#halestorm meet and greet

[another-empty-skull]

Happyiness does exist.

Finally met my favourite band, Halestorm. Got the M&G ticket, which was also quite cheap compared to some packages out there (I am looking at you Babymetal....) and I swear, this has been the happiest day of my life.

I've been listening to them for 10+ years, and I daydreamed about this day forever.

I was 18 when they came back to Italy in 2015-16, but I was totally broke, alone, unable to go there and also having several issues related to my disability.

I saw them later in Oct 2018 during th Vicious tour, and that concert has been insanely good, but wasn't able to talk to them or take pictures together.

And now, this happened thanks to my own will to live, to be loud, strong and be happy on my own skin and showcasing my drawing abilities.

Thank you Halestorm, I love you deeply.

Also, the username of this tumblr+my art tumblr are actually Halestorm songs - Black Vultures and Skulls, from the album Vicious (2018).

[black-arcana]

HALESTORM's LZZY HALE: 'I'm Writing Some Of The Best Songs I've Ever Written'

In a new interview with Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale spoke about the band's plans for the follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're taking our time with it and we're writing a lot. We're doing our record with [producer] Dave Cobb, of all people, which is which is a new flavor for us. We kind of needed to shake it up.

"Just coming from a personal level, I'm in a really good place in my life," she explained. "I'm writing some of the best songs I've ever written, and this album, for me, and this is before I'm even discussing our collective M.O. as a band and what we want everything to sound like, but, for me, the songs that I'm writing… This is gonna be the HALESTORM album that kind of peels back the onion a little bit.

"I'm in a spot where I'm okay with giving myself permission to be open. And the fans have taught me a lot about that over the last album cycle, with 'Back From The Dead'. The difference between 'Back From The Dead' and this one being, 'Back From The Dead', that entire record, for me, was kind of a pep talk to be, like, 'Girl, you still got this. I don't know what's going on.' And it took, I think, the entire of that album cycle for me to actually settle into the point... It all kind of boiled down to this conversation I had with fans when we were in Europe. We were on a seven-week tour, so we always go through this messy middle; everybody does. You wanna know some folklore of being on a tour — four weeks is enough; seven weeks, everyone starts going a little crazy. 'Cause by the month mark, everyone's, like — we call it the messy middle; everyone's just kind of tired and there's no real end in sight. And we've all been living two feet from each other. Someone's being annoying. Someone's being a little bitch — it happens. And I was going through my own war in my head about whatever's coming next as this album cycle was kind of ending. 'I don't know where I'm at. I haven't written a new song in a while.' [I was] letting a lot of my disparaging thoughts get to me. And so here are our super fans, my ladies in shining armor — they call themselves the Lzzy Birds — in Europe. And it's a group of, like, 11 women, give or take, that just come to every show — every single show, every single meet-and-greet, front and center, without fail, they're there for the show. So during this messy middle, they started to ask me, like, 'Hey, are you doing okay? The show was great, but there's something behind your eyes that we can't see. And you don't have to tell us anything, but we're there for you' kind of thing. So I go through my normal bullshit in my brain. I'm, like, 'Oh, I'm just tired. It's tour. And I'm going through stuff.' And then the next day at the meet-and-greet, they all hand me these handwritten letters, and I'm paraphrasing for all of them, but each, in their own way, basically was saying, 'Hey, here's a list of reasons why we follow you. Here's what you've done for us. It's okay if you're not okay. And you don't have to be the savior. If you wanna cancel some shows, we will understand. Whatever you're going through, we're gonna be there for you no matter what, because you were there.' It really affected me. I was in the dressing room reading through all these, just crying my eyes out, and I immediately, the next day, because we had another show — it was, like, a three-in-a-row thing — next day, at the end of the show, I kind of held court with all of them next to the buses. And I'm just, like, 'I'm gonna tell you exactly what's going on in my life,' and this, and this and this, 'and I don't know what I'm doing. And I'm scared that I'm failing you,' and all of this, and I just let it out with them. And I realized something in that moment.

"I don't know if any of you people listening are front people or the spearhead of your operation. Sometimes it can feel really like you're an island and you're not even in the front seat of your life and you're just kind of white-knuckling it through," Lzzy added. "And what I realized is that instead of me being the strong person in that moment, I got more out of it as and more trust, more admiration, more connection with these fans of mine that have seen me through a lot of things than I could have just by keeping the veil up and being the strong person. I got more from it by opening myself up and being honest. And so I've taken all of those feelings and I am putting them now into this new music and working through them because they have allowed me to. My army that has been with me through every battle has given me permission to say, 'Hey, if you've gotta work through this' and 'we're gonna be with you no matter what,' that feeling of unconditional love from complete strangers — from strangers that didn't know you from before. And that was the connection. And then we're able to take that then past the handshake. I can put down the crown for a second and just be real with you guys. And then, what ended up happening after that is that then you have these conversations now, new conversations with the fans, not just about your touring or your vocal prowess or whatever, or whatever lyric, it's now about, 'Oh, so you're just as screwed up as I am, but you've also made it to the other side.' So it gives the bridge for hope. It makes it a little shorter. It gives it a little bit of gas to get through. Sorry, I'm blowing through analogies. But it affected me in a really positive way. And I'm very much looking forward to — the song that you guys helped me start, I am now ready to finish for you. And so it's gonna be this beautiful pass of the torch a little bit.

"Anyway, that's how it's kind of working out in my mind, but, again, best-laid plans… But we're excited for new music," Hale concluded. "And I'm sure there'll be some things that I'll end up sneaking in on this next tour because I can't wait to play new music for everybody. So for all of those that keep up with all the little tiny moments that go on in the set, keep your eyes and ears peeled, 'cause it could be a new song."

HALESTORM is working with Cobb after making three records with Nick Raskulinecz.

Cobb has shared in nine Grammy wins, including four for "Best Americana Album" and three for "Best Country Album". He's also been named "Producer Of The Year" by the Country Music Awards, the Americana Music Association (twice) and the Music Row Awards, and has been a Grammy nominee in the category.

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed HALESTORM in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

Last May, HALESTORM teamed up with country singer Ashley McBryde for a reimagined version of the band's song "Terrible Things", which was originally featured on HALESTORM's latest album, the aforementioned "Back From The Dead".

[melodymunson]

Music/concert tag game

First Concert: The Monkees (at age 6).

Last Concert: Polaris with Blessthefall (Saw them tonight).

Worst Concert: Smashing Pumpkins and the Convalescence.

Loudest Concert: Sunn O))) and Cannibal Corpse

Best Concert: Ghost, Korn, Jonathan Davis, and Motionless In White.

Seen The Most: Motionless In White (7 times)

Most Surprising: Rob Zombie

Happy I Got To See: Motley Crue 3 times with Mick Mars before he left the band. Slayer twice. And Kuza since they broke up and only had 1 tour.

Wish I Could Have Seen: Type O Negative, Carnivore, Ramones, David Bowie, Ozzy/Black Sabbath, and Linkin Park with Chester.

Next Concert: Any metal/hard rock band that plays near me. Just waiting for something to be announced.

Best band/musician you have met: Otep, Motionless In White, One Eyed Doll, Twiggy Ramirez, Kuza.

Bands/members you have met the most: Otep 5 times and Motionless In White 4 times.

Favorite concert memory: Meeting the singer and guitarist of Boys Like Girls right after the show ended. They came out to meet everyone and it was so cool! Same with the band Liliac. Getting a backstage vip/meet n greet lanyard pass randomly in the crowd while I was seeing Hatebreed. Every time I catch/get a guitar/bass pick and setlist. Getting on the Butcher Babies tour bus.

Dream concert: Rammstein, Misfits, and Ice Nine Kills

Bands you want to meet: Ice Nine Kills, Rammstein, John 5, Tim Skold, Rob Zombie, Pink, Eminem, Razakel, Bad Omens, Halestorm, Chaosevm, Ozzy, Korn (I have met Ray Luzier though), Misfits.

Music festivals you have attended: None yet unfortunately. Would love to go to mayhem festival and Ozzfest if they made a comeback though.

tagging

@londonfog-chan @jozstankovich @corneliuswatkins @gea-chan96 @emma-munson

@eddiemunsonfuxks @haceleyes @usergeta @mungles666

and anyone else who wants to

[serenitybymoonlight]

cauterized - heartstopper - 18+ Twilight AU: 1. Home

Summary

After an incident in the UK, Charlie Spring moves to Kentwood, Oregon, to live with his estranged cop father and kid brother. He finds himself in the middle of a supernatural war and the love interest of two men on opposite sides. Charlie has scars, mentally and physically. He doesn't know what he wants for breakfast, let alone who he chooses to be with. Are you Team Nick, Team Ben, or Team Tao?

Wattpad

AO3

TW: Mentioned Gun Violence and Trauma

I've been sacrificed. My heart's been cauterized Hanging on to hope Shackled by the ghost -Halestorm

August 23rd, 2005 10:22 AM

Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon

   Julio was ecstatic and overjoyed that his firstborn son would move in with him. Though he was anxious since he hadn't seen him since Charlie was 13. Julio felt so disappointed in himself that he always told himself he would be a better father than his, but it turned out he was just like him. 

   Julio and Jane only got married because Charlie was on the way, so it took a little while for Julio's attention to wander. Charlie was about 3 when they got divorced. Jane hated America, so she moved back to Britain. Julio had just landed the job as sheriff then. He made sure to get it every summer, at the least. 

   As Charlie got older, Julio felt he had a grudge for what he had done to Jane, but he wanted Julio to save him from Jane's erratic behavior. When Olly came along, Charlie told Julio that he had a new family now and that there wasn't a point of him coming to visit anymore. It was harsh, but Charlie wanted his father to be there for Olly and felt he would burden them. 

   Julio's heart nearly stopped when he got the call in the middle of the night. After all these years, Charlie still memorized the landline. Words couldn't express how more terror Julio felt when he heard what his baby boy had endured without his knowledge. 

   Jane had poor mental health. She didn't know how to be a mom because her mom used to beat her. She had man after man in the house until she married David Nelson, a man a decade younger than her and with tenfold mental illnesses. Charlie had lost his mother... he had been there for everything. He jumped from the second floor of the house to escape the burning down house. Julio could have saved him from this if he had fought more. 

   "Olly baby," Julio kneeled in front of Oliver. He had grown up so much since Charlie had last visited. Charlie always wanted a baby brother, so they would exchange letters and emails when Olly was old enough. Oliver was so excited to meet his Bubba in person. "I know you are excited, sweetie. Just don't jump on Charlie like you do when greeting others. He is injured, okay?" Julio reminded Oliver as Charlie's plane landed and people started coming out of the gate. 

   "Okay, Dad," Olly said like a little angel with a halo above his head. "I know Bubba is hurt. That's why I am going to take care of him,"

   "You are now?" Julio chuckled

   "Yeah! I cleaned his room and made his bed! I even saved him one of my favorite candies because he must be hungry after the longest flight,"

   "Atta boy, you have always been the strongest of the two of us," Julio pinched his cheeks and ruffled his hair before standing straight to look for Charlie. 

   Charlie had waited for everyone to get before him. He didn't want anyone to bump into him. It had been two months since the fire, and Uncle Antonio squished him in a big hug before boarding the plane, so he was still sore. 

   He walked out to see his little brother alone. Charlie raised an eyebrow, looking around for Julio. "Charlie Barley!"

   "Ack!" Charlie gasped. His father had mistaken him for another passenger. He picked him up in a hug and spun him around. "Daddy! Daddy! Ribs are still broken!" Charlie panicked.

   "Oh my god, I am so sorry," Julio gasped, setting him down and searching to see if he had done any real damage. 

   "I'm okay, you just scared me," Charlie hugged his dad with one hand. 

   "Y-you said you got your cast off. Are you still in a sling?" Julio widened his eyes, and his lips trembled. Charlie was so tiny, to begin with, but he looked skinnier from the back when Julio rushed to his bedside in May. 

   "I'm fine, Daddy. The doctor said to wear the sling for just a couple more weeks," Charlie said and looked down at Oliver, who was cautiously approaching. "Hi there, Olly," Charlie said softly, seeing Olly wanted to hug him but didn't want to break him. "C'mere, this is my good side... just don't hug too hard, okay?" Charlie said, and Olly nodded before hugging him like a glass figurine. "Are... you crying? Why is he crying?"

   "He loves you, baby. He is worried about you," Julio knitted his eyebrows together. He was tearing up, even more so because Charlie was extremely confused. 

   "I'm sorry..." Charlie frowned before Julio hugged him on his bad side but was careful. 

   "You're home now, Charlie Barley," Julio kissed his forehead.

