#let me know if I should do more with this style

[0highlyvolatile0]

this meme got me thinking about how mad I am about Arcane, and i was planning on leaving this in the tags but I'm feeling bold this evening, give or take some additions:

the creators of the show are just like 'waaah wahh no they're not gay they're just BROS just let guys be good friends :( (see link above)

do you know how often we hear that rhetoric when two men do kiss on screen? and who we hear it from? homophobes. we hear that shit from homophobes who are mad they have to see men kissing, fucking, etc.

people are too afraid to let men kiss on screen, and they love to fetishize lesbians. Vi is the most butch a woman can get before y'all get scared, coming from a butch.

it's the same shit behind the smokescreen of a good art style. i love arcane, but let's be real here Fortiche and Riot bombed this show big time

like what do you mean we got the "mentally ill woman kills herself as an act of heroism" storyline? i know jinx isn't dead but she was literally planning on it, we get a whole fucking montage of her setting her hideout ablaze with herself inside it! because it's the only way she can fix the problem she's caused, apparently! that is such dangerous fucking rhetoric I don't even know where to begin.

and yet another "not platonic or romantic but a secret third thing on a deeper level" with a couple of the main men of the story. if we get all of these relationships between two men "on a deeper level," then they're all on the same level! why are we letting them hide behind that when they've been doing it for years? this is still queer baiting!

people should honestly be more mad about this but whenever someone pipes up about it, it's "you're mad your ship isn't canon" or "let men be platonic, not everything has to be about romance" or god forbid "aro/ace people deserve rep too"

first of all, Riot was not doing caitvi for the gays. they really weren't. it was for their straight fanbase who was already making googoo eyes at the lesbians from their shitty video game. also: diversity win! the fascist and her cop girlfriend had sex in the jail cell that cop girlfriend's sister was in before she decided to kill herself for being too much of a burden.

second of all, if not everything has to be about romance, then tell me why every single main character in this show has had some kind of romantic entanglement with someone aside from Viktor? Vi, Cait, Jayce, Mel, Ekko, Jinx/Powder. They literally went out of their way to make sure people knew Jinx was into men by creating a manic pixie dream girl version of her and allowing Ekko to kiss her.

third of all, don't throw aro/ace people under the bus or speak for them about having representation, because they deserve better than straight people's "gay undertone scapegoats."

it's homophobia. it is straight up homophobia and we deserve better than that. we really fucking do.

this barely scratches the surface of the problems I have with this show but honestly this has been at the forefront of it and I'm not the only one who feels this way.

[steddieas-shegoes]

sold out, one night only

for @corrodedcoffinfest popup event for Black Friday using 'one day night only'

rated m | 2980 words | cw: implied and referenced sexual content | tags: modern era, pop star steve, rock star eddie, semi-famous corroded coffin, exes to lovers, getting back together

🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤

The poster is huge, takes up most of the board in the club announcing new events. It’s surprisingly simple for something so large.

‘One Night Only’ accompanied by a picture of Steve Harrington, recently out queer pop icon, and a date and time.

Tonight is the one night only.

Eddie stares at it, kind of wishes he didn’t feel like sobbing, and then books it out of the club.

If he’s gonna make it across town before Steve’s show is done, he’s gotta hope for the least amount of traffic he’s ever seen and a lot of luck. Maybe, if he’s really lucky, the show was delayed enough that he’s still on stage singing.

He manages to find an Uber only a block away, offers them a 50% tip if they can get him to the arena in less than five minutes, and leans his head back against the seat.

~~~~

Four years ago, when Steve followed Eddie and his band to Chicago, neither of them expected much to happen. Corroded Coffin was small town good, but they quickly found that they weren’t quite what record labels were looking for.

A small indie label from San Francisco was interested, though.

So they packed up and moved to California, and to celebrate the first recording session, they went to a karaoke bar and all took turns singing songs that you’d never expect them to.

Steve took a turn singing a Harry Styles song and it was game over.

The whole bar went silent until he was done, and then it was pandemonium as people rushed him as he got off the stage, telling him he should be famous, and that he had the voice of an angel, and that he should try to sign a record deal.

And Eddie knew he could sing; he’d heard him in the shower and the car plenty.

There was just something about seeing him on stage and knowing that Steve was meant for more that really cut into his heart and made him bleed out on that bar floor.

It was the beginning of the end for them that night.

Eddie pushed him away. Steve stopped fighting it.

Steve signed with a huge company out of New York and moved before Eddie even realized he ruined everything.

He hasn’t spoken to him since, not even the one time Dustin had to have surgery and requested everyone be back in Hawkins in case something went wrong. He was being dramatic about leg splints, but they did it anyway.

Eddie caught one glimpse of Steve walking out of the Henderson home the night that Dustin got to leave the hospital, but he didn’t stop him.

Corroded Coffin is big enough to do festival circuits, even playing on the main stage for some of them.

Steve Harrington is big enough to go to Grammy parties and duet with Sabrina Carpenter.

And Eddie is stupid enough to think he can get backstage to apologize to him for being dumb enough to let him walk away.

~~~~

When he arrives at the arena, he’s told he needs a ticket to enter. This is a fact he knew before getting here, but one he chose to ignore in hopes that he might be able to bribe someone with his romantic story.

Unfortunately, the middle aged man who reminds him a lot of Wayne couldn’t care less about his need to tell Steve he loves him.

“You and the 20,000 others in the audience, bud,” the man says. “No ticket, no entrance.”

“Okay, I know you probably hear this often, but I swear he knows me. He’d let me in,” Eddie explains, but the guy is somehow even less impressed. “Oh! Wait. I have proof.”

Eddie pulls out his phone and opens his photos. The album named ‘Stevie ♥️’ is still in his favorites, even though Robin made him promise he’d delete it after the last time she visited. He may have promised he would, but he never said when.

It’s hundreds of photos of them together, mostly selfies, personal pictures they took on dates or in bed or on their road trip or-

“I told you to delete those.”

Eddie spins around at Robin’s voice. She’s standing near the set of doors at the end of the long line of doors, two security guards flanking her.

“And I will. Eventually.” Eddie walks towards her, ignoring the man telling him he needs to leave.

“What are you doing here?” She asks even though she has to know.

She’s his friend even though she’s Steve’s platonic soulmate. She isn’t being mean on purpose. She’s just being protective of both of them.

“Robin…” he starts.

She holds up a hand. “If I take you backstage, will this be a one night only thing or a start to forever thing? Because honestly, I don’t think he can take seeing you if it’s only for you to leave right after. He’s barely-” She cuts herself off, eyes widening.

“He’s what?” Eddie pushes, needing to know what she was gonna say.

She sighs. He knew he’d get her to give in easily.

“He’s barely holding it together as it is,” she admits. “I had to bribe him to get on stage tonight.”

“Bribe him? For this show?”

“And the last dozen or so. He’s tired. He-” She sighs again, heavier. “He misses you.”

“If he misses me, then he should call. Or text. Send a carrier pigeon.” Eddie doesn’t mean for the words to bite, but he can’t help the way he feels and he knows he’s safe with Robin. She won’t take it personally or let him stew in it for too long. “It’s not like he doesn’t have access to me if he really wants it.”

“Eddie. You made it very clear you didn’t want to hear from him ever again.”

“I made it very clear that I loved him too much to hold him back. He was the one who pushed it to this,” Eddie tries.

He doesn’t succeed. Robin is shaking her head, laughing with disbelief.

“You two are made for each other. I’ll bring you backstage, but if I see a single tear shed in anything other than happiness, I’m calling Jeff and telling on you.”

Eddie can’t help but laugh. Calling Jeff isn’t quite the threat it used to be, not since Jeff got himself a very serious girlfriend who keeps him busy. Even if it was, Robin knows Jeff’s just gonna nod along, give Eddie a sad look, and move on.

He follows Robin through the door she came through, waving at the guard who was giving him a hard time– “he’s just doing his job, Eddie” – and feels his throat catch on his next breath when he can hear the beat of the music.

Steve’s pop rock sound isn’t necessarily Eddie’s favorite type of music, but he did stay up until midnight for the release of his debut album. It’s Steve. What’s he gonna do? Not listen to it?

His voice is just this side of raspy, like there’s a scratch of his throat when he hits the lower register his voice will allow. He almost sounds like when Eddie would-

“Alright. He’s got two songs left and an encore. Encore is usually just one song, but this is a special night so he may do a bonus from his new album. Don’t touch anything,” Robin sends him into the green room, waving off the security person who is standing at the door. “Don’t make me regret letting you in here. And don’t hurt yourself.”

“Jesus, Robbie, I’m not a child. I’m not gonna hurt myself-”

“I didn’t mean physically.” She gives him a sad look. “I care about you, too.”

Eddie’s shoulders fall as he breathes out. He didn’t realize how tense he’d been. Robin hugs him and moves to the door.

“I’ll make sure you guys have some privacy for a bit, but we do have a tight schedule. Security’s only here while the crew packs up,” she explains. Eddie nods. He knows the drill. He may not be an international pop star, but he deals with the ins and outs of venues often enough.

Robin leaves and the only sound is the bass thumping of Steve’s last song. Eddie looks around at how bare the room is. Usually, Corroded Coffin has to share a green room with a few other bands unless they pull off headlining the main stage. Those rooms are usually cluttered, crews and musicians constantly coming and going, leaving trash and guitar picks behind. The only thing in this room that would hint at Steve using it is a bag of half-eaten white cheddar popcorn on the table next to an empty water bottle and a mug of what looks like green tea.

Steve’s a big enough star to make absurd requests for backstage, but it’s clear he doesn’t. Eddie isn’t surprised. Steve’s never really been one to ask for things that would benefit him.

He hears the screaming, knows Steve’s just left the stage. He’s probably standing nearby, hiding behind curtains or stacks of speakers, maybe even in plain sight.

“Wait!” Robin’s voice is right outside the door.

The door opens.

Steve’s there, breathless, sweaty, hot as hell.

“Steve, you still have a song,” another woman in khakis and a polo shirt is rushing up to him, waving a clipboard in his face.

“Eddie.” Steve’s voice is rough when he speaks. Eddie can tell it’s more from emotion than the nearly two hour set list he just performed.

“Steve.” Eddie is waiting for Steve to move, for anyone to move. He can’t.

“Steve, you need to go back onstage.”

Eddie has his arms full of Steve before anyone can respond to the woman just trying to do her job. She looks like she’s a tech manager, but usually they wear all black, and Eddie doesn’t know all there is to know about an international superstar performing a concert even though he does know all there is to know about Steve.

He knows that he prefers earl gray tea with real sugar, not the green tea with honey that’s sitting on the coffee table. He knows that his favorite treats are the mini Kit Kats– “not the regular ones, they taste different, I swear!”-- not popcorn that gets stuck in his teeth for hours. He knows that he likes making places feel like home no matter how temporary he’s there, and there’s not a single item in this room that makes it feel lived in.

The woman seems to give up on getting Steve back on stage, and he’s pretty sure he has Robin to thank for it.

