#And honestly I just don't like to see my boy Henry limited like that - who's to say what he would or wouldn't do? He contains multitudes!

[saints-who-never-existed]

Who do you think was the Gladman Point skeleton? I’ve seen most sources place it as a toss up between Armitage and Gibson since I believe both of them had sailed with Peglar before and The Terror went with Bridgens, though I don’t believe the real life Bridgens was ever considered an option, but which of the them would you think is more likely?

I honestly don't know mate, I really don't!

-

Out of those two, my gut says Armitage.

He and Peglar, as you mention, knew one another having sailed together on HMS Gannet and to me, it seems more likely that they could have become and remained friends in some capacity, especially given that they seem to have been relatively close in age. Gibson also sailed with Peglar and did so more recently than Armitage but somehow I just have a harder time picturing Peglar becoming fast, firm friends with a man something like 10+ years his junior?

On other points Armitage and Gibson are on fairly level pegging (or Peglar-ing, as the case may be). Mentioned in the Papers, for example, are two locations that Peglar visited alongside one man but not the other - Venezuela with only Armitage, and the South Atlantic with only Gibson.

Armitage edges ahead by virtue of "All my art, Tom" but Gibson may well hold his own by the fact that he was literate whereas Armitage was still signing papers with an X as of 1845.

-

But then that brings me on to my final point: that, unless I'm really out of pocket and missing something glaringly obvious, there are certain assumptions that seem to often be made on this subject that I'm intrigued by and think are always worth interrogating further.

I've seen people confuse and conflate the Gladman Point skeleton with the second writer of the Peglar Papers themselves, for instance, and argue as a result that the skeleton could not be Armitage due to his illiteracy. That assumption - that the man who wrote the papers alongside Peglar is the same man that carried them on his person - doesn't sit entirely right with me...

There's also the matter of the scraps of clothing and other personal effects found with the skeleton - the cloth-covered buttons and neckerchief, comb and clothes brush all pointing to a Steward. I find it really interesting though that so much store has been placed in those artefacts and in the idea that Peglar would never ever have worn/possessed such things. Is it not possible that rather than, say, Armitage, taking Peglar's papers and carrying them forward, it could have been Peglar instead making use of his lost friend's clothing and carrying some of his stewardly paraphernalia as a keepsake?

It's a wild sort of thought to put out there, I realise, but those dudes travelled 3000 miles into the unknown and ended up fuckin' eating each other - who are we to suddenly place limits on what they would or wouldn't do?

[mare-sanguis]

I was tagged by @thedevildeer 💫 to post nine books I want to read/finish in 2025. (you got me back on tumblr with that tag)

i'm a slow reader, especially currently so hopefully i will in fact get to finish 9 books. lets see how that goes 🙏🏻

Slewfoot by Brom

currently in the midst of reading and it's honestly so interesting, i just love how its written. set in colonial new england in 1666 connecticut, it centers around recent widowed outcast abitha who has to go against her puritan colony. mixed in with mythology, paganisms, mystery and fairytales it's the perfect book for anyone who loved "the witch" (2015 movie)

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

started reading it some while ago but had to drop it due to circumstances cuz it's so messed up. a year later now, i swear i will finally finish it. taking place in a corrupt medieval fiefdom, it centers around a 13 y/o deformed boy. when he commits a crime, the cruel fiefdom lord demands the boys father to hand him over as reparations. that's all i'm gonna say 😭 who ever decides to read this better read the triggers cuz there are a LOT and i mean it.

Dont let the forest in by CG Drews

was recommended to me and now i need to get my hands on it somehow. centering around high school senior andrew perrault who finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality. its queer and dark (academia themed) which makes it double the must read in my opinion

The good son by Jeong You-Jeong

it's been a while since i read this book up in english but now i want to give it a try in german 🙏🏻 don't want to spoil much but it's basically a classical crime story but with an unreliable narrator at the center. it's that book that resparked my love for the unreliable narrator narrative. still waiting for it to get turned into a kdrama cut i know it'll work amazing

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

gotta love me some story that takes me back right to my school days... yeah. so anyway, it tackles bullying through the eyes of a 14 y/o student who's subject to relentless torment. in the midst of it, he finds comfort in a female classmate who goes through the same. it's definitely not an easy read that's for sure but i think it's a great help for anyone who has suffered under bullying once in their lifetime to realize we're never alone in this. i'm sure it can also open the eyes of the perpetrators themselves.

S/Ship of Theseus by J.J Abrams/Doug Dorst

its more than just a book. its got 3 key figures: the book (ship of theseus), the writer (straka), the readers (eric and jennifer). "a young woman picks up a book left behind by a stranger. inside it are his margin notes, which reveal a reader entranced by the story and by its mysterious author. she responds with notes of her own, leaving the book for the stranger, and so begins an unlikely conversation that plunges them both into the unknown." i love books like where you gotta have to use your braincells a little bit more so i can't wait to gets my hands on it soon, hopefully

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

"a young family moves into a small home on ash tree lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside" - its not just a book but also a riddle and a challenge. along with the story the structur of the book also plays with you. i always loved interactive books as a young kid so i know i'll eat this one up like a starving victorian child

The fall of the house of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

i think we all know that story and i do too but honestly there are just so many variations of it i need to read them all. i specifically want the limited/decorative edition with the little extras inside

Good girls don't die by Christina Henry

always loved her books so of course i also have to read this one. its one book with three different stories: the 1st story about a woman who finds herself in a house that isnt hers with a husband she's never seen before and a girl who claims to be her daughter, the 2nd story is about friends traveling to a cabin, visited by a stranger at night and the 3rd is about a 12 women forced to participate in "the maze"- a high obstacle course

won't tag anyone cuz i got no one to tag 😭

[nebulousfishgills]

OC x Canon Asks for Emily and... y'know what, Emily and whoever the hell you want!