   "I will be a good little brother and protect you, Bubba," Olly sniffled, and Charlie remained a little emotionless. He didn't know how to react to this from Olly or Julio.

   "Okay, Boys." Julio ruffled Charlie and Olly's hair before standing up. He placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder. He looked down to see the burn on the side of his neck, which was on the side he was touching, so he quickly moved to the other side. "Let's get your luggage and head home, okay?"

   "Yeah!" Holding Charlie's hand, Olly pulled at him, "I can't wait for you to see your room and meet Peanut!" Olly bounced a little hyper, not wanting to keep the emotional atmosphere between all of them.

   "Peanut?" Charlie asked.

   "It's Olly's cat he got for his birthday," Julio said, taking in his son's appearance. Emotion overtook the moment, so he only took in his injuries. Charlie was wearing all-black clothes and had on smeared emo eyeliner. His hair was dyed jet black with a purple streak. Julio saw this as Charlie going through an emo phase. It was clear how much pain he was in.

   "Oh, you have a kitty?" Charlie smiled. He loved animals—dogs more than cats, but he didn't hate cats either. Jane was allergic to pets, so he had never had one before.

   "You talk silly," Olly said, pointing out his brother's accent.

   "No, you talk silly, you little rascal," Charlie giggled, patting his head. He started to grab his bag from the area when he saw it, but Julio swatted him away to get them himself. "Thanks, Daddy... Were you able to take off work for the weekend?" he remembered his father saying that in his latest email.

   "No baby, I am so sorry," Julio sighed, and Charlie gave him a reassuring look, "It's just... there has been a lot of m-u-r-d-e-r-s lately," Julio spelled out, and Charlie raised an eyebrow.

    "In a small town like Kentwood?" Charlie asked

   "Yeah... we think it has a tie-in with a c-u-l-t," Julio said. He pinched the bridge of his nose and stopped. "Shit, I am so sorry, I don't want to trigger you,"

   "It's okay... it's just life," Charlie said, not wanting his dad to panic.

   "I know what you spelled. I am nine, not five," Olly said proudly. Charlie chuckled and high-fived Olly.

   "While we are on the topic, Charles... he has never been caught," Julio said, referring to David and Charlie's faces dropping. "Now I trust you to be alone at the house, but I am gonna have a guard for you until he is caught... and when the crime goes down in Kentwood,"

   "Daddy?" Charlie sighed, thinking his dad treated him like a baby, just like Olly felt.

   "I know. I told him we didn't need a babysitter. I could protect you alone," Olly huffed.

   "I know, you two are completely capable of protecting yourself. It's just precautionary," Julio told them both. Come on, we can eat at Harry's before I have to head in," Julio said, and Charlie tried to contain his face.

   "Char! Youre going to sit in the back with me, right!?" Olly said, bouncing, "I can protect you better like that and show you all the pictures I have drawn for you!"

—- 3:29 PM

Harry's Dinner, Kentwood, Oregon

   Charlie hadn't been to this restaurant in years, and he used to ask his father to go every day in the summers when he would visit. However, Charlie had developed many eating rules, and all this place had was greasy food and meat.

   "Are you sure you just wanted a soup?" Julio raised an eyebrow as it wasn't even soup. It was just some vegetable broth with ice cubes. "You used to love getting country fried steak and a big chocolate cherry milkshake, buddy? You don't have to worry about money,"

   "Oh... I'm not worried about that," Charlie explained. I am sort of a vegan now," Charlie said, and Julio widened his eyes as he was nowhere near equipped to cook for a vegan. He was still determining what he could eat on the menu if he were to list other things. "I am picky about salad, and I don't like hot foods because they're um..."

   "Well, you can still eat milkshakes and cake, can't you?" Olly widened his eyes, "Here, you can share this with me!" Olly handed Charlie some toast.

   "It has butter on it," Charlie chuckled at his little brother as he gave him back the bread.

   "But... But butter isn't meat,"

   "It isn't, but it is dairy," Charlie smiled and noogied his brother, "Don't worry about me. Eat your toast, Bubba. I had a lot to eat on the plane," Charlie said. He could tell his father wasn't fully convinced, so he tried to change the subject. "Did I make it into this semester at the high school?"

   "Oh, yes," Julio took the bait and explained everything he had been told. "You will start school on the 2nd in the senior year," he said, and Charlie sighed. He had worked hard to get enough credits to graduate early, but it hadn't been enough. "Youre also going to go to physical therapy in Port Higgs on Wednesdays and Therapy at the same place on Mondays,"

   "Oh, I don't have to go to therapy anymore," Charlie said, and Julio raised an eyebrow, as that's not what Antonio said. "Dr. Moon said that I was all better," Charlie shrugged. Julio passed on a tell when lying to Olly and Charlie: After they told a lie, their noses would scrunch up.

   "Is that so?" Julio said, and Charlie nodded confidently. So it's just like that? Are we already going to start lying to each other?" Julio was a pretty lax father, but he wasn't a pushover.

   "It... I don't like PT and Therapy," Charlie sighed, looking down at his soup and playing with his spoon. PT hurts. I went to one when I got the cast-off, and... therapists want time to talk about that day," Charlie said, showing emotion for the first time he was here.

   "Daddy, knock it off. You are scaring him," Olly said, hugging his brother.

   "Boys... I am not trying to be mean... I want Charlie to get better, and that means PT and talking about hard things," Julio said, placing his hand on top of Charlie's. The boy looked annoyed, but he knew that Julio was right.

   "I just... I don't want to," Charlie sighed.

   "I know, Bubba, but Daddy and I are going to be there for you," Olly patted him on the back. Charlie held back the pained face as Olly patted the burned side. He didn't want to scare Olly.

   "I know..." Charlie hugged his brother and father as they finished their first dinner together of many.

   "Okay... Vegematarian," Julio said to himself so he would remember it.

   "Vegan," Charlie explained.

   "Okay... er, is there anything else I need to know... I should probably go by the store when I get off work," Julio told himself.

   "I-I am gay," Charlie exclaimed out. Some older, nosey generation around them cringed at that and clutched their pearls.

   "Gay? Like in happy?" Olly asked.

   "Er... no, he likes boys and not girls," Julio said softly, hugging Charlie and kissing him on the forehead paternally. "I love you all the same. Do you think I would have a problem with that?" Julio raised an eyebrow

   "I dunno," Charlie blushed.

   "Well, I don't," Julio shrugged.

   "Yuck... Boys and Girls have cooties. I'm never going to like any of them," Olly crossed his arms, making the other laugh.

   "I think the guy who is going to be your School Buddy is the head of the SAG club at Kentwood High," Julio said, and Charlie raised an eyebrow.

   "Do you mean the GSA club?" Charlie asked as he was surprised a small town like Kentwood had a queer-friendly student body. "School Buddy? Who is he?"

   "Oh, it's what they call your guide. The school campus is a bit confusing, so you will have a guide for a week. And... I don't know if you know him, Tao Xu. He is a sweet kid," 

   Charlie was nervous about coming to America, a really small town, and he knew there would be homophobes and bullies everywhere. However, he didn't want to be in the closet any longer, especially since he had almost passed away.

   This would be different for Charlie. He would make the best of his life but didn't know how different life would be for him in return. Please Vote, Comment, Add to your reading list, and share with your friends:) Check out my subreddit for my writings r/QuinnLake.

[blackvulturezart]

Some of you know, some of you don't, but my username black vulture(z) comes from a Halestorm song, Black Vultures. They've been my favorite (Western) band for at least ten years. When they came to Italy in 2014, I had neither money nor physical possibilities (due to my disability) to go and see them. After almost ten years, I finally succeeded. I had already seen them live in 2019 and it was an incredible experience, but didn't get the chance to talk to them or take pics. This time, however, I managed to purchase the Meet & Greet and gave them prints of the drawings as gifts. Arejay asked me for my autograph and said he was a huge fan of mine. Lzzy was getting emotional, Josh and Joe were delighted to have received this gift. I drew every day, for hours, from 2014 onwards, with the idea of finally meeting them and being good enough to dedicate my art to them. This is just the beginning.

[brokenpiecesshine]

Halestorm on Instagram, 31/12/2023.

2023 is a wrap! Wow what a year it’s been!! Thanks to everyone in our Freak Family worldwide who bought tickets & stood in line, streamed our music, came to meet & greet to say hello, purchased vinyl and a t-shirt, or supported us in anyway this year - we love you and we couldn’t do it without you! 2024 is going to be an incredible year and we’re so excited to share it with you - Happy New Year Freaks!! 🍾🥳 📸 @jasonstoltzfus

[ms-rampage]

Familiar Taste of Poison 

Lloyd Hansen x Fem!reader 

Summary: Y/n has a habit of threatening Lloyd's men, so he has to teach her a lesson

Warnings: Language. Drugging. Smut. Some degradation. 18+. No minors beyond this point. 

Word count: 2.1k

Sorta based on the song "Familiar Taste of Poison" by Halestorm 

A/N: I do plan on writing more of Lloyd! Working on part 2 of "Sold Off"

Just by being associated with him, puts a huge target on your head. You use to live a normal life, you went to work and went back to your apartment in the city then you met Lloyd Hansen, you were lying if you didn't think he was attractive, maybe if he shaved that 70s porn-stache then yeah you'd fuck him, but you didn't really think much of him and you thought vise versa, but no Lloyd took an interest in you. 

Not by how innocent you look, even though you didn't look innocent to start with, but how you held yourself, he's stopped by your work a few times, you worked in a diner, and there were a few times where you raised your voice at some entitled, impatient customers because you were short-staffed, and you also had to make coffee, take orders while you, and 2 other coworkers try to move as fast as you can taking orders and getting them out, while your manager was nowhere to be found, probably taking another smoke break, that lazy, no good asshole. 

After a late shift, you finally leave, and go home. Working over time, you walk to your car, get in and drive home. Only a 15 minute drive from work to your apartment. 

Fast forward to a few weeks later, you meet Lloyd again while on your lunch break. You hate the food your work serves, crappy diner food that you couldn't bare to eat because it made you nauseous, so you went to the deli that is up the street from your work, and got your usual freshly made sandwich. 

You sat down, took a bite of it, and searched for a video to watch on YouTube. As you were eating, and watching your video, you felt a presence next to you, turning your head and you see him, that's right, him Lloyd Hansen, you didn't see him walk in, or when you walked into the deli, just the usuals sitting in their usual spots, doing their own thing. 

“Hello sunshine.” he greets you, showing off his pearly whites. 

You remove one of your earbuds, “Hi.” you respond awkwardly, “Can I help you?.”

He adjusts in his seat, facing you completely, “Yes you can.”

*8 months later*

“You want me to take out a gun, and blow a fucking hole in your head, right here, right now?!?!.” you threaten one of Lloyd’s men who is speaking utter complete nonsense which is what Lloyd absolutely hated, especially from the new guys. The so-called know-it-alls.  

“Miss Y/L/N.” he mutters, scared for his life. 

“You want that?!.” you threaten him. 

“N-no, no Miss Y/L/N.” his voice shaking, fear in his eyes. The poor guy has been working for Lloyd for a few weeks now, and he already got on your bad side.  

“Good, because I’d hate to kill another one of Lloyd’s men who thought it would be a good idea to get on my bad side.” you tell him. 

“A-also, uhh, Lloyd wants to see you in his office.” he finishes before being dismissed by you.

You wave your hand as a sign for him to leave your office, which he doesn’t hesitate to do. Months ago you were working in a diner, making minimum wage, and went home exhausted, only to do the same thing again the next day until you met Lloyd. You wouldn't say you have a short temper, but working retail, and hospitality had lowered your sanity because of how stupid, and entitled people can get. You tend to see that side of humanity. 

After that you didn’t worry about money, because he had it. He treated you well, he spoiled you, and not to mention the sex was unbelieveable. You knew what he did, to his, and also to your surprise it didn’t bother you, not even a bit. 

After getting word from the new guy, you downed the rest of your red wine that Lloyd had sent to your office. You poured yourself a little more wine before leaving for his office which is three doors down from yours, and it also has your shared bedroom attached to it. 

You approach the corridors, and open them to his office, “You wanted to see me?.”

"Yes pumpkin." he answers, standing up from his chair wiping his weapons "What have I told you about threatening my men?."

You shrug, your normal sarcastic, and smartass self "Not to threaten them." 

Placing his gun onto his desk, "And what have you been doing?." 

"Threatening them, but it's not my fault that they're idiots who get on my bad side.". you tell him, standing your ground like you always do. Lloyd knew what he was getting into when he took you under his wing. You're sarcastic, bold, blunt, strong-minded and straightforward. 

He cups your chin, forcing you to tilt your head back to look directly up at him. 

"What am I gonna do with you?." he tilts his head to the side, "Such a loose cannon."

