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treacheryinblue · 3 months

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Chapter 3/4

Noah Sebastian x F!Reader Series

Word Count: 8.9k

Masterlist

× Summary: Noah is Death, the ruler of the after life (or whatever you want to call it), though he is cursed to watch you come and go from his never ending existence time and time again.

× Warnings!: Eh-level smut (P in V obviously), language, little bit of violence, tiny fluff if you squint, very slight dom!noah, smut with plot aka this became more in depth than I meant for it to aka a one shot that's now a series. Non-proofread smut. Let me know if I missed anything!

× Author's Notes: ( 1 ) It's a bit of a long one, folks! Consider it a thank you for being so patient while I've worked through my writer's block. ( 2 ) Don't look too deep into the lore I've created because there's probably a lot that doesn't make sense. But if you are curious, then feel free to ask me any questions! ( 3 ) I'm but a writer that thrives off positive feedback (or even constructive criticism), so don't be shy when it comes to interacting with the post, or even me.

Happy reading! xoxo

“That soul is not meant for this land, my lord.”

Silence was given as a response.

“She is not destined to be here, and you know what will hap-”

“Yes, I am well aware of the consequences to my actions.” Noah heavily exhaled, though he appeared uninterested in the conversation.

Sitting atop his throne, black and sleek, one hand gripped the arm rest while the other was bent and lifted to his face. He examined his nails, further showing his boredom.

“Please forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn, my lord, but…the Light Ones are not happy. It has been nine times now and each plays out just like the last.”

A growl was emitted from him, dark eyes flickering to the creature who stood below. “I do not need you reciting my failures to me, demon.”

Noah couldn't bear to think of how you had been ripped from him countless times now. Pried from his hands. Stolen away. You had spent centuries together, longer than any human could dream of living - if one could call you alive - but he knew an infinite amount of centuries more would never be enough. He needed forever.

“If the Light Ones think I'm going to give up just because they look down upon my doings, then they are sorely mistaken. Maybe they aren't as all knowing as they like to remind us of every chance they receive.” He spat with disdain.

The demon clamped their mouth shut in fear that they may further anger the embodiment of darkness sitting before them. This is how they remained for a long moment, neither speaking, but the demon holding many questions on their pointed tongue.

“‘My lord…” they cautiously began after a moment. “Might I ask…what is it about this girl that you're so drawn to? You encounter humans everyday, thousands of them, but none have made you so…”

“Weak?” Noah finished the demon’s sentence for them, his eyebrows quirked.

The demon immediately fell to their knees, their jagged forehead pressing to the marble floor as if to already begin begging for forgiveness.

“No! I would never say as such, my lord!”

Noah shook his head as his focus returned to his nails, just as the ruby encrusted dagger appeared within his grasp out of thin air.

“There's no need to grovel,” he exclaimed while turning the dagger, inspecting every inch of the blade. “I have become weak when it comes to her…but I don't have an answer for you as to why.”

It was still a mystery even to him.

“Does Death itself not deserve the chance to love and to be loved in return, though?”

× × ×

“Legend says it's cursed.”

You snorted a laugh as you looked up at the friendly face across the counter, though his expression was as serious as ever, causing your smile to falter slightly.

“Cursed?” Might as well indulge him a bit if he was going to get all mega serious on you now.

Nicholas was your go-to guy when it came to purchasing oddities and strange artifacts. He was good at tracking down the specific items you'd ask for but he also had a knack for snagging things he thought you'd find interesting.

Your eyes dropped to the dagger as you leaned into the glass countertop. There was a twitch in your fingers to reach out and touch the item, to feel the cool metal against your fingertips, though you knew better. Nick was typically pretty light hearted and you two could share a laugh, but you knew when to stay within your lane when it came to his business. Don't touch it until he offers it to you.

“From what I could find online, it's ancient, so old that no one can really say for sure how long it's been around. And you know how it goes with old things - always a curse or some shit attached to them.”

Nodding in agreement to his words, your eyes paused upon the faintly noticeable sigil that remained etched into the dagger’s blade. The sigil is why you wanted the item, what you had asked Nick to search for in particular.

“It's probably bullshit,” he continued, “but it was something about going to the flames if you're on the end of the blade.”

“The website was in some foreign language and the guy I bought it from barely spoke English so I can't give you an accurate translation yet. Who even knows if it's legit.”

The bell above the door dinging briefly overtook Nicholas' attention. He held a finger up to you to silently tell you to ‘hold on’, then he stepped around the counter to greet his new patrons.

“It's legit,” you softly spoke to yourself as you gazed upon the dagger again. There was something drawing you to it; a warmth, a knowing. Your eyes focused in on the cloudy rubies - you knew they'd shine again with a thorough cleaning - and they pulled you closer and closer, your sights now level with the item. Had there been a flicker within the largest stone? Couldn't be. Your eyes were clearly playing tricks on you now.

As Nick returned, you straightened your posture and smiled. “I'll take it.”

“What?” Nicholas opened his mouth to speak but then only breathed out, his head tilting slightly to the side.

“You know I have to charge you as if it's real, right? I mean, I haven't been able to fully inspect it myself or do anymore research, so I feel kinda like an asshole doing th-”

“Nick, it's fine.” You laughed while retrieving your wallet from your bag, fingers digging into the slot that held your credit card. “It's a chance I'm willing to take.”

“Alright…it's your money.”

A few minutes later and your new purchase was packaged and ready to go. Nick approached you with an outstretched hand that held the blood red box the dagger was stashed away in, uncertainty in his eyes. You knew he hated not knowing all the ins and outs of his inventory, especially when it came to something with such a hefty price tag.

“Are you coming tonight?” He asked as you accepted the box which was now being held close to your chest.

“It's the first show with our new singer but he's been fucking great in rehearsals. Really has an ear for the band.”

You nodded, again flashing a friendly smile. “I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

After a bit more chit chat and hammering down the finer details on how the night would go, you said your goodbyes to Nicholas with the obvious promise of seeing him in a few short hours.

Making your way out of the shop, phone in hand and AirPods nestled in your ears, you only looked up when you were about to cross the street. On the opposite side stood a man, his dark eyes set entirely on you. He was wearing all black with deep brown hair that brushed his cheeks, hands clasped behind his back. Something about him made your stomach do a flip and you felt a pull despite having no idea who this man was.

Slowly, your feet began to carry you along the crosswalk. He remained in place, though a faint smirk dared to appear over his lips. Your cheeks flushed crimson and you had the urge to glance away like some timid little school girl, but there was something preventing you from looking anywhere but at him.

“Come.”

A voice drifted into your mind and then back out as if being carried by the wind. You knew that should've frightened you but you felt nothing. Nothing aside from the biting need to be near this unknown man.

Then, he was suddenly gone and you were left empty.

The blaring beep of a horn shook you, your body flinching in surprise from the sudden harsh noise. You looked over to the car that was inches from colliding with you, a hand waving all about behind the windshield and motioning for you to get the fuck out of the way.

× × ×

Arms above your head, you loudly hollered along with the rest of the crowd as the song came to an end. Red lights flashed all around you, the stage illuminating and going fully dark in quick succession. Your hands collided in a fury of claps before lowering to cup around your mouth.

“Wooooo!” You had never been much of a ‘woo girl’ but alcohol made it loads more enjoyable to do.

You could feel the vibrations from both the noise you projected and the bass of the band in the hollow of your stomach, reverberating throughout your entire being. There was something sensual about it - being able to not only hear the music but also feel it.

Nicholas’ band had been pretty decent before so coming to see them and support their gigs was never an issue. But now? They were fucking amazing. The new singer definitely added to whatever they had been lacking previously, even if there wasn't anything specific you could put your finger on.

Did it help that the new singer happened to catch your eye a few times? Maybe.

“Hey!” Nicholas yelled out for you after their set. He had found you at the bar towards the back of the club - just where you always were.

“Hey yourself!” You called back as a fresh drink was set in front of you by the bartender.

Nick rolled his eyes at you but still chuckled. Sweat beaded on his forehead, pupils blown from the adrenaline rush he had experienced while on stage. You always thought Nick was pretty cute and you both had a lot in common - he had even asked you out once - but things were better kept as friends between the two of you. As well as the occasional artifacts dealer, of course.

“Didn't get a chance to see you before we went on, so let me introduce you to the newest member.”

“Noah!” The guy spoke up for himself, his voice loud enough for him to be heard over the commotion of the crowd and also the next band setting up.

You paused as your gaze met his, eyes squinting ever so slightly while taking in his face from this new close proximity. He looked just like the ethereal man you had seen outside of Nick’s shop earlier, but also…not. That guy had been finely dressed with much shorter hair and a presence about him that demanded attention, this guy in front of you was the epitome of a 'guy in a band'. Long hair, jeans blown out at the knee, worn Vans that told you he dressed for comfort. Their smiles were the same, though.

Instead of giving your name, you opted for a question. “Do you have a brother?”

Noah extended to you a look of confusion though you swore you saw a mischievous gleam in his dark eyes.

“Uh, no? Not that I know of.” Despite your weird question, he laughed and stepped a bit closer to you, his elbow leaning into the side of the bar top.

Nicholas had fallen into conversation with another band mate, leaving just you and Noah to entertain each other.

You spared him the explanation of why you had asked such a question. The last thing you needed was to seem creepy or more odd than you already did on a day to day basis. Thankfully it didn't seem as if that was going to deter him from cozying up to you at the end of the bar.

Drink after drink was had with a couple of shots downed in between. You had found out that Noah had recently moved to Los Angeles, worked at a graphic design company, owned a cat, and shared a building with a rather odd Asian woman that liked to bring him homemade meals multiple times a week.

You also discovered that you liked the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled too wide and how he was always touching his face as if it was a comforting habit of some sort.

“Nick said you like to collect…unusual things?”

You cleared your throat and abruptly averted your gaze before he could realize you had been staring.

“I guess that's one way to put it,” you admitted with a sheepish smile. Not even the alcohol could mask the embarrassment.

“My dad was an antiques dealer, scam artist, whatever you want to call it.” You paused to take a swallow from your glass but to also let your honesty sink in.

“So, I kinda just grew up with old objects that told a story. Buying them for myself - as someone who will care for them and their story - sounds better to me than allowing them to be on display in a stuffy museum somewhere.”

“That's why you bought the dagger?”

Huh…had you mentioned the dagger to him? Maybe not. Maybe so. Maybe Nick told him about it. Either way, you took in a deep breath, your head swimming from the alcohol.

“Not exactly…”

Noah looked at you curiously, silently asking for you to continue. To tell him. But how were you to explain that you awoke one day with this nagging obsession for the sigil stamped on the blade? That you desired to find every single item you possibly could that bore the same marking? It was impossible to divulge because you had no idea why you had become so hell bent on acquiring these things. You didn't even know what the damned sigil meant.

“Did you want to see it?”

And like he had been waiting for you to ask, Noah flashed a devilish grin.

“I'd love to.”

× × ×

Pleasure erupted throughout your entire body as Noah kneeled between your spread legs. His hands held tight to your hips, pulling you down to grind against him with every forward thrusting motion. He groaned above you, teeth gritted and jaw clenched, revealing to you all the work he was putting in.

And boy did you feel it.

You had already cum twice - once from his mouth and again from him bending you over the arm of the couch when neither of you could make it to your bedroom fast enough.

Most of the time even you had to pray the wind was blowing in the right direction so you could cum in a timely manner, yet Noah had managed to get you there in near record time.

“Fucking hell! Right there!” You cried out as his cock pierced just the right spot within your drenched and aching cunt. Heavy pants escaped from you, each breath becoming louder and more pronounced the harder he drove his hips.