3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 15, and 20 please!

...you don't know the power you've just given me bestie. You already know I'm gonna milk this ask for everything it has.

So you're getting both hypothetical sets of answers to these questions. Prepare for shitposts and shoddy edits.

God why do I sound like the fucking Bridgekeeper from Monty Python.

Emily and Henry

3 - What would their song to the other be?

Henry to Emily, you know it's "Dream a Little Dream of Me." It's a song Henry grew up listening to and nine times out of ten it's playing on the radio in his fantasies and dreams of them having better lives away from Hawkins Lab. You literally can't beat the visual of them just slowdancing in the Creel House while this song plays in that alternate reality where they were happy and 'normal.' Or, even better, Emily dancing with Vecna in the Upside-Down while the song plays.

Emily's relationship with music is unfortunately limited. But since she learns more about music in the 80s, that's mostly what she listens to. If I had to pick, it'd probably be "Lost in Your Eyes" by Debbie Gibson. Her favorite feature of Henry is his eyes, probably indicated in my playlist for her with songs talking about eyes. In every reality when they meet, his eyes are the first thing she notices. If you google the lyrics and imagine they're from Emily's perspective, it makes complete sense.

6 - What small quirks do they love about each other?

I forgot to mention this in a previous ask about ways to calm the other down, but Henry tends to fidget and play with Emily's fingers when he's nervous or worried. I think it's something Emily thinks is extremely cute and heartwarming to a certain degree. I think this extends to the idea that Henry always takes extreme care with her as opposed to the harsh treatment they experience otherwise.

This one may be born of that fear of Brenner and needing to be presentable, but clearly Henry takes great care of his hair and I think Emily loves how he always curls the front of it, it gives him a very almost boy-ish demeanor. When they get the chance to be alone I think Emily likes to flick it. And then she musses it up to comb it back with her fingers a-la the contrast between Nina Project Henry and Massacre at Hawkins Lab Henry since it's one of several of their private moments of rebelliousness.

Honestly to a certain degree I think every small thing Emily does is something Henry loves. The way she runs her tongue over her canines when she's thinking, the way she tries to make her curly hair somewhat presentable but it always ends up a little unruly, and how easily she flushes.

His favorite, though, is when Emily's just unapologetically herself in the best and worst ways. This moreso comes post-banishment where they have more autonomy, but Emily seems to enjoy going to the surface world to do the little things that bring her joy. Does Henry really understand Dungeons and Dragons, no but he likes hearing Emily talk about sessions and the latest bullshit she tried. She gets her tattoos and Henry thinks it's just the cutest thing that she likes expressing herself in this way that's an incredibly subtle nod to him and their pasts.

7 - Who makes the other laugh more?

Okay, here's an answer: Emily says and does more funny things, but she's the one who laughs more. I think their senses of humor are a bit different since I can think of several things that would make Emily laugh off the top of my head, but not so much for Henry. But other than the screams and wails of the damned, I think Henry's laugh is one of Emily's favorite sounds since they both had incredibly shit lives and it makes her happy to see him find something funny to bring him some kind of joy.

I think Henry has more of a dry sense of humor and is perfect with comedically timed deadpans and sarcastic comments, but only around Emily. I see it as something like "the real Henry" showing through the stonefaced front he puts up with everyone else. Maybe it comes from that desire he has to make her happy since it's one of his greatest wishes to be able to see her smile.

Henry's humor is based on timing for quips and Emily is the kind of person who laughs at boob jokes, basically... Eddie's her best friend, he absolutely makes lewd jokes all the time.

9 - How did they know they were right for each other?

I see this will be an interesting question to answer for my second go-around.....

My default answer usually boils down to trauma bonding and that mutual desire to reshape the world, but that could also be the answer for siblings or business partners.

I think it's a combination of things. First, to them there's simply nobody else they feel is right for them. They feel like they're honest to god soulmates and, in essence, they were forged and created for each other both to complete their mission, but also for that companionship. Each other's perfect companion...

...We're not gonna address the elephant in the room yet.

Another facet I think that plays into it is something they realized right around when they first got together officially. Maybe the same night they had their first kiss, even, but at the end of the day, they have this almost innate desire to make each other happy, to support each other, to comfort each other, etc. Seeing the other hurt is devastating, seeing the other happy is uplifting.

Really, I think they just... knew. Being together just felt like the most natural thing for them and the love they have for each other is one of the very few things in their lives that they really, truly cherish.

11 - Who gets adorable when they're sleepy, and who gets grumpy and irritable?

Again, here's a bit of a strange answer: usually they both get grumpy when they're tired, but they both think the other being grumpy is adorable. Neither of them are gonna turn into sleepy, rubbing eyes, yawning angels when their tired, not by a long shot.

Emily's already thin filter becomes non-existent so if it's late and she still has work to do in the lab, she will be swearing and ranting the entire time. Her nose scrunches and she has this deep set scowl on her face that Henry just can't help but think is just the most adorable thing.

Likewise, Henry's temper gets much shorter when he's tired which either manifests into just ignoring people trying to talk to him or looking at people with that expression on his face:

And I think Emily finds it funny how he's usually so softspoken with this Friendly Orderly persona he's adopted, but when he's tired or irritated his more natural self pokes through. That side of him that's never directed at her but is at the lesser humans they're forced to surround themselves with. Besides, why do they need something so human and inconvenient as sleep? Aren't they above becoming tired?

Nope.

And for the record, when they get the rare chance to sleep in the same room in the same bed they like to snuggle close with each other and they both think the other's sleeping face is cute.

If Henry finds Emily asleep, usually she's either curled up in the fetal position under her sheets like a child with her hair sticking out everywhere in a curly auburn lump or she's completely splayed out. One's more adorable than the other since a splayed out Emily involves snores, twitches, and drooling. Henry sleeps on his side or his stomach, but if he's alone that night he hugs a towel instead of a pillow since he only has the one for his head, pretending it's her.