You smile up at him, "I try.". You always had to sass him, as much as he hated it, but you knew he loved it, he just wouldn't say it. 

"What was it that you said? 'You want me to take out a gun, and blow a fucking hole in your head, right here, right now' is that what you said?." 

Shaking your head, "Thats exactly what I said, you heard that?." 

"You said it pretty loud sweetheart." he says, squeezing your chin, "God I love that mouth of yours."

Still holding your chin, he guides you back towards the doors to your bedroom, you were lost in a trance with those blue orbits of his that you didn't even notice the back of your knees hitting the end of your bed. 

You knew where this was going, and you were prepared for it. He's taken you hard, and rough before. 

To his surprise yet again, he was your first time, but at the same time he was honored, and a bit cocky when he took your virginity. Him being your first time boosted his ego to a new level. 

Lloyd pins you down into the bed, the look in his eyes, completely dark and sinister looking, he's not gonna show you any remorse. 

You always threaten his men, the new ones mostly, and he had enough of it, you've been a bit bratty. 

"You've been very bratty." he whispers in your ear, "And in gonna fuck it out of you until you can't walk properly."

Your breath hitches, your head suddenly starts spinning, vision is hazy, and you are unable to move your limbs.

"I know that look, might’ve been the wine I had sent to your office." he tells you, "Might have laced it. Might have not."

Did he drug you? If so, why? Was it necessary? He's never done it before. 

"W-why?." the only word you're able to mutter.

He moves a few strains of your hair away from your face, cupping it "Because pumpkin, you're a fighter, and I'm gonna need you… restricted. Not the first time I've drugged you cupcake, but this time it was in a slightly bigger dose."  

Your eyes wided, he wasn't wrong, you did enjoy fighting him when it came to sex, you've tried topping him, only for him to make you a bottom, you're very fiesty, but he did have his limits, he enjoyed taking control when you weren’t fighting, or resisting him. He could tie your hands to the headboard, and you would still find a way out of them.

The drugs he had slipped into your wine had stopped your movements completely, now you're laying there unable to move. You start to internally panic because you know what Lloyd was capable of, and only now it started to scare you. 

"L-Lloyd, please." you beg, wanting him not to do this, you weren't sure about being drugged, "I'll behave, I won't fight, please."

He clicks his tongue, "Oh princess, too late now. Can't magically cure you from the drugs." 

He shifts in bed, and starts to undo your pants, taking them off as well as your shoes. You couldn't tell, but you were 100% sure you were naked within a few minutes,  you might still have your bra on, you couldn't tell or remember if you put one on in the first place. Your hands pinned above your head, even though he wasn't even grabbing your wrists.

Lloyd started to strip out of his clothes, you hoped no one walked in, because it would be embarrassing for you to have anyone but Lloyd to see you naked and submissive. 

Yeah, you're a loud mouth, you don't take shit from anyone, except Lloyd, and you are gonna face a consequence of your actions. 

It's not just sex, it's sex with Lloyd, and he is one for edging, denial, choking, degrading and overall harsh punishments. 

It takes you back 8 months when you two first had sex, you wanted more of him, to feel him, to be underneath him. As much as he got under your skin, you still wanted him, it was like a sweet escape from reality, he was easy on you, but now he drugged you because you had to fight him when it came down to sex.

Without warning, he shoves his full length cock into you.  You let out a loud gasp, and it felt like you got stabbed down there. 

"It's okay sweetheart, you're doing so well." he whispers in your ear as he shoves himself in and out of you. Placing one of your legs over his massive shoulders. 

You can feel him in your stomach, if you could look down, you'd probably see a bulge in your gut, rearranging your insides. 

Not gonna lie, but being drugged made this sensation, the feeling, a lot better. The feeling of his cock going in and out with full force made you get there closer than usual, probably because you had no control over your body. 

"You're such a needy little slut aren't you?." he groans, grabbing a handful of your hair "My desperate, needy little whore." Making your head go back, as he attacks your neck, continuing his fast, rough pace, stretching you out, as soft whines and mews escape your lips. 

"F-fuck." you whine, as your body obeys Lloyd's movements. Tears rolling down your cheeks, you feel an orgasm coming, but you know he's gonna deny you. 

"I-I'm.. gonna." 

"You will do no such thing, pumpkin, you will cum when I tell you to cum. Understand?." 

You loved it when he was in his dominant headspace, which was all the time. "Y-yes." you're able to whine, looking and sounding pathetic.

"Yes what?." he asks, tilting his head as he continues to rearrange your insides at an aggressive, painful pace. 

"Yes, daddy." 

"That's right sweetheart."

He continues to fuck you like his little toy whore, making you hit your climax, and cum, not once, not twice, not thrice but four times and each time he denied you to cum, and edge your desperate ass. Your energy was completely drained even when the drugs wore off, he kept on going, he's relentless. He knows your body better than you do.

"F-fuck daddy." you cry, feeling the painful soreness between your legs, "Fuck, you feel so good." He places a kiss on your forehead slowing down his rough pace. One hand holding your leg while the other holds the back of your head, tight grip on your hair, the only thing you can do is grip the bed sheets. 

"You're so good to your daddy." he chuckles into your ear, "A loud mouth smartass, but you're so good to me."

Both your bodies covered in sweat, he rolls off of you before getting every last drop of cum into your pussy. Laying beside you with one arm behind his head. You're a panting, sweaty, messy hair mess, legs sore. Your whole body is sore, Lloyd isn't even tired, he looks like he could go another round or 2. 

"I hope you learned your lesson, pumpkin." he says, turning to his side to face you. Breathing heavily, tears still running down your cheeks. 

"Was drugging me really necessary?" you ask him, turning your head to look him in the eyes.

"Yes, I like it when you're submissive and I'm in control." he tells you, moving one of his hands onto your waist to bring you closer to him.

You scoff, "You're an asshole." He chuckles, moving your hair away from your face "But I'm your asshole, and you're stuck with me." He places another kiss on your forehead, before placing another on your lips. 

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

HALESTORM's 'Back From The Dead' Would Have Been A 'Completely Different Record' Had It Not Been For The Pandemic

HALESTORM was interviewed by Liv Maddix of 105.7 The Point backstage at Pointfest on Saturday, September 24 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St, Louis, Missouri. Asked how different the band's latest album, "Back From The Dead", would have been had it not been for the global pandemic, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale said: "It would be a totally, completely different record, or it wouldn't have happened [at all], especially in the way that it was. 'Back From The Dead' is really a true depiction of that journey that we were going through.

"The craziest moment was we were all listening to the final mixes, and we were, like, 'Guys, I think we made a heavy record,'" she recalled. "We weren't really intending on doing that, but we didn't have a stage to lay any of those emotions out on, we didn't have the camaraderie that we do with other bands, we weren't seeing live music, so we had to lay it out there somewhere. So it would have been completely different."

HALESTORM's fifth studio album album, "Back From The Dead", was released in May via Atlantic. The follow-up to 2018's "Vicious" was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, MASTODON, ALICE IN CHAINS) with co-production by Scott Stevens (SHINEDOWN, DAUGHTRY, NEW YEARS DAY).

Lzzy (guitar, vocals) and her brother Arejay Hale (drums) formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

A month ago, Arejay spoke to Rock 100.5 The KATT about what it has been like touring during the coronavirus pandemic. He said: "Touring is different now. We're all trying to be very, very safe and just make sure that we don't have to postpone any dates. So we're still kind of doing a very 'bubble'-esque type of tour where we're not hanging out with people after the show. We have to put meet-and-greets on hold for a little bit, just to make sure that we can continue to do shows and we don't have to stop our tour for any reason. But it's honestly fine.

"We're coming back on tour and playing shows with a whole new… We feel rejuvenated almost completely 'cause we've had the most time off the road since our first album came out," he continued. "So coming back into it, we have a much better understanding of how to maintain physically, maintain mentally, not get too crazy, and we just don't take it for granted.

"Live shows were — poof! — taken away from us for so long, and I think a lot of us didn't realize how important it was for our collective mental health," Arejay added. "So I think that we're at this new mental state where we're, like, let's go up on stage and give it our all every night. 'Cause who knows — it could all be gone tomorrow, so let's play every show like it's our last."

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable". Six years earlier, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)".

[bakuhoes-dumbass]

Love at first Lyric

Kuroo x F!Reader

Words: 1.7k

Slight Angst/Fluff

A/N: Currently obsessed with Haikyuu so I needed to write something. This isn’t really my best work so bare with me. ;^;

~~~

A recently depressed Kuroo comes to see you perform with your cover band for the first time.

~~~

Kuroo sighs, his head in his hands as he sits on the sidelines of the volleyball court. Kenma and Yaku glance at each other in worry before looking back at the team captain. Yaku sits down next to him and pats Kuroo on the shoulder.

"You doin alright there, big guy?"

Kuroo shakes his head, removing his hands from his face and side-eyes the libero. "I mean, the person I've been pining for the last few months of my life led me on, found themselves a partner and doesn't talk to me anymore." Kuroo sighs and buries his face in his hands once again. "So no, not doin alright right now, thanks for asking."

Kenma lightly slaps the back of the short boy's head, earning him a slight glare. He sits down on the other side of Kuroo, opening his phone to play his game. "You know, Shoyo said Tsuki's cousin is in this cover band and they're playing tonight in Tokyo. We should go, take your mind off of everything."

Kuroo looks at his best friend. "I dunno…"

"Dude, a concert?! I'm totally down!" Lev pops up out of nowhere with a goofy grin on his face.

"Of course you are." Kenma mumbles with an eye roll. He speaks directly to Kuroo once again. "Come on, you need it."

Kuroo raises a brow at the pudding headed boy, who hasn't looked up from his game. "You, Mr. Anti-social, want to go out to a venue that holds multiple people in one teeny tiny space?"

Kenma sighs. "Can you please just come?"

Kuroo chuckles lightly. "Fine. Only because you asked."

