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Elevate Your Audio Experience: Top HiFi Stereo Cabinets for Audiophiles
Hifi Stereo Cabinet: A Comprehensive Guide
A Hifi stereo cabinet is a piece of furniture designed to house and showcase high-fidelity audio equipment, such as amplifiers, receivers, CD players, and turntables. In this guide, we'll explore the benefits of using a Hifi stereo cabinet, key features to consider, and provide recommendations for different types of Hifi stereo cabinets available in the market.
Benefits of Using a Hifi Stereo Cabinet
Improved Organization: Keeps your Hifi equipment organized and easily accessible.
Enhanced Aesthetics: Showcases your equipment in a stylish and modern way, adding a touch of sophistication to your home décor.
Reduced Clutter: Conceals cables and other accessories, reducing clutter and improving the overall appearance of your room.
Protection: Provides a safe and secure environment for your equipment, protecting it from dust, damage, and tampering.
Key Features to Consider
Size: Ensure the cabinet fits your equipment and the available space.
Shelf Capacity: Choose a cabinet with adjustable shelves to accommodate devices of varying sizes.
Material: Select a material that suits your style, such as wood, metal, or glass.
Ventilation: Opt for a cabinet with good airflow to prevent overheating.
Cable Management: Look for cabinets with built-in cable ties, clips, or channels.
Types of Hifi Stereo Cabinets
Open Shelving Hifi Stereo Cabinet: Ideal for showcasing your equipment and providing easy access.
Closed Cabinet Hifi Stereo Cabinet: Perfect for concealing your equipment and reducing dust accumulation.
Wall-Mounted Hifi Stereo Cabinet: Space-saving design ideal for small rooms or apartments.
Corner Hifi Stereo Cabinet: Designed to fit snugly into corners, making the most of available space.
Modular Hifi Stereo Cabinet: Customizable design allowing you to configure the cabinet to fit your specific needs.
Tips for Choosing the Right Hifi Stereo Cabinet
Measure Your Equipment: Ensure the cabinet can accommodate the size and weight of your equipment.
Consider Your Space: Choose a cabinet that fits your available space and décor.
Check the Material: Select a material that suits your style and budget.
Read Reviews: Check reviews from other customers to ensure the cabinet meets your needs.
Budget Accordingly: Set a budget and choose a cabinet that meets your needs within that range.
By considering these factors and recommendations, you can find the perfect Hifi stereo cabinet to showcase and protect your high-fidelity audio equipment, enhancing your listening experience and adding a touch of style to your home.
#bollywood#music#home & lifestyle#Media Rack#AV Rack#Hi-Fi Rack#Hifi Stand#Equipment Rack#Atacama Rack#Stereo Rack System
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Lucifer jealous with an artist!reader
・❥ You’re invited to a prestigious art show to impress Hell’s royalty with your skills, but someone isn’t a fan of all the attention on you.
| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |
x: reader is g/n, no use of y/n.
~ 10.1k words
warnings: SMUT!! Adult themes!
Being in a relationship with the King of Hell has its perks. Such as being able to skip any line at LuLu World, or not needing to make reservations months in advance to the most high-end restaurant in Pentagram City. And, of course, being able to buy anything in the entirety of Hell in the snap of a finger, or, make it, if your man is feeling extra creative that day.
The neatest one? Being able to jump across the Seven Rings of Hell. Sinners are usually confined to the Pride Ring for the entirety of their afterlife, anyone who attempts to leave would get obliterated by the magical security system that detects ring-hoppers. You had never seen it work in person, but the stories made it sound excruciatingly painful. But, no one had ever survived getting vaporized to be able to tell of their experience, so, you weren’t sure whether that was true or not.
These thoughts were plaguing your mind as you sat comfortably in the back of a clean, white limo. Its tinted windows, gold rims, and apple hood ornament screamed ‘Hell’s royalty’ as some onlookers gave the pimped-out vehicle a double-take as it rolled through traffic.
You had tried to argue against taking the conspicuous mode of transportation, opting for the lift that was commonly used by demons to travel across the rings. You most likely wouldn’t attract any unwanted attention or suspicion, since you looked like an average, everyday demon residing in Hell.
“Hop in an elevator with Heaven knows what kind of creepy people you’ll be pushed up against? Not going to happen,” Lucifer shook his head sternly at the idea, “I’m not risking your safety just because
You had held your tongue after that, realizing you weren’t going to win when it came to Lucifer’s protectiveness of your wellbeing. Besides, the limo looked nice as it waited patiently outside of the hotel a few hours after the big breakfast you had shared with the residents of the hotel.
The inside was nice too, the red, leather seats so plush you were practically sinking into the furniture as you sipped on an alcoholic beverage. There was a minibar nestled between some cushions across from you, bottles of expensive red wine secured on racks next to clean, empty drinking glasses.
A large stereo sat at the back of the limo, with tall speakers that flickered with an array of colors waiting idly for your touch. A small TV hung from the car’s ceiling, and you flicked through the channels mindlessly as you held your phone to one ear.
“Just let the driver do his thing, you’ll barely feel the portal before poof! You’re in the Greed Ring.” Lucifer assured over the phone as the white limo sped towards the edge of the ring.
“And I won’t get turned to goo or anything?”
“Not on my watch!” He spoke confidently. You could hear faint voices in the background, which meant he must still be at the hotel. “Trust me, love, you’ll be fine. But, maybeee you wouldn’t be so nervous if you had someone with you like… the King of Hell?”
Rolling your eyes, you snorted quietly trying to hold in a laugh. Lucifer had been bugging you all day about barring him from joining you, but you steeled yourself against his begging, some plans, and preparations needed to be done as soon as you got to Greed. Having Lucifer along would no doubt distract you, especially with the sultry gazes he’d been throwing at you quite often lately, and you needed to get your game on for tonight.
“I told you, I’ve got dinner plans with some of the other artists, and there's work to be done at the venue. Tonight is very important, I can’t mess anything up.”
“I know, I know. Don’t worry, you’ve got this in the bag, baby.”
Heat crept to your cheeks at his compliment, and you smiled out the windows of the limo, your eyes following the winding road toward a large tunnel in the distance. Was that the portal entrance? It was the only thing out here in this barren part of the ring, and it was only growing closer in view as the limo sped on.
Soon, you’d be in Greed, one more step towards the big art show tonight. Your mind drifted back to the matters at hand, your nerves intensifying as you sat deep in thought.
Tonight, was the annual art fair and exhibition, ‘Elysium in Hell’. A famous, grandeur display of well-known and talented artists coming together to sell and showcase their pieces. Their skills with the brush and oils would also be compared fiercely, judged by the leading in the practice that usually dictated how well an artist’s pieces sell during the night.
When hosting the most wealthy and powerful beings in Hell, one had to know whether someone’s creations were truly worth the large price tag.
It had only ever been a dream, for you to even attend a gathering of such nobility. This was the kind of place you’d find the Seven Deadly Sins, like Lucifer, were strolling around places like these for fun. When to you, and other artists, it was the opportunity of a lifetime to make your passion a really good career. As in, spending the rest of your days lounging in your villa’s pool, finding your painting inspiration by looking out into the expanse of the ‘this view cost me a lot of goddamn money’ scenery.
It was a chance to put your work out there, farther than the hotel, farther than Asmodeus’ club. Maybe, into a Goetia’s office, or a Sin’s bedroom! That was the dream, to have people appreciate and feast on your craft, while also making really good money from it.
It must have been Asmodeus who got your name on the list since he really seemed to enjoy your more explicit paintings. Lucifer also could have used his influence too, but you hoped that wasn't the case. You wanted your success to be based on your effort, not someone’s pretty words.
Would Lucifer even do that? After all, it was he who was more inclined to keep your relationship a secret. At least, secret to everyone outside of the hotel. It was hard to keep a secret from them, especially when the manager of the place was the man-you-were-courting’s daughter.
It was something about the press down here being very brutal, and the fact you’d be in the public eye and under its scrutiny constantly. Unless, you become a shut-in hermit for the rest of your life, and while you enjoy the solitude, you don’t how long you could be stuck inside before growing depressed. Even a castle got boring after a while.
But the big problem, was you’d be a target instantly when it came to Heaven’s exterminations. You were a Sinner, and your life was at risk every time those gaping, golden portals opened to swallow the sky, and their blood-thirsty valkyries that would flood the streets with weapons made of holy light.
There was no doubt they would do whatever was necessary to destroy any kind of stability within Hell, and even direct attacks toward Lucifer and those he holds dear. Charlie? Well, she was Hellborn, safe from Heaven’s wrath unless they fancied all-out war.
But, you? The exterminations were created to kill you, an agreement between Heaven and Hell’s King to quell the uprisings, to keep their control over all realms in Creation. Lucifer never had a reason to care about the population of Sinners inside his ring, until you arrived, with that soft smile and overflowing head of ideas.
If Heaven wanted your head, they would surely have it, if they dared to incur Lucifer’s wrath. He couldn't protect you from everything, no matter how many times he assured you. He wasn't the most powerful being in existence, there were those much greater.
Was there more to it, though? Was it some kind of political reason because someone of the lower class could never be seen as one of the heads of the royal family, therefore the entirety of Hell as well? Would there be an uprising among the nobility, who couldn’t fathom someone without influence or power to have command over them?
So, for now, you’d spoil your king with kisses and soft words away from prying eyes. In the comfort of your room, surrounded by fond memories and heated exchanges of passion. Breakfast in bed, lounging the day away on your balcony, staring towards the city.
Sometimes, Lucifer would enthrall you with tales from past interactions with other royalty, mainly the other Sins. He’d impersonate each, his voice almost perfectly mimicking their tones and speech patterns as he recounted stories that made you laugh so hard you almost tilted over the railing once.
Lucifer had spilled his wine trying to catch you as you leaned a little too far backward over the metal edge, his hands gripping your forearms as you adjusted for balance.
“This,” he had said with a breathless laugh as you stumbled into him, before the fallen angel wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you flush, “is why I can’t take my eyes off you anymore. There’s always a mortally wounding drop that you can’t seem to stay away from!”
You only giggled in response, your buzz making it impossible for you to give your lover a straight face as he tried to frown sternly at your reaction, only failing miserably when you lost balance again from the laughs that began to shake your figure.
Lucifer began to lift you upright once more, a soft laugh escaping his lips as you only sent him a lopsided grin, leaning closer to him. It wasn't until his gaze lowered and he caught the tipped wine glass that had rolled against the leg of a chair, did the fallen angel deflated slightly.
“Look, you even made me spill my drink..” He whined, his eyes sullenly tracing the small river of red liquid that cascaded over the table’s edge.
You captured Lucifer’s lips in a sloppy kiss, your teeth grazing against his skin as you hummed an apology between trailing kisses. The King only melted into your hold as you filled him with sweet like ‘My silly duck’ and ‘The most handsome angel’.
Your hands lifted to cup his cheeks, before breaking the kiss and sending him a loving smile. You squished his cheeks softly, and Lucifer only melted in your hand, nuzzling his cheek against your palm.
“Well, at least I’ll get some kind of buzz from the taste of your lips,” he sighed happily against your palm, flashing those pretty bedroom eyes at you as his claw slid beneath your undergarment, grazing against warm, bare flesh that caused you to shiver underneath his touch.
Lacing your fingers with his, you sent him a sultry smile as you tugged him towards the open balcony doors, soft light basking the entrance to your room with light red hues as you crossed the threshold.
Lucifer growled softly, his pupils dilating as he lifted a hand to begin unbuttoning his shirt, following you obediently into the darkness. The balcony doors shut behind him with invisible force, and wisps of golden light snaked out of the keyhole, before being blown away like dust.
You smiled at the thoughts, your heart fluttering as those feelings bubbled up underneath your heated skin. This was the first time you had been away from him for a while, and it did feel much lonelier without his vibrant aurora that only filled your soul with warmth.
Soon, you’d be back in his soothing embrace. But first, there was work and an audience to woo.
You had told him he could come later tonight after the show started, which had made him beam with happiness and promise to be there in support of you.
Would he appear as his common imp disguise? A Goetia? Would you even be able to tell it was him without those shades on his face? It seemed like you’d be playing I Spy later tonight.
“—will be there?”
You blinked, shaking your head to pull yourself back into reality.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I said, do you think any of these famous painters you studied all your life will be there? I mean, they couldn't have all been virtuous and sinless, right? I’m sure that one guy that cut his ear off wasn't stable enough to make it through the pearly gates.”
“Huh... I don't know, I never thought about that before.” You laughed, your eyes still on the tunnel that was now only a mile away, before Lucifer could start on another subject, you quickly broke the silence, “I’m about to go through the portal, I think. I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you later tonight.”
“Oh, okay! Listen, don’t worry, it’ll feel like passing through any normal earthly tunnel… probably. I can't wait to see you, and hopefully, in that delicious outfit you bought earlier,” he teased.
“If the King commands it of me,” you replied with a honeyed tone, your words “but, he’ll have to be patient, can the mighty Lucifer Morningstar resist such taking a bite from the apple?”
“No matter how tempting, I’ll just wait until I can ravish it in its entirety later,” the soft growl in his voice made your breath hitch slightly, your cheeks heating at the thought of what ‘later’ would entail.
“We’ll see,” you whispered, before pulling the phone from your ear and ending the call. You felt giddy in your seat, that heat slowly ebbing from your skin as the tunnel loomed ahead. You grabbed the wine rack next to you for support as large shadows swept across the limo’s interior as it disappeared into the darkened path.
Lucifer was right, it had honestly felt just like you had driven through a regular old tunnel, if not for the tingling at the back of your neck and the feeling of weightlessness for only a moment as the limo’s tires hit solid ground once more.
Then, green skies cast emerald hues along the seats as you peeked out the window, excitement bubbling in you. You were in another ring for crying out loud! This was a first, and other than pictures, you had no idea what
It wasn’t until your eyes adjusted to the change in hues, did the anticipation died immediately and a frown graced your features.
Greed looked… kind of ugly. Thick, green smog powered from large towards that dotted across the barren expanse. Large industrial buildings nestled between them, most likely some kind of plant or factory.
Rivers of sludge flowed from each facility into a large, concrete-lined lake. There was no doubt it smelled rancid out there, and your nose crinkled at the thought.
The large city that the limo was heading to was the least soaring to the eyes, its towering corporate buildings filled the sky. Flashing multicolored lights emanated from the middle of the sea of buildings, most likely party central of the capital.
As the vehicle rolled down the street, stopping at the streetlight, you were aware of the eyes that were trying to get a glimpse through the tinted windows. Some demons even pulled out their phones, snapping a quick picture of the pristine, white paint that shimmered underneath the street lamps.
They probably thought it was someone important, like Lucifer, maybe even Charlie. Thankfully, discrete locations where you’d be dropped off and picked up had already been decided. Hopefully, you won’t have any run-ins with the paparazzi or anything crazy.
You checked the time on the TV, you were just in time for check-in at the hotel you were booked at. It had been provided by the organization behind the large event, and you weren’t sure what to expect.
As the limo pulled alongside a back street, you spotted an elevator a few feet from the curb. Taking another sip of your drink, you gathered your things and opened the large passenger door.
Stepping over the gap, you hoisted everything onto the sidewalk, fiddling with a few loose items before turning towards the long vehicle, shutting the passenger door, and leaning over to the driver’s side window.
“Thank you, Jeremy.” You called to the driver, a short imp with a bushy, white mustache. He only nodded at you through the shaded glass, before the limo began to pull away from the curb.
