#but I now have three cheers and the black parade

[zieatsramen]

FINALLY GOT MY HANDS ON THOSE DANG CDS

OHOHOHOHOOHOHOHOOOHOHO IT'S AO OVER FOR Y'ALL

You have no idea how long I've tried to get my hands on these guys

[glxybld-mustdie]

Makeup is fucking great for a guy, because it makes a guy look beautiful, which a lot of times, a guy is not beautiful, and I wanna change that. I wanna make sure that everybody thinks guys are beautiful

I just wrote that by memory I think I made an error somewhere

Anyway

Their best single

Come on this is the song that made me fall in love with them, how could I not choose it?

[aleatoryw]

there's something interesting to me about two artists i really like - MIKA and Gerard Way of MCR fame - both being raised catholic and realizing they're queer, but in adulthood making art that goes in completely different directions about it.

MIKA makes this bright, campy, bubblegum pop that utterly rejects a the premise of sinfulness placed upon him. his lyrics often rejoice in being gay - even before he was publicly out! (see: we are golden) - while still reflecting a struggle to find worth in the larger world. he only occasionally dips into anger at the church for how it treated him (see: promiseland) but you can see patterns of choosing the joy of being himself over the rejection of family and society and religion throughout his discography. His art says "you were wrong about me, i'm not a sinner, queerness is beautiful and God means nothing in the face of gay love" (see: origin of love).

and then MCR makes this violent, powerful, satanic-panic-inspiring, and sin-drenched music that pulls from the darkest, gothest parts of catholic lore to create stories of death and irredeemable foulness and guilt, while still ultimately rejecting the premise that because we are sinners, we are unworthy. gerard sings about bad things they've done dragging not just them, but everyone to hell (house of wolves, mama), they sneer openly at salvation in life (thank you for the venom), but ultimately, some of their most popular songs have a glimmer of defiant hope (famous last words). Their art says "you were right about me, i'm a dirty sinner, and isn't that kind of beautiful? don't i still ache and bleed and yearn? don't we all?"

[moe-broey]

Got any music you listen to for any FEH characters? Be it for vibes or brain animatics?

WAH.... I'VE BEEN......... SITTING ON THIS ..... mostly cause I worry my answer might be a bit lacking 🧍

I have. A small handful of songs that make me think of Alfonse! Some are silly, some not! In no particular order:

I Earn My Life - Lemon Demon

> THIS ONE..... IS SO FUNNY TO ME...... but it is so painfully Alfonse-core........ to me. Esp lines "I learned it from my father and my father never lied" and "I wouldn't be so worried if I wasn't always right". Biting him. Killing him, even

Devil's Train - The Lab Rats

> Not a direct one-to-one (it is a specific ass situation song and I love it for that) but! This one is so Book 3 to me... if any of these are animatics in my brain material it's this one! Esp if it's following the Alfonse who would become Líf... I also think it captures the generational cycles that are present with Alfonse, Gustav, and Grampa Askr as well!

Ghost - Mystery Skulls

> Some are more Líf leaning tbh LMFAO but! Speaking of! I've mentioned it before, but Lewis was actually a huge inspiration/reference for me when learning How To Draw Líf -- sorting out how to simplify him, get him to fit more w my cartoony style, and how I want him to look body-type wise (big broad guy!)

Also the way I emphasize heart motifs on Líf is very inspired by Lewis! While also trying to simplify the shapes/taking creative liberties and running with them LMFAO

So Ghost is like. Yeah I think the lyrics can fit! But there's Deeplore here too LMFAO

Sex With A Ghost - Teddy Hyde

> This one is very just vibes/up to interpretation. It also feels like a companion to Ghost LMFAO

Cupid - Jack Strauber

> THIS ONE. IS ANOTHER SILLY ONE. BUT. Hear me out. I get such a strong mental image when I listen to it. Bruno just dumped him/ghosted him. Alfonse is face down ass up laying flat on his bedroom floor. He's been playing this song on repeat for at least an hour. Sharena tentatively checks in on him very "Are ya winning, son?" but she knows he fucking isn't. I think it also captures the feelings of heartache and regret of letting someone in and getting hurt for it. AND AND it's because of THE CIRCUMSTANCES. Lamenting The Circumstances -- "Cupid, how could you be so cruel?"

Fist Bump - Sonic Forces themesong

> SONIC THE HEDGEHOG JUMPSCARE‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ It is. So fitting though. I am ALWAYS thinking of him when listening to it...........

This December - Ricky Montgomery

> This one..... is so him...... it makes me soft. If you check out any of these I def recommend this one!!! And Devil's Train, both are also just so fun to listen to in a Music That Sounds way (I like the flow!)

I could have SWORN I had more but........... I never made a complete collection...... honorable mention to The Black Parade and a handful of MCR songs tbh (This Is How I Disappear feels very distinctly Líf, I Don't Love You honestly could be either depending on the circumstances, Famous Last Words feels a little more Alfonse-leaning). I think if you introduced Alfonse to MCR it WOULD rearrange his brain chemistry, it Would be the closest thing he's had to therapy. And in addition to music I would introduce him to personally, I think The Wonder Years is another good one (but all of TWY's stuff feels so deeply personal... like diary entries and poetry.... cannot be entirely Blorboified. To me)

[miryum]

"Halloween"

Summary: Detective!Jason Todd x detective!Reader based on Jake and Amy's relationship

Series Warnings: Swearing, descriptions of violence (but nothing descriptive), guns and other police stuff

Series Masterlist

“I- I don’t like Halloween.” Tim manoeuvred around a packed, crazed precinct. “Especially in Gotham. So many people in weird costumes doing weird shit that we have to fix.”

“The holding cell’s completely full,” Jason called from where he was pushing a Raggedy Ann into the folds of costume. Raggedy Ann blew him a kiss and Jason stalked over to his desk opposite Y/n’s. “So many people have slipped me their phone numbers or thought I was a stripper.”

“Seems like you should follow your true calling then, Jaybird,” Y/n said. “You’d make an excellent stripper.” She winked dramatically at him and said, “I’d be first in line to see you.” 

Before Jason could cuss Y/n out, Steph said, “Seriously, we need to do something about the prisoners. We’ve already had to separate Kim Jong-Un and Hillary Clinton.”

Y/n was walking past the holding cell when she noticed a Hillary Cilton practically in the lap of a Kim Jong-Un, sucking his face off. “Hey! Hey!” She barged through the door and attempted to pull Hillary off. “Come on, now! What would Bill think? I mean,” she paused and muttered, “he kind of deserves it, but you could do so much better than Kim Jong-Un.”

“And… who are you supposed to be?” Jason squinted at Cass. 

“Dude, it’s kinda obvious.” Y/n said, “The entire precinct’s got a theme going on. It was decided in the group chat.”

Cass was dressed in an orange jumpsuit, a pillow shoved in for her stomach. She wore large, comical glasses that looked like she’d bought them for three dollars at a convenience store. Y/n, on the other hand, was in a yellow shirt with thick denim overalls, as were Tim, Steph, and Damian. Tim seemed disgruntled about it, while Damian sat reclined in his chair, taking it with pride. 

“Minions!” Dick called out loudly, silencing the precinct. He was in black jeans and a sweater. Around his neck, he wore an iconic scarf and a bald cap was thrown haphazardly over his hair. “Tonight, we steal… ze moon!” He threw his arms up and Y/n jumped up, cheering. 

“Ze moon! Ze moon!” Steph clapped along and Damian pumped his fist lazily. Tim just sighed and covered his face with his hands. “I was blackmailed into this,” he whispered.

“Oh my gosh, I work with idiots.” Jason sat back in his chair. 

“Attention,” Wayne strode into the bullpen. “I need two detectives to go undercover at a Halloween party where we suspect there will be a transition of drugs and illegal behaviour.”

“It’s like he was born on a thesaurus,” Y/n whispered. 

“Brown and Drake, you’re already in costume. I’m assigning you two to the case.” Tim groaned at his Captain's words, but nodded anyway. He couldn’t disobey his superior. 

“Drake,” Steph looped her arm through his, dragging him to the elevator. “I know you hate Halloween, even though it’s one of the greatest holidays, but I’ll make it the best.” 

“Can you make everyone kind, sober, and fully clothed? Tim asked desperately. 

“Kind, sober, and fully clothed!” Y/n shouted out. “Title of Jason’s sex tape!” 

Jason gawaffed. “I wasn’t even in this conversation!” 

Y/n exhaled and said, “Yeah, but I already tease Timmy-boy enough. He needs a break. However, I haven’t filled my quota for bugging you today.”

“I feel like your quota for teasing me is much higher than anyone else’s.” 

“Yes,” Y/n nodded. “Yes, it is.” 

“Listen up, dorks!” Y/n paraded into the bullpen, wearing a GCPD jacket over her costume. “I just arrested my first Halloween idiot! He was trying to rob a bank but had a… heh. Little bit of trouble getting away.” 

A man dressed in a large banana suit was stuck in the doorframe of the bank. Y/n couldn’t hold back her laughter as she tried to arrest him. “Trying to ‘split,’ huh? But I’m sure you’ll get out on ‘a peel.’ You have the ‘ripe’ to remain silent.” She snickered before saying, “I’m so glad you’re stuck! I’ve got a million of these! Wait, no, no! Don’t touch the money!”

“I swear, some of these perps are so stupid. I’d make a better criminal than any of them. And the best part is, none of you would be able to catch me!” 

Jason scoffed as Captain Wayne said, “That’s unrealistic. I’m one hundred percent sure you’d get caught.”

“Oh, ho, ho! Chall-enge accep-ted.” She sounded the words out slowly, placing her hands on her hips accusingly.

“I didn’t issue a challenge. There was no challenge. Where did you hear a challenge?” Wayne shrugged, his arms crossed.

Y/n hummed, thinking. “What’s the most valuable thing in your office?”

“My medal of valour,” Wayne replied instantly.

“Oh my god, you’re such a nerd. Fine. Okay. I bet that by midnight tonight, I can steal it from your office.”

“And why would I possibly agree to that?”

Y/n sang out, “because if I lose, I'll work the next five weekends, no overtime. And I won't tell anyone about the time I saw you wearing shorts outside of work. But if I win…” She rocked back on her heels, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

“You won't,” Wayne cut her off.

“You have to do all my paperwork tonight, the busiest and spoooookiest night of the year. Oh! And you must publicly state that I am an amazing detective-slash-genius.”

Wayne raised a brow, intrigued. ”And this won't interfere with you doing your job?”

“You mean my job as an amazing detective-slash-genius? No, it will not.”