Kenma gives Kuroo a light smile before tuning back to his game. The rest of the team chats excitedly about tonight's concert, not noticing Kuroo's smile fading, once again, into a look of heartbreak.

~~~

"Yay! You guys made it!"

The Nekoma team smiles at the excited ginger, who was bouncing around. Kageyama grabbed Hinata by the collar and dragged him away to calm him down. Tsukishima scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Did you have to invite everyone to this?"

Hinata pouts and struggles against Kageyama's hold. "Calm down, it was just Kenma and the rest of the Nekoma team. Not a big deal."

Daichi and Sugawara sweatdrop at the interactions before turning to Nekoma and greeting everyone. Kuroo keeps quietly behind everyone, making Daichi tilt his head in concern. Usually he'd be the first one to greet everyone with a large smile. But before he could say anything, the lights in the venue dimmed, causing the crowd's talks to turn into a quiet murmur. Suddenly a spotlight appears on stage, revealing you and your band. The crowd cheers, a smile sliding across your lips.

"Hey guys! My name is Y/N and we are Cats Cradle!" The crowd goes wild, making you laugh. "Tonight we will be covering some of your favorites! Up first is 'Remember We Die' by Gemini Syndrome!" The crowd goes wild as the music starts and you bring the mic closer to your body, opening your mouth to sing.

Can you lend me a hand? Can you help me to see? Can you reconcile this war inside of me?

As soon as the lyrics leave your mouth, Kuroo's jaw drops. His eyes fixate on you, the angelic vocals that hit his ears causing the room around him to fade. With wide eyes, he focuses on nothing but you.

Remember we die But you're still alive So don't let go Cause it's the only thing you know There's plenty of time To see the other side

You get to the chorus, belting out the words with full emotion. Kuroo's heart beats faster, completely mesmerized by your voice and visuals, watching only you the entire time.

The crowd roars as you finish the set. A wide smile drifts over your features.

"Thank you everyone! Next song is going to change the pace a bit." You wave to the band, who exits off-stage. "You're all stuck with just little-ole-me! Next up, 'My Strange Addiction' by Billie Eilish!"

Kuroo's hands clench at the mention of the song title. It's one of his favorites and he gets to see this beautiful person in front of him sing. The music starts up over the speaks, as the lights dim once more and the spotlight is on you.

Don't ask questions you don't wanna know Learned my lesson way too long ago To be talkin’ to you, belladonna Shoulda taken a break, not an Oxford comma Take what I want when I wanna And I want ya

Kuroo watches you in awe, your eyes closed while singing passionately. He focuses on how your body sways back and forth to the beat, making his tongue dart out to moisten his drying lips.

Bad, bad news One of us is gonna lose I'm the powder, you're the fuse Just add some friction

Your eyes snap open suddenly and gaze over the crowd. Your eyes lock on Kuroo's, making his breath hitch. The world dissolves around you while gazing into those bronze-like eyes and your heart skips a beat. The two of you stare at one another while you sing the chorus.

You are my strange addiction You are my strange addiction My doctors can't explain My symptoms or my pain But you are my strange addiction

You tried to share your gaze to the rest of the crowd, however you couldn't help but snap your eyes back to the mysterious black-haired beauty in the crowd. You gave up the fight and continued your performance while melting at the man in the crowd. As the performance finished, you sent the man a wink and walked off the stage.

Kuroo's heart beats fast and his breath is quick. 'What the hell was that?' He holds his hand to his heart, willing it to stop beating so fast. 'That girl…wow.'

"Uh, Kuroo?" Kenma looks at his best friend with furrowed brows, noticing he's in a dazed state, his hand on his chest. "Uh, are you okay?"

"Kenma…" Kuroo breathes out. His eyes are still on the spot on stage where you just left. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Kenna's eyes widen at the question but let's out a small laugh. "You know, I brought you here to keep your mind off of 'you-know-what', not to fall in love with Tsuki's cousin." Kuroo is still dazed, not replying. Kenma sighs and shakes his head, a small smile on his face.

Suddenly there are small cheers in the crowd near their group. You emerged from the crowd, bowing as you passed by. "Ah, thank you for coming, everyone. Thank you- TSUKI!"

You smile at the tall salty man who just looks at you with a look of disdain. Hinata jumps on your back laughing. "Y/N, you did amazing!!"

You laugh and pat the boy on the head. "Thanks, Hinata! I really appreciate you all coming!"

"Oh, Y/N!" Hinata jumps off your back and stands next to a group of boys you've never seen before. You notice one of the guys was the mysterious one you made eye contact with, making your face heat up. "We brought a few friends, they're from Nekoma!" Hinata proceeds to introduce every boy and you give them each a smile and small greeting. He then lands on the one you were most curious about. "And last but not least, this is Kuroo. He's the their team's captain!"

You and Kuroo stare into eachothers eyes for a moment in silence, making everyone shift uncomfortable. You give him a small smile. "Um, hi Kuroo. I'm Y/N."

Kuroo swallows the lump in his throat and gives you a shaky smirk. "H-hey. Nice to meet you."

The awkwardness of the situation makes Kenma grimace. He turns to the rest of the group and gestures to give you and Kuroo some space. Everyone understands and backs off, turning to find their own conversations with each other. Tsukishima glares at the exchange Kuroo has with you but listens anyway, knowing Kuroo is a decent guy.

Kuroo breathes a sigh of relief and silently thanks Kenma. "Your set was amazing. You can really sing."

You fiddle with your fingers and let out a light laugh. "Oh, thank you. I have a lot of fun while doing it."

The two of you make light conversation [and small flirts] up until the lights start to dim on and off. You look up at the sound booth before turning back to Kuroo. "Ah, that's my cue. I gotta go back up and finish my set."

You go to turn around before feeling a hand grip your wrist lightly. You turn your head to see a red-faced Kuroo. He quickly released you, rubbing the nape of his neck. "U-Um, sorry. I-I didn't mean to grab you. I just wanted to know i-if you would want to...you know… go out some time? W-with me?"

Your eyes widen and your face heats up once again, but you nod quickly and smile. "I would love that, Kuroo." You take a marker from your back pocket and grab his hand, writing your phone number on the back. "Shoot me a text and we'll make a date." Winking at him, you wave to the rest of the boys before heading back on stage.

"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE! GET READY FOR THIS!" You yell into the mic and hold your hand up for the band to start playing.

OOOOH, I MISS THE MISERY!

I've been a mess since you stayed I've been a wreck since you changed Don't let me get in your way I miss the lies and the pain The fights that keep us awake I'm telling you

Kuroo stands there in shock, still staring at your number on the back of his hand. His face is beat red and his smile grows into a large grin. His eyes snap up to you on stage, his grin wide.

I miss the bad things The way you hate me I miss the screaming The way that you blame me Miss the phone calls When it's your fault I miss the late nights Don't miss you at all

Kenma glances to the side, noticing a head-bobbing Kuroo with a smile on his face and the sparkle returns to his eyes. He's glad to see his friend's spark back. He knew you'd be good for him.

~~~

A/N: Last song is ‘I miss the Misery’ by Halestorm. Sorry this was kinda shit LOL.

[godzillafan122]

Fuck I am seeing both Halestorm and Metallica in the coming months. Ain't gonna risk shit!!

don't risk it

if you don’t reblog in 500 seconds you will never be able to meet your fave band/artist

[badwolf-winchester]

Ancient Bloodlines

Pairing: Loki x Emy Nightstar (OC)

OC Summary: Emy is the newest Avenger. She specializes in Magic and close range attacks/ weapons. Her heritage is unknown to her as she was left at an orphanage door step when she was a young girl with only the memory of her name. She goes by her nickname Emy but has never told anyone her full name as its a reminder of her being abandoned. Emy can see through any illusion and Magic no matter how powerful they are or how strong the magic is and is unaware of this. Her powers include Telekinesis, Elemental Control, True Sight (as stated above) Enhanced healing and Shifting (she wont discover this till much later in the story). She loves to read, listen to music, play violin, sing, and draw.

Story Info: Takes place after infinity wars. Tony and Natasha are alive Steven comes back from the future after giving back the infinity stones. Vision is alive and living with Wanda in the tower. Thor and Loki live in the tower with the rest of the Avengers and for the sake of the story Himedall is alive and living with the rest of the Asgardians on earth in New Asgard (you will find out why later)

One last thing: Please do not repost my work on any other site or social media, however reblogging on here is fine. I work hard on all of my fanfics and it’s disappointing when people take my work as their own. I am the creater of all my OCs such as Sora Nightstar, Emy Nightstar, and Lithium Nightstar. My inbox is open for any and all requests as i am a multi fandom writer. Let me know how you like the story and i will do my best to answer any and all questions. As always i encourage any and all feedback as it helps with my writing. I hope you all like it!

The Beginning

They say that your parents are there to teach you the rules of the world, but what happens when you have no parents? Who will teach you then? The world is cruel but people are crueler. Ive learned this first hand when the person i trusted most in this world left me on the door step of the St. Trinity’s Orphanage. I was 9 when my mother told me she didn’t want me anymore and i guess I couldn’t really blame her. I mean who could love someone who couldn’t control the powers that grew with each passing year. Someone who started fires out of thin air when they had nightmares, conjured whirlwinds when startled, unfurled earthquakes when angered, spring forth rain showers when sad, and levitate objects when riddled with anxiety. I will never forget that day for its seared into my mind like its own person brand echoing with every beat of my heart. A monster thats what she called me, her own flesh and blood was a monster in her eyes, and i could see the relief when she ran from the solid oak door finally rid of the burden she had to put up with throughout the years. An abomination she cried as she reached the cobblestone sidewalk eager to be rid of me and by the pace she was going at i could tell she had more spring in her step than on the walk over from the bus we exited from. Unnatural she bellowed as she disappeared around the corner a ghost of a smile springing from her lips as she disappeared. These where the last words i would ever hear from my mother, if thats what you would call her.

Emy’s POV

Tonight was just like any other. Crisp cold air submerged the city in a blanket of dark and silence while it settled into your bones. I never minded the cold in fact I welcomed it, it reminded me of the cabin i found one year after running away from one of the many abusive foster homes i was forced to stay with. I’ll admit it was one of the times I was able to avoid the social workers for longer than a week and the happiest I had ever been in my life up until i was captured by Hydra. When I had a flair up with my powers, which usually ended up being fire, i would immediately get sent back to St. Trinity’s but this time i ran before they had the chance to toss me aside. The staff there used to place bets on how long i would stay with a family, they would joke saying i was cursed or jinxed but i knew the truth, no one wanted me. Once the parents found out about my abilities I was sent packing. I was labeled as a flight risk and a danger to others which only deepened my anti socialism.

Walking through the streets of New York i pull my dark purple jacket on and my dark brown hair in a pony tail as I get closer to my destination. Because i don’t feel the effects of the cold weather Tony, being such the dad figure he is, has made it his priority to make sure i still wear one just incase so here i was walking home in black ripped up jeans, a black v neck T-shirt, black and purple checkered vans and a light weight dark purple jacket. With my headphones in my ears and “I like it heavy” by Halestorm blasting I make my way to the place i call home, Stark Tower. Walking through the front doors i make my way past the receptionist who always greets me with a bright smile. As I walk towards the elevator I give her a small smile back and a head nod. After entering the elevator and pressing the button for the penthouse I start to reflect on how i got here.

By the time i was 15 Hydra found me in that cabin and took me away. I went from hopping from family to family to being used as a science experiment, constantly being poked and prodded just so they could get a reaction out of me. As a child my powers where very unstable mostly flaring up with my emotions, its no wonder that Hydra caught wind of me its not like i was hiding it very well or more so that i couldn’t hide it. They tried to wipe my memory to gain control of me “a blank slate” is what they wanted, but for some reason, they failed as I wasn’t susceptible to their conditioning methods no matter how much time i spent in the chair. However, I could tell they were scared of me I could see it in their eyes. This didn’t last long though as they used what they called their perfect weapon code name Winter Soldier to beat me into submission. After that first meeting that left me with a broken arm and a fractured ankle i started to obey, since then Ive met the Soldier a couple of times but if he remembers me he dosent let on and I dont blame him, he has been in that chair so many times Im genuinely surprised he can even remember how to walk. He is stronger than the others as most of the other test subjects had turned to vegetables after the 4th mind wipe, he was on his 10th the last time i saw him with Hydra.

Another test was done on me and this one was different. They used a teseract? If thats what they called it I can’t be sure nor did I care all I could feel was pain like as if someone injected lava in my veins. After they injected me I started screaming after a while I couldn’t even hear myself anymore, my throat was so sore and horse from the constant roar of my agony I just wanted it to end. How long was I out for? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Days? Years? They didn’t keep clocks there or at least not in the dungeon like cell they had me in. When the fire faded i was left with this numbness and after further tests I realized that I was immune to fire. I can literally stick my hand in fire and i will be left untouched and unscorched. They did the same test with freezing temperatures to see if they could subdue me at least in some way. I must have been out longer than just a couple of days as during the tests i didn’t recognize any of the Doctors. In that moment I realized something, if they were trying to contain me then something must have happened to the soldier. It was time to plan my escape.

Back in my cell i could hear footsteps approaching me and then stop short. One of the scientists frantically trying to talk some sense into someone just out of my line of sight. “She is immune to anything we throw at her sir. We have done every test we could there is nothing left for us to do.” One of the goons in a lab coat stated to what i assumed is a higher up. “Bolden If her powers keep growing at the rate they are it could be days in which she will be unstoppable and with the soldier gone we dont have anything that can keep her in line. She broke Mandy and Rays arms the last time we tested her. She is getting too strong.” Brining a hand up to his chin the higher up Bolden stepped out of the shadows and looked at me with deep interest before he turned to looked at the man and scoffed. As he walked away i felt a cold chill ran down my back as I anticipated what was to become of me; I knew it was nothing good i had already broken their rules. His next words only confirmed what I feared. “ Its simple. Break her spirit or kill her Doctor. And when i say break her i mean in anyway means necessary.” His sadistic laugh is the last thing i remember before everything went black.

Its been 2 years since i have escaped and now I’m living in the avengers tower. I don’t remember what happened after that night in my cell its all a blur of red, screams, and gunshots. When i woke up next i was in a 6ft crater where I was being held captive without a scratch on me. Trees were uprooted and fallen over as if a bomb went off. Luckily the Avengers showed up not long after me waking up and took me to their base where i met Directer Fury. With his permission and 24/7 surveillance provided by Tony Stark via FRIDAY and training sessions to get my powers under control i was allowed to join the Avengers and fight for good. Little did i know that by agreeing to this I would end up in the path of a certain God or Gods who were also taking residence at the tower.

With the sound of a *ding* the elevator shook me out of my mind and back to the present. As i exited the elevator I pulled my head phones out of my ears and was instantly met with the sound of Tony losing his mind. “Where did she go? She knows she can’t be out this late. She could be taken again! Its 5 minutes past her curfew!” Rolling my eyes I roll my headphones up and shove them in my pocket and round the corner. “Tony it takes 5 minutes to get from the lobby to the penthouse calm down. I bet she will walk through that door anytime now.” Came the sweet voice of reason of none other than Pepper Potts. “I’m Home.” I said in a deadpan voice as i walked by the couple only for Tony to stand up and intercept me by placing a hand on my upper arm. “Where did you go and why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?” I looked at him and raised an eyebrow pushing his hand off me. “Tony its Wednesday. I have training with Strange on Wednesdays and I had Friday alert you as I was leaving but you were in the lab with Bruce.” Not sure what to say next Tony mumbled a small apology. “Sorry I was just worried about you. I know you are grown enough to make your own choices as you are 25 but I just want to make sure you are safe. How was the training with The Wizard?” Sighing and shaking my head just wanting to go the library and read I decided to just let it go. “Strange is a hard ass that much you already know. It wasnt bad actually I think I’m warming up to him. I didn’t spontaneously throw him to the wall when he snuck up behind me as i was going over the ancient texts so i call that improvement.” I said sheepishly while side stepping around him. “I’m gonna go to the library now and grab some light reading before bed you guys have a good night.” With out waiting for a response I quickly made my way towards my new destination only to have Tony saying something about guests in the house but I ignored him.