Noah’s tattooed fingers dug deep enough into your hips that you knew you'd have bruises the next morning. They'd match the bruise you'd have on your ass from when he had you bent over and administered quite a harsh spank.

He released your hips so he could trail his hands down along your tense thighs, kneading and massaging into the flesh. One hand continued its downwards trek to your clit as the other drifted up, pausing at your neck. Slender fingers secured around your throat and applied enough pressure to cause your heart to race and your breath to hitch, though not enough to cause any worry.

Why would you ever be worried about hooking up with a stranger and allowing him into the privacy of your home?

Noah's thumb swirled around your clit, each pass over the nerves causing your thighs to twitch and your hips to buck. He was then leaning over you so he could capture your lips in a hungry kiss, so much so that you swore you heard him growl against your lips. Not that you were fazed by this.

“Uh uh,” he scolded after parting from your lips to gaze down at you. “Eyes open.”

To show how serious he was in this demand, his hand further tightened around your throat, short nails digging into the sensitive skin. You gasped for air but it was all too much; the overpowering ecstasy that coursed through your every being as you felt his cock throb inside of you, the rigid veins that stimulated the tight walls of your pussy, his thumb on your clit, his onyx eyes never drifting from yours.

How were you to survive this night?

Your body tensed and your lower back arched as you felt the first ripplings of your orgasm. Your third orgasm. Then - everything released. You writhed beneath him, eyes finally closing which was no choice of your own, all while his name and a mixture of other profanities echoed through the room.

In the midst of your climax, your vision was hazy from the intensity, as well as the lack of oxygen greeting your brain. With every blink Noah’s face shifted; it went from the band frontman you had met that night to the dark stranger across the street earlier in the day, then back again, only to repeat the cycle. There was no way that's what was really happening, so you chalked it up to your overactive imagination and mostly drunken state.

The mess you made meant nothing to you, nor did the added mess of his cum when he managed to meet his ending in tandem. Noah’s hips lost momentum gradually before stilling completely, though your cunt continued to collapse and clench around him until your body finally settled.

It wasn’t much later that Noah laid sprawled across your bed, his face pressed to the pillow, breathing steady after drifting off to sleep. Unfortunately, you didn't have the same luxury. There was a darkness creeping into your mind, repeated phrases demanding things of you, things of which you had never considered before.

“Do it,” the voice whispered in your ear.

At first you assumed it was Noah by the brush of his hair on your face and the familiar grasp of his fingers around your waist. But when you glanced back, he hadn't moved a muscle.

“It would be so easy…”

“You want to. I know you want to. I can smell it on you.”

When your eyes opened, the blood red box from Nick’s shop sat at your side. It was unwrapped, the dagger staring up at you from its temporary home. Taunting. Begging. Screaming to be touched.

You listened.

Fingertips traced the metal of the handle, down to the tip of the dagger that remained sheathed.

“Pick it up.”

The order from the disembodied voice was obeyed, the dagger soon resting in your grasp. Still, no one was in the room with you other than Noah’s sleeping form, so how did you feel a breath on your neck?

Rubies embedded in the dagger shone before your eyes now that it was held up for you to admire. So beautiful. Just what you had been searching for all this time.

“Do it.”

You knew what the voice was asking of you. You knew it would end in your demise. Yet, you felt no fear. If anything, you were…excited. Possibly even anxious for what was to come.

“Do it!” The voice loudly rang out, deep and commanding in your mind.

Both hands now gripped the handle of the dagger after you pulled it from its sheath. Arms stretched out before you, the blade was perfectly angled just where you somehow knew it needed to end up.

Right in your heart.

“Do it! Now!”

With quick motion that held all of your strength, you impaled the dagger into your own chest. You could hear it break through the bone that protected your heart - your body no match to the power that lied within the weapon.

“...going to the flames if you're on the end of the blade.” Nick's voice now penetrated your mind, a memory from hours ago. His words being that of the loosely translated curse that the dagger held.

As soon as the blade punctured your chest, you felt a sense of clarity. You knew what the curse now was: die by way of the blade, go straight to Hell.

Eyes wide, you looked down to the dagger protruding from you. Blood spilled from the wound, coating your naked body, staining your sheets. You tried to call out for Noah despite knowing he wouldn't be able to do anything to help you.

Gathering what remained of your strength, which was next to none, you again glanced back to where you expected to see him sleeping. Instead, he was standing at the side of the bed, hands clasped behind his back, wearing the same smirk you had seen from the other Noah outside of Nicholas’ shop.

In a blink you were then being cradled in his tattooed arms. His fingertips brushed your hair back from your face in the most loving of gestures, lips moving though you couldn't make out a thing he was saying. You couldn't hear anything. Couldn't feel anything. All you could do was allow yourself to be encased by the cold hands of death as it dragged you deeper and deeper down to the dismal abyss.

“I'll see you on the other side, my love.”

× × ×

The forever night of the land taunted you as you gazed out the large window. Stars freckled the sky, twinkling and swirling cosmos in some spots, remaining still in most just as the night sky did back home.

Home.

Everyday that passed you forgot more and more what it looked like.

You had remembered your death, all of your deaths, within minutes this time. Noah was beyond pleased, confessing that he always wondered if dying by your own hand was the trick though he had been nervous to see. Nervous to know what it would do to you.

Well, now he knew.

You were livid. Never had you felt so betrayed, and you made sure he was well aware of your anger towards him. Something told you that he felt it in your lack of appearances since you had yet to face him fully since arriving.

“The Dark Lord has requested your presence today.”

A demon who had been appointed to your side ran a brush through your hair, gently ridding the strands of any tangles that had formed while you slept. You had told them day one that you could do it yourself but they insisted. Tending to you was now their duties and they had to do as commanded.

“You can tell the Dark Lord to kiss my ass,” you mocked.

The demon held back what you thought was the semblance of a chuckle, their unusually long fingers continuing to ready your hair for the day.

“Forgive me for being so blunt, but I think it would be best if you spoke with him. Perhaps let your grievances out however you see fit?”

Had you not done that the moment your memories returned? You very much recall throwing a heavy tea pot at his head, although he had dodged it with ease. Were your shouts of frustration not enough? Your tears?

It wasn't that you were upset to be back with him. You were more so mad about how he had gotten you here this time. There had to be some other way that left out the whole dying part.

“What's your name?”

The demon paused briefly at your question. You could tell they had never been asked before, though you weren't sure if it was because everyone else here knew how things went or if no one simply cared.

“I don't remember.”

This confused you. Shifting a bit in your seat, you turned your upper body to look at the creature. They were definitely a sight to behold; scaly skin that glistened as if perpetually wet, yellow eyes with only the smallest white pupil appearing like a cat’s, a row of chipped horns going down the center of their head.

You had stopped being scared of the demons here long ago.

“Lowly demons, such as myself, lose their names upon becoming what we are. We are simply demon. The others, the ones you've probably heard of in some capacity within your mortal stories, are given new names when they become His strongest warriors.”

Out of all of your ventures here, you had never been told about the inner workings of the land. You found it to be interesting.

“Oh…” You felt silly for even asking, now also concerned that you had probably brought up a sore subject for the demon. No name? No identity? You couldn't imagine.

Once the demon had somehow managed to weave deep red garnets and black diamonds into your hair, you were sent off to where Noah would be waiting. You tried to fight it, arms crossed over your chest as you sat pouting on the edge of the bed, but eventually the demon helped you realize that Noah would see you whether you wanted it or not. It was wise for you to go to him.

And so you did. Like some sort of invisible string leading you to him, you managed to find him standing on the large balcony that jutted out from the castle, overlooking his land in silence. His posture straightened upon sensing your arrival, gaze now set only on you.

“You look…” Onyx eyes raked up and down your body, no shame detected within them as he took in the black gown you had been instructed to put on. You didn’t want to admit to him the way his heavy stare made you feel. There was already a tingling in your lower stomach that radiated down between your thighs - no. You wouldn't fall for it that easily this time.

“Don't,” you merely requested, a hand being held up to signal for him to stop any further words. Steps were then taken around him so you could approach the railing of the balcony, the carved stone cool beneath your touch as you tightly grasped it.

“You're still angry…”

You said nothing. Silence overtaking you.

“I…” he began, his voice falling while trying to gather his thoughts. Never had he been so concerned about anyone else before. Never had he been forced to wonder what the right thing would be to earn your forgiveness.

“I'm sorry that things had to happen this way.”

Well, that weak excuse for an apology definitely made you want to yell at him to shove it up his ass.

Your jaw clenched, knuckles turning white from the death grip you held on the stone railing. It would surely crack and splinter if any more of your strength was to be endured.

“I liked your hair better longer,” you finally spoke, though you didn't look his way. Instead, your gaze remained focused out into the night, slowly cataloging and memorizing every dip and valley.

“That you was nicer.”

Noah slowly shook his head as he reached out to lightly touch your hair, heated fingertips brushing the strands from your bare shoulder to reveal the curve of your neck.

“Funny, because that was me, just in a slightly altered form to keep up appearances.”

As if he could read your thoughts, he continued.

“I was never human, you know this. So, there are no other versions of me like there have been of you. There's only one. That's how it'll forever be.”

Anger flared within you. “You're telling me…that you've been able to come to Earth this entire time? That I haven't needed to brutally die again and again to be with you? You are an insufferable mons-”

A strong hand grasped your arm, turning your body and pulling you in closer. You could tell that Noah wanted to speak to you as if you were one of his demons, someone for him to control, but he managed to contain his rage.

“Do you know the danger I put my entire realm in just to walk amongst the living with you for an extended period of time? To go for my own selfish reasons and not because of my duties? To help guide you back to me? You're blind to the repercussions this land faced. Souls piled up, punishments halted, everything at a standstill. Do you think that has ever happened before?”

Silence as your eyes searched his.

“We may have spent one night together on Earth, but the sheer amount of deaths within that singular night that went unprocessed…”

Noah shuddered at the thought, his grip on you then loosening before releasing completely.

“Think of me what you will, but what I did was for us. Everything I've done, and will do again and again, for us.”

You wanted to understand. You wanted to touch his face and tell him everything was okay. You wanted to press yourself into him and let his warmth overtake you.

You wanted so many things, but none of it was what you did.

Instead of giving into these wants and needs, you gave him one last look and then turned on your heel to saunter back into the farthest reaches of the castle.

× × ×

The only thing you truly despised about this place was the lack of time. While you had an abundance of it, more than you could ever ask for, you still had no idea how much had passed. Days? Months? Hell, maybe a century? Time didn't work the same way here as it did on Earth, which you already knew, but it surely did drag when you were choosing to spend it alone.

You had attempted to keep track of it at the beginning but eventually gave up when nothing fit the way it should have in your human mind. Noah even offered to set a sleep schedule, though that disappeared rather fast when his duties became too much to juggle along with it.

A heavy sigh expelled from you as you flipped over onto your back. Your eyes stared through the darkness of your bedroom and up to the high ceiling where the same stars as the night sky beyond the open window danced along. A neat little trick Noah did when he knew you were restless. He may have been an asshole but he knew how to make you melt when showing his softer side. A side no one had ever seen before you.

With another huff, you caved.

Moments later you were standing in front of his bedroom door after having gently knocked. The door opened almost immediately, revealing his relaxed form sitting upon a grandeur bed with papers strewn about. It was always funny to see him do actual work especially when you had never witnessed anyone outside of the demons wandering the halls.

Sometimes you'd hear other voices when he was locked away in his study, but nothing beyond that.

“Stars didn't work?”

You twisted your lips, head shaking in a single motion.

“They're nice - beautiful - but it's not the same as…” you trailed off for a moment while trying to decide how much of your pride you were willing to spill down the drain. Not the same as when we're laying together.

