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lifeofkaze · 3 years ago

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When Stars Ignite - Chapter 60

HPHM Rockstar AU

A/N: Omg, the first part of the finale is here, can you believe it? Because I definitely can't. This ride is almost over and I'm not entirely okay with this 🥺

General Warning: This whole fic has a general warning of being NSFW / 18+. We will give specific warnings for every chapter in itself, but several adult themes will be more or less present in every chapter, may it be explicitly or in mention. These include sexual topics, drug abuse, (ab)use of alcohol, smoking and a whole lot of cursing.

Specific Warning: incredibly cringe original lyrics (which there are more of and will be published as the full lyric set after the fic has ended because I clearly hate myself)

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Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here.

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This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist

Taglist: @slytherindisaster @night-rhea @carewyncromwell @thatravenpuffwitch @ammathogwarts @whatwouldvalerydo

My gift is my song,

And this one's for you

~ Elton John - Your Song ~

The sun had set over Glastonbury and a massive crowd had gathered in front of the Pyramid Stage. The excited murmur of thousands of people was reaching up to where the members of Equinox were already assembled and waiting in the wings. The air was buzzing with anticipation and Lizzie’s heart was beating faster with every passing minute.

The stage was set for the last show of their tour - the last show Lizzie would ever play with Equinox.

The thought was still surreal to her. No matter how often she told herself, the words refused to make proper sense inside her head. She felt like being inside a bad dream she couldn’t wake up from, no matter how hard she was trying.

After the initial shock of Lizzie’s announcement had passed, all of her friends had tried to convince her to change her mind. The only one to stay silent had been Orion; he could guess her reasons, of course, but just like herself, he seemed uncertain on how to act. Lizzie was glad for it, in any case; every hug, every plea for her to stay broke her heart a little more and if Orion had spoken up maybe she wouldn't have been able to stick to her resolve.

The hours between the soundcheck and the evening had gone by in a blur. And now that their last warm-up together was over, their last check up with the tech crew was done and Orion had given them his final motivational speech, there was nothing left but to wait.

Lizzie felt sick to her stomach with stage fright and she was nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Feeling dizzy, she took a deep breath to try and get her heartrate under control and turned to one of the equipment boxes piling up on one another at the stage entrance. To focus her thoughts on something else than the slowly increasing volume of the crowd, she took her drumsticks out of her back pocket and let them dance over the rough surface in a quick but simple rhythm. She tried concentrating on the pattern and let her body take over. She needed her head and heart in the moment to perform, but as hard as she tried, Lizzie had to fight the tears pricking at the back of her eyes.

“The moment we have all been waiting for is almost here,” she heard Orion’s voice behind her, “and never have I looked forward to it less.” He joined her by stage entrance and laid his hand on her shoulder; they might as well stop pretending now.

“This is it then?” he asked quietly. “You’re really leaving?”

Lizzie nodded and pressed her lips together. “There’s no other way. One thing has to break, either Equinox or me,” she took a deep breath and blinked rapidly, “and I don’t want it to be me.”

“I would’ve never let that happen.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lizzie replied sadly. “Charlie's had it right all along. Either I stay and be miserable with the band and without you, or I’ll take matters into my own hands again. It was about time.” The corners of her mouth twitched, but it was a weak smile. “You said it yourself: Change is what me make of it. We need to change, and so does Equinox.”

Orion bowed his head and didn’t answer her. He was turning the pendant of his necklace between his fingers but didn’t seem to notice .

“David and I have been thinking of bringing our old band back, actually, give you a run for your money,” Lizzie continued, but her laugh sounded hollow. She was rambling and she knew it, but she couldn’t stop, somehow. “What we’ve been doing all these years has been amazing, but a new challenge and a fresh start may be just what I need. See where that takes me. Maybe it’s what I should have been doing all along.”

The pained expression on Orion’s features spoke volumes; he was feeling just as helpless as Lizzie was. She was still talking when he pulled her into his arms and leaned his forehead against hers.

“You can’t just leave,” he whispered and Lizzie fell quiet. “I can’t do this without you. None of us can. You’re the heart of this band.”

“No, I’m not,” she said softly. “The heart of this band is you. It’s always been you.”

“Equinox is all of us.”

“Not anymore,” Lizzie whispered and gently laid her hand on his cheek. “Now Equinox is you. And we, we can just be us.”

And just like that, calm descended on her and Lizzie felt the tension leaving her body. This was where their paths had led and now, at the end of the road, she had made her peace with it. The lights on stage went out, and the crowd erupted in screams as the first notes of their intro were starting to play. She stepped away from Orion, her eyes fixed on her drum kit.

“Please, Lizzie. You don’t have to do this,” Orion tried one last time. “Not for me.”

“Yes, I do. And this isn’t for you.”

Feeling an almost forgotten fire ignite inside her, she took a deep breath and braced her shoulders.

“This is for me.”

And with her head held high and a smile on her face, Lizzie stepped out into the light.

***

The spotlights were burning down on Orion as the last chord of the song faded. He dipped his head back to catch his breath and let the cheers of the crowds carry him. The heaving mass of people dancing to their music was impressive, but with his guitar in his hand and the music encompassing him from all sides, their noise faded into the background until Orion felt like walking through a haze. It was a state between a surreal dream and being wide awake, and it was right where he belonged.

They were already halfway through their setlist and after weeks of being out of tune with his friends Orion felt like they were finally one again. Their music was effortless and reverberating inside his core with an intensity that sent shivers up and down his spine. The people he loved like his family maybe were as different as day and night, but from the moment they stepped onto the stage, everything dividing them was left behind.

But even though Orion was enjoying himself for the first time in weeks, he found it hard to not let his focus stray. He had to fight the urge to turn around and look at Lizzie, take her in, the last precious moments before the end of an era. Every song they were ticking off their setlist was a last time for her and the thought made Orion’s heart feel so heavy as if it might crash through the floor of the stage and shatter to pieces on the ground.

He had thought about turning his way to a new destiny so many times. There was temptation in the idea of leaving everything behind and starting on an unbeaten path with an unburdened mind and heart, but he’d never had the strength to cut the ropes tying him down. Equinox was more than a band for him - it was his family.

But in taking the first step into the unknown, Lizzie had proven just how strong she was. Orion understood why she had chosen this fate for herself but he felt torn between his conflicting emotions. It was an end and a beginning - two sides of the same, bittersweet coin - and yet he wished he could have spared her the pain that had taken them to the crossroad they were standing at.

David and Skye set down their instruments and Lizzie and Merula left theirs behind to walk off stage while Orion remained where he was. It was time for him to give his friends a well-deserved respite from their show by entertaining the crowd on his own for a short while.

He never really knew what he would be playing beforehand. It usually began as something familiar, one famous guitar solo or another which Orion would then put his own spin to. Whatever it was his fans wanted to hear - AC/DC, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd or Queen - he played it for them. He’d do everything for them, give every last bit of himself just to make them happy.

And wasn’t that exactly what he’d done? He’d given them everything, every last bit of his heart and of his soul and then some more. He felt hollow, nothing but a vessel to carry his music into the world. He had reached a point where there was nothing he had left to give. There was nothing that belonged to him anymore, not truly. But in return, the people down there had given him everything he hadn’t even dared to dream of when he had been nothing but a little boy, all alone in the world.

Orion had everything he’d ever wanted, and nothing all at the same time.

The lights went out, all but the single spotlight illuminating the centre of the stage. Orion stepped into the blazing light and looked out over the sea of faces, all of them waiting for his next stroke of genius. They were here because of him and yet, all of a sudden, Orion had never felt so alone before.

The crowd was restless, he could tell. The spotlight was searing his skin but he was frozen on the spot, barely enough strength left in his arms to set his fingers onto the strings. He let a chord ring out, testing it, tasting it, listening to the screams erupting from the crowds below. Orion knew what he wanted to play, knew where to set his fingers, how to make his guitar sing, but his hands wouldn’t follow the orders from his mind.

Slowly Orion turned his head and looked to the entrance of the stage. He could barely see his friends for the blinding light shining down on him, but he knew they were there.

He knew she was there.

Lizzie was standing right at the edge between the stage and the darkness of the wings beyond, and even through light and shadow all Orion could see - all he wanted to see - was the encouraging smile on her face and the barely perceptible nod of her head. Even now, even though she was the one leaving behind what they had built, she was there to help him spread his wings when he felt like he was falling.

Holding her eyes for a moment longer, Orion turned away from the small circle illuminated by the spotlight. The confused whispers of the crowd were growing so loud it sounded like the area in front of the Pyramid Stage was humming in anticipation, but Orion didn’t care. He knew that Murphy would be frantically trying to adjust to whatever Orion was about to do, but he didn’t care for that either.

There was one thing no one had taken from him yet, Orion thought as he exchanged his electric guitar for his acoustic one. One thing still belonging to him and him alone, but he didn’t want it to be just his anymore. He wanted it to be hers. In a way, it had always been.

The one thing no one would ever be able to take from him again.

Applause branded up when he stepped in front of his microphone again, but died down quickly when Orion raised his hand.

“Decisions unforeseen are the ones we should always heed, because they are the ones made with the heart,” he said into the microphone, his voice carrying out over the field extending beyond the stage. “So tonight, my friends, let us celebrate the unexpected.”

He set his fingers to the strings and plucked them gently, suddenly filled with so much energy that he felt the vibrations of the strings carry through his fingertips and spread inside his body. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When he exhaled, the agitation left his mind and all that remained was clarity.

“The next song is for someone special.”

As he began to play, the first notes felt raw and unfamiliar; they always did, no matter how often he’d heard them inside his head and inside his heart. The music was coursing through Orion’s veins like his blood did, without any effort or the power to stop. He was playing without thinking, embracing his emotions and pouring them out for everyone to see, and feel, and cry for their beauty and their vastness. And despite the heat on stage he shivered as he began to sing.

“You were the sun, warming my day, I was the star guiding your way, On a moonlit horizon We passed through like ships.”

A hushed silence had fallen over the crowd, and Orion began to lose himself in the melody, his mind so empty and yet so full. He forgot the thousands upon thousands of eyes on him; he was his voice and he was his music, and his heart was beating in the same rhythm as the drums that should be part of this song.

“When I felt most alone, Your voice called me home.”

But even though the drums were silent, Orion felt their presence as if Lizzie was there to lend him her rhythm, like she had done the first time he had played this song an eternity ago. The song that had taken everything out of him, his song, her song, the song Orion never would have thought would ever be played again.

“Hold onto my dreams in the palm of your hand, You guard them for me, ‘Cause sometimes I can’t.”

Even after everything Orion had held close to his heart had fallen to pieces her song hadn’t left him alone, had haunted him as relentlessly as his feelings had done.

“The beat of your soul, The same rhythm as mine, My dreamcatcher girl, My silver line.”

He hadn’t been able to escape the melody, and he hadn’t been able to escape her. Without either of them noticing, she had slipped past his defences and into his heart, into his very soul. When she laughed it was like warm rays of sunshine touching Orion’s face, and when they were fighting dark storm clouds were chasing thunder and lightning over an ink black sky.

“A heart like a flame, a light in the dark, A spirit like water, drowning my heart, No smoke without fire, You set me ablaze.”

And when the storm had broken loose, Orion had felt himself spiralling like a leaf tossed around by the merciless wind, unable to hold onto anything until even his music had abandoned him.

“We’re burning too brightly, We get lost in time. And still you’re my sun, My reason, my rhyme.”

Orion knew Lizzie didn’t remember him singing fragments of this song to her after she’d drowned her sorrows with Artemis. He had never told her that he’d finished the song after that night. Maybe he should have told her.

“Keep holding my dreams in the palm of your hand, You guard them for me, When you know I can’t.”

And he would tell her. He would tell her everything and more.

“You took my dreams with you When you went away.”

He loved her, loved her so incredibly much. So much more than he’d ever thought was even possible; so much that it scared him.

“I miss you, I need you.”

He needed her to see. He needed her to understand.

“My dreamcatcher girl.” He needed her. “Light of my day.”

Orion held his breath as the last notes rang through the silence that had fallen over the Pyramid stage. Many of the people in the crowd had taken their phones out and held the lit up screens into the air, like a sea of glowing stars illuminating the night.

When the music had faded, the first hushed whispers began to sound through the stillness. The murmur swelled, like the first drops of water trickling down a dam at the point of breaking and when it finally did, a wave of screams and cheers washed over Orion, who bowed his head in thanks. But this time he didn’t care what their fans were thinking; the only set of eyes he was looking for, the only opinion that mattered wasn’t to be found down in the crowd.

When Orion turned to look at Lizzie, her hand was covering her face and her shoulders were shaking. Skye had put an arm around her and was awkwardly patting her back. Orion felt his own tears burning at the back of his eyes and forced himself to look away, concentrating on their celebrating fans to not get overwhelmed by his emotions.

When the others joined him again, Lizzie and he locked eyes for a long moment; she had stopped crying, but the look in her eyes told Orion everything he so desperately needed to know.

She knew. She understood.

Orion exhaled, quickly and sharply, as a relieved smile spread on his face. This was no time for tears. Nothing was important but the moment at hand, neither what had been, nor what would be. All that counted was the here and now, and right now, these were the last moments he and Lizzie would share a stage.

And she deserved to have the best last show Orion had in him to play.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #orion amari #lizzie jameson #rockstar au #when stars ignite #besties collaborate #finale part 1 everybody omg

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godzillerd · 3 years ago

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RE8 AU

In which Ethan takes Heisenberg’s deal, one thing leads to another, and they’re stuck together indefinitely through the good graces of BSAA

Following the village incident, Ethan and Heisenberg are both classed as high-risk subjects along with Rose. All three are quarantined in the same reasonably suburban bungalow.

Suburban if you can ignore the armed escorts and CCTV (EMP resistant, naturally)

Friendship does not come easy.

Friendship isn’t even on the goddamn table for a long time.

The animosity between them is so intense that Chris has to play babysitter on and off for weeks and various BSAA agents make house calls in response to the rip roaring fights that they get into.

Ethan has to mourn Mia (no one ever realized she was in the village) while juggling an infant child and a 75 year old child. He does not handle the stress well.

The turning point (if it can be called that) is when Ethan realizes that Heisenberg knows diddly shit about living in a modern world and he’s been winging it for months.

Whereas the longer they are cooped up, Ethan’s gotten angrier and louder, Heisenberg’s more or less become a glorified ghost and just stays out of the way.

Since they have nowhere else to go and babies sleep a lot, Ethan manages to corner him and sit him down eventually to get a better idea of what he knows.

The results are about as depressing as he expected.

If it’s from beyond 1940 and hasn’t featured in one of the three American car magazines he managed to grab since the 1970′s, Heisenberg hasn’t got a fucking clue.

To kill time while the Powers That Be decide if they should live or die, Ethan gives Heisenberg a crash course on the Wonderful World Of Tomorrow.

It’s chaotic, but also the most fun anyone can have under house arrest.

It’s The Internet, Charlie Brown

It turns out that Heisenberg can fix just about anything with half an hour and a bit of crazy ramshackle ingenuity.

Rose is 100% Ethan’s responsibility and Heisenberg not only avoids her, but will whole-ass leave a room if Ethan walks in with her.

Unfortunately, by now she’s about 10 months old and is mobile, making his game of keep-away increasingly difficult, especially since she’s got a very obvious fascination with him.

They toss around the possibility that Rose is honing in on the Cadou more than Heisenberg himself, but it’s not an easy theory to test.

After five months of house arrest, Ethan gets the all-clear to start working for BSAA. Heisenberg and Rose, on the other hand, are still housebound.

So begins a crash course in how to take care of a burgeoning toddler he doesn’t even like, on top of still learning the bare basics of living in the real world.

It only lasts a week before Rose is given the all-clear as well.

It is Chris, surprisingly, who informs Heisenberg that he’s not going to be as lucky. He doesn’t give details, but he doesn’t really need to.

The ensuing EMP breaks every piece of electrical equipment BSAA has for five miles in every direction, and by the time they get things back online, Heisenberg is gone.

Despite best efforts, he eludes all attempts to locate him and appears to go completely off the grid.

The only indication that he’s alive at all are slightly ominous gifts he leaves outside Ethan Winters’ door every time he relocates.

And birthday gifts for Rose, always from bizarre places around the world.

Her personal favorite, much to Ethan’s horror, is an eerie Japanese doll by the name of Okiku.

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pennibun · 3 years ago

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V!! And Avery: Royalty AU

Mmmm gay

I wrote a thing! I wrote a thing everybody! Knight Avery meets Queen V for the first time and there are palace shenanigans and such

All characters are owned by @cloudwatchingtoday . She wrote V & Avery and she came up with the idea for a royalty AU--I only wrote this story (with her permission).

I think this is the lightest thing I’ve ever written. It was really fun to make! I really hope you all enjoy!

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Word count: 3.9k, or about 14 minutes (purple prose? Purple is my favourite colour! 💜)

Avery was drenched.

The heavy steel armour conducting the heat of the blazing sun, the weight of the equipment she was wielding and the absurd amount of exercise she needed to perform created a cocktail of sweat pouring out of her. She was exhausted to the point of delirium, and yet she kept practicing, kept swinging that hefty sword around as she counted down the minutes until training was over.

“You’re getting sloppy. Focus on your form, don’t be lazy.” The tiny voice came from far below, behind the fenced-off area where the instructors watched their students. Charlie gazed up at Avery with half-shut eyes and a bored expression on their face. Avery dropped her sword as she panted, speaking back to her instructor between gasps of breath. “You’re gonna call me lazy when all you’ve been doing is sitting there criticizing me?”

Charlie shrugged and smiled. “Perks of the promotion. Maybe one day you’ll be as skilled with the blade as I am, and then you can come and be lazy with me.”

“Skilled? Wanna bet? I’d beat you in a duel any day.”

Charlie laughed at Avery’s response. “Getting a little big for our britches, are we? Maybe I’d take you up on that if you weren’t twenty times my height.”

Avery moaned her discontent, dropping to her knees before laying spread out on her back. “Can I at least have some water before we continue?”

Charlie pondered for a minute before finally responding. “Alright, fine.”

Avery sighed in relief and started to get up, but was cut off by Charlie’s devious smile. “That is, after you finish your sets.”

The giant groaned, trying and failing to find the motivation to get up and finish her training regimen, but she was interrupted. “Avery Smith, your presence has been requested elsewhere. You may come as you are.” Sitting up in shock, Avery met the gaze of a very uncomfortable-looking nobleman. He was dressed for indoor work in the palace, and looked very out of place surrounded by grunting, sweaty soldiers in training. Avery might’ve guessed that this was the man’s first time stepping outside.

“Saved by the bell.” Charlie met Avery’s gaze once more. “When you’re done, you’ve still got two more sets to finish.”

Avery gave Charlie a glare of anger as she stood to follow the man. To keep up with him, she had to shuffle her feet and inch forwards at the same rate his tiny legs could take him. The two didn’t make it far before Avery got impatient.

“Where exactly was my, uh, presence requested again?”

The man started before looking up to meet her eyes, clearly uncomfortable with her looming over him. “Um, the east-wing library in the palace, ma’am. But-”

Unfortunately, Avery was already gone. She pretended not to hear the man’s shouts of disapproval.

The palace? What did they want with her over there? Wasn’t that where the wealthiest in the kingdom sat and twiddled their thumbs, pretending to be important? What on earth could they possibly need a giant knight for?

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~Earlier~

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“You must be joking.”

V glared daggers at the former king’s right hand man as he sighed in frustration. “I am most certainly not. Hunter’s reputation in his own kingdom is unmatched, and alliances with neighbouring lands is a part of bureaucracy that you simply must grow accustomed to.”