Pushing open the library door I make my way to the poetry section to grab my usual copy of Edgar Allen Poe that I read before bed. As my had reached for the spot i knew i put the book in i find that its not there. “Wait what? Where is my book? I know I put it back here before I left for training so where did it go?” Frustrated I stomp back over to the entrance and rip open the door ready to go on a murder spree while shouting down the hallway. “CLINT! You better give me back my night time book or I’m breaking all your arrows again! No one reads in this tower but me! How stupid do you think I am!?” Straining my ears I listen for any type of movement but was met with dead silence. After a minute I finally hear movement through the vents coming from the west part of the tower and I take off sprinting. Sliding around a corner I barely miss colliding with Steve and Bucky who look like they were on their way back from a mission. Offering a quick apology before I continue my pursuit I hear Steve yell “Hey! No running in the tower!” Not faltering in my hot pursuit of the Hawk thief I continue to zip through the tower ignoring the Captains words until i was almost to the vent that lead to the 2 level family room. Using the railing for the steps leading down to the family area to give me more height i jumped as close to the vent as possible and conjured my signature Scythe to slice through it while twisting in the air kicking the vent free and off its track. A shocked and terrified scream resonates from the vent as the culprit falls to the ground with a thud and a grunt. I landed in a crouched position and slowly straightened to my full hight. “What the hell Emy?! When did you learn to do that?!” Clint yells as he sits up rubbing his left shoulder that he landed on. I started stalking towards him with the blade of my scythe scrapping across the ground as i went while giving him a death glare. “Give me back my book Barton.” At the mention of his last name his head snapped up to me fear replacing the pain from his fall. “Oh shit last name not good.” Scrambling up on his feet he turns and runs towards the common room that connects to the elevator with me hot on his tail and my scythe trailing behind me in my right hand.

“Shit shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!!” He yells as he makes it fully to the room only to fling forward as i jump and kick his back tired of all the running. Twirling my weapon around I place it at his neck sneering at him. “I will not ask you again.” I said placing pressure on his neck with my blade. Sensing a fast moving object coming from my left from the kitchen I move my head back 3 inches as what looked like a hammer flew by me embedding itself in the wall. Turning my head slowly in the direction of the flying object, I confirmed it was indeed a hammer that was thrown at me. Irritation flared through me as i released Clint from the end of my scythe and turned fully to the kitchen to face my attacker. There stood 2 men that i did not recognize, one tall oak of a man with blond short hair, blue eyes and tan skin in blue jeans, a red T-shirt ,and grey jacket. the other shorter man made me stare at him and faultier for a second as he was so different from anyone i have ever seen, dark blue skin covered his entire body with darker almost black symbols and piercing red eyes, long black hair with black jeans, a green dress shirt and black jacket. Tearing my gaze away from his own curious one i looked between both men before i clenched my jaw letting my irritation settle back in. “Which one of you threw that hammer.” I said venom dripping with every word. “Whoa its ok Emy thats just Thor and Loki they are the asgardian Gods that live here in the tower part time when they are not in Norway.” Clint said standing up quickly. Not moving from my position i narrowed my eyes and flicked them over in Clint’s direction. The ground started to shake as my irritation and annoyance grew to anger remembering what i was doing before being interrupted by the Gods. Throwing his hands up in surrender he then quickly reached into his back pocket and retrieved my book. “Ok ok dont blow a fuse Em.” He said while tossing me my possession stopping me from causing an earthquake. Catching it in the air with my left had I inspected the book to make sure it wasn’t damaged before I let go of my scythe, with a wave of my hand it disappeared back to the pocket dimension I keep it in then looked back at Clint as the tremors stopped. “Touch my things again and i will be wearing your guts like my mom’s pashmina.” I said to the thief before walking out of the room and disappeared down the hallway not giving the Gods a second glance. As I entered my room i could hear a silky voice ring out from the kitchen. “Well isnt she interesting.”

Part 2 coming soon

@nickkie1129

[citadelofmythoughts]

Any fandoms you want to talk more about but feel like others will judge you for? Mostly just wanting to get to know you more since I've been following you for a while

TBH I don't have any other media fandom I'm a huge part of. I do have some music fandoms but I rarely talk about them here because there doesn't seem to be much interest.

I've been following Halestorm since 2010 and adore them. I met them when their meet & greet was like 3 fans including me and now they're playing stadiums.

And my fave solo artist is LIGHTS. Been in her fandom since 2009 and I've lost track of how many shows I've been to. I love her with all my heart.

[shotsbyshae]

The Reckoning

Warnings: Language

Words: 2.4k

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x Fem!Reader

Summary: The aftermath of Freaking Me Out

Song: The Reckoning by Halestorm

Ransom Drysdale Masterlist

*Spoiler free: no movie connections whatsoever.

I should have known better than that. I should have known all along.

For the first several days, the TV screen in the corner of the room stays off.

A black void.

You can’t stand the sight of his face popping up every few minutes.

The sound of his name and yours in the same sentence.

You never imagined you could be angrier than you were when Steve left.

Unaware you’d allowed Ransom that much control over your emotions – how?

When?

Being stuck in a hospital bed only agitates you further and you constantly find yourself apologizing to Parker for snapping at him – at least he’s understanding. He takes your anger with stride and doesn’t look at you with pity, his dark eyes only full of warmth and kindness. Peter doesn’t let you see his anger, unlike Sam and Bucky, who don’t try and hide their hatred for Drysdale.

***

“Both accounts are in your name,” Sam states, as Ransom sits across from him in the small interrogation space. “Both show large cash withdrawals, a total of fifteen grand – money to hire the shooter?”

Ransom shakes his head, “No, I swear – I had nothing to do with it.” His eyes plead with the man across from him. “I’m telling the truth. I sure as hell never paid anyone fifteen thousand dollars to shoot her. I wouldn’t.” He glances to the bank statements that Sam slides in front of him.

“That’s not what your girlfriend says,” Barnes interrupts from where he’s leaning against the wall.

He slams his fist on the table angrily, “She’s not my –” His voice trails off as he takes a moment to calm down, lowering his voice. “She’s not my girlfriend. I barely fucking know her.” Ransom huffs as he glances back at the statements once more, noticing something. “Wait – this one isn’t even my account.”

Almost 2 Weeks Later

Ransom’s losing track of time in the S.H.I.E.L.D. containment facility, but at least it’s better than prisoner. He’s asked anyone who will listen and everyone who won’t, to try and contact you.

“I just need five minutes – please.”

If anyone will believe him – it’s you.

Right?

Are you still in the hospital?

Surely not.

If that’s the case, then why haven’t you been by to see him?

Ransom knows why.

Hell, he’d believe it too if he were you.

The door to his cell unlocks and Nick Fury enters, his face solemn as he closes the door behind him slowly.

“Mr. Drysdale,” the man greets him with a sympathetic sigh. “This isn’t easy – it’s about your grandfather – Harlan.” Ransom’s brow furrows in concern at the agent’s demeanor. “I’m sorry, but he passed away this morning.”

***

Three black SUVs slowly roll to a stop in front of the large mansion. Wilson climbs from the driver seat of the second vehicle while Barnes exits the passenger side, both dressed in solid black S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms. Bucky opens the rear door and not-so-gently jerks Ransom from the backseat. He’s dressed in a black suit – curtesy of his mother – wrists cuffed.

“If you make a move,” Sam comments, slipping the key into the cuffs.

“Please – do,” Bucky smiles menacingly as Wilson removes the shackles, then shoves the man forward.

Once inside the house, Ransom sees the rest of his family have gathered in the study. His father, Richard stands at the sight of him and walks towards the foyer, while his grandfather’s attorney Alan exits the kitchen opposite the study.

Ransom hears Fury’s voice behind him, but it’s the sharp sound of heels clicking against the old hardwood that catches his attention. He turns, surprised at the sight of you walking into the foyer, hands shoved casually into the pockets of the black trench coat you have tied at the waist.

His heart stops.

Never fully realizing how much he’s missed you until this moment.

He’d give anything for a moment alone with you – to talk – apologize and explain that he had nothing to do with it. He could never hurt you – would never in a million years do that – not to you.

When you glance at him, it’s cold – empty. It’s obvious your mind is made up and there’s no salvation for him. It shouldn’t surprise him, it’s not like anyone’s ever really believed in him.

Why would you believe me?

“What’s she doing here?” Richard asks Alan, disgust apparent in his voice as he glances at you.

“It was one of Harlan’s requests,” the attorney responds with a shrug of his shoulders before entering the study.

Richard moves closer to Ransom, placing a hand on his shoulder, “How are you holding up, son?”

He cuts his eyes at his father, annoyed at the mock attempt of sincerity, before his attention turns back to you moving past him to the study, “Thanks for coming.” His words are soft, and they make you stop in your tracks. “Granddad would’ve appreciated it.”

You turn sharply on Ransom, your glare almost as hateful as your tone, “I’m here for Harlan – not you.”

 Once everyone is settled inside the study, Ransom’s thoughts drown at Alan’s voice as he speaks from the front of the room. He’s sitting in a corner chair, where he can see you from the corner of his eye. Barnes and Wilson standing directly behind him – vigilant over their prisoner. You’re standing in the back, poised like a force to be reckoned with. The look in your eyes is cold and calculating – a look Ransom is familiar with.

If he hadn’t invited you to the book launch, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. That crazy bitch Ashley was obviously jealous – that’s the only motive he can think of.

His eyes glance around as Alan lists everything Harlan owned, and he slowly begins to realize only his parents and Uncle Walt are present for the reading of the will – odd – not that he cares.

“Harlan wrote up a small statement here. ‘Recently I made choice, after witnessing something I didn’t think possible, which would leave my grandson, Ransom Drysdale as the sole heir to the Thrombey fortune.” Ransom’s eyes widen in shock at the revelation, his mind racing with those words. “Unfortunately, due to the recent events with Ransom, that is no longer an option. Therefore, I, Harlan Thrombey, being of sound mind and body – blah, blah – my assets, both liquid and otherwise, leave in their entirety to –” Alan’s voice meets a stunned silence as your name falls from his mouth.

“What the hell?!” Walt exclaims, slowly standing up angrily.

“You’re joking, right?” Richard stares at Alan for a moment as Linda glances back at you slack-jawed.

“I’m afraid not,” Alan says calmly.

“How is this even possible?” Walt shakes his head, his face turning red.

“I’ll tell you how,” Richard remarks, turning towards you menacingly, his finger stabbing in your direction. “That manipulative bitch.” He practically snarls. “You got inside Harlan’s head, making him think Ransom could be anything more than the ungrateful prick that he is.” Richard’s eyes narrow for a brief second, ignoring Linda’s protest at his comment.

“Richard!”

Ransom begins to object to his father’s tirade, but Barnes clamps a hand on his shoulder roughly, keeping him in his seat. The look Bucky shoots down at him isn’t just a warning – it’s something more.

Drysdale grips the ends of the chair arms angrily, knuckles turning white from lack of blood flow as his father continues the verbal assault. “Maybe, if he’d paid his little girlfriend more than ten grand, she would have put that bullet through your heart and saved us all a lot of trouble.”

Ten.

The number strikes Ransom and he glances between Wilson and Barnes. From the look the two of them share, they caught it too and he looks over to where you stand, seeing the tick in your jaw.

You begin to cross the study toward Richard, “Funny, no one ever said publicly how much Ashley was paid. That information was –” The sound of your heels echoes on the hardwood as you take each step painstakingly slow. “Classified.” An all-knowing smirk begins to spread across Ransom’s features. “Even when my guys questioned him and said fifteen grand had been withdrawn from his accounts, he just assumed that was how much Ashley was paid – until he saw the accounts and realized one of them wasn’t his. You seriously didn’t think we wouldn’t run the other charges on the account you opened in Ransom’s name?” You raise a curious eyebrow at Richard who is fuming at your revelations. “Go and pull the security footage from those hotels. A separate account under your son’s name for your affairs – smart – even for you, Dick.” Linda looks over at her husband in shocked silence and betrayal.