Noah noticed, he knew what you were going to say. He allowed you to keep the stubborn pride for now. In a snap the papers cleared away from a spot on the bed for you, an invitation to join him.

Sitting against him, your knees bent to the side and your head resting on his shoulder, he continued to work. He would occasionally look over at you, brush your hair back, lightly touch your lips or cheek, then focus again.

How you had managed to wrap Death around your finger, you would never know.

“Can I ask a question?”

Noah nodded, the paper in his hand being placed down so he could fully focus on you now. Another thing you loved about him: he never made you feel as if your presence was a bother. No matter what he was in the middle of.

“Is this how you've always looked? Or do you only appear like this to me?”

A crooked smile appeared on his features, his eyes crinkling in the corners just as you remembered from your brief time on Earth with him.

“Why do you ask?”

Avoidance - as usual.

“I don't know…I mean, when it comes to humans, you are either shown as a skeleton in robes or this otherworldly beautiful man without flaws.” You shrugged.

You didn't add on that you were also curious as to what was real.

Noah didn't taunt you for your poor wording choice. He knew he was beautiful and he knew that you also knew this, but he understood what you meant.

“Technically,” he began while rubbing his chin as if trying to find the right way to describe it to you, “I'm without a body because what I am transcends physical being.”

Okay, that you could understand, at least for the most part. Was it still an odd thought? Yes, of course. All of this was odd.

“But I've chosen to take on a flesh and blood form, even before you came along the first time. It helps to do so in my line of work…so the souls can relate, maybe feel a bit of comfort for a brief moment.”

As he spoke you traced random designs and patterns into the top of his thigh, your fingertip slowly dragging along the soft material of his pants. You inwardly smirked to yourself when you noticed him shiver as your fingers traveled higher along his inner thigh.

“I may have adjusted a few things specifically for you, though.”

“That's why you have all the tattoos?” Your hand left his thigh so you could lightly touch the front of his neck, eyes focused on the inked designs that were quite an interesting choice for him. The religious visuals weren't lost on you - you knew why he had chosen those in particular. A cruel mocking to those above. A middle finger to the “Light Ones” who were always trying to act all better-than-thou.

You didn't tell him that this was quite a human response just to spare you the glare he would surely respond with.

“And the lisp?” You further teased, a smile finally gracing your lips again.

“Again - makes me relatable.”

You hummed in thought, watching him as he watched you. Noah had yet to return to his work meaning he knew there was more you wanted to say. And while this was true, you were more so transfixed by how close you two were. You could feel his breath on your face and see the patterns of different brown shades within his irises, both combined drawing you closer and closer until finally your lips collided with his.

Were you still mad at him? Yes, very much so, but that didn't change the feelings you had for him. The tether between you was far too strong, probably impossible to snap.

Noah didn't waste any time as your kiss deepened and intensified. He leaned back into the pillows of his bed, drawing you with him until your body almost completely covered his. You touched along his face and down his chest, eager fingers tugging and pushing at the shirt he wore. You needed him now.

There were moments when you both liked to take your time, each unwrapping the other like a precious gift, fully savoring the anticipation. Then there were times when it was impatient and needy, as if you couldn't get him inside of you fast enough. Simply a blur of hands until you were both naked without the pesky barriers of clothes getting in the way of your desires.

One guess as to which side you were both currently feeling.

As your clothes were stripped away, flimsy lace being tossed aside, you further crawled on top of him. Knees pressed down onto either side of his hips, your nails scratching along his inked chest before firmly grasping his broad shoulders. The kiss you shared had yet to cease, both of you kissing the other with a desperate need; sweeping tongues and clashing of teeth.

Noah released your hips to cup your breasts within his large hands, thumbs skimming and circling your sensitive nipples to pull a faint whimper from you. Chills formed over your heated skin, your teeth roughly sinking into his lower lip that caused him to hiss and pinch your nipples in return.

“Behave,” he lowly threatened while you could only pout in response.

Both hands then fell from your chest; one dropped to begin pushing his last article of clothing down as the other gripped tight into your hair. Noah roughly yanked your head to the side to further expose your neck, his lips immediately kissing a hot trail to your jaw. He knew exactly what teasing your neck did to you, arousal pooling between your thighs as you needily whimpered for him.

“And you thought you'd be able to stay away.”

You wanted to knee him right in the side for the petty comment, but he was already adjusting your position and tugging you higher up on his hips so you could hover above his hard cock.

Noah smirked against your skin, his tongue flicking at the sensitive spot right below your ear. The moment his teeth nipped at the same spot he pushed your hips down so the wide swollen head of his cock could force through your tight entrance. You gasped and he groaned in unison, his own muscles straining from the vice grip your cunt already had on him.

“I can stay away,” you countered. “I just didn't want to.”

The devilish gleam returned to his eyes while gazing up at you, knowing that deep down you also knew you couldn't stay away. It didn't matter what your stubborn protest said.

Releasing your hair, both of Noah’s hands held tight to your hips. You were still trying to adjust to his size, slowly easing yourself down another inch, but he was clearly much more impatient than you were. This was proven when he forced your hips all the way down until they sat flush against his, the entirety of his cock tunneling through your pussy. Of course how wet you were helped, but nothing could ease the tight stretch.

Your head tossed back as you released a loud moan, all other thoughts leaving your mind except for those of him. Sharp nails dug so deep into his chest that you swore you would draw blood - not that Noah would care.

“Good girl,” the Dark Lord rasped.

His impatience didn't end there. Although he wanted to be kind and let you find your bearings, there was truly no need when he was well aware that you liked things just as he did: rough, animalistic, whatever you wanted to call it.

Keeping you steady atop him, his hips thrusted up from the bed in rapid succession, angling just right to make sure your body quivered and your cries of pleasure never ceased. Noah loved watching you come undone for him, loved seeing your stubbornness overtaken by your pure need for the sensations that only he could give you. Everything about it, from the sounds you made to the way your face contorted in pleasure, was addicting.

You could barely contain yourself as he continued to drive his throbbing cock straight up into you. Your pussy fluttered, more and more of your arousal slipping free until it ran down his length and helped aid in his endeavors to completely ruin you. Noah knew that you were already close, he could tell by the way your moans became more frequent and heightened in pitch.

“That's it,” he grunted as his hands tightened around your waist and he forced you down to roughly meet the upward thrusts of his hips. “Let go.”

As if on command, your body seized and your back arched. An orgasm ripped through you, claiming full control as you trembled and your hips jerked, the pleasure so intense that you couldn't even make a sound.

Noah had no intentions of stopping, though. He settled down against the bed, still buried as deep as possible within the warmth of your climaxing cunt. His grip fell from your waist to your hips, now guiding you in a back and forth grind to keep you overstimulated and whimpering for him.

“You're so fucking beautiful when you cum for me.”

In a swift motion he had you on your back, the papers from his work crunching beneath you, some digging into your skin but it was of no concern to you right then. You were basking in the high of your orgasm, well aware that there was more to come. Noah never stopped at just one. He had to bring you as close to breaking as he possibly could before he was satisfied. Sometimes that could be done in as little as two rounds and sometimes you were at it for hours until you had lost count of your orgasms and forming any sort of coherent thought was impossible.

Not daring to pull out from your warmth, Noah brought one of your legs over so your lower half twisted for him, leaving you open and vulnerable but still capable of seeing each other. You quivered as you felt the thick rigid veins that lined his cock throb when they shifted within you, every inch of you sensitive from the orgasm you were still coming down from.

Noah had a hold of your ass in one hand and your thigh in the other to make sure you remained right where he wanted you as he slowly pulled out until just the head of his cock remained. Then, he used every bit of strength he had to thrust right back into you, the pace being set slow but impossibly hard. Your jaw clenched and your toes curled, your body barely able to handle what Noah presented to you.

You shook your head, squeaks and whimpers of words unsaid escaping from your throat. He knew what he was doing to you, though. He knew exactly what angles to fuck you from that would leave you dumb - for lack of a better term.

“Is it too much for you, my love?” He taunted, a mock sympathetic tone to his voice.

To show that he didn't care, he only picked up his speed, the driving force behind his hips remaining relentless. The harsh slap as your bodies collided sounded through the room, followed by a piercing smack when his strong hand came down upon your ass cheek, mixing with your symphony of moans. Your walls ached and burned but you didn't dare request he stop, not even for a moment, though you didn't truly want him to. You loved when he would get like this, a sort of sadistic gleam flaring in his dark eyes despite trying to pleasure you to the best of his abilities.

“Touch yourself.”

The demand made you whine under your breath. Noah knew what he was doing. You managed to slip your hand down between your clamped thighs, a fingertip brushing the swollen nerves ever so softly, but it was enough to make your body twitch and your cunt clamp tighter around his cock. His brows pulled together, the hold he had on you tightening.

It was too much. Your body was so sensitive, and touching your clit was that mixture of pleasure and pain that made your abdomen muscles tense and your hips writhe.

“I didn't say to stop,” Noah hissed through gritted teeth. How he had known you paused your fingers over your clit, you weren't sure, but you quickly obeyed his demand again.

“N-Noah…” you whimpered, tears brimming your eyes and threatening to spill over. You looked up at him through your watery vision, though you were still able to make out the smirk he wore upon his flushed cheeks. Not even the damp strands of dark hair could cover that look in his eyes as he gazed down at you, enamored with all that you were.

“Uh uh,” he shook his head. “If you stop, then so do I.”

Fuck. That was the last thing you wanted. It may have been too much and overwhelming but you were desperate to cum again. Not only that, but you needed to feel him filling you as well. You needed his cum seeping out of you, warming you from the inside out. Breathing a life into you that was ironic for Death.

His grip remained tight on your thigh though his other hand slithered up to knead at your breast, his fingers digging into your flesh, pinching and tugging your nipple. You were getting close again, so so close. As your own fingers continued to rub your clit, each stroke sending electric shocks through you, you released moan after moan, crying out his name in pleasure.

“Next time we should place a bet on how long you can go without my dick,” he spoke through his own groans, the strain evident in his voice.

Noah released your breast and instead secured his long tattooed fingers around your throat. His grip was tight, a silent reminder that he could easily crush your airways if he ever had the desire to do so. Which he didn't - he would never lay a hand on you in ways you didn't beg for - but the danger of it, the possibility, radiated down to your core and helped build your oncoming climax.

“I know you're constantly needy for it. I can smell your arousal when I'm near, so sweet and intoxicating…”

His voice was raw and deep, each word sending you closer to the edge. Every touch to your body felt like a flame licking your skin, tears still welling in your eyes, your cunt desperate for both your release and his.

“Please…” you begged in a breathless whisper as your fingers circled your clit in a messy rhythm, unable to get pace with his brutal pounding.

Noah’s lips twitched within his lingering smirk when your pleas met his ears, the sound causing his cock to twitch and his hips to snap in a quick succession into you.

A single nod was given, allowing you the gift of an orgasm, and also letting you know that even he couldn't find his words anymore. He was far too focused on the tight grip of your pussy that was swallowing him deeper, almost like he could hear it begging for his cum. If that didn't feed his already oversized ego, then nothing would.

The pressure built until you couldn't stand it anymore. Your fingers and toes tingled, a white hot heat exploding throughout the entirety of your body as you were overcome with your orgasm. Sharp nails raked down his forearm, skin breaking in their path and sullying the tattoos, though you knew it would heal rapidly. Your cunt erupted in a rush that soaked the sheets and also managed to push Noah right over the edge with you. Typically he had better control, but sometimes it was even too much for him.

“Fuck…you're so good at taking it, you always are.”

A final thrust had him emptying inside of you, feeding you that particular warmth you had been desperate for. You hummed in delight, your eyes heavy lidded but focused solely up on him so you could witness his undoing. Noah’s eyes closed and brows furrowed, his jaw falling slack as your name was groaned from him once, twice, three times. You could feel his muscular thighs trembling and you just knew he was trying his best not to collapse on you from the power of his orgasm and also the workout he had just put himself through.