Wayne hummed and his eyebrows lifted by half a centimetre. “I'm considering it... I'm interested. I agree to participate.” He held out a hand and Y/n giddily shook it.

“Hey, Damian? Dami? We don’t talk much anymore. How are you? Did you get a haircut? How’s Titus? What’s the Captain's schedule? I love you, bestie!”

Damian glanced up at her, unaffected. “I’m not going to assist you with your scheme. I am Captain Wayne’s assistant; a job I take incredibly seriously.”

“You’re literally making paper knives out of police reports.”

“How else am I to stab someone?”

“More like give them a harsh paper cut.” Y/n whined, “come on, Dami! Please, help me out here!”

His gaze was piercing. Quietly, he finally muttered, “he has a meeting downstairs in ten minutes.”

“I love you! I love you! Thank you so much!”

A while later, Captain Wayne was in his office and suddenly spoke to the air, “Are you in my ceiling, L/n?

There was a pregnant pause before a voice filtered through the vents. “No?”

Wayne seemed unimpressed. “So what's the plan? You wait for me to leave my office, lower yourself down, take my medal, and win the bet?”

“Die Hard meets Mission Impossible,” Y/n snickered before remembering her place and tutting, “who are you talking to? There's no one up here!”

“L/n, just so you know, right now, I am taking my medal off the wall and placing it in a locked safe whose combination is known only to me. The safe, in turn, is locked in the cabinet. The only key to that cabinet is on my person.” True to his words, Wayne did as he was saying. ”I'm off to my meeting. Good luck with your plan.”

Y/n cried out, “you think that scares me, fool? I laugh in the face of adversity!” She waited a moment before asking timidly, ”Are you still there? Captain, are you still there? I can't hear... Ack!” Suddenly, the ceiling fell from beneath her and in a crumble of dust and plaster, she collapsed on the floor. “Ow.”

“Oh, geez, what happened to you guys?” Jason asked Steph and Tim, the latter who was covered in runny eggs. Steph seemed to be unharmed. Dick stood up in surprise.

“We got egged,” Tim said flatly. “Some pieces of shell got in my contacts and my underwear.”

“Ooh, very hot,” Y/n snickered, swaying where she stood. Jason held a hand out to steady her. 

“I wish I was dead,” Tim grumbled.

“I’m doing great!” Steph squealed. “I’ve made four new friends. How’s the unwinnable bet going?”

“So little faith, Stephanie,” Y/n sighed. “On one hand, I fell through a ceiling. On the other hand, I think I bruised my brain.” She cupped her face in her hands, muttering nonsense about how brains look like loofahs.

“Look, Y/n,” Dick said carefully. “I love you like one of my daughters.”

“Aww, you do?” Y/n cooed.

“Yes, and I need to look out for you like them. You’re all irresponsible and need constant supervision. But this bet isn’t about you. It’s about Captain Wayne. That man is a genius. He’s had your number at every turn.”

“Well, not this day... Turn... time,” she stuttered. ”Sorry, I'm pretty sure I had a concussion back there! Jason, please catch me.” Jason leapt forward and cradled Y/n to his chest when she started falling backward. “Ooh, strong one,” she mumbled incoherently as he gently set her down in her chair.

“Damian.” Wayne walked up to his assistant and asked, “could you please decipher L/n’s handwriting? I believe the concussion is affecting her. She and Cain arrested a group of Royal Babies, but I’m unsure of what for.”

Damian took the paper and inspected it. “The Royal Babies were attempting to rob a small bakery. Being able to read Y/n’s handwriting is a gift. A useless gift, but still one nonetheless.”

“Pardon me, Damian.” Captain Wayne turned to a nearby janitor who was emptying Jason’s trash. “Nice costume, L/n.” 

The janitor cleared their throat and said in a deep, faux voice, “no L/n here. Just a random janitor pushing trash around.”

“L/n.”

Y/n spun around, a sheepish smile on her face. Jason hid a snicker as Y/n awkwardly said, “hey, Captain! What’s up?”

“You thought this was going to work?” Bruce hummed. 

“It did work!” Y/n scoffed. “This… was supposed to fail. It’s like chess. Sometimes, in order to win, you have to sacrifice your king.”

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “That’s how you lose chess. Have you ever played?”

“Uh, yeah!” she put a hand on her hip. “My Uncle Dave taught me!”

“Come on, lass! Even girls need to know how to shoot!”

“You’re slightly misogynistic, Uncle Davey, but I love you anyway!” A much younger Y/n propped up a handgun and carefully shot a number of chess pieces lined up on a faraway bench.

“Atta girl!”

“I expected better of you, L/n.” Captain Wayne shook his head. “You could’ve created a diversion to distract me from your terrible costume.”

“I had a diversion!” Y/n stomped her foot. “There was just a slight timing issue…” Just then, a nearby trash can lit up in a brilliant fire. “Whoops?” Y/n shrugged.

“Come on, Tim!” Steph threw her hands up in the midst of a party. “You look like such a cop! Have some fun, you know? It'll help you blend in!”

Tim stood stoically on the dance floor, not moving a muscle. “Stop trying to get me to love Halloween. It'll never work. Hey, heads up!” He noticed a man swap drugs for money with someone else. “I'll cut 'em off at the exit!”

Steph whirled around, instantly forgetting about the party. “Move! Move, move!”

The pair raced after the culprits and Tim cursed when he found the pack of drugs abandoned on the floor. “He ditched the drugs. I'm on it.” Tim shifted through partygoers and spilled drinks. “Ew… it’s sticking to me. Ugh! What is that? How is it hot and cold? Stephanie, help!”

“Hey, Cap-i-tan?” Y/n called from the bullpen. “Can you come out here for just one teeny weeny second?”

Bruce sighed and rubbed his temples, but did as his detective requested. “Do you need something, L/n?”

“Why yes, yes I do. Hit it, Royal Babies!” Y/n shouted out and at her command, all the Royal Babies marched into the bullpen. They began walking around randomly, swarming Captain Wayne, and throwing key chains around. Wayne just rolled his eyes and returned to his office. He found Y/n hunched over the cabinet drawer, attempting to copy Wayne’s keys. “Wha…. no!” Y/n groaned in frustration, slamming her fist down on the desk. “Ow…” She shook her hand out.

“Give me my keys, please.”

“Can you just stop catching me?” Y/n whined, “do you know how much I spent on key chains?”

“Probably around twenty-three dollars,” Captain Wayne said instantly. 

“That is unbelievably close and scary,” Y/n admitted. “Twenty-two dollars and seventy six cents.”

“Keys,” Wayne demanded.

“Okay, okay, look.” Y/n stood up, an embarrassed smile plastered on her face. “Tonight has been a tiny bit humiliating. Things aren’t going well, so what do you say we call off this silly little bet and pretend this whole thing never happened?”

“Oh, no no no,” Wayne let out an unusual chuckle. “I’m not letting you off the hook.” 

“What? Pffft. No… I’m giving you an out so you can save face.”

Wayne shook his head. “This is getting sad.” 

Y/n scoffed and tossed him his keys, sauntering out the door. “Uh, yeah. For you.”

“Captain,” Tim knocked on Wayne’s opened door. “Sorry to interrupt, but, uh, some officers just arrested L/n.

Bruce blinked. “What?”

“They caught her scaling the side of the building with a blowtorch.” Tim shook his head, still not understanding how Y/n managed to find a blowtorch and climb the building in the first place. Wayne just sighed in response. 

In the interrogation room, Wayne found Y/n handcuffed to the table. Knowing her, she had probably asked for the handcuffs.

“Welcome to the endgame.” Y/n tried to spread her hands ominously, but the handcuffs harshly pulled her back. “Ohh, that hurt. Forgot I was wearing those.”

“What the hell were you thinking, L/n?” Wayne shook his head, sitting down opposite Y/n.

Y/n inhaled through her teeth, trying to look ashamed. “I was thinking I had better core strength. I got winded, like, ten feet up.”

“I have to admit,” Wayne said. “I expected better of you. You have five minutes until your deadline, and yet, here you are, handcuffed to a table, in a locked room.”

“Which is precisely where I planned on being.” Y/n smiled sinisterly. “You remember when I pretended to be Herman, the janitor?”

“Yes, it was mere hours ago. And I caught you as Herman.”

Y/n wagged her finger. “But you didn't catch Cass! As it turns out, she’s great at picking locks!”

Cass crouched by Captain Wayne’s desk, carefully and quickly picking the lock as Y/n distracted him.

“Of course, I needed a way to get her out of your office without you noticing. Y/n explained, “so I created a diversion. Not a mistimed one… a perfectly timed one so Cass could escape.”

A fire burned in the trash can that caught Captain Wayne’s attention. Cass somersaulted out of his office.

“But you needed a way into the safe,” Wayne reminded her.

“And I got it. You were so concerned with getting your keys back, you didn't even notice the sergeant stealing your phone. That's right, even Dick is on my side! Then, Jason dusted your screen cover for prints. The greasiest smudges revealed the four numbers you use the most…” Y/n leaned back in her chair. “Based on your advanced age, I assumed that you use the same passcode for everything.”

Wayne conceded, “that would be a fair assumption.”

“It was at that point that I made fun of Jason for reading some sappy romance book.”

Wayne raised a brow. “And how is that a part of your masterplan?”

Y/n shrugged. “It wasn't. It just ruled. And that brings us to five minutes ago, when Tim barged into your office and told you I’d been arrested. I knew he’s the only one you’d believe because, frankly, he’s too lame to partake in these things.” Y/n grinned sharply and continued, “And as you walked over here, Stephanie crawled into the ceiling, using the hole I so cleverly left behind to enter your office. We had the four numbers for your code, which meant there were twenty-four possible combinations for Steph to try. That would take up to four minutes, which is why I really dragged out this explanation.” Wayne shook his head in disbelief and sat back in his chair. Y/n chuckled and kept rambling, “I mean, really stretched it. I don't know if you noticed, but there were times where I was like, what am I even talking about? I could make a career out of this! Professional monologuer.” The beeping of a timer interrupted her. “Oh! But now, four minutes is up. Which means Stephanie is either on the other side of that door holding your medal, or I've lost.” She pointed towards the interrogation door and simply smiled.

Captain Wayne stared at her a moment longer with a look somewhere in between wonder and frustration. Slowly, he stood up and opened the door. Stephanie proudly grinned from the opposite side, holding up his medal of valour. “Just one question,” Wayne started, not bothering to sit back down. “How’d you convince them to help you?”

Y/n chortled. “You think so little of me. Of course, I appealed to their sense of teamwork and camaraderie with a rousing speech that would have Shakespeare begging for my talent.”