You turned towards the elevator doors, before taking a deep breath and stepping forward
After a few hours lounging around in your hotel room, the rest of your day was filled with preparations.
You spent the early hours at a very fancy restaurant, surrounded by other artists. They all looked Hellborn, although you were sure you couldn’t have been the only one who got granted access from Pride.
They all seemed relatively cheerful, sharing stories and techniques of their careers. You even shared some of your art with a couple of nice women that you were seated next to, the one that hung up at Ozzie’s.
“I saw those the other day! That was you? You are such a great artist!” One gushed, while the other two nodded their head in silent agreement.
“That’s really kind of you, but, I’m not that good,” you brushed off her compliment, hoping to change the subject to someone other than you. You refrained from telling them where you worked, or anything about you, really. They may be kind to you, but in Hell, that didn't mean their motives were pure.
The tension in the air was a little thicker than you would have preferred to, but some of your “competitors” came from nothing, and would go home to nothing, if they weren’t able to make a large enough income after tonight.
Arriving not too long after at the large building that would host the show only heightened your anxiety, as your eyes bounced from booth to booth that was being set up with paintings, pottery, and other mediums.
The interior looked like a giant convention center, the walls a blank white with gold trim, a perfect backdrop for the splash of color that was beginning to take shape across the multiple displays.
The booths looked like large cubicles, with tall partition walls separating each artist’s collection. Only the front, which one would be able to walk into the little square to observe the different pieces, was wallless. As you moved to your spot, you turned your head to catch a glimpse at the surrounding work.
Every piece that caught your gaze looked so amazing, and that only made doubt creep farther into your mind at how good you fared against some of these big names.
Most of the work was reminiscent of what you had done previously, back when you worked for Alexandre at his studio. Scenes of steamy interactions between two—sometimes up to five—lovers, angel exterminators with their chests gouged out, and landscapes of different locations across Hell.
You had expected it, and all of the pieces that you had brought with were from before your time at the hotel, or were painted with such thoughts in mind. The demons that had wallets to empty weren’t looking for cute scenes of bunnies and fawns, or angels in a good light, for that matter.
You worked tirelessly, placing your canvases against the walls, creating price tags, and trying to finish everything before the event officially started. You were making good time, and your worry was pushed to the back of your mind as you kept busy.
Which made you lift your head from your work, your eyes scanning the small crowd of workers and artists that bustled about. Some ran across the large, white marble floor as they shouted commands to the helpers.
Was he one of the imps who was helping set up the booths? You had no idea what he looked like in his disguise since he had altered it so only you could see through the lie. There was no familiar yellow gaze or rosy cheek spots that you could pick up from the mass.
He was either not here or was hiding from you. Your gaze flicked up the large clock, one more hour. You turned back to the task at hand, heart racing, and mind wandering as your hands lowered to another small canvas.
“Alright, people! We’re opening the doors, let's get this party started!” A voice rose above the chatter, signaling the beginning of the event. You lifted your head, it was starting already? Time really flew by.
Demons rushed past your display, running to their own assigned section with renewed vigor as loud footsteps echoed from the front of the building. Looking down, you tidied your outfit, the one Lucifer had mentioned earlier.
You had bought it weeks ago, but only revealed it to him right before you left. In your eyes, it wasn’t much different than what you normally do, except that it was much more formal and eye-catching. And, red. Apple red.
You definitely didn't expect Lucifer to react when his pupils turned to slits when you gave him a peak, or how he subtly wet his lips from beside you, his gaze traveling up your figure as he seemed to be picturing you in it.
Patrons began to fill the floor, the large growing louder as demons filed in, their eyes glinting with interest and excitement. Bird heads poked out from the crowd, the Goetia’s tall frames towering above most of the other attendees. They were definitely dressed like nobility, in dazzling robes that brushed against the tile as they moved with grace from booth to booth.
Their talons clicked rhythmically against the tile as they glided past your figure, their eyes landing on the portraits behind you were curious as some stopped before you.
Apart from the Seven Deadly Sins, they were directly beneath the Morningstar family, and were Lucifer’s most loyal followers. Did they miss their King’s presence in his absence? You figured most of them had yet to run into the fallen angel, even with his face slowly appearing across the realm.
Smiling widely, you greeted a few of them, stepping aside so they could take a closer look at your pieces. They slid past you, and your eyes landed back onto the crowd, scanning for anyone who resembled Lucifer, to no avail. Where was he?
“I like this one,” one of the Goetia spoke softly to her lover, pointing at an oil canvas depicting your idea of the River of Styx, the famous trail of water from Greek mythology that flowed into the underworld.
A little girl sat at the edge of the dark water as it flowed past, as if she was looking into the depths with longing. Her hand was outstretched, reaching towards the writing forms of grey, ghostly bodies that peeked from below the water’s surface. They held their arms out to her, begging for help, or perhaps for her to join them.
The girl was looking at a specific being underneath the surface, a mirrored image of her small figure, their face contorted in agony as it met her gaze. Tears pooled from the little girl's eyes as she stared at herself, one hand to her mouth in grief as she reached tenderly towards the sicky grey image that represented her inevitable fate.
The two birds stared at the price tag beneath the canvas, before their eyes met and the shorter male Goetia turned to you with a stack of cash in his hand. You practically bounced on your toes with happiness as you took the money with a bow of your head.
“Thank you! Please return later and someone will help you carry it out!” You waved farewell as they left, their gaze already locked onto some pottery sitting on display a few displays away.
This continued few another hour, a repetition of demons moving in and out of your booth to fawn over your different pieces. Some would occasionally pull out their wallet to purchase from you, while they complimented your craftmanship.
Even with everything going on around you, and answering any questions that were thrown your way, your eyes still kept gravitating to the bustling crowd. Your mind still sifting through every figure looking for any resemblance to Lucifer. He would have revealed himself to you by now, wouldn’t he?
He didn’t forget or anything… right?
After waving goodbye to another customer, you turned to see a red-headed demon sneaking past some patrons, before she reached your booth entrance, knocking softly on the thin walls. You turned, raising an eyebrow as she timidly stared up at you.
“Hi! I’m Anna… from the restaurant earlier. Do you remember me?”
You recognized her after a moment, and a smile bloomed on your lips. She was a quiet girl, her figure resembled that of a porcelain doll, her features painted onto the smooth surface that mimicked her skin.
Anna had sat diagonal from your chair at the restaurant, barely making a peep, but her eyes had followed your conversation with interest. You hadn't tried to speak to her, afraid she’d crack from the attention. She seemed fine around the large crowd now, though.
“Yes, that’s right. Hello, how can I help you?”
“I was just wondering if you had any extra ‘Thank You’ stickers that I could have? I’m going running pretty low.”
“Selling out quick, huh?”
“Ha-ha, sort of. My ceramics are pretty cheap though, definitely not close in value to something like your work.”
Heat crept onto your cheeks, and you smiled bashfully. Your skills were surely not that advanced to receive all this praise, it wasn't like you were some kind of prodigy back on Earth to deserve such kind words.
“Please, I’m sure your skills are equally matched. And, of course, let me go grab some for you!”
Turning, you reached into a box nestled against the wall a few feet away from you. You pulled out a small plastic bag full of smiley face stickers, before turning to face the young girl once more.
“Here, this should be enough, but if you need more you can always come back–”
Your sentence was interrupted when gasps erupted across the attendees, their eyes beelining to the front of the building. Even other artists and servants were getting a peek at the commotion as a crowd gathered at the main entrance.
Anna leaned outside of your display, her eyes squinted trying to get a look at what was going on. You stood next to her, straining your ears to catch any words from the whispers emanating from the onlookers.
‘Someone’s here.’
‘Could it be…?’
“Oh my Satan… it’s—!’
“Your Majesty!” A voice boomed above the crowd from a tall demon in a blue tuxedo squeezing through the guests, his little management pin sparkling gold as he moved to greet the newest arrival.
You tensed immediately, frozen in place, mouth agape, while Anna only became giddy beside you.
“Did you hear him?! I think the King is here!” She bounced excitedly beside you.
“The King..?” You whispered in disbelief.
“Y’know, Lucifer Morningstar? You’ve seen his royal portrait, haven’t you?”
‘Oh, I've seen much more than that,’ you wanted to reply.
Anna quickly scampered off, intent on getting a closer look at the grandiose figure as she moved through the murmuring nobles.
You could see his hat bobbing behind the much taller figures as he moved with grace, the hint of his white overcoat, and the red glint from the apple on top of his cane.
“Yep, it’s me! Your devilishly handsome King, come take a closer look if you don't believe me—woah there, not that close! Personal space still exists, thanks.”
You watched the top of his white hat move amongst the bodies of gawking demons, as they parted to let him stroll through.
It wasn’t until he came into view, with that all-too-familiar charming smirk that made your knees wobble. With those soft curls that framed his face that shimmered like the sun, making your heart flutter.
His yellow gaze scanned the crowd, but he wasn’t able to take a very long look before the blue-suited demon approached closer, bowing low before he cleared his throat.
“It is truly an honor to be in your presence once again, Your Majesty.”
“Of course it is,” Lucifer replied nonchalantly, straightening his posture.
“We didn’t expect to see you here tonight! It’s been a long time since our gracious ruler has been to our event… but nobody had any problem with that!” The demon quickly interjected, laughing nervously as he pulled on his collar.
“Yes, well, I've been very busy these past few years. Doing… important things, of course!” Lucifer nodded quickly, chuckling lightly as he spoke loudly, “So, I thought I’d drop by and take a look around!”
“What a wonderful idea!” The event coordinator clasped his hands together, before beckoning the fallen angel to walk along, “If you’ll please follow me, Your Highness, I can take you through everything we have to offer.”
Lucifer followed behind the man, all eyes on the floor tracking his every movement. Most lowered their heads in respect as he passed, the Goetia’s in attendance much more enthusiastic about it.
Quickly, you backpedal into your booth, your head whipping across the walls for any imperfections in your setup as your mind raced.
What was he doing here, as himself?! Why didn’t he tell you before, and what was his plan?
When Lucifer arrived at the first artist down the long line of make-shift walls, you could barely hear their conversations now that they’d stopped yelling so loudly
The artists bowed, their hands rubbing together in a soothing motion as they greeted their King. You heard the three chatterings lightly, as sweat beaded down your forehead in anticipation for him to get to you. Your booth was about five little cubicles down, he’d be at your ‘doorstep’ in no time.
Lucifer listened with only mild interest as each artist walked him through their different pieces. His gaze kept shooting away, looking for you, no doubt since you were busy hyping yourself in the corner.
Assuming he didn’t walk up to you and go ‘Hi babe!’ he would most likely treat you like everyone else here, and you’d have to do your best to keep suspicion low. That was hard, when his close proximity always sent goosebumps rippling across your skin, or your demeanor to change instantly.
He just had that energy that warmed you to the core, and you always ended up stupid and giggly by the end of the night in his presence. Hopefully, the anxiety of being surrounded by so many people would keep you cool.
It wasn’t until you could hear him in the display right next to you, did you shuffled to the front, hands clasped in front of you with a wide, professional smile. The patrons buzzed around you, most of them still eyeing the King with interest and awe, but some began slowly dispersing as they continued their tour around the building.
“And here, is one of our newest participants in the event. I believe they specialize in paintings of multiple forms, I’m sure you will enjoy their work, Your Majesty.”
You locked eyes with Lucifer just as he rounded the little corner to your booth, that charming smile only curving upward an inch as his gaze softened at the sight of you.
He stood beside the event coordinator who turned to you expectantly, his eyebrows raised as he waited for.. something.
You stared at him for a moment, before your posture straightened with a grimace and you leaned forward in a bow. This time, you made sure to keep your hand tucked beside you when doing so.
Shit, this was supposed to be you meeting the King of Hell for the first time! Your relaxed posture probably looked pretty insolent to the coordinator, thankfully, Lucifer paid no mind to any misstep ettique.
“Your Majesty, it’s an honor to be graced in your presence,” you spoke sweetly, smile widening more awkwardly now.
“It sure is, my dear subject,” Lucifer modded in agreement, a smirk playing on his lips as his gaze rose from you to the walls behind your figure.
“Golly, is this your art?” He gasped, placing a hand on his heart as his eyes drank in the pieces hanging around you.
“Yes…” you replied slowly, quirking a brow at his dramatics.
“Boy, let me tell you, these paintings are absolutely exquisite!” Lucifer gave a chef’s kiss, a loud smacking noise as his lips left his fingers.
His eyes flicked to the small crowd that was still congregating around your display, as they listened to his words intently. The fallen angel met your gaze once more, and gave you a sly wink, your eyes widened at his gesture.
‘Don’t you dare..’ You growled through a glare right as you saw that mischievous glint sparkle in his eye, he only stared back at you defiantly, before that devilish smirk curved even higher.
“Are you sure you aren’t Leonardo Da’Vinci; one of the greatest, most famous artists from the Renaissance?” Lucifer continued, twisting his head a tiny bit to subtly address the staring demons behind him.
The figures around you leaned in slightly, their eyes darting across your work with renewed interest as they listened to their King praise you with such grand words. Even the event coordinator lifted his head to get a better look at a painting, his gaze fixed intently as he practically breathed in the scene on the canvas.
“That is very generous of you, I’m sure you’ve seen much better in all of your years attending something like this.”
“Nope!” He replied confidently, and a few demons that were milling about stopped to get a look at your booth.
“Well, it seems like His Majesty is quite pleased with the display! Shall we see what the others have to offer as well?” The coordinator piped up, clapping his hands softly as he took control of the scene once more.
Lucifer turned with a large, exaggerated toothy grin on his face as he stared at the man with fake interest. He definitely didn't want to leave, but with so many eyes on him, expecting him to play the role he had so meticulously designed all his years in Hell, he could only begrudgingly oblige to follow the man out of your booth.
He turned his head slightly, shooting you an unreadable look as you watched him move on to the next booth.
It wasn't until you turned your attention away from Lucifer, did you caught a figure walking towards you, the man’s eyes trained on you as moved. He was about your height, muscles showing through the tight, green dress shirt that clung to his thick frame.
He had blonde hair, but not as bright as Lucifer's, more of a dirty blonde with hints of a red undertone. He resembled a man enough, other than a few animalistic features like the sharp fangs, pointed ears, and the black goat horns sticking out of his forehead.
“Oh, hello!” You greeted, smiling at the new demon who strolled up to you, “Interested in purchasing something?”
“Actually, I’m one of the people that’s doing the judgments tonight, the name is Ezekial.” The man smiled confidently, lifting a hand towards you to shake.
You shook it, your smile faltering on how sweaty this guy's palm was. When you tried to release your hand from his grip, he let his fingers linger against your skin before pulling away.
“Listen, I personally think your art is fantastic. Such care towards your work, honestly, elicits such emotions, like that one-–”
Ezekiel pointed behind you, to another small painting of two people in a deep kiss, their lust obvious as the man practically ate at the woman’s face. You turned back to him with a quirked brow as he sidled closer, and you could see a small balding spot on his scalp as he lowered his head.
“—it really fills the room with the same kind of emotions, I’m sure even you feel that… passion looking at it right now, don’t you?”
Was he shooting your bedroom eyes right now? What a weirdo. It’s not like you could do anything about it, he was going to decide your fate tonight, and that meant keeping friendliness with the demon.