Neither of you had fully calmed before he was leaning down and forcing his lips to yours. He held firm to your chin for the duration of the hungry kiss, though it didn't last nearly as long as you would have preferred.

Breaking from the kiss, Noah sat back up so he could slowly withdraw from your depths. He groaned at the sight of your mixed finishes dripping free, only to gently slide two fingers into your pussy with the gathered cum so you didn't lose a drop. You whimpered at the feeling, legs now spread in front of him and knees shaking.

“Noah,” you murmured in a faint whine. “I can't.”

Your protest didn't stop his fingers from slowly working their way in and out of your sore pussy, the strokes gentle but still overwhelming.

“I know, my love, I just wanted to see those tears again.”

And tears you had - a couple of stray drops falling down your cheeks, mixing with the sweat that you both exuded.

Only when he was satisfied did he remove his fingers, just to bring them to your awaiting lips. As if on instinct you pulled them into your mouth, cheeks hollowing and tongue swirling around his inked digits to clean his cum and yourself from them.

“Good girl.”

Thankfully, Noah let you rest. He easily could've gone again and again but he knew you were merely a mortal (undead or not) and he didn't want the fine line between pleasure and strictly pain to be crossed. Experiencing both was one thing, something you both enjoyed and gave consent to, but forcing you to entertain only the latter for his own selfish needs was not desirable to him.

You drifted in and out of restful sleep as you curled into Noah’s side. Your head rested upon his chest, legs tangled, his strong arm encompassing you and keeping you close. The featherlight touch of his fingertips trailing up and down your arm brought goosebumps forward, though the loving affection had you luling to sleep again. That is, until he spoke what had been plaguing his mind.

“They're going to come for you,” he murmured, a sadness in his voice. “The Light Ones.”

A slight sound escaped you, your head slowly shaking. Your own arm circled around his bare torso, now hugging yourself even closer to his form. Even though he was Death, something everyone feared, he had always brought a sense of peace over you.

“Why do you let them?”

In the past Noah had protested when they'd come for you; he would yell and threaten and make them force you away from him if they were going to take you. Never did he truly fight, though.

A deep inhale caused your head to drift up, and then slowly back down when he exhaled. You knew he was trying to find how to word his response in a way you would understand, or at least so he wouldn’t inadvertently offend you.

“Because at least then I know I'll see you again. If I fight, go to war for you, the Light Ones could end your bloodline completely.”

“As in…”

“You would cease to exist. No other versions. No rebirths. I'd only have my memories of you to keep me going for the rest of eternity.”

All of that for one lousy human? That was the main thing that had always confused you. You didn't understand why you being with Noah was so frowned upon. Why they wanted to make him suffer. Why they were determined to keep you apart. What sort of threat did his happiness pose?

“It's not 'normal’ for us to love because it's not what we were created for, especially not me. The Light Ones claim to have love for all, whereas I'm supposed to be the other side of the coin - the hate.” Noah took in another deep breath as if explaining it all to you physically pained him. Having to admit what his purpose was…it brought him hurt, and in turn, that hurt you.

“So for me to love, and to place all that love in one person, it makes me…” he paused and his arm around you tightened.

“It makes us dangerous.”

This is when you tilted your head up to look at him. Your eyes met and you offered a gentle smile, one to show him that you understood, but that didn't mean you had to accept it. You wouldn't. Not anymore.

“I'm tired of only being able to see you in death,” you softly spoke. Your fingertips grazed slowly along the underside of his jaw and then down the curve of his neck, your gaze following the trail. When you got to the snake you paused, your nail lightly tracing the outline. “I want to fight.”

Noah shook his head and soon his hand clasped around your own, your fingers intertwining together. “I won't risk losing you forever. I can't.”

“And I will,” you challenged, your voice stern. “What you do here in your realm should be none of their concern. You're the fucking King, remember? Or have you already forgotten yelling that at me millenia ago?”

The faintest of smirks tugged at the corners of his lips - of course he remembered. Noah remembered every minute, every second, that he has ever spent with you. Nothing could take those memories from him.

“We'll discuss this further in the morning, after you've slept and had some breakfast.”

With that, Noah blew the candle out on the conversation. The dark now surrounded you both, only the twinkling of the stars he had summoned able to be seen on the ceiling above.

#noah sebastian #bad omens #bad omens cult #bad omens band #bad omens fanfiction #noah sebastian fanfiction #noah sebastian smut #smut with plot #noah sebastian x reader #noah sebasitan fic #bad omens fic #bad omens smut #god of death complex

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nartml · 9 months

Text

I get that THW was going for a sobering message of "sometimes you have to let people go" and "some friends can't stay forever", but it was hilariously unsuccessful.

It's still baffling to me, the amount of raving reviews calling it "the perfect ending".

Apart from the wild thematic inconsistencies, and the endless flaws with Hiccup's logic of "oh, yeah, I know that things have never before been this good for dragons, I know that Berk is living proof that even the most stubborn people can change their minds on dragons, I know that dragons thrive on companionship and love their humans, I know that good people exist, I know that I'm the instigator of a huge revolutionary period, butttttt..... because bad humans exist I'll lock away the entirety of the draconic population in a glorified underground cage, in the hopes that one day humans will stop being bad and learn to cooperate with the creatures that they question, or even forget, the existence of a measly decade after their disappearance. Magically.", this message plainly didn't fit.

Not just in a thematic context. I mean that it literally doesn't fit in this situation, and it doesn't fit the characters.

It doesn't even fit reality, because you have to let go of people for reasons. Some friends can't stay forever, for reasons.

Valid ones. Reasons like, you grew apart, you don't have shared interests anymore, they betrayed you in an unforgivable way, they're not good for you, they're not good to you, they died, etc etc.

Had any one of these happened? At any stage? The one thing you could, albeit pointlessly, argue is that they grew apart. That they outgrew each other.

Only that...they didn't? Did I miss something? Because Toothless flying away for, what, a day to spend some time with his love interest, is not outgrowing. Toothless finding romance does not mean that he and Hiccup grew apart.

And this isn't just about the Light Fury. I'm not discussing whether or not she's a good character (she isn't), and I'm not discussing whether or not she deserves Toothless (Ha, you're funny). Even if she were the absolute best, most perfect match for Toothless and a compelling character, it still wouldn't even remotely mean that he and Hiccup grew apart.

In fact, if you grow so far apart from your best friend that you can say goodbye to them forever, just because you found a new partner, then I really don't know what to tell you. (Except that you're probably not a good friend.)

Hiccup realizing that Toothless doesn't make him who he is, and doesn't define him, that he doesn't need Toothless in order to be someone, or even that he doesn't need Toothless at all, doesn't mean that he outgrew him. Not even slightly.

I mean, come on, I don't need the vast majority of people in my life. Arguably, I might not even need any of the people in my life. This doesn't mean I don't want them there.

This doesn't mean that I won't fight for them to stay right here, by my side.

Oh, look, how's that for a change? How about a movie where your friends refuse to leave you? Because that's what I want, and that's what How To Train Your Dragon deserved.

That's what Hiccup, and the rest of the Berkians, deserved. And that's what fit. That's what thematically fit, what fit reality, or at least the httyd reality, and what fit the characters themselves.

This movie treated the dragons as mindless pets, whereas in every other step of the way, they were treated as people.

Toothless isn't a just slobbery puppy.

Toothless is intelligent, curious, kind, understanding, funny, snarky and sarcastic, graceful, elusive, protective, loving, wary, and fucking loyal (plus much more).

I can't think of a character that has demonstrated as much loyalty and protectiveness as this guy.

And yet he was barely any of the aforementioned things in thw. He became unrecognizable.

All the dragons became unrecognizable, for no justifiable reason.

The final message shouldn't have been that your friends sometimes have to leave you, and that you have to let them go.

(The humans left the dragons just as much as the dragons left the humans btw)

It should've been that they'll fight tooth and nail to stay, even when the going gets tough, even when priorities shift, even when you tell them to go.

No matter how passionately you insist that caring for you is rotten work.

It's not to them.

#my anti thw agenda #i said what i said #i said what i needed to say #i stand by it #this franchise deserved a better ending #i could still go on #im still mad #i shall die mad #lord give me patience #for if you give me strength i will be charged with dean's murder #this is a hyperbole btw #not just for legal reasons i really don't have it in me to kill him but yk. still #toothless #hiccup haddock #thw criticism #thw salt #httyd the hidden world #httyd thw

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devildomwriter · 1 year

Text

What the Other Characters Say About Them

Lucifer

Mammon: “That jerk Lucifer. He's lookin' to string me up again.”

Leviathan: “Lucifer's so reliable. He's been looking out for us ever since we came to the Devildom.”

Satan: “Lucifer gets on my nerves.”

Asmodeus: “Lucifer's the reliable big brother. What would we do without him?”

Beelzebub: “Lately, Lucifer keeps going on about our food bill and warning me not to overeat.”

Belphegor: “I hate Lucifer. He's always getting mad. And he treats me like a child.”

Solomon: “I see that Lucifer used to be quite foul-mouthed. Interesting.”

Simeon: “I'm worried about Lucifer. He has a lot going on.”

Luke: “I don't like Lucifer. Maybe it's just because I didn't know him when he was an angel…”

Barbatos: “Lucifer and the young master share an intimate relationship.”

Diavolo: “I get along well with Lucifer. It feels like I’ve known him forever.”

Mammon

Lucifer: “You could say that getting strung up from the ceiling is Mammon's favorite past-time.”

Leviathan: “Mammon won't give back the money I lent him! How am I supposed to buy that anime now?!”

Satan: “That Mammon. He's always getting into trouble.”

Asmodeus: “Mammon's the unreliable big brother. He's always getting into trouble.”

Beelzebub: “Mammon's a good guy. He sometimes gives me sweets.”

Belphegor: “Mammon... He's a scumbag. But it's fun hanging out with him.”

Solomon: “Mammon's always been obsessed with money….. He hasn't changed much.”

Simeon: “Mammon's gotten even more greedy since coming to the Devildom.”

Luke: “Mammon is such a scumbag. There's no way I could be friends with someone like that.”

Barbatos: “Mammon appears to be quite loose with his money.”

Diavolo: “Mammon’s obsession with wealth is always causing problems for Lucifer.”

Leviathan

Lucifer: “What must I do to get Levi out of his room?”

Mammon: “Levi's always quick to lend me money.”

Satan: “Levi seems to be afraid of me.”

Asmodeus: “Levi…should probably get out more.”

Beelzebub: “Levi can be a surprisingly good brother at times. Like when he shares his food with me.”

Belphegor: “Sometimes I read manga or play games with Levi.”

Solomon: “I didn't realize Leviathan's shut-in tendencies used to be this bad.”

Simeon: “Leviathan's shut-in tendencies have gotten worse.”

Luke: “Leviathan sometimes teaches me stuff about manga and games.”

Barbatos: “Leviathan is always cooped up in his room, so I seldom see his face.”

Diavolo: “Lucifer was wondering how he could get Leviathan out of his room.”

Satan

Lucifer: “What can I do to help Satan get on with his brothers?”

Mammon: “Satan's a walking time bomb… Better not to touch him.”

Leviathan: “Satan's terrifying. Stay away if you value your life.”

Asmodeus: “Satan gets way too angry. It can't be good for his skin.”

Beelzebub: “I wish Satan would get along with everyone.”

Belphegor: “I have a feeling I'm going to get on with Satan. We have a common enemy.”

Solomon: “How did Satan fall into such a state...?”

Simeon: “Satan's always angry. Well, suppose it can't be helped.”