When alone, Emily wakes up looking like an angry Merida and Henry's hair is sticking in every direction and his eye bags are the absolute worst... but they sleep better and wake up better when they're with each other, which reduces later grumpyness.

15 - Who has a hobby only the other knows about?

Can I say murder? Since that's something only both of them know about for a while?

No, but in all seriousness... I don't know if it's really a "hobby" per se, but I like to headcanon that Henry has a proficiency when it comes to doing someone's hair. Braiding in particular and I think it's just something he picked up from his sister. He'd never let anyone know about it, the all powerful and intimidating Vecna, ruler of the Upside Down... likes to braid his girlfriend's hair.

It's a methodical movement that just helps calm himself down while also keeping Emily's hair tamed. And we all know Emily's thing is that she likes it when someone plays with her hair.

Please, I just want you to visualize Vecna with his mismatched hands and grotesque appearance sitting behind Emily on their bed while he braids and then unbraids her hair, repeat ad infinitum.

20 - Who infodumps and who listens with heart eyes?

I feel like this is a bit obvious, but clearly Henry knows a lot about spiders. Emily doesn't like them, but she'll listen to Henry talk about them for hours. He was demonized for his fascination with them and Emily's not gonna be someone to add to that. Do spiders give her the willies, yes. Will she fall asleep on Henry's chest as he lulls her to sleep with as many silly little facts as he can remember? Absolutely.

I feel like, again as I said previously, Henry also likes hearing Emily talk about her Dungeons and Dragons sessions since it's something she clearly finds joy in despite the less than honest intentions she has.

Although, let's be honest, everything they do makes the other go heart eyes. Henry literally had an Anakin Order 66 Younglings moment and Emily genuinely saw this as Peak Rizz. Emily could literally disembowel someone with her bare hands and Henry's gonna be seeing rose petals and cheap heart filters.

***

Anyways, let's move on!

Emily and Caius

(Thank you Deadline Magazine for the new HotD cast photoshoot, it's perfect for a fresh off the burner edit 🙏🙏)

3 - What would their song to the other be?

...Again, see, it's hard because I don't see either of them having the greatest taste in music that's good for this question. I should be able to answer it so easily since I have a playlist for them lmao.

Okay, here's my halfway cop-out answer: obviously Caius likes sharing things from his homeland with Emily, and I think he'd teach her songs from that time in his life. I kind of skitter around names and the like but I made this hypothetical homeland into Old Valyria from A Song of Ice and Fire, just turning it into a long forgotten Greek island. In House of the Dragon, Daemon sings this to the dragons in their little dragon pit and it's just... so, so thematically appropriate:

Because Caius does see Emily as this powerful and even otherworldly being, especially with the spitfire personality to boot. It's recited like a lullaby and even if they don't sleep, the sentiment is there.

Again, Emily's relationship with music is strained so it's hard to pick any one specific song she'd "assign" to Caius... that and love songs outside of Disney are just not something I'm familiar with.

You know what, to be funny, I'll say in the 90s she hears "Beauty and the Beast" and likes how they can both be The Beauty and they can both be The Beast. I'll go with that.

6 - What small quirks do they love about each other?

Again, an easy and kind of cliche answer, but Caius loves all of Emily's little 'human' quirks that carried over after she changed. Her nose scrunch when she's annoyed, her smirks, the aforementioned tongue on her canines when she's thinking. Also her general restlessness. Emily's always moving, always doing something and vampires usually find comfort in stillness. She does, too, but the majority of the time Emily's never gonna be still for very long.

In tandem, I think Emily finds Caius'... we'll call it enthusiasm endearing. That, and while it's usually played off as a joke, Caius' fascination with fire takes on a new meaning when you understand that fire is really the only thing that can truly harm vampires. It's actually a loose yet interesting parallel on Emily's feeling about the Upside Down once upon a time: finding beauty in something so destructive.

Kind of like them, really.

7 - Who makes the other laugh more?

Emily makes Caius laugh more. She kind of adopts Henry's more deadpan sense of humor while combining it with her own lewd sense of humor. She can call Aro a moron in quips he doesn't understand yet she and Caius do and she can tell Caius to, quote, "cover his tits" for the sake of a modesty neither of them care about. Both of these are things Caius laughs at.

Again, I think it partially comes from the vastly different times they come from that have similarities that trancend time. The Ancient Greeks made jokes about taking it up the ass, Shakespeare genuinely made Your Mom jokes, and so much more. I think Caius has an appreciation for Emily's lewd humor in a way that Henry didn't for any number of reasons. Plus, Emily's a woman of her era and people in the 40s-50s etc just weren't as brash as she is.

It's really a combination of things, Emily's just better at quipping. To most vampires, Caius is the angry, no-nonsense arbiter of justice, but behind closed doors he and Emily are making constant sex jokes and other inappropriate things.

9 - How did they know they were right for each other?

...oh boy, isn't this the question of the hour?

I mean, it's such a complex question with all the context. I can't exactly hide completely behind the "Mating Bond" excuse even if that's a good portion of the reason why. Again, I think it's a vast combination of things. The general compatability, the filling of holes neither of them realized they had, all that.

It's very hard to go into specifics beyond that without doing an extreme deconstruction. Normally I might but... dude it's currently about 2:25 as I'm writing this answer.

In a simplified answer, Emily saw someone who a) seemed completely enamored with her who seemed like he would always put her first, b) gave her a large family that she didn't realize she'd been silently longing for, and c) matched her chaotic energy since Henry was by far the calmer one between them.

When he first saw Emily, Caius saw a woman who had a very strong personality that he instantly felt like he clicked with. It's a little talked about yet very important scene, but I don't think Caius was expecting for Emily to seek him out for sex that night, which then came with the realization that they felt this innate trust in each other that quickly bloomed into something even further.