Y/n stood atop a chair in the middle of the bullpen and announced in a terrible Scottish accent, “For too long, we thee have been ridiculed, pushed around, and put down. But I say no more! For today, thee shall defeat the mad king and win our thine country back!”

“How did you actually do it?” Bruce gave Y/n a knowing glare.

“Unfortunately, my speech did not work.” Y/n sighed and continued speaking as if she hadn’t heard the Captain. “The sixty-sixth precinct has no sense of honour and solidarity. Maybe we should start doing team-building activities… Anyway, I bribed them. Told them I would do their paperwork.” She gave her superior a shit-eating grin. “And cause you’re doing my paperwork,” she sang, letting him come to the same conclusion.

Wayne huffed a laugh. “Well played L/n. Well played.” 

He slowly exited the room, leaving Y/n to cry out, “Captain? Hey, Captain? Are you gonna unlock me?” She rattled the handcuffs. “Captain?!” Eventually, Jason came in to help her (not before taking many pictures).

Later that night, Wayne gathered everyone in the briefing room and swallowed his pride. “Y/n L/n is an amazing detective-slash-genius.” Y/n mouthed along to the words. “And if you’ll excuse me, I have some paperwork to do.”

Captain Wayne sat in his office, surrounded by paperwork. However, instead of beginning, he opened a pad of paper and wrote: Halloween 2

[mikeywayarchive]

Mikey Way: “I was borderline terrified a lot of the time My Chemical Romance was active. I was learning the bass in front of 20,000 people every night!”

By Gregory Adams ( Bass Player ) published June 9th 2023

The reunited emo kings’ low-end ranger reveals why he swapped out his signature Fender Mustang for a sparkling new signature Jazz Bass, learning bass in arenas, and how he overcame insecurity about his chops

Full interview under cut:

My Chemical Romance’s reunion has seen bassist Mikey Way thrumming through the high pomp punk of The Black Parade and Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge favorites with a familiar rhythmic fortitude, but keen-eyed band obsessives have probably noticed the musician is no longer sporting the snazzy, silver-flake Squier Mustang signature model Fender built for him back in 2012. 

The good news is that’s because, as Fender have just formally announced, Way has a brand-new – but just as glammy – Jazz Bass out now. There’s a good reason why Way’s made the switch: the Jazz Bass is his first love.

Though he started out on guitar, Way got the hang of a four-string in the mid ‘90s while playing a loaned-out Jazz Bass in his pre-My Chemical Romance project, Ray Gun Jones. He upgraded to a silver-finish Jazz of his own by the time MCR started touring in the early ‘00s, but a trailer mishap led to that instrument getting smashed to pieces on a highway.

Way tells Guitar World that he eventually became obsessed with the short-scale sturdiness of a Mustang bass guitar as My Chemical Romance were writing their 2010 full-length, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, after fooling around with a model Duff McKagan had left at North Hollywood’s Mates Rehearsal Studio. By 2012, Way had his Squier model in stores.

It was during the downtime after My Chemical Romance went on hiatus in 2013, though, that the stubbiness of his Mustang became a little hard to handle.

“I stayed away from playing bass for a little while, which is natural – I was just decompressing,” Way explains. “Then, sometime in 2014, I picked up the bass again, to get my chops back, [but] I noticed that the Mustang felt strange to me.” 

After reaching out to the folks at Fender, Way got a grip on his playing by stretching out on the longer-necked Jazzes they sent him. Way’s take on the Jazz Bass is outfitted with ’70s-style single-coil pickups, and a thinline “C”-shaped maple neck the bassist says is super-speedy.

The finish is silver, of course, but Way also wanted an aesthetically inkier black pickguard. The headstock, likewise, pops with its matching gloss-black finish.

Speaking with Guitar World, Way gets into the glam and grunge gods who inspired his love of a good sparkle coat, overcoming performance anxiety, and why a steady attack wins the bass race every time.

What were some of the musts when it came to designing this latest signature?

“I’ve been obsessed with the sparkle finish as far back as I can remember. Growing up in the ‘90s, the silver-flake [finish] was big in alternative music. Chris Cornell had the Gretsch Silver Jet, [Daniel Johns] from Silverchair had one – [with] the imagery the Smashing Pumpkins used, they liked sparkles.

“Ace Frehley, of course, was big into flake finishes, and as a kid, you love the larger-than-life, comic book world of Kiss. [And there’s] David Bowie – the glam rock stuff. That flake finish makes me think of so many different things, but that’s why I love it so much.

“I remember being younger and going into stores and seeing a flake finish and being like, 'Oh my god, that’s an expensive [looking guitar] – I can’t afford that, let alone play it.' It was almost intimidating.”

One aesthetic difference between your Mustang model and this Jazz is that you didn’t throw a racing stripe on this one.

“I thought about bringing it back and keeping the continuity. Maybe somewhere down the line we’ll throw a racing stripe on this. The thing with [seeing a] racing stripe was always like, 'This player is a badass!'”

Is there a psychology behind removing the racing stripe, then?

“The psychology behind it is that I forgot about it. When My Chemical Romance was talking about doing reunion shows [in 2019], I’d contacted Michael Schulz from Fender and was like, 'Is it OK if I make a new bass for this [next] era of My Chemical Romance?' I wanted to take my past and bring it to the future – taking my Mustang and melding it with the Jazz Basses that I loved so much. 

“I tried to have my cake and eat it, too. I wanted the thinner neck, and I wanted the silver-flake, but I wanted it on a Jazz Bass. They knocked it out of the park immediately.”

Getting back to how you used to admire those silver-flake guitars in the shops, you actually started out as a guitarist, right?

“So, the story goes that my brother [My Chemical Romance vocalist Gerard Way] had a Sears acoustic guitar when he was 10 years old. We would take a shoelace and make a strap, and we would stand on the couch pretending we were in Iron Maiden. And then it got real around ’93-’94, which lines up with the rise of alternative music. You started to see people that looked exactly like you, and they were playing guitar. They were playing Fender Strats! 

“My brother got a Mexican Stratocaster, Lake Placid Blue. I found it not too long ago, and Michael from Fender hot-rodded it. That’s how I cut my teeth – that Mexican Stratocaster [was] my first foray into really trying to learn how to play guitar. I would watch bootlegs of concerts, and watch [guitarists’] hands and fingers – Thom Yorke, Billy Corgan, Noel Gallagher, Jonny Greenwood. I would watch what they were doing. It all started from that.

“Bass came out of necessity, twice. Me and my brother had a band called Ray Gun Jones, I guess in ’95-’96. It was kind of Weezer-ish, or us doing a surf-punk thing [with] a little bit of pre-mid-west emo. At the time we were really into Weezer, Jawbreaker, Promise Ring, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Sunny Day Real Estate. 

“[Ray Gun Jones] needed a bass player, so my brother was like 'Hey, do you want to play bass for my band?' I was already a huge fan – I’d always tag along to practices. The ex-bass player let me borrow their bass. We had 4-5 songs, and I got the rudimentary from that. In that era, everyone was like, 'I want to be a guitar hero,' but I realized I had a natural knack for [bass]. I picked it up right away. 

“Then, with My Chemical Romance, it was the same thing. My brother was like, 'We need a bass player,' and I was like, 'Well, this is familiar' [laughs]. 'Here’s the demo; learn these songs.' They weren’t terribly difficult.”

Was that bass you had borrowed a Fender Jazz?

“Yup, I’ve only ever played Fender. I’ve tried tons of other basses from other companies, but it always feels alien to me.”

You mentioned studying the playing of Thom Yorke or Billy Corgan through those bootleg vids. Were there any bassists that you treated similarly, to understand the mechanics of bass?

“Matt Sharp from Weezer. I tried to ape him in the beginning, but my attack sounds vaguely reminiscent of a Smashing Pumpkins recording. I would learn Siamese Dream and Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and the Blue Album [the band’s 1994 self-titled debut] by Weezer. Those were the three albums that I put the most time into learning. That’s in my DNA.”

How about from a hyper-local perspective. If My Chemical Romance started out playing New Jersey basements and VFW halls, where there any bassists from that scene that inspired you, or that you appreciated?

“Yes! We shared a rehearsal space with this band called Pencey Prep – that was [MCR guitarist] Frank Iero’s original band. John McGuire was their bassist, and he let me borrow his equipment all the time. He taught me fundamentals, and gave me pointers – he taught me a whole heck of a lot. 

“I always respected Tim Payne from Thursday, I loved his attack and stage presence. And when I’d watch Gabe Saporta from Midtown, I thought 'This dude is the coolest guy in the room.' He’s got this calm, cool, and collected [presence] that you can’t fake or learn. And then Eben D’amico from Saves the Day – brilliant! 

“I would try to learn Saves the Day basslines. They were pretty complex [compared to] what most bands were doing in that scene. Most bands in the post-hardcore scene had simplistic basslines, but Saves the Day did not.

“There’s also Ray Toro, the guitar player of My Chemical Romance. Not only is he truly gifted at guitar, but he’s truly gifted at bass and drums – Ray can do everything. He was instrumental, early on, with showing me the ropes. Ray gave me lessons when I was a novice. I can’t thank him enough for that.”

What kind of pointers was he giving you?

“He showed me proper fretting, or [how to maintain] a steady attack. I got a really great compliment from our front-of-house guy, Jay Rigby. He told me that I’m one of the very few bass players that he doesn’t have to go in and tweak the volume [for]. 'You’re steady, throughout.' I think that’s something that Ray Toro instilled in me: the consistency of attack. 

“It’s funny thinking about it, but I was such a novice going into My Chemical Romance that I would bring myself into an anxiety-ridden state of, 'Oh my god, we have a show tonight; I have to start practicing right now.' I would be practicing four to five hours before we played – I’d play the set [in the green room], and then I’d play it again. Other bands would be like, 'What are you doing?' I was so neurotic at that point, because there were so many people around me that were beyond gifted. 

“I got pushed into the deep end; you’ve got no choice but to figure it out. Ray and Frank are so gifted that I had to keep up. I didn’t want to ever do the music a disservice.

“That brings me back to the simplicity of the early My Chem basslines. The first album [2002’s I Brought You Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love] was me learning the bass, and somehow [producer] John Naclerio recorded me and said, 'You did a great job,' which I did not expect. 

“I thought I was going to go in there and they were going to have to do some studio magic, or someone would come in and play [my] part. I thought of the worst-case scenario, but I went in and did it. I played the bass seriously [enough] by that point.”

What are you generally looking for in a My Chemical Romance bassline? 