“You’re too kind,” you responded with a pleasant smile, taking a step backward, “but you’re one of the people judging tonight's event, I’m sure my work is incomparable when it comes to your own.”
“Well, now that you mention it…” Ezekiel puffed his chest slightly, sidling closer to you once more, as he began to fill you in on practically his entire life story. A tight smile crept onto your lips, and you fought not to roll your eyes.
For some reason, he also enlightened you on the multitude of women he had picked up during his career, including the two failed marriages. Did he think that was supposed to entice you to sleep with him or something?
As he droned on, your eyes peaked past his shoulder, and through the demons behind you, you caught sight of a familiar, porcelain figure staring intensely at you.
You almost burst out laughing at the deep frown on his features, as he watched Ezekial only get closer to you as he continued his conversation. His pupils were dilated, honed in on the judge’s back as if he was intent on smiting him right then and there.
The event coordinator was busy blabbing in his ear, other demons around him also trying to get his attention, but his attention was solely on you.
Lucifer was jealous, no doubt. For some reason, that made you kinda giddy inside. The memory of what happened last time he got jealous played in your mind, the time you were thrust into a musical number before it ended in a hot make-out session.
You’ve been needy all day since speaking to him earlier in the morning, and that memory made you ache even more to feel his claws grazing up your thighs, his lips trailing down your stomach and–
Ezekiel only seemed to perk at your hot-and-bothered expression that seemed to seep through your placid smile, and his tone only deepened as he spoke to you. His arm above you, against the wall as he tried leaning seductively.
You felt the heat that was slowly building cool instantly at his demeanor. Did this guy realize he was standing around some of the most influential figures in high society? He didn’t think he was the top shit just because he was a judge, right?
When your gaze flicked back to Lucifer, his mouth was agape, eyes wide in horror as he watched the demon lean in towards you. Then, his face screwed up into a deadly frown, his hints of red peeking from his iris.
You quickly backpedaled away from Ezekial, turning abruptly right as another patron walked into your display, smiling widely in greeting. Ezekial only frowned at your sudden exit, before he was called away by another figure, irritation on his features.
You averted Lucifer’s gaze for a while, preoccupied with the larger number of demons coming up to speak to you about your paintings, their interest peaked ever since Lucifer’s little display of awe. You also noticed that your little cash pouch was continuing to bulge in size much faster than normal.
It wasn’t until your bladder began to knock on your insides did you realized how long you’d been standing there speaking with people. Your social battery was about to empty, your mouth was dry, and you really had to pee.
Excusing yourself, you crossed the floor, beelining for the short hall nestled in the back of the building. The restrooms were located there, and it was hidden from view and only accessible from two small entryways on either side. As you entered the darkened corridor, you breathed a sigh of relief, the harsh lights and the noisy atmosphere were finally drowned out by the thick wall
As you finished up in the bathroom, you splashed your face with cold water to drain some of the exhaustion from your features. You were definitely going to sleep good tonight.
Right as you exited the restroom and began moving down the hall, a tall, curvy woman brushed past you, you only were able to blink before she suddenly turned to face you with interest. She had a short, blue dress that showed all the cleavage. She sent you a sultry smirk as she looked up and down your figure.
“Hey, I know you, you’re that Leonardo Da’Vinci artist, right?
“Yes, I am,” you smiled respectively, holding in a sigh.
“Well, let me just say, I think you’re work is fucking stunning, babes,” she replied with a velvet tone, the top of her thighs beginning to peak slightly from her dress as she adjusted her posture, “and, the art definitely matches the artist.”
“Thanks,” you replied sheepishly, averting your gaze from her exposed skin.
“If you ever want to recreate some of your.. erotic pieces, just give me a call, I’ll be around all night,” she purred with a wink.
“Hey, babe! You comin’ or what?” You heard a masculine voice growl from the hall’s entryway, the light illuminating from the building's overhead lights casting a thick shadow from his large figure.
“I’m coming!” The woman huffed, and she turned to you with a giggle, “I’ll see you around, cupcake.”
Your mouth was slightly agape as you watched her saunter off, your brain short-circuiting at everything that had been happening.
Groaning, you rubbed a hand roughly down your face as the rhythmic clicking of the woman’s heels faded away. How much more crazy could tonight get?
“What are you doing over here?”
You jumped at the voice, pivoting sharply to face the figure basked in shadows. It was the yellow eyes that gave Lucifer away, as he stalked forward with an unreadable expression.
Did he listen to everything? You tense for a moment, before furrowing your brows. What did it matter? It wasn’t you making any advances.
“No, what are you doing here?” You pointed an accusatory finger at him, and he frowned at your gesture, “Here I was thinking you’d be in some kind of disguise, hiding amongst the servants or something, but then you just show up and just start running things? What happened to ‘I can’t handle big crowds’?”
“This is totally different,” he shook his head, waving his hand in a brushing motion as he leaned against his cane, “These are my most loyal subjects, who used to see me all the time when I was much more involved. Not to mention, they have class and a decent amount of manners. What I don’t like is being surrounded by depraved animals that spend their nights coked up and catching all sorts of diseases tangling with random strangers.”
He shivered at the thought, sticking his tongue out in disgust at the thought and you only sighed in defeat. Your man had a point.
“Fine, but I told you I didn’t want you to influence anything that happened tonight. That is kind of hard when you’re hyping my work up like I’m Leonardo re-incarnated.”
“Hey, those were all genuine reactions! And, I did pretend to have no connection to you. But, that was a bad idea, apparently, with all the looks you were getting right in front of my fucking face.” Lucifer growled, his fingers clenching the apple on his cane tighter as his cold gaze flicked to the corner where that woman had disappeared.
“I was not getting any looks,” you crossed your arms, huffing in disbelief. He was acting as if the whole building was ogling you, when they were clearly ogling him.
“You were! Some of those men were practically drooling all over you, not to mention how they kept scooting closer to you. I saw it all!” Lucifer averted his gaze, staring daggers at the wall.
He wasn’t mad at you, but he definitely wanted to throttle someone. More specifically, every man whose gaze ate up your figure hungrily while you spoke to patrons.
Thankfully, in the darkened corner of the building, the two of you were hidden from prying eyes for just a moment, where he could have you all to himself even for a few minutes.
“Please, you’re just exaggerating, what makes me good to look at?”
“Your outfit!” He replied quickly, his eyes tracing your figure hungrily as he explained with delight, “God, it really brings out your curves, especially with the way it hugs your waist. It makes your eyes pop too, and I just can't stop getting engrossed in them.”
He bit his lip, the sharp point of his teeth sticking out as he seemed to muster all his strength to keep from saying anything more. As if his words would only fuel the fire that was burning inside both of you right now.
“I look that good right now?”
“If I could have you right here, I would,” he breathed, his eyes hungry with need as he stared at you longingly.
Your skin practically sizzled with heat, and your legs felt gooey as his words filled your stomach with butterflies. This man was just good with his words, always surprising with you how his lowered voice twisted your insides and made you think all kinds of nasty thoughts.
Not to mention, you've been waiting to have him all to yourself the entire day! Was it so bad if it was only a few feet away from a large room full of nobility from across all seven rings?
Your gaze darted to an open door behind him, could that be a private room? That thought made your heart flutter, and the need to press your lips against Lucifer’s even more uncontrollable.
“Okay, then do it,” those commanding words left your lips before your brain could process the words.
“W-what? You mean right now, seriously?” The king sputtered in disbelief, you had always been vocal about privatizing your sex life, but tonight, you were feeling a little… bold.
“Don’t be a pussy.” You spoke with a honeyed tone as you batted your eyelashes, swinging your hips as you brushed past him, your arm grazing his shoulder tenderly.
That tingle of energy made goosebumps erupt against your skin, and you felt Lucifer tense, his breath hitching as you moved by toward the doorway. He cleared his throat just as you crossed the dark threshold into what seemed like a storage closet. Boxes and other items were stacked against the wall, and a desk holding nothing but dust sat on the other side of the small room.
Lucifer exhaled a breath that he didn’t even know he was holding in, as he followed you into the dark, dusty room. Once he stepped inside, he set his cane by the door frame and his overcoat hit the floor, before he pushed the door close behind him, locking it just in case anyone were to enter in the middle of your session.
You brushed the accumulated dust that was on the desk, not wanting to dirty your outfit so that you’d still have to show-off in afterward.
Once cleaned, you sit yourself on the surface while keeping your gaze fixated on the fallen angel. You watched every one of his movements, your hand supporting the weight of your body leaning back on the desk. Lucifer could practically feel his heart about to jump out of his skin as he approached your awaiting figure, his lean arms snaking around your waist before placed his lips on yours in a hungry kiss.
You fold your arms around his neck to pull him closer, fingers interlocked with his soft, blonde hair that you adore. You caught a whiff of his usual shampoo, that crisp apple aroma making your head spin and heat bloom in your stomach.
You deepened the kiss, hungry for more of him despite already being so intimate. His teeth grazed against your lips, a light tug on your soft skin as a plea for you to allow space for his tongue to enter.
Your lips parted with a soft mewl rolling off your tongue, a familiar wet muscle instantly pushed past your lips and into your mouth. Lucifer’s tongue collided with your own, drawing a groan from him as he pressed his hips against yours.
His erect is so obvious from a mere brush of your hips, that it almost made you giggle against his lips. He groaned from the light friction, hips involuntarily rocking against yours to get more of it. You whined into the kiss, moving your legs to wrap around his waist, pressing him closer exactly where you want him to be. You felt his hand creep under your shirt, his fingers caressing your flushed skin under the fabric. His touch is gentle yet possessive, almost feeling like he’s marking you from his touch alone.
“So pretty,” He mumbled against your jaw after pulling away from your moist lips. His breath hot against your skin, he pressed a trail of kisses from your jaw down to your neck. Lucifer drew his tongue out and attacked the sensitive spot on your neck; that one spot that always makes your body shudder.
He hummed against your damp skin, his teeth brutally abusing the spot by sinking deep into your skin. You moaned suddenly, fingers tugging on his hair which made his scalp burn. His hand that remained under your shirt traveled down to the waistband of your pants, cold fingers slipping through them in a teasing demeanor.
“You look so pretty in this outfit. Gonna keep ‘em on for me, hm?” His voice vibrated through your body and reached your core, clicking something inside of you. You nod eagerly, whispering a small ‘yes’ in response to his words.
You heard a muffled praise from Lucifer before feeling him pull your pants down, pushing them until they hang on only one side of your leg. Your forehead rests on his shoulder, gaze fixated on where his hand hurriedly unbuckled his pants. Judging from how he fumbled at the zip, you can tell he has been waiting for this all day impatiently.
A whine spilled from your lips as he pressed the tip of his length at your entrance, circling it at the area to spread his pre-cum just in case he might hurt you. He’s sensitive; just from pushing the tip in, he has already let out a loud groan while leaning his forehead against your shoulder. Your breath hitched at the stretch, body twitching occasionally as he carried on pushing the rest in inch by delicious inch.
Lucifer’s eyes screwed shut, enjoying every second of your warmth engulfing his erect that is now nicely nestled deep inside of you. Your nails clawed into him through his loose shirt, legs trembling while doing your best to adjust to his size. His tip is already pressed against that weak spot hidden inside of you, the sensation tightened the coil that formed in your stomach.
“G-gonna move, ‘kay? Tell if if you wanna stop.” He stumbled over his own words because of how good you felt, now moving his hips to thrust into you at a slow pace. You feel your walls burn, the pain bringing a sense of pleasure that coursed through your veins. Moans start spilling from your lips, your head growing into a blur as he gradually increases the pace of his thrusts.
He pushed you further onto the desk, allowing easier access to the sweet spot in you with his ferocious thrusts. His sharp teeth bite down on the flesh of your neck, lips attached to your skin as he sucked on the area continuously until dark spots bloomed. He repeated his actions, hickeys bloomed all over your exposed skin like flowers during the blooming season.
The fallen angel shows absolutely no mercy with his thrusts, fully projecting his jealousy into them instead of holding back. He rammed into you over and over again, the sound of your skin slapping echoing throughout the small room.
“Mine, mineminemine. All mine, yeah? Nobody can fuck you this way except me.” He growled while holding you close, drunk on the feeling of you clenching around him every time he hit the spot.
“Fuck, doing so good just for me. You like it? Being fucked into a moaning mess?”
All you could do was moan, nothing else. Words can hardly be formed in your mind let alone a proper sentence; your vision begins to turn white as your eyes roll to the back of your head.
His grin grew at the sight of your drool rolling down from the corner of your lips, feeling a sense of pride bubbling in his chest. You’re in this state because of him, everything you’re feeling currently is all thanks to him. He twitched at the thought alone, a string of curses fell from his lips as his grip on you tightened.
He mumbled something along the lines of ‘im close,’ or ‘gonna cum,’ into your shirt before lifting his head, crashing his lips onto yours once more in a hungry kiss. The kiss is sloppy; his tongue is unable to properly move with yours and the same goes for yours. He drinks up every one of your moans from the kiss, groaning from your sweet taste that he could never get enough of.
It only took a few of his hard thrusts until you clenched tightly around him with a sharp inhale of air, body trembled violently as you came undone. Lucifer quickly caught on with you, the tightness around him pushed him off the edge, hot strings of thick seed filling you up from the insides.
He reduced his pace significantly, now rolling his hips lazily to ride out both of your orgasms. It took a full minute before he slowly pulled out of you, watching the white liquid oozing out of you in the surrounding darkness. You both lean against each other, chest heaving heavily as the both of you try to catch your breath.
“Fuck,” you finally breathed, your face burying into his shoulder as the bliss subsided. How could a man make you come so undone in such a short amount of time?
Lucifer placed a hot, wet kiss against your temple as the two of you slowly straightened. Your bare ass was still on the wooden desk’s surface, its cool touch welcoming to the heat still bubbling inside of you.
Your thighs still ached as Lucifer adjusted the collar of his shirt, before he took a few steps towards an open box, piles of fabric nestled inside. Reaching in, he cleaned any stray dust from the small clothes surface, before handing it tenderly to you.
With an appreciative smile, you took it just as Lucifer walked over to grab his coat and cane. You cleaned yourself up as he straightened his bow tie, fixing his coat upon his shoulders. Before he turned to face your half-naked body as you began to change to look a bit more presentable.
“Are you sure you’re not an angel? ‘Cause those curves are otherworldly, baby,” Lucifer spoke softly as he strolled up to you. His drunken, half-lidded smile was evident on his face as his gaze traveled up your figure once more.
“Don’t you hear the stories?” You replied, honey dripping from your voice as your fingers reached his soft hair, grazing against his scalp as you pulled the strands back into his usual style, “How Lucifer was the most beautiful angel God ever made? How could I ever be similar to someone like you?”
“While I cannot argue with such a statement,” Lucifer laughed, staring adoringly at you as you fussed over his outfit, “If it were you in those paintings, instead of me, Michaelangelo would have been drooling.”
You smiled bashfully, pulling him closer for another deep kiss as you gripped his long collar. You could feel Lucifer’s smile against your skin as he peppered sloppy kisses down to your jaw, and goosebumps erupted across your skin.
Your hand clasped around his moving lips just as he was about to reach the crook of your neck, your mouth clamped shut to force down the moan in your throat as that heat in your abdomen returned slowly.
“Please?” He whimpered against your palm.
“Later,” you replied sternly, before peeling yourself off of the fallen angel. Your arm brushed against his as you maneuvered to walk behind him. Your hand connected with his ass, and you felt him straighten before shooting you a playful glare.