“His name. Is Hunter. Hunter. Liam, I would be hard-pressed to even bring myself to associate with a man named who possesses such a name. And to… to marry one? Marry a Hunter? Please, do not make such tasteless jokes at my expense any longer. We both no that there is no version of this world in which I would marry a-“

“MIGHT I remind you, your majesty,” Liam interrupted, “that your claim to the throne is at stake? You are not fit to inherit your royal title if you aren’t wed within the month—you simply must find a suitable husband lest you send this kingdom into anarchy. I’ve tried being reasonable, V, but there are more important things to be done at this time than indulge in your fastidiousness. Choose a suitor or lose your crown.”

V’s gaze could bring an empire to its knees. She directed every ounce of aggression into her glare. “Might I remind you, Liam, that you serve the royal family.” Her venomous glare was now complimented by a devious grin. “Do not make the mistake of speaking to your future queen in this way again.”

Liam fought hard to keep his anger suppressed. He could no longer tolerate V’s petulant behaviour, but she was right—she had complete authority over him. “As you wish. But this does nothing to address the problem of your groom-to-be.”

V giggled as she shot Liam a mischievous smile. “That’s where you’re wrong, Liam. I’ve always been able to rely on my ability to find a way out of doing something I don’t want to do. I’m certain I can find a loophole in the legal system.” Her voice had an air of finality. “Mark my words—I will be wed to no man.” She waved a hand in his direction as she walked away. “Now, make yourself useful and find me a literate companion to aid me in my legal quest. I’ll be in the east-wing library.”

V walked away with an infuriating amount of confidence. Liam would have no more of this. She was insufferable. She needed to be taught how to act like a proper lady, and Liam wouldn’t rest until she was wed to a future king who could put her in her place. She needed to be stalled—the one-month deadline would snap her out of this. As for her “literary companion”… Liam knew just the person to “help” her with her so-called quest.

V would get nothing done with that lumbering oaf in her proximity.

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V looked up at the towering shelves upon shelves of books. The library was a palace unto itself, with multiple floors and extravagant staircases, elegant chandeliers and lush carpets lining the polished granite floor, a ceiling that stretched almost a hundred feet tall—it was such a waste, really. At least V thought so. Such a lavish area, truly fit for a queen such as her, and yet filled with nothing but… books. The only wall not absolutely crammed with the things was the drawbridge on the easternmost wall that allowed for the entrance of the palace’s… larger individuals.

V was intimidated by the enormity of the task she had just undertaken. This would take hours to do alone. It was a good thing, then, that V wasn’t going to be alone. It would all be a matter of kicking back and relaxing, waiting for whatever scholar or noble Liam fetched for her to find her a way out of this damned marriage.

V was startled by the sound of the drawbridge being opened.

Really? Of all the days?

The library usually sat empty, with only lifeless, friendless scholars to peruse the dusty literature. What would a giant even be doing in the library? They’d need magnifying glasses to even read each book’s title. V sighed dramatically as she made her way to an adjacent wall, hoping that this unwelcome guest would simply pass through and leave her be.

The giant woman who finally entered was filthy. She must have just come from a mud bath. A giant pile of scrap metal that must have been the woman’s armour was laying in a pile near the entrance, temporarily abandoned while she went about her business. She made eye contact with V.

“Uh, I was told I was… expected here?”

Oh.

Liam, you absolute bastard.

V didn’t hesitate to express her displeasure. You have got to be kidding me.”

“I- um, excuse me?”

“Look at you! You look like Liam just dragged you in off of the street! Oh, you poor thing, you’re barely even dressed!”

Avery was too shocked to be able to process all that had been said to her. “Wh- Liam? Wait, this is my training uniform! What exactl-“

“You can’t call that sweaty old tunic ‘clothing’. You simply can’t. Gosh, I’d bet you’re barely literate! How are you meant to help me out of this predicament?”

“For your information, I am quite capable of reading!” Avery had had enough of.. whatever was happening here. She still wasn’t quite sure what this was, but she knew she was fed up with it. “And I’ll have you know I’m in very high standing in the knight training program.”

“A knight! Oh, woe is me! Liam must have sent you to sabotage me into getting married! That slimy rat!”

“Married? What does that have to do with- what’s going on? Why was I sent here?”

V sighed in frustration, as though annoyed by the fact that she had to explain herself. “If I am to inherit the crown, I need to be wed to some prince from a neighbouring kingdom. I do not want to be wed. Do you see the problem here?”

Avery opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off yet again. “I am here in the library to look into the ancient laws and find my way out of this horrid wedding, and Liam sent you to help me do so in an attempt to impede upon my work. To slow me down.”

Things were moving too fast for Avery to process. She had so many questions but no opportunities to ask them as the smaller woman continued with her rant. “Wait, stop, please! I need to… okay, so, to summarize: you need to research this kingdom’s laws to find your way out of being married to a… a handsome prince?”

V crossed her arms and glared up at Avery with too much confidence for someone her size. “His name was Hunter.”

“Oh… okay, fair enough. No one deserves such a fate. So your advisor sent me to help you because… what, you all think I’m some lumbering oaf? I am perfectly literate, thank you very much!”

V’s expression very quickly changed to excitement. “Oh, joy! Then you can get me out of this predicament. You may start in that section over there—it’s where our records are kept. Come fetch me when you’ve found something!”

“Wh- hang on a minute! You can’t expect me to do all of this on my own! How am I meant to turn the pages?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure it out! Good hunting to you!”

As V turned to walk away Avery stretched out a hand and blocked her path. “Wait! I want to help you, I really do, but…” but why? This woman had been nothing but rude and demeaning since she’d met her, and yet… There was something intriguing about her. Her excessive amount of unearned confidence was somehow endearing, and Avery was fascinated. She wanted to know more. “I, um, I need you to fetch the books and turn the pages. None of the books here are fit to be handled by me.”

V groaned dramatically and shuffled her feet as she slowly turned around to face Avery again. “Fine. If you insist, I will help you fetch the books. I hope you feel grateful that I am granting you this favour.”

“I’m the one doing you the favo-

“Come this way, I’ll take you to the legal section.”

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“Next page.”

V sat cupping her chin in her hand, barely able to stay awake throughout this incredibly boring endeavour. The giant’s eyes were sharp enough to be able to read the words on the page, so V simply sat next to the open book, waiting for Avery’s instructions.

“Okay, this is no good. Jump to page 432, I want to double-check that bit on qualifications for potential suitors.”

Avery gave no indication as to whether or not she heard V’s dramatic sigh as the princess leafed through the dusty old book. She had hoped to get some beauty sleep during this time, but Avery’s dependence on V’s small hands forced her to stay awake throughout the entire process, and-

V’s neck shivered as she felt Avery’s breath run down her shoulder. As good as the giant’s eyes were, she still needed to position her head in close proximity to the pages in order to read the tiny words, and V could feel the heat in her cheeks radiating along the right side of her body. She moved to scold Avery for her lack of respect for personal space, but… it was oddly comforting. The library was largely composed of cold marble floors, and Avery’s natural warmth calmed the chill that had entered V’s bones. If only she could get a bit closer-

Avery’s voice was loud in V’s ear. “Oh, s-sorry, am I too close?” V started and backed away from the giant’s face. “N-no! Everything is fine. You may continue.”

Avery paused for a moment before speaking. “Actually, I’m just about done with this one anyways. Can you put it back while I look for another book?”

With that, the giant rose from her crouched position behind V and walked deeper into the labyrinth of bookshelves. V couldn’t help but notice that her head nearly scraped that ceiling so high above her, completely unreachable to V and yet…

“Um, V? Can you come here for a sec?”

V stood, confused at Avery’s request. She rounded a corner to the sight of Avery gazing up at the top shelf. “I, um… so, my fingers don’t fit between the shelves, and I can’t get at this book. Also, I don’t see a ladder anywhere nearby…”

It didn’t take long for V to understand what was being asked of her. “Surely you’re jesting.”

“It’ll just be for a few seconds! I’ll be careful, just get the book and I’ll set you down safe and sound.”

V’s groan must have lasted a full thirty seconds. Avery stood rather impatiently, waiting for her to finish. “Okay, lay down your hand.”

Avery rolled her eyes before crouching down and setting her palm down on the floor in front of V. She took a cautious step onto her hand, poking at the flesh with her shoe. She finally found the courage to place her full weight onto it, finding a comfortable place to sit down in the middle of her palm. “You may proceed.”

As Avery slowly lifted her hand, V’s hands rested upon the giant’s skin. The flesh was warm and inviting, and yet rock-hard with calluses from years of dedicated training. V’s mind wandered, conjuring thoughts of Avery practicing in the training field. She pictured the knight in full armour, a bead of sweat running down her cheek as she swung a sword infinitely taller than V’s humble stature. She must be so strong, and not just as a result of her size. Intense practice like that would build muscles tough as rebar, chords of steel running down her arms onto-

“Um, V? It’s that fifth book from the right of that wall. You got it?”

V emptied her brain of all thoughts, shooting her arm out to reach for the requested book. “Got it! You may set me down now.”

V was quick to jump off as soon as Avery’s hand rested on the ground. “Okay, back to it, then.” The two made their way back to the table, and V sat down in her usual position, prepared to turn the pages at Avery’s request. “Just start with the table of contents, I’ll tell you what page to jump to.”

The routine continued as usual, but not for much longer. It was only about twenty minutes before Avery started. “Oh! Oh! V! Look at that!”

V shot up and skimmed through the passage Avery was referring to. “I don’t get it. This is just some garbage about the rules of instigating a trade agreement between neighbouring kingdoms.”

Avery’s giant finger shot past V’s head and pointed at the book. It was too big for V to be able to tell what sentence Avery was referencing. “Yes, but look at this language. ‘As with any diplomatic endeavour, the current ruling power—irregardless of marital status or physical well-being—may enact the’ blah blah blah, the point being, you have the power to do whatever you want with no spouse! To inherit the crown, you need to be wed, but according to this, you are considered the ruling power no matter what because you’re next in line. The only thing you don’t inherit is the title of ‘queen’; you do, however, inherit all power and responsibilities of the queen, and since you’re next in line for the throne, no one else can take your place as the ruling power.”

V was shocked and thrilled. “So that one-month deadline Liam was talking about…”

“Completely arbitrary. It’s a one-month deadline to get the title of ‘queen’ instead of ‘ruling power’.”

“Well, as disappointed as I am that I won’t be technically named queen, at least I don’t have to marry Hunter. Will you come with me to show this to Liam?”

“Of course! I wanna see the look on his face when he sees it.”

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The room had an air of tension as Liam slowly read through the passage, eyes occasionally darting up at Avery towering over him with a smug grin. “Well? You still think I’m a stupid oaf?”

V walked up to Liam with a similarly smug expression. “I’m upset that I will never get to hear you call me ‘queen’, but that look on your face more than makes up for it. I will be the ruler of this kingdom. And when I am, I will certainly be making some… personnel changes around here.”

V’s confidence retreated very quickly as Liam chuckled. “Clearly you didn’t read the entire book. The ‘current ruling power’ status can’t be achieved without a spouse. The statement on ‘irregardless of marriage’ is in reference to potential widows, as is clearly stated as early as page 42.”

Liam met V’s eyes with a smug grin of his own. “This was all for nothing. You still only have a month. Tick tock, princess.”

Avery had finally had enough of this little weasel. “What is your problem?”

Liam started as he looked up, far, far up towards the ceiling to meet Avery’s intimidating gaze. She bent down, resting her hands on her knees until she was looming over him completely. There was no direction that Liam could look in where he wouldn’t be able to see Avery. “You know what I think? You’re being a dick to V because you can’t stand the fact that you’re below her. V may be arrogant on occasion, but you take it a step further into egoism. You think you know how to run a kingdom? You think you could do a better job than her? Because I can all but guarantee that if you ever took the throne, the country would be in ruins within the year.”

She bent down further, resting her face mere feet from Liam’s trembling form. She gazed with passionate rage. “You are a sniveling little weasel, and you better hope that V never becomes queen, because I can guarantee that she will make your life hell. And you will deserve every second of it.”

V was stunned. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Avery’s display. She had yet to see this bold, intimidating side of the giant, and seeing her so aggressive towards Liam sent chills to her bones.

But not necessarily in a bad way.

V suddenly had an idea, and, in true V-like fashion, she acted upon it with no further consideration.

“I know who I’m going to marry.”

Liam and Avery both looked over at V in shock. Neither had any words to address the sudden outburst. But V did. “Avery, give me your hand.”

The giant slowly, hesitantly lay out her hand in front of V. The would-be queen picked up the giant’s middle finger, rubbing her hands along those callouses. “I now pronounce us married. We may kiss.”

Liam and Avery spoke in tandem as V placed a gentle kiss on Avery’s finger. “What??”

V looked at the shocked royal advisor. “Liam, you’re fired. You may pack your things and leave the palace. You may never step in here again.”

Liam choked on his words before finally speaking. “You can’t- she’s a woman! You’re to be wed to the next king! And not to mention- this kingdom can’t be ruled by a giant!”

V waved a dismissive hand. “You are welcome to try and find where that is explicitly stated in our legal documents, but I’ll tell you now, I’m certain that you aren’t as knowledgeable in that area as we are. Not after our entire afternoon of pouring through books.”

Evidently, Liam still had one more card to play. “W-wait! In order to be wed, both parties must agree to the marriage.” He looked up to Avery with a plea in his eyes. “Surely you have no desire to spend your life with this incessantly arrogant and childish woman!”

Avery hadn’t really been listening. She was staring at an adjacent wall, face fully flushed, not quite sure what to do with her hands. She looked down at V. “You… you really want to marry me? You aren’t just doing this to inherit your throne?”

V gazed up at Avery with a smile on her face. “Of course! You think so little of me that you assume I’m doing this for my title? If that were my only intention, I would’ve married… ugh, Hunter. I like you, Avery. It’s been nice getting to know you, and I’ve had fun spending time together. I promise you that I’m saying ‘yes’ out of a desire to marry you, not because of politics.”

Avery stammered. “This… this is a lot of pressure, V. It’s a lot to throw onto me all at once.”

V pursed her lips and looked down at her shoes. “I understand. I suppose I can’t ask you to completely upend your life for someone you met mere hours ago. I still have a month–I promise to wait for you, should you change your mind. Otherwise, I’m sure I’ll find some other alternative.”

Avery opened her mouth to accept V’s offer. It wasn't like Avery hadn’t caught feelings for V as well, but it had just happened all so fast, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for such a commitment. But then… then she saw Liam’s face. So smug, so arrogant, so slimy–Avery couldn’t handle the thought of someone like that having their way.

What the hell, right? At least now she wouldn’t have to finish her training session.

“Okay! Let’s get… let’s get married!”

V’s face was bright as the sun, and Avery knew at that moment that this wasn’t a mistake. “Oh, joy! Avery, I will be more than proud to call you my wife.” She didn’t take her eyes off of Avery as she waved a dismissive hand in Liam’s direction. “You can go now.”

Liam moved to interject, but a glare from Avery was enough to send him running out of the room. The giant looked back down as V ran her hand over her finger. “There’s still one more thing that all weddings need…”

Avery’s face grew hot as she smiled and rested her head down at eye level with the queen. “Um, well then, go ahead!”

The world faded away as they kissed, and they both knew in that moment that their future together would be bright.

——————————————————————

Hmm was that too cheesy at the end? It felt kinda like a tween rom com and I think I like the vibe of it but I’m honestly not certain.

Thanks for reading!! 💜

#g/t #giant tiny #giant/tiny #tiny #giant #g/t community #g/t wlw #g/t writing #knight avery owns my heart

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lala-ladybug · 4 years ago

Text

Healing Hands: Chapter 2

I promise I’m not this fast at writing, I’ve just had the first few chapters laying around for a while lmao. Reblogs are appreciated!!

Jasonette Sword Art Online AU

Read here on AO3

Tag list: @iloontjeboontje

Previous | Next

Chapter 2: u guys r moding my night :(

There was chaos in the Wayne Manor. This was nothing unusual, of course, and today it even seemed to be surprisingly tame. But it was chaos nonetheless.

Timothy Drake-Wayne careened down the spiral staircase, catching himself with a well-timed front flip handspring, and skidded to a halt in the kitchen. Alfred briefly paused to look up from where he was preparing dough for a batch of homemade pasta, then offered the boy a smile and a greeting.

“Good evening, Master Drake. Dinner won’t be ready for another half-hour, I’m afraid.” Tim had opened his mouth to reply when a growl echoed from the nearby ballroom.

Jason Todd-Wayne sprinted into the kitchen brandishing a nerf gun. “There you are, replacement. You won’t get away with beating me this time.” He pulled back the reloader of the play-gun, making a threatening click ring through the kitchen.

“I’m afraid you are both late to the party,” Alfred calmly announced as he mixed ingredients together. “Miss Cain has been here for the past five minutes.”

Cass Cain-Wayne indeed poked her head out from where she had been perched beneath the bar. She gave her brothers a shit-eating grin and wiggled her fingers as way of a cheeky greeting.

Tim gave a groan as he and Jason begrudgingly handed some money over to their sister. “She cheats.” Cass stuck her tongue out at that. “Besides, racing you here was just an excuse to get my mind off waiting for midnight.”

“And because Alfred is the only one polite enough to actually listen to you rave about that stupid game,” Jason scoffed, sitting down at the bar to watch Alfred work.

“--thought I heard voices in the kitchen, oh there you are, little wing!” Dick Grayson-Wayne’s cheery voice came from the foyer, increasing in pitch as he spotted Jason and swept him up into a tight hug.

Barbara Gordon wheeled herself in not too long after, chuckling at the squirming Jason and delighted older brother.

Meanwhile Tim, who had taken offense to Jason’s insinuation, was reassuring Alfred that if he wanted the boys to leave him be he only ever had to ask. “It’s just that I’m so excited for the launch tonight, and you know B is too busy to hear about it.”

Jason had finally muscled his way out of Dick’s embrace as the latter’s attention focused on his youngest brother. “What launch are you talking about?” Dick asked, giving Cass a side hug.

“Oh, tonight is the release of this new VRMMORPG game called Mindscape!” Tim practically bounced as Dick came over to give him his hug too.

Dick gave Barbara a confused glance. “I know some of those words,” he nodded slowly. “So what’s got you so excited? Video games come out all the time.”

Tim rolled his eyes as he sat down beside Jason on the barstools. “Well yeah, but this game has groundbreaking virtual reality tech. Supposedly, the textures took five years and a team of almost 1000 artists.”

Jason put Tim into a headlock and said casually, “I’m surprised you haven’t heard replacement talking about this yet. He kinda won’t shut up about it.”

Cass nodded her head in solemn agreement while Tim struggled to get out of Jason’s grasp.

“Such are the woes of moving out.” Dick shrugged. “Sounds crash though, got room for one more?”

Tim finally shoved Jason off. “I actually bought enough passes that we can all play if you want,” he gave each of his siblings the biggest puppy-dog eyes he could manage.

Barbara snorted even as Dick pumped his fist in the air beside her. She wheeled herself up to the bar to pinch Jason, who was poised to jab his fingers into Tim’s sides. Jason yelped and glared at her as she said, “Sorry Timmy, I’d rather let someone else be the guinea pig for this new kind of tech. Besides, Dad will worry if I let myself get sucked into pouring too many hours into this.”

“Papa Gordon is a force to be reckoned with,” Dick attested earnestly. “Jay?” he prompted.

“Absolutely not,” Jason answered immediately. Tim was quick to protest. “But why? We could spend more time together! It’ll be good team-building.” Jason’s face soured at that.