He has Steve in his arms for the first time in way too long. He isn’t wasting a second of it thinking about anyone else.

Steve’s sweat is soaking through Eddie’s shirt already, but he doesn’t really care. He used to love having Steve’s sweat on him; It meant he was doing something right.

He knows a reunion isn’t this easy, and any second now, Steve’s gonna pull away and yell at him, and they’ll fight and Eddie will let it happen because he deserves it and-

“I didn’t think you’d come,” Steve sobs against his neck, breath tickling his skin as his lips brush against him in an almost-kiss.

Suddenly, Eddie knows that Steve planned this. This whole sold out, one night only show was only so Eddie would come see him.

Eddie should be pissed.

Steve could have just fucking called him. Texted him. Sent a carrier pigeon!

But he’s got Steve in his arms and it’s always been pretty hard to be pissed at him when he’s pressed perfectly against his chest.

Robin is clearing the room and cursing Steve for making her clean up his messes, but Eddie can hear the fondness in her voice. She wouldn’t bother giving them time alone together if she didn’t want them to have it.

“Robin said I shouldn’t do it. She said you wouldn’t show.” Tears are falling from Steve’s eyes on Eddie's shirt. “I swore you would. She thought I was crazy.”

“You are crazy,” Eddie laughs, squeezing his arms to pull him in tighter. “Planning something this big in the hopes that I’d come to a pop concert is fucking insane, Stevie.”

“But you did.” Steve leans back and looks at him, watery smile enough to make Eddie feel like he could melt into the floor. “I knew you would.”

Eddie wants to kiss him, wants to ignore everything that went wrong and everything they need to talk about, wants to take Steve apart in this room and make it feel like home because Steve didn’t do that on his own. He doesn’t think he’s made any place feel like home in a long time.

“You put a lot of faith in a guy who let you go,” Eddie whispers.

“You showed up for a guy who left,” Steve says back.

“You only left because I pushed you away,” Eddie argues.

“You only pushed me away because you thought it was best for me,” Steve raises a brow, challenging him to keep going.

Eddie knows Steve has a response for everything, though. He’ll keep putting blame on himself the same way Eddie keeps putting it on himself, and they’ll go round and round and waste precious time that they could be doing other things. Instead of pushing, Eddie sighs and lets his shoulders drop.

“I’m sorry,” he says instead of arguing.

“I’m sorry, too,” Steve relaxes in his arms.

“We still have to talk, Stevie,” Eddie reminds him as he leans in, feels Steve’s breath against his lips.

“We will,” Steve barely gets out before their lips crash together, bruising and needy.

There’s a lot that Eddie missed about Steve. He’s spent countless hours harping over everything he messed up to himself, to Robin, to Wayne, to the band. Steve was forever going to be the one that got away.

“Can we…” Steve gasps against his mouth, hands grasping at every inch of Eddie that they can.

“What do you need?” Eddie wraps his fingers around Steve’s wrists to still him, to make him focus on what he wants.

“Just need you.”

It’s a cop out and they both know it, but Eddie’s fine with it tonight. If he has to be the one to take charge and assume what Steve wants, then he will. For tonight, he can give Steve what he wants to, and Steve will take it.

It’s a little anticlimactic when they come barely five minutes later. They don’t even get a chance to properly remove any clothing before they’re making a mess between them, moaning as if they can’t be heard.

As they come down, and Eddie manages to find a rag that may or may not have been used for other things already, Eddie sees Steve wipe his eyes.

He stops what he’s doing and drops the rag on the floor, pulling Steve close again.

“What’s wrong?” He asks because he can’t let Steve leave him again. Not this time.

“I just don’t want this to be one night only,” Steve cries.

“It won’t be, sweetheart,” Eddie assures him, brushing the fresh tears away as they fall. “We’re gonna figure out how to make it work. The band doesn’t have anything for the next few weeks, so we’ve got time, okay?”

“But I have to leave tomorrow. I have a GQ interview in London,” Steve pouts.

Eddie tries not to be distracted by his bitten-red lips, but they’re just so…biteable.

“I could go to London,” Eddie offers, only slightly joking.

Steve’s eyes light up. “You can?”

“I mean, I can definitely blow some of my savings to follow you around for a bit,” Eddie shrugs.

“As if I’d let you pay.” Steve’s beaming at him. “You really wanna come with me? Even though people will start spreading rumors and it’ll ruin your metal band image?”

“Baby, I’ll stand on that stage right now and scream to everyone who will listen that I’m yours.”

There’s still time to do that, too. Even though it can’t have been more than 20 minutes since Steve left the stage, he has no doubt that there are plenty of stragglers in the arena hoping for Steve to still come out and perform his encore.

“Some fans are kind of-”

“Crazy?” Steve nods. “That’s because you’re perfect. But they can’t have you, right? Not like I can.”

“No. Nobody gets to have me like you do.”

If Robin wasn’t banging on the door to warn them they only had five minutes, Eddie would be trying for another round. Maybe this time, he’d get his mouth on Steve instead of just his hand.

“I guess we should get to the car before fans figure out I’m still here,” Steve suggests. “And before Robin kills us both.”

“Imagine that news story,” Eddie laughs. “Best friend and manager of pop icon Steve Harrington charged with double homicide after seeing more dicks than she’s ever seen in her life.”

“Bold of you to assume she hasn’t seen mine,” Steve laughs as he pulls away. When he sees Eddie’s shocked face, he pats his cheek. “I sleep naked, babe. You knew that.”

Eddie’s face goes back to normal quickly. “Still? I thought that was just so I would-”

“I’m coming in!” Robin shouts as she opens the door. Steve turns away to finish buttoning his pants, but Eddie’s soft dick is right out in the open.

“Seriously?” Robin groans.

Eddie finishes making himself presentable and smirks. “You’ve seen what he’s got. You can’t blame me.”

“I can and I will. Car’s already surrounded, so. Hope you’re good with a hard launch.”

Eddie looks at Steve to check in. Steve gives him a nod.

“Blast off, I guess.”

[dumbbitchgalore]

Repost because it got flagged a while ago

Young Lt!Price and the General’s wife 🧚‍♀️

“And this is Mrs Holmes, General Holmes’ wife.”

Among the glitz and glamour of military balls, sandwiched between couples swaying to the music, John is introduced to an unenthusiastic woman no older than 27.

Her body wrapped in a baby blue organza dress as diamonds find their place on her ears, neck and fingers causing her to stand out from the see of black and white.

She looks at him with no particular interest as she extends her hand out as a sign of formality. She’s heard a lot about the young soldier. Talented, brave, smart and occasionally stories of his virility circle among the women.

“A pleasure, Lieutenant Price.” She says monotonously as John takes her hand to shake it while giving her a wolfish grin.

“Please ma’am, the pleasure is all mine.” He responds back, less formal and more rapacious.

Humming softly at his reply, you pull your hand away from his grasp examining his face. A light stubble, cleaned around the edges, hair slicked back giving way to the old Hollywood style. His cerulean eyes staring you down, drowning in a pool of sin. The tiny mole decorating his nose doesn’t get past her, it adds a cuteness to his person in her eyes.

“Your reputation precedes you, Lieutenant as well do your accolades adorning your chest… especially for someone so young.” She states.

Not knowing why such compliments fell out of her lips, she makes no effort in correcting herself, rather her cold and calculating stare tries to picture John without all the hustle and bustle of the military world, albeit she could not.

John chuckles, “I could say the same thing about you, although in other circumstances.”

This piques her interest as she raises an eyebrow at his comment.

“Meaning?”

John rolls his eyes shoving his hand into his pant pockets as he gives her a shrug.

“The meaning being that a woman as young as you being with such an old-”

Her scowl silences him in an instant. A deadly glare, cold enough to freeze the rivers of hell.

“Watch it. That’s my husband and your General you’re speaking about.”

John smirks, satisfaction tricking through his veins.

“Bet he’s never made you c-”

Not letting him finish his sentence, she huffs and storms away in anger, earning a chuckle from John.

For the remainder of the night, She spends her time nursing a glass of rum and coke near the bar as she scans the area. A frown finds her way to her face as she sees women younger than her drapping themselves on him as her husband relishes in the in their salacious touches.

"You know, I can make you forget about him ma'am." A voice resonates behind her catching her attention.

She turns around to face him and rolls her eyes. "It's you."

A chuckle rips through John as he moves a strand of hair from her face. "Come on, Lovie. Let me take you to cloud nine and back."

Sighing softly, an inner turmoil beings to ensue within her as her mind becomes murky with hunger. She should be able to do as she pleases for once in her life like her husband, no? She deserves to feel cock-drunk and fucked out.

"Lead the way, Lieutenant."

***

Ruffling of soft fabrics echo through the bathroom, its dim brillance casting a subtle glow on the two. John kisses her taking charge of the situation, but that doesn't slide with the missus.

Grabbing him by the hair, she gives it a harsh tug elicitng a hiss from his lips before pushing him down on the floor. John complys subserviently without much of a fight letting you take the reins. He looks up at her, eyes mirroring desperation and sex.

"Mistress..." He mutters pathetically.

Tsking him softly, her eyes burn with satisfaction as she sees the young soldier pleading for pleasure with her.

Lifting her dress, giving way to her panties, she dips her fingers into them rubbing her folds before her fingers plunge into her aching hole, coating them to her slick juices. Squelches erupt from her pussy as she moans softly, gazing into John's azure irises.

Pulling her fingers out of her tight cunt, she smears her slick into his lips as they leave behind a nice sheen.

"Open wide, Lieutenant." You command softly.

John complies, opening his mouth to accomodate her fingers. She slides her fingers into his mouth, rubbing them on his tongue before giving him permission to suck. He sucks on her fingers earnestly, paying attention to where her cunny honey has left their mark on her digits.

He moans softly, savouring her taste. Who knows when he'll ever get to taste Mrs Holmes again? He laps them clean as she pulls her fingers out of with out drawing a 'pop' noise as John releases her fingers.

"Now, be a good soldier and serve your country right, hm?"

She mutters sweetly as she grabs him by his hair, dragging his face closer to her cunt.

[nmakii]

AND BRUSH, AND BRUSH MY HAIR

— chigiri hyoma x long haired!reader

alt title: chigiri would be my bff bf!!! sighs me and my waist length hair against the world

well… obviously he loves your long hair. he thinks it frames your face perfectly >_<

one of the best past times to spend tgt as a couple is being in his lap while he brushes your hair out. if your hair is long because it’s a hassle to always get a haircut, he wont let you braid his hair in return. :x only if you love your hair as much as he does teehee

++ if you guys ever share an apartment and bathroom, the shelf is gonna be full of hair products…

also loves to shampoo your hair if you’re too tired to do it… something super intimate about letting him exfoliate your scalp as his finger thread through the tangles in your hair. it’s a simple luxury that only you and he’d know the pleasure of

he luvs trying out hair hacks with you. “babe..! i just saw this hack that says your hair grows healthier and longer faster if you use rosemary oil and rice water..! …where’s the rosemary?”

he thinks ur long hairs perfect… doesnt want you to ever cut it… and if you do end up cutting it, it’s gonna be like that meme “told my girl not to cut her hair. she did it anyway and she looked fine af. this is why women shouldnt listen to their man”

if you ever have an important event going on, and you need to look glammed up, he’s MORE than happy to wake up at 5 AM or whatever to style your hair. he luvs u ofc <3

“it’s not too tight, is it?” chigiri asks as he ties the braid he tied on the side, holding your hair from getting into your face. “yeah, it’s perfect, hyo. thank you.” you hum.