It was a vast amount of things that happened that led to the realization, really.

11 - Who gets adorable when they're sleepy, and who gets grumpy and irritable?

...so they don't sleep.

But for the sake of the question, let's have a little fun. Again, I feel like the same rules apply. Emily gets grumpy when she's tired and Caius finds her fatigued irritation to be the strangely cutest thing. She gets snippy and then very aggressively just wants to be close with him. I call it Angst Cuddles since just calling it cuddles seems incorrect for these two.

Caius' default setting is Angy, so if he got tired you bet the same thing would happen. I see him getting more sluggish when he's tired, dragging his feet to his and Emily's room before just picking up Emily from whatever she was doing and just holding her in bed for those Angst Cuddles he's forcibly giving her. Not that she minds of course.

15 - Who has a hobby only the other knows about?

I don't know how easily secret hobbies could be hidden given the circumstances of somebody knowing everything about everyone's memories.

I think everyone at least knows of Caius' painting hobby, but I feel like the exact range is something only Emily can attest to. People probably would think Caius paints scenes of war and portraits when he feels so inclined, but maybe not serene landscapes.

Likewise, I think Emily's little drawing hobby is only expanded. I think she likes drawing the people around her without them really knowing. So she has sketchbooks and spare papers around with candid sketches of Jane or Felix for example just around doing their things. I think it's another thing of hers that Caius finds cute. Emily's someone who likes to appreciate moments in time and capture them. Even if she has perfect recall, I think she partially sketches these moments to share them with Caius. It helps him appreciate her outlook on life and in a sense how much she really actually cares about those in the coven to the point that she'd choose to save their split second moments in her sketches.

20 - Who infodumps and who listens with heart eyes?

Caius loves to just tell Emily about history and she's always an eager listener. Emily wants to know more about the world she was largely locked away from her entire life and hearing Caius talk about history satiates that need.

Though, of course, it's Emily so sometimes she's not paying as much attention to what Caius is saying compared to paying attention to him specifically. She just holds a lot of love for him and sometimes that manifests in Emily tuning everything out to just look at and admire him. Usually I think it'd bother Caius that she wasn't paying attention to what she was supposed to, but it comes with satisfaction in knowing that she has that affection for him. It makes him feel lucky to have her.

***

...you said to not apologize so I'm not gonna, but I'm gonna instead apologize to my tomorrow self when I bitch about being too tired for work.

Anyways, always happy to answer these questions! It gives me a lot of joy to just talk about my characters and writing.

[xneens]

side to side

Warnings: swearing

Word count: 4.6k

Summary: In which you're performing your hit single in front of your fellow Avengers cast-mates and Chris can't seem to take his eyes off of you, catching the attention of a few cameras.

"I'm here with the biggest pop-star of this generation, and she plays the very talented daughter of Tony Stark," the interviewer announced your name, smiling brightly at you as the camera panned your way. The hundreds of thousands of fans at home screaming when your face appeared. "How do you feel with all your nominations tonight?"

You smiled at the camera, giving a small wave at the people watching at home. "Honestly, I'm just glad I was even considered for these nominations. I mean, my girls Taylor, and Billie...they're amazing and I'm so happy to be put in the same category as them."

The lady grinned at you, her eyes twinkling. Or maybe it was her sparkly dress, the fabric nearly blinding you with how it shined under the lights. "If you ask me, you've got a pretty good chance at winning. I mean, your hit single—Side to Side—surpassed, like, a billion views in just a month? That's impressive."

"Well, I couldn't have done it without my fans." you replied, winking at the camera.

It was that time of the year again, where every artist, actor, and YouTuber hit the stage for the People's Choice Awards. With your crazy schedule, and the lack of sleep, you had planned to skip the award show until your friend, and co-star, Chris Evans—Captain America himself—convinced you otherwise. Even with the categories you've been nominated for had been more than a handful, but it was the begging and constant complaining from Chris that made you get off your tired ass and put it into a tight dress.

Your hit single, Side to Side, had everyone anticipated for your performance, unsure if you would be performing until the producers had put your name into the advertisement, making fans blow up Twitter. You were sure they had advertised your own song, along with your movie nominations, more than you ever had.

With nominations of Movie of the Year (Avengers: Infinity War), Action Movie of the Year (Avengers: Infinity War), Female Movie Star of the Year (Amara Stark), Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (Side to Side), Music Video of the Year (Into You), Beauty Influencer of the Year, and Social Celebrity of the Year, you had your hands full, which had only made your manager glow with happiness.

"Of course!" the interviewer agreed, glancing at the teleprompter filled with tiny words. "It was rumored that you wouldn't be coming, and a lot of us were upset, including me. Was that just a rumor or..."

"Actually, it's not that far off. I'm fucking—oh, shit—oh no!" you gasped, covering your mouth before anymore foul words could come out on live television. Instead of correcting you, the lady laughed, patting your arm softly. "Can't say that on tv. My bad. I, uh, with everything going on, I've been really tired, and I haven't slept in a week. I just wanted to chill, and accept my nominations at home but someone convinced me to come. So, if I say or do anything ridiculous tonight, I'm blaming him and my lack of sleep."

She nodded, clapping slowly. "I think that's fair. Is that someone, your onscreen father, RDJ?"

"He was one of the many people who unsuccessfully changed my mind, but no, it was Chris Evans. He promised me a day with his adorable dog, Dodger, and I couldn't refuse." you said, grinning at how his face had changed from hopeless to cocky as soon as he brought up Dodger.

"If I'm remembering this correctly, Chris Evans is that very handsome man you had kissed in your music video earlier this year. Into You, right? How do you feel kissing one of your co-stars outside of the movies your working on?"