Dick leaned in and stage-whispered, “Do I have to tell B to force you into family bonding? You know he’ll make you do it.”

Cass covered her silently laughing mouth with one hand as Jason threw his hands up in the air. “Fine, don’t get Bruce involved. I’ll play your stupid game,” he finally relented. Tim grinned at his win, then cast a hopeful look at Cass.

She pulled a face and signed No thank you. Better things to do than watch VR pornos.

Tim’s face blushed profusely as he opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Jason’s cackling. Even Alfred cracked a smile while he rolled the dough onto the ravioli press.

Once Jason quieted down, Tim crossed his arms and said, “Suit yourself. Looks like it’ll be no-girls-allowed anyway.”

“Guess we’d better tell Cassie that, Timbo,” Dick wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, which Tim elected to ignore.

“Speaking of suits,” Alfred said while seamlessly spreading filling in the ravioli and placing another sheet on top of the press, “aren’t you boys going to miss the premiere if it is indeed at midnight?”

Tim looked imploringly at the two girls. “You wouldn’t be willing to trade shifts for your favorite brother, would you?”

* * *

Wally West strolled out of the zeta tube and into the Justice League’s satellite, known to himself and the other heroes as The Watchtower. He was dressed in a casual NASA t-shirt and jeans, slurping a smoothie, and playing a game on his phone.

The sound of someone clearing their throat made him look up. He was greeted with the sight of his old team, Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian, Rocket, Zatanna, and Artemis, waiting impatiently. They were dressed in full hero attire-- he didn’t even realize Artemis still had her costume-- and looked to him expectantly.

“Hey guys, what’s poppin’?” Wally grinned and gave his friends a lazy chin jerk.

“‘What’s poppin’?’ Babe, are you serious? You told us to meet here ASAP for an emergency. So you can tell us what exactly is ‘poppin’.” Ah yes, his Spitfire. Artemis Crock still wasn’t afraid to give him a piece of her mind. But this time it looked like everyone else was on her side too, as they nodded in agreement with her emphatic air quotes.

“Oh, uh yeah, Mindscape is coming out tonight!” He set his smoothie down on the table. “I got us all passes and I’m super stoked for the launch. It’s got this super cool new VR tech that’s basically being released for the first time ever. I got the equipment through my internship, so we’re all set! You guys are totally coming right?” He made finger guns at his increasingly exasperated friends.

Artemis facepalmed. Kaldur’ahm raised his eyebrows in that I’m disappointed in you but I’m not going to say it way of his and said, “Wally, with you and Artemis retired from the life, understand that we took this to be a literal emergency and rushed to your aid. Do not abuse our good intentions.”

“Seriously West, I have a lot on my plate right now!” Rochelle Ervin was also, apparently, a little upset with him. “You could’ve said it was about a dumb game.”

The speedster tried to do damage control with some lighthearted humor. “Hey guys, stay whelmed. I get it, I probably should have given a few more deets about this very-much-not-dumb game, but do you know how many candy bars I had to eat to win these passes?”

“This is why you’ve been spending so much on junk food?” Oh, he was in big trouble with Artemis now. “You probably didn’t have to eat all of them, babe.”

M’gann M’orzz, Connor Kent, and Zatanna Zatara looked similarly annoyed. Well, the girls did. Connor just looked like his usual brand of annoyed, which was honestly a small victory.

“So...” Wally felt a little sheepish now, “who wants in?”

The rest of the group exchanged a look. Artemis was the first to speak up. “Well, you’ve already invested too much of our money in this to turn back now.” She walked up to him and poked a finger at his chest. “But you owe me so many dinners for this.”

He grinned triumphantly. “Deal!”

Rochelle spoke up next. “Me and my plate don’t need any more helpings, thank you very much. I’ll see y’all at the next team reunion!” She flew out through the zeta tube.

Kaldur clapped him on the shoulder. “If you need any assistance, I will be there. But for now I am running Atlantis in Aquaman’s stead while he is off-world, and I must return to my duties.” He then bid the rest of the team farewell and stepped through the zeta tube.

“Haha, he said ‘duties.’” Wally said once he’d left, then winced as Artemis smacked his arm lightly. Lightly for her. Rubbing his arm, he looked imploringly at his other friends.

M’gann and Conner looked deep in a telepathic conversation, which was just awkwardly intense eye contact for onlookers. Zatanna crossed her arms and sighed, “Fine, why not. I didn’t have plans for the weekend anyway. Lead the way to your chocolate factory, Charlie.”

Connor, having caught the tail end of the conversation, looked confused at the reference. He shrugged and said, “I’m in, could be fun.”

M’gann gave her friends an apologetic smile. “Sorry guys, my uncle needs help back on Mars. There’s tensions between the white and green martians again, and he really needs me there to get it under control.”

She gave Connor a peck on the cheek and left to board the nearby Bioship.

“And then there were four,” Wally said with a smile. “Now let’s go make you guys some avatars!”

* * *

Bart Allen could hardly contain his excitement. Scratch that, he couldn’t contain his excitement! “Bouncing off the walls” may be an exaggeration for most people, but he was not most people. Being the grandson of The Flash certainly had its perks, and being able to literally bounce off the walls was one of them.

The cause of his excitement, his friends Timothy Drake-Wayne and Wally West, had just called to ask if Bart wanted extra passes to the premiere of the biggest video game of the decade. And uh, yeah duh he wanted them! He already had one he’d bought for himself, but bringing four extra friends? So totally crash.

He opened up his phone and pulled up the group chat titled Badass Babes.

CrashBandicoot: hey bitchez n babez (u kno who u r), u ready 4 the best videogame of the yr to drop?!

BlueMenace: ese, do you HAVE to type like that?

WonderBabe: yea it’s super annoying

CrashBandicoot: gtta go fast babez

CrashBandicoot: now answer the question

GreenMenace: oh i heard about that! mindscape, right? isn’t it some vr game

CrashBandicoot: yes! nd i got extra tix, so come ovr to cave

GirlBoss: No can do, got research tomorrow!

MaleWife: you always have research bae. sorry little speedster, gotta drive the lady to work

CrashBandicoot: u guys r moding my night :(

BlueMenace: totally not a word but I’ve got you cariño, be there in an hour

WonderBabe: ah what the heck, I’ve got nothing better to do

GreenMenace: always down to whoop ur ass in video games

CrashBandicoot: u wish

CrashBandicoot: roy?

Ginger1 is typing...

WonderBabe: it’ll be fun! more ~mingling~ with kids our age

Ginger2: Hold on, give him some time

Ginger1 is typing...

BlueMenace: Roy, I can pick you up on my way in if you want

Ginger1 has stopped typing.

Ginger2: Um, he says he’ll meet you guys there

Ginger2: He may have destroyed his phone with his “non-typing” hand

GreenMenace: pog

WonderBabe: see u guys soon!

Bart pumped his fist, then ran at top speed to his boyfriend Jaime’s house, where it looked like he was doing homework. Seriously, on a Friday night? Bart had absolutely no qualms about whisking him into his arms and making for the nearest zeta tube.

“Woah Bart, I said I needed an hour!” Jaime protested.

Bart rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but you definitely don’t have anything due tonight, and we have to make your character online before the launch!”

Jaime just looked resigned as they sped into the zeta tube. He knew what he had signed up for.

#healing hands #jasonette #sword art online au #virtual reality #maribat #maribat fic #batfam #batfam fic #yj #yj fic #young justice #young justice fic

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destieltropecollection · 5 years ago

Photo

Destiel Trope Collection 2020 Day 20: Mutual Pining

An Old Feeling | @deservetobesaved

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1741 Main Tags/Warnings: post season 12, jealous!dean, love confession Summary: Castiel thinks Dean will never love him back so he decides to try and move on. Cue jealous!Dean and confessions galore.

To Catch a Spark | zaphodsgirl (AO3)

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 2364 Main Tags/Warnings: Misunderstandings, Fluff Summary: Cas has been acting pretty clumsy lately and Dean is a little worried.

Falling Awake | @specsofwings

Rating: General Word Count: 2530 Main Tags/Warnings: Love confessions, Cas and Dean being idiots, The Cosmic Entity Summary: After Michael is killed by Team Free Will 2.0, Dean ends up in the Empty, Michael's grace pulling a sliver of his consciousness there. The Cosmic Entity calls him out on not realising Castiel is in love with him. Dean needs to decide what to do with that information as he wakes up home.

Personal Space | @notfunnydean

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 2859 Main Tags/Warnings: NSFW, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot. Masturbation, Masturbation Interruptus, Voyeur Castiel Summary: It’s been four weeks since the last time Dean actually had time for himself and he just wants to crawl into his bed and finally jack off. Sadly he says a certain name and Castiel shows up and not to interrupt.

That Game We Played | @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 3139 Main Tags/Warnings: Valentine's Day, Castiel/Dean Winchester in the Men of Letters Bunker, Broken Thermostat, Castiel is Not Oblivious, Naked Cuddling Summary: “You know what?” Dean mutters, mostly to himself. He really is trying to be less of a jerk - but he can’t seem to help it. It’s Valentine’s day, and it’s hot. So he decides to stop talking, and takes off his jacket, a deep blue leather utility, and shucks it away on a counter. Cas seems to find this interesting, his eyes following Dean around the room; so then Dean does the first thing that comes to mind. He walks over to Cas, and holds his hand out. Cas stares at it, like he’s trying to figure out the purpose of its existence. Dean helps him, because he’s awesome like that. “Your coat.” Because why the fuck not?

Get out of my head | @notfunnydean

Rating: General Word Count: 3216 Main Tags/Warnings: Cursed, Mind Reading, dean and cas get cursed, mind reading Summary: When a witch puts some sort of spell on Dean and Castiel, they start to hear each other’s thoughts. Dean tries very hard to keep a secret, but Castiel has to insist.

May I ask for this dance | @notfunnydean

Rating: General Word Count: 3225 Main Tags/Warnings: Dean needs Cas' help on a case, Masquerade Ball, dancing on his feet Summary: When Dean asks Castiel to accompany him at an undercover investigation at a masquerade ball, to find the witch who killed a lot of people, Castiel wants it to be a date. Only problem, he can’t dance, so he asks Sam for help.

You aren't a monster | @notfunnydean

Rating: General Word Count: 3782 Main Tags/Warnings: misunderstandings Summary: When Bobby and Sam start to believe Castiel is actually on the bad side, Dean tries to defend his angel. He wouldn’t let them kill his best friend but unfortunately Castiel hears the wrong snippet of the conversation and ends up hurting Dean badly.

And I swear | @notfunnydean

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 4413 Main Tags/Warnings: two idiots in love, Jealous!Cas, Arthur is not in the fic but mentioned a lot, Abusive Relationships, hurt!Dean, Break Up Summary: Dean knows that Arthur is treating him badly, but he had worse in his life and besides, it’s not like the person he really loves wants him back.

your eyes will lead me straight back home | @elizaeverafter

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 4602 Main Tags/Warnings: no archive warnings apply, fake/pretend relationship, mutual pining, fluff, light angst, romantic comedy, friends to lovers, au modern setting, jealousy, castiel POV Summary: When Dean hatches a plan to go to Charlie's wedding with Castiel to avoid being bothered about remaining single, Castiel knows this isn't going to go well. But he hasn't been able to refuse Dean so far, so why would this act of being in a relationship be any different? And if Castiel feels like exploding and blurting out his feelings the whole time, well, that's his problem.

The War Within You | @verobatto-angelxhunter

Rating: Mature Word Count: 9770 Main Tags/Warnings: Destiel, season 6 canon divergent, first kiss, mutual pining, slow burn, love confession, eventual Human!Cas, angst with a happy ending. Summary: Sam Is back from the cage but something is wrong with him, and Dean knows it. He must call Castiel for help... But not just for that... There's something forbidden burning inside him that makes his mind go crazy. He needs to be near the angel.

The Meaning of Everything | @verobatto-angelxhunter

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 17000 Main Tags/Warnings: Destiel, canonverse, post s14 canon divergent, mutual pining, first kiss, love confession, explicit sexual content, canon typical violence, angst with a happy ending, vessel sharing, winged Cas Summary: Chuck is the bad guy, and he broke with his snap Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. The chaos is all over the Earth. But Billie has a plan, they need to work together to raise Jack as the New God. Dean and Cas will try to solve their issues, but something unexpected will happen that will separate them again.

The Alpha Next Door (WIP) | @Destielshipper4Cas

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 16767 Main Tags/Warnings: Strangers to Lovers, First Time, Omega Castiel, Alpha Dean, Past Abuse Summary: When Cas is placed in WitSec, he gets a fake secondary gender designation to go along with his new name, ‘Jimmy.’ All he has to do until the boss of the omega trafficking ring he escaped is behind bars is keep a low profile, always apply his alpha scent, and not fall in love with an alpha. Well—two out of three ain’t too bad… Dean has never had a crush on an alpha before. Along comes his new neighbor, Jimmy, an alpha who is alphasexual. There’s just something about him, and to his utter confusion, he finds himself falling for an alpha for the first time in his life.

Guardian Angel | @notfunnydean

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 19486 Main Tags/Warnings: Homeless Dean Winchester, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Virgin!Dean, Abusive John Winchester, Canon-Typical Violence Summary: Everybody in the world has his own guardian angel, to keep them safe and protect them. Only "bad people" are without a guardian angel. Maybe that's why Dean is alone.

Little Blue Dragon | @saltnhalo

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 23820 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Magic, Blacksmith Dean Winchester, Mage Sam Winchester, Creature Castiel, Dragon Castiel, Pining, Soulmates, Minor Violence, Frottage Summary: Dean Winchester may have a reputation for being a skilled craftsman and blacksmith, but his life is just like anyone else’s. He’s over-worked and under-slept, and it’s all because of the niggling feeling in the back of his mind that tells him he’s… forgetting something. Still, he can’t let his weird dreams or errant thoughts get in the way of his work and his love for his craft. The strange feeling goes ignored. That is, until he meets a man with jewel-blue eyes and an aura of intrigue. Castiel slots into his life in a way that Dean had never thought possible, and Dean grows accustomed to the mysterious man’s visits and brilliant smiles and tales of far-away places. He’d never known he was missing a piece of himself until he met Castiel, and he thinks that Cas might feel the same way. Until Castiel disappears from Dean’s life completely.

Dislocation | @pray4jensen

Rating: Mature Word Count: 24514 Main Tags/Warnings: Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: After the sun is restored and the Woman of Letters banishes Castiel, he falls and becomes human, lost and alone in a place far from home. Four hundred and fifty-one days later, Sam finds him. He tells Castiel that Dean is alive. So they go. They go and they arrive at the bunker and Sam’s acting strange and there’s something that he’s not telling Castiel, something about Dean. And then Castiel finally reunites with Dean. And there is something about Dean. Something about Dean that has Dean pulling Castiel into tight embraces, something about Dean that has Dean running his thumb across Castiel’s cheek with a tender look in his eyes, and something about Dean that has Dean shaking when Castiel says certain things to him, things that are normal, things that should not affect him this way. There is something about Dean that no one is telling him.

Sending A Raven | @saltnhalo

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 38677 Main Tags/Warnings: Vikings, Magic, Temporary Character Death, Established Relationship, Leader Dean Winchester, Explicit Sexual Content, Violence, Dean/Cas Pinefest 2019, Viking Dean Winchester, Viking Castiel, BAMF Castiel (Supernatural), BAMF Dean Winchester, Mutual Pining, Angst Summary: When Dean, the Viking jarl of Týrvik, leaves on a raid to combat the enemy warriors attacking their ships, his husband Castiel is left to protect and lead the village. The ships return barely a week later, with damaged timbers and a devastated, leader-less crew, and suddenly Castiel finds himself not only in a position of leadership for which he is ill-equipped, but terrified for the safety of his captured husband. With the possibility of a spy somewhere in the village’s midst, Castiel leaves his people under Sam’s care and departs on the journey north to where they think Dean is being held, in a desperate attempt to rescue him before it’s too late.

Twenty Years | @ioasccel

Rating: Mature Word Count: 39501 Main Tags/Warnings: Angst, pining, religious themes, Summary: A profound bond between a Priest and the one he loves the most that spans decades. Father Novak’s love of God is tested by one Dean Winchester. A story of a priest driven by love and tortured by desire. All about forbidden love, heart break, and an eventually a happily ever after.

It's A Long Life to Always Be Longing | @pomegranatedaffodil

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 40685 Main Tags/Warnings: Canon Divergence, Spells and Enchantments, Road Trips, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: Dean’s life has always been dictated by duty rather than by need. So when Amara offers to give him the thing he needs most, he doesn’t know what to expect, but it certainly isn’t this: a chance to rest, some time away from his life and his burdens. Now he’s trapped in an enchanted sleep, unable to bring himself back to the waking world. It’s up to Sam and Castiel to gather the components of a spell that will bring Dean back to them. Through road trips, honest conversations, and a lot of patience, they’ll make sure Dean comes home. And when he does, maybe he and Castiel will finally have a chance to act on long-buried feelings brought to the surface by their enforced separation. Canon-divergent from the end of 11.23.

The Handyman's Special | @carrieosity

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 51456 Main Tags/Warnings: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Mutual Pining, Humor and Fluff, Human AU, Low-angst, Top!Castiel/Bottom!Dean Summary: Dr. Dean Winchester, professor of Mechanical Engineering, was full of confidence in his own abilities when he decided to purchase a fixer-upper house to rehab and remodel on his own. Now, standing in the middle of his new house and praying the floors won’t cave in, he’s realizing that determination and academic brilliance might only take him so far this time. The bigger problem: his overconfidence in the face of other people’s doubts (ahem, Sam) means that asking for help now will mean swallowing a whole lot of pride…and he’d rather not. Hiring a secret contractor to do the work without telling anyone seems like the perfect solution. Accidentally hiring an amazingly hot secret contractor wasn’t part of the plan. And when Sam overhears a conversation and starts connecting dots, a snap decision and another lie on top the first leads to a ridiculous balancing act of fake stories, pretend relationships, and one hell of a renovation tale.

Escaping Neverland | @emblue-sparks

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 84004 Main Tags/Warnings: Major Warning: Underage(only first 30k, no underage sex), Mental health issues, Identity issues, failed family placements, Mention of past traumas Tags: Adventure Romance AU with canon elements Storybook I-1995 Storybook II- 2015 Heavily inspired by Peter Pan,Completely Destiel despite first pairing, read to learn how, NO MCD(Sam Dean Cas)Canon character deaths, TAGS FOR 1995: Practices & rituals of Sumerian/Greek/Judeo Christian faiths, Dean/Jimmy slow burn, heart failure, kidney/pancreatic failure, dialysis, Found Family, John's the dad his kids deserve, LGBTQ positive parents, First kiss disaster, First DateHoliday, our island/our rules, sad boys, memorial rituals, Heart Transplant, Mourning Rituals TAGS FOR 2015: Everyone supports therapy, Incorrect demon summoning, Latin, Scottish Gaelic, Enochian, Professor/Rookie Hunter!Sam, Nurse!Dean, Orchard Owner/Beekeeper!Cas,Tattooed Dean, burger date, Frottage, Shower Deansturbation,Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Cum kink, Biting kink, Switch boys, Heavy surgical scarring, Dean knows ASL, Strange Dreams, Collective nightmares, Canon adjacent realms: Hoya Baciu Forest Romania, Caria Turkey, Chaos, Mythical Greek creatures, Temporarily fanged Benny, Some villainous ferrymen, Some badass ferrymen, Overly confident dick in a boat, Destiel Ever After, Happy Ending GUARANTEED, Dean/Cas Big Bang Challenge 2019 Summary: Lawrence 1995- Sixteen year old Dean Winchester finds himself in St. Luke's Children's Hospital after an electrocution severely damages his heart. On unit Neverland he meets Jimmy, a smartass with multiple organ failure and an expiration date. They discover an immediate spark which becomes an enduring flame. But Dean struggles accepting Jimmy's fate as well as his own, if a heart cannot be found in time. As his efforts to evade the ultimate marauder are weakening, he begins drawing strength from the misfit teens of Neverland East, learning the power of found family. Lebanon 2015- Dean finally joins Sam, Jo, and Charlie in the bunker. But unexpectedly meeting Castiel, who shares an unsettling likeness to Jimmy and an equally traumatic childhood, threatens to destroy two decades of hard work moving beyond the devastating events which occurred at St. Luke's. They'd be perfect for each other, if both weren’t so damn broken. As their involvement deepens, rookie hunter Sam works a case of rising juvenile deaths, revealing a shocking connection to the surviving Neverlanders. One that's been calling them all along to perilous adventure.

