible to Steve's opinion specifically, now that he's like this.

Steve has no idea what to make of it. He only knows that trying to take care of Tony without accidentally revealing his feelings for him is going to be virtually impossible.

He does it anyway.

Fever, gettin' higher by RurouniHime

Yeah, okay, Steve Rogers knows what sexual harassment is. Despite his out-of-fashion upbringing, he’s not some backwater Neanderthal, thank you, he gets why it’s bad. He’ll go to bat for anyone who determines they’re the victim of unwelcome advances in the workplace. He’s not devaluing its impact, for god’s sake. 

But the key word here, as he sees it, is ‘unwelcome.’ And that… might not be what this is.

this will destroy you by silkspectred

The screen flashes in front of his eyes. It takes him entire seconds to realize that it’s an incoming call.

Indecent Proposal by sabrecmc 

One million dollars for one night. That could change your life.

Lock Screen by betheflame

Everything was fine.

Steve had everything under control.

Until Tony grabbed his phone while they were in the car, and his world shattered.

“This… this photo,” Tony croaked out. “Am I your lock screen?”

“You were not supposed to see that,” Steve said quickly. He reached for the phone while keeping one hand on the wheel.

“Keep driving please,” Tony said with a tone of calmness that ended up sounding terrifying, “and answer my question.”

Second Hand Mate by Morethancupcake 

"The bandages had been his idea. The long sleeves too. Tony traces it with the tip of his fingers, before securing the tape, keeping the words away, safe, buried with the first man who ever showed him love and support.

'Second hand mate.' "

 The first words his mate will use to talk about him.

Tony waits for it to happen.

Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree by Annie D (scaramouche)

Steve doesn’t mind that Tony doesn’t return his feelings. He just would've preferred if it didn’t come with the side effect of his coughing up flowers and possibly dying.

kings of the city by Areiton 

The Irish mob held Brooklyn.

The Spider held Queens.

And where Tony fits in the city has never been clear...

Sometimes though, he thinks he fits here--at Steve's side.

[fenmere]

Characters of The Tunnel Apparati Diaries

Phage

( @ohthatphage )

Phage appears in all of our stories. And in our stories, as it is in our system, exactly what it is is kind of a mystery, even to it. But it only resides where it has been explicitly invited.

It seems to be a conscious manifestation of the fundemental processes of physics itself. Maybe entropy. Maybe whatever it is that makes entropy happen, or chooses how it happens.

In our stories, echoing how it seems to work in our system, it is capable of growing as a person and having a very detailed and nuanced personal life. But only for any very localized instance of itself. And any instance of itself that tries to connect with and use its greater powers will lose some degree of its memories and connections to what makes it a person.

It's a sliding scale. The larger the area of its influence, or the larger its effect, the less of a person it is. And the more of a person it is, the less power it can exert on the world.

In real life, it's stuck in our head and very much a person, and if it can inluence the flow of entropy it's only in deniable ways, such as effecting the roll of dice sometimes. But for our stories, we've amped up it's influence and abilities, because that’s more fun.

Even though it expressly insists that it isn't any sort of god or diety, it keeps playing the role of one. And one that is very active in the world.

And part of the whole point of that is that over the course of the stories, it is learning some valuable lessons and coming to conclusions that any actual god that might exist clearly hasn't come to.

Mainly that life is profoundly unfair to any living being, and that that should be actively changed. Unfortunately, it has a limited capacity to uplift life in the universe and must work slowly with those it encounters.

It's basically a parental figure that's doing the best it can after way too long being abusive.

And one of the ways it is trying to make amends is by leading the people of the Sunspot to make contact with other peoples and to facilitate mutually beneficial communication between them.

So, in the Tunnel Apparati Diaries, it has been exploring the Network of Tunnels (Ktletaccete ansibles), and found that someone in another Exodus Ship has been dropping Tunnel equipped probes off on planets that could develop civilizations. And Earth was one of them.

So, when Phage came to Earth, the nearest person it could successfully contact was a seven year old plural system (named Jeremy Schmidt at the time, but that’s their deadname and it only appears in supplemental material like this). They were a binary system at the time, twins who thought that one of them, the girl, was an imaginary friend.

They grew up to be Sarah and Goreth and transitioned almost as soon as they left home to go to college.

They invited Phage to join their system that night they'd encountered it, and it has been trying to help them survive their life ever since, while also vetting them and Earth for potential future contact with the Sunspot.

The Tunnel Aparati Diaries start when the first Ktletaccete comes over to visit.

While on Earth, Phage's abilities seem more limited than on the Sunspot, which scares it and makes it nervous, because it doesn't fully understand why.

It can still do some things, though.

Its powers have a range of only around a hundred meters now, for instance. And it can't really affect anyone who doesn't at least subconsciously consent to its actions.

But it can travel between complex systems, residing in chaos that is big enough to house its identity and memories. Humans are best for this.

And it can increase or decrease decay and the flow of energy in anything within its range, which results in a kind of telekinesis.