"Technically, it was still acting, and I have kissed him before, so it wasn't awkward at all." you answered, glad Chris had accepted the role. Not only had it sky-rocketed the views and streams, but it made you feel better that it was his lips you were kissing and not a random model's. Yet, it didn't feel as professional as it had before when you pulled away after a take.

In scenes where you had to kiss the Boston actor, it was as professional as kicking Anthony Mackie's ass in Civil War but the kisses you shared on the set of the music video was definitely more personal. At the time, you had brushed it off as Chris being recently single, but now that you had broken up with Henry, you started questioning it again.

The interviewer nodded, squinting once more to read the words off the teleprompter before asking you another question that would certainly make the headlines. "I've been reading up on all those juicy tabloids and I've got one question that would satisfy my curiosity. Was Into You written about Henry Cavill or Tom Ellis?"

Usually, that type of question made you change the subject or altogether avoid the matter but this time, you wanted to joke about your failed engagement. "Henry, but Side to Side was written about Tom since I wanted more Grammy's considering the last album I put out won me a few. But this time, I'm gonna do it without an engagement."

The woman faked a laugh, surprised by the blunt honesty of your answer. "Um, you certainly do have a thing for British men, eh? I don't want to keep you up, but one more thing, for the fans. They've been dying to know if there's anything going on between you and Chris Evans. Any tea you wanna spill?"

"There's none to spill. We're just friends but it's always amusing scrolling through Twitter to find these edits of us." you replied, fidgeting slightly with the hem of your dress. Like usual, you had wondered if you should've worn something less extra but you had let your stylist play dress up with you for the past few months.

"Of course. Well, good luck to you, and I can't wait to see your performance." she said, giving you a little pat on the shoulders before announcing your name once again.

You got off the little platform, immediately taking Chris' awaiting hand, holding onto it as you climbed down the steps in your dangerous stilettos. Sighing, you leaned on him, trying to avoid the blinding camera flashes. "That was more exhausting than I thought it would be. You need to get me some caffeine after this is over because there's no way I'm making it to the after show without at least a few cans of Red Bull."

"So dramatic." Chris grinned, childishly sticking his tongue out as he guided you down the red carpet, stopping when told to take a picture. He let go of your hand, only to wrap it around your waist as you posed for the pictures. "Are you going to the after party?"

Posing seriously for a few seconds, you let your smile back on your face, facing the man beside you. "I was thinking about it, take a few photos, and head back home. Aren't you?"

"Actually, I was thinking we could ditch it and just hang out. You know, I did promise you some time with Dodger and you could waste a couple hours sleeping." he replied, his hand tightening ever so slightly on your waist. Flashing you a shit-eating smirk, he nudged you a little, pulling you away from the blinding flashes. "What do you say?"

You opened your mouth to answer only to be cut off by your manager, Alexandre coming out of nowhere to rip you away from Chris' arms. The latin man sighed in annoyance, glancing at his watch while giving you the look you've seen too many times before. "You're supposed to be in wardrobe right now. Get your ass backstage, and change before you miss your own performance. As for you, Mr. Evans, Megan wants your ass in a chair."

"I'll see you after." you say, getting dragged by your manager, winking at the actor before walking towards the changing area, the cameras following you until they couldn't enter the area.

Getting ready before a huge performance always calmed you down, maybe it was the smell of makeup or the feel of designer clothing made especially for you, but something about it made you feel comfortable and cozy. It was like a routine, especially with all the music videos and movies you had to film, the makeup, the hair.

They made you sit back, giving you your phone like a child while they made you even more sparkly than before, making sure you'd stand out against the flashing lights during the performance. A performance you made sure no one would ever forget. Smiling, you let your thoughts drift back to a certain super soldier as you were pampered.

—

"Welcome to the People's Choice Awards!"

The room darkened, the blue and pinks lights focusing on the stage as cameras all turned towards your shadow. Making sure your mic was set properly, tried to see past the darkness, to see a familiar face or two but with the headache coming on from the tight half-ponytail didn't help your case. The music started, the beat vibrating, you flipped your hair, and started.

"I've been there all night

I've been there all day (Nicki Minaj)

And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Let then hoes know)"

You rode the bike, belting out in your microphone, the attached headset limiting your movements a little. Gripping the handles, you made eye contact at the camera to your left, winking at it as you pedaled.

"I'm talkin' to ya

See you standing over there with your body

Feeling like I wanna rock with your body

And we don't gotta think 'bout nothin'

I'm comin' at ya

'Cause I know you got a bad reputation

Doesn't matter, 'cause you give me temptation

And we don't gotta think 'bout nothin'"

As you had sung, your eyes had adjusted to the bright spotlight focused on you, seeing a shadow of the one person you wanted to make you walk side to side. While you had answered the reporter's question, you hadn't been completely honest. Some of the lyrics had been written for the Bostonian; or to be more exact, your sex fantasies. With the chorus coming up, you let go of the handles, trying not to fall on your ass as you clapped your hands above your head, the claps matching the beat.

"These friends keep talkin' way too much

Say I should give you up

Can't hear them, no, 'cause I..."

Trying to be bold, you stared at him, his face in particular. The spotlight had blinded you so much that you couldn't see what his reaction was—or anyone's for that matter—but maybe it was a good thing. After all, his gaze always made you blush no matter how hard you tried not to. Pedaling faster, you threw your head back, hoping the motion would draw everyone's—Chris'—eyes on your chest.

"I've been here all night

I've been here all day

And boy, got me walkin' side to side

I've been here all night

I've been here all day

And boy, got me walkin' side to side"

With the help of a shirtless dancer, you got off your bike, taking the sheer jacket from him, and putting it on as you walked towards the front of the stage, moving your hips in to the beat of the song. Resting a hand on a shirtless dancer, you positioned yourself so you were grinding your ass against his crotch, throwing back an arm around his neck.

"Been tryna hide it

Baby, what's it gonna hurt if they don't know?