After All These Years | @peanutbutterjelly-pie

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 99909 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe, Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Single Parent Dean, Reunion, Slow Burn Summary: In which Dean finds himself at a wedding as Jo's fake boyfriend against his will, groaning and complaining the whole time, but still trying to appear all handsome and perfect and utterly in love since he's an awesome friend like that (and since Jo would make his life a living hell otherwise). And just when he begins to think that it won't be so bad to eat tons of free food and let his daughter Emma enjoy the festivity his gaze suddenly meets the two bluest eyes in existence and the world stops to move for a moment. Because of course the groom's brother turns out to be his old high school crush Castiel – the only person Dean was never able to forget – and things start to become really complicated all of a sudden.

#destiel trope collection 2020 #destiel trope collection #destiel #mutual pining #day 20

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paperficwriter · 5 years ago

Text

To the Radio Demon on His Birthday

And now for something completely different! This was a request from @tallslimbabydoll, whose fantastic art inspired quite a few scenes for this fic. I sort of fell down the rabbit hole of this series. I'm pretty into it, and I had an absolute blast writing this. It's a really fun setting, and the characters are colorful.

I sort of read this as a future AU in the show, with a pinup Charlie who does burlesque and a certain demon overlord who is very into her.

Cut is for length AND for content!

“And now...the weather.”

A pause, and then, a short barking laugh.

“Oh, can you imagine a segue like that? Here, in fair Pentagram City, where the temperature only ever changes from mildly suffocating to infernal to cataclysmic? And that last one is just the very late season…recent indeed, my fair listener.”

Alastor gazed forward out the window of his radio station at the literal hellscape below. From this high up, he made out all manner of sinner souls making their way through the streets -- stalking, hawking, talking, some even just walking -- as they arose from their hideaways, the most recent purge only a few days before.

The studio wasn’t actually much, but it looked the part, which was the most important thing in Alastor’s eyes: all black and red and wired. Always wired. None of this wireless nonsense that Vox and Velvet seemed so keen on. No, no, that wouldn’t do. He sat at his wooden table that shined black as onyx, in his ebony leather chair with the crimson oak accents, and even as he held his own microphone, the one that was as a part of him as the crescent moon smile on his face, he leaned forward into another one that glowed with an infernal red energy. There were only a few other things on the desk other than the long snakes of wires coming from the mic and the switchboard: a red phone that only rang when he wanted it to, a pad of paper that never ran out, a blood ink pen, and two photos.

One of his mother, and the other...

Screech. Below, a car swerved and went through a small crowd of miniature demons, the maniac behind the wheel laughing through the opened window...but not for long. Alastor smiled as the ‘victims’ grew into huge forms, massive and rippling with muscle, and peeled the top of the car open like a sardine can, pulling the driver out and tearing him apart like an old doll.

He wouldn’t be dead for long, but his body was swept into one of the piles with the Exterminated demons nevertheless.

“Ah, yes, the days following a visit from halo bombers, the masked assassins, our winged adversaries...the red dawn is all the more bright in our eyes, is it not? I’m sure that I do not need to tell you where I will be spending my evening by week’s end, do I?”

Frankly, he’d rather not, truth be told. He’d much rather keep these events to himself, stow them away like trinkets and baubles, just for himself. But, well, and risk what, then? The chase, the challenge, it all keeps things so entertaining.

And he would never risk getting bored when it comes to her.

“Returning to her weekly toe tapping and tasteful twirling, our very own Princess Charlie Magne will grace Mimzy’s club. I know that I’ll certainly be in attendance, though, as always, only the friendliest reminders that…”

Alastor’s voice took on a staticky, growling consistency. Anyone listening - everyone listening - would get that feeling down their backs, the one that accompanies nails on chalkboard and knives sharpening against one another. They would see the gathering of sigils and the crispy edges of something like erasure at the corners of their eyes. And they would know Alastor was smiling still, smiling wide, smiling at their discomfort and their expense.

“The polite rules of the show dictate one looks with their eyes and not with their hands.”

And just like that, the miniature nightmare would be adjourned, and in his bright vibrant accent, Alastor gave his send-off. “Thank you for joining us, all you damned here and there! From Pentagram City, the Radio Demon wishes you a fond goodnight, and remember…”

He leaned forward into the microphone he held and the one on his desktop both. Alastor stared into the eyes in the other photograph, the one of Charlie herself in all her demonic splendor. The huge body of her hair decorated just so with black lilies and strings of diamonds, wearing a corset with stockings and dangerously high heels, the kind that added miles to her already endless legs.

Her nose crinkled just so, and in pretty handwriting to her right: To Al, my biggest fan! With love, Charlie. P.S. Don’t forget!...

He read the last line aloud.

“Keep smiling.”

---

When Alastor was out for a night on the town, he always wanted to walk wherever he was going. Certainly, he could be there as simple as picturing the place in his mind, then riding the shadows and whisking himself effortlessly through an eldritch underground. The very same power that he harnessed to broadcast his voice, his acts, through the Nine Circles of Hell, even that would be sufficient to do something as simple as move him from one place in Pentagram City to the other.

But no. The simple locomotion of walking, putting one foot in front of the other, aware of the people and creatures and things around him, it was like New Orleans again. Not in scenery - nothing beat the French Quarter on a night in July, when you wore the heat like a second suit - but in action and energy.

So many bodies. The very pulse of life in Hell worked itself like a torn artery gushing rather than a heart beating. Even dead, it was alive, in a realm where there should be nothing there were jobs and money and drugs and somehow even the emotions that should have extinguished with humanity’s mortal coil. After all, the people themselves didn’t look like “people,” really; their demonic countenances were of their own making, redesigned and reflecting the way they saw themselves. And yes, perhaps, some looked more humane than others. Alastor himself kept some semblance of himself from when he was Alastor Alive instead of Alastor, Radio Demon.

Though given the almost cartoonish apparitions around him, screaming for shots and blow jobs and booze...some were more creative than others with how they chose to show themselves off.

And then he came to the front of Mimzy’s, where saloon-style doors had been painted a too-bright pink (“How can you say they’re too bright, Al?! They’re the shade of your eyes!” “One of many shades, old friend, and I don’t have to look on them myself, now do I?”) and Vaggie stood as bouncer, brandishing that Exterminator’s spear like it was equal parts protection and comfort.

She was leaning on it, and he took his microphone and gave it a tap, nearly sending her sprawling. Vaggie snarled as she righted herself, about to brandish the blade in his direction before she recognized who he was. “The first rule of good customer care, my dear!” he said in lieu of a greeting. “Service with a smile!”

“Qué te den por culo,” she growled venomously, pulling at a piece of her hair in aggravation, her one eye narrowed and the ‘x’ on the other side of her face pulsing in rage.

“Oh no, thank you!” He didn’t give her a backwards glance as he headed in, waving his hand to magically part the crowd that had, as always, so rudely positioned themselves in the way of the club proper. “I’m quite taken!”

Or he would be, Satan willing. If Charlie would just say yes.

Mimzy had made a few renovations to the place over the last fifty years or so, to match the culture of the world above...or at least to try. What resulted was frankly a bit of a mishmash, but the chaos of it, the unpredictability, how it was always just a little different each time he came in...that’s what kept Alastor returning.

There were these thick poles with shapes cut into them to make them look like the Copacabana in the fifties...and over time there were pieces missing from them, or phone numbers scratched into their porcelain facade. Then there was the black and white checkerboard floor, splashed with dark stains that had long since burned themselves into the varnish, the disco ball above with the jagged edges that reflected menacing glints like knife blades when it caught you at the wrong moment.

And there was the stage...that glorious stage, its red velvet curtains disappearing into shadows high above everyone’s heads, the band beside it as well as all kinds of sound equipment that was much too modern for a man of Alastor’s taste.

And sometimes, if he would stare long enough at stage left, he would see just the flick of a feathered boa, or, if he was lucky, a half of Charlie’s gorgeous face, smiling and blushing as she couldn’t help but sneak a peek at everyone who had come to see her show, her burlesque, gift to Hell that no one but Alastor really deserved.

Certainly not the hoarde on the floor. Definitely not the whores he had to share his special accomodations with.

At the VIP table, there were far too many of the Overlords in attendance: Vox, of course, Valentino, Velvet and there was the owl one too, tonight...that one was royalty from some other area of this world, but Alastor wasn’t entirely sure from where. Stolas, that was his name. He had tried to forget because the way he spoke so softly to Charlie made him want to choke him and turn those long legs of him into a knot until--

“Well, look who decided to drop by.”

Alastor snapped out of his homicidal daze, his smile fresher, eyes bright and full and attentive. “Vox, you are as astute as you are asinine. How are you, old sport?”

The face on the screen rolled its eyes as the Radio Demon took his seat on the outside of their crescent moon booth. A haze of smoke that smelled like both tobacco and something far more herbal already hung like gray clouds above their heads. Everyone already had empty glasses in front of them, in all forms for wine, liquor...even a coconut? Complete with a little umbrella. How tropical.

Alastor snapped his fingers, and from near the door, he could hear a scuttling of tiny feet, and an impish voice. “Excuse me! Pardon me! Move, move, move, mo-- oh, hello, sailor! I’ll be back in a minute, get out of my way!”

When Niffty appeared at his side, blinking up at him with her one huge eye, her arms were full of three mixed drinks, a silver and bakelite cigarette holder and a tin box of Lucky Strikes. “Great job, Niff! You always know exactly what I like.”

“Anything for you, Mr. A!”

Velvet sneered as she took yet another picture of the stage to add to her online photo album, an act that Alastor never really understood. How was she supposed to be in the moment when she was so occupied with giving people proof she was there? “We all know you could literally do all that yourself, Alastor. Why do you always have to bring your help everywhere you go?”

“Why, mixing drinks like this is one of Niffty’s many talents,” he said as he watched her disappear back into the crowd. He pulled out one of the Lucky Strikes and affixed it to the accessory, lighting it with a flick of his thumb. It burned sweetly as he took a drag and followed it with a sip of the drink. He would use his magic to make sure the ice didn’t melt. He wasn’t a monster, after all, drinking watered-down old fashioneds. “And she likes to come to the club to oggle the real men, although she certainly won’t find any in this vicinity.” His eyes shifted quickly between the three Overlords.

Perhaps he would have given them a hard time for a little longer - it was a fun pastime after all - but just then a tinkle of piano keys carried itself across the assembled, signifying the start of the show. For the most part, everyone in the area facing the stage quieted down, but there were a few lesser demons who decided they could continue childishly shrieking laughter unrelated to the class act that was coming.

And if portals opened beneath them to send them ten miles away from the show, Alastor is sure he wouldn’t know anything about that…

The music changed then, the piano accompanied by a lightly static-touched brass introduction. The giant curtain drew itself back to reveal a backdrop reminiscent of the classic circus of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It made Alastor recall his mother taking him by one Sunday afternoon, near Congo Square, against his father’s wishes, though she cared about as much for the bastard’s opinions as he did. Prints of red and white tents faded with a sepia overtone to show their age, and signs welcomed people to view the freak shows and animal acts.

One placard had also been made in the same aesthetic, telling one and all to come to the Happy Hotel. Alastor’s smile somehow widened a bit. The sweet lass was going to continue to hold onto that name as long as she could, wasn’t she?

In the middle, a circular platform had been placed with a candy-striped pole in the center, and just as the jazzy swing came in full force, there she was. Princess Charlotte Magne, Charlie, his Charlie, the Devil willing, tapped her way across the stage wearing something that was a play on a ringmaster’s suit, though certainly not one that any mustachioed man would wear. Her legs were bare but for fishnet stockings and shiny heels outfitted with metal taps, and the black overcoat was cut long in such a way that when she got to the pole and rode it around, the tails swirled around her like a cape.

At first, Alastor was concerned, because above the slightly frilly panties she wore that had been styled to look like black pinstripe pants, above the very form fitting blouse and bowtie, her signature flowing hair was missing. The only thing that sat atop her beautiful head - long lashes, red cheeks, shining black lips - was a fairly standard top hat.

But then, as an electric current carried through the music, she reached up with one gloved hand and took it off, the cascades of thick tresses, the full body of gorgeous blonde hair, opened up and floated into perfect place on her shoulders and down her back.

The onlookers roared and only then did Alastor realize that he had burned down an entire cigarette without even enjoying a puff from it. He got another going as she tossed the hat into the crowd, and Alastor forced himself not to leap into the small mob and take it for himself. He had an image to uphold, after all.

Next, she spun, turning herself around to show how the coat, when removed, fell in a rippling cascade to the floor, kicked away in time with the music’s percussion crashing. And for a moment, she just danced, on the pole, off the pole, her smile dazzling and her eyes sparkling. Charlie loved this, and that was something that truly pulled Alastor in. Certainly it was entertainment, but it wasn’t plastic and glass. It was a real passion, one that showed through every spin on the stage.

Then, it was time for one of Alastor’s favorite parts: the peeling of the gloves. He crosses and uncrosses his legs as he notices her using a new technique. Bending down to stroke her hands over her stockings, she barely lifted one heel before putting the tip of her index finger under it. When she rose, it slid off to reveal her bare arm, her painted nails.

The other, she pulled off behind her back as she cheekily grinned over her shoulder.

Demons and demonesses both were alternating between swooning and catcalling at the stage, all other conversation and company ignored for the gorgeous Charlie, and the volume only grew as she hopped up on the pole, nimble as a cat, holding it between her thighs as her hands became occupied unbuttoning her shirt.

The music was swelling. It was coming into the bridge and beyond, even the jazz of it picking up a more urgent pace. She had timed it so well, timed it to where she could get right there, to where she tears off the shirt and bow tie both, and when Alastor thought he would finally see her breasts, albeit covered in the tassels or diamonds or whatever she chose to wear on them, there was a black and white corset. She couldn’t leave it like that, could she? He gulped down a whole other drink as she climbed up the pole and began to spin downward, fast and then faster, a whirling dervish of mesmerizing sexuality, her momentum (and probably some well-placed fasteners ready to be released) taking the corset off and sending it over the stage.

As the last notes of the piano carried out the song, so too did gravity carry her to the floor, into the splits, each breast covered with a striped cone, not unlike the pole itself. The thong panty was the only thing keeping what lay between her legs up to the imagination...and even then, not particularly well.

The curtain fell as the assembled rose and cheered, clapping and drooling on the ground. Alastor too...well, the applauding anyway. The girl deserved it for that, yes, yes, she did! Very entertaining indeed!

Always something new! She was brilliant!

He finished his last old fashioned and lit another Lucky Strike, and after only a few minutes, the shrieks of delight returned, because Charlie appeared from the left of the stage, Razzle and Dazzle at each side. She was wearing the top hat again, this time on top of her beautiful hair, and the black and white corset was on. Even over the hum of the masses clamoring for her attention, her heels made their distinct tapping as she walked among them.

Ah, but she was everything he wasn't, wasn't she? Where the crowd parted for him, eyes averted, none keen to get the attention of the Radio Demon, every face was focused on hers, leaning in, wanting for her attention.

"Charlie, over here! Let me buy you a drink, baby!"

"Princess! Lemme give you a show, huh?!"

"Oh baby, what happened?! I liked what you were wearing at the end!"

Even in spite of the less savory comments, the wolf howls and whistles, the catcalls… Her sweet smile never faded. She took their tokens of affection - flowers, roses, boxes of chocolates, hotel cards, napkins with phone numbers - and each one she passed to either Razzle or Dazzle, the little goat demons quickly becoming now like miniature pack mules.

A few she did offer her hand to, and those ones… Those were the ones that made Alastor's lip rise a bit, the cut sigils in his hands begin to burn like his blood would spill and they would go up in flames on the spot, the horrible little wretched--

"Hello there!"

The honeyed sound of her voice was what pulled him away from the brink of homicidal fracturing. It was like a warm wash over his whole body, because there she was, right in front of them.

"I'm so glad you see all of you! The first show after the yearly cleanse is really important to me, for morale. And I think it's good for everyone to see the important figures of Hell here, you know?" She gave a little bow. “So it means a lot that you came. To me.”

"We are delighted, of course, my dear." Stolas stood on his long elegant legs before her, towering even as he bowed. “Your mother is so proud of you, I’m sure.”

Charlie laughed a little. Lilith was always on tour, and Alastor hadn’t seen her in years at this point, which wasn’t as long a time in Hell as on Earth, but...Charlie was still so young, one would think she would try to be there for a few of these wonderful numbers of hers.

“Cholly,” Valentino drawled in the way only he could, a thick blunt in one of his many hands. “Come on, sweetheart. This dog and pony show is cute, but you could be living the dream if you came to my studio...I’ll make sure you get only the best, baby girl.”

“That’s so sweet, Valentino. But as always, I have to gracefully decline. I--”

“Indeed, Val,” Vox interrupted, leaning forward over the table top, his massive screen reflecting on the surface. “She’s literally the Princess of Hell, what are you going to offer? Blow? Stiff shag carpeting?” He turned on the charm quite literally, his face seeming to change channels to one full of charm and bravado. “Now, Charlotte, what I could offer you is something worth its weight in gold. A business deal. We could air your talent all across the Nine Circles and give a whole new meaning to the boob tube.”

Charlie took her hand back from where Vox had been cradling it like a valuable object. “Thank you for the offer, Vox, but you know my rule: no making deals. Not with any demon. I’m sure you understand.”

Vox sulked while Valentino laughed in his direction, the acrid smoke from his weed-laced stogie blowing across Vox’s massive face.

As Charlie finally approached him, Alastor waved his hand across the tabletop, summoning two long flutes and the most expensive champagne currently in existence in the world above. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the cork popped off, and the bottle floated through the air and filled up each glass. It was their little ritual, after the show. She was always there to enjoy a glass or two with him, depending on how busy she was.

And doing it like this also left his hands available to pull Charlie into his lap, and of course she giggled, letting him. “Hi, Al,” she said, with a familiarity that none of the other Overlords received.

“Darling Charlie,” he said, offering her a glass. She took it.

“So what are you going to offer me? Riches? All of Pentagram City?”

“Ha ha! Oh no,” he said, “no deals from me. You set that tone the day we met, my dear. Remember? No handshakes, no...how did you put it? Voodoo strings attached?”

She drank from the glass, nearly choking on it. “How could I forget?”

"But I suppose I could try… Just for fun."

She raised an eyebrow, the glass at her lips. Try me, her expression challenged.

Alastor's hand moved just a fraction at her waist, squeezing without pulling her too tight. "Perhaps I'll give you the most valuable thing I own. Something that I would never offer to anyone else, even those dearest to me."

"And what would that be?"