“What makes it for me is if I do a fill, I’ll only do it once. If you listen to [the band's 2022 comeback single] The Foundations of Decay, any fill on there I only do one time. What’s interesting about The Foundations of Decay is that it’s very loose and run-and-gun. We went in and punched things in for timing, which everyone in the world does, but the meat of that is first-or-second take. Which brings me to someone else who was very instrumental to my bass playing: Doug McKean.

“He’s no longer with us, unfortunately, but he was our engineer from The Black Parade [until his passing in 2022]. He was always a huge cheerleader for me – he instilled confidence in me. He was always good at getting a killer performance out of me.”

What are some of the biggest My Chemical Romance bass moments for you?

“I’ll say that fill in on Foundations. No-one saw that coming.”

There’s a YouTube video out there of someone playing their favorite Mikey Way basslines, some while using your signature Squier Mustang, but one standout in particular is The Black Parade’s The Sharpest Lives.

“What’s funny is Sharpest Lives has a bass solo, and I was terrified of it. I had performance anxiety [through] the 12 years before we broke up – I don’t have it anymore. Somehow when the band got back together, a switch in my brain [got] flipped. [But] while My Chem was active, I was borderline terrified a lot of the time.

“I’m playing with people far above my skill level, I’m playing [on bills] with bands where their bass players are way better than me, [and] our shows were getting massive. We were playing arenas! So not only are you learning the bass, but you’re learning the bass in front of 20,000 people every night. It made me tweak a little, but I think it shaped me into what I became.

“That solo gave me anxiety. It was when we were playing the biggest venues of our career, and it would break for the solo [Way starts singing his ascending bass lick]. I practiced it relentlessly, then it [became] second nature. Later on, it [became my favorite part of the show.”

You’re already playing the Jazz signature in your live show, yeah?

“It’s what I use for the live show. Basically, Fender built [it] for the reunion, and then we made a couple tweaks for when we release it.”

Was there a learning curve at all towards transferring My Chemical Romance songs you’d written on a Mustang onto the Jazz?

“There was Planetary (GO!), a song off Danger Days. I’d guess you’d say the whole thing is a disco beat. It’s dance-y – [Mikey starts singing an octave-popping bassline], I do that for the entirety of the song. I was very happy that I only had to do that on a Mustang, initially [because of the shorter scale]. But going back to what I said, [after] I took a little break, [I] went back to a Jazz Bass. 

“I missed the room, or the way my hand went up and down the neck. I wanted to go back to that, so I jumped back in and felt right at home again.”

How many Jazzes are you bringing on the road?

“I bring two basses out, [but] I stopped even switching [during the set]. This is a testament to Fender craftsmanship – that thing stays in tune. It’s got the four-saddle bridge, and it stays in tune so well. I’m a little neurotic so I’ll tune every few songs, but if I went five to six songs you probably wouldn’t even notice.”

What does it mean to you to now have a fully-formed Fender signature model – as opposed to the Squier – and with the body shape you began your career with?

“It’s really a dream come true. It’s funny, in 2002-3 we started touring across the country. I had a Mexican Jazz Bass, but [the band] were like, 'You have to use something with better electronics; better wood. Step it up!' So, I went into the Guitar Center on Route 46 in New Jersey, and at the time Fender had released a special Guitar Center edition that was silver-flake. 

“It always bugged me that the pickguard was white – it threw me off, aesthetically, and I was like, 'I’m going to change that pickguard one day.' So, I got that, and I was using that for a while. 

“We were out with [Boston emo quartet] Piebald – it was one of our first cross-country tours ever – and one night someone forgot to close the trailer door. We’re driving on the highway, and half the contents spilled out – unfortunately, my bass was a casualty of that.

“But Frank Iero, and his heart of gold, jumped out on the highway in the middle of the night and tried to recover [the bass]. He was like, 'Maybe we can fix it!' I’ll never forget him doing that. He got a chunk of it – it’s in one of our storage units.”

For more information on the Limited Edition Mikey Way Jazz Bass, head to Fender.com.

[clairewritesjjkxreader]

Sukuna’s Wife and Yuuji’s Onee-chan (Sukuna x Reincarnated!Y/N) Part 3

TW: pregnancies, miscarriages/spontaneous abortions, and other mature themes ahead

Sukuna can still remember your suppressed whimpers when you believed that he was asleep, how your weight would go up and down every few weeks, and how nothing would interest you, not your foreign books or drawings or koto. No matter how many times you two tried or how faithfully you listened to the advice of your doctors and shamans, children were a faraway dream. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…What’s wrong with me?” You used to cry.

“Nothing,” he always answered, rubbing circles on your back. “Nothing is wrong with you.”

You never seemed to hear him. Sukuna would tirelessly comfort you while reassuring you that spending eternity with only you was his idea of a happy life. However, his words fell on deaf ears. You would always hope, and every single time, your hope would get crushed.

Until you discovered yourself pregnant again for three months. The past pregnancies never lasted for more than a few weeks. Sukuna didn’t want you to hope too much, but how could he resist the brilliant smile of his beloved wife?

He accompanied you to every shop for toys and fabrics and clothes and furniture. He patiently gave his opinions on what the baby’s room should be like. 

You successfully carried to term, your belly round with a healthy child. Sukuna had to admit that it was not an unattractive sight, and despite the protests of the midwives, he stayed by your side, dabbing the sweat from your face and neck as you delivered your precious child. Uraume waited outside with a whole parade of maidservants prepared to help you get washed once everything was over. The cotton blanket which would envelope your baby was washed three times. You wove it yourself, pestering your husband to embroider enchantments for protection and a long, healthy life.

However, as you fell back after giving your final push, you instantly sensed that something was wrong. You had silently turned to your husband. “Ryo?” His head was hanging, unable to meet your gaze. He didn’t need to say anything.

You stopped being you that day.

The Sukuna household, which used to be so full of life and music and cheer, was enveloped in darkness. The one and only madam of the house was given a taste of motherhood like she always prayed, but she was never even able to hear her child’s cry let alone hold them. You stopped leaving the main house. You refused to go down the village to browse for any new foreign products. The maple trees you adored were ignored and the garden you personally tended would have wilted completely if not for Ryomen’s intervention.

You slept on the floor right next to an empty cradle. 

You would have died there too if your husband couldn’t take it and spent three straight days pleading for you to try and go out.

“A merchant passed by and Uraume bought several flowers from him,” he said, trying to make conversation as he eased you into the garden. “I think you’d like them. One species even eats flies.”

It was then, Sukuna recalled, when the two of you heard it.

An inhuman sound came from the bushes.

You hurried to investigate, with Sukuna warily following.

“Oh!” You gasped.

“What is it? Are you hurt?”

As if you hadn’t heard him, you dug into the shrubbery. “Here you are.”

“My love, be careful–”

“Naughty, naughty, you made us worried.” You rose to your feet and started cradling… something. 

Sukuna called your name. He didn’t sense any malicious intent right now but he couldn’t risk you getting hurt.

You turned around. “Ryo-chan, I found him.”

The maids knew better than to show their emotions, but their mouths tingled with the desire to gasp and talk amongst themselves.

Sukuna whispered your name and you walked towards him, arms protectively wrapped around a black-striped overgrown cat. You carried it like one would a newborn. 

You made a fake angry expression at the stupid cat as you scolded it:

“Yuji–” that was the name you and Sukuna agreed on while you were eight months pregnant “–you can’t just disappear without asking permission. You made your father and I worried!”

The cat made a sound that could only be described to be close to a purr, but not quite a purr. 

You giggled and nuzzled its nose. “How can I stay mad at you?”

Sukuna watched as you continued to baby the odd-looking cat. You were the happiest he’s seen you in weeks. He missed your smile.

He no longer cared that it was some stray from some traveling merchant. He didn’t care if the damn thing was eating way too much and growing a hella lot for a simple cat. All that mattered was that you were happy. No servant was allowed to treat your behavior as anything but normal. No one was allowed to even try to destroy the illusion. 

There were times when Sukuna swore he could see clarity in your eyes, when you would watch the sleeping “infant” or when you thought you were alone. A part of you must’ve known.

But because you never stopped treating “Yuji” as your beloved child, he never brought it up.

You were eating, you were smiling. You were happy. That was enough for him.

Though admittedly, he hated the little twerp. 

Not only did “Yuji” get spoonfed and burped personally by the madam of the Sukuna household, you also bathed him, dried and brushed his fur, and let the thing sleep between the two of you. 

It was so annoying.

He couldn’t even embrace his own wife anymore.

Now, over a thousand years later, he still had to share his darling wife with this damn brat.

Part 4: An immediate continuation of this chapter

@laurcad123 @aidanstan @deepinballs @satosuguswife

[foxoftamriel]

Mistborn Era 1 Characters- Would They Listen To My Chemical Romance (as an MCR fan)

Kelsier: Yes, but specifically Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge and the heavy songs in Black Parade. It's great background music for killing nobles.

Vin: Yes, she is obsessed. She has posters in her room, merch, and has seen them live. She has listened to all their songs, and Gerard Way's solo music.

Elend: Not really, they used to scare him. Now he'll sometimes listen to them with Vin but they're not his favorite.

Sazed: During the time between Tindwyl's death and his Ascension, yes. But all other times no, he finds them too intense. Even during that time he only listened to their sadder, calmer songs.

Marsh: definitely after he escaped Ruin's control, I'm not sure about before that.

TenSoon: not until he met Vin. But he spent a lot of time listening with her and now loves them.

Rashek: I want to say no because if MCR formed in The Final Empire he would probably have them killed but like... he has dark pitch black hair and hates the world. If you looked at him you would assume he's an MCR fan.

Ruin: He would find them very fun, so probably.

Straff: The only main villain who definitely would not listen to MCR. He would probably be one of those people who's think MCR is ruining younger generations.

Zane: Do I even need to write this one? He would probably be creepily obsessed. Like Vin is jut having fun with it, Zane tries to find out where the members live.

[earlycuntsets]

"Hot music

By Alejandro Garita

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

Following their 2 million-selling 'Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge', the boys are now presenting their third album. The main character of the new album, which they recorded in 2006 with producer Rob Cavallo (Goo Goo Dolls, Alanis Morissette), is someone called 'The Patient', vocalist Gerard Way's strongest memory of his childhood. It's about the day his dad took him to a parade, hence the name of their first single, "Welcome to the Black Parade." This material is the group's most commercial, with a punk style similar to Green Day's. However, in songs like "The Sharpest Lives" and "House of Wolves" they retain the dark style that characterizes them. Good!

City: New Jersey

Influences: Besides the fact that they like watching horror movies, they listen to Queen, The Smiths/Morrissey, The Cure, Iron Maiden and The Misfits.