Makin' everybody think that we solo

Just as long as you know you got me

And boy, I got ya

'Cause tonight I'm making deal with the devil

And I know it's gonna get me in trouble

Just as long as you know you got me"

Sashaying to the little balance beam at the front of the stage, you made sure your hips swayed more than usual.

"These friends keep talkin' way too much

Say I should give you up

Can't hear them, no, 'cause I...

"I've been here all night

I've been here all day

And boy, got me walkin' side to side

I've been here all night

I've been here all day

And boy, got me walkin' side to side"

A few seconds after your note ended, you strike a pose on the balance beam, posing for a few more seconds while the cameras turned their attention away from you and onto the queen of rap herself: Nicki Minaj. The leather, pink bodysuit was identical to yours except for the color, her attitude fitting the badass outfit. She began to walk towards the stage, never breaking eye contact with the camera in front of her while the men pretending to work out to the choreo.

"Uh, yeah

This the new style with the fresh type of flow

Wrist icicle, ride dick bicycle

Come through yo, get you this type of blow

If you want a ménage, I got a tricycle

All these bitches' flows is my mini-me

Body smoking, so they call me Young Nicki Chimney

Rappers in they feelings 'cause they feelin' me

Uh, I-I give zero fucks and I got zero chill in me

Kissing me, copped the blue box that say Tiffany

Curry with the shot, just tell 'em to call me Stephanie

Gun pop, then I make my gum pop

I'm the queen of rap"

By the time she had finished her verse, you had caught up with the multitasking of both working out and singing, able to use your full singing capabilities for your high note. Nicki joined you on stage, hyping up the crowd while you built up for the high note, almost every camera pointed at you except for the one focused on capturing the headline-worthy expression slapped on Chris' face.

"These friends keep talkin' way too much

Say I should give em up

Can't hear them, no, 'cause I...

"I've been here all night (Been here all night, baby)

I've been here all day (Been here all night, baby)

And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)

I've been here all night (Been here all night, baby)

I've been here all day (Been here all day, baby) (Ooh, baby)

And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)"

Both you and Nicki motioned for the dancers to come towards you, curling your index finger at the sexy men. Singing the refrain, you both made them drop to their knees in front of you, as if they were kneeling at your command.

Just as the last note was sung, everyone clapped, the majority standing up, and more cheered. You noticed Chris hadn't done either, still sitting in his motionless while two camera men pointed their cameras at him. Your eyebrows furrowed, thankfully after the spotlight had shifted over to the miniature stage where the two hosts were babbling about nominations.

You were ushered off the stage along with the queen of rap herself, taking a few backstage photos before quickly returning back to your dressing room to change into your tailored dress. Your mind had wandered to why Chris hadn't applauded—not that he was obliged too, but a little something would've nice, especially with all the days put into the performance.

Taking a deep breath, you entered the big room, filled with your co-stars and other A-list celebrities. Little did you know you'd find out the reason to your question in the morning.

—

The loud ringtone woke you up, the sound obnoxious and borderline abuse to your ears. Beside you, Chris groaned, rolling onto his stomach, trying to muffle the sound of the call with his arm draped over his head. Putting him out his misery, you lazily reached for your phone, pressing the green button with dread, seeing the name across the screen.

"Hello—"

"You're trending on Twitter." Alexandre announced, happy with the results of the previous awards show. While it wasn't something as big as a Grammy or Oscar, judging by the amount of awards you had taken home, you became the people's favorite. "Hold on, lemme rephrase that. You and Chris are trending. Number one, world wide."

Glancing at the man sleeping beside you, you sat up, confused by the information given to you. You blamed Chris for making you stay up so late for your confusion. "Um, why? Did I accidentally have another nip slip?"

"What the hell?" Chris mumbled, rolling onto his back, his arm grazing your bare stomach. He immediately took it back, sitting up to look over your puzzled face. "What's going on?"

You shrugged, putting your phone on speaker so Alexandre could explain. Your manager chuckled, knowing you had stayed the night with Chris. He was just waiting for the day you'd finally have the guts to speak about the growing sexual tension. "Okay, Alex, explain."

"As much as I would love to go into full detail, I have other stuff to do so, I'm going to give you the basics. Chris' reaction to your performance went viral, people are shipping the both of you, and there's been thousands of memes made." Alexandre replied, a smile evident in his voice. "Anyways, I have to go. Got some interviews to schedule. Have fun getting your way out of this, Chris."

Your phone screen went back to the home screen, a picture of your family dog, Buster, smiling widely. Looking at Chris, you saw his eyes widened, his hands coming to rest of his face in embarrassment as he fell back onto the bed with a bounce, his head nearly hitting the headboard. "Oh, fuck."

"Are you going to show me what your face looked like or do I have to scroll through Twitter until I find it? Oh! Maybe they edited it in my performance." you thought out load, tapping on the YouTube app. You hadn't trusted yourself enough to log into your official account, knowing you'd probably make a mistake so you opted for having a secondary account where you could watch cat videos without the anxiety of posting something stupid.

Chris' hand snatched your phone away, tucking it in his pocket, the sweats he had slept in was somehow wrinkled, and his shirt damp from the warmth. "You wanna get some food? I'll cook some bacon but you'll have to make the pancakes 'cause the last time—"

"I wanna see your reaction." you whined, reaching across his stomach for your phone. Chris turned his body away from you, shielding the phone from your reach. "Chris!"

He waved your attempt away, rolling off the bed, his feet hitting the floor before you could fall back on the mattress.You poured, getting on all fours, crawling towards the edge. Chris took a step back, brows furrowing. "It's not important. Let's get you some food."

"Fine." you mumbled, an idea making you light up. Rolling off the bed, you glanced at his phone on the nightstand, exposed and easy to take. With quick reflexes, you grabbed his phone, rolling back on the bed until you reached the other side, making it impossible for him to reach for his phone back.