“How do I look?” You asked, one hand on the room’s doorknob and the other gesturing to your figure
“Do you even need to ask? Perfect, as always.” Lucifer cooed, strolling up to you just as the door cracked open and you peeked your head.
The hallway was dark and empty, and with another quick scan, you slipped quietly into the corridor, Lucifer on your heels.
“Well, I guess we should split up to not draw any suspicion. I’m sure everyone is wondering where you went.”
“They can wait,” Lucifer brushed your comment off, “You’re more important than these feet-kissers.”
You playfully hit him in the arm in scolding, and he grinned, his sharp teeth glinting in the faint light as you began to walk towards the large doorway at one end of the long hall.
“I’ll see you later, mon amour!” He called after you, before you heard the sizzle of his magic as he no doubt teleported away back into the crowd.
You sighed happily, adjusting your outfit once more as you crossed the threshold. The glaring lights cause you to squint your eyes as the volume in the room picks up, voices piling over one another until they become an inaudible mess in your head.
You only took a few steps before the dollish face of Anna appeared, a large smile on her face as she beelined for you. She was waving her arms excitedly in the air, trying to get your attention as she cut through the moving silhouettes.
She was moving so fast you thought she was going to ram into you, and you froze, tensing as she reached your figure. Her delicate hands curled around your forearms, shaking you slightly as she bounced in place. You stared wide-eyed at her eagerness.
“I’ve been looking for you, for like ever!” She finally squeaked, her smile only widening as she met your gaze.
“Why?”
“Didn’t you hear?! You won!!”
Your heart stopped, your breath hitching, as her words processed in your mind. You what?
The loud voices were drowned out, replaced by your jumbled thoughts. Won what? The award for ‘Best in Show’, that little prestigious trophy that had sat patiently at the judge's table all night? That was impossible! There were so many better artists here, surely someone else deserved the spot!
Yet, the way giddiness began to bubble up inside you, and your lips cracked into a wide, stupid grin at Anna’s words only made you a teensy bit thrilled to have taken the position instead of someone else. Was all your hard work finally paying off, was your creative voice finally going to be heard?
“I won..?” You weren’t sure whether to start crying with joy or run away and hide.
“Yes!! I’m sure the judges are waiting for you so they can present the award, c'mon we have to go! Everybody is probably eager to congratulate you!”
You felt Anna tugging at your arm, beckoning you to follow her across the room. Your eyes lifted into the crowd, before resting on that familiar, porcelain face that stared back at you.
His brows were raised, a smirk on his lips as he silently whispered ‘I told you so,’ through his gaze. He shot you two thumbs up, his eyes shining with pride. Not for him, but for you.
You sent him a warm smile, before his figure was obscured as another demon approached him. You turned your attention back to Anna, letting her lead you through the small groups of demons.
Your heart fluttered, that exhaustion that was ticking at the back of your mind fading as renewed vigor pushed your feet to move faster. And soon, you’d finally be alone once more with Lucifer, the most vibrant stroke on the canvas of your life.
As you walked, you passed by an elderly figure ambling across the room. You caught a brief glimpse of his features, enough for the recognization of the famous painter hit you in the face, making you almost halt in your tracks.
Was that Caravaggio?
sorry this was late :(!! i took an extra day or two to chillax and celebrated my bday, but i hope the word count made up for that!
and HUGE thanks to @silasours for writing the smut!! i was not feeling it this time but i really liked the idea and thankfully they swooped in to help! go check out their page if you want to see more hazbin works like that :)!!
also, i just realized i’ve written 100k words in less than 2 months?! like 😵💫 wowza that’s a lot! a whole ass book lmao
let me know your thoughts, have a wonderful day! 🦢
tag list 🏷️
@ohnoivefallen @doodlebob2726 @coleisyn @sukxma-archive @undertale-is-sansational @nehy019 @mixplara @chewbrry @yellowsubiesdance @airwolf92 @lxkeee @jellybellyrulez @catnoirsleftnut @mbruben-stein @mint129106 @froggybich @moonlovers34 @just-trash-yeah-thats-it @lil-bexie @lowkeyhottho @wings-of-sapphire @the-tortured-poet @enigmatic-blues @bethleeham @blue122 @cherry-4200 @azullynx @luzzbuzz @for-hearthand-home @helluvapoison @th3-st4r-gur1 @concentratedconcrete @cimadreamer @marsenbie @guacam011y @maxiskindahere @purplerose291 @koumieru @fictional-character-whore @0willowwisp0
#lucifer morningstar x reader#lucifer morningstar#hazbin hotel#lucifer x reader#hellaverse#hazbin hotel x reader
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Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible
This 1953 Muntz Jet convertible underwent a three-year custom build under previous ownership, and it was purchased by the seller in 2021. The car is powered by a fuel-injected 5.7-liter LT1 V8 engine paired with a four-speed automatic transmission and a Ford 9″ rear end, and it is finished in Apple Pearl with a white Carson-style removable top over gray snakeskin-style Naugahyde upholstery. Features include custom bodywork, an Art Morrison frame, power-assisted steering, four-wheel disc brakes, airbag suspension, Painless Performance wiring, and more modified and fabricated details. This custom-built Muntz is now offered with a copy of Rodder’s Journal magazine featuring a story on the build and a clean California title in the name of the seller’s business.
Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible
The steel, aluminum, and fiberglass body is mounted on an Art Morrison ladder frame that was boxed and finished in semi-gloss black, and the floor was raised 3″. The exterior was repainted in a Sherwin Williams two-stage Apple Pearl mixed by the late Stan Betz. Features include a chopped Duvall-style windshield, 1950 Chevrolet headlights, dual Appleton spotlights, 1951 Ford Victoria side windows, and a white removable Carson-style top fabricated to match the height of the chopped windshield. Additional equipment includes color-matched rear fender skirts and chrome bumpers. Wear from fitting the top is noted on the rear deck.
Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible
Steel wheels sourced from a 1976 Dodge measure 15″ and are mounted with Cadillac Sombrero-style covers and whitewall tires. A matching spare fitted with a BFGoodrich Silvertown tire is mounted within a rear-mounted Continental-style chrome carrier. A Mustang II front end accommodates power rack-and-pinion steering , and the car rides on an electronically-adjustable Air Ride Technologies airbag suspension system along with 2” lowered front spindles, Strange Engineering tube shocks, a rear Panhard bar, and front and rear sway bars. The seller reports that the front control arm bushings were recently replaced.
Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible
Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible
Braking is handled by GM G-body-sourced calipers matched with Ford Granada discs up front and Ford SVO-specification calipers and discs at the rear.
Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible
The cabin was customized by Jim’s Auto Trim of San Diego, California, and features Glide bucket seats and a rear bench trimmed in gray snakeskin-style Naugahyde upholstery, along with matching treatments for the dash trim, headliner, and door panels. Additional equipment includes a 1952 Lincoln steering wheel mounted to a shortened Lincoln steering column, gray cut-pile carpet, and a Pioneer stereo housed within a custom center cubby.
The engine-turned “Hollywood” instrument cluster houses Stewart Warner gauges consisting of an 8k-rpm tachometer, a 160-mph speedometer, and auxiliary readings for fuel level, battery charge, oil pressure, and water temperature. The five-digit odometer displays 25k miles, though total chassis mileage is unknown. A Lokar pedal assembly was fitted during the build.
Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible
The Corvette-sourced 5.7-liter LT1 V8 features a polished fuel intake manifold along with billet aluminum valve covers, and additional features include an Opti-Spark distributor, a Griffin aluminum radiator, and a wiring loom sourced from Painless Performance Wiring. A set of long-tube headers are connected to a 2.5″ exhaust system equipped with dual Dynaflow mufflers. The seller reports that the oil was recently changed.
Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible
Power is routed to the rear wheels via a four-speed 4L60E automatic transmission and a Ford 9″ rear end with with 3.55:1 gears and Strange Engineering 31-spline axles. Additional photos of the underside, drivetrain, and suspension components are presented in the gallery below.
Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible
The car was featured in issue #36 of Rodders Journal magazine
#Custom 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible#Custom 1953 Muntz Jet#Muntz Jet Convertible#Custom Muntz Jet Convertible#Muntz Jet#Convertible#car#cars#muscle car#american muscle
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Play it Sweet
2PALASTOR x Diabetic Fem!OC
(indicate OC's thoughts)
This chapter is all smut! Minors be warned DNI
Content warning!! Blood play ahead. Al lets his demonic side out. That scene is marked for those that wish to skip.
4___________ Sweeten the Deal
“Ahh…” That soft staticy voice registers first as your consciousness returns from the best night of sleep you’d had in a while. The weight of a tight embrace, which grows slightly tighter, floods your system next. The room is still dark, save for a slight blue aura you can see from behind you that blinks in and out. “Mmm…”
As your awareness reaches its peak, you realize exactly what is going on.
“Mmm…Ahh…” Another mewl escapes him as you feel the gentle pressure of his cock sliding between your ass cheeks. You giggle a little and feel him tense a bit behind you. “I-I-I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” Hiis shift in the middle of his sentence causes him to moan and elongate the ‘ay’ sound..
“Didn't get enough yesterday?” You ask with another giggle.
“N̷̞̩͇̈͋ḙ̷͆̊̾v̴̡͘e̶̢̋r̸͕̹̆͘͝.” his voice cracks with static as he pulls you in so tight against him that it's a bit hard to breathe. “Uuuhh…” He moans, but it comes out as more of a growl.
You laugh and take hold of his wrist, gently pulling his hand down the front of your body. Lifting your leg slightly, you guide Al’s fingers to your clit, which he begins circling with no hesitation. You feel his breath against your neck, followed by insanely soft kisses. Each one sends sparks along your skin, making your heart race in anticipation. You arch your back, pushing your ass against him.
“Ahhh, feels s-s-so g-g-good!” It doesn't take much more before you are feeling just as desperate as your deer boy. You lift your leg back over his hip to help him get in position but he beats you to it, knowing exactly what to do. “I-I am not going to l-l-last long.” He warns, and you know he is about to apologize, so you cut him off.
“I am yours to play with. Have fun~...” You moan as he pushes himself inside you, and he gives you a kiss on the cheek as he lets your body acclimate before he begins thrusting in deep and slow. His soft moans right by your ear send your senses into overdrive. “Ooohhh, Al!” You can already feel the pressure building in your core. “Fuuuuck!”
You reach behind you, grabbing his hip as he continues slightly faster. The sound that exits him as you touch him is nothing but pure ecstasy as you feel him twitch. That's all it takes to send you over your own edge. You can hear him let out a soft, “Oh,” with each pulse of your core as you come down from the quickest orgasm you've ever experienced.
“W-woah.” You breathe out as he pulls himself out and gently readjusts you to lay on your back. A very fucked-out grin adorns his face as he looks down at you.
“‘Woah,’ indeed.”
You both find yourselves laughing until he pulls you into a kiss.
“Goodmorning my sunshine!” He slides off your futon. (Is that a tail?) He looks around, finding your robe hanging on a coat rack. He slips into it, and before you can open your mouth to ask what you're going to wear, he tosses his blue shirt to you. You giggle and adorn yourself, swimming in the length of it, while your robe is so short on him. You stare at his rear as he walks toward the kitchen, his ass fully exposed due to his tail holding up the hem of the robe. It takes a lot of self control not to go grab it, but you refrain knowing the reaction it would invoke. (I need some fuel in me before I go starting that up again.)
“I owe you pancakes!” He gives you a wink, then he snaps, causing the lights to come on in the cottage and your stereo system to come to life. The electro rock you had been listening to before having company filling the air. He pauses and listens for a moment. “Interesting.” He steps in time to the beat while traversing the kitchen as he begins exploring the cabinets, gathering the needed utensils. He taps the fridge handle twice, causing a green flash of light, and you gasp over his shoulder as he opens the door to a fully stocked fridge.
“I said you needed to be properly supplied.” He says with a shrug and kisses you before turning to gather the necessary ingredients.
“I'll be honest.” You say softly.
“I don't want anything else.” He quickly adds.
You blink for a moment processing his comment.“Noted. Um.” You give a slightly nervous laugh and fidget with the hem of his oversized shirt on your thighs. “I haven't had anyone cook for me. Usually, I do it.”
“A treat for you! Though, I'd love to try your cooking too.” He plants a quick kiss on your lips and goes back to preparing breakfast.
“Well I can at least make some coffee.”
“I tend to prefer tea.”
“Ever had a Dirty Chai?”
He pins you against the counter so fast it makes you yip. You giggle at his excitedly twitching ears.“What makes it dirty?”
“Not that kind of dirty, deer.”
“Aw.” His ears droop as he goes back to cooking.
“Let's at least get through breakfast before another go at it.” You laugh. “I need the boost in blood sugar anyway.”
You make each of you a café concoction. His head rests on your shoulder, watching as you steam the milk. You offer him a sip, and he makes a, “Mmm,” as he nuzzles into your neck before going back to his pancakes, “it's coffee and tea together! Perfect wake up for a perfect morning!”
After a bit he places a plate of absolutely perfect looking pancakes in front of you before taking a spot next to you with his own plate. “S-so you mentioned blood sugar y-y-yesterday, too.”
“Yeah, I am diabetic.”
Al turns, giving a confused look. “I do not have experience with that….”
You can practically see the wheels turning in his head as you finish eating. He gets an excited look that falls back into concern as he turns from the dishes to see you dripping blood onto a test strip. He swallows hard. “D-d-does that mean your b-b-lood tastes sw-sweet?”
“Why don't you tell me…?” You hold your hand out with your middle finger still bleeding. You don't even register his movement before he is aggressively sucking the small bit of blood escaping from your pricked finger. “Ow.”
His ears fall flat against his head as he releases your finger and pulls you close to him. “I'm s-sorry, I lost c-c-control there.”
Laughing, you kiss his cheek .“It's alright, sooo, is it sweet?”
“Yes!” His eyes widen and his mouth waters a little.
“You want more?”
“W-what?”
You hold up your wrist. “You want more?”
“You’d l-l-let me?”
“I mean technically you could make me, with how I agreed to our deal. Regardless, yes, I want you to.”
-----------------CW: BLOOD PLAY----------------
His face regains that manic smile as he licks his lips. Wasting no time, he pulls you into his arms and sinks his teeth into your wrist. You let out a sound somewhere between a whimper and a moan. His eyes open and look over at you, catching the smile on your face. He begins unbuttoning the shirt that covers your naked body, releasing the grip of his teeth on your skin to let the fabric drop off your shoulders onto the floor. Grabbing your bleeding wrist, he crosses your arm over your body, letting the blood trickle from it onto your breasts. His eyes jump from each drip, to your naked form, and up to your face.
“I̷ ̷w̴a̷n̶t̷ ̴t̵o̵ ̴p̴l̸a̶y̴.” His voice is drenched in static.
“Then I am your toy.”
“No, no, no! Your boss is my toy…I don't treat my toys nicely…you are my–my…” He looks away for a moment, then locks his gaze with yours with such intensity you can feel it in your soul. “You're just m̷̗̘͓̪̞̀̀ȉ̶̮̗͓͂n̴̻̮̦̙̍̌̋̽̍é̶̘̖̫͙̈́!” Next thing you know, you’re landing with your back against the futon.
Seeing him like this reminds you of his truly demonic origins, blood dripping from his manic smile filled with sharp teeth and eyes glowing so bright you have to force yourself not to blink. You notice his antlers have grown almost double in size, branching out into a full rack.