The group's name comes from a book written by Irvine Welsh, titled 'Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance'.

The band was formed when Gerard Way called his high school friend Matt Pelissier in 2002 to form a new musical group.

The black parade"

fact bubbles:

✰Their first song is "Skylines and Turnstiles", written by Gerard while living in New York and inspired by the attack on the Twin Towers.

✰Mikey Way, Gerard's younger brother, dropped out of school to learn to play bass.

✰En 2002 editaron su CD de- but 'I Brought you my Bullets, you Brought me your Love'.

Photos: EFE/ZumaPress and courtesy of the record labels.

✰They have been the opening act for Green Day.

03/2007 bravissima - spain

[queerpumpkinnn]

Stain

2.1k words

In which Sirius realizes that he loves you in a different way than the other Marauders.

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six coming soon!

Summary: The return to school and a haphazard prank leads to your stomach housing butterflies for someone you didn't expect.

Pairing: Bestfriend!Sirius Black x reader

Warnings: Light cursing, not much for part one. Reader shares a dormitory with Lily/Mary/Dorcas/Marlene, but they/them pronouns are used (I try my best to avoid using reader pronouns at all though).

While reading, I recommend you listen to valentine's day - a spotify playlist by me!

~

The halls of Hogwarts were buzzing with excitement. Most of it was coming from the first years. You'd been coming here for years- but you'd be lying if you said it didn't thrill you to think that you'd be spending the next nine months here.

As you followed the line of students through the corridor, your mind wandered to the previous years and the memories you'd made. Most of them were some variation of parading through the halls with a select four kids that had for some reason adopted you, partially against your will, into their group. You'd grown to love them- James with his idiotic jokes and cheerful spirit, Remus as the wise anchor and appointed mother of the group, Peter as the supportive confidant, and Sirius as the mischievous flirt.

No, there weren't many like the Marauders.

An assault of various, luring scents snapped you out of your trip down memory lane. You now had your attention focused on the warm light bathing the Great Hall from the candles hovering over the four grand tables stretching from one side of the room to another.

After moving up onto your tiptoes to look over the many heads in front of you, it didn't take long for your eyes to find your typical spot towards the end. Remus was already sitting there with his nose buried in a book, so much so that it looked as though there was a mop of unruly chestnut hair growing from the pages.

Just as you began to step towards the table, you were jolted by two hands coming up from behind to rest on either shoulder. You were shocked for about half a second before you opened your mouth to yelp and were met with a familiar scent that you'd come to know belonged to none other than-

"Sirius Orion Black!" You half laughed, half scolded when the head of your attacker peeped out from over your shoulder, mirth-filled eyes meeting yours.

"In the flesh." He grinned, stepping back to fall in line and walk with you. The two of you fell easily into light conversation, witty remarks and laughs tossed back and forth.

In the few moments you'd had to look at him, you were taken aback. He looked different. His hair was longer, brushing against his shoulders and still silky and ad-worthy as always. His skin seemed clearer, eyes brighter despite the bags under them. Something life with the Potters had earned him, you supposed. As you knew from experience, summer days at James' house far surpassed those at Sirius'. But you could still detect the worry under his eyes, in regard to his younger brother, no doubt.

But that was a story for another time. You were safe at Hogwarts, and right now that was enough.

The raven-haired boy and you had found your place at the Gryffindor table, you sitting across from Remus where Sirius opted to sit beside him, ruffling his hair as he walked behind the boy.

Now that you could see Sirius properly (and discreetly), you took a moment to drink him in. Despite having a hair tie around his wrist, his ebony locks still remained free, a few draping over his face and remaining there even after he tucks them behind an ear or blows them away. His eyes were alive as he spoke to Remus, hands moving animatedly to express more dramatically the story he was telling. His teeth, though the light in the room was a warm yellow, were pearly white, and when he smirked wide enough you could see his distinct canines gleam, as though they wanted to show off how surprisingly sharp they were.

Somewhere along the line, Sirius glanced over to you a few times. You thanked Merlin he was already telling a story, so it wasn't unusual for you to be watching him.

"Well, if it isn't three of my favorite people!" The telltale bellow of James Potter sounded a small ways away. You turned your head a bit to notice the bespectacled boy approaching your table, Peter following in his wake in a much less attention-attracting manner.

"Prongs! Haven't seen you since this afternoon!" Sirius laughed, standing and clapping his friend on the back. Peter greeted his friends with a more timid and calm manner, seating himself on the other side of Remus, who seemed to be conflicted between annoyance and happiness.

James plopped rather animatedly beside you, slapping his hands on the table in a way that showed he had something important to say. "Since some of us-" he gave a pointed look to you- "were in a different cabin on the train, I'll give a rundown of this year's festivities."

"Festivities," Remus snorted, resting his cheek in his palm, "that's one way to put it."

James ignored his friend's comment, proceeding to explain in full detail the plan he and Sirius had hatched for a first-night prank. While you knew any idea that popped into the mind of James Potter was sure to land you in detention, you listened, and you had to say it was quite funny.

"This is our year," was the last thing the Chaser was able to say- which he said every year- before being interrupted by the sound of a spoon clinking against a glass abnormally loudly, followed by the voice of the headmaster beginning his routine back to school speech.

You'd heard Dumbledore give this speech many times, so you weren't particularly missing out on anything when your eyes wandered to the boy who'd jump scared you earlier. He was listening, or at least pretending to. His chin was resting on his arms, which were folded on the table, so that his eyes were turned upwards so that he could watch through his eyelashes in a little pout.

Damn.

Wait, huh?

Your reeling back from your surprising thought was cut short when suddenly everyone was clapping. You joined in as well, though you only had half an idea as to what had earned the applause.

You'd fallen back into the swing of things quickly, especially once the food had appeared on the tables and students were scrambling to fill their plates. Eventually it was time to head to the dormitories, so you were forced to part ways with your boys for the night.

What a year this will be.

. . .

Just as you predicted, it didn't take long for the troublemakers to loop you in to some elaborate, yet half-baked plot that always ended in running away or hiding from the caretaker. In fourth year it hadn't even been a full twenty four hours.

This year, it hadn't been a week.

Unfortunately for you, your position at the scene of the crime was quite a ways away from the Gryffindor dormitory, so you were in for a bit of running. Sirius scrambled alongside you, cackling. Peeves' laughter mixed with his as the poltergeist wavered around in the air, whooshing in another direction. You thanked Godric that Peeves had taken a liking to your group and a disliking to the caretaker. He was usually helpful in the escape portion of your schemes.

"Here!" Sirius grabbed your wrist, yanking you into a random broom closet, swinging the door towards him just before it was only a crack open, then closing it ever-so-quietly.

"I don't recall there being a broom closet in this wing," you murmured, brows pulled together.

"Me neither." Sirius huffed, leaning against the bricks and folding his hands over his head. Though he was pressed against the cool wall, it did very little to create more space in the cramped area. You were still brushing against him, as he was increasingly aware.

Though it wasn't terribly warm in the castle, nor was he wearing so much clothing, he felt oddly warm. Sirius was quick to blame his being out of breath and unusually warm on the running- though it didn't explain why he was nervous.

Hoping to focus his attention elsewhere, he reached carefully into his pocket to pull out a piece of parchment, unfolding it and smoothing it out on the ground, whispering a few words to it as well as a spell to allow a bit of light.

You watched the scarlet ink seemingly bleed on from the underside of the paper, forming lines indicating corridors and stairways as well as sprouting up various footprints going their respective routes followed by a name tag. You'd seen it a million times but the process was always pleasing to the eye.

"Let's see if we can carve out a safe escape route." Sirius mumbled, tracing his fingers along the paper. While neither of your names appeared on the map, Sirius knew which corridor you'd been in and traced from there to the Fat Lady portrait, humming a 'no' quietly when his finger ran into the footprints of a teacher or prefect.

"I've got it. Come on." Sirius stood, clutching your wrist and opening the door, sprinting in the direction of the dormitories with you in tow.

The two of you had made it quite far when Sirius stopped abruptly, palms slapping the sides of his pants. His eyes went wide.

"The map!"

"You left it there?"

"I forget things sometimes!"

"Yes, but the map?"

"Do you want to go get it?" Sirius gave you an incredulous look. When you hesitated, he sighed. "I'll fetch it. Just get to the common room, I'm not letting you get detention."

Sirius whipped around without another word, speeding off towards the direction from which you'd come. You shook your head, a smile intruding upon your face as you made your way into the common room.

When you'd entered the Gryffindor common room, after a very judgmental look from the Fat Lady, you flopped down on one of the plush armchairs. It wasn't long until a parade of boys came trotting down the stairs, peeking out to see if the whole team had made it out alive.

"Ah, you made it!" James slung an arm around you. "Where's Padfoot?"

"Forgot the map," you panted. "Went back."

"Blithering idiot, going to get it confiscated one day." James rolled his eyes. When they'd done their full rotation they settled back on you, widened. "What's that look?"

"What look?"

"Your face is red."

"Because I just bloody ran across the castle."

"No, it's a different kind of red." James broke out into a huge grin. "You're smiling too."

It was your turn to roll your eyes. "I don't know what you're on about."

Naturally, James wasn't having any of that, and demanded to know who had put you in this state. Remus, who had been leaning against the wall with his hands in his jumper, had a look on his face that said he knew something that you and James did not.

You shook it off, heaving a sigh and pulling yourself from the chair. "Well, I've had a long day, so your interrogation about my quite nonexistent love life will have to wait. Goodnight, gentlemen."

Thankfully (or unthankfully, according to James) the dormitory prevented you from being followed by the inquisitive boy.

Sirius, however, would not be spared from the eventual harassment awaiting him. James and Peter had gone off to the dormitory, in full discussion about who you could possibly be interested in all the way up the stairs. Remus had stayed behind on account of how much easier it was to work out there than in the dormitory. He preferred the library, naturally, but it had closed long ago.

Sirius barged through the portrait hole, huffing and puffing until he flopped onto the couch right next to Remus.

"Alright?"

"Yeah."

Remus glanced over at Sirius for what was intended to be only a moment, but his gaze was kept there by a genre of face that he recognized well. One that he had seen on you that same day.

He said nothing, merely shaking his head a little and chuckling as he turned back to his schoolwork.

"What're you laughing at?" Sirius cocked his head to the side.

"Nothing. Just something Peter said earlier." Remus lied quickly, not feeling it was necessary to share his observations at the time.

"Can't remember Wormtail ever making a joke that good, but alright." Sirius cocked a brow but didn’t press the matter, draping an arm over his eyes and sighing, feeling the stretch and sting in his lungs as they learned to relax again.