A sense of relief begins to wash over Ransom and for the first time in weeks, he feels like he can breathe again. You glance slightly over your shoulder at him, the determined look on your face unwavering, but you wink at him.

Richard drops his head as Walt shakes his head, furious with his brother-in-law, “Dammit Richard.”

Turning your glare over to the other man, you fold your arms across your chest, “And you – thinking Harlan wouldn’t recognize Ashley as the intern from three summers ago at the publishing company – really?”

Flashback

It’s almost a week into your hospital stay when there’s a knock on your door before it opens slightly, revealing a familiar bald head.

“Are you up for a visitor?” Fury questions. “There’s someone who’d like a moment with you.”

“Okay,” you respond hesitantly, it’s not like Nick to ask before doing things.

“Parker – outside,” he states and Peter jumps to his feet quickly, following the order.

You’re surprised when Harlan Thrombey enters the room slowly, closing the door behind him. He turns to you with a look of concern on his elderly face, “Hello dear, we need to talk.”

Present Day

“Publishing wasn’t for her though, was it? She joined the army, only to be dishonorably discharged,” you shake your head in disgust before waving your arms out in front of you. “All of this – why?” Glancing over at Ransom in the chair. “Because you were jealous of your own son – your own nephew?”

“He was going to leave him everything,” Walt responds, his frustration apparent in his features. “And why? Because he wrote a fucking biography?”

“No,” a voice from the balcony above states and everyone glances up to see Harlan standing at the rail.

The shock and surprise evident on everyone’s face except for the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the room. Linda gasps at the sudden appearance of her father and Ransom stares at his grandfather in amusement, almost laughing as he utters, “Ho-ly shit.”

“Not because he wrote a fucking biography,” Harlan repeats Walt’s words. “But, for the first time in his life, I saw him doing something he was truly passionate about. That’s more than I can say for anyone else in this family.”

***

Ransom slowly follows you out the front door after having a talk with Harlan. Barnes and Wilson several steps ahead, escorting Richard and Walt out to the awaiting SUV. Fury and Harlan are close behind them, watching as Linda screams in her husband’s face.

“God, this was – something. It definitely had Granddad written all over it,” Drysdale comes to a stop beside you. He glances over at you, gauging your mood. “I mean – you were –”

“Awesome.”

“I was going to say terrifying,” he clarifies, noticing the smirk you try to hide. “But that works too.”

“It wasn’t all Harlan’s idea,” you remark. “I had some input.”

Ransom glances over at you sincerely, “Thank you.”

“Sorry it wasn’t sooner,” you remark. “It took Harlan to make me start questioning things.” You look up at him honestly. “I was too angry to think rationally, easier to think the worst I suppose. I should have known better though – I'm sorry.”

There’s a look of relief and forgiveness in his eyes, “It’s okay.” The two of you watch as the SUV with Walt and Richard inside pulls away. There’s a weighted silence before he says quietly. “I’m sorry – sorry that I couldn’t keep you safe around my own fucking family.”

You shove your hands into the pockets of your coat, glancing up at him almost playfully, “Since when do I need saving?” His blue eyes flick over to you, a smile slowly spreading across his face. You shrug your shoulders, “Besides, you gotta admit – this would make for an interesting book.”

“It would,” Ransom agrees, trying not to look too excited by your suggestion. “I’m sorry, but is this you agreeing to a book?” You narrow your eyes at him, but the devious smile on his face doesn’t falter. “Maybe we can discuss it over dinner.”

“Dinner?” a small laugh escapes you at his sudden brazenness. “Easy tiger.” A sly smile crosses your face. “How about you pick one - dinner or a book.”

Ransom bites the inside of his lip, contemplating your proposition, “That sounds like a trick question.”

“Bet your ass it is.”

He watches you for a moment, before that classic smug demeanor of his returns, “In that case, I have to go with the book.”

“Really?” the surprise on your face doesn’t faze him.

“Yea – I mean dinner only guarantees me an hour, maybe two, then what?” You’re unable to hide the smile playing on your lips as he continues. “A book – well a book gives me weeks, and if it does well, it could have a sequel.” The smile on his face is wide – childlike humor in his eyes. “Hell, it could turn into a series – you could be stuck with me for a long – long – time.”

Ransom stares down at you with a devious glint in his blue eyes and you shake your head. That wasn’t the response you’d expected, and he knows it.

Damn him.

“You’re an asshole,” you smirk at him.

“You like it,” he retorts before you begin walking down the steps. “Where are you going?” He calls after you.

You spin on your heel, not losing a step in your stride as you continue to walk backward, “We’re going to dinner Ransom, and you’re driving.”

He sprints to catch up with you, grabbing for the passenger door of the SUV before you can. Bright eyes staring down at you as he opens the door, “Always. So. Bossy.”

You climb into the vehicle, trying to match the smug smile he carries so well, “I think you like it.”

Ransom waits until he closes the door and starts around the hood of the SUV before he makes his remark under his breath, mimicking your earlier phrase.

“Bet your ass I do.”

[virtuoshosh]

{{ the donor diaries: entry two; the monster mash }}

Who: Shosh & Cass

Where: The Dracula Mansion

When: April 2020; Easter Break; Henry William Halestorm’s Birthday

Cass was pretending that he was only doing this for Shosh. The truth was, he quite enjoyed dressing up when he had cause to. And this was properly dressing up- a black tailcoat, high waisted trousers, crisp white marcella shirt. Vampire society was high society, something he’d thankfully learned that Shoshana had considerable experience with, given her history as a classically trained pianist.

They’d spent the whole day together in his room, hanging out, writing music, getting ready for the evening. Shosh helped him with his cuff links, Cass helped her shimmy into her impossibly tight clothes.

As Cass took a bobby pin out of his mouth to slide into Shosh’s hair, he listened downstairs. Soft string music had been drifting upstairs for an hour or so now, and Cass listened for guests, something that was particularly hard given half of the guests lacked a heartbeat and the other half only really spoke when spoken to. He waited until most of the familiar voices had filled the ballroom before raising his brows at Shosh and giving a quick breath in and out.

“You wanna head downstairs?” Cass asked, knowing full well that Shosh had probably been ready to go to this party hours ago. He offered his arm, and as she took it, they waltzed out of his room, down his hall, and to the top of the stairs. He stiffened, sucking his teeth as he took in the room, flicking a glance to Shosh. 

He hadn’t anticipated the strongest emotion that came up when he saw his father’s friends. Protectiveness swelled through him, his arm that was meant to steady Shosh tightened as the feeling swelled in his chest. It was so surprising and uncomfortable that Cass couldn’t put words to it, so he just shrugged at her look, and then started downstairs.

Shoshana would never admit that she was nervous. But as the hours ticked on hidden away up in Cass’ room on the day of the soiree, her stomach knotted more and more noticeably as the party drew nearer. She hadn’t even felt like eating, but Cass had her on a fairly strict iron-rich regimen and Shosh figured it was especially important tonight that her blood smell appealing, so she ate what he gave her anyway and kept herself otherwise distracted with writing some new music, and studying the thick binder she’d filled with Cass’ lessons on vampire society (even though Shosh had it well memorized at this point), and taking extra time getting dressed. Which, admittedly, was fun for Shosh—she’d always loved dressing up, and it was satisfying to put Cass into clothing that actually looked quite good on him without him pitching a fit over it. 

It’s not that Shosh was nervous they wouldn’t like her; plenty of people didn’t care for Shosh and it never made the slightest scuff on her brimming self-confidence. It was more that she wanted this, a lot—more so than she was openly showing to Cass. And in all other areas of her life, Shosh knew what she was good at and what she wasn’t, so she could rely on succeeding with flying colors at the things she was good at and not bothering with what she wasn’t. But here, there was uncertainty. She’d done everything she could to prepare based on what Cass had taught her, but would that be enough to prepare her for the real thing?

Still, she replied with a nervous-excited “Sure,” when Cass asked if she was ready to go downstairs, and her heart rate picked up as she checked her reflection one more time—she’d forced Cass to bring her in a mirror for tonight, stating firmly that there was ‘no effing way’ she was getting into formal wear without one—and then took his offered arm. 

Cass hesitated at the top of the stairs, and Shosh looked at him curiously. Maybe he wasn’t ready for this, after all? But he shrugged and her and she nodded back; too late to turn back, now. Showtime.

The first thing Shosh noticed was that people watched them as they came down the stairs; not everyone, but enough that Shosh straightened her spine and held her head up as they walked down the steps, thinking again of Eliza Doolittle trying to fool everyone into thinking she was royalty. And why shouldn’t you be? You’re the fucking Queen of Hearts for all they know, she told herself firmly. And Shosh looked it, too, in a red satin ballgown with a bateau neckline that showed off the pale, unmarked skin of her neck and collarbones—which did stand out in the sea of high necklines Shosh saw all around her. It would stamp her as a new donor, she’d been told, to show off this part of her body so brazenly. Which was fine with Shosh. She wanted people to look and to talk and to be jealous; in fact, the vengeful part of Shoshana wanted whispers of her being here to get back to one old bitch in particular. 

It made sense that people looked; Henry was the host of the soiree, and Cass was his son. In fact it was him Shoshana was most eager to meet and most keen to impress. When they’d made it down the stairs and into the throng of partygoers, Shosh leaned close to Cass’ ear and said, “So, do you wanna introduce me to your dad first and get that out of the way? Or should we start smaller and work our way up?” She smirked sidelong at him, swaying to the delightful sound of the classical music coming from the string quartet—it felt like it had been a hot minute since she’d heard anything resembling her preferred type of music, and she missed it.

Cass nodded in greeting to a few people who made eye contact with him, largely ignoring the puzzled looks from donors who noted that he wasn’t there with Pomonia. The vampires, to his surprise, appeared largely unphased. As they made their way down to the main room, a waiter floated past with a tray of red wine. When Shosh reached for one, Cass deftly took it out of her hands and had a sip, himself, shaking his head. “White for you, red for me.” He explained, hoping that she would read between the lines about what was really in that cup. 

He listened as his gaze scanned the room, internally only really looking for one person. When he was certain Pomonia wasn’t there, yet, he listened more intently to Shosh, blinking. “Uh, yeah. Father first. He’ll want to meet you.” Cass put the drink down on a tray that floated past them, then led Shosh across the room, swallowing as he approached his father, whose back was turned. Cass cleared his throat, and the vampire turned.

“Ah, Cassius, glad you finally decided to join us.” Henry said, amused. Henry was the spitting image of Cass. While Henry was over a century his senior, the vampire was frozen in time from his twenty first birthday, youthful features still showing, but his expression and manner were evident of a man from a bygone era.

Cass gave a sigh of irritation, then straightened when Henry’s expression shifted to Shosh. “Father, this is Shoshana Edelman. We’re in the same class at Hogwarts.” Normally, he’d introduce his father and his donor to Shosh, but in vampire society, their business came first. 

“Charmed,” He said, in recognition of the girl, but then turned his gaze back to his son. “Where’s Pomonia?”

When his father said her name, Cass felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. That he’d been expecting her there, that his father knew nothing of what happened, absolutely wrecked him. Cass wet his lips, fingers tightening against his suit jacket. “Pomonia won’t be attending,”  He said, and he saw his father’s frown deepen, so Cass spoke again. “I’ve taken on Shoshana as my new donor. We can talk about it later.” He insisted, though Henry’s expression showed that this conversation was very much not over.

“I’m sure we will.” Henry kept his voice measured, because he was in public, and the last thing he needed was for their friends to think his half-human son had lost his way. Then, he turned to the girl at Cass’s side. “Shoshana, then. A pleasure to meet you. My name is Henry, I’m Cassius’ father. My donor, Cynthia…” He cocked his head at the woman. Cynthia was a refined woman, like most of the other donors in the room. She held herself with grace and dignity, and looked down at Shosh like she was a bug that someone had forgotten to squash. “I’m sure we’ll spend plenty of time getting to know each other. I must admit, I haven’t heard your name before. Edelman, was it?”

Cass rolled his eyes. As if his vampire dad would forget anything. “Shosh is Muggleborn, father. She’s a classical pianist, actually. She and I play together pretty often.”

This made Henry’s eyes light up, looking at the girl with renewed interest. “Is that so? I’m glad you’re widening my son’s auditory horizons, then. I’ll have to have the piano brought from downstairs. It would be delightful to hear you play some time. I’d hoped to teach Cassius, but sadly it’s just sitting, gathering dust. He chose an electric guitar.” Henry said this, matter-of-factly.