He slams his mouth down onto yours, biting your bottom lip, which releases a small amount of blood that he eagerly sucks away. Caged under his giant form, you watch him leering down your now blood-drenched flesh.
“Ä̴̼l̸͚̗͂̇l̵̼̩̉̇ ̴̫̇̂m̴̹͙͂i̵̲̓̂n̶̩͍̐̾è̷̝.” His voice is laced with so much static you only understand him by reading his lips.
It registers that he’d shed the robe at some point as he is letting the blood from your wrist drip over his erection. (This shouldn't be turning me on so much, right?) He licks over the bite mark on your wrist and clamps his hand over the wound, using his magic to cauterize the wound. He pins both your wrists down beside your head as he slams his blood-slicked cock into you, eliciting a scream from your lips.
“M̶̩̬͆̀ù̸̡̖͛s̷̢̹͎͛̀i̸̳̩͒c̶̰͆̆ ̶͍͎͓̆͗t̵̺̄̚͜͝ͅǫ̶̔ ̵͙̥͎̈́͂m̷̮͈͖̓͑y̵̤͛ ̶͉̘͜͝e̸̥̋͝a̵͉̓̅͝r̸��͖͒s̶̢̟̜͋̂͊.” His voice is so different now, static dripping with a sinister tone, but you can tell that underneath it all, it's still Al. Breathing heavily, you look into his eyes. You understand why Al wanted to be in control of himself before, but at the same time you accept this side of him just the same. (I hope he understands that when he is like this.)
He sits up, tipping your hips as he begins pumping into you hard and deep. You scream every time he bottoms out. One of his hands continues to hold your wounded wrist while the other begins spreading the blood on your chest around. He grabs your chin, leaving the blood on your face, then runs a thumb over your bottom lip, which you immediately lick off.
“G̵̱̽͒ớ̷̪̲͂ò̶̮̞͛d̷̨̺̥̿̾̕ ̵̖̹̰̏̈̈́g̵̫̜̖͂í̸̖͓̫͒͝r̷̨͕̣̎̒͝l̶̨͔̜̀̎̌.” Those growled words explode in your mind as your body convulses from the combination of pain and pleasure being elicited by the insane strength of his thrusts. He releases a guttural moan that you can feel vibrate from every point of bodily contact, increasing his speed, the rhythm becoming erratic. He licks the blood off your chest and begins another rough kiss.
“S̶̠̈́-̴̡͗s̶̙̄ő̶̹ ̴̰̿f̴̥̀u̷̘͛ç̵̌k̴̠̈́i̸̗͂n̸̍ͅģ̷̕ ̶̠̅d̴͓̂e̶̤͗-̵̫͑d̴̠̔ẽ̶̗l̵̦̅i̸̲̚c̶̞͂ī̷̩ò̴̪u̷̟͐s̷͔̓.” You can’t focus your vision and you’re unable to discern his features, but you can hear his breaths becoming ragged.
“M̸̡̦̤̊̔͝͝i̸̠̝͍̖͆̊̚n̴̛̻̝͒̾̍é̸̲̈́!̵̖̩͂͛͝ͅ ̴̝̳͑̃͜͝Á̴̱l̵̯̣̺͙̚l̵̺̬͑͜͝ ̸̖͠͠Ḿ̶̡͈́͋͘ì̷̡̟͓̀̂̇ǹ̴̡̤̭̕e̸͈̤̅̔̂̚!̶͖͒̽” He growls low and staticy in your ear as he cums violently, releasing his essences inside of you, falling on top of you, slightly shaking.
-------------------CW: END-------------------
Your awareness comes back in a blink when you feel something drip onto your chest where his face is laying. You lean up and kiss the top of his head, which he lifts up looking into your eyes, his own overflowing with tears.
“Y-you wanted me n-n-ot in control.” He pauses and looks at the blood all over your body “Are you o-o-ok?”
“I am fine, Al.” You gently take his face in your hands and give him a gentle kiss. “I know your still holding back.”
He whimpers. “Human bodies are delicate. I can't risk it while being with a human.”
You let out a soft hum to indicate your understanding as you wipe his tears away. (Can't argue that point.)
“I guess that will just be something to see once I join you in Hell, hmm?” The comment is more for yourself than him, but you feel him squeeze you slightly in response to your soft spoken words.
“We made a bit of a mess.” You laugh as you speak.
“We?”
“You didn't do this by yourself, sweetheart. Let's take a shower. We will need to be ready to head to the library soon, anyway.”
He simply nods and follows you to the bathroom, watching you in curious awe as you turn the water on and pull him in with you.
“Th-th-is is Earth, r-right?”
“As far as I know.” You look back over your shoulder while you respond. The water begins to run pink as your chest enters the stream. “Why do you ask?”
“You don't seem human…You weren't afraid of m-m-me; you t-talked to me like you enjoyed it; y-you didn’t fight when I kissed you, and you let me h-hurt you…. As if you l-liked it!” His eyes go wide as you turn to face him with a huge smile.
“I did like it, Al. I am not a typical human, and you're not the first demon that I have spoken to, though you certainly are the nicest. What I said about wanting company wasn't an empty request or a lie. Congratulations, you're the first summoned entity to actually fulfill that role!” Your laughter echoes within the shower stall. “Never thought I'd have so much in common with a demon.” You begin to wash him and find his fluffy blue tail wagging out of control. Gently running a finger over the top of it, he sputters, and before you can react, a passionate kiss paired with a jump has you being held against the shower wall with Al’s cock sunk back into your swollen cunt, his frenetic bucking causing you to bounce while alternating between laughter and sputtered utterances of his name.
“C-can’t be Earth….M-m-must be.. be H-Heaven.” You're not sure how he is able to talk now that he is supporting your full weight, having pulled you from the wall to envelope him with your body. You plant small kisses along his neck and shoulder, each one rewarded with a pleasured whimper from his lips.
“Our Heaven!” You wail, rocking against his hips as you ride out yet another orgasm.
“Our Heaven!” He gasps in agreement as he comes undone. leaning back against the wall he takes a moment to recover. He looks so happy as he gazes at you, before he starts kissing you, and you both begin laughing between the touches of your lips. Finishing up in the shower and turning off the water, you’re met by Al wrapping you in a fluffy towel upon your exit. You giggle and look at him, knowing full well you have fallen hard in just one night. By the look he gives you in return, you feel (hope) he shares your sentiments.
“We better pick up the pace. We don't want to start out on the wrong foot by being late.”
2PALASTOR original design:
#alastor smut#2p alastor#alastor x reader#2p!alastor#hazbin hotel x reader#hazbin alastor#hazbin hotel#alastor
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If I Was a Rich Girl: Haitani Brothers x OC's
Synopsis: After experiencing the Bloody Halloween fight and taking interest in Zoe and Valerie, the Haitani brothers decide to take them out on a well needed shopping spree.
brief mentions of bajixOC (Valerie), SFW
this is an excerpt from my sequel to REVERSE. The fic is called IN TIME by @zerokurokawa on Wattpad if anybody would like to check it out. It takes place during the Tenjiku timeline.
Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani blared on the radio as we went to meet Rindou and Ran at a store in Roppongi.
"SEE I'D HAVE ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD, IF I WAS A WEALTHY GIIRRRLLLLLL," Zoe and I danced and sang along as she drove into the parking lot. Zoe put the car in park and we immediately saw the brothers get out of their white BMW. It was a nicer model; even had a Bluetooth stereo system.
Rindou came up to me first, wearing a designer hoodie and some nice jeans with white sneakers. Oddly enough, he didn't have his glasses on and wore a silver chain around his neck. Ran was suited up in a designer sweatsuit as he walked over to Zoe, embracing her in a one armed hug.
I had brought enough money to buy a few things if I absolutely had to have them. I had no idea what to expect with these guys, and was caught off guard by the store we had walked into. The store was very classy, elegant almost, and most definitely not what Zoe and I were used to. Designer bags, clothes, jewelry, and shoes lined the walls and the floor. I looked at one of the price tags of a purse and it read over 50,000 yen, the equivalent to about $320. Needless to say, I put that purse down very quickly.
"You like that?" I heard Rindou come up behind me and ask.
"It's a little out of my price range," I laughed, "I wouldn't dare carry this around in fear of being robbed."
"You wouldn't have to worry about that much, especially if it's known that you both are with us." He said confidently. I looked at him and smiled. Was he really insinuating that he would protect us simply with his reputation? Maybe I was underestimating the power of the Haitani brothers to begin with though.
I walked over to the dress section to see a black mini dress with thin straps in my size. It had what looked like glitter sprayed all over it, giving it a glimmering look as it shined in the light of the store. This would look great on me, I thought. I checked the price tag - 90,000 yen = $575. Absolutely not, I wouldn't even dare to try this on.
"Try it on." Rindou smiled as he took it off the rack. I shook my head no and went to walk away. He grabbed me softly by the wrist and said, "I bet it'll look stunning on you."
I finally agreed to try on the dress and stepped out of the dressing room. Rindou turned and stared at me with a smirk on his face.
"Beautiful. You have to get it, wear it to our next party!" He said as he came up to me.
"I uh, can't afford this, Rindou." I smiled sheepishly.
"I can. I said I was going to treat you today, didn't I?" I turned to look at the floor as he stepped over closer to me. I noted our height difference. It wasn't much, but he was more built than Baji was. He could probably pick me up and throw me across the parking lot if he wanted.
"I can't allow you to pay for this, Rin." He smirked at the nickname I gave him. I went back into the changing room, not before snapping a quick, but cute selfie in the mirror, and changed. I brought the dress back out and he immediately took it from me.
"Now, what are you gonna do? Come snatch it from me?" He smirked. He was a master at flirting.
"Rindou, please, don't..." I was laughing and blushing at the same time as I was trying to grab the dress back from him and put it on the rack. That's when he walked away to the register and I saw him pull out a wad of cash. He paid for the dress and handed me the bag.
"Rindou!" I exclaimed, "What the hell! That was like, 90,000 yen!"
"I'm aware, I paid for it." He smiled and tugged on my shirt, pulling me closer. I didn't know how to feel but happy and a little nervous at the same time. He was older, hot, rich, strong, and yet, I still felt an insane guilt come over me.
I shoved the thoughts away as he looked me dead in the face and asked, "Are you going to be okay or do I need to take you home?" I tilted my head in response. I thought that maybe he should just take me home, but I didn't want to disappoint him after he just spent so much money on a dress just for me to wear to a party I wasn't sure I'd even be able to go to.
"I'm fine..." I lied through my teeth. I wasn't fine. The constant reminder of Baji kept flooding my head as I continued to subconsciously flirt with Rindou. He was inches away at this point, towering over me.
"Are you sure? We can leave if you-" I interrupted him.
"I promise, I'm okay." I smiled a bright smile. I thanked him by doing something I never knew I had the courage to do - by kissing him on the cheek. I instantly felt the grueling coldness of guilt slide over my brain as I pulled back. He looked at me in shock, but then smiled and put his hands on my waist and leaned in to my ear.
"I'll buy you the entire world." He whispered. Our moment was quickly ended as Zoe and Ran walked up with loads of stuff ranging from shoes to skirts and handbags. In total, Ran spent about 200,000 yen on Zoe alone, once again, the equivalent to about $1200. Zoe had no shame, but at the same time, she really liked Ran and had spent a lot of time getting to know him.
We walked out of the store - I had one singular bag that Rindou held for me and Zoe had multiple bags that Ran held for her. Who knew that these big, tough, scary brothers were also soft, sweet, and gentlemanly.
#tokyo revengers#chifuyu matsuno#baji keisuke#emma sano#mikey sano#izana kurokawa#kazutora hanemiya#kakucho hitto#sanzu haruchiyo#mitsuya takashi#tenjiku#bonten#rindou haitani#tokyo manji gang#toman gang#tokyo revengers toman#toman mikey#toman x reader#baji x reader#keisuke baji#tokyo revengers baji#tokyo rev fluff#haitani ran#haitani brothers#ran haitani#haitani rindou x reader#haitani x reader#shion madarame#tokrev#tokyo revengers spoilers
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A War of the Heart - Chapter One | Luke Alvez x Fem! Reader
Next Chapter
Chapter Summary - Thirteen years ago, somewhere between the rolling desert and the trenches, you fell in love with your superior officer. Now he’s being introduced as the newest member of your team and feelings from the past are sure join him.
Category - heavy angst | smut | eventual happy ending
Content Warnings - talk of war time, superior / subordinate relationship, age gap (not a big one though), build up to smut, making out, some Spencer x Reader, mostly just set up.
Word Count - 3.7k
Chapter One
2010 - Diyala, Northeast Baghdad
The big thing they don’t tell you about serving overseas in the military is that a lot of the time, it was actually surprisingly normal. Sure, you’d spent time fighting in the trenches and on the frontline, but on the whole, army life was so much more ordinary than you’d expected.
A lot of your days were spent sweeping roads for bombs, or patrolling neighbourhoods, sometimes even visiting police and defence forces. Sometimes they were spent at the practice range or even in the little, but always busy, office building on your compound. Evenings entailed eating with your fellow rangers, sometimes playing a game of soccer in the dusty Earth out front. It had surprised you at first, but after all your years of active duty, you would relish in the mundane moments, knowing they never lasted all that long.
You’d been just twenty years old when you’d made the decision to sign up to the 75th Rangers Regiment. You’d always been a little wayward, never having much focus or a dream of where you saw your life going. Joining the army was a whim if you were perfectly honest, but now you’d been doing it for some four years, you couldn’t imagine yourself doing anything else.
Basic training had been anything but easy, between the rigorous physical training, combat skills, and weaponry training, you’d sometimes wondered what the hell you’d gotten yourself in for. It was the most difficult thing you’d ever put yourself through, but the sense of pride you felt after making it through those ten weeks was like nothing you’d ever felt before.
The army was probably the first place you ever felt you belonged. It challenged you every single day but you adored it with all of your heart. You’d made friends, some more akin to family. Non-military personnel didn’t understand what active duty was like, not the way a fellow soldier did, so you knew no one else outside of the army would ever get you the way they did. The army was your home, the rangers were your kin.
The small shower in your containerised housing unit hummed as it spat luke-warm water out of its faucet. The pressure wasn’t terrible, and the lack of hot water was often a godsend when you spent your day in the blistering desert heat in full fatigues. You let it roll over your skin, caressing you with its beads. You stayed under the flow maybe a little longer than was necessary, enjoying the privacy the private bathroom allowed you.
The housing on camp was admittedly better than some you’d lived in. Each soldier inhabited half of one of the prefabricated containers, separated from the other half by a large burlap curtain which offered some solitude even if they weren’t at all soundproof. You’d adorned your walls with a few posters, you had a little stereo system set up. It wasn’t like being at home, but it wasn’t half-bad.
You finally forced yourself to shut off the shower and stepped out onto the tiled floor, grabbing up your towel from the rack. Wrapping it around your body, you padded out from behind the curtain that divided the bathroom from the rest of the room.
A set of eyes stared at you from where he sat on the edge of your cot but you weren’t startled to see him. You mentally cursed yourself for not hearing him come in but you weren’t shocked by the intrusion.
He pushed himself to his feet when you entered the room, still in his cargo pants and tight fitting t-shirt that had probably been white when he donned it that morning. His bearded face was covered in smudges of dirt still, as were his strong bare arms.