Remus smiled to himself.

This ought to be entertaining.

~

A/n: This will be the first of a series, so stay tuned! It's my first series, so pardon if I don't do well with an overarching plotline. Feedback and comments are welcomed!

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six coming soon!

Sirius Black Masterlist

Harry Potter Masterlist

Main Masterlist

[incorrect-gravescest]

👿: Thanks for inviting me over, Ashley. I hope we can settle our differences. You're practically my future sister in law and I just want us to get along!

🩷: No problem, Hus-I mean, Julia. Have a seat. You thirsty?

👿: This tastes funny. What is this?

🩷: Just a new flavor of Toxicola, definitely not drugged with tranquilizers. Say, Julia, you like My Chemical Romance?"

👿: Um, they're okay.

🩷: Their early work was a little too emo for my taste, but when Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge came out in '04, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. They've been compared to Fallout Boy, but I think MCR has a more darkly sarcastic edge.

👿: (slurring her words) Hey, Ashley?

🩷: Yes, Julia?

👿: Wh-what's with the eyeliner all over the place? You-you opening a Hot Topic in here? Or a Sephora?

🩷: No, Julia.

👿: Is that a raincoat?

🩷: Yes it is! In '06, MCR released this: The Black Parade, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is Welcome to the Black Parade. A song so catchy, that most people don't pay attention to the lyrics. But they should, because it's not just about The Patient embracing death after a long struggle with cancer, but it's also a personal statement from Gerard Way about the lasting impression a parade he saw as a child had on him! Hey Julia!

🩷: Try stealing my Andy now, you fuckin' stupid Hussie! AHHHHHH!

[iwouldkickahorse]

I listened to three cheers and black parade back to back but it was my first time listening to either of them so now I feel like I am an immortal god and I have the desire to be visibly more queer

[geffenrecords]

update on my physical media collection (not including books / records ). list of everything shown in the pictures below the cut ⬇️

DVDS:

IT (1990)

it / it chapter two

ready or not

beetlejuice

glee season 1 (sorry)

glee season 2 (SORRY)

jaws

the secret of nimh

jurassic park, the lost world, jurassic park 3

the breakfast club / sixteen candles / weird science (John Hughes collection)

bill & Ted's excellent adventure / bogus journey

flatliners

the lost boys

diary of a wimpy kid

Grey's anatomy season 1 (SORRRYYY)

aliens

alien resurrection

TMNT (honestly idk why I still have this)

the outsiders

trainspotting

over the edge (matt dillon first movie)

Donnie darko

venom

Jennifer's body

jackass number 2

twilight

the karate kid

the princess diaries

fight club

star wars phantom menace, attack of the clones, and revenge of the sith

Narnia the lion the witch and the wardobe

the osbournes season 1

little miss sunshine

spiderman 1, 2, and 3

the amazing spiderman

elephant

Kung fu panda

the passion of the christ

pay it forward

original star wars trilogy

the polar express

a clockwork orange

heathers

life as a house

surfs up

scream

bowling for columbine

hackers

natural born killers

terminator 2

mysterious skin

moonrise kingdom

American idiot Greenday documentary

that was then, this is now

jackass the movie

suicide kings

the matrix

the Goldfinch

the day after tomorrow

speak

stand by me

kids

rumble fish

CDS;

the black parade (mcr)

danger days (mcr)

American idiot (green day)

21st century breakdown (green day)

in love and death (the used)

may death never stop you (mcr)

baby one more time (britney spears)

life on the murder scene dvd / cds

nevermind (nirvana)

dookie (green day)

nimrod (green day)

uno, dos, tre (green day)

nirvana greatest hits

blue weezer

selfish machines (pierce the veil)

collide with the sky (pierce the veil)

three cheers for sweet revenge (mcr)

from under the cork tree (fall out boy)

teens of denial (car seat headrest)

in utero (nirvana)

licensed to ill (beastie boys)

lost and found (mudvayne)

what it is to burn (finch)

slipknot

no strings attached (nsync)

infinity on high (fall out boy)

fallen (evanescence)

green weezer

mellon collie and the infinite sadness (smashing pumpkins)

Tallahassee (the mountian goats)

bleach (nirvana)

in the areoplane over the sea (neutral milk hotel)

the downward spiral (nin)

facelift (alice in chains)

placebo

smash (offspring)

dirt (alice in chains)

peace sells but whos buying ? (megadeth)

garage days (metallica)

folie a deux (fall out boy)

devil put dinosaurs here (alice in chains)

spit (kittie)

alice in chains

incesticide (nirvana)

hot fuss (the killers)

load (metallica)

american beauty / american psycho (fall out boy)

among the living (anthrax)

oops i did it agian (britney spears)

viva la cobra (cobra starship)

almost here (the academy is...)

kill em all (metallica)

and justice for all (metallica)

lets knife (shonen knife)

lithium single (nirvana)

ride the lightning (metallica)

homemade bullets cd my dad made for me for christmas using scans he found online :)

nirvana unplugged

killings my business (megadeth)

enema of the state (blink182)

take off your pants and jacket (blink182)

pretty hate machine (nin)

screaming for vengeance (judas priest)

fabulous disaster (exodus)

let go (avril lavigne)

hidden treasures (megadeth)

dude ranch (blink182)

there be squabbles ahead (stolen babies)

master of puppets (metallica)

the black album (metallica)

twilight soundtrack

neighborhoods (blink182)

south of heaven (slayer)

blink-182

angst (kmfdm)

adios (kmfdm)

nevermind the bollocks, heres the sex pistols (sex pistols)

hybrid theory (linkin park)

the lion and the cobra (sinead o connor)

seasons in the abyss (slayer)

reign in blood (slayer)

meteroa (linkin park)

anything is (my bloody valentine)

CASSETTE TAPES:

pearl harbor attack story

music from hungary

so far so good so what (megadeth)

the four seasons (vivaldi)

concerti (vivaldi)

hangin' tough (new kids on the block)

tchaikovsky / liszt paino concertos

bach flute sonata

mozart symphonies

cats musical

days of future passed (the moody blues)

60s surf hits

doomsday for the deciever (flotsam and jetsam)

st elmos fire soundtrack

phantom of the opera highlights

defenders of the faith (judas priest)

VHS:

a year and a half in the life of metallica (original 80s tape from my dad!)

cliff em all (also original 80s tape from my dad )

walking with dinosaurs bbc

dead poets society

the lost boys

flatliners

family values 1998 tour (korn, limp bizkit, ice cube, rammstien, orgy)

attack of the clones

aliens

the terminator

hackers

not pictured are my books (way too many and way too unorganized to actually take pictures of), and my records. im not big into record collecting but i do have;

life on the murder scene soundtrack

three cheers for sweet revenge

the black parade is dead!

kill em all

master of puppets

[theres-no-room-in-this-hell]

reputation tv/ttpd + mcr new music theory

you'll see how they both tie together if you read it all

also this theory might be a bit far-fetched, but there's nothing wrong with being a lil delusional

so, taylor swift said "there will be no explanation, just repuation" and there's also this that taylor nation posted that is making fans think there will be a ttpd sister album:

i think that the ttpd sister album rumored to be put out will be reputation tv. because, you can see with the stolen versions of her albums compared to the re-recordings the vibe/aesthetic of the re-recording is a lot more of an earthy/calm vibe

fearless(stolen version):

fearless(taylor's version):

red(stolen version):

red(taylor's version):

speak now(stolen version):

speak now(taylor's version):

1989(stolen version):

1989(taylor's version):

and repuation has a very similar vibe to ttpd, and the more earthy/calm version of it would definitely be rlly close to the vibe of ttpd, so i think that reputation will come out with ttpd as an unexpected sister album. taylor put out evermore as an unexpected sister album to folklore, so i wouldn't be surprised if she put out reputation tv as an unexpected sister album of ttpd.

now, onto how mcr ties into this.

so, the emo music trinity is my chemical romance, fall out boy, and panic! at the disco

she got brandon urie from panic! at the disco featured on ME!

and she got fall out boy featured on electric touch, a vault track of speak now.

my chemical romance has a pattern of putting out most of their music on even years.

for example,

i brought you my bullets, you brought me your love came out in 2002

three cheers for sweet revenge came out in 2004

the black parade came out in 2006

danger days came out in 2010

foundations of decay came out in 2022

2024 is an even year, as well. and there have been theories of mcr5 coming out soon.

i'm thinking mcr will be featured on a ttpd track or a reputation tv(if it is actually coming out) vault track, because they have a somewhat similar vibe/aesthetic to the one of either of those two albums. plus, then taylor will have the entire emo trinity under her belt.

i'm so hoping this is true, but we'll see on april 19th

[wastelandmoony]

Déjà Vécu: Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three : Fear and Trembling

Summary: Christmas at the Potters'.

Characters: Remus Lupin/Reader, Sirius Black/Reader (no use of y/n), James Potter, Petter Pettigrew, Regulus Black, Marlene McKinnon, Mary MacDonald, Lily Evans

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI; language, violence, gore, abuse.

Déjà Vécu Masterlist

Companion Playlist

Read on AO3

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

December 21st, 1975

Sirius’ trunk thumped down the tower steps, echoing loudly against the stone walls. He’d be scowling for what seemed like the entire week, ever since the owl arrived during breakfast one morning with a letter demanding his presence home for Christmas. He had immediately incinerated it at the table, icy glare locked onto Regulus across the Great Hall. The Potter’s had invited everyone to stay for the entire break, and the plan had been for the five of them to have two weeks of carefree living, playing quidditch in the garden and eating their weight in Euphemia Potter’s cooking.

“C’mon mate,” James tried to placate his best friend as Sirius dropped the trunk with a loud thud onto the common room floor, the rest of them waiting around with their own belongings for the journey home. “You won’t be missing much, it’ll be the same as last year: mum will cook Christmas dinner, we’ll all sit around and open gifts, and then—“

“—you’ll all laugh, and play games, and not be forced into some stuffy outfit to be paraded around to your extended family?” Sirius groaned, “Ugh, I’m going to be bored out of my mind!” 

She knew he wasn’t just worried about the boredom. Though his family had seemed to write him off for the past few years, something still didn’t sit right with her. 

Sirius continued his moping through the entirety of the train ride back to London, never breaking the grimace plastered on his face even after the numerous attempts by all of them to cheer him up. As they filed onto the King’s Cross platform, she discreetly took his hand and squeezed it. He looked back at her, expression never faltering as he pulled away and began to head towards his mother and younger brother.