With her sitting on his lap, he spoke directly to her and only to her. He would not have a single one of those loathsome busy-bodies hear him, lest he erase them all just for being present. "Me, my dear. This nobody radio spokesman, his monocle and his microphone, all yours, now and forever.”

“But what would you get, Alastor?”

“How could you ask me such a thing, dearest? You, of course, and that on top of an end to my eternal torment of having to watch you from afar every week. I’m sure there would be some other perks too…”

Charlie laughed, but not in a way that seemed to be mocking him. Never like that. Never in a way that made him feel any ill will toward her. Indeed, all he could really feel was an even deeper fondness, a delight in continuing the chase, even though it probably would have made his heart explode if she had indeed said ‘yes.’ “Oh, Al,” she said, giving his shoulder a small smack. “I’m so glad you always come to my shows. You’re so funny, it always makes me smile.”

She leaned in and gave him the softest peck on the cheek before finishing her drink and rising.

“See you later, Al.”

Alastor just barely held it in before she walked away, until he and his microphone, and frankly the seat that he was in, burst into flames.

---

June 6. Only a handful of weeks later, and it was Alastor’s birthday. One would think that it wouldn’t mean much to one such as the Radio Demon, but...Alastor loved his birthday. He had fond memories of being treated well on his birthday, and his mother would take him on outings his father wasn’t allowed to go on, and she made him a huge cake.

That’s when he got his first radio. What had she done to get it? He didn’t know.

After that, it was all history.

Now, he made his way back to Mimzy’s, where the whole place had been opened up for him, for everyone. Electroswing played over several record players in all corners of the club, and although there were probably a few stereos set up, they were out of sight.

“Alastor!” The curvaceous Mimzy pushed several demons bodily away so she could take his hands in hers, giggling while her feather swayed along with her flapper dress. “Happy birthday, love.”

“Mimzy, my gal, you really do know how to throw this old dog a bone, don’t you? Did you invite all my friends?”

“Pssh!” She bumped him in the side. “Honey, you know if it was just your friends this place would be deader than a nail in a coffin!”

They laughed together, just as they always did. And always would, Alastor imagined. No one else had the same kind of twisted sense of humor as he did, after all, or that same certain chemistry, except for maybe--

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the birthday boy himself!”

"Rosie!” Alastor strode up to the black-eyed demon, kissing the air on either side of her cheeks while she did the same. “A pleasure to see you as always, beautiful. So glad to have you show tonight.”

“Why, or chance missing out on my dearest friend’s special day?” She reached up to straighten his suit coat and tie. “Not for all the world! Here, my dear. For you.” Presenting a wrapped box with a bow, she placed it into his free hand.

“What could this be? It’s small, so I do hope you didn’t take anything off Vox he’ll miss too much…”

“Oh, you. So nasty, Alastor.” She still laughed behind her hand.

Alastor slipped his microphone cane under his arm so he could tear past the wrapping paper, open the box and-- “A new monocle! Oh, Rosie, you know me so well.” It was identical to the old one, but it was one of their many birthday traditions. Normally he would have thrown out the old one, but instead he put it in his pocket.

“So that you will never miss sight of the important things, in front of you as plain as the nose on your face.”

There were other gifts too - a free blowjob certificate from Angel Dust, a casino chip from Husker that said ‘UP’ on one side and ‘YOURS’ on the other, a promise for a fanfiction commission from Niffty (he didn’t exactly understand that one) - but then, an hour into the night, he saw her, and even just her presence was enough to make every birthday but this one mean nothing.

Charlie wore a champagne dress in the fashion of the twenties, not as short as the flapper skirts but with a long slip up the side. Her heels looked like they were made of glass, and there were sparkling jewels in a band across the top of her hair, pushed back in all its splendor from her face. Her long gloves were gold, as was the glitter atop her beautiful eyes, which caught his with a smile.

Someone was talking to him. He immediately walked away in mid-sentence.

No one could be as important.

“Good evening, Miss Charlie,” he greeted, the static in his words evening out to the soft velvet tone of his natural speaking voice. “Gosh, you sure do look pretty tonight.”

“Happy birthday, Al,” she said, tucking a long lock of hair behind her ear. “It seemed like the type of occasion I would like to be presentable for.”

She offered him her hand. He took it. And when he pressed his lips to it, she didn’t pull away.

“I didn’t think I’d see you,” he said, though he didn’t seem serious, which made her smile.

“Oh no?”

“I thought you would be hiding in a cake until midnight.”

There it was, her laugh again, bright and vibrant and slightly musical, like windchimes in a hurricane. “You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Not especially.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her to a quiet corner where there was a high-top table he could lean on, a window overlooking the city behind: the clocktower, the red landscape, and above, a hint of Heaven, the silverish orb cut by clouds. Though he didn’t like gazing at it for too long; when one looked at Heaven, it would end up feeling like Heaven was looking back. “Because then everyone else would get to watch you too, and it truly is hard on a man, already having to share every week…”

“Well,” she said, reaching out to tug the cuff of his sleeve. “I’m not always doing it for all of them, you know. Sometimes I just have one or two people in mind, who could be out in the crowd…”

“If only you tell me who the other person is, I could casually introduce them to massive bodily harm. By complete coincidence, of course. An unfortunate accident! Ha ha!”

“Alastor!” There was a smile she hid, even though she did playfully slap his shoulder. “Promise me you’ll never hurt someone over me. I’m not going to stand to lose sleep over the thought that you would do something untoward and damn yourself even more, in light of what I’ve been trying to do with the hotel.”

Alastor tipped his head at a rather sharp angle, his smile never even faltering. “Well, dearest, I’ll consider it, but...I guess that all depends on one thing…”

“And what’s that?”

His red eyes grew heavier, and he gazed at her from top to bottom. When he spoke, the words came out a dark tease. “What did you get me for my birthday, Princess?”

Charlie’s mouth opened and then closed, and Alastor really did intend to laugh and tell her that he was only teasing, that her presence, that the time that he could spend with her was gift enough. But then, she was grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the stage. “I have just the thing,” she said, her eyes and face lit up with excitement. “Come with me, Al, I know just the thing.”

Beneath the surface, Alastor’s heart beat fast, a snare drum facing a repetitive beating while a whole line of dancers Lindy-Hopping across it. But he wasn’t about to show how thrilled he was.

“That is, if I’m not stealing you away,” she said, pausing.

“My dear girl, by all means, it would be my pleasure to be stolen by you.”

She giggled, and they were off. Through the silent dark behind the curtain, down a small hall to the currently locked-up VIP lounges.

“Are you going to give me a dance?” he guessed.

“Not just any dance,” she said as she closed and locked the door behind him. Turning on the light, the room glowed with a soft yellowish burn, not blinding but creating a shimmer across a black couch and a table so clean that the ceiling above - glittering with pieces of glass that had been embedded into the surface like stones under a river - reflected off of it.

And then she moved a black velvet cloth, and underneath...the biggest martini glass that Alastor had ever seen.

“It’s a dance no one has ever seen,” she murmured, crawling across the table into his lap. She reached behind him - oh, the smell of her, honey dust and a little gingery, across her skin, lips so close - and pulled out a bottle of champagne, a glass and his favorite Lucky Strikes. “I was going to debut it next week...and I was thinking you would get a preview.”

The corners of Alastor’s mouth went softer, and he lit up one of the cigarettes, blowing the plume of smoke into a heart over her head. “That, darling, would be an honor.”

With a little trill of delight, Charlie hopped off the couch, much to Alastor’s disappointment. She went over to a stand that held a music device of some kind, a stereo, and she picked at the settings.

“I certainly hope I haven’t taken someone’s spot,” he commented, glancing at how conspicuously clean the space was.

“I use this area as rehearsal space. Sometimes Vaggie will come hang out with me and give me some notes, but...Angel Dust doesn’t get to know. I don’t trust him not to use it.”

“Very wise.” He popped the cork off the champagne bottle, and it tickled his nose as he smelled it. Pink, and strawberries, and bubbles. Very Charlie. He poured a glass and drank it, setting the bottle on the table. “Ready when you are, vixen.”

She blushed over her shoulder as she straightened, and just like that, the room filled with the sound of trombones, horns and great orchestral instruments, like there wasn’t one but several big bands playing in the corners of the room.

Charlie spun around, her gown following her as she pointed a finger at the glass. It filled with champagne, like it was pouring from a giant bottle in the ceiling.

And then the dance began. Alastor stared up at her adoringly as she kicked her long legs in time to the music, twisting with her hips and raising her hands like she was dancing with an invisible partner. She brought up her hands like she was putting them on someone’s shoulders, and when she stepped back, her gloves magically slid off.

When she looked up at the glass, she did a little twirl before she removed her jewels: the necklace at her neck, the bracelet she wore...even that seemed lurid in a way, even though she was probably just being practical so they wouldn’t be lost in the liquid. Then, the band of dazzling jewels came out of her hair and it flowed all the bigger, full of volume, an entirely separate beast on her head.

Now that no one was here, to see him, to see her, Alastor allowed himself a whistle. She winked. Such a coy, vampy thing…

Although they weren’t the tap shoes like she had at the circus show, she did a little stepping across the stage with such casual skill that he didn’t realize she had stepped out of the glassy heels until she was flipping herself upside down on the pole-like stem of the martini glass. Then, she expertly bent, grabbing the edge and swinging herself up.

Alastor had figured that would be it, that she would be in the basin of champagne, soaked to the bone. But no; as her toes touched the other side of the glass, she lifted herself above it, not even the hem of her beautiful gown skimming the surface.

The gown that was quickly kicked off as she did a handstand on the edge of the glass’s lip.

“Oh my,” Alastor sighed to himself, trying to be as covert as possible as he reached down the rearrange himself. How could this be happening? He was usually so aware of himself, able to control his animal nature , as it were, but...there was something about being here, like this, alone with her…

Alone with her, in a shimmering corset, those legs - sweet Lucifer, those legs - adorned with garters and stockings that went from her thighs to her toes as they spun around like a ballerina doll in a music box around the glass.

Then, she bowed, her back to him, and leaned down low to trail her fingers up from ankles to the clasps, unsnapping them and allowing the stockings to loosen. Her hands went to the corset binding at her back and made quick work of pulling the strings out of their knot, though it was clearly some magic in how they disbanded after that…

When she glanced over her shoulder at him, the curve of her back and waist coming into view, he could still only see just what she wanted him to see; none of her breasts, not even her ass.

Not until she did a little pirouette and took her frilly white panties off, tossing them in his general direction.

He launched himself from his seat, then. The champagne in his glass had been drunk but the bottle fell with a crash as he grabbed them, burying his face in them, eyes rolling in his head. They went into his jacket pocket.

Finally, once the stockings had been peeled off her legs while she held them at a straight angle above her head, the music reaching its crashing conclusion, Charlie finally met the water with a delighted laugh, her bare body covered in the bubbles as she kicked her feet, hair spilling over the edge.

When the room became silent again, she gazed at him and breathily asked, “How was that?” She didn’t make a move to get out. Only batted her long lashes at him.

Now, Alastor was a man of principle. His moral compass, though broken and put back together with glue, kept him on a straight path. Not a proper one, or one that most people would find right or kind, let alone good...but he would certainly never take advantage of someone in the situation that Charlie had created for herself.

That said...he also knew an invitation when he saw one.

So off went his jacket, at least, because that was the only thing he had the energy or concentration to deal with. One nimble hop later and the champagne splashed in the martini glass as he got inside, immediately soaked through and between Charlie’s legs.

No pasties this time. Not even a thong. Only her creamy skin, pert pink little nipples, a happy little shriek and a smile. Sweet. Devoid of any ignorance as to what she wanted. Which was obviously him.

Their first kiss was like an entire lifetime without kissing that had led to this moment. She was grabbing his hair and pulling him in, even though it made her slip a little below the surface. He brought her back up, pressed into his front, and licked the champagne from her lips.

“Al…” Before he could interrupt her, she sucked his bottom lip and gasped, “I’ve wanted you to do that forever. What took you so long?”

“Obviously my predilections of coming off as a gentleman, dear girl.” He picked a strand of wet hair from her face, pushing it back. Already, his long body dragged between her legs, and she grabbed his shirt. “A bias I am finding myself stripping away as we speak…”

“Instead of your pants?” Her cheeks glowed pink, and he could tell that even though she was trying to be bold, part of her wondered if this was really happening. Just as well as he was, frankly. A tiny part that he was smothering, but...a part nevertheless.

“Those will come too, in time,” he whispered, mouth finding her neck, so soft, sinful in how easy it was to nip and bite at, although she was eagerly reaching down to hold his small waist tight against her body. The wet clothes should have been more bothersome, and yet he just simply could not be bothered to deal with them as he rutted against her thigh.

“Al...Alastor…”

Beneath the water, he could see the sweet little tuft of blond over her mound, and his long fingers parted her folds easily, pressing two in and using his thumb on her clit. The bud was hard, and it made him wonder what it would be like to do this in a place where they both were not submerged, to feel how wet she could get. After all…

“I could smell your arousal on those undergarments you gave me,” Alastor cooed, dropping his head down to her breast and dragging his teeth. “I think you knew I would, Princess…”

“Don’t say things like that.” She was whining, opening her legs wide until her dainty feet made a skidding noise against the angled sides of the glass. “I can’t handle it…”

“Do all your dances get you wet? Or is that just for me?” She didn’t answer, hiding her face in his shoulder, shaking hands so close to orgasm clawing at his back. He would cherish those scratch marks… “Be mine and I promise there would be more…”

As if on the cue of saying that, he pulled his fingers out, which wrung a frustrated half-groan from her, but the loss was quickly replaced by his cock that had been pulled out of his pants, pushed down only far enough to free it. Grabbing her with one hand and the edge of the glass with the other, he thrust in hard, and she immediately started to fall apart, already hovering on the cliff face of her pleasure, now plummeting down into it…

Until he pulled her back, slowing the roll of his hips, making shudder. “What...nooo...Al…”

“Don’t make me beg.” Maybe it was the exertion of taking her like this, but it came out like a crooning under his breath, like his own song. “Don’t make me wait anymore. You know I can treat you so well, Charlie...I can be so good to you…”

“Good…” She kissed him again, tongue in his mouth, feeling over his sharp teeth. “So good…”

When he urged her legs around him, he fit so perfectly, tight and close, filling her with him as he moved in with rhythmic, repetitive thrusts, his eagerness apparent as he panted around her lips, sucking her jaw as the edges of reality blurred, like the end of a radio station before the knob is turned to static.

“Please, Charlie...please...be mine, or erase me from this afterlife. I would rather be the Overlord of nothing, if you won’t have me…”

“D-don’t...mmm, yes, yes, right there... don’t say that…” When he pulled back from him slightly, meeting his gaze, her eyes were conflicted with desire and emotion. “You mean...more to me than anything. I am so glad that you exist…just...let me…!”

The girl was insatiable, it seemed. Although he was being rather cruel, wasn’t he...withholding her delight. Alastor flipped her over, a new, full moan of delight coming from her lips as he went at her from another angle. He was following her close now in pursuit of his peak, climbing, a hand reaching under her to grope at her chest. “Then...mmm, let us share this existence...please, Charlie...say you’ll be mine, I will show you true ecstasy…I--”

“Yes!! You...mmmmm, you win, Alastor...please, please let me come…!”

Twisting her head to face him, she kissed him as he found the apex of her heat again and rubbed, both of them coming, and he filled her up with him and for a moment, his hearing going to a flatline, a steady tone of nothing, and in his shadow he could see his own demonic smile, his antlers sprout, his body growing to tower above the world. Everything filled with that endless pleasure, that loss of control, and he blacked out from it.

“--tor. --Astor? --Alastor!”

The sound of her voice called him back, and when he awoke, he was collapsed beside her in the martini glass. Now, the sensation of carbonated fluid soaking through his clothes was a little more prevalent, but he smiled. “You took my breath away, my dear!”

She laughed, leaning up to kiss his cheek. This one lingered, different from the ones she always gave him at the club. “Did you hear me?”

“My ears are still ringing, in fact.”

“Not that,” she said, giving him a little splash. “My answer...I gave you an answer, Alastor. After...well, all that.”

Stroking her wet hair back, Alastor rubbed at the top of her ear between his fingers. “Tell me again…”

---

It is a few weeks later. They are at Mimzy’s together in their own private booth, and the Overlords are glowering from their normal station. Charlie is in a corset with a silky negligee over it, and although she isn’t performing, there’s nothing saying that she’s not going to give Alastor a private show.

After Alastor’s birthday, she had intended on performing the martini glass act, but then she reconsidered.

“I want to tweak it,” she says from Alastor’s lap as they sip yet more champagne. He would have thought she’d be tired of it, but she still wants it. She says she’ll only drink it with him now, but they’ll see. “After how your birthday went, I kind of want it to be special. Just for us.”

“You’re going to make me blush.” Then, he reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a small box. “Speaking of things that are special, I might have gotten something for you, love.”

Charlie opens the box to find the monocle he replaced during his birthday with the one from Rosie. It has been threaded onto a silver chain, and she holds it to her chest. “I love it. Put it on me?”

He does, sneaking a kiss onto the nape of her neck. It sits perfectly between her breasts.

“Perhaps in time I’ll get you something else that’s round...and smaller. And you’ll wear it somewhere else.”

Charlie’s lips curl into a smile, and she picks up her glass, eyebrows raising. He knows exactly what she wants.

“To my dear Princess Charlotte Magne,” he says, voice full and triumphant. “My beautiful lady, my demoness, love of my unlife. My one and only.”

She lets her glass touch his with a soft tink and she tips her head to whisper, “Yours,” before slipping into one of many kisses.

#my paperfics #hazbin hotel #charlastor #charlie magne #alastor #alastor is charliesexual #future au with burlesque!#dirty paper warning #dirty paper

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charliemclaggen · 6 years ago

Text

Displaced Cartilage; Lucy and Charlie

Future AU featuring: @charliemclaggen and @lucyxmarie-weasley

Nothing had changed since her parents were at school, Gryffindor and Slytherin were still on the cusp of a friendly/unfriendly rivalry, which meant that when they played one another at Quidditch, the whole school attended. The whole school except Lucy. Especially since this match was the final match of the year and days before Christmas break. It was the perfect way to end the year. But having no interest in Quidditch she never attended a match, especially not one like this. The rivalry almost guaranteed that somebody was going to get injured, but generally something very simple like a broken nose or wrist. Something that Madam Pomfrey could heal in a matter of seconds, but nonetheless Lucy would be needed to get the potions and supplied needed even for such a simple fix. What Lucy hadn’t expected was to receive a Patronus (Well technically it was Madam Pomfrey who received it but Lucy overheard) saying that a much more serious injury had occurred and he needed support urgently. Within seconds they had to clear a wing for the patient, allowing them privacy away from nosy students wanting to find out what had happened. She had just finished making a fresh bed when a floating gurney came in with Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch by the patient's side. He was transferred to the bed and Lucy was put to work immediately. A small while later, she returned with all the necessary equipment and was shocked to see the seriously injured patient was Charlie. Her former best friend. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, her hand shaking as she brought it up to her mouth, he looked awful.