Luke: “Satan's so scary. He's always angry and breaking things.”

Barbatos: “Satan destroyed several furnishings when he visited the castle the other day.”

Diavolo: “It seems like Satan is giving Lucifer a particularly hard time.”

Asmodeus

Lucifer: “Asmo spares no effort when it comes to beauty. If only he would work so hard on other things.”

Mammon: “Asmo was sayin' he's gonna be a trendsetter in the Devildom.”

Leviathan: “Asmo's become a party animal in the Devildom… He's basically living in a different world from me.”

Satan: “I have no quarrel with Asmo. He understands me.”

Beelzebub: “Àsmo's kind. I wish he'd stop telling me to take better care of my appearance, though.”

Belphegor: “Asmo's kind. I always fall asleep when he does my nails.”

Solomon: “Asmo thrives wherever he is. His ability to adapt is amazing.”

Simeon: “Asmodeus is spending more and more time on his looks. I'm worried he might be going a little too far.”

Luke: “I get the feeling that Asmo thinks of me as a toy….”

Barbatos: “Asmodeus is quite knowledgeable about recent trends. I always learn a lot from him.”

Diavolo: “Asmodeus hasn’t been in the Devildom very long, but he’s already very popular.”

Beelzebub

Lucifer: “Beel is driving up our grocery bill…”

Mammon: “Feels like Beel's gotten even more gluttonous since comin' to the Devildom.”

Leviathan: “I like seeing Beel eat so much. I hope he grows big and strong.”

Satan: “All Beel thinks of is food. But that means we have little reason to fight.”

Asmodeus: “It's amazing that Beel can keep his figure when he eats that much.”

Belphegor: “Beel's so reliable. I can't help behaving like a spoiled kid around him.”

Solomon: “It seems that Beelzebub isn't used to Devildom food yet.”

Simeon: “Beelzebub's appetite seems endless. Doesn't he ever get stomachaches?”

Luke: “Beelzebub's really caring! I sometimes make Celestial Ream sweets for him.”

Barbatos: “Beelzebub always eats my cooking with such a blissful expression.”

Diavolo: “Watching Beelzebub eating is truly delightful.”

Belphegor

Lucifer: “Belphie is our adorable little brother. He's going through something of a rebellious phase lately, though.”

Mammon: “Even back when we were angels, Belphie was always lookin' to get spoiled.”

Leviathan: “Belphie's such a little brother character. Everyone's always spoiling him. I'm jelly.”

Satan: “Belphie and I see eye to eye. After all, we have a common foe.”

Asmodeus: “Belphie's cute, isn't he? You can't help wanting to spoil him.”

Beelzebub: “Belphie's my cute little bro. I want to take care of him forever.”

Solomon: “Belphegor is such a typical youngest child.”

Simeon: “I was worried about Belphegor, but he seems to have adapted to the Devildom.”

Luke: “Someone told me that Belphegor and I are competing for the spoilt child spot…”

Barbatos: “I do understand why everyone tends to spoil Belphegor.”

Diavolo: “Everyone cares deeply about Belphegor.”

Solomon

Lucifer: “Solomon, that shrewd sorcerer.”

Mammon: “Solomon.… Ya can't let your guard down around that guy.”

Leviathan: “Solomon's so elusive. You seem to get on okay with him, though.”

Satan: “Solomon… He's the one person I'd rather not argue with.”

Asmodeus: “Solomon has a mysterious charm. I'm kind of intrigued by it.”

Beelzebub: “I've made it a point not to accept food from Solomon.”

Belphegor: “Solomon's so suspicious. You can't trust that guy.”

Simeon: “Solomon seems like he's hiding something. He's so mysterious.”

Luke: “Solomon's a good guy. His sense of taste is just a little…messed up.”

Barbatos: “Solomon is such a fascinating individual.”

Diavolo: “I honestly have no idea what Solomon is thinking.”

Simeon

Lucifer: “I never imagined that Simeon would come to the Devildom as well.”

Mammon: “I didn't think Simeon'd come chasin' after me.”

Leviathan: “I'm amazed at how bad Simeon is with technology… It's actually painful.”

Satan: “Why has Simeon come to the Devildom? I don't understand his goal.”

Asmodeus: “Devildom or Celestial Realm, Simeon's so caring.”

Beelzebub: “I think Simeon was worried about me. He's so kind.”

Belphegor: “Simeon's kind. I'm glad he came and not Raphael.”

Solomon: “I didn't expect to see Simeon in the Devildom. What's going on?”

Luke: “I love Simeon! He's always looking out for me.”

Barbatos: “Simeon and I are similar in that we both enjoy taking care of others.”

Diavolo: “Simeon… I never thought he’d come to the Devildom.”

Luke

Lucifer: “I don't know Luke well, but he seems to get on well with Simeon.”

Mammon: “Luke reminds me of somethin'... Oh yeah, a Chihuahua!”

Leviathan: “It's impossible to leave Luke alone. It's like he's asking for attention!”

Satan: “I can't handle Luke. He's so innocent that just looking at him annoys me.”

Asmodeus: “I sometimes do Luke's nails and hair for him.”

Beelzebub: “Nothing beats Luke's sweets. I wish he'd bake more often.”

Belphegor: “Luke's been picking fights with my brothers since he began living with us.”

Solomon: “To think that Luke would accompany Simeon...”

Simeon: “I didn't expect Luke to come with me. I must protect him.”

Barbatos: “Luke has a talent for baking. There is so much that I would love to teach him.”

Diavolo: “It seems that Luke and Barbatos share some hobbies.”

Barbatos

Lucifer: “There are times when I have no idea what Barbatos is thinking.”

Mammon: “I have no idea what goes through Barbatos's head.”

Leviathan: “If this were an anime, Barbatos would be the secret boss.”

Satan: “I don't understand Barbatos. The less I have to do with him, the better.”

Asmodeus: “Barbatos has a lovely face, don't you think?”

Beelzebub: “I love the food and sweets that Barbatos makes.”

Belphegor: “Barbatos can be scary sometimes. It's like he sees through everything.”

Solomon: “I have a funny feeling about Barbatos.”

Simeon: “Barbatos often spends time with Luke. I'm grateful.”

Luke: “Barbatos is my baking teacher!”

Diavolo: “Barbatos is my loyal butler. He’s very competent.”

Diavolo

Lucifer: “I get on well with Diavolo. We go way back, to before I came to the Devildom.”

Mammon: “Lord Diavolo's pretty easygoin' for the future king of the Devildom.”

Leviathan: “Lord Diavolo has so many qualities I'll never have. He's one of those super-charismatic types.”

Satan: “Lucifer and Lord Diavolo seem to be on good terms. Apparently, Lucifer's asked for his advice about me.”

Asmodeus: “Lord Diavolo's cool, isn't he? In a sort of chivalrous way!”

Beelzebub: “Diavolo's pretty jacked. l'd like to work out with him someday.”

Belphegor: “Lord Diavolo…..probably wouldn't get on with me. He gets along with Lucifer, though.”

Solomon: “Diavolo hasn't changed in the slightest. He seems to be concerned about Lucifer, though.”

Simeon: “Diavolo seems like a good demon. I'm glad the future king is someone decent.”

Luke: “Diavolo's kind, but he's still kind of intimidating.”

Barbatos: “Lord Diavolo is very dear to me. I wish to serve him forever.”

#obey me shall we date #obey me canon #obey me nightbringer #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me solomon #obey me simeon #obey me luke #obey me barbatos #obey me diavolo

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simplaertes · 1 year

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kinda insane that achievement hunter is like. gone. not that i didn't see it coming--the era that things like them thrived in has passed and it was time. but i spent half my life just..... with them, in a way. like, i was twelve when i started watching. there are times of my life that are unbreakably intertwined with achievement hunter.

i'm glad they're each getting to do what they want. i'm excited for dogbark, i've been following matt and jeremy on twitch forever now. since they've said let's play will stay around in some capacity, i'm excited to see how that works, and hope it means they'll only play games they want now (randomizers? super bunny man?), but even if they don't it was wonderful while it lasted.

idk i'm not sad, just... melancholy might be the word? sort of a 'goodnight my sweet' kinda vibe with me today. i'm... really grateful it existed. last year changed my blog name after literal years of it being achievement hunter-themed and while i pulled away that doesn't negate the place it holds in my memories--the place it held in my life.

idk. it wasn't perfect, but i'm gonna miss it. i'm excited to see what comes, but a little hollow now that it's gone.

i guess what i mean to say is: thanks for the laughs, guys. see you on the other side.

#achievement hunter #michael jones #dogbark #gavin free #trevor collins #yeah it's. idk. it's going to be interesting #it wasn't perfect (god it wasn't perfect) but it shaped me #real don't cry bc it's over #smile bc it happened vibes #i hope everyone is very happy and doing what they love from now on forever #and i hope they know how much they meant to people and how incredible their work was #:)

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merakiui · 1 year

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Hi! This concept has been inside my head for a while now but which TWST boy do you think would fit this?

"Academic rivals, reader unaware that [insert character] had fallen into an obsession with her. Reader on the otherhand none the wiser of his brewing feelings until He decided to kill two birds with one stone and knock reader up.

Because not only would being pregnant cause her to possibly drop out and end the rivalry, but the baby will also be a reminder that reader is forever his <3"

I know I have a tendency to fit Azul into nearly every plot ever imagined, but this is so Azul. OTL I want to say Riddle, but he values education so much and therefore I can't see him doing something like that to you, however intense your rivalry may be. But then maybe that's also because Riddle is much too proud and he just knows he's going to be on top no matter what. If anything, Riddle will knock you up after the both of you have graduated. :)

As for Azul, he's too self-conscious (and sickly envious) and he has to prove that he's the best. You're something of a threat. On one hand, he loves you more than he loves himself and he thrives off of the rivalry because it pushes him to be even better (and it gives him a reason to be closer to you). But then he also hates the idea of being bested so often. Azul gets it in his head to knock you up because (childishly enough) he'll win the rivalry, but more importantly he can take care of you. You won't need to stress over coursework or pull all-nighters to study anymore. You can live a comfortable life with him and the baby. <3

Floyd isn't really your academic rival. He could be if he put in the effort because he's very intelligent when he applies himself. So I like to imagine that it's more of an accidental pregnancy. He's too himbo sometimes and so he doesn't realize the signs at first; and maybe you're trying to hide them for whatever reason. So when you're eating more, putting on more weight, having a warmer body temperature, being prone to bouts of sickness and sleepiness, etc, Floyd just assumes you're overworking yourself. You're super scholarly, so this is what makes the most sense to him. But he's pleasantly surprised when he finally finds out. You're not getting rid of him so easily now.

I feel like Jamil might do something like this. He's really discreet about it. Rivalry with Jamil is a topic I don't often discuss, but it has so much potential because he can't stand being second to anyone or having to force himself to fit into average standards just so he won't stand out or overshadow someone like Kalim. But a rivalry with you is fair game. >:) I like to imagine Jamil is killing three birds with one stone: eliminating you as a rival, claiming you as his own (before someone like Kalim can get his hands all over you), and finally proving to himself that he can be and is better than average. Jamil's UM is so useful for this as well because he can just twist the story to make it seem like the both of you were stressed with school and decided to use one another for some relief. Knowing how Jamil plans in advance for all sorts of possibilities and is a brilliant schemer, he's definitely thought of an assortment of lies that he'll present to you so it'll start to feel believable.