“See you in two weeks,” he didn’t look back.

She wasn’t going to let Sirius’ bad attitude ruin their break, and it seems like the boys shared a similar sentiment. The moment they arrived at Potter Manor, James brought them upstairs to their rooms, chatting excitedly with Remus about a new prank idea he wanted to test out in the garden later.

After briefly unpacking, she wandered down the hall to James’ bedroom, finding him lounging against the headboard reading a quidditch magazine. She flopped down beside him and sighed.

“Alright?” He asked, tossing the magazine onto the quilt.

“I’m worried about Sirius,” she muttered, “Do you think he’s okay?”

James didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by the entire situation. “Yeah, he’s just being a moody git. You’ve seen how his family’s been the past few years, they just ignore him. I think they’ve given up.”

“Then why force him to come home now? Why not just let him do whatever he wants?” She couldn’t explain it, but something deep in her gut didn’t feel right.

James shrugged, “Who knows, maybe they just missed him?” 

She snorted, “I’m not sure Walburga is capable of that emotion.”

James laughed as he got up, “He’ll be fine. The only thing we have to worry about is the ranting we’ll have to endure when we all get back to school. I bet he doesn’t stop talking about how much he hates them until May.”

With an audible crack, the Potter’s house elf apparated into the room with a little curtsy. 

“Your mother wished me to tell you that dinner is ready,” they said. 

“Thank Merlin, I’m starved,” James exhaled, walking down the hall to grab the other two boys from Remus’ room. 

———

December 25th, 1975

They were swimming in gift wrap and glitter. The Potter’s sitting room was littered with torn paper, boxes and ribbon strew about, while plates and plates of baked goods covered the coffee table. Euphemia and Fleamont sat by the fireplace watching them open gifts, her parents having sent some as well. Remus leaned over to hand her a cup of tea as James stood up from the couch.

“I have one last present for you,” he said as he jogged out into the hall.

A few seconds later, his voice carried from the next room, “Close your eyes!”

Bewildered, and slightly afraid, she reluctantly shut both eyes. She could hear him reenter the room, followed by the crunch of gift wrap underfoot as he made his way to where she was seated. 

“Hold out your hands,” the excitement in his voice was barely contained.

Palms up, she waited, finally feeling smooth, polished wood against her skin. Her eyes shot open as she took in the broom on her lap, James standing above her with the biggest smile on his face. 

“I didn’t wrap it, because I’m shit at it, sorry about that—“ he started.

She was speechless. Though she was on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, she always just borrowed one of the school brooms, never wanting to bother her parents with the added expense of buying an entirely new one. So far, it had served her just fine. 

“Jamie…this is…this is too much,” she shook her head, “you shouldn’t have spent so much money on this, I don’t need—”

“Yes you do. I can’t keep watching you fly on one of those shit school ones, you’ll have much better control on this. And it wasn’t just me, we all contributed to this.” 

She looked around the room, Remus and Peter smiled, the former giving a confirming nod as tears began to blur their faces. 

“Thank you, I don’t even know what to say.”

“Just promise me you won’t tell anyone who gave it to you. If Marlene or the rest of the them find out I helped another team, they’ll kill me,” James said, face completely serious. 

She choked a laugh, wiping away a stray tear, “Deal.”

“So…drills then?” He raised his eyebrows.

She smiled, “…Go on.” 

Euphemia called after the four of them as they ran out back to the garden, “Don’t forget dinner is at 6!”

———

Christmas afternoon was spent outside in the crisp December air, trying to get used to how a capable broom handled. James was right, she was so much quicker and more agile with this one. Maybe this year, Hufflepuff would at least be a contender for the cup. 

Fleamont came outside as the sun was setting and ushered them all in for dinner, no one bothering to change out of their muddied clothes, not that the Potter’s minded.

After dessert, they all retired to the sitting room again, James and Peter breaking out the deck of Exploding Snap, while Euphemia tidied up the kitchen, and Remus and Fleamont read quietly.

“I’m going to change and then I’ll join you,” she said, excusing herself up to the bedroom, dying to be free of her grass-stained jeans. 

Pulling on the new sweater Mrs. Potter had given her that morning, and a pair of Remus’ old pajama pants she had stolen last year, she rifled through her trunk for the book she had brought. As she reached into the furthest corner, a crack echoed from downstairs, followed by screams.

“Help! Get Mum!” James’ voice filled her ears as she careened down the stairs towards the sitting room. 

Leaping from the bottom of the staircase, she rounded the corner and saw Euphemia and Fleamont bent over next to the fireplace, the three boys hovering around them. James was beside himself, paler than she’s ever seen him and pulling at the roots of his hair.

She saw the blood near Mrs. Potter’s knelt legs before she saw the body. 

Euphemia looked up at her husband, voice calm but filled with urgency, “He’s lost a lot of blood, Monty…”

Mr. Potter nodded, “I’m going to notify St. Mungo’s and send an owl to Dumbledore.” He swiftly left the room as she passed through the doorway.

“Is he going to be okay, Mum?” James was crying. 

Remus heard her footsteps and met her eyes. There was fear there. Pure, unfiltered fear. She’d never seen that in his face, even after his worst transformations.

“James, darling, help me move him upstairs to the extra bedroom,” Euphemia motioned for her son and Remus to help lift the body from the floor.

As Mrs. Potter rose to her feet, she saw Sirius lying on the wooden floor unconscious, bleeding profusely from his head.

[bnuuys-writing]

Chapter Four. Masquerade.

Here is chapter four! I hope yall enjoy!! <3 I also didnt add in Malleus' backstory bc i havent read it and I want to correlate it with the phantom's. I can always come back and edit it in but for now; enjoy! <3

~Bnuuy out!

Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four(You are here!), Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Leona's Ending, Malleus' Ending

Swirling, twirling, fanning and spinning. Thumping, bumping and cheers. Colorful and monochrome, animal or object. Welcome to the Masquerade! The crowd was buzzing with excitement within the opera house as everyone was more than delighted to have an invitation within the golden lined house to drink and dance all their worries away. Lilia could only smile as he sipped on his wine that barely affected him any, afterall; he is an old fey and such human liquor could barely bother him. His bat-like wings of a mask helped his amber eyes look even more ominous as his black tailored suit hugged onto his form as he looked down at his two boys; Sebek and Silver, who were dressed as a black swan and the other a white swan. Both boys had received a letter from your arrival and they were anxious to see you once more.

It's been months that the Diasomnia Trio has seen you, after you had moved in with your now engaged partner, Leona Kingscholar, and they were all more than happy to see your form swirling amongst the large crowd as your outfit was as bright as a shining star. While Leona’s was very similar to a Lion before the hunt, which you had recommended to him which caused his nonexistent ears to flick in irritation. Well, at least you remembered one about him back from NRC… Yet, he couldn't seem to help you at the moment as your eyes seemed to scan the crowd as if trying to find something- or perhaps someone?

“Why must we hide our engagement? It's not a crime, you know Y/N…” Leona grunted out as he scanned the crowd to see if he could find that pesky lizard anywhere. Afterall, he promised to keep you safe from Malleus and out of the Opera house, yet here both of you are. That pesky old bat was staring down at you two, Sebek as the black swan posted on his left and Silver as the white swan on his right; it irritated him down to the bone to see their judgmental eyes upon his form. He knew they were scheming something in hopes of bringing you back to the Opera Dormitories to get you back to their master, and he would put a stop to it today.

Like hounds, the swans began to descend the stairs only to be stopped by the large mass of a crowd in which Leona was for once, very grateful for it. Leona was quick to get you out from their gazes as he pulled you out to the dancefloor, pulling you into a fast paced waltz that he found himself tiring out more quicker than usual. He wasn't one for dancing, or parading in fancy outfits like Vil was. Though, as he opened up his mouth to chat with you, a large flash of green smoke appeared on top of the staircase where Lilia was just residing who was now closer than the soldiers had gotten to the two of you. As for who has just arrived to the party without much of an invitation?

A large slender man stood on top of the stairs, a feathered hat on top of his head as a black laced mask was covering half of his face as his bright green eyes found you immediately amongst the crowd. Your eyes could only trail over his form in shock as his shoulders were pleaded with raven feathers as his clothes were a mix of a dark forest green, decorated in embroidered golden roses amongst his pants as his chest was jeweled with many golden threads threaded with stars like diamonds. Emeralds dangled from his ears as his lace mask held another on the crown of his head while the last emerald you could see was resting on his jugular notch. His cloak billowed behind him as he began to speak, slow but enough to get you under his spell once more.

“Why so silent?” He spoke, a raised eyebrow following as he looked amongst the shocked crowd, the only ones who weren't shocked in the arrival of the mysterious Phantom of The Opera was his fellow soldiers and councilor. “Did you think that I had left you for good?” Malleus was quick to glance over at Azul, Floyd and Jade who all looked equally shocked, as the trio of them wore their respective merform as their masquerade outfit. Two slimy eels and an octopus. 

“Have you missed me?” Malleus could only chuckle as he looked over at Sebek and Silver who stood at attention to their Master, though none of them spoke as Malleus’ gaze turned towards the crowd as his emerald eyes trailed over every single face. Some were scared, others impressed but still scared and others who looked on the verge of passing out, while he met the stoic face of Vil and Rook who seemed on edge but trying to remain composed. “I have written you an opera… Here I bring the finished score.” As he tossed the binder of papers at Vil in which Rook stepped in quickly to catch it to prevent His Queen from getting hurt.

“Fondest greeting to you all, a few instructions before rehearsal starts. Vil Shoenheight but be put to act, not his normal trick of strutting around the stage.” Malleus was cold in his statements as his gaze flickered back to Rook while hearing Vil’s offended gasp. “Our Don Juan must forgo his accent, it's not interesting for a man who isn't French.” HIs cold stare left Rook’s offended smile as he turned his head to his managers next.

“And my managers must learn that their place is in an office, not the arts.” Slowly turning around as he didn't care to even look at Azul’s offended face, Floyd’s irritated scowl and Jade’s stoic face. “As for our star; Y/N L/N…” Malleus’ eyes finally met with yours as your body seemed to freeze in place, your hand didn't feel warm anymore as your eyes flickered to your side only to show that your Fiancé, Leona, had left your side. Disgruntled, your eyes locked back with your Phantom’s as he seemed in awe of your form this night, breathless at your shining grace.