"Hey!" the Bostonian shouted, launching himself on the bed in attempt to get his phone back. He made a noise as you rushed out of your room, locking yourself in the nearby bathroom, laughing evilly when he threw himself at the door. He yelled out your name, his fist banging on the door. "I'm serious! Don't!"

Ignoring his begging, you opened his phone with your thumbprint. How ironic how much he didn't want you to look at his phone when he was the one who insisted you have the password to it. His arguments became louder as you opened up his Twitter, immediately heading to the trending section, seeing both your names at the number one spot.

"Damn, I look hot." you joked out loud, making Chris silent for a second before pleading for you not to continue. You smirked, scrolling through the tweets, trying to find his reaction. "Jesus Christ, what the hell happened to you? Did you fall on your face or something?"

Chris groaned, banging his head on the door in defeat as he heard your almost inaudible gasp, that quickly turned into little giggles. If he wasn't so embarrassed, he would've broken the door down to hold you in his arms. "Oh, no."

Bursting out into hard laughter, you fell into the large bathtub, hitting your head on the wall but you couldn't care less. The expression on his face during your performance had been borderline comical, the wide eyes, the jaw hanging open, the open hand resting on his chin while his eyes stayed strained on you the whole time, never wavering from your body, the sexy choreography making his jeans tight.

Cackling like the Wicked Witch of the West, tears ran down your cheeks, your stomach cramping from the maniacal laughter. Lifting yourself up from the tub, you stumbled to the door, your loud laugh ringing out towards the whole house. You let Chris in the bathroom, his phone quickly taken from your hand but it was too late. The blush on his cheeks wasn't going away anytime soon. You leaned against him, your head resting on his chest, while you panted out a question. "Why did you look like you were trying to attract flies in your mouth?"

Chris groaned again, covering his eyes with a hand while the other rested on your back. "You're not going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Oh, God, no." you giggled, wiping the tears away, beginning to calm down. Glancing up at him, you noticed everything above the shoulders was gleaming red, the embarrassment too unbearable for him. "Chris, you looked exactly like the first time we were forced to share a bed together."

"Yeah, you have that affect on me."

"You gonna tell me why you looked so ... shocked? Or do I have to search through Twitter and go with whatever fan theory makes the most sense?" you asked, unable to keep the smug grin off your face. Chris closed his eyes, wishing he hadn't made you come to the awards show in the first place. You raised an eyebrow, fingers itching towards his phone. "You know I'll do it, Evans."

The man raised his hands, taking them off of you as he paced around the bathroom, deciding if this embarrassing moment was the right time to finally confess. "It's just, you know, the dance was so ... sexual and hot that I probably wasn't the only one looking at you like that. You can't exactly blame me for being shocked, watching the girl I'm in love with—"

Chris stopped as you be watched the colors drain out of your face, immediately freezing when he realized what he had said. Both of you stared at each other, eyes wide, not moving a muscle, barely blinking; the atmosphere so tense neither of you were breathing, waiting for the other to talk. But neither of you wanted to go first, terrified.

It wasn't until you started to feel dizzy that you realized you hadn't been breathing, letting out a huge breath, trying to relax while Chris did the same, his hands shaking, a nervous tick he got whenever he was anxious. You got the courage to speak first.

"What?"

It was better than nothing.

Chris was so nervous he nearly ran out of the room. There wasn't some kind of handbook or script he could read, helping him tell one of his best friends how head over heels he was for her. So, he said what his brain was stewing. "What?"

"What—what?" you replied, unsure if he even said the L word, so lightheaded by the sudden confession.

The actor stilled, eyes widening even further, while his eyebrows shot up his forehead. "What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Say what one more time, Evans, and I will make nothing but mac and cheese for the rest of your stay." you threatened softly, getting tired of not having an answer to your one-worded question.

Chris took a deep breath, hands trembling as he clasped them together, hoping to find the right words, hoping his inner thoughts would come out clear, giving you the answer you asked for. "I'm sorry. What do you want me to say?"

"What you were saying before. You know, before you looked like you saw a ghost and almost stopped breathing. I think that would be a good start." you replied, backing up to take a seat on the plush chair. Chris mirrored your actions, putting down the lid to the toilet before sitting down.

"This isn't the way I wanted you to find out." Chris whispered, his blue eyes trained on the emotions that flashed on your face. Your uncertainty of the situation didn't help his anxiety.

"Okay, um, were you going to tell me in the first place?" you asked, playing with the hem of your shirt—it had been a borrowed Patriots shirt from him. Looking back, you realized all the little things he'd done hadn't been because his platonic love for you. "Or were you just going to keep letting it be this way?"

Fidgeting with his hands, Chris peered through his eyelashes, seeing the hurt flash across your face before you quickly composed it. "Scott was hyping me up, trying to convince me to tell you before you got into another relationship. Do you know the real reason I broke up with Jenny? It hurt like hell when you announced you were engaged. Fuck, I couldn't even pretend to be happy because you were going to have the life I wanted with you, with someone who wasn't me. It was selfish and I got really mad at myself for being a dick."

"But—"

"And then the horrible, horrible relief I felt when you called off the engagement." Chris continued, his heart clenching. "Truth to be told, that was the day I found out I was in love with you, breaking things off with Jenny. Of course, I wanted to wait until you moved on, hoping to be the friend you went to but with my schedule, that was impossible. So, you seemed out comfort in Henry fucking Cavill."

"You're in love with me?" you whispered, hoping this wasn't some kind of cruel dream. If it was, you wouldn't mind staying.

The actor nodded, waiting for you to call him names and rush out. "Yes. You can leave or slap me or whatever you want to do but I love you."

You got up, running a hand through your hair. "Okay."

Chris' heart sank, wishing for any other kind of reaction, wishing you'd do something. Taking a deep breath, he got up. "Is this a goodbye?"