“Sarg,” you wrapped your arms around your body, still dripping wet from your shower. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
“It’s been a hectic few weeks.” He spoke in that slightly rugged, New York drawl of his.
“It has.” You agreed as he took a few steps closer to you. “You look like hell, sergeant.” Your lip twitched at the corner into a smirk, knowing you’d never get away with talking to another sergeant the way you did him.
He chuckled that deep, wall shaking laugh of his, rubbing his hand over his messy facial hair.
“I feel like hell.” He countered, coming to a stop right in front of you. “But I can think of a few things that would perk me up.”
When his large, calloused hands raised up and clamped down on your bare shoulders, a shudder passed up your spine the way it always did when he touched you.
“But what about…” you nodded your head towards the flimsy burlap excuse of a wall.
“Don’t worry about Reynolds, he owed me one. I told him to go and keep himself busy for an hour.”
“You need a whole hour, huh?” Your smirk grew as he moved dangerously closer to you. He smelt like sweat and dirt and it was intoxicating.
“It’s been three weeks, Y/L/N.” He hissed, pressing his body flush against yours while his hands started down your biceps, barely ghosting your skin.
You clamped your legs together, feeling a heat spreading between them.
“My point exactly. You’d think after all that time you’d only need a few minutes.” You teased him.
Another thing they didn’t tell you about was that the intrinsic need for human connection didn’t go away just because you were serving overseas in the military. If anything, it was heightened, the need to feel close to someone was multiplied to the Nth degree under such harrowing circumstances. And you’d found that in the arms of someone who was technically your boss, most certainly your superior.
He was six years your senior with much more military experience under his belt. You’d met on your first day of deployment on this tour and from the moment he shook your hand, you’d felt the heat between you. It had taken less than two weeks for that heat to boil over. The first time he’d kissed you, you’d pushed him away out of instinct mostly due to the fact he was a sergeant and you were a private.
“We can’t do this. You’re my boss.”
But he hadn’t been deterred, he simply chuckled, a sound that would never not make you weak at the knees and kissed you again.
“You find me attractive?”
“Yes.”
“If I wasn't your superior, would you want me to kiss you?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s take rank off of the table, Y/L/N.”
Honestly that was all he’d had to say for you to allow him to take you to bed and it hadn’t been the last time. It had been some nine months now and you couldn’t say no to him if you tried.
One of his hands took purchase now on your waist, nails digging into the tawny fabric of your towel. His other travelled back up your arm and came to a stop on the item around your neck. It was a light, silver chain with a thin silver diamond encrusted antique ring hanging from it. He let his fingers brush over the pendant briefly before he suddenly cupped your jaw.
He held you in a way that was firm, not rough enough to hurt, but enough that told you, in no uncertain terms, that you belonged to him. As if you didn’t already know that. It forced you to look into his deep, dark eyes which had a habit of making you melt. He was gorgeous and he knew it. He could probably have any woman here but for some reason he’d chosen you.
His breath fanned across your face as he edged closer but he didn’t kiss you. His lips barely brushed over your own, causing an involuntary whimper to leave your throat. It made him laugh, he loved teasing you to the point you were a goddamn puddle in front of him. By day you were a strong, fierce army private, but in his presence you were a blithering mess, sometimes quite literally begging for him.
His lips moved across your cheek but didn’t quite touch your skin and then ghosted over the shell of your ear. His hand fell from your face to your chest where your towel was secured. With one flick of his wrist, the towel came undone and you let it drop to the floor, pooling at your feet.
He moved his head back a little, eyes casting down over your body that he’d long ago memorised every curve of. When he moved back closer to you, his lips once again brushed against yours, another pathetic whimper leaving your mouth.
He still didn’t kiss you as he brought his hands to your hips and gripped them securely, tugging you even closer so you could feel his growing erection through his pants.
“I’ve missed you.” He mumbled, his gentle tone a stark contrast to the way he held you.
You raised your arms and wrapped them around his neck.
“I missed you too, Sarg.”
He used his grip on your hips to drag you towards your bed where he pushed you back to the slightly hard mattress. You stared at him through hooded eyes and he smirked down on you while quickly dragging his t-shirt up his torso, over his head and tossing it somewhere behind him.
Small beads of sweat rolled down his hard abs, more dirt smeared across his defined chest. He was a work of art, there was no other way to describe him. It was as though he was sculpted, moulded into the perfect human form. His lip quirked into another smirk as he watched the way you looked him up and down.
“Like what you see, huh?” He chuckled, unbuttoning his cargos and slipping them over his ass and hips before letting them fall down his legs and stepping out of them.
“More so every time I see it.” You told him truthfully.
He laughed again but you knew by the look in his eyes that he could see right through you. Keeping his boxers on for the time being he finally climbed into your cot on top of you. He stroked your wet hair back off of your face and for a moment the lust in his eyes was replaced by something else.
“When do you leave?” He whispered, a knowing look in his eyes.
It was possible he could have heard on the grapevine, but you knew better. You found he often knew you better than you knew yourself. You’d clearly given it away in something you’d done or said. He was very apt at reading you.
A helicopter buzzed overhead, the walls rattling a little as it did so. You both ignored it, focused only on each other.
“How did you know?” You decided to ask to buy yourself more time.
“You’re never so nice to me,” he smiled a little sadly. “Normally if I asked you something like that you’d call me big headed or cocky. You’ve never once complimented me like that. So when do you leave?”
He was too astute for his own good, so much smarter than people gave him credit for.
“Five weeks. I’m being reassigned.”
“Where?”
“Afghanistan.”
You felt his chest heave with a sigh from his position on top of you and his eyes conveyed his sadness. But as quickly as it appeared it seemed to vanish again and he forced himself to smile.
“Well then,” he inched closer to you. “I guess we better make the most of the time we have left.”
He took hold of your face once again and butterflies erupted in your stomach as he got closer and closer, desperate for him to plant one on you.
The explosion of longing and need that coursed through your body was like no other feeling in the world when eventually he crushed his lips against yours and you finally got to kiss this magnetic man again. Even if it would all come to end sooner than the two of you planned. War always had taught you to live for the moment.
***
Present - Quantico, Virginia
The kiss was almost bruising in its force, something that was so unlike him. Usually he was much softer, careful as though you were made of glass and could break you if he were too rough. But after nearly a month away from each other his desperate need for you showed in that one kiss.
“Whoa there, at least try to keep it PG-13, remember where we are.” You laughed against his lips and he whined in response.
“It’s been almost a month.” He held your face in his hands, deepening the kiss.
“I’m aware,” you guided him gently back before he could get too carried away. “But we are at work.”
“Just let me kiss you,” he chuckled, stroking your cheek. “No one else is even here.”
He wasn’t wrong, the sixth floor office was empty at this time of the morning and you had missed him like crazy this past month. So when he leant back in to kiss you again, you didn’t stop him.
You’d both taken some much needed time off from the BAU, but your separate vacations had overlapped. He’d gone to Paris with his mom and gotten back a few days ago, while you’d gone to California a week after he’d left to visit some old college friends and today was your first day back at work.
When you joined the BAU two years ago, the last thing you’d been looking for was a relationship, least of all one with Doctor Spencer Reid. He was adorable and charming and certainly easy on the eyes but he was not your usual type. If you asked your friends what your type was they would give you one word: himbo. Brawn over brains was your typical cup of tea and Spencer couldn’t be further from that.
It was safe to say he’d worn you down over the course of the last few years. He’d made it clear he was interested in you and asked you out several times before finally, six months ago you decided to give him a chance. So far your usual type hadn’t worked out so well for you, what was the harm in letting Spencer take you for dinner?
The dinner had ended back at your place where the nerdy genius had more than surprised you with his skills in the bedroom. By the end of the night he’d rendered you delirious and from then on you hadn’t been able to stay away from him.
You’d tried to keep it a secret from the team but of course they were profiliers and it was only a matter of weeks before the whole team knew you were dating. It was easier that way, it meant at least if someone were to catch you right now as Spencer’s tongue slid back into your mouth and he pushed you up against the wall in the kitchen, it wouldn't be a complete shock to them.
“You’ve told me absolutely nothing about the new guy or about your trip.” You mumbled against his lips.
“Paris was great, and on the flight home mom managed to walk me through the whole thing unprompted.” He moved his lips to your cheek, pressing kisses against your skin. “And the new guy seems nice, he’s a great man hunter. Not sure what his profiling skills are like yet.”
His lips found their way back to yours again, silencing you once more. You let yourself succumb to him then, realising just how much you’d missed him. But it was entirely short lived as soon you were being sprung apart by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
Spencer pulled back from you, glancing at the entrance of the kitchen where your audience stood, smirks on their faces.
“Welcome back Y/N.” Tara laughed at the blush spreading across your cheeks.
“I see boy wonder has already rolled out the welcome wagon.” Garcia raised her eyebrows suggestively.
“It’s been nearly a month.” Spencer straightened out his tie.
“I hope for both of your sakes we get out of here early tonight then.” Tara teased.
Spencer pulled a face like he was actually imagining the things he couldn’t wait to do to you and his frustration that he had to work all day first was evident.
“With escaped convicts still on the run, I doubt that but thanks anyway.” You smiled at Tara. “So someone needs to fill me in on this guy. Spence has told me next to nothing.”
“Urgh, must we talk about Newbie?” Garcia rolled her eyes behind her thick framed, lime green glasses.
“You don’t like him?” You asked but you looked between Tara and Spencer for answers.
“He’s not Morgan I guess.” Spencer shrugged.
“He most certainly is not!” Garcia huffed. “Mister tall, dark and blandsome thinks he’s all that.”
“He’s in the conference room with the others, come and meet him and decide for yourself. Don’t take Garcia’s word.” Tara motioned for you to follow her. “He’s an ex-military like you, you might find you have stuff in common.”
“Oh god, I thought I was done with army meatheads a long time ago.” You sighed as the four of you fell into step towards the round table room.
“Wasn’t he in the 75th?” Spencer frowned as he made the connection in his head. “You were in the 75th too right, Y/N?”
“It’s a big regiment, the chances of me knowing him are very…” you stepped into the room, eyes brushing past the others and landing straight on him.
Somewhere in the back of your mind you could hear the hum of a helicopter, feel the heat of the sun bearing down on you. The air felt thick and heavy like it did back in the Iraqi desert all those years ago. If you focused hard enough you could even feel the dust and sand clinging to your skin.
It couldn’t possibly be, but somehow it was. There he was in front of you, Sergeant Luke Alvez of the 75th Rangers Regiment, only older with much less facial hair. His caramel skin was less sunkissed and dirty than you remembered, his hair shorter and well tamed. He was still just as muscular as you remembered him to be. His tight grey t-shirt hugged his biceps and stretched across his strong chest.
He stepped forward, those eyes that always had a way of turning you to jelly never leaving you. His lip started to quip into a smile as he got closer to you but you couldn’t do anything but stare. Your heart hammered wildly against your chest, you were never supposed to see him again.
“Sergeant Alvez?” You croaked out, easily falling back into your army days, straightening your back and stopping just shy of saluting him.
Luke chuckled with a shake of his head, fishing in his back pocket for the new credentials Hotch had just bestowed upon him that morning.
“Actually it’s SSA Alvez now. As of an hour ago.” He smiled brightly at you. “It’s been a long time, Y/L/N.”
“Big regiment huh?” You heard Tara behind you.
“You two know each other?” Spencer frowned between the two of you.
“We did a tour of Iraq together, before I was reassigned to Afghanistan.” You spoke to Spencer but didn’t take your eyes off of Luke.
“I was her boss.” Luke’s eyes sparkled in a way you’d seen many times before but not for a very long time. It was the way he always looked right before he kissed you. “But we were-“
“Friends. We were good friends.” You cut him off before he had a chance to finish that sentence.
You turned away from him, just catching the smirk he sent your way as you did. You felt your cheeks burning a hundred shades of red.
“You can catch up later,” Hotch thankfully spoke up. “We’ve got a case.”
One day you’d have to thank Hotch for his perfect timing. For now you fell down into a chair next to Spencer and tried to ignore the looks Luke was sending your way while Garcia delivered the case details.
Luke Alvez. Luke fucking Alvez. Of all the jobs in all the world, he had to encroach on yours.
You had absolutely no doubt in your mind that things were going to get messy.
***
The case took the team to Los Angeles where two teenagers had been burnt to death in an abandoned building. It took its toll on JJ more so than anyone who always had a habit of getting a little too close to cases involving kids.
But JJ would be the least of your concerns. Even on the jet out to California you felt Luke’s eyes on you even when someone else was speaking. You tried to ignore it but he made that really difficult to do. And if you noticed it, it probably meant everyone else had as well, you couldn’t hide things from profilers.
Once the case talk was over, conversation had inevitably turned to you and Luke’s past. You hadn’t even touched down in LA and you already wanted off of this case.
“How long did you serve together?” It was Spencer who asked the question, and you didn’t miss the suspicion in your boyfriend's tone.
“Uh, what was it Y/L/N? Like nine months?” Luke’s lip was twitching into a smirk.
“Something like that.” You agreed, focusing out of the window.
“How long ago?” JJ joined in the line of questioning.
“It was two thousand ten. So almost thirteen years.” Luke finally looked away from you at JJ.
“And that was the last time you saw each other?” It was Rossi’s turn to ask.
If anyone noticed your back go rigid thankfully no one mentioned it. You turned away from the window at the same time Luke looked back at you. A silent understanding passed between the two of you, somehow even after all the time you were still so in sync.
“Yes.” You spoke simultaneously.
After that the line of questioning seemed to end and you all fell into companionable silence. But you kept feeling Luke’s gaze lingering on you.
#luke alvez#luke alvez x reader#luke alvez x fem!reader#luke alvez fanfic#luke alvez fanfiction#luke alvez smut#luke alvez angst#criminal minds#criminal minds fanfiction
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Musical Ask…
18
-🦊
Sihtric stared at his car stereo, mild irritation on his face. Something had gotten stuck inside the CD player, which was odd because he hadn't used the CD player since he bought the damn truck. He truly didn't want to have to take out the whole stereo system just to fix the problem.
Maybe he would get lucky, he thought, and it would be one of Uhtred's Metallica CDs. He couldn't think of a reason, really, that Uhtred would be using his CD player without Sihtric being present. Or maybe Osferth had stuck in a Daughtry CD, having been on, as you called it, a divorced dad rock kick. After all, Osferth had been using Sihtric's truck a little more since his own vehicle's steering rack had gone out. It wouldn't be too odd.
He didn't even want to think about what Finan could possibly listen to.
Sihtric turned the stereo on, lowering the volume in case it was some screaming metal band. Instead, he was greeted with one of the songs he hated most.
Baby you're a song
You make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise
He groaned and turned it off immediately before dialling your number.
"Hi love, perfect timing. Was just getting ready to ask you if you wanted to go grab Chinese food," you answered so sweetly. Any irritation he still held melted away at your voice.
"Yeah, baby. Sounds perfect. I just got done looking at the truck so I'm on my way home," he told you.
"Oh good! Did you figure out what happened?" you asked. There was a genuine curiosity held by you, an interest for whatever he had to say.
"Oh yeah. It's just a stuck CD, can get it out in the morning I think. Don't worry about it baby," he said casually. A smile was on his face as he thought of you, smiling and happy in his passenger seat. "Why don't we go somewhere a bit nicer? You can put on that pretty new dress you got."