Shosh licked her lips, her dark eyes still fixed on the deep red liquid in Cass’ glass with interest, but she folded her hands in front of her and nodded, to indicate she understood. “Right. Of course…” By comparison, she hadn’t yet seen a single tray carrying white wine, whereas she’d seen several with red—but she supposed that made sense. Alcohol, even when it wasn’t diluted by blood, had a much lesser effect on vampires than it did on humans. And no one wanted the donors getting drunk so soon into the party. 

But, no matter, Shosh didn’t mind waiting; she wanted to have a clear head while she made all her most important introductions, anyway. And then if all went well, she’d enjoy a glass of white wine later as a reward for herself. 

She followed where Cass walked, holding onto his arm, her pulse picking up. Breathe… When Henry turned to face them—and there was no mistaking who he was, not with his shocking resemblance to Cass—Shoshana smiled, bright and polite. Henry glanced at her cordially and Shosh blinked twice, smiling still, lashes fluttering, but it was clear this was not her turn to talk and she didn’t try to. She did feel Cass react, though, at the mention of Pomonia’s name, of course he did; Shosh kept her outward composure but she did squeeze his elbow where her fingers were still wrapped in the crook of his arm, supportively. I’m here. We can do this. 

And then Cass asserted his intention to make her his new donor, and—even if all of this was just for show, even if Shosh knew, for once, the difference between what was real and what was imagined in this situation—even so, hearing Cass say it could not have filled her with a greater sense of pride. She stood up taller, beaming as Henry’s attention (and likely, momentarily, his scrutiny) returned to her. Shosh felt ready. Let’s do this.

“The pleasure is mine, Sir—I’ve heard so much about you…” she said, demure and downright humble in a way that was very un-Shoshana as she bent her knees just slightly to dip into a tiny, well-mannered curtsey. Her gaze then flickered up to Cynthia and Shosh inclined her head at the woman just a nudge in acknowledgment; she’d been briefed on the structural hierarchy in place here and instructed to let ranking vampires lead all conversation (“don’t speak unless spoken to”), so Shosh looked up at the woman briefly with a challenging gleam in her eyes but did not say anything to her, and then she turned her attention fully back on Henry. 

She waited until Cass and his father had finished their exchange—of talking for her and about her as if Shosh wasn’t standing right there—before Shosh added with entirely genuine enthusiasm, “I would be honored, Sir.” Shosh took a breath, her face shifting to an expression that was simultaneously both genteel and enigmatic, in a way that only Shoshana could truly pull off. This was her chance to prove her own worth. “My family, the Edelmans—we’re from Austria, originally. In fact I studied music under Herr Adrian Steiner, of the London Philharmonic? He’s of Viennese ancestry—court composers dating back centuries—so he made certain to instill in me a deep appreciation for the pillars of musical expression. Strauss, Brahms, Liszt, Mahler, Sibelius…” Though she listed these casually, as if discussing the weather, Shosh had extensively done her homework in preparation for this; she knew Henry was born in 1902 and that late- and post-Romantic symphonic composers, such as those she’d mentioned, would have been in peak popularity for classical music at the turn of the century. “…and, naturally, Debussy and Stravinsky—though I always considered Petrushka a particularly grim punishment.”  She said this with a wry conversational inflection; a light bit of humor that those with elevated taste and historical knowledge would understand. And though she’d been warned by Cass not to refer directly to a vampire’s age or year of birth, Shosh had cleverly dropped in enough vague references to the era—particularly Debussy’s Pelléas and Mélisande premiere in 1902—to hopefully evoke a sense of nostalgia in Cass’ father. 

Cass was certain Shosh would have ripped his eyeballs out later for speaking over her if he hadn’t prepared her for the… Odd way that vampires often conversed over, for, and around their donors. It was even more apparent at Caro, where the blood bags weren’t even acknowledged. It had been a bit of a mind fuck at Hogwarts, coming from how Cass had grown up. Thankfully his nanny had prepared him for a lot of it.

He turned to look at Shosh, genuinely curious about how she would handle his father. Sometimes, being around full vampires, especially a room full of them, was too much for humans. At least they weren’t feeding. That was where things got fucked up. Cass did everything he could do set Shosh up for a good introduction- and by the way his father responded to her, it must have fucking worked.

Henry’s eyes lit up when Shoshana spoke. First, impressed by a girl who knew so much about her lineage. Then of her tutelage and general knowledge of music. The final nail in the coffin was rattling off those songs. Cass noted with some amusement that it seemed to piss Cynthia right off. Good. She’d always been a bitch to him.

To Cass’s general mortification, Henry chuckled at Shoshana’s joke, smiling. His fangs, although not properly elongated while he wasn’t on the hunt, showed. Cass wanted to fucking die. “Okaaaaaay,” Cass said, trying hard to keep up with his sense of decorum but getting more and more embarrassed by the pair of them as time went on. He squeezed Shosh’s arm. “Thank you, father. I’m sure you two will have plenty to catch up on.”

“Of course,” Henry agreed, then let go of Cynthia’s arm to take Shosh’s hand, raising it to his lips respectfully, before letting it drop. “Shoshana, it really was a pleasure to meet you. Give your contact details to Cassius, won’t you? We should meet another time. Perhaps over that piano.” He winked, and Cass rolled his eyes, thanking his father and steering Shosh away. 

Cass gave a shaky breath out, eyeing Shosh as they walked away. “You did good,” He breathed to her, knowing full well that his father could hear him anyway.  “You really knew all that about all those musicians and stuff? Huh.” He shouldn’t have been surprised. 

As they walked away, Cass looked around the ballroom, visibly more relaxed now that the hardest part of their evening was done. He cocked his head, wondering who he should introduce her to. While he was deciding, a red-faced wizard in dress robes approached him, holding his wife’s hand. “Cassius!” He boomed, and Cass swallowed, looking to Shosh and then back at the wizard. 

“Uhhh. Minister. Good to see you,” Cass hesitated to introduce Shosh. He couldn’t know Shosh was a donor. “This is my friend from Hogwarts, Shoshana Edelman.”

“Oh, isn’t it lovely they let you bring a friend!” The witch gushed, taking Shoshana’s hand and squeezing it with a good-natured smile. She was obviously excited to see Shosh and Cass, who were the most human couple in the room, apart from them. Cass had explained to Shosh earlier, that most of the vampires would ignore any ministry members. They tolerated their presence as strictly necessary to their existence.

“Shosh, this is Manhoor Hookman. And his wife Artois. Mr Hookman is the head of the Being Division. He uh, he organised stuff with Hogwarts when I got my letter. You know, like, the rules and everything…” He looked at Shosh, hoping she’d get the picture.

“Oh, yes! And liaison with the school, updates and such. And you’re about to graduate! Seven years! Paving the way for all the others…” Manhoor boomed, and Cass felt like he was going to die again. Why was everyone at this party so fucking embarrassing? “Tell me, Shoshana, do you think your class is more tolerant than society has been in the past? Do you think Cassius integrated well? That was our hope with Cassius’ admission.” He was anxious to hear her opinion.

Cass was annoyed with Manhoor. The dick. Cass knew full well about the little ‘social experiment’ of his admission and it bugged him. He plastered on a smile, like most of the other vampires did around the man.

Shosh looked down and gave a humble, assenting nod, smiling sweetly, to indicate her acknowledgement of Henry’s suggestion while respecting the etiquette law of never having the final word over a vampire. It was a good thing Shoshana was such a quick and meticulous study, because there were a lot of fucking rules. And hey, she was just a little bit smug about it.

And even more so when Cass confirmed she’d done well. Shosh grinned proudly and just nodded in reply while they were still in Henry’s earshot. 

She was reeling with adrenaline, flushed and energized and elated with how things were going so far. She wanted to do something celebratory, and was about to ask Cass if he knew how to waltz when they were approached by someone else. Shosh felt Cass tense beside her and she gave the approaching couple a once-over; neither looked like vampires, so Shosh read the sign and made a hasty decision to let go of Cass’ arm and put several inches of space between them, folding her hands innocuously behind her back. 

And her instincts were right; this was someone from the Ministry. Shosh drew in a breath and held it, forcing her smile not to look nervous. Though she wanted to seriously gag at this lady’s patronizing comment. ‘Little friend?’ Ugh. Regardless, Shosh could act her way easily through this; she simpered with affected gratitude, her hand that wasn’t being gripped and shaken in a death-vice fluttering up to rest above the sweetheart neckline of her dress. “Oh yes, such a fascinating cultural experience! So much to learn from our undead brethren…” Cass would catch onto the bare traces of sarcasm that underlined Shosh’s words, but this Ministry Dimwit and Mrs. Daft would be none the wiser, so who cared? 

“Really?” she continued, glancing at Cass wryly and then adding, “…how noble.” Seriously, this self-righteous idiot made Shosh want to scream. But she held her polite expression with perfect poise and gruelingly feigned interest. 

She hesitated when he asked for her opinion, nibbling at the edge of her red bottom lip. Shosh knew she was supposed to be on her ‘best behavior’ tonight, but come on—this guy sucked! And not in a good way.

Her eyes darted to Cass in her peripherals once and then fixed on Manhoor. Fuck it, he deserved this. Shosh took a breath, and then in the most positively amiable and polite tone, she said, “Actually, Minister, it’s Cassius who’s the tolerant one—gracefully accepting treatment as a secondary citizen undeserving of the same basic rights as his peers, by a government with the means to pave the way for his success yet who chooses instead to consistently undermine and impair him at every turn. ‘Ignorantia juris non excusat’—those are the words printed on the Ministry’s seal, are they not? ‘Ignorance of the law excuses not’…I’m merely suggesting, sir, that perhaps the law itself ought to deal a little less in ignorance and excuses.” Shosh smiled amicably, paused a beat, and then said, “Well! It was lovely meeting you both…Cass, shall we? You promised to show me the drawing room…”

And as they walked away, Shosh could have sworn she saw the subtlest hints of approval from vampires all around her—some raised red chalices, a few nods and winks, the gleaming pearly white of grinning pointed teeth...

...To Be Continued...

[idiotphobic-archive]

the next milk carton kid

summary: this kid was fucked from the start, so what’s it to you if they make a pact with a demon?

words: 1,679

“what’s your name, kid?”

the vibrations of the train echoed in their ears. a beat passed before they spoke, trying to swallow the lump forming in their throat. is it really smart to give this.. man their name? what about their last name? would that be safe?

“m... murphy.”

his eyebrows flew up in surprise, but the look wasn’t on his face for long. “hm.. that’s a weird name. you sure that’s your name?”

“uh? yes?” 

“you don’t sound sure about that.” he crosses his arms and leans against the wall. if they weren’t at the mercy of this random guy, they’d laughed, maybe even accidentally smack their head against the crate from laughing so hard.

the teenager blinks slowly. once. twice. three times. fuck. they push up their glasses and rub the tiredness out of their eyes.

they’d never willingly travel here - at least, not in the rain, or during the darkest nights of the year, and yet, here they were; trudging through the damp undergrowth, ready to collapse at any moment. they stopped suddenly, enough to trip over something, making a growl bubbling up in their throat.

they hold themselves up, staring at the muddy ground. ironically enough, the only thing that could even come to mind were lyrics from a song they’d been listening to only an hour earlier. if they had anymore strength, they’d muster out a laugh. how sad, they thought to themselves, i’m going to die alone, in the forest, with my last thoughts being how good that one halestorm cover is.

they willed themselves to their feet, leaning on the upwards slope of the ground. their breathing begins to get heavier. their hands dig into the earth - a sad attempt to keep them from slipping back down again and again, being stuck in an eternal hell similarly to pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it go down the other side.

they groaned, slowly scaling the hill. mud stains everything about their appearance; their previously dirtied sneakers, their old and worn clothing, their hair, their skin - but they don’t care one bit. 

once their hands reach the top of the hill, they clutch it tightly. they pull themselves up, panting, the feeling of their wet hair sticking against their face a strange reassurance. they pulled themselves to their feet, shaking their hands to rid them of the mud, but to no avail.

the hell? they squinted, blinking multiple times. were those train tracks?

no way.. they bumped their feet together, taking in the sight before them; yes, there were indeed train tracks in the middle of this forest, somehow.. it wouldn’t be a surprise to them, since they’d seen train tracks smack dab in the middle of their small town, except they were unbearably deep in the forest - or maybe it was the lack of sleep that was causing the unusual sense of surprise.

a bright light off to their side appeared, suddenly, maybe even magically. they slowly turned their head to their right, seeing a pair of bright white headlights. they squinted, shielding their eyes using their arm. ow, ow, okay, what was going on?

the loud rumbling of a train greeted their next thoughts, and they began to panic, seeing as they were almost touching the tracks. they scrambled backwards, flailing their arms. they weren’t ready to break their neck and die just yet. they stabled themselves, watching the train approach. maybe if they hitched a ride on this train, they could get out of here.. 

before they knew it, the rumbling was louder, and the train was almost upon them. being lost in their thoughts in a situation like this could get them killed. they lightly slapped themselves, blinking repeatedly. not only being lost in their thoughts could get them killed, but falling asleep near or even on the tracks was a death sentence. 

they blinked. they pushed up their glasses to rub their eyes. they repeated the movements before the train rushes by them.

the force of the wind almost knocked them to the ground; what the hell? they’d never been on a train before, but this couldn’t be how it worked.

they shook their head, balancing on their heels before taking off in a sprint. every movement made them grit their teeth. pain echoed deep in every bone of theirs, but they reluctantly continued.

they jumped, and barely grasped the side of an open cart in their dirty hands. they gasped, wheezed, and hauled themselves into the cart with a loud thump. they coughed, and coughed, and hit their fist on their own chest, coughing up saliva and spitting it onto the wooden floor. 

the wind and rain from outside the train hits their already drenched back like a spear, and they gasp again. they shakily get to their feet, struggling, but able to close the door to the cart that they’d jumped through. 

they’re not on their feet for long, though, and they collapse to their knees. they breathe heavily, slowly, carefully. holy shit, they think to themselves, staring at the somewhat-blurry floor, i can’t believe that worked, how did that work?

they sneeze, and pull off their jacket, then their shirt. they wring both of them out, wincing, and tugging their shirt back over their head. they pop off their shoes, then their sweatpants. they rinse and repeat the same actions, slowly pulling on their sweatpants again.

they stay there, for a couple more seconds. they blink. their glasses don’t seem to be helping their vision. they clumsily take them off, and shove them into their jacket, curling it up protectively. 

they then move across the floor like an animal, and sit behind a pile of boxes and crates, collapsing against them and letting out a shaky sigh of relief. 