It also can perceive things no human could perceive, even with technological assistance.

And, it can move one end of the Tunnel from the matter that it is entangled with to a new Network, including the human psyche.

And so, for a number of possibly questionable reasons, it moved the Terran end of the Tunnel into Sarah and Goreth's brain, effectively making them a gateway system.

This did some important things. It made it so that anyone who came through the Tunnel would not enter the original probe, which is burried under the ground and which contains a tank full of construction nanites. In this regard, it was a securty precaution, to prevent Ktletaccete from other Exodus Ships from coming to Earth and having the power to do something bad.

But also, it means that anyone visiting would have Sarah and Goreth’s brain and their shared memories to function as a ready translation device for interacting with the rest of Earth. Which is what makes any sort of diplomatic mission possible at all.

Phage is smug about this decision, even though it also causes some problems.

Oh. And also, during the course of the Sunspot chronicles, Phage has had a child, named Ni'a (the chaos of life), who also exhibits its powers and abilities but has lived their life with their own physical body and has a much closer connection to mortal beings because of it.

Ni'a usually tries to smooth things over wherever Phages makes a bumbling error.

And Ni'a's existence taught Phage a critical thing: by examining how Ni'a came into existence and could be what they are, Phage discovered it could grant other people access to its powers by unlocking their connection to it.

And now it's trying to decide if it has an ethical obligation to do that for any lifeform it encounters. So far, it's restricting itself to linguistically capable beings that it can learn to talk to, so it can ask if they want the powers in the first place. And it's putting some thought into who it approaches first.

This is part of the reason it has attached itself to a plural system on Earth.

Members of a plurality tend to have more intimate experience with being interdependent, sharing a single body with others. Over time, it's easier to coach them to be mindful of imbalances of power and to consider the consequences of their own actions.

Well. At least, that seemed to be true of the mostly untraumatized systems it knew on the Sunspot. It's hard to find people on Earth who aren't deeply hurting and resentful of all sorts of things, even their own existence.

[newwwwusername]

Hey! Is it alright if I can request a JTHM AU fic wherein he is a very famous goth alternative rock singer? He’s still a murderer and everything else, but he’s also famous, whether he loves it or hates it.

Chronology : The AU described in the request Pairing(s) : Johnny & Psycho Doughboy & Mr. Eff Headcanon(s) : Musician!Johnny Author's note : Part of this was inspired by the plot of Picture This by Vincent V. Cava

Johnny hadn't intended to become a famous musician.

No, truly, he hadn't. He tried to avoid attention as much as possible, though he also loathed the ones who ignored him. Somewhere in his brain, he knew it was an irrational way to live but he was way too far gone to give a shit.

Regardless, when he started posting his nonsensical songs to the internet, he wasn't planning on being famous. Even if that was the plan, he wasn't sure it was possible with his set-up : A slightly out of tune electric guitar plugged into a staticky amp combined with his almost indie-pop voice didn't seem like a good combination on paper.

He did it for fun. He wanted some sort of outlet for whenever he had to lay low from the authorities. These periods were hard for him and made him feel more suicidal than he usually did, because he couldn't kill. Killing was his biggest passion at the end of the day so, when he had to stop for whatever reason, it was torturous.

The music distracted and, soon enough, views and comments began to flood in. He wasn't sure how so many people had suddenly stumbled upon his videos, but they had and now he was a household name among edgy goth kids.

Fucking shoot me now he thought to himself when he realized this. I'm a household name among edgy goth kids

He was also a bit concerned that the sudden attention would draw the attention of the police but, by some miracle, that level of risk stayed the same as it always had.

The comments varied from aggressive hate to venting to praise and it was a bit hard to navigate.

what kind of fuckin sociopath sings ab this sht??

hey j, i wanna thank you 4 the songs youve been posting. i feel seen for the first time in my life

nice work

this is really gay :/

"Gay? Really, what kind of useless prick resorts to such lowly, gross insults- Not only are they insulting me, but an entire subsect of people over harmless guitar tones" he scoffed. "I swear to all things in this world I will kill each and every one of these worthless stains hiding behind their disgusting screen names" he declared to no one in particular. "Don't think I won't!"

"Do it" Mr. Eff encouraged. "People are stupid and leave way too much information out in the public" he continued. "It wouldn't be that hard to track them down. Knowing your luck, there's probably a few within the city"

"Or you could just kill yourself" Psycho Doughboy suggested. "They're not wrong in saying your music is shit"

"I know what I'll do" Johnny stood up with a newfound energy. "I shall perform at local bars" he turned to the Doughboys, which smiled at him wickedly. "Any hecklers will see the end of their days, and it would make good money on the side"

"Who in their right mind would tip you for your garbage?" Psycho asked. Johnny laughed manically.

"They don't have to be in their right mind" Johnny countered. "They just need cash"

"He's not wrong" Mr. Eff smiled. The other Doughboy elbowed him in the side, getting an irritated groan in response.