Charlie couldn't remember much. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure his brain was working the way it should. Things were dark and cold and hazy and his body felt strange.Each inhale brought with it a sharp sense of pain. He could taste blood on his tongue. Yet despite the darkness, despite the agony, he could hear, he could feel. Was he being carried on a stretcher? Was the crowd due to a Quidditch match? He could hear students shouting. They were panicking. Yes. He had been flying. He had been flying and a Bludger had hit his broom. He flinched at the realisation, and knew immediately that the movement hadn't been in his head. His pain doubled, he coughed and felt something run from his mouth. The coppery taste was stronger now, it made him feel sick. He could feel his broom shattering beneath him, feel the fear as he began to fall. The gasps of the crowd were nothing compared to the way he knew he was gasping for breath right now. Choking on his own blood, how embarrassing. Charlie McLaggen was supposed to go down in a blaze of glory, pretty girls screaming his name through their tears. Charlie McLaggen was not going to die on a stretcher in Hogwarts, covered in mud and surrounded by serious Professors. Despite his injuries he felt the temperature change, he wasn't sure what that meant. Was he inside now? Was he dying? He kept drifting in and out of consciousness, catching snippets of Conversation. Emergency Healer has been dispatched.... my Charm wasn't strong enough... allow him room... Merlin's Beard, somebody tell everybody to go back to the dormitories... nobody in or out of this ward without my permission... Lucy... Lucy. Lucy. Lucy. He heard her name before he heard her voice, but for a second she was all he could think about. Why was she here? Was she here? He so desperately wanted her to be. He was hit by the memory of meeting her on the train, the sound of her laughter, the way she smiled at him, and for the first time since hitting the ground his confusion and fear began to melt away. He found himself sinking into silence, no longer able to focus on the noises of the Hospital Wing. Lucy was here. He could sleep.

A few days had passed, Lucy hadn’t left Charlie’s bed side outside of having to go to classes and sleep. She may have hated his guts, or so she continued to tell herself, but seeing him bloodied, bruised and on the cusp of dying killed her. He had been her best friend for so long and she couldn’t bare the idea of losing him like this. She was putting in more hours as a volunteer than she previously had and had fallen asleep, her head rested on the edge of his bed on the odd occasion and Madam Pomfrey having to wake her and remind her that even the best Healers needed sleep. She had heard the rumours of what had happened and was insanely grateful that she hadn’t seen it. Teary eyed girls who claimed to be so sad but had yet to try and visit him, annoyed Lucy extremely. Charlie had yet to wake up, but Lucy stayed posted by his bedside.

Charlie wasn’t sure how long he had been unconscious for. It felt as though he had lost mere minutes but, realistically he knew it had to be far longer than that. His entire body felt stiff, movements incredibly difficult. He tried to repress the jolt of fear that he felt at that realisation. He could worry about that later, right now he needed to focus on waking up, on chasing away the dark shadows that were creeping into the edge of his vision, he couldn’t lose consciousness again. He needed to know what the damage was. It took more strength than he cared to admit to open his eyes. When he did the light of the Hospital Wing was almost blinding. Despite knowing where he was, despite the brief memory of falling from the sky, he felt disoriented and confused. He tried to sit up and fell back against the cushions with an embarrassingly loud gasp. Everything hurt. Everything. Even the back of his throat, even his lungs, even his fingertips. There was pain in places he never thought you could feel pain, accompanied by an uncomfortable pins and needles sensation that he could only assume was due to a potion being used to quite literally keep him alive. He stared up at the ceiling, feeling powerless and miserable for far too long before noticing the chair beside his bed wasn’t empty. He turned his head, wincing as the ache in his spine intensified. “Lu?” His voice was gravelly and weak but he knew she heard him. She had to hear him. “What – what are you doing here?”

Lucy was sat by his bedside, reading through his chart. Madam Pomfrey had said she hoped it would wake up soon, but equally didn't want to force him to do something that his body wasn't ready for. Lucy jumped up, dropping the chart carelessly to the bedside table, "Don't sit up," she cried worriedly, reaching out to try and lower him back down carefully, but he'd already fallen back. "Shh shh shh, calm down, you're okay. Just lay back and relax." It was a stupid thing to say with how much pain he was bound to be in. When he spoke and used the nickname he had gifted to her when he was 11, she smiled, "Looking after you of course," she handed him a pain potion, "I'll warn you, this does not taste nice."

"I know I'm okay-" Charlie muttered, wanting to reach up and feel his face, his neck, his arms... only he couldn't move properly, his muscles didn't seem to be working. What in Merlin's name had they given him while he was out? He let out a hiss of pain, closing his eyes and waiting for the ache to subside. "And I am calm." He muttered petulantly, opening his eyes again to see if Lucy was really still sitting beside him. What if she wasn't real? What if he was so doped up on Potions that he was imagining her. "Why are you looking after me?" He asked, frowning up at her. "You hate me..." He stared at the pain potion, trying and failing to fully lift one of his arms. "I- I can't." He said quietly, trying not to let his fear seep into his voice. She couldn't know he was scared. "Something's wrong..."

Lucy almost smiled at his childish responses. Almost. Had she not spent the past few days worried that he might not wake up, then she might have laughed. “It’s my job.” She shrugged in return to his question. Knowing full well that he hasn’t been conscious enough to know that she had been there far more than her voluntary position required. That she couldn’t possibly hate him how much she cared about him. Lucy nodded, setting the pain potion to one side she sat back down and pulled the chair closer to his bed, “You were really badly hurt, Charlie. If Madam Hooch hadn’t cast her spell in time...” she trailed realising it was probably too soon to talk about how close to death he had been. “You should be fully healed soon enough, it’s just taking a little longer right now. I can help you take the potion if you want me to?”

“Oh…” Charlie sighed, the action only serving to remind him of his agony. Despite his confusion, despite his discomfort and the fact that he hadn’t spoken to Lucy in years, he was disappointed by her answer. He thought about their friendship every time he saw her, longing for what could have been between them both. And here she was, caring for him out of obligation. “Who won the match?” He asked suddenly, his disorientation causing his priorities to shift along with his train of thought. He eyed the pain potion as he waited on her answer, feeling embarrassed by the idea of being spoon fed. Especially by Lucy, he hated feeling this vulnerable in front of her. “Please… could you?” He said quietly, catching her eye. Merlin, did he sound pathetic. “Lu… how long have you been here for? Did- did I ask you that already?”

"Charlie..." Lucy begin, "The match was cancelled, nobody won." How could they after how hurt he was, but then, he wasn't currently aware of just how bad his injury had been or how it had been caused. There was no way the match could continue after. Lucy nodded with a smile, "Okay, I'm going to lower you down slightly so that it's easier for you to swallow," the bed was barely moved but to a healers eye, she knew that it arched his neck in just a manor that the potion would slip down easier, without having to cause strain to his throat. Unscrewing the lid, she lifted the small vial to his lips ready to pour it into his mouth, "I was here when they brought you in." Lucy began to explain, not meeting his eyes, not wanting to show him how scared she had been for him when she realised that he was the injured player, "We received a Patronus, telling us of a serious accident and that we needed to prepare a private room. Keep the gossip mongers at bay." It may have kept them out of the way, stopped them from knowing the real details, but it didn't stop the gossip.

The match was cancelled? It was the first time the extent of his injuries truly registered with him. Quidditch could be a dangerous sport, matches weren't cancelled for concussions or broken bones. Something really terrible must have happened. His breath caught in his throat. "We didn't win." He muttered weakly. Months of training and the match was lost. "Are they calling for a rematch?" he asked, the words falling from his lips as Lucy lowered the bed, the movement making him gasp. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this. It was absolute torture. He let Lucy feed him the potion, swallowing quickly in an effort to ensure it took effect as soon as possible. "You were here when they brought me in?" He asked, frowning as he took in her rather dishevelled appearance. He felt a sudden sinking sensation as he realised he may have been in the hospital for longer than he first though, perhaps even hours. "How long have I been here for, Lu?" He asked hesitantly. "What's wrong with me?"

“You’re asking the wrong person about Quidditch, Charlie.” She chuckled, “I’m here to look after you so I really haven’t been paying attention to the likes of Quidditch.” She felt awful when he gasped, “That should get to work almost immediately. You’ll have these every four hours with an eight hour break for when you sleep. Then you’ll be due a potion that should help accelerate your healing in about another two hours and that’ll be repeated every fours hours too.” Lucy nodded, “I volunteer here now as often as I can. Healing stupid boys who break their noses on clearly visible glass doors?” She teased with a smirk, but then recalled that they were no longer friends, she shouldn’t joke with him like that. “The match was on Saturday morning, it’s now Tuesday afternoon,” whether she wanted it to or not, worry seeped through her words, she had been so relieved that he had woken up, “Broken bones, injured muscles. Nothing we can handle,” she smiled genuinely, purposely lacking to mention the slower rate in which he was healing.

Charlie let out a huff of breath, they most likely wouldn't call a rematch. The match had been a celebration, a reason for the school to come together before Christmas break. The outcome didn't affect who was in the running for the Quidditch Cup so what good would there be in ordering another game? All of his training had been pointless. His team would be so disappointed in him. He turned his head to watch Lucy as she spoke, trying to get lost in her words, to push Quidditch from his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he seemed to remember his accident and there was a knot of fear causing his chest to tighten. He couldn't face that right now. He could already feel the pain potion working and it allowed him to focus on Lucy more intently. He felt himself beginning to relax at the sound of her voice. Merlin, did he miss the sound of her voice. "Displaced cartilage." He muttered, a weak smile tugging at his lips. "Don't be dramatic." He closed his eyes when she told him just how long he had been unconscious for, the fear returning suddenly. It was difficult to process, having lost three days. And the pain hadn't truly given away how serious his injuries were. Now... now he was beginning to understand. "I'm going to be okay, right?" He asked, his voice breaking as he opened his eyes again. "You promise?"

Lucy chuckled softly, "This is the part where I usually tell you that they are the same thing. But actually, I know better now. So, I shall correct my self." she cleared her throat loudly, “I volunteer here now as often as I can. Healing stupid boys who displace the cartilage in their nose by running into clearly visible glass doors." She so desperately wanted to comfort him when he closed his eyes, knowing instantly how jarring it must be to hear that you have been unconscious for 3 days. It was the clearest of indications that he had suffered a serious injury. She reached out to grab his hand, "I'm going to be here every step of the way," she promised having already told her parents that she would be staying at Hogwarts over the winter break in order to look after him. Not that he knew this yet, of course.

"That door was not clearly visible." Charlie defended himself automatically, surprised by how easily they were slipping into their old habit of teasing each other. His hand closed around Lucy's the moment she linked their fingers, he hadn't realised just how desperate he was for some form of comfort. Now though, he wasn't sure he could ever let her go. He swallowed thickly, already trying to figure out how close to Christmas they were. "I'm- I'm not well enough to go home for the holidays, am I?" He asked with a sad kind of resignation. He already knew the answer. For the first time in his life, he wouldn't be spending Christmas with his family. He wondered briefly whether his parents had been informed of his accident, if they too had come to the same realisation. "I'm not going to be well enough to- to go home..."

"Whatever you say Charlie, whatever you say," Lucy teased. They hadn't spoken in so long. The last words having been said were far less than kind. It was so nice to just to slot back into the normality that had been their friendship. Slowly, almost trying to delay the inevitable, she shook her head. "No, I don't think you will be. Madam Pomfrey doesn't want to risk moving you in case something goes wrong. "

Charlie set his jaw, trying not to get upset by the new information. His parents would visit, he knew they would. And Hogwarts always made allowances for students in the Hospital Wing, but it just wouldn't be the same. "Okay..." He said quietly, staring ahead of him at the curtain surrounding his bed. "Okay. So Christmas is cancelled... good to know."

Lucy's heart began to ache, but she set her face seriously, "And there was me thinking you'd enjoy spending a Christmas with me, but noooo it's cancelled, so I might as well go home," her tone was sarcastic and jokey and she ended with a smile.

Charlie turned to look at Lucy, the sudden movement causing his pain to flare. "What?" The question escaped him before he could work to hide his surprise. "You're staying for Christmas?" He asked, confused by her motivations. As far as he knew, her friendship with the Avery boy had ended years ago, but why else would she stay? She had a large extended family who threw very extravagant Christmas celebrations, he knew that much from when they were younger... from when they were close. "Why?"

"Hey! No sudden movements," Lucy demanded using it as an excuse to delay her answering as she fussed over him, making sure he hadn't done any further damage, "Yes, I'm staying for Christmas." She almost rolled her eyes at how blind he was to her reasons why. "Madam Pomfrey needs the help," she said finally, not directly saying that he was the reason for her staying but hoping that he would realise.

Charlie remained still, allowing Lucy to reposition his pillows and carefully check him for further injuries. Madam Pomfrey needs the help. Students were often finding themselves in strange predicaments that required the attention of the Patron. But he was overly aware of the fact that, as the holidays neared, students became more careful. Injuries lessened as they prepared to return home. "How many people are staying here right now?" He asked carefully, wishing he was well enough to simply pull back the curtain and see for himself. "She can't possibly be overrun."

"A few," Lucy murmured, knowing full well it was only him and one other. An amount that Madam Pomfrey could handle with her eyes closed and her hands tied behind her back. But she had been so frightened at the state Charlie had been in when he was first brought in, she had immediately made the plans to stay for Christmas, to make sure he was okay and just because she now knew it was, didn't mean that she was about to change those plans. She had promised him that she would be by his side.

Charlie smiled again, tears blurring his vision. "I don't believe you." He murmured, missing the feeling of her hand in his. How many years had they gone without speaking? How many awkward glances had they shared in the corridors? Their argument echoed in his head, every name she had called him, every bad thing she had accused him of, making him want to hide beneath his blankets. He knew he had changed recently, his focus turning to Quidditch rather than his school year's female population, maybe she had noticed that change too? "Lu... you don't have to stay for me." He said quietly, desperately hoping she could hear how badly he wanted her to.

Lucy smiled and caught his eye, "You got me," she said simply before sitting further into her chair and fiddling with her cloak. "When I saw you... it really scared me. I hate the idea that we'd spent so many years hating each other." She took a deep breath, "And I just didn't want you to spend Christmas alone when, maybe, we could spend it together and try and forget about everything else... try and be friends again?"

Charlie felt an emotion stir in his chest, one that he couldn't quite place. Lucy had been scared? Scared of what exactly? He felt so sure she didn't care for him anymore, Merlin, he had spent years convinced that his own problematic behaviour had driven her away... but what if that wasn't exactly true? "I hate it too..." He said quietly. "Lu, you have no idea how much I hate it." He bit down on his bottom lip, realising after a sharp jolt of pain that it was either split or painfully swollen. How strange that he could be so unaware of his own body. He found himself wondering what he looked like. For once not worried because he was shallow or vain. "You- you want to be friends again?" He asked, hardly daring to believe it. "Lucy- I-" He tried to sit up again, struggling for an embarrassingly short amount of time before being forced to admit defeat. It felt wrong having such a serious conversation while he was lying in bed, but apparently that was going to be unavoidable. He sighed, fingers twitching as he resisted the urge to reach out, knowing he most likely wasn't able to fully lift his arm. "Lu- I was an asshole, you were right- I think about the last time we spoke pretty much every day and you don't have to believe me but... I think I've changed, I've tried to change..." He swallowed, his throat sore, catching her eye as he trailed off. "Lu, I really, really miss you..."

"Sit down," Lucy ordered, not wanting him to hurt himself anymore, not even to talk to her about their past. He could quite easily do that lying down and she was going to make sure that he did just that, "I'm not staying here over Christmas to watch you stubbornly injure yourself more." She listened to his words and wasn't sure whether to laugh or act shocked at his brutal honesty. "Yeah..." she trailed off, "You were a bit of an arsehole, but equally I was a bitch." Even if what he had done was disgusting and he deserved her shouting at him, she did often think that maybe ending their friendship over it was a little harsh. Charlie's admission of change struck her deep, it was something she had noticed towards the end of the year. He may have still had half the year fawning over him, but she'd noticed that he responded to them less. That he didn't seem to have his arm wrapped around a different girl each week. "I do believe you Charlie and... and I really missed you too. "

END.

#charlie & lucy #au #nrptask01 #tw:deathmention

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a-dauntless-daffodil · 7 months ago

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charlie stealing the wings off adam's corpse for herself and vaggie thinks that's hot AU, blame @a-cold-day-in-pentagram-city for this not me

the cannibals eat the rest of the first dude but dont wanna deal with plucking out feathers so charlie and vaggie scoop up all the wings left over from the dead angels in their front yard, shoving them in a side room of the new hotel

after a bit charlie's like "Should we.... send his wings BACK up there? For burial or something???" and vaggie's like "We could I guess." and charlie's already stroking the wings "Kinda pretty aren't they? When he's not wearing them anyway." which makes vaggie actually look at the wings charlie's petting and go "You know. They ARE kinda the same gold color as your hair...." and they both stare at the wings, and at each other,

and then charlie's in front of a full length mirror checking herself out as Vaggie holds the wings up behind her and they're giggling a little bc really this is so SO morbidly disrespectfully silly but DAMN does charlie look gooooooood with her mom's ex's fancy wings- in fact she looks so good and feels so smug about it that her and vaggie get a little distracted and

charlie drags her dad aside the next morning "Dad I need wings it's important don't ask why but can you please help please" and shapeshifer luicfer's delighted like "OH YOU ENJOY CHANGING YOUR LIVING FLESH VESSEL TOO?? GOSH GOLLY THIS IS ANOTHER PERFECT FATHER DAUGHTER BONDING MOMENT!!!" charlie stops him right there "Dad no I don't want to grow the wings myself there's already a specific pair I want" which has lucifer doing the supportive but confused "??? Okay char-char? What... what wings did you had in m-" charlie holds up the limp wings of her mom's ex / her girlfriend's shitty ex employer "These ones. Don't ask." - "Wh.. why those ones-" - "DAD PLEASE I SAID DON'T ASK."

he doesn't ask. he tries not to think about it either. after all it's a fun chaotic creation request from his daughter and tbh the idea of her having rubber ducky colored wings is very cuuuute to him so it's pretty easy not to think any further past it than that

until he sees a thrilled charlie on her way, leaping and almost crashing out the nearest window before her angel gf swoops in to catch her. seeing chaggie together reminds lucifer of him and lilith, like always, and he sighs in wistful happiness, like always- until he freezes in a cold terror, shaken to the core by the sudden knowledge that he might someday have to explain to his estrange wife why their daughter is flying around on the wings of the dead guy his wife rejected once and who sent murder angels down to kill their people every year for funsies

... on second thought, lilith might be the MOST excited about that of anyone. Or, almost anyone, if the emotionally scaring sounds of chaggie fliting mid air are anything to go by

#hazbin hotel #charlie morningstar #vaggie #chaggie #lucifer morningstar #charlie equips dead adams wings like a fancy mink stole au #utter silliness #what even #lute is horrified adam's wings are being used to enhance chaggie's vile and abominable love life and to vaggie that is an extra bonus

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theart2rock · 6 years ago

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Tanith enthüllen Details zum Debüt

Am 24. Mai werden die aus New York City stammenden Tanith ihr Debütalbum In Another Timevia Metal Blade Records veröffentlichen. Benannt nach einer Figur aus dem Hammer-Horror-Filmklassiker Die Braut des Teufels, huldigen Tanith aus New York City dem klassischen Hardrock mit Einflüssen von Gruppen wie Blue Öyster Cult, Thin Lizzy oder Uriah Heep. Obwohl die Einflüsse durchaus hörbar sind, entsteht nie der Eindruck eines schalen Aufgusses, viel mehr verfügen Tanith über eine dezidiert eigene musikalische Identität und haben einen individuellen Sound entwickelt.

Einen ersten Vorgeschmack auf In Another Time bietet euch der Titeltrack “Citadel” (bereits auf der Citadel 7″ letztes Jahr erschienen), welcher hier gehört werden kann: metalblade.com/tanith– dort kann das Album in diesen Formaten vorbestellt werden:

–jewelcase-CD -limited edition jewelcase-CD (EU exclusive – includes patch) –180g black vinyl (EU exclusive) -translucent red vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 300 copies) -blue / black marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 200 copies) -white vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 120 copies) -light blue marbled vinyl (High Roller exclusive – limited to 200 copies) -white / black marbled vinyl (US exclusive – limited to 300 copies) * exclusive bundles with shirts, plus digital options are also available!