“well, what do we have here?”

they let out a strangled scream as a figure appears beside them, tensing up, but unable to move. tears begin to pool in their now-tightly-closed eyes as the worst-case scenario began to run through their brain. fuck, okay, i’m going to die, this is it! i’m going to die!

“you can’t be any older than eighteen..” a male voice mumbles, gently. there’s no movement, no attempt on their life, though. they trembled, but opened their eyes, and took in the person before them.

he was sitting in front of them, patiently, and a good foot or two away from them. he had loose clothes, ripped pants, and sharp nails. were those.. horns? and cat ears? and was that a tail flicking behind him?

“hey, who are you?”

the man gets no response from them; they’re too busy watching his softly glowing red eyes flick, which are staring at them intently.

“what’s your name, kid?”

the vibrations of the train echoed in their ears. a beat passed before they spoke, trying to swallow the lump forming in their throat. is it really smart to give this.. man their name? what about their last name? would that be safe?

“m... murphy.”

his eyebrows flew up in surprise, but the look wasn’t on his face for long. “hm.. that’s a weird name. you sure that’s your name?”

“uh? yes?” 

“you don’t sound sure about that.” he crosses his arms and leans against the wall. if they weren’t at the mercy of this random guy, they’d laughed, maybe even accidentally smack their head against the crate from laughing so hard. 

he continued on, with a slight sigh, “why are you here?”

“why are you here?” they retorted, feeling their hands shake. his outline was somewhat blurry, and they saw that tail move from behind him.

“answering a question with another question, are we?” his tone was dripping with amusement, and they continued to stare him down. “if that will make you answer my questions, then, okay. 

“i’m lucifer - nice to meet you, ‘murphy’ - and i’m looking to help poor kids like you that board my train.”

“your train?” they sputtered in disbelief; shit, they whined, i’m gonna be stuck in here, working on the train, huh? wait - his name is lucifer?!

“don’t worry, i won’t punish you or anything,” he nonchalantly adds, stretching out. “a lot of kids like you board my train like this, why do you think i keep the cart doors open?”

they paused, blinking. he did have a point, huh. this cart door thing only happened in movies - at least, to their knowledge.. they’d never even been near a train before this..

“but.. why are you here? what happened?” he continued on, sitting cross-legged. 

“what’s it to you?” they spat, curling in towards themself. his eyes softened, but he didn’t move. 

“what are you running from, kid?”

they flinched, and he knew that he’d hit a nerve. he sighed, running a hand through his hair as best as he could with his pointed horns. they watched him, carefully, as if he was going to strike at any moment. they inhaled, shakily, and looked off to the side.

“shit happened, okay?” they mumbled, “i saw something.. and flipped out.. and i got lost and couldn’t go back.”

the only sound was the click-clack of the running wheels of the train, and the heavy rain against the roof. lucifer couldn’t help but feel sorry, and sighed, standing up, brushing the dirt off of his clothes, and extending a hand to the disgruntled teenager.

“hey, how about we make a deal?” they met his eyes, blinking. did they hear him right? a deal? they didn’t take his hand, but adjusted themselves.

“a.. deal..?” 

“yes, a deal,” he hummed, patiently keeping his hand out. “you get to ride with me, and never have to return to your old life.”

they stayed silent for a moment, but replied, “what’s the catch?”

“you ride with me on this train for the night.”

“...is that it?” 

“yes, that’s it.” 

they bit their lip, toying with the wet jacket in their lap, but soon grabbed his outstretched hand. he pulled them up to their feet, albeit, somewhat wobbly, and gripped his hand tightly, shaking it. “it’s a deal.”

his eyes flashed, but he gave them a reassuring smile. “now that you’ve agreed, why don’t we head to the front of the train? you look like you need a towel or two.”

maybe more than that.. they clutched the jacket in their hands. “how are we gonna get there, though?”

“oh, you’ll see.” he grips their hand, and a red aura begins to surround the both of them. “close your eyes, okay?”

they do as told, shutting their eyes tightly. they feel lighter, and the aura begins to shine brightly, completely enveloping them in light. when the light disappears, they disappear as well, leaving the boxes and crates in empty railroad cart, alone.

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Evanescence’s Amy Lee shares her thoughts on working with Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale

“We love each other, and we get along”

Front-women Amy Lee and Lzzy Hale are no strangers to collaborating with each other, Amy Lee having guested on Halestorm’s ‘Reimagined’ EP on the emotional piano ballad ‘Break In.’

This time however, the duo are set to share the stage with one another on an autumn tour that’ll see two of the most hard-working and hard-rocking women in the metal industry perform alongside their respective bands.

Whilst being interviewed by Matt Pinfield on the last instalment of the “New and Approved” music series on 95.5 KLOS, Amy Lee delved into her friendship with the Pennsylvanian-based Lzzy Hale:

"It started with music. It worked out for us to go do some shows together. We hadn't met in person before signing up to do a tour together in 2012. And I remember we had some kind of joint press or meet-and-greet to do on that first day. And I went in there like, 'Hey,' before the fans came in. And we just clicked immediately. She's really humble and really down to earth. She doesn't take all the glory too seriously. She takes herself seriously and respects herself. She's just a really cool person.”

"We love each other, and we get along," Amy added. "We play hard and we work hard. So I'm very much looking forward to playing live music in general; but to be able to go back out for our first tour out with a whole group of people that we're friends with — the crew, the band, we love each other, all of us. So it's gonna be a really good time.”

Evanescence and Halestorm will be hitting the road on 5th November in the US, starting with a date in Portland, Oregon before making their way throughout the country.

Evanescence's career throughout the years:

1998: The band's inception

Singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody formed Evanescence in Arkansas back in 1995, after the pair met at a Christian youth camp. They chose the name Evanescence due to its meaning: "disappearance" or "fading away". The duo released their debut self-titled EP in 1998 and were later joined by friends John LeCompt, Rocky Gray and Will Boyd.

2003: Debut album 'Fallen'

After being signed by Wind-up Records in 2002, the band released their debut album 'Fallen' in 2003. To promote the album, Evanescence headlined the Nintendo Fusion tour in 2003. 'Fallen' spent a whopping 43 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and was certified 7× Platinum in the US after selling more than 17 million copies worldwide. The album included hit singles 'Bring Me to Life', 'My Immortal', 'Going Under' and 'Everybody's Fool'. Mega hit 'Bring Me to Life', featuring guest vocals from Paul McCoy from the band 12 Stones, was an international success, reaching Number 5 on the American Billboard Hot 100 and hitting the top spot in the UK Chart.

2004: Grammy Award wins

The phenomenal success of 'Fallen' saw Evanescence win not one but two Grammy Awards in 2004. Their hit single 'Bring Me To Life' won Best Hard Rock Performance and the band won the award for Best New Artist.

2006: Line-up change and follow-up record

After parting ways with both Will Boyd and Ben Moody, Evanescence and the success of their Grammy wins, Evanescence went back into the studio to record their follow-up album. After 18 months of writing and producing, the band released 'Open Door' in 2006. The album featured singles 'Call Me When Your Sober', 'Lithium', 'Weight Of The World' and 'Sweet Sacrifice' and debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200. The album and single 'Call Me When You're Sober' have since achieve 2x Platinum and Platinum status in the US respectively.

2007-2009: Another line-up change

In 2007, The band announced that guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray had left. The duo went on to join founding Evanescence member Ben Moody to create the band We Are the Fallen. Evanescence brought in two members of Dark New Day, drummer Will Hunt and guitarist Troy McLawhorn to act as their replacements. Two years, later frontwoman Amy Lee announced that the band were going back into the studio to start writing their third, self-titled album.

2011: Third album release and worldwide tour

Due to delays with their record label, Evanescence weren't able to release their third album until 2011, five years after 'Open Door'. Not that it mattered, because 'Evanescence' debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and Number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and took the band on a year-long worldwide tour to promote the album.

2012: Hiatus and Amy Lee's solo project

Evanescence announced that they would be going on a hiatus in 2012, with Amy announcing in NME: "I haven't been sitting down to write. I'm thinking we'll take a break first. I'm really not sure what I'll do next. At the end of any really long tour you need to get your head in order. I think at the end of the run we'll go on a break for a while and figure things out. "Taking long breaks is seen as a bad thing, but I don't think it's a bad thing. People have the idea that you have to keep putting stuff out while people remember you. But I'd rather make something that's awesome and then make people remember again. I hope it doesn't take five years, but I don't want to put a timeline on it either. We'll all be doing our own thing for a while. They're (my bandmates) very talented and they'll all be fine." Amy Lee went on to release solo album 'Aftermath' in 2014, a soundtrack for Mark Jackson's film War Story. She said of the project: "It's not what you'd expect; there's a lot of blending of sounds, a lot of ominous tones. I play a lot of keyboard, and a lot of Taurus pedal. There's a lot of low drones."

2015: Reunion with intimate shows

Three years after going on a break, Evanescence ended their hiatus by hosting a three-night show at intimate venues in Nashville, Dallas and LA in November 2015. This was just before the band hopped on a plane to Japan to perform at Ozzy Osbourne's iconic festival Ozzfest, alongside Korn and Ozzy himself.

2015-2016: Another line-up change

In 2015, Evanescence underwent yet another line-up change after long-time guitarist Terry Balsamo, who originally replaced Ben Moody, decided to leave the band. His replacement was the German singer and guitarist, Jen Majura from the band, Equilibrium. Evanescense continued to tour throughout 2016, but focused on playing hits from their previous albums like 'My Immortal' and 'Going Under'.

2017: 'Synthesis'

Fourth record 'Synthesis' was released in November 2017. As well as featuring new material such as 'Imperfection', the album included reworked versions of the band's older works such as 'My Heart Is Broken', 'Lacrymosa' and 'Bring Me To Life'. 'Synthesis' peaked at Number 1 on four of the Billboard charts, including US Top Alternative Albums, US Top Classical Albums, US Top Rock Albums and US Independent Albums.

2018: 'Synthesis Tour' features a live orchestra

To promote the album, the band embarked on the 'Synthesis Live Tour' in October 2017. This 60-date worldwide tour was different from any other tour they had done before because it featured a live orchestra. The tour was co-headlined by violinist Lindsay Stirling who also featured on the band's single 'Hi-Lo'.

2020: Brand new music

In 2020, Evanescence released four new singles, 'Wasted On You', 'The Game Is Over', 'Yeah Right' and 'Use My Voice', which all appear on the band's fifth album, 'The Bitter Truth'. First announced in 2018, it was meant to be released in 2020, but had to be delayed due to the pandemic. 'The Bitter Truth' is not only the band's first album in three years, but also their first album with all-new material since 'Evanescence'.

2021: 'The Bitter Truth' is finally released

Evanescence released the fifth single, 'Better Without You', in early March ahead of the release of 'The Bitter Truth', which finally saw the light of day on 26th March 2021. The band is also set to be joining fellow rockers, Within Temptation this autumn for the 'Worlds Collide' European tour, which was postponed due to the pandemic.