Another character who I thought of was Sebek. I never discuss him on the blog (and I really should because there's potential there, as is with the rest of Diasomnia). With Sebek I think it's more of a dominance thing. He has to prove a point, has to prove he won't lose to a human, of all creatures, and that he is indeed smart enough to be worthy of first place in this rivalry. Also, he can't let waka-sama see him losing in an academic rivalry. Oh, the shame and humiliation!!! T_T Sebek gets so wrapped up in the rivalry, too. He takes it much too seriously, determined to best you and prove his own points to himself (and Malleus, but then I'm sure this is the last thing on Malleus's mind). What Sebek mistakes for hatred is actually infatuation, but that doesn't occur to him until the idea of domesticity hits him and he sees you with your growing tummy and....... wow. He's having an epiphany.

Lastly, I think Rollo might do something like this. You'll never know this, but Rollo enjoys the relationship he has with you. You drive him mad with your obnoxious behaviors, but he has to admit you do know how to get good grades. He only competes with you so he can see you strive. After all, it pleases him greatly to know you're succeeding. The rivalry isn't truly important to him, and he's not as fired up about it as you are. But your determination is admirable and he loves the way competition gets you so eager to do well (or, at the very least, well enough to beat his scores). But Rollo has been in lust with you since the first day he met you, so it's only a matter of time before that obsession of his spills over and leaves you knocked up in the aftermath.

#twisted chit chat #tw: baby trapping #tw: forced pregnancy

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stars-n-spice · 5 months

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no you don't understand. I need the Bad Batch to have a happy ending. I need them all to make it out alive. I need them to all be together. I need them to be a family once again. I need them all alive, happy, healthy, thriving. I need them safe and healing and growing.

I need Hunter to be able to be at peace. To become what he so clearly wanted to be at the start of the series; a father. For him to have what he fought so hard for. To know that he's more than a soldier. I need him to be able to relax knowing his brothers, that Omega is safe and will forever be safe. I need need need him to have that peace. To have that kind of life. The life he didn't think he'd get, that no clone ever thought that they would get, but yet...And I need him to grow and learn from these mistakes and be that older brother for all of them I know he can be. Seeing him want a life different than what he was essentially made for that badly for him not to get it is going to absolutely destroy me.

I want Tech to come back. I want it so bad. I know Star Wars can't keep getting away with "killing a character and bringing them back" but what's doing it one more time? Am I biased because Tech is my second favorite Batcher? Yes. But listen, I just need him to return and be reunited with his family. I need him to see Crosshair again. I need him to see and be with Phee again. Yes the build up to his death was great and the send off with his goggles was, in my opinion beautiful, but I just really want him back. I miss him so much. He means so much to so many people and I just want to see him alive and well again.

I need Echo to come back and I need him to stay. Wrecker and Tech might be my favorites, but when it really comes down to it? Echo is my comfort character. When I'm upset and really struggling, what usually brings me back is thinking about what would Echo do? What would Echo say to me to get me through this? Echo means so so much to me and it hurts so much to see him reduced to a background character. It makes me think what even was the point of bring him back just to reduce him to what he is now? And I'm so so scared they're going to kill him off for shock value or to "explain" why he isn't with Rex in Rebels, but that's just so fucking stupid to me after having done nothing with his character since like the middle of season 2 of the Bad Batch. Bring him back, please. And let him be at peace for once too!! Goddammit, all this shit he's had to go through; getting fucking exploded, being a prisoner of war, losing Fives, losing his brothers because his chip malfunctioned, having to see what becomes of clones after everything they sacrificed for the galaxy-Like you already "killed". him off once, there's no need to do it again. Just bring him back and reunite him with the others, please.

I need Wrecker to get to have his family all together. On top of that, I need him to get the recognition he deserves for all that he does and has done. Omega might be the heart and soul of the team but Wrecker's the glue and arguably just as much as the heart and soul too. He's the protector, I'm sure he feels it's his responsibility to keep them together, to keep them safe. I want him to continue living his life knowing that he succeeded in doing so and now doesn't have to worry about something like that because they are safe. They're all together again and they're happy and they're safe. He can relax and enjoy what they used to have before it all went to shit. It's so obvious that he cares so much about his brothers and Omega in his own unique ways. Each of the members of the Batch have their own unique dynamics within each other, but it really seems like Wrecker is the one who has one with each of them. And yeah, he's my favorite so I'm going to be biased and I want him to make it out alive and I want him to be happy goddammit.

I need Crosshair to stay the fuck alive. I need him to continue to heal and grow and be back with his family again. I need him to be reassured and to feel safe and loved again. I cannot take another instance of a character who used to be so lost and broken finally getting healing and some peace only to sacrifice themselves again. To have someone go through so much only start to heal and then rip that away from them? I need him to be at peace. I need him to enjoy all that he's missed out on. I need to see him okay and content and healing and living. I don't think I can deal with seeing all of that being ripped away from him. Please just let the man be at peace for once in his fucking life. I am begging. You don't understand, he's healing; mentally, physically, he's getting better and to just,, take all of that away? Can't just ONE character please get a happy ending?? Like if any one of them deserve to see it through the end, it's him.

I need Omega to get the childhood she was cheated out of. I don't know how many times I've sat and thought about Omega only for me to burst out into tears. She's been isolated for nearly all of her life. At the most, she was free for two years out of her FOURTEEN years of existence. She went through ALL of that before the age Ashoka and Padmé were when they were just STARTING to go through the horrors. Yet she's remained so brave and so strong and so determined. She's endured and survived and I want her to thrive. I want her to have all her brothers together once again. I want her to grow up alongside them. I want her to be able to be a child for once. To experience life through those lenses. I don't want her to have to endure another loss.

I need to see this group of individuals who never really fit in have their place in the galaxy. I need to see them, all created with clear intents and purposes to fight in a war as cannon fodder find new purposes. I need to see these burnt-out kids catch a damn break for once. This family of neurodivergents who spent their entire lives either isolated or distant from everyone else because they were "different" and "special" get that well-deserved ending where they're all safe and happy and have a purpose and a place in the galaxy because fucking hell. I wanna know there's hope for me too.

just AAGUUHHH. I've never wanted a happy ending for anyone more than I want it for the Bad Batch.

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hazbinhazbinhazbinreblog · 7 months

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Alright my friends it's pinned post time

First things first, WATCH THIS ANIMATIC if you haven't already, and if you have seen it watch it again it's so fucking good I thrive just remembering it exists

Anyway welcome to this blog where we promote ace staticradio, love Christian Borle, somehow make everything a legally blonde reference, and hoard AUs like candy. This is basically a place to organize said AUs for anyone new or who wants to remember details (aka me) with clickable links to their info

General Fanon/Backstory - myself - Does not have it's own tag yet but it's a mostly canon-compliant story I'm developing about Vox and Alastor's past/relationship before the 7 year disappearance - Original post

Dadstaticradio AU - credited to anons - Alastor's contract with Lilith has him babysitting/raising Charlie from a young age and when Vox gets involved she decides to set them up - Original Post, general tag

Swap AU - credited to anons - Alastor and Vox take the place of Charlie and Vaggie to run the hotel out of spite against Heaven. This was changed from the original but Vox is a fallen Overlord - Original post, general tag

Secretly Married AU - credited to anons - They were secretly married, got into a fight, and Alastor disappeared for 7 years they but never got divorced - Original post, general tag

Radio Guard AU - belongs to ⚔️ anon / @alastorsrchivesforthehotel - Alastor made a deal with Lucifer for power in return for needing to protect Charlie with his life. His relationship with Vox is very strained - Original post, general tag

Domestic AU - credited to anons - A combination between dadstaticradio and secretly married. In addition to Charlie, they have another kid named Vinyl - Original post, general tag, Vinyl's origin

AU Crossovers - General tag for when the AUs universes collide and they all interact with each other, eventually I'll get around to tagging them with their individuals as well - General tag, summary of their dynamics

High School AU - Belongs to the anon who goes by Gal - Original post for details, general tag

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/Factory Tour AU - credited to anons - Mostly based on the musical, Vox as the head of Voxtek is wanting to retire and Charlie after meeting his standards helps him reconcile with estranged husband Alastor in the process - Original post, general tag

We also have a lovely fanfiction anon who occasionally shows up and writes the most amazing stuff and then dips out (and who now has a blog!)

With regards to all the legally blonde references, it started here when I was informed Vox's VA Christian Borle was Emmett and it all spiraled from there. General tag (I might have missed a few bc it took me forever to think of something that wouldn't be in the main musical tab)

If I missed anything pls tell me, I'll update this as time goes on, but we have such an amazing community on this blog and I'm so grateful for the creativity people have shared, love you all and hope if you're new that you enjoy your stay < 3

#favorite #staticradio

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magic-crazy-as-this · 4 months

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Our favourite emo baby // I heard a rumour they're killing him off again thoughts n prayers pls 🙏💕🙏 // There's Nickelback in here, I'm not sorry // Might re-order these later, it's kind of a mess

Hero - Chad Kroeger, Josey Scott But heaven no, heaven don't hear me / And they say that a hero could save us

Shimmer - Fuel All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade away again

The Devil You Know (God Is a Man) - Face To Face So you've tried, and you've made up your mind / Something's still not right/ The devil you don't know is still outside

Angels On The Moon - Thriving Ivory And don't tell me if I'm dying / 'Cause I don't wanna know

The Moments In Between - The Reign of Kindo My God, what have I become? / Feel this fire burn / Burn 'till I'm undone / Never to return.

Send the Pain Below - Chevelle I liked having hurt / So send the pain below / Where I need it.

New Divide - Linkin Park And your voice was all I heard / That I get what I deserve / So give me reason to prove me wrong / To wash this memory clean

Numb - Linkin Park And every second I waste is more than I can take

The Red - Chevelle So lay down, the threat is real / When his sight goes red again

Machinehead - Remastered Bush Tied to a wheel, my fingers got to feel / Bleeding through a tourniquet smile

Somewhere I Belong - Linkin Park I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real / I wanna find something I've wanted all along / Somewhere I belong

Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm (ok this one's just a vibe)

You're Gonna Go Far, Kid - The Offspring With a thousand lies and a good disguise / Hit 'em right between the eyes, hit 'em right between the eyes

Freak On a Leash - Korn Sometimes I cannot take this place / Sometimes it's my life I can't taste

My Hero - Foo Fighters There goes my hero / He's ordinary

Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down You called me strong, you called me weak / But still your secrets, I will keep / You took for granted all the times, I never let you down

The Pretender - Foo Fighters In time, or so I'm told / I'm just another soul for sale, oh well

It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a Deathwish - My Chemical Romance Promise me that when I've gone, you'll kill my enemies I will avenge my ghost with every breath I take / I'm coming back from the dead

I Never Told You What I Do for a Living - My Chemical Romance It ain't the money and it sure as hell ain't just for the fame / It's for the bodies I claim

The Sharpest Lives - My Chemical Romance Give me a shot to remember, and you can take all the pain away from me / Your kiss and I will surrender / The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead

I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin Watch the end through dying eyes / Now the dark is taking over / Show me where forever dies / Take the fall and run to Heaven

Headstrong - Trapt Back off, I'll take you on / Headstrong to take on anyone

Before I Forget - Slipknot I'm ripped across the ditch and settled in the dirt and I / Wear you like a stitch, yet I'm the one who's hurt

Prayer Of The Refugee - Rise Against Don't hold me up now / I can stand my own ground / I don't need your help now / You will let me down, down, down

Bullets - Archive Come touch me like I'm an ordinary man / Have a look in my eyes / Underneath my skin there's a violence / It's got a gun in its hand

Other Playlists

Unnecessary Feelings (Phoenix Wright x Miles Edgeworth)

Penelope Todd (Red Phoenix - Jason's sister)

#they're killing jason again #seriously wtf #playlist #playlists #dc comics #jason todd #red hood #character playlist #batman #batfam #batfamily #dc universe #arkham knight #i've heard a lot of this is called “hunger dunger dang” music #and that's just great honestly #Spotify

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welldonekhushi · 4 months

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Can't Let You Go..