Die Ursprünge der Band gehen auf gemeinsame Auftritte von Maynard und Tippins in Clubs und Kneipen in der britischen Heimat des Gitarristen zurück. Zuerst spielten sie Coverversionen, erkannten aber schnell, dass sie auch eigene Lieder schreiben und eine feste Besetzung dazu finden wollten. Nach dem Entschluss, das Ganze nach New York zu verlagern, wurden direkt ihre engen Freunde Charles Newton (Gitarre) und Keith Robinson (Drums) rekrutiert. “Das ist kein Soloprojekt, sondern eine Band aus vier gleichberechtigten Mitgliedern“, betont Tippins. “Selbst wenn ich mich zum Anführer aufspielen wollte, wüssten die anderen das zu verhindern! Zwischen uns besteht eine hervorragend funktionierende Chemie; wir sind nicht nur befreundet, sondern ergänzen uns musikalisch zu einem stimmigen Gesamtbild. So etwas geschieht selten, und ich weiß es umso mehr zu schätzen, nachdem ich es in vielen anderen Bands gegensätzlich erlebt habe.” Die Summe ist hier in der Tat mehr als die Gesamtheit ihrer Einzelteile, und die Beiträge aller vier macht die Band so besonders. “Russ steuert die meisten Ideen bei, prägt den Spirit der Gruppe und ihre Texte“, so Maynard weiter. “Er ist ein Visionär, mit dem man spielend leicht kreativ werden kann, und liebt den Austausch mit Freunden ganz einfach. Charlie kommt mir vor wie Russ’ Gitarrenzwilling, was seine Technik und seine Einfälle betrifft. Außerdem kann er komplexe Sachverhalte so anschaulich erklären, dass sie sich irgendwie einfacher umsetzen lassen. Keith ist hingegen ein toller, flexibler und geschmackvoller Drummer dessen erdige Art das Ganze erst richtig zu einer Einheit verschweißt.” Tippins schwärmt wiederum von Maynards Fähigkeiten, denn sie sei “ein inspirierender Mensch, der mit gutem Beispiel vorangeht. Ich kann mir an meiner Seite auf der Bühne niemand Besseren vorstellen, und abseits der Bühne gelingt es ihr, unsere Arbeit auf simple Weise zu koordinieren.”

Der Startschuss für Tanith fiel mit einem Demo des Songs “Citadel“, den Maynard und Tippins alleine einspielten. Auf der daraufhin zu viert aufgenommenen Single erkannte man, wozu das Quartett in der Lage ist, wenn alle vier ihre Talente bündeln. Die 7” Single, die noch einen weiteren Song enthielt, war innerhalb von nur zehn Wochen restlos ausverkauft. Auch jetzt noch verkauft sie sich digital noch stetig über Bandcamp an Fans aus aller Welt, u.a. nach Thailand, Russland, Griechenland, Japan oder Australien. Die Band nutzte diese weltweite Begeisterung, um ihr erstes Album In Another Time in Angriff zu nehmen, das Maynard wie folgt beschreibt: “Großartige Riffs, tonnenweise Melodien, vertrackte Parts und ein Feuerwerk aus zweistimmigen Gitarrenleads! Ich finde die Platte im Vergleich zum Gros der aktuellen Veröffentlichungen erfrischend anders, was nicht zuletzt am Feeling und der Wärme der analogen Aufnahme liegen dürfte.”

Die Texte haben nichts mit dem wütenden, übermütigen, nihilistischen oder okkulten Einerlei zu tun, das nicht wenige zeitgenössische Rock- und Metal-Bands bieten, sondern strahlen Positivität aus. Tippins dazu: “Wir wollen Hoffnung vermitteln und geben dem Hörer etwas, womit er dem Alltag entfliehen kann. Im Großen und Ganzen steht Optimismus an erster Stelle.” Die Aufnahmen fanden in den Excello Studios in Brooklyn statt, deren Besitzer Hugh Pool als Tontechniker fungierte und die Songs abmischte. “Dass wir mit analogen Geräten gearbeitet haben, schlug sich nicht nur in der Stimmung nieder, sondern beeinflusste auch den Schaffensprozess. Dieses Equipment aus den 60er und 70ern hat einen unvergleichlichen Sound, Vibe und sogar Geruch“, beschreibt Newton. Dies verstärkter den urigen Old-School-Charakter der Scheibe.

In Another Time track-listing 1. Citadel (Galantia Pt. 1) 2. Book of Changes 3. Wing of the Owl (Galantia Pt. 3) 4. Cassini’s Deadly Plunge 5. Under the Stars 6. Mountain 7. Eleven Years 8. Dionysus 9. Under the Stars (Reprise)

Tanith line-up: Russ Tippins – Guitars, Vocals Cindy Maynard – Bass, Vocals Charles Newton – Guitars Keith Robinson – Drums

Quelle: Metal Blade Records

Tanith enthüllen Details zum Debüt was originally published on The Art 2 Rock

#Blue Oyster Cult #In Another Time #Metal Blade Records #Release #Tanith #Thin Lizzy #Uriah Heep #Veröffentlichung #theart2rock

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lifeofkaze · 3 years ago

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When Stars Ignite - Chapter 58

HPHM Rockstar AU

A/N:

Specific Warning: very explicit langue, Ethan Parkin

~~~

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here.

~~~

This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist

Taglist: @slytherindisaster @night-rhea @carewyncromwell @thatravenpuffwitch @anthamariemayfair @whatwouldvalerydo

It takes the shape of what will save us

Where it leads it's hard to know

But I will not let you go

~ Arrows to Athens - Used To Be ~

The last night before their big show had come and gone in the blink of an eye. Lizzie and her friends had spent their morning like on any other show day - get up and clear the head, kill time, head to the soundcheck.

Since Equinox was the main act for the day, their soundcheck was more thorough than for the other artists, who would need to work around the Equinox set up. When it was Lizzie's turn to get her sound sorted out, she played the things she needed to play and answered the questions she was asked, but otherwise, she remained quiet.

When she was done, she leaned against the steel construction beam marking the entrance to the wings and looked out over the massive muddy field beyond the edge of the stage. On any other day, Lizzie would have been beside herself with stage fright at this point but today, not even the prospect of playing on a stage as big as the Pyramid Stage could faze her.

The whole morning she had felt as if she was moving through a thick fog. She didn’t allow herself to think any further than one or two hours at a time and all questions of whether she had made the right decision or if she really had it in her to see things through were firmly put aside.

She was glad everyone was so busy with preparing their final show that she was mostly left alone. The only one who could have potentially bothered her was Charlie, but he had left some time ago to pick up an early-arriving Ava. For the first time that day a smile formed on Lizzie’s face; she was looking forward to seeing her old friend again.

She watched the familiar hustle and bustle on stage. Roadies were carrying heavy black boxes of equipment back and forth, lights flickered over the band and crew as KC dialled her software into the system, and random chords rang through the air while the in-ears of her friends were being sorted out. It was a familiar sort of chaos and Lizzie should be loving every second of it, but instead, she wondered when she would be able to go back to her yurt to catch another round of sleep.

She was abruptly brought back into the moment when all of a sudden someone bumped into her from behind. The impact almost knocked her over, and Lizzie just so managed to catch herself on the shoulder of the person who had run into her. When Lizzie realised it was Artemis she wanted to say something to her, but Artemis quickly muttered an apology and stormed off, her face stony and her eyes fixed on the ground.

Confused, Lizzie turned the way Artemis had been coming from and she smiled when she saw Charlie and Ava standing by the steps leading from the interstage area into the wings of the stage.

“You’re here!” she beamed as she walked over to them, and actually felt the excitement she put into her words as she hugged Ava. “It’s been ages!”

“It really has been,” Ava laughed. “It’s good to trade the dusty museum air for some festival goodness. Sorry I couldn’t come to your shows in London, but we had a bit of trouble at work.”

“Cursed treasure? Escaped dinosaur?”

“It’s been a while since you’ve been to a museum, isn’t it? Things like these happen only every other year,” Ava giggled and Lizzie laughed along before giving Charlie a questioning look.

“Artemis just ran into me - quite literally,” she informed him. “She looked upset. Is she okay?”

Charlie turned his head towards the stage where Artemis was sitting on the floor working on one of her igniters. A frown appeared on his forehead and he sighed.

“She’s pissed she had to go to the meeting with the leaderboard alone,” he explained, “and the closing display is a big deal, too. It’s an honour to be responsible for that, and as a novice on top. Just a little on edge, that’s all.”

“Did she tell you that?”

“She didn’t need to,” Charlie said wryly. He was still watching Artemis work when suddenly his frown made way for an expression of astonishment and he started to laugh.

“Fuck me,” he said, “she’s really pulling it off!”

Lizzie turned to see what Charlie was talking about. Artemis had put her igniter down and walked over to Merula. There was a mix of confusion and disgust on Merula’s face as Artemis held a grey shirt with a giant picture of Merula’s face printed on the front out to her.

“What the fuck is Artemis doing?” Lizzie asked but Charlie merely shrugged.

“She wants to get it signed.”

“But why?”

“I haven’t got the slightest, but I’ll be fucked if I’m going to miss this.” With that Charlie walked off to join the others on stage with the biggest grin Lizzie had ever seen on him.

“So,” Ava said casually once Charlie was out of earshot, “you filled me in on pretty much everything I can read in the Daily Mail as well. Let’s move on to the interesting stuff.”

Lizzie shuffled her feet uncomfortably. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“As if. How’s things going with Orion?”

“Why am I not surprised you know about this?” Lizzie said and glared at Charlie’s back. “It’s a long story. I don’t really want to talk about it, to be honest.”

“Before the show?”

“In general.”

Ava tilted her head and looked Lizzie up and down with a curious look. “Tells me all I need to know, actually. You’ve been getting yourself into quite a mess, haven’t you?”

“You have no idea,” Lizzie sighed. She thought about the conversation she’d had with David. Her temporary good mood was disappearing as quickly as it had come.

“All this back and forth and keeping secrets is so unlike you,” Ava said. “Every time I have Charlie on the phone it’s like catching up on a reality TV show. I thought you were more straightforward than this.”

“Good to hear we keep at least some of you entertained.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Sorry,” Lizzie said. “I guess Artemis is not the only one on edge.”

“Clearly.”

“And it’s not like we can do much about the situation anyway,” Lizzie added. “I don’t know why everyone seems to keep forgetting that there’s some rules we have to follow, after all.”

“Because they’re the most stupid set of rules I’ve ever seen, and I’m working for the Natural History Museum. We invented stupid rules.”

Lizzie was grateful for the opportunity to change the topic. “How’s things at the museum anyway? Anything interesting in the works?”

“We got a whole set of Indian weaponry right before I went on leave,” Ava beamed, her eyes flashing with excitement. “They’re so well preserved. I told my colleagues if they so much as touch the crates before I’m back, I’ll test the weapons in action.”

“Sounds great, remind me to stop by when we’re back in London.”

“Oh, we won’t be there for another two weeks or so. We’re going away after the tour is over, for the first time in forever. Backpacking through Romania.”

Ava sounded genuinely excited about the prospect of going on vacation with Charlie. Tour life was time intensive and taxing for everyone involved; Lizzie was glad she and Charlie would have some time for themselves after this tour was over.

“I’m sure you’re going to have a great time. Some distraction will do Charlie good. Are you looking forward to dating a sound engineer instead of a pyro tech?” Lizzie wanted to know and Ava’s face took on a contemplative expression.

“Yes and no,” she said eventually. “Yes, because I don’t need to be scared for his eyebrows all day long. And no, because I know he’s doing this only because of me.”

“Because he loves you,” Lizzie said quietly.

“He does, but that doesn’t mean it’s sunshine and roses all the time. When you’re touring or I’m away for work we barely see each other, often months at a time. Being apart for such a long time sucks, believe me.”

“Are you never scared of losing him?”

“You mean if I’m ever jealous?” Ava asked and there was genuine surprise in her voice. “No, not ever. I trust Charlie, and he trusts me.”

Lizzie shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. You’re basically having two completely separate lives. Are you never worried you might drift apart?”

“You and I have been friends for a long time, so I’m not going to lie to you,” Ava said. “Coping with your lifestyle is hard. I come home to an empty flat and see Charlie through a screen more often than not. But it also makes the time we’re having together all the better.”

She sighed and looked over Lizzie’s shoulder towards the stage. “But as hard as it is, if the love is strong enough, it’ll be okay. There’s always a way to make it work.”

Lizzie was looking at the tips of her sneakers instead of Ava. Her eyes were tracing the pattern on the worn fabric which had seen so many shows, so many stages.

“I hope you’re right.”

“Don’t tell me that's what you're planning.”

Lizzie jumped at the sound of Charlie’s voice; she had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t heard him approaching from behind. She turned around and winced when she saw the incredulity on his face.

“Charlie, I’m -”

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” Charlie interrupted her. “That’s what you’ve been on about yesterday. All that strange talk about giving things up and shit, right?”

Lizzie wanted to say something but didn’t know what, so she simply nodded. Much to her surprise, she felt Charlie’s arms come around her in a hug.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving,” he said and his voice sounded husky, “I wish you had told me earlier, but I understand. I’m going to miss you, little rockstar.”

For the first time since Lizzie had made her decision she had a hard time fighting her tears.

“I have to,” she whispered, telling Charlie as much as she did herself.

“When are you going to tell the others?”

“After the show. It’s hard enough as it is, and I can’t stand the thought of everyone knowing it will be my last one.”

Charlie nodded. “Fair enough. Does Orion -”

“No,” Lizzie interrupted him, “he doesn’t know. And it will stay that way.”

Charlie put a heavy hand onto Lizzie’s shoulder and opened his mouth to say something, when their attention was drawn by a set of loud voices. Lizzie and Charlie looked at each other in alarm before hurrying onto the stage.

The soundcheck was almost completed and Ethan had joined them to give his final seal of approval. When Lizzie, Charlie and Ava arrived on the scene, he was standing next to Merula’s keyboard, her bag in one hand, and a packet of cigarettes in the other.

“How many times have I told you that I don’t want you to ruin your voice with this shit?” Ethan snapped and crushed the cigarettes in his fist. “I won’t have you throw your capital away like that.”

“I don’t care,” Merula shot back through gritted teeth. “You don’t fucking get to tell us what to do.”

“You’re very wrong there, lassie,” Ethan hissed and narrowed his eyes. “You all seem to keep forgetting, but I’m responsible for this whole rigmarole here. You’re the ones who keep fucking things up, but the one who’s truly screwed is me, not you.”

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and shot an accusing look in David’s direction.

“I might even have let the smoking pass, it’s Glasto after all, but you kids seem to take me for a fucking degnerate. Old Ethan doesn't notice shit anymore, that’s what you keep thinking, aye? Well, listen up, everyone - I see everything, and I damn well saw you and Willows leaving together yesterday.

“For real, what’s wrong with all of you?” he asked and looked around, now addressing the rest of the band as well. “Fame’s gotten to your heads, or what? What’s so fucking hard in playing by the rules? Can’t believe I’m saying it, but Skye’s the only half sensible person left in this shitshow because the only one she’s shagging is your bloody bodyguard.”

Skye, who had gone from pale to red in the face, opened her mouth to stop her father, but he dismissed her objection with an angry flick of his hand.

“You all want to drop this? Fine. Let’s all go just now. Say ‘bye bye Pyramid Stage’ and go back to the holes you’ve all crawled from. I made you, all of you. It’s time you learn how to show some fucking respect.”

“That’s enough,” Orion said, stepping forward. His face was calm as ever but his voice was hard. “We are grateful for all you have done for us, but you will not speak to Merula or anybody else like this.”

Ethan looked him up and down with a contemptuous glare.

“I’d back off if I were you. Face your own music before you meddle with others. Speaking of it, how’s that song going you promised us until the end of the tour? Oh, don’t worry mate, you still got about ten hours left to deliver,” he scoffed with a dramatic look on his expensive watch. “You’d better shut up now and let me do my job in peace, or I’ll get you off this band for breach of contract. You can always go back to the streets and sing for a few pounds a day if you’ve forgotten how goddamn fucking priviliged you are.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

The whole stage fell silent. Lizzie had been so engrossed by the escalation between Ethan, Orion and Merula that it took her a moment to realise who had been speaking out.

Standing almost forgotten at the edge of the group was Artemis, clutching the grey shirt with Merula’s face in her fist. She was looking at the ground, and had an almost pained expression on her face. She hadn’t spoken loudly, but her voice seemed to reach every last corner of the stage.

“Why can’t you just shut the fuck up?”

Ethan’s mouth opened and closed without making a sound, reminding Lizzie of a fish out of water. Quickly regaining his composure, he squared his shoulders and flashed his eyes at Artemis.

“Who do you even think you are, you -”

“No, who do you think you are?” Artemis snapped, now finally looking at him.

Her hazel eyes were dark with badly subdued fury and Lizzie took a step out of her line of sight.

“Ever since I’ve joined this crew you’ve been nothing but a colossal dick. Not only to me, to everyone,” she said, and looked Ethan directly in the eye. “You’re acting all high and mighty so no one sees you for who you really are - a has-been rockstar who clings onto his last shreds of fame by living through his daughter and her friends. You don’t even care how fucking miserable you make everyone just so you can still be part of the dick-measuring contest where you’re the only person entered and still somehow losing it!”

She’d raised her voice, not caring about the shocked looks everyone was giving her. Lizzie exchanged a look with Charlie, who seemed to be just as baffled as she was.

“Who do you think you are to go around demanding people write you songs? Who do you think you are to tell someone that they can’t have a single fucking cigarette after a long, hard day of dealing with you and your bullshit? And who the fuck do you think you are for keeping two people from being together when they obviously love each other just because you’ve fucked up your life left, right and centre?”

Artemis paused and took a deep breath, her eyes shooting daggers at Ethan.

“I’m gonna tell you why,” she spat, “because you’re a giant fucking cunt, that’s why.”

With that, she turned on her heel, gave Lizzie and Charlie a wide berth and stormed off into the darkness of the wings. Ethan was staring at the point where Artemis had vanished with a completely expressionless face.

“You,” Ethan snapped at Charlie after another moment, “get her to come back here right fucking now. She’s your apprentice and this is your responsibility.”

“It’s not at all, and she ain’t no fucking apprentice anymore either,” Charlie said firmly and raised his hands. “Artemis is a full on pyro tech, your pyro tech, and a bloody good one at that. Take your own advice and show some respect.”

“Me?” Ethan snapped. “It’s that Alexis girl who -”

“It’s Artemis,” Lizzie said sharply and took a step forward, “and you know what? She’s fucking right. I’ve had enough of your attitude, Ethan. We all have. You act as if you don’t care about us at all anymore. All that counts is us smiling on stage and raking in the money. And I’m so done with it.”

She felt her heart pounding in her ears and a dropping sensation in her stomach. She was scared to take the jump, but it was too late; now she had to see it through. She saw Orion looking at her with a worried frown but she pushed the thought of him away and focused on Ethan and the anger bubbling beneath her skin. When she spoke again, it was like hearing her own voice from somewhere far away.

“I wanted to wait until after the show, but I might as well say it now.” She took a last deep breath and her next words didn’t seem to want to leave her lips. “This will be my last show with Equinox. After the tour is done, I’m out.”