“No doubt they’ll do their best, yes their voice is good; they know this. Yet, should they wish to excel, they still have much to learn, if pride would let her return to me; her Teacher…” He paused as he began to walk down the stairs towards you. You could feel the world slowly swallowing you alive as the pathway was formed straight to you as the large slender man got to you. He was just in awe of you, Afterall; you were his little Child of Man… Yet, his eyes flickered down to the ring around your neck, an engagement ring… Rage flared in his chest as he let out a puff that you swore you could’ve seen green flames coming out from his nose, roaring angrily as he lunged forward with his hand and ripped the diamond off of your neck.

“Your chains are still mine, you belong to me!” Quickly in another burst of flames, sparks flying out once more as if they were like fireflies coming towards you to hug you in its embrace, as a loud THUMP could be heard as you watched your fiancé jump down the hole that your phantom had disappeared to. Leona was lost within the maze of spinning mirrors, sword drawn as he slashed at anything that looked like that damn lizard, an irritated growl coming from his throat as he slashed a few more times before a noose dropped down in front of him. It was quick before a hand was on his shoulder did he spin around only to see an irritated looking bat which began to lead him out from the maze of mirrors he found himself in.

It was another few months since that incident, you had not been well in the mind after your engagement ring was taken from the Phantom, always seemingly back in that daze of time passing by like a blur. Perhaps it was time to start fresh again? Time to visit a certain someone who was very dear to you, perhaps… Groaning softly as you roused yourself out from your sleep, shifting around in the bed as you looked outside. The sun had just risen but it was hard to tell by all the chilly frosted air and low hanging clouds that hugged the pavement outside.

Grabbing your cloak and passing by a sleeping Leona who was stationed right outside of your room, keeping guard that no Diasomnia freak would come and snatch you out from his arms. As you descended down the stairs and outside into the chilly air, you met the carriage driver with a simple request and enough gold to pay for the trip.

“To my fathers grave, please and thank you.”

As you turned around to grab a few things for the visit to your fathers grave, a certain masked figure took over as he put the carriage driver under a small spell as he took their place. As you returned back to the carriage, climbing in and resting now in your forlorn state. The cloaked figure turned ever so slightly just to glance down at you before urging the horses forward. Not to far away, Lilia, Sebek, and Silver stood amongst the lonely streets as they watched their Master drive the carriage with the future Royalty of Briar Valley. A small nod from Lilia urged the other two to begin walking away as a panicked Leona rushed outside. 

“Y/N!” Leona shouted out urgently, noticing the carriage was gone that they shared, only to see their driver waking up in a pile of hay. “Where did they go! Tell me now!” Leona roared out, grabbing the driver who could only grumble out his response.

“To the cemetery sir…” 

That was enough for Leona to turn tail, grabbing his white horse with no time to prepare a saddle or not even a bridle. Jabbing his feet into the sides of the horse, they took off after the carriage that was far too gone for them to attempt to catch up. He needed to cut across the land in hopes of getting to you before Malleus could put a clawed hand upon your skin.

You were lost in thought as you stepped outside the carriage, the frosted land greeting you with chilly arms and becoming you inside the cemetery. Your basket filled with roses that you kept getting with green bows tied ever so neatly on them, an apple as an offering for the dead in the afterlife, and a silver dagger for protection.

Cold monumentals, hooded figures looming over graves, angels and cherubs carved into the stone. The only thing within your glazed over eyes and foggy mind was your father, how your father promised you to send an Angel to you. Yet, all you have gotten was months of turmoil of if you were doing the right thing or not, ignoring the Phantom and continuing your engagement to your lover, Leona. Or to return to the Opera House, resume your studies of your voice with your Angel of Music, and leave Leona. You couldn't have made a choice, even if you really wanted to. 

The soft crunch of snow mixing in with the stone pathway was all you heard underfoot as jack frost seemed to waltz with you across the cemetery, keeping your nose and cheeks flushed as gentle snowflakes seemed to fall off the weeping angels and into your hair as you found yourself kneeling down at the steps of your fathers grave. So lost, helpless as you yearned for your fathers light once more. As you were lost within your mind, a voice started up and broke you out from your dazed state. 

“Wandering child, so lost, so helpless. Yearning for my guidance.” 

“Angel or father, friend or phantom, who is it there staring?” You replied, tears in the corneas of your eyes, ready to drip down your cheeks as you felt as a loss. 

“Have you forgotten your angel?”

“Angel, oh, speak, what endless longings. Echo in this whisper…” Slowly standing up, basket of roses, the apple, and your blade long forgotten as you watched the doors to your fathers grave slowly open wide, a flicker of a green light beckoning you in.

“Too long you’ve wandered in winter, far from my gaze.”

“While my mind beats against you (you resist), but my soul obeys!” Slowly, as if under another subservient spell again, you slowly begin your trek up the stairs as you attempt to resist the beckoning voice, hoping deep within your mind that someone will stop you before you reach this ominous looming room. Your heart was racing as you continued forward up the stairs, your mind begging you to stop your feet in hopes of trying to turn around and run, pick up your dagger and fight- Something that isnt following this voice that has you under its control!

With a sharp tug, Leona was there to pull you against his chest, snapping you out from the spell this being had you in. With ease, you were set off to the side as Leona’s arm raised up, sword in hand, as an all too familiar figure jumped from the roof with a sturdy clang! Between swords.

A gasp of air came from you, as if you were no longer underwater and you were gulping down air fast as you watched these two figures fight. Sparks were flying as swords clashed together, stone was cut causing even more sparks to get sent flying. Leona had finally had enough of this damn lizard trying to tear away his happy ending and was determined to kill him- get him OUT of this story! Or even better, get him out of life! Afterall, Malleus was more weakened due to the fact of the book causing him to be more magically inept. 

The clatter of swords continued as you could only watch in shock and horror as you attempted to regain your mindset from out of the brainfog you were finally freed from, as well attempting to regain your breath from whatever spell was just casted upon you. Leona roared out in pain as Malleus was able to strike his arm, a smirk plastered upon his face as he watched the red crimson blood splatter across the snow and marbled stone in victory. Though the battle was not over just yet as Leona let out a roar, swinging his sword with such ferocity that knocked Malleus’ sword from his hand. With a kick, Malleus was knocked into marbled stone as he was now at Leona’s hand, sword raised and ready to plunge down into Malleus’ heart. Emerald glaring into Light green slitted eyes as Leona began the plunge down.

“NO!” A scream ripped across the graveyard as Leona’s blade stopped, millimeters above Malleus’ throat as his eyes looked up at your own. Tears had begun to drip down your cheeks at the thought of having to watch your lover kill someone, Phantom or Angel, it did not matter.

“Don't… Please, Leona…Not like this…” You whispered out, staggered as you had raced down to them from the stairs in your lightheaded state. Disgruntled that he couldn't kill his sworn enemy, he sheathed his sword with ease as he made his way over to you, easily swooping you up into his arms into a bridal carry as he made his way back to his horse. Adding salt to the wound by kicking some snow into Malleus’ face as he threw you onto the horse, then getting up himself, before you both raced out of the cemetery. 

Now, Malleus was seething. Granted, he had just been saved by your hand but only out of the pity of Leona’s love for you. Hissing with his forked tongue, eyes glaring after the two of you as he looked up at his clever plan having failed once more.

“Now… Let it be war upon you both…” Standing up, and with a snap of his fingers, he disappeared in a trail of fireflies back to the Opera House as a meeting was set up that very night to discuss how to get rid of their clever friend.

Vil, Rook, the Tweels, Azul and Leona were all there, having purposefully kept the Diasomnia minions out of their meeting and not even bothering to send Malleus an invitation. Sitting at a table, every crack sealed so that no Phantom or Minion can listen in on their conversation as Vil started.

“We must finish the story otherwise we will be stuck here with no way out. As much as I like being in the lead for once, I have no proper skin products here, nor easy accessible magic!” With some nods from the others in the room, Leona was the one to huff in annoyance.

“I will not put Y/N in harm's way- especially now that we know that Malleus Draconia is willing and can kill to get them.” Another round of chattering amongst themselves before Azul began to speak, plan forming in his head whether Leona liked it or not.

“We have all been blind, and yet the answer is staring us in the face. - This could be the chance to ensnare Malleus.” Azul stated out, drawing something out as Jade and Floyd listened in deeply.

“Go on/We’re listening.” Rook and Vil spoke out as Leona rolled his eyes at everyone's antics, why is everyone trying to ruin his happy ending with you? He has you now and there's no way he's going to lose you to Malleus Draconia. He loves you and refuses to let that damn lizard get in the way of his relationship with you. 

“We shall play his game, perform his work but remember; we hold the ace- For if Y/N sings, Malleus is certain to attend.” Azul finished, looking over the plan that they have just made.

“We are certain the doors are barred.” Rook stated out, for Floyd and Jade to add into it together.

“We are certain the police are there.” 

“We are certain they are armed.” Vil stated out only for Leona to understand where this was going. This wasn't going to be about ending the book, it's about stopping Malleus.

“His reign will end!” Leona stated out lastly, nodding his head at Azul’s work with a chuckle. “Good job, I shall go address them now. Let them know of our plan before action can start.” With that, he was quick to stand up and leave the room. Finding you was easy, getting the sleeping Silver and on guard Sebek to leave was harder. Yet, once those two were out and seeing you trembling with fear made his heart sink.

“Don't make me do this, Leona… Don't make me do this trial by fire… He wont let me go- We will be parted forever…” You whispered out, begged and hoped after hearing the plan come out from Leona’s mouth. Leona could only sigh as he knelt down to your side, thinking of what to say in hopes of encouraging you to go along with their plan, in hopes of having you in his arms forever without the chance of losing you to Malleus.

“You said yourself, he was nothing but a man… Yet while he lives, he will haunt us, till we’re dead…” 

“Twisted every way, what answer can I give? Am I to risk my life to win the chance to live? Can I betray the man who inspired my voice, do I become his prey? Do I have any choice? He kills without a thought, he murders all that good; I know I can't refuse, and yet, I wish I could. Oh God, if I agree what horrors await me in this… The Phantoms Opera?” Tears in your eyes began to drip down as you looked at your fiancé, who could only pull you closer into his arms as he wished to just take you far, far away and protect you forever.

“Y/n, don't think that I don't care, but every hope and every prayer rests on you now.” Leona stated out softly as he looked down at you, brushing the tears off of your cheeks as he brought you in for a gentle kiss. A hope that this could and would bring you any encouragement through this trial by fire.

Meanwhile, a certain dragon was unhooking things, checking the rope on the chandelier, messing with anything that could cause a disaster if things needed to be done. He was going to get you, steal you away from that lazy Lion one way or another, trial by fire or not. You belong to him!

“Seal my fate tonight, I hate to have to cut the fun short- but the jokes wearing thin, let the audience in,

Let my Opera begin!”