“right. well, good luck at your party, babe. hopefully there isn’t someone who tries to steal you away from me while im not there.” he huffs. “heeh, good luck at your game too, tonight. and don’t worry, ill tell them im taken by a gorgeous man.” you enunciate your words, buttering him up and making his heart turn into jelly.

chigiri abashedly, yet smugly grins. “tch… gorgeous? more like drop-dead charming…”

you scoff, taking your purse as he walks you to the door. “hmm… hyo, what would you do if i wanted to cut my hair?” you ask. of course it was a hypothetical, but it was something you were seriously starting to concern…

“haah? how come? you’re super pretty with it, i won’t like brushing your hair if it’s short..” he huffs, the frown on his pretty lips making him seem adorable. “i know… i like my hair too, but i feel like it’s getting too long… like, there has to be a limit somewhere, right?”

he shakes his head. “well…if you like it, you shouldn’t cut it. when it comes to you, you could have obnoxiously long hair like rapunzel— like, to the point where it’s in my face when we cuddle, and ill still think you should grow it longer.” he hums, a hand unconsciously finding its way to you. “plus, why cut it when it makes your title as ‘world’s prettiest girl’ so much more obvious to everyone else?”

he’s trying to spoil you with compliments. he knows that getting you weak in the head would let him get his way. of course he definitely doesn’t use this power for evil… this was just a desperate occasion. “i mean… once, i dropped my pen, so i bent down to get it… and my hair was on my arm, and i thought it was a lizard and i jumped..!” you recount a story from two weeks ago.

“…pfft… ahaha..!” he laughs. “that just means you should keep your hair out of your face… see? a simple braid like what i did for you right now would be enough.” he rebuts your reasons for cutting your hair.

“…whatever.” you groan. “im still on the fence about whether i should do it anyway.” chigiri nods. “well then, don’t cut it. it’d be like you’re cutting a part of my soul away.”

you scoff. dramatic, much? chigiri rolls his eyes at your disbelief. “you laugh, but i’m serious..! just let me be a little bit selfish… and, don’t cut your hair…” he pleads.

[zaynontour]

🌿 Take Me Higher Than I've Ever Been by crimsontheory @ireallysawanangel [51k]

Harry is pretty simple. He goes to work everyday, comes home, then watches Netflix with his cat. And if he happens to have a tiny little crush on his coworker, then that’s just his own business.

🌿 Crave** by dimpled_halo @comebackassholes [90k]

All eyes are on Louis Tomlinson to bring new talent to save Hanover Records from the mess the previous executive left behind. His newest artist, Harry Styles, is charismatic and everything Louis needs to revive the label. It’s up to Louis and his team to make Harry the star he was born to be. When Harry and Louis come face to face, it isn’t the first time they’ve met, and their worlds are about to be turned upside down.

🌿 Young Gods by sincewewereeighteen [77k]

“Why don’t you stay?” Harry looked down at him and snorted. “What?”

“You’re not my type, Louis”, the boy rolled his eyes sitting on the edge of the bed to put on his boots.

“Says the man you just had sex with”, Louis pointed feeling smart, but Harry was one step ahead of him, with the answer on the tip of his tongue.

“You see, if you were my type, I wouldn’t have”, Harry winked, cheeky as hell. “I would’ve gotten to know you first.”

“Bullshit”, he accused the boy not letting it show how intrigued he was. “How can you know I’m not your type if you don’t know me?”

“How about I list five things about you to prove I’m right and if any of them are false I’ll lie down again.”

“Ok. Go.”

the one in which Louis is a model and Harry's supposed to be a normal guy... Until he isn't

🌿 School Of Extraordinary Lovers by @stylinsoncity [191k]

harry is a third-year witch and violinist at Laitswold, the only magical academy in the UK, with dreams of taking on the world, and hopefully breaking the centuries-old curse on his family while he's at it. he does not dream of facing off against his childhood rival and duet partner, but louis is back in town after six years abroad, so that's exactly what happens.

🌿 One Last Time by @smittenwithlouis [24k]

“I mean it, Harry, this is the last time,” Louis breathes out as Harry kisses down his neck.

“Sure,” Harry mumbles into his heated skin.

The action makes Louis shudder. He hates how good it feels. He knows he should be revolted. Disgusted. But god does it feel so damn good.

Or: Louis is a werewolf, and Harry is a vampire. They’re supposed to hate each other, but they’re too busy fucking to care.

🌿 Where I Burn To Be by pleasinglouis @pleasing-louis [143k]

“That’s right. I do own the skies. And you wanna know why?” he sneered. Without his boots on, Louis was a fair bit shorter than Harry, his eyes pretty much level with Harry’s chin and his socked toes bumping into the boots of the other man, close enough that Louis could make out the tiny scar on Harry’s brow and the individual shades of emerald in his irises. He was handsome, but that only made Louis hate him more. Heart thumping heavily against his sternum and his hands balled into fists, Louis lifted his chin defiantly and plastered a coldhearted smirk across his lips. “Because I’m the best goddamn pilot here.”

aka the Top Gun AU

🌿 Like A Melody In My Head by sarcasticinfluentry [60k]

A college marching band AU in which Harry is just trying to get through his first semester of college while pining over the hot drum major, Louis is trying to ignore his feelings for a certain curly-haired freshman, Zayn is trying to become less guarded, Liam is trying to be patient, and Niall is trying to make his dad proud.

🌿 Now You Know Me (For Your Eyes Only) by nadinecestmoi [77k]

au where harry and louis are solo artists and they’re not exactly friends per se but they’re friendly, know each other from industry parties and things like that and there’s always been this weird unspoken sexual tension between them and louis’ always kinda confused bc isn’t harry the biggest ladies’ man in the industry?? and one day harry asks louis to collab with him and of course louis says yes even tho he’s kinda surprised and harry plays the song for him and louis is completely blown away by how beautiful it is and it’s a love song and he’s like damn whoever this is about is lucky as fuck bc it’s clearly written from personal experience so they spend all this time together recording and it’s super bittersweet bc they click right away and it takes louis about three seconds to realize he has a huge fucking crush on harry but on the other hand harry clearly had someone in mind when he wrote the song so the last day of recording comes and louis’ like “thanks for having me on the song” and harry just shrugs and is like “well it just seemed fitting bc the song is about you”

🌿 Cold As Ice by larryspillows [76k]

Two famous boys, one passion. Two hearts, one home: the ice.

Or, an ice skating ff where the two most famous skaters in the world are forced to skate at the same rink. The only problem: They hate each other. What could go wrong?

🌿 take my hand (and my heart and soul)** by bananasandboots @anylessreal [45k]

The one where Harry hasn't spoken to his best friend in sixteen months and can't remember why.

Total Fics Read: 10

** rereads

[staybabblingbaby]

Best Friend Protocol #14 (Team Meeting part)

[Caution: These are not full fics, or even full parts of fics for some, these are part of my writing progress archive!]

Concept: You're Felix's childhood friend, and you and he have been planning a visit to see him for his birthday for what feels like years now. Unfortunately, SKZ is a very busy group, and the week-long vacation you'd planned for doesn't seem possible.Until Felix decides to ask his bandmates a favor...

Word Count: 2672

Notes: IT'S FINALLY HERE! ALL HAIL THE LEGENDARY FIRST WRITTEN PART OF BFP! I meant to have this out over a week ago, but it's here now! I will be attempting to get a regular chapter out here shortly to fulfil my promised 4 november chapters. Wish me luck! Huge shout out to one of my beautiful beloved betas, @brbwritingfanfic for taking the time to make sense of this damn thing lmao. I appreciate you spotting all my errors, you a real one <3 For those familiar with my archive style and curious, this is A3D2 for this chapter. It was kicking my ASS. If enough folks are interested I don't mind releasing the other attempts, but BFP is a bit divorced from the usual archive proceedings, so I'll leave that up to y'all. I actually really loved how Felix's character came through here, and i'm pretty pleased with how the dialogue turned out. My poor fiance had to sit through like 5 separate rants about how i could not roll back the details enough and kept having to scrap dialogue so it sounded less like AI attempting classical literature.

Warnings: She/Her Reader. Sort of? Polyamory negotiations. More like, the possibility is tossed out there.

Leave me comments or questions or anything! Love hearing from folks

Additional Note: I'm always taking interaction requests. Just fyi

Masterlist | Prev Part | Next Part (coming soon!)

The meeting goes something like this;

They pile into the living room of his and Seungmin’s shiny new dorm without discussion. It makes Felix both nervous and grateful. They’ve always had these meetings wherever Chris happened to be, before. It feels like an unspoken declaration of allegiance. Like they’re letting Felix take the lead, here.

The pressure is kind of getting to him already, as they all settle in. He doesn’t even know how he feels about it all himself, making a decision doesn’t seem like something he should be in charge of right now.

Still, he’s grateful. They’re being so mindful of him in this, and he kind of wants to cry about it. He feels seen, and loved. A bit too seen, maybe, but as embarrassing as it is he’s still a bit gooey inside about it.

Felix drags a beanbag over to where Hyunjin has settled on the couch, plopping down to lean against the other man’s legs. A hand automatically goes to bury itself in his hair, like an anchor against Felix’s stormy thoughts.

The grounding warmth of one of his best friends soothes Felix as Chris calls the meeting to order.  

“So!” Their leader casts an inquiring gaze around the room, “Who wants to start? Where are we at right now?”

A few glances are cast Felix’s way, but he tips his head back against Hyunjin’s knees to avoid their eyes. Everyone must get the message, because no one prompts him.

Jisung is the one who eventually bites the bullet, and Felix sends a silent ‘thank you’ to his birthday buddy.

“Well, I’d like to clarify everyone’s, like, goal in this?” Jisung puts forward tentatively, “Because I’m at the point where it’s more of a ‘I’d like to get to know her’ thing than a ‘I want to date her’ thing.” he shrugs to himself, “I haven’t talked to her much yet, I just think she’s cool.”

“I’m a little bit smitten,” Changbin admits from across the room. He gives Felix an apologetic grimace, but all Felix can do is wave him off with a worried smile. 

“We talked for quite a while the other day and, I dunno... We clicked? I guess? I feel like we did, anyway. I kind of want to see where that could go if we let it.” 

Changbin sends an almost appealing look to Felix as he speaks, and honestly? Super awkward for Felix right now.

Because, see, Felix’s first instinct is to get super defensive and shut everything down. He doesn’t really want to be talking about this, and it scratches at something delicate and boyish in him that they’re having this discussion at all.