The stage fell quiet, so quiet Lizzie would have been able to hear a pin drop. She knew that everyone was staring at her, but the only one who mattered was Orion. She saw the shock and disbelief on his face, his eyes searching hers for reassurance that she wasn’t meaning what she’d just said, that this was just a bad joke.

“Would you look at this,” Ethan’s voice cut through the silence. “The first one to jump ship when it gets tough. Wouldn’t have thought it’d be you, Lizzie, not gonna lie. I thought you’d be tougher than that. Seems like you lack the dedication it takes to get to the next level.”

“Next level my arse, Dad,” Skye suddenly chimed in. “Give it a rest. They’re right, you know, Lizzie and Artemis.”

Ethan opened his mouth to reprimand his daughter but this time, Skye didn’t let him stop her.

“Touring should be fun, best thing in the world. Just spending time with your mates and making music together? Smashing! But this tour sucks big time, and not only since shit hit the fan with Ev. People gotta hide from you, for fuck’s sake! That’s mental as it is, but now Lizzie’s leaving. Can’t believe you’re leaving,” she added and Lizzie dropped her eyes.

“It’s not us or our attitudes destroying the band, Dad,” she continued with a hard stare at her father, “it’s you and your bloody control issues, and that’s a fact right here.”

Ethan was looking at his daughter with wide eyes; his posture had lost its aggressiveness and his shoulders were slumping. This was the first time Skye had dared to speak out against him like that.

“You don’t talk to me like that,” he said, but it sounded defeated, “that’s not how I raised you.”

“No, ‘cause you didn’t raise me at all,” Skye snorted. “You were busy fighting with mum in the press. Wake up, Dad,” she said a little more softly when she saw the look on Ethan’s face, “Equinox aren’t The Wanderers, and things don’t have to end the same way. But they will if you don’t get your shit together. We’re breaking apart. Forget about the fucking money for once, will you? That’s not what it’s about. It’s about the music and it’s always been.”

Lizzie stared at Skye, unable to say anything over the lump inside her throat. She fought the tears burning at the back of her eyes and blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. Ethan’s face had gone stony, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking as he looked at each of them in turn.

“Fine,” he scoffed, “you think you know the business better than I do? Go ahead, do whatever the fuck you want.” He gave Lizzie a hard look. “You want to leave, you’re free to go. I don’t care. Enjoy your last show. Might want to make it worth the while.”

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #orion amari #lizzie jameson #artemis hexley #skye parkin #ethan parkin #rockstar au #when stars ignite #besties collaborate

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marvelllblog · 8 years ago

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Enfin réunis devant nous

Pour son nouveau numéro, Entertainment Weekly consacre sa Une aux Defenders de Marvel/Netflix. L’occasion rêvée pour obtenir des tas de photos inédites et glaner quelques informations.

Le magazine donne une information capitale sur le vilain incarné par Sigourney Weaver. Son prénom ! Wow, c’est du lourd, hein ? Elle s’appelle… Alexandra. Oh my fucking god. Mais, c’est un truc de malade. Pfiou… Pfiou… Faut que je fasse gaffe à ma tension. Sinon, cette dernière affrontera Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) et Iron Fist (Finn Jones). Allez, je vous mets les photos avant d’en parler sinon tu ne vas pas tenir en place et ça va finir par m’énerver.

#gallery-0-5 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-5 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Couverture : Entertainment Weekly (The Defenders)

Couverture d’Entertainment Weekly avec The Defenders.

Photo : The Defenders (Sigourney Weaver)

Photo de The Defenders avec Sigourney Weaver.

Photo : The Defenders (Daredevil)

Photo de The Defenders avec Daredevil.

Photo : The Defenders (Luke Cage)

Photo de The Defenders avec Luke Cage.

Photo : The Defenders (Jessica Jones)

Photo de The Defenders avec Jessica Jones.

Photo : The Defenders (Iron Fist)

Photo de The Defenders avec Iron Fist.

Photo : The Defenders (Luke Cage en prison)

Photo de The Defenders avec Luke Cage en prison.

Photo : The Defenders (Misty Knight et Jessica Jones)

Photo de The Defenders avec Misty Knight et Jessica Jones.

Photo : The Defenders (Colleen Wing et Iron Fist)

Photo de The Defenders avec Colleen Wing et Iron Fist.

Photo : The Defenders (Equipe réunie)

Photo de The Defenders avec l’équipe réunie.

Ça va ? C’était bon ? T’es calmé ? Alors, continuons de parler. Déjà pour les photos, on peut constater que The Defenders fera vraiment suite aux séries solo vu qu’on retrouve Luke Cage là où on s’est arrêté pour sa première saison. Encore mieux, on le retrouve avec le T-Shirt jaune emblématique. Tranquille pour lui faire un costume. Pas besoin d’un énorme budget. Un T-Shirt jaune et le tour est joué.

Sinon, le showrunner Marco Ramirez a donné quelques informations supplémentaires comme la réunion de l’équipe…

Chacun d’entre eux suit son propre chemin, essayant de résoudre un mystère à New York. Nous les voulions tous pris au dépourvu. Une fois qu’ils sont dans cette pièce ensemble, c’est un peu comme, ‘Oh, s-, qui êtes-vous ?’.

…, la différence avec les Avengers…

Les Defenders n’ont pas de ‘D’ sur leurs boucles de ceinture et une Tour des Defenders. Nous avons convenu dès le début que ces gens pouvaient partir à la fin, style ‘Je ne veux plus voir ta tronche’.

…, la méchante…

Sigourney est le genre de personne que vous pouvez qualifier comme étant la personne la plus intelligente dans la salle, que vous pouvez également qualifier en tant que personne tenant un lance-flammes. Son personnage est une force très puissante à New York. Elle est tout ce que Sigourney est : sophistiquée, intellectuelle, dangereuse. Je suis désolé. Je ne peux donner qu’un tas d’adjectifs en ce moment.

…, l’ampleur de la menace.

Nous savions qu’il faudrait quelque chose d’assez massif pour tirer ces quatre personnages de leurs mondes individuels afin de travailler ensemble, mais aussi d’assez petit pour qu’on ait l’impression qu’il existe dans notre monde.

Bref, on n’apprend pas grand-chose. Mais c’est toujours bon à savoir. En tout cas, j’ai hâte de voir les interactions entre les personnages qui s’annoncent d’ors et déjà houleuses. Pour terminer, le making-of des photos :

La série The Defenders est prévue sur Netflix en 2017.

Elle est produite par Marvel Television en association avec ABC Studios pour Netflix. Les showrunners sont Douglas Petrie (Buffy, American Horror Story) et Marco Ramirez (Orange is the New Black, Sons of Anarchy). Les acteurs sont Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Finn Jones, Deborah Ann Woll, Simone Missick, Elden Henson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Eka Darville et Sigourney Weaver.

Marvel’s The Defenders verra Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage et Iron Fist affronter ensemble le plus grand danger qu’ils aient jamais bravé.

The Defenders : premières photos avec Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage et Iron Fist Enfin réunis devant nous Pour son nouveau numéro, Entertainment Weekly consacre sa Une aux Defenders de Marvel/Netflix.

#Charlie Cox #Daredevil #Defenders #Finn Jones #Iron Fist #Jessica Henwick #Jessica Jones #Krysten Ritter #Luke Cage #Marco Ramirez #Marvel #Marvel Television #Mike Colter #Netflix #Sigourney Weaver #Simone Missick #The Defenders

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profoundnet · 6 years ago

Text

PROFOUND MEMBER POST - NOVEMBER 2018

Header by @pantydean and is available on merch from her redbubble store. You can use all those fancy emojis (and more!) on our Discord Server!

The Masterpost is open for all creations by ProfoundBond members which are posted in entirely during that month.

MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR NOVEMBER 2018!

Masterpost below the cut.

wargurl83 - @wargurl83

Fem Cas for Jess

Summary: Art created for Jess/Jscribbles of Fem Cas

SFW

JessJessTheBest - @saywhatjessie - JessJessTheBest

Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

Summary: “I’m Baby Del Mar and I think y'all are mighty fine. It’s time for ass-whooping. Who’s next in line?” Baby Del Mar is one of the top faces in the WWE universe. But in real life, Dean Winchester is just a guy who wants to keep his personal and professional lives separate. This turns out to be a problem for several reasons.

Tags: WWE AU, Established Relationship, WWE typical violence, discussion of past injury.

SFW

Accompanying art by @purzelndesbaeumchen

kradarua - kradarua

The Stars, They Shine

Summary: Engineer-in-training Dean Winchester just wants to work on cars. Astronomer Castiel Novak spends his time holed up in the school’s observatory looking at the stars and trying to piece together his dissertation. They’ve never had any reason to cross paths. Not until they get roped into participating in the college theatre group, anyway. When Lisa invites Dean to join her at the mass meeting, he can’t say no to a pretty face. But the joke is on Dean when he accidentally lands the male lead and has to come to terms with memorizing lines and trying not to make a fool of himself on stage. Moreover, despite his best attempts to stay interested in Lisa, there’s no denying the strange gravitational pull he feels around Castiel. Castiel is just here to prove to Charlie that he’s capable of doing something besides research; it should be easy, except he finds himself becoming interested in Dean in a way he really did not expect. Dean is trying to navigate being way outside his skill set; Castiel just wants to hold onto his scholarship without pissing off the religious organization that gave it to him. It’s going to be a long semester, especially if Dean keeps forgetting his goddamn lines. The show must go on!

Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Theatre, Homophobia, Misappropriated Christianity, Astronomer!Castiel, Accidental Actor!Dean, Gay Panic, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, First Kiss, First Time

NSFW

canadduh - @canadduh - canadduh

Uncle Dean: Adventures in Babysitting

Summary: Dean has always looked after his brother Sammy. So it was really easy to extend that care to his brother's kid. Dean watches his nephew while Sam spends five hours on self-care for the first time since the death of his wife almost six months ago. Dean and Cas talk about the future.

Tags: Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kid!Fic, Uncle Dean Winchester, Uncle Castiel, Dean Winchester is a good Uncle, Fluff, Parent Sam Winchester

SFW

sharkfish - @reallyelegantsharkfish - sharkfish

trustworthy for such work

Summary: Cas hugs his pillow, and he’s mostly asleep when a memory works its way in. His father watching Fox news, a fearmongering piece about ifrits in healthcare. His father’s voice, saying, Blood is how they take your wishes. Cas always assumed that meant through feeding. But —

Tags: Dragon Castiel, djinn dean, Dragons, Djinni & Genies, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Demisexual Castiel (Supernatural), Mutual Pining, Magic, Wishes, References to Addiction, References to Knotting.

NSFW

longing for grapefruit

Summary: Dean lights up and takes the first hit, but instead of exhaling, he leans over towards Cas. It’s not a proper kiss, breathing in Dean’s air, but it’s intimate, and they take turns sharing hits in between kisses. Cas is flying. Cas can feel everything, Cas is out of his body. “Baby,” Dean says, soft in between them. “Let me make you feel good.”

Tags: Friends to Lovers, Recreational Drug Use, Marijuana, Oral Sex, Mental Health Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Shotgunning, Demisexual Castiel (Supernatural)

NSFW

dancing backwards

Summary: Cas hears Dean Winchester come into the bathroom, but he’s too busy fiddling with equipment to acknowledge him at first, until Dean says, “So like, is there someone I can sue when I break my ankles?” Cas looks up to see the pair of pale pink stilettos hanging from his fingertips. The only thing he’s wearing is a long, dingy skirt with layers and layers of tulle like a tutu and dark, smudged eyeliner.

Tags: Actor Dean Winchester, Photographer Castiel, Dean Winchester in Heels, Fluff and Smut

NSFW

The Answer

Summary: “Can I ask if you’ve done this before? BDSM shit.” “Is it that obvious that I haven’t?” “We were all new once,” Dean says, giving him a smile.

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Sex Shop, BDSM, Gentle Dom Castiel, Sub Dean Winchester, Dom Castiel/Sub Dean Winchester, Paddling, Face-Fucking, soft Recreational Drug Use

NSFW

overdressed and overeducated

Summary: My brother says I’m boring, Castiel wrote. Perhaps you can make me seem a little more exciting.

Tags: Stylist Dean, Cas is sad & bad at clothes, Meet-Cute, Weddings, First Kiss, Pen Pals

SFW

mittensmorgul - @mittensmorgul - MittensWraith

Lost Time

Summary: Dean figured Cas was only trying to let him down easy. He needed a little bit of time to figure out how to deal with it.

Tags: Fluff and Angst, Dean Winchester Uses Actual Words, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Newly Human Castiel, Love Confessions, First Kiss

SFW

ravenscat - @ravenscat-tumbler - ravensCAT

“They Were in the Bag!” (Panties and dildos)

Summary: The Luggage Mixup Au no one asked for. Basically pwp, almost, it was supposed to be and then feelings happened. Gross.

Tags: Top Cas/Bottom Dean, Rimming, Blowjobs, Shower sex, plane sex, Dean in panties, lawyer Cas

NSFW

deliciousirony - @delicious-irony - deliciousirony

Arctic Light

Summary: Art for Northern Sparrow's Under The Midnight Sun

Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Dark-Eyed Junco (Original Character), Fanart DCBB, northernsparrow, Birds, Curious Birds, Physiology Of Angels, Angel Wings, landscapes, The Arctic, Deli, SPRW

SFW

dean-bangs-cas-in-the-impala (maknatuna) - @dean-cas-in-the-impala - Dean-Bangs-Cas-In-The-Impala

October in Paris

Summary: No matter where Castiel is he always thinks about Dean. Tags: Fluff, Romance, Friendship, Friendship that is slowly turning into romance.

SFW

EllenOfOz - EllenOfOz

For A Dream’s Sake

Summary: Part of the DCBB 2018. Just four ingredients is all they need to reopen the rift. Archangel grace, the Seal of Solomon, blood of a most holy man, and a fruit from the tree of life. Castiel returns from Syria with the fruit, saying that he killed some djinn and bargained with the rest. But just what bargain did Cas make with the djinni queen? What did he experience at her hands? Heaven's great leader of armies prides himself on his self-control, his steadfast courage under pressure. But when the djinni's dream is everything he's ever hoped for...

Tags: No Archive Warnings, canon level violence, canon verse, Djinn, angst with a happy ending, angel wings, season 13

NSFW

Accompanying art by @usarechan

Bumocusal - Bumocusual

Six Degrees of Levain

Summary: Dean has a dog that won't stop vomiting, a brother with Sasquatch hair that brings all the ladies to the yard, and is developing a particular attachment to the hot guy that jogs by his house.

Tags: Police Officer Dean Winchester, Animal Lover Castiel, Meddling Sam Winchester, Fluff and Smut, Romantic Fluff, Shameless Smut, Vibrators, Anal Fingering, Anal, Kissing, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Rimming, Top Castiel, Bottom Dean Winchester

NSFW

jscribbles - jscribbles

Your Story Isn’t Over Yet

Summary: One morning, Castiel wakes up suddenly very lady-shaped, and Team Free Will discover that a nephilim grows inside him. Sam has no idea how this could have happened considering Cas was supposed to be human, and Dean seems uninterested in finding out how or why their friend is pregnant and female - but he seems goddamn excited. Castiel retreats into himself, seemingly more depressed than usual. Sam is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, though the others seem reluctant to discover the origin of the nephilim. Could the answer be right under his nose?

Tags: Temp MCD, mpreg (but not really), Temp Genderbend, Grace Baby, Angst, Grief, Implications of losing a child, Blood, Vomit

NSFW

supernatural9917

Cogitationes Publicae

Summary: While organising a store room in the bunker, Dean accidentally breaks a potion bottle, and the contents leave him with no internal monologue. What secrets will be revealed when all his thoughts are laid bare? Written for the Destiel Smut Bingo. Square fill: Consequence of a truth serum/spell Tags: Destiel Smut Bingo 2018, Truth Serum, Dean has no inner monologue, Cas approves of this, Consequence of a truth serum/spell

NSFW

Hot for Teacher

Summary: Castiel Novak is a young new math teacher at Lawrence High, and Dean Winchester is a popular senior in his class. Dean has a bit of a crush, and Castiel can't help but notice Dean's charms. Written for the Destiel Smut Bingo. Square fill: hot for teacher

Tags: Destiel Smut Bingo 2018, hot for teacher, Teacher Castiel, Student Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Has a Crush on Castiel, Castiel isn't oblivious to Dean's charms (No underage or relationship while Dean is a student)

NSFW

MalMuses - @malmuses - MalMuses

Wendig-Oh-No!

Summary: Of all the things that Castiel, former Angel of the Lord, expected to become as a human, being clumsy was never one of them. When Sam catches the flu, Dean is forced to team up with Cas on a Wendigo hunt in snowy northern Minnesota. It goes terribly. Or does it? SPN Reverse Bang fic, with art by @harplesscastiel.

Tags: Fluff, Miscommunication, Bedsharing, Camping, Human Castiel, Clumsy Castiel, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sharing Body Heat, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Wendigo, Hunter Castiel

SFW

Personal Space

Summary: Dean is an astronaut, and he definitely chose the career so that he could help move humanity forward, not just because he didn't want to sit in an office, thank-you-very-much. Becoming the first human to set foot on Mars was never part of his five-year plan, but he loved his job and couldn't say no when the opportunity arose. He had spent plenty of time thinking about what he was risking never seeing again if something went wrong; his brother, brother-in-law, and the adorable kid they were adopting, not to mention his friends, his car, and pie. What he hadn't considered was what, or who, he might find when he actually got there. SPN Reverse Bang fic with art by @thefriendlypigeon Tags: Mars Exploration AU, Astronaut Dean, Alien Castiel, Established Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Way more feelings than you would expect, Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Castiel Has Tentacles, Consentacles, Not as crazy as it sounds, Kid Jack Kline, So many references but actually not crack, Sam is a Good Brother, Jack is adorable, More Wholesome Than It Sounds, Tentacles, Tentacle Sex, Love Can Cross the Cosmos NSFW

The Doppelganger Effect

Summary: Dean had been having a pretty great week, all in all. There had been that case up in Dodge City where he’d worn a cowboy hat, he had made homemade burgers for dinner, and best of all? Cas was back from the Empty. Alive, unharmed, and in the bunker. Things were back to normal. Then they showed up to ruin things—Dean and Cas, Version 2.0. They're not just different, they're happy. Not to mention very... coupley. Thrown from their own world with magic unheard of since Purgatory, the doppelgangers need Team Free Will’s help—or is it Dean and Cas that need theirs? Suddenly, Dean is stuck in a minivan with two angels that hate each other, a (pretty awesome) copy of himself, and his gassy little brother. Through magic mirrors, ill-advised pacts with Eldritch gods and rather too many gas-station tacos, Dean and his angel face down the past, and decide on their future. A 2018 DCBB fic with art by EL.

Tags: Case Fic, Possession, Eldritch Gods, Car Accidents, Canon-Typical Violence, Eye Trauma, Tentacle Monsters, Horror, Canon Flashbacks, Dean Winchester is Bad at Feelings, Drinking, Pining, Slow Burn, Witches, Original Character Death(s), Mutual Masturbation, Gore, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sam Ships It, Casturbation

NSFW

exceptcas - @exceptcas - exceptcas

No Call

Summary: While celebrating Sam's bachelor party in Vegas, Dean runs into Cas. --- This is based off of the song "Closer" by Halsey.

Tags: Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Relationship(s), Bachelor Parties

SFW

Hitori-Alouette - @hitori-alouette

Can’t do it alone

Summary: Art created for the DEANCAS CREATIONS CHALLENGE

Tags: #deancascc #destiel #deancasedit

SFW

#member masterpost #member masterposts #november masterpost #profoundnet #profoundnet monthly masterpost #deancas reclist #member fic #member art

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