Frowning, you walked up to him, taking his face between with your hands, pressing your lips softly to his. You could feel his heart beat, the little organ beating so hard. You pulled away before he could recover from his shock, before he could kiss you back.

"Hello."

[mageofseven]

Hello! I've been a little curious for a while so I wanted to see if you would be willing to take up an ask of mine. I was wondering which of the brothers would most likely know sign language, and if you're comfortable, how the brothers would react to a mute mc. If you don't feel like answering my request that's fine. Have an awesome winter and stay toasty!

Oooh! This is an interesting one! Thank you for the ask~

Also though, winter? It's only September, almost October. Its fall where I live 🍁

Spoiler warning: Year 1 spoilers

~

Most Likely:

Satan- probably learned multiple forms of it as a hobby (ASL, BSL, and LSF)

Lucifer- likely learned it as a result of the exchange program so he could understand the student

Belphie- learned it just so he and Satan could quietly insult Lucifer without him knowing

~

Lucifer:

Read it off their application originally so he wasn't surprised at all when he met them.

Learned their form of sign language in preparation for their arrival.

Wouldn't really say he's fluent, but has learned enough to communicate with MC so he can assist them with whatever they need.

It helps that MC is mute and not deaf; he and his brothers can simply talk to them as they do with anyone else and they can understand the demons; he merely needs to read their hands in order to get their responses.

Overall, doesn't really mind MC being mute, but does worry about how his brothers' interactions with them will go

Mammon:

Wait, so how's he supposed to look out for someone who can't even talk to him?

Is slightly uncomfortable in the beginning because of the silence between the two

But eventually likes how he finally has a person around him who isn't constantly calling him names or talking back to him.

Poor MC has to hear him gloat about himself a lot.

Swears up and down that he would never learn sign language for them; they just need to do what The Great Mammon says and not die, got that?

Actually gets pretty attached to them quickly. After being turned down by Satan to borrow some of his books on the topic, the demon simply searches online for resources to help him.

Very slow learner. Manages to get better at it when he finally admits to MC that he's trying to learn and they let him practice with them.

Some of his hand signs are slightly off when he does them, but since he just needs to be able to read them when MC uses them, it's fine.

Won't admit it, but he is very happy that he can have full conversations with his favorite human.

Leviathan:

Doesn't feel like it affects him. I mean, why would he wanna talk to some normie human anyway?

After the TSL trivia contest between the two of them, he feels like he's kinda obligated to because of the pact between.

Just kinda learns the basics so he can understand them somewhat at first.

As the two get closer though and he dubs them his Henry, this boy gets so into it. He really makes it a priority so that nothing can limit his talks with his Human.

Is super proud of himself and even has full conversations in sign language with them, despite the fact that he doesn't actually need to sign back to them.

Overall, doesn't really care that they are mute, but loves that conversations with his Henry feel so secret and special.

Satan:

Already knew the language long before MC moved into House of Lamentation.

Is extremely fluent in the language.

Honestly, he would have been their guardian throughout their stay in Devildom because of this if Lucifer actually trusted him.

He practically is once the two get close though.

Will translate whatever they say to teachers during the classes that they share.

Has most definitely scared off other demons who tried to joke about or insult them for not being able to speak traditionally. Their classmates learn quickly that Satan won't tolerate that shit.

Becomes the first person they go to if they need something, even before Lucifer.

Overall, likes having someone he can use the language with.

Asmodeus:

Really doesn't care at first.

I mean, that doesn't stop him from flirting with them, right?

But then he remembers: he can't hear them say anything back to him. No confirmations of whether they're actually comfortable with his words or advances. No way to hear them give him compliments or flirt back.

Big pouter at this fact.

Won't actually make any attempt to change it at first though.

Will just make his brothers translate what they say for him.

It's not until the retreat at the castle when they draw great power out of him so he can charm the snake that he's actually starts thinking that this human is interesting and he just needs them in his life more.

Will now learn sign language because he needs to be able to understand his bestie

And they are best friends. Of course, unless they wanna be more 😘

Overall, finds it very inconvenient, but gets over it and starts seeing it as nothing more than part of their charm.

Beelzebub:

Honestly, expect no conversation to take place between the two for a long time.

Beely is a quiet boy so having MC who has no choice but to be silent just kinda brings them to a stalemate.

When he discovers that they are trying to help Belphie and Lucifer make up however, he realizes that he needs to be able to talk to them properly.

Really, really tries to learn. Has never been one to easily grasp any foreign language though, let alone one that solely involves hand movements.

With MC's help though, manages to learn a lot more than he thought he would.

Can understand most things they say/sign now, but sometimes needs one of his brothers to fill in the gaps for him.

Overall, really wishes MC wasn't mute because it feels like a barrier keeping him from getting closer to them, but tries his best on his end so they can be friends.

Belphegor:

Knows sign language, but has never used it with anyone but Satan and that was just for a handful of times.

Was surprised that it actually came in handy when they first visited him in the attic.

He was honestly very annoyed at this, but tried to pretend otherwise. I mean, how was he actually gonna get help from them if they couldn't even speak?

Honestly surprised to hear that one by one, each of his brothers was learning the language for this human.

It bothered him that they had gotten that close with his brothers, but wasn't complaining; I mean, it definitely made things easier.

After the Incident™️, he feels guilty as hell and becomes very protective of them.

He sees them being mute as something someone might use to take advantage of them.

Becomes their sleepy little guard dog.

Overall, he found MC being mute as annoying at first, but later it becomes a source of worry for him.

Like, what if they get attacked and can't call for help?

He can't help but wonder if they had their voice, could they have somehow broke free and screamed for help the night of the Incident™️ and prevented things from happening the way they did.

Just doesn't want anything bad to happen to them and feels like he has to make up for their mute-ness.