Pairing: John "Soap" MacTavish x Samantha "Scarlet" Wright (OC)

Note: Just a warning. This is angst, but non-canon. Because someone else gets hurt and you know whom I'm referring to. Let's cry together, guys ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

"Johnny?" The young girl asked the young boy, as she sat beside him. "If anything happened to me, would you cry?"

The boy, Johnny was lost in his thoughts for a while, before he could come up with an answer. "Of course not."

Scarlet widened her eyes and gaped her mouth. "Are you for real?!"

"Yes? I'm real. I won't cry." He rolled his eyes.

".. when in the world you decided to become heartless for me now, Johnny?"

"Who said that I became heartless for you? There's never been a moment when I did."

"Then why did you say that.. that you'll not even cry if I get hurt.. or die?"

"But if I had to ask.. why would you think you'd get hurt. Or die? When I'm probably thinking of a future where we'd spend the rest of our lives together."

Hearing John's reply, it immediately silenced Scarlet. She could feel the seriousness in the boy's tone, which didn't give her the courage to speak back.

"Alive. Thriving. With nothing to worry about. And you're here to think that something would happen to you?" John scoffed, but he was upset that she could ever bring up a question like that. "It's.. a horrible reality but, I'd never pray for that day to come. Even if I had to take my heart out and give it to you, I won't even let the angels take your soul away!"

John sighed and shook his head, trying to process his emotions, while Scarlet did the same, casting her head down while she regretted asking that question.

"I'm.. sorry but, I didn't expect you to actually feel like this." Scarlet furrowed her eyebrows, and feared she might have hurt his feelings. But, John gently lifted her head, smiling.

"You know why I wouldn't cry?" John asked. "Because I believe you wouldn't even die. Or nothing would happen to you in the first place. And I promise. I'd protect you, forever."

Scarlet blinked her eyes a few times, and smiled, as John smiled back, them both hugging each other. As they were sharing a heartfelt moment, the scene was slowly fading away to a crying Captain MacTavish, holding onto Scarlet's hand while she was struggling for her life on the hospital bed, after witnessing a major injury during a mission.

No one has ever seen the Captain cry, but the way his heart melted by seeing his childhood friend, now as a future wife, unconscious. The others watched the Captain outside the room in sorrow, not able to hold onto their feelings.

The Captain kissed her hand softly, and sobbed onto it, as he whispered something..

"Wake up, Scarly.. I need you."

#cod #call of duty #call of duty fanfic #cod mw #call of duty modern warfare #og mw timeline #cod mw2 2009 #cod mw2 #call of duty modern warfare 2 #cod mw3 #call of duty modern warfare 3 #call of duty oc #john soap mactavish #captain mactavish #samantha scarlet wright #soap x scarlet #angst fic

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turnstileskyline · 1 month

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RockSound June 3rd, 2024 – Dallon Weekes Interview (Transcript under the cut)

hello all!!!! i am still taking a little tumblr break (gonna upload and dip) but my copy of the rocksound idkhow issue came so i wanted to get these photographed and transcribed because i know i have shaky hands. (if you spot any mistakes let me know and i'll fix them asap!)

Taking Over The World (One Show At A Time)

As they close out their UK headline tour, IDHKOW's Dallon Weekes reflects on the lessons learned from taking 'Gloom Division' out on the road.

Words James Wilson-Taylor

Photos Corinne Cumming

Now that the UK tour has come to an end, how are you reflecting on this latest run of shows? Well the shows were fantastic. All of the crowds were great and it was really exciting to be back there after, you know, COVID and the album delays and everything. It's felt like it was forever since we've been back. But to be able to go back with this new lineup that I have, it was pretty special. Because I feel like the live show has grown a lot. Being able to add more live musicians to it, and rely less upon synth tracks and things like that. To have people up on stage actually doing it live, we're a little more untethered, which, must like that tour itself, was pretty chaotic. But we seem to thrive on chaos. So it worked out. It was really fun.

Did it click together quite quickly with the new band? What were the initial live rehearsals like? It was really fun for me. My heart goes out to the guys who are playing for me because they had this whole catalogue of music to learn before we hit the road, but they are such professionals and so talented too and most of them live here around Utah where I'm from. Anthony, my guitar player, still is in LA. But whenever shows come up, he flies out here so we get some proper full band rehearsals. But to be able to have really professional musicians dig into the songs and learn how to play them and have some input as well is really invaluable to me because I always really enjoy when a live show has tiny deviations from the recorded versions of the album that you might have in your collection. Sometimes bands can go a little too far from that and it can be fun sometimes. But it can also be a bummer, it kind of depends on the song, I guess. But I like having small moments or extended bits, or maybe an idea that you got post recording an album, when you're all jamming it together and someone does something cool. And you go, 'Dammit, I wish that was on the record'. So you just put it in the live show and it makes for a cool experience, I think.

With the added band members, it gives you a little extra freedom to step away from the bass at moments and explore your position as a frontman. It feels good, but it's interesting too, because that was never on my bucket list. I never had that in mind for my life to be a frontman, or a lead singer. I just always wanted to make music and write and record and have that be my job. I've been lucky enough to have achieved that goal. But, you know, circumstances being what they are, I eventually landed into that role without having it as a goal, but it's something that I do enjoy. It's something I did years ago with Brobecks. But between then and now it's been more than a decade. So I think it took me a minute to sort of relearn that role and find myself in that role again, and luckily once it started rolling, it didn't take long for me to find that footing again. But there was that learning curve where I tried to remember how to be in this spot, rather than just filling a spot on the side of that stage just playing bass. So yeah, it's been fun to be able to put it down every once in a while and have a little more freedom to wander around or spill water bottles all over the stage, which is a bad habit of mine.

It also allows for a nice relationship with the audience. I mean, that's something you've always had – it almost feels like a conversation in places. It's a little secret club in a way for all these fans. That was the impetus when it started. Because this was a secret project, no one was supposed to know about it. And I really had no goals in mind for it other than to get some music out of my head and play it for a bunch of strangers that didn't know what other bands I'd ever been in and see if that art that I was making could stand on it's own two feet without waving some giant flag saying, 'Hey, everybody, I was in this band before, come and see what I'm doing.' There was something about that which felt really disingenuous and kind of gross to me. So starting this project in secret with this ridiculous band name that no one could ever find appealing made a lot of sense at the time. But as things snowballed – and what a wonderful problem to have, I'm talking about this like it's some sort of bad thing but it's not, it's a great thing – eventually it became too late to choose a more sensible band name. But, you know, band names are ridiculous anyway, so who cares? I guess the secret is just to not care. But yeah, finding that role again. It took a minute, but it's been a lot of fun. I'm enjoying it a lot.

In terms of the newer songs in the set, did playing them live and seeing the audience reaction change your opinion about them at all? It's a similar feeling for both me and the audience. Because the way that writing and recording music works now is different from how it was 20 years ago. You used to write your song, go out and play it every night, workshop it, tighten the screws on it, and then you go record it and put on a record. Now, with Youtube and streaming services and bootlegs and things, you have to keep a tight lid on this new stuff that you're working on until it's been officially released. So now, you write your song and you record it and then you learn how to play it afterwards. So taking those out into the world for the first time on stage after you've recorded it, I think it's a new experience for the audience and for the performers as well, because you get a handle on this new thing that you've already recorded. Then night by night, kind of like I mentioned before, someone might do something different. The song sort of evolves and changes a little bit from the way that you recorded it. I think there's a lot of fun to be had in that. Sometimes those things can only happen once you are in front of people and playing those songs. It's all a really organic process and I really enjoy that.

I guess the other thing you had to consider was how best to balance this new material, which pushed you into some new places musically, with the older songs that everybody knows. It's become a challenge now because when this thing started, I hadn't recorded or released anything. It was about four or five months of playing dive bars in secret and just denying that this was even a thing while I was recording. Then by the time we did have something out there, I think we put a song on YouTube first with no record label, no radio, nothing. Then that song just kind of took off. Then we were expected to fill an hour whenever we would go on tour and we had only released five songs. So learning that frontman role and stretching bits out and filling in our set with some covers and maybe some old Brobecks songs, that was the challenge. Now, the challenge has become picking a setlist that has bits and pieces of stuff that you love and that the audience would appreciate from the past and from the current record. So it's a different challenge now, but it's one that I'm enjoying. Revisiting stuff that is important to me from the past and things that I really like playing and stuff that the audience either needs to hear, because we're promoting it, or is stuff that I know they have responded to well in the past and that they'd like to hear. So it's a combination of different factors to make a decent setlist, I think, but I try to keep all that stuff in mind.

One particularly special moment at the London show was when Will Joseph Cook joined you onstage to perform your collaboration "Sunnyside'. That was fun. He's a London boy. The algorithm sent me some of his music a couple of years back and it was a song called 'Take Me Dancing', one of his songs from maybe four or five years ago. It was one of those songs that when you hear it as a songwriter, it's so good that it kind of pisses you off, you know? Dammit, that's good. So I reached out to him to see if he wanted to collaborate on some stuff, and it's been a great working relationship ever since. Then we just pass each other ideas back and forth all the time. He hit me up and asked if he could come to the London show and I said, 'Why don't you come out on stage and we'll sing this 'Sunnyside' song that we to wrote together'. He's like, fuck yeah, so we hooked up a spare microphone and ran it on soundcheck and then brought them out on stage for the set. It was a lot of fun to be able to do that. To play it live with the person who helped cowrite that was pretty special.

So you see that collaborative relationship continuing on more songs in the future? We hung out pretty much all day that day backstage and showed each other ideas that we have floating around. After I got home, I send him some more songs. So yeah, we're definitely going to keep that collaborative working relationship going. He's a good young man with a bright future.

You have also been able to bring some more Brobecks songs into your setlist and put a new, IDKHOW twist on them. Are there any more of those older songs you'd like to re-record or perform again? I've got a shortlist of maybe four or five old Brobecks songs that I think never really got a proper chance to be a proper song, you know, whether that was because we didn't have enough money to record it properly or get it mixed or mastered or even release it. Then I eventually released the songs in a vacuum and no one ever really heard it. But there's four or five I think that I would still like to give a proper chance to. It's not super high on the priority list. But it is something that I'm interested in because I am a fan of songs. And you know, probably more so than albums as a whole, I'm a song man. There are a few from the past that I think had some potential. But I would probably have to consider, you know, the passage of time in between when I first wrote them as a young man and, if I did rerecord and release, now there might have to be some lyric adjustments or something because I don't know how well some lyric choices when you're 22 would go over when you're 42. So there might be some rewrites in order. But revisiting some of those I think would be fun because this project and that project, they aren't unrelated to each other. I very well could have easily called this The Brobecks. But whenever I started this, putting a period at the end of that old project seemed like the right move and moving on to something new that didn't have any baggage to carry along with it. It felt like the move. But yeah, that doesn't mean that that stuff isn't still important to me. It's still very meaningful and I really love playing old Brobecks songs and I think that I always will.

Now that you have had some time to reflect since the release of 'GLOOM DIVISION', how are you feeling about that collection of songs now? It's interesting how your perspective changes on things. When I first recorded it, and was getting ready to release it, I was so excited and I thought this was the best work that I've ever done. Then even with the good reviews that it has gotten and the fan response, there was still more mixed reviews, or mixed feelings, about it than I thought there would be. But seeing that happen has given me a sort of step back, trying to be more objective, which is hard to do when you're making art, you know, because it really is for you. That's still number one for me whenever I make art. It is for me, and I want to like the thing that I'm making. That's the most important bit and if anyone else happens to like it, that's just a really great bonus. But I made this record and I loved it and I thought that surely everyone else would too. All of my favourite records and the things that I draw inspiration from are not popular records. These are not things that were at the top of the charts. You know, even on some of my top 10 Records of all time – Elvis Costello's 'This Year's Model' or The Flaming Lips or Ben Folds Five, all of my favourite stuff, these were never people that lived at the top of the charts. So, to me, the response kind of makes sense. As long as you're making something that you like, and you're not trying to play to the gallery, then whatever their response is, so be it.