The giggle that left your lips didn't escape Sihtric's notice, a wide grin forming on his lips at the excited little sound. "Okay baby. I'll see you when you get home. Any requests for jewelry?"
"Anything that makes you feel pretty and special. I'll see you soon, baby. I love you," he said softly.
"I love you," you told him before you hung up the phone.
He turned on his stereo, the song turned louder, as he pulled out of his parking spot, his mind thinking of nothing but you.
><><><><><><><><><><><
Taglist: @foxyanon @zaldritzosrose @thenameswinter99 @mysticalendings
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alright, exactly one person asked (hi ren ly ren) so heres the fwhip playlist ! rock or rock-adjacent songs spanning from the 1960s to the 2010s . theres a couple songs that shouldnt be on there tbh but i cant get rid of them . i always imagine these playing over the forges stereo system that i invented just for this . have fun !!
#you probably can guess where each song came from on a scale of gen x dad -> millennial uncle -> gen z me#i should add more foo fighters for my mom#babbleeng#empires smp#fwhip
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Four Halloweens-Sashnetra
Happy spooky season! Set in the Wedding Planner AU, here's four Halloween-themed drabbles in different points in Sasha's life.
Thank you to @kitty-padilla for betaing ❤️
Featuring Beyoncé, Shark Tale, Pregnetra, and the search for the bestest pumpkin ever.
read on ao3
Sasha age 19, Halloween
This was Sasha’s first Halloween as herself, so she had to make it count this year.
Actually, this was her first Halloween ever, but that was beside the point.
Sasha’s been waiting nearly her whole life to wear a costume that she felt like Sasha in, so this would be a big moment for her.
Except that she had no idea what she wanted to be for Halloween. Or where she would wear said costume.
It took several weeks to scrounge up enough money to cover a costume. She took out some of the money she earned from her (very small) wedding photography side business.
But Sasha will worry about that later. First, she needed to scope out the local Spirit Halloween store and see their options.
Walking through the women’s section, Sasha wasn’t too impressed by the choices. Cheerleader, Disney princesses, and an entire wall of random skimpy costumes. She wouldn’t be opposed to wearing these specific costumes, if she was a little bit further into her transition and was happier with her body.
Sasha walked out of the store empty-handed and disappointed. As she turned on her old clunker of a car, the radio came to life with the top 40 station she always kept on. Upon listening to Beyoncé on the stereo system, she knew immediately what her costume would be.
Know that I can't get over you 'Cause everything I see is you And I don't want no substitute Baby I swear it's Déjà Vu
Sasha pulled into the nearest Goodwill and excitedly walked inside. She immediately went straight to the women’s section, dodging any older women who gave her a look for interrupting their shopping.
She searched through all the options on the rack and instantly gravitated to a shimmering silver dress. It’ll be some work for her, but it was the perfect option.
A blonde woman around her age looked at the dress from where she stood at the other end of the rack.
“That’s a real pretty one you found.” she said, with a deep Southern twang to her voice. “It’ll make you feel amazing, I promise.” She lowered her voice for only Sasha to hear.
This girl was just like her. Her hair was growing past her shoulders, and her makeup brought the feminine features out of her face.
“It’s gorgeous, but I’m using it for my Halloween costume,” Sasha explained. “But maybe I’ll try it on first, just to see it for myself.” She and the girl shared a knowing smile.
“It was nice to meet you, I’m Kylie.” The blonde said after they both checked out.
“Sasha.” She smiled brightly at her new friend.
After several days of cutting the dress and hand-sewing it back together, Sasha made it into a top and short skirt. She curled her hair into tight spirals and put on her outfit in an excited rush. When she looked at herself in the full-length mirror, a wide grin never left her face.
Sasha grabbed her camera from its case and started snapping pictures of her poses in the mirror. She had nowhere to wear this outfit, but she did not care if no one saw her right now.
Maybe one day she’ll have someone to share the holiday with, but for right now, this Halloween was all for herself.
Sasha age 27, Halloween
“What are you wearing?”
“No, what are you wearing?”
This was Sasha’s first Halloween together with her girlfriend, so they planned to wear matching couple’s costumes. But with whatever Anetra was wearing? Sasha was left very confused.
“You said you were going to be Lola for Halloween. Both you and Marcia told me about it!” Sasha said, crossing her arms.
“I am Lola,” Anetra said as she showed off her long white, flowy dress with thin red lines running horizontally over it. “That’s her name, isn’t it?”
“Baby, nobody calls her by her name. Everyone calls her the sexy fish from Shark Tale!” Sasha said with a playful smile. She knew Anetra grew up very sheltered and only started watching non-Christian movies soon before they started dating.
But she didn’t think Anetra was this out of touch with her generation.
“Oh,” Anetra said, eyes slightly downcast. “Is that why you chose that costume?” she asked.
Sasha nodded. “I assumed you meant Lola Bunny. So I wanted to surprise you with a Jessica Rabbit.” she gestured to the red, sparkly gown that she and Kylie worked on together making for the past week.
“We should have talked a bit more about this, huh?” Anetra said as she crossed her arms, slightly closing herself off.
Sasha nodded, “It’s too late for us to find a second option too.”
She and Anetra have only been together for six months, so their communication wasn’t perfect just yet. They were still in the very beginning of this relationship, and this was just a small roadblock for them.
Sasha reached out to hold Anetra’s hand, “It’ll be okay, maybe it’s going to be like a little inside joke for us?” she offered as the front door to her apartment opened, letting in Luxx and Marcia.
“Look at our Shark Tale group! We are so winning the costume contest,” Luxx said before their eyes landed on Sasha.
Silence fell between all four of them. Luxx was dressed in a fitted and bedazzled blue and yellow tracksuit, and Marcia wore a hooded shark-themed mini-dress.
Anetra spoke up, “At least you’ll be the hottest Jessica Rabbit there," she said as an offering to Sasha.
“Next year we’ll be sexy M&M’s. Easy, simple, and no confusion,” Sasha said as she grabbed her purse, ready to go to the party.
Sasha age 34, Halloween
Pulling her car into the garage next to Anetra’s (tarp-covered) motorcycle, Sasha felt mentally exhausted. For the autumn being the off-season for weddings, she had just put a busy day at the bridal shop behind her.
She met with several winter (and some Valentine’s Day) brides, helped with alterations while Loosey was out sick, and oversaw a Halloween-themed ceremony and reception.
She was mentally and physically exhausted, but it was a Friday and Halloween night. Kerri was going to a classmate’s party, and then spending the night with Jasmine.
Sasha looked forward to having a quiet night in with her wife as they would set up a bowl of candy outside, letting trick-or-treaters help themselves.
Tonight would be one of the last nights they’d have alone until their baby arrived in a couple more weeks. Both of them were needing a quiet and relaxing night before life with a newborn took over.
After putting her purse on the hook and placing her shoes under the bench in the mud room, Sasha followed a pair of voices down the hall toward her daughter’s bedroom.
Except the hallway bathroom with the light still on caused her a quick detour. She was about to feel for the light switch but looked in shock at the state of the bathroom.
Orange paint was in almost every spot. It was in streaks around the sink, the toilet, and some on the floor. Some of it was mixed with green paint and some with brown. Upon closer inspection, the paint looked like it was from a face paint kit.
“What’s with all the paint in the bathroom?” Sasha stood in the doorway to Kerri’s bedroom, looking at the two teenagers sitting on the bed, cross-legged.
“One second, Mama. We’re doing eye makeup here.” Kerri said without turning around, holding an eyeliner pencil to Jasmine’s eye.
While she waited, Sasha walked closer to the room. Makeup was scattered around the bed, but none of it looked like face paint. Their costumes were hung against the closet door, as the two were still in their clothes from school.
When Kerri finished, she looked at her mother, “We haven’t been using paint today, so I have no idea where it came from,” She shrugged as she looked at her lip glosses.
Sasha sighed, realizing that this was the not-as-easy part of being the parent of a teenager. “So neither of you know why there’s orange paint all over the bathroom?”
Both teenagers shook their heads, “We’ve been in Kerri’s room since we got back from school,” Jasmine added.
“I’ll just ask your mom then if she knows,” Sasha said as she walked back to the doorway, before turning back. “Where is she, anyway?”
“I think I heard her and Marcia go to the backyard a while ago.” Kerri said before picking up a small bottle of setting spray, turning her attention back to Jasmine, “Now, close your eyes and hold still.”
Several minutes later, Sasha opened the French doors to the backyard and saw Marcia and Anetra sitting in the still-green grass. Marcia sat directly in front of Anetra, while Anetra was facing away from Sasha’s view.
“One last line and...” Marcia said with a face of concentration. “…done!” she said, holding up a paintbrush with orange paint on it.
“Is that why the bathroom is covered in face paint?” Sasha asked, and the two turned to look at her. Despite the mess, she couldn’t help but smile at the two.
“Sash! Look what Marcia made!” Anetra looked at her excitedly, trying to carefully move herself around to show her rounded bump to her wife. Painted on her outstretched skin was a detailed pumpkin with a brown stem and green leaves on the outer edges.
“It looks nice, but why?”
“I know we agreed on no costumes this year, but I’ve been so bored waiting for this baby to come. We found this kit when we went shopping today and decided to put it to use.” Anetra smiled as she looked at the painting on her round belly, still holding up her shirt.
“I’ll go get my phone so we can take pictures!” Marcia jumped up and started walking back into the house.
“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Sasha asked her.
Marcia turned around to see Anetra struggling to get off the ground, trying to maneuver her pregnant belly into a place where she could stand up. Sasha helped Marcia by grabbing one of Anetra’s hands and pulling her up to stand.
The bathroom could wait until later to be cleaned. For now, she might as well join in on the Halloween fun.
Sasha age 37, (a few days before) Halloween
“What about this one?”
“Too big.”
“This one?”
“Too lumpy.”
“How about this one here?”
“'Netra, I think that one is a gourd.”
“Oh.”
Sasha watched her wife’s face fall slightly as she placed the round gourd back on the ground. Feeling slightly bad for correcting her, Sasha placed a peck on Anetra’s cheek when their daughter wasn’t looking.
“It’s not your fault that toddlers are so picky.” Sasha pointed out as they continued to search through the pumpkin field. They had meant to spend the whole day doing different activities at the local farm that held a seasonal pumpkin patch, but they’d been stuck looking for ‘The bestest pumpkin ever.’
“It doesn’t help that she’s a little perfectionist like her Momma.” Anetra retorted, giving Sasha a pointed look.
Sasha knew that her wife was right. Their daughter always colored inside the lines, hated her food touching and had to have her toys sitting from biggest to smallest. Delia might look like the mini version of Anetra, but Sasha really rubbed off on her personality.
They watched as Delia carefully examined the pumpkins. The rest of the guests at the pumpkin patch slowly left to get on the hay rides back to the front of the farm.
“I’ll go talk to her, and you go get us a good spot on the next hay ride,” Sasha told her wife as they parted ways.
Sasha kneeled in front of the pumpkin that Delia just moved onto, and carefully rolled it out of the way.
“I can’t find the bestest pumpkin.” The toddler looked at her, worry growing in her eyes.
Sasha held her hands out with the palms up, inviting Delia to hold hands with her. Smaller hands were enveloped by larger ones, and Delia had her full attention.
“I’m sorry, Dee, but the pumpkins aren’t grown to be perfect.”
“They aren’t?”
Sasha shook her head, “Nope. Pumpkins are like people. A lot of us aren’t born with what we like about ourselves, but we can change things to make us happy. Like how we carve pumpkins to give them smiles.”
“What do you mean, Momma?” Delia asked.
Sasha and Anetra weren’t ready to dive fully into explaining everything about trans people to their toddler, but luckily she hasn’t asked yet. They’ve collected some advice from other trans parents, so they were prepared when the time came.
Sasha looked over at Anetra standing at the front of the trailer, waiting for the hay ride to start. Then she got the perfect idea for an explanation.
“You know how Mommy has red hair and we have brown hair?” Sasha asked, to which Delia nodded.
“She actually was born with brown hair like us. But she realized that she is happier with red hair, so she keeps it that color.”
“Mommy’s hair isn’t really red?” Delia looked back at her in shock.
“Nope, but don’t tell her I told you.” Sasha playfully tapped Delia’s nose as she stood back up. “Now let’s find a pumpkin that we can make the bestest.”
The pumpkin they found had a too-short stem and leaned when sat upright, but they later cut and carved it into the bestest jack-o-lantern just for them.
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Thank you @leatafandom for the tag! This was a lot of fun and fun to answer.
20 Questions For Fic Writers
1. How many works do you have on Ao3?
78 in total.
2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?
184,450 in total.
3. What fandoms do you write for?
Supernatural mainly but I also write Beau Arlen from Big Sky, Soldier Boy/Ben from The Boys, and Steven/Marc/Jake (Moon Knight system) from Moon Knight.
4. What are your top five fics by kudos?
The Annual Chase (Supernatural (TV 2005)) (3,896 words) 155 Kudos
Domestic Destiel #1 (Supernatural (TV 2005)) (2,501 words) 132 Kudos
Day 7: (Consensual) Nonconsensual and Somnophilia Dean x Castiel (Domestic Destiel #10) (Supernatural (TV 2005)) (449 words) 86 Kudos
Day 23: Breeding/Impregnation, Alpha Cas/Omega Dean (Supernatural (TV 2005)) (435 words) 81 Kudos
Day 24: Bratty Sub, Anal/Oral Training, Caging, Destiel, Risk Aware Consensual Kink (RACK) (Supernatural (TV 2005)) (486 words) 66 Kudos
5. Do you respond to comments?
Every single one, always. I love, love, love comments. If someone asks me to keep working on a fic, I will. (E.g. Castiel’s Wings, Fledgling Castiel, and Surpise Me)
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
Blood in Heaven and Hell
I write angst to get over, not to end with angst. I prefer happy endings. I know life doesn’t always work out that way but that’s what I like to write. I like the conflict to be resolved and the character to learn.
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Oh, so many, so many. I try to only write happy endings but the happiest 🤔
Alternate Scene Ending for Season 11 Episode 03 The Bad Seed
I say this because I changed the scene and it went from Dean suffering to Dean feeling loved and healed.
8. Do you get hate on fics?
No, not that I am aware of.
9. Do you write smut?
All the time, Sweetie. All the time. Have you seen my kinktober series? 😈
10. Do you write crossovers?
I have not published a crossover yet. I do want to do an Spn/Fifth Element and Spn/Lilo & Stitch fics. I’m working on those still.
11. What's the craziest one you've written?
Because Mothers Ask Those Questions
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
No, I have not. I’ve read translated fics though. They’re always very good.
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
I am in the process of co-writing a fic with @wolfiepyxie about Tiny!Cas and Tiny!Dean forcing Dean to realize he is in love with Cas. A lot of tiny shenanigans. Did I mention Gabriel gets up to a lot of trouble too? Hehehe. So much drama and hilarity.
14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?
Destiel (Castiel/Dean Winchester)
15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
Stereo Love, Blind Castiel A/B/O, and The Virus (orign story of A/B/O that is not part of any fandom).
16. What are your writing strengths?
SpaG. Dialogue. Showing how characters relate.
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
Writing a full plot from beginning to end and then writing the story out.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
I look stuff up. I can read Spanish, mostly, and that’s it.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
Technically? Mortal Kombat: Conquest but it was like 40 pages of hand written fic that I lost as a teenager during a move.
Otherwise, the first fandom I wrote and published was Supernatural
20. Favourite fic you’ve written?
Domestic Destiel #1, Imagine…, or In the Mood at least right now.