It’s embarrassing to know that the feelings he’s kept so close to his chest for so many years are out in the open. It feels a bit like a betrayal that this meeting is about the fact that most of his friends have feelings for the girl he’s had a crush on basically his whole life, instead of planning how to get him to stop being stupid about said crush.

It’s just... Uncomfortable. On so many levels. An ugly monster wants to tear out of Felix’s throat as he locks eyes with Changbin, but a light scratch at his scalp from Hyunjin stalls the beast.

Right. Felix reminds himself that these aren’t any old friends. These aren’t just some acquaintances he could burn bridges with, or strange men he had to protect his angel from.

No, these were his brothers, the people he’d shed blood, sweat, and tears with. The men he’d lived with, grown with, the guys who’d seen more of him than any other person in the world.

Felix finds it in himself to spare Changbin a strained smile. He means it to be reassuring, but he’s so tangled up in his thoughts right now that it’s the best he can offer. The older man seems grateful for it anyway.

He turns his gaze up to Hyunjin, the catalyst of all this, and Felix’s current rock in the storm. He tries to keep in mind how much he loves these people as he moves the conversation forward.

He has to hear them out, at least.

“Thoughts, Hyun?” Felix gently inquires. 

Hyunjin briefly presses his lips together, gathering his thoughts into words. 

“I’ve been pretty open in my flirtation from the start, I think.” he finally says, “So I guess I’m more surprised that anyone else is? Surprised, I mean.”

Felix has to hand him that one. For all that his ‘no flirting’ rule had been mostly a joke, it did mean that he’d expected them to flirt with her. 

He wonders what makes things different now? He’d been okay with the flirting when he’d thought everyone was just joking around, has anything really changed now that he knows it’s real?

Felix sits with that thought while Minho throws his two cents in.

“I don’t think surprised is the right word,” their second eldest ponders aloud, “I’m personally more... worried about how this might work out.” He draws the words out slowly, like he’s tasting the flavor of them before he speaks.

It’s off-putting to hear Minho speak so cautiously- he’s usually so blunt with his words. 

“I’m more worried about how this will affect us as a group,” Minho admits, “I mean, I like her, she’s fun, but I don’t want her if it’s going to cause issues among us.”

And the older man has a point. Anything that causes discord in a group like theirs is a disaster waiting to happen. Especially something like this, where a misstep could lead to long-term resentments and jealousies.

Felix feels pressured by the group’s regard for him all over again. One word from him, and he knows it all ends. The moment he says he can’t handle this is the moment that the rest back off. The emotions won’t fade, Felix knows, but they’d do it anyways.

Because they love him.

He loves them right back.

“I really like her,” Seungmin pipes in, face blank. His eyes cast toward the floor for a moment, before rising again to meet Felix’s. “I really like her,” He repeats, “I don’t know that I would be okay with letting go without trying.”

Felix pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and nods at the younger man. His head tips toward his lap while he thinks, brow furrowing as he loses himself to his tumultuous thoughts.

It helps to hear everyone’s feelings put so bluntly, Felix thinks. Having everyone’s stances laid out clearly like a map in his mind’s eye. 

Han, who’s not invested but interested anyways.

Changbin, who’s probably in deeper than he’d really like to be.

Hyunjin, who’d been open about his intentions from the start.

Minho, who the fact that he’s even considering her means more than Felix thinks the man realizes. And yet, he’d give her up at the first seed of discord among the group.

It’s kind of heartwarming, when Felix thinks about how much love their second eldest had shown them with those words. 

Finally, there’s Seungmin. A man whose compliments are hard earned, and whose feelings are closely guarded. A man who’d just handed Felix his heart on a silver platter, trust and love etched in every word, spoken and not.

Felix’s first instinct is still to shut them down. His clouded heart tells him to scoop up his angel and hide her away like a dragon with its hoard. To claim her as his and his alone, and feel slighted if anyone tried to contest that.

But that’s not fair. Not to his members and not to her. Not even to himself.

They’d shown him respect and care every step of the way, the least he could do is give them more than a knee-jerk reaction.

“Is it really all that complicated?” Jeongin ponders aloud.

Their maknae looks almost bored from his armchair, staring at them all. His furrowed brow gives away his worry, as does the way he allows Chris to pull him into the elder’s side with an arm around his shoulders.

“I mean, it’s up to her in the end, isn’t it?” their youngest continues, “she’s the only one that can really make a final call.”

“Could we handle that?” Felix finally speaks up. It’s a little scary having everyone’s attention snap to him like that, but this is the crux of the matter, he thinks.

“If she chooses one of us, could we handle that?” he elaborates.

A contemplative silence descends over the room. Felix kind of wishes he could peek into the member’s brains at this moment. He wants to know if they’re as worried as he is, if they’re worried about the same things he is. 

Because, quite honestly, the more he thinks about it the less he really minds if they flirt with his angel.

It’s taken him this long to untangle the ugly knot of emotions in his chest, and he still can’t see all of it for what it is, but the core of it all, he thinks, is fear.

He’s afraid that, at the end of it all, he’ll be left behind. That he’ll lose two of his very best friends, his favorite people in the world, to each other.

He doesn’t think he could handle that.

It’s an unjustified fear, Felix knows. His bonds with all of these people, the seven present in the room with him and one halfway across the world, are stronger than anything. Forged in fire and elastic with time, he’s sure there’s nothing that could ever truly break them.

That doesn’t stop anxiety from creeping up his spine.

Felix lets his eyes wander around the room, landing on each of his members in turn. It’s like something in him believes that they could guide him in this, just by looking at them, the way his gaze lands heavily on each of their forms.

Hyunjin’s hand drops from his head to knead at the base of his neck, and Felix feels himself soften. A little bit of the anxiety drains from him at the comforting touch, and with it gone he can see something new under the miasma of fear and uncertainty.

It’s bright, like hope, and a bit more exciting. A giddy little thought bubbles up with it-

“What if she chose more than one of us?” Han beats him to the punch. His eyes flick between them all anxiously, looking very much like the rodent he’s nicknamed for, and when he’s met with seven confused stares and Felix’s suppressed grin, he starts to babble.

“I- I mean, we’ve all shared partners before. Like, sexually, at least. I just- I mean- We’re not strangers to sharing, is all I’m tryna say!” Han explains himself.

His shoulders rise up to cherry-red ears under the weight of their stares. Minho places a calming hand on his thigh, even as he pokes holes in the other man’s claim.

“We’ve never shared romantic partners though,” He points out, annoyingly reasonable, “That’s a completely different thing.” 

“I’d be willing to give it a shot,” Hyunjin shrugs when all eyes turn to him.

He was, admittedly, the last of them Felix had expected to back the idea. Hyunjin was the most romantic of them all, and the least likely to indulge one of them in sharing a partner or two.

“I love you guys, and I really like her,” Hyunjin states plainly, “I don’t see an issue with it.”

“So.. what? We try for, like, a.. polycule kinda thing if she wants?” Changbin questions. He scrunches up his face in concern at the concept, pointing out, “That feels a little unbalanced, doesn't it? Is it fair to hinge the whole thing on her?”

“It's going to hinge on her whether it's fair or not,” Jeongin interjects, “You all have crushes on her, not on eachother.”

“I just don’t know how comfortable I can be with that,” Changbin explains, “There’s one of her, and currently six of us. I don’t think it’s humanly possible for her to split her time enough for all of us, and it’s really unfair of us to expect it of her.”

“It could be a good thing, though,” Han argues, “None of us have the time to dedicate to a relationship how we should. Having more than one of us to turn to could be a good thing.”

“Okay, but you’re all forgetting something very important in this hypothetical,” Jeongin stresses the word, making pointed eye contact with his hyungs, “situation. She has to agree to it too. We can’t make a decision without her.”

Felix can't help but be proud of their youngest for reminding them of y/n’s place in all this. It’s not like they’d forgotten, but it was a good reminder anyway. It did feel a bit icky to be talking about their relationship with her like it was a foregone conclusion.

“I’m just saying!” Han proclaims, throwing his hands in the air, “It’s a possibility that we should be open to if it happens!”

Finally, Chris loudly claps to get everyone's attention and forestall any oncoming argument.

“Oh-kay!” he enthuses, “Let’s refocus. Show of hands, are we okay with everyone flirting with her if they want to?”

All hands go up, none of them opposed to anyone else shooting their shot. Felix pretends like all eyes aren’t on him as he easily raises his arm.

“Alright, next” Chris pushes on, “Do we think we can handle it if she chooses one of us?”

Hesitant murmurs sound around the room at this, but Felix has come to an understanding with himself during this meeting, so he speaks confidently when he says, “I think we’ll be okay.”

His words seem to reassure the others, and a ripple of agreement and gentle ribbing starts circling the room.

“Alright,” Chris nods to himself, interrupting the wave before they could get started with any mischief. He really does know them too well.

“And finally,” he starts, an indecipherable expression crossing his face, “show of hands, who’s alright with the poly thing if it comes to it?”

This subject is more divisive, Han, Hyujin, and Felix’s hands going up, but Minho and Changbin stay quiet with worried faces. Seungmin holds his arm out in front of him with his thumb held out sideways. When questioned, he just says he’s not sure how he feels about it yet.

“We’ll circle back on that later, then.” Chris decides, “I think that’s one of those things we need to be unanimous on.”

Agreements sound out, and the atmosphere relaxes. The evening quickly devolves into an impromptu game night, the group quickly descending upon Felix’s console games like a pack of hyenas.

Felix gets up to switch the TV over to his switch, intentions of strong-arming everyone into playing Mario Party in mind. Chris grabs him by the elbow as he walks by, nodding over to the kitchen. Felix follows him over, already unbearably fond. 

“You sure you're good?” Chris asks lowly, “You've been her friend the longest, and we quite literally thought you were dating her already for a while there. They'll back off if you ask, you know.” 

Felix nods, smiling softly at their leader’s care. “I'm good I promise.” he swears, “I meant it when I said I liked it when my favorite people get along.”

He turns to look through the doorway back at the living room. Despite the strange and personal nature of their conversation, jokes and laughter flow easily now. As if there was never any tension at all. 

Felix can feel himself practically melt as he looks at them, a sentiment he knows their leader shares.

“It would hurt,” Felix admits, “If she chose someone else. But there’s no one I’d trust to hurt me more, y’know?”

Chris doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t really need to. He squeezes Felix’s elbow gently as the younger dives back into the chaos, and Felix knows he’s been understood.

Worm List <3 :

@thatgirlangelb , @hyeon-yi, @velvetmoonlght, @missvanjiii, @hanniemylovelyquokka, @vegetablesarefuntables, @scribblesnsketches05, @kkamismom12, @alexateurmom, @baribaaari, @tayla2351, @heart-trees, @unicornwhisperer666, @aalexyuuuhm, @stilldontknowhoiam, @brbwritingfanfic, @kaciebello, @ririzisblu

Perma Tag List <3 : @mbioooo0000

[kalkiethinks]

SCAM ALERT

TLDR: If a commisioner ignores your instructions, sends you a ton of money upfront via a check asking you to deposit and send back a portion of money- DO NOT. So back in Nov 10 I got an email commission which started okay: "I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to you because I am impressed by your portfolio and believe your artistic style would be a fantastic fit for an upcoming project I am coordinating.