"This is it, guys" Johnny smiled, opening his front door. He dragged his equipment outside to be put in his wheelbarrow and carted off to the nearest bar. "I've found my new purpose"

With that, he shut the door, leaving the Doughboys stationary and lifeless.

[justforbooks]

The reggae pioneer and record producer Jah Shaka, who has died suddenly in his late 60s, was a giant of the British sound system scene. In a career that lasted more than 55 years, he transformed the sound system landscape with a distinctive and idiosyncratic style, eschewing the dominant trends to focus exclusively on contemporary reggae that was spiritually uplifting and politically relevant, presenting the music as a means of inspiration and empowerment for the disenfranchised and oppressed.

At the many dances he held in diverse underground spaces, playing on an ancient and archaic Garrard turntable in a trance-like state, Shaka would chant messages of encouragement as well as exhortations of transcendent devotion to Rastafari, adding custom-built effects and live percussive elements to increase the dramatic tension.

Through his masterful use of components such as a pre-amp, a syndrum and a homemade siren box, he made the sessions visceral and immersive, boosting the subsonic bass frequencies at regular intervals to create a transportive and transformative experience. He reinforced this shamanistic persona by not revealing his given name or other details of his personal life.

An integral part of the black community of his home base in Lewisham, south-east London, during the late 1970s, Shaka deployed a sonic wizardry that made a dramatic impact on the post-punk music of Public Image Limited and the Slits, whose members were then among the few white attendees of his dances. Broader audiences became aware of his importance when he appeared in Franco Rosso’s evocative 1980 urban drama film Babylon, playing himself at a south London sound system session as the action draws to a climax.

Jamaican reggae subsequently underwent dramatic changes during the mid-80s as the dancehall style came to the fore, its output largely preoccupied with lasciviousness, violence and frivolity. British sound systems inevitably embraced the new style, but Shaka opted to become a lone voice in the wilderness that kept the roots reggae flame burning, advancing an up-tempo homegrown variant that became known as UK Steppers.

With a backing band he dubbed the Fasimbas after a local activist group established in response to the discriminatory treatment of black children in the British school system, from 1980 Shaka also produced original music with upcoming unknowns such as African Princess and Sister Audrey, as well as self-produced work.

He went on to produce reggae vocalists such as Bim Sherman, Johnny Clarke, the Twinkle Brothers, Max Romeo and Horace Andy, and released an impressive series of dub albums, including collaborative works with Aswad and Mad Professor. In the same period he ran a three-storey community hub in New Cross, known as the Culture Shop, which acted as a focal point for local black youth and housed a record store, a Caribbean food outlet and a Rastafari-oriented hair salon.

Although his record productions did not achieve much mainstream success, they were consistently popular with his core audience, and, more importantly, the uniqueness of his sound system would ultimately inspire acolytes such as Iration Steppas and Zion Train, as well as various sound system operators across the world.

Shaka spent his infant years in rural Clarendon, south Jamaica, before his parents moved the family to the UK in 1956 in search of betterment. They settled in south-east London, and it was while attending Samuel Pepys comprehensive school that he began an apprenticeship on the local soul sound system Freddie Cloudburst, beginning in 1968 as a “box boy”, helping to transport and set up the speaker boxes.

Later he ensured that the amplifiers and speakers were functioning properly, and finally became the resident selector to showcase work by Nina Simone, the Temptations, the Drifters, Diana Ross and other Motown acts. Then, after being inspired by activists such as Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X and Angela Davis, as well as his overarching Rastafari faith, he formed his own sound system in 1970, which he named Jah Shaka after the Zulu king.

Armed with exclusive dubplates and a powerfully commanding presence on the microphone, Shaka soon began building a name on the sound system underground, triumphing at many a sound clash. But along with the accolades came tensions with the police, who raided a dance he held in Brockley, south-east London, in 1975, beating attendees and damaging his equipment.

Undaunted, Shaka established a residency at Phebes nightclub in Stoke Newington, north London, in the late 70s, followed by another at Club Noreik in Tottenham, and was crowned the top sound system at the Black Echoes reggae awards in 1980 and 1981. His audience widened during the 90s, when he enjoyed a popular residency at the Rocket, adjoining the University of North London (now London Metropolitan University).

Shaka made his first pilgrimage to the African continent in 1984, and established the Jah Shaka Foundation in Ghana in 1992 to distribute medical supplies, library books and other materials to schools and medical clinics. He also undertook charitable works in Ethiopia, Jamaica and Kenya.

His extensive touring schedule took him throughout Europe and to Japan, Africa, Mexico and Peru. He became a regular festival headliner while mentoring his son, known as Young Warrior, who became a leading sound system practitioner and record producer in his own right.

Noted for his stamina and for presiding over all-night sessions without a break, Shaka continued to command large audiences at events in the UK and abroad.

He is survived by his extended family.

🔔 Jah Shaka, sound system owner and record producer, born circa 1954; died 12 April 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com