No pressure tags: @riley-phoenix @luci-in-trenchcoats @impala-dreamer @hectatess @zepskies @maddiebwrites
Empty questions to copy and paste friends below the cut
1. How many works do you have on Ao3?
2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?
3. What fandoms do you write for?
4. What are your top five fics by kudos?
5. Do you respond to comments?
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
8. Do you get hate on fics?
9. Do you write smut?
10. Do you write crossovers?
11. What's the craziest one you've written?
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?
15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
16. What are your writing strengths?
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
19. First fandom you wrote for?
20. Favourite fic you’ve written?
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More Notes on the Computer Music Playpen
I have finished maintenance on the VST3 plugin opcodes for Csound, Csound for Android, and some other things, and am re-focusing in composition.
One thing that happened as I was cleaning up the VST3 opcodes is that I discovered a very important thing. There are computer music programs that function as VST3 plugins and that significantly exceed the quality or power what Csound has so far done on it own, just for examples that I am using or plan to use:
The Valhalla reverbs by Sean Costello -- I think these actually derive from a reverb design that Sean did in the 1990s when he and I both were attending the Woof meetings at Columbia University. Sean's reverb design was ported first to Csound orchestra code, and then to C as a built-in opcode. It's the best and most widely used reverb in Csound, but it's not as good as the Valhalla reverbs, partly because the Valhalla reverbs can do a good job of preserving stereo.
Cardinal -- This is a fairly complete port of the VCV Rack "virtual Eurorack" patchable modular synthesiser not only to a VST3 plugin, but also to a WebAssembly module. This is exactly like sticking a very good Eurorack synthesizer right into Csound.
plugdata -- This is most of Pure Data, but with a slightly different and somewhat smoother user interface, as a VST3 plugin.
I also discovered that some popular digital audio workstations (DAWs), the workhorses of the popular music production industry, can embed algorithmic composition code written in a scripting language. For example, Reaper can host scripts written in Lua or Python, both of which are entirely capable of sophisticated algorithmic composition, and both of which have Csound APIs. And of course any of these DAWs can host Csound in the form of a Cabbage plugin.
All of this raises for me the question: What's the playpen? What's the most productive environment for me to compose in? Is it a DAW that now embeds my algorithms and my Csound instruments, or is it just code?
Right now the answer is not simply code, but specifically HTML5 code. And here is my experience and my reasons for not jumping to a DAW.
I don't want my pieces to break. I want my pieces to run in 20 years (assuming I am still around) just as they run today. Both HTML5 and Csound are "versionless" in the sense that they intend, and mostly succeed, in preserving complete backwards compatibility. There are Csound pieces from before 1990 that run just fine today -- that's over 33 years. But DAWs, so far, don't have such a good record in this department. I think many people find they have to keep porting older pieces to keep then running in newer software.
I'm always using a lot of resources, a lot of software, a lot of libraries. The HTML5 environment just makes this a great deal easier. Any piece of software that either is written in JavaScript or WebAssembly, or provides a JavaScript interface, can be used in a piece with a little but of JavaScript glue code. That includes Csound itself, my algorithmic composition software CsoundAC, the live coding system Strudel, and now Cardinal.
The Web browser itself contains a fantastic panoply of software, notably WebGL and WebAudio, so it's very easy to do visual music in the HTML5 environment.
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Comparing AV Racks: Which One's Right for You?
AV Rack Overview
An AV (Audio-Visual) rack is a crucial component in home theaters and professional audio-visual setups, providing a centralized location for housing and organizing equipment such as amplifiers, receivers, DVD players, and other devices. In this overview, we will explore the different types of AV racks, their uses, key features to consider, common configurations, space requirements, and popular brands.
Types of AV Racks
Fixed AV Racks: Designed for installations where the equipment is not frequently changed or updated.
Suitable for home theaters, conference rooms, and other fixed installations.
Typically made of steel or aluminum, with a fixed frame and shelves.
Portable AV Racks: Designed for applications where equipment needs to be frequently moved or reconfigured.
Suitable for live events, trade shows, and other temporary installations.
Typically made of lightweight materials, with wheels or handles for easy transportation.
Wall-Mount AV Racks: Designed for installations where floor space is limited or a sleek, low-profile design is desired.
Suitable for home theaters, conference rooms, and other applications where a compact design is required.
Typically made of steel or aluminum, with a wall-mount bracket and shelves.
Rotating AV Racks: Designed for applications where easy access to equipment is required.
Suitable for data centers, server rooms, and other applications where equipment needs to be frequently accessed.
Typically made of steel or aluminum, with a rotating frame and shelves.
Key Features to Consider
Size and Capacity: Ensure the rack has enough space to accommodate all equipment and allow for future upgrades.
Material and Build Quality: Look for durable materials, such as steel or aluminum, and a sturdy construction.
Cable Management: Consider a rack with built-in cable management features, such as cable ties and cable management panels.
Ventilation and Cooling: Ensure the rack has adequate ventilation and cooling to prevent equipment from overheating.
Security: Consider a rack with locking doors or panels to prevent unauthorized access.
Adjustability: Look for a rack with adjustable shelves and mounting options to accommodate different equipment sizes.
Common Configurations
Standard 19-inch Rack: The most common configuration, with a 19-inch-wide rack and adjustable shelves.
Slim 19-inch Rack: A narrower version of the standard 19-inch rack, suitable for applications where space is limited.
Half-Height Rack: A shorter version of the standard 19-inch rack, suitable for applications requiring a lower profile.
Space Requirements
Floor Space: Ensure the rack has enough floor space to accommodate the equipment, with room for future upgrades.
Height Clearance: Ensure the rack has enough height clearance to accommodate the equipment and allow for future upgrades.
Depth Clearance: Ensure the rack has enough depth clearance to accommodate the equipment and allow for future upgrades.
Additional Considerations
Power Distribution: Consider a rack with built-in power distribution, such as a power conditioner or surge protector.
Thermal Management: Ensure the rack has adequate thermal management, such as fans or ventilation panels, to prevent equipment overheating.
Acoustic Treatment: Consider a rack with acoustic treatment, such as sound-absorbing panels, to reduce noise and improve audio quality.
Customization: Look for a rack that can be customized to meet specific needs, such as custom shelves or mounting options.
By considering these factors and choosing the right audio-visual rack for your specific needs, you can ensure a well-organized, efficient, and reliable home theater or professional audio-visual setup.
#rack#av racks#Audio Racks#Hi-Fi Rack#Hifi Furniture#AV Furniture#Hifi Stand#AV Media Rack#Equipment Rack#Audio Rack Cabinet#Media Rack#Atacama Rack#Stereo Rack System
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The Fly Over
Chapter One:
Lieutenant Robert “Bob” Floyd had never been one for partying. Even during high school, he preferred staying home to read or book or just spend time with his family. That’s why when he found himself at a bar in Lemoore with his teammates, he felt out of place. Not only was he not drinking, but he couldn’t really call any of his teammates friends. They all were clapping each other on the back, barely even noticing he was there, and honestly, he preferred it that way. He was never one for attention. He liked being the wallflower. If he wasn’t the wallflower, then he wouldn’t have seen the beautiful woman that just walked into the bar.
Lieutenant Natasha “Phoenix” Trace had always been a confident woman. She was top in her class at TOPGUN and was one of the best pilots here in Lemoore. She decided to celebrate the win she had today from training, as she was able to get her Lieutenant Commander “shot” down in under 3 minutes. She grabbed a beer from the bar before heading towards her other classmates, who were mostly dancing around the stereo system like they were at the biggest party of the year. She looked around at them all before noticing a lone wolf in the corner, sipping his beer before sliding his glasses back up his nose. He was attractive, in a nerdy kind of way, and he piqued her interest. She hadn’t seen him around before, was he new, or was he assigned to a different squadron? She was sure she would never forget a face like that.
Almost as if he knew she was looking at him, he looked up and locked eyes with her. He had the most beautiful blue eyes and under his old-timey glasses, she could see them clearer and knew they would be even more beautiful up close. She decided to play the long game, moving over to the pool table to see some of her fellow Black Ace’s. She could feel his eyes on her every time she moved, and she smiled. She liked that. She saw her TOPGUN classmate Callie “Halo” Bassett who was visiting after being assigned on the East Coast.
“Hey, Halo. Long time no fly.” They clinked beer glasses.
“Good to see you, Phoenix.” She looked around the bar, taking another sip from her beer.
“It’s nice to be back on the West Coast. I was getting tired of the colder weather.”
“Feel that. Wouldn’t want to leave my hot domain anytime soon.” They both laughed at the comment, both being more warm-acclimated than cold. That was a perk of being a pilot working the long hot days, especially back in Fightertown. Phoenix moved closer to the pool table, grabbed a stick, and handed the other to Halo, who gladly accepted it. She was surprised when she picked up yet another stick, but this time handing it to the handsome stranger who she hadn’t been able to keep her eyes off of.
“Wanna shoot?” He looked at her with wide eyes, clearly taken aback by the invitation, but he quickly regained his composure and grabbed the stick being held out for him.
“Sure.” He moved around the table with ease, racking the balls on the table before signaling for her to be the first shot. She hit the ball, sending the rest flying across the table. They played through the game, eyeing and evaluating each other. Phoenix was intrigued by the man. He was unlike anyone else she had met in TOPGUN or in her squadron. When the game was over, her winning, of course, he only smiled.
“Good game.”
“Thanks, you too.” A blush found its way onto his cheeks.
“Can I buy you a beer?”
“Sure, if you tell me your name.” Shock showed in his eyes, he completely forgot to tell her his name.
“Oh, uh, Robert Floyd.”
“What’s your callsign, Floyd?” The blush deepened.
“Bob.” Phoenix barely managed to suppress the laugh that wanted to escape. Of all the callsigns, he chose the one that was practically his name.
“Can I ask the meaning behind it? Other than a shorter version of Robert, I mean.”
“Well, I didn’t have any friends in flight training, or at TOPGUN, so my callsign just became what it is, just Bob.” She frowned at that. How could someone as sweet as this guy not have any friends? It was unheard of.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, “Bob”. The name’s Phoenix.” He smiled at her.
“I know who you are. You shot down Lieutenant Commander Roberson this morning.” Now it was her turn to blush.
“Yeah, was my fastest time yet.”
“It was a nice maneuver.” Referencing the cobra maneuver she performed which ultimately gave her the “kill”.
“What squadron you with, Bob?”
“The VFA-51 Screaming Eagles.” Phoenix pointed to her own badge on her jacket.
“VFA-41 Black Aces. Funny thing though, I’ve never seen you fly, are you new around here?” Bob shook his head.
“I’m not a pilot.” Her confusion heightened. Who was this guy and why was he making it so hard to learn about him?
“Then you’re on the flight deck?”
“Weapons systems officer actually.” That explains it.
“So what are your plans for the night, Bob the weapons systems officer?” He looked at her from above his glasses, his eyes darkening as he looked at her but still held the genuine look that he had all night.
“I don’t know. Probably go home, read a book or something. I have a big day tomorrow, shipping out.” What a coincidence, so was she.
“So am I. Any idea where you're headed?” He shook his head.
“Nah. You?”
“Nah.” He smiled as she imitated him. This woman was something else. The way her eyes twinkled as she laughed or joked made his stomach twist into knots, the good kind.
“So if it’s our last day here, what do you say we do something crazy.” She said, not cutting eye contact with him, gauging his reaction. He smiled.
“How crazy?” Phoenix shrugged her shoulders.
“Oh I don’t know. As far as you wanna go.” They weren’t talking about just anything anymore. She had one goal in mind. Get him into bed. Normally Bob wasn’t into one night stands or sleeping with anyone he wasn’t in a relationship with, but something about Phoenix drew him to her. Maybe he could break his rule just this once. What would be the harm? They were both shipping out tomorrow to god knows where and would probably never see each other again. He decided to throw caution to the wind.
“What if I want all of it?” Phoenix smirked, she was hoping he would say that.
“Then let’s get out of here.” She took his hand and practically pulled him out of the bar.
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Excited to report I got my headphone monitoring system working downstairs in the studio tonight
The monitor mixers let someone plug headphones in and change the volume/panning/eq of 16 different channels to taste.. i overcomplicated it by running the 16 interface output channels from the computer through a pair of avb streams to a second avb box mounted in the rack and then lightpipe optical out from there to the ultranet input box below it and I spent an hour squinting at routing matrices but I figured it out I think — so far I have the stereo output from the computer locked to channels 15 and 16, and 1-14 can be routed from the daw for each session
anyway i have a good feeling about it
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Musing on Tubes (Again)
The vacuum and I go way back. I have had at least one vacuum tube in my stereo for, let me think, 45 years? Yet I am not one of those fundamentalists that swear by the vacuum religion. At first it was my weird speaker design that required high voltage. Then it was seeing a high end tube preamp for sale as a trade in at a dealer. Had to have it. Five tubes in that one.
Since then it has been a matter of resources and opportunity tempered with long experience. Right now I have one tube in my preamp and another in a headphone amp, but everything else is solid state.
Soon I should have the ARC space heater retubed and ready to play.
Take it as true that I like the sound of a good tube amplifier. I do not look for warmth or richness that many tube people seek. It is some people's preference so they can go do it. But I need a clean sound. I want the space and air of a recording to be on the recording, not manufactured in the system chain. I want a balanced and accurate frequency response, not rolled off treble.
Frankly I bought the ARC amplifier because I love the brand and I know the sound they pursue. I did not need this expensive and heavy thing at all. I had the cash from selling two turntables and that old tube preamp. Net cost was zero. Until I needed new tubes.
But there is a dark side. Tubes age and wear out. They go bad. Transistors can age too, but if the design respects their limits it may never happen. Both types can have other parts age such as electrolytic capacitors. Refresh of an old unit always gets new capacitors. For tube amplifiers the end of tube life is inevitable. They can last for years but so do old men.
And like for an old man tubes change as they age. Some people glory in that as the sound matures, but they will degrade eventually and they will fail.
My preamp has one new tube in the phono stage and sounds very different. By that I mean sounds I am used to changed or became more or less prominent. The reality must be a change in frequency response or different types and amounts of distortion. Objectively that is not a good characteristic for a component. We take that weakness in exchange for the things we like.
I am hearing these things through a big old transistor amplifier. It conveys these very subtle things to me. Not bad at all.
When the new power tubes arrive and I get them installed I will have a new amplifier. It will be different. It will be closer to maybe even exactly as it was designed to be. The ARC tribe knows these were designed with Russian Tubes, and that's what I am getting. The sound will be different. I liked the old sound.
The accepted wisdom is a new set have to burn in when new. Golden ears routinely spend hours not listening so the machine will get into its sweet spot before making comments. I will see. I will listen carefully from the start. Not the least to be sure all the tube set are good. There will be 12 new tubes in her.
I modified the chassis so I can test the bias even with the amp in the rack. If I have to adjust it must come out, but a spot check will be easy.
It is true that I could have a 100% solid state system and be happy. There are many excellent preamplifiers using transistors. Hey there are even op-amp units that work very well. There are many different and interesting solid state power amplifiers. Include in those the recent tsunami of Class D machines which blend good power with small size and relative low cost.
You do not have to adhere to any of these electrical religions to have good music in your home.
#audiophile#high end audio#audioblr#cheap audiophile#tubes vs transistors#audio research preamp#audio research tube amplifier
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