I am currently in the process of assembling a team and I need a talented illustrator to collaborate on the title, Pandemic: Precaution and Prevention. Your work stood out to me due to its vibrant colors, character choices and attention to detail.

If you are interested, I would love to discuss the project further and provide more details about the scope, timeline, and compensation. Please let me know if this opportunity aligns with your current availability and if you would be open to discussing it further.

He wanted to create 6 group illustrations that would be printed and handed out for students 18-25 that would equate to $6000 at a 9 week turnaround. This raised an eyebrow but thought they were just a generous client. I gave him my procedure pipeline, starting with a min deposit upfront as a show of good faith. Also told him holidays are busy so will we start next year? He says that's fine. So far okay. "Considering the amount to be paid for the job, cashiers check or bank certified checks is our best bet. My sponsor doesn't use online payment platforms. He's an old-fashioned businessperson. The check will be issued and mailed to you and you should receive it within 5 days. Please get back to with your details in the format below:" Another raised eyebrow in this digital day and age but I've done previous freelance work that used mailed checks so I was alright with this. Only released my contact info and bank name.

Now the red flags pop up: On Nov 19 he sends this: "How are you doing today ? I'm so sorry for this, sincerely I do not find it easy to write this to you this moment , I have been so busy lately, the check is been made out for $6,000.00 which is cover for both phases. The sponsor asked for immediate refund for the 2nd phase as soon as the check clears your bank then you could proceed with the first 1-3. The 2nd phase is been postponed until further notice due to the sponsors personal issue, I will provide you the tracking information via USPS as soon as I have it so you could have it tracked yourself to know when exactly it will be delivered. My sincere apology for the inconvenience and do have a great day." So my requests were completely ignored, tells me a check is on the way with the full lump sum and I have to return half that amount. This is one method I've heard scammers get access of one's bank account with the poison check and you end up paying that half with your own actual money. Checked with friends and my own bank, sounds like a scam. Check arrives, and doing 30 minutes of Googling reveals so much warning stuff:

-So the names on the client email (Nicholas Jarry), and this name on the USPS (Christopher Williams) revealed on the first results are both famous sports players. One is a funny coincidence, two is suspicious. -quick Google of what a Keybank check is like, get an old warning about what to look for in legit checks, also tried calling Keybank on how to verify a check and explaining the scenario. -the address on the USPS belongs to a residential house that had another business also registered to it before that has gone inactive. -The Ace Cafe is real, but everything is inconsistent. The Hillcourt Dr address leads to a residential house, there is no LLC, and the logo belongs to a legit Orlando location that had closed last year and is opening in a new location, the address not matching whats on the check and names do not match either Jarry or Williams.

I've already reported this issue to the FTC and while they can't help me do anything with this particular scammer I'm now passing this around to new artists to know what to look out for when too many little suspicious things add up.

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

Plot twists that could be funny.

Charlie wants everyone to bond, but Angel gets to pick the activity so he tries taking them all to a little old fashioned place he knows that's sorta from around when he died.

And it's a strip joint, with gin and jazz. Charlie thinks it's... interesting, but definitely not great. Watching Alastor like he might explode at the sudden influx of naked people on stage.

Only to be completely thrown off guard as Mimzy comes hurtling out from the manager's office to greet them, and Alastor speaks to a number of the dancers by name. Unbothered by the sudden number of bodies pressing close, implying this is definitely Not the first time he's been here.

Husk doesn't seem surprised, at least, and ends up chatting to someone currently on the pole to their immediate left. Nothing sensual, he seems to be asking about how their latest attempt at gardening with hellplants was turning out. And the utterly inverted sequined sinner there is answering excitedly, moving through the routine while chatting about fire proof gloves and fertiliser types.

Niffty is briefly lost but then located rapidly spinning around a pole and giggling madly. She looks like a one person tornado, more blur than person, as several of the dancers look on in a fondly exasperated way.

Mimzy is initially mad at them all, primarily Alastor, but brushes it off with a general "Oh I just can't stay mad at you, doll... come get a drink!" and in a blink everyone is seated across several squished together plush couches in one of the quieter corners.

Dancers are everywhere, all varieties, costumes well made and maintained from a very 1920s to 1950s style. Angel can't help but ask about them, he knows Val would never let him in something so old fashioned but... maybe just for him, at the hotel, you know?

Mimzy nudges Alastor, and the Radio Demon rolls his eyes in a friendly yet put upon manner, before twirling a finger. Instantly switching Angel's attire out for something akin to that of the other ladies, gentlemen and assorted sinners present with no particular inclination in either direction.

"I don't believe this falls under the purview of the facilities manager but... as needs must. Do let me know if it pinches, Rosie is far superior at clothing magicks, she can work out sizing merely by eyeballing you across a crowded room. Remarkable."

Mimzy crosses her arms, scowling. "Hey, we don't mention her here... you know that."

"Apologies, I thought you were over that little spat."

"She started it, she can apologise for it."

"I do believe you were the one that set her Emporium on fire first, Mim, which would warrant a smidge of grovelling on your part, no?"

"Hey, whose side are you on anyway? She's so fuckin' uptight and..."

Radio dials flash in a gentle warning. "Magnolia, I daresay you may have had enough to drink, if you are falling into such melancholy thoughts... perhaps you should take dear Charlotte to the dancefloor and show her how to move, hmmm?"

"Yeah, yeah... you'd think alla that work together when we was alive would count for something, but I know you like her better..." she mumbles, clearly trying to sway the man as she storms off. "Princess, you know anything about the Lindey Hop? Cause you're about to!"

The princess shoots a mildly terrified smile at Vaggie before she was dragged away to a side area near the bar where patrons were trying to move to the fast-paced music. Dancers spun intermittently on small stages and well-anchored table tops about the bar area, moving in well choreographed actions to the same music that had sinners shaking the floorboards.

It was a very strange place to be, but the alcohol kept flowing, so who was to naysay it?

Angel, running fingers over the intricate beading of his attire, drops boldly into Alastor's lap and puts a pair of hands around the Overlord's neck. He feels the frission of static zip up his fur, and briefly rethinks if this was wise... but the other relaxes.

"Angel, I hadn't assumed you so foolish as to land in the literal lap of a second overlord..." Alastor teases, and Husk lets out a soft breath of relief nearby. There's at least two of Mimzy's crew brushing his wings out right now as they chatted, drinks passed around as conversation rose and fell between songs.

"Hey, I just wanna say thanks for the outfit, it's fuckin' amazing! Always wanted something like this, back when I was alive but... my dad woulda probably killed me if I'd nabbed one. Did NOT like the whole queer thing, I tell ya." Angel beamed, a second pair of hands stroking the bodice. "You said Rosie does this sorta thing to? The Canibal Overlord? I thought her crew were all ankle-length dresses and like..." He gestures to all of Alastor.

"Ah, a common misconception... dear Rosie is an amazing seamstress, as are the cannibals and bettes under her tutelage. Why, I believe that before Miss Velvette was around, a number of items for your... employer... were created by Cannibal Town. I understand, from what you have shown in your movies, that the quality has taken quite the turn for the worse in recent times."

Angel snorts, covering his face with one set of hands and wrapping the others around his torso as he laughed. "Only... only you would watch one'a my films and notice the shitty quality of the fabric an' props, Al... fuck, you better nevah change, cause you're a riot when you wanna be."

"Indeed. Husker, my good man, would you please do a little twirl for your beau?"

"Do a what for my what now?" the bemused and now wary cat replied. "Aw, come on..."

With a snap, the cat was now in an equally ornate outfit to rival Angel's, and Husker's shoulder sagged. He did look marvellous, and the yellow suited him, but the reluctance at the sudden costume change was evident in his half-shuffle-turn, ending the move with a sarcastic Ta-Da with angry spirit fingers.

Angel nearly fell off Alastor's lap in surprise. Oh, he was going to have to get the kitty to wear that again, later, in their room... sucks that he didn't have anything to offer the deer back for this little gift. Well, nothing that he knew Al would want... unless the guy wanted something smuggled up from Lust Ring through some back alley connections. No judgement. Angel had the hook up for primo toys...

Theatrically, he leaned over toward the nearest ear and said, "Best gift. Ever. Can I offer to suck ya-..." and bursts into laughter as he is immediately moved to a nearby chair by a hastily conjured tentacle. "I mean, I can work with tentacles too, y'know..."

"Husker, do deal with your man, he seems to have lost his sense of self preservation. " Alastor grins, a genuine thing that seemed to reach around the edges of the ever-present smile. He flicks his gaze to an overwhelmed looking Vaggie, who was awkwardly trying to converse with several fast talking dancers around her. Eye also trailing after a flustered looking Charlie who was being absolutely hurled about the dance floor by Mimzy.

Somehow, Niffty seemed to be in the mix, and it wasn't clear how that even worked but her added weight helped counterbalance the enthusiasm of Mimzy's tosses and twirls.

Vaggie caught him looking and her gaze hardened. "What are you looking at? Don't do anything creepy, because I will stab you if you try."

"Oh relax, Vagathina-May Junebug the fourth. I was merely taking... measurements."

"Taking-...? Wait, what did you call me?"

"Well Vaggellina von Taxpayer, I noted you seemed a little tense. There is no one here who is an actual threat to you or your darling Charlotte, many here who would indeed 'throw hands' as they say to protect her. You can... how did angel put it the other day? 'Unclench before you strain something'." Alastor adds, twilring his finger.

Vaggie chokes off a noise of worried anger as she suddenly finds herself wearing something rivalling that of the others in the establishment, of a pale pink that matched her eye. It was lovely, but she felt so... exposed.

"Why did you-...?"

"Ah, ah, ah!" He waggled a finger at her, and the grin turned mischevious. "Just wait for it..."

A soft gasp from behind made Vaggie whirl to find a flustered Charlie standing there, drinking in the sight with obvious wonderment in those lovely eyes. Vaggie couldn't help the way her heart pounded at the adoration there, but let her hair fall over her shoulders to cover up.

"Oh no, are you cold? Here, take my jacket!" Charlie rushes forwards, and wouldn't you know it, the jacket fits perfectly with the outfit, as if someone made it as part of a set. She briefly wants to thank and throttle the smug bastard in their perispheral.

Niffty was flung overhead and caught lazily in a tendril, dropped back to the floor to scurry back to Mimzy, who delighted in hurtling the tiny maid in all directions as they danced raucously.

Angel had succeeded in getting Husk to laugh and at least partially dance along with him. Charlie was looking at Vaggie, and then turning pleading eyes on the Radio Demon... who roleld his own, and provided a red outfit for her. Not quite the business suits she favoured, but definitely lovely on her.