UK artists in particular seem to have always had a big influence on you. I've been a sucker for everything British since I got into the Beatles, and if it was from the 60s and it was British then I was all about it. Even in the 90s, | was a big Britpop fan. In the post grunge-90s, Britpop in America was not the cool thing to be into, but I was all about it. Blur was my favourite. I loved Pulp and I liked Oasis too. That was my shit back in the 90s while everyone else was listening to Rage Against The Machine, which I can appreciate more now. Back then, I viewed it as the stuff my older brother and his friends were into and they're all bros. So I was being kind of a little hipster about it. But I love Rage now. But yeah, back then in the 90s, again I was into stuff that wasn't living at the top of the charts.

It must have been particularly exciting to finally come over here and play shows for the first time. Yeah it was very cool to be there finally and see where rock and roll...wasn't born but where it had been fine tuned and perfected. We may have done it first but I'm always of the mindset that y'all did it best. There's no pride in regards to, you know, who did what and when. I'm a fan of what y'all do. I love it over there.

One UK show that must stick in the memory was when you played Brixton Academy in 2016 with Panic! At The Disco just after David Bowie had passed away. That must have been quite a surreal but special moment. I remember waking up in my hotel that day to the news and being hit with it harder than I probably thought I would have ever been. I'd always been a big Bowie fan, but sometimes you don't really realize how much you like something until it's gone, which is kind of fucked up. So I woke up to the news that he had died and I cried a little bit, you know, which kind of surprised me. Then I went out walking the streets, because we had a full day before we had to be at the venue for soundcheck, and his music was everywhere. Walking past that mural that's down the street from the venue where people had made this makeshift memorial, there was this awesome sense of community. That was a great reminder about the importance behind art and behind music. All of these people walking the streets, they might not share anything in common, but at least for today, or that day, everyone's sharing this art that this man made. There's something so special about that. Whenever an artist passes along from this world, you hope that your art that you make continues to be enjoyed by people and that way you get to sort of live on and still impact people. So that's the hope. I certainly hope that's the case with me and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Playing that venue in particular, or really any historical venue where I know for sure that someone I love has played there and has walked down this staircase to the stage just like I'm doing, I always think about that right before we're about to take the stage. There's something intimidating about it and something comforting about it at the same time.

Similarly, when you played Camden Electric Ballroom with IDKHOW, that is another venue with so much history. There is a plaque outside in memory of when Prince performed there. That's another reason why I really love playing in London because there's so many choices. You throw a stone and there's a gig happening somewhere and you have your choice of just about anything under the sun that you can go see. So the fact that there are people on the other side of the world that would choose to come see this project and watch us play the songs that I write here in my basement is nothing short of a miracle to me. This last round of shows that we played over there, particularly that last show in London, to be able to have that venue full of people is so special to me and does not go unappreciated.

#dallon weekes #idkhow #idkhbtfm #i dont know how but they found me #the brobecks #brobecks #gloom division #my run-on sentence liege .#long post

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thatonebirdwrites · 7 months

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I still plan to finish my TLOK: Shared Moments series -- especially Book 3.5 and 4 at least, but I simply cannot do the pace I did last year. I can't. My health is too poor and my heart too broken. So let's talk about it.

For this post in particular, I want to discuss how parts of the Korrasami fandom broke my heart.

I also will talk about how Supercorp fandom is helping me heal. I want to be clear here. This post is not about pitting these fandoms against each other. Both have their flaws, their beauty, their awesome people, and their mean people. I love them both. This is simply my tale of how one broke my heart and how the other helps me heal that.

I also preface that there are wonderfully beautiful people I've met in the Korrasami fandom, some who have become friends over the span of the last year and a half. The kindness and care from @snazzy-korra and the Korrasami friend I talk to on Discord has been life-saving in different ways. I'm forever grateful and highly appreciative of these people's kindness and support and for the kind readers who left kind comments.

I also wish to be clear that I have always been honest in my end-notes about the fact that I have a disability, that my health might slow me down, or I may share an anecdote about my life (my disability impacts my life heavily, but it also is not all I am) to explain why I wrote a scene the way I did. Folks seemed to appreciate learning about the inner workings of the writer's mind and the research I've done. So it's why I tend to have detailed end-notes.

So when readers, who acknowledged these end-notes and commented about my bravery at being a disabled writer, turn around and viciously attack me and pull out every single ableist argument about how the character, who became disabled in my story, is now less than?

That is fucking personal.

That is them directly telling me that they don't see disabled people like myself as their equal in dignity or respect. They don't even respect me as a person worthy of being treated with kindness. Instead, they remind me yet again of how they view disabled people as less than.

Where they wanted the disability written out of the story. They wanted erasure, and thus it felt like a stab in my heart.

Because in the end, such arguments are rooted in a fear of this simple truth:

Anyone can become disabled at any time.

Some people fear that truth. Likely because they would have to face the fact that the horrid ways they treat us disabled people could be how they end up treated if they become disabled.

So instead of fixing society and the systems harming us disabled folks, and creating instead accessible and equitable and kinder systems that help all people thrive -- they instead demand erasure. Demand that people like me cease to exist in their space. That our stories not be visible.

It went beyond a fight in comments to direct messages/asks and at least one tumblr blog directly harassing me (referencing my writing as the reason). It felt like my few places where I felt somewhat safe to share my writing had been broken into and trashed.

It's sad and heartbreaking in so many ways, because these people are refusing to see the absolutely beauty and wonder that is disabled people and our creativity.

[Yes, I know the tools that can help protect me like comment moderation, but again, the point of this post isn't about fixing my behaviors.

Because my behaviors weren't the problem. It's about a very real problem in fandoms, where AUs that involve a beloved character becoming disabled turn into an avenue to cause harm to that author. (Instead, of just not commenting and not reading it.)

If this isn't pointed out or ever talked about, then how do we learn and grow and find ways to repair the fandom to be kinder? To call out hurtful behaviors and support those harmed by it? Why should we let folks suffer in silence, when we can talk about it and better support one another? To build better habits and encourage others to build those kinder habits with us?]

Becoming disabled is not a bad thing. It doesn't have to be. We are still beautiful, wonderfully creative, and awesome people who deserve the same love, respect, care, and dignity as any non-disabled person.

Ignoring or running from the pain doesn't make it go away, as I did that and instead it ended up tainting what had been a deep love.

Acknowledging the pain and/or grief and choosing to heal is what alleviates it. The Korrasami fandom introduced me to fanfiction. I'd never written fanfiction in my life before I decided to write How Was Those Three Years to dig into how those years were like for Asami.

I'd never read so much fanfiction before either. I didn't realize the wealth of creativity and wonder that is hidden in the corridors of AO3. It was a beautiful sight to behold. I discovered this truth through Korrasami.

Writing Korrasami helped me rekindle my writing again. Even with my poor health, even when I struggle to get out of bed, even as I lost my ability to do things I used to love to do, fandom helped me re-establish my writing habits. I was writing again. The one thing I love to do the most.

At least my health hadn't taken away my writing and art. Isn't that a beautiful thing to discover? I found a way to grieve what I lost but still rejoice in what I can still do. But at the same time, I've never been more hurt and shattered by a fandom than I have daring to write an alternate universe story, where I learned that the limit of people's care ends at the moment they perceive your disability.

Where you cease to be a person in their eyes.

Where you become less than.

Thus, I truly struggled on how to move forward for months, where writing became harder and harder to do.

I didn't want to lose the joy I had found, but I didn't know how to safely heal either. And I like sharing my stories. The act of sharing them was part of how I redicovered my joy of writing again.

It was here on tumblr, where I found a niche that helped me heal.

It all started with a continuation to one of @fazedlight's ficlets, which randomly appeared on my 'for you' page.

I hadn't even finished Supergirl yet at that point, but the AU in that ficlet, where Kara decides to trust Lena and reveals she's an alien due to the alien detector? How utterly fascinating way to rewrite that scene.

I'm not even sure why I felt the need to write that continuation, but it's like my fingers had a mind of their own. I felt so inspired, and after a few months of being trapped in that well of feeling utterly broken, it was like glimpsing sunlight for the first time in months.

And I found I couldn't stop. I started to write other little ficlets based on GIFs about Supercorp. I started reading fanfiction about Supercorp. I realized Lena Luthor is really just a morally grey Asami Sato, and Kara Zor-El Danvers is basically Avatar Korra. So of course it was easy to write them. I already had practice with Korrasami.

I then went and watched the last three seasons to finally finish Supergirl, and was horrified by just how bad the writing was in 5 and 6, that now I wanted to write my own fix-it fic.

But I was scared to do it. I'd already had my heart broken by Korrasami. I already had a big project there I need to finish for my own sake, because it's so, so important to my own heart.

But at the same time, should I dare to share my stories again? Put myself out there in a different fandom?

Because I can't stress enough how I had seriously considered deleting my AO3 account due to how hurt I was over Korrasami (my two Korrasami buddies kept me from doing that, and they might not ever realize their influence there. I'd downloaded all the fics I'd written and gave myself a due date to decide.)

I was scared to share my stories, and I needed support to decide if I could do it again. If I dared to do it.

Then I discovered thanks to @luthordamnvers and @snowydragonscave a server for Supercorp shippers, and Holy shit.

It was okay to be disabled there.

People from all sorts of walks of life were there. They were supportive (and such enablers, my heavens).

I wasn't seen as less than.

People treated me like a human being.

It gave me courage to start posting the stories I'd written about Supercorp to AO3, and then holy crap.

The comments from Supercorp readers welcomed me as a new writer. They were encouraging. (Sure, there was mean comments here and there, but they weren't so horrifically personal in their attacks like the few hurtful Korrasami readers.)

I wept over those comments. Those people may never know how healing it was to read kind and encouraging comments. These people welcomed me, a stray writer into their shelter, and gently and tenderly offered support, advice, and constructive criticism in ways that uplifted the author.

Sure, it's possible I'll get viciously attacked for who I am again in the Supercorp fandom, but right now, most folks I talk with in the Supercorp fandom have been kind. Mean comments haven't been so acutely personal in their attacks, and it's a reprieve that allows space to heal.

My first love - Korrasami - will always be my first love in terms of ships. This is a truth. Supercorp is second in line, but I feel, right now, it's a little safer for my heart to write Supercorp.

I do promise to finish Shared Moments, but it will take longer simply because I'm still healing.

Parts of the Korrasami fandom broke my heart, but a good portion of the Supercorp fandom is mending it back together.

That's a beautiful thing too.

The stories I write are imperfect. I know I mess up a lot. But I do hope that people walk away from my stories having learned something. Or at the very least walk away with some semblance of hope.

Because in the end, in a world that seems hellbent on reminding marginalized people of how our lives are disposable, choosing hope becomes a radical act in liberation.

Our stories deserve to be told. Deserve to be cherished.

So in conclusion, never underestimate your kindness toward others. You may touch them in ways you may never fully know.

Thank you for all my readers, who have been supportive and kind. You're helping a broken writer heal. I will forever appreciate and treasure all of you.

Thanks for reading.

#korrasami #supercorp #meta stuff about writing fanfiction #disability #disabled characters #tw ableism #idk why i wrote this #was writing this a mistake #thank you to all the kind readers who leave kind and supportive comments for writers #Never underestimate the power of your kindness and joy at sharing your thoughts with us writers

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