Charlie would have taken the world by storm if she'd been a model during the flapper era, she was made for the look. Lucifer probably was too, more's the pity... angels had a way of making anything look majestic on them. Speaking of, it was a surprise his majesty hadn't popped in to bother them all with a new duck, today.

Charlie had tried to have him come along to bond with the group, but he had 'paperwork' to deal with apparently. Alastor had snarked that patenting a new design for a toy no one would be able to safely give to a child, hardly qualified... but the King had thrown hellfire at his head in retaliation as he dissolved into shadow. So the pair were 0:0 in terms of their ongoing dad-off.

"Vaggie you look so cute! I wanna dance with you, you'll never believe the moves I just learned!"

"Okay, okay, I guess we can try. Just don't fling me about too much, I just got my wings back and it's taking time to rebalance when I do weird athletic things."

Angel's incoming innuendo is forestalled by Husk putting a paw over the man's mouth. "No."

The eyebrows waggle all the same, suggesting what the mouth could not. Several of the dancers laughed, groups moving in and out of the area as their routines cued up or ended.

They were delighted to show off moves, talk about gossip, or generally just interact with people who weren't interested in getting handsy. Angel was delighted to chat with other people in the bizz, and subtly ask about how it paid... what Mimzy was like as a boss, and share gossip about the whole loan shark fiasco.

Husker still looked like someone had pissed in his drink anytime the vivacious little flirt Mimzy was within line of sight. Too many run ins with her nonsense had given him a natural inclination to dislike her.

Still, the way she treated her people was good... even if she did see Al and previously even Rosie before their falling out, as a Get out of Jail card more than a person. He always wondered what she'd been like alive... but from the few things he'd gotten out of Al about it, she was pretty much the same reckless floozy then too.

Across the room, in one of the dim areas, someone was getting a tad aggressive. There was always one fucker who just couldn't understand the whole 'look with your eyes, not with your hands' thing everyone else had mastered as itty little kids.

Mimzy pulled an obscenely long-barrelled revolver from her cleavage, leaving more than a few wondering how that had fit. "Alright, I've gotta go eject someone before he hurts... is that Sapphire? Looks like 'em." She pauses, blinking coquettishly, "Unless you wouldn't mind putting the fear'a You into a rude customer?"

"Only for the sake of dear Sapphire's continued wellbeing, I suppose..." Alastor sighs dramatically, snapping his fingers as he dissolved into shadow.

Whatever Angel had been expecting, and let's be real he was hoping for big spooky Al to eat the guy the way Angel sometimes dreamed of the resident overlord disposing of Valentino for him... it didn't pan out. The porn star's jaw nearly hits the floor when Alastor rematerialises sitting the in the problem customer's lap, startling the weird dinosaur looking Sinner enough to make him let go of the dancer he'd been harrassing.

"What the-...?"

"Well now, my good man, I do believe this is the part where we keep our hands to ourselves or someone might eat them, yes indeedy!"

"The fuck are you to come between me and that whore? I paid for 'em, they're gonna do what I want-..." the bravado died down as static filled the air, that grin went wider and more menacing as the shadows darkened. "...wait fuck, please... I didn't mean-... didn't know this was under your protection... please?!"

"Oh, far too late for that, you foolish little lizard. You may need to learn some manners the hard way, and-..." he pauses, "can you at least try not to find this threat to your life arousing? Someone might get the wrong idea and have to tear it off. Ah, there we good, go show."

Shadows darkened in that area, blocking off the view but not the screams... and then it was gone. Only the newer patrons appeared affected in any way, shaken and looking to be on their best behaviour all of a sudden.

The dancers and Mimzy kept moving as normal, a few comforting the shaken Sapphire, as Niffty swooped in to deal with the few blood splatters on the wall as Alastor materialised back by the booths.

"Thanks Al, let me get you a drink as thanks. That guy came in three times last week just to pester poor Sapph, and the week before that he'd lucked out with Neptune over there. Thought we'd run him off good last time, but he's either dumber or more resilient than we thought." Mimzy adds, flicking a hand at a nearby dancer to retrieve the drink.

"Of course, Magnolia... he could have used a bit of seasoning, but, perhaps his time reforming will give the fool a chance to work on his manners."

"Psst, remember ya gotta call me Mimzy down here... ain't gotta lotta sway when you sound too flowery."

"Oh, and I suppose the fact you and Rosie were a floral pair has nothing to do with it... Maggie?" he teases, and she baps him on the face in playful fury. Alastor laughs in response and she rolls her black eyes.

"Thanks for stopping him." Sapphire exhales, appearing boneless with relief. They clenched their fists as if wanting to shake hands or hug or soemthing, but couldn't quite get their limbs to work right.

"Think nothing of it, you know I do like to directly discourage bad behaviour at Mimzy's holdings. You deserve respect and dignity as well, never forget that."

Angel felt, somewhat, that last statement was aimed his way too as the dancers fawned over the Radio Demon. He did appear surprised by the response, but smoothed over the momentary microexpression with nonchalance.

Hah, I saw that, mister. Angel felt he'd never get a better chance to rattle the Overlord. "Hey Al, you uh... seem a little overdressed considering what you whipped up for the rest of the hotel crew. You gonna make it fair, or keep being all old timey on us?"

The radio dials he got back made the spider laugh rather than shake in fear. They snapped back to normal.

"True, in the spirit of equality... but only for a moment. Should certain people find out, we'd have a whole other problem on our hands." Alastor capitulates, his attire shifting to an entirely too-red yet somehow fitting outfit. The fact that most of the dancers seemed nonplussed by it suggested that perhaps this was not the first time he'd been seen in something outrageous around them.

Angel had always wondered about that 'turns into a kitten' statement Mimzy made first time they met her. What that could even look like with a guy so uptight as Alastor, and if that was code for 'got roaring / shitfaced / zozzled drunk beyond belief and did weird insane crap no one would believe if you told 'em'.

Starting to think that may be true.

Alastor gestured again and his normal attire returned. "Satisfied?"

"Oooh, deer daddy, not as satisfied as I could make yo-..." Angel lost the sultry edge as a wet napkin plopped him in the face.

"Enough of that, thank you."

Vaggie seemed like she was considering gouging out her own eye, a thousand yard stare there. Charlie was patting her shoulder and marvelling at the lovely wall tiles. Probably felt like her weird uncle just turned up in something way too revealing to the family potluck. But Angel could store that image away for future use.

"Well, Mimzy my dear we have had a splendid evening but I do believe we need to get certain sinners back to bed because I believe at least one person has an early meeting to attend and another has to be up before lunch for their shift." Alastor said, smoothly, subtly gathering up Hazbin staff and guests alike.

Vaggie was frowning, looking right at Alastor's chest.

Angel understood, he was pretty fucking impressed that the Radio Demon could hide such a ridiculous amount of fluff under those weird bondage suspender things a'his without giving the game away. Gave him a pinch of envy to think about comparing them.

Still, looked soft... wonder what he'd have to barter to test it out, for comparison reasons. He knew Husk's fur was almost as soft as Angel's own, especially the chest fluff, but what about Al?

"Alastor, I need to talk to you about-..." Vaggie started, voice cutting off as the lights sparked violently and the live band petered out.

Only then did he hear Husk swear, as the blinking red dot on a security camera started to go insane, the tech seizing as the Television Demon hurtled through it to rematerialise across from them.

"ALASTOR!" he thundered, seam venting from the sides of his head as the fans whirred.

"Ah... fuck." Looking rather betrayed, Alastor glared at Mimzy. "You didn't mention the cameras, dear... would have been ideal to know when we arrived."

She shrugged sheepishly. "I forgot... a gal's sometimes four sheets to the wind."

"The saying is Three Sheets to the Wind, but I did not you took a whole bottle of gin for yourself, so I understand the mathematics involved."

"Aw fuck off, Al... you want me to send him packing? I've had enough'a him pestering you."

"It's fine, I can-..."

"I will always find you, Alastor... you can't hide from me!" Vox laughs, striding forwards like a shark through a school of fish as patrons fled. "Liked the little number from before, maybe we can negotiate that making a comeback, hmm? Time to stop this bullshit and join m-... the Vees."

He pauses in shock as a glass smashes across his face, alcohol dripping down his fancy suit. Someone's sharp stripper heel draws blood from his shoulder as they swing it violently in his direction.

"Gettouta here!" shouts a dancer, picking up a drink coaster and throwing it next, as the echidna-like dancer next to her smashes a bottle against the bar for an impromptu weapon. A third and fourth are picking up chairs from nearby, fur up in a threat display.

Others seem to have attended the Mimzy school of well-concealed weaponry, as they are pulling them from locations in skintight attire where it passed beyond improbable and landed squarely in physically impossible territory. One should not be able to manifest a bazooka like that...

Several of the others were simply blocking the way, and jeering the television.

"You're just a creep who don't understand the meaning of No, and we don't like your kind here."

"We told ya not to come here, before, Vox. Take your little eye trick home."

"Looks like there's a lotta us, and one of you, you sentient toaster. Wanna dance?"

"Fuck off you flat faced motherfucker!"

"Well, I do love the enthusiasm, but I can certainly deal with him on my own." Alastor added, ears twitching in unmitigated delight as Sapphire and someone he knew to be called Petrichor (of all things) managed to get a feather boa about the television's throat and tried strangling him.

There were a lot of weapons aimed at Vox right now, he didn't dare try discharging volts at the employees. But his gaze landed on Alastor, eye spinning as he seethed with unbridled rage, the impotence in that moment conflicting with his obsessive desires.

"Call off your little sluts, Al, this is beneath you. hiding behind filth like this rather than fighting me of your own accord... and even then, why fight? You know full well we could be great together."

"For someone able to access apparently everything on your little electronic web, you certainly struggle with the concept of-..."

"He said no, ya ugly motherfucker, now back off or I blow your circuits across the city!" Mimzy cries, cutting off what was certainly building up to be a cutting remark from Alastor.

"Oho, but it's not a choice anymore is it, Al?" Vox grinned, and the Overlord has the distinct recollection of that drone at the battlesite. "We can protect you, Vel can erase all traces of that video from the internet... no one has to know about what happened to your staff. You just have to stop this whole... not interested nonsense and meet me halfway."

"Still no, but thanks for calling in. That's all the time we have for today, so do try your luck next century..."

"Fucking-... fight me properly you coward!" Vox yells, and lights pop. With a wave of his hand, Alastor replaces them, and Niffty has the shards swept away before any hit the floor.

Sapphire yanks back on the boa. "Hey, stop talkin' to him."

"Yeah, we said you need to leave and this time we're not taking no for an answer. How's that feel, you teletubby-looking bastard?!"

"This really is unnecessary, all..." Alastor tries to diffuse the situation before anyone got hurt. Also deeply puzzling what in the Seven Rings a teletubby was...

"Nah, we got this." Chirps an angelic looking thing barely taller than Niffty at his side, he recalls their name is Oregano... and never got around to asking why they went with that. They open their pretty pink lips to reveal rows upon rows of vicious teeth as they smile. "You protect us all'a the time, it's our turn now. We don't like what he tries, Mr Alastor... not then, not now."

Oregano launches at Vox and gets quite the death grip on one shoulder as the Overlord shrieks in disjointed static. It's like watching a chihauha latch onto a great white, and win.

"Fuck fuck fFFFFfuuu<<<cccKKK! Fi111ne33, but yo0000u'll bee3 sorry wh333-...n the video h111ts Hell... that H0te333l won't b3333 s4aaaf333 anymo00000re333..." Vox snarls, finally realising he was in a no win situation. He couldn't hypnotise this many sinners in all directions in person, and discharging at this distance would only incur Alastor's wrath. "N333xttt T1111mmmmmeee333..."

So saying, Vox hurled himself back into the nearest light fixture as the bulb popped. Niffty had it managed immediately.

Alastor rolled his eyes, waved at the disarray until it snapped back to order, and grinned at Mimzy. "Well, that was certainly dramatic... ah, he hasn't truly learned anything in all these decades. I shall relish finding a way to turn him into a fine dining experience... after I work out which parts are even still organic." He laughed.

Mimzy elbows him in the hip. "Hey, you be careful a'that one, he's like one of them poisonous blowfish things. You eat the wrong bit and it' kills you."

"Nevermind all that, is anyone actively injured? Dear Miss Vaggaline here is quite the field medic when needed. Congratulations on collectively repelling the repulsive overlord with nothing more than his least favourite thing... social disapproval."

Charlie is suddenly hugging him while trying not to make physical contact. A baffling situation. "Ohmygosh Al, are you okay? That was awful... why did he...? How did he even know...?"

Angel rubbed at his nape. "Yeah, sorry I talked you inta the outfit thing, Smiles... didn't know ya had a technostalker who might take it as an invitation."

"Oh do lighten up, team! I assure you that this is nothing in the grand scale of things between Vox and I, merely a delightful occurrence wherein I was not the one forced to tear him limb from limb. The lovely hosts of this fine establishment showed him what-for in grand fashion!"

"Yeah, but what he said was... kinda worrying. He acted like he wanted to own you, like... the way Val does ta me." Angel pressed.

Alastor paused, smile thinning. "Because he does. When Vox cannot have what he wants, he tries to take, to force and to persuade. Thankfully, his abilities and mine are too similar for his little hypnotic trick to work, so he is easily kept at bay. He will be back, but not for a while, so let us not ruin a good evening out with such a sour note. I understand that the band members are setting up again... who cares to dance?"

"I will. Show me that weird swing thing that Mimzy did with Charlie." Vaggie says, stepping up and surprising even herself. Alastor still takes her hand, leading her to the dancefloor as the instruments begin to play once more.

Several of the dancers had broken off into groups to laugh about their victory, and yet more gravitated to the dancefloor. Almost dancing too close, as if nervous to be far from him. It was clearly bothering the overlord, but he persisted... showing Vaggie a slowed version of the dance until her confidence began to rise.

"How do you get that kick move in there? I... I can't see it well with my eye and I don't want to fall over." Vaggie asks, and he demonstrates for her once more, as she copies. Elation flooding through her as she manages it properly. Her hand grips onto his, and Alastor looks to the ex-orcist in surprise, eyes darting over her as if assessing for ailment.

"I know you're hurt. I saw... something... when you switched outfits, and it looked angry. I also know you and Adam fought, but he came after Charlie afterwards. Is that what Vox has on you?"

He actually has to pause his movement or risk stumbling, wide-eyed at her audacity. She hoped Heaven could hear the clang of her big metallic bollocks as she buckled in to this course of action, deciding to push further.

"It doesn't matter if that's it... I know we don't really get along, not well at least. You're hiding something, and I don't trust that you can get around it to tell the truth of why you're at the hotel... but you fought for us, so I trust in your actions if not your words. However, you are part of the hotel Alastor, and that means we can protect you too. Whether you like it or not."

"There's no need, it's simply a passing issue that will resolve..."

"Not if what I think happened, happened." She retorts. "That stupid axe of his was formed from the Grace Heaven gave him, the stuff that makes Angels. It's like acid to sinner bodies, like concentrated angelic steel that is semi-alive. If you did get hit with it... there are ways to fix it. But they take time... time you might be unable to fully use your powers, and time where you would need to trust that others could protect you."

"As I said there's-..."

"No, I'm talking. It's me being calm and rationale, or Charlie sobbing all over you until you're a soggy mess. I think you'd prefer me, somehow." Vaggie preens, knowing she has him verbally cornered. "If, for example, Vox had a video of Adam winning against you and wounding you, and if he let it out to the masses... you would be safe at the hotel. Anyone coming to challenge you would meet with me, with Angel, with Husk and Charlie and possibly Niffty but I'm still not sure her motivations. Because, you fucking dumbass, you're a part of the hotel... and you fought for us, so we'll return the favour. Same as how these guys all decided to throw hands with an Overlord to protect your honour. Or whatever."

"...your support is... appreciated."

"So you'll let us help?" she queries, suspicious at the lack of fight.

"I dont believe there is much choice, based on the expressions of those around us enslaved to their little telecommunications devices."

Phones bleeped with incoming news as Vox went about his cruel revenge, joyfully broadcasting the footage of an Overlord taken down by the First Man. Leaving the handy little tidbit that Alastor was injured and unguarded right now.

"Well, fuck." Vaggie mutters. She drags the taller overlord across the floor to the other Hotel inhabitants. "Alright everyone, time to go home and lock the doors for a bit. Charlie, hun, can you call your dad?"

She feels Alastor stiffen and jerks her hand off his arm. "Hey, the King can be enough of a deterrant for most to reconsider blowing out the walls on us... and if soeone gets in, we handle them."

Alastor narrows his eyes but then snaps back to a patently fake smile. He whirls on Mimzy and kisses her hand, theatrically. "My dear, what an intriguing night you have provided us, and our sincerest apologies for the whole Vox intrustion. I trust that you and our dear dancer friends will not begrudge us attending in future... despite the chaos?"

"You can come anytime, Mr Alastor!" enthused one of the nearby dancers. "We feel safe when you're here to keep the patrons quiet!"

"But, my dear fellow... Iceberg, was it? I saw that all of you have things well in hand even without my presence, based on how easily you overpowered Vox."

"Yeah, but we like t'see ya around, sir!" agrees an amazonian looking sinner, Warratah he believes is her new moniker.

"Ain't nothing that self-important blowhard can say or do that would change our minds. Miss Mimzy and us, we like you... and your friends at the hotel. Come back whenever. I'm getting real good at using throwing knives, so I gotcha covered, huh?" winks Sapphire, waving at the Radio Demon.

"This is all kindsa touching, but we need to get out of here before Vox lets slip where we are in his tantrum and sinners destroy the joint to challenge Al." Husk interjects, Niffty under one arm and Angel snagged in his other paw.

"True. Well, adieu until next time, all. A pleasure, as always." Alastor smiles widely, wining at Mimzy who giggles in response. "Anyone who wants all of their bits and pieces to remain attached in transit should stand close, and remain still."

Charlie went preemptively green and clung to Vaggie. "Okay..." she shuts her eyes and tucked in small. Alastor couldn't help but grin at the reaction before his shades swept up and over them all.

The familiar void a form of safety, of self, and of transportation as needed pulled them towards the destination of the Hotel. Disgorging them all in a mess of shaky limbs as several members forgot how to stand.

Alasto himself felt a tad light headed, and surreptitiously leaned against a wall. Taking so many was a challenge at the best of times, and such a distance... but his chest burned with the strain of his overuse of abilities.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked, and he cursed her perceptive nature.

"Ah, well, it takes more cognition when... I believe the term is drunk driving?" he jokes, deflecting.

"Nah, I've seen you down half the bar and still be sober enough to go on a hunt... this is something else." Husker, the traitor, added. "That video showed you copping a hell of a hit with that guitar axe overcompensation thing of Adam's... cant have healed fully, not yet."

"Husker... do stop talking before I command you to."

"Or what? You gonna teleport me to the other side of the City right now? Nah. I'll take my chances... now sit down on the couch before you fall down, and I'll get the doors locked."

"Oho, what's everyone doing back here so early? Was it to do with that funny video Clorox sent through the phones earlier about Bambi here losing to Adam?" Comes the unfortunate voice of the King, far too gleeful for anyone.

"Hey, ya Majesty, could you leave it fer now? We had a... well, it was great, except Vox turned up and freaked us all out... and it's been a weird night." Angel interjects, trying to avoid anything specific. "We need to lock the place up before people start trying to get Al's power for themselves."

"Why? Just let them have him, I'll take over as facilities manager, it's a win-win." Lucifer shrugs, and then shrinks at the furious gaze Charlie turns on him.

"Unlike you Dad, I don't turn my back on family when things get hard. Now either help me, help US including Alastor, or go back to your room and make... I don't know... a duck that knows karate that can patrol the grounds or something." She snarls, immediately pulling back at his hurt expression.

Alastor's headache was getting worse, and he startled to find Angel hovering nearby with a cloth of some kind in his vision.

"For ya nose, it's bleeding..." the spider prompts, and Alastor takes it. "You pushed too hard with that teleport thing, didn'tcha? We shoulda called a taxi or something... maybe even Cherri coulda gotten us in her van. Drives like no one else is on the same continent, but we woulda gotten home alive... in a manner of speaking."

"Hah, she is quite bloody-minded, that woman. Admirable." Alastor agreed, vaguely. One ear cocked against the sound of Charlie's words wearing down Lucifer's last resolve, as the King begs for her forgiveness and promises to help.

Golden light fills the area as wards go up around the hotel above and beyond those flagging under Alastor's diminished state.

"Hey, uh... I want you ta know that... what Vox said was fucked up. Not wanting any of the muss and fuss of my line of work... that's valid. Lotta people finding out they're like that these days, and they're allowed to be that way, on earth and even sometimes in hell, cause society lightened up a fraction. Not a lot, but... enough. It's normal enough... Vox's just one'a those powerful white guys from a time when the word No was foreign to 'em."

"Exceptionally true, my friend. And that confusion turns to anger, to a theatrical betrayal in his mind, and then to obsession. One day I will find the time to kill him... but he is not a priority for now." Alastor pauses, trying to think back past the pounding in his head. "And I do not endorse his statements around your profession, you and the lovely employees of Mimzy's bar are professionals in your own right, actors and artisans who provide entertainment in many forms. The only thing vile about it is the people pulling the strings... and I will kill that moth one day, he is more bothersome than I can ever recall him being."

Angel tried to hide the tears in his eyes at the idea of freedom. "Well, then I hope I get to see it, becuase I want to watch him choke on his last breath for all he did to me and the others. But we gotta get you well first, so you can eat the bastards... or, well, maybe not Val... he's got weird spit and blood and stuff make you mad horny and vague. I don't think you want that, or that Pentagram City is ready for a 40 foot tall Radio Demon tripping on an aphrodisiac..."

Alastor frowned at the mental image, feeling dizzy again as he shut his eyes for a moment. "No, that would do something for my reputation... but hardly something I would enjoy having spread about."

"You know what you COULD spread?" Angel waggled his eyebrows, and laughed as a pillow landed on his head from a few feet up. His expression falls serious again. "And uh, you know, if my... statements make you undomfortable... you let me know. I can stop, but ya might need like a squirt bottle or one of them shock collars for naughty dogs."

"Appreciated but not necessary, I enjoy a good deal of... word play... when it..." the sentence felt far away as Alastor's headache seemed to pulse with his heartbeat. His head bumped against Angel's shoulder as things started to feel quite distant.... and then blissfully quiet, like the comfort of his void.

"Smiles? Ah fuck... can I get some help here? He's bleeding and I think he passed out. We shoulda gotten the Short King to portal us back. Lotta excitement tonight. Too much for someone who was apparently hacked in half..." Angel rambled, running his hands through his hair as he balanced Alastor half on his lap with the others.Not daring to look at the crimson mess spreading over the crimson shirt.

"Oh he's being dramatic, the big bab-... oh, well, fuck. Okay, ducling and friends, let's sort this out first and then go deal with whoever is ramming the doors at this time of night." Lucifer says, storming over with golden light swirling over his hands ashe took charge. "See if you can get the idiot awake, I need to know what he did to try and heal it, so I don't cause further harm."

Angel taps the still eerily smiling face. "Hey, Smiles? Strawberry Pimp?" he ignores how that one makes Lucifer wheeze until there are tears in his eyes. "Can you snap out of it for a minute to answer something for me?"

"...mmmm? Angel...? What-..."

"Yeah, can you tell me if you tried anything with your voodoo powers to fix this or whatever?"

"Just... thread..."

Lucifer nods, "Okay, that's fine then. I can do something to dislodge some of the angelic grace in there, but to full y heal it, it will take time."

Distantly, Vaggie can be heard cursing at the hoarde of sinners at their doorstep, threatening eighteen generations and the current ones of each and every would-be overlord's family until they back off in fear.

Husk was holding a sobbing Niffty who was exhausted and worried. He was cajoling in a way that spoke of caring for younger persons before... it made Angel's heart hmm happily.

Lucifer was doing who the fuck knows what, but it involved blinding light in sharp bursts that made Alastor twtich under Angel's hands. The spider mindlessly babbled soothing shit that used to work on Molly and Arakniss when they were younger, when they were ill or hurt.

He was so lost in the moment, that the starlet almost missed it.

"...angel?"

"Huh? Oh, er, yeah Al? What's up?"

"...what..."

"King's fixing up your wound. That's the light show."

"No... what's-..."

Angel let the other blink slowly, and assumed the other had fallen back to sleep. He startled when Al spoke again.

"...what's... a... teletubby?"

Angel burst into hysterical laughter until tears ran from his eyes, and Lucifer leaned over to press a soothing touch of healing through the spider as well to help him settle.

"...never change, Al. Ya fuckin' hilarious."

"Hmmm..." Alastor agreed, and fell still again.

Outside someone was screaming as Razzle roared in full demonic form. Vaggie had stopped 'negotiating' and started impaling.

"We gotta good crew here, Smiles... you just rest, we got your back. Even the Short King... whether he likes it or not."

If it felt like Alastor relaxed just fraction more, well... Angel wasn't no snitch. And he had always been loyal to family.

[skylitcreations]

Lately I have desperately pondered Spent my nights awake and I wonder What I could have done in another way To make you stay Reason will not reach a solution I will end up lost in confusion I don't care if you really care As long as you don't go

The hope in his eyes was something she didn't dare take away. She knew everything he was doing was in hopes of getting back to Alice. He didn't need to know that the FBC had discovered she was no longer in the land of the living.

She wished she could be the cause for that glimmer of hope she saw in his features. She wished his touches were meant for more than just comfort. She wished he'd look at her the way he looked when he thought about Alice.

All of those yearnings, however, paled in comparison to the thought of seeing every bit of his heart shatter once he knew the truth.

She hoped she'd never have to tell him.

[headcanonthings]

[sollucets]

ployphach phatchatorn as taemrak | wandee goodday, episode one

[bonetrousledbones]

damn they weren't lying. that art style can evil

yucky unfiltered version under the cut

i tried a super different coloring method too and it did not work particularly well lol

[peacockrulz]

Funny stuff happens on twitter sometimes dkslfjsdlkf

[thepersonperson]

I finally understand the core of Jujutsu Kaisen.

[aroacewxs]

Black Hole Fantasy - Rui's Acceptance Towards Change (Character & Lyric Analysis)

Hello! This came to me in a vision. I'm either factually correct or just deranged to the point where every single song reads as Rui to me, but oh well!! I love the Crane Wives, I love this song, this album so so much. And I like Rui. So this is your sign to listen to Beyond, Beyond, Beyond in its entirety from beginning to end as intended. For me. (Please. It's also for your own good.)

Note: This is more of a middle school/main story Rui analysis but it applies to so many more of his focuses as well : ) I just didn't want to include everything or else it would end up too messy and long!

Aren't you tired of going through the motions? Is the daily grind meant to dull the mind? I sense a window somewhere closing Somewhere in the world that I just have to find

We start off by looking through the window of a depressed teenager, roughly fourteen or fifteen, slowly wearing his heart and mind away. Every day is the exact same: he wakes up, goes to school (whether he actually sits through class is a whole other story), he keeps his head down, his presence small and tiny. He melts into the background and becomes nothing more but an idea, a rumour. There is no place for him here; all he can do is watch from a safe enough distance.

And Rui knows, he knows that happiness exists. He knows it's there, but it's not here. Not for him. Maybe, in another pocket of the universe where he didn't have to eat lunch alone, but rewriting his story this way, well, that just wouldn't be his story anymore, would it?

The days blur together I watch the ceiling buckle, the walls are closing in There's a black hole in the living-room floor I keep trying to ignore, but it's growing

And even though he can try all he wants, remaining apathetic to the life he was given, he can't ignore how much it eats away at him. It's leaving holes in his chest, holes much too big for a simple fix. He'll take them with him wherever he goes, even as he leaves the rooftop, graduates, leaves the school, leaves the next one.

Even after he cuts his hair, transfers to Kamiyama, and carries on with his guerilla gigs like usual, he doesn't feel whole.

Why? Why won't it go away?

If love is just a chemical reaction Is there a pill to take? Something to quell this ache? Is this the real thing or a distraction? Is it worth the risk? My life would detonate

My knuckles hesitate an inch away from the door What happens when it opens?

It doesn't go away when Tsukasa approaches him with a generous invite, either. He's honoured, of course, but it brings him more fear and dread if anything. There's no way, he tells himself. Life has taught him that no matter how much love he has to give to the world, the world is simply not as loving. He can't take this chance, not again.

And even if it was good enough to be true, just enough good for someone like him, there's no way it would last. It's only a matter of time before they look at him like everybody else did, and all that would be left for Rui is to watch the world from above like he always did, revelling in the fact that he was proven right once more.

Even in my fantasy, I can't commit to believing That I'll get what I want, I'm afraid of what I want Even in my fantasy, I keep the car running In case I need to take off

The months blur together I watch the ceiling buckle, I wonder when it's caving in There's a black hole in the living-room floor I keep standing on the edge and looking in

After all, it's better this way! It's better this way: barely within arm's reach, always a few feet from the door, bags packed from the very beginning, ready to leave when it becomes clear to him that he is probably not welcome anymore.

All Rui needs is complete and utter freedom to make the shows he wants to make. He's convinced himself that he doesn't need other people. People are people, I am me. It's as simple as that, and there is no use in hoping for anything more.

But, deep deep down, he knows it's not true. He's known forever now that something was missing, something he can't place a finger on. This wasn't enough, it will never be enough, but he can't spit those words out himself. Admitting to the truth means accepting that you are unhappy, not like this, not forever, who are you trying to fool, you need more, YOU NEED MORE. However, for someone like Rui who has been taught to believe that he is a selfish person, a cruel, heartless thing who would do whatever it takes to get what he wants, it was easier settling with the little he had.

This is how it should be, Rui tells himself and to nobody else.

But a small, small part of him, something he left years ago in an empty room, cried for someone else to be there with him too.

And on the other side is another life A version of me with a spark in her eyes That I don't have And now she's laughing And it's killing me that I cannot see What's making her laugh From where I'm standing And I have to know So, I'm going in I'm going in

I don't exactly have a perfect way to segue this into the last verse but I just really love the imagery of a younger, sadder Rui, watching his future self from a distance, and he's laughing, smiling, and he's so full of life. Who did he meet that he could let loose and just simply be? Who is making his face crinkle up into the smile he can't even muster anymore? Who is putting the shine in his eyes, the love in his heart? He wants to turn away, it's not real, it's not true. There's nothing like that for him. Not in this life. But the more he watches the more he hurts and the more he hurts the more he feels until all he can do is take that first step forward, reach his hand towards the light, and pray that something catches him.

Let's try this again I'm on my way to your house, guided by the stars I'm pulling in the driveway, I'm turning off the car I'm running to your porch, I'm sprinting up the stairs The door swings open and you're standing there You're beaming down at me, you're reaching out for me And pull me in your arms, and I feel your heart pounding I take a step back to catch my breath And we look at each other and double over and laugh, and laugh, and laugh

And years later, it hits him. That smile, that laugh he saw, was truly only possible due to the fact HE took that first step. It was Rui who "turned off the car," he's not running away anymore, he's moving forward. It was Rui who kept his arm outstretched, Rui who carried the courage to change, Rui who decided to grow closer with Wonderlands x Showtime, his classmates, and ultimately, with true friends outside of his troupe. Had he kept his heart closed away, cold from the wind on the school rooftop, everything would have stayed the same. Rui accepted change with himself first. Rui's change started with Rui.

And, by god, how good does it feel! How amazing is that breath of fresh air, the ache in his ribs from laughing too hard, the sores in his face from smiling too wide? How astonishing is the realization that oh, this is still you! It's still you! Despite everything, all the hurt, the loss, every sliver of joy in your life, it's still you! Maybe not quite anymore, but every part of you, at least a remnant, a memory, lives on in you alone. The Rui smiling with his friends today is the same Rui who believed that there was nothing in this world left for him. He's the same Rui as the Rui three, five, ten years ago, in the smallest of ways. And he carries every single part of him wherever he goes, close to his heart. And that really means something to me.

[icewindandboringhorror]

I occasionally wish to reach out to old friends/acquaintances I haven't spoken to since high school/some other even earlier time in my life, but I have SOOO little social energy even for required tasks (like making dr phone calls or etc), I never have any leftover for extra ones, and it would be very odd to message someone I haven't spoken to in like 5 years out of the blue but then take 4 entire months to respond back lol.. My natural curiosity with nostalgia/collecting details of the past/etc. (literally if I were born a little earlier I would definitely do scrapbooking or something lol) is very strong, but, alas, not strong enough to beat out the Social Issues Demons apparently